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Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) officially announced his presidential campaign on May 24, challenging former president Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. The contest has quickly become a bitter one, with both men taking frequent public shots at the other.
On June 5, a Twitter account affiliated with the DeSantis campaign tweeted a video attacking Trump for not firing Anthony Fauci when Trump was president. Fauci was the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for decades, and the face of the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic – a response DeSantis has vehemently criticized.
At one point in the video, a collage of images is shown depicting Trump appearing friendly with Fauci, some even seeming to show the two men hugging during press briefings.
Viewers on Twitter were quick to claim that some of those images were not authentic photographs, but instead deepfakes created using artificial intelligence.
THE QUESTION
Are these images of Donald Trump hugging Anthony Fauci, posted by the DeSantis campaign, genuine photographs?
THE SOURCES
- TinEye, a reverse image lookup tool
- National Institutes of Health
- Getty Images
- Reuters
THE ANSWER
No, these are not genuine photographs. These images were created using artificial intelligence.
WHAT WE FOUND
VERIFY isolated each of the six pictures included in the collage portion of the video, and used reverse image search to identify whether they had been published before.
Three of the images – where Donald Trump is standing or sitting near Anthony Fauci – had been published before, confirming their authenticity. They were all taken and published by news or government photographers at public events in March of 2020.
However, there are no instances of the three photos of Trump embracing Fauci appearing online before the DeSantis attack ad aired. Given the constant presence of media at public events for the president – and especially for appearances alongside Fauci during the pandemic – any such hug would have been photographed and widely published.
That is the first clue these images were created with artificial intelligence. A close examination of the images also shows clues these images are not genuine and instead created with AI.
The image on the top left appears to take place in the White House press briefing room. But a decal on the wall featuring a White House logo, rather than reading “The White House,” reads “METHAP.” AI images often have trouble recreating text, and the text appears garbled or incorrect.
The image in the bottom-middle – purporting to show Trump kissing Fauci on the cheek – has signs of computer generation, too. Trump’s left hand appears to have no thumb, and his right arm is contorted around Fauci in a physically nonsensical way. Both Fauci’s face and Trump’s hair also appear bizarrely smooth and without texture. AI has difficulty matching the shapes of real hands, as well as hair texture.
Similarly the bottom-right image – purporting to show the two men hugging – has an absence of texture in Trump’s hair and in Fauci’s face that are telltale signs of AI generation.
The other three images, meanwhile, have clearly identifiable sources, locations, and timestamps.
The picture in the top-center of the collage is a photograph taken by Alex Wong on March 20, 2020 – showing Trump listening to Fauci as he briefs the press. The photo is distributed by Getty Images and has been used in multiple news articles.
The picture in the top-right was taken on March 3, 2020 by Chia-Chi Chang, a staff photographer for the National Institutes of Health. It was included in an NIH press release about the president visiting the NIH to receive a briefing on COVID-19.
The image in the bottom-left was taken March 25, 2020 by Jonathan Ernst, showing Fauci and Trump – along with Vice President Mike Pence – at a daily coronavirus press briefing. The photograph is distributed by Reuters and has been used in multiple news articles.
The DeSantis campaign did not immediately respond to VERIFY’s request for comment. But shortly after the ad was posted, the same DeSantis War Room Twitter account posted another video with a tongue-in-cheek disclaimer downplaying the criticism directed at the previous video’s use of AI imagery.
Senior DeSantis campaign staffer Christina Pushaw also posted a tweet mocking the criticism – pointing out Trump himself has also posted AI-generated images to attack DeSantis. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/verify/ai/trump-hugging-fauci-photos-ron-desantis-shared-not-real/536-9be58e27-546e-467c-9243-b2e771c96cb8 | 2023-06-09 03:30:51 | 1 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/verify/ai/trump-hugging-fauci-photos-ron-desantis-shared-not-real/536-9be58e27-546e-467c-9243-b2e771c96cb8 |
DALLAS, June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Producers Midstream II, LLC ("Producers Midstream" or the "Company"), a Dallas-based portfolio company of Tailwater Capital focused on providing a full suite of turnkey midstream solutions to producers across the U.S., today announced that it has secured a new syndicated credit facility led by Texas Capital Bancshares, Inc., Bank of Oklahoma and Cadence Bank. The credit facility will allow the Company to borrow up to an additional $200 million assuming certain conditions are met.
Following the successful acquisition and integration of Midcoast Energy's gas gathering and processing assets in the Anadarko Basin earlier this year, Producers Midstream has continued to optimize and integrate its operations and grow its geographic footprint. This integration effectively combines the Anadarko Basin to midstream operations in the Permian Basin and creates extensive running room for further growth behind the consolidated system. The credit facility will provide additional resources to further support the Company's operations and ability to capitalize on the growing opportunity set within the Eastern Shelf of the Permian Basin as production continues to increase with best-in-class well results. Operators behind the Company's midstream system, targeting the Strawn Sands, have increased production by over 400% since the beginning of 2019 due to breakevens on par with or exceeding the core of the Midland Basin.
"We continue to see strong momentum across our business and remain intently focused on solidifying our role as the midstream infrastructure partner of choice for operators targeting the Strawn Sands within the Eastern Shelf," said Matt Flory, Chief Executive Officer of Producers Midstream. "The integration of the Midcoast assets expanded our capabilities in key geographies, and this commitment underscores our growth potential as we continue to provide a high quality and effective midstream infrastructure solutions for our customers."
"This financing further positions Producers Midstream to capitalize on significant long-term opportunities in an increasingly attractive area," said Stephen Lipscomb, Partner at Tailwater Capital. "Our customers continue to deliver outstanding well results, and we will continue providing them with reliable, responsive and innovative service offerings."
Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal advisor to Producers Midstream and Tailwater Capital.
About Producers Midstream
With more than 70 years of midstream experience, the Producers Midstream management team is committed to maximizing the value of our producer's operations by creating a system of increased reliability and predictability, supported by our culture of service, ingenuity, and responsiveness.
About Tailwater Capital
Dallas-based Tailwater Capital is a growth-oriented energy and growth infrastructure private equity firm with a well-established track record of working constructively with proven management teams to deliver value-added solutions. Tailwater has raised more than $3.7 billion in committed capital since inception and the team has executed more than 100 transactions representing over $22 billion in value. For more information, please visit www.tailwatercapital.com.
Media Contacts
Woomi Yun / Erik Carlson
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
212-355-4449
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SOURCE Producers Midstream | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/producers-midstream-ii-announces-new-200m-secured-credit-facility/ | 2022-06-23 20:34:47 | 1 | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/producers-midstream-ii-announces-new-200m-secured-credit-facility/ |
The independent rating agency assigned the company's insurers—Medical Mutual Insurance Company of North Carolina and Medical Security Insurance Company—an "Excellent" rating
RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Curi, an advisory firm for physicians and medical practices, today announced that rating agency A.M. Best has affirmed the "A" (Excellent) rating for its insurance businesses for the nineteenth consecutive year, along with providing a long-term issuer credit rating of "a+" (Excellent). Curi Insurance provides medical professional liability insurance and alternative risk solutions for physicians and their practices. The A.M. Best outlook for these credit ratings is stable.
According to the independent rating agency, the "A" rating is assigned only to select companies that have an excellent ability to meet ongoing insurance policy and financial obligations. The ratings reflect Curi's strong balance sheet and consistent operating performance, which has outperformed the industry and the medical professional liability composite. In addition, Curi has realized favorable underwriting and investment performance.
"Nineteen consecutive years of 'A' ratings from A.M. Best are a testament to our consistent financial performance and strong foundation," said Brad Diericx, Curi Insurance's Chief Executive Officer. "We're incredibly proud of these ratings and remain as committed as ever to the disciplined approach and strategies that have helped us earn this recognition, and importantly, allow us to continue meeting the ever-changing needs of our member-owners."
"We're honored to once again be recognized by A.M. Best for our strength, discipline, and innovation—particularly in light of the challenges that our industry and our customers are facing right now," said Jason Sandner, Curi's Chief Executive Officer. "These ratings are an important reflection of the diligent work of our team and always have us looking toward the future, as we identify new opportunities to grow and strengthen our business to best support the members we serve."
For more information on A.M. Best's 2022 rating of Curi, click here. For more information on Curi's recent financial performance, see the company's Annual Reports at https://curi.com/annual-reports.
Curi (curi.com) is a full-service advisory firm that serves physicians and medical practices. Equal parts fierce physician advocates, smart business leaders, and thoughtful partners, Curi's advisory, capital, and insurance offerings deliver valued advice that is grounded in client priorities and elevated by their outcomes. From data-driven advisory services to private wealth offerings, to tailored insurance solutions and beyond, Curi delivers performance that is time-tested and trusted—in medicine, business, and life.
A.M. Best is the world's oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.
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SOURCE Curi | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/10/03/am-best-affirms-curis-excellent-rating-19th-consecutive-year/ | 2022-10-03 22:21:37 | 1 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/10/03/am-best-affirms-curis-excellent-rating-19th-consecutive-year/ |
Penn State running back Nick Singleton and safety Ji’Ayir Brown were honored Monday by the Big Ten for their performances in the Nittany Lions’ 41-12 win over Auburn.
Singleton, the former Gov. Mifflin star, was named the conference’s Freshman of the Week for the second straight time. He carried 10 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns against Auburn and leads the nation with 11.1 yards per carry.
He had runs of 54 and 53 yards to give him five runs of 40-plus yards and three of 50-plus yards, both of which lead the nation.
Brown, a senior from Trenton, N.J., was selected the Defensive Player of the Week. He had five tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and an interception to help Penn State become the first Big Ten team since 2012 to sweep a home-and-home series against a Southeastern Conference opponent.
It was the second time that Brown has received the honor.
In other Penn State news, the Lions’ Oct. 1 home game against Northwestern will start at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised by ABC or ESPN.
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More Than 85 Percent of Stolen Vehicles Recovered in 2022
DES PLAINES, Ill., July 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to analysis by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), the insurance industry's association dedicated to predicting, preventing, and prosecuting insurance crime, vehicles with the highest theft rate last year were full-size pickups. These vehicles made up more than 25 percent of the thefts reported in 2022, which was a decrease from a high of 33 percent in 2021. While vehicle theft rates have been soaring since the start of the pandemic, recovery rates have also risen. More than 85 percent of passenger vehicles reported stolen in 2022 were subsequently recovered by law enforcement or other means, with 34 percent recovered within a day of the vehicle being reported stolen.
"Vehicle theft is a multi-billion-dollar industry in the United States," said David J. Glawe, President and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau. "Approximately one motor vehicle is stolen every 32 seconds, which adds up to more than one million vehicles stolen last year. Vehicle theft disrupts lives, causes financial hardship, and undermines community safety. Addressing this problem is not just the responsibility of law enforcement agencies; it requires a partnership between vehicle owners, community members, as well as federal, state, and local governments."
Vehicle theft rates for sedans, including Honda, Hyundai and Kia, followed those of full-size pickups, with recovery rates for Hyundais and Kias between 87 and 95 percent. Social media trends were a likely factor in their high theft rankings in 2022.
"There are some commonsense steps to keep cars from being stolen. First, remove valuables from the vehicle or lock them out of sight. Next, lock the doors, roll the windows all the way up, and don't leave your keys or key fob in the car," Glawe said.
With July traditionally being the month with the highest vehicle theft rate, NICB joined with the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) on a national public awareness campaign to deter and prevent vehicle theft. In addition to common sense actions like always locking your vehicle, there are other actions that people can take to deter vehicle theft. Anti-theft devices can be installed that disable the fuel system or cut off the ignition. Visible deterrents such as steering wheel locks or brake pedal locks can provide another layer of protection and because they are plainly visible.
Additionally, there are important steps consumers can take if their vehicle is stolen.
If your vehicle is stolen:
Report your vehicle as stolen immediately to police
- According to NICB data, 34% of recovered stolen vehicles are recovered on the same day as the theft, and 45% are recovered within two days. Reporting the theft to law enforcement also provides a record to show to your insurer.
Report your stolen vehicle to your insurer
- Oftentimes insurers need a police report before honoring a claim.
Be prepared to provide important vehicle information
- You will need to provide the make/model of the vehicle, color, license plate number, as well as the vehicle's VIN number. (The VIN can be found on your insurance policy documentation or on the Proof of Insurance card.)
- The process for filing a stolen vehicle report to your insurer could be over the phone, online, or even directly to your insurance agent.
Learn more about reporting stolen vehicles HERE.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL INSURANCE CRIME BUREAU: Headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to combatting and preventing insurance crime through Intelligence, Analytics, and Operations; Education and Crime Prevention; and Strategy, Policy, and Advocacy. NICB membership includes more than 1,200 property-casualty insurance companies, vehicle rental companies, auto auctions, vehicle finance companies and self-insured organizations. NICB member companies wrote over $582 billion in insurance premiums in 2021, or more than 82% of the nation's property-casualty insurance. That includes more than 96% of the nation's personal auto insurance. To learn more, visit www.nicb.org.
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SOURCE National Insurance Crime Bureau | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/27/new-report-shows-full-size-trucks-have-highest-theft-rate/ | 2023-07-27 21:58:45 | 0 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/27/new-report-shows-full-size-trucks-have-highest-theft-rate/ |
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — A tart retort by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a U.S. offer of help and a call by former U.S. President Donald Trump for the “termination” of parts of the Constitution top a Yale Law School librarian’s list of the most notable quotations of 2022.
In February, only days after Russia invaded Ukraine, the U.S. offered to transport Zelenskyy to safety. That appeared not to sit well with him. “I need ammunition, not a ride,” he shot back, a senior American intelligence official with direct knowledge of the conversation told The Associated Press.
Trump’s comment in a Dec. 3 post on his Truth Social media platform was a late addition to the list compiled each year by Fred Shapiro, an associate director at the library. The former president was again repeating his lie that the 2020 election was stolen.
“A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,” he wrote. “Our great ‘Founders’ did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!”
The list assembled by Shapiro is a supplement to The New Yale Book of Quotations, which is edited by Shapiro and published by Yale University Press.
“The items on this list are not necessarily eloquent or admirable quotations, rather they have been picked because they are famous or important or particularly revealing of the spirit of our times,” Shapiro said. | https://www.kxnet.com/news/national-news/zelenskyy-quip-trump-conspiracy-claim-top-2022-notable-quote-list/ | 2022-12-08 13:44:03 | 0 | https://www.kxnet.com/news/national-news/zelenskyy-quip-trump-conspiracy-claim-top-2022-notable-quote-list/ |
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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — A 15-year-old arrested in a fatal shooting outside a Dallas-area high school will remain in custody following a Tuesday detention hearing, the boy's lawyer said.
The Monday shooting on a high school campus in the suburb of Arlington left one student dead from a gunshot wound and another injured by shrapnel. The early-morning gunfire prompted officials at Lamar High School to lock the building down for hours, although police said they arrested a student on a capitol murder charge stemming from the shooting within minutes.
Lisa Herrick, a court-appointed attorney for the boy, said that after questioning, a state judge Tuesday found there was probable cause for the teen's arrest. The judge ordered he remain at a juvenile detention for the next 10 days after which his custody will be re-evaluated, Herrick said.
Herrick said prosecutors are yet to formally charge the boy, but that in addition to the capitol murder charge Arlington police referred a terroristic threat charge to the district attorney's office. A spokeswoman for the Tarrant County district attorney declined to comment, noting the case is still under investigation.
Police have not said what motivated the gunfire that began around 6:55 a.m., but said the suspected shooter fled without ever entering the school building. Authorities have not identified the victims and declined to release the alleged shooter's name because he is a minor.
Herrick said she does not know whether her client had a relationship with the victims and that he has not spoken to police. She declined to provide more details on the circumstances of the shooting and police investigation.
Herrick said her client has not previously been “involved in the juvenile justice system” and is “understandably emotional.” | https://www.mrt.com/news/article/teen-held-in-texas-school-shooting-that-left-1-17852587.php | 2023-03-21 22:07:29 | 0 | https://www.mrt.com/news/article/teen-held-in-texas-school-shooting-that-left-1-17852587.php |
Luxury new construction to be built on one of the largest parcels on the island, 65 x 80. This resort style, Family oriented home will offer amazing high end features & state of the art amenities. The elevation 15 design property will boast soaring ceilings on both levels, (the grade level being a full 9') oversized windows, 8 foot doors and a stunning millwork package, in a open floor plan concept. All 3 entertaining decks will be oversized & strategically placed to capture sun & shade with the back deck overlooking the resort style rear yard which includes, a step up veranda area leading to the Gunite pool with large paver patio surround & custom landscaping. Each and every one of the 6 bedrooms are scheduled to be en' suits with the primary suite being large, luxurious & will certainly satisfy the pickiest of buyers. The architectural drawings are being fine tuned by renowned architect, Rob Lolio with the possibility still existing to modify the plans & build to suit! Builder/Seller reserves the right to modify plans with no notice whatsoever. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/6-bedroom-home-in-margate---2-000-000/article_21d1ce9a-16db-521c-99aa-5081a9236057.html | 2023-07-22 08:48:14 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/6-bedroom-home-in-margate---2-000-000/article_21d1ce9a-16db-521c-99aa-5081a9236057.html |
NEW YORK (AP) — Leonardo DiCaprio testified Monday at the trial of former Fugee rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, who is accused of conspiring to funnel money from a Malaysian state fund to Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign. Here is a look at the main characters in the international scandal, and the fund that fueled it.
THE PRAS PROSECUTION
Michel was a founding member of the influential 1990s hip-hop group the Fugees, along with better-known bandmates Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, who had major hits with “Ready or Not” and “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” Prosecutors allege Michel conspired with Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho to funnel money from 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad), a Malaysian state fund established in 2009 to promote development, to Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign through straw donors. Prosecutors have said as much as $100 million went through Michel, a 50-year-old New York native who has maintained his innocence. His trial began Thursday.
THE FUGITIVE
DiCaprio testified in the case because of his ties to Low, the alleged architect of the scandal, who has also been indicted in the US but remained an international fugitive as Michel went to trial. The Malaysian financier who helped oversee 1MDB used it to bankroll an extravagant and celebrity-centric lifestyle. He is alleged to have steered billions toward property in Beverly Hills and Manhattan, a superyacht, a private jet and many other splashy purchases. The fund paid for a birthday party for Low where performers included Jamie Foxx, Chris Brown, Ludacris, Busta Ryhmes and Pharrell Williams. Britney Spears jumped out of a cake.
LEO, PICASSO AND ‘THE WOLF OF WALL STREET’
DiCaprio, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, has known Michel since the 1990s, and Low professionally and socially for years. The Oscar-winning actor testified that he met and befriended Low at a birthday party in Las Vegas in 2010. Low gave DiCaprio gifts, which he has since returned, including a Picasso painting valued at $3.2 million and a Jean-Michel Basquiat collage valued at $9.2 million. The actor has since returned both artworks. Low has been a regular donor to DiCaprio’s charitable foundation.
Low would use money from the fund to finance the Martin Scorsese film “The Wolf of Wall Street,” which starred DiCaprio. DiCaprio testified that he had his team and the studio vet Low first, and they found him to be “a legitimate business person wanting to invest in the movie.” The film’s producers included Riza Aziz, stepson of then-Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.
NAJIB RAZAK’S ROLE
The prime minister became chair of 1MDB when it was established in 2009 with the purported aim of increasing foreign investment. It quickly racked up more than $12 billion in debt. The fund turned into the epicenter of a massive international corruption scandal. The U.S. Justice Department has said more than half of $8 billion raised by bond sales was stolen and siphoned off, a revelation uncovered in 2015 when thousands of documents were leaked.
Najib, who investigators said took hundreds of millions to fund his reelection campaign and pay off politicians, has denied any wrongdoing and fired the attorney general investigating him. Malaysian general elections in 2018 ousted Najib and his party. In 2020, Najib was found guilty of seven charges of corruption and sentenced to 12 years in prison. His appeals have been unsuccessful. Najib was acquitted of another charge at his most recent trial.
OTHER PLAYERS
In 2020, Goldman Sachs acknowledged its role in the embezzlement scheme and paid out more than $2.3 billion as part of a plea deal with the U.S. government. The firm also reached a $3.9 billion settlement with the government of Malaysia. In March, a former Goldman Sachs banker named Roger Ng was sentenced in Brooklyn to 10 years in prison for his role in plundering the fund.
A top fundraiser for former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, Elliott Broidy, was charged with running an illegal lobbying campaign on Jho Low’s behalf to get the Justice Department to drop its investigation into 1MDB’s looting. Broidy pleaded guilty, but was then pardoned by Trump, so was never sentenced. | https://www.wdtn.com/news/ap-top-headlines/why-leonardo-dicaprio-testified-at-trial-of-fugees-rapper/ | 2023-04-04 16:08:09 | 1 | https://www.wdtn.com/news/ap-top-headlines/why-leonardo-dicaprio-testified-at-trial-of-fugees-rapper/ |
An already warming Earth steamed to its hottest June on record, smashing the old global mark by nearly a quarter of a degree, with global oceans setting temperature records for the third straight month, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday.
June’s 61.79 degrees global average was 1.89 degrees above the 20th Century average, the first time globally a summer month was more than a degree Celsius hotter than normal, according to NOAA. Other weather monitoring systems, such as NASA, Berkeley Earth and Europe’s Copernicus, had already called last month the hottest June on record, but NOAA is the gold standard for record-keeping with data going back 174 years to 1850.
The increase over last June’s record is “a considerably big jump” because usually global monthly records are so broad based they often jump by hundredths not quarters of a degree, said NOAA climate scientist Ahira Sanchez-Lugo.
“The recent record temperatures, as well as extreme fires, pollution and flooding we are seeing this year are what we expect to see in a warmer climate,” said Cornell University climate scientist Natalie Mahowald. “We are just getting a small taste for the types of impacts that we expect to worsen under climate change.”
Both land and ocean were the hottest a June has seen. But the globe’s sea surface — which is 70 percent of Earth’s area — has set monthly high temperature records in April, May and June and the North Atlantic has been off the charts warm since mid March, scientists say. The Caribbean region smashed previous records as did the United Kingdom.
The first half of 2023 has been the third hottest January through June on record, behind 2016 and 2020, according to NOAA.
NOAA says there’s a 20 percent chance that 2023 will be the hottest year on record, with next year more likely, but the chance of a record is growing and outside scientists such as Brown University’s Kim Cobb are predicting a “photo finish” with 2016 and 2020 for the hottest year on record. Berkeley Earth’s Robert Rohde said his group figures there’s an 80 percent chance that 2023 will end up the hottest year on record.
That’s because it’s likely only to get hotter. July is usually the hottest month of the year, and the record for July and the hottest month of any year is 62.08 degrees set in both July 2019 and July 2021. Eleven of the first dozen days in July were hotter than ever on record, according to an unofficial and preliminary analysis by University of Maine’s Climate Reanalyzer. The Japanese Meteorological Agency and the World Meteorological Organization said the world has just gone through its hottest week on record.
NOAA recorded water temperatures around Florida of 98 degrees on Wednesday near the Everglades and 97 degrees on Tuesday near the Florida Keys, while some forecasters are predicting near world record level temperatures in Death Valley of around 130 degrees this weekend.
NOAA global analysis chief Russ Vose said the record hot June is because of two main reasons: long-term warming caused by heat-trapping gasses spewed by the burning of coal, oil and natural gas that’s then boosted by a natural El Nino, which warms parts of the Pacific and changes weather worldwide adding extra heat to already rising global temperatures. He said it’s likely most of June’s warming is due to long-term human causes because so far this new El Nino is still considered weak to moderate. It’s forecast to peak in the winter, which is why NOAA and other forecasters predict 2024 to be even hotter than this year.
While El Nino and its cooling flip side, La Nina, “have a big impact on year-to-year temperatures, their effects are much smaller over the long run than human-caused warming,” said climate scientist Zeke Hausfather of Berkeley Earth and the tech company Stripe. “Back in 1998, the world had a super El Nino event with record global temperatures; today the temperatures of 1998 would be an unusually cool year. Human-driven climate change adds a permanent super El Nino worth of heat to the atmosphere every decade.”
Global and Antarctic sea ice levels were at record lows in June, NOAA also said.
“Until we stop burning fossil fuels, this will only get worse,” Climate scientist Friederike Otto of the Imperial College of London said in an email. “Heat records will keep getting broken, people and ecosystems are already in many cases beyond what they are able to deal with.”
Story by Seth Borenstein, Associated Press | https://www.bangordailynews.com/2023/07/13/news/nation/global-heat-record-june-2023-noaa/ | 2023-07-15 15:48:26 | 0 | https://www.bangordailynews.com/2023/07/13/news/nation/global-heat-record-june-2023-noaa/ |
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis raised $20 million in the first six weeks after he announced his run for president, his campaign said Thursday.
The formidable haul for DeSantis indicates a well of support despite a glitchy campaign launch on Twitter back in May. Still, polling shows he’s in a distant second place for the 2024 Republican nomination behind former President Donald Trump.
Trump’s campaign said Wednesday he raised $35 million during the second quarter of the year, nearly double what he raised during the first three months of the year. Trump’s fundraising has exploded since he was indicted in New York and Florida, and he faces additional investigations that could further juice his ability to raise money.
DeSantis has maintained a busy schedule of fundraising and campaigning in early primary states and beyond amid a deepening rivalry between him and Trump.
He sparked controversy last week with a video slamming Trump for his past support of gay and transgender people, which a prominent group of LGBT conservatives said “ ventured into homophobic territory.”
Never Back Down, a super PAC backing DeSantis, is separately raising money that will benefit the candidate. The group can’t legally work with DeSantis but is orchestrating much of the on-the-ground organizing that can be crucial to victory in early primary states.
Other Republican presidential contenders have not yet released their fundraising numbers for the period from April 1 through June 30. Candidates have until July 15 to submit their filings to the Federal Election Commission. | https://www.wivb.com/news/ap-desantis-raised-20-million-in-the-6-weeks-since-announcing-his-presidential-run-his-campaign-says/ | 2023-07-06 21:07:41 | 1 | https://www.wivb.com/news/ap-desantis-raised-20-million-in-the-6-weeks-since-announcing-his-presidential-run-his-campaign-says/ |
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) — A rare raccoon was spotted in Cleveland Metroparks over the weekend. Olmsted Falls, Ohio, resident Tammy Stevens said she saw the critter, which appears to be an albino raccoon, on Mother’s Day.
According to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, only 1 in every 10-20,000 raccoons is born with albinism, an inherited genetic condition that lacks pigment in the hair, skin, and eyes.
While albino animals are certainly unusual to see, their presence in and around northeast Ohio has been documented across social media and by local news outlets. Particularly, albino deer.
Millcreek Metroparks in Youngstown has been home to several white deer over the years.
Just last year, WJW reported on three baby deer born just outside of Millcreek Metroparks, including one that was albino.
Other animals with the rare color pigment that have made news headlines include an albino porcupine in Maine, an albino swell shark in Mexico, and an albino turtle in Australia, just to name a few. | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/rare-raccoon-spotted-in-ohio-park/ | 2023-05-16 19:42:20 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/rare-raccoon-spotted-in-ohio-park/ |
Authorities near Houston say they have caught a man suspected of killing five of his neighbors, including a 9-year-old boy, with an AR-style rifle after the family confronted him late at night about firing rounds in his yard.
Francisco Oropeza, 38, was arrested Tuesday, four days after the shooting late Friday in the town of Cleveland, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Houston, according to Montgomery County Sheriff Rand Henderson.
He said Oropeza was was arrested without incident near Conroe, which is roughly 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the home authorities say Oropeza fled after shooting his neighbors and setting off a widening manhunt that had grown to more than 250 people from multiple jurisdictions.
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The sheriff would not say whether Oropeza was armed or how authorities figured out where he was.
Police had used drones and scent-tracking dogs during the wide search for Oropeza that included combing a heavily wooded forest a few miles from the scene. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott offered $50,000 in reward money as the search dragged late into the weekend and the FBI acknowledged that they had little indication as to Oropeza's whereabouts.
The alleged shooter is a Mexican national who has been deported four times, according to U.S. immigration officials. The gunman was first deported in March 2009 and last in July 2016. He was also deported in September 2009 and January 2012.
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San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said that prior to the shooting deputies had been called to the suspect’s house at least one other time previously over shooting rounds in his yard.
All of the victims were from Honduras. Wilson Garcia, who survived the shooting, said friends and family in the home tried to hide and shield themselves and children after Oropeza walked up to the home and began firing, killing his wife first at the front door.
Garcia said Oropeza came running over to their house loading an AR-15 after he and two other people had asked him to stop firing off rounds late at night because a baby inside was trying to sleep. Garcia said Oropeza told him he could do what he wanted on his property.
In offering the reward, Abbot called the victims “illegal immigrants," a partially false statement that his office walked back and apologized for Monday after drawing wide backlash over drawing attention to the immigration status of the victims.
The victims were identified as Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; and Daniel Enrique Laso, 9. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/national-international/person-believed-to-be-the-man-accused-of-killing-5-neighbors-in-texas-is-apprehended-after-manhunt/3558250/ | 2023-05-03 02:34:03 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/national-international/person-believed-to-be-the-man-accused-of-killing-5-neighbors-in-texas-is-apprehended-after-manhunt/3558250/ |
DETROIT — Tesla reported 273 crashes involving partially automated driver-assist systems, according to statistics about the industry released by U.S. safety regulators on Wednesday.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cautioned against using the numbers to compare automakers, saying it didn’t weight them by the number of vehicles from each manufacturer that use the systems, or how many miles those vehicles traveled.
Automakers reported crashes to the agency from July of last year through May 15. Tesla's crashes happened while vehicles were using Autopilot, “Full Self-Driving," Traffic Aware Cruise Control, or other driver-assist systems that have some control over speed and steering. The company has about 830,000 vehicles with the systems on the road.
The next closest of a dozen automakers that reported crashes was Honda, with 90, but Honda says it has about six million vehicles on U.S. roads with such systems. Subaru was next with 10, and all other automakers reported five or fewer.
In a June 2021 order, NHTSA told more than 100 automakers and automated vehicle tech companies to report serious crashes within one day of learning about them and to disclose less-serious crashes by the 15th day of the following month. The agency is assessing how the systems perform and whether new regulations may be needed.
“As we gather more data, NHTSA will be able to better identify any emerging risks or trends and learn more about how these technologies are performing in the real world,” said Steven Cliff, the agency's administrator.
NHTSA also said that five people were killed in the crashes involving driver-assist systems, and six were seriously hurt.
Tesla's crash number also may be high because uses telematics to monitor its vehicles and get real-time crash reports. Other automakers don't have such capability, so their reports may come slower or crashes may not be reported at all, NHTSA said. A message was left seeking comment from Tesla.
Tesla’s crashes accounted for nearly 70% of the 392 reported by the dozen automakers. Although the Austin, Texas, automaker calls its systems Autopilot and “Full Self-Driving,” it says the vehicles cannot drive themselves and the drivers must be ready to intervene at all times.
Manufacturers were not required to report how many vehicles they have on the road that have the systems, nor did they have to report how far those vehicles traveled, or when the systems are in use, NHTSA said. At present, those numbers aren't quantifiable, an agency official said.
However, NHTSA may seek such information later. In the meantime, the new data has enabled it to find out about crashes much faster than before. At present, it's using the crash data to look for trends and discuss them with the companies, the agency said.
Already NHTSA has used the data to seek a recall, open investigations and provide information for existing inquiries, officials said. Also, they said it's difficult to find out how many drivers actually use the technology.
“This will help our investigators quickly identify potential defect trends that can emerge,” Cliff said. “These data will also help us identify crashes that we want to investigate and provide more information about how people in other vehicles interact with the vehicles."
Honda said it has packaged the systems to sell more of them, which could influence its numbers. “The population of vehicles that theoretically could be involved in a reportable event is much greater than the population of vehicles built by automakers with a less-aggressive deployment strategy,” the company said.
Also, reports to NHTSA are based on unverfied customer statements about whether automated systems were running at the time of a crash. Those crashes may not qualify for reporting to NHTSA after more data is gathered, Honda said.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents most automakers, said the data collected by NHTSA isn't sufficient by itself to evaluate the safety of automated vehicle systems.
NHTSA's order also covered companies that are running fully autonomous vehicles, and 25 reported a total of 130 crashes. Google spinoff Waymo led with 62, followed by Transdev Alternative Services with 34 and General Motors-controlled Cruise LLC with 23.
Waymo has far more vehicles in use than other companies, and it's running a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Arizona and California.
In 108 of the crashes involving fully autonomous vehicles, no injuries were reported, and there was only one serious injury. In most of the crashes, vehicles were struck from the rear. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/nation-world/tesla-autopilot-crashes/507-456d8cc8-dde4-4b47-89ed-4e8e9dbe1e03 | 2022-06-15 14:42:05 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/nation-world/tesla-autopilot-crashes/507-456d8cc8-dde4-4b47-89ed-4e8e9dbe1e03 |
(The Conversation) – To reduce the harmful health effects of sitting, take a five-minute light walk every half-hour. That’s the key finding of a new study that my colleagues and I published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
We asked 11 healthy middle-aged and older adults to sit in our lab for eight hours – representing a standard workday – over the course of five separate days. On one of those days, participants sat for the entire eight hours with only short breaks to use the bathroom. On the other days, we tested a number of different strategies to break up a person’s sitting with light walking. For example, on one day, participants walked for one minute every half-hour. On another day, they walked for five minutes every hour.
Our goal was to find the least amount of walking one could do to offset the harmful health effects of sitting. In particular, we measured changes in blood sugar levels and blood pressure, two important risk factors for heart disease.
We found that a five-minute light walk every half-hour was the only strategy that reduced blood sugar levels substantially compared with sitting all day. In particular, five-minute walks every half-hour reduced the blood sugar spike after eating by almost 60%.
That strategy also reduced blood pressure by four to five points compared with sitting all day. But shorter and less frequent walks improved blood pressure too. Even just a one-minute light walk every hour reduced blood pressure by five points.
In addition to physical health benefits, there were also mental health benefits to the walking breaks. During the study, we asked participants to rate their mental state by using a questionnaire. We found that compared with sitting all day, a five-minute light walk every half-hour reduced feelings of fatigue, put participants in a better mood and helped them feel more energized. We also found that even walks just once every hour were enough to boost mood and reduce feelings of fatigue.Along with short, frequent walks, a long daily walk could add years to your life.
Why it matters
People who sit for hours on end develop chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease, dementia and several types of cancer at much higher rates than people who move throughout their day. A sedentary lifestyle also puts people at a much greater risk of early death. But just exercising daily may not reverse the harmful health effects of sitting.
