text stringlengths 2 106k | url stringlengths 26 350 | crawl_date timestamp[ns, tz=UTC]date 2024-03-14 12:19:00 2024-12-16 07:15:32 |
|---|---|---|
IDF special intelligence Unit 504 revealed on Tuesday night that one of the Hezbollah fighters it had captured and interrogated said that "they all fled...after the assassination of [Hezbollah chief Hassan] Nasrallah, I did not see any of them."
Unit 504 is known as "the IDF's Mossad", and its activities are generally highly secretive, with even its top commander's name not being revealed.
The IDF said it found Wadah Kamal Yunis in a Hezbollah tunnel in southern Lebanon.
It said that IDF troops found and surrounded the tunnel and started to explore it.
Eventually, IDF soldiers found Yunis and brought him to Israel to be interrogated by special Unit 504.
Addressing Hezbollah's Radwan forces
According to the translation of the video of the interrogation, Yunis said that his top four commanders, including the commander of his entire region, all fled after Nasrallah was killed on September 27.
Further, he attacked Hezbollah's Radwan special forces as "having little religious principles, people with no religion, who joined to get paid money, and fled because they were afraid of Israeli forces." | https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-824769 | 2024-10-15T17:51:16Z |
Jerry Jones celebrated his 82nd birthday on Sunday by watching his Dallas Cowboys get dismantled by the Detroit Lions 47-9. Two days later, he directed his frustrations towards a pair of hosts on the team's flagship radio station.
Following an offseason that saw the Cowboys spend little on free agents and save big money spending on their own star players —CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott — Jones did not take fondly to being asked why he wasn't more active on improving the roster.
Jones' annoyance with the line of questioning had him appearing to threaten the jobs of 105.3 FM's Shan Shariff, R.J. Choppy and Bobby Belt.
This is not your job. Your job isn't to let me go over all the reasons that I did something and I'm sorry that I did it," Jones said. That's not your job. I'll get somebody else to ask these questions. I'm not kidding. You're not going to figure out what the team is doing right or wrong. If you are, or any five or 10 like you, you need to come to this [NFL owner's] meeting I'm going to today with 32 teams here, you're geniuses.
"Ya'll really think you're gonna sit here with a microphone and tell me all of the things that I've done wrong without going all over the rights? Listen, we both know we're talking to a lot of great fans and a lot of great listeners. And I'm very sorry for what happened out there Sunday. I'm sick about what happened Sunday.
"One of the stupidest things I've ever done, that anybody had ever analyzed is buy the Cowboys. It was an idiot that did that. So idiot things can turn into good decisions. Smart things can turn into bad decisions. The facts are that when you make one, you don't really know if it's going to be good or not at the time. You want some conversation this morning, you're getting it."
The Cowboys have their bye in Week 7 before returning to face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night in Week 8. There was already going to be a heavy discussion about the construction of Dallas' roster considering their mediocre start and that the NFL's highest-paid quarterback is tied for second in interceptions (6), has an 85.4% passer rating and has been sacked the fifth-most times (16) — not to mention they've lost four consecutive games at AT&T Stadium.
And now the Cowboys will gobble up headlines during an off week — which makes you think Jones knew what he was doing here. He's always been a salesman.
Jones said after Sunday's loss he was happy the bye week was coming as it will give them time to fix the numerous areas that need improvement. Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence will likely remain out through the bye, further hobbling a 25th-ranked defense that has given up the sixth-most rushing yards and allowed the third-most points through six weeks.
As for change? That's not coming for any part of the Cowboys' roster. Head coach Mike McCarthy's job is safe as Jones reiterated Tuesday by saying in-season coaching changes are "usually ineffective. They just aren't good."
On the field, Jones trusts in his players — his "outstanding personnel" as he put it — to turn around an uninspired start to the season.
"Well, first of all, where you going to go to get any players? Seriously? Where are you going to go to get any players for next week against San Francisco?" Jones said. "Now, No. 1, I've seen these players. I've seen every single one of them execute like you want the plays to be executed and do their job within the role. That didn't happen the other day, and we paid the consequences for it. But I've seen the players do it." | https://www.k95tulsa.com/news/national/jerry-jones-objects/3XSYJLAHP76APG3MMXDXOVXLMM/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:16Z |
Americans haven’t been this worried about making their credit card payments since the pandemic
By Alicia Wallace, CNN
(CNN) — Americans are feeling fairly secure in their jobs, they expect to continue to earn and spend more than they did pre-pandemic, and they think inflation isn’t getting much worse, according to new survey data released Tuesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. But they’re growing increasingly anxious about mounting credit card debt.
Debt balances have been growing, and US consumers are nervous about whether they’ll be able to keep up: Americans haven’t been this worried about missing a minimum debt payment since April 2020.
The New York Fed’s September 2024 Survey of Consumer Expectations showed that the average perceived probability of missing a minimum debt payment during the next three months increased for the fourth consecutive month to 14.2%. Outside of the pandemic, that’s the highest delinquency expectation reading seen in the monthly survey since January 2017.
The juxtaposition seen in the latest New York Fed survey runs par for the course with what other data has been showing for years: The US economy is running quite strong, but people aren’t feeling that great about it, said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst for Bankrate.
“Inflation is still a big deal; even though it’s come down, I feel that’s still the dominant theme in the economy,” Rossman told CNN in an interview Tuesday. “Inflation is gobbling up a lot of the gains people are making. So, even if you’re working, and even if your wages are up, a lot of people are not feeling good about things.”
And the cumulative effects of this bout of high inflation have hit some Americans harder than others, and the data reflects growing income inequality, Rossman said.
“For people with good incomes and good credit scores, things are going well; they’re still able to access plenty of credit and, by and large, paying on time,” he said. “If you’re in the half who’s using a card for convenience and rewards, life is good. Now the other half, that can be a much more troublesome situation when you think about potentially longer-term credit card debt.”
Lower-income Americans face higher inflation, research shows.
Since 2005, prices have risen 64%, on average, for the lowest-income households as compared to 57% for the prices typically paid by highest-income households, according to a recently released Minneapolis Federal Reserve analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
The latest New York Fed data showed that while delinquency expectations did spike higher last month (6.4% to 8.4%) for people who earn more than $100,000 a year, the probability of an expected missed payment increased to 20% for those earning under $50,000 a year.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://kesq.com/money/cnn-business-consumer/2024/10/15/americans-havent-been-this-worried-about-making-their-credit-card-payments-since-the-pandemic/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:17Z |
I am a 28-year-old cisgender sex-repulsed asexual gay man. While some asexuals choose to have sex for the pleasure it provides their partner, sex-repulsed asexuals like me do not engage in sexual activity and do not wish to be exposed to it. As a sex-repulsed asexual gay man, I feel alienated when I enter gay spaces like bars, parties, clubs. Gay allosexuals don’t seem to be aware that hypersexualized spaces make asexual men like me feel unsafe and unwanted. We are forced to choose between being isolated or entering spaces where other gay men are kissing, grinding, or worse. Also, bartenders are often shirtless, there are go-go dancers, and even the posters on the walls feature sexually explicit imagery. When gay sex is foregrounded like this it makes gay men like me feel like we are not welcome in the gay community. And to answer the obvious question: I go to gay bars for many of the same reasons allosexual gay men go to gay bars: to socialize and feel safe and to meet potential romantic (not sexual) partners. I also go because gay hookup apps are terrible for everyone, but they’re especially terrible for asexual gay men.
I feel like there should be one night a week where gay bars are safe spaces for asexual gay men. It doesn’t feel like asking people to remain clothed and refrain from groping each other one night a week is too much to ask if it makes a marginalized group within our own community feel welcome. I am curious what you think of my proposal and whether this is an idea that you would get behind.
Gay Ace Gay Space
“I’m a 28-year-old gay man, just like GAGS, but I’m not asexual,” said Jonathan, a regular commenter at Savage.Love who I’ve tapped to speak for all allosexual gay men everywhere. “I’m an enthusiastic gay bar, club, and partygoer. I went to Town in DC for the shirtless twinks and twunks and go to the Eagle in NYC for the hot leather guys in jockstraps. We go out because of the dancing, kissing, groping, grinding, hot bartenders, and go-go boys. We like it this way! If we wanted dubious drinks in a nonsexual environment, we’d go to Applebee’s.”
Jonathan argues — and I, another allosexual gay man, happen to agree with him — that gay men clumped up in urban areas to create spaces where we could be ourselves. When the first gayborhoods began to appear (or began to enter public consciousness), those spaces were pretty much limited to bars (sexually charged) and bathhouses (extremely sexually charged). But as more gay men and other queer people came out and moved in, lots of other kinds of spaces in gayborhoods — less sexually charged spaces — became places where we could be ourselves, e.g., cafes, restaurants, bookstores, gyms, sidewalks, city halls, etc., etc., etc.
“GAGS should try gay sports leagues, gyms, meetup groups, book clubs, youth mentorship programs, supper clubs — all of those have the nonsexual vibe he wants,” Jonathan said. “And if there isn’t a scene he likes where he lives, he should create one. My city didn’t use to have a fisting club or an ABDL night but now, thanks to friends, it does. GAGS should focus on cultivating the environments he desires instead of asking other gay men to censor ourselves. We aren’t interested in being demure. It also wouldn’t be profitable for the venues.”
Kevin Kauer, who co-owns and curates Massive, a bar in Seattle for the whole LGBTQIA+ community, agreed with Jonathan on the unprofitable-for-venues point.
“I strive to create a space that’s safe and welcoming for all,” Kauer said, “but GAGS proposal sounds like is an unprofitable flip of the fun switch to off. While certainly fun for some, what he describes is just not the essence of a large queer nightclub. Maybe GAGS could try a house party?”
You may have a hard time filling a house party. While there are roughly forty million men in the United States between the ages of 21 and 40 — age-appropriate-ish potential romantic partners for a 28-year-old gay man — only two percent of those men are gay (800,000), only one percent of gay men are asexual (8000), and only a small percentage of asexuals are sex-repulsed asexuals (as opposed to sex-positive, sex-neutral, sex-negative. etc.). While you’re not limited to dating or partnering with other asexuals — because of course you aren’t — you’re asking bars owners to set one night a week aside exclusively for sex-repulsed asexual guys and there aren’t enough guys like you to fill a living room, GAGS, much less a club.
Okay, since I don’t want to be accused of stacking the deck — or ganging up on you — by only quoting allosexuals, GAGS, I reached out to Cody Daigle-Orians, the author, educator, and asexuality advocate behind “Ace Dad Advice,” a social media-based asexuality education project.
“The gay male community can make ace men feel like shit,” said Daigle-Orians. “Ace men meet a brick wall of invalidation, dismissal, and being rendered invisible in the gay male community. And there’s absolutely room — and a real need — for allosexual gay men to catch up on the range of ways one can inhabit gayness, including gay ace men, and to be gentler, more supportive, and to build solidarity with men whose gayness looks different from theirs.”
So, what does Daigle-Orians think of your modest proposal: one night a week when the owners of gay bars order bartenders to keep their pants on, lock go-go boys in their beer coolers, and police patrons to make sure they’re keeping their lips and hips to themselves?
“I can’t agree with GAGS’ suggestion,” said Daigle-Orians. “Gay bars have a long history, of which sex is a part. They’re sexually charged spaces and that’s okay. The freedom to express your Big Gay Sexuality on the dance floor at the gay bar is one I’m glad allo gay men have. It’s something they should have.”
Just like Jonathan, GAGS, Daigle-Orians thought you might be looking for love — and community — in all the wrong places.
“There are other ways to find gay social connection,” said Daigle-Orians. “There are gay book clubs, bowling leagues, gaming groups, rugby leagues, softball. The choice isn’t ‘gay bar or isolation,’ as GAGS frames it, because ’gay spaces’ aren’t only bars, parties, or clubs. Just as there are multiples ways to be gay, there are multiple ways to socialize with those gays. So, I would encourage GAGS to broaden his ideas of where gay community can be found and built. It’s more likely they’ll find the like-minded friends and possible romantic partners they’re seeking in places other than the gay bar, anyway. Leave the backroom to the allos.”
P.S. Even though you’re unlikely to find a partner in a gay bar, GAGS, you and other asexuals who want romantic relationships shouldn’t despair of ever finding a partner. Cody Daigle-Orians — who identifies as queer, ace, and agender — has three: his husband of ten years (met online), his other partner of three years (met online), and a platonic partner (his husband’s other romantic partner). I’m confident you can find the right guy or guys too, GAGS, but you’re not going to find them in a gay bar. (And “you should put your shirt on” is a terrible pickup line.)
P.P.S. Congrats to everyone out there who got the “hips or lips” reference.
P.P.P.S. & Update: I just realized that I didn’t answer the question GAGS put to me: Is this idea — campaigning to pressure gay bars to host weekly “Pants On/Hands Off” nights — something I would get behind? And the answer is no. In fact, the very first thing I ever wrote for publication was a piece for my school newspaper defending gay men who were being publicly sexual — dancing shirtless, making out, grinding on the dance floor — in the one and only gay bar in our college town. A straight wannabe conservative columnist for the paper was so shocked by what she saw at the one-and-only gay bar in Champaign, Illinois, that she wrote a piece saying gay people didn’t deserve civil rights if we couldn’t behave ourselves… in gay bars. (The piece is in a file at home — I’ll post a PDF when I’m back in Seattle.)
Follow Cody Daigle-Orians on Instagram @AceDadAdvice and learn more about his work and order his books — I Am Ace and Ace and Aro — at his website. Follow Kevin Kauer on Instagram @kk_nark. Follow Massive on Instagram @massive_club. Full disclosure: my husband — who can you follow on Instagram @disappearing_tm — hosts a monthly fetish night at Massive.
I’m a 38-year-old gay male. I recently got back on dating apps, and I’ve been chatting with other gays online. I’m not unattractive and I get a fair amount of hits when I post pictures. To my surprise, I’ve accidentally connected emotionally with a few guys who quickly expressed an interest in exploring something long-term with me. The problem is that I was diagnosed with terminal cancer years ago and not given long to live. I’ve made a miraculous recovery, but I still have cancer, and I’m told it’s still terminal. I could pass in weeks, months, or after another couple of years. I haven’t lied to any of the men I’ve been chatting with, but I haven’t been entirely forthcoming with them either. It’s day two of chatting with these guys and now I’m in some situationships. I don’t know what to do. I want to feel normal, but I don’t want to string these guys along. Please advise.
Cancer Announcement Now Could End Relationships
Want to read the rest? Subscribe now to get every question, every week, the complete Savage Love archives, special events, and much more!
Subscribe Now GiftGot problems? Yes, you do! Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love!
Or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan!
Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love | https://www.thestranger.com/savage-love/2024/10/15/79740853/savage-love | 2024-10-15T17:51:17Z |
James Spann: Windy, cool day ahead for Alabama; dry through Sunday
James Spann forecasts a dry, windy day for Alabama from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.
RED FLAG WARNING: Alabama’s weather will be windy and cool today with a partly sunny sky. A red flag warning is in effect for most of the state due to low humidity levels and a west wind averaging 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Outdoor burning is not recommended.
FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: While many communities will dip into the 30s early Friday morning, frost formation isn’t especially likely since the wind will remain in the 4-8 mph range overnight. But frost is likely over the northern half of the state early Saturday morning, and some of the colder pockets will see a freeze. Look for sunny days and fair nights; highs will remain in the 60s Friday and Saturday, followed by 70s Sunday.
NEXT WEEK: Monday will be mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. Occasional rain and a few thunderstorms are likely Tuesday and Wednesday as a surface low passes through the region. For now, severe storms don’t look likely, but rain amounts will be significant, with totals of 2-3 inches for the western half of the state and 1-2 inches for the eastern counties.
A few lingering showers are possible Thursday; then dry, mild weather is likely Friday through the following weekend, April 12-14. Highs will be in the 70s.
ECLIPSE WEATHER: Alabama will experience a partial solar eclipse Monday (it peaks around 2 p.m.). Unfortunately, it looks like the sky will be generally cloudy. In the path of totality to the west and north, the best chance of a clear sky is over northern New England and upstate New York.
ON THIS DATE IN 1977: A large, violent F5 tornado began around 3 p.m., 4 miles northwest of Birmingham near U.S. 78, and then traveled northeast for 15 miles at 60 mph, crossing the Smithfield Estates neighborhood and then I-65. At its widest point, the tornado was three-fourths of a mile wide. More than 150 homes were damaged and almost 50 destroyed. A total of 22 people were killed and more than 130 injured.
Dr. Theodore Fujita, for whom the Tornado Fujita Intensity Scale is named, followed this massive tornado and supercell thunderstorm from an airplane. After tracking the storm, Fujita surveyed the damage and toyed with the idea of rating the Smithfield tornado an F6.
Daniel Payne College near U.S. 78 sustained heavy damage from this massive tornado, with estimates over $1 million. The college, opened in 1880, closed its doors later in 1977, likely a result of the enormous cost and extent of damage. There were six other tornadoes on this day, five F2s and an F3 across north and central Alabama.
Soon after the F5 tornado tore through northern Birmingham, the same thunderstorm complex was responsible for the crash of Southern Airways Flight 242 in Georgia.
It was a flight from Huntsville to Atlanta. The passenger jet went down after suffering hail damage and losing thrust on both engines; 63 people on the aircraft (including the flight crew) and nine people on the ground died, including a family of seven. Twenty passengers survived, as well as the two flight attendants. One of the initial survivors succumbed to his injuries several weeks later.
For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit AlabamaWx. | https://alabamanewscenter.com/2024/04/04/james-spann-windy-cool-day-ahead-for-alabama-dry-through-sunday/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:16Z |
NEW YORK — (AP) — When Elton John was on tour in America in the 1970s, there was someone on TV who caught his eye. She was an over-the-top, heavy makeup-wearing performer who wore her heart on her sleeve and yet seemed in on the joke — televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker. You could say game was recognizing game.
John — who back then toured in bedazzled hats, cartoonish outfits and sported enough sequins to choke an elephant — was drawn to a woman with caked-on makeup, an ability to connect with fans and the skill to return after a gut-punch of betrayal.
“She fascinated the hell out of me,” John tells The Associated Press. “I love people who come back from the dead, more or less. She was completely outlawed and banished, and she fought through that because of her goodness and kindness and her belief and her faith. It’s an amazing story, Shakespearean in a way."
John has put this Shakespearian heroine's story to song with the stage musical "Tammy Faye" and the latest iteration lands on Broadway this month, championing what he calls "a gladiator on her own terms."
“She comes from absolute nothing — complete poverty — getting all the fame and the wealth and then losing it all in a world of men,” says book writer James Graham. “There is a universality to that story.”
Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker rose to prominence as the husband-and-wife televangelist hosts of TV's Praise the Lord Club from 1974 through 1987. They preached the prosperity gospel, a belief that God wants his followers to be wealthy and healthy.
The Bakkers were embroiled in a scandal when Jim Bakker was accused of sexual assault and financial fraud involving hush money paid to his alleged victim. After divorcing Bakker in 1992, Tammy Faye would go on to marry Roe Messner, who was himself convicted of bankruptcy fraud in 1996.
The musical has been retooled from a run in London in 2022, with two songs out and two added. The project has the blessing of her second husband, and her son Jay Bakker, has attended rehearsals.
The creative team — John, Graham, director Rupert Goold and lyricist Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters — is largely British, except for Shears, so they say they were careful coming to America telling the story of an American icon.
“Most of the music is joyous because it’s set in the South and it’s gospel-orientated,” says John. “I consider her to be joyous and so it was quite easy to write the joyous songs. I love that kind of music. I’m basically a born-again Southern person. It just appealed to me.”
Audiences will see a woman — two-time Olivier Award-winner Katie Brayben reprises her West End Tammy Faye — surrounded by men, including portrayals of Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Swaggart, Pat Robertson and Marvin Gorman.
“She is the one that no one was really paying attention to. Everyone went, ‘Oh, that silly woman with the hair and the eyes.’ She’s the one who’s lasted and now has a musical on Broadway. And I think that’s great,” says Graham.
The musical comes at a time when the culture is reconsidering stories of women lost amid crisis, like Sinéad O'Connor, Janet Jackson and Monica Lewinsky. But the look at Tammy Faye is not entirely sympathetic, pointing out that she turned a blind eye to the vast riches coming into her church.
“We celebrate her values and what she represented and her kookiness and her humor. She got into some stuff as well, though, and we have to hold her accountable for,” says Graham. “We have to test her and push her a bit as well, giving her a prosecution and a defense.”
This is not the first time the story of Tammy Faye Messner, who died of cancer in 2007 at 65, has been explored. RuPaul narrated the documentary "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," which was turned into a Hollywood movie that snagged Jessica Chastain her first Oscar opposite Andrew Garfield.
John has had smashing success on Broadway — like with "The Lion King," "Aida" and "Billy Elliot: The Musical." He sees a few connections between "Billy Elliot" from 2005 with "Tammy Faye." Both lampoon conservatives — Margaret Thatcher in "Billy Elliot" and evangelicals in "Tammy Faye" — and both examine traditional gender roles amid culture wars.
Graham hopes a younger audience can connect even without having lived through the time when Messner warbled gospel songs on TV or cried so much her mascara dripped down her cheeks.
“Way before reality television and cancel culture and social media, in a way, she and her family were the very first reality TV family,” he says. “For a younger audience, it's also all about how you celebrate your individual idiosyncrasies and your identity and not apologize for them.”
In the soulful ballad "Empty Hands" that closes Act 1, Brayben as Tammy Faye sings to her husband: "Here I am/Trying to stand/With faithless mercy/Empty hands/I want to forgive you/ But I don't think I can/With faithless mercy and empty hands."
Messner gained lasting affection for stepping out of the strict evangelical, anti-gay doctrine of the time to show compassion and empathy with Steve Pieters, a gay minister living with HIV and AIDS.
“What she represented even 30 or 40 years ago was a desire to reach across those divides and nothing about her faith contradicted that,” says Graham.
“I think what she represents — that goodness and decency — is something we all, particularly in this election year, need to remind ourselves. We’re not divided by these things. That’s weaponized by people to divide us.”
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/elton-john-turns/OPMRZPSAHRDGTPYBNB4HZQHSFQ/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:17Z |
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.kiss104fm.com/entertainment/taxi-driver/IEC33JOP5G2PHYY3IO6EKKOCZM/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:17Z |
Fact check: Funding for brownfield land development launched two years ago
The Government has awarded £68 million to 54 councils as part of a programme that was announced in 2022.
The Prime Minister has said the Government “is rolling up its sleeves and delivering the change the British people deserve” as he announced £68 million of funding for councils to help build on disused brownfield land.
Sir Keir Starmer said: “I said this Government is on the side of the builders, not the blockers. And I meant it. This funding for councils will see disused sites and industrial wastelands transformed into thousands of new homes in places where people want to live and work. Our brownfield-first approach will not only ramp up housebuilding but also create more jobs, deliver much-needed infrastructure, and boost economic growth across the country.
“This Government is rolling up its sleeves and delivering the change the British people deserve.”
Evaluation
The funding is part of a programme which was first announced in 2022 during Boris Johnson’s time as Prime Minister.
The facts
The funding was announced by the current Labour Government under Sir Keir, but the programme it is part of was announced around two years before Labour won July’s election.
The funding is part of the Brownfield Land Release Fund. The Government release which announced the funding acknowledges in the penultimate paragraph that the fund “was launched in July 2022.”
On July 8 2022, the Government announced that a £180 million brownfield fund would “help to transform disused urban areas into 17,600 new homes” over the next four years.
At the time initially £40 million was made available, with the remaining £140 million being “made available to councils over the next 2 years.”
In December 2023 the Government, during Rishi Sunak’s premiership, announced the third round of funding for the Brownfield Land Release Fund 2.
This would provide up to £80 million, the Government said at the time.
The announcement from the Government on October 15 2024 confirmed that £68 million of this had been allocated, and listed some of the projects that would benefit. It said that 54 councils would benefit.
The release added: “The funding will mean councils can clear empty buildings, former car parks and industrial land to make way for the homes. This category of land is expensive to prepare for housebuilding, meaning sites are sat empty and an eyesore for local communities.”
The first Land Release Fund awarded £45 million to more than 70 council-led projects in February 2018. Applications for the Brownfield Land Release fund opened in April 2021.
