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NSW’s longest serving treasurer and Labor heavyweight Michael Egan – who helped deliver the Sydney Olympics and bring down significant government debt – has died, aged 75.
Egan, who died on Wednesday night after a long illness, was also Macquarie University’s longest serving chancellor officiating over the graduation of 43,000 students between 2008 and 2019.
He entered politics in October 1978, as the member for Cronulla, before moving to the upper house where he served for more than 18 years. When he announced his retirement from Macquarie Street in January 2005, Egan said: “After 35 years of political combat, I think it’s time for me to move on.”
In a statement, Premier Chris Minns said Egan, who was the first treasurer to serve in the upper house, dedicated his long career to serving the people of NSW.
“While Labor to his bootstraps and not one to altercate in undertones, Michael cherished our democratic institutions and always acted to ensure they deserved the public’s trust,” Minns said.
“Impatient with theorists and purists, he excelled at producing economic and social reforms through the messy compromise of politics.”
Minns said that on becoming treasurer, Egan “rapidly returned the NSW Budget to surplus and kept it there, building the Carr Government’s reputation for economic and fiscal competence”.
“During his stewardship, NSW all but eliminated net government debt while also investing heavily to improve essential services and infrastructure and hosting the Olympic Games,” Minns said.
In March 2022, Egan received an honorary doctorate in Macquarie’s Michael Egan Hall.
“He boasted he had personally graduated more than 43,000 students, a record – like his tenure as Treasurer – unlikely ever to be broken,” Minns’ statement said.
Egan was also chair of the Australia Day Council of NSW between 2006 and 2010, and chair of the Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology since 2009.
“Michael will be greatly missed by all who knew him,” Minns said.
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https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/nsw/michael-egan-nsw-s-longest-serving-treasurer-dies-aged-75-20240201-p5f1k5.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
| 2024-01-31T23:04:37Z
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A woman from Green Cove Springs will spend the next six years in federal prison after she pleaded guilty to intent to distribute several different illegal drugs.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
According to court documents, on Jan. 30, 2023, deputies with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office pulled Alyssa Avery, 32, over in a rental vehicle when they learned she didn’t have a valid driver’s license. During the traffic stop a CCSO canine alerted detectives to possible drugs in the vehicle.
Read: Former law enforcement officer sentenced to over 20 years in prison for multiple armed robberies
During a search, deputies found over 20 grams of fentanyl in 17 sealed baggies, 60 grams of pure crystal methamphetamine, over 13 grams of cocaine, and over 16 grams of cocaine base. A digital scale was also found.
Read: Man sentenced to federal prison for attempting to sell 15 pounds of meth in Jacksonville
Court documents also showed that Avery had been released from prison just a month prior for trafficking methamphetamine.
On Wednesday, a U.S. District judge sentenced Avery to six years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine base, and cocaine. She pleaded guilty on Oct. 19, 2023.
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https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/green-cove-springs-woman-gets-time-federal-prison-intent-sell-meth-fentanyl-cocaine/UHX75LTDEVDLBFWNRGXK3AXE5Y/
| 2024-01-31T23:04:38Z
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Customary law wife entitled to bury her husband
The brother-in-law of a woman who sought to challenge her right to bury her husband, found that the wife's decision-making power are not subordinate to cultural approval.
The deceased and the deceased’s wife (first respondent) were married in terms of Xhosa customary law and later by civil rite on June 4 2018.
The husband passed away on January 12.
When the husband died, his eldest brother, the applicant, brought an urgent application seeking to interdict the man’s wife from burying him in Centurion, Tshwane.
He sought to bury the man on the basis that he was his older brother and that he thus had the exclusive right to decide where he was to be buried.
The man’s older brother argued that in terms of Xhosa tradition, the deceased had to be buried in his ancestral home in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.
The man’s wife, however, opposed the application on the grounds that as the deceased’s wife, she had a right to bury her husband.
Counsel for the older brother submitted that when lobola was paid for the deceased’s wife, she became a customary law wife. As such, she belonged to the deceased’s family and could not make any decisions on behalf of the family.
According to counsel, the deceased’s wife became “the property” of the deceased family and, therefore, occupied a “low-ranking position” that barred her from making any burial-related decisions.
Counsel concluded that the deceased could not be buried anywhere but the Eastern Cape because burying him elsewhere would cause the deceased’s family to “suffer curses and bad luck in the future”.
It was then argued on behalf of the wife that the applicant had not met the requirements for the court to grant an interdict. In addition, counsel for the wife submitted that the deceased’s wife was entitled to decide where the deceased should be buried.
According to counsel, the deceased and his wife were in love and had spent holidays together when the deceased fell ill.
In determining the matter, the court concluded that the first respondent, as the deceased’s wife, has burial rights and may decide where her late husband should be buried.
The court went further and highlighted that at some stage, the applicant, in so far as hospital-related decisions were about to be made about the deceased, had stated as follows to the deceased’s wife: “Kindly note that I spoke to my sisters and we decided that you were there from the inception of his illness. He is your legal husband and father of your child. We therefore decided it’s best if you make the final decision.”
It was therefore surprising to the court that suddenly, the deceased’s wife’s decision-making powers in the context of her marriage and her late husband were subject to cultural approval.
The court found this to be rather unfortunate.
To conclude, the court referred to Judge Kganyago’s words in Mabulana v Mabulana: “‘Family feuds in relation to who has the right to bury a deceased person had the potential of permanently dividing the family. These are sensitive disputes, which are best suited to be mediated and resolved by family elders rather than bring them to court where there is no winner, but divides a united family structure which ends up being torn apart.
“It is the time when the family should be united more than ever, and prepare to give the loved one a dignified burial, rather than hang their dirty linen in court. It will therefore be the duty of the court to evaluate the evidence presented before it in its totality in order to arrive at a just and fair decision.”
The applicant’s application was dismissed with costs.
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https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/opinion/columnists/2024-01-31-tina-hokwana-customary-law-wife-entitled-to-bury-her-husband/
| 2024-01-31T23:04:38Z
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Market Summary:
The Fed held their policy unchanged as widely expected, and pushed against an imminent hike at subsequent meetings. Whilst money markets had scaled back bets of aggressive tightening this year over the past couple of weeks, they were still trying to price in a March cut. But that is now dead in the water following comments from Jerome Powell. Regular readers will know that this has been my view, and that market pricing was too aggressively priced for multiple cuts given the strength of the US economy.
Wall Street indices took this ‘revelation’ quite hard, with the S&P 500 suffering its worst day since September, the Nasdaq 100 falling around -1.8% and the Down Jones forming a bearish outside day at its record high. Gold handed back all of its earlier gains to close the day with an inverted hammer candle.
AUD/USD fell to a 7-day low to confirm the bear-flag breakout I ‘flagged’ a couple of times this week. If we see a decent ISM and NFP report this week and the RBA tip their hat to lower inflation at Tuesday's meeting, a break below 65c seems plausible.
As my colleague David Scutt pointed out, there is now a growing case that the RBA could cut rates ahead of the Fed given Australia’s soft inflation report yesterday. Personally, I am of the view that the RBA may at least hold out until the Fed begin hinting at an imminent cut, given their tendency to simply follow the Fed.
Summary of the Fed statement
- Economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace
- Job growth has moderated but remains solid and unemployment remains low
- Inflation has eased but remains elevated
- Not appropriate to cut rates until the Fed gains greater confidence that “inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent”
- QT to continue
Comments from Jerome Powell’s press conference
- We’re not looking for inflation to tap 2% once; we’re looking for it to settle out at 2%
- We’re not looking for inflation to anchor below 2%
- I don’t think it is likely we will have a rate cut in March
- We will be reacting to data
- There are risks that would make us go slower or faster on rate cuts
Events in focus (AEDT):
- 09:00 – Australian building approvals, import/export price index, quarterly business confidence (NAB)
- 11:30 – Japan’s manufacturing PMI (Jibun Bank)
- 12:45 – China’s manufacturing PMI (Caixin)
- 16:30 – Australian commodity prices
- 20:30 – UK manufacturing PMI
- 21:00 – Eurozone CPI
- 23:00 – BOE interest rate decision, meeting minutes, MPC votes to cut/hike
- 23:00 – US Challenger job cuts
- 02:00 – ISM manufacturing PMI
ASX 200 at a glance:
- The ASX 200 rose for an eight day and hit a record high, thanks to soft CPI figures for Australia on Wednesday
- SPI 200 futures rallied for a ninth day and also hit a new all-time high, but it appears to have sobered up and formed a 2-day bearish reversal pattern with a bearish RSI divergence
- The ASX 200 cash index is expected to gap sharply lower given the weak lead from Wall Street
- A move down to 7500 now seems plausible as we head towards next week’s RBA meeting, but it might find some support if the RBA deliver a relatively dovish hold
USD/JPY technical analysis (chart):
The daily chart shows that USD/JPY tried but failed to break the 146 handle, and the lower daily wick respected the 50/100-day EMAs before the pair recouped ~half of the day’s earlier losses. I suspect an important swing low has formed and that momentum could now try to turn higher.
The bias remains for a move up towards the 149.50 – 150 resistance zone, and bulls could seek entries around current levels or dips towards support levels. The bias remains bullish whilst prices remain above the 146 handle.
View the full economic calendar
-- Written by Matt Simpson
Follow Matt on Twitter @cLeverEdge
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https://www.cityindex.com/en-au/news-and-analysis/us-dollar-rallies-sp-500-dow-jones-and-nasdaq-tumble-post-fomc-asian-open-2025-02-01/
| 2024-01-31T23:04:37Z
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1/30/2024 On the Frontlines with Christie Hutcherson
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| 2024-01-31T23:04:40Z
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New reports show a big academic recovery after schools reopened. But not for all students. Stanford professor Sean Reardon tells NPR's Mary Louise Kelly how the pandemic worsened education inequality.
Copyright 2024 NPR
New reports show a big academic recovery after schools reopened. But not for all students. Stanford professor Sean Reardon tells NPR's Mary Louise Kelly how the pandemic worsened education inequality.
Copyright 2024 NPR
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https://www.wvxu.org/2024-01-31/u-s-students-are-starting-to-catch-up-in-school-unless-theyre-from-a-poor-area
| 2024-01-31T23:04:40Z
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Postal worker got $156K in disability for injury — but was caught at Disney, feds say
A U.S. Postal Service mail carrier collected more than $156,000 in disability payments after reporting she severely hurt her ankle delivering packages — but then she was caught walking around Walt Disney World, federal authorities said.
The New Jersey woman lied on several disability claims saying she hadn’t “worked or had outside employment for extended periods of time” since September 2020, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
However, she received disability benefits while running a travel agency, which she owns, and visiting Walt Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, according to prosecutors and court documents.
On her travel agency’s website, she publicly marketed herself as specializing in “all aspects of Disney travel,” according to court documents.
The woman, 60, of Oak Ridge, pleaded guilty to one count of federal employee compensation fraud Jan. 30, the attorney’s office announced in a news release.
McClatchy News contacted her defense attorney, Ira M. Slovin, for comment on Jan. 31 and didn’t receive an immediate response.
The trips to Disney and Universal
On Sept. 1, 2020, the woman submitted a disability compensation claim form saying she was injured while on the job as a USPS carrier in August 2020, according to a criminal complaint.
The woman wrote that as she delivered “3 very large packages” to a home, she “rolled (her) right ankle as (she) turned to go back to (her) truck” — resulting in a “severe sprain,” the criminal complaint says.
Afterward, she sought disability compensation through October 2023, according to an information filed in court.
She hadn’t returned to work for USPS since she reported her injury, the criminal complaint says.
In December 2022, the woman visited Walt Disney World for a trip related to her travel agency, according to the criminal complaint.
Federal investigators say they surveilled her and witnessed her walking around Disney’s Magic Kingdom “without the aid of any mobility assistance device” for nearly three hours.
She walked around the park for more than 2 miles, the criminal complaint says.
Over the next few days, she was seen shopping at a mall, shopping at Disney Springs and visiting Universal Studios in Orlando, according to investigators.
At Universal, she walked around the park and went on rides, the criminal complaint says.
The woman could be sentenced up to five years in prison for federal employee compensation fraud and could be ordered to pay a fine of up to $250,000 — or a fine that’s “twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain,” according to prosecutors.
In her plea agreement, prosecutors noted that she helped authorities in their prosecution of her by letting them know she wanted to plead guilty.
Her sentencing is set for June 12.
Oak Ridge is about 40 miles northwest of New York City.
FedEx driver accused of dumping $40,000 worth of packages is ordered to pay $805
USPS employee helps steal $5 million in checks from the mail in fraud scheme, feds say
Postal worker stole money customers used for stamps as part of $18,000 scheme, feds say
Postal carrier tossed over 200 pieces of mail in dumpster while ‘running late,’ feds say
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https://news.yahoo.com/postal-worker-got-156k-disability-222310261.html
| 2024-01-31T23:04:42Z
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(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: TARS), whose mission is to focus on unmet needs and apply proven science and new technology to revolutionize treatment for patients, starting with eye care, today announced that Bobak Azamian, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, will participate in an in-person fireside chat at the Sixth Annual Guggenheim Healthcare Talks conference in New York City at 1:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 8, 2024.
A live webcast of the fireside chat can be accessed on the events section of the Tarsus website. Replays will be available on the Tarsus website within 48 hours and will be archived for a limited time.
About Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. applies proven science and new technology to revolutionize treatment for patients, starting with eye care. Tarsus is advancing its pipeline to address several diseases with high unmet need across a range of therapeutic categories, including eye care, dermatology, and infectious disease prevention. XDEMVY (lotilaner ophthalmic solution) 0.25% is FDA approved in the United States for the treatment of Demodex blepharitis. Tarsus is also developing TP-03 as an investigational therapy for the treatment of Meibomian Gland Disease, which is currently being studied in a Phase 2a clinical trial. In addition, Tarsus is developing TP-04 for the potential treatment of Rosacea and TP-05, an oral tablet for the prevention of Lyme disease. TP-04 and TP-05 are both currently being studied in Phase 2a clinical trials to evaluate safety, tolerability, and proof-of activity.
Media Contact:
Adrienne Kemp
Sr. Director, Corporate Communications
(949) 922-0801
...
Investor Contact:
David Nakasone
Head of Investor Relations
(949) 620-3223
...
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https://menafn.com/1107793819/Tarsus-To-Participate-In-Fireside-Chat-At-The-Sixth-Annual-Guggenheim-Healthcare-Talks-Conference
| 2024-01-31T23:04:43Z
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FAAN relocation to Lagos will save FG ₦500m annually - Keyamo
Despite the pushback from some quarters, Keyamo said the movement of the FAAN headquarters has become necessary.
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The minister also insisted that there is no going back on the relocation despite criticisms from some quarters.
He said these while appearing on Channels Television's Politics Today programme on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.
On whether President Bola Tinubu signed on the FAAN headquarters relocation to Lagos, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (NAN) said, “We are going ahead. The directive has been given.”
Bornor Senator Ali Ndume, as well as chieftains of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and other northern groups, had been up in arms over the relocation of FAAN and some departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), alleging that it was an attempt to marginalise the north.
But Keyamo said he remained unperturbed by the protests while insisting that the movement of the airport authority had become necessary in line with current economic and operational realities.
The minister disclosed that top FAAN officials and aviation unions had complained about the logistical nightmare of having the authority's head of office in Lagos.
He said officials also spent ₦500m annually on air tickets for daily commutes from Lagos to Abuja and back.
He stressed that he and not Tinubu approved the relocation, “I take the decision; it’s a decision under the purview of a minister,” Keyamo stated.
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| 2024-01-31T23:04:43Z
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Oklahoma schools chief says he’s trying to let teachers keep bonuses paid in error
By SEAN MURPHY
Associated Press Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — After facing fierce criticism, the head of Oklahoma’s public schools now says his agency is working to see if teachers improperly awarded up to $50,000 can keep the bonuses. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters made the comments on Wednesday. Walters and the Department of Education faced criticism from lawmakers after reports they asked as many as nine teachers to repay the bonuses which were meant to attract new teachers to hard-to-fill jobs. At least two teachers are now suing Walters and the department for breach of contract. An attorney for the two teachers says while the department did reach out to one of the educators, the agency only agreed to extend the deadline for repayment.
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https://keyt.com/news/2024/01/31/oklahoma-schools-chief-says-hes-trying-to-let-teachers-keep-bonuses-paid-in-error/
| 2024-01-31T23:04:43Z
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MIAMI — A federal judge has dismissed the Walt Disney Company's lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Disney sued after DeSantis and state lawmakers removed its self-governing status in 2023.
Backed by Republican lawmakers, DeSantis dissolved a special district near Orlando that for more than fifty years had governed Walt Disney World. He acted after Disney's CEO opposed a law limiting how sex orientation and gender identity can be discussed in the schools. The Parental Rights in Education Act was labeled "Don't Say Gay" by opponents.
At DeSantis' request, Florida's GOP-controlled legislature created a new special district, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, controlled by the Republican Governor's appointees. Disney sued in federal court, saying DeSantis was retaliating against the company, punishing it for exercising its First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Disney also canceled plans for a $1 billion campus in Florida.
In a 17-page order, U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor dismissed the case, saying Disney lacks standing to sue the governor. The judge also said while Disney could sue the new DeSantis-appointed board, it hadn't shown evidence that actions by the new board had harmed the company. In addition, Winsor said the law prohibits plaintiffs from bringing a free speech challenge to constitutionally enacted laws.
A DeSantis spokesman hailed the decision saying, "the Corporate Kingdom is over. The days of Disney controlling its own government and being placed above the law are long gone. Disney is still just one of many corporations in the state and they do not have a right to their own special government."
Disney says it will "press forward with its case." In a statement after the ruling, a company spokesperson said, "If left unchallenged, this would set a dangerous precedent and give license to states to weaponize their official powers to punish the expression of political viewpoints they disagree with."
Disney and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board are also embroiled in lawsuits in state court.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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https://www.wuwf.org/2024-01-31/a-federal-judge-dismisses-disneys-lawsuit-against-florida-gov-ron-desantis
| 2024-01-31T23:04:43Z
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US is actively pursuing the creation of a Palestinian state
By Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk
Washington: The United States is actively pursuing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel and exploring options with partners in the region, the State Department spokesperson said on Thursday AEDT.
Matthew Miller declined to give details on the department’s internal work on the issue, but told a news briefing the effort has been an objective of President Joe Biden’s administration.
“We are actively pursuing the establishment as an independent Palestinian state, with real security guarantees for Israel, because we do believe that is the best way to bring about lasting peace and security for Israel, for Palestinians and for the region,” Miller said.
“There are any number of ways that you could go about accomplishing that. There are a number of sequencing of events that you can carry out to accomplish that objective. And we look at a wide range of options and we discuss those with partners in the region as well as other partners inside the United States government,” Miller said.
Axios reported earlier on Wednesday that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had asked the State Department to conduct a review and present policy options on possible US and international recognition of a Palestinian state after the war in Gaza.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron also told a group of UK lawmakers that the UK government and its allies “will look at the issue of recognising a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations,” the BBC reported on Tuesday.
Washington has been linking the creation of a Palestinian state with the effort to get Saudi Arabia to normalise its ties with Israel -- a push that was largely frozen after the October 7 Hamas attack that killed 1200 Israelis and saw more than 250 taken hostages.
But over the past few months, the conversations have resumed.
US officials now also see a possible hostage deal that would free all the remaining captives in return for a sustained ceasefire as instrumental and linked to making progress in the Saudi-Israel normalisation effort.
Speaking in Davos earlier this month, Blinken said there was a “new equation” in the Middle East in which Israel’s Arab and Muslim neighbours were prepared to integrate Israel into the region but were equally committed to a pathway to a Palestinian state.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is at odds with the Biden administration over the creation of an independent Palestinian state, saying at the weekend that he would not compromise on “full Israeli security control of all territory west of the Jordan River”.
Reuters
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https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/north-america/us-is-actively-pursuing-the-creation-of-a-palestinian-state-20240201-p5f1jz.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
| 2024-01-31T23:04:43Z
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla — The Icemen are playing against the Florida Everblades at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena tonight at 7 p.m.
Those who are headed to the game should expect some traffic delays. The arena parking garage is closed, but alternate parking will be available in lots J and P.
Parking will only be on the North Side of the complex. Please avoid the South Side of the Arena.
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There is also a career fair being hosted by the Icemen before the hockey game.
The Icemen are providing a change for your resume to bee seen by some great sports teams and entertainment companies.
Those with access to the career fair can also then stick around for the Icemen game afterwards at 7 p.m.
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| 2024-01-31T23:04:44Z
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READER LETTER | ANC government Full of Hypocrisy
I don't condone the killings of innocent civilians on both sides, but I hate impartiality and hypocrisy. I must state that the group that went to the ICJ represented the ANC government and not all South Africans.
When the ANC government was criticised for failing to support UN resolutions condemning Russian invasion of Ukraine, the argument was made that it was more important to stay in contact with both sides so that peace talks could be encouraged, than to condemn one side for its failure to adhere to international law.
After Hamas’ unprovoked massacre of unsuspecting Israeli civilians on October 7 last year, instead of taking the same stance it undertook in the Russian/Ukraine conflict, the ANC government chose a side, they chose Hamas. Only Hamas received our government’s sympathy and condolences.
The truth is the ANC government has no guiding foreign policy. It has countries and “leaders” that it likes, and those it loathes. When it came to Israel, it took an openly confrontational approach.
Instead of encouraging dialogue and exploring the common ground, the ANC government withdrew its diplomats from Israel, passed a parliamentary resolution to expel Israel’s ambassador’ and took Israel to the ICJ for “genocide”.
Even in its hurried statement on October 7 last year, the government ignored Hamas’ terror attack that had taken place on that day.
It is obvious that this government loathes Israel, but it tolerates Sudanese warlords such as Al Bashir and Gen Mohamed Dagalo and Russia. The ANC government has abandoned its “non-aligned” position and shifted decisively from the democratic to the authoritarian camp.
Our president even failed to reach out to the families of the two SA massacred in the Hamas genocide, and he also failed to act on the two SA kidnapped by Hamas. That’s betrayal of the highest order.
Bushy Green, Kagiso
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https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/opinion/letters/2024-01-29-reader-letter-anc-government-full-of-hypocrisy/
| 2024-01-31T23:04:44Z
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Union leaders from Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky held a press conference Wednesday to announce the launch of a unified organizing campaign and rally to reinstate former Amazon Air Hub worker Griffin Ritze.
Ritze has helped lead unionization efforts at Amazon's air hub at CVG and was fired from his tug driver position last week.
A spokesperson from Amazon said Ritze's firing had nothing to do with his organizing work, and he could be eligible for an appeals process to be reinstated. Ritze and other union supporters claim he was fired for attempting to attend and speak with other pro-union workers at an anti-union information session hosted by Amazon executives in December.
RELATED: Fired Amazon employee at CVG claims retaliation for union efforts
"Amazon is scared because they see that we're on the path to win and they can't stop us but they're going to try," Ritze said. "That's why they fired me last week. That's why, shamefully, they might fire other workers in the weeks and months ahead, but that's not the sign of a confident management. That's the sign of a management that sees our growing power and is scared."
Pro-union organizers at the air hub are demanding $30 an hour base pay, 180 hours of paid time off, translation services, and union representation at disciplinary meetings.
Local union leaders from the Cincinnati AFL-CIO, Ironworkers Local 44, the Boone County Education Association, and Boone County Classified Employees Association stood in support of Ritze and other Amazon Air Hub workers. AFL-CIO Executive Secretary-Treasurer Brian Griffin called Ritze's termination unjustified and said the move will only inspire more support for a unified workforce.
RELATED: Cincinnati officials support Amazon Air unionization effort
"Amazon management fired Griffin Ritze for activities that are protected under the National Labor Relations Act," he said. "We support Griffin. We support these Amazon workers and if Amazon thinks that by firing Griffin they can intimidate workers and break the union's momentum, they are gravely mistaken."
Ritze says the next step is to officially establish the union's plan, continue to work on building support among Amazon's air hub workforce, and eventually hold an election.
While he isn't currently an Amazon employee, Ritze told the media Wednesday he's not giving up, and will remain a part of the team working to unionize for as long as it takes.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said.
With the backing of other area unions, the Amazon Air Hub workers say the formal establishment of Amazon Labor Union-KCVG will start with a kickoff vote to ratify its constitution on Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Florence Christian Church Activity Center from noon to 6 pm.
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https://www.wvxu.org/local-news/2024-01-31/union-support-fired-amazon-air-hub-worker-griffin-ritze
| 2024-01-31T23:04:46Z
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Market Summary:
The Fed held their policy unchanged as widely expected, and pushed against an imminent hike at subsequent meetings. Whilst money markets had scaled back bets of aggressive tightening this year over the past couple of weeks, they were still trying to price in a March cut. But that is now dead in the water following comments from Jerome Powell. Regular readers will know that this has been my view, and that market pricing was too aggressively priced for multiple cuts given the strength of the US economy.
Wall Street indices took this ‘revelation’ quite hard, with the S&P 500 suffering its worst day since September, the Nasdaq 100 falling around -1.8% and the Down Jones forming a bearish outside day at its record high. Gold handed back all of its earlier gains to close the day with an inverted hammer candle.
AUD/USD fell to a 7-day low to confirm the bear-flag breakout I ‘flagged’ a couple of times this week. If we see a decent ISM and NFP report this week and the RBA tip their hat to lower inflation at Tuesday's meeting, a break below 65c seems plausible.
As my colleague David Scutt pointed out, there is now a growing case that the RBA could cut rates ahead of the Fed given Australia’s soft inflation report yesterday. Personally, I am of the view that the RBA may at least hold out until the Fed begin hinting at an imminent cut, given their tendency to simply follow the Fed.
Summary of the Fed statement
- Economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace
- Job growth has moderated but remains solid and unemployment remains low
- Inflation has eased but remains elevated
- Not appropriate to cut rates until the Fed gains greater confidence that “inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent”
- QT to continue
Comments from Jerome Powell’s press conference
- We’re not looking for inflation to tap 2% once; we’re looking for it to settle out at 2%
- We’re not looking for inflation to anchor below 2%
- I don’t think it is likely we will have a rate cut in March
- We will be reacting to data
- There are risks that would make us go slower or faster on rate cuts
Events in focus (AEDT):
- 09:00 – Australian building approvals, import/export price index, quarterly business confidence (NAB)
- 11:30 – Japan’s manufacturing PMI (Jibun Bank)
- 12:45 – China’s manufacturing PMI (Caixin)
- 16:30 – Australian commodity prices
- 20:30 – UK manufacturing PMI
- 21:00 – Eurozone CPI
- 23:00 – BOE interest rate decision, meeting minutes, MPC votes to cut/hike
- 23:00 – US Challenger job cuts
- 02:00 – ISM manufacturing PMI
ASX 200 at a glance:
- The ASX 200 rose for an eight day and hit a record high, thanks to soft CPI figures for Australia on Wednesday
- SPI 200 futures rallied for a ninth day and also hit a new all-time high, but it appears to have sobered up and formed a 2-day bearish reversal pattern with a bearish RSI divergence
- The ASX 200 cash index is expected to gap sharply lower given the weak lead from Wall Street
- A move down to 7500 now seems plausible as we head towards next week’s RBA meeting, but it might find some support if the RBA deliver a relatively dovish hold
USD/JPY technical analysis (chart):
The daily chart shows that USD/JPY tried but failed to break the 146 handle, and the lower daily wick respected the 50/100-day EMAs before the pair recouped ~half of the day’s earlier losses. I suspect an important swing low has formed and that momentum could now try to turn higher.
The bias remains for a move up towards the 149.50 – 150 resistance zone, and bulls could seek entries around current levels or dips towards support levels. The bias remains bullish whilst prices remain above the 146 handle.
View the full economic calendar
-- Written by Matt Simpson
Follow Matt on Twitter @cLeverEdge
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https://www.cityindex.com/en-sg/news-and-analysis/us-dollar-rallies-sp-500-dow-jones-and-nasdaq-tumble-post-fomc-asian-open-2025-02-01/
| 2024-01-31T23:04:45Z
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(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) HOUSTON, Jan. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PARR) (“Par Pacific”) today announced that it will release its fourth quarter 2023 results after the New York Stock Exchange closes on Tuesday, February 27, 2024. This release will be followed by a conference call for investors on Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. Central Time (10:00 a.m. Eastern). The full text of the release will be available on Par Pacific's website at .
Par Pacific Fourth Quarter 2023 Earnings Conference Call
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
9:00 a.m. Central time (10:00 a.m. Eastern)
Dial-in number: 1-833-974-2377 (toll-free) or 1-412-317-5782 (toll)
Individuals who would like to participate should dial the applicable dial-in number at least 10 minutes before the scheduled conference call time.
To access the live audio webcast and related presentation materials, please visit the Investors section of Par Pacific's website at .
A replay will be available shortly after the call and can be accessed by dialing 1-877-344-7529 (toll-free) or 1-412-317-0088 (toll). The passcode for the replay is 5454323. The replay will be available until March 13, 2024.
About Par Pacific
Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PARR), headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a growing energy company providing both renewable and conventional fuels to the western United States. In the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies, Par Pacific owns and operates 124,000 bpd of combined refining capacity across three locations and has an extensive energy infrastructure network, including 7.6 million barrels of storage, and marine, rail, rack and pipeline assets. In addition, Par Pacific operates the nomnom convenience store chain and supplies ExxonMobil-branded fuel retail stations in the region. Par Pacific owns and operates one of the largest energy infrastructure networks in Hawaii with 94,000 bpd of operating refining capacity, a logistics system supplying the major islands of the state and Hele-branded retail locations. Par Pacific also owns 46% of Laramie Energy, LLC, a natural gas production company with operations and assets concentrated in Western Colorado. More information is available at .
Investor Contact:
Ashimi Patel
Director, Investor Relations
(832) 916-3355
...
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https://menafn.com/1107793820/Par-Pacific-Announces-Fourth-Quarter-2023-Earnings-Release-And-Conference-Call-Schedule
| 2024-01-31T23:04:49Z
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Protestors gather in Uptown to fight against Mountain Valley Pipeline Project
Protesters from environmental groups 350.org and GreenFaith gathered in Uptown Charlotte to call for the cancelation of a natural gas pipeline project.
The Mountain Valley Pipeline would carry natural gas, made up of mostly methane, more than 300 miles from West Virginia to southern Virginia. An additional Southgate Extension would add another 31 miles to the project, stretching it into Rockingham County North Carolina.
Equitrans Midstream Corporation, the developers, claim the project is essential to ensuring energy stability in the mid-Atlantic and southeast. Natural gas is the largest source of electric generation in Virginia and North Carolina.
Opponents like GreenFaith and 350.org have been protesting the project since it was first proposed nearly 10 years ago.
“It’s not a good choice for the wellbeing of our planet,” said Amy Brooks, an organizer with GreenFaith.
Wednesday’s protest was one of several organized throughout the region. The protesters worry the pipeline will endanger many of the waterways it passes through and will lead to an increased reliance on fossil fuels when they say the region should be focused on building up renewable energy.
READ MORE: A look inside Bad Creek Pumped Hydro, the biggest battery in the Carolinas
“Why create new fossil fuel infrastructure?” Holly Adams, another protester, said. “Because then it’s locked in for a number of decades and we need to get away from that.”
The U.S. Energy Information Administration considers natural gas a mixed bag in terms of its climate impact. Burning natural gas produces fewer air pollutants and less CO2 than coal, so it is considered a “cleaner” energy source, however there is a significant environmental impact from extraction through fracking and transporting natural gas, carries the risk of methane leaks. When methane escapes into the atmosphere, its greenhouse gas effect is 28 times stronger than the impact of CO2. That’s why some scientists argue natural gas could be worse for the climate than coal.
According to the latest construction update, the Mountain Valley Pipeline project has completed most of its major milestones and builders expect the pipeline to begin transporting gas in the West Virginia and Virginia portion by mid-to-late spring.
The Southgate Extension has faced multiple regulatory delays and the developers recently submitted a new, shorter design for the project. If approved, the developers estimate that construction would take until 2028. Protesters call for cancelation of the Mountain Valley Pipeline Project
(WATCH: How a new type of sand on the Outer Banks could help fight climate change)
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https://news.yahoo.com/protestors-gather-uptown-fight-against-215600123.html
| 2024-01-31T23:04:48Z
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NYSC vows to punish fake corpers trying to serve
Whoever is caught would be handed over to law enforcement agencies for prosecution.
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He said this on Wednesday in Abuja during the 2024 Batch 'A' Pre-Orientation Course Workshop. Ahmed said that the essence of the workshop was to review the conduct of previous orientation courses, with a view to strategising for optimal performance.
