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Jennifer Koh is shaking up the long-established chamber music program at the Kennedy Center with innovative programming and community engagement. An example of that is her collaboration with pianist-composer Missy Mazzoli.
Copyright 2024 NPR
Jennifer Koh is shaking up the long-established chamber music program at the Kennedy Center with innovative programming and community engagement. An example of that is her collaboration with pianist-composer Missy Mazzoli.
Copyright 2024 NPR | https://www.kdlg.org/2024-10-15/jennifer-koh-seeks-innovation-and-artistic-risk-in-revamping-chamber-music-series | 2024-10-15T17:50:22Z |
The City of Kodiak is scrambling to find both a new interim and a permanent city manager following Josie Bahnke’s announcement on Oct. 3 that she is stepping down as the acting city manager. This could slow down the city’s day to day operations significantly as one person tries to fill a two-person gap.
In a letter she submitted to the City Council, Bahnke said she plans to resume her former position as the deputy city manager on Oct. 25. She held that role for five years prior to becoming the acting city manager. Oct. 25 is when her 90-day appointment as acting city manager expires.
Bahnke did not respond to KMXT’s request for comment before the publishing of this story, but in a letter she submitted to the City Council earlier this month, she said, “I believe the time has come for me to resume my duties as Deputy City Manager, a role in which I can continue to support the city more effectively moving forward.”
Although Bahnke’s letter did not specifically mention it, the outcome of the ballot proposition from this month’s municipal election was likely a factor in her decision to step down.
City code requires that the city manager live within city limits and Bahnke doesn’t. The council asked voters to loosen that requirement through a ballot proposition on Oct. 2 and it failed. But had it passed, Bahnke and future managers could live within 12 road miles of city limits. She currently lives outside of city limits within the Bells Flats area.
So now, the council needs to fill the city manager position temporarily and more permanently. First, the council is soliciting letters of interest until the end of day Tuesday, Oct. 15 to see who might be interested in working as the interim manager.
Kodiak’s city manager supervises all city department heads and oversees everything from public safety to finances. That includes crafting a budget of roughly $50 million annually.
This Thursday, Oct. 17 the council is scheduled to hold a special meeting to review any letters of interest from prospective interim city managers.
As far as finding a permanent manager, Bahnke recommends the council hire a professional firm to help the local hiring committee, which some felt could expedite the hiring process.
“That instead of how we did it last time, that we would have a dedicated group or professional firm that would help us with that recruitment and would help the hiring committee through that process,” Bahnke said.
Before selecting Bahnke as the number one candidate to be the next full- time manager earlier this year, the local hiring committee of council members and Mayor Pat Branson trimmed down a field of roughly 15 applicants. Altogether the process took several months between when the position was first advertised to when Bahnke was selected as the final candidate.
The council seemed receptive to working with an outside firm this time around, and could act on Bahnke’s recommendation as soon as its next regular meeting on Oct. 24. | https://www.kmxt.org/news/2024-10-15/kodiak-again-searching-for-a-permanent-city-manager-following-election-results | 2024-10-15T17:50:22Z |
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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Having an abortion was something most women used to keep private. But since Roe v. Wade was overturned, some women have decided to go public in interviews, at protests and in lawsuits. And increasingly, they are becoming a political force. Rosemary Westwood at member station WWNO spoke with two of these women about why they turned their personal suffering into activism.
ROSEMARY WESTWOOD, BYLINE: Nancy Davis was 10 weeks pregnant in the summer of 2022 when she learned her fetus didn't have a skull. It was a fatal condition called acrania. But because of Louisiana's abortion ban, her doctors in Baton Rouge refused to terminate her pregnancy.
(SOUNDBITE OF PRESS CONFERENCE)
NANCY DAVIS: Basically, they said I had to carry my baby to bury my baby.
WESTWOOD: That was Davis speaking at a press conference on the steps of the Louisiana Capitol. Davis was so angry that she emailed her local TV news station and eventually made national headlines. And it still took weeks to find the money and arrange a trip to New York to end the pregnancy.
DAVIS: I knew if I was going through it, other people was going through it as well.
WESTWOOD: While Davis was talking to the media, another Baton Rouge woman, Kaitlyn Joshua, was beginning her slow-motion collision with the new state law. She was 11 weeks pregnant when she started miscarrying, a story she later shared at the Democratic National Convention.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
KAITLYN JOSHUA: I was in pain, bleeding so much my husband feared for my life.
WESTWOOD: Joshua went to two different emergency rooms. The abortion ban was just over a month old, and doctors refused to end her pregnancy. She ended up miscarrying at home in great pain. It was frightening. Eventually, Joshua also decided to speak about her trauma to the media and started traveling with the Biden and then the Harris presidential campaign. At the convention, she said women were constantly reaching out with similar stories.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
JOSHUA: Sometimes they're miscarrying, scared to tell anyone, even their doctors.
WESTWOOD: One day, Joshua and Davis ended up speaking at the same rally, and they became friends. I sat down with both of them in August in Joshua's home in Baton Rouge. The two women said they felt a historic obligation, especially as Black women, to speak out for those who can't.
DAVIS: A lot of people go through their lives trying to find their life purpose or their life's meaning, but my life calling found me.
WESTWOOD: Davis has started a foundation to help women travel out of Louisiana for abortions. And Joshua is still traveling with the Harris-Walz campaign.
JOSHUA: When we go out, we are doing it for everybody, and we are doing for all the women that are being faced with adversity as a result of abortion bans.
WESTWOOD: And more and more women are coming out with their stories. One study of newspaper coverage found that as recently as 2018, only 4% of articles about abortion included a patient's personal experience. Now 20% do. Kate Cox sued Texas over its abortion ban. She told ABC News that personal stories like hers will be key to overturning these laws.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
KATE COX: How many people have to speak up? How many women have to tell their most painful journey publicly before something changes?
WESTWOOD: This November, 10 states will ask voters whether to add abortion rights to their state constitutions, and Harris is counting on this issue to help lead her to victory. Will these women and their abortion stories play a decisive role? There is some evidence they could. Tresa Undem is a political pollster.
TRESA UNDEM: People who have heard those stories versus those who haven't are more likely to say, the state of abortion rights will affect who I vote for in 2024.
WESTWOOD: In the states with ballot measures, campaigns say these stories have been central to their advertising and messaging. Katie Woodruff at UC San Francisco has been studying how people talk about abortion, particularly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with the Dobbs decision in 2022.
KATIE WOODRUFF: I think what we're seeing post-Dobbs is people who have not been following the issue in detail are surprised at some of the consequences of these laws.
WESTWOOD: Nancy Davis, during her visit with Kaitlyn Joshua, said people tell her that she has changed their minds.
DAVIS: Like, now I'm pro-choice, or like, you made me change my way of thinking, you know?
WESTWOOD: Davis went on to have a healthy pregnancy, and so did Joshua. Joshua's younger child, Liam, was playing near the couch. People still ask her why she doesn't just leave Louisiana.
JOSHUA: And I'm like, no. I am a Black woman in Louisiana. My people built the state. We're going to stay and fight for the state that we love. But I feel like as women of color, part of leading that...
(SOUNDBITE OF BABY CRYING)
JOSHUA: ...Charge on this movement - exactly, Liam - that we are within our rights of being able to, you know, kind of step into our power here.
WESTWOOD: And they may get a sense of how far that power can reach quite soon after Election Day in November.
For NPR News, I'm Rosemary Westwood in New Orleans. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. | https://www.kdlg.org/2024-10-15/more-women-whove-been-denied-abortions-are-going-public-with-their-stories | 2024-10-15T17:50:23Z |
IRELAND: The Stadler Class 99 electro-diesel locomotive for UK operator GB Railfreight was receiving close scrutiny from Iarnród Éireann at InnoTrans in Berlin, with the Irish national operator confirming to Railway Gazette International that it had discussed with the manufacturer how the type might be adapted for operation in Ireland.
Iarnród Éireann Chief Executive Jim Meade told Railway Gazette International ‘we will eventually need to replace our aging diesel fleet with dual-mode locomotives because our freight strategy will take us down that direction after we complete our electrification programme.
‘The replacement for the class 071s and 201s eventually will have to be a bi-mode electric with some form of HVO [renewable diesel fuel] traction in the long term; even the Class 201s are beyond mid-life already.
‘The fact that the Class 99 is going to the UK is a good guide for us because we can go and talk to GB Railfreight and understand exactly how they are performing. They have done a great job with the way they have designed, procured and financed the fleet.’
Purchase or leasing options would both be evaluated when Iarnród Éireann next acquires new locomotives.
Ralf Warwel, Stadler’s Marketing & Sales Director for the UK & Ireland, also told Railway Gazette International that ‘there are a lot of tenders in prospect in Ireland, there might be a tender for the new metro system at some point so Ireland is certainly somewhere that we will look at’. | https://www.railwaygazette.com/traction-and-rolling-stock/iarnrod-eireann-looks-at-diesel-loco-replacement-options/67569.article | 2024-10-15T17:50:22Z |
Chennai/ New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) In a major relief to consumer electronic major Samsung, the over a month-long strike by its employees at Tamil Nadu-based plant was called off on Tuesday following extensive discussions between the representatives of workers, the state government and company management.
The 37-day strike was called off after various departments conducted meetings with concerned parties at various stages and the Samusung management announced several welfare measures in the interest of the workers, according to a statement issued by the Tamil Nadu government.
A Samsung India spokesperson said the company welcomed the decision of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) to call off the strike.
Besides, it also assured not to take action against workers who merely participated in the strike, which Samsung termed as "illegal" and said it is committed to work closely with them to "make the Chennai factory a great place to work".
"Samsung India welcomes CITU's decision to call off the illegal strike. We thank the government of Tamil Nadu for its support and welcome our workers who have decided to return to work unconditionally. We will not take action against workers who merely participated in the illegal strike," said the spokesperson.
Now all the striking workers will immediately return to work and Samsung would not take any disciplinary action against striking employees, with workers agreeing not to take any "pre-judicial" action, a one-page statement added.
Moreover, the Samsung management will file a written reply to the charter of demands filed by the workers before the conciliation officer.
"Both the parties have accepted this advice. The workers informed that they would call off the strike immediately and return to work," said the statement, adding, "Thus the strike at the Samsung factory has come to an end and all the workers are resuming work." Samsung had already accepted majority of the demands put forth by the striking workers led by trade union body CITU. However, the issue of giving recognition to the workers' union remained unresolved.
About 1,100 workers of the total 1,750 employees of Samsung India had been on strike since September 9 to press for various demands which included wage revision, better work conditions, and registration of the newly-formed Samsung India Workers Union backed by CITU by the labour department.
A section of workers of Samsung India Electronics along with CITU leaders were arrested on Thursday after they tried to stage a protest without obtaining permission, police said, adding that they were released later.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin had recently instructed Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises T M Anbarasan, Minister for Labour Welfare and Skill Development C V Ganesan, Minister for Industries T R B Rajaa, and Minister for Public Works E V Velu to hold talks with Samsung India and the agitating workers.
The decision to call off the strike was taken at the conciliatory meeting which was held at the office of the Department of Labour Welfare in Chennai on Tuesday, in which representatives from Samsung India and the striking workers took part, it added.
Samsung manufactures appliances and consumer durable products such as refrigerators, TVs, and washing machines at its facility near Chennai.
This facility contributes to nearly one-fifth of Samsung's revenue, which was at Rs 96,628.90 crore (nearly USD 12 billion) in FY23, as per the company's latest financial report.
Samsung India also has a plant at Noida in Uttar Pradesh, where it manufactures smartphones. PTI KRH VIJ HVA | https://www.newsdrum.in/business/workers-call-off-over-a-month-long-strike-at-samsungs-tamil-nadu-plant-7317623 | 2024-10-15T17:50:23Z |
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Much of the community of Swannanoa, North Carolina, was severely damaged during Hurricane Helene. That made it all the more eerie when a new song was released. And actually, it's a new recording of a very old song. It's about a different tragedy in Swannanoa - the collapse of a mountainside train tunnel during its construction in the late 1800s.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SWANNANOA TUNNEL/STEEL-DRIVING MAN")
RHIANNON GIDDENS: (Singing) Asheville Junction, Swannanoa Tunnel - all caved in, babe. All caved in...
My name is Rhiannon Giddens, and I'm the artistic director of Silkroad Ensemble. This is a song called "Swannanoa Tunnel," and it's an old work song. The Swannanoa Tunnel was being created by convict laborers. This was backbreaking, unbelievably difficult work. People died along the way. Cave-ins, such as the one that inspired the song, happened on a regular basis. This was a type of song that would keep a large group of people who are laboring together in sync with spaces for the pickaxes to come down as they're working on the tunnel.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SWANNANOA TUNNEL/STEEL-DRIVING MAN")
GIDDENS: (Singing) Somebody died, babe. Somebody died.
When Hurricane Helene came, it was, like, two days or something before the planned release of the song. I was like, well, we have to release this because, you know, even the words just took on a whole new meaning.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SWANNANOA TUNNEL/STEEL-DRIVING MAN")
GIDDENS: (Singing) I'm going back to Swannanoa Tunnel. That's my home.
This is a grieving song, you know? It was a grieving song for these men who lost their lives, and it's now a grieving song for a whole nother calamity. You know, I'm a North Carolina gal, and (crying) it just makes me really sad. I mean, that's what music is for, you know? You don't want it to be like that, but it's like we need to lean in to, what is our function? You know, why were we given the ability to sing and to touch people? And this is why. It's because it's - like, when you think about the destruction, there are no words. So a song can tap into something that then releases energy, and, you know, now I can cry. And it's just like, that's what it's for - helping us all with the emotions that are bigger than we know what to do with.
(SOUNDBITE OF RHIANNON GIDDENS AND SILKROAD ENSEMBLE SONG, "SWANNANOA TUNNEL/STEEL-DRIVING MAN") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. | https://www.kdlg.org/2024-10-15/new-recording-of-a-tragedy-in-swannanoa-happens-as-area-recovers-from-hurricane | 2024-10-15T17:50:23Z |
Broadview Group Adds Peter Schwarz To Investment Team
Date
10/15/2024 9:32:19 AM
(MENAFN- PR Newswire)
ST. LOUIS, Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadview Group Holdings, LLC ("Broadview" or the "Company"), a leader in direct middle-market investing, is excited to announce the addition of a new member to the investment team, Peter Schwarz.
Peter joins Broadview as an Associate after spending time in the Industrials group at Founders Advisors. At Founders, Peter focused on sell-side M&A transactions for founder-owned companies in the specialty distribution and building products sectors. Peter graduated with a B.S. in Finance from the University of Tampa.
"Broadview's unique story and long-duration capital structure first stood out to me during a sell-side M&A process I worked on while at Founders," shared Schwarz. "I am thrilled to join a firm with an accomplished track record of leveraging its focus on the long-term to build exceptional businesses, and I'm excited to contribute to the next one."
"Broadview operates at the intersection of Private Equity and Family Offices, blending the strengths of both to benefit the businesses and owners we partner with. Peter's ability to understand our difference and vision, while bringing immediate value to our direct investing strategy with his experience, make him a great fit for Broadview. We are thrilled to have him." said
Clay Hunter, the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Broadview.
ABOUT BROADVIEW GROUP HOLDINGS, LLC
Broadview Group Holdings, LLC invests in and partners with successful business owners and growth-oriented leadership teams to help scale and create significant and sustainable value in niche manufacturing, specialty distribution, business services, and B2B food and agriculture businesses.
Our permanent capital base and long-term perspective ensure true alignment with our partners and portfolio companies.
Broadview Group's principals have decades of experience leading and scaling businesses. They provide strategic insight and expertise as executives, lead investors and board members in a variety of businesses and industries.
Contact:
[email protected]
SOURCE Broadview Group Holdings
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MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above. | https://menafn.com/1108780595/Broadview-Group-Adds-Peter-Schwarz-To-Investment-Team | 2024-10-15T17:50:24Z |
British Columbia Institute of Technology Adopts Three Trees Technical Inc Big Fish ERP for Graphic Communication Program
Students receive unique, hands-on experience and competitive advantage from https://3treestech.com
Integrating Big Fish ERP into our program is an exciting step toward ensuring graduates are fully prepared to meet the demands of the modern print industry.”
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, October 15, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Three Trees Technical Inc., https://3treestech.com, announced today that the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has adopted the Big Fish Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to train students in their Graphic Communications Program at https://www.bcit.ca. Now, future print professionals will have access to hands-on experience using the leading user-centric, cloud-based approach to enterprise data management for the printing industry. — Masih Ferdosian, BCIT Program Head, Graphic Communications Program
"Big Fish ERP will provide BCIT students with unprecedented visibility and control over the print production process," states Stephen Owst, Three Trees Technical Inc. President. "Our software is designed to improve capacity utilization, reduce waste, and streamline operations. These are skills that will be invaluable to the next generation of print professionals."
Big Fish ERP is known for its flexible and automated print production and management capabilities tailored to large, single and multi-plant operations. With configurable process flows, it offers an unmatched level of functionality and flexibility. BCIT’s students will now be trained to manage all types of print jobs, from simple tasks to complex projects.
The Big Fish ERP Training Offers Key Benefits for BCIT Students where they will:
• Obtain a comprehensive knowledge of print management processes unavailable previously.
From estimating to scheduling, production, and accounting, BCIT students will learn the Big Fish ERP end-to-end integration. The system ensures seamless sharing of information across departments which is a critical skill for managing today’s complex print operations.
• Gain a competitive edge upon graduation.
Because the Big Fish ERP collects and analyzes data in real time, students will know how to optimize production schedules, reduce waste and maximize efficiency unlike others. These are unique, current and valuable skills they can provide to future employers.
“Integrating Big Fish ERP into our program is an exciting step toward ensuring our graduates are fully prepared to meet the demands of the modern print industry,” comments Masih Ferdosian, British Columbia Institute of Technology Program Head, Graphic Communications Program. “With hands-on experience using this advanced software, they’ll enter the workforce equipped with the knowledge and technical skills required to excel in their careers.”
As part of its commitment to delivering future-ready education, BCIT’s collaboration with Three Trees Technical Inc. reinforces the institution’s dedication to fostering innovation within the print sector. The Big Fish ERP addition to the Graphic Communications Program ensures that BCIT students are proficient with the latest tools used by top companies in the industry.
For more information about Three Trees Technical, Inc., visit https://3treestech.com.
About Three Trees Technical Inc.
Three Trees Technical Inc. is a leading provider of advanced print MIS/ERP solutions. Their flagship software, Big Fish ERP, offers intelligent, integrated tools for job management, production planning, costing, and real-time data collection. With a focus on driving efficiency and business growth, Three Trees Technical Inc. has served a diverse range of customers across multiple industries for over fourteen years. Visit https://3treestech.com for more information.
About British Columbia Institute of Technology
Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2024, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has been delivering flexible, relevant, and future-proof education that prepares learners to lead innovation in their workplaces and communities. As one of BC’s largest post-secondary institutes with five campuses, 300+ programs, and over 45,000 students enrolled each year, BCIT connects education, industry, and government in building an agile workforce.
Melanie Rembrandt
Rembrandt Communications
+1 800-771-0116
email us here
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EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above. | https://www.einpresswire.com/article/750287678/british-columbia-institute-of-technology-adopts-three-trees-technical-inc-big-fish-erp-for-graphic-communication-program | 2024-10-15T17:50:24Z |
When I first read the Pension Funds Act 2019 (PFA), my impression was that it is an expensive legislation to administer. But the fact that it is expensive is not a bad thing. In fact, this maybe one of its positive aspects as I will argue in this article. Let me start from the beginning.
The PFA was enacted to achieve two broad policy goals: (1) to protect the interests of contributors to the fund and (2) to grow the domestic capital market by requiring local investment of funds. There is no doubt that the government has a legitimate interest to achieve these goals. There are several provisions in the PFA that are deliberately designed to achieve these goals. I plan to focus on a few of these provisions to support my thesis that the PFA is expensive to administer but for a good reason.
One of the important provisions in the PFA is section (s) 11 which establishes a fund as a corporation that is governed by a board of trustees. This provision, when read with s 16(1), means that the board is ultimately accountable for the governance of the fund. And the board of the trustees assumes fiduciary responsibilities toward the members. Among other things, the board is mandated to collect contributions from contributors (employers or members directly) and use them to pay benefits to members when they retire or to their beneficiaries when they pass away.
To achieve this mandate, the fund is specifically required by s 29 to invest contributions the next business day after being received. These contributions are expected to be invested in accordance with an approved investment policy and at arm's length in terms of s 48. The arm's length principle is often used in contract law, tax law and other commercial settings. It refers to commercial transactions where parties agree to do business acting independently in their self-interests. A transaction at arm's length requires parties involved to be on equal footing leading them to conclude an agreement upon fair market terms. The mechanism around investments of pension funds is further outlined in the investment regulations of 2020.
To promote transparency and the flow of information between the fund and its members, s 27 requires a fund to annually provide members with fund information and benefit statements. The fund is expected to submit annual reports on these expectations. A member also has a right to request information from the fund in terms of s 28 of the PFA. The details of these requirements are outlined in the Pension Funds (Disclosures) Regulations 2020.
The holding of assets of the fund is also regulated by the PFA. A fund is expected to hold its assets separately from any other person. Section 11 also requires that assets must be held in the name of the fund or a nominee.
To perform these functions requires the availability of resources, human and capital resources, governance and administrative systems. Despite being able to directly perform most of these functions associated with operations of a pension fund business, the board is required under s 18 to outsource all the operations of the fund by appointing professional service providers. To achieve the goals of the PFA, s 18 effectively professionalises the pension funds industry. These professionals assume fiduciary duties towards members in terms of s 19. This is not unique to Lesotho.
Some countries in the 21 century impose fiduciary responsibilities to service providers. In terms s 61, the fund administrator is the only exceptional service provider because in addition to members, it also assumes fiduciary responsibilities towards the fund as a corporation. There is a list of professionals in s 18 that are required to be appointed by the board. There are costs associated with these appointments which the fund must pay and depending on how the fund is structured, these costs are likely to be borne by members through the contributions made to the fund. The professionalisation of the industry through s 18 is one of the drivers in the cost of administration of pension fund businesses.
Another aspect of the PFA that is likely to drive the costs of administration is s 19. As alluded to earlier, this imposes fiduciary duties on service providers. Fiduciary duties are the highest set of legal obligations that a person can owe to another person. Section 19 requires the fiduciary (the one who has the duty) to always act in the interest of members (to whom the duty is owed). It also expects the fiduciary to be impartial in their dealings with members and avoid conflict of interests. Compliance with s 19 has both a substantive and structure component. The substantive component revolves around treating member fairly by always acting in their interest. The structural component involves an intrusive element into how the service provider is structured and governed.
The governance of a service provider is expected to be designed to achieve the objectives of s 19. One of the positive aspects of the PFA is that it does not prohibit a service provider to wear different hats as long the fiduciary obligations in s 19 can be fulfilled. This arrangement is not unique to Lesotho. In Canada, the Pension Benefits Act 1990 permits a service provider to wear different hats. For example, an employer is permitted to self-administrator a pension fund, where they have a different relationship. In relation to their role as an administrator, the employer has a fiduciary responsibility towards members, and different responsibilities in their role as an employer.
A breach of the obligations in s 19 may attract huge liability, including personal liability against directors of service providers. Some commentators have even suggested that a service provider may need to consider taking up fiduciary insurance to protect the interest of members. The potential risk of liability arising from s 19 as a cost driver in the operations of pension fund will likely be built into the cost of doing business by service providers to be transferred to members.
Another important costs driver comes from a sister legislation, the Financial Consumer Protection Act 2022 (FCPA), which applies to protect pension members. Section 45 of the FCPA requires a financial service provider to establish an adequately independent internal complaints handling mechanism to consider and resolve complaints raised consumers. These consumers include pension fund members or their beneficiaries. Most of the service provider listed in s 18 of the PFA are financial service providers within the meaning of the FCPA and are required to comply with the requirement in s 45.
The PFA is also costly to employers who participate in the fund. Section 29 imposes a daily administrative fee of M10,000 against an employer who fails to pay pension contributions on time. Also, unlike in the past where, an employer could without much restriction deduct money from an employees' pension benefits, s 33 has imposed strict requirements to protect employees who are members of a fund. Where there is a need for deduction, an employer must request the fund to deduct. The fund is required to weigh the competing interests of the employer versus those of the member before making a decision.
There are justifications for these costs' drivers. The decision to professionalise the industry is progressive and must be balanced against measures in s 19 that protect member interest based on the highest standard of care. Based on a desk top cost benefit analysis of the PFA it is reasonable to conclude that the costs justify the benefits to be derived.
There is another consideration that justifies these costs. The PFA requires openness over the fees charged by service providers to the fund. For example, s 67 requires that a service provider may not increase the fees unless they have been brought to the attention of members six months before being effective.
The implementation of the PFA is expensive. However, the expenses are justified by the objectives sought to be achieved. In other words, the professionalisation of the industry is a positive development which comes at a cost. The disclosure of fees is another positive development that has potential to manage these costs. This is especially important because most funds in Lesotho are defined contribution funds, whose members bear the cost of administration and investment of funds. To aid in their financial planning, it is significant that the PFA introduced this requirement of disclosures.
The decision to professionalise the pension funds industry; impose the disclosures of fees to members; impose independent dealing between the fund and service providers are important checks in the PFA to ensure the achievement of its two main goals.
In the end, all stakeholders (including the Central Bank of Lesotho) in Lesotho's pension fund sector have a common mission: to achieve the two main goals of the PFA.
Mtendeweka Mhango is the Metropolitan Research Chair, a joint initiative between the National University of Lesotho and University of Limpopo.
1 | https://allafrica.com/stories/202410150640.html | 2024-10-15T17:50:25Z |
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Expand | https://www.nbcdfw.com/texas-today/reliable-rides-from-southern-dallas-link/3671149/ | 2024-10-15T17:50:18Z |
Train operator killed after NJ Transit River Line crash in Burlington County
By Marcella Baietto, Brandon Goldner and Alexandra Simon
Click here for updates on this story
BURLINGTON COUNTY, New Jersey (KYW) — A New Jersey Transit train operator died Monday morning after a River Line train struck a tree that had fallen onto the tracks in Mansfield Township, Burlington County.
According to New Jersey Transit, the train was traveling south from Trenton when it hit the tree just north of Roebling Station shortly after 6 a.m.
NJ Transit said 42 people were on board at the time of the crash, and 23 of those riders were hurt with non-life-threatening injuries.
The remaining 19 passengers on the train were transported from the scene by bus.
On Tuesday, River Line service will be available between Florence Station and the Entertainment Center in Camden. But service between the Trenton Transit Center and Florence Station will be suspended on Tuesday like it was Monday following the crash, according to NJ Transit. The service between Trenton Transit Center and Florence Station will be replaced by buses at all stations.
NJ Transit said that they’ll continue to make the necessary repairs and evaluate the area impacted by the crash out of out of an abundance of caution before resuming regular service.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said on X that he’s been briefed on the accident, and offered his prayers “to all affected by this tragic incident.”
Chopper 3 flew over the scene of the crash as New Jersey Transit Police assessed the damage.
A large tree trunk was seen stuck underneath the front part of the damaged train.
Evelyn Whitman lives in a motel overlooking the tracks, and she said first responders used her parking lot as a staging area.
“It was about at least 10 to 20 [vehicles],” Whitman said. “It’s just really scary.”
Patrick Reding also lives at the motel, and he pointed to a steep slope that leads from the motel to the tracks. He expressed concern some of the trees on the slope could topple onto the tracks.
“I think they should cut down these trees that are looking dangerous,” Reding said.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. | https://kesq.com/cnn-regional/2024/10/15/train-operator-killed-after-nj-transit-river-line-crash-in-burlington-county-3/ | 2024-10-15T17:50:26Z |
In the fourth episode of ABC’s crime drama series ‘High Potential,’ Morgan Gillory sets out to solve the kidnapping of Ellie and Paige Ashford. She joins Adam Karadec and starts their investigation at the house of their father, who has retreated into the wilderness to avoid the environmental issues affecting Los Angeles. While looking for clues within the property, the LAPD consultant comes across ‘Surviving 101: Anywhere, Anytime,’ a book he had gifted his two daughters to survive any unfavorable predicament. The work helps Morgan not only to understand that the father loved his two daughters dearly but also to track them down!
Surviving 101: Anywhere, Anytime Exists Only in High Potential
‘Surviving 101: Anywhere, Anytime’ does not have an exact real-life counterpart. The book is a prop made by the production department of ‘High Potential’ specifically for the crime drama’s fourth episode. The work plays a significant role in establishing Ellie and Paige’s relationship with their father. Through the book and the little note he wrote inside the same, Morgan realizes that the suspect she has been looking for is really a committed father who cannot hurt his children. This inference further aids her in finding his dead body and clearing any suspicion about him. The chain of realizations and findings kickstarted by the book’s discovery also helps her find out that Sarah Keller’s report about the father is false.
The significance of ‘Surviving 101: Anywhere, Anytime’ becomes more evident at the end of the show’s fourth episode. Ellie and Paige escape from their kidnapper and hide themselves in the San Gabriel Mountains. The lessons they have grasped from the book help them survive deep within the forest. They learned about relying on walnuts, forming an arrow shape to mark their trail, and hiding somewhere safe and unnoticeable from the work. Morgan tries to find them in the vast mountainous region by reading the book and putting herself in the little girls’ shoes. The effort pays off as she finds the two kids and returns them to their mother, Mia.
While ‘Surviving 101: Anywhere, Anytime’ is fictional, several books are available to learn about survival amid dire circumstances. Rory Anderson’s ‘Survival 101 Beginner’s Guide 2021: The Complete Guide to Urban and Wilderness Survival’ is one of them. The real and fictional books also have unignorably similar names. Anderson has written several works that will appeal to viewers of the fourth episode, including ‘Survival 101 Raised Bed Gardening: The Essential Guide to Growing Your Own Food in 2021.’ This book reminds us of the vegetable garden of Ellie and Paige’s father, a significant setting in the episode.
Read More: High Potential: Is the ABC Show Inspired By a True Story? | https://thecinemaholic.com/high-potential-surviving-101-anywhere-anytime/ | 2024-10-15T17:50:26Z |
Apple TV+ is running full speed ahead on Slow Horses: The Emmy-winning spy drama has been renewed for a sixth season.
The show that stars Gary Oldman as the leader of a group of dysfunctional British spies — unaffectionately known as the Slow Horses — just had its fourth season premiere on Sept. 4. It was renewed for a fifth season earlier this year.
"Audiences around the world have fallen in love with the Slow Horses, and I'm delighted that Gary Oldman will be leading this star-studded cast on another acerbic and action-packed adventure," said Apple TV+'s Jay Hunt.
Season six is adapted from Joe Country and Slough House, respectively the sixth and seventh novels in Mick Herron's "Slough House" book series.
All four seasons of Slow Horses hold a perfect 100% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, the streamer points out.
The six-episode sixth season will see "the Slow Horses on the run as Diana Taverner embroils them all in a fatally high-stakes game of retaliation and revenge," Apple teases.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. | https://www.k95tulsa.com/entertainment/apple-tv-renews-slow/SHUL5D27CDGG5O775YVGTZJG7E/ | 2024-10-15T17:50:26Z |
Danish railway company Lokaltog has selected Stadler’s FLIRT battery-powered trains to decarbonise its fleet in Zealand, Denmark.
This contract includes the purchase of 14 trains with an option for another ten vehicles. This move is a step towards sustainable and decarbonised mobility in the country, with the new trains scheduled for delivery in 2028.
The FLIRT Akku trains, designed to provide an environmentally friendly travel experience, will operate on the Tølløsebanen and Østbanen lines, with the potential to extend services to Lollandsbanen and Odsherredsbanen.
This decision comes after a public tender announced in November 2023.
The company’s advanced trains can operate both with and without overhead contact lines and recharge during operation and when braking.
Stadler marketing and sales executive vice president Dr Ansgar Brockmeyer said: “We at Stadler are driven to lead in sustainable mobility, and for years we have been consistently and determinedly developing alternative drive solutions. Today, our FLIRT Akku has won another competition for battery trains.
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By GlobalData“And this one is in one of the European Countries with the highest potential of decarbonisation in the railways, due to its low degree of track electrification.”
The two-unit FLIRT Akku vehicles for Denmark are fully compliant with TSI PRM requirements, ensuring accessibility for all passengers, including those with reduced mobility.
Features include low-floor entry, wide doors with automatic gap bridges, designated spaces for wheelchairs and bicycles, and a semi-automatic ramp for wheelchair users.
Additionally, the trains will offer air conditioning, a WLAN network, and a modern passenger information system.
Notably, a Stadler FLIRT Akku train set a world record by covering 224km in battery-only mode, a feat recognised by the Guinness Book of Records in 2021.
In July 2024, Liebherr-Transportation Systems revealed a propane-based version of its HVAC technology, receiving an order from Stadler Polska for 80 systems. | https://www.railway-technology.com/news/stadler-battery-powered-trains-denmark/ | 2024-10-15T17:50:27Z |
Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.
Today's top stories
Today, Vice President Harris is set to announce initiatives aimed at winning over Black voters, particularly men. She has pledged to legalize recreational marijuana, protect cryptocurrency assets and give 1 million fully forgivable loans of up to $20,000 for Black entrepreneurs and others to start businesses. Polls show that Black men are not as enthusiastic about Harris as they were about President Biden in 2020. Some are showing interest in former President Donald Trump. Democrats are worried that even a small shift in the Black male vote could harm Harris' chances of winning crucial swing states needed to secure the White House.
- 🎧 With the race so close, NPR's Deepa Shivaram tells Up First that Harris spending these final weeks trying to appeal to Republican and independent voters. She is set to discuss her new proposals today at a town hall event with Charlamagne tha God, one of the hosts of The Breakfast Club. Charlamagne is known for being a challenging interviewer and has been critical of Democratic candidates in the past.
Aid workers and human rights groups fear that Israel's new offensive is starving people in north Gaza. The plan, which has been in effect for the past two weeks, focuses on the Jabalia refugee camp where Israel claims Hamas was attempting to regroup. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which provides aid to Palestinians, reports that civilians in the area are being forced to either leave or face starvation due to blocked food deliveries. Israel has issued an evacuation order for all of north Gaza.
- 🎧 NPR’s Daniel Estrin spoke with a man named Mohammed El Balaawy, who fled his home in Jabalia. El Balaawy stated that he was part of a group of 25 people who escaped while under fire, and 10 of them were injured or killed. His relatives who stayed behind have run out of food and water. The practice of "leave or starve" is not an official policy, and the Israeli army denies its implementation.
The Biden administration is establishing a new national marine sanctuary off the Central California coast that will protect over 4,500 square miles of ocean. The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary will be the first to be managed by Indigenous people. It will be overseen in collaboration with local tribes and Indigenous groups that will provide guidance to the federal government. This initiative reflects the Biden administration's commitment to involving tribes in decisions regarding the lands and waters that were historically taken from them.
Life advice
Sometimes, we tend to criticize our style or body when getting dressed. Stylist Sophie Strauss wants to flip the narrative and reframe how we talk about our clothes in relation to our bodies. Here are positive and constructive ways to tackle style complaints.
- 👖 If you're feeling stuck or bored with your style, don't rush to buy new clothes. Take this opportunity to reconsider what you already have and get creative.
- 👖 Saying comments like “this isn’t flattering” blames your body. Put the fault back on your clothes by saying, “I don’t like this.”
- 👖 Remember, anyone can take fashion risks; it just takes confidence, which can be built.
- 👖One misconception about personal style is that it’s a race to be the most unique person. It should be all about making the right decisions for you.
Check out the full list of how to fix common style gripes.
Picture show
Every year during Holy Week leading up to Easter, the community in Juntas, Buenaventura, Colombia, celebrates the Manacillos festival. This ancient ritual originated near the Yurumangui River. During the festival, no one is allowed to work in the artisanal gold mines or the agricultural fields in the jungle. The Manacillos festival holds profound spiritual significance, as it reaffirms the residents' African roots and resists colonialism and imposed Catholicism through syncretism, creating a new collective cultural identity.
- 📷 See photos of how one Afro-Colombian community honors their ancestry.
3 things to know before you go
- The Europa Clipper, a spacecraft powered by solar energy, was launched yesterday on a journey of over six years. It will study whether one of Jupiter’s moons can support life.
- Three men were awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Economics for tracing the institutional roots of national prosperity in former European colonies. They’ll share the prize, worth about $1.058 million, for their work explaining how the different institutions in those colonies continue to shape economic fortunes today.
- Women’s equality activist Lilly Ledbetter died Saturday at 86. Her fight for pay equity led to the passage of the monumental Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
Copyright 2024 NPR | https://www.wyso.org/2024-10-15/harris-courts-black-male-voters-and-worries-that-israel-is-starving-north-gaza | 2024-10-15T17:50:28Z |
Apollo Graph, Inc., also known as Apollo and Apollo GraphQL, has developed these guidelines to ensure consistent and proper use of our registered and unregistered marks. These guidelines protect our brand integrity and prevent trademark dilution while enabling effective collaboration within our community.