Because of technological advances, the amount of time adults in industrialized countries like the U.S. spend sitting has been steadily increasing for decades. Many adults now spend the majority of their day sitting. This problem has only gotten worse since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the migration to more remote work, people are less inclined to venture out of the house these days. So it’s clear that strategies are needed to combat a growing 21st century public health problem.
Current guidelines recommend that adults should “sit less, move more.” But these recommendations don’t provide any specific advice or strategies for how often and how long to move.
Our work provides a simple and affordable strategy: Take a five-minute light walk every half-hour. If you have a job or lifestyle where you have to sit for prolonged periods, this one behavior change could reduce your health risks from sitting.
Our study also offers clear guidance to employers on how to promote a healthier workplace. While it may seem counterintuitive, taking regular walking breaks can actually help workers be more productive than working without stopping.
What still isn’t known
Our study primarily focused on taking regular walking breaks at a light intensity. Some of the walking strategies – for example, one-minute light walks every hour – did not lower blood sugar levels. We don’t know if more rigorous walking would have provided health benefits at these doses.
What’s next
We are currently testing over 25 different strategies for offsetting the health harms of prolonged sitting. Many adults have jobs, such as driving trucks or taxis, where they simply cannot walk every half-hour. Finding alternative strategies that yield comparable results can provide the public with several different options and ultimately allow people to pick the strategy that works best for them and their lifestyle. | https://cw33.com/lifestyle/sitting-all-day-is-terrible-for-your-health-now-a-new-study-finds-a-relatively-easy-way-to-counteract-it/ | 2023-01-18 19:43:13 | 0 | https://cw33.com/lifestyle/sitting-all-day-is-terrible-for-your-health-now-a-new-study-finds-a-relatively-easy-way-to-counteract-it/ |
Don't get your hopes up for a return to Capeside.
Dawson's Creek star Katie Holmes, who played Joey Potter for six seasons from 1998 to 2003, said she isn't interested in jumping onboard the TV reboot bandwagon.
"I'm so grateful for that experience," Katie told Screen Rant July 25. "We've definitely talked about it over the years, but I feel like that show captured that time period and that time in all of our lives."
According to Holmes, her fellow cast mates—including James Van Der Beek, Michelle Williams and Joshua Jackson—agree with the assessment.
"I think it's great that you are nostalgic for it. So am I. But it's like, do we want to see them not at that age?," the 43-year-old argued. "We all decided we don't actually." (Not to mention, Michelle's character—spoiler—died at the end of the series.)
Jackson, who played Pacey Witter, said that he doesn't even want to participate in a televised reunion, much like the Friends cast did in May 2021.
"I think because the Friends cast were already adults when they were doing the show, it's less jarring to see them now," he told The Guardian in September 2021. "If you put our mid-40s selves together on a couch now, with our creaking backs, it might shock people."
Jackson expanded on his comment, saying, "Nobody needs to hear Pacey grunting when he gets out of a chair." We beg to disagree...
It's not all bad news, however.
Mary-Margaret Humes, who played mother Gail Leery, recently revealed she's taken the reboot reins into her own hands.
"I actually wrote, like, 190 pages of an idea for a crossover to a reboot," Humes told People in March 2021. "Whether it goes anywhere, I don't know, but there is certainly a lot of buzz about it."
We like the way she thinks. | https://www.eonline.com/ca/news/1339532/why-katie-holmes-thinks-a-dawson-s-creek-reboot-is-a-bad-idea?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories | 2022-07-26 23:47:00 | 0 | https://www.eonline.com/ca/news/1339532/why-katie-holmes-thinks-a-dawson-s-creek-reboot-is-a-bad-idea?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories |
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — The Latest on the British Open (all times local):
___
3:20 p.m.
Filippo Celli has won the silver medal as the low amateur at the British Open.
The 21-year-old Italian shot 1-under 71 in the final round to finish the week at 5 under, six strokes ahead of Aaron Jarvis.
Celli started the day at 4 under and bogeyed two of his first three holes. He finished the front nine at 4 under with three birdies and three bogeys.
His breakthrough came on the par-5 14th when he put his second shot within 9 feet of the pin and then sank the eagle putt. He bogeyed the 17th but barely missed an eagle on 18. He then made the 2-foot birdie putt.
Celli won the European Amateur Championship in Spain in June. Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia are previous winners of that tournament.
McIlroy also won the silver medal as low amateur at the 2007 British Open.
___
2:52 p.m.
Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland have teed off on the final day of the British Open at St. Andrews.
McIlroy and Hovland lead the tournament at 16-under par, four strokes ahead of Cameron Smith.
McIlroy won the claret jug in 2014 at Royal Liverpool. Hovland is trying become the first Norwegian man to win a golf major.
___
2:40 p.m.
Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand and Abraham Ancer of Mexico both shot 7-under 65 in the final round of the British Open to move to 11 under, five shots behind co-leaders Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland.
Both Kaewkanjana and Ancer, who were playing together, entered the day 12 strokes behind the leaders at 4 under. McIlroy and Hovland have not yet started their final rounds.
The 24-year-old Kaewkanjana is playing in his first British Open. Ancer is playing at the tournament for the fourth time. He missed the cut in 2018 and 2019 but finished in a tie for 59th last year at Royal St. George’s.
___
10:20 a.m.
A gray sky and light rain greets the final day of the British Open at St. Andrews, though it's not expected to stick around by the time Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland tee off.
They are tied for the lead at 16-under par. McIlroy is trying to win his second claret jug and his first major in eight years. Hovland is trying to win his first major, and a first for Norway.
And so concludes a big week at the home of golf. The R&A has harshly criticized the Saudi-funded rival league and suggested changes to the criteria. Tiger Woods crossed the Swilcan Bridge for what may be the last time after missing the cut.
All that's left is to crown a “champion golfer of the year.” Four players were within five shots of McIlroy and Hovland. That includes Masters champion Scottie Scheffler. Nick Faldo is the only other player to have won at Augusta National and St. Andrews in the same year.
___
More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Credit: Peter Morrison
Credit: Peter Morrison
Credit: Peter Morrison
Credit: Peter Morrison
Credit: Peter Morrison
Credit: Peter Morrison
Credit: Alastair Grant
Credit: Alastair Grant | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/british-open-mcilroy-hovland-tee-off-in-final-round/AZMMKRQVN5GM3OETO7WHLELOZI/ | 2022-07-17 14:53:42 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/british-open-mcilroy-hovland-tee-off-in-final-round/AZMMKRQVN5GM3OETO7WHLELOZI/ |
Crowd size for Brittney Griner's WNBA return baffles coach: 'How was it not a sellout?'
Griner had 18 points and six rebounds in her return
The Phoenix Mercury were on the road to start the 2023 WNBA season as the team took on the Los Angeles Sparks at the Crypto.com Arena in Brittney Griner’s official return to the floor.
Griner had 18 points, six rebounds, four blocks and two assists in Phoenix’s 94-71 loss. But it was a big moment for the former Baylor standout as she returned to the court for the first time since 2021. She missed all of last season as she was jailed in Russia on a drug conviction. She returned to the U.S. in December as part of a prisoner swap for arms dealer Viktor Bout.
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Because it was her return, Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard was expecting a much fuller arena.
"I mean, it was great. But like honestly, c’mon now LA. We didn’t sell out the arena for BG?" Nygaard said. "Like, I expected more, you know, to be honest. Right, it was great, it was loud. But how was it not a sellout? How was it not a sellout?"
Griner said it was nice to be back in a real game but wanted to pick up the win.
VP HARRIS GIVES PREGAME SPEECH AHEAD OF BRITTNEY GRINER'S WNBA RETURN
"It was nice to be back on the court and in a real game and everything. The love from the fans who came out was amazing and the players. I definitely felt it and I felt it when I was there (Russia)," she said, via the Arizona Republic. "It was nice, but performance-wise, it wasn’t good enough because I couldn’t help the team with a dub."
The arena could fit about 19,068 and about 10,396 people came to the game, according to ESPN. The Sparks’ average attendance is more than 5,600. The team finished 13-23 last season and haven’t been to the playoffs since the 2020 coronavirus-impacted season.
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The Sparks last won the Finals in 2016. | https://www.foxnews.com/sports/crowd-size-brittney-griners-wnba-return-baffles-coach-how-was-not-sellout | 2023-05-21 14:33:02 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/sports/crowd-size-brittney-griners-wnba-return-baffles-coach-how-was-not-sellout |
Stockton police investigate homicide after man found dead near Airport Way
Stockton police investigate homicide after man found dead near Airport Way
KARASEV COULD FACE MORE CHARGES. WE ARE FOLLOWING BREAKING NEWS IN STOCKTON, WHERE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE SECOND HOMICIDE THIS WEEKEND. BRITTANY: OFFICERS TELL US THEY RESPONDED TO MORMON SLOUGH, NEAR AIRPORT WAY, AND FOUND A MAN WITH HEAD INJURIES. THIS HAPPENED JUST AFTER 10:30 THIS MORNING. THE VICTIM WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. AT THIS TIME, OFFICIALS ARE NOT RELEASING ANY INFORMATION ABOUT A SUSPECT OR THEIR MOTIVE. IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS AN ENCAMPMENT AREA AND THERE ARE MULTIPLE INVESTIGATORS STILL OUT THERE. STILL A VERY ACTIVE INVESTIGATION. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION, YOU ARE ASKED TO CALL STOCKTON
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Stockton police investigate homicide after man found dead near Airport Way
The Stockton Police Department is actively investigating the death of a man at Mormon Slough near Airport Way. Officers responded to a call and found the victim with head injuries, Stockton police said. Homicide detectives have not yet determined a motive. According to Stockton police, there is no information available on the identity of the victim. Anyone with information relevant to the homicide has been asked by the department to call them at (209) 937-8377.
The Stockton Police Department is actively investigating the death of a man at Mormon Slough near Airport Way.
Officers responded to a call and found the victim with head injuries, Stockton police said. Homicide detectives have not yet determined a motive.
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According to Stockton police, there is no information available on the identity of the victim.
Anyone with information relevant to the homicide has been asked by the department to call them at (209) 937-8377. | https://www.kcra.com/article/stockton-police-investigate-homicide-airport-way/43202499 | 2023-03-06 02:53:49 | 0 | https://www.kcra.com/article/stockton-police-investigate-homicide-airport-way/43202499 |
ROCKY HILL, Conn. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday afternoon's drawing of the Connecticut Lottery's "Play4 Day" game were:
4-7-5-5, WB: 5
(four, seven, five, five; WB: five)
ROCKY HILL, Conn. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday afternoon's drawing of the Connecticut Lottery's "Play4 Day" game were:
4-7-5-5, WB: 5
(four, seven, five, five; WB: five) | https://www.sfchronicle.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Play4-Day-game-17201284.php | 2022-05-26 20:06:56 | 0 | https://www.sfchronicle.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Play4-Day-game-17201284.php |
BERLIN — (AP) — The leader of the conservative bloc in the European Parliament said in an interview published Sunday that his party would not cooperate with the far-right Alternative for Germany but expressed a willingness to work with Italy's far-right premier to curb migration.
Manfred Weber, the German EU lawmaker who heads the European People's Party (EPP), dismissed suggestions that his bloc could drop its refusal to cooperate with Alternative for Germany at the state and federal level in the coming years amid growing support for the far-right party.
“The firewall stands,” Weber told the Funke Medie Group, adding that Alternative for Germany “isn't just a political competitor, but an adversary and enemy.”
Weber, who is also co-leader of the conservative Christian Social Union at the national level, warned that the far right's plans to dismantle the European Union would hurt Germany's economy and security.
Asked whether the EPP's outreach to Italian post-fascist leader Giorgia Meloni undermined the conservatives' stance toward the far right, Weber said it was important to work with all European governments to tackle the challenge of migration.
“We need Italy as well,” he said, adding that fears about unrestricted migration would benefit Alternative for Germany. “We are currently working with Italy to implement a migration agreement with Tunisia. This will reduce the arrivals (or migrants) to the EU.”
Two lawmakers with the Christian Social Union raised eyebrows in Germany this week by voting with Alternative for Germany in the national legislature for the first time. Both later claimed the votes had been in error.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/world/top-eu-lawmaker-says/QHDYVZUOJCFXUSNG5TQPH7IFIA/ | 2023-07-09 14:56:08 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/world/top-eu-lawmaker-says/QHDYVZUOJCFXUSNG5TQPH7IFIA/ |
Expansion combines previous ISO 27001 certifications and independent assessments, adds data controls, data privacy certifications
BOCA RATON, Fla., Jan. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Anthology, a leading provider of education solutions that support the entire learner lifecycle, today announced a significant expansion of its ISO 27001 security certifications. Blackboard Learn and Anthology Ally will join Anthology's other flagship products, including Anthology Student and Anthology Reach, under one certification following the combination of Anthology and Blackboard in October 2021. In addition, Anthology Engage, Anthology Encompass, Blackboard Data and Blackboard SafeAssign achieved ISO 27001 certification. The full set of ISO 27001 certified solutions also obtained certification for cloud services security controls and data privacy protection practices.
Conducted by an independent third-party auditor, ISO 27001 certification is a widely recognized, international standard that specifies security management best practices and comprehensive security controls. Receiving this certification validates that Anthology's security program meets a high level of security and privacy standards.
"Data security and data privacy are foundational elements of the learning journey. This expansion of certification by independent experts signals to learners, instructors and administrators that Anthology is committed to delivering the highest level of safety and security," said Richie Rodriguez, Chief Information Security Officer at Anthology. "Our team puts security and data privacy at the center of our product development and management lifecycle process, an approach that ensures our solutions will continue to provide seamless, industry-leading protection so learners can focus on achieving their goals."
The set of products outlined above also achieved ISO 27017 and ISO 27018 certification. ISO 27017 lays out standards around security controls for cloud services and ISO 27018 sets standards related to the protection of personally identifiable information (PII) in public clouds.
In parallel with ISO certification, Anthology has completed Type 2 SOC 2 examinations for its SIS and CRM solutions, Anthology Student and Anthology Reach. The examinations are provided by an independent certified public accountant and report on an organization's security, availability and processing integrity controls.
Anthology Encompass also recently completed its annual PCI DSS audit, resulting in the issuing of a new Attestation of Compliance document for the solution. Additionally, Blackboard Learn SaaS has been re-authorized under FedRAMP at the Moderate impact level and is the only learning management system to achieve authorization. Taken together, the activity underscores Anthology's commitment to data security and data privacy and ensuring the company's products and solutions meet high standards.
More details about the company's data security and data privacy commitments can be found in Anthology's Trust Center.
The ISO certification and SOC auditing were conducted by Schellman & Company, LLC, a U.S.-based ANAB and UKAS accredited Certification Body. The FedRAMP auditing was performed by A-LIGN Compliance and Security, Inc. and Dara Security provided the PCI DSS audit work.
About Anthology
Anthology offers the largest EdTech ecosystem on a global scale for education, supporting more than 150 million users in 80 countries. With a mission to provide dynamic, data-informed experiences to the global education community through Anthology Intelligent Experiences™, we help learners, leaders and educators achieve their goals by offering over 60 SaaS products and services designed to advance learning. Discover more about how we are fulfilling our mission for education, business and government institutions at www.anthology.com.
CONTACT:
Heather Phillips
Anthology
Heather.Phillips@Anthology.com
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SOURCE Anthology | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/01/23/anthology-expands-data-security-privacy-certifications-across-additional-solutions/ | 2023-01-23 15:15:22 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/01/23/anthology-expands-data-security-privacy-certifications-across-additional-solutions/ |
Milestone Follows Period of Sustained Business Growth and Expansion into New Markets
NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Octane® (Octane Lending Inc.®), the fintech revolutionizing the buying experience for major recreational purchases, today announced it has originated over $1B in loans in 2022 through its in-house lender Roadrunner Financial, Inc.
This significant milestone follows a period of sustained business growth for the company. Octane increased originations during the first three quarters of the year by 75% year over year. During the same period, the company grew its number of dealer partners by 26% and saw originations per dealer increase by 39%. The company's success is particularly notable given ongoing inventory constraints and market volatility. Octane surpassed $1B in total loans in May 2021, five years after issuing its first loan.
Octane has seen considerable investor demand for its loans, a testament to the company's underwriting and consistent business performance. Octane completed two asset-backed securitizations thus far in 2022, OCTL 2022-1 and OCTL 2022-2, both of which were upsized to $375M and whose senior class of notes were rated AAA(sf) by Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA)* and AA(sf) by S&P**.
Today's news comes on the heels of Octane's expansion into additional industries. Last month, the company announced its entrance into the RV market, following its foray into tractors and trailers earlier this year. Octane has also enhanced its seamless, digital-to-retail experience and growing number of digital tools, including the award-winning, soft pull e-commerce tool, Octane Prequal, which gives customers real credit offers while driving incremental ready-to-transact customers to dealerships.
"I'm incredibly proud of our team for their hard work in bringing speed and ease to the buying experience and helping us connect people with their passions," said Mark Davidson, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Octane. "I also want to thank our over 30 OEM and 4,000 dealer partners for their support and trust as we transform our industry and make buying better."
*KBRA's ratings are subject to all of the terms and conditions set forth in the related report and KBRA's website, which you should review and understand, and can be accessed here.
**The full analysis for S&P's ratings, including any updates, which you should review and understand, is available on standardandpoors.com and can be accessed here.
Octane® is revolutionizing recreational purchases by delivering a seamless, end-to-end digital buying experience. We connect people with their passions by combining cutting-edge technology and innovative risk strategies to make lifestyle purchases - like powersports vehicles, RVs, and outdoor power equipment - fast, easy, and accessible.
Octane adds value throughout the customer journey: inspiring enthusiasts with our editorial brands, including Cycle World® and UTV Driver®, instantly prequalifying consumers for financing online, routing customers to dealerships for an easy closing, and supporting customers throughout their loan with superior loan servicing.
Founded in 2014, we're a remote-first company with 600+ employees and over 30 OEM and 4,000 dealer partners. We made the Inc 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in America and are Certified as a Great Place to Work®. Visit www.octane.co.
Octane® is a registered service mark of Octane Lending, Inc.
Media Relations: Shannon O'Hara
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Press@octane.co
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SOURCE Octane | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/10/12/octane-surpasses-1b-originations-2022/ | 2022-10-12 14:33:46 | 1 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/10/12/octane-surpasses-1b-originations-2022/ |
1 PSP trooper fatally shot, 2nd trooper wounded in central Pennsylvania; suspect killed: officials
MIFFLINTOWN, Pa. - Two state troopers were shot, one of whom was killed, in central Pennsylvania on Saturday, authorities said.
Officials with the Pennsylvania State Police said one trooper encountered an armed person sometime around 12:45 Saturday afternoon near Mifflintown in Juniata County.
The trooper was shot and wounded and taken to a hospital for treatment. The trooper was said to have serious injuries.
Authorities said the suspect was located at about 2:45 p.m. in Walker Township. Troopers and the suspect fired at each other. One trooper and the suspect were shot and killed.
While there is no threat to the public, officials were urging people to avoid the area.
The president of the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association, David Kennedy, issued this statement:
"Pennsylvania has lost one hero while another fights for his life. The bravery of these Troopers and their loved ones will stay in our hearts forever."
Governor Josh Shapiro traveled to the hospital where the wounded trooper was being treated.
The shooting follows an officer-involved shooting Friday in Allentown, in which a Pennsylvania State trooper fired their weapon, hitting a motorist during a traffic stop.
The Associated Press contributed to this article. | https://www.fox29.com/news/1-psp-trooper-fatally-shot-2nd-trooper-wounded-in-central-pennsylvania-suspect-killed-officials | 2023-06-17 23:23:54 | 1 | https://www.fox29.com/news/1-psp-trooper-fatally-shot-2nd-trooper-wounded-in-central-pennsylvania-suspect-killed-officials |
GENEVA (AP) — The new U.N. human rights chief said Tuesday that his office has opened “channels of communication” to help follow up on concerns about the rights of minorities in China, including Uyghur Muslims and Tibetans. But this fell short of activists’ hopes for a stronger message to Beijing.
High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, in an address highly anticipated by rights advocates, didn’t detail how his office plans to follow up on a critical report on China’s western Xinjiang region published in August by his predecessor, Michelle Bachelet. That report cited possible “crimes against humanity” against Uyghurs and others in Xinjiang.
Türk noted that the U.N. rights office “documented grave concerns” like arbitrary detentions and family separations in China, and called for “concrete follow-up.” He also voiced concerns about the impact of the national security law in Hong Kong that fanned huge protests.
“Regarding China, we have opened up channels of communication with a range of actors to follow up on a variety of human rights issues, including the protection of minorities, such as for Tibetans, Uyghurs, and other groups,” Türk told the Human Rights Council’s latest session.
It was his first presentation of the office’s annual report since he took office in October. It covered an array of concerns like pressure on women’s rights, discrimination, conflict and climate change, in a sweeping number of countries — from Afghanistan to Zambia.
The rights chief highlighted Russia’s war in Ukraine, the continued fighting in Syria and instability in Mali and Burkina Faso. He also expressed concerns about crackdowns on dissent, free expression and political activists in parts of Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.
Türk further cited reports of “excessive use of force, racial profiling and discriminatory practices by police — most recently in Australia, France, Ireland and the United Kingdom.”
He said he was “deeply concerned by multiple trends” in Russia like the closure of the offices of independent media and activist groups, and “constant” pro-war messages on state media that “feed stereotypes and incite hatred and violence.”
Advocacy groups had been particularly listening for Türk’s take on the rights situation in China.
Agnes Callamard, the secretary-general of Amnesty International, said last month that Türk should “publicly put his weight” behind Bachelet’s report and include in the council session “a significant brief on Xinjiang that reflects the gravity of the findings” of the U.N. rights office.
“It will be an important message in many ways,” she told the ACANU press association. “I think the high commissioner will be very much judged by his willingness and his courage to stand up to China and other superpowers.”
The former head of Human Rights Watch, Ken Roth, said that Türk had “mouthed not a word of criticism of China.”
“He offers only quiet diplomacy – ‘we have opened up channels of communication’ — as if he has any leverage besides the public reporting/condemnation that he abandons,” Roth tweeted. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/un-rights-chief-cites-communication-about-issues-in-china/ | 2023-03-07 23:07:09 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/un-rights-chief-cites-communication-about-issues-in-china/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — The common refrain is that there’s nothing Hollywood loves so much as its own history — but that’s a history inextricable from its labor movements.
As the industry comes to a momentous halt courtesy of dual strikes by its actors and screenwriters, it’s worth looking back at the effects of past protests, walkouts and other actions.
The Screen Actors Guild and the Screen Writers Guild, the forerunner to today’s Writers Guild of America, were each founded in 1933, though threads of collective action and solidarity run to the very beginnings of the motion picture industry.
At its founding, SAG boasted less than two dozen members. Ninety years later, 65,000 SAG-AFTRA members are on strike (the two actors unions merged in 2012).
For a few decades, strikes erupted at a regular cadence. The first actors strikes came in the 1950s, and a SWG strike in 1953 secured the first television residuals. But protests largely tapered off by the late 1980s.
Before 1950, strikes were about basic working conditions, said Kate Fortmueller, associate professor of film and media history at Georgia State University and an expert in Hollywood labor history.
“Post-1950, the concerns are more about residuals, replays, so like distribution. So it’s less about sort of how we’re working and more about how do we share in the profits that our work continues to generate?” she said. The 2023 strikes, Fortmueller said, marks a return to the more fundamental concerns about working conditions — and existential worries about the industry’s future.
Throughout it all the guilds have faced essentially the same opponent: the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. First a conglomerate of studio heads, it evolved to include studios and networks, and now boasts streamers and other major production companies, Fortmueller said.
“These streaming companies have origins in tech. And tech is a very different labor culture than Hollywood, in part because tech is not heavily unionized. And Hollywood has been for almost 100 years,” Fortmueller said, characterizing a major animating factor in AMPTP’s evolution.
In a rare but major exception, the studios were not a combatant in one of Hollywood’s most lurid strikes, a 227-day dispute between two so-called below-the-line unions that became defined by a single day. Whether you prefer “Bloody” or “Black” as the descriptor to that Friday in early October 1945, the resulting moniker for the melee in the Warner Bros. studio lot is appropriately weighty.
It may be tempting to prognosticate about the end of these concurrent strikes, but history is of little help here: Past strikes have spanned months and lasted minutes. Nonetheless, they’re instructive for how the issues that drove the conflicts and the resolutions set the stage for today’s disputes. Each success and failure has contributed to shaping the contemporary landscape.
Here’s a look at some of the most significant strikes in Hollywood labor history.
KEY ISSUE: Compensation, including residual payments, for shows and movies distributed digitally
MAIN RESULTS: Jurisdiction over projects created for the internet under certain guidelines; set compensation for ad-supported streaming programs; increased residuals for downloaded shows and movies
Since it was the most significant Hollywood strike in decades, it’s the one most etched in most people’s memories. All told, it had an estimated $2 billion impact on the California economy and is often credited with sending programming further into reality television’s clutches (even if such gems as NBC’s “My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad” didn’t have much staying power).
While an analyst at the time told the AP the strike was “an unqualified success,” some WGA members felt they were pressured into accepting weaker terms because the Directors Guild of America negotiated their own contract on similar issues. A specter of that discontent reared its head again 15 years later, when the DGA reached a “truly historic” tentative agreement with AMPTP a little over a month into the 2023 writers strike.
“They have all these other concerns, like with prestige and credit and authorship … and things that are not as tangible,” Fortmueller said of the directors guild’s priorities through the ages.
KEY ISSUE: Residuals for television shows sold to foreign markets
MAIN RESULTS: More creative control over scripts and the reacquisition of original screenplays; salary increases, though guild negotiators said they were less successful in winning larger payments for the foreign market reruns
This contract was ratified on the 154th day of the strike, making it the longest WGA strike by a margin of one day.
“It was a very difficult time. Over a period of time, some of the rancor and anger will be forgotten. I don’t think the spirit will be forgotten, though. They (the writers) will remember this for a long time,” WGA spokesperson Cheryl Rhoden said at the time.
Fortmueller also noted that this strike really marked the birth of reality TV as a way to fill time in vacant schedule blocks.
KEY ISSUE: The fast-growing home video and pay TV markets
MAIN RESULTS: Share of producer revenues from those markets; increase in base pay
While these strikes happened nearly a year apart, the core issue was the same: Actors and writers wanted a portion of the revenue generated in quickly growing markets — there was money to be made on videocassettes.
In 1980, SAG, AFTRA and the American Federation of Musicians all went on strike. In the longest strike in their history, the actors ended up winning the industry’s first pay TV concessions. The musicians had no such luck, despite striking for 167 days.
The following year, striking writers won similar concessions, and WGA spokespeople characterized it as the most extensive and precedent-setting deal the guild had negotiated in two decades.
KEY ISSUES: Pay and benefits
MAIN RESULTS: Salary hikes, guaranteed residual pay schedules for movies on cassettes and pay TV
While the 1973 writers strike technically lasted for 16 weeks, work was not necessarily halted the entire time. The strike didn’t extend to soap operas and variety shows until more than a month in — and those effects were more immediately tangible.
Around 10 weeks into the strike, the boycotts were pared back to just the major television and film studios that comprised the AMPTP. By that point, more than 150 independent producers — who controlled more than 50% of primetime television — had signed the new contract and were allowed to get back to work.
KEY ISSUES: Foreign and subsidiary rights on television scripts, rerun rights, proceeds from the sale of post-1948 films to television, a pension system for SAG
MAIN RESULTS: Actors and writers won salary bumps, residual payments for films released to TV and — most crucially — the establishment of pension, health and welfare funds; writers agree to waive claims on revenue from the sale of pre-1960 movies to TV
The writers quite literally struck first, and would strike longer, but it was SAG — with its starry membership — that would be first to secure pension, health and welfare funds. In a marked departure from today’s raucous and punny picket lines, the guilds did not picket or demonstrate, according to contemporaneous articles that called the nature of the strikes “firm but polite.”
“This is what studios were afraid of in the ’20s and ’30s, is nobody wants to see your stars on a picket line. It’s not the optics that Hollywood wants,” Fortmueller said of how the actors’ decision to strike changed the calculus. Writers also tend to be on the same page, with similar responsibilities; so if a guild as diverse in roles as SAG-AFTRA is today overwhelmingly chooses to strike, she noted, that telegraphs the severity of the situation.
SAG was helmed by Ronald Reagan, who represented his fellow actors at the bargaining table alongside arguably bigger celebrities of the time, like Oscar winner Charlton Heston and James Garner, then the star of TV ratings juggernaut “Maverick.” Just two decades later, Reagan — as U.S. president — would become known as one of the most damaging figures in the country’s labor history for his firing of thousands of air traffic controllers during their 1981 strike.
A 1960 AP story announcing an initial settlement for the actors underlined the magnitude of the strike as “unique in labor history because millionaires were as thick on labor’s side as they were on management’s.”
SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland invoked the spirit — and gains — of the 1960s last week at the press conference announcing the strike.
“This is the first SAG-AFTRA strike in this contract in over 40 years,” he said. “This is not a strike-happy union. This is a union that views strikes as a last resort but we’re not afraid to do them when that is what it takes to make sure our members receive a fair contract.” | https://www.wric.com/entertainment-news/ap-this-isnt-the-first-time-hollywoods-been-on-strike-heres-how-past-strikes-turned-out/ | 2023-07-19 13:26:50 | 0 | https://www.wric.com/entertainment-news/ap-this-isnt-the-first-time-hollywoods-been-on-strike-heres-how-past-strikes-turned-out/ |
SHANGHAI, Dec. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) ("Daqo New Energy" or the "Company"), a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry, today announced that its Phase 5B polysilicon expansion project in Inner Mongolia is expected to increase the Company's annual polysilicon production capacity by 100,000 MT to a total of 305,000 MT by the end of 2023.
The Company's existing polysilicon facilities in Xinjiang with nameplate capacity of 105,000 MT are expected to produce approximately 130,000 to 132,000 MT of polysilicon in 2022. The Phase 5A project with nameplate capacity of 100,000 MT in Inner Mongolia, currently under construction, is expected to be completed in Q2 2023. The newly announced Phase 5B project will add another 100,000 MT capacity and increase the Company's total annual production capacity to 305,000 MT by the end of 2023. The capital expenditures for the Phase 5B project are estimated to be approximately RMB9.2 billion.
Mr. Longgen Zhang, Chief Executive Officer of Daqo New Energy, commented, "We are very excited to announce the Phase 5B project in Inner Mongolia, which is expected to increase our total annual production capacity to 305,000 MT by the end of 2023. Upon the completion of the Phase 5B, our Inner Mongolia manufacturing base will contribute approximately two-thirds of our polysilicon capacity. In addition, we plan to build 300,000 MT of metallurgical silicon capacity in two phases which will enable us to self-supply our raw materials in future. We believe that our Phase 5B project and the metallurgical silicon projects will further enhance our leadership with increased capacity, improved quality, lower cost, and better management of supply chains."
ABOUT DAQO NEW ENERGY CORP.
Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) ("Daqo" or the "Company") is a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry. Founded in 2007, the Company manufactures and sells high-purity polysilicon to photovoltaic product manufactures, who further process the polysilicon into ingots, wafers, cells and modules for solar power solutions. The Company has a total polysilicon nameplate capacity of 105,000 metric tons and is one of the world's lowest-cost producers of high-purity polysilicon.
For further information, please contact:
Daqo New Energy Corp.
Investor Relations Department
Email: dqir@daqo.com
Christensen
In China
Mr. Rene Vanguestaine
Phone: +86 178 1749 0483
E-mail: rene.vanguestaine@christensencomms.com
In the U.S.
Ms. Linda Bergkamp
Phone: +1-480-614-3004
Email: lbergkamp@Christensenir.com
For more information, please visit www.dqsolar.com
Safe Harbor Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the quotations from management in this announcement, as well as the Company's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the demand for photovoltaic products and the development of photovoltaic technologies; global supply and demand for polysilicon; alternative technologies in cell manufacturing; the Company's ability to significantly expand its polysilicon production capacity and output; the reduction in or elimination of government subsidies and economic incentives for solar energy applications; the Company's ability to lower its production costs; changes in the political and regulatory environment; and the duration of COVID-19 outbreaks in China and many other countries and the impact of the outbreaks and the quarantines and travel restrictions instituted by relevant governments on economic and market conditions, including potentially weaker global demand for solar PV installations that could adversely affect the Company's business and financial performance. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the reports or documents the Company has filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information or any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
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SOURCE Daqo New Energy Corp. | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2022/12/06/daqo-new-energy-announces-its-phase-5b-polysilicon-expansion-project-inner-mongolia-increase-production-capacity-305000-mt-by-year-end-2023/ | 2022-12-06 11:09:09 | 1 | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2022/12/06/daqo-new-energy-announces-its-phase-5b-polysilicon-expansion-project-inner-mongolia-increase-production-capacity-305000-mt-by-year-end-2023/ |
PHOENIX (AP) — A Phoenix suburb is reviewing how it handles water rescues as video of three police officers standing nearby as a homeless man drowns sparks outcry.
The Tempe Police Department says the officers are on paid administrative leave after last month’s drowning in a city lake.
An uproar arose after Tempe police on Friday released edited footage from officers’ body cameras as well as a transcript of the May 28 incident.
The video shows Sean Bickings, 34, climb over a 4-foot (1.2-meter) fence along Tempe Town Lake. An officer tells him swimming is not permitted. Bickings then goes into the water and starts swimming. Another officer tells police to watch him while he goes to get a boat.
The video ends there. But the transcript shows two officers repeatedly tell Bickings to swim to a pylon and “hold on.” Bickings continuously says “I can’t” and pleads for help.
At one point, one of the officers says: “I’m not jumping in after you.”
Bickings swam in all for roughly 40 yards (37 meters) under a pedestrian bridge, city officials said.
The Tempe Officers Association said the public needs to understand officers are not trained for water rescues. These officers followed their training and went to get a boat.
In a news release Monday, the city said officials will reevaluate the protocols around water rescues. They will also look at where rescue equipment like life preservers should be placed relative to the lake or any body of water.
Police were originally responding to reports of a fight just after 5 a.m. between Bickings and a female companion. When questioned, both denied any physical altercation had taken place. But officers ran their names through a background check and found Bickings had three outstanding warrants.
Authorities say that is when Bickings climbed over the fence. According to the transcript, his companion, who said Bickings was her husband, tried to go after him but officers kept her back.
Firefighters recovered Bickings’ body and pronounced him dead.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety and police in the neighboring suburb of Scottsdale are investigating the police response.
Police Chief Jeff Glover met with Bickings’ mother last week. She had asked for any video to be released, the city said.