According to him, the unqualified persons seeking to get registered include fake graduates appearing as prospective youth corps members. Others are people who, having served previously or issued with Exemption Certificate, attempt to present themselves again for the national service.
He, however, warned that any unqualified person caught, and those aiding them, would be handed over to law enforcement agencies for prosecution.
Ahmed said the security of youth corps members remained a matter of priority in all aspects of NYSC's operations, especially during orientation course. He emphasised that proactive measures must be taken by state coordinators and other stakeholders to evaluate and attend to security situations in all camp locations.
He said the scheme was not relenting in its efforts at curbing the issue of unauthorised journey by members
He added, "We are not relenting in our efforts to check this problem that has become a nightmare for the scheme in view of the perilous consequences such as accident and abduction. I, therefore, enjoin everyone to ensure that measures put in place to curtail these negative trend are followed to the latter.
"In line with a recent decision of the management, state coordinators are expected to continue to take the campaign against night journey to motor parks, transport companies and other relevant stakeholders before the commencement of the orientation course."
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the workshop is Orientation Course: Panacea for Engendering Youth Attitudinal Change and National Development.
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https://www.pulse.ng/news/local/nysc-vows-to-punish-fake-corpers-trying-to-serve-nigeria/cb7kk9g
| 2024-01-31T23:04:49Z
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Laws on abortion are out of step with public opinion. One Republican legislator in Tennessee is working to establish exceptions to his state's strict abortion laws, but he faces a tough battle.
Copyright 2024 NPR
Laws on abortion are out of step with public opinion. One Republican legislator in Tennessee is working to establish exceptions to his state's strict abortion laws, but he faces a tough battle.
Copyright 2024 NPR
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https://www.wuwf.org/2024-01-31/a-tennessee-lawmaker-helped-pass-a-strict-abortion-law-hes-now-trying-to-loosen-it
| 2024-01-31T23:04:49Z
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Repeating in NFL used to be more common, but Chiefs aim to be first back-to-back champs in 19 years
By ROB MAADDI
AP Pro Football Writer
Repeat championships in the NFL used to be more common.
Over the first 39 Super Bowls, it happened eight times. But no team has done it since Tom Brady and the New England Patriots won two in a row following the 2003-04 seasons.
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are aiming to become the first back-to-back Super Bowl champs in 19 years when they face the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.
The Chiefs had a chance to do it three years ago, but lost 31-9 to Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Two other teams — the 2017 Patriots and the 2014 Seattle Seahawks — also have failed in their repeat bid since the feat was last accomplished.
There hasn’t been a back-to-back champion in major league baseball since the New York Yankees won three straight World Series from 1998-2000. The Golden State Warriors last did it in the NBA in 2017-18. It was accomplished more recently in the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning capturing the Stanley Cup in 2020-21.
Here are the NFL’s repeat champions in the Super Bowl era:
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Vince Lombardi’s team won the first two Super Bowls and a few years later the iconic coach’s name was put on the trophy awarded to the winner. The Packers dominated the Chiefs in the first Super Bowl on Jan. 15, 1967, winning 35-10. They followed up with a 33-14 victory over the Oakland Raiders in 1968.
Quarterback Bart Starr was the MVP in both wins. He tossed two touchdown passes against Kansas City and threw for 202 yards and one TD vs. Oakland.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
After losing to Dallas in Super Bowl 6, the Dolphins went 14-0 in 1972 and capped off the NFL’s only undefeated season with a 14-7 win over Washington on Jan. 14, 1973.
The Dolphins defeated the Vikings 24-7 the following year for the franchise’s most recent Super Bowl victory. It was the second of four Super Bowl losses for Minnesota in a seven-year span.
Safety Jake Scott had two interceptions and was the MVP in the win over Washington. Larry Csonka ran for 145 yards and two scores to earn MVP honors against Minnesota.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Chuck Noll, Terry Bradshaw and the Steel Curtain won their first of four Super Bowls in six years, defeating Minnesota 16-6 on Jan. 12, 1975, in Super Bowl 9. Franco Harris was the MVP of that game after rushing for 158 yards and one TD.
The Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 the following season. Lynn Swann earned MVP honors with four catches for 161 yards and one TD.
Pittsburgh’s bid for a three-peat fell two games short when the Steelers lost the AFC championship game to eventual champion Oakland in December 1976.
The Steelers returned to the Super Bowl following the 1978 season and again defeated Tom Landry, Roger Staubach and the Cowboys 35-31. Bradshaw threw for 318 yards and four TDs to win the MVP award.
Pittsburgh defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31-19 on Jan. 20, 1980, to repeat. Bradshaw again was the MVP after throwing for 309 yards and two TDs.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and the 49ers capped off the 1980s with their third and fourth titles in the decade. The Niners defeated Cincinnati 20-16 on Jan. 22, 1989, beating the Bengals in a Super Bowl for the second time. Rice was the MVP after catching 11 passes for 215 yards and one TD.
The 49ers routed Denver 55-10 to win it again the next season. Montana had 297 yards passing and five TDs to earn his third Super Bowl MVP award.
DALLAS COWBOYS
Jimmy Johnson teamed up with Jerry Jones to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to “America’s Team” after a 15-year drought. With Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin leading the way, the Cowboys dominated Buffalo 52-17 on Jan. 31, 1993. Aikman won MVP honors with 273 yards passing and four TDs.
The rematch was closer but the Cowboys prevailed 30-13, handing coach Marv Levy, QB Jim Kelly and the rest of the Bills their fourth straight Super Bowl defeat. Smith had 132 yards rushing and two scores to earn the MVP award.
DENVER BRONCOS
After losing three Super Bowls in a four-year span to finish the 1980s, John Elway waited eight years to go back and prevented Brett Favre and the Packers from repeating. The Broncos beat Green Bay 31-24 on Jan. 25, 1998. Terrell Davis had 157 yards rushing and three TDs to earn the MVP award.
The Broncos defeated Atlanta 34-19 to repeat. Elway threw for 336 yards and one TD to get MVP honors.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Brady and Bill Belichick won six Super Bowls together in 20 seasons with their second and third titles coming back to back.
Adam Vinatieri kicked a 41-yard field goal with 4 seconds remaining to give the Patriots a 32-29 win over Carolina on Feb. 1, 2004. Brady threw for 354 yards and three TDs to win the second of his five MVP awards and seven rings.
New England held off coach Andy Reid’s Philadelphia Eagles the following season, 24-21. Deion Branch had 11 catches for 133 yards to earn the MVP award. Terrell Owens had nine catches for 122 yards for the Eagles after defying his doctor’s advice and returning to play just six weeks after ankle surgery.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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https://keyt.com/news/2024/01/31/repeating-in-nfl-used-to-be-more-common-but-chiefs-aim-to-be-first-back-to-back-champs-in-19-years/
| 2024-01-31T23:04:49Z
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CHICAGO — (AP) — Chicago's City Council narrowly approved a resolution Wednesday calling for a permanent cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas, with Mayor Brandon Johnson casting the tiebreaking vote.
The symbolic declaration in the nation's third-largest city follows weeks of rowdy public meetings with disruptions from demonstrators, including on Wednesday when things became so boisterous the first-term mayor had to temporarily clear the council chambers. The resolution, approved 24-23, includes a call for humanitarian aid and the the release of all hostages. Supporters in the chambers included the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Chicago is latest U.S. city to approve such a non-binding resolution, following Atlanta, Detroit and San Francisco in recent months.
“Do I believe that the words that we speak today, how we vote today influences directly international policy? I don’t. I don’t have those illusions," said Alderman Daniel La Spata, one of the resolution's sponsors. "But we vote with hope. We vote with solidarity. We vote to help people feel heard in a world of silence.”
The ordinance remained largely unchanged over the past few months despite urging from the council's sole Jewish member, Alderwoman Debra Silverstein, who sought more support of Israel and criticism of Hamas.
“We all want an end to the bloodshed and an end to the war. But it is vital to understand what caused the conflict, and we should pass a resolution that addresses the issue responsibly,” she said during the meeting. “We should not pass a resolution unless it makes clear that Hamas cannot and should not attack again.”
The war began with Hamas attacking Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Since then, Israeli strikes have killed more than 26,000 Palestinians and displaced nearly 2 million others from their homes.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/national/chicago-becomes/Q2I4G4MJUZUEYBIJGYATJUGKVQ/
| 2024-01-31T23:04:51Z
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SUMMARY
This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
BATANGAS, Philippines – Two Filipino crew members died, while two Chinese were hurt after two passenger vessels collided in the waters off Verde Islands, Batangas, at around 12:30 pm on Wednesday, January 31.
Philippine Coast Guard-Batangas Station Captain Jerome Jeciel said the accident killed the captain and third mate of Hop & Go 1 fast craft.
Two Chinese, both passengers of the ferry, were hurt in the accident.
The Coast Guard sub-station in Puerto Galera, Mindoro, dispatched a team to help 105 passengers, including Swedes and Chinese, and 19 crew members of Ocean Jet 6. All were taken to the Calapan port and are safe.
Initial investigation showed that Ocean Jet 6 was headed to Calapan from Batangas, while Hop & Go 1 was en route to Batangas from Puerto Galera when they collided.
Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, PCG commandant, ordered a further investigation into the collision, while the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) suspended the safety certificates of the two vessels.
MARINA-Region IV Director Joey Victoria said the vessels are prohibited from operating pending investigation results. – Rappler.com
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https://www.rappler.com/nation/luzon/2-crew-members-dead-2-chinese-hurt-as-vessels-collide-off-batangas/
| 2024-01-31T23:04:52Z
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Apex Legends game director Steven Ferreira and design director Evan Nikolich provided positive news on the future of dormant Arenas game mode.
As part of the season nine update in 2021, Respawn Entertainment introduced a bold new game mode called Arenas. Instead of the traditional battle royale format, Arenas was a three-vs-three battle to be the last team standing. Like CS:GO or VALORANT, players had the chance to spend resources to purchase gear, weapons, or consumable items before a round started.
Arenas established a passionate cult following and even received a ranked iteration, but in February 2023, Respawn discontinued the game mode, as it didn’t quite garner the success originally envisioned and ended up splitting up the player base between Arenas and battle royale players. Almost a year later, the Apex devs gave us some hints on if we will ever see Arenas again.
Apex Legends devs don’t rule out potential Arenas return
In an interview with GameInformer, Ferreira and Nikolich provided an optimistic update on Arenas. “Arenas has been backburnered, but it’s in our quiver to use again at some point,” Nikolich said. “It’ll potentially come back in the next 12 to 24 months. It’s definitely something on our roadmap.”
In saying that, the devs plan to do things differently next time, as Respawn doesn’t want players to favor one experience over the other to the point where they neglect the primary battle royale game mode.
“I don’t think we fully understood what we were doing in terms of bifurcating our audience,” Nikolich added. “We have to build something that is more unified and brings players together to play the entirety of the game. Not just like, ‘I’m an Arenas main’ or a ‘BR main.'”
Ferreira explained that the game’s current Mixtape playlists serves as an “evolution of Arenas,” giving players an easy way to learn or test weapons, legends, or mechanics. If and when Arenas returns, it will probably need to claim a different niche than it did before, considering Mixtape doesn’t look like it’s going away.
It’s safe to say we won’t ever see Arenas take as much center stage as it did before, but fans can at least rest assured that the Apex devs haven’t forgotten about it completely.
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https://dotesports.com/apex-legends/news/apex-legends-devs-say-arenas-could-make-a-comeback
| 2024-01-31T23:04:52Z
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NHL players Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils and Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames have been charged with sexual assault in connection with an alleged assault by several members of Canada's 2018 world junior team.
Attorneys representing Hart, McLeod, Foote and Dube said Tuesday that each player has been charged with sexual assault by police in London, Ontario. They denied any wrongdoing on behalf of their clients.
Hart's lawyers, Megan Savard and Riaz Sayani, said their client is facing one count of sexual assault, adding, "He is innocent and will provide a full response to this false accusation in the proper forum, a court of law."
Legal teams representing McLeod and Dube said the players would be pleading not guilty.
"(We) will vigorously defend the case," McLeod's attorneys, David Humphrey and Seth Weinstein, said in a statement. "We ask that the public respect Mr. McLeod's privacy, and his family's privacy. Because the matter is now before the court, we will not comment further at this time."
Dube's lawyers, Louis Strezos and Kayleigh Davidson, said their client "maintains his innocence (and) will defend the allegations in court."
Foote's lawyer, Julianna Greenspan, said her client was "innocent of the charge and will defend himself against this allegation to clear his name."
"What is most critical at this time is the presumption of innocence, and the right to a fair trial that everyone in Canada is entitled to," Greenspan said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. "As the matter is before the court, I ask that Cal's and his family's privacy be respected."
A Devils spokesperson said the organization is aware of the reports and have been told to refer all inquiries to the league. A Flyers spokesman echoed a similar sentiment, saying the team "will respond appropriately to this very serious matter when the outcomes of the investigations are made public."
"We have now become aware of the charge of sexual assault that has been laid against Dillon Dube," the Flames said in a statement. "We take this matter very seriously. Because the matter is now pending legal proceedings, we will have no further comment at this time."
The NHL was not expected to address the situation Tuesday. Commissioner Gary Bettman is set to speak at the league's upcoming All-Star Weekend.
The latest developments in the case come two days after former NHL player Alex Formenton surrendered to police to face charges. Attorney Daniel Brown said Formenton is innocent "and asks that people not rush to judgment without hearing all of the evidence."
All five players have taken leave from their current clubs over the past 10 days. Their agents have not spoken publicly since.
London police have scheduled a news conference for Monday to address the situation. A spokesperson for police told the AP by email no updates on the investigation will be provided before the news conference.
Investigation followed a settlement in a lawsuit
London police launched their investigation in 2022 after it was disclosed that Hockey Canada had settled a lawsuit with a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by eight members of that gold medal-winning team after a Hockey Canada Foundation fundraising gala. London is approximately halfway between Toronto and Detroit.
According to court documents, the woman, then 20, alleged that a man, identified only as "John Doe #1," took her from a bar to a hotel room and invited seven other people into the room to perform undisclosed sexual acts, intimidating her and preventing her from leaving. The woman said in the lawsuit the men directed her to take a shower and asked her to say on video that she was sober.
The woman sought $3.55 million in damages and dropped the lawsuit after reaching a settlement with Hockey Canada.
The NHL has also been investigating
The NHL opened its own investigation in 2022 and has pledged to make those findings public. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly last week said the league would issue a statement if and when it is appropriate.
The Flyers said Hart requested and was granted a leave of absence for personal reasons. General manager Daniel Briere declined to provide details when asked follow-up questions related to the 25-year-old No. 1 goaltender's departure.
The Devils did not give a reason when announcing McLeod and Foote were granted indefinite leaves of absence. McLeod, who turns 26 on Saturday, is in the middle of his fourth full season with the team, while Foote — son of former NHL player Adam Foote — has spent much of this season in the American Hockey League and appeared in four games for New Jersey.
The Flames said Dube was on indefinite leave to tend to his mental health. As part of their statement Tuesday, they said they "had no knowledge of pending charges at the time Dillon's request for a leave of absence was granted."
The 25-year-old Dube has played for Calgary since 2018.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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https://www.nprillinois.org/2024-01-31/4-nhl-players-charged-with-sexual-assault-in-a-2018-case-in-canada-their-lawyers-say
| 2024-01-31T23:04:52Z
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The narrow stretch of Montana Highway 35 (MT 35) that tracks along the eastern shore of Flathead Lake, known locally as the East Shore Highway, will close temporarily on the morning of Thursday, Feb. 1, while crews work to remove a dead and rotting ponderosa pine tree that is in danger of toppling nearby power lines.
According to a joint press release from Flathead Electric Cooperative (FEC), the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the work to remove the 110-foot-tall ponderosa pine south of Woods Bay, near Fishing Rock Lane, is anticipated to occur from 10 a.m. to noon.
Travelers will need to seek alternate routes, according to the press release, as two cranes and multiple crews will be on scene for the tree’s removal. The closure, which is weather-dependent and has already been rescheduled once, will also extend to the nearby Bear Dance Trail, USFS Trail #76, which will be closed in both directions.
The ponderosa pine that crews will remove is located on the east side of the road at approximately mile marker 23. The tree, dead for many years, has significant rot around its base, according to the press release. Without removal, it is expected to fall across MT 35 and into the power lines. Its removal will enhance safety for the traveling public, the release states.
“The tree’s location above MT 35 makes it extremely difficult to safely remove. However, if it were to fall, the resulting power outage would likely be prolonged, because of the limited access we have to bring in new power poles and re-string wire,” Amanda Opp, FEC’s Integrated Services Manager, stated “Being proactive is the right thing to do for the public, and greatly decreases the risk of the tree falling into the wires and sparking a wildfire.”
The tree is home to an unoccupied osprey nest. Multiple biologists from federal and state agencies were consulted about the tree’s removal and approved the same.
“From the start, we were sensitive to the osprey nest, and reached out to the USFS, the Biological Station at Flathead Lake, and Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to ensure there were no nesting osprey in the tree, and that if the tree was removed, there would be suitable options in the area for any osprey that may return in the spring,” Opp stated.
Ospreys migrate seasonally and are not expected to return to Northwest Montana until April. The tree’s removal is not expected to impact the birds. However, the nest will be inspected again on the day of the removal.
A brief power outage may occur during the road closure. Co-op members can receive updates at the online Flathead Electric Outage Center.
The public is encouraged to contact Joan Redeen at 406-396-1978 with any questions or comments regarding the road closure. Motorists can stay informed about road status on the day in question by visiting https://www.511mt.net/ or downloading the MDT 511 app on their phone.
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https://flatheadbeacon.com/2024/01/31/east-shore-highway-slated-to-close-as-crews-remove-110-foot-tall-pine-tree/
| 2024-01-31T23:04:52Z
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MIAMI — A federal judge has dismissed the Walt Disney Company's lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Disney sued after DeSantis and state lawmakers removed its self-governing status in 2023.
Backed by Republican lawmakers, DeSantis dissolved a special district near Orlando that for more than fifty years had governed Walt Disney World. He acted after Disney's CEO opposed a law limiting how sex orientation and gender identity can be discussed in the schools. The Parental Rights in Education Act was labeled "Don't Say Gay" by opponents.
At DeSantis' request, Florida's GOP-controlled legislature created a new special district, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, controlled by the Republican Governor's appointees. Disney sued in federal court, saying DeSantis was retaliating against the company, punishing it for exercising its First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Disney also canceled plans for a $1 billion campus in Florida.
In a 17-page order, U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor dismissed the case, saying Disney lacks standing to sue the governor. The judge also said while Disney could sue the new DeSantis-appointed board, it hadn't shown evidence that actions by the new board had harmed the company. In addition, Winsor said the law prohibits plaintiffs from bringing a free speech challenge to constitutionally enacted laws.
A DeSantis spokesman hailed the decision saying, "the Corporate Kingdom is over. The days of Disney controlling its own government and being placed above the law are long gone. Disney is still just one of many corporations in the state and they do not have a right to their own special government."
Disney says it will "press forward with its case." In a statement after the ruling, a company spokesperson said, "If left unchallenged, this would set a dangerous precedent and give license to states to weaponize their official powers to punish the expression of political viewpoints they disagree with."
Disney and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board are also embroiled in lawsuits in state court.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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https://www.wvxu.org/news-from-npr/2024-01-31/a-federal-judge-dismisses-disneys-lawsuit-against-florida-gov-ron-desantis
| 2024-01-31T23:04:53Z
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READER LETTER | Is department misusing funds?
A GroundUp report indicates the Gauteng department of Social Development offered grants of R114 million to two organisations: Daracorp and Beauty Hub Academy.
It stated that the implicated senior department officials were suspended. The fish rots from the head so says the adage.
The key role of department of social development at provincial level is clearly outlined in the constitution. However, how the department ends up funding the Beauty Hub Academy with taxpayers' money is anybody's guess. The Turkish proverb says: “When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace becomes a circus.”
The current MEC of Department Social Development Mbali Hlophe previously headed the sports arts, culture and recreation department in Gauteng. The creative sector welcomed her with excitement when she was appointed by then premier David Makhura.
Unfortunately, during her tenure, the arts sector never prospered. Hlophe was embroiled in scandalous allegations of corruption. The department is known for historically awarding tenders amounting to millions to fund beach parties and other ineffective events.
So, it's not surprising that Hlophe's current department awarded millions of our taxes to Beauty Hub Academy. How could it be that to this day the new sheriff in town, premier Panyaza Lesufi, is a one-eyed owl on the matter? — Jerry Tsie, Pretoria
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https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/opinion/letters/2024-01-29-reader-letter-is-department-misusing-funds/
| 2024-01-31T23:04:52Z
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(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vortex Energy Corp. (CSE: VRTX | OTC: VTECF | FRA: AA3) (" Vortex ” or the " Company ") is pleased to announce, further to its news release on January 10, 2024, that it has extended its engagement of Financial Star News Inc. (“ FSN ”) (address: 701 West Georgia Street, Suite 1500, Vancouver, British Columbia V7Y 1C6; email: ...) for marketing services during the month of February, commencing February 1, 2024, provided that the term of the marketing services may be extended or shortened at the discretion of management depending on, amongst other things, the efficiency of the marketing services.
As previously disclosed, FSN has and shall continue to, as appropriate, create campaigns, ad groups, text ads, display ads, perform detailed keyword research, setup and manage remarketing campaigns, optimize keyword options, coordinate online advertisers and marketers corresponding to online marketing targets, create landing pages for ad campaigns and generally bring attention to the business of the Company. The promotional activity undertaken by FSN will occur on a landing page, and via Google ads and native advertising.
The Company will pay a fee of USD $250,000 (plus GST) for the extension. The Company will not issue any securities to FSN as compensation for its marketing services. As of the date hereof, to the Company's knowledge, FSN (including its directors and officers) does not own any securities of the Company and has an arm's length relationship with the Company.
About Vortex Energy Corp.
Vortex Energy Corp. is an exploration stage company engaged principally in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in North America. The company is currently advancing its Robinson River Salt Project comprised of a total of 942 claims covering 23,500 hectares located approximately 35 linear kms south of the town of Stephenville in the Province of Newfoundland & Labrador. The Robinson River Salt Project is prospective for both salt and hydrogen salt cavern storage. The company is actively evaluating technologies to efficiently store hydrogen or energy in salt caverns. Vortex Energy Corp. also holds the Fire Eye Project, which is located in the Wollaston Domain of northern Saskatchewan, Canada.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Paul Sparkes
Chief Executive Officer, Director
+1 (778) 819-0164
...
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words“could”,“intend”,“expect”,“believe”,“will”,“projected”,“estimated” and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current beliefs or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information relating to, among other things, the expected term of the marketing activities contracted for by the Company.
Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information, including, in respect of the forward-looking information included in this press release, assumptions regarding the efficacy of the Company's marketing program and the Canadian Securities Exchange's acceptance of the Company's promotional program.
Although forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions of the Company's management, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Forward looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among other things, the risk that the Company's marketing program may not be as effective as anticipated by the Company and that the budget for the Company's marketing program may not be sufficient to permit the marketing activities to continue for the anticipated term and that the Canadian Securities Exchange may object to the Company's promotional program and use its discretion to halt the Company's promotional activities or impose other penalties on the Company. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.
The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved, or disapproved the contents of this press release.
MENAFN31012024004107003653ID1107793821
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https://menafn.com/1107793821/Vortex-Energy-Announces-Further-Extension-Of-Marketing-Campaign
| 2024-01-31T23:04:55Z
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Suspected kidnapper tried to bribe police officers with ₦8.6m found in his car
Seven mobile phones, ₦3,000 MTN recharge card and seven amulets were also recovered from the suspect.
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Joseph Eribo, the Commissioner of Police in the state, who made this known on Wednesday in Jalingo, said that the suspect was arrested by mobile policemen at a check point at Yaggai on Jalingo-Yola bypass.
He said the 35-year-old suspect, who hails from Mubi, was arrested on Tuesday in a Toyota car with registration number YLA 321 ZY.
According to him, during interrogation, the suspect failed to give satisfactory account of himself and a search of his vehicle revealed the sum of ₦8,555,000 in cash, seven mobile phones, ₦3,000 MTN recharge card and seven amulets.
"Immediately police started searching the vehicle, two of the suspects jumped out of the car and ran into the bush. The suspect tried to bribe the PMF team, requested them to take the whole money and allow him go but the team refused and arrested him accordingly.
"During further investigation, we discovered another ₦4 million in the suspect’s bank account," he said.
The commissioner of police also announced the arrest of five other suspected kidnappers by the command's anti-kidnapping unit and local vigilante members.
He gave the names of the suspects as Habibu Ibrahim alias Rilwanu; Abba Mohammed aka Gandari; Aliyassa'u Umar; Abdulaziz Adamu aka Dan-Mallam, and Danlami Ibrahim, alias Teacher.
He said that three AK47 rifles each with five rounds of live ammunition were recovered from them.
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https://www.pulse.ng/news/metro/suspected-kidnapper-tried-to-bribe-police-officers-with-naira86m-in-his-car/8npzpcw
| 2024-01-31T23:04:55Z
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Republican bill would let only current, former residents buy Hawaii homes
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Jan. 31—Only current and former residents would be allowed to purchase homes under a House Republican bill designed to lower prices and make Hawaii housing more affordable across the state.
Real estate brokers and other real estate salespeople also would be prohibited from buying, offering to buy, or negotiating the purchase of a home on behalf of a buyer who is not a current or former resident, under House Bill 2203.
The bill was introduced last session by state Rep.
Diamond Garcia (R, Ewa-
Kapolei) but failed to get a hearing.
Garcia hopes the proposal will gain traction this session with Gov. Josh Green and the Legislature focused on developing more affordable homes, especially following the loss of 3,000 or so homes in the Aug. 8 wildfires on an island that already had a housing shortage.
The lack of affordable homes continues to drive away local residents and emphasizes "the fact that there are more Hawaiians living on the U.S. continent than in
Hawaii," Garcia said Tuesday following a Capitol news
conference.
He was joined by Hawaii developer Peter Savio, who said Hawaii knows how to build affordable homes, but mainland and foreign investors continue to drive up prices beyond what residents can pay.
Savio, for years, has proposed two separate zonings: one for locally owned properties where the owner would pay no property tax and prices would be based on the area medium income; and another for homes owned by people on the mainland and foreign countries who would pay "three or four times their property tax rates" to make up for assessing no property taxes on local owners and for not having to pay income taxes.
"We're subsidizing them," Savio said. "We've had this problem for 60 years, and we've never tried anything different," he said. "We cannot build our way out of this problem."
Savio's plan has been backed by the House Minority Caucus, which introduced HB 633 last session; the bill carried over into this session.
"The root of this problem is our housing prices are based on the wages and resources of buyers from around the world," according to HB 633. For "all housing built with government funds or assistance we will place deed restrictions to keep the housing in the same area median income range pricing that it was
initially offered at."
Like Garcia, state Sen. Brenton Awa (R, Kaneohe-
Laie-Mokuleia) wants to ban all property ownership for people with no Hawaii ties.
He joined Garcia and Savio at Tuesday's Capitol news conference and said Savio's plan "falls in line" with his own thinking.
"Peter's an expert in the field of developing affordable housing," Awa said. "His step would be good. It would be better than nothing. I agree with what he wants to do, tying it to wages. If we're on a fork, he's one of the prongs. It's not the same prong, but we're all at the same dinner."
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https://news.yahoo.com/republican-bill-let-only-current-223100283.html
| 2024-01-31T23:04:55Z
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Southern Gaza has seen the heaviest fighting over the past few weeks. But bombing has restarted in the north and the humanitarian situation has worsened there.
Copyright 2024 NPR
Southern Gaza has seen the heaviest fighting over the past few weeks. But bombing has restarted in the north and the humanitarian situation has worsened there.
Copyright 2024 NPR
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https://www.wuwf.org/2024-01-31/as-israel-resumes-bombing-in-the-north-thousands-of-gazans-face-desperate-conditions
| 2024-01-31T23:04:55Z
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Market Summary:
The Fed held their policy unchanged as widely expected, and pushed against an imminent hike at subsequent meetings. Whilst money markets had scaled back bets of aggressive tightening this year over the past couple of weeks, they were still trying to price in a March cut. But that is now dead in the water following comments from Jerome Powell. Regular readers will know that this has been my view, and that market pricing was too aggressively priced for multiple cuts given the strength of the US economy.
Wall Street indices took this ‘revelation’ quite hard, with the S&P 500 suffering its worst day since September, the Nasdaq 100 falling around -1.8% and the Down Jones forming a bearish outside day at its record high. Gold handed back all of its earlier gains to close the day with an inverted hammer candle.
AUD/USD fell to a 7-day low to confirm the bear-flag breakout I ‘flagged’ a couple of times this week. If we see a decent ISM and NFP report this week and the RBA tip their hat to lower inflation at Tuesday's meeting, a break below 65c seems plausible.
As my colleague David Scutt pointed out, there is now a growing case that the RBA could cut rates ahead of the Fed given Australia’s soft inflation report yesterday. Personally, I am of the view that the RBA may at least hold out until the Fed begin hinting at an imminent cut, given their tendency to simply follow the Fed.
Summary of the Fed statement
- Economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace
- Job growth has moderated but remains solid and unemployment remains low
- Inflation has eased but remains elevated
- Not appropriate to cut rates until the Fed gains greater confidence that “inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent”
- QT to continue
Comments from Jerome Powell’s press conference
- We’re not looking for inflation to tap 2% once; we’re looking for it to settle out at 2%
- We’re not looking for inflation to anchor below 2%
- I don’t think it is likely we will have a rate cut in March
- We will be reacting to data
- There are risks that would make us go slower or faster on rate cuts
Events in focus (AEDT):
- 09:00 – Australian building approvals, import/export price index, quarterly business confidence (NAB)
- 11:30 – Japan’s manufacturing PMI (Jibun Bank)
- 12:45 – China’s manufacturing PMI (Caixin)
- 16:30 – Australian commodity prices
- 20:30 – UK manufacturing PMI
- 21:00 – Eurozone CPI
- 23:00 – BOE interest rate decision, meeting minutes, MPC votes to cut/hike
- 23:00 – US Challenger job cuts
- 02:00 – ISM manufacturing PMI
ASX 200 at a glance:
- The ASX 200 rose for an eight day and hit a record high, thanks to soft CPI figures for Australia on Wednesday
- SPI 200 futures rallied for a ninth day and also hit a new all-time high, but it appears to have sobered up and formed a 2-day bearish reversal pattern with a bearish RSI divergence
- The ASX 200 cash index is expected to gap sharply lower given the weak lead from Wall Street
- A move down to 7500 now seems plausible as we head towards next week’s RBA meeting, but it might find some support if the RBA deliver a relatively dovish hold
USD/JPY technical analysis (chart):
The daily chart shows that USD/JPY tried but failed to break the 146 handle, and the lower daily wick respected the 50/100-day EMAs before the pair recouped ~half of the day’s earlier losses. I suspect an important swing low has formed and that momentum could now try to turn higher.
The bias remains for a move up towards the 149.50 – 150 resistance zone, and bulls could seek entries around current levels or dips towards support levels. The bias remains bullish whilst prices remain above the 146 handle.
View the full economic calendar
-- Written by Matt Simpson
Follow Matt on Twitter @cLeverEdge
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https://www.cityindex.com/en-uk/news-and-analysis/us-dollar-rallies-sp-500-dow-jones-and-nasdaq-tumble-post-fomc-asian-open-2025-02-01/
| 2024-01-31T23:04:53Z
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Super Bowl-bound Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce to Taylor Swift: ‘Thanks for joining the team’
By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Travis Kelce is happy to have Taylor Swift on the Kansas City Chiefs bandwagon heading to the Super Bowl.
As if that wasn’t evident by their on-field smooch after the AFC title game.
On the latest episode of their “New Heights” podcast, the Chiefs tight end and his brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce, joked about how the 12-time Grammy winner has come along at just the right time. Swift began dating the younger Kelce after he invited her to a game earlier this season, and she has been a frequent attendee at Chiefs games ever since.
“Shout out to the newest member of the Chiefs Kingdom, Swift, who has officially reached the Super Bowl in her rookie year,” Jason Kelce said in the podcast released Wednesday, before Travis added with a laugh: “Shout out to Tay. Thanks for joining the team.”
Whether Swift makes it to the Super Bowl against the 49ers on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas remains to be seen.
Swift is scheduled to resume her Eras Tour next week with four shows in Tokyo. The finale is scheduled for Saturday night and should end around 10 p.m. local time, or about 5 a.m. in Las Vegas. If she took a private plane between the two cities, Swift could cover the distance in roughly 12 hours, giving her plenty of time to make it to Allegiant Stadium before kickoff.
