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It's been a week of chaos on Kent's roads. The implementation of Operation Brock has led to long delays on the M20, A20 and A2 as well as through Ashford, Dover and Folkestone.
The contraflow system was originally developed for use of a no-deal Brexit and is used to supplement Operation Stack during cross-Channel traffic problems. However, weather problems, ferry shortages and the school holiday's have led to the system being in place for the last week.
Dramatic pictures show miles upon miles of lorries queuing on the M20 as they wait to cross the Channel. One truck driver told Kent Live he had been stuck in traffic jams for over 30 hours.
So what can be done to avoid more queues and chaos like this going forward? The leader of Dover District Council has warned of another "challenging" weekend in east Kent while Maidstone Council went as far as telling drivers to avoid the roads altogether.
Do you think Operation Brock is fit for purpose? Have your say by filling out survey
The story has been dominating the Kent news agenda this week and locals have been commenting on the KentLive Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, with ideas to help solve the problems.
We asked readers if Operation Brock should be scrapped for different measures and this is what they said.
Paul Pugsley replied on Twitter: "Yes as it's not working and causing drivers nothing but misery that's down to poor management by Highways England."
Claire Shilling added on Twitter: "No it's not fit for purpose as it is supposed to keep one lane open for traffic to still use the M20. Ashford was a nightmare at the weekend"
Readers on the Kent Traffic and Travel Facebook page were also asked and there was a common theme among the answers. Multiple readers called for Manston Airport in Thanet to be opened up to store the lorries.
Back in December 2020, the former airport site in Thanet was used to hold thousands of lorries following the decision by France to shut the border.
Nina Clancy said: "Why are the lorries not at Manston Airport"
Alison Johnson agreed: "Yes, send them all to Manston"
While Mark Richardson added: "Put Manston Airport in place and keep the roads clear."
Do you agree with the readers? Let us know in the comments below or fill out the survey above. | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/kentlive-readers-react-week-operation-6920052 | 2022-04-08T16:51:04Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/kentlive-readers-react-week-operation-6920052 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TRAPPE, Md.- Choptank Community Health System expanded its Talbot County School-Based Health Center program with the addition of a new health center at White Marsh Elementary School in Trappe.
The center, which opened on March 21, is made possible through a partnership with Choptank Health, Talbot County Public Schools, and the Talbot County Health Department.
“We want to keep our students and staff as healthy as they can be,” says White Marsh Elementary School Principal Kimberly Seidel. “We’re seeing several new registrations each day and are encouraging parents and guardians to register their students for these important school-based health services by contacting our administrative offices during school hours.”
The White Marsh Elementary School health center is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from noon to 3:30 p.m. and is staffed with medical professionals from Choptank Health and the Talbot County Health Department. All TCPS public school students and staff can enroll in the program and utilize any Talbot SBHC site regardless of ability to pay.
“Now students in and around Trappe have access to our School-Based Health Center,” says Choptank Health CEO Sara Rich. “We’re grateful for our partnerships and staff to be able to bring this access to dental and medical health services to more students and their families.”
Rich says School-Based Health Centers oftentimes provide a child with their only form of medical or dental care, furthering the importance of this new center.
“We’re grateful for Talbot County Public Schools' partnership with Choptank Health,” said Talbot County Public Schools Superintendent Kelly Griffith. “Our students can focus more on learning when they feel good and are well, while our school families benefit from the convenience and accessibility of these important services.”
Choptank Health operates 32 School-Based Health Centers in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, and Talbot County Public Schools, offering medical and/or dental services for enrolled K-12 students. A new primary care mobile health unit is additionally being used as part of Choptank Health’s medical and dental School-Based Health Center services.
The School-Based Health Centers provide in-person, virtual, curbside well and urgent care, and other services including health education and risk assessment, sports and other physical exams, dietary support, asthma management, and sick or acute care.
Student enrollment in Choptank Health’s School-Based Wellness and Dental Programs can be made by contacting your student’s Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, or Talbot County public school.
Choptank Community Health System provides medical and dental services in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot counties, with a mission to provide access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated healthcare for all. Choptank Community Health’s medical services include primary healthcare, women’s health, pediatrics, behavioral health, chronic health management, and care navigation, with new medical patients now being accepted. More information is at www.choptankhealth.org. | https://www.wboc.com/news/choptank-health-opens-health-center-at-white-marsh-elementary-in-trappe/article_fce6243e-b74b-11ec-8d85-9f70e9e8fc38.html | 2022-04-08T16:51:08Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/choptank-health-opens-health-center-at-white-marsh-elementary-in-trappe/article_fce6243e-b74b-11ec-8d85-9f70e9e8fc38.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WASHINGTON (AP)- It’s a moment 46 days - and more than 46 years - in the making.
President Joe Biden on Friday will celebrate the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to reach the Supreme Court, marking the pinnacle of her legal career and bringing his political story full circle.
As a longtime Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, Biden had a front-row seat to some of the most contentious confirmation battles in the Court’s history, as well as the hearings for Justice Stephen Breyer, whose retirement this summer is clearing the way for Jackson to join the bench.
“This is a tremendously historic day in the White House and in the country, and this is a fulfillment of a promise the president made to the country,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki. She added that Biden’s time on the Judiciary Committee “was defining for him and gave him historically exceptional preparation” for putting a justice on the court.
In nominating Jackson, Biden delivered on a campaign promise to select the first Black woman to serve on a court that was made up entirely of white men for almost two centuries, declared her race unworthy of citizenship and endorsed American segregation.
He also chose an attorney who will be the high court’s first former public defender and who possesses the elite legal background of other justices as well, with degrees from Harvard and Harvard Law School and top clerkships, including for Breyer himself.
Jackson's arrival on the bench won’t upend the current 6-3 ideological balance in favor of conservatives, but Biden sees the pick as historic nonetheless. He nominated her on the second anniversary of his pledge ahead of the South Carolina presidential primary to select a Black woman for the court. The move helped resurrect his flailing campaign and preserved his pathway to the White House.
“We’ve taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America,” Biden said in a tweet Thursday after posing for a selfie with the justice-in-waiting. “She will be an incredible Justice, and I was honored to share this moment with her.”
Jackson had joined Biden at the White House to watch the Senate vote unfold on TV, the two of them clasping hands in the Roosevelt Room as her confirmation became reality.
"History doesn’t happen by accident - it’s made,” said White House chief of staff Ron Klain. He took note on MSNBC of the vote on Brown's nomination being presided over in the Senate by Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black vice president, also selected by Biden.
Throughout his 50 years in Washington, Biden has played an instrumental part in shaping the court, both inside and out of the Senate. But this was his first opportunity to make a selection of his own.
Biden may not get another chance. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, in an interview Thursday with Axios, refused to commit to hold confirmation hearings for a future Biden nominee to the high court if the GOP retakes control of the Senate in 2023.
Biden took part in confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees Sandra Day O’Connor in 1981 and Antonin Scalia in 1986, both nominated by President Ronald Reagan. He also participated in the 1986 hearing to elevate Justice William Rehnquist to the position of chief justice of the United States.
As committee chairman, he presided over the hearings for doomed nominee Robert Bork, then the successful confirmations of Anthony M. Kennedy, David Souter, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Breyer.
He was on the committee in 2005 but no longer chairman when now-Chief Justice John Roberts was confirmed to the court, and in 2006 when Samuel Alito became a justice.
As vice president, Biden helped counsel President Barack Obama on his three Supreme Court picks: Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, who were confirmed, and now-Attorney General Merrick Garland, whose nomination was blocked by the GOP ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Jackson won’t take office immediately. Breyer is set to step down after the court concludes its current term, which is usually in late June or early July. Only then will Jackson take the oath to become an associate justice. A White House official said Jackson will remain in her role on the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit but will continue to recuse herself from cases.
Friday's celebratory event on the South Lawn of the White House comes amid a COVID-19 outbreak among Washington’s political class that has sidelined members of Biden’s administration and lawmakers, including Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who tested positive for the virus just hours after voting for Brown’s confirmation.
Psaki on Thursday addressed concerns that the White House event could be a “super-spreader” for the virus, like President Donald Trump’s Rose Garden ceremony announcing the nomination of now-Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Psaki emphasized that the risks from the virus are now much lower because of vaccinations and treatments.
“At that point in time, vaccines were unavailable, people were not vaccinated, it certainly puts us in a different space,” Psaki said. | https://www.wboc.com/news/jackson-confirmation-takes-biden-political-story-full-circle/article_936f166a-b731-11ec-962d-2b066404e456.html | 2022-04-08T16:51:14Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/jackson-confirmation-takes-biden-political-story-full-circle/article_936f166a-b731-11ec-962d-2b066404e456.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
It has been over one month now since Russia launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine. People from across the world have been glued to the news ever since February 24, witnessing horrendous footage of air strikes and explosions.
The harrowing scenes of people and children forced to flee their country have shocked us all but many residents in Kent have come together in the last month to offer their assistance at a time of need. Donations have been organised across the county, with some individuals and organisations even driving to the border between Poland and Ukraine to deliver vital supplies.
The Government also launched a 'Homes for Ukraine' scheme which allowed those in the UK to sign up and offer a space to accommodate refugees fleeing the conflict. In an update issued via the Kent County Council website a fortnight ago, it was revealed that 1,165 Ukrainian individuals had matched with sponsors in 429 properties in Kent.
READ MORE: The ways Kent is coming together to help Ukraine as Russian invasion continues
But what does that mean for each individual town and city in the county? Here's what each council in Kent is doing to help house Ukrainian refugees.
Ashford Borough Council
In a statement, Ashford Borough Council said: "Preparation work is being undertaken at Pym House, the former sheltered housing scheme run by Ashford Borough Council which is empty prior to being redeveloped as a modern independent living scheme. It is linked to a decision taken by Ashford Borough Council in relation to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. We are all aware of the on-going situation there and the UK’s response, with the recent announcement regarding sponsorship of host families in the UK.
"Ashford Borough Council, along with all district councils in Kent, are working to establish their roles in supporting both host families and those fleeing Ukraine and as part of this have to consider contingency planning should additional accommodation be required in local areas at short notice. To ensure that the council is ready to meet any emergency need and at potentially very short notice, Ashford needs to look at accommodation that is currently available.
"Our Pym House redevelopment plans have not yet moved forward so the borough council has taken the decision that with immediate effect, and working with both the Parish Council in Charing and the volunteer sector, we bring Pym House back into use and ensure that it would be ready to accommodate Ukrainian refugees at short notice if required. If Pym House is used to temporarily home Ukrainian families, then Ashford Borough Council will help manage the project, with staff providing welfare and wellbeing support, overseeing medical assistance, including mental health support for any left traumatised by their experiences in fleeing the war. Council staff will also help to provide translation services.
"Places will be found for Ukrainian children in local schools, while pre-school provision will be organised if required. Language learning and adult education services can also be provided by Kent County Council, Ashford College and other partners. Ashford Borough Council will receive funding from the Home Office to cover the costs of supporting any Ukrainian families rehomed in the area, ensuring there is no financial burden on the services provided to residents and businesses.
"The borough council’s move to assist Ukrainian families follows similar humanitarian responses in recent years, first to Syrian refugees as part of an official Government resettlement scheme, and more recently offering the hand of friendship to Afghan families fleeing the vengeful Taliban. Ashford Borough Council wants to stress that it is still continuing with our longer term plans for the Pym House site but feel that the extreme situation in Ukraine warrants us using the building while we await all the usual processes around planning for a redevelopment rather than have the building stand empty."
Canterbury City Council
In a statement, Canterbury City Council said: "“Everyone is horrified by the indefensible invasion of Ukraine and the whole of Kent stands ready to welcome refugees fleeing the conflict in their country. All partners of the Kent Resilience Forum, including District and Borough Councils, are working with central government to make preparations to provide a safe and warm welcome for Ukrainian refugees.
“At this stage we do not know exactly how many Ukrainians will be arriving in Kent or when, although a number have already arrived through the Family Sponsorship Scheme. The latest data from central government suggests that there are currently 1,151 individuals matched with sponsors within 707 properties across Kent through the Homes for Ukraine initiative.
“The Government has announced that local authorities will be provided with funding to deliver the wraparound support needed by refugees coming to the UK. All partners are working together currently to identify how this can be provided. The support will include accommodation, safeguarding checks, translation services, access to health services and education.
“We know that the voluntary sector and charities in Kent are mobilising themselves to provide support in local communities. If you are a local charity or voluntary sector organisation who would like to be involved in this vital response, please contact your district or borough council. For residents wanting to support in other ways, there are a number of charities providing humanitarian relief in Ukraine. This includes the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Appeal, which the UK Government is match-funding, pound-for-pound, up to £25 million of public donations.
“There are also lots of organisations across Kent, the UK and internationally who have launched appeals, and you may wish to donate through these organisations instead. There are some simple steps you can take to ensure your money is safe and being used effectively. Visit https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukraine-what-you-can-do-to-help for how to make donations safely online.
“The Homes for Ukraine scheme will enable individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to host Ukrainian refugees and their immediate relations who have no family ties to the UK, in their homes, spare rooms or unoccupied residential self-contained accommodation. Applications can be made via the Homes for Ukraine government website. Hosts will be offered a tax-free payment of £350 a month to open their homes to refugees and as part of the process hosts will also be vetted and Ukrainian applicants will undergo security checks.”
Dartford Borough Council
In a statement, the council said: "Dartford Borough Council is committed to helping local Ukrainians in the wake of the devastating invasion of their country by Russia. Dartford Borough Council is committed to helping local Ukrainians in the wake of the devastating invasion of their country by Russia.
"The Council stands ready to respond openly and willingly to the resettlement and humanitarian efforts co-ordinated by the Government. We have a proud record of participation in previous aid and resettlement efforts and we are ready to do so again.
"It has been uplifting to see the many local volunteer and humanitarian initiatives in response to this appalling crisis but some residents may still be unsure how to help. We would encourage them to follow the work being done by some of the established charities that are already making a huge difference, such as the Disasters Emergency Committee , the British Red Cross , Oxfam and UNICEF."
Leader of the Council Jeremy Kite MBE said: "The pictures and news coming from Ukraine are heartbreaking and devastating. It’s heart-warming to see local individuals doing their bit to help people who live so far away and I couldn’t be more proud of them. We will play our part in helping the aid and resettlement programme. I have agreed that DBC will be ready to help any local Ukrainian people in Dartford who have families in the region and they should contact us for any support or help they need."
Folkestone & Hythe District Council
A spokesperson for the council said: "Currently we are working with partners, for example Kent County Council, to establish how we can best support Ukrainian refugees who may be coming to live in the district."
Gravesham Borough Council
In a statement, Gravesham Borough Council said: "On March 14 2022, the government published the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme. The scheme calls for UK residents to use spare rooms within their property to host Ukrainian families.
"This information is being collated by central government and at this stage, we have not been made aware of potential numbers for Gravesham. Gravesham Borough Council is working alongside Kent County Council and the Kent Resilience Forum to establish how we can best assist the government in supporting the Ukraine emergency and ensure that those coming into our Borough can be accommodated in a safe, secure, and suitable environment.
"We are being regularly updated as the situation evolves and will assist where we can with the scheme. Since the introduction of this scheme the council has been actively promoting the relevant Government website links that people need to use if they should wish to provide accommodation to Ukrainian refugees.
"The Homes for Ukraine scheme will allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses in the UK to bring Ukrainians to safety – including those with no family ties to the UK. Phase One of the scheme will allow sponsors in the UK to nominate a named Ukrainian or a named Ukrainian family to stay with them in their home or in a separate property.
"Individual sponsors will be asked to provide homes or a spare room rent-free for as long as they are able, with a minimum stay of 6 months. In return, they will receive £350 per month. Those who have a named Ukrainian they wish to sponsor should contact them directly and prepare to fill in a visa application, with the application launching on Friday 18 March.
"Charities, faith groups and local community organisations are also helping to facilitate connections between individuals, for potential sponsors who do not have a named contact. Ukrainians arriving in the UK under this scheme will be granted 3 years leave to remain, with entitlement to work, and access benefits and public services."
Maidstone Borough Council
In a statement, Maidstone Borough Council said: "Everyone is horrified by indefensible invasion of Ukraine and the whole of Kent stands ready to welcome refugees fleeing the conflict in their country. All partners of the Kent Resilience Forum, including district and borough councils across the county, are working with central government to make preparations to provide a safe and warm welcome for Ukrainian refugees.
"At this stage we do not know exactly how many Ukrainians will be arriving in Kent or when, although a number have already arrived through the Family Sponsorship Scheme. The latest data from central government suggests that there are currently 1,151 individuals matched with sponsors within 707 properties across Kent through the Homes for Ukraine initiative.
"The Government has announced that local authorities will be provided with funding to deliver the wraparound support needed by refugees coming to the UK. All partners are working together currently to identify how this can be provided. The support will include accommodation, safeguarding checks, translation services, access to health services and education."
Medway Council
Cllr Alan Jarrett, leader of Medway Council, said: “We are deeply appalled and saddened by the tragic events that have been unfolding in Ukraine and, like many other local authorities, we stand ready to welcome and provide a haven for those fleeing the conflict in their country. We are continuing to follow government guidance and we have already started to put plans in place to be able to accommodate Ukrainian citizens, and families, in the coming weeks.
“We currently do not know exactly how many Ukrainians will be arriving in Medway however, we are aware, and are incredibly proud, that currently 27 families have signed up to be part of the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme and will be working with these households to support them in their welcome. We want to ensure that Ukrainian nationals arriving in Medway receive the best possible support and welcome, to Medway.
"The government has announced that local authorities will receive funding to provide support to those coming to the UK including safeguarding checks, translation services, access to health services and education and we are working with partners to ensure arrangements are put in place. It has been heart-warming to see Medway’s response to the Ukrainian crisis and there are a number of ways residents can show their support to the Ukrainian people including making donations to the Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal or the UN’s Ukraine Humanitarian Fund.
“We will continue to share the latest government advice on our website including information on how residents can sign up to the Homes for Ukraine scheme. We stand with Ukraine and its people and our thoughts and prayers are with them at this most difficult time.”
Sevenoaks District Council
A spokesperson for Sevenoaks District Council said: "We are all shocked and saddened by the situation in Ukraine and we stand with councils across Kent to welcome refugees fleeing the conflict. All the partners of the Kent Resilience Forum, including the county, district and borough councils, are working with central government to make preparations to provide a safe and warm welcome for Ukrainian refugees.
"At this stage we do not know exactly how many Ukrainians will be arriving in Kent or when, although a number have already arrived through the Family Sponsorship Scheme.
"The Government has announced that local authorities will be provided with funding to deliver the support needed by refugees coming to the UK. All partners are working together currently to identify how this can be provided. The support will include accommodation, safeguarding checks, translation services, access to health services and education.
"Residents who want to support the people of Ukraine may wish to consider donating to the charities providing humanitarian relief. This includes the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Appeal, which the UK Government is match-funding, pound-for-pound, up to £25 million of public donations.
"The Homes for Ukraine scheme will enable individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to host Ukrainian refugees and their immediate relations who have no family ties to the UK, in their homes, spare rooms or unoccupied residential self-contained accommodation. Applications can be made via the Homes for Ukraine government website. Hosts will be offered a tax-free payment of £350 a month to open their homes to refugees and as part of the process hosts will also be vetted and Ukrainian applicants will undergo security checks."
Thanet District Council
A spokesperson for Thanet District Council said: "The situation in Ukraine is of enormous concern and we stand in solidarity with the people there. We are committed to playing our part in the national effort to welcome and support refugee families.
"The Government has announced that local authorities will be provided with funding to deliver the wraparound support needed by refugees coming to the UK. At this stage, we do not know how many Ukrainians might be arriving in Thanet, or when.
"In the meantime we are working with our partners in the Kent Resilience Forum and Government to identify how support can be provided. This will include accommodation, safeguarding checks, translation services, access to health services and education."
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
William Benson, Chief Executive of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, said: “Tunbridge Wells is pulling out all the stops to welcome Ukrainian guests. Whilst we don’t have the precise number of households who have offered to make their homes available we expect in excess of 1,000 guests.
"The local community has been absolutely fantastic and we have had a great many offers of support – both to host individuals and households and to provide practical support. A number of groups have come forward and we are looking to connect offers of help with host families and their guests.
"If anyone wants any further information, they should check our website www.tunbridgewells.gov.uk or the Government’s website https://homesforukraine.campaign.gov.uk/.”
Sign up to get the latest stories from Kent direct into your inbox here | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/what-your-kent-council-said-6912561 | 2022-04-08T16:51:14Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/what-your-kent-council-said-6912561 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
RICHMOND, Va.— Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday that more than 7 million Virginians have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine since the Virginia Department of Health launched the state’s vaccination campaign in late December 2020. VDH reached this vaccination milestone during National Public Health Week.
That figure of 7,000,752 represents 81.5% of Virginia’s total population of 8,590,563 people and 92.4% of the adult population of 6,724,143 Virginians 18 years of age and older. Of those, 2,938,260 Virginians have received their recommended booster or third dose of vaccine.
“Over 7 million Virginians have received a COVID-19 vaccine dose, an incredible milestone in our path towards normalcy and demonstrates that Virginia is leading in the fight against COVID-19, once again. I will continue to encourage everyone to get the vaccine, as it’s the best method to prevent serious illness from the virus,” said Youngkin. “While I’ve been a strong advocate of getting the vaccine and boosters, I will not mandate it. I’m pleased that over 80% of Virginians have made an individual decision to get the vaccine.”
On Dec. 15, 2020, Sentara Healthcare employee Yolanda Dumas in Hampton Roads became the first Virginian to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine just days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave its approval to the Emergency Use Authorization administration of the the mRNA vaccine. At the beginning of the vaccination campaign, frontline healthcare personnel and people living in long term care facilities were prioritized for vaccination.
In phased rollouts, other groups of individuals became eligible for vaccination in early 2021: persons ages 65 years and older; persons 16-64 years old with certain underlying conditions; frontline essential workers such as police, fire and emergency medical personnel, teachers, and grocery and manufacturing workers; and other workers in sectors essential to the functioning of society.
VDH has employed a number of different strategies to reach people in its vaccination campaign including:
- Vaccinate Virginia: A statewide call center (877-VAX-IN-VA) and website (Vaccinate.Virginia.gov) were established for Virginians to register for notification of vaccination appointments. Public awareness campaigns have been conducted across media platforms, including print, broadcast, and digital.
- Community Vaccination Centers: The state set up large-scale vaccination centers across Virginia that administered hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses.
- Community Partnerships: Local health districts across the commonwealth developed partnerships with organizations throughout their coverage areas to get vaccines to hard-to-reach, vulnerable populations through mobile clinics, vaccination events at churches and community centers, and, in some cases, taking vaccination directly to homebound individuals.
Pharmacies, both those participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program and partnered with local health districts, have delivered more than seven million vaccine doses to Virginians, out of the more than 15 million total COVID-19 vaccine doses administered thus far in Virginia. Local health departments have administered more than 2.6 million doses, followed by medical practices (1.9 million), other community health providers (1.7 million), and hospitals (1.35 million).
VDH’s vaccination campaign continues today with hyper-targeted outreach to unvaccinated Virginians in rural areas of the state, persons hesitant to be vaccinated, and persons in need of boosters to be up to date on their vaccinations. | https://www.wboc.com/news/more-than-7m-virginians-have-received-one-dose-of-covid-19-vaccine/article_e8e6f582-b73a-11ec-95e4-2bda7ba0906e.html | 2022-04-08T16:51:20Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/more-than-7m-virginians-have-received-one-dose-of-covid-19-vaccine/article_e8e6f582-b73a-11ec-95e4-2bda7ba0906e.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LEWES, Del.- A 70-year-old Rehoboth Beach man is facing multiple charges following accusations that he threatened two people with a gun during an argument.
Delaware State Police said that on Wednesday morning, troopers were called to the 33000 block of Clover Street in Lewes for a report of a landlord-tenant dispute. The ensuing investigation revealed that Harding and a family member were involved in a disagreement with the tenants of a home at this location. Police said that during the dispute, Harding pointed a gun at a 39-year-old male victim. Harding also threatened to shoot a 34-year-old woman and threatened bodily harm to a 55-year-old woman, according to police. Police said that no one was injured during this encounter.
Responding troopers made contact with Harding in his vehicle at the home, and he was taken into custody without incident. A loaded Savage Arms Model 87D .22 caliber rifle was seen in plain view in Harding’s vehicle, trooper said.
Harding was transported to Troop 7 and charged with aggravated menacing (felony) and two counts of terroristic threatening.Harding was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court #2 and released on his own recognizance. No other arrests were made. | https://www.wboc.com/news/rehoboth-beach-man-arrested-for-gun-threats/article_fe873ebc-b747-11ec-9313-c37124d52504.html | 2022-04-08T16:51:26Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/rehoboth-beach-man-arrested-for-gun-threats/article_fe873ebc-b747-11ec-9313-c37124d52504.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Barbara Thomas Navis, 81, of Salisbury, MD, passed away on Friday, April 1, 2022. Born in Spring Meadows, VA. She was the daughter of the late Roscoe and Eunice Thomas.
She Graduated from Highland Springs High School in 1958, and then went on to attend Virginia Commonwealth University at the MCV Campus to become a nurse.