Tempe Town Lake is more than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) long and was built in 1999 by damming a portion of the Salt River. It is a popular spot for jogging, biking, kayaking and other recreational activities. | https://cw33.com/news/u-s-news/ap-us-headlines/arizona-officers-inaction-during-drowning-spurs-probe/ | 2022-06-08 17:32:54 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/u-s-news/ap-us-headlines/arizona-officers-inaction-during-drowning-spurs-probe/ |
TULSA, Okla. (AP)Keyshawn Embery-Simpson’s 13 points helped Tulsa defeat Central Michigan 70-63 on Saturday.
Embery-Simpson added five rebounds for the Golden Hurricane (3-6). Sam Griffin added 13 points while going 4 of 10 (3 for 7 from distance), and he also had three steals. Tim Dalger finished with 12 points. The Golden Hurricane snapped a five-game slide.
Brian Taylor led the way for the Chippewas (4-6) with 14 points and two blocks. Reggie Bass added 12 points, five assists and three steals for Central Michigan. In addition, Miroslave Stafl had 11 points.
Tulsa led Central Michigan at the half, 31-25, with Embery-Simpson (seven points) their high scorer before the break. Tulsa outscored Central Michigan by one point in the final half, while Dalger led the way with a team-high eight second-half points.
—
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/sports/ncaa/tulsa-wins-70-63-over-central-michigan/ | 2022-12-11 02:23:11 | 0 | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/sports/ncaa/tulsa-wins-70-63-over-central-michigan/ |
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Two suspected Kurdish militants opened fire on police in southern Turkey and later killed themselves by detonating suicide bombs, Turkey’s interior minister said. One police officer was killed in the attack while a second officer and a civilian were wounded.
The attack was carried out late on Monday in the Mezitli district in the Mediterranean coastal province of Mersin, by two women affiliated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told reporters.
They fired on police guarding a hotel for security officers, touching off clashes between them and police and a group of night guards who rushed to the scene, Soylu said.
“The women terrorists were wounded during these clashes. As the clashes continued, two separate explosions were heard,” the minister said. “Because they were wounded, they understood they would not be able to escape and they (killed) themselves.”
Soylu said a woman who was sitting on a balcony near the scene was hit by a stray bullet during the clashes. Neither she nor the second police officer was seriously hurt, he said.
There was no immediate comment from the militant group.
The PKK is considered a terrorist organization in Turkey, Europe and the United States. It has led an armed insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984 and the conflict has killed tens of thousands of people since then.
A fragile cease-fire and peace talks between the state and the PKK collapsed in the summer of 2015. | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/u-s-world/ap-kurdish-militants-attack-turkish-police-kill-themselves/ | 2022-09-27 18:44:28 | 0 | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/u-s-world/ap-kurdish-militants-attack-turkish-police-kill-themselves/ |
The Kahlert Foundation donation to honor the University's long pedigree in computer science, will help attract and equip increasingly diverse generations of computer scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs.
SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Utah today announced a $15 million donation from The Kahlert Foundation to provide support for the university's renowned School of Computing.
The Kahlert Foundation's donation will establish an endowment to provide the School of Computing with flexible, long-term funding that will expand student support, bring in top faculty and accelerate industry collaborations. In recognition of the gift, the university will rename the school in collaboration with The Kahlert Foundation.
"The University of Utah's computer science program is a legendary strength of both the school and the state, and we wanted to do our part to help that legacy continue," said Heather Kahlert, vice president of The Kahlert Foundation and a University of Utah alumna. "Our foundation is passionate about the value of STEM in improving lives and building for the future, and helping to ensure ongoing generations of diverse, top-level computer scientists in Utah is right in line with our mission."
Established in 1991 by Bill Kahlert, a philanthropist and co-founder of Evapco Inc., the foundation provides grants to non-profit organizations in the areas of health care, education, youth programs, veteran organizations and human services. Originally established to support communities in the Maryland area, the foundation expanded its mission in 2015 to include Utah thanks to the influence and passion for philanthropy of Heather Kahlert, the founder's granddaughter.
The Kahlert Foundation has emerged as the leader of a new generation of philanthropy and a major voice for improving the lives and outcomes of students at the University of Utah. Including this most recent gift, the foundation has provided more than $30 million in support across the university. Other recent projects funded and spearheaded by The Kahlert Foundation at the university include the Kahlert Initiative on Technology, a digital literacy certificate for all students, regardless of degree; Kahlert Village, a residential community for first-year students; scholarship support for student Athletes and David Eccles School of Business majors; and generous support for the both the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine Building and the Primary Children's and Families' Cancer Research Center at Huntsman Cancer Institute.
"The University of Utah is a pioneering program in computer science and its deep value is clear in the fact that computer science has become the single largest major on campus," said Taylor Randall, Ph.D., president of the University of Utah. "This generous gift from The Kahlert Foundation will ensure that the foundation and the School of Computing will continue to lead innovation and build the workforce that will continue to drive tech in Utah and around the world."
"The Kahlert Foundation's Gift is timely as it will amplify our efforts to make our computing program welcoming and inclusive, through support for student success programs and faculty development," said Mary Hall, professor and director of the School of Computing.
Since its founding in 1965, the School of Computing has been a center of excellence and innovation, helping to lead a revolution in the use of computers for graphics, data visualization, and human interface. The school housed one of the first four nodes of the ARPANET, the forerunner to the internet. Today, the school is one of the fastest-growing on campus, with the number of students pursuing degrees or courses up 47 percent in five years. Nearly half of computer science degrees awarded by universities in the Utah System of Higher Education each year are from University of Utah.
"At a time of rapid technological change, and when others are competing for talent, Utah can continue to make major contributions in computing and many other fields," said Edwin Catmull, Retired President, Walt Disney & Pixar Animation Studios, "By securing the School of Computing's future financially, The Kahlert Foundation is helping to ensure that we will continue to make the U a foundational school for the advancement of technology, its applications, and impact on local businesses."
The School of Computing continues to build upon its stellar reputation by conducting leading-edge research across a broad range of computer science fields, including AI and machine learning, computer architecture, robotics, high-performance computing, human-centered computing, data science, cybersecurity and wireless communications.
Well-known alumni include Alan Kay, recipient of the Turing Award for envisioning the first GUI at Xerox PARC; Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar; John Warnock, co-founder of Adobe Systems; Alan Ashton, founder of WordPerfect, Jim Clark, founder of Netscape and WebMD; and Telle Whitney, former CEO of Anita Borg Institute and co-founder of Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing.
The naming is pending review and approval by the university's Board of Trustees at their meeting on November 8, 2022.
The Kahlert Foundation's mission is to provide grants to non-profit organizations to improve the quality of life and well-being of the community in the areas of health care, education, youth programs, veteran organizations, and human services. The Kahlert Foundation has five main areas of focus: health care, education, youth programs, veteran organizations, and human services, mainly providing funding in the states of Maryland and Utah. Funding is intended to improve organizations' capacity to make a positive impact on the local communities and their citizens.
The University of Utah is the state's flagship institution of higher education, with 18 schools and colleges, more than 100 undergraduate and 90 graduate degree programs, and an enrollment of more than 34,000 students. In 2019, the university was selected as a new member of the Association of American Universities—an invitation-only, prestigious group of 65 leading research institutions marked by excellence in academic expertise and research impact, student success, and securing resources in support of core missions.
The U's success in achieving excellence in research and teaching reflects the values of Utah: An unparalleled work ethic and a spirit of entrepreneurship, collaboration, and community service. These qualities have enabled the U to innovate across many fields and pioneer new programs with social impact; generate path breaking discoveries; fuel critical research; and inspire innovative approaches to education.
The U strives to be a model public university in delivering unmatched value in higher education and health care while making social, economic, and cultural contributions that improve the quality of life throughout the state, the nation, and the world. The U's reputation for excellence draws top-tier faculty and attracts motivated students from across the country and internationally. These students bring with them diverse experiences and outlooks—representing traditional and nontraditional students alike—thereby enhancing the exceptional educational experience the U offers. More at utah.edu.
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SOURCE University of Utah | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/11/03/kahlert-foundation-donates-15-million-university-utahs-famed-school-computing-focus-future-computing/ | 2022-11-03 21:05:29 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/11/03/kahlert-foundation-donates-15-million-university-utahs-famed-school-computing-focus-future-computing/ |
Letter to the editor: What's wrong with making voters show photo IDs?
In reference to Charita M. Goshay's column Jan. 29, ("Is new voting law a solution in search of problem?") I have to disagree.
A photo ID is one of the easiest things to acquire. No test. Don’t have to study for it. And don’t even have to dress up for it.
You cannot make a big fuss over the many people who are just too lazy to go vote. Do they never go to the store, get a haircut or to the doctor?
I feel the government is belittling people and treating them like babies. If you never challenge or teach your children how to be responsible, they will never grow up. Something that is so important and yet they try to make it sound like it’s just another piece of paper, and heaven forbid you have to go out of your way a couple of times a year to vote.
Her column brings up other questions in reference to integrity and fraud. It really doesn’t say anything about or declare that there’s difficulty in getting a photo ID.
She says why fix something when it’s not broke? But wouldn’t it be better to seek a way to avoid mayhem or make improvements? After all; why do they redesign products if they’re not broke? Why aren’t we only sending mail via stamped letters instead of using email? Or why do we have power tools? Were the older ones broken?
The reference is also made about college people, stating that most tend to vote Democratic and that the new laws could be partly based on that. If they are able to get a college ID, they would be smart enough to get a regular ID and still vote.
We use IDs throughout life. Honestly, it’s not that hard to get one.
Michael Roesti, Beloit | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/opinion/letters/2023/02/16/letter-to-the-editor-whats-wrong-with-making-voters-show-photo-ids/69900460007/ | 2023-02-16 10:42:03 | 0 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/opinion/letters/2023/02/16/letter-to-the-editor-whats-wrong-with-making-voters-show-photo-ids/69900460007/ |
The link in the NBC Sports Chicago tweet Wednesday begged to be opened.
“Tony La Russa calls White Sox leadership meeting, fuels win streak.”
Could it really be that the White Sox manager was responsible for the five-game winning streak against the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros after calling a meeting of his key players? The same Tony La Russa who spent the last four months dealing with almost daily criticism over his team’s lackluster play?
Before I could open the link to find the answer, the winning streak ended Wednesday night.
The Sox followed up Thursday with an embarrassing 21-5 loss to the Astros, finishing with a split in the four-game showdown against the best team in the American League.
“Brutal afternoon,” La Russa said.
Confirmed.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been on a team that’s scored that many runs,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said.
Baker has managed or played in 5,881 major-league games. But you never know when you’ll see something new in baseball, and on Thursday he was treated to 21 runs and 25 hits against La Russa, his oldest and fiercest rival.
Things got so bad at Guaranteed Rate Field a “Let’s go, Astros” chant erupted in the left-field bleachers in top of the ninth inning when Sox second baseman Josh Harrison served up the final runs of the blowout.
Time for another meeting of the leadership council?
Obviously the tweet from the Sox’s flagship station jumped the gun in suggesting La Russa’s move to call the leaders together led to a turnaround in this maddening season. Sometimes a brief winning streak is just a brief winning streak, not a reaction to anything that was said or any idea springing from the manager’s head.
But if some want to credit La Russa or the leadership-council meeting for the sweep of the lowly Tigers and the two comeback wins over the Astros, go for it.
Liam Hendriks, the unofficial spokesman for the leadership council, told reporters Wednesday that fellow leader José Abreu said the team’s “confidence turned into cockiness” and that several players mentioned the “complacency level is we just expected to come in and roll over like we did last year.”
That’s a damning statement if true, as the Sox didn’t “roll over” teams all last season. They went 35-32 in their final 67 games before losing to the Astros in the division series. They’re 96-90 since July 21, 2021, a .516 winning percentage.
And calling players together for a meeting isn’t exactly a novel concept. Former Bulls coach Jim Boylen formed a “leadership group” in his first season in 2018 to give him input on “what we do and how we operate.”
“I’m juiced, man,” Boylen said. “I’m jacked up about it.”
Boylen’s decision came in response to a franchise record 56-point loss to the Boston Celtics and a report of a group text exchange among players suggesting they boycott a practice.
Whether Boylen accepted any input is difficult to ascertain. He didn’t last long enough to see his leadership group amount to much. The 2018-19 Bulls finished 22-60, and Boylen was fired after the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season.
Sox players might be right in thinking La Russa gets too much blame when things go bad. Sports-talk radio couldn’t invent a character who could generate as much discussion, from the intentional walk to Trea Turner with a 1-2 count to the “eyes wide shut” moment in the dugout to the viral video of a fan telling La Russa to pinch run Adam Engel before he made the move.
But that’s the life of a manager or head coach in any sport.
The maxim is “You can’t fire the players, but you can get rid of the manager.” The Sox have flipped the script. They can’t fire La Russa, but they can shake up the roster if his team doesn’t get to the postseason.
The Sox are uber-defensive about the heat La Russa receives, which is what you might expect when he’s Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf’s hand-picked choice. But Baker got as much heat, if not more, from 2004-06 when his honeymoon as Cubs manager ended.
Baker shrugged if off. La Russa probably does, too, knowing it’s an occupational hazard. You can’t manage in this game with thin skin.
Despite the outcome of Thursday’s game, Baker was impressed by the Sox this week and said the Astros could see them again in October.
“They’ve got a good team,” he said. “If they get healthy … they’ve got an outstanding pitching staff, and a very explosive offense. You just don’t know when they’re going to explode. They’re right in the thick of things. Here we are in the middle of August, and there’s a lot of baseball left and a lot of high-pressure baseball left.
“They’re going to Cleveland now and have Minnesota again, so this is the best and most exciting race in baseball.”
So this is another fork in the road for the White Sox, who have taken the wrong path before, only to find themselves at another fork. It might be baseball’s most exciting race, but it’s also its most forgiving. The Sox would be 15½ games behind the Astros in the AL West.
If the Sox manage to sweep the Cleveland Guardians this weekend at Progressive Field, they can move into first in the Central. Even if they are swept, they still can compete for a wild-card spot.
The White Sox are a team made for die-hards and rubberneckers alike.
A season like this one can’t have an ordinary ending.
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BROWNSBURG, Ind. — A man is dead after an early morning fire in Brownsburg.
The Brownsburg Fire Department said they received a report of a house fire shortly before 5 a.m. Tuesday on Fairfield Drive.
Crews were able to quickly extinguish the fire.
Firefighters located a man dead inside of the home.
The Hendricks County Coroner’s Office identified the man as 49-year-old Jeffrey Ransom.
An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday afternoon to determine a cause of death.
Police do not suspect foul play. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/1-dead-in-brownsburg-house-fire-fairfield-drive/531-e8b2a456-9cda-4051-99cd-7494958d4dce | 2023-04-25 21:36:25 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/1-dead-in-brownsburg-house-fire-fairfield-drive/531-e8b2a456-9cda-4051-99cd-7494958d4dce |
NEW YORK — Here’s the latest sign ESG investing is now mainstream after starting as a niche corner of Wall Street: It’s become the target of Republican politicians and billionaire Elon Musk amid the nation’s cultural schism.
ESG has become popular across a wide range of investors, from smaller-pocketed regular people to pension funds responsible for the retirements of millions of workers. ESG investments overall have amassed enough monetary might to buy all of the stock of the most valuable U.S. company, Apple, seven times over.
To critics, meanwhile, ESG is just the latest example of the world trying to get “woke.”
Here’s a look at what ESG is and how big it’s become:
WHAT IS ESG?
It’s an acronym, with each of the letters describing an additional lens that some investors use to decide whether a particular stock or bond looks like a good buy.
Before risking their money, both traditional and ESG investors look at how much revenue a company is bringing in, how much profit it’s making and what the prospects are for the future.
ESG investors then layer on a few more specific considerations.
WHAT IS E?
Environment. It can pay to avoid companies with poor records on the environment, the thinking goes, because they may be at greater risk of big fines from regulators. Or their businesses could be at particular risk of getting upended by future government attempts to protect the environment.
Such risks may not be exposed by traditional investment analysis, which could lead to too-high stock prices, ESG advocates say.
On the flip side, measuring a company’s environmental awareness could also unearth companies that could be better positioned for the future. Companies that care about climate change may be better prepared for its repercussions, whether that means potential flooding damage at factory sites or the risks of increased wildfires.
WHAT IS S?
Social. This is a wide-ranging category that focuses on a company’s relationships with people, both within it and outside.
Investors measuring a company’s social impact often look at whether pay is fair and working conditions are good through the rank and file, for example, because that can lead to better retention of employees, lower turnover costs and ultimately better profits.
Others consider a company’s record on data protection and privacy, where lax protocols could lead to leaks that drive customers away.
Increasingly, companies are also getting called upon to take positions on big social issues, such as abortion or the Black Lives Matter movement. Some ESG investors encourage this, saying companies’ employees and customers want to hear it.
Not every ESG investor considers all these factors, but they all get lumped in together under the “S” umbrella.
WHAT IS G?
Governance, which essentially means the company is running itself well.
That includes tying executives’ pay to the company’s performance, whether that’s defined by the stock price, profits or something else, and having strong, independent directors on the board to act as a powerful check on CEOs.
Some ESG investors are also pushing companies for more diversity on their boards and in their executive suites. That’s to help them look more like their employees and their customers, which can lead to better decision-making and a better understanding of stakeholders.
HOW BIG A DEAL IS ESG?
Investors using ESG criteria in their analysis controlled $16.6 trillion in U.S.-domiciled assets at the start of 2020, according to the most recent count by US SIF, a trade group representing the sustainable and responsible investing industry. That means ESG accounted for nearly $1 of every $3 in all U.S. assets under professional management.
It was also up 43% over just two years, from $11.6 trillion in 2018.
With stock and bond markets tumbling so far this year, the flow of dollars into ESG funds has slowed. U.S. sustainable funds attracted a net $10.6 billion in the first three months of 2022, down 26% from the prior quarter, according to Morningstar. But that still outperformed the overall U.S. fund industry, which saw flows slump by 65%.
IS IT JUST MILLENNIALS DOING IT?
No, the vast majority of money in ESG investments comes from huge investors like endowments at universities and foundations, pension funds and other big institutional investors. They accounted for 72% of all ESG investments, according to US SIF.
WHAT IMPACT IS IT HAVING?
ESG investors are pushing for more engagement with companies, discussing their concerns about the environment, social issues and governance. They’re also casting their votes at annual shareholder meetings with ESG issues more in mind.
Last year a relatively small fund known as Engine No. 1 shocked corporate America after it convinced some of Wall Street’s biggest investment firms to approve its proposal to replace three directors on Exxon Mobil’s board, citing a decarbonizing world. Investors have also pushed Royal Caribbean Cruises to document how much food waste it produces and Starbucks to no longer pay long-term performance awards in cash rather than stock.
It’s all an evolution from the industry’s early days, when “socially responsible” investing was quite simplistic. Early funds would just promise not to own stocks of tobacco companies, gun makers, or other companies seen as distasteful.
AND THE BACKLASH?
Some politicians have denounced ESG as a politicization of investing.
Some in the business world also have been particularly critical of rating agencies that try to boil complex issues down to simple ESG scores.
“ESG is a scam. It has been weaponized by phony social justice warriors,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted earlier this week.
That tweet, along with a meme equating ESG scores to “how compliant your business is with the leftist agenda,” came a couple of weeks after Tesla got kicked out of the S&P 500 ESG index. The index tries to hold only companies with better ESG scores within each industry, while holding similar amounts of energy stocks, tech stocks and other sectors as the broader S&P 500 index.
So, Exxon Mobil could remain in the S&P 500 ESG index, even if it’s pulling fossil fuels from the ground to burn, because it rates better than peer energy companies. Tesla, meanwhile, got the boot partly because of ESG issues unrelated to the environment. S&P Dow Jones Indices cited Tesla’s potential for controversial incidents, highlighting past claims of racial discrimination at the company and its handling of the investigation into deaths linked to its vehicles equipped with its autopilot autonomous driving system.
ARE THOSE THE ONLY CONTROVERSIES?
No. Any boom brings in opportunists, and regulators have warned of some potentially misleading statements.
That could include firms claiming to be ESG-driven but owning shares in companies with low ESG scores. It’s reminiscent of how products along supermarket aisles get accused of “greenwashing,” or pitching their wares as “green” even if they’re not.
Part of that could be how big the ESG industry has become, with some players taking a lighter touch.
Some funds pledge not to own stocks of any companies seen as dangerous, for example. Others will try to own only companies that get the highest ratings from scorekeepers on ESG issues. Still others try to buy only companies that score the best within their specific industry, even if the score is very low overall.
Such nuance can make for confusion among investors trying to find the right ESG fund for them.
___
AP Writer Sam Metz contributed from Salt Lake City. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/explainer-esg-investing-and-the-debate-surrounding-it/2022/05/19/b85961e4-d7a0-11ec-be17-286164974c54_story.html | 2022-05-19 18:35:00 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/explainer-esg-investing-and-the-debate-surrounding-it/2022/05/19/b85961e4-d7a0-11ec-be17-286164974c54_story.html |
Lawrence L. "Larry" Bernemann
MASON CITY - Lawrence L. "Larry" Bernemann, 87, passed away July 24, 2023 at his home.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 am Thursday, August 3, 2023 at Epiphany Parish - Holy Family Catholic Church, 722 N. Adams Ave., Mason City with Rev. Neil Manternach as Celebrant. Burial will follow in Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, August 2, from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm at Hogan Bremer Moore Colonial Chapel, 126 3rd NE Mason City and will resume one hour prior to Mass at the church on Thursday.
Should friends desire, memorials may be left in Larry's honor to the Newman Foundation.
Hogan Bremer Moore Colonial Chapel, 126 3rd St NE, Mason City. (641)423-2372. ColonialChapels.com | https://globegazette.com/news/local/obituaries/lawrence-l-larry-bernemann/article_6679487a-2dcf-595f-8cb8-12bff8056b73.html | 2023-07-29 23:51:05 | 1 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/obituaries/lawrence-l-larry-bernemann/article_6679487a-2dcf-595f-8cb8-12bff8056b73.html |
Project, in partnership with GTI Energy, the University of California, Irvine, and the Electric Power Research Institute, will examine costs, safety and emissions reductions
LOS ANGELES, April 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) is collaborating with GTI Energy to study the use of hydrogen and hydrogen blending in hard-to-decarbonize commercial and industrial processes, continuing its efforts to help the company and California achieve net-zero aspirations.
The aim of the project is to study the use of hydrogen in heavy equipment, blended with natural gas up to 100 percent hydrogen, with an emphasis on end-uses that cannot easily be electrified. The focus of the study will be on costs, safety, and emissions reductions when introducing hydrogen in commercial and industrial uses. GTI Energy will lead the effort in collaboration with Utilization Technology Development, NFP (UTD), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the University of California, Irvine (UCI), and the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). SoCalGas has awarded $752,000 to help fund the project, which is in addition to a $1.77 million grant approved by the California Energy Commission in July 2022.
The study will survey large commercial and industrial users to understand which equipment has the highest potential for decarbonization with hydrogen blends, including industries such as steelmaking, glass, cement, aerospace, and agriculture. After identifying those uses, the project team will then test commercial and industrial equipment fuel blending up to 100 percent hydrogen.
"One of California's biggest challenges in achieving net zero is finding ways to decarbonize heavy industries whose functions are difficult or impossible to electrify," said Neil Navin, chief clean fuels officer at SoCalGas. "This collaboration with GTI Energy will help us identify the most promising avenues to decarbonize and take important steps toward reaching net zero through clean fuels."
The project will lean on GTI Energy's significant experience in the field of hydrogen applications across different sectors and aims to provide important outcomes to the industry for hydrogen implementation across multiple end-use sectors.
"We're focused on providing options for SoCalGas's commercial and industrial customers to decarbonize their operations with H2-based fuels, with an eye towards safety, equity, and environmental impacts. Decarbonizing California's businesses and industry is no small task, and we're fortunate in this effort to build on strong partnerships with SoCalGas and other utilities, in addition to an excellent technical team—including EPRI, UC Irvine, and AHRI," said Kristine Wiley, vice president of the Hydrogen Technology Center at GTI Energy.
Hydrogen is set to play a critical part in SoCalGas' – and California's – energy future, particularly in decarbonizing hard-to-electrify sectors such as heavy-duty transportation, power generation, and heavy industries.
Toward that end, SoCalGas is working to develop Angeles Link, a proposed, dedicated clean renewable hydrogen pipeline system that could deliver clean, reliable, renewable energy to the Los Angeles region.
In December, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved SoCalGas' request to track costs for advancing the first phase of the project, which could be the nation's largest dedicated clean renewable hydrogen pipeline system and support significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty trucks, power generation, industrial processes, and other hard-to-electrify sectors of the Southern California economy. Angeles Link, the [H2] Innovation Experience, and more than a dozen hydrogen demonstration projects SoCalGas is currently pioneering, are all part of its ongoing efforts to help accelerate California's energy transition.
For more information about SoCalGas's hydrogen innovation, visit https://www.socalgas.com/sustainability/hydrogen/.
About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, and increasingly renewable gas service to over 21 million consumers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California. Gas delivered through the company's pipelines will continue to play a key role in California's clean energy transition—providing electric grid reliability and supporting wind and solar energy deployment.
SoCalGas's mission is to build the cleanest, safest and most innovative energy infrastructure company in America. In support of that mission, SoCalGas aspires to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operations and delivery of energy by 2045 and to replace 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply to core customers with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by landfills and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for customers. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), an energy infrastructure company based in San Diego.
For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.
This press release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions with respect to the future, involve risks and uncertainties, and are not guarantees. Future results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. We assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
In this press release, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "contemplates," "plans," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," "should," "could," "would," "will," "confident," "may," "can," "potential," "possible," "proposed," "in process," " construct," "develop," "opportunity," "initiative," "target," "outlook," "optimistic," "maintain," "continue," "progress," "advance," "goal," "aim," "commit," or similar expressions, or when we discuss our guidance, priorities, strategy, goals, vision, mission, opportunities, projections, intentions or expectations.
Factors, among others, that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement include risks and uncertainties relating to: decisions, investigations, inquiries, regulations, issuances or revocations of permits or other authorizations, renewals of franchises, and other actions by (i) the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), U.S. Department of Energy, and other governmental and regulatory bodies and (ii) the U.S. and states, counties, cities and other jurisdictions therein in which we do business; the success of business development efforts and construction projects, including risks in (i) completing construction projects or other transactions on schedule and budget, (ii) realizing anticipated benefits from any of these efforts if completed, and (iii) obtaining the consent or approval of partners or other third parties, including governmental and regulatory bodies; litigation, arbitrations and other proceedings, and changes to laws and regulations; cybersecurity threats, including by state and state-sponsored actors, of ransomware or other attacks on our systems or the systems of third-parties with which we conduct business, including the energy grid or other energy infrastructure, all of which have become more pronounced due to recent geopolitical events, such as the war in Ukraine; our ability to borrow money on favorable terms and meet our debt service obligations, including due to (i) actions by credit rating agencies to downgrade our credit ratings or to place those ratings on negative outlook or (ii) rising interest rates and inflation; failure of our counterparties to honor their contracts and commitments; the impact on affordability of our customer rates and our cost of capital and on our ability to pass through higher costs to current and future customers due to (i) volatility in inflation, interest rates and commodity prices, and (ii) the cost of the clean energy transition in California; the impact of climate and sustainability policies, laws, rules, disclosures, and trends, including actions to reduce or eliminate reliance on natural gas, increased uncertainty in the political or regulatory environment for California natural gas distribution companies and the risk of nonrecovery for stranded assets; our ability to incorporate new technologies into our business, including those designed to support governmental and private party energy and climate goals; weather, natural disasters, pandemics, accidents, equipment failures, explosions, terrorism, information system outages or other events that disrupt our operations, damage our facilities or systems, cause the release of harmful materials, cause fires or subject us to liability for damages, fines and penalties, some of which may not be recoverable through regulatory mechanisms, may be disputed or not covered by insurers, or may impact our ability to obtain satisfactory levels of affordable insurance; the availability of natural gas and natural gas storage capacity, including disruptions caused by failures in the pipeline system or limitations on the withdrawal of natural gas from storage facilities; changes in tax and trade policies, laws and regulations, including tariffs, revisions to international trade agreements and sanctions, such as those that have been imposed and that may be imposed in the future in connection with the war in Ukraine, which may increase our costs, reduce our competitiveness, impact our ability to do business with certain counterparties, or impair our ability to resolve trade disputes; and other uncertainties, some of which are difficult to predict and beyond our control.
These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the reports that the company has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These reports are available through the EDGAR system free-of-charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and on Sempra's website, www.sempra.com. Investors should not rely unduly on any forward-looking statements.
Sempra Infrastructure, Sempra Infrastructure Partners, Sempra Texas, Sempra Texas Utilities, Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (Oncor) and Infraestructura Energética Nova, S.A.P.I. de C.V. (IEnova) are not the same companies as the California utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric Company or Southern California Gas Company, and Sempra Infrastructure, Sempra Infrastructure Partners, Sempra Texas, Sempra Mexico, Sempra Texas Utilities, Oncor and IEnova are not regulated by the CPUC.
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SOURCE Southern California Gas Company | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/04/25/socalgas-partners-project-seeking-decarbonize-commercial-industrial-uses-with-hydrogen-hydrogen-blending/ | 2023-04-25 11:56:46 | 0 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/04/25/socalgas-partners-project-seeking-decarbonize-commercial-industrial-uses-with-hydrogen-hydrogen-blending/ |
Donny Gomez recorded a two-run single and scored two runs to help lift Vineland past St. Augustine, No. 11 in the NJ.com Top 20, in the first game of a doubleheader in Richland.
Xavier Cortez also tallied three singles with an RBI and scored a run while Christian Willis went 2-4 with an RBI and one run.
Marco Levari led St. Augustine (12-4) going 2-3 with five RBI and two runs.
***This article will be updated***
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Craig Epstein may be reached at cepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @CraigEpstein18. | https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2023/05/vineland-defeats-no-11-st-augustine-baseball-recap-doubleheader.html | 2023-05-06 02:02:37 | 0 | https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2023/05/vineland-defeats-no-11-st-augustine-baseball-recap-doubleheader.html |
Brett Favre asks to be dismissed from Mississippi welfare lawsuit
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre is asking to be removed from a lawsuit by the state of Mississippi that seeks to recover millions of dollars in misspent welfare money that was intended to help some of the poorest people in the U.S.
An attorney for Favre filed papers on Monday saying the Mississippi Department of Human Services “groundlessly and irresponsibly seeks to blame Favre for its own grossly improper and unlawful handling of welfare funds and its own failure to properly monitor and audit” how organizations used the money.
“Including Favre in this lawsuit has had the intended effect — it has attracted national media attention to this case,” Favre’s attorney, Eric D. Herschmann, wrote in the filing in Hinds County Circuit Court.
Herschmann wrote that the lawsuit focuses on the welfare agency’s “false insinuations concerning Favre’s supposed involvement” rather than on the agency, “which in fact is responsible for allowing this scandal to occur.”
It was not immediately clear how soon Hinds County Circuit Judge Faye Peterson might consider the request.
Favre is not facing criminal charges. He is among more than three dozen people or companies being sued by the Mississippi Department of Human Services as it seeks to recover a portion of the money misspent in the state’s largest-ever public corruption case. The department filed the lawsuit in May, saying the defendants “squandered” more than $20 million from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families anti-poverty program.
Favre grew up in Mississippi and played football at the University of Southern Mississippi before a long career with the Green Bay Packers that included a win in Super Bowl XXXI. He was traded to the New York Jets in 2008 and played there one year before playing his final two seasons for the Minnesota Vikings.
Favre has repaid $1.1 million he received for speaking fees from the Mississippi Community Education Center, a nonprofit group that spent TANF money with approval from the Department of Human Services. But state Auditor Shad White said Monday that Favre still owes $228,000 in interest.
White’s office has investigated the welfare spending. In response to questions Monday about Favre seeking to be dismissed from the civil lawsuit, White told The Associated Press: “Every party in the civil case is free to make the arguments that they would like to make, and I’m not going to comment on them. The court system can see the case through, and the judge can determine who owes what back.”
A former Department of Human Services director, John Davis, pleaded guilty in September to federal and state charges tied to the welfare misspending.
The director of the the Mississippi Community Education Center, Nancy New, pleaded guilty in April to charges of misspending welfare money, as did her son Zachary New, who helped run the center. Like Davis, they await sentencing and have agreed to testify against others.
In a Sept. 12 court filing in the civil lawsuit, an attorney for the Mississippi Community Education Center released several text messages about $5 million in welfare money that went toward a volleyball facility that Favre was seeking to get built at his alma mater, the University of Southern Mississippi, where his daughter was playing the sport. The messages were between Nancy New and Favre, between Favre and former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant and between Bryant and New. The messages were from 2017 to 2019, when the Republican Bryant was still governor.
That court filing said the nonprofit center agreed to pay Favre $1.1 million “for a few radio spots” to help fund the volleyball arena, which was also being called a campus wellness center.
Another court filing in September included text messages that showed Favre tried to get additional welfare money for an indoor practice facility for the University of Southern Mississippi’s football team. Bryant told him federal money for children and low-income adults is “tightly controlled” and “improper use could result in violation of Federal Law.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2022/11/29/brett-favre-asks-be-dismissed-mississippi-welfare-lawsuit/ | 2022-11-29 02:30:33 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2022/11/29/brett-favre-asks-be-dismissed-mississippi-welfare-lawsuit/ |
Charleston singer/songwriter Larry Groce is the co-founder and host of “Mountain Stage,” a live performance radio show recorded at the in Charleston, W.Va., and aired on NPR stations across the country.
Mountain Stage host Larry Groce performs the theme "Simple Song" after beginning recording the show inside Joan C. Edwards Stadium for the Mountain Stage outdoor concert on Friday, April 16, 2021, in Huntington.
Since helping found “Mountain Stage” in 1981, Larry Groce has hosted more than 950 episodes of the show.
Submitted photo
Larry Groce, co-founder and host of “Mountain Stage,” is pictured performing in 1988.
Submitted photo
Submitted photo
Charleston singer/songwriter Larry Groce is the co-founder and host of “Mountain Stage,” a live performance radio show recorded at the in Charleston, W.Va., and aired on NPR stations across the country.
Mountain Stage host Larry Groce performs the theme "Simple Song" after beginning recording the show inside Joan C. Edwards Stadium for the Mountain Stage outdoor concert on Friday, April 16, 2021, in Huntington.
Ryan Fischer | The Herald-Dispatch
Larry Groce, right, longtime host of the “Mountain Stage” music show, is turning over the reins to West Virginia native Kathy Mattea, left.