Speaking of flights, American Airlines and United Airlines got on board, so to speak, with the Taylor-and-Travis romance this week. Flight 1989 — Swift was born that year and it’s the title of her fifth studio album — will run twice from Kansas City to Las Vegas next week, while Flight 87 — Kelce’s jersey number — leaves from Kansas City the day after the Super Bowl.
“To our customers who are huge sports fans, look what you made us do,” American said in a statement to The Associated Press.
Kelce and Swift have tried to keep their relationship out of the spotlight, though it has become increasingly difficult. That’s been especially true during game broadcasts, when networks have received pushback from NFL fans for showing too much of the “Shake It Off” singer’s in-suite celebrations, often with Brittany Mahomes, wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Still, the Swift effect appears to be real when it comes to expanding the NFL audience.
CBS, which aired the Chiefs’ 17-10 win over Baltimore on Sunday, shattered the AFC title game record with 55.473 million viewers in the afternoon window; the previous record was 54.85 million for the Jets-Steelers game in the late window in 2011. That represented an uptick of 17% over last year’s early conference championship game between San Francisco and Philadelphia.
In fact, the Chiefs-Ravens game was the most-watched non-Super Bowl program on CBS since the 1994 Winter Olympics.
That isn’t all due to Swift, of course. The Chiefs, who are headed to their fourth Super Bowl in five years, are one of the league’s most visible franchises. Mahomes and Kelce have played charity golf matches, the latter has hosted “Saturday Night Live” and both have become almost ubiquitous in TV ads selling everything from insurance to soup.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said last week that he appreciates the way Kelce has focused on his job amid everything else.
“I haven’t really seen it affect him in any way,” Reid said. “I haven’t seen anything with his relationship, with his off-the-field stuff, with the commercials, ‘Saturday Night Live,’ all that stuff. He just goes. I think all that plays into what he is. That’s just part of it. He does all that stuff real easy. I don’t think that gets him out of his personality and he has to change at all.”
Kelce has certainly been playing his best during the playoffs this season. He had seven catches for 71 yards in a wild-card win over Miami, five catches for 75 yards and two scores in a divisional win in Buffalo, and then he ripped apart the Ravens’ seemingly impregnable defense last weekend with 11 catches on 11 targets for 116 yards and a score.
Along the way, the four-time All-Pro passed Jerry Rice for the career record for postseason receptions with 156. He matched Rice with his record eighth playoff game of at least 100 yards receiving. And his 21 playoff starts are easily a franchise record.
That’s a lot for Swift — and the Chiefs — to celebrate.
“Listen, she’s been great,” Reid said on SiriusXM this week. “I knew her before, from Philadelphia. Her dad played at Delaware and was a big football fan and good guy. So I had met him there, and her. And so that was the last thing Trav wanted to hear, that I knew her before him. She told him, ‘I know your coach,’ and he went: ‘Oh, God. Come on!’
“She’s a good girl,” Reid added, “and I’m happy for Trav. And there have been no distractions that way at all. And Trav’s handled it right. She’s handled it right. And we just move forward. So it hasn’t been a problem at all.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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https://keyt.com/news/2024/01/31/super-bowl-bound-chiefs-tight-end-travis-kelce-to-taylor-swift-thanks-for-joining-the-team-2/
| 2024-01-31T23:04:56Z
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Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons is out for Wednesday's matchup with the Phoenix Suns, the team announced.
The 27-year-old sustained played his first game in nearly three months on Monday, coming back from a nearly three-month long absence. He recorded 10 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds vs. the Utah Jazz in the comeback.
But the return came at a cost, as he suffered a left knee contusion after taking a hit during the game, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. After the knee began to swell, Simmons reportedly underwent tests that showed no further issue.
It's unclear how long Simmons will be sidelined, but it seems unlikely that the injury will keep him out for as long as the last one did. He was previously hampered by a pinched nerve in his back that he began to recover from on Nov. 6.
This story will be updated.
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https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/national/nets-ben-simmons/JIJJ3T3TYDHP3ZPTNGZQOQQNX4/
| 2024-01-31T23:04:57Z
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There’s nothing quite like a gaming industry presentation to tease what’s coming up next in the world of video games. For PlayStation gamers, nothing’s better than a State of Play.
The first State of Play in 2024 took place on the last day of January, and the 45-minute video featured more than 15 games that are coming out this year and beyond, including Rise of the Ronin, Stellar Blade, and several other highly anticipated titles.
Here’s everything that PlayStation had to share for January 2024’s State of Play.
PS5 State of Play: All games shown on Jan. 31
Helldivers 2 trailer
A new trailer for the upcoming title showed off some upcoming content for the game releasing on PS5 and PC on Feb. 8.
Stellar Blade trailer and release date
A developer deep dive on the action hack and slash title and its main character Eve fighting in a post-apocalyptic world, including gameplay, environments, and some story elements. The trailer ended with a confirmation of the game’s release date, which is coming up on April 26, 2024.
Sonic X Shadow Generations reveal
The 2011 title Sonic Generations is back and bigger in a remaster of sorts, featuring all new content with Shadow the Hedgehog as a playable character. It’s set to come out later this year in autumn 2024.
Zenless Zone Zero coming to PS5
Genshin Impact developers Hoyoverse confirmed its new title is coming to PlayStation and is currently in development.
Foamstars trailer
An upcoming PlayStation Plus title featuring foamy combat was shown ahead of its release next week on Feb. 6.
Dave the Diver coming to PS5 with Godzilla
One of 2023’s most surprising hits is coming to the PlayStaton 5 in May. And Godzilla is coming with him.
V Rising comes to PS5
The survival vampire game that was a hit on Steam is coming to the PS5 console in 2024.
Silent Hill: The Short Message reveal and shadow-drop
A new first-person Silent Hill game is coming to PS5. And the entire game is out today, and is entirely free to play. A bomb dropped by Konami.
Silent Hill 2 Remake combat reveal trailer
The classic survival horror title has been remade, featuring an over-the-shoulder perspective a la the Resident Evil remakes, and some headbanging music. And Pyramid Head is teased right at the very end.
Judas trailer
From the makers of BioShock, a new first-person action game is on the way. And it certainly looks a hell of a lot like BioShock in several ways, inclluding the weaponry, bots, and ability to wield the elements with your hands. so no one is complaining.
Metro Awakening reveal
The Metro series is coming to VR, and is coming in 2024.
Legendary Tales trailer
The VR showing continued with another first-person title in a medieval setting. The player character fought against skeletons and other creatures with melee weapons, magic, a bow, and more. It’s coming out next week on Feb. 8.
Dragon’s Dogma II trailer
The anticipated sequel from Capcom is finally, nearly here. It’s set to release on March 22.
Rise of the Ronin gameplay video
Team Ninja’s PS5-exclusive Rise of the Ronin got a developer deep dive, showing off gameplay of 19th century action combat. It’s releasing in less than two months for PS5 on March 22.
Until Dawn remaster reveal
Until Dawn is coming to PS5 and PC later this year, remastered.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach trailer
Babies, and black goo, and weirdness, and talking puppet? Oh my. Kojima is back with the sequel to Death Stranding, and the trailer is as odd and nonsensical as you would imagine. Norman Reedus, Lea Seydoux, Troy Baker, and other returning actors are back in their roles once more as the adventure leaves America and heads to Mexico where Sam Porter Bridges is looking to connect another network. It’s coming in 2025.
Kojima Productions new “action espionage” IP
Hideo Kojima appeared and closed out the show to reveal he is working with Sony to make a new action espionage “interactive game” which is an all-new IP, and seemingly a spiritual successor to the Metal Gear franchise where he hopes to “transcends the barriers between film and video games.”
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth State of Play next week
Feb. 6 will host a new State of Play dedicated to “an extensive look” at FF7 Rebirth.
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https://dotesports.com/call-of-duty/news/everything-shown-during-the-january-2024-state-of-play
| 2024-01-31T23:04:58Z
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The former operations manager for the Blackfeet Nation pleaded guilty Wednesday to stealing more than $78,000 in federal COVID-19 relief funding from the tribal government.
James Cameron McNeely, 43, of Browning, admitted to the federal offense at a hearing in U.S. District Court in Great Falls before Chief Judge Brian Morris. According to court filings by U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich, McNeely stole the money by fraudulently submitting requests for repayments to the tribe after falsely claiming to buy COVID-19 supplies.
McNeely faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The court will determine a sentence based on federal guidelines and other statutory factors.
McNeely was released on his own recognizance pending sentencing, which is scheduled for June 6.
In court documents, the government alleged that from about October 2021 until October 2022, McNeely, while employed as the Blackfeet Tribe’s operations manager, “submitted requests for repayment to the tribe, and received such payments, after falsely claiming to purchase COVID-19 supplies on behalf of the tribe from Amazon.”
“In reality, McNeely never purchased the supplies, and he was not entitled to the money he claimed and received, which totaled approximately $78,415,” according to a Wednesday press release announcing the guilty plea.
The tribe reimbursed McNeely with checks issued from the bank account containing American Rescue Plan Act funds, which were allocated to the tribe following a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, records state.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.
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https://flatheadbeacon.com/2024/01/31/former-blackfeet-tribal-operations-manager-admits-to-theft-of-covid-19-relief-funds/
| 2024-01-31T23:04:58Z
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MIAMI — A federal judge has dismissed the Walt Disney Company's lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Disney sued after DeSantis and state lawmakers removed its self-governing status in 2023.
Backed by Republican lawmakers, DeSantis dissolved a special district near Orlando that for more than fifty years had governed Walt Disney World. He acted after Disney's CEO opposed a law limiting how sex orientation and gender identity can be discussed in the schools. The Parental Rights in Education Act was labeled "Don't Say Gay" by opponents.
At DeSantis' request, Florida's GOP-controlled legislature created a new special district, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, controlled by the Republican Governor's appointees. Disney sued in federal court, saying DeSantis was retaliating against the company, punishing it for exercising its First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Disney also canceled plans for a $1 billion campus in Florida.
In a 17-page order, U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor dismissed the case, saying Disney lacks standing to sue the governor. The judge also said while Disney could sue the new DeSantis-appointed board, it hadn't shown evidence that actions by the new board had harmed the company. In addition, Winsor said the law prohibits plaintiffs from bringing a free speech challenge to constitutionally enacted laws.
A DeSantis spokesman hailed the decision saying, "the Corporate Kingdom is over. The days of Disney controlling its own government and being placed above the law are long gone. Disney is still just one of many corporations in the state and they do not have a right to their own special government."
Disney says it will "press forward with its case." In a statement after the ruling, a company spokesperson said, "If left unchallenged, this would set a dangerous precedent and give license to states to weaponize their official powers to punish the expression of political viewpoints they disagree with."
Disney and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board are also embroiled in lawsuits in state court.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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https://www.nprillinois.org/2024-01-31/a-federal-judge-dismisses-disneys-lawsuit-against-florida-gov-ron-desantis
| 2024-01-31T23:04:58Z
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Updated January 31, 2024 at 5:33 PM ET
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday but signaled that rates could fall in the coming months if inflation continues to cool.
Policy makers have kept their benchmark interest rate between 5.25% and 5.5% — the highest in over two decades — since July.
Fed chairman Jerome Powell told reporters Wednesday that interest rates are unlikely to go any higher, and that he and his colleagues are beginning to contemplate cutting rates.
"If the economy evolves broadly as expected, it will likely be appropriate to begin dialing back policy restraint at some point this year," Powell said.
He cautioned, however, that the economy remains unpredictable and said the central bank would proceed cautiously.
"The economic outlook is uncertain and we remain highly attentive to inflation risks," Powell said.
The Fed has been pleasantly surprised by the rapid drop in inflation in recent months. Core prices in December — which exclude food and energy prices — were up just 2.9% from a year ago, according to the Fed's preferred inflation yardstick. That's a smaller increase than the 3.2% core inflation rate that Fed officials had projected in December.
If that positive trend continues, the Fed may be able to start cutting interest rates as early as this spring. First, though, Powell said he and his colleagues will need to see additional evidence that inflation is easing.
And he sounded doubtful about a rate cut at the Fed's next meeting in March as many investors in Wall Street had hoped for.
"Based on the meeting today, I would tell you that I don't think it's likely the committee will reach a level of confidence by the time of the March meeting," Powell said. "But that's to be seen."
The comments disappointed investors, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbling 317 points.
Investors are still hopeful about a rate cut by the following Fed meeting in May, with markets putting the likelihood of that at better than 90%.
Good omens in the economy
Both the economy and the job market have performed better than expected over the last year, despite the highest interest rates since 2001. The nation's gross domestic product grew 3.1% in 2023, while employers added 2.7 million jobs
Unemployment has been under 4%for nearly two years. And average wages in December were up 4.1% from a year ago.
While that strong economy is welcome news for businesses and workers, it also raises the risk of reigniting inflation. As a result, Fed policymakers say they'll be cautious not to cut interest rates prematurely.
"We have history on this," Atlanta Fed president Raphael Bostic told the Rotary Club of Atlanta this month. "In the '70s, the Fed started removing accommodation too soon. Inflation spiked back up. Then we had to tighten. Inflation came down. Then we removed it again. Inflation went back up. And by the time we were done with that, all Americans could think about was inflation."
The Fed is determined not to repeat that '70s show. At the same time, waiting too long to cut interest rates risks slowing the economy more than necessary to bring inflation under control.
A report from the Labor Department Wednesday showed employers' cost for labor rose more slowly than expected in the final months of last year. Labor costs increased just 0.9% in the fourth quarter. That's a smaller increase than the previous quarter, suggesting labor costs are putting less upward pressure on prices.
Fed officials promised to keep an eye on upcoming economic data and adjust accordingly.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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https://www.wvxu.org/news-from-npr/2024-01-31/the-federal-reserve-holds-interest-rates-steady-but-signals-rate-cuts-may-be-coming
| 2024-01-31T23:04:59Z
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The Federal Communications Commission is moving to explicitly criminalize unsolicited robocalls that use voices made with artificial intelligence, the agency said Wednesday.
The announcement comes on the heels of a fake message, created with AI to mimic the voice of President Joe Biden, that told New Hampshire residents not to vote in the state’s primary election.
The proposal would outlaw such robocalls under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, or TCPA, a 1991 law that regulates automated political and marketing calls made without the receivers’ consent.
The TCPA has been used in several high-profile prosecutions for illegal robocalls. Last year the FCC imposed a $5 million penalty against conservative activists who arranged for Black voters to receive calls falsely telling them that voting could expose them to debt collectors and police departments in 2020. The FCC imposed a $300 million fine for a company that spammed phones with auto warranty ads.
The five-member commission is expected to vote on and pass the change in the coming weeks, an FCC spokesperson said.
The change will particularly empower state attorneys general to take legal action against spammers who use AI, the spokesperson said. New Hampshire’s attorney general’s office has announced an investigation into the fake Biden call.
“AI-generated voice cloning and images are already sowing confusion by tricking consumers into thinking scams and frauds are legitimate,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in an emailed statement.
“No matter what celebrity or politician you favor, or what your relationship is with your kin when they call for help, it is possible we could all be a target of these faked calls,” she said.
Kathy Stokes, the director of fraud prevention programs at AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, welcomed the FCC’s move, saying AI-enabled robocalls regularly trick seniors.
“We’ve deprioritized fraud as a crime in this country, which comes from us immediately having a knee-jerk reaction of blaming the victim for not knowing something,” Stokes said.
“We cannot educate our way out of this,” she said.
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https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/fcc-moves-criminalize-ai-generated-robocalls-rcna136347
| 2024-01-31T23:05:00Z
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READER LETTER | Zuma's supporters should wake up, smell the coffee
Do the people of KZN, still believe violence in this day and age in SA is the only way to resolve differences?
Dr Zweli Mkhize insinuates that the utterances of Bheki Mtolo and Bheki Cele could lead to violence in the province as they have insulted former president Jacob Zuma. The two gentlemen did not insult Zuma but told him the truth. Period.
Why is it easy for people in KZN to believe any nonsense uttered by their delusional leaders to beat the drums of war? It would be foolish for Zuma’s supporters to take arms in KZN, Gauteng and Mpumalanga and cause mayhem like they did in July 2021.
It is high time that his supporters should wake up and smell the coffee.
Xokola N’wankavangeri, Giyani
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https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/opinion/letters/2024-01-29-reader-letter-zumas-supporters-should-wake-up-smell-the-coffee/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:00Z
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Rottikinns
First off, this is one of my first posts so please forgive me for any mistakes. So, some context. My mother has two children, me (24f) and my younger sister (15f). Her and my dad were never together, but when she got pregnant with my sister all those years ago she married my step-father out of wedlock.
My stepfather is much much older and was pretty wealthy at the time. When my mother decided to marry my stepdad she packed me up and moved us 4 hours away from my grandparents (my primary caregivers since I was born) and my dad.
I won’t get to far into what my life was like after I moved in, but it is worth mentioning I suffer from diagnosed C-PTSD and severe anxiety from my years of living with them.
My sister never had a chance. From the start she’s been spoiled. Not just spoiled- spoiled rotten. As the years went on I tried to tell my mother and stepdad that she would not just “grow out of it” like they said she would.
I've had friends compare her to Varuka from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. She screams, throws things, hits people, threatens to lie to cps, calls our mother a whore/fat cow/depressed loser, and calls her father an old man.
For heavens sake, she called her 95 year old grandmother an old bitch and stomped on our other grandmothers foot. She is out of control. What is done about this? Well- their idea of discipline is…nothing.
Her dad is considerably older and doesn’t want to “make her hate him” for the short amount of time he has left with her. So he leaves the discipline to our mother- who is mentally very unstable and crumbles easily.
Because my sister is so outwardly difficult, I’ve always been revered as the good child. To be clear- me being “the good child” included my silence and compliance. I had to be responsible and mature for my age because my stepdad and mother were not.
Because of this, and some guilt, my mother and stepfather have always overly relied on me. I’m the one who placates, who mediates, who tried to parent their kid but was constantly undermined. It caused me to have several severe relationship issues as an adult.
After high school, I moved out and went to college. I attended therapy, and started to learn that my people pleasing from living with them was crippling me. So I’ve slowly started stopping.
The last key component to the context is they my mom and stepdad do not support me. Even when I lived with them in high school, every dime for lunch money or new clothes came from my grandparents. Even my car was given to me by my grandparents at 18.
They’ve paid 1 semester of my juco (roughly 2,500), and to their credit they did pay for my braces when I was 10. However, this pales when compared to the 10k a semester they spend on her private school tuition, her $1000 monthly allowance they put on her debit card, her new Porsche car which she can’t even drive yet, plus so much more.
My mother even asked me to give up my birthday last year to attend my sisters cheer nationals in Florida, which I did to be a good sister, but there was no such thing for me when I was in high school.
(For the record, I understand most of this money is my wealthy stepdad. I am not delusional to the fact that I am not his kid and therefore shouldn’t expect support from him. However- they expect me to support them. )
Now Im at a head. I’ve always relented and gone to my mothers house on Christmas Eve to wake up and open gifts Christmas morning because it’s important to her- but I don’t believe I’m there because she wants me to be, but mostly so I can mediate.
My sister always makes a spectacle of Christmas Eve. Last year our mother put $4000 worth of gifts under the tree for her and me both and my sister was not happy with a SINGLE gift that she ASKED for.
I’m talking screaming, throwing gifts in the trash, biting, scratching. All at 14 years old. Christmas Day has always ended in screaming and tears. I hate Christmas because of this.
This year, I wanted to spend it with my grandparents and see my dad over the holiday. This was not taken well. I get told by my grandmother that I’m the only thing keeping my mom sane.
It was implied a good kid would want to spend time with her family and sister on Christmas- and I told her that my younger sister has gotten so much more than me (money, opportunities, support, etc) and she gets to be horrible to our mother and get rewarded for it.
Why should I be a good kid if I’m not getting anything in return? Why should I spend a holiday with family that makes it horrible over my grandparents who are ACTUALLY supporting me?
My grandma said that this was a horrible thing to say. She begged me not to say this to my mother and to just put up with it. This is not how my grandparents raised me to be or think, but it’s not so much about the money as it is just the blatant usage of me.
Some part of my feels greedy and spoiled for being upset over the difference in support, but somehow it still just feels so wrong to keep giving in to them. What is keeping me at bay is that my grandparents have never steered me wrong.
But I sometimes wonder if what was done to me gets forgotten about because my mother is mentally ill and does suffer, and my sister is like this because it’s all she’s ever known.
I can’t help but feel like I can’t relent on this one though, that my boundaries are being trampled. So, AITA for wanting to say this to my mother? If yes, what else do I do? Thank you in advance for reading.
PoisonedSmoke420
NTA! Your mom and step dad need a real big reality check and maybe you spending not only this Christmas but maybe a few more holidays/birthdays away from them to deal with their demon spawn on their own would be a huge eye opener! Go spend time with your dad and grandparents don’t let NO ONE try to guilt trip you into changing your mind. YOU DESERVE TO BE HAPPY!
UpDoc69
I have grandkids your age. Put your phone in airplane mode and go see your good grandparents and your dad. You won't have many more years to spend with the family who actually loves you. Why did you not move back after you turned 18? Don't spend any more time in that toxic waste dump of your mom and sister. ETA: NTA.
Rottikinns
Thank you. I did move back, I lived with my grandparents all throughout my college. I believe you have a good idea about the airplane mode.
DaniCapsFan
It is not up to you to keep your mom sane. If you don't want to spend your holidays with people who make you miserable, you shouldn't. And why don't your grandparents spend time with your mom? They can see firsthand how awful it is. Maybe you should spend the holidays with friends instead. NTA.
Rottikinns
Christmas went unexpectedly well, but not for the reasons one would think. I ended up not saying anything harsh to my mother. I staid with my grandparents as long as I could then made the three hour drive up to mother and stepdad.
My stepdads family has always been so kind and treated me like family, so I enjoyed going over there and spending time with them. My mother and stepdad left the get together early on Christmas Eve.
Come to find out, my sister had opened all of her gifts earlier that day before I got there. When she realized she didn’t get everything she wanted, she took a couple of my presents and threw them in the pool.
Luckily I asked for a lot of cat toys for my cats, and those are the things she threw in and they were fine after they dried. I spent the night with my mother and stepdad while my sister stayed with her aunt and cousins, and I opened my presents peacefully on Christmas morning before heading to see my dad.
All things considered, it was a nice holiday compared to the others we’ve had. What comes after is unfortunately not an improvement. It seems like my sisters behavior is on a steady decline. For some context, last year my sister messaged me with a picture of her with a fat lip saying our mom hurt her.
I was so angry, I called her aunt to pick her up and told her she was not allowed to go back and if they had a problem I would call the cops. When talking to my mother she had a severe black eye where my sister had attacked her. I didn’t care who started it, I just thought it should never have had to escalate to that.
She spent the summer with her aunt, cps investigated and found no abuse in the home. Both my mom and sister went to therapy. My sister wanted to go back to her parents before school started. Now, presently, my sister has learned that she can abuse our mom and get away with it.
I have gotten three phone calls where I’ve seen my mom with black eyes, scratches, or marks from my sister. I’ve witnessed her snatch a wig off my mothers head and ripped her hair out.
My mother lacks confidence because her husband insults her on the daily, and my sister will destroy anything that could bring her confidence. Ive witnessed her pour Starbucks into my moms makeup bag, cut her wig, etc. She’s thrown glass mugs at my mother too.
The last phone call I got from my mother was her with another black eye, and she said that my stepdad tried to spank my sister but she just “rolled her eyes.” Apparently he took her phone away too, but only for two hours.
My stepdad does not stand up for my mother, and she has no power and no money to enforce over my sisters head. My sister says they can’t do anything either, or she’ll call cps on them.
When my mother called me this last time I basically just shrugged and told her I didn’t know what else to tell her. Send her to boot camp, a mission trip, turn off her phone, something!
But it’s all things I’ve said before. I’ve toyed with the idea of getting the law involved, but how seriously do they take child to parent abuse? WIBTA if I did that? Any advice is appreciated, and thanks for reading my vent post.
CJCreggsGoldfish
This is not your problem to solve. Her parents need to handle it, and you need to stay out of it and stop being "the fixer." They created this mess and it's up to them to deal with the consequences. No one made them be bad parents, they chose to do that themselves. They screwed around in raising her badly, and now they're in their "finding out" era. Sucks to be them.
NatashOverWorld
Not your monkey, you've left that circus. And you're sister is probably either going to juvie or jail in a few years. So don't get pulled back in. NTA.
tattoovamp
Whenever your mom brings this up, this is your best response: Hmmm….that doesn’t sound pleasant, what are you going to do about it? It puts the onus back on her to be responsible for her decisions and their consequences.
At this point, she needs to be given a bit of tough love. You are not to give her options on what to do about your sister. You are not to give advice about it. Your mother is an adult too. And her decisions have consequences.
She knows what she should do. Give yourself some distance from this. Take a break from your mom. You won’t be made to feel guilty for doing nothing when your mom holds the power here.
Cannabis_CatSlave
Thanks for the update. Here is hoping your 'sister' pulls that shit on someone else and is sent to a juvenile detention center for the rest of her minority. If someone doesn't knock her down off that high horse before she is an adult the repercussions will be far worse.
The_Crown_And_Anchor
Protect yourself. I would suggest looking for a job on the other side of the country so you are no longer involved.
nousernamesleft24
OP, I mean this as nicely as I can, it's time to cut contact and stop giving any of them the time of day. I grew up in an abusive, toxic home. My mom used a robbery and subsequent mental health as an excuse to lie, bully, cheat and worse. My dad is a shell of a person he used to be who complains about mom's treatment but won't leave and make a change.
My younger sister has grown up to be a perfect storm mixture of both of them. And I grew up with issues setting boundaries and not being a people pleaser. I grew up raising my sister because mom was gone so much and sad didn't know what the hell to do.
Everything that you have included in your posts matches my childhood and I am so sorry you've gone through this. I'm so beyond proud of you for getting out and getting into therapy to start your healing process. But the more you listen to these people, the more you put yourself into these situations, the worse it I'll be for you and your health.
Your mother chose this life. Your mother chose to raise your sister the way she did. As horrible as it sounds, you need to stay out of it and let her figure it out. Your sister is not your child. Your mother is not your child. Neither of them are your responsibility. Stop letting them treat you as an out. Stop letting them take advantage and guilt you into visiting.
It's hard, trust me I know. But you need to honestly accept that you cannot help people who do not want to be helped. You need to accept that these people are not your responsibility to care for. Until you do, you're mental health will not get better. You will not be able to heal until you put your foot down.
So no. YWNBTA is you got the law involved or cut contact. It's time to free yourself of this and let someone take over that specializes in it. It's time for you to move on and let yourself heal. You should be your priority. Not your mom and sister.
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https://www.someecards.com/lifestyle/family-bonds/wont-be-the-good-kid-anymore-update/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:00Z
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Oscar winning director Martin Scorsese has been welcomed by Pope Francis during a private audience at the Vatican.
The two met briefly on Wednesday and Scorsese presented a book to the head of the Catholic Church while they held a film clapperboard before the cameras, the Holy See said.
Scorsese, a native New Yorker, was raised in an Italian Catholic family.
In addition to his other duties, the pontiff meets with individuals or groups for private audiences almost every day.
These include not only key people from the Vatican or foreign bishops, but also public figures. In September the pope met actor and Rocky star Sylvester Stallone. As a joke, the actor challenged the pope to a boxing match.
Before the meeting, Scorsese attended the pope's weekly general audience with his daughter Francesca, accompanied by actress Lily Gladstone.
The 37-year-old plays one of the leading roles in the latest Scorsese film Killers Of The Flower Moon and has been nominated for a best actress Oscar.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro are also in the highly acclaimed movie. De Niro is an Oscar nominee in the best supporting actor role and Scorsese as director. The picture is also up for a best picture award at this year's Oscars, which take place in Los Angeles on March 10.
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https://www.perthnow.com.au/entertainment/director-martin-scorsese-has-private-audience-with-pope-c-13426629
| 2024-01-31T23:05:00Z
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Julian Alvarez celebrated his 24th birthday in style as the Manchester City striker scored twice to inspire a 3-1 win against Burnley on Wednesday.
Alvarez bagged his brace in the first half to ensure City had no problems brushing aside out-classed Burnley at the Etihad Stadium.
The Argentine's double took his goal tally for the season to 15 in all competitions, including seven in his last seven appearances.
Rodri netted City's third goal after the interval as the Premier League champions made it eight successive wins in all competitions.
Ameen Al Dakhil's stoppage-time goal was no consolation for Burnley, who sit second bottom of the table.
Second-placed City remain hot on the heels of leaders Liverpool as the title race gathers pace.
There was more good news for Guardiola as Erling Haaland came off the bench for the last 20 minutes, marking the City striker's return from a foot injury that had sidelined him since December 6.
Alvarez's goals have covered more than adequately during Haaland's absence, but the Norwegian will add another level of menace to the treble winners as they try to overhaul Liverpool and win a fourth successive title.
After a worrying wobble before Christmas, City are rounding into form and fitness at just the right time.
Slowly worked back in the mix with three substitute appearances, Kevin De Bruyne captained City in his first start since suffering a hamstring injury in the opening game of the season at Burnley.
The Belgian midfielder almost made an instant impact with a free-kick that clipped the Burnley wall and looped just over.
City had won their previous 12 games against the Clarets, who had not taken three points from a league visit to the blue half of Manchester since 1963.
Alvarez made sure there was never any chance of City losing that dominant record.
City's opening goal was a typically smooth move in the 16th minute, starting with Phil Foden unfurling a pin-point lofted pass towards Matheus Nunes.
Faced with a tricky angle as Burnley defender Dara O'Shea blocked his path, Nunes cleverly shifted his body to flick a perfectly-placed cross to Alvarez, who applied the finishing touch with a close-range header.
Alvarez's birthday party was just getting started and the Argentine was on target again six minutes later.
This one was a goal straight off the training ground as De Bruyne's quick free-kick caught Burnley napping and Alvarez scampered clear of the flat-footed defence to slot a clinical finish past James Trafford from 12 yards.
Guardiola immediately made a point of getting out of his seat to hug his set-piece coach Carlos Vicens, suggesting it was his idea that led to the intelligently crafted goal.
Nunes nearly finished off Burnley with a stinging strike that forced a good save from Trafford.
Guardiola's men were in complete control and even Josko Gvardiol felt emboldened to try his luck from distance, but the City defender could not keep his shot on target.
Rodri put the result beyond doubt just 24 seconds after the interval.
Foden was the catalyst with a vibrant break down the left flank, the England forward pulling his cross back to the edge of the area, where Rodri smashed a superb first-time strike past Trafford.
Haaland was immediately in the action on his return, rising for a header that was scrambled away at the far post.
Al Dakhil prodded home after City failed to deal with David Datro Fofana's cross, but the damage had long since been done by the rampant champions.
© 2024 AFP
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https://japantoday.com/category/sports/birthday-boy-alvarez-stars-as-man-city-beat-burnley
| 2024-01-31T23:05:00Z
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(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq)
Data reinforce the potential of NTLA-2002 to eliminate angioedema attacks in people living with hereditary angioedema (HAE) after a single dose A single dose of NTLA-2002 led to 95% mean reduction in monthly HAE attack rate with 9 of 10 patients remaining completely attack free following the 16-week primary observation period through the latest follow-up reported NTLA-2002 was well-tolerated at all dose levels Second NEJM publication of initial clinical data for Intellia's in vivo CRISPR-based investigational therapies
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTLA), a leading clinical-stage gene editing company focused on revolutionizing medicine with CRISPR-based therapies, today announced that interim results from the Phase 1 portion of the Phase 1/2 study of NTLA-2002 were published online in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). NTLA-2002 is an investigational in vivo CRISPR-based gene editing therapy in development as a single-dose treatment for hereditary angioedema (HAE), a rare genetic condition that leads to potentially life-threatening swelling attacks.
“Despite currently available treatments, people living with hereditary angioedema continue to face frequent anxiety about their next swelling attack. The interim NTLA-2002 clinical data published suggest that a single dose of NTLA-2002 may eliminate angioedema attacks for people suffering from hereditary angioedema,” said Intellia President and Chief Executive Officer John Leonard, M.D.“We are highly encouraged by these data and look forward to presenting extended follow-up from the Phase 1 and results from the Phase 2 portion later this year. Additionally, we remain on track to initiate a global pivotal study for NTLA-2002 in the second half of 2024, subject to regulatory feedback. This marks the second consecutive Intellia in vivo CRISPR-based program to have its initial clinical data published in the New England Journal of Medicine, further supporting the immense potential impact our proprietary gene editing platform could have on the future of human health.”