Purpose of the Guidelines
Our marks represent the integrity and reliability of our products and services. Adhering to these guidelines helps Apollo:
Maintain Brand Strength. Proper usage ensures that Apollo’s brand remains synonymous with the innovative tools and solutions we build and offer.
Support a Thriving Ecosystem. These guidelines help developers and partners create offerings that complement Apollo products while remaining distinct and valuable.
Prevent Brand Confusion. Clear differentiation between Apollo and third-party products helps customers and users identify the best solutions and avoid confusion.
Registered Marks
Our registered marks in the United States include, but are not limited to the following:
Word Marks
Apollo
Apollo Client
Apollo Data Graph Platform
Apollo Engine
Apollo Graph Manager
Apollo GraphQL
Apollo Optics
Apollo Platform
GraphOS
Logo Marks
Global Considerations
Apollo has registered or applied for registration of these and related marks in various countries to protect their integrity. The use of our marks outside the United States must comply with these guidelines and any additional legal or regulatory requirements specific to each country or region. In regions where IP enforcement is less stringent, written permission is required before using Apollo’s marks.
General Requirements for Use
All uses of our marks must adhere to the following general requirements:
Integrity. Do not alter, abbreviate, or combine our marks with other words, symbols, or branding. Use our marks in their original form.
Registration Symbols. Use the appropriate symbol for each mark (e.g., ® for registered trademarks, ™ for unregistered marks, and ℠ for service marks).
Respect. Avoid using our marks in any way that could harm our reputation or associate Apollo with objectionable content, such as obscene, offensive, defamatory, or illegal material.
No Confusion. Do not use our marks in a way that causes confusion between Apollo and any other company or product.
No Reputational Damage. Do not use our marks in any manner that defames Apollo or any third party or otherwise tarnishes our reputation.
No Suggestion of Affiliation. Do not imply that Apollo endorses, sponsors, or is involved with any products or services that we do not provide.
Permitted Use
You may use Apollo’s marks to accurately identify our products and services, provided such use does not imply any endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation beyond what is expressly authorized by Apollo in writing. Examples of approved use include:
Co-Branding. Co-branded materials may feature Apollo logos alongside partner logos with written approval from Apollo.
Sponsorships. Apollo’s marks may be used when we sponsor an event, project, or initiative, in accordance with these guidelines.
Logo Gardens. Apollo’s logos may be used in a logo garden format alongside other companies’ logos, provided Apollo’s involvement or partnership is accurately represented and approved.
Non-Commercial Use
You may use Apollo’s marks for certain non-commercial purposes such as academic, educational, or research related to Apollo products or underlying technology, provided the use is accurate and consistent with these guidelines:
Such use does not imply endorsement or partnership with Apollo.
The use is factual, non-deceptive, and does not damage Apollo’s reputation.
Any such use must include a disclaimer stating that the site or material is not endorsed by, affiliated with, or associated with Apollo Graph Inc.
Impermissible Use
Do not use our marks in connection with unrelated products or services, as part of your company name, product name, trade name, or domain name, or in any social media account. Examples of impermissible use include:
Incorporating Apollo into a third-party product name (e.g., GraphOS Pro or Apollo Widget).
Using our logo on marketing materials for events not sponsored by Apollo.
Creating social media accounts that use or display our marks in a way that suggests an official connection.
Using Apollo marks or similar terms in domain names or subdomains (e.g., apollo.yourdomain.com or graphos-vendor.com)
Use by Customers and Public
You may use Apollo’s marks without written consent to reference our products and services in a factual and non-deceptive manner, such as in blog posts, reviews, or news articles, provided the use is without modification and does not imply endorsement or partnership.
Use by Developers and Partners
Developers and partners are essential to our ecosystem. These guidelines provide clarity for using our marks to promote both Apollo and your related products without causing confusion or misleading users:
Logos. Apollo’s logos may be used to promote Apollo products or your related offerings, provided they are used without modification and are not combined with your own logos or other branding elements. Any other usage requires written permission from Apollo.
Naming Conventions. You may use Apollo marks in the names of compatible third-party products, but it must be clear that these are not Apollo products (e.g., Vendor Plugin for Apollo GraphOS is likely acceptable; but Apollo GraphOS Plugin for Vendor is not).
Domains. Do not use Apollo marks or similar terms in domain names (see Impermissible Use section above).
Use in Open Source Projects
Use of Apollo marks in open source projects, including forks or derivative works, must comply with these guidelines. Projects must clearly differentiate themselves from official Apollo products and not imply endorsement or affiliation without prior written approval.
Use in Online Advertising
The use of Apollo’s marks in online advertising, including but not limited to Google Ads, is strictly prohibited without prior written consent. Unauthorized use, such as bidding on branded terms or using Apollo marks misleadingly in ad text, may result in enforcement actions, including but not limited to legal proceedings.
Protecting Our Brand Integrity
We reserve the right to monitor the use of our marks and request modifications or cessation of use that violates these guidelines, creates confusion, or causes trademark dilution. If you become aware of any misuse of Apollo’s marks, please report it to trademarks@apollographql.com with a copy to legal@apollographql.com.
Filing for Trademark Protection
Authorized partners may use Apollo’s marks as outlined in these guidelines, but this does not confer any ownership rights. Partners should not file for trademark protection of names or logos that include or are confusingly similar to Apollo’s marks (e.g., you cannot file for trademark protections for the name, Apollo Client Plugin).
Visual Identity and Style
Apollo’s visual identity, including website design, artwork, and screenshots, is proprietary and protected by intellectual property rights. Do not replicate or mimic Apollo’s website or branding. Unauthorized use is prohibited under these guidelines and may violate copyright laws.
Amendments to the Policy
Apollo reserves the right to amend these guidelines at any time. It is the responsibility of users to ensure they are in compliance with the most recent version of the guidelines.
Questions
If you have any questions regarding the use of Apollo marks or logos, please contact trademarks@apollographql.com. For applicable partners and vendors, please refer to your specific agreements for additional guidelines.
If you wish to make other promotional use of our marks or branded elements in a manner that is not addressed by these guidelines or exceeds the permitted uses, you must submit a request to trademarks@apollographql.com. You acknowledge that Apollo reserves the right to approve or deny any request, at our sole discretion. Any non-response shall be considered a denial.
License Agreement
By using Apollo Materials (including but not limited to our trademarks, service marks, trade dress, copyrights, and other related intellectual property), you agree to comply with these guidelines and any related agreements. Unauthorized use of Apollo Materials constitutes a breach of the guidelines and will terminate any of your rights under this agreement. Apollo reserves all rights under law and equity.
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License. Subject to compliance with these guidelines, Apollo grants a non-transferable, non-exclusive, royalty-free, revocable, limited license to use Apollo Materials solely for the purposes stated in the guidelines or otherwise approved by Apollo in writing.
Right to Revise. Apollo may modify or terminate this agreement, the guidelines, or the use of Apollo Materials at its discretion and at any time.
Equitable Relief. In the event of a breach of this agreement, Apollo may seek injunctive relief in addition to other remedies.
No Warranties; Liability Limits. Apollo Materials are provided as is without warranties of any kind. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Apollo is not liable for any damages arising from the use of Apollo Materials under this agreement and these guidelines, regardless of the theory of liability. This includes, but is not limited to, direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, punitive, or exemplary damages, even if Apollo was aware of the possibility of such damages. Some jurisdictions may not allow the exclusion of implied warranties or limitation of liability.
Governing Law and Miscellaneous. This agreement and the use of any Apollo Materials hereunder will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict of law principles. The venue for any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with this agreement shall be in San Francisco County, California. The parties are independent contractors. Neither party shall be deemed to be an employee, agent, partner or legal representative of the other for any purpose and neither shall have any right, power or authority to create any obligation or responsibility on behalf of the other. The waiver by Apollo of a breach of any provision hereof shall not be taken or held to be a waiver of the provision itself. If any provision of this agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be contrary to law, such provision shall be changed and interpreted so as to best accomplish the objectives of the original provision to the fullest extent allowed by law and the remaining provisions of this agreement shall remain in full force and effect. This agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof. | https://www.apollographql.com/trademarks | 2024-10-15T17:50:28Z |
Islamabad, Oct 15 (PTI) Chinese Premier Li Qiang Tuesday called on President Asif Ali Zardari and the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen strategic cooperation in different areas, including economy, investment and regional connectivity.
Li, who arrived in Pakistan on a four-day visit Monday, called on President Zardari at the president's house, where both sides also emphasised the need to expedite the implementation of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
Welcoming the delegation, the President emphasised that Pakistan's friendship with its all-weather partner remains a cornerstone of the country's foreign policy, stressing the importance of exploring new avenues for cooperation as there is more space to expand bilateral relations.
He underscored the need to enhance connectivity through all-weather road networks to strengthen trade and people-to-people linkages. He said Chinese companies should benefit from the investment opportunities in Pakistan by investing in the Pakistan Stock Exchange.
"The time is ripe to fully leverage China's economic growth, particularly through the opportunities presented by CPEC and the Gwadar Port," Zardari said.
Zardari said he will visit China in November and looks forward to reconnecting with old friends and engaging in discussions to further strengthen bilateral ties.
Reflecting on his previous visits to China during his earlier tenure, he noted Pakistan has consistently enjoyed China's unwavering support on key issues of mutual importance.
He also expressed his heartfelt condolences over the tragic loss of two Chinese nationals in a terrorist attack in Karachi recently, emphasizing that the enemies of the Pakistan-China friendship are trying to undermine bilateral relations by targeting Chinese nationals and attempting to disrupt CPEC projects.
He added that such malicious efforts would not succeed. He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to tracking down the perpetrators and ensuring they receive exemplary punishment. He assured the Chinese Premier that Pakistan would take all necessary measures to enhance the security of Chinese nationals working in the country.
Zardari appreciated China's support to Pakistan on the Kashmir issue and also reiterated Pakistan's support to China on all its core issues, including the "One-China" policy, Taiwan, Tibet, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and the South China Sea.
Speaking on the occasion, Premier Li reaffirmed that Pakistan and China are good brothers, neighbours, partners, and friends. He emphasized that Pak-China strategic cooperation would continue to deepen under the leadership of President Xi Jinping.
He acknowledged President Zardari's contributions in promoting stronger Pakistan-China relations. Premier Li highlighted that both nations had consistently supported each other, regardless of global challenges, and expressed confidence that they would continue to cooperate to take their partnership to new heights.
Li emphasized the need to accelerate the progress of development projects under the CPEC. He highlighted that China would continue to support Chinese companies investment in Pakistan. He also expressed optimism about the future of Pakistan-China relations and that it would continue to grow stronger.
Premier Li appreciated Pakistan for its firm support to China on all its core issues and said China would continue to support Pakistan's territorial integrity, sovereignty and prosperity.
Later, the President hosted a state luncheon in honour of the Chinese Premier and his delegation.
Separately, the National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also met with Premier Li and they discussed parliamentary and economic relations, as well as matters of mutual interest, according to a press release by the NA Secretariat.
The two discussed the importance of joint projects in the energy sector and the need to enhance collaboration in technology and the digital economy.
Also, Chairman Senate Yusuf Raza Gilani met Li and the meeting aimed at deepening the bond of friendship and enhancing bilateral cooperation, particularly in the fields of economics, trade, and investment, according to a release by the Senate Secretariat.
On Monday, the Chinese premier held talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the two sides agreed to further enhance their cooperation. They also virtually inaugurated the Beijing-funded Gwadar International Airport, terming it a “gift” from the allied nation and oversaw the signing of various MoUs and agreements.
Li also held a meeting with Pakistan's military leadership on Monday. It was attended by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and the three service chiefs, including Army chief General Asim Munir, Air chief Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sindhu and Naval chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf.
In the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening and expanding the longstanding relations between Pakistan and China.
Li’s visit to Pakistan is said to be the first by a Chinese premier in 11 years, with the last one by Li Keqiang in May 2013. PTI SH ZH ZH ZH | https://www.newsdrum.in/international/chinese-premier-li-calls-on-pak-president-zardari-7317499 | 2024-10-15T17:50:29Z |
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
In order to conduct free and fair elections, you need poll workers. Officials have warned this year of a nationwide shortage as many older poll workers step back, and sometimes violent rhetoric might be scaring some away. So who's stepping up? Military veterans. NPR's Quil Lawrence reports.
QUIL LAWRENCE, BYLINE: Dan Nelson leads a veterans' group in Boise, Idaho, called Mission43. He left for work one recent morning after a brief interrogation by his 8-year-old.
DAN NELSON: And he's asking me, what am I going to do today? I said, I'm going to set up an event to train poll workers so military veterans and military spouses can go learn to be poll workers.
LAWRENCE: Nelson's group was hosting an event for Vet The Vote, a campaign to train up poll workers nationwide.
NELSON: He's like, well, who are you going to tell them to vote for? And I'm like, that's not what it's about. And he's like, well, is it former president so and so or president so and so? I was like, no. I'm not telling anyone. That's the whole point - is people are required to offer people the freedom to vote the way they choose and to respect that vote of their community.
LAWRENCE: Respecting the vote is a concern for many Americans. Poll workers are getting threats, and political violence has risen since 2015. Nelson says his network of vets and families don't mind a little adversity or working a long day at the polls. The folks who showed up at this training event got to meet Idaho's secretary of state, who assured them that the election process is secure thanks to volunteers like them. Some of the potential poll workers have been out of the military quite a while.
MARSHA BRAVO: And I was attached to the 3-21st Engineer Battalion. I finished in 1984, so it's been 40 years.
LAWRENCE: That's Marsha Bravo who taught elementary school students about the democratic process over those past 40 years.
BRAVO: And so when I found out that there would be an opportunity maybe to learn more about the voting process and maybe even volunteer to be a poll worker, which I've never done, I decided I would come and see what it's all about.
LAWRENCE: Others have just finished up their military careers...
MATTHEW MCGARRY: I have more time now that I'm retired from the military, and it seemed like an appropriate way to continue service.
LAWRENCE: ...Like Matthew McGarry (ph).
MCGARRY: I think making sure that, like, we'll have continued faith in the results of those elections is one of the most important things we can do.
LAWRENCE: Vet The Vote started during the 2020 midterms. This cycle, recruiting got supercharged by support from NASCAR, the NBA and the NFL. Ellen Gustafson cofounded Vet The Vote. She says the goal was 100,000 volunteers.
ELLEN GUSTAFSON: And we have blown that out of the water and have recruited 161,000 veterans and military family members to serve again in their communities as poll workers.
LAWRENCE: She says they're from every state in the union, and many are return volunteers from the midterms.
GUSTAFSON: And over 80% of the people who signed up through us to serve said that it increased their trust in the American election system.
LAWRENCE: Which is important because there are some veterans volunteering this year, including several at the Idaho event, who said they want to be poll workers because they think the last election was stolen from Donald Trump. There's no evidence of that from any of the investigations by either party. Still, a recent NPR/PBS/Marist poll found a majority of Americans do worry about fraud this election. Gustafson says vets who have questions about the integrity of elections should volunteer.
GUSTAFSON: Learn how it does work. You know, make the elections happen with your own work. And so I actually think that that's good. We should be able to question systems. But if you're questioning them and you're not going to the source and actually getting real, on-the-ground truth about it, then, you know, keep yapping on Facebook, but I'm not that interested.
LAWRENCE: Gustafson says it's not too late to join up. Election officials will never complain about having too many people to call on. And with several swing states, like North Carolina and Georgia, recovering from recent storms, state election officials may need extra help on November 5. Quil Lawrence, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. | https://www.kdlg.org/as-heard-on-npr/2024-10-14/as-fears-about-election-security-grow-military-veterans-are-filling-as-poll-workers | 2024-10-15T17:50:29Z |
(MENAFN- PR Newswire)
Construction employers need to think more strategically
about how to incent and retain a shrinking workforce
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As construction companies push to overcome staffing challenges that have led to many project delays, Arcoro has released new data that sheds light on the recruiting and retention strategies being used to address a decrease in skilled workers.
The Associated General Contractors of America and Arcoro, the leading platform for construction and specialty contractor workforce solutions, conducted and released initial results from the 2024 Workforce Survey earlier this year. Nearly 1,500 firms completed the survey, which included several questions specifically focused on recruiting and workforce management to better understand how and where the industry is attracting talent and managing the talent they have.
"Construction employers are overlooking key opportunities that can help them strengthen their recruiting and retention efforts and, hopefully, come out on top," said Chad Mathias, Senior Vice President of Sales and Strategy at Arcoro. "Technology, programs and resources represent a powerful combination for improvement."
Never-before-released results of these workforce questions show that companies are making efforts to recruit from diverse candidate pools. Respondents reported actively targeting the following groups: 85% recruit new graduates, 81% recruit minorities, 80% recruit veterans, 79% recruit women, 51% recruit career changers, and 35% recruit formerly incarcerated individuals.
However, there's progress to be made in some areas central to recruiting and retention strategies in the tightest job market in decades.
When it comes to culture, 52% of respondents said they have and promote a well-defined culture, while 51% indicate their culture helps with their recruiting and retention strategy. Meanwhile, 20% said they either don't have a defined culture or don't promote it.
There's also room for improvement in training and upskilling workers. About 24% of companies haven't implemented any upskilling techniques. Among the 76% that have, a variety of methods are being used: 45% are strengthening performance management, 27% have established new learning programs, 25% are using technology to deliver and track training, 34% are partnering with a third-party for courses, and 32% have implemented career pathing.
Surprisingly, only 14% said they use a platform to improve performance management. Survey results also indicate that companies see the value of feedback and performance management, with 53% conducting annual formal reviews. Meanwhile, 36% said they have an informal review process, and 14% reported they have no formal process.
Equally surprising is the use of analytics in the industry. 49% of respondents said they don't use any business intelligence (BI) or other data to help with their workforce planning and management, 35% indicate they have access to and use this type of data, 10% said they would use BI if it was available to them, and 4% said they have access to BI data but don't use it.
"This new data makes it clear that construction companies will have to up their game to recruit and retain talent in the future," said Mathias. "However, many companies have yet to adopt modern technology for core HR processes, like training or performance management. This represents a real opportunity for the industry to take advantage of HR solutions that enable them to be more efficient and effective."
View the survey results here and read a full analysis on Arcoro's blog .
About Arcoro
A rapidly growing SaaS company, Arcoro offers proven modular HR solutions for construction and field-based industries. The company's leading product suite and software platform offers end-to-end HR functionality to help drive business outcomes. With Arcoro's flexible solutions, customers select the modules that meet their needs for talent acquisition, talent management, core HR, benefits administration, time and attendance tracking and more. Learn more at arcoro .
Media contact:
Sofia Millar | Public Relations Representative
[email protected] | 813-528-3866
SOURCE Arcoro
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Scores of Gambian migrants are reportedly in distress as they languish in the Sahel country of Niger, with Baba Secka critically injured during a violent confrontation.
A confrontation ensued between Gambian migrants and the Ivorians during a football match which turned violent, with both parties pelting stones and other objects at one another, says Secka's father who spoke to Foroyaa on condition of anonymity.
According to his father, Baba was hit with objects as scuffle broke out between the West African nationals, rendering him unconscious for several hours. He was rushed to the hospital by his Gambian counterparts, where he was admitted and later released.
In a voice note shared with this medium, Secka could be heard narrating his ordeal, saying he experiences fever, body pain, and headache with little or no medicine.
Baba had been deported to the desert near Niger by the Algerian police after they raided their residence.
Another Gambian migrant, who is helping Secka to get back to his feet, lamented in another WhatsApp voice note "the lack of food, bedding, and sanitary facilities" in the camp. He said the migrants' camp is short of basic necessities and is overcrowded with different African nationals.
The migrants called on the government and the International organization for Migration to help repatriate them.
In Niger, Migrants are usually exploited through hard labour in exchange for little payments, especially in mining sites.
COOPI, an Italian aid group that provides shelter for migrants in Niger's northern town of Assamakka near the border with Algeria, assists the U.N. in hosting people, but had been overwhelmed by the influx of migrants.
Niger had also been a key partner for the European Union (EU) in working to stem the flow of migrants.
Niger abided by most of the EU's demands, under President Mohamed Bazoum's leadership, dismantling established smuggling and trafficking networks around Agadez that took migrants and refugees to Libya and Algeria.
The country received nearly 300 million euros under the EU Trust Fund for Africa, a multi-billion-dollar program aimed at fighting the root causes of migration in the continent.
At the end of July 2023, mutinous soldiers overthrew Niger's democratically elected president and closed its airspace.
The current situation in Niger poses significant risks to international migrants and refugees, internally displaced persons, and victims of trafficking, as well as vulnerable communities, leaving them in even more precarious conditions.
Given its geographical position, Niger has become a major hub for movements towards Libya, Algeria, and the Mediterranean. Due to the complex humanitarian and security crisis in Libya, Niger has become an alternative route for illegal migrants.
Facebook Notice for EU! You need to login to view and post FB Comments! | https://allafrica.com/stories/202410150613.html | 2024-10-15T17:50:31Z |
Plans announced for a second Sphere entertainment venue
By Marnie Hunter, CNN
(CNN) — Las Vegas won’t be the only city with a giant, glowing Sphere.
Abu Dhabi is set to become the next location to showcase multimedia entertainment in the unique spherical structure, the Sphere Entertainment Co. and Abu Dhabi tourism officials announced on Tuesday.
The planned venue aligns with the capital of the United Arab Emirates’ Tourism Strategy 2030 aimed at “further establishing Abu Dhabi as a vibrant hub for culture and innovation,” said H.E. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, in a news release.
“By embracing cutting-edge entertainment like Sphere, we’re not only elevating our global profile but also setting new standards in immersive experiences and cultural offerings,” Al Mubarak said.
The CEO of Sphere Entertainment said the Abu Dhabi location will build on the company’s vision for a “global network of venues.”
The announcement didn’t include details about the new venue’s exact location, but it said it would echo the scale of the “20,000-capacity Sphere in Las Vegas.”
That venue opened in September 2023 with a series of shows from international rock superstars U2.
At 366 feet (112 meters) tall and 516 feet (157 meters) wide, the Las Vegas structure is said to be the world’s largest spherical structure. Inside, it boasts what is billed as the world’s highest-resolution wraparound LED screen. And its exterior is fitted with 1.2 million hockey puck-sized LEDs that can be programmed to flash dynamic imagery on a massive scale – again, reportedly the world’s largest.
The cost of the Sphere in Vegas? $2.3 billion.
The partnership for the second installment, between Abu Dhabi tourism officials and Sphere Entertainment, is “subject to finalization of definitive agreements,” the news release said. It would involve a “franchise initiation fee” paid to Sphere Entertainment for the right to build the venue. Construction would be funded by Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism.
CNN’s Brandon Griggs contributed to this report.
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™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://kesq.com/entertainment/cnn-style/2024/10/15/plans-announced-for-a-second-sphere-entertainment-venue/ | 2024-10-15T17:50:32Z |
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(MENAFN- PR Newswire)
NASHVILLE,
Tenn., Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --
Physicians from Newport Healthcare and PrairieCare , leading providers of evidence-based behavioral healthcare and psychiatric treatment respectively, are set to take the stage at this year's American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington.
PrairieCare (a division of Newport Healthcare) is represented by Chief Medical Officer Christopher Wall, MD , Medical Director of Residential Services Kyle Cedermark, MD , and Psychiatric Mental health Nurse Practitioner Molly Erdmann, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC , who will join Israel Sokeye, MD, of Plymouth Psych Group for a presentation for advanced practice clinicians in psychiatry entitled Pathways to Safe, Quality, and Accessible Care . Additionally, PrairieCare's Immediate Past Chief of Medical Staff and Director of Perinatal Program Services Sogand Ghassemi, MD , will chair the session Perinatal Mental Health 101 that will offer a clinical overview specifically adapted for child and adolescent psychiatrists seeking to expand their expertise in order to provide more comprehensive psychiatric care.
Newport Healthcare's Medical Director Mirela Loftus, MD, PhD , has three presentations at AACAP. The first took place on Monday and was part of the Media Theatre series. The presentation explored what the 1980s movie classic Ordinary People can still teach us about contemporary psychiatry and the role of attachment. Next, Dr. Loftus will delve into the topic of youth opioid use disorder and treatment guidelines. She will also take part in a panel presentation titled Let's Make Schools Safe Again! , in which she'll discuss factors contributing to homicidal threats and tendencies in youth, existing policies and areas for improvement, and structured screening tools for clinical settings.
"Being a transformative leader in behavioral healthcare focused on driving innovation is core to Newport Healthcare's vision , and we are pleased to showcase this level of thought leadership in front of such a distinguished audience," said Newport Healthcare CEO Joseph Procopio.
The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry is a national professional medical association with over 10,000 members and a mission to promote the healthy development of children, adolescents, and families through advocacy, education, and research, and to meet the professional needs of child and adolescent psychiatrists throughout their careers. AACAP's Annual Meeting, this year held from October 14-19, is the largest gathering of child and adolescent psychiatrists in the world with attendees representing over 56 countries.
For more information about Newport Healthcare's thought leadership , research , or career opportunities , visit NewportHealthcare. Newport offers nationwide mental health treatment locations and in-network status with most major insurance providers . Expanded services include treatment for substance use disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
About Newport Healthcare
Newport Healthcare is the nation's leading provider of evidence-based behavioral health treatment for youth, young adults, and families.
Comprised of Newport Academy , Newport Institute , Center for Families , and PrairieCare , its full continuum of care includes residential services, partial hospitalization programs (PHP), and intensive outpatient programs (IOP) for mental health and substance use disorders, as well as psychiatric inpatient services. Newport's family-centered, integrated approach fosters sustainable healing from a foundation of compassionate care, clinical expertise, and unconditional love, with a primary mission to empower lives and restore families.
MEDIA CONTACT:
5W Public Relations
[email protected]
SOURCE Newport Healthcare
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Elizabeth Finch’s actions had a profound impact on those around her. In Peacock’s ‘Anatomy of Lies,’ individuals from both her personal and professional life come together to share their perspectives on the woman they knew. Kiley Donovan, who worked closely with Finch on a TV series, reflects on how she views her former colleague today and the nature of their interactions while working together. Kiley discusses how Finch’s deceit affected her personally and the overall morale in the office, recounting moments where she felt wronged, including one particular incident that still stays with her.
Kiley Donovan Felt That Finch Betrayed Her Confidence
Kiley Donovan first encountered Elizabeth Finch in 2017 when she joined the writing team for the renowned TV show ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ Finch, who had been with the show since 2015, was celebrated as a hero for having overcome chondrosarcoma and was thriving as a writer. Initially, Kiley was impressed by Elizabeth’s work, and the two quickly formed a friendship, often chatting about matters beyond the workplace. One day, noticing Kiley’s sadness, Finch inquired about what was troubling her.
Kiley shared that she confided in Finch about discovering that her biological father was her mother’s abuser, a revelation she found difficult to process. While Finch was sympathetic at the time, just a few days later, she wrote the script for the episode ‘Silent All These Years,’ which featured a similar storyline. Although Finch has insisted that her inspiration for the character came from another source and was unrelated to Kiley’s personal experiences, the latter maintains that it was her story to tell. Given the recent revelations about Finch, Kiley feels strongly that her personal narrative was appropriated.
Kiley reflected on how she had felt sympathy for Finch over the years, noting that she and her colleagues often discussed how much one person could endure in life. However, when Jenn Beyer sent her email, rumors had already begun circulating within the office. The release of the Vanity Fair article in May 2022 came as a shock to everyone. Kiley recalled how, during the COVID pandemic, Finch appeared visibly unhappy during meetings, leading everyone to believe that Jenn was the cause of her distress. With the recent revelations and Finch’s own admissions, Kiley now feels that everything falls into place.
Kiley Donovan is Making Headways as a Writer and a Producer Today
Kiley Donovan is currently thriving as a producer and writer, having served as a Co-Executive Producer for ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ until 2023. Throughout her time on the show, she wrote 29 episodes, which she considers a foundational period in her entertainment career. She has also contributed to several other projects, including ‘Station 19‘, where she held roles as both a Writer and Executive Producer, and she served as an Executive Producer for the series ‘Sex Life.’ In her own words, she enjoys “creating and consuming things, especially television and food.” Her body of work reflects her diverse talents and her keen understanding of audience engagement.
Kiley Donovan Stands up For Causes She Believes in
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) strikes in 2023 marked a pivotal moment in the entertainment industry, highlighting the ongoing struggles for fair compensation and better working conditions for writers. Kiley Donovan actively participated in these strikes, standing in solidarity with her fellow writers to advocate for their rights. As a dedicated Producer and Writer, she understood the importance of collective action in bringing attention to the issues affecting not only their livelihoods but also the quality of content being produced. She fought for a more equitable future in an industry that relies heavily on the talent and dedication of its writers.
Kiley is a proud member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles, a renowned organization dedicated to mentoring and supporting young people in the community. The program pairs adult volunteers, known as “Bigs,” with children facing various challenges, providing them with guidance, encouragement, and positive role models. She has embraced this opportunity wholeheartedly, serving as a mentor to her own “Little,” who affectionately calls her “Big Sis.” This relationship has proven to be incredibly fulfilling for Kiley, as she finds joy in helping her mentee in any capacity that she can.
Kiley Donovan’s Life With Her Husband Brings Her Great Joy
Kiley Donovan lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband, Beto Skubs, who is also a talented writer and producer in Hollywood. He also worked on ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ Their love story likely began in this creative environment, and over the years, it has flourished beautifully. In August 2024, the couple celebrated their 10th anniversary, and Kiley expressed her excitement about the future and all the adventures that lie ahead for them. Together, they co-parent a dog named Pepper Rey Donovan-Skubs, who is the center of their lives and brings them endless joy. In September 2023, Kiley and Beto moved into their dream home, where they have been blissfully creating a warm and loving space for their family. Their journey together reflects not only their personal growth but also their commitment to building a life filled with love, laughter, and companionship.
Read More: Jenn Beyer: Where is Elisabeth Finch’s Estranged Wife Now? | https://thecinemaholic.com/kiley-donovan/ | 2024-10-15T17:50:32Z |
As Jared Padalecki Joins Fire Country, Max Thieriot And Tia Napolitano Told Us The Wholesome Story About How The Casting Happened
Fire Country's star and showrunner break down how they landed the Supernatural alum.
While Season 3 of Fire Country simply premiering is exciting, what makes this season even more thrilling is the fact that Jared Padalecki is joining Max Thieriot’s fire drama! Now, as the anticipation for his guest appearance heightens, the show’s lead and showrunner Tia Napolitano shared the wholesome story behind how they got the Supernatural star to join CBS’ hit drama.
As we approach Fire Country’s premiere on the 2024 TV schedule, I spoke with Thieriot and Napolitano about what’s in store for Season 3. Obviously, that meant I had to ask about the news regarding Padalecki that broke over the summer. In response, the Bode actor told me during our interview for CinmeaBlend that this all stemmed out of the sweet fact that he’s really good friends with the Walker actor:
The actor then said that his friend has always been on long-running shows, which has made it hard for them to collaborate. However, while Walker landing on 2024’s list of canceled shows was by no means ideal, it did open a new door for the pals, as Thieriot said:
Well, everybody thought it was a great idea, and as Thieriot explained, casting him felt like “a no-brainer.” Showrunner Tia Napolitano confirmed that for me during our interview ahead of the premiere as well. She explained that the enthusiasm surrounding bringing the Gilmore Girls actor on was palpable, and they couldn’t wait to have him:
From there it simply took a few conversations, Thieriot recalled, and then Padalecki was on the show.
Notably, this role also wasn’t pre-written before the Walker actor signed on, it was created specifically for him. So, it was imperative that he said yes, as the showrunner told me:
From the jump, I would have felt the same way considering how beloved Padalecki is in the world of television. However, learning more about his character Camden and knowing there’s potential for him to lead a Fire Country spinoff makes his part even more exhilarating.
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To that point, the Bode actor explained that his friend’s character is a thrilling addition, because he’ll show off a totally different side of Cal Fire. Camden is a firefighter from Southern California, and as Thieriot said, in his world the “Wranglers and boots” are traded for “flip flops and tank tops.” So, he’ll bring a new fun energy to the show, and the SEAL Team actor’s words about that have me very excited:
Overall, there’s no question that Jared Padalecki is a massive addition to Fire Country, and this wholesome story about how he got cast has me smiling from ear to ear. Knowing that he’s really good friends with the drama’s co-creator and star means he’s also probably thrilled to be playing Camden. Plus, it sounds like the opportunities for where his story could go are endless.
At the moment, we don’t know exactly when Jared Padalecki will appear in Season 3, however, as we learn more about his role, we’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile, you can catch the Season 3 premiere of Fire Country on Friday, October 18 on CBS at 9 p.m. ET or you can stream it the next day with a Pramount+ subscription.
Riley Utley is the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. She has written for national publications as well as daily and alt-weekly newspapers in Spokane, Washington, Syracuse, New York and Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated with her master’s degree in arts journalism and communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Since joining the CB team she has covered numerous TV shows and movies -- including her personal favorite shows Ted Lasso and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She also has followed and consistently written about everything from Taylor Swift to Fire Country, and she's enjoyed every second of it. | https://www.cinemablend.com/interviews/jared-padalecki-joins-fire-country-max-thieriot-tia-napolitano-story-casting-happened | 2024-10-15T17:50:33Z |
TORONTO — The experimental Toronto-based opera company Against the Grain Theatre has recruited award-winning librettist Royce Vavrek as its new artistic director.
The Alberta-born, Brooklyn-based Vavrek is taking the reins from founding artistic director Joel Ivany, who left the role last year.
The company, founded in 2010, is known for staging operas in unexpected places, including a monthly series in pubs.
Vavrek won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2017 for writing the text of the opera “Angel’s Bone” with composer Du Yun.
Royce is currently adapting the Thomas King novel “Indians on Vacation” for the opera with composer Ian Cusson.
The project was co-commissioned by Against the Grain and Edmonton Opera and is expected to debut in 2026.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2024.
Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press | https://www.cp24.com/local/toronto/2024/10/15/experimental-toronto-opera-theatre-taps-high-profile-librettist-as-artistic-director/ | 2024-10-15T17:50:33Z |
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar confirmed on Tuesday that party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan was in good health and his fresh medical reports would be available soon.
The development came after he said doctors were allowed to meet Imran at Adiala jail after the PTI complained that its incarcerated leader was facing health-related issues.
Previously, Gohar had said that since October 3, no lawyer, family member or party leader had been allowed to meet Imran despite his being ill. He added that the PTI had applied to the interior ministry to allow a party leader, family member, or health professional to meet the founding chairman.
Speaking to Dawn.com today, Gohar said that “government doctors, along with medical specialists and an ENT specialist (otolaryngologist), had arrived at the jail.”
He later said in a post on X the two doctors met Imran at 4pm.
“We were informed a while ago that thank God, Khan sahib is in good health and had exercised for an hour today. We shall get medical reports from them soon and I will share with you,” Gohar said.
“I express my gratitude to every worker and supporter of PTI who were concerned about Khan sahib’s health. God bless you all,” he added.
Responding to Gohar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said: “We earnestly hope this will put your anxiety to rest.”
A day earlier, the PTI had called off a planned protest in Islamabad after receiving assurances about Imran’s health and that a medical expert would visit Adiala Jail today to examine him.
The protest would have coincided with the ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit for which dignitaries of several countries are in Islamabad amid very high security.
The government, which had earlier refused to back down from its tough stance on dealing with PTI protesters with an “iron hand” if they tried to protest amid the SCO moot, agreed to most of the party’s demands, including arranging a meeting between party leaders and founding chairman Imran Khan and facilitating his medical checkup.
Jemima calls for Imran’s release
Jemima Goldsmith, the former spouse of Imran, on Tuesday, voiced concern over his treatment in prison and called for his release.
Taking to the X platform on Tuesday, she claimed that in the last few weeks, there have been “serious and concerning developments regarding my sons’ father, Imran Khan’s treatment in prison.”
She claimed that Pakistan authorities had stopped all visits to Imran from his family and his lawyers while also postponing his court hearings.
“In addition to cutting off in-person visits, and in defiance of a court order, his weekly calls to his sons, Sulaiman and Kasim Khan, who are British and who live in London, were stopped on 10th September,” she wrote.
She claimed according to some reports, Imran was being mistreated by jail authorities.
“He is now completely isolated, in solitary confinement, literally in the dark, with no contact with the outside world. His lawyers are concerned about his safety and well-being,” she added.
“These actions come in the context of ongoing targeting of Imran’s family, as well as his party (PTI) members and supporters in an attempt to silence them and all political opposition in Pakistan,” adding that Imran’s nephew was detained and his sisters, Uzma and Aleema Khan, were arrested.
“As a matter of urgency, we are calling for Imran Khan’s release, and for the release of his sisters and nephew as well as for his sons’ contact with their father to be re-established, so that they may have assurance first-hand that he is well and not being mistreated.” | https://www.dawn.com/news/1865403/imran-in-good-health-barrister-gohar-says-medical-reports-to-be-available-soon | 2024-10-15T17:50:33Z |
MOSCOW, October 15. /TASS/. The Bank of Russia set the official dollar rate at 97.0121 rubles for October 16, up 0.91 rubles against the previous indicator.
