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HOUSTON (KIAH) – Houston Happens is jam packed today bringing awareness to important topics like breast cancer, cyber security, and open enrollment.
We hope you got enough rest after watching the Astros win last night! Seth Kovar breaks down the big moments in the 4-2 victory over the Yankees in the ALCS.
Did you know October is Cybersecurity Awareness month? We spoke with the top risk expert at VISA to tell you everything you need to know to stay safe online.
Plus, a new survey is out from MetLife stating the differences between in-person and work from home employees and how they view their finances. MetLife Vice President Jenn Kischell breaks down the survey for us.
Finally, breast cancer awareness month continues with an important story from a young mother and her battle against the deadly disease.
All of that and more on Houston Happens.
ABOUT HOUSTON HAPPENS
CW39 host Maggie Flecknoe brings you “Houston Happens” every weekday morning at 9:30am on CW39 Houston.
‘Houston Happens’ is locally sponsored programming that gives you, our viewer, what you need to know about Houston, including what to look forward to. Plus, anything from money saving tips to beauty, the best products for your now, food, refreshing drinks, and motivational guests. | https://cw39.com/houstonhappens/houston-happens-another-day-another-astros-win/ | 2022-10-20T16:45:42 | en | 0.949342 |
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SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A heated exchange between rapper Cardi B and the lawyer for a man suing her for copyright infringement got so intense Wednesday that the judge briefly stopped the trial.
The Grammy winner delivered pointed answers to several questions by attorney A. Barry Cappello, who is representing a man who claims the rapper misused his likeness on the cover of a 2016 mixtape.
The testy back-and-forth between Cappello and the star witness prompted U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney to send jurors out of the Santa Ana, California courtroom and tell both sides he was considering a mistrial. After a break, he called the arguing “unprofessional” and “not productive” but allowed questioning to resume – placing new restrictions for both sides.
Kevin Michael Brophy is seeking $5 million from Cardi B over the appearance of some of his distinctive back tattoos on the mixtape’s artwork, which shows a tattooed man from behind with his head between the rapper’s legs.
The rapper said she felt Brophy hadn’t suffered any consequences as a result of the artwork, yet has harassed her legally for five years. At one point she said she missed a special moment with her youngest child, who recently turned 1-year-old.
“I have empathy for people,” she said. “I care about people. I feel like I’m being taken advantage of. I missed my child’s first step by being here.”
Brophy told jurors Tuesday that he felt “humiliated” by the racy artwork.
At one point, Cardi B pointed out that the man’s face cannot be seen in the artwork. Capello asked her to calm down, but she instead barked back at the lawyer’s contention that she knew about photo-editing software used to put Brophy’s tattoos – which have been featured in magazines – on another model’s body.
“It’s not your client’s back,” she said about the image, which features a Black model. Brophy is white. The rapper said she posted a photo of the “famous Canadian model” on her social media.
Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Almanzar, said an artist used only a “small portion” of the tattoos without her knowledge. She had previously said the cover art – created by Timm Gooden — was transformative fair use of Brophy’s likeness.
Cappello said Gooden was paid $50 to create a design but was then told to find another tattoo after he turned in an initial draft. He said Gooden googled “back tattoos” before he found an image and pasted it on the cover.
Cardi B’s lawyer, Peter Anderson, said Brophy and the mixtape image are unrelated, noting the model did not have neck tattoos, which Brophy does.
“It’s not him,” the rapper said. “To me, it doesn’t look like his back at all. The tattoo was modified, which is protected by the First Amendment.”
She said the image hasn’t hindered Brophy’s employment with a popular surf and skate apparel brand or his ability to travel the world for opportunities.
“He hasn’t gotten fired from his job,” said Cardi B, who implied that the mixtape was not a lucrative one for her. “He hasn’t gotten a divorce. How has he suffered? He’s still in a surf shop at his job. Please tell me how he’s suffered.”
Brophy, a self-described family man, said he sent a cease-and-desist letter to Cardi B’s representatives to remove the image, but he never received a response. The rapper said she hadn’t seen the letter.
At one point, Cardi B said she doesn’t check her mailbox because that’s for “old people” – leading some in the courtroom to chuckle.
When Cardi B left the courthouse, she was swarmed by around 30 high schoolers who were attempting to take selfies with her. As the rapper walked toward her vehicle with security, she smiled and waved before telling them she would be more responsive after the trial.
Last month, Cardi B pleaded guilty to a criminal case stemming from a pair of brawls at New York City strip clubs that required her to perform 15 days of community service. Earlier this year, the rapper was awarded $1.25 million in a defamation lawsuit against a celebrity news blogger who posted videos falsely stating she used cocaine, had contracted herpes and engaged in prostitution. | https://cw39.com/news/entertainment/cardi-b-argues-with-lawyer-in-racy-mixtape-artwork-case-judge-threatens-mistrial/ | 2022-10-20T16:45:48 | en | 0.978297 |
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TEXAS (KIAH) – Texas flu numbers are up this week. If you’re in an office today and a co-worker sneezes, everyone could raise an eyebrow. But what do they have? A cold, flu, COVID, nothing at all?
A child with sniffles says they can’t go to school. ‘Tis the season of guessing if someone is sick or not.
CW39’s Medical Minute reporter Idolina Peralez spoke to Texas doctors at Baylor Scott and White. They said the general pattern they see with allergies is:
- Clear nasal discharge
- Itchy, watery eyes
- Dry cough
But if someone is sick with a virus, such as the cold or flu, they will have:
- A productive cough
- Possibly shortness of breath
- Body aches
- Fever
All of these symptoms are indications the body is fighting off a virus, which would be different from allergies.
And how about COVID-19?
Doctors we spoke with said COVID symptoms have actually changed from the onset of the pandemic when people reported loss of taste and smell.
“We don’t see that now. The predominant symptoms of COVID right now, sore throat, cough, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, a little bit of shortness of breath, not as bad as before, but all those symptoms can also be seen with influenza and the common cold.”
Dr. David Winter
Baylor Scott & White Health
“So I tell folks, if you have any of these symptoms, get a COVID test, the treatment for COVID and influenza and the common cold are all different,” said Dr. Winter. | https://cw39.com/news/health/is-it-a-cold-the-flu-covid-or-just-allergies/ | 2022-10-20T16:45:54 | en | 0.950589 |
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President Biden on Thursday will return to the site of a major bridge collapse in Pittsburgh to highlight investments through the bipartisan infrastructure law that are helping to improve bridges in disrepair nationwide.
Biden will speak at the Fern Hollow Bridge in the city’s East End neighborhood, a White House official said. The 52-year-old bridge collapsed in January, injuring roughly a dozen people and illustrating how many of the city’s hundreds of bridges were crumbling and in need of upgrades.
More than 21,000 vehicles crossed the bridge each day prior to its collapse. It is expected to reopen by early 2023.
Biden will be joined on Thursday by Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D), who is running for Senate, among other state and federal officials, including Gov. Tom Wolf (D), Reps. Mike Doyle (D) and Conor Lamb (D), and Sen. Bob Casey (D). Biden will attend a fundraiser for Fetterman in Philadelphia later in the day on Thursday.
Fetterman is running to replace retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R) in one of the best opportunities for Democrats to pick up a Senate seat in next month’s elections. His race with Republican nominee Mehmet Oz has tightened considerably in recent months, with a RealClearPolitics average of polls showing Fetterman leading by 3.2 percentage points.
While in Pittsburgh, Biden will highlight how the Fern Hollow Bridge “is symbolic of many other bridges and infrastructure across the country in need of repair” and how the bipartisan infrastructure law he signed in December is making investments nationwide.
The $1.2 trillion law includes $40 billion in dedicated funding for bridges over five years, including $27.5 billion for the Bridge Formula Program, which is set aside for states, tribes and territories to replace or rehab bridges.
The Department of Transportation has already allocated $5.5 billion from that program, of which $353 million went to Pennsylvania. Only Iowa has more bridges in poor condition in the U.S. than Pennsylvania, according to federal data. | https://cw39.com/news/nationworld/biden-to-return-to-site-of-collapsed-pittsburgh-bridge-to-tout-infrastructure-investments/ | 2022-10-20T16:46:00 | en | 0.958979 |
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BULLOCH COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) – A college student in Georgia died after being hit by a plane propeller on Sunday night.
Sani Aliyu, 21, had disembarked from a single-engine Cessna 172 after landing at the Statesboro-Bulloch County Airport and began walking toward the front of the plane when he was struck by the propeller, according to Bulloch County Coroner Jake Futch.
The victim had been returning from a trip with three others, a spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The FAA did not release any information on the identity of the passengers.
Aliyu, a student at Georgia Southern University, was originally from Nigeria, Futch said.
Georgia Southern University released a statement following news of Aliyu’s death, and confirmed that counseling will be available for students who need it.
“We were deeply saddened to hear about the tragic incident that involved one of our students Sunday night,” said Dr. Aileen C. Dowell, the Associate Vice President and Dean of Students at the university. “I have already been in touch with his family and professors and we have mobilized all available resources to provide counseling and any other assistance the university can give.”
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board continue to investigate the student’s death. | https://cw39.com/news/nationworld/college-student-in-georgia-dies-after-being-hit-by-plane-propeller/ | 2022-10-20T16:46:07 | en | 0.976371 |
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A coalition of congressional Democrats on Thursday called on President Biden to reverse a Trump-era change to the regulation of 3D-printed ghost guns and return oversight to the State Department as munitions.
“[I]t is far too easy for anyone to download from the internet the computer code to 3D-print unserialized, untraceable, plastic ‘ghost guns,’” the group, which includes Democratic Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.), Cory Booker (N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.) and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), said in a letter to Biden, first obtained by Politico. “These 3D-printed weapons circumvent our system of gun safety rules and regulations, and pose a serious threat to public safety and national security.”
3D-printed ghost guns and their technical data were previously regulated by the State Department on its Munitions List. However, President Trump approved their removal from the weapons list in January 2020 and moved regulation to the Commerce Department.
The group of House and Senate Democrats criticized the Trump-era change in Thursday’s letter, noting that its narrow guidance only applied to software and technology posted online that is “ready for insertion” into a 3D printer.
Because the guidance is so narrow, the group warned that people could easily evade it by advertising files for 3D-printed guns online but sending the actual software via email. They also noted that it doesn’t cover files that can easily be converted into a format for 3D printing.
The group, which also included Rep. Ro Khanna (Calif.) and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.), urged the return of 3D-printed ghost guns to State Department regulation, where they would be subject to pre-approval before being placed in the “public domain.” If oversight remains in the Commerce Department, they asked that Biden “at a minimum” strengthen the current guidelines to close the existing loopholes.
The Biden administration has previously made efforts to crack down on the proliferation of ghost guns. A new rule from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which went into effect in August, subjected ghost guns to the same rules as traditional firearms, including requiring background checks and serial numbers. | https://cw39.com/news/nationworld/democrats-call-for-reversal-of-trump-era-change-to-ghost-gun-regulation/ | 2022-10-20T16:46:13 | en | 0.955318 |
LLOYD, N.Y. (WTEN) — Police in Lloyd, New York, have arrested a woman accused of letting her 10-year-old get an arm tattoo, along with the tattoo artist who inked the child.
Crystal Thomas, 33, was arrested on October 4. She was charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a Class A misdemeanor.
If convicted, Thomas could face up to one year in prison or three years’ probation.
Police in Lloyd later confirmed they had tracked down the artist, whom they identified as Austin L. Smith, and arrested him Sunday. Smith was charged with unlawfully dealing with a child, and endangering the welfare of a child.
Both Thomas and Smith were released ahead of their scheduled court dates. Thomas is due back in court Thursday, while Smith is slated to appear Nov. 3.
In New York, tattooing anyone under the age of 18, even with parental consent, is against the law. Such an offense is considered a Class B misdemeanor. | https://cw39.com/news/nationworld/mom-tattoo-artist-arrested-after-10-year-old-child-gets-arm-tattoo-police-say/ | 2022-10-20T16:46:20 | en | 0.981456 |
(KTLA) – The Powerball jackpot has grown to $550 million after no one matched all six numbers in Wednesday night’s drawing.
Wednesday’s drawing, meanwhile, hit a snag after technical difficulties kept the scheduled event from taking place live. The winning numbers — 6, 8, 15, 27, 42 and a Power Ball of 10 — were posted about an hour later on the Lottery’s YouTube channel.
The Lottery announced Thursday morning that no one had won Wednesday’s $515.5 million jackpot, raising the estimated jackpot for Saturday to $550 million.
The cash value for Saturday’s drawing is currently around $277.5 million, the Power Ball website estimated.
The odds of matching all five numbers plus the Power Ball are 1 in 292,201,338, according to the site. | https://cw39.com/news/nationworld/powerball-jackpot-grows-to-550-million-for-saturdays-drawing/ | 2022-10-20T16:46:26 | en | 0.954666 |
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Quinton Simon’s mom was at a Tybee Island bar Tuesday night just hours after federal agents left a landfill looking for the body of her 20-month-old little boy.
Wednesday, day two of that search started at sunrise with agents who are specially trained to look for evidence among the trash.
Wednesday night, they told WSAV that they had wrapped up for the day. On Tuesday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said this process could take weeks. That day, the search went on for hours.
Federal agents were lined up raking through garbage again on Wednesday.
Leilani Simon, the only suspect in her son’s disappearance, her mother Billie Jo Howell and others were at StingRay’s, a popular Tybee Island bar on Tuesday night just hours after the search for Quinton wrapped up.
WSAV learned from the people who waited on them that they took shoots, got flirty and even demanded one waiter’s phone number. The group allegedly ran up a tab worth $300.
The Investigative Unit obtained a picture that shows the missed call to the waiter’s phone from Howell.
Howell told a group of Tybee Island police officers that the WSAV Investigative Unit was starting to annoy her.
WSAV found Howell leaving a Tybee Island hotel. She didn’t stop to talk to us then and though it says she read a text message sent to her about Tuesday night, she didn’t text us back either.
Just over a week and a half ago, Howell got into an emotion-filled argument with Quinton’s babysitter over the possibility of planning a memorial for Quinton. At the time, police had not said they believed Quinton was dead.
Last night..the party, according to the waiters, ran up a tab of over 300 dollars, while protestors stood in front of this house, demanding justice for Quinton.
There are so many people asking, why hasn’t this mom been charged? The Chatham County Police Chief told me yesterday, when police filed charges in this case, they don’t want any of those to get hung up on a technicality. | https://cw39.com/news/nationworld/quinton-simons-family-seen-at-tybee-island-bar-shortly-after-landfill-search-wrapped-up/ | 2022-10-20T16:46:32 | en | 0.966931 |
JAY, Maine (AP) — Across the U.S., families are looking to the winter with dread as energy costs soar and fuel supplies tighten.
The Department of Energy is projecting sharp price increases for home heating compared with last winter and some worry whether heating assistance programs will be able to make up the difference for struggling families. The situation is even bleaker in Europe, with Russia’s continued curtailment of natural gas pushing prices upward and causing painful shortages.
In Maine, Aaron Raymo saw the writing on the wall and began stocking up on heating oil in 5-gallon increments over the summer as costs crept upward. He filled a container with heating oil as he could afford it, usually on paydays, and used a heating assistance program to top off his 275-gallon oil tank with the arrival of colder weather.
His family is trying to avoid being forced into a difficult decision — choosing between food or heating their home.
“It’s a hard one,” he said. “What are you going to choose for food, or what amount of fuel oil are you going to choose to stay warm?”
A number of factors are converging to create a bleak situation: Global energy consumption has rebounded from the start of the pandemic, and supply was barely keeping pace before the war in Ukraine further reduced supplies.
The National Energy Assistance Directors Association says energy costs will be the highest in more than a decade this winter.
The Energy Department projects heating bills will jump 28% this winter for those who rely on natural gas, used by nearly half of U.S. households for heat. Heating oil is projected to be 27% higher and electricity 10% higher, the agency said.
That comes against inflation rates that accelerated last month with consumer prices growing 6.6%, the fastest such pace in four decades.
The pain will be especially acute in New England, which is heavily reliant on heating oil to keep homes warm. It’s projected to cost more than $2,300 to heat a typical home with heating oil this winter, the energy department said.
Across the country, some are urging utilities to implement a moratorium on winter shut-offs, and members of Congress already added $1 billion in heating aid. But there will be fewer federal dollars than last year when pandemic aid flowed.
In Jay, where Raymo lives with his partner, Lucinda Tyler, and 8-year-old son, residents were already bracing for the worst before the local paper mill announced it’s going to close, putting more than 200 people out of work. That has the potential to wreak havoc on the town budget, and cause higher property taxes that will further eat into residents’ budgets.
Both Raymo and Tyler work full-time jobs. He works as many as 70 or 80 hours a week in an orthopedists’ office and she works from home in shareholder services for a financial services company. They don’t qualify for much help even though they’re scraping by to keep up with repairs, buy gas and put food on the table — and heat their 100-year-old home in a state known for bitter cold weather.
“We work significant hours but it seems that it’s not enough,” said Tyler, who wept with relief when she learned they qualified for even a modest amount of heating assistance.
Last month, Congress added $1 billion in funding to Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, bringing the total to at least $4.8 billion and making additional heating aid available for the start of the winter season.
The third hottest summer on record already strained LIHEAP funding, “so I am glad that we were able to secure these new resources before the cold of winter sets in,” said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, a Democrat from Vermont.
But that level represents an overall reduction from last year, when federal pandemic relief pushed the total energy assistance package past $8 billion.
Some are seeking help who’ve never done so in the past. In Auburn, Maine, 72-year-old Mario Zullo said he worked all his life and never asked for help until last year when he received heating assistance last year. The program helped upgrade his heating.
“It came to us at a time when we needed it the most,” Zullo said.
Mark Wolfe, executive director of NEADA, said he fears the federally funded program won’t be enough because of the high cost of energy and continued instability in energy markets. It could be even worse if the winter is especially cold, he said.
“The crisis is coming,” he said. “There’s a lot of uncertainty and factors in play that could drive these prices higher.”
In Maine, the state has the nation’s oldest population and it’s the most reliant on heating oil, creating a double whammy.
“People are scared. They’re worried. They’re frustrated,” said Lisa McGee, who coordinates the heating aid program for Community Concepts Inc. in Lewiston, Maine. “There’s more anxiety this year.” | https://cw39.com/news/nationworld/winter-heating-worries-mount-amid-growing-costs/ | 2022-10-20T16:46:39 | en | 0.969905 |
American Airlines is dropping its first class cabins and replacing them with more business class seats.
The move was disclosed in a conference call with investors Thursday by Vasu Raja, the company's chief commercial officer, who said the change is in response to customer demand.
"The first class will not exist ... at American Airlines for the simple reason that our customers aren't buying it," he said in response to a question. "The quality of the business class seat has improved so much. And frankly, by removing [first class] we can go provide more business class seats, which is what our customers most want or are most willing to pay for."
-- This is a developing story.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.abc12.com/news/business/american-airlines-dropping-first-class-for-more-business-class-seats/article_0a84a6ab-657f-520f-89c9-f83540300a30.html | 2022-10-20T16:46:42 | en | 0.971295 |
(WKBN) – The Orionid meteor shower takes place every fall season, and the peak of the shower comes around the third week of October.
Every year, the Orionid meteor shower becomes active in late September and remains active until late November.
This year, the peak of the shower is on the night between October 20 and October 21.
There is good news, as the moon will only be at 21% full, which means there will be less light contamination in the night sky and a better view.
How many meteors can I expect?
The Orionid shower typically produces around 15 meteors hourly at the peak during the third week of October.
The meteors are moving at a velocity of 41 miles per second. To relate this speed to a rocket, they are traveling around 148,000 miles per hour into the Earth’s atmosphere.
When is the best time to catch the meteor shower?
You can catch the Orionids in the sky after midnight. It is best to get away from the city lights if you can, as less light contamination will be helpful to try and catch a glimpse of these fast-moving meteors.
Where should I look to see the meteor shower?
You want to look toward the southeast to try and catch the show.
The area of the sky where the meteors will develop is near the constellation Orion, hence the name of the shower.
What are the meteors made of?
The meteors are made of space debris that runs into our atmosphere each fall. The space debris comes from Halley’s Comet, which leaves behind ice and dust after it passes through our solar system. This debris passes through our atmosphere twice a year — once in the fall with the Orionid shower and in May with the Eta Aquarids.
The Comet Halley has a very long orbit around the sun and takes 76 years to complete. The last time we were able to see it was in 1986. It will not move back toward the inner solar system again until 2061. | https://cw39.com/news/space-exploration/orionid-meteor-shower-peaks-this-week-how-to-see-it/ | 2022-10-20T16:46:45 | en | 0.959189 |
Barilla can't avoid a class-action lawsuit over allegedly deceptive advertising about the pasta's origins, a federal judge ruled this week.
At issue is the brand's slogan "Italy's No. 1 brand of pasta," which the lawsuit says can lead customers to believe it's actually made in Italy. The customers that filed the lawsuit last year, Matthew Sinatro and Jessica Prost, said they bought multiple boxes of Barilla pasta thinking they were made in Italy.
They also said that Barilla misrepresents its Italian origin because its uses the colors of Italy's flag, "further perpetuating the notion that the products are authentic pastas from Italy."
They also say that with Barilla's ad campaign because it positions it "as authentic, genuine Italian pastas—made from ingredients sources in Italy (like durum wheat), and manufactured in Italy," when it's not.
However, as stated on Barilla's website, it's not. The pasta is made in Iowa and New York, using the same machines used at its plant in Parma, Italy. Barilla was founded in 1877 in the small Italian town and has grown as an "international group present in more than 100 countries."
The judge this week ruled that the pair suffered "economic injury" and presented enough evidence that they wouldn't have purchased Barilla if they knew it wasn't made in Italy. A box of Barilla can cost twice as much as a private label.
Barilla didn't immediately return CNN Business' request for comment.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.abc12.com/news/business/is-barilla-really-italys-no-1-brand-of-pasta-a-lawsuit-says-no/article_087a045b-5d3d-5f74-9e4c-23e983d019e9.html | 2022-10-20T16:46:48 | en | 0.98745 |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Whether it be Halloween stemming from the Celtic festival of Samhain to Veterans Day evolving from the end of World War I and the memorial ceremonies that followed, every holiday comes with a story.
On Oct. 23, the United States will recognize one that can be traced back to Amarillo, Texas, and a man with both money and an infamous mouth: Mother-In-Law Day.
Eugene “Gene” Alexander Howe was a cofounder of the Amarillo Globe-News, organizer of the Goodfellows in response to Dust Bowl conditions in the Texas Panhandle, a board member of the Texas Game and Fish Commission, sportsman, conservationist, columnist, and generally an iconic figure in the history of the High Plains. Howe first came to Amarillo in 1924 and established the Amarillo Globe as an evening paper, which would merge with the Amarillo Daily News in 1926 to become the Amarillo Globe-News.
As noted by the Texas State Historical Association, Howe and his associates began a daily column after the merge called “The Tactless Texan,” written under the name Kernal E. Rasmus (or Erasmus) Tack and signed as “Old Tack.” Often, the columns aimed at finding homes for stray dogs, naming children, matching couples, and otherwise focused on humor and candid opinions. The column also had a hand in controversies fueled by “Old Tack”s tact-lacking, such as when scathing opinions were published about celebrities like Charles A. Lindbergh and opera star Mary Garden. However, one of the more home-bound controversies caused by the column led to the promotional stunt that created National Mother-In-Law Day.
The TSHA described that Howe marked March 5 as National Mother-In-Law Day to honor his own mother-in-law, Nellie Donald, after she was insulted by one of his “tactless” columns. While the exact column that caused the dispute is unclear, Howe announced the first iteration of a Mother-In-Law Day event on Jan. 23, 1934. The initial event was set for March 5, which Paul Howard Carlson noted in “Amarillo: The Story of a Western Town,” coincided with the annual Amarillo Fat Stock Show celebration.
In his announcement, Howe noted, “It is more than likely that Mother-In-Law Day, which is being started in her Amarillo, will spread over the whole of the United States and the world as has Mother’s Day.”
“And personally, I think mothers-in-law are entitled to as much or more honor than mothers.” Howe continued, “In the first place, to be a mother-in-law, one must first be a mother. A mother-in-law is a successful mother.”
While it may have initially been intended as a smaller local event, Carlson said that the Amarillo Mother-In-Law Day gained national attention after Will Rogers spoke about it on his radio program. Afterward, other radio broadcasters, film studios, and reporters paid the event lip service and sent cameras and journalists to see the festivities.
During the 1934 event, noted Carlson, mothers-in-law registered at the Amarillo Hotel and received corsages, and a high school band led a parade that included 2,000 marchers and 6,000 audience members. During the event’s reception where a range of prizes was awarded, Howe unofficially named Donald, “the stateliest and most beautiful.”
From then onward, the parade grew in bombast and notoriety to the point that Texas Governor James V. Allred made the day an official state event. During the 1938 Mother-In-Law Day festivities, as described by Carlson, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt joined other officials in participating, including five state governors. Amarillo Mayor Ross D. Rogers and Howe presented Roosevelt with “the World’s Largest Bouquet” made up of over 5,000 roses and hoised by a crane. The TSHA noted that the 1938 parade also featured the “world’s largest float” spanning a city block in length and carrying around 590 people, many of whom were mothers-in-law themselves.
Although the specific date for Mother-In-Law Day changed through the decades, newspaper reports in the 1970s tracked the American Society of Florists and Florists’ Transworld Delivery as they, in FTD’s case, aimed to qualify the day as a federal function and otherwise shifted its observance to the last Sunday in October.
