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Greg Myre is a national security correspondent with a focus on the intelligence community, a position that follows his many years as a foreign correspondent covering conflicts around the globe.
News from Alabama Public Radio is a public service in association with the University of Alabama. We depend on your help to keep our programming on the air and online. Please consider supporting the news you rely on with a donation today. Every contribution, no matter the size, propels our vital coverage. Thank you. | https://www.apr.org/2023-07-18/a-u-s-soldier-fled-across-the-border-to-north-korea | 2023-07-18 22:25:06 | 0 | https://www.apr.org/2023-07-18/a-u-s-soldier-fled-across-the-border-to-north-korea |
Published: Aug. 9, 2022 at 2:15 PM MDT|Updated: 33 minutes ago
Adjusted EBITDA(1) growth of 2.6% to $279.5 million compared to Q2 2021 driven by highly differentiated business model and predictable cash flow
LONDON, UK, Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Atlas Corp. ("Atlas" or the "Company") (NYSE: ATCO) announced today its results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022.
Financial Highlights:
Revenue growth of 4.9% to $413.3 million
Net earnings of $140.0 million and Diluted EPS of $0.43
Adjusted EBITDA(1) growth of 2.6% to $279.5 million
Cash proceeds of $201.3 million from exercise of warrants and resulting issuance of 25.0 million common shares
Closed nine vessel sales for gross proceeds of $224.3 million
Comments from Management:
Bing Chen, President and CEO of Atlas, commented, "We continued our strong quarterly performance amongst a backdrop of global market turmoil, demonstrating the resilience of our business model. Seaspan's customers continue to value our long-term partnerships with the forward fixing of three operating vessels in the second quarter, and an additional 14 since the end of the quarter. We are working diligently to deliver our newbuild program on time and on budget, and thanks to our experienced team and integrated platform, all seven of our newbuilds were delivered ahead of schedule. We have now completed 117 newbuilds since our IPO in 2005, a proud track record that our customers deeply value. "
"APR Energy continued to pivot the company to long-term, predictable cash flow opportunities. Our team has secured one new deployment in the second quarter, a dry rental with a Mexico-based counterparty representing 120 MW. The new contracts signed in the first quarter, including the 226 MW 44-month Brazilian contract, have commenced and evidence APR's focus, and execution on longer-term and quality cash flow opportunities."
"Both Seaspan and APR are committed to creative customer solutions, trusted long-term partnerships, and differentiated business model to well position the companies for long-term quality growth that consistently delivers value throughout all market cycles."
Graham Talbot, CFO of Atlas, commented, "The Atlas team has continued to execute with high diligence and quality throughout the second quarter as demonstrated by the continued through-cycle performance of our resilient business model. Our fully integrated and scalable platform continued to provide leading customer solutions as exhibited through additional newbuild orders and forward fixtures. Our long-term model and diligent focus on asset quality is evidenced through ten strategic vessel divestments this year, generating an additional $257.1 million in cashflow to optimize our balance sheet and allocate capital to future growth and further optimize our fleet. We also continued our pursuit of an investment grade credit rating with the closing of our $500.0 million of long-dated financing, creating greater financial flexibility, securing a lower cost of capital and improving our liquidity."
"Our continued strong performance, underpinned by a gross contracted cash flow balance of $17.8 billion as at June 30, 2022 and liquidity balance of $1,100.7 million, reinforces Atlas' industry-leading position and resilience in the face of global economic uncertainty."
Significant Developments in the Second Quarter of 2022 & Subsequent Events
Containership Sale Developments
In the second quarter, Seaspan completed the sale of nine vessels for total gross proceeds of $224.3 million. Seaspan continues to manage the operations of six of these vessels pursuant to management agreements entered into in connection with each sale.
The table below summarizes our Containership Leasing fleet:
Containership Leasing and Newbuild Developments
Seaspan entered into proactive lease extensions for three operating vessels in the second quarter of 2022, generating approximately $230.0 million in gross contracted cash flow. In July and August 2022, Seaspan entered into proactive lease extensions for an additional 14 operating vessels, generating over $1.1 billion in gross contracted cash flow.
In April and May 2022, Seaspan accepted delivery of its fourth and fifth 12,200 TEU vessels, each of which commenced an 18-year charter upon delivery. These deliveries mark the completion of Seaspan's five 12,200 TEU newbuild order received from its customer in late 2020. In June 2022, Seaspan also accepted delivery of its first two 11,800 TEU vessels, each of which commenced a 5-year charter upon delivery.
In May 2022, Seaspan entered into shipbuilding contracts for four 7,700 TEU liquified natural gas dual-fuel containerships which remain subject to certain closing conditions. If and when the closing conditions are met, the four containerships are expected to be delivered in the second half of 2024 and first quarter of 2025. These vessels will commence 18-year charters with a leading global liner customer upon delivery, generating gross contracted cash flow of approximately $0.96 billion.
Mobile Power Generation Developments
In May 2022, APR Energy entered into a contract with a Mexico-based counterparty to provide a dry rental of four turbines representing 120 MW for a minimum of four consecutive months, which commenced in June 2022.
In June 2022, all of APR's turbines based at its Zappalorto plant in Argentina were demobilized from the country and redeployed on the aforementioned contract with the Mexico-based counterparty. APR's Matheu plant in Argentina is on track to be fully demobilized by the end of the third quarter of 2022.
Financing Development
In May 2022, Seaspan entered into a note purchase agreement in respect of a sustainability-linked U.S. private placement of $500.0 million of notes, to be secured by its vessel portfolio financing program. The notes were issued on August 3, 2022, and carry a weighted average maturity of approximately 12 years, and a weighted average fixed interest rate of approximately 5.3%. Seaspan plans to use proceeds from the private placement to pay down existing debt in the portfolio financing program, fund capital expenditures and for other general corporate purposes.
In June 2022, APR amended and extended its secured financing program (the "Financing Program"). The amendment lowered interest costs, extended the maturity date to 2025, and improved financial flexibility. As of June 30, 2022, the Financing Program consists of a $108.0 million term loan and a $50.0 million revolving credit facility. The revolving credit facility is committed but undrawn.
Shareholder Development
In April 2022, Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited ("Fairfax") exercised warrants to purchase 25.0 million common shares of Atlas. The warrants, which were originally issued on July 16, 2018, had an exercise price of $8.05 per common share for an aggregate exercise price of $201.3 million. Immediately following this exercise, Fairfax and its affiliates held in aggregate 124,805,753 common shares, representing approximately 45.1% of the then issued and outstanding common shares of Atlas. Fairfax continues to hold 6.0 million warrants.
Take Private Proposal
On August 4, 2022, Atlas' Board of Directors received a non-binding proposal letter, dated August 4, 2022, from Poseidon Acquisition Corp., an entity formed by certain affiliates of Fairfax, certain affiliates of the Washington Family ("Washington"), David Sokol, Chairman of the Board of Atlas, and Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd., and certain of their respective affiliates, to acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Atlas, other than common shares owned by Fairfax, Washington, Mr. Sokol and certain executive officers of the Company, for $14.45 cash per common share. The proposal constitutes only an indication of interest by Poseidon Acquisition Corp. and does not constitute a binding commitment with respect to the proposed transaction or any other transaction. The timing, certainty and other material terms of the proposed transaction are unknown at this time.
The Board of Directors established a special committee consisting of independent directors of the Board of Directors to consider the proposal.
Distribution
On April 7, 2022, the Board of Directors of Atlas declared a quarterly distribution in the amount of $0.125 per common share. Regular quarterly dividends on the Series D, Series H, Series I and Series J preferred shares were also declared. All dividends were paid on May 2, 2022.
On July 7, 2022, the Board of Directors of Atlas declared a quarterly distribution in the amount of $0.125 per common share. Regular quarterly dividends on the Series D, Series H, Series I and Series J preferred shares were also declared. All dividends were paid on August 1, 2022.
Common Shares Outstanding
As of August 1, 2022, there were 281.3 million common shares outstanding.
Consolidated Results:
The following table summarizes Atlas' consolidated results for the three months ended June 30, 2022, March 31, 2022 and June 30, 2021.
Financial Results Summary:
Revenue growth of 4.9% to $413.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2022, compared to the same period in 2021. For the quarter ended June 30, 2022, the increase in revenue for the Containership Leasing segment was primarily attributable to the delivery of 11 vessels since the second quarter of 2021. The revenue for the Mobile Power Generation segment decreased for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 due to lower asset utilization.
Adjusted EBITDA growth of 2.6% to $279.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2022, compared to the same period in 2021. The growth was primarily driven by the increase in revenue.
FFO Per Share decrease of 4.1% to $0.70 for the three months ended June 30, 2022, compared to the same period in 2021. The decrease was partially driven by an increase in diluted share count from the issuance of 25 million shares from the exercise of warrants and the impact of the maximum dilutive effect of the exchangeable notes based on the if-converted method.
Diluted EPS was $0.43 for the three months ended June 30, 2022, compared to $0.18 for the same period in 2021. The increase in diluted EPS was primarily driven by a non-cash gain in the current year on derivative instruments related to the increase in the forward LIBOR curve and a lower loss on debt extinguishment in 2022. In the prior year, the loss on debt extinguishment, primarily related to the repayment of Fairfax notes.
Adjusted Diluted EPS decrease of 10.3% to $0.35 for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, compared to $0.39 for the same period in 2021. The decrease in adjusted diluted EPS was primarily related to the increase diluted share count.
Liquidity As of June 30, 2022, Atlas had total liquidity of $1,100.7 million, consisting of $400.7 million of cash and cash equivalents and $700.0 million of availability under undrawn committed credit facilities. As of June 30, 2022, we also had $5.7 billion of undrawn committed financing related to our newbuild vessels and an unencumbered asset base including 30 vessels with a book value of $1.2 billion.
Segmented Financial Results: The following table summarizes selected segmented financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2022.
Conference Call and Webcast:
Atlas plans to host a conference call for all shareholders and interested parties at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, to discuss the results.
To attend the conference call or webcast, participants should register online at ir.atlascorporation.com/events-and-presentations, and will be provided with details to access the event. To avoid delays, participants are encouraged to register a day in advance or at a minimum 15 minutes before the start of the call. A replay of the call will also be available approximately two hours following the conclusion of the call and accessible until August 10, 2023, on the same webpage.
About Atlas
Atlas is a leading global asset management company, differentiated by its position as a best-in-class owner and operator with a focus on disciplined capital deployment to create sustainable shareholder value. We target long-term, risk-adjusted returns across high-quality infrastructure assets in the maritime sector, energy sector and other infrastructure verticals. For more information visit atlascorporation.com.
About Seaspan
Seaspan is the largest global containership lessor, primarily focused on long-term, fixed-rate leases with the world's largest container shipping liners. As at June 30, 2022, Seaspan's operating fleet consisted of 127 vessels with a total capacity of 1,156,630 TEU, and an additional 67 vessels under construction, increasing total fleet capacity to 1,950,430 TEU, on a fully delivered basis, including the four 7,700 TEU vessels which remain subject to closing conditions. For more information, visit seaspancorp.com.
About APR
APR provides rapidly deployable, large-scale power and fast-track mobile power to underserved markets and industries. APR's mobile, turnkey power plants help run industries, cities and countries globally in both developed and developing markets. For more information, visit aprenergy.com.
ATLAS CORP. UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (IN MILLIONS OF U.S. DOLLARS)
ATLAS CORP. UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (IN MILLIONS OF U.S. DOLLARS, EXCEPT SHARES IN THOUSANDS AND PER SHARE AMOUNTS)
ATLAS CORP. UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (IN MILLIONS OF U.S. DOLLARS)
The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the consolidated balance sheets that sum to the amounts shown in the consolidated statements of cash flows:
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS NET EARNINGS TO FUNDS FROM OPERATIONS
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS NET EARNINGS TO FUNDS FROM OPERATIONS
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS NET EARNINGS TO ADJUSTED EPS
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS NET EARNINGS TO ADJUSTED EBITDA
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS NET EARNINGS TO ADJUSTED EBITDA
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS OPERATING NET DEBT TO ADJUSTED EBITDA
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS OPERATING NET DEBT TO ADJUSTED EBITDA
This release includes various financial measures that are non-GAAP financial measures as defined under the rules of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). These non-GAAP financial measures, which include FFO, FFO Per Share, Diluted ("FFO Per Share"), Adjusted Earnings, Adjusted Earnings Per Share, Diluted ("Adjusted EPS"), Adjusted EBITDA, Net Debt, Operating Net Debt and Total Borrowings, are intended to provide additional information and are not prepared in accordance with, and should not be considered substitutes for financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). Investors are cautioned that there are material limitations associated with the use of the non-GAAP financial measures as an analytical tool.
FFO and FFO PerShare represent net earnings adjusted for depreciation and amortization, gains/losses on sale, unrealized change in fair value of derivative instruments, loss on foreign currency repatriation, change in contingent consideration asset, preferred share dividends accumulated, impairment, loss on debt extinguishment and certain other items that management believes are not representative of its operating performance. FFO and FFO Per Share are useful performance measures because they exclude those items that management believes are not representative of its performance.
FFO and FFO Per Share are not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net earnings, earnings per share or any other indicator of the Company's performance required to be reported by GAAP. In addition, these measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies.
Adjusted Earnings and Adjusted EPS represent net earnings adjusted for preferred share dividends accumulated, impairment, loss on debt extinguishment, unrealized change in fair value on derivative instruments and certain other items that management believes are not representative of its ongoing performance.
Adjusted Earnings and Adjusted EPS are not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net earnings, net earnings per share or any other indicator of the Company's performance required to be reported by GAAP. In addition, these measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies and the closest measure is net earnings. Management believes that these metrics are helpful in providing investors with information to assess the ongoing operations of the business.
Adjusted EBITDA represents net earnings before interest expense and income, tax expense, depreciation and amortization, impairment, write-down and gains/losses on sale, gains/losses on derivative instruments, loss on foreign currency repatriation, change in contingent consideration asset, loss on debt extinguishment, other expenses and certain other items that management believes are not representative of its operating performance.
Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors in assessing the Company's results from operations. Management believes that this measure is useful in assessing performance and highlighting trends on an overall basis. Management also believes that this performance measure can be useful in comparing its results with those of other companies, even though other companies may not calculate this measure in the same way. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to Adjusted EBITDA is net earnings. Adjusted EBITDA is not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net earnings, or any other indicator of the Company's performance required to be reported by GAAP.
Total Borrowings represents long-term debt and other financing arrangements, excluding deferred financing fees. Operating borrowings represents Total Borrowings less amounts related to vessels under construction.
Net Debt represents Total Borrowings before debt discount and fair value adjustments, net of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash. Operating Net Debt represents Net Debt less amounts related to vessels under construction.
Net Debt and Total Borrowings provide useful information to investors in assessing the Company's leverage. Management believes these measures are useful in assessing the Company's ability to settle contracted debt payments. Management also believes that these leverage measurements can be useful in comparing the Company's position with those of other companies, even though other companies may not calculate these measures in the same way. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to Net Debt and Total Borrowings is the total of long-term debt and other financing arrangements. Net Debt and Total Borrowings are not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to long-term debt and other financing arrangements, or any other indicator of the Company's financial position required to be reported by GAAP.