To read full obituary, click Here. | https://www.wboc.com/obituaries/barbara-thomas-navis/article_c7f21726-b73a-11ec-8883-dbac9d0ee9f1.html | 2022-04-08T16:51:32Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/obituaries/barbara-thomas-navis/article_c7f21726-b73a-11ec-8883-dbac9d0ee9f1.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Robert Carlisle Parkes Jr, 87, of Ocean City and formally of Salisbury passed April 5 peacefully at his home.
Born Saturday, July 7, 1934, to the late Robert and Grace Parks, in Parksley Virginia, Bob entered this world as a dynamic character. He was the only child of the family and was loved by all who knew him.
To read full obituary, click Here. | https://www.wboc.com/obituaries/robert-parkes/article_43facc4a-b73c-11ec-aa44-532140671fc9.html | 2022-04-08T16:51:38Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/obituaries/robert-parkes/article_43facc4a-b73c-11ec-aa44-532140671fc9.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Shirley Williams Griffin, 86, of Pocomoke City, passed away on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 at Coastal Hospice at the Lake surrounded by her family. Born on February 25, 1936 in Baltimore, MD, she was the daughter of the late Carroll and Hazel Williams of Pocomoke.
To read full obituary, click Here. | https://www.wboc.com/obituaries/shirley-w-griffin/article_b64c2218-b73b-11ec-a73a-cb8b01346772.html | 2022-04-08T16:51:44Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/obituaries/shirley-w-griffin/article_b64c2218-b73b-11ec-a73a-cb8b01346772.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
As drivers face higher gas prices, gas station owners say higher oil prices are impacting their bottom line.
On the side of I-80, one of the country's longest highways, in Burns, Wyoming, drivers will find the Antelope Truck Stop.
It's a place where drivers can fill up with gas and grab snacks, which is what someone might expect from a gas station. The surprise comes when people realize it's also a place to try authentic Indian food in the heart of cowboy country.
Gurnam Singh says his livelihood relies on the drivers passing by— on their way to somewhere else.
"We (are) on the highway," he said. "Pretty much all my business is gas and diesel."
Despite major brand names on gas stations, many are owned by a person or a family, sometimes by people who moved to the United States in search of an opportunity.
“We come, we immigrants, we work," Singh said. "I tell everyone we can make every dream come true."
He moved from India to New York City when he was a teenager. Fifteen years ago, bought a truck stop and moved his family west.
Although the number of dollars per gallon going into gas pumps this year has been higher, Singh says making money can become harder when gas prices rise.
"It’s not like a truck stop or gas station makes a lot of money," Singh says.
Singh buys fuel at a wholesale price, then must decide how many cents he will charge on top of that to drivers.
More than half of the price of gas is determined by the cost of crude oil, which is why the cost per barrel is mentioned so often.
Even though the price Singh pays goes up, he says there is only so much he can charge per gallon because drivers will go find a lower price.
“I think inflation has affected us just like it has everybody else," said Grier Bailey, executive director of the Colorado Wyoming Petroleum Marketers Association.
The group lobbies for gas stations and convenience stores.
Bailey said gas station owners usually only break even on fuel and rely on what else they sell to make a profit.
"Your inside stuff is, essentially, how you make money," Bailey said. "You draw them in, then whether it’s a lottery, or whether it’s energy drinks or nicotine to whatever degree people use that.”
Singh is trying to take the higher gas prices in stride.
"It just like we’re living life, we get sick, we get cold, we don’t want to work, we want to work. It’s the same thing— prices go up and down," Singh said.
The fact he was able to build a successful business more than 11,000 miles away from where he grew up in India gives him hope that today's struggles are only temporary.
“Just we have to have the motivation to keep going, wake up do work, do whatever you want to do," he said. "America has so many opportunities." | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national-politics/the-race/as-drivers-face-higher-prices-at-the-pump-gas-station-owners-say-they-are-hurting-too | 2022-04-08T16:52:37Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national-politics/the-race/as-drivers-face-higher-prices-at-the-pump-gas-station-owners-say-they-are-hurting-too | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Rap pioneer Kidd Creole was found guilty Wednesday of manslaughter in connection to the fatal stabbing of a homeless man in New York in 2017.
The founding member of Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, whose real name is Nathaniel Glover, went on trial last month.
He was accused of stabbing John Jolly twice in the chest with a steak knife in Manhattan because he thought Jolly was gay and hitting on him, the Associated Press reported.
Glover’s attorney said it was self-defense, the news outlet reported.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 4.
Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, which formed in the 1970s, are best known for their 1982 hit “The Message.”
They became the first rap group to be inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame when they were included in 2007. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/rap-pioneer-kidd-creole-convicted-of-manslaughter-in-2017-stabbing | 2022-04-08T16:53:14Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/rap-pioneer-kidd-creole-convicted-of-manslaughter-in-2017-stabbing | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Aaron Barnhart
Senior editor, PrimetimerFormer Kansas City Star TV critic Aaron Barnhart is senior editor at Primetimer and author of the Primetimer Guide to Streaming TV.
Former Kansas City Star TV critic Aaron Barnhart is senior editor at Primetimer and author of the Primetimer Guide to Streaming TV. | https://www.kcur.org/aaron-barnhart | 2022-04-08T17:06:59Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/aaron-barnhart | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music's Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It's the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space.
The Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes is binging Mozart. He's just released his second double album in a row of the composer's piano music, and for this very special Tiny Desk performance, he takes us inside Mozart's own home in Vienna, just steps away from the medieval St. Stephen's Cathedral and a couple blocks from a McDonald's.
Mozart might have appreciated the convenience of the fast food chain, as the years he spent in this two-floor, four-bedroom apartment (from 1784 to 1787) were a non-stop frenzy of activities. Andsnes says the composer threw gambling parties, taught students and, above all, composed some of his most groundbreaking music in this house, including the two works heard in this recital.
Andsnes begins with four minutes of radiant joy and virtuosity. The D major Rondo showcases not only Mozart's own skills as an unrivaled keyboardist, but also his genius as a composer with a bottomless bag of tricks to play with the music's principal theme.
The following Fantasia in C minor, composed one year earlier, in 1785, couldn't be more different. At three times the Rondo's length, it begins in a foreboding tone, with heavy, darkly colored chords, sounding perhaps like Beethoven in a bad mood. But the clouds soon open to rays of sunshine in melodies only Mozart could create, including a recurring passage of intense delicacy and yearning, which Andsnes delivers with the sensitivity of a lover's whisper. In its many fascinating mood swings, the piece feels like Mozart simply sat down in these rooms and improvised his mixed emotions. And thanks to Andsnes, we can catch a vibe of what that might have sounded like.
SET LIST
- Mozart: Rondo in D Major, K. 485
- Mozart: Fantasia in C Minor, K. 475
MUSICIANS
- Leif Ove Andsnes: piano
CREDITS
- Video and audio: Anthony Jacobson, Perdurabo Film
- Recorded at: Mozarthaus Vienna
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Tom Huizenga
- Video Producer: Michael Zamora
- Audio Mastering: Josh Rogosin
- Tiny Production Team: Bob Boilen, Bobby Carter, Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Ashley Pointer
- Executive Producer: Keith Jenkins
- Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kcur.org/kcur-npr-arts/2022-04-08/leif-ove-andsnes-tiny-desk-home-concert | 2022-04-08T17:07:05Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/kcur-npr-arts/2022-04-08/leif-ove-andsnes-tiny-desk-home-concert | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
‘Trains Blocking Roadway’ message boards to be installed in Fort Valley
The message signs will be placed at locations near the railroad crossings on Georgia 7/US 341, Georgia 96, Church Street, and Railroad Street.
FORT VALLEY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Georgia Department of Transportation has a contract with Lumin8 Transportation Technologies of Newnan, Georgia, to to install dynamic message signs to alert drivers of trains blocking roads in Fort Valley.
The message signs will be placed at locations near the railroad crossings on Georgia 7/US 341, Georgia 96, Church Street, and Railroad Street. If a train stops and blocks a road, the signs will activate and let drivers know to take an alternate route.
Crews may install work zones at the signage sites, and drivers are urged to proceed with caution and moderate their speeds when going through the area. Georgia DOT will send out news and social media announcements letting citizens know when the dynamic message signs are fully functional and in use.
The work is expected to be completed by the end of this month, weather permitting. | https://www.41nbc.com/trains-blocking-roadway-message-boards-to-be-installed-in-fort-valley/ | 2022-04-08T17:12:21Z | nbc.com | treatment | https://www.41nbc.com/trains-blocking-roadway-message-boards-to-be-installed-in-fort-valley/ | 0 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
‘Trains Blocking Roadway’ message boards to be installed in Fort Valley
The message signs will be placed at locations near the railroad crossings on Georgia 7/US 341, Georgia 96, Church Street, and Railroad Street.
FORT VALLEY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Georgia Department of Transportation has a contract with Lumin8 Transportation Technologies of Newnan, Georgia, to to install dynamic message signs to alert drivers of trains blocking roads in Fort Valley.
The message signs will be placed at locations near the railroad crossings on Georgia 7/US 341, Georgia 96, Church Street, and Railroad Street. If a train stops and blocks a road, the signs will activate and let drivers know to take an alternate route.
Crews may install work zones at the signage sites, and drivers are urged to proceed with caution and moderate their speeds when going through the area. Georgia DOT will send out news and social media announcements letting citizens know when the dynamic message signs are fully functional and in use.
The work is expected to be completed by the end of this month, weather permitting. | https://www.41nbc.com/trains-blocking-roadway-message-boards-to-be-installed-in-fort-valley/ | 2022-04-08T17:12:21Z | nbc.com | treatment | https://www.41nbc.com/trains-blocking-roadway-message-boards-to-be-installed-in-fort-valley/ | 1 | 0 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEW ORLEANS, La. -
A federal appeals court is upholding President Joe Biden's vaccine rule for all federal employees.
A three judge panel of the 5th circuit court of appeals in New Orleans reversed a lower courts decision and ordered the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging President Biden's rule.
The appellate court found that the federal judge did not have jurisdiction in the case and those challenging the requirement could have pursued action through civil service law.
President Biden issued the executive order for all federal employees for all executive branches to be vaccinated or provide a medical or religious exemption nearly seven months ago. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/a-federal-appeals-court-is-upholding-vaccine-rules-for-all-federal-employees/article_7d1484a0-b74e-11ec-b6ef-b78371c4876a.html | 2022-04-08T17:13:00Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/a-federal-appeals-court-is-upholding-vaccine-rules-for-all-federal-employees/article_7d1484a0-b74e-11ec-b6ef-b78371c4876a.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Prince William County police say they located no evidence of any explosive device after Bull Run Middle School in Gainesville was evacuated Friday morning when a teacher found a bomb-threat note posted on a door.
Police responded to the call at 6308 Catharpin Road about 8:35 a.m. The school was evacuated and a search conducted, with police clearing the building about 11 a.m.
Students returned to class shortly after and police will maintain presence at the school through the day.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 703-792-6500.
Stay with InsideNoVa.com for updates. | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/updated-bomb-threat-evacuates-bull-run-middle-school/article_fc4d64da-b744-11ec-95b3-d725ef3570df.html | 2022-04-08T17:13:00Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/updated-bomb-threat-evacuates-bull-run-middle-school/article_fc4d64da-b744-11ec-95b3-d725ef3570df.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
RICHLAND, Wash. - Spring is here and people are going out to local nurseries to purchase plants and seeds for their gardens.
I spoke to one of Beaver Bark's garden experts, Lynx Scarborough, and she says the easiest way to start your garden journey is to purchase a kit with a variety of seeds which can include anything from carrots, peppers and tomatoes.
Lynx also says you should also be aware of the difference in soils because every plant has a different need and way of maintaining it.
She doesn't recommend using special potting soils because they have a lot of air in them and tend to be porous, meaning they can't take in as much water.
"Usually a good organic or just regular garden soil is good. Some plants like acidic versus alkaline soils, but those tend to be for when you're planting outdoors and in the ground," explained Scarborough.
She also says you don't need to start off by planting the seeds inside of a pot, you can directly place them into the soil in your yard and she even suggested a tip she's learned.
"All seeds like celery, carrots or beats I sow directly onto the soil or you can start them on toilet paper, you put them in and fold the toilet paper over and just mist it and once they sprout, you lay the toilet paper as a strip into the soil and just cover up over that," she said.
Scarborough says you can always reach out to a garden nursery and ask for help if you ever have any questions about seeds or any kind of plant to make sure you're properly taking care of them. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/gardening-tips-for-the-spring-time/article_9724b682-b747-11ec-98aa-b3d117e347fa.html | 2022-04-08T17:13:06Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/gardening-tips-for-the-spring-time/article_9724b682-b747-11ec-98aa-b3d117e347fa.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
RICHLAND, Wash. -
One person is recovering in the hospital after a shooting in the 600 block of Lonetree Ln. this morning.
Richland police officers arrived just before 4:30 a.m. and found a man with a gunshot wound.
Officers say the man is in stable condition in a local hospital.
RPD says they don't know much about what led to the shooting. Part of Lonetree Ln. will be closed while officers investigate the scene.
Benton County Sheriff's Office Deputies, Kennewiick Police Department and Pasco Police Department helped with the initial response to the call this morning.
RPD asks that anyone with any information to call non-emergency dispatch at (509) 629-0333.
The original Facebook post from RPD is below. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/tricities/richland-police-department-is-investigating-a-shooting-that-injured-one-person/article_0e7cc238-b748-11ec-8f32-ff6d3d365cc4.html | 2022-04-08T17:13:12Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/tricities/richland-police-department-is-investigating-a-shooting-that-injured-one-person/article_0e7cc238-b748-11ec-8f32-ff6d3d365cc4.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
KENNEWICK, Wash. -
Washington State Patrol Troopers are doing extra emphasis patrols in different areas during the month of April for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
WSP Trooper Chris Thorson and other troopers will be at the intersection of State Route 395 and Clearwater Ave. in Kennewick from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Troopers are on the lookout for drivers using their phone while driving.
April is National Distracted Driving Awareness month. WSP (including myself) will be doing an extra emphasis patrol at the intersection of SR 395 and Clearwater in Kennewick. We will be there from 2-7pm looking for drivers using their phones while driving. @WSPElProtector pic.twitter.com/sz88V38pUH
— Trooper C. Thorson (@wspd3pio) April 8, 2022 | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/washington-state-patrol-stepping-up-patrols-for-distracted-driving-awareness-month/article_5acec064-b757-11ec-abf3-cf7e2089190a.html | 2022-04-08T17:13:18Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/washington-state-patrol-stepping-up-patrols-for-distracted-driving-awareness-month/article_5acec064-b757-11ec-abf3-cf7e2089190a.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Safaricom has ranked as the top company to work for in Kenya if you are looking to advance in your professional life, according to a newly released Top Companies Kenya 2022 ranking published by career-focused social networking platform LinkedIn.
The LinkedIn rankings include the top 25 best workplaces in Kenya for professionals to grow their careers. According to LinkedIn, the rankings are based on data unique to its platform. LinkedIn says the companies featured on the list offer “stability in our ever-changing world of work – the ones that are not only attracting employees but retaining them.”
LinkedIn used data across “seven pillars” to put together this year’s ranking. Each pillar encompasses an important element for career progression. They include the ability to advance, skills growth, company stability, external opportunity, company affinity, gender diversity, and the spread of educational backgrounds.
Safaricom PLC ranked number one – at the very top of the list. Interestingly, the list also includes the most common job titles in the company, as well as the largest job functions. These are, respectively, Customer Executive, and Software Engineer, with the largest job functions being in Sales, Engineering, and Support.
“This award demonstrates our dedication as Safaricom to have a better world of work and this is exhibited through our excellent Human Resource policies and people practices,” Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said in a LinkedIn post.
Ndegwa continued that Safaricom’s ambition as a company is to become “the number one employer in Kenya. We do this by providing our employees the opportunities and platforms to upskill themselves, while also creating a workplace that is inclusive and conducive for all.”
Coming in second place is Equity Bank Limited, while Kenya Airways, the East African country’s national carrier, came in third place.
Several financial firms took top spots including the KCB Group at number four, the NCBA Group in fifth, Standard Chartered Bank at 9th, South Africa’s Stanbic Bank Kenya at 11, and Absa Bank Kenya at 15, amongst others.
According to Business Daily Africa, this is the second of such awards won by Safaricom this year. In January, Kenya’s Top Employers Institute certified Safaricom as the country’s top employer.
By Luis Monzon
Follow Luis Monzon on Twitter
Follow IT News Africa on Twitter | https://www.itnewsafrica.com/2022/04/is-safaricom-the-best-company-to-work-for-in-kenya/ | 2022-04-08T17:15:30Z | afar.com | control | https://www.itnewsafrica.com/2022/04/is-safaricom-the-best-company-to-work-for-in-kenya/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SeaWorld’s new Sesame Place is a unique hybrid of a theme park, water park and kiddie land based on a single brand that is unlike anything Southern California has ever seen before.
The new Sesame Place San Diego debuted in late March at the former SeaWorld Aquatica water park in Chula Vista, approximately 20 miles from the SeaWorld San Diego marine park on Mission Bay.
Sesame Place features 10 water attractions, 8 kiddie rides, a parade, stage show, Sesame Street character interactions and a faithful recreation of the children’s television neighborhood show set.
SEE ALSO: SeaWorld launches super cute Sesame Place for pre-tween set
Sesame Place is difficult to figure out when you first hear the description — sounding like something entirely new yet completely familiar. Like all new ideas, Sesame Place raises a host of questions.
Do you ride the water slides in your street clothes? Do you hop on the theme park rides in your soaking wet bathing suit and bare feet? Who will come to the new park beyond kids who watch “Sesame Street” and their parents? Is Sesame Place open year-round like a theme park or seasonally like a water park? Why is SeaWorld building a new park so far away from its Mission Bay marine park? And most importantly, what is SeaWorld thinking and how does Sesame Place work?
SeaWorld San Diego and Sesame Place president Jim Lake sat down to discuss the new hybrid park.
“It is definitely a transformation of what was Aquatica,” Lake said. “It really is a full theme park now. The rides are dispersed throughout the park so it’s a nice mix of water and dry.”
Southern California has never seen a theme park/water park combo based on a single intellectual property and developed as a stand-alone property. It would be like Disney or Universal building an entire theme park dedicated to Star Wars or Harry Potter and tossing in a wave pool, lazy river and some water slides.
“It’s a unique theme park experience,” Lake said. “I can’t really think of another theme park where you have the water element, dry element, parade, stage show and interactive character experiences all in one place.”
For SeaWorld, Sesame Place is actually a very old idea being introduced on the West Coast for the first time. SeaWorld’s original Sesame Place has been operating since 1980 outside Philadelphia with 15 kiddie rides and 8 water attractions.
The new hybrid park encourages visitors to bounce back and forth between wet and dry rides without toweling off in between. Kids and parents can hop on any of the dry rides in their bathing suits provided they’re wearing shoes, aquasox or flip flops.
“It can be confusing a little bit until you actually experience it and you realize, ‘Oh, I can actually go on the lazy river and then hop on the roller coaster,’” Lake said. “It might not naturally seem like a seamless experience until you do it and then all of a sudden it’s like, ‘Oh, this makes sense. It works.’”
A faithful recreation of the “Sesame Street” neighborhood television set complete with the famed 123 stoop and Mr. Hooper’s shop serves as the centerpiece of the new park and greets visitors as they pass through the front gates.
“I grew up watching ‘Sesame Street’ all the time,” Lake said. “When I first walked through that area, it was like childhood memories coming back because I literally watched ‘Sesame Street’ every day as a kid. There wasn’t a lot else to watch.”
SeaWorld Orlando built its Sesame Street neighborhood inside the Florida theme park. SeaWorld San Diego could have done the same thing and expanded upon the park’s Sesame Street Bay of Play kiddie land. But SeaWorld wanted to build a second stand-alone park for Sesame Place and the former Aquatica water park in Chula Vista made the most sense.
“Chula Vista is a part of San Diego that’s really growing. There’s a lot of young families in this area,” Lake said. “It’s a great way to capture the market here and bring in everyone else to be able to experience it too. It made more sense for us to actually have two different destinations.”
It’s possible to visit SeaWorld San Diego and Sesame Place on the same day — but unlikely for most visitors. SeaWorld sells a $219 season pass that’s good for both parks. Most passholders will likely set aside separate days to visit each park.
“I see them as two separate experiences,” Lake said. “The SeaWorld experience is unique to that brand. The Sesame experience is unique to the Sesame brand. You could probably do them both in one day, but that would be a stretch for sure. It’s not like they’re right next to each other.”
SEE ALSO: Is SeaWorld making the right call with its new Sesame Place?
The new Sesame Place San Diego is targeted toward families with younger children in preschool and grade school, placing the reimagined theme park in direct competition with Legoland California in Carlsbad.
“It is the same demographic,” Lake said. “Families can have two different and unique experiences at each place. Hopefully it will be a good compliment for both companies.”
Sesame Place is also a certified autism center with sensory indicator signs at each attraction, a parade viewing area away from the main crowd and a quiet room with bean bag chairs and headphones.
“It’s a chance to escape for a little bit, relax, decompress and then come back out into the park again,” Lake said.
SEE ALSO: World’s first Ferrari racing attraction coming to Legoland California in May
The wave pool, lazy river and water play tower have heated water — but the larger water slides do not. The plan at the moment is to open Sesame Place on a daily basis during Spring Break, then go to weekends only through Memorial Day, return to daily operations through the summer and into October when the park returns to weekends only for the rest of fall and the winter with just the dry rides. Sesame Place will host the Count’s Halloween Spooktacular and A Very Furry Christmas during the off season.
Will the heated water attractions remain open in the fall and winter?
“It might be a great idea to keep the interactive island open and have some water elements,” Lake said. “We’re going to have to learn as we go.” | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/08/how-seaworlds-sesame-place-seamlessly-combines-wet-and-dry-rides/ | 2022-04-08T17:17:32Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/08/how-seaworlds-sesame-place-seamlessly-combines-wet-and-dry-rides/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
It’s not every day that you spot a cruise ship for sale on Craigslist. So Chris Willson was immediately intrigued when he stumbled across a 293-foot vessel listed on the classified advertisements website back in 2008.
The retired “pocket” cruise ship, built in Germany, was moored in the California Delta at the time, and its then-owner was keen to offload it.
After seeing the listing pop up numerous times Willson, who was working on developing virtual reality tours, decided to do some investigating.
“I kind of posed as a potential buyer, even though I really didn’t have any interest in purchasing a ship,” Willson tells CNN Travel. “It was a little out of my comfort level, to say the least.”
Once he made the trip down to the inland river delta and estuary in Northern California and stepped onboard, Willson was struck by how badly the 2,496 gross ton ship had been neglected over the years.
However, as he began to explore further, he realized that there was a pretty impressive five-level vessel beneath all the “junk” on board.
Sealing the deal
“She has one of the most spectacular layouts of just about any ship I’ve seen,” he adds. “The staircases are magnificent.
“It’s almost the same as if you found an old ’60s Corvette in the garage. You can see the quality is there, but it’s so neglected, you almost feel bad for it.”
After doing some digging into the background of the ship, he discovered that it was constructed by the Blohm and Voss shipyard in 1955, and had been the first significant passenger liner built by Germany after World War II.
The more he learned about the ship, which was originally named Wappen von Hamburg, the more convinced he became that this was a project he was willing to take on.
After carefully considering the enormity of what it would mean to own a mini cruise ship, Willson put together a restoration plan and decided to take the plunge.
While he’s loath to discuss the amount he paid, he says he was able to “work out a really good deal with the owner of the vessel.”
“The next thing you know, I own a ship,” Willson adds.
But once he’d signed on the dotted line, he had to figure out where he was going to put it. Thankfully, Willson was able to secure a lease in the California river city of Rio Vista and arranged for the ship to be towed there.
Passion project
That’s when the restoration process began. The first step was getting rid of all of the trash on board — Willson says there were hundreds of bags worth of household type garbage along with old mattresses and blankets — and setting about finding volunteers to help.
“I figured it was going to be a long project,” says Willson. “The scale of it was massive. It’s almost the same as redoing 15 houses all by yourself.”
After spending a few months traveling for around three hours from his home in Santa Cruz to work on the ship, Willson decided to move on board with his partner Jin Li so that he could fully focus on the project, as well as keep it secure.
“When I first moved aboard many of my friends and family were in disbelief,” he admits. “It was a rather large change in lifestyle. “But I view it as more of an upgrade, although we are off grid and running on mainly generators and solar grids.”
As he began digging further into the history of the ship, Willson says he learned that, not only had it been the inspiration for popular TV series “The Love Boat,” it was also the filming location for the Spectre criminal organization headquarters in the 1963 James Bond movie “From Russia with Love.”
The vessel served as a cruise ship for around two decades, he says, and went through several different owners, as well as names, before being moored in Vancouver.
After a few false starts and more ownership and name changes, it was towed to Alameda, California in 2005. Plans were put in place to turn it into a luxury yacht, but they ultimately fell through.
The ship remained at Alameda for several years until it was bought by a businessman and moved to the California Delta. The vessel was thought to be on the verge of being scrapped when Willson saw it advertised on Craiglist in 2008.
Historic vessel
“The more I learned about the history, I was thinking that it could be a shore side attraction, kind of like the Queen Mary [a retired ocean liner moored at Long Beach that’s now a popular tourist attraction],” he explains. “I’d like to make a museum out of it and let people do tours [of the ship].”
He estimates that it would cost around $3 million to transform the vessel into a shoreside attraction.
