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The UN weather agency is predicting that the phenomenon known as La Nina is poised to last through the end of this year, a mysterious "triple dip" — the first this century — caused by three straight years of its effect on climate patterns like drought and flooding worldwide.
The World Meteorological Organisation on Wednesday said La Nina conditions, which involve a large-scale cooling of ocean surface temperatures, have strengthened in the eastern and central equatorial Pacific with an increase in trade winds in recent weeks.
The agency's top official quickly cautioned that the "triple dip" doesn't mean global warming is easing.
Also Read | Satellites show high methane emissions from Indian landfills
"It is exceptional to have three consecutive years with a La Nina event. Its cooling influence is temporarily slowing the rise in global temperatures, but it will not halt or reverse the long-term warming trend," WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said.
La Nina is a natural and cyclical cooling of parts of the equatorial Pacific that changes weather patterns worldwide, as opposed to warming caused by the better-known El Nino — an opposite phenomenon.
La Nina often leads to more Atlantic hurricanes, less rain and more wildfires in the western United States, and agricultural losses in the central US.
Also Read | Powerplay in the Arctic
Studies have shown La Nina is more expensive to the United States than El Nino.
Together El Nino, La Nina and the neutral condition are called ENSO, which stands for El Nino Southern Oscillation, and they have one of the largest natural effects on climate, at times augmenting and other times dampening the big effects of human-caused climate change from the burning of coal, oil and gas, scientists say.
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Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Dailymotion | YouTube | https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/un-weather-agency-predicts-rare-triple-dip-la-nina-in-2022-1140953.html | 2022-08-31T09:57:22Z | https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/un-weather-agency-predicts-rare-triple-dip-la-nina-in-2022-1140953.html | false |
NEW YORK, Aug 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --The Gross Law Firm issues the following notice to shareholders of LifeStance Health Group, Inc.
Shareholders who purchased shares of LFST during the class period listed are encouraged to contact the firm regarding possible lead plaintiff appointment. Appointment as lead plaintiff is not required to partake in any recovery.
CONTACT US HERE:
https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/lifestance-health-group-loss-submission-form/?id=31257&from=4
CLASS PERIOD: This lawsuit is on behalf of all purchasers of LifeStance common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the documents issued in connection with LifeStance's June 10, 2021 initial public stock offering.
ALLEGATIONS: The complaint alleges that during the class period, Defendants issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the number of virtual visits clients were undertaking utilizing LifeStance Health was decreasing as the COVID-19 lockdowns were being lifted, thereby flatlining LifeStance Health's out-patient/virtual revenue growth; (ii) the percentage of in-person visits clients were undertaking utilizing LifeStance Health was increasing as the COVID-19 lockdowns were being lifted, thereby causing LifeStance Health's operating expenses to increase substantially; (iii) LifeStance Health had lost a large number of physicians due to burn-out and, as a result, its physician retention rate had fallen significantly below the 87% highlighted in the initial public offering's registration statement, and LifeStance Health had been expending additional costs to onboard new physicians who were less productive than the outgoing physicians they were replacing; and (iv) as a result, LifeStance Health's business metrics and financial prospects were not as strong as the initial public offering's registration statement represented.
DEADLINE: October 11, 2022 Shareholders should not delay in registering for this class action. Register your information here: https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/lifestance-health-group-loss-submission-form/?id=31257&from=4
NEXT STEPS FOR SHAREHOLDERS: Once you register as a shareholder who purchased shares of LFST during the timeframe listed above, you will be enrolled in a portfolio monitoring software to provide you with status updates throughout the lifecycle of the case. The deadline to seek to be a lead plaintiff is October 11, 2022. There is no cost or obligation to you to participate in this case.
WHY GROSS LAW FIRM? The Gross Law Firm is nationally recognized class action law firm, and our mission is to protect the rights of all investors who have suffered as a result of deceit, fraud, and illegal business practices. The Gross Law Firm is committed to ensuring that companies adhere to responsible business practices and engage in good corporate citizenship. The firm seeks recovery on behalf of investors who incurred losses when false and/or misleading statements or the omission of material information by a company lead to artificial inflation of the company's stock. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
The Gross Law Firm
15 West 38th Street, 12th floor
New York, NY, 10018
Email: dg@securitiesclasslaw.com
Phone: (646) 453-8903
View original content:
SOURCE The Gross Law Firm | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-lifestance-health-group-inc-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-october-11-2022-nasdaq-lfst/ | 2022-08-31T09:58:10Z | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-lifestance-health-group-inc-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-october-11-2022-nasdaq-lfst/ | true |
WFO SACRAMENTO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, August 31, 2022
_____
EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Sacramento CA
150 AM PDT Wed Aug 31 2022
...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM SATURDAY TO 8 PM
PDT TUESDAY...
* WHAT...An extended period of dangerously hot conditions with
record temperatures up to 115 possible. Limited overnight
relief.
* WHERE...Sacramento Valley, northern San Joaquin Valley, Delta,
and adjacent foothills and mountains.
* WHEN...From 11 AM Saturday to 8 PM PDT Tuesday.
* IMPACTS...Extreme heat will significantly increase the
potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those
working or participating in outdoor activities over the
holiday weekend.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Hottest days forecast to occur Sunday and
Monday. There will be limited overnight relief from the heat,
with lows in the upper 60s to mid 80s.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out
of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young
children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles
under any circumstances.
Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When
possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or
evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat
stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when
possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent
rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone
overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.
Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.expressnews.com/weather/article/CA-WFO-SACRAMENTO-Warnings-Watches-and-17409328.php | 2022-08-31T10:03:48Z | https://www.expressnews.com/weather/article/CA-WFO-SACRAMENTO-Warnings-Watches-and-17409328.php | true |
Events impact people movement and demand, so businesses and community leaders need to keep track of their impact. New research reveals that just over half of major US cities will experience unusually high event impact in September.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The September 2022 Event Index reveals that more than half of America's 60+ most populous cities will experience significantly higher event impact - meaning the commercial demand driven by these events will increase September as five sporting games, major festivals and the return to school drives massive opportunities for businesses.
The PredictHQ Event Index uses a unique algorithm per city to identify the impact of upcoming events, comparing it to five years of previous event data. It generates a score out of 20 per week per city, with anything over 15 being notably higher event activity, and below 8 being significantly lower than average. September 2022 is set to be an unusual month, with 32 of the 63 tracked cities set for at least one week of 15+, with 14 of these cities enjoying multiple weeks of above average event activity.
"September is going to be a really huge opportunity for demand planners and forecasters who are real-world aware of the events which will be driving their demand," PredictHQ CEO Campbell Brown said. "Kids are going back to school, there are five major sports leagues active across the country as well as major festivals and expos. These events overlap and combine in unexpected ways to impact stores, transport, parking and accommodation nearby massively. Those who are prepared won't be caught short-staffed or out of stock, providing better service for their customers and greater profits."
PredictHQ, the demand intelligence company, today released its September 2022 PredictHQ Event Index report. Companies such as Uber, Accor Hotels and Domino's Pizza use PredictHQ's intelligent event data to forecast demand more accurately. With more than 8,000 events with 2,500+ attendees taking place in the United States this September, businesses can tap into the people movement and billions of dollars in demand that these events drive. This is especially true for the cities experiencing unusually high or low periods, all of which are detailed in this new report.
The cities with the highest Event Index scores and therefore the most impacted by events are:
- Atlanta on 16.5 the week of Sept 11
- Austin on 16.6 the week of Sept 18 and 15.3 the week of Sept 25
- Boston on 16.7 the week of Sept 18
- Colorado Springs with 16.6 the week of Sept for, 17.8 the week of Sept 11 and 16.6 the week of Sept 25
- Denver on 17 the week of Sept 11
- Las Vegas with 15.1 the week of Sept 11, 17.2 the week of Sept 18 and 16.6 the week of Sept 16.6
- Memphis on 16.8 the week of Sept 11 and 16.4 the week of Sept 18
- Minneapolis on 16.7 the week of Sept 11
- Salt Lake City on 17.5 the week of Sept 11 and 15.5 the week of Sept 18
- San Diego on 18 the week of Sept 11
- Read the full list of peak weeks for the 32 cities in the report
These scores are generated by a unique model applied to each of the 63 most populous US cities and is calculated for each city's baseline event activity based on five years of historical, verified event data and millions of events per location. For example, a score of an 18 in New York City will entail millions of people moving about the city, whereas a score of 18 in Wichita, Kansas will involve just over 100,000 people.
This gives companies operating in those areas a simple summary to help them plan for any anticipated demand surges or drops. Of the cities in the September report, San Diego will be the USA's most event-impacted city scoring an unusually high 18 for the week starting September 11. While more than half of the cities will experience significant demand surges for businesses near these events, September will also see eight cities experience notably event lows (impacting demand) in the first week of September including Baltimore, Cincinnati, Fort Worth, Houston and Nashville. All of the above is detailed in the report.
PredictHQ tracks 19 categories of events globally, including attendance-based events such as concerts and sports; non-attendance-based events such as school holidays and college dates, as well as unscheduled events such as severe weather incidents. This breadth of event coverage is critical for the Event Index, as the peak weeks are caused by many overlapping large and small events.
While the Event Index provides an accurate look ahead at people movement, it is designed to be a simple and accessible summary of the demand intelligence PredictHQ offers – particularly for large companies operating worldwide. Industry leaders in on-demand, accommodation, QSR and transport use PredictHQ's verified and enriched event data to inform staffing decisions, pricing and inventory strategies, and many other core business functions.
For more information on PredictHQ please visit www.predicthq.com.
PredictHQ, the demand intelligence company, empowers global organizations to anticipate changes in demand for their products and services through intelligent event data. PredictHQ aggregates events from 350+ sources and verifies, enriches, and ranks them by predicted impact so companies can proactively discover catalysts that will impact demand.
Media Contact:
media@predicthq.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE PredictHQ | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/more-than-half-usas-major-cities-will-experience-demand-anomalies-driven-by-unusually-high-event-activity-this-september/ | 2022-08-31T10:05:22Z | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/more-than-half-usas-major-cities-will-experience-demand-anomalies-driven-by-unusually-high-event-activity-this-september/ | false |
NEW YORK, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gross Law Firm issues the following notice to shareholders of Missfresh Limited.
Shareholders who purchased shares of MF during the class period listed are encouraged to contact the firm regarding possible lead plaintiff appointment. Appointment as lead plaintiff is not required to partake in any recovery.
CLASS PERIOD: This lawsuit is on behalf of persons who purchased or otherwise acquired Missfresh securities pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and related prospectus issued in connection with Missfresh's June 2021 initial public offering.
ALLEGATIONS: The complaint alleges that during the class period, Defendants issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Missfresh provided false financial figures in its registration statement and related prospectus issued in connection with the Company's June 2021 initial public offering; (2) Missfresh would need to amend its financial figures; (3) Missfresh, among other things, had lesser net revenues for the quarter ended March 31, 2021; and (4) as a result, defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times and negligently prepared.
DEADLINE: September 12, 2022 Shareholders should not delay in registering for this class action. Register your information here: https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/missfresh-lawsuit-loss-submission-form/?id=31249&from=4
NEXT STEPS FOR SHAREHOLDERS: Once you register as a shareholder who purchased shares of MF during the timeframe listed above, you will be enrolled in a portfolio monitoring software to provide you with status updates throughout the lifecycle of the case. The deadline to seek to be a lead plaintiff is September 12, 2022. There is no cost or obligation to you to participate in this case.
WHY GROSS LAW FIRM? The Gross Law Firm is nationally recognized class action law firm, and our mission is to protect the rights of all investors who have suffered as a result of deceit, fraud, and illegal business practices. The Gross Law Firm is committed to ensuring that companies adhere to responsible business practices and engage in good corporate citizenship. The firm seeks recovery on behalf of investors who incurred losses when false and/or misleading statements or the omission of material information by a company lead to artificial inflation of the company's stock. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
The Gross Law Firm
15 West 38th Street, 12th floor
New York, NY, 10018
Email: dg@securitiesclasslaw.com
Phone: (646) 453-8903
View original content:
SOURCE The Gross Law Firm | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-missfresh-limited-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-12-2022-nasdaq-mf/ | 2022-08-31T10:11:07Z | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-missfresh-limited-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-12-2022-nasdaq-mf/ | true |
MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pure Capital Solutions, Inc.'s (OTC: PCST) wholly owned subsidiary Nova Space was represented by CEO Joseph Horvath and COO Christopher Allen at the Space Sector Workshop and Round Table on August 18th led by the U.S. Department of Labor, in collaboration with the National Space Council and the White House Office of Science Technology Policy.
The Space Sector Workshop and Round Table provided the industry with a robust platform for collaboration through working sessions and panel discussions with key leaders from federal agencies and the White House, businesses and employers, training providers, and the nonprofit sector. Stakeholders at the event helped illuminate subsector and regional challenges impeding equitable access and participation in the space economy.
Continued collaboration after August 18th, is focused on building lasting programs to drive inspiration, preparation, and sustainable employment opportunities for all communities. The event highlighted the unique set of foundational knowledge and skillsets that are required for work in the space industry, often different than in aviation. The event also highlighted the need to capture and inspire talent in early career stages.
"I currently see three distinct, but complementary, efforts needed to fully realize the needed workforce growth to support the space industry: K-12 STEM education, introductory and foundational skill development for workers coming out of college, and retraining/upskilling training for those transitioning from other industries. The combination of these three will ensure a healthy pipeline of talent into the future," said Joseph Horvath.
"Nova Space's mission of providing award winning individualized, digital learning experiences and workforce development programs really has an enormous opportunity to scale and reach communities in need in ways not commonly applied across a single industry. We can't be more excited to help every individual realize their dreams by facilitating skills development that enables not just competency and mastery, but also personal confidence to apply acquired skills in meaningful ways," said Christopher Allen.
Since 2006, Pure Capital Solutions, Inc has been assisting small to medium sized businesses by investment and consulting. We have provided short-term financing, factoring, loans, and consulting using our diverse expertise. We also directly invest in our subsidiaries and help them grow. Learn more by visiting purecapitalsolution.com.
Nova Space is a professional development company aimed at bridging the space industry's skills gap by offering virtual, asynchronous, and interactive space professional courseware to individuals from all backgrounds and to organizations that want to enhance their recruiting, training, and retention efforts to become more efficient and proficient within the growing space ecosystem. Our Space Professional Course offers prospective students and professionals a comprehensive and standardized foundation in space operations and astronautics and is designed to keep students engaged and prepare them to collaborate with other space professionals within the industry. Learn more by visiting novaspaceinc.com and view our demonstration video.
View original content:
SOURCE Pure Capital Solutions, Inc. | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/nova-space-leadership-attends-space-workforce-roundtable-hosted-by-white-house-office-science-amp-technology-policy-national-space-council-department-labor/ | 2022-08-31T10:13:59Z | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/nova-space-leadership-attends-space-workforce-roundtable-hosted-by-white-house-office-science-amp-technology-policy-national-space-council-department-labor/ | true |
Extremely rare golden Kaiser-i-Hind butterflies spotted at nature reserve in SE China's Fujian
Female butterflies of the golden Kaiser-i-Hind, or Teinopalpus aureus, a butterfly species under first-class state protection in China, were recently spotted at the Tianbaoyan national nature reserve in Yong'an city, southeast China's Fujian Province.
Photo shows a male golden Kaiser-i-Hind butterfly at the Tianbaoyan national nature reserve in Yong'an city, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Photo/Xing Zhongyuan)
It marks the third time that female golden Kaiser-i-Hind butterflies have been discovered at the same nature reserve since August.
The golden Kaiser-i-Hind is the only butterfly species under first-class state protection in China, being considered one of the eight rarest butterfly species in the world and dubbed the "butterfly queen."
Photo shows a male golden Kaiser-i-Hind butterfly, which is under first-class state protection in China, at the Tianbaoyan national nature reserve in Yong'an city, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Photo/Zhang Zhaoqi)
Photo shows a female golden Kaiser-i-Hind butterfly, which is under first-class state protection in China, at the Tianbaoyan national nature reserve in Yong'an city, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Photo/Liao Jinpeng)
The golden Kaiser-i-Hind butterfly is considered as one of the eight rarest butterfly species in the world. (Photo/Liao Jinpeng)
A female golden Kaiser-i-Hind butterfly is seen amidst flowering plants at the Tianbaoyan national nature reserve in Yong'an city, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Photo/Liao Jinpeng)
Photos
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Copyright © 2022 People's Daily Online. All Rights Reserved. | http://en.people.cn/n3/2022/0831/c90000-10142044.html | 2022-08-31T10:14:04Z | http://en.people.cn/n3/2022/0831/c90000-10142044.html | false |
NEW YORK, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gross Law Firm issues the following notice to shareholders of Carvana Co..
Shareholders who purchased shares of CVNA during the class period listed are encouraged to contact the firm regarding possible lead plaintiff appointment. Appointment as lead plaintiff is not required to partake in any recovery.
CLASS PERIOD: May 6, 2020 to June 24, 2022
ALLEGATIONS: The complaint alleges that during the class period, Defendants issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Carvana faced serious, ongoing issues with documentation, registration, and title with many of its vehicles; (2) as a result, Carvana was issuing unusually frequent temporary plates; (3) as a result of the foregoing, Carvana was violating laws and regulations in many existing markets; (4) as a result of the foregoing, Carvana risked its ability to continue business and/or expand its business in existing markets; (5) as a result of the foregoing, Carvana was at an increased risk of governmental investigation and action; (6) Carvana was in discussion with state and local authorities regarding the above-stated business tactics and issues; (7) Carvana was facing imminent and ongoing regulatory actions including license suspensions, business cessation, and probation in several states and counties including in Arizona, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and North Carolina; and (8) as a result, Defendants' statements about Carvana's business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
DEADLINE: October 3, 2022 Shareholders should not delay in registering for this class action. Register your information here: https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/carvana-co-loss-submission-form/?id=31255&from=4
NEXT STEPS FOR SHAREHOLDERS: Once you register as a shareholder who purchased shares of CVNA during the timeframe listed above, you will be enrolled in a portfolio monitoring software to provide you with status updates throughout the lifecycle of the case. The deadline to seek to be a lead plaintiff is October 3, 2022. There is no cost or obligation to you to participate in this case.
WHY GROSS LAW FIRM? The Gross Law Firm is nationally recognized class action law firm, and our mission is to protect the rights of all investors who have suffered as a result of deceit, fraud, and illegal business practices. The Gross Law Firm is committed to ensuring that companies adhere to responsible business practices and engage in good corporate citizenship. The firm seeks recovery on behalf of investors who incurred losses when false and/or misleading statements or the omission of material information by a company lead to artificial inflation of the company's stock. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
The Gross Law Firm
15 West 38th Street, 12th floor
New York, NY, 10018
Email: dg@securitiesclasslaw.com
Phone: (646) 453-8903
View original content:
SOURCE The Gross Law Firm | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-carvana-co-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-october-3-2022-nyse-cvna/ | 2022-08-31T10:16:58Z | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-carvana-co-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-october-3-2022-nyse-cvna/ | true |
When Salman Rushdie was attacked last month, he was taking the stage at New York's Chautauqua Institution. The storied place in American cultural life is now rethinking how open it should be.
Copyright 2022 NPR
When Salman Rushdie was attacked last month, he was taking the stage at New York's Chautauqua Institution. The storied place in American cultural life is now rethinking how open it should be.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/news-from-npr/2022-08-31/chautauqua-institution-re-examines-security-after-salman-rushdie-attack | 2022-08-31T10:17:39Z | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/news-from-npr/2022-08-31/chautauqua-institution-re-examines-security-after-salman-rushdie-attack | true |
As a long time Republican, I am truly alarmed by what has happened to the GOP. Donald Trump goes around accusing everyone who doesn’t worship him as being a RINO (Republican in name only). Fact of the matter is he is the true RINO. He does not
value true Republican values. Everything he stands for is for personal gain. He has personally ruined what was once a respected political party and turned it into a cult of whackos.
And conspiracy nut jobs. This is not the true Republican Party. They are the RINOs.
— Ivanna Blake, Chico | https://www.chicoer.com/2022/08/31/letter-trump-and-cult-are-the-true-rinos/ | 2022-08-31T10:19:45Z | https://www.chicoer.com/2022/08/31/letter-trump-and-cult-are-the-true-rinos/ | true |
BEIJING (AP) — Global stock markets declined Wednesday after strong U.S. jobs data fueled expectations of more interest rate hikes and Chinese manufacturing activity weakened.
London and Frankfurt opened lower. Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong declined. Oil prices lost more than $1 per barrel.
U.S. government data Tuesday showed there were two jobs for every unemployed person in July, giving ammunition to Federal Reserve officials who argue the economy can tolerate more rate hikes to tame inflation that is at multi-decade highs. Some investors had hoped the Fed would back off due to signs economic activity is cooling.
The jobs data “supported the argument for the Fed to stick to an aggressive stance,” Edward Moya of Oanda said in a report.
In early trading, the FTSE 100 in London fell 0.6% to 7,319.62 and the DAX in Frankfurt shed 0.4% to 12,913.41. The CAC 40 in Paris fell 0.5% to 6,178.78.
On Wall Street, futures for the benchmark S&P 500 index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.2%.
On Tuesday, the S&P 500 index fell 1.1%, bringing its decline over the past five days to 5.5%. The Dow dropped 1% and the Nasdaq composite lost 1.1%.
In Asia, the Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.8% to 3,202.14 after an index of manufacturing showed activity contracted again in August. The Hang Seng ended up less than 0.1% at 19,954.39 after spending most of the day in negative territory.
The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo shed 0.4% to 28,091.53 after July industrial production rose by an unexpectedly strong 1% over the previous month.
The Kospi in South Korea gained 0.9% to 2,472.05 after July factory output declined 1.3% compared with the previous month.
Sydney’s S&P-ASX 200 shed 0.2% to 6,986.80. New Zealand advanced while Singapore and Indonesia declined. Indian markets were closed for a holiday.
Investors worry rate hikes by the Fed and central banks in Europe and Asia to cool inflation might derail global economic growth.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Friday indicated it will stick to rate hikes.
The Fed has raised rates four times this year. Two of those were by 0.75 percentage points, three times the usual margin.
Traders appear to expect another 0.75 percentage point hike in September, a half point in November and 0.25 points in December, according to Moya.
“If the labor market doesn’t break and the consumer remains resilient, Wall Street might start pricing in rate hikes for February and March,” Moya wrote.
The U.S. government reported Tuesday there were 11.2 million open jobs on the last day of July. That was up from 11 million in June. June’s figure was also revised higher.
In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.10 to $90.51 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract plunged $5.37 to $91.64 on Tuesday. Brent crude, used to price international trading, fell $1.47 to $96.37 per barrel in London.
The dollar edged up to 138.74 yen from Tuesday’s 138.67 yen. The euro declined to 99.96 cents from $1.0021. | https://phl17.com/business/ap-business/ap-asian-stocks-follow-wall-st-lower-after-strong-us-jobs-data/ | 2022-08-31T10:20:10Z | https://phl17.com/business/ap-business/ap-asian-stocks-follow-wall-st-lower-after-strong-us-jobs-data/ | false |
DENVER, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Clough Global Opportunities Fund (NYSE MKT: GLO) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund, paid a monthly distribution on its common stock of $0.0943 per share to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 19, 2022.
The following table sets forth the estimated amount of the sources of distribution for purposes of Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the related rules adopted thereunder. The Fund estimates the following percentages, of the total distribution amount per share, attributable to (i) current and prior fiscal year net investment income, (ii) net realized short-term capital gain, (iii) net realized long-term capital gain and (iv) return of capital or other capital source as a percentage of the total distribution amount. These percentages are disclosed for the current distribution as well as the fiscal year-to-date cumulative distribution amount per share for the Fund.
The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this 19(a) Notice are only estimates and not for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with 'yield' or 'income.
Presented below are return figures, based on the change in the Fund's Net Asset Value per share ("NAV"), compared to the annualized distribution rate for this current distribution as a percentage of the NAV on the last business day of the month prior to distribution record date.
^ Based on the Fund's NAV as of July 31, 2022.
+Cumulative distribution rate is based on distributions paid to date for the period November 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022.
*Cumulative fiscal year-to-date return is based on the change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions and that all rights in the Fund's rights offering were exercised, for the period November 1, 2021 through July 31, 2022.
**The 5 year average annual total return is based on change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions and that all rights in the Fund's rights offering were exercised, as of the last business day of the month prior to the month of the current distribution record date.
While the NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market.
Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's Managed Distribution Plan.
Furthermore, the Board of Trustees reviews the amount of any potential distribution and the income, capital gain or capital available. The Board of Trustees will continue to monitor the Fund's distribution level, taking into consideration the Fund's net asset value and the financial market environment. The Fund's distribution policy is subject to modification by the Board of Trustees at any time. The distribution rate should not be considered the dividend yield or total return on an investment in the Fund.
ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. FINRA Member Firm.
Clough Global Opportunities Fund (NYSE MKT: GLO)
1290 Broadway, Suite 1000
Denver, CO 80203
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SOURCE Clough Global Opportunities Fund | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/clough-global-opportunities-fund-section-19a-notice-statement-pursuant-section-19a-investment-company-act-1940/ | 2022-08-31T10:21:10Z | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/clough-global-opportunities-fund-section-19a-notice-statement-pursuant-section-19a-investment-company-act-1940/ | true |
Big changes have arrived for the family of Eric Alvarez.
Hours after a story aired on NPR's Morning Edition last week, a federal judge found "extraordinary circumstances" that called for the release of Alvarez's fiancée from a prison in Danbury, Conn.
"In other words, Petitioner's family is currently experiencing a dire, urgent situation," ruled U.S. District Judge Sarala Nagala.
Eva Cardoza was one of 230 people released from federal prison during the pandemic only to be sent back after small infractions, like a single positive alcohol or drug test. In June 2021, Alvarez and Cardoza took a 90-minute cab ride to the Bronx so Cardoza could meet with staffers in charge of her supervision. Alvarez waited outside in the taxi, but Cardoza, who had tested positive for marijuana, did not come out of the building that day.
"I mean, I just went down on my knees and just cried because it was a long process," Alvarez said of the moment when he learned Cardoza would return after 14 months in federal prison.
Alvarez has been struggling with heart trouble and colon cancer while taking care of his four children and his fiancée's daughter. He said the family celebrated Cardoza's homecoming with a tradition: a meal of Chinese food and photos on the porch.
Life for the children is returning to normal, with the most immediate changes for Cardoza's teenage daughter.
"Seeing her [go] from crying and being sad in the corner to seeing her alert and running and hugging on her mom, and you know, that's all I wanted," Alvarez said.
The Bureau of Prisons told NPR that 442 people released to home confinement during the pandemic have been returned to prison. More than half like Cardoza allegedly violated rules about alcohol or drug use. The BOP says a tiny fraction, 17 people out of 11,000, committed new crimes while released — mostly related to drugs.
Alvarez said he's grateful that the system worked in this case. But he said lots of other families need due process: the chance to challenge the evidence against them before being sent back to prison.
"If you're accused of something, you have every single right, you're innocent until proven guilty, to defend yourself and to comment on the things that are being said about you," he said.
Alvarez and Cardoza are now planning a wedding. He's thrilled that he'll have more time to take care of his health. But he said the prison system needs to develop clear rules for prisoners and their families.
"There's a lot of people like me at home, elderly that need their loved ones back so they can help, and they're being held over something really, really, really minor," he said. "It shouldn't be that way."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.nepm.org/2022-08-31/a-sudden-homecoming-for-one-of-the-people-sent-back-to-prison-with-no-warning | 2022-08-31T10:23:34Z | https://www.nepm.org/2022-08-31/a-sudden-homecoming-for-one-of-the-people-sent-back-to-prison-with-no-warning | false |
The city of Jackson was already struggling with a deteriorating water system long before the latest rains cut off access to safe drinking water for more than 150,000 people in Mississippi's capital.
For years, residents of the majority-Black city have endured everything from service disruptions and recurring boil-water advisories to concerns over contaminants like lead and E. coli bacteria, thanks to failures to upgrade Jackson's aging infrastructure.
With the city now under a state of emergency, officials are scrambling to distribute bottled water to tens of thousands of people in a city where roughly 1 in 4 people live in poverty. Amid the fledgling response, officials have sent mixed signals about how long it may take to restore service. City officials have said it could be "days," but Gov. Tate Reeves has said it is unclear exactly how long it will take.
The current crisis began last week, when days of torrential rain caused the Pearl River, which runs through Jackson, to swell and then crest around 35 feet high, according to the National Weather Service. In an emergency order issued Monday, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said the flooding "created problems with treating water" at the city's primary water-treatment facility, the O.B. Curtis Water Plant.
Yet even before last week's rains, concerns over Jackson's water system were well-documented, and the city was already under a state-issued boil water notice in the month leading up to the flooding.
"It was a near certainty that Jackson would begin to fail to produce running water sometime in the next several weeks or months if something didn't materially improve," Reeves told reporters this week.
"Until it is fixed, it means we do not have reliable running water at scale," Reeves said. "It means the city cannot produce enough water to fight fires, to reliably flush toilets, and to meet other critical needs."
A similar crisis played out last year
Across Jackson, the situation is an unwelcome replay of the winter of 2021, when bruising storms blanketed the state in ice and nearly decimated the city's water system. Pipes and water mains burst throughout the city, leaving tens of thousands without water — some for as long as three weeks.
The crisis came at a moment when the city was continuing to confront widespread worries about the safety of its drinking water. In 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency order warning that the water system in Jackson posed "an imminent and substantial endangerment" to residents and could contain dangerous contaminants such as E. coli. Four years earlier, state health officials alerted the city about elevated levels of lead in its drinking water.
At the root of the challenges in Jackson are decades of underinvestment in a sprawling water system made up of roughly 1,500 miles of water mains, some of which are over 100 years old. In 2013, the city sought to overhaul the system through a $90 million contract with Siemens to upgrade sewer lines, water-treatment plants and to install a new water-sewer billing system for residents.
But the deal brought myriad new issues for the city, including the installation of faulty water meters that measured water use in gallons instead of cubic feet. In the years following the installation, some residents received exorbitant bills for months of water use at a time, while others weren't billed at all. At one point, city officials advised residents to simply pay what they thought they owed, but unpaid bills would eventually strain Jackson's ability to address the system. The city ultimately sued Siemens and several local subcontractors for $450 billion in damages, reaching an $89.8 million settlement in 2020.
Fixing the system could cost billions
The city has also been unable to fully chip away at its service backlog, in part because a shrinking population has left it with a tax base that is roughly 20% smaller today than it was in 1980.
At the same time, it has struggled to secure state infrastructure funding. Last year, at least two bills aimed at helping raise money for water-system repairs died in the legislature. And in June 2020, Reeves, a Republican, vetoed bipartisan legislation designed to help residents with overdue water bills which, in turn, would have enabled the city to collect sorely needed water revenue.
In vetoing the bill, the governor acknowledged that residents "got overcharged in the past," but said the legislation would allow "politicians to say that individuals are not responsible for paying their water bill." Reeves also said there were "no safeguards in place" to ensure aid would go only to "the impoverished or needy."
Mayor Lumumba has estimated that modernizing the city's infrastructure could cost as much as $2 billion. Mississippi received $75 million from the federal infrastructure bill signed by President Biden last year for water and sewage needs, but that money is for the entire state, not Jackson alone.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.nepm.org/national-world-news/2022-08-31/the-water-crisis-in-jackson-follows-years-of-failure-to-fix-an-aging-system | 2022-08-31T10:25:13Z | https://www.nepm.org/national-world-news/2022-08-31/the-water-crisis-in-jackson-follows-years-of-failure-to-fix-an-aging-system | true |
P.F. Chang's expands Colorado presence with second P.F. Chang's To Go location
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- P.F. Chang's announced the opening of its newest P.F. Chang's To Go location in Longmont, Colorado, today. Continuing the national expansion of P.F. Chang's To Go, the fast-casual concept provides guests with bold, authentically crafted Asian food whenever the craving hits. P.F. Chang's To Go Longmont marks the second P.F. Chang's To Go location in Colorado, joining the recently opened Glendale location.
Launched in 2020 as part of the company's off-premise dining strategy, P.F. Chang's To Go features a smaller footprint while offering the same iconic, wok-fired dishes guests love in areas where a full-service bistro location would not be possible. The convenient format provides guests with easier to-go options that fit their needs including online and mobile app ordering, takeout, delivery and catering packages.
"We are excited to extend P.F. Chang's presence in northern Colorado with the opening of P.F. Chang's To Go Longmont," said Art Kilmer, P.F. Chang's chief operating officer. "From takeout and delivery to convenient catering options, P.F. Chang's To Go offers an easily accessible way for guests to order and enjoy scratch-made P.F. Chang's favorites, however it fits into their evolving, on-the-go lifestyle."
P.F. Chang's To Go Longmont is now open at 1100 Ken Pratt Blvd, Suite D, Longmont, CO 80501. Hours of operation are 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., seven days per week. The 1,500-square-foot location offers limited indoor seating for guests who prefer to dine in. Menu items include popular P.F. Chang's made-from-scratch dishes that guests know and love, like Chang's Spicy Chicken, Mongolian Beef and Chang's Lettuce Wraps.
P.F. Chang's To Go locations in Longmont and Glendale join seven P.F. Chang's full-service bistro locations in Colorado, including P.F. Chang's Aurora, P.F. Chang's Broomfield, P.F. Chang's Colorado Springs, P.F. Chang's Downtown Denver, P.F. Chang's Lakewood, P.F. Chang's Park Meadows, and P.F. Chang's Loveland.
In addition to expanding P.F. Chang's presence in northern Colorado, P.F. Chang's To Go Longmont adds approximately 30 new jobs to the community with opportunities in both culinary and hospitality fields. Qualified job candidates interested in a career with P.F. Chang's may apply at jobs.pfchangs.com.
About P.F. Chang's
Founded in 1993 by Philip Chiang and Paul Fleming, P.F. Chang's is the first internationally recognized multi-unit Asian culinary brand to honor and celebrate the 2,000-year-old tradition of wok cooking as the center of the guest experience. With roots in Chinese cuisine, today's menu at P.F. Chang's spans across all of Asia, honoring cultures and recipes from Japan, Korea, Thailand, and beyond. Each item offers a unique exploration of flavor, whether it's a handcrafted cocktail, wok-fired lunch bowl, or celebratory multi-course dinner. Worldwide, P.F. Chang's has more than 300 restaurants in 22 countries and U.S. airport locations, including a growing number of convenient P.F. Chang's To Go locations offering takeout and delivery. For more P.F. Chang's news, visit pfchangs.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @pfchangs.
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SOURCE P.F. Chang's | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/new-pf-changs-go-location-opens-longmont-colorado/ | 2022-08-31T10:25:25Z | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/new-pf-changs-go-location-opens-longmont-colorado/ | true |
“Reframed: The Woman in the Window,” the new show at London’s Dulwich Picture Gallery - sculpture, painting, photographs, and film – is getting rave reviews:
Rave reviews
"Bracingly intelligent" - the Daily Telegraph, "Delightfully inquisitive" - The Times, "Enthralling, imaginative and constantly surprising" – The Observer.
It’s peculiar, though, that Rembrandt’s “Girl at a Window” is on the list of exhibit examples. Can it be that Dulwich Gallery makes no distinction between a child and an adult?
In an essay about “Girl at a Window,” the gallery's assistant curator Helen Hillyard called the “girl” a “young woman.” This, of course, allows her to include the painting in a show about women in windows.
But later in her essay, Hillyard makes a clear distinction between child and adult by refuting a commonly held view that the figure in Rembrandt’s picture is Henrickje Stoffele, the woman he took as his mistress after the death of his first wife.
Hillyard argues that the model couldn’t have been Stoffele because she was 19 when the painting was made – “perhaps too old to be the girl,” she added. “Perhaps”? One may well wonder why she even bothered to include “Girl in a Window” in the first place.
As for the identity of the girl in Rembrandt’s painting, isn’t she the same one in his painting “Girl with a Broom”? Why hasn’t anyone noticed the similarity, down to their clothing?
In her 1964 Book “What is a Masterpiece,” art critic Charlotte Willard gauged the age of the figure in “Girl with a Broom” as 10 years old.
She also identified her as a servant. If she’s the same figure in “Girl in the Window,” we’re talking about a pre-teen servant girl with eyes that speak of a hard life.
Identity crisis
In both of Rembrandt’s paintings, you see a figure on a work break. In “Girl in the Window,” she has left her labors to lean on a window ledge, as if to take in fresh air.
In “Girl with a Broom,” she has left her labors to take a drink of water. In both paintings, her eyes are no longer innocent.
Showing with Rembrandt’s “Girl in the Window” are photos of performance artist Marina Abramovic taking the place of a sex worker in Amsterdam’s Red-Light District.
Can that be why Naomi Polonsky, a London-based art critic sees “undertones of sexual availability in this show?
If she’s right, where in the world is that undertone in “Girl in a Window”?
As packed with meaning as Rembrandt’s painting is, a painting on the exhibit theme even more packed is “View from the Window” by Caspar David French.
What you see is a view of the back of the artist’s wife Caroline bent forward as she looks out an open window overlooking the Elbe River in Dresden. Partially visible in the distance are masts of tall ships.
Seen from the back, you don’t get Caroline’s reaction to what she sees. You only get Caspar’s reaction to his wife looking out a window, his sense of her longing, perhaps of boarding a passing ship and sail away. So what you get is the artist’s uncertainty, his insecurity.
When the Daily Telegraph praises this show as "Bracingly intelligent," it's French's “View from the Window” that makes the case. | https://us.blastingnews.com/opinion/2022/08/london-show-opens-page-on-window-watchers-003551848.html | 2022-08-31T10:28:53Z | https://us.blastingnews.com/opinion/2022/08/london-show-opens-page-on-window-watchers-003551848.html | false |
Woman, 40, says she was left 'looking like Scar from the Lion King' due to her arched and swollen eyebrows that flared up after an allergic reaction to tint
- Jennifer Grajeda, from Chicago, Illinois, had been growing out her eyebrows
- But while shopping, she spontaneously decided to have them tinted for first time
- The 40-year-old said they immediately became red and irritated and eventually she looked like 'Scar from the Lion King' and had to be taken to A&E
A woman was left 'looking like Scar from the Lion King' after an allergic reaction to eyebrow tint caused her face to balloon and her eyebrows to arch like the Disney villain.
Jennifer Grajeda, from Chicago, Illinois, had been growing out her eyebrows but while on a shopping trip spontaneously decided to have them threaded and then tinted for the first time.
The 40-year-old said they immediately became red and irritated but when she woke up the following morning they were seeping orange fluid before swelling up like 'marshmallows'.
But the pet travel consultant's eyes ballooned so much that they almost completely shut leaving her barely able to see for hours - a 'terrifying' ordeal that left her 'debilitated'.
The mother-of-two was taken to A&E where she was given an antihistamine injection to reduce the swelling, but had to deal with them 'leaking' constantly before eventually scabbing over.
She said that it took a week for the swelling in her face to subside and two weeks for her brows to heal - leaving her looking like the notorious Disney cartoon villain.
A woman (pictured left) was left 'looking like Scar from the Lion King (pictured right)' after an allergic reaction to eyebrow tint caused her face to balloon and her eyebrows to arch like the Disney villain
Jennifer Grajeda (pictured before her allergic reaction), from Chicago, Illinois, had been growing out her eyebrows but while on a shopping trip spontaneously decided to have them threaded and then tinted for the first time
After the 'horrible' experience on June 13, Jennifer is now keen to raise awareness that such severe reactions can happen and to be wary when getting new procedures done.
Jennifer said: 'When I woke up that morning [the morning after] I felt that I looked like Scar from the Lion King because of how his eyebrows are raised and face is squished.
'At their most swollen I could barely see, it was terrifying. I've never had an eye injury or something like that happen before, it was just debilitating.
'I feared physically losing my eye and sight. I was having an internal panic attack thinking "what if I lose an eye over this? Was it worth it?"
'I've worked with animals in animal medicine before and I know it's completely unrelated but I've seen all crazy kinds of things happen with eyes.
The 40-year-old (pictured at hospital) said they immediately became red and irritated but when she woke up the following morning they were seeping orange fluid before swelling up like 'marshmallows'
But the pet travel consultant's eyes (pictured day after her treatment) ballooned so much that they almost completely shut leaving her barely able to see for hours - a 'terrifying' ordeal that left her 'debilitated'
'I was like "oh my god, I don't want to physically lose an eye". All these crazy things and the worst-case scenario were going through my head.'
Jennifer regularly had her brows tweezed, waxed and threaded for years but this was the first time she'd had them tinted.
Jennifer said: 'She threaded my eyebrows and I wasn't thinking of tinting them when I sat down but she offered, so I figured I'd give it a try. Unfortunately it didn't work out to the best of my advantage.
'I don't know if it was because she had threaded them first and my follicles were open.
'I figured I wasn't the first person ever to have this treatment done, so it didn't even dawn on me that I should have them a few days apart or had the dye tested on my hand.
The mother-of-two (pictured 18 days after her treatment) was taken to A&E where she was given an antihistamine injection to reduce the swelling, but had to deal with them 'leaking' constantly before eventually scabbing over
'I was laying there and felt a little tingle and said "it's feeling a little tingly maybe we should take it off?" and she was like "no, just another minute or two then we'll take it off".
'She took it off and I immediately felt my skin not responding too well so I went home and scrubbed my eyebrows to try and get it off as best as I could.'
Jennifer said that her brows were slightly swollen, red and irritated so she took an antihistamine to help with the itchiness.
After going to bed that night, Jennifer said the sensation of her eyebrows weeping woke her up and by the next morning their condition had significantly worsened.
Jennifer said: 'I woke up the next morning around 7am to my eyebrows weeping and seeping fluid and they started to get really swollen.
'I figured I'd wait it out a little bit and see how my body reacts and if I could fight it off with some more antihistamines and compresses, but that didn't work.