The reported data showed that a single dose of NTLA-2002 led to a 95% mean reduction in monthly HAE attack rate across all 10 patients in the Phase 1 portion. Nine out of 10 patients remained completely attack-free following the 16-week primary observation period through the latest follow-up. Further, all patients who discontinued concomitant long-term HAE prophylaxis treatment after NTLA-2002 administration (n=6) have reported no HAE attacks since discontinuation. NTLA-2002 has been well tolerated at all dose levels. The most frequent adverse events reported were mild, transient infusion-related reactions and fatigue. The data were previously shared in a late-breaking presentation at the 2023 European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Hybrid Congress.
About the NTLA-2002 Clinical Program
Intellia's ongoing Phase 1/2 study is evaluating the safety and activity of NTLA-2002 in adults with Type I or Type II hereditary angioedema (HAE). The Phase 1/2 is an international, open-label study designed to identify a dose level of NTLA-2002 for further evaluation in a Phase 3 study. Enrollment of the Phase 1/2 is complete. Intellia plans to initiate the global, pivotal Phase 3 study in the second half of 2024, subject to regulatory feedback. Visit clinicaltrials (NCT05120830) for more details.
About NTLA-2002
Based on Nobel-prize winning CRISPR/Cas9 technology, NTLA-2002 has the potential to become the first one-time treatment for hereditary angioedema (HAE). NTLA-2002 is designed to prevent HAE attacks by inactivating the kallikrein B1 (KLKB1) gene, which encodes for prekallikrein, the kallikrein precursor protein. Interim Phase 1 clinical data showed dramatic reductions in attack rate, as well as consistent, deep and durable reductions in kallikrein levels. NTLA-2002 has received five notable regulatory designations, including Orphan Drug and RMAT Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Innovation Passport by the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Priority Medicines (PRIME) Designation by the European Medicines Agency, as well as Orphan Drug Designation by the European Commission.
About Hereditary Angioedema
Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare, genetic disease characterized by severe, recurring and unpredictable inflammatory attacks in various organs and tissues of the body, which can be painful, debilitating and life-threatening. It is estimated that one in 50,000 people are affected by HAE. Although there is no known cure for HAE, there are preventative and on-demand treatment options to help manage the condition, including long- and short-term prophylaxis used to prevent swelling attacks. Current treatment options often include life-long therapies, which may require chronic intravenous (IV) or subcutaneous (SC) administration as often as twice per week or daily oral administration to ensure constant pathway suppression for disease control. Despite chronic administration, breakthrough attacks still occur. Kallikrein inhibition is a clinically validated strategy for the preventive treatment of HAE attacks.
About Intellia Therapeutics
Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTLA) is a leading clinical-stage gene editing company focused on revolutionizing medicine with CRISPR-based therapies. The company's in vivo programs use CRISPR to enable precise editing of disease-causing genes directly inside the human body. Intellia's ex vivo programs use CRISPR to engineer human cells outside the body for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Intellia's deep scientific, technical and clinical development experience, along with its people, is helping set the standard for a new class of medicine. To harness the full potential of gene editing, Intellia continues to expand the capabilities of its CRISPR-based platform with novel editing and delivery technologies. Learn more at intelliatx and follow us @intelliatx .
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains“forward-looking statements” of Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (“Intellia” or the“Company”) within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, express or implied statements regarding Intellia's beliefs and expectations regarding: the safety, efficacy, success and advancement of its clinical program for NTLA-2002 for the treatment of hereditary angioedema (HAE) pursuant to its clinical trial applications and investigational new drug application, including the initiation of a global pivotal study for NTLA-2002 in the second half of 2024 subject to regulatory feedback, the potential for NTLA-2002 to eliminate angioedema attacks after a single dose in people living with HAE, and the expected timing of future data releases such as the presentation of extended follow-up data from the Phase 1 portion and results from the Phase 2 portion of the Phase 1/2 study later this year; and the potential impact its proprietary gene editing platform could have on the future of human health.
Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management's current expectations and beliefs of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: risks related to Intellia's ability to protect and maintain its intellectual property position; risks related to Intellia's relationship with third parties, including its licensors and licensees; risks related to the ability of its licensors to protect and maintain their intellectual property position; uncertainties related to the authorization, initiation, enrollment and conduct of studies and other development requirements for its product candidates, including NTLA-2002; the risk that NTLA-2002 will not be successfully developed and commercialized; and the risk that the results of preclinical studies or clinical studies, such as the clinical study of NTLA-2002, will not be predictive of future results in connection with future studies for the same product candidate or Intellia's other product candidates. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause Intellia's actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the section entitled“Risk Factors” in Intellia's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in Intellia's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Intellia undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.
Intellia Contacts:
Investors:
Ian Karp
Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
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Lina Li
Senior Director, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
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Ten Bridge Communications
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https://menafn.com/1107793822/Intellia-Therapeutics-Announces-Publication-Of-Positive-Interim-Phase-1-Data-For-NTLA-2002-In-Patients-With-Hereditary-Angioedema-In-The-New-England-Journal-Of-Medicine
| 2024-01-31T23:05:01Z
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All-campus message sent through Inside EWU: Special Update on Jan. 25 from Frank Lynch and Jonathan Andersson, Strategic Planning Committee co-chairs.
Hello campus colleagues,
Thank you to everyone who has participated in the multiple stages of the Strategic Planning Process.
After much involvement and campus input, the Strategic Planning Committee has been working diligently to create a new Mission, Vision, and Values statement for the institution. You can see the current draft of these statements on our Strategic Planning website.
Please join us through Zoom, on either Thursday, Feb. 8, from 4-5 p.m., or on Tuesday, Feb. 13, from noon-1 p.m., for a presentation of the proposed Mission, Vision, and Values.
Comments and feedback are always accepted through email at strategicplanning@ewu.edu or through the Strategic Planning website.
Sincerely,
Frank Lynch & Jonathan Anderson
Co-Chairs, Strategic Planning Committee
**Be sure to access the draft of the Eastern Washington University Mission, Vision and Values statement online.
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https://www.ewu.edu/stories/draft-of-ewu-mission-vision-and-values-statement-available/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:00Z
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Sacramento DA Thien Ho talks human trafficking and homelessness as he shares 2024 priorities
Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho on Wednesday touted his office’s strengths and accomplishments while presenting his priorities for his second year in office, including making more information available online to help human trafficking victims.
“Human trafficking is a spiraling crisis that we see in the streets affecting children and adults,” Ho said to an audience gathered for his first ever “State of Public Safety” address held at the Clunie Community Center in East Sacramento.
Last year, the District Attorney’s Office partnered with findhelp.org, an online service that connects users with local resources, to create the Get Help Sacramento webpage that offers domestic violence victims online links and contact information to confidential, safe and free services in Sacramento County.
Ho said domestic violence victims can find information on where to find safe shelter, learn how to petition the court for a restraining order or find out whether their abuser is still in custody. The assistance is available in a variety of languages, and it includes links to the District Attorney’s Office Victim Services Program and court and jail resources.
The district attorney announced that his office is expanding Get Help Sacramento to offer services for human or sex trafficking victims, “so they can find those resources and get the help they need.”
Homeless lawsuit against Sacramento
Ho was elected in the June 2022 primary, replacing outgoing District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert. Ho formally took office when he was sworn in a year ago.
His campaign promise to address homelessness in Sacramento County placed the scope of his office under scrutiny in September, when Ho filed a civil lawsuit against the city for “a public safety crisis for both the housed and the unhoused.”
In a statement responding to the district attorney’s lawsuit, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said no local government in the Sacramento region has done more to address the homelessness crisis than the capital city.
“Frankly, we have no time for the District Attorney’s performative distraction from the hard work we all need to do together to solve this complex social problem plaguing urban centers throughout the state and nation,” Steinberg said in his September statement.
On Wednesday, Ho addressed the homelessness issue and his ongoing legal battle with city officials.
“I discovered that kicking the can down the road is easier than standing up and speaking up. I discovered that staying quiet was much easier, because then you have nobody criticizing you, nobody writing op-eds, nobody calling you the supreme dictator, nobody telling you stay in your own lane even though your lane involves public safety,” Ho said about criticism he faced.
“But what I also discovered was that Sacramento was yearning for action, yearning for leadership.”
Last year, Ho and Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig backed California Assembly Bill 1360, authored by Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, to provide drug treatment program opportunities for defendants.
Ho said AB 1360, which was approved in October, will help them create a “soft-lockdown” facility for drug treatment that can help some of the 80% of chronically homeless people who suffer from drug addiction or mental illness. The district attorney said he’s hopeful they’ll be able to establish that program later this year in Sacramento.
Kidnapping victim thanks DA’s Office
The district attorney also spoke about his office’s dedication to protecting the community, specifically victims of crime, by inviting Humberto Arreola to Wednesday’s event.
Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Rochelle Beardsley said Arreola in 2003 was kidnapped at gunpoint by two disgruntled workers and beaten before he was able to escape.
Beardsley said one of the convicted defendants was just shy of his 18th birthday at the time of the kidnapping, and a change in state law now makes him eligible for parole.
“He has several hearings in front of the parole board to get out, and the Arreola family has attended each and every hearing and has been forced to relive this horrible event over and over again,” Beardsley said. “The only reason why that defendant is still in (prison) is because (of) the brave remarks by Mr. Arreola and his daughter.”
Arreola got on the stage with Ho and Beardsley, thanking them for standing by his side at the parole hearing and arguing to keep his captor in prison.
Ho said he is planning on April 11 to hold a first-ever “Voices For Victims” summit.
“Every time we pick up a file, every time we walk into a courtroom, every time we stand in front of a jury, we make a promise,” Ho told the audience. “The promise that we will never leave the side of the victim or survivor of a crime. It is a promise that we keep.”
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https://news.yahoo.com/sacramento-da-thien-ho-talks-224059381.html
| 2024-01-31T23:05:01Z
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NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with constitutional scholar Philip Bobbitt about the effort from House Republicans to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Copyright 2024 NPR
NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with constitutional scholar Philip Bobbitt about the effort from House Republicans to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Copyright 2024 NPR
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https://www.wuwf.org/2024-01-31/constitutional-scholar-says-gop-charges-against-mayorkas-dont-meet-impeachment-bar
| 2024-01-31T23:05:01Z
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Interest rates won’t stay high forever. Here’s how to make them work for you now
By Jeanne Sahadi, CNN
New York (CNN) — Editor’s Note: This is an update of an article that ran on December 13, 2023.
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday did it again. For the fourth meeting in a row, it left its key interest rate at a 23-year-high, as Fed observers and market watchers continue to place bets on when the central bank will start cutting rates.
The going assumption is rate cuts will be coming sometime this year. But not yet. That means there is still time to park your cash in a high-rate vehicle since the Fed’s benchmark lending rate influences — directly or indirectly — interest rates on financial accounts and products throughout the US economy.
Here are low-risk options to get the best yield on funds you plan to use within two years, and also on cash you expect to need within the next two to five years.
High-yield online savings accounts
The average annual percentage yield on bank savings accounts was just 0.57% on January 30, according to a Bankrate survey. That average is kept low by the biggest brick-and-mortar banks like JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, which have been offering rates as low as 0.01%.
But many online FDIC-insured banks are still offering 5% or more on their high-yield savings accounts.
Those accounts are a great place to deposit money that you will likely deploy within the next two years — to cover anything from a planned vacation or big purchase to an emergency expense or an unexpected change of circumstance like a job loss.
As with any bank savings rate, high-yield savings account rates can change overnight, and the bank may not alert you when it lowers it. So make sure to check your monthly statement.
Money market accounts and funds
If you don’t want to set up an online savings account at another bank, your own bank may offer you a money market deposit account that pays a higher yield than your regular checking or savings accounts.
Money market accounts may have higher minimum deposit requirements than a regular savings account, but they are more liquid than a fixed-term certificate of deposit or Treasury bill, meaning they give you access to your money more quickly while still potentially giving you some of the highest yields available, said Doug Ornstein, senior manager for integrated solutions at TIAA Wealth Management.
But don’t confuse money market accounts with money market mutual funds, which invest in short-term, low-risk debt instruments. As of January 29, they had an average 7-day yield of 5.16%, according to the Crane Money Fund Index, which tracks the top 100 taxable money market funds.
Unlike money market deposit accounts, money market mutual funds are not insured by the FDIC. But if you invest in a money market fund through a brokerage, your overall account is likely to be insured through the Securities Investor Protection Corp, which offers protection in the event your brokerage ever goes under.
Certificates of deposits
Another high-return, low-risk investment that is great for money you likely won’t need to tap for a few months or even a couple of years are certificates of deposit.
You can get the best returns on CDs through a brokerage such as Schwab, E*Trade or Fidelity. That’s because you can comparison shop for CDs from any number of FDIC-insured banks and will not have to set up individual accounts with each institution.
To get the greatest benefit from a CD, you have to leave the money invested for a fixed period. You can always access your principal sooner if you need to, but if you do you will forfeit at least some interest.
“The Fed will transition to cutting interest rates this year, so now is the time for savers to lock in CDs, especially maturities longer than one year. CD yields have peaked and have begun to pull back so there is no advantage to waiting if you have the money to deploy right now,” said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.
Ken Tumin, founder of DepositAccounts.com, concurred. “It makes sense to go long with CDs. To hedge your bets, include terms from one to five years. Starting a CD ladder will provide this mix,” he said.
But if you choose a longer term CD, be aware there may be early withdrawal penalties if you need to take the money out sooner.
As of January 30, CDs listed on Schwab.com with durations of three months, six months, nine months, one year, 18 months and two years were all yielding between 5% and 5.21%. Bankrate listed CDs paying as high as 5.51%.
Say you invest $10,000 in a one-year CD with a 5.3% APY. At the end of that period, you’d get your principal back plus $530 in interest when the CD matures, according to Bankrate’s CD calculator. If you chose a 2-year CD at 5%, you’d bank $1,020 in interest.
If you don’t go through a brokerage you may get a reasonable deal from your primary bank, Tumin said.
For example, he noted, Wells Fargo came out with a 7-month CD Special with a rate of up to 5.01% APY.
But he cautions that with any big bank CD you should take your money out at the end of the term, otherwise your bank may automatically renew it and lock you in to a much lower-yielding CD.
Treasury bills
Another option for money you can leave untouched anywhere from several months to a few years are short-term Treasury bills, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.
Three- and six-month bills had yields of 5.20% and 5.09% respectively on January 30 before the Fed’s meeting ended, while nine-month and one-year bills were offering 4.96% and 4.84% respectively, according to rates posted on Schwab.com for a $25,000 investment.
If you’re someone who manages your portfolio like a hawk, you may feel comfortable buying T-bills on your own from TreasuryDirect.gov. But if you don’t, it might be easier just to buy new issues through your brokerage account or invest in a short-term bond index fund or ETF, said Andy Smith, executive director of financial planning at Edelman Financial Engines.
And if you’re looking at money that will be needed in three to five years, you might consider a diversified fund of highly rated government and corporate bonds, Ornstein said. Yields on three-year AAA-rated corporate bonds, for instance, were yielding 4.15% this week, while three-year AAA-rated municipal bonds (which are issued by local governments) had a rate of 3.58%, according to Schwab.com.
Don’t chase yield
When deciding on the best accounts and investments for your specific goals and peace of mind, it may pay to consult a fee-only fiduciary adviser — meaning someone who doesn’t get paid a commission to sell you a particular investment.
What you’ll always want to do is build in flexibility for yourself so you can easily access cash, regardless of your timeline for key goals. “What happens if something changes and you need that down payment a lot sooner — or your parents need medical care fast?” Smith said.
That means balancing your desire for great yield with a need and desire for ease of access without penalty. Translation: Don’t chase yield for yield’s sake.
Think of it this way, Ornstein said: Unless you have huge sums to invest or are an institutional investor, the difference between getting a 5.1% yield versus 5% is negligible, and in fact it could even cost you more if there are penalties for taking your money out early. “Most of the time convenience is really important. Give up the 0.1%,” he advised.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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https://keyt.com/news/money-and-business/cnn-business-consumer/2024/01/31/interest-rates-wont-stay-high-forever-heres-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-now/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:02Z
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Speed is everything in MW3 Zombies, making the Speed Cola perk an absolute essential for any player looking to take on the infested Urzikstan.
Speed Cola grants a speed increase to both reloading your weapon and replating your armor carrier in CoD: MWZ. When you’re saddled with a heavier, slower weapon like a large machine gun or a shotgun, having Speed Cola enabled can save your life when your clip runs dry.
Finding an individual can of Speed Cola itself is rather common when you’re opening Aetherium caches, Merc caches, and Reward Rifts, but finding the schematic means you can guarantee you’ll start a run with a can in your inventory in most scenarios.
Where can I find the Speed Cola schematic in MW3 Zombies?
The Speed Cola schematic will drop randomly as a reward for completing contracts in the low-threat, tier-one zone. No specific contract type will guarantee a drop, you will just have to keep completing them until you get lucky.
Choosing which contract to complete depends entirely on which one you feel most comfortable completing. I find contracts like Deliver Cargo, Raid Weapon Stash, and Outlast to be the easiest to complete, especially when you’re on your own. Deliver Cargo is perhaps the easiest and quickest to complete as you essentially just have to drive from one point to another.
Once you’ve found the schematic for Speed Cola, all you have to do is extract with the schematic on your person. With the schematic unlocked, you’ll have the ability to craft a can of Speed Cola, but only once every three hours. You don’t have to use the newly crafted can in the very next run, however: You can store it in your stash for later, and you can even equip a Speed Cola can you’ve already crafted with the schematic.
Tier-one contracts are a source of several schematics in MW3 Zombies, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get Speed Cola right away.
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https://dotesports.com/call-of-duty/news/how-to-get-the-speed-cola-schematic-in-mw3-zombies
| 2024-01-31T23:05:04Z
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3:02 a.m. Several horses were loose in someone’s yard.
1:52 p.m. Two dogs appeared to be trying to take down a horse.
3:36 p.m. A pony was running around a school campus.
10:34 p.m. A man told law enforcement he was concerned about his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend’s dog, who seemed hungry when he last saw it.
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https://flatheadbeacon.com/2024/01/31/pony-problems/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:04Z
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A look from Maui six months after devastating wildfires By Debbie Elliott Published January 31, 2024 at 4:39 PM CST Facebook LinkedIn Pinterest Email Print Listen • 5:06 As we approach the six-month anniversary of the Maui fires, we look at the biggest issues that people on the island are still facing. Copyright 2024 NPR
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https://www.nprillinois.org/2024-01-31/a-look-from-maui-six-months-after-devastating-wildfires
| 2024-01-31T23:05:04Z
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Nick Dunlap didn’t need much time to make his decision after hoisting the trophy in Southern California earlier this month.
The 20-year-old sophomore from Alabama, who made history with his win at The American Express two weeks ago, officially turned pro. He will now make his professional debut this week at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which marks the second designated event on Tour so far this season.
"Hectic, but also really cool," Dunlap said on Wednesday of what the last few weeks have been like. "I've had numerous moments where you just kind of have to take it all in, it's overwhelming. But also I've dreamed about doing this my whole life and playing golf on the PGA Tour. To finally be here and to be able to do that as a 20-year-old is pretty cool."
Dunlap won The American Express in La Quinta, California, two weeks ago after posting a 60 in the third round. That made him the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson did so in 1991, and the youngest amateur to do so since 1910.
Dunlap, who won the U.S. Amateur, was already set to play in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open this season. Now that he's turned pro, he will have full Tour status and exemption through the 2026 season. His win jumped him up 4,061 spots to No. 68 in the Official World Golf Rankings, which was the highest one-week jump in the rankings' history.
"I would say I knew that I was probably going to turn pro just with the opportunity that had been presented, but also I wanted to go back and talk to my teammates and talk to my parents and my coach and get their opinion and their two cents worth before I did anything," Dunlap said.
Once he did that, Dunlap made the trip to the Monterey Peninsula for this week’s tournament. Just like that, he was right in the mix. Fellow Alabama star Justin Thomas actually caught up with Dunlap and others at dinner on Monday night.
"Nick was there and he looked tired. He was like, 'Man, I'm so tired.'" Thomas said on Tuesday. "I was like, 'Dude, I don't really care. You should be sleeping right now and getting ready to go to class tomorrow morning and I'm pretty sure all of your teammates would happily switch with you, so be careful who you say that to.'
"I was needling him, giving him a hard time … I just think it's important that whatever he's always done, to continue to do that because I think it's easy to get a little bit taken over by the opportunity."
Dunlap will go off with Xander Schauffele on Thursday afternoon at Pebble Beach. He’ll then play at Spyglass Hill on Friday, where he’ll attempt to make a second straight cut before trying to compete into the weekend yet again. That’s no easy task, especially with the stronger field in play this week.
But regardless of how it goes, Dunlap knows how special it is to get to make his pro debut at Pebble Beach of all places.
"I remember playing this place on the PGA Tour PlayStation game, so to be out here and to see it for the first time is pretty cool," he said.
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https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/national/nick-dunlap-ready/3DA3PSHXYAUQ2AD6AU5AP2XD3Q/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:04Z
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Some affordable housing developments in Cincinnati will get an automatic property tax exemption under an ordinance passed by City Council Wednesday.
The change allows city administration to grant tax exemptions without council approval for any project awarded money through the Affordable Housing Leverage Fund or another city-funded process called NOFA (Notice of Funding Availability).
"This change [will] save time and money ... decrease our risk and increase confidence for our developers, and this change does reflect Council's development priorities which is truly reducing barriers to affordable housing," said Markiea Carter, director of the city's Department of Community and Economic Development.
Two years ago Council decided city administration could grant exemptions for projects that get Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) from the state. Carter says that streamlining process was very successful in 2022; no city projects were awarded LIHTC in 2023.
"These dollars will have lots of regulations around them in terms of monitoring, so we feel very comfortable in extending the the LIHTC ordinance to those funding sources," said Council Member Reggie Harris, who introduced both measures.
Both NOFA and the Affordable Housing Leverage Fund require units to be income-restricted to ensure low-income households benefit.
RELATED: $34M of Cincinnati's affordable housing fund can't be spent. Why?
NOFA has funded the creation or preservation of about 2,300 affordable housing units since 2015. Last year's awards (listed below) total about $2.5 million for about 50 units. Applications for 2024 NOFA awards will be open soon.
Projects awarded NOFA funding in 2023:
Projects on this list will be eligible for an automatic exemption if they have not already applied for one, except that the project with nine single-family homes does not qualify for a commercial tax abatement.
West End: 1901 Baymiller
- Renovation of an existing building
- Number of units: 7
- Income target: 80% AMI
- NOFA Award: $400,000
Lower Price Hill: 700-702 State
- Renovation of two existing buildings
- Number of units: 12
- Income target: 60% AMI
- NOFA Award: $588,633
East Price Hill and West End: Affordable Homeownership by Habitat
- New construction of nine single-family homes with LEED Gold certification
- Number of units: 9
- Income target: 80% AMI
- NOFA Award: $450,000
Over-the-Rhine: CMHA Race Street
- Renovation of seven existing buildings, including some commercial space
- Number of units: 18
- Income target: 60% AMI
- NOFA Award: $825,000
Northside: Kirby and Hanfield
- Renovation of one existing building with some commercial space
- Number of units: 4
- Income target: 80% AMI
- NOFA Award: $300,000
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https://www.wvxu.org/politics/2024-01-31/cincinnat-affordable-housing-projects-tax-exemption
| 2024-01-31T23:05:05Z
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He did it once as a player back in 2010, and now Matt Ballin is set to replace Cameron Smith as a Maroons assistant coach after the most-capped player in State of Origin history announced on Wednesday night that he was stepping down.
Smith, who represented his state a whopping 42 times during Queensland’s incredible run of success, had been part of the coaching set-up for the past two series wins but will step aside for the 2024 campaign.
The former Storm, Maroons and Kangaroos captain won series in 2022 and 2023 as part of a new-look leadership group under coach Billy Slater but will now focus on his media duties as well as coaching at the grassroots level with the Currumbin Eagles.
“I’m very grateful to Billy and the QRL for the opportunity to be a part of the Queensland coaching team,” Smith said.
“It’s been a fantastic two series working with quality players. They’re quality people to work with and they’ve certainly helped me as a rookie assistant coach.
“I was lucky enough to represent the jersey many times but to experience it from a different lens as a coach, and being able to watch this new generation play the way they did and represent the state in the manner in which they did, was highly rewarding.”
Smith is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, with the champion hooker tipped to become an Immortal in the future.
He and Slater have shared plenty on the field and were even born on the same day, with the Maroons coach delivering his great mate the ultimate compliment.
“I don’t know if there’s anyone who has contributed more to the Queensland Origin team than Cam Smith,” Slater said.
“I’m extremely grateful for his contribution over the last two series. He’s done an incredible job, which I’ve seen first-hand inside the camp with all the players and coaching staff.”
Smith’s departure opens the door for Ballin to join the coaching team 14 years after he earnt his sole Origin cap when he filled in for the Storm hooker who was ruled out with an elbow injury.
The Sea Eagles great has plenty of coaching experience and has served as an assistant at the Broncos for the past few years.
“I’ve seen a whole heap of value to what Matt brings to our game-day performance,” Slater said.
“I’m really excited to work alongside him and continue to help our players prepare to the best of their ability.”
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https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/an-incredible-job-cameron-smith-steps-down-as-maroons-assistant-coach-matt-ballin-to-join-billy-slaters-staff-for-2024-series-c-13426662
| 2024-01-31T23:05:07Z
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READER LETTER | DA leader Steenhuisen is showing his true colours
I have learned with a great degree of dismay of the comments made by DA leader, John Steenhuisen, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to detect his attitude towards black people and the circumstances under which the poor find themselves.
It is a general trend in our country for those of us who are on the lowest step of the financial ladder to prefer items that we can afford in retail shops, mostly owned by those Steenhuisen represents, but surely this doesn’t deserve such ridicule and cheap political point scoring.
We cannot all queue at Woolworths, which I suspect he frequently visits, more so as it has his favourite Israel as its origin. The DA’s support for Israel and its silence of the provisional outcome of the ICJ reinforces their attitude towards the poor, the oppressed and victims of racial hatred.
Honourable Steenhuisen, if indeed he is honourable, and his DA did not even utter a word about the racists who descended on Groblersdal parading the old South African apartheid flag and singing apartheid songs. This is clearly out of fear that they will lose their traditional support base.
Steenhuisen is surely showing us his true colours and I wonder how long it will take for those black people, who follow him and clap hands every time he opens his mouth, to realise that he hates the poor and associates them with shebeens..Shame on you, John Steenhuisen and your DA.
Ben Maserumule Mamelodi East
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https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/opinion/letters/2024-01-30-reader-letter-da-leader-steenhuisen-is-showing-his-true-colours/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:06Z
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(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Advantage Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: ADV), a leading provider of sales and marketing services to consumer goods manufacturers and retailers, today announced it has entered into two separate agreements with third-party technology companies to optimize and streamline a host of business process and administrative functions.
Both initiatives, effective in January, are part of Advantage's broader growth acceleration plan. Each aim to simplify the company's operations and allow it to focus on its core businesses to generate demand and convert shoppers into buyers for both consumer packaged goods companies and leading retailers.
Under an agreement with Genpact, a global leader in business and technology services, Advantage and Genpact will team to create a new, innovative go-to-market model leveraging the strengths of Advantage's client management capabilities and connectivity within the consumer goods and retail industries and Genpact's advanced, AI-powered technology and process expertise to deliver certain back-office services more efficiently and on a much larger scale.
As part of the deal, Genpact will build an advanced, custom digital platform that will automate certain back-office processes for Advantage, including order-to-cash services, contract management, trade-program management, vendor-managed inventory support, call-center services and data synchronization. This is designed to ensure more speed and accuracy in supporting clients with these services.
“As we continue to build on our strong foundation, simplify our organization and accelerate growth, this agreement enables us to offer our clients improved, state-of-the-art services without disruption,” said Advantage Solutions CEO Dave Peacock.“Through the work we'll do together, we will offer our clients and customers an improved overall experience as we strive to be more proactive and agile in meeting their needs as both the consumer landscape and technology evolves.”
Through a separate deal with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Advantage is modernizing its IT services in a move designed to significantly improve the availability and speed of its IT support services and the management of hardware. As part of the agreement, TCS will transform Advantage's IT services, including its help desk, device provisioning, infrastructure and applications.
“Both initiatives with these world-class providers will make Advantage stronger, more nimble, more competitive and better enable us to drive our clients' and our customers' businesses,” Peacock said.“Importantly, these strategic decisions are designed to help us improve our financial discipline and position Advantage for profitable growth.”
The two new agreements come in parallel with a series of business transactions aimed to simplify the company's operations and allow it to focus on its core businesses.
Advantage today also announced it has sold its collection of foodservice businesses, most notably Waypoint, to Prospect Hill Growth Partners LP for total proceeds of approximately $100 million, which is a combination of mostly cash and an ongoing 7.5% stake in the combined entity.
Today's moves follow a series of deals completed in late 2023 intended to improve cash flow, stabilize margins, reduce debt and fuel profitability. Those include the sale of Atlas Technology Group to Crisp, which occurred in October, and the company's December announcement to streamline and restructure its international businesses, most notably reducing its stake in Advantage Smollan Limited, a joint venture with the Smollan Group operating in Europe, from a majority stake of under 60% to a minority position of 49.6% in exchange for cash and other considerations.
About Advantage Solutions
Advantage Solutions is a leading provider of outsourced sales and marketing solutions uniquely positioned at the intersection of brands and retailers. Our data- and technology-driven services - which include headquarter sales, retail merchandising, in-store and online sampling, digital commerce, omnichannel marketing, retail media and others - help brands and retailers of all sizes get products into the hands of consumers, wherever they shop. As a trusted partner and problem solver, we help our clients sell more while spending less. Advantage has offices throughout North America and strategic investments in select markets throughout Africa, Asia, Australia, Latin America and Europe through which the company serves the global needs of multinational, regional and local manufacturers. For more information, please visit advantagesolutions.
Peter Frost
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https://menafn.com/1107793823/Advantage-Solutions-Streamlines-Business-And-Technology-Services-Through-New-Agreements-With-Genpact-And-Tata-Consultancy-Services
| 2024-01-31T23:05:07Z
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Premier League leaders Liverpool stepped up their title bid with a 4-1 rout of Chelsea, while Erling Haaland made his Manchester City comeback as the champions beat Burnley 3-1 on Wednesday.
Jurgen Klopp's shock revelation that he will step down as Liverpool boss at the end of the season has done nothing to stop the momentum of a team challenging for silverware in four competitions.
The Reds crushed Norwich 5-2 in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday and were equally ruthless when Chelsea visited Anfield for the second game of Klopp's long goodbye.
First-half goals from Diogo Jota and Conor Bradley put Liverpool in control.
Dominik Szoboszlai scored Liverpool's third and, although Christopher Nkunku replied for overwhelmed Chelsea, Luis Diaz capped the hosts' dominant display.
Liverpool sit five points clear of second-placed City, who have a game in hand as they try to spoil Klopp's bid to bow out with the second Premier League title of his nine-year reign.
Unbeaten in their last 11 games in all competitions, Liverpool head to third-placed Arsenal on Sunday for another test of their title credentials.
Klopp's men will meet Chelsea again in the League Cup final at Wembley on February 25, with the Reds also still competing in the FA Cup and Europa League.
Chelsea will have to improve significantly to win the rematch after a limp display that underlined why they are languishing in 10th place.
Haaland had been sidelined for nearly two months by a foot injury, but City barely missed the presence of the Norwegian as they won nine and drew one of the 10 games when he was absent.
Julian Alvarez again stepped up in Haaland's absence as the Argentine struck twice on his 24th birthday to effectively end the game at the Etihad as a contest inside 22 minutes.
The Argentine headed in from Matheus Nunes' cross and then finished off a clever free-kick from Kevin De Bruyne.
Rodri made it 3-0 inside the first minute of the second half, but Pep Guardiola made the expectant home crowd wait until 15 minutes from time for Haaland's introduction.
Rather that a goalscoring return from last season's Golden Boot winner, it was the Clarets who struck next to end a run of 22 consecutive City goals in league meetings between the sides.
Ameen Al Dakhil struck four minutes into stoppage time, but it was no more than a consolation for the Clarets, who remain second bottom and seven points adrift of safety.
In Wednesday's other game, Tottenham climbed into the top four with a 3-2 win over Brentford.
Ange Postecoglou's side needed the inspiration of a half-time team talk from their Australian boss to come from behind.
Neal Maupay gave the Bees a deserved half-time lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
But Spurs hit back with three goals in the first 11 minutes of the second period.
Destiny Udogie blasted home from close range to level before Brennan Johnson tapped in Timo Werner's low cross at the back post.