Willson, who had no prior experience working on ships, has spent around 14 years renovating the ship, with the help of volunteers.
“I’m pretty crafty,” he says, explaining that he’d rebuilt lots of cars in the past and previously worked as an electrical mechanical engineer doing disaster recovery.
He renamed the vessel the Aurora after spending his first night on board.
“I woke up to one of the most brilliant sunrises I had ever seen,” Willson explains. “It was forming an Aurora type effect with the clouds and water. I remember thinking at that time ‘Aurora’ was a fitting name.”
With the help of volunteers, along with Li, who Willson says has played a key role in helping to preserve the Aurora, he’s completed renovations on some of the passageways, as well as a lounge and a number of cabins.
“Our biggest achievement has been removing the old wood from the decks and spending a massive amount of time welding in new steel plates to completely seal the decks,” he says.
“It’s not so much the working on the ship that’s the biggest challenge, it’s dealing with the politics behind it. Does the county or the city want your ship there?”
After a few years in Rio Vista, Willson was offered a berth in San Francisco’s Pier 38 and moved the Aurora there. However, things didn’t work out as he expected and Willson was later asked to find a new home for the ship.
He had it transferred back to the California Delta in 2012, mooring the Aurora at a marina in Little Potato Slough, located around 24 kilometers from the city of Stockton in California’s Central Valley.
Aurora has been stationed “in fresh shallow water” here ever since and looks set to remain for the foreseeable future. .
Although the ship is unable to sail, Willson stresses that it has a “solid bottom,” and after consulting with a number of maritime engineers, he’s confident that, “with proper maintenance and supervision,” it can safely remain where it is.
“As long as we don’t take it out where there’s a lot of electrolysis and things like that,” he adds. “She is safe for the time being but we have plans to move her closer to the bay when she is further along in her restoration.”
He hopes to raise enough funding to pull the ship out of the water and redo the underside at some point.
Raising funding
“As far as actually working on the ship goes, I’ve learned so much,” he says. “There’s nothing I don’t know how to fix. But it all takes a bunch of money to get there.”
Aside from a few small donations, Willson has funded the bulk of the renovation work himself so far.
He’s been able to raise finances for the work by buying items from flea markets and state auctions and reselling them on online auctions sites like eBay, as well as working as a consultant on other historic vessel projects.
But while this income has kept the project going so far, it’s certainly not enough to fund the full restoration, and Willson is determined to finish what he started.
After coming across YouTube channel Ship Happens, which details the efforts of a UK couple who are renovating an 80-year-old former World War II ship they bought from eBay, Willson was inspired to take his own story to the platform with the aim of raising interest, as well as funding.
He launched the Aurora Restoration Project, in February and the channel has gained nearly 70,000 subscribers.
“Since the whole YouTube thing came about, we have had hundreds and hundreds of people offering to volunteer,” he says.
Willson is hopeful that its success will help to speed things up, and says he’s already seeing results.
“Things are picking up very fast,” he says.
However, producing videos alongside renovating a ship is proving to be tricky, and he’s still “finding his feet,” when it comes to juggling both.
“Once I start getting more comfortable with that, we’ll hopefully start having groups of volunteers coming in several days a week,” Willson adds.
Completion in sight?
Although there’s still quite a way to go, Willson is slowly moving closer to his goal of transforming the Aurora into a museum.
While he’s also thought of transforming the ship into a bed and breakfast, or even a wedding venue, he feels that a museum is the most “realistic” option.
“This is something that we’re trying to give back to the people,” he says. “We don’t want to fix it up and make our own private yacht out of the thing.”
And there’s certainly a lot to view on board the Aurora. The ship contains 85 cabins, as well as an upper lounge with its own private large forward deck, a swimming pool, a large galley and a theater.
“We have restored a small number of cabins aboard but have many, many to go and will soon offer the opportunity for the public to sponsor the restoration of a cabin,” he says.
Willson and his team of volunteers are currently working on the fantail, or rear, of the Aurora and aim to fully restore the galley and dining area throughout the rest of 2022.
In recent years, Willson has received furniture from other historic ships to use on board the Aurora.
“We had a large donation from the Island Princess, one of the ships they actually filmed the ‘The Love Boat’ on, which was just recently scrapped,” he says.
For the time being, Willson is enjoying working and living on board the ship and looks forward to the day that he’ll be able to open it up to the public.
“There’s really nothing more spectacular than being able to work on and live on something this unique,” he adds.
But does he hold out any hope that this spectacular vessel may set sail again one day?
“If the money comes in, she can be made to cruise again,” he says. “If it doesn’t, she can be a great museum.”
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/08/the-bay-area-man-who-bought-a-cruise-ship-on-craigslist/ | 2022-04-08T17:17:44Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/08/the-bay-area-man-who-bought-a-cruise-ship-on-craigslist/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s a moment 46 days — and more than two centuries — in the making.
President Joe Biden on Friday is celebrating the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to reach the Supreme Court, marking the pinnacle of her legal career and bringing his political story full circle.
As a longtime Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, Biden had a front-row seat to some of the most contentious confirmation battles in the court’s history, as well as the hearings for Justice Stephen Breyer, whose retirement this summer is clearing the way for Jackson to join the bench.
“This is a tremendously historic day in the White House and in the country, and this is a fulfillment of a promise the president made to the country,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki. She added that Biden’s time on the Judiciary Committee “was defining for him and gave him historically exceptional preparation” for putting a justice on the court.
In nominating Jackson, Biden delivered on a campaign promise to select the first Black woman to serve on a court that was made up entirely of white men for almost two centuries, that declared her race unworthy of citizenship and endorsed American segregation.
(Story continues below the video.)
He also chose an attorney who will be the high court’s first former public defender — with the elite legal background of other justices as well. She has degrees from Harvard and Harvard Law School and held top clerkships, including for Breyer himself.
Jackson’s arrival on the bench won’t upend the current 6-3 ideological balance in favor of conservatives, but it has political as well as historic resonance. Biden nominated her on the second anniversary of his pledge ahead of the South Carolina presidential primary to select a Black woman for the court. The move helped resurrect his flailing campaign and preserved his pathway to the White House.
“We’ve taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America,” Biden said in a tweet Thursday after posing for a selfie with the justice-in-waiting. “She will be an incredible Justice, and I was honored to share this moment with her.”
He was to celebrate the confirmation with her Friday on the South Lawn of the White House. Jackson’s family, all current and former justices, Biden’s Cabinet, senators who backed her nomination, Democratic leaders and allies were invited.
However, the event comes amid a COVID-19 outbreak among Washington’s political class that has sidelined members of Biden’s administration and lawmakers, including Maine Sen. Susan Collins and Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, who tested positive for the virus just hours after voting for Brown’s confirmation. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was on the invite list, tested positive for the virus on Thursday.
Psaki on Thursday addressed concerns that the White House event could be a “super-spreader” for the virus, like President Donald Trump’s Rose Garden ceremony announcing the nomination of now-Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Psaki emphasized that the risks from the virus are now much lower because of vaccinations and treatments.
“At that point in time, vaccines were unavailable, people were not vaccinated, it certainly puts us in a different space,” Psaki said.
While not all attendees would be newly tested for the virus, Psaki said those close to Biden would be. Vice president Kamala Harris was to attend and deliver remarks, though she was identified on Wednesday as a close contact of a staffer who tested positive. Under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines she was expected to wear a mask while around other people.
Jackson had joined Biden at the White House to watch the Senate vote unfold on TV, the two of them clasping hands in the Roosevelt Room as her confirmation became reality.
“History doesn’t happen by accident — it’s made,” said White House chief of staff Ron Klain. He took note on MSNBC of the vote on Brown’s nomination being presided over in the Senate by Harris, the first Black vice president, also selected by Biden.
Throughout his 50 years in Washington, Biden has played an instrumental part in shaping the court, both inside and out of the Senate. But this was his first opportunity to make a selection of his own.
Biden may not get another chance. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, in an interview Thursday with Axios, refused to commit to hold confirmation hearings for a future Biden nominee to the high court if the GOP retakes control of the Senate in 2023.
Biden took part in confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees Sandra Day O’Connor in 1981 and Antonin Scalia in 1986, both nominated by President Ronald Reagan. He also participated in the 1986 hearing to elevate Justice William Rehnquist to the position of chief justice of the United States.
As committee chairman, he presided over the hearings for failed nominee Robert Bork, then the successful confirmations of Anthony M. Kennedy, David Souter, and Clarence Thomas — the last dominated by allegations of sexual harassment against Thomas by law professor Anita Hill — as well as Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Breyer.
He was on the committee in 2005 but no longer chairman when now-Chief Justice John Roberts was confirmed, and in 2006 when Samuel Alito became a justice.
As vice president, Biden helped counsel President Barack Obama on his three Supreme Court picks: Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, who were confirmed, and now-Attorney General Merrick Garland, whose nomination was blocked by the GOP ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Jackson won’t take office immediately. Breyer is to step down after the court concludes its current term, which is usually in late June or early July. Only then will she take the oath to become an associate justice. A White House official said Jackson will remain on the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit until then but will continue to recuse herself from cases.
___
AP writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report. | https://www.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/jackson-confirmation-takes-biden-political-story-full-circle/ | 2022-04-08T17:17:58Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/jackson-confirmation-takes-biden-political-story-full-circle/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
As of April 8, the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 123 and there have been 3 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Friday is 1,233,479. The current total death count is 17,177.
On January 19, LDH, in accordance with CDC, began including total and new reinfections in statewide total and new cases.
Of new COVID cases Friday, LDH says 23 are reinfections (defined as a positive viral COVID-19 test in an individual with a previous positive test at least 90 days prior). So far, 64,141 total reinfections have been reported to the state.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 61 percent of cases and 51 percent of deaths from March 24 to March 30, 2022. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 79 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 3,162 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 5,034,813 doses, including 2,454,285 completed two-dose series. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 317,493 vaccine series have been initiated and 288,237 (47.56% of the population) have been completed. A total of 988,298 "extra doses" have been administered.
Louisiana residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information here.
LDH reports that 52 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (no change from Thursday). Of those patients, 6 were on ventilators (up 1 from Thursday).
Across Acadiana, there were 13 new cases and 0 new deaths reported since Thursday.
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
- Acadia - 15,859 cases (no change) | 292 deaths (no change)
- Calcasieu - 54,639 cases (up 4) | 704 deaths (no change)
- Evangeline - 8,381 cases (no change) | 157 deaths (no change)
- Iberia - 19,050 cases (up 1) | 264 deaths (no change)
- Jefferson Davis - 6,932 cases (no change) | 157 deaths (no change)
- Lafayette - 62,317 cases (up 5)| 498 deaths (no change)
- St. Landry - 22,165 cases (no change) | 415 deaths (no change)
- St. Martin - 12,938 cases (up 1) | 186 deaths (no change)
- St. Mary - 12,471 cases (up 2) | 261 deaths (no change)
- Vermilion - 15,244 (no change) | 223 deaths (no change)
See the full breakdown from the Louisiana Department of Health, here.
——————————————————-
FROM THURSDAY:
As of April 7, the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 131 and there have been 13 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Thursday is 1,233,356. The current total death count is 17,175.
On January 19, LDH, in accordance with CDC, began including total and new reinfections in statewide total and new cases.
Of new COVID cases Thursday, LDH says 17 are reinfections (defined as a positive viral COVID-19 test in an individual with a previous positive test at least 90 days prior). So far, 64,118 total reinfections have been reported to the state.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 61 percent of cases and 51 percent of deaths from March 24 to March 30, 2022. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 79 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 3,162 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 5,034,813 doses, including 2,454,285 completed two-dose series. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 317,493 vaccine series have been initiated and 288,237 (47.56% of the population) have been completed. A total of 988,298 "extra doses" have been administered.
Louisiana residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information here.
LDH reports that 52 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (down 9 from Wednesday). Of those patients, 5 were on ventilators (no change from Wednesday).
Across Acadiana, there were 16 new cases and 2 new deaths reported since Wednesday.
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
- Acadia - 15,859 cases (no change) | 292 deaths (no change)
- Calcasieu - 54,635 cases (up 7) | 704 deaths (up 1)
- Evangeline - 8,381 cases (up 1) | 157 deaths (up 1)
- Iberia - 19,049 cases (no change) | 264 deaths (no change)
- Jefferson Davis - 6,932 cases (no change) | 157 deaths (no change)
- Lafayette - 62,312 cases (up 5)| 498 deaths (no change)
- St. Landry - 22,165 cases (no change) | 415 deaths (no change)
- St. Martin - 12,937 cases (up 2) | 186 deaths (no change)
- St. Mary - 12,469 cases (no change) | 261 deaths (no change)
- Vermilion - 15,244 (up 1) | 223 deaths (no change)
——————————————————-
FROM WEDNESDAY:
As of April 6, the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 217 and there have been 8 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Wednesday is 1,233,225. The current total death count is 17,162.
On January 19, LDH, in accordance with CDC, began including total and new reinfections in statewide total and new cases.
Of new COVID cases Wednesday, LDH says 27 are reinfections (defined as a positive viral COVID-19 test in an individual with a previous positive test at least 90 days prior). So far, 64,101 total reinfections have been reported to the state.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 61 percent of cases and 51 percent of deaths from March 24 to March 30, 2022. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 80 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 3,730 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 5,031,651 doses, including 2,452,568 completed two-dose series. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 317,313 vaccine series have been initiated and 288,030 (47.53% of the population) have been completed. A total of 985,768 "extra doses" have been administered.
Louisiana residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information here.
LDH reports that 61 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (down 6 from Tuesday). Of those patients, 5 were on ventilators (down 1 from Tuesday).
Across Acadiana, there were 20 new cases and 1 new death reported since Tuesday.
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
- Acadia - 15,859 cases (up 1) | 292 deaths (no change)
- Calcasieu - 54,628 cases (up 10) | 703 deaths (no change)
- Evangeline - 8,380 cases (no change) | 156 deaths (no change)
- Iberia - 19,049 cases (no change) | 264 deaths (no change)
- Jefferson Davis - 6,932 cases (no change) | 157 deaths (no change)
- Lafayette - 62,307 cases (up 5)| 498 deaths (no change)
- St. Landry - 22,165 cases (up 2) | 415 deaths (up 1)
- St. Martin - 12,935 cases (no change) | 186 deaths (no change)
- St. Mary - 12,469 cases (up 2) | 261 deaths (no change)
- Vermilion - 15,243 (no change) | 223 deaths (no change)
——————————————————-
FROM TUESDAY:
As of April 5, the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 246 and there have been 8 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Tuesday is 1,233,008. The current total death count is 17,154.
On January 19, LDH, in accordance with CDC, began including total and new reinfections in statewide total and new cases.
Of new COVID cases Tuesday, LDH says 56 are reinfections (defined as a positive viral COVID-19 test in an individual with a previous positive test at least 90 days prior). So far, 64,074 total reinfections have been reported to the state.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 58 percent of cases and 49 percent of deaths from March 17 to March 23, 2022. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 70 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 3,730 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 5,031,651 doses, including 2,452,568 completed two-dose series. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 317,313 vaccine series have been initiated and 288,030 (47.53% of the population) have been completed. A total of 985,768 "extra doses" have been administered.
Louisiana residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information here.
LDH reports that 67 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (down 6 from Monday). Of those patients, 6 were on ventilators (down 1 from Monday).
Across Acadiana, there were 11 new cases and 4 new deaths reported since Monday.
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
- Acadia - 15,858 cases (no change) | 292 deaths (up 1)
- Calcasieu - 54,618 cases (up 1) | 703 deaths (up 1)
- Evangeline - 8,380 cases (up 2) | 156 deaths (no change)
- Iberia - 19,049 cases (up 1) | 264 deaths (no change)
- Jefferson Davis - 6,932 cases (no change) | 157 deaths (up 1)
- Lafayette - 62,302 cases (up 3)| 498 deaths (up 1)
- St. Landry - 22,163 cases (no change) | 414 deaths (no change)
- St. Martin - 12,935 cases (up 2) | 186 deaths (no change)
- St. Mary - 12,467 cases (up 1) | 261 deaths (no change)
- Vermilion - 15,243 (up 1) | 223 deaths (no change)
——————————————————-
FROM MONDAY:
As of April 4, the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 249 and there have been 8 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Monday is 1,232,762. The current total death count is 17,146.
On January 19, LDH, in accordance with CDC, began including total and new reinfections in statewide total and new cases.
Of new COVID cases Monday, LDH says 42 are reinfections (defined as a positive viral COVID-19 test in an individual with a previous positive test at least 90 days prior). So far, 64,018 total reinfections have been reported to the state.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 58 percent of cases and 49 percent of deaths from March 17 to March 23, 2022. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 68 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 3,730 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 5,031,651 doses, including 2,452,568 completed two-dose series. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 317,313 vaccine series have been initiated and 288,030 (47.53% of the population) have been completed. A total of 985,768 "extra doses" have been administered.
Louisiana residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information here.
LDH reports that 73 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (down 6 from Friday). Of those patients, 7 were on ventilators (no change from Friday).
Across Acadiana, there were 33 new cases and 2 new deaths reported since Friday.
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
- Acadia - 15,858 cases (up 4) | 291 deaths (up 1)
- Calcasieu - 54,617 cases (up 7) | 702 deaths (no change)
- Evangeline - 8,378 cases (up 2) | 156 deaths (no change)
- Iberia - 19,048 cases (up 2) | 264 deaths (up 1)
- Jefferson Davis - 6,932 cases (no change) | 156 deaths (no change)
- Lafayette - 62,299 cases (up 12)| 497 deaths (no change)
- St. Landry - 22,163 cases (up 2) | 414 deaths (no change)
- St. Martin - 12,933 cases (up 1) | 186 deaths (no change)
- St. Mary - 12,466 cases (up 1) | 261 deaths (no change)
- Vermilion - 15,242 (up 2) | 223 deaths (no change)
——————————————————-
FROM FRIDAY:
As of April 1, the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 91 and there have been 11 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Friday is 1,232,513. The current total death count is 17,138.
On January 19, LDH, in accordance with CDC, began including total and new reinfections in statewide total and new cases.
Of new COVID cases Friday, LDH says 18 are reinfections (defined as a positive viral COVID-19 test in an individual with a previous positive test at least 90 days prior). So far, 63,976 total reinfections have been reported to the state.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 58 percent of cases and 49 percent of deaths from March 17 to March 23, 2022. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 70 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 3,093 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 5,027,921 doses, including 2,450,557 completed two-dose series. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 317,133 vaccine series have been initiated and 287,805 (47.49% of the population) have been completed. A total of 982,609 "extra doses" have been administered.
Louisiana residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information here.
LDH reports that 79 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (down 1 from Thursday). Of those patients, 7 were on ventilators (no change from Thursday).
Across Acadiana, there were 10 new cases and 1 new death reported since Thursday.
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
- Acadia - 15,854 cases (up no change) | 290 deaths (no change)
- Calcasieu - 54,610 cases (up 5) | 702 deaths (no change)
- Evangeline - 8,376 cases (no change) | 156 deaths (no change)
- Iberia - 19,046 cases (no change) | 263 deaths (no change)
- Jefferson Davis - 6,932 cases (no change) | 156 deaths (no change)
- Lafayette - 62,287 cases (up 3)| 497 deaths (up 1)
- St. Landry - 22,161 cases (no change) | 414 deaths (no change)
- St. Martin - 12,932 cases (no change) | 186 deaths (no change)
- St. Mary - 12,465 cases (up 1) | 261 deaths (no change)
- Vermilion - 15,240 (up 1) | 223 deaths (no change)
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Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers | https://www.katc.com/news/coronavirus/covid-19-state-update-1-233-479-coronavirus-cases-17-177-deaths | 2022-04-08T17:19:45Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/coronavirus/covid-19-state-update-1-233-479-coronavirus-cases-17-177-deaths | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will meet Friday to discuss possible sanctions against actor Will Smith.
The meeting was initially set for later this month, but Academy President David Rubin announced Wednesday that it would be moved up to Friday.
"Following Mr. Smith's resignation of his Academy membership on Friday, April 1, suspension or expulsion are no longer a possibility, and the legally prescribed timetable no longer applies," Rubin said in a statement. "It is in the best interest of all involved for this to be handled in a timely fashion."
Last week, Smith announced that he was resigning from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences amid their investigation into the incident.
In a statement, Smith said, "The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home.”
Smith slapped Rock after the comedian made a joke about the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, saying her shaved head looked like the buzzcut sported by Demi Moore in “G.I. Jane.”
Pinkett Smith went public about her struggle with hair loss due to alopecia last year.
After the slap, Smith walked back to his seat, sat down, and then yelled at the comedian twice to “keep my wife’s name out of your (expletive) mouth.”
An hour later, Smith won his first Academy Award for his portrayal in the film "King Richard."
Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/academy-board-moves-up-meeting-to-discuss-will-smith-oscars-slap | 2022-04-08T17:19:57Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/academy-board-moves-up-meeting-to-discuss-will-smith-oscars-slap | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
JERUSALEM (AP) — A third Israeli has died following the attack by a Palestinian man who opened fire into a crowded bar in central Tel Aviv.
Two other people were instantly killed in the Thursday evening shooting. It occurred in an area packed with people in bars and restaurants.
Israeli security forces say the attacker was tracked down following an overnight manhunt and killed in an exchange of fire.
"Every murderer knows we will find them, everyone who helps a terrorist should know that they will pay a heavy price," Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said.
It was the fourth deadly attack in Israel by Palestinians in less than three weeks and came amid heightened tensions around the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Tens of thousands attended Friday prayers in Jerusalem, with no immediate reports of unrest.
The U.S. condemned the attacks, calling them "senseless terrorism and violence". | https://www.katc.com/news/national/israeli-forces-kill-palestinian-attacker-third-victim-dies | 2022-04-08T17:20:10Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/israeli-forces-kill-palestinian-attacker-third-victim-dies | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A judge announced he has been informed the jury has reached verdicts on several charges and is deadlocked on others in the trial of four men accused of plotting to kidnap the governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer.
It is not known what charges are decided and whether they are guilty or not guilty.
The judge is bringing in the jury and will give them a deadlocked jury instruction, urging them to resume deliberations, keep an open mind, but not urge them to decide the remaining charges one way or the other.
He also told them, "If you can't you can't," and he doesn't want to "insult your intelligence" about reconsidering their position.
The judge told the attorneys he had already ordered them lunch and will have them deliberate through lunch and get an update in the afternoon.
Adam Fox, Barry Croft Jr., Brandon Caserta and Daniel Harris were all charged with conspiracy to kidnap the governor. Some were also facing weapon charges.
The trial lasted nearly two weeks, and the jury began deliberating on Monday, April 5. 34 witnesses were called to testify, including 2 people who pleaded guilty to the plot and testified for the prosecution. Others who testified included undercover FBI agents.
All of the men were arrested in October 2020. The government claims they were planning to kidnap Whitmer before the 2020 election.
The jury is made up of six men, six women, and three alternates in a separate room.
This story was first reported by Jim Kiertzner at WXYZ in Detroit, Mich. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/verdict-reached-on-some-charges-in-mi-governor-kidnap-plot-trial | 2022-04-08T17:20:46Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/verdict-reached-on-some-charges-in-mi-governor-kidnap-plot-trial | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Tags: node.netmail, npm@*?*, 1/4x/y (regex is slow to test?): npm @0/1/npm@6-00...-a\nAsk User, NPM Depends Error; npm audit fail: ...dependencies are not compatible among a registry & non ...is out of nodejs v5 compatibilite...e a npm.../dependencies node ≤5, yarn npm/cli/ OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is banning foreign investors from buying homes in Canada for two years in a bid to cool off a hot housing market.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland took a number of measures to tamp down speculation and demand amid record home prices in announcing the federal budget for the year.
The government announced a two-year ban on foreign home buying as well as higher taxes for people who sell their home within a year, though both measures include multiple exceptions, including for permanent residents and foreign students.
The new budget will also include ways to help those trying to get into the market by making changes to the first-time homebuyers tax credit as well as a new savings account, the Associated Press reported.
The news outlet reported that in the last year, rental rates increased as well as home prices have soared by 20%. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/canada-bans-foreign-home-buyers-for-two-years-to-cool-market | 2022-04-08T17:22:29Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/canada-bans-foreign-home-buyers-for-two-years-to-cool-market | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A show that pokes fun at progressive activism has returned with a second season.
We hear about Hulu’s “Woke” from NPR TV critic Eric Deggans.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/2022-04-08/hulus-woke-returns-with-a-second-season | 2022-04-08T17:24:19Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-04-08/hulus-woke-returns-with-a-second-season | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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Firefighters put out car fire in West Springfield | https://www.wwlp.com/sports/masters-report-sports/ | 2022-04-08T17:24:19Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/sports/masters-report-sports/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Mexico’s president has set a recall election for Sunday on his own term in office. He’s expected to win what critics say is an act of political theater.
NPR’s Carrie Kahn reports.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/2022-04-08/mexicans-to-hit-the-polls-in-presidential-recall-election | 2022-04-08T17:24:25Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-04-08/mexicans-to-hit-the-polls-in-presidential-recall-election | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Updated April 8, 2022 at 1:12 PM ET
Newly confirmed to serve on the Supreme Court, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is delivering remarks from the South Lawn of the White House today. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are also speaking.
Watch the remarks live:
Jackson was confirmed by the Senate in a 53-47 vote with all members of the Democratic caucus and three Republicans voting for her nomination. She will assume her duties on the court in early summer when Justice Stephen Breyer retires.