Links
Gov.uk – Thousands of new homes to be built as government unlocks brownfield sites (archived)
Gov.uk – Derelict sites to be transformed into new homes as new brownfield fund opens (archived)
£80m to regenerate brownfield land and build thousands of homes (archived) | https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/uk-news/2024/10/15/fact-check-funding-for-brownfield-land-development-launched-two-years-ago/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:19Z |
Unifonic unveils AI-powered engagement solutions at GITEX 2024 to elevate customer experience
Date
10/15/2024 9:38:34 AM
(MENAFN- Orient Planet Group) Dubai, UAE, 14 October 2024- Unifonic, the leading conversational AI platform and SaaS provider in the Middle East, showcased its advanced AI-powered conversational marketing and support solutions at GITEX 2024 as part of Saudi Exports. The solutions are underpinned by Audience, Unifonic’s enterprise-grade customer data platform (CDP). Combined with Flow Studio, Unifonic’s industry-leading customer journey builder, Audience is designed to revolutionise customer engagement by enhancing marketing efficiency, uplifting return on investment (ROI), and elevating customer loyalty and lifetime value.
Audience, a revolutionary tool for businesses, enables hyper-personalised campaigns backed by signals, data-driven insights, and real-time automation across multiple channels like WhatsApp, SMS, Voice, and Push. By using Audience, marketing professionals can unify customer profiles, centralise first-party data, and automate customer journeys, thereby significantly improving key metrics like ROI, customer retention and engagement, and overall satisfaction rates.
Mohammed Sleeq, Chief Operations Officer at Unifonic, reaffirmed the company’s dedication to enhancing customer experience and leading AI-powered innovation in the region. He stated: "Unifonic’s participation in GITEX 2024 is a testament to this commitment. Our AI-powered solutions are designed to empower businesses by tailoring dynamic, personalised interactions and moving them into the next generation of customer engagement experience.”
Audience empowers businesses to tackle ineffective segmentation, lack of personalisation, and inefficient campaign optimisation. It also offers features like omnichannel integration and real-time optimisation, facilitating data-driven decision-making based on live campaign performance updates. Businesses can effectively optimize digital ads on Meta platforms with Click-to-WhatsApp ads and get complete visibility on Return On Advertising Spend (ROAS) with the attribution dashboard.
Unifonic remains steadfast in consolidating its position as a pioneer in the regional communications ecosystem, which aligns with the UAE’s ambitious ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision. The company’s eclectic range of advanced AI-powered tools streamlines key processes and plays an integral role in empowering regional players by assisting them in implementing customer-centric marketing strategies.
MENAFN15102024003685011158ID1108780605
Legal Disclaimer:
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/1108780605/Unifonic-unveils-AI-powered-engagement-solutions-at-GITEX-2024-to-elevate-customer-experience | 2024-10-15T17:51:19Z |
Kaley Cuoco On Her Relationship With Tommy Pelphrey And The Possibility Of Baby No. 2: ‘We’re Gonna Go Way Out Of Order’
Kaley Cuoco’s "out of order" life of love and motherhood.
If you haven't seen much of Kaley Cuoco amid the 2024 TV schedule, it may be because she's had other priorities. She and Tom Pelphrey, who she met following her divorce from equestrian Karl Cook, welcomed a beautiful baby girl last year. Since then, Cuoco and her partner, to whom she's now engaged, have seemed very happy. Now, the Meet Cute actress is getting real about going “way out of order” when it comes to her relationship with Pelphrey as well as addressing the possibility of having a second child.
You may have heard the expression “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes so-and-so in a baby carriage.” Well, Kaley Cuoco had her own way of handling that. She confirmed her relationship with Tom Pelphrey in March 2022. Five months into the relationship, the 8 Simple Rules alum announced she was pregnant with their first child. Now that Cuoco has a loving partner and her daughter, Matilda, she revealed to People what’s next in her personal life, humorously speculating that “maybe another kid will have to come first” before marriage:
One gets the feeling that love is overflowing in the Pelphrey-Cuoco household. A loving fiancé, dogs, and a daughter? If you ask me, the Hop actress is currently living her best life as of late. And, quite frankly, I love to see it.
Aside from all of that, though, the former Big Bang Theory cast member has remained booked and busy since the hit CBS sitcom ended after 12 seasons in 2019. With no worries about what her next role would be after that, Kaley Cuoco landed the hit like the HBO Max/Max comedy thriller The Flight Attendant, which earned the star her first Emmy nomination ever. Aside from starring in movies like The Man from Toronto and Role Play, Cuoco also voices the lead character on Harley Quinn and co-headlines Based on a True Story.
The 38-year-old actress and producer still relishes her personal life amid all of the work. She opened up about her new baby’s constant laughing and becoming “that mom” who posts every little thing her daughter does. Cuoco also told People that Matilda loves looking at the sky and seeing planes and helicopters. Of course, she and her partner are already being asked about a theoretical Baby #2, and the Wedding Ringer actress dropped candid thoughts on that:
I can’t say I blame her, as Kaley Cuoco isn't too far removed from her first pregnancy journey at this point. So it's understandable that she would just want to take a moment to catch her breath and enjoy the dynamic she currently has with her partner and child.
All in all, I can't help but appreciate that Kaley Cuoco is furthering the notion that a person doesn't need to follow a specific order to accomplish their personal or professional goals. Hopefully, she, Tom Pelphrey and little Matilda continue to thrive as a family unit. And, for the couple's sake, let's also hope they're able to proceed with their wedding and baby aspirations as they see fit.
CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER
Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News
Just your average South Floridian cinephile who believes the pen is mightier than the sword. | https://www.cinemablend.com/television/kaley-cuoco-relationship-with-tommy-pelphrey-possibility-of-baby-no-2 | 2024-10-15T17:51:20Z |
BEIRUT, October 15. /TASS/. Forty-one people died and 124 more were injured as a result of Israeli air raids on Lebanon over the past day, the Public Health Emergency Operations Center under the Lebanese Health Ministry reported.
The biggest number of casualties was reported from the vicinity of the city of Zghorta in northern Lebanon, where twenty-one people were killed and six were wounded. Seventeen people were killed and 79 were wounded in the southern provinces of Nabatieh Saida, and Tyre. Three people were killed and 21 were wounded in the Beqaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, and eighteen people were injured in Baalbek-Hermel.
The overall death toll from Israeli bombardments and artillery attacks since the outbreak of the current escalation in October 2023 has exceeded 2,400, with around 10,900 people being wounded. | https://tass.com/world/1856609 | 2024-10-15T17:51:21Z |
Bhubaneswar, Oct 15 (PTI) Senior BJP leader Prasanna Patasani Tuesday blamed former bureaucrat VK Pandian for the fall of the 24-year-old Biju Janta Dal government in Odisha, and asserted that he was forced to leave the BJD because of him.
Patasani, who was elected to Lok Sabha and state assembly several times on BJD tickets, also claimed that the Naveen Patnaik-led party is unlikely to return to power in Odisha till Pandian remains in the party.
“I had to quit BJD because of V K Pandian and the popular government led by Naveen Patnaik was unseated due to him. It hurts when a person like me who was a founding member is forced to quit the party. After quitting BJD, I joined the BJP,” Patasani said.
Patasani had severed his link with the BJD and joined the BJP in June this year after being denied a party ticket to contest the Lok Sabha seat from Bhubaneswar from where he was elected in 1998, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014. He was denied the BJD ticket in 2019 also.
The veteran leader said this while supporting six-time BJD MLA Amar Prasad Satpathy who on Monday said that he was no more in the BJD, the party of which he was a founder member.
When Pandian was not available for comment, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty rejected the allegation of Patasani.
“Patasani is a respectable senior leader. He was denied a ticket because he wanted BJD tickets for four members of his family. The other day, he had praised the same man (Pandian) whom he is blaming now.” Mohanty also showed a video clip of Patasani praising Pandian and BJD president Naveen Patnaik before elections.
On Patasani’s allegation that Pandian still wields considerable influence in the regional party, Mohanty without taking any name, said: “One person had openly said to have taken sanyas.” He was alluding to Pandian quitting active politics following the BJD’s drubbing in both the assembly and Lok Sabha polls earlier this year.
During the campaign, the former bureaucrat had asserted that he would take sanyas from politics if party president Patnaik did not become the chief minister of Odisha for the sixth consecutive time after the assembly elections.
“He (Pandian) has no physical presence in any activities of the party. His name is being dragged with the intention of making your (Patasani’s) political life viable,” Mohanty said. PTI AAM NN | https://www.newsdrum.in/national/bjp-leader-patasani-blames-pandian-for-fall-of-bjd-government-in-odisha-7317678 | 2024-10-15T17:51:22Z |
112 Minigames. 22 playable characters. 7 boards. 5 unique multiplayer modes and an exclusively single-player adventure to boot.
Super Mario Party Jamboree is stacked like no other game in the decades-old series. It’s not as consistent as its last title, Superstars, but it’s an appropriately extravagant celebration of the franchise’s rapidly-closing Nintendo Switch era.
Controlled chaos
Mario Party might be a digital board game about rolling dice, collecting coins, and racing to buy stars, but it's always lived and died by its minigames. Jamboree’s collection ranges from satisfying to mediocre — better than 2018’s Super Mario Party but falling short of 2021’s Mario Party Superstars. Many of its worst minigames are motion-controlled, but they’re thankfully few and there’s an option to exclude them.
The most extensive (often best) minigames occur when you collide with a “Jamboree buddy” while running around the board. These allies parachute in from the main cast and challenge players to a special competition. Yoshi has you run a footrace, Waluigi has you play pinball, Donkey Kong has you drum to a beat — and so on.
Win and you’ll recruit the buddy, gaining access to their unique power and the ability to double some normal actions — allowing you to buy two stars instead of one, for example. These allies are so powerful that, unlike their equivalents in 2018’s Super Mario Party, they’ll only stick around for a few turns, and ditch you to join other players that pass you on the board.
Other revisions hearken back to earlier titles or streamline old annoyances. Stars again cost 20 coins, not 10, pushing you to hoard money and minigame victories. Bowser spaces have returned — land on one and a giant “Imposter Bowser” will steal from you or launch a “Bowser Revolution” to equalize everyone’s coin totals. The game also has a swifter tempo, with snappy animations you can fast-forward through. Finally, optional “Pro Rules” rein in the randomness — trading hilarious upsets for tighter tactics.
Party favors
Jamboree bursts with other diversions aside from this main event. You can cooperate through rhythm challenges in a fantastical cooking show. You can tilt motion controls to slide items around a factory. You can even exhaust yourself with “Paratroopa Flight School” — where you’ll literally flap your arms to soar through the skies.
If you’ve got a Nintendo Online subscription, you can jump into the co-operative “Bowser Kaboom Squad” or cutthroat “Koopathlon” modes, which feature their own unique minigames for eight to 20 players (sadly, each participant needs their own Switch). Conversely, if you wish to party alone, there’s a surprisingly involved single-player mode called “Party-Planner Trek.”
Many activities quickly wear out their novelty. “Paratroopa Flight School” is difficult to maneuver, leaving me literally sore. “Toad’s Item Factory” requires patience and teamwork at odds with the game's typically frenetic pace. “Koopathlon” feels like Nintendo’s version of Fall Guys: blisteringly fun when you’re at the top of the pack and terribly demoralizing when you’ve fallen behind.
But in this overbearing variety, Jamboree lives up to its name. Even if it’s not the classic that Mario Party Superstars proved to be, I can already tell that its approachable gameplay and goofy chaos will make it a family staple for years to come.
Copyright 2024 NPR | https://www.kdlg.org/as-heard-on-npr/2024-10-15/nintendo-plays-the-extravagant-host-in-super-mario-party-jamboree | 2024-10-15T17:51:23Z |
Trump backs out of CNBC interview, his second about-face with mainstream press this month
By Liam Reilly, CNN
New York (CNN) — Donald Trump has backed out of an interview with CNBC, marking the second time this month the former president has canceled on a mainstream press interview.
Joe Kernen, the “Squawk Box” co-anchor, broke the news of the unannounced interview’s cancellation during Tuesday morning’s broadcast.
“Well, Trump canceled, and he was going to come on,” he said.
Kernen added that the network had also offered to sit down with Vice President Kamala Harris, but said “she’s not coming on.” Kernen joked that, with Trump’s decision, “she could come on and we could say we offered it to Trump camp, but they’re not.”
A Trump campaign official told CNN that the planned CNBC interview was pulled due to a scheduling conflict, noting the former president intends to be in Michigan on Friday.
A CNBC spokesperson did not immediately respond to a CNN request for comment.
Trump’s decision to back out of the appearance comes less than two weeks after he canceled an interview on CBS News’ “60 Minutes” with Scott Pelley.
The former president has instead opted to appear almost exclusively in friendly territory, sticking to appearances across conservative outlets, including Fox News, Newsmax, “The Ramsey Show” and Real America’s Voice. Trump is also expected to take part in town halls this week with Fox News and Univision.
“Trump bailed on the debate because Kamala Harris would hold him accountable (again),” Charles Kretchmer Lutvak, a Harris campaign spokesperson, said via X on Tuesday. “Trump bailed on 60 Minutes because he was afraid to answer real questions.”
“Now, Trump bailed on Joe Kernan [sic] because he can’t even talk to his best friend on TV,” Lutvak wrote.
With no additional debates scheduled ahead of November’s election, Trump and Harris have focused on reaching undecided voters via nontraditional platforms, including podcasts.
Harris has also agreed to her first-ever interview on Fox News, sitting down with anchor Bret Baier for an interview scheduled to air Wednesday evening.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://kesq.com/money/cnn-business-consumer/2024/10/15/trump-backs-out-of-cnbc-interview-his-second-about-face-with-mainstream-press-this-month/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:23Z |
This year marks the fourth time Alt.Latino has taken over the Tiny Desk for Hispanic Heritage Month for a series we (or should I say you all) have billed El Tiny, but its the first time we’ve curated it with a specific theme in mind: We’re doing what we do best and leaning into love. Because we know better than anyone that when our people talk about love, we do so deeply and in totality.
Sheila E.: Tiny Desk Concert
One of the world’s most recognized drummers glides easily from genre to genre in this performance.
The Marías: Tiny Desk Concert
The indie band brings its authenticity and bedroom pop style to the Tiny Desk’s slightly bigger space.
Eladio Carrión: Tiny Desk Concert
The Kansas-born, Puerto Rico-raised artist blends English language hip-hop and Latin trap seamlessly in this performance.
Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso: Tiny Desk Concert
Argentina is a country notorious for unabashed expression and Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso take nothing for granted when it comes to showing up as they are.
Rita Payés: Tiny Desk Concert
The artist performs a variety of Spanish jazz that’s contemporary and nimble in its delivery, yet leans heavily on tradition.
Fabiola Méndez: Tiny Desk Concert
The Puerto Rican artist brings joy to the Tiny Desk with her signature cuatro.
Ivan Cornejo: Tiny Desk Concert
Whether in a stadium of 75,000 or behind a desk in an office building, Ivan Cornejo sings two notes and the heart quiets.
OKAN: Tiny Desk Concert
The group’s Afro-Cuban sounds honor tradition while stretching the boundaries of how it's expressed.
Daniel, Me Estás Matando: Tiny Desk Concert
The Mexican band brings its signature “Boleroglam” to the Tiny Desk.
Danny Ocean: Tiny Desk Concert
The Venezuelan artist’s performance reflects his ability to make universal music about love without losing sight of larger human struggles.
Juanes: Tiny Desk Concert
The Colombian superstar brought his intensely personal songs, which didn’t lose their power of speaking to heart.
Copyright 2024 NPR | https://www.wyso.org/npr-news/2024-10-15/every-el-tiny-tiny-desk-from-hispanic-heritage-month-2024 | 2024-10-15T17:51:23Z |
Goood morning: I took a walk last night, because I'm on that steps grind, and goddamn it's a beautiful time of year. It might rain today, but if it does it'll be a sprinkle. The temperature will rise to 55 degrees. The sun will set at 6:20 pm. I hit 10,109 steps yesterday.
And now to other weather "news": A Republican Washington State House candidate appears to believe the government can control the weather. Carrie R. Kennedy, who's challenging Democratic State Representative Clyde Shavers up in the 10th Legislative District, which covers the islands, reposted a Bikers for America Facebook post about weather manipulation on October 13, which basically peddled the conspiracy theory that the US Government caused the recent East Coast hurricanes as part of an attempt to depopulate the country. None of that is true. She has posted similar conspiracies before on her Facebook and her X account. Keep in mind, this isn't some kooky challenger way behind in the polls. Shavers only won the primary with 52 percent of the vote share. She's got some juice.
After I reached out to Kennedy last night to ask about several of her weather manipulation posts, the Bikers for America post now no longer appears on her Facebook. Luckily we grabbed some screenshots.
Also missing from her feed is an October 8 repost of a post she wrote in 2020, which said, "If 'they' can create a virus, can 'they' control the weather?!!! Just sayin'". She captioned it, "From 2020..." with a scratching chin emoji and a woman crossing her arms in front of her. The repost no longer appears on her page, but the original post remains. She did not respond to my request for comment. I hate fact-checking this shit, but, just a heads up, the government cannot control hurricanes, and just because the government can do one kind of science does not mean it can do another.
Boeing plans to cut white collar workers: Boeing machinist jobs remain safe for now as the aerospace company plans to lay off 10 percent of its workforce. The cuts appear mostly focused on white collar employees, such as engineers, and other non-union staff "at all levels up to vice presidents," according to the Seattle Times. Boeing plans to notify the first wave of employees about the lay offs mid-November, with their final days planned for January 17.
The year without a Hilloween: The Broadway Business Improvement Area has cancelled the kids carnival on Broadway this Halloween, according to Capitol Hill Seattle Blog. Apparently, funding and sponsorship just failed to pan out this year. But there's still plenty of other good stuff to come for Hilloween this year, including a Haunted Soiree at the DAR Rainier Chapter House. I'm so mad I missed the pet costume parade—goddamn I love those.
Work from the waterfront: There is lots of open office space along the waterfront, according the Seattle Times. With the opening of the Overlook Walk, which connects Pike Place with the waterfront, real estate interests in the area hope to see a resurgence in businesses moving into the open commercial spaces. I'm not much of a back-to-the-office stan, but I went to the Overlook Walk over the weekend, and honestly I'd work from the office two days a week if I could eat lunch there.
Jill Stein comes to town tonight: The anti-war Green Party candidate plans to speak tonight alongside former Seattle City Council Member Kshama Sawant. The event starts at 5 pm at Washington Hall on 14th Avenue in Seattle. If you can't be there in person, it's going to be live-streamed. For any of you ready to complain about Sawant supporting someone other than Vice President Kamala Harris for President, be cool and watch Rich tell you why that's dumb. [Eds note: To be clear, he also thinks it's dumb for Sawant to support Stein.]
Trump does something silly: Two medical incidents at a Trump town hall derailed the event, and Trump played some music and "bopped and shimmied," as the Associated Press put it, to a really strange mix of songs, including Rufus Wainwright's cover of "Hallelujah" and "Ave Maria."
Hope he's okay. https://t.co/WGhGteFpjm
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 15, 2024
We need a shorter election cycle: The polls are tight. I'm depressed all the time, and, tbh, I'm one of those people who quits when shit gets tough. Good luck to everyone else. I'm following up on that promise from the Irish government that they'll pay you to take over a sheep farm or whatever. Shit looks dark. If y'all mount a resistance movement I'll send wool. [Eds note: Other options include spending some time phone-banking for Harris in battleground states, calling friends and family in battleground states to convince them to vote for Harris or to convince them to get off their asses and knock doors. But Ireland does sound nice.]
The geopolitical equivalent of blocking someone: North Korea blew up the some of the unused road and rail routes that used to connect it to South Korea, according to the Associated Press. Tensions rose a few days ago after North Korea accused South Korea of flying drones over Pyongyang. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the two countries are never, ever, getting back together.
I'm on a music strike until my computer speakers get better. Listening to anything on this laptop makes my teeth hurt.
Editor's note: This story was updated to correctly reflect the results in 10th Legislative District's 2024 state house primary race. | https://www.thestranger.com/slog-am/2024/10/15/79740617/slog-am-washington-gop-candidate-peddles-weather-conspiracy-jill-stein-in-seattle-tonight-lets-get-drinks-trump-bops-to-ave-maria | 2024-10-15T17:51:23Z |
New York Jets owner Woody Johnson said on Tuesday that it's going to be a busy week for the franchise — one that he believes will turn a rough start into a winning season.
Speaking to reporters at the NFL owner's meetings, Johnson said "we want to bring a lot of change this week" as news traveled that the team was reportedly acquiring wide receiver Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders — a move the Jets owner couldn't confirm, but said was "in the hopper."
The Jets fell to 2-4 following Monday night's 23-20 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills, their third straight defeat. Last week's loss to the Minnesota Vikings led to head coach Robert Saleh getting fired. Now they're bringing in an All-Pro wideout and former teammate of quarterback Aaron Rodgers to begin the turn around process.
It's a reversal that Johnson is confident will happen starting with these two big moves in a week.
"Salvageable?," Johnson said of the Jets' season. "We're gonna kick ... you can add the words after that. We're going to do really well."
There are still 11 games to play for the Jets and they are only two games behind the Bills for the AFC East lead. But there's still work to do.
Through six weeks, the Jets are tied for the seventh-most sacks allowed (16), third-most interceptions (5), ninth-worst completion percentage (62.2), are fourth in total receiver drops (11), and own the worst field goal completion percentage (66.7) in the NFL.
What's done is done, Johnson believes. The only thing left to do now is look towards the future — moving Haason Reddick may be next — in order to improve their circumstances.
"You have to look forward," Johnson said. "We have to look forward to the games we're going to play each and every week and try to win all of them and that's basic stuff, right? ... You just have to go with your instinct and what's the best thing to build a team and build a winning team and most importantly build a culture, a culture of winning. And I think based on what I saw yesterday, I think we're starting a new and more exciting direction." | https://www.k95tulsa.com/news/national/jets-owner-woody/LTEP6CRNJNBQI4ZQW5ZVT6O5KM/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:23Z |
Now that the threat of Hurricanes Helene and Milton has receded, millions of homeowners and business-owners across Florida and the Southeastern U.S. are faced with traversing the often long and laborious process of using insurance to rebuild their lives.
“You’re just traumatized when you have these losses. At some point, you’re just glad you’re alive,” said Don Hornstein, an insurance law expert at the University of North Carolina. “And then you have to turn to the business side of this. It’s tough.”
Helene was a Category 4 storm that first struck Florida's Gulf Coast on September 26, dumped trillions of gallons of rain and left a trail of destruction for hundreds of miles across several states. At least 246 people have died in what is now the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. since Katrina, according to statistics from the National Hurricane Center.
Two weeks later, Hurricane Milton swept across Florida, killing at least 11 people. The Category 3 storm destroyed coastal communities, tore apart homes, filled streets with mud and spawned a barrage of deadly tornadoes.
The combined private insured losses from the two hurricanes could reach $55 billion, according to risk management firm Moody’s RMS.
Immediately after disasters like these, property insurance is likely not top of mind as people secure their safety and basic needs, but insurance claims are part of the process of resetting. Many buy the policies in hope they can help protect them when disaster strikes. But oftentimes insurance doesn't cover what the policy holder thinks it does — or thinks it should.
Rhoda Moehring, who turns 86 this month, says she doesn’t have a lot of faith that insurance companies will help her salvage the flooded rental homes she owns in the river town of Steinhatchee in Florida’s Big Bend.
“I usually get zip with these things,” Moehring said. ”‘Was I insured for that?’ ‘No, sorry, you weren’t.’ And it goes on and on. So I don’t put a whole lot of confidence in it.”
Moehring said she wasn’t sure about the details of her insurance policies and she’ll be relying on her son to help her navigate the claims process.
Here are some steps home and business owners should keep in mind when filing an insurance claim after a natural disaster.
After the immediate emergency response, the first thing a homeowner or business owner should do is call their insurance agent or broker. The deadline to file a claim is generally about 60 days from the date of loss.
There are different types of policies that insure against damage. In the initial call, first focus on thoroughly understanding your policy, including coverage limits, deductibles and exclusions, so that you can do a rough calculation of what is covered and what deductibles are at play to decide if you should file a claim, experts said.
Many policies have payouts in complicated percentage formulas. For example, if your roof is damaged, your policy may spell out different deductibles depending on the roofing material, the age of the roof and even the wind speed from the damage event, and the percentage paid out may be based on the insured value versus the cost of replacement, said Amy Bach, executive director of the consumer advocacy group United Policyholders.
Homeowners should weigh their options, as a minor payout may not be worth the long-term ding on your claims history. That’s especially true if you don’t have flood insurance, as the average home insurance policy covers wind damage but generally doesn’t cover flood damage.