Tottenham appeared to have the points won when Richarlison turned in his ninth goal of the season.
However, an error from Udogie teed up Ivan Toney to score his second goal in as many games since returning from an eight-month gambling ban.
Spurs held on through seven minutes of added time to edge above Aston Villa on goals scored into fourth as the battle for a place in next season's Champions League hots up.
© 2024 AFP
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https://japantoday.com/category/sports/haaland-returns-in-man-city-cruise-tottenham-into-top-four
| 2024-01-31T23:05:07Z
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A machine that resembles a funky 1980s copier is inspiring a wave of artistic print-making collaboration led by the EWU Department of Design.
The Risograph, a “digital duplicator” built by Japan’s Riso Kagaku Corporation, does something akin to digital screen printing, its manufacturer says. It uses scanned images to create stencils that are attached to drums of soy-based ink that imprint onto rice-based paper. The Risograph was purchased a year ago with the help of funding from Gemini, a company that specializes in made-to-order dimensional signage and other branded materials.
After more than a year of exploring creative techniques on the Risograph, the EWU design team is preparing to welcome four visiting creatives who will hold rotating, month-long residences offered every quarter through 2024.
Because access to Risograph technology is rare, and EWU is one of the only universities in the region to have one, there were plenty of applicants for the residencies.
“We had applicants from all over/across the country. It kind of speaks toward the allure of the printer and how popular it is among the print communities,” says Jamin Kuhn, a design department lecturer who manages the program’s 4D Lab ,which includes the Risograph.
The four residents, selected by a jury for their diverse skills and community project ideas, include two regional designers, one from Hawaii and another from Wisconsin.
Kuhn says part of the Risograph’s appeal is that artists and designers have discovered they can scan prints through multiple times to layer colors on top of colors.
“So, you get a really interesting mix of something that looks very digital but feels very handmade,” Kuhn explains.
A $10,000 Spokane Arts Grant Award covered the cost of purchasing barrels of ink and other materials to be used by the residents and students. In addition, each featured artist will receive a $250 stipend and another $250 to purchase supplies.
Risograph residents will do a range of create projects, while also contributing to the creative fiber of the community by collaborating with students, leading workshops and participating in community events.
Ginelle Hustrulid, associate professor of design, says that EWU students taking “Typography,” “Zine and Publication,” and “Intro to Animation” courses are already benefitting from the printer, which now has seven colors of ink to experiment with.
Risograph users can change the opacity of colors and add another color over the first to create a third color, explains Hustrulid, adding, “You actually use real-time spot coloring, is what it’s called, and color-mixing, as well. So, it’s a really beautiful tool for educating how real-life color mixing works.”
Because the ink and paper is composed of environmentally friendly ingredients, the “RISO” prints tend to fade over time, Kuhn says, adding to the nostalgic feel.
Projects do burn through large amounts of paper, so the team figured out creative ways to recycle by making fun notebooks and even using it for block printing.
Hustrulid and Kuhn hope to eventually get book binding equipment, build out their supply of ink and even bid out projects to the larger community.
The department is eager for students to use the machine. To take advantage of this unique opportunity, students can simply bring their printed design to the 4D Lab during its regular hours. The 4D Lab operates a webpage with information with hours and availability and people can also reach out to Kuhn at jkuhn87@edu.edu to learn more.
Risograph residents include these artists and designers:
Brianna Miller (Winter) Brianna Miller is a Filipino-American illustrator and designer based out of Spokane, Washington. In 2014, she graduated from the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon with a degree in communication design. Brianna’s work has focused on memories, consciousness and shared human experience. Read more…
Alex Sensiba (Spring) Alex Sensiba is a “comic-riso-printing-drawing-painting-ceramic-etc., artist.” Alex is inspired by medieval tapestries, haunted houses, horses, and magic spells. Alex graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, 2023.
Mykola Haleta (Summer) Mykola Haleta is an artist, educator, graphic designer, pattern designer, and sound and image researcher based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Haleta is an assistant professor of graphic design at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Read more…
Kevin Haas (Fall) Kevin Haas is an artist based in the Inland Northwest who works across printmaking, drawing, artist books, installations and design. He earned his BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an MFA from Indiana University where he studied printmaking and digital media. Read more…
**You can make a difference for students in the Department of Design by making a gift online.
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https://www.ewu.edu/stories/ewu-design-a-hub-for-riso-printing/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:07Z
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Lawmakers grilled the CEOs of top social media companies in a hearing today By Dara Kerr Published January 31, 2024 at 4:21 PM CST Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 3:45 During a contentious hearing, lawmakers demanded that social media companies do better to protect children online. Copyright 2024 NPR
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https://www.wuwf.org/2024-01-31/lawmakers-grilled-the-ceos-of-top-social-media-companies-in-a-hearing-today
| 2024-01-31T23:05:08Z
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Scammers using AI, social media to target teens, state police say
Scammers are setting their sights on local teens, and all it takes is a single click to become a victim.
Pennsylvania State Police say the scammers are using Artificial Intelligence to trick teens, and it starts with a friend request.
On Channel 11 News at 6, reporter Jillian Hartmann explains how these scammers use “contests” to steal real money.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
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https://news.yahoo.com/scammers-using-ai-social-media-222029795.html
| 2024-01-31T23:05:08Z
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Upstart digital news outlet The Messenger shuts down less than a year after launch
By Oliver Darcy and Liam Reilly, CNN
(CNN) — The Messenger, the upstart digital news outlet that hired hundreds of journalists and vowed to upend the industry as a centrist publication, will shut down less than a year after its high-profile launch, the company said Wednesday.
The collapse of the outlet, founded by media entrepreneur Jimmy Finkelstein, marks one of the largest and swiftest failures of a media outlet in recent memory. The Messenger’s closure comes just eight months after its debut that was built on a strategy of generating gobs of internet traffic from social media platforms and search engines despite broader industry headwinds.
Staffers at the outlet learned of its shuttering on Wednesday from The New York Times, which broke the news of its demise, a person familiar with the matter told CNN.
In a memo sent to staff Wednesday afternoon, Finkelstein said he had made the “painfully hard decision to shut down The Messenger, effective immediately.”
“Over the past few weeks, literally until earlier today, we exhausted every option available and have endeavored to raise sufficient capital to reach profitability,” he wrote, according to a copy of the memo obtained by CNN. “Unfortunately, we have been unable to do so, which is why we haven’t shared the news with you until now.”
Finkelstein said he was “personally devastated” by the decision and apologized to staff for the site’s collapse.
“The economic headwinds have left many media companies fighting for survival,” he said. “Unfortunately, as a new company, we encountered even more significant challenges than others and could not survive those headwinds.”
At launch, The Messenger hoped to hire some 550 journalists — it eventually hired 300 — and boasted it would eventually reach 100 million readers on a monthly basis, an ambitious target for a new publication.
But in the fall, it became apparent that The Messenger’s financial health was ailing. The outlet’s former president, Richard Beckman, reportedly told staff that The Messenger was “out of money.” Reports emerged earlier this month that the struggling news publisher was looking to raise some $20 million as it laid off two dozen staffers.
To raise capital, Finkelstein met with right-wing financiers, holding discussions at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago. One such proposal offered $30 million in funding for a 51% stake in the company, which was valued at around $60 million. In essence, Finkelstein was willing to cede control of his outlet less than a year after launching in order to keep it afloat.
At the time, The Messenger refuted rumors that it was on the brink of collapse, saying it had raised over $10 million in its last funding round and would continue to increase revenue while decreasing expenses over the course of the coming year.
“I’m devastated we have ended like this, and I am sorry the last few weeks have been torturous,” Dan Wakeford, The Messenger’s editor in chief, told staff in an email Wednesday.
“The editorial team built a brand from scratch in a short amount of time and achieved our goal of creating a neutral news brand that fits perfectly into a middle lane, appealing to insiders and outsiders,” he said.
On social media, staffers reacted to the news with a mix of sorrow and disgust.
“All I know is that if I were to launch a media start-up I’d be sure to rent an entire floor of a downtown Manhattan skyscraper that was 9/10ths empty all day … and then fail to tell my employees they were laid off until they read about it in the New York Times,” wrote Jordan Hoffman, a senior writer and critic at The Messenger.
“I just got laid off,” wrote James LaPorta, a national security reporter at The Messenger. “There is no severance. Healthcare will cease. I have to go clean out my desk from the DC office.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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https://keyt.com/news/money-and-business/cnn-business-consumer/2024/01/31/upstart-digital-news-outlet-the-messenger-shuts-down-less-than-a-year-after-launch/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:08Z
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Barbarians are the most physically imposing class in Diablo 4 and likely to be among the best damage dealers in season three. Before starting your seasonal Barbarian, you might want to know which build is best for leveling in Season of the Construct.
Despite being seemingly limited to melee combat, the Barbarian has no shortage of build options in Diablo 4. Many of the class’ best builds come closer to the end game, with the most optimal leveling build being quite different.
If you are trying to find the best leveling build for Barbarians in Diablo 4 season three, here is what we recommend.
Best Barbarian leveling build for Diablo 4 Season of the Construct
The best leveling build in Diablo 4 for the Barbarian class is the Rend build. The Rend build is an incredible popular hack-and-slash style of combat that allows you to mow through large groups of enemies with ease. If you like the traditional dungeon-crawling experience, this build is for you.
Below are all the abilities that you should take as you level to complete the Rend build:
- Basic Skill – Lunging Strike
- Enhanced Lunging Strike
- Core Skill – Rend
- Enhanced Rend
- Furious Rend
- Defensive Skill – Rallying Cry
- Enhanced Rallying Cry
- Tactical Rallying Cry
- Brawling Skill – War Cry
- Enhanced War Cry
- Power War Cry
- Weapon Mastery – Death Blow
- Enhanced Death Blow
- Fighter’s Death Blow
- Ultimate Skill – Call of the Ancients
- Prime Wrath of the Berserker
- Supreme Wrath of the Berserker
After reaching max level and getting to end game content, I recommend switching to other prevalent Barbarian builds. My personal favorite is the Charge Barbarian, which appears to be a particularly powerful end game build for Season of the Construct.
Barbarian Rend Build Rotation in Diablo 4
The goal of the Rend build is to continuously build Fury while simultaneously dealing massive damage. While Rallying Cry and War Cry will generate Fury and resist any CC effects, Rend will be your primary damage-dealing ability. Follow the rotation below for the best results:
- Use Wrath of the Berserker to start off the encounter.
- Keep up Rallying Cry to generate Fury.
- Berserk and trigger your Death Blow.
- Once your Fury is maxed out, use Rend.
With this rotation, your Barbarian will be a self-propelled engine of Fury unleashed onto your demonic enemies.
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https://dotesports.com/diablo/news/best-barbarian-leveling-build-in-diablo-4-season-three
| 2024-01-31T23:05:10Z
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For students still feeling pandemic shock, clock is ticking
New report shows some progress but persistent achievement gaps; co-author Kane urges action before federal aid expires
Part of the Findings series
Insights, discoveries, and analysis from Harvard scholars and scientists.
A new report from the Education Recovery Scorecard, a collaboration between the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard and the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University, shows that some states, including Massachusetts, are still struggling to close academic achievement gaps that widened during the pandemic.
“The First Year of Pandemic Recovery: A District-Level Analysis” examined math and reading test scores in grades 3-8 in approximately 8,000 school districts in 30 states from spring 2019 to spring of last year. In a conversation about the findings, co-author Thomas Kane, an economist at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, urged school districts to invest remaining pandemic aid on academic recovery efforts before the funds expire in the fall. The interview was edited for clarity and length.
From your report, it seems the pace of recovery has been uneven. Could you give an overview of your findings?
If you looked across all the states, the recovery last year was actually large by historical standards. The recovery was twice as large as the average annual rate of change on the National Assessment of Educational Progress from 1990 to 2019 and 50 percent larger than the annual rate of change from 1990 to 2013, when math scores grew most rapidly. So, it was large, but it varied by state. Some states saw much bigger increases than others. But the most troubling finding was that higher-poverty districts which lost the most during the pandemic did not close the gap nationally. In some states, like Massachusetts, those gaps grew between 2022 and 2023.
There were some bright spots. Alabama in math, and Louisiana, Illinois, and Mississippi in reading. Can you explain?
Alabama is the only state to be back above its pre-pandemic achievement in math, and there are three states that are above their pre-pandemic achievement in reading: Illinois, Mississippi, and Louisiana. But this doesn’t mean that Alabama is finished with its recovery. Even in Alabama, the students in Montgomery are still about half a grade level behind. So, yes, there has been progress nationally and, in a few states, their average achievement is back above 2019 levels. But in most states, the achievement gaps between the high-poverty and the low-poverty districts are wider than they were in 2019.
In the states that have recovered significantly, are there lessons for other places?
At this point, we can’t say exactly what made Alabama different. Our report is analogous to the National Assessment of Educational Progress — we are describing where progress is being made, but we’re not yet evaluating the efficacy of policies. There will be no National Assessment of Educational Progress for 2023, and so what we’ve done is we’ve used the state test scores to provide an alternative during this critical year, before the federal dollars run out. We’re describing what happened to achievement, not just at the state level, but at the individual district level. Soon, we and others will be using these data to understand what distinguished Alabama from Massachusetts. We’re just trying to get these [findings] out to inform policymakers and school districts while there’s still time.It’s especially important right now because there are only eight months left before the federal pandemic relief dollars expire.
Achievement gaps are wider in some places than others. How so?
As we reported last year, students in high-poverty school districts lost more ground than students in higher-income ones during the pandemic. The gaps that were already there in 2019 widened during the pandemic. The most important message from this report is that those widened gaps have not closed. In fact, in some states, just the opposite happened. Even though they lost less ground during the pandemic, wealthier districts like Newton, Wellesley, and Arlington began to recover between 2022 and 2023 while districts like Fall River, Lynn, and Revere, which have high proportions of students experiencing poverty, lost additional ground between 2022 and 2023.
There were some states where the recovery is being led by the poorer districts, but even there — even in Alabama, where the recovery was larger for districts like Birmingham — the recovery wasn’t enough to completely eliminate the increase in inequality that occurred during the pandemic. So even in Alabama, the poorer districts are lagging further behind their own 2019 achievement as the higher-income districts now exceed their 2019 achievement.
You mention student absenteeism as a specific challenge for school leaders following the pandemic. How significant is this issue in the recovery story?
We haven’t quantified the role of absenteeism in the recovery, but we know from research that each day a student is absent results in lost learning, and, when many students are returning from absences, it disrupts learning for other students in the classroom because a teacher is constantly having to reteach topics. Future research will have to show just how big a role student absenteeism played, but, while we’re waiting for that research, communities ought to be doing whatever they can to try to lower absenteeism rates. Absenteeism is one of the very few things that organizations outside of schools can help schools improve. Most mayors can’t teach Algebra 1, but they can do a public information campaign or provide public transportation passes to students to try to lower absenteeism. One of our mistakes as a country, I think, has been to see the recovery as primarily the job of schools. And of course, schools will have to be doing the classroom instruction, but mayors’ offices and churches and other community organizations ought to be looking for ways they can help. Reducing absenteeism is one of the clearest examples of those.
What other advice do you have to make up for interrupted learning?
I think one place to start is by letting parents know when their child is behind. A number of polls have reported that parents believe that their own children have already caught up. They have been misinformed. Parents could play a role in advocating more spending on academic recovery. Districts will spend the money on something; few of these dollars are going to be returned to the federal government. The point now is to get districts to spend the remaining funds to extend the recovery into next year.
Should there have been more requirements that federal aid be used on school recovery efforts? In your report, you say that districts were only required to spend 20 percent of the money they received on academic recovery. What else has the money been spent on?
When the American Rescue Plan passed in March 2021, no one knew how bad the losses would be. We knew remote learning was not the same as in-person, but many were hoping that hybrid learning may have been 75 or 80 percent as effective. It was not. Unfortunately, Congress only required districts to spend 20 percent on academic recovery, and 90 percent of the K–12 aid was sent directly to districts — leaving federal and state agencies with no leverage for coordinating recovery efforts. Imagine if, instead of launching a massive effort to develop a vaccine, the federal government had just handed money to local public health departments to find their own treatments for COVID. That’s what we did with the academic recovery. There was no coordination, little sharing of resources. Although some districts spent more on academic recovery, many more spent the money on salary increases, HVAC systems, new curricula, additional support staff working in schools. Thirteen thousand-plus school districts out there have been inventing their own recovery plans. Maybe we shouldn’t be that surprised that some districts have figured it out, but a lot of districts haven’t, and the recovery has really varied by district and by state.
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https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/01/for-students-still-feeling-pandemic-shock-clock-is-ticking/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:10Z
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Laws on abortion are out of step with public opinion. One Republican legislator in Tennessee is working to establish exceptions to his state's strict abortion laws, but he faces a tough battle.
Copyright 2024 NPR
Laws on abortion are out of step with public opinion. One Republican legislator in Tennessee is working to establish exceptions to his state's strict abortion laws, but he faces a tough battle.
Copyright 2024 NPR
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https://www.nprillinois.org/2024-01-31/a-tennessee-lawmaker-helped-pass-a-strict-abortion-law-hes-now-trying-to-loosen-it
| 2024-01-31T23:05:10Z
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Subscribe to The College Football Enquirer
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
Dan Wetzel, Ross Dellenger & SI’s Pat Forde devote today’s episode to Tennessee’s lawsuit against the NCAA after reports that the University of Tennessee is under investigation for NIL violations. The school has received help from both the Tennessee and Virginia attorneys general in a lawsuit against the NCAA in attempts to get a court’s ruling to absolve them. The guys dive into whether or not Tennessee committed any violations, as well as if the NCAA can retroactively enforce any punishments.
The podcast then debates about whether or not the current college athletics structure should involve guardrails and, if found guilty, whether or not the NCAA could invoke the death penalty on the Volunteers.
Later in the show, with March Madness nearing, the podcast takes a look at this weekend’s packed college hoops action.
To close out the episode, The People's Court opens up a case on a gassy airplane passenger.
1:00 - Tennessee is suing the NCAA over NIL violations
48:40 - College basketball is heating up with a big weekend
54:08 - The People’s Court: Airplane flatulence
[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2024 MLB season]
Follow Dan @DanWetzel
Follow Pat @ByPatForde
Follow Ross @RossDellenger
🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube
Check out all the episodes of the College Football Enquirer and the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts
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https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/national/tennessee-v-ncaa/KYY2QBEEW7C7QNZDZWY3YRWDJI/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:11Z
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The longest-serving treasurer of NSW, Michael Egan, has died aged 75.
Mr Egan had a parliamentary career which lasted almost 25 years before he moved on to work at Macquarie University’s chancellor from 2008 to 2019.
He served as treasurer from 1995 to 2005 under Bob Carr’s Labor government.
A statement from Premier Chris Minns and Treasurer daniel Mookhey said: “NSW has lost a dedicated and accomplished public servant, the Honourable Michael Egan AO.”
“Michael dedicated his long career to serving the people of NSW,” the statement read.
“Entering politics in October 1978, Michael served in the Legislative Assembly for more than five years as Member for Cronulla and in the Legislative Council for more than 18 years.
“During this nearly quarter century career, Michael held the honour of being the longest serving Treasurer in NSW history – for nearly a decade between 3 April 1995 and 21 January 2005. He was the first Member of the Upper House to do so.
“He also served as Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, Vice-President of the Executive Council and Minister for State Development among many roles.”
More to come
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https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/former-nsw-treasurer-michael-egan-has-died-age-75-c-13426752
| 2024-01-31T23:05:13Z
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(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Advantage Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: ADV), a leading provider of sales and marketing services to consumer goods manufacturers and retailers, today announced it has sold its collection of foodservice businesses, most notably Waypoint, to Prospect Hill Growth Partners, L.P.
As part of the sale, the foodservice businesses will be combined with KeyImpact Sales & Systems Inc., with Advantage receiving total proceeds of approximately $100 million, which is a combination of mostly cash and an ongoing 7.5% stake in the combined entity. The sale will streamline Advantage's portfolio, allowing the company to focus on its core retail businesses and strengthen its balance sheet.
As a result of the transaction, which closed today, KeyImpact will combine with Waypoint, Marlin Connections, Primeline, CSSI, Ettros, Halverson Group and Coleman, Greear & Associates to form one of North America's leading foodservice solutions agencies, Acxion Foodservice (). In addition to its stake in Acxion, Advantage will obtain a seat on its board of directors.
“Acxion is the perfect partner for our foodservice companies, and the combination of the businesses will create a player with the capabilities and breadth to offer industry-leading services. While we continue to see growth potential in the foodservice category, we believe that our clients are best served when we focus on our core retail capabilities while partnering to compete in adjacent segments,” said Advantage Solutions CEO Dave Peacock.“This deal allows Advantage to further prioritize other growth efforts in a more focused way. We are excited to partner with Acxion on an ongoing basis, and we look forward to sharing in the company's success going forward.”
Advantage and Acxion will maintain a close relationship, helping to ensure that their complementary services are available to common clients between the two distinct brokerage channels.
Advantage Solutions plans to use the majority of the proceeds of the deal to pay down debt, further strengthening its balance sheet and allowing the company to strategically invest in its talent and core businesses.
"Simplifying our business sharpens our focus on how we convert shoppers into buyers for both our consumer packaged goods and retailer customers,” Peacock said.“The strategic decisions we're making at Advantage are designed to improve how we serve our clients and customers, while helping us improve cash flow and position the company for profitable growth.”
This sale is Advantage's latest business initiative focused on its broader plan to accelerate growth. The company also announced today it has entered into two separate agreements with third-party technology companies to optimize and streamline a host of business process and administrative functions.
Today's moves follow a series of deals completed in late 2023, including the sale of Atlas Technology Group to Crisp, which occurred in October, and the company's December announcement to streamline and restructure its international businesses, most notably reducing its stake in Advantage Smollan Limited, a joint venture with the Smollan Group operating in Europe, from a majority stake of under 60% to a minority position of 49.6% in exchange for cash and other considerations.
About Advantage Solutions
Advantage Solutions is a leading provider of outsourced sales and marketing solutions uniquely positioned at the intersection of brands and retailers. Our data- and technology-driven services - which include headquarter sales, retail merchandising, in-store and online sampling, digital commerce, omnichannel marketing, retail media and others - help brands and retailers of all sizes get products into the hands of consumers, wherever they shop. As a trusted partner and problem solver, we help our clients sell more while spending less. Advantage has offices throughout North America and strategic investments in select markets throughout Africa, Asia, Australia, Latin America and Europe through which the company serves the global needs of multinational, regional and local manufacturers. For more information, please visit advantagesolutions.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the expected future performance of Advantage's business and projected financial results. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or Advantage's future financial or operating performance, or its future relationships with clients and business partners. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words“may”,“should”,“expect”,“intend”,“will”,“would”,“could”,“estimate”,“anticipate”,“believe”,“predict”,“confident”,“potential” or“continue”, or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Such forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Advantage and its management at the time of such statements, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, any changes in the business relationships between Advantage and its clients, business partners or other third parties, the ability for Advantage to realize the anticipated benefits of the transactions, the market-driven wage changes or changes to labor laws or wage or job classification regulations, including minimum wage; the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken in response thereto; the availability, acceptance, administration and effectiveness of any COVID-19 vaccine; Advantage's ability to continue to generate significant operating cash flow; client procurement strategies and consolidation of Advantage's clients' industries creating pressure on the nature and pricing of its services; consumer goods manufacturers and retailers reviewing and changing their sales, retail, marketing and technology programs and relationships; Advantage's ability to successfully develop and maintain relevant omni-channel services for our clients in an evolving industry and to otherwise adapt to significant technological change; Advantage's ability to maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting in the future; potential and actual harms to Advantage's business arising from the Take 5 Matter; Advantage's substantial indebtedness and our ability to refinance at favorable rates; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section titled“Risk Factors” in the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the“SEC”) on March 1, 2023, and in its other filings made from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Advantage assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Peter Frost
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https://menafn.com/1107793824/Advantage-Solutions-Further-Simplifies-Portfolio-By-Selling-Its-Collection-Of-Foodservice-Businesses-To-Prospect-Hill-Growth-Partners-To-Form-Acxion-Foodservice
| 2024-01-31T23:05:13Z
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READER LETTER | SA's strong case for Gaza was exemplary
Image: PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW/ REUTERS
With its approach on Gaza, SA has positioned itself on the right side of history, taking the moral high ground.
It sided with the oppressed, with the weak and with the vulnerable, regardless of whether it may cause inconvenience to the positions taken by powerful countries including the US.
Given SA’s own history, it has a legitimate standing and, in fact, a moral obligation to act. Critics have been proven wrong. SA presented a strong case and the outcome will reverberate through the corridors of power for a long time. It improved SA’s standing on the world stage.
Antony Blinken, US secretary of State, has already said that SA’s position will not have a negative impact on SA-US relations. Regardless of whether there might have been some political expediency in SA’s approach, the outcome is exemplary. It exposed hypocrisy and double standards. Above all, it alleviates the plight of the people of Gaza.
On home turf, it strengthened its position in respect of the upcoming election in SA. Yes, SA has its own internal challenges, but that does not disqualify it to take a principled stand on gross violations of the rule of law and human rights. If a country must be unblemished in order to take a stand, it disqualifies all countries. Israel and its enablers will face tough international scrutiny in the weeks and months ahead.
Dawie Jacobs, Waterkloof Marina, Pretoria
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https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/opinion/letters/2024-01-30-reader-letter-sas-strong-case-for-gaza-was-exemplary/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:13Z
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The dueling contests surrounding the Nevada Republican's nominating process has led to voter confusion. And with it, an outcome many in the state saw as inevitable: Trump is the de facto winner.
Copyright 2024 NPR
The dueling contests surrounding the Nevada Republican's nominating process has led to voter confusion. And with it, an outcome many in the state saw as inevitable: Trump is the de facto winner.
Copyright 2024 NPR
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https://www.wuwf.org/2024-01-31/nevadas-gop-nominating-process-is-confusing-and-already-yielded-a-likely-winner
| 2024-01-31T23:05:14Z
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Denver nears its breaking point as migrants and the cold pile in
CNN
By Shimon Prokupecz, Norma Galeana, Evelio Contreras and Rachel Clarke, CNN
Denver (CNN) — This is what an overwhelmed city can look like: a preschooler sleeping under a bridge for a month; crowds lining up each night to get food and shelter; and the mayor calling out for help. And when that city is Denver in the winter, and the overnight temperatures sink below zero degrees Fahrenheit, the problems are life-threatening.
“Our city is really struggling,” Mayor Mike Johnston told CNN after he visited families in a makeshift encampment – a sign of the unfolding emergency triggered by the mass arrival of people from outside the city.
“This is both a humanitarian crisis for the individuals that are arriving, and it’s a fiscal crisis for the cities that are serving. Those two crises are coming to a head right now.”
Few, if any, of the thousands of people who have arrived in Denver planned for Colorado’s capital to be their destination after monthslong treks away from persecution or deprivation in search of safety and a chance at the American Dream.
But when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott decided to offer free bus rides to get asylum seekers out of his state, the options given were generally New York, Chicago or Denver, migrants said. Each of those three cities has a Democratic mayor and Abbott has targeted them as part of his stated aim for “the rest of America (to) understand what is going on.” Migrants told CNN they had heard New York was too full, believed Chicago would be too cold and thus picked Denver.
The mayors of New York, Chicago and Denver have issued joint calls for the arrivals of migrants to be treated as a national problem with a national solution. They have called for a coordinated entry system, but Abbott’s spokesperson told CNN in December the only fix was for President Joe Biden’s administration to “secure the border.”
Texas has sent 15,700 people to Denver since May. Initially, many were Venezuelans applying for asylum who had “Temporary Protected Status” under a federal program that allows people from some crisis-hit countries to live and work legally in the United States for a period of time. The city was able to help get the migrants on their feet and soon, they were self-sufficient members of the community, Johnston said.
The Biden administration expanded the TPS program in September after demands for action by New York City, but it still only applies to Venezuelans who arrived in the US before August 1, and most of the newer arrivals in Denver do not qualify. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has not signaled if he plans further expansions.
Adriana, who did not give her last name, said she fled Venezuela’s dire economic straits with her husband and young son. They took the land route through the treacherous Darién Gap, traveling thousands of miles through Central America and then Mexico to reach the US border, she said.
Once they were bussed up to Denver, they found themselves with fellow Venezuelans at an encampment under a bridge north of downtown, near where I-70 crosses I-25, in an area full of squat industrial buildings alongside the freight rail tracks. The migrants cooked gifted food for each other in a makeshift kitchen, shared stories and became a small community.
A donated tent was the first American home for John David, Adriana’s 4-year-old son. The family stayed there for a month, but the weather soon made the preschooler ill.
“The cold weather has been tough,” Adriana told us earlier this month, on a day when a howling winter wind drowned out the noise from the interstates. “It’s horrible, my son suffers from asthma, and he’s been sick with a cough. I’ve been treating him with some medication that was given to me.”
Some of those living in the tent village have no shoes, and they layer socks to give their feet a little protection from the cold and the crust of frozen snow that covers the stony dirt below. Inside the tents, sheets of polystyrene foam are used as insulation, and clothes are piled up on church-donated mattresses to give extra support and warmth.
As an Arctic blast began to hit the city, Mayor Johnston and his staff were out warning the migrants of the freezing temperatures to come and urging them to go to new shelters or warming centers. Hotels leased by the city just last month to house migrants are already full.
“We’re having the coldest days of the year and we want to move all the people inside. We have beds, it’s warmer,” he said in Spanish made fluent from his years as a school principal in northern Colorado, working with many Latino children and parents.
‘All I want is a job’
Checking in at the shelter later that day, Johnston was soon swarmed by people grateful for the help being offered, but full of questions: How long can the city help them, but most of all, when can they work?
He asked if they came from Venezuela, and then when they arrived in the US, having to explain if they came after July 31, 2023, there is no way for asylum-seekers to work legally unless the federal government extends TPS. And that is frustrating for both the mayor and migrants.
“You talk to people who say, ‘I walked 3,000 miles to get here, and all I want is a job. Can you help me find some place to work? I don’t need charity. I just want to be able to support myself. Can I work?’” Johnston said. “And at the same time, we got employers all over the city who call me every day and say, ‘Hey, I know you’ve got migrants who just arrived. I got open jobs. Can I please hire them?’”
But right now, the answer is no.
“The federal government could provide next to no support to cities if all these folks have work authorization, because they’d be supporting themselves,” Johnston said. But with some being told they may have to wait six years for their asylum claims to be heard, he said, much of the need to support them will fall on the cities where they are waiting.
Yorgelis Fabiola, who is from Venezuela, said she was pleased to see the mayor asking about their situation, but she still needed answers. “It really is worrying. I don’t have a job right now, I’m afraid that when my stay ends here, they’ll throw me out on the street with my son, because I have nowhere else to go.”
As she shared her concerns with Johnston, Fabiola began to cry. “I thank all of you and I apologize for having entered your country illegally.”
Denver has now updated its policies on housing migrant families, resuming requirements for families to leave city facilities, but raising initial stays for new arrivals to six weeks.
Johnston is looking at Denver having to foot an annual bill of $180 million for migrant services, which would lead to major cuts in other city budgets, he said. “We don’t want to take police officers off the street. We don’t want to take firefighters off the street. We don’t want to not do trash pickup or not have our parks and recreation centers open.” But hard decisions are coming, he said.
If migrants tell the city they have connections in other places, Johnston’s administration will try to help to get them there. Adriana and her son John David got bus vouchers to California, but Johnston said there was no attempt to move migrants on unless they asked.
Without work authorization, some migrants are trying to find off-the-books employment. Groups congregate outside the big hardware stores from 5:30 a.m., before sunrise, hoping to pick up day labor jobs for cash, in construction or shoveling snow or doing whatever needs to be done.
It’s hit or miss, with one man telling CNN he had found work for only 15 days in the last three months. And even working is no guarantee of being paid, with another man complaining to the mayor that he labored for 10 days with others to build a roof and was sent packing with no money.
‘We want you to survive’
Amid the desperation, kind Denverites have created pockets of warmth and kindness.
Yong Prince plans to retire and has a contract to sell her motel at the end of next month. But for now, she has opened it to hundreds of migrants needing shelter.
She said she was born in North Korea during the Korean War and still remembers how hard her own life was. “I was hungry as a kid,” she said, tears beginning to well in her eyes. “We didn’t have any meals for a long time … that’s why I feed them.”
She cooks breakfast before 5 a.m. for those going out on the day labor hunt, using food that’s been donated or that she’s bought herself.
A widow who also lost her adult son to cancer, Prince clucks around the migrants like a mother hen, and in return, they call her “Mama,” a word that crosses the language divide.