After her graduation from Harvard Law School, Jackson clerked for Justice Breyer on the Supreme Court.
Jackson, 51, went on to serve eight years as a federal trial court judge and was confirmed in June for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
Before becoming a judge, she worked as a public defender and will be the first Supreme Court justice since Thurgood Marshall with experience representing indigent criminal defendants.
Judge Jackson’s confirmation was a historic moment for our nation. We’ve taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America. She will be an incredible Justice, and I was honored to share this moment with her. pic.twitter.com/K8SAh25NL5
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 7, 2022
Her confirmation fulfills a major campaign promise from Biden, who pledged to name a Black woman to the high court.
It is possible that Jackson could be the only Supreme Court justice that Biden has the opportunity to see through the confirmation process. Democrats could lose control of the evenly divided Senate after this fall's midterm elections giving Republicans the votes to block confirmation of any further nominees.
Two justices were successfully confirmed during Barack Obama's presidency. During his term in office, Donald Trump named three justices to the court.
In an interview with Axios on Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell declined to say whether he would hold hearings for any future Biden Supreme Court pick if Republicans regain control of the chamber.
In 2016, McConnell refused to hold hearings for Merrick Garland, Obama's nominee to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia, saying the winner of the pending presidential election should appoint Scalia's successor.
After Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg's death before the 2020 presidential election, McConnell went against his precedent and confirmed Trump nominee Amy Coney Barrett in a record 30 days.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-04-08/jackson-speaking-with-biden-and-harris-at-the-white-house-after-historic-confirmation | 2022-04-08T17:25:08Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-04-08/jackson-speaking-with-biden-and-harris-at-the-white-house-after-historic-confirmation | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Drugmaker Biogen (BIIB) was briefly on top of the world. For a while, it looked like the company might have a viable cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Several recent reversals struck, however, and the latest news about its drug, Aduhelm, is definitely not helping.
The company was down around 1% in premarket trading on Friday, but rallied into Friday morning. I’m left bearish on Biogen. Aduhelm is sputtering and the company’s valuation is still running high overall.
Most of Biogen’s last year was a return to form. A massive uptick in late May to early June sent the company blasting over $400 per share. This peak didn’t last, however, as prices began a plunge that finally leveled off with 2022’s arrival.
The latest news only hurt further. A Medicare announcement noted that coverage for Aduhelm would be limited. Worse yet, it would be limited only to those who are enrolled in clinical trials.
The move faced stiff resistance from patients’ groups. However, multiple Alzheimer’s experts noted that Aduhelm’s benefits were at best “uncertain.” Worse, the safety risks involved with Aduhelm were significant enough to potentially outweigh the benefits.
Wall Street’s Take
Turning to Wall Street, Biogen has a Moderate Buy consensus rating. That’s based on 12 Buys and 13 Holds assigned in the past three months. The average Biogen price target of $246.41 implies 15.8% upside potential.
Analyst price targets range from a low of $185 per share to a high of $330 per share.
Hedge Funds Coming Back, Dividends Uncertain
The news for Biogen isn’t all bad, however. Hedge fund involvement, based on the TipRanks 13-F Tracker, is showing a comeback. Hedge funds bought another 330,000 shares last quarter, reversing a two-quarter trend of selling.
Biogen’s dividend history, however, is a bit of a puzzle. While Biogen shows no plans to issue a dividend, the last one was seen back in February 2017. That dividend was $22.23, which I doubt investors will ever see again.
Requiring Conviction, but Offering Little Support for It
There are two major problems with Biogen as I see it. One, the company already commands a pretty substantial valuation. That has dropped off in recent months.
The company lost around half its value since its peak last June. It’s still a pretty substantial buy. Just five shares would be enough to buy a decent television in a lot of places.
Granted, based on current price targets, there’s still upside potential to be had here. Shelling out around $250 for anything is likely going to be a tall order for investors, though. Especially those who aren’t carrying portfolios in the minimum six-figure range.
Inflation is frantically chewing up the bottom ranks of retail investors. That’s going to make finding investors willing to buy in on Biogen’s big-ticket price tag a tough sell.
If Biogen had a product line that could engender that kind of support, that would be a whole different matter. However, Biogen’s product line seems somewhat limited in scope, recognition, and function.
Consider its Plegridy line; this multiple sclerosis treatment comes with potential liver failure and suicidal thoughts as potential side effects.
A look at the treatment site for Tecfidera, another multiple sclerosis treatment, is worse. The front page immediately goes into a sales pitch for Vumerity, “another treatment option.”
That’s bad enough, but it gets worse. The company’s revenue has been in decline for some time. Remember Tecfidera? Sales dropped by nearly half back in 2021. Biogen’s total revenue in 2021, meanwhile, was down around 18% over the previous year.
Even the company’s flagship-to-be, Aduhelm, has serious issues connected to it. One study found that patients showed lower levels of certain “biomarkers” connected to Alzheimer’s. In turn, some patients showed a slower rate of decline.
“A slower rate of decline” is not the kind of phrase that successful marketing campaigns are built around. It’s hard to sell customers on “it will get worse at a slower rate than before.”
Concluding Views
There are some potential upsides for Biogen. The company has a full, if limited, product line. If Aduhelm can pull out of its decline and offer more positive benefit for those interested, it could be a winner. Right now, though, Aduhelm’s benefits appear limited at best and minimal at worst.
Throw that into a product line that in general seems to have limited scope and things only falter further from there. A huge valuation keeps out most investors who don’t have the strength of their convictions here. Biogen isn’t offering a lot of support to strengthen those convictions.
I’m bearish on Biogen. That’s because there doesn’t seem to be much to encourage the investor here and create value in the future. Biogen needs a winner to pull in the investors. Yet nothing in its current grasp seems to qualify.
Download the TipRanks mobile app now
To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/biogen-wavers-as-aduhelm-support-wanes/ | 2022-04-08T17:27:43Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/biogen-wavers-as-aduhelm-support-wanes/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Asset tokenization is a growing use case in the ever-expanding decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. Asset tokenization involves transforming real-world assets into digital assets using the features of blockchain technology.
Almost anything asset-based or characterized by cash flow can be tokenized, be it securities like stocks, bonds, ETFs, real estate, or commodities.
DeFiChain, a decentralized financial hub operating atop the Bitcoin network, is taking the concept of asset tokenization in a new direction through its dTokens.
Unlike securities offered by companies in the real world, dTokens grant investors price exposure to real-world securities without the risk of ownership.
Essentially, dTokens act as an easy and inclusive way for everyone to invest in U.S. stocks that are otherwise unavailable due to trading limitations, geographical restrictions, or other similar factors.
These dTokens can also be used for liquidity mining and staking, stored as an investment, or traded on the DeFiChain DEX (decentralized exchange). Anyone can own dTokens, even in fractional amounts, and then use them to generate passive returns.
It is critical to understand that dTokens aren’t “tokenized stocks” of multinational companies because ownership doesn’t confer benefits like voting rights, dividends, or other privileges ordinarily available to shareholders in traditional markets.
Additionally, the prices of dTokens won’t necessarily mirror those of their underlying stocks and ETFs but are based on variable factors and are captured from feeds using oracles.
Previously, the DeFiChain team had integrated dTokens associated with Tesla, the S&P 500, Alibaba, Apple, the Nasdaq 100, Amazon, Netflix, Microsoft, GameStop, Nvidia, Meta, and several other mainstream companies. Further expanding its list of dTokens, the DeFiChain team has now announced four new dTokens.
Following a Ticker Voting by its community, DeFiChain has added Walt Disney, iShares MSCI China ETF, MicroStrategy, and Intel. The community vote featured a long list of companies, including Mastercard, PayPal, Uber Technologies, Nintendo, and many more.
When votes were tallied, the community unanimously voted for $dDIS (Walt Disney), $dMCHI (iShares MSCI China ETF), $dMSTR (MicroStrategy), and $dINTC (Intel Corporation).
A key feature of DeFiChain is its decentralized assets. At present, DeFiChain is the only platform that offers decentralized assets on the Bitcoin network.
Keeping with its mission to lower entry barriers and make financial services more inclusive and accessible, DeFiChain has also announced that it will list more popular dTokens and introduce other innovative products and features in due course.
According to Prasanna Loganathar, the Lead Engineer at DeFiChain, “DeFiChain is continuously expanding the dToken universe to give users a serious alternative to the traditional financial broker – all whilst offering the flexibility and benefits of decentralization.”
Download the TipRanks mobile app now
To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/defichain-lists-4dtokens-representing-stocks-and-etfs/ | 2022-04-08T17:27:49Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/defichain-lists-4dtokens-representing-stocks-and-etfs/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Globally regulated digital asset exchange Nexo has launched a new product to complement its existing retail platform. Dubbed Nexo Prime, this new proprietary prime brokerage platform targets institutional investors, corporations, and high-net-worth individuals.
The Nexo Prime platform is designed to serve as a unified platform that provides investors with access to all the advanced tools necessary for trading, borrowing, lending, and securely storing their digital assets.
Created for the market that never sleeps, Nexo Prime will offer round-the-clock service to all of its clients across the globe, including high-touch executions of spot and derivatives instruments.
According to Kalin Metodiev, CFA, Nexo Co-Founder and Managing Partner, “Institutional and corporate demand for digital assets has never been greater, and the market for prime services could be 10x over the next year. Clients entering the space demand a sophisticated, all-in-one, institutional-grade platform, and that’s exactly what we provide them with Nexo Prime.”
Providing Liquidity to Large Investors
Nexo Prime’s proprietary “Smart Routing System” is set to deliver cost-effective execution of large trades while balancing diversified liquidity aggregated from leading exchanges, liquidity providers, and select market makers.
Unlike Nexo’s core platform, which serves retail investors, Nexo Prime’s infrastructure aims to empower institutional investors to seamlessly and reliably execute large orders at competitive trading fees. The Nexo team has specified that Nexo Prime offers order book depth and deep liquidity aggregated from multiple sources for more than 300 pairs.
Besides providing institutional clients with access to liquidity on demand, Nexo Prime also doubles up as a crypto lending platform for margin trading or an OTC (over-the-counter) loan.
This complements the platform’s support for institutional financing options for various assets, including cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and fiat currencies. This institutional credit line offers flexible settlement options, zero interest rates, and no risk of liquidation.
In addition to the above, Nexo Prime will administer OTC services, including access to personalized services across Nexo’s OTC trading, borrowing, and lending desks. The platform also intends to offer up to 17% APY through its Earn Interest feature, helping investors passively grow portfolios.
Furthermore, Nexo Prime’s custody framework leverages solutions like BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, Ledger Vault, and Fireblocks to store all client assets in military-grade Class III vaults. This approach is paired with $375 million worth of custodial insurance from Lloyd’s of London and March & Arch.
Yasen Yankov, Nexo Prime’s Vice President of Development, stresses, “We’ve carefully built out and incubated Nexo Prime over the past 18 months with a core client group, and we’re excited to unveil the platform for the rest of the world to see.”
Download the TipRanks mobile app now
To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/nexo-launches-digital-assets-brokerage-for-large-investors/ | 2022-04-08T17:27:55Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/nexo-launches-digital-assets-brokerage-for-large-investors/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
As a trading platform, Robinhood Markets (HOOD) proved itself a hit with the mobile-friendly younger generations. However, it has its share of problems regarding profitability.
A recent analyst downgrade sent the company reeling, losing 4.1% in Friday’s premarket trading. That loss continued into today’s trading, with the currently stock down over 6%.
I’m cautiously bullish on Robinhood, though, thanks to its longer-term potential and some new possible developments that could give it a boost down the line.
The last year for Robinhood shares was all about finding its level. After a sudden spike in August doubled share prices, Robinhood immediately began to fall. It continued that fall until around mid-December, when the company settled into the $10 to $20 per share range.
The latest news, meanwhile, deals a blow to Robinhood supporters. Goldman Sachs issued a new rating on the company. It wasn’t welcome news. Goldman Sachs’ Will Nance lowered the rating from “neutral” to Sell and also cut his price target.
The new price target stands at $13 per share, down from $15. Perhaps worst of all, Nance questioned whether or not the company could even achieve profitability in 2023 due to a range of headwinds facing the company.
Wall Street’s Take
Turning to Wall Street, Robinhood has a Hold consensus rating. That’s based on five Buys, four Holds, and three Sells assigned in the past three months. The average Robinhood price target of $17.36 implies 53.76% upside potential.
Analyst price targets range from a low of $11 per share to a high of $45 per share.
Support Emerges From Multiple Quarters, Except Dividend History
Potential Robinhood investors will find they’re in good company. The TipRanks 13-F Tracker reveals that hedge fund involvement with Robinhood shares is on the rise. Hedge funds bought an additional 12.9 million shares in the last quarter. This was despite the company’s share price plunging from its post-IPO highs.
Further, insider investors bought a reasonable new stake in the company. Insiders added an extra $137,700 worth of shares over the last three months.
However, Robinhood’s dividend history bears no close scrutiny. The company has yet to issue a dividend and appears to have no plans to start doing so.
A Potentially Big Long-Term Play
A company that loses roughly 85% of its value over the space of about six months may not sound like a great target for investors. Indeed, Goldman Sachs is already questioning the company’s ability to be profitable in the next two years. There is, however, a case for improvement in the company.
Robinhood has been actively expanding its operations for the last few weeks now. For instance, just recently, the company announced extended trading hours. This is part of a larger push to get round-the-clock investment capability going, a move some investors will welcome.
Further, Robinhood was also recently spotted bolstering its credibility in cryptocurrency. It joined the Crypto Market Integrity Coalition, an industry group that’s out to make crypto a safer market overall. The CMIC specifically focuses on market manipulation issues. It also focuses on improving the perception of crypto among regulatory bodies.
Such moves will likely go a long way toward encouraging more users to get involved. One of the biggest problems Goldman spotted with Robinhood is user engagement at the retail level. New features like these could bring new users back.
However, some points are much tougher to fight. Goldman pointed out that Robinhood would need “solid macro-economic tailwinds” to succeed. Those may be difficult to come by. That’s especially true given recent issues of inflation on just about everything from fuel to food.
A potential recession lurks in the background in U.S markets, meanwhile. That underscores the potential difficulty Robinhood’s investors will have finding the cash to buy stocks and cryptocurrency.
This is part of why Robinhood might be a good long-term buy. Assuming the current economic issues we’re facing worldwide are part of a cyclical pattern, we may see good times again in a year or two. Robinhood buyers right now may find themselves positioned to reap the benefits after the downturn runs its course.
Concluding Views
Robinhood is currently trading around its lowest point. It’s close to its lowest price targets. It’s also actively working to return to prominence. Those are all points in the company’s favor.
Buying in now may position patient investors to win out in the long term. A nice position can be had comparatively inexpensively; 100 shares will sell for around a decent television’s price.
There is, however, a possibility that Robinhood could go lower. Ultimately, Robinhood is an investment platform operating in an environment where people may have less to invest for a while. Robinhood stands to lose for the duration of that downturn. Given that we never know how long such downturns last, that could be a serious problem for the company.
This is why I remain cautiously bullish. There’s a clear path to victory ahead for Robinhood. However, it’s going to take a lot of moving parts working just right to get there. That’s never easy to pull off. Still, with share prices what they are, there may be growth to come after a while, anyway.
Download the TipRanks mobile app now
To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/robinhood-a-winner-for-the-patient-investor/ | 2022-04-08T17:28:01Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/robinhood-a-winner-for-the-patient-investor/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Pressure-treated wood fanatics know all about Stella-Jones (TSE: SJ) (STLJF).
By putting lumber in a watery solution full of preservatives for an extended period of time, you’re left with a product fit for use on docks, decks, utility poles, railways, and anywhere where moisture and rotting can be an issue.
Incorporated in 1992, Stella-Jones has become a powerful figure in this niche, boasting over 2,400 employees and 42 plants scattered across the United States and Canada.
The company is a favored supplier of treated lumber to North America’s largest electrical and telecommunications businesses, along with railway operators. Its wood is also used on a large scale by those who build homes.
SJ released its Q4 and full-year 2021 results on March 9, with some big wins and some mitigated losses, as the company has had to navigate lumber costs that have fluctuated greatly over the past couple of years.
I’m bullish on the stock going forward, as it’s a prominent figure in a perhaps underappreciated industry.
Strengths
Stella-Jones is a dominant figure in Canada for railway ties and utility poles and has acquired its way into a leading position in the U.S.
The result is a stable company with further room to grow as it expands its market share across the continent, finding efficiencies through its purchases.
A large chunk of the company’s revenue comes from government contracts, providing it with reliable income that is often tied to infrastructure spending. Due to the specific nature of its work and the lack of competition in a highly regulated industry, SJ’s customers face high switching costs should they look elsewhere.
As well, treated wood needs to be replaced every so often, giving Stella-Jones a predictable long-term revenue stream from its customers.
Recent Stock Performance, Lumber Prices
Stella-Jones stock peaked around April and May 2021, a time when lumber prices were at their highest. Back then, lumber cost about $1,700 per 1,000 board feet. A big part of this was due to sawmills cutting production ahead of an expected housing crash caused by COVID-19. The crash never came, and demand for wood actually increased, leading to supply shortages.
Lumber prices eventually fell, and so too did SJ stock, which is currently trading near 52-week lows. Lumber currently sells for about $920 per 1,000 board feet.
Curiously, lumber costs were rather elevated in March of this year, while SJ stock continued its slow descent.
This is likely because those higher lumber costs were due to flooding in British Columbia and increased tariffs from the U.S. government on Canadian lumber, rather than any demand explosion, as seen in 2021.
In all, lumber prices are still elevated compared to the past decade, and the commodity is still likely to remain in good standing going forward.
Whether SJ stock can catch up remains to be seen, but the company has enough going for it in other areas to make it look promising over the long term.
Stella-Jones’ 2021 Results
Full-year 2021 revenue was C$2.75 billion for Stella-Jones, an 8% year-over-year increase. Q4 sales of C$545 million was a less impressive 2.3% increase.
Full-year gross profit was C$456 million, a 2.2% year-over-year improvement, while the company’s EBITDA of C$400 million was a new record, beating full-year 2020’s EBITDA of C$385 million.
According to Stella-Jones, it was able to achieve this record EBITDA by improving its pricing for residential lumber and utility poles.
However, its EBITDA margin decreased from 15.1% to 14.5% due to “a decrease in residential lumber demand, lower railway ties pricing, and the unfavorable impact of the depreciation of the U.S. dollar.”
Dividend
Stella-Jones’ quarterly dividend was recently bumped to C$0.2 per share. It yields 2.1%, a chunk higher than the Basic Materials industry average of 1.45%.
The dividend has been raised in 18 consecutive years, albeit very slowly, and is likely to continue seeing minuscule bumps every year or so.
Éric Vachon, president and CEO of Stella-Jones, revealed in the most recent earnings report that his company plans to spend C$500 million to C$600 million returning cash to shareholders over the next three years. This would be a 50% increase compared to SJ’s previous three years.
Wall Street’s Take
Stella-Jones has a Strong Buy rating consensus on TipRanks, due to four Buys and one Hold assigned over the past three months.
The average Stella-Jones price target of C$52.61 suggests 40.1% upside potential. Price targets range from a low of C$43 to a high of C$58.
Conclusion
Rising interest rates, a dipping U.S. dollar, and the unpredictability of lumber prices can all poorly affect the financials of Stella-Jones.
Nevertheless, the company still maintains an enviable position in an industry that’s hard to break into and has enough use cases to keep the company alive long term should one of its segments falter due to a recession.
The stock’s performance has sagged over the past year, which could provide an opportunity for upside in the short term as well.
Download the TipRanks mobile app now
To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/stella-jones-stock-kindling-for-fiery-returns/ | 2022-04-08T17:28:07Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/stella-jones-stock-kindling-for-fiery-returns/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ConAgra Brands (NYSE: CAG) declared stronger-than-expected fiscal Q3 results, topping both earnings and revenue estimates driven by robust performance across all segments.
However, the company lowered its annual outlook to account for the higher costs driven by inflationary pressures.
Headquartered in Chicago, Conagra Brands, Inc. is an American consumer packaged goods holding company that makes and sells processed and packaged foods under various brand names that are available in supermarkets, restaurants, and food service establishments.
Q3 Beat
Q3 adjusted earnings of $0.58 per share declined 1.7% year-over-year but was a cent better than the analysts’ expectations of $0.57 per share.
Net sales jumped 5.1% year-over-year to $2.91 billion, exceeding consensus estimates of $2.84 billion. The increase in revenues reflects a surge in organic net sales, which increased 6% during the quarter.
On the downside, adjusted operating margin declined 230 basis points to 13.7%.
Lowered FY2022 Outlook
Based on Q3 results and ongoing challenges, including rising inflation, management updated financial guidance for FY2022.
For the fiscal full year 2022, the company now forecasts adjusted earnings of $2.35 per share, lower than the prior guidance of $2.50 and the consensus estimate of $2.42 per share.
Positively, however, organic net sales are forecast to grow by 4% versus prior guidance of 3% growth.
For the fiscal fourth quarter, adjusted earnings are likely to be approximately $0.64 per share, while the consensus estimate is pegged at $0.70 per share. Organic net sales growth is projected to be 7%.
CEO Comments
Commenting on higher-than-expected cost pressures that are expected to continue into the fourth quarter, Conagra Brands CEO, Sean Connolly, stated, “In response, we have taken steps to implement additional inflation-driven pricing actions.”
He added, “We will begin to see the benefits of these actions in the first quarter of fiscal 2023. Consumer demand has remained strong in the face of our pricing actions to date, but there will continue to be a lag between the timing of the incremental inflation and the benefits of our mitigating actions.”
Wall Street’s Take
Following the Q3 results, Jefferies analyst Robert Dickerson reiterated a Buy rating on Conagra Brands with a price target of $40 (16.2% upside potential).
The rest of the Wall Street community is cautiously optimistic about the stock, with a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on two Buys and five Holds. At the time of writing, the average Conagra Brands price forecast of $36.67 implies 6.5% upside potential to current levels.
Bottom-Line
Going forward, it’s a double-edged sword for the company, with higher demand combined with price increases pushing sales higher, but rising inflation pulling down the profits.
Given the challenging landscape of higher costs amidst growing inflation, the company has prudently lowered its outlook going forward.
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Murphy Oil Corporation Bumps up Quarterly Dividend by 17% | https://www.tipranks.com/news/conagra-brands-posts-upbeat-q3-results/ | 2022-04-08T17:28:13Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/conagra-brands-posts-upbeat-q3-results/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRWD) disclosed that it has been accorded with a Provisional Authorization to Operate (P-ATO) at Impact Level 4 (IL-4) as required under the DoD’s Cloud Security Requirements Guide (SRG).
Now, using its Falcon cybersecurity platform, the company will be able to safeguard Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) of Department of Defense (DoD) and Defense Industrial Base (DIB) customers.
Following the news, shares of the cybersecurity technology company rallied as much as 5%. This comes after closing almost 3% higher yesterday on the announcement of a strategic partnership with cybersecurity firm Mandiant (MNDT).
Milestone Achieved
The authorization adds another cornerstone to CrowdStrike’s achievements, which is making huge investments to expand its services to the public sector. Currently, the company’s technology is deployed by 65 of the Fortune 100 and three-quarters of the top 20 global banks, which safeguards enterprise risk and restricts breaches.
After IL-4 P-ATO authorization, CrowdStrike is striving for a DoD Impact Level 5 (IL-5) P-ATO to help secure National Security Systems (NSS).
Official Comments
Shawn Henry, CrowdStrike CSO and President of CrowdStrike Services, commented, “Adoption of superior cloud-native technologies is mission-critical for the DoD and the DIB, as all federal agencies must remain vigilant in today’s heightened threat environment.”
“This authorization will further CrowdStrike’s support to federal agencies in defending against modern cyber threats, and we remain committed to bolstering our engagements with the public sector,” Henry added.
Wall Street’s Take
Recently, D.A. Davidson analyst Rudy Kessinger maintained a Buy rating on CrowdStrike but lowered the price target to $250 (10.9% upside potential) from $265.
Shares of CrowdStrike have rallied 16% over the past year, while the stock still scores a Strong Buy consensus rating, based on 18 Buys and one Hold.
That’s alongside an average CrowdStrike price target of $275, which implies 22.1% upside potential from current levels.
News Sentiment
News Sentiment around CrowdStrike over the last seven days has been Very Bullish, with 100% of the articles published being Positive, compared to a 64% Bullish Sector Average.
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Tilray Gets Greener with Surprise Quarterly Profit | https://www.tipranks.com/news/crowdstrike-secures-another-milestone-shares-rally/ | 2022-04-08T17:28:20Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/crowdstrike-secures-another-milestone-shares-rally/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Ford (F) has announced a milestone at its Ford Otosan joint venture in Turkey, with the start of production of all-electric transit vans. Founded in 1903, Ford is one of the world’s largest automakers, along with General Motors (GM) and Toyota (TM).
The fully electric Transit model is called the E-Transit, and the Ford Otosan factory, located in the Turkish province of Kocaeli, will produce the models for the European market.
Ford Otosan is a joint venture between Ford and Koc Holding. A €2 billion investment has been earmarked toward expanding Ford Otosan’s factory capacity. Ford also plans to produce electric vehicle batteries at the factory.
