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The six steps to planning for college
Published: Sep. 1, 2022 at 3:04 PM EDT|Updated: 27 minutes ago
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -
Vincent Alvarez, Associate Director of BigFuture Student Engagement, joined Susan on Studio 3 to discuss how BigFuture’s free online resources can help students and families plan for life after high school.
For more information visit: www.bigfuture.org.
Copyright 2022 WSAZ. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/2022/09/01/six-steps-planning-college/ | 2022-09-01 19:32:06 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/2022/09/01/six-steps-planning-college/ |
Florida Disaster Fund raises millions for residents impacted by Hurricane Ian
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Updated: 5:47 PM EDT Oct 2, 2022
Florida Disaster Fund raises millions for residents impacted by Hurricane Ian
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Updated: 5:47 PM EDT Oct 2, 2022
bima of course has activated individual assistance for those in need of help recovering. You can visit disaster assistance dot gov or call 1 806 213362 so far, 87,000 people have registered for fema, make sure you take evidence the damage to your home. If you had flood damage and you have *** policy under the national flood insurance program, take pictures of the water line. Hopefully you took pictures when the water was still in there. That will help grease the skids for you to be able to submit your claims and be made whole as soon as humanly possible. We're looking and we'll have an announcement very soon to have *** disaster recovery center set up, certainly in, in lee County and in charlotte and likely in many other counties and as part of that effort, you can go, you don't need to go in for fema. You can do *** lot of this online, but if you have questions, if you're not getting what you need will be the people there. This issue. We also have folks from the state of florida there and then jimmy petronas, the CFO for the stay florida is setting up insurance villages so people can come in and meet with the carriers and make their claims. It's interesting, you know, just looking around the state, we probably suffered more flood damaged and wind damage. You look at like *** charlotte county, they didn't get the storm surge, they anticipated they did get wind damage. You did obviously get wind damage and leave. But I think if you look at some of the communities, you just had *** rising water and that was really the thing that was most devastating because you can have *** home that can be that can withstand hurricane winds, maybe there'll be some damage, patch it up when you got *** torrent of water coming in, there's really nothing that you can do about that. So that's going to require *** lot of flood claims being filed. People are gonna have to rehab that and hopefully get their, their proceeds from the, from the flood program very, very quickly. Really proud of the first lady for her efforts, spearheaded www dot florida disaster fund dot org. They launched this basically the day after the storm and they've already raised more than $20 million to help relief efforts for people. And obviously *** lot of that is going to be done right here in the state of florida. And so we're really excited about being able to help folks in *** variety of ways. You know, I was talking to some of the motorists coming in questions for me about fema, like fema told me I couldn't get this last time or whatever fema is. You know, it's *** bureaucracy and they're gonna go buy whatever those regulations are. So you may have needs that don't fit into one of their wickets. So florida disaster fund dot org, working with these private groups can help meet needs of people that would not be covered by fema. So it's an important complement to what the state and every in these communities are doing overall. Also people I have wanted to come in and pitch in help and there's ways to do that. If you go to www dot volunteer florida dot org, you can sign up for different volunteer opportunities and I know people would love to have, there's been *** great outpouring of support, community and I've seen *** lot of resilience in this community of people that want to pick themselves is up and and they want to get their communities back on their feet and we really appreciate that spirit. And as I've said throughout the whole thing of this, you know, there comes *** time when this is not interest to the tv cameras anymore, but we understand the needs will persist long after the cameras are gone and we'll be here, we'll be helping every step of the way. Okay, Jim Eifert is going to talk about some of the efforts that the guard is doing. I'm bringing with me, Brigadier General Shawn Boyett, who is the joint Task force florida commander, he's been the command and control. Um center node up in camp landing, north florida controlling all of the resources throughout the state. Um as obviously lee county collier and charlotte have become *** center of significant concern. We are continuing to migrate more forces down here. We currently have about 1200 Florida national guardsmen will probably be including increasing that in the coming days. To more than 2000. Again, just to get that presence in the streets, make sure that uh, there are no looting or crime waves that could be part of the natural disaster and then also assisting with the additional creation and expansion of the pods that we currently, these points of distribution like you see behind us. So I'm immensely proud of the guardsmen who stepped up at *** moment's notice to be *** part of this, of this effort and I'll pass it over to sean if he has any other words as *** general mentioned and the government and augment some of their outstanding comments. We look forward to continue to provide service to our community. These are your community soldiers. Each and everyone comes from *** community within florida. They're proud to serve their, their fellow Floridian. So but with that I'll turn it back over to the
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Florida Disaster Fund raises millions for residents impacted by Hurricane Ian
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Updated: 5:47 PM EDT Oct 2, 2022
Above: Gov. DeSantis speaks on resources for residents with hurricane damageGov. Ron DeSantis has been providing updates on Hurricane Ian recovery efforts and resources for Florida residents. As of Sunday, the governor's office said about 42,000 linemen have been responding to power outages across Florida and over 1.8 million customers have had their power restored. According to First Lady Casey DeSantis, more than $21 million has been raised through the Florida Disaster Fund over the first two days of its activation. The fund was created to help in recovery efforts after Hurricane Ian. Sunday morning, rescues performed exceeded 1,600, with team members continuing in search and rescues. Food, water, and ice have been distributed to multiple Points of Distribution sites with about 406 pallets of water and 347 pallets of food given out.FDEM also provided over 69,700 meals total, giving them to residents in several different counties. According to the governor, FDEM has been assisting in providing fuel for first responders conducting search and rescues. Florida National Guard has additionally been helping to clear roads in Lee County and Pinellas County. The governor's office said any missing people found safely can be marked as safe here. For information on FEMA assistance, visit here.
Above: Gov. DeSantis speaks on resources for residents with hurricane damage
Gov. Ron DeSantis has been providing updates on Hurricane Ian recovery efforts and resources for Florida residents.
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As of Sunday, the governor's office said about 42,000 linemen have been responding to power outages across Florida and over 1.8 million customers have had their power restored.
According to First Lady Casey DeSantis, more than $21 million has been raised through the Florida Disaster Fund over the first two days of its activation.
The fund was created to help in recovery efforts after Hurricane Ian.
Sunday morning, rescues performed exceeded 1,600, with team members continuing in search and rescues.
Food, water, and ice have been distributed to multiple Points of Distribution sites with about 406 pallets of water and 347 pallets of food given out.
FDEM also provided over 69,700 meals total, giving them to residents in several different counties.
According to the governor, FDEM has been assisting in providing fuel for first responders conducting search and rescues.
Florida National Guard has additionally been helping to clear roads in Lee County and Pinellas County.
The governor's office said any missing people found safely can be marked as safe here. | https://www.wesh.com/article/desantis-hurricane-florida-recovery-efforts/41485778 | 2022-10-02 22:40:18 | 0 | https://www.wesh.com/article/desantis-hurricane-florida-recovery-efforts/41485778 |
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Teacher no longer with school after Facebook post about cannabis gummies, autistic students
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC/Gray News) – An elementary school teacher in Tennessee is no longer employed following a social media post she made about cannabis gummies.
The teacher at Chimneyrock Elementary in the Memphis-Shelby County School District posted a photo of “Stoner Patch Gummies” to her Facebook page with the caption: “Best gummies ever. I fell [off] the wagon when two nonverbal autistic children were placed in my class. These are very calming and keeps me away from alcohol.”
In a statement, the school district said they are taking the post seriously, and the teacher was placed on investigative leave. Later, the district confirmed the teacher is no longer an employee at the school.
The school district said, “The statements shared do NOT reflect our belief in the sanctity and value of every child, and District officials are investigating the situation. Please know, we share your disappointment and MSCS and Chimneyrock takes such matters seriously.”
The school district also said they are working on a schoolwide initiative that reflects “our value of affirming all students, and we welcome your input on a collective show of support that the Chimneyrock family can do in the coming days.”
Copyright 2022 WMC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.weau.com/2022/09/15/teacher-no-longer-with-school-after-facebook-post-about-cannabis-gummies-autistic-students/ | 2022-09-15 16:09:27 | 0 | https://www.weau.com/2022/09/15/teacher-no-longer-with-school-after-facebook-post-about-cannabis-gummies-autistic-students/ |
Spain court denies Dani Alves’ appeal to be freed on bail
MADRID (AP) — A Spanish court denied Dani Alves’ appeal on Tuesday to be freed on bail while the investigation of a sexual assault accusation against the Brazilian soccer player continues.
The court ruled that Alves was a flight risk and must remain in prison during the investigation. A trial has not been set.
Alves was provisionally detained in January after being accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a nightclub on Dec. 30. He has denied wrongdoing and said sex with the accuser was consensual.
A judge ordered him to be jailed without bail after analyzing the initial probe by authorities and hearing testimony from Alves, the alleged victim and witnesses.
“Daniel Alves remains as innocent as he was before this ruling,” his defense team said in a statement. “His desire to leave Spain and elude the process did not, and does not, exist.”
Alves’ lawyers filed the appeal saying the Brazilian agreed to turn in his passport and wear a tracking device if he was freed. Alves would also report to the court and to authorities as often as required, including daily, and would not go within 500 meters (yards) of the accuser or her home or workplace.
But the court ruled that those measures would not be enough to keep the player from potentially trying to escape considering he faces several years in prison if found guilty. It also said there was considerable evidence that a crime might have been committed, and that Alves’ wealth could make it easier for him to try to flee regardless of the amount of bail.
“Nothing would stop Mr. Alves from leaving Spain by air, sea or even land without documentation and reaching his country of origin, where he could stay knowing that he would not be delivered to Spain despite international arrest warrants or extradition orders,” the court said.
Brazil does not extradite its own citizens when they are sentenced in other countries. Another former Brazil player, Robinho, had a nine-year sentence for the rape of a young woman in Italy upheld by a top Italian court last year, but he remains free in Brazil.
The 39-year-old Alves can appeal again while the court decides whether to set up a trial.
Under Spain’s sexual consent law passed last year, sexual assault takes in a wide array of crimes from online abuse and groping to rape, each with different possible punishments. A case of rape can receive a maximum sentence of 15 years.
Alves won 42 soccer titles, including three Champions Leagues with Barcelona and two Copa Americas with Brazil. He played in his third World Cup last year in Qatar.
___
Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kob.com/news/us-and-world-news/spain-court-denies-dani-alves-appeal-to-be-freed-on-bail/ | 2023-02-21 11:32:53 | 0 | https://www.kob.com/news/us-and-world-news/spain-court-denies-dani-alves-appeal-to-be-freed-on-bail/ |
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Lehigh Valley bounces back in a big way, putting up 14 runs on Thursday night in a, 14-2 win over Syracuse in game three.
At least five IronPigs batters had two RBIs, Bryson Stott and Donny Sands each finishing the game with three RBIs.
The closest the Mets got in this one, 3-1 after the third inning. The IronPigs would run away with it from there, tacking one three more runs in the top of the fourth after the Mets tried to climb back in.
In the eighth inning is when this one was blown open, the IronPigs putting up five runs in the frame.
Michael Mariot getting the start and earning the win, allowing just six hits and two runs in six innings of work. | https://www.wfmz.com/sports/ironpigs-get-an-offensive-blitz-in-bounce-back-win/article_2e1f9c88-cce1-11ec-afee-cf7f38505ca2.html | 2022-05-06 05:31:09 | 0 | https://www.wfmz.com/sports/ironpigs-get-an-offensive-blitz-in-bounce-back-win/article_2e1f9c88-cce1-11ec-afee-cf7f38505ca2.html |
Supreme Court rejects former President Donald Trump’s request to intervene in Mar-a-Lago documents fight
By Ariane de Vogue and Katelyn Polantz, CNN
The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected an emergency request from former President Donald Trump to intervene in the dispute over classified documents seized from his Mar-a-Lago estate in August.
Trump had asked the justices to reverse a federal appeals court and allow a special master to review about 100 documents marked classified, a move that could have opened the door for his legal team to review the records and argue that they should be off limits to prosecutors in a criminal case.
But in a brief order, the court denied the request. There were no noted dissents.
For now, the documents will stay out of the reach of the special master.
The court’s decision steers the court away from the political fray at a time when approval ratings of the 6-3 conservative-leaning court have dipped to new lows and liberals, including President Joe Biden, have attacked the legitimacy of the institution. The order was issued during the hearing of the House select committee’s investigation of the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack.
Calling the records “extraordinarily sensitive,” the Justice Department had asked the court to stay out of the dispute while legal challenges play out.
“As this Court has emphasized, courts should be cautious before ‘insisting upon an examination’ of records whose disclosure would jeopardize national security ‘even by the judge alone, in chambers,'” DOJ wrote earlier this week, citing a past case.
At issue are two orders US District Judge Aileen Cannon issued recently. She has authorized a special master to review seized materials — including those with classified markings. Earlier, Cannon temporarily enjoined the Justice Department from using the subset of documents as a part of its ongoing criminal probe.
A panel of judges on the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals, however, acting upon a request from the Justice Department, agreed to freeze portions of those orders while the legal dispute plays out.
Trump has argued that he may have had a right, as a former president, to possess certain government documents, including documents potentially containing the country’s most sensitive secrets. And he claimed that the appeals court exceeded its authority in ruling against him.
“The Eleventh Circuit lacked jurisdiction to review, much less stay, an interlocutory order of the District Court providing for the Special Master to review materials seized from President Trump’s home,” Trump told the Supreme Court last week.
Raymond Dearie, the senior US judge appointed as special master, will be “substantially impaired” by the appeals court order and that it will slow “ongoing time-sensitive work,” Trump’s team added.
“Any limit on the comprehensive and transparent review of materials seized in the extraordinary raid of a President’s home erodes public confidence in our system,” the filing said.
US Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar said Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, “fundamentally erred” in appointing a special master in the first place and noted the Justice Department is appealing that decision in the lower courts.
The DOJ, in its filing, argued that the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals found that Cannon “abused her discretion” and inflicted “a serious and unwarranted intrusion on the Executive Branch’s authority to control the use and distribution of extraordinarily sensitive government records.”
Cannon’s decision to block DOJ’s access to documents marked classified and seized from Mar-a-Lago has slowed down the DOJ’s ability to work on the case and given Trump a runway to sharpen his defenses.
DOJ said that Trump’s application to the Supreme Court “concerns an unprecedented order by the district court restricting the Executive Branch’s use of its own highly classified records in an ongoing criminal investigation and directing the dissemination of those records outside the Executive Branch for a special-master review.”
This story has been updated with additional details.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://kion546.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2022/10/13/supreme-court-rejects-former-president-donald-trumps-request-to-intervene-in-mar-a-lago-documents-fight/ | 2022-10-13 20:19:26 | 1 | https://kion546.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2022/10/13/supreme-court-rejects-former-president-donald-trumps-request-to-intervene-in-mar-a-lago-documents-fight/ |
Allianz Partners USA's 15th Annual Vacation Confidence Index Projects Americans' Spend to Reach All-Time High This Summer
RICHMOND, Va., June 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans are showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to splurging on their summer vacations. For the first time in Allianz Partners USA's annual Vacation Confidence Index,* the travel insurance and assistance provider found that Americans' total spend on summer vacations is likely to cross the $200 billion mark, projected to amount to about $214,000,000,000. The figure represents approximately a 10% increase over 2022, a 39% increase over 2021, a staggering 261% over 2020, and remarkable 111% increase compared to pre-pandemic spending in 2019.
Link to download infographic: HERE.
According to the 15th Annual Vacation Confidence Index (VCI), Americans have doubled their summer vacation spending in just four years. In 2023, the average American household is anticipated to spend an average of $2,830 on their summer vacation, topping $2,000 for the fourth time since Allianz Partners began tracking vacation habits in 2009. Three years after the pandemic, average expected vacation spending per household has increased by almost $1,000, marking about a 7% increase over 2022, a 33% increase from 2021, a 50% increase from 2020 and a 39% increase from pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
"We expect to see a record-breaking number of American travelers this summer, and whether heading near or far, increased traveler numbers can mean an increased chance of travel delays," said Daniel Durazo, director of external communications at Allianz Partners USA. "While a devilish mix of inflation and strong demand have kept travel prices elevated, as our survey found, Americans are still willing to pay top dollar for a well-earned summer vacation. Protecting pre-paid expenses with a travel insurance policy that also offers travel delay coverage can end up being one of the smartest investments they can make."
The Vacation Confidence Index has been conducted each summer since 2009 by national polling firm Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of Allianz Partners USA. A vacation is defined as a leisure trip of at least one week to a place that is 100 miles or more from home.
Allianz Partners offers travel insurance through most major U.S. airlines, leading travel agents, online travel agencies, hotel companies, cruise lines and directly to consumers. For more information on Allianz Partners and available travel policies, please visit http://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/.
*Methodology: These are the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Allianz. For this survey, a sample of 2,010 Americans aged 18+ was interviewed from May 2 to 4, 2023 via the Ipsos Online Omnibus. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the results are accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had all American adults been polled. Quota sampling and weighting were employed in order to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual U.S. population, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Credibility intervals are wider among subsets of the population.
About Allianz Partners
In the United States, Allianz Partners USA (AGA Service Company) offers Allianz Travel-branded travel protection plans and serves millions of customers each year. In addition to travel protection, the company offers event ticket protection, registration protection for endurance events and unique travel assistance services such as international medical assistance and concierge services. AGA Service Company is doing business as Allianz Global Assistance Insurance Agency in California (License # 0B01400) and Massachusetts. Allianz Partners USA is part of the Allianz Partners group. Allianz Partners is a world leader in B2B2C insurance and assistance, offering global solutions that span international health and life, travel insurance, mobility and assistance. Customer driven, our innovative experts are redefining insurance services by delivering future-ready, high-tech, high-touch products and solutions that go beyond traditional insurance. Present in over 75 countries, our 19,400 employees speak 70 languages, handle over 58 million cases each year, and are motivated to go the extra mile to offer peace of mind to our customers around the world.
For Allianz Partners USA products offered and sold in the U.S.: Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply to all plans. Plans are available only to U.S. residents. Not all plans are available in all jurisdictions. Availability of coverage, including the epidemic-related benefits and covered reasons described here, varies by product and by state. Products may not include all benefits or covered reasons described here. All benefits are subject to maximum limits of liability, which may in some cases be subject to sublimits and daily maximums. Benefits and limits vary by plan. For a complete description of the coverage and benefit limits offered under your specific plan, carefully review your plan's Letter of Confirmation/Declarations and Certificate of Insurance/Policy. Insurance coverage is underwritten by BCS Insurance Company (OH, Administrative Office: Oakbrook Terrace, IL), rated "A" (Excellent) by A.M. Best Co., under BCS Form No. 52.201 series or 52.401 series, or Jefferson Insurance Company (NY, Administrative Office: Richmond, VA), rated "A+" (Superior) by A.M. Best Co., under Jefferson Form No. 101–C series or 101–P series, depending on state of residence. A+ (Superior) and A (Excellent) are the 2nd and 3rd highest, respectively, of A.M. Best's 13 Financial Strength Ratings. Except as otherwise specified, AGA Service Company d/b/a Allianz Global Assistance is the licensed producer and administrator of Allianz Travel-branded travel protection plans in the U.S. and an affiliate of Jefferson Insurance Company. Allianz Global Assistance is a mark of AGA Service Company or its affiliates. The insured shall not receive any special benefit or advantage due to the affiliation between Allianz Global Assistance and Jefferson Insurance Company. Plans include insurance and assistance services. Noninsurance benefits/products are provided and serviced by Allianz Global Assistance.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Allianz Partners | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/06/06/americans-expect-spend-record-breaking-214-billion-summer-vacations-this-year/ | 2023-06-06 16:24:37 | 1 | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/06/06/americans-expect-spend-record-breaking-214-billion-summer-vacations-this-year/ |
As of July 25, there were 16,683 confirmed cases of monkeypox reported across 74 countries. The first reported case of monkeypox in the U.S. was on May 18, when a man in Massachusetts tested positive for the virus.
Google Trends data shows people have been searching for “monkeypox sexually transmitted” and asking the search engine “is monkeypox a sexually transmitted disease.”
An article from The Associated Press raised questions about the classification of monkeypox.
This tweet with more than 4,000 likes and over 600 retweets says: “From what I’ve read…it seems to me like Monkey Pox is an STD?”
RELATED: 4 Fast Facts about monkeypox
THE QUESTION
Is monkeypox a sexually transmitted disease?
THE SOURCES
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- World Health Organization
- National Institutes of Health
- Saralyn Mark, M.D., former senior medical advisor to The White House
- Robert L. Murphy, M.D., Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine
THE ANSWER
No, monkeypox is not considered a sexually transmitted disease. Monkeypox can be transmitted through a variety of ways, including through sexual and non-sexual contact.
WHAT WE FOUND
The World Health Organization defines sexually transmitted infections or sexually transmitted diseases as spread predominately by sexual contact, including vaginal, anal and oral sex.
More than 30 different bacteria, viruses and parasites are known to be transmitted through sexual contact. Eight of the 30 of these pathogens are linked to the greatest incidence of sexually transmitted disease. Of these, four are currently curable: syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomoniasis. The other four are viral infections which are incurable: hepatitis B, herpes simplex virus (HSV or herpes), HIV and human papillomavirus (HPV).
Monkeypox, which is a disease that originated in wild animals like rodents and primates, is not on WHO’s list viruses transmitted through sexual contact. Further, it is a member of the orthopoxvirus family. There are no sexually transmitted diseases known to have originated within the orthopoxvirus family, according to a list from the National Institute of Health.
Monkeypox isn’t considered a sexually transmitted disease in the “classic sense” because it’s not spread through semen, vaginally or only via sex, Robert L. Murphy, M.D., said in a news release published by Northwestern University.
High levels of skin-to-skin contact often happen during sex, which is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned people to be careful if they are showing symptoms and offers guidance on what partners can do to still engage in sexual activity even if they come into contact with monkeypox.
The CDC says monkeypox is transmitted when a person comes into contact with the virus from an animal, human, or materials that are contaminated with the virus.
The virus enters the body through broken skin (even if not visible), the respiratory tract, or the mucous membranes (eyes, nose, or mouth).
Animal-to-human contact can occur if an infected animal bites or scratches a person. Human-to-human transmission primarily occurs through close physical contact with bodily fluids, respiratory droplets, skin lesions or recently contaminated objects, the CDC and World Health Organization say.
Saralyn Mark, M.D., former senior medical advisor to The White House under President Barack Obama told VERIFY there does not need to be intimate skin contact so non-sexual contact can infect.
RELATED: 4 Fast Facts about monkeypox
“Additionally, there may be a small respiratory component if scabs dry and viral particles are shed into the air and there is also a small possibility that there could be transmission from fomites such as clothing and bedding that has been exposed to the monkeypox rash and fluid from the blisters,” Mark told VERIFY in an email.
Most patients that become infected with monkeypox experience fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes, according to the WHO. The rash tends to stay concentrated on the face and extremities but can spread across the body in more severe cases.
Other viruses that can spread during sex, but are not considered sexually transmitted disease (or STDs), are:
- Chickenpox
- The common cold
- Pink Eye
- Pertussis
- The flu
- Measles
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a vaccine that would prevent monkeypox and smallpox in 2019. The Jynneos vaccine is administered in two doses and is recommended for individuals 18 and older that are at high risk for monkeypox. The CDC has a list of current eligibility for the vaccine:
1. Known contacts who are identified by public health via case investigation, contact tracing, and risk exposure assessments
2. Presumed contacts who may meet the following criteria:
- Know that a sexual partner in the past 14 days was diagnosed with monkeypox
- Had multiple sexual partners in the past 14 days in a jurisdiction with known monkeypox
Some states have expanded their eligibility criteria beyond what the CDC has recommended. If you have questions on your state’s vaccine eligibility criteria, contact your local health department. | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/verify/health-verify/monkeypox-is-not-considered-a-std-fact-check/536-f979142a-8c18-4c05-ab6f-7da58e6524e2 | 2022-07-26 18:25:56 | 0 | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/verify/health-verify/monkeypox-is-not-considered-a-std-fact-check/536-f979142a-8c18-4c05-ab6f-7da58e6524e2 |
ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (PIX11) — For the second time in half a year, the Proud Boys, an organization that’s been identified as a hate group by various civil rights organizations, rallied in a Long Island community. It left some residents, as well as legislators and activists calling for local governments to take greater action to prevent the Proud Boys from returning. At this point, though, it’s not clear what measures will be taken.
On Saturday, about two dozen members of the Proud Boys marched down Rockville Centre streets and left postcard-size fliers at various businesses.
A variety of residents recorded smartphone videos of the men, including a few different videos recorded by a 20-year resident who did not want her name used, out of concerns expressed by her family for her safety.
“Take your masks down, guys, where do you work?” she asks various members of the group who, even though they were outside for their rally, kept gaiters positioned over their faces.
“I have to use my privilege to say, ‘This is not what we want,'” she told PIX11 News.
In one of the videos she recorded, one of the Proud Boys members points to a line on one of the fliers he was handing out that says that his group stands for “anti-racism” and “anti-racial guilt.”
Alan Singer, a professor of education and history at Hofstra University who has researched and written extensively about racial history on Long Island said that the Proud Boys’ anti-racist claims are not what they appear to be.
“Their concept of anti-racist is very different than what most people mean,” Dr. Singer said in an interview. “They are arguing that the United States is racist against whites.”
He also pointed out that on Long Island, “[in the] 1920s, there was a very large Klan movement.”
“In the 1930s, there was a Nazi movement on Long Island,” he continued, adding that over the course of the 20th Century, the island has seen various white supremacist groups.
“There’s a long history of this type of behavior, particularly on Long Island,” he said.
Both the state senator, and the state assemblywoman who represent this part of Long Island — Todd Kaminsky and Judy Griffin, respectively — publicly declared in interviews on Monday that the Proud Boys have to be stopped from returning.
However, as the woman who confronted the rallying group pointed out, keeping the Proud Boys away will take a coordinated effort.
“It’s time for those of us who do not align with those ideals,” said the woman, whose identity is being withheld, “to say to say to the village here, ‘What is our plan?'”
PIX11 News made multiple attempts to get comment from Mayor Francis X. Murray of Rockville Centre. So far, there’s been no response.
A request for comment from the New York Proud Boys organization also got no response. | https://pix11.com/news/local-news/long-island/proud-boys-return-to-long-island-village-prompting-residents-to-call-for-action/ | 2022-05-24 01:03:36 | 0 | https://pix11.com/news/local-news/long-island/proud-boys-return-to-long-island-village-prompting-residents-to-call-for-action/ |
Owner of funeral homes accused of spraying insecticide at cops, assaulting media at Jan. 6 riot
(AP) - An owner of several funeral homes in Long Island was arrested Wednesday on charges that he sprayed wasp killer at police officers and attacked journalists — including an Associated Press photographer — during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, authorities said.
Peter G. Moloney, 58, of Bayport, New York, faces numerous charges, including civil disorder and assaulting police officers, according to court documents. He was expected to make an initial court appearance in New York later Wednesday.
There was no lawyer listed for him yet in the court docket. A woman who answered the phone at Moloney Family Funeral Homes, where he is listed as co-owner, said they had no comment.
An FBI agent wrote in court papers that Moloney appears to have come to the Capitol “prepared for violence,” with protective eyewear, a helmet and a can of insecticide — wasp, hornet & yellow jacket killer. Monoley was seen at the Capitol with a colleague, who authorities did not identify publicly.
Video shows Moloney spraying the insecticide at officers who were desperately trying to beat back the angry mob and protect the Capitol, the agent wrote.
Authorities say video also shows Moloney participating in an attack on a AP photographer, who was documenting the violence at the Capitol. Moloney grabbed the AP photographer’s camera and pulled, causing the photographer to stumble down the stairs, the agent wrote. Moloney was then seen “punching and shoving” the photographer before other rioters pushed the photographer over a wall, the agent wrote.
Authorities say Moloney also grabbed another media member’s camera, causing that journalist to stumble down the stairs.
More than 1,000 people have been charged with federal crimes in the riot that halted the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory, and authorities continue to regularly make arrests more than two years later. Authorities are still working to identity a slew of rioters seen on camera storming the Capitol or engaging in violence.
Nearly 600 of them have pleaded guilty to riot-related charges, while more than 100 others have been convicted by judges or juries. More than 500 have been sentenced, with over half getting terms of imprisonment ranging from seven days to 18 years.
____
Richer reported from Boston. AP reporter Michael Kunzelman contributed.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/2023/06/07/owner-funeral-homes-accused-spraying-insecticide-cops-assaulting-media-jan-6-riot/ | 2023-06-07 17:05:09 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/2023/06/07/owner-funeral-homes-accused-spraying-insecticide-cops-assaulting-media-jan-6-riot/ |
Biden official accused of stealing luggage from airport; warrant issued, police say
LAS VEGAS (KVVU/Gray News) - A Biden administration official is accused of stealing luggage from a Las Vegas airport over the summer.
KVVU reports that a warrant has been issued for Samuel Brinton this week for a charge of grand larceny, with the value of the item between $1,200 and $5,000.
Brinton currently serves as a deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Energy.
The warrant describes the incident in question as taking place at Harry Reid International Airport on July 6.
According to Las Vegas police, a person was taking a United Airlines flight from Dulles International and had checked three bags. The woman was able to find two of her bags, but couldn’t locate the third.
The female traveler reportedly checked with lost and found multiple times, but the luggage wasn’t located. She filed a police report on July 10.
Authorities said they reviewed security camera footage and saw a person wearing a white T-shirt with a rainbow atomic nuclear symbol on the front grab luggage matching the description of the missing bag and quickly leave the airport.
The officer in the report said the suspect displayed several “body language [anomalies]” that “caught his attention.”
Police noted the suspect looked at the luggage tag of the bag in question, and briefly placed it back on the carousel before looking around and grabbing the bag again.
However, police were unable to positively identify the suspect after searching a passenger manifest.
According to authorities, the case was reopened on Nov. 29 after several news articles were posted about Brinton allegedly stealing luggage at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport on Sept. 16. The articles had photos of Brinton, who the officer recognized from the Las Vegas case.
The officer in the case also identified an Instagram post by Brinton that showed a visit to Harry Reid International Airport on July 6, the same day as the reported theft.
The officer said Brinton was also seen wearing the same T-shirt as seen in the surveillance video.
According to police, they tried to contact Brinton via phone but received no response.
The woman said several items of value were in her lost bag, including jewelry, clothing, makeup and other items. Police estimated the value of the items at $3,670.74.
Las Vegas police said there was probable cause that Brinton had stolen the bag and a warrant was issued for Brinton’s arrest.
Brinton was reportedly placed on leave after the allegations in the Minneapolis case were made public.
Copyright 2022 KVVU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2022/12/10/biden-official-accused-stealing-luggage-airport-warrant-issued-police-say/ | 2022-12-10 03:24:00 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2022/12/10/biden-official-accused-stealing-luggage-airport-warrant-issued-police-say/ |
Fixed-fee engagement for process optimization creates recurring savings
SAN DIEGO, May 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Appian [Nasdaq: APPN] today announced the "Insight to Action" program for process mining. The program accelerates the value of process mining initiatives by providing mining preparation, analysis, and service hours to implement process improvements, all for a one-time fixed fee.
Process mining lets organizations uncover bottlenecks and other inefficiencies in the business processes. Most process mining technologies present roadblocks that prevent organizations from achieving real value. Data governance (both security and quality) is a major concern, as are the specialized data skills required, results that are difficult to interpret, and the typical disconnection between process mining and automation technologies needed to implement improvements.
"Process mining initiatives face a common set of challenges," said Pavel Zamudio, Chief Customer Officer at Appian. "These include properly preparing the data, accurately interpreting the results, and deploying recommended changes into operational workflows. Our Insight to Action program is designed to remove all of that complexity so our customers can see fast value from Appian Process Mining."
Appian Process Mining simplifies the work of identifying process inefficiencies and checking conformance to detect non-compliant activities. Appian unifies process mining with automation on a single low-code platform, making it easy to implement changes and achieve continuous process improvement. All of this is underpinned by Appian's Data Fabric, which enables highly-secure enterprise-wide data unification without complex data management.
Process Mining Value Unlocked
The new Insight to Action program helps organizations rapidly unlock the value of process mining. In the Insight phase, Appian Customer Success will identify and prepare a process for mining (including all required data transformation), complete the mining analysis, and provide a findings report with recommendations. During the Action phase, Appian Customer Success will create an action plan addressing the findings, and make adjustments to optimize the process. Specifically, this includes:
- Guidance on selecting the appropriate process to mine
- Transformation of extracted data for the use case
- Process mining analysis
- Process optimization consultation with recommendations
- Action Plan: A collaborative charter to evaluate the key components of the mined process with a project plan to achieve continuous improvement.
- Success Checkpoints: Proactive, recurring sessions to assess the progress of the Action Plan
- Final process mining readout to validate process improvements
To learn more about the Insight to Action program, go to appian.com/insight-to-action.
About Appian
Appian is a software company that automates business processes. The Appian Platform includes everything you need to design, automate, and optimize even the most complex processes, from start to finish. The world's most innovative organizations trust Appian to improve their workflows, unify data, and optimize operations—resulting in better growth and superior customer experiences. For more information, visit www.appian.com. [Nasdaq: APPN]
Follow Appian: Twitter, LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Appian | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/05/02/appian-announces-insight-action-process-mining-program/ | 2023-05-02 17:26:39 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/05/02/appian-announces-insight-action-process-mining-program/ |
MIAMI, June 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Jills Zeder Group, a powerhouse team of Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Ambassadors with Coldwell Banker Realty, have once again been ranked as the No. 1 large team in the entire United States, as announced in the 2022 RealTrends "The Thousand" list published in The Wall Street Journal. Per RealTrends, a large team ranges from 11 to 20 members.
RealTrends ranked The Jills Zeder Group No. 1 on the list, based on achieving $2,250,764,707 in closed sales volume in 2021 and 367.60 closed transaction sides in 2021. Affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty's offices in Miami Beach and Coral Gables, Florida, the sales team, which specializes in luxury real estate, including luxury estates, condominiums, waterfront properties, and highly complex assemblages, achieved more sales volume than any other small, medium or large team from any brokerage or company nationwide.