Co-founder and Artistic Director of Mountain Stage Larry Groce will receive an honorary degree during West Virginia University's December commencement ceremonies Saturday.
WVU President Gordon Gee will award Groce his honorary degree along with Carrie Lee Gillette, a special education teacher at Weir High School in Weirton.
“Larry Groce is a legend in the music industry,” said Butch Antolini, WV Public Broadcasting chief executive officer and executive director. “Thirty-nine years ago, this month Larry launched Mountain Stage and what has taken place since then is West Virginia history.”
From 1983 until 2021, Groce served as the host and artistic director of Mountain Stage, a two-hour live music radio program produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting and distributed by NPR.
In addition to his work on Mountain Stage, Groce is a member of the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame and Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Groce is being recognized for his overall contributions to the arts. Gillette is the first to receive what will be an annual Presidential Honorary Degree to celebrate the work of public-school personnel throughout the state.
“Mountain Stage is now recognized internationally and is broadcast on nearly 300 stations all across America,” Antolini added. “The show is a true calling card for our state thanks to Larry’s vision and persistence. We are thrilled to be the exclusive producers of Mountain Stage and we can never thank Larry enough for all his contributions to the program’s success. He is a very deserving recipient of this honorary degree.”
Beginning in 1873, West Virginia University has continued the tradition of honoring selected individuals whose outstanding contributions are important to West Virginia University, to the people of the state of West Virginia or to the nation. These individuals have achieved the highest standards of excellence and illuminate, advance, ease and inspire the human condition.
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WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Memphis, Tennessee, on Friday temporarily blocked a law restricting drag performances in public from going into effect, saying it was likely “vague and overly-broad” in its restriction of speech.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, in February, had signed the bill passed by the state’s legislature that was meant to go into effect on Saturday. The bill aimed to restrict drag performances in public or in front of children, putting the state at the forefront of a Republican-led effort to limit drag in at least 15 states in recent months.
“At this point, the court finds that the statute is likely both vague and overly-broad,” U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump, said in a ruling granting a temporary restraining order.
The judge said the state had failed to justify with a compelling interest the restrictions it aimed to impose.
Lee had said the law would protect children from being “potentially exposed to sexualized entertainment, to obscenity.”
The judge sided with Friends of George’s, a Memphis-based LGBTQ theater group that filed suit against the state.
Several planned drag events were canceled over the winter after protests, and many venues felt forced to make previously family-friendly drag shows into adults-only events.
Much of the debate in Tennessee has been over whether drag is inherently a sexually explicit art form.
Performers and civil rights groups have condemned the proposed drag regulations, saying they are unconstitutional, redundant under existing obscenity laws, and would lead to further harassment and violence against gay and transgender people.
THE FOLLOWING IS A ROUNDUP of results from town and school elections held March 28. Many towns had to reschedule elections due to a snowstorm on March 14.
Q: I gave birth with a C-section recently and have heard that when a baby doesn’t pass through the vaginal canal, it is deprived of essential microbes that build a healthy gut. If that’s true, how can I make up for that so my child is as healthy as possible? — Donna R., Richmond, Virginia
Announced over the winter, the Edgars — named, natch, for Edgar Allan Poe — are presented annually by the Mystery Writers of America and are now in their 77th year.
SALINAS, Calif. — When brown water overflowed the banks of the Salinas River in January, flooding thousands of acres and throwing an untold number of farmworkers out of jobs, the leading newspaper in this agricultural mecca did not cover the story.
Just weeks ago, many of the trees on Lawton Pearson’s farm 30 miles southwest of Macon were loaded with quarter-sized fruit and pink flowers, early signs that a plentiful crop of Georgia’s famed peaches was on the way.
The Army on Friday released the identities of nine U.S. soldiers killed in the crash of two Black Hawk helicopters in southwestern Kentucky, the military's deadliest training accident in nearly three years.
The dog barked at 3:25 a.m. Zeba Rasmussen ran down her stairs and saw three men, including the police, through the window pane. "Is this the home of Yousuf Rasmussen?" one of them asked.
Spring break is here, and summer vacations are just around the bend. But while increasingly stressed-out U.S. workers say having paid time off is critical, many still don't even take all that they're allowed.
VATICAN CITY - The Vatican on Thursday formally repudiated the colonial-era "doctrine of discovery," used centuries ago to justify European conquests of Africa and the Americas, saying "it is not part of Catholic Church teaching." | https://www.unionleader.com/wire/judge-blocks-tennessee-law-restricting-drag-performances-in-public/article_d450b391-cb06-587e-aa5a-deb5df22f21b.html | 2023-04-02 00:46:05 | 1 | https://www.unionleader.com/wire/judge-blocks-tennessee-law-restricting-drag-performances-in-public/article_d450b391-cb06-587e-aa5a-deb5df22f21b.html |
The amount of time between planes landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport might seem prosaic to the untrained eye, but there’s a lot more going on than a pilot negotiating the gentle return to earth of hundreds of tons of metal. Every millisecond that passes is tied to a new technology touted as a partial solution to two intractable problems (albeit of wildly divergent importance).
We’re of course talking about airport delays and global warming.
A technology called Intelligent Approach, or IA, is constantly working to tighten the space between incoming aircraft as they approach Pearson. It’s one of a number of new systems aimed at chipping away at the carbon footprint of an inherently dirty industry: commercial aviation.
Aircraft that rely on jet fuel aren’t going away anytime soon. While biofuels are slowly growing in use, scaling them to make a major dent in airplane emissions is arguably a long way off. And the battery technology necessary to even consider electric airliners is much more elusive. So commercial aviation says it’s looking to lop off emissions where it can — from the routes aircraft take to the time they spend circling airports, sitting on the tarmac or idling at the gate. All of that time wastes fuel and spews carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
It may seem like any cut in emissions is a good thing, but that may not be the case. Critics worry such technologies are a kind of airline greenwashing, inviting consumers to feel less guilty about air travel when they still should. Worse, there are fears these efforts might distract from the real solution.
“For the longest time, aviation as a sector has managed emissions by spreading discourses that, at some point in the future, the issues will be resolved,” says Stefan Gössling, a professor of tourism research at Linnaeus University in Växjö, Sweden. “[But] we have not come any closer to a break in emissions.” Airlines “all know that if they engage with the real issue, which is new fuels, they simply couldn’t afford it.”
Carbon emissions from aviation make up more than 2% of the global total. And because passengers, flights and distances are all increasing, it’s one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gases. All of this has put more pressure on airlines and airports to decarbonize.
Which brings us back to chipping away at the margins.
IA began as a collaborative effort between airports, air navigation service providers and airlines. When in 2014 researchers showed runway capacity could be increased by using flexible, time-based separations of approaching aircraft as opposed to fixed distances, the idea was born. In 2015, air navigation service provider NATS and technology provider Leidos teamed up to develop the software, first testing it at London Heathrow Airport.
The makers of IA say its mission is to land planes with more frequency and minimize delays, thus reducing fuel burn. It addresses part of a complex aviation puzzle made up of hundreds of operations across arrivals, departures and surface traffic, all of which can cause delays and thus more fuel to be burned.
Since many problems arise when filling an aircraft with fuel, food, luggage and people, or taxiing to and from the runway, there’s always uncertainty in flight schedules; something as simple as a passenger with a dog too big for its carrier can have knock-on effects. While airlines factor this in by adding buffers to flight times, it doesn’t always help: Around 20% of flights are delayed or canceled each year. The financial impact spreads through the economy as lost time, money and opportunity — for airlines, passengers and companies. But its effect on the environment is worse: Backlogs force aircraft to stack up overhead or linger in the taxiways — with their engines on.
For its part, IA’s methodology is pretty straightforward. It takes into account the aircraft type and current weather conditions to calculate the minimum separation between two incoming aircraft. This involves predicting the “compression” that occurs between each pair of aircraft as the lead plane decelerates to its landing speed.
At most airports, the distance between aircraft A, as it makes its final approach, and aircraft B, next in line, is determined by aircraft size. The larger A is, the more turbulence it creates; the larger B is, the more turbulence it can handle. If you have an Airbus A380 with four jet engines followed by a small Beechcraft King Air, the separation needs to be large.
But this fails to account for variables such as wind speed and direction. It doesn’t acknowledge, for instance, that in a headwind the wake behind aircraft A dissipates faster, allowing for a smaller separation. Using radar and aircraft flight data, IA monitors aircraft as they begin their approach. On a calm day, A and B might need to be kept apart by 3 nautical miles (3.45 statute miles), but in a headwind that can be reduced to around 2.7 nautical miles.
Now in active use at Heathrow, IA enables up to two additional landings per hour in calm conditions and reduces circling time by around 4,784 hours each year, airport officials say. In doing so, it’s saving an estimated 14,442 tons of fuel consumption, or 46,000 tons of CO2.
“If we can deliver close to the same landing rate on a windy day as we can on a calm day, then we can ensure that each aircraft lands as close as possible to its arrival time,” explains Ben Sandford, one of IA’s product managers.
There is a dirty irony here. Using IA, airlines and airports can maximize their capacity for a fraction of the cost of building another runway. This means more planes can fly, burning more fuel and adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Pearson joined Heathrow as a user of IA this year, and Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is to join them in 2023.
At four other airports in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, officials have turned to IntellAct, an Israeli startup that uses CCTV to detect delays caused by cleaning, refueling and restocking of airplanes. Should IntellAct detect any one of these processes is taking too long, it suggests a workaround. If the fuel truck is behind schedule, for instance, IntellAct will recommend refueling take place while boarding passengers.
“A lot of delays can be mitigated with better planning and better communications,” says founder Udi Segall. “If airlines are reacting in real time, then it’s already too slow.”
But it’s not just private enterprise that’s getting into the act. The Federal Aviation Administration is installing software developed by NASA that coordinates schedules of all airport departures.
When a plane is ready to leave, pilots use its engines to taxi toward the runway. Because jet engines aren’t optimized for ground use, the fuel used on the ground is substantial. During a standard 15-minute taxi, a Boeing 747 can burn more than a ton of it. So rather than have planes line up in a physical queue, NASA’s Airspace Technology Demonstration 2 software, or ATD-2, creates a virtual line, such that time normally spent burning fuel on the taxiway is spent at the gate, engines off.
ATD-2 was first tested at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in North Carolina. Over four years there, NASA says the software saved almost 6,000 hours of engine run time, and as much or more than 1 million gallons of fuel. These savings were compounded by a reduction in engine maintenance costs. It also reduced flight delays by 933.6 hours and saved an estimated $4.5 million in value of time.
The system went live at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport last month, with the FAA saying it “will continue activations at dozens more airports in the coming months and years.”
More than 25 airlines have also turned to WheelTug, a device built into the nose-wheel to allow aircraft to push away from the gate without the need for a traditional tug powered by fossil fuels. Not only does it save between six and nine minutes of time per flight, but it can add around two extra flights per gate, according to tests performed at Mumbai International Airport.
But the biggest savings in commercial aviation emissions come from flight. There, too, companies are nibbling around the edges.
Last year, Alaska Airlines signed up with Airspace Intelligence, a Silicon Valley startup whose Flyways platform enables dispatchers to optimize routes between origin and destination. Controllers can use the software to more accurately incorporate weather, traffic volume and airspace constraints into their decisions.
Traditionally, a controller files the proposed route with a regulator around 45 minutes before take off, basing it on what the airspace is like at that particular moment. In some territories, flight paths are tightly prescribed, but U.S. airspace is generally open. The goal is normally to get the flight there as quickly as possible.
What Flyways does is evaluate a trajectory based on what the airspace is going to be like when the aircraft is flying through it. If, for example, a storm is forecast over New York when the aircraft will be there, the platform might avoid it. It will also optimize the route according to the wind direction, saving fuel.
The recommendation also takes into account surrounding air traffic, seeking to ensure not that the flight arrives early, but that it arrives at a time likely to cause the fewest delays in the wider aviation network.
“What is most valuable to an airline is not how fast a flight arrives, but that it arrives in a reliable way,” says Phillip Buckendorf, co-founder of Airspace Intelligence. In 12 months with Flyways, Alaska Airlines says it has saved an average of 2.7 minutes per flight and more than 6,500 tons of CO2 compared to flights not using the technology. That’s the equivalent of more than 17 million miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle.
But Gössling urges caution about relying on these technologies to meaningfully erode aviation’s ballooning environmental impact. They address the least harmful phases of the flight: taxiing, takeoff, approach and landing. At best, he estimates, efficient routing will reduce total emissions by 10%, and eradicating holding patterns will remove around 1%.
Indeed, he says their purported benefits extend no further than local air pollution because any wider gains are erased by growing passenger numbers, which are forecast to double before 2037. Instead of focusing on reducing the taxi times and separation between incoming flights, the focus should be on minimizing emissions when aircraft are in full flight, Gössling says.
As admirable as they may be in a vacuum, these new platforms will promote a net increase in aviation emissions because they make flying more efficient and attractive, he warns. “We are talking about the most energy-intensive form of consumption.” Gössling says. “None of these technologies, even in combination, will cut emissions from aviation to the necessary amount if the sector continues to grow.” | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/commercial-aviation-built-on-pollution-is-getting-a-tiny-bit-greener/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2022-11-24 07:27:48 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/commercial-aviation-built-on-pollution-is-getting-a-tiny-bit-greener/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
BEIJING (AP) — China’s ceremonial parliament has accused American lawmakers of trampling on the sovereignty of other nations after the U.S. passed a measure condemning a suspected Chinese spy balloon’s intrusion into U.S. airspace.
The statement issued Thursday by the National People’s Congress’s Foreign Affairs Committee repeated Beijing’s insistence that the balloon was an unmanned civilian weather research airship, a claim the U.S. has dismissed citing its flight route and payload of surveillance equipment.
While China at first expressed regret over the Feb. 4 incident, it has toughened its rhetoric in a further sign of how badly relations between the sides have deteriorated in recent years.
On Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry said it will take measures against U.S. entities somehow related to the downing of the balloon, without giving details.
The resolution earlier passed unanimously by the U.S. House of Representatives “deliberately exaggerated the ‘China threat,'” the Foreign Relations Committee statement said.
That was “purely malicious hype and political manipulation,” it said. “Some U.S. Congress politicians fanned the flames, fully exposing their sinister designs to oppose China and contain China.”
“In fact, it is the United States that wantonly interferes in other countries’ internal affairs, violates their sovereignty, and conducts surveillance on other countries,” it said.
A range of Chinese government departments have issued daily protests over how the U.S. handled the issue, accusing Washington of overreacting and violating “the spirit of international law.” Beijing has offered no details on what company or government department was responsible for the giant balloon, the remnants of which are being sent to an FBI lab for analysis.
Along with Congress’s passing of the resolution, the U.S. has sanctioned six Chinese entities it said are linked to Beijing’s aerospace programs. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also canceled a visit to Beijing, putting an abrupt freeze on what some had seen as momentum for a stabilization in relations that have plunged to their lowest in decades amid disputes over trade, human rights, Taiwan and China’s claim to the South China Sea.
The House resolution condemned China for a “brazen violation” of U.S. sovereignty and efforts to “deceive the international community through false claims about its intelligence collection campaigns.”
U.S. officials have said China operates a fleet of such balloons, which are a relatively inexpensive and difficult-to-detect method of gathering intelligence. The U.S. government determined the balloon posed little risk to national security and allowed it to fly across the continent before bringing it down with a missile off the coast of South Carolina. | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-china-blasts-us-over-response-to-chinese-balloon-incursion/ | 2023-02-16 23:27:13 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-china-blasts-us-over-response-to-chinese-balloon-incursion/ |
Tax preparation company urges taxpayers to do mid-year tax checkup to avoid surprises during tax filing, shares biggest changes this year so far
JERSEY CITY, N.J., July 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The past few years have been considerably favorable for millions of taxpayers who received a large tax refund, but this tax season will be much different. Jackson Hewitt Tax Services® is warning taxpayers that they could risk refund shock and receive a smaller refund this year. Or worse, they might owe the IRS. The tax preparation company is encouraging taxpayers to do a mid-year tax checkup appointment to understand their situation and make possible changes that could benefit them, to avoid experiencing refund shock during filing season early next year.
"While most people don't think about their taxes until the end of the year, July is the perfect time to make a mid-year tax-planning appointment, especially this year, when many taxpayers are at risk of experiencing refund shock," says Mark Steber, Chief Tax Information Officer at Jackson Hewitt. "My advice: Plan now, keep on top of changes that will impact you and your family, and work with an experienced Tax Pro who has your best interests in mind."
To do a mid-year tax checkup, Steber says that taxpayers need to review a few items to better understand their 2022 situation, including last year's tax return, a summary of 2022's current income amount, and an awareness of notable personal changes from the year–like a change in dependents, change of employment or self-employment pay, getting married or divorced–that may impact their tax situation. With this information, taxpayers can calculate their mid-year tax estimate for the first half of the year, and compare it to the tax amount they've paid.
"Once someone has their expected results, they should meet with a Tax Pro to understand how to act accordingly," Steber adds. "If taxpayers are seeing they might have a smaller refund than they expect or even a balance due, there is still time to take action. That could mean anything from increasing tax withholdings for the balance of the year, to increasing contributions to qualified retirement plans, to many other strategies. See your local Tax Pro for answers to tax specific questions on your unique circumstances."
In addition to doing a mid-year tax checkup, the Tax Pros at Jackson Hewitt are offering taxpayers insight into the top four things they should know to also help avoid refund shock this tax year:
- Unlike 2020 and 2021, 2022 will likely not have additional stimulus checks, also known as Economic Impact Payments or the Recovery Rebate Credit. These checks were part of COVID relief packages, and the IRS issued more than 470 million payments in the past two tax seasons. No new stimulus checks are being discussed in legislation; therefore, taxpayers shouldn't expect an additional $1,200, $600, or $1,400 per person in their tax refund.
- Several tax credits are reverting to pre-COVID levels, which are comparatively smaller or limited to last year. This year, taxpayers will experience the Child Tax Credit (CTC) being worth $2,000 per dependent (down from $3,600 in 2021)–as well as no advance CTC monthly payments this year. The Earned Income Tax Credit for eligible taxpayers with no children will go back to $500 from about $1,500; and the Dependent Care Credit will go to a max of $2,100 from $8,000. These credits will also return to other age and income limits, which also means fewer taxpayers will be eligible for these credits.
- There won't be an above-the-line deduction for charitable donations for those who take the standard deduction. This deduction will revert to pre-COVID rules and only be available to those who itemize. For the past two years, taxpayers could deduct up to $600 on their tax returns.
- Every year, there are tax law changes that bring new challenges and differences. New to this year will be the impact on those who use third-party payment apps, like Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, Apple Pay, and others. These apps are now required to report users to the IRS who accept more than $600 for the year in total, and will send users a 1099-K form. This income will need to be reported on all tax returns to the IRS, and many taxpayers will need to pay tax on it.
Taxpayers can learn more about avoiding refund shock, as well as get other planning tips for a smoother 2022 tax filing season by viewing Jackson Hewitt's "Tax Talk Live" Facebook Live event series. The first series is taking place the week of July 18, 2022, and will be broadcast each week day from 12:00 to 12:15 p.m. EST: facebook.com/jacksonhewitt.
Visit jacksonhewitt.com for more information and to locate an office to schedule a mid-year checkup appointment.
Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. is an innovator in the tax industry, with a mission to provide its hard-working clients access to simple, low-cost solutions to manage their taxes and tax refunds. Jackson Hewitt is devoted to helping clients get ahead and stands behind its work with its Maximum Refund Guarantee and Lifetime Accuracy Guarantee® (restrictions apply, see Jackson Hewitt's website for more details). Jackson Hewitt has more than 5,500 franchise and company-owned locations nationwide, including nearly 3,000 in Walmart stores as well as online tax prep services, making it easy and convenient for clients to file their taxes. For more information about products, services, and offers, or to locate a Jackson Hewitt office, visit www.jacksonhewitt.com or call 1 (800) 234-1040.
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SOURCE Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2022/07/12/jackson-hewitt-warns-taxpayers-they-might-experience-refund-shock-2022-tax-returns/ | 2022-07-12 14:06:33 | 1 | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2022/07/12/jackson-hewitt-warns-taxpayers-they-might-experience-refund-shock-2022-tax-returns/ |
TOKYO — Japanese LGBTQ activist groups delivered a statement to the government on Friday urging that Japan enact an anti-discrimination law and legalize same-sex marriages ahead of a summit of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations being hosted by Japan in May.
Calls for an enactment of an anti-discrimination law and other legal protections have increased since an aide to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida remarked in February that he wouldn’t want to live next to LGBTQ people and that citizens would flee Japan if same-sex marriage were allowed.
The remarks triggered public outrage, and Kishida’s governing Liberal Democratic Party has begun preparing legislation that would promote awareness of LGBTQ rights but not mandate them. Some conservatives have shown resistance to the proposed bill and progress is uncertain.
Activists see the upcoming G-7 summit as a chance to push their cause, which they hope to have included in the leaders’ joint statement.
Three groups spearheading the drive organized a conference in March at which they formulated a statement that they submitted Friday to Masako Mori, the government’s special adviser in charge of promoting LGBTQ awareness. It urges the government to enact legislation prohibiting discrimination against sexual minorities, instead of merely promoting awareness of the issue.
“Enactment of awareness promotion is far from the global standard. Even an anti-discrimination law is just a first step,” said Yuichi Kamiya, executive director of the Japan Alliance for LGBT Legislation.
After meeting with Mori on Friday, the activists said she showed understanding and promised to give the statement to Kishida.
Activists say Japan’s conservative government has stonewalled the push for equal rights, which they say is supported by the general public. Support for LGBTQ people has slowly increased in Japan, while recent surveys show that most Japanese back legalizing same-sex marriage.
In a statement Friday, the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan said, “Japan’s lack of LGBTQ+ protections makes it a less attractive option for some of the best talent in the world in an era when companies operating in Japan cannot afford to lose talent to their global competitors.”
It urged Japan to “bring its protection of LGBTQ+ rights in line with the standards of other G-7 nations to help bolster Japan’s ability to attract global talent and further Japan’s economic potential.”
On Thursday, Kishida told a group of journalists from G-7 member countries, including The Associated Press, that Japan promotes policies to achieve an inclusive and diverse society, but that whether to allow same-sex marriage requires careful consideration.
“An introduction of same-sex marriage is an issue that affects the foundation of the people’s lives and family values of each individual. I consider this an issue that broadly affects all nationals,” Kishida said. “It is important to take into consideration views among all levels of the public, legal actions related to same-sex marriage, and the extent of (alternative) partnership systems on municipal levels.”
Kishida said he hoped to deepen discussion of the issue in parliament, and added that each country has different backgrounds and issues to consider. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/04/21/japan-lgbtq-antidiscrimination-law/c5fab01a-e04a-11ed-a78e-9a7c2418b00c_story.html | 2023-04-21 13:57:19 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/04/21/japan-lgbtq-antidiscrimination-law/c5fab01a-e04a-11ed-a78e-9a7c2418b00c_story.html |
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s prime minister on Wednesday promised the country’s homeless people that the government will ensure they are paid to rebuild and return to their lives after the country’s worst-ever floods.
With winter is just weeks away, half a million people are living in camps after being displaced by the flood, which destroyed 1.7 million homes. So far, the government’s priority has been to deliver food, tents and cash to the victims. The floods have killed 1,481 people since mid-June and affected 33 million.
“We will do our best to financially help you so that you can rebuild homes” and return to a normal life, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif told several families living in tents and makeshift homes in the town of Suhbatpur in Baluchistan. “Those who lost homes and crops will get compensation from the government,” he said in his televised comments.
Sharif also told dozens of school children, who were studying in a tent with help from the U.N. children’s agency UNICEF in the town of Suhbatpur, that they will get a new school in the next two months.
“Pakistan never witnessed such huge climate-induced devastation,” Sharif told a gathering of lawyers in Islamabad on Wednesday. “It was painful to see inundated villages, towns and cities.”
Sharif said the winter season will start in Pakistan after 15 days, and “then another challenge for the flood victims will be how to survive in the harsh cold as currently they were living in tents in summer.
Even providing clean drinking water to flood-affected people has become a challenge, he said.
The floods have destroyed 70% of wheat, cotton and other crops in Pakistan. Initially, Pakistan estimated that the floods caused $10 billion in damages, but now the government says the economic toll is far greater. The United Nations has urged the international community, especially those responsible for climate change, to send more help to Pakistan.
The monsoon rains have swept away entire villages, bridges and roads, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. At one point, a third of the country’s territory was inundated with water.
Multiple experts have blamed climate change for unprecedented rain-related damages in Pakistan.
Also Wednesday, Pakistan’s minister for climate change, Sherry Rehman, told a gathering of lawmakers from the Asia Pacific in the capital, Islamabad that right now the entire world is facing a threat from climate change which, she said, “knows no border.”
She called for reducing emissions to save other countries from the damage that her country is facing now.
Meanwhile, the first planeload of aid from Saudi Arabia arrived in Pakistan overnight.
So far, U.N. agencies and various countries, including the United States, have sent about 90 planeloads of aid.
On Wednesday, Julien Harneis, who is U.N resident coordinator in Pakistan, told a news conference that member states had committed so far $150 million in response to an emergency appeal for $160 million. | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/international/ap-pakistani-premier-promises-compensation-for-flood-victims/ | 2022-09-14 21:33:47 | 1 | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/international/ap-pakistani-premier-promises-compensation-for-flood-victims/ |
WFO PORTLAND Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, January 5, 2023
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WIND ADVISORY
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Portland OR
339 AM PST Thu Jan 5 2023
...WIND ADVISORY IS CANCELLED...
Winds have eased for most of the area, but gusts 30 to 40 mph
continue right along the Columbia River from I-205 eastward. Winds
will continue to ease through the day.
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Copyright 2023 AccuWeather | https://www.mrt.com/weather/article/WA-WFO-PORTLAND-Warnings-Watches-and-Advisories-17696100.php | 2023-01-05 12:11:31 | 0 | https://www.mrt.com/weather/article/WA-WFO-PORTLAND-Warnings-Watches-and-Advisories-17696100.php |
PALMA, Spain (AP) — Christopher Eubanks of the United States earned his first ATP tour title by beating Adrian Mannarino in straight sets in the final of the Mallorca Championships on Saturday and will rise to a career-high ranking of 43rd going into his first Wimbledon.
The 27-year-old Eubanks had to save five match points in his semifinal against Lloyd Harris on Friday but never even faced a break point against Mannarino, winning 6-1, 6-4 in his first career final.
“It just means the world, man,” said Eubanks, who will rise 34 spots in the rankings as a result of the win. “It means a lot of the hard work I’ve been putting in, the ups and downs throughout my career, it all is coming together now at this point in my career.”
Eubanks will face Thiago Monteiro of Brazil in the first round of Wimbledon on Tuesday in his debut at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.
“To come into my first Wimbledon with my first ATP title is something that if you had told me when I showed up last Thursday that it would happen, I probably wouldn’t have believed you,” Eubanks said.
___
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.myarklamiss.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-american-christopher-eubanks-wins-1st-atp-tour-title-by-beating-adrian-mannarino-in-mallorca-final/ | 2023-07-02 17:23:35 | 0 | https://www.myarklamiss.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-american-christopher-eubanks-wins-1st-atp-tour-title-by-beating-adrian-mannarino-in-mallorca-final/ |
Titans starting Daley at left tackle with Taylor Lewan out
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans will start Dennis Daley at left tackle Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders with three-time Pro Bowler Taylor Lewan ruled out.
The Titans (0-2) also will be without starting outside linebacker Bud Dupree (hip), outside linebacker Ola Adeniyi and cornerback Ugo Amadi (ankle). Daley took over at left tackle after Lewan hurt his right knee on the first offensive play of their 41-7 loss in Buffalo on Monday night.
“He filled in there and got some more work this week, so I am excited to see him go play,” coach Mike Vrabel said.
The Titans traded with Carolina for Daley before the start of this season for some much-needed depth. The 6-foot-6, 326-pound Daley was a sixth-round pick by the Panthers in 2019 and has started 21 of 36 games in his career. Daley has started at left tackle, left guard and right guard in his career.
Starting cornerback Kristian Fulton (hamstring) practiced fully Friday along with reserve running back Dontrell Hilliard. Punt returner and rookie wide receiver Kyle Philips is doubtful with an injured shoulder.
Linebacker Zach Cunningham is questionable after not practicing Friday. He was limited after hurting a knee Thursday.
___
More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://kion546.com/news/ap-nevada/2022/09/23/titans-starting-daley-at-left-tackle-with-taylor-lewan-out/ | 2022-09-23 21:48:42 | 1 | https://kion546.com/news/ap-nevada/2022/09/23/titans-starting-daley-at-left-tackle-with-taylor-lewan-out/ |
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Defense attorneys for a man accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students to death asked the Idaho Supreme Court on Friday to keep a gag order in place, saying a challenge to the order filed by 30 news organizations is premature and that media coverage of the case has been “twisted.”
The defense team for Bryan Kohberger argued in a court filing that the news organizations should have first asked the magistrate judge who issued the gag order to reverse it, though they acknowledged the state has no rule specifically allowing outside parties to intervene in criminal cases.
“What the media really seeks here is a procedural victory, knowing full well it cannot win on the merits of any test, given the pervasive and grotesquely twisted nature of media coverage that has occurred thus far,” Jay Weston Logsdon, with the Kootenai County Public Defender’s office, wrote in the court document. Logsdon did not cite any examples of what he believed to be “twisted” media coverage.
Kohberger, 28, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and burglary in connection with the stabbing deaths in Moscow, Idaho. Prosecutors have yet to reveal if they intend to seek the death penalty.
The bodies of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were found on Nov. 13, 2022, at a rental home across the street from the University of Idaho campus. The slayings shocked the rural Idaho community and neighboring Pullman, Washington, where Kohberger was a graduate student studying criminology at Washington State University.
The case garnered widespread publicity, and in January Latah County Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall issued the sweeping gag order, barring attorneys, law enforcement agencies and others associated with the case from talking or writing about it.
The coalition of news organizations, which includes The Associated Press, contends the gag order violates the right to free speech by prohibiting it from happening in the first place.
An attorney representing the family of one of the victims has also filed an opposition to the gag order in state court. Shannon Grey, who represents the Goncalves family, said in that challenge that the gag order is unduly broad and places an undue burden on the families. Marshall said a hearing on the matter would be held after the Idaho Supreme Court issues a ruling on the news organizations’ challenge.
Kohbergers’ attorneys contend the gag order essentially requires the attorneys involved in the case to act ethically to ensure Kohberger gets a fair trial.
“This is not a case where the attorneys seek to use the rules as a weapon against one another. It is a case where a young man is on trial for his life,” Logsdon wrote. “There was nothing inappropriate about the Magistrate Court reminding the attorneys involved of their ethical obligations.”
High-publicity cases often present a conundrum for judges, who work to protect the defendant’s right to a fair trial. Courts sometimes feel that controlling the flow of information around the case — by forbidding those involved from talking about it — is an effective way to limit publicity.
But gag orders can infringe on the First Amendment rights of the public and of the people involved in the case. News organizations that cover the courts serve a watchdog role, keeping the public informed about how the judicial branch operates.
During the investigation into the University of Idaho students’ slayings, news organizations’ interviews with investigators and law enforcement officials often worked to quash misinformation spread online by people who styled themselves as sleuths on social media sites. | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/ap-us-news/ap-defense-lawyers-in-idaho-killings-case-want-gag-order-kept/ | 2023-03-05 00:41:27 | 1 | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/ap-us-news/ap-defense-lawyers-in-idaho-killings-case-want-gag-order-kept/ |
The way fans saw Emma Roberts' son Rhodes' face for the first time is kind of a funny story.
The Scream Queens star jokingly called out her mom on social media for posting a snap of the 2-year-old with his face in full view.
Resharing her mom's post—which featured Rhodes walking towards the camera surrounded by leaves with his blonde hair blowing in the wind— on her Instagram Stories Feb. 9, Emma wrote, "When your mom posts your sons face without asking but you love them both so whatever."
Her post comes a few months after Emma, who shares Rhodes with ex Garrett Hedlund, her son's 2nd birthday. For the milestone, the pair each penned heartwarming tributes on social media.
"Happy Birthday to my angel boy Rhodes!!!" the Unfabulous actress wrote on Instagram Dec. 27 alongside a picture of herself and her son on a couch in pajamas. "I love you beyond!"
As for Garrett, 38, he shared an array of various snapshots of the toddler, including one of the two walking on a dock.
"Happy 2nd Birthday to My Beautiful lil Boy Rhodes!!!" the On the Road actor wrote. "You are truly, 'Where The Roses Grow!' I Love You More than Anything else my eyes will ever see!!!" | https://www.eonline.com/news/1364589/emma-roberts-puts-her-mom-on-blast-for-sharing-photo-of-son-rhodes-face-without-permission?cmpid=rss-syndicate-genericrss-us-top_stories | 2023-02-10 21:48:48 | 1 | https://www.eonline.com/news/1364589/emma-roberts-puts-her-mom-on-blast-for-sharing-photo-of-son-rhodes-face-without-permission?cmpid=rss-syndicate-genericrss-us-top_stories |
Did you lose money on investments in Apyx Medical? If so, please visit Apyx Medical Corporation Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@bernlieb.com to discuss your rights.
NEW YORK, June 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the securities of Apyx Medical Corporation ("Apyx" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: APYX) between May 12, 2021 and March 11, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida and alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Apyx claims to be an advanced energy technology company with products in the cosmetic and surgical markets. Nearly 80% of the Company's revenue is derived from the Advanced Energy segment, which consists of Apyx's helium plasma technology that is marketed and sold as Renuvion (in the cosmetic surgery market) and J-Plasma (in the hospital surgical market).
Plaintiff alleges that Defendants made materially false and misleading statements throughout the Class Period. Specifically, Plaintiff alleges that Defendants failed to disclose that: (1) a significant number of Apyx's Advanced Energy products were used for off-label indications; (2) such off-label uses led to an increase in the number of medical device reports filed by Apyx reporting serious adverse events; (3) as a result, the Company was reasonably likely to incur regulatory scrutiny; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, the Company's financial results would be adversely impacted.
On March 14, 2022, Apyx disclosed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") would be posting a Medical Device Safety Communication ("MDSC") related to the Company's Advanced Energy Products. The Company further disclosed that "[b]ased on our initial interactions with the FDA, we believe the Agency's MDSC will pertain to the use of our Advanced Energy products outside of their FDA-cleared indication for general use in cutting, coagulation, and ablation of soft tissue during open and laparoscopic surgical procedures."
On this news, the Company's stock fell over 40%, to close at $5.88 per share on March 14, 2022.
If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than August 5, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.