While Helene was primarily a flood event, there may be disputes over what is or isn’t “wind-driven rain” from Milton. Hornstein said the line between wind and water is a thin but very clear line that technical experts can determine. Should there be a proverbial tie, the law favors the insurance company.
“If the house was simultaneously destroyed by flood and, concurrently (by) wind, it’s not covered by private insurance,” Hornstein said.
Business owners should also check to see if they have business income or business interruption insurance, which covers the loss of income and other costs like expenses, salaries, or rent when a business is forced to close.
To file a claim, keep track of and document everything. Before and after photos and videos are ideal to jog your memory of what's been lost and for proof to help bolster settlement claims. For business owners, keeping a record of costs that are incurred after the hurricane is important too.
“You may have evacuation costs, you may have business shut down interruption costs, you may have housing costs, you may have additional expenses that are unusual to your business," said Steve Powell, executive vice president of property and catastrophe for claims management firm Sedgwick.
Once a claim is filed, the insurance company’s adjuster will come to survey the damage, typically within a few days if conditions allow. Be responsive to adjusters and make sure they see (and document) the damage that you see.
While it’s easy to get frustrated, adjusters are likely stressed too, said Lawrence White, an economics professor at the NYU Stern School of Business.
“To the maximum extent possible, try not come across as angry. Try to come across as reasonable,” White said.
If there’s disagreement or concern about the accuracy or fairness of the adjuster’s report from the insurance company, property owners can consider hiring a public adjuster for a second opinion. Their own adjuster can then lead the negotiations with the insurance company. First, however, owners should be aware of the fees the public adjuster charges and check their references.
“The insurance companies have totally the upper hand and when there’s a public adjuster, it does level the playing field a lot for the consumer having someone who speaks insurance and speaks damage," Bach said.
Be aware of the deadlines for accepting a payment offer or filing an appeal with the insurance company.
Once you agree to an insurance payout, know that you can update the claim if more damage is discovered during the repairs though there may be deadlines for how long a homeowner has to reopen a claim.
If the back-and-forth with the insurance company drags on, you may consider hiring an attorney to reach a settlement as a last resort. A dispute that ends up in arbitration could stretch out for a year or more.
About 90% of all insurance claims are settled without escalating into a court fight, said Charles Nyce, a professor of risk management and insurance at Florida State University’s College of Business.
For those with little or no insurance, there are government programs that can assist. The application process is similar to insurance claims: Contact the agency, determine eligibility and file an application.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency offers grants for home repair or replacement for applicants who meet certain conditions. The Department of Housing and Urban Development also offers certain grants that are available for hurricane survivors. And the Small Business Administration offers low-interest loans to renters, homeowners, business owners, and non-profits that suffered losses due to disasters. However, the government has warned that the SBA is running out of money to fund these loans unless its coffers are replenished by Congress.
For more details about these programs visit https://www.disasterassistance.gov.
—-
Associated Press reporter Kate Payne contributed from Tallahassee, Fla.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.boston25news.com/news/after-hurricanes/2HRHM5BXS5AVRB7Z7RKPEQLLR4/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:24Z |
Our own Grammy nominated Monie Love is joining the fight against breast cancer. Join Team Monie Love during the 2024 Georgia MORE THAN PINK Walk at Lenox Square on Saturday, October 26, 2024.
Donate or register to walk alongside Monie Love here.
Susan G. Komen®, the world’s leading breast cancer organization, is hosting the 2024 Georgia MORE THAN PINK Walk at Lenox Square on Saturday, October 26, 2024. The Georgia MORE THAN PINK Walk is Susan G. Komen’s annual fundraising event honoring breast cancer survivors in a fun-filled day for the whole family. The event will raise critical funds that support breast cancer patients, research, and patient navigation services to better serve those impacted by the disease. Participants can expect to enjoy a fun morning with lots of activities including food, music, local partners, photo opportunities, and more!
Register and get all the info!
6:30 a.m. | Event Site Opens
7:45 a.m. | Opening Ceremony
8:15 a.m. | Walk Begins
9:00 a.m. | Post Walk Celebration
Why We Walk
We’re committed to finding the cures.
Imagine the impact we can make towards ending breast cancer when we come together as ONE to fund research, increase access to care, support our community, and commit to action.
Together, ONE more action by each of us can support Komen’s comprehensive 360-degree approach to fighting this disease across all fronts and supporting millions of people in the U.S. and in countries worldwide. Advocating for patients, driving research breakthroughs, improving access to high-quality care, offering direct patient support and empowering people with trustworthy information.
That’s the power of ONE.
©2022 Cox Media Group | https://www.kiss104fm.com/fp/join-team-monie-love-2024-georgia-more-than-pink-walk/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:24Z |
Family of missing mother ‘continue to have hope’ two weeks after disappearance
Victoria Taylor, 34, disappeared from her home in Malton, North Yorkshire, on Monday September 30
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.
“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.shropshirestar.com/news/uk-news/2024/10/15/family-of-missing-mother-continue-to-have-hope-two-weeks-after-disappearance/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:25Z |
El Paso’s Lilo Vargas: How cooking turned her into a social media influencer
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- This Thursday at 10 p.m., tune in to KVIA for an exclusive segment of "Tasty State of Mind" featuring local social media influencer, Lilo Vargas, also known as @HuevonaLife.
Known for her fast, easy, and flavorful cooking videos on TikTok and Instagram, Lilo shares her emotional journey from battling postpartum depression to becoming a viral sensation with millions of views.
Don’t miss the story of how her passion for cooking transformed her life, both personally and professionally.
Tune in for the full story and inspiration. | https://kvia.com/entertainment/2024/10/15/el-pasos-lilo-vargas-how-cooking-turned-her-into-a-social-media-influencer/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:25Z |
Newcastle blow as ‘concern’ boosts Arsenal, Chelsea; ‘contract talks stall’ with £100m star amid ‘issues’
According to reports, Arsenal and Chelsea have been provided a boost as ‘contract talks have stalled’ between Newcastle United and Alexander Isak.
Newcastle pulled off a major coup during the 2022 summer transfer window as they paid around £63m to sign Isak from La Liga outfit Real Sociedad.
Injuries hampered Isak during his debut season at St James’ Park, but he still scored ten goals in his 22 Premier League appearances.
Last season, Isak was one of the best players in the Premier League as he grabbed 21 goals and two assists in his 30 appearances for Eddie Howe’s side.
The Magpies endured a frustrating summer transfer window and it was feared that they could be forced to sell Isak, Anthony Gordon or Bruno Guimaraes to balance the books as they faced Financial Fair Play difficulties.
However, Newcastle managed to keep their three key players as the sales of Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson to Brighton and Nottingham Forest respectively enabled them to avoid a points deduction.
READ: Ranking the chances of all 50 uncapped England starters: Newcastle pair in top six
In recent months, it’s been reported that Newcastle’s focus has switched to tying down Isak and Gordon to new contracts.
While talks with Gordon are reportedly progressing well, the same cannot be said for Isak.
A report from The Boot Room claims ‘contract talks’ with the Sweden international have ‘stalled’, while Arsenal and Chelsea are ‘sniffing around’.
It is said that the ‘uncertainty’ surrounding Isak will be a ’cause for concern’. While ‘terms are close to being agreed’, ‘talks with the striker have not progressed as smoothly as Howe would have likened’.
MORE NEWCASTLE COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Ten England internationals who haven’t retired yet but really should
👉 A prediction for every Premier League club before the next international break
👉 One per club: Premier League pleasant surprises in 24/25 includes £72m winger, Liverpool midfielder
Regarding a potential ‘concern’ for Newcastle, the report adds.
‘Newcastle, it should be said, believe that terms are close to being agreed with Alexander Isak too.
‘Still, talks with the striker have not progressed as smoothly as Howe and co would have likened however. They have stalled in recent months, the negotiations first taking place in Easter.
‘Isak is likely to become Newcastle’s joint-highest earner – matching the £120,000-a-week taken home by Bruno Guimaraes – but issues have arisen of late amid interest from Arsenal and Chelsea.
‘Both clubs are in the market for centre-forwards. London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea looked at Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig hitman Benjamin Sesko. Isak has also caught the eye after scoring 21 Premier League goals in 2023/24.
‘Confidence remains, however, that Isak will follow in Gordon’s footsteps. But the concern will be that Isak’s new deal at Newcastle may include a release clause. TBR understands that the existence of such a clause has been a key part of recent discussions.’ | https://www.football365.com/news/newcastle-blow-concern-boosts-arsenal-chelsea-contract-talks-stall-100m-star-issues | 2024-10-15T17:51:25Z |
BORDENTOWN TWP., New Jersey (WPVI) -- A crash is causing delays on the New Jersey Turnpike in Bordentown Twp.
It happened in the area of Interchange 7 (Route 206).
The circumstances of this crash are not yet known.
Video from Chopper 6 showed a bus being hooked up to a tow truck. A damaged cargo van could also be seen.
Sand was being dumped on the roadway for an apparent fluid spill.
A long line of traffic could be seen approaching the crash site.
There was no immediate word on any injuries.
Stay with Action News and 6abc.com as this story develops. | https://6abc.com/post/crash-causing-delays-new-jersey-turnpike-bordentown-twp-damaged-van-bus-stopped-scene/15431605/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:25Z |
H.E. Alia Al Mazrouei reviews UAE's efforts to develop national entrepreneurship environment and the new economic model at ‘Expand North Star’ event
Date
10/15/2024 9:38:34 AM
(MENAFN- Orient Planet Group) Abu Dhabi, 14 October 2024 – H.E. Alia bint Abdulla Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, participated in a session titled ‘The UAE's Vision for Entrepreneurship - Future Growth Opportunities for Local and Global Investors,’ which took place at ‘Expand North Star 2024,’ one of the largest events for startups and investors from around the world. The event is being organized by the Dubai World Trade Centre and hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy at Dubai Harbour from 13 to 16 October.
H.E. Al Mazrouei said that the UAE, thanks to the guidance of its wise leadership, boasts a comprehensive entrepreneurship and SMEs ecosystem today, characterized by pioneering initiatives, a flexible legislative framework, and competitive incentives for establishing businesses and startups. Furthermore, the UAE has amended over 60 laws to support the growth of SMEs and increase their contribution to the national GDP. Today, this ecosystem houses more than 50 government and private business incubators and accelerators. In light of these developments, the UAE has been ranked first globally for the third consecutive year by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report 2023/2024, surpassing many advanced economies. The country has also been classified as the best place in the world to set up and operate new businesses.
UAE's efforts in developing the national entrepreneurship environment
H.E. the Minister of State for Entrepreneurship apprised the participants of the forum of the UAE's and the Ministry of Economy's efforts to enhance the national entrepreneurship environment. These include the launch of the National Programme for Small and Medium Enterprises, The Entrepreneurial Nation, the Future 100 initiative, the ‘Thabat’ family business programme, as well as the establishment of free economic zones and industrial complexes that support the growth of entrepreneurial ventures, competitive tax rates for companies, reduced fees for obtaining the ‘National Value Added Certificate,’ and the granting of golden visas to entrepreneurs and talented individuals for up to 10 years.
UAE set to become a leading hub for entrepreneurship by 2031
H.E. Al Mazrouei explained that the Ministry of Economy continues its efforts in collaboration with its partners at local, regional, and global levels, to position the UAE as a leading hub for entrepreneurship by 2031. This is in line with the objectives of the National Agenda for Entrepreneurship and SMEs, as well as the goal to enhance innovation and creativity across various economic sectors, highlighting the vital role of startups in driving growth within the country’s SMEs sector.
A global event for entrepreneurship and startups
In her speech during the session, H.E. said: “The global entrepreneurship event ‘Expand North Star’ taking place in Dubai this year, bringing together thousands of business leaders, global investors, startups, entrepreneurs, and international investment funds, serves as an ideal opportunity to enhance the momentum of investment in startups and digital entrepreneurship. It contributes significantly to the exchange of best practices on competitive policies that support the growth of the SMEs environment locally, regionally, and globally, and the localization of innovative ideas in various economic sectors.”
“Entrepreneurship is a key pillar in achieving the UAE's goal of becoming the global hub for the new economy by 2031, as it encourages entrepreneurs and startups to establish projects in future and sustainable economic sectors such as FinTech, sustainable manufacturing, smart mobility, and AI,” H.E. added.
UAE entrepreneurship landscape’s growth
Furthermore, H.E. Alia Al Mazrouei reviewed a set of positive indicators that reflect the continued growth of entrepreneurship and SMEs in the country. Today, SMEs account for 95 per cent of the total number of companies operating in the UAE’s markets, and 86 per cent of the private sector workforce. Their contribution to the UAE's GDP reached 63.5 per cent. Meanwhile, SMEs owned by Emiratis grew by 10.4 per cent in 2022.
MENAFN15102024003685011158ID1108780606
Legal Disclaimer:
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/1108780606/HE-Alia-Al-Mazrouei-reviews-UAEs-efforts-to-develop-national-entrepreneurship-environment-and-the-new-economic-model-at-Expand-North-Star-event | 2024-10-15T17:51:25Z |
New Book Offers Women a Roadmap to Inner Peace and Outer Success
“The Inner Mountain: Discover Your True Spirit, Strength, and Potential” by Diane Wang is released with Forbes Books.
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, October 15, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Inner Mountain: Discover Your True Spirit, Strength, and Potential by Diane Wang is published with Forbes Books, the exclusive business book publishing imprint of Forbes. The new book is available today at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Target.In The Inner Mountain, Diane Wang shares her journey from successful entrepreneurship in China to founding DHgate, a leading cross-border e-commerce platform. However, Wang takes readers beyond professional accolades on a personal exploration of what it means to achieve true success. Wang’s book shows readers how to turn inward and connect with their inner strength and purpose—their “inner mountain.”
Wang’s insightful guide offers practical advice and exercises designed to help readers discover their inner mountain. Wang draws on her extensive experience, including her roles at Microsoft, Cisco, and the founding of Joyo.com and DHGATE Group, to illustrate how inner peace can lead to lasting external success.
“This book is the encouragement I wish I could share with more people personally. It’s the confirmation of the thoughts you might already be having about a need for something more in your life,” Wang said. “My goal is to help you experience an inner journey that will lead you to see that the world is not only what you have previously seen and that there is so much more to discover.”
The Inner Mountain is a must-read for anyone looking to redefine their approach to success, especially women entrepreneurs and business leaders who want to balance their professional ambitions with personal fulfillment.
All proceeds from author royalties will be donated to the Inner Mountain Foundation, directly supporting the development of programs aimed at empowering women.
This release is posted on behalf of Forbes Books (operated by Advantage Media Group under license).
About the Author
Diane Wang is the founder, chairperson, and CEO of DHgate, a leading cross-border e-commerce platform in China. She has a rich background in technology and entrepreneurship, having previously founded Joyo.com, which was acquired by Amazon and became Amazon China. Wang is a recognized leader in the global business community, with numerous accolades including being named Business Woman of the Year by CEO Today Magazine in 2022 and 2023. She is also the founder of the Inner Mountain Foundation, dedicated to empowering women through education and self-discovery.
About The Inner Mountain Foundation
The Inner Mountain Foundation, founded in 2023, advocates for focusing on individuals and encouraging them to break through their limiting beliefs, fostering continuous personal growth. This, in turn, influences and inspires those around them, creating a ripple effect that extends from individuals to families, teams, and organizations, ultimately driving a social transformation.
Inner Mountain is committed to inner exploration, community building, and international outreach to find a sustainable path forward for our fragile yet beautiful world. The Inner Mountain Community embodies the co-creative spirit of Inner Mountain. It is an international community dedicated to encouraging people to explore within themselves while inspiring, nurturing, and growing together.
About Forbes Books
Launched in 2016 in partnership with Advantage Media Group, Forbes Books is the exclusive business book publishing imprint of Forbes. Forbes Books offers business and thought leaders an innovative, speed-to-market, fee-based publishing model and a suite of services designed to strategically and tactically support authors and promote their expertise. For more information, visit books.forbes.com.
Media Contact
Forbes Books Media Contact: Laura Grinstead, lgrinstead@forbesbooks.com
Laura Grinstead
Forbes Books
email us here
+1 (843) 414-5600
Legal Disclaimer:
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/750335400/new-book-offers-women-a-roadmap-to-inner-peace-and-outer-success | 2024-10-15T17:51:25Z |
Shoplifters Caught on Camera at Plato’s Closet in Portage
Two women walk out of Plato's Closet in Portage with arms full of clothing. Check out the security footage.
Chances are good that you've seen or heard the "demure" trend that started with TikTok creator Jools Lebron using the words "very mindful, very demure." Plato's Closet in Portage recently borrowed from that trend when they posted photos and a video of two women shoplifting in their store on Facebook,
See how all our other customers paid BEFORE walking out of the store with armfuls of clothes?? Very mindful!! Leaving without paying is NOT very demure, and we like to keep it cutesy here at Plato’s Portage 🎀 If you have any information on these two please send us a dm! We’d love to have a chat and remind them how shopping works!
I have so much respect for whoever wrote that Facebook post as they were far more demure and mindful than I could ever be.
Please take a moment and take a gander at the photos and video below. If you think you recognize the people going on a free and illegal shopping spree at Plato's you can DM them on their Facebook Page by tapping here.
Kalamazoo Spending $5.2 Million To Turn Hotel into Homeless Shelter
Tornado Damage in Southwest Michigan on May 7th, 2024
Porch Pirate Heaven: Ranking 50 States for Package Theft
Gallery Credit: Scott Clow | https://wkfr.com/shoplifters-platos-closet/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:25Z |
The Butterfly Effect – Bush vs. Gore revisited
The year 2000 is perhaps best remembered in the UK for the Millenium Dome, the fuel protests and Y2K. For the US, it would be their first presidential election of a new millennium.
Incumbent Bill Clinton was term limited after winning in 1992 and 1996, meaning there would be a new President
For the Democrats, Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee won fairly comfortably against a challenge from Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey
For the Republicans, Governor George W Bush of Texas faced a much tighter battle with Senator John McCain of Arizona and only pulled away after Super Tuesday
Al Gore and George W Bush
Recap of Key events
It was a close election.
On election night, the networks first called Florida for Gore based on the exit poll, but as the early results came in strongly for Bush, they retracted and then later called Florida for Bush. At this point, Gore rang Bush to concede.
However, as the results started coming in from the more urban counties of Florida, Bush’s margin narrowed and so the networks (and Gore) retracted.
With all other states declared, the results were:
Al Gore – 266 Electoral College votes
George W Bush – 246 Electoral College votes
This meant that whoever won Florida’s 25 Electoral College votes would win the election.
In the year 2000, Florida used punch cards for voting, which were then counted by machine. After a machine recount, Bush’s winning margin stood at around 300 votes.
A problem emerged with “hanging chads”. A chad is the little circle or square of paper that is left over from hole punching and a hanging chad is when the chad is left partially attached (see image). The counting machines weren’t correctly registering these as votes.
Hanging chads
At this point Gore requested a manual recount of votes in 4 primarily Democrat voting counties: Miami-Dade (Miami), Broward (Fort Lauderdale), Palm Beach (West Palm Beach) and Volusia (Daytona Beach).
Florida law stated that all counting had to be completed by 14th November 2000 (1 week after election night). Volusia completed its recount but the other 3 counties weren’t able to complete in time.
Gore and the 3 counties sued for more time and on November 21st 2000, the Florida Supreme Court allowed an extension to the 26th November. Bush then appealed to the US Supreme Court.
On 12th December 2000, the US Supreme Court, by a 5-4 majority, ordered the recount to stop. For a excellent review of the wider legal issues, see here:
The next day, Gore conceded and it was declared that Bush had won Florida by 537 votes (a 0.009% margin)
So who really won?
After the election, several US academic and media organisations attempted to conduct their own investigations.
The National Opinion Research Center concluded that, if the recounts in the 4 counties had been completed, then Bush would have still won. However, if the entire state was recounted, then Gore would have narrowly prevailed.
There were also several other factors that impacted Florida’s votes:
- Prior to the election, Florida conducted a purge of its voter rolls to remove convicted felons. Some (mainly black) voters were mistakenly removed and turned away at the polls.
- When the networks called Florida for Gore, voting was still open in the heavily Republican Panhandle. This may have deterred some Republican voters who hadn’t yet voted.
- Palm Beach County had a confusing butterfly ballot with candidates on either side of the page (see image). It had a surprisingly high amount of votes for Pat Buchanan, the Reform party candidate, as well as a large number of overvotes (where someone votes for too many candidates). The election official who designed the ballot was actually a Democrat, Theresa LePore, who was nicknamed “Madame Butterfly” by the press. She failed to win re-election in 2004.
A recent New York Times study concluded that the butterfly ballot cost Gore the election
The Palm Beach County Butterfly Ballot
Implications for 2024
The 2024 race looks just as tight as in 2000 and there are a couple of key implications:
Firstly, the US election system still isn’t fit for purpose:
If we compare with the UK system, the election in each area is administered by local authorities, but the Electoral Commission sets the overall rules. This means that in a General Election, the election administration at Aberdeen North, Aberafan Maestag and Aldershot should all be near identical.
In the US, the main issue is that every state (and sometimes within states, every county) is essentially allowed to organise the federal election as it sees fit.
Many states are a mix of mail and in-person voting, but Washington state and Colorado are entirely vote by mail. Pennsylvania requires registration at least 15 days before the election, while in Michigan you can register on the day. In Florida, mail in votes must arrive by 7pm on polling day, while other states allow late arrival, if they are postmarked on election day. Some states require ID to vote, while others don’t.
What this means is that in 2020 it took days for Joe Biden to be confirmed as the winner, even though he finished with a fairly comfortable lead in the Electoral College. If this election comes down to one close state, then it will take even longer and there will definitely be legal challenges.
John King, CNN with a map of Pennsylvania in the 2020 election aftermath
The second implication is around the increased partisanship in US politics.
In my view, every US city should have a statue of Al Gore. He could have tried to fight on by various means (see 2020). If nothing else, he could have spent 4 years carping about how Bush was an illegitimate president. However, Gore did neither of these things. He put the country first and allowed Bush to get on with his presidency in peace.
If something similar happened today, where is our Al Gore?
We know after 2020 that Donald Trump is unlikely to take defeat lying down. But what about if Harris is behind? Unfortunately, history shows us that, if one side in US politics behaves badly, the other side soon follows.
Regardless of partisan preference, let’s hope whoever wins has a comfortable victory in the Electoral College for the stability of the US and the world.
Gareth of the Vale | https://www1.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2024/10/15/the-butterfly-effect-bush-vs-gore-revisited/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:25Z |
The Summit Has Contestants Struggling Over A Huge Trade-Off In Exclusive Clip, And I Think The Decision Is Simple
The climbers were hit with a big offer.
The Summit is off and rolling on CBS's Fall TV schedule, and it took no time for contestants to learn just how brutal this game could be. After being blindsided by the reveal, they had to climb a mountain in 14 days for a share of $1,000,000. We'd already seen one drop out for medical reasons, leading the team to miss a checkpoint. Fortunately, the exclusive clip above shows the Mountain Keeper offers a helpful choice-based lifeline in the upcoming episode "Snakes And Ladders," I think the decision is easy considering what's at stake.
As mentioned in the above clip, the Mountain Keeper offered to let two contestants travel to the next checkpoint via helicopter. If the contestants sent two of their struggling people via helicopter, there was a chance they'd reach the next checkpoint on time and avoid another night of roughing it.
The downside is that they'll all go without food that night in exchange, and going hungry is obviously a big price to pay. The clip ends before fans see what is chosen, but we'll get the answer when tuning into The Summit on CBS on Wednesday, October 16th at 9:30 p.m. ET or on streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.
I Think Taking The Helicopter Ride Offer Is The Obvious Choice
If I'm one of the half-miserable contestants on The Summit, I'm 100% taking the helicopter ride. While a weaker climber might hesitate because they feel taking an easy route could make them a target come elimination time, I think they'd be at a greater risk if they rejected the offer when they needed it.
Imagine being the slowest in the group, rejecting the helicopter, and then the whole team misses the checkpoint anyway? I know that if I wasn't the person responsible for the checkpoint being missed, I'd want that person out immediately.
At the same time, giving up food for two people to take a free ride would undoubtedly have me feeling some less-than-ideal way. The mountain may look beautiful and perfect for a television series, but it's still a beast to hike. Hiking for three additional hours from that point, only to arrive and not get food, would be rough.
That said, I would probably break myself to still make the checkpoint on time after a day of carrying that mixture of real and fake money if it meant a comfy tent and not roughing it outside of the checkpoint. I'm not a big fan of camping, but those massive tents look much better than the sleeping bag shelters.
CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER
Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News
For those who haven't had a chance to check out one of the most exciting reality shows on TV, it's worth a watch. I'm not sure we've seen a reality show this brutal since Fox's Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, which is reserved for celebrities. It's fascinating to see how the contestants continue to tackle climbing this mountain and the strategy to eliminate a mixture of weaker and stronger competitors. I'm hooked so far, and I hope I can continue to be as we get closer to that season finale come December.
As mentioned, The Summit airs on CBS on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET. Keep with CinemaBlend as the season airs, as we all watch together and see who will ultimately reach the top of the mountain.
Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well. | https://www.cinemablend.com/television/the-summit-has-contestants-struggling-over-huge-trade-off-exclusive-clip-i-think-decision-is-simple | 2024-10-15T17:51:26Z |
NORFOLK, Va. — After years of planning, Norfolk casino project leaders say they will officially break ground on October 30.
The Pamunkey Indian Tribe and Boyd Gaming, the developers of the proposed Headwaters Resort & Casino, say the groundbreaking ceremony will take place near Harbor Park.
Watch previous coverage: Should smoking be banned at Norfolk's proposed casino?
The announcement comes a week after Norfolk city council members approved the casino's design in a 7-1 vote, allowing construction to move forward.
News 3 has been following developments on the project for years: Casino construction was approved by Norfolk voters back in 2020 with a 2025 deadline.
Watch previous coverage: Pamunkey Chief has 'absolute confidence' Norfolk casino project will be built
Project developers have shared their enthusiasm with us about bringing the casino and resort to the Mermaid City.
"We feel very comfortable and we're just excited to be able to bring the project to fruition for the city and the Commonwealth and the Tribe," Pamunkey Indian Tribe Chief Robert Gray previously told News 3.
The proposal includes plans for 1,500 slot machines, 50 table games, a 200-room hotel, eight restaurants, and a 1,300-spot parking garage. The resort and casino will sit on six acres of land next to Harbor Park. | https://www.wtkr.com/news/in-the-community/norfolk/norfolk-casino-project-leaders-to-break-ground-at-the-end-of-october | 2024-10-15T17:51:27Z |
State and local police are investigating a deadly shooting in Waterville, Maine, on Tuesday morning that led two local school districts to temporarily lock down their buildings.
The shooting occurred around 6:30 a.m. on Highwood Street, and state police said an adult male has died.
Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit detectives are interviewing witnesses and evidence response technicians are still processing the scene.
State police said there is no danger to the public, and they expect to release additional details later Tuesday afternoon.
According to News Center Maine, the shooting led two area school districts -- Waterville Public Schools and MSAD 49 in Fairfield -- to go into lockout on Tuesday morning, meaning no one was allowed to leave or enter schools. Both districts have since returned to normal operations. | https://www.necn.com/news/local/police-investigating-shooting-death-in-maine-2-school-districts-locked-down/3358314/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:27Z |
Advertisement
Texas, other SEC teams working hard to flip four-star DL Joseph Mbatchou
Subscribe to read more.
Unlock Premium news from the largest network of experts.
Say your piece in exclusive fan communities.
Dominate with stats, athlete data, Rivals250 rankings, and more. | https://uga.rivals.com/news/texas-other-sec-teams-working-hard-to-flip-four-star-dl-joseph-mbatchou-1 | 2024-10-15T17:51:27Z |
The latest report from the Global CCS Institute reveals how the pipeline of carbon capture projects is growing fast, but questions remain over the industry's ability to deliver at scale
The number of carbon capture projects in development around the world has surged over the last year, as policies designed to spur the growth of the nascent industry have been adopted by governments in...
To continue reading this article...
Join BusinessGreen
- Enjoy exclusive news, insights and analysis from Europe’s leading source of information on the green economy and business.
- Make smart, responsible business decisions with an eye on the latest regulatory and tech development
- Tap into our extensive archive of exclusive articles, news, analysis and guide
- Access to our new BusinessGreen intelligence service, providing you with
- > Exclusive in-depth case studies
- > Policy briefings, white papers and reports on market trends that are shaping the direction of the net zero transition
- > Our overnight briefing, expertly curated help you run a competitive and sustainable business
- > Online and interactive meetings with BusinessGreen’s editors to discuss the crucial stories and trends from the past month
Choose the membership package that's right for you and your organisation, via our 3 membership levels. | https://www.businessgreen.com/feature/4370021/ccs-brink-global-breakthrough | 2024-10-15T17:51:27Z |
New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) The BJP's Central Election Committee (CEC) met here on Tuesday evening to finalise the party's candidates for the Jharkhand Assembly polls next month.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J P Nadda and national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh were among the CEC members who deliberated on the probable list of nominees at the party headquarters here.
Union ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the BJP's in-charge for Jharkhand Annapurna Devi and Sanjay Seth were also present at the meeting, besides the party's Jharkhand unit chief Babulal Marandi and former Union minister Arjun Munda.
Former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren, who recently joined the BJP after quitting the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), also participated in the meeting.
The Jharkhand polls will be held in two phases on November 13 and November 20, while the counting of the votes will be taken up on November 23, the Election Commission (EC) announced on Tuesday.
While the BJP is set to contest the election in a coalition with the Janata Dal (United) and All Jharkhand Students' Union (AJSU) Party, it may also consider forging a pre-poll alliance with the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), led by Union minister Chirag Paswan.
In the 2019 Assembly polls, the JMM won 30 of the 81 seats, the Congress 16 and the RJD won one seat. The three parties formed a coalition government with a comfortable majority. The BJP won 25 seats, down from 37 in 2014, while the AJSU Party, contesting alone, ended up winning two seats. PTI PK RC | https://www.newsdrum.in/national/bjps-poll-body-holds-meeting-to-finalise-candidates-for-jharkhand-election-7317498 | 2024-10-15T17:51:28Z |
EWUDC hosted EWUDC Invitationals 1.0
On September 21, East West University Debating Club hosted the closing ceremony of its much anticipated EWUDC Invitationals 1.0. The tournament marked a significant milestone for the club as its first-ever invitational competition. The chief guest for the closing ceremony was Air Cdre (Retd) Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury, Treasurer of East West University; and the special guests were Dr. Md. Mobarak Hossain Khan, Chairperson of the Department of Social Relations and Rubayat Kabir, Moderator of EWUDC.
The preliminary rounds of the tournament unfolded on September 20, bringing together teams in a competitive display of strategy and eloquence, setting the tone for what promised to be a captivating series of debates. The debate motions ranged from ethical dilemmas to socio-political issues, making the discourse more interesting and thought-provoking.
The theme for the tournament has been inspired by the iconic Bengali literature detective characters; combining elements of mystery and intellect.
The closing ceremony, not only honored the victorious teams but also applauded the incredible dedication of all participants and adjudicators. Following numerous heated rounds of debate, Team Kakababu consisted of Sifat Jobaer, Asif Rahman, and ZH Masud, emerged as the ultimate champions, with Team Byomkesh comprised of Ayman Sakib Ahmed Nuhash, Salman Shahriar, and Zuwayeeriya Binte Sharif, securing a well-deserved runner-up. Furthermore, Sifat Jobaer from team Kakababu won the title of Debater of the final; and Ayman Sakib Ahmed Nuhash and Salman Shahriar from team Byomkesh collectively held the title of Debater of the tournament.
The EWUDC Invitationals 1.0 has set a high standard for future debate competitions, and the club looks forward to organizing many more events that bring together bright minds for meaningful discussions. This event was organised in association with The Daily Star. | https://www.thedailystar.net/business/organisation-news/press-releases/news/ewudc-hosted-ewudc-invitationals-10-3728366 | 2024-10-15T17:51:27Z |
California breaks ground on expansion for Salton Sea habitat restoration project
A project aimed at restoring habitat surrounding the Salton Sea is expanding.
The project, called the Species Habitat Conservation (SCH) Project, created a number of ponds and wetlands, which are important habitats for fish and birds. These wetlands also help reduce dust emissions, improving air quality surrounding the Salton Sea.
The SCH Project was completed at 4,100 acres. With additional federal funding, officials broke ground on a 750-acre expansion, which will create additional ponds and wetlands.
Stay with News Channel Three to hear more from project leaders on the importance of the project. | https://kesq.com/news/2024/10/15/california-breaks-ground-on-expansion-for-restoration-of-salton-sea/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:29Z |
A Trump town hall in Oaks, Pa., Monday night went from a Q-and-A session to a bizarre musical event in which Trump stood in front of his audience for an extended period while songs played on the sound system.
The town hall portion of the event lasted nearly an hour and was moderated by Kristi Noem, South Dakota's Republican governor who is a Trump ally.
The questioners were all friendly to Trump, with questions about how he would bring down inflation, as well as boost small businesses.
The town hall was paused twice for incidents in which the crowd called for a medic. Audience members shouted that the room was too hot.
As medics attended to people affected by the heat, Trump and Noem waited on stage. During the first pause, the crowd sang “God Bless America” together, after which Trump asked for someone to put the song “Ave Maria” on the sound system. An instrumental version soon began playing.
Shortly after the town hall resumed, there was another call for a medic.
“It’s steaming in here!” one man yelled as they waited for assistance, and the instrumental Ave Maria played once again, until the woman affected received help.
Trump joked about the heat in the room: “Personally, I enjoy this. We lose weight. We could do this, lose 4, 5 pounds.”
Trump then called for his “favorite chart” to be put up on screens -– the chart of border crossings that had been displayed in Butler, Pa., on July 13 when an assassin shot at Trump, hitting his ear. In addition, he asked that someone play a version of Ave Maria sung by Luciano Pavarotti.
“We’ll do a little music. Let’s make this a musical-fest,” he said.
Trump stood on stage until the song was over, at which point he stopped the question-and-answer portion of the evening.
“Let’s not do anymore questions. Let’s just listen to music,” he said.
Later, Trump ended the question portion and asked the audience to stick around.
“By the way, when we leave, you don’t have to go so fast. You can sit and listen. We’ll play a couple of songs. Some of you will be a little warm, but that’s OK. It’s not a bad thing. And if you want, we’re gonna do that, but I think it would be beautiful. Don’t you think? A little different.”
“I think it’d be amazing, sir,” Noem said.
“Nice to have imagin- isn’t it a nice thing to have imagination?”
Trump remained on stage for more than half an hour while an array of songs played, including “Hallelujah” as performed by Rufus Wainwright, as well as “November Rain” by Guns ‘n’ Roses.
On Tuesday, Trump, posting on his Truth social, called the evening "amazing."
"The Q and A was almost finished when people began fainting from the excitement and heat," he said. "We started playing music while we waited, and just kept it going. So different, but it ended up being a GREAT EVENING!"
The town hall came as three weeks remain in the voting season and Trump and Harris remain statistically tied, according to most polls. Both candidates are delivering their closing messages and drawing a contrast from their rival as they crisscross the country. Trump will deliver remarks on the economy in Chicago Tuesday, and pretape a town hall with women voters on Fox News that will air Wednesday. Harris is doing a town hall with the popular radio host Charlamagne tha God in her attempt to reach Black male voters.
Copyright 2024 NPR | https://www.kdlg.org/as-heard-on-npr/2024-10-15/trump-town-hall-ends-with-musical-fest-while-he-stands-on-stage | 2024-10-15T17:51:29Z |
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.wyso.org/npr-news/2024-10-15/local-board-members-in-georgia-cant-refuse-to-certify-election-results-judge-rules | 2024-10-15T17:51:29Z |
Latest Headlines
Alleged Forgery: Absence of Judge Stalls Trial of Ex-NIRSAL MD
The absence of Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, stalled the trial of Aliyu Abdulhameed, a former Managing Directing, Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) Plc.
The matter, which was on number two on the day’s cause list, could not proceed as Justice Ekwo was said to be in another official engagement.
The case was subsequently fixed for November 25 for commencement of trial.
Abdulhameed and his co-defendant, Babangida Abdullahi, were arraigned on March 13 on a 10-count charge before the judge but pleaded not guilty to the counts.
They were, however, admitted to terms of administrative bail earlier granted to them by the police.
The criminal charge, dated and filed November 28, 2023 by CSP Celestine Odo, Legal/Prosecution Counsel of the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, was marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/555/2023.
In the charge, the defendants and others now at large, were alleged to have, about October 23, 2023, conspired among themselves to commit an offence of forgery.
In count two, the defendants and others now at large, sometime in October 23, 2023, were alleged to have conspired among themselves to commit the offence.
The offences are said to be contrary to Section 3(6) and punishable under Section 1(2){c} of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap. M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2010.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari had, on December 1, 2022, fired Abdulhammed on allegations of corruption bordering on agric loans.
NIRSAL, a $500 million non-bank financial institution, is a creation of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) mandated to manage agribusiness-related credit risks in Nigeria. (NAN) | https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2024/10/15/alleged-forgery-absence-of-judge-stalls-trial-of-ex-nirsal-md/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:29Z |
LEXINGTON, Mass. — A busy section of Lexington was closed to traffic on Tuesday after two pedestrians were struck by a vehicle, officials said.
The crash happened near the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Bow Street around 11 a.m., according to the Lexington Police Department.
There was no immediate word on the condition of the pedestrians, who were taken to area hospitals.
Massachusetts Avenue is closed to all traffic between Charles Street and Taft Avenue due to the emergency response.
“Drivers can expect heavy traffic delays for several hours,” police said in a post on Facebook. “Please avoid the area if possible.”
Police didn’t share any information on the driver involved in the crash.
An investigation is ongoing.
🚨Accident & Road Closure🚨 Massachusetts Avenue is CLOSED to all traffic between Charles Street and Taft Avenue due to...
Posted by Lexington Police Department - MA on Tuesday, October 15, 2024
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2024 Cox Media Group | https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/2-pedestrians-hospitalized-after-being-struck-by-vehicle-lexington-police-say/2LEEYY27QFCGZAPKEZTMCHI5DQ/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:30Z |
When travelling by air during the day, I always try to get a window seat, and I always have a camera with me. In addition to the ubiquitous phone camera, I carry an infrared-converted camera, which just gives me the most transparent, most unique look in aerial landscape photography.
As a great lover of monochrome since the 1960s, I prefer the 720nm (nanometer) conversion rather than the false color IR filters. Clouds pop from a dark sky, atmospheric haze lifts, and water features stand out from dry land.
The best seats for this type of photography are on the shaded side of the plane as IR is susceptible to lens flare, and the sun emphasizes dirt and defects in the windows. Forward seats or far aft are preferable to avoid the wing in the image.
Forward is best, as you can see what is coming up, and in the rear, the engine exhaust blurs the lower view. However, if the plane banks to your side, straight-down shots are possible. Infrared conversion sites are loaded with helpful information on this great niche photo option. It definitely beats in-flight entertainment.
Get a VIP Membership
-
Download all new Landscape Photography Magazine issues
-
Download all new Wild Planet Photo Magazine issues
-
Download ALL back issues (both magazines)
-
Download eBooks worth £19.45
-
Create your Personal Portfolio Page
-
Pin your published pictures to your Portfolio Page
-
We share your pictures with 300,000 social media followers
-
Your shared pictures are tagged on Instagram
-
High priority on picture submission
-
Fast support: we aim to reply within 12 hours | https://landscapephotographymagazine.com/15/10/2024/midwest-illinois-usa/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:29Z |
The Pittsburgh Steelers are trending toward making a change at quarterback. Veteran Russell Wilson, who signed with the Steelers in March, is finally healthy enough to start taking first-team reps, and will reportedly do just that this week. That sets him up to make his Steelers debut this weekend when they face the New York Jets.
Sources: The #Steelers plan to give Russell Wilson first-team reps in practice this week, putting him in line to make his season debut and start Sunday night against the #Jets.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 15, 2024
Pittsburgh is 4-2 with Justin Fields. But Wilson’s calf is fully healed and now he gets his shot. pic.twitter.com/vrhgo7LfgO
Wilson, 35, struggled with a calf injury throughout training camp, but appeared to be on the other side of it as the regular season approached. He was named the starting quarterback prior to Week 1 over Justin Fields, but reaggravated that lurking calf injury just days before the Steelers were due to start their season against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Steelers didn't make a formal announcement about their Week 1 starter before inactives were released, but when when they came out 90 minutes before kickoff, Wilson was on the list. Fields would be the starter going forward, and he helped lead the Steelers to a 3-0 start.
Pittsburgh has had just a few hiccups since then and currently sit at 4-2. Despite that strong, Tomlin is definitely putting Wilson in consideration to be the Week 7 starter.
Tomlin: "[Russell Wilson] is in consideration this week. We'll see where that leads us.
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) October 15, 2024
The Steelers need an offensive push, and Wilson can definitely give that to them. And Russ wants redemption more than ever after two disastrous years with the Denver Broncos. Now he's closer than ever to proving he's got more passes left in that mighty arm. | https://www.k95tulsa.com/news/national/steelers-qb-russell/MSTXC3ORJOLPTSSXPTSPRH45VE/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:30Z |
Miss Ross is heading to Las Vegas.
Diana Ross will perform at amfAR's first-ever Las Vegas gala on Nov. 22. amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, was founded in 1985 with Elizabeth Taylor as its founding national chairman. Today it's one of the world's leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research.
The event will honor Sylvester Stallone and his wife, Jennifer, with the Award of Inspiration. Past recipients include Cher and Miley Cyrus.
Diana has been touring all over the world in 2024 as part of her Beautiful Love Performances - Legacy 2024 tour. Her next show is Oct. 18 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. | https://www.kiss104fm.com/news/diana-ross-headline/W3ESTHTEOW6UVGDCVOS7XHQYSI/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:31Z |
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.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://kvia.com/entertainment/cnn-style/2024/10/15/plans-announced-for-a-second-sphere-entertainment-venue/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:31Z |
ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Governor Roy Cooper spoke alongside with FEMA and other state officials Tuesday morning to provide an update on North Carolina's recovery from Hurricane Helene.
This comes after officials say FEMA workers paused some operations briefly and adjusted recovery efforts in NC due to threats made over the weekend.
According to the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office, William Parson, 44, was armed with a handgun and rifle, threatening FEMA officials outside a grocery store that is functioning as a storm relief site. He faces a criminal charge of "going armed to the terror of the public."
Misinformation has been a source of contention in the aftermath of Helene.
"If you're participating in spreading this stuff, stop it," Cooper said Tuesday. "Whatever your aim is, the people you are really hurting are those in western North Carolina who need help. The safety of our government and volunteer response workers, including FEMA, remains a top priority. I've directed the Department of Public Safety to coordinate law enforcement assistance for FEMA and other responders who need it to help ensure their safety and security, so people can keep getting the help that they desperately need."
92 people are still unaccounted for in the state, he said.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said misinformation about operations "has got to stop."
"Let me be clear, I take these threats seriously, and the safety of these responders is and will remain a priority for me and my team now," Criswell said. "Over the weekend, out of an abundance of caution, we made operational changes to keep FEMA personnel safe, but none of the changes we made impacted ongoing search and rescue or other life safety operations."
FEMA has continued to help those affected by Helene, she added. All normal operations have resumed.
Cooper also gave updates to progress made in western NC:
He also said there are some communities back open and welcoming visitors, which is paramount in getting their economy back up and running. | https://6abc.com/post/wnc-hurricane-helene-misinformation-fema-threats-hurting-recovery-gov-roy-cooper/15430603/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:31Z |
Gavin Williamson says he is more radical over House of Lords reform than Labour
The former Tory minister urged Labour to include more reforms including removing bishops from the upper chamber and introducing a retirement age.
Conservative former minister Sir Gavin Williamson said he is more radical on House of Lords reform than the Labour Party, as he urged the Government to be more ambitious in its Bill.
Sir Gavin encouraged Paymaster General Nick Thomas-Symonds to include further changes in the planned reforms. The current Bill, which is getting its second reading on Tuesday, would see the abolition of 92 seats reserved for hereditary peers in the upper chamber.
However, the former education secretary and chief whip said he was unsure whether Labour’s plans to bring in a mandatory retirement age of 80 would ever happen, and asked why 26 Anglican bishops continued to have a role in the Lords.
He told the Commons: “As an Anglican you could say they are representing me well. But I think it’s fundamentally wrong that my children who are Catholics have no form of representation in that chamber. But this Government will not eradicate this injustice.
“There is a big opportunity here, there is an unfairness, there is an injustice. There’s so many people of so many faiths, and so many people of no faith at all.
“See the fact that there are 26 bishops, those are not reflective of the United Kingdom and they’re not reflective of what this country looks like today, but they are still there.”
He later added: “He will equally know that he will not get many opportunities to bring forward legislation in terms of the House of Lords, indeed I would expect this to be the one and only time he gets to bring forward legislation.”
Sir Gavin taunted Mr Thomas-Symonds and urged him to be more of a radical, joking that if he did so, the cabinet minister – who is a published historian on the Labour Party – would find himself the topic of one of his own books.
“He has the potential to be known as a great reformer of the Labour Party. He’ll write books about himself in future, but he needs to be brave, he needs to be bold,” he said.
Brandishing a copy of the Labour Party’s election manifesto, under which it won a 174-seat majority in July, Sir Gavin said Labour’s Bill would not fulfil the promised pledges and instead he would put forward an amendment that would do so.
“I want to see this delivered,” the MP for Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge said, tapping on his copy of the manifesto.
“He knows that he will not have an opportunity to bring legislation forward for this again, but … he has an opportunity to make a difference because the things that have been mentioned in their manifesto can be delivered within the scope of the Bill.
“The burning radicalism within his stomach is there that he wants to make a difference, actually I seem to be more committed to delivering this than he actually does.”
SNP deputy leader in Westminster Pete Wishart briefly intervened on Sir Gavin, urging the speaker to “make him stop this inconsequential nonsense”, to which the Conservative MP said he looked forward to “another inconsequential speech” from Mr Wishart later.
The Perth and Kinross-shire MP went on to compare peers to the Baratheons and Targaryens from Game Of Thrones, and described the House of Lords as a “red leather-upholstered, gold-plated Narnia”.
He told MPs: “The first thing you’ve got to try and not do when you consider this Bill is to try not to laugh. Not to laugh out loud at the sheer ridiculousness of considering, in 2024, whether places should be reserved in our legislature for a curious subset of a particular class of person based on birthright.”
He later added: “I suppose in some sort of way, they’re our own Baratheons and Targaryens, only without the fun, without the dragons and the box office appeal. But it’s now time to break the wheel. For them down the corridor there, winter must be coming.”
“That is why I am so proud that my party will never put anybody in that red leather-upholstered, gold-plated Narnia,” he went on to say.
Conservative former minister Richard Holden said he supported the principle of removing hereditary peers, but “as part of a broader package of measures”.
The Basildon and Billericay MP also argued that peers should have a mandatory retirement age, as judges do.
He said: “I would be quite interested to hear from the Government front bench as to how they can justify a mandatory retirement age of 75 for those who interpret the law, but not having a mandatory retirement age for those who make the law.”
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said he was a “big fan of reform” of the House of Lords and urged the Government to “get on with it”. | https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/uk-news/2024/10/15/gavin-williamson-says-he-is-more-radical-over-house-of-lords-reform-than-labour/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:31Z |
MAJRA showcases AI-powered CSR initiatives at GITEX Global 2024
Date
10/15/2024 9:38:35 AM
(MENAFN- Orient Planet Group) October 14, 2024: The National CSR Fund – MAJRA will discuss the potential for AI-powered CSR initiatives, during its participation in the 44th edition of GITEX Global 2024. As part of its mission to integrate cutting-edge technologies into the context of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the UAE, Majra will head a number of panel discussions and workshops at the event, which is one of the world's largest technology exhibitions, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from October 14 to 18, 2024.
Speaking on the significance of the authority’s participation, Sarah Shaw, Director of Majra – the National CSR Fund, said: “We are delighted to be participating in GITEX 2024, which presents a unique opportunity to highlight how we will utilise cutting-edge technology to advance CSR initiatives. At Majra, we firmly believe that artificial intelligence (AI) can bring about significant, sustainable change in implementing and developing CSR programs in accordance with international best practices. Incorporating AI and advanced technologies into our CSR strategies will contribute to new innovative solutions to better address environmental and social challenges and support the UAE's broader sustainability agenda.”
Majra is set to collaborate with global thought leaders and experts to discover new strategies, with a particular emphasis on using AI and big data to enhance the efficiency and influence of CSR initiatives and attain its objectives. The federal arm’s participation will also highlight the pivotal role that AI and big data can play in advancing the UAE's sustainability objectives, as well
as its alignment with the country's vision for an economic model driven by knowledge and innovation.