Pastor Keith Reeser opened his church too, for overnight stays, hot showers and warm meals, with the backing of his congregation, the city and donations. When he heard migrants were still sleeping rough under a bridge on one frigid night, his response was immediate.
“We grabbed a couple of my buddies and I said, ‘Let’s go get them and let’s get them out of this situation.’”
Reeser knows the problem is overwhelming at the moment, so he focuses on what he can do, with mattresses on the gymnasium floor and food when it’s available.
“If you can’t get this level of immediate civility, then how would you ever arrive at anything else in life? We want you to survive … we care for you as a human,” he said of the migrants.
Outside the Denver Rescue Mission, migrants mixed with the city’s resident unhoused population, all shuffling to try to keep warm as they waited to get a bed for the night.
It’s one of the current pain points of the migrant influx to Denver, as the needs of the new arrivals come up against those who’ve been here a while.
“This is the tightest that I’ve ever seen it, facility-wide, in a metropolitan way, due to the influx of migrants,” said Robert Thompson, a veteran who’s been dealing with homelessness for years.
Mayor Johnston believes Denver and other cities can spearhead a solution that links the stream of asylum seekers that will not stop with the needs of places that want workers.
“We need more work authorization from Congress. We need federal dollars, and we also need a coordinated entry system. It shouldn’t just be people randomly bouncing from Chicago to New York to Denver looking for options,” he said. “We ought to be able to distribute people in places where they have work authorization, they have federal support to cities that have capacity. And if we do those three things, this is actually a very solvable problem.”
Johnston said Texas Gov. Abbott had not returned his calls but if he could talk to him, he would empathize. “I understand they feel like they have this huge influx of people that they can’t handle in Texas alone. I agree with him that no one state or one city should need to solve this entire challenge. But I think there’s a way for us to work together to say, let’s create a coordinated plan where we send people to cities that have capacity, where they can be successful.”
Despite the difficult situation, Johnston said he can stay positive. “It’s very hard to be angry at these folks when you come and talk to them,” he said.
“It’s hard for me to get three kids to the grocery store and back,” he said, marveling at how parents got their children safely through a perilous intercontinental journey, betting their entire lives that they would find something better. “That’s the heart of, the American spirit. And so, whether they’re Americans in citizenship or Americans in spirit, based on that willingness to fight for their families, we just want them to be successful.”
But today, the crisis continues.
“We’re not going to let women and kids sleep on the street in 5-degree weather in this city,” Johnston said. “We need to intervene.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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https://keyt.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2024/01/31/denver-nears-its-breaking-point-as-migrants-and-the-cold-pile-in-2/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:14Z
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South Fulton County woman raises 3 children of her own, then 150 more
A nonprofit that cares for children in crisis in South Fulton County is honoring one of its longest-serving volunteers.
Channel 2′s Berndt Petersen was in Union City Wednesday, where Sarah Moore has been a ‘parent’ to more than 150 kids.
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Moore says she’ll never forget when her husband suggested they go into full-time childcare.
“I thought, ‘Gee, that’d be like being in church camp all the time!’ Surprise, surprise,” Moore said.
That was 52 years agom when the family of five moved from Florida to Christian City in South Fulton County.
The faith-based nonprofit cares for vulnerable children. It now has a 500-acre campus.
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Moore and her husband Clyde became what the charity calls houseparents, caring for young ones abandoned by their families.
“We would actually have children just dropped off like you’d drop off an unwanted puppy,” Sarah Moore said.
Through the decades, Sarah has raised more than 150 children.
“They really do the job of putting the kids back together. That’s what they have done over the years as houseparents,” Christian City CEO Keith Horton said.
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Sarah says many of her kids come back to visit.
She lives in Christian City’s senior living facility and still helps out in the Children’s Village, all while making a difference.
“It has been a blessing to us to see lives change, and for the children to see what unconditional love was all about,” Sarah said.
To learn more about becoming a Christian City houseparent, click here.
IN OTHER NEWS:
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https://news.yahoo.com/south-fulton-county-woman-raises-221301392.html
| 2024-01-31T23:05:14Z
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How much drinking is too much?
‘Harvard Thinking’ explores the health effects of moderate alcohol consumption
A lot of people like to pour a drink at the end of a hard day. And for years, some research suggested that light to moderate alcohol consumption might yield health benefits. (Heavy drinking, on the other hand, ruins health and relationships.) Yet more recent studies have challenged that idea, raising the question: Is any amount of drinking safe?
“It is indisputable that alcohol does change how cells work,” said Marisa Silveri in this episode of “Harvard Thinking.” She’s the director of the Neurodevelopmental Lab on Addictions and Mental Health at McLean Hospital. “I think when it comes to alcohol, the sober-curious movement has been getting a ton of interest in the media because people are thinking, can I live a sober life and what would that mean?”
Bapu Jena, an economist and physician, said that while we know alcohol affects our health, it’s important to think about tradeoffs. When it comes to drinking, he says, better research would help individuals make more informed health decisions.
“I don’t think as a society we struggle with whether or not heavy amounts of alcohol are good or bad — probably very bad,” Jena said. “I think what people struggle with is, all right, I want to have a glass of wine once a week, four times a week. Is that going to affect my health?”
In this episode, Samantha Laine Perfas, a Gazette staff writer and the host of “Harvard Thinking,” is joined by Silveri, Jena, and bestselling author Emily Oster for a conversation about knowing our limits.
Transcript
BAPU JENA: I think what people struggle with is, all right, I want to have a glass of wine once a week, four times a week. Is that going to affect my health? And again, how much will it impact my health? That really is the core question.
SAMANTHA LAINE PERFAS: For years, it was commonly believed that moderate drinking was safe, in fact, it might even have some health benefits. But recent research has questioned that. So is moderate drinking safe? Is any drinking safe?
This is Harvard Thinking, a podcast where the life of the mind meets everyday life. Today, I’m joined by:
JENA: Bapu Jena. I’m an economist and physician and professor at Harvard Medical School.
LAINE PERFAS: He also co-authored the book “Random Acts of Medicine” and hosts the “Freakonomics MD” podcast. Then we’ve got:
EMILY OSTER: Emily Oster. I’m a professor of economics at Brown University.
LAINE PERFAS: She graduated from Harvard with both an A.B. and Ph.D. in economics, has written multiple best-selling parenting books, and runs the ParentData newsletter. And our third guest:
MARISA SILVERI: Marisa Silveri, associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
LAINE PERFAS: She directs the Neurodevelopmental Lab on Addictions and Mental Health at McLean Hospital. During the pandemic, she did her own experimentation with abstinence and gave up alcohol for 500 days.
And I’m Samantha Laine Perfas, your host and a writer for the Harvard Gazette. Today, we’re going to talk about drinking and whether or not it can be part of a healthy lifestyle.
Let’s talk a little bit about the research. What is it that we know about moderate alcohol consumption?
OSTER: Sam, can I say, when you talk about moderate alcohol consumption, I think you need to say what you mean. So, one version of that is, maybe seven drinks a week, no more than one at a time. And one version of that is 20 drinks a week, no more than three at a time. And I think people would define both of those as moderate, but they’re actually quite different.
LAINE PERFAS: Yeah, and actually, that was a question that I had because in some ways, moderate does seem to be subjective. My moderate is someone else’s more extreme drinking. So how is moderate drinking defined in the research? Does it also change? Is it defined differently in different contexts?
SILVERI: Research-wise, there have been some changes in definition. So talking about being in your doctor’s office, so how much do you drink? You know, they’re looking for the key answer, which is if you are biologically female: one drink per day. If you are biologically male: no more than two drinks per day, per week. And so that’s kind of how you arrive to the, it’s OK to have seven drinks in a week, but if they’re one a day, or 14 drinks in a week, no more than two a day. But then there are also these criteria of how does it impact your life? So when we think about moderate, we think about people who are not just single occasional drinkers. They’re somewhere probably above the seven or 14. You’re probably drinking more than just occasional. And there are probably some consequences.
OSTER: I think that’s a great answer, and in part I think it’s very interesting because when we hear people talk about this, and, in particular when you hear some of the way this gets discussed, I think the idea that drinking, say, one drink a day … that would not be considered moderate drinking, I think many people would say, well, I just heard that ever drinking is bad. That if I have one or two drinks a week, that’s even too much. And so we have this messaging, which I think is quite confusing for people. Some of the rhetoric you hear would suggest that even one drink a week, even two drinks a week is raising your risk of cancer, is raising your risk of heart disease, of liver problems, where I don’t read the evidence as being supportive of negative effects detectable at that level.
LAINE PERFAS: Emily, you’ve actually written about this for The Atlantic. Could you just share a little bit about what you were getting at?
OSTER: The headline on The Atlantic piece was, “Is a glass of wine harmless?” And the subhead is something like, “That’s the wrong question.” And I think the article starts with the evidence about drinking at low levels. And here I’m talking about, say, one glass of wine a day. Quite low levels. The evidence to suggest that is bad for your health is very limited, and I don’t find that evidence very compelling. And what I was trying to get at in that piece is that I don’t think that is the standard to which we will hold this. So in a lot of these discussions, I think what we’re looking for is people saying, it wouldn’t be safe to consume, say, even at very low levels, unless we could prove that there was absolutely no risk. That it was completely risk-free. And unless you can prove that, we should tell people that they should consume nothing. And in fact, I think that there are some reasons that people enjoy alcohol consumption, the same kinds of reasons they enjoy dessert or appetizers or any of the other many things that we engage in in our lives that we’re not doing solely because they improve our health. And then in fact, the question we should ask is, how does the benefit of this compare to the potential cost? And when you frame it like that, for many people drinking occasionally or drinking sometimes is something that they like, that they enjoy, that is a part of their social environment and I think that has value, rather than saying that the standard that we need is, unless it’s healthy, we don’t do it. That’s not the right standard to hold this [to] or really many of the other choices that we make in life.
LAINE PERFAS: Well, and I think that’s where, as a person trying to make decisions in my own life about how much I’m drinking, it’s interesting to hear. Because to your point, Emily, some of the research I’m seeing is like any drop at all, you are making bad choices. So why is it that we’re receiving these mixed messages? What is it about the research that is making this a confusing place to navigate? Bapu, you haven’t said much yet.
JENA: Yeah, I’m not talking because I’m just absorbing all the knowledge that’s … let me say … I got a couple of random ideas. I would just want to pick up on something that you said. You use the words bad choices. In economics, we think about trade-offs. So even if it were the case that very small amounts of alcohol have a negative effect on health, which could totally be the case, it wouldn’t surprise me. If you could, in a large population, a well-conducted study, you might find that very small amounts of alcohol have very small adverse effects on health. To me, that’s a data point, but you have to ask yourself, what is the benefit that people get from consuming small amounts of alcohol? I like to eat ice cream and I know that on average if I eat more ice cream versus less, that’s bad for me, but it generates a lot of utility for me. Almost everything that we do in our life that generates benefit comes at some trade-off. Whether it’s our health, whether it’s time spent with our loved ones and family, whatever it is, there’s always a trade-off. So I think the key question, what you really want to know is, what’s the magnitude? And how much does that matter compared to the benefit that I get?
LAINE PERFAS: One of the reasons that we wanted to do this episode was because anytime we publish anything on alcohol research, it gets a ton of interest. So it does feel like people are trying to answer this question for themselves of how much is too much. Why do you think with alcohol specifically versus ice cream, not that we publish a lot of ice cream research, but it does seem like alcohol is this thing that people keep wanting this definitive answer of: can I or should I not?
SILVERI: Well, one thing I do want to just say outright, you know, when you think about anything … and Bapu, to your point, eating ice cream arguably will change our system. Not sleeping enough; so I decide to binge watch a show and I go to bed at 3 in the morning. Now I’m sleep-deprived. That’s going to have an impact on our neurobiology. There are things we do all the time. And so it is indisputable that alcohol does change how cells work. So I think it’s really important to say, much like some other things, sleep deprivation or exercise or nutrition, it changes how our systems work. And the indisputable part is that if you have your cellular system, you introduce alcohol, it’s going to change the function. That is how we’re programmed. When there is something that requires adaptation, that’s what we do. And that’s amazing. But again, to speak to the trade-off, it comes at a cost. And I think when it comes to alcohol, the sober curious movement has been getting a ton of interest in the media because people are thinking, can I live a sober life and what would that mean? Because I think somewhere we know it impacts us. us.
OSTER: I think the other thing I would say, to this question of why are people so interested in this? I think in general, the sort of relationship between people and alcohol in the U.S. is pretty different than it is in, say, a lot of places in Europe. Uh, if you look at like the distribution of alcohol consumption, the U.S. has a much higher share of people who are abstinent, and then people who drink quite a lot, and that is less true in places in Europe where alcohol consumption has been more a part of the way that people interact around food and just the way that the culture operates. And so I think some of the, almost the legacy of prohibition has generated a relationship that society has with drinking that, for example, will result in people not drinking at all during the week and then drinking 10 drinks at a time on a day on the weekend. And that kind of behavior actually is quite a bit higher-risk than drinking one drink every day because that binge episode we know has many negative impacts, no matter when you’re doing that in the life cycle. That I think is what leads people to question and think about their relationship with alcohol. And I think that’s when people start thinking about, should I be cutting down on this and starting these conversations.
JENA: Sam, let me say two things really quickly. One is, anytime we like to do something in general, it would be ideal if that thing is helpful to us and not harmful to us, right? That’s always true. But I think this is an area where, this is what we’re talking about today, the science has been very influential in shaping the way people think about alcohol. Most of these studies are not very well conducted. You have studies that look at the basic science of the issues like how, what happens to cellular function when cells are exposed to alcohol. But at the end of the day, the body is complex and what you really want to know is, if you took a bunch of people and you randomized them to different levels of alcohol over some period of time and studied the acute and long-term health effects, what would they be? But instead, what you have is these low-quality studies, which just look at people who drink different levels of alcohol and find, for example, that low or moderate alcohol is quote-unquote beneficial or associated with good health. And if those people are wealthier, all you just said is that being rich is good for your health. Which is probably true. A lot of how we think today probably stems from very early research that just built on itself that was low-quality and has got us thinking about alcohol and its relationship with health in a way that may or may not be true.
SILVERI: Well, I think there’s quite a body of literature in the alcohol research field that shows that there are a lot of negative impacts of alcohol on pretty much every organ system. I think that has been long established. And so I just want to make sure that we, I feel like part of my job and my research is to say there is a lot of evidence. There is way less evidence that it’s a positive impact, that alcohol has positives than the negatives. The question is, where do we put ourselves on the scale?
LAINE PERFAS: Marisa, one of the reasons that people might turn to alcohol is to reduce their stress. Is there a value to that in our relationship with alcohol? To turn to alcohol to destress at the end of a hard day?
SILVERI: That’s a good question. Physiologically, when you have a stress response, you have these stress hormones that eat away at our systems. They impact our sleep. They impact all aspects of our functioning. I know a lot of people will say a similar thing, “Oh, I’m going to have a drink because it will help me get to sleep.” Interestingly, neurobiologically, alcohol actually opposes both of those systems. So if I’m of the belief that I’m going to have a drink that’s going to help me wind down, well, maybe the winding down is just that I need to sit down and stop thinking about work. Is it really alcohol that is giving us permission to sit down for a second? I think on some levels, part of it’s a habit, right? If I say, oh, I have a super stressful day, I want to come home, I’m going to have a glass of wine. We’ve created this habitual loop where it is connected to alcohol. Is it actually reducing our stress hormones? It actually doesn’t. There are things that we think we do that become these habitual behaviors that we think are helping us manage. But the question is, how can we make space for ourselves? In a way that doesn’t make us keep that habitual loop going of, ”Oh, now I need a glass of wine to unwind from my stress.” And I really truly think that there’s space between stimulus and response. If there’s the stressor and you’re going to respond with something, maybe it’s a glass of wine or, you know, doing something that one enjoys. How could we play with the space in between?
LAINE PERFAS: As I try to live a healthy lifestyle and make choices for myself that I feel good about, I think alcohol is still one of those things where it’s like, well, it might be really terrible for me, but I also really do enjoy a glass of wine at the end of the day, or going out with my friends. But I have had to ask myself, what is it about having that glass of wine that makes it relaxing? So I’m curious if you guys have thought about this at all.
JENA: I actually don’t know whether small amounts alcohol have any negative effect. I would not be personally willing to make that statement based on what we know of the literature. It’s like P90X, right? We think exercise is good, but if you do P90X and you end up with rhabdomyolysis and on dialysis, that’s a bad thing. And in the extreme, we know things are problematic. It’s useful to step back and say, what are the questions that we struggle with? I don’t think as a society we struggle with whether or not heavy amounts of alcohol are good or bad, probably very bad. I think what people struggle with is, all right, I want to have a glass of wine once a week, four times a week. Is that going to affect my health? And again, how much will it impact my health? That really is the core question. It’s worth asking, all right, what is the increase in liver cancer associated with four drinks a day? That estimate is likely be confounded or … four drinks, four drinks, I apologize, four, mocktails … Four drinks a week. What is that effect size and how does it correspond to driving 50 miles per hour versus 40 miles per hour on the road? The types of risks that we take all the time. How does that correspond to all the other risks that we take in our life? It might very well be small, in which case it’s, you know, probably OK.
OSTER: That was very well said. I think that what’s interesting about the way you ask this, Sam, I think particularly in light of what Bapu just said about what we know about the health impacts of small amounts of alcohol, which are that they are very likely either small or zero. You’re framing it in your mind in a way that’s different than you would frame other choices. So when you go out to dinner with your friends, you don’t think, why do I have to eat here? Why do I have to have an appetizer? Of course, I could go out to dinner with my friends and not eat an appetizer. What’s so great about the appetizer? And the answer is like, when you’re with your friends and everyone’s having an appetizer, it’s nice to also have an appetizer.
And even if the appetizer has a lot of cheese in it and that’s not so good for you or the dessert has a lot of chocolate in and that’s not so good for you, that those are choices that we make because they make our social interactions more enjoyable. And including a drink with that meal may have that same effect. And I’m not sure why we frame it in a way that is different from that, when we’re talking about this sort of level of alcohol consumption, that for you is not causing issues with your functioning in life and also from the health standpoint is minimal.
SILVERI: I think that’s a question that is really on an individual basis, too. After I went through my 500-day abstinence experiment with myself, one of my most enjoyable moments to have a glass of wine is when I’m making dinner. Whether it’s coming home from work or come downstairs from my home office or whatever it is, what I was finding was that even after not drinking for 500 days, would I still feel that pull to want to have a glass of wine. And lo and behold, it was still there. And so I think it’s a really individual question for what people are experiencing. And I agree if, you know, I’m not trying to just be the data person who is so like, no, it will change your cells, that’s the end of the story. There is so much more to it. There really, really is. And so the alcohol question, I think, is a personal one, maybe with not the best data to answer it on a personal basis. But I really like these questions and this dialogue because as a scientist, I’m a scientist who wants to do science for what people need, and I think that the points that you’re both raising and, you know, Sam, to your credit in bringing together a diverse set of people to talk to each other about this, is so important because it’s not just about a cell in a petri dish. Like it’s such a bigger picture. We’re looking for a good or a bad or a stamp of approval. And I don’t know that that can be answered in one black or white way.
LAINE PERFAS: Yeah, it is such a personal choice, and the risk assessment is probably going to look different person to person based on their situation, their overall health, their culture, preferences, all of these different things. So if you guys had to give advice to someone who’s looking at their own life, what’s some advice that you might have for people or questions that they could ask themselves to try to get at those deeper things that might be connected to their relationship with alcohol?
OSTER: So I have a friend named Lucy who’s an internist and I’ve talked to her a bunch about this and how she talks to her patients. And I think that one of the things that we’ve talked about is this idea of some amount being safe, that one drink a day is fine or two drinks is fine if you’re a biological man and that there’s some kind of cutoff, and if you drink less, you’re totally fine. And her view is look, what matters is how you feel about this relationship. And for some people, one drink a day is comfortable and happy. And it’s something that they look forward to and they don’t think about it. It’s not something that’s occupying them. They’re not worried about it. And then there are people who are saying every day, “I think I shouldn’t have this. I don’t want to have it, but I do it anyway,” and then that can be a problematic relationship even at a level below what we would say was an issue medically. So just rather than framing around the idea that there’s some cutoff amount, and below that is fine and above that is a problem, to ask the question, how do you feel about your interaction with this? And use that as the guide. Of course, there’s a level at which it’s problematic even if you feel fine, but at the amount of drinking that we’d be talking about, where the potential health impacts are really quite small, focusing in on how you feel about that relationship rather than about exactly what the number is.
SILVERI: I hear that, and I do think that saying moderate or some scale can be a blunt guideline. Because I think that without some number, even if it’s flawed, it gives people a sense that, listen, I actually had a beer last night that was the equivalent of two beers. So I think that moderate is a good descriptor to give us this categorization or one drink or two drinks. None of it is perfect.
JENA: So I like the approach of your internist friend to be well, you know, it’s personal. And at the same time, there has to be some way that we let people know what we’re talking about. I would actually, if it’s OK, I would punt on that question and say there’s a different question, which is, alright, instead of giving advice to individuals about what and how much they should drink is maybe give some advice to researchers who produce the evidence that is used to have those conversations with people. Which is to say that any study that looks at people, how much they drink and links it to health outcomes, in my view, shouldn’t be done unless there is a rigorous way to do it. Meaning to say either I’m going to directly randomize people to these interventions, which is hard to do for a lot different reasons, or to be creative about thinking about ways in which people might be randomized to different levels of alcohol. And it’s hard to do. It’s not an easy task, otherwise everybody would be publishing these sorts of studies. But it reminds me of the types of studies that look at things like Sunday liquor laws, states and municipalities have different laws about availability of alcohol on Sundays. So you can look at what happens as municipalities introduce these laws at different points in time, in different areas, and look at short-term effects that you could reasonably attribute to alcohol.
And that helps you get at the short-term causal effect of that availability. It doesn’t tell you what happens if you drink one drink per week or four drinks per week, but it’s those types of study designs that I think can get us to better causal estimates about the effects of alcohol.
And then the last thing I would say is it is useful even in these poorly conducted studies where we can, where we think we might be able to assign the direction of the bias to help quantify what those estimated risks are compared to everything else that we do. Because my instinct would be that the risks that we estimate from the literature are probably going to be on par with all sorts of other decisions that we make, and so maybe we’re hemming and hawing about very small amounts of alcohol when the real concern is youth alcohol use or heavy alcohol use, those sorts of things.
LAINE PERFAS: Thank you guys so much for this great conversation.
Recommended reading/listening:
- Is a glass of wine harmless? Wrong question. by Emily Oster
- How do we know if alcohol is bad for us? by Bapu Jena
- Sifting the damage of pandemic-era drinking by Alvin Powell
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https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/01/harvard-thinking-podcast-how-much-drinking-is-too-much/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:17Z
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The Sorcerer is a spellcaster class in Diablo 4 that can deal massive elemental damage to enemies from afar. Although this is a weaker class in terms of health, your sheer damage output can make your leveling experience a breeze with the right build.
Given the various elemental leanings of the Sorcerer’s skill tree, you have plenty of options at your disposal whenever it comes to leveling builds. While a more basic build may take you from level one to max level, the best end game builds certainly might differ.
If you are trying to find the best leveling build for your Sorcerer in Diablo 4, this is what we recommend.
Best Sorcerer leveling build for Diablo 4 Season of the Construct
The best leveling build for Sorcerers in Diablo 4 is the Chain Lightning build. This build seeks to empower your Chain Lightning ability to catch as many enemies as possible while both compounding Lightning damage and regenerating mana.
Many of your skills will come from Lightning-based abilities, but other elemental abilities such as Fire Bolt and Flame Shield are equally important to the build. Below are the skills that we recommend you take to realize this spellcaster build.
- Basic Skill – Firebolt
- Enhanced Firebolt
- Core Skill – Chain Lightning
- Enhanced Chain Lightning
- Destructive Chain Lightning
- Defensive Skill – Flame Shield
- Enhance Flame Shield
- Mystical Flame Shield
- Defense Skill – Frost Nova
- Enhanced Frost Nova
- Shimmering Frost Nova
- Mastery – Ball Lightning
- Enhanced Ball Lightning
- Wizard’s Ball Lightning
- Ultimate – Unstable Currents
- Prime Unstable Currents
- Supreme Unstable Currents
Chain Lightning Sorcerer Rotation
The idea behind the Lightning Chain Sorcerer build in Diablo 4 is to keep your enemies locked in place with Frost Nova while keeping them wrapped in Chain Lightning to deal continuous damage to a large number of mobs. All the while, passives such as Mystical Flame Shield and Shimmering Frost Nova will help to regenerate your mana as you fight.
Below is our suggested rotation for the Chain Lightning Build in Diablo 4:
- Cast Frost Nova near enemies to lock them in place and apply the Vulnerable status effect.
- Cast Unstable Currents.
- Cast Chain Lightning.
- Cast Flame Armor to regenerate more mana.
- Use Fire Bolt to clean up any leftover enemies.
This is an excellent, easy rotation for Sorcerers to use while leveling. Even solo, this combination will clear out hordes of demons. Whenever it comes to the late game, you can change up your build to fit the Ball Lightning Build or test out the new and promising Meteor Sorcerer build.
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https://dotesports.com/diablo/news/best-sorcerer-leveling-build-in-diablo-4-season-three
| 2024-01-31T23:05:16Z
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Southern Gaza has seen the heaviest fighting over the past few weeks. But bombing has restarted in the north and the humanitarian situation has worsened there.
Copyright 2024 NPR
Southern Gaza has seen the heaviest fighting over the past few weeks. But bombing has restarted in the north and the humanitarian situation has worsened there.
Copyright 2024 NPR
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https://www.nprillinois.org/2024-01-31/as-israel-resumes-bombing-in-the-north-thousands-of-gazans-face-desperate-conditions
| 2024-01-31T23:05:17Z
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WASHINGTON — (AP) — President Joe Biden will visit the eastern Ohio community that was devastated by a fiery train derailment almost one year ago, accepting an invitation from the East Palestine mayor to see firsthand how the cleanup of spilled toxic chemicals and the recovery are coming along.
Mayor Trent Conaway, a conservative who does not support Biden, said Wednesday he extended the invitation to the Democratic president because he thinks the visit will be good for his community.
“I'm as red as they come. I'm as conservative as they come. Sometimes I have to do what's best for the people so, yes, that's why I invited him,” Conaway said in an interview with The Associated Press.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier Wednesday that Biden would visit sometime in February. She said the White House and local officials were still hashing out timing for Biden's long-awaited trip.
The Feb. 3, 2023, derailment forced thousands of people from their homes near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Area residents still have lingering fears about potential health effects from the toxic chemicals that spilled in the crash and from the vinyl chloride that was released a few days after the crash to keep five tank cars from exploding.
The absence of a visit by Biden, who is campaigning for reelection in November, had become a subject of persistent questioning at the White House, as well as among residents in East Palestine. Some residents have said they felt forgotten as time marched by and as they watched Biden fly to the scenes of other disasters, such as the wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui and hurricanes in Florida.
East Palestine resident Joe Bethuy, a 36-year-old steelworker and a Republican, said he was disappointed in the Biden administration’s handling of the derailment and the president's delay in visiting, adding that all he had to do “was show up just for an hour or something.”
Bethuy and friend Jeremy Smith, who moved to East Palestine after the derailment, spoke to an Associated Press reporter inside Sprinklz on Top, a downtown diner.
“I don’t know what the point is really," Smith said of Biden's visit. “It’s kind of a year late.”
Several weeks after the derailment, former President Donald Trump visited East Palestine and criticized the federal response under Biden as a "betrayal." He also donated cleaning supplies and Trump-branded bottled water. Trump currently is the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Trump criticized Biden for planning to visit “a year late, and only to develop some political credibility because EVERYTHING else he has done has been such a DISASTER. I know those great people, I was there when it counted, and his reception won’t be a warm one."
The Biden administration defended its response right after the toxic freight train derailment, even as local leaders and members of Congress demanded that more be done. The White House said then that it had "mobilized a robust, multi-agency effort to support the people of East Palestine, Ohio," and it noted that officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Transportation Safety Board and other agencies were at the rural site within hours even though Biden didn't immediately visit.
Asked at the end of last week about a potential Biden visit to Ohio, Jean-Pierre said he would visit “when it is appropriate or helps ... the community for him to be there.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s in a rural area, urban area, suburban area, red state, blue state, the president has always been there to ... assist and be there for the community,” Jean-Pierre added. “So, when it is helpful, he certainly will do that.”
Though the administration has defended its response, Biden has not declared a federal disaster in East Palestine, which remains a sticking point for residents. Such a declaration would unlock additional federal funding and assistance that people could apply for to help rebuild their lives.
But state and federal officials say a federal disaster declaration has not been issued because they are designed to help cover unmet needs no one is paying for after a disaster. In this case, there are not as many unmet needs in the government's eyes because Norfolk Southern is paying the bills and compensating residents for the damage to their homes and businesses.
Biden ordered federal agencies to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for the derailment and appointed an official from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to oversee East Palestine's recovery.
Norfolk Southern has estimated that it will cost the company more than $1.1 billion to remove all the hazardous chemicals, help the community and deal with lawsuits and related penalties. Insurance will likely cover much of that, but the total is expected to grow.
Reforms have been proposed in Congress but the bill calling for federal standards for trackside detectors that help spot mechanical problems, additional inspections by qualified workers and at least two people on every freight train crew has stalled. The railroads have lobbied against several of the provisions they believe aren't related to this crash, and many Republicans pushed to wait until after the final National Transportation Safety Board report on the derailment later this year.
“In the past, there have been times when Congress stood up against the railroad lobby and stepped up on railroad safety. They should do that now,'' Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a call with reporters Wednesday.
___
Associated Press writers Josh Funk in Omaha, Neb., Patrick Orsagos in East Palestine, Ohio, and Matthew Daly in Washitngton contributed to this report.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/politics/biden-accepts-mayors/JWZLC6FVDJDIL5YDY55GCZLE34/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:17Z
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A 12-year-old girl has saved her pet guinea pig from a 2m python in a remarkable act of bravery.
Extraordinary footage has emerged of Rosie Wightman, niece of Brisbane radio host Kip Wightman, fighting off a huge python as it tries to gobble up her guinea pig, Maxibon.
In the backyard of her Eumundi home, Rosie recounted the moment she saw the snake and thought “oh crap”.
“I usually let my guinea pigs outside, and I went outside, and then I saw Maxibon, and then he starts screaming and his head was underneath this little spade which was covering a python,” she said on KIIS 97.2.
“And then when I lifted a spade up, I see this python. And I’m like, ‘Oh, crap’.”
Casting aside her fear of snakes, Rosie raced into the garden to rescue her furry friend by grabbing the snake and swinging it around, trying to make it release Maxibon.
With Rosie’s father rushing to aid, little Maxibon was eventually freed and the snake flung away.
Remarkably, the guinea pig survived the terrifying ordeal – albeit with a few scratches.
Modest about her heroic behaviour, Rosie said she was just relieved her much-loved pet was still alive.
The hosts of the radio show were left in awe of her courage and said it was remarkable that Rosie’s fear response in the moment was to protect.
“You can see on the video that as you swung it, it hit a few bits of furniture. I can’t believe the guinea pig survived that part, then I saw Luke, my brother, eventually throw the snake over a fence,” Kip said.
“The snake – I’m told – lived. It’s fine.”
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https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/kip-wightmans-niece-wrestles-with-huge-python-to-save-pet-guinea-pig-c-13426721
| 2024-01-31T23:05:19Z
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(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Jan. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AFC Gamma, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFCG) (“AFC Gamma”) today announced that it plans to report earnings for the quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 on Thursday, March 7, 2024.
AFC Gamma will host a conference call at 10:00 am Eastern Time on Thursday, March 7, 2024 to discuss its quarterly and annual financial results. All interested parties are welcome to participate. The call will be available through a live audio webcast at the Investor Relations section of AFC Gamma's website at . To participate via telephone, please register in advance at this link . Upon registration, all telephone participants will receive a confirmation email detailing how to join the conference call, including the dial-in number along with a unique passcode and registrant ID that can be used to access the call.
The complete webcast will be archived for 90 days on the Investor Relations section of AFC Gamma's website.
About AFC Gamma, Inc.
AFC Gamma, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFCG) is a publicly-traded, institutional lender that originates, structures and underwrites loans secured by commercial real estate and other types of financing solutions. AFC Gamma targets direct lending and bridge loan opportunities typically ranging from $5 million to $100 million across multiple real estate sectors, with a specialization in lending to state-law compliant cannabis operators. It is based in West Palm Beach, Florida.