If you purchased APYX securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Apyx Medical Corporation Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@bernlieb.com.
Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List" thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for ten consecutive years.
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. © 2022 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.
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Bernstein Liebhard LLP
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SOURCE Bernstein Liebhard LLP | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/25/apyx-medical-corporation-nasdaq-apyx-shareholder-class-action-alert-bernstein-liebhard-llp-reminds-investors-deadline-file-lead-plaintiff-motion-securities-class-action-lawsuit-against-apyx-medical-corporation-nasdaq-apyx/ | 2022-06-25 01:30:20 | 0 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/25/apyx-medical-corporation-nasdaq-apyx-shareholder-class-action-alert-bernstein-liebhard-llp-reminds-investors-deadline-file-lead-plaintiff-motion-securities-class-action-lawsuit-against-apyx-medical-corporation-nasdaq-apyx/ |
Holiday lights take a special meaning deep in the Adirondack Mountains By Brian Mann Published December 25, 2022 at 5:28 PM EST Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 2:43 A natural history museum in New York has created a lush space of holiday lights in the snowy woods on the bank of the Raquette River. Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wbaa.org/2022-12-25/holiday-lights-take-a-special-meaning-deep-in-the-adirondack-mountains | 2022-12-25 23:21:48 | 0 | https://www.wbaa.org/2022-12-25/holiday-lights-take-a-special-meaning-deep-in-the-adirondack-mountains |
Kelsie Belquist’s state track meet weekend got off to a rough start.
The finish was a completely different story.
The New Rockford-Sheyenne junior standout stumbled early in her first race on Friday, the prelims of the 300 meter hurdles. She recovered from the spill and still won her heat and qualified for the finals.
On Saturday, Belquist won four state championships and set a pair of overall state records on the final day of the state track meet at the Bowl.
The rough start served as motivation for Belquist.
“It definitely did. I went to the 400 and I was just pissed, I was like that was not how I wanted it to go but it turned out well anyway,” Belquist said. “I thought I went out of my lane but the guy doing the flags was like, you’re good, so I just got up and just ran as hard as I could even though my legs were so dead.”
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Belquist set a new overall record in the 200 later that day, a mark she broke again on Saturday.
It was the second consecutive state meet in which Belquist won four individual titles, helping the Rockets to a third-place finish in the team standings with 44 points.
She reeled off four straight titles, and two records, in a little more than three hours.
To start the day, Belquist broke her own state record in winning the 300 hurdles in 41.48.
A couple of hours later, she won titles in three consecutive events. Belquist ran the 400 in 56.56, the 100 hurdles in 14.36, just 0.03 seconds over Whitney Carlson’s state record of 14.33 in 2005.
She capped it off by turning in a new overall, Class B and Bowl record in the 200 for the second time in as many days, finishing in 23.94, with Elise Wisnewski of Central Cass close on her heels, crossing in 24.26.
For Belquist, the highlight of the weekend came in the first victory.
“Honestly I think it’s the 300 hurdles,” Belquist said “Just coming back after I fell and getting 41 – that’s been my goal all year, and I hadn’t been able to hit it, so I came in wanting to be able to do that. And then falling kind of brought me down, but it all just pushed me forward.”
The Rockets’ Elliott Belquist was named the Class B coach of the year.
Harms wins pair of titles
Avery Harms of Shiloh Christian picked up a pair of state titles on Saturday.
The Skyhawks senior recovered from a shaky start to win the 100 in 11.20, edging Xander Rath of Kindred (11.28) and John Kaldor of Hillsboro-Central Valley (11.29).
“I stumbled out of the blocks but then about 50 meters through, I just kind of realized I had to pick it up if I wanted to win it,” Harms said. “Fight or flight kind of kicked in.”
Harms had qualified with the fastest time in the 200 on Friday, and on Saturday he made it his second state title, clocking in at 22.72 to edge Tyson Enget of Powers Lake-Burke Central (22.8) and Logan Weninger of Carrington (22.89).
Harms didn’t have any expectations going into the finals.
“Honestly I didn’t really think about it much,” Harms said. “I didn’t really have any expectations. One of my teammates in the tent told me, just run because that’s all you can do. Just do the best you can do, just run.
“It’s surreal because my dad (Jeremy) was a state champ so it’s good to follow him.”
Harter wins triple jump
Kidder County senior Kennedy Harter finished her high school career with a state title in the triple jump.
Harter leaped 37-2 to take the title. Bottineau’s Kylie Simpson finished second (35-10.5) and Adlyn Eng of Central McLean third (35-0.25).
“My speed was working well and I was just staying calm,” said Harter, who was named the Class B senior athlete of the year.”
Harter got her winning mark on her second jump.
“They all felt pretty good. My second to last in finals was very not good and my last jump I scratched by a little bit but it was a good jump,” she said.
It was a strong finish to a tough spring season with the rough weather early on.
“Our first meet was in April,” Harter said. “We went all the way down to Bowman and it was like 80 degrees and then we didn’t have another meet for like three weeks.
“A lot of indoor drills and just working on little technique stuff. And then when we did get outside just really pushing on what we needed to do.”
Sparrow wins title in javelin
Daisy Sparrow of Central McLean wasn’t expecting to win a state title on Saturday.
The Cougars senior posted a PR of nearly six feet to win the javelin with a throw of 124-0. Genevieve Gruba of Enderlin took second with a mark of 123-5.
“My goal for today was to get to finals and then once I get to finals, just find a way to get on the podium,” Sparrow said. “I wasn’t gunning for first at all, I was just gunning for a spot on that podium.
“It’s awesome, it’s a surreal experience.”
Sparrow got the victory thanks to her second throw of the first flight, which eclipsed her season-best mark coming in of 118-0.5.
“My plant was good and I felt loose and ready to go, just felt ready to throw,” Sparrow said.
With Sparrow’s title and a victory by the Cougars’ 1600 meter relay team, Central McLean compiled 46 points, sharing the state team title with Central Cass.
Anna Skachenko, Leah Jacobson, Natalie Whitcomb and Morgan Snyder teamed up to turn in a winning time of 4:02.84, edging Lisbon (4:03.07) for first.
Notes
Taylor Wanner of Bowman County added a state title in the 800 to his earlier victory in the 1600.
The Bulldogs sophomore finished in 1:57.84. Christian Brist of Hillsboro-Central Valley came in second (2:00.13) and Jaron Olson of Kindred third (2:00.2), followed by four more Bowman County runners. Jonah Njos (2:00.39), Austin Wanner (2:00.72), Caleb Sarsland (2:00.91) and Gavin Lambourn (2:02.21) finished 4-5-6-7 to give the Bulldogs 24 points in the event.
Bowman County piled up 101 points, giving them a second-place finish in the team standings. Kindred won the title with 124, Hillsboro-Central Valley was third with 86. Austin Wanner was named co-senior athlete of the year along with Kindred’s Jack Packer. Jon Jahner was named the Class B coach of the year.
Logan Weninger of Carrington out-leaned Hillsboro-Central Valley’s Henry Nelson at the finish line to pick up a title in the 400. Weninger (49.71) edged Nelson (49.74) by 0.03 seconds.
Adyson Gerbig, Sophia Headley, Landyn Gerbig and Quin Andrew teamed up to give Bowman County a title in the 800 relay, finishing in 1:45.02.
Brynn Hanson of Des Lacs-Burlington, who won the 3200 and 1600 titles on the opening two days of the meet, added a third individual title in the 800. The Lakers freshman finished in 2:17.67, with Jordyn Thorson of Southern McLean coming in second (2:19.11) and Madison Johnson of Carrington (2:19.11) third.
Wisnewski ran 12.05 to win the girls 100 for Central Cass. Anya Olson of Velva-Drake-Anamoose was second in 12.34, with Ella Olson of Fargo Oak Grove third in 12.35
Mayzee Jacobson, Decontee Smith, Grace Lemar and Wisnewski gave the Squirrels a state title in the400 relay, crossing in 48.86. Beulah was second in 49.92.
Trey Heinrich of Kindred swept the boys hurdles titles. He ran 39.97 to win the 399 hurdles, with Carrington’s Weninger second (40.39). He crossed the line in 14.55 in the 110 hurdles, with Tallen Thorson of Harvey-Wells County second (15.22).
Charlie Biewer, Xander Rath, Cam Schwartzwalter and Masen Allmaras combined for a win in the 400 relay for Kindred. Shiloh Christian was second in 44.41.
Hillsboro-Central Valley won two relay crowns. Micah Longthorne, Henry Nelson, Kason Buchholz and John Kaldor turned in a 1:30.32 to win the 800 relay. Longthorne, Buchholz, Christian Brist and Nelson ran 3:28.51 to take the 1600 relay. | https://bismarcktribune.com/sports/belquist-wins-four-state-titles-at-state-b-track-meet/article_23a6516c-fce6-11ed-b582-9f96746d0416.html | 2023-05-28 06:21:11 | 0 | https://bismarcktribune.com/sports/belquist-wins-four-state-titles-at-state-b-track-meet/article_23a6516c-fce6-11ed-b582-9f96746d0416.html |
DOVER, Del. (AP) — Delaware Gov. John Carney said Friday that he will allow bills legalizing recreational marijuana use by adults in the state and authorizing the establishment of a state-licensed and regulated cannabis industry to become law without his signature.
The Democratic governor's move marks a turnaround from last year, when he vetoed a legalization bill championed by fellow Democrats. That led to a failed veto override attempt by House Democrats.
Just last month, Carney’s office said he continued to have strong concerns about the unintended consequences of legalizing marijuana for recreational use, including the effects on young people and highway safety.
“I want to be clear that my views on this issue have not changed. And I understand there are those who share my views who will be disappointed in my decision not to veto this legislation," Carney said in a prepared statement Friday. “I came to this decision because I believe we’ve spent far too much time focused on this issue, when Delawareans face more serious and pressing concerns every day. It’s time to move on.”
“I remain concerned about the consequences of a recreational marijuana industry in our state," Carney added. "I’m concerned especially about the potential effects on Delaware’s children, on the safety of our roadways, and on our poorest neighborhoods, where I believe a legal marijuana industry will have a disproportionately negative impact. Those concerns are why I could not put my signature to either House Bill 1 or House Bill 2.
The legalization bill allows people 21 and older to possess up to 1 ounce (28 grams) of leaf marijuana, 12 grams of concentrated marijuana, or marijuana products containing up to 750 milligrams of the psychoactive compound THC. Possession of more than an ounce of marijuana and public consumption would remain misdemeanors. The bill also prohibits people from growing their own marijuana for personal consumption.
The separate industry-creation bill calls for state officials to issue up to 30 initial retail marijuana licenses, 30 manufacturing licenses, 60 cultivation licenses and five testing licenses. It includes special license pools for “social equity” and “microbusiness” applicants.
The Democrat-controlled Senate voted 16-4 last month for the legalization bill after it cleared the Democrat-led House on a 28-13 vote. The industry bill was approved by votes of 27-13 in the House and 15-5 in the Senate. The industry bill required a three-fifths supermajority because it creates a new tax in the form of a 15% levy on retail sales.
Veto overrides also require three-fifths votes in both chambers, meaning 25 in the House and 13 in the Senate.
Delaware Democrats have tried for years to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults. The marijuana bills are essentially the same as legislation considered last year, but the election of several progressive Democrats in November helped increase support for the legalization bill and gain the required supermajority for the industry bill. It also likely would have improved chances for overriding any vetoes by Carney.
GOP lawmakers have been mostly united in opposition to legalization, although three Republican House members voted for the legalization bill and two voted for the industry bill. In the Senate, the legalization bill received one GOP vote, while the industry bill passed on a straight party-line vote.
Opponents have argued that legalization and creation of a state marijuana industry will lead to increased marijuana use among teens and young adults that could affect their cognitive development, expose business owners to liability and result in more traffic deaths and injuries. They also say it will do little to eliminate illegal sales.
Supporters say neither bill changes laws regarding driving under the influence and that public consumption of marijuana would be prohibited. They also say employers will be able to test workers for marijuana and discipline employees for being under the influence at work. Supporters also argue that a state-regulated industry will reduce illegal black market sales, create jobs and generate more tax revenue.
To date, 21 other states have passed laws legalizing recreational use of marijuana by adults.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/ap-top-news/2023/04/21/delaware-governor-drops-opposition-to-marijuana-legalization | 2023-04-21 20:23:14 | 0 | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/ap-top-news/2023/04/21/delaware-governor-drops-opposition-to-marijuana-legalization |
PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — The fire emoji was a common sight in tweets about the new corporate thriller “Fair Play,” which debuted Friday at the Sundance Film Festival.
The movie follows two ambitious analysts at a cutthroat hedge fund, played by “Bridgerton’s” Phoebe Dynevor and “Solo’s” Alden Ehrenreich, who are also in a passionate and secret relationship. Several steamy scenes had some declaring the return of the erotic thriller.
Film historian Karina Longworth, whose podcast “You Must Remember This” recently delved into the erotic thriller moment of the 1980s, tweeted that “It does for the 2020s what ‘Fatal Attraction’ did for the late 80s.”
Chloe Domont, who wrote and directed the film, said she didn’t set out to make an erotic thriller, per se.
But “I did set out to make a thriller about gender power dynamics within a relationship that happens to be highly sexual,” Domont told The Associated Press on Saturday in Park City. “I think the execution of that intention ended up flipping the erotic thriller genre on its head.”
Dynevor, in only her second film role, said that when she read Domont’s script, she saw herself and a lot of women she knows in her character, Emily, who seems to be the sole female at the company. She’s made even more aware of this when she gets promoted over Ehrenreich’s Luke.
“How she navigates work life in a very male-dominated industry and how she navigates her relationship and, you know, in many ways has to make herself smaller in order to make other people feel comfortable, I could relate to that,” Dynevor said.
Ehrenreich’s character comes from a more privileged background than Emily. He’s Ivy League-educated and expects a certain amount of success. But he also rolls his eyes at the casual misogyny of his co-workers and, at least at first, is supportive of Emily’s ascent.
“I think he’s a little at remove from the rest of the office. He’s not quite in that boy’s club,” Ehrenreich said.
“One of the things that I really liked about the movie that I think sometimes is lacking from stories that take on issues like this is understanding the background and the system and the culture that all of that is taking place in,” he continued. “It’s not on one individual being a good person or a bad person. We’re all highly influenced by our environment and the ambitions that we have within that environment.”
The film has already stirred up a gender debate among those who have seen it as Domont makes sure to never go the cliche route with her characters. Audience sympathies may even shift between Luke and Emily from scene to scene. Dynevor was firmly on Emily’s side in reading the script and during filming, but when she watched the finished product, something changed.
“I kind of saw it more as him and her being a culprit of the society and a victim of the society, as opposed to, like anyone was a baddie or a goodie,” she said.
“Fair Play,” which is up for acquisition at the festival, is Domont’s directorial debut on the large screen. But high-finance drama is not new for her: She’s helmed episodes of Showtime’s “Billions” too.
“My interest in that world starts from, you know, ‘Wall Street’ and ‘Working Girl’ and like those movies,” Domont said. “But for me it’s the stakes. You have high stakes, you have drama.”
“You make money one day, you lose money the next day. … You’re either living on a high high and you think you’re the (expletive), or the next day you think you’re a worthless piece of (expletive),” Domont added. “What that does to a person, the fluctuating between those highs and lows, I relate to that in the film industry. … I related to what that environment does to a person.”
Serbia plays New York in the film, which came together rather quickly, but the three key players made sure to carve out time to establish an authentic intimacy between Ehrenreich and Dynevor.
“We did a few days of rehearsal that I thought were really valuable, and it’s so rare you get to do that,” Ehrenreich said. “It makes such a huge, huge difference, especially in a movie like this, if two people have been together and so much of the movie is their relationship and the details of that.”
That involved improvisations of Emily’s first day at the office and the first time Luke tells her he loves her.
“It really felt like it really kind of locked something in,” Ehrenreich said. “That’s a magical thing that is worth fighting for on almost every movie, especially any movie that deals with, you know, a relationship of any kind.”
They also worked with an intimacy coordinator to stage the sex scenes.
“Chloe is such a phenomenal director and was always pushing us to go farther and farther, which was such a thrill as an actor,” Dynevor said. “And we both felt really safe to do so.”
The Sundance Film Festival runs through Jan. 29.
___
Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-sundance-goes-wild-for-sexy-corporate-thriller-fair-play/ | 2023-01-22 20:54:45 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-sundance-goes-wild-for-sexy-corporate-thriller-fair-play/ |
Following the banning of Zooey Zephyr from the Montana house floor on Wednesday, MTN News reached out to the Queer Straight Alliance organization at Montana State University to ask their opinion on Zephyr’s situation.
QSA of MSU Social Media Coordinator, Vesper Remiel, spoke with us about how he feels about the results
“It's really kind of ridiculous to us. Zooey represents 11,000 constituents who democratically elected her from Missoula, and not only are they silencing her voice in this process, but they're silencing all of those people who should be represented through the democratic process,” Remiel said.
Remiel expressed his concerns about how blocking a transgender lawmaker makes the LGBTQIA community and himself feel.
“It's frustrating to see it,” Remiel said. “It's also like scary to see the ways in which, you know, they hold all the power, they have the house, the Senate, the governor, they can just decide to not recognize her.”
He feels as though these other representatives aren’t practicing what they preach.
“Feels kind of hypocritical when the whole argument about not letting her speak is about decorum,” Remiel said. “And part of decorum is going through the proper processes or channels. They are using this as a way to not hear those things about those bills that they're putting through.”
Remiel says it isn’t fair for the House of Representatives to ban Zephyr after they have made mistakes when speaking with her.
“They're not asking the people who repeatedly misgendered her to apologize or have interrupted her throughout the session to apologize,” Remiel said. “And we don't have that power, even though it's supposed to be our house and our democratically elected representatives.”
Watch the full interview below: | https://www.kbzk.com/news/local-news/montana-state-university-queer-straight-alliance-member-speaks-on-zooey-zephyr-house-floor-ban | 2023-04-27 23:18:30 | 1 | https://www.kbzk.com/news/local-news/montana-state-university-queer-straight-alliance-member-speaks-on-zooey-zephyr-house-floor-ban |
Mother’s death declared a homicide; 5-year-old S.C. girl still missing
ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WIS/Gray News) - The death of Crystal Jumper is now being investigated as a homicide and her 5-year-old daughter, Aspen Jeter, is still missing, WIS reports.
“This has been determined to be a homicide due to a gunshot wound to the upper body,” Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said.
Authorities were called to a residence on Thanksgiving Day for a welfare check. Jumper was found deceased inside and Aspen was not at the home.
Jumper’s family says they had not spoken to her since Nov. 1.
Investigators say they have also been searching for Antar Antonio Jeter, 46, Aspen’s father.
Authorities received surveillance footage of a department store parking lot in Fayetteville, N.C., with a man, who they believe is Jeter, and a child that matched Aspen’s description.
Ravenell says investigators are looking to speak with Jeter.
“We’ve been looking for him in connection with the larceny of a vehicle, but we also want to talk to him as he may have information in the case,” the sheriff said. “We’d like to see if he knows anything.”
Anyone who spots Jeter or Aspen is asked to not approach them. Jeter is believed to be driving a blue 2015 Mazda taken from Jumper’s home.
Anyone with information on the case is being asked to leave a tip with Crimestoppers or by calling the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office at 803-534-3550.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/2022/11/30/mothers-death-declared-homicide-5-year-old-sc-girl-still-missing/ | 2022-11-30 19:38:02 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/2022/11/30/mothers-death-declared-homicide-5-year-old-sc-girl-still-missing/ |
Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office investigates weekend shooting
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a weekend shooting and issuing another warning about illegal street racing.
Around 3:30 Saturday morning, a woman reportedly came up on several cars lined up on the side of the road in the area of Airport Road and Artesia Road. She said it appeared that they were attempting to drag race.
The woman said she drove around the cars and someone shot at her, hitting her car and flattening a tire.
She had the vehicle towed to her home and reported the shooting later in the morning.
Investigators found 9-millimeter shell casings at the scene of the shooting.
The victim said she did not know the alleged shooter’s name, but did recognize him from social media.
Lowndes County Deputies are investigating a shooting that occurred at Artesia Road and Airport Road.
This morning, she was able to identify Dekylan Malone.
Malone has been arrested. He is charged with Aggravated Assault.
Sheriff Eddie Hawkins also reminded people that drag racing on public roads is against the law, and you can face fines and jail time if you are caught. | https://www.wcbi.com/lowndes-county-sheriffs-office-investigates-weekend-shooting/ | 2023-02-07 05:11:17 | 0 | https://www.wcbi.com/lowndes-county-sheriffs-office-investigates-weekend-shooting/ |
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PITTSBURGH, May 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I thought there should be a way to filter and kill airborne particulates and viruses while wearing a face mask," said an inventor, from Magnolia, Texas, "so I invented the U V PROTECTOR FACE MASK. My design would increase safety by reducing the inhalation of harmful germ-related organisms."
The invention provides an improved safety mask to protect against airborne germs and viruses. In doing so, it offers an alternative to traditional protective face masks. As a result, it helps to prevent the inhalation of ambient airborne microorganisms and it provides added protection and peace of mind. The invention features a lightweight design that is easy to wear and use so it is ideal for the general population.
The original design was submitted to the Houston sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-HOF-183, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
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SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2022/05/26/inventhelp-inventor-develops-mask-protect-against-airborne-germs-hof-183/ | 2022-05-26 20:31:20 | 0 | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2022/05/26/inventhelp-inventor-develops-mask-protect-against-airborne-germs-hof-183/ |
NEW YORK, Jan. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gross Law Firm issues the following notice to shareholders of Unisys Corporation.
Shareholders who purchased shares of UIS during the class period listed are encouraged to contact the firm regarding possible lead plaintiff appointment. Appointment as lead plaintiff is not required to partake in any recovery.
CONTACT US HERE:
CLASS PERIOD: August 3, 2022 to November 7, 2022
ALLEGATIONS: The complaint alleges that during the class period, Defendants issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Company's 2022 financial guidance was significantly overstated; (ii) accordingly, once the truth was revealed, it was likely that the Company would be required to negatively revise its 2022 financial guidance; (iii) in addition to the foregoing, material weaknesses existed in the Company's internal control over financial reporting; and (iv) as a result of all of the foregoing, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
DEADLINE: January 10, 2023 Shareholders should not delay in registering for this class action. Register your information here: https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/unisys-corporation-class-action-submission-form/?id=35257&from=4
NEXT STEPS FOR SHAREHOLDERS: Once you register as a shareholder who purchased shares of UIS during the timeframe listed above, you will be enrolled in a portfolio monitoring software to provide you with status updates throughout the lifecycle of the case. The deadline to seek to be a lead plaintiff is January 10, 2023. There is no cost or obligation to you to participate in this case.
WHY GROSS LAW FIRM? The Gross Law Firm is nationally recognized class action law firm, and our mission is to protect the rights of all investors who have suffered as a result of deceit, fraud, and illegal business practices. The Gross Law Firm is committed to ensuring that companies adhere to responsible business practices and engage in good corporate citizenship. The firm seeks recovery on behalf of investors who incurred losses when false and/or misleading statements or the omission of material information by a company lead to artificial inflation of the company's stock. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
The Gross Law Firm
15 West 38th Street, 12th floor
New York, NY, 10018
Email: dg@securitiesclasslaw.com
Phone: (646) 453-8903
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SOURCE The Gross Law Firm | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/01/04/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-unisys-corporation-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-january-10-2023-nyse-uis/ | 2023-01-04 11:27:55 | 1 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/01/04/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-unisys-corporation-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-january-10-2023-nyse-uis/ |
With less than 2 weeks to go, Coinllectibles has finalised an exciting panel of speakers – ranging from International Thought Leaders to Singaporean business leaders to exchange views on the changing landscape of the Internet
SINGAPORE, Oct. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Metaverse Blockchain company Coinllectibles™️, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cosmos Group Holdings Inc. (OTC: COSG) is pleased to announce the confirmed line-up of speakers for the Web 5.0 event happening in Singapore at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel on 1 Nov 2022.
In total, there will be more than 25 different speakers for the one-day event, with about half coming from abroad. Some of the notable International speakers are (arranged according to alphabetical order of their last name):
- Josep Aliagas – Managing Partner at DIS Capital. Josep is an international M&A and financing expert in technology, infrastructure and energy projects. With two successful exits in the tech industry, he is also a co-founder of Vitaloid, and Digital Investments, as well as angel investor in several start-ups. Josep is a member of the British Blockchain Association and Silicon Valley Hub coordinator of MyData Global and a mentor at Singularity University start-up programs.
- Pascal Berclaz – CEO of Quinting SA. Pascal is the President of Quinting – a Swiss luxury watch company that is famous for their transparent high-end watches. Invented in 2001, his transparent luxury watch – Quinting Dove of Geneva, was endorsed by influential politicians and celebrities including former US President, Bill Clinton as well French actor, Gérard Depardieu.
- Louis Cheung – Associate Legal Counsel at Ping An OneConnect Bank, a Hong Kong- based neobank wholly-owned by OneConnect Financial Technology (NYSE: OCFT) specializing in SME banking. Louis is a qualified solicitor in Hong Kong and earned his bachelor's degree in law at the University of Hong Kong.
- Ohoon Kwon – Managing Partner at Cha & Kwon. Ohoon concentrates his practice in the area of corporate law, with focus on finance, information technologies and international law. Admitted to practice law in the Republic of Korea, he is a member of the Korean Bar Association. Ohoon served as a director at Inhouse Counsel Forum (IHCF), the largest inhouse counsel society in Korea.
- Michael Nash – an Irish/American filmmaker and artist named in 2010 by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the "Top 10 MovieMakers For The Planet." Nash founded Beverly Hills Productions over a decade ago and has been an alumni of the Sundance Film Festival for years. Nash sits on an UN advisory panel focused on global "content for change" and is a global keynote speaker on issues of humanity, climate stress, food security and migration. He consults with several leaders around the world, governments and organizations, including – DAVOS, Harvard University, MIT, The Pentagon, US House and Senate, American Security Project and the United Nations.
- Moses W Park – Barrister and Arbitration Lawyer at Liberty Chambers. Moses is a dispute resolution lawyer practicing as a barrister (trial advocate) based in Hong Kong. His practice mainly focuses on conduct and resolution of cross-border and international commercial arbitration and litigation. He is currently serving in the Committee of Arbitration at the Hong Kong Bar, the Committee of Commercial Law & Practice at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Hong Kong.
- Dr Cynthia A. Phillips – Founder & Principal of The Disruptive Factory. Cynthia is an economist, writer, producer, and social entrepreneur. Phillips is a Partner at Renew Venture Capital an impact fund that focuses on diversity, sustainability, and supporting underrepresented founders. A 2020 Finalist Global Women in Tech, Phillips is a champion of the 17 UN SDGs and supports non-profit organizations, creators as well as companies of any scale to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their business planning, Business Intelligence, ESG and CSR.
- Dr Craig Wright – the person known to be "Satoshi Nakamoto" – the investor of Bitcoin. He established nChain in 2015, where he is the Chief Scientist and where his ideas have led to several thousand patent applications. Dr Wright has more than 30 years of experience in information technology and IT security, having conducted more than 1,200 engagements for private and governmental organisations.
Some of the notable Singaporean and Singapore based speakers are (arranged according to alphabetical order of their last name):
- Paulina Bialek – CEO & Co-founder of FrostyWhale, a platform connecting fans with their favourite influencers. She started her professional career at Expara, a Southeast Asian VC fund, investing in the region as well as building and running global acceleration and incubation programs. She was a mentor and judge in start-up competitions and programs in both Europe and Asia. She launched the international foundation, Lotus League, supporting European start-ups in their expansion into South East Asian markets. She holds a Bachelors in Finance and a Masters in Law.
- David Fergusson – CEO & Co-founder of Hugo, a digital companion empowering any generation to spend, save, and invest confidently, effortlessly and sustainably through an inclusive and easy-to-understand Wealthcare® journey.
- Darren Ho – Head of Web 3.0, mm2 Asia, and Head of Metaviva (an mm2 Entertainment Company). Darren is a serial entrepreneur who has been involved in the digital space for more than 25 years. He is now the Head of Web 3.0 for mm2 Entertainment, one of the largest media and entertainment companies in the region and specialises in transforming current digital initiatives into Web 3.0 where applicable. As an additional portfolio, he heads Metaviva, a Web 3.0 NFT marketplace focused on film and entertainment.
- Khai Hori – Co-founder of Chan + Hori. Khai Hori is a contemporary art curator with extensive experience in independent, institutional, and corporate arenas. He is currently Director and Partner of Chan + Hori Contemporary, a contemporary art consultancy in Singapore. His past roles include Deputy Director of Artistic Programming at Palais de Tokyo, Paris and Senior Curator at the Singapore Art Museum and National Heritage Board Singapore where he oversaw Singapore's national collection for contemporary art and curatorial programmes.
- Ng Chong Yuan – Head of Faculty, IPOS International. Chong Yuan is a Singapore qualified Advocate & Solicitor and has diverse in-house work experience in technology businesses spanning over about a decade. Currently, as the Head of Faculty at IPOS International, he teaches and speaks on practice and management courses covering intellectual property (IP) and trade secrets. His clients included international manufacturing firms, technology firms, foreign law firms and government agencies. His practice experience included IP prosecution, IP court litigation and IP advisory work. With an engineering training, Chong Yuan has also tutored and conducted research at the engineering school of a Singapore university. He is also an inventor of a USA patent (no. 6853626).
- Rakesh Kirpalani – Director, Dispute Resolution & Information Technology, and Chief Technology Officer at Drew & Napier LLC. Rakesh has extensive experience in dealing with issues where risk and technology interface, including risk management and disputes in connection with information technology infrastructure and electronic evidence. He has advised various multi-national corporations, multi-jurisdictional private equity funds and listed companies both in Singapore and other jurisdictions.
- Ang Yuit – President, Entrepreneur Organisation (EO) Singapore. Yuit's early foray in business required him to quickly gain leadership experience. He became actively involved in leadership in not for profits. Yuit is a member of Entrepreneur's Organisation (EO), an invite-only global network of 12,000 entrepreneurs with peer to peer coaching frameworks to enable members empowerment and success in their disciplines and lives. Yuit served as the president of EO Singapore and in 2019/2020. Yuit is also involved in the Association of Small Medium Enterprises (ASME) which boasts over 7,000 members. Elected as the VP in 2009, Yuit drives digital initiatives in collaboration with government bodies to impact, influence and drive adoption of technology for Singapore's SMEs. Currently, he serves as the Vice President for Strategies, Development and Digitalisation of ASME.
The full list of speakers and program is available: www.coinllectibles.art/web5conference
Commenting on the speaker line-up, Benny Phang, the Head of Partnership at Coinllectibles, said, "We are excited and honoured that so many renowned International and Singapore thought leaders are willing to be a part of this event. From the strong positive response, the future of the Internet is clearly something that many people are interested to discuss. We also intentionally planned the event to be just before the Singapore Fintech Festival. Given the profile of our speakers, it is my belief that some of the overseas visitors coming for the Singapore Fintech Festival will find time to attend the Web 5.0 Conference as well."
The Coinllectibles Web 5.0 conference is a free event. As seating is limited for certain conference sessions, attendees will be required to register to gain admission to the event. For more information on the key highlights of the Web 5.0 Conference 2022, please refer to the information below.
Title: Web 5.0 Conference 2022
Date: 1 November 2022
Address: Grand Copthorne Waterfront. 392 Havelock Road, Singapore 169663
Time: 9am – 10pm
Registration: www.coinllectibles.art/Web5Conference
Hash tag: #Web5Conference
For more information on Coinllectibles and its DOT offerings, please visit
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, which are often indicated by terms such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "goal," "intend," "look forward to," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would" and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future business activities including the expansion into the decentralized financing space. These forward-looking statements are not promises or guarantees and involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described or projected herein include uncertainties associated with operating a business in Singapore and Hong Kong, risk of interference by the PRC government, ability to compete, that financial resources do not last for as long as anticipated, and that COSG is a holding company that may not realize the expected benefits of DOT's offered by Coinllectibles™️. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other risks can be found in COSG's regulatory filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including in its annual report on Form 10-K filed on April 15, 2022. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. COSG undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.
For media queries, please contact:
About Cosmos Group Holdings Inc
Cosmos is a business group that operates in two business segments:
- Arts and Collectibles
- Financing
Through Coinllectibles™, the group provides authentication, valuation and certification (AVC) service, sale and purchase, hire purchase, financing, custody, security and exhibition (CSE) services to art buyers through traditional channels, as well as through leveraging blockchain technology through the creation of digital ownership tokens (DOTs).
With subsidiaries licensed under Hong Kong's Money Lenders Ordinance, the group currently primarily provides unsecured personal loan to private individuals, with a small portfolio of mortgage loans. The group is integrating the two business segments by offering secured financing services to prospective art and collectibles purchasers to provide a one-stop arts and collectibles purchasing and financing experience.
About the Company – Coinllectibles™️
Coinllectibles™️ is a technology company supporting the collectibles industry with a focus on rare memorabilia and artworks that exist and have intrinsic value in the real world, whether tangible or intangible in nature.
Coinllectibles™️ applies blockchain, marketplace, metaverse and DOT technologies as tools to disrupt and enhance the real world collectibles industry. The technology underpinning DOTs (digital ownership tokens) has multiple functional use cases that Coinllectibles™️ is applying to areas including art, sports, watches, numismatics, limited edition toys, limited edition fashion wear and sneakers. DOTs have the power to transform our societies and some areas may be subject to regulations. Coinllectibles™️ uses DOT technology solely to provide a legally-binding digital ownership token (DOT) to a tangible or intangible collectible.
Website: www.coinllectibles.art
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Coinllectibles
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coinllectibles/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/coinllectibles
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coinllectibles
Telegram: https://t.me/Coinllectibles
About Coinllectibles™️ Fusion DOT
Coinllectibles™️ prides the Fusion DOT as the industry "Gold Standard". Being a Gold Standard, a Fusion DOT contains the following on Arweave – (1) a sale and purchase agreement reflecting the purchase, by the person minting the Fusion DOT™️, of the underlying asset at a fair value with all rights and restrictions clearly detailed, (2) bailment terms governing the rights to possession whilst the underlying asset remains with Coinllectibles™️, (3) a transfer deed reflecting the transfer of the ownership of the underlying asset (together with all rights and restrictions) by the transferor to the holder of the Fusion DOT™️, (4) ownership title deed written into the description of the Fusion DOT™️ and (5) the unequivocal identification file of the underlying asset, whose ownership is reflected in the title deed represented by the Fusion DOT™️.