Ford Otosan’s General Manager, Güven Özyurt, said, “Production of E-Transit in our Kocaeli plant, where the electricity is supplied with 100% renewable energy, is a source of pride for us and another turning point in our increasing role in Ford’s electrification strategy.”
Ford Leans on Transit Brand in Europe
A stiff competition is brewing in Europe’s electric vehicle market. Recently, Tesla (TSLA) inaugurated its European manufacturing hub in Berlin, Germany. China’s Nio (NIO) is also making inroads in Europe as it looks to not only sell cars but also license its battery-swapping technology. Meanwhile, General Motors and other automakers also have their sights on the European electric vehicle market.
Ford hopes the E-Transit will give it an advantage in the competition. It says that its Transit model has been the world’s best-selling cargo van. Ford had received more than 5,000 orders for the E-Transit even before the vehicles rolled off the assembly line. The company targets the fleet operator market.
Wall Street’s Take
On April 6, Bank of America Securities analyst John Murphy reiterated a Buy rating on Ford and raised the price target from $30 to $32, which indicates 113.9% upside potential. The analyst commented that while sales volumes may be low, Ford’s profitability per unit is high and earnings are expected to increase in 2022 compared to the previous year.
The rest of the Street is cautiously optimistic about the stock, with a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on six Buys, seven Holds, and two Sells. The average Ford price target of $21.60 implies 42.67% upside potential to current levels. Shares have increased 21% over the past year.
Blogger Opinions
TipRanks data shows that financial blogger opinions are 87% Bullish on Ford, compared to a sector average of 69%.
The Takeaway for Investors
Ford’s milestone in Turkey is important for its efforts to grow its share of the European electric vehicle market. Additionally, the capacity expansion at the Ford Otosan factory to produce more electric vehicles should contribute toward reducing Ford’s carbon footprint, which the automaker has made a priority goal.
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What Spiked WideOpenWest on Thursday? | https://www.tipranks.com/news/fords-turkey-unit-marks-major-milestone/ | 2022-04-08T17:28:26Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/fords-turkey-unit-marks-major-milestone/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Online payments major Paysafe Limited (NYSE: PSFE) recently revealed that it has appointed Bruce Lowthers, the erstwhile President of FIS, as its new Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director.
Shares of the company were up almost 10% on Friday at the time of writing.
Lowthers, who has a stellar reputation in the fintech sector, will join the company by May 1, 2022. He succeeds Philip McHugh, who is stepping down as CEO and a member of the board.
Management Commentary
The Chairman of Paysafe’s board, Daniel Henson, said, “Bruce is an exceptional executive whose proven track record of driving sustained results and enterprise value is second to none. In particular, he has successfully scaled and transformed many global organizations. Paysafe is at an exciting inflection point on its journey and we are confident Bruce is the right leader to take it to the next level of growth.”
Partnership with betPARX
On April 7, the company announced an enhanced partnership agreement with betPARX. The partnership will enable Paysafe’s integration with betPARX’s technology partner Playtech’s iGaming PAM Information Management Solution (IMS) platform, and users in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey can make streamlined deposits to fund their betPARX accounts with their credit or debit card.
Wall Street’s Take
The Wall Street community is cautiously optimistic about the stock and has a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on four Buys, two Holds and one Sell. PSFE’s average price target of $5.75 implies that the stock has upside potential of 73.7% from current levels. Shares have declined 76.8% over the past year.
Website Traffic
TipRanks’ Website Traffic Tool, which uses data from SEMrush Holdings (SEMR), the world’s biggest website usage monitoring service, offers insight into Paysafe’s performance this quarter.
According to the tool, the Paysafe website recorded a 530.82% monthly rise in global visits in March, compared to the same period last year. Moreover, the footfall on its website has increased 343.53% year-to-date, compared to the previous year.
Conclusion
Paysafe’s stock has been under pressure for quite some time now. However, the appointment of Lowthers as its CEO and the extension of its partnership with betPARX may prove beneficial for the company.
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Murphy Oil Corporation Bumps up Quarterly Dividend by 17% | https://www.tipranks.com/news/former-fis-president-joins-paysafe/ | 2022-04-08T17:28:32Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/former-fis-president-joins-paysafe/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Pfizer (PFE) has agreed to acquire British antiviral drug developer ReViral for $525 million. PFE stock rose more than 4.3% to close at $55.16 on April 7. The New York-headquartered Pfizer is a multinational pharmaceutical company. Its portfolio includes therapies and vaccines for various diseases, and it is one of the manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines.
Meanwhile, ReViral is developing treatments for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and has several drug candidates in the pipeline. Its flagship drug candidate, sisunatovir, is in a Phase 2 study. The experimental drug has been tested in adults with promising results, and now it is being tried in infants. The FDA has granted sisunatovir the Fast Track designation to help accelerate its development process.
An Effort to Stop 160,000 Deaths Annually
RSV can cause life-threatening lower respiratory tract infections in infants and the elderly. The virus is estimated to infect about 64 million people and cause about 160,000 deaths annually.
Pfizer counts on the ReViral acquisition to bolster its infectious disease portfolio. Pfizer has been separately working on a vaccine for RSV, and the ReViral acquisition is expected to complement its efforts in combating the pathogen.
Pfizer estimates that ReViral’s programs have the potential to generate $1.5 billion in annual revenue. The global RSV drug market is expected to grow to $4.2 billion by 2027 from $1.66 billion in 2020.
Wall Street’s Take
Following the announcement of the ReViral acquisition deal, BMO Capital analyst Evan Seigerman reiterated a Buy rating on Pfizer with a price target of $76, which indicates 37.8% upside potential. According to the analyst, there is an unmet need in RSV, but said, “We would have liked to see a more impactful deal than what Pfizer announced.”
The rest of the Street is cautiously optimistic about the stock, with a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on seven Buys versus eight Holds. The average Pfizer price forecast of $60.64 implies 9.9% upside potential to current levels. Shares have increased 32% over the past six months.
Hedge Funds
TipRanks’ Hedge Fund Trading Activity tool shows that confidence in PFE is currently Very Positive, as 34 hedge funds increased their cumulative holdings of the stock by 8.8 million shares in the last quarter.
The Takeaway for Investors
If the ReViral acquisition goes through, then it would not only give Pfizer a deeper presence in the potentially lucrative RSV drug market, but also further diversify its portfolio.
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CrowdStrike Arms Customers to Combat Cyber Threats | https://www.tipranks.com/news/pfizer-to-bolster-rsv-vaccination-through-acquisition/ | 2022-04-08T17:28:57Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/pfizer-to-bolster-rsv-vaccination-through-acquisition/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
April showers bring … Easter brunch and egg hunts?
The Yakima Valley is in bloom with flowers and Easter festivities. Here are a few events to help you and your family celebrate.
Easter Bunny pictures
The Valley Mall, 252 Main St., Union Gap, is hosting safe visits with the Easter Bunny from April 9 through 16.
Times: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Reservations are required to ensure choice of date and time and can be made at www.amusemattebookbunny.com/valley-mall/.
A $15 deposit is required when you book your appointment. The deposit includes your visit and a $15 credit toward the purchase of photos or digital download.
Egg hunt & candy dash
Yakima Parks and Recreation’s Easter egg hunt and candy dash is April 16.
Children must be preregistered to participate in the egg hunt and candy dash. Registration ends April 15. The cost for children 4 to 11 is $8 and toddlers up to 3 years is $5.
Registration and info can be found at www.yakimaparks.com/special-events/.
The Easter Bunny will be available for pictures with children.
Yakima Parks and Recreation encourages parents and guardians to check in each child 15 minutes prior to their scheduled age groups.
Toddlers up to 3 years hunt/dash at noon, while 4- to 6-year-olds hunt/dash at 12:50 p.m. and 7- to 11-year-olds hunt/dash at 1:40 p.m.
The egg hunt and candy dash location hasn’t been released yet online, but you can call 509-575-6020 for the exact location.
Selah egg hunt
The Selah Lions Club will host an Easter egg hunt April 16.
From 9 to 10 a.m., at Wixon Park, 216 S. Third St., children can participate in their age group’s egg hunt. Toddlers (ages 1 to 4) and children 5 to 10 and 11 to 15 can participate for free and no preregistration is required.
Sunnyside bunny brunch
The city of Sunnyside will host brunch and the Easter Bunny on April 16.
Two sessions for brunch, 10 to 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., are planned at the Sunnyside Community Center, 1521 S. First St.
Reservations are limited to 100 people each session and can be made by calling 509-837-8660.
Brunch is $2 per plate and includes eggs, bacon and pancakes.
Legends Casino brunch
Enjoy Easter brunch buffet from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Legends Casino, 580 Fort Road, Toppenish.
Legends Casino is returning to a traditional buffet, all you can eat, for Easter only.
Brunch will include breakfast staples, an omelet bar, prime rib, crab and more.
WaterFire Restaurant and Bar Easter brunch
An Easter brunch menu will be featured April 17 at WaterFire Restaurant and Bar, 4000 Creekside Loop.
Brunch will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cost is $25 per adult and $18 for children 12 and under.
WaterFire’s menu will include pancakes, eggs, bacon and other brunch items. There will be featured stations for ham, omelets and waffles. Sweets will also be available.
Egg hunt and brunch
Whistlin’ Jack’s Lodge, 20800 WA-410, Naches, will be hosting an egg hunt April 16 and Sunday brunch April 17.
Over 3,000 eggs will be up for grabs from noon to 3 p.m. The event is open for all families.
Sunday brunch will run from noon to 8 p.m. and feature several appetizers and entrees. A special cocktail menu will also be available. | https://www.yakimaherald.com/explore_yakima/nows-the-time-to-begin-making-your-yakima-valley-easter-plans/article_0283bc95-b25d-5b96-9c50-7a895bd178d1.html | 2022-04-08T17:38:36Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/explore_yakima/nows-the-time-to-begin-making-your-yakima-valley-easter-plans/article_0283bc95-b25d-5b96-9c50-7a895bd178d1.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
YAKIMA -- Yakima Valley Tourism has launched the Yakima Valley Wine Pass, a free digital passport that allows visitors and local residents to access special offers at more than 20 wineries in the area.
The wine pass may be downloaded to cell phones or devices and provides discounts and special offers at participating wineries.
It is the first in a series of passports, said John Cooper, president and CEO of Yakima Valley Tourism. Next in the lineup is the Yakima Valley Beer Pass, followed by two others in development.
Cooper said the goal of the passports is to increase visits to local tourism businesses and attractions, plus to encourage repeat and extended trips through check-in incentives and giveaways.
To that end, the first 150 people who complete eight check-ins at wineries with the wine pass will receive a free Yakima Valley Wine Country T-shirt, with a limit of one T-shirt per person. Those who complete 14 check-ins within 120 days of pass activation will be entered into a drawing to win a Yakima Valley Wine Country Getaway valued at $500.
The passports are being developed in partnership with Bandwango, a firm that assists destinations with mobile technology.
To access the free passport, go online to visityakima.com and click on the Yakima Valley Savings Passports banner. | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/new-yakima-valley-wine-pass-makes-a-debut/article_2a3e87a2-3154-53ed-88e7-1d409d33406b.html | 2022-04-08T17:38:42Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/new-yakima-valley-wine-pass-makes-a-debut/article_2a3e87a2-3154-53ed-88e7-1d409d33406b.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Iga Swiatek strung together a month to remember in March.
She became only the fourth player to win both Indian Wells and Miami in the same year. She also rose to the top ranking in the world.
And now … she can add Shot of the Month to her resume.
Against Madison Brengle in the Round of 32 in Miami, Swiatek went toe-to-toe with her American opponent until ending the 26-point rally by rushing the net and lunging to hit a deft crosscourt backhand winner.
Swiatek won the match 6-0, 6-3. | https://www.wtatennis.com/news/2567449/march-shot-of-the-month-winner-iga-swiatek-comes-up-big-again | 2022-04-08T17:38:46Z | wtatennis.com | control | https://www.wtatennis.com/news/2567449/march-shot-of-the-month-winner-iga-swiatek-comes-up-big-again | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A Rhode Island drywall contractor has pleaded guilty to cheating the Internal Revenue Service out of more than $2.8 million by paying workers in cash and not withholding appropriate taxes.
Federal prosecutors say 44-year-old Jesus Jose Mendez, of Woonsocket, co-owner J&J Drywall, Inc., used check-cashing businesses to cash more than 600 business receipt checks totaling more than $16 million dollars.
Prosecutors say he and his partner then traveled to construction sites carrying backpacks full of cash, which they left to be used to pay their employees.
His business partner remains a fugitive and faces similar allegations. | https://www.wpri.com/news/contractor-pleads-guilty-to-cheating-the-irs-of-about-2-8m/ | 2022-04-08T17:39:42Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/contractor-pleads-guilty-to-cheating-the-irs-of-about-2-8m/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — This week on Newsmakers: state Rep. Deb Ruggiero, a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, discussed why she jumped into the race, how she differs from incumbent Sabina Matos, and more; then, 12 News political analyst Joe Fleming joins Tim White and Ted Nesi to break down the latest fundraising numbers in the 2nd Congressional District race.
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iTunes | Google | Stitcher | https://www.wpri.com/news/newsmakers/newsmakers-4-8-2022-lg-candidate-deb-ruggiero-political-roundtable/ | 2022-04-08T17:39:54Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/newsmakers/newsmakers-4-8-2022-lg-candidate-deb-ruggiero-political-roundtable/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Developers of the highly anticipated Pawtucket soccer stadium are grappling with the soaring cost of construction materials, raising new questions about the final price tag and overall size of the project.
Fortuitous Partners — developer of the massive project, originally proposed at a cost of $400 million — told Target 12 this week the coronavirus pandemic has affected expenses, with inflation affecting material prices and global supply issues have limited the availability of building materials.
“Based on this new reality, we went out to bid for construction based on ‘cost-value engineering,’ meaning we prioritized the most critical items in an attempt to lower costs during this initial phase,” Dan Kroeber, director of development and managing partner at Fortuitous, said in a statement.
Kroeber said company officials are now reviewing bids and expect to provide more information about costs and project size in the coming weeks.
Behind the scenes, the developers have been meeting with city and state development officials to try and figure out how to handle the soaring costs, according to Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien.
“It’s steel and the supply chain,” Grebien told Target 12 this week, confirming that the city was waiting to hear back from the developer about the new bids. “Once we know, we’ll get back to the table and make it all work. This is too big of a project not to make work.”
The cost issues came as a surprise to Pawtucket District 4 City Councilor Alexis Schuette, who represents the Seekonk riverbank where the stadium is supposed to go up. Schuette said the news was unfortunate considering the developer had set up an “extremely aggressive” construction timeline. The stadium is scheduled to be completed by the second quarter of 2023, according to a construction timeline the developer provided to the city last year.
“I can’t really comment on that because of the lack of communication,” Schuette said. “I would need them to be more communicative with me in advance of these things so I’m not hearing it from the press first, especially considering it’s squarely in my district and they have all of my contact information.”
Fortuitous is currently in Phase 1 of its development schedule, which includes hundreds of residential units, commercial space and a United Soccer League Championship soccer club that will anchor the mixed-use development. The overall plan was initially pitched to the public in December 2019 as the largest project in Pawtucket history.
Developers, city and state officials have long promised the project will help revitalize Pawtucket, which is still reeling from the loss of the Pawtucket Red Sox, a minor league baseball team that played there for decades. The team decided to relocate to Worcester after disagreements with state lawmakers over how to fund a new stadium.
Shortly after the PawSox’s announced departure, Fortuitous entered the scene. Led by Brett Johnson, a Brown University graduate, company officials joined state and local lawmakers in 2019 to announce the then-$400 million soccer stadium project at a highly publicized announcement.
The price tag was subsequently reduced, in part because the original proposal included a plan for the Apex department store land, which was subsequently taken off the table. (After years of sometimes acrimonious negotiations, Pawtucket officials recently reached a deal to acquire the Apex land.)
The rising costs of materials, meanwhile, raises new questions about whether the overall size of the project will be further reduced. The stadium itself was initially billed as having 10,000 seats, although a news release from the state last February suggested the minimum would be 7,000.
On Thursday, Kroeber specifically highlighted the rising price tag for seats.
“Just in the past few months, the cost of seats has risen 30%,” he said.
It remains unclear whether the situation might result in a bigger ask of city and state taxpayers. Currently, the developers are on the hook to pay for the stadium itself. But city and state have previously promised to pay at least $70 million to fund surrounding infrastructure improvements, and Phase 1 includes the development of open spaces, along with a walking path and pedestrian bridge.
Grebien and state officials have declined to speculate how this might affect public coffers. Pawtucket state Sen. Sandra Cano, who recently became the city’s commerce director, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
“Costs related to construction have increased nationally and even globally – the state, city and development team are in regular communication about this important project to assess potential impacts these increased costs might have on the project,” Matt Sheaff, a spokesperson for Gov. Dan McKee, said in a statement.
Kroeber said Fortuitous leaders are prepared to make “an even greater investment in the privately financed stadium project to ensure that the facility is built to best serve our fans while generating the greatest possible benefit, and revenue, for the community.”
“As we have been from the start, we will be working with the city and the state over the coming weeks to understand and discuss the details of our public-private partnership in order to achieve everyone’s goals,” Kroeber said.
Eli Sherman (esherman@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and on Facebook.
Tim White and Ted Nesi contributed to this report. | https://www.wpri.com/target-12/rising-costs-inflation-throw-wrench-into-pawtucket-soccer-stadium/ | 2022-04-08T17:40:06Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/target-12/rising-costs-inflation-throw-wrench-into-pawtucket-soccer-stadium/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
BOSTON (AP) — Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is again trying to avoid execution, asking the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to consider four constitutional claims not taken up when his death sentence appeal went to the Supreme Court last month.
Tsarnaev’s attorneys in a filing Thursday said the trial court “improperly forced” their client to stand trial in Boston; violated his constitutional rights by denying his challenges to two jurors accused of lying during questioning; dismissed a potential juror because of that person’s opposition to the death penalty; and allowed the admission as evidence of what they called Tsarnaev’s “coerced confession.”
Thursday’s filing was in response to a Wednesday filing by the appeals court to comply with the Supreme Court’s decision last month to reinstate Tsarnaev’s death penalty.
“Because these four claims on direct appeal have not yet been adjudicated by any appellate court, Tsarnaev respectfully submits that the April 6 judgment was entered in error and should be vacated,” his attorneys wrote.
Prosecutors in their response said they agreed that the defense’s four claims have not been resolved, but said: “The government believes that the defendant’s death sentences should be affirmed.”
The Supreme Court agreed by a 6-3 vote on March 4 with the Biden administration’s arguments that the appeals court was wrong to vacate the death sentence imposed by a jury for Tsarnaev’s role in the placing of two pressure cooker bombs near the marathon finish line in 2013 that killed three people and injured more than 260. He was convicted in 2015.
“Dzhokhar Tsarnaev committed heinous crimes. The Sixth Amendment nonetheless guaranteed him a fair trial before an impartial jury. He received one,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the majority.
The Supreme Court’s ruling overturned a decision by the 1st Circuit, which ruled in 2020 that the trial judge improperly excluded evidence that could have shown Tsarnaev was deeply influenced and radicalized by his older brother, Tamerlan, and was therefore less responsible for the bombing.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police several days after the explosions.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, now 28, is being held at a maximum security federal prison in Florence, Colorado. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/crime/boston-marathon-bomber-again-tries-to-avoid-execution/ | 2022-04-08T17:41:30Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/crime/boston-marathon-bomber-again-tries-to-avoid-execution/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The West Springfield Fire Department were called to a car fire Friday morning.
According to a social media post from the department, firefighters were able to put out the fire on River Street. Photos shared show fire damage to the front side of the vehicle, two flat tires and a shattered front windshield.
The car was removed and traffic is back to normal, according to the department. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/west-springfield-firefighters-put-out-car-fire-on-river-street/ | 2022-04-08T17:41:42Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/west-springfield-firefighters-put-out-car-fire-on-river-street/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Murfreesboro runners participate in #RunForMiles memorializing Middle Half cofounder
Dozens in the Murfreesboro running community showed up downtown for a Friday morning run to honor The Middle Half Marathon co-founder Miles Tate, 62, who died unexpectedly Monday.
"We're taught that the way you live life when people aren't watching is a testament to who we are," Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland told the crowd gathered on Civic Plaza.
"And Miles is the person who you definitely knew he was doing the right thing when people weren't watching."
The group ran along Church and East Main streets to #RunForMiles.
Miles and Melinda Tate met at Middle Tennessee State University before getting married.
The Tates and their daughter, Natalie Tate, conceived the half-marathon, which came to fruition in 2007.
The race has become one of Murfreesboro's premiere events, drawing thousands annually to participate by volunteering as well as running.
Reach reporter Nancy DeGennaro at degennaro@dnj.com. | https://www.dnj.com/story/news/2022/04/08/miles-tate-middle-half-marathon-murfreesboro-mtsu-runformiles/9509914002/ | 2022-04-08T17:46:48Z | dnj.com | control | https://www.dnj.com/story/news/2022/04/08/miles-tate-middle-half-marathon-murfreesboro-mtsu-runformiles/9509914002/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Kenya’s mobile network operators Telkom, Safaricom, and Airtel have Friday announced the interoperability of their mobile money service platforms, allowing Kenyans to make mobile money payments to a Lipa Na M-PESA Buy Goods Till, from any of the three networks.
The service will exclusively be applicable to Lipa Na M-PESA Buy Goods and excludes PayBills.
This is the first phase towards complete Merchant Interoperability, whose objective is to enable customers from the three mobile money service platforms: T-kash, M-PESA, and Airtel Money make direct mobile money payments to any merchant till number, across all networks, boosting the adoption and convenience of making cashless payments.
This proposition is also in line with the principles of the National Payments Strategy, 2022 – 2025, that was launched by the Central Bank of Kenya in February this year:
“Kenya remains a global leader in the adoption of mobile money, with transactions in the billions of shillings reflecting the evolving customer demand for secure transactions. Our mobile money service, T-kash, is the culmination of extensive research on evolving customer demands, such as the need for security, simplicity, availability and a diversified service offering. In addition to enriching our financial service offering, the introduction of merchant interoperability brings us closer to realising a cashless economy, further enhancing a seamless digital transactions ecosystem that gives the consumer more choice, ”Telkom Kenya’s CEO, Mugo Kibati
“Safaricom is delighted to partner with other industry players on this exciting innovation to empower mobile money customers in the country to make payments through Lipa Na M-PESA. This partnership builds on the successful rollout of mobile money interoperability making it possible for customers to send and receive money from any network in the country, ”Safaricom’s CEO, Peter Ndegwa
“I am delighted to see Kenya take this big step to enable customers make payments to mobile money merchants, irrespective of their mobile money provider. Our customers will also experience a dynamic, secure, convenient, and more affordable digital payment ecosystem for personal and business payments, ”Airtel Kenya CEO, Prasanta Das Sarma
Telkom, Safaricom, and Airtel are confident that this solution will offer a faster, more affordable, secure, and convenient alternative to cash payments and also eliminate the hassle of transferring money across networks, before making payments. | https://www.kbc.co.ke/telkom-safaricom-and-airtel-integrate-mobile-money-services/ | 2022-04-08T17:47:14Z | afar.com | control | https://www.kbc.co.ke/telkom-safaricom-and-airtel-integrate-mobile-money-services/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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Activate your digital account | https://www.dnj.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dnj.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fhigh-school%2F2022%2F04%2F08%2Ftssaa-baseball-oakland-coach-mack-hawks-records-700th-win%2F9501483002%2F&gnt-tng-s=1 | 2022-04-08T17:48:48Z | dnj.com | control | https://www.dnj.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dnj.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fhigh-school%2F2022%2F04%2F08%2Ftssaa-baseball-oakland-coach-mack-hawks-records-700th-win%2F9501483002%2F&gnt-tng-s=1 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
From left, U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Alfred Flowers Jr., Manpower, Personnel and Resources Director, Office of the Air Force Surgeon General, listens to a member from the 375th Aeromedical Evacuations Squadron during a distinguished visitor tour on Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, April 1, 2022. Flowers is responsible for personnel policy, force development and staffing requirements for more than 40,000 active-duty officer, enlisted and civilian personnel and is responsible for all Air Force medical education and training worldwide.(U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Solomon Cook)
This work, Brig. Gen. Flowers visits Scott AFB [Image 14 of 14], by SSgt Solomon Cook, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7133858/brig-gen-flowers-visits-scott-afb | 2022-04-08T17:50:27Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7133858/brig-gen-flowers-visits-scott-afb | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Alfred Flowers Jr., Manpower, Personnel and Resources Director, Office of the Air Force Surgeon General, right, listens to a member from the 375th Aeromedical Evacuations Squadron during a distinguished visitor tour on Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, April 1, 2022. Flowers advises the Air Force Surgeon General on all aspects of planning, programming, budgeting, and execution for a $42 billion Defense Health Program portfolio, and a $6.1 billion annual budget supporting 2.6 million patients and 76 military treatment facilities worldwide. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Solomon Cook)
This work, Brig. Gen. Flowers visits Scott AFB [Image 14 of 14], by SSgt Solomon Cook, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7133859/brig-gen-flowers-visits-scott-afb | 2022-04-08T17:50:33Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7133859/brig-gen-flowers-visits-scott-afb | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LINCOLN, Neb. (KCAU) — A conviction has been upheld against a Wakefield man found guilty of first-degree murder.