This release contains forward-looking statements (as such term is defined in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act). Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as "continue," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," "will," "may," "potential," "should" and similar expressions are forward looking statements. These forward-looking statements represent Atlas' estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this release and are not intended to give any assurance as to future results. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements appear in a number of places in this release. Although these statements are based upon assumptions Atlas believes to be reasonable based upon available information, they are subject to risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to:
Atlas' future operating and financial results;
Atlas' future growth prospects;
Atlas' business strategy and capital allocation plans, and other plans and objectives for future operations;
Atlas' primary sources of funds for short, medium and long-term liquidity needs;
potential acquisitions, financing arrangements and other investments, and the expected benefits from such transactions;
Atlas' financial condition and liquidity, including its ability to realize the benefits of recent financing activities, borrow and repay funds under its credit facilities, its ability to obtain waivers or secure acceptable replacement charters under the credit facilities, its ability to refinance existing facilities and notes, and to obtain additional financing in the future to fund capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate activities;
conditions in the public equity market and the price of Atlas' shares;
changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, and the effect of governmental regulations on Atlas' business;
the financial condition of Seaspan's and APR's customers, lenders and other counterparties and their ability to perform their obligations under their agreements with Seaspan and APR, respectively;
the continued ability to meet specified restrictive covenants in Atlas' and its subsidiaries' financing and lease arrangements, notes and preferred shares;
any economic downturn in the global financial markets and potential negative effects of any recurrence of such disruptions on the demand for the services of Seaspan's containerships or APR's mobile power solutions or on our customers' ability to charter our vessels, lease our power generation assets and pay for our services;
the length and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, including as a result of new variants of the virus, and its impact on Atlas' business;
a major customer experiencing financial distress or bankruptcy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine-Russia conflict or otherwise;
global economic and market conditions and shipping industry trends, including charter rates and other factors affecting supply and demand for our containerships and power generation solutions;
disruptions in global credit and financial markets as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine-Russian conflict or otherwise;
the impact of inflation, recession or other actual or anticipated economic pressures;
Atlas' expectations as to impairments of its vessels and power generation assets, including the timing and amount of potential impairments;
the future valuation of Atlas' vessels, power generation assets and goodwill;
future time charters and vessel deliveries, including future long-term charters for certain existing vessels;
estimated future capital expenditures needed to preserve the operating capacity of Seaspan's containership fleet and comply with regulatory standards, as well as Atlas' expectations regarding future dry-docking and operating expenses, including ship operating expense and expenses related to performance under our contracts for the supply of power generation capacity, and general and administrative expenses;
availability of crew, number of off-hire days and dry-docking requirements;
Seaspan's continued ability to maintain, enter into or renew primarily long-term, fixed-rate time charters for its vessels and leases of our power generation assets;
the potential for early termination of long-term time charters and Seaspan's potential inability to enter into, renew or replace long-term time charters;
Seaspan's ability to leverage to its advantage its relationships and reputation in the containership industry;
changes in technology, prices, industry standards, environmental regulation and other factors which could affect Atlas' competitive position, revenues and asset values;
disruptions and security threats to our technology systems;
taxation of Atlas and of distributions to its shareholders;
Atlas' exemption from tax on U.S. source international transportation income;
the continued availability of services, equipment and software from subcontractors or third-party suppliers required to provide APR's power generation solutions;
APR's ability to protect its intellectual property and defend against possible third-party infringement claims relating to its power generation solutions;
Atlas' ability to achieve or realize expected benefits from ESG initiatives;
potential liability from future litigation;
expectations regarding the proposed transaction described in "Significant Developments in the Second Quarter of 2022 & Subsequent Events—Take Private Offer" and the timing, negotiation, terms and consummation of any such transaction;
other factors detailed from time to time in Atlas' periodic reports; and
other risks that are not currently material or known to us.
Forward-looking statements in this release are estimates and assumptions reflecting the judgment of senior management and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond Atlas' control. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, all forward-looking statements should be considered in light of various important factors listed above and including, but not limited to, those set forth in "Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors" in Atlas' Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2021 on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on March 24, 2022.
Atlas does not intend to revise any forward-looking statements in order to reflect any change in its expectations or events or circumstances that may subsequently arise. Atlas expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether because of future events, new information, a change in Atlas' views or expectations, or otherwise. You should carefully review and consider the various disclosures included in Atlas' Annual Report and in Atlas' other filings made with the SEC that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect Atlas' businesses, prospects and results of operations.
The above press release was provided courtesy of PRNewswire. The views, opinions and statements in the press release are not endorsed by Gray Media Group nor do they necessarily state or reflect those of Gray Media Group, Inc. | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2022/08/09/atlas-reports-second-quarter-2022-results/ | 2022-08-09 20:48:32 | 0 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2022/08/09/atlas-reports-second-quarter-2022-results/ |
BEIJING, June 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from CRIOnline:
A clean and beautiful world is essential for building a community of all life on Earth. This shared aspiration spans nations and cultures. The Global Development Initiative is actively driving the push towards global green and sustainable development, injecting fresh momentum into the cause.
Shaanxi Province is a significant energy hub and a crucial base for China's comprehensive energy security. The province plays a vital role in the transportation of coal, the transmission of power, and the shipping of gas from western China to eastern China, serving as a gateway for the national dual carbon strategy. On June 7, 2023, over 20 diplomats from 15 countries visited State Grid Shaanxi Electric Power Company to witness Shaanxi's efforts in implementing the dual-carbon strategy. Solomon Tesfaye Telila, the Minister of the Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in China, was invited to deliver a speech on behalf of the diplomats at the meeting. He emphasized the importance of infrastructure investment and cooperation between China, Ethiopia, and the broader African community, stressing the crucial role it plays in unlocking the full potential of mutually beneficial partnerships. He believed that by collaborating, both countries can lay a strong groundwork for sustainable development, economic prosperity, and improving the lives of people worldwide.
The original speech text is as follows:
I am honored to stand in front of you and speaks not as an observer but as a witness to the solid cooperation between China and Ethiopia in the energy sector.
China and Ethiopia have been engaged in cooperation in the area of energy for several years. Here are some key aspects of their collaboration:
Infrastructure Development: China has been involved in the construction of major energy infrastructure projects in Ethiopia, particularly in the hydroelectric sector. Chinese companies have played a significant role in the development of hydroelectric dams, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) transmission line and the Gibe III Dam. These projects aim to increase Ethiopia's power generation capacity and promote renewable energy sources.
China has provided financial support and investment for energy projects in Ethiopia. Chinese institutions, such as the Export-Import Bank of China and China Development Bank, have extended loans and credit facilities to Ethiopia for the development of energy infrastructure..
China has facilitated technology transfer and knowledge sharing in the energy sector. This includes providing expertise in hydropower generation, transmission, and distribution systems. Chinese companies have introduced advanced technologies and equipment, helping Ethiopia in enhancing its energy capabilities and improving the efficiency of its power infrastructure.
China has supported Ethiopia's efforts to develop renewable energy sources. This includes collaboration in the development of wind farms, such as the Adama Wind Power Project, and the exploration of solar energy projects.
China has also provided training and capacity building programs for Ethiopian professionals in the energy sector. This includes technical training on power plant operation, maintenance, and management. These initiatives aim to enhance the skills of Ethiopian personnel and foster self-sufficiency in energy infrastructure development and operation.
China has been involved in various electric generation projects in Ethiopia. Here are a few examples of Chinese companies that have been involved in this sector are China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC):CGGC has been involved in several hydroelectric projects in Ethiopia.
China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC): CSCEC has been involved in the construction of both hydroelectric and wind power projects, such as the Adama II Wind Power Project.
China Electric Power Equipment and Technology Co., Ltd (CET) has been worked on projects to improve the country's power infrastructure and enhance the efficiency of electricity transmission.
China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC): CMEC has been involved in the construction of several power plants in Ethiopia, including the Gibe III hydroelectric project. They have also been involved in the development of solar power projects in the country.
The work done by the State Grid China so far include but not limited to:
1. The 8 cities 9000 km distribution line and rehabilitation work such as Addis Ababa, Hawassa, Jimma, Bahir Dar, Mekele, Dere Dawa, Adama, Harare totally 19664 km transmission line.
2. Ethio-Kenya, Ethio-Djibouti GERD-Holeta-Addis Ababa Transmission line. A key project for regional integration.
3. Solar projects
Infrastructure investment and cooperation between China and Ethiopia and Africa at large is crucial for unlocking the full potential of our win win partnership. By working together, we can build a solid foundation for sustainable development, economic prosperity, and improved livelihoods for our peoples.
Let us seize this opportunity to engage in fruitful discussions, forge new partnerships in the post pandemic era that will pave the way for a brighter future. Together, we can create a robust and interconnected Africa that is resilient, prosperous, and fully integrated into the global economy.
Thank you.
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SOURCE CRIOnline | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/06/13/solomon-tesfaye-telila-minister-embassy-federal-democratic-republic-ethiopia-china-expecting-more-chinese-approaches-promoting-global-sustainable-prosperity-development/ | 2023-06-13 11:54:50 | 1 | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/06/13/solomon-tesfaye-telila-minister-embassy-federal-democratic-republic-ethiopia-china-expecting-more-chinese-approaches-promoting-global-sustainable-prosperity-development/ |
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claimed that New York City Mayor Eric Adams was "defunding safety" by increasing police wages for the New York Police Department.
During an interview on "The Daily Show," the New York Democrat argued it was a mistake for Adams to increase police officer salaries instead of investing the money into public schools and violence prevention programs.
"We're now at a point where officially, most officers are paid more than a teacher with a master's degree serving the same kids, involved in the same [violent] incidents," she argued.
The congresswoman claimed that by cutting investments into community programs and increasing funding for the "militarized" NYPD, leaders were "defunding safety."
MOTHER OF NYC MURDER VICTIM SHOUTS DOWN DEMOCRAT LAWMAKER: ‘DON’T INSULT MY INTELLIGENCE'
"We are defunding safety. Defunding our public schools. Defunding our public pools. Defunding our parks. Defunding our libraries. When we are taking all of those resources and demanding every single department except the militarized ones be cut, we are sending a message about who and what we care about," Ocasio-Cortez said.
According to the New York City Department of Education, starting teachers' salaries in the 2021-2022 school year ranged from $61,070 for a bachelors' degree to $83,972 for a master's degree with eight years prior teaching experience. New teachers with a graduate degree but no prior teaching experience earned $68,252.
Adams recently announced a tentative agreement with the city's largest police union to increase rookie officer salaries amidst a mass exodus of officers.
New officers will be paid approximately $60,000 when including all differentials, holiday pay, and a uniform allowance, starting in August, the press release says. Members of the union will also receive retroactive wage increases ranging from 2.25 percent to 4.00 percent.
AOC DOUBLES DOWN ON ‘IGNORING’ ABORTION RULE, CLARENCE THOMAS IMPEACHMENT: ‘ABUSE OF JUDICIAL OVERREACH’
During her appearance on the late night show, Ocasio-Cortez also commented on President Trump's Indictment and arraignment at a Manhattan courthouse.
She complained the former president received better treatment than violent criminals serving time at Rikers Island prison.
"I have to go in [to my district] every single day watching people get treated far worse for doing far less. And then you know it's like this red carpet that gets rolled out [for Trump.] I mean if you hurt one person you get ten years in prison. But if you hurt millions of people, you get your name on a building," she said. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/aoc-slams-eric-adams-for-increasing-pay-for-militarized-police-defunding-safety/article_3f869431-e8e3-5fb6-97de-02a5af4c4e17.html | 2023-04-18 16:44:50 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/aoc-slams-eric-adams-for-increasing-pay-for-militarized-police-defunding-safety/article_3f869431-e8e3-5fb6-97de-02a5af4c4e17.html |
The Austrian music critic Julius Korngold must have been clairvoyant when he gave his second son the middle name Wolfgang. Erich Wolfgang Korngold went on to become a celebrated composer of Hollywood film scores, but first he was one of the most astonishing child prodigies the music world has known since Mozart, playing four-hand piano arrangements with his father at age five, composing his own music at seven, and writing a complete ballet, The Snowman, as an 11-year-old, which was successfully performed by the Vienna Court Opera.
Korngold’s greatest stage success came with his opera Die Tote Stadt (The Dead City), which was completed when he was 23. A fierce bidding war among dozens of European companies for the world premiere rights ended with an agreement that it would open simultaneously in both Cologne and Hamburg, Germany, on Dec. 4, 1920. It became one of the most frequently staged operas of the 1920s, practically vanished from sight after the Nazis came to power in 1933 (the Korngolds were Jewish), and is now being rediscovered on both sides of the Atlantic, with an upcoming new production by Denver-based Opera Colorado, opening on Saturday, Feb. 25.
Die Tote Stadt is to German opera what Puccini’s Turandot is to the Italian repertory, with both boasting a lush, late-Romantic quality that also includes some modernist tendencies. The Colorado staging features a strong cast, with tenor Jonathan Burton as Paul, a young painter obsessively mourning his recently deceased wife Marie, and soprano Sara Gartland as Marietta, who bears a striking resemblance to Marie and who helps Paul “see and understand” the impact of his grief, in a long, hallucinatory dream sequence.
Director Chas Rader-Shieber often works wonders with such unusual works. His staging here will feature new scenery and costumes designed by Robert Perdziola; Opera Colorado Music Director Ari Pelto conducts. American productions of Die Tote Stadt have been clustered around the coasts, so this is a rare opportunity for those of us in fly-over country to see it in person.
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, Tuesday, Feb. 28, and March 3, 2 p.m. March 5, Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1385 Curtis St., Denver, $39-$210, 303-468-2030, operacolorado.org | https://www.santafenewmexican.com/pasatiempo/opera/a-prodigious-opera-in-denver/article_e0bec184-a8e6-11ed-b526-7714106bc906.html | 2023-02-24 13:52:04 | 1 | https://www.santafenewmexican.com/pasatiempo/opera/a-prodigious-opera-in-denver/article_e0bec184-a8e6-11ed-b526-7714106bc906.html |
Highland Park suspected shooter’s father is charged with felony reckless conduct
By Andy Rose, Carolyn Sung and Christina Maxouris, CNN
The father of the man accused of killing seven people and wounding dozens more at the Highland Park, Illinois, Fourth of July parade was taken into custody Friday and facing felony reckless conduct charges, prosecutors announced.
Robert Crimo, Jr., is charged with seven counts of felony reckless conduct, Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said. Crimo Jr. turned himself in to law enforcement, Rinehart said, and will have a bond hearing on Saturday.
Prosecutors allege Crimo Jr. was “criminally reckless” when he signed his son’s application for an Illinois Firearm Owners Identification card nearly three years before the massacre, which is required to purchase a gun in Illinois.
Helping his son get the card was a “contributing cause to the bodily harm suffered by the homicide victims in the mass shooting,” prosecutors said in a news release.
The accused gunman, Robert “Bobby” E. Crimo III, killed seven people and injured dozens more — ranging from 8 to 85 years old — during what was supposed to have been a carefree, family-friendly patriotic celebration last summer.
Rinehart said Friday the alleged shooter would not have been able to obtain the card without a parent’s assistance because he was under the age of 21.
The elder Crimo, who has previously denied any responsibility over the mass shooting, agreed to sponsor his son’s gun license in 2019, months after local police received a report the son had said “he was going to kill everyone” in his family, police said back in July.
Officers also had checked on the younger Crimo earlier that year after he had “attempted to commit suicide by machete,” according to a police report. An attorney for the parents said in July the disputed details of the incidents in the police reports.
“Parents and guardians are in the best position to decide whether their teenager should have a weapon. They are the first line of defense. In this case, that system failed when Robert Crimo Jr. sponsored his son,” Rinehart said Friday. ” He knew what he knew, and he signed the form anyway.”
Crimo Jr.’s attorney, George Gomez, called the charges “baseless and unprecedented.”
“This decision should alarm every single parent in the United States of America who according to the Lake County State’s Attorney knows exactly what is going on with their 19-year-old adult children and can be held criminally liable for actions taken nearly three years later,” Gomez said in a statement. “These charges are absurd and we will fight them every step of the way.”
The attorney added while Crimo Jr. sympathizes for the victims of the mass shooting, the charges are “politically motivated and a distraction from the real change that needs to happen in this country.”
Parents facing charges in another case
While parents of accused shooters historically haven’t been charged in mass shootings, this is at least the second recent case in which parents face charges over violence perpetrated by their child.
The parents of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley, James and Jennifer Crumbley, are expected to stand trial after pleading not guilty to four counts of involuntary manslaughter connected to the shooting. They have argued the charges have no legal justification and they should not be held responsible for their son’s killings.