While there isn’t much fanfare around Mother-In-Law Day in the present, it still holds a place in the heart and history of the Texas Panhandle, as an opportunity to appreciate often-overlooked relatives, and as a reason to celebrate on a Sunday afternoon. | https://cw39.com/news/texas/national-mother-in-law-day-rooted-in-the-high-plains/ | 2022-10-20T16:46:51 | en | 0.969516 |
Ritz-Carlton's highly-anticipated superyacht cruise has finally made its debut, three and a half years after its maiden voyage was originally scheduled to begin.
Evrima, the first of three custom-built yachts from the famous hotel chain's Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, began a seven-night cruise from Barcelona, Spain to Nice, France on October 15.
The 190-meter vessel, which can accommodate 298 passengers, is made up of 149 suites with a private terrace, as well as floor to ceiling windows, and features an infinity pool, a wine vault, a Ritz-Carlton Spa, a nightclub and its very own "marina."
Rates for a one-week stay start at $6,400 per person for Mediterranean voyages, while Caribbean voyages begin at $5,100 per person, with accommodation options ranging from standard cabins, to two-story "loft-style" apartments, and a sprawling 1,091- square-foot "owner's suite" with a private hot tub.
Hotels at sea
Those who splash out of these luxury cruises can expect "service at a gold standard" -- the yacht claims one of the highest staff and space to guest ratios at sea -- as well as fine dining experiences, complimentary water sports, and on-board entertainment.
There's also a dedicated on-board children's facility with a jam-packed program for those aged from four to 12.
Evrima, which means discovery in Greek, will sail to a range of destinations throughout the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, as well as Central America and South America, with most cruise durations ranging from seven to 10 nights.
The luxury yacht is to be followed by two others, Ilma and Luminara, currently under construction at Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.
Ritz-Carlton first announced plans to move into the luxury yachting world back in 2017, describing the venture as "a hybrid between luxury cruising and yachting."
"The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is revolutionizing the luxury cruising industry, creating an entirely unique category designed for those in search of unmatched getaways, highly curated itineraries, insider access and a level of personalization previously unseen in the space," Douglas Prothero, chief executive officer for the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection said in a statement.
Future of cruising?
"Every element of the luxury yachting experience was considered when designing and creating Evrima, and we are excited to deliver unforgettable journeys for both longtime cruisers and those who are new to the industry."
All three of the superyachts will be available for private charter. While Ritz-Carlton have not revealed the charter price, it's safe to assume that those who opt to hire the vessels out will need pretty deep pockets.
"We are thrilled to introduce The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and usher in an exciting new chapter for this beloved brand," says Chris Gabaldon, senior vice president for luxury brands at Marriott International.
The launch of Evrima has been rescheduled several times due to supply chain issues and the global pandemic.
Earlier this month, the Four Seasons announced plans for its first vessel, a 14-deck, 207-meter-long superyacht with 95 suites, which is scheduled to enter service in late 2025.
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.abc12.com/news/business/ritz-carltons-6-400-a-week-luxury-superyacht-cruise-has-finally-set-sail/article_91d57e2c-4b38-51a4-a9ab-500633e1206d.html | 2022-10-20T16:46:54 | en | 0.95214 |
WACO, TX (FOX 44) – The Waco Police Department is in its second year participating in the Pink Patch Project spreading awareness of breast cancer and early detection.
Civilian officer Sarah Slider works in the records department and has lived in the Waco area for over 20 years and knows history of breast cancer running in her family.
Her main advice to stay vigilant in prevention.
“My story doesn’t actually start with me. I lost my mom to breast cancer in 2011,” said Slider.
After losing her mother, Sarah made plans to get her annual mammogram once she turned 35.
“That’s quite a few years younger than insurance covers for the average woman for a mammogram,” said Slider.
With plans set in stone, problems for Sarah came earlier than expected.
“I was 33 when I found the lump in my left breast and I found it through a self breast exam and went straight to the doctor, had my mammogram and then a biopsy, and then I had a diagnosis of cancer,” said Slider.
It was stage one cancer in her left breast, two years after her mom passed from the same disease.
“I had extensive, extensive surgeries and I chose to have a bilateral mastectomy,” said Slider.
Slider had even more work after.
Sarah found out through genetic tests she carried the BRCA I gene increasing her chance of getting ovarian cancer by 80 percent.
“I chose to have my ovaries removed as well, and that at 33 was a lot so it meant there were no more kids,” said Slider.
After six months of chemo in 2014, Sarah’s cancer went into remission.
Now 42 years old, Sarah wears her pink badge to help others take control of their bodies.
“If I would have waited for my doctors to do a mammogram at 35, we wouldn’t be talking today,” said Slider.
The Waco Police Association is selling patches for $10 with all the proceeds going to breast cancer research.
The association asks you to send an email wacopacares@gmail.com and to include a self addressed stamped envelope to this below address.
Waco Police Association
P.O. Box 1023
Waco, TX 76703 | https://cw39.com/news/texas/waco-civilian-officer-shares-importance-behind-pink-patch-project/ | 2022-10-20T16:46:59 | en | 0.981552 |
For any company that's been around for a century, it can be hard to keep the brand fresh. Wonder Bread hopes its latest stunt can help.
The 101-year-old bread maker will have a float in this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, marking the first-time ever the kitchen staple has joined the lineup.
Watched by roughly 25 million viewers last year on NBC, Wonder Bread hopes that the event will remind people that the brand is still thriving despite recent consumer shifts toward private label breads and lower calorie alternatives.
"I really hope that people are inspired and realize that Wonder is still here," Ashley Smith, brand manager for the bread maker, said in an exclusive interview with CNN Business.
Smith added that viewers will "take away the fact that Wonder is that classic, staple, everyday bread. But we're also changing and evolving and bringing new things to the consumer every day."
The float is called the Wondership and was designed to pay homage to a hot air balloon race that founder Elmer Cline once witnessed, inspiring him to name his bread Wonder.
The brand's signature logo colors — red, yellow and blue — are also featured on the float and on balloons and confetti. There are clouds on the side of the rolling attraction, which is meant to inspire more than just floating.
"We knew we wanted to do something different to provide a new look and something that would be inspiring to everybody watching," Smith said. "The design inspired us, leaning into the pillowy softness of Wonder Bread."
Designing the float started about a year ago, Smith said, with construction taking roughly six months. Wonder Bread will participate in the parade for the next three years with the same design. A singer to ride on this year's float has yet to been announced.
Smith also said it's the "perfect time" to remind consumers that Wonder Bread can be used in multiple Thanksgiving recipes, notably stuffing or for sandwiches with leftovers. "It's celebrating our anniversary, but it's also leaning into that joyful time period that works so well with our brand."
Using the parade as a platform "guarantees a great audience," said Neil Saunders, managing director of retail at GlobalData. Brands can use the annual event to be more creative than a typical advertisement since it's "focused around fun and frivolity."
"As a heritage brand with a very long history, Wonder Bread is perhaps hoping to invoke a sense of nostalgia and increase its profile among the family demographic," Saunders said. "The parade is a good vehicle for this as it makes a lot of older consumers think about past times."
Wonder Bread is owned by Flower Foods, a publicly traded company that also owns Nature's Own and Dave's Killer Bread. Hostess formerly owned Wonder, but sold the brand in 2013 because of bankruptcy issues.
In recent earnings calls, Flower Foods has been focusing on Dave's and Nature's Own — both of which position themselves as "better for you" alternatives compared to traditional white bread. However, Smith said that Wonder is still popular and will be introducing a new product next year.
"It's a classic brand," Smith said. "Classic brands are very adaptable, and we're always looking for fresh ideas that meet our consumers' needs."
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.abc12.com/news/business/wonder-bread-will-have-its-first-ever-float-in-the-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade/article_05e85a04-cd1a-5b7d-980a-95358c8677f1.html | 2022-10-20T16:47:00 | en | 0.974411 |
Former Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday hinted at his own plans for 2024 as he dodged a question about voting for former President Trump in the next election.
“Well, there might be somebody else I prefer more,” Pence said with a smile during an appearance at Georgetown University.
Pence was asked by a student in attendance if he would vote for Trump in 2024 if the former president is the GOP nominee.
“All my focus has been on the midterm elections, and it’ll stay that way for the next 20 days. But after that, we’ll be thinking about the future,” Pence said.
The former vice president is widely seen as laying the groundwork for a potential 2024 presidential bid.
He has delivered numerous speeches outlining his vision for the conservative movement through his own “freedom agenda,” urging Republicans to focus on the future and not the past in a swipe at Trump’s obsession with the 2020 election.
Pence has also made frequent visits to early primary states, giving speeches and campaigning with GOP candidates in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
Pence was a staunch loyalist to Trump during his four years as vice president, but since leaving office the two have drifted apart over the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when Pence refused to reject the election results at Trump’s urging.
Pence has since said on multiple occasions that Trump was wrong to think he could overturn the results, while simultaneously touting the policy achievements of the Trump administration on trade, the border and foreign policy. | https://cw39.com/politics/pence-on-backing-trump-in-2024-there-might-be-somebody-else-i-prefer-more/ | 2022-10-20T16:47:05 | en | 0.985959 |
GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) - The Genesee County Sheriff's Office said an 18-year-old man was among six people arrested in a child sex predator sting.
The cases stem from a Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST) investigation. Sheriff Chris Swanson took to social media overnight to give an update on the charges of the men accused of seeking sex with underage kids.
According to investigators, the suspects range in age from 18 to 70 years old. Two of the men were arrested as part of an operation with Huron County.
Swanson said the 18-year-old Genesee County high school student showed up to the sting with $13,000 in counterfeit money.
The sheriff urged parents to be vigilant as social media continues to play a role in children's lives. Investigators plan to release more details on the sting operation in the coming days. | https://www.abc12.com/news/crime/sheriff-18-year-old-among-suspects-in-child-predator-sting/article_805f1b34-5078-11ed-8499-fb85a1b2e564.html | 2022-10-20T16:47:06 | en | 0.968384 |
(WJW) — To be fair, getting too close to anyone’s face may prove a little terrifying. But a finalist in the 2022 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition captured an image that sheds light on something we’re not used to seeing.
This evil-looking mutant being is actually just the face of a humble ant — causing quite the stir on social media. What’s most surprising is it didn’t even make the Top 20 photos in the competition, which aims to show off nature on a microscopic level. Instead, Eugenijus Kavaliauskas’ up-close-and-personal capture was named as an image of distinction.
So what did garner first place this year? An image of an embryonic hand of a Madagascar giant day gecko, taken by Grigorii Timin from the University of Geneva.
“Masterfully blending imaging technology and artistic creativity, Timin utilized high-resolution microscopy and image-stitching to capture this species of Phelsuma grandis day gecko,” competition representatives said in a statement.
Other images caused just as much shock and awe, as seen below:
See all of this year’s winners right here.
Anyone is allowed to enter next year’s photo competition. | https://cw39.com/science/photo-competition-reveals-how-horrifying-an-ant-face-is-up-close/ | 2022-10-20T16:47:11 | en | 0.918414 |
Abbott Nutrition plans to build a $500 million nutrition facility for specialty and metabolic infant formulas, Chairman and CEO Robert Ford said Wednesday.
The announcement comes as the U.S. formula shortage continues and experts have called for more domestic production and diversity among suppliers.
"We're moving forward with plans for a half-billion-dollar investment in a new U.S. nutrition facility for specialty and metabolic infant formulas," Ford said on a call with investors. "We're currently in the final stages of determining the site location and will work with regulators and other experts to ensure this facility is state-of-the-art and sets a new standard for infant formula production. We recognize there's more to do but feel confident in the progress we're making."
The shutdown of Abbott's formula plant in Sturgis, Michigan, and the recall of some of its products exacerbated an infant formula shortage that is still causing problems for families across the country.
A survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau found that nearly a third of households with a baby younger than 1 said they had trouble finding formula over the course of one week last month. More than 40% said they had only a week's supply or less on hand.
After being closed for months, Abbott's Sturgis plant reopened in June with production of EleCare specialty formula. That was underway for less than two weeks before weather-related flooding prompted another closure. It reopened again in July.
"In September, we began production of several Similac products, which we expect will begin to reach retail store shelves over the coming weeks," Ford said Wednesday. "We also boosted production in our global network to increase infant formula supply to the U.S. In fact, we delivered roughly the same volume of formula to our U.S. customers this past quarter as we did during the three months prior to the recall."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's internal review of its formula shortage response, released in September, found a perfect storm of "systemic vulnerabilities" that slowed its response.
Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said at the time that manufacturers have stepped up production, but the supply chain needs greater diversity of manufacturers, a commitment by companies to adhere to the agency's safety and quality standards, and new production facilities.
"The situation at the Abbott Sturgis facility has highlighted just how little authority the FDA has to compel many companies to 'do the right thing' without intervention," Califf said last month.
Ford said on Wednesday's call that the company's plans for a new facility are in response to its own analysis of the formula market that "concluded that this country would benefit from more manufacturing capacity and redundancy."
Ford also said Abbott has concluded an investigation into allegations made by a former employee, who filed a complaint with the U.S. government in February 2021 that reported falsified records and concerns about safety and quality.
"The investigation, which included extensive document reviews and interviews, concluded that the allegations about quality were unfounded. And during the quarter, the same former employee dropped the federal OSHA complaint," Ford said.
CNN has reached out to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for comment.
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.abc12.com/news/health/abbott-plans-new-500-million-infant-formula-facility-as-shortage-continues/article_a88eed26-dc8a-5460-89ff-3e6ec723bad4.html | 2022-10-20T16:47:13 | en | 0.978144 |
HOUSTON (KLST/KSAN) — Playoff baseball is in full swing and there have already been some historical marks and memories made that Houston Astros fans will cherish for a lifetime.
After the Astros defeated the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Wednesday night, you might be tempted to join in on watercooler talk about the team.
If you’re an avid supporter of the Astros, it’s safe to say that you know what other fans are talking about. This article, however, is for those who may be new to the sport and looking for a team to root for.
This article is for significant others who only cheer when their partner cheers and then questions their sanity when they get sad after a loss. This article is for the ones who don’t know the names Justin Verlander, Jose Altuve, or Yordan Alvarez.
Here’s the information you need to hop on the bandwagon and become a full-time Houston Astros fan.
The Stars
The American League West Champions have a star-studded team. With top to bottom shutdown pitchers to proven hitters, here are some names and stats of players you need to keep your eye on.
The Hitters
- DH/LF Yordan Alvarez
- A pitcher’s nightmare when he steps to the plate, the 2019 Rookie of the Year has been the Astros’ biggest bat since he took the league by storm. He was awarded an All-Star selection during the 2022 campaign and has been dominating in the playoffs, which we’ll get to soon enough.
- 2022 Stats: .306 BA, 1.1019 OPS, 37 HRs, 97 RBIs
- A pitcher’s nightmare when he steps to the plate, the 2019 Rookie of the Year has been the Astros’ biggest bat since he took the league by storm. He was awarded an All-Star selection during the 2022 campaign and has been dominating in the playoffs, which we’ll get to soon enough.
- 2B Jose Altuve
- The 2017 MVP has been nothing short of the heart and soul of the franchise since he made his rookie debut in 2011.
- 2022 Stats: .300 BA, .921 OPS, 28 HRs, 57 RBIs
- The 2017 MVP has been nothing short of the heart and soul of the franchise since he made his rookie debut in 2011.
- 3B Alex Bregman
- The No. 2 overall selection in the 2015 draft grew exactly how the franchise wanted him to. After a slow start to the 2022 campaign, he would go on to earn the Hitter of the Month honor for the month of August. This just so happens to be around the time he welcomed his first child into the world. Coincidence? We think not.
- 2022 Stats: .259 BA, .820 OPS, 23 HRs, 93 RBIs
- The No. 2 overall selection in the 2015 draft grew exactly how the franchise wanted him to. After a slow start to the 2022 campaign, he would go on to earn the Hitter of the Month honor for the month of August. This just so happens to be around the time he welcomed his first child into the world. Coincidence? We think not.
- RF Kyle Tucker
- ‘King Tuck’ earned his first All-Star honor after a hot start to the season. Though he may have cooled off a tad, he is starting to heat back up. A threat at the plate and on the basepaths, this man is sure fun to watch.
- 2022 Stats: .257 BA, ,808 OPS, 30 HRs, 107 RBIs
- ‘King Tuck’ earned his first All-Star honor after a hot start to the season. Though he may have cooled off a tad, he is starting to heat back up. A threat at the plate and on the basepaths, this man is sure fun to watch.
- SS Jeremy Pena
- The University of Maine product had question marks entering the season. The main one is if he can be an efficient replacement for Carlos Correa who signed with the Minnesota Twins this past offseason. Let’s just say that he’s in the race for Rookie of the Year honors. So, it’s safe to say he is going to be just fine.
- 2022 Stats: .253 BA, .715 OPS, 22 HRs, 63 RBIs
- The University of Maine product had question marks entering the season. The main one is if he can be an efficient replacement for Carlos Correa who signed with the Minnesota Twins this past offseason. Let’s just say that he’s in the race for Rookie of the Year honors. So, it’s safe to say he is going to be just fine.
The Pitchers
- SP Justin Verlander
- The ageless wonder. The 39-year-old seems to only throw harder as he gets older. Verlander has been the Astros’ ace since he was traded to the team in 2017. He had to get Tommy John surgery in 2020. How does he bounce back after missing roughly a year and a half? He goes ahead and has a career-best 1.75 ERA, which easily puts him in the running for his third Cy Young award.
- 18-4, 1.75 ERA, 0.829 WHIP, 185 SO, 29 BB, 175.0 IP
- The ageless wonder. The 39-year-old seems to only throw harder as he gets older. Verlander has been the Astros’ ace since he was traded to the team in 2017. He had to get Tommy John surgery in 2020. How does he bounce back after missing roughly a year and a half? He goes ahead and has a career-best 1.75 ERA, which easily puts him in the running for his third Cy Young award.
- SP Framber Valdez
- 2022 was his best season yet as the sinkerballer broke an Astros franchise record for Quality Starts with 25 in a row which was snapped earlier this year. The lefty was a 2022 All-Star selection and led the American League in Innings Pitched, Complete Games and Shutouts.
- 17-6, 2.82 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 194 SO, 67 BB, 201.1 IP
- 2022 was his best season yet as the sinkerballer broke an Astros franchise record for Quality Starts with 25 in a row which was snapped earlier this year. The lefty was a 2022 All-Star selection and led the American League in Innings Pitched, Complete Games and Shutouts.
- SP Luis Garcia
- After finishing second in the 2021 Rookie of the Year race, Garcia has only come out firing in 2022 including a huge game 3 performance in the ALDS. He is a starter of the future for the team and you should be excited for what’s to come.
- 15-8, 3.72 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 157 SO, 47 BB, 157.1 IP
- After finishing second in the 2021 Rookie of the Year race, Garcia has only come out firing in 2022 including a huge game 3 performance in the ALDS. He is a starter of the future for the team and you should be excited for what’s to come.
- P Cristian Javier
- ‘El Reptile’ may not look the best on the stat sheet, but this man has played every role that has been asked of him and he has done it well. The 25-year-old Dominican’s fastball is one of the best in baseball and has the potential to shine brighter when put in a bigger role in the future.
- 11-9, 2.54 ERA, 0.938 WHIP, 194 SO, 52 BB, 148.2 IP
- ‘El Reptile’ may not look the best on the stat sheet, but this man has played every role that has been asked of him and he has done it well. The 25-year-old Dominican’s fastball is one of the best in baseball and has the potential to shine brighter when put in a bigger role in the future.
- RP Ryne Stanek
- On the final game of the regular season, the 31-year-old set an Astros franchise record with the lowest ERA by a reliever with a 1.15. This was not the only way the right-hander made history. He was hotter than the sun when he did not allow an earned run for nearly three months, 27.2 innings.
- 54.2 IP, 1.15 ERA, 62 SO, 31 BBs
- On the final game of the regular season, the 31-year-old set an Astros franchise record with the lowest ERA by a reliever with a 1.15. This was not the only way the right-hander made history. He was hotter than the sun when he did not allow an earned run for nearly three months, 27.2 innings.
What’s going on right now?
The Astros enter the postseason with a 106-56 record which is good for the second-best record in franchise history. It may not have been good enough to set the franchise record, but it was indeed good enough for the best record in the American League, which means the No. 1 seed in the playoffs and a first-round bye.
After the long-awaited bye, the Astros welcomed the Seattle Mariners into Houston and had one of the most memorable Divisional Series in Astros history.
Yordan Alvarez was the hero in Games 1 and 2 of the series when he had a walk-off three-run bomb to end game 1 in an 8-7 score. Then in game 2, Alvarez struck again in the sixth inning to give the Astros a 4-2 win. But somehow, someway, it was Game 3, in which the Astros’ most dangerous slugger did not get a hit in, that will probably be the most memorable.
In a normal baseball game, nine innings would be played, eight and a half if the home team has the lead. Normally, that would be it, maybe there are a couple of extra innings but everyone still goes home in a decent time. What if we told you that an 18-inning game, the equivalent of two full games was played at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Oct. 15? Let us fill you in.
There have only been four playoff games in MLB history to go more than 18 innings. However, this was the first one in MLB history to go into the 18th inning with a scoreless ballgame. Jeremy Pena was Houston’s hero with a solo shot in the top of the 18th for the go-ahead run to complete the sweep of the Mariners. He becomes the third rookie to home in extras in MLB’s history. The game lasted 6 hours and 22 minutes. To give context as to how players were affected, when the game started, players were battling the sun and shadows, and by the time the dust settled, it was almost night in the Seattle sky.
With the sweep complete, the Astros move on to the American League Championship Series for a best-of-seven series against the New York Yankees. Where the winner of the series will move on to the World Series. Days and game times will be below.
- Game 2: Yankees at Astros, 7:37 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 20 (TBS)
- Game 3: Astros at Yankees, 5:07 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 22 (TBS)
- Game 4: Astros at Yankees, 7:07 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 23 (TBS)
- Game 5*: Astros at Yankees, 4:07 p.m., Monday, Oct. 24 (TBS)
- Game 6*: Yankees at Astros, 6:07 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 25 (TBS)
- Game 7*: Yankees at Astros, 7:37 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 26 (TBS)
*if necessary
We hope this taught you a bit and gave you enough information to hop on the Astros bandwagon. As always, Go ‘Stros. | https://cw39.com/sports/astros/how-to-be-a-bandwagon-houston-astros-fan/ | 2022-10-20T16:47:18 | en | 0.973226 |
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is awarding $53 million in grants to beef up outreach efforts, improve technology and enhance the shopping experience for families receiving the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC.
The funding, which comes from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, aims to help state agencies, community groups and other nonprofits test new ways of reaching out to existing and potential WIC participants.
It will also go to state agencies to leverage text messaging, mobile phone support and appointment-scheduling tools, as well as for projects to help participants identify WIC-eligible foods in grocery stores, plan for online shopping with WIC benefits and train grocery workers to provide better services to beneficiaries.
The effort comes as the Biden administration seeks to bolster food assistance and minimize hunger in the U.S.
WIC provides food, nutrition education, breastfeeding support and health care referrals to low-income children up to age 5 and to pregnant and postpartum women.
The American Rescue Plan also expanded access to fruits and vegetables by increasing the benefit amount to $35 a month per person, a provision that was later modified and extended through December of this year.
Some 6.2 million Americans participated in WIC in February, an increase of 1.2% from February 2020, according to a recent report from the Food Research & Action Center, an advocacy group. Participants poured $7 billion in WIC benefits into local economies.
But participation varied widely, increasing in 21 states and the District of Columbia and decreasing or holding steady in the rest in the first two years of the Covid-19 pandemic.
North Carolina had the largest increase in participation at 21%, while New Mexico had the greatest drop at 20%, according to the center's report.
Nearly 1.4 million women participated in February, a decline of 5.4% over two years. The number of children in the program jumped 8.7% to nearly 3.4 million, while the number of infants fell 7.7% to 1.4 million.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.abc12.com/news/health/biden-administration-invests-53-million-in-wic-nutrition-program-for-women-and-children/article_229cfa40-f4bc-5a50-b296-8208ff77e49d.html | 2022-10-20T16:47:19 | en | 0.95062 |
HOUSTON (KIAH) — Houston Astros rookie Jeremy Pena had huge shoes to fill coming into this season.
The team moved on from longtime short stop Carlos Correa in the offseason, and the free agent signed to play in Minnesota.
That left a hole in the Houston batting order and the middle of the infield on defense.
Enter Pena, who’s red-hot start to the postseason has helped the Astros take a 1-0 lead in their sixth straight American League Championship Series.
“It’s easy to — I guess — go out and compete when you have guys that have done it for so long,” Pena said. “These guys have done it year in, year out, and it’s just fun to be a part of it.”
Pena was three for four in Wednesday night’s ALCS Game 1 matchup with the New York Yankees, clubbing two doubles and a solo home run.
It played a big role in the Astros’ 4-2 victory along with solid pitching including six innings of three-hit, one-run ball from starter Justin Verlander.
“After we had a few days off, it’s nice to get back in the flow of the game and win one,” Verlander said.
Houston had last played Saturday in the marathon 18-inning, American League Divisional Series-clinching Game Three against the Seattle Mariners.
The Astros have no days off before their next contest.
First pitch of ALCS Game 2 is set for 6:37 p.m. from Minute Maid Park and televised on TBS.
Framber Valdez is set to be the starting pitcher for the Astros against Luis Severino for the Yankees. | https://cw39.com/sports/astros/pena-says-its-easy-to-play-well-when-surrounded-by-astros-veterans-after-alcs-game-1-win/ | 2022-10-20T16:47:24 | en | 0.960936 |
FLINT, Mich. (WJRT) - The Genesee County Sheriff's Office is investigating a three-car crash near downtown Flint.
It happened just after 8 p.m. Wednesday at Robert T. Longway Boulevard and Chavez Drive off I-475.
No word yet on whether anyone was injured in the collision.