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SOURCE Cosmos Group Holdings Inc. | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/10/20/bitcoin-inventor-satoshi-nakamoto-known-be-dr-craig-wright-listed-one-illustrious-speakers-coinllectibles-hosted-web-50-conference/ | 2022-10-20 15:27:31 | 1 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/10/20/bitcoin-inventor-satoshi-nakamoto-known-be-dr-craig-wright-listed-one-illustrious-speakers-coinllectibles-hosted-web-50-conference/ |
LONDON (AP) — Daryl McCormack is the zen master.
It’s not a new acting role or a level of spiritual enlightenment, it’s a nickname he got on set for being extremely laidback.
The Irish actor is having a busy and rewarding year with ensemble appearances on TV in brutal period drama “Peaky Blinders” and dark comedy thriller “Bad Sisters,” plus a star-making performance as the title character in the film “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande.”
McCormack portrays a sex worker hired by Emma Thompson’s frustrated widow character and the movie got them a best joint lead performance nomination at the British Independent Film Awards. This led to his first ceremony experience. He took his mom.
“I’ve never had awards season, so I’m just taking it as it comes, you know. This film was so small, and it’s received so much love. So for us to make it this far, to had such recognition and for there still to be a lot of love for the film is really, really lovely.”
“As far as personally, I’m just kind of taking it all in my stride and and enjoying the moment,” he said, smiling.
Among the honors McCormack has received during a standout career year is being named one of The Associated Press’ Breakthrough Entertainers of 2022, alongside stars including Iman Vellani, Tobe Nwigwe, Simone Ashley and Danielle Deadwyler.
McCormack is on a short break from shooting BBC-Showtime series “The Woman in the Wall,” a gothic thriller that involves the Magdalene Laundries — church run institutions in Ireland for unmarried women and their children, which has been investigated for allegations of physical and sexual abuse.
Ruth Wilson’s character Lorna Brady had been placed in a laundry and wakes years later to find a dead body in her house. McCormack portrays Detective Colman Akande, the policeman on her trail.
McCormack calls it an “important” story that has been “intense, good and rewarding” to film.
Not that he minds hard work.
“I always like to pick projects that I believe in the message behind. In a way, if the work is tiring, it feels rewarding because you know that you’re doing something you care about. So you’re willing to go through any sense of tiredness or exhaustion because you’re wanting to do the story proud.”
And to relax, he has his weekend off to see friends and family.
This is McCormack’s support network, the people he turns to on the rare occasion that roles don’t go his way. That’s something that was more common when he was first out of drama school, though he’s worked pretty consistently since 2018.
“I’ve had rejection for sure” admits McCormack. “I wish I came out unscathed, but no.”
“There’s not many people in my family that are in the arts. So when I first was kind of going through things and jobs not coming my way or not getting past an audition, I had to kind of explain to them that this is just part of the journey really, it is part of the process. But once they understood that, then they were like, ‘OK, he’s fine.’”
He’s also started to get recognized more, which he reckons is “grand.”
“They all want selfies or, you know, they say, oh, you know, ‘My girlfriend loves the show. She won’t believe me if we don’t.’ So you just take a photo and it’s nice. It’s really fun.”
McCormack also gets Googled with people looking up his eye color (green), his background (bi-racial) or who he played in “Peaky Blinders” (Isaiah Jesus).
It’s something else he shrugs away.
“It’s kind of a natural part of the job. They’re curious to know who you are and where you’re from and all that stuff.”
Next he’d like to play an American character and could be filming in the U.S. next year — he’s confident his accent skills are up to the task.
And McCormack would also like the pressure that comes with playing a historical figure.
“There’s a certain level of responsibility and you know, usually with those projects, if they’ve passed, some of their loved ones might be still around. And there’s just an element where that to me is like an amazing opportunity to storytell. And I would love to kind of welcome that pressure and have an honor to actually tell someone’s true story.”
As ever, he remains zen about whatever is to come.
“There’s no other option. You know, I’m very content and feel very grateful and yeah, I’m very, very happy to see where it all continues to go.”
___
For more on AP’s 2022 class of Breakthrough Entertainers, please visit: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-breakthrough-entertainers | https://www.fox16.com/entertainment-news/ap-ap-breakthrough-entertainer-daryl-mccormacks-grand-year/ | 2022-12-15 22:11:42 | 0 | https://www.fox16.com/entertainment-news/ap-ap-breakthrough-entertainer-daryl-mccormacks-grand-year/ |
LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, vent their grievances against the British monarchy in the second half of their Netflix documentary series released Thursday, which includes Harry describing how his older brother shouted at him during a meeting and Meghan talking about wanting to end her life as she struggled to cope with toxic press coverage.
The couple have detailed their experiences leading to their decision to step away from royal duties and make a new start in the United States in “Harry & Meghan,” a six-part series. The first three installments, released last week, focused on the British media’s coverage of the couple and the way it was influenced by racism.
The final three episodes see Harry, 38, recounting the growing rift between him and Prince William, whom he said lashed out at him during a royal summit at Sandringham Castle in January 2020 to talk about Harry and Meghan’s plan to step down as senior royals and move away.
“It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me and my father say things that just simply weren’t true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in,” Harry said.
Elsewhere in the series, Meghan, 41, says she thought about killing herself before she and Harry decided to move to America. “It was like ‘All of this will stop if I am not here,’” she said. “And that was the scariest thing about it, because it was such clear thinking.”
Harry added that he believed the Mail on Sunday’s publication of a letter Meghan wrote her estranged father, Thomas Markle, contributed to her having a miscarriage. Meghan later sued the Mail’s publisher and won.
“I believe my wife suffered a miscarriage because of what the Mail did,” Harry said. “Bearing in mind the stress that caused, the lack of sleep and the timing of the pregnancy – how many weeks in she was – I can say from what I saw, that miscarriage was created by what they were trying to do to her.”
Harry stressed it was his decision, not Meghan’s, to leave the U.K. “I said, ‘We need to get out of here,’” he said.
Palace officials have not commented on the series.
The production is Harry and Meghan’s latest effort to tell their own story after the couple stepped back from royal life in early 2020 and moved to the wealthy Southern California enclave of Montecito. Lucrative contracts with Netflix and Spotify have helped finance their life on an estate overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
The Netflix series has come out at a crucial moment for Britain’s monarchy. King Charles III, Harry’s father, is trying to show that the institution remains relevant after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, whose personal popularity damped criticism of the crown during her 70-year reign.
Harry’s 2018 marriage to the former Meghan Markle, a biracial American actress, was once seen as a public relations coup for the royal family, boosting the monarchy’s effort to move into the 21st century by making it more representative of a multicultural nation.
But the fairytale, punctuated with a horse-drawn carriage ride and lavish wedding at Windsor Castle, soon unraveled amid relentless media attention, including allegations that Meghan was self-centered and bullied her staff.
A look at some other allegations Harry and Meghan make in the second half of their series:
ON THE ROYAL PRESS MACHINE:
Describing royal press operations as a “dirty game,” Harry said there was “leaking” and “planting of stories,” and that the palace “comms team” would seek to deflect negative coverage of one royal by issuing a story about another royal.
He talks about being sidelined, citing the example of a joint statement palace officials issued on behalf of him and William to “squash” a story about William bullying the couple out of the family. He said it was issued without his consent.
“I couldn’t believe it. No one had asked me permission to put my name to a statement like that,” Harry said. “They were happy to lie to protect my brother and yet for three years, they were never willing to tell the truth to protect us.”
“I mean, the saddest part of it was this wedge created between me and my brother so that he’s now on the institution’s side,” he added.
Meghan’s lawyer, Jenny Afia, claimed in the series that she saw evidence of “negative briefing from the palace” against the couple “to suit other people’s agendas.” She did not elaborate on the evidence.
ON BEING BLOCKED FROM SEEING THE QUEEN:
The couple said they planned to see Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, during a visit to the U.K. in early 2020, but palace officials blocked it.
Meghan said Harry received an urgent message saying, “You are not allowed to go and see Her Majesty.” Harry said he rang the queen, who told him that “I didn’t know that I was busy. I’ve now been told I’m busy all week.”
“This is when a family and a family business are in direct conflict because they’re blocking you from seeing the queen, but what they’re really doing is blocking a grandson from seeing his grandmother,” Meghan told the documentary makers. | https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/harry-meghan-to-vent-grievances-in-final-netflix-episodes/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2022-12-15 13:30:43 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/harry-meghan-to-vent-grievances-in-final-netflix-episodes/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle is one of seven sites in the nation to host the training program
SEATTLE and TACOMA, Wash., Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) is launching an undergraduate medical training program for students from Morehouse School of Medicine. Virginia Mason Medical Center is one of seven sites in the nation, and the only site in the Pacific Northwest, selected by CommonSpirit Health and Morehouse School of Medicine, to address two of the most pressing challenges in health care – a shortage of diverse clinicians and the need for more equitable care.
"At Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, we are committed to building a more diverse team of clinicians to better reflect the distinct communities we serve. Through the historic partnership between CommonSpirit Health and Morehouse School of Medicine, we are honored to take this important step to advance health equity and build an inclusive network of care," said Ketul J. Patel, CEO of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.
The first group of Morehouse School of Medicine students began their four-week rotations at Virginia Mason Medical Center in August. The program will host three new students every month for rotations in anesthesiology, urology, and system-based practice – a unique elective that introduces students to the Virginia Mason Production System as well as quality and safety systems and practices.
The partnership is part of the More in Common Alliance, a 10-year, $100 million initiative to improve both access and quality of care patients receive.
"Patients have improved outcomes when treated by clinicians of similar backgrounds who share lived experiences. The More in Common Alliance is an important step in addressing disparities in our health care system, by intentionally investing in increased cultural competency and representation in partnership with health systems like Virginia Mason Franciscan Health," said Erica Sutton, associate dean of academic programs and affiliations, undergraduate medical education at Morehouse School of Medicine.
"VMFH is committed to providing leading training programs across our system to develop the next generation of health care providers. This initiative expands medical education to build a more diverse and dynamic workforce, which will have a positive impact on our health system, as well as the larger Puget Sound region," said Dr. Ryan Pong, vice president and chief academic officer at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. "On behalf of our entire team, we are excited to welcome Morehouse students to Seattle."
Morehouse School of Medicine and CommonSpirit Health are uniquely positioned to impact health equity through education and training opportunities, and improved access and care delivery. While there are 155 accredited medical schools in the U.S., Morehouse School of Medicine and the other three historically Black medical schools produce the majority of the nation's Black physicians. CommonSpirit Health is one of the largest health systems in America with medical centers across the country including Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. The system serves some of the most diverse communities in the country and is a leading provider of Medicaid services.
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is a world-class health system serving the Pacific Northwest, offering access to some of the country's most prestigious experts and hospitals that are internationally recognized for superior quality. Our expansive system builds upon the strength of more than 300 sites of care, including 11 top-tier hospitals, 18,000 team members, and 5,400 employed physicians, advance practice providers (APPs) and community providers to improve the health of our communities. Together we deliver easily accessible, instantly responsive and digitally connected patient-centric care.
By bringing together the brightest health care minds through Benaroya Research Institute, a global leader in autoimmune disease and immune system research, we deliver the most advanced therapies and technologies for our patients. We are also proud to be the home of Bailey-Boushay House, the first skilled-nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in the United States designed specifically to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS. We are committed to addressing health care disparities by caring for the most vulnerable in our communities, including the poor and underserved, providing more than $300 million in community benefit – free, subsidized, and reduced cost health care and programs. Learn more at www.vmfh.org.
Founded in 1975, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is among the nation's leading educators of primary care physicians, biomedical scientists, and public health professionals. An independent and private historically-Black medical school, ``MSM was recognized by the Annals of Internal Medicine as the nation's number one medical school in fulfilling a social mission—the creation and advancement of health equity. MSM faculty and alumni are noted for excellence in teaching, research, and public policy, as well as exceptional patient care. MSM is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award doctoral and master's degrees. To learn more about programs and donate today, please visit www.msm.edu or call 404-752-1500.
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SOURCE Virginia Mason Franciscan Health | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/virginia-mason-franciscan-health-activates-partnership-with-morehouse-school-medicine-expand-black-representation-health-care/ | 2022-08-25 19:46:18 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/virginia-mason-franciscan-health-activates-partnership-with-morehouse-school-medicine-expand-black-representation-health-care/ |
WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, September 7, 2022
_____
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX
741 PM CDT Wed Sep 7 2022
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of east central Hays
and south central Travis Counties through 830 PM CDT...
At 741 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Onion Creek, or near Tanglewood Forest, moving southwest at 25 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and half inch hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Austin, San Marcos, Kyle, Buda, Tanglewood Forest, Austin Bergstrom
Int Airport, Rollingwood, Uhland, Mustang Ridge, Niederwald, Onion
Creek, Shady Hollow, Manchaca, Mountain City, Sunset Valley, San
Leanna, Hays, Creedmoor, Pilot Knob and McKinney Falls State Park.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
LAT...LON 3017 9762 2993 9783 2991 9786 3006 9807
3029 9777
TIME...MOT...LOC 0041Z 043DEG 21KT 3018 9776
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.mrt.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-AUSTIN-SAN-ANTONIO-Warnings-Watches-and-17426245.php | 2022-09-08 01:57:31 | 1 | https://www.mrt.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-AUSTIN-SAN-ANTONIO-Warnings-Watches-and-17426245.php |
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations headed to Africa on Wednesday, saying she was going to focus on how the United State can help Uganda, Ghana and Cape Verde deal with the food crisis that has hit the continent particularly hard — not to compete with China and Russia.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the long-planned trip is not part of global competition with either of America’s rivals, but it is part of a series of high-level U.S. engagements “that aim to affirm and strengthen our partnerships and relationships with African leaders and peoples.”
Her trip from Aug. 4-7 will be followed immediately by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visits to South Africa, Congo and Rwanda from Aug. 7-11. It also comes on the heels of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit last week to Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda and the Republic of Congo where he accused the U.S. and European countries of driving up food prices.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi began 2022 with a four-day visit to Eritrea, Kenya and the Comoros, keeping a 32-year tradition that the country’s top diplomat make his first trip of the year to Africa.
“We’re not catching up. They are catching up,” Thomas-Greenfield said. “We have been engaging with this continent for decades, and even my own career is very much evidence of that.”
Thomas-Greenfield first went to Africa as a student in the 1970s, and in her career as a U.S. diplomat she rose to be assistant secretary of state for African affairs from 2013 to 2017.
She said high energy prices, climate change, COVID-19 and increasing conflict have pushed millions of Africans “to the brink,” and that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 has added to the crisis, “especially since some countries in Africa once got up to 75% of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine.”
The U.S. ambassador said the three countries she is visiting — Uganda first followed by Ghana and Cape Verde — all face serious food security situations because of the significant rise in the cost of food and energy. But she said Ghana has been a leader in dealing with it and she will be visiting a market, meeting farmers and going to a grain factory in the country “to see how we can help them improve on their production.”
In an interview and at a news conference ahead of her three-nation visit, Thomas-Greenfield said her trip happens to come on the heels of Lavrov’s visit.
Refusing to call Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a war, Lavrov said: “The situation in Ukraine did additionally negatively affect food markets, but not due to the Russian special operation, rather due to the absolutely inadequate reaction of the West, which announced sanctions.”
Thomas-Greenfield countered: “Russia is there to defend what they know they have to defend — that they took actions that are hurting Africans, and they’re trying to somehow defend their actions and blame somebody else for the impact that their actions are having on the African continent.”
“They can try to do that. But my question to them is, how are you helping Africans to address the food insecurity issue, not whom you’re blaming for the food insecurity issues,” she said. “We’re there to help Africans address those issues. Russia can deal with its own problems.”
As for China, while its trade with Africa last year was dramatically higher than U.S. trade, Thomas-Greenfield said “if you look at our figures, and how far back our engagement has been with the Africans, then we really are far above those numbers.”
“As you look at what China’s doing in Africa, you need to look at the debt trap that African countries, many of them, have faced because of those relationships with China,” she said.
China has become one of the biggest lenders to developing countries through its Belt and Road initiative to expand trade by building ports, railways and other infrastructure across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Wang, China’s foreign minister, insisted during his visit to Kenya in January that there is no “debt trap.”
“The so-called `debt trap’ in Africa is not a fact, but a malicious hype-up,” he said. “It is an 'utterance trap’ created by those external forces that do not want to see Africa accelerate development. If there is any `trap’ in Africa, it is the `poverty trap.’”
Thomas-Greenfield said the U.S. is “not telling African countries they can’t engage with China.”
“What we are engaged in is vision for economic development that promotes democracy and that promotes respect for human rights and transparency and strengthening the capacity for Africans to create jobs for their own citizens,” she said. “We respect the ability of countries to decide for themselves whether they want to partner with China or not.” | https://www.mrt.com/news/article/US-envoy-Africa-trip-isn-t-to-compete-with-17350301.php | 2022-08-04 06:32:05 | 0 | https://www.mrt.com/news/article/US-envoy-Africa-trip-isn-t-to-compete-with-17350301.php |
"Students with Drive" Campaign Launches to Support Mission-Driven College Leaders
BOSTON, Sept. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zipcar, the world's leading car-sharing network and the largest campus car-sharing provider, today announced its signature Students with Drive campaign to support the next generation of mission-driven leaders. Access to Zipcar's car-sharing service on campus has introduced Gen Z - community-minded, conscious consumers – to sustainable transportation. Now, through Students with Drive, Zipcar is empowering young trailblazers to sustainably live their missions and impact their communities.
"Today's college students are immensely passionate about making a meaningful social and environmental difference in the world," said Kate Smith, who oversees Zipcar's University relationships as Head of Business to Business and Partnerships. "At Zipcar, we want to introduce students to the concept of car-sharing and its impact. We know this generation wants to fuel change, especially when it comes to environmentally sustainable choices and community building. Zipcar's Students with Drive helps support the influential efforts of Gen Z across the nation."
Students with Drive Fuel Change
Students with Drive first launched in October 2011 to support student organizations who need access to transportation to move their mission forward. Since then, Zipcar has given more than one million dollars in funding to empower 400 student groups across the country. This year, the Grand Prize will consist of $5,000 to the student organization, $5,000 to the University general scholarship fund and $2,000 for the student organization to access Zipcars, with tiered prizes for second through tenth place.
Interested student organizations who have Zipcars on or around campus should enter by October 31, 2022, by submitting a questionnaire that addresses their mission and how Zipcar can drive it further. A panel of judges will review the submissions, and the top 10 entrants will receive $300 in Zipcar Driving Credit and a $500 gift card to create a video demonstrating how the student organization will address its mission with the help of Zipcar. Videos must be submitted by February 16, 2023 and will be voted on via Zipcar and social media. Winners will be notified and announced in the spring of 2023. For Official Rules and to enter, visit http://www.zipcar.com/swd.
About Zipcar for Universities
Since 2001, Zipcar has brought hundreds of campuses convenient, affordable, and reliable access to cars while also reducing traffic, CO2 emissions, and campus congestion. Recent research highlights the value of on-campus car-sharing, with 73% of university members (students, faculty, and staff) stating Zipcar car-sharing improves their quality of life. 1 When it comes to freedom, financial independence, and control, University members agree, car-sharing:
- Gives them the opportunity to be independent and be themselves (71%)
- Allows them to experience as many things as possible (69%)
- Enables them able to reach important places like work and school affordably (45%)
- Provides them financial freedom and control (43%)
For over twenty years, Zipcar has been a critical component of campus transportation and sustainability initiatives. Zipcar provides students, faculty, and staff, access to Zipcars to pursue off-campus activities and community initiatives, enriching the student life experience and supporting a university's impact on the community. Today, Zipcar enables campus communities across the nation to drive on-demand with gas, insurance options, dedicated parking, maintenance and up to 180 miles a day included in the cost of a reservation. To learn more, visit www.zipcar.com/universities.
About Zipcar
Zipcar is the world's leading car-sharing network, driven by a mission to enable simple and responsible urban living. With its wide variety of self-service vehicles available by the hour, day or week, Zipcar operates in urban areas and university campuses in hundreds of cities, towns, and universities. Zipcar is a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: CAR), a leading global provider of transportation solutions. More information is available at www.zipcar.com.
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SOURCE Zipcar | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/21/zipcar-largest-campus-car-sharing-provider-invests-gen-zs-drive-impact-community/ | 2022-09-21 17:25:14 | 0 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/21/zipcar-largest-campus-car-sharing-provider-invests-gen-zs-drive-impact-community/ |
MADISON, Wis. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the Wisconsin Lottery's "Daily Pick 4" game were:
6-2-3-9
(six, two, three, nine)
¶ Maximum prize: $500
MADISON, Wis. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the Wisconsin Lottery's "Daily Pick 4" game were:
6-2-3-9
(six, two, three, nine)
¶ Maximum prize: $500 | https://www.sfgate.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Daily-Pick-4-game-17216586.php | 2022-06-03 04:18:59 | 1 | https://www.sfgate.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Daily-Pick-4-game-17216586.php |
Sheryl Sandberg, No. 2 executive at Facebook parent company, is stepping down
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Sheryl Sandberg, the No. 2 executive at Facebook owner Meta, is stepping down, according to a post Wednesday on her Facebook page. Sandberg has served as chief operating officer at the social media giant for 14 years. She joined from Google in 2008, four years before Facebook went public.
Meta did not immediately respond to a message for comment.
“When I took this job in 2008, I hoped I would be in this role for five years. Fourteen years later, it is time for me to write the next chapter of my life,” Sandberg wrote on her Facebook page. She did not say what she planned to do.
Sandberg has led Facebook’s — now Meta’s — advertising business and was responsible for nurturing it from its infancy into an over $100 billion-a-year powerhouse.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in his own Facebook post that he doesn’t plan to replace Sandberg in the company’s existing structure. Javier Olivan will serve as Meta’s new COO.
Zuckerberg said this “this role will be different from what Sheryl has done. It will be a more traditional COO role where Javi will be focused internally and operationally, building on his strong track record of making our execution more efficient and rigorous.”
While Sandberg has long been Zuckerberg’s No. 2, even sitting next to him — pre-pandemic, at least — in the company’s Menlo Park, California, headquarters, she also had a very public-facing job, meeting with lawmakers, holding focus groups and speaking out on issues such as women in the workplace and most recently, abortion.
“I think Meta has reached the point where it makes sense for our product and business groups to be more closely integrated, rather than having all the business and operations functions organized separately from our products,” Zuckerberg wrote.
Sandberg has had some public missteps at the company, including her attempt to deflect blame from Facebook for the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In an interview later that month that was streamed by Reuters, she said she thought the events of the day were “largely organized on platforms that don’t have our abilities to stop hate, don’t have our standards and don’t have our transparency.”
This turned out to be untrue. Internal documents, revealed by whistleblower Frances Haugen later that year, showed that Facebook’s own employees were concerned about the company’s halting and often reversed response to rising extremism in the U.S.
“Haven’t we had enough time to figure out how to manage discourse without enabling violence?” one employee wrote on an internal message board at the height of the Jan. 6 turmoil. “We’ve been fueling this fire for a long time and we shouldn’t be surprised it’s now out of control.”
Sandberg, who lost her husband suddenly in 2015, said she is “not entirely sure what the future will bring.”
“But I know it will include focusing more on my foundation and philanthropic work, which is more important to me than ever given how critical this moment is for women,” she wrote, adding that she is also getting married this summer, and that parenting their expanded family of five children will also be a part of this future.
She’s leaving Meta in the fall and will continue to serve on the company’s board.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kswo.com/2022/06/01/sheryl-sandberg-no-2-executive-facebook-parent-company-is-stepping-down/ | 2022-06-01 21:02:22 | 1 | https://www.kswo.com/2022/06/01/sheryl-sandberg-no-2-executive-facebook-parent-company-is-stepping-down/ |
HiColor™ Cannabis-infused chews are now available in five flavors
NEW YORK, June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc. ("Goodness Growth" or the "Company") (CSE: GDNS; OTCQX: GDNSF), a physician-led, science-focused cannabis company and IP developer, today announced the launch of HiColor™ cannabis-infused chews in New York, which are now available through the Company's retail and wholesale channels in the New York market. The new line of cannabis-infused edibles is now available in five gourmet flavors and two formulations.
"We are excited to expand our HiColor™ chews to the New York market," said Harris Rabin, Chief Marketing Officer for Goodness Growth. "These chews come in several formulations, including 10 mg of THC and formulations with balanced levels of THC and CBD, offering multiple options for our patients to choose from depending on their needs. The delectable premium flavors were developed by Chef Michelle Mango and our edibles R&D team. These chews are a great addition to our other existing brands in New York."
HiColor™ chews were designed to meet the needs of a variety of cannabis consumers, with product offerings in 10 mg THC and 10:10 CBD:THC formulations. At launch, the chews are available to New York patients in Key Lime, Concord Grape, Hawaiian Pineapple, Oxnard Strawberry and Alfonso Mango flavors. The chews are vegan, gluten-free, Kosher, non-GMO and use only natural flavors.
HiColor™ chews are currently available in all four of the Company's Vireo Health dispensaries in New York, as well as in select licensed dispensaries across the state with additional licensed dispensaries expected to add HiColor™ to their product assortment over the coming months. The New York launch of HiColor™ follows the brand's debut in Maryland in late 2021, where it continues to see great success and expanded flavor and formulation options, including seasonal flavors and a new formulation combining THC and CBN.
Subject to regulatory approval, the Company plans to launch the HiColor™ brand in its Minnesota market later this year when the state's medical cannabis program expands to allow cannabis-infused edibles, expected to begin in August.
Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc., is a physician-led, science-focused holding company whose mission is to bring the power of plants to the world. The Company's operations consist primarily of its multi-state cannabis company subsidiary, Vireo Health, Inc., and its science and intellectual property incubator, Resurgent Biosciences, Inc. The Company manufactures proprietary, branded cannabis products in environmentally friendly facilities and state-of-the-art cultivation sites and distributes its products through its growing network of Green Goods® and other retail locations and third-party dispensaries. Its team of more than 500 employees is focused on the development of differentiated products, driving scientific innovation of plant-based medicines, and developing meaningful intellectual property. Today, the Company is licensed to grow, process, and/or distribute cannabis in six markets and operates 18 dispensaries across the United States. For more information about Goodness Growth Holdings, please visit www.goodnessgrowth.com.
Contact Information
Investor Inquiries:
Sam Gibbons
Vice President, Investor Relations
samgibbons@goodnessgrowth.com
(612) 314-8995
Media Inquiries:
Amanda Hutcheson
Senior Manager, Communications
amandahutcheson@vireohealth.com
(919) 815-1476
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SOURCE Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc. | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/goodness-growth-holdings-launches-hicolor-cannabis-chews-new-york/ | 2022-06-23 12:17:14 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/goodness-growth-holdings-launches-hicolor-cannabis-chews-new-york/ |
Wages climbed briskly in June and employers continued their hiring spree, the latest evidence that the labor market remains strong even as the Federal Reserve tries to cool the economy and contain inflation. The data are likely to keep central bankers on track for a supersize rate move at their July meeting.
Employers added 372,000 workers last month, fewer than in May but more than economists had expected, data released Friday showed. At the same time, average hourly earnings picked up by 5.1% in the year through June, down slightly from 5.3% in the year through May. Economists in a Bloomberg survey had expected a bigger cool-down, to 5%.
Fed officials spent the years before the pandemic cheering every strong wage number, but recent pay gains, while not sufficient to keep up with inflation, have been fast enough that they would make it difficult for rapid inflation to slow toward the central bank’s 2% annual goal. That is because as companies pay more, they typically try to cover their costs by raising prices.
The fresh pay and employment data will likely reinforce the Fed’s view that the economy remains strong and that inflationary pressures persist, keeping it on track for a large 0.75 percentage point — also called 75 basis point — rate increase in July. Central bankers are raising rates rapidly as they try to wrestle price increases back under control.
“The tremendous momentum in the economy to me suggests that we can move at 75 basis points at the next meeting and not see a lot of protracted damage to the broader economy,” Raphael Bostic, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, said in a CNBC interview after the report.
Fed officials first lifted their policy rate by 0.75 percentage points in June, in their largest single increase since 1994, as fresh data showed that inflation proved surprisingly rapid and stubborn. A chorus of officials have in recent days said that they would support a second move of a similar size. Policymakers typically adjust their policy only in quarter-point increments.
Officials still want to engineer what they often call a “soft landing,” in which hiring and pay gains slow gradually and help both consumer demand and rapid price increases to moderate, but without plunging the economy into a painful recession. But they have also been clear that they will inflict economic pain if it is necessary to bring inflation down.
“Price stability is absolutely essential for the economy to achieve its potential and sustain maximum employment over the medium term,” John Williams, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, said in a speech in Puerto Rico on Friday. “I want to be clear: This is not an easy task. We must be resolute, and we cannot fall short.”
Yet Wall Street remains concerned that the Fed will tip the U.S. into a downturn in its quest to lower inflation. Stocks fell after the release of the employment numbers, likely because investors interpreted them as a sign that the Fed would keep up its aggressive campaign to constrain the economy as hiring and wage growth remain robust.
Wages for nonmanagers, which economists watch closely as a gauge of underlying strength in the labor market, climbed by a swift 6.4% from a year earlier, the new report showed. That pace is slowing somewhat, but it is still much higher than normal — and could keep inflation elevated if it persists.
“Wages are not principally responsible for the inflation that we’re seeing, but going forward, they would be very important, particularly in the service sector,” Jerome Powell, the Fed chair, said at his news conference in June.
“If you don’t have price stability, the economy’s really not going to work the way it’s supposed to,” he later added. “It won’t work for people; their wages will be eaten up.”
Economists at Goldman Sachs have estimated that using their wage growth tracker — which has been running a few tenths of a percent higher than the overall average hourly earnings estimate, at 5.4% in the most recent reading — pay gains probably need to slow to about 3.5% to be consistent with the Fed’s inflation goal.
While the Fed aims for 2% price increases on average, inflation has been far in excess of that for more than a year. The Personal Consumption Expenditures index measure excluding food and energy prices, which the Fed monitors for a sense of underlying inflation trends, climbed 4.7% in the year through May.
And that is the least dramatic of the major inflation measures. Prices climbed by 8.6% in the year through May as measured by the consumer price index — buoyed by big pickups in grocery and gas costs — and the June number, set for release next week, may show further pickup.
Central bankers are increasingly worried that those high inflation readings are going to seep into consumer inflation expectations, making price gains even harder to stamp out. Once workers and businesses start to believe that prices will climb rapidly year after year, they may change their behavior — asking for bigger wage increases and instituting more regular cost increases — in ways that make inflation a more permanent feature of the U.S. economy.
Many officials at the June meeting of the Fed’s policy-setting committee “judged that a significant risk now facing the committee was that elevated inflation could become entrenched if the public began to question the resolve of the committee to adjust the stance of policy as warranted,” according to the minutes released Wednesday.
If the Fed raises rates by 0.75 percentage points this month, it would bring interest rates to a range of 2.25% to 2.5%. Central bankers have signaled that they will likely push up borrowing costs by another percentage point by the end of the year.
Those rate increases are already weighing on the housing market, as they make mortgages considerably more expensive, and there are early signs that they are beginning to percolate through the economy more broadly as construction moderates and new factory orders pull back.
While weakening economic data have stoked speculation that the economy might be headed into a recession — and fears of a downturn have gripped Wall Street in recent weeks — there are also signs of continuing economic strength. Friday’s report only served to reinforce them.
“Wage growth remains elevated and rates of job loss are low,” Nick Bunker, economic research director at job website Indeed, wrote in a note reacting to the report. “We’ll see another recession some day, but today is not that day.” | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/what-cooling-economy-strong-wage-and-jobs-growth-continues/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2022-07-09 00:01:09 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/what-cooling-economy-strong-wage-and-jobs-growth-continues/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
A Short Break From the Rain and Humidity
COLUMBUS, Mississippi (WCBI) – Thursday’s weather will be a refreshing change from what we’re used to. Rain chances return on Friday, though.
TONIGHT: Mild. Low near 65°. Skies will be mostly cloudy in the evening, but will gradually become clear overnight. Winds out of the NE at 3-6 mph.
THURSDAY: Enjoy the beautiful weather while it lasts! Plan on a lot of sunshine and highs in the mid to upper 80s. High near 87°. The best part is, humidity will decrease throughout the day as drier air moves in from the north! Woo-hoo!
FRIDAY: Humidity and rain returns to the forecast. It won’t be a washout, but scattered showers and storms are likely in the afternoon/evening. Expect overcast skies with cooler temperatures. High near 81°. Chance of rain: 60%.
LOOKING AHEAD: Occasional showers and storms are possible through Sunday. High temps will be well-below average in the low 80s. Monday will be drier and much nicer. Tuesday and Wednesday look great as well! We’re also seeing indications that a cold front could move through early next week and bring fall-like weather to the region. We’ll have to wait and see…
Have a great night! | https://www.wcbi.com/a-short-break-from-the-rain-and-humidity/ | 2022-09-08 01:47:19 | 1 | https://www.wcbi.com/a-short-break-from-the-rain-and-humidity/ |
FORT WORTH, Texas — Red and blue police lights lit up a south Fort Worth neighborhood Saturday afternoon following gunfire from an officer. They used crime scene tape and their squad cars to block traffic in the 4900 block of Rutland Avenue.
Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes eventually talked about what led to one of his officers shooting a domestic violence suspect.
Noakes said, "It's a sad situation any time an officer is forced to use his weapon."
Just before 12:30 p.m. Saturday a woman in the 4900 block of Odessa Avenue called 911 about her brother threatening her with a gun. When Officers arrived, he reportedly took off out a back door of the house and sparked a foot chase with officers that ended one block east on Rutland Avenue. When officers finally caught up with him, they used a taser to try to arrest him.
"Unfortunately, that taser deployment was not effective and did not subdue the suspect. Then at about 12:26 pm the suspect presented a deadly threat to the officers," said Chief Noakes.
The leader of the Fort Worth Police Department responded to the scene. He gave an update to the media with as much preliminary information as possible. This is the second shooting scene in a week where the Chief has given preliminary details about what happened. It's part of the chief's promise to make the Fort Worth Police Department as transparent as possible. One of his missions is to build trust with the community he and his officers have sworn to protect and serve.
During the briefing on Rutland Avenue, Chief Noakes stayed neutral about the deep details of the shooting but expressed that he supports and trusts his officers who are on the street every day. In this case, one of his veteran officers is involved in a critical police-involved incident.
After the taser failed to subdue the suspect on Rutland Avenue, Noakes said that is when a 15-year veteran officer shot and injured the suspect, who they believe had a weapon on him.
Chief Neil Noakes said, "A handgun was located on the scene in the immediate area of the suspect."