The official euro rate grew by 0.19 rubles to 105.6757 rubles. The official yuan rate is fixed at 13.5683 rubles, seven kopecks up against the prior figure.
The Central Bank said on June 13 that it would fix official dollar and euro rates against the ruble on the basis of reports of banks on results of transactions in the over-the-counter currency market. | https://tass.com/economy/1856591 | 2024-10-15T17:50:34Z |
Updated October 15, 2024 at 12:41 PM ET
For years, singer/songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of Elvis Presley, refused to write a memoir; she told people she thought her life wasn’t interesting enough to fill a book.
"I think she's had a complicated relationship with existing in the public eye and wanting to connect to people and share her story, but also really not enjoying having attention on her," Lisa Marie's daughter, Riley Keough says.
Eventually, Lisa Marie changed her mind about the memoir. She began making audio recordings about her life and reached out to Keough for help with the project. A month later, in January 2023, Lisa Marie died suddenly, and Keough had to decide whether or not to complete the book.
"I received the tapes. And then I kind of put it off for a while because I was like, why am I doing this to myself?" Keough says. "But the project of the book really felt like a duty to me. ... It felt like just a task that had to be done, so then I think I approached it in that way."
The book, From Here to the Great Unknown, takes its title from a lyric from the song “Where No One Stands Alone,” featured on a 2018 compilation album of Lisa Marie singing duets with archival recordings of her father's favorite gospel songs. In the book, Lisa Marie describes growing up in Graceland and shock of losing her father when she was 9. She also looks back on her three marriages, her battle with addiction and the loss of her son, Benjamin Keough, who died by suicide in 2020.
Keough, who is listed as a co-author of the memoir, says she struggled throughout to capture her mother's voice.
"[Lisa Marie] was very complicated and she was very candid and honest and raw and tough and wild and rebellious," Keough says. "But she also had a side to her that was very sort of childlike and naïve as well. And [she was] one of the most loving people I've ever met. But also I don't know if she could ever receive love, which was interesting."
Interview highlights
On Lisa Marie’s relationship to her parents, Elvis and Priscilla
I think that she was so close with her father, like she was a daddy's girl and he was everything to her that the loss of him was so great. And I think that dictated the relationship she had with her mother. …
Priscilla was a very young mother, and obviously my grandmother was living in this world that was totally overwhelming and unusual and she [had] to be Elvis' wife. And I think there was a lot of pressure on her to be perfect and to be the perfect wife and woman that ever lived. … And I think that my mom and her were very different. Like my mother was very wild and unruly and rebellious and radical kind of, and [Priscilla] was very well mannered and perfect, kind of the opposite of my mom, so I think they would butt heads often. … I also think that that had to do with the fact that she was in grief, too, so I think that she was acting out. She was angry at the universe for taking her father away and that everything and everyone was not him.
On Lisa Marie’s account of the day Elvis died in 1977
She always felt protective over that story. I always got the sense that she would never share the details of that day publicly, but then when I got the tapes, I heard that she wanted to share the details of that day. …
She basically came into my grandfather's room and he was in his bathroom and she saw him in there and then somebody grabbed her and brought her out into her room. And the ambulance came. And I think she says she went to smoke a cigarette. She was 9 years old. And then she watched him get brought down the stairs on a gurney. And she kind of says she remembers seeing his shoes or his hand or something like that. And he gets wheeled out of the house. And then a few moments later, his father, Vernon, basically, she hears him yelling and saying, “My baby's gone” … and I think Vernon said, “Your daddy's gone.”
On the family grieving alongside the public
The whole world was grieving her father, and she talks about watching people come through the house and people fainting and having to be carried out and ambulances coming to get people. ... I think it was a very interesting way to grieve. And I think that it kind of maybe didn't leave her a lot of room for her own grief.
On Lisa Marie’s connection to Graceland
She was very happy to be at Graceland. And in general, like if we were in Memphis, she just loved it there. She wanted a house there. And it was where she grew up and had some of her best memories as a child. We always had a lot of fun there. We would have dinners there and Thanksgiving and when the tours were over, obviously we would hang out in the house and they would take the ropes down and it was just like a family home for us. We would hang out in the living rooms and me and my brother would run downstairs and play pool with our cousins. And so we got to experience it as a home growing up. … And her father's room, which has never been part of the tour, her room in her father's room are upstairs in the house, and it's really only been a few people who are allowed up there and just our family. And she kept a key with her, and it was just a place that she went. It was like a place of comfort for her. I think she really felt her father in the room.
On Lisa Marie’s marriage to Michael Jackson being questioned as a publicity stunt
Their love was very genuine and they were in love and they were in a real relationship and slept in bed together and were very normal. But I think that when you're that famous, there's a lot of people around. I think both camps kind of had people in their ears about each other. My mom started to perceive that maybe he was on drugs and he started to maybe get the idea that she was on to him maybe being on drugs. And then I think there was paranoia. I think my grandmother was apprehensive about the marriage and brought that idea up to my mom, and I think it just kind of exploded.
On Riley’s relationship Jackson
I think my mom says something in the book that people might kind of pass over, which is really kind of indicative of the whole thing, which is that like the version of Michael that was in her/our lives or that she was with, was different to, I think, the version that he presented on TV. Even the way he spoke was different. Probably with Elvis, too: There's the version of Elvis Presley for the world and then there's the version at home. And I think my experience with Michael was he felt like a human being and spoke differently. I remember the first time I saw him on TV, his register was higher and that's not how I was used to hearing him. And I remember thinking: That was interesting. So I think that in my life he felt like my mom's husband, like a stepfather.
On Lisa Marie seeing Elvis impersonators at her shows
She used to, before shows, peek out the side of the curtain and and find where they would be so that she wasn't surprised when she went out there and she would just peek around and kind of go, OK, there's one in the back, there's one over there so she wasn't shocked. … It's like some kind of wild fever dream to go out on stage and perform to your dead father, or like someone in costume. It's bizarre. People's relationship to him was as if he was like this sort of like God, you know? And so I don't think there was a lot of humanizing going on with her. It's not that they had ill intentions. I think that they're just fans and just maybe didn't realize how weird that would be for her.
Copyright 2024 NPR | https://www.wunc.org/2024-10-14/elvis-granddaughter-says-it-was-her-duty-to-finish-lisa-marie-presleys-memoir | 2024-10-15T17:50:33Z |
While the original Joker had been compared to Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver, that film's acclaimed screenwriter Paul Schrader wasn't impressed with Todd Phillips' panned sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux.
In a chat in Interview magazine, Schrader said he got to the theater to see the movie, but "I saw about 10 or 15 minutes of it. I left, bought something, came back, saw another 10 minutes. That was enough."
He added, "It's a really bad musical."
When pressed for details, he had some choice words for Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, as well as their respective characters Joker/Arthur Fleck and Harley Quinn.
"I don't like either of those people," he sniffed.
"I don't like them as actors. I don't like them as characters. I don't like the whole thing. I mean, those are people who, if they came to your house, you'd slip out the back door."
The Oscar-nominated writer used to be a film critic, and it seems other critics agree with his review: Joker: Folie à Deux has a 33% from them on the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. | https://www.k95tulsa.com/entertainment/taxi-driver/IEC33JOP5G2PHYY3IO6EKKOCZM/ | 2024-10-15T17:50:33Z |
Jennifer Koh is shaking up the long-established chamber music program at the Kennedy Center with innovative programming and community engagement. An example of that is her collaboration with pianist-composer Missy Mazzoli.
Copyright 2024 NPR
Jennifer Koh is shaking up the long-established chamber music program at the Kennedy Center with innovative programming and community engagement. An example of that is her collaboration with pianist-composer Missy Mazzoli.
Copyright 2024 NPR | https://www.wyso.org/2024-10-15/jennifer-koh-seeks-innovation-and-artistic-risk-in-revamping-chamber-music-series | 2024-10-15T17:50:34Z |
The family of Victoria Taylor said they "continue to have hope" as they marked two weeks since she was reported missing.
Ms Taylor, 34, disappeared from her home in Malton, North Yorkshire, on September 30.
The last CCTV footage recorded of Ms Taylor shows her walking towards a play park close to the River Derwent at 12.30pm that day. A number of her possessions were found in that area.
Searches have been taking place on the river since Ms Taylor was reported missing on October 1.
On Tuesday, Ms Taylor's sisters Emma and Heidi said: "There are no words for us to describe how we are feeling as it's ever-changing.
"We have to have some sort of normality for the children. As we know, Vixx is a mum but also an auntie and Halloween is one of her favourite seasons as she is the costume queen.
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"We would like to thank the police teams as they are doing all they can, and we understand that these things take time."
In a statement released via North Yorkshire Police, the sisters said: "The local community is amazing, from putting up posters to the daily walks to search for Vixx. We would like to thank the special people, you know who you are.
"The wider community on the Facebook page with over 10,000 people sharing Vixx's information and sending support has given us comfort. We continue to have hope, as it is all we have at this time."
Chief Superintendent Fiona Willey said: "Over the past 14 days we have carried out extensive inquiries to try and locate Victoria. Our focus remains on the area of the last sighting and where Victoria's possessions were found close to the River Derwent.
"To assist with our search capability, we are utilising police search dogs from Northumbria who are specialised in searching for people. The dogs and their handlers are highly trained and are deployed to scour areas that run alongside the River Derwent.
"In addition to this, we continue with expert-led searches by land and water involving multiple teams, including our force drone unit."
Officers have already said Ms Taylor left her home at 9am on September 30, and was then seen on CCTV at 11.35am at the BP garage on Welham Road in the Norton area of Malton, where she purchased several items.
A further sighting was captured at 11.53am at Malton bus station on Railway Street.
Further CCTV footage showed Ms Taylor walking towards the play park on Riverside Walk at 12.30pm. | https://www.upday.com/uk/family-of-missing-mother-continue-to-have-hope-two-weeks-after-disappearance | 2024-10-15T17:50:35Z |
Islamabad: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday exchanged pleasantries with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, hours after landing in the Pakistani capital in the first such visit from New Delhi in nearly a decade.
The brief exchange and handshake between Jaishankar and Sharif took place at a banquet dinner hosted by the Pakistani prime minister at his residence in honour of the delegates attending a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
The Pakistan prime minister greeted all the leaders of the delegations of the SCO member nations at the banquet reception.
Pakistan is hosting the SCO meeting under tight security and the capital city has almost been under lockdown. The main conclave will be held on Wednesday.
It is understood that Jaishankar also exchanged pleasantries with Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the reception.
Earlier, Jaishankar's aircraft landed at the Nur Khan airbase on the outskirts of the Pakistani capital city at around 3:30 pm (local time) and he was greeted by senior Pakistani officials.
It is the first time in nearly nine years that India's foreign minister travelled to Pakistan even as the ties between the two neighbours remained tense over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
The external affairs minister will lead the Indian delegation at the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) summit on Wednesday.
"Landed in Islamabad to take part in SCO Council of Heads of Government Meeting," Jaishankar posted on 'X' along with photographs of children and officials welcoming him with flowers at the airport.
The last Indian Foreign Minister to visit Pakistan was Sushma Swaraj. She travelled to Islamabad to attend the 'Heart of Asia' conference on Afghanistan, which was held from December 8-9, 2015.
Jaishankar, then India's foreign secretary, was part of Swaraj's delegation.
During the visit, Swaraj held talks with her then counterpart Sartaj Aziz.
Following the Swaraj-Aziz talks, a joint statement was released in which both sides announced their decision to start a Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue.
Little over two weeks after Swaraj's trip, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sprang a surprise with a 150-minute visit to Lahore on his way back home from Kabul.
Modi visited the ancestral home of his then-Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif and had talks to open ways for peace.
However, a series of terror attacks on India by Pakistan-based terrorists significantly strained the ties subsequently.
Before Jaishankar left for Pakistan, India on Tuesday said it remains actively engaged in various mechanisms of the SCO.
"The SCO CHG meeting is held annually and focuses on the trade and economic agenda of the Organisation," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
"External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at the meeting. India remains actively engaged in the SCO format, including various mechanisms and initiatives within the SCO framework," it said in a brief statement in New Delhi.
Both sides have already ruled out any bilateral talks between Jaishankar and Dar on the sidelines of the SCO summit.
In his recent address at an event, Jaishankar said, "like with any neighbour, India would certainly like to have good relations with Pakistan." "But that cannot happen by overlooking cross-border terrorism and indulging in wishful thinking." The decision to send the senior minister is seen as a display of India's commitment to the SCO.
The ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after India's warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack.
The relations further deteriorated after India announced the withdrawal of the special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and the bifurcation of the state into two union territories on August 5, 2019.
Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties with India after New Delhi abrogated Article 370.
India has been maintaining that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan while insisting that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment free of terror and hostility for such engagement.
Pakistan's then foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited India in May 2023 to attend an in-person meeting of the foreign ministers of SCO nations in Goa.
It was the first visit of a Pakistani foreign minister to India in almost 12 years. | https://www.newsdrum.in/international/eam-jaishankar-briefly-interacts-with-pak-pm-shehbaz-sharif-at-sco-reception-7317610 | 2024-10-15T17:50:35Z |
Gambia's Justice Minister, Dawda Jallow, said the government is actively working to establish an Anti-Corruption Commission and a Victims' Commission to ensure that human rights laws are effectively implemented.
Justice Minister Jallow made the above statement on Sunday, 13 October 2024, while delivering a keynote address at the opening of the NGO forum organized by the Africa Center for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS). The forum was held for NGOs on their participation in the 81st Ordinary session of the ACHPR, slated from THE 17th of October to the 4th of November 2024.
"Over the past year, we have passed the Anti-Corruption and Victims Reparation Acts, and the government is actively working to establish both Commissions to ensure that these laws are effectively implemented," he said.
He explained that as a country that endured two decades of authoritarian rule marked by widespread human rights violations and abuses, The Gambia has embarked on a transformative journey to rebuild and strengthen its human rights framework, and central to this effort is the establishment of an independent National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) that will promote and protect the rights of all individuals.
He told the convergence that Gambia stands alongside 44 other countries and national human rights institutions across the African continent.
The NHRC, he said, has achieved A-status accreditation with the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), affirming its compliance with international standards.
"In line with our broader reform agenda of transiting from dictatorship to democracy, we have made significant legislative strides, and for the first time, The Gambia has enacted the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act 2023 and has effectively domesticated the Torture Convention by criminalizing all acts of torture," he said.
Justice Minister Jallow went on to inform the gathering that The Gambia recently sworn in its first-ever Access to Information Commission, marking the beginning of the enforcement of the Access to Information Act enacted in 2021. This development, he said, is a significant step towards greater transparency and accountability.
"We enacted the Special Accountability Mechanism Act, a legislative framework guiding our Transitional Justice process, alongside the Act establishing the Office of the Special Prosecutor. These initiatives demonstrate our commitment to justice and accountability for past abuses," he said, adding that to further combat impunity and secure justice for victims, The Gambia is collaborating closely with ECOWAS to establish a Special Tribunal for the prosecution of international crimes committed on Gambian soil.
Currently, he said the National Assembly is considering the revised Criminal Offences and Criminal Procedure Bills. He continued to say that these are being comprehensively reviewed and updated for the first time since independence, to align with contemporary realities and ensure a responsive criminal justice system. He disclosed that the National Security Bill is also before the National Assembly, and once enacted, it will significantly enhance and expedite ongoing Security Sector Reform, and reinforce national stability and security.
"These efforts collectively represent our unwavering dedication in building a just, transparent, and democratic society, where the rule of law and human rights are respected and upheld," Justice Minister Jallow said.
He said the human rights situation in Africa remains a complex and multi-faceted issue, and said despite positive developments in some areas, significant challenges persist, adding that as they come together to address these pressing challenges, he called for a renewed commitment to building an Africa where every individual can enjoy their fundamental rights without fear.
"Only through collective action, solidarity, and sustained efforts, can we hope to overcome these obstacles and pave the way for a more just, peaceful, and prosperous continent," Justice Minister Jallow concludes. | https://allafrica.com/stories/202410150612.html | 2024-10-15T17:50:38Z |
(MENAFN- PR Newswire)
COLUMBIA, Md., Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --
AbsoluteCare, a leader in value-based healthcare, announced today the addition of Michelle Croasdale as Chief Growth Officer. Ms. Croasdale will play a pivotal role in advancing the company's vision to restore the health of all its vulnerable and chronically ill neighbors with its Beyond MedicineTM
care model.
Croasdale has worked for more than 25 years in the healthcare industry and is known for scaling healthcare organizations and driving growth. She has delivered significant results for a Fortune 50 company and several high-growth tech-based healthcare startup organizations.
"Michelle has built an exceptional track record with expertise in go to market strategy, business development, value-based care models, digital health and delivering value through health plans and other partners," said Michael Radu, CEO, AbsoluteCare. "She will bring her leadership and entrepreneurial spirit to AbsoluteCare to help us continue to grow as we restore the health of Medicaid and Medicare members through our integrated care approach."
Prior to joining AbsoluteCare, Croasdale served as the Senior Vice President, Growth at Thriveworks, U.S. Vice President, Growth at Babylon Health, and Health System Vice President at The Health Management Academy. In addition, she is co-founder of an independent physical therapy practice, Riviera Sports, in Los Angeles, California.
About AbsoluteCare
Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, AbsoluteCare is a leading value-based integrated healthcare provider. We go beyond medicineTM to provide comprehensive and preventive care to the most vulnerable populations. AbsoluteCare offers health services using a risk-bearing, PCP-driven care model. We treat the most clinically complex members of the communities we serve-many of whom face behavioral health, substance use, and SDoH challenges. AbsoluteCare tends exclusively to the needs of the high-risk population who persistently represent a disproportionate amount of unnecessary utilization and cost, regardless of whether they are engaged with other PCPs. We deliver this care in our Comprehensive Care Centers as well as in the communities we serve. In our almost 25 years, AbsoluteCare has consistently achieved unprecedented outcomes by addressing medical and psychosocial issues, as well as life's hardships that exacerbate chronic health conditions and complicate access to care. AbsoluteCare operates in seven markets: Baltimore and Prince George's County, MD; Cleveland and Columbus, OH; New Orleans, LA; and Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, PA. For more information, visit .
Media Contact:
Lauren
Cutruzzula
410-504-6971
[email protected]
SOURCE AbsoluteCare
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MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above. | https://menafn.com/1108780598/Absolutecare-Appoints-New-Chief-Growth-Officer-To-Drive-Innovation-And-Expansion | 2024-10-15T17:50:38Z |
On Halloween in 2009, Janice Cheadle was unable to reach her father, Patrick Cheadle. He had promised to attend a family dinner, but neither contacted her nor showed up. Worried, she began searching for him. Three days later, a friend of Patrick’s discovered his car parked on Elm Street in Greenville, Ohio. Patrick had been shot in the head, and his body was found in the back seat. The episode ‘Halloween Horror’ from ID’s ‘The Real Murders on Elm Street’ details the police investigation that ultimately identified the killer and revealed the motive behind the crime.
Patrick Cheadle Was Found Dead in the Backseat of His Car
Patrick Cheadle was born on August 27, 1956, to Robert Sr. and Ona “Brown” Cheadle. Raised in Greenville, Ohio, he grew up in a large family with six brothers and four sisters. Known for his boisterous personality, Patrick lived life on his own terms and had a deep love for music that stayed with him as he grew older. He worked as a truck driver, and in the little free time he had, he dedicated it to his family. He was a father to two daughters, and after remarrying, he welcomed three stepsons and a stepdaughter into his life. Patrick cherished the holidays, always making sure to come home with gifts, bringing joy to his children.
By 2009, Patrick’s father had passed away, and he had voluntarily retired from his job. He remained close to his family, becoming the primary caregiver for his mother, checking on her at least twice a day. He also maintained a tight-knit circle of friends in the community. On Halloween, October 31, 2009, Patrick informed his family that he was running an errand and would return to his sister’s house for dinner. However, by around 6:30 p.m., he stopped responding to his daughter’s messages. As the night wore on and there was still no sign of him, his family grew increasingly concerned and began searching for him.
The family continued searching for Patrick, and on November 3, 2009, they received a call from one of his friends who had spotted his car parked on Elm Street. Janice Cheadle, his daughter, rushed to the location and looked inside the car. From the driver’s seat, she saw Patrick lying motionless in the back seat. She immediately called the police, who determined that he had died from a gunshot wound to the head. His body also had abrasions and was covered with limestone. Additionally, plant material was found on his collarbone, later identified as marijuana.
Plants at a House Gave the Police Clues About Patrick’s Killer
From the injuries Patrick Cheadle sustained, the police concluded that he had been dragged along the road before being placed inside the car. Since there was no blood found in the vehicle, they determined that he had been killed elsewhere, and his body was later moved to the car for easier concealment. Investigators began speaking to those close to Patrick, including his daughter, who mentioned that he was a recreational marijuana user and had gone to pick up some weed that evening. She also revealed that he had around $13,000 with him at the time, but when the police searched the car, they only found $3,000.
By this time, the police had obtained Patrick’s cellphone records and discovered that he had made several calls to a 19-year-old named David Mizner. Although they couldn’t locate Mizner initially, another tip led them to a house in Bartonia, Indiana, just 20 miles from Patrick’s home. The local county police, familiar with the house due to prior domestic issues, believed it to be a problematic location. When officers knocked on the door, the couple living there claimed they had no knowledge of the man the police were inquiring about and had never seen Patrick’s van, where his body had been discovered.
Patrick’s Killer Had Threatened a Young Boy Into Silence
As the police were leaving the house, they noticed shrubs matching those found on Patrick’s collarbone. They obtained a search warrant and tested the floors with luminol, revealing a large pool of blood that had been cleaned. After tearing open the floorboards, they found blood underneath, which tested positive for Patrick’s. The couple was questioned again but continued to claim they didn’t know Patrick and provided an alibi that checked out. However, they then mentioned that a cousin of theirs, Terry Durbin, sometimes stayed at the house.
The couple added that on Halloween night, they had returned home to find Terry Durbin drinking and smoking marijuana with a 19-year-old boy, later identified as David Mizner. When the police asked both to report to the station, Mizner appeared frightened and revealed that Durbin had instructed him to purchase a gun, planning to rob Patrick that night. Mizner claimed that while he stayed inside the house, Durbin met with Patrick and then shot him instead. Mizner said Durbin had threatened him into silence and forced him to help drive Patrick’s van to Elm Street, where they left the body.
Terry Durbin is Serving a Long Sentence Today
On November 12, 2009, Terry Durbin was arrested and charged with murder. He denied all the allegations. His trial began in October 2010, during which David Mizner testified, admitting he had obtained the gun. Durbin also took the stand, claiming that after the drug deal with Patrick, he simply left and had intended to continue doing business with him. However, the jury found Durbin guilty of felony murder and robbery. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison. In August 2011, Durbin appealed his conviction, arguing that there wasn’t sufficient evidence against him, but the appeal was denied. Now 55 years old, he is incarcerated at the Pendleton Correctional Facility in Indiana, with a parole date set for 2039.
Read More: Jack Davis Jr Murder: Where is Johnny Ray Sanders Now? | https://thecinemaholic.com/patrick-cheadle-terry-durbin/ | 2024-10-15T17:50:38Z |
‘He's One Of The Most Handsome Men In The World’: Chris Hemsworth Reveals His Sweet Pick For Sexiest Man Alive
Let's make this happen!
Chris Hemsworth was cast as Thor years ago, headlined incredibly successful movies and participated in philanthropic efforts. Of course, aside from being a beloved movie star and philanthropist, he’s also one of the select few who’s been named Sexiest Man Alive. It’s an elusive title – and one that’s been humorously discussed by a number of Hollywood stars over the years. The latest recipient is set to be revealed in less than a month and, with that, Hemsworth just shared his sweet personal pick.
Considering that the 41-year-old Australia native held the Sexiest Man Alive title in 2014, he would likely know better than most who’d be a great fit for it. There are admittedly plenty of truly suave guys within Tinseltown who are deserving of the massive honor. When the Extraction star spoke to People – which handles the selection process – he name-dropped one of his latest co-stars, and I honestly can’t argue with his selection:
Yeah, I’m definitely down for this pick, though I may honestly be a bit biased, given the fact that I’ve long enjoyed watching Mr. Henry’s work. Nevertheless, Henry is indeed a handsome man and a sleek dresser. Of course, aside from that, the 42-year-old star is just a talented actor who’s put in some tremendous work. Having risen to prominence through the acclaimed FX dramedy series Atlanta, Henry has since impressed in Widows, Causeway, If Beale Street Could Talk and the Spider-Verse movies.
The Eternals actor’s latest role is actually what brought him and Chris Hemsworth together. Both of the fan-favorite stars worked together on the 2024 movie release Transformers One (which is honestly just as great for adults as it is for kids). Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry played friends-turned-enemies Optimus Prime and Megatron, respectively. Based on their press tour for the film – including the interviews CinemaBlend conducted with Hemsworth, Henry and co. – the two leading men have become quite close. I was already digging the bromance, but it makes me smile knowing that Hemsworth believes his pal should be Sexiest Man Alive.
Speaking of that much-discussed moniker, the latest honoree is set to be revealed by People on November 12. It’s, of course, unclear as to who will land it this year, and it’s safe to assume that inquiring minds are eager to find out. Patrick Dempsey is the latest star to have held the title, as he was announced to have earned it back in November 2023. Some would probably argue that Dempsey’s SMA title was a long time coming, and even his family responded to the news in humorous fashion.
Even if Brian Tyree Henry isn’t named Sexiest Man Alive this year, it’s my hope that he’ll eventually land it. Few people have the effortless charm and charisma that’s apparent during his interviews and emanates from his performances. I mean, hey, if he’s received a vote of confidence from Chris Hemsworth, Henry should at least receive consideration at some point, right?
You can hear the two celebrity friends lend their voices to the leaders of the Autobots and Decepticons in Transformers One, which is playing in theaters.
CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER
Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News
Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. | https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/chris-hemsworth-reveals-pick-for-sexiest-man-alive-brian-tyree-henry | 2024-10-15T17:50:39Z |
Parents in Ontario mourning their stillborn child will no longer have to pay for the legal documents associated with the loss.
Each year, there are around 1,400 stillbirths in Ontario, which meant grieving parents had to pay $22 to obtain a certified copy of a stillbirth registration – needed for legal purposes – and an additional $15 search fee. A stillbirth, as recognized by the province, is when a baby dies after the 20-week mark of pregnancy or at a weight of more than 500 grams.
The province said on Tuesday – which happens to be Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day – it recognizes the burdens this has on families, prompting its decision to waive these fees and simplify the process of obtaining the required registration.
“A stillbirth is a heartbreaking experience for any family. Our government understands the importance of honouring the memory of a lost loved one, and we are proud to be the first jurisdiction in Canada to eliminate fees for stillbirth documents,” Todd McCarthy, minister of public and business service delivery and procurement, said in a release issued on Tuesday.
Ontario is now offering commemorative documents for parents who have experienced this loss. While a certified copy is a legal record, this commemorative document is solely meant for remembrance purposes, the province says.
“Today’s announcement is an incredibly important step forward for Ontario parents who have experienced pregnancy and infant loss. It shows incredible care for bereaved parents and reminds them that their babies matter at a time of profound loss,” Michelle LaFontaine, Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Network’s regional program manager said in the release.
Ontarians can apply for both the commemorative document and registration either online or through the mail, with the steps outlined on how to register listed on the government’s website. | https://www.cp24.com/news/2024/10/15/ontario-scrapping-fees-for-stillbirth-registration/ | 2024-10-15T17:50:39Z |
WUNC is bringing you all the information you need for the 2024 election. See our full coverage, read about the candidates in statewide elections, or sign up for our politics newsletter or the politics podcast. You can learn how to find your sample ballot.
Election Day is Nov. 5. Are you ready? Where can you find a sample ballot? What kind of ID do you need? Does your vote really matter?
Polls show North Carolina as one of the nation's swing states that are likely to determine the outcome of the presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump. The 16 Electoral College votes available in North Carolina could go a long way in determining the outcome.
In North Carolina, there are 10 statewide races on the ballot this year. Those include the race for governor and attorney general, but also lesser known positions like commissioners of insurance and agriculture. WUNC has profiles on those races, as well as an analysis of a statewide ballot initiative about citizen voting.
In the March primary, just more than 1.8 million voters cast a ballot, or less than one-quarter of those registered to vote.
Register to Vote
You can no longer resister at your county board of elections, however same-day registration is available at early voting locations. Same-day registration, or sometimes called one-stop voting, is not available on Election Day.
FACT: 75 of 80 planned early voting sites in Western NC will be open throughout the early voting period, from Oct. 17 through Nov. 2. That is remarkable, considering Helene's destruction.
— NCSBE (@NCSBE) October 12, 2024
Please stop spreading false information. #ncpol #YourVoteCountsNC
In order to register at an early voting site, voters must provide proof of residence, which includes any of the following documents that includes the voter's current address:
- North Carolina driver's license.
- Other photo identification issued by a government agency, provided that the card includes the voter’s current name and address.
- A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document showing the voter’s name and address.
- For students living on campus, a document from an educational institution with the student’s name and on-campus housing address. Or, an educational institution may provide the county board of elections a list of students residing in particular campus housing, which will suffice if a student living in campus housing shows a valid student photo identification card.
The county board of elections will verify the voter's information and update the database. If everything is filed correctly, the vote cast on that early voting day will county just like any other.
Voter ID
It is now a requirement in North Carolina to show a form of photo identification in order to vote. Most voters will use a state-issued driver's license, but there are many other forms of accepted identification. Read more specific details from the NCSBE here. All county boards of elections can issue free photo IDs that voters can obtain at their county's board of elections.
Passports are accepted, as are most college or university student IDs, as well as tribal enrollment cards, military or veterans ID cards as long as they have a photo of the voter.
Vote Early
On October 17, early voting will begin. This has been an increasingly popular method of voting in North Carolina, as voters are choosing not to wait in line on Election Day. Operating times for early voting sites vary slightly, but are generally open for the bulk of every Monday through Saturday, and some are open in the afternoons of the two Sundays as well.
Election Day is just one month away! You can vote by mail, in-person during the early voting period, or on November 5. Plan your vote now!#YourVoteCountsNC #NCpol #BringItNC pic.twitter.com/3BKeto593o
— NCSBE (@NCSBE) October 9, 2024
The N.C. Board of Elections has an easy tool to find the early voting location nearest to you. Importantly, these early voting sites are not the same as your precinct for Election Day. So check the early voting sites web page, and do not go to the voting place listed on your voter registration card.
Early voting runs through 3 p.m. on Nov. 2, the Saturday before Election Day. Early voting is not available on Sunday, Nov. 3.
Vote on Election Day
If you prefer to vote on Election Day, polling places will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Note that if you are in line by 7:30 p.m., even if you have not actually cast your vote, you will still be able to vote.
There are many voting places across the state. The best way to find yours is to put in your address here and find your voting place. The board of elections even has photos from most of the polling sites to help ensure you get to the right place.
Curbside Voting
Every voting site in North Carolina offers the ability to vote from a vehicle if the voter is unable to enter the voting place without physical assistance due to age or disability.
The term "disability" means you:
- Are unable to enter the polling place due to age or physical or mental disability, such as agoraphobia;
- Have a medical condition that puts you at increased risk of COVID-19;
- Should not wear a mask due to a medical or behavioral condition or disability; or
- Are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
Curbside voting instructions are posted at voting places and a precinct official will come out to your car to help you vote. A curbside voter has the same rights to assistance as any other voter. | https://www.wunc.org/2024-10-15/how-to-vote-north-carolina-2024-election-day-nov-5-early-voting-starts-oct-17 | 2024-10-15T17:50:40Z |
SOCHI, October 15. /TASS/. Russia requested Azerbaijan and Georgia in respect of the possibility to import 600 MW of electric power from these countries in emergency conditions, Inter RAO Executive Board Member Alexandra Panina told reporters.
"Yes, we have asked two countries: Azerbaijan, and asked Georgia about the supply possibility. We are considering the import opportunity and we asked about capabilities of two neighboring power systems, for supplies in emergency conditions," she said.
"If emergencies are in place, then we, at the request of the System Operator, would ask the two power systems, the ones of Georgia and Azerbaijan, with the request to keep for us and be ready to supply 300 MW from each for us," Panina noted. The company has not yet received answers from Georgia and Azerbaijan, she added. | https://tass.com/economy/1856593 | 2024-10-15T17:50:40Z |
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Having an abortion was something most women used to keep private. But since Roe v. Wade was overturned, some women have decided to go public in interviews, at protests and in lawsuits. And increasingly, they are becoming a political force. Rosemary Westwood at member station WWNO spoke with two of these women about why they turned their personal suffering into activism.
ROSEMARY WESTWOOD, BYLINE: Nancy Davis was 10 weeks pregnant in the summer of 2022 when she learned her fetus didn't have a skull. It was a fatal condition called acrania. But because of Louisiana's abortion ban, her doctors in Baton Rouge refused to terminate her pregnancy.
(SOUNDBITE OF PRESS CONFERENCE)
NANCY DAVIS: Basically, they said I had to carry my baby to bury my baby.
WESTWOOD: That was Davis speaking at a press conference on the steps of the Louisiana Capitol. Davis was so angry that she emailed her local TV news station and eventually made national headlines. And it still took weeks to find the money and arrange a trip to New York to end the pregnancy.
DAVIS: I knew if I was going through it, other people was going through it as well.
WESTWOOD: While Davis was talking to the media, another Baton Rouge woman, Kaitlyn Joshua, was beginning her slow-motion collision with the new state law. She was 11 weeks pregnant when she started miscarrying, a story she later shared at the Democratic National Convention.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
KAITLYN JOSHUA: I was in pain, bleeding so much my husband feared for my life.
WESTWOOD: Joshua went to two different emergency rooms. The abortion ban was just over a month old, and doctors refused to end her pregnancy. She ended up miscarrying at home in great pain. It was frightening. Eventually, Joshua also decided to speak about her trauma to the media and started traveling with the Biden and then the Harris presidential campaign. At the convention, she said women were constantly reaching out with similar stories.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
JOSHUA: Sometimes they're miscarrying, scared to tell anyone, even their doctors.
WESTWOOD: One day, Joshua and Davis ended up speaking at the same rally, and they became friends. I sat down with both of them in August in Joshua's home in Baton Rouge. The two women said they felt a historic obligation, especially as Black women, to speak out for those who can't.
DAVIS: A lot of people go through their lives trying to find their life purpose or their life's meaning, but my life calling found me.
WESTWOOD: Davis has started a foundation to help women travel out of Louisiana for abortions. And Joshua is still traveling with the Harris-Walz campaign.
JOSHUA: When we go out, we are doing it for everybody, and we are doing for all the women that are being faced with adversity as a result of abortion bans.
WESTWOOD: And more and more women are coming out with their stories. One study of newspaper coverage found that as recently as 2018, only 4% of articles about abortion included a patient's personal experience. Now 20% do. Kate Cox sued Texas over its abortion ban. She told ABC News that personal stories like hers will be key to overturning these laws.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
KATE COX: How many people have to speak up? How many women have to tell their most painful journey publicly before something changes?
WESTWOOD: This November, 10 states will ask voters whether to add abortion rights to their state constitutions, and Harris is counting on this issue to help lead her to victory. Will these women and their abortion stories play a decisive role? There is some evidence they could. Tresa Undem is a political pollster.
TRESA UNDEM: People who have heard those stories versus those who haven't are more likely to say, the state of abortion rights will affect who I vote for in 2024.
WESTWOOD: In the states with ballot measures, campaigns say these stories have been central to their advertising and messaging. Katie Woodruff at UC San Francisco has been studying how people talk about abortion, particularly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with the Dobbs decision in 2022.
KATIE WOODRUFF: I think what we're seeing post-Dobbs is people who have not been following the issue in detail are surprised at some of the consequences of these laws.
WESTWOOD: Nancy Davis, during her visit with Kaitlyn Joshua, said people tell her that she has changed their minds.
DAVIS: Like, now I'm pro-choice, or like, you made me change my way of thinking, you know?
WESTWOOD: Davis went on to have a healthy pregnancy, and so did Joshua. Joshua's younger child, Liam, was playing near the couch. People still ask her why she doesn't just leave Louisiana.
JOSHUA: And I'm like, no. I am a Black woman in Louisiana. My people built the state. We're going to stay and fight for the state that we love. But I feel like as women of color, part of leading that...
(SOUNDBITE OF BABY CRYING)
JOSHUA: ...Charge on this movement - exactly, Liam - that we are within our rights of being able to, you know, kind of step into our power here.
WESTWOOD: And they may get a sense of how far that power can reach quite soon after Election Day in November.
For NPR News, I'm Rosemary Westwood in New Orleans. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. | https://www.wyso.org/2024-10-15/more-women-whove-been-denied-abortions-are-going-public-with-their-stories | 2024-10-15T17:50:41Z |
The brand new Scheels is set to open at Woodland Hills Mall on Saturday, October 19 and I had a privilege of getting a sneak peak of the store before it opens.