Stay with ABC 12 News as we work to learn more about the investigation. | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/deputies-investigate-three-car-collision-near-downtown-flint/article_84b63f02-5076-11ed-95e9-6fb13fa5e327.html | 2022-10-20T16:47:25 | en | 0.949073 |
A boy has died after being infected by a rare brain-eating amoeba, which officials believe he may have been exposed to at Lake Mead, the Southern Nevada Health District announced Wednesday.
The juvenile may have encountered the organism, called Naegleria fowleri, in the park's Kingman Wash area, located on the Arizona side of the lake near Hoover Dam, the Lake Mead National Recreation Area said in a release.
Officials did not release the name or exact age of the person who died, but said he was under 18 years old.
"This is the first confirmed fatality caused by Naegleria Fowleri exposure at Lake Mead National Recreation Area," the park said.
The microscopic amoeba is commonly found in warm freshwater, but infections are rare, according to the CDC. Only 31 Naegleria fowleri infections were reported in the US between 2012 and 2021, the CDC said. While infections are uncommon, they are almost always fatal.
Someone can become infected when water containing the amoeba enters their nose, typically when swimming, diving or putting their head underwater, the CDC said. It can't cause infection if swallowed and does not spread from person to person.
This is at least the third fatal Naegleria fowleri infection this year, including a child in Nebraska who fell ill after swimming in a river and a Missouri man who contracted the infection at a beach.
An investigation by the Southern Nevada Health District determined the boy may have been exposed in early October and began developing symptoms about a week later, the district said.
"My condolences go out to the family of this young man," said Southern Nevada District Health Officer Dr. Fermin Leguen. "While I want to reassure the public that this type of infection is an extremely rare occurrence, I know this brings no comfort to his family and friends at this time."
The National Park Service will continue to allow recreational swimming at Lake Mead, according to the park's release. U.S Public Health Service Officer Dr. Maria Said explained in a statement that the decision took into account that "the organism exists naturally and commonly in the environment but disease is extremely rare."
"However, recreational water users should always assume there is a risk anytime they enter warm fresh water," Said advised.
The park urged people to take precautions recommended by the CDC, which include avoiding jumping and diving into warm freshwater, holding or clipping their nose shut when swimming, keeping their head above water and avoiding submerging their head in hot springs.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.abc12.com/news/national/boy-dies-from-rare-brain-eating-amoeba-that-may-have-been-contracted-at-lake-mead/article_0e4ced48-c543-5b19-8925-bf7a658e369b.html | 2022-10-20T16:47:31 | en | 0.977368 |
ATLANTA (AP) — Dejounte Murray paid immediate dividends for Atlanta at both ends of the court, scoring 20 points and picking off five steals to lead the Hawks past the pesky Houston Rockets 117-107 in the season opener Wednesday night.
Murray, an All-Star guard acquired from San Antonio in the Hawks’ biggest move of the offseason, also dished out 11 assists to give the Hawks a potent 1-2 punch in the backcourt along with Trae Young.
Young had 23 points and 13 assists, teaming with Murray to give a glimpse of how a pair of star point guards can co-exist.
Murray became the first player since Spud Webb in 1985 to have a double-double in his Atlanta debut. But his biggest impact may have been at the defensive end, where he’s charged with helping the Hawks improve on one of their biggest problems a season ago.
The Rockets were led by Kevin Porter Jr, with 21 points, two days after he signed an $82.5 million, four-year contract extension to help lead Houston’s major rebuilding project.
John Collins, who was the subject of incessant trade speculation during the offseason, led the Hawks with 24 points. De’Andre Hunter, his future in Atlanta solidified by a $95 million, four-year extension, chipped in with 22 points.
The Hawks are hoping to recapture the form that carried them to the Eastern Conference final in 2021.
Atlanta slipped to ninth in the East a season ago and needed to win two play-in games just to qualify for the postseason. The Hawks didn’t last long in the playoffs, going down in five games to top seed Miami.
The Rockets, who had the NBA’s worst record the last two seasons, sent out a youthful lineup that included No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. The former Auburn star had 17 points and seven rebounds in his NBA debut.
Of the 13 players who dressed for Houston, only two had more than three seasons of experience.
TIP-INS
Rockets: Another first-round pick, Tari Eason, had eight points and seven assists in 15 minutes off the bench. … Daishen Nix (sore back), Jae-Sean Tate (left ankle soreness) and rookie TyTy Washington (left knee sprain) were not available for the start of the regular season.
Hawks: The team’s two rookies — first-rounder AJ Griffin and second-rounder Tyrese Martin — did not play. … The team had 30 assists and just nine turnovers. … G Bogdan Bogdanovic was the only Atlanta player who didn’t dress for the opener. He continues to recover from right knee surgery in June.
UP NEXT
Rockets: Return to Houston for their home opener Friday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Hawks: Host the Orlando Magic on Friday night in the second of three straight home games to begin the season. | https://cw39.com/sports/murray-young-lead-hawks-past-pesky-rockets-in-season-opener/ | 2022-10-20T16:47:30 | en | 0.971945 |
A pilot has been safely recovered after an F-35 combat aircraft crashed at the Hill Air Force Base south of Ogden, Utah, Wednesday, according to the 388th Fighter Wing.
The F-35A Lightning II crashed around 6:15 p.m. local time at the north end of the base's runway, the wing said on social media. No one on the ground was injured, authorities said.
"The pilot ejected, was recovered and has been taken to local medical center for observation," Hill Air Force Base tweeted. No further details were available on the pilot's condition.
The cause of the crash is unknown and will be investigated, the wing said.
The pilot was on his way back to Hill Air Force Base from a routine training mission recovery when he ejected from the jet, Colonel Craig Andrle, commander of the 388th Fighter Wing, said at a news conference.
"All of us as pilots take every opportunity we have to mitigate the damage to anything on the ground, so I do know that the pilot made his best effort to avoid any buildings or anything on the ground prior to ejection," Andrle said.
Videos from the scene showed a large plume of smoke coming from the Air Force base after the military plane crashed.
The crash ignited a fire that spread about eight to 10 acres in size, according to a tweet from Utah Fire Info. Crews were able to extinguish the blaze, authorities said.
Nearby resident Scott Phillips told CNN he saw the plane go down.
"I was at my home .... mowing the lawn and watching the F-35 come in for landing as they do basically every night. We love watching them leave and come home," Phillips said.
"They land generally towards the south as they did today. On approach, one appeared to lose power and dipped too low below the trees. Next thing I saw was fire."
Hill Air Force Base is an Air Force Materiel Command base, according to its website. It is the Air Force's second largest base by population and geographical size.
"Flying military aircraft is a risky business that we all accept when we go do it. And these things happen," Andrle said. "And so tonight, first and foremost, we're thankful that he's okay. He got out of the aircraft. We're thankful that nobody on the ground was injured."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.abc12.com/news/national/pilot-has-been-safely-recovered-after-ejecting-from-an-f-35-crash-at-an-air/article_df42e8cf-9f46-5edd-bde9-7e5291c4d71c.html | 2022-10-20T16:47:37 | en | 0.980843 |
INDIANAPOLIS – The competition continues to be as tight as ever through the first six weeks of the NFL season. So far, 74 games have been within one score in the fourth quarter.
More of the same is expected in the Week 7 schedule, especially in Nashville where the Colts and Titans meet for sole possession of first place in the AFC South.
The surprising Giants look to move to 6-1, while the Buccaneers, Packers and Ravens look to get on track after uncharacteristic slow starts.
WXIN’s Chris Hagan takes a look at the entire 14-game slate on “Big Game Bound.” WKRN sports director Cory Curtis joins Chris to talk about Sunday’s Indianapolis-Tennessee tilt.
This week’s show also features reports from Green Bay, Pittsburgh and New England, along with picks from Jarett Payton.
“Big Game Bound” streams every Thursday at 12 p.m. ET leading up to Super Bowl LVII. | https://cw39.com/sports/the-big-game/big-game-bound-spotlight-shines-on-afc-south-showdown-for-week-7/ | 2022-10-20T16:47:37 | en | 0.946774 |
(NewsNation) — Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady seems to have landed himself in trouble again after recent comments on his podcast with Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray, “Let’s Go” went viral Monday.
In speaking with onetime NBA champion and former league MVP Kevin Durant, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback compared life-work balance of preparing for the NFL season to going off to war.
“It’s starting to get tricky, though, as I get older and age because I’m starting to experience more as a man outside of me being an athlete,” Durant said. “So, it’s like, where is the balance? It’s definitely been a mental obstacle trying to figure out what’s a good balance between the two.”
Durant’s comments led Brady to compare his view on balancing work and life during the NFL season.
“You know — and you feel certainly me being 45,” Brady said to the Brooklyn Nets star. “Now, it’s like, do I just think the same way? Do I still? I almost look at like a football season, like you’re going away on deployment here and military. And it’s like, man, here I go again.”
While Brady wasn’t trying to make a one-to-one comparison of the NFL season to military deployment, his comments reflected his belief that the NFL season removes him from all the other aspects of his life — except for competing.
“When it comes down to it, your competitiveness takes over. And as much as you want to have this playful balance with work balance, you’re going to end up doing exactly what you’ve always done,” he said.
Either way, the comments have set Twitter ablaze — with fans, military veterans and everyone in between making their displeasure known.
From taking an 11-day hiatus during training sessions, to being caught at Robert Kraft’s wedding during the season, to the Gisele Bündchen divorce rumors, things have been rough for Brady.
And a 3-3 record doesn’t help.
We’ll see if the certain Hall of Famer can start turning things around this Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. | https://cw39.com/sports/tom-brady-criticized-for-comparing-nfl-season-to-deployment/ | 2022-10-20T16:47:43 | en | 0.978274 |
Sanibel Island residents on Wednesday were crossing the causeway for the first time since Hurricane Ian damaged the only road onto the popular Gulf Coast destination.
"The causeway is our lifeline, and without it we have no opportunity to get back to the island, to get back to our homes," said longtime resident Troy Thompson, who manages the Lazy Flamingo restaurants. "We've been stranded in town for three weeks now and it means everything to get back."
The causeway, which comprises three bridges and road over two tiny man-made islands, opened weeks earlier than first predicted and two days earlier than recent forecasts.
"We had an ambitious agenda and ambitious roadmap to get this done," Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference in Fort Myers, noting 100 crews worked for some 36,000 work hours on the causeway.
At least five sections of the causeway, which connects Sanibel to the mainland, were washed away by Hurricane Ian, Lee County officials said.
Florida Transportation Department Secretary Jared Perdue said the bridges were mostly undamaged but some "portions of the causeway that connect bridge structures had been washed away."
"A project like this, under normal circumstances, could take months. However, FDOT, along with our law enforcement partners at the Florida Highway Patrol, Lee County and Florida Department of Emergency Management made use of strategic and innovative techniques to rebuild the causeways quickly," Perdue said.
But De Santis said the current repairs are a temporary fix. "We are going to continue to work with the county on plans for permanent repairs to the causeway... but we're happy to be able to take the lead on the restoration," he said.
Two weeks ago, island residents were allowed to visit Sanibel by boat for the first time since the Category 4 storm made landfall September 29. Hurricane Ian killed at least 115 people in Florida, 55 in Lee County, according to state officials.
Julie Emig -- who returned to Sanibel with her wife, Vicki Paskaly, on October 5 -- told CNN that day they couldn't believe the destruction.
"It's incomprehensible that a storm, a hurricane, can wipe us all out like this in just a few hours," she said.
Until Wednesday, only a one-time caravan of hundreds of utility trucks had been allowed over the causeway.
About 25% of Sanibel Island should have power back this week, while northern parts of neighboring Captiva Island may not get power restored until November, the governor said.
Power to a school, a water plant and fire stations could be back by Thursday, Lee County Electric Cooperative said Saturday on its website.
Sanibel Mayor Holly Smith told CNN affiliate WBBH returning residents should come with reasonable expectations.
"We still do not have water. We don't have sewer. We don't have power," the mayor said. "So, to think that you can come and live here as you normally did before is really a topic that I want people to be very cautious of."
A curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. remains in effect for the island.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.abc12.com/news/national/the-causeway-linking-sanibel-island-to-the-florida-mainland-has-reopened-to-residents/article_31b21029-4124-5aa2-8383-4574a3a5f094.html | 2022-10-20T16:47:43 | en | 0.978122 |
Editor’s Note: Anywhere But Hollywood highlights what’s new and worth watching in international TV and film. This month the spotlight is on South Korean crime drama “Decision To Leave.”
A language barrier lies at the heart of swoon-worthy Korean police procedural “Decision To Leave.” Hae-joon (Park Hae-il) is a polite Busan cop, Seo-rae (Tang Wei), the Chinese wife of a dead businessman. Though words may falter, the attraction is palpable; eyes and bodies pick up the slack in a tantalizing ebb and flow between impulse and etiquette. Like The Walls of Jericho in Frank Capra classic “It Happened One Night,” barriers seem destined to come crashing down. But complicating matters, she’s also prime suspect.
Seo-rae’s husband has died while mountain climbing, but the police investigation is compromised from the moment she and the detective meet. She’s beautiful and coy and apologizes for her imperfect Korean. He’s entranced. But she’s curiously unmoved by her husband’s death. Is she hiding something, or merely aloof? He begins to watch her for clues, infatuation or ego blinding him to the possibility she could also be watching him.
Writer-director Park Chan-wook returns to the big screen after a six-year hiatus with a departure from the hyper-violent, gonzo approach of previous films like “Oldboy.” He’s still partial to plot twists and visual flourishes – still delivered with aplomb – but there’s gentleness here too, and an abundance of restraint. His last offering “The Handmaiden” was all erotic charge and hedonistic indulgence; his latest is quite the reverse in its treatment of its budding romance. The tenderness on display provides its own unexpected thrill.
Hae-joon is the opposite of the hard-boiled detective (he carries wet wipes rather than a gun), while Seo-rae is neither femme fatale nor ingénue. They’re a bad fit for the film’s noirish premise, and the first of many subversive choices made by Park, who lets the narrative slide elegantly off the rails and away from convention. Containing two distinct passages, the latter examining and building on the former, the film recalls “Vertigo” in more ways than one (like Hitchcock’s take on San Francisco, we also get a city shrouded in mist, an isolated forest, and an ominous sea). That said, Park eschews many of that film’s male-dominated trappings in favour of two characters content to see each other in less idealized terms.
Hae-joon is married; Seo-rae might be a murderer – it’s messy. As they become tangled so does the narrative. Subplots abound, including the hunt for another killer, euthanized grannies and an elixir for male virility. Some of these are integral to the plot, others are foils, but even the oddest tangents are compelling.
Park Hae-il and Tang’s delicate performances and irresistible chemistry have sufficient gravity to pull our attention away from any dangling threads. The two deliver on a pulsating script from director Park and Seo-kyeong Jeong, littered with rhymes and echoes. Words are laid like landmines across time and space, burrowing into Hae-joon and Seo-rae’s souls. Words that might not be fully understood in the moment, but when they do, burst forth in shattering ways. In the last act, when the film’s intricate plotting surrenders to its emotional undercurrent, it’s sublime. Ultimately, no barrier can hold back the tide.
“Decision To Leave” is available nationwide in the US and UK from October 21.
The interview: Writer-director Park Chan-wook
The Korean master told CNN he wanted to adhere to then subvert film noir in “Decision To Leave,” playing with tropes, structure and the male gaze. “The story departs from all the conventions of that genre,” he says.
For more details on his “very meta approach,” why he cast Tang Wei and why “Vertigo” was far from his mind, read the full interview. | https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/20/entertainment/decision-to-leave-review-anywhere-but-hollywood-october-2022/index.html | 2022-10-20T16:47:49 | en | 0.936204 |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — As cooler weather settles over the United States and many anticipate a seasonal increase in the heating bills at home, others have also looked forward to a seasonal decrease in gas prices that tends to hit somewhere in September and October.
However, as the world continues to navigate shake-ups in supply chains and production strategies caused by COVID-19, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the OPEC+ alliance’s announcement of incoming production cuts, and other factors, the costs of day-to-day errands like grocery shopping and filling gas tanks have become less and less predictable.
What seasons do gas prices change? What causes seasonal gas price changes? How likely is it that things might be different in 2022? Here are a few things to know.
What is ‘winter gas’?
Gas has a certain level of “Reid Vapor Pressure,” or RVP, that impacts how quickly it evaporates. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it’s a measure of gasoline volatility. Gas with a higher amount of RVP ignites and evaporates more quickly, which can translate into different effects depending on environmental factors like weather. For instance, in cold weather, a higher RVP can be a benefit because gas will ignite and start cars more easily. However, in hot temperatures, an unnecessary amount of gas can burn and evaporate from fuel systems, leading to increased emissions and smog in the air.
Because of the impact RVP levels have on emissions and gas mileage, as noted by GasBuddy and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, a range of federal and state regulations establish guidelines for how much RVP gas can have during certain times of the year. This means that after certain dates, producers and sellers are required to offer gas that is created using a different formula. Generally, that translates into “Winter Gas” containing a higher amount of butane, which is a significant factor for RVP because of its volatility.
Most of those federal guidelines focus on a time frame from May 1 to Sept. 15. However, some regions like eastern Texas and Arizona have an extended summer ozone season that was federally approved, and are therefore allowed to start a bit later in the year.
In Texas, the Regional Low RVP Gasoline program requires that low-RVP gasoline be used in 95 central and eastern-Texas counties during the summer when ozone pollution is at its worst. As noted by the TCEQ, gas sold in those counties must have an RVP of “no greater than 7.8 pounds per square inch (psi)” from June 1 through Oct. 1 of each year. Gas suppliers are required to supply low-RVP gas to those counties from May 1 through Oct. 1 every year.
Low-RVP gas, colloquially, is referred to as “Summer Gas.” The US Energy Information Administration noted that it costs refiners more per gallon to make summer-grade gasoline because it needs to be processed differently in order to achieve a lower RVP as well as comply with other reformulated gasoline regulations that can vary by region.
Meanwhile, “Winter Gas” gets its name because it’s the formula for gas that’s commonly used and produced outside of that May-October season each year, and it’s generally thought to be more efficient in colder weather because its higher volatility means that less energy is needed to ignite it to complete tasks like starting engines.
How does ‘winter gas’ impact gas prices?
While the National Association of Convenience Stores published notes on seasonal gas price fluctuations on its website that focused on the first half of the year, it also offered insight into the generally expected impact of the switch away from “Summer Gas” into the winter-grade formulas.
Refineries tend to schedule “turnaround,” or maintenance, during times of the year when gas demand is at its lowest, such as in January and February. NACS noted that while the turnaround periods are used for maintenance, overhaul, repair, and inspection operations, refineries also take the opportunity to retool for different season-grade fuel production.
Summer-blend gases are not only required but are more expensive to make and have a range of regional expectations. NACS said that this leads to the turnaround period of the year involving refineries working to make as much of the formula as possible, and the extra needed supply for the season as well as the regular increase in demand for fuel contributes to price increases between February and May.
On the other hand, the September end of the “Summer Gas” season is normally expected to provide a welcome decrease in gas prices. As gas demand decreases seasonally and temperatures start to cool, retailers often switch to selling “Winter Gas” around mid-September. The winter blend that’s easier to make, as well as less demand, contributes to lowered gas prices.
When might gas prices drop most this winter?
As noted by the NACS, gas prices traditionally are at their lowest during the first week of February and peak right before Memorial Day. From 2000 until 2022, gas prices tended to increase by about 50 cents from the seasonal low at the beginning of February to the seasonal high in mid-May.
However, even past what NACS referred to as the “unique” conditions of 2021, 2022 has proven to be an even more tumultuous year for gas and energy costs. The traditional forecasts for gas prices have been impacted by a range of factors from inflation in the US to the war in Ukraine, reflected in drastic and sometimes unseasonal fluctuations. For example, instead of that 50-cent difference from February to May, Amarillo gas prices rose by a dollar from the first week of February to the middle of May.
Texas gas prices appeared to peak most recently on June 15, at an average cost of $4.70/gallon across the state. While gas prices generally trended down for the next few months in the state toward an average of $3.18/gallon in mid-September, Amarillo saw an abrupt upshoot over the week of Sept. 15 when prices jumped over 24 cents and nearly erased a month of downward progress.
In Amarillo’s case, the city’s prices stood as an outlier in the region. Judy Stark, the president of the Panhandle Producers & Royalty Owners Association (PPROA), cited several possible sources for the jump at the time, ranging from COVID-19 impacts, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, supply chain issues, and each individual company having the right to sell gasoline at any price they choose.
Stark’s listed factors could provide insight into the apparent volatility of gas prices even as producers switch to a less expensive blend. Further, at the start of October, another impacting factor piled onto the list when major oil-producing countries decided to slash the amount they would deliver to the world economy.
As previously reported by the Associated Press, the OPEC+ alliance’s decision to cut 2 million barrels per day beginning in November was made in an effort by Western allies to cap oil money flowing into Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. While in reality, the production cuts will amount to about 1.2 million barrels a day, due to some OPEC+ countries not being able to meet quotas, Rystad Energy’s Jorge Leon told the AP that it’s still going to have a significant effect on prices.
Higher oil prices are likely to make inflation worse and exacerbate the ongoing European energy crises tied to natural gas supply cutbacks. Adding the rising oil prices onto seasonal increases in the need for heating, electricity, and other gas-related functions, the expert outlooks on inflation, the global economy, and prices at the gas pump don’t appear optimistic.
Unfortunately, the broader negative outlook for oil costs and inflation could also mean that the “Winter Gas” price cuts for 2022 have a negligible effect on pressures at the pump. While in more traditional years the fuel blends have provided noticeable relief for gas prices, other factors in 2022 may have outweighed their specific impact.
Saving on gas in any weather
Aside from betting on seasonal impacts for prices, there are year-round methods to save on gas, including:
Comparing prices within cities and neighborhoods
As previously noted by Stark to MyHighPlains.com, each individual company has the power to choose how much it charges for gasoline. This can contribute to cities having a range of prices within their limits. Different apps and websites like Google Maps or GasBuddy can show generally-updated gas prices in a user’s current area, which may help make strategizing where to stop and fill up easier.
Using gas station apps or websites
In the same vein as price-checking within the area, drivers can also use apps, such as those from GasBuddy or AAA, to check prices as well as reviews for different stations. A number of apps also offer specific gas cards or cashback rewards for users and are free to download and use. Grocery stores also sometimes offer these programs for members, like Sam’s Club.
Strategizing ways, and days, to pay
Gas prices tend to fluctuate daily, as well as weekly and seasonally. On a day-to-day level, sources like GasBuddy have advised that it’s better to fill up the gas tank earlier in the week. In Texas in 2021, for example, the best day to buy gas was Sunday. While Monday or Friday were generally decent options, it appeared that Texas drivers saved more when they favored visiting a gas station to round out their weekend errands.
According to the NACS, gas prices can also vary depending on the way a person pays. Whether they’re using a rewards or membership card aside, the price can fluctuate depending on whether or not a person is using a credit card, debit card, or cash to pay. That can be because of processing payments for cards, or general incentives put in place by companies to encourage customers to pay with cash.
For example, as noted by NACS, a typical range in fees for a $3/gallon, 10-gallon fill-up could look like this:
- Cash payments: No fees.
- Debit card payments: For regulated debit cards, about 2.4 cents per gallon. While debit cards can often be charged the same as the “cash” price, fees can range toward around 2% of the total transaction cost.
- Credit card payments; 7.5 cents per gallon in extra expenses, including “swipe fees” and variable costs. On average, these fees tend to amount to about 2.5% of the total transaction cost.
Adjusting driving habits
AAA and the US Department of Energy published a number of tips for more efficient gas usage, focused mostly on driving habits. Those tips toward efficiency included:
- Maintaining cars and tire pressure according to manufacturer recommendations, often included regular service and air checks;
- Slowing down and following speed limits;
- Avoiding hauling heavy cargo and otherwise removing excess weight;
- Avoiding excessive idling;
- Using cruise control;
- Avoiding “aggressive” driving habits like rapid acceleration and braking.
Altogether, gas prices in 2022 have proven less predictable than in most recent years. However, considering the base factors of gas prices and the aspects of purchasing gas that consumers can control may help minimize the impact of broader tumult and supply issues on day-to-day expenses. | https://cw39.com/traffic/heres-why-texas-gas-prices-may-soon-drop/ | 2022-10-20T16:47:49 | en | 0.964856 |
US Capitol Police officers on Wednesday arrested an 80-year-old man from Georgia after he admitted he had guns in his vehicle, according to the agency.
Tony Payne, of Tunnel Hill, Georgia, was charged with unregistered firearm, unregistered ammunition, and carrying a pistol without a license, US Capitol Police said in a statement Wednesday evening.
"Around 3:45 p.m., USCP officers noticed the van was illegally parked along the 100 block of East Capitol Street," USCP said in the statement. "The driver told us he had guns in the van. A K-9 also 'hit' on the vehicle."
Officers found two handguns and a shotgun inside a white van, police said. A pipe and containers were also found in the vehicle, according to the statement, so the USCP Hazardous Incident Response Division searched and cleared the van.
Weapons are banned from US Capitol grounds.
In addition to the driver, authorities detained a man and a woman during their search of the van. CNN, citing a source, earlier reported that the three were arrested on charges, but USCP said later Wednesday that the other man and woman who had been detained were not arrested in the incident.
"The individuals told our investigators they were here to deliver documents to the U.S. Supreme Court," the USCP statement said.
Earlier Wednesday, USCP had closed off several streets in the area of the US Supreme Court while responding what the agency called a "suspicious vehicle" and had cautioned people to "please stay away from the area."
This headline and story have been updated to reflect additional charges and incident details provided by the US Capitol Police.