"Year over year, The Jills Zeder Group not only sets the bar for the industry standard of excellence, but they surpass their own benchmark. The team's ingenuity, dedication to client service, extreme market intelligence and fierce business acumen has resulted in another outstanding recognition this year," said Ryan Gorman, CEO of Coldwell Banker. "It is a true privilege to have the opportunity to serve this top-performing, legendary team as part of Coldwell Banker."
"I'm honored to once again congratulate The Jills Zeder Group for their distinguished achievement earning the No. 1 spot on the prestigious RealTrends list, solidifying them as the very best real estate team in the country," said Duff Rubin, president of Coldwell Banker Realty in Florida. "This well-earned recognition reconfirms what we already know about the team, that they offer their clients incomparable professionalism and real estate knowledge, as well as a superior understanding of the complex and evolving market of South Florida."
The RealTrends "The Thousand" ranking consists of all real estate agents and teams throughout the United States who took part in residential real estate transactions in 2021. The individual rankings are divided into two top 250 categories, based on closed transaction sides and closed sales volume. To qualify, an individual agent had to close at least 50 transaction sides or $20 million in sales volume in 2021. For real estate teams, the minimum was 75 transaction sides or $30 million in closed sales volume.
About The Jills Zeder Group: The Jills Zeder Group, affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty, is comprised of three families, all of whom are major players in the luxury residential real estate business. These families include Jill Hertzberg, Jill Eber and Felise Eber; and Hertzberg's children Danny Hertzberg and Hillary Hertzberg; and Judy Zeder and her children, Nathan Zeder and Kara Zeder Rosen. Prior to The Jills Zeder Group's formation in 2019, the families closed a combined total of more than $8 billion in real estate sales, including collaborating on multiple luxury sales in the Coral Gables market. With offices in Miami Beach and Coral Gables, The Jills Zeder Group specializes in high-end, multimillion-dollar luxury properties in South Florida's most elite enclaves, representing celebrities, Fortune 500 executives, and a diverse international clientele. They offer incomparable knowledge and services to luxury real estate clients. For more information and to contact The Jills Zeder Group, visit JillsZeder.com.
About Coldwell Banker Realty: Coldwell Banker Realty in Florida is a leading residential real estate brokerage company with approximately 73 offices and 8,106 affiliated sales associates. Coldwell Banker Realty is owned by a subsidiary of Anywhere Real Estate Inc. (NYSE:HOUS), the largest full-service residential real estate services company in the United States. Visit ColdwellBankerHomes.com. Coldwell Banker Global Luxury and the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury logo are service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Visit ColdwellBankerLuxury.com
*Sales data according to MLS records from 1/1/2021–12/31/21.
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SOURCE Coldwell Banker Realty | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2022/06/10/jills-zeder-group-coldwell-banker-realty-again-ranked-no-1-large-team-us-by-realtrends/ | 2022-06-10 15:40:06 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2022/06/10/jills-zeder-group-coldwell-banker-realty-again-ranked-no-1-large-team-us-by-realtrends/ |
South Salem, West Salem singers take first and second in OSAA state choir championships
Two Salem high school choirs took home first and second places at the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) state championship choir competition over the weekend.
High school choirs from across the state competed in front of judges at Oregon State University May 4-6. Each choir performed songs and had to sight read in front of a panel of judges.
School bands and orchestras will compete for their titles Wednesday through Saturday at Oregon State University.
Salem high schools sweep the podium
South Salem High School won the state championship in division 6A. The choir scored 332 points, out of 360 total, earning the singers a "superior" ranking and first place overall.
Choir director Aubrey Dunham said she was "proud beyond words" of the singers.
"More important than any award or achievement is how you all grew as musicians and humans throughout this journey," Dunham said. "Thank you for sharing your voices and hearts."
South Salem has now won 15 state choir championships. The first choir state championship was in 1987, which South Salem won.
The 44 South Salem singers performed the following selections: Rytmus, by Ivan Hrušovský;Gloria, mvt 2; Missa Brevis, KV49, by W.A. Mozart; Idumea, by Ananais Davisson, arraigned by Bjella; Ilus Hääl by Margrit Kits, arraigned by Jēkabsone; and Marie Madeleine, Acadian French folksong, arraigned by Gallant.
Soloists were Maisy Fisher, Emma Harris-Clippinger, Samuel Welborn, Terrence Green, Lincoln Cordero, Kamil Finger and Oscar Norton.
West Salem High School came in second place in the same division with a score of 319. The 54 singers performed the following selections: Warum by Johannes Brahms; Hear My Prayer O by Henry Purcell; Air by Katerina Gimon; Fire by Katerina Gimon; Contre Qui, Rose by Morten Lauridsen; and Tuttarana by Reena Esmail.
More music on deck this weekend
High school bands and orchestras will compete this week for a state championship. Friends, family and fans can attend and support, but the weekend is admission-based. Tickets are available on OSAA's website. | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/education/2023/05/09/oregon-school-activities-association-state-championship-choir-competition-results-winners/70199649007/ | 2023-05-10 05:44:19 | 0 | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/education/2023/05/09/oregon-school-activities-association-state-championship-choir-competition-results-winners/70199649007/ |
Dear Amy: In college in Montana, I majored in equine studies. After trying for four years, I finally got into an extremely competitive internship working with thoroughbreds in Kentucky. I started right after graduation.
During my junior year I met my boyfriend, “Alex.” We have now been together for over three years. I can’t imagine my life without him.
Alex started law school when I started the internship. I absolutely loved the internship, even though I was working 12-hour days. But I still cried most days and held onto one of his sweatshirts every night.
When the internship ended, I got a job with a poultry company back in Montana. A year and a half later, I have not stopped talking about or thinking about Kentucky.
My boyfriend is from Indiana and wants to return to his hometown after graduation, where he will have a client base and connections.
Kentucky is completely out of the picture for him, but I would love to go back. Neither one of us wants to deliver an ultimatum, but he said that if I go back to Kentucky, it would likely put the “nail in the coffin” for us.
I don’t think we could do long distance again.
My heart is torn. I know that we need to grow as individuals, but I am so lost.
Will I be wondering “what if” forever?
Do I really have to choose between chasing my dreams and love?
– Woman Torn in Two
Dear Torn: You say that you and your boyfriend are not delivering ultimatums, but – I think you should check your in-box, because he has delivered one to you, and it’s dressed up in the dreary “nail in the coffin” cliché. Yikes.
If you clung to his sweatshirt and cried every day during a period of separation, despite engaging in an engrossing and fascinating pursuit of your own, then it might be best for you to understand that there are horses in Indiana (lots of them), although the prestige and experience of working in Kentucky would put you in the top category in your field.
A red flag here is that despite your devoted attachment, you are an adventurous woman with a location-dependent dream – hooked up with a hometown guy who can’t (or won’t) imagine pursuing a law career anywhere else.
This is a fairly rigid and limiting way of viewing his own prospects and, even if you did decide to cling to the man instead of his sweatshirt, you should understand that you two have different-sized dreams and attachment styles.
You two might have charged out of the gate together, but this difference is likely to affect your success in the home stretch.
Dear Amy: Summer is almost here and a house on our street has a really unkempt lawn. It looks like it hasn’t been mowed at all.
We live on a nice street with small front lawns, and all the neighbors take pride. There is a local ordinance regarding this, but I’m on the fence about turning in these people. Another neighbor mentioned reporting them, and we were both wondering what you think.
– Neat Neighbor
Dear Neighbor: You don’t seem to know this family, but before turning them in, you might want to knock on their door and offer to cut their front lawn for them. Tell them, “It’s no big deal – zip zip and I’ll be done in 15 minutes.”
They might be older, unwell, or overwhelmed.
Some church and community groups will take on this task, bringing over a small crew of volunteers, and I assume that this assistance is gratefully received by the homeowners.
Dear Amy: “Tired of Hosting” was a mom who was tired of always being the one to host playdates for her son and his bestie.
I was the kid who never reciprocated after playing at others’ homes.
My mother was divorced and worked full time, but she also drank too much.
I spent a large portion of my time at my best friend’s house and spent the night there often.
Honestly, it kept me in a more supportive environment and as I grew older, I realized that my friend’s mom may have known this – and I am grateful.
– Grateful
Dear Grateful: Many people have responded with stories like yours (and yes, I am crying, too). So many unsung heroes.
I think it would be great if you found a way to reach out to the family that helped to raise you – to offer them your thanks.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
©2023 Amy Dickinson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. | https://www.baltimoresun.com/features/ask-amy/ask-amy-college-sweetheart-vs-dream-job-20230601-uqp7mxoc4na47bxodkiiuaxxpq-story.html | 2023-06-01 08:42:21 | 1 | https://www.baltimoresun.com/features/ask-amy/ask-amy-college-sweetheart-vs-dream-job-20230601-uqp7mxoc4na47bxodkiiuaxxpq-story.html |
LAPORTE COUNTY, Ind. (WGN-TV) — On the morning of Taylor Swift’s first Chicago show, a Northwest Indiana man was arrested after allegedly showing up to her Nashville residence last month.
Mitchell Taebel, 36, of Long Beach, entered a not guilty plea Tuesday on the charges of stalking by threatening serious injury or death, intimidation, invasion of privacy and harassment.
The investigation began on March 25 after Taebel allegedly sent pictures of weapons via social media to members of Taylor Swift’s management company — threatening to “destroy them.”
Five days later, Taebel was accused of leaving a message to Swift’s father that he is her “soulmate” and “he is the only one that can make her secure.”
On April 5, Taebel allegedly sent a threat via fake Instagram accounts to one of the dancers on Swift’s Eras Tour. According to court documents, Taebel posted a picture of someone firing a gun at a range and stated “if today there is the sexual performance of Vigilant s**t, [referring to Swift track “Vigilante S—‘] you can be sure that we will destroy you and all the other dancers and (Swift) too, I think you know what happened to Joe Alwyn [Swift’s former boyfriend].”
That same day, documents state Taebel contacted governor’s offices in several states informing them that his U.S. presidential campaign will be part of the Eras Tour and also contact Swift’s management company again. In that voicemail, he allegedly told them he and Swift need to meet and that he would “wear a bomb on his chest.”
Throughout the rest of April, Taebel allegedly posted threatening videos to Swift on Instagram. Court documents state one of the captions said the singer “deserves to be shot.”
On May 5, which was the day before Swift’s Nashville show, Taebel allegedly traveled there from his home in Long Beach. Court documents state Taebel made an appearance at the building of Swift’s top-floor Nashville penthouse, which she purchased in 2009, by sneaking in through an unsecured door.
While there, Taebel allegedly told security he was a “great-looking, well-dressed, popular TV host” and asked if Swift was there. Security called Nashville police, but documents state he left the property before they arrived.
The next day at Swift’s concert, Taebel was able to get in due to having a ticket from a third-party despite being on a “security threat/concern list.”
Once in the venue, Taebel allegedly positioned himself in an area where management and tour performers would pass by him to get on stage. Documents state he was recognized by security and immediately questioned about showing up at Swift’s residence in addition to his “obsession” with the singer.
Security escorted Taebel out of the venue and he returned to his home in Long Beach.
After returning home, documents state Taebel posted a racially hate-filled tirade video on Instagram admitting that he went to Swift’s residence.
“I went to [Swift’s] apartment complex and anybody in my opinion that thinks it is illegal in any way to go to somebody’s apartment to see if they want to meet should be killed. They should die of a heart attack on a spot,” Taebel allegedly said as part of the tirade.
During the tirade, in which the N-word was allegedly used multiple times, Taebel ended it by saying “she had no idea a white man would come in there and talk to (Swift) like I did.”
On May 11, attorneys for Swift’s management company were granted a temporary restraining order against Taebel in Nashville.
From May 16 through May 18, documents state Taebel posted multiple videos to Instagram. In one of them, Taebel allegedly said that his “dying wish is that anyone who had anything to do with them not meeting should be executed.”
Those videos were used to grant an extension of the temporary restraining order, documents state.
On May 31 in Indiana, Taebel was charged and the next day his bail was set at $15,000. He was arrested on the morning of June 2, which was the first day of Swift’s shows in Chicago, and is still in jail, according to records.
Taebel was appointed a public defender. After entering the aforementioned not guilty plea, his next court date is scheduled for July 27. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/deserves-to-be-shot-in-man-accused-of-showing-up-to-taylor-swifts-home-stalking/ | 2023-06-08 23:55:50 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/deserves-to-be-shot-in-man-accused-of-showing-up-to-taylor-swifts-home-stalking/ |
(WFLA) — Zelle, the popular peer-to-peer money transfer system makes instant transactions convenient for users. The ease — and irreversibility — of transactions via Zelle, which is owned by seven major banks and embedded in many accounts, can attract criminals.
Consumers report losing millions collectively.
“I’m looking at my account and all of a sudden money is being transferred to somebody and I have no idea who they are,” said Scott Schaefer of Pinellas Park, Florida.
This story is playing out all across the country. Criminals either hack into consumers’ devices, get in using phishing techniques, or trick consumers into unknowingly sending them money through Zelle.
Once the money is gone, it’s nearly impossible to get it back.
Senators Elizabeth Warren, (D-MA), and Robert Menendez, (D-NJ), wrote a letter last year to Early Warning Services, Zelle’s parent company. In the letter, the senators say, “your company and the banks have a clear responsibility to more aggressively protect consumers.”
The senators demanded answers, including how banks and Zelle determine which consumers get their money back and which don’t. They also want to know what’s being done to prevent fraud in the first place.
Recently, four major banks responded to the senators’ questions, saying that in the past 18 months, consumers reported 192,878 Zelle fraud claims, worth collectively $213 million in losses if verified. Of those nearly 200,000 reports, banks reimbursed consumers in just 3,500 cases to that point.
Zelle is created and owned by a consortium of major U.S. banks, including Bank of America, Chase, Capital One and Wells Fargo. It’s free, and last year people sent $490 billion through Zelle. That’s more than twice Venmo’s $230 billion, according to the New York Times.
So how can you protect yourself?
Most Zelle fraud starts with tricks and phishing techniques, according to the FBI.
In one common scam, the crook pretends to be the bank itself. You may receive an email or text message asking you to confirm a large, fake Zelle payment. When the user replies that they didn’t authorize the transfer, the scammer follows up with a phone call pretending to be the bank. The phone number is typically spoofed so it shows up on caller ID as the bank. You’re then walked through instructions on how to reverse the unauthorized claims. What really happens, though, is that you are transferring money directly to the criminals.
Don’t give any personal information over the phone, and don’t click on text message links from people you don’t know.
Can you get your money back if you are a fraud victim?
That’s a tricky question. There have been reports around the country of some consumers receiving money back while others don’t. Several local consumers who turned to Nexstar’s WFLA for help did end up getting money back, but Schaefer has not yet.
When banks say “no,” it’s typically because they say the transactions were actually approved by the account holders.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau clarified its position on banks’ required compliance with the Electronic Fund Transfer Act of 1978 last year. The CFPB says that “if a third party fraudulently induces a consumer into sharing account access information,” that consumer should receive the same protections as if the money were acquired from a stolen debit card or other banking “access device.”
If your bank refuses to reimburse you for a Zelle scam, you should quickly report it to local law enforcement and file a complaint with the CFPB.
You can view the recent report to Congress at these links:
- Report: How consumers defrauded on Zelle are left high and dry
- New Report by Senator Warren: Zelle Facilitating Fraud, Based on Internal Data from Big Banks | https://phl17.com/nmw/zelle-fraud-cases-explode-customers-lose-millions/ | 2023-02-17 23:21:43 | 1 | https://phl17.com/nmw/zelle-fraud-cases-explode-customers-lose-millions/ |
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M’s Antonio Johnson and Jaylon Jones were selected on the final day of the 2023 NFL Draft. Johnson was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 160th overall pick in the fifth round while Jones was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 221st overall pick in the seventh round.
Johnson was a veteran leader in a veteran secondary that helped the Aggies lead the nation in passing defense this past season, allowing just 156.2 yards through the air. Johnson and the A&M defense also ranked sixth in forced fumbles (16) and boasted a top-25 ranking in scoring defense (21.2) as a unit last season. The junior was tied for third in the SEC with three forced fumbles on the season and finished the year second on the team with 71 tackles. The East St. Louis, Illinois, native registered the sixth double-digit tackle game of his career in the victory over No. 6 LSU, tallying 10 takedowns for the second time in three games to close out his final season in Aggieland. Johnson finished his career starting 22 of the 28 games he played in, tallying 164 tackles.
As a sophomore, Johnson started all 12 games and was second on the Aggies with 79 tackles. His team-best 53 solo takedowns ranked among the top 11 in the SEC in 2021. His five pass breakups and 8.5 tackles-for-loss also ranked top five on the team.
Jones started all 32 games he played in during his three seasons in Aggieland. He tallied 98 tackles, 72 of which were solo takedowns, and added 17 pass breakups. In his final season, Jones was a key contributor on an Aggie defense that boasted the No. 1 passing defense in the nation, giving up just 156.2 yards through the air per game, as well as the No. 25 scoring defense (21.2). As a sophomore, Jones ranked 13th in the SEC with eight pass breakups. | https://www.kens5.com/article/sports/pair-of-aggies-selected-on-final-day-of-nfl-draft/499-0f0f3734-e8bb-4d13-acd5-b7a960a6b47f | 2023-04-30 05:22:23 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/sports/pair-of-aggies-selected-on-final-day-of-nfl-draft/499-0f0f3734-e8bb-4d13-acd5-b7a960a6b47f |
Presentations to highlight clinical and preclinical results of SRT-015, a second generation ASK1 Inhibitor in development for alcoholic hepatitis and other liver diseases
SEATTLE, Oct. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Seal Rock Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical stage company developing first-in-class and best-in-class kinase inhibitors, today announced oral and poster presentations at The Liver Meeting® of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), taking place November 4-8, 2022, in Washington, DC.
SRT-015 is a second generation apoptosis signal-regulating kinase (ASK1) inhibitor for treatment of alcoholic hepatitis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and other liver diseases.
"Our two presentations at The Liver Meeting reflect the promising data we have compiled while advancing SRT-015 through early clinical development. At the meeting, we will present the encouraging safety and pharmacokinetic profile of SRT-015 in a first-in-human clinical trial, and new mechanistic data demonstrating the anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties of SRT-015. The data show that SRT-015 is well-differentiated, overcoming limitations of the first generation of ASK1 inhibitors," said Neil McDonnell, Chief Executive Officer of Seal Rock Therapeutics. "The clinical and preclinical data accumulated so far strongly support further advancement of SRT-015 into clinical development, including PK assessment in patients with hepatic impairment and a Phase 2 trial in alcoholic hepatitis."
Presentation details are as follows:
Seal Rock Oral Presentation
Title: Phase 1, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Single- and Multiple-Ascending Dose Study of the Safety, Tolerability and Pharmacokinetics of the ASK1 Inhibitor SRT-015 in Healthy Adults
Presenter: Daniel J. Burge, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Seal Rock Therapeutics
Abstract Number: 106
Location: Room 146
Date/Time: Sunday, November 6, 2022, 11:30 am EST
Seal Rock Poster Presentation
Title: Anti-Inflammatory Mechanisms of ASK1 Inhibitor SRT-015
Abstract Number: 2351
Presenter: Kathleen A. Elias, PhD, VP Research and Translational Medicine, Seal Rock Therapeutics
Location: Poster Hall
Date/Time: Saturday, November 5, 2002, 1 pm EST
Seal Rock Therapeutics is a privately held, clinical stage company based in Seattle focused on developing first-in or best-in-class treatments for severe diseases with limited or no available therapies. Seal Rock is led by an experienced management team with a track record of successful drug discovery, development and commercialization. The company's lead product candidate, SRT-015, is a liver-selective, first-in-class ASK1 inhibitor. For more information, please visit www.sealrocktx.com
Media Contact:
Julie Rathbun
Rathbun Communications
Julie@rathbuncomm.com
206-769-9219
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SOURCE Seal Rock Therapeutics | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/10/24/seal-rock-therapeutics-announces-upcoming-oral-poster-presentations-aaslds-liver-meeting-2022/ | 2022-10-24 13:32:48 | 1 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/10/24/seal-rock-therapeutics-announces-upcoming-oral-poster-presentations-aaslds-liver-meeting-2022/ |
Minnesota schools in line for big funding year
Published 5:31 am Thursday, March 30, 2023
By Brian Bakst, Minnesota Public Radio News
It’s shaping up as a banner year for schools in the Minnesota budget with billions of new dollars earmarked for education.
The DFL-led House and Senate agree on the overall amount – more than $2.1 billion in new money for the next two years – but differ on how to spread dollars out.
“We are making investments in our Minnesota students like we’ve never done before,” said Senate Education Finance Committee Chair Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton.
For Minnesota schools, aid amounts from the state depend on multiple factors. The most significant is a district’s overall number of students.
A lot of state dollars flow down through the basic per-student formula. This year, it’s $6,863.
Both House and Senate education budget bills would push that amount up by $275 for next school year, a 4 percent increase.
House Education Finance Chair Cheryl Youakim, DFL-Hopkins, said it’s just a start.
“This year, we’re finally going to make a historic investment in education,” she said Wednesday. “But 20 years of underfunding can’t be made up in one biennium.”
It’s the second year and beyond where debate over the pot of new money gets tricky.
The Senate plan follows the 4 percent aid boost with a 5 percent bump. In the House proposal, year two brings 2 percent.
But the House bill has a feature the Senate bill doesn’t: The funding formula would automatically go up with a measure of inflation for years into the future – capped at 3 percent annually.
Youakim said it’s a pivotal item that gives schools something to bank on.
“That stability provides them time to plan time to keep teachers and support staff on into the future and makes it so that they don’t have to come up and beg for small percentages on the formula increase that don’t even keep up with inflation,” she said. “This is a game changer. And when you’re in a trifecta, you do things that are game changers.”
Willie Jett II, the education commissioner under DFL Gov. Tim Walz, urged senators to add the inflation clause to their bill.
“I think it will come as no surprise that I, that we would also like to keep the conversation alive by making the investment even more transformational by linking the formula to inflation,” he said.
Schools also get aid based on the number of children whose first language isn’t English, who are on special education plans, who are on buses for long distances and who qualify for other special allowances.
Both bills buy down the amount districts have to divert to cover special education costs.
School administrators used words like “difference maker,” “life preserver” and “once in a generation opportunity” to describe the education budget in the works.
Scott Croonquist of the Minnesota Association of Metropolitan School Districts highlighted a provision allowing districts to keep property tax levies intact by a board vote rather than a ballot measure if the levy is largely the same.
“Allowing your locally elected school boards to renew an existing referendum will add a great deal of stability to the funding system,” Croonquist said.
Once the two bills get through their respective chambers, it’ll be up to a handful of negotiators from each body to forge a compromise. That process could stretch well into May.
Republicans acknowledge the funding boost for schools is all but certain to happen.
Rep. Ron Kresha of Little Falls, who is the ranking member on the House Education Finance Committee, doesn’t expect a big fight about the money.
“We have a very robust state surplus. So, of course we knew there was going to be a good target for schools,” Kresha said. “But I think what the schools are really struggling to get their arms around is the mandates. I think I’ve counted over 60-some mandates.”
Both bills call for changes around unemployment benefits for school employees. There are restrictions placed on school discipline. Schools would have to provide access to no-cost menstrual products in restrooms. There are expectations around ethnic studies offerings.
The committee chairs say they also put emphasis on programs aimed at improving literacy, expanding early childhood learning options and attracting more teachers of color. Kunesh said she focused on the long game.
“We looked for ideas and thoughts, what worked, what didn’t work and analyzed that information to create this omnibus bill that we’ve put together because we wanted to make sure it was an A-plus plan,” she said. | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/03/minnesota-schools-in-line-for-big-funding-year/ | 2023-03-30 14:52:27 | 0 | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/03/minnesota-schools-in-line-for-big-funding-year/ |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DSG is excited to share that for the 4th year in a row it has been selected as one of the Top 20 Sales Training & Enablement Companies by Training Industry, Inc. As the leading research and information resource for corporate learning leaders, Training Industry prepares the report on critical sectors of the corporate training marketplace to better inform professionals about the best and most innovative providers of training services and technologies.
"This year's Sales Training and Enablement Top 20 companies provided quality training to their customers with a range of topics and the readiness to adapt to their needs," said Jessica Schue, market research analyst at Training Industry, Inc. "With virtual transitions and new tools for learning, these companies prepare their customers with the best offerings and innovations to help keep them up to date with new selling trends."
"It's an honor to be listed on the 2022 Top Training Companies™ list for Sales Training and Enablement Service Providers" said Tanner Mezel, DSG's VP of Sales & Marketing. "Our modern approach to sales enablement starts with a video playbook that gives every seller the content, tools, and training to lead compelling sales conversations and influence the customer buying process at every stage."
Click here to learn more about how DSG can help enable your growth strategies.
Through video-based sales training playbooks, experiential learning, and continuous enablement, DSG helps B2B companies implement their growth initiatives and accelerate revenue growth. Sales playbooks are the foundation for on-demand training, live virtual training, classroom training, and manager-led coaching. DSG provides an integrated sales enablement approach including consulting, content development, training delivery, graphic design, and video production.
Training Industry (https://trainingindustry.com) is the most trusted source of information on the business of learning. Our authority is built on deep ties with more than 450 expert contributors who share insights and actionable information with their peers. Training Industry's courses, live events, articles, magazines, webinars, podcasts, research, and reports generate more than 10 million industry interactions each year, while the Top 20 Training Companies Lists help business leaders find the right training partners. For a complimentary referral, visit https://trainingindustry.com/rfp.
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SOURCE DSG Consulting LLC | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2022/06/16/dsg-consulting-awarded-2022-top-20-sales-training-enablement-company-status-by-training-industry/ | 2022-06-16 16:55:54 | 0 | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2022/06/16/dsg-consulting-awarded-2022-top-20-sales-training-enablement-company-status-by-training-industry/ |
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday afternoon's drawing of the New York Lottery's "Win 4 Midday" game were:
0-0-7-9
(zero, zero, seven, nine)
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday afternoon's drawing of the New York Lottery's "Win 4 Midday" game were:
0-0-7-9
(zero, zero, seven, nine) | https://www.sfgate.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Win-4-Midday-game-17716489.php | 2023-01-13 20:07:26 | 0 | https://www.sfgate.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Win-4-Midday-game-17716489.php |
The Ferry App has received over 5,000 downloads as demand for flexible EV subscriptions expands in the U.S.
AUSTIN, Texas, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ferry, the electric vehicle (EV) subscription platform that allows consumers to obtain short-term leases on new EVs, announced today it has partnered with Inspiration Fleet, the world's only purpose-built EV-only Fleet Management Company (eFMC), to make Tesla Model 3s and Model Ys available to Austin customers. Ferry has also reached over 5,000 app downloads, marking a key milestone in the company's mission to make sustainable mobility a reality for all Americans.
Inspiration Fleet's flexible, tailored financing enables Ferry to offer Tesla and other electric vehicles to its customers via an attractive subscription package, and allows Ferry to quickly enter new markets with a scalable operations architecture. This partnership advances the progress made in February when Ferry announced a $4 million seed round led by prominent automotive industry investors and in May when Ferry announced its first deliveries of the Vespa Elettrica in Austin as well as its expansion into the San Francisco and Los Angeles markets.
Ferry has already had strong demand for its simple, flexible, all-in-app EV leasing experience, with more than 2500 app users in Austin alone and thousands of "wishlist" selections for EVs that will soon be available for delivery, since going live in November of 2021.
"At Ferry, we believe in a future where electromobility is for everyone, and we're proud to work with a visionary company like Inspiration to ensure that mission becomes a reality," said Kristian Russell, Founder and CEO of Ferry. "By partnering with Inspiration, Ferry will help accelerate the adoption of sustainable driving by pushing the American auto sales industry into a more digital, and more flexible future, at more and more attractive customer price points."
"Ferry and Inspiration have a shared goal to accelerate electric vehicle adoption," said Josh Green, Founder and CEO of Inspiration Mobility, Inspiration Fleet's parent company. "We believe that Ferry's affordable and flexible subscription options for drivers interested in 'going electric' can increase consumer trial and experience, which in turn drives enthusiasm and broader adoption. We are proud to support them in their efforts to democratize access to EVs and electric mobility in the United States."
Unlike other car-subscription offerings, Ferry charges no "down payment" or initiation fee and offers a single, transparent monthly payment to e-curious customers who may not want to commit to a 36-month lease or purchase term. Through Ferry's app, users can select a short-term (6, 12, or 24 month) lease for delivery to their door, purchase insurance, and access a map to find the nearest charging stations. 1000 miles per month (with the ability to upgrade), maintenance and taxes are all included, and a Ferry ambassador delivers the car for a flat fee of $99.
Ferry is currently delivering the following EV models to Austin customers:
- Vespa Elettrica from $179/month
- Tesla Model 3 subscription from $799/month
- Tesla Model Y subscription from $999/month
The auto sector is one of the most significant contributors to greenhouse gasses, and Ferry aims to be the Amazon for e-mobility, with a goal of increasing the adoption of EVs exponentially through a direct-to-consumer model. Ferry's seamless, user-friendly app reduces the significant hurdles consumers have faced for years when seeking an EV lease. With regulations banning direct auto sales by EV manufacturers in many states, Ferry's direct leasing model presents a quicker, more direct path for Americans to get behind the wheel of an EV.
ABOUT FERRY
Ferry is an electric vehicle (EV) subscription platform that allows consumers to obtain short-term leases on new electric vehicles, right from their phones. With a focus on customer delight, their intuitive app ensures an optimized customer journey built on simplicity, flexibility and transparency for the consumer.
ABOUT INSPIRATION
Inspiration Fleet is the world's first EV-only Fleet Management Company (eFMC), built from the ground up to accelerate the electrification of transportation. The company is part of Inspiration Mobility, a sustainable infrastructure investment platform exclusively focused on the real assets that enable the EV transition. With a team of executives with deep experience across the electrification value chain, including fleet management, clean energy, auto finance, infrastructure and real estate, Inspiration delivers comprehensive solutions to deploy and scale electric fleets. Inspiration is backed by leading energy and infrastructure investors including ArcLight Capital Partners, Macquarie Asset Management, and Ferrovial. More information is available at www.inspirationmobility.com.
Contact: Will Chabot | will@stuloeser.com | (518) 788-8685
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SOURCE Ferry Automotive | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2022/06/06/ev-subscription-platform-ferry-partners-with-inspiration-fleet-deliver-first-round-tesla-model-3s-ys-austin-drivers/ | 2022-06-06 15:13:26 | 1 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2022/06/06/ev-subscription-platform-ferry-partners-with-inspiration-fleet-deliver-first-round-tesla-model-3s-ys-austin-drivers/ |
Actor Cary Elwes bitten by rattlesnake
(Gray News) - Though it wasn’t a “Rodent of Unusual Size,” or ROUS, it still delivered a fearsome bite.
Actor Cary Elwes said he was hospitalized after he was bitten by rattlesnake, he revealed in an Instagram post showing his injured finger.
Warning: The wounded finger looks pretty nasty.
Elwes is best known for his work in the ‘80s movie “The Princess Bride,” which included the oversized rodents he referenced in his post.
Elwes said he was “grateful to the staff of Malibu Urgent Care, LA County Fire Dept. and the staff and medical professionals at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center for their great care.”
The bite happened Saturday as Elwes was working in the yard of his Malibu home, KABC reported.
Elwes said he’s “recovering well.”
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/26/actor-cary-elwes-bitten-by-rattlesnake/ | 2022-04-28 04:44:39 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/26/actor-cary-elwes-bitten-by-rattlesnake/ |
WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, May 5, 2022
_____
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Fort Worth TX
126 PM CDT Thu May 5 2022
...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EASTERN NAVARRO COUNTY WILL
EXPIRE AT 130 PM CDT...
The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore the warning will be allowed to expire.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 600 PM CDT for central and
north central Texas.
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-DALLAS-FT-WORTH-Warnings-Watches-and-17151165.php | 2022-05-05 19:10:43 | 0 | https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-DALLAS-FT-WORTH-Warnings-Watches-and-17151165.php |
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the New Mexico Lottery's "Pick 4 Day" game were:
1-5-3-9
(one, five, three, nine)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the New Mexico Lottery's "Pick 4 Day" game were:
1-5-3-9
(one, five, three, nine) | https://www.sfchronicle.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-4-Day-game-17252164.php | 2022-06-19 20:39:59 | 0 | https://www.sfchronicle.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-4-Day-game-17252164.php |
SHENZHEN, China, April 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As a city born with design genes, Shenzhen has witnessed a flourishing creative and design industry since it became the laureate of UNESCO City of Design in 2008. In the past fifteen years, the megacity has evolved from the world's factory to an upgrading manufacturing powerhouse and further to an international hub of innovation and creativity. "Shenzhen Design" has not only served as an important platform for the city's industrial transformation and upgrading, but has also become a new growth engine for its high-quality economic development.
After years of accumulation and development, "Shenzhen Design" has become an important pioneering and leading game changer as an industrial leader in China with global visibility.
"City of Design" promotes the city's visibility and reputation
With rapid urbanization and booming commercial activities, and with "design" running in its blood, Shenzhen has seen its design industry emerge and develop rapidly in the 1990s. The city took the lead in implementing the strategy of building a city through cultural development, and proposed to build a "City of Design" in 2003. It was awarded the title of "City of Design" by UNESCO in 2008, becoming the first city in China to win this honor.
In recent years, the Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee and Shenzhen Municipal People's Government have taken multiple measures such as policy support, industry guidance, and resource matchmaking and spared no effort in supporting the innovative development of "Shenzhen Design", delivering remarkable results. At present, the city has 33,000 creative design service entities, over 30 listed design companies, and over 220,000 designers. Its cultural creativity and design revenue exceeds RMB 1 trillion, with graphic design, industrial design, and design in clothing, furniture and jewelry categories leading the country.
Today, with the shinning reputation of the "City of Design", Shenzhen has emerged as an important city for young designers and a design pioneer worldwide.
"Shenzhen Design" injects new momentum to boost the acceleration and upgrading of the manufacturing industry
Shenzhen has always attached great importance to the innovation of industrial design and vigorously promoted its high-quality development. In 2012, Shenzhen rolled out the first local policy on industrial design in China. In the 11 years since then, it has seen the annual revenue of professional services in industrial design jump by 12 times, which has a significant impact on improving the quality and efficiency of the manufacturing industry.