During its participation, Majra will host a panel discussion on 'Leveraging AI for CSR Initiatives', which will take place on October 15 and will look at how AI can improve the implementation of CSR programs across the UAE. On October 16, MAJRA will be leading a workshop on ‘The Importance of Private Sector Companies’ Participation in Disclosing Their CSR and Sustainability Initiative in Building a CSR Ecosystem in UAE.’ The session will look at how CSR disclosures contribute to the development of a strong corporate social responsibility framework in the UAE. The discussion will further emphasise how reporting transparency can promote accountability, encourage sustainable practices, and help create a more responsible business environment that is in line with the national priorities of the UAE.
Additionally, Majra’s platform, held within the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) pavilion, will highlight the Fund's most significant CSR projects launched during the past phase in an effort to promote responsible business practices in the private sector. Among these initiatives is the ‘Impact Seal,’ which has become a national symbol for corporate social responsibility. The program measures and rewards the institutional performance of private companies for their sustainable practices that align with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, as well as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and national priorities.
By participating in these insightful discussions, Majra reaffirms its commitment to shaping the future of CSR and sustainability in the UAE with the support of the private sector. It also reflects Majra’s aim to strengthen its leadership in driving positive change within the evolving technological landscape and promoting sustainable practices and innovation in corporate responsibility.
MENAFN15102024003685011158ID1108780607
Legal Disclaimer:
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/1108780607/MAJRA-showcases-AI-powered-CSR-initiatives-at-GITEX-Global-2024 | 2024-10-15T17:51:31Z |
Michigan GOP Candidate Tom Barrett Allegedly Misled Black Voters
Michigan Legislative Black Caucus accuses Republican candidate Tom Barrett of misleading black voters in the 7th Congressional District race.
Unfortunately, there is a current National trend of election misinformation specifically targeting black voters. The Michigan Legislative Black Caucus thinks that is what is going on with a recent ad for Republican candidate Tom Barrett. Tom Barrett is a former Michigan state senator campaigning to represent the 7th Congressional District in Central Michigan. This is Tom's second time running for this seat as he lost to Elissa Slotkin two years ago. Democrat Slotkin is running for U.S. Senate against Republican Mike Rogers while Barrett is running against Democrat Curtis Hertel for Slotkin's former seat in the Michigan House of Representatives.
With the election coming up on Tuesday, November 5th, Barrett's campaign purchased a full-page ad with an important error according to the Washington Post,
...the full-page ad that appeared in the Oct. 2 issue of the Michigan Bulletin — a Lansing-based, Black-owned alternative weekly publication — is instead splashed with the phrase “On November 6 VOTE FOR TOM BARRETT.”
Kalamazoo Spending $5.2 Million To Turn Hotel into Homeless Shelter
The Michigan Legislative Black Caucus filed a complaint with the state attorney general Sunday accusing "Barrett’s campaign of misleading Black voters to suppress turnout." Barrett's campaign has admitted there was a mistake in proofreading and nothing more. Marcus Jefferson, who runs the black-own publication that ran the ad with the incorrect date is taking steps to correct the matter on his end according to CNN,
Jefferson said he will be printing a new, corrected version of Barrett’s ad in the next edition of the paper on Wednesday. That paper will also feature an ad purchased by Hertel’s campaign.
Jefferson went on to say that he is "not in the business of misinforming my readership.”
To be clear, the 2024 Election is on Tuesday, November 5th, 2024.
Every State's Voter Registration Deadline For the 2024 General Election
Gallery Credit: Rob Carroll
Michigan Scandals, Controversies, and Embarassments During Warde Manuel's Tenure as Athletic Director
Gallery Credit: Getty Images | https://wkfr.com/tom-barrett-misled/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:31Z |
Universal Orlando's Epic Universe Park May Be Opening Earlier Than We Thought
Could Epic Universe really be opening this soon?
Every year at your favorite theme park there’s always something new. Universal and Disney World open new attractions, lands, or restaurants every year as a way to get guests to visit, and to come back, year after year. But 2025 is going to be a special year for the theme park world because it’s not every year that we get entirely new theme parks. Epic Universe is set to open at Universal Orlando Resort in 2025, and it looks like it may be here even sooner than we thought.
While we know almost everything happening at Epic Universe when it comes to the lands and attractions that the park will include, the big thing we don’t know is when we’ll actually be able to experience all of it. Epic Universe has only ever been given a summer 2025 opening window, but that’s a pretty wide period. However, a new story in the Wall Street Journal indicates that Universal is actually eyeing an opening that is technically even earlier, as it could open as early as Memorial Day Weekend 2025.
Epic Universe Could Be Opening By Memorial Day Weekend Next Year
While Memorial Day Weekend is technically still in the spring, it’s often seen as the unofficial beginning of summer. It’s actually fairly common for new rides to open that weekend. Disney World opened the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind roller coaster that weekend a couple of years ago. But considering the scope and scale of Epic Universe, many were not expecting the park to be open that early.
To be sure, Memorial Day Weekend is not an official opening date yet. The date is being suggested to the WSJ by people familiar with the new park. It sounds like part of the reason that we don’t have an opening date quite yet is that Universal hasn't been quite sure when Epic Universe would be ready. The resort was hoping that everything would be ready by next May, but if construction was taking longer, then the opening would obviously be pushed back.
But if this report is accurate, then an opening date announcement is likely right around the corner, as the same sources indicate that tickets for Epic Universe could be going on sale before the end of the month. If that’s true, then we’ll know the official opening date of Epic Universe very soon.
When An Official Opening Date May Be Announced
If an official opening date for Epic Universe is imminent, then I would look toward New York Comic Con this weekend. There is a panel dedicated to Epic Universe on the schedule, so if there truly are plans to be selling tickets this month, then I would expect an announcement of when those tickets will be going on sale, and what dates they will be for, will be coming then.
With lands dedicated to Universal Monsters, How to Train Your Dragon, Nintendo, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, there’s a lot to look forward to with Epic Universe. Even if the new park, and its incredible Helios Grand Hotel, are opening earlier than we thought, they can’t come soon enough.
CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER
Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News
CinemaBlend’s resident theme park junkie and amateur Disney historian, Dirk began writing for CinemaBlend as a freelancer in 2015 before joining the site full-time in 2018. He has previously held positions as a Staff Writer and Games Editor, but has more recently transformed his true passion into his job as the head of the site's Theme Park section. He has previously done freelance work for various gaming and technology sites. Prior to starting his second career as a writer he worked for 12 years in sales for various companies within the consumer electronics industry. He has a degree in political science from the University of California, Davis. Is an armchair Imagineer, Epcot Stan, Future Club 33 Member. | https://www.cinemablend.com/theme-parks/universal-orlandos-epic-universe-park-opening-earlier-than-we-thought | 2024-10-15T17:51:32Z |
The fundamentals and history still favour Trump and punters agree
I think there’s some value in backing Harris at these prices as this is still a 50/50 race, we shall find out in twenty one days.
TSE
I think there’s some value in backing Harris at these prices as this is still a 50/50 race, we shall find out in twenty one days.
TSE | https://www1.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2024/10/15/the-fundamentals-and-history-still-favour-trump-and-punters-agree/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:32Z |
Alan Cole Beat Reporter Gold Member Jul 10, 2022 11,498 603 113 Today at 9:31 AM #1 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Lamont Paris, Collin Murray-Boyles and Nick Pringle coming up today to start off SEC Media Days on the men's side. Updates and stories to follow.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Lamont Paris, Collin Murray-Boyles and Nick Pringle coming up today to start off SEC Media Days on the men's side. Updates and stories to follow.
Alan Cole Beat Reporter Gold Member Jul 10, 2022 11,498 603 113 Today at 10:11 AM #2 This is premium content. Please subscribe to view.
Alan Cole Beat Reporter Gold Member Jul 10, 2022 11,498 603 113 Today at 10:21 AM #3 This is premium content. Please subscribe to view. | https://southcarolina.forums.rivals.com/threads/sec-media-days-live-thread-mens-basketball.384924/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:33Z |
Houston Basketball tops preseason KenPom projections
Kelvin Sampson's team will something to hang their hat on going into the season. KenPom, a widely regarded metric system for evaluating college basketball teams, is one of the key tools used by the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
This week, it unveiled its preseason ratings for the 2024-2025 men’s college basketball season, offering early insights into team projections. Unlike traditional ranking systems, KenPom is predictive, focusing on a team’s offensive and defensive efficiency to calculate a net rating. It predicts how many points a team will score and allow per 100 possessions, providing a more detailed analysis than win-loss records alone.
Houston topped the preseason KenPom rankings with an adjusted offensive efficiency rating of 114.2, tying for third nationally with Creighton and Purdue. Even more impressive, the Cougars earned the highest defensive efficiency rating at 84.7, ranking first overall. If these predictions prove accurate, Houston would be achieving its best KenPom rating in school history.
These projections come as the Cougars were also ranked No. 4 in the AP Top 25 preseason poll, trailing only Kansas, which narrowly edged them out as the top team in the Big 12. The two teams will clash twice during the season—on January 25 in Lawrence and March 3 in Houston—highlighting a challenging schedule that includes ten projected matchups with ranked teams.
As college basketball fans eagerly await the start of the season, KenPom’s ratings offer an early indication of Houston’s potential dominance, especially on defense, and set the stage for an exciting Big 12 race with perennial powerhouses like Kansas. | https://www.si.com/college/houston/basketball/houston-basketball-tops-preseason-kenpom-projections | 2024-10-15T17:51:33Z |
Mumbai, Oct 15 (PTI) A 34-year-old bone-setter has been arrested for allegedly molesting a married woman Yoga instructor in his clinic, a Mumbai Police official said on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Raees Ramzan Ahmed, allegedly touched the complainant inappropriately while examining her for back pain at his clinic in Dahisar area.
The accused also made certain remarks, following which the woman left the clinic.
Subsequently, she approached the police, leading to the registration of a case under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and the arrest of Ahmed, the official added. PTI ZA NSK | https://www.newsdrum.in/national/bone-setter-held-for-molesting-yoga-instructor-7317635 | 2024-10-15T17:51:34Z |
What to Know
- Family members of Lyle and Erik Menendez will speak Wednesday at a news conference in downtown Los Angeles.
- The gathering of roughly two dozen family members comes as LA County's top prosecutor reviews new evidence in the case that led to their convictions and life prison sentences.
- The review hinges on a letter hat Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin that his attorneys say corroborates claims of sexual abuse by his father just nine months before their parents were killed.
About two dozen family members of Lyle and Erik Menendez will plead for the brothers' release from prison when they gather Wednesday in Los Angeles for a news conference.
The brothers have been serving a life prison sentence for more than three decades for the murder of their parents inside their Beverly Hills home in 1989. They have claimed they were sexually abused by their father and feared for their lives.
Attorney Mark Geragos said the news conference represents a display of unity as Los Angeles County's top prosecutor is conducting a review of new evidence in the case, the subject of the recent Netflix true-crime drama "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story."
"They all took it upon themselves to fly in from all over the country," Geragos said. "They are united in asking for Lyle and Erik to be released from prison."
The news conference is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET Wednesday at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles. Family members expected to speak include Anamaria Baralt, the niece of Erik and Lyle Menendez's father Jose Menendez; Joan Andersen VanderMolen, sister of the brothers' mother Kitty Menendez; Brian A. Andersen Jr., nephew of Kitty Menendez; and the brothers' attorneys. Comedian and TV personality Rosie O'Donnell, a vocal advocate for the Menendez brothers, also is expected to speak.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón has not announced a timeline for a decision on his office's review. Geragos said. Gascón, who is running for re-election in the Nov. 5 election, announced Oct. 3 that the review was launched after attorneys for 53-year-old Erik Menendez and 56-year-old Lyle Menendez asked a court to vacate their convictions.
"The DA has said that he's taken it seriously. He hasn't made a decision, yet," Geragos said Monday night. "I take his at his word because he's been honest with us all the way along.
"They're cautiously optimistic."
The review hinges on a letter that Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin that his attorneys said corroborates claims of sexual abuse by his father just nine months before their parents were killed. The brothers have said they killed their parents out of self-defense. Their attorneys have argued that the brothers may not have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole if the trial was held today.
The brother's attorneys said family members believed the brothers should have faced a lesser charge of manslaughter instead of murder during the trial that led to their convictions at ages 21 and 18.
Prosecutors at the time argued there was no evidence of molestation. They said the brothers killed their parents for their multimillion-dollar estate.
Jurors rejected a death sentence in favor of life without parole.
The case gained new attention after Netflix streamed the true-crime drama "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story." In a statement on X posted by his wife, Erik Menendez called the show a "dishonest portrayal" of what happened that has taken them back to a time when prosecutors "built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused, and that males experience rape trauma differently from women."
Gascón has said he believes that the topic of sexual assault would have been treated with more sensitivity if the case had happened today.
“We have not decided on an outcome. We are reviewing information,” Gascón said in early October.
A hearing was scheduled for Nov. 29. | https://www.necn.com/news/national-international/lyle-erik-menendez-case-review/3358336/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:33Z |
Palm Springs TOT tax seeing a drop, how it’s impacting city funds?
Over the past 5 years, Palm Springs's Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) has been seeing a drop. This year's summer months are also seeing a steady decline.
TOT, also known as "Bed Tax," is a tax of 12% of the rent charged to transient guests in hotels/motels.
This could be a problem for city funds as tourism is one of its top economic drivers.
What is the city doing to address this?
Stay with News Channel 3 for more. | https://kesq.com/news/2024/10/15/palm-springs-tot-tax-seeing-a-drop-how-its-impacting-city-funds/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:35Z |
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.kdlg.org/as-heard-on-npr/2024-10-15/u-n-officials-and-rights-groups-warn-israel-may-seek-to-starve-north-gaza | 2024-10-15T17:51:35Z |
112 Minigames. 22 playable characters. 7 boards. 5 unique multiplayer modes and an exclusively single-player adventure to boot.
Super Mario Party Jamboree is stacked like no other game in the decades-old series. It’s not as consistent as its last title, Superstars, but it’s an appropriately extravagant celebration of the franchise’s rapidly-closing Nintendo Switch era.
Controlled chaos
Mario Party might be a digital board game about rolling dice, collecting coins, and racing to buy stars, but it's always lived and died by its minigames. Jamboree’s collection ranges from satisfying to mediocre — better than 2018’s Super Mario Party but falling short of 2021’s Mario Party Superstars. Many of its worst minigames are motion-controlled, but they’re thankfully few and there’s an option to exclude them.
The most extensive (often best) minigames occur when you collide with a “Jamboree buddy” while running around the board. These allies parachute in from the main cast and challenge players to a special competition. Yoshi has you run a footrace, Waluigi has you play pinball, Donkey Kong has you drum to a beat — and so on.
Win and you’ll recruit the buddy, gaining access to their unique power and the ability to double some normal actions — allowing you to buy two stars instead of one, for example. These allies are so powerful that, unlike their equivalents in 2018’s Super Mario Party, they’ll only stick around for a few turns, and ditch you to join other players that pass you on the board.
Other revisions hearken back to earlier titles or streamline old annoyances. Stars again cost 20 coins, not 10, pushing you to hoard money and minigame victories. Bowser spaces have returned — land on one and a giant “Imposter Bowser” will steal from you or launch a “Bowser Revolution” to equalize everyone’s coin totals. The game also has a swifter tempo, with snappy animations you can fast-forward through. Finally, optional “Pro Rules” rein in the randomness — trading hilarious upsets for tighter tactics.
Party favors
Jamboree bursts with other diversions aside from this main event. You can cooperate through rhythm challenges in a fantastical cooking show. You can tilt motion controls to slide items around a factory. You can even exhaust yourself with “Paratroopa Flight School” — where you’ll literally flap your arms to soar through the skies.
If you’ve got a Nintendo Online subscription, you can jump into the co-operative “Bowser Kaboom Squad” or cutthroat “Koopathlon” modes, which feature their own unique minigames for eight to 20 players (sadly, each participant needs their own Switch). Conversely, if you wish to party alone, there’s a surprisingly involved single-player mode called “Party-Planner Trek.”
Many activities quickly wear out their novelty. “Paratroopa Flight School” is difficult to maneuver, leaving me literally sore. “Toad’s Item Factory” requires patience and teamwork at odds with the game's typically frenetic pace. “Koopathlon” feels like Nintendo’s version of Fall Guys: blisteringly fun when you’re at the top of the pack and terribly demoralizing when you’ve fallen behind.
But in this overbearing variety, Jamboree lives up to its name. Even if it’s not the classic that Mario Party Superstars proved to be, I can already tell that its approachable gameplay and goofy chaos will make it a family staple for years to come.
Copyright 2024 NPR | https://www.wyso.org/npr-news/2024-10-15/nintendo-plays-the-extravagant-host-in-super-mario-party-jamboree | 2024-10-15T17:51:35Z |
Six bands unite on stage for generation Z
The much-anticipated 'Gonojowar' concert will take place on October 18, 2024, at the Amphitheatre in Hatirjheel, Dhaka. Dedicated to the youth of Bangladesh, this musical evening will feature performances by six popular bands: Nemesis, Cryptic Fate, AvoidRafa, Bay of Bengal, Conclusion, and Kaaktaal, organized by Mavix Global.
The concert is set to begin at 4:30 PM, with gates opening from 3 PM. Attendees will enjoy a full day of music along with amenities such as food and snack stalls, coffee stations, and more. Following some recent events where large crowds posed challenges, the organizers have arranged for enhanced security with private security personnel throughout the venue.
For both Nemesis and Cryptic Fate, this concert marks an emotional return to the stage after several months, making the event even more special for the bands and their fans. The event is organized by Mavix Global, who previously hosted successful events in Dhaka, such as the Guitar Clinic with Oni Hasan. They hope this concert will be another success and are planning even bigger events in the future.
Tickets are priced at BDT 600 and are available for purchase on GetSetRock.com.
This music extravaganza has already sparked excitement among the youth, and the organizers are optimistic that it will be an unforgettable evening. | https://www.thedailystar.net/business/organisation-news/press-releases/news/six-bands-unite-stage-generation-z-3728361 | 2024-10-15T17:51:34Z |
FOXBORO, Mass. — A dazzling drive-through holiday lights experience is returning to Gillette Stadium in November, officials announced Tuesday.
Magic of Lights will return to Foxboro for a fourth holiday season, starting on Friday, Nov. 22 and ending on Christmas Day, Family Entertainment Live said in a news release.
The Magic of Lights drive-through experience showcases dozens of displays, a festive holiday soundtrack, and captivating digital animations, all brought to life with millions of LED lights.
This year’s edition will feature the “brightest and longest route ever,” event organizers said.
Guests can enjoy the displays from the comfort of their vehicle, including the 32-foot-tall animated Christmas Barbie, a prehistoric Christmas, Winter Wonderland, the 12 Days of Christmas, Toyland, a bigfoot monster truck, and an elves and reindeer road, in addition to the signature 200-foot long enchanted tunnel of lights.
Brand new for the 2024 season, MagicVision selfie filters will be unveiled, featuring fun filters that will transform selfies into festive holiday-themed images.
“With over two million sparkling lights, Magic of Lights offers a nostalgic and festive experience for guests of all ages that is an essential part of the holiday season,” organizers said in the release.
Tickets for Magic of Lights that can be used on any Sunday through Thursday are on sale now for a limited time for $20 per vehicle. Date-specific tickets start at $35.
Magic of Lights will dazzle daily from Friday, Nov. 22 through Wednesday, Dec. 25, but is closed on Dec. 1 for a Patriots game. Hours are 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
For more information, click here.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2024 Cox Media Group | https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/brightest-longest-route-drive-through-holiday-lights-experiencre-returning-gillette-stadium/IPX4P5RXJVGGLGXXIIO4SM7OYM/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:36Z |
Latest Headlines
CAF Puts Libya, Nigeria AFCON 2025 Qualifier on Hold
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match between Libya and Nigeria originally scheduled for Tuesday (October 15) will no longer take place as planned.
CAF said in a statement issued Tuesday that the situation between the two nations was under review and “will be referred to the competent CAF bodies” for further action.
“The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Qualifier fixture between Libya and Nigeria will not take place as scheduled tonight,” CAF statement read.
The governing body added that further developments will be determined by the appropriate CAF authorities. | https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2024/10/15/caf-puts-libya-nigeria-afcon-2025-qualifier-on-hold/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:36Z |
Alex Murdaugh settles the wrongful death lawsuit that sparked his fall
Associated Press
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Alex Murdaugh has settled a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of a teen killed in a boat crash involving Murdaugh’s youngest son. Prosecutors say the 2019 crash provoked the disgraced South Carolina attorney to kill his wife, Maggie, and their son Paul, who wrecked the boat. The agreement by Progressive to pay the $500,000 policy Alex Murdaugh had on the boat ends the suit from the family of 19-year-old Mallory Beach. The teen’s family already received more than $15 million from a settlement with the Parker’s Kitchen chain of convenience stores and others. | https://kvia.com/news/2024/10/15/alex-murdaugh-settles-the-wrongful-death-lawsuit-that-sparked-his-fall/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:37Z |
The image captures the nighttime scene in front of the Munich Opera House through a stunning long-exposure shot. At the centre stands the opera's grand facade, softly illuminated by warm lights, highlighting its elegant architecture.
The square comes alive with light trails from cars exiting the underground garage and curving around the corner. The headlights form glowing, sweeping lines that contrast beautifully with the calm, historical setting, emphasizing the flow of modern urban movement.
These light trails create a sense of almost magical, fluid motion while the rest of the square remains still in the quiet of the night. The crisp autumn air adds a fresh, cool ambience to the scene. | https://landscapephotographymagazine.com/15/10/2024/munich-bavaria-germany/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:36Z |
Kingsmill survivor criticises ‘cruel withholding’ of Police Ombudsman report
Alan Black says he fears he will go to his grave without getting answers about the mass killing by republican terrorists in 1976.
The sole survivor of the Kingsmill Massacre has lambasted the “withholding” of a Police Ombudsman report into the atrocity as “cruel”.
Alan Black, 81, has described himself as being in poor health and said he fears he will go to his grave before finding out answers he has campaigned decades for.
Ten of Mr Black’s colleagues died and he was seriously wounded when republican terrorists posing as British soldiers ordered the workmen off a bus on the way home from work outside the village of Kingsmill in Co Armagh in January 1976.
They were asked their religion, and the only Catholic was ordered to run away.
The killers forced the 11 remaining men to line up outside the van before opening fire.
Mr Black survived despite being shot multiple times.
No-one has ever been convicted of the murders, which the Provisional IRA denied.
However in April following a long-running inquest, a coroner ruled that the shooting dead of the 10 Protestant workmen at Kingsmill was an “overtly sectarian attack by the IRA”.
Mr Black said they expected the publication of the Police Ombudsman report following the conclusion of the inquest, but are continuing to wait.
He has issued a second pre-application protocol letter to the office of the Police Ombudsman to try and secure the report.
He visited Stormont on Thursday along with Karen Armstrong, sister of victim John McConville, for a meeting with DUP Policing Board member Joanne Bunting.
“Why the Ombudsman’s office is doing this, and me in particular in bad health, I just do not know. It’s cruel, it really is cruel,” he said.
Asked how he felt when he saw a public inquiry announced into the murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, Mr Black said: “Everyone’s entitled, anyone who was taken the way Pat Finucane was taken is entitled, but we’re entitled as well.
“Why are we being passed from pillar to post, first with the inquest and now the Ombudsman, why are they doing this to us?
“They don’t want to open this can of worms, that’s my opinion. But that can of worms has to be opened. It can’t be allowed to fester. I’m 81, will I make 82, will we have that report.
“We have men dead over 40 years, I’m the only one that lived, I owe them and I will have to keep fighting and get whoever we can on our side.”
Ms Armstrong said they had been told by Ombudsman investigators that the report was completed in 2020, and questioned why the hold up.
She said her brother went to work that morning and never came home.
“We were left with basically no answers, even those first few weeks, we were reading information in newspapers, any detail we got were from newspapers, no-one from any position in security or government came to tell us anything,” she said.
“And that’s how we lived with Kingsmill for a long time. It was very, very difficult and still is to this day.
“John had plans, he wanted to go to college and study to be a missionary.
“We want truth. We haven’t even got an inch of that, and that’s what is wrong.”
Ms Bunting said Mr Black has used money in his legal action that he had saved for his funeral.
“It is appalling that some 48 years after this most brutal callous and sectarian of murders that caused embarrassment even for the IRA that to get to the truth, these families are still having to fight the very systems that were set up to support them,” she said.