In my opinion, this is like an amusement park inside a mall with a Ferris Wheel, aquarium (in partnership with the Oklahoma Aquarium), Rollerball, candy store, kids zone and cafe on top of numerous items worth shopping for:
@k95.5tulsa Talk about #epic 😍 The new @SCHEELS store in #tulsa is like an #amusementpark inside a #mall 👀 Make sure you check it out for yourself! #CapCut #scheels #newstore #grandopening #fyp @cait_ontheradio
♬ Yeah! (Let's Party)-CAPPVF - Marc James Oshry
If you’re looking for anything that has to do with the outdoors, Scheels is the place you want to visit!
Be sure to attend their grand opening event happening on Saturday, October 19 at 7 a.m. for fun activities including food trucks, DJ, local mascots, marching bands, cheer teams and more before their doors open at 9:30 a.m. | https://www.k95tulsa.com/entertainment/video-heres-sneak-peak-brand-new-scheels-before-it-opens-this-saturday/RVKAQRIU25FYHH26QIWHJ7RPG4/ | 2024-10-15T17:50:40Z |
Kathmandu, Oct 15 (PTI) More than 1,000 foreign tourists have been stranded in Nepal after bad weather led to the cancellation of flights to Lukla, the gateway to Mt Everest, according to state-run media on Tuesday.
Lukla serves as a major transit point for trekkers heading to the world’s highest peak.
Around 1,300 tourists, en route to the Everest base camp, have been stranded in Manthali at Ramechhap district for the past two days after dozens of flights were grounded due to inclement weather, the government-owned daily Gorkhapatra reported.
Some tourists have opted to travel by land via Faplu, while others have taken helicopters to Surkhet, it said.
An official from the Civil Aviation Authority at Manthali confirmed that the stranded tourists had arrived there through various private airlines, intending to continue their journey to Lukla.
The autumn season attracts a large number of trekkers to the Everest region. PTI SBP SCY SCY | https://www.newsdrum.in/international/over-1000-tourists-stranded-in-nepal-due-to-bad-weather-7317554 | 2024-10-15T17:50:41Z |
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
This week Texas is scheduled to execute an innocent man. That's the view of supporters of death row inmate Robert Roberson. Roberson is scheduled to be put to death Thursday in what would be the nation's first execution based on what's known as shaken baby syndrome. That is a now-discredited theory that claims violently shaking a baby can cause fatal brain damage without leaving any other signs of physical trauma. Texas Public Radio's David Martin Davies has more.
DAVID MARTIN DAVIES, BYLINE: In 2002, Roberson's 2-year-old daughter Nikki was sick with a fever of 104.5. The little girl was born with chronic health problems that were never fully diagnosed. She would frequently stop breathing and turn blue. Over the course of a week, Roberson took the toddler to both the ER and her pediatrician, who prescribed codeine and another powerful drug. Both are respiratory suppressants that medical experts say are no longer prescribed for children.
And in the early morning of January 31, Nikki stopped breathing again. When Roberson rushed his daughter back to the hospital in Palestine, Texas, Nikki could not be resuscitated. Her heart was revived, but not her brain. She was taken off life support the following day. I asked Roberson about this when I traveled to Texas' death row recently.
ROBERT ROBERSON: I lost my little girl and stuff, and they accused me of it because I couldn't explain what happened to her. So they just said I was guilty of it 'cause the hospital told the investigators that it was a certain type of case - shaken baby, you know? And that's the way they went. They never did investigate it.
DAVIES: The lead detective on the case says, that's correct. No theory beyond shaken baby syndrome was every seriously investigated. Roberson is on the autism spectrum, and he also has a low IQ.
GRETCHEN SWEEN: He's been described by people who know him as like Forrest Gump.
DAVIES: That's Gretchen Sween, Roberson's lead attorney.
SWEEN: He has a developmental disability. It's lifelong. But he also has this sort of childlike innocence and authenticity and, you know, is very intuitive and kind about people.
DAVIES: Sween says the hospital did a CAT scan of little Nikki and found a swollen, bleeding brain believed at the time to be a classic sign of shaken baby syndrome. But now, medical experts point out that pneumonia and starving the brain of oxygen can create those symptoms, and Nikki had both. But back in 2002, the east Texas hospital staff thought they had a dad murdering his daughter. They called the police. They immediately suspected Roberson because of his odd demeanor. Brian Wharton was the chief detective for the Palestine Police Department and testified against Roberson at his trial.
BRIAN WHARTON: They were also telling us, Dad's here. Dad's the one that brought her in. He's acting a little strange. Was this him trying to cover something? It was just a hint, a clue that there was something amiss here.
DAVIES: Detective Wharton is now retired, and he traded in his badge for a Bible. Now, the Reverend Wharton says he and the entire system made a mistake. He says he's forever haunted by his role in putting an innocent man on death row, a man he says should be exonerated.
WHARTON: I'm stunned that we are at this point - I really am - that we are now dependent upon a clemency hearing to get justice for Robert. And so here's another moment in Texas, another moment for the death penalty, where we need to be taking long, hard looks at what we think is justice.
DAVIES: Roberson was convicted and sentenced to death largely because of his unemotional behavior that night and in the courtroom in front of the jury. But jurors were never told about Nikki's chronic medical problems. In recent years, medical experts reexamined Nikki's lung tissue and found that she was suffering from two types of pneumonia, which caused sepsis and then septic shock.
To date, courts have exonerated and released at least 33 people convicted based on the diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome. The medical consensus today is that the diagnosis is based on junk science. Throughout his 22 years on death row, Roberson says he's continued to cling to hope.
ROBERSON: I thought we had a fair and just criminal justice system. But I learned a lot different now, since, you know, what happened, you know, all these years, you know. And they tried to get me plead for a life sentence three times. I'm not going to take no life sentence, and I'm not going to plead up to nothing I didn't do.
DAVIES: Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles have not commented on the case. Roberson's attorneys are asking multiple courts to stop his October 17 execution. For NPR News, I'm David Martin Davies in San Antonio. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. | https://www.kdlg.org/as-heard-on-npr/2024-10-14/shaken-baby-syndrome-is-discredited-but-a-man-is-scheduled-to-be-executed-for-it | 2024-10-15T17:50:42Z |
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – October 15, 2024 – Stocks in this week’s article are Grupo Supervielle S.A. SUPV, Emergent BioSolutions Inc. EBS and Innodata Inc. INOD.
3 Stocks Poised for Better Returns with New Analyst Coverage
The initiation of coverage by new analysts can provide substantial advantages to investors and exert a notable impact on financial markets. Analysts typically possess specialized knowledge and expertise in particular industries or sectors. Through thorough research and analysis, they offer investors critical insights into a company's financial health, growth potential, competitive standing, and industry trends — insights that are often difficult for individual investors to acquire independently.
Grupo Supervielle S.A., Emergent BioSolutions Inc. and Innodata Inc. are three stocks that have witnessed new analyst coverage lately. These are, therefore, expected to attract investor attention.
Coverage initiation on a stock by analyst(s) usually portrays higher investor inclination. Investors, on their part, often assume that there is something special in a stock to attract analysts to cover it. In other words, they believe that the company coming under the microscope definitely holds some value.
Do analysts create value for companies by initiating coverage? Of course, they do because they play an important intermediary role with their extensive access to relevant data. Many investors have immense faith in analysts' research as they fear that a lack of information might trigger inefficiencies.
Obviously, stocks are not randomly chosen to cover. A new coverage on a stock usually reflects a reassuring future envisioned by the analyst(s). At times, increased investor focus on a stock motivates analysts to take a closer look at it. After all, who doesn't like to produce something that is already in demand? Hence, we often find that analysts' ratings on newly added stocks are more favorable than their ratings on continuously covered stocks.
Needless to say, the average change in broker recommendation is preferable to a single recommendation change.
Impact on Stock Price
The price movement of a stock is generally a function of the recommendations from new analysts. Stocks typically see an upward price movement with new analyst coverage compared to what they witness with a rating upgrade under an existing coverage. Positive recommendations — Buy and Strong Buy — generally lead to a significantly positive price reaction compared with Hold recommendations. On the contrary, analysts hardly initiate coverage with a Strong Sell or Sell recommendation.
Now, if an analyst issues a new recommendation on a company that has very little or no existing coverage, investors start paying more attention to it. Also, any further information attracts portfolio managers to build a position in the stock.
So, it's a good strategy to bet on stocks that have seen increased analyst coverage over the last few weeks.
Here are three out of the five stocks that passed the screen:
Grupo Supervielle S.A.: This is a Buenos Aires, Argentina-based financial services holding company. SUPV currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
SUPV shares have gained 31.3% over the past three months against the industry's 10.3% decline. Earnings per share (EPS) estimates for SPUV have moved north to $1.29 from $1.20 for 2024 in the past 60 days, depicting analysts' optimism over the company's prospects. The estimated figure indicates 59.3% growth from a year ago.
Emergent BioSolutions: Headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD, this is a life sciences company. EBS currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Emergent BioSolutions' shares have lost 22.6% over the past three months, underperforming the industry's 1% rise. Yet, the bottom-line estimates for EBS have improved to a loss of $1.30 per share from a loss of $1.98 per share for 2024 in the past 30 days. It also has a favorable VGM Score of B.
Innodata: Based in Ridgefield Park, NJ, this company operates as a global data engineering company. INOD currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
INOD shares have lost 17.9% over the past three months compared with the industry's 9.6% rise. Nonetheless, EPS estimates for 2024 have moved north to 21 cents from 18 cents in the past 60 days. Innodata also has a favorable VGM Score of B.
You can get the remaining stock on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your trading. Further, you can also create your strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.
The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.
Click here to sign up for a free trial of the Research Wizard today.
For the rest of this Screen of the Week article please visit Zacks.com at: https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2349685/3-stocks-poised-for-better-returns-with-new-analyst-coverage
Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.
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Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News
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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
Infrastructure Stock Boom to Sweep America
A massive push to rebuild the crumbling U.S. infrastructure will soon be underway. It’s bipartisan, urgent, and inevitable. Trillions will be spent. Fortunes will be made.
The only question is “Will you get into the right stocks early when their growth potential is greatest?”
Zacks has released a Special Report to help you do just that, and today it’s free. Discover 5 special companies that look to gain the most from construction and repair to roads, bridges, and buildings, plus cargo hauling and energy transformation on an almost unimaginable scale.
Download FREE: How To Profit From Trillions On Spending For Infrastructure >>Emergent Biosolutions Inc. (EBS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Innodata Inc. (INOD) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Grupo Supervielle S.A. (SUPV) : Free Stock Analysis Report
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. | https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/zackscom-featured-highlights-include-grupo-supervielle-emergent-biosolutions-and-innodata | 2024-10-15T17:50:43Z |
(MENAFN- PR Newswire)
Dossier submission planned for Q2 2025; regulatory decision expected by Q1 2026
Estimated potential market opportunity: peak of $100M to $150M in annual Revenue
Company aims to expand approval efforts to additional global markets
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --
NeuroSense Therapeutics Ltd.
(Nasdaq: NRSN ) ("NeuroSense"), a late-clinical stage biotechnology company developing novel treatments for severe neurodegenerative diseases, provided a further update on its plans to file for early commercialization approval for PrimeC under Health Canada's Notice of Compliance with Conditions (NOC/c) policy. This submission is based on promising results from the Company's Phase 2b ALS PARADIGM clinical trial, supported by additional clinical and preclinical data.
This decision follows the recommendations of Canadian regulatory experts and recent clinical findings, which demonstrated that
PrimeC significantly reduced disease progression (p=0.009)
and improved
survival rates by 43% compared to placebo, highlighting its potential as a breakthrough therapy for ALS.
NeuroSense
estimates a significant market opportunity in Canada, with potential peak annual revenue of $100M to $150M, driven by the prevalence of ALS in Canada, estimated market penetration of PrimeC, estimated price, and the current unmet demand for effective ALS treatments.
Beyond Canada, NeuroSense plans to pursue regulatory approval in additional global markets as part of its broader strategy to make PrimeC accessible to ALS patients worldwide.
Alon Ben-Noon, CEO of NeuroSense, stated, "The Canadian market presents a significant near-term opportunity, with the addressable market for PrimeC valued above $100 million in annual revenue. Securing early commercialization approval in Canada would represent an important milestone, not only to address the unmet need for ALS treatments but also as part of our strategy to drive sustainable growth. With additional markets on our radar, this marks the beginning of what we anticipate will be a long-term revenue-generating opportunity."
About ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ("ALS") is an incurable neurodegenerative disease that causes complete paralysis and death within 2-5 years from diagnosis. Every year, more than 5,000 people are diagnosed with ALS in the U.S. alone, with an annual disease burden of
$1 billion. The number of people living with ALS is expected to grow by 24% by 2040 in the U.S. and EU.
About ALSFRS-R
Disease progression is measured by the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R), which is the most widely used ALS tracking tool accepted by the FDA, utilized by neurologists treating ALS patients, in clinical trials, and by other regulators to determine disease progression. It tracks 12 changes in a person's physical abilities over time including functions such as: speech, walking, climbing stairs, dressing/hygiene, handwriting, turning in bed, cutting food, salivation, swallowing, and breathing.
A single point change on the ALSFRS-R has a significant impact on ALS patients, such as the transition from independent feeding to requiring assistance or independent breathing to needing to use a machine ventilator.
About PARADIGM
PARADIGM is a prospective, multinational, randomized,
double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2b (NCT05357950 ) clinical trial of PrimeC in ALS. The trial included 68 participants living with ALS in Canada, Italy, and Israel. 96% of the trial participants who completed the 6-month double-blind portion of the trial chose to receive treatment with PrimeC through a 12-month open label extension. Furthermore, to date (June 2024) all participants that completed the 18-month trial treatment duration, requested to continue PrimeC, which is provided to them in an Investigator Initiated Trial, not limited with time.
As previously reported, in the 6-month double-blind segment of the trial, the data showed clinically meaningful signs of efficacy with a 29% difference in favor of PrimeC vs placebo in analysis of the intent to treat (ITT) population. In the PP top-line analysis
from PARADIGM, a statistically significant slowing of disease progression was observed with a 37.4% (p=0.03) difference in ALSFRS-R in favor of PrimeC vs placebo. Most patients enrolled in both the active and placebo arms of the trial were concurrently treated with Riluzole, the ALS standard of care medication, indicating PrimeC slowed disease progression well beyond the level afforded by the FDA approved ALS drug.
About PrimeC
PrimeC, NeuroSense's lead drug candidate, is a novel extended-release oral formulation composed of a unique fixed-dose combination of two FDA-approved drugs: ciprofloxacin and celecoxib. PrimeC is designed to synergistically target several key mechanisms of ALS that contribute to motor neuron degeneration, inflammation, iron accumulation and impaired ribonucleic acid ("RNA") regulation to potentially inhibit the progression of ALS. NeuroSense completed a Phase 2a clinical trial which met its safety and efficacy endpoints including reducing functional and respiratory deterioration and statistically significant changes in ALS-related biological markers indicating PrimeC's biological activity. PrimeC was granted Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency.
About NeuroSense
NeuroSense Therapeutics, Ltd. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing treatments for patients suffering from debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. NeuroSense believes that these diseases, which include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS), Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, among others, represent one of the most significant unmet medical needs of our time, with limited effective therapeutic options available for patients to date. Due to the complexity of neurodegenerative diseases and based on strong scientific research on a large panel of related biomarkers, NeuroSense's strategy is to develop combined therapies targeting multiple pathways associated with these diseases.
For additional information, we invite you to visit our
website
and follow us on
LinkedIn , YouTube
and
X . Information that may be important to investors may be routinely posted on our website and these social media channels.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "contemplate," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "seek," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "target," "aim," "should," "will" "would," or the negative of these words or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are based on NeuroSense Therapeutics' current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict and include statements regarding the timing of regulatory filings and regulatory decisions, the market opportunity in Canada and securing regulatory approval in global markets. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. The future events and trends may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward looking statements. These risks include the risk of a delay in submission by the Company of its regulatory dossier,
that regulatory approvals for PrimeC will be delayed or not obtained in Canada or elsewhere; that the market opportunity in Canada will not be as currently estimated; unexpected R&D costs or operating expenses, insufficient capital to complete development of PrimeC, a delay in the reporting of additional results from PARADIGM clinical trial, the timing of expected regulatory and business milestones, risks associated with meeting with the FDA and Health Canada to determine the best path forward following the results from PARADIGM clinical trial, including a delay in any such meeting; the potential for PrimeC to safely and effectively target ALS; preclinical and clinical data for PrimeC; the uncertainty regarding outcomes and the timing of current and future clinical trials; timing for reporting data; the development and commercial potential of any product candidates of Neurosense; the ability of NeuroSense to remain listed on Nasdaq; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in NeuroSense's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). You should not rely on these statements as representing our views in the future. More information about the risks and uncertainties affecting NeuroSense is contained under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 4, 2024 and NeuroSense's subsequent filings with the SEC. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and NeuroSense undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.
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Directed by Parker Finn as a sequel to his hit movie ‘Smile,’ ‘Smile 2’ follows famous popstar Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) as she is haunted by a terrifying entity that seems to create vivid hallucinations of evil smiles all around her. When Skye heads to her friend Lewis’ apartment to check up on him, she finds him in a terror-stricken state. After he kills himself in front of her, Skye begins to see horrifying events unfolding around her as a malicious presence taunts her. Hoping to find a way to defeat the relentless entity and regain control of her mind, she heads out of the city. The shifting backdrops of the horror film seem to paint a picture of ever-present danger for Skye, as no matter where she goes, she cannot escape the grinning monster.
Smile 2 Filming Locations
‘Smile 2’ was filmed throughout New York, in New York City, and the Upstate New York region, including Albany, Ellenville, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, and Wappingers Falls. Principal photography began in January 2024 and was wrapped up by March 2024. The film’s casting for extras may have been carried out under the working title ‘Too Much For One Heart’ by HGB Casting. Short on time leading up to filming, Naomi Scott entered a studio and started practicing the song and dance required for the production two days after her casting was confirmed. To create a believable pop star character, the actress sang all of her songs and performed the choreography featured in the film.
New York City, New York
‘Smile 2’ is most recognizably filmed in and around New York City. The protagonist is a pop star based in the metropolis, and the city and its emblematic skyline feature in the background of various sequences of the film. The city’s busy residential areas and office buildings feature in the backdrop of the film as the parasite begins to take hold of Skye Riley, and she flees the urban landscape in hopes of escaping it.
Newburgh, New York
Filming for ‘Smile 2’ took place across cities and villages in Hudson Valley, with the production team doing pop-up shoots and maintaining discretion. One of these locations is the city of Newburgh in Orange County. The crew set up shop at the Newburgh Brewing Company on 88 South Colden Street for three days as they shot sequences at The Lofts at Foundry. Featuring a red brick exterior, the apartment complex is located at 43 Edward Street and was used to shoot some of the scary sequences within its minimalistic rooms and halls.
Albany, New York
Albany, the capital city of New York State, played a significant role in the filming of ‘Smile 2.’ Known for its industrious history and modern cityscape, Albany provided the perfect setting for some of the more intense urban scenes in the film. The seat of Albany County, Albany, is a major location for the film crew’s shooting leg of Upstate New York, which created a diverse visual gallery for the movie.
Ellenville, New York
Located in Ulster County, the small village of Ellenville is another filming location for ‘Smile 2.’ The quaint charm and surrounding natural landscapes of Ellenville provide a quieter, more isolated environment that contrasts sharply with the urban settings of the movie. As Skye tries to escape the city and its nightmarish hallucinations, Ellenville serves as one of her stops along the way.
Poughkeepsie, New York
The production also headed to Poughkeepsie, the seat of Dutchess County located in the Hudson Valley. Poughkeepsie’s riverside location is accentuated by the Walkway Over the Hudson State Park, a steel cantilever bridge that connects the town to Highland. Poughkeepsie’s serene neighborhoods and the Hudson River flowing nearby provide a unique and atmospheric setting for filmmakers.
Wappingers Falls, New York
The picturesque village of Wappingers Falls in Dutchess County also served as a filming location for ‘Smile 2.’ With its eponymous creek and charming small-town feel, Wappingers Falls provides a hauntingly beautiful backdrop as Skye’s journey takes her deeper into the increasingly rustic countryside. The town’s industrial ambiance can be felt as Skye travels through its streets, with surrounding mountain ranges visible on the horizon. The psychological horror unfolding in Skye’s mind creates a stark contrast with the peaceful natural landscapes surrounding her, leading to an unsettling effect as she begins to realize that isolation may not save her.
Read More: Is Smile (2022) Based on True Horror Events? | https://thecinemaholic.com/smile-2-where-filmed/ | 2024-10-15T17:50:45Z |
32 Hilarious Lines By Leslie Nielsen In His Funniest Movies
The Patron Saint of the Spoof.
In some critical cases, the funniest way to deliver a line of dialogue is in the most serious way possible and no one understood that better than Leslie Nielsen. While much of his early work primarily consisted of dramas, the actor has his fingerprints on many of the greatest parody movies of all time, which defined his career from when he starred in 1980's Airplane! to his passing in 2010 at 84. Celebrate the life of the master of deadpan by looking back on the most uproarious Leslie Nielsen movie quotes.
"Wilma, I Promise You, Whatever Scum Did This, Not One Man On This Force Will Rest One Minute Until He's Behind Bars. Now, Let's Grab A Bite To Eat" - The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!
Early on in 1988's The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, when Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) is visiting his partner, Nordberg, in the hospital, he happens to say quite a few inappropriate things to the ailing cop's wife, Wilma (Susan Beaubian). One of the funniest comes when he asks Capt. Ed Hocken (Geroge Kennedy) went to lunch right after ensuring Wilma that he would take no breaks on this case.
"Yes, Yes, I Remember. I Had Lasagna" - Airplane!
In Airplane!, Leslie Nielsen's Dr. Rumack comes into play when several passengers mysteriously fall ill, leading him to ask flight attendant Elaine (Julie Hagerty), what the in-flight meal was. After she tells him there was a choice between steak or fish, he matter-of-factly recalls that he, somehow, ate neither of those items.
"Nice Party, Hapsburg. I See A Lot Of Familiar Face-Lifts" - The Naked Gun 2-1/2: The Smell Of Fear
In the second installment of the Naked Gun movies from 1991, Leslie Nielsen's Frank Drebin takes an immediate dislike to Quentin Hapsburg (Robert Goulet), the new beau of his former lover, Jane Spencer (Priscilla Presley). He takes every opportunity he sees to belittle the wealthy oil industrialist, including pointing out how many of his party guests appear to partake in cosmetic surgery.
"I'm Here Today At The... 'Un'" - Scary Movie 4
Leslie Nielsen would reunite with David Zucker, one of the creators of Airplane! and the Naked Gun series, when he took over the Scary Movie franchise, which pokes fun at the best horror movies, for the third and fourth installments. In Nielsen's best moment from 2006's Scary Movie 4, President Baxter must refer to the United Nations logo behind him to identify who he is speaking to but still fails miserably.
"It's An Entirely Different Kind Of Flying" - Airplane!
In Airplane!, when Rumack asks Ted Striker (Robert Hays) about his piloting experience, he says he flew single-engine fighters in the Air Force. When he adds that handling a four-engine commercial jet is "an entirely different kind of flying, altogether," the doctor and flight attendant Randy (Lorna Patterson) take that last word as a signal to both repeat what he said in unison.
"Nice Beaver!" - The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!
One of the all-time funniest spoof movie gags comes from The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! when Drebin stands right below Jane as she is standing on a ladder, rummaging through her attic, and compliments her "beaver." Every unsuspecting viewer understandably had their heads in the gutter until she passed down the recently taxidermied woodland animal to him.
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"Children Of The Night. What A Mess They Make" - Dracula: Dead And Loving It
In 1995, Mel Brooks sent up one of the most essential vampire movies with Dracula: Dead and Loving It, and cast Leslie Nielsen in the title role. A funny moment sees the count paraphrasing Bela Lugosi's immortal line from the 1931 original – "Listen to them, children of the night. What music they make!" – to reference a patch of bat guano that appears on his staircase.
"I'm Sure That We Can Handle This Situation Maturely, Just Like The Responsible Adults That We Are. Isn't That right, Mr... Poopy Pants?" - The Naked Gun 2-1/2: The Smell Of Fear
For all of his absent-mindedness, we would normally never think of Frank Drebin as particularly immature, except for this moment from The Naked Gun 2-1/2: The Smell of Fear. No one can blame him for feeling petty after how things left off with him and Jane between installments but calling her new boyfriend, Hapsburg, "Mr. Poopy Pants" is inexcusably infantile.
"You Know, I Usually Specialize In Stuff You Can Wrap" - All I Want For Christmas
The first of two times Leslie Nielsen played Santa Claus – the second being the 2000 made-for-TV movie, Santa Who? – was in 1991's All I Want for Christmas. He plays a kindly mall Santa, who is asked by young Hallie (Thora Birch) to help bring their divorced parents back together.
"I Am Serious And Don't Call Me Shirley" - Airplane!
Perhaps the funniest line said by Leslie Nielsen in Airplane! – let alone the movie's funniest line, period – comes after Dr. Rumack asks Striker if he can take over the plane's ill pilots, and land it. When the former pilot responds, "Surely, you can't be serious," the doctor assumes he was calling him a traditionally feminine name.
"It's The Same Old Story. Boy Finds Girl, Boy Loses Girl, Girl Finds Boy, Boy Forgets Girl, Boy Remembers Girl, Girl Dies In A Tragic Blimp Accident Over The Orange Bowl On New Year's Day" - The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!
In the first Naked Gun movie, on their first date at Frank's apartment, he and Jane are discussing their pasts when Frank recalls a lover he once lost to tragedy. The dark joke gets even funnier when Jane asks if the blimp is from Goodyear and he misinterprets the question and responds, "No, the worst."
"I Just Want To Tell You Both, Good Luck. We're All Counting On You" - Airplane!
There is nothing particularly funny about this line the first time Leslie Nielsen says it to Ted and Elaine as they finally make an attempt to land in Airplane! However, it becomes hilarious after Rumack repeats it to them randomly and unprompted twice more during the final act.
"The Truth Hurts, Doesn't It, Hapsburg? Oh, Sure, Maybe Not As Much As Landing On A Bicycle With The Seat Missing, But It Hurts!" - The Naked Gun 2-1/2: The Smell Of Fear
In The Naked Gun 2-1/2, Frank discovers that his disdain toward Hapsburg was justified by his secret terrorist involvements. He spews more belittling rhetoric at the criminal that really does sound like a painful scenario.
"I Haven't Seen Anything Like This Since The Anita Bryant Concert" - Airplane!
Anita Bryant was a very controversial figure in the late 1970s, due to her outspoken opposition to gay rights. This line from Airplane!, in which Rumack compares the display of violent illness among the passengers to the crowd at one of the former singer's own shows, is just one of many times pop culture took a jab at her.
"I Just Think About Baseball" - The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!
The Naked Gun movies are known for their hilariously subversive use of double entendres, such as when Drebin tells Jane he used to have a problem with his firearm going off... or so it seems. The discussion takes a strange turn when she asks how he solved his problem but his response sounds like he is referring to something else.
"I've Been Like A Father To You! I Raised You, Just Like Your Father Did! I Believed In You, Just Like Your Father Did! I Slept With Your Mother, Just Like Your Father Did!" - Superhero Movie
After two Scary Movies, Leslie Nielsen starred in a 2008 send-up of the best superhero movies (especially Spider-Man), aptly named Superhero Movie, as the uncle of the young, superpowered Rick (Drake Bell). During an argument, Uncle Albert goes a little too far in trying to prove to his nephew just how well he earned his place as a father figure to him.
“Uh, Then He's Certainly Not Going To Enjoy That Treat I Just Fed To Him” - Wrongfully Accused
Wrongfully Accused, starring Leslie Nielsen as a murder suspect struggling to clear his name, is essentially a parody of great action movies, especially The Fugitive. However, the 1998 comedy is also a mixed bag of gags, such as when Nielsen's Ryan Harrison discovers he has mistaken a dog's rear end for its face.
"It's True What They Say: Cops And Women Don't Mix. It's Like Eating A Spoonful Of Drano. Sure, It'll Clean You Out, But It'll Leave You Hollow Inside" - The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!
All we can really say about this line from the first Naked Gun – directed at Jane after Frank learns she really works for the film's main antagonist – is that you should definitely not eat a spoonful of Drano. Ever.
"You Can't Take A Guess For Another Two Hours?" - Airplane!
This Airplane! line comes from a hilarious exchange between Rumack and Capt. Oveur is full of misunderstandings. Rumack asks him if he can take a guess of how soon he can land the plane and when the pilot says, "Well, not for another two hours," the doctor assumes he is referring to when he would be able to craft a hypothesis.
"A Parachute Not Opening. That's A Way To Die. Getting Caught In The Gears Of A Combine. Having Your Nuts Bit Off By A Laplander. That's The Way I Wanna Go!" - The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!
In The Naked Gun, with Nordberg in critical condition after being ambushed by a "cowardly hoodlum," Capt. Hocken mentions that it is "no way for a man to die." Frank then lists a series of scenarios that he believes would ensure a glorious exit.
"You Carry A UB-21 Schnauzer With A Gnab Silencer..." - Spy Hard
In the 1996 spy movie parody, Spy Hard, Dick Steele's (Leslie Nielsen) impromptu reading of Russian agent, Veronique Ukrinsky (Nicolette Sheridan) is littered with acronyms. The full quote is, "You carry a UB-21 Schnauzer with a Gnab silencer. That's KGB. You prefer an H&K over an A.K. Your surveillance technique is NSA. Your ID is CIA. You received your Ph.D. at NYU. Traded in your GTO for a BMW. You listen to CDs by R.E.M. and STP. And you'd like to see J.F.K. in his BVDs, getting down with O.P.P. And you probably put the toilet paper back on the roll with the paper on the inside."
"Just Think, Next Time I Shoot Someone, I Could Be Arrested" - The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!
Drebin says this Naked Gun line after he is suspended from the Police Squad, which seems to be a much-needed punishment for someone with his trigger-happy attitude.
"Uh, Fire Drill" - Safety Patrol
Leslie Nielsen stars in ABC's 1998 made-for-TV family film, Safety Patrol, as Mr. Penn, who is a school security head, despite his debilitating clumsiness. Case in point: when he falls out of a window and tries to pass off the accident as a planned fire drill escape method when he notices three students witnessed his tumble.
"Didn't I Try To Adopt That 18-Year-Old Korean Girl?" - The Naked Gun 33-1/3: The Final Insult
In The Naked Gun 33-1/3: The Final Insult, during a couple's therapy session, Jane asks why Frank does not want to have children. His response seems to be a reference to Woody Allen's relationship with Soon-Yi Previn, which had sparked controversy around that time.
"That Doesn't Prove A Thing. She Could Be Related To Joe Cocker" - Repossessed
Repossessed goes above and beyond to send up demonic possession movies, by casting The Exorcist star Linda Blair as another person in need of a priest. Said priest in the 1990 comedy is Father Jedediah Mayii, who likens the supposed possession victim, described as having "an unGodly voice and maniacal facial expressions," to famously over-the-top singer, Joe Cocker.
"You Take A Chance Getting Up In The Morning, Crossing The Street, Or Sticking Your Face In A Fan" - The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!
We strongly recommend not taking the chance of sticking your face in a fan, no matter how admirably courageous The Naked Gun's Frank Drebin may seem.
"The Other Two Pilots, They're Just Fine. They're At The Controls Flying The Plane, Free To Pursue A Life Of Religious Fulfillment" - Airplane!
Even if Dr. Rumack was not lying about the pilots' illness in Airplane!, this would be a pretty absurd way to describe someone with a healthy condition. Of course, what makes the doctor's attempt to comfort the passengers especially funny is how his nose grows like Pinocchio with each dishonest remark.
"Jane, Since I've Met You, I've Noticed Things That I Never Knew Were There Before. Birds Singing, Dew Glistening On A Newly Formed Leaf, Stoplights" - The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!
Hopefully, it does not take falling in love for you to notice that stoplights exist, like what appears to have happened to Drebin after meeting Jane in The Naked Gun.
"I'll Tell Ya What Crazy Is. Crazy Is Walking Down The Street With Half A Cantaloupe On Your Head Saying, 'I'm A Hamster. I'm A Hamster.' That's Crazy" - Spy Hard
This line from Spy Hard might actually be the ultimate demonstration of Leslie Nielsen's masterful deadpan delivery. Without it, such a pointlessly absurd quote might not have worked as well.
"I Was Ready To Plant My Flag Back In Washington D.C., Where Every Congressman Has The Constitutional Right To Be A Felon. Good Old America" - 2001: A Space Travesty
In 2000, Leslie Nielsen starred in a sci-fi movie parody called 2001: A Space Travesty as a marshal for a commercial trip off Earth. The film relies primarily on visual comedy but sometimes sneaks a funny line in there, such as this piece of narration that hints at a dystopian United States.
“I'd Forget My Genitals If They Weren't Superglued In Between My Legs. Water-skiing Accident” - Wrongfully Accused
One fun moment from Wrongfully Accused references the twist ending from The Usual Suspects, with Ryan Harrison coming up with a fake alias and full backstory using words he sees posted around a fishing store. Before making a run for it, he makes a seemingly random remark about the state of his manhood.
"I Just Want To Tell You Both, Good Luck. We're All Counting On You" - Scary Movie 3
Leslie Nielsen's first appearance as President Baxter in Scary Movie 3 features a funny callback to his Airplane! role in which he wishes the protagonists the same good fortune that Rumack extends to Ted and Elaine.
Jason Wiese writes feature stories for CinemaBlend. His occupation results from years dreaming of a filmmaking career, settling on a "professional film fan" career, studying journalism at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO (where he served as Culture Editor for its student-run print and online publications), and a brief stint of reviewing movies for fun. He would later continue that side-hustle of film criticism on TikTok (@wiesewisdom), where he posts videos on a semi-weekly basis. Look for his name in almost any article about Batman. | https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/features/hilarious-lines-leslie-nielsen-funniest-movies | 2024-10-15T17:50:45Z |
Police are offering a cash reward for information about a string of pumpkin-throwing incidents in London, Ont., over the long weekend.
Ontario Provincial Police say officers responded at around 2:30 a.m. Saturday after a pumpkin struck a transportation truck's windshield on eastbound Highway 401 near Old Victoria Road, causing serious damage.
Police say about 40 minutes later, two more reports followed of transport trucks being hit with the seasonal gourds on eastbound Highway 402 near Oak Road.
Investigators say they do not yet have a description for the suspect or suspects behind the "dangerous and reckless acts."
Police say while no one was injured by the pumpkin projectiles, throwing objects onto highways poses a "serious threat to public safety" and can cause collisions, severe injuries and deaths.
The OPP is offering up to $2,000 in cash rewards for anyone with information that could help them identify the perpetrators.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2024.
The Canadian Press | https://www.cp24.com/news/2024/10/15/police-investigate-projectile-pumpkins-in-london-ont-offer-cash-reward-for-info/ | 2024-10-15T17:50:45Z |
Walgreens plans to close 1,200 stores over the next three years, the pharmacy chain said on Tuesday. It's part of the company's plan for a turnaround, as it faces retail competition and lower prescription payouts.
Chief Executive Tim Wentworth said about a quarter of the company’s stores are unprofitable. Walgreens has been on a $1-billion cost-cutting spree. It's already been shutting some stores, shaking up leadership and renegotiating its deals with insurers.
Walgreens, which also owns the British drugstore chain Boots, reported a net loss of $3 billion in the latest quarter. This was actually better than expected, with sales growing 6%.
Walgreens isn't the only big pharmacy chain attempting a turnaround. Rite Aid last month emerged from bankruptcy; CVS has also closed stores and reportedly weighs a breakup to undo its mergers with the insurance company Aetna and with Caremark, a pharmacy benefits manager.
The convenience-store part of pharmacy chains has been losing shoppers to Amazon, Walmart, Costco, grocery stores and dollar stores. Many of those rivals also fill prescriptions, competing for pharmacy customers, too.
Pharmacy chains have over-expanded to thousands of locations over the years, signing long-term leases for pricey corner locations. But many shoppers have criticized the quality of the stores, complaining about understaffing and the inaccessibility of items that are locked up to prevent theft. Pharmacies, for their part, have complained about shrinking profits for filling prescriptions, citing dramatic declines in reimbursement rates.
In light of these challenges, CVS and Walgreens have looked for profits elsewhere. They've tried to add primary-care clinics, a project that costs a lot of time and money. The chains have also proposed new payout structures for prescriptions, with Walgreens on Tuesday warning that it would be "willing to walk away from a line of business, if it doesn't make sense."
"I'm very confident that over a two- to three-year period we will have reset the framework for reimbursement discussions," Walgreens CEO Wentworth told investors on Tuesday.
He also added that Walgreens is focusing on adding more store-brand products to its chain. That tactic has been successful for Boots in Britain, though it has not done as well in the U.S. so far. Wentworth also said the chain would work to re-hire workers from stores that will close and added that overall, "Many of our actions across this turnaround will take time."
Copyright 2024 NPR | https://www.wunc.org/2024-10-15/walgreens-will-close-1-200-stores-hoping-for-a-turnaround | 2024-10-15T17:50:46Z |
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Much of the community of Swannanoa, North Carolina, was severely damaged during Hurricane Helene. That made it all the more eerie when a new song was released. And actually, it's a new recording of a very old song. It's about a different tragedy in Swannanoa - the collapse of a mountainside train tunnel during its construction in the late 1800s.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SWANNANOA TUNNEL/STEEL-DRIVING MAN")
RHIANNON GIDDENS: (Singing) Asheville Junction, Swannanoa Tunnel - all caved in, babe. All caved in...