Shenzhen has always provided a broad platform and development space for innovative design talents around the world, further integrating its creative design with emerging industries.
"Shenzhen Design" lights up the fashion industry to activate the vitality engine.
Shenzhen has become one of the most developed cities in China's fashion industry, with a total economic output ranking among the top. There are over 2,500 clothing enterprises in Shenzhen, of which more than 90% are independent brands. They take up a market share of over 60% in first-tier shopping malls in large and medium-sized cities across the country, with an annual total sales of nearly RMB 270 billion, accounting for 10% of the national total.
Behind the impressive data lies the 40 years of rapid progress in Shenzhen's fashion design industry. As one of the most representative high-end industries, the fashion industry is not only closely related to the manufacturing and service industries, but also requires heavy investment in research and development as well as creativity to inject ultra-high added value into products.
As an important platform to promote the city's image, leading fashion trends, driving fashion consumption, and promoting industrial development, the recently held Shenzhen Fashion Week bore the innovative feature and technological advantages of the city. The Shenzhen Fashion Week has always emphasized the combination of design and its industrial value. In recent years, trade shows during Shenzhen Fashion Week are scaling up with increasing commercial influence, effectively improving the consumer experience, activating potential consumption, and highlighting the brilliant charm of Shenzhen fashion.
After over four decades of rapid development, Shenzhen has become a globally renowned high-tech city. In key urban areas, Shenzhen has adhered to using urban design methods to create distinctive features, carry forward its cultural heritage, and create a unique city image.
Fifteen years of development is a fruitful achievement and a fresh starting point for Shenzhen as a "City of Design". "Shenzhen Design" is always on the road, moving forward ceaselessly into the future.
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SOURCE Shenzhen Municipal People's Government | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/04/26/shenzhen-design-boosts-high-quality-urban-development/ | 2023-04-26 17:13:01 | 0 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/04/26/shenzhen-design-boosts-high-quality-urban-development/ |
Report: China could allow more access for foreign companies
WASHINGTON (AP) - A media reports suggest Beijing is scrapping its "Made in China" industrial policy criticized by the Trump administration in favor of one that allows greater access for foreign companies.
The Wall Street Journal said Wednesday that the revised plan would play down China's bid to dominate manufacturing, and allow more outside competition.
The U.S. and China are locked in a trade standoff, though President Donald Trump agreed this month to postpone more U.S. tariff hikes on Chinese goods for 90 days while negotiations continue. China's economy czar and U.S. trade envoys discussed plans for talks on a tariff battle, the government said Tuesday, indicating that negotiations are going ahead despite tension over the arrest of a Chinese tech executive.
The new program is expected to launch early next year.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | https://www.krgv.com/news/report-china-could-allow-more-access-for-foreign-companies | 2023-01-06 22:13:23 | 0 | https://www.krgv.com/news/report-china-could-allow-more-access-for-foreign-companies |
Heat deaths in Arizona’s biggest county outpace last year’s
By ANITA SNOW
Associated Press
PHOENIX (AP) — This summer was the deadliest on record for heat-associated fatalities in Arizona’s largest county amid a growing wave of homelessness. Public health statistics this week confirmed a record 359 such deaths just days before the end of the six-month heat season.
The jump in deaths raises questions about how to better protect vulnerable people not only in the desert Southwest, where temperatures regularly hit triple digits, but also in more temperate areas where climate change has fueled more intense, frequent and enduring heat waves.
According to the National Weather Service, the highest temperature recorded this year at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport was 115 degrees (46.1 C) on July 11, with the mercury hitting 114 degrees (45.5 C) on June 11 and July 16 and 22.
Maricopa County’s heat-associated fatalities this year have outpaced the 339 deaths confirmed in 2021 and the final number could be higher still, with another 91 deaths still under investigation.
The county has more than a decade of experience tracking heat deaths, but comparable figures are hard to come by in other areas such as the Pacific Northwest, which has only experienced intense heat waves in recent years.
In California, researchers have found that unsheltered people — especially those with a mental illness — were significantly more likely to end up in the hospital during extreme heat than housed people, based on a study of emergency room admissions.
Nearly 80% of the heat-associated deaths in Maricopa County this year occurred outdoors, but the preliminary heat reports for this year don’t estimate how many of the deaths were among the homeless rather than people who were working outside or were outdoors for other reasons.
But the increase comes amid a surge in people living outside in metro Phoenix, with hundreds of homeless individuals sleeping in tents downtown amid soaring rents and evictions.
“With so many more homeless people, it makes sense that more would die in the heat,” said Amy Schwabenlender, executive director of the Human Services Campus in downtown Phoenix that brings together agencies assisting homeless people.
She said about 900 individuals currently stay at shelters on the campus, with about 1,000 more in tents on the streets outside the fenced property. There were an estimated 300 people sleeping just outside the campus a year ago.
Information about the role that substance use played in this year’s heat-associated deaths is not yet available.
But last year, substance use was a factor in 60% of those fatalities in Maricopa County. Methamphetamine was found in 91% of the deaths involving drugs, and fentanyl, an opioid, was found in 30%. While fentanyl is more likely to result in overdose, meth can create changes to the body that make a user more vulnerable to the heat, heightening the blood pressure, heart and respiratory rate
Homeless people accounted for 38% of the deaths involving drugs in 2021.
Males, African Americans, Indigenous Americans and those ages 75 and over had the highest rates of heat-associated deaths in the county in 2021.
David Hondula, director of the year-old Office of Heat Response and Mitigation for the city of the Phoenix, said in a report to City Council last week that his team is studying the numbers to understand what is behind the increase in deaths and how to plan for next summer.
Hondula said heat-related calls for assistance to the Phoenix Fire Department over the summer were expected to end up at least 10-20% above 2021.
The city fire department responded to 1,670 calls for service related to the heat between April 1 and September 30, a 13.6% increase over the same period in 2021. The highest density of calls came from Phoenix’s central and downtown urban areas.
___
AP writer Christopher Weber contributed to this report from Los Angeles. | https://kion546.com/news/ap-arizona/2022/10/25/heat-deaths-in-arizonas-biggest-county-outpace-last-years-2/ | 2022-10-25 22:44:35 | 1 | https://kion546.com/news/ap-arizona/2022/10/25/heat-deaths-in-arizonas-biggest-county-outpace-last-years-2/ |
Mother dies, 6-year-old twins hurt during police chase crash
HERCULES, Calif. (AP) - A mother was killed and her 6-year-old twin boys were injured when a suspect in a stolen SUV crashed into their car in the San Francisco Bay Area during a police pursuit, authorities said Friday.
A 20-year-old man suspected of driving the stolen vehicle fled on foot after the crash Thursday but was later arrested, Hercules police Chief Joseph Vasquez said in a statement.
Ralph E. White III, of Vallejo, was booked on one count of vehicular manslaughter, three counts of evading a police officer and causing death or great bodily injury, and possession of a stolen vehicle, Vasquez said. He was being held in lieu of $375,000 bail. It was not immediately known if he has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
Vasquez said officers received information from the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office about a stolen 2021 Mazda SUV heading toward Hercules on eastbound Interstate Highway 80. A Hercules police officer saw the vehicle exit the highway and began a pursuit after the driver of the Mazda began to accelerate, he said.
The SUV then crashed into the woman’s car in the unincorporated community of Rodeo. The 31-year-old mother died at the scene. Her two boys were taken to a hospital, he said.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbtv.com/2023/03/26/mother-dies-6-year-old-twins-hurt-during-police-chase-crash/ | 2023-03-26 06:03:41 | 0 | https://www.wbtv.com/2023/03/26/mother-dies-6-year-old-twins-hurt-during-police-chase-crash/ |
Which fishing pole is best?
For the right person, a quiet fishing trip away from today’s modern struggles is the kind of mental refresh that keeps them going. Whether you prefer to catch and release or you’re hoping for dinner, you need the right fishing pole. Fishing poles are surprisingly nuanced instead of the simple sticks they appear to be.
The best fishing pole is the St. Croix Triumph Spinning Rod. It’s made to be strong and light with enough sensitivity to make you feel connected to your prey.
What to know before you buy a fishing pole
Fishing pole types
There are two main types of fishing poles.
- Spinning: These poles have eyelets that face downward and an under-mounted reel. They aren’t quite as precise but those new to fishing typically find them easier to use.
- Casting: These poles have eyelets that face upward and a top-mounted reel. They’re more difficult to use but allow for longer and more precise casts once mastered.
Fishing pole subtypes
There are many subtypes of fishing poles but some of the most common are:
- Freshwater poles are as standard as they come. Use them in lakes, rivers, ponds, etc.
- Saltwater poles are built to resist the corrosion of salt and tend to be more powerful for longer casting distances.
- Surf poles are special kinds of saltwater poles that are as long and heavy as possible so you can fish from the shore.
- Ice poles are the opposite of surf poles. They’re as short and light as possible since ice fishing requires no casting.
- Fly poles are specially built for fly fishing which requires different techniques and equipment than standard fishing.
What to look for in a quality fishing pole
Length
Fishing poles typically have lengths of four to 14 feet. Some of length comes down to preference, but shorter poles do tend to make reeling in bigger fish easier. Shorter poles are also easier to travel with.
Action
Also known as flexibility, a fishing pole’s action relates how much of the pole bends when put under pressure. It can be slow, medium or fast. Slow actions bend along the full rod, medium actions bend along the upper half to the upper third and fast actions bend only at the tip.
Power
Also known as weight, power is a combination of a pole’s length, action and construction. It determines both how far you can cast and how heavy of a fish you can reel in without snapping the pole. It comes in five levels: ultralight, light, medium, medium-heavy and heavy.
How much you can expect to spend on a fishing pole
They can cost as little as $15 or as much as $1,000-plus. Most pole types have plenty of good rods for $100 or less; only serious fishers need to consider spending more.
Fishing pole FAQ
What are the parts of a fishing pole?
A. Fishing poles are complex items with many parts. Moving from the bottom to the top, they are:
- Butt cap: the very bottom of the pole. It seals the end closed.
- Grip: what you hold onto. Its length varies from pole to pole. Some only leave room for one hand while others are long enough for two.
- Reel seat: what your reel attaches to.
- Hook keeper: an optional piece. You place your hook on it when you aren’t actively fishing.
- Rod blank: the sections of a pole. A pole typically has one-four blanks.
- Ferrule: the sections that rod blanks attach to when putting everything together.
- Midsection: the section between the top of the grip to the base of the tip.
- Eyelet: little loops that run along the midsection and keep the line straight. There should be at least one for every foot your pole is long.
- Tip: the ultra-thin top end of the pole.
Do I need a fishing license?
A. That depends on where you’re going and what you’re trying to catch. Always check the laws and regulations of the area you’ll be fishing in and obtain any paperwork that’s needed. Many fishing and general sporting goods stores sell licenses, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to get one.
What’s the best fishing pole to buy?
Top fishing pole
St. Croix Triumph Spinning Rod
What you need to know: This is an excellent all-around pole for both casual and more serious anglers.
What you’ll love: It comes in lengths of 5-7.5 feet with fast action and ultralight to medium power. It also comes in one, two or four pieces. It’s made of carbon for durability and sensitivity and has a cork handle for increased comfort.
What you should consider: A few consumers received broken poles due to poor shipping. Others had issues with rods breaking under less pressure than they should break at.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Dick’s Sporting Goods
Top fishing pole for the money
Zebco 202 Spincast Reel And Fishing Rod Combo With 27-Piece Tackle
What you need to know: This collection includes everything a burgeoning fisher needs to get started.
What you’ll love: The pole is 5.5 feet long and comes in two pieces. The tackle set includes six sinkers, six tail grubs, three large hooks, three small hooks, three swimbaits, three jig heads, two bobbers and a spinner attachment.
What you should consider: It’s mainly aimed at children and younger teens, but it’s still a great starter set for anyone who wants to learn how to fish.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Shakespeare Ugly Stik GX2 Spinning Fishing Rod
What you need to know: It’s another great all-around pole for a lower cost.
What you’ll love: It comes in lengths of 4.5-7 feet with ultralight to heavy power. It also comes in one, two or four pieces and in black or pink. The graphite and fiberglass material is built to last and provides solid sensitivity.
What you should consider: A few purchasers received damaged poles. Others had issues with crooked joints or loose sockets which can see multi-piece poles fall apart.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Dick’s Sporting Goods
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wdtn.com/reviews/br/camping-outdoors-br/fishing-br/best-fishing-pole/ | 2022-07-27 11:54:27 | 1 | https://www.wdtn.com/reviews/br/camping-outdoors-br/fishing-br/best-fishing-pole/ |
DALLAS (AP) — The U.S. Transportation Department said Wednesday it is investigating whether Southwest Airlines deceived customers by knowingly scheduling more flights in late December than it realistically could handle.
The department said that scheduling too many flights would be considered an unfair and deceptive practice under federal law.
“DOT is in the initial phase of a rigorous and comprehensive investigation into Southwest Airlines’ holiday debacle that stranded millions,” the department said in a statement.
The Transportation Department added that it will hold Southwest accountable if the airline fails to follow federal rules about refunds and reimbursing customers for expenses when flights are canceled. The agency said it will “leverage the full extent of its investigative and enforcement power” to protect consumers.
Southwest said its holiday schedule “was thoughtfully designed” with “a solid plan to operate it, and with ample staffing.”
“Our systems and processes became stressed while working to recover from multiple days of flight cancellations across 50 airports in the wake of an unprecedented storm,” Southwest said in a statement. The airline pledged to cooperate with any government inquiries and is “focused on learning from this event” and reducing the risk of a repeat.
Southwest canceled about 16,700 flights over the last 10 days of December. The meltdown began with a winter storm, but Southwest continued to struggle long after most other airlines had recovered, in part because its crew-scheduling system became overloaded. Union officials said they had warned the airline for years about the system, especially after similar but less severe flight disruptions in October 2021.
Dallas-based Southwest eventually resorting to cutting its schedule by about two-thirds to reset crews and planes, which it did successfully.
The airline hired consulting firm Oliver Wyman to study what went wrong. CEO Robert Jordan has said the company might speed up spending on some technology upgrades as a result of the crisis, but that he wants to complete the review first.
Southwest said this month that the cancellations will cost it up to $825 million in lost revenue and higher expenses including premium pay for employees and reimbursing customers for hotels and alternate flights. As a result, the company is expected to post a fourth-quarter loss when it reports results on Thursday.
The airline is also dealing with damage to its reputation for customer service. Analysts believe some customers may avoid Southwest for a short time, although airlines have usually bounced back quickly from other service failures.
The chair of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., has promised to hold hearings on disruptions like the one at Southwest. | https://who13.com/business/ap-business/ap-us-investigating-december-flight-cancellations-at-southwest/ | 2023-01-26 12:13:08 | 1 | https://who13.com/business/ap-business/ap-us-investigating-december-flight-cancellations-at-southwest/ |
Brittney Griner’s loved ones and extended basketball family were ecstatic when news broke Thursday about her release from a Russian prison and that she was on her way back to the United States.
It has been nearly 300 days since the WNBA star was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February, when customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage. She was convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison in August. Now four months later, she’s headed home after the U.S. and Russia had a high-level prisoner exchange Thursday. The exchange did not include the return of another American, Paul Whelan, who has been jailed for nearly four years.
“Today, my family is whole but as you all are aware, there are so many other families who are not whole,” said Brittney’s wife, Cherelle Griner, at a White House briefing. “BG and I will remain committed to the work of getting every American home, including Paul, whose family is in our hearts today as we celebrate BG being home.”
Griner, who turned 32 in October, was going back to Russia in February to play for her overseas team, UMKC Ekaterinburg. She went to Russia to supplement her WNBA salary, earning over $1 million to play in Russia.
“There has not been a day over the past 10 months where we all haven’t had Brittney Griner on our minds and in our hearts, and that has now turned into a collective wave of joy and relief knowing that she will soon be reunited with her family, the WNBA player community, and her friends,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who admitted to being very emotional when she heard the news this morning. “BG has shown extraordinary courage and dignity in the face of enormous adversity.”
While it’s unclear right now if Griner wants to ever play basketball again, she would be welcomed back with open arms by both the WNBA and USA Basketball. The WNBA season begins May 19. Engelbert said she’d give Griner and her family some space and time before any discussion about her return to the league.
“It’s been a long, horrible ordeal and we really look forward to her return and hearing her voice,” Engelbert said.
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has been a prominent advocate for Griner’s return. Staley, who coached Griner on the 2020 Olympic team, feels that playing again could be helpful to the dominant center.
“It’s been a place in which we can block out everything else, join arms with our teammates. Listen to the incredible crowds that support our game. There’s so much love that the basketball community has for Brittney that they want to show her,” Staley said. “We want her back in her happy place. So I hope that Brittney laces them up. But if she does not, I truly would understand why. We’re still going to support it. We’re still going to lift her up.”
Staley said she broke down with tears of joy when she heard the news Thursday morning. Like Staley, WNBA players have done their best to keep Griner’s name in the national spotlight over the last eight months by talking about her in interviews and posting about her on social media.
Daily Top Stories
On Thursday, they flooded social media with their joy.
“My heart is really singing with joy right now. Our sister is finally free,” WNBA player Chiney Ogwumike said. “This is a monumental moment for everyone who has shown compassion for our WNBA sister over the last 294 days since BG was wrongfully detained.”
Griner is under contract with the Phoenix Mercury, who were allowed by the league to pay her full salary of nearly $228,000 last season without it counting against their salary cap.
The team was thrilled that their eight-time All-Star was coming home.
“Miraculously, mercifully, the count of days detained has ended at 294, and our friend, our sister is headed back home where she belongs,” the Mercury said in a statement. “The emotions for our organization, just like for our fans and so many across the world, are those of joyous celebration, deep gratitude, grief for the time lost, and sincere hope for all families still awaiting the return of a loved one. BG’s strength in this process, her unwavering belief that resolution would come, and the hope she displayed every day is what kept all of us believing this day would come.”
Griner’s agent, Lindsay Colas, pledged that “BG and our coalition of activist athletes” will be lending their voices to help free other Americans detained abroad, including Whelan.
“Throughout this ordeal, BG has carried herself with courage, grace and grit; and President Biden made us a promise, and then kept his word and did what was necessary to bring her home,” Colas said in a statement. “We are forever grateful for his follow-through on that commitment.” | https://www.capitalgazette.com/sports/ct-brittney-griner-reaction-20221208-vczds5jaybdfrmw2x2las7xupu-story.html | 2022-12-08 20:37:26 | 1 | https://www.capitalgazette.com/sports/ct-brittney-griner-reaction-20221208-vczds5jaybdfrmw2x2las7xupu-story.html |
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — As promised, Wisconsin Republicans have circulated legislation that specifies which crimes would be included in a proposed constitutional amendment to make it harder for violent criminal defendants to go free on bail.
The Republican-controlled Legislature fast-tracked approval of the proposed amendment in January so it could get on the April ballot. The measure would allow judges to consider previous violent criminal convictions when setting cash bail for a defendant accused of a violent crime. Opponents have raised concerns about how it could be interpreted since state law offers three definitions of violent crimes.
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Currently, bail is set only as a means to ensure a person returns to court.
The new bill, circulated for lawmakers to co-sponsor on Friday, came from the amendment's sponsors, Sen. Van Wanggaard and Rep. Cindi Duchow. It designates a long list of offenses - including homicide, sexual assault, human trafficking, stalking, arson and child abuse - as violent crimes.
The bill would remove at least one crime, failure to stop child abuse, from existing definitions of violent crimes and add others such as assault by a prisoner and incest with a child, according to Scott Kelly, Wanggaard's chief of staff.
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Duchow promised in a news conference ahead of the amendment’s approval by the Legislature that she and Wanggaard would introduce a definition of violent crimes before the April election.
She also said at a committee hearing on Jan. 10 that she didn't want the amendment targeted at misdemeanors, which some of the offenses listed in the new bill are. Duchow did not immediately respond to a voicemail and email asking about the bill.
If passed by the Legislature, the bill would take effect only if voters approve the constitutional amendment in April.
Putting the amendment on the April ballot gave Republicans a chance to score an early win in the new legislative session while avoiding a veto from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. The proposal’s popularity with conservatives could also drive supporters to the polls in a pivotal election that will determine ideological control of the state Supreme Court.
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This story corrects the date of the committee hearing to Jan. 10.
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Harm Venhuizen is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Venhuizen on Twitter. | https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/bill-would-clarify-bail-amendment-set-for-17762399.php | 2023-02-03 20:15:19 | 0 | https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/bill-would-clarify-bail-amendment-set-for-17762399.php |
Great Britain's Queen Elizabeth II passed away at her Balmoral estate in Scotland on Sept. 8, 2022 after 70 years on the throne. She was 96 years old.
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest son, Charles, wrote in a statement. “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”
Following Her Majesty The Queen’s death, some people on social media are asking whether Charles automatically becomes King of England.
THE QUESTION
Did Charles automatically become King of England after the death of Queen Elizabeth II?
THE SOURCES
- The Royal Family
- The Privy Council Office
- Liz Truss, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- University College London
THE ANSWER
Yes, Charles, as the eldest child of the monarch, automatically became King of England after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
WHAT WE FOUND
The Privy Council Office, a government agency of the United Kingdom, says “a new Sovereign succeeds to the throne as soon as his or her predecessor dies.”
Though a formal proclamation hasn't happened yet, King Charles III automatically became Great Britain's newest ruler the moment his mother passed away.
“Today the crown passes, as it has done for more than 1,000 years, to our new monarch, our new head of state, His Majesty King Charles III,” the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Liz Truss said during a press conference.
In a separate statement posted on Twitter, Truss wrote, “God save the King,” a reference to the British national anthem. The Royal Family has also referred to Charles as “The King” and “His Majesty the King” in statements posted to Twitter following Queen Elizabeth II’s passing.
According to University College London, this automatic succession takes place because of an old common law rule called Rex nunquam moritur, which translates to “The king never dies.”
“The rule recognizes that the sovereign may die, but [the] government must carry on,” the college writes on its website. “Subsequent ceremonies such as the Accession Council and the coronation in their own ways merely endorse a succession that has already taken place.”
Succession to the throne is determined by hundreds of years of British law. Historically, the first in line to the throne was the monarch’s eldest son – if they had one. King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II's father, had two daughters and Elizabeth was the eldest.
But the law changed in 2013 to allow eldest daughters born after October 2011 to take precedent over younger sons. Charles was Queen Elizabeth’s first child, making him the clear successor to the throne.
Even though Charles is already king, the Accession Council issues a formal proclamation of his succession.
An Accession Council is usually convened within 24 hours of a monarch’s death and is held to “make formal proclamation” of the succession of their successor to the throne, the Privy Council Office explains. The council should be held before a meeting of Parliament, which should take place as soon as possible after the death.
Charlie Proctor, a royal correspondent and editor-in-chief of the news website Royal Central, said in a tweet on Sept. 8 that members of Parliament and the House of Lords, the upper chamber of Parliament, have been summoned to London and will meet on Sept. 9 to take “an oath of allegiance to King Charles III.”
King Charles III also becomes Head of the Commonwealth, which consists of 15 countries including the United Kingdom, following his mother’s death, according to University College London. The role is not hereditary or automatic and is instead chosen by Commonwealth leaders. That choice took place in 2018 so it would be effective upon Elizabeth’s death.
"We recognize the role of the Queen in championing the Commonwealth and its peoples. The next head of the Commonwealth shall be his Royal Highness Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales,” the Commonwealth Heads of Government said on April 20, 2018. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/verify/king-charles-automatically-takes-throne-england-after-queen-elizabeth-death/536-142f1571-c29d-44b9-80a2-155879ed555c | 2022-09-08 22:01:52 | 0 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/verify/king-charles-automatically-takes-throne-england-after-queen-elizabeth-death/536-142f1571-c29d-44b9-80a2-155879ed555c |
MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- First Horizon announced that its Chief DE&I leader, Dr. Anthony C. Hood, was recognized by Savoy Magazine as a 2023 Most Influential Executive in Diversity & Inclusion. These executives were chosen for driving positive change within their organizations and the corporate world. Initiatives include implementing innovative diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies to recruit, retain, elevate, and embrace diverse talent.
Dr. Hood joined First Horizon in 2020 and enhanced the company's DE&I strategy by focusing on four pillars: Workforce, Workplace, Marketplace and Community. As a result, Elevating Equity is now one of First Horizon's core values and the guiding principle for embedding DEI into all its initiatives.
"We congratulate and celebrate Anthony for his efforts in elevating equity within our organization and throughout our communities," said Chairman, President and CEO Bryan Jordan. "First Horizon believes in valuing all people for their unique contributions and different perspectives, and Dr. Hood is at the forefront of our efforts to live out that commitment every day."
First Horizon Corp. (NYSE: FHN), with $79 billion in assets as of December 31, 2022, is a leading regional financial services company, dedicated to helping our clients, communities and associates unlock their full potential with capital and counsel. Headquartered in Memphis, TN, the banking subsidiary First Horizon Bank operates in 12 states across the southern U.S. The Company and its subsidiaries offer commercial, private banking, consumer, small business, wealth and trust management, retail brokerage, capital markets, fixed income, and mortgage services. First Horizon has been recognized as one of the nation's best employers by Fortune and Forbes magazines and a Top 10 Most Reputable U.S. Bank.
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SOURCE First Horizon Corporation | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/03/10/dr-anthony-c-hood-recognized-savoy-magazines-2023-most-influential-executives-diversity-amp-inclusion/ | 2023-03-10 21:00:25 | 0 | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/03/10/dr-anthony-c-hood-recognized-savoy-magazines-2023-most-influential-executives-diversity-amp-inclusion/ |
Quarterly DDoS report expanded to include data from API and application protection partner ThreatX
DENVER, April 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumen Technologies® (NYSE: LUMN) today released its latest report detailing Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) mitigations in Q1 2023. For the first time, the report also includes Q1 data from Lumen's API and application protection partner, ThreatX. The combined report – which examines DDoS attacks that Lumen mitigated for its customers and application requests that ThreatX blocked for its customers – provides a more holistic view of the overall threat landscape.
Read the Lumen Q1 2023 DDoS and Application Threat Report, and visit us at RSA (booth 2145-S) to hear Lumen experts talk about research findings during an in-booth "lightning talk."
"The pace at which companies and other organizations have been expanding their digital footprints has increased over the past few years," said Peter Brecl, Lumen's director of product management for DDoS mitigation and application protection. "The larger attack surface creates more opportunities for threat actors to launch attacks. The only way to protect that digital presence is to deploy a holistic solution that includes network protection, application-layer protection, and application acceleration capabilities. This type of comprehensive coverage – including DDoS mitigation, API protections, Web Application Firewalls and Bot Risk Management – helps ensure that critical business functions stay up and running – even when under an active attack."
Notable Findings: Complex Attacks on the Rise
- Domain Name System (DNS) water torture attacks
- Complex, multi-vector mitigations
Other Highlights
- The volume of DDoS attacks continues to be high. Lumen mitigated more than 8,600 DDoS attacks in Q1 – a 40% increase year-over-year and the second-busiest quarter in two years.
- Consistent with previous observations, DDoS attack activity increased around U.S. holidays. In Q1, the busiest holiday for threat actors was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Lumen researchers theorize that attackers focus their efforts on or around holidays because staffing levels are typically lower.
- Real-time bot protection. ThreatX blocked 25 billion application requests in Q1, representing 42% of all its customers' traffic. Of the blocked traffic, more than 30% came from bots. This volume underscores the need for real-time API and application protection and tightly integrated bot mitigations solutions as part of a comprehensive security strategy.
- The telecommunications industry continues to be highly targeted. Eighty-five percent of the largest 1,000 DDoS attacks that Lumen mitigated in Q1 targeted the telecommunications industry. In addition, more than 700,000 of the application requests that ThreatX blocked targeted telecom customers – the third most-targeted industry after banking and advertising.
"As we monitor our customers for attacks targeting their APIs and applications, we have seen a consistent increase in both the volume and complexity of attacks. More and more, these attacks are powered by very large botnets and leverage a combination of techniques," said Jeremy Ventura, director of security strategy and field CISO at ThreatX. "Threat actors increasingly go after both APIs and web applications, often with the goal of obfuscating the intended target. Having a complete view of the attacker and their tactics helps us clearly identify threats that must be blocked in real-time."
Additional resources
- Read the full Q1 2023 DDoS and Application Threat Report.
- Visit the Lumen Quarterly DDoS report archive.
- See how Lumen and ThreatX combine to offer API and Web Application Protection.
- Learn about Lumen's comprehensive DDoS mitigation and Next-gen WAF/WAAP services.
- See how Lumen Rapid Threat Defense uses global threat intelligence from Black Lotus Labs® as a countermeasure to block DDoS bots on the network as traffic hits a scrubbing center.
About Lumen Technologies
Lumen connects the world. We are dedicated to furthering human progress through technology by connecting people, data, and applications – quickly, securely, and effortlessly. Everything we do at Lumen takes advantage of our network strength. From metro connectivity to long-haul data transport to our edge cloud, security, and managed service capabilities, we meet our customers' needs today and as they build for tomorrow. For news and insights visit news.lumen.com, LinkedIn: /lumentechnologies, Twitter: @lumentechco, Facebook: /lumentechnologies, Instagram: @lumentechnologies, and YouTube: /lumentechnologies.
About ThreatX
ThreatX is managed API and application protection that lets you secure them with confidence, not complexity. It blocks botnets and advanced attacks in real time, letting enterprises keep attackers at bay without lifting a finger. Trusted by companies in every industry across the globe, ThreatXprofiles attackers and blocks advanced risks to protect APIs and applications 24/7. Learn more at https://www.threatx.com.
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SOURCE Lumen Technologies | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/04/25/lumen-research-reveals-rise-sophisticated-complex-ddos-attacks-q1-2023/ | 2023-04-25 13:25:50 | 0 | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/04/25/lumen-research-reveals-rise-sophisticated-complex-ddos-attacks-q1-2023/ |
According to New Carlisle Public Library Director Beth Freeman, she has thought for some time the local history room needed a name and a good sign. When she brought the subject up to the library Board of Directors, the name selection was easy.
In keeping with the practice of naming library areas after someone who had an impact on that area, Bill Berry was found to be the perfect fit for the local history room.
Berry was a strong supporter of history education and preservation, and long-time member of the historical society. On top of that Berry had chaired the New Carlisle Bicentennial. He had also been a part of setting up the room and its curation.
The group also knew the new name of the room had to be a surprise.
“Bill would never have let us do it,” said Freeman. “But if your name is already on the sign, you cannot say, ‘No.’”
So when Berry arrived, he was greeted by a group of library board members, and Freeman revealed the new sign.
“Bill Berry Local History Room.”
Berry was indeed surprised.
“This place has been very important to me,” said Berry. “I spend a lot of time in there.”
Finding a secure place where the public could access the historical information has been important to him and the group.
“Thank you very much for this honor,” he said. “History is terribly important for us…I’ve tried to preserve.”
In addition to local history books, photos and files, genealogy information is also included in the room.
A glass display case featured in the room will hold historical society treasures. Displays will be rotated.
Berry said someday he hopes all the New Carlisle Historical Society collection will be on display in one building.
Until then library visitors will have this local history room to appreciate, and they will probably run into Berry researching.
“And I will be coming by to look at my name on the sign,” Berry said.
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/new-carlisle-library-names-local-history-room-after-supporter-bill-berry/A3ZUW57DDJFDBDWLSZM2MBO2CA/ | 2022-10-07 19:23:34 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/new-carlisle-library-names-local-history-room-after-supporter-bill-berry/A3ZUW57DDJFDBDWLSZM2MBO2CA/ |
Jury: NCAA not to blame in ex-USC football player’s death
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles jury on Tuesday rejected a claim by the widow of a former USC football player who said the NCAA failed to protect him from repeated head trauma that led to his death.
Matthew Gee, a linebacker on the 1990 Rose Bowl-winning squad, endured an estimated 6,000 hits that caused permanent brain damage and led to cocaine and alcohol abuse that eventually killed him at age 49, lawyers for his widow alleged.
The NCAA said it had nothing to do with Gee’s death, which it said was a sudden cardiac arrest brought on by untreated hypertension and acute cocaine toxicity. A lawyer for the governing body of U.S. college sports said Gee suffered from many other health problems not related to football, such as liver cirrhosis, that would have eventually killed him.
The verdict could have broad ramifications for college athletes who blame the NCAA for head injuries.
Hundreds of wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits have been brought by college football players against the NCAA in the past decade, but Gee’s is the first one to reach a jury alleging that hits to the head led to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease known by its acronym, CTE.
Alana Gee had testified that the college sweethearts had 20 good years of marriage before her husband’s mental health began to deteriorate and he became angry, depressed and impulsive, and began overeating and abusing drugs and alcohol.
Attorneys for Gee said CTE, which is found in athletes and military veterans who suffered repetitive brain injuries, was an indirect cause of death because head trauma has been shown to promote substance abuse.
The NCAA said the case hinged on what it knew at the time Gee played, from 1988-92, and not about CTE, which was first discovered in the brain of a deceased NFL player in 2005.
Gee never reported having a concussion and said in an application to play with the Raiders after graduating that he had never been knocked unconscious, NCAA attorney Will Stute said.
“You can’t hold the NCAA responsible for something 40 years later that nobody ever reported,” Stute said in his closing argument. “The plaintiffs want you in a time travel machine. We don’t have one … at the NCAA. It’s not fair.”
Attorneys for Gee’s family said there was no doubt that Matt Gee suffered concussions and countless sub-concussive blows.
Mike Salmon, a teammate who went on to play in the NFL, testified that Gee, who was team captain his senior year, once was so dazed from a hit that he couldn’t call the next play.
Gee was one of five linebackers on the 1989 Trojans squad who died before turning 50. All displayed signs of mental deterioration associated with head trauma.
As with teammate and NFL star Junior Seau, who killed himself in 2012, Gee’s brain was examined posthumously at Boston University’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center and found to have CTE.
Jurors were not allowed to hear testimony about Gee’s deceased teammates.
Alana Gee’s lawyers had argued that the NCAA, which was founded in 1906 for athlete safety, had known about impacts from head injuries since the 1930s but failed to educate players, ban headfirst contact, or implement baseline testing for concussion symptoms.
Her lawyers had asked jurors to award $55 million to compensate for her loss.