Jennifer (pictured getting her eyebrows tinted) said that it took a week for the swelling in her face to subside and two weeks for her brows to heal - leaving her looking like the notorious Disney cartoon villain
After the 'horrible' experience on June 13, Jennifer (pictured before heading to the hospital) is now keen to raise awareness that such severe reactions can happen and to be wary when getting new procedures done
'It got progressively worse really quickly as the day went on, they just got more and more swollen.
'My eyebrows and eyelids just started to swell up kind of like a marshmallow, my eyelids had swollen up to the point where I couldn't see out of them. I could feel my skin aching and pulling because of the swelling.'
By midday, Jennifer's eyes had shut so she waited until someone was free to drive her to hospital.
She arrived at A&E around 34-36 hours after having the treatment. There, the doctor warned her that her eyebrows may fall out, not grow back and that the allergic reaction could also cause scarring.
Jennifer said: 'I was a little mortified at that point about my lack of due diligence on my own part when it comes to health and beauty. I didn't want to be mad at the woman that had offered the treatment.
Jennifer (pictured before having her treatment) arrived at A&E around 34-36 hours after having the treatment. There, the doctor warned her that her eyebrows may fall out, not grow back and that the allergic reaction could also cause scarring
Around eight hours after starting medication from the doctor, Jennifer (pictured before having her eyebrows tinted) was able to fully see again
'But in the back of my mind I was just a little upset that she wasn't more vigilant by asking "are you allergic to hair dye? Have you ever had a reaction before? Let's test this on your skin first".
'My eyes were shut [could see a little] for about eight hours and then while the steroids started to kick in it offered some relief.
'They then started to leak and were constantly seeping with fluid - it was so gross how much came out. It was really painful, my eyebrows scabbed over. It was just really bad.'
Around eight hours after starting medication from the doctor, Jennifer was able to fully see again.
After taking a fortnight to heal, her eyebrows have luckily grown back but she's been left with some scarring.
Jennifer said: 'It was a horrible reaction that happened. 'When I was going through this and thinking about posting it so that people can be more aware it was important in my mind to stress to be your own advocate.'
Jennifer said: 'It was a horrible reaction that happened. 'When I was going through this and thinking about posting it so that people can be more aware it was important in my mind to stress to be your own advocate.
'That's the message that I'd really like to get across. I wanted to share my experience for people facing the same thing or for someone who's never done the treatment before to really think twice and be an advocate for your own health and safety.
'Do your due diligence - remember your health challenges or concerns if you've ever had an issue with whatever treatment you're having.
'Like hair dye, it's a chemical and our bodies change over time. You could not be allergic to something one year and could be the next.
'I just wanted to help people to be more of an advocate for themselves, because it was super embarrassing. I'm a 40-year-old woman and should have known better but life happens, we don't expect these things to happen.' | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11164047/Woman-left-looking-like-Lion-Kings-villain-Scar-eyebrow-tint-allergic-reaction.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490 | 2022-08-31T10:29:49Z | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11164047/Woman-left-looking-like-Lion-Kings-villain-Scar-eyebrow-tint-allergic-reaction.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490 | true |
Rather, you do. Some people say ‘Do I write poetry’ instead saying to you ‘you should’ do or make this, that. Well maybe you may want say they write on social issues… or social activisms, or maybe on political issues also like protest write down… If i got an ideal place & good pen set … definitely I will start this blog with me, about Me too . You see in order to avoid making you angry just a bit by some misjudgem NPR's Leila Fadel talks to former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul (mc-FAWL) about the legacy of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died yesterday in Moscow at 91.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul (mc-FAWL) about the legacy of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died yesterday in Moscow at 91.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.mainepublic.org/2022-08-31/reflecting-on-mikhail-gorbachevs-life-and-achievements | 2022-08-31T10:31:27Z | https://www.mainepublic.org/2022-08-31/reflecting-on-mikhail-gorbachevs-life-and-achievements | true |
Market drivers include proliferation of data and DER, favorable policy and regulation, and cloud computing & SaaS
BOULDER, Colo., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report from Guidehouse Insights analyzes the global market for distributed energy resource (DER) management technologies. The report delineates several categories of DER management technologies to provide a clear picture of the market and vendor landscape for industry stakeholders. Guidehouse Insights classifies solutions into IT/OT systems, asset management and monitoring & control, and DER analytics.
As renewable energy investments continue to expand and grow rapidly across on-grid and off-grid locations, investments in DER management technologies have also gained momentum around the globe. According to a new report from Guidehouse Insights, the global DER management technology market is expected to grow to nearly $24.8 billion in 2030, at a CAGR of 15.9%. Investments in IT/OT systems and DER analytics are expected to account for the majority of global spending given the cost and complexity of sophisticated command and control systems and wide range of analytics applications.
"As nascent technologies, the only consistent definition for DER management technology is a solution that enables a collection of use cases for managing DER," says Michael Kelly, senior research analyst with Guidehouse Insights. "Software vendors are capitalizing on burgeoning opportunities throughout the space with enhanced offerings targeted at electric utilities, aggregators, project developers, and more."
Several market drivers are coalescing to increase demand for DER management technologies across global markets. They include proliferation of data and DER, favorable policy and regulation, and cloud computing & SaaS. These drivers are a result of natural market and technology evolution, as well as top-down initiatives by policymakers and utilities to support growth in DER, according to the report.
The report, Market Data: DER Management Technologies, analyzes the market for DER management technologies, including advanced distribution management systems (ADMS), grid- and edge-based distributed energy resource management systems (DERMS), virtual power plants (VPPs), local flexibility market platforms, renewables monitoring & control, and DER analytics. It aims to enable current and prospective electric utilities and service providers to understand the drivers for projected demand and likely investment in DER management solutions and services. The report provides outlook and analysis for five global regions for 2021 through 2030. An executive summary of the report is available for free download on the Guidehouse Insights website.
About Guidehouse Insights
Guidehouse Insights, the dedicated market intelligence arm of Guidehouse, provides research, data, and benchmarking services for today's rapidly changing and highly regulated industries. Our insights are built on in-depth analysis of global clean technology markets. The team's research methodology combines supply-side industry analysis, end-user primary research, and demand assessment, paired with a deep examination of technology trends, to provide a comprehensive view of emerging resilient infrastructure systems. Additional information about Guidehouse Insights can be found at www.guidehouseinsights.com.
About Guidehouse
Guidehouse is a leading global provider of consulting services to the public sector and commercial markets, with broad capabilities in management, technology, and risk consulting. By combining our public and private sector expertise, we help clients address their most complex challenges and navigate significant regulatory pressures focusing on transformational change, business resiliency, and technology-driven innovation. Across a range of advisory, consulting, outsourcing, and digital services, we create scalable, innovative solutions that help our clients outwit complexity and position them for future growth and success. The company has more than 13,000 professionals in over 50 locations globally. Guidehouse is a Veritas Capital portfolio company, led by seasoned professionals with proven and diverse expertise in traditional and emerging technologies, markets, and agenda-setting issues driving national and global economies. For more information, please visit www.guidehouse.com.
* The information contained in this press release concerning the report, Market Data: DER Management Technologies, is a summary and reflects the current expectations of Guidehouse Insights based on market data and trend analysis. Market predictions and expectations are inherently uncertain and actual results may differ materially from those contained in this press release or the report. Please refer to the full report for a complete understanding of the assumptions underlying the report's conclusions and the methodologies used to create the report. Neither Guidehouse Insights nor Guidehouse undertakes any obligation to update any of the information contained in this press release or the report.
Cecile Fradkin
+1.646.941.9139
cfradkin@scprgroup.com
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SOURCE Guidehouse Insights | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/guidehouse-insights-estimates-global-market-distributed-energy-resource-management-technologies-will-grow-16-compound-annual-growth-rate/ | 2022-08-31T10:35:52Z | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/guidehouse-insights-estimates-global-market-distributed-energy-resource-management-technologies-will-grow-16-compound-annual-growth-rate/ | false |
It all started with the ladies sock ringed with penises.
Back in the mid-2000s, San Antonio knitting instructor Wendy Moreland was joking online with some knitting buddies about crafting a sock pattern that reflected their group’s personality. So, the saucy Gen-Xer whipped up this X-rated design: a subtle but subversive “girly sock” with a red waffle-knit pattern that looked innocent enough — that is, until you took a closer at the turned-over cuff to spot the row of not-quite-hidden phalluses.
The racy pattern was such a hit with her fellow knitters Moreland whipped up an anklet version. Then she crafted a companion “masculine” sock, a monochromatic design that looked like tree bark with knots that upon closer inspection were random vulvas.
The two NSFW designs remain Moreland’s most popular on the crocheting and knitting pattern site ravelry.com, where she markets the free “Penis Cakewaffle Anklet” and the $6 “Naughty Pine” along with her more family-friendly yarn patterns for berets, mitts and ponchos.
“I like things that turn something a little bit on its side, (with) edge,” said Moreland, whose knitting lessons at the Yarnivore needlecraft near Castle Hills are far tamer than the risqué creations she crafts at home.
On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio hair stylist designs colorful hair extensions for thousands of dollars
Many of these provocative pieces blow up convention with a well-stitched F-bomb and middle-finger attitude, whether it's speaking truth to power, speaking up for emotional and mental wellbeing or just, well, talking dirty.
“It’s fun to make something beautiful and then have something mildly profane about it,” said Haley Pierson-Cox, the Vermont-based needlecrafter behind such books as “Improper Cross-Stitch,” “Feminist Stitches” and “Bob Ross Cross Stitch.” “It’s sort of a mood lifter, but it also has a message that can spread in a visual medium, that can reach a whole lot more people than if I wrote, say, an academic essay on why I think the patriarchy needs reexamination.”
Pierson-Cox said subversive stitch-work has been around since angry little girls have cranked out cranky stitch samplers, though she traces the more modern naughty needlepoint to the “riot grrrl” feminist punk movement of the early 1990s.
“At that point, DIY started strongly intersecting with feminism,” she said. “When that happened, some of the more fun and playful things that you can do with a very traditional craft started coming out. Some of them are unexpected things and some of them have really strong messages.”
Those unexpected designs often give the traditional a risqué twist. Take a few examples from Etsy. The global marketplace for makers carries hundreds of subversive mottos and sexually graphic patterns and products that break the mold of the everyday embroidery hoop.
A few examples we can share include: a sarcastic spin on “Home Sweet Home” that says, “It’s not a whore house. It’s a whore home;” a most profane WWJD pattern that reads, “Whenever I’m in trouble I just think, ‘what would Jesus do?’ Then I pretend to be dead and disappear for three days;” and one of Moreland’s favorites, the treacly home décor staple “Live, Laugh, Love” redone on a small bedside pillow that instead says, “Live, Love, Lube.”
“People think that these are ‘ladylike’ crafts,” Moreland said. “And the whole ‘ladylike’ thing has been culture pretending that we don’t have anything that’s not clean and perfect and elegant and civilized, like people thinking women didn’t know swear words.
On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio's woman-owned tattoo shops are making their mark
“You can talk like a sailor and be kind,” she said, “but you can (also appear) super polite and nice and be a Karen.”
Then there are those sharp-witted stitch-works in the wake of the #MeToo movement, feminist designs that rip at patriarchy and toxic masculinity, as well as tear through the long-standing stereotypes of women who knit being shy or submissive.
Cases in point: Pierson-Cox’s “Feminist Stitches” patterns that include “Don’t Tell Me to Smile” and “Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History.”
“You can do an awful lot without causing trouble,” she said. “Or I guess you can cause good trouble without causing drama.”
On ExpressNews.com: Bad Moms of San Antonio Facebook group rages against social media myths of perfect motherhood
Pierson-Cox noted many women make naughty needlework as a creative outlet for anger, anxiety and depression. (“I have autism and also anxiety and depression,” she said.)
Craft artist and mental health advocate Emily Evans first fell in love with embroidery around three years ago in San Antonio after undergoing rehabilitation for an attempted suicide and a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Some her early pieces reflect her personal battles with anxiety and depression, while much of her latter work features faceless portraits of friends and families, abstract landscapes and even artsy homages to Scooby-Doo.
“I think a lot of it is healing for people that want to do something with their hands that is not destructive,” said Evans, who currently lives in California.
But Pierson-Cox stressed most of these stitch-works are about having fun making a traditionally clean and wholesome craft a little (or a lot) dirty.
This would explain why Moreland’s next NSFW project will be a cross-stitch piece with the closest equivalents to the F-word in every language, or why Evans’s favorite embroidery work juxtaposes classic floral designs with cuss words. Because nothing brings a smile in the needlework community quite like a flower hoop that says, “Shut the (expletive) up.”
“(The) ‘wine o’clock’ kinds of stuff? I don’t resonate with that,” Evans said. “I’m very crass, so I wanted it to come out in my art. We’re not all Betsy Ross sewing the American flag.”
rguzman@express-news.net | Twitter: @reneguz | https://www.expressnews.com/lifestyle/article/Naughty-needlework-San-Antonio-17408025.php | 2022-08-31T10:36:30Z | https://www.expressnews.com/lifestyle/article/Naughty-needlework-San-Antonio-17408025.php | false |
When Salman Rushdie was attacked last month, he was taking the stage at New York's Chautauqua Institution. The storied place in American cultural life is now rethinking how open it should be.
Copyright 2022 NPR
When Salman Rushdie was attacked last month, he was taking the stage at New York's Chautauqua Institution. The storied place in American cultural life is now rethinking how open it should be.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.ctpublic.org/2022-08-31/chautauqua-institution-re-examines-security-after-salman-rushdie-attack | 2022-08-31T10:36:37Z | https://www.ctpublic.org/2022-08-31/chautauqua-institution-re-examines-security-after-salman-rushdie-attack | true |
The government in Vietnam's capital Hanoi is bringing back archaic neighborhood loudspeakers to deliver information to the people. Few of them seem to want it.
Michael Sullivan is NPR's Senior Asia Correspondent. He moved to Hanoi to open NPR's Southeast Asia Bureau in 2003. Before that, he spent six years as NPR's South Asia correspondent based in but seldom seen in New Delhi. | https://www.ctpublic.org/2022-08-31/hanoi-brings-back-neighborhood-loudspeakers | 2022-08-31T10:37:00Z | https://www.ctpublic.org/2022-08-31/hanoi-brings-back-neighborhood-loudspeakers | false |
Energy and Commodities Leader Acquires MPGC and FUJCON from Conference Connection
NEW YORK, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Global Commodity Insights, the leading independent provider of information, analysis, events, and benchmark prices for the commodities and energy markets, announced today it acquired two flagship energy conferences from Singapore-based Conference Connection. The purchase of the Middle East Petroleum & Gas Conference (MPGC) and the Fujairah Bunkering & Fuel Oil Forum (FUJCON) further extends S&P Global Commodity Insight's leadership in events and conferences to the Middle East, joining other global flagship events such as CERAWeek, APPEC, and the World Petrochemical Conference (WPC). Financial terms were not disclosed.
Under previous leadership and guidance, MPGC and FUJCON have grown into must-attend gatherings for industry discovery and lively debate in the energy markets. The S&P Global Commodity Insights team looks forward to nurturing the valuable regional relationships and building on strong and secure conference foundations at this important time in the global energy transition.
Sue Avinir, Senior Vice President of Conferences & Advisory Solutions, S&P Global Commodity Insights, said: "The acquisition of MPGC and FUJCON provides S&P Global Commodity Insights with a truly global footprint in the energy events space. We look forward to enhancing and extending these events where market stakeholders come together to share diverse insights and enable business connections led by skillful event development and program management, which we will be delighted to continue under our S&P Global leadership."
MPGC is an annual event hosting hundreds of delegates and speakers from the oil and gas industry from a global and regional perspective. FUJCON is a biannual event that brings together hundreds of leaders in the oil and bunker space in the Middle East, including producers, traders, oil majors, and shipowners and operators.
Vimla Mulchand, Managing Director, Conference Connection, said: "We have firmly established our flagship events, FUJCON and MPGC as key industry events, thanks to the continuous support and collaboration of our distinguished hosts, speakers and sponsors. I look forward to working with S&P Global Commodity Insights to help the events grow further, to offer enhanced networking, create opportunities to build relationships with global players and foster knowledge exchange. This development further solidifies the presence and longevity of these events."
Dave Ernsberger, Head of Market Reporting & Trading Solutions, S&P Global Commodity Insights, said: "S&P Global Commodity Insights has long been the leader in assessments, benchmarking, and expertise in the energy industry and acquiring these established conferences further solidifies our global presence in the key energy markets. We are excited to provide longtime attendees, as well as new ones, with events and opportunities bolstered by our market knowledge and experience."
S&P Global Commodity Insights hosts events and conferences throughout the year that provide insights, connections, and information to industry stakeholders. Find general information on our website here: Events | S&P Global Commodity Insights, or register interest in FUJCON 2023 here: Fujairah Bunkering & Fuel Oil Forum (FUJCON 2023).
Media Contacts:
Global/EMEA: Alex Ortolani + 1 917-618-0709, alex.ortolani@spglobal.com
Asia: Melissa Tan + 65-6597-6241, melissa.tan@spglobal.com
Americas: Kathleen Tanzy + 1 917-331-4607, kathleen.tanzy@spglobal.com
About S&P Global Commodity Insights
At S&P Global Commodity Insights, our complete view of global energy and commodity markets enables our customers to make decisions with conviction and create long-term, sustainable value.
We're a trusted connector that brings together thought leaders, market participants, governments, and regulators and we create solutions that lead to progress. Vital to navigating commodity markets, our coverage includes oil and gas, power, chemicals, metals, agriculture, shipping and energy transition. Platts® products and services, including the most significant benchmark price assessments in the physical commodity markets, are offered through S&P Global Commodity Insights.
S&P Global Commodity Insights is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI). S&P Global is the world's foremost provider of credit ratings, benchmarks, analytics and workflow solutions in the global capital, commodity and automotive markets. With every one of our offerings, we help many of the world's leading organizations navigate the economic landscape so they can plan for tomorrow, today. For more information visit https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights.
About Conference Connection
The Conference Connection Group is an independent knowledge exchange platform that creates impactful opportunities for business discussions, strategy dialogue and networking by bringing together industry professionals, intergovernmental groups and business leaders under one umbrella across the energy and maritime industry. The Group is committed to organizing high profile events with an impressive portfolio that includes LNG Supplies for Asian Markets, the Condensate & Naptha Forum, the Global Bitumen Series and an extensive portfolio of management courses, executive briefings and technical seminars. The full portfolio can be viewed here: www.cconnection.org.
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SOURCE S&P Global Commodity Insights | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/sampp-global-commodity-insights-acquires-flagship-middle-east-energy-events-expand-presence-region/ | 2022-08-31T10:38:37Z | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/sampp-global-commodity-insights-acquires-flagship-middle-east-energy-events-expand-presence-region/ | false |
The government in Vietnam's capital Hanoi is bringing back archaic neighborhood loudspeakers to deliver information to the people. Few of them seem to want it.
Michael Sullivan is NPR's Senior Asia Correspondent. He moved to Hanoi to open NPR's Southeast Asia Bureau in 2003. Before that, he spent six years as NPR's South Asia correspondent based in but seldom seen in New Delhi. | https://www.wbaa.org/2022-08-31/hanoi-brings-back-neighborhood-loudspeakers | 2022-08-31T10:38:44Z | https://www.wbaa.org/2022-08-31/hanoi-brings-back-neighborhood-loudspeakers | true |
NEW YORK, Aug 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gross Law Firm issues the following notice to shareholders of Co-Diagnostics, Inc.
Shareholders who purchased shares of CODX during the class period listed are encouraged to contact the firm regarding possible lead plaintiff appointment. Appointment as lead plaintiff is not required to partake in any recovery.
CONTACT US HERE:
https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/co-diagnostics-inc-loss-submission-form-2/?id=31260&from=4
CLASS PERIOD: This lawsuit is on behalf of a class of all persons and entities who purchased the publicly traded securities of Co-Dx during the period of May 12, 2022 through the close of the market on August 11, 2022 (4:00 p.m. ET).
ALLEGATIONS: The complaint alleges that during the class period, Defendants issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) demand for the Company's Logix Smart™ COVID-19 test had plummeted throughout the quarter ended June 30, 2022, and (ii) as a result, defendants' positive statements about the demand for its Logix Smart™ COVID-19 test lacked a reasonable basis.
DEADLINE: October 17, 2022 Shareholders should not delay in registering for this class action. Register your information here: https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/co-diagnostics-inc-loss-submission-form-2/?id=31260&from=4
NEXT STEPS FOR SHAREHOLDERS: Once you register as a shareholder who purchased shares of CODX during the timeframe listed above, you will be enrolled in a portfolio monitoring software to provide you with status updates throughout the lifecycle of the case. The deadline to seek to be a lead plaintiff is October 17, 2022. There is no cost or obligation to you to participate in this case.
WHY GROSS LAW FIRM? The Gross Law Firm is nationally recognized class action law firm, and our mission is to protect the rights of all investors who have suffered as a result of deceit, fraud, and illegal business practices. The Gross Law Firm is committed to ensuring that companies adhere to responsible business practices and engage in good corporate citizenship. The firm seeks recovery on behalf of investors who incurred losses when false and/or misleading statements or the omission of material information by a company lead to artificial inflation of the company's stock. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
The Gross Law Firm
15 West 38th Street, 12th floor
New York, NY, 10018
Email: dg@securitiesclasslaw.com
Phone: (646) 453-8903
View original content:
SOURCE The Gross Law Firm | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-co-diagnostics-inc-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-october-17-2022-nasdaq-codx/ | 2022-08-31T10:39:09Z | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-co-diagnostics-inc-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-october-17-2022-nasdaq-codx/ | false |
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Invest in Watches
Invest in Land
Invest in Real Estate
Invest in Wine
Invest in Gold
Mortgages
Refinance
Purchase
Find a Mortgage Broker
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Alternative Investment Platforms
Best Real Estate Crowdfunding Platforms
REITs Versus Crowdfunding
How to Invest in Artwork
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Get Started
Is Bitcoin a Good Investment?
Is Ethereum a Good Investment?
What is Blockchain
Best Altcoins
How to Buy Cryptocurrency?
DeFi
Crypto and DeFi 101
What is DeFi?
Decentralized Exchanges
Best DeFi Yield Farms
Digital Securities
NFTs
NFT Release Calendar
What is a Non-Fungible Token (NFT)?
How to Buy Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
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Brighthouse Funds Trust II (FormNPORT-P) (0001752724-22-200220)
Accepted:
Form Type:
NPORT-P
Accession Number:
0001752724-22-200220 | https://www.benzinga.com/secfilings/22/08/28672514/brighthouse-funds-trust-ii-formnport-p-0001752724-22-200220 | 2022-08-31T10:39:14Z | https://www.benzinga.com/secfilings/22/08/28672514/brighthouse-funds-trust-ii-formnport-p-0001752724-22-200220 | true |
The city of Jackson was already struggling with a deteriorating water system long before the latest rains cut off access to safe drinking water for more than 150,000 people in Mississippi's capital.
For years, residents of the majority-Black city have endured everything from service disruptions and recurring boil-water advisories to concerns over contaminants like lead and E. coli bacteria, thanks to failures to upgrade Jackson's aging infrastructure.
With the city now under a state of emergency, officials are scrambling to distribute bottled water to tens of thousands of people in a city where roughly 1 in 4 people live in poverty. Amid the fledgling response, officials have sent mixed signals about how long it may take to restore service. City officials have said it could be "days," but Gov. Tate Reeves has said it is unclear exactly how long it will take.
The current crisis began last week, when days of torrential rain caused the Pearl River, which runs through Jackson, to swell and then crest around 35 feet high, according to the National Weather Service. In an emergency order issued Monday, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said the flooding "created problems with treating water" at the city's primary water-treatment facility, the O.B. Curtis Water Plant.
Yet even before last week's rains, concerns over Jackson's water system were well-documented, and the city was already under a state-issued boil water notice in the month leading up to the flooding.
"It was a near certainty that Jackson would begin to fail to produce running water sometime in the next several weeks or months if something didn't materially improve," Reeves told reporters this week.
"Until it is fixed, it means we do not have reliable running water at scale," Reeves said. "It means the city cannot produce enough water to fight fires, to reliably flush toilets, and to meet other critical needs."
A similar crisis played out last year
Across Jackson, the situation is an unwelcome replay of the winter of 2021, when bruising storms blanketed the state in ice and nearly decimated the city's water system. Pipes and water mains burst throughout the city, leaving tens of thousands without water — some for as long as three weeks.
The crisis came at a moment when the city was continuing to confront widespread worries about the safety of its drinking water. In 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency order warning that the water system in Jackson posed "an imminent and substantial endangerment" to residents and could contain dangerous contaminants such as E. coli. Four years earlier, state health officials alerted the city about elevated levels of lead in its drinking water.
At the root of the challenges in Jackson are decades of underinvestment in a sprawling water system made up of roughly 1,500 miles of water mains, some of which are over 100 years old. In 2013, the city sought to overhaul the system through a $90 million contract with Siemens to upgrade sewer lines, water-treatment plants and to install a new water-sewer billing system for residents.
But the deal brought myriad new issues for the city, including the installation of faulty water meters that measured water use in gallons instead of cubic feet. In the years following the installation, some residents received exorbitant bills for months of water use at a time, while others weren't billed at all. At one point, city officials advised residents to simply pay what they thought they owed, but unpaid bills would eventually strain Jackson's ability to address the system. The city ultimately sued Siemens and several local subcontractors for $450 billion in damages, reaching an $89.8 million settlement in 2020.
Fixing the system could cost billions
The city has also been unable to fully chip away at its service backlog, in part because a shrinking population has left it with a tax base that is roughly 20% smaller today than it was in 1980.
At the same time, it has struggled to secure state infrastructure funding. Last year, at least two bills aimed at helping raise money for water-system repairs died in the legislature. And in June 2020, Reeves, a Republican, vetoed bipartisan legislation designed to help residents with overdue water bills which, in turn, would have enabled the city to collect sorely needed water revenue.
In vetoing the bill, the governor acknowledged that residents "got overcharged in the past," but said the legislation would allow "politicians to say that individuals are not responsible for paying their water bill." Reeves also said there were "no safeguards in place" to ensure aid would go only to "the impoverished or needy."
Mayor Lumumba has estimated that modernizing the city's infrastructure could cost as much as $2 billion. Mississippi received $75 million from the federal infrastructure bill signed by President Biden last year for water and sewage needs, but that money is for the entire state, not Jackson alone.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wbaa.org/2022-08-31/the-water-crisis-in-jackson-follows-years-of-failure-to-fix-an-aging-system | 2022-08-31T10:39:40Z | https://www.wbaa.org/2022-08-31/the-water-crisis-in-jackson-follows-years-of-failure-to-fix-an-aging-system | false |
NEW YORK, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gross Law Firm issues the following notice to shareholders of Weber Inc..
Shareholders who purchased shares of WEBR during the class period listed are encouraged to contact the firm regarding possible lead plaintiff appointment. Appointment as lead plaintiff is not required to partake in any recovery.
CLASS PERIOD: This lawsuit is on behalf of persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Weber Class A common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and prospectus issued in connection with the Company's August 2021 initial public offering.
ALLEGATIONS: The complaint alleges that during the class period, Defendants issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Weber was reasonably likely to implement price increases; (2) as a result, consumer demand for Weber's products was reasonably likely to decrease; (3) due to the resulting inventory buildup, Weber was reasonably likely to run promotions to "enhance retail sell through"; (4) the foregoing would adversely impact Weber's financial results; and (5) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects, were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.
DEADLINE: September 27, 2022 Shareholders should not delay in registering for this class action. Register your information here: https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/weber-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=31254&from=4
NEXT STEPS FOR SHAREHOLDERS: Once you register as a shareholder who purchased shares of WEBR during the timeframe listed above, you will be enrolled in a portfolio monitoring software to provide you with status updates throughout the lifecycle of the case. The deadline to seek to be a lead plaintiff is September 27, 2022. There is no cost or obligation to you to participate in this case.
WHY GROSS LAW FIRM? The Gross Law Firm is nationally recognized class action law firm, and our mission is to protect the rights of all investors who have suffered as a result of deceit, fraud, and illegal business practices. The Gross Law Firm is committed to ensuring that companies adhere to responsible business practices and engage in good corporate citizenship. The firm seeks recovery on behalf of investors who incurred losses when false and/or misleading statements or the omission of material information by a company lead to artificial inflation of the company's stock. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
The Gross Law Firm
15 West 38th Street, 12th floor
New York, NY, 10018
Email: dg@securitiesclasslaw.com
Phone: (646) 453-8903
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SOURCE The Gross Law Firm | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-weber-inc-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-27-2022-nyse-webr/ | 2022-08-31T10:41:55Z | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-weber-inc-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-27-2022-nyse-webr/ | false |
Chelsea chase striker and Ronaldo’s future – transfer deadline talking points
By PA Staff published
Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit from Manchester United and the prospective arrival of a fellow superstar at Stamford Bridge are just two of the high-profile issues to be addressed on transfer deadline day.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at those clubs with specific shopping lists as we head into the final hours of what promises to be another hectic window.
Chelsea set to strike
A rumoured late bid to land Neymar may prove too ambitious even for Chelsea’s statement-seeking new owners, but the west London club are expected to be most active in the final hours of the transfer window as they look to sign a striker to solve their stuttering start to the season.
Wilfred Zaha and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have been mooted but a move for Everton’s Anthony Gordon appears to have come too late.
Meanwhile, boss Thomas Tuchel is expected to reinforce his back line with the arrival of Wesley Fofana from Leicester.
Ronaldo saga rolls on
Manchester United look to have spent up after signing Antony from Ajax for around £85million this week.
But more funds could be released if they successfully conclude the Ronaldo saga, with his agent Jorge Mendes reportedly pushing for a move to Napoli or Sporting. Suggestions a deal with the former could involve the arrival of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen at Old Trafford appear to have been dashed.
Meanwhile, according to reports, Memphis Depay could be targeted for a return five years after his departure to Barcelona.
Klopp’s men in the middle
A series of injuries to the likes of Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita have forced Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp to concede he was wrong to conclude that he had enough central midfielders at his disposal.
Despite Fabinho’s return in the 9-0 thrashing of Bournemouth to ease talk of a potential crisis, Klopp is back in the market, with Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz the latest to be linked.
The Reds also appear to have expressed an interest in Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, although it has been laughed off by the south-coast club.
Gunners set to pounce?
For all their promising start to the new season, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is acutely aware that the relatively small size of his squad could hamper their chase for the Champions League.
An injury to Mohamed Elneny at the weekend appears to have focused minds at the Emirates and the Gunners appear to have shown interest in strengthening after being linked with Youri Tielemans at Leicester as well as Wolves duo Pedro Neto and Ruben Neves.
Striking issues
Everton’s seemingly perennial push to bolster their forward line has led them to Villarreal’s Nigerian striker Samuel Chukwueze, according to reports on Merseyside.
Aston Villa seem to be on the hunt for a central defender, whilst managerless Bournemouth have obvious reasons to wish to boost their back-line.
Meanwhile, just when their rivals hoped soaring Manchester City had done enough, Pep Guardiola has refused to rule out another delve back into the transfer market, with Borussia Dortmund defender Manuel Akanji the latest to be linked.
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Temple University students started their Fall 2022 semester on Aug. 22, and for some students, moving away from home and taking on new responsibilities, like classes, internships and finances, can entail a plethora of stress.
College students’ mental health has consistently declined in recent years. More than 60 percent of college students meet criteria for one or more mental health problems, up nearly 50 percent from 2013, according to a March 2022 study in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
In addition, more than half of students have higher stress levels this year than they did in 2021, according to the National Society of Leadership and Success.
Students should set aside time in their schedules for self-care to help nurture their mental, physical and emotional well-being to help fight against stress. Self-care efforts help reduce stress and mental unwellness that contribute to students’ poor academic performance, social withdrawal and overall decrease in motivation and energy.
Stress affects all systems of the body, but self-care can help to combat symptoms according to the American Psychological Association.
Making time for self-care can be difficult for students with busy schedules, but it can be both a fun and productive experience.
Self-care is anything that promotes a student’s wellness, and even small efforts of those activities, like taking a 15-minute walk, journaling or meditating, can mitigate stress and improve mental and physical well-being.
When students ignore their mental, physical and emotional health, they enter survival mode, which doesn’t allow them to fully thrive in life, said Heidi Hutman, a psychological studies in education professor.
“Students tend to put self-care last,” Hutman said. “When you’re a student, you want to build practices that are going to let you have a happy life.”
There is a misconception that self-care is an elaborate process, which can deter students from prioritizing it, but it doesn’t have to be a weekend at a spa or dropping hundreds on shopping, Hutman said.
Some students may neglect making time for self-care because they are busy with college commitments, but when they do practice it, they can free more time in their schedules in the long run, according to Southern New Hampshire University. Caring for yourself gives their bodies and minds the chance to reset and recharge, boosting their productivity when they work, allowing them to get their responsibilities done faster and make more time for themselves.
“Having needs is not being needy, it’s not being selfish — it’s having needs,” Hutman said.
Grace Yanaitis makes time for self-care through taking breaks, engaging in physical activity and time management.
“I step away, go for a walk around my apartment or go get a glass of water,” said Yanaitis, a sophomore fine arts major. “I just get away from the environment for a little bit.”
Stepping away from a stress-inducing situation is a method of self-care that helps the brain refresh and have more energy, productivity and ability to focus, according to Cornell University.
The best way for Sophie Chen, a sophomore computer science major, to manage her mental health is by being physically active and using time management in the library on campus to prevent culminative stress around her schoolwork.
“If I don’t take care of my mental health, I can’t really get anything else done,” Chen said.
Stress can feel like a never-ending cycle, but it’s much easier to manage when using healthy coping mechanisms like watching comfort shows, creating a schedule to follow for time management or taking a walk at the end of the day in a self-care routine.
Self-care is not a selfish act and taking care of oneself is one of the best things to do for all aspects of health. There is science supporting self-care, but it shouldn’t take science to know that self-care is necessary. | https://temple-news.com/find-time-for-self-care-in-your-schedule-this-semester/ | 2022-08-31T10:47:21Z | https://temple-news.com/find-time-for-self-care-in-your-schedule-this-semester/ | true |
P.F. Chang's expands Colorado presence with second P.F. Chang's To Go location
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- P.F. Chang's announced the opening of its newest P.F. Chang's To Go location in Longmont, Colorado, today. Continuing the national expansion of P.F. Chang's To Go, the fast-casual concept provides guests with bold, authentically crafted Asian food whenever the craving hits. P.F. Chang's To Go Longmont marks the second P.F. Chang's To Go location in Colorado, joining the recently opened Glendale location.
Launched in 2020 as part of the company's off-premise dining strategy, P.F. Chang's To Go features a smaller footprint while offering the same iconic, wok-fired dishes guests love in areas where a full-service bistro location would not be possible. The convenient format provides guests with easier to-go options that fit their needs including online and mobile app ordering, takeout, delivery and catering packages.
"We are excited to extend P.F. Chang's presence in northern Colorado with the opening of P.F. Chang's To Go Longmont," said Art Kilmer, P.F. Chang's chief operating officer. "From takeout and delivery to convenient catering options, P.F. Chang's To Go offers an easily accessible way for guests to order and enjoy scratch-made P.F. Chang's favorites, however it fits into their evolving, on-the-go lifestyle."
P.F. Chang's To Go Longmont is now open at 1100 Ken Pratt Blvd, Suite D, Longmont, CO 80501. Hours of operation are 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., seven days per week. The 1,500-square-foot location offers limited indoor seating for guests who prefer to dine in. Menu items include popular P.F. Chang's made-from-scratch dishes that guests know and love, like Chang's Spicy Chicken, Mongolian Beef and Chang's Lettuce Wraps.
P.F. Chang's To Go locations in Longmont and Glendale join seven P.F. Chang's full-service bistro locations in Colorado, including P.F. Chang's Aurora, P.F. Chang's Broomfield, P.F. Chang's Colorado Springs, P.F. Chang's Downtown Denver, P.F. Chang's Lakewood, P.F. Chang's Park Meadows, and P.F. Chang's Loveland.
In addition to expanding P.F. Chang's presence in northern Colorado, P.F. Chang's To Go Longmont adds approximately 30 new jobs to the community with opportunities in both culinary and hospitality fields. Qualified job candidates interested in a career with P.F. Chang's may apply at jobs.pfchangs.com.
About P.F. Chang's
Founded in 1993 by Philip Chiang and Paul Fleming, P.F. Chang's is the first internationally recognized multi-unit Asian culinary brand to honor and celebrate the 2,000-year-old tradition of wok cooking as the center of the guest experience. With roots in Chinese cuisine, today's menu at P.F. Chang's spans across all of Asia, honoring cultures and recipes from Japan, Korea, Thailand, and beyond. Each item offers a unique exploration of flavor, whether it's a handcrafted cocktail, wok-fired lunch bowl, or celebratory multi-course dinner. Worldwide, P.F. Chang's has more than 300 restaurants in 22 countries and U.S. airport locations, including a growing number of convenient P.F. Chang's To Go locations offering takeout and delivery. For more P.F. Chang's news, visit pfchangs.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @pfchangs.
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SOURCE P.F. Chang's | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/new-pf-changs-go-location-opens-longmont-colorado/ | 2022-08-31T10:48:33Z | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/new-pf-changs-go-location-opens-longmont-colorado/ | true |
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The death toll from a truck crash in the Netherlands rose to seven Wednesday as local authorities said an unborn child was also killed when the vehicle drove off a dike and slammed into a neighborhood barbecue over the weekend..
“The loss is immeasurable and the grief immense,” local mayor Charlie Aptroot said in a statement. “So far, we have talked of six deaths, including 1 heavily pregnant woman. In consultation with the relatives, we have decided from now on to talk about seven deaths, including one unborn child.”
Police initially said that three men and three women were killed, ranging in age from 28 to 75 in the crash. A further seven people were hospitalized, one of them in critical condition.
The driver of the truck, a 46-year-old Spanish man, was taken into custody by police on suspicion of causing the crash that happened Saturday evening in the village of Nieuw-Beijerland, just south of the port city of Rotterdam. His identity wasn’t released, in line with Dutch privacy laws.
His truck careered down the side of a dike and into the midst of a barbecue attended by dozens of people from the close-knit local community. Police are investigating the exact cause of the crash.
Aptroot said the community was in deep mourning and he opened a condolence book at two local town halls and online.
“Let’s hold each other and be there for each other,” he said. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/world/dutch-truck-crash-toll-rises-to-7-including-unborn-baby/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2022-08-31T10:48:34Z | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/world/dutch-truck-crash-toll-rises-to-7-including-unborn-baby/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | true |
Temple University men’s soccer (1-0, 0-0- American Athletic Conference) defeated Lehigh University (0-1, 0-0 Patriot League) 1-0 in front of more than 500 at the Temple Sports Complex on Thursday night. This was the largest crowd at a Temple men’s soccer game since 2019.
“The fans always help us,” said redshirt junior goalkeeper Eoin Gawronski. “I think we build off of the fan energy, which is always as important for us.”
Temple started the game on a strong note as senior forward Yann Kouemi scored his first goal of the season and for Temple at the 6:30 mark to put the Owls up 1-0. Senior forward Mike Eijgendaal dribbled the ball down the right flank before sending in a low cross to Kouemi inside the box who slotted it into the upper portion of the net.
“It felt unreal, I’ve been waiting for this chance since I came in last year,” Kouemi said. “I was just excited, I wanted to score another one but I’ll save it for Monday. As soon as I saw Mike run and get the ball I had to make sure I got in front of the goalie before the goalie got there and tap it in, I have a good chemistry with Mike.”
Then the game started to get intense when Lehigh freshman defender Sam Davis received a yellow card for a late and dangerous slide tackle at the 14-minute mark.
The Mountain Hawks threatened to score a few minutes later at the 21-minute mark when junior midfielder Athanasios Cosse’s low-driven shot inside the box was saved and pushed off the post by Gawronski. Immediately after, Lehigh senior forward Jack Sarkos quickly fired off a rebound shot that was cleared off the goal line by Temple graduate student defender Elyad Shojaei.
In the 30th minute, senior forward Chaim Roserie crossed a ball across the face of the goal inside the box to sophomore midfielder Tessho Kobayashi, but his shot was saved by Lehigh sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Gross. Koboyashi’s rebound shot was then blocked by a Lehigh defender.
“If we could have scored a couple of the chances that we created it probably would have been a different game, but we’ll take the win,” Rowland said.
There was end-to-end action for the remainder of the game but only one shot on goal in the second half that was saved by Gawronski. Lehigh had a scoring opportunity in the 80th minute when freshman midfielder Yusef Gueye ripped a shot outside the box but it went high and it remained a 1-0 game.
Davis received a second yellow card in the 83rd minute for a strategic foul to stop Kouemi as he was beginning the start of his breakaway to goal.
The Owls ultimately held onto their one-goal lead, winning their first game of the season. Gawronski recorded five saves in the victory on top of his fifth shutout in his collegiate career.
The Temple offense registered five shots and three shots on goal in the winning effort.
“I think it’s a scary partnership for us,” Kouemi said. “Running at the defense, I think that’s really scary, we just need to keep working on movement together but I think every day we keep improving on that so I’m very excited for the games coming up.”
Temple will stay at home to face Seton Hall (1-0, 0-0 Big East) on Aug. 29 with a 7 p.m. kickoff at the Temple Sports Complex.
“Winning is good, we’re very much in the early phases of our team,” said head coach Brian Rowland. “I thought we performed some things well and other things we looked like we’re not quite there, which is fine.” | https://temple-news.com/temple-mens-soccer-secures-season-opening-victory-against-lehigh/ | 2022-08-31T10:49:04Z | https://temple-news.com/temple-mens-soccer-secures-season-opening-victory-against-lehigh/ | true |
Tributes are continuing to be paid to Princess Diana on the 25th anniversary of her tragic death. The mother of Princes William and Harry died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, along with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and Henri Paul, who was driving the vehicle.