My name is Rhiannon Giddens, and I'm the artistic director of Silkroad Ensemble. This is a song called "Swannanoa Tunnel," and it's an old work song. The Swannanoa Tunnel was being created by convict laborers. This was backbreaking, unbelievably difficult work. People died along the way. Cave-ins, such as the one that inspired the song, happened on a regular basis. This was a type of song that would keep a large group of people who are laboring together in sync with spaces for the pickaxes to come down as they're working on the tunnel.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SWANNANOA TUNNEL/STEEL-DRIVING MAN")
GIDDENS: (Singing) Somebody died, babe. Somebody died.
When Hurricane Helene came, it was, like, two days or something before the planned release of the song. I was like, well, we have to release this because, you know, even the words just took on a whole new meaning.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SWANNANOA TUNNEL/STEEL-DRIVING MAN")
GIDDENS: (Singing) I'm going back to Swannanoa Tunnel. That's my home.
This is a grieving song, you know? It was a grieving song for these men who lost their lives, and it's now a grieving song for a whole nother calamity. You know, I'm a North Carolina gal, and (crying) it just makes me really sad. I mean, that's what music is for, you know? You don't want it to be like that, but it's like we need to lean in to, what is our function? You know, why were we given the ability to sing and to touch people? And this is why. It's because it's - like, when you think about the destruction, there are no words. So a song can tap into something that then releases energy, and, you know, now I can cry. And it's just like, that's what it's for - helping us all with the emotions that are bigger than we know what to do with.
(SOUNDBITE OF RHIANNON GIDDENS AND SILKROAD ENSEMBLE SONG, "SWANNANOA TUNNEL/STEEL-DRIVING MAN") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. | https://www.wyso.org/2024-10-15/new-recording-of-a-tragedy-in-swannanoa-happens-as-area-recovers-from-hurricane | 2024-10-15T17:50:47Z |
New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) The BJP on Tuesday alleged that the AAP government in Delhi "lacks" effective action and planning to address the city's persistent pollution issue.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva referring to the claims made by Environment Minister Gopal Rai, said that the same minister declares clean air in the city in the morning and by the evening imposes a ban on firecrackers to fight pollution.
The Delhi government on Monday notified a ban on firecrackers till January 1, 2025, due to the likely deterioration of air quality during winter.
Sachdeva also questioned Delhi Chief Minister Atishi about the steps being taken by her government to curb stubble burning in the AAP-ruled Punjab during the peak winter season.
He said that the Delhi Environment minister instead of taking responsibility for the pollution crisis in Delhi, shifted blame to other states particularly BJP-ruled UP and Haryana for stubble burning.
The condition of roads in Delhi is "very poor" despite the AAP government's claims of repairs, which was the reason behind high levels of dust pollution.
No immediate reaction was available from the AAP over Sachdeva's allegations.
Earlier in the day, Atishi announced various measures to check dust pollution, biomass burning, and deployment of smog guns under the implementation of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) stage I restrictions that came into force on Monday due to poor air quality in Delhi. PTI SHB HIG | https://www.newsdrum.in/national/aap-govt-lacks-planning-effective-action-to-curb-pollution-in-delhi-bjp-7317513 | 2024-10-15T17:50:47Z |
MOSCOW, October 15. /TASS/. Russian President will hold a meeting with the government tomorrow and its key topic will be development of the healthcare infrastructure and the primary care upgrade program, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS.
Current issues were also usually discussed there. The meeting was scheduled earlier for October 9 but did not take place. The head of state met Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that day and opened a number of industrial facilities in regions via a video link.
"Yes, it was simply shifted from the last week to this one," Peskov said. "The topic will be the same as planned," he added. | https://tass.com/politics/1856599 | 2024-10-15T17:50:47Z |
Happy shouts and laughter fill the cafeteria at Locust Grove Baptist Church in New Market, Alabama — a small town just outside of Huntsville, in the northern part of the state.
While the grandparents eat dinner, their grandchildren chase each other around the tables.
They call themselves “grandfamilies.” Everyone here knows each other.
It’s the quarterly meeting of a group called Grandparents as Parents, a time when they can get the kids together and catch up over spaghetti, Caesar salad, and homemade chocolate mud pie.
But beneath all the joyful camaraderie lie tough stories. These personal histories and traumas bubble up casually, as they can in conversations between people with shared experiences.
“My daughter is addicted to drugs,” explains Donna Standridge.
She’s seated at a table with her husband, Jeff. Between bites, she’s keeping an eye on one of her grandsons. He’s desperate for her attention, hanging onto her arm, crying “Mawmaw! Mawmaw! Mawmaw!” as she tries to eat and talk.
Standridge is 55, Jeff is 66. Instead of retiring or traveling, they’re raising four grandsons — ages 11, 7, 5 and 3 — in nearby Jefferson County.
“Opioids is where it all began,” Standridge says of her daughter’s struggles. In a story that echoes so many others, Standridge says her daughter’s opioid use disorder started with prescription painkillers, before eventually moving to heroin and finally, fentanyl.
Standridge says her daughter loves her sons and has had periods of sobriety. At times, she’s been in treatment and made progress. Other times, she’s gone back to using. The back and forth, Standridge says, is hard on the kids. That’s why she and her husband stepped in to care for them.
“Because of the addiction and being in active addiction, relapsing and stuff when she was clean, it wasn't a healthy environment for them.”
Parental addiction is driving formation of new ‘grandfamilies’
There was another reason these grandfamilies had gathered at the church on Aug. 22 — besides support and community. The Standridges and about 15 other families were here to learn about a new pilot program just approved by the state legislature.
Alabama has received almost $100 million dollars from legal settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors like Cardinal Health and McKesson and pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens.
In January, the Alabama Department of Mental Health appropriated $280,000 for grandparents like these, thrust into a new phase of parenting because of their children’s struggles with opioid use disorder.
The new pilot will be managed jointly by the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) and the Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS).
More than 2.5 million children in the U.S. are raised by grandfamilies — grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other extended family members — when their parents are unable to care for them, according to the 2022 "State of Grandfamilies" report from Generations United, a national advocacy group.
Parental substance use, especially the rise of opioids, is a key driver behind this trend, with other family members stepping in to prevent children from entering foster care.
In Alabama, 48% of foster care entries list parental substance use as the reason for children entering the system.
Yet, the grandfamilies at this church often struggle without the formal support systems available to foster families
The funds from the new pilot program come from the opioid settlement funds the state has received thus far. Advocates say the estimated $1,000-$2,000 per family is not enough to cover the expenses that come with raising a child — much less multiple children — but it’s a good first step.
Other states may follow Alabama’s experiment
The payments are expected this fall, for grandfamilies in three counties: Madison, Coffee, and Escambia, in the northern, middle, and southern part of the state, respectively.
For the grandparents at the church, any support would be helpful. Standridge reflects that people often focus on drug users when thinking about the opioid epidemic. But it’s their families — especially the children — who must live with the impacts — and who need support as well.
“We're the silent victims, if you will,” she says.
In Alabama, grandfamilies in Alabama don’t have access to certain welfare programs, like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). This new program is supposed to help alleviate that.
Unfortunately, Standridge learned later that evening, during the presentation, that her family wouldn’t qualify for the pilot payments this year, because they don’t live in one of the three counties in the pilot.
Still, Keith Lowhorne, the founder of Grandparents as Parents, is excited for the families that will be helped.
“This is like a dream come true. You’ve got grandparents that are suffering,” Lowhorne says.
As far as he knows, this is the first time that opioid settlement funds will be directed towards grandparents or relative caregivers over age 55 raising their grandchildren because of opioids.
“Alabama is not known for being first about anything,” Lowhorne says. “As far as we know, and as far as everyone has told us, this is the first for the country. We are extremely proud of that.”
Other states, such as Nevada, will soon be following suit in using settlement money to help grandfamilies, according to Lowhorne. He’s been contacted by organizations like Foster Kinship, a statewide support program in Nevada.
Using opioid settlement funds in this way is essential for placing kids with family members, instead of entering the foster care system, according to Ali Caliendo, founder and director of Nevada’s Foster Kinship.
“Every state should be allocating a portion of their settlement dollars to families raising children who are victims,” Caliendo says.
Raising grandkids later in life, on limited incomes
These grandparents have stepped up, doing the work of raising children, despite their limited resources, Caliendo says. It’s true that they are motivated by love — but love isn’t always enough to support young children.
“Love doesn't buy groceries. Love doesn't get beds. Love doesn't solve medical issues,” Caliendo says. “So grandparents really do need extra financial support to make sure that those children can thrive.”
Lowhorne agrees that grandfamilies can face difficult and unique challenges. Many of them live below the poverty line and survive on fixed incomes from pensions, Social Security, or disability payments. And because grandparents are older, getting a job can be difficult — or just not an option for many.
“Some of them are living on $1,500 a month,” Lowhorne says. “And that's not very much money these days when you're trying to take care of a kid, possibly a baby.
In addition, Lowhorne knows grandparents who are caring for premature babies with medical issues, or infants born dependent on opioids because of the mother’s substance use.
Older children have challenges as well, Lowhorne adds, including histories of trauma, abuse or neglect.
Three counties across Alabama will receive funds
Under the pilot, Madison County, where New Market is located, will receive just over $90,000 for the year.
Families will apply for the money and could get a one-time payment between $1,000-$2,000.
Lowhorne concedes that the payment doesn’t come close to helping with all the needs, but it still “makes a world of a difference” to these grandfamilies.
Grandparents will be able to use the money to buy groceries, pay bills, obtain dental care or to enroll the kids in sports programs to keep them active. Funds can also be used for school supplies or uniforms.
Lowhorne and his wife are raising a granddaughter, and he had just taken her shopping earlier that day for a school uniform.
“Let me tell you, I learned some things on how to shop with a young, seven-year-old girl,” he says, laughing. “But it was fun. We had a good time. She said it was a daughter-daddy day.”
While the state’s first round of settlement funds is now being distributed, Alabama expects hundreds of millions more in the coming decade. Lowhorne hopes that Alabama officials will continue to distribute that money to grandfamilies, and become a model for other states as well.
“We want other states to follow because other states are just like Alabama,” Lowhorne says. “You’ve got tens of thousands of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren with hardly any help, if any help at all. Like in Alabama, they get nothing.”
This story comes from NPR’s health reporting partnership with the Gulf States Newsroom and KFF Health News.
Copyright 2024 Gulf States Newsroom | https://www.kdlg.org/as-heard-on-npr/2024-10-15/a-new-way-to-support-grandparents-raising-kids-affected-by-the-addiction-epidemic | 2024-10-15T17:50:48Z |
Dan + Shay have a big announcement coming. And no, you don't have to wait "10,000 hours" for it.
The duo hopped on Instagram to share that they're dropping "the announcement we've been teasing for 10 years" on Thursday at 9 a.m. CT.
"What do you think it could be?" they asked fans on their post.
Most took to the comments to guess a Christmas album or a world tour announcement. Fellow country singer Russell Dickerson joined in the fun and wrote, "SANTA ZADDY!!! A 69 convertible too!"
All will be revealed soon on Dan + Shay's socials.
Dan + Shay's latest album is Bigger Houses, which features the #1 hit "Save Me the Trouble," and its title track and follow-up single, which is now in the top 15 of the country charts.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. | https://www.k95tulsa.com/news/dan-shay-have-big/XWRDLP4I3M6JVQH77AQLTCZJBI/ | 2024-10-15T17:50:47Z |
(MENAFN- PR Newswire)
Retained by the DOJ, FTC and Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in Multiple Cases, Gans' Expertise Will Advance Keystone's Antitrust and AI Services
NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Keystone, the leading strategy, economics and technology consultancy providing AI-driven services to large companies, government agencies and law firms, today announced the appointment of Joshua Gans to its expert Network and scientific advisory team. Gans will provide expert testimony and counsel clients on antitrust and competition, intellectual property, and other disputes and regulatory matters. He is the foremost testifying platform economist whose research on digital strategy, antitrust policy and regulatory economics is widely cited.
Leveraging his expertise in artificial intelligence, Gans will also advise the firm's CoreAI division in its development and implementation of operational AI. Gans is a prolific author on technical competition and innovation and has published 15 books, including the critically acclaimed Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence and Power & Prediction: The Disruptive Economics of Artificial Intelligence .
He joins Keystone at a pivotal time, following the appointment of Dr. Susan Athey , the distinguished economist and former Chief Economist for the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division. "I'm delighted to have the opportunity to work with Joshua again," said Athey. "I've known Joshua since our PhD program days at Stanford, and we have published research together a number of times over the years – he's an exceptional talent." Dr. Athey serves as Chief Scientific Advisor to Keystone across the CoreAI and Global Economic and Technology Advisory groups.
"Artificial Intelligence and other technologies have completely altered global markets and competition. As the EU and U.S. continue to prioritize antitrust enforcement, business leaders are confronting new legal challenges in the digital economy," said Andrea Coscelli , head of Keystone Europe and co-head of the antitrust and competition practice. "The advisors who are successfully directing organizations through this transformative time are those who have the combined expertise in technology and economics, and Joshua is one of the preeminent leaders. We are delighted to have him join Keystone."
Dr. Gans specializes in competition policy and intellectual property protection. His research spans technical innovation, AI, publishing economics and policy across various industries including energy, telecommunications, financial services, pharmaceuticals and rail transportation. He has been retained by the U.S. Department of Justice, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Federal Trade Commission, where he worked on expert testimony in several abuse of market power cases as well as on issues in telecoms network competition on behalf of enterprises including Xiaomi and AT&T.
He holds the Jeffrey S. Skoll Chair in Technical Innovation and Entrepreneurship and is a professor of Strategic Management at the Rotman School of Management – with a cross-appointment in the Department of Economics – at the University of Toronto . He is also the Chief Economist of the University of Toronto's Creative Destruction Lab , a global startup program for seed-stage, science-based companies. In addition, Dr. Gans has been appointed as a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research in the Productivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program, and received the inaugural young economist award from the Economic Society of Australia .
"Joshua's knowledge and experience will contribute greatly to our collective expertise in digital transformation, platform economics and antitrust and competition litigation," said
Jeff Marowits , President of Client Services at Keystone. "Our firm has long served global clients, including the largest technology companies, helping them navigate complex legal and operational challenges presented by emerging technologies. We welcome Joshua to our growing team of multidisciplinary experts and look forward to working alongside him to advance CoreAI science and effectively guide clients forward."
About Keystone
Keystone Strategy, LLC ("Keystone") is the leading strategy, economics and technology consultancy providing AI-driven services to large companies, government agencies and law firms. Since 2003, it has helped organizations address complex, often unprecedented challenges presented by emerging technologies. The firm builds, operates and transfers enterprise AI solutions that automate and optimize operational and commercial decision-making. Keystone also supports clients in high-stakes legal cases and regulatory matters by delivering economic analysis and expert witness testimony. Keystone boasts a roster of hundreds of top academic experts in applied economics, data science, AI and the digital and innovation economy, supported by more than 200 professionals. The firm has offices in New York, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, and London. Learn more about Keystone at .
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SOURCE Keystone Strategy
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‘I Don’t Like The Whole Thing’: Taxi Driver Writer Offers Scathing Critique Of Joker 2
The legendary screenwriter blasted the movie and its stars.
Paul Schrader, the legendary screenwriter behind the 1976 classic Taxi Driver, knows his way around dark, complex characters. Recently, the iconic '80s director set his sights on critiquing a dark entry on the 2024 movie schedule: Joker: Folie à Deux. Having helped shape the gritty, introspective style of American cinema—not only through Taxi Driver but also through writing Raging Bull and directing Hardcore, American Gigolo, and Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters—the auteur is no stranger to tough critiques. His latest target? He had some scathing words for Todd Phillips' Joker sequel.
During a chat with Slave Play playwright Jeremy O. Harris for Interview Magazine, Schrader opened up about his feelings on big-budget commercial films. He didn’t mince words when asked about his impression of Joker 2, which, to mixed effect, pushed boundaries with a musical twist and the addition of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. The Affliction screenwriter’s critique, as blunt as you might expect, left little doubt about his view on the film, as he said:
To those familiar with the Auto Focus filmmaker’s raw honesty, this might not come as a surprise. However, his dismissal of the film doesn’t stop at the content itself. The 77-year-old director went on to criticize not only the movie’s structure as a musical but also its two main stars. He continued:
Ouch. Schrader’s sharp criticism of Joaquin Phoenix, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of the Joker, and Lady Gaga, who received acclaim for her performance in A Star Is Born, cuts right to the core of his frustrations with modern cinema. His remarks on Joker: Folie à Deux reflect a broader critique of contemporary Hollywood and seem to align with the negative response the Jokeer sequel has received from audiences. As you may have heard, the movie has struggled with disappointing box office numbers and harsh reactions from critics.
Paul Schrader’s thoughts seem particularly pointed, given how the original Joker film drew heavy inspiration from Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, both of which he had a significant hand in creating. Despite Joker's success, the There Are No Saints writer’s disdain for its sequel suggests that for him, Folie à Deux is far from the gritty, subversive cinema he once helped define.
However, perhaps the criticism from the former UCLA film student is less surprising when considering his broader views, as expressed in the same conversation. The director of the Dominion revealed his disinterest in mainstream, high-budget filmmaking, reflecting on his own brief encounter with the genre while working on the prequel to The Exorcist. He added:
Hey, fair enough, big-budget spectacle isn't for everyone, and that’s okay.
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Paul Schrader is no stranger to harsh criticism, even for his own work. His erotic 2013 thriller The Canyons—written by American Psycho novelist Bret Easton Ellis and starring Lindsay Lohan alongside real-life porn star James Deen—was torn apart by critics upon its release. Thankfully, that didn’t stop him from creating more films, or we wouldn’t have First Reformed, The Card Counter, and The Master Gardener—three films that, in my opinion, form an unofficial trilogy and are nothing short of incredible.
Schrader’s latest film, Oh Canada, is set for release on December 6. As for Joker: Folie à Deux, if you’re curious to make up your own mind about it, it’s still playing in theaters. Check your local listings, and don’t forget to take a peek at our 2025 movie schedule for other upcoming releases!
Ryan graduated from Missouri State University with a BA in English/Creative Writing. An expert in all things horror, Ryan enjoys covering a wide variety of topics. He's also a lifelong comic book fan and an avid watcher of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. | https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/taxi-driver-writer-paul-schrader-scathing-critique-joker-2 | 2024-10-15T17:50:51Z |
OTTAWA — Canada is listing the pro-Palestinian group Samidoun as a terrorist group, while the U.S. has added a Canadian citizen affiliated with the organization to its counter-terrorism list.
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc says Samidoun will now be listed under Criminal Code offences that ban people from donating or providing property to the group.
Samidoun is also known as the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, and Ottawa says it "has close links with and advances the interests of" another group that Canada already lists as a terrorist entity, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
The U.S. Treasury Department is also listing Canadian citizen Khaled Barakat as an affiliate of a terrorist group, saying he is part of the Popular Front's leadership and fundraising.
American officials list Samidoun as being headquartered in Vancouver, and they say the group is masquerading as a humanitarian support charity that actually supports terrorism against Israel.
Samidoun did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Conservatives called last week for Samidoun to be listed as a terrorist entity, accusing the group of organizing several rallies in Canada where participants openly called for the destruction of Israel.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2024.
Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press | https://www.cp24.com/news/canada/2024/10/15/canada-and-us-list-samidoun-as-terrorist-group-us-adds-canadian-to-terror-list/ | 2024-10-15T17:50:51Z |
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has filed a defamation lawsuit against CNN and a former porn store employee over recent news reports, although his legal claims don't include new evidence.
With weeks left in his campaign for governor, Robinson is taking legal action over news stories he says are false. CNN reported that Robinson had posted pro-slavery and Nazi comments on a pornographic website more than a decade ago. And The Assembly reported that Robinson had also been a frequent customer at a Greensboro porn shop, citing a former store employee named Louis Love Money.
"We are glad to take these first steps to fight back against what we consider to be one of the greatest examples of political interference in this state’s history, and quite possibly, in this nation’s history," Robinson said at a news conference Tuesday in front of the Lt. Gov.'s office in Raleigh.
Robinson's lawsuit doesn't include any new evidence to prove that the stories were false, but it notes that Robinson's personal information was leaked through a data breach and could have been used to build a fake profile on the porn site.
"CNN knew that supposed archives from a suspicious website like Nude Africa were unreliable and failed to meaningfully investigate or digitally scrutinize them," the lawsuit says. "CNN knew that supposedly corroborating information it used was from unverifiable, dark web-sourced data breach files. CNN knew or recklessly disregarded the fact that Lt. Gov. Robinson’s email, passwords, and personal data had been stolen. CNN knew that Lt. Gov. Robinson’s Facebook history, which is unlocked and transparent to all, goes back to 2007."
CNN's report ties the racist and misogynistic comments to Robinson based on the email address associated with the account, unusual phrasing he used in other social media points and biographical information. The posts were dated long before Robinson entered politics.
As for the other news story, the lawsuit was filed against Money, who made a music video about Robinson owing him money for a bootleg porn video. It says Money and Robinson became friends when he worked at a Papa John's Pizza location near the porn shop, and Robinson "would occasionally bring over free pizza and socialize" at the porn store.
But the lawsuit says Robinson was not "renting or previewing videos, and he did not purchase 'bootleg' or other videos" from Money. The lawsuit seeks damages from Money but not from The Assembly, which Robinson's attorney claims without evidence is a publication funded by billionaire George Soros.
The lawsuit seeks $50 million in damages and is unlikely to be resolved before Election Day. It says that Robinson's "private and public lives have been devastated. Friends and family have turned their backs on him. He has been humiliated."
A spokesperson for CNN declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Robinson said at Tuesday's news conference that he still expects to win the election for governor. | https://www.wunc.org/politics/2024-10-15/mark-robinson-lawsuit-cnn-porn-store-2024-election-binnall | 2024-10-15T17:50:52Z |
Marissa Holdorf Joins Constellis As Chief Human Resources Officer
Date
10/15/2024 9:32:19 AM
(MENAFN- PR Newswire)
HERNDON,
Va., Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --
Constellis, a leading provider of essential risk management and mission support services to government and commercial clients worldwide, announced today that Marissa Holdorf has joined as Chief Human Resources Officer. Ms. Holdorf will be the lead executive for all human resources functions and responsible for the development and implementation of strategy, structure, and processes.
"We are very pleased to welcome Marissa as our Chief Human Resources Officer," said Terry Ryan, CEO of Constellis. "Marissa is recognized in the industry for creating innovative HR solutions, developing leading-edge talent management programs, and implementing the strategic HR function across large, global, and high-growth organizations. Marissa will be a key partner on our executive management team and will play a vital role in our global growth trajectory." Ryan said.
Ms.
Holdorf is an accomplished leader with over 20 years of experience optimizing HR programs, organizational structures, process technologies and systems to increase corporate value and create safe and productive work environments. Prior to joining Constellis, Ms. Holdorf was Vice President, Human Resources, Defense & Security at CAE where she led a global HR team responsible for talent acquisition, employee relations, cultural integration, and industry labor relations oversight.
Ms. Holdorf holds Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from the University of San Diego and earned her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Ohio University.
SOURCE Constellis
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A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Is Israel trying to starve people in north Gaza?
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Aid workers and human rights groups are concerned that that is what Israel is trying to do with its new offensive. Jonathan Fowler is with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency that aids Palestinians.
JONATHAN FOWLER: The situation in north Gaza is like a catastrophe within a series of catastrophes.
MARTIN: His U.N. agency says civilians are given no choice but to leave or starve.
MARTÍNEZ: With us now is NPR's Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv. Daniel, so help us understand what's happening in north Gaza.
DANIEL ESTRIN, BYLINE: Israel's carrying out a new offensive there over the last two weeks, particularly in the Jabalia refugee camp. Israel says Hamas has been trying to regroup there. Residents have been telling us about artillery hitting their buildings, about armed drones flying through the neighborhood opening fire, about Israeli tanks in the streets. The United Nations says hundreds of people have been killed, including children, in that area in the last few weeks. It says Israel has blocked food deliveries to north Gaza for the last two weeks, and Israel has ordered all of north Gaza to evacuate. We spoke to one man who did flee his home in Jabalia. His name is Muhammad al-Balawi (ph).
MUHAMMAD AL-BALAWI: (Non-English language spoken).
ESTRIN: He said he was in a group of 25 people fleeing, and they lost 10 of them, who were injured or killed as they fled under fire. He said no one looked behind them as they fled, and his story really encapsulates what is happening in north Gaza. He fled to another part of north Gaza, but his relatives who stayed behind told him they've run out of food and drinking water.
MARTÍNEZ: OK, so when the U.N. aid agencies for Palestinians says that civilians are given no choice but either to leave or starve, is that actually Israel's stated policy?
ESTRIN: It's not a stated policy, but it could be an unstated policy. A former Israeli national security advisor has published a proposal to pressure Hamas to release Israeli hostages by ordering civilians to leave north Gaza, and whoever doesn't will be without food and water and will, along with Hamas militants, have to either surrender or die of starvation. Now, this is a proposal that's not an official government plan, but Israeli officials have said that they considered it.
On the other hand, the Israeli army denies that it's being implemented. But this proposal has gotten a lot of international attention and concern from human rights groups in Israel because of the implications of starving a civilian population. And also, Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted her concern yesterday about the lack of food that has reached north Gaza.
MARTÍNEZ: Could that international attention make Israel change its course?
ESTRIN: It might be. After Harris tweeted her concern about the lack of food yesterday, Israel did allow some flour into north Gaza, although rights groups say it will not be sufficient for the population there. I did speak to a former Israeli military official who closely follows the war, Michael Milshtein, and thinks that Israel did try to partially implement this flee-or-starve plan, but then Israel realized it doesn't seem to be working. He thinks Israel realized many civilians are not fleeing north Gaza and that kind of policy might even endanger hostages.
I think the big picture here is that Israel is not clearly explaining what its aims are and what its objectives are in north Gaza with its new offensive. And that points to the fact that there continues to be no explicit endgame for Gaza, for the Gaza war and civilians continue to pay the price.
MARTÍNEZ: That's NPR's Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv. Daniel, thanks.
ESTRIN: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. | https://www.wyso.org/2024-10-15/u-n-officials-and-rights-groups-warn-israel-may-seek-to-starve-north-gaza | 2024-10-15T17:50:53Z |
New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) A month-long series of events starting October 17 will be held to mark the 62nd anniversary of the Battle of Walong fought during the 1962 Sino-Indian War to honour the heroes who defended the eastern front of the nation.
Besides, a Shaurya Sthal at Lama Spur and key infrastructure projects in the border areas will be inaugurated, highlighting the ongoing efforts to bolster connectivity and security in the region, the Army said on Tuesday.
"With the spirit of remembrance and respect, the Indian Army invites all to join in this tribute to our heroes at Walong, a place etched in history as a testament to the courage and resolve of the Indian soldier as well as the citizens of Arunachal Pradesh," it said.
The Battle of Walong stands as a poignant chapter in India's military history, a testament to the unmatched bravery, dedication and indomitable spirit of the Indian Army.
This fierce battle unfolded in the unforgiving terrain of Kibithu, Namti Tri Junction (famously known as Tiger's Mouth), Walong and adjoining features in the easternmost parts of Arunachal Pradesh, where the Indian Army's resolve was put to the ultimate test, the Army said.
"In October 1962, as Chinese forces advanced aggressively into Indian territory, the responsibility of defending the strategically crucial Walong sector fell upon the gallant 11th Infantry Brigade of the Indian Army's esteemed 2nd Infantry Division," the Army said.
This brigade, comprising the battle-hardened units of 6 Kumaon, 4 Sikh and 3/3 Gorkha Rifles, was tasked with holding their ground against an adversary that was not only numerically superior but also better equipped and entrenched in advantageous positions, it added.
The valiant stand of the 11th Infantry Brigade delayed the Chinese advance, providing a critical morale boost to the nation and demonstrating the unyielding courage of the Indian soldiers.
It was a battle where the spirit of duty, honour and sacrifice shone brightly, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire the Indian Army to this day, an Army official said.
The commemoration will begin on October 17 and will continue till November 14, honouring the indomitable spirit, sacrifice and courage of the heroes who defended the eastern front of the country, he said.
This year's commemoration promises a vibrant mix of activities aimed at engaging the local communities and honouring the memory of the fallen heroes.
The meticulously planned events will include white water rafting, motorcycle rallies, bicycle rallies, battlefield treks, adventure treks and a half-marathon, all designed to reflect the adventurous spirit of the Indian Army in the rugged terrain of Arunachal Pradesh.
Additionally, medical and veterinary camps will be held, extending much-needed support to the remote villages, further strengthening the bond between the Army and the local population.
The culmination of these events will take place on the Walong Day, which falls on November 14, with the inauguration of the newly renovated Walong War Memorial, a symbol of honour and respect for the brave hearts who laid down their lives for the nation, the official said.
The day will be marked by a solemn wreath-laying ceremony, an evocative battle narration, and performances by the traditional Mishmi and Meyor dancers, capturing the cultural essence of the region.
A special felicitation will also be held to honour the next of kin of war heroes, veterans, and the families of porters who played a crucial role during the operations, reflecting the Army's commitment to recognising the invaluable contributions of all involved, the official said.
The month-long commemoration will not only honour the past but also inspire the present and future generations to uphold the values of service and sacrifice, he said. PTI KND KVK KVK | https://www.newsdrum.in/national/army-to-mark-62nd-anniversary-of-battle-of-walong-7317653 | 2024-10-15T17:50:53Z |
MOSCOW, October 15. /TASS/. Russian maintains contacts with Israel at various levels to share its concerns over Israel’s potential response to Iran, Russian presidential envoy for the Middle East and African countries and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said.
"Of course. Contacts are maintained at various levels. Naturally, we here [in Moscow] are in touch with the embassy and Mrs [Israeli] ambassador. And our ambassador there is working actively there. We have other channels of communication and are using them literally every day," he said.
Israel’s Kan radio station said earlier that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed with key members of his cabinet when and how to retaliate Iran. Now, the decision is to be approved by the entire cabinet.
On October 1, Iran launched a massive missile attack against the Jewish state in response to the killing of senior officials from the Palestinian movement Hamas, the Lebanon-based Shia movement Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Tehran said that 90% of the missiles hit their designated targets. Israel, in turn, said that Iran had fired some 180 missiles into the country, most of which were intercepted. The Israeli General Staff vowed to choose the right moment to surprise Iran with a counterattack, while Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Israel would see even larger-scale strikes. | https://tass.com/politics/1856605 | 2024-10-15T17:50:54Z |
On January 6th, 2021, rioters stormed the United States Capitol building. To many of us, it felt like one of the bedrock institutional traditions of our democracy was in jeopardy: the peaceful transition of power to a leader elected by the people.
As inauguration day approached, Americans feared that more violence was possible. Thousands of National Guard troops descended on the capital to keep the peace. And our democratic institutions felt more fragile than ever.
Being an econ nerd, my mind immediately went to the work of MIT economist Daron Acemoglu and University of Chicago economist and political scientist James Robinson. The two, who co-authored the book Why Nations Fail, had done really important research explaining why institutions are so critical to a nation’s success or failure. I wanted to get their perspective during a critical moment in American history, when our democratic institutions seemed to be weaker than they used to be. So I called them up.
Well, yesterday, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards some of the Nobel prizes, also called them up. It awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences to Acemoglu and Robinson — as well as their collaborator, MIT economist Simon Johnson — for their research on “how institutions are formed and affect prosperity.”
It’d be one thing for Acemoglu, Robinson, and Johnson to simply argue that institutions are critical to determining how rich a nation becomes. But, being economists, they also did some incredible statistical work to try and prove it.
For example, in one famous paper cited by the prize committee, Acemoglu, Robinson, and Johnson found there was a “reversal of fortune” in the wake of European colonization of the Americas. South and Central America went from being relatively richer than North America before colonization to being relatively poorer afterwards.
Why did this reversal happen? Acemoglu, Robinson, and Johnson argued that it’s all because of differences in the institutions created by European colonizers. In the Northern United States and Canada, Europeans created “inclusive” institutions that protected individual freedom and property rights, enforced the rule of law, educated their populations, and encouraged innovation and entrepreneurialism — institutions that would serve the economy especially well with the coming industrial revolution. The reason why Europeans set up inclusive institutions here, the prize winners explained, was because North America had a smaller, less dense indigenous population, so the Europeans could settle in large numbers and set about governing themselves.
In South and Central America, where there were the Incan and Aztec empires, there were too many indigenous people for Europeans to simply move in and govern themselves. Instead, European colonizers introduced or maintained already-existing “extractive” institutions that were geared more towards exploiting and oppressing the indigenous population. These institutions were not aimed at, for example, protecting individual freedom, investing in and educating the population, or encouraging innovation. Instead, these nations got a set of institutions that would be ill-suited for them to succeed in a modern, innovative industrial economy.
Acemoglu, Robinson, and Johnson argue that these institutional differences persisted over time, explaining why there was a reversal in fortune — that is, why North America became so much richer than South and Central America. The paper finds a similar story in other countries that Europeans colonized around the world.
The Deion Sanders Of Economics
When I got news of the award, I got to say, I was really excited, especially for Daron Acemoglu. I’ve been poring over his research for many years. In fact, one of the joys of my job at Planet Money has been getting to speak with him on multiple occasions and being able to pick his brain.
Yesterday, George Mason University economist Alex Tabarrok called Acemoglu “the Wilt Chamberlain of economics” because he's “an absolute monster of productivity who racks up the papers and the citations at nearly unprecedented rates.”
Maybe it’s because Chamberlain was before my time, but, to me, Acemoglu is more like the Deion Sanders of economics. When he played football, Sanders was a superstar who could score touchdowns on offense, defense, and special teams. Sanders was also a star baseball player. More recently, Sanders became a football coach and has killed it doing that.
Likewise, Acemoglu has been a superstar in multiple academic disciplines and subfields. He’s made massive contributions not just to institutional economics, development economics, and political science (the area in which he just won a Nobel for), but also in realms like mathematical economics, economic growth, political economy, and the economics of technology and automation.
Acemoglu has been a fixture in the Planet Money Newsletter. In fact, Acemoglu made an appearance in last week’s newsletter! Acemoglu’s work was also featured in a recent newsletter on why artificial intelligence may be overrated; another on why artificial intelligence isn’t wiping out jobs even in areas where it seems to be really good; and another explaining Acemoglu's profound insights about automation.
And, of course, Acemoglu — and his co-author and co-Nobel-prize-winner James Robinson — appeared in a newsletter explaining their (now) Nobel prize-winning research into the role that institutions play in a nation’s economic success.
Given the Nobel news, we figured it’d be worth revisiting this newsletter from January 2021, which explored their ideas about the power of institutions and how they thought those ideas related to the United States during a volatile period in our history. Here it is (you can also read it here):
Democracy Under Siege
As we approach inauguration day, exactly two weeks after the Capitol insurrection, Americans are on edge. About twenty thousand National Guard soldiers will provide security tomorrow; more troops than in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our political situation feels shaky and our institutions fragile. It's like we’re living in a bad Tom Clancy novel. We couldn’t reach Tom Clancy, so we called up the authors of Why Nations Fail instead. We wanted to figure out if the insurrection is a sign our nation is failing, and, if so, if there’s anything we can do about it.
“I don’t think January 6th was a singular day of failure,” says MIT economist Daron Acemoglu, who co-authored the book with University of Chicago economist James Robinson. “What surprises me is why it took until January 6th.”
Drawing on decades of economic research, Why Nations Fail argues that political institutions — not culture, natural resources or geography — explain why some nations have gotten rich while others remain poor. A good example is North Korea and South Korea. Eighty years ago, the two were virtually indistinguishable. But after a civil war, North Korea turned to communism, while South Korea embraced markets and, eventually, democracy. The authors argue that South Korea's institutions are the clear reason that it has grown insanely more rich than North Korea.
Nations like South Korea have what Acemoglu and Robinson call "inclusive institutions," such as representative legislatures, good public schools, open markets and strong patent systems. Inclusive institutions educate their populations. They invest in infrastructure. They fight poverty and disease. They encourage innovation. They are far different from the "extractive institutions" found in countries like North Korea, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, where small groups of elites use state power for their own ends and prosper through corruption, rent-seeking or brutally forcing people to work.
When Acemoglu and Robinson wrote Why Nations Fail almost a decade ago, they used the United States as an institutional success story. They acknowledge the nation has a dark side: slavery, genocide of Native Americans, the Civil War. But it's also a creature of the Enlightenment, a place with free and fair elections and world-renowned universities; a haven for immigrants, new ideas and new business models; and a country responsive to social movements for greater equality. Lucky for America — and its economy — its inclusive institutions have had a helluva run.
So, almost 10 years later, how do Acemoglu and Robinson feel about American institutions?
"U.S. institutions are really coming apart at the seams — and we have an amazingly difficult task of rebuilding them ahead of us," Acemoglu says. "This is a perilous time."