INVESTOR CONTACT:
Robyn Tannenbaum
561-510-2293
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https://menafn.com/1107793825/AFC-Gamma-Inc-Schedules-Fourth-Quarter-And-Annual-2023-Earnings-Conference-Call-For-March-7-2024
| 2024-01-31T23:05:19Z
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NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Vivian McCall, reporter for The Stranger, about recent raids in Seattle's gay bars. Members of the city's LGBTQ-plus community are looking for answers.
Copyright 2024 NPR
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Vivian McCall, reporter for The Stranger, about recent raids in Seattle's gay bars. Members of the city's LGBTQ-plus community are looking for answers.
Copyright 2024 NPR
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https://www.wuwf.org/2024-01-31/seattles-queer-community-is-furious-after-gay-bars-were-raided-over-the-weekend
| 2024-01-31T23:05:20Z
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Denver nears its breaking point as migrants and the cold pile in
By Shimon Prokupecz, Norma Galeana, Evelio Contreras and Rachel Clarke, CNN
Denver (CNN) — This is what an overwhelmed city can look like: a preschooler sleeping under a bridge for a month; crowds lining up each night to get food and shelter; and the mayor calling out for help. And when that city is Denver in the winter, and the overnight temperatures sink below zero degrees Fahrenheit, the problems are life-threatening.
“Our city is really struggling,” Mayor Mike Johnston told CNN after he visited families in a makeshift encampment – a sign of the unfolding emergency triggered by the mass arrival of people from outside the city.
“This is both a humanitarian crisis for the individuals that are arriving, and it’s a fiscal crisis for the cities that are serving. Those two crises are coming to a head right now.”
Few, if any, of the thousands of people who have arrived in Denver planned for Colorado’s capital to be their destination after monthslong treks away from persecution or deprivation in search of safety and a chance at the American Dream.
But when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott decided to offer free bus rides to get asylum seekers out of his state, the options given were generally New York, Chicago or Denver, migrants said. Each of those three cities has a Democratic mayor and Abbott has targeted them as part of his stated aim for “the rest of America (to) understand what is going on.” Migrants told CNN they had heard New York was too full, believed Chicago would be too cold and thus picked Denver.
The mayors of New York, Chicago and Denver have issued joint calls for the arrivals of migrants to be treated as a national problem with a national solution. They have called for a coordinated entry system, but Abbott’s spokesperson told CNN in December the only fix was for President Joe Biden’s administration to “secure the border.”
Texas has sent 15,700 people to Denver since May. Initially, many were Venezuelans applying for asylum who had “Temporary Protected Status” under a federal program that allows people from some crisis-hit countries to live and work legally in the United States for a period of time. The city was able to help get the migrants on their feet and soon, they were self-sufficient members of the community, Johnston said.
The Biden administration expanded the TPS program in September after demands for action by New York City, but it still only applies to Venezuelans who arrived in the US before August 1, and most of the newer arrivals in Denver do not qualify. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has not signaled if he plans further expansions.
Adriana, who did not give her last name, said she fled Venezuela’s dire economic straits with her husband and young son. They took the land route through the treacherous Darién Gap, traveling thousands of miles through Central America and then Mexico to reach the US border, she said.
Once they were bussed up to Denver, they found themselves with fellow Venezuelans at an encampment under a bridge north of downtown, near where I-70 crosses I-25, in an area full of squat industrial buildings alongside the freight rail tracks. The migrants cooked gifted food for each other in a makeshift kitchen, shared stories and became a small community.
A donated tent was the first American home for John David, Adriana’s 4-year-old son. The family stayed there for a month, but the weather soon made the preschooler ill.
“The cold weather has been tough,” Adriana told us earlier this month, on a day when a howling winter wind drowned out the noise from the interstates. “It’s horrible, my son suffers from asthma, and he’s been sick with a cough. I’ve been treating him with some medication that was given to me.”
Some of those living in the tent village have no shoes, and they layer socks to give their feet a little protection from the cold and the crust of frozen snow that covers the stony dirt below. Inside the tents, sheets of polystyrene foam are used as insulation, and clothes are piled up on church-donated mattresses to give extra support and warmth.
As an Arctic blast began to hit the city, Mayor Johnston and his staff were out warning the migrants of the freezing temperatures to come and urging them to go to new shelters or warming centers. Hotels leased by the city just last month to house migrants are already full.
“We’re having the coldest days of the year and we want to move all the people inside. We have beds, it’s warmer,” he said in Spanish made fluent from his years as a school principal in northern Colorado, working with many Latino children and parents.
‘All I want is a job’
Checking in at the shelter later that day, Johnston was soon swarmed by people grateful for the help being offered, but full of questions: How long can the city help them, but most of all, when can they work?
He asked if they came from Venezuela, and then when they arrived in the US, having to explain if they came after July 31, 2023, there is no way for asylum-seekers to work legally unless the federal government extends TPS. And that is frustrating for both the mayor and migrants.
“You talk to people who say, ‘I walked 3,000 miles to get here, and all I want is a job. Can you help me find some place to work? I don’t need charity. I just want to be able to support myself. Can I work?’” Johnston said. “And at the same time, we got employers all over the city who call me every day and say, ‘Hey, I know you’ve got migrants who just arrived. I got open jobs. Can I please hire them?’”
But right now, the answer is no.
“The federal government could provide next to no support to cities if all these folks have work authorization, because they’d be supporting themselves,” Johnston said. But with some being told they may have to wait six years for their asylum claims to be heard, he said, much of the need to support them will fall on the cities where they are waiting.
Yorgelis Fabiola, who is from Venezuela, said she was pleased to see the mayor asking about their situation, but she still needed answers. “It really is worrying. I don’t have a job right now, I’m afraid that when my stay ends here, they’ll throw me out on the street with my son, because I have nowhere else to go.”
As she shared her concerns with Johnston, Fabiola began to cry. “I thank all of you and I apologize for having entered your country illegally.”
Denver has now updated its policies on housing migrant families, resuming requirements for families to leave city facilities, but raising initial stays for new arrivals to six weeks.
Johnston is looking at Denver having to foot an annual bill of $180 million for migrant services, which would lead to major cuts in other city budgets, he said. “We don’t want to take police officers off the street. We don’t want to take firefighters off the street. We don’t want to not do trash pickup or not have our parks and recreation centers open.” But hard decisions are coming, he said.
If migrants tell the city they have connections in other places, Johnston’s administration will try to help to get them there. Adriana and her son John David got bus vouchers to California, but Johnston said there was no attempt to move migrants on unless they asked.
Without work authorization, some migrants are trying to find off-the-books employment. Groups congregate outside the big hardware stores from 5:30 a.m., before sunrise, hoping to pick up day labor jobs for cash, in construction or shoveling snow or doing whatever needs to be done.
It’s hit or miss, with one man telling CNN he had found work for only 15 days in the last three months. And even working is no guarantee of being paid, with another man complaining to the mayor that he labored for 10 days with others to build a roof and was sent packing with no money.
‘We want you to survive’
Amid the desperation, kind Denverites have created pockets of warmth and kindness.
Yong Prince plans to retire and has a contract to sell her motel at the end of next month. But for now, she has opened it to hundreds of migrants needing shelter.
She said she was born in North Korea during the Korean War and still remembers how hard her own life was. “I was hungry as a kid,” she said, tears beginning to well in her eyes. “We didn’t have any meals for a long time … that’s why I feed them.”
She cooks breakfast before 5 a.m. for those going out on the day labor hunt, using food that’s been donated or that she’s bought herself.
A widow who also lost her adult son to cancer, Prince clucks around the migrants like a mother hen, and in return, they call her “Mama,” a word that crosses the language divide.
Pastor Keith Reeser opened his church too, for overnight stays, hot showers and warm meals, with the backing of his congregation, the city and donations. When he heard migrants were still sleeping rough under a bridge on one frigid night, his response was immediate.
“We grabbed a couple of my buddies and I said, ‘Let’s go get them and let’s get them out of this situation.’”
Reeser knows the problem is overwhelming at the moment, so he focuses on what he can do, with mattresses on the gymnasium floor and food when it’s available.
“If you can’t get this level of immediate civility, then how would you ever arrive at anything else in life? We want you to survive … we care for you as a human,” he said of the migrants.
Outside the Denver Rescue Mission, migrants mixed with the city’s resident unhoused population, all shuffling to try to keep warm as they waited to get a bed for the night.
It’s one of the current pain points of the migrant influx to Denver, as the needs of the new arrivals come up against those who’ve been here a while.
“This is the tightest that I’ve ever seen it, facility-wide, in a metropolitan way, due to the influx of migrants,” said Robert Thompson, a veteran who’s been dealing with homelessness for years.
Mayor Johnston believes Denver and other cities can spearhead a solution that links the stream of asylum seekers that will not stop with the needs of places that want workers.
“We need more work authorization from Congress. We need federal dollars, and we also need a coordinated entry system. It shouldn’t just be people randomly bouncing from Chicago to New York to Denver looking for options,” he said. “We ought to be able to distribute people in places where they have work authorization, they have federal support to cities that have capacity. And if we do those three things, this is actually a very solvable problem.”
Johnston said Texas Gov. Abbott had not returned his calls but if he could talk to him, he would empathize. “I understand they feel like they have this huge influx of people that they can’t handle in Texas alone. I agree with him that no one state or one city should need to solve this entire challenge. But I think there’s a way for us to work together to say, let’s create a coordinated plan where we send people to cities that have capacity, where they can be successful.”
Despite the difficult situation, Johnston said he can stay positive. “It’s very hard to be angry at these folks when you come and talk to them,” he said.
“It’s hard for me to get three kids to the grocery store and back,” he said, marveling at how parents got their children safely through a perilous intercontinental journey, betting their entire lives that they would find something better. “That’s the heart of, the American spirit. And so, whether they’re Americans in citizenship or Americans in spirit, based on that willingness to fight for their families, we just want them to be successful.”
But today, the crisis continues.
“We’re not going to let women and kids sleep on the street in 5-degree weather in this city,” Johnston said. “We need to intervene.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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https://keyt.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2024/01/31/denver-nears-its-breaking-point-as-migrants-and-the-cold-pile-in/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:20Z
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Stolen truck is latest target in wave of Dodge thefts in Charlotte, CMPD says
A south Charlotte man is warning others after his Dodge truck was stolen from his driveway on Wednesday. A security camera caught the thief taking his Dodge Ram 1500.
Channel 9′s Hunter Sáenz has reported several times on the rise in stolen Kias and Hyundais in Charlotte and across the country. Many of them have been found in high-speed chases or at the scene of other crimes.
ALSO READ: Police: 18-year-old dies in crash after stealing car, leading CMPD pursuit
But Sáenz has since learned about a new trend. Dodges are the third most stolen car in Charlotte, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
CMPD said just last year, 425 Dodges were stolen in the Queen City. Some were stripped for parts and others taken for joyrides by teenagers.
The most recent victim, Ryan Giust, had his truck stolen Wednesday around 4 a.m. The video shows someone jumping inside it and starting it up.
“Two others were kind of circling around -- just to make sure nobody was watching, I guess,” Giust said.
Moments later, those two other people are seen running and jumping inside the truck before it speeds off. It was a maddening thing for Giust to find out about when he woke up.
“Pretty angry and sad,” he said.
He said his neighborhood has been on alert about this type of crime for a while.
“We do see the car rummaging on a nightly basis,” Giust said. “We have a Facebook group here in the neighborhood and people post all the time.”
ALSO READ: ‘Somebody just stole my car’: Carjacking victim was driving for Instacart
According to CMPD’s crime map, within the past five months, there have been 11 larcenies from cars and 12 stolen vehicles. All happened within a mile of Giust’s home in a neighborhood off Providence Road near McAlpine Creek Greenway.
Knowing that information, Giust said he almost always takes precautions.
“I lock my car 99.9999% of the time,” he said.
But, as he admits, the one time he forgot was when the crooks pounced.
“The one time I left it unlocked, I paid the price,” he said.
He’s now warning others to lock up and stay vigilant, no matter what.
“Just because we live in a neighborhood that’s well off the beaten path doesn’t mean you’re not susceptible to these problems we’re having in Charlotte as a whole,” Giust said.
His Ram 1500 is blue and has American flag stickers on both doors above the Ram logo. If you’ve seen it or know anything about this case, call police.
(WATCH BELOW: 3 teens face 91 charges involving stolen cars, CMPD says)
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https://news.yahoo.com/stolen-truck-latest-target-wave-222700617.html
| 2024-01-31T23:05:21Z
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READER LETTER | Send more fans to Afcon to cheer Bafana up
As we enjoy the African Cup of Nations, we admire how other countries and their federations send large delegations of fans to these games.
We, in Mzansi, keep on sending Mama Joy, Sadaam Maake and the shower cap guy as if they are the only supporters in the country. Without taking away anything from these guys, I urge Safa and the sports department to rope in the private sector to sponsor more fans with transport and accommodation to attend these games to cheer on our sporting stars.
It’s embarrassing to see and identify only three fans attending the tournament whereas South Africa is such a big country.
Mzilikazi kaMashobane Mamelodi East
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https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/opinion/letters/2024-01-30-reader-letter-send-more-fans-to-afcon-to-cheer-bafana-up/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:20Z
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Broadway star Hinton Battle, who played the original Scarecrow at the 1978 "The Wiz", has died at 67. He was a three-time Tony Award winner.
Copyright 2024 NPR
Broadway star Hinton Battle, who played the original Scarecrow at the 1978 "The Wiz", has died at 67. He was a three-time Tony Award winner.
Copyright 2024 NPR
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https://www.nprillinois.org/2024-01-31/broadway-legend-hinton-battle-who-originally-played-scarecrow-in-the-wiz-has-died
| 2024-01-31T23:05:23Z
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Diablo 4 Season three, Season of the Construct, is finally here. This expansion brings plenty of new activities such as Vault Dungeons, Arcane Tremors, and an entirely new Uber boss fight with lots of possible loot drops.
Dungeon Vaults are a new core mechanic in Diablo 4 wherein you can take on the Sons or Herald of Malphas and eventually fight the uber boss himself after collecting the necessary items. Similar to how Duriel functions, you need to grind out smaller bosses before you eventually get to Malphas’ loot table.
Uber Malphas Loot Table in Diablo 4
Malphas is the new boss introduced with Season of the Construct that sits in the Vault of the Loom dungeon, found in the Gatehall hub. To get Malphas to spawn, you need to retrieve the Igneous Core from a Herald or Son of Malphas in a seasonal activity.
Malphas unfortunately does not drop Legendary or class-specific loot, but instead two Unique Turning Stones which can grant you powerful passives.
Uber Duriel Loot Table in Diablo 4
Uber Duriel is an uber boss from season two, which can be found in the Gaping Crevasse dungeon in Kehjistan. Summoning Uber Duriel is a challenge, as you need to first defeat Girgoire, the Galvanic Saint and other minor bosses before progressing to this Uber Boss. Although introduced in a prior season, you can still encounter and slay this creature for the following loot:
Season three of Diablo 4 is expect to last until April 26, giving plenty of time for Blizzard to add additional bosses, Uber bosses, and more depth to this still-fresh season. For now, Uber Duriel and Malphas are your two key targets in season three.
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https://dotesports.com/diablo/news/diablo-4-season-three-all-uber-boss-drops-listed
| 2024-01-31T23:05:23Z
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WASHINGTON — (AP) — The House looked to accomplish something unusual Wednesday in passing with broad, bipartisan support a roughly $79 billion tax cut package that would enhance the child tax credit and boost three tax breaks for business, a combination that gives lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle coveted policy wins.
Prospects for the measure becoming law are uncertain with the Senate still having to take it up, but for a House that has struggled to get bills of consequence over the finish line, the tax legislation could represent a rare breakthrough. Debate and a final vote on the measure are scheduled for the evening.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., threw his support behind the bill on Wednesday morning. He spent part of the previous day meeting with GOP lawmakers who were concerned about features of the bill, namely the expanded child tax credit. Some were also unhappy that it fails to address the $10,000 cap on the total amount of property taxes or state or local taxes that consumers can deduct on their federal returns. Raising the cap is a top priority of lawmakers from members of the New York congressional delegation.
Johnson committed to moving a bill that addresses the cap, but there is no bill text yet and legislation would have to move through the House Rules Committee, which leaves the timing very much in flux. Athina Lawson, a spokeswoman for Johnson, said the speaker and the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., agreed to work with members to “find a path forward."
Johnson called the tax cut bill on the House floor important, bipartisan legislation that would revive "conservative pro-growth tax reform." He also said that it would bring an early end to a "wasteful COVID-era program" that has been plagued with fraud. Moving up the deadline for claiming the employee retention tax credit is expected to largely offset the cost of the tax cuts in the legislation.
Johnson also emphasized the importance of the bill moving through the House Ways and Means Committee before coming to the full House for a vote, saying it was a good example of how Congress is supposed to work.
House Republicans were anxious to restore full, immediate deductions that businesses can take for the purchase of new equipment and machinery, and for domestic research and development expenses. They argue such investments grow the economy and incentivize American companies to keep their manufacturing facilities and operations in the United States. The bill also provides businesses more flexibility in determining how much borrowing can be deducted.
“Each of these policies will help American businesses grow, create jobs and sharpen their competitive advantage against China,” Smith said as debate began on the House floor.
Democrats focused on boosting the child tax credit. The tax credit is $2,000 per child, but not all of that is refundable. The bill would incrementally raise the amount of the credit available as a refund, increasing it to $1,800 for 2023 tax returns, $1,900 for the following year and $2,000 for 2025 tax returns. The bill also adjusts the topline credit amount to temporarily grow at the rate of inflation.
Households benefitting as a result of the changes in the child tax credit would see an average tax cut of $680 in the first year, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center.
Democrats pushed to restore the more generous tax credit they passed in 2021 in President Joe Biden's first year in office with payments occurring on a monthly basis. The credit was $3,600 annually for children under age 6 and $3,000 for children ages 6 to 17. But most lawmakers were willing to take what gains they could get through the compromise bill.
“I'll continue to do what I can to fight for more,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash. “...We aren't reaching all the families who really can use the child tax credit the most.”
The bill also would enhance a tax credit for the construction or rehabilitation of rental housing targeted to lower-income households, adding an estimated 200,000 housing units around the country. And it would ensure victims of certain wildfires and the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment don't get hit with a big tax bill for payments they received as compensation for their losses.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/politics/house-tees-up-vote/STWKGBFCEYIL7Z24GNGYVCNSRE/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:24Z
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(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) ST. LOUIS, Jan. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BellRing Brands, Inc. (NYSE:BRBR) (“BellRing”), a holding company operating in the global convenient nutrition category, today announced that its Executive Chairman, Robert V. Vitale, has ended his medical leave and resumed his full duties as Executive Chairman, effective today, January 31, 2024.
About BellRing Brands, Inc.
BellRing Brands, Inc. is a rapidly growing leader in the global convenient nutrition category offering ready-to-drink shake and powder protein products. Its primary brands, Premier Protein® and Dymatize®, appeal to a broad range of consumers and are distributed across a diverse network of channels including club, food, drug, mass, eCommerce, specialty and convenience. BellRing's commitment to consumers is to strive to make highly effective products that deliver best-in-class nutritionals and superior taste. For more information, visit
Contact:
Investor Relations
Jennifer Meyer
...
(415) 814-9388
MENAFN31012024004107003653ID1107793826
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MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
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https://menafn.com/1107793826/Bellring-Brands-Executive-Chairman-Rob-Vitale-Returns-From-Medical-Leave
| 2024-01-31T23:05:25Z
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Japan's English Premier League stars have their clubs firmly back of mind as they attempt to ensure a stuttering tilt at a fifth Asian Cup gets back on course.
Captain and Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo clocked a fourth-consecutive 90-minute appearance in Japan's round-of-16 win over Bahrain, while Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu made his second start after arriving in Qatar under an injury cloud.
That duo, plus Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma - who returned from injury against Bahrain - will miss at least one more league game due to Japan's quarter-final against Iran, and potentially two if they make the final.
When Endo does return to Anfield, it will be in the wake of manager Jurgen Klopp announcing his departure at season's end.
"Of course, it was big news," Endo said through a translator.
"I was a bit sad. But to be honest, it doesn't really affect me, performance-wise.
"All I have to do now is concentrate on my performances with the national team and try to win the trophy and bring back the winners' trophy to Liverpool."
The hard-working 30-year-old was adamant he could keep racking up the kilometres in midfield.
"My condition is actually getting better and better," he said.
"I am the captain of the team and I need to set an example. I need to be the leader of the team."
Chasing a first Asian Cup since 2011, the Samurai Blue appear to be hitting their straps at the right time after finishing runners-up to Iraq in their group.
Goals from Ritsu Doan, Takefusa Kubo and Ayase Ueda ensured a comfortable 3-1 win over Bahrain on Wednesday, and with it passage to the round of 16.
Tomiyasu, though, wants more.
"I was injured but I'm fit now. I missed the first game but ... my condition is getting better and better," he said.
"We are not in the best form now. We could have done better (against Bahrain). We should have done better, especially in the second half.
"We needed to kill the game after going 2-0 up, we gave them hope because they scored. We needed to manage the game better and close the game well.
"As a defender, I want a clean sheet every time I'm on the pitch. Today, we couldn't manage that. I'm not happy about it. But I'll try to keep a clean sheet in the next game."
Iran will pose a sterner test for Japan, who have conceded every game this tournament.
"Every opponent will come up against us, analysing us to try to find our weak points before the games. And they will try to expose us," Endo said.
"But I know that we have to make this right, we have to play with 100 per cent concentration for the 90 minutes."
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https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/soccer/japans-epl-stars-chasing-asian-cup-glory-c-13426647
| 2024-01-31T23:05:25Z
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Colorado’s secretary of state urges Supreme Court to keep Trump off ballot
By Marshall Cohen, CNN
(CNN) — Colorado’s top election official told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that they should keep Donald Trump off her state’s 2024 ballot because he is an “ineligible insurrectionist,” and she forcefully defended the process that led to his disqualification.
Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat and staunch Trump critic, offered perhaps her sharpest rebuke of Trump to date, arguing that he can’t run for president because the 14th Amendment prohibits insurrectionists from holding office.
Griswold, in a brief with the Supreme Court, said she has a duty to protect “maximum enfranchisement” of Coloradan’s voting rights by ensuring “votes are not wasted on ineligible candidates.”
“Just as Colorado cannot be forced to place on its presidential primary ballot a naturalized citizen, a minor, or someone twice elected to the presidency, it also should not be forced to include a candidate found by its courts to have violated his oath to support the Constitution by engaging in insurrection,” Griswold wrote.
Throughout the case, Griswold had adopted a more neutral tone. She said she believed Trump “incited the insurrection,” but would defer to the courts on how to apply the post-Civil War amendment. Her office did not take a position on Trump’s eligibility during the Denver-based trial last year or while the Colorado Supreme Court reviewed the case.
She defended the procedures that led Colorado courts to disqualify Trump. His lawyers, and some of the dissenting justices from the divided Colorado Supreme Court, contend there were fatal flaws in the procedure and that his due-process rights were trampled.
“While the facts and historical significance of this case are extraordinary, Colorado’s process for addressing Petitioner Trump’s qualifications was routine,” Griswold wrote Wednesday. “Over the decades, Colorado has repeatedly relied on this state court procedure to resolve ballot access and other election disputes presenting novel and complex issues of both fact and law, including issues of constitutional magnitude.”
Her filing is one of dozens that have piled into the Supreme Court docket ahead of oral arguments next Thursday. The case began when a group of Republican and independent Colorado voters sued Griswold in state court, to force her to take Trump off the ballot.
Also on Wednesday, a group of police officers who responded to the attack on January 6, 2021, urged the Supreme Court to keep Trump off the ballot. So did a group of retired state Supreme Court justices, including from some states that previously dismissed similar challenges.
Conservative scholars and lawmakers have asked the court to restore Trump on the ballot, claiming the case is anti-democratic and blocks voters from picking the president.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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https://keyt.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2024/01/31/colorados-secretary-of-state-urges-supreme-court-to-keep-trump-off-ballot/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:26Z
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Senate Republicans demanded that President Biden's national security funding package for Ukraine be tied to policy changes to address the crisis at the southwest border. But now that negotiators say they are ready to release details of a bipartisan plan to reduce the surge of migrants at the border, Republican divisions could scuttle the plan.
Months of negotiations between the Republicans, Democrats and the Biden administration officials are now threatened by politics. Former President Trump, the GOP's likely 2024 presidential nominee, has been publicly slamming the deal and urging lawmakers to oppose it.
Negotiators started the week promising to release a bill in the coming days. But by Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to signal he's ready to move on, and focus on getting money to two key U.S. allies at war.
"It's time for us to move something, hopefully including the border agreement, but we need to get help to Israel and Ukraine, quickly," McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters.
McConnell has consistently argued that divided government is the moment to extract demands on border policy from Democrats.
Pressed about what voters would think of GOP lawmakers who sink a bill because Trump directed them to, McConnell sidestepped the question. "I still favor trying to make law when you can" and said what the bipartisan group is working on is better than current immigration law, adding, "you're asking me, a question I can't answer right now, which is the fate of it."
Senators already know key details
The top Democratic negotiator working on a border plan, Chris Murphy, D-Conn., has signaled for days that the deal is basically done, but getting sign off from the GOP to move ahead is the hold up.
"We have a bipartisan agreement to help address the crisis at the border. Republicans have been desperate for that. Why would they walk away from it?"
Senate Republicans huddled at their weekly lunch on Wednesday to discuss next steps, but the consensus coming out of the meeting was that lawmakers want to see the details.
But after weeks of negotiations, the key provisions have already been explained to lawmakers from both parties.
The bill includes several tools to address the border, including: giving the president the ability to shutdown the border if the numbers of migrants attempting to enter the U.S. climbs above a certain threshold, adjusting the rules for who qualifies for asylum and allowing migrants authorization to work while awaiting adjudication of their asylum claim.
Extended negotiations opened space for critics
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said the effort is "an uphill climb" because as the talks have continued, some members have impressions about what the proposal will do and "there are certain people who will never change their mind."
Tillis has said a border plan needs to get the majority of Senate Republicans in order to move ahead. But Trump injecting himself into the process has caused many lawmakers to refrain from backing the framework, making it tougher to meet that test.
Oklahoma GOP Sen. Jim Lankford is crafting the plan along with Murphy and Independent Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Lankford spent time on Sunday talk shows swatting down leaks about the plan that conservative media outlets are painting as a green light for 5,000 additional migrants a day.
Texas Republican Sen, John Cornyn, who was an early advocate of linking money for Ukraine to changes to the Biden administration's policies, said people need time to see an official piece of legislation.
"People are talking about what they think is in it, and what they've heard is in it, what's not in it,' Cornyn told reporters. "I think the first thing we need to do is see where the conference is based on the text rather than just based on rumors and hearsay."
Tillis called Wednesday's meeting "a good discussion." But added, "I would ask those same members who are calling for time to read it, but not judge something they haven't read."
Others who came out against the bill already are already dismissing the proposals.
"I think this is a bad bill," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tx., told reporters. "And the simplest reason is it doesn't solve the problem."
Cruz blamed Senate Democrats for crafting a bill that "allows Joe Biden to continue the open borders," despite the months of bipartisan negotiations that have taken place. President Biden endorsed the proposal and said last week if Congress passes it he would immediately shutdown the border.
Some optimisim remains
Murphy remained optimistic on Wednesday that the deal would survive and come to the floor for a vote, possibly as soon as this week.
He said a "sizable, important group of Republican senators" are making a good faith effort to get something done on the border, and suggested that others are making disingenuous arguments about needing to see the full text.
"This is not a detailed study of the issue. This is a question as to whether they are going to put Trump before solving the problem," Murphy said.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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https://www.wuwf.org/2024-01-31/senate-gop-split-risks-bipartisan-border-deal-as-trump-looms-large
| 2024-01-31T23:05:26Z
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Virginia legislators nix social media restrictions, cruise ship gaming, and other notable bills
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RICHMOND — It’s not crossover day yet but some legislation is already biting the dust.
One ill-fated bill from Del. Shelly Simonds, D-Newport News, would have allowed those with a permit from the Virginia Lottery to conduct cruise ship casino gaming in the offshore waters of Virginia.
“Normally cruise ships have to travel four or five hours out to international waters before they can open their casinos,” Simonds told a House subcommittee on gaming. “This bill would allow them to open casinos 1 mile from their place of mooring or anchoring in Virginia, giving them additional hours of gaming time.”
The delegate said it would bring in revenue for the state.
“Any excess funds after administration of the licensing fee would go to the school construction fund to help modernize and rebuild our crumbling school infrastructure,” she said.
Others felt the bill, which died Tuesday in a vote of 5-3, was unnecessary.
“I don’t understand why it’s such an important thing for the cruise industry to have that couple of hours head start on gambling,” said Paul Krizek, D-Alexandria. “I would think while you are on a boat in the rivers you would be looking out and looking at beautiful Virginia.”
Gambling has become a hot-button issue in recent years in Virginia, with clashes over skill games and casinos happening throughout the state. The issue of gaming isn’t partisan and has supporters from both sides of the aisle.
Meanwhile, two measures intended to restrict minors from social media died this week after failing to garner any support from Democrats.
One bill from Del. Scott Wyatt, R-Mechanicsville, would have required social media platforms to obtain parental consent prior to creating an account for a minor. Another from Del. Keith Hodges, R-Urbanna, would have prohibited social media platforms from using certain practices or features on minors’ accounts intended to entice users to remain online, like push notifications or auto-playing videos.
A subcommittee within the House Communications Technology and Innovation Committee laid both bills on the table Monday in votes of 6-4 after Democrats shared concerns the language was too broad.
During a news conference last month, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin called on legislators to implement social media restrictions and argued it would help improve mental health.
“Pew Research reports that 80% of high school students use social media daily and another recent study suggests that more than a few hours per day on social media doubles the risk of poor mental health for adolescents,” he said. “Our children are losing the chance to cultivate essential social skills and encountering cyber bullying and isolation.”
An attempt to reinstate the death penalty also failed to gain traction this year.
The bill, introduced by Republican Del. Tim Griffin, died earlier this month in a House subcommittee by a vote of 6-2. Virginia abolished capital punishment in 2021.
Another bill, from Republican Del. R. Lee Ware, that would have directed the Virginia Institute of Marine Science to conduct a study on fishery impacts to menhaden — a small silver fish that’s high in Omega-3 fatty acids — has been delayed to 2025.
In a Tuesday news release, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation slammed the decision.
“Menhaden serve as a nutrient-rich food for a variety of creatures including osprey, striped bass, and whales,” the release states. “Anglers, conservationists and scientists have long been concerned that the scale of the fishery concentrated in the Chesapeake Bay could lead to a lack of sufficient menhaden, causing ripple effects throughout the food chain.”
Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com
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https://news.yahoo.com/virginia-legislators-nix-social-media-223400653.html
| 2024-01-31T23:05:27Z
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NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with constitutional scholar Philip Bobbitt about the effort from House Republicans to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Copyright 2024 NPR
NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with constitutional scholar Philip Bobbitt about the effort from House Republicans to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Copyright 2024 NPR
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https://www.nprillinois.org/2024-01-31/constitutional-scholar-says-gop-charges-against-mayorkas-dont-meet-impeachment-bar
| 2024-01-31T23:05:29Z
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Enshrouded presents you with 12 unique classes to choose from, all of which come with their own benefits and drawbacks. This is a lot of options that make figuring out which ones are the best rather tricky, so you might want a tier list to help you decide.
Choosing your class is incredibly important in Enshrouded since it will drastically affect everything you do in the RPG. Here’s a breakdown of how all the classes compare and rank in an Enshrouded tier list.
All classes in Enshrouded
All of the 12 classes in Enshrouded are divided into three different categories with each one having a special focus.
- Strength: Red
- Athlete
- Warrior
- Tank
- Barbarian
- Intelligence: Blue
- Wizard
- Trickster
- Healer
- Battlemage
- Dexterity: Green
- Survivor
- Ranger
- Assassin
- Beastmaster
Enshrouded class tier list guide: Best and worst classes, ranked
Here is how all 12 classes in Enshrouded rank when taking into account their overall gameplay abilities.
S+ tier
Tank
It’s generally tough to avoid fighting up close against enemies, so the Tank class is one of the overall most useful ones since everything about it is dedicated to brutally dishing out damage at a close range and drawing enemy fire toward you. This melee class is strong when you’re playing alone, but it’s even more effective when you play with friends since many of its skills it includes allow you to force opponents to focus on you.
The best skills in this class overall are Arch Nemesis, which allows you to draw enemy fire away from your allies, and Earth Aura, which decreases damage against all players within a 10-meter radius by 10 percent.