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.abc12.com/news/national/us-capitol-police-arrest-driver-after-clearing-suspicious-vehicle-near-supreme-court/article_893f7c02-a8bf-5b1b-9faf-6e8645c32bed.html | 2022-10-20T16:47:49 | en | 0.982619 |
Certain phrases don’t translate from English into Korean. “Film noir” and “the male gaze” are two of them. Sat with his interpreter in a hotel suite in one of London’s more upmarket junket venues, director Park Chan-wook says them frequently, two islands of English in a sea of Korean, part of a long answer about how “Decision To Leave,” his latest film, engages with both.
Director Park is no stranger to the slippery nature of language barriers. He’s constructed a few himself. His last film, “The Handmaiden” (2016), a period piece set in Japanese-occupied Korea, explored the power dynamic between nations and classes through the two languages. In “Lady Vengeance” (2005) a language barrier between mother and daughter forces the villain, a serial killer, to act as their interpreter. He lets out a low chuckle at the memory. “How ridiculous is that?”
The hallmarks of Park’s cinema have been its proclivity for tragedy and violence, absurdist humor and excess. But the director of “Oldboy” also knows that words can lodge as painfully as any hatchet in the head of an unfortunate soul. With “Decision To Leave,” he foregoes many old habits in order to craft a masterful neo-noir and swirling romance founded on language as much as crime.
In the film, Korean detective Hae-joon (Park Hae-il) is probing the death of a climber who fell from a mountaintop on the outskirts of Busan. Newly widowed Chinese emigree Seo-rae (Tang Wei) appears unaffected by her loss, even relieved. It kickstarts an investigation that will become an obsession for them both.
The director says a longstanding desire to cast Tang in one of his movies heavily influenced Seo-rae. The Chinese star of Ang Lee’s “Lust, Caution” did not speak Korean, but would need to in the film. “We had nothing defined for the female character,” he says. “This (was) a really great way to explore the realm of language and communication and miscommunication … and how I could use this as an artistic device for the narrative.”
Seo-rae’s Korean flits between accented and not, and is sometimes overly-formal in her word choices – “more elegant than any real Korean’s Korean,” Park says. But when she says that her husband died “at last,” it piques Hae-joon’s interest. “There’s that risqué fine line between her real intention and what could come across as a mistake,” says Park. It’s clear that we should be both watching and listening with keen attention.
Sometimes the director makes that harder for us. Seo-Rae occasionally uses a voice translator app (“our hero,” says Park), but the software has a lag time that creates its own drama. “You have to recall your visual cues and audio cues … what kind of facial expressions she had and her voice, in order to really understand her in a holistic way,” says the director. Tang’s supple performance demonstrates such technology can either mask the truth or reveal it in its most naked form.
“Decision To Leave” is a murder mystery in which the wife is the prime suspect and the investigator is compromised by his infatuation with her – hardly unfamiliar territory. But Park says he wanted to take a “very meta approach” to film noir, dividing the movie into two parts “like a diptych,” crafting “a symmetry between part one and part two.”
Seo-rae “can be labelled a femme fatale,” he explains, until she can’t. Hae-joon is the investigator, until he becomes the investigated. “The story departs from all the conventions of that genre,” he adds.
The film’s two act structure, the second responding to the first, has been compared to Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” – a formative film for Park, but not one he says he had in mind when writing this. A key difference is the perspective – or gaze – that the director places on the film.
“Vertigo” is built on the dangerous folly of the male gaze. James Stewart’s detective John first becomes entangled with Kim Novak’s Madeline. Then, thinking her dead, he meets doppelganger Judy (also Novak), onto whom he projects an idealized image of Madeline – blind to the fact he’d been duped, and that Judy had been playing the role of Madeline all along, both of them pawns in a wider murder plot. The male gaze in this case proves fatal to women.
Park says he wanted to subvert ideas around perspective (this is a film in which we see through the eye of a fish and a phone screen, after all). The first part is “full-on male gaze,” Hae-joon “steal(ing) the look.” He inserts himself into Seo-rae’s life, even fantasizing standing in her living room, observing private moments. Then Seo-rae claims the gaze for her own, pursuing Hae-joon: “She is the one now who is looking.” In an update of the classic film noir voiceover, she even starts recording her thoughts into a smartwatch – exactly as Hae-joon had done earlier.
“I’m not saying the female part overwhelms the male part,” Park says. “It’s almost like the balance is met in the end.”
“(Seo-rae) is no longer this enigmatic figure that the male protagonist needs to solve,” he adds. “She’s going to show you who she is to the audience: she is just a woman in love, and she will do anything for love, even going beyond the social and moral norms. In that sense, she drives the narrative and drives the drama forward, being this very much romanticist character.”
Park has argued all his films are about love, though the fact is often hidden behind his storytelling’s more outré antics. True to form, Seo-rae and Hae-joon’s love is illicit and tragic, though the director forgoes the outrageous and the erotic to craft a chaste and yearning romance. This foray into restraint was “the most suitable” approach, he says, but adds that doesn’t mean he’ll stick with it in future.
After Park was named best director at Cannes in May – his third award at the film festival, the others coming in 2004 and 2009 – “Decision To Leave” now hits cinemas with an eye on awards season. Surprisingly, it’s the first time one of his movies has been submitted to the Academy Awards as South Korea’s entry for Best International Feature Film. After a long, illustrious career, why was this the film the submission committee got on board with?
“I have no idea,” he says, chuckling again. “With ‘Handmaiden,’ I can kind of see why (it wasn’t submitted), because there’s too much nudity and it’s too erotic, and they would feel a little bit ashamed if they put this as the most ‘representative’ Korean film to be submitted to the Oscars. But that’s about it – I don’t know how to take this (news).”
The master of intricate plotting didn’t see this twist coming. Unlike so many he’s constructed himself, at least it is a pleasant surprise.
“Decision To Leave” debuts nationwide in US and UK cinemas on October 21. | https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/20/entertainment/park-chan-wook-interview-decision-to-leave/index.html | 2022-10-20T16:47:55 | en | 0.969468 |
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The Uvalde school board unanimously accepted the retirement of superintendent Hal Harrell on Wednesday, nearly five months after one of the deadliest mass school shootings in US history at an elementary school in the Texas district.
Harrell had announced last week he'd step aside amid continued backlash over the way officials and law enforcement responded to the massacre at Robb Elementary School in May, when an 18-year-old gunman opened fire and slaughtered 19 children and two teachers.
"I am truly grateful for your support and well wishes. My decision to retire has not been made lightly and was made after much prayer and discernment," read the October 10 post on social media. "My wife and I love you all and this community that we both grew up in, and therefore the decision was a difficult one for us."
On Wednesday, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District board voted for Gary Patterson to serve as the interim superintendent. Two staff members will continue to search for a permanent replacement, the board voted unanimously.
Since the tragedy, families of the victims have been demanding greater accountability from officials in the aftermath of the shooting, and some Uvalde parents have been calling for the superintendent's removal for months.
Their anger swelled after learning that dozens of officers stood in the school's hallway while the gunman stayed in two adjoining classrooms, where the victims were ultimately shot and 21 were killed.
The Uvalde school district police chief at the time of the shooting, Pete Arredondo, was fired by the school board in August. At least seven officers with the state public safety department are being investigated for their role in the response.
The sister of Irma Garcia, a teacher killed in the shooting, has demanded that all board members step down and for the principal and vice principal to be removed from their positions.
"We all know that having a new school with the same complacent leaders is not the change this town deserves," she said.
In a social media post, Harrell wrote, "My heart was broken on May 24th and I will always pray for each precious life that was tragically taken as well as their families."
Harrell had also emailed staff to inform of his plan to retire, saying, "I am in my 31st year in education, all served and dedicated to the students and families here in Uvalde."
School board suspended police force
The extreme delay in law enforcement's response during the shooting has been heavily criticized and contradicts a widely taught protocol for active shooter situations that instructs for the immediate stopping of the gunman.
After the gunman entered Robb Elementary and began firing, multiple officers arrived on the scene minutes later. After taking fire from the gunman, they retreated to a hallway while the gunman remained inside the classrooms for a total of 77 minutes before a tactical unit forced their way in and killed the shooter, according to a timeline from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
In the weeks following what became the deadliest school shooting in the US since 2012, the apparent stonewalling by some officials regarding law enforcement response that day compounded grief that permeated among victims' families and the Uvalde community.
Earlier this month, CNN reported the Uvalde school district had recently hired a former Texas Department of Public Safety trooper under investigation for her response to the massacre.
One of the first officers to arrive on the shooting scene, Crimson Elizondo was heard on body camera footage talking to a fellow officer who asked if she had children at the school that day.
"If my son had been in there, I would not have been outside," she said. "I promise you that."
In response, the school district apologized to the victims' families and the Uvalde community "for the pain that this revelation has caused," it said earlier this month. "Ms. Elizondo's statement in the audio is not consistent with the District's expectations."
Elizondo has been fired from the school district and previously declined to speak with CNN.
The school district later announced the suspension of its police force operations and placed a lieutenant and another top school official on leave as part of its investigation.
Robb Elementary has been closed since the shooting, and Harrell reaffirmed in June that "our kids, our staff, we're not going back."
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.abc12.com/news/national/uvalde-school-board-accepts-retirement-from-superintendent-hal-harrell/article_a3ea917b-5f66-568b-97bc-1a1367bc4de5.html | 2022-10-20T16:47:55 | en | 0.984143 |
(NEXSTAR) – The Climate Prediction Center’s official winter forecast has been released, and it splits the country in two: hot and dry down south, and a mystery up north.
The 90-day-outlook was published Thursday morning by the Climate Prediction Center, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service. It gives people a rough idea of what November, December and January will look like across the country.
The forecast is heavily influenced by the presence of La Niña, which forecasters recently said was 75% likely to stick around through the winter months.
La Niña tends to split the country in half, bringing a dry winter to the southern half and a wetter winter to the northern half.
You can see that pattern in the forecast map released Thursday (below): A band of dry conditions is expected from coast-to-coast, impacting the entire southern half of the U.S.
While La Niña looks like it will bring bad news to the already drought-plagued southwest this winter, it’s a different story in the Pacific Northwest. La Niña winters tend to bring more precipitation, not less, to the region.
The rest of the country is a bit of a mystery. Every state shown in white on the map above has equal chances of having above average precipitation and below average precipitation.
When it comes to temperature, it’s looking like it will be a warm winter this year for many states, according to the new NOAA outlook. The West, South and Northeast all have a good chance of above-average warmth between November and January.
The hottest conditions are expected in the southwest (Arizona, New Mexico and Texas).
If forecasters’ predictions hold true, and La Niña sticks around through January, it’ll be the third La Niña winter in a row – a rare phenomenon we’ve only seen twice since 1950. However, new research suggests recurring La Niña years are growing more common due to climate change. | https://cw39.com/weather/noaa-releases-winter-weather-outlook-how-la-nina-will-impact-your-state/ | 2022-10-20T16:47:55 | en | 0.946223 |
Fads come and go in fashion. (Are skinny jeans no longer a thing?) The same is true of the stock market.
Investors occasionally get too wrapped up in the latest big consumer or corporate trend, only to see companies get crushed when fickle tastes change — or even worse, a trend goes mainstream and there’s too much competition.
Take a look at Boston Beer (SAM), for example. The Sam Adams brewer, which also owns the hard seltzer brand Truly, is struggling as the popularity of alcoholic seltzer appears to be fading fast.
“The continuing decline of the hard seltzer segment … is deeper than previously expected,” said Boston Beer founder and chairman Jim Koch on the company’s earnings call in July.
Boston Beer will report its latest results after the closing bell Thursday. Investors are hoping for a turnaround. The stock is down nearly 35% this year.
Snap (SNAP)’s social media platform Snap (SNAP)chat is another example of a product that was incredibly popular for awhile. But tweens and teens have since discovered TikTok and BeReal instead.
It didn’t help that the company’s augmented reality glasses, called Spectacles, were a big bust, showing how difficult it is for a social media company to diversify. The same can be said for Facebook and Instagram owner Meta given its recent VR struggles.
“Competition, whether it’s with TikTok or any of the other very large, sophisticated players in this space, has only intensified,” Snap chief financial officer Derek Andersen said during the company’s second quarter earnings call in July.
Snap, which also reports earnings after the closing bell Thursday, is in even worse shape on Wall Street than Boston Beer. The stock has plunged more than 75% in 2022.
Pandemic darlings go from boom to bust
Some recent fads took off in the pandemic — only to fall back down to Earth.
Peloton (PTON), a stay at home workout darling, is now struggling mightily as its popularity has faded. Sales have slowed, the company is still losing money, its founders have left, and the stock has plunged nearly 80% this year.
Video conferencing leader Zoom (ZM) has also taken a big hit this year, plummeting about 60%.
That’s partly because more workers are going back to the office. There’s also intense competition from larger tech firms such as Microsoft (MSFT), which owns Teams and Skype, WebEx parent Cisco (CSCO) and Google owner Alphabet (GOOGL), which owns Meet and Chat. Investors view Zoom as more of a one-trick pony compared to those tech giants.
E-signature software company DocuSign (DOCU) and virtual health company Teladoc (TDOC) have also plunged this year after getting huge boosts from Covid in 2020. DocuSign (DOCU) is down nearly 70% while Teladoc (TDOC) has fallen about 75%.
And although life-saving Covid vaccines were certainly not fads, the investor fervor for the companies that produced them sure looks like one. The Covid vaccine stocks are getting hit hard this year, as investors have already more than priced in the initial boom from sales of the shots and boosters and now wonder what’s next.
Shares of Moderna (MRNA) have plunged more than 50% this year, after a 450% pop in 2020 and more than doubling in 2021.
Shares of BioNTech (BNTX), which partnered with Pfizer on a vaccine, have also lost more than half their value this year after surging in both 2020 and 2021.
Pfizer (PFE), a far more diversified company, is “only” down 27% this year. Novavax (NVAX), another biotech with a Covid vaccine, has fared even worse. Its stock has cratered nearly 90% in 2022.
It just goes to show that investors, much like fashionistas, are always looking for the next big thing. To quote Heidi Klum’s line from the glory days of “Project Runway” on Bravo, “one day you’re in and the next … you’re out!” | https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/20/investing/fad-stocks-investing-trends/index.html | 2022-10-20T16:48:01 | en | 0.965527 |
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A Wisconsin taxpayers group has asked the Supreme Court to step in on an emergency basis and temporarily block the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness program from taking effect. The application for student loan forgiveness officially opened Monday.
Student loan cancellation -- worth up to $20,000 per eligible borrower -- could begin as soon as Sunday, October 23, if the court does not intervene, according to the filing from the Brown County Taxpayers Association.
The request was filed to Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who has jurisdiction over the lower court that ruled on the case. She is likely to refer the matter to the full court.
The Biden administration is facing several legal challenges over the program, but this is the first to reach the Supreme Court.
The taxpayer group's lawsuit has not gained traction at the lower court level. A trial-level federal judge dismissed the case within two days of it being filed, ruling that the group lacked standing to bring the lawsuit.
In a one-sentence order, the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals also refused the plaintiff's emergency request for a pause.
The Brown County Taxpayers Association, which is being represented by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, argues that the President does not have the legal authority to implement his student loan forgiveness program.
In the new filing with the Supreme Court, lawyers for the group argued that the implementation of the program would be a "staggering blow" to the U.S. Treasury and taxpayers.
"We are witnessing a gargantuan increase in the national debt accomplished by a complete disregard for limitations on the constitutional spending authority," they wrote.
The Biden administration argues that Congress gave the secretary of education the power to discharge debt in a 2003 law known as the HEROES Act.
The independent Congressional Budget Office has estimated that Biden's student loan forgiveness program could cost $400 billion.
How Biden's student loan forgiveness plan could work
Biden's student loan forgiveness program, first announced in August, aims to deliver debt relief to millions of borrowers before federal student loan payments resume in January after a nearly three-year, pandemic-related pause.
While the application officially opened on Monday, the Biden administration has agreed in court documents to hold off on canceling any debt until October 23. Once processing begins, most qualifying borrowers are expected to receive debt relief within weeks.
Under Biden's plan, individual borrowers who earned less than $125,000 in either 2020 or 2021 and married couples or heads of households who made less than $250,000 annually in those years will see up to $10,000 of their federal student loan debt forgiven.
If a qualifying borrower also received a federal Pell grant while enrolled in college, the individual is eligible for up to $20,000 of debt forgiveness.
Mounting legal challenges
In a separate lawsuit, six GOP-led states have also asked a federal judge to put student loan cancellation on hold until issuing a final ruling on the case.
The judge's order on that request is expected soon -- though the losing party is expected to immediately appeal. That would send the case to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, where it is likely to face a panel of conservative judges.
The states have argued that the Biden administration does not have the legal authority to grant broad student loan forgiveness.
The states also claim that the policy would hurt them financially, as well as the revenues of a student loan servicer based in Missouri known as MOHELA.
The loan forgiveness policy creates an incentive for borrowers to consolidate Federal Family Education Loans owned by MOHELA into Direct Loans owned by the government, "depriving them (MOHELA) of the ongoing revenue it earns from servicing those loans," according to the lawsuit.
On the same day the lawsuit was filed, the Department of Education changed its policy so that borrowers whose federal student loans are guaranteed by the government but held by private lenders -- including those made by the former Federal Family Education Loan program -- were no longer eligible for debt relief.
The move cut out an estimated 700,000 people from the student loan forgiveness program.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.abc12.com/news/national/wisconsin-group-asks-supreme-court-to-block-bidens-student-loan-forgiveness-plan/article_3972b7cc-301e-59e1-a12a-51599977395c.html | 2022-10-20T16:48:01 | en | 0.976396 |
(WHTM) – The terms frost and freeze are used a lot when it comes to plants and the growing season.
While both are bad for plants, they don’t necessarily mean the same thing.
The National Weather Service (NWS) says that a frost can form when the temperature falls below 36 degrees Fahrenheit, with it being more than likely in rural areas. Frost becomes more widespread when the temperature falls below 32 degrees. But this is also where freeze can occur.
The NWS usually issues advisories, watches, and warnings for both frost and freezes. Below are definitions the weather services use to alert the public:
Frost Advisory
A frost advisory is issued when the minimum temperature is forecast to be between 33 and 36 degrees Fahrenheit on clear and calm nights during the growing season.
Freeze Watch
A freeze watch is issued when significant and widespread freezing temperatures are expected, sometime within the next 24 to 36 hours.
Freeze Warning
This is issued when significant, widespread freezing temperatures are expected more imminently.
Both events mean bad news for your outside plants.
GardeningKnowHow.com, an online gardening resource, further defines frost as occurring when a plant is exposed to temperatures of 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below. These temperatures may only last for a short time, but frosts can still damage very delicate plants, such as vegetable plants.
A freeze is more impactful, and occurs when the interior temperature of the plant reaches 32 degrees Fahrenheit, GardeningKnowHow noted. The frozen inside of the plant warms during the day and the cells release water and break down. This results in brown and black spots, as well as mushy areas that result in the death of annual plants.
The simplest protection you can do is cover them with an old sheet, or a light tarp.
When frost begins to occur, however, one thing is certain: Winter is on its way, which means it might be time to begin preparing your garden for next year. | https://cw39.com/weather/what-is-the-difference-between-a-frost-and-a-freeze/ | 2022-10-20T16:48:02 | en | 0.953869 |
Editor’s Note: Rosa Prince is editor of The House magazine. She is former assistant political editor of the Daily Telegraph and author of the books “Theresa May: The Enigmatic Prime Minister” “and “Comrade Corbyn: A Very Unlikely Coup.” The views expressed in this commentary are her own. View more opinion on CNN.
Holding office for only 45 days, Liz Truss has become the shortest-lived prime minister in British history after announcing her departure from Number 10.
And what a six weeks it was, marked by the death of a monarch and installation of a new king, a fiscal plan that crashed the markets and caused a run on the pound, the abandonment of her entire policy program, sacking of a chancellor and home secretary, loss of confidence of virtually all her MPs, reports of violent bullying in Parliament and opinion polls suggesting an existential wipe-out for her party at the next election.
Truss never had an easy task to unite her troubled party after winning the contest to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister. For the first time in Conservative history, she had not won the support of her own parliamentary party, but was voted leader, thanks to the Tories’ complicated voting system, largely due to the backing of rank-and-file party members.
Rather than build bridges by seeking to unite the party and bring rival factions into her government, she created further resentments, triggering immediate plotting. Installing allies into key Cabinet posts left her open to the charge that her team was both inexperienced and maverick.
This proved explosive when she and her close friend Kwasi Kwarteng, who she appointed Chancellor, drew up plans to put their academic economic theories into practice; the resulting “Trussonomics” plan in mid-September, which proposed tax cuts for the most wealthy to be paid for with borrowing, spooked the financial markets, leading the Bank of England to take emergency measures to shore up the pensions sector.
Truss’s response was ruthless; she dispensed with her comrade-in-arms Kwarteng and, in a desperate bid to soothe the markets, appointed the moderate Jeremy Hunt to lead the Treasury.
It wasn’t enough. As her detractors continued to seek ways to bring her down, events began to spiral out of Truss’s control.
Getting rid of a prime minister is not a simple task; under Conservative rules, she should have been protected from a leadership challenge for a year.
A dramatic 24 hours in Westminster
But on Wednesday, the Home Secretary, former rival Suella Braverman, quit, ostensibly over a minor breach of the ministerial rules, but with a barbed resignation letter which suggested she had ambitions to replace her.
That evening, Downing Street unwisely turned a vote on the controversial issue of fracking into a show of confidence in the prime minister; amid chaos in the Commons’ voting lobbies, and allegations of manhandling of reluctant MPs, the Chief Whip Wendy Morton was said to have resigned in exasperation, only for No 10 to message journalists in the early hours of the morning to announce she had stayed after all.
By now, the game was up. MP after MP called for Truss to quit both in public and private.
On Thursday morning, Sir Graham Brady, who as chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs acts as high executioner for moribund Conservative leaders, came to pay a house call on Truss at Number 10.
An hour later, she was gone, saying she could not “deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party.”
She went on: “I have therefore spoken to His Majesty the King to notify him that I am resigning as leader of the Conservative Party.
What happens next
There remains the complication that, unless the rules are changed, the contest to select a new Tory leader and prime minister will again involve those party members who elected the unpopular Truss in the first place.
To avoid that, the parliamentary party needed to agree on a unity candidate – most likely the man who had been the MPs’ first choice to replace Johnson, former chancellor Rishi Sunak.
It seems that proved impossible; Sir Graham has instead won the agreement of party chiefs to truncate the timetable for the leadership contest and so avoid a repeat of last summer’s nine-week affair. He has insisted that a new prime minister will be in Downing Street by Friday October 28.
In addition to Sunak and Braverman, the Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch are likely candidates for the top job. There are even whispers that Boris Johnson could return from the cold – what an extraordinary, but by no means impossible, turn of events that would be.
In the meantime, Truss remains inside Number 10 for another week; the premiership she had longed for in tatters, outlasted – as one British tabloid quipped – by a head of lettuce. | https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/20/opinions/liz-truss-resignation-45-days-disaster-prince/index.html | 2022-10-20T16:48:07 | en | 0.972742 |
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Former Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday declined to say whether he would vote for former President Donald Trump if he secured the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
"Mr. Pence, if Donald Trump is the Republican nominee for president in 2024, will you vote for him?" Pence was asked while taking questions from students at Georgetown University.
The former vice president paused and smiled slightly.
"Well, there might be somebody else I'd prefer more," he said, drawing laughter and applause from the audience.
Pence has been coy about his plans for 2024. He has long been viewed as a potential aspirant for the Republican nomination, but has not formally declared a bid and would almost certainly face strong opposition from Trump, whose supporters he would need in a primary fight.
In the Trump White House, Pence was fiercely loyal in public through the constant controversies that defined the administration, but in the wake of the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol — in which Trump supporters chanted to hang the then-vice president — he has occasionally criticized his former boss, most notably in February, when he publicly denounced Trump's election lies.
"President Trump is wrong," Pence said at the time, referring to the false claim that Pence, in his capacity as vice president, had the authority to unilaterally reject Electoral College votes. "I had no right to overturn the election."
Trump, for his part, has said Pence "very greatly disappointed me" on the day the electoral votes were certified.
In the midterm season, Trump and Pence have occasionally found themselves in a proxy fight, supporting opposing candidates in Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin. Trump campaigned with a slate of candidates who have parroted his lies about widespread fraud in the 2020 election as Pence attempted to steer the GOP's focus away from relitigating 2020 and toward traditional conservative policies.
Still, Pence has been careful not to completely tear himself away from Trump, who has strongly indicated that he intends to run a third presidential campaign.
"You know, what I can tell you is I have every confidence that the Republican Party is going to sort out leadership," Pence said on Wednesday, adding that his focus has been on the upcoming midterm elections in November. "But after that, we'll be thinking about the future, ours and the nation's."
Concluding his answer on who he would support for 2024, Pence said, "I'll keep you posted, OK?"
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.abc12.com/news/politics/pence-on-voting-for-trump-in-2024-there-might-be-somebody-else-id-prefer-more/article_e8fb6ac4-a415-5ee1-8ccf-74bc92b4bab5.html | 2022-10-20T16:48:08 | en | 0.988011 |
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The wreckage of a rare boat — one of the last of its kind to be located — has been identified at the bottom of Lake Superior in Michigan.
Researchers with the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society discovered the 292-foot vessel 35 miles off Vermilion Point and confirmed it is Barge 129, one of only 44 whalebacks ever made. A distinctive vessel that plied the Great Lakes in the late 19th century, the whaleback had an unusual design of curved sides and pointed bows said to look like the snout of a pig.
“There are a lot of wrecks out there, but some of them have these features, or characteristics, that make us want to find them more, and this was definitely one of them, because they’re very unusual ships,” said Bruce Lynn, the executive director for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. “The fact that this was the last whaleback vessel to sink on the Great Lakes that hadn’t been discovered, this is one we wanted to find for a very long time.”