“Mr Black is now 81 and in poor health. He has endured an eight-year inquest which frankly raised more questions than provided answers and as a result he has pinned his hopes for getting truth on the Police Ombudsman report, but he fears he may not live to see it.
“This matter should have been resolved and the report issued as soon as the inquest was over. The initial complaint was made in 2013.
“This is no way to treat innocent victims. It is shameful.”
A spokesperson for the Office of the Police Ombudsman said: “Given potential legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment.
“However, we can confirm that we intend to provide the findings of our investigation in respect of the Kingsmill murders and attempted murder to those families and victims who brought related complaints and concerns to the Police Ombudsman.
“This will be within the timeframe determined by the transitional arrangements, which is prior to May 1, 2025.” | https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/uk-news/2024/10/15/kingsmill-survivor-criticises-cruel-withholding-of-police-ombudsman-report/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:37Z |
Hosting of IROS 2024 Reflects ‘Khalifa University’s Willingness to Contribute to UAE’s Strategic Objectives on AI’
Date
10/15/2024 9:38:35 AM
(MENAFN- Orient Planet Group) Abu Dhabi-UAE: 14 October 2024 – Hosting the 36th edition of the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) in collaboration with stakeholders is in line with Khalifa University’s mandate and reflects a willingness to contribute to the UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031, said His Excellency Professor Ebrahim Al Hajri, President, Khalifa University of Science and Technology.
Welcoming the delegates and participants of IROS 2024 that opened on 14 October at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), His Excellency Professor Al Hajri commended that stakeholder in the UAE, the global scientific community, and the researchers and academics in the region have played a critical role in bringing an international conference and exhibition of this stature to the Abu Dhabi. The event themed ‘Robotics for Sustainable Development’ runs up to 18 October 2024.
His Excellency Professor Al Hajri said: “This is a proud moment for the UAE and for Khalifa University as we host IROS 2024 in Abu Dhabi. Through such global events, Khalifa University will help facilitate collaboration on cutting-edge research, and we believe delegates and participants will explore opportunities for growth within MENA region, while actively contributing to the global innovation ecosystem in robotics and artificial intelligence.”
On Monday 14 October, IROS 2024 witnessed nine tutorial sessions and 31 technical workshops as researchers, scientists and academics from universities, research institutions and leading corporates across the world interacted on various aspects of robotics technologies.
Among the global-level competitions and challenges, the euROBIN Manipulation, the F1 Tenth Autonomous Racing Competition, and the IEEE/RAS Quadruped Robot Challenge (QRC), began on 14 October, with the rest of the challenges spread over all the days from 15 - 16 October. The competitions are designed to inspire creativity, focusing on robots' physical or athletic intelligence, remote robot navigation, robot manipulation, underwater robotics, and perception and sensing.
Among the 13 forums, the ‘Robots for Sustainability and Sustainable Robots’ forum is scheduled for 15 October, while the rest are scheduled from 16-18 October with four forums each, every day.
Exhibits of the latest technologies and products demonstrating the next generation of sustainable robotics evinced keen interest at IROS 2024. Poster sessions, keynotes, panel discussions, and networking events are also lined up for the remaining days at this major international conference.
MENAFN15102024003685011158ID1108780608
Legal Disclaimer:
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/1108780608/Hosting-of-IROS-2024-Reflects-Khalifa-Universitys-Willingness-to-Contribute-to-UAEs-Strategic-Objectives-on-AI | 2024-10-15T17:51:37Z |
Post Malone and Blake Shelton have another reason to celebrate with a drink.
The pair held steady at #1 for a second week with "Pour Me a Drink," the second single off Posty's star-studded F-1 Trillion album.
It's Blake's 29th career chart-topper and Posty's second in country music. His first was the crossover Morgan Wallen-assisted hit, "I Had Some Help."
To catch Posty on his ongoing F-1 Trillion Tour, visit postmalone.com.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. | https://www.k95tulsa.com/news/post-malone-blake/4CFS2BA4HTTEXPJ3IHFGNWSCTU/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:37Z |
Viral TikTok Shows Why You Don’t Try To Speak Wookiee At Galaxy’s Edge If You’re Not Fluent
Let the Wookiee win.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is a land unlike any other at Disneyland. While Fantasyland or Tomorrowland are just collections of attractions with similar themes, Galaxy’s Edge is a place. It creates a Star Wars planet complete with architecture, food, and even characters that walk around the land as if they live there. Guests can interact with these characters in ways they can’t do elsewhere. But sometimes those guests should watch how they choose to do so.
A TikTok is going viral that has people laughing both in the comments and in the theme park. A guy tries to interact with Chewbacca in his native language, calling out with his best Wookiee noises, but Chewie is hilariously unimpressed. Check it out.
@deandre1108 ♬ Comforting - Noah
A lot of people appear to be having some fun at the expense of this guy and his Wookiee call. The clip of a nonplussed Chewbacca has gone viral with millions of views and thousands of comments. Everybody is laughing at Chewbacca’s reaction.
Who among us hasn’t attempted to talk like Chewbacca? Any Star Wars fan has probably done it. Some people can pull off pretty good Wookiee calls, but some of us just don’t have that innate talent. This is, unfortunately, the case of somebody who really can’t pull it off and Chewbacca lets him know that the attempt just wasn’t noteworthy.
Chewbacca is one of the more likely Star Wars characters that you'll meet if you happen to be walking through Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland or Walt Disney World. He's one character who transcends the eras of Star Wars movies, appearing in all three trilogies of films. Originally Galaxy's Edge was designed as a place where characters from only the sequel trilogy era could be found. However, Boba Fett, The Mandalorian, and others from the recent Disney+ Star Wars series have been added and can be found in the land as well.
It’s actually pretty impressive how nonplussed Chewbacca can look here. Most Disney characters who walk around the parks in full masks wouldn’t be able to give this sort of expression, but Chewbacca’s Galaxy Edge character is essentially identical to the version we’d see in a Star Wars movie, so the mask is full of a lot more expression.
Chewbacca probably has to deal with a lot of people growling at him as he wanders through Galaxy’s Edge and interacts with guests. Honestly, it’s preferable to when some guests decide that grabbing Chewbacca is an acceptable thing to do.
CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER
Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News
I'm curious what sort of reaction Chewbacca would give to people who are better at sounding like a Wookiee. Can you have a "conversation" with Chewie where he'll respond to you if you are actually any good at making the right screams and growls?
CinemaBlend’s resident theme park junkie and amateur Disney historian, Dirk began writing for CinemaBlend as a freelancer in 2015 before joining the site full-time in 2018. He has previously held positions as a Staff Writer and Games Editor, but has more recently transformed his true passion into his job as the head of the site's Theme Park section. He has previously done freelance work for various gaming and technology sites. Prior to starting his second career as a writer he worked for 12 years in sales for various companies within the consumer electronics industry. He has a degree in political science from the University of California, Davis. Is an armchair Imagineer, Epcot Stan, Future Club 33 Member. | https://www.cinemablend.com/theme-parks/viral-tiktok-shows-why-you-dont-try-to-speak-wookiee-at-galaxys-edge-if-youre-not-fluent | 2024-10-15T17:51:38Z |
Lil Durk's Deep Thoughts may be delayed. The album was initially supposed to come out on Oct. 18, but a look at its page on Apple Music says the release date is Nov. 22.
Juice Wrld has two new songs out: "Both Ways" and "Cavalier," both part of his The Pre-Party (Extended) EP. The former dropped with a music video directed by Trippie Redd and DotComNirvan.
Teyana Taylor will be in the building when celebrities are honored at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony Saturday. She'll take the stage to help induct Dionne Warwick, who she'll play in an upcoming biopic.
Ashanti is one of the many people celebrating a birthday this Libra season. Since she couldn't visit an island, hubby Nelly seemingly brought the island to her. A clip shared on Instagram shows her giving a speech, expressing her love for her Nelly and their son.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. | https://www.kiss104fm.com/news/icymi-juice-wrld/OUH2DCXPSJTXUTOADAKSDATZM4/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:37Z |
Alan Cole Beat Reporter Gold Member Jul 10, 2022 11,498 603 113 Today at 11:41 AM #1 Checking in from Birmingham for basketball media days, but will do my best to stay on top of football media availability with players and Shane Beamer going on back in Columbia.
Checking in from Birmingham for basketball media days, but will do my best to stay on top of football media availability with players and Shane Beamer going on back in Columbia.
Alan Cole Beat Reporter Gold Member Jul 10, 2022 11,498 603 113 46 minutes ago #2 This is premium content. Please subscribe to view.
Alan Cole Beat Reporter Gold Member Jul 10, 2022 11,498 603 113 40 minutes ago #3 This is premium content. Please subscribe to view.
Alan Cole Beat Reporter Gold Member Jul 10, 2022 11,498 603 113 28 minutes ago #4 This is premium content. Please subscribe to view.
Alan Cole Beat Reporter Gold Member Jul 10, 2022 11,498 603 113 22 minutes ago #5 This is premium content. Please subscribe to view. | https://southcarolina.forums.rivals.com/threads/tuesday-football-media-availability-live-updates-oklahoma-week.384926/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:40Z |
Hyderabad, Oct 15 (PTI) A case was registered against BRS Working President K T Rama Rao following a complaint against him for making false allegations of a scam in Musi river rejuvenation project here against Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the Congress party.
Based on a complaint filed by a Congress leader, the FIR was registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) including 352 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) in Utnoor police station of the district on October 14, police said on Tuesday.
Police said after a preliminary enquiry, the case was registered and further investigation was taken up.
The complainant stated that Rama Rao made statements on September 30 claiming that Rs 1.5 lakh crore was spent on Musi river rejuvenation project by the ruling Congress government in Telangana and dubbed it as a "scam".
The complainant further accused the BRS leader of making false allegations against the Telangana CM without any evidence in this regard. PTI VVK VVK ROH | https://www.newsdrum.in/national/case-registered-against-brs-leader-rama-rao-over-allegations-of-scam-in-musi-river-project-7317668 | 2024-10-15T17:51:40Z |
US retail trade group expects holiday season sales to grow more slowly
AP Retail Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — The largest retail trade group in the United States says it expects consumers to spend more during the upcoming holiday season but the growth in sales to be slower than last year due to concerns over persistent inflation and prices. The National Retail Federation said Tuesday that its 2024 forecast indicates shoppers will make $979.5 billion to $989 billion worth of purchases in November and December. That would represent a 2.5%-3.5% increase over the same two-month period a year ago. However, sales during the 2023 holiday shopping season were 3.9% higher than in 2022. The group makes its calculations based on government figures. The numbers exclude sales at automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants. | https://kesq.com/news/2024/10/15/retail-trade-group-expects-to-see-slower-holiday-sales-in-us/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:41Z |
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.kdlg.org/as-heard-on-npr/2024-10-15/walgreens-will-close-1-200-stores-hoping-for-a-turnaround | 2024-10-15T17:51:41Z |
Rare comet in skies over North Texas Published October 14, 2024 • Updated 1 hour ago A rare comet known as C/2023 A3 has been visible to the naked eye over North Texas. NBC 5 viewers who spotted the comet shared their photos with iSee@nbcdfw.com. 23 photos 1/23 Brad McGavock Brad McGavock Godley, TX 2/23 Brad McGavock Brad McGavock Godley, TX 3/23 Alex Sabatini Taken north of Ivanhoe TX with a Nikon Z6ii and a 50mm 1.8 lens on Sunday 10/13 4/23 Alexander Sabatini Name : Alex Sabatini Equipment : Nikon Z6ii, Nikon 50mm 1.8 Location : FM2554 , North of Ivanhoe 5/23 Alexander Sabatini Name : Alex Sabatini Equipment : Nikon Z6ii, Nikon 50mm 1.8 Location : FM2554 , North of Ivanhoe 6/23 Alexander Sabatini Name : Alex Sabatini Equipment : Nikon Z6ii, Nikon 50mm 1.8 Location : FM2554 , North of Ivanhoe 7/23 Alexander Sabatini Name : Alex Sabatini Equipment : Nikon Z6ii, Nikon 50mm 1.8 Location : FM2554 , North of Ivanhoe 8/23 Patrick McMahon 4 second picture of the comet taken at Dinosaur Valley State Park on 10/13. 9/23 Skinness-Lawson, Mary [tint-NBC_DFW] [EXTERNAL] Tonight’s comet 10/23 Laura Lynn Stroud Both pics taken on 10/14/24 in Dublin, TX. 11/23 Adam Reynolds This is Comet A3 on the night of 10/13 at 7:59PM. Best visibility for this comet is from 10/14 to 10/24. Hopefully Kevan can use if during one of his Astronomy segments! 12/23 Bob Hatfield Comet taken from new Fairview Texas on October 14 with Nikon d810 camera 50 mm lens. 13/23 Arthur Welborn Picture taken last night from Farmersville. 14/23 drjimcato@aol.com I took this picture at approximately 8:05 pm tonight of the comet in the low western sky . The picture was taken from my ranch just outside Granbury Dr. Jim Cato Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS 15/23 dhennig.1007 Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphonePhoto— Dr.Joe McWherter Location— Walling Bend, Lake Whitney, Bosque County 16/23 Danny Voth Western sky near Muenster 17/23 Larry Groebe I actually couldn’t see it, but my new iPhone does such an amazing job with night mode that it found the comet quite clearly. 18/23 Domingo Rodriguez The comet as seen from in front of my home near Lake Worth, TX, around 8:05 pm. 19/23 Keith Stolarek We took this photo from Terlingua (ten bits ranch) last evening 10/13/2024. I have more on my camera. Keith Stolarek 20/23 Keith Stolarek We took this photo from Terlingua (ten bits ranch) last evening 10/13/2024. I have more on my camera. Keith Stolarek 21/23 Keith Stolarek We took this photo from Terlingua (ten bits ranch) last evening 10/13/2024. I have more on my camera. Keith Stolarek 22/23 Keith Stolarek We took this photo from Terlingua (ten bits ranch) last evening 10/13/2024. I have more on my camera. Keith Stolarek 23/23 Share your photos and videos with NBC 5 by emailing iSee@nbcdfw.com More Photo Galleries Photos: 25 amazing images of the northern lights over New England In photos: Impact of Hurricane Milton PHOTOS: Noodles and dumplings are just the start at Y Noodle & Bar In pictures: See damage from Hurricane Helene | https://www.necn.com/news/national-international/rare-comet-in-skies-over-north-texas/3358327/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:40Z |
There’s a valley in rural southwest Utah that’s become a hub for renewable energy. Dozens of tall white wind turbines whoosh up in the sky. A sea of solar panels glistens in the distance.
But the new kid on the block is mostly hidden underground.
From the surface, Fervo Energy’s Cape Station looks more or less like an oil derrick, with a thin metal tower rising above the sagebrush steppe.
But this $2 billion geothermal project, which broke ground last year, is not drilling for gas. It’s drilling for underground heat that CEO Tim Latimer believes holds the key to generating carbon-free power — lots of it.
“Just these three well pads alone will produce 100 megawatts of electricity. Around-the-clock, 24/7 electricity,” he said.
Latimer stood overlooking the project, which is currently under construction, on one of the drill rig’s metal platforms 40 feet off the ground. This well is one of the 24 Fervo is in the process of completing at Cape Station to harness the Earth’s natural heat and generate electricity.
Not your father's geothermal energy
This isn’t the type of geothermal that’s already active in volcanic hot spots like Iceland or The Geysers project in California. It’s called an enhanced geothermal system.
Cold water goes down into a well that curves like a hockey stick as it reaches more than 13,000 feet underground. Then the water squeezes through cracks in 400-degree rock. The water heats up and returns to the surface through a second well that runs parallel to the first. That creates steam that turns turbines to produce electricity, and the water gets sent back underground in a closed loop.
This horizontal well technique has been pioneered at a $300 million federal research project called Utah FORGE located in this same valley, which has paved the way for private companies to take the tech and run with it.
Recent innovations like better drill bits — made with synthetic diamonds to eat through hard subterranean granite — have helped Fervo drill its latest well in a quarter of the time that it took just a couple of years ago. That efficiency has meant an 80% drop in drilling costs, Latimer said.
Last year, Fervo’s pilot project in Nevada used similar techniques to begin sending electricity to a Google data center. And the company’s early tests at Cape Station in Utah show the new project can produce power at triple the rate of its Nevada pilot.
“This is now a proven tech. That's not a statement you could have made two or three years ago,” Latimer said. “Now, it just comes down to how do we get more of these megawatts on the grid so we have a bigger impact?”
This summer, this type of geothermal got one step closer to Americans’ living rooms.
Fervo signed a landmark deal with Southern California Edison, one of the country’s largest electric utilities with 15 million customers. It will send the first 70 megawatts of geothermal juice to the grid in 2026. By the time the project is fully completed in 2028, this Utah plant will deliver 320 megawatts total — enough to power 350,000 homes.
Carbon-free mandates stimulate demand
California leaders set a mandate in 2018 requiring the state to have 100% renewable electricity by 2045. So, SoCal Edison spokesperson Reggie Kumar said adding geothermal makes sense.
“For California to achieve its decarbonization goals by 2045, the grid must expand faster than ever before. This means we need to take bold actions.”
The U.S. Department of Energy’s long-term goal is to multiply domestic geothermal capacity nearly 25-fold by 2050 — to a level that could power more than 65 million homes. The federal government is investing millions in geothermal projects to speed up geothermal’s deployment nationwide. The local geology in southwest Utah makes it a prime spot for tapping underground heat, but recent mapping from the National Renewable Energy Lab shows potential for enhanced geothermal to work across much of the West and even in some eastern states, such as Mississippi, Iowa and Pennsylvania.
Geothermal does currently cost more per megawatt hour than wind or solar, but those more-established renewables require big batteries to keep power flowing around the clock. Geothermal, on the other hand, has the potential to ramp up and down as needed to fill the gaps when it’s not sunny or windy, said Alexandra Gorin, who manages the carbon-free electricity team at sustainability think tank RMI.
“Theoretically, it offers a firmer, clean fuel source,” she said, “and so for utilities and grid operators that are concerned a lot about reliability and resource adequacy, geothermal has the potential to provide ... closer to 24/7 renewable.”
The fact that a giant utility like SoCal Edison made this type of deal sends a message to the broader energy market about geothermal’s viability, said RMI senior principal, Uday Varadarajan.
“It's saying something that they feel they need geothermal, even though they have so much wind, solar and storage. So I think it is a big deal.”
We won’t know for sure if geothermal can be a reliable utility-scale power source until it actually happens, Varadarajan said, but he’s cautiously optimistic. And if the Fervo project works, he said more companies could begin building additional geothermal projects for other utilities within just a few years.
“We do hope we will have other [renewable energy] options in the next decade, but geothermal is something that can start scaling by the end of this decade,” he said. “That few years can make an enormous difference for competitiveness [and] for climate.”
Enhanced geothermal has potential to scale quickly, in part, because it borrows a lot of tech and know-how from the industry many would like to see it replace: fossil fuels. Fervo is even based in Houston — Oiltown USA — and a majority of the company’s employees came from the fossil fuel industry.
Scalable with off the shelf technology
Eric Williams, for example, spent decades working in oil and gas but now oversees safety at the Fervo project in Utah. Switching industries didn’t change his daily tasks, he said, but it did change the way he feels about his job.
“You say you work in the oil and gas industry, sometimes people go, ‘Ehhhh.’ But when you say geothermal and when you say renewable, sustainable ... a lot of people go, ‘Wow,’” Williams said. “So when I do tell people about what I do out in the world, I'm proud.”
That illustrates another reason why geothermal could help the U.S. chart a path to a cleaner energy future, said CEO Tim Latimer. A lot of fossil fuel operations will be phased out to fight climate change. And a lot of oil and gas workers will need a landing spot.
Geothermal could help with both transitions, he said, if the project in Utah is the start of something bigger.
“When we stand here 10 or 20 years from now, our hope is not only was this a successful project, but it was a template for something that we could repeat dozens and even hundreds of times all over the world.”
Copyright 2024 NPR | https://www.wyso.org/npr-news/2024-10-15/petroleum-drilling-technology-is-now-making-carbon-free-power | 2024-10-15T17:51:41Z |
EASTON, Mass. — A dog and a cat were killed after an early morning house fire in Easton.
On Tuesday, morning around 3:36 a.m., Easton Fire responded to 13 Columbus Ave. for a report of a house fire.
Upon arrival, crews were met with heavy fire in a basement apartment that was spreading quickly to the first and second floors of the three-family house, which has three apartment units.
Firefighters also had to rescue a disabled, wheelchair-bound resident who was living on the first floor and could not escape. All other residents of the house had evacuated before fire crews arrived.
One cat and one dog died as a result of the fire, and another dog is being treated at a local animal hospital.
Twelve residents were displaced due to the fire and preliminary investigation shows the fire appears to be accidental and likely electrical in nature, Easton fire said.
“I would like to commend Capt. Larry Blye and Firefighter Evan Hagerty for their heroic efforts to save the resident and stop the fire,” Chief Alexander said. “Due to our ambulance, with two firefighters, being at the hospital at the same time as the fire, our first arriving crew had multiple critical tasks that they had to do with just two firefighters initially. It was an outstanding effort by Easton Fire and our mutual aid partners.”
The Stoughton, Brockton, Sharon, West Bridgewater, and Raynham Fire Departments, the Easton Community Emergency Response Team, the Mansfield Emergency Management Agency, Easton Animal Control, and Easton Police provided mutual aid at the scene. The Mansfield and Norton Fire Departments provided station coverage during the incident.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Easton Fire Department and the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2024 Cox Media Group | https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/dog-cat-killed-easton-after-early-morning-house-fire/CXHCZAB3WZCXJGQC2FIDQUWCQ4/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:42Z |
Ban on plastic bags a boon for eco-friendly sacks
Until early September this year, Mahfuza Begum's Surzu Handicrafts was making eco-friendly, lightweight and reusable net shopping bags out of jute and cotton for a handful of buyers.
And it was not on a regular basis, for putting in the effort required the placement of orders from buyers first.
Since the middle of last month, her small production unit with 10 machines has been busy making the bags thanks to the interim government's decision to ban the use of polythene and polypropylene shopping bags across all superstores.
The ban came into effect from October 1.
Since then, Surzu Handicrafts has supplied more than 20,000 shopping bags to supermarkets.
At present, Begum has orders from supermarket chains to supply another 32,000 bags.
"Biodegradable bags were neglected and their use was limited and deemed as fancy. Now, we see a huge demand," she said.
Prior to the ban, Surzu Handicrafts used to make roughly 1,000 bags a month. "We could run two-three machines daily at that time," she said.
She said increased demand for the eco-friendly bags has created employment opportunities for many. "I have engaged 15 women to make the bags in their homes," said Begum.
Tahmidul Islam, owner of Baeki Centre, which also makes eco-friendly bags, said they used to make promotional items before the government asked supermarkets to use biodegradable bags.
Since the ban came into effect, Baeki has supplied more than 30,000 bags to superstores, he said.
LACK OF SUPPLY OF FABRIC
Both Begum and Islam said although they were seeing very high demand from supermarkets, they were unable to meet it because of an alleged shortage of fabric used to make the bags.
Besides, prices of jute and cotton fabrics have shot up suddenly, they said.
"There is huge demand but the problem is a lack of availability of the fabric," said Islam.
He said prior to the ban, one yard of fabric cost Tk 32 but now the price has risen to Tk 38 to Tk 40.
"This has increased our production cost," he said.
Another challenge was that most supermarkets want to delay making payments as much as possible, he said.
"We have to buy fabrics with cash payments but most superstores do not want to pay us instantly," said Islam.
"This has led to us having a lack of working capital. If we got payments every week, we would have been able to pay our fabric makers and keep production uninterrupted," he said.
Begum said the raw materials required for manufacturing the bags have become scarce.
Businesses said most of the jute goods makers were focused on making fabrics suitable for the export market and were unprepared to meet the sudden spike in demand for fabrics used for low-cost shopping bags.
"We have had to start hurriedly so that we can supply the superstores," said Begum.
Sabbir H Nasir, managing director of Shwapno, the largest retail chain, said the ban had posed implementation challenges.
"We need one lakh shopping bags for our stores daily. We get around 1,000 to 2,000 bags…So, there is a huge demand and supply gap," he said.
Nasir said they were offering shopping bags for anywhere between Tk 6 and Tk 20 so as to refrain from putting too much pressure on customers.
"We have to use two paper bags for fish and meat. This is costly for us. But we have to do this as wax laminated paper bags are unavailable in Bangladesh," he said.