Ethan Crumbley pleaded guilty in October to terrorism and murder charges stemming from the November 2021 mass shooting at Oxford High School that left four students dead and several others wounded.
In recent court filings, prosecutors in the case disclosed evidence they say shows Crumbley’s mother knew about his unhealthy mental state when the parents bought him a gun days before the shooting.
Eric A. Johnson, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, previously explained to CNN a reckless homicide charge is applicable to any act which causes a death, so long as the person was reckless in performing the act, meaning they knew of a substantial and unjustifiable risk the act would cause someone’s death.
Illinois investigators gathered evidence for months
In the days after the July 4 attack in Illinois, Lake County prosecutors said they were reviewing evidence “in terms of who knew what when” and had not ruled out charges against the father.
Rinehart, the county state’s attorney, reiterated after the mass shooting investigators worked to piece together what family members and others may have known before the attack and said while there was no criminal liability for sponsoring a firearm owner’s ID, there were “different ways to look at potential criminal liability” in this case.
Local and federal investigators combed through “enormous amounts of digital evidence” since the night of the attack, the state’s attorney said.
“Dozens of federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel have been working to analyze the digital evidence in this case,” Rinehart said. “Our Cyber Lab personnel were critical partners on the team that helped us uncover the truth of the critical weeks before the FOID was issued.”
In August, Crimo III pleaded not guilty to 117 criminal charges, including 21 counts of first-degree murder, court officials said. He was also arraigned on 48 counts of attempted first-degree murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery, one for each victim who was struck by a bullet, bullet fragment or shrapnel, Rinehart said at the time.
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CNN’s Ray Sanchez contributed to this report. | https://kion546.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2022/12/16/highland-park-suspected-shooters-father-is-charged-with-felony-reckless-conduct/ | 2022-12-17 09:56:11 | 0 | https://kion546.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2022/12/16/highland-park-suspected-shooters-father-is-charged-with-felony-reckless-conduct/ |
A highly-anticipated Alzheimer's treatment is expected to become available this month. However, experts warn that accessibility will likely be a problem.
Lecanemab is the first treatment that appears to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. It's only for people in the early stages of cognitive decline.
Lecanemab is an infusion given every two weeks. It's estimated to cost $25,000 a year.
Those not wealthy or those not in clinical trials are expected to be left out.
"Another barrier to access stems from the fact Lecanemab is on accelerated FDA approval," said Dr. Michael Weiner.
He expects the FDA to announce whether the drug gets full approval later this year. If it is fully approved, the Center for Medicare Services will decide whether to cover it.
Once a drug is approved for Medicare, some insurance will pay for it and it is available through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"I think those of us in the field, who see these patients and know what's going on and see the effects of this treatment, think that this treatment should definitely be available to the population, and we ought to try to find a way to pay for i.," Weiner said.
In clinical trials, the drug has been shown to slow cognitive decline by about 25%. Weiner said that could mean six to nine months of independence for patients and caregivers. | https://www.abc15.com/news/national/patients-may-fave-barriers-when-trying-to-access-new-alzheimers-drug | 2023-01-20 20:16:05 | 0 | https://www.abc15.com/news/national/patients-may-fave-barriers-when-trying-to-access-new-alzheimers-drug |
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Masks will be required for people using federal buildings or riding buses inside Denali National Park and Preserve because of high COVID-19 levels in the broader community, officials said Thursday.
The mask mandate takes effect Friday, a statement from the park said.
The park is instituting the mandate per U.S. Interior Department guidelines, which require masks when COVID-19 community levels reach the high status in the surrounding area.
Both the Denali Borough north of park and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough south of Denali reported their status as high in data to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Masks covering the nose and mouth will be required for everyone over the age of 2, regardless of vaccination status. They must be worn in all common and shared workspaces in buildings owned or controlled by the National Park Service, including visitor centers, lodges, gift shops and restaurants. Masks also are required to ride buses and courtesy shuttles inside the park. | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/COVID-19-cases-prompt-mask-mandate-at-Denali-17291352.php | 2022-07-08 14:39:55 | 1 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/COVID-19-cases-prompt-mask-mandate-at-Denali-17291352.php |
SANTA CLAUS, Ind. (WXIN) – Wondering what almost $50 million can get you on the Indiana real estate market?
For this home in Santa Claus, Indiana, it can get you a lot.
It’s called Big Tree Farm. This one-of-a-kind estate on a 550-acre lot with 50,782 square feet of buildings.
Built in 2003, the resort-like property includes 3.5 miles of paved trails winding around lakes, botanical gardens and waterfalls.
The description on Redfin gives Big Tree Farm a pretty abysmal 13 out of 100 when it comes to how walkable the surrounding neighborhood is, but that’s likely not a problem for any serious buyers. After all, the future owner will be just “10 minutes from jet-accessible Huntingburg International Airport.”
See photos of the sprawling property courtesy of Key Associates Signature Realty:
“In the sprawling Guest Quarters, known as ‘The Stables,’ each guest suite is named after Kentucky Derby winners from nearby Churchill Downs,” the listing reads. “The thoughtfully appointed rooms were modeled after Four Seasons Hotel New York. The luxurious guest suites have a resort-like feel, are generously sized, and exquisitely furnished with every comfort and amenity.”
The estate has 15 beds and 16.5+ baths and a three-car garage.
It comes with many amenities but ones to highlight are large stone fire pits, a garden amphitheater, shooting range, basketball court, horseshoe pits, mature forest canopy with wooded trails for mountain biking or ATV riding, and many gathering places to be able to enjoy the views of the property.
The property was originally built as a private estate to enjoy with family and friends, the listing says, but Big Tree Farm has more recently been used as an entertainment venue that has attracted “visitors from all over the world.”
Time to drain your savings? Or possibly win the lottery… | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/see-inside-47-9m-estate-is-indianas-most-expensive-listing/ | 2022-09-05 16:06:29 | 0 | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/see-inside-47-9m-estate-is-indianas-most-expensive-listing/ |
Sarasota senior facility receives approval to provide free veterans assistance
Town Square University Parkway has been selected by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs to offer free adult day services for qualifying military veterans.
The federal partnership at Town Square means veterans can receive free breakfast, lunch, medication management, medical oversight, and other services and activities. Town Square also offers free bi-weekly support groups as well as educational classes.
Veterans who have not previously applied with Veteran Affairs for these services should contact their primary care team at the VA to request a consultation for Community Adult Day Health Care (CADHC) benefits. If they are not currently receiving VA health care services, they will need to apply and register. More information can be found at va.gov/health-care/how-to-apply and va.gov/bay-pines-health-care/register-for-care.
Potential Town Square members will participate in an assessment that examines their physical and cognitive abilities. Assessments help place members with other like-minded individuals.
Town Square offers primary care, lab services, and psychiatry as well as physical, occupational, and speech therapy five days a week. Podiatry, dermatology, and audiology are available quarterly. These services, along with an on-site hair salon and barber, are aimed at making life easier for caregivers. “Our goal is to be a resource for families in the community,” membership director Skylar Betts said.
Town Square University Parkway, 8450 Lockwood Ridge Road, is located off University Parkway in the Walmart shopping center next to PetLand. Visit townsquare.net.
Submitted by Skyler Betts | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2023/06/12/sarasota-facility-gains-federal-approval-to-offer-veterans-assistance/70292501007/ | 2023-06-13 00:00:21 | 0 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2023/06/12/sarasota-facility-gains-federal-approval-to-offer-veterans-assistance/70292501007/ |
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Max Muncy went on the 10-day injured list Friday with a strained hamstring.
The move was retroactive to Tuesday, so Muncy will be eligible to come off the IL in time for the Dodgers’ series against Houston at home starting June 23.
“I love playing,” he said this week. “I don’t like sitting. It kills me.”
Muncy has struggled offensively this season, hitting .191 with 18 home runs and 45 RBI in 60 games. It’s his first time on the IL this season and fourth time in his career.
Chris Taylor and Michael Busch figure to split time at third base while Muncy is sidelined. Busch was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday for his second stint with LA this season. He was 4-for-19 with two RBI in seven games the first time.
___
More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/2023/06/16/max-muncy-injured-list/4278f016-0ca6-11ee-8132-a84600f3bb9b_story.html | 2023-06-17 00:50:03 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/2023/06/16/max-muncy-injured-list/4278f016-0ca6-11ee-8132-a84600f3bb9b_story.html |
CHICAGO, July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CNA Financial Corporation (NYSE: CNA) will report second quarter 2022 results before the market opens on Monday, August 1, 2022. The news release, earnings presentation and financial supplement will be available on CNA's website at www.cna.com. A conference call for investors and analysts is scheduled for 8 a.m. CT and will be hosted by Dino E. Robusto, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of CNA Financial Corporation.
A live webcast will be available via the Investor Relations section of www.cna.com. Those interested in participating in the question and answer session should dial (800) 289-0571, or for international callers, +1 (720) 543-0206. An online replay will also be available on CNA's website following the call.
CNA is one of the largest U.S. commercial property and casualty insurance companies. Backed by more than 120 years of experience, CNA provides a broad range of standard and specialized insurance products and services for businesses and professionals in the U.S., Canada and Europe. For more information, please visit CNA at www.cna.com.
Follow CNA (NYSE: CNA) on: Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube
Cara McCall
CNA
Cara.McCall@cna.com
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newsroom@cna.com
312-822-5167
Ralitza K.Todorova
CNA
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SOURCE CNA | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2022/07/19/cna-financial-report-second-quarter-2022-results-host-conference-call-august-1/ | 2022-07-19 15:09:50 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2022/07/19/cna-financial-report-second-quarter-2022-results-host-conference-call-august-1/ |
Voters in Chicago elect Brandon Johnson as their new mayor WBEZ Chicago | By Mariah Woefel Published April 5, 2023 at 5:13 AM EDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Tuesday's runoff election in Chicago brought with it a big change — a new mayor for the country's third largest city. Copyright 2023 WBEZ | https://www.wunc.org/2023-04-05/voters-in-chicago-elect-brandon-johnson-as-their-new-mayor | 2023-04-05 09:39:10 | 1 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-04-05/voters-in-chicago-elect-brandon-johnson-as-their-new-mayor |
(The Hill) — Pfizer on Tuesday announced its maternal vaccine for RSV, administered during pregnancy, was effective at preventing infants from developing severe symptoms from birth through their first six months.
The company said that it plans to file the data on the vaccine with regulators by the end of the year, with the hope of having it available by next winter. If authorized, it would be the first vaccine on the market to help protect young infants from the common but potentially life-threatening respiratory illness.
There are currently no vaccines available for RSV, and the only treatment is monoclonal antibodies, usually reserved for extremely high-risk cases, including infants born prematurely or those with chronic diseases related to the heart and lungs.
According to Pfizer’s news release, the vaccine reduced the rate of severe illness in infants that required medical attention by 81.8 percent through the first 90 days of life. That efficacy dropped to 69 percent over a six-month follow-up period.
Researchers also tested how well the vaccine prevents all RSV-related medical visits, including for non-severe cases. The study found the vaccine reduced medical visits in vaccinated patients by about 50 percent compared to mothers who got placebo, though the results were not considered statistically significant.
The company said the vaccine was well-tolerated with no safety concerns for both the vaccinated individuals and their newborns. However, the data has not yet been submitted to a journal or peer-reviewed.
Like the flu, RSV season usually occurs during colder weather, though it’s been hitting unusually hard and early this year, contributing to a wave of respiratory infections that is overwhelming children’s hospitals nationwide.
In healthy adults and older children, RSV typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms that go away with moderate rest and self-care.
Younger children, especially those less than 6 months old, have the highest risk of developing severe cases that could lead to hospitalization. RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization for infants.
Worldwide, RSV results in the death of hundreds of thousands of children annually, with the vast majority in developing countries.
Unlike some other RSV vaccine candidates, Pfizer’s shot is administered during pregnancy, with the aim of transferring antibodies from mothers to infants. Other maternal vaccines include the flu shot, as well as one for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis.
Pfizer’s study enrolled approximately 7,400 pregnant individuals in 18 countries. The trial began in June 2020, so it spanned multiple RSV seasons in both the northern and southern hemispheres. | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/pfizer-says-rsv-vaccine-is-effective-at-preventing-severe-illness-in-babies/ | 2022-11-01 14:42:39 | 1 | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/pfizer-says-rsv-vaccine-is-effective-at-preventing-severe-illness-in-babies/ |
What teams aren’t looking for pitching these days — whether they’re shopping the waiver wire or sending out feelers to other general managers to see what arms might be available?
The Oakland Athletics found a former Yankees arm on Tuesday, claiming right-hander David McKay off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays, who designated righty Jake Lemoine for assignment to make room. McKay had been designated for assignment by the Rays when they recently acquired Christian Bethancourt from the A’s. | https://www.nj.com/yankees/2022/07/as-sign-ex-yankees-pitcher-who-made-the-40-man-roster-in-spring.html | 2022-07-13 10:20:49 | 1 | https://www.nj.com/yankees/2022/07/as-sign-ex-yankees-pitcher-who-made-the-40-man-roster-in-spring.html |
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Few Americans outside law enforcement and government ever see the most graphic videos or photos from the nation’s worst mass shootings — in most states, such evidence is only displayed at trial and most such killers die during or immediately after their attacks. They never make it to court.
That has made the penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz for his 2018 murder of 17 people at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School unusual.
As the worst U.S. mass shooting to reach trial, the surveillance videos taken during his attack and the crime scene and autopsy photos that show its horrific aftermath are being seen by jurors on shielded video screens and, after each day’s court session, shown to a small group of journalists. But they are not shown in the gallery, where parents and spouses sit, or to the general public watching on TV.
Some online believe that should change — that to have an informed debate on gun violence, the public should see the carnage mass shooters like Cruz cause, often with high-velocity bullets fired from AR-15 semiautomatic rifles and similar weapons.
Others disagree. They say the public display of such videos and photos would add to the harm the victims’ families already endure and might entice some who are mentally disturbed to commit their own mass shooting. They believe such evidence should remain sealed.
Liz Dunning, a vice president at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, doesn’t believe releasing such videos and photos would have the political impact some think. Polls show that most Americans already support stronger background checks for gun buyers and bans or restrictions on AR-15s and similar weapons, said Dunning, whose mother was murdered by a gunman.
“Public perception is not the issue,” Dunning said. “We should be asking more of the powerful.”
Since most of the worst U.S. mass shooters were killed by themselves or police during or immediately after their attack, it is rare for anyone outside government to see such surveillance videos or police and autopsy photos. The public didn’t see such evidence after the Las Vegas shooting in 2017, Orlando in 2016, Sandy Hook in 2012, Virginia Tech in 2007 and others.
But Cruz, 23, fled after his shooting and was arrested an hour later. He pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of first-degree murder – his trial is only to determine if he is sentenced to death or life without parole. The videos and photos are part of the prosecution’s case.
Since the trial began July 18, everyone in the courtroom and watching on TV has seen and heard heartbreaking testimony from teachers and students who saw others die. They have heard the gunshots and screams as jurors watched cellphone videos.
But when graphic videos and photos are presented, those are not shown. Usually, they only hear medical examiners and police officers give emotionless descriptions of what the jury is seeing.
Then at the end of each day, a group of reporters reviews the photos and videos, but are only allowed to write descriptions. That was a compromise as some parents feared photos of their dead children would be posted online and wanted no media access.
Miami media attorney Thomas Julin said in Florida before the internet, any photos or other evidence presented at trial could be seen and copied by anyone. Newspapers didn’t print the most gruesome photos, so no one cared.
But in the mid-1990s as the internet boomed, Danny Rolling faced a death penalty trial for the serial murders of four University of Florida students and a community college student. The victims’ families argued that the publication of crime scene photos would cause them emotional harm. The judge ruled that anyone could view the photos, but no one could copy them. Such compromises have since become standard in Florida’s high-profile murder trials.