Barge 129 sank when it encountered a strong storm while in tow of another boat on October 13, 1902. The towline snapped, causing a collision between the two vessels. Crewmembers evacuated safely to the other boat, but Barge 129 descended to depths of over 650 feet, where it has remained for 120 years.
Underwater revelations
It was only by using a sonar system and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) with high-intensity lighting and cameras that the researchers were able to find and identify the ship in August, fairly close to the anniversary of its sinking.
The society captured its first sona image of the vessel in 2021, along with eight other wrecks at varying locations that they have been working to identify this year. Examining the imagery, the researchers had a suspicion that they were looking at a whaleback, but there were several angles that had made them skeptical. Over a year later, they were able to view it up close with an underwater drone.
“Once we were able to get the ROV down on it, when we got up near the bow, there was no question. That bow was unmistakable. We knew what we had, and that was really exciting,” Lynn said. “We were the first human eyes to see it in over 120 years.”
Barge 129 was the last whaleback shipwreck in the Great Lakes that had not been discovered. There is only one intact whaleback still in existence, the SS Meteor, which is moored as a museum exhibit in Superior, Wisconsin.
Watching the footage captured by the underwater ROV, viewers can hear Lynn and Darryl Ertel, the society’s director of marine operations, as they explore different parts of the unusual ship with the drone. Lynn describes the towlines that were still strung through the bow, revealing more clues as to what was happening minutes before Barge 129 sank.
“A big part of what we do is telling the stories and keeping the history alive of these various shipwrecks that we’re finding,” Lynn said. “It’s not a shipwreck that most people have heard of, even here in the Great Lakes. Finding this unique of a vessel … now gives us this ability to tell its story and history as we go forward.”
The society, which since 1978 has focused primarily on shipwrecks in the region, is hoping to incorporate these findings into its Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, which can continue to enlighten people about Barge 129’s story and its impact on the history of Michigan. | https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/20/world/whaleback-barge-129-shipwreck-great-lakes-scn/index.html | 2022-10-20T16:48:13 | en | 0.981711 |
Astros ace Justin Verlander struck out 11 in six impressive innings to inspire Houston to a 4-2 victory over the New York Yankees in its AL Championship Series opener on Wednesday.
The 39-year-old pitcher set a major league record in the process, with his eighth postseason double-digit strikeout game of his career.
Now on 219, he is also the all-time leader in playoff strikeouts, overtaking Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw.
"As the game is going along, you just gain more confidence as you start making better pitches," Verlander told reporters after Game 1.
"Once I started being able to execute my pitches the way I wanted, I feel like my confidence just kind of built upon that."
The Astros, looking for their first World Series title since 2017 after reaching their sixth consecutive ALCS, also had Yuli Gurriel, Chas McCormick and Jeremy Peña to thank.
All three stepped up to hit solo homers, handing the Astros the series lead and demonstrating the depth of talent on the roster.
"We have a really good lineup and it seems like if the big guys aren't going, then the bottom of the lineup can get going," McCormick told reporters after the game.
"If the bottom of the lineup isn't going, the big guys can get going. It just kind of talks about how complete this team is."
This season's record-breaking slugger Aaron Judge, who made a brilliant diving catch in the bottom of the first off a Alex Bregman swing, says his team is fully aware of what it's up against.
"They've got a great staff, top to bottom," Judge told reporters. "They've got great arms out of the 'pen that are effective on both sides of the plate and good starting pitchers that can mix three to four pitches.
"It's a tough match-up, but you want to compete against the best. That's what we've got in front of us. We've got to go out and do our job."
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is set for Thursday with the Yankees hoping to level.
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.abc12.com/sports/justin-verlander-breaks-records-to-hand-houston-astros-series-lead-over-new-york-yankees/article_a5777e26-ab2c-5150-af3a-13a613781d30.html | 2022-10-20T16:48:14 | en | 0.97423 |
1. “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: The Illustrated Edition" by J. K. Rowling; art by Jim Kay with Neil Packer
(Scholastic)
2. “Long Shadows" by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing)
3. “The Maze" by Nelson DeMille (Scribner)
4. “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover (Atria Books)
5. “Verity” by Colleen Hoover (Grand Central Publishing)
6. “Lore Olympus: Volume Three" by Rachel Smythe (Random House Worlds)
7. “Ugly Love" by Colleen Hoover (Atria Books)
8. “Fairy Tale" by Stephen King (Scribner)
9. “Confidence Man” by Maggie Haberman (Penguin Press)
10. “Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens (Putnam)
11. “Dark Whisper" by Christine Feehan (Berkley)
12. “The High Notes, Danielle Steel (Delacorte)
13. “Mad Honey” by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan (Ballantine)
14. “I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jeannette McCurdy (Simon & Schuster)
15. “Distant Thunder, Stuart Woods (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
16. “Reminders of Him” by Colleen Hoover (Avery)
17. “Dreamland, Nicholas Sparks (Random House)
18. “Righteous Prey” by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
19. “Atomic Habits” by James Clear (Avery)
20. “I’m So Glad You Were Born" by Ainsley Earhardt; art by Kim Barnes (Zonderkidz)
21. “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Washington Square Press)
22. “November 9” by Colleen Hoover (Atria Books)
23. “Fire & Blood" by George R.R. Martin (Bantam)
24. “Luckiest Girl Alive" by Jessica Knoll (Simon & Schuster)
25. “Finding Carly" by Susan Stoker (Stoker Aces Production LLC) | https://www.expressnews.com/entertainment/article/US-Best-Sellers-Books-USAToday-17522306.php | 2022-10-20T16:48:35 | en | 0.762618 |
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday morning's drawing of the Texas Lottery's "All or Nothing Morning" game were:
01-02-06-10-12-15-17-18-19-20-21-23
(one, two, six, ten, twelve, fifteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-three) | https://www.expressnews.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-All-or-Nothing-Morning-17522299.php | 2022-10-20T16:48:41 | en | 0.823416 |
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday morning's drawing of the Texas Lottery's "Daily 4 Morning" game were:
5-6-1-2, FIREBALL: 6
(five, six, one, two; FIREBALL: six)
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday morning's drawing of the Texas Lottery's "Daily 4 Morning" game were:
5-6-1-2, FIREBALL: 6
(five, six, one, two; FIREBALL: six) | https://www.expressnews.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Daily-4-Morning-game-17522300.php | 2022-10-20T16:48:43 | en | 0.864891 |
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday morning's drawing of the Texas Lottery's "Pick 3 Morning" game were:
0-8-1, FIREBALL: 7
(zero, eight, one; FIREBALL: seven)
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday morning's drawing of the Texas Lottery's "Pick 3 Morning" game were:
0-8-1, FIREBALL: 7
(zero, eight, one; FIREBALL: seven) | https://www.expressnews.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-3-Morning-game-17522298.php | 2022-10-20T16:48:45 | en | 0.819521 |
McALESTER, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma executes Benjamin Cole who was convicted of killing his 9-month-old daughter in 2002.
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GLOBAL MARKETS-Wall St jumps, Treasury yields climb on Truss resignation, solid earnings
U.S. stocks turned sharply higher and benchmark Treasury yields continued to climb after investors shrugged off UK Prime Minister Liz Truss's resignation and focused on upbeat earnings and evidence that aggressive Fed policy is beginning to have its intended effect.
U.S. stocks turned sharply higher and benchmark Treasury yields continued to climb after investors shrugged off UK Prime Minister Liz Truss's resignation and focused on upbeat earnings and evidence that aggressive Fed policy is beginning to have its intended effect. All three major U.S. stock indexes overcame initial indecision to surge into positive territory, and 10-year Treasury yields continued to march past 14-year highs.
"When sentiment is overly bearish it’s typically a good time to invest," said Oliver Pursche, senior vice president at Wealthspire Advisors, in New York. "Sell on the trumpet buy on the cannons." British Prime Minister Liz Truss announced she would resign next week, capping a brief 6-week tenure marked by turmoil caused by a poorly received economic policy, which undermined confidence in her leadership.
A spate of mixed company earnings and economic indicators provided some evidence of economic slowdown, but a dip in jobless claims showed the Fed's aggressive campaign of interest rate hikes has had little effect on the tight U.S. labor market. "We have strong corporate earnings, a strong labor market and an economy slowing but without the risk, for now, of putting us into a deep recession," Pursche added. "The case for a soft landing or mild recession could still hold true."
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 283.99 points, or 0.93%, to 30,707.8, the S&P 500 gained 26.27 points, or 0.71%, to 3,721.43 and the Nasdaq Composite added 119.60 points, or 1.12%, to 10,800.10. European stocks whipsawed after Truss said she would leave 10 Downing Street, but were last showing solid gains.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.35% and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe gained 0.57%. Emerging market stocks rose 0.03%. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan closed 0.28% lower, while Japan's Nikkei lost 0.92%.
Benchmark Treasury yields resumed their rise after economic data appeared to confirm the Fed is unlikely to relent in its aggressive campaign to rein in inflation. Benchmark 10-year notes last fell 5/32 in price to yield 4.1506%, from 4.129% late on Wednesday.
The 30-year bond fell 16/32 in price to yield 4.1611%, from 4.127% late on Wednesday. The greenback lost ground against a basket of foreign currencies as sterling gained but market participants were on alert for Japanese intervention in the yen, which touched 150 per dollar for the first time since 1990.
The dollar index fell 0.64%, with the euro up 0.48% to $0.9818. The Japanese yen strengthened 0.07% to 149.80 per dollar, while Sterling was last trading at $1.1305, up 0.81% on the day.
Oil prices jumped on signs of tightening supply and news of China's moves to ease COVID restrictions. U.S. crude rose 1.96% to $86.18 per barrel and Brent was last at $94.06, up 1.79% on the day.
Weakness in the dollar helped gold rebound from a three-week low. Spot gold added 0.7% to $1,640.59 an ounce.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2221333-global-markets-wall-st-jumps-treasury-yields-climb-on-truss-resignation-solid-earnings | 2022-10-20T16:48:50 | en | 0.965779 |
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NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is facing a $1 billion class action lawsuit in the U.K. over allegations it uses an algorithm to favor its own products and those of third-party sellers who use its storage and delivery services.
The litigation is being spearheaded by the law firm Hausfeld & Co LLP, which said in a news release that anyone who lives in the U.K. and made purchases on Amazon since October 2016 is eligible to be a claimant. The suit is expected to be filed at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London by the end of October.
The lawsuit will focus primarily on Amazon’s “Buy Box” feature, a coveted spot that makes items more visible to shoppers and thereby lead to more sales for merchants listed there. The box features a product from a single seller, though many more might offer the same item.
In the news release, the law firm detailed it will allege many users wrongly assume the buy box offers them the best deals, but Amazon uses a “secretive” algorithm to feature its own products or those sold by merchants that use its fulfillment and delivery services. The lawsuit claims Amazon breached competition law, abused its dominance in e-commerce and obscured better deals by leading customers towards these featured offers.
“Other sellers, who do not pay for Amazon’s fulfilment services, are nearly always excluded from the Buy Box, stifling their ability to offer consumers a better deal, and leaving consumers out of pocket,” the statement from the law firm said.
Amazon said the claim was “without merit" and noted the company has focused on supporting the 85,000 businesses that sell their products on its U.K. marketplace. It also said more than half of sales of physical products on that marketplace come from third-party sellers.
“We always work to feature offers that provide customers with low prices and fast delivery," the company said in a prepared statement.
Amazon's Buy Box and potential preferencing of certain products have long been a subject of scrutiny by lawmakers and regulators. In July, Britain’s antitrust watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority, said it would investigate Amazon over suspected anti-competitive practices, including how it selects listings for its Buy Box. That same month, Amazon said it would provide equal treatment for all sellers when ranking offers for the buy box as part of several concessions it made to resolve two antitrust investigations by the European Union. Last year, regulators in Italy fined the company 1.13 billion euros ($1.3 billion), accusing it of stifling competition over similar concerns. | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Amazon-faces-1B-class-action-lawsuit-in-the-UK-17522477.php | 2022-10-20T16:48:55 | en | 0.973453 |
Truss's demise ends the revival of Thatcher's libertarian economics
Daniel Pryor, who lobbies for governments to shrink the state and cut taxes, feels Liz Truss's brief, disastrous spell as prime minister has killed off his dream of a low-tax, deregulated British economy for at least a generation. Pryor, who works at the Adam Smith Institute in London, laughs bitterly at the irony that Truss, who said on Thursday she would resign, was forced to abandon her libertarian economic policies by the same free markets she cherishes.
- Country:
- United Kingdom
Daniel Pryor, who lobbies for governments to shrink the state and cut taxes, feels Liz Truss's brief, disastrous spell as prime minister has killed off his dream of a low-tax, deregulated British economy for at least a generation.
Pryor, who works at the Adam Smith Institute in London, laughs bitterly at the irony that Truss, who said on Thursday she would resign, was forced to abandon her libertarian economic policies by the same free markets she cherishes. The Adam Smith Institute, and other think tanks which provided much of Truss's inspiration, had welcomed the plans she and Kwasi Kwarteng, her once finance minister and political soulmate, laid out on Sept. 23.
Just weeks later, they say mistakes were made with the strategy - not just poor communication but also the scale of the proposed tax cuts - and fear the policies they have spent years advocating might now be buried for some time. Truss had the "right policies at the wrong time", Pryor said, referring to an economic backdrop marked by fast-rising inflation and weak growth, which make markets more sensitive to deficits and the scale of government borrowing.
"I now expect the language of free markets and libertarianism to be consigned to scrap for quite some time. I am sober and realistic about that," he said. "I can briefly chuckle at the irony of what happened, but it is also incredibly frustrating because then I remember that the UK's growth prospects for the coming decade are pitifully low."
TAKING ON THE 'ORTHODOXY' Truss said on Thursday she would resign after the economic chaos she unleashed forced a humiliating reversal of almost all of her free-market agenda.
In a brief resignation statement, Truss said she had been elected to bring in "low tax, high growth" but conceded she could not deliver that mandate. A poll this week showed her Conservative Party - which has dominated British politics since World War Two - would not even be the official opposition if a general election was held now.
Truss had spent her summer campaign for the party leadership complaining about Britain's weak economic growth, productivity and low pay since the 2008 global financial crisis. Recently, it lost its place as the world's fifth-largest economy to India. Her solution was to challenge economic "orthodoxy" and demand faster, radical action to shake the economy out of its torpor.
Truss and Kwarteng's pitch - big tax cuts with the promise of deregulation to grasp what they called the benefits of Brexit - echoed policies of 1980s British and U.S. leaders Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan. Their thinking can be traced to their connections to Britain's free-market think tanks, which have advocated similar policies and also urged businesses and government to seize opportunities presented by leaving the European Union.
A remainer-turned-Brexit supporter, Truss founded a group of libertarian Conservative lawmakers called the Free Enterprise Group a year after she was elected to parliament in 2010. Kwarteng was chairman of the right-wing, free-market Bow Group in 2005-6. Truss's Downing Street team included former staff from the Institute of Economic Affairs, another free-market think tank which has said its role is to "think the unthinkable", and the Adam Smith Institute.
The Institute of Economic Affairs said of the economic plan: "This isn't a trickle-down budget – it's a boost-up budget." UNPOPULAR MEASURES
The think tanks have since said the government mishandled the policy announcement, including by ignoring the Office for Budget Responsibility, which raised fears that the tax cuts would blow a hole in public finances. The independent watchdog normally gives a verdict alongside budget statements on how public finances are being managed.
Andy Mayer, chief operating officer of the Institute of Economic Affairs, said the government tried to push through too many policies too quickly without explaining the strategy. Mayer also said it made a mistake by pledging to abolish the income tax rate of 45% applied to the highest earners, which was unpopular and ended up being a distraction.
"I think they got caught up in the moment of the historic victory over the establishment candidate," he said, "and decided that they could gamble on some unpopular measures upfront." Mayer said Truss and Kwarteng should have concentrated on supply side reforms such as changing the rules that govern how residential and commercial spaces are built.
John Longworth, a pro-Brexit businessman who was on Thatcher's "deregulation taskforce" and is now chairman of the Independent Business Network, said Truss might have been able to pass her plans if she had broken the policies into "bitesize" chunks and introduced them over time. But after the Sept. 23 "mini-Budget" shattered investor confidence, Longworth thinks it will be another decade before these policies can be tried again. He also fears that Brexit might be in jeopardy.
"I don't think she's killed off the philosophy, I think what she's done is kill off any opportunity to deploy it for a very long time," he said. "It's still possible to reap benefits of Brexit even given that situation. But of course what will happen and what is happening is that the rejoiners are using the situation as an excuse to blame it on Brexit, when it actually has nothing to do with Brexit at all." (Editing by Catherine Evans)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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After tax U-turn, Truss pledges to steer Britain through 'stormy days'
Weakened Truss pledges to steer Britain through 'stormy days' | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2221344-trusss-demise-ends-the-revival-of-thatchers-libertarian-economics | 2022-10-20T16:48:59 | en | 0.977065 |
ICICI Securities Q2 PAT down 14 pc to Rs 300 crore
Today, broking revenue is about a third of our overall revenue, against two thirds a couple of years back, Vijay Chandok, Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Securities, said.The board has declared an interim dividend of Rs 9.75 per share in first half of FY23 as compared to Rs 11.25 in the same period preceding fiscal.ICICI Securities is the countrys leading retail-led equity franchise, distributor of financial products, and investment bank.
- Country:
- India
ICICI Securities on Thursday reported a 14 per cent decline in profit after tax to Rs 300 crore in the three months ended September 2022 In comparison, the company had posted a Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs 351.2 crore in the same quarter preceding fiscal, ICICI Securities, a subsidiary of ICICI Bank, said in a statement.
The company's total income rose to Rs 865.63 crore in the second quarter ended on September 30, 2022 from Rs 856.56 crore in the year-ago period.
''We had a satisfactory quarter and are progressing well on our articulated strategy of pursuing long-term sustainable growth by continuing to diversify in favour of non-broking business. For this, we are investing in right kind of products, services, partnerships. Today, broking revenue is about a third of our overall revenue, against two thirds a couple of years back,'' Vijay Chandok, Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Securities, said.
The board has declared an interim dividend of Rs 9.75 per share in first half of FY23 as compared to Rs 11.25 in the same period preceding fiscal.
ICICI Securities is the country's leading retail-led equity franchise, distributor of financial products, and investment bank.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
- READ MORE ON:
- ICICI Securities
- Vijay
- ICICI Bank | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2221347-icici-securities-q2-pat-down-14-pc-to-rs-300-crore | 2022-10-20T16:49:07 | en | 0.951406 |
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LISBON, Portugal (AP) — When the United Kingdom walked out of the European Union two years ago, Brexit supporters believed British pragmatism and common sense would not only see them through but also allow their country to flourish as it stood alone.
That self-image was, many felt, part of British exceptionalism, part of the national brand.
Events of the past 12 months, with three British prime ministers occupying No. 10 Downing Street after Liz Truss quit Thursday following just 45 days in office, have shattered that image.
“There is no question that the U.K.’s standing in the world has been severely battered by (Truss’s resignation) and by the revolving door of prime ministers,” said Bronwen Maddox, director of the international affairs think tank Chatham House.
“For the U.K. to regain respect — and an image of reliability — it needs to acquire another soon, one who is capable of putting policies into action,” Maddox added.
Years of political turbulence followed the U.K. referendum vote to abandon the other 27 countries in the EU. British politics descended into warring factions, and Truss’s transient administration may have been the climax of that turbulent period.
The recent British narrative left some shaking their heads. Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt tweeted after Truss’s resignation: “Downhill downhill from Brexit. But tragic tragic for a great nation.”
The U.K.’s attempt to redefine itself has gone off course. Far from the Cool Britannia moniker of 25 years ago, the country is now often dubbed Broken Britain.
The next British leader’s in-tray includes mending strained diplomatic and economic ties with the EU, its biggest trading partner, as part of a wider effort at restoring government credibility and reliability.
The post-divorce antagonism and quarreling, especially over trade rules and the status of the Northern Ireland border, made the EU deeply wary of Britain.
After Truss quit, EU leaders expressed hope that relations might improve.
“I hope in any case that Great Britain can find stability as rapidly as possible, and move forward,” French President Emmanuel Macron said at an EU summit in Brussels. “It’s good for us, and it’s good for our Europe.”
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin agreed that a lot is at stake.
“Stability is very important,” he said, “given the fairly significant geopolitical issues facing Europe (like) the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis.”
Amid the chaotic scenes at Westminster, Maddox from Chatham House found a grain of optimism. The authority of Parliament and other U.K. bodies, such as the Bank of England, were “reaffirmed” in recent days, she said.
“It might not seem that way to observers around the world but (Truss’s) departure marks a victory for the institutions of the U.K,” she said.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of British politics at https://apnews.com/hub/liz-truss | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Britain-s-political-turmoil-shatters-its-17522505.php | 2022-10-20T16:49:14 | en | 0.950937 |
DCX Systems' Rs 500-cr IPO to open on Oct 31
The Rs 500-crore initial share-sale of DCX Systems, manufacturer of cables and wire harness assemblies, will open for public subscription on October 31.The three-day Initial Public Offering IPO would close on November 2, according to the Red Herring Prospectus RHP.The company has cut the size of its fresh issue of equity shares to Rs 400 crore from Rs 500 crore planned earlier.
- Country:
- India
The Rs 500-crore initial share-sale of DCX Systems, manufacturer of cables and wire harness assemblies, will open for public subscription on October 31.
The three-day Initial Public Offering (IPO) would close on November 2, according to the Red Herring Prospectus (RHP).
The company has cut the size of its fresh issue of equity shares to Rs 400 crore from Rs 500 crore planned earlier. Apart from fresh issue, the IPO comprises an offer for sale of equity shares to the tune of up to Rs 100 crore by promoters -- NCBG Holdings Inc and VNG Technology.
The company proposes to utilise the net proceeds from the fresh issue towards debt payment, funding working capital requirements, investment in its wholly-owned subsidiary Raneal Advanced Systems to fund its capital expenditure expenses and general corporate purposes. The Bengaluru-based company is primarily engaged in system integration and manufacturing a comprehensive array of cables and wire harness assemblies, and are also involved in kitting.
DCX Systems' revenue from operations grew at a CAGR of 56.64 per cent from Rs 449 crore in Fiscal 2020 to Rs 1,102 crore in Fiscal 2022.
The company's order book has increased from Rs 1,941 crore as of March 31, 2020 to Rs 2,369 crore as of March 31, 2022. Edelweiss Financial Services, Axis Capital and Saffron Capital Advisors are the book running lead managers to the issue. The equity shares are proposed to be listed on both the bourses -- BSE and NSE.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2221348-dcx-systems-rs-500-cr-ipo-to-open-on-oct-31 | 2022-10-20T16:49:15 | en | 0.950404 |
Canara Bank Q2 profit jumps 89 pc to Rs 2,525 cr
...these resources will be profitably deployed in the credit portfolio, he said.The bank expects a loan growth of 8 per cent during the current fiscal.During the quarter, domestic advances stood at Rs 7,80,049 crore, registering a growth of 17.66 per cent.Global business increased by 13.89 per cent to Rs 19,58,111 crore as at September 2022, with global deposits at Rs 11,33,964 crore and global advances at Rs 8,24,147 crore.Shares of Canara Bank on Thursday jumped over 4 per cent after the results.
- Country:
- India
State-owned Canara Bank on Thursday reported an 89 per cent increase in its net profit to Rs 2,525 crore for the quarter ended September on the back of robust growth in net interest income and decline in bad loans.
The lender had posted a net profit of Rs 1,333 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal. Its total income also rose to Rs 24,932.19 crore during July-September this year against Rs 21,331.49 crore in the same period of 2020-21, Canara Bank said in a regulatory filing.
The bank's gross non-performing assets (NPAs) declined to 6.37 per cent of the gross advances as of September 30, 2022, compared to 8.42 per cent at the end of September 2021.
Net NPAs too fell to 2.19 per cent from 3.22 per cent.
The bank aims to bring down net NPA ratio to below 2 per cent by March 2023, Canara Bank Managing Director L V Prabhakar said while announcing the quarterly numbers.
Provisions for bad loan increased to Rs 2,745.03 crore as compared to Rs 2,678.48 crore at the end of the second quarter of the previous year.
Provision Coverage Ratio (PCR) stood at 85.36 per cent as at September 2022 against 84.51 per cent in the previous quarter.
With regard to net interest income (NII), the bank said it registered a growth of 18.51 per cent to Rs 7,434 crore as compared to Rs 6,273 crore earlier.
Operating profit jumped by 23 per cent to Rs 6,905 crore from Rs 5,604 crore.
Net interest margin (NIM) of the bank increased to 2.83 per cent from 2.73 per cent in the September quarter a year ago.
Capital to Risk (Weighted) Assets Ratio (CRAR) stood at 16.51 per cent as at September 2022, out of which tier-I was 13.40 per cent.
During the first half ended September, the bank mobilised Rs 6,000 crore. Out of this, Rs 4,000 crore was from Tier I bonds and Rs 2,000 crore from Tier II bonds.
The bank had given guidance of raising Rs 9,000 crore from the market during the current financial year. ''...these resources will be profitably deployed in the credit portfolio,'' he said.
The bank expects a loan growth of 8 per cent during the current fiscal.
During the quarter, domestic advances stood at Rs 7,80,049 crore, registering a growth of 17.66 per cent.
Global business increased by 13.89 per cent to Rs 19,58,111 crore as at September 2022, with global deposits at Rs 11,33,964 crore and global advances at Rs 8,24,147 crore.
Shares of Canara Bank on Thursday jumped over 4 per cent after the results.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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- Tier II | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2221356-canara-bank-q2-profit-jumps-89-pc-to-rs-2525-cr | 2022-10-20T16:49:26 | en | 0.951755 |
Sterling rallies, Nov rate-hike bets scaled back as Liz Truss quits as PM
Sterling rallied on Thursday and investors reined in their bets on a big Bank of England interest rate hike in November as UK Prime Minister Liz Truss announced her resignation just six weeks after she was appointed.