The Nebraska Supreme Court affirmed the ruling by the Dakota County District Court against Andres Surber, 29, for the 2016 death and dismemberment of Kraig Kubik, 41, of Emerson.
Surber was found guilty in September 2020 and sentenced in November 2020 for first-degree murder, using a firearm to commit a felony, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
After the sentencing, Surber’s attorney Todd Lancaster said they would appeal the decision, stating that he believed there were a number of errors in evidence allowed, and questioned if Surber was competent during the trial.
Surber had previously been found incompetent to stand trial before being placed on anti-psychotic medication, but a judge ruled that he was fit to stand trial in January 2020.
A second man in the case, Brayan Galvan-Hernandez, had pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and accessory to a felony in relation to the case in 2017. He was sentenced to between 50 and 60 years in prison. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/local-news/appeal-of-man-convicted-in-dismemberment-case-upheld-by-nebraska-supreme-court/ | 2022-04-08T17:51:08Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/local-news/appeal-of-man-convicted-in-dismemberment-case-upheld-by-nebraska-supreme-court/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NORFOLK, Va. (April 8, 2022) – German Army Gen. Eberhard Zorn, left, Chief of Defence, speaks to Vice Adm. Daniel Dwyer, commander, Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFCNF), during a staff roundtable at JFCNF Headquarters, April 8. JFC Norfolk’s mission is to secure the strategic lines of communication between North America and Europe. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Kris R. Lindstrom)
This work, German Chief of Defence Visits JFCNF [Image 7 of 7], by PO1 Kris Lindstrom, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7133867/german-chief-defence-visits-jfcnf | 2022-04-08T17:51:17Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7133867/german-chief-defence-visits-jfcnf | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Xenakis, Iannis
You might have heard of him, you might have heard some of his music. But who exactly was Iannis Xenakis? Where did he grow up? What was his training? In his centenary year, here’s everything you need to know about the Greek 20th century composer.
Published:
When and where was Iannis Xenakis born?
Born to Greek parents in May 1922, Xenakis grew up in Braila, southwestern Romania – the site of a large Greek community. His father was the managing director of an English export-import agency and one of the richest men in the city. His mother was a pianist, who died after giving birth to a stillborn daughter – a traumatic experience for the then-5-year-old Xenakis that in his own words left him ‘deeply scarred.’
What was his early education?
After his mother’s death, Xenakis was educated by a series of English, French and German governesses, before being sent to boarding school in Greece, where he sang in the school boys’ choir, studied notation and was introduced to a great deal of classical music. But he also had a keen interest in physics and mathematics, and, after graduating from school, went on to train as a Civil Engineer in Athens.
And then?
The Greco-Italian War hit in October 1940, beginning with the Italian invasion of Greece. Xenakis joined the National Liberation Front, later becoming part of the armed resistance – a painful experience which he refused to discuss until the much later in his life. Following the end of the Second World War, he continued to fight for his homeland as part of the Communist resistance, suffering a horrendous facial injury when shrapnel from a British tank blast hit his cheek, blinding him permanently in one eye. Later he was sentenced to death in absentia (a sentence that was finally revoked in 1974), having fled, in 1947, to Paris.
What did he do in Paris?
He became an architect! And a pretty eminent one, working with the great Swiss-born architect Le Corbusier on architectural projects including the the Philips Pavilion at the 1958 Brussels World Fair, as well as housing developments in France and government buildings in India.
So how did Xenakis become a composer?
Alongside the day job, Xenakis continued to study composition in Paris, and soon met some of the most famous composers of the day, including Darius Milhaud and Olivier Messiaen, whom he approached for composition lessons. But Messiaen, recognising Xenakis’s originality, turned him down, advising him to steer clear of formal training and instead continue with his own musical experiments. Which he did with great gusto.
How would you describe Xenakis’s music?
Oof, that’s a tricky one. This, after all, was a man who, over the course of his life, took inspiration from mathematics, Greek mythology, architecture, pointillism, the sound of rain, the song of cicadas, the patterning of the stars and of gas molecules, as well as the post-war developments in electro-acoustic music. People have variously compared his music to the sound of an alien species, or someone on the receiving end of root canal treatment. They have also commented on its visceral power, its elemental ferocity, as well as its complexity (Xenakis wasn’t one to make life easy for performers). But if there’s one thing that’s universally true about his work is that it sounded like absolutely nobody else’s.
What is his most famous piece of music?
He wrote many! Metastasis for Orchestra, his first major composition, stands out for its grandeur and complexity. Concret PH, an electronic work, showcases Xenakis’s novel approach to orchestral and electronic music based on dynamic sound masses, rather than notes and chords. Tetras for string quartet is eye-wateringly virtuosic, while Jonchaies for orchestra, is thrilling.
Was Iannis Xenakis married?
Yes, he married the French novelist and journalist Françoise Gargouïl in 1953. She died in 2018.
Did he have any children?
One daughter, the artist and sculptor Mâkhi Xenakis.
When did Xenakis die?
He died in Paris after a long period of illness, on 4 February 2001. Among the many tributes that poured in from around the world was one from the French President Jacques Chirac lamenting, ‘France loses one of its most brilliant artists today.’
Photo: Getty
Recommended recordings
Metastasis (Paris Contemporary Music Instrumental Ensemble)
Concret PH
Tetras (Arditti Quartet)
Jonchaies (Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra) | https://www.classical-music.com/composers/xenakis-iannis/ | 2022-04-08T17:51:59Z | classical-music.com | control | https://www.classical-music.com/composers/xenakis-iannis/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A guide to Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé and its best recordings
Frolicking nymphs and rapacious pirates capture Julian Haylock’s attention in Ravel’s sumptuous ballet
Published:
Experiencing the deeply sensuous soundscape of Maurice Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé reminds us of the crucial impact made by Russian impresario Sergei Diaghilev’s Paris-based Ballets Russes around the turn of the last century.
The 20 seasons Diaghilev presented from 1909-29 featured an astonishing array of creative talent, including dancers Anna Pavlova, Ida Rubinstein and Alicia Markova, dancer-chorographers Vaslav Nijinsky, Michel Fokine and Léonide Massine, and set/costume designers Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Coco Chanel.
For many, Daphnis et Chloé is Ravel’s supreme masterpiece – a glorious reversal of standard dramatic procedures. When there is little going on to drive the plot forward, Ravel tends to stay languorously in the moment, yet when things spring into action, as in the pirates’ abduction of Chloé, he refuses to take the musical bait. Perhaps this, after all, is Daphnis et Chloé’s most groundbreaking revelation.
When did Ravel compose Daphnis et Chloé?
Ravel was part of Diaghilev’s plans from the start. Shortly after the first Ballets Russes season had got underway, Ravel was in ‘talks’ with Fokine regarding Daphnis, based on an ancient Greek pastoral as realised by French writer Jacques Amyot (1513-93). The problem was that Fokine couldn’t speak a word of French and Ravel, by his own admission, could ‘only swear in Russian’. Yet by the end of an ‘insane week’, during which Ravel worked through the night on several occasions, a basic scenario had been thrashed out.
Diaghilev had originally intended Daphnis et Chloé to form the centrepiece of the 1910 season, and although the first piano draft was ready by the beginning of May, this was already far too late, leaving the door wide open for Igor Stravinsky to score his first great success with The Firebird. This seems to have inspired Ravel to get a move on and by the end of the summer he was hard at work on the orchestration. Yet a year later, shortly after Stravinsky had laid down a second musical gauntlet with Petrushka, Ravel was still struggling with the final part of Daphnis et Chloé, which was now transformed into a dazzling sequence of metrical ingenuity. The orchestration was completed on 5 April 1912, just two months before the planned premiere on 8 June.
But Ravel’s problems were not over. Fokine, as choreographer, wanted to base his ideas around ancient Greek drawings, whereas Ravel tended towards a romanticised Gallic ideal – and Léon Bakst’s sets and costumes chimed more with Fokine’s historical vision than the voluptuousness of Ravel’s music. Fokine was becoming increasingly difficult to work with following several clashes with Diaghilev, who hardly endeared himself to Ravel when, having heard the piano version in rehearsal, he came close to cancelling the whole thing – the planned four performances were reduced to two.
What’s the story behind Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé?
Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé was inspired by one of the most popular novels of Ancient Greek literature. Written in either the second or third century AD, Longus’s Daphnis and Chloe trod new – and, for some, morally questionable – ground in depicting developing feelings of love and sexual attraction between young people, and is the author’s only known work. Longus may possibly have been a Roman who lived on Lesbos, where his tale is set, and who chose to write in Greek rather than Latin, but that is speculation rather than established fact – we know next-to-nothing about him.
His youthful lovers, however, have certainly made their mark on the literary and artistic world. Directly or indirectly, Daphnis and Chloe have influenced literary works by the likes of Shakespeare, Goethe and George Sand, while the multitude of artists who were inspired to depict their charms has ranged from Bordone in the 16th century to Chagall in the 20th.
Ravel, meanwhile, is by no means the sole composer to have fallen under their pastoral spell. In 1747, for instance, a starry cast presented the premiere of Boismortier’s Daphnis et Chloé at Paris’s Académie Royale de Musique. Philosopher-cum-composer Jean-Jacques Rousseau also began an opera with the same title, leaving it incomplete at his death in 1778, alas. And in 1860, Offenbach conducted his new operetta Daphnis et Chloé in Paris; though in this instance, the plot strays some distance away from Longus’s original.
Ravel’s score for Daphnis et Chloé
At least the orchestral musicians proved up to Ravel’s not inconsiderable demands. Despite being scored for vast forces – including a wind machine and off-stage chorus – the work’s ingenious scoring was brought pulsatingly to life under the inspired conductorship of Pierre Monteux. Yet notwithstanding a starry cast that included Nijinsky (whose suggestive movements many considered too overtly erotic) and Tamara Karsavina, several dancers struggled (especially in the notorious final dance) to keep in time – the foot-sore members of the corps de ballet apparently resorted to chanting ‘Ser-gei Dia-ghi-lev’ to help keep them in 5/4 time.
3 of the best recordings of Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé
Netherlands Radio Choir; Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra/ Yannick Nézet-Séguin
BIS-1850 (hybrid CD/SACD)
This splendid disc proves again that with Ravel’s orchestral music you go pretty much all the way just by following the instructions on the packet. In this performances of Daphnis et Chloé Yannick Nézet-Séguin is scrupulous to an unusual degree in obeying the composer’s markings, and especially the little crescendo bursts which might seem, on paper, to be in danger of breaking up the continuity of phrases, but which in practice add life and energy to them.
The playing throughout is of the highest class, from the first horn’s apparently relaxed top Fs (Martin van de Merwe may be going purple in the face, but there’s no audible sign of it) to the vibrato-free flutes that Ravel himself wrote for, the clarinets’ piano playing in the furiously fast ‘Danse générale’, and the chorus’s impeccable tuning in their a cappella section. The Pavane is tender, elegant and unforced. One correction to the booklet notes: the first performance of this orchestral version was given by Henry Wood in Manchester on 27 February 1911. (Review by Roger Nichols)
We gave this recording the full five stars when we reviewed it
New England Conservatory Chorus & Alumni Chorus, Boston
09026 61846 2 ADD (1955)
One of the earliest stereo recordings, Munch’s 1955 Daphnis still sounds terrific; a certain constriction, by CD standards, is but a small drawback. The performance itself is marvellously alive to both the colours and structure of Ravel’s greatest score. The work sends hi-fi buffs into overdrive; Dutoit’s 1980s Decca version quickly became a CD demonstration disc. But Munch remains a must, even minus the Roussel filler which more generously accompanied this Daphnis on its previous CD outing. (review by Keith Potter)
We gave this recording the full five stars when we reviewed it
Montreal SO & Chorus/Charles Dutoit
458 605-2 Reissue (1981-4)
Dutoit’s is the original and best digital Daphnis. This electrifying performance offered an astounding experience, musically and sonically, when first released on LP in the early Eighties. With the introduction of CD, it quickly became the demonstration disc par excellence, giving many of us our first insights into the potential of the new medium back in 1983.
Since then, I’ve listened to Dutoit’s thrilling account, one of the most seductive and hedonistic records ever made, countless times. Having heard Decca’s 24-bit reissue, my conviction that this is one of the great sound recordings of all time is only strengthened – a matchless interpretation, beautifully played and engineered. Only Yoel Levi’s Atlanta Symphony recording from Telarc approaches the realism and brilliance of Decca’s engineering, but Levi’s performance is never in contention beside Dutoit’s. The expected Ravel fillers are also benchmark material. No-one with ears and a CD player should be without this disc! (review by Michael Jameson)
We gave this recording the full five stars when we reviewed it
Top image: Stage design for the ballet Daphnis et Chloé by M. Ravel (Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris), 1912. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images) | https://www.classical-music.com/features/recordings/ravels-daphnis-et-chloe-guide-and-best-recordings/ | 2022-04-08T17:52:05Z | classical-music.com | control | https://www.classical-music.com/features/recordings/ravels-daphnis-et-chloe-guide-and-best-recordings/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
By Eric E. Parris
Fort Carson Public Affairs Office
FORT CARSON, Colo. — After six months of hard work and dedication, the Fort Carson Timberline Child Youth Services facility is now open after a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held April 1, 2022.
The facility, located at 1352 Ellis Street, building 5939, will house the Parent Central Office, Youth Sports and Fitness, Family Child Care, full-day child care and School Support Services. While the renovations took less than a year, it took more than a decade to get to this point.
“It’s taken decades-plus to get to this point for sure,” said Mike O’Donnell, director, Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation. “Now we’ve got this full facility that is able to incorporate youth sports, child care programs and basically be able to showcase each and every program we have here at Fort Carson.”
The reopening of the renovated facility provided Soldiers and Family members an opportunity to visit with representatives for youth sports, the child care centers and school liaison officers.
Sgt. Melani Hastings, with the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, and a mother of two young children, said CYS programs provide a good opportunity for her children to learn and grow.
“My husband just recently started working, so this gives us an opportunity for our children to get a good education and good opportunities,” Hastings said. “It helps us in that we don’t have to worry about who can watch our children.”
The facility is a one-stop shop for parents who are looking for information about youth sports, child care or the local school districts.
“In order to participate in any activity, you have to come through Parent Central Services,” said Armanda Hunt, Child Youth Services coordinator for Fort Carson. “We have two programs that fall under the CYS umbrella — Family Child Care, that is care provided in the homes of spouses on the installation and our Youth Sports Program is housed in this facility as well as the school liaison officers who support the local school districts that have a high population of military students, and our nursing component.”
Having representatives from these groups in one facility makes it easier to assist the Families and provide the necessary services they need, Hunt said. This day provided an opportunity to showcase what CYS has to offer under one roof.
“We are highlighting our programs to get more information out to the community, so more Soldiers are aware of what we have to offer and how we can help them,” Hunt said.
Staff members were ready and willing to share information about CYS programs.
“We need to get the word out to our Families that we’re here for them,” said DeAnzo Williams, school liaison officer. “Now is the time (after COVID) to welcome them back in.”
With the staff and this facility, CYS is here to serve the military community.
“I can’t emphasize enough how important Child Youth Services is to Soldiers and Families,” O’Donnell said.
This work, Timberline CYS facility reopens, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/418131/timberline-cys-facility-reopens | 2022-04-08T17:52:13Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/418131/timberline-cys-facility-reopens | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Roger Ng, the only Goldman Sachs banker who was put on trial for the $4.5 billion embezzlement scheme that raided a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund, was convicted on Friday of violating federal anti-bribery and money laundering laws.
Prosecutors say Roger Ng, Goldman’s former top investment banker for Malaysia, helped his former boss Tim Leissner embezzle money from the fund — which was founded to pursue development projects in the Southeast Asian country — launder the proceeds and bribe officials to win business for Goldman.
Ng, 49, could face a lengthy prison sentence after his conviction for being one of the alleged co-conspirators who helped steal $4.5 billion from the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.
“Today’s verdict is a victory for not only the rule of law, but also for the people of Malaysia,” Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement. “The defendant and his cronies saw 1MDB not as an entity to do good for the people of Malaysia, but as a piggy bank to enrich themselves.”
Ng, wearing a black suit jacket and black tie, showed little emotion as the jury’s foreperson read out the verdict. Ng glanced back and forth between the jury and the desk he was seated at. His lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, hung his head after the guilty verdict to the first count was read.
US District Judge Margo Brodie, who is overseeing the case, ordered that Ng be subject to a curfew pending sentencing, but said she did not consider him a flight risk.
Deliberations began on Tuesday after a nearly two-month trial in federal court in Brooklyn.
Agnifilo said Ng may appeal, depending on the outcome of his post-trial motions and his sentence. He stood by his decision to convince Ng to waive extradition to face trial, saying he had a better chance of a fair trial in the United States than in Malaysia.
“These big cases are tough and they’re hard to win,” Agnifilo told reporters.
Ng, who pleaded not guilty, was accused of using his position at Goldman to raise $6.5 billion for the fund through bond sales — only to then loot $4.5 billion and funnel the ill-gotten gains to himself and associates through bribes and kickbacks.
“The harm to the people of Malaysia is immeasurable,” prosecutor Alixandra Smith said during closing arguments. “It is deeply unfair to everyone else who plays by the rules.”
But Ng’s attorneys have claimed that their client is being scapegoated while his former colleague at Goldman, Tim Leissner, pleaded guilty and agreed to testify in court against Ng in order to receive a lighter sentence.
“Roger is basically the fall guy for this whole thing,” Agnifilo said. “And Tim Leissner is looking to close the biggest deal of his life.”
Ng, Leissner, and Malaysian financier Jho Low — who is now a fugitive from the law — were all in on the alleged scheme to defraud 1MDB, prosecutors said.
During several days on the witness stand, Leissner testified that he, Ng and Low used off-shore accounts and shell companies to “disguise the flow of funds.” The money-laundering efforts also involved drawing up fake contracts with banks, he said.
Leissner testified that he received more than $60 million from Low. The money was funneled into accounts controlled by his then-wife, Judy Chan Leissner.
Leissner, the estranged husband of reality television star Kimora Lee Simmons, told jurors last month that he sent Ng $35.1 million through the shell entity set up by Ng’s wife, Hwee Bin Lim.
The trial has produced sensational headlines about Leissner’s lavish lifestyle.
While on the witness stand, Leissner copped to the defense’s claim that he was a “double bigamist” — admitting he twice “faked” divorces from women to marry others while he was still legally married.
Leissner has admitted to having several affairs, previously describing an episode in which a former lover allegedly blackmailed him into buying her a $10 million mansion after she threatened to reveal the tryst to Simmons, his future and current estranged wife.
With Post Wires | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/ex-goldman-banker-roger-ng-convicted-in-4-5b-1mdb-fraud-case/ | 2022-04-08T17:52:15Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/ex-goldman-banker-roger-ng-convicted-in-4-5b-1mdb-fraud-case/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The over-the-top luxury penthouse believed to be owned by Vladimir Putin’s “secret” love child is up for rent at over $10,000 per month.
Located in the elite St. Petersburg neighborhood Kamenny Island, the property belongs to Putin’s rumored 19-year-old daughter, Luiza Rozova, according to BBC Russia. Rozova’s mother — 46-year-old former maid-turned-millionaire Svetlana Krivonogikh — has often been pegged as the Russian president’s “former lover.”
Listed by Engel & Völkers, the residence spans more than 4,800 square feet, and is one of 21 luxe apartments in the complex, known as Berezovaya Alley.
Comprising three floors, the first level features a living room and an expansive terrace overlooking the Neva river.
On the second floor is a bedroom and a children’s play room. And on the third floor is an opulent wet bar, home theater and a sun lounge covered with flashy gold foil, the listing notes, according to the East2West news service.
It is believed that Krivonogikh raised her daughter in this home a year after she was born, according to the BBC. Rozova remains the only child of Putin who has yet to be sanctioned.
Putin’s two high-profile older daughters, Maria Vorontsova and Katerina Tikhonova, were sanctioned on Wednesday in the latest round of US and European economic penalties over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the listing for Rozova’s former home describes the property as “one of the most private complexes in St. Petersburg” and “surrounded by a moat and is distinguished by solid classical architecture.”
Rozova and her mother are reportedly now living in another luxury residence in the city worth $2.2 million, which has been described as a “palace luxury.”
They also reportedly own a $4 million estate in Monaco. Krivonogikh, a cleaner-turned-multimillionaire with a great stake in a major Russian bank, is rumored to own nearly $100 million in financial and property assets.
Rozova was once active on social media with about 84,000 followers — but she mysteriously stopped publicly posting more than six months ago. Her Instagram account was later deactivated following a flood of backlash.
Her frequent posts stopped suddenly after the teen and her mom started boasting on Instagram about their $4.1 million Monte Carlo penthouse apartment, The Sun reported.
The penthouse they posted photos of and gushed about on Instagram was detailed in a trove of leaked “Pandora Papers” documents in October.
Luiza’s mother, who has long been rumored to have been Putin’s alleged mistress in the late 1990s and early 2000s, moved into the penthouse shortly after her daughter was born, according to the papers.
The leaked documents also revealed Luiza’s mom, who used to work as a cleaner and grew up in a communal apartment, now had an estimated net worth of $100 million in “shadow wealth.”
Luiza’s abrupt absence from Instagram after posting about the lavish penthouse sparked concern from her followers that she may have been silenced.
“What happened? Pa forbade the details of the luxury life to be published?” one follower commented, while another chimed in: “You completely abandoned Instagram for some reason… Please come back Luiza.”
Putin and Svetlana have never commented on their alleged relationship or Luiza’s rumored paternity. | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/inside-putins-secret-daughters-gaudy-st-petersberg-home/ | 2022-04-08T17:52:27Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/inside-putins-secret-daughters-gaudy-st-petersberg-home/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Trigger-happy Russian President Vladimir Putin stoked concerns Friday when he reportedly took his “nuclear football” to a funeral at a Moscow cathedral.
The strongman showed up at the Christ the Savior Cathedral to pay his respects to firebrand ultra-nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who is said have died of COVID-19.
Putin walked in clutching red roses, but what caught the attention of viewers was the apparent “secret nuclear briefcase” in the hands of a man wearing a suit and walking directly behind the Russian leader, the Sun reported.
Much like the so-called “football” carried by presidential military aides in the US, the Russian case is believed to contain launch data for the Kremlin’s strategic missiles.
An image published by the Sun shows an open briefcase, which was revealed to the public for the first time in 2019 by Zvezda, a TV channel run by Russia’s Ministry of Defense,
Local media say there are actually three such briefcases, each accessible by the most high-ranking officials in the Russian Federation, according to the report.
The sighting on Friday comes weeks after Putin placed his country’s nuclear weapons on high alert following the start of the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.
Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned this week that Moscow “retains a large and varied nuclear capability to threaten the United States and our allies and partners, and we have heard very provocative rhetoric concerning Russia’s nuclear force alert levels from Russian senior leaders.”
Russia sits on the world’s largest stockpile of nuclear weapons — nearly 6,000 warheads — which includes missiles capable of striking the US mainland, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.
The sight of armed guards around Putin could also hint he fears an assassination attempt, as the Sun reported nearly all mourners were cleared out of the church for his arrival.
Zhirinovsky, 75, known for provocative stunts and anti-Western tirades that kept him in the public eye for more than three decades, had been admitted to a hospital earlier this year after contracting COVID-19, according to Russian media.
He was known for outrageous and headline-grabbing statements, including threats to launch nukes against various countries, seize Alaska from the US, and expand Russia’s frontiers to the point where its soldiers could “wash their boots in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.” | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/putin-triggers-nuclear-war-fears-after-showing-up-to-funeral-with-secret-case/ | 2022-04-08T17:53:09Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/putin-triggers-nuclear-war-fears-after-showing-up-to-funeral-with-secret-case/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Ketanji Brown Jackson on historic Supreme Court confirmation: "We've made it"
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who will become the first Black female Supreme Court justice, celebrated her confirmation on Friday at a White House event alongside President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Why it matters: "It has taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a Black woman to be selected to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. But we've made it. We made it, all of us," Jackson said on the White House's South Lawn, receiving a standing ovation from the audience.
- "Our children are telling me that they see now more than ever that here in America anything is possible."
The big picture: Since her nomination was announced, Jackson has acknowledged the historic nature of her confirmation.
- During her opening statement for her confirmation hearings, she said, "I stand on the shoulders of so many who have come before me, including Judge Constance Baker Motley, who was the first African American woman to be appointed to the federal bench and with whom I share a birthday."
What she's saying: "To be sure, I have worked hard to get to this point in my career and I have now achieved something far beyond anything my grandparents could have possibly ever imagined," Jackson said.
- "But no one does this on their own. The path was cleared for me so that I might rise to this occasion, and in the poetic words of Doctor Maya Angelou, 'I do so now while bringing the gifts my ancestors gave. I am the dream and the hope of the slave.'"
- "So I take on this new role, and I strongly believe that this is a moment in which all Americans can take great pride. We have come a long way towards perfecting our union. In my family, it took just one generation to go from segregation to the Supreme Court of the United States," Jackson added.
Go deeper: "History made": Black women celebrate Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation | https://www.axios.com/ketanji-jackson-black-woman-supreme-court-justice-d006aaed-e3a8-421d-93f5-d8819f2d1a69.html | 2022-04-08T17:53:37Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/ketanji-jackson-black-woman-supreme-court-justice-d006aaed-e3a8-421d-93f5-d8819f2d1a69.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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click to copy | https://nypost.com/video/iguana-vs-stuffed-animal/ | 2022-04-08T17:53:40Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/video/iguana-vs-stuffed-animal/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Q&A with The Engine's Katie Rae
Today, we're talking to Katie Rae, the CEO of The Engine, an early-stage venture fund started by MIT.