Dubbed 'The People's Princess', Diana was at the time of her death one of the most photographed women in the world and was known for her sense of style and fashion. This included her jewellery collection, which she often dazzled fans and onlookers with.
Following her death at the age of 36, Diana's jewellery was split between her two sons, the Express reports. This included a famous ring containing a large aquamarine gem which has been described as a "replacement" engagement ring she used following her divorce from Prince Charles in 1996.
Read more:Kate Middleton could expand family brother James teases 'exciting' future for one of his puppies
Jewellery expert Claire Beatson said the ring which also features diamonds is "very impressive and high in value" and she believes its current value to be around £75,000. "Diana famously wore this ring after her divorce from Charles to act as a replacement for the 12-carat sapphire cluster ring," Ms Beatson said.
Since being given her jewellery, both William and Harry have given their mother's items to their respective partners, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle. And when it came to the aquamarine ring, it ended up on the Duchess of Sussex's finger.
Meghan was spotted wearing the stunning ring during her wedding reception in 2018, with royal fans spotting it as she waved to crowds from a car. She wore it again while on a royal tour in Tonga later the same year.
It is not the only jewellery item that Meghan owns which was either previous the property of Diana or has inspiration from her late mother-in-law. Her own engagement ring includes a pair of diamonds that were once part of the Princess of Wales' collection.
Diana's actual sapphire engagement ring is now under the ownership of the Duchess of Cambridge. Kate was first spotted wearing the 12-carat oval ring surrounded by diamonds at her engagement photocall in 2010 and rarely takes it off.
READ NEXT | https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/celebs-tv/meghan-markle-owns-princess-dianas-7528710 | 2022-08-31T10:49:29Z | https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/celebs-tv/meghan-markle-owns-princess-dianas-7528710 | false |
Canadian donates $172 million to Australian medical research
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - Canadian businessman Geoff Cumming on Wednesday promised 250 million Australian dollars ($172 million) over 20 years to fight the next pandemic in Australia´s largest ever donation to medical research.
The donation to Melbourne´s The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, also known as the Doherty Institute, will go toward creating the Cumming Global Center for Pandemic Therapeutics.
The center will develop new technologies to treat future pathogens of pandemic potential.
"We´re trying to provide protection for Australia, for the world," Cumming, a Melbourne resident, told reporters. "We will have more pandemics."
Doherty Institute director Sharon Lewin said her institute planned to raise AU$1.5 billion ($1.03 billion) over the next decade. The Victoria state government has committed AU$75 million ($52 million) to the project.
She described COVID-19 therapeutics as an area of "significant underinvestment."
During the first year of the pandemic, AU$137 billion ($94 billion) was publicly invested globally in vaccines compared to just AU$7 billion ($4.8 billion) in therapeutics.
"We´re really looking at developing the technologies for the future, not the technologies we currently have," Lewin told Australian Broadcasting Corp. | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-11164103/Canadian-donates-172-million-Australian-medical-research.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 | 2022-08-31T10:50:53Z | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-11164103/Canadian-donates-172-million-Australian-medical-research.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 | false |
Round-up of strikes and potential industrial action affecting the UK
Workers at Royal Mail, BT and journalists on some newspapers were on strike on Wednesday amid continuing industrial action across the country over pay, jobs and conditions.
Strikes or ballots for industrial action are being announced virtually every day as workers across the country join the growing campaign for pay rises to match soaring inflation in the face of the cost-of-living crisis.
Unions have described it as a “summer of solidarity” amid worsening industrial relations and accusations from union officials that the Government is doing little or nothing to help workers struggling with mounting bills.
Here are some of the upcoming strikes and potential disputes stretching into the autumn.
– September 5: Barristers in England and Wales start an indefinite strike over Government-set fees for legal aid work.
– September 8 and 9: Royal Mail workers in the Communication Workers union strike again over pay.
An Aslef member at a picket line at Willesden Junction station (PA)
– September 11: A strike ballot of Unite’s NHS members in England closes.
– September 15: A strike ballot of Royal College of Nursing members opens.
– September 16: A strike ballot of Unite’s NHS members in Wales closes.
– September 26: A national strike ballot opens of Public and Commercial Service union members over pay, pensions, jobs and redundancy terms.
– September 26: Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association at a number of rail companies stage 24-hour strike in the long running row over pay, jobs and conditions.
– October 21: GMB ballot of 100,000 local government workers closes. | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-11164145/Round-strikes-potential-industrial-action-affecting-UK.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 | 2022-08-31T10:52:15Z | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-11164145/Round-strikes-potential-industrial-action-affecting-UK.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 | true |
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A judge in Virginia dismissed a lawsuit Tuesday that had sought to declare two books as obscene for children and to restrict their distribution to minors, including by booksellers and libraries.
The books in question were “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe and “A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas.
Both books describe or illustrate sexual acts that prompted the lawsuit. In a petition to the court, Tommy Altman, a Virginia Beach tattoo shop owner and former Republican congressional candidate, said the depictions were inappropriate for children.
Altman asked the court to issue an order under state law against distributing, selling or loaning the books to minors. The suit was filed in April and dismissed Tuesday before it could proceed to trial.
Circuit Court Judge Pamela S. Baskervill struck it down on jurisdictional grounds, citing state law as well as the U.S. Constitution.
For example, Baskervill wrote that Virginia law doesn’t give her the specific authority to determine whether the books are obscene for minors.
The judge also wrote that restricting the books’ distribution would authorize “prior restraint” of speech and violate the First Amendment. The judge also described concerns about prosecuting someone who didn’t know they were selling or loaning books that were deemed to be obscene.
The judge’s order comes at a time when book challenges and bans have surged across the U.S. to levels not seen in decades. Virginia has been on the frontlines, with public school curricula and books serving as a major prong for Republican Glenn Youngkin’s successful run for governor last year.
Author and publisher groups hailed the judge’s decision.
Maria A. Pallante, president and CEO of the Association of American Publishers, said Tuesday that it was an “unequivocal victory for the free speech rights of readers, authors, publishers, booksellers and libraries.”
Eden Heilman, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, said “access to diverse perspectives is a huge part of our democracy, and any efforts to thwart that are really concerning.”
Heilman, who represented independent booksellers and other parties in the suit, said her organization will continue to fight such legal efforts.
Many of the targeted books have focused on sexuality, gender identity or race. Kobabe’s “Gender Queer,” a graphic novel that contains explicit illustrations of oral sex and masturbation, has served as a particular flashpoint.
The Virginia Beach school board removed the book from school libraries earlier this year, The Virginian-Pilot reported. Schools in Fairfax County, in northern Virginia, also briefly removed it last year before it was reinstated. Loudoun County Public Schools chose to pull the book.
In his petition against the fantasy book “Court of Mist and Fury,” Altman said it “contains pages of extreme sexual conduct not suitable for children as young as 10 years old.”
In his petition against “Gender Queer,” Altman cited content that illustrates “two minors engaged in sexual intercourse,” among other actions.
Jeff Trexler, an attorney for the author of “Gender Queer,” pointed out that Altman was running for Congress when he filed the suit. Altman lost in a crowded Republican primary.
“This isn’t 200 pages of people from various gender identities, having sex and nothing else,” Trexler said. “It’s an award-winning work as a literary memoir and as a graphic novel. It’s been relevant to lots of people in terms of understanding themselves and their children”
Tim Anderson, Altman’s attorney, said the lawsuit “was never never about trying to ban gay literature or trans literature.”
“This was simply just saying these (books) have really sexual explicit content and it’s not appropriate for kids,” Anderson said.
Anderson said the suit’s intent was changing a state law that determines what is obscene for both children and adults alike. Altman wanted a “carve out” that deems what’s obscene for juveniles specifically.
Anderson, who is also a state lawmaker, said Altman is considering his options following the judge’s order. He said one way forward could be a ratings system for books like there are for video games and movies.
“Fundamentally, what we’re trying to do is get to a point where parents are more in the driver’s seat of what their children are consuming,” Anderson said.
___
Associated Press National Writer Hillel Italie contributed to this report | https://www.kark.com/entertainment-news/ap-judge-tosses-suit-that-tried-to-deem-books-obscene-for-kids/ | 2022-08-31T10:54:49Z | https://www.kark.com/entertainment-news/ap-judge-tosses-suit-that-tried-to-deem-books-obscene-for-kids/ | true |
Easton stabbing: Men appear in court over assault
- Published
Two men have appeared in court charged in connection with a stabbing.
A 30-year-old man was taken to hospital after sustaining injuries in Stapleton Road, Easton, in Bristol on 25 August.
Kaleb Lewis, 25, of no fixed address, was charged with GBH and possession of a bladed article and Lermar Douglas, 18, of Easton, was charged with assisting an offender.
They were remanded in custody and will appear before Bristol Crown Court on 28 September.
The injured man has since been discharged from hospital.
Lewis was also charged with possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence in relation to a previous incident.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-62730205 | 2022-08-31T10:55:47Z | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-62730205 | false |
Rape at Victorious music festival investigated by police
- Published
Police are investigating reports of a rape and sexual assault at a music festival.
Hampshire Constabulary has launched an investigation into the alleged attacks at the Victorious Festival in Southsea.
Three sexual offences were reported along with others of assault, public order and drugs offences.
The festival was headlined by Sam Fender, Paolo Nutini and the Stereophonics.
About 100,000 people were expected to attend the two-day annual event in Portsmouth.
Superintendent Sarah Jackson said police worked with festival organisers to try to create a "safe and welcoming" environment.
"Sadly, we are now investigating a report of a sexual assault and a report of a rape on the site over the course of the weekend", she said.
No further details of the offences have been released by the police.
Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-62736329 | 2022-08-31T10:56:01Z | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-62736329 | true |
PRAHOVO, Serbia (AP) — The worst drought in Europe in decades has not only scorched farmland and hampered river traffic, it also has exposed a part of almost forgotten World War II history: The hulks of dozens of World War II German battleships have emerged from the Danube River as its water levels have dropped.
In the middle of the mighty river separating Serbia and Romania near the Serbian port of Prahovo, a rusty hull, a broken mast where the swastika flag used to fly, an upper deck where a command bridge used to be, a barrel that could have been holding fuel — or even explosive materials — lean on a pebblestone dune that has emerged from the water.
The ships, some still laden with munition, belonged to Nazi Germany’s Black Sea fleet that was deliberately sunk by the Germans as they retreated from Romania as Soviet forces advanced.
Historians say up to 200 German warships were scuttled in September 1944 near Prahovo in the Danube gorge known as The Iron Gate on the orders of the fleet’s commander as they came under heavy fire from the Soviets. The idea behind the deliberate sinking was to at least slow down the Soviet advance in the Balkans. But it did not help as Nazi Germany surrendered months later, in May 1945.
The unusually hot weather across Europe this summer was linked by scientists to global warming and other factors. The dropping water levels created dangerous conditions for shipping on many rivers on the continent, including the Danube, Europe’s second-longest river that flows through 10 nations. Authorities in Serbia have used dredging to keep vessels moving.
The wrecks appearing from the depths are an impressive sight, but they have caused decades of trouble for those using the river, and now the Serbian government, with European Union support, is planning to do something about them.
Some of the wrecks were removed from the river by the Communist Yugoslav authorities right after the war. But most of them remained, hampering shipping, especially in summer when water levels are low. For years there were plans to take the ships out of the muddy waters, but the operation was considered too risky because of the explosives they carried and there were no funds to do it until recently.
Now, the European Union and the European Investment Bank have agreed to provide loans and grants the operation to pull out some of the vessels near Prahovo in order to improve the traffic capacity of the Danube. The total cost of the operation is estimated at 30 million euros.
“These vessels have been sunk and they have been lying on the river bed ever since,” the European Union ambassador to Serbia, Emanuele Giaufret, said during a recent trip to the wreckage site. “And this is a problem. It’s a problem for the traffic on the Danube, it restricts the capacity to move, it’s a hazard because certain vessels still contain unexploded ordnance.”
Accompanying Giaufret was Alessandro Bragonzi, the head of the European Investment Bank in the Western Balkans.
He said the project consists of the removal of 21 sunken vessels.
“It has been estimated that more vessels are underwater, up to 40, but those that are currently impeding the fairway conditions of the Danube, especially during periods of low water level, are 21,” Bragonzi said.
Experts say the salvage operation will consist of removing the explosive materials from the sunken vessels and then destroying the wrecks, rather than dragging the ships out of the river. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-danube-drought-reveals-parts-of-hidden-wwii-history/ | 2022-08-31T10:56:03Z | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-danube-drought-reveals-parts-of-hidden-wwii-history/ | false |
By Reason Razao
GOVERNMENT says findings of the 2022 Population and Housing Census Functioning Survey have shown the urgency to address broader social needs of persons with disabilities (PWDs), which include provision
of technology for use at workplaces and educational institutions, among others.
According to a report presented to Cabinet by Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mthuli Ncube, an estimated 9, 2% of the population consists of persons with functional difficulties throughout the country.
Addressing a post Cabinet media briefing in Harare Tuesday, Information Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa said: “Cabinet wishes to inform the nation that the study established that there are 1 207 140 (9, 2%) persons with
functional difficulties throughout the country.”
Women account for 718 899 or 59, 6% of that figure.
“Matabeleland North has the highest number at 11, 4%, while Harare has the lowest number at 5, 2%,” she added.
Rural areas have 74% of persons with varying degrees of difficulty in performing activities, while urban areas account for 26 % of that population, according to Mutsvangwa.
“Females have higher proportions of difficulty across the six domains of difficulty in both rural and urban areas.
“The prevalence of people with “a lot of difficulty” in at least 1 domain is 1, 6 %, while 0,3 % are in the ‘cannot do at all’ category,” she said.
According to statistics provided by the minister, the country’s total population of 13 066 443 consists of persons aged 5 years and above.
One in 1 200 people in this age group faces a lot of difficulty in both seeing and hearing.
“Illness and ageing are the largest underlying causes of difficulty in both seeing and hearing, while ‘born with difficulty’ is the major cause for difficulty in communication,” said Mutsvangwa.
Prevalence of disability in children aged 5-17 years is 3,5 percent, with disability being more in rural than in urban areas.
Mutsvangwa also revealed the total number of persons with albinism stood at 9 753, which is one in every 1 500 persons.
“Females with albinism are slightly higher in all provinces except Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West and Masvingo.
“These findings of the 2022 Population and Housing Census Functioning Survey will go a long way in guiding government’s efforts at targeting interventions across the sectors.” | https://www.newzimbabwe.com/9-zimbos-living-with-disabilities-govt-addressing-social-needs-of-vulnerable-population/ | 2022-08-31T10:57:06Z | https://www.newzimbabwe.com/9-zimbos-living-with-disabilities-govt-addressing-social-needs-of-vulnerable-population/ | false |
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — There is only so much farmland in the United States, so when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last spring prompted worries that people would go hungry as wheat remained stuck in blockaded ports, there was little U.S. farmers could do to meet the new demand.
But that may be changing.
Earlier this summer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture instituted new policies to encourage American farmers to begin growing two crops on one piece of land, one after the other, a practice known as double-cropping. By changing insurance rules to lessen the risk of growing two crops, the USDA hopes to significantly increase the amount of wheat that U.S. farmers could grow every year, lessening the reliance on big wheat producers like Ukraine and Russia and eliminating bottlenecks.
The idea is an intriguing development from the Ukraine war that hasn’t received widespread attention. As fall approaches, it’s unclear how many farmers will actually try the new system, but some who already grow two crops say it’s something farmers should consider.
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Illinois farmer Jeff O’Connor, who has double-cropped for years and hosted President Joe Biden at an event in May to promote efforts to increase food production. “How successful it will be, I don’t know.”
Even if the effort is only moderately successful, agriculture groups are hoping for new ways of meeting a growing global demand for food while generating more profit for farmers amid high fertilizer and fuel costs. As Andrew Larson with the Illinois Soybean Association put it, “It removes some of the hurdles and provides a lot more flexibility.”
In 2020, the U.S. exported wheat valued at $6.3 billion. The U.S. along with Russia, Australia and Canada usually lead the world in wheat exports, with Ukraine typically ranked fifth, though its shipments will drop this year due to the war.
Double-cropping isn’t new in parts of the South and southern Midwest, which have the key advantage of longer growing seasons. Those warmer temperatures let farmers squeeze in a fall planting of one crop — usually winter wheat — that is dormant over the winter and then grows and can be harvested in late spring, just as farmers plant a second crop — typically soybeans.
The problem comes when cool weather delays the spring harvest of wheat, which in turn delays the planting of soybeans. And that’s where the USDA’s new effort could ease the risk of a costly planting backup.
The USDA’s Risk Management Agency would streamline crop insurance approvals for farmers planting a second crop in more than 1,500 counties where double-cropping seems viable. The agency also would work with crop insurers and farm groups to promote a greater availability of coverage in other counties.
In announcing its effort, the USDA said it was aiming to “stabilize food prices and feed Americans and the world amidst continuing challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.”
The USDA didn’t mention climate change, but the agency and other experts have long said warming temperatures will spur farmers to rethink what they grow and how.
The new program is focused more on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is a leading supplier of wheat to people in Africa and the Middle East. After the invasion, wheat prices nearly doubled to over $12 a bushel, though since then prices have steadily dropped as supply concerns have eased, in part because of agreements that have allowed for the export of some Ukraine wheat.
The USDA didn’t respond to a request for details about how many farmers the agency hopes will begin double-cropping or how much U.S production could increase.
Farmers who double-crop often have smaller crops, but two smaller crops would still be significantly larger than an individual crop.
A study published in August by the University of Illinois and Ohio State University found that was certainly the case this year, as high wheat prices resulted in double-cropped land in southern Illinois bringing a projected $251 per acre return for wheat and soybeans, which is $81 higher than a stand-alone soybean crop. The double-crop benefit was less dramatic in other parts of the state and could be less if wheat prices drop.
Mark Lehenbauer, who raises livestock and grows row crops near Palmyra, Missouri, said he’s double-cropped for years and finds it reliably profitable. Still, he cautions that there is a years-long learning curve as farmers learn how to accomplish the task of planting one crop just as they need to harvest another.
And Lehenbauer acknowledged that many farmers may simply be reluctant to take on the added risks or extra workload.
“There are a lot of extra steps in there,” Lehenbauer said. “It adds some complexity.”
Ultimately, the biggest factor behind whether farmers begin growing an extra crop of wheat is what price they can get for the crop, said Pat Westhoff, director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri. Although prices have dropped from the peaks soon after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, they remain at the still profitable level of nearly $8 a bushel.
“It really comes down to where wheat prices go in the future,” he said. “Even with the drop in prices we’ve seen, wheat prices are pretty high so there should be a little more incentive for wheat double cropping in this next year than there has been.”
___
Follow Scott McFetridge on Twitter: https://twitter.com/smcfetridge | https://www.kark.com/news/business/ap-us-asks-farmers-can-you-plant-2-crops-instead-of-1/ | 2022-08-31T10:58:49Z | https://www.kark.com/news/business/ap-us-asks-farmers-can-you-plant-2-crops-instead-of-1/ | true |
PRAGUE (AP) — Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren expressed concern Tuesday about gun violence in the United States in the aftermath of a shooting in Indianapolis over the weekend that left one Dutch soldier dead and two wounded.
“We do many trainings of our servicemen in the United States, and we really don’t expect this to happen. So it’s very, very concerning for us.” Ollongren told The Associated Press at a meeting of European Union defense ministers in Prague.
A 26-year-old member of the Dutch Commando Corps, identified by U.S. authorities as Simmie Poetsema, died of his injuries “surrounded by family and colleagues,” the Dutch Defense Ministry said in a statement Monday.
Poetsema and the two other soldiers were shot after what Indianapolis police believe was a disturbance outside the hotel where they were staying about 3:30 a.m. Saturday near several downtown bars and nightclubs, authorities said. The soldiers were in the U.S. for training exercises at a southern Indiana military base.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said Monday that the soldiers had returned to the hotel after a “scuffle” at a bar and were outside when the gunfire came from what he called “a drive-by shooting.”
Indianapolis police declined to confirm Hogsett’s account Tuesday or release more information on the circumstances or the investigation of the shooting. No arrests have been announced.
Ollongren declined to comment on the shooting while investigations continue. She said there is “good contact” between Dutch military police and authorities in Indianapolis.
“We have read things in the media, we have heard what the mayor said but we feel it’s very important to have a real thorough investigation. So we’re waiting for that until we comment on what actually happened,” she said.
Ollongren said U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin contacted her Monday “to express his regrets and his condolences.”
Hogsett said he believed the city’s downtown area was safe and that city officials were working to reduce violence.
“Too often, not just in Indianapolis, conflict resolution has become just people pulling out guns and shooting each other,” Hogsett said. | https://www.kark.com/news/national/ap-dutch-defense-minister-concerned-about-us-gun-violence/ | 2022-08-31T10:59:32Z | https://www.kark.com/news/national/ap-dutch-defense-minister-concerned-about-us-gun-violence/ | true |
Q. If my parents want to gift my husband and me $150,000 for a down payment on a house, does this mean $64,000 of it would meet their annual gift tax exclusion, and then the remaining $86,000 would “debit” from their lifetime gifting of $12.06 million, and none of the $150,000 would be taxed? Some people have told me some of the money would be taxed.
— Buyer-to-be
A. We’re glad you’re not just listening to “some people.” | https://www.nj.com/news/2022/08/if-my-parents-give-me-money-for-a-house-will-it-be-taxed.html | 2022-08-31T11:00:45Z | https://www.nj.com/news/2022/08/if-my-parents-give-me-money-for-a-house-will-it-be-taxed.html | false |
An Exmouth teenager, who had been in the midst of his mock exams, unexpectedly ended his life after becoming more withdrawn in the last few weeks before his death.
Ben Olieff, a student at Exmouth Community College, was found passed away at the foot of cliffs at Sandy Bay Beach by a dog walker on the morning of November 23, 2021, Devon Live reports.
The 17-year-old's father, Philip Cooper, had spoken to him the previous evening in a bid to get him to open up about how he was feeling and to reassure him that his exams were not important, an inquest into his death at Exeter’s County Hall heard today, August 30.
READ MORE: Man finds 'WW2 bomb' while magnet fishing in Bath canal
Ben was described as a quiet and studious teenager who spent much of his time in his bedroom gaming or working part-time at Surf and Turf Restaurant in the town.
He was studying psychology, computing and information technology and had planned to pursue a career in computer security.
In a statement his father told how his son was 'super bright', was very good at playing the piano and enjoyed building computers. For the past couple of years, he had been living with his father and his father's wife and showed a flair for cooking.
READ MORE: Sarah Beeny misses CarFest but thank fans for 'kind messages' following cancer diagnosis
However, in the weeks leading up to his death, he had shown less interest in cooking and eating, had turned down an extra shift where he worked which was said to be out of character and had become more withdrawn at home and college.
The inquest heard three weeks before Ben's death he was asked to leave a psychology lesson to improve on work he had been set. However, he did not return back to the lesson again and was observed in other classes as having been 'very unhappy' and displaying different behaviour.
The college shared their concerns with Mr Cooper who recalled having a chat with Ben in his bedroom the day before he was found passed away, but that he did not share any concerns or worries.
READ MORE: Police helicopter over Kingswood after Wick football club break-in
The following day Ben did not show up for a mock exam at college and had sent end of life messages to a friend at around 12.50pm that previous evening, but they were not picked up until the following afternoon as the friend was poorly.
The friend told police that Ben never talked about feeling suicidal and that although he was aware of other suicides in their peer group, he didn’t recall it being talked about within their friendship group or any worries being shared about mock exams.
The cause of Ben's death was confirmed as multiple severe injuries due to a fall from height. No drugs or alcohol were detected. Ben's medical records stated he had been previously fit and well and that he had no known mental health concerns.
A suicide note was found in his bedroom. A police investigation revealed Ben had used his computer for internet searches surrounding suicide from November 17, and most recently the success rate of a suicide hotline.
Recording a conclusion of suicide, coroner Philip Spinney said: “Taking the evidence as a whole, I am satisfied it is probably more likely than not Ben took his own life by jumping from cliffs at Sandy Bay and intended to do so."
Speaking after the inquest, Ben's father praised the help the family and students at Exmouth Community College had received from Exmouth-based Pete's Dragons, an award-winning charity specialising in suicide bereavement support for people and families of all ages, and shared hopes that no more young lives are lost.
He said: "The damage has already been done but if there is any way we can prevent or make people aware there is sufficient help out there then that is the main thing. We don't want anyone to have to suffer on their own and people can talk to someone anonymously.
"About a year before Ben's death a fellow student in his year took his own life. I had discussed it openly with Ben and the emotional mess that's left behind.
"Since Ben's death another person in Ben's peer group has died of suicide and there was no indication he was unhappy at all. How young people come to the conclusion that they can't go forward is heartbreaking.
"Ben's funeral was standing room only and all the post-16s turned out. We made an effort to point out Pete's Dragons on the order of service and to make sure every student had a leaflet from the charity.
"It was discussed among students and the school and several people have come forward expressing concerns about Ben's death and their own problems."
The Samaritans can be reached round the clock, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you need a response immediately, it’s best to call them on the phone. You can reach them by calling 116 123, by emailing jo@samaritans.org or by visiting www.samaritans.org
READ NEXT | https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/teenager-found-dead-westcountry-beach-7528660 | 2022-08-31T11:02:26Z | https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/teenager-found-dead-westcountry-beach-7528660 | false |
Which pencil grip is best?
Pencil grips are small attachments that help people grasp and use pencils easily, properly and with comfort. Writing by hand is an important fine motor skill and when developed properly, it ensures a functional grasp on the pencil.
Pencil grips are particularly useful for people with small hands, young children in the early stages of developing fine motor skills, and people who spend hours each day writing and drawing. If you are looking for an assortment of pencil grips as a way to find which is best for your needs, take a look at the The Pencil Grip Premium Assortment 12-Pack .
What to know before you buy a pencil grip
Pencil grips are learning tools for young children and comfortable add-ons that reduce fatigue for adults, especially those with arthritis. To keep your pencil grips organized along with your pencils, a pencil case or pencil holder always comes in handy.
Types of pencil grips
- The original pencil grip: The first pencil grip was designed to aid in the proper placement of the fingers for both left- and right-handed writers. Grips come in mini, standard and jumbo sizes.
- Crossover grip: This grip has a wing on the front that prevents the thumb and fingers from wrapping over the pencil shaft, giving more control and increasing the writer’s comfort.
- Grotto grip: This version also has a wing, but in addition, has molded slots for the thumb and index finger and an indentation of the bottom that rests the grip on the middle finger. It decreases pencil pressure and hand fatigue.
- The claw grip: This design from the Center for Learning and Writing has three finger cups that can be used by both right- and left-handed writers and comes in three sizes. Claw grips eliminate the typical stress on joints and muscles, greatly reducing joint pressure and muscle fatigue. Another bonus is that this pencil grip works not only with pencils, but also with crayons, markers and paint brushes.
- Firesara grip: This design has two finger cups and in place of the third on the claw grip, it has a ring for proper placement of the middle finger. Learners place their index finger and thumb in the cups and insert their middle finger in the ring. It helps the three primary writing fingers stay firmly connected to the pencil shaft.
- Traditional triangle: The flat triangular sides make it easy to position the fingers properly and have the added benefit of not rolling off the desktop.
Although pencil grips were originally designed to teach young children how to hold a pencil properly, many adults like them because they are more comfortable to use than just a pencil alone. Some types are especially useful for arthritic fingers and people seeking comfort:
- Classic foam: These simple tubes are cushioned to relieve pressure and add comfort.
- Ergo: These are simple grips that make pencils and pens easy to handle because wider writing instruments are easier to hold for people with stiff joints.
- Comfort: These simple circular grips are made of super-soft foam that reduce gripping discomfort.
- Write right stylus: This one is a tablet stylus with the gripper built in. It is symmetrical and so can be used by left- and right-handed writers.
What to look for in a quality pencil grip
Design
Look for pencil grips designed by doctors, kinesiologists, occupational therapists and educators who work with children day in and day out.
Materials
The best pencil grips are comfortable to use, so look for grips made of soft materials such as gels and foams that have no ridges or sharp edges.
Colors
Little kids will sometimes balk at using pencil grips because they feel uncomfortable at first. Your children will be likelier to use pencil grips if they are colorful and eye-catching.
Sizes
Most pencil grips are made to fit snugly around the barrel of a standard-width pencil. Take a closer look at pencil grips that can be used with pens, crayons, markers and all the instruments you and your children write and draw with.
Assortments
Every pencil grip does not work equally well for every child and adult. If you choose an assortments of pencil grips, you will be able to experiment and find the ones best suited for you and your kids.
How much you can expect to spend on a pencil grip
Because they’re so small, most pencil grips come in sets, and the number of grips in the set is the main factor in their pricing. Expect to pay anywhere from $5-$35 for a set.
Pencil grip FAQ
What if my child says a pencil grip is uncomfortable?
A. Pencil grips are only uncomfortable because the child has been using their hand and finger muscles improperly. Learning to use the correct muscles in the correct way has a learning curve, but a short period of discomfort will pay off in many years of writing success. Kids don’t understand deferred gratification like adults do, so the best strategy is to be patient and encouraging. It also helps if you set an example by using them yourself.
How do I know which pencil grip to buy for my child?
A. Short of working with a pediatric kinesiologist, start with buying a selection that includes different designs. Encourage your child to play with the different shapes and colors as part of an adventure.
What’s the best pencil grip to buy?
Top pencil grip
The Pencil Grip Premium Assortment 12-Pack
What you need to know: These pencil grips were designed by a doctor to be used at home, in classrooms and in therapeutic sessions.
What you’ll love: You get two each of six designs: original, crossover, pinch, claw, bumpy and groovy. All are squishy grips for comfort and control, excellent for both righties and lefties and fit pencils, pens, crayons, markers and styluses.
What you should consider: They would be easier to keep track of if they were color coded.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top pencil grip for the money
The Pencil Grip Pinch Grip Ergonomic Writing Aid
What you need to know: This grip fills the gap between grips that are highly structured and grips that provide more freedom.
What you’ll love: The open cups guide the fingers into the proper writing position and the center ridges prevent the fingers from crossing over. These grips train the muscles so that a proper grip is not only comfortable, but quickly becomes second nature.
What you should consider: These grips are made to work with regular pencils only.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Chrome Cherry Omni Grip Six Premium Pen and Pencil Grips
What you need to know: These silicone grips are designed specifically for those who do a lot of writing with pens and pencils.
What you’ll love: The tapered ergonomic grip has a rolling triangle for effortless handling, is textured for precise control and reverses to suit any style. The cushion prevents calluses and blisters and is easy for arthritic fingers to grasp and hold.
What you should consider: These grips fit most pens, but not all.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
David Allan Van writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wowktv.com/reviews/br/office-br/writing-supplies-br/best-pencil-grip/ | 2022-08-31T11:02:37Z | https://www.wowktv.com/reviews/br/office-br/writing-supplies-br/best-pencil-grip/ | false |
Are you curious? I hear people say all the time they don’t know why people aren’t curious. Ask one good question a day. Be curious, it’s ok, really!!
Are you curious? I hear people say all the time they don’t know why people aren’t curious. Ask one good question a day. Be curious, it’s ok, really!! | https://warm1069.com/enough-about-curiosity/ | 2022-08-31T11:02:52Z | https://warm1069.com/enough-about-curiosity/ | true |
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BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s long-running power struggle between rival Shiite camps devolved into bloody street violence this week – the culmination of months of simmering tensions and a political vacuum.
For 24 hours, loyalists of powerful cleric Muqtada al-Sadr transformed the country’s government Green Zone into a front line, trading fire with security forces and rival militias, and bringing the capital to a standstill. Just as quickly, with a single word — “withdraw” — from the cleric in a speech Tuesday, the fighting came to a stop.
His supporters put down their weapons and left.
It was a powerful message to al-Sadr’s Iran-backed rivals and the political elite of the cleric’s enduring power over his hundreds of thousands of followers and an equally dangerous example of the damage they are capable of doing to the embattled country.
Following his calls for withdrawal, Iraqi leaders, including the caretaker premier, expressed their thanks to al-Sadr and praised his restraint.
Al-Sadr has long derived his political influence from his ability to to both command his mass following to destabilize the street, and just as quickly bring them into line. His announcement Monday that he would exit politics showed Iraqis what could happen when that voice of restraint is taken away: chaos, devastation and death.
The protests and heavy clashes that have so far left 30 killed and over 400 wounded may have come to a close, but the political impasse that brought on this chapter of unrest is far from over.
So, what does al-Sadr want and is there an end to Iraq’s crisis?
WHO IS MUQTADA AL-SADR?
Al-Sadr is a populist cleric who emerged as a symbol of resistance against the U.S. occupation of Iraq after the 2003 invasion. He formed a militia, the Mahdi Army, that eventually disbanded and renamed it Saraya Salam — the Peace Brigades.
He has presented himself as an opponent of both the U.S. and Iran and has fashioned himself a nationalist with an anti-reform agenda. In reality, he is an establishment figure with deep influence in Iraq’s state institutions through the appointments of key civil servants.
Al-Sadr derives much of his appeal through his family legacy. He is the son of Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Sadeq al-Sadr, who was assassinated in 1999 for his critical stance against Saddam Hussein. Many of his followers say they are devoted to him because they were once devotees of his father.
Al-Sadr eventually entered politics and garnered a reputation for being unpredictable and theatrical by frequently calling on his followers to gain political leverage over his rivals. His powerful rhetoric infused with religion and calls for revolution resonated deeply with his disenfranchised following.
Through these strategies he has become a powerful player with a fiercely devoted grassroots following concentrated in Iraq’s most impoverished quarters. Most of his loyalists who stormed the Green Zone were unemployed and blamed the Iraqi political elite.
In 2021, al-Sadr’s party won the largest share of seats in October parliamentary elections but not enough to secure a majority in government. His refusal to negotiate with his Iran-backed Shiite rivals on forming a government plunged Iraq into an unprecedented political vacuum now in its tenth month.
WHAT DO AL-SADR’S FOLLOWERS WANT?
The political crisis escalated in July when al-Sadr’s supporters broke into parliament to deter his rivals in the Coordination Framework, an alliance of mostly Iran-backed Shiite parties, from forming a government.
Hundreds staged an ongoing sit-in outside the building for over four weeks. Frustrated when he was not able to corral enough lawmakers to form a government that excluded his rivals, al-Sadr also ordered his bloc to resign their parliamentary seats and called for early elections and the dissolution of parliament.
That call was embraced and reiterated by his following, many of whom have long felt marginalized by the ruling elite.
In Sadr City, the Baghdad suburb where al-Sadr’s followers are highly concentrated, most complain of inadequate basic services, including electricity in the scorching summer heat. The majority have roots in the rural communities of southern Iraq and have little education. Most face enormous challenges finding work.
Most of those who stormed parliament in July and the government palace on Monday were young men for whom it was their first glimpse inside Iraq’s halls of power, where they seldom feel welcome.
Angered by deep class divides and a history of dispossession, al-Sadr’s followers say they believe the cleric will revolutionize a political system they believe has forgotten about them. But in reality, in Iraq’s power-sharing political system, al-Sadr holds significant power and sway.
WHY ARE THE CLASHES SO DANGEROUS?
Monday’s clashes brought Iraq on the precipice of street warfare and was the product of months of political tensions and power struggles between al-Sadr and the Iran-backed Shiite camp over the formation of the next government.
Al-Sadr’s rivals in the Coordination Framework have shown signs they would not be against early elections but both camps disagree over the mechanism. The judiciary has rejected al-Sadr’s call to dissolve parliament as unconstitutional.
With the roots of the political impasse still unresolved, conflict can flare up again. The greatest threat to Iraq’s stability is protracted armed fighting between the paramilitary forces of the rival Shiite camps.
This occurred outside of the capital as the clashes wore on in the Green Zone on Monday night. Militiamen loyal to al-Sadr stormed the headquarters of Iran-backed militia groups in the southern provinces, a move that could have escalated into tit-for-tat attacks as has happened in the past.
It’s a scenario that neighboring Iran, which wields much influence in Iraq, dreaded most. Iranian officials, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali-Khamenei, have repeatedly called for Shiite unity and attempted to broker dialogue with al-Sadr. But the cleric has refused, firm in his resolve to form a government without Iran-backed groups.
Members of Iraq’s majority Shiite Muslim population were oppressed when Saddam Hussein ruled the country for decades. The 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam, a Sunni, reversed the political order. Just under two-thirds of Iraq is Shiite, with a third Sunni.
Now, the Shiites are fighting among themselves, with those backed by Iran and those who consider themselves Iraqi nationalists jockeying for power, influence and state resources. | https://www.wowktv.com/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/ap-explainer-what-spurred-the-bloody-armed-clashes-in-baghdad/ | 2022-08-31T11:04:52Z | https://www.wowktv.com/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/ap-explainer-what-spurred-the-bloody-armed-clashes-in-baghdad/ | true |
TULUM, Mexico (AP) — Scraping the smelly sargassum seaweed off some beaches on Mexico’s resort-studded Caribbean coast has become not only a nightmare, but possibly a health threat, for the workers doing it — with the quantities washing ashore this year seemingly mountains not mounds.
Decomposing sargassum, which is actually algae, generates hydrogen sulfide gas. In small amounts in open areas, it’s not much more than an annoying odor: sulfurous, like rotting eggs.
But in the quantities seen in once-paradisical beach towns like Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and Xcalak, scientists say it can be dangerous to workers with respiratory problems as they rake up the seaweed maskless in the scorching heat. This year appears on track to be worse than even the peak sargassum year of 2018.
Ezequiel Martínez Lara is one of thousands of laborers who work six to eight hours per day heaving mounds of sargassum into wheelbarrows with pitchforks and then wheeling them off the beach to a growing pile on a neighboring street.
Martínez Lara used to earn as much as $50 per day guiding sports fishermen on catch-and-release outings, but now makes less than half that for collecting around 40 wheelbarrows of sargassum every day.
It is a Sisyphean task at a beach north of Tulum, where huge mats of seaweed float just offshore.
“If we clean it all off today, tomorrow more will have washed in,” said another worker, Austin Valle.
But workers like Martínez and Valle are exposing themselves to more than just the burning sun, says Rosa Rodríguez Martínez, a biologist in the beachside town of Puerto Morelos who studies reefs and coastal ecosystems for Mexico’s National Autonomous University.
“At the university we have started to measure the quantity of gases that sargassum produces when it is scraped up,” Rodríguez Martínez said. “At one spot (in a decomposed pile of seaweed) it reached 56 parts per million. That’s very high. Above two, that can be dangerous for people with respiratory problems.”
“I took off running” from the spot, she said.
Martínez Lara doesn’t have the luxury of avoiding the hydrogen sulfide gas. Like almost every other sargassum worker on the coast, he has no mask, gas sensor or medical care. He works at a day rate for the person who owns the house in front of the beach.
“When sargassum rots, it gives off a very strong odor like acid, and it is very bothersome when you breath it; it hurts a lot,” Martínez Lara said. He said he takes more simple precautions.
“We try to clean it off (the beach) as quickly as possible … to get it off when it is as fresh as possible,” he says.
A 2019 article in the Journal of Travel Medicine includes the disturbing warning, “More chronic exposure to these gasses can lead to conjunctival and neurocognitive symptoms such as memory loss and impaired balance, as well as non-specific symptoms such as headache, nausea and fatigue.”
The Florida Health Department, on the other hand, says “hydrogen sulfide levels in an area like the beach, where large amounts of air flow can dilute levels, is not expected to harm health.”
The sargassum problem isn’t as bad for tourists as for workers. But neither is it pleasant.
Ligia Collado-Vides, a marine botanist at Florida International University who specializes in studying macroalgae like sargassum, said, “If you’re swimming for a little bit, it shouldn’t be a danger at all,” but added that tiny jellyfish cousins known as hydrozoa often inhabit sargassum mats.
“If you’re going to be there for a long time playing in the sargassum, you can get like many, many, many stings from hydrozoans and those are toxic,” she noted, adding that long sleeves — something almost nobody wears at the beach — might help.
Sarah Callaway, a tourist from Denver, Colorado, was pretty much confined to playing with her kids in the pool in front of their rented beach house.
“The property is beautiful, but we were automatically struck … by the smell,” Callaway said. “The smell is really pungent and very strong. And then, yeah, we were disappointed with how much seaweed sargasso there is here.”
“The kids have tried to get in the ocean, but then they get kind of overwhelmed by it. So we really haven’t gotten to do the beach part of it, which is why we came,” she said.
It will also impact locals who depend on the tourist trade. Hundreds of thousands of people migrated to the coast in recent years for better paying jobs, but some may now be considering leaving.
Valle, the seaweed cleaner, said one of his friends in Tulum has been thinking of giving up her snack stand business because sales have dipped so much.
It’s hard to measure the impact on tourism. The Caribbean coast suffered a drop in visits during the coronavirus pandemic, but because Mexico never declared travel restrictions, testing requirements or mandatory mask rules, Americans have continued to come.
International tourism to the country as a whole surpassed pre-pandemic levels in the first half of 2022, with 10.26 million visitors from January to June, 1.5% higher than the 10.11 million tourists who arrived in Mexico in the first half of 2019.
Mexico’s strongest showing was with U.S. tourists. The number of Americans arriving by air in the first six months of 2022 was 6.66 million; that is 19.1% higher than in the same period of 2019.
But that boom may be slowing. Grupo Financiero Base noted in a research report that international tourist arrivals in June 2022 were down 13.8% from levels in June 2019. It’s unclear what — sargassum, inflation, or the war in Ukraine — may have caused that dip.
And overall tourist spending remains below pre-pandemic levels.
The picture is mixed because some of the most-heavily developed resorts like Cancun have not suffered as much from sargassum as lower-key resorts further south, like Playa del Carmen and Tulum.
Ocean currents and islands like Isla Mujeres shield Cancun from much of the floating sargassum. Given the large number of big hotels in Cancun with huge cleaning staffs and money to deploy floating booms, what sargassum does arrive is cleaned up more quickly.
The jury is still out on the floating booms, meant to trap sargassum mats at sea before they reach the beach.