The surveillance video of the Stoneman Douglas shooting is silent. It shows Cruz moving methodically from floor-to-floor in a three-story classroom building, shooting down hallways and into classrooms. Victims fall. Cruz often stops and shoots them again before moving on.
The crime scene photos show the dead where they fell, sometimes on top of or next to each other, often in contorted shapes. Blood and sometimes brain matter are splattered on floors and walls.
The autopsy photos show the damage Cruz and his bullets did. Some victims have massive head wounds. One student had his elbow blown off, another had her shoulder blown open. Another had most of her forearm ripped away.
Yet, despite their gruesomeness, Columbia University journalism professor Bruce Shapiro says most autopsy and crime scene photos wouldn’t have a lasting public impact because they don’t have context.
The photos and videos that have a strong effect on public opinion tell a story, said Shapiro, who runs the university’s think tank on how journalists should cover violence.
The photos of Emmett Till’s battered body lying in its coffin after the Black teenager was tortured and killed by Mississippi white supremacists in 1955. Mary Ann Vecchio screaming over Kent State student Jeffrey Miller’s body after he was shot by National Guard troops in 1970. Vietnamese child Phan Thi Kim Phuc running naked after being burned by a napalm bomb in 1972. The video of police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck until he’s dead in 2020.
“They work not just because they are graphic, but because they are powerful, stirring images,” Shapiro said.
And even if the graphic photos and videos were released, most major newspapers, wire services and television stations would be hesitant to use them. Their editors weigh whether the public benefit of seeing an image outweighs any prurient interest — and they usually pass.
That would leave most for only the most salacious websites. They would also become fodder for potential mass shooters, who frequently research past killers. Cruz did; testimony showed he spent the seven months before his attack making hundreds of computer searches about committing massacres.
“The images of the carnage will become part of their dark fantasy life,” Shapiro said. | https://www.wivb.com/news/u-s-headlines/parkland-trial-a-rare-curtailed-look-at-mass-shooting-gore/ | 2022-08-01 02:03:20 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/news/u-s-headlines/parkland-trial-a-rare-curtailed-look-at-mass-shooting-gore/ |
- Breakthrough SUV EV redefines user experience with enhanced space and comfort for all occupants
- Kia drives towards sustainability with the EV9 by embracing sustainable and biomaterials on path to carbon neutrality
- Kia plans to introduce conditional Level-3 Autonomy via Highway Driving Pilot (HDP)[1] in GT-line
- All-electric WLTP target range over 541 km on a single charge; 239 km range with 15 minutes ultra-fast 800-volt charging time
- Kia Connect Store enables customers to update features of their EV9 Over-the-Air (OTA), anytime, anywhere
- EV9 accelerates Kia's transition to a sustainable mobility solutions provider
SEOUL, South Korea, March 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kia has today revealed full details of the Kia EV9, its first three-row seat electric flagship SUV that brings fresh thinking, design, and technology to the sector and spearheads the brand's rapid transformation to a sustainable mobility solutions provider in the era of electrification.
Based on the game-changing Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), the EV9 ensures athletic performance, complemented by a targeted all-electric range over 541 km[2], according to the World harmonized Light vehicle Testing Procedure (WLTP). Ultra-fast 800-volt charging capability enables the EV9 battery pack to be replenished with sufficient charge to power the vehicle for 239 km in approximately 15 minutes[3].
Numerous technological breakthroughs include the Highway Driving Pilot (HDP) system, available in the Kia EV9 GT-line in the future, enabling conditional Level 3 autonomous driving in selected markets. It also introduces the Kia Connect Store, which enables customers to purchase digital features and services on demand, giving them the flexibility to choose the features they want and continuously upgrade the capability of the EV9 with Over the Air (OTA) updates at any time.
Ho Sung Song, President and CEO, said: "The Kia EV9 transcends all aspects of traditional SUV thinking and represents the pinnacle of Kia's design and engineering capabilities. Created to meet the needs of all family members, the EV9 also spearheads Kia's rapid transition to a sustainable mobility solutions provider, not just by its advanced EV architecture, but also through the numerous recycled and sustainable materials used in its creation."
Kia will begin offering pre-order of the EV9 for the Korean market in the second quarter of 2023. The Kia EV9 will go on sale in selected global markets from the second half of the year.
Today, Kia has released the EV9 world premiere video with full details of the model. The video can be viewed on the Kia EV9 global brand page at https://worldwide.kia.com/int/ev9
For more information on Kia EV9, please visit: www.kianewscenter.com
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SOURCE Kia Corporation | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/03/28/kia-ev9-reshapes-suv-user-experience-with-superior-design-technology/ | 2023-03-28 22:16:16 | 0 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/03/28/kia-ev9-reshapes-suv-user-experience-with-superior-design-technology/ |
Former President Obama has congratulated Edith Childs, the originator of the “Fired up, ready to go” chant, on her retirement.
In a statement through his nonprofit organization, the Obama Foundation, Obama said he took time to make a video call to Childs, who serves on the Greenwood, S.C., city council, on her retirement from her position.
Obama recalled that the time he first heard the now-widely-used chant was during a campaign stop in Greenwood during his 2007 presidential campaign, saying that Childs started that chant at the event with only 20 people in attendance.
“Just her being there cheered me up. And as we walked away, I said to my team … ‘I’m feeling kind of fired up. Are you?’ … And that chant, eventually we’d do in front of 100,000 people at huge rallies as the campaign went on,” President Obama said in the video.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Childs, a longtime member of the NAACP, said that she came to know the rallying cry after decades of working for NAACP-led voter registration drives.
The chant went on to become an official rallying cry used in Obama’s two presidential campaigns, being used on T-shirts, signs and bumper stickers.
Obama has also kept a close-knit relationship with Childs. The councilmember attended several events during Obama’s tenure at the White House, led delegates with the chant during the 2012 Democratic National Convention and attended Obama’s final State of the Union addresses in 2016.
The “Fired up, ready to go” chant was used by local politicians in Childs’s home state and by billionaire businessman Tom Steyer during his 2020 presidential campaign.
Childs added that she’ll continue to work as a community organizer after she retires, telling Obama in a video call that the next generation of leaders shouldn’t try to imitate anyone. “Just be themselves and if you be yourself then you’ll do fine,” she said.
“[Y]ou have made a difference in the lives of your town and your community. And you’ve made a difference in my campaign and my life,” President Obama told Childs. “And I just wanted to let you know how much we all love you and appreciate you and are grateful for your service, and just that positive attitude that you have that keeps people fired up and keeps them ready to go.”
– The Associated Press contributed to this report | https://fox59.com/hill-politics/obama-congratulates-fired-up-ready-to-go-chant-originator-on-retirement/ | 2023-03-02 19:01:01 | 1 | https://fox59.com/hill-politics/obama-congratulates-fired-up-ready-to-go-chant-originator-on-retirement/ |
How to Watch the Heat vs. Celtics: Streaming & TV Channel Info for Eastern Conference Finals Game 4
Published: May. 23, 2023 at 1:31 PM CDT|Updated: 32 minutes ago
In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Miami Heat will play the Boston Celtics.
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Heat vs. Celtics Game Info
- When: Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 8:30 PM ET
- Where: FTX Arena in Miami, Florida
- TV: TNT
- Catch NBA games all season long with Fubo
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Heat vs Celtics Additional Info
Heat Stats Insights
- The Heat are shooting 46% from the field this season, 0.3 percentage points lower than the 46.3% the Celtics allow to opponents.
- Miami is 25-11 when it shoots better than 46.3% from the field.
- The Celtics are the seventh-ranked rebounding team in the league, the Heat sit at 27th.
- The 109.5 points per game the Heat put up are only 1.9 fewer points than the Celtics give up (111.4).
- Miami has a 26-8 record when scoring more than 111.4 points.
Celtics Stats Insights
- The Celtics' 47.5% shooting percentage from the field this season is the same as the Heat have allowed to their opponents.
- Boston has compiled a 33-3 straight-up record in games it shoots over 48.2% from the field.
- The Heat are the 20th best rebounding team in the league, the Celtics rank 20th.
- The Celtics' 117.9 points per game are 8.1 more points than the 109.8 the Heat give up.
- Boston has put together a 49-12 record in games it scores more than 109.8 points.
Heat Home & Away Comparison
- The Heat are scoring 111.4 points per game when playing at home. In road games, they are averaging 107.5 points per contest.
- Defensively Miami has been worse at home this season, giving up 110.2 points per game, compared to 109.3 when playing on the road.
- In home games, the Heat are making the same number of treys per game as they are in away games (12). Meanwhile, they sport a higher three-point percentage at home (36%) compared to in road games (32.9%).
Celtics Home & Away Comparison
- At home the Celtics are better offensively, putting up 120.5 points per game, compared to 115.4 away. They're also better defensively, conceding 110.5 points per game at home, and 112.4 on the road.
- Boston is allowing fewer points at home (110.5 per game) than on the road (112.4).
- This year the Celtics are averaging more assists at home (26.8 per game) than away (26.5).
Heat Injuries
Celtics Injuries
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/05/23/heat-vs-celtics-eastern-conference-finals-game-4-live-stream-tv/ | 2023-05-23 19:03:51 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/05/23/heat-vs-celtics-eastern-conference-finals-game-4-live-stream-tv/ |
New campaign encourages people to 'Be a Helper' by supporting pets in local communities
NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ad Council, the Humane Society of the United States and Maddie's Fund® have launched "Pets and People Together," a new, fully integrated public service announcement (PSA) campaign to inspire pet lovers everywhere to #BeAHelper. Ninety-seven percent of pet owners consider their pet to be a member of the family. At any given time, anyone may experience a crisis that can temporarily impact their ability to care for their pets.
Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9094551-ad-council-humane-society-us-maddies-fund-pets-and-people-together-psa/
Pets and People Together highlights that the best place for pets is with their people. Communities have a vital role to play in preserving the human-pet bond. People who understand the value of pets in our everyday lives may not be aware of the ways they can help keep pets and people together. This includes reuniting lost pets with their owners, donating pet supplies or funds for owners in need, or offering short- or long-term fostering. These actions ensure both pets and people are able to continue to benefit from the unique and powerful connection they share.
"We are incredibly excited for this new campaign. If the last few years have taught us anything, it's the vital role our pets play in our health, happiness and well-being, and how amazing it is when our community comes together," said Mary Ippoliti-Smith, Executive Leadership Team at Maddie's Fund. "Keeping families together is more important than ever, and we all have the opportunity to help make this happen."
The three new video PSAs feature touching stories about individuals and their pets. "Magic Hour" is a heartwarming film showing how the small act of donating pet supplies to families in need can bring joy to pet owners and their pets. The second film, "Muse," unveils how financial donations from "helpers" can keep pets and people together through unexpected hardship. The third and final inspiring work, "Foster," dives into the benefits of short-term foster care by neighbors or friends and how it can make a huge impact.
"Everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the unconditional love and meaningful relationship a pet offers," said Kitty Block, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States. "Our new Pets and People Together campaign highlights that each of us has a role to play in our community to help ensure that families and their beloved pets stay together."
"Pets and People Together showcases the important role that community can play in keeping pets and people together. Everyday people can take actions both big and small to help ensure families with pets can stay together, even in the face of financial or medical hardships, or if a pet gets separated from their family," said Heidi Arthur, Chief Campaign Development Officer at Ad Council. "We've proven countless times that when the Ad Council partners with the Humane Society of the United States and Maddie's Fund, we can change an issue for the better. We're proud of our continued partnership with these two impactful organizations."
In 2009, the Ad Council, in collaboration with the Humane Society of the United States and Maddie's Fund, launched the Shelter Pet Project with the goal of encouraging pet adoption from local shelters. Since its launch, the Shelter Pet Project has helped more than 3 million people search for pets available for adoption near them. The success of the campaign over the years has given rise to a new opportunity to help inform audiences about a variety of other ways they can support both pets and people in their community.
The work was created pro bono by creative agency Wunderman Thompson, which donated its services to develop the strategy and create the PSAs. In addition to television PSAs, the campaign features print, digital, out-of-home and radio PSAs. The PSAs drive to a fresh, resource-packed website, PetsandPeopleTogether.org, developed in partnership with digital agency Viget.
"Though not everyone can adopt a pet, everyone can be a helper," said Melissa Krimm, Group Business Director at Wunderman Thompson. "Whether dropping off a bag of kibble at your local food pantry or donating to a veterinary fund, every bit of kindness counts. It takes a village to raise a pet."
People who want to positively impact their community are encouraged to visit PetsAndPeopleTogether.org, where they can learn valuable information including how to foster a pet for a friend, neighbor or family member; how to donate toward the cost of a pet's veterinary care and what to do when you find or lose a pet. Follow Pets and People Together on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to learn more. Individuals can also use the hashtag #BeAHelper to share what they are doing in their communities to help keep pets and people together.
About the Ad Council
The Ad Council has a long history of creating life-saving public service communications in times of national crisis, starting in the organization's earliest days during World War II to September 11th and natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy and, most recently, leading the industry's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its deep relationships with media outlets, the creative community, issue experts and government leaders make the organization uniquely poised to quickly distribute life-saving impactful information to millions of Americans.
The Ad Council is where creativity and causes converge. The non-profit organization brings together the most creative minds in advertising, media, technology and marketing to address many of the nation's most important causes. The Ad Council has created many of the most iconic campaigns in advertising history. Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk. Smokey Bear. Love Has No Labels.
The Ad Council's innovative social impact campaigns raise awareness, inspire action and save lives. To learn more, visit AdCouncil.org, follow the Ad Council's communities on Facebook and Twitter, and view the creative on YouTube.
About the Humane Society of the United States
We fight the big fights to end suffering for all animals. Together with millions of supporters, the Humane Society of the United States takes on puppy mills, factory farms, the fur trade, trophy hunting, animal cosmetics testing and other cruel industries. Through our rescue, response and sanctuary work, as well as other direct services, we help thousands of animals in need every year. We fight all forms of animal cruelty to achieve the vision behind our name: a humane society.
Learn more about our work at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to Kitty Block's blog, A Humane World. Follow the HSUS Media Relations department on Twitter. Read the award-winning All Animals magazine. Listen to the Humane Voices Podcast.
About Maddie's Fund®
Maddie's Fund® is a family foundation established in 1994 by Dave and Cheryl Duffield and is the fulfillment of a promise to their inspirational dog, Maddie. She provided them much joy for over ten years and continues to inspire them today.
The Foundation has awarded over $265 million in grants toward increased community collaborations and live outcomes, pioneering shelter medicine education and establishing foster care as a standard across the U.S. Maddie's Fund proudly offers the industry a national voice, important funding opportunities for bold ideas, learning resources and access to collaborate and share innovative solutions.
The Foundation invests its resources in a commitment to keeping pets and people together, creating a safety net of care for animals in need and operating within a culture of inclusiveness and humility.
#ThanksToMaddie
About Wunderman Thompson
At Wunderman Thompson we exist to inspire growth for ambitious brands. Part creative agency, part consultancy and part technology company, our experts provide end-to-end capabilities at a global scale to deliver inspiration across the entire brand and customer experience.
We are 20,000 strong in 90 markets around the world, where our people bring together creative storytelling, diverse perspectives, inclusive thinking, and highly specialized vertical capabilities, to drive growth for our clients. We offer deep expertise across the entire customer journey, including communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology.
In 2020, Wunderman Thompson launched Inspire, a proprietary global platform that explores what makes brands inspiring and what inspires consumers. Rooted in a rigorous, multidimensional research methodology, the platform identifies the qualities a brand must embody, the narratives it should weave, and the experiences it can design in order to spark people's inspiration and culminates in an annual list of the Inspire Score Top 100 Most Inspiring Brands in the World.
Wunderman Thompson is a WPP agency (NYSE: WPP).