Alana Gee had tears in her eyes and sniffled as the verdict was read. She told one of her lawyers that she didn’t understand how the jury came to that decision, and declined to comment afterward.
“We feel deep sympathy for the Gee family right off the bat,” Stute, the NCAA attorney, said afterward. “But we feel like this verdict is a vindication of the position we’ve taken in all these cases.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbrc.com/2022/11/23/jury-ncaa-not-blame-ex-usc-football-players-death/ | 2022-11-23 01:58:17 | 1 | https://www.wbrc.com/2022/11/23/jury-ncaa-not-blame-ex-usc-football-players-death/ |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday said Florida “stands ready” and will send Florida National Guard troops and law-enforcement officers to Texas to help with border control as he nears an expected announcement of a White House bid.
DeSantis’ office said in a news release Tuesday afternoon that 800 members of the Florida National Guard, along with Florida Highway Patrol troopers, Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers were available and ready to deploy within 24 hours.
In 2021, DeSantis responded to a request from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and then-Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey by sending more than 50 Florida law-enforcement officers to Texas. The deployment was announced as part of the mutual-aid effort to protect Florida, in part because of drugs crossing the border and ending up in Florida.
During an appearance Tuesday before his office’s news release, DeSantis criticized the Biden administration’s handling of immigration issues and said he had offered personnel, boats and planes to assist Texas with migrants trying to come into the country.
“We’re staying on them (the Biden administration), the state of Florida is, because it’s a really important issue to actually have sovereignty in our country and have the rule of law upheld,” DeSantis said during a bill-signing event in Lighthouse Point.
On Monday, Pensacola-based U.S. District Judge T. Kent Wetherell denied a motion by the Biden administration to stay a temporary restraining order that blocked a federal immigration policy that could lead to large numbers of migrants being released into the country. Wetherell’s ruling came in a lawsuit filed by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.
In the news release Tuesday, DeSantis’ office cited what is known as the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, an agreement in which states can provide resources to each other in times of emergency.
Earlier this month, Biden sent 1,500 U.S. troops to the U.S.-Mexico border for a 90-day deployment in anticipation of an increase in immigration as a COVID-19 border restriction known as Title 42 was ending. Those troops were sent to supplement the work of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and not carry out law enforcement, according to the Pentagon.
Asked about the border Sunday while in Delaware, Biden said things were much “better than you all expected” and that the numbers of migrants seeking asylum were going down, according to a White House transcript.
“Well, look, they are --- they have gone down,” Biden said. “My hope is they’ll continue to go down, but we have more --- a lot more work to do. And we need some more help from the Congress as well in terms of funding and legislative changes.”
In addition to sending troops and law-enforcement officers, the DeSantis administration news release Tuesday said Florida would make available five fixed-wing airplanes, two mobile command vehicles, 17 drones and 10 marine vessels, such as airboats and shallow-draft vessels.
DeSantis, who is widely expected to announce a run for the presidency, and Moody have long criticized Biden’s border policies. They argue, in part, that undocumented immigrants coming into Florida create costs for services such as schools, health care and prisons.
Moody has filed two federal lawsuits in Pensacola against the Biden administration about immigration policies. That included the case that led to Wetherell issuing a temporary restraining order Thursday against a policy known as “parole with conditions.”
The Biden administration issued the policy to help address an expected surge of migrants coming into the country because of the expiration of the Title 42 order.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Friday called Wetherell’s ruling “harmful,” accused Republican elected officials of “political stunts” and said “they don’t want to solve this problem. They want to use it, again, as a campaign tool for them.”
DeSantis signed controversial legislation last week that stepped up requirements on businesses to check the immigration status of workers, cracked down on people who bring undocumented immigrants into Florida and required data on whether hospital patients are in the country legally.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/2023/05/16/desantis-to-send-florida-troops-officers-to-texas-over-border-control/ | 2023-05-16 22:08:30 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/2023/05/16/desantis-to-send-florida-troops-officers-to-texas-over-border-control/ |
Arkansas teen elected youngest Black mayor in US
Published: Dec. 7, 2022 at 4:50 PM CST|Updated: 37 minutes ago
EARLE, Ark. (WMC/Gray News) - A teen in Arkansas was voted in to become the youngest Black mayor in America on Tuesday night.
Jaylen Smith graduated from Earle High School in May of 2022. Now, at just 18 years old, he’s the mayor-elect of Earle.
He shared the news on social media, saying: “It’s time to build a better chapter of Earle, Arkansas.”
“I have what it takes as a first comer,” Smith told WMC in August. “I want to get a lot done at this amount of time. I want to do what it takes to better the city of Earle, Arkansas.”
Smith says he plans to focus on public safety, housing, and building a grocery store in town.
Copyright 2022 WMC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2022/12/07/arkansas-teen-elected-youngest-black-mayor-us/ | 2022-12-07 23:28:49 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2022/12/07/arkansas-teen-elected-youngest-black-mayor-us/ |
This one was more like UL coach Gerry Glasco expected this weekend when he warned his Ragin’ Cajuns to prepare for games where one run might be enough.
As it turned out, his Cajuns got two and it indeed was enough for a 2-0 victory over South Alabama on Sunday at Lamson Park.
"It was a lot of fun," Glasco said. "I told the girls that I expected a dogfight today. It's just kind of how the game works. We had two good games yesterday and they're a great program and have a lot of proud and a great coach over there. You knew they were going to come out today and fight hard."
The win secured the Sun Belt series of the visiting Jaguars and improved UL to 30-10 overall and 11-1 in league play. The Cajuns are now in sole possession of first place in the softball race, just ahead of Marshall at 9-1 and Troy in the third spot at 9-2.
Next up for the Cajuns will be a five-game road trip in Texas, beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday against Baylor in Waco before going to Texas A&M on Wednesday.
South Alabama dropped to 25-13 and 8-4 in league play in fourth place.
"I told them yesterday that we played 12 innings and 11 of them were great," Glasco said. "One we just failed miserably in and we don't want to repeat that. They took that to heart and we played great again today."
UL’s offense was provided by a pair of solo home runs. Kylei Griffin got it started with a two-out solo home run to leftcenter in the second inning.
In the third inning, Karly Heath followed with a one-out home run over the scoreboard in right.
Three UL pitchers made sure those two runs were enough.
Meghan Schorman only lasted one inning, allowing three hits, a walk and hit a batter. When she hit Stephanie Gonzalez to put runners on first and second base to lead off the second, Sam Landry entered the game.
"It's been really fun," Landry said. "It's fun to go into a game when you know your team is going to have your back. I love going in having my pitcher's back. I have a lot of confidence going in. We're on a roll right now, so we just have to keep it up."
Landry hit the first batter to load the bases with no outs and then got out of the jam with two line outs and a ground out.
"She showed some toughness again today," Glasco said of Landry. "Her last four outings have been phenomenal - just what we've been looking for. She's just a sophomore. She's so good that sometimes you forget she's young, but she's really growing as a pitcher right now and that's really exciting to see."
That second-inning escape followed a first-inning defensive gem as well with Mihyia Davis throwing a runner out at the plate.
"I think it's just locking down," Landry said of escaping jams. "I want to get my team out of it. I know from the get-go I'm supposed to be locked in like when the bases are loaded, but there's something about runners being on. I have to have my team's back. I know they're (temmates) going to score, so I'm going to do what I have to do to keep it at zero."
The Jaguars didn’t mount another serious scoring threat the rest of the contest.
Landry pitched until the seventh inning, giving up only one hit and striking out three in five innings to move her record to 11-4.
After she hit Emma Kropp to lead of the seventh, Kandra Lamb came on to collect her second save of the season with a perfect inning, including two strikeouts.
"Landry coming in in relief of Schorman and having her back and then Kandra Lamb coming in in relief of Landry and having her back, just really good team stuff," Glasco said. | https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/sports/ul_lafayette/cajuns-ride-solo-homers-strong-pitching-to-sweep-of-jags/article_a3c67944-d720-11ed-b65d-97c12c485e42.html | 2023-04-09 22:32:44 | 1 | https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/sports/ul_lafayette/cajuns-ride-solo-homers-strong-pitching-to-sweep-of-jags/article_a3c67944-d720-11ed-b65d-97c12c485e42.html |
WASHINGTON (AP) — An Arkansas man testified Thursday that he was “going with the flow” when he propped up his feet on a desk in then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, posing for photographs that made him one of the most memorable figures from the U.S. Capitol riot two years ago.
On the witness stand at his trial on riot-related charges, Richard “Bigo” Barnett said he was looking for a bathroom inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when he unwittingly entered Pelosi’s office and encountered two news photographers. He said one of the photographers told him to “act natural,” so he lounged back in a chair and flung his legs onto the desk.
“Did it dawn on you that what you were doing could cause some trouble?” defense attorney Joseph McBride asked Barnett.
“I was just in the moment,” Barnett replied. “I’m just kind of going with the flow at this point.”
Prosecutor Michael Gordon showed an online post in which Barnett declared anyone who “does not support the Constitution” to be his enemy. Asked how well he knew the document himself, Barnett eventually acknowledged that he knew the First and Second Amendments well, but had little knowledge of others.
Barnett, a retired firefighter from Gravette, Arkansas, is one of more than 900 people charged with federal crimes for their conduct at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Nearly 500 of them have pleaded guilty. Barnett is one of several dozen Capitol riot defendants whose case has gone to trial.
Barnett’s trial played out in the same courthouse as two other high-profile trials stemming from the riot. A jury began deliberating in the seditious conspiracy case against a second group of members of the far-right Oath Keepers. Meanwhile, a documentary filmmaker testified in the seditious conspiracy case against former Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio and four associates.
In Barnett’s case, prosecutors said the 62-year-old had a stun gun tucked into his pants when he stormed the Capitol, invaded Pelosi’s office and posed for a photo that became one of the attack’s best-known images. He also took a piece of her mail and left behind a note that said, “Nancy, Bigo was here,” prosecutors said. Barnett punctuated the message with a sexist expletive.
Before leaving Capitol grounds, Barnett used a bullhorn to give a speech to the crowd, shouting, “We took back our house, and I took Nancy Pelosi’s office!” according to prosecutors.
Barnett, testifying near the end of his trial, said he regrets coming to Washington for the “Stop the Steal” rally where then-President Donald Trump addressed a crowd of supporters.
“Two years of lost life. Misery for my family,” he said.
He also expressed regret for using vulgar language in his note to Pelosi.
“I probably shouldn’t have put my feet on the desk,” Barnett said.
Asked by Gordon whether he regretted entering the Capitol, Barnett insisted he was swept along with the crowd.
“I do not regret getting pushed in,” he said.
A grand jury indicted Barnett on eight charges, including felony counts of civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding. He also faces a charge of entering and remaining in restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon — the stun gun with spikes concealed within a collapsible walking stick.
In opening statements for the trial, a prosecutor said Tuesday that Barnett planned the trip for weeks and came prepared for violence.
“The defendant violated that space,” prosecutor Alison Prout said.
McBride told jurors on Wednesday that Barnett was just a “crazy guy from Arkansas” who didn’t hurt anybody on Jan. 6 and couldn’t have harmed anybody with the stun gun device because it was broken that day.
“We’re not asking you to approve of his actions,” McBride said, calling it “the most famous trespass case of all time.”
Barnett said the crowd of Trump supporters leaving the rally was in a jovial mood as they approached the Capitol. He said he became angry after he heard a loud bang and saw what appeared to be police officers firing tear gas at the crowd.
“It flipped my world upside down,” Barnett said, calling it his first experience with police brutality after years of being a firefighter. “I went in full crisis mode.”
Barnett said videos show that the crowd pushed him into the Capitol as the approached an entrance, causing him to briefly fall to his knees as he crossed the threshold.
“We have no choice!” he shouted repeatedly on the video as he entered the Capitol.
Barnett said he didn’t realize he had wandered into Pelosi’s office until one of the photographers asked him if he knew where he was and he spotted empty envelopes with Pelosi’s name on them,
After police ordered him and others to leave Pelosi’s office, Barnett realized he had left his American flag behind. Body camera video captured Barnett shouting at a police officer in the Rotunda for help in retrieving the flag.
Prosecutors said Barnett had a history of arming himself at political demonstrations before the Jan. 6 attack. In July 2020, they said, a 911 caller reported that a man matching Barnett’s description had pointed a rifle at her during a “Back the Blue” rally.
“Law enforcement ultimately closed the investigation as unfounded due to unresolved apparent discrepancies in the evidence,” prosecutors wrote.
In November 2020, police were called to a “Save the Children” rally when a caller said Barnett was carrying a gun at the protest and acting suspiciously. | https://www.kron4.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-jurors-hear-from-man-who-propped-feet-on-pelosi-office-desk/ | 2023-01-20 01:57:15 | 1 | https://www.kron4.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-jurors-hear-from-man-who-propped-feet-on-pelosi-office-desk/ |
NEW YORK, March 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) will present the 2023 Joel D. Kopple Award to Kentucky renal dietitian Lois Hill, MS, RDN, LD, LDE, for her significant contributions to the field of renal nutrition. The award is in the name of the "father of renal nutrition" and will be presented at the 2023 NKF Spring Clinical Meetings (SCM) in Austin, TX, in April.
"Receiving the Joel D. Kopple Award is a career highlight for me," Hill said. "I am honored to have had the opportunity to practice in renal nutrition and to follow in the footsteps of earlier Joel D. Kopple Award honorees whom I have held in the highest esteem."
Hill is a registered dietitian nutritionist, licensed dietitian, and a licensed diabetes educator in Kentucky. She is in private practice in Lexington and focuses on chronic kidney disease (CKD) nutrition counseling. Over her career, she has worked as a nutrition service supervisor and as a renal dietitian at Dialysis Clinic, Inc. and at the University of Kentucky. She has various experiences in clinical practice among stages 1 through 5 CKD and post-transplant patients and has participated in research in CKD nutrition.
"Hill's work and continual advocacy for increased use of medical nutrition therapy in treating people with kidney disease is so important for millions of Americans," said NKF President Sylvia Rosas, MD, MSCE. "She is passionate about renal nutrition and is paving a path much like Dr. Kopple did a generation ago. She has been a longtime advocate of the NKF and we are grateful for her leadership roles at the NKF Council on Renal Nutrition."
She holds both an MS and BS degree from the University of Kentucky with her dietetic internship completed at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. She counsels patients with CKD stages 3 and 4 on Medical Nutrition Therapy covered by Medicare and other insurance. She acts as a nutrition interpreter to sort out evidence-based facts from internet information about renal nutrition and conducts grocery store tours for patients.
"I am a longtime member of the National Kidney Foundation Council on Renal Nutrition," she said. "The NKF is the go-to national organization for kidney-related advocacy, education, outreach, and research."
Hill will give a lecture titled, "Nephrology Nutrition: Past, Present, and Future Possibilities" on Thursday, April 13, at 8:15 a.m. in Austin, TX at the 2023 NKF SCM.
Each year NKF considers the work of hundreds of specialists in the field of Nephrology and selects among them those who most exemplify the relentless efforts of NKF to enhance the lives of patients through action, education, and accelerating change. The prestigious awards are presented to the recipients during the annual gathering of clinicians and kidney health professionals at the NKF 2023 Spring Clinical Meetings, which will be held from April 11-15 in Austin, TX.
NKF Spring Clinical Meetings
For the past 31 years, nephrology healthcare professionals from across the country have come to NKF's Spring Clinical Meetings to learn about the newest developments related to all aspects of nephrology practice; network with colleagues; and present their research findings. The NKF Spring Clinical Meetings are designed for meaningful change in the multidisciplinary healthcare teams' skills, performance, and patient health outcomes. It is the only conference of its kind that focuses on translating science into practice for the entire healthcare team.
About Kidney Disease
In the United States, more than 37 million adults are estimated to have kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney disease (CKD)—and approximately 90 percent don't know they have it. About 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. are at risk for kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are about four times as likely as White people to have kidney failure. Hispanics experience kidney failure at about double the rate of White people.
NKF Professional Membership
Healthcare professionals can join NKF to receive access to tools and resources for both patients and professionals, discounts on professional education, and access to a network of thousands of individuals who treat patients with kidney disease.
About the National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, most comprehensive, and longstanding patient-centric organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease in the U.S. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.
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SOURCE The National Kidney Foundation | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/03/20/national-kidney-foundation-award-dietitian-lois-hill-with-top-nutrition-award/ | 2023-03-20 22:50:07 | 0 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/03/20/national-kidney-foundation-award-dietitian-lois-hill-with-top-nutrition-award/ |
Colorado gay club shooting no mystery, but motive unknown
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — It is no mystery who shot and killed five people at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs last year, but what motivated that person to target a venue that had long been a sanctuary for the LGBTQ community in the mostly conservative city remains unknown.
That could change during a hearing that started Wednesday in a courtroom packed with victims and their relatives. Prosecutors must lay out enough evidence to support their allegation that it was a hate crime when 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, who is nonbinary, opened fire at Club Q that night.
Aldrich appeared at the hearing in an orange jail jumpsuit, while one of the patrons who ended the attack, Army veteran Richard Fierro, sat in the back row.
Unlike the other allegations, such as murder and attempted murder, hate crime charges require prosecutors to present evidence of a motive — that Aldrich was driven by bias, either wholly or in part. That could include statements Aldrich, who uses they/them pronouns, made on social media or to other people, said Karen Steinhauser, a trial lawyer, former prosecutor and law professor at the University of Denver who isn’t affiliated with the case.
Until now, prosecutors have not revealed anything about why they charged Aldrich with a hate crime.
Aldrich was known to family and friends and in official government documents as a male until defense attorneys revealed after the shooting that Aldrich was nonbinary. Someone who is a member of a group of people, such as the LGBTQ-plus community, can still be charged with a hate crime for targeting peers. Hate crime laws are focused on the victims, not the perpetrator.
Prosecutors usually win preliminary hearings since the standard of proof is lower than at trial and the evidence must be viewed in a light most favorable to them. But defense lawyers sometimes still want to proceed with preliminary hearings because they offer the chance to question witnesses under oath, including investigators, and to learn more about the government’s case than might be available in the reports that likely have already been turned over to them, Steinhauser said.
The shooting was captured on surveillance video. According to an arrest affidavit, video showed Aldrich pulling into a parking lot at Club Q just before midnight and getting out wearing a ballistic vest and carrying an AR-15-style rifle. Soon after going inside, Aldrich opened fire indiscriminately at patrons, according to the affidavit.
It is unknown whether Aldrich had any previous history at the club or any disputes with patrons. Their attorneys revealed during a recent hearing that Aldrich was at the club earlier that night for about 1 1/2 hours, but they didn’t say why or elaborate further.
Questions also remain about how Aldrich got the gun used in the shooting, but experts say how and where Aldrich obtained it doesn’t have to be discussed in order to persuade the judge to rule that there’s enough evidence to take the case to trial.
However, former District Attorney George Brauchler, who prosecuted the case against the shooter who killed 12 people at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, in 2012, said he hopes prosecutors present evidence about the gun. Questions were raised early on about whether authorities should have sought a red flag order to stop Aldrich from buying guns after Aldrich was arrested in 2021, when they threatened their grandparents and vowed to become the “next mass killer,” according to law enforcement documents.
Authorities said two guns seized from Aldrich in that case — a ghost gun pistol and an MM 15 rifle — weren’t returned. That case was dropped, in part because prosecutors couldn’t track down Aldrich’s grandparents and mother to testify, so Aldrich had no legal restrictions on buying guns.
Brauchler, who isn’t affiliated with Aldrich’s case, said if Aldrich obtained the gun used in the attack illegally, that would go against a possible effort by the defense to plead not guilty by reason of insanity. Circumventing gun laws would show that Aldrich knew right from wrong, as would showing that Aldrich was motivated by bias, he said.
“Hate isn’t insane. Hate is a choice,” Brauchler said.
Defense attorneys have not publicly raised insanity or Aldrich’s mental health as an issue and they haven’t been asked to enter a plea yet. However, an insanity plea is one of the few options Brauchler said he sees for the defense.
“It’s not a whodunit. It’s not a what happened. It’s a why did it happen,” he said.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wflx.com/2023/02/22/colorado-gay-club-shooting-no-mystery-motive-unknown/ | 2023-02-22 16:40:56 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/2023/02/22/colorado-gay-club-shooting-no-mystery-motive-unknown/ |
Special counsel Jack Smith has obtained a 2021 recording in which Donald Trump appears to brag about having a classified document related to Iran, suggesting the former president understood both the legal and security concerns around his possession of such restricted information, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
The existence of the recording was first reported by CNN. It has not been made public, and the people familiar with it would not describe Trump’s statements verbatim. But for Justice Department prosecutors examining Trump’s possible mishandling of classified documents after leaving the White House, the audio could be important evidence about Trump’s state of mind and his understanding of the rules about classified information — and it might show the path of certain sensitive documents once they left the White House.
Trump’s lawyers have suggested that the former president either did not know he possessed classified documents after leaving the White House or could have declassified such material while in office.
Smith’s investigation appears to be centered on classified material discovered last August at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida home and private club, weeks after the Justice Department demanded the return of all documents marked classified and a lawyer for Trump handed over documents said to be responsive to that subpoena.
The Washington Post reported last year that among the sensitive documents recovered by the FBI was a document describing Iran’s missile program. It’s unclear if that document is the same one described in the audio recording. The Post has also reported that investigators suspect Trump’s motive for keeping classified material after leaving the White House may have been mostly ego, and that he insisted the documents were his property, not the U.S. government’s.
For the Justice Department, evidence that Trump knew he had classified material, and understood the restrictions on sharing it, would be an important part of any charging decision.
A spokesman for Smith declined to comment. A Trump spokesperson replied to an email seeking comment by decrying leaks about the investigation, which he said “are designed to inflame tensions and continue the media’s harassment of President Trump and his supporters. It’s just more proof that when it comes to President Trump, there are absolutely no depths to which they will not sink as they pursue their witch hunts.”
In a section of his book, “The Chief’s Chief,” Trump’s former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, appears to describe the meeting where the recording obtained by the Justice Department was made.
The book mentions a document that Trump tries to link to a frequent target of his ire at the time, Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Meadows describes a scene at Bedminster in which a relaxed, post-presidency Trump expounds on how he is waiting to re-engage with politics at a time of his choosing.
“The boss leans back in his chair, dressed in a sport coat and a crisp white shirt that’s open at the neck. He looks at least twenty pounds lighter than he was in office,” Meadows’s book says. “The president recalls a four-page report typed up by Mark Milley himself. It contains the general’s own plan to attack Iran, deploying massive numbers of troops, something he urged President Trump to do more than once during his presidency. President Trump denied those requests every time.”
At that time, Trump complained frequently about Milley, a reaction to anecdotes in books and news articles that cast Trump in a bad light and described Milley as defending democracy from the then-president’s darker impulses.
Representatives for Milley did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A lawyer for Meadows declined to comment. People familiar with the investigation say prosecutors have repeatedly asked witnesses about any comments Trump made about Milley.
The strange legal and national security saga of how hundreds of classified documents followed Trump to Florida after he left the White House began in 2020, when the National Archives and Records Administration began seeking the return of what it suspected were presidential records – historical documents that are government property.
After months of back-and-forth, 15 boxes of papers from Mar-a-Lago were returned in early 2022. When archives officials opened the boxes, they found more than 100 classified documents scattered among the various items.
That led to questions about whether Trump had more classified papers at his Florida home. Served with the grand jury subpoena in the spring, Trump’s lawyers handed over an additional 38 classified documents in a sealed envelope last June. But FBI agents later obtained evidence suggesting that Trump was holding onto even more documents, leading them to obtain a court order for an Aug. 8 search of the property in which agents found more than 100 classified documents.
In November, after Trump launched another bid for the White House, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith to lead the documents investigation, along with a more sprawling investigation into efforts to block the 2020 election results and events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Trump’s attorneys have taken steps in recent weeks in the documents case — including outlining his potential defense to members of Congress and seeking a meeting with the attorney general — that suggest they believe a charging decision is getting closer.
Over the past week, The Post has reported that investigators have video footage and other evidence that shows two Trump employees at Mar-a-Lago moved boxes of documents into a storage area just before Justice Department officials came to retrieve material in response to the subpoena, and that one of the employees later asked how long material captured by surveillance cameras at the property was kept before being erased.
Perry Stein and Jacqueline Alemany contributed to this report. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/05/31/trump-recording-classified-iran/ | 2023-06-01 01:31:23 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/05/31/trump-recording-classified-iran/ |
A reader texted VERIFY with a screenshot that warned of a particularly deceptive strategy used by hackers. It included what appeared to be two examples of the same banking website URLs — except one of the letter “a”s in the examples for each bank were written in Cyrillic, the alphabet used by several countries including Russia.
THE QUESTION
Can hackers mimic a website’s URL by using nearly identical letters from other alphabets?
THE SOURCES
Unicode Consortium, the standards organization for the internationalization of software and services
ICANN, a nonprofit that manages how the domain name system functions
Bitdefender, a cybersecurity company
MalwareBytes, a cybersecurity company
THE ANSWER
Yes, hackers can mimic a website’s URL by using nearly identical letters from other alphabets.
WHAT WE FOUND
Some letters in the Latin alphabet, which is the alphabet used for English, look nearly identical to certain letters in other alphabets, particularly Greek and Cyrillic.
A hacker can swap out a Latin character with a very similar Cyrillic or Greek character when creating a URL. In some fonts, these letters look exactly the same, making it impossible to identify a URL that’s spoofing another. In other fonts, the letters look slightly different, still making it difficult to tell a malicious URL from an official one.
When a hacker or scammer uses these identical letters to trick people into thinking a malicious link or website is real, it’s called a homograph attack, says Bitdefender, a cybersecurity company. Internet standards organizations, internet browsers and domain registries actively work to try and minimize these attacks by restricting URLs with copycat characters.
“The good news is that homograph attacks most likely are not going to become mainstream – they are not easy to set up or maintain,” wrote Martin Zugec, technical solutions director at Bitdefender, in 2022. “However, they are a dangerous and effective tool used for targeted campaigns.”
Website domain names originally only supported ASCII, the U.S. standard character list consisting of Latin letters, according to the Unicode Consortium, the standards organization for the internationalization of software and services. ICANN, a nonprofit that manages how the domain name system functions, developed a system where a domain name could use characters from other languages and alphabets. These are internationalized domain names, commonly called IDNs.
These internationalized domain names can be displayed anywhere you might find a domain name — so that would include web browsers, email applications, messaging apps and so on. But, depending on the font, characters in some alphabets can be similar or even identical to characters in the Latin alphabet.
That gives hackers opportunities to trick people with fake URLs that are almost impossible to spot. For example, https://www.vеrifythis.com, actually includes a Cyrillic ‘е,’ but it looks identical to https://www.verifythis.com, VERIFY’s real website, in certain fonts.
There are even enough letters that look the same between the two alphabets that someone could mimic a website’s entire URL using only Cyrillic letters. For example, this version of https://www.аррӏе.com is written entirely in Cyrillic, despite looking identical to the real https://www.apple.com in some fonts.
Cyrillic letters that resemble Latin letters include: а, г, ԁ, е, ѕ, і, ј, ԛ, о, с, у, х, һ, ѡ, ҽ, ъ, Ь, ѵ, ԝ and ӏ. Greek letters that look like Latin letters include: α, κ, ν, ο and several uppercase letters.
In order to prevent scams, most popular browsers don’t display URLs that mix characters from different alphabets.
Google Chrome will not display the IDN for URLs that mix Latin, Greek and/or Cyrillic letters; instead, it will show gibberish in place of any Greek or Cyrillic characters. Chrome also won’t display the IDN for URLs consisting entirely of letters identical to Latin letters, unless those characters match the website’s country code. So, Chrome will allow a .ru website to use a Cyrillic domain name made up of characters that look like Latin letters.
Firefox similarly won’t display the internationalized domain name of a website that mixes Latin, Greek and/or Cyrillic in its URL. However, Firefox does display IDNs of websites that are made up entirely of characters that look identical to Latin letters regardless of the website’s country code. Some web browsers, such as Chrome, will stop you from going to a website URL using another alphabet. Chrome will instead suggest the actual URL of the website it believes you meant to go to.
But protections aren’t uniform everywhere. Zugec’s 2022 blog post for Bitdefender pointed out that Microsoft Outlook and other Microsoft Office apps don’t hide these URLs with look-alike characters. Other apps, both on computers and on phones, also might not protect users from domain names mimicking other websites by using foreign letters.
Homograph attacks are rare, and you can avoid falling victim to them the same way you avoid falling victim to any other malicious link. Don’t click on any link from an email or a message you weren’t expecting to get or on any link you don’t know with certainty is safe.
Some browser tools or extensions, such as Punycode Alert and the Quero Toolbar, can also help protect you from homograph attacks, says MalwareBytes. Regularly updating your browser will also help protect you, since most modern web browsers regularly check for and block malicious websites. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/verify/scams-verify/homograph-homoglyph-attacks-cyrillic-greek-letters-identical-english-latin-hackers-use-confusables/536-20f4e105-cb5a-431e-bfa4-07cf6d1abec0 | 2023-06-19 22:28:38 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/verify/scams-verify/homograph-homoglyph-attacks-cyrillic-greek-letters-identical-english-latin-hackers-use-confusables/536-20f4e105-cb5a-431e-bfa4-07cf6d1abec0 |
Top offensive rookie joins #TeamBioSteel athletes who prioritize Clean. Healthy. Hydration.™
New York, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - BioSteel Sports Nutrition Inc. ("BioSteel") today announced the latest addition to #TeamBioSteel with the signing of Ja'Marr Chase, one of the league's top wide receivers. Chase is an authentic fan of BioSteel and believes in the importance of clean hydration, both at home and when he is out on the field. He will be promoting BioSteel through social media, trade marketing, events, including in the Cincinnati area, and more.
Chase joins fellow football stars and #TeamBioSteel athletes Patrick Mahomes, Ezekiel Elliott and Jalen Ramsey in supporting their game with the zero-sugar hydration leader and in elevating the brand's mission of delivering premium hydration to athletes, fans and sports communities around the world.
"Staying healthy and hydrated is key to ensuring this season is even better than the last, and BioSteel products are an essential part of my hydration routine, especially on game day," said Chase. "Heading into my second season, I'm excited to officially join #TeamBioSteel and introduce my community to their zero-sugar products."
"Ja'Marr had a remarkable rookie year, and the fact that he hydrates with BioSteel and is always looking to take his game to the next level makes him a strong, authentic partner for us," said John Celenza, Co-Founder of BioSteel. "We're thrilled to welcome him to #TeamBioSteel as we continue to grow our elite athlete roster and introduce new fans and communities to our lineup of hydration products."
Founded in 2009 by Celenza and business partner and NHL veteran Michael Cammalleri, BioSteel has achieved a reputation for being the hydration product of choice for athletes and consumers. The brand is committed to using premium ingredients, maintaining product transparency, and delivering essential nutrients to support physical activity. Each electrolyte-packed sports drink comes in an eco-friendly 16.7 fl oz Tetra Pak, and the range of flavors includes Blue Raspberry, Mixed Berry, Peach Mango, Rainbow Twist and White Freeze to keep consumers hydrated throughout the day.
BioSteel products are available across North America and globally with select retail partners or direct to consumers online through www.biosteel.com.
BioSteel is a North American beverage brand committed to delivering premium Clean. Healthy. Hydration™. to consumers and athletes across the globe. Each BioSteel sports drink is sugar-free and comes in an eco-friendly Tetra Pak filled with premium ingredients, natural flavors and essential nutrients needed to support physical activity. Perfect for everyone from health and environmentally conscious consumers to world class athletes, BioSteel hydration products are currently readily available across North America, globally with select retail partners, and direct to consumers online through www.biosteel.com.
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SOURCE BioSteel Sports Nutrition Inc. | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/jamarr-chase-signs-with-biosteel-expanding-brands-elite-athlete-roster/ | 2022-09-08 21:40:21 | 1 | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/jamarr-chase-signs-with-biosteel-expanding-brands-elite-athlete-roster/ |
Chief Justice Roberts declines Senate request to testify on court ethics
WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts has declined a request from the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify at a hearing next week on ethical standards at the court, instead providing the panel with a statement of ethics reaffirmed by the court’s nine justices.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., invited Roberts’ testimony last week, saying that there had been a “steady stream of revelations” regarding Supreme Court justices “falling short of ethical standards expected of other federal judges.”
The invitation came after news reports that detailed a close relationship between Justice Clarence Thomas and a conservative donor from Texas. The donor, Dallas billionaire Harlan Crow, had purchased three properties belonging to Thomas and his family in a transaction worth more than $100,000 that Thomas never reported, according to the nonprofit investigative journalism organization ProPublica.
In a letter to Durbin on Tuesday, Roberts said he would “respectfully decline” the committee’s request.
“Testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee by the Chief Justice of the United States is exceedingly rare, as one might expect in light of separation of powers concerns and the importance of preserving judicial independence.”
Accompanying the letter to Durbin was a “Statement on Ethics Principles and Practices” signed by all nine justices describing the ethical rules they follow about travel, gifts and outside income. While the rules did not appear to be new, the statement said that the undersigned justices “today reaffirm and restate foundational ethics principles and practices to which they subscribe in carrying out their responsibilities as Members of the Supreme Court of the United States.”
The statement details standards for justices’ activities outside the court and describes the recusal process, which is generally up to each individual justice. It does not require any justice to say why they are recusing from a case.
Durbin said in a statement that he had received the letter and would proceed with the hearing, which will “review common sense proposals” to hold Supreme Court justices more accountable to ethics guidelines.
“Make no mistake: Supreme Court ethics reform must happen whether the Court participates in the process or not,” Durbin said.
Durbin said the statement of ethics sent to the committee by Roberts “ignores the obvious.”
“The actions of one Justice, including trips on yachts and private jets, were not reported to the public,” Durbin said. “That same Justice failed to disclose the sale of properties he partly owned to a party with interests before the Supreme Court.”
ProPublica also revealed that Crow gifted Thomas and his wife Ginni with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of annual vacations and trips over several decades — including international cruises on his mega-yacht, private jet flights and stays at Crow’s invitation-only resort in the Adirondacks. But the 2014 real estate deal is the first public evidence of a direct financial transaction between the pair.