“When the sea is calm, all types of booms work,” Rodríguez Martínez said. “When there are waves, none of them work.”
Some tourists like the area so much they’ll keep coming back.
“I will absolutely be back. We love it here,” said Jeff Chambers, a tourist from Palm Desert, California, who was strolling down the main seaside street in Tulum. “We like things a little slower.”
Some locals like Victor Reyes, who works in real estate in Tulum, are more sanguine about the seaweed, noting that it’s not so bad in the winter months.
“In the winter it’s better. In November, when the tourists want to come, the sargassum is gone,” Reyes says.
As bad as sargassum is for people — and Collado-Vides stresses that much more study is needed — it’s far worse for seagrass, fish and other marine life suffocated by seaweed that drops to the bottom, decomposes and creates oxygen-depleted or anoxic layers similar to dead zones.
“Sargassum stays there and goes down into the water column so nobody sees it, but on the bottom it is creating anoxic conditions,” she said.
Recounting one recent monitoring expedition, Collado-Vides said: “It’s really terrible … the amount of vertebrates, the amount of crabs, the amount of fish dead in just a 1-square meter quadrant.” | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/photos-mountains-of-seaweed-grow-on-mexicos-caribbean-coast/ | 2022-08-31T11:11:02Z | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/photos-mountains-of-seaweed-grow-on-mexicos-caribbean-coast/ | false |
WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, August 31, 2022
_____
AREAL FLOOD ADVISORY
Flood Advisory
National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX
527 AM CDT Wed Aug 31 2022
...FLOOD ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 AM CDT THIS MORNING...
* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected.
* WHERE...A portion of south central Texas, including the following
county, Maverick.
* WHEN...Until 830 AM CDT.
* IMPACTS...Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- At 527 AM CDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to
thunderstorms. Minor flooding is ongoing or expected to begin
shortly in the advisory area. Between 1 and 3 inches of rain
have fallen.
- Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are expected
over the area. This additional rain will result in minor
flooding.
- Some locations that will experience flooding include...
mainly rural areas of Northeastern Maverick County
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.
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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.lmtonline.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-AUSTIN-SAN-ANTONIO-Warnings-Watches-and-17409454.php | 2022-08-31T11:12:29Z | https://www.lmtonline.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-AUSTIN-SAN-ANTONIO-Warnings-Watches-and-17409454.php | false |
Drug dealer jailed for teenager's death in Greenock
- Published
A teenage drug dealer convicted of killing a 14-year-old girl after he supplied her with the drug Ecstasy has been jailed for seven years.
James McCairn, 18, sold crystal MDMA to Cerys Reeve after advertising his illegal trade on Snapchat.
The young dancer died after taking the drug during a sleepover at a friend's house in Greenock in July 2020.
Judge John McCormick told McCairn, who was 16 at the time, he had "recklessly" supplied drugs to children.
First offender McCairn was found guilty of culpable homicide following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow in June. He was also found guilty of supplying Ecstasy to other young people in Greenock, Inverclyde, between November 2019 and July 2020.
At the hearing on Wednesday, the judge said he could only imagine the anguish felt by Cerys' family and no sentence could reflect on the gravity of what happened.
He added: "Such is the nature of what happened, even members of the jury were reduced to tears when returning their verdict."
McCairn's trial heard he had been advertising pills for sale on the morning of 13 July 2020.
Cerys had been at a friend's house before going to McCairn's home to purchase MDMA.
She returned and mixed the powder into a cup of juice before taking it.
When her friend came back into the room after making a toastie, Cerys was described as "acting really weird".
This initially included her not being able to control her arms and kicking items off a window ledge.
The witness went on to describe Cerys as grunting, sweating and falling off the bed, which woke the girl's mother.
She then started burning up and suffered a seizure.
A 999 call was immediately made and the teenager was taken to Inverclyde Royal Hospital.
Cerys was described as "rigid all over" and put on a ventilator.
The talented dancer never recovered and was later pronounced dead.
On Wednesday at the High Court in Glasgow, Gary Allan QC, defending, said: "It's important for me to say in meetings I have had with Mr McCairn it has been plain to me that the utter tragedy of the death of Cerys Reeve as a consequence of ingesting drugs is fully acknowledged by him." | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-62737534?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA | 2022-08-31T11:12:44Z | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-62737534?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA | false |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department will no longer allow political appointees to go to fundraisers and other campaign events under restrictions handed down Tuesday that are aimed at maintaining the department’s independence from politics.
Attorney General Merrick Garland, who is currently overseeing investigations including the FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s home and the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, said in a memo that the restrictions are to ensure that politics “both in fact and appearance” won’t affect the way the law is enforced or how inquiries are carried out.
Appointees, hired under presidential administrations rather than making long careers at the Justice Department, have been allowed to attend political events passively on their personal time with prior approval. The new policy bans attendance altogether.
It also removes an exception that had allowed people with close family members running for office to attend political events during presidential election years, and it bars attending such events on the evening of Election Day.
“It is critical that we hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards to avoid even the appearance of political influence as we carry out the department’s mission,” Garland wrote.
On his first day in office more than a year ago, Garland vowed to prioritize the Justice Department’s political independence after the departure of Trump, who had insisted on officials’ personal loyalty.
More recently, Trump and his allies have sought to cast the Aug. 9 search at Mar-a-Lago — part of an investigation into the removal of classified records — as a political weaponization of the Justice Department. A rash of online threats against federal agents followed.
___
For more AP coverage of Donald Trump-related investigations, go to https://apnews.com/hub/trump-investigations. | https://www.wfla.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-new-political-restrictions-set-for-justice-dept-appointees/ | 2022-08-31T11:14:22Z | https://www.wfla.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-new-political-restrictions-set-for-justice-dept-appointees/ | true |
Governor Achani in dilemma over county executives she served with
Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani is torn between retaining or sacking county executives she served with in her predecessor’s administration, in which she was deputy county boss.
She is expected to make major changes in her cabinet as she officially takes office after being sworn in last week.
The county executives and chief officers in the cabinet were appointed by former governor Salim Mvurya, whom she deputised for 10 years. Mr Mvurya supported her bid after serving his constitutionally allowed two consecutive terms.
A county government source said discussions had begun on the changes to be made to the cabinet. Ms Achani held her first meeting with the cabinet on Monday.
“The governor held a meeting with the cabinet for more than 10 hours. They finished late and we are yet to know the outcome,” said the source.
In his farewell meeting with county staff, Mr Mvurya assured employees that they would not lose their jobs after Ms Achani took over.
The Nation learnt that loyalty will be among the key factors in the appointment of a new cabinet.
Those who were close to Ms Achani and supported her campaign have a higher chance of being retained.
Governor Achani has indicated that she would like to pursue the development plans she made with Mr Mvurya and address weaknesses to improve services.
Some county executive committee (CEC) members are in acting positions after former county secretary Martin Mwaro, former Talent
Management CEC Ramadhan Bungale and former Education CEC Maangale Chiforomodoe resigned earlier this year to contest elective seats.
The current acting county secretary is Sylvia Chidodo, who is also the Public Service Administration chief.
Saumu Beja, the Lands executive, is also overseeing the Social Services and Talent Management docket.
Transport Executive Hemedi Mwabudzo was put in charge of the Education docket, replacing Mr Chiforomodo, now the MP-elect for Lungalunga constituency.
Mr Bungale lost his Matuga MP bid to ANCs Kassim Sawa Tandaza.
In Kilifi, Governor Gideon Munga’ro has retained four county executives from his predecessor’s administration.
But in new changes, he sent home all 10 chief officers after their contracts expired and appointed new directors to take over pending the appointment of substantive officers.
In the new appointments, the county boss extended the services of County Secretary Arnold Mkare for six months.
The executives are Dr Anisa Omar (Gender, Social Service, Culture and Sports), Charles Dadu (Health), Rachael Musyoki (Education and ICT) and Maureen Mwangovya (Lands).
Five of their colleagues were sent on terminal leave.
They were Gabriel Katana (Devolution), Josephat Mwatela (Roads and Public works), Kiringi Mwachitu (Water Environment, Natural Resources and Forestry), Luciana Sanzua (Agriculture) and Nahida Athman (Trade, Cooperatives, Development and Tourism).
Addressing journalists at his office, Governor Munga’ro said the four CECs would also be in charge of other departments pending the appointment of other executive members.
“Our people have previously faced many challenges in accessing services and enjoying the fruits of devolution. I have made a raft of changes to enable my administration to deliver critical services and functions on time during this transition period,” he said.
“The outgoing executives and chief officers have up to Friday to hand over to the appointed officers. It is my expectation and that of the people of Kilifi that the officers shall undertake their assignments with utmost diligence and commitment.”
He appointed lawyer Henry Farrajj Chipinde, the county solicitor, as acting county attorney after Ms Bibi Fondo’s contract expired.
“For those whose … contracts have ended, on behalf of the people of Kilifi, I extend my gratitude for your service and wish them the best in their future endeavours,” he said. | https://nation.africa/kenya/counties/governor-achani-in-dilemma-over-county-executives-she-served-with-3932450 | 2022-08-31T11:15:30Z | https://nation.africa/kenya/counties/governor-achani-in-dilemma-over-county-executives-she-served-with-3932450 | false |
HAMBURG, Germany, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dana Incorporated (NYSE: DAN) announced today the launch of the Brevini EvoMax™ series of helical and bevel-helical gearboxes for marine and offshore applications. The gearbox range introduces five completely new sizes and includes 14 redesigned gearboxes to provide higher torque, greater efficiency, and longer service.
Available for order today, the gearboxes will be on display as part of Dana's exhibit Sept. 6-9 at SMM, in hall A3, booth 304, at the Hamburg Messe exhibition hall in Germany.
The modular series is designed to provide greater product flexibility, higher efficiency, and increased sustainability while helping to minimize total operating costs.
"The demand for global shipping continues to rise, and our customers require robust solutions that can be adapted to their specific on-shore port or off-shore marine applications," said Jeroen Decleer, senior vice president of Dana Off-Highway Drive and Motion Technologies. "Dana continues to supply new equipment, upgrades, and modernizations for the marine industry through our broad range of solutions for this critically important sector."
Leveraging decades of product application knowledge and customer feedback, Dana's new series of gearboxes provides a highly engineered solution with a comprehensive suite of features, including:
- a new housing design to reduce weight, increase structural strength, and optimize internal oil flow for better thermal management;
- custom gearing for smooth operation, low noise levels, and high efficiency;
- updated housing materials and seals to enable low temperature operation;
- best-in-class torque density; and
- increased product range to provide a more targeted solution for customer applications.
In addition to helical and bevel-helical gearboxes, Dana offers Brevini®-brand axial piston motors, axial piston pumps, slewing drives, proportional directional valves, winches, winch drives, wheel drives, and other motion products for the marine and offshore industry. To learn more, visit www.dana.com/offhighway.
Dana is a leader in the design and manufacture of highly efficient propulsion and energy-management solutions that power vehicles and machines in all mobility markets across the globe. The company is shaping sustainable progress through its conventional and clean-energy solutions that support nearly every vehicle manufacturer with drive and motion systems; electrodynamic technologies, including software and controls; and thermal, sealing, and digital solutions.
Based in Maumee, Ohio, USA, the company reported sales of $8.9 billion in 2021 with 40,000 associates in 31 countries across six continents. Founded in 1904, Dana was named one of "America's Most Responsible Companies 2022" by Newsweek for its emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility. The company is driven by a high-performance culture that focuses on valuing others, inspiring innovation, growing responsibly, and winning together, earning it global recognition as a top employer. Learn more at dana.com.
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SOURCE Dana Incorporated | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/dana-introduces-new-brevini-evomax-helical-bevel-helical-gearbox-range-marine-offshore-applications-smm-2022/ | 2022-08-31T11:18:49Z | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/dana-introduces-new-brevini-evomax-helical-bevel-helical-gearbox-range-marine-offshore-applications-smm-2022/ | true |
RIVERVIEW, Fla. — Hunter Giambra smiles at his new nickname: the "Riverview restaurant savior."
"Listen, the goal is really just to help out the community, whatever we can do," said the humble 29-year-old businessman.
Within the span of a year, Giambra — whose expertise is in IT work, not food — has saved two longtime local favorite restaurants from the brink of abandonment: the Riverview Sandwich Shop and Ruth's.
He bought them and renamed them: Hunter's Brunch Shack and the brand-new Eats at the Cottage, just a couple of blocks away from each other. They specialize in affordable comfort food — something everyone can enjoy.
Getting crazy rich off family restaurants is not the goal.
"I grew up here," said this businessman with a heart. "I love this town."
Not only did Giambra want to pump life and love into the place that raised him, but he also wanted to save the jobs of some 20 people.
Crystal Scofield is a server at Eats at the Cottage. She and her family members worked at Ruth's for years.
"Hunter means a lot to this town," she said. "He'll help anyone and everyone who needs it." | https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-hillsborough/riverviews-hunter-giambra-gives-back-by-keeping-restaurants-employees-afloat | 2022-08-31T11:19:41Z | https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-hillsborough/riverviews-hunter-giambra-gives-back-by-keeping-restaurants-employees-afloat | false |
Toyota's global investment climbs up to $5.6 billion, supporting electrification efforts
LIBERTY, N.C., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota announced an additional investment of $2.5 billion in its newest North American facility, Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina (TBMNC). This investment adds capacity to support battery electric vehicle (BEV) battery production and adds 350 jobs, bringing the total employment to approximately 2,100. Scheduled to begin production in 2025, the facility will produce batteries for hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and BEVs.
Last year, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announced a global investment of approximately $70 billion (8 trillion JPY*) for electrification efforts. Today, as part of this aspirational goal, TMC announced a future battery production commitment of up to $5.6 billion (730 billion JPY), which includes the new North Carolina investment.
"This marks another significant milestone for our company," said Norm Bafunno, senior vice president, Unit Manufacturing and Engineering at Toyota Motor North America. "This plant will serve a central role in Toyota's leadership toward a fully electrified future and will help us meet our goal of carbon neutrality in our vehicles and global operations by 2035."
In 2021, Toyota, in partnership with Toyota Tsusho, announced the new Liberty location with an initial investment of $1.29 billion for battery production and the creation of 1,750 new jobs. With today's announcement, TBMNC's total investment is $3.8 billion.
"This is an exciting time for Toyota, the region and the many North Carolinians we will soon employ," said Sean Suggs, TBMNC president. "This incremental investment reflects our continued commitment to ensuring jobs and future economic growth for the Triad region."
Toyota North Carolina is seeking motivated individuals to join its leadership team. To view and apply for open positions, visit www.toyota.com/careers. Production and maintenance employee positions will be available in early 2023.
* Based on December 2021 Yen-Dollar exchange rate
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota's 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company's 2021 North American sales were electrified.
Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society's most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
Media Contact:
Emily Camille Wilemon-Holland
emily.holland@toyota.com
662-507-5148
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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/toyota-announces-25-billion-expansion-north-carolina-plant-with-350-additional-jobs-bev-battery-capacity/ | 2022-08-31T11:23:57Z | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/toyota-announces-25-billion-expansion-north-carolina-plant-with-350-additional-jobs-bev-battery-capacity/ | true |
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday for a visit focused on semiconductors, the critical chips that are used in everyday electronics and have become a battleground in the technology competition between the U.S. and China.
His visit is the latest in a recent string by U.S. politicians that have angered China, which claims the self-governing island off its coast as part of its territory and says the visits encourage Taiwan independence forces.
Ducey is on a mission to woo suppliers for the new $12 billion Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (TSMC) plant being built in his state. He is traveling with the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry president and the head of the state’s economic development agency.
He will meet with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, business leaders and university representatives in the semiconductor industry, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The governor’s office said he will travel to South Korea and meet with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and business leaders later this week.
“The goal of this trade mission is to take these relationships to the next level – to strengthen them, expand them and ensure they remain mutually beneficial.”
American states are competing to attract a multibillion-dollar wave of investment in chip factories as the U.S. government steps up spending on expanding the U.S. semiconductor industry with a recently passed law. Last week, the Indiana governor visited Taiwan for a similar purpose.
Taiwan produces more than half the global supply of high-end processor chips.
U.S. officials worry that the United States relies too heavily on Taiwan and other Asian suppliers for processor chips used in smartphones, medical devices, cars and most other electronic devices.
Those worries have been aggravated by tensions with China over technology and security. The potential for disruption was highlighted by chip shortages due to the coronavirus pandemic that sent shockwaves through the auto and electronics industries.
Beijing fired missiles into the sea near the island starting on Aug. 4 after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited, disrupting shipping and air traffic, and highlighting the possibility that chip exports might be interrupted.
A law approved by Congress on July 29 promises more than $52 billion in grants and other aid to develop the U.S. semiconductor industry and a 25% tax credit for investors in chip factories in the United States.
State governments are now promising tax breaks and grants to lure chip factories they hope will become centers for high-tech industry.
Intel Corp., the only major U.S. producer, announced plans in March 2021 to build two chip factories in Arizona at a cost of $20 billion. The company has had another facility in Arizona since 1980.
In January, Intel announced plans to invest $20 billion in a chip factory in Ohio.
TSMC, headquartered in Taiwan and which makes chips for Apple Inc. and other customers, announced plans last year to invest $3.5 billion in its second U.S. manufacturing site on the northern outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona.
The company recently completed construction of the main buildings at the $12 billion north Phoenix facility and can now start moving in manufacturing equipment, with production expected to start by 2024, according to Ducey’s office. TSMC’s decision to build the facility has led other Taiwan-based suppliers to expand in Arizona, with investments totaling $1 billion already announced.
Ducey’s five-day trip to Taiwan and South Korea comes as the Republican governor prepares to leave office because of term limits in January. One of the former businessman’s major focuses in his eight years in office has been on boosting Arizona’s economy by adding to its manufacturing base. New electric vehicle companies have begun production, adding to its existing semiconductor firms.
South Korea’s LG Energy Solutions announced in April that it planned to invest $1.4 billion to build an electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility on land it purchased in the Phoenix suburb of Queen Creek. The company later said it would reassess its plans because of changing global economic conditions. Arizona development officials continue to work with LG.
U.S. semiconductor manufacturing has long been established in Arizona, and the state has more than 200 production facilities in addition to Intel and the new TSMC plant.
TSMC’s first U.S. semiconductor wafer fabrication facility is in Camas, Washington. It also operates design centers in San Jose, California, and Austin, Texas.
South Korea’s Samsung Electronics says it will break ground in 2024 for a $17 billion chip factory near Austin, Texas. The state says it is the biggest single investment to date in Texas.
___
McDonald reported from Beijing, China. Associated Press Reporter Bob Christie contributed from Phoenix. | https://who13.com/business/ap-business/ap-arizona-governor-to-focus-on-semiconductors-in-taiwan-visit/ | 2022-08-31T11:24:59Z | https://who13.com/business/ap-business/ap-arizona-governor-to-focus-on-semiconductors-in-taiwan-visit/ | false |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Following three straight monthly declines, U.S. consumer confidence rebounded in August as inflation moderated and gas prices fell.
The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose in August to 103.2 from 95.3 in July.
The business research group’s present situation index — which measures consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions — rose for the first time since March, to 145.4 from 139.7 in July.
The board’s expectations index — a measure of consumers’ six-month outlook for income, business and labor conditions — rose from 65.6 last month to 75.1 in August.
Analysts surveyed by data provider FactSet had expected consumer confidence to rise slightly as gas prices have fallen in recent weeks. AAA motor club says the average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. dipped to $3.85 on Tuesday from more than $5 per gallon in mid-June.
Although inflation appears to have moderated recently, the cost for most things remain much higher than they were a year ago. The government reported earlier this month that consumer prices jumped 8.5% in July compared with a year earlier, down from a 9.1% year-over-year increase in June. Inflation was unchanged from June to July, the first time that has happened after 25 months of increases.
Since March, the Federal Reserve has implemented its fastest pace of rate increases in decades to try to curb four-decade high inflation, which has punished households with soaring costs for food, gas, rent and other necessities. The central bank has lifted its benchmark rate by 2 full percentage points in just four meetings, to a range of 2.25% to 2.5%.
Last week at an annual economic symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the the U.S. central bank will likely need to keep interest rates high enough to slow the economy “for some time” in order to tame the worst inflation in 40 years. Powell has acknowledged the increases will hurt U.S. households and businesses, but also said the pain would be far greater if inflation were allowed to fester and that “we must keep at it until the job is done.”
“Looking ahead, August’s improvement in confidence may help support spending, but inflation and additional rate hikes still pose risks to economic growth in the short term,” said Lynn Franco, the Conference Board’s senior director of economic indicators. | https://who13.com/business/ap-business/ap-us-consumers-more-confident-in-august-as-gas-prices-dip/ | 2022-08-31T11:26:20Z | https://who13.com/business/ap-business/ap-us-consumers-more-confident-in-august-as-gas-prices-dip/ | false |
100 years ago
Aug. 31, 1922
HUNTSVILLE -- Members of the Executive Committee of the Ozark Playgrounds Association from Joplin, Mo., stopped in Huntsville as they were passing through on their tour of the playgrounds district, of which Huntsville is a unit. The splendid roads from Springdale to Huntsville and Eureka Springs were complimented as being the finest they have traveled over while on the tour. A steel bridge will soon be erected across Holman creek, between Huntsville and Hindsville, which will be the last bridge to construct in the completion of the road.
50 years ago
Aug. 31, 1972
FORT SMITH -- James Alfred and George Alfred Hall, probably the oldest identical twins in Arkansas, celebrated their 87th birthday last week. They were born August 21, 1885, in Yell County. Their father was a bookkeeper for the Logan County Cotton Oil Company and their uncle, Anthony Hall, founded the first bank at Paris. There were 13 children in the Hall family, six of whom were twins. The Halls had moved to Arkansas from Chicago in 1870, shortly after the Civil War.
25 years ago
Aug. 31, 1997
• The state is distributing $2.25 million in grants to Arkansas communities for recycling programs. The money is going to 17 solid waste management districts. Since the Legislature established the recycling program in 1991, the state has awarded nearly $16 million in grants. The program, funded by landfill disposal fees, is aimed at reducing use of landfills. The money is available through the Arkansas Department of Pollution Control and Ecology's Recycling Division. ... Along with establishing the funding, the 1991 state law set recycling goals for Arkansas. The state has met the first goal, which was to recycle an amount of municipal solid waste equal to 30 percent of the total amount of waste the state generated in 1991. The state reached that goal in 1995, said Bill Reinhardt, chief of the Pollution Control Department's Recycling Division. In both 1995 and 1996, the state recycled 36 percent of the total amount of waste generated in 1991, he said.
10 years ago
Aug. 31, 2012
BOONEVILLE -- Funding for the Dale Bumpers center and five other such centers around the country was cut in the White House's fiscal 2013 budget, Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor said. Senate action restored funding for the center, but Pryor fears funding will be threatened again as Congress wrestles with making necessary but painful budget cuts in the future. The 2,000-acre research center, which opened in 1980, and the five other centers conduct agricultural research that is being done nowhere else in the country, Pryor said. Some of the research is unique worldwide. ... The center has been an asset to the commission primarily in developing criteria used in writing nutrient-management plans that dictate how chicken litter can be applied on land as fertilizer, Young said. | https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/aug/31/other-days/ | 2022-08-31T11:28:22Z | https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/aug/31/other-days/ | false |
CA Eureka CA Zone Forecast for Tuesday, August 30, 2022
_____
506 FPUS56 KEKA 311042
ZFPEKA
Zone Forecast Product for California
National Weather Service Eureka CA
342 AM PDT Wed Aug 31 2022
This is an average forecast over a large and geographically diverse
area. For a specific forecast for your location...please refer to
the point and click forecast on our webpage at:
Spot temperatures and probabilities of measurable precipitation
are for today, tonight, and Thursday.
CAZ101-010145-
Coastal Del Norte-
342 AM PDT Wed Aug 31 2022
.TODAY...Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog through the day. Highs 62 to
75. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
.TONIGHT...Cloudy. Areas of dense fog through the night. Lows
47 to 57. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
.THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy. Areas of fog in the morning. Highs
63 to 77. West wind around 10 mph.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog. Lows 49 to 59.
Southwest wind around 5 mph.
.FRIDAY...Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog. Highs 64 to 76. West wind
around 5 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog. Lows 49 to 59.
.SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Patchy fog. Highs
67 to 78. Lows 49 to 59.
.SUNDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Patchy fog. Highs 66 to 79.
.SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Patchy fog.
Lows 51 to 61. Highs 67 to 82.
.TUESDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Patchy fog. Highs 67 to 80.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Crescent City 62 52 63 /
Klamath 72 52 70 /
$$
CAZ102-010145-
Del Norte Interior-
342 AM PDT Wed Aug 31 2022
.TODAY...Mostly sunny. Patchy valley fog and smoke in the
morning. Haze through the day. Highs 73 to 88.
.TONIGHT...Mostly clear. Areas of dense valley fog overnight.
Lows 53 to 63.
.THURSDAY...Mostly sunny. Areas of smoke and dense valley fog in
the morning. Haze through the day. Highs 77 to 92.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Haze. Lows 54 to 64.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs 73 to 88.
.FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Lows 54 to 64.
Highs 78 to 93.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Gasquet 81 53 84 /
$$
CAZ103-010145-
Northern Humboldt Coast-
342 AM PDT Wed Aug 31 2022
.TODAY...Mostly cloudy until early afternoon then becoming partly
cloudy. Patchy fog through the day. Highs 62 to 77. West wind
around 10 mph.
.TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Areas of fog through the night. Lows
46 to 56. Northwest wind around 10 mph.
.THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Areas of fog in the morning. Highs 62 to 76. Northwest
wind around 10 mph.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog. Lows 48 to 58.
Northwest wind around 10 mph.
.FRIDAY...Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog. Highs 63 to 77. Northwest
wind around 10 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog. Lows
49 to 59. Highs 63 to 78.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming
mostly cloudy. Patchy fog. Lows 49 to 59.
.SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog. Highs 65 to
80. Lows 49 to 59.
.LABOR DAY THROUGH TUESDAY...Partly cloudy. Patchy fog. Highs
66 to 81. Lows 50 to 60.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
McKinleyville 63 51 63 /
Arcata 67 52 66 /
Eureka 62 52 62 /
Fortuna 69 52 69 /
$$
CAZ104-010145-
Southwestern Humboldt-
342 AM PDT Wed Aug 31 2022
.TODAY...Sunny. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs 73 to 88. South
wind around 5 mph shifting to the west in the afternoon.
.TONIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 50 to 60. North wind up to 10 mph.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs 77 to 92. North wind 5 to 15 mph.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 51 to 61. North wind around
15 mph.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs 76 to 91. North wind around 10 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows 52 to 62.
.SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Highs 85 to 100. Lows
53 to 63.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Honeydew 80 53 87 /
$$
CAZ105-010145-
Northern Humboldt Interior-
342 AM PDT Wed Aug 31 2022
.TODAY...Partly cloudy until early afternoon then clearing.
Patchy valley fog in the morning. Haze and areas of smoke through
the day. Highs 83 to 98.
.TONIGHT...Partly cloudy. Haze, areas of dense valley fog and
smoke overnight. Lows 53 to 63.
.THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Areas of dense valley fog in the morning. Haze and areas
of smoke through the day. Highs 86 to 101.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows 53 to 63.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs 84 to 99.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows 51 to 61.
.SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Highs 88 to 103. Lows
54 to 64.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Orleans 97 62 101 /
Hoopa 95 57 96 /
Willow Creek 97 57 98 /
$$
CAZ106-010145-
Southern Humboldt Interior-
342 AM PDT Wed Aug 31 2022
.TODAY...Sunny. Patchy valley fog in the morning. Highs 80 to 95.
.TONIGHT...Mostly clear. Areas of valley fog overnight. Lows
51 to 61.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Areas of valley fog in the morning. Highs
82 to 97.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 51 to 61.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs 81 to 96.
.FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Lows 52 to 62.
Highs 88 to 103.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Garberville 90 50 92 /
$$
CAZ107-010145-
Northern Trinity-
342 AM PDT Wed Aug 31 2022
.TODAY...Sunny. Haze in the morning. Highs 92 to 107.
.TONIGHT...Partly cloudy. Areas of smoke through the night. Haze
overnight. Lows 56 to 66.
.THURSDAY...Partly cloudy in the morning then clearing. Haze and
areas of smoke. Highs 95 to 110.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Areas of smoke. Lows 58 to 68.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs 94 to 109.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 54 to 64.
.SATURDAY...Sunny. Highs 96 to 111.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 57 to 67.
.SUNDAY...Sunny. Highs 95 to 110.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 57 to 67.
.LABOR DAY...Sunny. Highs 98 to 113.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 59 to 69.
.TUESDAY...Sunny. Highs 98 to 113.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Trinity Center 92 58 97 /
Weaverville 99 59 103 /
$$
CAZ108-010145-
Southern Trinity-
342 AM PDT Wed Aug 31 2022
.TODAY...Sunny. Highs 85 to 100.
.TONIGHT...Mostly clear. Haze and areas of smoke overnight. Lows
55 to 65.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Areas of smoke in the morning. Haze through
the day. Highs 88 to 103.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 56 to 66.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs 87 to 102.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 52 to 62.
.SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...Clear. Highs 90 to 105. Lows 54 to 64.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 56 to 66.
.LABOR DAY...Sunny. Highs 91 to 106.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 59 to 69.
.TUESDAY...Sunny. Highs 91 to 106.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Hayfork 100 52 103 /
Ruth 91 57 95 /
$$
CAZ109-010145-
Mendocino Coast-
342 AM PDT Wed Aug 31 2022
.TODAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming mostly sunny.
Patchy fog in the morning. Highs 64 to 79. West wind around
10 mph.
.TONIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly
cloudy. Lows 46 to 56. North wind up to 10 mph.
.THURSDAY...Partly cloudy in the morning then clearing. Patchy
fog in the morning. Highs 71 to 86. Northwest wind up to 10 mph.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Patchy fog. Lows 47 to 57. North
wind around 10 mph.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Patchy fog. Highs 72 to 87. Northwest wind
around 15 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Patchy fog. Lows
48 to 58. Highs 79 to 94.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Fort Bragg 63 49 64 /
Point Arena 62 51 62 /
$$
CAZ110-010145-
Northwestern Mendocino Interior-
342 AM PDT Wed Aug 31 2022
.TODAY...Sunny. Highs 85 to 100.
.TONIGHT...Clear. Lows 52 to 62.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs 90 to 105.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 53 to 63.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs 88 to 103.
.FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...Clear. Lows 55 to 65. Highs 96 to
111.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Leggett 80 52 88 /
Laytonville 89 55 94 /
Willits 86 53 92 /
$$
CAZ111-010145-
Northeastern Mendocino Interior-
342 AM PDT Wed Aug 31 2022
.TODAY...Sunny. Highs 90 to 105.
.TONIGHT...Clear. Lows 56 to 66.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs 94 to 109.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 58 to 68.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs 91 to 106.
.FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH LABOR DAY...Clear. Lows 58 to 68. Highs
98 to 113.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 61 to 71.
.TUESDAY...Sunny. Highs 97 to 112.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Covelo 95 55 100 /
$$
CAZ112-010145-
Southwestern Mendocino Interior-
342 AM PDT Wed Aug 31 2022
.TODAY...Mostly cloudy early in the morning then clearing. Patchy
valley fog in the morning. Highs 77 to 92.
.TONIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows 48 to 58.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs 84 to 99.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 49 to 59.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs 81 to 96.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows 50 to 60.
.SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...Clear. Highs 88 to 103. Lows
52 to 62.
.LABOR DAY THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Highs 91 to 106. Lows
53 to 63.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Boonville 87 51 93 /
$$
CAZ113-010145-
Southeastern Mendocino Interior-
342 AM PDT Wed Aug 31 2022
.TODAY...Sunny. Highs 85 to 100.
.TONIGHT...Clear. Lows 57 to 67.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs 90 to 105.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 58 to 68.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs 86 to 101.
.FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 59 to 69. Highs
92 to 107.
.LABOR DAY THROUGH TUESDAY...Clear. Highs 96 to 111. Lows 63 to
73.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Ukiah 96 58 101 /
$$
CAZ114-010145-
Northern Lake-
342 AM PDT Wed Aug 31 2022
...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON SATURDAY TO 8 PM
PDT TUESDAY...
.TODAY...Sunny. Highs 86 to 101.
.TONIGHT...Clear. Lows 59 to 69.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs 90 to 105.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 62 to 72.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs 89 to 104.
.FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...Clear. Lows 63 to 73. Highs 96 to
111.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Lake Pillsbury 100 53 104 /
$$
CAZ115-010145-
Southern Lake-
342 AM PDT Wed Aug 31 2022
...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON SATURDAY TO 8 PM
PDT TUESDAY...
.TODAY...Sunny. Highs 88 to 100.
.TONIGHT...Clear. Lows 61 to 71.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs 92 to 104.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 62 to 72.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs 91 to 104.
.FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...Clear. Lows 65 to 75. Highs 96 to
111.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Lakeport 93 60 98 /
Middletown 95 58 100 /
Clearlake 98 61 103 /
$$
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.mrt.com/weather/article/CA-Eureka-CA-Zone-Forecast-17409464.php | 2022-08-31T11:41:13Z | https://www.mrt.com/weather/article/CA-Eureka-CA-Zone-Forecast-17409464.php | false |
The new football season is only two weeks old, offering a glimpse of where things might be headed. Here are observations and happenings from each GHSA classification and the GIAA.
Class 7A
*Buford, in its first venture into Georgia’s highest classification, has been even more fearsome than expected. The No. 1-ranked Wolves have defeated state powers Thompson of Alabama 38-7 and Mallard Creek of North Carolina 56-7 and reached the top 10 of five national polls.
*Osborne, a Cobb County program that hasn’t won three games in a season since 1994, is 2-0 for the first time since 2001 after beating Woodstock 46-7 and Chattahoochee 42-13.
*Carrollton’s Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis, the most heralded Georgia high school freshman quarterback since Trevor Lawrence, has thrown for 506 yards and nine touchdowns in his team’s 2-0 start. Carrollton has entered the top 10 at No. 8 in its first season in 7A.
*Central Gwinnett has matched its victory total of the past two seasons combined and is 2-0 for the first time since 2017 under first-year coach Larry Harold.
*From the preseason poll, No. 7 Brookwood, No. 8 Lowndes and No. 10 Milton are out of the rankings, but none in a way that suggests the story is over. All three have lost to out-of-state national programs or top-10 Georgia teams.
Class 6A
*Gainesville is in the top 10 with new coach Josh Niblett, the biggest offseason coaching hire. Gainesville defeated Marist 34-23 on the road to open the season and is 2-0 for the first time since 2009. At No. 7, Gainesville will take a top-10 ranking into September for the first time since 2013.
*Thought to be rebuilding, Blessed Trinity was ranked No. 10 in preseason out of respect for its 114 victories the past decade. Despite their top three running backs transferring out, including Alabama pledge Justice Haynes, the Titans are 2-0 with victories over top-10 teams Calhoun 36-25 and Eagle’s Landing Christian 37-14.
*Hughes, the preseason No. 1 and the 2021 runner-up in a heart-breaking state final to Buford, has validated the hype with victories over Spartanburg, S.C., 47-16 and McEachern 47-21. Prentiss “Air” Noland has thrown for 504 yards and eight touchdowns and looks the part of a player-of-the-year candidate.
*Lee County, ranked No. 2, beat defending Class 5A champion Warner Robins 26-10 in the opener. Ousmane Kromah, a sophomore destined to climb all-time state leaderboards, has rushed for 366 yards and four touchdowns in two games.
*Thomas County Central has routed two smaller but successful programs – Cairo 50-7 and Thomasville 31-0 – for its most rousing start in more than 10 years. According to the computer Maxwell Ratings, the Yellow Jackets under new coach Justin Rogers are 20.46 points better than last season.
Class 5A
*Two-time defending champion Warner Robins is 0-1 and has fallen to No. 2 in the rankings behind Cartersville, but that means little for now. Warner Robins won its past two championships after losing games, and Cartersville was No. 1 last season when it lost to Warner Robins in the quarterfinals.
*Jefferson, the preseason No. 6 team, is out of the rankings, probably temporarily, after an opening 47-46 loss to Alpharetta, but RB/LB Sammy Brown has defended his five-star status. The junior has 383 rushing yards, seven touchdowns and seven solo tackles in two games.
*Loganville beat Monroe Area 45-39 in the opener in a four-overtime game with an over-the-head pass and trick play that went viral nationally. The Red Devils are 2-0 for the first time since 2015.
*Flowery Branch, up from 4A, is 2-0 under new coach Jason Tester with wins over Decatur (39-39) and St. Pius (9-0), both 2021 playoff teams.
*Dutchtown, ranked No. 8, is another newcomer to the rankings from preseason. The Bulldogs are 2-0 with victories over Stephenson and Tift County and lead GHSF Daily’s Class 5A Improvement Tracker under first-year coach Niketa Battle.
Class 4A
*Benedictine is still No. 1 despite a 41-15 loss in Miami to Christopher Columbus. Benedictine also lost to Columbus in 2021 but recovered to win the Class 4A championship.
*Two teams that have never won state titles -- North Oconee and Cedartown – are ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, each having beaten top-10 teams from lower classifications to amplify preseason expectations.
*Success in a higher class won’t be immediate, as in right this minute, for Trinity Christian, the 2021 Class A Private champion. The Lions started No. 5 but have lost to Woodward Academy 37-19 and Fellowship Christian 23-19. No shame there.
*Pace Academy, under new coach Nick Bach, beat Buckhead rival Westminster for the first time in history last week and is 2-0 for the first time since 2018. Pace also beat preseason No. 9 Holy Innocents’ 21-19 and leads GHSF Daily’s Class 4A Improvement Tracker. Pace is up from Class 2A.
*Region 4 has three ranked teams – No. 4 Whitewater, No. 7 Troup and No. 8 Starr’s Mill – not to mention 2-0 LaGrange.
Class 3A
*Cedar Grove, the defending champion, looked good in a 30-14 victory over Bainbridge, which then beat Coffee last week. But the Saints won’t go undefeated, not with four top-10 Class 7A opponents coming in the next four weeks, then nationally prominent St. John’s in Washington, D.C., all on the road.
*One of those ranked 7A teams on Cedar Grove’s schedule, Westlake, beat preseason No. 2 Crisp County 47-7 last week. The Westlake-Cedar Grove game on Friday might be telling.
*Region 1 has three ranked teams – No. 1 Carver (Columbus), No. 6 Crisp and No. 9 Dougherty. Thomasville, the 2021 Class 2A runner-up, appears to be in rebuild mode at 0-2 under new coach Jonathan DeLay but could resurface in region play.
*Lumpkin County is 2-0 for the first time since 2011 under first-year coach Heath Webb and beat 21-point favorite Union County last week.
*The surprise team in the rankings is Adairsville, at No. 10. The Tigers beat Cherokee Bluff 51-50 in overtime last week. Though they made the playoffs last year, they hadn’t been ranked since 2015.
Class 2A
*ELCA, moving up from Class A Private, gave up the preseason No. 1 ranking after losing to Class 6A opponent Blessed Trinity 37-14 last week, but most consider the Chargers the most talented team, at least on the high end.
*Fitzgerald, the new No. 1, is 2A’s defending champion. No Class 2A team has repeated as champion since Buford in 2010.
*Columbia beat Camden County 13-10 in Kingsland on opening night and is the early-season darling of Class 2A. At No. 8, Columbia is ranked for the first time since 1997.
*ACE Charter, under first-year coach Keith Hatcher, is 2-0 for the first time in its five-year history after a 29-15 victory over eight-point favorite GMC Prep last week. The Gryphons have never scored more than 23 points per game in a season but are currently averaging 49.5.
*Expectations might’ve been unrealistic for first-year coach Robert Edwards at Washington County, which lost its opener 42-0 to Swainsboro. The Golden Eagles opened No. 10 despite a 5-5 finish in 2021.
Class A Division I
*C.J. Allen is committed to Georgia for a reason. The Lamar County running back/linebacker has rushed for 341 yards and two touchdowns and made 10 solo tackles in two games for the unbeaten eighth-ranked Trojans.
*Swainsboro, a 2021 semifinal team in Class 2A, has jumped up to No. 3 after victories over then-No. 5 Metter of Division I and then-No. 10 Washington County of 2A.
*The top-10 teams haven’t changed since preseason, only moved around a little. Irwin County dropped a bit when it lost to 2021 champion Brooks County, for example.
*Next in line to be ranked is probably Mount Pisgah Christian, which has reversed two of its 2021 losses (Fellowship Christian and Mount Paran Christian) and leads GHSF Daily’s Class A Division I Improvement Tracker. The Patriots are 2-0 for the first time since 2016, when its quarterback was Jacob Cendoya. The current quarterback is Jack Cendoya.
*Keep an eye on Elbert County. The Blue Devils, in their third year under coach Shannon Jarvis, have beaten larger northeast Georgia neighbors Hart County and Madison County to start 2-0. They’re 18.44 points better than last season, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings.
Class A Division II
*No. 1 Schley County has never won a state title. More will be known about the Wildcats (1-0) when they face No. 10 Early County this week.
*Clinch County, whose 3-7 finish last season was the program’s worst since 1982, is 2-0 and ranked No. 2 after beating previous No. 3 Macon County 24-20 last week.
*Perhaps the two best small-school rivalries in state history are The Swamp War (Clinch County vs. Charlton County) and The 378 War (Lincoln County vs. Washington-Wilkes). Thanks to the new Division II, those four teams are ranked simultaneously for the first time since the final poll of 2017.
*Macon County and Wilcox County remain in the top five despite 0-2 starts against higher-ranked or larger schools. Macon has lost close games; Wilcox has not.
*Portal, which entered the season on a 17-game losing streak, is 2-0 for the first time since 2014 and leads GHSF Daily’s Improvement Tracker in this division.
Produced by Georgia High School Football Daily, a free e-mail newsletter. To join the mailing list, click here.