Yikes.
Acemoglu and Robinson see the rising tide against liberal democracy in America as a reaction to our political failure to deal with festering economic problems. In their view, our institutions have become less inclusive, and our economic growth now benefits a smaller fraction of the population. Some of the best economic research over the last couple of decades confirms this. Wage growth for most has stagnated. Social mobility has plummeted. Our labor market has been splitting into two, where the college educated thrive and those without a degree watch their opportunities shrivel, after automation and trade with China destroyed millions of jobs that once gave them good wages and dignity.
Acemoglu and Robinson believe that while factors like the transformation of our media landscape play a role, these economic changes and our political institutions' failure to grapple with them are the primary cause of our growing cultural and political divides. "As opposed to some of the left, who think this is all just the influence of big money or deluded masses, I think there is a set of true grievances that are justified," Acemoglu says. "Working-class people in the United States have been left out, both economically and culturally."
"Trump understood these grievances in a way the traditional parties did not," Robinson says. "But I don't think he has a solution to any of them. We saw something similar with the populist experiences in Latin America, where having solutions was not necessary for populist political success. Did Hugo Chávez or Juan Perón have a solution to these problems? No, but they exploited the problems brilliantly for political ends."
For Acemoglu and Robinson, more democracy is the answer to our political and economic problems. In a gigantic study of 175 countries from 1960 to 2010, they found that countries that democratized saw a 20% increase in GDP per capita over the long run.
Asked how we can stop our slide into national dysfunction, Acemoglu argues that political leaders need to focus on those who've been left behind and give them a leg up and a stake in the system. He advocates for a "good jobs" agenda that envisions policy changes and public investments to create, naturally, good jobs and shared prosperity (read more here). Robinson, citing the work of Harvard University political scientist Robert Putnam, argues we should find ways to transcend our political and cultural differences and connect with fellow citizens beyond our political tribes.
"We are still at a point where we can reverse things," Acemoglu says. "But I think if we paper over these issues, we will most likely see a huge deterioration in institutions. And it can happen very rapidly."
Let's hope they don't have to revise their book.
Copyright 2024 NPR | https://www.kdlg.org/as-heard-on-npr/2024-10-15/a-nobel-prize-for-an-explanation-of-why-nations-fail | 2024-10-15T17:50:54Z |
William H. Sadlier, Inc. and Archangel Announce a Partnership to Enhance Education
Sadlier and Archangel join forces to offer schools high-quality programs and resources with innovative technology to achieve student success.
William H. Sadlier, Inc. (NYSE:SADL)
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, October 15, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- William H. Sadlier, Inc. and Archangel Announce a Partnership to Enhance Education with Advanced Technology and Proven Resources and ProductsWilliam H. Sadlier, Inc. has partnered with Archangel to support K-12 educators and students in achieving success and growth. This collaboration combines Archangel's innovative technology and ISO-certified services with Sadlier’s proven quality educational programs and enriching digital resources.
“This partnership empowers schools and our educational partners with the tools and resources they need for student success,” said Theresa Thompson, President and CEO of Sadlier. “By combining advanced technology with transformative educational content, today’s educators are provided with powerful solutions.”
Sadlier’s high-quality, research-based programs enhance student engagement and learning via Archangel’s convenient devices and top-tier services.
“Archangel simplifies the technology acquisition process for schools, ensuring that educators and students have access to the tools they need to thrive”, said Josh Weinberg, CEO of Archangel.
About Archangel
Archangel Education and Technology is a leading provider of classroom devices and services tailored for schools. Built on a foundation of trust and operational excellence, Archangel delivers more than just devices—offering full-service solutions that include IT management, cybersecurity, in-house repairs, and more. With certifications in ISO 27001 and ISO 9001, Archangel is committed to delivering secure, reliable technology that empowers educators and students nationwide. For more information, visit https://arch-te.com.
About Sadlier
Sadlier has been a trusted leader in educational publishing for 200 years, providing schools with materials that foster academic achievement and spiritual growth. With a rich history of pioneering educational curricula, Sadlier offers comprehensive programs and professional development resources that help educators transform the hearts and minds of learners across the United States and beyond. For information, visit www.sadlier.com.
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EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above. | https://www.einpresswire.com/article/750320344/william-h-sadlier-inc-and-archangel-announce-a-partnership-to-enhance-education | 2024-10-15T17:50:54Z |
The New York Jets just keep digging the hole deeper.
They put everything into one shot this season with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. They're 2-4, one of the most disappointing teams in the league. They have fired their coach, Robert Saleh, and in their first game without him they made a month's worth of mistakes and lost a big game to the Buffalo Bills.
If the Jets had won that game, Tuesday's trade for Davante Adams would have made more sense. Now it just seems like they're chasing losses.
The Jets sent a conditional third-round pick that can become a second to the Las Vegas Raiders for Adams. The whole Adams situation isn't the best look for the Raiders either, but we'll come back to that. For now it's the Jets, already all-in, reaching in their pocket to put more chips in the middle but with a bad hand.
There's a scenario in which this all works out for New York. But you have to tell a fairly unbelievable story to get there.
Jets' Davante Adams trade doesn't solve their issues
Adams essentially replaces Mike Williams as the Jets' No. 2 receiver, a few months after the Jets signed Williams to a $10 million deal as part of their veteran shopping spree. In a perfect world Adams is the All-Pro that Aaron Rodgers remembers from his Green Bay Packers days. In reality, he's a 32-year-old receiver whose numbers were way down last season — 1,516 yards and 15.2-yard average in 2022 to 1,144 and 11.1 in 2023 — and is joining a new team in midseason.
By the time Adams gets going in the Jets offense, if he ever does, it might be too late.
Adams could be a big help, giving the Jets a needed secondary option in the passing game after Garrett Wilson (though Allen Lazard has been quite productive) and it could help the Jets take off. But what's the real ceiling for this team?
The Jets are two games behind the Bills now, and the Bills have a road win over New York for tiebreaker purposes. if the Jets don't rally to overtake the Bills in the AFC East, the fight for a wild card spot might not be as tough as first anticipated due to down seasons from the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins. Prudently, the Jets would have been better off looking toward what comes next rather than shipping off what might be a top 75 draft pick.
For this to all feel like a success, Adams would have to have a nearly immediate impact, reverse a troubling downward career trend, the 2-4 Jets would have to go about 8-3 to make the playoffs, then in the playoffs they would have to get on a hot streak against division winners who look way better than them right now. Maybe Jets fans would be happy with a playoff appearance and a one-and-done exit. It has been 14 years since they made it at all.
But even for that, the Jets would have to be a different team than they've shown the past six weeks. Adams doesn't fix all the issues with penalties, he won't make the offensive line better and he won't help kicker Greg Zuerlein out of his slump either.
Why didn't the Raiders trade Adams before?
The Raiders side makes more sense. They aren't paying any more of Adams' salary in the trade. That makes the dead cap hits a manageable $13.67 million this year and $15.7 million in 2025 according to Spotrac. It's a significant cap savings for a player that had a $44.1 million cap hit coming next season.
But the whole situation has been odd. The Raiders don't have many stars and Adams was a player who was front and center late last season in getting Antonio Pierce the permanent head coaching job. If the Raiders did want to move away from one of their only marketable stars just two years after a major trade for him, why not do it in March when his value would have been higher? Switching lanes three games into the season, when the Raiders aren't any better or worse than expected, makes it seem like Las Vegas doesn't have a plan. Getting a conditional third for Adams is fine but it's not transformative. At least there's more salary cap room for next season, although probably no enticing quarterback to spend it on.
Maybe it works out for everyone. The Jets make the playoffs with a new-look offense. The Raiders wisely use all that extra salary-cap space next offseason to take a big step in their never-ending rebuild. But at the moment, it's hard to find a clear winner to Tuesday's big trade. | https://www.k95tulsa.com/news/national/davante-adams-trade/77SOYV6Q5QAIMQGCDXHSND6WWQ/ | 2024-10-15T17:50:54Z |
James Gunn Shares First Look At Krypto In Superman, And The Sweet Story Behind The Dog’s Inspiration
Krypto will be joining the DCU with James Gunn's Superman.
While the comic book genre continues to dominate pop culture, there's a change coming to upcoming DC movies. With the DCEU (which is streaming with a Max subscription) officially over, fans are looking to what co-CEO James Gunn is creating with the new DC Universe. Lucky for us, Gunn shared the first look at Krypto in Superman, and the sweet story behind the dog’s inspiration.
What we know about Superman is limited, but it'll kickstart the new universe. While fans are still waiting to learn more about its first slate of projects titled Gods and Monsters, we've been treated to a fun update about Gunn's movie. The filmmaker took to Instagram to share the first look at Krypto the Superdog, and the sweet inspiration behind the puppy character. Check it out below:
A post shared by James Gunn (@jamesgunn)
A photo posted by on
I'm not crying, you're crying. While Krypto has a long history on the page (as well as animated projects like DC League of Super-Pets, see our review here) we haven't seen the character on the big screen in live-action. And aside from the character's history in the comics, James Gunn 's version of Krypto will be inspired by his own dog Ozu.
Gunn shared this sneak peek at Superman's Krypto with his whopping 2.8 million followers on Instagram. He regularly uses social media to shut down rumors, and communicate directly with the fandom. And that includes the story of adopting Ozu, and how his own pooch inspired the character of Superman's dog.
As James Gunn shared, he adopted his dog while writing Superman, saving it from a dangerous situation in its former home. But he continued to love Ozu, with the Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker claiming that his dog "changed his life." And that love inspired a furry character in his forthcoming DC blockbuster.
If Krypto in Superman was inspired by Ozu's adjustment to living with James Gunn, I have to assume that the superpowered pooch might be causing some chaos for David Corenswet's Clark Kent. A dog with the zoomies is one thing, but a dog with zoomies who is capable of flying and using super speed is another matter entirely.
Kryto is just one of the many iconic DC characters who will be factoring into the action of the Superman movie. A variety of other heroes will be joining Superman, including Hawkgirl, Mister Fantastic, Metamorpho, and Green Lantern Guy Gardner. It's currently unclear how these characters will factor into the movie's story, but their varied skillset will presumably help make the action sequences all the more thrilling.
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All will be revealed when Superman finally arrives in theaters on July 11th. For now, be sure to check out the 2025 movie release dates to plan your other trips the movies in the New Year.
Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more. | https://www.cinemablend.com/superheroes/superman/james-gunn-shares-first-look-krypto-superman | 2024-10-15T17:50:57Z |
TORONTO — Ontario is making what a key minister describes as a "hard pivot" to life sciences, as it looks to replicate its aggressive investment in the electric-vehicle sector in a bid to become a world leader in biomanufacturing and health sciences.
Premier Doug Ford outlined the second phase of the province's life sciences strategy Tuesday as he announced a $146-million investment in the industry.
"It'll be an all-of-government approach," Ford said at the MedTech Conference in Toronto.
"We'll have everyone involved to enhance the province's biomanufacturing capacity, to unlock new streams of capital that help entrepreneurs turn their ideas into prototypes, into market-ready products, to improve the adoption and uptake of Ontario-made technologies in clinical settings and to continue to solidify our province as a premier destination for life sciences investments."
The province is putting $46 million into an infrastructure fund to boost research capacity at post-secondary schools and hospitals. It also expects to spend $5 million to speed up clinical trials, $36 million for several startup funds and $40 million in venture capital funds intended to spur growth and innovation.
The province is also expected to soon announce the details of a program to help companies find laboratory space.
Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli said the province has a "very ambitious" goal of growing employment in life sciences to 85,000 jobs by 2030, which would be a significant increase from the 72,000 jobs that currently exist.
"This first-of-a-kind-in-over-a-decade life sciences strategy sets a bold vision to establish Ontario as a biomanufacturing and life sciences hub," he said.
Last month, at a committee hearing going over cost estimates at Queen's Park, Fedeli spelled out the government's shifting focus.
After securing a number of high-profile, high-money investments from Volkswagen, Stellantis and others for the electric-vehicle supply chain, the province is looking to do the same with the life sciences industry.
"There's still more work to do in (the electric-vehicle sector), but for the most part, the companies that are in the sector pretty much all have a dance partner, so we are now pivoting, a very hard pivot, to life sciences," Fedeli told the committee.
"We have 70,000 STEM grads annually," he said, referring to graduates from science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs.
He added the province has a robust research and development ecosystem, along with 72,000 life science workers and 2,000 life sciences companies.
"We've landed over $4 billion in life sciences in the last four years," he went on, referring to companies' investments in the province.
Fedeli said Tuesday that Ontario also wants to become a leader in nuclear medicine, in part because of its 12 CANDU nuclear reactors.
"We have a unique opportunity to become the No. 1 North American supplier in the global nuclear medicines supply chain with critical investments in partnerships with leading Ontario universities and companies," Fedeli said.
"We will continue to support reliable access to cutting edge treatments for cancer patients and expand Ontario's nuclear medicine advantage."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2024.
Liam Casey, The Canadian Press | https://www.cp24.com/politics/queens-park/2024/10/15/ontario-investing-146-million-in-life-sciences-sector/ | 2024-10-15T17:50:57Z |
(MENAFN- PR Newswire)
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP), an association of global automakers and their suppliers, today announced the publication of a new report, "Moving Automotive supply chain Plastic Packaging Toward a Sustainable Circular Economy: Full Report and Playbook ," developed in collaboration with Resource Recycling Systems (RRS).
Many different packaging materials are currently used in the automotive industry to ship parts damage-free through the supply chain. Returnable containers are a staple in the automotive industry for domestic shipments and the outer container is typically recycled or reused. The internal plastic
dunnage – including materials such as foams, films, and other low-weight plastics – poses greater recovery challenges due to factors such as mixed material compositions and the logistics of economically collecting and transporting these materials from different facilities along the supply chain.
"We are committed to driving sustainability across the entire supply chain," said Bridget Grewal, Director, Packaging Continuous Improvement at Magna. "This new report provides valuable insights and practical guidance for increasing the recycling of plastic packaging in the automotive industry, helping us to reduce waste and improve environmental outcomes."
SP commissioned RRS, a sustainability and recycling consulting firm, to conduct a feasibility study and develop a recommended approach for increasing recycling of internal plastic dunnage and packaging. Fisher Packaging was also a part of the team providing expertise in packaging design and plant operations. This newly published report offers comprehensive guidance on implementing programs to manage plastic packaging in the automotive supply chain. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration to consolidate plastic waste, allowing for more efficient recycling solutions at scale.
"By leveraging our technical expertise and deep experience in recycling systems, we helped identify practical solutions for increasing the recyclability of plastic dunnage," said Bryce Hesterman, Senior Consultant at RRS. "SP's leadership and commitment to tackling these challenges truly positions them as the driving force behind meaningful change in the automotive supply chain."
The report outlines actionable steps to divert plastic waste at various levels – within plants, across facilities, and throughout the material recovery value chain – to access recycling markets that promote the highest, best use of materials. While there is no one-size fits-all solution to handling plastic waste, the accompanying playbook provides an approach and framework for individual plants to evaluate opportunities that fit their circumstance considering economic, environmental, and behavioral aspects, and outlines common barriers across the supply chain.
"SP's sustainable packaging initiative was developed to identify new opportunities to minimize automotive packaging waste and seek to address barriers to packaging recyclability and reuse. This study provides important new insights on opportunities for automotive companies seeking to improve economical recovery of key plastic packaging waste streams and increase access to recycling markets that reflect the highest, best use of those materials. We commend Michigan
EGLE and Magna for the grant funding provided to support this project," said Kellen Mahoney, Director, Suppliers Partnership for the Environment.
The guidance provided in the report is complemented by several existing SP sustainable packaging resources, including "Sustainable Packaging Specification Recommendations for Automotive Manufacturing Operations",
"Sustainable Packaging Specification Recommendations for Automotive Expendable Packaging"
and
"Automotive NA 48 x 45 Wood Stringer Pallet Specification Recommendations".
The new report is available to download at no cost at: . The study was supported through grant funding from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, with matching grant funding provided by Magna.
About Suppliers Partnership for the Environment
Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) provides a forum for global automotive manufacturers and their large and small suppliers to work together toward a shared vision of an automotive industry with positive environmental impact. Learn more at:
About RRS
Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, RRS is a sustainability and recycling consulting firm that strives to create a world where resources are managed to maximize economic and social benefit while minimizing environmental harm. RRS serves both the public and private sectors to manage change in a resource-constrained world. Learn more at
SOURCE Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP)
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Happy shouts and laughter fill the cafeteria at Locust Grove Baptist Church in New Market, Alabama — a small town just outside of Huntsville, in the northern part of the state.
While the grandparents eat dinner, their grandchildren chase each other around the tables.
They call themselves “grandfamilies.” Everyone here knows each other.
It’s the quarterly meeting of a group called Grandparents as Parents, a time when they can get the kids together and catch up over spaghetti, Caesar salad, and homemade chocolate mud pie.
But beneath all the joyful camaraderie lie tough stories. These personal histories and traumas bubble up casually, as they can in conversations between people with shared experiences.
“My daughter is addicted to drugs,” explains Donna Standridge.
She’s seated at a table with her husband, Jeff. Between bites, she’s keeping an eye on one of her grandsons. He’s desperate for her attention, hanging onto her arm, crying “Mawmaw! Mawmaw! Mawmaw!” as she tries to eat and talk.
Standridge is 55, Jeff is 66. Instead of retiring or traveling, they’re raising four grandsons — ages 11, 7, 5 and 3 — in nearby Jefferson County.
“Opioids is where it all began,” Standridge says of her daughter’s struggles. In a story that echoes so many others, Standridge says her daughter’s opioid use disorder started with prescription painkillers, before eventually moving to heroin and finally, fentanyl.
Standridge says her daughter loves her sons and has had periods of sobriety. At times, she’s been in treatment and made progress. Other times, she’s gone back to using. The back and forth, Standridge says, is hard on the kids. That’s why she and her husband stepped in to care for them.
“Because of the addiction and being in active addiction, relapsing and stuff when she was clean, it wasn't a healthy environment for them.”
Parental addiction is driving formation of new ‘grandfamilies’
There was another reason these grandfamilies had gathered at the church on Aug. 22 — besides support and community. The Standridges and about 15 other families were here to learn about a new pilot program just approved by the state legislature.
Alabama has received almost $100 million dollars from legal settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors like Cardinal Health and McKesson and pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens.
In January, the Alabama Department of Mental Health appropriated $280,000 for grandparents like these, thrust into a new phase of parenting because of their children’s struggles with opioid use disorder.
The new pilot will be managed jointly by the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) and the Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS).
More than 2.5 million children in the U.S. are raised by grandfamilies — grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other extended family members — when their parents are unable to care for them, according to the 2022 "State of Grandfamilies" report from Generations United, a national advocacy group.
Parental substance use, especially the rise of opioids, is a key driver behind this trend, with other family members stepping in to prevent children from entering foster care.
In Alabama, 48% of foster care entries list parental substance use as the reason for children entering the system.
Yet, the grandfamilies at this church often struggle without the formal support systems available to foster families
The funds from the new pilot program come from the opioid settlement funds the state has received thus far. Advocates say the estimated $1,000-$2,000 per family is not enough to cover the expenses that come with raising a child — much less multiple children — but it’s a good first step.
Other states may follow Alabama’s experiment
The payments are expected this fall, for grandfamilies in three counties: Madison, Coffee, and Escambia, in the northern, middle, and southern part of the state, respectively.
For the grandparents at the church, any support would be helpful. Standridge reflects that people often focus on drug users when thinking about the opioid epidemic. But it’s their families — especially the children — who must live with the impacts — and who need support as well.
“We're the silent victims, if you will,” she says.
In Alabama, grandfamilies in Alabama don’t have access to certain welfare programs, like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). This new program is supposed to help alleviate that.
Unfortunately, Standridge learned later that evening, during the presentation, that her family wouldn’t qualify for the pilot payments this year, because they don’t live in one of the three counties in the pilot.
Still, Keith Lowhorne, the founder of Grandparents as Parents, is excited for the families that will be helped.
“This is like a dream come true. You’ve got grandparents that are suffering,” Lowhorne says.
As far as he knows, this is the first time that opioid settlement funds will be directed towards grandparents or relative caregivers over age 55 raising their grandchildren because of opioids.
“Alabama is not known for being first about anything,” Lowhorne says. “As far as we know, and as far as everyone has told us, this is the first for the country. We are extremely proud of that.”
Other states, such as Nevada, will soon be following suit in using settlement money to help grandfamilies, according to Lowhorne. He’s been contacted by organizations like Foster Kinship, a statewide support program in Nevada.
Using opioid settlement funds in this way is essential for placing kids with family members, instead of entering the foster care system, according to Ali Caliendo, founder and director of Nevada’s Foster Kinship.
“Every state should be allocating a portion of their settlement dollars to families raising children who are victims,” Caliendo says.
Raising grandkids later in life, on limited incomes
These grandparents have stepped up, doing the work of raising children, despite their limited resources, Caliendo says. It’s true that they are motivated by love — but love isn’t always enough to support young children.
“Love doesn't buy groceries. Love doesn't get beds. Love doesn't solve medical issues,” Caliendo says. “So grandparents really do need extra financial support to make sure that those children can thrive.”
Lowhorne agrees that grandfamilies can face difficult and unique challenges. Many of them live below the poverty line and survive on fixed incomes from pensions, Social Security, or disability payments. And because grandparents are older, getting a job can be difficult — or just not an option for many.
“Some of them are living on $1,500 a month,” Lowhorne says. “And that's not very much money these days when you're trying to take care of a kid, possibly a baby.
In addition, Lowhorne knows grandparents who are caring for premature babies with medical issues, or infants born dependent on opioids because of the mother’s substance use.
Older children have challenges as well, Lowhorne adds, including histories of trauma, abuse or neglect.
Three counties across Alabama will receive funds
Under the pilot, Madison County, where New Market is located, will receive just over $90,000 for the year.
Families will apply for the money and could get a one-time payment between $1,000-$2,000.
Lowhorne concedes that the payment doesn’t come close to helping with all the needs, but it still “makes a world of a difference” to these grandfamilies.
Grandparents will be able to use the money to buy groceries, pay bills, obtain dental care or to enroll the kids in sports programs to keep them active. Funds can also be used for school supplies or uniforms.
Lowhorne and his wife are raising a granddaughter, and he had just taken her shopping earlier that day for a school uniform.
“Let me tell you, I learned some things on how to shop with a young, seven-year-old girl,” he says, laughing. “But it was fun. We had a good time. She said it was a daughter-daddy day.”
While the state’s first round of settlement funds is now being distributed, Alabama expects hundreds of millions more in the coming decade. Lowhorne hopes that Alabama officials will continue to distribute that money to grandfamilies, and become a model for other states as well.
“We want other states to follow because other states are just like Alabama,” Lowhorne says. “You’ve got tens of thousands of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren with hardly any help, if any help at all. Like in Alabama, they get nothing.”
This story comes from NPR’s health reporting partnership with the Gulf States Newsroom and KFF Health News.
Copyright 2024 Gulf States Newsroom | https://www.wyso.org/npr-news/2024-10-15/a-new-way-to-support-grandparents-raising-kids-affected-by-the-addiction-epidemic | 2024-10-15T17:50:59Z |
Shimla, Oct 15 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Tuesday visited the Atal tunnel and said that it not only promotes tourism activities but also serves as a boon for the locals by reducing their travel time and distance between Manali-Keylong and Leh around the year.
During the visit, the Commanding Officer of the BRO Sandeep Singh informed the Governor about the escape tunnel which opens every 400 meters. The tunnel bypasses most of the sites which were prone to road blockages, avalanches and traffic jams, he added.
The Governor said the tunnel, which is the highest highway single-tube tunnel above 10,000 feet in the world connecting areas on both sides of Lahaul-Spiti and Kullu, is a boon to the locals who travel around the year as it reduces the travel time. It also promotes tourism activities in the area.
Later, the Governor also visited Sissu Lake. He said that the visit to Himachal Pradesh was futile if people don't witness and enjoy the beauty of Lahaul valley, a statement issued here said.
"Though the whole of Himachal is beautiful, the beauty of Lahaul cannot be described in words. We just have to take care of its sanctity, pristine environment and cleanliness", he said. PTI BPL HIG HIG | https://www.newsdrum.in/national/atal-tunnel-boon-for-locals-reduces-travel-time-says-himachal-governor-shukla-7317611 | 2024-10-15T17:51:00Z |
'No other option': Major A-road to close for seven weeks as drivers given 68-mile diversion
A 68-mile diversion will be in place for seven weeks as work takes place to rebuild a road's retaining wall.
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Essential works to rebuild a retaining wall which supports the A470 between Talerddig and Llanbrynmair, west of Newtown, will see the road closed for almost two months.
Traffic management has been in place since an emergency closure in October 2023, when the wall partially collapsed.
Traffic Wales said the works will involve the "complete excavation" of the carriageway and there "is therefore no option other than to close the road".
The road closure will be in place between 9am on Thursday, October 31 and 5pm on Friday, December 20.
Ancillary works will then be undertaken to complete the repair under two-way traffic lights. Work is set to be complete and all traffic management removed by February 14 next year.
While the road is closed a 68.6-mile diversion will be in place. Westbound traffic will be diverted via Caersws, Newtown (A483), Welshpool and Mallwyd (A458) to rejoin the route at Glantwymyn, with eastbound traffic following the same route in reverse.
A spokesperson for the Welsh Government urged motorists to plan ahead before they travel. They added: "The work is taking place during a quieter period on the road, including the half-term holiday. This work is essential in order to ensure the road can remain open in the years to come.
"We understand this will cause disruption in the short term while the work is under way, and we thank drivers for their patience. It is vital this work is carried out at this time for the future resilience of the road." | https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/transport/2024/10/15/no-other-option-major-a-road-to-close-for-seven-weeks-as-drivers-given-68-mile-diversion/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:00Z |
The history and future of Taylor’s Island
On Friday, Oct. 25, join members of the Taylor’s Island Foundation and the Taylor’s Island Preservation Committee for the Library’s Friday Night Dialogue program that will look back at the past and ahead to the future of this very special place in Coecles Harbor.
Members of these groups will share through images and words, the eras of its history, up to the present. Due to the closure of the library, the talk will be held at the Presbyterian Church, at 7 p.m.
The initial preservation effort of what is now known as the Smith-Taylor Cabin began almost 20 years ago and was sparked by a night spent by P.A.T Hunt and her husband, Bridg, at the Rose Island Lighthouse in Newport, R.I.
As the saying goes, the light went on for P.A.T as she envisioned being able to offer “something like this on Taylor’s Island,” an historic structure where overnight stays might be had.
Grass roots interest in preservation efforts grew until late December 2005 when then-councilwoman Christine Lewis countered the cabin’s potential teardown by creating the Taylor’s Island Preservation and Management Committee. Supervisor-elect Alfred J. Kilb Jr. appointed Richie Surozenski and Ms. Hunt as committee co-chairs.
The Adirondack-style log cabin was built about 1900 by Francis Marion Smith of “20 Mule Team Borax” fame as a rustic retreat for picnics and clambakes. In 1937, then-owner S. Gregory Taylor added a bedroom, bath, kitchen, foyer and the landmark tower with catwalk. Upon his demise, he gave it to the Town, as Ms. Hunt recalls, “for the use and enjoyment of the general public.”
Taylor’s Island is, according to Ms. Hunt, like the Shelter Island Country Club (“Goat Hill”), owned by the Town and run by its citizens.
Their efforts over the past 20 years have resulted in restoration efforts to this historic structure and, importantly, the addition of the site being placed on the New York State and National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
But there’s more to be done. Because of its location in the harbor, the Island and cabin need constant vigilance and care. This presentation will not only cover the rich history of this little spit of land, but will envision the future of this Town of Shelter Island landmark.
As always, this Friday Night Dialogue program is free of charge but donations are always welcome.
For more information or to register for this event, please call the library at 631-749-0042 or check out the library’s website shelterislandpubliclibrary.org.
Coming up: Cody-Marie Miller presents “Fire in the Woods” on Friday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. in the Nature Conservancy Education Building in the Mashomack Preserve. | https://shelterislandreporter.timesreview.com/2024/10/15/the-history-and-future-of-taylors-island/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:00Z |
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Today's top stories
Today, Vice President Harris is set to announce initiatives aimed at winning over Black voters, particularly men. She has pledged to legalize recreational marijuana, protect cryptocurrency assets and give 1 million fully forgivable loans of up to $20,000 for Black entrepreneurs and others to start businesses. Polls show that Black men are not as enthusiastic about Harris as they were about President Biden in 2020. Some are showing interest in former President Donald Trump. Democrats are worried that even a small shift in the Black male vote could harm Harris' chances of winning crucial swing states needed to secure the White House.
- 🎧 With the race so close, NPR's Deepa Shivaram tells Up First that Harris spending these final weeks trying to appeal to Republican and independent voters. She is set to discuss her new proposals today at a town hall event with Charlamagne tha God, one of the hosts of The Breakfast Club. Charlamagne is known for being a challenging interviewer and has been critical of Democratic candidates in the past.
Aid workers and human rights groups fear that Israel's new offensive is starving people in north Gaza. The plan, which has been in effect for the past two weeks, focuses on the Jabalia refugee camp where Israel claims Hamas was attempting to regroup. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which provides aid to Palestinians, reports that civilians in the area are being forced to either leave or face starvation due to blocked food deliveries. Israel has issued an evacuation order for all of north Gaza.
- 🎧 NPR’s Daniel Estrin spoke with a man named Mohammed El Balaawy, who fled his home in Jabalia. El Balaawy stated that he was part of a group of 25 people who escaped while under fire, and 10 of them were injured or killed. His relatives who stayed behind have run out of food and water. The practice of "leave or starve" is not an official policy, and the Israeli army denies its implementation.
The Biden administration is establishing a new national marine sanctuary off the Central California coast that will protect over 4,500 square miles of ocean. The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary will be the first to be managed by Indigenous people. It will be overseen in collaboration with local tribes and Indigenous groups that will provide guidance to the federal government. This initiative reflects the Biden administration's commitment to involving tribes in decisions regarding the lands and waters that were historically taken from them.
Life advice
Sometimes, we tend to criticize our style or body when getting dressed. Stylist Sophie Strauss wants to flip the narrative and reframe how we talk about our clothes in relation to our bodies. Here are positive and constructive ways to tackle style complaints.
- 👖 If you're feeling stuck or bored with your style, don't rush to buy new clothes. Take this opportunity to reconsider what you already have and get creative.
- 👖 Saying comments like “this isn’t flattering” blames your body. Put the fault back on your clothes by saying, “I don’t like this.”
- 👖 Remember, anyone can take fashion risks; it just takes confidence, which can be built.
- 👖One misconception about personal style is that it’s a race to be the most unique person. It should be all about making the right decisions for you.
Check out the full list of how to fix common style gripes.
Picture show
Every year during Holy Week leading up to Easter, the community in Juntas, Buenaventura, Colombia, celebrates the Manacillos festival. This ancient ritual originated near the Yurumangui River. During the festival, no one is allowed to work in the artisanal gold mines or the agricultural fields in the jungle. The Manacillos festival holds profound spiritual significance, as it reaffirms the residents' African roots and resists colonialism and imposed Catholicism through syncretism, creating a new collective cultural identity.
- 📷 See photos of how one Afro-Colombian community honors their ancestry.
3 things to know before you go
- The Europa Clipper, a spacecraft powered by solar energy, was launched yesterday on a journey of over six years. It will study whether one of Jupiter’s moons can support life.
- Three men were awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Economics for tracing the institutional roots of national prosperity in former European colonies. They’ll share the prize, worth about $1.058 million, for their work explaining how the different institutions in those colonies continue to shape economic fortunes today.
- Women’s equality activist Lilly Ledbetter died Saturday at 86. Her fight for pay equity led to the passage of the monumental Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
Copyright 2024 NPR | https://www.kdlg.org/as-heard-on-npr/2024-10-15/harris-courts-black-male-voters-and-worries-that-israel-is-starving-north-gaza | 2024-10-15T17:51:00Z |
BEIRUT, October 15. /TASS/. The Lebanese government believes it is unacceptable to discuss creating a security zone along the border with Israel, Prime Minister Najib Mikati said.
"We don't want to hear anything about this demand of the Israeli enemy and will not agree to it. Any occupation of even a small part of Lebanese territory is being rejected," he said in an interview with Al Jazeera television. "There is a UN Interim Force in Lebanon on the border and it comes under daily attacks from the Israeli side."
According to the report, the US earlier communicated through diplomatic channels to Beirut that Israel has not abandoned its demand to create a buffer zone of 5-10 km in southern Lebanon and will not allow residents of border areas to return there after mopping up the territory during the ground operation.
In the television interview, Mikati expressed readiness to strengthen the presence of armed forces in the south in coordination with UN peacekeepers if a ceasefire is reached. According to the official, there are currently 4,500 military personnel in southern Lebanon and the government hopes to increase the number to 7,000-11,000. The prime minister made it clear that Lebanon will restore sovereignty over the entire territory of the country.
According to the official, he plans to discuss the issue at an international conference in support of Lebanon to be held in Paris on October 24.
"We are going to ask for humanitarian and security assistance," he said. "This primarily concerns the military and security forces.". | https://tass.com/world/1856587 | 2024-10-15T17:51:00Z |
RALEIGH — An “unprecedented response” to damage caused by Hurricane Helene continues in western North Carolina. State, federal and local response workers “are working around the clock” to get assistance into the region, according to a state report released Monday by Gov. Roy Cooper’s office.
“Law enforcement is working to ensure the safety of responders amid reports of threats and misinformation,” the report stated.
Yet, FEMA officials reportedly remain in communities and will resume door-to-door operations to help people impacted by these storms recover as quickly as possible following reports of threats on the ground.
Cooper said he has directed the Department of Public Safety to work with local law enforcement to identify “specific threats and rumors and coordinate with FEMA and other partners” to ensure the safety of all involved.
“State, federal and local response workers, including FEMA, are working around the clock to bring assistance to western North Carolina,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “We know that significant misinformation online contributes to threats against response workers on the ground, and the safety of responders must be a priority. At my direction, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety is helping partners like FEMA to coordinate with law enforcement to ensure their safety and security as they continue their important work.”
North Carolina National Guard and Military Response
About 3,500 soldiers and airmen are working in western North Carolina, according to Monday’s report.
Joint Task Force-North Carolina, the task force led by the North Carolina National Guard is made up of Soldiers and Airmen from 12 different states, two different XVIII Airborne Corps units from Ft. Liberty, a unit from Ft. Campbell’s 101st Airborne Division, and numerous civilian entities are working side-by-side to get the much-needed help to people in Western North Carolina, the report stated.
According to the state report, National Guard and military personnel are operating 11 aviation assets and more than 1,200 specialized vehicles to advance the missions.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is helping to assess water and wastewater plants and dams, according to Cooper’s statement.
FEMA Assistance
– More than $96 million in FEMA Individual Assistance funds have been paid so far to Western North Carolina disaster survivors and more than 160,000 people have registered for Individual Assistance. Approximately 4,600 households are now housed in hotels through FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance.
– 1,000+ FEMA staff are in the state to help with the Western North Carolina relief effort. In addition to search and rescue and providing commodities, they are meeting with disaster survivors in shelters and neighborhoods to provide rapid access to relief resources. They can be identified by their FEMA logo apparel and federal government identification.
– The Major Disaster Declaration requested by Governor Cooper and granted by President Biden now includes 27 North Carolina counties (Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey) and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
– North Carolinians can apply for Individual Assistance by calling 1-800-621-3362 from 7am to 11pm daily or by visiting www.disasterassistance.gov, or by downloading the FEMA app. FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs.
Help from Other States
– More than 1,500 responders from 38 state and local agencies have performed 135 missions supporting the response and recovery efforts through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). This includes public health nurses, emergency management teams supporting local governments, veterinarians, teams with search dogs and more.
Beware of Misinformation
According to Monday’s report from the governor’s office, North Carolina Emergency Management and local officials are cautioning the public about false Helene reports and misinformation shared on social media.
NCEM has launched a fact versus rumor response webpage to provide factual information in the wake of this storm. FEMA also has a rumor response webpage.
Food, Water and Commodity Points of Distribution
Efforts continue to provide food, water and basic necessities to residents in affected communities, using both ground resources and air drops from the NC National Guard, according to a progress update on Monday.
Food, water and commodity points of distribution are open throughout western North Carolina at ncdps.gov/Helene.
Shelters
A total of 13 shelters are open in western North Carolina supporting more than 560 people.
Storm Damage Cleanup
Property damaged in the storm qualifies for assistance through Crisis Cleanup at 844-965-1386.
Power Outages
Across western North Carolina, approximately 19,000 customers remain without power, down from a peak of more than 1 million. Overall power outage numbers will fluctuate up and down as power crews temporarily take circuits or substations offline to make repairs and restore additional customers, according to Monday’s report.
Road Closures
– Travel remains dangerous, with hundreds of roads closed. Many of these roads are primary routes connecting the region.
– NCDOT has posted at ncdot.gov an interstate detour map for those traveling in the region. North Carolinians can visit DriveNC.Gov for the latest roadway conditions. NCDOT currently has approximately 2,100 employees and 1,100 pieces of equipment working on approximately 6,700 damaged road sites.