For more information, please visit us at www.wundermanthompson.com, subscribe to our newsletter, and follow Wunderman Thompson on our social channels via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
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SOURCE Ad Council | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2022/10/12/ad-council-humane-society-united-states-maddies-fund-launch-new-psa-campaign-focused-keeping-pets-people-together/ | 2022-10-12 11:52:23 | 0 | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2022/10/12/ad-council-humane-society-united-states-maddies-fund-launch-new-psa-campaign-focused-keeping-pets-people-together/ |
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the Louisiana Lottery's "Pick 4" game were:
3-0-2-5
(three, zero, two, five)
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the Louisiana Lottery's "Pick 4" game were:
3-0-2-5
(three, zero, two, five) | https://www.expressnews.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-4-game-17523994.php | 2022-10-21 05:00:29 | 1 | https://www.expressnews.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-4-game-17523994.php |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A shooter stood over a 16-year-old mother clutching her 10-month-old baby and pumped bullets into their heads in a brazen attack in a central California farming community that left six dead at a home linked to drugs and guns, a sheriff said Tuesday.
Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said the teenager was fleeing the violence early Monday when the killers caught up to her outside the home in Goshen, a central California community of about 3,000 residents in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley, and shot the young mother and her child "assassination-style."
The other four victims ranged from 19 to 72 years old, including a grandmother who was shot as she slept. Their autopsies are expected to be completed later in the week.
Authorities said they were searching for two suspects and offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to their arrests.
"None of this was by accident," Boudreaux said during a news conference Tuesday. "It was deliberate, intentional and horrific."
Boudreaux walked back his earlier comments to reporters that the attack was likely a cartel hit, saying that investigators are also looking into whether it was gang violence.
"I am not eliminating that possibility," the sheriff said. "These people were clearly shot in the head and they were also shot in places where the shooter would know that a quick death would occur ... This is also similar to high-ranking gang affiliation and the style of executions that they commit."
Law enforcement is familiar with the home, the sheriff said, citing gang activity there that "has routinely occurred in the past" without giving any specifics. He added that not everyone who was shot was a drug dealer or gang member — and said that among the victims believed to be innocent are the teen, her grandmother, and of course, the baby.
A family is left in shock
The sheriff's department on Tuesday identified the victims as: Rosa Parraz, 72; Eladio Parraz, Jr., 52; Jennifer Analla, 49; Marcos Parraz, 19; Alissa Parraz, 16; and Nycholas Parraz, 10 months.
Boudreaux said "there was no reason" for the shooters to kill the young mother and her child.
"I know for a fact this 10-month-old baby was relying on the comfort of his mother. There was no reason for them to shoot that baby, but they did," he said.
Samuel Pina said Alissa was his granddaughter and the baby, Nycholas, was his great-grandson.
"I can't wrap my head around what kind of monster would do this," he told The Associated Press on Monday.
Pina said Parraz and her baby were living with her father's side of the family in Goshen, and that her dad's uncle, her dad's cousin, her grandmother and her great-grandmother were also killed.
He said the family is in shock.
"It comes in big waves," he said.
The attack was targeted, sheriff says
Authorities received a call at 3:38 a.m. Monday about multiple shots being fired — so many that it initially seemed like an active shooter situation — at the residence in the town of Goshen, some 170 miles (273.59 kilometers) south of downtown Los Angeles.
It was later determined the person who made the call was someone hiding at the property. Deputies arrived seven minutes later and found two bodies outside the home in the street, and a third body at the doorstep, Boudreaux said.
Deputies found more victims inside the home, including the grandmother. Down the street they discovered the teen mom and her baby. A forensics investigation revealed she had tried to run away before the shooter caught up with her and stood over her and fired multiple rounds into her skull, Boudreaux said.
"It is very clear that this family was a target," he said.
Three people survived and will be interviewed by authorities. They include a man who hid in the home as the killings happened.
"He was in such a state of fear that all he could do was hold the door, hoping he was not the next victim," Boudreaux said.
Police had been at the home earlier in the month
On Jan. 3, a search warrant at the home led to the arrest of Eladio Parraz Jr., a convicted felon who was killed in the shooting Monday — though Boudreaux said Parraz Jr. was not the "initial intended target" and declined to elaborate. Parraz Jr., 52, had an extensive criminal record including driving recklessly to evade arrest, and possessing firearms and drugs, according to prison records.
The search warrant stemmed from a parole compliance check during which investigators found shell casings on the ground, the sheriff said. The occupants refused to let officials inside the home, Boudreaux said.
They returned with a search warrant and arrested Parraz Jr. after discovering ammunition, a rifle, a shotgun and methamphetamine in the home, court records show. He was released on bail four days later.
Rural California is no stranger to drug-related violence. In 2020, seven people were fatally shot in a small, rural Riverside County town where the property had been used for an illegal marijuana growing operation — a common practice in that area.
The following year, a man accidentally shot himself while working at his family's illegal marijuana grow in Butte County's Forbestown. His father and two brothers were accused of moving his body to prevent investigators from discovering the grow site.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.knau.org/npr-news/2023-01-18/shooter-kills-a-teen-mother-holding-her-baby-and-4-other-family-members-in-california | 2023-01-18 14:59:06 | 0 | https://www.knau.org/npr-news/2023-01-18/shooter-kills-a-teen-mother-holding-her-baby-and-4-other-family-members-in-california |
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Demani Richardson got the ball just like he wanted, and the defensive back sprinted the final 82 yards down the sideline on a wild fumble return touchdown for No. 23 Texas A&M.
“Big momentum play. That helped us a lot,” Aggies running back Devon Acane said.
Richardson had the big return while Acane ran for 159 yards and a touchdown as Texas A&M scored 23 consecutive points after falling behind early, eventually beating the 10th-ranked Razorbacks 23-21 on Saturday night.
KJ Jefferson lost the ball when inexplicably trying to leap over the blocking linemen on a first-down play from 3 when Arkansas had a chance for a 21-7 lead late in the first half. The Arkansas quarterback instead ended up going straight up and the ball was knocked out of his hands by linebacker Chris Russell.
“We can’t do that on first down. If it was fourth down, that’s a different story. Unfortunately, it just got popped out,” Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman said. “He wanted to score, and that happened.”
Tyreek Chappell picked the ball out of the air, but he found himself in the standing grasp of running back Raheim Sanders near the 20, he handed the ball to Richardson — who was calling for the ball, and later said he would have taken it had it not been handed to him.
“I don’t know if it saved us, but it made it a lot easier to win,” Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said.
The Razorbacks (3-1, 1-1 SEC) still had a chance to take the lead with 1:30 left in the game, but Cam Little’s 42-yard field goal attempt from the left hashmark hit near the top of the right upright — and fluttered to the ground in the end zone no good. That drive came right after the Aggies had missed a longer field goal attempt.
Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0) has back-to-back wins over ranked teams since that embarrassing 17-14 home loss to Appalachian State two weeks ago. The conference opener for the Aggies came a week after a 17-9 win over then-No. 13 Miami, which then dropped 12 spots and now will be unranked after a 45-31 loss at home against Middle Tennessee State earlier Saturday.
“We’re by far not close to where we need. We have to fix some self-inflicted wounds, got to clean things up,” Fisher said. “But we beat two good football teams not playing very well, not at the top of our game, but playing well at times and still competing and making plays when we had to, and it’s very encouraging.”
Arkansas led 14-0 after TD passes by Jefferson on consecutive drives in the first quarter. He first threw a screen that Ketron Jackson turned into a 32-yard score before finding Warren Thompson wide open behind the secondary for a 56-yarder.
But after the Razorbacks responded to Max Johnson’s 10-yard TD pass to Evan Stewart by driving 72 yards in 11 plays to the 3, Jefferson had the big turnover.
“That’s a tough one. Give A&M all the credit in the world, they fought back from 14 down,” Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman said. “They had a couple of big plays … and certainly a big fumble recovery.”
Even though the Aggies failed to convert the tying extra point after the return, they did go ahead to stay on Achane’s 9-yard TD that capped the opening drive of the second half for a 20-14 lead.
THE QBs
Johnson, the LSU transfer, was 11-of-21 passing for 151 yards in his second A&M start. Jefferson completed 12 of 19 passes for 171 yards and ran 18 times for 105 yards. Jefferson had a 6-yard scoring run with 10 minutes left in the game.
THE TAKEAWAY
Texas A&M: The Aggies recovered from their slow start offensively, when they went 3-and-out on their first four drives. They trailed 14-0 before getting their initial first down on a 63-yard run by Achane midway through the second quarter.
Arkansas: The Razorbacks missed a chance to have consecutive 4-0 starts for the first time since 1988-89, which was still a couple of seasons before joining the SEC. The Hogs haven’t won their first two SEC games since 2006. They got to 4-0 overall last year with a win over the Aggies, who had won nine in a row in the series before that.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The Aggies will regain a few of the spots they’ve lost since being sixth in the preseason and through the first week, but they will still be quite a way from being back in the top 10. Arkansas will certainly slip.
IN THE HOUSE
The 12th series meeting at the home stadium of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys was Texas A&M’s “home” game. The announced attendance was 63,580 — or almost 40,000 less than capacity at Kyle Field in College Station. That was higher than the crowd of 57,992 for last year’s Southwest Classic.
UP NEXT
Arkansas is at home to play No. 2 Alabama next Saturday.
Texas A&M travels to Mississippi State next Saturday for the second of four consecutive games away from Kyle Field.
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhe6f2 | https://www.localsyr.com/sports/sports-news/ap-achane-leads-no-23-texas-am-past-no-10-arkansas-23-21/ | 2022-09-25 12:07:03 | 1 | https://www.localsyr.com/sports/sports-news/ap-achane-leads-no-23-texas-am-past-no-10-arkansas-23-21/ |
Jan. 19, 1995—Feb. 28, 2023
TWIN FALLS — Arturo “JR” Hernandez, aka J-RZA, January 19, 1995—February 28, 2023. JR lived life as he pleased and left an impression on many hearts during his 28 years.
JR was funny, charismatic, intelligent, and a great listener with a unique perspective. JR found himself in music. He loved music from many different genres and was an aspiring songwriter/producer.
JR said “Anything in life that’s worthwhile is scary. I’m glad you took that leap of faith. It’s better to try and fail than never try at all. Love, careers, making new friends. Fun stuff, jumping cliffs, parachuting, heights in general. Kayaking, road trips. Everything worthwhile for the most part comes with a risk. Life is scary, life is awful, life is beautiful.” That being said he lived a life that left behind many wonderful memories with those that were lucky enough to have been close to his heart.
He is extremely missed and will always be loved. He had many friends and he always wanted to make sure that they were okay; at times putting more care into their needs than his own.
There was a special place in his heart for his friends and family—especially his mother, Minisha Robinson, his sister, Marisela Hernandez and his great-grandparents, Roy and Edwardine Sexton.
JR had health issues that appeared during his childhood. He lost the battle with a multitude of health issues after giving all he had to give on Feb. 28, 2023, in his hometown of Twin Falls.
JR is survived by many brothers and sisters, wonderful friends, and family.
Arrangements are under the care of Rosenau Funeral Home of Twin Falls. His service will be held on March 18, 2023 at 2:00 pm. Please visit his memorial page to share a condolence, memory, or photo. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/obituaries/arturo-jr-hernandez/article_767c4b97-4fd5-5e66-bff9-6ebc313489db.html | 2023-03-15 06:20:36 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/obituaries/arturo-jr-hernandez/article_767c4b97-4fd5-5e66-bff9-6ebc313489db.html |
NEW YORK, Nov. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IDB Bank (IDB), a New York-based private and commercial bank, has closed up to a $100 million asset-based revolving credit facility for Dwight Funding, a New York-based lender to modern brands and platforms.
Dwight Funding was one of the first capital providers to focus on high growth, digitally native brands. Today, it leads the broader consumer packaged goods (CPG) space, offering asset-based lines of credit and equipment financing. The team has built a portfolio of exceptional growth stage businesses, as well as an active network of acclaimed investors, advisors and strategic partners.
IDB was the sole lead arranger and administrative agent for Dwight's facility, signaling the Bank's growing position in the Lender Finance industry. "We are very pleased for the tremendous opportunity to agent a credit facility for Dwight Funding, as they continue to distinguish themselves through their exceptional management team and a proven formula for success," said Lissa Baum, IDB Bank Head of New York Commercial Banking. "We are proud to expand our leadership role in the lender finance space with the closing of this new syndication."
Ben Brachot, Dwight's Co-founder, shared that this facility supports the continued growth of the modern lender's robust portfolio. The financing also allows Dwight to continue investing in their proprietary technology that provides brands with a best-in-class lending experience.
Dwight Funding is a leading credit partner built for today's early and growth stage businesses in eCommerce, Food & Beverage, General CPG, and SaaS. Since its inception in 2015, Dwight has innovated on traditional asset-based lending, opening up the possibilities for new industries to leverage their assets for capital and implementing data-driven practices to increase efficiency. Dwight provides revolving lines of credit and term loans to cover working capital and capital expenditure needs that come with rapid growth.
IDB Bank is a New York State-chartered commercial bank and a member of the FDIC. Headquartered in Manhattan, IDB operates branch offices in Brooklyn, NY, Staten Island, NY and Short Hills, NJ, and full-service branches in Southern Florida and Southern California. The bank offers a full-service lending platform for personal and commercial banking, trade services and deposit products to U.S.-based and international clients. Its areas of expertise include Middle Market, Asset Based and Commercial Real Estate Lending, Factoring, Trade Finance, Apparel and Consumer Products, Healthcare, Food and Beverage, High-Tech, Not For Profit & Education, and U.S. and International Private Banking. IDB also operates a syndication desk that enables administration of complex transactions.
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SOURCE IDB Bank | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2022/11/03/idb-bank-leads-100mm-revolving-credit-facility-dwight-funding/ | 2022-11-03 16:25:04 | 0 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2022/11/03/idb-bank-leads-100mm-revolving-credit-facility-dwight-funding/ |
Acquisition of leading wealth management firm will further solidify NFP's expanding asset-based business
TORONTO, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NFP, a leading property and casualty broker, benefits consultant, wealth manager and retirement advisor, today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Newport Private Wealth Inc., a Toronto-based private wealth management firm with approximately $4.3 billion in assets under management and offices in Waterloo, ON; Kingston, ON; Calgary, AB; and Kelowna, BC. Newport provides comprehensive wealth management services, including investment management, estate, retirement and tax planning, insurance solutions, and philanthropic advisory services to high-net-worth individuals and families. The transaction closed on June 30, 2022.
"The addition of Newport strategically expands NFP's North American wealth management presence by adding one of the leading organizations and platforms in the space," said Doug Hammond, chairman and CEO, NFP. "This exceptional addition for NFP, which brings our total assets under management to nearly $50 billion, aligns with our focus of growing our wealth management business and delivering more solutions to meet the diverse needs of clients."
The company will continue to operate under the Newport Private Wealth brand, and Newport's senior leadership team will remain at the helm, including the company's three founding partners: Douglas C. Brown, president and CEO; Mark A. Kinney, chief investment officer; and David T. Lloyd, chief wealth management officer.
"We're delighted to join NFP and be part of a growing global organization dedicated to expanding its wealth management capabilities in North America," said Brown. "With NFP, Newport will enhance the client experience, with access to additional resources and expertise that will elevate the value we provide. NFP shares our commitment to our clients, employees, partners and brand. We're excited to bring personalized and expert wealth management services to even more communities as we grow."
Brown and the Newport management team will play an integral role in the expansion of NFP's wealth management operation through the growth and expansion of the Newport Private Wealth brand. The firm will work with NFP's leadership team to recruit top talent, integrate acquisitions and build complementary capabilities across the country.
"We're excited to welcome Doug, Mark, David and the entire Newport team to the NFP family," said John Haas, president, NFP in Canada. "Newport has differentiated itself in the marketplace by building an investment platform focused on serving clients who want greater control of their wealth. By providing a unique private wealth management offering and personalized service experience for clients, Newport squarely aligns with the strong foundation NFP has built in our North American wealth management business. Newport will add tremendous value to NFP and our clients across the wealth spectrum."