Sterling rallied on Thursday and investors reined in their bets on a big Bank of England interest rate hike in November as UK Prime Minister Liz Truss announced her resignation just six weeks after she was appointed. Truss' economic programme had sent shockwaves through the markets and divided her Conservative Party, contributing to a sharp a selloff in UK assets.
Pressure on the prime minister had been mounting in recent days and a leadership election will be completed within the next week. The pound, which had rallied ahead of Thursday's news, was last up 0.74% at $1.13060. It edged 0.17% higher against the euro to around 86.970 pence, moving off a one-week low touched earlier.
"Initially, this is likely to take an uncertainty premium out of the market but it depends who takes over. You need a steady hand at the top," said Viraj Patel, global macro strategist at Vanda Research. CALMER TIMES?
Truss' resignation came a day after a second top minister quit and rowing and jostling broke out among her lawmakers in parliament. Her premiership has witnessed a bond market rout and a U-turn on almost all of her fiscal policy programme. Wednesday saw Truss lose her interior minister, less than a week after she fired her finance minister.
But a semblance of calm has surfaced in markets and Britain's five-year credit default swaps (CDS) - instruments used to hedge against a default - eased on Thursday to 38 basis points (bps) after closing at 40 bps on Wednesday, data from S&P Global Market Intelligence showed. UK CDS had been indicated as high as 47 bps in late September.
Rating agencies S&P and Moody's review UK sovereign ratings on Friday. Britain's mid cap share index briefly jumped 1% as Truss spoke and last traded up 0.6%, while UK blue chips were a touch higher on the day.
Expectations for an aggressive 100 bps rate hike at the Bank of England's November meeting have also been dialled back. Rate futures markets pointed to an 8% chance of a 100 basis-point rate increase at the BoE's Nov. 3 meeting, down from around 25% at the start of the day. There is now a 92% chance of a 75 bps hike, according to Refinitiv calculations.
Earlier on Thursday the BoE's Ben Broadbent said the central bank was poised to respond to changes in Britain's tax and spending policies but it remained to be seen if interest rates would go up as much as investors have been expecting. "If you've got someone who looked like they were going to create stability, and in effect deliver the Hunt fiscal plan, I think this means the peak in (interest) rates will be lower than we've got priced in," said Societe Generale's Kit Juckes, referring to new finance minister Jeremy Hunt.
"I still think sterling will go down, not up, because rates won't go as high as traders expect, but I think you've probably already seen the low in cable (sterling/dollar)."
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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After tax U-turn, Truss pledges to steer Britain through 'stormy days' | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2221362-sterling-rallies-nov-rate-hike-bets-scaled-back-as-liz-truss-quits-as-pm | 2022-10-20T16:49:35 | en | 0.976871 |
ADA, Okla. (AP) — Many of the 39 Native American tribes based in Oklahoma have played roles in state politics for decades, often behind the scenes. They became bigger, more outspoken players when voters approved Las Vegas-style gambling in 2004. The budgets of several major tribes ballooned with casino revenue.
This year, in their most forceful political move yet, they are wielding their considerable influence to oppose a second term for Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, himself a Cherokee citizen, who is facing a tough reelection challenge after feuding with the tribes for nearly his entire first term.
With the election just weeks away, five of the state's most powerful tribes jointly endorsed Stitt's Democratic opponent, Joy Hofmeister, the state’s public schools superintendent who has promised a more cooperative relationship with the tribal nations. It's the first time in modern history that the tribes, which often have unique or competing interests, have weighed in on a governor's race in such a public way.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen (the tribes) more active than they are today,” said Pat McFerron, a longtime Oklahoma GOP political consultant and pollster. “I think they might have flown under the radar a little bit more before.”
The effect is an unexpectedly tight race in a deep-red state that is typically an afterthought in national politics. Reflecting concerns about Stitt's vulnerability, the super PAC for the Republican Governors Association released an ad late in the campaign tying Hofmeister to President Joe Biden and rising gas prices.
Stitt’s feud with the tribes began during his first year in office when he unsuccessfully attempted to renegotiate the state’s gambling compact with the tribes. His administration then sought to overturn a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision on tribal sovereignty in 2020 and drew the ire of the tribes again last year when he terminated hunting and fishing compacts between the state and tribes.
“He seems to have enjoyed this fight, relishes it and points to it as a badge of honor,” McFerron said. “It’s almost like he’s taunting them.”
The animosity between Stitt and the tribes has spilled into public view as the midterm elections draw closer. Tribal leaders have publicly assailed the governor, public meetings about law enforcement in Indian Country have turned ugly and Stitt has faced an onslaught of dark-money attack ads.
“Any governor that postures and attempts dominion of tribes is detrimental to the tribes and the state,” said Muscogee Nation Principal Chief David Hill.
Stitt, a multimillionaire mortgage company owner and political newcomer when he ran four years ago, has been dogged by scandals in his administration, including a sweetheart deal given to a barbecue restaurant owner that resulted in a criminal probe, improper spending of coronavirus relief funds intended for education and $2 million spent on malaria drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic that doctors had warned shouldn’t be used to treat the virus without more testing.
Stitt also has touted new laws outlawing abortion, even in cases of rape or incest, and targeting medical treatment for transgender children, both of which have turned away some moderate Republicans and independents.
For his part, Stitt says he hopes that if he’s elected to a second term, he will have improved relations with Native American tribes. Yet he insists that the Supreme Court ruling expanding tribal sovereignty has been detrimental to the state.
“I’ve told people I will not go down in history as the governor that gives my state away,” Stitt said. “A lot of people want to paint this as an anti-Indian thing. This is not. This is a pro-Oklahoma thing.”
In the leadup to the election, several nonprofit groups that focus on registering and engaging Native American voters say they've never seen this level of enthusiasm among Indian voters in statewide politics.
At a recent voter registration event at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, home of the Chickasaw Nation, a steady stream of students, many of them Native American, signed up to register to vote at an event hosted in part by Rock the Native Vote. That's a nonprofit sponsored by the Indian Methodist Church of Oklahoma that was formed in 2002. In the parking lot were cars with tribal license plates from Cherokee, Chickasaw, Comanche, Kiowa and Otoe-Missouria tribes.
“Our goal is to get people registered, and more importantly, the Native voters within our state," said 19-year-old Devon Rain Potter, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation who was helping run a registration booth. “Once we get Native voters to show up to the polls, we can get a lot of things done."
According to the most recent U.S. Census data, Oklahoma has one of the highest percentages of Native American citizens at nearly 10% of the state's population. An additional 6.6% identify as being two or more races. That's easily enough to tip the scales in a closely contested statewide race.
And it's not just Oklahoma where Native voters are being courted and urged to turn out. The Native Organizers Alliance is targeting Indigenous voters in states across the country, including swing states with large Native American populations like Arizona, said Judith LeBlanc, the group's executive director.
Even in deep-red Texas, which has seen an increase in the American Indian population over the past 10 years, the group Democracy is Indigenous DFW drew dozens to a meet-and-greet with candidates, including Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke, who is challenging incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. The goal of the nonpartisan group is to increase voter engagement in the American Indian and Indigenous population in Texas.
“We are doing a wholehearted voter registration campaign,” LeBlanc said. “I believe in Oklahoma we can make a difference.”
___
Follow Sean Murphy at www.twitter.com/apseanmurphy
___
Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ap_politics | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Feud-with-tribes-threatens-Oklahoma-governor-s-17522414.php | 2022-10-20T16:49:38 | en | 0.968549 |
Asian Paints announces Rs 2,400-crore capex plans for two manufacturing units
The company will invest around Rs 2,100 crore in the plant over the next three years, which includes the cost of land, the company informed the stock exchanges without giving other details like the location of the plant among others.The statement also said the plan is subject to entering into definitive agreements, including technology licence agreement from the US-based Kellogg Brown Root, for manufacturing VAM and VAE and obtaining the necessary regulatory and other approvals.The proposed plant will have an installed capacity of 1 lakh tonne per annum for VAM and 1.5 lakh tonnes for VAE.
- Country:
- India
Asian Paints on Thursday announced Rs 2,100 crore of phased investment to set up a new plant to produce vinyl acetate ethylene emulsion (VAE) and vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) in the country.
The company also announced another Rs 550 crore of investment to set up a white cement plant in the UAE in partnership with two local firms there.
The board has approved setting up of a manufacturing facility for VAE and VAM in the country. The company will invest around Rs 2,100 crore in the plant over the next three years, which includes the cost of land, the company informed the stock exchanges without giving other details like the location of the plant among others.
The statement also said the plan is subject to entering into definitive agreements, including technology licence agreement from the US-based Kellogg Brown & Root, for manufacturing VAM and VAE and obtaining the necessary regulatory and other approvals.
The proposed plant will have an installed capacity of 1 lakh tonne per annum for VAM and 1.5 lakh tonnes for VAE. VAM is a key input for manufacturing VAE, which is considered to be the emulsion of the future and the key constituent for manufacturing environment-friendly paints. VAE offers better paint properties and can improve paint performance.
Domestic manufacturing of VAM and VAE will give substantial sustainable cost efficiencies, substituting import dependency and will be used as captive plant. The proposed plant is a key backward integration project for the company.
On the white cement plant in Fujairah in the UAE, the company said it has signed a binding term sheet with the UAE-based Riddhi Siddhi Crusher & Land Transport and Associated Soap Stone Distributing Company, to form a 60:40 joint venture to set up the manufacturing plant which will produce white cement and white cement clinkers.
The 60:40 partnership plant in Fujairah will get a cumulative investment of Rs 550 crore over the next two years and will have an initial capacity of 2.65 lakh tonne per annum.
In addition, clinker grinding units will be set up in India as well. White cement is a key raw material to manufacture powder paints and undercoats like putty. In addition, white cement is used in the home construction and repair segment.
Riddhi Siddhi has mining rights for high quality limestone mines in Fujairah while the other company is one of the trusted suppliers of raw materials to the paint industry and have partnered with Riddhi Siddhi for setting up the joint venture plant, Amit Syngle, MD & CEO of Asian Paints, said.
Meanwhile, Asian Paints, which earlier in the day declared a 33 per cent jump in net income at Rs 804 crore over a revenue of Rs 8,457.6 crore in the September quarter, said it has entered into an agreement to acquire 51 per cent stake in Harind Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals from Aapex Power & Industries, Swapan Ghosh and others for a consideration of around Rs 12.75 crore, which will help it enter nanotechnology market.
The agreement also includes acquiring another 39 per cent stake in Harind from the existing shareholders, in a staggered manner, over the next five years, Syngle said.
Founded by Ghosh, Harind is into specialty chemicals focused on nanotechnology and primarily makes surface coating and care materials.
Asian Paints is among the top 10 decorative coatings companies in the world with a consolidated turnover of Rs 29,101 crore. Asian Paints along with its subsidiaries have operations in 15 countries with 27 paint manufacturing facilities.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2221369-asian-paints-announces-rs-2400-crore-capex-plans-for-two-manufacturing-units | 2022-10-20T16:49:42 | en | 0.951947 |
Some minorities less likely to get flu vaccine, more likely to get really sick, report says
(CNN) - Some U.S. minority groups are more likely to be hospitalized for flu and less likely to be vaccinated, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Flu season is already here, with high levels of the illness already reported in Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, D.C., and New York City, according to the CDC.
“The vaccine however can help prevent severe disease. It may help prevent the flu in general,” said Dr. Barbara Bawer with The Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center.
A new report from the CDC shows flu shot uptake since the 2010-2011 season has been consistently lower among Black, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska native adults when compared to white adults.
People in those groups were also more likely to be hospitalized with flu during most seasons studied.
According to the data, from 2009 to 2022, flu hospitalizations were 80% higher among Black adults, 30% higher for adults who are American Indian or Alaska native, and 20% higher for Hispanic adults.
“We’re talking about having to be hospitalized because you can’t breathe. Your shortness of breath is severe. Your headaches are out of control. Your fever is really, really high to the point where we worry it’s going to cause neurological damage,” Bawer said.
The CDC said reasons for the disparities include lack of healthcare access and insurance, misinformation and distrust in vaccines, and missed opportunities to get vaccinated.
Bawer said more needs to be done to improve access and erase vaccine stigma.
“It’s educating people on why we get it and showing them potentially data on how it can improve their chances,” she said.
The CDC said some racial and ethnic groups also have higher rates of chronic conditions that could also make them more vulnerable to the flu.
The agency says it has started programs specifically targeting certain racial and ethnic groups, hoping to raise awareness on the importance of vaccines.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/2022/10/20/some-minorities-less-likely-get-flu-vaccine-more-likely-get-really-sick-report-says/ | 2022-10-20T16:49:45 | en | 0.967625 |
Woman hit and killed while changing tire on the side of highway
Published: Oct. 20, 2022 at 11:09 AM CDT|Updated: 39 minutes ago
THOMASTON, Conn. (WFSB/Gray News) – A woman in Connecticut was killed Wednesday afternoon while trying to change a tire.
Troopers said 26-year-old Karina Marie Lopez’s vehicle had a flat tire around 3 p.m. along Route 8.
She pulled to the side of the highway and attempted to repair the damage when she was hit by another vehicle.
Authorities said Lopez was flown to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
There is no word if the other driver will face charges.
Copyright 2022 WFSB via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/2022/10/20/woman-hit-killed-while-changing-tire-side-highway/ | 2022-10-20T16:49:51 | en | 0.977955 |
EU parliament head calls for bigger EU budget to fight crises
The European Union's long-term budget should be increased due to the war in Ukraine, the energy, economic and defence challenges the EU faces and the global food crisis, the president of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola said. Speaking to EU leaders on Thursday, Metsola said additional budget strain came from higher debt servicing due to rising interest rates and the lack of a deal on new sources of financing for EU coffers.
The European Union's long-term budget should be increased due to the war in Ukraine, the energy, economic and defence challenges the EU faces and the global food crisis, the president of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola said.
Speaking to EU leaders on Thursday, Metsola said additional budget strain came from higher debt servicing due to rising interest rates and the lack of a deal on new sources of financing for EU coffers. "Our economy needs this boost. It is not only a matter of prosperity, but a matter of security. That also means looking again at the EU budget," Metsola told EU leaders at the start of their two-day summit mainly focused on energy.
"We need a revision to adapt to the times," she said, according to written remarks. The EU's 1.1 trillion euro ($1.08 trillion) budget for 2021-2027 is just one percent of the 27-nation bloc's gross domestic product and when agreed in December 2020 did not take into account the unforeseen events that followed.
That meant the budget had no special funds to deal with the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the resulting energy and food and migration crisis, record high inflation and interest rate hikes. The EU jointly borrowed 800 billion euros to rebuild economies after the pandemic and Metsola said the EU would pay 450 million euros more than expected in 2023 to service debt.
"If interest rates remain high... debt repayment will wipe out the budget's entire crisis response capacity and start eating into the EU programmes," she said. Re-opening the EU's seven-year budget (MFF) is fraught with difficulty to balance the interests of net contributors and net beneficiaries.
"I know the political realities, but the MFF needs to be future proofed with in-built flexibility," Metsola said. "Ceilings should be raised where necessary to reflect emerging needs and new priorities." ($1 = 1.0171 euros)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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- Russia | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2221379-eu-parliament-head-calls-for-bigger-eu-budget-to-fight-crises | 2022-10-20T16:49:51 | en | 0.957924 |
Woman pleads guilty to keeping toddler in bathtub of hot water, causing severe burns
Published: Oct. 20, 2022 at 10:58 AM CDT|Updated: 51 minutes ago
ST. LOUIS (KMOV/Gray News) – A woman in Missouri pleaded guilty to causing severe burns to a child after keeping him in very hot bath water.
Mindy Kammer pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree assault.
According to the St. Louis County Circuit Court, in April 2018, Kammer placed a child who was younger than two years old in a bathtub with very hot water, causing severe burns to his feet and legs.
Kammer admitted to keeping him in the hot water despite the child crying and trying to climb out of the bathtub.
Kammer told the court she kept him in the water because she thought he was just throwing a tantrum.
Sentencing was set for Dec. 16.
Copyright 2022 KMOV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/2022/10/20/woman-pleads-guilty-keeping-toddler-bathtub-hot-water-causing-severe-burns/ | 2022-10-20T16:49:53 | en | 0.976638 |
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BERLIN (AP) — Germany on Thursday hosted a meeting with representatives of the European Union and several European countries — including from the western Balkans — in an effort to curb migration via the so-called Balkan route.
“We want to protect the people who flee to us from war and political persecution," German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said. "At the same time, we also take decisive action against irregular migration ... our declared goal is to reduce the rising irregular migration via the western Balkans route.”
In recent months, an increasing number of migrants have been trying to reach wealthier western European countries via the Balkans, often paying smugglers thousands of euros (dollars) to take them across borders without valid travel documents.
The package of measures that western European and EU officials pushed for at the Berlin meeting include aligning the visa policies of western Balkan states Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia — all of which want to join the 27-nation bloc — with EU standards, combating trafficking of migrants, ensuring effective border protection and speeding up deportations.
Especially Serbia has been pressured by EU countries to restrict its lax entry policies and no longer allow visa-free travel for citizens from India, Tunisia, Morocco and elsewhere. These people often use Serbia as a loophole to enter the continent and continue from there to the west.
While Germany has welcomed more than 1 million Ukrainian refugees — mostly women and children — who entered legally since Russia attacked the eastern European country on Feb. 24, the government has recently struck a much more hostile tone regarding migrants from more distant parts of the world.
By the end of September, Germany’s federal police had registered almost 58,000 unauthorized entries at the country’s borders — mostly in the east, where the Balkan route ends. According to preliminary figures, there were 12,720 cases in September alone, more than twice as many as a year earlier, dpa reported.
Austria, the Czech Republic and other central European countries have also reported increased entries of migrants and asylum seekers.
Almost 135,000 people had applied for asylum in Germany in 2022 by the end of September. That is around a third more than in the same period last year, according to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. However, it’s still a far call from 2015-16, when more than 1 million migrants, mostly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan applied for asylum in Germany.
The figures for asylum applications in 2022 are much lower than the total number of refugees because Ukrainians can enter Germany without a visa and do not need to apply for asylum.
Migration expert Gerald Knaus expressed doubt whether officials' attempts to prevent migration to the EU via the Balkans would curb the current influx.
“Closing the Balkans route has never worked so far,” Knaus told newspaper group RND, adding that “the pressure currently comes not from illegal migration, but from legal migration. Nine out of ten refugees come from Ukraine."
German cities and communities have recently expressed concern about the difficult housing situation of refugees and have demanded help from the federal government. More Ukrainian refugees are expected to arrive in Germany as winter approaches and Russia's attacks on Ukraine are becoming increasingly brutal.
A small but vocal far-right minority has also tried to use the refugees as scapegoats for the rising food and energy prices that are linked to Russia's war on Ukraine.
On Wednesday, a refugee shelter for Ukrainians was burnt down on Germany's Baltic Coast and investigators said they're looking into politically motivated arson.
___
Follow all AP stories on migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Germany-EU-push-to-curb-migration-via-Balkan-17522326.php | 2022-10-20T16:49:57 | en | 0.960573 |
ROCKDALE, Texas (KXAN) — A deputy with the Milam County Sheriff’s Office is being treated after he was shot several times Wednesday afternoon while conducting a mental health assessment, according to authorities in the county.
Samuel Ferguson IV, a mental health deputy, was working with the Central Counties Services’ Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT) to conduct a mental health assessment on a person who was experiencing a mental health crisis, according to a press release from the sheriff’s office. It happened around 2 p.m. on Inwood Drive, just west of the City of Rockdale.
The press release said the person became “uncooperative” during the assessment and was exhibiting “suicidal tendencies.” Officials responding determined the person was in crisis and a danger to himself and others.
Ferguson tried to detain the person, which is when they opened fire on him, shooting him several times. Ferguson shot back and hit the person, who was pronounced dead on the scene.
Deputy Ferguson was airlifted in stable condition to the Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Temple.
The Texas Rangers have been requested to investigate the shooting, and the identity of the subject is not being released pending next-of-kin notifications.
Rockdale is located northeast of Williamson County. | https://www.ktsm.com/crime/deputy-shot-in-milam-county-during-mental-health-call-suspect-killed/ | 2022-10-20T16:49:58 | en | 0.980049 |
Infosys allows employees to take up gig work with managers' prior consent
- Country:
- India
Infosys has allowed employees to take up 'gig' jobs on the side with prior consent of managers provided such an engagement does not compete with the company, its clients or pose conflict of interest.
The company, in an internal communication to employees, detailed how staff can take up 'gig' work. Analysts say, the move may help the company to address some attrition challenges, since it allows employees to take up additional source of earnings, and chase their tech passion, albeit with firm riders.
It, however, did not define 'gig' work nor did it term it as 'moonlighting'. The latest move comes at a time when debate around moonlighting has grabbed headlines. Put simply, moonlighting refers to employees taking up side gigs to work on more than one job at a time.
During the company's Q2 earnings, Infosys had made it clear that the company does not support moonlighting and that it has fired employees who were into dual employment over the last 12 months.
In an email to employees on Thursday, Infosys said: ''Any employee, who wishes to take up gig work, may do so, with the prior consent of their manager and BP-HR, and in their personal time, for establishments that do not compete with Infosys or Infosys' clients.'' Infosys said it counts on its employees to ensure that this does not impact their ability to work with the company effectively.
''In addition, as per Infosys employment contract, employees may not work in areas when there is an actual or potential conflict of interest or by accepting dual employment,'' the company wrote in the email seen by PTI.
As an organisation, Infosys values the ability to continuously learn new skills and gain experience. Infosys said that it is only natural that the company is supportive of employees taking up additional projects as appropriate in their personal time.
However, it said, care needs to be taken to ensure that such projects ''comply with the company's policy for gig working, and do not breach client contracts or otherwise impact the employee's ability to be effective in their full-time job with Infosys.'' When employees have a discussion with their managers about such projects before taking them up, much of this can be addressed, it said.
In addition, Infosys said it has also created several opportunities for gig working internally -- through its very own Accelerate platform that enables managers to list gig work jobs for Infoscions.
''Accelerate allows skill based job matches to recommend the right gigs for employees and incentivise both gig wokers and hiring managers. The platform, over the years, has been helping in create richer job variety and more immersive learning for Infoscions,'' it said.
Last month, Wipro Chairman Rishad Premji revealed that some 300 employees were fired as the IT services company had no place for any employee who chose to work directly with rivals while being on Wipro payrolls.
During the Q2 earnings' briefing, Infosys CEO Salil Parekh had said the company does not support dual employment.
''We don't support dual employment... if we found... in the past, employee doing blatant work in two specific companies where there is a confidentiality issue, we have let go of them in the last 12 months,'' Parekh had said.
Infosys is among the companies which have taken a strong stance on moonlighting. It had earlier shot off a missive to its employees asserting that moonlighting is not permitted, and warned that any violation of contract clauses will trigger disciplinary action ''which could even lead to termination of employment''.
''No two timing - no moonlighting!'' the company had said.
The issue of moonlighting emerged as a big talking point after Rishad Premji flagged the issue. Premji had taken to Twitter to highlight the issue saying: ''There is a lot of chatter about people moonlighting in the tech industry. This is cheating - plain and simple.'' HCL Technologies too has weighed into the issue of moonlighting and has said it does not approve of dual employment, although it hastened to add that the issue is not a major one within the company.
Infosys' Parekh, during Q2 earings' conference, had also said where gig opportunities in the external environment is concerned, Infosys supports aspirations of employees to learn beyond their work but after prior approval of manager has been obtained.
''We will support them to work on certain gig projects after the prior approval of the managers. We are also developing more comprehensive policies for that, while ensuring contractual and confidentiality commitments are fully respected. However to be clear, we do not support dual employment,'' he had said.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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EXCLUSIVE-Apollo, Sixth Street no longer in talks to finance Twitter deal -sources | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2221386-infosys-allows-employees-to-take-up-gig-work-with-managers-prior-consent | 2022-10-20T16:50:00 | en | 0.971122 |
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In a testament to the industry's continued strength and resilience, the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) announced today that seven of its member companies were named to Inc magazine's 2022 list of the 5,000 fastest growing businesses in the U.S. In addition to announcing this year's list, Inc magazine's September issue features a special section on PEOs which can be found here.
AspenHR (Boston, MA), EmPower HR (Milwaukee, WI), FullStack PEO (Indianapolis, IN), G&A Partners (Houston, TX), Optimum Employer Solutions (Santa Ana, CA), Vensure Employer Services (Chandler, AZ), and Zamp HR (Orem, UT) all appeared on the list.
The companies are professional employer organizations (PEOs) that provide outsourced HR services to small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). Some of these services include payroll, employee benefits, and risk and compliance assistance for growing businesses across the country.
"To be recognized on the Inc. 5000 is no easy task. Still, with each passing year, NAPEO member companies continue to land on the list," said Pat Cleary, NAPEO's president and CEO. "Our industry is growing at an impressive pace, and these members are proof of that. PEOs provide HR services to over 173,000 SMBs, and we're just getting started."
About NAPEO
The National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) is The Voice of the PEO IndustryTM. NAPEO's 250 PEO members provide payroll, benefits, workers' comp, regulatory compliance assistance, and other HR services to more than 173,000 small and mid-size businesses employing 4 million people. Our members account for more than 90 percent of the industry's $254 billion in revenue. An additional 250 companies that provide services to PEOs are associate members of NAPEO. For more information, please visit www.napeo.org.
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SOURCE National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2022/10/20/7-napeo-members-recognized-inc-magazines-list-5000-fastest-growing-businesses/ | 2022-10-20T16:50:01 | en | 0.956568 |
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A candidate for a Louisville district of the Kentucky House has been disqualified from the race for a filing error.