"What is needed is to ensure the production of wax laminated paper bags and increase the supply of jute bags," he added.
"Raising awareness among customers is necessary as not all customers are taking the move positively. We are encouraging them to reuse the bags," said Nasir.
"Once our ancestors used to go shop with bags. We need to start a campaign to adopt old habits," he said.
Nasir said amid the shortage of bags, they were requesting customers to bring their own bags.
He said the government could have encouraged a gradual shift toward the eco-friendly bags.
Murtoza Zaman, chief executive of Unimart, said they were providing customers reusable jute and cloth bags by sourcing them from various places but they were not getting adequate supplies.
Moreover, prices could not be brought down, with the minimum price for each bag hovering at Tk 29, he said.
"If the government can ensure raw materials for bag makers, it would be a great help for them," he said.
Md Rashedul Karim Munna, president of the Bangladesh Jute Diversified Products Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said there was a lot of interest on jute-based shopping bags.
"But the industry had no preparation to make fabrics for low-cost bags. Separate materials will be needed to make such bags. Entrepreneurs will have to invest separately," he said.
"So, they need assurance from the government that they will enforce the rule on the mandatory use of eco-friendly shopping bags," he said.
He said the government should issue a gazette that the ban will remain in force for at least three years.
"This will create a big domestic market for jute and a lot of jobs," he said.
Munna, also managing director of a diversified jute goods-making firm Creation Private Ltd, said the government should also consider lifting VAT on the sales of supermarkets to incentivise both superstores operators and customers to use eco-friendly bags. | https://www.thedailystar.net/environment/news/ban-plastic-bags-boon-eco-friendly-sacks-3728346 | 2024-10-15T17:51:41Z |
Americans haven’t been this worried about making their credit card payments since the pandemic
By Alicia Wallace, CNN
(CNN) — Americans are feeling fairly secure in their jobs, they expect to continue to earn and spend more than they did pre-pandemic, and they think inflation isn’t getting much worse, according to new survey data released Tuesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. But they’re growing increasingly anxious about mounting credit card debt.
Debt balances have been growing, and US consumers are nervous about whether they’ll be able to keep up: Americans haven’t been this worried about missing a minimum debt payment since April 2020.
The New York Fed’s September 2024 Survey of Consumer Expectations showed that the average perceived probability of missing a minimum debt payment during the next three months increased for the fourth consecutive month to 14.2%. Outside of the pandemic, that’s the highest delinquency expectation reading seen in the monthly survey since January 2017.
The juxtaposition seen in the latest New York Fed survey runs par for the course with what other data has been showing for years: The US economy is running quite strong, but people aren’t feeling that great about it, said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst for Bankrate.
“Inflation is still a big deal; even though it’s come down, I feel that’s still the dominant theme in the economy,” Rossman told CNN in an interview Tuesday. “Inflation is gobbling up a lot of the gains people are making. So, even if you’re working, and even if your wages are up, a lot of people are not feeling good about things.”
And the cumulative effects of this bout of high inflation have hit some Americans harder than others, and the data reflects growing income inequality, Rossman said.
“For people with good incomes and good credit scores, things are going well; they’re still able to access plenty of credit and, by and large, paying on time,” he said. “If you’re in the half who’s using a card for convenience and rewards, life is good. Now the other half, that can be a much more troublesome situation when you think about potentially longer-term credit card debt.”
Lower-income Americans face higher inflation, research shows.
Since 2005, prices have risen 64%, on average, for the lowest-income households as compared to 57% for the prices typically paid by highest-income households, according to a recently released Minneapolis Federal Reserve analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
The latest New York Fed data showed that while delinquency expectations did spike higher last month (6.4% to 8.4%) for people who earn more than $100,000 a year, the probability of an expected missed payment increased to 20% for those earning under $50,000 a year.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://kvia.com/news/2024/10/15/americans-havent-been-this-worried-about-making-their-credit-card-payments-since-the-pandemic/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:43Z |
Latest Headlines
Flooding: Katsina Receives N3bn Support from FG
• Commences distribution of funds to victims
• Earmarks N2.9bn for emergency flood control
Francis Sardauna in Katsina
The Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, Tuesday, said the state government has received N3 billion support from the Federal Government to tackle the devastating effect of flooding in the state.
Radda, who announced this while flagging off financial assistance to the flood victims in the state, said the widespread flood has ravaged several local government areas in the state.
He said homes, farmlands, roads and public utilities have been severely damaged by the devastating effect of the natural disaster, leaving thousands of residents homeless with worsening environmental degradation.
Governor Radda said: “Recognizing the calamity of the situation, the Federal Government has stepped in to provide more needed assistance as part of the Federal Government’s intervention of about N3 billion to the state government. This funding is aimed at providing relief to the victims and helping them rebuild their lives.”
He explained that after a careful verification process by the technical committee inaugurated by the state government to ascertain the effect of the flood, it was established that 1,067 persons were seriously affected by the natural disaster in the state.
Radda noted that out of the 1,067 victims, 439 whose homes were completely smashed by the flood would each receive N600,000 each, while 628 victims whose homes have significant damage would receive N300,000 respectively.
He added that the state government has procured N200 million worth of building materials to be distributed to 1,772 victims whose houses were partially damaged to build their homes and restore their livelihoods.
“The total financial support allocated to these victims stands at N451,800,000. In addition to monetary aid, the Katsina State government is equally committed to ensuring that those affected receive comprehensive support,” Radda added.
The governor, however, said his administration has also earmarked N2.9 billion for emergency flood and erosion control projects across several locations in the state. | https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2024/10/15/flooding-katsina-receives-n3bn-support-from-fg/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:42Z |
Teenager found not guilty of endangering life with fire at London Oratory School
A major incident was declared after smoke and flames broke out in the atrium of the London Oratory School in Fulham on December 27 last year.
A 16-year-old boy has been cleared by a judge of endangering life after starting a fire at a prestigious Catholic school in west London.
A major incident was declared after smoke and orange flames broke out in the atrium of the London Oratory School in Fulham on December 27 last year.
The youth, who cannot be named because of his age, was arrested by police on the same day and initially denied a charge of arson before later pleading guilty to the offence on September 2.
He was also charged with arson with recklessness for endangering life and assaulting an emergency worker and denied both offences.
During a judgment hearing at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, district judge Andrew Sweet ruled the endangering life charge should be dismissed as he believed the defendant “did consider his actions” and “was intending to try and harm himself rather than anyone else”.
The teenager wrote a note of apology and made a 999 call immediately after the fire, but also kicked a responding police constable, the court heard.
Mr Sweet ruled the defendant’s behaviour towards the officer was “reckless” and found him guilty of assaulting an emergency worker.
The youth appeared in court in person for the hearing alongside members of his family.
The judge released the defendant on conditional bail to next appear for sentencing at the same court on November 12. | https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/uk-news/2024/10/15/teenager-found-not-guilty-of-endangering-life-with-fire-at-london-oratory-school/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:43Z |
(MENAFN- Orient Planet Group) 14 October 2024 – Elm, a pioneer in digital solutions, is showcasing its range of cutting-edge digital products and solutions that integrate smart platforms to enhance business operations at the GITEX Global 2024, emphasising its commitment to enhancing people’s lives and advancing digital transformation.
The company’s participation in this major exhibition, which is being held from October 14 to 18, 2024, at the Dubai World Trade Centre, comes in line with its steadfast dedication to taking part in the region’s key technology and startup events. It further reflects Elm’s dedication to advancing digital transformation and providing more sophisticated digital solutions. The solutions by Elm being presented at the event include – AI-powered digital services and robust security systems and solutions tailored to diverse sectors – all of which are aimed at facilitating and accelerating digital transformation initiatives across both public and private sectors. In addition, the company is also showcasing its decades of expertise in project management and consulting services.
Through its participation and exhibition of digital solutions, Elm exemplifies its efforts to enhance the digital landscape and achieve its ambitious vision of global expansion and widespread adoption of its digital solutions.
In addition to expanding its presence in the digital transformation realm, Elm is exploring novel opportunities for growth and collaboration. In line with this, the company seeks to forge collaborations and partnerships with technology innovators and startups during the event. Through such collaborations, Elm aims to formulate more cutting-edge digital solutions, drive innovation, and accomplish its lofty objective of enabling smart living across diverse sectors.
Leading Digital Platforms
‘Ajer,’ ‘Mojaz,’ ‘Ejaz,’ and ‘Tamm,’ as well as the vehicle solution ‘Ertah’ are among the notable innovative products and digital platforms being showcased by Elm at GITEX Global 2024. These state-of-the-art digital platforms allow clients to easily access premium vehicle repair services, offering accurate statistics and precise reports that help buyers make well-informed vehicle purchases. They also provide effective and secure online renting services. These platforms have authorised over 4.5 million repair authorizations and processed over 1.5 million vehicle reports. The platforms also include the ‘Vehicle Price Indicator,’ which compiles information from trustworthy sources and serves as a reliable reference for vehicle pricing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), along with ‘Smart Traffic Management’. It contains projected vehicle prices, accident records, insurance validity, and technical and financial information.
In addition to this, the company is showcasing its logistical platforms, including ‘Logisti,’ ‘Washaj,’ and ‘Quick Tik,’ all of which are designed to streamline digital shipment tracking, enhance import and export processes at ports through procedure engineering, digitalise invoices and payments for faster financial transactions, as well as monitor vehicle fleets. Remarkably, these platforms have processed more than 24 million digital transport documents, over 6 million digital port permits, and over 230 million digital trip tracking.
Elm is further exhibiting its ‘Khibrah Platform,’ ‘Nusuk,’ and ‘Business’ platforms at the leading tech exhibition. These platforms are specialised in facilitating business expansion, managing requests for specialised expertise, digitising financial transactions, and producing an all-in-one digital travel experience that includes booking, planning, and transportation arrangements for travellers. These platforms are also essential for setting up and operating business services through integrated digital platforms. These systems, which include a network of more than 5,000 certified experts, have processed more than 250 million financial transactions.
A notable one among Elm’s portfolio of digital platforms, the ‘Urban Landscape platform,’ which is designed to automate the detection of visual distortions in cities and reveal and automatically report environmental violations in collaboration with the relevant authorities, is also being showcased at the event. Enhancing the urban environment, ensuring the city’s sustainably, and raising the quality of life are the main objectives of this platform.
Elm also draws attention to its specialised ‘Vehicle Smart Management’ platform, which analyses transportation data and offers precise evaluations of risks and driving behaviour to improve road safety. It helps delivery companies predict order locations and times. Additionally, it improves logistics operations with predictive models and real-time data.
Innovative Services
Elm is also exhibiting its comprehensive range of innovative offerings in the financial and insurance realms, such as ‘Dakhli,’ ‘Dhamen,’ and ‘Rabet Solutions’. These services are instrumental in incorporating financial security into e-transactions, guaranteeing smooth connectivity of digital data on a unified platform, facilitating decision-making, and improving governance procedures in financial transactions. More than 3 million dependable payment transactions and over 7 million financial verification procedures have been completed by these services.
Digital identifiers such as ‘Nafath,’ ‘Natheer,’ ‘Thaki,’ and ‘Yakeen’ are also among the range of services showcased by Elm. These services are designed to facilitate instant verification procedures. By relying on a dependable database, these identifiers send out automated alerts that are seamlessly connected with a data tracking system. Using these digital identifiers, the goal is to reduce fraudulent activity and evaluate the degree of possible risk. Over 60 million notifications for Status Change Alerts have been sent out by these identifiers, and around 3 billion verification transactions have been completed successfully.
Additionally, Elm’s data management solutions that improve efficiency and precision by automating repetitive tasks through robotic processes are being exhibited at GITEX Global 2024. These solutions employ electronic scanning and data sorting techniques to guarantee speed and high quality. Furthermore, it enables smart task allocation based on employees’ geographic locations. Elm also offers managed technical services to operate and support clients’ technology systems. It has successfully completed more than 150,000 data sorting operations and over 100,000 employee assignments.
Advanced Security Solutions and Systems
In addition to its solutions in the financial and insurance realms, Elm is further showcasing its security solutions, including ‘Smart Gate’ and ‘Muqeem,’ which offer secure and instantaneous electronic services. These solutions enable the tracking of workforce and residents and transactions to be completed seamlessly. Elm’s solutions, which make use of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, also automate operations related to fault reporting and theft prevention. Elm has automated more than 5 million security measures and processed over 45 million digital permits with these innovative solutions.
In addition, Elm showcases its healthcare systems such as ‘Nashra Tech’ and ‘Mustamir,’ which digitally transform medication bulletins for improved clarity and ease of reference. These platforms automate the tasks of healthcare practitioners, offering an enhanced digital experience that is seamlessly integrated with academic institutions. These systems and services have been essential for issuing more than 260 thousand digitally registered drug bulletins. Furthermore, these systems are electronically connected to 10 training entities.
At the GITEX Global 2024, Elm also exhibited the ‘Smart Code Control’, which is an advanced intelligent cybersecurity system that makes use of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models to allow developers to write safer code. The system continually performs analysis to identify and address security loopholes, leading to time savings and decreased risk.
Smart Assistants
Within the business solutions realm, Elm is showcasing innovative solutions for the legal and financial domains. It provides smart assistance in the form of tools that facilitate precise analysis of data and documents. By utilising a sector-specific knowledge base that is updated and developed on a regular basis, these cutting-edge solutions also offer quick responses to user inquiries and interactions.
The assistants include a financial analyst tool, which is designed to assess financial data and deliver immediate insights by efficiently handling large datasets. It further generates accurate financial summaries, responds to inquiries, compares financial performance metrics, and guarantees the reliability of data sources and figures. Furthermore, it includes a legal assistant, which features a system that assists legal professionals in searching for legal documents by automating the retrieval and classification of related legal cases.
The offerings encompass the ‘AI Segmentation,’ a versatile smart engine aimed at boosting safety and enhancing operational effectiveness. It delivers well-considered recommendations for early and proactive interventions, ensuring rapid adaptability and instant analysis.
In keeping with its steadfast dedication to improving the quality of life of people and its mission to promote a smart, digital lifestyle that anticipates future needs, Elm creates smart, flexible, and tailored solutions that are best suited to the requirements of various industries. This is achieved by catering to customer requirements while internally testing prototypes, launching new and specialised digital projects, and staying up to date with the major digital and technology events or trends in the region.
MENAFN15102024003685011158ID1108780609
Legal Disclaimer:
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/1108780609/Elm-showcases-suite-of-key-digital-products-and-services-at-GITEX-Global-2024 | 2024-10-15T17:51:43Z |
Watching The Monkey Trailer, I Wonder If This Could End Up Being The Funniest Stephen King Movie
It's bloody but also very silly.
There is plenty of funny in the long history of Stephen King movies, from the intentional campiness of Creepshow to the extreme silliness of Maximum Overdrive, but comedy is rarely a dominant force. When it comes to King, audiences are much more familiar with terror and drama. All that being said, Osgood Perkins' upcoming movie The Monkey looks like it will be breaking new ground when it is released early next year, as the first full trailer features plenty of horror but also a surprisingly weird attitude.
Perkins is best known for making the horror hit of summer 2024 – the serial killer thriller Longlegs – and the Stephen King short story on which the movie is based maintains a heavy, ominous tone throughout, but The Monkey adaptation appears to be taking on a totally different energy. There is a lot of death and blood, but it all comes with a wink that lets the audience know that there are fun times ahead.
How do you make death fun? Strange circumstance is definitely a wonderful tool (as wonderfully proven time and time again in the Final Destination franchise). In this 87-second spot, we witness some fantastic examples of this, including a sliced throat during a family dinner at at a teppanyaki restaurant and a falling air conditioner that electrifies a swimming pool. The titular toy appears to be quite rascally (what's up with all the fire?), and I can't wait to chortle at his antics on the big screen in 2025.
We don't get much in the way of story from this first full trailer for The Monkey (the first teaser arrived online back in August), but it has been reported that Theo James will play a pair of estranged twin brothers who reunite when a dangerous toy from their childhood – a wind-up monkey that causes people to die whenever activated – mysteriously reappears. As you can see in the footage, the horror comedy sports an outstanding supporting cast that includes Christian Convery (who plays the twins as children), She-Hulk star Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, Colin O'Brien, Halloween Ends' Rohan Campbell, and Schitt Creek's Sarah Levy.
The Monkey is the first of multiple upcoming Stephen King projects set to arrive in 2025. Neon is set to release both The Monkey (on February 21, 2025) and Mike Flanagan's The Life Of Chuck (at some point during the summer), and Paramount Pictures has dated Edgar Wright's The Running Man for November 21, 2025. Francis Lawrence's adaptation of The Long Walk doesn't have a set release, but it has completed production, and there are two King TV shows expected to debut as well: the IT prequel series Welcome To Derry and MGM+'s The Institute.
CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER
Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News
Eric Eisenberg is the Assistant Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. After graduating Boston University and earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism, he took a part-time job as a staff writer for CinemaBlend, and after six months was offered the opportunity to move to Los Angeles and take on a newly created West Coast Editor position. Over a decade later, he's continuing to advance his interests and expertise. In addition to conducting filmmaker interviews and contributing to the news and feature content of the site, Eric also oversees the Movie Reviews section, writes the the weekend box office report (published Sundays), and is the site's resident Stephen King expert. He has two King-related columns. | https://www.cinemablend.com/trailers/watching-the-monkey-trailer-wonder-could-end-up-funniest-stephen-king-movie | 2024-10-15T17:51:44Z |
I first learned about slot canyons in the desert southwest of the US from a Dewitt Jones video that I had used during my management consulting career. I was taken with the color, texture, lighting and seemingly endless curves, twists, turns and forms visible in these subterranean marvels.
After learning of and joining a photography workshop that included a couple of slot canyons in the Page, AZ area on its itinerary, I had my first opportunity to photograph my interpretation of what I had first seen in that video years prior.
The shooting conditions inside the canyon were challenging. I was particularly aware of the exposure triangle and planned my settings to optimize tones, depth of focus and dynamic range. Fortunately, I was able to use a tripod in this particular canyon (some of the commercial canyons do not), so aperture priority was the mode I shot in. I selected a higher ISO of 320 to reduce the shutter speed a bit.
Finding interesting compositions was not as easy as one might think, as seemingly infinite possibilities exist laterally as well as vertically. My head was literally on a swivel as I slowly walked into and through the canyon, trying to be selective while giving myself time to really absorb and appreciate what my eyes were seeing.
This particular shot was taken vertically in a portion of the canyon where the sky was not visible, yielding beautiful, soft and indirect light. On my knees, I spun around in a circle on the soft sand floor of the canyon, looking for a perspective that captured the sense of movement I perceived in the spiralling walls above me. This is the perspective I chose. | https://landscapephotographymagazine.com/15/10/2024/secret-canyon-page-az-usa/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:43Z |
ATLANTA — For the first time in modern history, the annual Georgia vs. Georgia Tech football game will have a new location next season.
The game, which shifts each year from Athens to Atlanta will be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2025, J. Batt, the Director of Athletics at Georgia Tech, announced Tuesday.
Batt said that AMB Sports and Entertainment, who owns the stadium, will give the athletic department a $10 million guarantee to play the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2025. He says the move puts the game on “one of the world’s biggest stages for the first time.”
He called the $10 million it a “transformative revenue lift for Tech Athletics.”
Batt said the game will return to Bobby Dodd Stadium in 2027. As for this year, the two teams will match up on November 29 in Athens.
UGA has won the last six meetings in the “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” rivalry. The Yellow Jackets last defeated the Bulldogs in 2016. | https://www.kiss104fm.com/news/local/georgia-vs-georgia-tech-football-game-will-be-played-mercedes-benz-stadium-2025/AVO3DBH6U5CDZEKLGHRCKSUT6A/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:44Z |
SAN FRANCISCO — A Navy parachutist was off-target and instead of landing where he should have, he landed on a mother and daughter during San Francisco’s Fleet Week.
The jump happened on Sunday at the city’s Marina Green, the designated target, SFGate reported.
But instead of hitting the spot where the sailor was supposed to land, he fell onto a group of spectators on the area’s perimeter.
The mother and daughter, who were not identified, bore the brunt of the impact but had minor injuries. They were still taken to an area hospital by ambulance, fire department officials said.
The crash was under investigation. It is not known why the jump went bad, KRON reported.
The U.S. Navy released a statement saying, “Our thoughts are with the individual and their family. Safety is our number one priority. We cannot immediately assess what happened; however, we will review this incident to determine the cause,” KRON reported.
© 2024 Cox Media Group | https://www.k95tulsa.com/news/trending/navy-parachutist-lands-mother-child-during-fleet-week-jump/2PYZJGIEO5FAXJOBBX6CXRYMAA/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:44Z |
Advertisement
2027 Baylor School RB with special connection to South Carolina earns offer
Subscribe to read more.
Unlock Premium news from the largest network of experts.
Say your piece in exclusive fan communities.
Dominate with stats, athlete data, Rivals250 rankings, and more.
athlete
position
stars
- WR
- WR
- WDE
- S
- SDE
- OLB
- WR
- ATH
- WR
- PRO
Advertisement
Advertisement | https://southcarolina.rivals.com/news/2027-baylor-school-rb-with-special-connection-to-south-carolina-earns-offer | 2024-10-15T17:51:46Z |
Lucknow/Bahraich (UP), Oct 15 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday met the family of the 22-year-old man killed in the Bahraich communal violence and said the culprits of this unforgivable incident will not be spared.
The chief minister has directed to provide immediate financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the family and benefits under other welfare schemes, BJP MLA from Mahsi Sureshwar Singh, who accompanied the parents and the wife of the victim, Ram Gopal Mishra, to the meeting in Lucknow said.
Over 50 people have been arrested after the communal violence in Maharajgaj town, officials said on Tuesday, as markets remained shut and people stayed indoors for a second day in a row amid heavy deployment of police and other security personnel.
The area remained virtually cut off with mobile and broadband internet suspended.
Mishra was shot dead and about half a dozen people were injured in stone pelting and firing as communal violence broke out during a Durga idol immersion procession in Bahraich on Sunday.
The Uttar Pradesh government shared a video of the chief minister's meeting with Mishra's wife Roli Mishra, his father Kailash Nath Mishra, mother Munni Devi and cousin Kishan Mishra.
In the video clip, Kailash Nath Mishra is heard asking his unconsolable wife to control her emotions while the chief minister was speaking to them. The couple was also seen wiping their eyes, even as their daughter-in-law sat in silence.
In a post on X in Hindi, the chief minister said, "Today in Lucknow, I met with the grief-stricken family members of the youth who died in the unfortunate incident in Bahraich district. In this hour of grief, the Uttar Pradesh government stands with the victim's family with full sensitivity and commitment." "Rest assured, providing justice to the victim's family is the top priority of @UPGovt. The culprits of this extremely reprehensible and unforgivable incident will not be spared at any cost," he added.
After the meeting, Ram Gopal's cousin brother Kishan Mishra said, "We have got everything we need from the Chief Minister. The entire family is confident that we will get justice." He said that the chief minister has assured that strict action will be taken against the criminals. "We are satisfied with the assurance he has given," Kishan said.
Speaking to reporters in Bahraich before starting for Lucknow, Roli Mishra said, "They should be punished the same way they killed my husband." Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Deepak Kumar told PTI that the situation in Bahraich was under control. Internet services have been suspended in the district as a precautionary measure.
"Efforts are underway to identify the anti-social elements and police officers are taking action on them. Over 50 arrests have been made so far and soon further action will be taken by the police," District Magistrate Monika Rani told reporters.
A senior official at the superintendent of police's office said all arrests were preventive except for two accused, who have been arrested in connection with Sunday's violence.
So far three FIRs have been lodged over the violence on Sunday and Monday while the process is underway to lodge some more complaints, the PRO of the SP Bahraich said.
Meanwhile, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash, who reached the district on Monday, remained camped on Tuesday as well.
"The situation is reverting to normalcy. The route between Bahraich and Sitapur has been reopened. Security and patrolling are being ensured in the 20-km radius of Maharajganj with the deployment of personnel from the police, Rapid Reaction Force (RRF) and the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) along with senior officers of the district police and administration. There is heightened vigilance, especially in sensitive areas," Yash told reporters here.
DIG (Devipatan Range) Amrendra Prasad Singh said after the incident an FIR was lodged at the local Hardi police station against six named and four unnamed accused for alleged murder and violence.
"Those booked are Abdul Hameed, his son Sarfaraz alias Rinku, Faheem, Raja alias Shahid --all four of Maharajganj -- Nankau and Maroof Ali -- both from Rehua Mansoor village -- and four unknown persons under the relevant provisions of the BNS," Singh added.