About the Author | https://www.ajc.com/sports/high-school-sports-blog/observations-on-each-classification-through-week-2-of-season/ML3XN3CGSBGM7LQT67DDLUAI2M/ | 2022-08-31T11:41:32Z | https://www.ajc.com/sports/high-school-sports-blog/observations-on-each-classification-through-week-2-of-season/ML3XN3CGSBGM7LQT67DDLUAI2M/ | true |
ATLANTA, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Operation HOPE, Inc., the nation's largest non-profit dedicated to financial empowerment for underserved communities, today announced that William M. "Bill" Daley, has been elected to its global board of advisors.
Daley is vice chairman of Public Affairs for Wells Fargo and a member of the company's Operating Committee. He joined Wells Fargo in 2019, leading the Public Affairs organization, which includes Communications & Brand Management, Government Relations & Public Policy, Social Impact, Sustainability, and the Business Execution Office. A lawyer by profession, Daley has held numerous roles in both public service and finance. Among his many accolades, Daley was appointed Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama. Prior to this role, he served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce in the Clinton administration, and in 2000, ran then-Vice President Al Gore's presidential campaign. In the private sector, William served as vice chairman at JPMorgan Chase and later at BNY Mellon. He previously served as president of SBC Communications and president and chief operating officer at Amalgamated Bank of Chicago.
He joins a distinguished Board that consists of some of the nation's top executives in business, banking, technology and the non-profit sector. Advisory board members provide guidance and support to Operation HOPE, which provides financial literacy education to youth, adults and small business owners across the US.
"Operation HOPE continues to grow with the help of industry leaders, like Bill Daley, who challenge us to increase our impact. He is highly intelligent and insightful, with a commitment to public service that is unmatched," said Operation HOPE Founder, Chairman and CEO, John Hope Bryant. "I'm proud to have such a rare and balanced individual join our Board. Undoubtedly, Bill's contributions will help Operation HOPE continue to grow."
Since 1992, Operation HOPE has been moving America from civil rights to "silver rights" with the mission of making free enterprise and capitalism work for the underserved—disrupting poverty for millions of low and moderate-income youth and adults across the nation. Through its community uplift model, HOPE Inside, which received the 2016 Innovator of the Year recognition by American Banker magazine, Operation HOPE has served more than 4 million individuals and directed more than $3.2 billion in economic activity into disenfranchised communities—turning check-cashing customers into banking customers, renters into homeowners, small business dreamers into small business owners, minimum wage workers into living wage consumers, and uncertain disaster victims into financially empowered disaster survivors. Project 5117 is HOPE's unique approach to combating economic inequality that aims to improve financial literacy, increase business role models and business internships for youth in underserved communities, and stabilize the American dream by boosting FICO scores. Operation HOPE recently received its eighth consecutive 4-star charity rating for fiscal management and commitment to transparency and accountability by the prestigious non-profit evaluator, Charity Navigator. For more information: OperationHOPE.org. Join the conversation on social media at @operationhope.
Media Contact
Lalohni Campbell for Operation HOPE
la@persemediagroup.com
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SOURCE Operation HOPE, Inc. | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/operation-hope-adds-william-bill-daley-global-board-advisors/ | 2022-08-31T11:42:08Z | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/operation-hope-adds-william-bill-daley-global-board-advisors/ | false |
(The Hill) — The revelation that former President Donald Trump had some of the nation’s most closely guarded forms of intelligence at his Florida home is renewing questions over the potentially grave risks to U.S. national security.
The affidavit used to secure a search warrant for Trump’s home released Friday reveals why the government was so alarmed: Among an initial batch of 184 classified documents retrieved from Mar-a-Lago in January were secrets gained from “clandestine human sources,” information prohibited from being shared with foreign governments and information obtained by monitoring “foreign communications signals.”
Finding 25 sets of highly classified materials was enough to spur the Justice Department — after months of failed negotiations and a subpoena to Trump — to seek a search warrant, securing another 11 sets of documents that included more highly sensitive materials.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) alerted lawmakers over the weekend that it would begin work on a damage assessment to evaluate the fallout from what the Justice Department in June told Trump’s legal team were documents not “handled in an appropriate manner or stored in an appropriate location.”
Former intelligence officials describe a painstaking process that will involve officials evaluating whether the classified documents were compromised and by whom in order to take steps to prevent further damage.
“They will proceed from the worst-case assumption: that any/all of the classified material could have been exposed to a sophisticated adversary intelligence service, and look at the documents from the standpoint of what can be gleaned about what the US knows (or doesn’t know) about a given topic,” James Clapper, who served as director of national intelligence under the Obama administration, wrote in an email to The Hill.
Clapper also said the intelligence community will need to examine the “chain of custody” of the documents, which will involve evaluating how they were handled since they were in the White House and by whom as well as who had access to the documents and whether they were photographed or copied.
The federal government has strict rules governing classified information, and the Justice Department has prosecuted individuals for unauthorized disclosures of the nation’s secrets.
A search warrant unsealed earlier this month suggested that the Mar-a-Lago search is linked to an investigation of possible violations of the Espionage Act, in addition to other laws.
In an interview, former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, who served under Trump, recalled instructions he received when he entered government about not being able to publicly release classified documents without proper certification and the prohibition against moving classified information outside government buildings or taking it with you when you leave service.
“You don’t want to breach that requirement,” he said. “It can be dangerous if some of that is not handled the way it’s supposed to be handled.”
“Everybody knows that coming in. I’m sure the president was reminded of that by his legal team,” Coats said.
There is little known about the documents themselves, but experts say the classification markings disclosed in the unsealed documents suggest the information could present a severe danger were it to fall into the wrong hands.
“That tells me that, by legal definition of top secret, somebody in a position of authority and knowledge classified that material because they thought its disclosure of such information could reasonably be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security — that is the definition in the Executive Order of Top Secret material,” said Steven Cash, a lawyer at Day Pitney specializing in national security who served at the CIA.
A letter from Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to the chairs of the House’s Oversight and Reform Committee and Intelligence Committee indicates the agency that oversees the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies will begin a “classification review” of the documents, including an “assessment of the potential risk to national security that would result from the disclosure of the relevant documents.”
It’s a remarkable effort made all the more extraordinary by the unusual circumstances.
Such assessments usually follow the known leak of information. But in this case, it’s not clear who may have accessed the documents.
Mar-a-Lago may have an exclusive membership list, but it’s hardly the restricted area the intelligence community seeks for cordoning off classified materials, with members of the public on-site to play golf.
Reporting from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently noted a woman under FBI investigation after posing as a wealthy socialite was spotted on the grounds at Mar-a-Lago, taking a photo with Trump and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on the course.
The Justice Department subpoenaed security footage from Mar-a-Lago in June. But the footage goes back only about 60 days, according to reporting from The New York Times, and it’s not apparent how extensive the footage is and whether it includes video of the room or rooms where the documents were stored.
Experts warn the intelligence community may not be able to perform a full-fledged damage assessment, which usually requires producing a report detailing what information leaked, steps to mitigate the damage, and how to stop something similar from happening again.
“The utility of conducting a damage assessment here is overstated for two reasons. One is they’re not going to have good clarity on who accessed the documents, which is critical to assessing damage. And then, two, most assessments look at ‘lessons learned’: How did this happen? And how can we prevent it from happening again? There’s no good answer to that question here. You can’t just say we won’t share sensitive intelligence with the president in the future if he’s someone like Trump. That’s not viable in our system of government,” said Brian Greer, a former CIA attorney.
But even if ODNI undertakes a less formal review, it still has questions to answer, mainly in an effort to protect numerous sources of information — including informants — that are now likely at risk.
“Separate from a formal damage assessment, the IC [intelligence community] will also consider near-term risk mitigation measures. Do they need to undertake some sort of immediate damage control effort? For instance, if there was information in the documents that could identify a human source, do we need to pull the source? Do we need to exfiltrate them? Or do we just need to at least give them a warning so they can stand down on meeting with their handlers for a little while? Do we need to go cover our tracks?” Greer said.
“And then the same thing with a surveillance platform. Do we need to consider taking it down so that an adversary can’t discover it?” he added.
The intelligence community has had access to some of the tranche of documents stored at Trump’s home since May.
But the recovery earlier this month adds another batch of documents to the 184 already shared by the Justice Department.
Greer warns, however, that the damage is already done.
“They’re going to err on the side of caution. In the absence of concrete information about who accessed the documents, they’re going to have no choice but to assume a compromise and take proactive measures to protect our sources and collection capabilities,” he said.
“That step alone will harm national security,” he added. | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/national-news/trumps-possession-of-intelligence-documents-raises-fears-for-national-security/ | 2022-08-31T11:42:23Z | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/national-news/trumps-possession-of-intelligence-documents-raises-fears-for-national-security/ | false |
NEW YORK, Aug 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gross Law Firm issues the following notice to shareholders of MINISO Group Holding Limited.
Shareholders who purchased shares of MNSO during the class period listed are encouraged to contact the firm regarding possible lead plaintiff appointment. Appointment as lead plaintiff is not required to partake in any recovery.
CONTACT US HERE:
https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/miniso-group-holding-limited-loss-submission-form/?id=31259&from=4
CLASS PERIOD: This lawsuit is on behalf of persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired publicly traded MINISO securities pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and related prospectus issued in connection with MINISO's October 2020 initial public offering.
ALLEGATIONS: The complaint alleges that during the class period, Defendants issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) defendants and other undisclosed related parties owned and controlled a much larger amount of MINISO stores than previously stated; (2) as a result, MINISO concealed its true costs; (3) the Company did not represent its true business model; (4) defendants, including the Company and its chairman, engaged in planned unusual and unclear transactions; (5) as a result of at least one of these transactions, the Company is at risk of breaching contracts with People's Republic of China authorities; (6) the Company would imminently and drastically drop its franchise fees; and (7) as a result, defendant's statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
DEADLINE: October 17, 2022 Shareholders should not delay in registering for this class action. Register your information here: https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/miniso-group-holding-limited-loss-submission-form/?id=31259&from=4
NEXT STEPS FOR SHAREHOLDERS: Once you register as a shareholder who purchased shares of MNSO during the timeframe listed above, you will be enrolled in a portfolio monitoring software to provide you with status updates throughout the lifecycle of the case. The deadline to seek to be a lead plaintiff is October 17, 2022. There is no cost or obligation to you to participate in this case.
WHY GROSS LAW FIRM? The Gross Law Firm is nationally recognized class action law firm, and our mission is to protect the rights of all investors who have suffered as a result of deceit, fraud, and illegal business practices. The Gross Law Firm is committed to ensuring that companies adhere to responsible business practices and engage in good corporate citizenship. The firm seeks recovery on behalf of investors who incurred losses when false and/or misleading statements or the omission of material information by a company lead to artificial inflation of the company's stock. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
The Gross Law Firm
15 West 38th Street, 12th floor
New York, NY, 10018
Email: dg@securitiesclasslaw.com
Phone: (646) 453-8903
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SOURCE The Gross Law Firm | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-miniso-group-holding-limited-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-october-17-2022-nyse-mnso/ | 2022-08-31T11:44:35Z | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-miniso-group-holding-limited-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-october-17-2022-nyse-mnso/ | true |
States tapping historic surpluses for tax cuts and rebates
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Stoked by the largest surplus in state history, Missouri’s Republican-led Legislature devised a $500 million plan to send one-time tax refunds to millions of households. In a shock to some, GOP Gov. Mike Parson vetoed it.
Parson’s objection: He wanted a bigger, longer-lasting tax cut.
“Now is the time for the largest income tax cut in our state’s history,” Parson declared as he called lawmakers back for a September special session to consider a $700 million permanent tax reduction.
Upon its likely approval, Missouri will join at least 31 states that already have enacted some type of tax cut or rebate this year — an astounding outpouring of billions of tax dollars back to the people. Idaho lawmakers are convening Thursday to consider more tax breaks, and Montana lawmakers also are weighing a special session for tax relief.
Flush with federal pandemic aid and their own surging tax revenue, states have cut income tax rates for individuals and businesses, expanded tax deductions for families and retirees, pared back property taxes, waived sales taxes on groceries and suspended motor fuel taxes to offset inflationary price spikes. Many also have provided immediate tax rebates.
Republicans and Democrats alike have joined the tax-cutting trend during a midterm election year.
Yet divisions have emerged about how far to go. While Democrats generally have favored targeted tax breaks and one-time rebates, some Republicans have pressed for permanent income tax rate reductions that could lower tax bills — and state revenue — for years to come. Parson describes it as “real, lasting relief.”
Some budget analysts warn that permanent tax cuts could strain states during a future recession. The U.S. economy has shrunk for two straight quarters this year, meeting one informal sign of a recession.
“Quite simply, relying on the current surplus to fund permanent tax changes isn’t fiscally sustainable, or responsible, and will ultimately require cuts to state services,” said Amy Blouin, president and CEO of the Missouri Budget Project, a nonprofit that analyzes fiscal policies.
For some states, the current surpluses are unlike anything they’ve previously seen.
The 2022 fiscal year, which ended June 30 for most states, marked the second straight year of large growth in tax collections after economic shutdowns triggered declines early in the coronavirus pandemic. Many states reported their largest-ever surpluses, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers.
“I don’t think there’s been a time in history where states are better equipped to ride out a potential recession,” said Timothy Vermeer, senior state tax policy analyst at the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. “A majority, if not all, of the rainy day funds are in a really healthy position.”
Income tax rate cuts have passed in 13 states this year, already equaling last year’s historic total, according to the Tax Foundation. Republicans control the legislatures in all of those states except New York, where Democrats who wield power accelerated the timetable for a previously approved tax rate reduction.
Republican-led Arkansas was the most recent to take action during an August special session. A new law will speed up a gradual income tax rate reduction enacted last year and provide a one-time inflationary tax credit. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson described the $500 million package as “a transfer of wealth from the government to the taxpayer” that “could not have come at a more important time.”
Nationwide, inflation is at a 40-year-high, raising prices on most good and services and squeezing incomes.
At least 15 states have approved one-time rebates from their surpluses, including 10 led by Democratic governors and legislatures, four by Republicans and one — Virginia — with split partisan control.
Democratic-led California, which posted a record $97 billion surplus, is sending rebates of between $200 and $1,050 to individuals earning less than $250,000 annually and households earning less than $500,000.
All four GOP-controlled states providing rebates — Georgia, Indiana, Idaho and South Carolina — also made permanent income tax rate cuts.
Though often popular, tax rebates do little to fight inflation and “may actually be counterproductive” by enabling additional consumer spending on items in scarce supply and thus contributing to higher prices, said Hernan Moscoso Boedo, an economist at the University of Cincinnati.
Still, big surpluses coupled with inflation make rebates a tempting option for politicians, especially during an election year.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican facing a re-election challenge from Democrat Stacey Abrams, has been among the most aggressive tax-cutters. He signed legislation gradually reducing the income tax rate from 5.75% to 4.99%. He also signed a measure providing a $1.1 billion tax rebate, with up to $250 for individuals and $500 for couples. He has proposed an additional $2 billion in income and property tax rebates. And after a law temporarily suspending the state’s gas tax expired in May, Kemp extended the gas tax break through mid-September.
“We’re trying to help Georgians fight through this tough time,” Kemp said.
In Colorado, legislative staff estimate it will cost $2.7 million to carry out legislation expediting an income tax refund of $750 for individuals and $1,500 for couples. The constitutionally mandated refund of surplus revenue was originally due to be paid next year but is being distributed now — along with a letter from Democratic Gov. Jared Polis touting it as inflation relief.
Polis, who is up for re-election in November, had been a previous critic of the automatic refund provision. His Republican challenger, Heidi Ganahl, is accusing him of “hypocrisy.”
Idaho Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, has called the Legislature back for a special session starting Thursday to consider more tax breaks.
He’s proposing to use part of the state’s projected $2 billion budget surplus for a $500 million income tax rebate this year. He also wants to cut more than $150 million annually by creating a flat 5.8% income tax rate starting next year. That comes after the state reduced the top tax rate each of the last two years.
“Folks, this is conservative governing in action,” Little said while asserting the tax cuts still would leave enough money to boost education funding by hundreds of millions of dollars.
Montana lawmakers are weighing whether to convene a special session later in September to provide tax breaks from a budget surplus. A proposal calls for giving $1,000 rebates to homeowners who paid property taxes during the past two years. It also would provide income tax rebates of $1,250 for individuals and $2,500 for couples.
Montana’s Republican House and Senate majority leaders said in a joint statement that the rebates would offer help “as soon as possible with expenses such as gas, groceries, school supplies and so much more.” But some lawmakers, including term-limited GOP Rep. Frank Garner, have expressed reluctance.
“My first concern is if this proposal is driven by an imminent emergency or by those wanting to write checks to voters because their emergency is merely an imminent election,” Garner wrote in an opinion column.
___
Associated Press writers Jeff Amy in Atlanta; Jim Anderson and Jesse Bedayn in Denver; Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Ark.; Amy Beth Hanson in Helena, Mont.; and Keith Ridler in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/2022/08/31/states-tapping-historic-surpluses-tax-cuts-rebates/ | 2022-08-31T11:45:41Z | https://www.wafb.com/2022/08/31/states-tapping-historic-surpluses-tax-cuts-rebates/ | false |
– Quarter Highlighted by Another Record Loan Portfolio, Driven by 75% Year-Over-Year Growth in Canadian Point-of-Sale Financing Business, and Record Revenue and Record Net Interest Income –
All amounts are unaudited and in Canadian dollars and are based on financial statements prepared in compliance with International Accounting Standard 34 Interim Financial Reporting, unless otherwise noted. Our third quarter 2022 ("Q3 2022") unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements for the period ended July 31, 2022 and Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A"), are available online at www.versabank.com/investor-relations, SEDAR at www.sedar.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. Supplementary Financial Information will also be available on our website at www.versabank.com/investor-relations.
LONDON, ON, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - VersaBank ("VersaBank" or the "Bank") (TSX: VBNK) (NASDAQ: VBNK), a North American leader in business-to-business digital banking, as well as technology solutions for cybersecurity, today reported its results for the third quarter of 2022 ended July 31, 2022. All figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.
CONSOLIDATED AND SEGMENTED FINANCIAL SUMMARY
HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2022
Consolidated
- Consolidated revenue increased 35% year-over-year and 14% sequentially to a record $21.2 million due to higher net interest income generated by the Digital Banking operations (driven primarily by strong loan growth of 44% year-over-year and 15% sequentially);
- Consolidated net income increased 5% year-over-year and 16% sequentially to $5.7 million, driven by higher revenue and offset partially by higher non-interest expense related to strategic investments in the Bank's business development initiatives including the acquisition of a U.S. bank, the development of the U.S. Receivable Purchase Program ("RPP") and preparation for commercial launch of the Canadian-dollar version of VersaBank's Digital Deposit Receipts; and,
- Consolidated earnings per share was $0.20, a decrease of 20% year-over-year and an increase of 18% sequentially, with the year-over-year decrease being a function of the higher number of shares outstanding following the issuance of 6.3 million common shares via the Bank's U.S. IPO on the Nasdaq in September 2021 (the "Common Share Offering").
Digital Banking Operations
- Loans increased 44% year-over-year and 15% sequentially to a record $2.81 billion driven by growth in the Bank's Point-of-Sale ("POS") Financing portfolio, which increased 75% year-over-year and 24% sequentially;
- Digital Banking revenue increased 38% year-over-year and 16% sequentially to a record $20.1 million;
- Net interest margin increased 15 bps, or 6%, year-over-year and decreased 1 bps, or less than 1%, sequentially to 2.76%, while net interest margin on loans decreased 16 bps, or 5%, year-over-year and decreased 4 bps, or 1% sequentially, to 3.07%;
- Provision for Credit Losses ("PCLs") as a percentage of average loans was 0.03%, compared with a 12-quarter average of -0.01%, which remains amongst the lowest of the publicly traded Canadian Schedule I (federally licensed) Banks;
- On June 14, 2022, VersaBank signed a definitive agreement to acquire Minnesota-based Stearns Bank Holdingford, N.A. ("SBH"), a privately held, wholly owned subsidiary of Stearns Financial Services Inc. ("SFSI") based in St. Cloud, Minnesota, for an estimated USD$13.5 million (CAD$17.4 million). The transaction is anticipated to close before December 31, 2022, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval by both the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, ("OCC") in the US and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, ("OSFI") in Canada;
- Subsequent to the end of the quarter, on August 18, 2022, the Canadian Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions published an advisory, Interim arrangements for the regulatory capital and liquidity treatment of cryptoasset exposures. VersaBank believes its Digital Deposit Receipt model to be consistent with the content of OSFI's advisory as VersaBank continues to evolve its model amidst the changing macro-environment.
- Subsequent to quarter end, VersaBank received approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") to proceed with a Normal Course Issuer Bid ("NCIB") for its common shares through which the Bank may purchase for cancellation up to 1,700,000 of its common shares representing approximately 9.54% of its public float. If fully executed, the impact of the NCIB will not have a material impact on the Bank's regulatory capital levels and ratios.
DRTC (Cybersecurity Services and Banking and Financial Technology Development)
- Revenue and gross profit, which are generated by DRT Cyber Inc.'s, ("DRTC") cybersecurity services business, increased 7% and decreased 2% year-over-year, respectively, and decreased 12% and 17% sequentially to $2.1 million and $1.2 million, respectively, with the sequential decreases being a function of lower engagements in the current quarter; and,
- Net loss of $0.7 million compared to net income of $0.2 million in the third quarter of 2021 and net loss of $0.5 million in the second quarter of 2022, with the net losses being primarily attributable to higher costs related to investment in specific strategic growth initiatives (including continued preparation for commercial launch of the Canadian-dollar version of the Bank's digital deposit receipts).
MANAGEMENT COMMENTARY
"The third quarter of 2022 saw continued strong momentum in loan growth in our core Digital Banking operations as a 75% year-over-year increase in our Canadian Point-of-Sale financing business drove our loan portfolio to another new high at more than $2.8 billion," said David Taylor, President and Chief Executive Officer, VersaBank. "Our significant loan growth contributed to record quarterly revenue and record net interest income, and we returned to year-over-year and sequential growth in net income, even as our profitability was dampened by costs totaling approximately $3.0 million related to investments in multiple strategic growth initiatives, including our U.S. bank acquisition, our U.S. Receivable Purchase Program business and the Canadian-dollar version of our revolutionary Digital Deposit Receipts, all of which we expect will contribute to accelerated growth in both the short- and long-terms, as well as transitory costs associated with our Nasdaq listing last September. Importantly, during this period of significant loan growth, we increased net interest margin year-over-year. We expect continued strong performance for the remainder of the year and into 2023, driven by continued momentum in the Canadian Point-of-Sale business, incremental ramp up of the U.S. Receivable Purchase Program, as well as growth in the Cybersecurity Services component of DRTC, as we benefit from the significant investments made in 2022."
"Of critical importance during the third quarter, we took a transformational next step in VersaBank's long-term growth strategy with the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire a fully operational, OCC-chartered U.S. bank, Stearns Bank Holdingford, which will be renamed VersaBank USA upon closing, and will provide VersaBank with a platform from which to offer our unique and immensely successful Receivable Purchase Program (known in Canada as our Point-of-Sale Financing business) to the underserved U.S. market. Early response to our limited early roll out in the US $1.8 trillion and growing U.S. consumer and small business point-of-sale financing market continues to be very encouraging and we look forward to closing on this transaction to be able to fully capitalize on this opportunity."
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Consolidated
Net Income – Net income for the third quarter of 2022 was $5.7 million, or $0.20 per common share (basic and diluted), compared to $4.9 million, or $0.17 per common share (basic and diluted) last quarter and $5.4 million, or $0.25 per common share (basic and diluted), for the same period a year ago. The year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter increases were a function of higher revenue attributable primarily to lending asset growth offset partially by higher non-interest expense attributable to investments in the Bank's business development initiatives including, but not limited to, the acquisition of a U.S. national bank, the development of the U.S. RPP and preparation for commercial launch of the Canadian-dollar version of VersaBank's Digital Deposit Receipts. Investments associated with the acquisition and business of the U.S. bank are anticipated to be realized substantially by the end of the current fiscal year. The year-over-year trend also reflects the impact of higher insurance premiums attributable to VersaBank's listing on the Nasdaq in September 2021, higher salary and benefits costs, and higher office expense resulting from the implementation of VersaBank's return-to-work strategy, as well as the impact of a $166,000 provision for credit losses in the current quarter compared to a provision for credit losses in the amount of $96,000 a year ago.
Digital Banking Operations
Net Interest Margin – Net interest margin (or spread) for the quarter was 2.76% compared to 2.77% for the second quarter of 2022 and 2.61% for the same period a year ago. The year-over-year increase is primarily the result of deploying cash balances into higher yield, high quality securities.
Net Interest Margin on Loans – Net interest margin on loans for the quarter was 3.07% compared to 3.11% for the second quarter of 2022 and 3.23% for the same period a year ago. These trends are primarily the result of higher cost of funds attributable to changes in the Bank's funding mix, as well as the Bank's strategy to grow its POS Financing portfolio.
Net Interest Income – Net interest income for the quarter was $20.1 million compared to $17.2 million for the second quarter of 2022 and $14.5 million for the same period a year ago. The quarter-over-quarter and year-over year trends were a function primarily of higher interest income earned on higher lending asset balances and redeployment of available cash into higher yielding, low risk securities, offset partially by higher interest expense attributable to higher deposit balances.
Non-Interest Expenses – Non-interest expenses for the quarter were $13.2 million compared to $11.8 million for the second quarter of 2022 and $8.2 million for the same period a year ago. The year-over-year and sequential trends were a function primarily of strategic investments in the Bank's business development initiatives including, but not limited to, the acquisition of a U.S. national bank, the development of the U.S. RPP program, and preparation for commercial launch of the Canadian-dollar version of VersaBank's Digital Deposit Receipts. The year-over-year trend was also a function of higher insurance premiums attributable to VersaBank's listing on the Nasdaq in September 2021, higher salary and benefits expense attributable to higher staffing levels to support expanded business activity across VersaBank, higher costs associated with employee retention and higher office and facility related costs attributable to implementation of the Bank's return-to-work strategy. Investments associated with the acquisition and business of the U.S. bank are anticipated to be realized substantially by the end of the current fiscal year.
Provision for/Recovery of Credit Losses – Provision for credit losses for the quarter was $166,000 compared to a provision for credit losses of $78,000 for the second quarter of 2022 and a provision for credit losses of $96,000 for the same period a year ago. The year-over-year and sequential trends were a function primarily of higher lending asset balances and changes in the forward-looking information used by VersaBank in its credit risk models in the current quarter, offset partially by changes in the Bank's lending asset portfolio mix.
Capital – At July 31, 2022, VersaBank's total regulatory capital was $438 million compared to $432 million at April 30, 2022 and $340 million at July 31, 2021 and the Bank's CET1 capital ratio was 12.51%, compared 13.66% at April 30, 2022 and 11.94% at July 31, 2021. The sequential capital ratio trends were a function primarily of retained earnings growth and changes to the Bank's risk-weighted asset balances and composition. The year-over-year trends were a function primarily of the Common Share Offering in September 2021, retained earnings growth and changes to the Bank's risk-weighted asset balances and composition.
Credit Quality – Gross impaired loans at July 31, 2022 were $1.4 million, $1.0 million of which was repaid on August 2, 2022, with the remainder scheduled to be repaid in early September 2022, compared to $nil last quarter and a year ago. The Bank's allowance for expected credit losses, or ECL at July 31, 2022 was $1.70 million compared to $1.53 million last quarter and $1.73 million a year ago. The quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year ECL trends were a function primarily of the factors set out in the Provision for/Recovery of Credit Losses section above. VersaBank's Provision for Credit Losses ratio continues to be one of the lowest in the Canadian banking industry, reflecting the very low risk profile of the Bank's lending portfolio, enabling it to generate superior net interest margins by offering innovative, high-value deposit and lending solutions that address unmet needs in the banking industry through a highly efficient partner model.
Lending Operations: POS Financing – The POS Financing portfolio for the third quarter of 2022 increased 75% year-over-year and 24% sequentially to $2.0 billion as a function primarily of continued strong demand for home finance (albeit at a somewhat tempered rate), home improvement/HVAC receivable financing, and auto financing. Consumer spending in Canada is expected to remain stable as a tight labour market and higher wages mitigate the impact of higher interest rates and persistent inflation. The anticipated addition of new origination partners in both Canada and the U.S. are expected to contribute to continued strong growth in the Bank's POS Financing portfolio over the remainder of fiscal 2022.
Lending Operations: Commercial Lending – The Commercial Lending portfolio for the third quarter of 2022 increased 1% year-over-year and decreased 3% sequentially to $804 million. VersaBank anticipates modest growth in the commercial mortgage sector over the remainder of fiscal 2022, specifically related to financing for residential housing property development.
Deposit Funding – Cost of funds for the third quarter of 2022 was 1.94%, up 56 bps sequentially and 53 bps year-over-year attributable primarily to the higher interest rate environment in which the Bank of Canada has increased its benchmark rate by 150 bps over the current quarter. Management continues to expect that commercial deposit volumes raised via VersaBank's Trustee Integrated Banking ("TIB") program will return to growth in early fiscal 2023 as a function of an increase in the volume of consumer bankruptcy and proposal restructuring proceedings over the same timeframe attributable primarily to the Bank of Canada continuing to tighten monetary policy over at least the next two to three quarters. Further, VersaBank continues to grow and expand its well-established, diverse deposit broker network through which it sources personal deposits, consisting primarily of guaranteed investment certificates. Commercial deposits at July 31, 2022 were $591 million, down 1% year-over-year and down 3% sequentially.
DRTC (Cybersecurity Services and Banking and Financial Technology Development)
For the third quarter of 2022, DRTC revenue and gross profit, which are generated by DRTC cybersecurity services business, increased 7% and decreased 2% year-over-year, respectively, and decreased 12% and 17% sequentially to $2.1 million and $1.2 million, respectively, with the sequential decreases being a function of lower engagements in the current quarter. DRTC recorded a net loss for the quarter of $662,000 compared to net income of $196,000 a year ago and a net loss of $472,000 for the second quarter of 2022. The year-over-year and sequential trends were a function primarily of lower gross profit generated by DRTC and higher costs related to investments in specific strategic growth initiatives and new product development, including the preparation for commercial launch of the Canadian-dollar version of the Bank's Digital Deposit Receipts.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
About VersaBank
VersaBank is a Canadian Schedule I chartered (federally licensed) bank with a difference. VersaBank became the world's first fully digital financial institution when it adopted its highly efficient business-to-business model using its proprietary state-of-the-art financial technology to profitably address underserved segments of the Canadian banking market in the pursuit of superior net interest margins while mitigating risk. VersaBank obtains all of its deposits and provides the majority of its loans and leases electronically, with innovative deposit and lending solutions for financial intermediaries that allow them to excel in their core businesses. In addition, leveraging its internally developed IT security software and capabilities, VersaBank established wholly owned, Washington, DC-based subsidiary, DRT Cyber Inc. to pursue significant large-market opportunities in cyber security and develop innovative solutions to address the rapidly growing volume of cyber threats challenging financial institutions, multi-national corporations and government entities on a daily basis.
VersaBank's Common Shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") and Nasdaq under the symbol VBNK. Its Series 1 Preferred Shares trade on the TSX under the symbol VBNK.PR.A.
Forward-Looking Statements
VersaBank's public communications often include written or oral forward-looking statements. Statements of this type are included in this document, and may be included in other filings and with Canadian securities regulators or the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or in other communications. All such statements are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of, and are intended to be forward-looking statements under, the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and any applicable Canadian securities legislation. The statements in this press release that relate to the future are forward-looking statements. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, many of which are out of our control. Risks exist that predictions, forecasts, projections, and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as several important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the strength of the Canadian and U.S. economy in general and the strength of the local economies within Canada and U.S. in which we conduct operations; the effects of changes in monetary and fiscal policy, including changes in interest rate policies of the Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve; changing global commodity prices; the effects of competition in the markets in which we operate; inflation; capital market fluctuations; the timely development and introduction of new products in receptive markets; the impact of changes in the laws and regulations pertaining to financial services; changes in tax laws; technological changes; unexpected judicial or regulatory proceedings; unexpected changes in consumer spending and savings habits; the impact of wars or conflicts including the crisis in Ukraine and the impact of the crisis on global supply chains; the impact of new variants of COVID-19 and the Bank's anticipation of and success in managing the risks implicated by the foregoing. For a detailed discussion of certain key factors that may affect our future results, please see our annual MD&A for the year ended October 31, 2021.
The foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. The forward-looking information contained in this document and the related management's discussion and analysis is presented to assist our shareholders and others in understanding our financial position and may not be appropriate for any other purposes. Except as required by securities law, we do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that is contained in this document and the related management's discussion and analysis or made from time to time by the Bank or on its behalf.
Conference Call
VersaBank will be hosting a conference call and webcast today, Wednesday, August 31, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. (EDT) to discuss its third quarter results, featuring a presentation by David Taylor, President & CEO, and other VersaBank executives, followed by a question and answer period.
Dial-in Details
Please call between 8:45 a.m. and 8:55 a.m. (EDT).
Webcast Access: For those preferring to listen to the conference call via the Internet, a webcast of Mr. Taylor's presentation will be available via the internet, accessible here https://app.webinar.net/aZgOrVWj5yv or from the Bank's web site.
Instant Replay
The archived webcast presentation will also be available via the Internet for 90 days following the live event at https://app.webinar.net/aZgOrVWj5yv and on the Bank's web site.
Visit our website at: www.versabank.com
Follow VersaBank on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter
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- Results from this study demonstrate a robust and clinically meaningful reduction in barbiturate use after the initiation of Nurtec ODT, providing an alternative migraine therapy for those who may be reliant on butalbital or desire an alternative therapy that is not associated with addiction potential.
- Despite being associated with addiction potential, medication overuse (rebound) headaches and central nervous system side effects, barbiturates are prescribed as first-line migraine treatments.
- Longitudinal medical and prescription claims were used to assess barbiturate prescriptions and mean milligrams dispensed amongst migraine patients observed 6 months prior to and following Nurtec ODT initiation.
- Among the 24,359 with migraine who used butalbital prior to initiating treatment with Nurtec ODT, approximately 49% had no butalbital prescription fills in the 6 months following initiation.
NEW HAVEN, Conn., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd. (NYSE: BHVN) announced the important findings pertaining to the benefit of Nurtec® ODT (rimegepant) in decreasing the burden of butalbital use among migraine patients in real world clinical practice.
Noah Rosen, M.D., Northwell Physician Partners, Neuroscience Institute of Great Neck, NY commented, "Butalbital containing compound prescriptions remain high despite longstanding questions of safety in other conditions, significant potential side effects, multiple drug interactions and risk of dependency and misuse." Neurologist, Katherine Standley D.O., Medical Director, Biohaven, commented "Butalbital has a high risk of leading to medication overuse headaches, and has led to the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Headache Society (AHS) to recommend avoiding its use as a first line agent in the treatment of headaches."
The study population was derived from a longitudinal and anonymized integrated commercial medical and prescription claims database from September 15, 2019 through April 30, 2022. The data contains patient-level claims with plan, payer, facility, procedure, medication, and diagnosis information. The observation period for each patient was +/- 180 days from index fill. To be included in the study, the patient had to have filled at least 2 Nurtec ODT prescriptions, have at least one butalbital fill during the baseline observation period, and have sufficient time in data for baseline and follow-up observation. Barbiturate formulations studied included butalbital/acetaminophen, butalbital/acetaminophen/caffeine, and butalbital/aspirin/caffeine. Barbiturate formulations containing codeine were excluded.
Among 491,149 Nurtec patients, 24,359 met the inclusion criteria and are described in Figure 1 below. The overall butalbital discontinuation rate after Nurtec ODT initiation was 48.7%. Overall, mean monthly butalbital prescription fills decreased by 31.9% and mean milligrams dispensed reduced by 26.2%.
Gil L'Italien Ph.D., Senior Vice President, GHEOR & Epidemiology, Biohaven, commented, "Despite treatment guidelines suggesting that barbiturates should be avoided for treatment of migraine as the first line due to addiction potential, central nervous system effects and medication overuse headaches, barbiturate is prescribed in clinical practice, sometimes as first line in patients who are not candidates for triptans. Administrative claims provide a rich source of data on treatment patterns associated with the introduction of novel medications, and the duration of follow-up affords the opportunity to assess trends associated with these transitions. Our findings support the benefit of Nurtec ODT as an effective and safe migraine treatment that can reduce the need for barbiturates."
Dr. Rosen further commented, "This study has given a real-world insight into the impact that offering a more specific treatment can have on driving medication use away from older nonspecific remedies. Furthermore, by initiating Nurtec ODT, not only did patients lower butalbital use, but also reduced concurrent caffeine, acetaminophen or aspirin use due to their presence in these combination analgesics."
Dr. Standley added, "Prior to the institution of CGRP antagonists, like Nurtec ODT, we had limited options for acute management of migraine in patients who were intolerant or not candidates for triptan therapies. Medications such as opioids and barbiturate containing analgesics are associated with addiction potential and increased risk of chronic migraine. This data supports that Nurtec ODT initiation is associated with a meaningful reduction in butalbital use in real-world data. When coupled with the previously presented opioid data, this suggests an overall reduction in the use of controlled substances with the initiation of Nurtec ODT."
NURTEC ODT (rimegepant) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the acute treatment of migraine in February 2020 and for the preventive treatment of episodic migraine in May 2021.
About NURTEC ODT
NURTEC ODT (rimegepant) is the first and only calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist available in a quick-dissolve ODT formulation that is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura and the preventive treatment of episodic migraine in adults. The activity of the neuropeptide CGRP is thought to play a causal role in migraine pathophysiology. NURTEC ODT is a CGRP receptor antagonist that works by reversibly blocking CGRP receptors, thereby inhibiting the biologic activity of the CGRP neuropeptide. The recommended dose of NURTEC ODT is 75 mg, taken as needed, up to once daily to treat or every other day to help prevent migraine attacks. For more information about NURTEC ODT, visit www.nurtec.com.
Indication
NURTEC ODT orally disintegrating tablets is a prescription medicine that is used to treat migraine in adults. It is for the acute treatment of migraine attacks with or without aura and the preventive treatment of episodic migraine. It is not known if NURTEC ODT is safe and effective in children.
Important Safety Information
Do not take NURTEC ODT if you are allergic to NURTEC ODT (rimegepant) or any of its ingredients.
Before you take NURTEC ODT, tell your healthcare provider (HCP) about all your medical conditions, including if you:
- have liver problems,
- have kidney problems,
- are pregnant or plan to become pregnant,
- are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.
Tell your HCP about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
NURTEC ODT may cause serious side effects including allergic reactions, trouble breathing and rash. This can happen days after you take NURTEC ODT. Call your HCP or get emergency help right away if you have swelling of the face, mouth, tongue, or throat or trouble breathing. This occurred in less than 1% of patients treated with NURTEC ODT.
The most common side effects of NURTEC ODT were nausea (2.7%) and stomach pain/indigestion (2.4%). These are not the only possible side effects of NURTEC ODT. Tell your HCP if you have any side effects.
You are encouraged to report side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA.
Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1–800–FDA–1088 or report side effects to Biohaven at 1–833–4NURTEC.
See full Prescribing Information and Patient Information.
About Migraine
Nearly 40 million people in the U.S. suffer from migraine and the World Health Organization classifies migraine as one of the 10 most disabling medical illnesses. Migraine is characterized by debilitating attacks lasting four to 72 hours with multiple symptoms, including pulsating headaches of moderate to severe pain intensity that can be associated with nausea or vomiting, and/or sensitivity to sound (phonophobia) and sensitivity to light (photophobia). There is a significant unmet need for new treatments as more than 90 percent of people with migraine are unable to work or function normally during an attack.
CGRP Receptor Antagonism
Small molecule CGRP receptor antagonists represent a novel class of drugs for the treatment of migraine. CGRP receptor antagonists work by reversibly blocking CGRP receptors, thereby inhibiting the biologic activity of the CGRP neuropeptide. For acute treatment, this unique mode of action potentially offers an alternative to other agents, particularly for patients who have contraindications to the use of triptans or who have a poor response to triptans or are intolerant to them. CGRP signal-blocking therapies have not been associated with medication overuse headache (MOH) or rebound headaches which limits the clinical utility of other acute treatments due to increases in migraine attacks that result from frequent use.
About Biohaven
Biohaven is a global commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company with a portfolio of innovative, best-in-class therapies to improve the lives of patients with debilitating neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases, including rare disorders. Biohaven's Neuroinnovation™ portfolio includes FDA-approved Nurtec ODT (rimegepant) for the acute and preventive treatment of migraine EMA-approved as Vydura® for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura, and prophylaxis of episodic migraine in adults who have at least four migraine attacks per month) and a broad pipeline of late-stage product candidates across five distinct mechanistic platforms: CGRP receptor antagonism for the acute and preventive treatment of migraine; glutamate modulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder and spinocerebellar ataxia; and MPO inhibition for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Kv7 Ion Channel Activators (Kv7) activators for focal epilepsy and neuronal hyperexcitability, and myostatin inhibition for neuromuscular diseases. More information about Biohaven is available at www.biohavenpharma.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including statements that are based on the current expectations and assumptions of Biohaven's management about NURTEC ODT as an acute treatment for patients with migraine and preventive treatment for migraine. Factors that could affect these forward-looking statements include those related to: Biohaven's ability to effectively commercialize NURTEC ODT, delays or problems in the supply or manufacture of NURTEC ODT, complying with applicable U.S. regulatory requirements, the expected timing, commencement and outcomes of Biohaven's planned and ongoing clinical trials; the timing of planned interactions and filings with the FDA; the timing and outcome of expected regulatory filings; the potential commercialization of Biohaven's product candidates; the potential for Biohaven's product candidates to be first in class or best in class therapies; and the effectiveness and safety of Biohaven's product candidates. Various important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those that may be expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Additional important factors to be considered in connection with forward-looking statements are described in the "Risk Factors" section of Biohaven's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 25, 2022, and in Biohaven's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release, and Biohaven does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
NURTEC and NURTEC ODT are registered trademarks of Biohaven Pharmaceutical Ireland DAC. Neuroinnovation is a trademark of Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
Biohaven Contact
Jennifer Porcelli
Vice President, Investor Relations
jennifer.porcelli@biohavenpharma.com
201-248-0741
Media Contact
Mike Beyer
Sam Brown Inc.
mikebeyer@sambrown.com
312-961-2502
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DENVER, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund (NYSE MKT: GLV) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund, paid a monthly distribution on its common stock of $0.0906 per share to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 19, 2022.