Why she matters: Prior to The Engine, Rae was managing director and co-chair of tech accelerator TechStars in Boston. She also invests through pre-seed fund Project 11 Ventures and advises young companies through the Startup Institute.
- Many of The Engine's companies have just emerged from academic or lab settings. Nearly half of them focus on climate tech, including Commonwealth Fusion Systems and Form Energy.
What was this week’s big story, in your view?
- The UN IPCC Report, which paints a very clear picture of the incredible need to simultaneously deploy existing solutions while investing in new technologies that will get us further down the decarbonization road faster.
What do you feel is being under-covered or under-noticed?
- Reducing carbon emissions in electricity and transportation dominate the dialogue, rightfully so. However, the importance of decarbonizing sectors beyond that has been under-covered.
- There’s an enormous economic impact and opportunity — particularly here in the U.S. — for jobs, security and equity that will be associated with efforts in sectors like manufacturing, industrial processes and beyond.
What are you most closely following?
- Like the rest of the world, the Russia-Ukraine conflict is something I’ve been watching with alarm. The energy circumstances are particularly important.
In three words, what one change would you make to accelerate investment in sustainable energy/climate tech?
- Aligned capital investments. | https://www.axios.com/pro/climate-deals/2022/04/08/expert-voices-the-engine-katie-rae-mit | 2022-04-08T17:53:50Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/pro/climate-deals/2022/04/08/expert-voices-the-engine-katie-rae-mit | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Will Smith gives a stern warning to his wife Jada Pinkett Smith — saying “Don’t use me” for clout — in a resurfaced 2019 video that is going viral on social media.
The 49-second clip — which was initially filmed by Pinkett Smith on her Instagram Live — has clocked thousands of views on Reddit since it popped up in the wake of Smith’s assault on comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars last month.
The newly resurfaced 2019 video has sparked speculation as to the state of the Smiths’ union, with some viewers claiming the “Men In Black” star looks “uncomfortable” and “anxious” as he speaks with his wife.
Reddit Comment
“He [Smith] looks so uncomfortable.”
Reddit Comment
“He looks hella anxious like he knows Jada is going to provoke him and he’s afraid of how it will go down.”
The 53-year-old actor made international news when he stormed the stage at the awards show and slapped Rock across the face for making a joke about Pinkett Smith’s alopecia.
Pinkett Smith, 50, initially made the video to promote her chat show “Red Table Talk,” with the vision showing her state: “You know [therapist] Esther Perel is coming to the table — she’s gonna be at the ‘Red Table.'”
Last week, sources told Page Six that Smith “was on a knife edge after tolerating months of jibes about his marriage” before he slapped Rock at the Oscars. | https://nypost.com/web-stories/will-smith-warns-jada-dont-use-me-for-clout-in-resurfaced-video/ | 2022-04-08T17:53:52Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/web-stories/will-smith-warns-jada-dont-use-me-for-clout-in-resurfaced-video/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Indigenous group using solar PPAs to preserve land
An Indigenous group in Colombia has partnered with a multinational renewable energy developer on a $120 million project that will fund the community's effort to buy and protect land from unwanted development.
Why it matters: This unusual project, named Terra Initiative, may create a new revenue model for land preservation — one that other companies may look to deploy in the U.S. and other nations.
The details: Greenwood Energy, a subsidiary of Libra Group, is installing 144 megawatts of utility-scale solar arrays across six remote sites.
- Groundbreaking is set for the fourth quarter of 2022, with the first site set to start generating electricity next year, the company tells Axios.
- The Confederación Indígena Tayrona, the organization representing the Arhuaco people in Colombia, will be paid for each kilowatt-hour of power that the solar arrays generate.
- Those funds will be used to buy and preserve about 460 square miles in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
By the numbers: Greenwood is pursuing multiple power purchase agreements (PPAs) to sell electricity from the panels to the grid.
- The Confederación will be paid a 5% "environmental fee" — akin to a typical commercialization fee — by Greenwood Energy.
- Once the projects are operational, the funds will be sufficient to buy about 3 square miles per year.
- The rate will be indexed to account for inflation.
What they're saying: "This opens whole new possibilities of infrastructure structuring," Greenwood Energy CEO Guido Patrignani tells Axios. "The project is specifically addressing Indigenous communities that protect the environment."
Of note: Greenwood will be constructing town buildings for the Arhuaco people, with space for about 50 families per town.
- The program also calls for job training and donating the panels to the community to own and operate after 25 years. | https://www.axios.com/pro/climate-deals/2022/04/08/indigenous-group-colombia-solar-ppas | 2022-04-08T17:53:56Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/pro/climate-deals/2022/04/08/indigenous-group-colombia-solar-ppas | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The rise of altruistic capitalism
Philanthropy organizations are putting their money where their mouth is, but they expect a return.
Why it matters: Historically, nonprofits, NGOs and foundations haven't made returns a primary motive of their investments, which are typically grants for expensive and risky projects.
Driving the news: That's changing, Sustainable Capital Partners senior vice president Victor Rojas tells Axios.
- "Philanthropy is focused on returns in a way they weren't before," Rojas says.
- Though money from philanthropic organizations is still used to de-risk large complex projects, it comes with terms more similar to other private investors rather than those that accompany grants.
Background: Grants are often the first money in for technically complex climate companies that are unable or unwilling to raise money from private investors.
- For instance, Leaft Foods relied on grants for years before raising outside capital, some of which also came from nonprofit organizations.
- Australian reforestation startup Lord of the Trees similarly relied on grants and bootstrapping to get started before taking on $1.25 million in outside funding from a traditional VC firm.
The bottom line: Expect to see more philanthropies dipping their toes into the world of climate investing. | https://www.axios.com/pro/climate-deals/2022/04/08/philanthropy-investing-sustainable-capital-victor-rojas | 2022-04-08T17:54:03Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/pro/climate-deals/2022/04/08/philanthropy-investing-sustainable-capital-victor-rojas | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
After Series B, Jüsto's physical store test
Jüsto, an online grocer focused on Latin America, is opening its first physical store in Peru following a $152 million Series B investment led by General Atlantic, the startup's founder and CEO Ricardo Weder tells Axios.
- To date, the company has raised a total of $250 million, with General Atlantic also leading its $65 million Series A.
Why it matters: Even for a company that expanded its online-only business by more than 500% last year, Weder firmly believes the future is omnichannel.
Between the lines: The company's biggest near-term opportunity is catering to online shoppers, with e-commerce accounting for only 1.5% of grocery sales in Latin America, Weder says.
- That penetration is expected to grow to 20% in five years, he says.
- But Jüsto is testing a new concept where the front half of the building is a physical store and the back half of the building is a fulfillment center.
- This location will be where the company tests and perfects its approach to physical retail.
Details: The Latin American grocer began raising this round after expanding to Brazil and acquiring Freshmart, an online grocer in Peru, in October.
- Proceeds will be used to accelerate growth in existing markets and to assess new markets for future expansion.
- Currently, the company has operations in Mexico, Brazil and Peru, but is eyeing all of Latin America.
- Jüsto expects to grow between 300% and 400% this year.
Of note: Another long-term opportunity for the company is catering to Latin American communities in the U.S., Weder says.
- General Atlantic, also an investor in Shein, sees a big opportunity in overseas e-commerce, a major investment thesis for the firm.
The bottom line: Jüsto is in the pole position to lead grocery e-commerce in Latin America, where traditional supermarkets were slower to embrace online. | https://www.axios.com/pro/retail-deals/2022/04/08/after-series-b-justos-physical-store-test | 2022-04-08T17:54:22Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/pro/retail-deals/2022/04/08/after-series-b-justos-physical-store-test | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Web2 giants playing catch-up on cryptocurrency
The internet oligarchs, referred to now as Web2, are playing catch-up with cryptocurrencies — tentatively tiptoeing into the kiddie pool with waders on — floaties, too.
Why it matters: These companies have huge networks and if one of them finds a way for crypto to complement their business, they could switch on millions of new users with the stroke of a digital pen.
What they're saying: "The market size is too big to ignore now," Electric Capital managing partner Avichal Garg, an alum of both Facebook and Google, told Axios. "Everyone under 30 is doing this so, to stay relevant, they have to."
- Garg is now managing partner at Electric Capital, which recently raised two new crypto-focused funds with $1 billion total committed for digital money, DAOs and DeFi.
Details: Twitter made a special emoji for #bitcoin forever ago. Recently, it has offered a tipping function in bitcoin. Plus, users who want to show off a favorite NFT can verify they own it.
- Ebay makes NFTs available to buy on the site (but don't look for any of these to be the next Bored Apes).
- Paypal might launch its own stablecoin, a cryptocurrency designed to track the price of regular money (probably the dollar).
- Reddit, the so-called front page of the internet, had been the top spot for crypto conversation until Twitter usurped it. Nevertheless, these days, it is slowly experimenting with tokenizing community points.
For the simple stuff, users can buy and hold bitcoin on Cash app (which earned it $46 million in profit for Q4 2021). On Paypal they can buy bitcoin, bitcoin cash, ether and litecoin.
- For those holding, both Robinhood and Cash App's owner, Block, Inc, have made noises about making a better crypto wallet, for folks who don't want to trust a third-party.
Twitter told Axios that there will be more to come.
- "Crypto, like Twitter, operates without global barriers and we are excited to incorporate it more into our products and infrastructure. This is just the start,” Esther Crawford, from Twitter's product team, said via a spokesperson.
Yes, but: It's not all been sparkles and light on the old-fashioned web.
- Telegram, the messaging app with more people on it than live in the United States, tried to launch a cryptocurrency long before Facebook, and it got shot down first.
- Microsoft has been nosing around in crypto since forever. In 2015, it launched a blockchain-as-a-service product. In 2021, it quietly backed away (Google seems to be stepping into the space that Microsoft vacated).
- Discord. The forum for gamers vaguely hinted at some crypto integration and got scared off almost immediately.
The most epic crypto flameout in Web2 award — without a question — goes to the company now known as Meta, which launched Libra, changed it to Diem, and then finally sold it for parts in February.
Bottom line: Old companies always have a tough time with the new thing, but it's nice to see them try. | https://www.axios.com/web2-giants-playing-catch-up-on-cryptocurrency-19911aea-131b-4370-a07b-ec37e8dc8461.html | 2022-04-08T17:54:40Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/web2-giants-playing-catch-up-on-cryptocurrency-19911aea-131b-4370-a07b-ec37e8dc8461.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Navy Recruit Training Command Graduation, Part 2
Navy boot camp graduation from Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, IL
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TAGS | https://www.dvidshub.net/video/838283/navy-recruit-training-command-graduation-part-2 | 2022-04-08T17:54:49Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/video/838283/navy-recruit-training-command-graduation-part-2 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A Delaplane woman died and two people were seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash in Fauquier County Tuesday evening.
Virginia State Police announced the fatality and additional accident information Friday morning.
Authorities say a 2007 Honda CRV was traveling east on Route F185 (Grove Lane) around 6:37 p.m. when it crossed a double-solid, yellow centerline and collided head-on with a westbound 2022 Jeep Wrangler.
The driver of the Honda, 73-year-old Sandra E. Manuel, of Delaplane, died at the scene.
The driver of the Jeep, a 74-year-old man from Upperville, suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to INOVA Fairfax Hospital. He too was wearing a seatbelt.
A 67-year-old female passenger in the Jeep – also of Upperville – suffered life-threatening injuries, as well, and was transported to the same hospital.
All three people involved were wearing their seatbelts.
The crash – which occurred just east of Route 677 (Oak Hill Road) – remains under investigation. | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/woman-killed-two-seriously-injured-in-fauquier-crash/article_73e0e0f8-b75e-11ec-8ea4-37069c262e46.html | 2022-04-08T18:00:50Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/woman-killed-two-seriously-injured-in-fauquier-crash/article_73e0e0f8-b75e-11ec-8ea4-37069c262e46.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
- Zelensky says more sanctions are needed
- It was right to spend Russia from UN human rights Council
- Ukraine to fight is our fight, EU is by Ukraine's side
- We are mobilizing our economy to make Putin pay a very heavy price
- Today we are here to give Ukraine first positive step towards EU membership
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ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW | https://www.forexlive.com/news/eu-von-der-leyen-zelensky-says-more-sanctions-are-needed-20220408/ | 2022-04-08T18:03:30Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/news/eu-von-der-leyen-zelensky-says-more-sanctions-are-needed-20220408/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
China reported a seventh consecutive day of record covid cases at 24,101 with 21,222 of those in Shanghai as the outbreak continues to spread.
Mass testing is continuing and there's no end in sight to a lockdown that was supposed to end April 5. Traffic at the airport is largely grounded and the world's largest port is working at half capacity.
Four rounds of mass testing have already taken place and today a fifth round started.
There are signs of growing infections elsewhere and in Beijing, officials tightened control measures with 64 patients in the city currently under treatment.
“Beijing is at a crucial moment for pandemic control,” Pang Xinghuo, the deputy director of Beijing’s disease prevention and control centre, told a press conference on Thursday. “Global infections are at high levels. Domestically, the pandemic is spreading widely and rapidly. We will stick to the ‘dynamic zero strategy’'.
There is growing dissatisfaction in Shanghai along with complaints of a lack of access to food.
The more the rate of infections grow, the larger are the risks to global growth and the global supply chain.
To soften the blow of the lockdowns, an increasing number of market watchers are looking for the PBOC to lower rates next Friday (Good Friday). Whatever they decide will set the tone for late next week and early into the following one. | https://www.forexlive.com/news/no-signs-of-china-easing-lockdown-rules-as-covid-cases-continue-to-mount-pboc-eyed-20220408/ | 2022-04-08T18:03:36Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/news/no-signs-of-china-easing-lockdown-rules-as-covid-cases-continue-to-mount-pboc-eyed-20220408/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Inflation is back on the agenda next week with the market looking for a whopping 1.2% m/m increase in US prices due largely to commodity price jumps after the dawn on the Ukraine war. That will push the y/y rate to 8.5% and keep the bond market on eggshells.
Monday:
- Bostic
- Bowman
- Waller
- Evans
- 3-year auction
Tuesday:
- CPI
- Brainard
- Barkin
- 10-year auction
Wednesday:
- PPI
- 30-year auction
- Bank of Canada rate decision
Thursday:
- Retail sales
- Initial jobless claims
- U Mich April prelim sentiment
- Mester
- Harker
Friday:
- Empire Fed
- Industrial production
- Good Friday holiday | https://www.forexlive.com/news/whats-on-the-us-economic-calendar-next-week-cpi-and-retail-sales-20220408/ | 2022-04-08T18:12:12Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/news/whats-on-the-us-economic-calendar-next-week-cpi-and-retail-sales-20220408/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Islamabad: A defiant Imran Khan said on Friday that he will not accept any "imported government" in Pakistan as he expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court's verdict on the National Assembly deputy speaker's controversial decision on the rejection of no-trust motion against him.
In a live-address to the nation ahead of the no-trust motion on Saturday, 69-year-old Khan asked his supporters to join him on the street on Sunday evening.
"I respect the Supreme Court and the judiciary, but the apex court should have looked at a threat letter before issuing its verdict, Khan said in his address perhaps last to the nation as the prime minister of the country.
Khan, who has effectively lost the majority in the 342-member house, repeated his allegations that a US diplomat threatened regime change in Pakistan. In a landmark 5-0 verdict, a five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Thursday unanimously struck down the deputy speaker's ruling on the rejection of the no-confidence motion against Khan and ordered restoration of the National Assembly, saying the prime minister's move to dissolve Parliament and call early elections was "unconstitutional".
The court also ordered the speaker of the lower house to call the session of the national assembly on April 9 at 10 am (local time) to organise a no-confidence vote. It ordered the election of the new prime minister if the no-confidence motion succeeded.
The opposition parties need 172 members in the 342-member house to orchestrate the downfall of Prime Minister Khan and already they showed the support of more than the needed strength.
Now Khan faces the possibility of being the first prime minister in Pakistan's history to be voted out in a no-confidence motion.
The cricketer-turned politician came to power in 2018 with promises to create a Naya Pakistan' but miserably failed to address the basic problem of keeping the prices of commodities in control. The current term of the National Assembly was to end in August, 2023.
No Pakistani prime minister has ever completed a full five-year term in office. | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2022/04/08/pakistan-prime-minister-imran-khan-calls-for-street-protest-says-will-not-support-imported-government.amp.html | 2022-04-08T18:12:33Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2022/04/08/pakistan-prime-minister-imran-khan-calls-for-street-protest-says-will-not-support-imported-government.amp.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
This year’s long-awaited Cheltenham Festival marked just the start of jump racing’s answer to Soho House with the launch of trainer Ben Pauling’s new yard, Naunton Downs. Located on a golf course in the sought-after Cotswolds, Pauling and his wife, Sophie, a party planner, found out about the 200-acre course at just the right time.
Inside Naunton Downs: racing’s answer to Soho House
‘It wasn’t until we had lost out on another yard that we joked about the golf course being for sale,’ Pauling, 38, explains. ‘Sophie googled it one evening and we were amazed to see it was currently on the market, a few phone calls later and we were starting to think more seriously about the way it could all work.’
Work it has – and very well indeed, too. The Cotswolds, recently dubbed ‘Londonshire’ following the influx of deep-pocketed city-dwellers post-pandemic is hot property. Literally, house prices in the county are now competing with London’s most exclusive neighbourhoods – which is why they are crying out for a second Soho House (ideally, one with an equestrian slant). With, of course, a reputable bookmaker. Enter: Fitzdares, ‘the world’s poshest bookies’ with financial backers that include Ben and Zac Goldsmith, and who have linked up with Pauling to create their first rural outpost just a short canter from Cheltenham. Will Woodhams, Fitzdares’ CEO, is overjoyed. ‘It’s incredible that we’ve found a new home in the most beautiful part of the Cotswolds,’ he says. ‘A morning on the gallops, breakfast, a quick round of golf, a long lunch and an afternoon of sport on the box – it’s a little slice of Mayfair in the most bucolic location, truly a sports nut's dream.’
After 2021’s iteration of the beloved event took place behind closed doors, racegoers were delighted to return to the stands once again
Pauling, who trains horses for Harry Redknapp, was brought up on a diet of racing – and is of Gloucestershire stock through and through. His father was a farmer who – believe it or not – farmed Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat, and it was his retirement that led to Clarkson taking it on. Pauling initially dreamt of being a jump jockey but lost sight in his right eye in an agricultural accident before turning, wholeheartedly, to training (and has now trained over 500 winners). ‘Working with the Paulings is an utter joy, they are proper Gloucestershire folk and are both enormous fun and spectacularly successful in everything they do,’ Woodhams enthuses.
Naunton Downs proves that entirely. With Rosanna Bossom – of 5 Hertford Street – interiors (think: pristine sofas and patterned wallpapers), a smart restaurant called Willoughby’s and an artisanal boutique (not to mention the high-society bookies) – it leaves little to be desired. If Soho House’s business model is anything to go by: there’s the right kind of clientele within riding distance, such as the three Cotswold J’s: Jilly Cooper, Jeremy Clarkson and Jade Holland Cooper. The opening party, on the eve of the opening day of the festival, was an occasion where oysters were washed down with champagne and caviar, and it was attended by lords, ladies and gentlemen bedecked in tweed (such Lord Vestey, Willa Keswick, a scion of the Keswick dynasty, and James Blunt’s sister).
But if that Cheltenham week back in March was a big occasion for the Paulings (topped with their day two winner, Global Citizen, in the Grand Annual) then we are on the cusp of something bigger this weekend with the Grand National (that comes following a two year hiatus). What’s more, Pauling has a runner (Kildisart, whose odds, at the time of writing, are 33/1). After that, regardless of sunshine or showers, Pauling, will ride his army of 85 horses the four miles from Bourton-on-the-Water, where they are currently trained, to their new home. If the club sits at the bottom of one drive way – then the stable yard sits at the end of the neighbouring, a stone’s throw from one another, with a meandering 18 hole golf course in-between.
When Pauling said: ‘I want the best racing yard in the country,’ he clearly wasn’t joking. ‘Horses are no different to elite human athletes and we aim to provide all facilities and equipment needed to achieve their supreme best,’ he explains. Indeed, it would be the human equivalent of living in Claridge’s – with lofty ensuite stables, a ‘welfare’ barn (including a solarium, heated rug room and cold water spa) and a rehab yard. Maya Quist, Pauling’s media manager who takes me round, explains the idea: ‘is to allow horses to be horses and not just elite athletes.’
And, beside the stables, are the tracks: one sand and the other recycled rubber – and all bordered with freshly painted white rails and immaculate Ascot-worthy box hedging. There’s also an elevated, glass-fronted viewing gallery where VIP owners can watch their horses in training with a flute of champagne in hand. The owners experience will be second to none, we are assured.
The next few days will be brimful for the Paulings, what with the Grand National and the great move. ‘A project’s good when you get to the end of it,’ Vince, an Irish builder, who has worked at the yard the past two years, tells me. But, what is the end for him is just the start for Sophie and Ben. ‘What was a dream two years ago has quickly become a reality and we feel very fortunate to be where we are today,’ Pauling says, full of infectious optimism.
For more information visit nauntondowns.co.uk
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More from Tatler: | https://www.tatler.com/article/naunton-downs-ben-pauling-racing-most-chic-stables-cotswolds | 2022-04-08T18:13:32Z | tatler.com | control | https://www.tatler.com/article/naunton-downs-ben-pauling-racing-most-chic-stables-cotswolds | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The younger brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, has always been a multi-hyphenate: whether it's single-handedly running the family seat of Althorp as a stately home and private house, organising the annual Althorp Literary Festival, or penning numerous historical novels, with seven to his name.
One of Earl Spencer's novels to be adapted for the big screen by Steve Coogan
Now, his sixth book, To Catch A King: Charles II's Great Escape, is set to be adapted for either television or the big screen, after rights to it were bought by none other than Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope. The duo were recently responsible for the films The Lost King and Philomena, while Coogan is also famed for his comedy. Clearly thrilled by the news, Earl Spencer Tweeted his approval: 'Really excited to see my book To Catch A King being brought to life by such a talented duo!'
The novel centres on the future King Charles II, as he escapes Oliver Cromwell's army following the execution of his father, King Charles I. A summary of the fast-paced thriller on the Earl's website explains: ‘How did the most wanted man in the country outwit the greatest manhunt in British history? King Charles I was beheaded in 1649 outside his palace of Whitehall. When his eldest son, Charles, returned in 1651 to fight for his throne, he was defeated by Cromwell’s armies at the battle of Worcester. Expecting to meet the fate of his father, Charles fled for his life. From hiding in an oak tree to travelling as one half of an eloping couple and observing celebrations of his rumoured demise, he relied on grit, fortitude and good luck to survive.’
The Earl specialises particularly in the Civil War period of English history, having previously written about Prince Rupert of the Rhine, one of King Charles I's most esteemed army generals, while his most recent work, Killers of the King: The Men Who Dared to Execute Charles I, published in 2020, goes further into the story of King Charles I's execution, focusing on those responsible. | https://www.tatler.com/article/one-of-earl-spencers-novels-to-be-adapted-for-the-big-screen-by-steve-coogan | 2022-04-08T18:13:38Z | tatler.com | control | https://www.tatler.com/article/one-of-earl-spencers-novels-to-be-adapted-for-the-big-screen-by-steve-coogan | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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Readers' Choice Awards | https://www.parrysound.com/community-story/10603847-trade-your-beach-towel-for-a-museum-pass-in-palm-beach-county-explore-an-unexpectedly-vibrant-arts/ | 2022-04-08T18:13:40Z | parrysound.com | control | https://www.parrysound.com/community-story/10603847-trade-your-beach-towel-for-a-museum-pass-in-palm-beach-county-explore-an-unexpectedly-vibrant-arts/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Yesterday, the Duchess of Cornwall visited Jane Austen’s house in Hampshire to examine some of the precious artefacts associated with the writer’s legacy. Amongst these included a first edition copy of her esteemed novel, Pride and Prejudice, the author's wooden writing desk, and the notorious Regency-style shirt worn by Colin Firth in Andrew Davies’ 1995 adaptation of the book.
The Duchess of Cornwall swoons over shirt worn by Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice during visit to Jane Austen's house
According to Town & Country, after examining the latter piece, the duchess joked: ‘But he's not in it, that's a bit sad’ to which the director of the house replied, ‘I know, that's sad, and it's not quite as damp as it was’, Camilla then replied, ‘You could give it a good spray’.
The scene in which Firth emerges dripping from the ponds at the fictional Pemberly estate, adorned in the wet and clinging shirt, has gone down as an iconic moment in television history. Considered moderately risqué for the period-drama, the scene set hearts racing (including Camilla’s it would seem), as the youthful actor made his way over to a flustered Elizabeth Bennet (played by Jennifer Ehle).
So significant was the footage, that the shirt was awarded a place among the BBC’s 100 Object Collection in celebration of the corporation’s 2022 centenary in January. Most recently, a tribute to the famous scene was nodded to in Season 2 of Bridgerton, when the dashing Viscount Bridgerton (played by Jonathan Bailey) hoisted himself out of a lake in see-through wet calico in the presence of a blushing Kate Sharma (played by Simone Ashley).