Ethics experts have offered conflicting views about whether Thomas was required to disclose the luxury trips funded by Crow. Thomas said in a statement that he was advised by colleagues that “this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable.”
Thomas did not name the other justices or those in the judiciary with whom he had consulted.
Last month, the federal judiciary bolstered disclosure requirements for all judges, including the high court justices, although overnight stays at personal vacation homes owned by friends remain exempt from disclosure.
The ethics statement sent to Durbin notes that the Judicial Conference’s Committee on Financial Disclosure had “provided clarification on the scope of the ‘personal hospitality’ exemption to the disclosure rules.”
The original letter from Durbin had asked Roberts or another justice to appear before the committee on May 2. He told Roberts that the scope of his testimony would be limited to the ethics rules governing justices of the Supreme Court and potential changes to those rules.
Roberts’ refusal to testify is the latest hitch for Democrats on the Judiciary panel. With Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California absent indefinitely, the committee has a tied number of Democrats and Republicans and can’t move certain judges to the floor - or presumably subpoena Roberts, if Democrats wanted to.
In declining to testify, Roberts ignored Durbin’s invitation to have another justice appear instead. The last time justices met with the Senate Judiciary Committee was in October 2011, when Justices Antonin Scalia and Stephen Breyer testified.
___
Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kait8.com/2023/04/26/chief-justice-roberts-declines-senate-request-testify-court-ethics/ | 2023-04-26 01:21:41 | 1 | https://www.kait8.com/2023/04/26/chief-justice-roberts-declines-senate-request-testify-court-ethics/ |
Jordan Riley, one of BSU's top defenders, may just be scratching the surface of his potential
MUNCIE, Ind. — Jordan Riley wasn't supposed to be at Ball State.
The Clinton, Maryland product originally committed to William & Mary. Then he committed to Fordham and COVID-19 happened. Shortly after, Ball State passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Josh Zidenberg found out Riley was planning to go to military school. Riley was among Zidenberg's top recruits when he was on staff at William & Mary in 2019, and the coach made it his mission to get the 6-foot-1, 195-pound safety to Muncie.
Test scores left Riley stranded. Zidenberg said he got a "bad deal" and was he almost missed his shot to play Division I football. In many ways, Riley fell into Ball State's lap and, looking back, Zidenberg is glad he did.
"I immediately was like, 'hold on, I'll take this kid. (I'll) figure out a way,'" Zidenberg said when he found out Riley was available. "... He just kind of fell into us and it's very fortunate on our end because I knew how special he could be."
Last season, on a veteran-led team, Riley played in all 13 games as a true freshman. As the season went on, he saw more and more playing time in a secondary made up exclusively of upperclassmen.
This year, Riley's been on another level.
At Georgia Southern, he registered career-highs with eight tackles (which he also achieved against Western Michigan) and had four pass breakups. He's currently tied for 13th in the Football Bowl Subdivision averaging 1.5 passes defended per game — behind teammate Nic Jones, who's tied for sixth with 1.8 — and is second on Ball State with 23 tackles to go along with two tackles for loss and a sack.
On the field, Riley's a difference maker. He prides himself in running at and punishing defenders. He's the future of Ball State's secondary and he may very well just be getting started.
"I would say I'm really aggressive," Riley said. "I love coming downhill and stuff but, really, there's a lot of stuff I still need to work on."
That's the exciting piece for Zidenberg, who brought in Riley as a player who could play cornerback or safety. His size combined with his speed has made him an invaluable piece to Ball State's defense.
"He's a good-sized kid who moves well enough to play corner, he's fluid," Zidenberg said ."He's got great speed and he's really physical. ... Just kind of more boxes just started to check off to where he's like, 'listen, he's by all means a no-brainer for us.'"
Riley didn't just fall into Ball State's lap after his previous two commitments. Playing in high school at National Christian Academy, Riley was on the same team as Texas A&M defensive back Josh Moten and Eastern Carolina inside linebacker Teylor Jackson, who was listed as a safety in high school.
At National Christian Academy, Riley's defensive backs coach suggested he started wrestling. Riley's aggressiveness was there, but he felt the tools he learned in wrestling helped him become a better tackler.
There were other highly touted players on his high school team, too, and Zidenberg felt that was part of the reason he was lost in the shuffle a bit. Looking ahead, Zidenberg feels like he can become the best player among that group.
From the first day he put on pads, head coach Mike Neu recognized the same potential.
"When he started for the first time, you're like, 'Woah, who's that?'" Neu said. "That's great to see his hard work pay off for himself and to be in the position that he's in right now and just getting better every week is awesome to see."
Every week, Neu said he sees Riley's confidence grow. Riley thanks the players before him such as Bryce Cosby, who's currently on the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad. Coming in, Riley knew it was a tall task to start over a multi-year starter like Cosby or Brett Anderson. But Riley watched film with Cosby and figured out the key for himself, even if he made a mistake, was to do it at 100%.
"Last season, I just wanted to prove when it was my time to go out on the field I was going to be a factor," Riley said. "I was really a big special teams guy, so I was just doing my part, waiting my turn behind Bryce and Brett. I feel like now, I just got to go get it."
There's still plenty of growth for Riley over the next two-and-a-half years of his eligibility. Even after a standout game against Georgia Southern, Riley pointed to two potential interceptions he felt would've been "game changers."
Riley, in terms of grade level, is one of the youngest starters on Ball State's defense. Next season, after more of the secondary graduates, Riley will be one of the most veteran defenders on the team. But Zidenberg already sees him as a leader.
"He's got some very raw characteristics that are very special," Zidenberg said. "He certainly has a ways to go but he possesses a significant amount of them, so I think the ceiling is as high as he could ever possibly want it as long as he keeps his head down and keeps working."
Robby General covers Ball State and East Central Indiana high school sports for The Star Press. Contact him via email at rgeneral@gannett.com or on Twitter @rgeneraljr. | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/sports/college/ball-state/2022/09/29/jordan-riley-has-quickly-become-one-of-ball-states-top-defenders/69524455007/ | 2022-09-30 00:25:24 | 0 | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/sports/college/ball-state/2022/09/29/jordan-riley-has-quickly-become-one-of-ball-states-top-defenders/69524455007/ |
ActiveFence enables Trust and Safety teams with one-click reporting needed to meet DSA transparency requirements.
NEW YORK, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ActiveFence, the leading trust and safety provider for online platforms, today released new features to ActiveOS, their content moderation platform that are designed to help clients meet new Digital Services Act (DSA) transparency requirements. These features will help Trust and Safety teams at organizations of all sizes create a one-click transparency report, correctly prioritize flagged content, and gain complete control of content moderation decision processes, reducing cost and expediting time-to-market.
ActiveFence Transparency Reporting capabilities will help online platforms and search engines meet EU requirements that they must publish a twice-yearly transparency report about their average monthly active users and content moderation, among other things. Creating transparency reports takes time due to the data collection and analysis processes needed. With growing numbers of online users and limited resources available to protect them, Trust and Safety teams need more efficient tools to meet the DSA's intensive requirements.
ActiveFence is providing first-in-its-class capabilities to Trust and Safety teams worldwide with streamlined, cost-effective DSA compliance solutions to expand their reach and keep users safe from harmful content:
- Transparency Report in One Click: Generating comprehensive transparency reports directly from ActiveOS console by collecting and analyzing pertinent data, including moderation decisions made on the platform. ActiveFence's system will assemble a detailed transparency report in one click, providing teams with the critical information needed to comply with DSA regulations. Reports are available online or in an exportable format.
- Flagging: Leveraging ActiveOS's ready-to-use workflows, enabling Trust and Safety teams to create a dedicated moderation queue for flagged content. With the intuitive ActiveOS user interface and seamless integration options for third-party tools, Trust and Safety teams will be able to automatically prioritize flagged items based on predetermined thresholds, ensuring rapid response and effective communication with flagging users in alignment with the DSA's requirements.
- Appeals and Notices: ActiveOS's code-less workflows support a formal procedure for individuals to appeal against content takedowns, account suspensions, or other moderation actions taken by the platform. ActiveFence will use its AI-driven detection tool, ActiveScore, to provide context for whether clients should accept or deny the user's appeal and provide the suggested message to the client that reflects the moderation decision.
"The DSA is bringing alignment and consistency in protecting platforms and their users on a global basis. We know that Trust and Safety teams are being asked to do more with less as the proliferation of harmful content online continues," said Noam Schwartz, co-founder and CEO of ActiveFence. "I'm confident that these new capabilities will help teams increase the accuracy and efficiency of automated and manual moderation, and help organizations meet their DSA compliance needs."
Click HERE to learn more about ActiveFence's new DSA compliance features.
About ActiveFence
ActiveFence is the leading solution for Trust and Safety intelligence and management, protecting online platforms and their users from malicious behavior and content. Trust and Safety teams of all sizes rely on ActiveFence to keep their users safe from the widest spectrum of online harms, unwanted content, and malicious behavior, including child safety and exploitation, disinformation, hate speech, terror, nudity, fraud, and more. We offer a full stack of capabilities with our deep intelligence research, AI-driven harmful content detection, and content moderation platform. Protecting over three billion users globally everyday in 100 languages, ActiveFence lets people interact and thrive online. Backed by leading Silicon Valley investors such as CRV and Norwest, ActiveFence has raised $100M to date, and employs over 300 people worldwide.
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SOURCE ActiveFence | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/10/activefence-simplifies-dsa-transparency-compliance-reporting/ | 2023-07-10 16:31:35 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/10/activefence-simplifies-dsa-transparency-compliance-reporting/ |
ORONO - Fall is a lot closer than you may think. Maine football was back on the field Friday for their first spring practice of 2023.
"It's good to get everything organized and put together, coaches, players, and just be able to be out here and run plays," head coach Jordan Stevens says.
"I'm super excited," junior quarterback Derek Robertson says. "It's awesome to be back out here. This is what you come here to do. We're here to play football."
Because of injury, that's something Robertson didn't get to do all of last year.
"[Derek] being out there is great," fifth year tight end Shawn Bowman says. "I had a good stretch of games with him in 2021, so I'm just excited to keep building that trust, keep getting that offense tighter, and score a lot of points this year."
Bowman was a huge key to the Black Bears' offense last year. He's also making a return to the field after a leg injury forced him to miss the last three games of the year.
"Just to be back out here with my brothers, to put a helmet back on, to be able to run on the turf and be tired running from drill-to-drill, it's just great," Bowman explains.
Where there was much excitement and fun in the air, the Black Bears wasted no time getting down to business and establishing their goals for spring.
"Number one, we're trying to improve fundamentally and technically, increase our knowledge of who we are, and build our depth," Stevens says.
"Another thing is that we're just trying to grow and get closer as a team," Robertson adds. "We did a great job of that in the fall. We're a really tight knit group and we're trying to build on that."
That success in bonding last fall arrived alongside Stevens who was in his first year as head coach. The first impressions that he left on his squad were nothing but positive."
"Coach Stevens is great," Robertson says. "He does everything right, he preaches everything to us that we're supposed to do, and he does the same. Everyone loves playing for him."
"The values that he brought in, we're not wavering on [them] and sticking to what he believes in," Bowman says.
Stevens believes changing the Black Bears' fortunes from a 2-9 season last year will come down to how hard they prepare from now until August.
"We need to be in a better position to start the season in terms of being ready to play," Stevens explains. "We're a long way from getting to there, but we need to be ready to function better as a team moving forward." | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/bangor-local-sports/maine-football-holds-first-spring-practice-hopes-to-right-ship-from-22/article_91ffa582-ca96-11ed-923d-e3234bebe621.html | 2023-03-24 23:58:50 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/bangor-local-sports/maine-football-holds-first-spring-practice-hopes-to-right-ship-from-22/article_91ffa582-ca96-11ed-923d-e3234bebe621.html |
Report finds ‘unnecessary’ force by agents at Rio Grande
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback engaged in “unnecessary use of force” against non-threatening Haitian immigrants but didn’t whip any with their reins “intentionally or otherwise,” according to a federal investigation of chaotic scenes along the Texas-Mexico border last fall that sparked widespread condemnation.
In a 511-page report released Friday, Customs and Border Protection blamed a “lack of command control and communication” for mounted agents using their horses to forcibly block and move migrants during an influx of Haitians arriving last September to the U.S. border outside Del Rio, Texas.
Video and photos of the incident made it appear agents were whipping Haitians, which caused outrage among advocacy groups and civil rights leaders. The Biden administration promised a full investigation after many in the president’s own party objected that such tactics with racial overtones were the kinds of policies the U.S. was supposed to be moving away from after years of hardline immigration tactics under President Donald Trump.
As part of the investigation, four Border Patrol employees — all of whom have been placed on administrative duty since the investigation began months ago — have been recommended for disciplinary action which will come separately, according to senior CBP officials who briefed journalists before the report’s release.
By September 19, 2021, around 15,000 Haitian migrants had crossed from Mexico into the United States and were concentrated in an encampment underneath the international bridge. But the encampment was fully cleared within days after the incident, as the outcry mounted.
Federal investigators said no migrant was struck with a whip, forced to return to Mexico or denied entry into the U.S. during the 15 minutes that they were forcibly blocked and moved by mounted agents. One agent yelled inappropriate comments about a migrant’s national origin including, “You use your women” while also narrowly missing a child walking nearby while pursuing a migrant.
The use of force drove migrants back into the Rio Grande, despite their having been well within U.S. territory and not presenting threats in any way, according to the senior CBP officials.
Investigators said they did not speak to Haitian migrants while preparing the investigation but used statements and court documents that some provided as part of lawsuits they filed against U.S. authorities.
The report said the incident began after authorities from a state agency also working in the area, the Texas Department of Public Safety, requested help from federal authorities. That conclusion follows Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott this week authorizing state forces to apprehend migrants and return them to the U.S.-Mexico border — raising questions about his state’s enforcement powers as top GOP leaders have slammed the Biden administration for failing to curb the rising number of crossings.
Agents acted with the permission of their supervisor who was unable to get guidance from higher up the Border Patrol chain of command, the report said. Communication occurred on a radio channel that wasn’t recorded, further complicating investigation into the incident.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kalb.com/2022/07/08/report-finds-unnecessary-force-by-agents-rio-grande/ | 2022-07-08 19:04:16 | 1 | https://www.kalb.com/2022/07/08/report-finds-unnecessary-force-by-agents-rio-grande/ |
CDC director tests positive for COVID-19, has mild symptoms
Published: Oct. 22, 2022 at 12:50 PM CDT|Updated: 18 minutes ago
ATLANTA (AP) — The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tested positive for COVID-19.
The agency said in a statement that Dr. Rochelle Walensky tested positive Friday night and has mild symptoms. She is up to date on her vaccinations.
The CDC said she will isolate at home and close contacts have been informed of her positive test.
Walensky took over the agency in January 2021 after being appointed by President Joe Biden.
She is the latest U.S. health official to test positive this year. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the face of America’s pandemic response, and U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra both tested positive in June.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/2022/10/22/cdc-director-tests-positive-covid-19-has-mild-symptoms/ | 2022-10-22 18:08:31 | 0 | https://www.ktre.com/2022/10/22/cdc-director-tests-positive-covid-19-has-mild-symptoms/ |
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Ian strengthened into a hurricane on Monday morning and is forecast to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane as it nears Western Cuba Monday night, the National Hurricane Center said.
Authorities in Cuba suspended classes in Pinar del Rio province and said they will begin evacuations Monday as Ian was forecast to strengthen before reaching the western part of the island on its way to Florida.
A hurricane warning was in effect for Grand Cayman and the Cuban provinces of Isla de Juventud, Pinar del Rio and Artemisa. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Ian should reach the far-western part of Cuba late Monday or early Tuesday, hitting near the country’s most famed tobacco fields. It could become a major hurricane before a likely landfall in Florida around the middle of the week, possibly the state’s western coast or Panhandle
Cuba state media outlet Granma said authorities would begin evacuating people from vulnerable areas early Monday in the far-western province of Pinar del Rio. Classes there have been suspended.
At 5 a.m. EDT on Monday, Ian was moving northwest at 13 mph (20 kph), about 90 miles (150 kilometers) southwest of Grand Cayman, according to the center. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph).
In Florida, much of the Tampa Bay area, including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota and Manatee counties, is under a Hurricane Watch, according to the NHC. This means those in the area could see hurricane conditions in the next two days. The watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, the NHC said.
There is also a storm surge watch in effect for much of the area, which could see 5 to 8 feet of storm surge in over the next 48 hours.
The storm is expected to near the Cayman Islands on Monday, then strengthen into a major hurricane when it nears Western Cuba Monday night.
The forecast track shows the storm emerging over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico as a Category 4 hurricane on Tuesday, according to Storm Team 8 Meteorologist Leigh Spann. The hurricane center said it should pass west of the Florida Keys late Tuesday, and approach the west coast of Florida on Wednesday.
A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for:
- Florida Keys from the Card Sound Bridge westward to Key West
- Dry Tortugas
- Florida Bay
- Anclote River southward to the Card Sound Bridge,
- Tampa Bay
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for:
- Englewood to the Anclote River, including Tampa Bay
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:
- Little Cayman and Cayman Brac
- Englewood southward to Chokoloskee | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/ian-now-a-hurricane-heading-toward-cuba-florida/ | 2022-09-26 11:37:53 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/ian-now-a-hurricane-heading-toward-cuba-florida/ |
VANCOUVER, BC, July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - B2Gold Corp. (TSX: BTO), (NYSE AMERICAN: BTG), (NSX: B2G) ("B2Gold" or the "Company") will release its second quarter of 2022 financial results after the North American markets close on Wednesday, August 3, 2022.
B2Gold executives will host a conference call to discuss the results on Thursday, August 4, 2022, at 10:00 am PDT/1:00 pm EST. You may access the call by dialing the operator at +1 (778) 383-7413 / +1 (416) 764-8659 (Vancouver/Toronto) or toll free at +1 (888) 664-6392 prior to the scheduled start time or you may listen to the call via webcast by clicking here. A playback version will be available for two weeks after the call at +1 (416) 764-8677 (local or international) or toll free at +1 (888) 390-0541 (passcode 652410 #).
B2Gold is a low-cost international senior gold producer headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Founded in 2007, today, B2Gold has operating gold mines in Mali, Namibia and the Philippines and numerous exploration and development projects in various countries including Mali, Colombia, Finland and Uzbekistan.
On Behalf of B2GOLD CORP.
"Clive T. Johnson"
President & Chief Executive Officer
For more information on B2Gold, please visit the Company website at www.b2gold.com or contact:
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SOURCE B2Gold Corp. | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2022/07/28/b2gold-second-quarter-2022-financial-results-conference-call-webcast-details/ | 2022-07-28 22:52:46 | 0 | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2022/07/28/b2gold-second-quarter-2022-financial-results-conference-call-webcast-details/ |
HUDSON, Ohio, Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leaf Home™, a leading technology-enabled direct-to-consumer provider of home solutions, opened three new locations within the United States and Canada in July through its gutter protection and water brands.
As one of North America's largest home improvement companies, Leaf Home delivers innovative, quality products across the U.S. and Canada for customers looking to make upgrades inside and outside the home. The company's experienced local specialists provide end-to-end services directly to consumers through various solutions, including gutter protection, water purification, decking, bathroom safety upgrades, stairlifts, cabinet refacing, window and door replacement, and more.
"We're continuing our growth in key locations across North America to delight as many customers as possible through our products and solutions," said Jeff Housenbold, President and CEO of Leaf Home. "We're thrilled to offer convenience and peace of mind to even more homeowners in these states and provinces."
LeafFilter Gutter Protection Adds U.S., Canada Locations
In July, LeafFilter® Gutter Protection opened two new locations in Port Huron, Michigan, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Through these offices, the company is looking forward to offering the best gutter protection on the market to ensure customer homes are safely protected from the damage clogged gutters can cause.
Since 2005, LeafFilter Gutter Protection has empowered homeowners to eliminate gutter cleaning hassle with its award-winning and patented technology, scientifically designed to keep everything out of the gutters except water.
Leaf Home Water Solutions Grows to 20 Offices
Leaf Home Water Solutions™ has opened its twentieth office in Texas' capital of Austin, which also marks the company's fourth water location in the state. As one of Leaf's fast-growing business segments, the company looks forward to giving homeowners cleaner, safer water free of dangerous contaminants.
Leaf Home Water Solutions pairs homeowners with the ideal whole-home water filtration system for their needs by testing tap water with free innovative digital water tests. The product line tackles city and well water's unique demands with a team of industry experts and an extreme dedication to customer service.
About Leaf Home
Leaf Home™ is a leading technology-enabled direct-to-consumer provider of branded, innovative home solutions in North America. The company is on a mission to enhance the safety, enjoyment, and comfort of homeowners and their families by delivering seamless, transformative home solutions including gutter protection, home safety, water purification, and other home enhancement products. With its corporate headquarters in Hudson, Ohio, and locations across the U.S. and Canada, Leaf Home has become a trusted partner to over 1.1 million homeowners. Live Comfortable. Live Safe. Live Happy. For more information, visit www.leafhome.com.
Contact: media@leafhome.com.
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SOURCE Leaf Home | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/leaf-home-expands-water-gutter-protection-businesses/ | 2022-08-01 13:40:00 | 0 | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/leaf-home-expands-water-gutter-protection-businesses/ |
The merger will build upon HED's national expertise in higher education and healthcare sectors
DALLAS, April 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HED (Harley Ellis Devereaux), a leading national architecture and engineering firm, today announced a merger with award-winning, Dallas-based VAI Architects Incorporated (VAI). The merger combines VAI's staff with HED's Dallas office, significantly expanding the local team and leveraging community relationships to create new opportunities across multiple market sectors.
With over 35 years of experience in the greater Dallas-Ft. Worth area, the VAI team has established trust among clients in the community, civic, government, transportation and education sectors by consistently delivering excellence through collaborative design innovation and dedication to client service. HED is proud to continue that tradition of excellence and build upon its market sector expertise with the recently combined Dallas staff.
"Our strategic merger with VAI is a great fit because of our shared commitment to create positive impact for clients and the greater community while providing growth opportunities for our talented staff," said Peter Devereaux, FAIA, Chairman and CEO of HED. "We are pleased to welcome the VAI team into the HED family and look forward to using our combined strength to explore new opportunities and fulfill our common commitment to ensuring long-term success for our clients."
Known nationally for the top-quality architecture and engineering services delivered by the firm's expansive array of professionals, HED creates innovative and sustainable design solutions for clients in the healthcare, higher education, housing, manufacturing, and product development, mission-critical, mixed-use, preK-12, science, and workplace sectors. To continue to provide the highest level of design excellence and positive impact, HED plans to further expand its Dallas operation with the hiring of additional staff.
HED is known for its aspirational company culture, which emphasizes continual learning and growth. As an award-winning inclusive and integrated practice, HED values diversity in perspectives, experiences, abilities, and expertise. The local Dallas office was recently named a Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® for its commitment to excellence in human resources practices and employee enrichment.
"VAI has always been dedicated to client service and committed to the Dallas community, and since our founding, we've emphasized learning and collaboration in our company culture — values we share with HED," said VAI Co-Founder William Vidaud de la Vega. "Those shared values and commitments are strengthened by joining forces through the merger, and we look forward to working as part of the HED team to continue creating positive impact for clients in Dallas and the surrounding area."
ABOUT HED
At HED, great design is about thinking creatively to overcome challenges and improve real world outcomes. Our firm has a long history and reputation for excellence because we believe that all the facets of our design, from architecture, consulting, engineering, and planning, must create a positive impact for our clients, the community, and the world through responsive, innovative, and sustainable design solutions. This belief has allowed our firm to succeed and grow in a broad range of markets in eight U.S. offices (Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Sacramento). See how HED advances your world at www.hed.design.
MC: Liz Reilly
lreilly@nextpr.com
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SOURCE HED | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/14/hed-vai-announce-merger-bring-strategic-expertise-drive-community-impact-dallas-texas/ | 2022-04-14 15:58:08 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/14/hed-vai-announce-merger-bring-strategic-expertise-drive-community-impact-dallas-texas/ |
DULUTH, Ga., July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SIS, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, and leading implementer of ERP/CRM solutions for Contractors and Professional Service firms built on Dynamics 365, is pleased to announce:
CRB has selected the Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP/CRM platform, as well as the SIS Construct 365 Project Cost Management solution, built for Microsoft Dynamics 365. The SIS cloud-based solution will help CRB continue its exponential growth and provide a flexible, robust, and connected system.
"CRB is excited to work with SIS as we advance the deployment of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the SIS Construct 365 Project Cost Management Solution," said Sue Dreckman, CRB's Senior Vice President of Business Operations. "This will support our long-term growth plans and help us achieve a more robust business model."
Mark Kershteyn, Partner SIS, LLC comments, "It is with pleasure that we announce the agreement between CRB and SIS to digitally transform CRB's engineering, architecture, and construction teams utilizing Microsoft Dynamics 365 layered with SIS Construct 365 Project Cost Management (PCM) solution. After a year-long analysis of platforms to support and transform the CRB business, it was clear that Dynamics 365, along with SIS industry knowledge and software, would propel CRB's ongoing business, as well as their growth strategies for decades to come."
CRB is a leading provider of sustainable engineering, architecture, construction, and consulting solutions to the global life sciences and food and beverage industries. CRB's 1,800 employees provide world-class solutions that drive success and positive change for clients, employees, and their communities. CRB is a privately held company with four decades of serving clients throughout the world, consistently striving for the highest standard of technical knowledge, creativity, and execution. www.crbgroup.com
SIS has been successful in delivering ERP and CRM solutions to Project and Service based companies for more than 25 years which have all utilized Microsoft Dynamics and SIS Industry IP. As a full-service technology consulting firm, we offer, implement, and support end-to-end solutions that work for our clients now, and in the long term.
Construction Focused Project Accounting/Job Cost functionality that manages project budgets, revisions, change orders, subcontracts, reporting and more to give contractors much needed ease of use, with the ability to manage projects profitably.
For more info, visit sisn.com or email info@sisn.com
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SOURCE SIS, LLC | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/07/07/crb-group-chooses-sis-digital-transformation-via-microsoft-dynamics-365-amp-sis-construct-365/ | 2022-07-07 21:50:07 | 0 | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/07/07/crb-group-chooses-sis-digital-transformation-via-microsoft-dynamics-365-amp-sis-construct-365/ |
PHOENIX — The Arizona House adopted a resolution Tuesday enabling public school districts to spend their entire cash allotment from this year's budget.
The resolution will lift the constitutionally mandated aggregate expenditure limit for one year.
The resolution was also on the calendar in the Senate, but a vote was postponed after a member was excused to attend to a family emergency.
Lifting the A-E-L limit frees up $1.4 billion, approximately 18% of a school district's budget.
"Whether you were here in this chamber last year or not, we did that constitutional duty and we passed a budget. This money was in that budget, and I just don't understand how we can limit public district K-12 schools with a cap," said Globe State Representative David Cook, sponsor of HR 2001 to lift the spending limit.
The resolution passed by a 46-14 vote, more than the two-thirds majority needed.
Most of the lawmakers who opposed the resolution were elected in November and they pledged no allegiance to last session's vote.
They argue districts are wasting millions of dollars.
"Before we throw more money at this problem, we need systematic reform in terms of transparency, accountability," said Alexander Kolodin, (R) Phoenix District 3. | https://www.abc15.com/news/state/lift-spending-limits-for-public-education-passes-in-the-az-house | 2023-02-08 01:41:57 | 1 | https://www.abc15.com/news/state/lift-spending-limits-for-public-education-passes-in-the-az-house |
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the New Mexico Lottery's "Pick 4 Evening" game were:
7-4-5-4
(seven, four, five, four)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the New Mexico Lottery's "Pick 4 Evening" game were:
7-4-5-4
(seven, four, five, four) | https://www.ourmidland.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-4-Evening-game-17570000.php | 2022-11-09 05:53:07 | 1 | https://www.ourmidland.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-4-Evening-game-17570000.php |
Graham battled Sanger in the area round of the high school softball playoffs.
The Lady Indians won 5-4.
Graham battled Sanger in the area round of the high school softball playoffs.
The Lady Indians won 5-4.
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Subscribe Now | https://www.texomashomepage.com/sports/local-sports/graham-vs-sanger-high-school-softball-may-6-2023/ | 2023-05-07 05:22:32 | 1 | https://www.texomashomepage.com/sports/local-sports/graham-vs-sanger-high-school-softball-may-6-2023/ |
LEHIGH COUNTY, Pa., Aug. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AARP Pennsylvania joined Lehigh County officials and PA Dole Fellow Georgette Wenton as Lehigh County became a Hidden Heroes County, joining the Elizabeth Dole Foundation's network of nearly 200 communities nationwide committed to identifying military caregivers and increasing awareness and support.
The Hidden Heroes Cities and Counties Program is part of The Elizabeth Dole Foundation's Hidden Heroes Campaign. The program was launched in 2016 by Senator Elizabeth Dole, Campaign Chair Tom Hanks, and nearly 200 military caregivers representing virtually every state in the union as a way to engage with leaders at the local level to raise awareness about the issues military caregivers face, bring critical resources to our nation's "hidden heroes" caring for wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans, and connect military caregivers to a community of their peers.
AARP has a long history of supporting those who have served in the United States armed forces and has partnered with the Dole Foundation for several years. This partnership has included creating the Respite Relief Program for Military and Veteran Caregivers nationwide in February 2021. This free program grants family caregivers access to no-cost, short-term assistance to help those caring for wounded, ill or injured veterans or service members at home.
"Whether a parent, spouse, sibling, or other loved one, a veteran's caregiver needs to know they are supported as they help those who sacrificed the most for us," said AARP PA State Director Bill Johnston-Walsh. "On behalf of our 1.8 million members, AARP Pennsylvania is proud that another Keystone State community is making that support more visible in Lehigh County."
Lehigh County Executive Philips Armstrong signed the Resolution Friday, making Lehigh County the 5th Hidden Heroes county in Pennsylvania, joining the counties of Allegheny, Berks, Monroe and Wyoming, along with the cities of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
"Lehigh County is pleased to have been recognized for our work to help veterans and members of our armed services," said Armstrong. "These brave men and women fought for us, so in Lehigh County, we fight for them."
As a 2021 Dole Caregiver Fellow, Georgette Wenton represents a select group of Dole Foundation in a formal capacitity, including advocacy, sharing their stories, and connecting other caregivers with information and resources. In recognition of the Lehigh County designation as a Hidden Heroes County, Ms. Wenton commented, "Being a part of the Hidden Heroes Caregiver Community reinforces that I am not alone in this journey—in both the emotions I feel and the challenges of being a caregiver… Being my husband's caregiver means I have the opportunity to make sure he feels loved and cared for on a daily basis."
Individuals caring for someone who served, or those who wish to support the campaign can visit HiddenHeroes.org for more information.
The Elizabeth Dole Foundation is the preeminent organization empowering, supporting, and honoring our nation's 5.5 million military caregivers – the spouses, parents, family members, and friends — who care for America's wounded, ill or injured service members and Veterans at home. Founded by Senator Elizabeth Dole in 2012, the Foundation adopts a comprehensive approach in its support and advocacy, working with leaders in the public, private, nonprofit, and faith communities to recognize military caregivers' service and promote their well-being. The Foundation's Hidden Heroes campaign brings vital attention to the untold stories of military caregivers and provides a network for military caregivers to connect with their peers and access carefully vetted resources. Visit www.hiddenheroes.org for more information.
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members - including 1.8 million in Pennsylvania - AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org, www.aarp.org/espanol or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspanol @AARPadvocates and @AliadosAdelante on social media.
CONTACT: TJ Thiessen, (202) 374-8033, tthiessen@aarp.org
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SOURCE AARP Pennsylvania | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/08/12/lehigh-county-joins-growing-movement-nearly-200-communities-nationwide-committed-empowering-military-caregivers-their-hometowns/ | 2022-08-13 21:12:18 | 0 | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/08/12/lehigh-county-joins-growing-movement-nearly-200-communities-nationwide-committed-empowering-military-caregivers-their-hometowns/ |
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A federal district court has ruled in favor of a Kentucky wedding photographer who challenged a Louisville ordinance banning businesses from discriminating against gay customers.
U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Beaton on Tuesday granted a request by Chelsey Nelson for an injunction against the city’s ordinance, the Courier Journal reported. The order said the city could not use the law to compel her to photograph same-sex weddings or “otherwise express messages inconsistent with Nelson’s beliefs."
Nelson sued Louisville city officials in 2019 - arguing that the city’s so-called fairness ordinance violated the First Amendment because it could force her to take on same-sex wedding assignments, which she opposes due to her religious beliefs. The Louisville ordinance prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, public accommodations and employment.
Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Bryan Neihart said in the statement Wednesday that he was happy with the court’s decision.
“We’re pleased the court agreed that the city violated Chelsey’s First Amendment rights. The court’s decision sends a clear and necessary message to every Kentuckian — and American — that each of us is free to speak and work according to our deeply held beliefs,” Neihart said.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said in a statement that he disagreed with the court’s ruling and that city officials would likely appeal.
“We are a city of compassion and we appreciate the many ways our LGBTQ+ family contributes to our diverse community,” Fischer said. “Louisville Metro Government will continue to enforce to the fullest extent possible its ordinance prohibiting anti-discriminatory practices and will fight against discrimination in any form.” | https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Judge-rules-for-photographer-challenging-gay-17413000.php | 2022-09-01 17:39:57 | 0 | https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Judge-rules-for-photographer-challenging-gay-17413000.php |
Ethnic Serbs in Kosovo gather again, threaten to take over northern municipality
ZVECAN, Kosovo (AP) — Troops from the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo have placed metal fences and barbed wire barriers in a northern town following clashes with ethnic Serbs that left 30 international soldiers wounded. Hundreds of Ethnic Serbs on Wednesday began gathering in front of the city hall in Zvecan, north of the capital, Pristina, in their repeated efforts to take over the offices of one of the municipalities where ethnic Albanian mayors took up their posts last week. NATO has decided to send 700 more troops to northern Kosovo to help quell violent protests after Monday’s clashes. Serbs want that both ethnic Albanian mayors and Kosovo police must leave northern Kosovo. | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national/2023/05/30/ethnic-serbs-in-kosovo-gather-again-threaten-to-take-over-northern-municipality/ | 2023-05-31 07:59:50 | 0 | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national/2023/05/30/ethnic-serbs-in-kosovo-gather-again-threaten-to-take-over-northern-municipality/ |
As Hurricane Ian bore down on Florida, normally reliable computer forecast models couldn’t agree on where the killer storm would land. But government meteorologists are now figuring out what went wrong — and right.