Fatalities
Ninety-five storm-related deaths have been confirmed in North Carolina by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner, according to Monday’s report from the governor’s office.
”We expect that this number will continue to rise over the coming days,” Cooper said. “The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will continue to confirm numbers twice daily.”
Volunteers and Donations
– Due to dangerous road conditions and the need to maintain open routes for emergency operations, travel to Western North Carolina is difficult. Consider the following options for donations and volunteer opportunities:
– If you would like to donate to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, visit nc.gov/donate. Donations will help to support local nonprofits working on the ground.
– For information on volunteer opportunities, please visit nc.gov/volunteernc Additional Assistance
“There is no right or wrong way to feel in response to the trauma of a hurricane,” Cooper said on Monday. “If you have been impacted by the storm and need someone to talk to, call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990. Help is also available to anyone, anytime in English or Spanish through a call, text or chat to 988. Learn more at 988Lifeline.org.”
– If you are seeking a representative from the North Carolina Joint Information Center, please email ncempio@ncdps.gov or call 919-825-2599.
– For general information, access to resources, or answers to frequently asked questions, please visit ncdps.gov/helene.
– If you are seeking information on resources for recovery help for a resident impacted from the storm, please email IArecovery@ncdps.gov.
Much of this report was compiled from state sources and wiee reports. David Kennard is the executive editor of the Robesonian. Reach him by email at dkennard@robesonian.com. | https://www.robesonian.com/news/305827/report-storm-response-by-local-federal-and-state-resources-continues-in-western-north-carolina | 2024-10-15T17:51:00Z |
Can’t Miss Alabama: Springtime events include festivals, walking tour
Ballyhoo Festival
Ballyhoo is a fine art and culture festival amid the springtime beauty of Gulf State Park. The festival offers performances by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, juried fine arts and crafts, seafood, fiddle and banjo competitions and early Americana Appalachian and bluegrass music. The festivities take place April 6-7. Admission is free. Click here for directions and the complete schedule of events.
Tuscaloosa Heritage Festival
Featuring live music, dance and cuisines from varied cultures, the Tuscaloosa Heritage Festival will showcase Tuscaloosa’s sister cities of Narashino, Japan; Schorndorf, Germany; and Sunyani-Techiman, Ghana, as well as African American, Latino/Hispanic and Native American culture. The event offers food, door prizes and a youth scavenger hunt with a chance to win a $100 prize. The venue is the Tuscaloosa River Market. The event is on Sunday, April 7, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
Kiwanis Vulcan Trail tour
Learn about the history of the local mining and iron industries while taking a walk along the trail atop Red Mountain that was once the path for Birmingham’s Mineral Railroad. The 2.2-mile trail was updated by the nonprofit Freshwater Land Trust with support from the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham and is part of the Red Rock Trail System. The walk, part of a series hosted by Vulcan Park and Museum, takes place April 6, beginning at 10 a.m. Space is limited. Advance registration is required.
Hank Williams Jr. in concert with Whiskey Myers
Hank Williams Jr. will perform at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Friday, April 5, at 7 p.m. “Family Tradition,” “Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound” and “Old Habits” are some of Williams’ most popular songs. Special guest is the Whiskey Myers band, with hits including “Ballad of a Southern Man,” “Bar, Guitar and a Honky Tonk Crowd” and “Broken Window Serenade.” For ticket information, visit bjcc.org.
Red Mountain Theatre presents ‘Sister Act’
Red Mountain Theatre in Birmingham and the UAB Department of Theatre unite in “Sister Act,” bringing professional theater resources together with the next generation of musical theater talent. After witnessing a murder, Deloris Van Cartier must hide in a convent, disguised as a nun. At odds with the strict lifestyle and even stricter mother superior, she finds her niche in revitalizing the church choir — until it ends up blowing her cover. The feel-good musical comedy is at Red Mountain Theatre April 5-21.
Renew Our Rivers
The Renew Our Rivers, Lay Lake cleanup at Plant Gaston (Coosa River) takes place Saturday, April 6. For more information about the cleanup, email Andy Foster at rafoster@southernco.com or call 205-669-8129. Cleanup supplies will be provided. Renew Our Rivers is a national-award-winning campaign originated by Alabama Power in 2000. Since its start, more than 131,000 volunteers have removed more than 8,300 tons of trash and debris from rivers, lakes and creeks across four Southeastern states. For the complete schedule, visit apcshorelines.com.
Sporting events
- The Birmingham Legion professional soccer team hosts Loudoun United FC Sunday, April 7, at Protective Stadium. Click for tickets.
- The Birmingham Barons face the Chattanooga Lookouts April 5-7 at Regions Field. Click for tickets.
Solar Eclipse watch list
According to Yahoo News, the solar eclipse will begin at 12:40 p.m. Monday, April 8, and will end at 3:17 p.m. It will hit maximum coverage in Alabama at 1:59 p.m. Here are some places you can watch the solar eclipse:
- At the W.A. Gayle Planetarium in Montgomery, there will be a paid show at 10 a.m. Monday for a maximum of 150 people, including members of the Auburn Astronomical Society. Solar telescopes are the only way to see solar flames. If it is rainy or cloudy, the backup plan is to broadcast the live NASA feed onto the planetarium’s dome.
- At the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, there will be events from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center is on 1 Tranquility Base in Huntsville. The event will include solar telescope viewing with the Intuitive Planetarium team as well as children’s activities. The group will also show a live NASA solar eclipse totality video feed from a field station in Arkansas. People must get tickets for the event. Free eclipse glasses will be available.
- At the University of Alabama, the Department of Physics and Astronomy will be out with eclipse glasses for safe viewing of the eclipse on the Quad. Experts will be on hand to talk about it.
- At DeSoto State Park in Fort Payne, there will be STEM activities and crafts, music and snacks. The team will have eclipse glasses. People can also watch the total eclipse live broadcast “Through the Eyes of NASA” in English and Spanish. The Canyon Center will be open from noon to 4 p.m. for the event.
Alabama is not in the path of totality for the April 8 solar eclipse, so residents won’t see the moon completely block the sun. In Alabama, the moon will cover about 84% of the sun.
Don’t forget your glasses to watch the eclipse. Learn more about viewing tips on yahoonews.com. | https://alabamanewscenter.com/2024/04/04/cant-miss-alabama-springtime-events-include-festivals-walking-tour/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:00Z |
On January 6th, 2021, rioters stormed the United States Capitol building. To many of us, it felt like one of the bedrock institutional traditions of our democracy was in jeopardy: the peaceful transition of power to a leader elected by the people.
As inauguration day approached, Americans feared that more violence was possible. Thousands of National Guard troops descended on the capital to keep the peace. And our democratic institutions felt more fragile than ever.
Being an econ nerd, my mind immediately went to the work of MIT economist Daron Acemoglu and University of Chicago economist and political scientist James Robinson. The two, who co-authored the book Why Nations Fail, had done really important research explaining why institutions are so critical to a nation’s success or failure. I wanted to get their perspective during a critical moment in American history, when our democratic institutions seemed to be weaker than they used to be. So I called them up.
Well, yesterday, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards some of the Nobel prizes, also called them up. It awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences to Acemoglu and Robinson — as well as their collaborator, MIT economist Simon Johnson — for their research on “how institutions are formed and affect prosperity.”
It’d be one thing for Acemoglu, Robinson, and Johnson to simply argue that institutions are critical to determining how rich a nation becomes. But, being economists, they also did some incredible statistical work to try and prove it.
For example, in one famous paper cited by the prize committee, Acemoglu, Robinson, and Johnson found there was a “reversal of fortune” in the wake of European colonization of the Americas. South and Central America went from being relatively richer than North America before colonization to being relatively poorer afterwards.
Why did this reversal happen? Acemoglu, Robinson, and Johnson argued that it’s all because of differences in the institutions created by European colonizers. In the Northern United States and Canada, Europeans created “inclusive” institutions that protected individual freedom and property rights, enforced the rule of law, educated their populations, and encouraged innovation and entrepreneurialism — institutions that would serve the economy especially well with the coming industrial revolution. The reason why Europeans set up inclusive institutions here, the prize winners explained, was because North America had a smaller, less dense indigenous population, so the Europeans could settle in large numbers and set about governing themselves.
In South and Central America, where there were the Incan and Aztec empires, there were too many indigenous people for Europeans to simply move in and govern themselves. Instead, European colonizers introduced or maintained already-existing “extractive” institutions that were geared more towards exploiting and oppressing the indigenous population. These institutions were not aimed at, for example, protecting individual freedom, investing in and educating the population, or encouraging innovation. Instead, these nations got a set of institutions that would be ill-suited for them to succeed in a modern, innovative industrial economy.
Acemoglu, Robinson, and Johnson argue that these institutional differences persisted over time, explaining why there was a reversal in fortune — that is, why North America became so much richer than South and Central America. The paper finds a similar story in other countries that Europeans colonized around the world.
The Deion Sanders Of Economics
When I got news of the award, I got to say, I was really excited, especially for Daron Acemoglu. I’ve been poring over his research for many years. In fact, one of the joys of my job at Planet Money has been getting to speak with him on multiple occasions and being able to pick his brain.
Yesterday, George Mason University economist Alex Tabarrok called Acemoglu “the Wilt Chamberlain of economics” because he's “an absolute monster of productivity who racks up the papers and the citations at nearly unprecedented rates.”
Maybe it’s because Chamberlain was before my time, but, to me, Acemoglu is more like the Deion Sanders of economics. When he played football, Sanders was a superstar who could score touchdowns on offense, defense, and special teams. Sanders was also a star baseball player. More recently, Sanders became a football coach and has killed it doing that.
Likewise, Acemoglu has been a superstar in multiple academic disciplines and subfields. He’s made massive contributions not just to institutional economics, development economics, and political science (the area in which he just won a Nobel for), but also in realms like mathematical economics, economic growth, political economy, and the economics of technology and automation.
Acemoglu has been a fixture in the Planet Money Newsletter. In fact, Acemoglu made an appearance in last week’s newsletter! Acemoglu’s work was also featured in a recent newsletter on why artificial intelligence may be overrated; another on why artificial intelligence isn’t wiping out jobs even in areas where it seems to be really good; and another explaining Acemoglu's profound insights about automation.
And, of course, Acemoglu — and his co-author and co-Nobel-prize-winner James Robinson — appeared in a newsletter explaining their (now) Nobel prize-winning research into the role that institutions play in a nation’s economic success.
Given the Nobel news, we figured it’d be worth revisiting this newsletter from January 2021, which explored their ideas about the power of institutions and how they thought those ideas related to the United States during a volatile period in our history. Here it is (you can also read it here):
Democracy Under Siege
As we approach inauguration day, exactly two weeks after the Capitol insurrection, Americans are on edge. About twenty thousand National Guard soldiers will provide security tomorrow; more troops than in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our political situation feels shaky and our institutions fragile. It's like we’re living in a bad Tom Clancy novel. We couldn’t reach Tom Clancy, so we called up the authors of Why Nations Fail instead. We wanted to figure out if the insurrection is a sign our nation is failing, and, if so, if there’s anything we can do about it.
“I don’t think January 6th was a singular day of failure,” says MIT economist Daron Acemoglu, who co-authored the book with University of Chicago economist James Robinson. “What surprises me is why it took until January 6th.”
Drawing on decades of economic research, Why Nations Fail argues that political institutions — not culture, natural resources or geography — explain why some nations have gotten rich while others remain poor. A good example is North Korea and South Korea. Eighty years ago, the two were virtually indistinguishable. But after a civil war, North Korea turned to communism, while South Korea embraced markets and, eventually, democracy. The authors argue that South Korea's institutions are the clear reason that it has grown insanely more rich than North Korea.
Nations like South Korea have what Acemoglu and Robinson call "inclusive institutions," such as representative legislatures, good public schools, open markets and strong patent systems. Inclusive institutions educate their populations. They invest in infrastructure. They fight poverty and disease. They encourage innovation. They are far different from the "extractive institutions" found in countries like North Korea, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, where small groups of elites use state power for their own ends and prosper through corruption, rent-seeking or brutally forcing people to work.
When Acemoglu and Robinson wrote Why Nations Fail almost a decade ago, they used the United States as an institutional success story. They acknowledge the nation has a dark side: slavery, genocide of Native Americans, the Civil War. But it's also a creature of the Enlightenment, a place with free and fair elections and world-renowned universities; a haven for immigrants, new ideas and new business models; and a country responsive to social movements for greater equality. Lucky for America — and its economy — its inclusive institutions have had a helluva run.
So, almost 10 years later, how do Acemoglu and Robinson feel about American institutions?
"U.S. institutions are really coming apart at the seams — and we have an amazingly difficult task of rebuilding them ahead of us," Acemoglu says. "This is a perilous time."
Yikes.
Acemoglu and Robinson see the rising tide against liberal democracy in America as a reaction to our political failure to deal with festering economic problems. In their view, our institutions have become less inclusive, and our economic growth now benefits a smaller fraction of the population. Some of the best economic research over the last couple of decades confirms this. Wage growth for most has stagnated. Social mobility has plummeted. Our labor market has been splitting into two, where the college educated thrive and those without a degree watch their opportunities shrivel, after automation and trade with China destroyed millions of jobs that once gave them good wages and dignity.
Acemoglu and Robinson believe that while factors like the transformation of our media landscape play a role, these economic changes and our political institutions' failure to grapple with them are the primary cause of our growing cultural and political divides. "As opposed to some of the left, who think this is all just the influence of big money or deluded masses, I think there is a set of true grievances that are justified," Acemoglu says. "Working-class people in the United States have been left out, both economically and culturally."
"Trump understood these grievances in a way the traditional parties did not," Robinson says. "But I don't think he has a solution to any of them. We saw something similar with the populist experiences in Latin America, where having solutions was not necessary for populist political success. Did Hugo Chávez or Juan Perón have a solution to these problems? No, but they exploited the problems brilliantly for political ends."
For Acemoglu and Robinson, more democracy is the answer to our political and economic problems. In a gigantic study of 175 countries from 1960 to 2010, they found that countries that democratized saw a 20% increase in GDP per capita over the long run.
Asked how we can stop our slide into national dysfunction, Acemoglu argues that political leaders need to focus on those who've been left behind and give them a leg up and a stake in the system. He advocates for a "good jobs" agenda that envisions policy changes and public investments to create, naturally, good jobs and shared prosperity (read more here). Robinson, citing the work of Harvard University political scientist Robert Putnam, argues we should find ways to transcend our political and cultural differences and connect with fellow citizens beyond our political tribes.
"We are still at a point where we can reverse things," Acemoglu says. "But I think if we paper over these issues, we will most likely see a huge deterioration in institutions. And it can happen very rapidly."
Let's hope they don't have to revise their book.
Copyright 2024 NPR | https://www.wyso.org/npr-news/2024-10-15/a-nobel-prize-for-an-explanation-of-why-nations-fail | 2024-10-15T17:51:02Z |
Welcome to Week 7, friends! We're officially through (at least) half of the regular fantasy football season which means crunch time for your lineups. Luckily, the scheduling gods offered us a lighter slate of bye weeks this go-around, with just the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears on bye, meaning we should have the bulk of our starting lineups in place ... barring injury, of course.
There are plenty of interesting games on the slate this week, but expect everyone's eyes to be on the showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers — a matchup of Super Bowls LIV and LVIII, each of them games where MVP QB Patrick Mahomes emerged victorious. Brock Purdy will face Andy Reid's Chiefs coming off a bye — an area where the Chiefs have had success historically — but there's no doubt that the Niners have the better personnel on offense to set their QB up for success.
That's certainly been reflected in their fantasy football value this year, as Purdy has had two games of 24+ fantasy points this year, while Mahomes seeks his first game of more than 18 points through his first five games.
Will Chiefs-49ers be the fantasy-scoring bonanza we all hope it will be? To help you make your lineup decisions, our fantasy experts have ranked their top plays at each position in their Week 7 fantasy football rankings for half-PPR scoring formats:
Good luck with your Week 7 matchups! | https://www.k95tulsa.com/news/national/fantasy-football/A3725AFWSDNOFJSZYTVOHPSW4I/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:01Z |
Carson Daly Shares His Candid Reaction To Hoda Kotb Leaving The Today Show: ‘That Was My First Thought’
This is relatable.
Fans of The Today Show were left in despair over the announcement that Hoda Kotb is leaving the show sometime in the 2025 TV schedule. The host, who celebrated her 60th birthday this year, has been a fixture on NBC’s mornings for over a decade but has now decided to devote more time to her young daughters. It wasn’t just those of us watching at home who were caught off-guard by the news, either; apparently “most people” at the show were surprised to learn of her impending exit, and Carson Daly revealed what his first thought was when he heard.
Carson Daly joined Today in 2013, so Hoda Kotb has been there for the entirety of his tenure. Talking to People following her tearful September 26 announcement, Daly admitted that his initial reaction was to think about how the decision affected him, and it made him “sad”:
I think it’s only human for your first response to be centered around your own emotions, and with Hoda Kotb being such an icon at the network, one can imagine how that news would come as a shock. Carson Daly continued:
It sounds like Carson Daly truly loves Hoda Kotb, and while he will miss getting to see her every day, he understands that this is the decision that’s best for her family, and he is supportive of that.
When Hoda Kotb made her announcement — wearing a very meaningful piece of jewelry that underscored her priorities — she talked about giving her children Haley Joy, 7, and Hope Catherine, 5, “a bigger piece of my time pie.” As disappointed as The Voice host and their colleagues may be, that’s not really a reason anyone can argue with.
As for who will replace Hoda Kotb, Carson Daly isn’t concerned about that right now, saying:
The longtime Today co-host assured fans that she was remaining a part of the NBC family in some capacity, but no details of her post-Today plans have been revealed outside of her commitment to her children.
CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER
Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News
While Carson Daly may have been shocked by Hoda Kotb’s news, Savannah Guthrie was not necessarily surprised, given the conversations they’d had about life and what they wanted from it. Guthrie herself was allegedly planning her own exit from the morning show when Kotb took the leap, according to rumors.
Jenna Hager Bush may also have been in the know about her Today co-host’s decision, as the two reportedly had several conversations about it.
In the end, it’s safe to say that most fans were taken aback by the news and probably — like Carson Daly — experienced some selfish feelings about it. At least we’ve got several more months to soak up all of that Hoda Kotb goodness, as she will remain with The Today Show for at least the rest of the 2024 TV schedule.
Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core '90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks. | https://www.cinemablend.com/television/carson-daly-shares-candid-reaction-hoda-kotb-leaving-the-today-show-first-thought | 2024-10-15T17:51:03Z |
Lucknow, Oct 15 (PTI) Chief Priest of Ayodhya Ram Temple Acharya Satyendra Das was admitted to a hospital here on Tuesday with some neurological problems, officials said.
They said that the condition of the 84-year-old priest is stable.
"Acharya Satyendra Das, the head priest of Ayodhya's Shri Ram temple, has been admitted in a private room in the Neurology Ward of SGPGI under the supervision of Dr Prakash Chandra Pandey," Sanjay Gandhi Post Gradute Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) Director RK Dhiman said.
Dhiman said that Acharya Das has been admitted on the suspicion of some neurological problem. Necessary tests will be conducted on Wednesday. PTI ABN HIG | https://www.newsdrum.in/national/ayodhya-ram-mandir-chief-priest-hospitalised-with-some-neurological-problems-7317579 | 2024-10-15T17:51:03Z |
Channel 4 no longer required to have lunchtime news bulletin every weekday
The industry said it is concerned some of the changes would ‘further damage the cultural diversity of the sector’.
Channel 4 is no longer required to have a lunchtime news bulletin every weekday, Ofcom has said.
The changes were announced on Tuesday as the broadcasting watchdog renewed the channel’s licence for a ten-year period starting from January 1 2025.
Ofcom said it agreed with the proposal to allow for the midday news summary to be dropped as viewership has fallen, and it “did not form a significant part of Channel 4’s news output”, being five minutes long, and the broadcaster insisted the changes would not happen immediately.
Under the new licence, Channel 4 will still need to put on one news show in the early evening each day, but can reduce the number of hours of current affairs programming from around 200 hours per year to no less than 178 hours.
Ofcom also said that the conditions of having peak TV viewing periods containing “no less than 80 hours of current affairs” and “at least 70%” of originally commissioned or produced programmes would continue.
However, Channel 4’s originally produced or commissioned programming is allowed to fall from “at least 56%” to not below 45%.
The Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (Pact) said it was “very disappointed” that the watchdog did not go ahead with requiring Channel 4 to have “at least 35% of hours and expenditure for programmes made out of London” along with other measures.
It cited not introducing an separate quota for output from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland or lowering the date by when at least 12% of the hours of programmes made in the UK must be produced outside England.
Pact said it worries the new licence for Channel 4 would “further damage the cultural diversity of the sector leading to an overall weaker TV production sector” amid rising inflation and costs for industry.
“While we were initially disappointed that Ofcom decided against a 16% (nations) quota, we were willing to accept the 12% quota so long as separate quotas for the nations were put in place and the implementation date was brought forward to 2027,” the body also said.
“This would have provided the production sector in the nations and regions with future certainty around levels of commissioning and spend and helped to stimulate growth over the next ten-year licence period.”
John McVay, chief executive of Pact, called it “short-sighted” to “retain Channel 4’s Out of London quota at 35%”, along with its decision for outside England TV output for the broadcaster.
“Pact submitted substantial evidence to Ofcom refuting the assertions made about the sector in the nations and regions, and we’re concerned that Ofcom’s decision will only lead to a further decline of the sector,” he also said.
Cristina Nicolotti Squires, Ofcom’s group director of broadcasting and media, said: “This new licence is the best outcome for audiences and for Channel 4.
“It strikes the right balance between giving Channel 4 the flexibility to support its digital transformation, while safeguarding highly valued distinctive programming on its traditional channel for the long term.
“The new licence also substantially increases Channel 4’s requirement for production in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Ofcom will be closely monitoring its performance in this area and holding it to account.” | https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/uk-news/2024/10/15/channel-4-no-longer-required-to-have-lunchtime-news-bulletin-every-weekday/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:06Z |
ATLANTA — Local election board members in Georgia cannot refuse to certify election results in any scenario, even if they report concerns about fraud or errors, a state judge ruled Tuesday.
“If election superintendents were, as Plaintiff urges, free to play investigator, prosecutor, jury, and judge and so — because of a unilateral determination of error or fraud — refuse to certify election results, Georgia voters would be silenced,” Fulton County Superior Judge Robert McBurney wrote in his decision. “Our Constitution and our Election Code do not allow for that to happen.”
The ruling comes as several Republican local election board members have already declined to certify election results from primary contests earlier this year and after the Georgia State Election Board passed new rules that appeared to allow this discretion. Georgia’s Republican secretary of state has long emphasized that certification is not optional under Georgia law.
Julie Adams, a Republican on the Fulton County Board of Elections, asked the court to rule that her duty to certify is discretionary — not mandatory. Adams has declined to certify multiple elections this year.
McBurney has yet to decide on the new State Election Board rules themselves, which are being challenged in several other lawsuits.
New election rules
One rule says local boards should conduct a “reasonable inquiry” into the accuracy of the count before certifying results. The other says local board members must be allowed to examine all election-related documents “prior to certification of results.”
Several Democratic local election officials and voters, as well as the Democratic Party of Georgia and the Democratic National Committee, filed a lawsuit asking the courts to overturn the rules, or at least affirm that under Georgia law, local election boards’ duty to certify is mandatory, not discretionary.
Certifying election results at the county level is a critical step leading up to the Electoral College vote. Election observers worry that even unsuccessful attempts to block certification could result in disruptions or open the door for misinformation about the integrity of the election — which could have sweeping consequences in a critical swing state.
The Republicans on the State Election Board have faced scrutiny for a series of rule changes ahead of the November election that have been praised by former President Donald Trump. The last-minute tinkering with election rules has drawn criticism not only from Democrats and local election officials, who are scrambling to train poll workers, but also Georgia’s Republican secretary of state and attorney general.
Several of the rules, including a measure approved in September that requires poll workers to hand count the number of ballots cast on Election Day in each precinct, are facing multiple lawsuits and are in court over the next several days.
A trial over certification rules
During a roughly two hour trial, lawyers challenging the certification rules and those defending them agreed Georgia law is clear that election results must be certified by the state deadline. But they fought over whether the court should go further to rein in potentially rogue election officials who may not comply.
“We’re going to assume that public officials are going to fulfill their duty in good faith,” argued Elizabeth Young, the state’s senior assistant attorney general. “You do your best and you certify and you turn whatever the issue is that you think is not quite resolved over to the district attorney.”
McBurney was skeptical. “I happen to live in a county where a member of a board didn’t certify, so I’m wondering when we need to set aside this presumption when faced with real-life examples,” he replied, referencing Fulton County, where Republican members including Adams declined to certify election results earlier this year. Similar votes have occurred in other Georgia counties and in other swing states since 2020.
Attorneys challenging the rules pressed McBurney for a ruling making it undisputable that local election board members must certify.
In fact, later that same day, McBurney heard arguments in the lawsuit from Adams, the Fulton County election board member.
Her lawyer, who works for the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute, argued that individual board members can vote against certifying or decline to certify certain buckets of votes as long as the board as a whole still moves to certify votes that are “correct.”
In his Tuesday ruling, McBurney did agree that any election information not protected from disclosure that is needed to inspect or conduct elections should be promptly provided to election board members. But he made clear that not receiving that information is not grounds to vote against certifying.
“[Election s]uperintendents are rule-writers, personnel trainers and managers, logisticians, marketers, and accountants. Much of what they do is left to their broad, reasoned discretion. But not everything — some things an election superintendent must do, either in a certain way or by a certain time, with no discretion to do otherwise,” McBurney wrote.
“While the superintendent must investigate concerns about miscounts and must report those concerns to a prosecutor if they persist after she investigates, the existence of those concerns, those doubts, and those worries is not cause to delay or decline certification,” he wrote.
The decision can be appealed, so litigation may be ongoing as Election Day nears.
Copyright 2024 WABE 90.1 | https://www.kdlg.org/as-heard-on-npr/2024-10-15/local-board-members-in-georgia-cant-refuse-to-certify-election-results-judge-rules | 2024-10-15T17:51:07Z |
FAYETTEVILLE – The Fayetteville Police Department’s Missing Persons detectives are requesting the public’s assistance in locating Annie Lock, 27.
Lock was last seen on Aug. 17 in the area of Kiana Lane, Fayetteville. She was reported missing on Oct. 10.
Lock is described as, 5 feet, 02 inches tall, weighing 190 pounds with an average build and caramel skin-tone.
She has dark brown eyes, black with blue, long braids, an upper lip frenulum pierced and also navel, nose and tongue piercings.
Lock has a tattoo of “BEAUTY” on her right forearm. She has a tattoo of Batman on her right arm. She has a tattoo of stars with letters on her chest.
She was last seen wearing a black shirt that stated, “My Hero Academia” and gray sweatpants.
She has a unique style of walking called in-toeing.
“Detectives have been actively searching for Annie Lock since she was reported missing,” according to a statement released Tuesday by the Fayetteville Police Department. “Police are requesting the public’s assistance in generating additional leads on her whereabouts.”
If anyone has information concerning the whereabouts of Lock, they should contact Detective S. Warren at 910-850-4122. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Fayetteville/Cumberland County Crime Stoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers information can also be submitted electronically by visiting http://fay-nccrimestoppers.org and completing the anonymous online tip sheet or by downloading the FREE “P3 Tips” app available for Apple devices in the Apple App Store and available for Android devices in Google Play. | https://www.robesonian.com/news/breaking-news/305840/detectives-request-help-locating-missing-woman | 2024-10-15T17:51:07Z |
MELITOPOL, October 15. /TASS/. The Ukrainian armed forces’ attempts to attack Energodar via drones have not affected the operation of the Zaporozhye NPP, the power plant’s spokeswoman Yevgeniya Yashinva told TASS.
"According to the latest reports, two Ukrainian drones were downed. New attempts to attack Energodar via drones have not affected the ZNPP’s operation. There is no threat to the power plant, the radiation level is unchanged," she said.
No injuries or damage were caused by the attack, which has ended by this moment, she added.
Vladimir Rogov, head of the Civic Chamber Commission on sovereignty, patriotic projects and support for the veterans said on his Telegram channel that the attack targeted the ‘Luch’ power substation, which provides energy to the city Energodar. | https://tass.com/world/1856601 | 2024-10-15T17:51:07Z |
Lucknow/Bahraich (UP), Oct 15 (PTI) As communal violence escalated in the Mahsi area in Bahraich district on Monday afternoon, a senior police officer brandishing a pistol chased away the surging violent mobs that had set afire to several vehicles, according to eyewitnesses.
They said the intervention by Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash helped to improve the situation and the rioters did not return.
When tension spiralled in the district following the killing of Ram Gopal Mishra during a Durga idol immersion procession, the UP government rushed top officials, including Principal Secretary (Home) Sanjeev Gupta and Yash to Bahraich.
Images were widely shared on social media where Yash was seen chasing away some people with a pistol in his hand.
"A crowd had gathered from all sides. At one place, they had burnt two motorcycles, while at another place, two other vehicles were burnt down. It was here that Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash stepped in, and chased the anti-social elements, who were in an inebriated state. The chase was relatively long," an eyewitness told PTI on Tuesday.
He added that "unless and until, they (trouble creators) know that you mean business, they will continue to create ruckus and won't stop. They were chased away for a long distance".
When the policemen returned (after driving away the anti-social elements), the "situation had improved".
Even in night, police personnel accompanied by Amitabh Yash went to that same patch of the road to review the situation.
Former DGP of UP, OP Singh, emphasised the importance of leadership and the need for prompt action to prevent communal riots.
"Leading from the front is very important. You would remember the anti-CAA protests in 2019, when I as DGP was present in Hazratganj crossing in Lucknow. When a senior police officer leads the force, he galvanises the entire machinery, and by galvanising you try to restore the semblance of law and order. And this is what had happened," former DGP of UP OP Singh told PTI on Tuesday.
Another former DGP of UP Brij Lal, who is currently a Rajya Sabha MP from UP, said the morale of the force increases when the officer leads the charge.
"When there is a serious problem, the leader of the force has to lead from the front, and then the morale of our force increases. I as the ADG had fired bullets and killed dacoit Ghanshyam Kewat in an operation, which took place from June 17-18, 2009 in Chitrakoot district of Uttar Pradesh." "I had gone to the spot, when four of our personnel -- company commander (inspector) Beni Madho Singh, constable Shamim, constable Iqbaluddin and constable Beer Singh -- had died, while the then IG VK Gupta, the then DIG Sushil Kumar Singh, and the then inspector Navendu Singh were injured. At that time, the force was demoralised. I had led the operation in that situation," he said.
Scores of people, some armed with sticks, walked in the funeral cortege of the youth as tension escalated with angry crowds out in the streets indulging in arson and vandalism on Monday.
The last rites of 22-year-old Ram Gopal Mishra, who died during the communal violence that broke out in the Maharajganj area near Rehua Mansoor village in Mahsi tehsil on Sunday, were performed amid heavy security.
About half a dozen people were injured in stone pelting and firing that followed his death.
There were protests at several places and slogans raised against police and officials, even as forces conducted flag marches. Angry protesters set some shops, houses and vehicles ablaze as black smoke billowed into the sky.
By Monday evening, a large contingent of security forces was deployed in the area to bring the situation under control.
A total of 12 companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), two companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and one company of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), along with additional police forces from Gorakhpur zone, have been deployed to monitor the district, it said. PTI NAV RT RT | https://www.newsdrum.in/national/bahraich-violence-senior-police-officer-chased-away-violent-mob-say-eyewitnesses-7317667 | 2024-10-15T17:51:10Z |
The following is an excerpt from the latest edition of Yahoo's fantasy football newsletter, Get to the Points! If you like what you see, you can subscribe for free here.
Fantasy managers will spend the next 24 hours working the waiver wire, but that's obviously just part of the process. In most instances, you also have to make a corresponding drop. And we'd like to help you make those difficult cuts.
Most fantasy advice will never be one size fits all, and that's especially true for a cut list. You need to apply this to your situation and the context of your league. A nifty stash in one league could be a see-you-later player in a different room. And remember, if you never make a regretful cut during the season, you're probably playing far too conservatively.
Isaiah Likely, TE, Ravens (59% rostered)
I have a few fantasy shares of Likely, and I'm not eager to give them up. But we have to accept that he's merely a contingency-value stash at tight end these days, not someone you can play. He has just nine catches since the blowup season opener. Unless Mark Andrews gets hurt, Likely can't be trusted in lineups. And in the teeth of bye season, that might make him a drop now.
Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Packers (47% rostered)
You used good process when you added Wicks, but he didn't come through in his last two opportunities, and now the receiving room is healing up. The Packers also have two talented backs and a tight end of note. Wicks is also dealing with a shoulder injury, giving him week-to-week status. In most formats, it's not worth the wait.
Trey Sermon, RB, Colts (48% rostered)
Jonathan Taylor probably isn't long off, even if he can't play in Week 7. But Sermon has a more immediate issue — Tyler Goodson is clearly outplaying him. Surely this isn't lost on the Indianapolis coaching staff.
Antonio Gibson, RB, Patriots (49% rostered)
He flopped in his starting opportunity last week (13 carries, 19 yards) and the Patriots will go back to Rhamondre Stevenson when healthy, no matter how much he fumbles. And some of New England's rushing production will also be distributed to athletic and resourceful rookie QB Drake Maye.
Jerome Ford, RB, Browns (73% rostered)
He's dealing with a balky hamstring, the offense is shipwrecked by poor blocking and QB play, and Nick Chubb might return this week. Ford was a fantasy dud most of the year, and while much of it wasn't his fault, he has a capped ceiling.
Daniel Jones, QB, Giants (21% rostered)
He made sense as a Week 6 sleeper, even though his home/road splits are starting to become too large to ignore (Jones, for some reason, plays poorly in New Jersey). It's a home date against Philly this week, and then a trip to Pittsburgh. Even with Malik Nabers expected back, we hope you have a better QB option to navigate the bye weeks. | https://www.k95tulsa.com/news/national/fantasy-football/FC4M6YSYJ5WC6BJCO3H3DEJPM4/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:09Z |
Freedom Monument Sculpture Park in Montgomery, Alabama, drawing international acclaim
The newly opened Freedom Monument Sculpture Park, which plumbs the legacy of slavery and the lives of enslaved people through contemporary art, first-person narratives and historical artifacts, is already drawing international media attention and scores of visitors to Montgomery.
The third “Legacy Site” constructed in the city by the nonprofit Equal Justice Initiative garnered pre-opening stories from The Guardian of London, CBS News Sunday Morning and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, among others.
The New York Times said the sculpture park, which opened March 27, is designed to propel visitors on “an unflinching and moving journey” exploring slavery and its legacy, and the lives of enslaved people.
“There were 10 million people who were enslaved in this country, and much of what I hope we can do is honor those who struggled and suffered, and those who endured and persevered,” EJI Director Bryan Stevenson said on the organization’s website.
The 17-acre site overlooking the Alabama River includes dozens of sculptures from renowned artists, including Wangechi Mutu, Theaster Gates, Rashid Johnson and Kehinde Wiley. Historic artifacts and other exhibits include a whipping post and plantation structures where slaves once resided.
“I believe this will become a special place for millions of people who want to reckon with the history of slavery and honor the lives of people who endured tremendous hardship but still found ways to love in the midst of sorrow,” Stevenson said. “Many of us are the heirs to that extraordinary perseverance and hope. There is a lot to learn at this site and we want everyone to experience it.”
Sections of the park are dedicated to the transatlantic trade of African people and the domestic trade of enslaved people in the U.S., as well as the laws of slavery in America, the labor of enslaved people and resistance to slavery.
The final stop through the park is the National Monument to Freedom, which stands 43 feet tall and 155 feet long. Using information from the 1870 Census, the first in which formerly enslaved Black people could officially record a surname, the monument lists over 122,000 surnames that nearly 5 million Black people adopted and that tens of millions of people now carry.
Visitors can learn more about the counties and states associated with the names of formerly enslaved people and use kiosks at the visitor center to conduct genealogical research and trace family histories.
“There’s a narrative of triumph that we need to acknowledge and the monument is a gesture toward that, as a physical space but also as a way of naming names, making personal, making human this history,” Stevenson told the Guardian. “For people who are descendants to come and see that name, and have a tangible connection made to that legacy, is important and necessary.”
W Magazine wrote: “Visitors traverse a sculpture park unlike any other.” The sculptures are essential, Stevenson told NBC News correspondent Lester Holt.
“There’s not much in the visual record of that era that helps you get a sense of the humanity of these people. But artists have done an amazing job.”
In the park are newly commissioned works by Charles Gaines, Alison Saar and Kwame Akoto-Bamfo, alongside major sculptures from Wiley, Mutu, Gates, Simone Leigh, Rose B. Simpson and Hank Willis Thomas.
“Artists have the ability to depict the humanity and the dignity of people, even in the midst of something brutal and violent,” Stevenson told CBS. “It’s a tough subject. It’s a challenging subject. And we wanted to use art to help people manage the weight of this history and engage in a more complete way with the lives of enslaved people.”