- Tank skills
- Shiny Plates
- Heavy Plates
- Purification
- Evasion Attack
- Battle Heal
- Warden
- Tower
- Nemesis
- Arch Nemesis
- Earth Aura
- Thick Skin
- Absorb
- Strength
- Constitution
- Snap
- Soul Leech
Battlemage
If you like using a wand in Enshrouded, the Battlemage class is perfect for you. This is a powerful class, partially because you’ll be dipping into the all-powerful Tank class on the road to unlocking all Battlemage abilities.
The Battlemage’s best skills are Wand Master, which grants a chance of spawning additional wand projectiles, and Blink, which swaps your regular dodge rolling move with the ability to teleport a short distance.
- Battlemage skills
- Intelligence
- Absorb
- Blink Attack
- Blink
- Emergency Blink
- Unity
- Sting
- Spirit
- Wand Master
Survivor
The Survivor class is powerful for boosting your overall skillset and statistics. This class has skills that enhance your speed, give you the ability to double jump, reduce your stamina consumption, grant you additional food slots, and so much more. Even if you don’t want to go all in on the Survivor class, this is still a great one to dip into since it provides some superb general benefits.
There are a lot of great skills in this class, but the overall best ones are Double Jump, which lets you jump a second time while in the air, and Rebound, which boosts your base stamina regeneration by 50 percent.
- Survivor skills
- Double Jump
- Endurance
- Jump Attack
- Runner
- Inner Fires
- Good Metabolism
- Wanderlust
- Arachnoid
- Sweet Tooth
- Rebound
- Dexterity
- Dessert Stomach
Warrior
The Warrior class is dedicated to making your character a tough fighter for melee combat. Most of the skills within this class focus on granting extra damage with melee weapons, which are some of the best weapons you can get in Enshrouded, and make this a phenomenal class to choose.
The best skills in this class are Swift Blades, which lets you strike faster with one-handed axes and swords, and Veteran, which boosts your critical hit chance with melee weapons by 10 percent.
- Warrior skills
- The Warrior’s Path
- Constitution
- Strength
- Feast
- Purification
- Thrust
- Slasher
- Brute
- Hammer Time
- Butcher
- Veteran
- Pierce
- Swift Blades
S tier
Ranger
Ranger is a sneaky and ranged weapon-centric class, and it’s a strong one if you usually prefer to swiftly deal damage from the shadows. You have to be precise and careful when you choose to play this class, so if you’re not up to sneaking around patiently, this class certainly isn’t for you.
A Ranger’s most powerful skills are Bee Sting, which lets you shoot your bow while gliding, and Silent Stride, which boosts your movement speed while sneaking.
- Ranger skills
- Marksman
- Dexterity
- Silent Stride
- Sharpshooter
- Eagle Eye
- Counter Battery
- Eagle’s Bane
- Skill Shot
- Ranger
- Bee Sting
- Multi-Shot
Wizard
As a Wizard, you get to play with all kinds of elements and magical powers. It’s a \fun and reliably solid class to play if you’re into a magic-based combat style. I always enjoy magic combat in games, so this class is one of my favorites.
The best skills in this class are Abyss, which enhances the damage you deal while in the deadly Shroud by 20 percent, and Mass Destruction, which causes a critical attack with a magic-based weapon to then strike all opponents within a 20-meter radius with two shock damage for each point of intelligence you have.
- Wizard skills
- This Is The Way
- Spirit
- Arsonist
- Quick Charge
- Necromancer
- Pyromaniac
- Iceman
- Thunder
- Lightning
- Sub Zero
- Frost
- Intelligence
- Sun Aura
- Radiant Aura
- Wizard
- Dark Arts
- Chain Hit
- Mass Destruction
- Abyss
Barbarian
The Barbarian class allows you to use a strong stun ability to deal increased damage against opponents. You’re essentially such an efficient damage dealer that you can render opponents weaker to then deal more damage. You’ll want to use a two-handed weapon to gain the full benefits of the skills associated with this class.
Barbarian’s most powerful skills are Blood Rage, which boosts melee weapon damage by 20 percent for 10 seconds after an opponent has been eliminated within 10 meters using a melee weapon, and Heavy Specialization, which lets you strike much faster using two-handed hammers.
Barbarian
- Barbarian skills
- Heavy Handed
- Strength
- Constitution
- Relentless
- Shockwave
- Breach
- Barbarian
- Blood Rage
- Heavy Specialization
A tier
Healer
The Healer class is fairly strong, but it’s only really usable when you’re playing with friends, which makes it rank a bit lower than it otherwise would if you consider how effective it can be. If you go all in on this class while you’re playing alone, you’ll likely struggle to dish out effective damage.
Healer’s most effective skills are Martyr, which heals all nearby allies for 30 percent of their maximum health if you are vanquished by an enemy, and Water Aura, which restores one health point per second for each point of intelligence you have to all allies within a 15-meter radius.
- Healer skills
- Necromancer
- Healer
- Intelligence
- Water Aura
- Healing Revive
- Shroud Filter
- Spirit
- Waters of Life
- Martyr
Athlete
When you’re an Athlete in Enshrouded, you’re all about being a fast, nimble, and strong damage dealer. This is a very well-rounded class with a lot of strong abilities, but this can also be a drawback since it means you’re building a wide array of skills to a more moderate level rather than focusing in on a couple to make them OP.
The best skills in this class are Blood Warrior, which generates a health orb after you eliminate an enemy using a sneak attack or merciless attack, and Relentless, which causes critical damage you deal using a two-handed weapon to then boost your critical damage for the next hit by 10 percent.
- Athlete skills
- Jump Attack
- Strength
- Vigorous Detection
- Blood Warrior
- Constitution
- Relentless
- Bash
B tier
Trickster
As a Trickster, you’re mostly focused on turning the damage dealt against you back onto your enemies. This sounds good in theory, but the tiers for this class just don’t have enough to really make this an effective one to choose.
Your best skills in this class are Counterstrike, which grants a chance of applying damage you just received back onto the attacker, and Terror, which stuns the enemy for four seconds when you land a critical hit.
- Trickster skills
- Counterstrike
- Spirit
- Begone!
- Intelligence
- Terror
- Arcane Concentration
Assassin
If you like exploding arrows and you’re prepared to be crafting them all the time, you’ll love the Assassin class. Otherwise, this one is a bit too specific to truly be super beneficial, especially when you’re earlier on in the game and don’t have access to these fiery projectiles.
The best skills for this class are Chain Reaction, which causes every strike you land on an enemy using an exploding arrow to have a 20-percent chance of activating another explosion nearby, and Shell Shock, which infuses your ranged explosives with mana so they stun opponents for one second.
- Assassin Skills
- Airborne
- Dexterity
- Updraft
- Silent Stride
- Sniper
- Endurance
- Vitality Surge
- Blessed Arrows
- Shell Shock
- Bounty Bonanza
- Ricochets
- Chain Reaction
- Graceful Stride
C tier
Beastmaster
The Beastmaster class is super situational and mostly based on stopping wild creatures from attacking you, so it’s by far the overall worst class you can choose. Some parts of this class can be useful in certain situations, but you’re going to see way more consistent success when picking any other class.
The most effective skills in this class are Relentless Flame, which increases the amount of time you can spend in the Shroud by five minutes, and Beast Master, which calls all animals within a 50-meter radius to help you when you are being targeted by an attack.
- Beastmaster Skills
- Snake Eater
- Endurance
- Inner Fires
- Relentless Flame
- Eagle Eye
- Mithridatist
- Calm Spirit
- Dexterity
- Vukah Culture
- Vukah Language
- Beast Master
- Endurance of the Flame
While this is how I rank these classes overall, even the objectively worst ones might end up being your favorite depending on how you choose to play Enshrouded. All classes have their benefits, so you should really choose yours based on whatever appeals to you the most.
You’ll also generally experience the most benefits from dipping into a couple of different classes rather than sticking entirely to just one. The best classes also vary depending on whether you’re playing alone or with friends since some of the best class abilities only really apply when you have teammates to share them with.
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https://dotesports.com/enshrouded/news/enshrouded-class-tier-guide
| 2024-01-31T23:05:29Z
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Syncing up eating patterns with a partner is both one of the simplest and most complex parts of a relationship.
In a popular post on the AITA subreddit, a woman asked if she was wrong for telling her husband she doesn't want to eat dinner the moment she gets home. She wrote:
Listen, I know this may sound crazy and I should be so entirely grateful that he even cooks. But he’s gone so far as to make my plate and have it on the table when I walk in the door. I work 10 hour days, bring my lunch and pack snacks so I have healthy options AND save money. I have a 45 minute commute and work in a professional setting: I wear heels, a blazer most days and dress nicely.
I’d like to come home, use the bathroom (bc the long drive) and change/decompress before we sit down as a family. He finds that it’s rude to not sit at the table immediately and eat-blaming that the kids are hungry. I’ve told him that I’d like to wait a little after getting home and then we could sit and eat as a family, that part is important to us both.
Also, if he has dinner on the table at x time and say traffic, stopping for gas or anything delays me, he gets mad and makes it seem like I inconvenienced the entire family. So, after telling him I don’t like the food on the table immediately, he blew up and said he just won’t cook anymore.
That wasn’t what I was saying as I AM grateful he cooks and all, but is it too much to ask that we wait 30 minutes or so AFTER I’m home to sit and eat?
Conscious_Menu_1873 wrote:
I feel you. My husband works morning shift and I work 2nd shift. I get home close to 7ish. I hate him serving my plate and handing it to me It causes extra stress on me. Because when I walk in I immediately have the cat meowing at me, needing to get her treats ( I'm the only one to give them to her as it's been our routine since 3 yrs before I meet my husband).
Then like you I want to get out of my work clothes. Use the bathroom. He's talking to me. I get overwhelmed easily so if he's handing me my plate also I'm ready to scream. As I'm telling the cat to hold on. But if I come home and he's still cooking I have time to get all done and sit down for a few and we eat. I'm more than happy to get the table ready and it makes our night better.
I agree with the ones who said push it 15 minutes to like 5:30 it will help everyone. Kids can still eat at a good time and you can get out of your work clothes and use the bathroom. Tell your husband that after dinner you need like a 15-30 minutes to decompress after dinner.
And OP responded:
The overwhelmed thing is 100% true! When I walk in, I have my lunch bag, work bag, laptop and the mail in my hands. I want to put it down but by then the dogs are surrounding me, happy I’m home. Then everyone is staring waiting for me to sit. It’s very much like chaos erupts when I arrive.
dryadduinath wrote:
INFO: When do you get home, and how old are the kids?
ETA: NTA.
And OP responded:
Around 5:15. Kids are 13 and 3.
MelissaIsBBQing wrote:
Is 5:30 not a reasonable compromise here? You had alone time in the car. Change. Use the bathroom. Eat. Let him wrap up dinner.
And OP responded:
5:30 is reasonable. I will definitely suggest it when we both chill and can talk about it.
adventuresofViolet wrote:
I think it's, plan dinner time based on what time the kid's bedtimes are so they're not eating too close to when they go down for the night. Without that info I can't judge.
OP responded:
Kids go to bed around 9.
Many_Product6732 asked a clarifying question:
The 3-year-old too?
And OP responded:
Typically. He’s neurodivergent and this bedtime schedule works best with the medications he takes.
dishonestgandalf wrote:
Champagne problems, amirite? Anyway, if you get home at a time when the kids are already hungry and you want to eat together as a family, I don't see too many options here.
E S H, because it sounds like he's sometimes blaming you for things that are out of your control (as long as you text when you're going to be delayed for a legitimate reason, he shouldn't be upset with you over that) – but yeah, if your kids are hungry and the food is ready, 30m is a kind of unreasonable ask.
EDIT: Saw that you get home around 5:15. Switching to NTA because that's f#$king bonkers, just set the expectation of dinner at 6, what's your husband's problem?
OP responded:
Champagne problems. Thats brutally honest. Lol.
Luckily, this seems like a fairly solvable issue.
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https://www.someecards.com/lifestyle/marriage/aita-telling-husband-dont-want-dinner-table-walk-in/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:30Z
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READER LETTER | End to genocide demands resolve
The judgment delivered by the International Court of Justice on the SA vs Israel case reminds me of the famous quote by Dr Martin Luther King: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”
In today’s grim war-torn reality, the arc hides in the shadows of justice. It does not bend towards justice on it’s own, it only does so because of fearless and dedicated people.
The overwhelming judgment was a reminder of a judicial statement made decades ago: “It is not merely of some importance but is of fundamental importance that justice should not only be done, but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done.”
Recent historical events reveal thatincitement to crime and violenceagainst a specific group is a precursorto and catalyst for acts of genocide. The judgment, from a legal point of view, saw a “ceasefire” as a demand in an escalating armed conflict, but looked at it from a genocidal context.
It encapsulated a strict ruling demanding an end to all genocidal acts. During the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany, it was clearly outlined that the Holocaust was a result of massive incitement and naked hatred that led to genocide andthe onset of World War II.
Top generals in the German armed forces, in a confidential document,predicted a world war before 2025. An English translation by The New York Post reveals a grim scenario of total war engulfing Europe and spreading into both hemispheres. A war to end all wars. As Albert Einstein reminded humanity, that after World War III, World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.
Farouk Araie
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https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/opinion/letters/2024-01-31-reader-letter-end-to-genocide-demands-resolve/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:28Z
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(MENAFN- PR Newswire) PARIS, Jan. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ProductLife Group (PLG), the specialised global provider of regulatory, scientific, vigilance, quality and digital transformation consulting services for the life sciences industries, announces the acquisition of Commercial Eyes, Australia's leading pharmaceutical and medical device commercialisation company, specialising
in regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, medical information, quality assurance, market access, market research and patient programs.
This partnership unlocks numerous synergistic opportunities for both organisations and their clients. ProductLife Group's global presence and expertise, combined with the regional knowledge and capabilities of Commercial Eyes, will enable ProductLife Group to deliver enhanced services and solutions to its clients. The expanded portfolio of offerings will empower clients to navigate complex frameworks with confidence, ensuring successful market and patient access of new healthcare solutions in full compliance with regulatory requirements and in line with payers expectations.
Andrew Carter, Founder & Managing Director of Commercial Eyes
: "Joining PLG is a major strategic move for Commercial Eyes, our people and our clients. We will leverage the platform we have created over the last 22 years to expand our footprint globally. This will create significant professional development opportunities for our team members and enable us to better support our clients with global coverage of end-to-end life sciences consulting services."
Xavier Duburcq , CEO of PLG , highlighted: " This merger not only enables us to broaden our geographical footprint and expand our offerings to global markets but also empowers us to better serve our clients throughout their market and patient access strategy. The acquisition of Commercial Eyes marks an exciting new chapter in our journey. Together, we possess the collective strength, expertise, and passion to drive positive change and shape the future of the life sciences industry.
Our two companies share similar values: pioneering the way for innovation, client satisfaction, team spirit and a unique sense of purpose for life sciences. This common set of values forms a solid foundation for the seamless integration of the two organisations."
About ProductLife Group:
ProductLife Group's mission is to support patient access to safe and effective healthcare solutions by delivering worldwide consulting and outsourcing services through the entire product life.
Combining local expertise with global reach spanning more than 150 countries, PLG is the Life Sciences Industries reference strategic partner for the development, market introduction and life cycle management of product portfolios, and the related business and digital transformation.
With a goal of continuously improving the value delivered to teams and clients, PLG is committed to long-term partnership, innovation, flexibility, and cost efficiency.
For more information, visit
Contact:
Fabrice Galzin
ProductLife Group Head of Marketing
Phone: + 33 (0) 672 349 606
[email protected]
About Commercial Eyes:
Commercial Eyes is a healthcare and life sciences consulting firm, specialising in pre and post registration services, comprising amongst others Access, Research & Intelligence (ARI), Regulatory, Quality and Compliance (RQC), Patient Safety & Risk Management (PS), Medical Information (MI) and Patient Programs (PP). Commercial Eyes is headquartered in Melbourne (Australia) with a presence in New Zealand, where the company is known as one of the largest providers of commercialisation services to the Pharma and MedTech sector. For over 22 years Commercial Eyes has delivered high quality, customer-focused results in the Australian and New Zealand regulated therapeutics and healthcare industry.
Commercial Eyes has grown to become a leading pharmaceutical and medical device commercialisation business. With a team of over 100 people, the company has assisted more than 800 clients representing the full spectrum of health technology companies.
For more information, visit
Contact:
Andrew Carter
Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]
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https://menafn.com/1107793827/PRODUCTLIFE-GROUP-ACQUIRES-COMMERCIAL-EYES-EXPANDING-ITS-FOOTPRINT-IN-THE-APAC-REGION
| 2024-01-31T23:05:31Z
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Parts of Australia are set to be battered by wild weather and heavy surf as a low-pressure system brings wet weather to the country’s south.
A low-pressure system is sweeping through multiple states and is set to affect NSW, Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia.
Powerful surf will batter the central and southern parts of NSW, with waves of 3-4m expected to hit on Friday and Saturday.
In Sydney, wave heights are expected to peak at 4.5m over the weekend, creating rough seas off the city’s coast.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a hazardous surf warning for much of the NSW coast.
The warning covers the Byron Coast, Coffs Coast, Macquarie Coast, Hunter Coast, Sydney Coast, Illawarra Coast, Batemans Coast and Eden Coast.
While the waves are expected to be large, they will also be “deceptively powerful”, according to Weatherzone.
NSW Police and the Marine Area Command are advising swimmers to say out of the water and avoid walking near surf-exposed areas.
Rock fishers are being urged to avoid coastal rock platforms exposed to the ocean and seek a location that is sheltered from the surf.
“Boaters planning to cross shallow water and ocean bars should consider changing or delaying their voyage,” the warning states.
The bureau has also issued a marine wind warning for strong winds and gale warnings for the Eden Coast and Batemans Coast.
Victoria has also been issued a marine wind warning summary for the Central Coast, Central Gippsland Coast and East Gippsland Coast.
Wild weather warnings remain in place for Queensland after parts of the state were hit with flash floods, forcing residents to swim for their lives.
Days of rain and wind swept through the state’s southeast from Laidley in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane up to the Sunshine Coast.
Emergency services were forced to launch dozens of rescues for families trapped in cars and homes.
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https://www.perthnow.com.au/technology/map-shows-extent-of-wild-weather-as-heavy-surf-set-to-batter-nsw-c-13426585
| 2024-01-31T23:05:32Z
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House expected to vote on bipartisan tax bill that expands child tax credit
By Clare Foran, Tami Luhby, Kristin Wilson and Haley Talbot, CNN
The House is expected to vote Wednesday evening to pass a $78 billion bipartisan tax package that would temporarily expand the child tax credit and restore a number of business tax benefits.
Once the bill passes the House, it would move to the Senate. House Speaker Mike Johnson currently oversees a razor-thin majority, making it a challenge to pass bills with only Republican votes.
The tax bill will need significant bipartisan support to be approved as it is coming to the floor under a procedure known as suspension of the rules, which means it will need a two-thirds majority – a move that has already angered some hardline conservatives.
The bill has also sparked pushback from moderates, particularly from New York, because it does not raise the cap on the federal deduction for state and local taxes. Four New York House Republicans nearly sank an unrelated procedural vote on Tuesday to show their displeasure with the bill, but relented after discussions with leadership.
Overall, the deal would not have much of an impact on the federal budget. It’s expected to reduce revenues by less than $400 million over 10 years.
Beefing up the child Tax Credit
Most of the child tax credit enhancements would benefit lower-income families, who would be able to claim more of the credit. The deal calls for increasing the maximum refundable credit for households who owe little or no income taxes.
Low-income families with more than one child would receive the same credit for each of their children, just as higher-income households already do. Also, families would have the choice of using their earnings in the current year or prior year, in case their income is volatile.
The credit would be adjusted for inflation starting in 2024, which is expected to bump up the maximum credit to $2,100 per child in 2025, up from the current $2,000, according to the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
The provisions would be in effect for three tax years from 2023 through 2025.
Some Republicans have voiced concerns that the proposal would disincentivize work or allow undocumented immigrants to claim the credit, but House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith has stressed that the deal maintains the minimum earnings threshold of $2,500 needed to begin to claim the credit and the requirement that children must have Social Security numbers for their families to file for the credit.
Some Democrats, including Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, are upset that the deal doesn’t make the full credit available to more families with no or very low incomes.
Providing tax relief to businesses
The deal also temporarily restores several business tax benefits that recently ended or have begun to phase out. The benefits were originally part of the Republicans’ 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
The agreement would once again allow businesses to immediately deduct the cost of their US-based research and experimentation investments instead of over five years, as well as restore their ability to immediately deduct 100% of their investment in machinery and equipment. And it would relax the tightened limits on the deductibility of interest expenses, which mainly affects companies that have a lot of debt. These three provisions would run through 2025.
The bill also contains relief for those affected by disasters, including recent hurricanes, flooding, wildfires and the Ohio train derailment in East Palestine last year.
The package would enhance the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit in an effort to increase the supply of low-income housing.
It would also accelerate the deadline for filing backdated claims for the Employee Retention Tax Credit, a Covid 19-era program that has been subject to widespread fraud, to January 31, 2024, instead of April 15, 2025. That provision is estimated to save taxpayers more than $78 billion – offsetting most of the cost of the package, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation.
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https://keyt.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2024/01/31/house-expected-to-vote-on-bipartisan-tax-bill-that-expands-child-tax-credit/
| 2024-01-31T23:05:32Z
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The number of syphilis cases in the U.S. are on the rise. According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cases increased by nearly 80% to more than 207,000 between 2018 and 2022.
Rates increased among all age groups, including newborns, and in all regions of the country. In 2022, 3,755 cases of babies born with syphilis in the U.S. were reported, which reflects an alarming 937% increase in the past decade, the CDC said.
The report continued that racial and ethnic minorities are most disproportionately affected due to "long standing social inequities that often lead to health inequalities."
Experts point to various reasons for the increase, including increases in substance abuse tied to risky sexual behavior, decrease in condom use, ongoing social and economic conditions and reduction in sexually transmitted infections (STI) services at the state and local level.
"Because STIs often do not show symptoms, and screening is necessary for timely diagnosis and treatment, changes in access to sexual health care can affect the number of infections diagnosed and reported," the CDC said.
The stigma surrounding STIs can also keep people from seeking care, and "buries the truth that all people deserve quality sexual health care," said Laura Bachmann, acting director of the CDC's Division of STD Prevention, in an interview with NPR. "It also can cause issues at the provider level when it comes to talking with people about these issues."
The CDC said that its findings signal an urgent need for a closer look at public health efforts and prevention strategies.
"Some people face tremendous barriers to STI prevention and health services," said Bachmann ina statement. "So, the most important work is often outside the clinic, whether it be reaching out to communities with testing, interviewing patients to offer services to their partners, or delivering treatment directly to someone."
She added that there is still a need for more innovation around diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
"In the United States, syphilis was close to elimination in the 1990s, so we know it's possible to reverse this epidemic," said Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, in a statement. "I have hope for innovative prevention tools – such as a pill after sex that prevents STIs, and better tests for syphilis – but they will only be successful if they reach the people who will benefit. And that is going to require coordinated and sustained efforts at the federal, state, and local levels."
The U.S Department of Health and Human Services is also continuing to address the issue through the establishment of a federal task force last year.
"Addressing the resurgence of syphilis and congenital syphilis requires a concerted effort," said Admiral Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health and chair of the National Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis Syndemic Federal Task Force, in a statement. "We can collectively work towards reducing the incidence of syphilis and its devastating consequences, and we will turn the tide on the syphilis epidemic."
Without the appropriate funding however, it's difficult for communities to follow through with the recommendations by government officials, said Elizabeth Finley, director of communications at the National Coalition of STD Directors.
Over the past year, there has been a shortage of Bicillin, an antibiotic used to treat syphilis. In addition, last year states lost funding for STD prevention, affecting their ability to respond to syphilis.
"The 2022 data is devastating to see, but it's already a year old," said Finley. As a result, she said that "we have every reason to believe that the 2023 numbers will be much worse."
The CDC report also included data on other sexually transmitted infections, stating that "reported gonorrhea cases declined for the first time in at least a decade while reported chlamydia cases were level."
There were more than 2.5 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia reported in the U.S. in 2022 alone.
Without treatment, syphilis can cause serious health problems including damage to the heart and brain, and can cause blindness, deafness and paralysis. If transmitted during pregnancy, it can cause miscarriage, infant death and lifelong medical issues. With the right antibiotics, the STI is curable.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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https://www.wuwf.org/2024-01-31/syphilis-cases-rise-to-their-highest-levels-since-the-1950s-cdc-says
| 2024-01-31T23:05:33Z
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Jorge Rubiano arrived alone in Chicago, but his pain and trauma came with him.
For months, he tried to find steady work. For months, he's been sleeping in a crowded temporary shelter, worrying about his wife and mother back in Colombia. Are they safe? Did I make the right decision?
He recalls a frightening phone call with his wife in Colombia, cut short when the bus she was riding on was being robbed.
Rubiano, 43, is also haunted by memories of his harrowing journey to Chicago, during which he says he was kidnapped for a month, before escaping.
He left his country, he says, over a land dispute in which the government threatened his life.
"I'm still in between two dangers," Rubiano says in Spanish. "If I return it's very possible they kill me, and if I stay I don't know what can happen here."
More than 30,000 migrants and asylum seekers have arrived in Chicago since August of 2022 — most of them from South and Central America. They are fleeing the collapse of their economies, a lack of food and jobs, and violence back home.
Many came here on a bus from Texas, sent by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who said Chicago — and other so-called sanctuary cities that embrace immigrants — would provide much-needed relief "to our small, overrun border towns."
The buses haven't stopped since.
Migrants fleeing hardship, danger, fear and loss
Interviews with more than 30 people reveal the emotional toll migrants face, and the efforts of individuals and organizations that are trying to fill the gaps of a frayed mental health system.
Some of those efforts are catching the attention of leaders in other big U.S. cities also coping with large influxes of newly-arrived migrants.
For many, their journeys here were terrifying. A young girl who fell into a river, her pregnant mother struggling to hold her small hand, so the current wouldn't whisk her away. Women who were forced to have sex with gang members to get from country to country. People who walked over the dead in the jungle, or are wracked with guilt over the sick and injured left behind.
Their stories have unfolded across Chicago: in the quiet space of a therapist's office, at an informal healing circle in the back of a store, with a nurse at a folding table propped up outside a police station.
But for many migrants, taking care of their mental health might not be a priority.
"They're in survival mode," says Sharon Davila, a school-based social worker who has screened migrant families. "They need their basic needs met. The number one thing is they're looking for jobs."
Just getting in front of a therapist or a social worker can be extremely difficult for even the most savvy and persistent. With a shortage of mental health workers, wait lists for an appointment can be months long.
Layer on being new to this country, speaking a different language, and having no health insurance. Getting help can seem impossible.
Therapist Susie Moya worries about a mental health crisis brewing for many migrants.
"Right now it's on the back burner," says Moya, who has worked with migrants on Chicago's Lower West Side. "But I'm thinking a year from now when these families are settled in. Who is going to be providing that support?"
Informal support, with a side of soup
It's a Monday night in the back room of an insurance agency on the Southwest Side. About 20 migrants have arranged their chairs in a circle. Each person takes a turn describing how they feel on a scale of one to 10, as social worker Veronica Sanchez gently encourages them to share why.
Warm homemade chicken soup and arepas await them for dinner.
A woman says her husband got deported, and she's heartbroken that she left her children behind. A man says he worked several days that week, but never got paid. Another says he is grateful to God for bringing him to America, but he misses his mom, dad and brothers.
Finding work and reuniting with family is important, Sanchez tells them. But right now she's concerned about their mental health.
"Maybe we have answers. Maybe we don't. But when you open up a safe space where you can share your sorrows... you don't feel so alone," Sanchez says in Spanish.
Sanchez understands the migrants' desperation. She comes from a long line of pottery makers in Mexico. Sanchez was just four years old when her father left to work in Cicero, a suburb outside Chicago. She didn't see her father for almost seven years, until they were reunited as a family in Cicero.
Those memories fuel her work with the healing circle. "When I was talking to them, it really came from the heart," Sanchez says. "I was seeing the migrants' faces, that they were so scared."
Informal support groups like this one have popped up around Chicago in shelters, storefronts, churches and schools, led by volunteers or mental health professionals.
Many of these support groups don't last long. Volunteers get burned out. Migrants prioritize other needs. Or the city moves them from place to place.
The costs of ignoring loss and trauma
Some volunteers and mental health providers emphasize that not every migrant might be experiencing severe trauma.
But for many, trauma can have lasting impact. Trauma can change the wiring in a person's brain and make someone more vulnerable to depression and anxiety.
Daily or ongoing stressors can add up to what Chicago psychologist Laura Pappa calls "little t trauma" — like not feeling welcomed right away.
"A lot of people come here seeking the American dream and they realize that that's not there," says Pappa, who came to the U.S. from Argentina as a teen. "A lot of people were not expecting that, how hard it is on this side. I've had a lot of parents who've come alone and ask themselves, was it worth it?"
It can be hard to persuade migrants to seek help, however. There's a stigma about the need for mental health care in many immigrant communities, particularly among Latino men, Pappa says.
But, she adds, the stigma is easing as talking about emotions becomes more common.
Training the front-line workers in shelters
One effort to provide faster help involves training hundreds of peoplewho don't have a medical background, but work in city-run shelters. These front-line workers, such as case managers and shelter supervisors, are learning to lead support groups called Café y Comunidad charlas — coffee and community talks.
The initiative is led by the Coalition for Immigrant Mental Health, the University of Chicago's Crown Family School, and Lurie Children's Center for Childhood Resilience.
The idea is to help migrants feel less isolated and try to prevent the most extreme outcomes, such as suicide.
"We have to help people the minute they arrive," explainsAimee Hilado, an assistant professor at UC's Crown School and chair of the coalition. "That's actually going to promote healing down the line."
Case manager Albert Ayala has led a charla in the ballroom of a downtown shelter. He recalls moments of joy, such as when a woman said she was searching for love — and hands shot up hoping to catch her attention.
Ayala says he's watched migrants who arrive scared and shy blossom after attending a charla.
"We try to tell them we're no different from you," says Ayala, who is Mexican American. "Your dream is possible."
Leaders in Philadelphia and San Jose have reached out asking how to replicate the effort, Hilado says.
Outside his shelter, Rubiano, the migrant from Colombia, says he hasn't attended one of these support groups. He says he tries to keep busy working on his English skills. And he recently found a full-time job in a supermarket.
He longs for his family, and for the chance to bring them here — once there is a stable life he can offer them.
WBEZ is part of the Mental Health Parity Collaborative, a group of newsrooms covering stories on mental health care access and inequities in the U.S. The Collaborative's partners include The Carter Center, the Center for Public Integrity and newsrooms in select states across the country.
WBEZ's Manuel Martinez contributed to this report.
Copyright 2024 WBEZ
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https://www.nprillinois.org/2024-01-31/for-chicagos-new-migrants-informal-support-groups-help-ease-the-pain-and-trauma
| 2024-01-31T23:05:35Z
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The newest champion in League of Legends, Smolder, is now live. Smolder is the 168th champion added to League of Legends and the first to hit the Rift in 2024.
Although Smolder’s kit is heavily reliant on spellcasting, the dragon is meant to be played at the AD carry position. Even though Smolder’s main home is in the bot lane, it’s likely that—especially during the initial stages of his release cycle—League players will experiment with the champion as a mid laner as well due to his traditional spellcasting nature.
“Historically, our AD spellcasters have fallen off as the game goes on (with some exceptions), but Smolder’s spells should pack a punch in the late game (not best in class late game Marksman, but intended to be pretty up there),” League’s lead gameplay designer Matt Leung-Harrison said in a tweet earlier today.
Smolder’s addition to the game comes during a tumultuous time for the AD carry position. Many players in the League community over the last week have been debating the overall strength of ADCs, especially in comparison to other roles in the game. League players, especially the most vocal ones on the game’s official subreddit, have argued lately that the complexity of the ADC position makes it a naturally weaker role due to its higher skill ceiling, while others believe that high ceiling leaves the most amount of room for flashy plays and skill expression. It’s going to take a massive sample size of Smolder games to determine the champion’s overall effect on the current state of the role, regardless.
Following Smolder, the next champion set to be added to League will be a mid lane mage, according to Riot’s 2024 roadmap. It is unclear at this time when that mid-range Vastayan mage will be added to the game, although we expect it to be at some point in the spring.
Like all new League champions, Smolder can be purchased for either 975 Riot Points or 7,800 Blue Essence.
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https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/breaking-smolder-lol-new-adorable-dragon-adc-now-live
| 2024-01-31T23:05:35Z
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