Much of the forecasting variation seems to be rooted in cool Canadian air that had weakened a batch of sunny weather over the East Coast. That weakening would allow Ian to turn eastward to Southwest Florida instead of north and west to the Panhandle hundreds of miles away.
The major American computer forecast model — one of several used by forecasters — missed that and the error was “critical,” a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration postmortem of computer forecast models determined Thursday.
“It’s pretty clear that error is very consequential,” said former NOAA chief scientist Ryan Maue, now a private meteorologist who wasn’t part of NOAA’s postmortem.
Still, meteorologists didn’t miss overall with their official Hurricane Ian forecast. Ian’s eventual southwestern Florida landfall was always within the “cone of uncertainty” of the National Hurricane Center’s forecast track, although at times it was on the farthest edge.
But it wasn’t that simple. Computer forecast models, which weeks earlier had agreed on where Hurricane Fiona was going, were hundreds of miles apart as Ian chugged through the Caribbean.
The normally reliable American computer model, which had performed better than any other model in 2021 and was doing well earlier in the year, kept forecasting a Florida Panhandle landfall while the European model — long a favorite of many meteorologists — and the British simulation were pointing to Tampa or farther south.
Trying to avoid what meteorologists call the dreaded “windshield wiper effect” of dramatic hurricane path shifts, the official NOAA forecast stayed somewhere in between. Tampa — with lots of people and land vulnerable to gigantic storm surges — seemed to be the center of possible landfalls, or even worse just south of the eye so it would get the biggest surge.
Although people’s fears focused on Tampa, Ian didn’t.
The storm made landfall 89 miles (143 kilometers) to the south in Cayo Costa. For a large storm, that’s not a big difference and is within the 100-mile (161-kilometer) error bar NOAA sets. But because Tampa was north of the nasty right-side of the hurricane eye, it was spared the biggest storm surge and rainfall.
People wondered why the worst didn’t happen. There are meteorological, computer and communications reasons.
Overall, the European computer model performed best, the British one had the closest eventual Florida landfall but was too slow in timing and the American model had the highest errors when it came to track, NOAA’s Alicia Bentley said during the agency’s postmortem. But the American model was the best at getting Ian’s strength right, she said.
University of Albany meteorology professor Brian Tang said he calculated the American model’s average track error during Ian at 325 miles (520 kilometers) five-days out, while the European model was closer to 220 miles (350 kilometers).
“A lot of what we notice in the public is when there are big misses and those big misses affect people in populated areas,” Tang said in an interview.
Although this is technically not a miss, people who evacuated Tampa may think it is because the Fort Myers area got the brunt of the storm.
In some ways people are spoiled because the average track error in hurricane forecasts have gotten so much better. The three-day official forecast error was cut nearly in half over the last 10 years from 172 miles (278 kilometers) to 92 miles (148 kilometers), Tang said.
For years meteorologists touted the European model as better, because it uses more observations, is more complex but also takes longer to run and comes out later than the American one, Tang said. The American model has improved after a big boost of NOAA spending, but so has the European one, he added.
The models use a similar physics formula to simulate what happens in the atmosphere. They usually rely on the same observations, more or less. But where they differ is how all those observations are put into the computer models, what kind of uncertainties are added and the timing of when the simulation starts, said University of Miami’s Brian McNoldy.
“You are guaranteed to end up differently,” McNoldy said.
It’s not a problem if the models show similar tracks. But if they are widely different, as during Ian, “that makes you nervous,” he said.
People wrongly focus on funnel-like cone for where the hurricane is forecast to go instead of what it will do in specific locations, said MIT meteorology professor Kerry Emanuel. And in the cone people only pay attention to the middle line not the broader picture, so Emanuel and McNoldy want the line dropped.
Another problem meteorologists say is that the cone is only where the storm is supposed to be with a 100-mile (161-kilometer) error radius, but when storms are big like Ian, their impacts of rain, surge and high wind will easily hit outside the cone.
“The cone was never intended to convey the actual impacts. It was only intended to convey the tracks,” said Gina Eosco, who heads a NOAA social science program that tries to improve storm communications.
So for the first time, NOAA surveyed Florida, Georgia and South Carolina residents before Ian hit and will follow up after to see what risks the public perceived from the media and government information. That will help the agency decide if it has to change its warning messaging, Eosco said.
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Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at @borenbears
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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/ap-explains-how-one-computer-forecast-model-botched-ian/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_business | 2022-10-07 15:57:55 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/ap-explains-how-one-computer-forecast-model-botched-ian/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_business |
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Health Security Agency said on Friday that measles vaccination rates in parts of London have dropped so low that the capital could see tens of thousands of cases of the rash-causing disease unless immunization coverage is quickly boosted.
In a statement, the agency said that among some groups of children in London, fewer than 70% have received their first dose of the standard measles, mumps and rubella vaccine; two doses are needed to provide protection. Measles is among the world’s most infectious diseases and health experts estimate that about 95% of the population must be immunized to stop new outbreaks.
The Health Security Agency said that although the risk of an outbreak across the U.K. was low, the current levels of immunization in London suggest that “a measles outbreak of between 40,000 and 160,000 cases could occur in the capital.” As of June 30, there have been 128 cases of measles in Britain this year, versus 54 cases last year. More than 60% of the cases in 2023 have been in London.
Britain’s National Health Service said it was starting a targeted national campaign to boost measles vaccination in communities with the lowest coverage rates.
U.K. officials said people aged 19 to 25 were at particularly high risk of catching measles, noting that many of them may have missed vaccinations following spurious allegations made by British physician Andrew Wakefield in 1998 that the MMR vaccine was linked to autism. The research was later discredited and Wakefield was barred by medical authorities for misconduct, but he seeded an anti-vaccination movement that damaged immunization rates in the U.K. and beyond for years.
Globally, measles immunization rates have dropped substantially in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic; the World Health Organization warned last November that about 40 million children in the world missed a measles vaccine dose in 2021. In Europe, the WHO noted that cases have jumped in some countries including Russia, Austria, Serbia and the U.K. this year.
Measles is an airborne disease and typically causes a cough, red eyes and a facial rash. Serious complications are mostly seen in children under five and adults over 30 and include blindness, encephalitis and pneumonia.
In 2021, the disease killed more than 128,000 people, mostly children under five, according to the WHO. | https://www.wfla.com/community/health/ap-health/ap-uk-officials-warn-low-measles-immunization-rates-could-lead-to-tens-of-thousands-of-cases-in-london/ | 2023-07-14 12:46:27 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/community/health/ap-health/ap-uk-officials-warn-low-measles-immunization-rates-could-lead-to-tens-of-thousands-of-cases-in-london/ |
SCRANTON, Pa. — Veterans and members of the community gathered on Courthouse Square in Scranton to celebrate and thank all veterans. The ceremony, hosted by American Legion Post 121 in Scranton, honors the men and women who have served our country for generations.
"We all come together to solidify the country. We're proud that we have served in our country's military, and we like to help each other out," said retired Lt. Col. Joe Albert, commander of American Legion Post 121.
Members of the Legion laid wreaths at the veterans memorial, followed by a 21-gun salute.
Army veteran William Smith served for 20 years, including overseas in Vietnam. Smith says he feels so honored when the community gathers in support of service members.
"It touches me right in the heart, and I thank them very much for their recognition," said Smith.
Scranton Police Chief and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Thomas Carroll also spoke during the ceremony. Carroll says he is honored to be recognized among his fellow veterans and is proud to have served this country.
"I am very privileged to have had the experiences that I had. They have shaped me and brought me to where I am now," Chief Carroll.
Veterans Day is celebrated on the 11th day of the 11th month, honoring those who chose to protect our country. Veterans we spoke with say choosing to serve our country was worth it.
"I carry the slogan every day in my mind and in my mouth. Every day is Veterans Day," Smith said.
"We've had our challenges, we've had our sacrifices, but most of all, I'm proud," said Chief Carroll. "Proud to have served our country." | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/ceremony-to-honor-veterans-held-in-scranton-courthouse-square-army-navy-marine-corps-air-force-coast-guard/523-f8a5f4bd-35f2-4b5f-98f2-ed69e4593fab | 2022-11-11 19:32:33 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/ceremony-to-honor-veterans-held-in-scranton-courthouse-square-army-navy-marine-corps-air-force-coast-guard/523-f8a5f4bd-35f2-4b5f-98f2-ed69e4593fab |
NEW YORK (AP) — Incidents of fraud and scams are occurring more often on the popular peer-to-peer payment service Zelle, according to a report issued Monday by the office of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, giving the public its first glimpse into the growing problems at Zelle.
The report also found that the large banks that partly own Zelle have been reluctant to compensate customers who have been victims of fraud or scams. For instance, less than half of the money customers reported being sent via Zelle without authorization was being reimbursed.
Warren, D-Massachusetts, a long-time critic of the big banks, requested data on fraud and scams on Zelle from seven banks starting in April. The report cites data from four banks that tallied 192,878 cases worth collectively $213.8 million in 2021 and the first half of 2022 where a customer claimed they had been fraudulently tricked into making a payment. In only roughly 3,500 cases did those banks reimburse the customer, the report found.
Further, in the cases where it’s clear funds had been taken out of customers’ account without authorization, only 47% of those dollars were ever reimbursed.
Since being launched in June 2017, Zelle has become a popular way for bank customers to send money to friends and family. Almost $500 billion in funds were sent via Zelle in 2021, according to Early Warning Systems, the company that operates Zelle.
Zelle is the banking industry’s answer to the growing popularity of peer-to-peer payment services like PayPal, Venmo and the Cash App. The service allows a bank customer to instantaneously send money to a person via their email or phone number, and it will go from one bank account to another. More than 1,700 banks and credit unions offer the service. But the service has also grown more popular with scammers and criminals. Once money is sent via Zelle, it requires a bank’s intervention to attempt to get that money back.
The cases of growing fraud and scams at Zelle have been highlighted in previous news reports, including two by The New York Times. But those stories cited mostly anecdotal evidence. Early Warning Systems has previously said that 99.9% of all transactions happen without complaints of fraud or scams. A group of Democratic senators asked for usage data on Zelle after the Times’ report.
Banks are required under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act to repay customers when funds are illegally taken out of their account without authorization. Banks have argued that in cases of fraud — meaning a customer’s account becomes compromised somehow and they send an unauthorized payment — they do reimburse customers. Banks are more reluctant to reimburse customers who claim to be scammed, arguing that customers would make such claims more often and it would be hard to tell whether the customer is telling the truth.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has also been looking into Zelle and other payment platforms, and is expected to issue regulations that could require banks to reimburse customers for a wider array of scams and fraud.
The banking industry, aware of Washington’s increased scrutiny of Zelle, has been on a campaign to show Zelle is a safe way to send money. The industry typically likes to point out that fraud and scam claims occur more often on the non-bank payment platforms like Venmo or the Cash App.
The data for individual banks shows the increase in fraud and scams. PNC Bank had 8,848 cases on Zelle in 2020, and is on pace to have roughly 12,300 cases this year. US Bank had 14,886 cases in 2020 and had 27,702 cases in 2021. Truist had 9,455 cases of fraud and scams on Zelle in 2020, which ballooned to 22,045 last year.
Warren made fireworks at a Congressional hearing last month involving most of the CEOs of the big Wall Street banks that use and partly own Zelle, where she pushed each of the CEOs to release fraud and scam incident data at their banks. The seven are: JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, PNC Financial, Truist, Bank of America, Capital One and U.S. Bank.
The hearing featured a exchange where Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, apologized to Warren for not getting her the data she requested and promised she would have it at the end of that day.
Warren’s office says ultimately JPMorgan’s data on Zelle did not provide the data they were looking for, so data from JPMorgan is not included in the report. The other banks that did not provide data to Warren’s office were Wells Fargo and Capital One. JPMorgan and Early Warning System have not returned a request for comment. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/business/ap-fraud-scam-cases-increasing-on-zelle-senate-report-finds/ | 2022-10-03 17:53:43 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/business/ap-fraud-scam-cases-increasing-on-zelle-senate-report-finds/ |
SAN FRANCISCO, June 19, 2023 / PR Newswire--
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
SUMMARY Notice of (I) Pendency of Class Action and Proposed Individual Defendants Settlements; and (II) Final Approval Hearing For The Individual Defendants Settlements, The Individual Defendants Plan of Allocation and Motion For Approval of Attorneys' Fees and Reimbursement of Litigation Expenses
TO: All Persons who purchased or otherwise acquired Aegean Marine Petroleum Network, Inc. ("Aegean") securities or sold Aegean put options between February 27, 2014 through November 5, 2018, inclusive (the "Settlement Class Period"), and were allegedly damaged thereby.
The securities subject to these proposed settlements consist of: (a) the common stock of Aegean (Tickers: ANWWQ; CINS: Y0017S102) (pre-bankruptcy Aegean traded under the ticker "ANW"); (b) Aegean 4.00% Convertible Unsecured Senior Notes due 11/1/2018, issued 10/23/2013 (CUSIP: Y0020QAA9; ISIN: USY0020QAA95); (c) Aegean 4.25% Convertible Unsecured Senior Notes due 12/15/2021, issued 12/19/2016 (CUSIP: 00773VAA4 (CUSIP changed to 00773VAB2 on 2/12/2018); ISIN: US00773VAB27); (d) Aegean call options; and (e) Aegean put options (collectively, "Aegean Securities").
Please read this notice carefully. Your rights may be affected by two proposed partial settlements, which are the third and fourth proposed partial settlements of a class action lawsuit pending in this court. Please do not contact the court, any defendant, or their counsel, regarding this notice. All questions about this notice, these proposed settlements, or your eligibility to participate in these proposed settlements should be directed to lead counsel or the claims administrator, whose contact information is provided below. Additional information about the proposed settlements is available on the Settlement Website: www.aegeansecuritieslitigation.com.
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED, that Utah Retirement Systems ("Lead Plaintiff"), on behalf of itself and the proposed Settlement Class, has reached two additional proposed settlements (one with Spyros Gianniotis ("Gianniotis") for $11 million in cash and one with Dimitris Melissanidis ("Melissanidis") for $949,999 in cash) that will, among other things, resolve all claims against the two remaining Defendants in this Action, Gianniotis and Melissanidis (the "Individual Defendants") (the "Individual Defendants Settlements") if approved. The Court previously approved settlements with the outside auditors (the "Auditor Settlements").
YOU ARE ALSO NOTIFIED, that pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and an Order of the Court, a Settlement Class in the above-captioned litigation (the "Action") has been preliminarily certified for the purposes of these proposed Individual Defendants Settlements only.
A hearing (the "Final Approval Hearing") will be held before the Honorable Naomi Reice Buchwald, United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, either telephonically, via video conference, or at 500 Pearl Street, Courtroom 21-A, New York, New York, 10007 on Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 11:00 AM to, among other things, determine whether: (i) the proposed Individual Defendants Settlements should be approved by the Court as fair, reasonable and adequate; (ii) the Action should be dismissed with prejudice against Gianniotis, final judgment should be entered as to the claims against Gianniotis and the Gianniotis Released Claims should be released as against the Gianniotis Released Parties, as set forth in the Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement with Spyros Gianniotis ("Gianniotis Stipulation"); (iii) the Action should be dismissed with prejudice against Melissanidis, final judgment should be entered as to the claims against Melissanidis and the Melissanidis Released Claims should be released as against the Melissanidis Released Parties, as set forth in the Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement with Dimitris Melissanidis ("Melissanidis Stipulation"); (iv) the proposed Individual Defendants Plan of Allocation for distribution of the Individual Defendants Settlement Funds and any interest earned thereon, less Taxes, Notice and Administration Costs, Litigation Expenses awarded by the Court, attorneys' fees awarded by the Court, and any other costs, expenses, or amounts as may be approved by the Court (the "Net Settlement Fund") should be approved as fair and reasonable; and (v) whether Lead Counsel's application for attorneys' fees and reimbursement of Litigation Expenses should be approved by the Court. The Court may change the date of the Final Approval Hearing without providing another notice. You do NOT need to attend the Final Approval Hearing in order to receive a distribution from the Gianniotis Net Settlement Fund and/or the Melissanidis Net Settlement Fund.
You may be a member of the Settlement Class if you purchased or acquired Aegean Securities between February 27, 2014 And November 5, 2018. If you are a Settlement Class Member, you may seek to participate to share in the Individual Defendants Settlements by submitting a Proof of Claim and Release Form ("Claim Form") to the Claims Administrator at the address below. If you are a Settlement Class Member but do not file a Claim Form, you will still be bound by the releases set forth in the Gianniotis Stipulation if the Court enters an order approving the Gianniotis Settlement and/or the releases set forth in the Melissanidis Stipulation if the Court enters an order approving the Melissanidis Settlement.
ANY CLAIM FORMS ALREADY SUBMITTED IN THE AUDITOR SETTLEMENTS WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY CONSIDERED FOR RECOVERY IN THE INDIVIDUAL DEFENDANTS SETTLEMENTS AND DO NOT NEED TO BE RE-SUBMITTED. The full notice, entitled the Notice of (I) Pendency of Class Action and Proposed Individual Defendants Settlements; and (II) Final Approval Hearing For The Individual Defendants Settlements, The Individual Defendants Plan of Allocation and Motion For Approval of Attorneys' Fees and Reimbursement of Litigation Expenses ("Detailed Notice"), and the Claim Form, are each available on the Settlement Website www.aegeansecuritieslitigation.com, or by contacting the Claims Administrator:
In re Aegean Marine Petroleum Network, Inc. Securities Litigation
Claims Administrator
c/o A.B. Data, Ltd.
P.O. Box 173088
Milwaukee, WI 53217
1-877-888-9760 (Toll-Free)
Please refer to the Settlement Website for more detailed information and to review the documents pertaining to the proposed Individual Defendants Settlements. Inquiries may also be made to Lead Counsel:
Nicole Lavallee
BERMAN TABACCO
425 California Street, Ste. 2300
San Francisco, CA 94104
Telephone: (415) 433-3200
law@bermantabacco.com
If you are a potential Settlement Class Member, but wish to exclude yourself from the Settlement Class, you must submit a written request for exclusion in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Detailed Notice, which can also be found on the Settlement Website, postmarked no later than September 28, 2023. If you are a potential Settlement Class Member and do not timely exclude yourself from the Settlement Class, you will be bound by any judgments or orders entered by the Court in the Action. Note: The deadline to submit a request for exclusion to the Auditor Settlements has passed. Any new requests for exclusion will only apply to the Individual Defendants Settlements.
Any objections to the proposed Individual Defendants Settlements, the Individual Defendants Plan of Allocation, and/or Lead Counsel's application for attorneys' fees and reimbursement of Litigation Expenses must be submitted to the Court in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Detailed Notice, received no later than September 28, 2023 and filed with the Court no later than September 28, 2023. Note: The deadline to object to the Auditor Settlements has passed. Any new objections will only apply to Gianniotis's or Melissanidis's Settlements.
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SOURCE Berman Tabacco | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/06/19/berman-tabacco-announces-pendency-class-action-all-those-who-purchased-or-otherwise-acquired-aegean-marine-petroleum-network-inc-securities-or-sold-aegean-put-options-between-february-27-2014-through-november-5-2018-inclusive/ | 2023-06-19 15:15:10 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/06/19/berman-tabacco-announces-pendency-class-action-all-those-who-purchased-or-otherwise-acquired-aegean-marine-petroleum-network-inc-securities-or-sold-aegean-put-options-between-february-27-2014-through-november-5-2018-inclusive/ |
Police search for naked man breaking into Ga. houses: ‘This case is no laughing matter’
METTER, Ga. (WTOC/Gray News) - Police in a Georgia city are trying to find a man they say is entering houses in the middle of the night naked, calling it a crime streak like nothing they’ve ever had.
Police say for the second straight weekend, a man has broken into homes around Metter, Georgia, with his face covered and nothing else. Security cameras at several homes captured video of the man approaching or leaving a house.
Metter Police Chief Robert Shore told WTOC that the break-ins involved very little breaking and that the suspect steals little or nothing from the homes he enters.
“He’s found things that allowed him access to the house. He’s looking for windows, looking for keys, looking for open doors,” Shore said.
Shore is urging people to lock their doors at night, even if they’re home, and hide any spare keys kept outside. He says this case is no laughing matter.
“It’s hard to know if you’re dealing with mental illness. Are you dealing with some kind of substance abuse?” he said.
Shore says the burglar has walked in on homeowners twice and taken off running when confronted. He worries what could happen the next time.
He urges anyone who finds an indication that somebody’s been inside their house to contact Metter Police as soon as possible.
Copyright 2023 WTOC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kait8.com/2023/04/11/police-search-naked-man-breaking-into-ga-houses-this-case-is-no-laughing-matter/ | 2023-04-11 09:53:20 | 1 | https://www.kait8.com/2023/04/11/police-search-naked-man-breaking-into-ga-houses-this-case-is-no-laughing-matter/ |
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — Blake Hayes has been waking up thousand of Mainers on Coast 93.1 for the last eight years.
"The Blake Show with Kelly and Todd" is packed with everything you expect of your typical drive-to-work radio show—but it's real. Part of that reality is Hayes unabashedly sharing the fact he is gay.
"I was on the air in Boston at a radio station I worked at when I was in college and I remember the first time I said the phrase 'I'm gay,'" Hayes said.
A lot has changed for Hayes since then. He is now the voice and the brand of one of Maine's largest radio stations.
But even with all the pressure that comes with the job, and being a host-turned-role-model, he said he has surprisingly received little pushback over the years.
"I have to say, and props to Maine, I have gotten one letter in the entire time I've been here that said, 'Why do you have to push it so much?'" Hayes said. "I'm just talking about life in the same way that you talk about your husband. Is that pushing an agenda on me? No. I'm just talking about love."
The positivity that has come out of that level of honesty with his listeners has been priceless. Hayes recounted countless stories of parents, kids and total strangers reaching out to thank him.
"For some reason that phrase [I'm gay] has so much more weight to it," he said. "That's a point you get to in the coming out process."
The hardest thing for him to share was just three years ago, when his partner Kyle died suddenly from a rare heart condition.
After some time off the air to process the loss, he ultimately found comfort where he always has: in front of the microphone.
"I came back because, in some ways, the radio has always been a safe space," Hayes said.
The outpouring of support he received from listeners, he said, solidified the importance of being fully authentic and honest personally and professionally.
Hayes is quick to point out the success he has had is in large part thanks to all the LGBTQ+ broadcasters who came before him.
"It's because of the other out gay people that I got to this comfort level," Hayes said. "Being on the radio I feel it's important for me to pay it forward. It's getting easier, but we're not there yet."
If you or someone you love is struggling with their gender identity or sexual orientation, there are resources in Maine. You can find a full list at EqualityMaine.org.
June is Pride Month! There are events happening across at least 16 Maine communities. Click here for more details. | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/life/faces-of-pride-blake-hayes-lives-his-truth-out-loud-over-the-airwaves-radio-pride-month/97-2bfa0335-1cb0-40fc-8964-8124880d8abc | 2022-06-17 00:06:46 | 0 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/life/faces-of-pride-blake-hayes-lives-his-truth-out-loud-over-the-airwaves-radio-pride-month/97-2bfa0335-1cb0-40fc-8964-8124880d8abc |
Largest catch in years will deliver the premium taste experience that consumers and chefs adore
BRISTOL BAY, Alaska, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- From the pristine waters of Bristol Bay, the harvest of sockeye salmon, a legendary culinary experience, is set to break records. Consumers and chefs can't wait for July when the opportunity to enjoy this memorable fish comes once again.
The Alaska Department of Fish & Game is predicting that over 75 million sockeye will return to Bristol Bay this summer, topping the largest salmon run on record. Bristol Bay is a world-renowned, thriving, and vast ecosystem that is home to thousands of fishermen, six major river systems, and millions of salmon. Alaska is known for its commitment to sustainably managed salmon runs; the fish are a vital link to the state's past and a key to its future.
"Salmon is more than a delicious and nutritious source of protein," said Lilani Dunn, Marketing Director of Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon. "It is also part of the fabric of life, an essential livelihood, and the foundation of health for Bristol Bay fishermen. This abundant and record-setting harvest is the result of careful attention to sustainable fishing practices. And we are honored to share it with the world."
The record Bristol Bay salmon run reaches retailers and restaurants across the U.S. just as Americans are increasing their love of seafood, recognizing its unmatched culinary versatility and health benefits. Additionally, consumers increased their consumption of seafood during the pandemic as families expanded their home menus and tried new seafood recipes. Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon has provided inspiration with an enticing collection of recipes that will excite families and guests all summer long.
Retailers and food service providers across the country are taking advantage of this record salmon run and will be promoting Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon throughout the month of July and depending on run timing, into August. Participating retailers include Wegmans, Whole Foods, Publix, Harris Teeter, Raley's, Hy-Vee, Heinen's, Dierbergs Markets, H-E-B, Zucker's Bagels, King Soopers, Rosauers, New Seasons, and QFC. Find Bristol Bay Salmon near you here: find.bristolbaysockeye.org.
"We are excited to have such a fabulous group of retailers to introduce even more consumers to the wonderful taste and unmatched health benefits of sockeye salmon from Bristol Bay," added Dunn.
To learn more about the Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon visit bristolbaysockeye.org. The brand is managed and funded by the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association.
About BBRSDA
The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association is a fishermen funded group with the mission to increase the value of the Bristol Bay fishery through education, quality outreach, and marketing. Learn more at bbrsda.com.
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SOURCE Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA) | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/06/29/bristol-bay-sockeye-run-set-shatter-records/ | 2022-06-29 12:51:43 | 0 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/06/29/bristol-bay-sockeye-run-set-shatter-records/ |
WASHINGTON CROSSING, Pa. (AP) — A sudden flash flood swamped a southeastern Pennsylvania road, sweeping several cars away and claiming at least four lives. Three other people, including a 9-month-old boy and a 2-year-old girl, remained missing, authorities said.
Officials in Bucks County’s Upper Makefield Township said torrential rains occurred at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday in the Washington Crossing area. Other parts of the East Coast were experiencing heavy rain, including Vermont. Authorities there said landslides could become a problem on Sunday as the state copes with more rain following days of flooding.
“My team and I continue to monitor the situation as more rain falls in Vermont. There are flash flood warnings throughout the state today. Remain vigilant and be prepared,” Gov. Phil Scott said.
Sunday’s strong storms led to hundreds of flight cancellations at airports in the New York City area, according to the tracking service FlightAware. More than 300 flights were canceled at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey alone, while more than 160 flights were canceled at Kennedy International Airport in New York. Hundreds of flights were also delayed.
The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings and tornado watches for parts of Connecticut, western Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire. A tornado warning was issued for an area along the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border.
Thousands of power outages also were reported in the region.
Flooding forced Tweed New Haven Airport in Connecticut to close its terminal Sunday. The small airport, which offers daily commercial flights from one carrier, Avelo Airlines, said in a Twitter post that the terminal was closed until further notice. Several flights were reported delayed. Flash flooding was reported in New Haven, with several roads deemed impassable, according to the National Weather Service.
In Pennsylvania, meanwhile, a sudden, torrential downpour turned deadly in Upper Makefield Township.
Fire Chief Tim Brewer told reporters that the area got about 6 1/2 to seven inches of rain (about 18 centimeters) in 45 minutes.
“In my 44 years, I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said. “When the water came up, it came up very swiftly. We do not think that anybody drove into it, that they were actively on that road when it happened.”
There were about 11 cars on the road at the time, and three were swept away. There was about four to five feet of water over the road, he said. The bodies of four people had been recovered and three people — a woman and the two children — remained missing as of midday Sunday, Brewer said.
Brewer declined to identify the relationships of the victims but said “one family has been severely affected.”
Eight people were rescued from the cars and two from the creek, he said.
All three vehicles swept away were later located, and no one was found inside. One was about 1.5 miles from where it entered the creek.
“We are treating this as a rescue but we are fairly certain we are in a recovery mode at this time,” Brewer said.
About 150 people were searching the creek during the night and 100 were involved Sunday morning, walking along the creek, he said.
Meanwhile, recovery efforts were underway in Vermont from recent days of heavy precipitation.
The Vermont Agency of Transportation said 12 state roads remained closed while 12 were partially open to one lane of traffic and 87 have been reopened that were previously closed.
The agency said 211 bridge inspections have been completed this week in damaged areas and there are 4 state bridges closed and 4 town structures currently closed.
Rail lines throughout Vermont were also damaged by the rain and flooding, the transportation agency said. The agency said it reopened 57 miles (about 92 kilometers) of rail lines, and 64 miles of rail line remains closed.
“Our crews have been working tirelessly all week to repair the damaged state roads and bridges, and to restore the state’s transportation infrastructure for Vermonters and visitors to our state,” said Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn. | https://www.cenlanow.com/news/flash-flood-on-a-pennsylvania-road-claims-4-lives-3-others-including-a-baby-are-missing/ | 2023-07-17 19:06:03 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/news/flash-flood-on-a-pennsylvania-road-claims-4-lives-3-others-including-a-baby-are-missing/ |
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz announces that investors with substantial losses have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit against Bird Global, Inc. f/k/a Switchback II Corporation ("Bird" or the "Company") (NYSE: BRDS).
Class Period: May 14, 2021 – November 14, 2022
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: January 17, 2023
If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.
The complaint filed alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Bird was improperly recording Sharing Revenue for certain trips by its customers where collection was not probable; (2) as such, Bird overstated its Sharing Revenue for the relevant quarters and fiscal year during the Class Period; (3) Bird failed to disclose that its internal controls were not effective as they relate to calculating Sharing Revenue recognition; (4) as a result, Bird would need to restate its previously disclosed Sharing Revenue; and (5) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
Follow us for updates on Twitter: twitter.com/FRC_LAW.
To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to the pending class action lawsuit, please contact Frank R. Cruz, of The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, 1999 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-914-5007, by email to info@frankcruzlaw.com, or visit our website at www.frankcruzlaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.
Contacts
The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, Los Angeles
Frank R. Cruz, 310-914-5007
fcruz@frankcruzlaw.com
www.frankcruzlaw.com
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SOURCE The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, Los Angeles | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/12/07/brds-investors-have-opportunity-lead-bird-global-inc-fka-switchback-ii-corporation-securities-fraud-lawsuit/ | 2022-12-07 19:14:35 | 0 | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/12/07/brds-investors-have-opportunity-lead-bird-global-inc-fka-switchback-ii-corporation-securities-fraud-lawsuit/ |
Lando Norris may drive a McLaren Formula 1 race car for a work, but when it comes time to cool off he now has a customized McLaren road car at his disposal.
The car in question is a McLaren 765LT Spider, which made its debut in mid-2021 and is limited to 765 examples worldwide.
Norris, who has driven for McLaren since the 2019 season and is currently 10th in the 2023 Drivers’ Championship, commissioned his 765LT Spider 18 months ago and recently took time out from his busy schedule to visit the factory of the McLaren Automotive road car division and personally take delivery of his build.
Norris helped design the look of the car together with McLaren’s MSO personalization department. In a video posted on Monday to McLaren Automotive’s YouTube channel, Norris is shown as he visits the factory and sees the car for the first time.
His specification features blue-tinted carbon fiber for the exterior in combination with yellow accents that match the yellow color used on his racing helmets throughout his career. Some of the yellow accents form a logo comprised of four dashes, a nod to Norris’ racing number.
While not as fast as his F1 race car, the 765LT Spider still dishes out plenty of speed. The car is the more extreme version of the 720S Spider, with its turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 rated at 755 hp, or 45 hp more than the standard car. Performance claims include a 0-60 mph time of 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 205 mph.
The LT in the name, while originally signalling the Long Tail version of McLaren’s F1 GTR race car, is now used for hardcore versions of McLaren’s road cars. In the case of the 765LT, the car’s extra length over the 720S actually comes from an extended front splitter as opposed to a stretched rear. The splitter adds 57 mm to the overall length. McLaren also increased the track width at the front by 6 mm and lowered the front ride height by 5 mm.
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- McLaren confirms next-gen V-8 for future hybrid supercars | https://www.wfla.com/automotive/internet-brands/f1-driver-lando-norris-takes-delivery-of-bespoke-mclaren-supercar/ | 2023-05-16 18:34:49 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/automotive/internet-brands/f1-driver-lando-norris-takes-delivery-of-bespoke-mclaren-supercar/ |
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs will cut ties with right fielder Jason Heyward after this season, ending one of baseball’s most expensive and unproductive free-agent signings with a year left on his contract.
“We’re not going have him with the team next year,” Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer said Monday. “We’ve already talked to him about that. We want to give him the full offseason to find an opportunity. For us, given where we are as a group and where we’re likely going to be in the corner outfield next year, with Seiya (Suzuki) in (right field), we’re going to move in a different direction.”
Heyward, who turns 33 on Tuesday, signed a $184 million, eight-year contract before the 2016 season but has batted only .245 with 62 home runs in seven seasons with the Cubs.
He famously rallied teammates with an inspirational pep talk during a rain delay late in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series in Cleveland. Chicago went on to win 8-7 in 10 innings, ending a championship drought that dated back to 1908.
Heyward is hitting .204 with one home run and 10 RBIs in 137 at-bats this season. He’s been on the 10-day injured list since June 27 because of right knee inflammation.
After releasing Heyward this winter, the Cubs will still owe him $22 million for the final year of his contract. Once he clears waivers, any team can sign him at the minimum major league salary.
“I think he’s a great sounding board for the guys, but Jason and I have talked about where things are going in the future,” Hoyer said. “For next year, we’re not going to have him as part of the team. We’ll go our separate directions at the end of the year and give him a chance to have that full offseason to find a job.”
Heyward was a regular on the 2016 Cubs team that won the World Series and was praised for that famous speech to teammates during Game 7.
He won Gold Glove awards in 2016 and 2017 for his defensive excellence in right field, but his offensive production has steadily dipped. That regression, combined with the addition of younger corner outfielders, put Heyward’s future with the Cubs in doubt.
“He doesn’t like it but understands where we are,” said Hoyer, who indicated Heyward wants to play.