In the U.S. 19% of Domestic Violence 911 calls involve a weapon, which increases the risk of homicide by 500% and there are 20 thousand calls a day to 911 about domestic violence.
"Domestic disturbances are not only dangerous to the victims of that senseless crime but also to the officers who respond as well," said Chief Noakes.
The man shot by police received immediate first aid from officers and now he is stable according to Chief Noakes.
The officer involved is on administrative reassignment during the shooting investigation, which is a standard operating procedure in cases like this. In recent officer-involved shootings, either Noakes or someone from his command staff has narrated details about an incident, releasing edited police body cam and dash cam video.
FWPD has not released the name of the man shot Saturday afternoon on Rutland Avenue. Chief Noakes plans to release more information as soon as possible as long as it doesn't jeopardize the investigation. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/crime/fort-worths-top-cop-shares-what-led-to-officers-shooting-domestic-violence-suspect/287-21f7050f-3ce7-4515-80e5-9d1d5f6011a8 | 2023-01-22 05:41:10 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/crime/fort-worths-top-cop-shares-what-led-to-officers-shooting-domestic-violence-suspect/287-21f7050f-3ce7-4515-80e5-9d1d5f6011a8 |
SHENYANG, China, June 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, the promotion event of the Liaoning Provincial Cultural Tourism Industry Revitalization and Development Conference and the Launching Ceremony of the 2023 Northeast Asia Popular Cuisine Culture Exchange Week Series Activities were held in Shenyang. Hao Peng, Secretary of the CPC Liaoning Provincial Committee and Director of the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Congress, attended the event. Li Lecheng, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Liaoning Provincial Committee and Governor of Liaoning Province, attended the event and delivered a speech.
During the event, a series of themed activities such as the Launching Ceremony of the "Precious Liaoning Delicacy" Food Season and the Liaoning Cuisine Festival, the 2023 China (Liaoning) Prefabricated Food Industry Conference, and the 2023 "Precious Liaoning Delicacy" Live Streaming E-commerce Consumption Season were held successively, according to the Information Office of Liaoning Provincial Government.
Video of Liaoning Delicacy: https://ckxxapp.ckxx.net/pages/2023/06/26/ee887b91891047c1aae7680599dc1252.html?shareAppId=2b0cbbb1d563414393513f147f7e9799&_xhOutLink=xh&contentType=4&id=ee887b91891047c1aae7680599dc1252
In order to better promote the integrated development of Liaoning's cultural tourism industry, boost the cultural and industrial exchanges between Liaoning and Northeast Asia, and enhance the popularity of Liaoning to the outside world, the event takes "food" as the medium to fully develop and integrate the food resources in Northeast Asia, create a "Precious Liaoning Delicacy" public service brand, and show an open, real, three-dimensional, and comprehensive Liaoning to the world.
Liaoning has a long history. It is the "place where the first flower blossomed and the first bird flew in the world". It is one of the origins of Chinese civilization. Liaoning is located in the golden latitude zone, south of the northeast, bordered by the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea. It is one of the few areas in the world with complete mountains, seas, forests, fields, lakes, grass, and sand. There are granaries in the north, fish farms in the south, livestock in the west, and orchards in the east. The good natural environment provides a rich material foundation for the diet of Liaoning people, and it also creates the characteristics of extensive materials and exquisite material selection of Liaoning cuisine.
View original content:
SOURCE Information Office of Liaoning Provincial Government | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2023/06/26/precious-liaoning-delicacy-2023-northeast-asia-popular-cuisine-culture-exchange-week-series-activities-launched-shenyang/ | 2023-06-26 16:27:03 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2023/06/26/precious-liaoning-delicacy-2023-northeast-asia-popular-cuisine-culture-exchange-week-series-activities-launched-shenyang/ |
McLean County authorities have charged a Washburn English teacher with four felonies over allegations that he sent a student explicit text messages and had sexual contact with her.
Joshua Eddy, 32, is charged with luring a minor by computer, and three counts of corruption or solicitation of a minor, court records show. The most serious charge carries a possible 10-year prison term if he’s convicted.
Authorities say they found on a 15-year-old girl’s cellphone a text message describing sex acts with Eddy, according to an affidavit. The document outlines three incidents of alleged sexual contact in November that were relayed to deputies by the girl. Eddy admitted to two incidents and denied one, according to the affidavit. The student told deputies the two had been communicating by text for more than a month.
Investigators said Eddy, who has taught at the school about 10 years, admitted his relationship with the girl had gone too far “and moved to a sexual relationship,” the document states.
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No attorney is listed for Eddy in court records. He’s scheduled to enter pleas at a Jan. 18 court hearing.
The school district planned to place Eddy on administrative leave while the investigation ensues, according to the affidavit. | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/education/washburn-teacher-charged-with-sex-crimes-involving-student/article_e7086720-77f9-11ed-811b-23cdf53d8246.html | 2022-12-09 21:32:55 | 1 | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/education/washburn-teacher-charged-with-sex-crimes-involving-student/article_e7086720-77f9-11ed-811b-23cdf53d8246.html |
AP Week in Pictures: Europe and Africa The Associated Press
Oct. 21, 2022 Updated: Oct. 21, 2022 1:07 a.m.
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1of 20 In this handout photo released by Kooperativ Telegram Channel, flames and smoke rise from the scene after a warplane crashed into a residential area in Yeysk, Russia, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022. The Russian military says one of its warplanes has crashed near an apartment building in Yeysk, a port city on the Sea of Azov, after experiencing engine failure on takeoff. The crash ignited a huge fire, killing at least four people, leaving six missing and injuring 21 others, eight of whom were in grave condition. One of the pilots, right, descends on a parachute. (Kooperativ Telegram Channel via AP) AP Show More Show Less
2of 20 Tatiana Alexeyevna mourns over the coffin of her soon Colonel Oleksiy Telizhenko during his funeral in Bucha, near in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. In March, Colonel Oleksiy was abducted by Russian soldiers from his home in Bucha, six months later his body was found with signals of torture buried in a forest not far away from his village. Emilio Morenatti/AP Show More Show Less 3of 20
4of 20 Firefighters work after a drone attack on buildings in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022. Waves of explosive-laden suicide drones struck Ukraine's capital as families were preparing to start their week early Monday, the blasts echoing across Kyiv, setting buildings ablaze and sending people scurrying to shelters. Roman Hrytsyna/AP Show More Show Less
5of 20 The body of a local man who was killed after an explosion of a Russian mine lies on the ground near Hrakove village, Ukraine, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022. Francisco Seco/AP Show More Show Less 6of 20
7of 20 Brothers of Italy's leader Giorgia Meloni, center, laughs during a voting session session of the new parliament, to choose the new Chamber's president, in Rome, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. Alessandra Tarantino/AP Show More Show Less
8of 20 Pope Francis arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022. Andrew Medichini/AP Show More Show Less 9of 20
10of 20 A police officer knocks on the door to 10 Downing Street in London, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. Alberto Pezzali/AP Show More Show Less
11of 20 A woman walks with a buggy in a park among seasonal coloured trees on an autumn day in Tallinn, Estonia, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. Sergei Grits/AP Show More Show Less 12of 20
13of 20 Janelle Monae poses for photographers upon arrival for the premiere of the film 'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery' and the closing evening of the 2022 London Film Festival in London, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP) Vianney Le Caer/Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP Show More Show Less
14of 20 Protective equipment is laid outside to dry after being disinfected, outside the isolation section of Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital in Entebbe, Uganda Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. Uganda's Ebola outbreak is "rapidly evolving" a month after the disease was reported in the country, a top World Health Organization official said Thursday, describing a difficult situation for health workers on the ground. Hajarah Nalwadda/AP Show More Show Less 15of 20
16of 20 Twins Oladapo Taiwo, left, and Oladapo Kehinde, 21, pose for photographs holding relative's twins during the annual twins festival in Igbo-Ora South west Nigeria, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. The town holds the annual festival to celebrate the high number of twins and multiple births. Sunday Alamba/AP Show More Show Less
17of 20 Everton's goalkeeper Jordan Pickford dives for a save but ends up bringing down Tottenham's Harry Kane, left, and giving away a penalty during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. Kin Cheung/AP Show More Show Less 18of 20
19of 20 Barcelona's Alexia Putellas celebrates after winning the women's Ballon d'Or during the 66th Ballon d'Or ceremony at Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022. Francois Mori/AP Show More Show Less 20of 20
OCT. 13 – OCT. 20, 2022
From the resignation of Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister to the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris and a festival of twins in Nigeria, this photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published in the past week by The Associated Press from Europe and Africa.
The selection was curated by AP photographer Armando Franca in Lisbon.
Follow AP visual journalism:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apnews
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The Associated Press | https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/AP-Week-in-Pictures-Europe-and-Africa-17524171.php | 2022-10-21 09:24:49 | 0 | https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/AP-Week-in-Pictures-Europe-and-Africa-17524171.php |
Texas is projected to have $188.2 billion available in general revenue for funding the business of the state over the 2024-25 biennium — an unprecedented 26% increase from what lawmakers had during the last budget cycle, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said Monday in his biennial revenue estimate to state lawmakers and leaders.
It’s far more money than legislators have ever had at their disposal, with an increase in available funds that dwarfs any previous jumps between cycles, thanks largely to a tax-collection windfall that left the state flush with cash, Hegar said.
“The amount of projected revenues give the state a remarkable, a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, for historic actions in this legislative session,” Hegar said.
It’s also more than the Texas Constitution and state law legally will allow them to spend, barring any special legislative action to bypass those spending limits.
The estimate comes one day before the Texas Legislature convenes today. It includes an anticipated $165.9 billion in new revenue, the vast majority of which comes from sales and energy taxes collected by the state and can only be spent in the next cycle.
It also includes a historic $32.7 billion in state dollars expected to be left over in Texas coffers from the 2022-23 biennium, thanks to “vigorous economic growth,” gas prices, inflation and other factors in the past 18 months, he said.
All but $10 billion, which is reserved for highway funds and the state’s rainy day fund, is available for general spending, Hegar said.
That pot of money can be spent before August to supplement anything the lawmakers need for the current budget.
Unless legislators choose to dip into the Economic Stabilization Fund, the official name for the state’s so-called rainy day fund, that fund is expected to have an all-time high balance of $27.1 billion by the end of the 2024-25 biennium, Hegar said Monday. The rainy day fund is separate from the $32.7B left over in the state treasury from the last cycle and is not included in Monday’s overall funds-available estimate.
State revenue from all sources is expected to reach $342.3 billion for the 2024-25 biennium — including $108 billion in federal income and about $68 billion from other revenues, such as fees, both of which are dedicated for particular purposes and thus not available for general-purpose spending on things like law enforcement or property tax relief.
The current two-year budget period, which ends in August, totalled $265 billion in state and federal funds, including an initial $119 billion in general revenue — a number that is expected to top $150 billion before the cycle ends.
Monday’s budget estimate reflects a robust economic rebound as the state worked to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic but accounts for an expected mild recession this year — albeit a “relatively shallow and short” one for Texas — and a resulting slowdown in consumer spending, employment and personal income levels, said Hegar, a Republican entering his third term as comptroller.
It is also indicative of a painful period, economically, for Texas taxpayers, Hegar said.
“We cannot and will not lose sight of the fact that every tax dollar received by the state is coming out of taxpayers pockets,” he said.
In spite of an economic situation that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick recently referred to as a “sky full of rainbows,” Hegar on Monday urged foresight and frugality. The numbers could be affected by efforts by the Federal Reserve to reduce inflation — which could deepen a recession, Hegar said — and whether conditions in other parts of the world, such as Russia and China, cause oil and gas prices to become more volatile than usual, among other factors.
“I must advise some caution as these decisions are made. Bluntly, don’t count on me to announce another big revenue jump two years from now,” Hegar said. “It’s important to be able to maintain some type of reserve fund.”
State revenue depends largely on sales taxes — about 53% of the total is expected to come from sales tax in the next budget cycle. But it also includes sizable revenues from oil and gas severance taxes, as well as motor vehicle fuel and sales taxes and franchise taxes collected on alcohol.
Patrick echoed that note of caution, saying Monday that while the estimate presents “further proof of the true might of our economy,” lawmakers must continue their conservative approach as a recession may be looming.
“There are a range of challenges facing our state — first and foremost, reinforcing our grid with dispatchable power — but I am confident that we can continue to strengthen Texas so it remains the best place to live, work, raise a family and start a business,” Patrick said.
Subject to change
The revenue estimate is the primary responsibility of the state comptroller and projects for legislative budget writers how much money Texas will collect from its residents and businesses during the next biennium.
The comptroller is the state’s chief tax collector, revenue estimator and check writer. Hegar’s most high-profile time is during the legislative session, when he keeps lawmakers apprised of how much money is available to them as they decide how to fund the operations of the state in the new biennium. Because the Texas Legislature meets every two years, lawmakers craft a two-year budget.
Passing a balanced budget — one that spends no more than what is expected to be available — is the only thing the Texas Legislature is constitutionally required to do during its regular 140-day session.
Lawmakers are expected to pass the budget before the session ends in late May.
Monday’s estimate for the next budget cycle could be updated later in the session, as lawmakers get closer to wrapping up budget negotiations and the comptroller’s team of economic forecasters and researchers gathers the most current economic information.
The projection figure is also subject to change throughout the biennium as economic conditions shift — as they did during the last two years.
When actual collected revenue is higher than what the budget anticipated, the state can wind up with more money than it had planned to spend, as it has now.
When the actual revenue drops, it can result in a deficit that has to be dealt with in the following cycle.
Hegar has likened the revenue estimation process to the challenge of projecting what one’s own bank account might look like more than two years into the future: One can make an educated guess, but the future — especially one impacted by economic swings and a chaotic political environment — cannot be predicted with any certainty.
Spending the cash
Part of the state’s comfortable economic position heading into the session is due to the balance that will be left in state coffers at the end of this current budget cycle, what Hegar estimated Monday at $32.7 billion. That number won’t be finalized until after the receipts are all in later this year and legislators determine during the session whether to spend any of the carryover balance before the end of August.
In addition to the “vigorous economic growth” that ballooned the state’s revenue since the end of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, Hegar said, spikes in energy prices and the highest rate of general price inflation in 40 years also caused state tax collections to surpass what was expected when lawmakers approved the last budget.
That ending balance also reflects $3.8 billion in savings due to federal pandemic dollars replacing state taxpayers’ dollars, as well as savings by the state on school funding due to skyrocketing property taxes that reduced the state’s obligation to schools by about $4.3 billion, he said.
State law and the Texas Constitution already create roadblocks for lawmakers who may be tempted to spend all of the state’s available revenue this cycle, even if it’s for pressing state issues like property tax relief, schools or state workforce, or one-time investments like water infrastructure and broadband.
Those spending limits have been set at a 12.3% increase over spending in the current biennium, allowing lawmakers up to about $12.5 billion more in general revenue to spend for the next two years, according to current budget numbers. That dollar figure could go up if lawmakers pass a supplemental budget bill this session that increases spending over the next two years, but it is still well under the amount expected to be available to lawmakers.
Anything beyond the limits would require a politically risky vote to bust the spending cap, or another budgeting strategy to work around those limits.
“Spending limits are extremely important. They have served Texas very well over the years and will continue to,” Hegar said. “With that said, being able to take some of these dollars and possibly set it aside to be utilized in the next upcoming years for, whether that is infrastructure funding or property tax relief, would be a prudent decision to make and I think that’s something that the Legislature will be discussing later on this session.”
Patrick is among state leaders who advocate saving some of the leftover cash in state coffers as well as the money in the rainy day fund — while spending a considerable portion of it on property tax relief as the top priority.
Asking voters to approve other measures that would spend the money on areas such as mental health or the power grid would shield those dollars from the constitutional cap as well, Patrick said.
“The public says be smart with the money, don’t spend all the money, and address the needs,” Patrick said in December. “I would not be in favor of busting the spending cap, and I don’t think the members are. But if you go to the people, then the people have made that decision and it empowers the voters to say yes, I want to spend X dollars on the grid. I want to spend X dollars on mental health care.”
It’s not a new strategy, but critics of that idea say that constitutional amendments would further tie up dollars for a budget that is already 80% restricted to specific purposes.
“The budget eventually would just be on autopilot,” said Eva DeLuna Castro, a budget analyst for the progressive think tank Every Texan. “I mean, why even have a legislative budget process at that point?”
Advocates for child and family services in Texas say the estimate presents an unprecedented opportunity to address critical shortages in areas like student mental health and the lack of high-qualify affordable health care.
“A number of critical services ... are dealing with staffing shortages and years of underfunding,” said Stephanie Rubin, CEO of Texans Care for Children. “This session, there’s no excuse for shortchanging services that kids and families rely on.”
Staff writer Brian Lopez contributed to this report.
This story was first published at www.texastribune.org by The Texas Tribune. This story has been edited for length. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/article_b5c315ea-90ac-11ed-9d1c-c31871b595a7.html | 2023-01-10 07:17:44 | 0 | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/article_b5c315ea-90ac-11ed-9d1c-c31871b595a7.html |
WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - By the end of the year, progress on Washtenaw County’s Border-to-Border Trail might allow for motivated runners to come close to completing a marathon on one out-and-back circuit along the Huron River.
That’s among the achievements trail planners have in store in 2023, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission Project Manager Peter Sanderson said in a Tuesday, April 11 presentation outlining progress on the paved trail route spanning the county — and what’s to come next year.
Construction has resumed this year on a new segment of the B2B in Scio Township connecting an existing trail ending at Zeeb Road east to Delhi Metropark, a roughly 1.3-mile segment crossing the Huron River and finally linking all three metroparks in Washtenaw County.
When it’s complete, almost 11 miles of trail will extend from Hudson Mills Metropark through Dexter to Delhi Metropark, Sanderson said.
Read more: Road closing for Washtenaw County Border-to-Border Trail construction
The construction will also close the gap more than halfway between Dexter and Ann Arbor, with more work in the area potentially on tap in 2024.
That includes paving the existing trail through the Barton Nature Area and a new tunnel under the railroad between Barton and Bandemer parks, providing safe passage in an area where crossing the tracks is illegal and traversing Main Street unfriendly to pedestrians and cyclists. The project will also make Barton, a popular city nature area, accessible to more people.
Planners have submitted plans to Amtrak for review, with an agreement with the city of Ann Arbor in hand, and hope construction will be possible next year, Sanderson said in the presentation.
Recent years have seen an acceleration of pathway construction, with 38 miles complete or under construction of some 55 total planned.
That’s in part due to the involvement of the Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative, a Chelsea-based nonprofit that has fundraised for trail development across the county, and a tax voters approved in 2016 and renewed in 2020 for roads and non-motorized infrastructure.
Before 2016, construction proceeded at roughly a mile per year, while now the rate is up to three annually, with the private funding and millage funds, Sanderson said.
On Tuesday, county parks officials approved a contractor for two new segments.
One is an approximately $2.2-million bid to extend the pathway further north from North Territorial Road 1.6 miles to Boyce Road in Lyndon Township — part of a corridor eventually intended to reach Stockbridge and the Mike Levine Lakelands Trail.
The project will also involve repairing 200 feet of existing trail nearby damaged by heavy rains in 2022, as well as piloting a section of concrete boardwalk, which has a longer life than timber construction.
The other is a roughly $910,000 bid to continue filling gaps between Chelsea and Dexter in Lima Township.
The segment will proceed from existing pathway east of Wylie Road further east to the Miller-Smith Preserve and North Parker Road, following Dexter-Chelsea Road on its way. The section won’t cut through or impact any of the existing trails through the preserve, according to county parks documents.
Construction on both of the segments is expected to begin this summer, with final restoration likely completed in spring of 2024, according to Sanderson.
Once the new Chelsea-Dexter segment is complete, two more construction projects are anticipated to finish the corridor, including routing the trail across the Mill Creek and into Dexter, a feat that could be accomplished with a historic, decommissioned wrought-iron bridge.
Read more: 131-year-old bridge could get new life as part of Washtenaw County Border-to-Border Trail
Trail users in eastern Washtenaw County also have new pathways to look forward to, with construction underway on a new pathway beginning at the Wayne/Washtenaw county line and heading east into Van Buren Park on Belleville Lake, a project of the township with assistance from the Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative, Sanderson said.
The trail development is part of a phased initiative to close a gap to the Lower Huron Metropark near Romulus, completing a link to the Downriver Linked Greenway system, effectively connecting the B2B to Lake Erie Metropark, Sanderson said.
Read more: $3.5M grant will help complete Washtenaw County Border-to-Border Trail, Iron Belle Trail
Other projects on tap for the B2B Trail include updated signage and wayfinding improvements, as well as a “Title IX Plaza” along the B2B in the Dexter-Huron Metropark, highlighting the accomplishments of local athletes and the history of the landmark federal gender equity legislation that paved the way for greater participation in sports for women.
Planners hope to build the plaza this summer, with a potential ribbon-cutting ceremony in the fall, Sanderson said in his presentation.
The next calendar year, 2024, is going to be a big one for trail construction, he said, with officials hoping to complete the Dexter-Chelsea corridor in 2025 or 2026 and follow-up with the remaining pieces of the Dexter-Ann Arbor segment in 2027 or 2028.
Even without those pieces in place, the trail is popular. Sensors in Dexter caught 425,000 passersby in 2020, and officials have reason to believe the B2B gets more than a million uses on a regular basis, Sanderson said.
Find regular updates on B2B Trail construction here.
More from The Ann Arbor News:
Could a pathway loop all the way around Ford Lake? Ypsilanti Township hopes so
Ann Arbor Energy Commission calls on city leaders to ban gas like it’s an emergency
3 days of live music coming to Ann Arbor during SpringFest
Brush fire burns several acres on University of Michigan property | https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2023/04/with-38-miles-and-counting-washtenaw-border-to-border-trail-continues-to-grow.html | 2023-04-12 19:38:33 | 0 | https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2023/04/with-38-miles-and-counting-washtenaw-border-to-border-trail-continues-to-grow.html |
WFO BROWNSVILLE Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, May 24, 2022
_____
AREAL FLOOD ADVISORY
Flood Advisory
National Weather Service Brownsville TX
823 AM CDT Tue May 24 2022
...FLOOD ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1015 AM CDT THIS MORNING...
* WHAT...Urban and small stream flooding caused by excessive
rainfall is expected.
* WHERE...A portion of Deep South Texas, including the following
counties, Cameron and Hidalgo.
* WHEN...Until 1015 AM CDT.
* IMPACTS...Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas.
Ponding of water in urban or other areas is occurring or is
imminent.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- At 823 AM CDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to
thunderstorms. This will cause urban and small stream
flooding. Between 2 and 4 inches of rain have fallen.
- Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are expected
over the area. This additional rain will result in minor
flooding, especially in urban areas along frontage roads.
- Some locations that will experience flooding include...
Harlingen, Weslaco, San Benito, Donna, Mercedes, La Feria,
Elsa, Los Fresnos, Progreso, Edcouch, Santa Rosa, Rancho
Viejo, Rio Hondo, La Villa, Palm Valley, Los Indios,
Rangerville, La Paloma, Santa Maria and Olmito.
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.
Please report observed flooding to local emergency services or law
enforcement and request they pass this information to the National
Weather Service when you can do so safely.
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.seattlepi.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-BROWNSVILLE-Warnings-Watches-and-17194709.php | 2022-05-24 14:05:57 | 1 | https://www.seattlepi.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-BROWNSVILLE-Warnings-Watches-and-17194709.php |
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — It all now seems officially real for the New York Jets.
Aaron Rodgers strolled into the team’s facility Wednesday with the rest of his raring-to-go teammates — veterans and rookies — and reported for training camp for the first time with the franchise that made the stunning trade for him in April.
The Jets tweeted a photo of Rodgers wearing his green and white jersey — instead of the red no-contact practice version he wore during offseason workouts — for the first time, adding: “This is not an AI-generated photo.”
Nope, no more clever edits needed. Rodgers is in camp and so is a throng of reporters, cameras and the film crew from HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”
“I’m not going to lie,” cornerback D.J. Reed said. “The energy does feel different. It definitely feels like there’s more excitement coming into this year.”
It has been that way since general manager Joe Douglas swung the deal to acquire the four-time NFL MVP from Green Bay and give New York its most accomplished quarterback since the trade for Brett Favre in 2008.
Rodgers has insisted he’s no savior. Expectations, though, have been raised to lofty levels for the Jets.
“Obviously, we have a big name in Aaron Rodgers here,” linebacker C.J. Mosley said. “And on his first day here, you can kind of feel a lot of screws and bolts tighten up and the anticipation coming into this offseason and this camp.”
The Jets have the NFL’s longest postseason drought at 12 years — a skid that appeared would end last season before Robert Saleh’s squad lost its final six games to finish 7-10.
Rodgers made it clear at his introductory news conference in April and then throughout the offseason he’s here to win and the goal remains the Super Bowl. That would appear to be quite the leap for a team that hasn’t sniffed the playoffs in so long.
But that’s the kind of optimism Rodgers creates. And all the attention that comes with it.
“Bringing a guy like him in the building just excites everybody in general because of the resumé he has, the character he is, the guy that he is,” defensive tackle Quinnen Williams said. “He just brings a spark to everybody.”
Saleh insisted last month the Jets had no interest being the subject of this summer’s “Hard Knocks,” but it’s easy to see why HBO and NFL Films wanted them to star in the reality sports documentary.
Rodgers undoubtedly will be the main focus, but the Jets are loaded with training camp story lines that begin when they become the first NFL team to begin practices Thursday.
That lengthy list includes: Saleh looking to steer the team toward the playoffs in his third season; a new offensive coordinator in Nathaniel Hackett, who oversaw Green Bay’s offense when Rodgers won his last two MVP awards; the sophomore seasons of cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, the defensive and offensive rookies of the year, respectively; running back Breece Hall’s return from a knee injury; and quarterback Zach Wilson’s development sitting behind Rodgers.
“We’ve got one goal in life and we’ve all got one goal this year, personal goals and big goals,” Williams said. “Hard Knocks or any other media don’t really derail those goals. We are focused on getting better every single day, focused on making it to the playoffs, winning the Super Bowl — like every other team in the NFL focuses on.”
New York has 16-to-1 odds to win the big game, according to FanDuel. Only six teams have better odds: Kansas City, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Cincinnati, San Francisco and Dallas.
The fact the Jets are even in that conversation is something different around these parts. And, again, a lot of that has to do with Rodgers leading the way.
“When people hear the New York Jets, they usually were going to think losses, or now when they hear the New York Jets, they’re going to think automatic Super Bowl,” Mosley said. “We can’t think that way. We’ve got to stay focused, we’ve got to stay grounded and take this camp one day at a time.”
NOTES: The Jets signed first-round pick DE Will McDonald and second-rounder C Joe Tippmann to put all seven of their draft selections under contract before the first practice of camp. … Hall was placed on the PUP list, along with WR Randall Cobb, TE C.J. Uzomah and rookie DB Jarrick Bernard-Converse. They can be activated at any point in camp. … S Chuck Clark and WR Diontae Spencer were placed on season-ending injured reserve. … Williams said he had no doubts his four-year, $96 million contract extension would be done before camp. “We were all on the same page from the whole entire thing,” said Williams, whose deal includes $66 million in guarantees.
—
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.wfla.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-big-expectations-and-lots-of-attention-greet-jets-as-they-begin-training-camp-with-aaron-rodgers/ | 2023-07-19 22:51:01 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-big-expectations-and-lots-of-attention-greet-jets-as-they-begin-training-camp-with-aaron-rodgers/ |
- Come Celebrate at Blaze and Get Any 11-inch Pizza for $3.14 on March 14 -
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Blaze Pi Day is back! The nation's leading fast-casual pizza brand and one of the originators of the Pi Day pizza celebration, announced today the return of its highly anticipated $3.14 pizza promo. On March 14, customers are invited to visit a Blaze Pizza location and enjoy any Blaze 11" pizza with endless toppings to choose from for just $3.14 (crust upgrades not included) when they download the Blaze App and join Blaze Rewards. This year's savory offer will be valid in-restaurant on March 14 only, so make sure to mark your calendar, grab your friends and get ready to celebrate at Blaze!
"As a brand committed to speed, quality ingredients and a vibrant experience where each guest can build their own unique pizza, there's no better place to celebrate Pi Day," said Beto Guajardo, CEO of Blaze Pizza. "While it's no secret we take our food seriously, we appreciate that pizza can be a canvas for creativity and good times. It's your pizza, it should be unique to you. This year, we invite guests to bring their friends and families to share in the experience together at our annual Pi Day pizza party!"
Blaze Pizza is all about giving guests options where they can combine more than 35 different toppings, including ingredients like roasted peppers, artichokes, fresh mozzarella, and plant-based chorizo, or keep it simple with a classic pepperoni and cheese pizza – no matter how you build it, your pizza is guaranteed to be as unique as you are! Blaze offers five crusts to choose from, including options such as a signature made-from-scratch dough, a Keto crust with 6g net carbs, cauliflower, as well as house-made red sauce and drizzles for the perfect finish.
For additional Blaze Pi Day information and to download the Blaze Pizza app, visit blazepizza.com/piday.
About Blaze Pizza
Founded in 2011, Blaze Pizza is the nation's leading fast-casual pizza franchise concept with more than 330 restaurants across 38 states and 6 countries. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Blaze Pizza is committed to delivering a one-of-a-kind customer experience and unparalleled high-quality products. Known for its savory artisanal pizzas and customizable made-to-order menu featuring fresh, natural ingredients free from artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and sweeteners, Blaze leads the industry in menu innovation and product excellence. The rapidly growing franchise has received numerous accolades including Entrepreneur's Franchise 500, as well as #1 spots on Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers and Shakers, Franchise Times' Fast and Serious list, and QSR's Best Brands to Work For. Visit blazepizza.com for additional information and to stay with @BlazePizza on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.
Contact:
Morgan Assenmacher
Fish Consulting
954-893-9150
massenmacher@fish-consulting.com
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SOURCE Blaze Pizza | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2023/02/28/blaze-pizzas-pi-day-party-is-back/ | 2023-02-28 14:34:18 | 1 | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2023/02/28/blaze-pizzas-pi-day-party-is-back/ |
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Drought upriver has left the Mississippi River so low and slow that salt water is creeping farther than usual along the bottom toward New Orleans and threatening drinking water, the Army Corps of Engineers said Wednesday.
The Corps plans an underwater levee to block the wedge of heavier salt water before it can get into two of the four water treatment plants in Plaquemines Parish, south of New Orleans, officials said in a news conference posted on YouTube.
The structure, called a sill, could be as tall as 45 feet (13.7 meters), which would bring its top high enough to interfere with the extra-large ships the river was recently dredged to accommodate, said Heath Jones, the New Orleans Corps office’s emergency management director.
The Corps said deepening the river also lets the annual saltwater intrusion grow bigger and last longer, The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported.
Salt already in the river's lowest stretch could affect the taste, smell and color of drinking water but is not a general health threat, the Plaquemines Parish government said in an advisory Wednesday. Sodium levels are above those recommended for drinking water for people on very low-sodium diets, so people on such diets or on dialysis should check with their doctors, it said.
Two reverse-osmosis machines should arrive Friday to remove salt from the water at the two treatment plants that are below the planned sill, parish President Kirk Lepine said at the Corps' news conference.
He said those plants each process about 1 million gallons (3.8 million liters) a day, compared with 6 million gallons (22.7 million liters) a day at the main plant in Belle Chasse, just outside New Orleans' west bank.
In August, scientists said the Gulf of Mexico “dead zone” where the water holds too little oxygen for marine life was smaller than expected because drought had made the river sluggish.
Drought farther up the Mississippi and its tributaries is why the river has remained so low, Corps spokesperson Matt Roe said in an email.
The river is deeper than the Gulf of Mexico almost to Natchez, Mississippi, and about every 10 years it becomes too slow to keep salt water away from the New Orleans area, Jones said.
When the river gets higher and stronger, he said, the current will both push back the salt water and push down the sill.
Jones said the structure will be about where a sill was created from dredged sediment in 2012. The bottom there didn't need to be dredged for ships with hulls that can extend 50 feet (15.2 meters) below the surface, because it was already 90 feet (27.43 meters) feet below sea level, he said.
Previous sills were made in 1988 and 1999, the Corps said in a news release.
This year's project, expected to cost about $10 million, should start in about three weeks and take about 15 days, finishing in early November, Jones said. It will be built in 5-foot increments; if the saltwater is blocked at a height below 45 feet, construction will end.
If it does reach 45 feet, the biggest ships could have to unload at least some of their cargo below New Orleans.
___
To follow Associated Press coverage of the environment, go to https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment. | https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Salt-water-creeps-to-New-Orleans-in-low-17474025.php | 2022-09-29 00:13:52 | 1 | https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Salt-water-creeps-to-New-Orleans-in-low-17474025.php |
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Annual inflation in Turkey slightly eased in November for the first time in more than a year, according to official figures released on Monday, although it remains close to 24-year highs.
Consumer prices for the year rose by 84.39% in November, down from 85.51% recorded in October, the Turkish Statistical Institute announced. The monthly inflation rate was 2.88% in November, compared with 3.51% in the previous month.
It is the first time that annual inflation has eased since May 2021.
“As we have previously stated through various media, we have left the peak in inflation behind us and entered a downward trend — unless there is an unexpected global development,” Treasury and Finance Minister Nureddin Nebati tweeted on Monday.
While the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have stoked inflation around the world, economists believe that inflation in Turkey was additionally fueled by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s belief that high borrowing costs lead to higher prices. Traditional economic thinking says that raising rates helps rein in inflation.
Turkey’s central bank has slashed interest rates by 5 percentage points since August, down to 9% despite high inflation that has deepened a cost-of-living crisis in the country. In contrast, central banks around the world have been raising rates to fight soaring inflation.
Erdogan has said his model — which prioritizes growth, investments, employment and exports — is expected to yield results in the new year.
The sharpest increases in annual prices were in the transportation sector, at 107%, followed by food and non-alcoholic drinks prices at 102.55%, according to official data.
Some experts have questioned the state institutes’ figures and the Inflation Research Group, which is made up of independent economists, said on Monday that Turkey’s true inflation rate for November is 170.7%. | https://www.koin.com/news/business/ap-business/ap-turkish-inflation-eases-for-1st-time-in-more-than-a-year/ | 2022-12-06 10:43:08 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/news/business/ap-business/ap-turkish-inflation-eases-for-1st-time-in-more-than-a-year/ |
Validates alignment with FinOps standards and framework
BOSTON, June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CloudZero, the leading cloud cost intelligence platform, today announced successful completion of the FinOps Foundation Platform Certification, accrediting the company as a top technology provider to help people effectively adopt cloud financial management practices. This achievement attests that CloudZero is aligned to the FinOps Foundation principles, such as cross-team collaboration and engineering ownership of cloud spend.