The site of the park – along the Alabama River – is also significant. For centuries the river was essential to the life of indigenous peoples before Europeans arrived, which is acknowledged during the park experience. Also noted is how the river flows through Alabama’s Black Belt, where some of the largest populations of enslaved people in the country were forced to labor on cotton plantations.
The sound of trains can also be heard from the nearby rail lines. Rail became the most common way to move and sell enslaved people in the 1850s, with hundreds of slaves arriving in Montgomery each day during the height of the trade, according to the EJI’s account. By 1860, nearly 400,000 Black people were enslaved on or near the Alabama River, the EJI website states.
The two original Legacy sites – the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice – draw about 400,000 visitors to Montgomery annually. With the new sculpture park now open, even more are expected to visit.
Learn more about all three sites and the work of the Equal Justice Initiative at eji.org.
Information from the Equal Justice Initiative website was used in this report. | https://alabamanewscenter.com/2024/04/04/freedom-monument-sculpture-park-in-montgomery-alabama-drawing-international-acclaim/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:08Z |
Coverage of Israel’s imminent attack on Iran and potential ceasefire scenarios covering all the fronts of the current Middle East war have been dizzyingly confusing.
This has been the most true regarding coverage of Mossad Chief David Barnea, with some reports suggesting in recent days that he or Israel might consider foregoing attacking Iran if it would lead to a comprehensive ceasefire with both Hamas and Hezbollah, including a return of the hostages.
The Jerusalem Post has learned that such reports are wrong and have conflated a variety of complex scenarios in the conflict between Israel and Iran and in the end game between Jerusalem and Hamas and Hezbollah.
First, the Post has learned that there has been no change to Israel’s initial decision to directly and substantially counterattack Iran for Tehran’s October 2 direct nearly 200 ballistic missiles strike on the Jewish state.
There has also been no change to the decision not to strike Iran’s nuclear program, with the Washington Post confirming this story in the context of the latest developments in which the US has given Jerusalem THAAD anti-ballistic missile system batteries as part of a payoff for avoiding attacking the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities.
So far, there are no reports that the Biden administration has offered Israel any guarantees for the future for keeping Iran’s nuclear program “in the box,” either being ready to undertake its own attack or providing Jerusalem with “bunker buster” bombs to strike nuclear facilities deep underground.
Of course, Washington did try to convince Israel to drop the idea of attacking Iran entirely.
There was a push by the Biden administration, the Post understands, that given that Tehran’s ballistic missile strikes on October 2 were ineffective in causing substantial harm (they did cause far more harm than a similar attack in April) and given that this was Tehran’s response to Israel killing off Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, and the IDF’s invasion of southern Lebanon, Israel could choose not to respond further to avoid the risk of regional war.
Also, some US officials may have hoped that a sudden push by Iran on Hezbollah and Hamas to cut a deal, including returning all of the Israeli hostages, might have made it harder for the Jewish state to rock the boat with a big Iran attack.
However, neither Barnea nor other top Israeli officials like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, or IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi ever seriously considered not hitting Iran back hard.
Rather, the Post has learned that the scenario of a comprehensive ceasefire, which some of them are looking at, might develop after Israel strikes Iran and even potentially after both Tehran and Jerusalem engage in a series of strikes and counter-strikes.
Only at that point, once the dust settles, Israel believes that it might be possible to reach a comprehensive ceasefire more along the terms it wants visa vise Hamas and Hezbollah.
The Israeli calculation would be that once the proxies see that their main sponsor, Iran, has itself been hit and, in any case, expended whatever assistance for them that it could have provided, they will be more pragmatic than they are now.
At least for now, especially Hamas, and even to some extent Hezbollah, are hoping a regional war between Israel and Iran weakens and harms Israel so badly that it will sue for ceasefire terms much more to their liking.
In this context, it seems that Netanyahu’s canceling of Gallant’s flight to Washington last week - aside from being about who would get the credit for obtaining gifts from the US in exchange for not attacking Iranian nuclear targets and “only” attacking Iranian military targets – may have been about some tactical differences in negotiations about what support could be received from the US.
It may also have been a bit about timing. Gallant may have been ready to attack Iran earlier, and Netanyahu may have wanted to buy more time, either for his plans for hitting Hamas in northern Gaza, for hitting Hezbollah in Lebanon, or just because he tends to be against rushing any major decisions.
In any case, Israel clearly decided to wait to attack Iran until the US had put the THAAD anti-aircraft system in place within Israel starting from Monday, according to the Pentagon.
Unless the THAAD is a fake out, given that it will take at least a few more days for more THAAD batteries to arrive and for them to be operational, Israel will likely wait at least a few more days.
Although at one point, it seemed Israel might wait until November 5 after election day to attack, under pressure from Biden, it now seems that Jerusalem wants to have the attack play out before election day so it will not be running into the new president-elect, whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump.
Temporary truce between officials may end shortly
What is important then about the leaks about post-Iran ceasefire options is that the temporary truce between Netanyahu-Gallant-Barnea-Halevi and even main opposition figure Benny Gantz will probably end shortly after the attack on Iran.
Sure, it is possible that Sinwar and Hezbollah will finally succumb to Netanyahu’s terms, but it is more likely that they will not, not fully, or only after another extended negotiation.
All of those top Israeli officials listed will likely start to press again for a ceasefire in order to get the hostages back, whereas Netanyahu might choose to go with them finally or might choose to continue to prolong the war, either until he gets better terms from Hamas.
So far, the IDF’s success in Lebanon since mid-September has helped distract the country from the failure to return the hostages and from the ongoing rocket and drone attacks by Hezbollah.
But if, after Israel’s attack on Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah are still dug in, Netanyahu will be at yet another decisive fork in the road. | https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-824765 | 2024-10-15T17:51:10Z |
In August, Mayor Bruce Harrell bragged that his #OneSeattle Homelessness Action Plan managed to decrease homelessness encampments by 61 percent over the last two years. At the same time, the 2024 Point-in-Time Count tallied more than 16,000 people experiencing homelessness in King County, the largest number ever reported in the survey and a 23 percent increase over the last two years.
The ideology that fed those disparate results lies bare in Harrell’s 2025-2026 budget proposal, wherein he defunds stuff that houses people in order to fund stuff that temporarily pushes homeless people around town, allowing homelessness to fester out of sight. Essentially, Harrell is giving the city council a choice as they rework his budget in the coming weeks—treat homelessness as an aesthetic issue, or treat it as a humanitarian crisis.
BTW We Are in Crisis
In case you’ve missed it: Seattle, along with most of the United States, is in a housing crisis. To dig the city out of the crisis, we need 112,000 new homes by 2044, according to a recent report from the Seattle Office of Housing (OH). That total includes more than 41,000 private market units for those making between 80 and 120 percent of the area median income (AMI), more than 42,000 subsidized units for people making between 0 and 80 percent AMI, and then about another 28,000 units of permanent supportive housing for those with high-acuity needs.
All that means Seattle needs to fund at least 2,100 units of affordable housing every year for the next 20 years. Harrell’s budget doesn’t do that, not even when combined with the couple hundred units the Housing Levy will pay for every year.
Instead, in his 2025-2026 budget proposal, the mayor defunds affordable housing by raiding $330 million from the JumpStart Payroll Expense tax, a tax on the city’s largest businesses that must reserve 62 percent of its revenue to affordable housing. Harrell's proposal does pump up affordable housing investments to a historic $342.2 million in 2025, representing a 2.5 percent increase from 2024. But, had he honored the legally mandated JumpStart spending plan, he would have allocated an additional $204 million to affordable housing.
Doing a little back-of-napkin math here, let’s assume a unit of affordable housing costs about $320,000, as estimated in the Housing Levy. In that case, Harrell’s "historic" budget funds about 1,068 units a year. If he hadn’t raided JumpStart, then he would have $526.2 million from all streams to fund about 1,706 affordable units in 2025. To fund the 2,100 units we need to do our part this year, he would need to allocate about $630 million total to affordable housing. If he really believed we were in a housing crisis, then he could reach that total by combining the money he budgets for housing this year, plus the affordable housing funds he stole from the JumpStart tax, plus the $100 million for new programming that he added this year to “activate” spaces and install CCTV cameras, mainly to show off to World Cup tourists in 2025. But he didn't.
Staying Housed
Aside from short-changing affordable housing construction funding, Harrell’s budget proposal also pokes holes in our social safety net, weakening the City’s ability to protect workers from their bosses and renters from their landlords.
Helping tenants stay in their homes, whether by protecting their wages so they can afford rent or by evening the playing field when it comes to evictions, can help prevent homelessness. On that former score, Harrell’s budget proposal cut more than $600,000 from the Office of Labor Standards (OLS), the City’s only mechanism to enforce its 19 unique labor laws, including the minimum wage ordinance, the wage theft ordinance, the Fair Chance Employment ordinance, four laws specifically protecting hotel workers, and three laws protecting gig delivery drivers.
The cuts include three full-time positions; $216,000 from general operating expenses, $100,000 from outreach to marginalized small business owners, and in 2026 Harrell plans to cut one-third of the funding dedicated to helping spread awareness of workers’ rights in partnership with community-based organizations. All of this limits the agency’s ability to enforce labor standards. According to the budget document, the mayor’s proposal “maintains core services” of OLS at a “reduced scale” in order to preserve “critical City services” in the face of the $250 million shortfall in 2025.
But labor leaders argue that OLS does provide “critical City services.”
MLK Labor Executive Secretary-Treasurer Katie Garrow said the nation recognizes Seattle as a vanguard for workers’ rights given its early adoption of the $15 minimum wage and its protections of gig delivery drivers. But none of those rights matter if the City does not enforce them, she says.
Garrow noted that every year employers steal a stunning $15 billion from workers in the United States. According to the Economic Opportunity Institute, the total value of property stolen through robberies, burglaries, and carjackings adds up to less than 4 percent of what bosses steal from their workers each year. Without enforcement from OLS, the City would allow companies to “continue this crime with impunity because a minimum wage worker does not have the money or time to litigate a claim against a multi-billion dollar corporation,” Garrow said.
And it's not like trimming a little fat from the already slim department will fill Harrell’s hole. In 2023, the City spent $8.4 million in total on the entire department, accounting for just 0.14 percent of the City’s operating budget. That year alone, OLS recouped more than $4.4 million in wages for workers who were wronged by their bosses. When the City gave the agency more money in 2022, about $12.1 million, it raked in even more for workers–about $7.7 million. In total, since its inception in 2014, OLS has recouped more than $42 million for workers.
So maybe labor law enforcement is not a “critical” service in Harrell’s eyes, but for the more than 94,000 workers with more money in their pockets thanks to the OLS, enforcement could mean the difference between making your rent on time and getting evicted, which often leads to homelessness.
The mayor’s budget also limits the City’s ability to protect renters, leaving them all the more vulnerable to eviction and homelessness. In his proposal, Harrell cut tenant services funding from $2.6 million in 2024 to just $1.8 million. And instead of renewing additional one-time funding of about $1 million for rental assistance, he only designated about $527,000 of the $1.8 million to pay rent for struggling tenants. That leaves tenant services at a measly $1.2 million.
Kate Rubin, the co-executive director of tenant advocacy group Be:Seattle, said $1.2 million is “nowhere near enough to support tenant education, organizing, counseling, and legal services,” all of which fall under the umbrella of “tenant services.”
The City contracts with organizations such as Be:Seattle to provide tenant services. Be:Seattle, with just two paid staff members, serves about 785 renters per year, according to Rubin.
“Renters typically come to us frustrated by unresolved issues,” Rubin said in an email to Council Member Tammy Morales’s staff. “We equip them with knowledge of their rights, guide them in navigating landlord-tenant relationships, and teach strategic organizing skills. This knowledge spreads through their communities, often reaching those who might not otherwise have access.”
Without funding this work, Rubin said “disputes would escalate, landlords would exploit renters unchecked, and more people would be at risk of displacement and homelessness.”
The mayor’s proposal also cuts $50,000 promised in a previous budget to establish a work group to help create an Office of Rental Housing Standards. That office would help author new renter protections and enforce existing ones. As Garrow said of labor standards, laws protecting renters mean little when they’re not strongly enforced.
Stop the Sweeps
As he blamed the budget deficit for every cut to programs that benefit working people, Harrell found ways to increase spending for sweeps, seemingly his homelessness solution of choice.
His budget bolsters sweeps by adding $880,000 to the Unified Care Team (UCT), a cross-department team that conducts encampment removals. The new funds will pay for 11 new full-time positions and enable the UCT to conduct sweeps seven days a week rather than just five.
And boy does the UCT already make use of those five days. According to Real Change, the City of Seattle conducted a record-breaking 2,827 sweeps in 2023, an increase of 207 percent from the 922 conducted in 2022. That means the City conducted about 11.3 sweeps per day, excluding weekends and the 12 recognized City holidays. If the UCT kept that pace on their new seven-day schedule, then the City could theoretically conduct 4,000 sweeps a year.
But more sweeps does not mean less homelessness. At most, 11 percent of the City’s shelter referrals actually lead to people taking the offer, according to a report analyzing the UCT’s performance between July and September of 2023. Publicola reported that people often rejected the shelter referrals because the UCT offered them a stay at an overnight, congregate shelter rather than at a spot in a tiny shelter village, or, most desirably, in actual housing.
And that’s when the UCT makes the offer at all. According to Real Change, more than 99 percent of all sweeps conducted by the UCT in 2023 were considered “obstruction” sweeps, which means the City does not have to give three days notice or offer shelter upon removal.
Alison Eisinger, the executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness (Seattle/King County), tells The Stranger that investing in the sweeps team amounts to the “least effective and most cynical response to homelessness in our community.”
“Most people understand there is no magic wand,” says Eisinger. “It takes real and sustained work to help people get the housing, shelter, health care, and other supports they need.”
Eisinger says the City would see better results if Harrell or the council took the funding from sweeps and put it toward regional approaches that have more success.
For example, the state’s slower, more methodical Encampment Resolution Program has closed 47 encampments while bringing 70 percent of their residents–or about 1,200 people–inside. The model works particularly well in King County, which managed to close 18 encampments and bring 90 percent of the people inside. According to the Seattle Times, the Encampment Resolution Program found more success because it offered better, more permanent shelter options.
While the Mayor did not renew $2 million in one-time funding from 2023 to 2024 to CoLEAD, the group that conducts the slower, more effective sweeps, CoLEAD Director Lisa Daugaard said the State pays for the removals, and so the future of the program depends on who wins the gubernatorial race and who makes up the State Legislature.
From the Mayor
The Mayor’s office disagrees with the framing that his budget perpetuates homelessness, and it argues that to say so is to neglect “the nuance of the homelessness crisis, the $250 million general fund deficit, and the full breadth of the mayor's work across all of these issues,” mayoral spokesperson Jamie Housen said in an email to The Stranger.
Housen noted that Harrell delivered historic investments to affordable housing in the face of the deficit and saved 300 existing shelter beds whose funding would have otherwise lapsed. Of course, the budget deficit excuse sort of falls flat when you consider he also added $100 million in new spending throughout the budget.
Housen also said Harrell attempted to increase housing supply outside of the budget. He streamlined the design review process, made it easier to build ADUs, supported a new redevelopment plan for affordable housing at Fort Lawton, and updated the City’s maritime and industrial lands policy to create more opportunities to build housing, he said. Those policies add capacity, but they do not fund housing. The Fort Lawton plan will allow for as many as 500 units. The maritime and industrial land update will allow for about 3,000 units over 20 years, according to the mayor’s press release.
He also mentioned Harrell’s One Seattle Comprehensive Plan, but that plan did not exactly impress anyone, as it only plans for about half the housing we need.
As for the UCT, Housen said the team receives a “fraction” of what the City invests into homelessness services, shelter, and permanent housing. Still, he said UCT’s approach is “making a difference.” Seattleites see fewer tent and RV encampments, less gun violence and fires related to homelessness, and more shelter referrals, he said.
Housen also casted doubt on the Point-In-Time survey, which found an increase in homelessness under Harrell’s watch. He claimed the count “lacks consistency” in its method, which “creates difficulties in comparing year-over-year data.”
He did not address the cuts to renter services and labor law enforcement or how they could threaten housing stability for working people.
“The mayor believes that it is inhumane for people to live outside, and our budget reflects an investment strategy to continue making progress bringing people indoors with the services to recover, using the resources we have available,” says Housen. “Ultimately, a significant budget deficit requires difficult decisions, and this proposal is now in the hands of the city council to review the budget, propose modifications, and complete the process.”
You can tell the city council how you feel about the budget at public comment Wednesday at 5 pm. Sign up opens an hour before the meeting. | https://www.thestranger.com/news/2024/10/15/79739886/mayor-bruce-harrells-budget-could-make-you-homeless | 2024-10-15T17:51:10Z |
The amount of money people can borrow to buy a home is set to drop even further as the country’s biggest bank prepares to lift the rate it tests a person’s affordability to 8.6% from early next week and other lenders are expected to follow suit.
Financial experts warn the move could lock even more people out of the property market or at least impact how much they can spend as it is a steep jump from the low 5.8% stress test rate banks were using to test a person’s affordability for a home loan between August 2020 and November 2021.
An ANZ spokesperson told OneRoof the rate is going up to 8.6% next Monday due to it regularly reviewing its stress test rate to ensure it remains responsible and reflects the current interest rate environment.
The bank will continue to honour any existing pre-approvals and approvals finalised before its stress test rate moves up at 9am on 12 December.
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Easy Street Mortgages mortgage adviser Gareth Veale said increasing the stress test rate further effects people’s affordability and what they can borrow.
“It’s just made things a lot harder. The people who don’t have mortgages at the moment, who are struggling to get them then, can’t afford to have them now.“
Based on October’s national median house price of $825,000, buyers with a 20% deposit would have last year been eligible to borrow $660,000, but under the new stress test rate this will plunge to $480,000. So instead of being able to buy a $825,000 house, they can now only spend $645,000.
It also means people who purchased a property between August 2020 and November 2021 when the stress test rate was at its lowest - may be forced to refix at higher interest rate than what their affordability was calculated at.
“People will be paying mortgages now higher than the rate they were tested at – it hasn’t been like that for a very long time and if nothing has changed and if there’s been no improvement to their situation then they will be under a lot of strain at the moment.”
Squirrel Mortgages founder John Bolton said first home buyers will be the hardest hit by the higher stress test rate because it only puts existing borrowers under pressure if they are trying to top-up their mortgages and get extra money.
“The impact is more on first home buyers trying to get into the property market. With the higher test rate, the bank is going to lend them less money.
“The amount people can borrow is already down 20% on last year – this will just make that more. So maybe they will be down about 25%.”
It will lock some buyers out of the market or force them to look at cheaper houses, he said.
But the rising interest rates are hurting everyone, he said, and when homeowners are refixing, they are seeing their repayments go up about 35%.
“That’s a lot right – incomes are flat or maybe going up a little bit, living costs are going up and at the same time your mortgage repayments are going up by about 35% so that massively eats into discretionary income and means people are really challenged with the way that they are budgeting.”
Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen said some people who are refixing at the higher interest rates are already on “baked bean” budgets as they are in some cases being forced to find tens of thousands of dollars more to service their mortgages.
To cover those crippling costs, people may have to rethink their lifestyles and get help from the bank or get in lodgers, he said.
“Realistically there will be some can’t take those sorts of steps and there’s certainly greater likelihood that there will be some who are forced to sell or are in a much more vulnerable position now than before.
“It’s quite incredible to think that just over a year ago you had interest rates at 2.2% for a one-year-fixed and now you are being tested at well over 8%. That’s a pretty enormous shift in expectations for what borrowers are thinking about when it comes to just how big their repayment is.” | https://www.oneroof.co.nz/news/baked-bean-budgets-on-the-cards-as-mortgage-test-rates-set-to-hit-8-6-42772 | 2024-10-15T17:51:10Z |
CAIRO — (AP) — The Grand Egyptian Museum will partially open its main galleries on Wednesday, including 12 halls that exhibit aspects of ancient Egypt, as part of a trial run, officials said Tuesday.
The museum, a mega-project near the famed Giza Pyramids which has cost well over $1 billion so far, will open the halls for 4,000 visitors as a trial run until the official opening date, which is yet to be announced, according to Al-Tayeb Abbas, assistant to the minister of antiquities.
The opening of the museum, which has been under construction for more than a decade, has been repeatedly delayed for various reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 100,000 artifacts of Egypt's ancient treasures will be displayed in the world's largest archaeological museum, according to the Egyptian state information website.
Abbas told the AP that the trial run starting Wednesday would help prepare for the full opening by providing a deeper understanding of issues related to operations such as identifying overcrowded areas across the museum.
The displays across the 12 halls tap into issues related to society, religion, and doctrine in ancient Egypt, he added. All open-style halls have been classified by dynasty and historical order, and each will showcase at least 15,000 artifacts.
Eras that will be exhibited in the main galleries include the Third Intermediate Period (about 1070-664 B.C.), Late Period (664-332 B.C.), Graeco-Roman Period (332 B.C.-395 A.D.), New Kingdom (1550-1070 B.C.), Middle Kingdom (2030-1650 B.C.), and Old Kingdom (2649-2130 B.C.). One of the halls displays statues of “Elite of the King,” members of the royal family and high-ranking officials who worked in the army, priesthood, and the government.
Parts of the site have already been open for limited tours since late 2022 to test visitors’ experience and the museum’s operational preparedness.
Aude Porcedde, a Canadian tourist who visited several sections, told the AP she was amazed by the museum, adding that Egyptian civilization is important for her and for the world to know more about.
“There is a lot of history and a lot of things we are not aware of, especially coming from the other side of the world, and seeing everything here and learning from the locals has been great,” said Costa Rican tourist Jorge Licano.
The grand staircase, six stories high and with a view of the pyramids, and the commercial area are open to the public, showcasing monuments and artifacts that include sarcophagi and statues. Other parts of the museum, including the King Tutankhamun treasure collection, are set to open at later dates.
All halls are equipped with advanced technology and feature multimedia presentations to explain the lives of the ancient Egyptians, including its kings, according to Eissa Zidan, Director-General of the Preliminary Restoration and Antiquities Transfer at the museum.
One of the halls will use virtual reality to explain the history of burial and its development throughout ancient Egypt.
“The museum is not only a place to display antiquities, but it also aims to attract children to learn about ancient Egyptian history ... The museum is a gift to all the world,” Zidan told the AP.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Associated Press journalist Fatma Khaled contributed to this report from Cairo.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.boston25news.com/entertainment/egypts-long-delayed/QL7LODGIJJDOBFCG6JRU7ABEYQ/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:10Z |
Apple TV+ is running full speed ahead on Slow Horses: The Emmy-winning spy drama has been renewed for a sixth season.
The show that stars Gary Oldman as the leader of a group of dysfunctional British spies — unaffectionately known as the Slow Horses — just had its fourth season premiere on Sept. 4. It was renewed for a fifth season earlier this year.
"Audiences around the world have fallen in love with the Slow Horses, and I'm delighted that Gary Oldman will be leading this star-studded cast on another acerbic and action-packed adventure," said Apple TV+'s Jay Hunt.
Season six is adapted from Joe Country and Slough House, respectively the sixth and seventh novels in Mick Herron's "Slough House" book series.
All four seasons of Slow Horses hold a perfect 100% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, the streamer points out.
The six-episode sixth season will see "the Slow Horses on the run as Diana Taverner embroils them all in a fatally high-stakes game of retaliation and revenge," Apple teases.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. | https://www.kiss104fm.com/entertainment/apple-tv-renews-slow/SHUL5D27CDGG5O775YVGTZJG7E/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:10Z |
Euclid telescope reveals first ‘stunning’ piece of its map of the universe
The ‘huge mosaic’ covers an area in the southern sky more than 500 times the area of the full moon, ESA said.
Europe’s Euclid telescope has revealed a “stunning image” that will form the first piece of its great cosmic map in a mission to unravel the secrets of the universe.
This “huge mosaic” is made up of 208 gigapixels of image data, covering an area in the southern sky more than 500 times the area of the full moon, the European Space Agency (ESA) said.
Featuring some 14 million galaxies, it accounts for 1% of the wide sky survey that Euclid will capture over six years to shed light on two of the universe’s greatest mysteries: dark energy and dark matter.
Dark matter is made up of particles that do not absorb, reflect or emit light while dark energy is believed to be pushing galaxies apart, causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate.
Valeria Pettorino, Euclid project scientist at ESA, said: “This stunning image is the first piece of a map that in six years will reveal more than one third of the sky.
“This is just 1% of the map, and yet it is full of a variety of sources that will help scientists discover new ways to describe the universe.”
ESA said a “special feature” that can be seen in the mosaic are dim clouds in between the stars in the Milky Way which appear in light blue against the black background of space.
They are a mix of gas and dust, also called “galactic cirrus” because they look like cirrus clouds, it said.
Euclid is able to see these clouds with its highly sensitive camera because they reflect optical light from the Milky Way, the scientists said.
The optical camera, called VIS, was designed and built by an international team led by researchers at University College London (UCL) while the Open University’s (OU) Centre for Electronic Imaging (CEI) helped to develop the detectors for the VIS instrument.
Dr Jesper Skottfelt, research fellow at the OU, said: “The Euclid mission is a major step forward in our understanding of the dark universe.
“The images Euclid is capturing are a treasure trove of information that will help us unravel the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy.”
Professor Mat Page, based at UCL’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory, who is the current lead for the VIS camera, said: “Before Euclid, nobody had ever made an image of such a large area of sky at such high resolution.
“Even the zoomed in images don’t show the full resolution of Euclid’s spectacular VIS camera.
“Before Euclid, we would never be able to see the faint cirrus clouds in the Milky Way, and pick out every star that’s illuminating them in super-high resolution.
“And this is just a tiny fraction of the full area that Euclid is going to survey, so by the end we’ll have a real astronomical harvest of discoveries.”
Launched in July 2023, the Euclid mission aims to create a 3D map of the universe by observing two billion galaxies, which will help scientists understand its cosmic history. | https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/uk-news/2024/10/15/euclid-telescope-reveals-first-stunning-piece-of-its-map-of-the-universe/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:13Z |
Cooper Investors Issues Open Letter To Board Of Directors Of Frontier Communications Opposing Acquisition By Verizon
Date
10/15/2024 9:32:20 AM
(MENAFN- PR Newswire)
Expresses Concern that $38.50 Offer Price Significantly Undervalues Frontier and Fails to Reflect Value of Anticipated Synergies
Believes Frontier's Standalone Value is up to 62% Higher than Offer Price and Fair Transaction Value Would be up to 94% Higher than Offer Price
Confident Frontier Remaining as a Standalone Public Company is Optimal Outcome for Stockholders
Urges Frontier Stockholders to Vote
AGAINST the Proposed Transaction
MELBOURNE, Australia, Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cooper Investors Pty Limited (together with its affiliates, "Cooper Investors"), an Australia-based global investment manager and significant stockholder of Frontier Communications Parent, Inc. (NASDAQ: FYBR ) ("Frontier" or the "Company"), today issued an open letter to the board of directors of Frontier in which it expressed its strong opposition to the acquisition of Frontier by Verizon Communications Inc. for $38.50 per share (the "Proposed Transaction").
In the letter, Cooper Investors expressed its belief that the standalone value of Frontier is as much as 62% higher than Verizon's offer price and that the fair transaction value would be up to 94% higher. Cooper Investors stated its intention to vote against approval of the Proposed Transaction and encouraged its fellow stockholders to do the same at the Company's upcoming special meeting of stockholders scheduled to be held on November 13, 2024.
The full text of the letter can accessed at the following link: Letter to the Board
About Cooper Investors
Cooper Investors is an Australia-based, employee-owned and operated global investment manager founded in 2001. The firm manages approximately $7 billion on behalf of families, charities, foundations, endowments and institutions.
THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION OF AUTHORITY TO VOTE YOUR PROXY. DO NOT SEND US YOUR PROXY CARD. COOPER INVESTORS IS NOT ASKING FOR YOUR PROXY CARD AND WILL NOT ACCEPT PROXY CARDS IF SENT. COOPER INVESTORS IS NOT ABLE TO VOTE YOUR PROXY, NOR DOES THIS COMMUNICATION CONTEMPLATE SUCH AN EVENT.
SOURCE Cooper Investors
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LUMBERTON — Ava Hanna and Giselle Leach are rarely, if ever, on the floor at the same time for the Lumberton volleyball game — a logical lineup move since they play the same position.
But while they’re never side-by-side, the pair complement each other well, and did so Monday — whichever of the Pirates’ outside hitters was on the floor was constantly on the attack.
The result was a combined 32 kills as the Pirates swept Purnell Swett in the quarterfinals of the United-8 Conference tournament.
“They’re the team, as far as our offense goes,” Lumberton coach Bryan Hales said. “They do well. Ava played great tonight, Giselle did too.”
Hanna had 18 kills for the third-seeded Pirates (14-9), while Leach had 14, continuing the trend of the pair leading the team in that category throughout the season.
“(It was) my hitting, me being able to block the other side, and reading it, tipping it over and covering the ball,” Leach said. “As we alternate, we still play the role with each other to contribute to the team.”
A key point in the match came in the second set, when sixth-seeded Purnell Swett (10-10) pulled out gradually early in the set to take a 16-10 lead. Lumberton scored six straight points to tie the score at 16-16, and the teams essentially traded points until a 22-22 tie. The Pirates then scored the next three points to win the set 25-22 and take a 2-0 match lead, with a Hanna kill bringing Lumberton to a set point and a Christian McDowell block earning the clinching point.
McDowell had six kills and six blocks, including several blocks in key spots in the tight second set.
“My biggest thing was just being on time for my block,” McDowell said. “Especially the first set, I felt like I was a little off, so when we came into the second set, I just really wanted to be in the right spot at the right time and I felt like I did the majority of the time.”
Several more Pirates filled up the stat sheet. Kaylee Lancaster had 14 digs, Jaelyn Hammond had eight digs and two aces, Kylena Bell had two aces and Emersyn Norton had three blocks. Leighann Martin had 19 assists and Chloe Campbell had 16 assists.
Adisyn Bland had seven kills, five digs and two blocks for Purnell Swett, Kamryn Locklear had 25 digs and three aces, Braci Woods had three kills and 10 digs, Kiley Locklear had five digs and Harley Barfield had two kills.
“I’m super proud of the way they came out and fought tonight, and two girls that have never stepped on the court with varsity stepped on the court today, and they played well, they didn’t hurt us,” Purnell Swett coach Corey Deese said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what next year holds. … I’m very pleased with the way they played defense, and just played, they didn’t give up.”
Lumberton led 12-5 in the first set before the Rams closed to 12-8, but the Pirates responded to pull away to a 20-11 lead and won the set 25-17.
After the Pirates’ close second-set win, the Pirates led 9-5 early in the third before a 10-1 run to take a 19-6 lead. Lumberton won the set 25-11 to end the match.
“We felt a little flat,” Hales said. “I was worried a little bit because we beat them 3-0 last week, and usually when you beat somebody 3-0, you come back the next week and you let your guard down. We didn’t play our best ball tonight by no means.”
Lumberton advanced to play Cape Fear in the United-8 tournament semifinal on Tuesday. The Pirates enter that game at 29th in the RPI rankings for 4A East, appearing to have a berth in the 32-team state playoff regional field likely in hand.
“It’s a tough match, but we can beat them,” Hales said. “We’ve hung with them, hung close; we’ve always lost when it gets 20-20, just them last five points, but hopefully this time we can pull it out.”
Purnell Swett saw its season come to an end, with the Rams ranked 39th in the RPI as of Tuesday morning.
Deese is excited for the future after her young team won 10 games this fall, but also thanked seniors Bland, Anileigh Lockelar and Addison Locklear for their contributions to the program and leadership on this year’s team.
“They’ve been a rock, a balance,” Deese said. “Great mentors to the younger players. Very encouraging mentors to my younger players. Just constantly, if they do something wrong, they kind of correct them, but they sugarcoat it and the girls bounce back. This team has just been one of the best teams I’ve coached, chemistry-wise; they’ve all gotten along and there was just no drama.”
Sports editor Chris Stiles can be reached at 910-816-1977 or by email at cstiles@robesonian.com. You can follow him on X at @StilesOnSports. | https://www.robesonian.com/sports/305829/hitters-shine-in-pirates-volleyball-sweep-over-rams | 2024-10-15T17:51:13Z |
Jonathan Bennett And Lacey Chabert Had A Sweet Mean Girls Reunion On Hallmark, And I’m In My Feels
This reunion is so fetch.
Hallmark has allowed Lacey Chabert to reunite with some former co-stars and, whenever she does, it's a real treat. Some of those actors are fellow network alums, and others may be people she's collaborated with under other production banners. The reigning Queen of Hallmark is in the midst of working on another project for the 2024 TV schedule and, in the process, she has managed to land yet another reunion. This time, Chabert is working with Mean Girls co-star Jonathan Bennett for a fun segment, and I’m feeling all the feels.
Jonathan Bennett is also a Hallmark veteran and previously expressed interest in teaming up with Lacey Chabert for one of the network's movies. While that has yet to happen, the two did team up for something a bit different. Chabert is working on a different kind of project for the entertainment brand, Celebrations with Lacey Chabert, which sees the actress throwing celebrations for people who have made a positive impact on their communities. Hallmark+ shared a sweet video on Instagram, which shows two former co-stars getting together for the series, and their chemistry is so palpable:
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The Spamalot star saying, “When Lacey Chabert calls, you show up,” just shows how close the two of them still are, 20 years after Mean Girls' release. Chabert explained that they first met on the set of the Tina Fey-penned teen comedy and have been “dear friends” ever since, and I'm living for that sweet bond. While the two didn’t have too many scenes together in the seminal 2004 flick, it’s clear that they were together enough to solidify a friendship. I'm not sure I can handle the nostalgia that's rushing through me right now.
In the Lindsay Lohan-led comedy, Chabert took on the role of Gretchen Wieners, the second in command to Plastics leader, Regina George. Meanwhile, Bennett played school heartthrob Aaron Samuels. To say that both actors are still recognized for their roles would be an understatement.
At the beginning of the year, Jonathan Bennett revealed that he would “love to do a Christmas movie with Lacey.” And, even though Celebrations with Lacey Chabert may not be a movie, it's still a sweet project for the pair to collaborate on. Now, I'm hoping that this production may greaten the odds of Chabert and Bennett acting alongside each other in a Hallmark production. If that eventually happens, I can only imagine how excited Mean Girls fans would be. I mean, I know I desperately need it to happen.
Since it seems like both actors have no plans to leave Hallmark any time soon, it’s possible that they could team up for a scripted project. Or at least, one can hope that’s the case. Still, I won't turn my nose up at Celebrations, and it may even be better than a film, as fans can see the two lovingly interacting as themselves and not playing roles.
Catch Lacey Chabert and Jonathan Bennett’s upcoming reunion for Celebrations with Lacey Chabert on Thursday only on Hallmark+. Those who are feeling as nostalgic as I am for Mean Girls can also stream that movie using a Paramount+ subscription.
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Passionate writer. Obsessed with anything and everything entertainment, specifically movies and television. Can get easily attached to fictional characters. | https://www.cinemablend.com/television/jonathan-bennett-lacey-chabert-sweet-mean-girls-reunion-hallmark | 2024-10-15T17:51:14Z |
HELSINKI, October 15. /TASS/. Finland’s Lapland will be one of the five territories that will host the largest NATO artillery exercise ever held in Europe, the Finnish Defense Forces said in a statement.
Exercise Lightning Strike 24 is set to take place from November 4-28.
"The scope of the exercise shows that we can get support from allies very quickly if needed, as well as command allied forces. This is a good example that our own field artillery, combined with Allied capabilities, forms a reliable defense in northern Finland and NATO," said Finland’s Exercise Director Janne Makitalo.
Up to 3,600 soldiers will take part in the exercise in Finland, including about 1,250 troops from other countries, according to the statement.
Lightning Strike 24 is a part of Dynamic Front 25, a series of US-led exercises conducted in five countries: Finland, Estonia, Germany, Romania and Poland. The series, which will be focused on Lapland this time, will involve a total of about 5,000 soldiers from 28 countries. | https://tass.com/world/1856607 | 2024-10-15T17:51:14Z |
Bengaluru, Oct 15 (PTI) BEML Ltd has been awarded a contract valued at Rs 866.87 crore by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, for the design, manufacturing, and commissioning of two high-speed trainsets, each comprising eight cars.
This project marks a significant milestone in India's high-speed rail journey and will see the first indigenously designed and manufactured trainsets with a test speed of 280 kmph, the Public Sector Unit said in a statement.
The trainsets will be built at BEML's Bengaluru rail coach complex and are scheduled for delivery by the end of 2026, the statement read.
It added that the the high speed train set features a fully air-conditioned, chair car configuration, the trains will offer modern passenger amenities such as reclining and rotatable seats, special provisions for passengers with restricted mobility, and onboard infotainment systems. PTI GMS ROH | https://www.newsdrum.in/national/beml-gets-high-speed-rail-design-and-manufacturing-order-from-icf-7317679 | 2024-10-15T17:51:16Z |
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