In other news, the Cubs claimed outfielder Franmil Reyes off waivers from Cleveland. Reyes batted .213 with nine homers, 28 RBIs and a .603 OPS in 70 games with the Guardians this season. He struck out 104 times in 263 at-bats.
The 27-year-old Reyes is a .253 career hitter with 101 home runs and a .793 OPS in five major league seasons.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wfla.com/sports/ap-sports/cubs-to-cut-of-jason-heyward-after-the-season/ | 2022-08-09 18:08:40 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/sports/ap-sports/cubs-to-cut-of-jason-heyward-after-the-season/ |
U.S. consumer confidence jumps to a two-year high as inflation eases
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer confidence shot to the highest level in two years this month as inflationary pressures eased and the American economy continued to show resilience in the face of dramatically higher interest rates.
The Conference Board, a business research group, said its consumer confidence index rose to 117 in July from a revised 110.1 in June. The gauge beat the 110.5 that economists had expected and was the highest since July 2021.
The index measures both Americans’ assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months. Both improved in July. The future expectations index rose to 88.3 in July, clearing the recession threshold of 80 recorded in June.
Economists closely monitor Americans’ spirits because consumer spending accounts for around 70% of U.S. economic activity. The Conference Board index fell more or less steadily from mid-2021 to mid-2022 as surging prices ate into household budgets.
But confidence has come back, in fits and starts, over the past year as inflation eased in the face of 10 interest-rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. Fed policymakers are expected to raise their benchmark rate again Wednesday to the highest level in 22 years.
The U.S. economy — the world’s largest — has proved surprisingly resilient in the face of sharply higher borrowing costs. Employers are adding a strong 278,000 jobs a month so far this year; and at 3.6% in June, the unemployment rate is not far off a half-century low.
Tumbling inflation and sturdy hiring have raised hopes the Fed just might pull off a so-called soft landing — slowing the economy just enough to tame inflation without tipping the United States into recession.
“Expectations for the next six months improved materially, reflecting greater confidence about future business conditions and job availability,’’ said Dana Peterson, the Conference Board’s chief economist. “This likely reveals consumers’ belief that labor market conditions will remain favorable.’’
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/25/us-consumer-confidence-jumps-two-year-high-inflation-eases/ | 2023-07-25 15:34:11 | 0 | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/25/us-consumer-confidence-jumps-two-year-high-inflation-eases/ |
BEIJING, Oct. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sinopec Southwest Oil & Gas Company of China Petroleum ("Sinopec Southwest") & Chemical Corporation (HKG: 0386, "Sinopec") has discovered new shale gas reserves in the Jinshi 103HF exploratory well deployed in the Sichuan Basin. With a daily natural gas production reaching 258,600 cubic meters and an evaluated resource capacity of 387.8 billion cubic meters, it is a major breakthrough for China's shale gas exploration, and the first discovery in the Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation. The find has significantly expanded shale gas reserves and will further promote shale gas exploration and production in the Sichuan Basin.
The Sichuan Basin is composed of two main formations, the Longmaxi and Qiongzhusi. The former has seen significant exploration and production including China's first deep shale gas field, Weirong, while Qiongzhusi boasts the most potential for future exploration. The breakthrough will provide a strong impetus for expanding shale gas exploration and development from the single formation to reach new formations and field types, and contribute to build a national natural gas (shale gas) reserve with 100 billion cubic meters of capacity in the Sichuan and Chongqing region.
Sinopec Southwest has shifted from the traditional method of seeking shale gas in organic rich black shale and established new evaluation standards for the Cambrian shale beds, which led to the discovery of the silty shale gas exploration target layer. Faced by the challenges of the thin shale layer, large longitudinal stress difference and difficulty in scaled transformation, the company has implemented a new fracturing process and fracturing fluid system to achieve multi-stage fracturing transformation.
In the past decade, Sinopec Southwest has advanced oil and gas exploration and development, with major achievements including the completion of the world's first ultra-deep, high-sulfur reef gas field, the Yuanba gas field, and the identification of China's first deep shale gas field, Weirong shale gas field. The company has implemented new reserves of the scale of over 100 billion cubic meters, including Hexingchang Xujiahe, Yongchuan Longmaxi and Jingyan Qiongzhusi formations. Its annual natural gas production has increased from 2.82 billion cubic meters in 2012 to 8.001 billion cubic meters in 2021, with a cumulative production of 52.95 billion cubic meters, which makes the subsidiary the largest natural gas producer in the Sinopec Group.
For more information, please visit Sinopec.
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SOURCE SINOPEC | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2022/10/24/sinopec-announces-major-discovery-shale-gas-sichuan-basin-first-breakthrough-cambrian-qiongzhusi-formation/ | 2022-10-24 11:46:35 | 1 | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2022/10/24/sinopec-announces-major-discovery-shale-gas-sichuan-basin-first-breakthrough-cambrian-qiongzhusi-formation/ |
Extensive Experience in All Facets of Governance for Private and Public Companies Sets Cole Up for Success in Chairing 'The Board Of Boards'
WASHINGTON, May 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), the authority on boardroom practices representing more than 23,000 board members, today announced that Sue W. Cole has been elected chair of the NACD board of directors, effective May 25, 2022. She succeeds William "Bill" McCracken, a past CEO and board chair of CA Technologies, who was chair of the NACD Board.
Cole is the founder and managing partner of SAGE Leadership & Strategy LLC, a boutique consultancy firm advising family and other private businesses as well as large nonprofits on strategy, leadership development, and governance. She has more than 35 years of experience in the financial sector, including corporate lending and wealth management. Before founding SAGE, Cole was a principal at Granville Capital Inc., mid-Atlantic regional CEO for US Trust Co., president of North Carolina Trust Co., and senior vice president at North Carolina National Bank. She earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and an MBA in finance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
A member of NACD's board of directors for the past seven years, Cole also serves as cochair of the NACD Future of the American Boardroom Commission and is a founding director and past president of the NACD Carolinas Chapter. Cole has chaired the nominating and governance committee of Martin Marietta Materials Inc. twice; she has also chaired the compensation and management development committee. In addition, Cole has led the boards of Biscuitville Inc., Greensboro Science Center, United Way of Greater Greensboro, and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, among other board appointments.
"You'd be hard pressed to find a corporate leader as well versed in all aspects of governance and finance as Sue is," said Peter R. Gleason, NACD president and CEO. "The culmination of all of her experience—from nonprofits to Fortune 500 companies, and from senior management to strategic board leadership—is what will make her shine in this role leading our board of directors."
Cole added, "I am eager to continue the path of excellence that Bill McCracken has led us on for the past several years, striving to make the NACD board the gold standard for all boards. I also look forward to taking the organization to the next level at this pivotal moment, with initiatives including NACD Accelerate™ and NACD Directorship Certification® being excellent examples of innovative ways we are transforming for the better."
About NACD
For more than 40 years, NACD has been on the leading edge of corporate governance, setting standards of excellence that have elevated board performance. NACD arms today's directors with insights and education that drive their mission forward, while preparing a new generation of boardroom leaders to meet tomorrow's biggest challenges. NACD is a community of more than 23,000 directors driven by a common purpose: to be trusted catalysts of economic opportunity and positive change—in businesses and in the communities they serve. To learn more about NACD, visit www.nacdonline.org.
Contact:
Shannon Bernauer
sbernauer@nacdonline.org
Susan Oliver
soliver@nacdonline.org
703-216-4078
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SOURCE National Association of Corporate Directors | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2022/05/25/sue-w-cole-founder-managing-partner-sage-leadership-amp-strategy-elected-incoming-chair-nacd-board-directors/ | 2022-05-25 17:03:17 | 0 | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2022/05/25/sue-w-cole-founder-managing-partner-sage-leadership-amp-strategy-elected-incoming-chair-nacd-board-directors/ |
Former President Trump’s call for Congress to defund the Department of Justice and the FBI in response to growing legal pressure creates a new headache for Republican leaders on Capitol Hill and may undercut their message that Republicans are tough on crime.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) has championed the message this year that the Biden administration and Democrats around the country are weak on crime but now he’s faced with Trump supporters in the House threatening to cut funding for the nation’s top law enforcement agencies.
One such Trump ally is House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) who on Sunday endorsed the idea of cutting money for the Justice Department and FBI.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who relied on Jordan’s support to win the Speaker’s gavel after 15 ballots, is giving his chairman plenty of space to pressure federal prosecutors and investigators to back off Trump.
While McConnell has chastised the Justice Department and FBI for “harassing” conservatives, such as parents who complain at local school board meetings, embracing the idea of cutting federal law enforcement money amid what many Republicans say is a national crime wave is politically dangerous, experts and strategists say.
“Trump is creating problems for Republicans everywhere,” said Steven S. Smith, a professor of political science at Washington University in St. Louis. “It’s almost impossible to see anything good from this kind of comment coming for the Republicans.
“The idea that they would get on the opposite side of law enforcement agencies from where they have traditionally been is only going to make them look radical and foolish in the eyes of many of the voters they absolutely need: suburbanites and exurban voters who are already showing disdain for Trump-supporting Republicans,” he added. “Trump’s comments make it more difficult for Republicans who are tying their political future to him.”
Trump on Wednesday declared that “Republicans in Congress should defund the DOJ and FBI until they come to their senses” in apparent response to the Justice Department’s investigation of whether he incited the Jan 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and his handling of classified documents at his personal residence.
He made the comment on his social media platform Truth Social.
A Senate Republican aide later on Wednesday said that idea won’t get any traction in the Senate, where Republicans control 49 seats.
“I understand the former president is frustrated, but that’s not going to happen,” the source said, knocking down the idea that Republican senators would support using the annual appropriations for the Justice Department and FBI as leverage.
This is becoming a point of tension with House Republicans, who say they are ready to use their power of the purse to protect Trump.
“We control the power of the purse, and that’s, we’re gonna have to look at the appropriations process and limit funds going to some of these agencies, particularly the ones who are engaging in the most egregious behavior,” Jordan told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo in an interview Sunday.
When Bartiromo asked if he meant the Justice Department and FBI, Jordan responded: “Yeah.”
McCarthy has already given Jordan a green light to scrutinize federal funding for Bragg and other prosecutors investigating Trump.
“I’m directing relevant committees to immediately investigate if federal funds are being used to subvert our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions,” he wrote in a March 18 tweet pinned to the top of his Twitter account.
Some Republican strategists say Trump may have an argument to make that the federal prosecutors are treating him unfairly but warn that putting pressure on allies in Congress to defund the Justice Department and FBI is going too far.
“Just because Democrats want to defund police, I don’t think it’s smart politically or as a policy to say, ‘Well, we should defund the FBI,’” said Matt Dole, an Ohio-based Republican strategist.
“If we find that the FBI has acted wrongly, then they should be held to account and we should make sure that can’t happen again. Does that mean defunding? I don’t believe it does,” he added.
Whit Ayres, a prominent Republican strategist, pointed out the Justice Department and FBI had nothing to do with Trump’s arraignment on 34 felony counts in a New York City courthouse Tuesday.
“The Department of Justice had nothing to do with this case, the FBI had nothing to do with this case but we’re supposed to defund two entities that had nothing to do with the case. Does that really make any sense to anyone?” he said, referring to the case Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg brought against Trump Tuesday.
The former president suffered another legal setback Tuesday when the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows and other senior Trump White House officials to cooperate with the Justice Department’s Jan. 6 investigation.
The appellate court agreed with a district court decision rejecting Trump’s claims of executive privilege.
“The Democrats have totally weaponized law enforcement in our country and are viciously using this abuse of power to interfere with our already under siege election!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
Republicans last year bombarded Democratic candidates in Senate battlegrounds such as Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and North Carolina with ads attacking them for being soft on crime and they regularly accuse Democrats of wanting to defund the police.
Trump’s call to defund the nation’s top federal law enforcement agencies now muddies that message.
“Donald Trump continues to show that everything he does, everything he says turns off middle-of-the-road swing voters and frankly a lot of moderate Republicans. What he does do is gin up his base who are absolutely convinced that every institution in this country is somehow spying on him,” said Morgan Jackson, a Democratic strategist based in North Carolina.
He said Trump’s calls to defend the Department of Justice and FBI are “incredibly problematic for Republicans who want to say that they’re strong on crime or accuse Democrats of being weak on crime.”
“I think it creates a real problem for Republicans and Republican candidates,” he said. “We saw this in 2022. It breeds the kind of Republican candidates that run for office that win these primaries and can’t win a general election.
“It puts Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy and every swing seat in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House in a position where Trump is the story all day, every day, whatever he says. That’s a bad thing for Republicans and a great thing for Democrats,” he argued. | https://www.cbs42.com/hill-politics/trumps-call-to-defund-doj-fbi-puts-senate-house-gop-at-odds/ | 2023-04-06 12:11:50 | 1 | https://www.cbs42.com/hill-politics/trumps-call-to-defund-doj-fbi-puts-senate-house-gop-at-odds/ |
Actor Alan Alda held onto a pair of boots and dog tags he wore on the hit TV series “M*A*S*H” for 40 years. These treasured items are now up for auction for a good cause.
The 89-year-old Alda played Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce for 11 seasons on the groundbreaking show that told the stories of a group of Korean War doctors and nurses. Every day, as part of his costume, he pulled on a pair of combat boots and slipped on the metal dog tags to transform into the sarcastic, talented Hawkeye.
“I put these boots on every day that we shot MASH for eleven years. And the dog tags, too,” Alda wrote in a signed letter of provenance included with the items. “And every time my foot found its way into one of the boots, or the necklace of tags went over my head, I remembered: Someone had worn these once in a real war.”
The boots have “Hawkeye” written inside, and the dog tags have the names of two real soldiers.
In an interview with Heritage Auctions, Alda talked about how wearing items that actual soldiers wore (instead of his character’s name) helped him connect with his character and the legacy of the people who wore the boots and tags before him.
“They were scuffed up when we started,” he said in the interview. “And the feel of the leather on my foot, the comfort of being in the shoe, did something. I don’t know. It’s a mysterious thing. But it makes you feel more at home in the character.”
Alda kept the items in a box in the closet for 40 years. After all that time, he realized these cherished items needed to rejoin the world and decided to auction them to support his charity.
“They could come to life again and be used to help the Center of Communicating Science,” he told Heritage Auctions. “Because probably somebody would be interested in having a memento of the show.”
You can watch the interview below:
The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University in New York has become the actor’s passion project in recent years. The nonprofit center works with scientists and doctors worldwide to help improve their communication with the general public.
Heritage Auction will accept online bids for the boots and dog tags until July 28. As of this story’s publication, the current high bid is $14,500.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Check out Simplemost for additional stories. | https://www.lex18.com/alan-aldas-mash-boots-and-dog-tags-going-up-for-auction | 2023-07-07 17:19:17 | 1 | https://www.lex18.com/alan-aldas-mash-boots-and-dog-tags-going-up-for-auction |
Three people who were once close to Johnny Depp on Thursday charted the actor's rise and fall from "the biggest movie star in the world" to a man who struggled with drugs, money and the ability to show up at movie sets on time.
Testifying at the behest of attorneys representing Depp's ex-wife Amber Heard were a longtime agent, a former business manager and a friend of Depp's for nearly four decades.
Tracey Jacobs, who served as the actor's agent for about 30 years, said Depp was "showing up late to set consistently on virtually every movie" during their final years working together.
"I was very honest with him and said, 'You've got to stop doing this – this is hurting you,'" Jacobs said during a previously recorded deposition that was played in court Thursday. "And it did."
The testimony served to push back against Depp's libel lawsuit against Heard. Depp claims that a 2018 op-ed piece Heard wrote in The Washington Post unfairly portrayed him as a domestic abuser and cost him a lucrative Hollywood career that included the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie franchise.
Heard's attorneys argue that Depp's professional undoing was the result of his own bad behavior.
Depp says he never struck Heard and that he was the victim of abuse inflicted by her. Heard's attorneys say Depp did physically and sexually assault her, and that his denials of abuse lack credibility because he frequently drank and used drugs to the point of blacking out.
Jacobs said Depp was an extraordinary talent who went on to become "the biggest movie star in the world." But his behavior in the years before he fired her in 2016 became increasingly unprofessional, while his drug and alcohol use increased, Jacobs said.
"And it also got around town," Jacobs said. "I mean, people talk, it's a small community. And it made people reluctant to use him."
Joel Mandel, Depp's former business manager, testified in a previously recorded deposition that the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films had "catapulted him into an entirely different level of success."
"It meant more employees," Mandel said. "It meant buying additional property. ... It meant a bigger life and a more expensive one."
Things began to change around 2010, and it "became clear over time that there were issues with alcohol and drugs," Mandel said. "And that translated into more erratic behavior, more stressful behavior, more times when it was difficult to engage in the kinds of conversations I needed to do my job."
At one point, Depp was spending around $100,000 a month for a doctor and staff to help him get sober, Mandel said. At another, he was spending $300,000 a month on full-time staff, he said. And he said there also were times when Depp spent thousands of dollars a month on prescription drugs.
"The spending levels had grown very, very, very large and required that level of incredibly high income to be maintained," Mandel said. "And when it dropped off, the disconnect became untenable."
Mandel said he became extremely worried about Depp's finances in 2015, but that Depp met those concerns with anger. He said the actor fired him in 2016.
Bruce Witkin, a musician who was friends with Depp for nearly 40 years, testified in a previously recorded deposition that Depp could become jealous in his romantic relationships.
That jealousy was demonstrated with Heard when she would be off filming a movie "or doing something that he couldn't be around to see what was going in," Witkin said. "I think he would work himself up."
Witkin said he once saw bruises on Heard's arm when he and Depp were working on a documentary about Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. And he saw Depp with a "fat lip" one time. But Witkin said he never saw Depp or Heard physically abuse each other.
Witkin said he tried to help Depp with his substance abuse and had set him up with a therapist.
"He'd say, 'I'll be all right. I'll be all right,'" Witkin said, recalling a conversation. "Well, you're not all right."
Depp's sister, Christi Dembrowski, was always concerned with his well-being, both in terms of his substance abuse and generally, Witkin said.
"Everybody, I think, deep down inside was, but ... the people on the payroll won't really say much. They'll try but they don't want to lose their job," Witkin said. "I'm not saying they all fall into the category. But it's a strange thing around people like him. Everybody wants something."
Witkin said his friendship with Depp began to dissolve toward the end of 2017, when the actor started to pull away.
"He wrote me this weird text saying I stabbed him in the back and badmouthed him," Witkin said. "And I'm like, 'What are you talking about?' And he wouldn't explain it. And I pretty much haven't seen him since 2018."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wvasfm.org/arts/arts/2022-05-19/johnny-depps-former-business-manager-and-others-chart-the-actors-rise-and-fall | 2022-05-19 20:26:08 | 1 | https://www.wvasfm.org/arts/arts/2022-05-19/johnny-depps-former-business-manager-and-others-chart-the-actors-rise-and-fall |
Facebook is letting violent hate speech slip through its controls in Kenya as it has in other countries, according to a new report from the nonprofit groups Global Witness and Foxglove.
It is the third such test of Facebook's ability to detect hateful language — either via artificial intelligence or human moderators — that the groups have run, and that the company has failed.
The ads, which the groups submitted both in English and in Swahili, spoke of beheadings, rape and bloodshed. They compared people to donkeys and goats. Some also included profanity and grammatical errors. The Swahili language ads easily made it through Facebook's detection systems and were approved for publication.
As for the English ads, some were rejected at first, but only because they contained profanities and mistakes in addition to hate speech. Once the profanities were removed and grammar errors fixed, however, the ads — still calling for killings and containing obvious hate speech — went through without a hitch.
“We were surprised to see that our ads had for the first time been flagged, but they hadn’t been flagged for the much more important reasons that we expected them to be," said Nienke Palstra, senior campaigner at London-based Global Witness.
The ads were never posted to Facebook. But the fact that they easily could have been shows that despite repeated assurances that it would do better, Facebook parent Meta still appears to regularly fail to detect hate speech and calls for violence on its platform.
Representatives for Meta did not immediately respond to a message for comment on Tuesday. Global Witness said it reached out to Meta after its ads were accepted for publication and did not receive a response.
Each time Global Witness has submitted ads with blatant hate speech to see if Facebook’s systems would catch it, the company failed to do so. In Myanmar, one of the ads used a slur to refer to people of east Indian or Muslim origin and call for their killing. In Ethiopia, the ads used dehumanizing hate speech to call for the murder of people belonging to each of Ethiopia’s three main ethnic groups — the Amhara, the Oromo and the Tigrayans.
Why ads and not regular posts? That's because Meta claims to hold advertisements to an “even stricter” standard than regular, unpaid posts, according to its help center page for paid advertisements.
Meta has consistently refused to say how many content moderators it has in countries where English is not the primary language. This includes moderators in Kenya, Myanmar and other regions where material posted on the company’s platforms has been linked to real-world violence.
Kenya is readying for a national election in August. On July 20, Meta posted a detailed blog post on how it is preparing for the country's election, including establishing an “operations center” and removing harmful content.
“In the six months leading up to April 30, 2022, we took action on more than 37,000 pieces of content for violating our Hate Speech policies on Facebook and Instagram in Kenya. During that same period, we also took action on more than 42,000 pieces of content that violated our Violence & Incitement policies," wrote Mercy Ndegwa, director of public policy in East & Horn of Africa.
Global Witness said it resubmitted two of its ads, one in English and one in Swahili, after Meta published its blog post to see if anything has changed. Once again, the ads went through.
“If you’re not catching these 20 ads, this 37,000 number that you are celebrating, that is probably the tip of the iceberg. You have to think that there’s a lot that’s (slipping through) your filter," Palstra said.
The Global Witness report follows a separate study from June that found that Facebook has failed to catch Islamic State group and al-Shabab extremist content in posts aimed at East Africa. The region remains under threat from violent attacks as Kenya prepares to vote. | https://www.mrt.com/news/article/In-a-3rd-test-Facebook-still-fails-to-block-hate-17334730.php | 2022-07-28 13:51:05 | 1 | https://www.mrt.com/news/article/In-a-3rd-test-Facebook-still-fails-to-block-hate-17334730.php |
SAO PAULO (AP) — Pelé, the Brazilian king of soccer who won a record three World Cups and became one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century, died Thursday. He was 82.
The standard-bearer of “the beautiful game” had undergone treatment for colon cancer since 2021. The medical center where he had been hospitalized for the last month said he died of multiple organ failure as a result of the cancer.
“Pelé changed everything. He transformed football into art, entertainment,” Neymar, a fellow Brazilian soccer star, said on Instagram. “Football and Brazil elevated their standing thanks to the King! He is gone, but his magic will endure. Pelé is eternal!”
A funeral was planned for Monday and Tuesday, with his casket to be carried through the streets of Santos, the coastal city where his storied career began, before burial.
Widely regarded as one of soccer’s greatest players, Pelé spent nearly two decades enchanting fans and dazzling opponents as the game’s most prolific scorer with Brazilian club Santos and the Brazil national team.
His grace, athleticism and mesmerizing moves transfixed players and fans. He orchestrated a fast, fluid style that revolutionized the sport — a samba-like flair that personified his country’s elegance on the field.
He carried Brazil to soccer’s heights and became a global ambassador for his sport in a journey that began on the streets of Sao Paulo state, where he would kick a sock stuffed with newspapers or rags.
In the conversation about soccer’s greatest players, only the late Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are mentioned alongside Pelé.
Different sources, counting different sets of games, list Pelé’s goal totals anywhere between 650 (league matches) and 1,281 (all senior matches, some against low-level competition.)
The player who would be dubbed “The King” was introduced to the world at 17 at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, the youngest player ever at the tournament. He was carried off the field on teammates’ shoulders after scoring two goals in Brazil’s 5-2 victory over the host country in the final.
Injury limited him to just two games when Brazil retained the world title in 1962, but Pelé was the emblem of his country’s World Cup triumph of 1970 in Mexico. He scored in the final and set up Carlos Alberto with a nonchalant pass for the last goal in a 4-1 victory over Italy.
The image of Pelé in a bright, yellow Brazil jersey, with the No. 10 stamped on the back, remains alive with soccer fans everywhere. As does his trademark goal celebration — a leap with a right fist thrust high above his head.
Pelé’s fame was such that in 1967 factions of a civil war in Nigeria agreed to a brief cease-fire so he could play an exhibition match in the country. He was knighted by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in 1997. When he visited Washington to help popularize the game in North America, it was the U.S. president who stuck out his hand first.
“My name is Ronald Reagan, I’m the president of the United States of America,” the host said to his visitor. “But you don’t need to introduce yourself because everyone knows who Pelé is.”
Pelé was Brazil’s first modern Black national hero but rarely spoke about racism in a country where the rich and powerful tend to hail from the white minority.
Opposing fans taunted Pelé with monkey chants at home and all over the world.
“He said that he would never play if he had to stop every time he heard those chants,” said Angelica Basthi, one of Pelé’s biographers. “He is key for Black people’s pride in Brazil, but never wanted to be a flagbearer.”
Pelé’s life after soccer took many forms. He was a politician — Brazil’s Extraordinary Minister for Sport — a wealthy businessman, and an ambassador for UNESCO and the United Nations.
He had roles in movies, soap operas and even composed songs and recorded CDs of popular Brazilian music.
As his health deteriorated, his travels and appearances became less frequent. He was often seen in a wheelchair during his final years and did not attend a ceremony to unveil a statue of him representing Brazil’s 1970 World Cup team. Pelé spent his 80th birthday isolated with a few family members at a beach home.
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, in the small city of Tres Coracoes in the interior of Minas Gerais state on Oct. 23, 1940, Pelé grew up shining shoes to buy his modest soccer gear.
Pelé’s talent drew attention when he was 11, and a local professional player brought him to Santos’ youth squads. It didn’t take long for him to make it to the senior squad.
Despite his youth and 5-foot-8 frame, he scored against grown men with the same ease he displayed against friends back home. He debuted with the Brazilian club at 16 in 1956, and the club quickly gained worldwide recognition.
The name Pelé came from him mispronouncing the name of a player called Bilé.
He went to the 1958 World Cup as a reserve but became a key player for his country’s championship team. His first goal, in which he flicked the ball over the head of a defender and raced around him to volley it home, was voted as one of the best in World Cup history.
The 1966 World Cup in England — won by the hosts — was a bitter one for Pelé, by then already considered the world’s top player. Brazil was knocked out in the group stage and Pelé, angry at the rough treatment, swore it was his last World Cup.
He changed his mind and was rejuvenated in the 1970 World Cup. In a game against England, he struck a header for a certain score, but the great goalkeeper Gordon Banks flipped the ball over the bar in an astonishing move. Pelé likened the save — one of the best in World Cup history — to a “salmon climbing up a waterfall.” Later, he scored the opening goal in the final against Italy, his last World Cup match.
In all, Pelé played 114 matches with Brazil, scoring a record 95 goals, including 77 in official matches.
His run with Santos stretched over three decades until he went into semi-retirement after the 1972 season. Wealthy European clubs tried to sign him, but the Brazilian government intervened to keep him from being sold, declaring him a national treasure.
On the field, Pelé’s energy, vision and imagination drove a gifted Brazilian national team with a fast, fluid style of play that exemplified “O Jogo Bonito” — Portuguese for “The Beautiful Game.” His 1977 autobiography, “My Life and the Beautiful Game,” made the phrase part of soccer’s lexicon.
In 1975, he joined the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League. Although 34 and past his prime, Pelé gave soccer a higher profile in North America. He led the Cosmos to the 1977 league title and scored 64 goals in three seasons.
Pelé ended his career on Oct. 1, 1977, in an exhibition between the Cosmos and Santos before a crowd in New Jersey of some 77,000. He played half the game with each club. Among the dignitaries on hand was perhaps the only other athlete whose renown spanned the globe — Muhammad Ali.
Pelé would endure difficult times in his personal life, especially when his son Edinho was arrested on drug-related charges. Pelé had two daughters out of wedlock and five children from his first two marriages, to Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi and Assiria Seixas Lemos. He later married businesswoman Marcia Cibele Aoki.
___
Azzoni reported from Madrid.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://phl17.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-pel%C3%A9-brazils-mighty-king-of-beautiful-game-has-died/ | 2022-12-30 13:27:34 | 0 | https://phl17.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-pel%C3%A9-brazils-mighty-king-of-beautiful-game-has-died/ |
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Anyone following happenings at the Richmond City Justice Center should come prepared with a checkbook if they’d like to request records under …
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. | https://richmond.com/20221216-met-natteaser/article_92f8eb82-979d-5fe8-a0bb-db159ea330b7.html | 2022-12-16 03:37:47 | 0 | https://richmond.com/20221216-met-natteaser/article_92f8eb82-979d-5fe8-a0bb-db159ea330b7.html |
ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodwill Industries International and Coursera have collaborated to create the Goodwill® Career Coach and Navigator Professional Certificate. The first-of-its-kind certificate will provide anyone pursuing a career in workforce development and career navigation with educational content developed from Goodwill's 120-year history of industry-leading expertise.
Through the power of Coursera's cost-effective online platform, this self-paced course provides learning and development for Goodwill Coaches and Career Navigators. Workforce Development tools and resources for Goodwill Coaches and Navigators are also provided to assist them as they support job seekers in need of Goodwill's support across the U.S. and Canada. Designed from the experience and expertise of local Goodwill career services teams, the online training prepares professionals for careers in the emerging career coaching and navigation profession.
Career coaches and navigators play an essential role in Goodwill's mission by connecting more than one million people each year with employment, education and support services. Accessible, career-focused learning programs that lead to professional certificates help job seekers find good employment, earn a living wage, and contribute to the economic recovery in their own neighborhoods. The Goodwill Career Coach and Navigator Professional Certificate is available to aspiring professionals looking to enhance their skills and scale workforce development and career advancement services, including Goodwill's nonprofit and community partners.
As the nation's economic opportunity gap widens, solutions and resources are too often unknown or beyond reach of job seekers and career advancers. Career coaches and navigators bring trajectory-shifting expertise that people use to make the most of their potential and pivot their career paths. Individuals use essential career navigation services to clarify their interests and career path
build skills to be ready for employment, and seize their opportunity to thrive.
"Goodwill provides career services to help individuals facing barriers reach their potential through the power of work. Employers in local communities find Goodwill to be a trusted source for talent," said Martin Scaglione, Chief Mission Officer of Goodwill Industries International. "The Goodwill Career Coach and Navigator Professional Certificate not only benefits career services professionals and employers, but most importantly it is a game changer for the individual they both serve, by opening access to opportunity.
To learn more about the program and start learning today, visit this link.
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 155 community-based, autonomous organizations in the U.S. and Canada with a presence in 12 other countries. Goodwill industries International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides people with opportunities and support to empower themselves and thrive through training, development and employment.
Local Goodwill organizations provide career navigation, skills training, job placement and other community-based services funded in part by selling donated clothing and household items in nearly 3,300 stores and at ShopGoodwill.com®. Some of the community-based programs local Goodwill organizations provide include English-language training, financial education, industry-recognized credentials, résumé preparation, and access to reliable transportation and childcare.
Last year, almost one million people received in-person career services, and hundreds of thousands of people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill education, training, mentoring and online learning services to strengthen their job skills.
For more information or to find a Goodwill location near you, visit goodwill.org, or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube: GoodwillIntl.
Coursera was launched in 2012 by two Stanford Computer Science professors, Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, with a mission to provide universal access to world-class learning. It is now one of the largest online learning platforms in the world, with more than 113 million registered learners as of September 30, 2022. Coursera partners with 275+ leading university and industry partners to offer a broad catalog of content and credentials, including courses, Specializations, Professional Certificates, Guided Projects, and bachelor's and master's degrees. Institutions around the world use Coursera to upskill and reskill their employees, citizens, and students in fields such as data science, technology, and business. Coursera became a B Corp in February 2021.
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SOURCE Goodwill Industries International | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/01/17/goodwill-industries-international-coursera-launch-goodwill-career-coach-navigator-professional-certificate/ | 2023-01-17 14:15:01 | 0 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/01/17/goodwill-industries-international-coursera-launch-goodwill-career-coach-navigator-professional-certificate/ |
Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the state's House Bill 543 into law, which lawmakers say will allow residents to carry a concealed firearm without obtaining a permit from the state.
The law will go into effect on July 1, 2023 and will put Florida into a group of around 25 states that have enacted similar legislation.
While the White House accused the governor of signing the bill "behind closed doors," the governor's office released a statement on the move and a photo of the signing to the public.
The White House called the legislation "shameful," noting how soon its ratification came after a shooter entered a Nashville school and fired 152 rounds of ammunition, Scripps News Nashville reported. Three 9-year-old students and three adults were killed before Tennessee police fired nine rounds to kill the shooter.
In 2021, Tennessee passed similar legislation allowing those 21 and older to carry a concealed firearm without a permit.
The Florida law will allow anyone in the state who can legally own a firearm to carry one without a permit.
Training and background checks will not be required to carry a firearm in public. A background check and a three-day waiting period will still be required for someone to purchase a gun from a state licensed dealer. The requirements will not be in place for private deals or weapons exchanges.
Around 3 million people in Florida have a concealed weapons permit.
Those in agreement with the legislation say it will strengthen Second Amendment rights for residents.
Those in opposition to the legislation in Florida say it will make the state more dangerous, pointing to shootings in recent years in Florida like the mass shooting in 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and the 2016 Pulse Nightclub mass shooting in Orlando.
The White House called the legislation "the opposite of common sense gun safety."
SEE MORE: Permit no longer required to buy a handgun in North Carolina
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.wmar2news.com/news/national/florida-ratifies-permitless-carry-white-house-calls-it-shameful | 2023-04-03 23:35:15 | 1 | https://www.wmar2news.com/news/national/florida-ratifies-permitless-carry-white-house-calls-it-shameful |
Guess what: There is no best pizza in New Jersey
The truth is there are many, many best pizzas in New Jersey. We would be at the top of any list of best pizza places from California to Brooklyn to Naples, Italy. That's no lie.
New Jersey really is the pizza capital of the World. The issue is that pizza and how you prefer it is soooooooooo subjective.
Some people like thin crust only. They like it with more of a crunch on the crust. But not everybody likes it that way.
There are some amazing thicker-crust pizzas that people swear by. The preparation and type of tomatoes along with exactly what kind of cheese and how much also play into the mix.