About NFP
NFP is a leading insurance broker and consultant providing specialized business and personal insurance, group benefits, retirement and individual solutions through its licensed subsidiaries and affiliates. NFP enables client success through the expertise of more than 1,000 employees based in Canada, more than 6,900 employees globally, investments in innovative technologies, and enduring relationships with highly rated insurers, vendors and financial institutions. NFP is the 5th largest benefits broker by global revenue (Business Insurance), 10th largest property and casualty agency (Insurance Journal) and 13th largest global insurance broker (Best's Review).
Visit NFP.ca to discover how NFP empowers clients to meet their goals.
About Newport Private Wealth
Founded in 2001, Newport Private Wealth is one of Canada's largest private wealth management firms, with more than $4.3B of assets under management. Headquartered in Toronto, with locations in Waterloo, Kingston, Calgary and Kelowna, the firm has approximately 70 employees. Newport offers comprehensive wealth management services to its clients, including investment management, estate, retirement and tax planning, insurance solutions, and philanthropic advisory services for high-net-worth individuals.
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SOURCE NFP Corp. | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/nfp-acquires-toronto-based-newport-private-wealth-inc/ | 2022-06-30 15:04:34 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/nfp-acquires-toronto-based-newport-private-wealth-inc/ |
Ari Shapiro has been one of the hosts of All Things Considered, NPR's award-winning afternoon newsmagazine, since 2015. During his first two years on the program, listenership to All Things Considered grew at an unprecedented rate, with more people tuning in during a typical quarter-hour than any other program on the radio.
NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with David G. Vequist, who runs the Center of Medical Tourism Research at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, about medical tourism in Mexico.
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with journalist Robin Forestier-Walker in Georgia about protests against a proposed "foreign agent" law, which critics call a Russian-inspired attempt to stifle civil society. | https://www.wunc.org/2023-03-09/the-dirty-secret-to-credit-card-rewards | 2023-03-09 23:22:23 | 1 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-03-09/the-dirty-secret-to-credit-card-rewards |
Grizzlies unveil newly-renovated Big River Steel Edge at FedExForum
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - The Memphis Grizzlies unveiled a new location for fans to enjoy games at FedExForum this season.
The new area is on the Terrace level, known as the Big River Steel Edge.
The spot is designed for fans to have a dynamic area of the arena to have fun, not confined to a seat. It features 34 TVs and a revitalized bar and grill area with an updated menu.
The standing-room area overlooks the court from the west end of the area bowl and the Grand Lobby of FedExForum.
Fans will also have access to an outdoor space overlooking the city skyline.
“We are truly excited to enhance the fan experience through the creation of this innovative Terrace Level destination and our partnership with Big River Steel,” said Memphis Grizzlies President Jason Wexler. “We wanted to create a place where fans can gather to absorb the atmosphere of the game as a social experience while sharing in Big River Steel’s commitment to the local community and region. We know our fans will embrace this as a premier destination within FedExForum and are pleased to be able launch the Big River Steel Edge.”
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Copyright 2022 WMC. All rights reserved. | https://www.kait8.com/2022/09/29/grizzlies-unveil-newly-renovated-big-river-steel-edge-fedexforum/ | 2022-09-29 21:48:26 | 1 | https://www.kait8.com/2022/09/29/grizzlies-unveil-newly-renovated-big-river-steel-edge-fedexforum/ |
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Virginia teacher who was shot and seriously wounded by her 6-year-old student filed a lawsuit Monday seeking $40 million in damages from school officials, accusing them of gross negligence and of ignoring multiple warnings the day of the shooting that the boy was armed and in a “violent mood.”
Abby Zwerner, a first-grade teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, was shot in the hand and chest on Jan. 6 as she sat at a reading table in her classroom. The 25-year-old teacher spent nearly two weeks in the hospital and required four surgeries.
The shooting sent shock waves through the military shipbuilding community and the country, with many wondering how a child so young could access a gun and shoot his teacher.
The lawsuit names as defendants the Newport News School Board, former Superintendent George Parker III, former Richneck principal Briana Foster-Newton and former Richneck assistant principal Ebony Parker.
Michelle Price, a school board spokesperson, said via email that the board had not yet been served with the lawsuit, adding the school division refers all legal claims information to its insurer.
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with Abby Zwerner and her ongoing recovery,” said a board statement, calling the safety and well-being of staff and students its utmost priority. “The School Board and the school division’s leadership team will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure a safe and secure teaching and learning environment across all our schools.”
George Parker, the former superintendent, did not immediately return a cellphone message. A message left on a cellphone listing for Ebony Parker also was not returned.
Foster-Newton’s attorney, Pamela Branch, has said she was unaware of reports that the boy had a gun at school on the day of the shooting.
“Mrs. Briana Foster-Newton will vigorously defend any charges brought against her as a part of the lawsuit filed by Ms. Zwerner and respond accordingly,” Branch said in a statement.
James Ellenson, an attorney for the boy’s family, said in a statement Monday afternoon that the “allegations in the complaint in reference to the child and his family should be taken with a large grain of salt.”
“We of course continue to pray for Ms. Zwerner’s complete recovery,” Ellenson said. “In that there is still the potential for criminal charges, there is no further comment.”
No one has been charged. The local prosecutor said last month that the boy will not be charged, although an investigation is ongoing.
The superintendent was fired by the school board and the assistant principal resigned. A school district spokesperson has said Newton-Foster is still employed by the school district, but declined to say what position she holds. The board voted to install metal detectors in every school in the district and to purchase clear backpacks for all students.
In the lawsuit, Zwerner’s attorneys say all of the defendants knew the boy “had a history of random violence” at school and at home, including an episode the year before when he “strangled and choked” his kindergarten teacher.
“All Defendants knew that John Doe attacked students and teachers alike, and his motivation to injure was directed toward anyone in his path, both in and out of school,” the lawsuit states.
School officials removed the boy from Richneck and sent him to another school for the remainder of the year, but allowed his return for first grade in fall 2022, the lawsuit states. He was placed on a modified schedule “because he was chasing students around the playground with a belt in an effort to whip them,” and was cursing staff and teachers, it says.
“Teachers’ concerns with John Doe’s behavior (were) regularly brought to the attention of Richneck Elementary School administration, and the concerns were always dismissed,” the lawsuit states. Often, after he was taken to the office, “he would return to class shortly thereafter with some type of reward, such as a piece of candy,” the lawsuit states.
The boy’s parents did not agree to put him in special education classes where he would be with other students with behavioral issues, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit describes a series of warnings school employees gave administrators in the hours before the shooting, beginning with Zwerner, who went to Ebony Parker’s office between 11:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. and told her the boy “was in a violent mood,” had threatened to beat up a kindergartener and stared down a security officer in the lunchroom. The lawsuit alleges that Parker “had no response, refusing even to look up at (Zwerner) when she expressed her concerns.”
At about 11:45 a.m., two students told Amy Kovac, a reading specialist, that the boy had a gun in his backpack. The boy denied it, but refused to give his backpack to Kovac, the lawsuit states.
Zwerner told Kovac that she had seen the boy take something out of his backpack and put it into his sweatshirt pocket. Kovac then searched the backpack but did not find a weapon.
Kovac told Ebony Parker that the boy had told students he had a gun. Parker responded that his “pockets were too small to hold a handgun and did nothing,” the lawsuit states.
Another first-grade boy, who was crying, told a teacher the boy “had shown him a firearm he had in his pocket during recess.” That teacher contacted the office and told a music teacher, who answered the phone, what the boy told her.
The music teacher said that when he informed Parker, she said the backpack had already been searched and “took no further action,” according to the lawsuit. A guidance counselor then asked Parker for permission to search the boy, but Parker forbade him, “and stated that John Doe’s mother would be arriving soon to pick him up.”
About an hour later, the boy pulled the gun from his pocket, aimed it at Zwerner and shot her, the lawsuit states.
Zwerner suffered permanent bodily injuries, physical pain, mental anguish, lost earnings and other damages, the lawsuit states. It seeks $40 million in compensatory damages.
Last month, Newport News prosecutor Howard Gwynn said his office will not criminally charge the boy because he is too young to understand the legal system. Gwynn has yet to decide if any adults will be charged.
The boy used his mother’s gun, which police said was purchased legally. Ellenson, the attorney for the boy’s family, has said previously that the firearm was secured on a high closet shelf with a lock.
___
Associated Press reporter Ben Finley in Norfolk contributed to this story. | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/national/teacher-shot-by-6-year-old-student-filing-40m-lawsuit/ | 2023-04-04 00:14:53 | 0 | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/national/teacher-shot-by-6-year-old-student-filing-40m-lawsuit/ |
Israeli police broke up a protest by Israelis who blocked a road to oppose government plans to weaken the judiciary, as Israel's military continues to pursue Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Copyright 2023 NPR
Israeli police broke up a protest by Israelis who blocked a road to oppose government plans to weaken the judiciary, as Israel's military continues to pursue Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.kvpr.org/2023-03-02/protests-against-israels-government-took-a-turn-when-police-used-force | 2023-03-02 11:04:03 | 0 | https://www.kvpr.org/2023-03-02/protests-against-israels-government-took-a-turn-when-police-used-force |
Norm Macdonald shot a secret unreleased one-hour stand-up special before he died.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, that special is coming to Netflix later this month.
Macdonald, who died last September at the age of 61, was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 but kept his illness private. He was working on new material for a Netflix special when he had to go into the hospital in the summer of 2020.
“His test results were not good, so during the heart of COVID-19 pandemic and literally the night before going in for a procedure, he wanted to get this on tape just in case — as he put it — things went south,” Lori Jo Hoekstra, Macdonald’s longtime producing partner, told The Hollywood Reporter. “It was his intention to have a special to share if something happened.”
According to the report, Macdonald shot the entire production in one take. “He looks great and the material’s fantastic,” Hoekstra added.
Netflix will release the surprise program - “Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special” - on May 30.
Macdonald died after a nine-year private battle with cancer.
Macdonald broke into show business as a standup comic in the mid-1980s before landing a job as a writer on “Roseanne” and a gig as a performer on the sitcom “Roseanne” in 1992.
Macdonald then landed a spot in the cast of “Saturday Night Live” where he worked from 1993 until 1999. Known for his impressions of Bob Dole, Larry King, Burt Reynolds and David Letterman, Macdonald left his mark on the show and all of entertainment as one of the most popular “Weekend Update” anchor’s in the late night comedy staple’s storied history.
Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. | https://www.al.com/life/2022/05/norm-macdonald-shot-secret-netflix-special-before-dying-the-materials-fantastic.html | 2022-05-13 04:57:06 | 1 | https://www.al.com/life/2022/05/norm-macdonald-shot-secret-netflix-special-before-dying-the-materials-fantastic.html |
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Churchill Downs never gave advance notice nor reached out to explain its two-year suspension, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said Friday in federal court, and reiterated that the penalty has caused irreparable harm to his business and reputation.
The Hall of Fame trainer has sued the historic track and is seeking a temporary injunction to stop his suspension following a failed drug test by the now-deceased Medina Spirit after the colt came in first in the 2021 Kentucky Derby.
The suspension for a series of failed tests by his horses runs through the end of the upcoming spring meet and could exclude Baffert from the Derby for a second consecutive spring.
“They’ve hurt my reputation,” Baffert said during nearly two hours of testimony in U.S. District Court. “My horses should’ve made much more money. I didn’t run for 90 days, and I had to let people go.”
Churchill Downs wants the case dismissed, citing nine failed tests by Baffert-trained horses as justification for disciplining horse racing’s most visible figure. The list of violators includes 2020 Kentucky Oaks third-place finisher Gamine, who was ultimately disqualified.
Medina Spirit failed his test for having in his system the corticosteroid betamethasone, which Baffert and attorney Clark Brewster have argued came from an ointment rather than an injection.
Track president Mike Anderson said the decision by Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen stemmed from Baffert’s “refusal to take responsibility for repeat violations” during a news conference at his backside barn after Medina Spirit’s failed test was revealed.
“We wanted to make a statement that this was a consequence of not doing the right thing,” Anderson said.
Attorneys Matt Benjamin and Christine Demana, who are representing Churchill Downs, also disputed Baffert’s contention that business has suffered by noting his latest crop of promising 3-year-old colts on this year’s Derby trail.
One of them, Arabian Knight, won last week’s Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn by 5½ lengths to give Baffert his record sixth win in the race. The horse is ineligible to earn Kentucky Derby qualifying points as the winner because of Baffert’s suspension.
A slide presented also showed that Baffert horses made 477 starts from May 10, 2021, through December 2022 and won marquee races such as the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Corniche, the Eclipse winner) along with Grade 1 wins in the Pennsylvania Derby and Malibu Stakes (Taiba).
Friday’s 3 1/2-hour hearing followed four hours of testimony on Thursday. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings gave no indication when she would rule. But Brewster said he expects a decision “within several days.”
Baffert testified that he had had a good relationship with Churchill Downs, though he noted that he was paying for his seats at the track and having to “grovel” to get them. He also insisted that he tried to be a good ambassador for horse racing, especially after American Pharoah and Justify won the Triple Crown in 2015 and 2018, respectively.
“I think today was great because I finally got to tell my story in a nonbiased atmosphere,” he said. “I hope for the best, and hopefully we’ll be here.”
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.myarklamiss.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-baffert-2-year-churchill-downs-suspension-hurt-reputation/ | 2023-02-03 23:43:27 | 0 | https://www.myarklamiss.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-baffert-2-year-churchill-downs-suspension-hurt-reputation/ |
Paul Kusserow returns as Chairman and CEO
BATON ROUGE, La., Nov. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Board of Directors of Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) announced that President and Chief Executive Officer, Chris Gerard, will leave the company effective November 17, 2022.
Paul Kusserow, Chairman of the Board of Directors, will serve as Chairman and CEO until a replacement is hired. Paul served as the CEO of Amedisys for seven years until early 2022.
Amedisys announced that it will begin its executive search for a new CEO.
"We are confident that under Paul's leadership, Amedisys will continue to have a future of profitable growth, innovation, top quality and consistent performance. Paul's growth and innovative mindset is a critical and stabilizing force to the Company. His experience, along with his passion, make us confident that this will serve Amedisys well during this time," said Julie D. Klapstein, Lead Independent Director of Amedisys.
"I am looking forward to returning as CEO and building on the excellent foundation we have at Amedisys," Kusserow said. "We are going to continue to build upon the foundation that has made Amedisys the best home health company in the industry – all driven by our extraordinary group of caregivers and our relentless focus on providing the best care for our patients."
Amedisys, Inc. (the "Company") is a leading healthcare at home company delivering personalized home health, hospice, personal care and high acuity care services. Amedisys is focused on delivering the care that is best for our patients, whether that is home-based personal care, inpatient hospital, palliative and skilled nursing facility ("SNF") care in their homes, recovery and rehabilitation after an operation or injury, care focused on empowering our patients to manage a chronic disease, or hospice care at the end of life. More than 3,000 hospitals and 90,000 physicians nationwide have chosen Amedisys as a partner in post-acute care. With approximately 21,000 employees in 547 care centers within 36 states and the District of Columbia, Amedisys is dedicated to delivering the highest quality of care to the doorsteps of more than 445,000 patients in need every year. For more information about the Company, please visit: www.amedisys.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
When included in this press release, words like "believes," "belief," "expects," "strategy," "plans," "anticipates," "intends," "projects," "estimates," "may," "might," "will," "could," "would," "should" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described therein. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the following: the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic ("COVID-19"), including the measures that have been and may be taken by governmental authorities to mitigate it, on our business, financial condition and results of operations; the impact of current and proposed federal, state and local vaccine mandates; staffing shortages driven by the competitive labor market; changes in or our failure to comply with existing federal and state laws or regulations or the inability to comply with new government regulations on a timely basis; changes in Medicare and other medical payment levels; our ability to open care centers, acquire additional care centers and integrate and operate these care centers effectively; competition in the healthcare industry; changes in the case mix of our patients, the episodic versus non-episodic mix of our payors or payment methodologies; changes in estimates and judgments associated with critical accounting policies; our ability to maintain or establish new patient referral sources; our ability to consistently provide high-quality care; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; our ability to keep our patients and employees safe; changes in payments and covered services by federal and state governments; future cost containment initiatives undertaken by third-party payors; our access to financing; our ability to meet debt service requirements and comply with covenants in debt agreements; business disruptions due to natural disasters, climate change or acts of terrorism, widespread protests or civil unrest; our ability to integrate, manage and keep our information systems secure; the impact of inflation; our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions, investments and joint ventures; and changes in law or developments with respect to any litigation relating to the Company, including various other matters, many of which are beyond our control.
Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, you should not rely on any forward-looking statement as a prediction of future events. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking and we do not intend to release publicly any updates or changes in our expectations concerning the forward-looking statements or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances upon which any forward-looking statement may be based, except as required by law.
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SOURCE Amedisys | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2022/11/17/amedisys-announces-ceo-departure/ | 2022-11-18 02:27:01 | 1 | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2022/11/17/amedisys-announces-ceo-departure/ |
6 dead, including 4 children, after fire in Ohio home
NEWCOMERSTOWN, Ohio (WOIO/Gray News) - An Ohio community is mourning the loss of a family of six who died in a house fire early Monday morning.
WOIO reports a neighbor identified the victims as Leroy Elliot and Terrin Hendrix and their four children.
Newcomerstown Police Capt. Opha Lawson said firefighters responded to the home on Spaulding Avenue around 1:30 a.m. on Monday.
When crews arrived, the blaze had already taken over the home, according to Lawson.
“They were good people. We got along with them. We really liked them. The kids, they were wonderful. The littlest one would always come over and ask for a popsicle and give me a hug. They’re going to be missed. That’s for sure. They didn’t deserve this. Not at all,” said neighbor Artha Amore.
The Tuscarawas County Coroner’s Office said all six victims were then brought to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsies and to be positively identified.
WOIO reports the cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
“I was shocked and still my wife and I haven’t gotten over it. I’m going to have the pastor come down and pray for us and pray for the lost ones,” said neighbor James Armore.
Newcomerstown Schools Superintendent Jason C. Peoples sent out sincere condolences with the following message:
“Newcomerstown Schools are deeply saddened to hear the news of the tragic house fire early this morning in the village. Our hearts are heavy as we begin to process the enormity of this loss. The school district, staff and entire school community send our thoughts, prayers and unwavering support to the family and friends of those who were taken too soon. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide more information until authorities release the names of those who perished.
Newcomerstown Schools will be offering grief support to those affected by this devastating event. Counselors, faith-based support as well as school staff will be at West Elementary School tomorrow, Dec. 27th from 3pm-6pm for all families of Newcomerstown Schools.
Additional counselors and support staff will also be on-site and available for students upon our return to school on Tuesday, Jan. 3rd, 2023, and as needed thereafter.”
Copyright 2022 WOIO via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/12/28/6-dead-including-4-children-after-fire-ohio-home/ | 2022-12-28 01:59:19 | 0 | https://www.kxii.com/2022/12/28/6-dead-including-4-children-after-fire-ohio-home/ |
NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Kohl's Corporation (NYSE: KSS) between October 20, 2020 and May 19, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than November 1, 2022.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Kohl's securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Kohl's class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=8539 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than November 1, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Kohl's Strategic Plan was not well tailored to achieving the Company's stated goals; (2) the defendants had likewise overstated the Company's success in executing its Strategic Plan; (3) Kohl's had deficient disclosure controls and procedures, internal control over financial reporting, and corporate governance mechanisms; (4) as a result, the Company's Board was able to and did withhold material information from shareholders about the state of Kohl's in the lead-up to the Company's annual meeting; (5) all the foregoing, once revealed, was likely to have a material negative impact on Kohl's financial condition and reputation; and (6) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Kohl's class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=8539 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
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SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2022/09/09/kss-investor-notice-rosen-top-ranked-law-firm-encourages-kohls-corporation-investors-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-securities-class-action-kss/ | 2022-09-09 07:24:43 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2022/09/09/kss-investor-notice-rosen-top-ranked-law-firm-encourages-kohls-corporation-investors-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-securities-class-action-kss/ |
TOKYO, Oct. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nihon Medi-Physics Co., Ltd. (NMP), a leading radiopharmaceutical company in Japan, is pleased to announce that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently accepted NMP's Investigational New Drug (IND) application to initiate a first-in-human phase I clinical study of "NMK89 (development code)," which is an imaging agent currently developed for cancer diagnostic use in cancer theranostics (a fusion of therapeutics and diagnostics) (*1). The clinical study can now be started.
NMK89 is an RI (*2)-labeled humanized anti-MUC5AC (*3) antibody to which zirconium-89, a diagnostic radionuclide, is labeled and has been investigated in non-clinical studies conducted by NMP and Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. as an imaging agent for the diagnosis of MUC5AC-expressing cancer. It has been reported that MUC5AC is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, colon cancer, gastric cancer, and lung cancer, among others. Non-clinical studies have confirmed that NMK89 accumulates in tumors transplanted with cell lines expressing MUC5AC.
NMP is developing NMK89 in one of the research projects (*4) adopted by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) to enable early commercialization of theranostics for use in nuclear medicine.
NMP is conducting the phase I study of NMK89 in the U.S. NMP will promptly begin clinical studies of therapeutic drugs by leveraging the data on NMK89, obtained from the phase I study, to swiftly materialize it as long-awaited theranostics.
Notes:
(*1) It is a therapeutic concept in which RI-imaging diagnostics is used in advance to determine whether the drug reaches the target protein in the patient and to provide treatment with the radionuclide modified for therapeutic use. This enables therapies that are more closely aligned with a diagnosis and is expected to contribute to personalized medicine and the effective utilization of medical costs.
(*2) Radioisotopes - Radiation they emit is used for cancer treatment and diagnosis.
(*3) Mucin subtype 5AC - A type of mucin which is the main component of mucus secreted by animal epithelial cells. It is generally expressed in normal tissues of the stomach and trachea but is also reported to be highly expressed in pancreatic cancer and several other cancers.
(*4) The research project known as "Development of Antibody Labeling Therapies (with Alpha-Particle) and Companion Diagnostics, in Parallel with Maintenance of Drug Research Facilities to Embody the Concept of Theranostics" was adopted by AMED's "Cyclic Innovation for Clinical Empowerment (CiCLE)" - FY2017 (2nd Conference).
About Nihon Medi-Physics Co., Ltd.
Nihon Medi-Physics is engaging in ensuring stable supply and research and development of new products as a leading manufacturer of radiopharmaceuticals in Japan. Based on the technological proficiency and trust built over the years, the company is also working on research and development of "theranostics (a combination of therapeutics and diagnostics)," which is a novel medical technology to provide optimal medical service to each patient, as well as on the dissemination of nuclear medicine in Asian countries by licensing its products. The company will continue contributing to society by creating values as a life science company.
Official website: https://www.nmp.co.jp/eng/index.html
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SOURCE Nihon Medi-Physics Co., Ltd. | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/10/25/fda-accepts-nmps-clinical-trial-application-development-nmk89-imaging-agent-cancer-diagnosis/ | 2022-10-25 09:32:48 | 0 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/10/25/fda-accepts-nmps-clinical-trial-application-development-nmk89-imaging-agent-cancer-diagnosis/ |
CT Boston/Norton MA Zone Forecast for Tuesday, January 10, 2023
_____
082 FPUS51 KBOX 110901
ZFPBOX
Zone Forecast Product for Southern New England
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
400 AM EST Wed Jan 11 2023
CTZ002-111700-
Hartford CT-
Including the cities of Hartford and Windsor Locks
400 AM EST Wed Jan 11 2023
.TODAY...Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 30s. Northeast winds
around 5 mph.
.TONIGHT...Cloudy. A slight chance of freezing rain and snow
after midnight. Near steady temperature around 30. East winds
around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
.THURSDAY...Cloudy. A chance of snow, rain and freezing rain in
the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Little or no snow
accumulation. Highs in the lower 40s. East winds 5 to 10 mph.
Gusts up to 20 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation
70 percent.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Rain. Patchy fog. Not as cool with lows around
40. Temperature rising into the lower 50s after midnight. South
winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Chance of rain near
100 percent.
.FRIDAY...Rain likely. Patchy fog. Not as cool with highs in the
lower 50s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.
Chance of rain 70 percent.
.FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy. Lows around 30. Highs
in the upper 30s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 20s.
.SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Highs in the upper 30s.
Lows in the lower 20s.
.MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY...Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower
40s.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 20s.
.TUESDAY...Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain. Highs
in the lower 40s.
$$
CTZ003-111700-
Tolland CT-
Including the cities of Union and Vernon
400 AM EST Wed Jan 11 2023
.TODAY...Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 30s. Northeast winds
around 5 mph.
.TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy. A slight chance of freezing rain and
snow after midnight. Near steady temperature in the upper 20s.
East winds around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
.THURSDAY...Cloudy. A chance of snow and rain in the morning,
then rain likely in the afternoon. Little or no snow
accumulation. Highs in the lower 40s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph
with gusts up to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation 70 percent.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Rain. Patchy fog. Not as cool with lows in the
upper 30s. Temperature rising into the lower 50s after midnight.
Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Chance of
rain near 100 percent.
.FRIDAY...Rain. Patchy fog. Highs in the lower 50s. Southwest
winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Chance of rain
80 percent.
.FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy. Lows around 30. Highs
in the upper 30s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 20s.
.SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Highs in the upper 30s.
Lows in the lower 20s.
.MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY...Mostly sunny. Highs around 40.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 20s.
.TUESDAY...Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain. Highs
in the lower 40s.
$$
CTZ004-111700-
Windham CT-
Including the cities of Putnam and Willimantic
400 AM EST Wed Jan 11 2023
.TODAY...Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 30s. Northeast winds
around 5 mph.
.TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy. A slight chance of freezing rain after
midnight. Near steady temperature in the upper 20s. East winds
around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
.THURSDAY...Cloudy. A chance of snow, rain and freezing rain in
the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Little or no snow
accumulation. Highs in the lower 40s. Southeast winds 5 to
10 mph. Gusts up to 20 mph in the afternoon. Chance of
precipitation 70 percent.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Rain. Patchy fog. Not as cool with lows in the
upper 30s. Temperature rising into the lower 50s after midnight.
Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph, increasing to
40 mph after midnight. Chance of rain near 100 percent.
.FRIDAY...Rain. Patchy fog. Not as cool. Near steady temperature
around 50. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.
Chance of rain 80 percent.
.FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the lower
30s. Highs in the upper 30s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 20s.
.SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Highs in the upper 30s.
Lows in the lower 20s.
.MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY AND MONDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy.
Highs in the lower 40s. Lows in the mid 20s.
.TUESDAY...Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain. Highs
in the lower 40s.
$$
For the latest updates...please visit our webpage at
You can follow us on Facebook at
You can follow us on Twitter at
@NWSBoston
_____
Copyright 2023 AccuWeather | https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/CT-Boston-Norton-MA-Zone-Forecast-17709883.php | 2023-01-11 10:05:05 | 0 | https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/CT-Boston-Norton-MA-Zone-Forecast-17709883.php |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Nashville’s tallest building looms large over the city. It’s such an iconic part of the skyline, it’s even featured on the state of Tennessee driver’s license.
The skyscraper has an official name, but everyone in Nashville knows it by its unofficial nickname: The Batman Building.
Home of the Tennessee headquarters for AT&T, the building, known also as the “Bat Building” or the “Bat Tower,” has been the fixture of downtown Nashville for 30 years.
“It was an immediate hit on the Nashville skyline and still is today,” local historian David S. Ewing told Nexstar’s WKRN.
Construction on the tower began in 1992 and was completed two years later, in September 1994. The purpose at the time, Ewing said, was to consolidate multiple smaller offices for the South Central Bell company into one workspace.
“South Central Bell had a very large presence in Tennessee. Their main office in the state of Tennessee was in Nashville; they had a lot of smaller offices around the city, and they consolidated those all into downtown in a very tall building to put everyone in one space — about 1,800 workers,” he said.
The AT&T Building, as it’s now called, was previously known as the South Central Bell Building and then the BellSouth Building. But its unofficial nickname comes from its resemblance to the Caped Crusader of DC Comics.
“If you look at [news] coverage at the time when the Batman building opened in 1994, everybody saw this iconic image of Batman. Even months before the building opened, on the front page of The Tennessean, there was an image of the building and an image of Batman side by side that said, ‘Holy High Rise!’” Ewing remembered.
The imagery, while iconic, was entirely accidental, according to AT&T Tennessee President Joelle Phillips.
“That’s a reflection of good old Middle Tennessee people calling things what they thought,” she told WKRN. “I think it was just kind of a natural thing.”
Neither the company nor the architects sought out to create a building using that specific type of imagery. In fact, the team that designed part of the building told WKRN the distinctive spires on either side of the building were inspired by the technological advancements of the age. But the resemblance to Batman was unmistakable.
“When the Batman building opened in 1994, a reporter asked DC Comics, the publisher of Batman comic books, about it, and they were flattered that Nashville would do a building that looked like Batman,” Ewing said. “The person suggested that they build a smaller building after Robin with an R and a circle on it.”
According to Phillips, locals had to assure members of Warner Media, who were at one time part of the same company as AT&T and protected the name and image of Batman products, that the name was an organic creation and not meant to infringe on anyone’s intellectual property rights.
“It’s just what people call it,” Phillips said. “If anything, we kind of came away from that conversation with even the folks who control the Batman mark thinking it was good for the brand. People call [the building] that in a very positive way.”
For the last 30 years, the Bat Building — or the Bat Tower or the Batman Building — has been the centerpiece of the Nashville skyline, leading the charge for downtown Nashville’s growth.
Ewing said he considered the tower’s construction a green light for redevelopment following an economic slowdown in the 1970s and ‘80s.
“That was a real signal to come back to downtown Nashville — a bat signal, if you will — that downtown was open once again, and it caused a lot of other people to invest in the core of the city,” he said. “A lot of people were building buildings outside of the Nashville area, in the Green Hills area and the Cool Springs area, but we weren’t building these iconic towers. In fact, in the ‘70s and ‘80s, most of the other tall buildings in our skyline were built as hotels or by banks.”
While the building is iconic from the outside, the inside is equally as unique, according to both Phillips and Ewing.
The interior was designed by the late local architect Earl Swensson and includes a signature design element that Swensson put in many of his buildings: the all-glass atrium.
According to Ewing, Swensson “kind of invented” the grand glass atrium for the Opryland Hotel and used similar atriums in other large projects, including the AT&T building and Centennial Hospital.
“A lot of other architects have copied him over the years,” Ewing said.
The building was one Swensson didn’t want to look like a typical boxy skyscraper, according to Ewing.
“There’s a ton of light in the building,” he said. “The way the rooms and the floors are set up, there’s not your typical grid system. There’s a lot of curves and different angles. It was really meant to be technology and architecture combined.”
Earl Swensson Associates says the building includes a two-story economic development center, a nine-story 1,308-space underground parking garage, and an 8,000-square-foot enclosed winter garden, which serves as another point of interest.
Another unique feature of the building is its orientation. While most skyscrapers or downtown office buildings run parallel with the streets they’re on, the Batman building sits catty-cornered on its lot, facing the corner of Commerce Street and 3rd Avenue North rather than any one street.
“So the building doesn’t turn its back on either side,” Phillips said.
While AT&T and previous iterations of the company were the first owners and sole renters of the building at first, the tower began hosting other companies through rental agreements starting in the mid-2000s.
When Nissan North America announced it would be relocating its headquarters to Franklin, the company needed a temporary space for its employees to work, and the AT&T building made room. AT&T cleared out about half the building for Nissan to use while they were awaiting the opening of the Williamson County facility.
“In fact, for a time, there was a Nissan signage kind of down low over the front door of the Bat Building,” Phillips said.