Locals in Rehua Mansoor village and Maharajganj town largely remained inside their homes and roads were deserted.
The markets in other parts of the district were open.
"The mobile internet services were suspended Monday morning while wired service in the evening. We have been asked by the government officials to do it," a private internet service provider told PTI.
He said internet services are expected to resume by Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati expressed concern over the law-and-order situation in Bahraich.
"Maintaining peace is the first responsibility of the government irrespective of any festival or religion. Special arrangements are necessary on such occasions. If such responsibilities had been fulfilled, the Bahraich incident would never have happened. The government should ensure peace and security of people's lives, property and religion under all circumstances," she said on X.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh alleged that the violence in Bahraich was a conspiracy of the Samajwadi Party, Congress and "tukde tukde" gang.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had on Monday condemned the violence in the district and held the UP government responsible for it.
"I want to ask Akhilesh Yadav, if this is a conspiracy then it is a conspiracy of Akhilesh Yadav, Congress and the Tukde Tukde gang.
"Even when Nasrullahs die in Lebanon, some people here in Bihar, UP, Bengal get stomach aches," he said, adding that "we never had a problem with anyone. 'Batoge to katoge'". PTI COR/JKY/KIS/NAV ABN ABN RT RT | https://www.newsdrum.in/national/cm-adityanath-meets-bahraich-violence-victims-kin-50-held-markets-remain-shut-internet-suspended-7317555 | 2024-10-15T17:51:46Z |
South Carolina ranked No. 1 in women’s AP Top 25 preseason poll with UConn, USC, Texas and UCLA next
AP Basketball Writer
South Carolina is starting the season where it finished off last year — ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 women’s college basketball poll.
The Gamecocks received 27 of the 30 first-place votes in the preseason rankings from a national media panel Tuesday. South Carolina returns four starters from the national championship team that went undefeated last year, capping off the historic season over Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the title game.
UConn is No. 2, USC is No. 3 and Texas and UCLA round out the top five.
South Carolina has been No. 1 in the preseason poll four of the past five years. Last season, they started sixth in the preseason before moving up to No. 1 for the remainder of the year.
“We knew we’d have a target on our backs this season as the reigning champions and this preseason ranking just confirms that,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley told the AP. “We appreciate the recognition, but I know our coaching staff and our team are more focused on what we see in the gym every day. And that’s every player working extremely hard to get better individually and as a team.”
UConn received two first-place votes. The Huskies have been ranked in the top 10 in the preseason poll for 30 straight years now. Geno Auriemma’s team went through major injury issues last year but the Huskies look to be healthy for the most part to start this season.
Third-ranked USC is led by phenomenal sophomore guard JuJu Watkins and the team added two talented transfers in Kiki Iriafen and Talia von Oelhoffen. The Trojans, who received the other first place vote, have their highest ranking in the preseason since the 1982 and 1983 squads were No. 1 in the opening poll both years.
Texas welcomes back Rori Harmon, who was sidelined for most of last season with an ACL injury. She and Madison Booker give the Longhorns a solid 1-2 punch on offense. UCLA added its own solid group of transfers to a strong team with Charlisse Leger-Walker and Timea Gardiner joining Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice.
Notre Dame, LSU, Iowa State, North Carolina State and Oklahoma rounded out the first 10 teams in the poll. It’s the second time in three seasons that the Cyclones have started this high in the preseason poll. The Sooners haven’t been ranked this high in the inaugural poll of the season since 2010 when they were also 10th.
Welcome back
No. 24 Alabama is making its first appearance in the rankings since the final poll of 1999. The Crimson Tide haven’t been in the preseason poll since 1998 (No. 9). The team has appeared in consecutive NCAA tournaments behind stars Sarah Ashlee Barker and Aaliyah Nye.
“We’re very thankful for the mention, but want to take care of each day,” Alabama coach Kristy Curry said. “We are excited this season about the group and the way we finished last season.”
End of an era
Stanford is unranked in the preseason for the first time since 1999. Hall of Fame Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer retired in April and was replaced by longtime assistant Kate Paye. It had been the second-longest active preseason streak behind only UConn.
Conference supremacy
New conference additions Texas and Oklahoma give the SEC seven teams in the Top 25. Joining them are South Carolina, LSU, No. 20 Ole Miss, No. 22 Kentucky and Alabama. The ACC and Big Ten each have six ranked teams while the Big 12 has four. UConn and Creighton give the Big East two teams.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball | https://kesq.com/news/2024/10/15/south-carolina-ranked-no-1-in-womens-ap-top-25-preseason-poll-with-uconn-usc-texas-and-ucla-next-2/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:47Z |
A Trump town hall in Oaks, Pa., Monday night went from a Q-and-A session to a bizarre musical event in which Trump stood in front of his audience for an extended period while songs played on the sound system.
The town hall portion of the event lasted nearly an hour and was moderated by Kristi Noem, South Dakota's Republican governor who is a Trump ally.
The questioners were all friendly to Trump, with questions about how he would bring down inflation, as well as boost small businesses.
The town hall was paused twice for incidents in which the crowd called for a medic. Audience members shouted that the room was too hot.
As medics attended to people affected by the heat, Trump and Noem waited on stage. During the first pause, the crowd sang “God Bless America” together, after which Trump asked for someone to put the song “Ave Maria” on the sound system. An instrumental version soon began playing.
Shortly after the town hall resumed, there was another call for a medic.
“It’s steaming in here!” one man yelled as they waited for assistance, and the instrumental Ave Maria played once again, until the woman affected received help.
Trump joked about the heat in the room: “Personally, I enjoy this. We lose weight. We could do this, lose 4, 5 pounds.”
Trump then called for his “favorite chart” to be put up on screens -– the chart of border crossings that had been displayed in Butler, Pa., on July 13 when an assassin shot at Trump, hitting his ear. In addition, he asked that someone play a version of Ave Maria sung by Luciano Pavarotti.
“We’ll do a little music. Let’s make this a musical-fest,” he said.
Trump stood on stage until the song was over, at which point he stopped the question-and-answer portion of the evening.
“Let’s not do anymore questions. Let’s just listen to music,” he said.
Later, Trump ended the question portion and asked the audience to stick around.
“By the way, when we leave, you don’t have to go so fast. You can sit and listen. We’ll play a couple of songs. Some of you will be a little warm, but that’s OK. It’s not a bad thing. And if you want, we’re gonna do that, but I think it would be beautiful. Don’t you think? A little different.”
“I think it’d be amazing, sir,” Noem said.
“Nice to have imagin- isn’t it a nice thing to have imagination?”
Trump remained on stage for more than half an hour while an array of songs played, including “Hallelujah” as performed by Rufus Wainwright, as well as “November Rain” by Guns ‘n’ Roses.
On Tuesday, Trump, posting on his Truth social, called the evening "amazing."
"The Q and A was almost finished when people began fainting from the excitement and heat," he said. "We started playing music while we waited, and just kept it going. So different, but it ended up being a GREAT EVENING!"
The town hall came as three weeks remain in the voting season and Trump and Harris remain statistically tied, according to most polls. Both candidates are delivering their closing messages and drawing a contrast from their rival as they crisscross the country. Trump will deliver remarks on the economy in Chicago Tuesday, and pretape a town hall with women voters on Fox News that will air Wednesday. Harris is doing a town hall with the popular radio host Charlamagne tha God in her attempt to reach Black male voters.
Copyright 2024 NPR | https://www.wyso.org/npr-news/2024-10-15/trump-town-hall-ends-with-musical-fest-while-he-stands-on-stage | 2024-10-15T17:51:47Z |
SALEM, Mass. — A new federally-funded program in Salem will give $500 a month to 100 residents for one year to spend “however they want” in an effort to address poverty in the area, city officials announced Tuesday.
The pilot program, called “Uplift Salem,” was described by city officials as “a guaranteed income pilot” that will be evaluated by two Salem State University faculty members.
“Participants will be able to spend the cash however they want,” city officials said in a news release.
The total cost of the pilot is $685,000. The program is funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act, and also through a California-based nonprofit, UpTogether, which aims to address poverty.
UpTogether is managing the pilot program, officials said.
“I’m excited to announce the launch of Uplift Salem, our guaranteed income pilot program to help directly address poverty in our community and contribute to the growing evidence from across the nation about the efficacy of these types of initiatives,” Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo said in a statement.
“We want Salem to be an affordable place for everyone, and a guaranteed income program offers an innovative approach to help achieve that goal,” Pangallo said. “Hopefully, the outcome of this year-long effort will be to add to the momentum for greater state and federal support for these programs and, most importantly, to lift up some of our most vulnerable neighbors here in Salem.”
Eligible participants must reside in Salem, including unhoused residents who spend most of their time in Salem, and have household or family incomes at or below 100% of the federal poverty level based on household size.
Applications will be open at that website starting on Oct. 28 and will remain open for two weeks or until 350 eligible applications have been received, officials said.
Pilot members will be randomly selected from eligible applications, with members receiving their first payments by Dec. 1.
Residents can get more information about the program at the city’s website.
Guaranteed income pilots and other direct cash initiatives have taken off across the country, as states and municipalities look for new ways to address poverty, city officials said.
According to UpTogether, data shows that recipients spend most of the funds on basic needs and experience greater financial stability as a result of these programs.
“We know guaranteed income works to help families achieve economic mobility. They know what’s best for their families and can be trusted to make decisions that move them ahead,” UpTogether CEO Jesús Gerena said in a statement.
Two Salem State University researchers, Thomas Pineros Shields, a professor in the school’s politics, policy and international relations department, and Sara Moore, a sociology professor, will evaluate the impact of the cash payments on participants, compared with another group of 100 individuals.
Both groups will be compensated by UpTogether for participating in the study, officials said.
“The City of Salem will utilize the learnings from this initiative to consider new ways of addressing poverty in the community and to add to the greater body of scholarship examining the impacts from such programs,” city officials said in their statement.
Founded in 2001 in Oakland, California, UpTogether has distributed more than $210 million dollars to more than 200,000 individuals and families since 2020, according to the nonprofit.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2024 Cox Media Group | https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/new-program-salem-give-500-month-100-residents-1-year-address-poverty-area/PMYSQDIAWZEIXKVCMMNZJGSYBM/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:48Z |
Association of Investment Companies survey also suggests growing focus on 'transparency and disclosure' among UK investment professionals
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations among private investors have continued to fall for the third year in a row, the latest survey findings indicate. The survey saw 400 private...
To continue reading this article...
Join BusinessGreen
- Enjoy exclusive news, insights and analysis from Europe’s leading source of information on the green economy and business.
- Make smart, responsible business decisions with an eye on the latest regulatory and tech development
- Tap into our extensive archive of exclusive articles, news, analysis and guide
- Access to our new BusinessGreen intelligence service, providing you with
- > Exclusive in-depth case studies
- > Policy briefings, white papers and reports on market trends that are shaping the direction of the net zero transition
- > Our overnight briefing, expertly curated help you run a competitive and sustainable business
- > Online and interactive meetings with BusinessGreen’s editors to discuss the crucial stories and trends from the past month
Choose the membership package that's right for you and your organisation, via our 3 membership levels. | https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4369860/survey-esg-appetite-investors-drops-consecutive | 2024-10-15T17:51:48Z |
California college shooting that left employee critical was ‘workplace violence,’ officials say
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — Southern California’s Santa Monica College is closed as police investigate a campus shooting that wounded an employee in what officials said was a “workplace violence incident.” No arrests have been made as of Tuesday. The community college says in a statement that the shooting occurred around 10 p.m. Monday at the school’s Center for Media and Design on a satellite campus that’s also home to the public radio station KCRW. The victim was hospitalized in critical condition. The shooter remains at large. The Santa Monica Police Department is leading the investigation but did not immediately respond to calls and emails seeking additional details. | https://kvia.com/news/2024/10/15/california-college-shooting-that-left-employee-critical-was-workplace-violence-officials-say/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:49Z |
Teenager seen on CCTV with McDonald’s hours after boys were killed, jury told
Images show the 16-year-old returning to a property in the Hartcliffe area of Bristol carrying a takeaway, Bristol Crown Court heard.
A 16-year-old boy picked up takeaway food and drinks just hours after allegedly being involved in a murderous attack on two teenagers, a jury was told.
The teenager, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was captured on CCTV returning to a property in the Hartcliffe area of Bristol carrying a McDonald’s meal.
It is alleged he purchased the food six hours after being involved in the fatal assault on Mason Rist and Max Dixon shortly after 11pm on January 27 this year in Knowle West.
It is the prosecution’s case the 16-year-old was involved with Antony Snook, 45; Riley Tolliver, 18; and two boys aged 17 and 15, in murdering the two boys.
Snook is alleged to have driven the four teenagers to Ilminster Avenue in an Audi Q2 car where Mason, 15, and Max, 16, were attacked.
Bristol Crown Court heard how the boys, who were good friends, were then set upon by the teenagers armed with weapons.
They had been wrongly identified as being responsible for bricks being thrown at a house in the Hartcliffe area of Bristol earlier that evening, the jury of nine men and three women has been told.
Mason and Max sustained fatal stab injuries and both died in hospital later.
The five defendants were each charged with two counts of murder.
The 15-year-old boy has admitted murdering Mason but denies murdering Max.
The 17-year-old boy has admitted manslaughter relating to Max but denies murdering him and Mason.
Snook is alleged to have driven the Audi Q2, while Tolliver and the three teenage boys are said to have been passengers, the jury previously heard.
On Tuesday, Ray Tully KC, prosecuting, took the jury through multiple CCTV clips showing the movements of some of the defendants in the hours after the attack.
Part of the footage, which was released to the media after being played in court, shows the Audi travelling along Pawlett Road minutes after the attack before arriving at an address in Hartcliffe shortly after.
The jury were told Snook was allegedly driving, while the 17-year-old boy was first to exit the vehicle, followed by the 16-year-old, before the car is driven away.
They also saw footage of a fire being lit in the back garden and items linked to the attack allegedly being disposed of.
Mr Tully previously told how the property in the Hartcliffe area – which he said had a “rivalry” with the Knowle West area – was targeted at about 10pm on January 27.
CCTV footage showed people outside the house holding machetes and throwing bricks at the windows. A woman was left injured in the incident.
An hour later, Snook, Tolliver and the three teenage boys allegedly left the Hartcliffe area in Snook’s car armed with “fearsome weapons” and “hell-bent on revenge”, Mr Tully said.
They drove past Mason and Max, who had just left Mason’s home, and wrongly believed they had spotted those responsible for the attack.
Mr Tully previously told the jury: “They were entirely wrong about that. Max and Mason had absolutely nothing to do with any earlier incident and no connection whatsoever with those events.”
The boys were found lying fatally wounded on Ilminster Avenue and treated at the scene by police and paramedics.
Mason was pronounced dead at Bristol Children’s Hospital at 12.49am, while Max was pronounced dead at Southmead Hospital at 1.02am.
Home Office pathologist Dr Russell Delaney concluded that both boys died from stab wounds.
Snook was arrested at his home address about an hour after the incident, which took place shortly after 11pm on January 27, and the other defendants were arrested in the following days.
The trial continues. | https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/uk-news/2024/10/15/teenager-seen-on-cctv-with-mcdonalds-hours-after-boys-were-killed-jury-told/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:49Z |
ADCMC showcases range of innovative digital initiatives at GITEX Global 2024
Date
10/15/2024 9:38:36 AM
(MENAFN- Orient Planet Group) Dubai, UAE, October 14, 2024:
The Emergency, Crises and Disaster Management Centre - Abu Dhabi (ADCMC) is participating in the 44th edition of the prominent GITEX Global 2024, which is being held in Dubai and will run until October 18, 2024. ACDMC’s participation as part of the Abu Dhabi Government Pavilion under the theme ‘Towards a Leading AI-Driven Government’ aligns with the Centre’s efforts to promote innovation and technology in the field of emergency and crisis management.
The centre is showcasing a wide array of digital initiatives, including the ‘Crisis Management Platform’, which has been designed to improve operational efficiency by leveraging data analysis and enables effective decision-making. It is further highlighting its state-of-the-art crises management strategies and plans that aimed at empowering Abu Dhabi to mitigate future challenges effectively. Furthermore, the ‘Crisis Management Platform’ serves as an innovative tool to enhance and coordinate response during times if emergencies. It helps in prevention, preparation, response and recoveries by utilising real-time data analysis technology. It further enhances cooperation between stakeholders and enables expedited decision-making in times of crisis.
His Excellency Matar Saeed Al Nuaimi, Director General of the Emergencies, Crises and Disasters Management Centre Abu Dhabi highlighted the significance of the centre’s participation in local and global events, which is a testament to its commitment to strengthening cooperation with stakeholders and key entities. It further reflects its belief in the importance of combined efforts and joint initiatives and projects, which focus on preparedness in dealing with crises and responding to disasters and emergencies.
His Excellency emphasised the centre’s commitment to participating in these events, as they offer valuable platforms for sharing knowledge and expertise. These events help promote the centre’s strategy to enhance Abu Dhabi’s preparedness in addressing future challenges, while prioritising the safety and well-being of the community.
Furthermore, His Excellency highlighted the crucial role of data analysis in enhancing emergency and crisis management system. By enabling precise risk mapping and proactive impact assessments, data analysis equips decision-makers with reliable information for expedited and informed decision-making. It further reinforces crisis response strategies by offering a comprehensive and objective view of potential challenges. He emphasised the centre’s dedication to utilising and analysing data through the creation of a cutting-edge data centre, which serves as a central hub for collecting information from stakeholders. Additionally, the Analytics\Operations Centre was established to support and streamline data-driven processes.
ADCMC is keen to develop its internal capabilities by hosting joint training sessions with various government entities and incorporating latest technological innovations such as artificial intelligence and big data analysis in emergency management. These solutions are designed to enhance decision-making and improve crisis coordination response. The Centre is further dedicated to developing comprehensive plans to ensure expedited and effective responses to potential risks, reflecting Abu Dhabi’s commitment to enhancing security, safety and readiness for future challenges.
The Emergencies, Crises and Disasters Management Centre Abu Dhabi pioneers in the application of crisis management strategies. By setting higher benchmarks and periodically updating its plans, it aims to achieve the highest level of preparedness, along with efficient crisis response, further positioning Abu Dhabi as a leading global example in crisis response.
MENAFN15102024003685011158ID1108780610
Legal Disclaimer:
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/1108780610/ADCMC-showcases-range-of-innovative-digital-initiatives-at-GITEX-Global-2024 | 2024-10-15T17:51:49Z |
Collaboration for universities at the IAUP triennial conference in Beijing
An agreement has been signed to promote academic growth, faculty exchange, collaborative research, and cross-border cooperation to improve the standards of higher education.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in this regard between the Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh (APUB) and the International Association of University Presidents (IAUP) at the 20th International Association of University Presidents (IAUP) Triennial Conference in Beijing today.
The agreement was signed by Dr Md Sabur Khan, chairman of APUB, and Dr Shawn Chen, president of IAUP. | https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/education/news/collaboration-universities-the-iaup-triennial-conference-beijing-3728331 | 2024-10-15T17:51:49Z |
Latest Headlines
National Grid Recovery Nears Completion, Says TCN
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced that efforts to fully recover the national grid are almost complete following a partial disturbance on Monday.
The disturbance occurred at approximately 6:48 p.m., prompting immediate recovery efforts.
TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, in a statement on Tuesday, said the recovery process commenced swiftly, with Azura Power Station providing the necessary blackstart.
She said by 10:24 a.m. on Tuesday, the grid recovery had reached advanced stages, in spite of encountering a brief challenge that caused a minor setback.
“Notwithstanding the setback, TCN continued its recovery efforts, achieving significant progress.
“Bulk power availability has been restored to approximately 90 per cent of its substations nationwide, with supply reinstated to the Abuja axis and other major distribution load centres.
“The partial disturbance did not affect the Ibom Gas generating station, which continued to supply power to areas in the South-southern part of the country, including Eket, Ekim, Uyo and Itu 132 kilovolt transmission substations.” (NAN) | https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2024/10/15/national-grid-recovery-nears-completion-says-tcn/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:49Z |
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.kiss104fm.com/news/national/davante-adams-trade/77SOYV6Q5QAIMQGCDXHSND6WWQ/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:50Z |
Mumbai, Oct 15 (PTI) A court here has said that a man accused of driving a car rashly and causing an accident that killed his teenage friend can not be tried for `culpable homicide not amounting to murder'. Sourya Jain, the accused, allegedly crashed a car into a stationary bus in Marine Drive area here in May 2020, injuring himself as well as his friend Aryaman Nagpal, who was on the front seat. Nagpal, son of a hotelier, succumbed to his injuries.
Additional sessions judge S D Tawshikar, in a order passed on October 14, noted that "no doubt an innocent young boy has lost his life, but at the same time one cannot lose sight from overall circumstances in which offence took place." Police first registered a case against Jain under Indian Penal Code sections 304-A (rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide) and 279 (rash driving). But section 304 (II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) was pressed when it was found that Jain possessed no valid driving licence at the time of the incident.
Defence lawyer Hrishikesh Mundargi argued that the incident was unforeseen, and Jain could not have had the intention to cause the accident or even knowledge that it would take place.
The court accepted that one could not assume that the accused knew that the car would crash into a bus. "Stretching an accusation too far to include graver offence without there being prima facie material, to my mind, goes against principles of fair trial," the judge said.
This was not a case where a car killed a person outside, and the accused himself had suffered severe injuries, the court said, adding, "The incident can at the most be result of rash or negligent act of the applicant." The judge then sent the case to a metropolitan magistrate for conducting the trial for other, lesser offences. PTI AVI KRK | https://www.newsdrum.in/national/court-drops-culpable-homicide-charge-in-car-crash-case-7317590 | 2024-10-15T17:51:52Z |
Advertisement
Collin Murray-Boyles, Nick Pringle Preview South Carolina MBB Season
Subscribe to read more.
Unlock Premium news from the largest network of experts.
Say your piece in exclusive fan communities.
Dominate with stats, athlete data, Rivals250 rankings, and more.
athlete
position
stars
- WR
- WR
- WDE
- S
- SDE
- OLB
- WR
- ATH
- WR
- PRO
Advertisement
Advertisement | https://southcarolina.rivals.com/news/collin-murray-boyles-nick-pringle-preview-south-carolina-mbb-season | 2024-10-15T17:51:52Z |
California college shooting that left employee critical was ‘workplace violence,’ officials say
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — Southern California’s Santa Monica College is closed Tuesday as police investigate a campus shooting that wounded an employee in what officials said was a “workplace violence incident.” No arrests have been made.
The shooting occurred around 10 p.m. Monday at the school’s Center for Media and Design on a satellite campus that’s also home to the public radio station KCRW, the community college said in a statement.
The victim, who was not identified, was hospitalized in critical condition, the college statement said. The shooter remains at large.
“This was a workplace violence incident, not a random act,” the statement said. “The College is fully cooperating with authorities, and all Santa Monica College campuses will be closed on Tuesday to prioritize the safety and well-being of our community.”
The Santa Monica Police Department, which is leading the investigation, did not immediately respond to calls and emails seeking additional details.
The school, with a series of satellite campuses in the beachside city, enrolls about 30,000 full- and part-time students. | https://kesq.com/news/ap-california-news/2024/10/15/california-college-shooting-that-left-employee-critical-was-workplace-violence-officials-say/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:53Z |
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.wyso.org/npr-news/2024-10-15/walgreens-will-close-1-200-stores-hoping-for-a-turnaround | 2024-10-15T17:51:54Z |
Countries that have cashed in on their top-level domain names
AP Business Writer
LONDON (AP) — Anguilla is raking in extra unexpected revenue from registration fees for its .ai web domain thanks to the artificial intelligence boom. But it’s not the only place cashing in on demand for websites with distinctive endings. Tuvalu in the Pacific Ocean has a very valuable resource: the .tv web domain. Libya controls web addresses that en in .ly, which have become widely used as a so-called domain hack for websites with English names that end in -ly. Montenegro was assigned the .me web domain, which has become popular with people who want to claim their pronoun for personal branding reasons. Websites that end in .co aren’t from a generic web domain for companies but were assigned to Colombia. | https://kvia.com/news/2024/10/15/countries-that-have-cashed-in-on-their-top-level-domain-names/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:55Z |
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.boston25news.com/news/national/davante-adams-trade/77SOYV6Q5QAIMQGCDXHSND6WWQ/ | 2024-10-15T17:51:54Z |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.