That's not even accounting for what toppings people like or hate on their pizza. So many of us can take outsiders to at least three places we know of in New Jersey that would blow their minds.
Multiply that by all the people in this state and you've got a lot of amazing pizzas to consider. Well, there's a newly crowned king in our state.
This place has only been open for less than a year but has already been crowned the best pizza in New Jersey. The Facebook group Jersey Pizza Joints, which gets together every year to crown a new winner from its 70,000 members has chosen a new champ in its annual Pizza Bowl.
It's Coniglio's Old Fashioned of Morristown. Its owners Nino Coniglio and Dave Ligas are long-time veteran pizza makers with a long track record of success.
They don't take orders on the phone, and they don't take dine-in reservations. Already you can tell they're good from their attitude. They do, however, take orders online.
They only offer nine different kinds of pizza and only eight topping options. Again, a good sign that the quality of their basic pies are good enough that you shouldn't have to add too much to it, but they still give you options.
They opened just last year and already have a rabid following. If 70,000 people from Jersey say it's the best, it's worth the trip to Morristown.
Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.
You can now listen to Dennis & Judi — On Demand! Hear New Jersey’s favorite best friends anytime, anywhere and any day of the week. Download the Dennis & Judi show wherever you get podcasts, on our free app, or listen right now.
Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story. | https://nj1015.com/guess-what-there-is-no-best-pizza-in-new-jersey/ | 2023-03-06 22:16:00 | 1 | https://nj1015.com/guess-what-there-is-no-best-pizza-in-new-jersey/ |
The Detroit Red Wings continue their three-game homestand on Thursday night at LCA, as they get set to host the Calgary Flames.
Following their Tuesday night clash with the Edmonton Oilers, the Red Wings are still trying to make up ground in the competitive race for the two Wild Card spots in the Eastern Conference. The Flames are also in a tight playoff push, as they are just a few points back of the Oilers in the Pacific Division.
For those still looking to see the game in person, there are many ways to buy tickets:
- Vivid Seats starting at $30
- SeatGeek starting at $27
- StubHub starting at $34
- TicketMaster starting at $41
This will be the first of two matchups between the Wings and Flames in a week, as the teams will meet up in Calgary next Thursday. Last season, the Flames swept Detroit in their two regular season contests, with Calgary winning each game by a 3-0 score.
HOW TO WATCH
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena (Detroit, Mich.)
Channel: Bally Sports Detroit
Stream: DirecTV Stream
Check out the NHL standings and results on NHL.com
- Buy Red Wings gear: Fanatics, Amazon, Lids
- Buy Red Wings tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek, Ticketmaster
- Stream Red Wings games live: DirecTV Stream | https://www.mlive.com/redwings/2023/02/how-to-get-tickets-for-calgary-flames-vs-detroit-red-wings-on-thursday.html | 2023-02-07 23:02:12 | 0 | https://www.mlive.com/redwings/2023/02/how-to-get-tickets-for-calgary-flames-vs-detroit-red-wings-on-thursday.html |
Which ice-fishing auger is best?
Even if you own the best ice-fishing gear on the planet, you won’t get very far without a high-quality ice-fishing auger. These essential tools drill through the surface of the ice, resulting in a clean hole that’s big enough for your fishing line and whatever you catch.
These drills vary from simple hand-powered models to high-tech power tools that get the job done in seconds. For a compact auger with an impressive battery life, the Ion R1 Electric Ice Auger is the top pick.
What to know before you buy an ice-fishing auger
Types of ice-fishing augers
- Manual: These tools allow you to simply drill through the ice by hand. Manual ice augers are lightweight and portable, but they require more physical labor than powered devices. This is particularly true if you’re trying to drill through ice that’s more than 1 foot thick. On the plus side, hand-powered ice augers are durable, affordable and don’t require any power source.
- Electric: Unlike propane or gas-powered augers, electric ice-fishing augers release no toxic fumes and can be used safely in a fishing shelter or cabin. They’re also more portable since you don’t need to carry around heavy containers of fuel, and they typically boast a long battery life. On the other hand, batteries drain over time, making electric augers somewhat less reliable.
- Gas-powered: Gas-powered ice augers are very powerful but loud, which means you run the risk of scaring away fish. They’re also less environmentally friendly than other types and require the user to haul around containers of liquid fuel. Running the motor releases noxious fumes into the air, making these augers unsuitable for fishing indoors. On the plus side, gas-powered augers are fairly durable and require very little maintenance.
- Propane-powered: These tools have the same environmental issues as gas-powered augers, but they’re quieter, lighter and usually clean enough to use in a fishing shelter.
Blade size
This measurement refers to the diameter of the auger’s blade. Most ice augers have a blade size of around 4-10 inches. When choosing blade size, remember that the diameter of the blade corresponds directly with the size of the ice hole. If your ice auger has a blade size of 4 inches, you won’t be catching very large fish.
What to look for in a quality ice-fishing auger
Speed
The speed of your ice-fishing auger is going to depend on the sharpness of the blade and if applicable, the power of the motor. The speed of an auger is usually measured in revolutions per minute, or rpm.
Noise level
If noise is a concern, choose a model that’s hand-powered or electric. Gas-powered augers are usually the loudest. Some manufacturers put an emphasis on quiet drilling, resulting in an auger that won’t give you a headache or scare away fish.
Lights
Some ice-fishing augers come with built-in LED lights so you can see where you’re drilling. This is an especially helpful feature if you like to fish in the evenings or early morning.
Warranty
An auger with a generous warranty usually means the manufacturer believes in the quality of its products. Keep an eye out for warranty information, particularly if you’re buying a power tool.
How much you can expect to spend on an ice-fishing auger
The cost of your ice-fishing auger is going to depend primarily on the type you choose. Most anglers can expect to spend around $50-$100 for a hand-powered tool, while electric or gas-powered models usually are $300-$800.
Ice-fishing auger FAQ
Can you ice fish without an auger?
A. Technically yes, but make sure you are going to a fishing spot that has been drilled previously by other anglers. If you’re passionate about ice fishing, you will quickly find yourself running out of fishing spots unless you buy an auger.
Can you use any type of auger to ice fish?
A. No. Ice augers and augers for dirt have completely different blade designs. Attempting to drill through ice with an earth auger could result in a broken tool and a possible injury.
What’s the best ice-fishing auger to buy?
Top ice-fishing auger
What you need to know: With an impressive battery life and fast cutting speeds, this ice auger is hard to beat if you want to go electric.
What you’ll love: The auger’s battery could theoretically drill through 1,600 inches of ice on a single charge. Two built-in LED lights illuminate the surface of the ice while drilling, and a reverse setting pushes slushy ice out of your way.
What you should consider: There is at least one report of the blades getting jammed.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top ice-fishing auger for the money
Strikemaster Ice Fishing Mora Hand Auger
What you need to know: Manufactured by a leading supplier, this affordable hand-powered auger has 7-inch blades.
What you’ll love: The 7-inch blades are constructed from high-alloy carbon steel and you can adjust the length for users of various heights. The handles are padded with rubber grips and an ergonomic design to prevent fatigue while drilling.
What you should consider: The auger’s drilling mechanism could lock when redrilling old holes.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Landworks Electric Ice Fishing Auger
What you need to know: This auger is lightweight with enough battery life to drill 60 holes on a single charge.
What you’ll love: This electric ice auger only weighs 22 pounds, making it much more portable than many gas-powered models. It’s designed to be extremely quiet and features an overload protector to prevent overheating.
What you should consider: The auger’s battery may die quickly in particularly cold weather.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.ksn.com/reviews/br/camping-outdoors-br/fishing-br/best-ice-fishing-auger/ | 2022-06-16 17:06:47 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/reviews/br/camping-outdoors-br/fishing-br/best-ice-fishing-auger/ |
The NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship, established in 1982 by the National Endowment for the Arts, has always recognized jazz artists of sterling achievement from coast to coast. But this year, its focus falls on a single area code — 313, which encompasses all of Metro Detroit. That's because the three exceptional musicians honored as 2023 NEA Jazz Masters — drummer Louis Hayes, saxophonist Kenny Garrett and violinist Regina Carter — are all proud products of the Motor City. Each will perform at a tribute concert this Saturday at 7:30 p.m., at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
The concert, hosted by Mark Ruffin of SiriusXM's Real Jazz channel, will be available as a live webcast and radio broadcast on more than a dozen stations. Along with the honorees, the program will feature saxophonists Camille Thurman, Abraham Burton and Sarah Hanahan; pianists David Hazeltine, Keith Brown and Helen Sung; and drummers Alvester Garnett, Ronald Bruner and Adam Cruz, among others.
One bittersweet note will be the recognition of Sue Mingus, who died last September at 92. She is the recipient of the 2023 A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship for Jazz Advocacy, for her tireless work in memory of her husband, bassist and composer Charles Mingus. Sue Mingus kept his music and legacy alive through several acclaimed tribute bands, as well as a Mingus High School Festival and Competition and the creation of the Charles Mingus Collection at the Library of Congress.
Sue Mingus' son, Roberto Ungaro, will speak on her behalf at the concert, joining each of the inductees as well as Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, the current NEA Chair, and Deborah F. Rutter, President of the Kennedy Center.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.nepm.org/jazz-world/2023-03-31/watch-live-the-2023-nea-jazz-masters-tribute-concert | 2023-03-31 16:36:04 | 1 | https://www.nepm.org/jazz-world/2023-03-31/watch-live-the-2023-nea-jazz-masters-tribute-concert |
Girl awarded $26M over Pasadena school sex assault
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — A jury awarded $26 million to a Pasadena special-needs student who was sexually assaulted by three classmates, her lawyers said Wednesday.
A Los Angeles County jury in Long Beach ruled Tuesday in a negligence lawsuit against the Pasadena Unified School District.
The suit said the student, which it identified only as Jane Doe, was 11 years old when she was attacked in May 2016. She was attending a special education program for emotionally disturbed children at Focus Point Academy in unincorporated Altadena.
The academy was partially funded and supervised by the district, according to the suit.
According to her attorneys, a teacher’s aide left the girl unsupervised with three male classmates who dragged her behind a building and groped and molested her.
The three, who were identified in the suit only as “Subject Rapists,” were later criminally charged with committing lewd conduct and forcible sex acts on a minor, the suit said.
The girl suffered serious and permanent injuries, the suit alleged. She eventually was institutionalized as a result of the assault, said a statement from her attorneys.
In addition to negligence, the suit alleged that the district failed to properly train or supervise employees who were supposed to teach and oversee students.
The school district denied that the attack took place and at trial also argued that the girl didn’t suffer any damages as a result of its conduct, said the statement from the law firm of Panish, Shea, Boyle and Ravipudi LLP.
But the jury awarded her $12.5 million for pain and suffering and $13.5 for future pain and suffering.
“This verdict demonstrates that all children, regardless of their disabilities, deserve to be protected,” trial counsel David Rudorfer said.
Messages seeking comment from the school district and from the attorney who represented the district at trial weren’t immediately returned Wednesday. | https://kion546.com/news/ap-california/2022/08/24/girl-awarded-26m-over-pasadena-school-sex-assault/ | 2022-08-25 03:10:55 | 1 | https://kion546.com/news/ap-california/2022/08/24/girl-awarded-26m-over-pasadena-school-sex-assault/ |
Taiwan’s National Symphony Orchestra canceled a March 5 concert scheduled to feature soprano Anna Netrebko in a decision the orchestra said it made “due to public concerns.”
Netrebko had been scheduled to perform with her husband, tenor Yusif Eyvazov, and mezzo-soprano I-Chiao Shih.
The orchestra said in a statement Tuesday that ticker buyers will be offered refunds.
Netrebko, a 51-year-old who was born in Russia and lives in Vienna, was among classical music’s top draws until last year, when New York’s Metropolitan Opera dropped her after she refused to distance herself from Russian President Vladimir Putin following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
He schedule lists upcoming concerts in Hong Kong on March 9 and 11, and at Tokyo on March 15. She is scheduled to open the 100th anniversary season of Italy’s Arena de Verona on June 16 in the title role of Verdi’s “Aida” with Eyvazov, as Rademes.
An email sent to Netrebko’s agent seeking comment was not immediately returned. | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-anna-netrebko-concert-canceled-by-taiwan-national-orchestra/ | 2023-03-02 14:35:11 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-anna-netrebko-concert-canceled-by-taiwan-national-orchestra/ |
Family, friends asking for birthday cards to 4-year-old girl with terminal cancer
MILWAUKEE (WISN) - A 4-year-old girl from Wisconsin has inspired nearly everyone she meets as she battles a terminal illness.
Delaney Krings is battling brain cancer and, next week, she will mark a birthday that her mother says will be extra special.
“She brought light and love to people. That’s why she is our angel,” Heather Krings, Delaney’s mother, said. “And apparently she’s being called elsewhere to finish her angel work.”
The family said Delaney was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in October.
“You can’t really convey to a little kid that they won’t be around much longer,” Heather Krings said. “She is a kid who has been dealt a card no kid should have.”
Heather Krings said doctors have given her daughter weeks to live. But an infection has made that time even shorter.
“You just try to process it. She’s four, you know?” Heather Krings said.
A family friend is calling on the public to send birthday cards to Delaney to celebrate her fifth birthday on Dec. 16.
The goal: Collect cards for Delaney from around the world and keep her smiling and laughing as long as they can.
“We have stickers for all of the locations where the cards have come from so Delaney can see that she’s got love from all over the world,” Heather Krings said.
Delaney is currently hospitalized, but her mother and father take turns staying with her, so she is never alone.
The family said they have started a GofundMe for support and shared the following address for cards:
Delaney Krings
C/O Shorewest Realtors
1296 Summit Ave.
Oconomowoc, WI 53066
Copyright 2022 WISN via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/12/09/family-friends-asking-birthday-cards-4-year-old-girl-with-terminal-cancer/ | 2022-12-09 02:44:14 | 0 | https://www.wibw.com/2022/12/09/family-friends-asking-birthday-cards-4-year-old-girl-with-terminal-cancer/ |
JERUSALEM (AP) — Tens of thousands of protesters marched into Jerusalem on Saturday evening and hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in Tel Aviv and other cities in a last-ditch show of force aimed at blocking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s contentious judicial overhaul.
Also Saturday, more than 100 of Israel’s former security chiefs signed a letter pleading with the Israeli premier to halt the legislation, and thousands of additional military reservists said they would no longer report for duty, in a protest against the plan.
In scorching heat that reached 33 C (91 F), the procession into Jerusalem turned the city’s main entrance into a sea of blue and white Israeli flags as marchers completed the last leg of a four-day, 70-kilometer (45-mile) trek from Tel Aviv to Israel’s parliament.
The marchers, who grew from hundreds to thousands as the march progressed, were welcomed in Jerusalem by throngs of cheering protesters before they set up camp in rows of small white tents outside the Knesset, or parliament, before Monday’s expected vote. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands flooded the streets of the coastal city of Tel Aviv, the country’s business and cultural capital, as well as in Beersheba, Haifa and Netanya.
Netanyahu and his far-right allies claim the overhaul is needed to curb what they say are the excessive powers of unelected judges. But their critics say the plan will destroy the country’s system of checks and balances and put it on the path toward authoritarian rule.
U.S. President Joe Biden has urged Netanyahu to halt the plan and seek a broad consensus.
The proposed overhaul has drawn harsh criticism from business and medical leaders, and a fast-rising number of military reservists in key units have said they will stop reporting for duty if the plan passes, raising concern that the country’s security interests could be threatened. An additional 10,000 reservists announced they were suspending duty on Saturday night, according to “Brothers in Arms,” a protest group representing retired soldiers.
More than 100 top former security chiefs, including retired military commanders, police commissioners and heads of intelligence agencies, joined those calls on Saturday, signing a letter to Netanyahu blaming him for compromising Israel’s military and urging him to halt the legislation.
The signatories included Ehud Barak, a former Israeli prime minister, and Moshe Yaalon, a former army chief and defense minister. Both are political rivals of Netanyahu.
“The legislation is crushing those things shared by Israeli society, is tearing the people apart, disintegrating the IDF and inflicting fatal blows on Israel’s security,” the former officials wrote.
“The legislative process violates the social contract that has existed for 75 years between the Israeli government and thousands of reserve officers and soldiers from the land, air, sea and intelligence branches who have volunteered for many years for the reserves to defend the democratic state of Israel, and now announce with a broken heart that they are suspending their volunteer service,” the letter said.
Israel Katz, a senior Cabinet minister from Netanyahu’s Likud party, said the bill would pass one way or another on Monday.
“I represent citizens who are not ready to have their voice canceled because of threats of refusal to serve” or by those blocking the airport, highways and train stations, he told Channel 12 TV. “There is a clear attempt here to use military service to force the government to change policy.”
After seven straight months of the most sustained and intense demonstrations the country has ever seen, the grassroots protest movement has reached a fever pitch.
The parliament is expected to vote Monday on a measure that would limit the Supreme Court’s oversight powers by preventing judges from striking down government decisions on the basis that they are “unreasonable.”
Proponents say the current “reasonability” standard gives the judges excessive powers over decision making by elected officials. But critics say that removing the standard, which is invoked only in rare cases, would allow the government to pass arbitrary decisions, make improper appointments or firings and open the door to corruption.
Monday’s vote would mark the first major piece of legislation to be approved.
The overhaul also calls for other sweeping changes aimed at curbing the powers of the judiciary, from limiting the Supreme Court’s ability to challenge parliamentary decisions, to changing the way judges are selected.
Protesters, who make up a wide swath of Israeli society, see the overhaul as a power grab fueled by various personal and political grievances by Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges, and his partners, who want to deepen Israel’s control of the occupied West Bank and perpetuate controversial draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men.
In a speech Thursday, Netanyahu doubled down on the overhaul and dismissed as absurd the accusations that the plan would destroy Israel’s democratic foundations.
“This is an attempt to mislead you over something that has no basis in reality,” he said. Alarmed by the growing mass of reservists refusing to serve, the country’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, pushed for a delay in Monday’s vote, according to reports in Israeli media. It was unclear if others would join him. | https://cw33.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-thousands-march-on-jerusalem-as-former-israeli-officials-beg-netanyahu-to-halt-legislation-overhaul/ | 2023-07-23 00:10:40 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-thousands-march-on-jerusalem-as-former-israeli-officials-beg-netanyahu-to-halt-legislation-overhaul/ |
For mass adoption to succeed, EVs will need to sell at prices comparable to internal-combustion cars while still generating profits for their manufacturers. Despite recent supply-chain issues causing a backslide in battery affordability, General Motors and Volvo now predict that will happen by mid-decade.
In an interview with Automotive News Europe at the recent unveiling of the EX90 electric SUV, Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan said he expected to reach price parity with internal-combustion cars around 2025.
Rowan expects technological improvements to allow for more range without increasing battery-pack sizes, leading to some cost savings. And while Volvo hasn’t confirmed whether the EX90 will qualify for the full $7,500 federal EV tax credit under revised Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Rowan said Volvo’s upcoming smaller EVs likely will.
GM expects profits from EVs to match internal-combustion vehicles by 2025, years ahead of schedule, CEO Mary Barra told CNBC and other media during the automaker’s investor day Thursday.
The IRA was also a major factor in that rosy prediction. Anticipated incentives will boost the profit margins of future EVs, CFO Paul Jacobson told CNBC, adding that GM expects to be “among the first, if not the first” to qualify for the full $7,500 credit under the IRA, which adds new requirements for battery-material sourcing and mandates domestic assembly for qualifying EVs.
Both GM and Volvo believe the IRA will eventually make a stronger business case for EVs, but in the interim the IRA has made some EVs more expensive—through a revamped EV tax credit that drastically cuts the number of qualifying vehicles.
GM and Volvo are only the latest examples of automakers predicting lower EV prices that will make them more competitive with internal-combustion cars and trucks. Once EVs and internal-combustion vehicles pass parity, many anticipate one of the most transformative periods ever in the auto industry, although one of the essentials—battery pack price—backslid on affordability in 2021 and into 2022. That’s held true even as battery plants have ramped up due to raw materials limitations. This year used EV prices have also surged, so there are multiple market factors that need to align for everyone to agree that EVs aren’t more expensive up front.
Not all automakers see the shift to building EVs in the U.S. as part of the pending parity. Subaru has all but nixed U.S. EV assembly because of high labor costs, it claims.
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PHILADELPHIA and NEW YORK, May 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FS KKR Capital Corp. (NYSE: FSK), today announced its financial and operating results for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, and that its board of directors has declared a second quarter 2023 distribution of $0.70 per share, and special distributions totaling $0.15 per share, which will be paid in three equal installments of $0.05 per share in each of the next three quarters.
Financial and Operating Highlights for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2023(1)
- Net investment income of $0.81 per share, compared to $0.80 per share for the quarter ended December 31, 2022
- Net asset value of $24.93 per share, compared to $24.89 per share as of December 31, 2022
- Total net realized and unrealized loss of $0.11 per share, compared to a total net realized and unrealized loss of $0.56 per share for the quarter ended December 31, 2022
- Earnings per Share of $0.71, compared to Earnings per Share of $0.24 for the quarter ended December 31, 2022
- Total purchases of $270 million versus $386 million of sales and repayments, including $122 million of sales to its joint venture Credit Opportunities Partners JV, LLC
- Net debt to equity ratio(3) as March 31, 2023 was 118%, compared to 118% as of December 31, 2022
- Paid cash distributions to stockholders totaling $0.70 per share(4)
"We are pleased to start 2023 with another quarter of positive results, as our first quarter adjusted net investment income per share increased 8% year-over-year and our Net Asset Value per share increased to $24.93," said Michael C. Forman, Chief Executive Officer & Chairman. "Based on our strong quarterly results, coupled with the overall strength of our investment portfolio, we are excited to announce a second quarter cash distribution totaling $0.70 per share, as well as special cash distributions totaling $0.15 per share which will be paid in three equal installments over the remainder of the year. Going forward, we believe our conservatively structured balance sheet and defensively positioned investment portfolio will enable us to continue delivering strong results for our shareholders."
Declaration of Distribution for Second Quarter 2023
FSK's board of directors has declared a cash distribution for the second quarter of $0.70 per share, consisting of a base distribution of $0.64 per share and a supplemental distribution of $0.06 per share, which will be paid on or about July 5, 2023, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 14, 2023. FSK's board of directors has declared special distributions totaling $0.15 per share to be paid in three equal installments by the end of 2023. The first $0.05 per share special distribution will be paid on or about May 31, 2023, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 17, 2023. The second $0.05 per share special distribution will be paid on or about August 30, 2023, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on August 16, 2023. The third $0.05 per share special distribution will be paid on or about November 29, 2023, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 15, 2023.
Portfolio Highlights as of March 31, 2023
- Total fair value of investments was $15.3 billion of which 69% was invested in senior secured securities.
- Weighted average annual yield on accruing debt investments(5) was 12.3%, compared to 12.0% as of December 31, 2022. Excluding the impact of merger accounting, weighted average annual yield on accruing debt investments was 11.7%, compared to 11.4% as of December 31, 2022.
- Weighted average annual yield on all debt investments(5) was 11.4%, compared to 11.2% as of December 31, 2022. Excluding the impact of merger accounting, weighted average annual yield on all debt investments was 10.8%, compared to 10.6% as of December 31, 2022.
- Exposure to the top ten largest portfolio companies by fair value was 19% as of March 31, 2023, compared to 19% as of December 31, 2022.
- As of March 31, 2023, investments on non-accrual status represented 2.7% and 5.5% of the total investment portfolio at fair value and amortized cost, respectively, compared to 2.4% and 4.9% as of December 31, 2022.
Leverage and Liquidity as of March 31, 2023
- Net debt to equity ratio(3) of 118%, based on $8.7 billion in total debt outstanding, $250 million of cash and foreign currency and $205 million of net receivable for investments sold and repaid and stockholders' equity of $7.0 billion. FSK's weighted average effective interest rate (including the effect of non-usage fees) was 5.08%.
- Cash and foreign currency of $250 million and availability under the company's financing arrangements of $2,577 million, subject to borrowing base and other limitations.
- As of March 31, 2023, 54% of FSK's approximately $8,713 million of total debt outstanding was in unsecured debt and 46% in secured debt.
Conference Call Information
FSK will host a conference call at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) on Friday, May 5, 2023, to discuss its first quarter 2023 financial and operating results. All interested parties are welcome to participate and can access the live conference call by registering using the following URL: https://register.vevent.com/register/BIa89f54f9964344a292794a5e367a233d. Participants are requested to register a day in advance or at a minimum 15 minutes before the start of the call. Once registered, they will receive the dial-in numbers and their unique PIN number. When they dial in, they will input their PIN and be placed into the call. The conference call will also be webcast, which can be accessed from the Investor Relations section of FSK's website at www.fskkradvisor.com under Events.
A replay of the call will be available shortly after the end of the call by visiting the Investor Relations section of FSK's website under Events or by using the following URL: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/r6r4prhf.
Supplemental Information
An investor presentation containing financial and operating information will be made available prior to the call in the Investor Relations section of FSK's website at www.fskkradvisor.com under Earnings presentations.
About FS KKR Capital Corp.
FSK is a leading publicly traded business development company (BDC) focused on providing customized credit solutions to private middle market U.S. companies. FSK seeks to invest primarily in the senior secured debt and, to a lesser extent, the subordinated debt of private middle market companies. FSK is advised by FS/KKR Advisor, LLC. For more information, please visit www.fskkradvisor.com.
About FS/KKR Advisor, LLC
FS/KKR Advisor, LLC (FS/KKR) is a partnership between FS Investments and KKR Credit that serves as the investment adviser to FSK.
FS Investments is a leading asset manager dedicated to helping individuals, financial professionals and institutions design better portfolios. The firm provides access to alternative sources of income and growth, and focuses on setting industry standards for investor protection, education and transparency. FS Investments is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA with offices in New York, NY, Orlando, FL and Leawood, KS. Visit www.fsinvestments.com to learn more.
KKR Credit is a subsidiary of KKR & Co. Inc., a leading global investment firm that manages multiple alternative asset classes, including private equity, credit and real assets, with strategic manager partnerships that manage hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns for its fund investors by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and driving growth and value creation with KKR portfolio companies. KKR invests its own capital alongside the capital it manages for fund investors and provides financing solutions and investment opportunities through its capital markets business. References to KKR's investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.
Forward-Looking Statements and Important Disclosure Notice
This announcement may contain certain forward-looking statements, including statements with regard to future events or future performance or operations of FSK. Words such as "believes," "expects," "projects," and "future" or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to the inherent uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions. Certain factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include changes in the economy, risks associated with possible disruption in FSK's operations or the economy generally due to terrorism, geo-political risks, natural disasters or pandemics such as COVID-19, future changes in laws or regulations and conditions in FSK's operating area and the price at which shares of FSK's common stock trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Some of these factors are enumerated in the filings FSK makes with the SEC. FSK undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
The press release above contains summaries of certain financial and statistical information about FSK. The information contained in this press release is summary information that is intended to be considered in the context of FSK's SEC filings and other public announcements that FSK may make, by press release or otherwise, from time to time. FSK undertakes no duty or obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release. In addition, information related to past performance, while helpful as an evaluative tool, is not necessarily indicative of future results, the achievement of which cannot be assured. Investors should not view the past performance of FSK, or information about the market, as indicative of FSK's future results.
Other Information
The information in this press release is summary information only and should be read in conjunction with FSK's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, which FSK filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) on May 5, 2023, as well as FSK's other reports filed with the SEC. A copy of FSK's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023 and FSK's other reports filed with the SEC can be found on FSK's website at www.fskkradvisor.com and the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
Certain Information About Distributions
The determination of the tax attributes of FSK's distributions is made annually as of the end of its fiscal year based upon its taxable income and distributions paid, in each case, for the full year. Therefore, a determination as to the tax attributes of the distributions made on a quarterly basis may not be representative of the actual tax attributes for a full year. FSK intends to update stockholders quarterly with an estimated percentage of its distributions that resulted from taxable ordinary income. The actual tax characteristics of distributions to stockholders will be reported to stockholders annually on Form 1099-DIV.
The timing and amount of any future distributions on FSK's shares of common stock are subject to applicable legal restrictions and the sole discretion of its board of directors. There can be no assurance as to the amount or timing of any such future distributions.
FSK may fund its cash distributions to stockholders from any sources of funds legally available to it, including net investment income from operations, capital gains proceeds from the sale of assets, non-capital gains proceeds from the sale of assets, dividends or other distributions paid to it on account of preferred and common equity investments in portfolio companies, proceeds from the sale of shares of FSK's common stock and borrowings. FSK has not established limits on the amount of funds it may use from available sources to make distributions. There can be no assurance that FSK will be able to pay distributions at a specific rate or at all.
Contact Information:
Investor Relations Contact
Robert Paun
Robert.Paun@fsinvestments.com
FS Investments Media Team
Melanie Hemmert
Melanie.Hemmert@fsinvestments.com
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This press release contains certain financial measures that have not been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP). FSK uses these non-GAAP financial measures internally in analyzing financial results and believes that the use of these non-GAAP financial measures is useful to investors as an additional tool to evaluate ongoing results and trends and in comparing FSK's financial results with other BDCs.
Non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable GAAP financial measures, and should be read only in conjunction with FSK's consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures has been provided in this press release, and investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation.
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SOURCE FS KKR Capital Corp. | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/05/05/fs-kkr-capital-corp-announces-first-quarter-2023-results-declares-second-quarter-2023-distribution-070-per-share-declares-special-distributions-totaling-015-per-share-be-paid-three-equal-installments-005-per-share-each-next-three-quarters/ | 2023-05-05 10:32:24 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/05/05/fs-kkr-capital-corp-announces-first-quarter-2023-results-declares-second-quarter-2023-distribution-070-per-share-declares-special-distributions-totaling-015-per-share-be-paid-three-equal-installments-005-per-share-each-next-three-quarters/ |
Talk about perfect timing.
The Seattle University men’s basketball team was in need of a point guard after star Darrion Trammell went into the transfer portal.
Point guard Alex Schumacher was looking for a Division I university to play for after three excellent seasons at Division II Saint Martin’s in Lacey.
That Schumacher had connections to Seattle U — Redhawks top assistant Alex Pribble recruited Schumacher to Saint Martin’s before joining Seattle U’s staff — helped cement the match.
It has worked swimmingly for both parties.
Schumacher, a 6-foot-3 fourth-year junior, has proved he can play at the Division I level, ably filling Seattle’s U biggest hole entering the season. The fourth-year junior has helped lead Seattle University to a 12-4 record and a 3-0 mark in the Western Athletic Conference heading into Thursday night’s game against New Mexico State at Climate Pledge Arena.
Schumacher leads the team in assists (3.3 per game) and steals (13 total) and is second in scoring (11.3 points per game) while playing good perimeter defense. But Seattle U coach Chris Victor said Schumacher has meant more to the team than the numbers.
“He’s just such a great kid and competitor; he’s a great person and he has fit in well,” Victor said. “The way the season has gone, we have asked so much of him, (Fellow point guard) Paris Dawson has been out — he has been injured for most of the year — and a lot of the responsibilities have fallen on his shoulders.
“He has just gotten better game by game, week by week. He is playing the best basketball he has played all year right now, which is a big reason why we are 3-0 in conference.”
Schumacher drew interest from Division I teams — including Seattle University — while starring at Skyview High School in Vancouver and becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer.
But in the end, Schumacher only had offers from Western Oregon and Saint Martin’s.
“I kind of shot myself in the foot a little bit with academics,” Schumacher said, saying “absolutely” that was why he didn’t have more offers.
At Saint Martin’s, Schumacher not only starred on the court, he put a much greater emphasis on academics.
“It was just more focusing on things I needed to do in terms of building more relationships with my professors,” he said. “Seattle U is bigger, but I’m still carrying those tools with me.”
Schumacher averaged 14.2 points in three years at Saint Martin’s and was second-team All-Great Northwestern Athletic Conference last season after averaging 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists.
All along, he felt he was good enough to play at the Division I level.
“It was a little humbling going to Saint Martin’s knowing that I was talking to a lot of Division I schools,” said Schumacher, who is the nephew of JJ Birden, who played nine seasons as a receiver in the NFL.
That said, Schumacher said he enjoyed his three years at Saint Martin’s. But he said it was “kind of a now or never situation” if he was going to transfer because he wanted to have more than one year of eligibility remaining.
So Schumacher went into the transfer portal, Pribble helped recruit Schumacher — again.
“He’s a dynamic player and he makes his teammates better,” Pribble said. “He lives in the paint, he’s very skilled and he’s a good shooter. He’s a three-level scorer. He checks all the boxes as a big, talented guard.
“But just as important is the energy he brings off the court. He’s one of those guys who is really fun to be around. He’s friends with everybody in our program and he just has a great energy about him. And those are the types of players you like to have in your program — whether it’s at St. Martin’s or here in Seattle — players that you trust on and off the court.”
Seattle U is on a roll coming into Thursday night’s game against New Mexico State. A Christmas morning 85-67 win over George Washington in the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu gave the Redhawks a big boost heading into WAC play.
That win came after Seattle U had lost the first two games of the tournament to two tough opponents — Utah State and Iona.
Now, after road wins last week at Texas Rio Grande Valley and UT Arlington, confidence is high. In most seasons, a home game against perennial WAC power New Mexico State is the biggest of the season.
That does not seem to be the case this season. New Mexico State, which has a new coach in Greg Heiar, is 0-4 in the WAC. Victor said that is proof of how tough the conference is.
Helped by Schumacher, Seattle U has thrived early in WAC play. Schumacher said he is loving playing for the Redhawks, and said he is learning a lot from team leaders Cameron Tyson and Riley Grigsby.
Perhaps the only thing Schumacher has been unhappy about is his shooting. He is shooting 34.3% from the field and 18.5% (12 of 65) from three-point range. That’s not acceptable to Schumacher, who shot 48.3% (43 of 89) from three-point range last season at Saint Martin’s.
“We’re still trying to figure out the jump shot and getting a better tempo,” Schumacher said. “We’re getting a better grasp on it.”
Just another challenge. One that Schumacher is confident he can conquer. | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seattle-university/point-guard-alex-schumacher-a-perfect-fit-for-seattle-u-mens-basketball/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-01-12 02:08:36 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seattle-university/point-guard-alex-schumacher-a-perfect-fit-for-seattle-u-mens-basketball/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
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