The following table sets forth the estimated amount of the sources of distribution for purposes of Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the related rules adopted thereunder. The Fund estimates the following percentages, of the total distribution amount per share, attributable to (i) current and prior fiscal year net investment income, (ii) net realized short-term capital gain, (iii) net realized long-term capital gain and (iv) return of capital or other capital source as a percentage of the total distribution amount. These percentages are disclosed for the current distribution as well as the fiscal year-to-date cumulative distribution amount per share for the Fund.
The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this 19(a) Notice are only estimates and not for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with 'yield' or 'income.'
Presented below are return figures, based on the change in the Fund's Net Asset Value per share ("NAV"), compared to the annualized distribution rate for this current distribution as a percentage of the NAV on the last business day of the month prior to distribution record date.
Past performance is not indicative of future results.
^ Based on the Fund's NAV as of July 31, 2022.
+Cumulative distribution rate is based on distributions paid to date for the period November 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022.
*Cumulative fiscal year-to-date return is based on the change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions and that all rights in the Fund's rights offering were exercised, for the period November 1, 2021 through July 31, 2022.
**The 5 year average annual total return is based on change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions and that all rights in the Fund's rights offering were exercised, as of the last business day of the month prior to the month of the current distribution record date.
While the NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market.
Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's Managed Distribution Plan.
Furthermore, the Board of Trustees reviews the amount of any potential distribution and the income, capital gain or capital available. The Board of Trustees will continue to monitor the Fund's distribution level, taking into consideration the Fund's net asset value and the financial market environment. The Fund's distribution policy is subject to modification by the Board of Trustees at any time. The distribution rate should not be considered the dividend yield or total return on an investment in the Fund.
ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. FINRA Member Firm.
Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund (NYSE MKT: GLV)
1290 Broadway, Suite 1000
Denver, CO 80203
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U.N. monitors head to Ukrainian nuclear plant caught in storm of shelling
A team of international inspectors was heading Wednesday to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, where fierce fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces has raised international concern over a potential accident or radiation leak.
Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said he hoped to establish a permanent mission in Ukraine to monitor Europe’s largest nuclear plant.
“These operations are very complex operations. We are going to a war zone. We are going to occupied territory. And this requires explicit guarantees from not only from the Russians but also from the Republic of Ukraine,” Grossi said in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv before the monitoring mission’s departure.
“We have been able to secure that. ... So now we are moving.”
The power plant has been occupied by Russian forces and operated by Ukrainian workers since the early days of the 6-month-old war.
It was recently cut off temporarily from the electrical grid because of fire damage, causing a blackout in the region and heightening fears of a catastrophe in a country haunted by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
Germany is home to one of the world’s biggest Russian diaspora communities, but the Ukraine war has sparked incidents of ostracism and discrimination.
Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said Kyiv was seeking international assistance to try to de-militarize the area.
“We think that the mission should be a very important step to return [the plant] to Ukrainian government control by the end of the year,” Galushchenko told the Associated Press. “We have information that they [the Russians] are now trying to hide their military presence, so they should check all of this.”
The Zaporizhzhia plant is a vital source of energy for Ukraine and remains connected to the country’s power grid. Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of shelling the wider region around the facility, and the risks of an accident are so severe that officials have begun distributing anti-radiation iodine tablets to nearby residents.
Grossi met Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the IAEA mission, which is expected to last several days. The inspectors from the IAEA, a United Nations body, are expected to reach the Zaporizhzhia region, 280 miles southeast of the Ukrainian capital, later Wednesday.
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Comparable sales up 6.2% on top of comparable sales of 84.9% for the second quarter of 2021
Net sales from our Owned Brands increased 40.4% over the same period last year
Six of our Owned Brands would fall within the top 50 fashion footwear brands in the second quarter
Full year 2022 diluted EPS guidance raised to a range of $2.05 to $2.15 from $1.90 to $2.00
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Designer Brands Inc. (NYSE: DBI) (the "Company" and "Designer Brands"), one of the world's largest designers, producers, and retailers of footwear and accessories, announced financial results for the three months ended July 30, 2022.
Roger Rawlins, Chief Executive Officer, stated, "Our second quarter was a continuation of the strength we have seen in both our direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels and we were pleased with our topline results. We are seeing this trend continue into the third quarter as our back-to-school season, a new holiday period for Designer Brands, has been performing well, supported by an increased assortment of athletic and kid's products.
"We continue to successfully execute against our long-term plan to double sales of our Owned Brands by 2026 while maintaining sales of our top National Brand partners. The recent addition of Le Tigre to our portfolio of brands, coupled with our recently announced partnership with Reebok, supports our plan to build a very relevant and highly demanded Owned Brands assortment. Our brand building strategy continues to drive strong financial results and has enabled us to repurchase 7.8 million common shares in the second quarter. As we look forward, we are well-positioned for the back half of the year and are confident in our ability to deliver our updated 2022 guidance."
Second Quarter Operating Results (all comparisons are to the second quarter of 2021)
- Net sales increased 5.1% to $859.3 million.
- Comparable sales increased 6.2%.
- Gross profit increased to $295.7 million versus $284.7 million last year, and gross margin as a percentage of net sales was 34.4% as compared to 34.8% last year.
- Reported net income was $46.2 million, or diluted earnings per share ("EPS") of $0.62.
- Adjusted net income was $46.1 million, or adjusted diluted EPS of $0.62.
Liquidity Highlights
- Cash and cash equivalents totaled $50.8 million at the end of the second quarter of 2022 compared to $46.5 million at the end of the same period last year, with $157.7 million remaining available for borrowings under our senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility ("ABL Revolver"). Debt totaled $387.4 million at the end of the second quarter of 2022 compared to $247.1 million at the end of the same period last year. We anticipate receiving approximately $160.0 million in the near future from the Internal Revenue Service as a result of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
- The Company ended the quarter with more normalized inventory levels of $694.0 million compared to $504.3 million at the same period last year with accelerated receipts to support fall season demand.
Return to Shareholders
- During the second quarter of 2022, Designer Brands repurchased 7.8 million Class A common shares (10.8% of Class A and Class B common shares at the beginning of the quarter) at an aggregate cost of $105.8 million under its share repurchase program.
- During the six months ended July 30, 2022, we repurchased 9.4 million Class A common shares (12.8% of Class A and Class B common shares at the beginning of the fiscal year) at an aggregate cost of $128.5 million, with $206.4 million of Class A common shares that remain authorized under the program as of July 30, 2022.
- A dividend of $0.05 per share of Class A and Class B common shares will be paid on October 6, 2022 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 22, 2022.
Store Openings and Closings
During the second quarter of 2022, we closed 4 stores in the U.S. and 2 stores in Canada with no new stores opened, resulting in a total of 506 U.S. stores and 138 Canadian stores as of July 30, 2022. In May 2022, we opened our new "Warehouse Reimagined" format at a Houston-area DSW store.
Updated 2022 Financial Outlook
The Company is updating the following guidance for the full year 2022:
Webcast and Conference Call
The Company is hosting a conference call today at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Investors and analysts interested in participating in the call are invited to dial 1-888-317-6003, or the international dial-in, 1-412-317-6061, and reference conference ID number 0992621 approximately ten minutes prior to the start of the conference call. The conference call will also be broadcast live over the internet and can be accessed through the following link:
https://app.webinar.net/92W8GVxERKJ
For those unable to listen to the live webcast, an archived version will be available via the same website address until September 1, 2022. A replay of the teleconference will be available by dialing the following numbers:
U.S.: 1-877-344-7529
Canada: 1-855-669-9658
International: 1-412-317-0088
Passcode: 8228598
About Designer Brands
Designer Brands is one of the world's largest designers, producers and retailers of the most recognizable footwear brands and accessories, transforming and defining the footwear industry by inspiring self-expression across every facet of its enterprise. Through its portfolio of world-class owned brands, led by the industry-setting Vince Camuto brand, Designer Brands delivers on-trend footwear and accessories through its robust direct-to-consumer omni-channel infrastructure, featuring a billion-dollar digital commerce business and nearly 650 stores across the U.S. and Canada. Its retailing operations under the DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse and The Shoe Company banners deliver current, in-line footwear and accessories from most of the largest national brands in the industry and hold leading market share positions in key product categories across Women's, Men's and Kid's in the U.S. and Canada. Designer Brands also distributes its owned brands through select wholesale relationships while leveraging its design and sourcing expertise to build private label product for national retailers. Designer Brands is also committed to being a difference maker in the world, taking steps forward to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the footwear industry and supporting our global community and the health of our planet through donating more than six million pairs of shoes to the global non-profit Soles4Souls. More information can be found at www.designerbrands.com.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
Certain statements in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking words such as "outlook," "could," "believes," "expects," "potential," "continues," "may," "will," "should," "would," "seeks," "approximately," "predicts," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates," or the negative version of those words or other comparable words. These statements are based on the Company's current views and expectations and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: risks and uncertainties related to the ongoing coronavirus ("COVID-19") pandemic, any future COVID-19 resurgence, and any other adverse public health developments; risks that recent inflationary pressures, including higher freight costs, could have on our results of operations and customer demand based on pricing actions and operating measures taken to mitigate the impact of inflation; uncertain general economic conditions, including inflation and supply chain pressures, domestic and global political and social conditions and the potential impact of geopolitical turmoil or conflict, and the related impacts to consumer discretionary spending; our ability to execute on our long-term strategic plans; our ability to anticipate and respond to fashion trends, consumer preferences, and changing customer expectations; our ability to maintain strong relationships with our vendors, manufacturers, licensors, and retailer customers; risks related to losses or disruptions associated with our distribution systems, including our distribution centers and fulfillment center and stores, whether as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, reliance on third-party providers, or otherwise; our reliance on our loyalty programs and marketing to drive traffic, sales, and customer loyalty; risks related to cyber security threats and privacy or data security breaches or the potential loss or disruption of our information systems; our ability to protect our reputation and to maintain the brands we license; our competitiveness with respect to style, price, brand availability, and customer service; risks related to our international operations, including international trade, our reliance on foreign sources for merchandise, exposure to political, economic, operational, and compliance and other risks, and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; our ability to comply with privacy laws and regulations, as well as other legal obligations; risks associated with climate change and other corporate responsibility issues; and uncertainties related to future legislation, regulatory reform, policy changes, or interpretive guidance on existing legislation. Risks and other factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements are described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 29, 2022 and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the time when made. Except as may be required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements included in this press release to reflect any future events or circumstances.
Non-GAAP Measures
To supplement amounts presented in our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"), the Company uses certain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted operating expenses, adjusted operating profit, adjusted net income, and adjusted diluted earnings per share as shown in the table above. These measures adjust for the effects of: (1) restructuring expenses; (2) target acquisition costs; (3) impairment charges; (4) loss on extinguishment of debt and write-off of debt issuance costs; (5) foreign currency transaction losses (gains); (6) the net tax effect of such items; and (7) the change in the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets. The unaudited reconciliation of adjusted results should not be construed as an alternative to the reported results determined in accordance with GAAP. These financial measures are not based on any standardized methodology and are not necessarily comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The Company believes these non-GAAP measures provide useful information to both management and investors to increase comparability to prior periods by adjusting for certain items that may not be indicative of core operating measures and to better identify trends in our business. The adjusted financial results are used by management to, and allow investors to, evaluate the operating performance of the Company on a comparable basis, when reviewed in conjunction with the Company's GAAP statements. These amounts are not determined in accordance with GAAP and therefore should not be used exclusively in evaluating the Company's business and operations.
Comparable Sales Performance Metric
We consider the change in comparable sales from the same previous year period, a primary metric commonly used throughout the retail industry, to be an important indicator of the performance of our retail and direct-to-consumer businesses. We include in our comparable sales metric stores in operation for at least 14 months at the beginning of the fiscal year. Stores are added to the comparable base at the beginning of the year and are dropped for comparative purposes in the quarter in which they are closed. Comparable sales include stores temporarily closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic as management continues to believe that this metric is meaningful to monitor our performance. Comparable sales also include e-commerce sales. Comparable sales for the Canada Retail segment exclude the impact of foreign currency translation and are calculated by translating current period results at the foreign currency exchange rate used in the comparable period of the prior year. Comparable sales for the Brand Portfolio segment include the direct-to-consumer e-commerce site www.vincecamuto.com. The calculation of comparable sales varies across the retail industry and, as a result, the calculations of other retail companies may not be consistent with our calculation.
CONTACT: Stacy Turnof, DesignerBrandsIR@edelman.com
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SOURCE Designer Brands Inc. | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/designer-brands-inc-reports-second-quarter-2022-financial-results/ | 2022-08-31T11:49:49Z | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/designer-brands-inc-reports-second-quarter-2022-financial-results/ | true |
Uvalde prepares for new school year after massacre
UVALDE, Texas (KSAT) - In just one week, students in Uvalde will head back to the classroom for the first time since their school year ended in tragedy.
For months, parents have been calling for safety and security changes.
That work has started, but it won’t be ready in time.
It’s a taste of what next week will hold, parents and their students walking in and out of Uvalde Elementary for Meet the Teacher Night on Tuesday.
“I’m a little more nervous than normal, but he’s got a good teacher,” said Angela Potter, the mom of two students.
Her son Lucas is going into third grade. He was at Robb Elementary on May 24 when the school shooting happened.
Angela Potter said she’ll have some fear sending him and his brother back next Tuesday.
“You don’t think it can happen to you, and then all of the sudden it does,” she said.
The Uvalde Elementary campus is partially enclosed by 8-foot tall, non-scalable perimeter fencing. Currently, there’s still a few holes that need to be filled.
It’s the same here at Dalton Elementary, but at Morales Junior High, no new fencing is in sight.
“I went to Morales yesterday, and they didn’t have anything improved over there that I saw. This morning we made him virtual,” said Anson Bills, father of three students at Uvalde schools.
According to the district’s website, fencing work has started on three of the eight campuses.
Uvalde High School will be measured, and a timeline made for when their fencing will be put up.
“I trust this fence. It’s the school board I don’t trust,” Bills said.
Meanwhile, the work on the secured vestibules at each campus is running significantly behind, according to superintendent Dr. Hal Harrell.
“We’ll have DPS (Department of Public Safety) officers assigned at each entry point when school begins,” Harrell said.
The district bought 500 security cameras.
They’re fully installed at the high school and started at Morales Middle School. There’s nowhere else, though.
“Again, work won’t be totally complete by Tuesday; however, we will continue this work until it is complete,” Harrell said.
With school around the corner, there’s some optimism about the work that’s been done and plenty of skepticism.
“Hopefully he can feel a little more safer,” Potter said of her son Lucas.
“If I have to pull him I will, and right now only thing I see is a fence,” Bills said.
Copyright 2022 KSAT via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/08/31/uvalde-prepares-new-school-year-after-massacre/ | 2022-08-31T11:51:17Z | https://www.wibw.com/2022/08/31/uvalde-prepares-new-school-year-after-massacre/ | true |
GÖTEBORG, Sweden, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The number of votes in AB Volvo has changed due to the conversion of a total of 21 Series A shares to a total of 21 Series B shares. The conversions were implemented with the support of the opportunity for Series A shareholders to request conversion of Series A shares to Series B shares which was entered in the Articles of Association at the 2011 Annual General Meeting.
Today, August 31, 2022, the last trading day of the month, there are a total of 2,033,452,084 registered shares in AB Volvo. Of these are 444,987,925 Series A shares and 1,588,464,159 Series B shares. The number of votes in the company amounts to 603,834,340.9 based on the number of registered shares.
Journalists wanting further information, please contact:
Claes Eliasson, Volvo Group Media Relations, +46 76 553 72 29
This information is information that AB Volvo (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 13.00 CEST on August 31, 2022
For more information, please visit volvogroup.com
For frequent updates, follow us on Twitter: @volvogroup
The Volvo Group drives prosperity through transport and infrastructure solutions, offering trucks, buses, construction equipment, power solutions for marine and industrial applications, financing and services that increase our customers' uptime and productivity. Founded in 1927, the Volvo Group is committed to shaping the future landscape of sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions. The Volvo Group is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, employs almost 100.000 people and serves customers in more than 190 markets. In 2020, net sales amounted to about SEK 338 billion (EUR 33.6 billion). Volvo shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.
This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com
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SOURCE AB Volvo | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/new-number-votes-ab-volvo/ | 2022-08-31T11:51:23Z | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/new-number-votes-ab-volvo/ | false |
– Quarter Highlighted by Another Record Loan Portfolio, Driven by 75% Year-Over-Year Growth in Canadian Point-of-Sale Financing Business, and Record Revenue and Record Net Interest Income –
All amounts are unaudited and in Canadian dollars and are based on financial statements prepared in compliance with International Accounting Standard 34 Interim Financial Reporting, unless otherwise noted. Our third quarter 2022 ("Q3 2022") unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements for the period ended July 31, 2022 and Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A"), are available online at www.versabank.com/investor-relations, SEDAR at www.sedar.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. Supplementary Financial Information will also be available on our website at www.versabank.com/investor-relations.
LONDON, ON, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - VersaBank ("VersaBank" or the "Bank") (TSX: VBNK) (NASDAQ: VBNK), a North American leader in business-to-business digital banking, as well as technology solutions for cybersecurity, today reported its results for the third quarter of 2022 ended July 31, 2022. All figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.
CONSOLIDATED AND SEGMENTED FINANCIAL SUMMARY
HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2022
Consolidated
- Consolidated revenue increased 35% year-over-year and 14% sequentially to a record $21.2 million due to higher net interest income generated by the Digital Banking operations (driven primarily by strong loan growth of 44% year-over-year and 15% sequentially);
- Consolidated net income increased 5% year-over-year and 16% sequentially to $5.7 million, driven by higher revenue and offset partially by higher non-interest expense related to strategic investments in the Bank's business development initiatives including the acquisition of a U.S. bank, the development of the U.S. Receivable Purchase Program ("RPP") and preparation for commercial launch of the Canadian-dollar version of VersaBank's Digital Deposit Receipts; and,
- Consolidated earnings per share was $0.20, a decrease of 20% year-over-year and an increase of 18% sequentially, with the year-over-year decrease being a function of the higher number of shares outstanding following the issuance of 6.3 million common shares via the Bank's U.S. IPO on the Nasdaq in September 2021 (the "Common Share Offering").
Digital Banking Operations
- Loans increased 44% year-over-year and 15% sequentially to a record $2.81 billion driven by growth in the Bank's Point-of-Sale ("POS") Financing portfolio, which increased 75% year-over-year and 24% sequentially;
- Digital Banking revenue increased 38% year-over-year and 16% sequentially to a record $20.1 million;
- Net interest margin increased 15 bps, or 6%, year-over-year and decreased 1 bps, or less than 1%, sequentially to 2.76%, while net interest margin on loans decreased 16 bps, or 5%, year-over-year and decreased 4 bps, or 1% sequentially, to 3.07%;
- Provision for Credit Losses ("PCLs") as a percentage of average loans was 0.03%, compared with a 12-quarter average of -0.01%, which remains amongst the lowest of the publicly traded Canadian Schedule I (federally licensed) Banks;
- On June 14, 2022, VersaBank signed a definitive agreement to acquire Minnesota-based Stearns Bank Holdingford, N.A. ("SBH"), a privately held, wholly owned subsidiary of Stearns Financial Services Inc. ("SFSI") based in St. Cloud, Minnesota, for an estimated USD$13.5 million (CAD$17.4 million). The transaction is anticipated to close before December 31, 2022, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval by both the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, ("OCC") in the US and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, ("OSFI") in Canada;
- Subsequent to the end of the quarter, on August 18, 2022, the Canadian Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions published an advisory, Interim arrangements for the regulatory capital and liquidity treatment of cryptoasset exposures. VersaBank believes its Digital Deposit Receipt model to be consistent with the content of OSFI's advisory as VersaBank continues to evolve its model amidst the changing macro-environment.
- Subsequent to quarter end, VersaBank received approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") to proceed with a Normal Course Issuer Bid ("NCIB") for its common shares through which the Bank may purchase for cancellation up to 1,700,000 of its common shares representing approximately 9.54% of its public float. If fully executed, the impact of the NCIB will not have a material impact on the Bank's regulatory capital levels and ratios.
DRTC (Cybersecurity Services and Banking and Financial Technology Development)
- Revenue and gross profit, which are generated by DRT Cyber Inc.'s, ("DRTC") cybersecurity services business, increased 7% and decreased 2% year-over-year, respectively, and decreased 12% and 17% sequentially to $2.1 million and $1.2 million, respectively, with the sequential decreases being a function of lower engagements in the current quarter; and,
- Net loss of $0.7 million compared to net income of $0.2 million in the third quarter of 2021 and net loss of $0.5 million in the second quarter of 2022, with the net losses being primarily attributable to higher costs related to investment in specific strategic growth initiatives (including continued preparation for commercial launch of the Canadian-dollar version of the Bank's digital deposit receipts).
MANAGEMENT COMMENTARY
"The third quarter of 2022 saw continued strong momentum in loan growth in our core Digital Banking operations as a 75% year-over-year increase in our Canadian Point-of-Sale financing business drove our loan portfolio to another new high at more than $2.8 billion," said David Taylor, President and Chief Executive Officer, VersaBank. "Our significant loan growth contributed to record quarterly revenue and record net interest income, and we returned to year-over-year and sequential growth in net income, even as our profitability was dampened by costs totaling approximately $3.0 million related to investments in multiple strategic growth initiatives, including our U.S. bank acquisition, our U.S. Receivable Purchase Program business and the Canadian-dollar version of our revolutionary Digital Deposit Receipts, all of which we expect will contribute to accelerated growth in both the short- and long-terms, as well as transitory costs associated with our Nasdaq listing last September. Importantly, during this period of significant loan growth, we increased net interest margin year-over-year. We expect continued strong performance for the remainder of the year and into 2023, driven by continued momentum in the Canadian Point-of-Sale business, incremental ramp up of the U.S. Receivable Purchase Program, as well as growth in the Cybersecurity Services component of DRTC, as we benefit from the significant investments made in 2022."
"Of critical importance during the third quarter, we took a transformational next step in VersaBank's long-term growth strategy with the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire a fully operational, OCC-chartered U.S. bank, Stearns Bank Holdingford, which will be renamed VersaBank USA upon closing, and will provide VersaBank with a platform from which to offer our unique and immensely successful Receivable Purchase Program (known in Canada as our Point-of-Sale Financing business) to the underserved U.S. market. Early response to our limited early roll out in the US $1.8 trillion and growing U.S. consumer and small business point-of-sale financing market continues to be very encouraging and we look forward to closing on this transaction to be able to fully capitalize on this opportunity."
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Consolidated
Net Income – Net income for the third quarter of 2022 was $5.7 million, or $0.20 per common share (basic and diluted), compared to $4.9 million, or $0.17 per common share (basic and diluted) last quarter and $5.4 million, or $0.25 per common share (basic and diluted), for the same period a year ago. The year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter increases were a function of higher revenue attributable primarily to lending asset growth offset partially by higher non-interest expense attributable to investments in the Bank's business development initiatives including, but not limited to, the acquisition of a U.S. national bank, the development of the U.S. RPP and preparation for commercial launch of the Canadian-dollar version of VersaBank's Digital Deposit Receipts. Investments associated with the acquisition and business of the U.S. bank are anticipated to be realized substantially by the end of the current fiscal year. The year-over-year trend also reflects the impact of higher insurance premiums attributable to VersaBank's listing on the Nasdaq in September 2021, higher salary and benefits costs, and higher office expense resulting from the implementation of VersaBank's return-to-work strategy, as well as the impact of a $166,000 provision for credit losses in the current quarter compared to a provision for credit losses in the amount of $96,000 a year ago.
Digital Banking Operations
Net Interest Margin – Net interest margin (or spread) for the quarter was 2.76% compared to 2.77% for the second quarter of 2022 and 2.61% for the same period a year ago. The year-over-year increase is primarily the result of deploying cash balances into higher yield, high quality securities.
Net Interest Margin on Loans – Net interest margin on loans for the quarter was 3.07% compared to 3.11% for the second quarter of 2022 and 3.23% for the same period a year ago. These trends are primarily the result of higher cost of funds attributable to changes in the Bank's funding mix, as well as the Bank's strategy to grow its POS Financing portfolio.
Net Interest Income – Net interest income for the quarter was $20.1 million compared to $17.2 million for the second quarter of 2022 and $14.5 million for the same period a year ago. The quarter-over-quarter and year-over year trends were a function primarily of higher interest income earned on higher lending asset balances and redeployment of available cash into higher yielding, low risk securities, offset partially by higher interest expense attributable to higher deposit balances.
Non-Interest Expenses – Non-interest expenses for the quarter were $13.2 million compared to $11.8 million for the second quarter of 2022 and $8.2 million for the same period a year ago. The year-over-year and sequential trends were a function primarily of strategic investments in the Bank's business development initiatives including, but not limited to, the acquisition of a U.S. national bank, the development of the U.S. RPP program, and preparation for commercial launch of the Canadian-dollar version of VersaBank's Digital Deposit Receipts. The year-over-year trend was also a function of higher insurance premiums attributable to VersaBank's listing on the Nasdaq in September 2021, higher salary and benefits expense attributable to higher staffing levels to support expanded business activity across VersaBank, higher costs associated with employee retention and higher office and facility related costs attributable to implementation of the Bank's return-to-work strategy. Investments associated with the acquisition and business of the U.S. bank are anticipated to be realized substantially by the end of the current fiscal year.
Provision for/Recovery of Credit Losses – Provision for credit losses for the quarter was $166,000 compared to a provision for credit losses of $78,000 for the second quarter of 2022 and a provision for credit losses of $96,000 for the same period a year ago. The year-over-year and sequential trends were a function primarily of higher lending asset balances and changes in the forward-looking information used by VersaBank in its credit risk models in the current quarter, offset partially by changes in the Bank's lending asset portfolio mix.
Capital – At July 31, 2022, VersaBank's total regulatory capital was $438 million compared to $432 million at April 30, 2022 and $340 million at July 31, 2021 and the Bank's CET1 capital ratio was 12.51%, compared 13.66% at April 30, 2022 and 11.94% at July 31, 2021. The sequential capital ratio trends were a function primarily of retained earnings growth and changes to the Bank's risk-weighted asset balances and composition. The year-over-year trends were a function primarily of the Common Share Offering in September 2021, retained earnings growth and changes to the Bank's risk-weighted asset balances and composition.
Credit Quality – Gross impaired loans at July 31, 2022 were $1.4 million, $1.0 million of which was repaid on August 2, 2022, with the remainder scheduled to be repaid in early September 2022, compared to $nil last quarter and a year ago. The Bank's allowance for expected credit losses, or ECL at July 31, 2022 was $1.70 million compared to $1.53 million last quarter and $1.73 million a year ago. The quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year ECL trends were a function primarily of the factors set out in the Provision for/Recovery of Credit Losses section above. VersaBank's Provision for Credit Losses ratio continues to be one of the lowest in the Canadian banking industry, reflecting the very low risk profile of the Bank's lending portfolio, enabling it to generate superior net interest margins by offering innovative, high-value deposit and lending solutions that address unmet needs in the banking industry through a highly efficient partner model.
Lending Operations: POS Financing – The POS Financing portfolio for the third quarter of 2022 increased 75% year-over-year and 24% sequentially to $2.0 billion as a function primarily of continued strong demand for home finance (albeit at a somewhat tempered rate), home improvement/HVAC receivable financing, and auto financing. Consumer spending in Canada is expected to remain stable as a tight labour market and higher wages mitigate the impact of higher interest rates and persistent inflation. The anticipated addition of new origination partners in both Canada and the U.S. are expected to contribute to continued strong growth in the Bank's POS Financing portfolio over the remainder of fiscal 2022.
Lending Operations: Commercial Lending – The Commercial Lending portfolio for the third quarter of 2022 increased 1% year-over-year and decreased 3% sequentially to $804 million. VersaBank anticipates modest growth in the commercial mortgage sector over the remainder of fiscal 2022, specifically related to financing for residential housing property development.
Deposit Funding – Cost of funds for the third quarter of 2022 was 1.94%, up 56 bps sequentially and 53 bps year-over-year attributable primarily to the higher interest rate environment in which the Bank of Canada has increased its benchmark rate by 150 bps over the current quarter. Management continues to expect that commercial deposit volumes raised via VersaBank's Trustee Integrated Banking ("TIB") program will return to growth in early fiscal 2023 as a function of an increase in the volume of consumer bankruptcy and proposal restructuring proceedings over the same timeframe attributable primarily to the Bank of Canada continuing to tighten monetary policy over at least the next two to three quarters. Further, VersaBank continues to grow and expand its well-established, diverse deposit broker network through which it sources personal deposits, consisting primarily of guaranteed investment certificates. Commercial deposits at July 31, 2022 were $591 million, down 1% year-over-year and down 3% sequentially.
DRTC (Cybersecurity Services and Banking and Financial Technology Development)
For the third quarter of 2022, DRTC revenue and gross profit, which are generated by DRTC cybersecurity services business, increased 7% and decreased 2% year-over-year, respectively, and decreased 12% and 17% sequentially to $2.1 million and $1.2 million, respectively, with the sequential decreases being a function of lower engagements in the current quarter. DRTC recorded a net loss for the quarter of $662,000 compared to net income of $196,000 a year ago and a net loss of $472,000 for the second quarter of 2022. The year-over-year and sequential trends were a function primarily of lower gross profit generated by DRTC and higher costs related to investments in specific strategic growth initiatives and new product development, including the preparation for commercial launch of the Canadian-dollar version of the Bank's Digital Deposit Receipts.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
About VersaBank
VersaBank is a Canadian Schedule I chartered (federally licensed) bank with a difference. VersaBank became the world's first fully digital financial institution when it adopted its highly efficient business-to-business model using its proprietary state-of-the-art financial technology to profitably address underserved segments of the Canadian banking market in the pursuit of superior net interest margins while mitigating risk. VersaBank obtains all of its deposits and provides the majority of its loans and leases electronically, with innovative deposit and lending solutions for financial intermediaries that allow them to excel in their core businesses. In addition, leveraging its internally developed IT security software and capabilities, VersaBank established wholly owned, Washington, DC-based subsidiary, DRT Cyber Inc. to pursue significant large-market opportunities in cyber security and develop innovative solutions to address the rapidly growing volume of cyber threats challenging financial institutions, multi-national corporations and government entities on a daily basis.
VersaBank's Common Shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") and Nasdaq under the symbol VBNK. Its Series 1 Preferred Shares trade on the TSX under the symbol VBNK.PR.A.
Forward-Looking Statements
VersaBank's public communications often include written or oral forward-looking statements. Statements of this type are included in this document, and may be included in other filings and with Canadian securities regulators or the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or in other communications. All such statements are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of, and are intended to be forward-looking statements under, the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and any applicable Canadian securities legislation. The statements in this press release that relate to the future are forward-looking statements. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, many of which are out of our control. Risks exist that predictions, forecasts, projections, and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as several important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the strength of the Canadian and U.S. economy in general and the strength of the local economies within Canada and U.S. in which we conduct operations; the effects of changes in monetary and fiscal policy, including changes in interest rate policies of the Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve; changing global commodity prices; the effects of competition in the markets in which we operate; inflation; capital market fluctuations; the timely development and introduction of new products in receptive markets; the impact of changes in the laws and regulations pertaining to financial services; changes in tax laws; technological changes; unexpected judicial or regulatory proceedings; unexpected changes in consumer spending and savings habits; the impact of wars or conflicts including the crisis in Ukraine and the impact of the crisis on global supply chains; the impact of new variants of COVID-19 and the Bank's anticipation of and success in managing the risks implicated by the foregoing. For a detailed discussion of certain key factors that may affect our future results, please see our annual MD&A for the year ended October 31, 2021.
The foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. The forward-looking information contained in this document and the related management's discussion and analysis is presented to assist our shareholders and others in understanding our financial position and may not be appropriate for any other purposes. Except as required by securities law, we do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that is contained in this document and the related management's discussion and analysis or made from time to time by the Bank or on its behalf.
Conference Call
VersaBank will be hosting a conference call and webcast today, Wednesday, August 31, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. (EDT) to discuss its third quarter results, featuring a presentation by David Taylor, President & CEO, and other VersaBank executives, followed by a question and answer period.
Dial-in Details
Please call between 8:45 a.m. and 8:55 a.m. (EDT).
Webcast Access: For those preferring to listen to the conference call via the Internet, a webcast of Mr. Taylor's presentation will be available via the internet, accessible here https://app.webinar.net/aZgOrVWj5yv or from the Bank's web site.
Instant Replay
The archived webcast presentation will also be available via the Internet for 90 days following the live event at https://app.webinar.net/aZgOrVWj5yv and on the Bank's web site.
Visit our website at: www.versabank.com
Follow VersaBank on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter
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Paulie Hartwig III recently blew past a racing record set more than a decade ago by NASCAR superstar Chase Elliott.
On Aug. 2, the Galloway Township boy became the youngest race winner in history at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina.
And in doing it at age 11, he left Elliott’s record in the dust. Elliott, 26, a second-generation NASCAR star who won the 2020 Cup Series championship, was 14 when he won at North Wilkesboro for the first time.
Racing in Crate Modifieds against drivers two, three and four times his age, Paulie set the record on a Tuesday night. The next night? He went out there and won again.
“It actually feels really good to break Chase Elliott’s record,” Paulie said last week.
The victory was stunning, even for his supportive parents, Paul and Lisa, and it drew a lot of online attention. A Greensboro TV station’s report, featuring an interview with Paulie, has been viewed more than 68,000 times on YouTube.
People are also reading…
“I loved racing with those guys,” Paulie said of his big race in North Carolina. “They give me a lot of respect. ... After the race, they said congratulations to me.”
Paul Hartwig said it was “the biggest race of the year that you could win with our type of cars.”
Lisa Hartwig said they had traveled to North Wilkesboro with “no expectations because we knew who we were up against,” mentioning some established and, of course, much older drivers.
Climbing the ranks
It all started small enough: A 3-year-old riding go-karts in the family’s Lakewood backyard with the guidance of a father who had learned to race at 11 and still does.
“I started late,” Paul Hartwig joked.
At 4, Paulie competed in his first two races in Pennsylvania. He won both.
Over the years, he has progressed through the racing world. He’s won two national quarter-midget titles, plus regional, track and slingshot titles. The elder Hartwig estimates his son has driven to more than 150 victories.
“When he turned 7, it just clicked like 100%,” Paul Hartwig said.
In 2020, Paulie won a national title for Junior Slingshots by Tobias, typically referred to as that circuit’s World Series. He’s raced on asphalt and dirt tracks. He’s raced 4-cylinder cars and, for the past year and a half, modifieds.
The racing season for the Hartwigs starts in April or May and keeps them busy for months. Paulie has raced mostly in Pennsylvania, but also in Virginia, Delaware and North Carolina. One place he has not raced is New Jersey, where he is several years away from being old enough.
This year, Paulie has won five races and had about 15 top-five finishes, his father said. And he’s not driving against other 11-year-olds. His opponents typically range in age from 18 to 65.
“They actually have a lot of respect for him because he races them just like a veteran,” his father said. “He had to earn it.”
Sometimes, the father and son even get to compete in the same race. “We’ve been racing together here and there when the funds allow us both to race,” Paul Hartwig said.
And when the funds don’t? “He always gets the first crack at it. He’s always first,” the father said.
Paulie knows that, too. “He always wants to focus on me,” he said.
Best of all, though, is when father and son compete in the same race, as they did a this month in Pennsylvania.
“He finished second, and I finished fourth. I love racing with him,” Paulie said.
In it for the long haul
The list of accomplishments is long for an 11-year-old, or for a 40-year-old, for that matter. But at or near the top of the list: those two races he won at North Wilkesboro Speedway, an old-time NASCAR racetrack that was shuttered for years and only brought back to life this month. Dale Earnhardt Jr. watched from the infield that opening night, and the retired NASCAR star is scheduled to compete in a race there Wednesday night.
Paulie talks like the veteran racer he is when explaining his strategy — about saving his tires for the races, not using them all up in the preliminaries, about keeping the car in one piece so the fun can continue in the next race. “We don’t have to set the world on fire,” he explained. “We just want to race every .”
He is a fan of Martin Truex Jr., the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion who grew up in southern Ocean County. But Cup racing is not his long-term goal. He loves racing modifieds.
“It’s really important to me to do something in life. To keep me busy and to be working on cars every week,” he said. “I want to go until I’m like 40 or so, racing on the Whelan (Modified) tours.”
Lisa Hartwig watches her boy, so much younger than the other drivers, zipping around tracks at 100 mph. “It’s mixed emotion. Its pretty crazy, but we wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said. “It’s what we live and breath. We love racing.”
Paul Hartwig said he feels his son is safer racing the modifieds than the previous types he raced. More roll bar, better and safer equipment.
Paulie will be entering the sixth grade at Arthur Rann Elementary School. Racing dominates his young life — he’s big on iRacing when he’s not at the track — but he also plays basketball in a local rec league. And gets nothing but A’s and B’s in school, his parents said.
“He’s an 11-year-old kid at heart. Fooling around, kidding around. But when he gets in that racecar, he’s like a 35-year-old. Totally serious,” Paul Hartwig said.
“He’s a good kid in school,” Lisa Hartwig said. “He pays attention, he’s very polite. We always get good feedback from the teachers when we do the parent-teacher conferences.”
The only concern they occasionally hear from the school are about Paulie’s racing-related absences, his parents said.
No school in the summer, though, so Paulie and his parents have been focused on their racing adventures.
After Paulie won the first night at North Wilkesboro, his mother let him know he didn’t have to race again the next night.
“He was like, ‘Mom, I’m going 2 for 2.’ I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’” | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/11-year-old-paulie-hartwig-of-galloway-winning-races-breaking-records-along-east-coast/article_30da5794-28ab-11ed-989c-73f5565c7e9e.html | 2022-08-31T11:54:58Z | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/11-year-old-paulie-hartwig-of-galloway-winning-races-breaking-records-along-east-coast/article_30da5794-28ab-11ed-989c-73f5565c7e9e.html | false |
WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, August 31, 2022
_____
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
The National Weather Service in Austin/San Antonio has issued a
* Flash Flood Warning for...
West Central Bandera County in south central Texas...
Southeastern Real County in south central Texas...
* Until 945 AM CDT.
* At 636 AM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing
heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 3 inches of rain
have fallen. The expected rainfall rate is 2 to 3 inches in 1
hour. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are possible in
the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin
shortly.
HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms
producing flash flooding.
SOURCE...Radar.
IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams,
urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.
* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
Vanderpool.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.middletownpress.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-AUSTIN-SAN-ANTONIO-Warnings-Watches-and-17409518.php | 2022-08-31T11:55:18Z | https://www.middletownpress.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-AUSTIN-SAN-ANTONIO-Warnings-Watches-and-17409518.php | false |
EXPLAINER: What spurred the bloody armed clashes in Baghdad?
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s long-running power struggle between rival Shiite camps devolved into bloody street violence this week – the culmination of months of simmering tensions and a political vacuum.
For 24 hours, loyalists of powerful cleric Muqtada al-Sadr transformed the country’s government Green Zone into a front line, trading fire with security forces and rival militias, and bringing the capital to a standstill. Just as quickly, with a single word — “withdraw” — from the cleric in a speech Tuesday, the fighting came to a stop.
His supporters put down their weapons and left.
It was a powerful message to al-Sadr’s Iran-backed rivals and the political elite of the cleric’s enduring power over his hundreds of thousands of followers and an equally dangerous example of the damage they are capable of doing to the embattled country.
Following his calls for withdrawal, Iraqi leaders, including the caretaker premier, expressed their thanks to al-Sadr and praised his restraint.
Al-Sadr has long derived his political influence from his ability to to both command his mass following to destabilize the street, and just as quickly bring them into line. His announcement Monday that he would exit politics showed Iraqis what could happen when that voice of restraint is taken away: chaos, devastation and death.
The protests and heavy clashes that have so far left 30 killed and over 400 wounded may have come to a close, but the political impasse that brought on this chapter of unrest is far from over.
So, what does al-Sadr want and is there an end to Iraq’s crisis?
WHO IS MUQTADA AL-SADR?
Al-Sadr is a populist cleric who emerged as a symbol of resistance against the U.S. occupation of Iraq after the 2003 invasion. He formed a militia, the Mahdi Army, that eventually disbanded and renamed it Saraya Salam — the Peace Brigades.
He has presented himself as an opponent of both the U.S. and Iran and has fashioned himself a nationalist with an anti-reform agenda. In reality, he is an establishment figure with deep influence in Iraq’s state institutions through the appointments of key civil servants.
Al-Sadr derives much of his appeal through his family legacy. He is the son of Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Sadeq al-Sadr, who was assassinated in 1999 for his critical stance against Saddam Hussein. Many of his followers say they are devoted to him because they were once devotees of his father.
Al-Sadr eventually entered politics and garnered a reputation for being unpredictable and theatrical by frequently calling on his followers to gain political leverage over his rivals. His powerful rhetoric infused with religion and calls for revolution resonated deeply with his disenfranchised following.
Through these strategies he has become a powerful player with a fiercely devoted grassroots following concentrated in Iraq’s most impoverished quarters. Most of his loyalists who stormed the Green Zone were unemployed and blamed the Iraqi political elite.