The judge ruled that Susan Tyler Witten's signatories did not live in House District 31 when she filed to run for office on Jan. 19, the Courier Journal reported. The legislative redistricting that changed the map took effect the next day.
Witten's opponent, Democrat Sue Foster, filed a petition to have Witten disqualified from the race.
Jefferson Circuit Judge Annie O’Connell ruled Witten's signatories, her husband and mother, were not living in the new District 31 when she filed.
Witten said she plans to appeal the ruling and that Foster “is afraid to face voters this November.”
“At a time when my campaign is gaining momentum, my pathetic opponent who has hardly campaigned has resorted to a desperate attempt to deprive the voters of this district a choice in the November election,” Witten said in a media release. | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Kentucky-House-candidate-disqualified-over-filing-17522512.php | 2022-10-20T16:50:03 | en | 0.966637 |
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A heated exchange between rapper Cardi B and the lawyer for a man suing her for copyright infringement got so intense Wednesday that the judge briefly stopped the trial.
The Grammy winner delivered pointed answers to several questions by attorney A. Barry Cappello, who is representing a man who claims the rapper misused his likeness on the cover of a 2016 mixtape.
The testy back-and-forth between Cappello and the star witness prompted U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney to send jurors out of the Santa Ana, California courtroom and tell both sides he was considering a mistrial. After a break, he called the arguing “unprofessional” and “not productive” but allowed questioning to resume – placing new restrictions for both sides.
Kevin Michael Brophy is seeking $5 million from Cardi B over the appearance of some of his distinctive back tattoos on the mixtape’s artwork, which shows a tattooed man from behind with his head between the rapper’s legs.
The rapper said she felt Brophy hadn’t suffered any consequences as a result of the artwork, yet has harassed her legally for five years. At one point she said she missed a special moment with her youngest child, who recently turned 1-year-old.
“I have empathy for people,” she said. “I care about people. I feel like I’m being taken advantage of. I missed my child’s first step by being here.”
Brophy told jurors Tuesday that he felt “humiliated” by the racy artwork.
At one point, Cardi B pointed out that the man’s face cannot be seen in the artwork. Capello asked her to calm down, but she instead barked back at the lawyer’s contention that she knew about photo-editing software used to put Brophy’s tattoos – which have been featured in magazines – on another model’s body.
“It’s not your client’s back,” she said about the image, which features a Black model. Brophy is white. The rapper said she posted a photo of the “famous Canadian model” on her social media.
Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Almanzar, said an artist used only a “small portion” of the tattoos without her knowledge. She had previously said the cover art – created by Timm Gooden — was transformative fair use of Brophy’s likeness.
Cappello said Gooden was paid $50 to create a design but was then told to find another tattoo after he turned in an initial draft. He said Gooden googled “back tattoos” before he found an image and pasted it on the cover.
Cardi B’s lawyer, Peter Anderson, said Brophy and the mixtape image are unrelated, noting the model did not have neck tattoos, which Brophy does.
“It’s not him,” the rapper said. “To me, it doesn’t look like his back at all. The tattoo was modified, which is protected by the First Amendment.”
She said the image hasn’t hindered Brophy’s employment with a popular surf and skate apparel brand or his ability to travel the world for opportunities.
“He hasn’t gotten fired from his job,” said Cardi B, who implied that the mixtape was not a lucrative one for her. “He hasn’t gotten a divorce. How has he suffered? He’s still in a surf shop at his job. Please tell me how he’s suffered.”
Brophy, a self-described family man, said he sent a cease-and-desist letter to Cardi B’s representatives to remove the image, but he never received a response. The rapper said she hadn’t seen the letter.
At one point, Cardi B said she doesn’t check her mailbox because that’s for “old people” – leading some in the courtroom to chuckle.
When Cardi B left the courthouse, she was swarmed by around 30 high schoolers who were attempting to take selfies with her. As the rapper walked toward her vehicle with security, she smiled and waved before telling them she would be more responsive after the trial.
Last month, Cardi B pleaded guilty to a criminal case stemming from a pair of brawls at New York City strip clubs that required her to perform 15 days of community service. Earlier this year, the rapper was awarded $1.25 million in a defamation lawsuit against a celebrity news blogger who posted videos falsely stating she used cocaine, had contracted herpes and engaged in prostitution. | https://www.ktsm.com/entertainment-news/cardi-b-argues-with-lawyer-in-racy-mixtape-artwork-case-judge-threatens-mistrial/ | 2022-10-20T16:50:04 | en | 0.978297 |
Issues that rose to the top include abortion access, the economy, and systemic racism and discrimination
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Advancement Project released findings from a poll and focus groups of Gen Z voters of color (Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and Asian American and Pacific Islander) in Michigan, Florida, Georgia, and Virginia ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. This survey was conducted by HIT Strategies in September 2022.
"We know that when our communities are free and safe, everyone thrives. Voting has the power to win tangible policies that make a difference in people's lives. This makes it critical for voters of color to be heard at the polls - the issues that motivate our communities to cast our ballots ultimately impact us all," said Advancement Project Executive Director Judith Browne Dianis. "Young people have been on the forefront of building a more just and inclusive future for all of us. Whether on the national, state or local level, young voters of color are hungry to elect leaders that represent them and they are pushing for real action on issues like abortion access, the economy, and systemic racism and discrimination. Young voters of color are united around these critical issues and are ready to vote, we just need to equip them with accurate information."
Some insights into the research conducted by Advancement Project and HIT Strategies include:
- Top issues for Gen Z voters of color include abortion access, the economy, and systemic racism and discrimination.
- 52% believe their vote has a lot of or some power to make a change on abortion access, and 49% believe their vote has power to make a change on the economy.
- 87% believe that abortion should be legally protected. Half of the respondents believe they can positively change abortion access and the economy through voting.
- 40% believe their vote has power on police reform.
- Approximately 6 in 10 young voters of color say that they are motivated to vote, likely to vote, and believe that their vote has power
Advancement Project shared this research in a press conference held with a coalition of racial justice organizations working to mobilize voters of color in the upcoming election. Each organization shared findings from polling data on their own communities. These polls were conducted to connect with potential voters directly, understand their values and priorities as it relates to the forthcoming election, and discover what it will take to encourage voters to cast their ballots.
Advancement Project is a next-generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. Rooted in the great human rights struggles for equality and justice, they exist to fulfill America's promise of a caring, inclusive, and just democracy. They use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and achieve high-impact policy change. Learn more about Advancement Project here.
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SOURCE Advancement Project | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2022/10/20/advancement-project-releases-poll-focus-group-data-gen-z-voters-color-michigan-florida-georgia-virginia/ | 2022-10-20T16:50:08 | en | 0.958594 |
CCI clears two private equity players' stake purchase in Yes Bank
- Country:
- India
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Thursday approved the proposed Rs 8,900 crore deal wherein two entities will buy stakes in Yes Bank.
CA Basque Investments, part of the Carlyle Group, and Verventa Holdings, an affiliate of funds managed by Advent International are to acquire 10 per cent stake each in the private sector lender.
The proposed combination involves the acquisition of up to 10 per cent each of the total paid up share capital and voting rights of Yes Bank by CA Basque Investments and Verventa Holdings, according to official releases.
In July, Yes Bank announced raising of equity capital of Rs 8,900 crore from funds affiliated with two private equity investors -- Carlyle and Advent International.
Deals beyond a certain threshold require approval from the regulator, which keeps a tab on unfair business practices in the market place.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2221398-cci-clears-two-private-equity-players-stake-purchase-in-yes-bank | 2022-10-20T16:50:08 | en | 0.936621 |
NEW YORK (AP) — One of the music world's most articulate and introspective performers, Lucinda Williams, has a memoir coming out next spring.
The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter has a deal with Crown for "Don't Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You," scheduled for April 23. Williams, 69, will look back to her wandering childhood, when she lived in 12 different places by age 18, and trace her rise in the music business. Her albums include “Sweet Old World,” “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” and “Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone.”
“For decades now, I’ve shared my innermost thoughts and experiences via my songs,“ Williams said in a statement released Thursday by Crown. “After years spent toying with the idea, I’ve decided to finally tell my stories more fully. But this won’t be a sugar-coated memoir; I want people to really see the truth of my life.”
According to Crown, Williams “reveals the inspirations for her unforgettable lyrics, including the doomed love affairs with ‘poets on motorcycles’ and the gothic Southern landscapes of the many different towns of her youth, including Macon, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans.”
Williams previously had a deal, in 2018, to write a memoir for Henry Holt and Company. The editor at Holt, Gillian Blake, has since moved to Crown, for which she acquired Williams' book. | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Lucinda-Williams-memoir-of-childhood-career-out-17522471.php | 2022-10-20T16:50:09 | en | 0.966265 |
(The Hill) – International convenience store chain Circle K will team up with marijuana company Green Thumb Industries to sell cannabis at gas stations in Florida next year.
Green Thumb, a national cannabis company that owns dispensaries selling marijuana products under the name Rise Dispensaries, said the rollout will start with 10 select locations in 2023 before potentially expanding in the future.
Through an exclusive agreement, Green Thumb says it can technically lease space from Circle K in Florida, where the gas station chain owns 600 locations. The in-store services from Green Thumb will be named Rise Express.
“The opening of RISE Express stores at Circle K locations is a game-changer,” said Green Thumb chairman and CEO Ben Kovler in a statement. “Convenience is a strong channel in retail, and people want more access to cannabis.”
The cannabis products sold at the Circle K locations will include flowers, pre-rolls, gummies and vapes, according to Green Thumb.
The cannabis is grown at a nearby Green Thumb facility in Ocala, Fla., which will be operational by the end of 2022.
Marijuana is legal for medicinal use in Florida. Across the U.S., around 37 states have legalized for medicinal use and another 19 states for recreational use. Washington, D.C., has legalized recreational and medicinal marijuana use.
Five states have recreational marijuana legalization on the ballot this year: Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota.
The Biden administration also drew headlines this month when it announced pardons for all those convicted of simple marijuana possession federally.
Marijuana use is growing among U.S. adults, with 49 percent of all adults reporting in 2021 they have tried the product at least once in their lifetimes. | https://www.ktsm.com/healthy-living/gas-station-chain-to-sell-marijuana-in-florida/ | 2022-10-20T16:50:11 | en | 0.935895 |
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Suicides across the active duty U.S. military decreased over the past 18 months, driven by sharp drops in the Air Force and Marine Corps last year and a similar decline among Army soldiers during the first six months of this year, according to a new Pentagon report and preliminary data for 2022.
The numbers show a dramatic reversal of what has been a fairly steady increase in recent years.
The shift follows increased attention by senior military leaders and an array of new programs aimed at addressing what has been a persistent problem in all the services, although it's unclear what impact any of the programs had or if pandemic-related restrictions played any role in the decline.
The Defense Department is still grappling with widespread shortages of mental health personnel and a difficult push to reduce the stigma of seeking help. But the numbers provide a glimmer of hope that some of the recent changes — which range from required counseling visits to stress relief education and recreational outings — may be working.
According to the data, the number of suicides in the Air Force and Marine Corp dropped by more than 30% in 2021 compared with 2020, and the Navy saw a 10% decline. The Army saw a similar 30% decrease during the first six months of this year, compared with the same time period last year.
The Army decline comes in the wake of a spate of suicides at Army bases last year, including in Alaska, which fueled a small increase in deaths compared with 2020. The Army was the only military service to have more suicides in 2021 than in 2020 — 176 compared with 174. But it is also the only service that has seen a decline this year.
The Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps have all had a bit more suicides in the first six months of 2022 than during the same time period last year, according to preliminary Pentagon data. That makes it unclear if the downward trend will continue through the end of this year.
According to Defense Department data, there were 328 suicides by active duty service members in 2021, compared with 384 in 2020. In the first six months of 2021, there were 173 suicides, compared with 158 in that time frame this year. That drop is entirely due to the Army, which had 101 in the first half of 2021, and 69 in that time period this year.
The National Guard and the Reserves both saw a small dip in suicides, from 121 in 2020 to 119 in 2021. And there were also fewer Guard deaths in the first half of 2022, compared with last year. Suicides in the Reserves went up, from 29 to 36.
The Guard has worked over the last year to reduce suicides through outreach and other changes, including policies to destigmatize getting mental health help and a program that provides firearms locks for service members who keep weapons at home, said Army Maj. Gen. Eric Little, head of manpower and personnel for the Guard.
Little said that in some cases, if service members report they are seeking counseling, it can affect their security clearance or flying eligibility. He said officials are working to change policies.
Suicide has long been a problem in the U.S. military, and its causes are complex and not fully understood. Behavioral research has linked military suicides to a range of personal issues, including finances and marital stress.
The Pentagon report released Thursday said that “intimate relationship problems in the last year was the most common interpersonal stressor identified” in both suicide and suicide-attempts. And Little said relationship stress continues to be one of the leading risk factors for the Guard, as well as work stress, substance abuse and sexual abuse.
Defense leaders have noted that the complexity of the causes makes it difficult to address, since there is no one-size-fits-all cure.
Yvette Bourcicot, the acting assistant Army secretary for manpower, told the AP on Thursday that while staffing shortfalls continue, the service is “being creative” in using other personnel such as chaplains and health and fitness coaches to fill the gaps.
“The amount of attention that we’re paying to it, I think, is hopefully — we’re cautiously optimistic — what is translating into the downward trend,” said Bourcicot. She also noted that base commanders tailor programs to fit their forces.
For example, Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, in his previous post as commander at Fort Riley, Kansas, began requiring soldiers at the base to meet with a counselor once a year.
“I can’t order anybody to talk to a counselor,” he said earlier this year, just before he left. “But I can tell you, listen, you’ve got to sit in a room for 30 to 60 minutes. And there happens to be a counselor in the same room.”
All but about 10 out of 14,000 soldiers, he said, used the time to talk with the counselor.
The trends of those who die by suicide, however, have been consistent.
According to the Pentagon report, overwhelmingly they are white male, enlisted service members under the age of 30. In 2021, roughly 94% of military suicides were men. And they most often used a gun. The second most common method was hanging or asphyxiation.
The report said the suicide rate — which is the number of deaths per 100,000 service members — has gradually gone up since 2011, and is similar to that of the U.S. population, when adjusted for age and gender.
The data for military spouses and dependents for calendar year 2020 was also released. Suicides by spouses were divided almost equally by gender and nearly 80% were under the age of 40. Again, most — 60% — used a firearm. Military dependents who die by suicide were most often male and under the age of 18.
Suicide attempts, meanwhile, most often involved poisoning. which includes drugs and alcohol. The report said more than 1,200 people attempted suicide, and 67 tried two or more times.
____
Associated Press writer Tara Copp contributed to this report. | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Military-suicides-drop-as-leaders-push-new-17522527.php | 2022-10-20T16:50:16 | en | 0.977364 |
LOS ANGELES , Oct. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In the past 10 years, we have seen huge breakthroughs in cannabis genetics, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the world of US autoflowers. Despite this massive shift, autoflowering strains are still sometimes thought of as a bit of an outcast when compared to the classic photoperiod strains.
Nowadays, autoflowering strains are competing with (and oftentimes surpassing) the very best photoperiod strains in terms of cannabinoid potency, yield sizes, and terpene production. Auto growers are no longer operating in the shadows, and thanks to a cultural shift and advances in cultivation technology the US autoflowering community is growing larger by the minute.
For the first time ever in California, we are proud to present the first edition of the A.A.C - American Autoflower Cup. Test your growing skills head-to-head with the best growers and breeders in the United States and become the first American Autoflower Cannabis Cup Winner in the following categories:
- Best Sativa strain
- Best Indica strain
- Best Autoflower Breeder
Judges will be awarding prizes to autoflower growers who have achieved extraordinary success, pushed the autoflowering genetic pool, and shown a strong commitment to the autoflowering cannabis industry in the United States.
The full judging panel will be announced soon, but we are pumped to present our Cup Curator - Jeremy Norrie, winner of the High Times Cannabis Cup for Best Product in Amsterdam. His in-depth knowledge of how the judging criteria works for cannabis competitions in national and international cups will make this the best Autoflower Cup ever!
Come check out the latest and greatest autos the cannabis world has to offer while enjoying live music and good company, and even better buds. See the future of cannabis cultivation firsthand and celebrate all things autoflower.
The event will take place in LA's premier cannabis location - Green Street, located at 718 South Hill Street, Los Angeles. Applications are open, and sample submissions will be accepted from December 1st 2022 through January 10th 2023.
For more information visit https://americanautoflowercup.com or send us an email info@americanautoflowercup.com
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SOURCE American Autoflower Cup | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2022/10/20/american-autoflower-cup-2023-is-uniting-cannabis-growers-breeders-legendary-green-street-los-angeles/ | 2022-10-20T16:50:14 | en | 0.924541 |
UK stocks end volatile session higher after Prime Minister Liz Truss resigns
UK's main stock indexes closed higher on Thursday after Liz Truss said she would resign as British prime minister, bringing a measure of relief to investors after her ill-fated tax plans unleashed turmoil in financial markets. The blue-chip FTSE 100 rose 0.3%, but gains were capped as a jump in the pound hurt dollar earners such as AstraZeneca and Diageo.
- Country:
- United Kingdom
UK's main stock indexes closed higher on Thursday after Liz Truss said she would resign as British prime minister, bringing a measure of relief to investors after her ill-fated tax plans unleashed turmoil in financial markets.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 rose 0.3%, but gains were capped as a jump in the pound hurt dollar earners such as AstraZeneca and Diageo. The battered FTSE 250 index, more exposed to the domestic economy, climbed 0.8%.
Homebuilders, retailers, REITs , and real estate, which suffered the brunt of selloff recently due to macroeconomic concerns sparked by the UK's fiscal makeover, gained between 0.9% and 2.3%. Truss was forced to abandon almost all of her fiscal policy programme earlier this week after it caused a bond market rout that forced the Bank of England to intervene, shattered investor confidence, and enraged much of her Conservative Party.
Pressure on Truss had mounted in recent days and a leadership election will be completed within the next week. "Overall, the resignation of Truss is a step that needed to happen for the UK government to move further along the path towards restoring credibility in the eyes of the financial markets," said Paul Dales, chief UK economist at Capital Economics in London.
"But more needs to be done and the new prime minister and their Chancellor have a big task to navigate the economy through the cost of living crisis, cost of borrowing crisis and the cost of credibility crisis. The situation is clearly going to evolve very quickly." A semblance of calm in markets surfaced with Britain's five-year credit default swaps (CDS) - instruments used to hedge against a default - easing to 37 basis points (bps) after closing at 40 bps on Wednesday.
Media reports said former finance minister Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt, and ex-prime minister Boris Johnson were expected to stand in contest to replace Truss. Investors reined in bets of a full percentage-point interest rate hike by the Bank of England next month, after a top official said it remained to be seen whether rates rise as sharply as the market has been expecting.
Traders are now placing 84% odds of 75 bps rate hike. Jupiter jumped 10.1% after the fund manager reported a drop in net outflows for the three months through September.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Protesters disrupt British PM Truss's speech at party conference | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2221405-uk-stocks-end-volatile-session-higher-after-prime-minister-liz-truss-resigns | 2022-10-20T16:50:16 | en | 0.968648 |
A coalition of congressional Democrats on Thursday called on President Biden to reverse a Trump-era change to the regulation of 3D-printed ghost guns and return oversight to the State Department as munitions.
“[I]t is far too easy for anyone to download from the internet the computer code to 3D-print unserialized, untraceable, plastic ‘ghost guns,’” the group, which includes Democratic Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.), Cory Booker (N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.) and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), said in a letter to Biden, first obtained by Politico. “These 3D-printed weapons circumvent our system of gun safety rules and regulations, and pose a serious threat to public safety and national security.”
3D-printed ghost guns and their technical data were previously regulated by the State Department on its Munitions List. However, President Trump approved their removal from the weapons list in January 2020 and moved regulation to the Commerce Department.
The group of House and Senate Democrats criticized the Trump-era change in Thursday’s letter, noting that its narrow guidance only applied to software and technology posted online that is “ready for insertion” into a 3D printer.
Because the guidance is so narrow, the group warned that people could easily evade it by advertising files for 3D-printed guns online but sending the actual software via email. They also noted that it doesn’t cover files that can easily be converted into a format for 3D printing.
The group, which also included Rep. Ro Khanna (Calif.) and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.), urged the return of 3D-printed ghost guns to State Department regulation, where they would be subject to pre-approval before being placed in the “public domain.” If oversight remains in the Commerce Department, they asked that Biden “at a minimum” strengthen the current guidelines to close the existing loopholes.
The Biden administration has previously made efforts to crack down on the proliferation of ghost guns. A new rule from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which went into effect in August, subjected ghost guns to the same rules as traditional firearms, including requiring background checks and serial numbers. | https://www.ktsm.com/hill-politics/democrats-call-for-reversal-of-trump-era-change-to-ghost-gun-regulation/ | 2022-10-20T16:50:17 | en | 0.955318 |
Supply chain leader is organization's first full-scale hiring program partner in the logistics industry
FORT SMITH, Ark., Oct. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ArcBest® (Nasdaq: ARCB), a leader in supply chain logistics, today announced a new partnership with Integrate Autism Employment Advisors — a non-profit organization that collaborates with companies to identify, recruit and retain professionals on the autism spectrum — to foster a neuroinclusive workforce and continue attracting the best talent with unique skill sets. ArcBest is Integrate's first full-scale hiring program partner in the logistics industry. This partnership demonstrates ArcBest's commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to create a workplace where we embrace and encourage diverse experiences and perspectives.
"Our people are at the heart of our success, and we care about attracting, hiring and retaining the right people for the right jobs — including those who are on the autism spectrum," said Erin Gattis, ArcBest's chief human resources officer. "Our partnership with Integrate is a step in the right direction to continue learning about workplace neurodiversity so that we can create a more inclusive working environment where all individuals can succeed. We hope our efforts will encourage others in the industry to do the same."
According to Integrate, approximately 35 percent of individuals on the autism spectrum go to college, but the current under/unemployment rate for this population is between 75 percent and 85 percent. ArcBest has set an initial goal to hire five employees through the Integrate program in 2023.
This partnership also serves as a foundation for ArcBest to review and enhance its job descriptions and existing recruiting, interviewing, hiring and retaining processes — ensuring they are autism-friendly and supportive of all current and new neurodivergent employees.
"When it comes to the workplace, job descriptions are often the first barrier to entry," said Tracy Powell-Rudy, vice president of corporate engagement at Integrate. "For example, entry-level descriptions that call for excellent oral and communication skills or leadership potential often put off potential applicants who may struggle with interpersonal skills. Many on the spectrum often take things literally so that if they don't have one skill out of 10 listed in a job post, they won't apply, thinking themselves unqualified. Integrate works with employers to craft neuroinclusive job descriptions so qualified neurodivergent candidates will not self-select out of applying."
ArcBest joins other corporations like JP Morgan Chase & Co., SAP, Ernst & Young and Microsoft in searching for professionals with autism to hire.
ArcBest® (Nasdaq: ARCB) is a multibillion-dollar integrated logistics company that helps keep the global supply chain moving. Founded in 1923 and now with over 15,000 employees across more than 250 campuses and service centers, the company is a logistics powerhouse, fueled by the simple notion of finding a way to get the job done. Through innovative thinking, agility and trust, ArcBest leverages its full suite of shipping and logistics solutions to meet customers' critical needs, each and every day. For more information, visit arcb.com.
With more than a decade of experience, Integrate helps employers hire professionals on the autism spectrum and with other neurodivergent conditions. Integrate provides a full suite of services including assessment, training and education, sourcing of work ready candidates and on-boarding support to ensure a neuroinclusive work environment. Matching autistic talent with autism-friendly employers allows for employers to see success at work.
Media Contact: Autumnn Mahar
Email: amahar@arcb.com
Phone: 479-494-8221
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SOURCE ArcBest | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2022/10/20/arcbest-partners-with-integrate-advance-neurodiversity-its-workforce/ | 2022-10-20T16:50:22 | en | 0.929159 |
For its entire 15-year history, the state’s contracting watchdog agency has been a shell operation, battling to secure funds to hire an actual investigative staff.
And while the State Contracting Standards Board finally won that fight in May, it is well into its fourth month of the new fiscal year with no investigative team in place — though officials say that’s about to change.
“We’re on it, we’re active, but it’s just taking its time,” said West Hartford Democrat Lawrence Fox, the board’s chairman. “No one is slow-walking it.”
The board, which wants to delve deeper into all state agency contracting procedures — particularly those involving the Connecticut Port Authority and an offshore wind farm near New London — expects to ramp up activities this winter, Fox insisted.
But he also noted that while securing funding was a crucial first step, state agencies cannot hire until proper job descriptions and classifications have been drafted and approved, until jobs are posted and initial applications are reviewed — all of which is done in conjunction with the Department of Administrative Services. And DAS officials have their hands full these days after watching more than 4,500 state employees — spread across all agencies — retire during the first six months of 2022.
The surge in retirements between January and June — roughly double the annual total in recent years — was triggered largely by a 2017 concessions package between the state and its employee unions. That deal tightened pension benefits for workers who retire after June 30, 2022.
“DAS is pleased to partner with the State Contracting Standards Board to support its mission and critical recruitment efforts,” Commissioner Michelle Gilman said this week. “All positions are on track to be filled expeditiously, yet in accordance with statutory, regulatory and collective bargaining procedures.”
The contracting board will receive lists of candidates for all five positions in its investigative team this week.
Gov. Ned Lamont and the legislature included $454,000 to fund the new positions in the $24.2 billion state budget they adopted in early May for the fiscal year that began July 1.