"As an organization, we're dedicated to bringing together engineering, finance, and other stakeholders with a common understanding of their cloud spend," said J.R. Storment, executive director of the FinOps Foundation. "CloudZero aligns with that mission and we're thrilled to have them join our certified platforms list, which helps more companies successfully adopt cloud financial management best practices aligned with our FinOps standards and framework."
The FinOps Foundation is a program of The Linux Foundation (alongside organizations like Cloud Native Computing Foundation) dedicated to advancing people who practice the discipline of cloud financial management through training and certifications. The FinOps Foundation now serves over 5,700 practitioner members from more than 2,500 organizations.
"At CloudZero, we believe organizations need to evolve how they approach cloud spend to focus on return on investment, in addition to cost," said Phil Pergola, CEO of CloudZero. "This requires unit economics, engineering accountability, and visibility that drives better business outcomes. We are excited that the FinOps Foundation is out there beating the same drum — and we're proud to be a top partner."
To learn more, visit cloudzero.com/finops. CloudZero will also be a sponsor at the FinOps Foundation conference, FinOps X on June 20-21, 2022 in Austin, Texas.
CloudZero is the cloud cost intelligence platform that puts spend into the context of your business. By aligning engineering, infrastructure, and finance teams around metrics like cost per product feature, customer, and development team, CloudZero enables better strategic decisions, improved unit economics, and efficient spending. Trusted by top cloud-driven companies like Rapid7, Ping Identity, and Malwarebytes, CloudZero works with organizations of all sizes to take the next steps toward cloud cost maturity. Visit cloudzero.com to get started today.
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SOURCE CloudZero | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/06/16/cloudzero-platform-now-certified-by-finops-foundation/ | 2022-06-16 17:43:07 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/06/16/cloudzero-platform-now-certified-by-finops-foundation/ |
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DENVER (AP) — Colorado’s governor signed four gun control bills Friday, following the lead of other states struggling to confront a nationwide surge in violent crime and mass shootings, despite a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that expanded Second Amendment rights.
Before the ink was even dry on Gov. Jared Polis' signature, gun rights groups sued to reverse two of the measures: raising the buying age for any gun from 18 to 21, and establishing a three-day waiting period between the purchase and receipt of a gun. The courts are already weighing lawsuits over such restrictions in other states.
The new laws, which Democrats pushed through despite late-night filibusters from Republicans, are aimed at quelling rising suicides and youth violence, preventing mass shootings and opening avenues for gun violence victims to sue the long-protected firearm industry. They were enacted just months after a mass shooting at an LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs.
“Coloradoans deserve to be safe in our communities, in our schools, in our grocery stores, in our nightclubs,” Polis said as he signed the measures in his office while flanked by activists wearing red shirts reading “Moms Demand Action," students from a Denver high school recently affected by a shooting, and parents of a woman killed in the Aurora theater shooting in 2012.
Supportive lawmakers and citizens alike had tears in their eyes and roared their applause as Polis signed each bill. Colorado has a history of notorious mass shootings, reaching back to the Columbine High School massacre in 1999.
Republicans decried the bills as onerous encroachments on Second Amendment rights that would impede Colorado residents’ ability to defend themselves amid a rising statewide crime rate. Gun rights advocates pledged to reverse the measures.
"This is simply bigoted politicians doing what bigoted politicians do: discriminating against an age,” said Taylor Rhodes, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, referring to the new age limit on gun purchases. Rhodes said he’s confident in the lawsuits and expects a judge to issue a temporary restraining order that would block the state from enforcing the new laws until the issue is resolved in court.
A third measure passed by the legislature will strengthen the state’s red flag law, which allows a judge to temporarily remove someone’s gun if the person poses a threat to themselves or others. A fourth rolls back some legal protections for the firearm industry, exposing them to lawsuits from the victims of gun violence.
A fifth proposal, a sweeping ban on semi-automatic firearms that includes certain pistols, shotguns and rifles, was killed by Democrats last week — illustrating that the Democratic majority was only willing to go so far when it came to gun restrictions.
The new red flag law, also called an extreme risk protection order, empowers those working closely with youth and adults — doctors, mental health professionals, and teachers — to petition a judge to temporarily remove someone’s firearm. Previously, petition power was limited mainly to law-enforcement and family members.
Republicans argued that the law would discourage people from candidly speaking with medical doctors and mental health professionals for fear of having their weapons temporarily seized.
The law requiring a three-day delay between buying and receiving a firearm — an attempt to curtail impulsive violence and suicide attempts — puts Colorado in line with nine other states, including California, Hawaii and Florida.
Colorado has the sixth-highest suicide rate in the country, with nearly 1,400 in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A RAND Corporation analysis of four studies found that waiting periods are linked to lower suicide-by-gun deaths.
Republicans raised concerns that people needing to defend themselves — such as victims of domestic violence — may not be able to get a gun in time to do so.
In raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21, Colorado joins California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, New York and Rhode Island. Proponents point to now oft-cited data from the CDC showing that gun violence has overtaken vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in recent years.
Colorado is also rolling back long-standing legal protections for gun manufacturers and dealers — laws that have kept the industry at arm’s length from questions of blame, especially following mass shootings. California, Delaware, New York and New Jersey have passed similar legislation over the past three years.
Colorado’s bill repeals the state’s 2000 law, which broadly kept firearm companies from being held liable for violence perpetrated with their products. While the industry is still largely shielded from liability under federal law, the rules make it easier for victims of gun violence to lodge suits.
Last year, for example, Remington, the company that made the rifle used in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, settled a lawsuit filed by the families of those killed for $73 million. The families accused the company of targeting younger, at-risk males in advertising, and placing their products in violent video games.
Opponents of the bill argued that it would merely bog the firearms industry down in bogus lawsuits. | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/politics/article/colorado-governor-signs-gun-control-bills-after-17925210.php | 2023-04-28 17:28:44 | 0 | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/politics/article/colorado-governor-signs-gun-control-bills-after-17925210.php |
WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, June 10, 2022
_____
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Fort Worth TX
919 AM CDT Fri Jun 10 2022
...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of Hopkins, southeastern
Lamar and northeastern Delta Counties through 945 AM CDT...
At 918 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from Cunningham to Sulphur Bluff to Sulphur Springs.
Movement is east at 50 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and half inch hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Sulphur Springs, Como, Deport and Tira.
This includes Interstate 30 between mile markers 116 and 142.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
LAT...LON 3296 9531 3296 9566 3298 9567 3298 9582
3314 9574 3327 9557 3350 9558 3355 9531
TIME...MOT...LOC 1418Z 268DEG 44KT 3342 9544 3327 9546 3310 9561
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.mrt.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-DALLAS-FT-WORTH-Warnings-Watches-and-17232945.php | 2022-06-10 15:19:40 | 1 | https://www.mrt.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-DALLAS-FT-WORTH-Warnings-Watches-and-17232945.php |
Workers, Union Stand Together in Support of Measure Y
OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zookeepers at the Oakland Zoo have voted to join Teamsters Local 853 by a four-to-one margin. They join their colleagues across the bay at the San Francisco Zoo, who are members of Teamsters Local 856.
"These workers demonstrated tremendous courage so they can get a contract that addresses the issues they care about – respect, wages that reflect the cost of living, guaranteeing a high quality of life for the animals and their habitats, and a voice on the job," said Pablo Berrera, Local 853 Organizing Director.
"The overwhelming results of this election for union representation will give the employees a real voice at work," the Oakland Zoo Teamster Organizing Committee said in a public statement. "The Teamsters and the workers look forward to negotiating a labor agreement that ensures that the management of the Oakland Zoo can retain and attract world-class personnel to this world-class organization. The community support for Measure Y will only ensure that much-needed resources go to support the zookeepers and the animals they work so hard to care for."
Measure Y is a referendum in the City of Oakland that will increase funding to the Oakland Zoo – thereby growing educational opportunities, enhancing the standard of living for animals, expanding conservation work and increasing access to the institution for the city's residents by granting them thousands of free and reduced-price passes.
"Congratulations to these workers, and much thanks to City Councilmember Treva Reid and Mayor Libby Schaaf, who advocated for these workers throughout the organizing campaign," said Dennis Hart, Local 853 Secretary-Treasurer. "Oakland can stand in solidarity with the brave men and women by voting to pass Measure Y into law on November 8!"
Teamsters Local 853 represents over 15,000 workers at more than 250 employers throughout California and Nevada. For more information go to https://teamsters853.org/.
Contact:
Matt McQuaid, (202) 624-6877
mmcquaid@teamster.org
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SOURCE Teamsters Local 853 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/10/06/oakland-zookeepers-join-teamsters-local-853/ | 2022-10-06 23:12:49 | 0 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/10/06/oakland-zookeepers-join-teamsters-local-853/ |
David Harbour knows his Vecna song—and it's not what we'd expect.
One would think the song that would save the Stranger Thing star from the grasp of the series villain Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) would be one of his wife Lily Allen's tunes. But for his actual pick, he's throwing it back to the '90s.
"'Mr. Jones' by Counting Crows, I'm sure would bring me back," David—who plays Jim Hopper on the hit Netflix series—exclusively revealed on the Aug. 17 episode of E! News' Nightly Pop. "Bring me back to college."
For those not caught up on Stranger Things, the show's gang of teens discovered in season four that music is the key to breaking the evil Vecna's trance after Sadie Sink's Max Mayfield narrowly escaped his clutches with the song "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" by Kate Bush.
David admitted to Nightly Pop's Morgan Stewart and Hunter March that he often finds his taste in music "so embarrassing," adding, "I rarely reveal it."
"My sort of college years were the early '90s," the 47-year-old explained, "so that's really where music became very important, was like sitting around in the dorm room, jamming out to Counting Crows and Stone Temple Pilots."
One thing he's not ashamed to admit is his former crush on co-star Winona Ryder, who plays Joyce Byers. And after several seasons of missed romantic opportunities, the two finally hooked up in season four after Joyce and Murray (Brett Gelman) rescued Hopper from a Russian prison.
As for whether he or his character was more nervous about the much-anticipated moment, the Black Widow actor didn't hesitate. "Hopper's a pretty cool customer," David told Nightly Pop. "He manages to do things that would make me piss my pants on a daily basis. So, I would say that David Harbour was far more nervous than Hopper was."
And while the actor can't reveal what's in store for his character in the show's fifth and final season, he did tease the potential return of Hopper's iconic facial hair.
"I got a real affinity for Hopper's season three mustache," he joked. "There's nothing quite like a guy in the '80s with a mustache, is there? I might have to bring the mustache back. We'll see."
Check out the full interview above to hear how he got into shape for Stranger Things season four thanks to his partnership with Brooks Running.
Stranger Things season four is now streaming on Netflix. | https://www.eonline.com/news/1342579/stranger-things-david-harbour-reveals-his-totally-embarrassing-vecna-song?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories | 2022-08-18 19:26:56 | 1 | https://www.eonline.com/news/1342579/stranger-things-david-harbour-reveals-his-totally-embarrassing-vecna-song?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories |
AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Just months after eight Akron police officers fired dozens of rounds that killed Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old Black man, following a car and foot chase, voters approved creating a permanent police oversight board and police auditor.
The measure approved Tuesday goes beyond a plan for more oversight that Akron City Council authorized in September. Backers say the civilian oversight board will operate more independently from elected officials.
The idea for an independent oversight board came about during protests over Walker's death this past summer.
A preliminary autopsy showed Walker was shot dozens of times on June 27 after two officers initially tried to stop his car for minor equipment violations. Walker refused to stop and, seconds into the pursuit, a shot was fired from his car, police said.
The officers chased the car and Walker stopped and bailed a short time later. Ignoring officers’ commands, he ran into an adjacent parking lot where he was killed in a hail of police gunfire, police body camera video shows. Authorities said Walker represented a “deadly threat.” A handgun and a wedding ring were found on the driver’s seat of his car.
The new oversight panel will hire a police auditor who will have authority to audit police activity and policies, access records and investigate police behavior as long it doesn’t conflict with the police union contract or constitutional rights. | https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/City-OKs-added-police-oversight-after-Jayland-17572187.php | 2022-11-09 21:49:24 | 0 | https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/City-OKs-added-police-oversight-after-Jayland-17572187.php |
Gates Foundation donates $1B to prioritize math education
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced Wednesday that it is making grants of more than a $1 billion as part of a sweeping national plan to improve math education over the next four years. Its goal: to help students succeed in school and land well-paying jobs when they graduate, given research that shows the connection between strong math skills and career success.
The foundation, which has long drawn controversy over its education work, said that to put more money into math, it will cut grants to other subjects like reading, writing, and the arts.
The increased focus on math comes after the pandemic “wreaked havoc” on learning in secondary schools, and widened gaps based on race in student performance, with math scores among Black students falling more sharply than declines among white students, according to Bob Hughes, director of the Gates Foundation’s elementary and education grant-making program.
The foundation made the switch because it sees better math instruction in earlier grades as a key to helping students succeed in school and beyond. Students who pass an introductory course on algebra by 9th grade are twice as likely to graduate from high school and go to college, Hughes said.
The problem, he said, is for many students, math is not presented as a crucial, captivating subject.
“Too many students don’t have access to math instruction in classrooms where they receive critical resources to help them see the joy in learning math and believe that they can become math people as they grow older,” he said.
The new plan is the second major shift in education funding Gates has made in recent years.
After spending hundreds of millions of dollars to promote common-core standards, a set of national educational goals for students at each grade level, the foundation in 2018 backtracked. Acknowledging criticism that the approach didn’t allow individual schools flexibility, Gates developed a new plan that created networks of schools facing similar challenges. Educators in each of those networks could test teaching and coursework innovations and make adaptations as they saw fit, rather than adhere to a set of nationwide standards.
In 2020, Gates held a more than $10 million competition to identify new approaches to teaching algebra. Those grants, and discussions Gates staff held over the past two years with teachers, parents, school administrators, curriculum experts, and others, helped formulate the foundation’s new approach.
Gates will provide grants to prepare teachers better for teaching math and to curriculum companies and nonprofits to develop higher-quality teaching materials. The foundation will also support research into math education and make grants to help high-school math courses prepare students for college and the workplace.
A big problem with math as it is taught today is that students learn in isolation and can feel crushed when they get the wrong answer to a problem, says Shalini Sharma, co-founder of Zearn, an educational nonprofit and Gates grantee who, with Hughes, spoke with reporters this week. Zearn uses computer-based lessons that incorporate a lot of visuals to keep students interested and provides feedback on progress to help teachers tailor lessons for individual students. A new approach in which students work in teams to solve problems, she said, can turn all students into “math kids.”
“When all kids are ‘math kids,’ making mistakes will be OK,” she said. “It won’t be embarrassing. In fact, making mistakes will be considered normal and an essential part of math learning.”
Gates has committed to the approach for the next decade but has only made final spending plans for the next four years, when it will plow $1.1 billion into math. That’s the same amount it spent on its entire elementary and secondary education program for the past four years, during which only 40% was devoted to improving math instruction.
Initially the foundation will direct grants to assist students in California, Florida, New York, and Texas. The states were picked, Hughes said, because Gates has experience working with school districts in those states and because of their large share of the nation’s Black and Latino students.
As Gates “hunkers down” on math, it will end its support for language arts, such as reading and writing, Hughes said. The change in approach probably means the end of support, once current grants run their scheduled course, for many education nonprofits.
Gates Foundation officials are in touch with several foundations that might be willing to pick up some of the slack, Hughes said, citing ongoing discussions with the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies.
In recent years, many larger U.S. foundations have funneled money to improve civics education, said Amber Northern, senior vice president for research at the Fordham Institute, a conservative education think tank, citing the Carnegie Corporation and Hewlett Foundation as prominent examples. But, she said, there are relatively few foundations that devote significant sums to improve math education.
“Lots of foundations want to come together and leverage their impact by joining with other foundations,” she said. “This is an awareness call for other foundations to come on board.”
The Gates shift is not the first time American education experts have expressed a need to focus on math. In the late 1950s, after the launch of Sputnik, educators called for a new vigor in math instruction to keep up with the country’s Soviet adversaries during the Cold War, said Natalie Wexler, author of “The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System — and How to Fix It.”
While math is important, Wexler said, only a small percentage of students go on to use math in their daily lives. But every student is a member of society and needs other skills to become positive contributors to society. For a democracy to function, she said, people need basic literacy, the ability to read newspaper articles critically, and knowledge of how public policy is made.
Math instruction is important, she said, but “the knowledge that goes into understanding a newspaper and following current events is going to be much more crucial in enabling those students to carry out their responsibilities as citizens.”
Hughes said other skills are important, but the foundation felt it could have the biggest impact focusing on math. If taught properly, he said, math courses can connect students to real-life problems in need of a solution and keep them engaged as students, and eventually citizens.
“When kids start to feel alienated in middle school, it’s frequently the math course that drives them away,” he said.
____
This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Alex Daniels is a senior reporter at the Chronicle. Email: alex.daniels@philanthropy.com. The AP and the Chronicle receive support from the Lilly Endowment for coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. The AP and the Chronicle are solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kob.com/news/business-money/gates-foundation-donates-1b-to-prioritize-math-education/ | 2022-10-19 15:51:39 | 0 | https://www.kob.com/news/business-money/gates-foundation-donates-1b-to-prioritize-math-education/ |
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Activists calling for the decriminalization of assisted suicide in the Netherlands took the Dutch government to court Monday, arguing that its ban on helping a person end their life breaches human rights.
The case at The Hague District Court is the latest legal battle in a long-running debate around end-of-life issues in the country that in 2002 became the first in the world to pass a law that decriminalized euthanasia.
A group called Cooperative Last Will asked the court to declare that the Dutch state is “acting unlawfully by denying its citizens the right to die with dignity under their own control.”
Its chairman, Jos van Wijk, said he wants the Netherlands to again take a leading role in legislation that governs people’s lives.
“The Netherlands has been a trailblazer when it comes to abortion, when it comes to same-sex marriage and when it comes to euthanasia legislation. And now we are once again a trailblazer with regard to your own control over the end of life,” he said.
Euthanasia involves doctors — under strict conditions — actively killing patients with an injection of drugs. In assisted dying, patients are provided with a lethal substance that they take themselves.
Cooperative Last Will, which says it has nearly 30,000 members, wants the case to force a change in the Dutch law to decriminalize assistance for people who want to take their own life at a time of their choosing and for a lethal substance to be made available under strict conditions.
The Dutch government argues that many people who want to end their lives can make use of the existing euthanasia law.
“However, the state is not obliged — and that is what this is all about — to facilitate assisted suicide, let alone allow it under all circumstances,” government lawyer Erik Koppe told a three-judge panel.
Lawyers for the cooperative argued that the European Court of Human Rights enshrines a right to die at a time and place of a person’s choosing. The government lawyers disputed that assertion.
“No right to die assisted by a third party or a public authority can be derived from the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, or a right to assisted suicide,” Koppe said.
The court said it would issue a decision on Dec. 14.
Prosecutions for assisted suicide are rare in the Netherlands. The offense carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
Prosecutors last year charged Van Wijk with “participation in a criminal organization whose object is to commit and/or plan the crime of assisted suicide.”
Van Wijk, who denies the charges, told judges Monday that authorities in the Netherlands enforce and uphold the ban to the extent that witnesses and next of kin are “intimidated and criminalized.”
He said the strict enforcement of the ban and the prohibition on making a deadly substance available “are measures that we say should be organized in another way in a civilized society.”
As the hearing ended, one plaintiff, Marion van Gerrevink, told the court that she found the body of her 21-year-old son Rob after he hanged himself in 2010.
“I still suffer daily from the feeling that I abandoned my son. In his last very depressive period, he had to find a way on his own to take his life and he had to take his last step alone,” she said.
It would have been easier for her family to accept Rob’s death “if we could have accompanied our beautiful, dear son and brother on this last journey and that he could leave life behind in a dignified, humane way,” she added. | https://www.kxnet.com/news/health/ap-health/ap-dutch-activists-sue-government-over-assisted-suicide/ | 2022-10-11 11:35:35 | 0 | https://www.kxnet.com/news/health/ap-health/ap-dutch-activists-sue-government-over-assisted-suicide/ |
Ultimate Urban Luxury Lifestyle
This sunny, corner residence boasts park views and a harmonious blend of modern design and timeless interior features. Expansive NanaWalls bring the outdoors in, opening onto the large terrace that overlooks the 5th Ave. corridor. The well-appointed kitchen is complete with Miele appliances, Italian cabinetry, and quartz countertops. The 10-foot ceilings emphasize the open living spaces, and the split bedroom floor plan offers optimum privacy. The primary bedroom has been thoughtfully designed and showcases a dazzling glass-encased walk-in closet and spa-like bathroom. Just steps from restaurants, cafes and Balboa Park, the best of urban living is at your doorstep!
Location: 2604 5th Avenue, Unit 601, San Diego 92103
Asking price: $1,795,000
Year built: 2019
Living area: 1,600 square feet, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Features: Design details include a walk-in glass closet by Rimadesio; built-in kitchen pantry and coat closet by Pianca; bedroom closet with built-in desk and custom bookcase; expansive terrace fitted with a direct gas hookup; state-of-the-art HVAC system
Contact: Compass
Cristi Chaquica
619.206.7000
Cristi.Chaquica@Compass.com
www.FinePropertiesSD.com
DRE#: 01259769 | https://www.latimes.com/brandpublishing/hotproperty/hot-property-san-gabriel-valley-inland-empire/story/2022-12-03/ultimate-urban-luxury-lifestyle | 2022-12-03 09:30:47 | 0 | https://www.latimes.com/brandpublishing/hotproperty/hot-property-san-gabriel-valley-inland-empire/story/2022-12-03/ultimate-urban-luxury-lifestyle |
Company to present session and showcase industry need for data-driven budgeting solutions
KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., June 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Greenphire, the global leader in financial lifecycle management for clinical trials, today announced that it will have a significant presence at the 2022 DIA Global Annual Meeting, taking place from June 19-23 in Chicago. The company, which focuses on solving major industry issues with its technology, will take the stage to address one of the biggest challenges in this space: budgeting.
EnvisiX, which commercially launched in June 2020, is now being used to streamline the budgeting process with access to the most up-to-date fair market value data for clinical trials worldwide. Global clinical research organizations (CROs) with a presence in North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia, have seen a vast improvement in workflow, collaboration and transparency.
One of the first CROs to benefit from EnvisiX is Linical, a global CRO which provides the full spectrum of drug development services from early stage to large-scale, multinational studies. "We are excited to partner with Greenphire, enabling access to the most robust and contemporary investigator grant negotiated actuals data in the industry. This data, along with ease of building a budget through a simple and flexible tool, brings considerable value to our clients' clinical development programs," stated Clareece West, Executive Vice President, Commercial Operations at Lincial Americas.
As the industry-leader in budgeting and FMV tools, Greenphire's Ashley Baxter will present a session titled, "Optimizing Study Budgeting and Access to Industry Indicative FMV Data to Accelerate Trial Timelines" at DIA on June 22 at 9amCT. To learn more or register for this session, visit: https://www.diaglobal.org/en/flagship/dia-2022/program/schedule/agenda
"Regardless of study size or resources of the sponsor initiating a study, building and negotiating an appropriate budget continues to be one of the most complex, time-consuming, and costly aspects of a clinical trial," said Ashley Baxter, Clinical Pricing Analyst, Greenphire. "I am honored to share how tools, like Greenphire's EnvisiX, are able to optimize and simplify the process through an intuitive workflow and access to real-time FMV data."
To learn more about Greenphire's presence at DIA, visit: https://greenphire.com/dia-2022/. To visit Greenphire on site, visit them at Booth #1423.
Greenphire is the leader in global clinical trial financial process automation. Greenphire's best-in-class solutions optimize clinical trial performance by streamlining payment and logistical workflows from sponsors and CROs to sites and patients. Greenphire's EnvisiXTM, eClinicalGPS®, ClinCard® and ConneX® solutions easily handle any type of trial design and complexity, resulting in more accurate and compliant payments and simplified travel globally for both sites and patients. The choice of industry leaders worldwide, Greenphire provides better performance and better data, resulting in better trials. Learn more at www.greenphire.com.
Linical is a public, mid-sized Contract Research Organization headquartered in Japan with a significant presence across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Linical provides the full spectrum of drug development services from early stage to large-scale, multinational studies. Our areas of focus include Phase I-IV studies in oncology, infectious disease, and CNS. Rather than be all things to the market, this intentional design allows us to provide our clients the right size, right reach, and right team. Learn more at https://www.linicalamericas.com/.
CONTACT:
Alyson Kuritz
(908) 892-7149
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/greenphire-to-address-clinical-trial-budgeting-and-access-to-fair-market-value-fmv-data-at-dia-global-2022-301570506.html
SOURCE Greenphire | https://www.wfmz.com/news/pr_newswire/pr_newswire_pennsylvania/greenphire-to-address-clinical-trial-budgeting-and-access-to-fair-market-value-fmv-data-at/article_0579aedb-ec5f-5461-92d2-8a5ba1dc6176.html | 2022-06-20 13:41:41 | 0 | https://www.wfmz.com/news/pr_newswire/pr_newswire_pennsylvania/greenphire-to-address-clinical-trial-budgeting-and-access-to-fair-market-value-fmv-data-at/article_0579aedb-ec5f-5461-92d2-8a5ba1dc6176.html |
Budweiser to release limited-edition MLB team cans for 2023 originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Sip Sip, Hooray! MLB Opening Day will be pitching more than just home runs in 2023.
Budweiser, the league's longest-standing sponsor, has designed unique cans for 14 teams across the league, featuring each club's logo and team colors for fans to collect and enjoy this spring.
The cans also feature a unique skyline that's pertinent to the team's city for the first time ever.
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
The limited-edition 2023 release has cans for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals.
“Budweiser has been a great MLB partner for a long time and continually evolves its marketing connected to our sport,” MLB Executive and Vice President of Business Noah Garden said back in 2017. “These custom-designed cans are another terrific example of Bud’s support and their ability to connect with our fans.”
Sports
To sweeten the pot, on March 30, Budweiser is launching #BudsForHomers, a new social sweepstakes. Fans will be awarded weekly with beer money that corresponds to the distance of the longest home run hit. For example, if Aaron Judge crushes a home run for 450 feet at Yankee Stadium this season, fans will get to enter for a chance to early $450 in beer cash.
Fans can purchase the cans in the cities participating at locations where Budweiser is sold. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/budweiser-to-release-limited-edition-mlb-team-cans-for-2023/4193204/ | 2023-03-29 18:37:49 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/budweiser-to-release-limited-edition-mlb-team-cans-for-2023/4193204/ |
As an arts correspondent based at NPR West, Mandalit del Barco reports and produces stories about film, television, music, visual arts, dance and other topics. Over the years, she has also covered everything from street gangs to Hollywood, police and prisons, marijuana, immigration, race relations, natural disasters, Latino arts and urban street culture (including hip hop dance, music, and art). Every year, she covers the Oscars and the Grammy awards for NPR, as well as the Sundance Film Festival and other events. Her news reports, feature stories and photos, filed from Los Angeles and abroad, can be heard on All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, Alt.latino, and npr.org. | https://www.kvpr.org/2023-05-03/hollywood-writers-strike-enters-its-2nd-day-after-talks-with-studios-broke-off | 2023-05-03 09:37:38 | 0 | https://www.kvpr.org/2023-05-03/hollywood-writers-strike-enters-its-2nd-day-after-talks-with-studios-broke-off |
With six weeks until the first 2024 Republican presidential debate, some hopefuls are finding creative ways to boost their donor numbers and ensure they make it on stage.
Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy rolled out a plan to let people who raise money for his campaign keep 10% of what they take in from other donors. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is offering $20 Mastercard or Visa gift cards in return for campaign donations of as little as $1. Businessman Perry Johnson is offering copies of his book in exchange for donations.
The unusual efforts are in response to a Republican National Committee requirement that participants in the Aug. 23 debate in Milwaukee raise money from at least 40,000 donors across the country. That’s a tall task for some of the hopefuls who aren’t as well known as former President Donald Trump or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
It’s a recognition of the make-it-or-break-it opportunity that the debate stage provides for lower-tier candidates in a large field who need media exposure to share their message and reach voters.
Dan Weiner, an attorney who directs the Brennan Center for Justice’s Elections and Government Program, said “unorthodox fundraising” tactics are becoming more common, noting that candidates are trying new things with the knowledge that the Federal Election Commission could take action if legal or ethical concerns were raised.
“More often than not, these do at least sometimes raise questions about whether they’re skirting at the edge of the law,” Weiner said. “In both instances, do I necessarily think that the FEC is going to do anything about it? Maybe, but I’d be a little bit skeptical.”
On Monday, Ramaswamy — who launched his campaign with a $10 million infusion of his own cash and said he surpassed the unique donor threshold in June — introduced the “Vivek Kitchen Cabinet,” a plan that he said would “democratize” the fundraising process by letting fundraisers keep 10% of what they bring in for him.
“Why should it be some member of some managerial class that’s a secreted, closeted group of fundraisers, in the cloistered world of politics?” Ramaswamy asked in a video posted on Twitter. “It shouldn’t be.”
As of Tuesday, Ramaswamy’s campaign said more than 1,000 people had signed up for the program, which hires people as independent contractors subject to compliance with FEC regulations, according to the campaign’s website.
Burgum, a wealthy former software entrepreneur now in his second term as North Dakota’s governor, announced a program Monday to give away gift cards — “Biden Relief Cards,” as a critique of President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy — to as many as 50,000 people, just over the minimum donor threshold.
Campaign spokesperson Lance Trover said the effort “allows us to secure a spot on the debate stage while avoiding paying more advertising fees to social media platforms who have owners that are hostile to conservatives.” The campaign said it could reach its 50,000-card maximum by the end of the weekend.
Paul S. Ryan, a campaign finance attorney who has worked for nonprofit watchdog groups like Common Cause, said Burgum’s reimbursement framework seems to be a clear violation of campaign finance law.
“Burgum’s contributing to his own campaign using the names of the people who opt into his gift card scheme,” Ryan said. “All of these gift card recipients are straw donors.”
Burgum’s campaign said its legal advisers had reviewed and approved the fundraising mechanism. The FEC said in a statement Friday that it wouldn’t comment on the legality of Burgum’s plan.
Johnson, a wealthy but largely unknown businessman from Michigan, announced last month that he would be giving copies of his book “Two Cents to Save America” — which retails for $20 — to anyone who donated to his campaign.
Gift cards and other giveaways have been used by campaigns before, both in presidential races and other contests.
In 2014, Republican Bruce Rauner’s campaign handed out thousands of prepaid Visa gift cards to volunteers helping to round up support for his successful Illinois gubernatorial campaign. According to the Chicago Tribune, the expense wasn’t revealed until months after the election, when Rauner’s political committee recouped nearly $55,000 after the “liquidation of previously purchased asset — redemption of gift cards,” according to finance filings.
Many of Rauner’s advisers are now running Burgum’s campaign.
In the 2020 presidential election cycle, when Democratic campaigns were complaining about the high threshold to make the debate stage, tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang said he would give a “freedom dividend” of $1,000 a month for a year to 10 American families, a key tenet of his universal basic income proposal. The offer prompted questions about whether he was trying to buy votes but also generated a buzz online and helped the campaign build a list of possible supporters.
Within days, nearly half a million people had reportedly signed up for the chance to get the payout. In that same fundraising quarter, Yang’s campaign brought in more than $16 million, his best quarterly posting to date. His campaign later fizzled, and he ended his run as New Hampshire was counting its first-in-the-nation primary results that February.
In addition to the donor threshold, Republican candidates must meet other requirements to quality for the party’s first 2024 debate. They must earn at least 1% in three high-quality national polls, or a mix of national and early-state polls, between July 1 and Aug. 21. They must sign a pledge backing the eventual 2024 Republican nominee. And they must agree not to participate in any non-RNC sanctioned debate for the remainder of the election cycle, which includes the traditional general election debates hosted by the Commission on Presidential Debates for the last three decades.
Weiner predicted that campaign tactics would only become more innovative as the 2024 election grows closer and the debate thresholds become steeper.
“The campaigns are just sort of heating up right now, and you tend to see more of this with the insurgent candidacies,” he said. “Campaigns should be given some sort of leeway to be creative.”
___
Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/2024-gop-candidates-desperate-to-make-debate-stage-are-finding-creative-ways-to-boost-donor-numbers/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-16 13:52:01 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/2024-gop-candidates-desperate-to-make-debate-stage-are-finding-creative-ways-to-boost-donor-numbers/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Grandma of 9 wins $200,000 after nearly forgetting to buy lottery ticket
RALEIGH, N.C. (Gray News) - A North Carolina grandmother almost forgot to buy a scratch-off ticket, but after turning around on her way home, she picked up a ticket that won her $200,000.
Trina Cotton says she usually goes to the same store to buy a lottery ticket, according to the North Carolina Lottery. After a nail appointment Friday night, she started to head home but then realized she’d forgotten to buy a scratch off-ticket.
“There was a store right across the street from the salon, but I did a U-turn and drove about 20 minutes to go to my usual store,” Cotton told lottery officials. “I listened to the voice in my head telling me to go to my store.”
She bought her lucky $5 Mega Bucks ticket at Turner’s Mini Mart in Rocky Mount.
While scratching the ticket at home, Cotton couldn’t believe what she was seeing, even though lottery officials say she’d been telling people for years she would win big playing the lottery.
“I thought, ‘This can’t be right.’ I had to put my glasses on to make sure I was seeing it right,” she said.
Cotton collected her prize Monday at lottery headquarters. She received $142,501 after state and federal tax withholdings. She plans to use the money to make sure her family members, including her nine grandchildren, are comfortable.
“I really have dreamed about this,” she said. “If somebody in my family calls out for help, now I am able to help them.”
Cotton won the first top prize in the Mega Bucks game, which debuted in June. Seven $200,000 prizes remain to be claimed.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2023/06/13/grandma-9-wins-200000-after-nearly-forgetting-buy-lottery-ticket/ | 2023-06-13 11:23:27 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2023/06/13/grandma-9-wins-200000-after-nearly-forgetting-buy-lottery-ticket/ |
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Monday evening's drawing of the "Pick Four-Evening" game were:
6-4-1-6, Fireball: 6
(six, four, one, six; Fireball: six)
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Monday evening's drawing of the "Pick Four-Evening" game were:
6-4-1-6, Fireball: 6
(six, four, one, six; Fireball: six) | https://www.sfgate.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-Four-Evening-game-17193916.php | 2022-05-24 03:57:12 | 0 | https://www.sfgate.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-Four-Evening-game-17193916.php |
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