In 2021, al-Sadr’s party won the largest share of seats in October parliamentary elections but not enough to secure a majority in government. His refusal to negotiate with his Iran-backed Shiite rivals on forming a government plunged Iraq into an unprecedented political vacuum now in its tenth month.
WHAT DO AL-SADR’S FOLLOWERS WANT?
The political crisis escalated in July when al-Sadr’s supporters broke into parliament to deter his rivals in the Coordination Framework, an alliance of mostly Iran-backed Shiite parties, from forming a government.
Hundreds staged an ongoing sit-in outside the building for over four weeks. Frustrated when he was not able to corral enough lawmakers to form a government that excluded his rivals, al-Sadr also ordered his bloc to resign their parliamentary seats and called for early elections and the dissolution of parliament.
That call was embraced and reiterated by his following, many of whom have long felt marginalized by the ruling elite.
In Sadr City, the Baghdad suburb where al-Sadr’s followers are highly concentrated, most complain of inadequate basic services, including electricity in the scorching summer heat. The majority have roots in the rural communities of southern Iraq and have little education. Most face enormous challenges finding work.
Most of those who stormed parliament in July and the government palace on Monday were young men for whom it was their first glimpse inside Iraq’s halls of power, where they seldom feel welcome.
Angered by deep class divides and a history of dispossession, al-Sadr’s followers say they believe the cleric will revolutionize a political system they believe has forgotten about them. But in reality, in Iraq’s power-sharing political system, al-Sadr holds significant power and sway.
WHY ARE THE CLASHES SO DANGEROUS?
Monday’s clashes brought Iraq on the precipice of street warfare and was the product of months of political tensions and power struggles between al-Sadr and the Iran-backed Shiite camp over the formation of the next government.
Al-Sadr’s rivals in the Coordination Framework have shown signs they would not be against early elections but both camps disagree over the mechanism. The judiciary has rejected al-Sadr’s call to dissolve parliament as unconstitutional.
With the roots of the political impasse still unresolved, conflict can flare up again. The greatest threat to Iraq’s stability is protracted armed fighting between the paramilitary forces of the rival Shiite camps.
This occurred outside of the capital as the clashes wore on in the Green Zone on Monday night. Militiamen loyal to al-Sadr stormed the headquarters of Iran-backed militia groups in the southern provinces, a move that could have escalated into tit-for-tat attacks as has happened in the past.
It’s a scenario that neighboring Iran, which wields much influence in Iraq, dreaded most. Iranian officials, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali-Khamenei, have repeatedly called for Shiite unity and attempted to broker dialogue with al-Sadr. But the cleric has refused, firm in his resolve to form a government without Iran-backed groups.
Members of Iraq’s majority Shiite Muslim population were oppressed when Saddam Hussein ruled the country for decades. The 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam, a Sunni, reversed the political order. Just under two-thirds of Iraq is Shiite, with a third Sunni.
Now, the Shiites are fighting among themselves, with those backed by Iran and those who consider themselves Iraqi nationalists jockeying for power, influence and state resources. | https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-international/ap-explainer-what-spurred-the-bloody-armed-clashes-in-baghdad/ | 2022-08-31T11:55:22Z | https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-international/ap-explainer-what-spurred-the-bloody-armed-clashes-in-baghdad/ | false |
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MONTRÉAL, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB) has achieved a platinum rating from EcoVadis for Sustainability Performance, placing it in the top 1% of companies in the computer programming, consultancy and related activities industry category.
The EcoVadis platinum rating reflects CGI's ongoing implementation and integration of measurable and traceable initiatives in the categories of environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement practices. The previous four years, CGI received the gold sustainability rating, representing the top 5% of companies.
"Our commitment to sustainability is rooted in our core values and in our partnership with clients to help them advance their own sustainability initiatives while we collectively work to improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the communities where we all live and work," said George D. Schindler, CGI President & Chief Executive Officer. "CGI is proud to earn EcoVadis' highest rating in recognition of our disciplined and proven approach to embedding sustainability in our day-to-day business practices around the world."
As the world's leading provider of business sustainability ratings, EcoVadis has assessed more than 95,000 companies globally. The evaluation methodology is based on a framework of 21 sustainability criteria mapped to global standards and guided by an international scientific community.
CGI is committed to achieving net zero by 2030 and has made a number of measurable commitments related to diversity, equity and inclusion and community impact. CGI aligns its environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and with other reporting requirements such as the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the United Nations Global Compact. To learn more about CGI's priorities and measures, download the 2021 Corporate Social Responsibility Report.
Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 88,500 consultants and professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2021 reported revenue is C$12.13 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com.
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SOURCE CGI Inc. | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/cgi-awarded-platinum-rating-by-ecovadis-placing-top-1-companies-sustainable-business-practices/ | 2022-08-31T11:56:26Z | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/cgi-awarded-platinum-rating-by-ecovadis-placing-top-1-companies-sustainable-business-practices/ | false |
$29-million donation is largest-ever gift to a faculty of education in Canada
MONTREAL, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - A $29-million gift from Quebec-born entrepreneur Sylvan Adams will launch an exciting venture for McGill's Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education in the Faculty of Education, ushering in a new era of world-leading research and discovery in sports science, with the long-term goal of improving elite human performance, and promoting healthier living across the human lifespan. Through its support for the science of high performance, Adams' gift also promotes a new lens through which to conduct health research – one that focuses on learning from the study of optimal health, rather than disease.
The donation will support the creation of the Sylvan Adams Sports Science Institute (SASSI) comprising state-of-the-art testing labs, training suites, research offices, and meeting rooms, in a new facility neighbouring the Montreal Neurological Institute and adjacent to the Sir Arthur Currie Memorial Gymnasium on Pine Avenue West. Approximately $24.4 million will be used to build the facility and purchase equipment, while $4.6 million will be allocated to the development of the Institute's sports science research program through the creation of research grants, scientific conferences, student fellowships, and international exchanges.
"We are deeply grateful to Mr. Sylvan Adams for his generous gift in support of McGill's Faculty of Education and its Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education," said McGill Principal Suzanne Fortier. "This contribution will allow McGill researchers and students to develop new insights into sports science education, research and practice, elevate the performance of Canadian athletes and improve our understanding of human health."
The new Institute at McGill will focus on studying elite athletes, using evidence-based approaches and best practices, knowledge transfer, and scientific innovations. SASSI researchers will partner with those at other leading institutions, notably the Sylvan Adams Sports Institute (SASI) at Tel Aviv University, established in 2017.
Sylvan Adams noted: "I am pleased to support McGill's work in sports science research. As a former Montrealer, I am especially proud to have this opportunity to invest in McGill's track record of research excellence and potential for innovation – and contribute to building a culture of collaboration between McGill and Tel Aviv University."
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SOURCE McGill University | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/mcgill-launches-sylvan-adams-sports-science-institute-advance-world-leading-research-into-sports-science-human-performance/ | 2022-08-31T11:58:19Z | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/mcgill-launches-sylvan-adams-sports-science-institute-advance-world-leading-research-into-sports-science-human-performance/ | true |
Second car bomb suspect accused of killing Russian ultra-nationalist's daughter is described as 'sex-crazed, beer-lover' by Moscow media
- Russian Darya Dugina was killed in a car bomb in Moscow earlier this month
- She was the daughter of Alexander Dugin, a Russian nationalist ideologue
- Russia has since looked to blame her death on two Ukrainian nationals
- It first accused Natalya Vovk of planting the explosive device in the vehicle
- Now, the FSB has said she had help from 44-year-old Bogdan Tsyganenko
- Kremlin-friendly media is doing its best to paint him in an incriminating light
Russia has identified a second Ukrainian 'suspect' in the car bomb killing of Alexander Dugin's daughter, with Moscow-based media painting him as a 'sex-crazed beer lover' in an attempt to incriminate him.
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed Bogdan Tsyganenko helped prepare the killing of Darya Dugina, the daughter of the Russian nationalist ideologue, who has been described by some in the West as 'Putin's brain.
The FSB charged that Tsyganenko provided the main 'suspect', Natalya Vovk, with a fake ID and fake license plates, and helped her assemble an explosive device that was planted in Dugina's car.
Russia has said Bogdan Tsyganenko (pictured) is a second Ukrainian 'suspect' in the car bomb killing of the daughter of a Russian nationalist ideologue, with Moscow-based media painting him as a 'sex-crazed beer lover' in an attempt incriminate him
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed Bogdan Tsyganenko helped prepare the killing of Darya Dugina (shown in a photograph displayed during her funeral, left), the daughter of Alexander Dugin (right), who was described by some in the West as 'Putin's brain'
'It has been established that the murder of Dugina, together with Vovk, was prepared in Moscow by another member of the Ukrainian sabotage and terrorist group,' the FSB - the main KGB successor agency - said in a statement on Monday, according to Russian state media outlet TASS.
Tsyganenko is 'a citizen of Ukraine born in 1978, who arrived in Russia in transit through Estonia on July 30, 2022 and left the territory of Russia the day before the commission of undermining Dugina,' the agency said.
Since the FSB's statement, Russian media has worked to dig up incriminating 'evidence' to paint Tsyganenko in an unsavoury manner.
Moskovsky Komsomolets, a Putin-friendly tabloid, declared him to be 'sex crazed,' writing that his social media profiles featured 'many sites and videos with an erotic slant, sometimes bordering on pornography.'
Russian state-owned RIA news agency posted pictures of Tsyganenko posing in a pirate hate, while calling him a 'member of a Ukrainian sabotage and terrorist group'.
The agency said he used a pseudonym online, and claimed he posted 'many collages, including with the captions "Sex Instructor," "Beer lover," and "Take everything from Pepsi," (where the Pepsi bottle is used for the consumption of hashish,' according to the Daily Beast.
Russia's FSB spy agency claimed the SBU - Kyiv's special forces - were behind the murder and alleged a woman called Natalia Vovk (pictured: her identity card), born in 1979, carried out the hit. Analysts have since said this image is of a faked passport
The charred jeep where Darya Dugina, 30, was killed by an explosion on 20 August. 30-year-old Darya Dugina died in the car explosion late on 20 August 2022 in Moscow region
Tsyganenko, 44, arrived in Russia via Estonia on July 30 and left the country the day before the killing, the FSB said.
Dugina, a 29-year-old commentator with a nationalist Russian TV channel, died when a remotely controlled explosive device planted in her SUV blew up on the night of Aug. 20 as she was driving on the outskirts of Moscow, ripping the vehicle apart and killing her on the spot, authorities said.
Both she and her father, who is a philosopher, writer and political theorist, ardently supported Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to send troops into Ukraine.
Ukrainian and Western officials, as well as a number of prominent Russian commentators, believe the car bomb was likely executed by agents loyal to Putin after Dugin criticised the Russian president in a public Telegram post.
However, as Vladimir Putin's brutal invasion of Ukraine reached its six-month mark, Moscow was quick point the finger at Kyiv.
Dugina (right), whose father Alexander Dugin (left) is a notorious ultranationalist. She died when a remotely controlled explosive device planted in her SUV blew up on the night of August 20 as she was driving on the outskirts of Moscow
The FSB said Dugina's killing was 'prepared and perpetrated by the Ukrainian special services' and accused Vovk of carrying out the killing and then fleeing to Estonia.
Vovk, according to the FSB, arrived in Russia in July with her 12-year-old daughter and rented an apartment in the building where Dugina lived in order to shadow her.
The agency alleged that Vovk and her daughter were at a nationalist festival that Dugin and his daughter attended just before the killing.
The FSB said Vovk used a license plate for Ukraine's Russian-backed separatist Donetsk region to enter Russia and a Kazakhstan plate in Moscow before switching to a Ukrainian one to cross into Estonia.
It released video and photos of the suspect from surveillance cameras at the border crossings, while driving the car in Moscow and at the entrance to the Moscow apartment building.
Alexander Dugin - father of 29-year-old Darya Dugina who died in the car explosion late on 20 August 2022 in Moscow region - is shown at the explosion site
The car bombing is believed to have taken place in Bolshiye Vyazyomy, on the outskirts of Moscow
The agency said Monday that Tsyganenko provided Vovk with a Kazakh license plate and Kazakh ID documents belonging to a real person named Yulia Zaiko.
It didn't offer any details as to how Vovk obtained other license plates and whether those were fake, too.
Kyiv has vehemently denied any involvement in Dugina's death.
Estonian authorities said they have not received any formal requests or inquiries from Russia regarding Vovk.
Hundreds of people attended Dugina's funeral service in a large television studio in Moscow, where she worked as a prominent pro-Kremlin broadcaster.
A huge portrait of Dugina hung above her coffin which was heavily guarded and surrounded by flower wreaths and streamers bearing the colours of the Russian Federation.
The message from Putin read: 'Accept my sincere condolences and words of support due to the hardest, irreplaceable loss you suffered.
'A vile, cruel crime ended the life of Darya Dugina, a bright, talented person with a true Russian heart - kind, loving, open and sympathetic.
'A journalist, a scientist, a philosopher, a military correspondent, she honestly served the people, the Fatherland, and proved with her life what it means to be a patriot of Russia.
'The memory of Darya Dugina will be forever kept by her close people and friends, her comrades. Wishing you strength and fortitude in this mournful hour,' the message concluded.
Dugin was later pictured sobbing into his hands on stage as Dugina's mother stood by her coffin to pay her final respects.
Dugin, a bearded Rasputin-esque figure, sat forlornly alongside Dugina's mother at the funeral.
When the moment came for him to deliver a speech, he told funeral-goers: 'I wanted to raise my daughter the way I see an ideal human, so first of all it was about belief.
She spent her entire childhood in Orthodox camps. But I also wanted her to be a smart Orthodox person, so with her mother we advised her to become a philosopher, and she became one.
'She died for Russia, on the front line... She lived for victory, and died in the name of victory.' He said her last words to him before getting into her Toyota Land Cruiser were: 'Papa, I feel like a warrior, I feel like a hero.'
Hundreds of people attended Dugina's funeral service (pictured) in a large television studio in Moscow, where she worked as a prominent pro-Kremlin broadcaster. A huge portrait of Dugina hung above her coffin which was heavily guarded and surrounded by flower wreaths and streamers bearing the colours of the Russian Federation
The Kremlin has alleged that 43-year-old mother Natalia Shaban-Vovk (pictured) is a Ukrainian spy and was behind the car bombing attack
Seven hours before the assassination on Saturday night, Dugin had issued a vitriolic online post on Telegram saying that the war in Ukraine was now more important than Putin's presidency.
Dugin had claimed the war and 'desperate resistance of the Atlanto-Nazi regime in Kyiv' demands from Russia 'internal transformations'.
The tone was strongly critical of Putin.
'The Supreme Commander-in-Chief [Putin] said that we haven't really started anything yet. Now we have to start. Whether you want it or not, we'll have to,' the post read.
'Now the question is not whether the government wants or does not want change. Such changes are simply inevitable... The mighty forces of history have come into play, the tectonic plates have shifted. Let the old regime bury its dead.
'A new Russian time is coming. And it's coming irreversibly.'
Most international observers remain convinced the assassination was actually carried out by Russian agents who wanted to silence the victim's father.
Analyst Yekaterina Shulman says the outpouring of anger among pro-Kremlin commentators in response to the car bomb attack appears suspicious: 'The reaction… was immediate. It looks as if they were waiting for something like this to happen.'
Shulman added the killing 'could possibly be used to ramp up some public outrage in the country to justify even more active repressive actions by the state'. | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11164039/Darya-Dugina-Russia-names-second-suspect-accused-killing-Russian-ultra-nationalists-daughter.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490 | 2022-08-31T12:00:30Z | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11164039/Darya-Dugina-Russia-names-second-suspect-accused-killing-Russian-ultra-nationalists-daughter.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490 | false |
– Quarter Highlighted by Another Record Loan Portfolio, Driven by 75% Year-Over-Year Growth in Canadian Point-of-Sale Financing Business, and Record Revenue and Record Net Interest Income –
All amounts are unaudited and in Canadian dollars and are based on financial statements prepared in compliance with International Accounting Standard 34 Interim Financial Reporting, unless otherwise noted. Our third quarter 2022 ("Q3 2022") unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements for the period ended July 31, 2022 and Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A"), are available online at www.versabank.com/investor-relations, SEDAR at www.sedar.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. Supplementary Financial Information will also be available on our website at www.versabank.com/investor-relations.
LONDON, ON, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - VersaBank ("VersaBank" or the "Bank") (TSX: VBNK) (NASDAQ: VBNK), a North American leader in business-to-business digital banking, as well as technology solutions for cybersecurity, today reported its results for the third quarter of 2022 ended July 31, 2022. All figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.
CONSOLIDATED AND SEGMENTED FINANCIAL SUMMARY
HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2022
Consolidated
- Consolidated revenue increased 35% year-over-year and 14% sequentially to a record $21.2 million due to higher net interest income generated by the Digital Banking operations (driven primarily by strong loan growth of 44% year-over-year and 15% sequentially);
- Consolidated net income increased 5% year-over-year and 16% sequentially to $5.7 million, driven by higher revenue and offset partially by higher non-interest expense related to strategic investments in the Bank's business development initiatives including the acquisition of a U.S. bank, the development of the U.S. Receivable Purchase Program ("RPP") and preparation for commercial launch of the Canadian-dollar version of VersaBank's Digital Deposit Receipts; and,
- Consolidated earnings per share was $0.20, a decrease of 20% year-over-year and an increase of 18% sequentially, with the year-over-year decrease being a function of the higher number of shares outstanding following the issuance of 6.3 million common shares via the Bank's U.S. IPO on the Nasdaq in September 2021 (the "Common Share Offering").
Digital Banking Operations
- Loans increased 44% year-over-year and 15% sequentially to a record $2.81 billion driven by growth in the Bank's Point-of-Sale ("POS") Financing portfolio, which increased 75% year-over-year and 24% sequentially;
- Digital Banking revenue increased 38% year-over-year and 16% sequentially to a record $20.1 million;
- Net interest margin increased 15 bps, or 6%, year-over-year and decreased 1 bps, or less than 1%, sequentially to 2.76%, while net interest margin on loans decreased 16 bps, or 5%, year-over-year and decreased 4 bps, or 1% sequentially, to 3.07%;
- Provision for Credit Losses ("PCLs") as a percentage of average loans was 0.03%, compared with a 12-quarter average of -0.01%, which remains amongst the lowest of the publicly traded Canadian Schedule I (federally licensed) Banks;
- On June 14, 2022, VersaBank signed a definitive agreement to acquire Minnesota-based Stearns Bank Holdingford, N.A. ("SBH"), a privately held, wholly owned subsidiary of Stearns Financial Services Inc. ("SFSI") based in St. Cloud, Minnesota, for an estimated USD$13.5 million (CAD$17.4 million). The transaction is anticipated to close before December 31, 2022, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval by both the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, ("OCC") in the US and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, ("OSFI") in Canada;
- Subsequent to the end of the quarter, on August 18, 2022, the Canadian Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions published an advisory, Interim arrangements for the regulatory capital and liquidity treatment of cryptoasset exposures. VersaBank believes its Digital Deposit Receipt model to be consistent with the content of OSFI's advisory as VersaBank continues to evolve its model amidst the changing macro-environment.
- Subsequent to quarter end, VersaBank received approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") to proceed with a Normal Course Issuer Bid ("NCIB") for its common shares through which the Bank may purchase for cancellation up to 1,700,000 of its common shares representing approximately 9.54% of its public float. If fully executed, the impact of the NCIB will not have a material impact on the Bank's regulatory capital levels and ratios.
DRTC (Cybersecurity Services and Banking and Financial Technology Development)
- Revenue and gross profit, which are generated by DRT Cyber Inc.'s, ("DRTC") cybersecurity services business, increased 7% and decreased 2% year-over-year, respectively, and decreased 12% and 17% sequentially to $2.1 million and $1.2 million, respectively, with the sequential decreases being a function of lower engagements in the current quarter; and,
- Net loss of $0.7 million compared to net income of $0.2 million in the third quarter of 2021 and net loss of $0.5 million in the second quarter of 2022, with the net losses being primarily attributable to higher costs related to investment in specific strategic growth initiatives (including continued preparation for commercial launch of the Canadian-dollar version of the Bank's digital deposit receipts).
MANAGEMENT COMMENTARY
"The third quarter of 2022 saw continued strong momentum in loan growth in our core Digital Banking operations as a 75% year-over-year increase in our Canadian Point-of-Sale financing business drove our loan portfolio to another new high at more than $2.8 billion," said David Taylor, President and Chief Executive Officer, VersaBank. "Our significant loan growth contributed to record quarterly revenue and record net interest income, and we returned to year-over-year and sequential growth in net income, even as our profitability was dampened by costs totaling approximately $3.0 million related to investments in multiple strategic growth initiatives, including our U.S. bank acquisition, our U.S. Receivable Purchase Program business and the Canadian-dollar version of our revolutionary Digital Deposit Receipts, all of which we expect will contribute to accelerated growth in both the short- and long-terms, as well as transitory costs associated with our Nasdaq listing last September. Importantly, during this period of significant loan growth, we increased net interest margin year-over-year. We expect continued strong performance for the remainder of the year and into 2023, driven by continued momentum in the Canadian Point-of-Sale business, incremental ramp up of the U.S. Receivable Purchase Program, as well as growth in the Cybersecurity Services component of DRTC, as we benefit from the significant investments made in 2022."
"Of critical importance during the third quarter, we took a transformational next step in VersaBank's long-term growth strategy with the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire a fully operational, OCC-chartered U.S. bank, Stearns Bank Holdingford, which will be renamed VersaBank USA upon closing, and will provide VersaBank with a platform from which to offer our unique and immensely successful Receivable Purchase Program (known in Canada as our Point-of-Sale Financing business) to the underserved U.S. market. Early response to our limited early roll out in the US $1.8 trillion and growing U.S. consumer and small business point-of-sale financing market continues to be very encouraging and we look forward to closing on this transaction to be able to fully capitalize on this opportunity."
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Consolidated
Net Income – Net income for the third quarter of 2022 was $5.7 million, or $0.20 per common share (basic and diluted), compared to $4.9 million, or $0.17 per common share (basic and diluted) last quarter and $5.4 million, or $0.25 per common share (basic and diluted), for the same period a year ago. The year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter increases were a function of higher revenue attributable primarily to lending asset growth offset partially by higher non-interest expense attributable to investments in the Bank's business development initiatives including, but not limited to, the acquisition of a U.S. national bank, the development of the U.S. RPP and preparation for commercial launch of the Canadian-dollar version of VersaBank's Digital Deposit Receipts. Investments associated with the acquisition and business of the U.S. bank are anticipated to be realized substantially by the end of the current fiscal year. The year-over-year trend also reflects the impact of higher insurance premiums attributable to VersaBank's listing on the Nasdaq in September 2021, higher salary and benefits costs, and higher office expense resulting from the implementation of VersaBank's return-to-work strategy, as well as the impact of a $166,000 provision for credit losses in the current quarter compared to a provision for credit losses in the amount of $96,000 a year ago.
Digital Banking Operations
Net Interest Margin – Net interest margin (or spread) for the quarter was 2.76% compared to 2.77% for the second quarter of 2022 and 2.61% for the same period a year ago. The year-over-year increase is primarily the result of deploying cash balances into higher yield, high quality securities.
Net Interest Margin on Loans – Net interest margin on loans for the quarter was 3.07% compared to 3.11% for the second quarter of 2022 and 3.23% for the same period a year ago. These trends are primarily the result of higher cost of funds attributable to changes in the Bank's funding mix, as well as the Bank's strategy to grow its POS Financing portfolio.
Net Interest Income – Net interest income for the quarter was $20.1 million compared to $17.2 million for the second quarter of 2022 and $14.5 million for the same period a year ago. The quarter-over-quarter and year-over year trends were a function primarily of higher interest income earned on higher lending asset balances and redeployment of available cash into higher yielding, low risk securities, offset partially by higher interest expense attributable to higher deposit balances.
Non-Interest Expenses – Non-interest expenses for the quarter were $13.2 million compared to $11.8 million for the second quarter of 2022 and $8.2 million for the same period a year ago. The year-over-year and sequential trends were a function primarily of strategic investments in the Bank's business development initiatives including, but not limited to, the acquisition of a U.S. national bank, the development of the U.S. RPP program, and preparation for commercial launch of the Canadian-dollar version of VersaBank's Digital Deposit Receipts. The year-over-year trend was also a function of higher insurance premiums attributable to VersaBank's listing on the Nasdaq in September 2021, higher salary and benefits expense attributable to higher staffing levels to support expanded business activity across VersaBank, higher costs associated with employee retention and higher office and facility related costs attributable to implementation of the Bank's return-to-work strategy. Investments associated with the acquisition and business of the U.S. bank are anticipated to be realized substantially by the end of the current fiscal year.
Provision for/Recovery of Credit Losses – Provision for credit losses for the quarter was $166,000 compared to a provision for credit losses of $78,000 for the second quarter of 2022 and a provision for credit losses of $96,000 for the same period a year ago. The year-over-year and sequential trends were a function primarily of higher lending asset balances and changes in the forward-looking information used by VersaBank in its credit risk models in the current quarter, offset partially by changes in the Bank's lending asset portfolio mix.
Capital – At July 31, 2022, VersaBank's total regulatory capital was $438 million compared to $432 million at April 30, 2022 and $340 million at July 31, 2021 and the Bank's CET1 capital ratio was 12.51%, compared 13.66% at April 30, 2022 and 11.94% at July 31, 2021. The sequential capital ratio trends were a function primarily of retained earnings growth and changes to the Bank's risk-weighted asset balances and composition. The year-over-year trends were a function primarily of the Common Share Offering in September 2021, retained earnings growth and changes to the Bank's risk-weighted asset balances and composition.
Credit Quality – Gross impaired loans at July 31, 2022 were $1.4 million, $1.0 million of which was repaid on August 2, 2022, with the remainder scheduled to be repaid in early September 2022, compared to $nil last quarter and a year ago. The Bank's allowance for expected credit losses, or ECL at July 31, 2022 was $1.70 million compared to $1.53 million last quarter and $1.73 million a year ago. The quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year ECL trends were a function primarily of the factors set out in the Provision for/Recovery of Credit Losses section above. VersaBank's Provision for Credit Losses ratio continues to be one of the lowest in the Canadian banking industry, reflecting the very low risk profile of the Bank's lending portfolio, enabling it to generate superior net interest margins by offering innovative, high-value deposit and lending solutions that address unmet needs in the banking industry through a highly efficient partner model.
Lending Operations: POS Financing – The POS Financing portfolio for the third quarter of 2022 increased 75% year-over-year and 24% sequentially to $2.0 billion as a function primarily of continued strong demand for home finance (albeit at a somewhat tempered rate), home improvement/HVAC receivable financing, and auto financing. Consumer spending in Canada is expected to remain stable as a tight labour market and higher wages mitigate the impact of higher interest rates and persistent inflation. The anticipated addition of new origination partners in both Canada and the U.S. are expected to contribute to continued strong growth in the Bank's POS Financing portfolio over the remainder of fiscal 2022.
Lending Operations: Commercial Lending – The Commercial Lending portfolio for the third quarter of 2022 increased 1% year-over-year and decreased 3% sequentially to $804 million. VersaBank anticipates modest growth in the commercial mortgage sector over the remainder of fiscal 2022, specifically related to financing for residential housing property development.
Deposit Funding – Cost of funds for the third quarter of 2022 was 1.94%, up 56 bps sequentially and 53 bps year-over-year attributable primarily to the higher interest rate environment in which the Bank of Canada has increased its benchmark rate by 150 bps over the current quarter. Management continues to expect that commercial deposit volumes raised via VersaBank's Trustee Integrated Banking ("TIB") program will return to growth in early fiscal 2023 as a function of an increase in the volume of consumer bankruptcy and proposal restructuring proceedings over the same timeframe attributable primarily to the Bank of Canada continuing to tighten monetary policy over at least the next two to three quarters. Further, VersaBank continues to grow and expand its well-established, diverse deposit broker network through which it sources personal deposits, consisting primarily of guaranteed investment certificates. Commercial deposits at July 31, 2022 were $591 million, down 1% year-over-year and down 3% sequentially.
DRTC (Cybersecurity Services and Banking and Financial Technology Development)
For the third quarter of 2022, DRTC revenue and gross profit, which are generated by DRTC cybersecurity services business, increased 7% and decreased 2% year-over-year, respectively, and decreased 12% and 17% sequentially to $2.1 million and $1.2 million, respectively, with the sequential decreases being a function of lower engagements in the current quarter. DRTC recorded a net loss for the quarter of $662,000 compared to net income of $196,000 a year ago and a net loss of $472,000 for the second quarter of 2022. The year-over-year and sequential trends were a function primarily of lower gross profit generated by DRTC and higher costs related to investments in specific strategic growth initiatives and new product development, including the preparation for commercial launch of the Canadian-dollar version of the Bank's Digital Deposit Receipts.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
About VersaBank
VersaBank is a Canadian Schedule I chartered (federally licensed) bank with a difference. VersaBank became the world's first fully digital financial institution when it adopted its highly efficient business-to-business model using its proprietary state-of-the-art financial technology to profitably address underserved segments of the Canadian banking market in the pursuit of superior net interest margins while mitigating risk. VersaBank obtains all of its deposits and provides the majority of its loans and leases electronically, with innovative deposit and lending solutions for financial intermediaries that allow them to excel in their core businesses. In addition, leveraging its internally developed IT security software and capabilities, VersaBank established wholly owned, Washington, DC-based subsidiary, DRT Cyber Inc. to pursue significant large-market opportunities in cyber security and develop innovative solutions to address the rapidly growing volume of cyber threats challenging financial institutions, multi-national corporations and government entities on a daily basis.
VersaBank's Common Shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") and Nasdaq under the symbol VBNK. Its Series 1 Preferred Shares trade on the TSX under the symbol VBNK.PR.A.
Forward-Looking Statements
VersaBank's public communications often include written or oral forward-looking statements. Statements of this type are included in this document, and may be included in other filings and with Canadian securities regulators or the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or in other communications. All such statements are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of, and are intended to be forward-looking statements under, the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and any applicable Canadian securities legislation. The statements in this press release that relate to the future are forward-looking statements. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, many of which are out of our control. Risks exist that predictions, forecasts, projections, and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as several important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the strength of the Canadian and U.S. economy in general and the strength of the local economies within Canada and U.S. in which we conduct operations; the effects of changes in monetary and fiscal policy, including changes in interest rate policies of the Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve; changing global commodity prices; the effects of competition in the markets in which we operate; inflation; capital market fluctuations; the timely development and introduction of new products in receptive markets; the impact of changes in the laws and regulations pertaining to financial services; changes in tax laws; technological changes; unexpected judicial or regulatory proceedings; unexpected changes in consumer spending and savings habits; the impact of wars or conflicts including the crisis in Ukraine and the impact of the crisis on global supply chains; the impact of new variants of COVID-19 and the Bank's anticipation of and success in managing the risks implicated by the foregoing. For a detailed discussion of certain key factors that may affect our future results, please see our annual MD&A for the year ended October 31, 2021.
The foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. The forward-looking information contained in this document and the related management's discussion and analysis is presented to assist our shareholders and others in understanding our financial position and may not be appropriate for any other purposes. Except as required by securities law, we do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that is contained in this document and the related management's discussion and analysis or made from time to time by the Bank or on its behalf.
Conference Call
VersaBank will be hosting a conference call and webcast today, Wednesday, August 31, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. (EDT) to discuss its third quarter results, featuring a presentation by David Taylor, President & CEO, and other VersaBank executives, followed by a question and answer period.
Dial-in Details
Please call between 8:45 a.m. and 8:55 a.m. (EDT).
Webcast Access: For those preferring to listen to the conference call via the Internet, a webcast of Mr. Taylor's presentation will be available via the internet, accessible here https://app.webinar.net/aZgOrVWj5yv or from the Bank's web site.
Instant Replay
The archived webcast presentation will also be available via the Internet for 90 days following the live event at https://app.webinar.net/aZgOrVWj5yv and on the Bank's web site.
Visit our website at: www.versabank.com
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SOURCE VersaBank | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/versabank-reports-continued-strong-results-third-quarter-2022/ | 2022-08-31T12:01:52Z | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/versabank-reports-continued-strong-results-third-quarter-2022/ | false |
In a Washington, D.C., townhouse just blocks from the U.S. Capitol, multiple figures connected to the failed plot to overturn the 2020 election have coalesced around an increasingly influential organization: the nonprofit Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI).
Among those at the center of the group are former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Trump campaign lawyer Cleta Mitchell. Both Meadows and Mitchell have been subpoenaed by a grand jury as part of a Georgia District Attorney's investigation into Trump's effort to overturn the election.
An NPR review of social media accounts, campaign finance records, and leaked audio suggests that CPI may be risking legal trouble as well over its tax-exempt status. Experts in tax law told NPR that the nonprofit group appears to be pushing the boundaries of charity law by closely entwining itself with explicitly Republican and pro-Trump political organizations.
"If I was looking at this as an IRS agent or as an outside lawyer for that matter, I would say there's enough here that I want to do some digging," said Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer, an expert in nonprofit law at the University of Notre Dame School of Law. "There are definitely yellow flags here."
As an IRS-recognized charity, CPI is exempt from certain federal, state and local taxes. That status also gives CPI's donors the lucrative benefit of deducting their contributions at tax time. But, as Mitchell herself has noted, those benefits come with some strings attached by federal law.
"We are a non-partisan, educational, charitable organization," Mitchell told the audience for a CPI "Election Integrity Summit" in March. "We don't endorse candidates. We don't endorse political parties."
Mitchell's comment that day about CPI remaining nonpartisan was conspicuous given the event's programming, which involved a collaboration between CPI, the Republican National Committee, and other conservative groups.
The IRS has an "absolute" ban on charities from participating - both "directly" and "indirectly" - in any political candidates' campaigns. In general, these groups are allowed to comment on political issues. Charities can even get involved in nonpartisan voter registration, but are more tightly restricted when it comes to candidates and campaigns. The IRS also prohibits charities from working significantly for a non-charitable "private benefit," as opposed to the public good. In one landmark case, the IRS revoked a group's nonprofit status for providing benefits to a political party. Organizations that violate the law can also be hit with tax penalties.
At CPI's event in Pennsylvania, according to leaked audio obtained by the investigative watchdog organization Documented, two RNC "election integrity" officials told the audience about how to enlist in the party's poll watching efforts in the 2022 midterms. Those efforts, they said, could help with the Republicans' election-related legal challenges.
The room also buzzed with support for Trump's past and possibly future campaigns.
"Donald Trump did not lose Pennsylvania!" said a Republican county commissioner. (President Joe Biden defeated Trump in Pennsylvania by more than 80,000 votes in 2020.)
"I was on Trump's campaign in 2016, I was on in '20. Hopefully, I'll be on in '24 if he hires me," said another speaker, Mike Roman.
A local Tea Party leader asked the crowd, "How many of you would like to see Trump run again?"
After some applause, he added, "Why would Trump run again? Because he loves America."
Twitter accounts from CPI have also explicitly discussed political candidates.
The account for CPI's Election Integrity Network has retweeted the campaign accounts of U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), as well as Kari Lake, the Republican candidate for Arizona governor.
"That's no different than CPI handing out copies of the campaign's campaign literature," argued the University of Notre Dame's Mayer. "That violates the prohibition on campaign intervention."
The Election Integrity Network also tweeted an article that criticized the campaign of Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney ahead of her primary election, which she ultimately lost to a Republican rival.
"That's also across the line," asserted Mayer, who noted the law has "zero tolerance" for charities and political campaign activity.
Another official CPI twitter account also promoted an op-ed from its chairman, former Republican Senator Jim DeMint, about what congressional Republicans should do to win the 2020 election. (DeMint's advice: "be more like Trump.") After NPR contacted CPI for comment and asked about that post, every tweet from CPI from before March 2022 was deleted.
CPI declined to answer specific questions for this story on the record. In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for CPI said, "the Conservative Partnership Institute fully complies with the IRS rules on tax-exempt organization activity. CPI does not engage in any political campaign activity."
The IRS declined to comment.
What is CPI?
The Conservative Partnership Institute has rapidly staked out territory in Washington, D.C., as a central hub for the pro-Trump wing of the Republican Party.
The staunchly conservative DeMint founded CPI in 2017 after a stint at the head of The Heritage Foundation. DeMint ascended in the Republican Party around the time of the 2010 Tea Party-backed wave election, and was widely considered a conservative "kingmaker." On paperwork filed with the IRS, CPI defined its mission as providing "the conservative movement with the tools, tactics, resources, and strategies to help make it successful in advancing conservative policy solutions." Charities are allowed to advocate and discuss issues from an ideological perspective, even if that perspective is more closely aligned with one political party or another, as long as they tread carefully when discussing specific candidates or groups of candidates.
In addition to Meadows, other members of the Trump Administration also joined CPI and its connected entities, including former White House speechwriter Stephen Miller and former Department of Justice lawyer Jeff Clark. Like Mitchell and Meadows, Clark has also faced investigation for his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election, and FBI agents executed a search at his home earlier this year.
CPI has dramatically increased its fundraising since its inception, and raised nearly $20 million in 2021, according to their annual report. As a nonprofit, CPI does not have to publicly disclose its donors. Federal Election Commission records, however, indicate that Trump's "Save America" political action committee gave CPI one million dollars in 2021, and Trump has promoted CPI's work.
In addition to "election integrity" events held around the country, CPI says it has provided media, marketing, accounting and legal services for conservative members of Congress. The organization has compared itself to a "WeWork" space for conservatives, where they have access to TV and podcast recording studios. CPI boasts in its 2021 annual report that it hosted multiple Republican lawmakers' podcasts, including Rep. Ken Buck's "Shootin' Straight with Ken Buck" and Rep. Andy Biggs' "What's the BIGGS Idea?" The group also said it provided training to dozens of conservative members of Congress and more than 200 congressional staffers in 2021.
CPI has played a key role in developing plans to fire tens of thousands of career federal workers in a second Trump Administration, according to reporting from Axios.
Many of the legal restrictions on CPI's activity comes from its status as a charity under section 501(c)(3) of the tax code. Different kinds of tax-exempt nonprofits have much more freedom to get involved in politics. 501(c)(4) "social welfare" organizations like The National Rifle Association and the League of Conservation Voters, for example, have become key players in political contests.
But 501(c)(3) groups have a key advantage that 501(c)(4) organizations lack: their donors can deduct their contributions.
"You can provide long-lasting support for the Conservative Partnership Institute while enjoying financial benefits for yourself," CPI says on its website. The site includes information on how people can include CPI in their wills and get a deduction on the estate tax, for example, or donate stock to reduce their capital gains tax. The Election Integrity Network project of CPI also separately solicits "tax-deductible" contributions. And CPI has reportedly received donations from some mega-rich individuals.
Campaign finance records and leaked audio raise more concerns for CPI
Campaign finance records have indicated that three Republican candidates - Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) - paid CPI thousands of dollars for "campaign events" and "fundraising events" in 2021.
If those records are accurate, Mayer said, they could raise serious concerns for CPI.
"CPI can't be hosting campaign events for anybody," said Mayer, "unless they were, for example, hosting them for anybody across the political spectrum."
FEC records do not indicate any Democratic campaign has paid CPI for any purpose.
After NPR asked about those records, the Lee campaign amended its FEC filing to state that it paid CPI for "food and beverage" rather than "fundraising events."
"Upon review, the filing has been amended to reflect the more accurate nature of the payment which was to cover the cost of food and catering for dinners attended by various U.S. Senators related to their official duties," said Lee campaign adviser Matt Lusty. "These funds were not disbursed to facilitate fundraising events."
The Boebert and Braun campaigns did not respond to NPR's requests for comment. FEC disclosure forms state that there are potential legal penalties for filing "false, erroneous, or incomplete" information.
Leaked audio from another CPI "election integrity" event in March 2022 raised other potential concerns.
At that event, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told a crowd that Republicans had recently made big progress in registering more voters than Democrats. Then, DeSantis said to cheers from the audience, "we need everybody to come out and really, really have a huge, huge November in the state of Florida. I think there's gonna be opportunities to do a lot of great things across the country - House, Senate, Governors' races."
DeSantis is currently running for reelection. DeSantis' press secretary, Bryan Griffin, told NPR that, "this was not an official event," as part of his duties as governor.
Philip Hackney, a former lawyer in the IRS' office of general counsel, said if he was CPI's attorney, DeSantis' appearance "would give me heartburn."
Charities can invite political candidates to their events in a non-candidate capacity. But, in those cases, the IRS says the charity must then maintain "a nonpartisan atmosphere" and ensure "no campaign activity occurs in connection with the candidate's attendance."
Mitchell has tried to get ahead of scrutiny of CPI's nonprofit status by suggesting the group would also provide a platform for Democrats at its election integrity events, even though the events are largely premised on the false claim that Trump won the 2020 election. One event even featured an activist who promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory.
"I've written letters to the Democratic Party saying, 'would you like to participate with us in our sessions?'" Mitchell said at an event in Pennsylvania earlier this year. "I have not yet gotten a response."
Representatives of the Democratic National Committee and the Pennsylvania Democratic Party said they were unaware of receiving any invitation from Mitchell to that event, but said they needed more information to be certain - especially if an email was sent to, for example, a general inbox.
NPR called and emailed Mitchell multiple times and asked about whom she might have contacted without receiving a response. When Mitchell eventually answered her phone, she said she was out of the country, and added "I'm not going to talk to you anyway," before hanging up. CPI declined to provide documentation or answer questions about Mitchell's assertion.
Is CPI providing a "private benefit" to Republican Party groups?
In addition to the concerns about overlapping with political campaigns, tax experts told NPR the group is risking additional scrutiny about whether it's operating for the benefit of Republican Party entities.
Mayer and Hackney both pointed to the facts in a case from the 1980s, which bears striking similarities to the situation with CPI.
In 1986, staffers with the National Republican Congressional Committee incorporated the American Campaign Academy as a charity with the mission of training people to work on political campaigns.