The board was the linchpin of the “Clean Contracting” system created in 2007 in response to the contracting scandals that drove Republican Gov. John G. Rowland from office amid an impeachment inquiry in July 2004. Rowland later served 10 months in federal prison after admitting he accepted about $100,000 in gifts from state contractors and his staff.
The board was empowered to review Executive Branch agencies’ contracting processes to ensure they were transparent, cost-efficient and in compliance with the law. It also would have authority to suspend any procurement effort deemed improper.
But it never was provided with funding to employ more than an executive director and occasional clerical staff.
Pressure from legislators to strengthen the contracting watchdog office has intensified since early February following reports that the FBI is investigating school construction work and other projects once overseen by Lamont’s former deputy budget director, Konstantinos Diamantis.
The contracting board also wants to delve more deeply into the Connecticut Port Authority’s efforts to renovate State Pier in New London to make it the staging point for development of an offshore wind-to-energy project.
The watchdog board’s volunteer members contributed their own time last winter to begin investigating a $523,000 “success” fee the port authority paid to a New York consulting firm that helped it find a pier operator. That consulting firm, Seabury Capital Group of New York, has close ties to a former port authority member.
Fox has said he believes the contracting watchdog, once fully staffed, both can improve the quality of state services and reduce wasteful spending through better monitoring of contracts.
State employee unions also have been strong advocates of a fully staffed watchdog agency since its inception.
The [board] is a critical watchdog agency that protects public investment through ethical procurement and ensuring our workforce is able to function efficiently and effectively,” Drew Stoner, spokeswoman for the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, said Tuesday. “We are thrilled to see movement on filling the five positions that the legislature approved.”
SEBAC, which includes nearly all state employee unions except for the state police, has said hiring across all agencies must be a priority and that the public-sector workforce is in crisis.
Under Lamont’s predecessor, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, the Executive Branch workforce shrank almost 10% between 2011 and 2018 as state officials frequently used attrition to help close budget deficits.
Stoner said mental health, public safety and education services face critical shortages that need immediate attention.
Gilman added that the state’s human resources teams have fast-tracked the hiring of nearly 3,000 people over the past three months, “employees who will support our most vulnerable residents, strengthen our state’s infrastructure, expand access to digital government and more.” | https://www.journalinquirer.com/business_and_economics/ct-contracting-watchdog-close-to-adding-investigative-team/article_99919d08-5072-11ed-a46b-db97a4e05488.html | 2022-10-20T16:50:24 | en | 0.966081 |
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Florida has seen an increase in cases of flesh-eating bacteria this year driven largely by a surge in the county hit hardest by Hurricane Ian.
The state Department of Health reports that as of Friday there have been 65 cases of vibrio vulnificus infections and 11 deaths in Florida this year. That compares with 34 cases and 10 deaths reported during all of 2021.
In Lee County, where Ian stormed ashore last month, the health department reports 29 cases this year and four deaths.
Health officials didn’t give a breakdown of how many of the cases were before or after Ian struck.
Lee County health officials earlier this month warned people that the post-hurricane environment — including warm, standing water — could pose a danger from the potentially deadly bacteria.
“Flood waters and standing waters following a hurricane pose many risks, including infectious diseases such as vibrio vulnificus,” the county health department said in a news release Oct. 3 that urged the public to take precautions.
The advisory said that people with open wounds, cuts, or scratches can be exposed to the bacteria through contact with sea water or brackish water. People with open wounds should avoid such water and seek medical care immediately if an infection is apparent. | https://www.ktsm.com/life-health/florida-sees-spike-in-flesh-eating-bacteria-amid-ian-concerns/ | 2022-10-20T16:50:24 | en | 0.967448 |
Axis Bank's net profit zooms 66.29 pc on lower provisions, profit margin expansion
Specifically, the provisions line was benefitted the most through a write-back of Rs 362 crore on the other provisions driven by performance of the restructured assets as against Rs 930 crore set aside in the year-ago period.The overall capital adequacy ratio stood at 16.52 per cent as on September 30, 2022 and the bank will not be requiring any infusion till its over Rs 12,000 crore deal to acquire Citi Indias retail portfolio goes through by March 2023.
- Country:
- India
Axis Bank on Thursday reported a 66.29 per cent jump in its consolidated net profit for September quarter at Rs 5,625.25 crore, driven by a substantial decrease in bad loan provisions and margin expansion.
On a standalone basis, the third largest private sector lender reported a 70 per cent increase in its profit after tax for the July-September period at Rs 5,329.77 crore.
The core net interest income rose 31 per cent to Rs 10,360 crore on the back of a 14 per cent growth in assets and a 0.57 per cent expansion in the net interest margin at 3.96 per cent.
The other income grew 4 per cent to Rs 3,941 crore, and was compressed by a loss of Rs 86 crore on the trading income side as against gains of Rs 473 crore in the year-ago period.
The bank's managing director and chief executive Amitabh Chaudhry said it has met the year-end guidance on NIMs ahead of time, which offers it some cushioning and it will more rigorously look at growth opportunities from here on while maintaining margins.
Its loan growth for the quarter was driven by huge increases in small businesses banking at 69 per cent, while the overall small and medium enterprises segment was up 28 per cent, the bank said, adding the corporate loans grew at a slower rate of 9 per cent.
Amid what some bankers call as a war for deposits, the bank reported a slower 10 per cent increase on that front and its executives stated that they will look at increasing the base using various measures.
On the asset quality front, there was an improvement in the gross non performing assets ratio at 2.50 per cent as against 3.53 per cent in the year-ago period and 2.76 per cent at the end of the June quarter.
The fresh slippages declined to Rs 3,383 crore as against Rs 5,464 crore in the year-ago period, it said, adding that over Rs 700 crore of them came from the low-rated portfolio flagged earlier.
This resulted in the overall provisions declining sharply to Rs 549 crore from Rs 1,735 crore in the year-ago period, which helped the bank's bottom line. Specifically, the provisions line was benefitted the most through a write-back of Rs 362 crore on the other provisions driven by performance of the restructured assets as against Rs 930 crore set aside in the year-ago period.
The overall capital adequacy ratio stood at 16.52 per cent as on September 30, 2022 and the bank will not be requiring any infusion till its over Rs 12,000 crore deal to acquire Citi India's retail portfolio goes through by March 2023. He also said that the bank's internal accruals are becoming sufficient to take care of growth capital.
He also said that the performance of the Citi portfolio is as per the assumptions made while valuing the business and there is no need at present to relook at the price that it has offered to pay. It can be noted that as per the agreement signed in March 2022, a significant attrition in the metrices can trigger a dent on the money paid to Citi.
The subsidiaries' total annualised profit has grown 14 per cent to Rs 1,170 crore at the end of the first half of the fiscal year. This includes a 53 per cent increase in the PAT from Axis Finance at Rs 210 crore for April-September, 24 per cent increase in the asset management arm to Rs 183 crore. Axis Securities and Axis Capital showed a decline in profits for the first half of the fiscal year.
In a note, domestic brokerage Prabhudas Lilladher said the bank has displayed strong overall performance, but deposit accretion was slower and will be a key going forward.
The bank scrip closed 0.42 per cent down at Rs 836.20 a piece on the BSE, as against gains of 0.16 per cent on the benchmark.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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- Amitabh Chaudhry
- Citi
- Axis Finance
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- Prabhudas Lilladher
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Iranian-American citizen Baquer Namazi leaves Iran | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2221406-axis-banks-net-profit-zooms-6629-pc-on-lower-provisions-profit-margin-expansion | 2022-10-20T16:50:24 | en | 0.957017 |
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The major freight railroads appear unwilling to give track maintenance workers much more than they received in the initial contract they rejected last week, increasing the chances of a strike.
The railroads took the unusual step of issuing a statement late Wednesday rejecting the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division union’s latest request to add paid sick time on top of the 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses they received in the first five-year deal.
Union Pacific CEO Lance Fritz said Thursday that he thinks the main reason the BMWED rejected its initial contract last week was that the details of improved expense reimbursement in the deal were still being negotiated at UP while workers were voting. So it wasn't clear exactly what those workers would receive for their travel expenses when they go on the road to repair tracks.
Six of the 12 railroad unions that represent 115,000 workers nationwide have approved their tentative agreements with the railroads so far, but all of them have to ratify their contracts to avoid a strike. The unions have agreed to put any strike on hold until at least mid-November while the BMWED negotiates a new deal and the other unions vote on their proposed contracts, so there's no immediate threat the the trains most businesses rely on to deliver their raw materials and finished products will stop moving. A railroad strike could devastate the economy.
“Ultimately, I remain confident that we’re going to get our temporary agreements ratified and be able to avoid a strike. That’s still a possibility but I don’t think it’s a probability,” Fritz told investors after his railroad released its earnings report.
The group that negotiations on behalf of the major railroads, including UP, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, CSX and Kansas City Southern, said the new contracts should closely follow the recommendations of the special board of arbitrators that President Joe Biden appointed this summer. The railroads said that board rejected union demands for paid sick time.
“Now is not the time to introduce new demands that rekindle the prospect of a railroad strike,” the railroads said.
Officials at the BMWED union didn't immediately respond to the railroads Thursday. Concerns about quality of life and the ability for workers — particularly the engineers and conductors who drive the trains — to take time off without being penalized have weighed heavily on the negotiations.
But the railroads say workers do have significant short-term disability benefits that kick in after four or seven days and last up to 52 weeks that the unions have negotiated for over the years. The railroads said the unions have repeatedly agreed that short-term absences would be unpaid in favor of higher wages and more generous benefits for long-term illnesses.
If both sides can't agree on contracts, Congress could step in to block a strike and impose terms on the workers. | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Railroads-reject-sick-time-demands-raising-17522380.php | 2022-10-20T16:50:28 | en | 0.973946 |
ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., Oct. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. today announced the acquisition of Quincy, Illinois-based Cason, Huff & Schlueter Insurance. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded in 1923, Cason, Huff & Schlueter is a retail insurance agency specializing in personal and commercial insurance as well as life, health and disability insurance to clients in Illinois and Missouri. Mike McCaughey, Patty McCaughey, Bryan Feldner, Eric Frese, Mary Kinscherf and their associates will remain in their current location under the direction of Ryan Isaacs, head of Gallagher's Midwest region retail property/casualty brokerage operations.
"Cason, Huff & Schlueter has earned a great reputation over a long history for their expertise and professionalism, and will expand our capabilities in the Midwest," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "I am very pleased to welcome Mike, Patty, Bryan, Eric, Mary and their team to Gallagher."
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Gallagher provides these services in approximately 130 countries around the world through its owned operations and a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2022/10/20/arthur-j-gallagher-amp-co-acquires-cason-huff-amp-schlueter-insurance/ | 2022-10-20T16:50:29 | en | 0.941037 |
(KTLA) – The Powerball jackpot has grown to $550 million after no one matched all six numbers in Wednesday night’s drawing.
Wednesday’s drawing, meanwhile, hit a snag after technical difficulties kept the scheduled event from taking place live. The winning numbers — 6, 8, 15, 27, 42 and a Power Ball of 10 — were posted about an hour later on the Lottery’s YouTube channel.
The Lottery announced Thursday morning that no one had won Wednesday’s $515.5 million jackpot, raising the estimated jackpot for Saturday to $550 million.
The cash value for Saturday’s drawing is currently around $277.5 million, the Power Ball website estimated.
The odds of matching all five numbers plus the Power Ball are 1 in 292,201,338, according to the site. | https://www.ktsm.com/lifestyle/powerball-jackpot-grows-to-550-million-for-saturdays-drawing/ | 2022-10-20T16:50:31 | en | 0.954666 |
In the rush to test Connecticut nursing home residents and staff for COVID-19, the state Department of Public Health did not track whether testing providers, who received millions of dollars in public funding during the pandemic, were also collecting insurance payments that would need to be remitted to the state, according to a recently released audit.
That oversight may have resulted in testing providers being compensated twice — by the state and by insurance companies — for the samples they collected at the long-term care facilities, according to the state Auditors of Public Accounts.
The uncertainty over the testing contracts is largely due to the Department of Public Health’s lax recordkeeping during the pandemic as the state loosened its normal purchasing rules to quickly build up its testing capacity, according to the audit.
The auditors noted that state health officials did not run checks during the height of the pandemic to determine if they were overpaying the various testing providers, whom they were relying on to screen vulnerable nursing home patients.
The state is only now starting to review those contracts and the millions of dollars it paid out to the companies.
Between July 2020 and June 2021, the state health department distributed more than $159 million in federal funding to 10 different clinics, hospitals and private laboratories to test the patients and staff for COVID-19 at 210 nursing homes around the state.
As part of those contracts, the companies agreed to collect information from the people they were testing and to bill the appropriate insurance carrier if those individuals were covered by a health insurance policy.
Any insurance money the testing providers received was then supposed to be returned to DPH, if the state initially covered the upfront cost of that testing.
Public records show that four of the 10 testing businesses reimbursed the state last year.
Those four companies initially received a combined $138 million from the state for collecting COVID-19 samples and analyzing them at labs. And they eventually returned roughly $22 million back to the state health agency after billing various insurance companies.
Griffin Hospital, which performed the largest share of the nursing home testing during that time period, received more than $113 million from the state and returned more than $19 million it collected through insurance claims.
Urgent Care Medical Associates, which received roughly $19.7 million from the state, returned more than $1.1 million in insurance proceeds. Hartford HealthCare, which was paid $3.5 million, reimbursed the state nearly $500,000, and the Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, which received $1.3 million from the state for testing, returned roughly $188,000.
Meanwhile, the six other companies that were hired to perform testing at the nursing homes did not remit any money to the state.
Those six businesses were Genesys Diagnostics, Prospect ECHN Inc., Prospect Waterbury Inc., Sema4 Genomics, Stamford Hospital and Yale New Haven Health Services.
According to the audit, state officials have been unable to calculate how much those six companies may owe — if anything.
That's because DPH does not have direct access to the health insurance records for the people who were tested at the nursing homes, DPH officials said. The testing companies collected and maintained that information themselves.
The state auditors said that opened up the possibility that the six testing companies got to keep more money than they were entitled to under the contracts.
“The lack of insurance recovery remittances likely resulted in overpayments to the contractors,” the auditors wrote in their report.
“We are not accusing anybody of wrongdoing,” John Geregosian, one of the two state auditors, said. “All we know is that some of the contractors didn’t give any money back to the state from insurance payments they could have collected as the contract required them to do, and that four of them did.”
The CT Mirror emailed and called all six of those companies seeking an explanation about the audit's findings. Officials with four of those testing providers responded.
“We can state very directly, that if we billed insurance, we did not also bill the state," said Vincent Petrini, a senior vice president with Yale New Haven Health. "As a result, we never received both an insurance payment and a state payment for the same test. We are entirely comfortable working with the state to review any of these transactions during the course of the pandemic.”
“We adhered to our contractual obligations to the state for long-term care facilities, including all billing and reporting requirements,” a spokesman for SEMA4 said. “We did not bill the state for tests that were paid by insurance.”
Officials with the Eastern Connecticut Health Network and Waterbury HEALTH, which were previously operated by Prospect Medical Holdings, said they were confident that their two companies were not overcompensated for the work they performed.
“ECHN and Waterbury HEALTH provided detailed patient data to the State of Connecticut’s Department of Health in order to be reimbursed for the COVID testing services provided,” said Nina Kruse, a chief communications officer for the two health care companies. “We have reviewed the number of tests performed and the amounts received and can confirm we did not receive any overpayment for this testing.”
Officials at DPH also pushed back against the audit findings. They explained that the agency's lack of oversight with the insurance payments was due to the fast-paced nature of the pandemic and the corresponding crisis that played out at nursing homes across the state.
DPH officials said there was not enough time to fully review the work of each testing company during the public health emergency while the residents and staff at the nursing homes were at severe risk of contracting the virus.
“The urgency to perform these testing services was necessitated by the pandemic and the imminent crisis at these facilities," DPH officials wrote in response to the audit.
“The process of review, vetting and validating the numerous weekly payment requests from the care partners prior to making payments was determined to be a burden to the exceptionally time sensitive and critical nature of the COVID-19 testing services at these nursing home facilities,” the agency added.
DPH officials told the CT Mirror that the agency is in the process of reviewing all of the work performed by the 10 testing providers and determining whether any of those companies owed the state money.
The contracts that the testing companies signed allow the state health agency to perform follow-up audits to ensure the businesses didn't overbill the state for testing or pocket any additional profits.
“The Department of Public Health is thoroughly reviewing all providers’ submissions for compliance with their contracts,” said Chris Boyle, a spokesman for DPH. “This process was underway, even prior to the release of this audit. DPH is working with the auditors and will continue to update them on our progress.”
If any companies were overpaid for the lab testing or failed to pass insurance payments on to the state, Boyle said, DPH would seek to collect on those debts.
“The results of that thorough review will determine if funds are to be returned to DPH,” he said. “If needed, DPH will take action to provide for the prompt return of those monies.”
The testing providers may need to wait a little longer for those results.
State officials told the CT Mirror that the review of the testing contractors may not be finished until late November. | https://www.journalinquirer.com/connecticut_and_region/audit-ct-officials-don-t-know-if-covid-testing-providers-were-overpaid/article_11ef25ba-5071-11ed-b4ba-ab75f3f5af0e.html | 2022-10-20T16:50:31 | en | 0.982077 |
European shares rise after UK's Truss resigns as prime minister
European shares rose on Thursday after Liz Truss said she was resigning as the United Kingdom's prime minister, brought down by her economic programme that wrecked havoc on markets. The region-wide STOXX 600 closed 0.3% up after flirting between gains and losses right after the announcement in London.
European shares rose on Thursday after Liz Truss said she was resigning as the United Kingdom's prime minister, brought down by her economic programme that wrecked havoc on markets.
The region-wide STOXX 600 closed 0.3% up after flirting between gains and losses right after the announcement in London. Appointed on Sept. 6, Truss was forced last week to sack her finance minister and closest political ally, Kwasi Kwarteng, and abandon almost all of her economic programme after their plans for vast unfunded tax cuts crashed the pound and British bonds, forcing the Bank of England to intervene.
A leadership election will be completed within the next week. Sterling rallied and the London's FTSE 100 closed higher. "Truss took on an extra relevance to markets because of the policies that she attempted to implement and the markets' reaction to them," said Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers.
"You'd think that if someone was that deeply unpopular the market might rally or the currency might rally when she left. But I think the fact that neither is happening is telling us that markets do crave political stability and we don't have that." Meanwhile, Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia and rival Ericsson reported weaker-than-expected earnings, bruised by ongoing patent battles which pressured margins and offset strong demand for 5G equipment.
Shares of the companies slumped 7.6% and 14.8%, respectively. More than half of the sectors advanced, with tech rising 1.94%. Telecom was the biggest loser, down 2.5%.
The STOXX 600 had snapped a four-day rally on Wednesday, as earnings optimism was snuffed out by worrying inflation reports from Canada and the United Kingdom that fanned fears about more aggressive policy moves from central banks to rein in prices. "There has been a pretty negative reaction in risk assets and bond markets to the inflation data. It ultimately means central banks like the Fed and the Bank of Canada may have to do even more work to tighten," said Stephen Gallo, European head of FX strategy for BMO Capital Markets.
Adding to the concerns, data on Thursday showed German producer prices rose more than expected in September, as energy prices soared. However, in a bright spot, Finnish banking group Nordea beat profit estimates, while Hermes added 1.6% after the Birkin bag maker saw a sharp pickup in sales growth with no signs of a slowdown.
Among other stocks, Swedish Match AB gained 1.9% after Philip Morris International raised its buyout offer for the nicotine products maker.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Germany, Spain stick to plan to build new gas pipeline - draft document | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2221412-european-shares-rise-after-uks-truss-resigns-as-prime-minister | 2022-10-20T16:50:32 | en | 0.970596 |
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WASHINGTON (AP) — With several billion dollars in federal money secured for drought-stricken western states, managers and officials on the Rio Grande are hopeful some will reach their communities and bring attention to the challenges facing one of North America’s longest rivers.
Stretches of the river near Albuquerque, New Mexico went dry for the first time in 40 years in August, destroying critical habitat for endangered fish. South Texas cities including McAllen, Brownsville and Mission, whose only water source is the river, ratcheted up water restrictions on businesses and a collective 1 million people. Reservoirs that are key to those residents, but not household names, like Amistad and the Falcon Lakes, fell to all-time lows. Farmers in the Rio Grande Valley braced for losses when drought caused interruptions to deliveries from canals that normally bring them water.
With $4 billion in the Biden administration’s climate measure to address drought, some officials argue cities and farms in the Rio Grande basin have been overlooked while facing just as many problems as others in the West. The money from the federal spending package has not yet been fully allocated, but priority will be given to states served by the 1,450-mile (2,334-kilometer) powerhouse of the West, the Colorado River, and to other drought-afflicted basins. Officials in New Mexico and Texas want the Rio Grande to be included.
A main way the money will be spent in the Colorado River basin is to pay farmers to leave fields unplanted and free up the water that would otherwise be used. Southwestern cities and Native American tribes, who have their own rights to water, could also be paid to use less of their supply.
Over the years, Rio Grande communities have received federal grant funding and loans for infrastructure repairs and conservation, but officials say the current moment is unique because the Interior Department and other federal agencies are flush with cash from spending packages passed under the Biden administration.
New Mexico has received “bits and pieces of things,” said Mike Hamman, the state water engineer. “But nothing like a major drought appropriation strictly from the federal government, to date.”
In Texas, Maria Elena-Giner helps oversee treaties that govern how the U.S. and Mexico share the Rio Grande and Colorado River as the U.S. representative to the International Boundary and Water Commission.
Key differences between the two rivers make managing South Texas' water supply challenging, Giner said. In South Texas, 70% of water from the Rio Grande comes from tributaries located in Mexico. The southern neighbor is to deliver water to the U.S. in five-year cycles, or send smaller increments yearly. But Mexico’s water deliveries have grown increasingly unpredictable as drought cuts into both countries' water supply.
Additional money could be put toward new water storage projects and improvements to existing dams, canals, and reservoirs in both countries, Giner said. “The big challenge is really some predictability ... on an annual basis.”
The situation on the Rio Grande is unlike the Colorado River, where Mexico is last in line for water. The northwestern Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora use Colorado River water while Chihuahua, to the east, relies on the Rio Grande.
Giner added that whereas the Colorado has the powerful Bureau of Reclamation as a manager, the Rio Grande has the International Boundary and Water Commission, a little-known diplomatic agency headquartered in El Paso, with nowhere near the same manpower to handle transboundary water issues.
“We are the Bureau of Reclamation on the Rio Grande,” she said, pointing to the commission's $55 million annual budget for the entire U.S-Mexico border.
But Democratic U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico said the problems of the three-state Rio Grande basin go beyond money. She wants to reform how the river is managed, and introduced legislation in Congress last summer to bring more coordination between the basin states, arguing that policies should be updated to match current climate conditions in the Southwest.
Stansbury said reservoirs on the Rio Grande could be managed differently to allow for better water storage, which would help communities in times of drought. Currently, reservoirs in New Mexico have specific uses for water delivery, flood control or storage, but are rarely used for more than one purpose. And adding more coordination among states would allow them to make better use of funding that's available, she said.
“On the Rio Grande, there’s not a set of common goals because that management framework doesn’t exist for the entire basin,” Stansbury said. Her bill is part of a larger drought and wildfire package that the Senate will likely vote on after the midterm elections.
The Colorado River is on a scale unmatched by any other North American river, serving 40 million people across seven states, 29 tribes and Mexico. The Rio Grande provides water to more than 6 million people in southern Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico and irrigates thousands of square miles of farmland.
Jason Casuga, chief engineer for New Mexico's Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, said the Rio Grande's smaller scale should make conservation easier, particularly as drought-affected states are eligible for more funding.
“The Colorado is just orders and orders of magnitude different on the scale of water, which complicates solutions," Casuga said. "Luckily, for the Rio Grande, I don't believe that's the case. There are tangible solutions to moving water for drought purposes."
___
Follow Suman Naishadham on Twitter: @SumanNaishadham
___
The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Rio-Grande-managers-eye-federal-cash-for-western-17522463.php | 2022-10-20T16:50:34 | en | 0.95574 |
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – The City of El Paso will begin offering FREE COVID-19 testing using kiosks in different locations throughout the City beginning, Friday, October 21, 2022.
Most of the kiosks will be open 24 hours a day, seven (7) days a week. The tests are free for individuals who are symptomatic, have been exposed, or are at high risk, regardless of insurance status.
The TestAndGo© Fully Automated Healthcare Kiosk is sponsored by the City of El Paso in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Increasing Community Access to Testing program (CDC ICATT).
Kiosk locations:
- Esperanza Acosta Moreno Branch Library
12480 Pebble Hills
Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Located on the exterior of the building adjacent to the rear parking lot
- Arturo “Tury” Benavides Cielo Vista Transit Center
1165 Sunmount
Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Located on the exterior adjacent to other vending machines
- Al Jefferson Westside Transit Center
7535 Remcon
Open from 4:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Located on the interior adjacent to other vending machines
- University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)
*Now in operation
3333 N. Mesa
Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Located on UTEP property (cross street is Kern Drive)
Easy-to-Use Self-Testing Kiosk
Residents can register online at https://register.testandgo.com/ or access the registration app by scanning the QR code on the machine. After you register, scan your QR confirmation code at the kiosk and a test kit will be dispensed. Follow the instructions in the kit to perform the test. The test uses a nasal swab to collect the specimen. Once the specimen is collected, drop off your sample in the kiosk’s collection box. Specimens are picked up daily for PCR testing.
Results
Test results will be sent via text or email within 48 hours from your test date.
For questions about test results, call 800-402-0000 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday.
For more information about the various alternative testing sites click here or visit EPStrong.org. | https://www.ktsm.com/local/city-of-el-paso-provides-covid-19-testing-through-new-kiosks/ | 2022-10-20T16:50:37 | en | 0.86784 |
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