Here's everything we know…
The Duchess of Cornwall is celebrating her 17th wedding anniversary to the Prince of Wales this Saturday. The couple, who first met at a Windsor polo match in 1970, wed in 2005 at Windsor Guildhall, in the presence of friends and family.
The couple are celebrating their 17th anniversary this Saturday | https://www.tatler.com/article/the-duchess-of-cornwall-swoons-over-shirt-worn-by-colin-firth-in-pride-and-prejudice-during-visit-to-jane-austens-house | 2022-04-08T18:13:44Z | tatler.com | control | https://www.tatler.com/article/the-duchess-of-cornwall-swoons-over-shirt-worn-by-colin-firth-in-pride-and-prejudice-during-visit-to-jane-austens-house | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The enormous bird of prey didn’t faze Andy Christie. ‘We’ve had some interesting requests in recent months’, says the private-jet broker. ‘Flying a hunting bird from the Middle East to Europe was one of them. It was actually pretty simple – we just had to cover the jet’s interior with plastic and add a perch for our passenger. It was a very smooth flight in the end'.
Fly society: the most glamorous way to escape the chaos and confusion of flying over the Easter Holidays
While commercial airlines are facing the biggest crisis of their existence (even with the demand of travel returning to pre-pandemic levels), another branch of the aviation industry is positively booming. As the global elite search for safer, smoother solutions to travel’s current international imbroglio, looking to chart a new path to yachts, second homes and island hideaways in the sun, demand for private jets is taking off.
Christie, a director at Air Charter Service, one of the world’s largest aircraft charter broker, saw a 258 per cent rise in enquiries during the height of the pandemic, as first-class passengers sought to reduce the risk of exposure to Covid-19 by flying private. These high-flyers don't restrict themselves to just one jet, either. ‘We had a previous client who went on a four-day shopping trip across Europe before the lockdown’, says Christie. ‘She hired a jet for herself, and then a cargo plane to follow her, picking up all the shopping’.
As ever, when it comes to private, the golden rule is that the client gets what the client wants – all the way down to the inflight menu. Champagne and caviar on take-off are, naturally, a given, but specific requests – be it food from a favourite Mayfair restaurant or McDonald’s – will be catered to without question.
At the very top end of the spectrum, some elite hotel brands and luxury tour operators are flying their own branded private jets too – curating everything from island-hopping jaunts to once-in-a-lifetime multi-destination adventures. Bequia Beach Hotel in the Caribbean, for instance, is operating a private-jet service to bring safety-conscious guests to their idyllic outpost, while in colder climes, the illustrious Badrutt’s Palace in St Moritz has its own PJ to whisk guests to the slopes. Oetker Collection has partnered with Sparfell Aviation Group to offer private flights to all its properties, including Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc and Jumby Bay in the Caribbean. Abercrombie & Kent is reviving its continent-hopping Private Jet Journeys, and Aman and Four Seasons also supply similarly gobsmacking global itineraries.
An obvious advantage to chartering your own plane, of course, gives you complete control over your destination, though the super-rich tend to congregate in the same sun-drenched spots – perennial long-haul favourites include the Bahamas and California, while short-haul hotspots are led by Ibiza, Mallorca and the Côte d'Azur.
And smaller planes make it easier to land nearer your final destination. ‘La Môle Airport in St Tropez is very popular for that precise reason’, says Jonathan Clough, UK director of private aviation specialists Jetfly. ‘As is Lesparre St Laurent Médoc airfield, near the Château Mouton Rothschild. That makes for a wonderful day trip from London: a quick flight over the Channel, a Michelin-starred lunch, wine tasting at the château, then home in time to tuck the kids into bed’.
The quainter end of the spectrum might see you hopping across to the South of France on a four or six-seater Cessna, a chilled Château Minuty in hand and snoring pets at your feet. And on the other, significantly pricier end, you could be soaring towards the Caribbean or Indian Ocean aboard a remodelled Boeing 737, complete with a sprawling double bed, power shower and private office. It goes without saying, when it comes to luxury travel, the sky’s the limit.
Where to fly in style: The most glamourous private jet platgrounds
California
Thanks to the film industry, London – Los Angeles is one of the busiest private aviation routes on the planet. You’ll need an ultra-long-range jet to make it in one trip – something like a Bombardier Global Express XRS will do the job nicely. With 13 seats available, there’s plenty of room for your core entourage too.
The Côte d'Azur
One sure-fire way to arrive on the Riviera in style is aboard Jet Fly's glamorous Pilatus PC12 and PC24 aircraft, with a bespoke menu and fine wines served on your two-hour flight down to Nice.
The Bahamas
Traversing the 4,300 miles from London to the Bahamas can be a pain – but aboard a Falcon 7X it’s an absolute pleasure. Private jet charter specialists Air Partner will take care of the finer points of your flight from Farnborough Airport to Nassau. All you need to do is select your 16 fellow passengers, then settle into your capacious leather seat and enjoy the nine-hour flight to paradise.
Or, for frequent flyers…
If you’re clocking up more than 150 hours a year on private jets, experts recommend buying wings of your own. The Jet Business, who have a corporate aviation showroom on Park Lane, will sort you out in style. Their VVIP client list includes former heads of state and Hollywood A-Listers, and their inventory ranges from cosy four-seaters to lavish Boeing 737s with no expense spared. | https://www.tatler.com/article/the-glamorous-solution-to-airport-chaos | 2022-04-08T18:13:50Z | tatler.com | control | https://www.tatler.com/article/the-glamorous-solution-to-airport-chaos | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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Readers' Choice Awards | https://www.parrysound.com/community-story/10603851-travel-news-a-taste-of-mexico-in-t-o-a-summer-spot-for-san-francisco-s-best-views-and-a-pass-to/ | 2022-04-08T18:13:53Z | parrysound.com | control | https://www.parrysound.com/community-story/10603851-travel-news-a-taste-of-mexico-in-t-o-a-summer-spot-for-san-francisco-s-best-views-and-a-pass-to/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
2022: 17 years of marriage, and Camilla is given the Queen's seal of approval
Fast-forward 17 years and the couple's relationship has gone from strength to strength, as they have faced some of the most tumultuous years in recent royal history side-by-side, from Megxit to Prince Andrew's legal troubles. At the time of their wedding in 2005, there was much public outcry over the issue of whether or not Camilla would ever be Queen Consort, with the question quashed at the time, as they said she would be styled as Princess Consort. Yet in 2022, ahead of her Platinum Jubilee, the Queen expressed her wish for Camilla to have the title, legitimising her in the eyes of the monarchy once and for all. | https://www.tatler.com/gallery/a-timeline-of-prince-charles-and-the-duchess-of-cornwalls-relationship | 2022-04-08T18:13:56Z | tatler.com | control | https://www.tatler.com/gallery/a-timeline-of-prince-charles-and-the-duchess-of-cornwalls-relationship | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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Readers' Choice Awards | https://www.parrysound.com/community-story/10603853-what-is-a-six-star-hotel-a-new-boutique-property-in-the-world-s-adventure-capital-promises-next-l/ | 2022-04-08T18:13:59Z | parrysound.com | control | https://www.parrysound.com/community-story/10603853-what-is-a-six-star-hotel-a-new-boutique-property-in-the-world-s-adventure-capital-promises-next-l/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Tatler's Jewellery Editor presents the 16 standout new releases from Geneva's ‘Watches & Wonders’ show
The very best of our times
Held annually in Geneva, Watches & Wonders is the largest, most exclusive watchmaking summit in the world. The invitation-only salon show unites the leading names of the watchmaking and luxury industry with the media and retailers, serving as the perfect opportunity for the horology brands to showcase their novelties. From technical masterpieces, unexpected innovations, iconic vintage reissues to wrist-worn objets d'art, here's what got my heart racing. | https://www.tatler.com/gallery/tatlers-jewellery-editor-presents-the-16-standout-new-releases-from-genevas-watches-and-wonders-show | 2022-04-08T18:14:02Z | tatler.com | control | https://www.tatler.com/gallery/tatlers-jewellery-editor-presents-the-16-standout-new-releases-from-genevas-watches-and-wonders-show | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
GADSDEN COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — Gadsden County Public libraries, William A McGill Public Library Quincy, Chattahoochee Public Library, and the Havana Public Library will close at 4 p.m. on April 14, for renovations and will reopen on April 18.
The libraries will be getting re-carpeted during this time, the county wrote in a release.
During the temporary closures, visitors can visit online by clicking here or by using library drop boxes. Due dates have also been changed to reflect the closings. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/local-news/gadsden-county-public-libraries-to-temporarily-close-for-renovations | 2022-04-08T18:14:08Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/local-news/gadsden-county-public-libraries-to-temporarily-close-for-renovations | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The author of “The House on Mango Street”, Sandra Cisneros, is about to publish a new book this year.
Cisneros announced the news on her Instagram page.
The award-winning author said her new book, “Woman Without Shame”, will feature a series of “unseen” poems.
It will also be published in Spanish, under the title, “Mujer Sin Vergüenza.”
The book, published by Alfred A. Knopf, will be published September 13, Cisneros said.
The internationally renowned author is known for her poems and stories depicting life as a Latina and Chicana in the U.S.
Some of her most famous works include “Woman Hollering Creek” and “Caramelo.” | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/award-winning-author-sandra-cisneros-announces-new-poetry-book | 2022-04-08T18:14:14Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/award-winning-author-sandra-cisneros-announces-new-poetry-book | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
If you're heading to the grocery store, you might see that the price of eggs is rising.
That's because of the H5N1 avian influenza A, which has now been detected in 24 states, from Maine to Wyoming, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspective Service.
According to USDA, the average weekly price for eggs is now 44% more than it was at this same time last year.
According to the Associated Press, Iowa has been hit the hardest, with about 13 million chickens and turkeys killed.
The virus was first detected in February 2022 in poultry, including both commercial and backyard flocks, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The AP reported that the virus had killed more than 24 million poultry, with some farms killing more than 5 million chickens at a single site.
This marks the largest outbreak since 2015 when farmers killed more than 50 million birds.
The CDC says the risk to the general public from the outbreak is low, and no human illnesses have been identified in the U.S. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/bird-flu-sending-egg-prices-soaring | 2022-04-08T18:14:20Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/bird-flu-sending-egg-prices-soaring | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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Readers' Choice Awards | https://www.parrysound.com/opinion-story/10603530-emma-teitel-city-councillors-who-ended-the-mask-mandate-get-to-work-from-home-not-everyone-is-so-l/ | 2022-04-08T18:14:23Z | parrysound.com | control | https://www.parrysound.com/opinion-story/10603530-emma-teitel-city-councillors-who-ended-the-mask-mandate-get-to-work-from-home-not-everyone-is-so-l/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LYONS, Ill. (AP) — A man suspected of concealing the deaths of his mother and sister nearly a year after their bodies were found buried in the backyard of their suburban Chicago house has been arrested on felony charges.
Lyons Police Chief Thomas Herion said Thursday that 45-year-old Michael Lelko would be formally charged with two felony counts of concealment of a death.
Herlon said Lelko also could face federal charges in connection to his alleged cashing of his mother's Social Security checks for years after she died.
In August, police discovered the bodies of 79-year-old Jean Lelko and 44-year-old Jennifer Lelko.
Police say Lelko told them his mother died in 2015, and his sister died in 2019.
Because autopsies could not determine the cause of death for either woman, Herion said Lelko was not charged in the deaths of the 79-year-old and 44-year-old, the Associated Press reported.
Lelko told police that his mother was killed by his sister, who pushed her down the stairs and that he buried his sister after she became ill and died.
The AP reported that Lelko's brother is the subject of an investigation but has not been charged with anything. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/man-suspected-of-burying-mom-sister-in-backyard-arrested | 2022-04-08T18:14:38Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/man-suspected-of-burying-mom-sister-in-backyard-arrested | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A judge announced he has been informed the jury has reached verdicts on several charges and is deadlocked on others in the trial of four men accused of plotting to kidnap the governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer.
It is not known what charges are decided and whether they are guilty or not guilty.
The judge is bringing in the jury and will give them a deadlocked jury instruction, urging them to resume deliberations, keep an open mind, but not urge them to decide the remaining charges one way or the other.
He also told them, "If you can't you can't," and he doesn't want to "insult your intelligence" about reconsidering their position.
The judge told the attorneys he had already ordered them lunch and will have them deliberate through lunch and get an update in the afternoon.
Adam Fox, Barry Croft Jr., Brandon Caserta and Daniel Harris were all charged with conspiracy to kidnap the governor. Some were also facing weapon charges.
The trial lasted nearly two weeks, and the jury began deliberating on Monday, April 5. 34 witnesses were called to testify, including 2 people who pleaded guilty to the plot and testified for the prosecution. Others who testified included undercover FBI agents.
All of the men were arrested in October 2020. The government claims they were planning to kidnap Whitmer before the 2020 election.
The jury is made up of six men, six women, and three alternates in a separate room.
This story was first reported by Jim Kiertzner at WXYZ in Detroit, Mich. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/verdict-reached-on-some-charges-in-mi-governor-kidnap-plot-trial | 2022-04-08T18:15:03Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/verdict-reached-on-some-charges-in-mi-governor-kidnap-plot-trial | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Of all the 6,576 shots that were officially struck at Augusta National on Day 1 of the Masters, only one truly mattered.
It didn't go in the hole. It wasn't down the center of the fairway. Nothing special about it at all, really.
Except for the fact that it was off a club swung by Tiger Woods.
With his opening tee shot at 11:04 a.m. Thursday, the Masters was truly back to normal.
The full allotment of patrons watched a man who could have lost a leg, or his life, in a car crash 15 months ago return to the spot of his past glory.
The gallery was electric seeing the five-time Masters champion, who couldn't be missed while out on the course as he wore a pink shirt and black pants, according to the Associated Press.
The news outlet reported that Woods was greeted by thunderous applause when his name was announced on the first day as everyone gathered around the first tee.
The Masters is the only major in which the 46-year-old has never missed the cut as a professional.
The biggest test will be how his legs hold up.
The Masters goes until Sunday. | https://www.wtxl.com/sports/the-masters-tiger-woods-returned-and-order-was-restored | 2022-04-08T18:15:09Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/sports/the-masters-tiger-woods-returned-and-order-was-restored | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Canada bans foreign home buyers for two years to cool market
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government announced Thursday it will ban foreign investors from buying homes in Canada for two years in a bid to cool off a hot housing market.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland took a number of measures to tamp down speculation and demand amid record home prices in announcing the federal budget for the year.
The government announced a two-year ban on foreign home buying as well as higher taxes for people who sell their home within a year, though both measures include multiple exceptions including for permanent residents and foreign students.
RELATED: California home prices have more than tripled in these cities
The budget also includes billions for new housing and measures to help Canadians trying to get into the market, including a new savings account and changes to the first-time home buyers tax credit.
The government is under pressure to cool an overheated market after prices climbed by more than 20% last year, while rental rates have also been rising.
The federal Liberal government is also promising $500 million Canadian (US$397 million) in additional military aid to Ukraine as well as more humanitarian and financial support to Kyiv in response to Russia’s invasion.
RELATED: First-time homebuyer? Real estate experts offer advice in crazy market
Canada responded to months of pressure from the NATO military alliance and others by promising more than $8 billion Canadian (US7.2 billion) in new military spending over the next five years. Canada will remain far short of NATO’s spending 2% of GDP target, even as other allies dramatically ramp up their own military investments following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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Last month, the Canadian government announced it selected Lockheed Martin Corp. and the F-35 as the preferred bidder in its competition to buy a new fighter jet. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/canada-bans-foreign-home-buyers-for-two-years-to-cool-market | 2022-04-08T18:18:34Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/canada-bans-foreign-home-buyers-for-two-years-to-cool-market | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Driver shot, crashes vehicle on Chicago's West Side
CHICAGO - A man was shot and critically wounded Friday morning in the Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side.
The 29-year-old was driving around 10:28 a.m. in the 5200 block of West Chicago Avenue when someone started shooting, police said.
He suffered gunshot wounds to the arm and shoulder and drove into a parked car, police said.
The man was taken to Stroger Hosital where he was listed in critical condition, police said.
No other injuries were reported and no one is in custody.
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Area Four detectives are investigating. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/driver-shot-crashes-vehicle-chicago-west-side | 2022-04-08T18:18:46Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/driver-shot-crashes-vehicle-chicago-west-side | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A rise in flight prices may have an impact on your upcoming vacation plans.
Amber Dixon is the owner of Limitless Destinations.
She said people are eager to take vacations that may have been delayed due to the pandemic.
It may cost you more than anticipated. She said a combination of high demand and an increase in gas prices is trickling down to travelers.
"The demand is so high and the availability of flights is low," Dixon said.
She said it's best to book early and use various resources like the Hopper app, which is an app designed to find the best prices on hotels and flights.
It's also a good idea to remain flexible with your travel dates.
Regardless, Dixon suggests you keep a backup plan.
"If you don't have a refundable flight, travel insurance is also recommended to cover the flight, to cover the hotel, and to cover your activities," Dixon said.
You can learn more about resources available at Limitless Destinations' website. | https://www.local3news.com/community/flight-prices-are-soaring-local-travel-agent-shares-ways-to-save-as-flight-prices-soar/article_6b0d126a-b756-11ec-a64b-9ffa6f6e09af.html | 2022-04-08T18:22:13Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/community/flight-prices-are-soaring-local-travel-agent-shares-ways-to-save-as-flight-prices-soar/article_6b0d126a-b756-11ec-a64b-9ffa6f6e09af.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
T.G.I.F, everyone! It’s a cloudy, blustery, winter-like afternoon around the area. A deep upper low has moved into the region leading to plenty of cloud cover, spotty showers, and gusty west winds. Temperatures will only warm into the 50s today, but the wind will make it feel like the 40s.
Tonight, look for clouds to hang tough, with a few sprinkles or mountain flurries possible. Overnight lows will drop down into the lower 30s. A Frost Advisory has been issued for tonight for all of NE Alabama and NW Georgia. A Freeze Warning has been issued for the Blue Ridge Mtns.
The deep trough hangs around Saturday, leading to more clouds, well-below normal temps, and scattered showers Saturday afternoons with possibly a sleet pellet or some graupel in the higher elevations. Frost & freeze conditions are once again possible by Sunday morning.
Next week will be back to spring-like warmth with dry conditions to start, but a more active/stormy pattern arrives late-next week.
Looking ahead to Easter weekend, right now looks like a deep trough may return, leading to another surge of below normal temperatures. | https://www.local3news.com/local-news/cloudy-blustery-with-passing-showers-friday-afternoon/article_c7fada54-b759-11ec-80e1-a37c60e59f36.html | 2022-04-08T18:22:19Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/local-news/cloudy-blustery-with-passing-showers-friday-afternoon/article_c7fada54-b759-11ec-80e1-a37c60e59f36.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday marked the historic confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court at a celebratory event at the White House.
"This is going to let so much ... sun shine on so many young women, so many young Black women, so many minorities. That it's real," Biden said.
He continued, "Nothing to do with me -- we're going to look back and see this as a moment of real change in American history."
The Senate on Thursday confirmed Jackson in a vote that paves the way for her to become the first Black woman to serve on the nation's highest court. Jackson's confirmation is a significant bipartisan victory for Democrats that comes at a time when the US faces a number of challenges at home and abroad, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine and sky-high inflation.
One of those challenges -- the Covid-19 pandemic -- will loom over the celebratory event.
Harris was a close contact after her communications director tested positive for Covid-19 this week. A White House official said the vice president would not wear a mask at the outdoor event and would instead remain "distanced" from others.
Current US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations specify that an individual who is considered to be a close contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19 should wear a mask around others for 10 days after from the date of the last contact. The guidelines do not say that that person can be mask-less around others if they are practicing social distancing.
The event comes days after two members of Biden's Cabinet -- Attorney General Merrick Garland and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo -- announced they tested positive for Covid-19. Several high-profile Washington figures, including lawmakers and other White House and administration staffers, also tested positive after attending the annual Gridiron dinner.
The dinner brings together some of the city's most prominent journalists, including from CNN, and the government officials they cover. Attendees had their vaccination status checked, but negative Covid-19 tests were not required to enter.
In September 2020, a White House event where President Donald Trump announced his choice to nominate then-Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court was ultimately labeled by public health experts as a coronavirus superspreader event. At least a dozen people who were at the Rose Garden event -- including Trump -- confirmed they had contracted Covid-19 shortly after their attendance. Vaccinations for Covid-19 were not yet available and would be authorized months later.
At the time, the tightly packed ceremony where public health guidance was flouted and many went maskless and social distancing went largely unobserved underscored the Trump White House's mismanagement of the Covid-19 crisis. Trump had suggested in conversations with advisers that masked and socially distanced events would project weakness against the pandemic and could contradict his claims the outbreak was "rounding the corner."
White House communications director Kate Bedingfield on Friday told CNN's John Berman that the country is in a "very different place" in the pandemic than it was when Trump hosted the White House event for Barrett.
"Certainly we have seen an increase in cases. We know that the BA.2 variant is very transmissible. We are taking many, many precautions. We take precautions to ensure that the President is protected," Bedingfield said on CNN's "New Day."
She continued, "But I do think it is important to note that, you know, it is possible he will test positive for Covid at some point. And we're in a very different place than we were for example when they held that event for Justice Barrett. Which is to say we have vaccines, we have treatments. The President is vaccinated and double boosted, and so protected from severe Covid."
The President on Wednesday interacted with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has since tested positive for Covid-19. The two were seen next to each other at a bill signing event. The White House has said Biden was not considered a close contact of Pelosi. The White House also said the President tested negative Wednesday night as part of regularly scheduled testing and that Biden will continue to be tested regularly.
The CDC, which has shifted its guidance on various parts of the pandemic response a few times throughout the last two years, currently says that in general people do not need to wear masks when they are outdoors. The CDC recommends people who are not fully vaccinated wear a mask in crowded outdoor settings or during activities that involve sustained close contact with other people.
Jackson will be officially sworn in to the Supreme Court after Justice Stephen Breyer retires sometime this summer. Until then, she will remain in her current position on the US Court of Appeals, a White House official told CNN.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/biden-says-jacksons-historic-supreme-court-confirmation-is-a-moment-of-real-change-in-american/article_307f9653-1357-5475-aea2-304c73578652.html | 2022-04-08T18:22:25Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/biden-says-jacksons-historic-supreme-court-confirmation-is-a-moment-of-real-change-in-american/article_307f9653-1357-5475-aea2-304c73578652.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A leader of the Proud Boys pleaded guilty on Friday to two felony charges in one of the most prominent criminal cases against an organized far-right group that participated in the US Capitol attack on January 6, 2021.
Charles Donohoe, 34, is the first person in the Proud Boys leadership to plead guilty and to assist the Justice Department's investigation against the pro-Donald Trump group.
He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting an officer and could provide vital information to prosecutors about what the top members of the organization had planned for the attack.
Donohoe, who led the Proud Boys North Carolina chapter, could face more than seven years in prison according to the plea hearing read aloud in court, and agreed to pay $2,000 in restitution for damage done to the Capitol.
Prosecutors have gained momentum recently in their investigation into the Proud Boys. Prosecutors cracked the phone of Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio in March and have said in court that there is new evidence that could lead to additional charges or arrests in that case.
The head of the West Virginia chapter of the Proud Boys pleaded guilty on Wednesday and sad that he looked to Donohoe, Tarrio, and others as leaders on January 6, and another Proud Boys member is slated to plead guilty later Friday.
Five other alleged leaders of the Proud Boys -- Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, Tarrio and Dominic Pezzola -- have pleaded not guilty.
According to court records, Donohoe helped to recruit members and lead the Proud Boys on January 6.
Prosecutors say that Donohoe was a member of a small national leadership group of Proud Boys, self-entitled the Ministry of Self Defense. The group, which was established by Tarrio, was for "national rally planning" and included "hand selected members," according to court documents. Donohoe, Tarrio, Biggs, Nordean and Rehl and others had an encrypted messaging channel entitled "MOSD Leaders Group," where they created the plan for January 6.
The MOSD leaders held calls for prospective members, prosecutors say, and emphasized that members should "follow the commands of leadership."
Two days before the riot, Tarrio was arrested in DC and instructed the members to carry out what they had planned for January 6, prosecutors say. Within an hour of Tarrio's arrest, Donohoe deleted the MOSD Leaders Group message and warned others that "everything is compromised" because investigators might search Tarrio's phone.
"Well at least they won't get our boots on the ground plan because we are one step ahead of them," Donohoe messaged, according to court documents.
On January 6, the Proud Boys leaders, outfitted with radios for communicating, met at the Washington Monument and marched together to the Capitol. They were among the first to breach Capitol grounds, and Donohoe sent a message that they were "trying" to push inside.
A video from January 6 shows Donohoe carrying a police riot shield, and pushing with a crowd past police and up the Capitol steps.
After the mob left the building Donohoe celebrated, according to court documents, messaging other Proud Boys that "We stormed the capitol unarmed" and "we took it over unarmed," court filings say.
This story has been updated with additional details.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/member-of-proud-boys-leadership-pleads-guilty-to-us-capitol-attack-charges-and-will-cooperate/article_dada4456-4ccd-57c9-a4ec-59ec50c880a7.html | 2022-04-08T18:22:37Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/member-of-proud-boys-leadership-pleads-guilty-to-us-capitol-attack-charges-and-will-cooperate/article_dada4456-4ccd-57c9-a4ec-59ec50c880a7.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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