The IRS and the U.S. Tax Court found that American Campaign Academy was acting "more than incidentally" for the private benefit of the Republican Party, in part because trainees were on to work for predominantly Republican candidates and officials. As part of its analysis, the court noted that the American Campaign Academy "had significant ties to the Republican party."
In addition to podcast and media services for Republican elected officials, CPI has also spent tens of thousands of dollars to fly dozens of conservative Republican members of congress to policy retreats hosted at luxury resorts.
A Feb. 2021 retreat took place at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Fla. A year later, CPI also paid for representatives' flights and lodging for a retreat at the oceanfront Ritz-Carlton resort on Florida's Amelia Island. Nearly all of the invitees were members of the staunchly conservative House Freedom Caucus, including Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), and Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.).
CPI's collaboration with the RNC on "election integrity" events is also reflected in the group's downloadable "Citizens Guide To Building An Election Integrity Infrastructure." The guide asserts that it is nonpartisan, but also specifically references how people can work with "the local GOP."
"If you simply work for one party or the other, you are likely stepping over the line," said Hackney, who is now a law professor at the University of Pittsburgh.
Lax IRS enforcement generally
Groups like CPI may be more willing to push the boundaries of charity law because of an overall lack of IRS enforcement.
"There's very little enforcement at all in the IRS in general, much less among the [tax] exempt organizations part of it," said Ellen Aprill of Loyola Law School.
Between 2010 and 2018, the IRS lost 15,000 enforcement employees, which, unsurprisingly, led to less enforcement.
Nearly 1.5 million tax-exempt organizations filed tax returns in 2019, according to a report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Of that large group, only about 2,000 - or 0.13% of the total - were even examined by the IRS.
In the last two decades, the IRS has also faced significant blowback when it looked into whether tax-exempt groups were violating rules around political campaign activity.
In 2004, the IRS launched an audit of the NAACP in response to a speech that criticized then-President George W. Bush and his handling of the Iraq War. The NAACP and Democrats angrily denounced the IRS action, and the NAACP was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing.
In 2013, the IRS faced even more criticism from conservatives for allegedly improperly targeting conservative Tea Party groups seeking tax-exempt status. The IRS official at the center of the controversy, Lois Lerner, resigned under pressure. A subsequent bipartisan Senate investigation and an investigation from a Treasury Department inspector general found that the IRS had acted improperly with both liberal and conservative-leaning groups, by screening for keywords linked to Occupy Wall Street as well as the Tea Party. Republican and Democratic congressional investigators ultimately split on the question of whether the IRS singled out conservative groups due to political bias.
"The IRS was so hammered during the Tea Party controversy that you're just not seeing enforcement in these cases," said Hackney.
Aprill agreed, saying that the controversy, "seems as if it has burned their fingers some."
Before joining CPI, Cleta Mitchell worked as a lawyer for conservative groups that accused the IRS of targeting. She said the agency was illegitimate, and called for a radical solution: amend the constitution to eliminate federal income tax, and "abolish the IRS."
"It has too much power, too much money, too many employees and it needs to be absolutely jerked out at the roots," Mitchell told Congress in 2014.
After losing staff and resources over the last several years, however, the IRS has recently received a major infusion of funding from the "Inflation Reduction Act" recently passed by Democrats and signed by President Biden. The IRS has said "it will take time" to implement the law, and it remains to be seen whether more funding will lead to additional scrutiny of groups like CPI.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.apr.org/politics-government/politics-government/2022-08-31/experts-say-a-trump-backed-charity-is-pushing-the-boundaries-of-tax-law | 2022-08-31T12:01:53Z | https://www.apr.org/politics-government/politics-government/2022-08-31/experts-say-a-trump-backed-charity-is-pushing-the-boundaries-of-tax-law | false |
Wrestling in gravy is back! After being canceled due to the pandemic, dozens of amateur wrestlers can once again enter the pool of gravy for their two-minute bouts.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Wrestling in gravy is back! After being canceled due to the pandemic, dozens of amateur wrestlers can once again enter the pool of gravy for their two-minute bouts.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.mainepublic.org/2022-08-31/the-world-gravy-wrestling-championship-in-england-returns | 2022-08-31T12:02:34Z | https://www.mainepublic.org/2022-08-31/the-world-gravy-wrestling-championship-in-england-returns | false |
CARLISLE, Pa., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Carlisle TyrFil (www.CarlisleTyrFil.com), the global leader in polyurethane flatproofing technology, today announced its 2022 reforestation initiative to help preserve North America's most endangered natural forest regions. Carlisle TyrFil is pleased to continue its long-standing partnership with American Forests, the world's oldest conservancy, to plant new seedlings to repopulate forest territory in Essex County, Ontario, Canada. The campaign is part of the region's Clean Water Green Space Program and Southern Ontario Conservation Authority Woodland Restoration Program.
Since its inception in 1971, the TyrFil™ flatproofing brand has been an industry pioneer in the development of environmentally friendly alternatives to keep industrial Off-the-Road (OTR) tires operational and free from costly, dangerous tire flats on the job. Most importantly, the use of TyrFil technology significantly decreases the volume of solid tire carcasses going into our global landfills. And for the past half decade, Carlisle's ongoing collaboration with American Forests has been just one more way that the brand is helping to reduce carbon footprint and give back to our planet's eco-system.
This current initiative is part of Carlisle's One Tote, One Tree program—which is implemented along with its valued customers—that donates one tree for every one tote of product purchased. The Ontario project will help plant thousands of trees and shrubs over 218 acres at 57 publicly and privately owned properties in the Province of Ontario, Canada. Offering multiple environmental benefits, this reforestation initiative will not only replant seedlings, but will also help protect at-risk species and support water retention and water and air purification. Specific tree species being supported include the white pine, cedar pine, sycamore, elderberry, and red maple. Additionally, this comprehensive habitat protection project will benefit the Eastern Fox Snake, Spiny Softshell Turtle, and Snapping Turtles.
"For over 50 years, Carlisle TyrFil has been committed to advancing sustainable, eco-friendly initiatives across the global and North American OTR tire marketplace," said Jill Deamer, Global Marketing Brand Manager for Carlisle TyrFil. "We are pleased to be a part of the incredible work conducted by American Forests and its partners in Ontario, Canada. Carlisle is devoted to supporting our planet through this exemplary program, and through our continued commitment to bringing environmentally safe tire flatproofing alternatives and 'green' technology solutions to market."
Carlisle TyrFil is a brand of Carlisle Construction Materials, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carlisle Companies (NYSE: CSL). TyrFil flatproofing, also known as "foam fill," can be pumped into Off-the-Road (OTR) pneumatic tires to replace air with a resilient, environmentally preferred, elastomer core that eliminates dangerous flat tires in commercial and industrial heavy equipment vehicles. TyrFil transfers significantly less G-force, resulting in a smoother, safer ride compared to solid aperture tires. Excessive G-force transmission, commonly known in the industry as Solid Shock, can cause premature damage to heavy equipment vehicles and injury to the operator. With TyrFil flatproofing, "We Keep the World Rolling." For more information on Carlisle TyrFil's flatproofing solutions, please visit www.CarlisleTyrFil.com.
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SOURCE Carlisle TyrFil | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/carlisle-tyrfil-announces-its-2022-initiative-support-reforestation-ontario-canada-concert-with-american-forests/ | 2022-08-31T12:05:08Z | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/carlisle-tyrfil-announces-its-2022-initiative-support-reforestation-ontario-canada-concert-with-american-forests/ | true |
Matt Hagan on the US Nationals: 'There's really no excuse when you don't win'
BROWNSBURG — Around two decades into his racing career, Matt Hagan is still chasing a feeling of unaffected joy and satisfaction at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
When he won the US Nationals in Indiana in 2016, he was sick. Dealing with a runny nose under his visor throughout the race. During the race and after, all he wanted to do was sleep. It took some of the wind out of the victory celebration.
“Everybody wanted to party and pass around beers, and I just wanted to drink Nyquil and go to bed,” he said Tuesday at the Tony Stewart Racing garage.
In 2020, Hagan was the NHRA Funny Car World Champion. But, with the season taking place in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no fans around to witness it. The victory didn’t taste as sweet as it should have.
Entering the final stretch of the current season, Hagan sits in second place in the Funny Car standings, comfortably in the Countdown as the regular season wraps up and points reset following this weekend.
He was in first for part of the year before some overambitious car tweaks and a forgettable Western swing dropped him a spot. But he thinks he and his Dodge Charger Funny Car are now in a good spot to take a step forward before the playoffs at this year’s US Nationals — and discover the feeling of an unadulterated win at Lucas Oil,
“Even though they’re resetting the points from this race back doesn’t really matter,” he said. “it matters what you’ve done to get there to be in the points position so that you have that advantage coming into that countdown.”
More NHRA:Tony Stewart will announce NHRA's U.S. Nationals on TV
There were a variety of reasons for Hagan’s midseason dip in the standings. He and his team tried to gain speed by adding fuel and getting more air into the engine. The car didn’t respond well. He also struggled with the track conditions resulting from heat and humidity in some midsummer races.
But Hagan prides himself on his ability to adjust and learn from every run he makes, a skill that’s especially crucial during the season. The wear and tear and inevitable expenses from even running a car add up, so there aren’t a lot of opportunities to practice.
It makes the upcoming race, one Hagan wants to win out of competitiveness but will have little effect on his season standing, an opportunity to lay groundwork for the months ahead.
“Trophies are great. Wins are great, but rounds are great as well and momentum and learning from each race,” he said. “There’s not a run that I have that I haven’t come back and processed it after the run and figured out, ‘Hey, I’m doing this,’ or ‘I can change this or the car’s leaving like this’ or ‘Watch this way or this track’s pulling me inside or it’s pushing me out toward the wall.’ You take every run and you learn from it.”
Then there’s the matter of pride. Between fuel costs and replacing parts of the car, every race — every lap — Hagan runs costs money from sponsors. With the amount of resources being dumped into the weekend, he sees it as an obligation that he do everything he can to win, resetting points be damned.
“We’re trying to get our sponsors to spend about $150,000 a race,” he said. “So put that in perspective of how important that is: that’s someone’s small home somewhere, and when you don’t turn on four win lights and you don’t win on Sunday, it’s hard to make an excuse for that. The money that’s spent, the time and energy that’s put into it. You got 10 guys wrenching on the car. They set up the tents. They’ve worked on the car. There’s really no excuse when you don’t win. You have all the stuff to be there.” | https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2022/08/31/nhra-matt-hagan-looks-ahead-to-lucas-oil-raceway/65460248007/ | 2022-08-31T12:05:56Z | https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2022/08/31/nhra-matt-hagan-looks-ahead-to-lucas-oil-raceway/65460248007/ | false |
A man was stabbed in the leg Tuesday night on Bethlehem’s Southside and the attacker has been arrested, city police said.
Police were called for the reported stabbing at 10:10 p.m. in the 900 block of East Third Street, at a home steps away from the South Bethlehem Greenway and the intersection of East Third and Hayes streets, and Daly Avenue.
Officers found a man with a stab wound to the right leg, city police said. He was taken to a local hospital. The injury is not life-threatening, police said.
Gisela Serrano-Hernandez, 47, is accused of stabbing the man. She was arrested at the home and reportedly admitted stabbing the man with a knife during an argument, according to police.
Serrano-Hernandez is awaiting arraignment Wednesday morning on charges including aggravated assault and two counts of simple assault, police said.
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Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. | https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/2022/08/argument-ends-with-man-stabbed-in-the-leg-in-bethlehem-cops-say.html | 2022-08-31T12:07:20Z | https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/2022/08/argument-ends-with-man-stabbed-in-the-leg-in-bethlehem-cops-say.html | true |
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MONTRÉAL, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB) has achieved a platinum rating from EcoVadis for Sustainability Performance, placing it in the top 1% of companies in the computer programming, consultancy and related activities industry category.
The EcoVadis platinum rating reflects CGI's ongoing implementation and integration of measurable and traceable initiatives in the categories of environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement practices. The previous four years, CGI received the gold sustainability rating, representing the top 5% of companies.
"Our commitment to sustainability is rooted in our core values and in our partnership with clients to help them advance their own sustainability initiatives while we collectively work to improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the communities where we all live and work," said George D. Schindler, CGI President & Chief Executive Officer. "CGI is proud to earn EcoVadis' highest rating in recognition of our disciplined and proven approach to embedding sustainability in our day-to-day business practices around the world."
As the world's leading provider of business sustainability ratings, EcoVadis has assessed more than 95,000 companies globally. The evaluation methodology is based on a framework of 21 sustainability criteria mapped to global standards and guided by an international scientific community.
CGI is committed to achieving net zero by 2030 and has made a number of measurable commitments related to diversity, equity and inclusion and community impact. CGI aligns its environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and with other reporting requirements such as the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the United Nations Global Compact. To learn more about CGI's priorities and measures, download the 2021 Corporate Social Responsibility Report.
Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 88,500 consultants and professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2021 reported revenue is C$12.13 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com.
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SOURCE CGI Inc. | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/cgi-awarded-platinum-rating-by-ecovadis-placing-top-1-companies-sustainable-business-practices/ | 2022-08-31T12:08:26Z | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/cgi-awarded-platinum-rating-by-ecovadis-placing-top-1-companies-sustainable-business-practices/ | true |
The Justice Department pushed back on claims from former President Donald Trump. And the DOJ provided new evidence about possible obstruction of the probe into top secret documents at Mar-a-Lago.
Copyright 2022 NPR
The Justice Department pushed back on claims from former President Donald Trump. And the DOJ provided new evidence about possible obstruction of the probe into top secret documents at Mar-a-Lago.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.kunm.org/2022-08-31/doj-reveals-more-evidence-of-obstruction-in-mar-a-lago-probe | 2022-08-31T12:09:41Z | https://www.kunm.org/2022-08-31/doj-reveals-more-evidence-of-obstruction-in-mar-a-lago-probe | false |
Dear Abby: I recently met the love of my life, and I'm planning to leave my life and family in Arkansas and move to California to marry him. He's recently divorced after a 25-year marriage. My problem is that his ex wanted the divorce, but now she wants him back. She knows he has met someone, but she's constantly telling him she wants a "booty call."
They have two grown children, and their daughter is being married soon. His ex is now threatening that if he brings me to the wedding, she will do something crazy. I know he loves me and he talks to her only to keep her calm, but I feel if he doesn't take me to the wedding he will be highly disrespecting me. He still talks to her even though she has said some nasty things about me, which is also hurtful. Am I being too sensitive? — PERPLEXED IN THE SOUTH
Dear Perplexed: When this man's ex tells him she wants a booty call, how does he respond? If he's still sexually involved with her, your odds of success with him are zero. He may talk to her (in spite of her saying nasty things about you) because they have children and possibly grandchildren in common. That he would REPEAT her less than complimentary comments to you does not say much for his judgment.
Under these circumstances, I don't think you should insist upon attending that wedding. Instead, think carefully about the wisdom of leaving your life and family and relocating unless you have a job waiting and a guaranteed timeline regarding marriage.
Dear Abby: My 50-year-old nephew has always used women and was finally caught embezzling $60,000 from one of them. He was arrested and ordered to pay restitution, or he would stay in prison for years. After only two weeks of incarceration, he cried and pleaded with our family and promised he would pay anyone back the money if they would pay his restitution.
My sister was a wreck and came to me. I came up with the money and got a promissory note from my nephew. Long story short, he stuck my sister with every payment. When my sister went bankrupt because of it, I asked if he could at least pay $25 toward what he owed, but he did nothing. My sister finally repaid everything my nephew owed me, and now she expects us all to be one big, happy family.
She has invited me and my husband to come for the holidays, which will include my nephew. I told her I will never again be in the same room with that liar and cheat, so now she's upset with me! Am I making the right choice? He used all of us to get out of jail, never paid anyone back and is still using women. For that I'm supposed to embrace him with open arms? I think it would be condoning his actions. — UPSET AUNT
Dear Aunt: I agree with you about that. Your instinctive reaction to keep your sociopathic nephew at arm's length (or even further) is HEALTHY. It's safer to keep people with no ethics at a distance. After what happened, as much as your sister might wish it, you are no longer one big happy family.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. | https://pantagraph.com/blogs/dear-abby/dear-abby-threes-definitely-a-crowd-in-couples-budding-romance/article_2aa33c44-2552-11ed-b745-4fef184ddd11.html | 2022-08-31T12:11:41Z | https://pantagraph.com/blogs/dear-abby/dear-abby-threes-definitely-a-crowd-in-couples-budding-romance/article_2aa33c44-2552-11ed-b745-4fef184ddd11.html | false |
Today is the pick-of-the-week with a mild and less humid air mass building into the Ohio Valley. Northwesterly wind flow will keep dew points down and temperatures seasonal throughout the day.
It will be a cool morning at the bus stop with temperatures in the 50s and lower 60s. At least skies will remain mostly clear, and the rain gear will not be needed!
A dry weather pattern is getting underway with an area of high pressure taking control of the forecast. Temperatures are also going to trend warmer approaching the holiday weekend too. Highs will sharply rise into the upper 80s on Friday as winds shift out of the south.
The weather looks dry for area high school football games, but it will be steamy at the start of games. The dry stretch will hold through much of the holiday weekend as highs rise near 90-degrees again. Spotty storm chances are back in the forecast on Labor Day. | https://fox59.com/weather/beautiful-weather-on-tap-today-dry-stretch-gets-underway/ | 2022-08-31T12:13:12Z | https://fox59.com/weather/beautiful-weather-on-tap-today-dry-stretch-gets-underway/ | true |
The Project's Carrie Bickmore makes a shock confession and reveals her REAL hair colour
The Project's Carrie Bickmore revealed she is 'fully grey' during Wednesday's episode of The Project.
The TV veteran, 41, made the startling admission following a discussion about Canadian TV newsreader Lisa LaFlamme, who was allegedly sacked for 'going grey.'
'I am fully grey under here,' Carrie told co-hosts Waleed Aly and Peter Helliar while pointing at her hair.
The Project's Carrie Bickmore made a shock confession on Wednesday night's episode. Pictured with co-host Waleed Aly
Waleed then asked the star why she doesn't just 'got for it', before Carrie admitted she 'quite likes dyeing' her trademark blonde tresses.
'I'm very grey. I went grey very young,' she added.
Waleed went on to say he noticed Australian TV was 'very blonde', but the 'United Kingdom was different.'
Carrie then joked she'll have to move to the United Kingdom if she plans on letting herself go in the future.
'I am fully grey under here,' Carrie told co-hosts Waleed Aly and Peter Helliar while pointing at her hair
Former Nightly News host Lisa LaFlamme, 58, of Toronto, was let go by the CTV News on June 29 after the company made a 'business decision' to abruptly end her contract after 35 years.
'I guess this is my sign off from CTV,' LaFlamme said in a farewell video posted to on August 15.
'While it is crushing to be leaving CTV National News in a manner that is not my choice, please know that reporting to you has been the greatest honor of life.'
Former Nightly News host Lisa LaFlamme, 58, of Toronto, was let go by the CTV News on June 29 after the company made a 'business decision' to abruptly end her contract after 35 years.
It has been largely speculated that she was let go from the major network after she decided to let her hair go grey during the pandemic, causing major businesses - such as Wendy's Canada and Dove Canada - to publicly support her and all women through the ageing process.
However, Bell Media - which owns CTV - said that narrative was incorrect, but declined to provide the real reasoning behind it.
'The narrative has been that Lisa’s age, gender or gray hair played into the decision. I am satisfied that this is not the case and wanted to make sure you heard it from me,' CEO Mirko Bibic wrote on LinkedIn.
'While I would like to say more on the Bell Media decision, we are bound by a mutual separation agreement negotiated with Lisa, which we will continue to honor.'
LaFlamme (pictured in 2018) had previously dyed her hair brown before the pandemic | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11164143/The-Projects-Carrie-Bickmore-makes-shock-confession-reveals-REAL-hair-colour.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 | 2022-08-31T12:15:01Z | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11164143/The-Projects-Carrie-Bickmore-makes-shock-confession-reveals-REAL-hair-colour.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 | false |
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis police arrested a man Tuesday in connection with a shooting over the weekend that left one Dutch soldier dead and two wounded.
Shamar Duncan, 22, of Indianapolis, was arrested on a preliminary charge of murder, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said.
Duncan was being held in jail and will not be eligible for release from jail while the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office reviews the case, police said.
Duncan’s arrest did not appear in online court records, and it wasn’t clear whether he has an attorney who might comment on the case.
A 26-year-old member of the Dutch Commando Corps, identified by U.S. authorities as Simmie Poetsema, died of his injuries “surrounded by family and colleagues,” the Dutch Defense Ministry said in a statement Monday.
The shooting occurred Saturday in downtown Indianapolis.
“IMPD detectives want to thank members of the community for their cooperation during this investigation,” IMPD spokesman Shane Foley said. “During the investigation, multiple individuals spoke with detectives and provided detectives with video connected to the investigation.”
Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren expressed concern Tuesday about gun violence in the United States in the aftermath of the shooting.
“We do many trainings of our servicemen in the United States, and we really don’t expect this to happen. So it’s very, very concerning for us.” Ollongren told The Associated Press at a meeting of European Union defense ministers in Prague.
Poetsema and the two other soldiers were shot after what Indianapolis police believe was a disturbance outside the hotel where they were staying about 3:30 a.m. Saturday near several downtown bars and nightclubs, authorities said. The soldiers were in the U.S. for training exercises at a southern Indiana military base.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said Monday that the soldiers had returned to the hotel after a “scuffle” at a bar and were outside when the gunfire came from what he called “a drive-by shooting.”
Indianapolis police declined to confirm Hogsett’s account Tuesday or release more information on the circumstances or the investigation of the shooting.
Ollongren declined to comment on the shooting while investigations continue. She said there is “good contact” between Dutch military police and authorities in Indianapolis.
“We have read things in the media, we have heard what the mayor said but we feel it’s very important to have a real thorough investigation. So we’re waiting for that until we comment on what actually happened,” she said.
Ollongren said U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin contacted her Monday “to express his regrets and his condolences.”
Hogsett said he believed the city’s downtown area was safe and that city officials were working to reduce violence.
“Too often, not just in Indianapolis, conflict resolution has become just people pulling out guns and shooting each other,” Hogsett said. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-indianapolis-man-arrested-in-shooting-of-3-dutch-soldiers/ | 2022-08-31T12:15:58Z | https://www.cbs42.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-indianapolis-man-arrested-in-shooting-of-3-dutch-soldiers/ | false |
Discovery's Latest Acquisition Expands the Company's Digital Solution Suite Supporting Science Education
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Discovery Education, a global edtech company backed by Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (together with its affiliates, "Clearlake"), today announced it has acquired Minneapolis, MN-based Pivot Interactives SBC. Led by a team of science teachers, practitioners, and students, Pivot Interactives develops dynamic cloud-based activities and labs that actively engage students in the authentic exploration of real scientific phenomena. Terms were not disclosed.
The acquisition of Pivot Interactives supports Discovery Education's mission to prepare learners for tomorrow by creating innovative classrooms connected to today's world. Pivot Interactives will complement Discovery Education's other successful digital services supporting science education, which include Discovery Education's K-12 platform, Mystery Science, the Science Techbook series, and STEM Connect.
Pivot Interactives is Discovery Education's second acquisition this month, having also acquired DoodleLearning.
"Discovery Education empowers teachers and inspires students worldwide through digital content delivered on our platform," said Discovery Education Chief Executive Officer Scott Kinney. "Unlike other digital interactives on the market, Pivot Interactives explores concepts using real-life experiments, not animations, allowing teachers to include phenomena-based learning at any stage of the learning cycle. Through our acquisition of Pivot Interactives, Discovery Education is now better positioned to broaden our impact by providing our partner school systems access to phenomena-based, active learning tools."
Peter Bohacek, Chief Executive Officer of Pivot and physics teacher, and Matthew Vonk, Chief Science Officer for Pivot and physics professor, founded Pivot Interactives by developing a library of interactive video-based activities funded in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation. The co-founders began working with their own students to develop direct measurement videos that allow teachers and students to break out of classroom constraints.
Now, teachers worldwide are using Pivot Interactives to engage over 1 million students with phenomena and science practices. Under the Discovery Education family of services, Pivot Interactives' award-winning platform will continue innovating to revolutionize science education.
"We're thrilled to be joining the Discovery Education family," said Mr. Bohacek. "Back in 2012, I began to experiment with integrating interactive video into my classroom practice. The results were so promising, I was compelled to continue to explore how to expand the capability of interactive video and that led to the founding of Pivot Interactives. I am excited about this next chapter and the opportunity to scale the impact of these resources."
"The Pivot Interactives team shares Discovery Education's mission to prepare all learners for future success, and I believe that as part of Discovery Education we will be in an even better position to improve science education across the country and around the world," said Mr. Vonk. "Echoing Peter's sentiments, we're excited to join Discovery Education."
For more information about Discovery Education's award-winning digital resources and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Twitter and LinkedIn.
About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, and innovative classroom tools, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Discovery, Inc., Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.
About Clearlake
Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. is an investment firm founded in 2006 operating integrated businesses across private equity, credit, and other related strategies. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks to partner with management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to businesses that can benefit from Clearlake's operational improvement approach, O.P.S.® The firm's core target sectors are technology, industrials, and consumer. Clearlake currently has over $72 billion of assets under management, and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 400 investments. The firm is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA with affiliates in Dallas, TX, London, UK and Dublin, Ireland. More information is available at www.clearlake.com and on Twitter @Clearlake.
Contact
Stephen Wakefield
Discovery Education
Phone: 202-316-6615
Email: swakefield@discoveryed.com
Jennifer Hurson
For Clearlake
Phone: 845-507-0571
Email: jhurson@lambert.com
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SOURCE Discovery Education; Clearlake Capital Group | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/clearlake-capital-backed-discovery-education-acquires-pivot-interactives/ | 2022-08-31T12:19:39Z | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/clearlake-capital-backed-discovery-education-acquires-pivot-interactives/ | false |
$29-million donation is largest-ever gift to a faculty of education in Canada
MONTREAL, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - A $29-million gift from Quebec-born entrepreneur Sylvan Adams will launch an exciting venture for McGill's Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education in the Faculty of Education, ushering in a new era of world-leading research and discovery in sports science, with the long-term goal of improving elite human performance, and promoting healthier living across the human lifespan. Through its support for the science of high performance, Adams' gift also promotes a new lens through which to conduct health research – one that focuses on learning from the study of optimal health, rather than disease.
The donation will support the creation of the Sylvan Adams Sports Science Institute (SASSI) comprising state-of-the-art testing labs, training suites, research offices, and meeting rooms, in a new facility neighbouring the Montreal Neurological Institute and adjacent to the Sir Arthur Currie Memorial Gymnasium on Pine Avenue West. Approximately $24.4 million will be used to build the facility and purchase equipment, while $4.6 million will be allocated to the development of the Institute's sports science research program through the creation of research grants, scientific conferences, student fellowships, and international exchanges.
"We are deeply grateful to Mr. Sylvan Adams for his generous gift in support of McGill's Faculty of Education and its Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education," said McGill Principal Suzanne Fortier. "This contribution will allow McGill researchers and students to develop new insights into sports science education, research and practice, elevate the performance of Canadian athletes and improve our understanding of human health."
The new Institute at McGill will focus on studying elite athletes, using evidence-based approaches and best practices, knowledge transfer, and scientific innovations. SASSI researchers will partner with those at other leading institutions, notably the Sylvan Adams Sports Institute (SASI) at Tel Aviv University, established in 2017.
Sylvan Adams noted: "I am pleased to support McGill's work in sports science research. As a former Montrealer, I am especially proud to have this opportunity to invest in McGill's track record of research excellence and potential for innovation – and contribute to building a culture of collaboration between McGill and Tel Aviv University."
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SOURCE McGill University | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/mcgill-launches-sylvan-adams-sports-science-institute-advance-world-leading-research-into-sports-science-human-performance/ | 2022-08-31T12:21:00Z | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/mcgill-launches-sylvan-adams-sports-science-institute-advance-world-leading-research-into-sports-science-human-performance/ | true |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Any federal student loans used to attend the for-profit Westwood College from 2002 through 2015 will be canceled after federal officials found that the school greatly exaggerated the job prospects of its graduates, the Biden administration announced Tuesday.
The action will automatically erase $1.5 billion in federal student debt for 79,000 borrowers who attended the now-defunct college, according to the Education Department.
It adds to the administration’s mounting effort to cancel federal loans for students who were defrauded by their colleges — more than $14 billion has been erased so far — and it follows President Joe Biden’s sweeping plan to cancel at least $10,000 in student debt for millions of Americans.
The Westwood College cancellation applies to all students who attended the chain from Jan. 1, 2002, through Nov. 17, 2015, when the college stopped enrolling new students before its 2016 closure. Students will not need to apply for the relief.
With help from attorneys general in Colorado and Illinois, federal officials found that the college routinely misled prospective students about their chances of getting good jobs after graduating.
In its marketing materials, the chain advertised employment rates and salary outcomes that were “grossly inflated,” the Education Department found. It also promised to help graduates pay their bills if they couldn’t find jobs within six months after graduating — a pledge officials say wasn’t kept.
In Illinois, the chain’s criminal justice programs told students they could expect law enforcement jobs in agencies including the Illinois State Police, but Westwood never had the accreditation needed to meet employment requirements for the state, authorities found.
“Westwood operated on a culture of false promises, lies, and manipulation in order to profit off student debt that burdened borrowers long after Westwood closed,” said James Kvaal, under secretary of education.
Kvaal said the administration is ramping up efforts to protect students and to “ensure that executives who commit such harm never work at institutions that receive federal financial aid again.”
Before its closure, Westwood operated 15 campuses in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois and Virginia, along with online programs.
A group of students and civil rights organizations sued the Education Department in May demanding debt cancellation for Westwood students in Illinois based on findings of fraud there. It followed a settlement between the college and Illinois that erased institutional loans but not federal debt.
“It never should have taken this long — or litigation — for the Department of Education to do the right thing, but we are thrilled that the department has finally discharged the loans of defrauded Westwood College students,” said Dan Zibel, chief counsel at National Student Legal Defense Network, one of the groups behind the suit.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., called it a victory for students but said more must be done “to crack down on for-profit colleges that lie and lead Illinoisans into mountains of student debt without a viable degree or career path.”
The cancellation is being granted through a federal rule known as borrower defense, which provides federal student debt cancellation to borrowers whose colleges misled them or defrauded them in other ways. The rule has mostly been used to erase debt used to attend for-profit colleges.
In similar actions, the Biden administration also moved to cancel nearly $6 billion for former students of Corinthian Colleges and nearly $4 billion for former students of ITT Technical institute.
After months of intense pressure for broader student debt cancellation, Biden last week unveiled a plan to forgive $10,000 in federal student debt for all borrowers with incomes less than $125,000 a year or $250,000 per household. Those who received a federal Pell Grant to attend college are eligible for an additional $10,000 in cancellation.
The plan, which is almost certain to be challenged in court, applies to federal student loans that were paid out before July 1 of this year. It applies to loans used to attend undergraduate and graduate programs.
Most borrowers will need to apply for cancellation through an application that the Education Department is expected to create by early October. Early applicants could see their student debt canceled before the start of next year, when a federal pause on student debt payments is set to expire.
The White House estimates the cancellation will cost $240 billion over the next 10 years, but outside analysts say it could be much higher. Official cost projections from the federal government are expected in coming weeks.
___
The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-former-westwood-college-students-get-federal-debt-canceled/ | 2022-08-31T12:21:19Z | https://www.cbs42.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-former-westwood-college-students-get-federal-debt-canceled/ | true |
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Which storage basket with lid is best?
Professional organizers know storage baskets are a great way to reduce clutter. Baskets with lids keep everything out of sight but close at hand for when you need them. While many are strictly utilitarian, well-designed and well-crafted storage baskets with lids add warmth and character to any room.
Every room and every set of items that need to be stored is different, so think about what you want to store and where you want to store it before shopping. If you’re looking for a set of storage baskets for keeping smaller items organized, take a look at the Areyzin Set of Six Plastic Storage Baskets with Lids.
What to know before you buy a storage basket with lid
From large storage
ottomans to small clear food storage bins, boxes and containers, we have many ways to store things. A basket is a lightweight container made of interwoven material, usually strong, flexible grasses.
What do you want to store in your basket?
Choose the sizes best suited for the things you want to store.
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Small baskets are the choice for storing a few small items such as socks, toiletries, sewing materials and trinkets. They are small and light enough to hold in one hand.
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Medium baskets are good for magazines, books, end pillows and board games. The lid should open easily because you’ll use it often. This size needs two hands, but can be moved about with ease.
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Large baskets are so big that you rarely move them. Larger sizes are good for bulky items such as blankets, towels and bed linens.
Materials
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Wicker is lightweight and great for holding items that like to breathe, such as towels, linens and clothing.
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Jute is a long, soft fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads and is often used to make rope.
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Fabric storage baskets are the lightest and flimsiest of all and usually fold for easy shipping. They have very thin walls and are used to store things such as pillows, scarves and gloves.
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Plastic baskets are often made to appear as if they were woven from natural fibers.
What to look for in a quality storage basket with lid
Lids
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Mount type: Some lids are separate pieces while others are hinged on the back side. Look for hinged lids that are attached securely and separate lids that fit snugly.
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Fit: Hinged lids should open and close easily. Separate lids should cover the entire top of the basket and be easy to remove.
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Closure: Most baskets with hinged lids close with a simple loop and toggle. If you choose round baskets, make sure the handle at the top is easy to grasp and comfortable in your hand.
Handles
You may not plan to move your storage baskets around much, but handles are always welcome for the times you do. Make sure they are firmly attached to the storage basket or to the frame underneath it, if it has one. Handles should be strong enough to support your basket’s weight when it’s full.
Stackability
Square and rectangular storage baskets lend themselves to stacking only if they have metal frames inside or if the side panels are made of rigid material. Avoid flimsy and irregularly shaped baskets that won’t stack properly.
How much you can expect to spend on a storage basket with lid
Small- and medium-sized baskets with lids cost $5-$20 each and often come in sets of two, three and four. Large ones cost $20-$60 each.
Storage basket with lid FAQ
What is a basket weave?
A. It is the interlacing of horizontal and vertical strands to form a checkered or diamond pattern. The first basket weavers used reeds found along the river and wove them together to make strong but lightweight baskets they used to carry and store things.
Why would I want a lid?
A. You want to keep what’s inside close at hand, but you want it to stay out of sight until you need it. You may want to keep dust and dirt away from what’s inside. You might also want to stack your storage baskets on top of each other.
What’s the best storage basket with lid to buy?
Top storage basket with lid
Areyzin Set of Six Plastic Storage Baskets with Lids
What you need to know: These ventilated baskets with lids are perfect for organizing closets and home offices.
What you’ll love: Made of food-grade plastic, these baskets measure 10.6 by 7.5 by 5.1 inches. This size is great for organizing and storing small items in the kitchen and bath or as containers for arts and crafts projects for the kids.
What you should consider: The lids do not fit snugly.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top storage basket with lid for the money
Denja Set of Two Round Jute Baskets with Lids
What you need to know: Made from natural jute rope, this pair of storage baskets is attractive enough to be displayed anywhere.
What you’ll love: Jute is a fiber spun into coarse, strong threads that are woven together to make rope. The baskets and lids are lightweight and sturdy, and the wide leather tab handle is easy to use and lies flat when not in use. The larger basket is 11 by 6.5 inches and the smaller one is 9.2 by 5 inches.
What you should consider: These soft-sided baskets have no interior frame.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Yangqihome Set of Four Woven Natural Seagrass Storage Baskets with Lids
What you need to know: These handcrafted rectangular baskets are made in four sizes that are stackable and nest inside each other, too.
What you’ll love: The seagrass surfaces are mounted on iron frames that keep their shape and are sturdy enough to stack one on the other even when they are full. These baskets are 9, 10, 12 and 14 inches long and have proportionally sized tops hinged at the back.
What you should consider: Only store dry items in these baskets. Avoid moisture.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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David Allan Van writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.cbs42.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/storage-br/best-storage-basket-with-lid/ | 2022-08-31T12:22:30Z | https://www.cbs42.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/storage-br/best-storage-basket-with-lid/ | false |
Shocking CCTV images show moment teens threw bike onto train tracks in Leeds
Network Rail is urgently pleading parents to hammer home the dangers of trespass and antisocial behaviour on the railway after shocking CCTV footage was released of teenagers throwing a bike onto the tracks.
The call comes as new figures reveal that young people are involved in more than half of incidents at the station.
Shocking footage captured at Cross Gates station in Leeds shows two teens recklessly throwing a pedal bike onto the tracks.
Network Rail said the incident “creates a clearly dangerous obstruction, posing a risk to trains passing through the station”.
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People are being encouraged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour to the British Transport Police by texting 61016.
In an emergency like shown on the CCTV, people should always call 999.
Vicki Beadle, Operations Risk Advisor for Network Rail said: “I was astounded to see this reckless, irresponsible behaviour so close to the tracks at Cross Gates station. The railway is no place for games, and it certainly isn’t a playground.
“Seeing these young people put their lives at risk was a staggering reminder of our collective need to educate everybody about railway safety. I’d urge parents and carers to speak to their children about the devastating consequences of trespass, vandalism and antisocial behaviour.”
Over the past year, trespass, vandalism and antisocial behaviour at Cross Gates station has resulted in more than 300 minutes of train delay.
This can cause knock-on delays right across the network.
It can be hugely expensive for taxpayers too, with the same type of careless actions at Cross Gates station alone costing the company £20,000 in the past year. | https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/crime/shocking-cctv-images-show-moment-teens-threw-bike-onto-train-tracks-in-leeds-3825630 | 2022-08-31T12:22:48Z | https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/crime/shocking-cctv-images-show-moment-teens-threw-bike-onto-train-tracks-in-leeds-3825630 | true |
President Biden is trying to use his support for gun safety measures to counter Republican midterm election messaging that Democrats are soft on crime.
Copyright 2022 NPR
President Biden is trying to use his support for gun safety measures to counter Republican midterm election messaging that Democrats are soft on crime.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wlrn.org/2022-08-31/biden-is-turning-the-tables-on-republicans-by-calling-them-soft-on-crime | 2022-08-31T12:23:12Z | https://www.wlrn.org/2022-08-31/biden-is-turning-the-tables-on-republicans-by-calling-them-soft-on-crime | true |
ATLANTA, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Champion Atlanta Braves and official fantasy sports provider for the Braves, StatHero, has launched the StatHero $20,000 Challenge. This first of its kind gamified experience powered by StatHero's record setting fan engagement platform has already seen thousands jump in to try to win some amazing prizes and experiences.
This new partnership with StatHero will empower the Atlanta Braves to add a new dimension of fan engagement by offering a daily fan challenge which gamifies the action on the field and gives fans the opportunity to win exclusive discounts, free tickets, autographed items and VIP Experiences. The top prize is a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend the Braves Fantasy Camp for 5 nights, suiting up, getting coached and treated like a pro.
Fans can unlock the varying prizes by going on a winning streak based on the groundbreaking new way for fans to quickly and easily get in on some sports action. Fans simply choose from two pre-selected lineup of star players from that day's games. The more times they choose the best performing lineup and win, the more lucrative the prizes become. Fans can learn more details and start playing now at stathero.com/braves.
Jim Allen, Atlanta Braves Senior Vice President of Premium and Corporate Partnerships: "The Braves are always looking for new, innovative ways of engaging with our fans. This new partnership with StatHero enables us to bring our fans into the action on the field, giving them a deeper vested interest not only on the outcome of the game but the performance of their favorite players in a way that's simple, easy and fun."
In addition to the free to play StatHero $20,000 Challenge, fans can also partake in daily real money Major League Baseball contests, making this partnership the closest thing to sports gaming available in Braves Country.
J.R. Werner, StatHero Head of Partnerships: "We brought StatHero to market to give players a real shot at winning consistently in sports gaming. Our explosive growth and high player winning percentages is the result of our easy, non-intimidating gameplay. It's great to be able to package that up in a reimagined way and provide it to an innovative leader like the Braves so they can engage and reward their fans on such a personal level."
Powering the Atlanta Braves StatHero $20,000 Challenge marks another StatHero milestone as it brings "sports gaming as a service" to franchises and brands looking to captivate fans and drive long term engagement.
StatHero, in just a few short years, has quickly grown to become the largest reaching independent daily fantasy sports platform in the market. The sports gaming hybrid's growing popularity is attributed to their player's high winning percentage, which is a rarity in the space. The Atlanta Braves partnership will capitalize on StatHero's breakthrough platform to get fans excited and engaged like no other second screen experience in sports.
About STATHERO
StatHero is the only fantasy sports and sports gaming hybrid on the market that makes winning consistently a reality. StatHero's award winning platform has exploded into the market due to its simple gameplay, low time commitment, and high player winning percentages. StatHero's gameplays are a first of its kind and unlike anything seen in the sports marketplace today. Their patent pending gameplay gives players more control of a winning outcome for every contest. You Beat StatHero, You Win. It's truly the way daily fantasy was meant to be played. For more information, visit: www.stathero.com and follow us on Twitter @StatHeroHq.
About Atlanta Braves
Based in Atlanta since 1966, the Braves are the longest continuously operating franchise in Major League Baseball. Since 1991, Braves teams have earned two National League wild cards, 19 division championships, six National League pennants, and two World Series titles. Atlanta Braves games are telecast on Bally Sports South and Bally Sports Southeast. Radio broadcasts can be heard in Atlanta on 680 The Fan (AM) and regionally on the Atlanta Braves Radio Network. Follow the Braves at braves.com, facebook.com/braves, and twitter.com/braves.
Contact: vanessa@acehollreiser.com
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SOURCE StatHero | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/world-champion-atlanta-braves-launch-new-gamified-fan-experience-powered-by-surging-sports-gaming-operator-stathero/ | 2022-08-31T12:23:25Z | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/world-champion-atlanta-braves-launch-new-gamified-fan-experience-powered-by-surging-sports-gaming-operator-stathero/ | false |
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