Nowadays, the building is home to multiple tenants, including U.S. Bank and law firm Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs. It is owned by limited liability company MTL Leasing. | https://www.wfla.com/nextstar-news-wire/batman-building-the-history-of-nashvilles-iconic-skyscraper/ | 2022-12-17 19:03:43 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/nextstar-news-wire/batman-building-the-history-of-nashvilles-iconic-skyscraper/ |
CLOVIS, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The No. 1 ranked soccer team in the country wins again.
Clovis North, which is recognized by the United Soccer Coaches, came from behind to beat Ridgeview on Saturday, 3-1, to win the Division I Central Section championship at Clovis East High School.
The game was played at Clovis East because of poor field conditions at Clovis North.
The Broncos (24-0-1) trailed 1-0 before Bryan Lopez received a pass and used his left foot to tie things up late in the first half. It was the first of two goals Lopez would score in the game.
Brenen Clay also had a goal for Clovis North. Early in the second half, Clay launched one from near midfield that went over the goalkeeper’s outstretched hand into the back of the net.
He celebrated by doing a backflip. | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/sports/local-sports/national-no-1-clovis-north-wins-section-championship-in-boys-soccer/ | 2023-02-26 09:18:44 | 0 | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/sports/local-sports/national-no-1-clovis-north-wins-section-championship-in-boys-soccer/ |
Property managers have requested the Allen County Department of Environmental Management remove the recycling trailers located at Southgate Plaza, 281 Pettit Ave., the department has announced.
As a result, Saturday will be the last day Allen County residents can recycle their household recyclables at that location, including paper, plastic, cardboard, glass and cans, the department said in a statement.
"With our partner, Republic Services, we are dedicated to finding another location to service this area of Allen County,” said Tom Fox, the department's director, in the statement.
In the meantime, residents can recycle their household items at 2509 E. Pontiac St., the statement said. Hours of operation are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays.
In addition, other remaining sites throughout Allen County are available to all residents:
- Northwest, near 2 Fort Recovery Road;
- Leo-Cedarville, 14701 Schwartz Road;
- Monroeville, 110 W. South St.
For more information about recycling in Allen County, community recycling drop-off locations and the most up-to-date hours of operation, visit the website at acwastewatcher.org and the department's Facebook page at acwastewatcher. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/southgate-plaza-recycling-location-to-close/article_07436dc6-1339-11ed-8ae2-c3725a111dcb.html | 2022-08-03 16:03:30 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/southgate-plaza-recycling-location-to-close/article_07436dc6-1339-11ed-8ae2-c3725a111dcb.html |
It could well be among the marquee quarterback matchups of the season: Alabama’s Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young vs. Tennessee’s own emerging candidate, rising star Hendon Hooker.
Or it could be Jalen Milroe and Hooker instead.
Young’s sprained right shoulder was being re-evaluated on Monday, but coach Nick Saban was cautiously optimistic about his status for the third-ranked Crimson Tide’s game Saturday at No. 6 Tennessee.
“Hopefully we’re going to try to get him ready to play this week, but this is something that, you know, nobody can predict how quickly this is going to give him an opportunity to go out and be able to do what he needs to do,” Saban said. “And we’ll see as the week progresses, but I don’t have an update much more than that.”
Young hasn’t played since early in the second quarter against Arkansas. Jalen Milroe took over the rest of the way in that game and started in Alabama’s mistake-filled, 24-20 win over Texas A&M that came down to a goal-line stand.
Hooker, meanwhile, has put up Young-like numbers for one of the most prolific offenses in the nation. He has completed 70% of his passes for 1,432 yards and 10 touchdowns without throwing an interception and has passed Young in the midseason Heisman Trophy odds, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
“Hooker has really done a nice job of executing their offense,” Saban said. “He’s one of the leading pass efficiency guys in the country as well as has the ability to extend plays and make plays with his feet.”
Young has passed for 1,202 yards, completing 67.2% with 14 touchdowns and three interceptions. The Tide offense hasn’t been the same without him, despite Milroe’s big-play flashes.
Alabama is just 68th nationally in pass offense while ranking behind only Air Force and Army in running the ball.
Hooker and Young both attended the Manning Academy over the summer.
“Awesome player. Very electric. Love to see him play,” Hooker said. “We spent some time at the Manning Academy and chopped it up a little bit. Really just had a good time, a genuine time of enjoying everyone that was there and just having general conversation.”
Milroe turned in an uneven performance against the Aggies, losing two fumbles and getting intercepted once against the Aggies. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 111 yards and ran 17 times for another 83.
“I just think Jalen played with a lot of anxiety,” Saban said. “I don’t think he allowed himself to let his training sort of guide him and trust and believe in it so that he could have success in executing plays. You can’t turn the ball over and not execute plays like they’re designed.”
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel called Milroe “athletic, dynamic with the ball in his hands.”
This will be Milroe’s first time inside Neyland Stadium, but he’s watched enough games on TV to know the environment in this traditional rivalry game will be “crazy.”
“I watch football. I’m a huge football fan,” Milroe said after the Texas A&M game. “Growing up, I watched college football. I never experienced a Tennessee football game, but I watch football a lot, and I see the atmosphere. And I know it’s going to be crazy.”
___ AP Sports Writer Teresa Walker contributed to this report.
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://bit.ly/3pqZVaF | https://www.cenlanow.com/sports/ap-young-vs-hooker-a-scintillating-qb-matchup-if-it-happens/ | 2022-10-11 17:52:05 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/sports/ap-young-vs-hooker-a-scintillating-qb-matchup-if-it-happens/ |
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli police on Thursday arrested an American tourist after he allegedly knocked down and broke a statue of Jesus in a church in Jerusalem's Old City.
Images on social media showed the statue laying horizontally on the floor after apparently being pulled down from a stand at the church. The incident occurred in the Church of the Flagellation, which is located on the Via Dolorosa, the route believed to have been walked by Jesus to his crucifixion.
Police said they made the arrest with the assistance of a church security guard. Video on social media showed a man sitting atop the alleged vandal who is heard saying “you can't have idols in Jerusalem, this is the holy city.”
Police said the man's mental health was being assessed. The American Embassy declined to comment.
The incident came as tensions run high in Jerusalem and the region following a bloody week. An Israeli military raid in the West Bank killed 10 Palestinians, mostly militants but also a 61-year-old woman. A Palestinian shooting attack outside a synagogue in east Jerusalem killed seven people, including a 14-year-old.
The unrest comes in the first weeks of Israel's new, far-right government, some of whose ultranationalist, religious members have used inflammatory, anti-Arab rhetoric.
Church officials could not immediately be reached for comment. Father Nikodemus Schnabel of the Dormition Abbey just outside the Old City linked the incident to the government's character.
“Welcome to the new Christian-hating Israel, encouraged and supported by the current government!” he tweeted.
Police said they view damage to religious institutions as serious. | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/israeli-police-american-arrested-for-vandalizing-17758874.php | 2023-02-02 13:16:52 | 0 | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/israeli-police-american-arrested-for-vandalizing-17758874.php |
PITTSBURGH, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create a device to prevent a snake or some other animal/reptile from entering the home via the sewer system and toilet," said an inventor, from Conyers, Ga., "so I invented the SNAKE BLOCKER. My design would block out unexpected wildlife that might otherwise frighten and terrorize homeowners."
The patent-pending invention prevents snakes and other reptiles from entering the home through the toilet. In doing so, it enhances safety. It also helps to reduce unwanted stress and anxiety. As a result, it provides added protection and peace of mind. The invention features a durable design that is easy to apply and use so it is ideal for households. Additionally, a prototype is available.
The original design was submitted to the Atlanta sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-ALL-2802, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
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SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2022/05/31/inventhelp-inventor-develops-device-prevent-snakes-entering-toilets-all-2802/ | 2022-05-31 14:46:34 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2022/05/31/inventhelp-inventor-develops-device-prevent-snakes-entering-toilets-all-2802/ |
The White House has announced a key deal with Arizona, California and Nevada to conserve large amounts of water from the drought-afflicted Colorado River.
The breakthrough agreement aims to keep the river, which has been shrinking at an alarming rate due to climate change and overuse, from falling to a level that could endanger the water and power supply for major cities in the West and vast stretches of hugely productive farmland.
Water managers in Arizona, California and Nevada have agreed on a plan to cut their water use by well over a third of the entire traditional flow of the Colorado River through the seven states that rely on it. The federal government will pay some $1.2 billion dollars to cities, irrigation districts and Native American tribes if they temporarily use less water.
The deal, which only runs through the end of 2026, amounts to the largest reductions of water use in modern times and are very likely to require significant water restrictions for farms and residents across the Southwest.
Much of this conservation deal is happening though thanks to a big infusion of federal funds into the region that will do things like pay farmers to fallow some of their land. The government is also compensating water districts and tribes to voluntarily keep some of their legally entitled water in the nation's largest reservoir, Lake Mead, in order to prevent it from going dry.
Kathryn Sorensen, research director at the Kyle Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University, says another big reason the deal came together at the last minute is due to the fact that much of the West saw record snow last winter.
"The good snowpack bought us the luxury of bringing forward a deal that wasn't quite as much as the federal government was hoping for but it does buy us time," Sorensen says.
Experts expect further and much deeper cuts than announced Monday will be necessary after 2026.
The cuts in the deal are entirely voluntary. But it does avert - for now - the federal government coming in and announcing across the board water cuts across Arizona, Nevada and California.
"That's important because the minute the federal government does that, someone's going to sue," Sorensen says.
This conservation deal first announced by the White House comes as California for months had refused to agree to a brokered deal with the other states, as large users in the state tend to hold senior water rights on the river.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2023-05-22/colorado-river-states-announce-breakthrough-water-sharing-deal | 2023-05-22 18:14:29 | 0 | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2023-05-22/colorado-river-states-announce-breakthrough-water-sharing-deal |
(KTVX) — Schneider Electric has issued a recall on 1.4 million electrical panels due to an unsecured screw that could result in the load center overheating.
The product safety notice is for the QO Plug-on-Neutral Load Center.
Schneider says the wire-binding screw within the lug body could potentially not be torqued properly to the Plug-on-Neutral bar. Over time, the unsecured electrical joint could result in listing the neutral connection and potentially lead to overheating the load.
“If that connection is loose, the affected load center can overheat, posing thermal burn and fire hazards,” wrote Schneider in the recall notice, which also warned of potential property damage and personal injury.
The recalled panels were manufactured between February 1, 2020, and January 12, 2022, at Schneider Electric Plant 15.
Consumers may have purchased the load center at an authorized Schneider Electric, home improvement, or hardware store. Panels may have also been provided by a home builder or electrical contractor.
Schneider will provide free inspection and repair for recalled products. A full list of the impacted products and catalog numbers is available at the company’s website. | https://www.pahomepage.com/uncategorized/1-4m-electrical-panels-recalled-due-to-thermal-fire-hazards/ | 2022-06-18 17:01:42 | 1 | https://www.pahomepage.com/uncategorized/1-4m-electrical-panels-recalled-due-to-thermal-fire-hazards/ |
MIAMI, April 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Oceania Cruises, the world's leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line, is delighted to partner with multi-award-winning whisky brand Chapter 7 on the creation of an exclusive 20-year-old small-batch cask of whisky to celebrate the launch of its stunning new ship, Vista, and the brand's 20th anniversary.
Just 304 bottles of the whisky will be drawn and will be available for purchase by guests sailing on board Vista during her inaugural season this summer.
This exciting partnership comes as part of a long-term collaboration with Oceania Cruises and cruise retail market leader Harding+.
"We are excited about the immersive approach that Harding+ and Chapter 7 are bringing to the launch of Vista and the continuing celebrations of our 20th anniversary," said Frank A. Del Rio, President of Oceania Cruises. "The importance of guest understanding is at the heart of this partnership, and innovative, emotional approaches in telling our brand stories, which engage all the senses, are at the heart of Oceania Cruises."
Sebastian Harding, Director of Operations at Chapter 7 Whisky, added, "We are honored to bring our 20-year aged special cask to such a special occasion for Oceania Cruises. We believe a cask is like a character in a novel, where the best ones tug at the heartstrings and don't let go. We believe our 304 specially curated bottles can play just that role of character for Vista's guests, as they discover something special that perfectly complements their cruise experience."
The 1,200-guest ship caters to inquisitive travelers, food and wine connoisseurs and affluent individuals, and Harding+'s quaternity model of working balances the cruise ship profile with guest needs, brand fit and insights, as well as Harding+ retail knowledge.
Paul Cunningham, Director of Buying from Harding+, explained: "We always strive to make every cruise better and the storytelling behind the uniqueness of this one-off approach is sure to grab the attention of discerning guests in both the content and the channels we are using to bring things to life. We know Oceania Cruises guests are curious travelers and this premium approach fits the Vista story and style."
To celebrate the production of this one-off cask, Harding+ has produced a special film that tells the story of luxury, rarity and the creative passion behind the whisky-making process. The film brings to life the cask selection process and the journey that flows from that through to the bottling, the nosing and the palate test.
The Harding+ Chapter 7 film can be viewed here.
About Oceania Cruises
Oceania Cruises is the world's leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line. The line's seven small, luxurious ships carry a maximum of 1,238 guests and feature the finest cuisine at sea and destination-rich itineraries that span the globe. Expertly curated travel experiences aboard the designer-inspired, small ships call on more than 600 marquee and boutique ports in more than 100 countries on seven continents on voyages that range from seven to more than 200 days. The brand has a second 1,200-guest newbuild, Allura, on order for delivery in 2025. Oceania Cruises is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH). To learn more, visit www.nclhltd.com
About Harding+
Harding+ is the number 1 global cruise retailer by size, working as partners with 19 different cruise line operators across the globe, and with 115 cruise ships in operation or under contract.
We create memorable shopping experiences with a 'Quaternity' Partnership approach between our business, our cruise line partners, brand partners, and customers.
The business has central hubs in Bristol, Miami, and Sydney, employing over 900 staff on board ships, and 250 landside.
The 300+ shops Harding+ operates cover 17000 m2, and deliver over 4.4m transactions per year.
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SOURCE Oceania Cruises | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2023/04/20/oceania-cruises-marks-20th-anniversary-launch-new-ship-vista-with-an-exclusive-20-year-old-small-batch-cask-whisky-chapter-7/ | 2023-04-20 16:55:19 | 0 | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2023/04/20/oceania-cruises-marks-20th-anniversary-launch-new-ship-vista-with-an-exclusive-20-year-old-small-batch-cask-whisky-chapter-7/ |
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Suneva Medical, Inc. ("Suneva" or the "Company"), an innovative medical technology company using regenerative products to change the standard of care in patient treatments, today launched the 30 mL iteration of their Amplifine Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) gel tubes, which will provide patients and practices with a larger volume of PRP to address varying areas of concern more efficiently. The 30 mL PRP tubes received a 510(k) clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this year.
Suneva's Amplifine PRP gel tubes use a proprietary gel, designed to capture a high concentration of platelets in a short processing time, delivering clinical benefits to patients while also making the clinical practice more efficient by offering a wider array of regenerative treatments to their patients in an emerging and vast regenerative medicine market in North America.
PRP is a regenerative treatment that allows providers to access the patient's natural growth factors, via centrifugation of the patient's blood, in order to separate the red and white blood cells and concentrate the platelets.
"We are building upon our PRP platform with the launch of Amplifine's 30mL PRP gel tube, so both patients and providers will be getting the greatest value when performing or receiving their PRP treatment of choice," said Pat Altavilla, Chief Executive Officer of Suneva. "Our commitment to offering the best products in regenerative aesthetic practices and patients is stronger than ever, as we continue to find new ways to optimize our portfolio of minimally invasive and high impact aesthetic treatments."
The availability of the Amplifine 30mL PRP gel tube directly addresses the growing demand from practices and their patients to capture a higher volume of PRP for various clinical applications. As part of Amplfine's PRP platform, the new 30mL gel tubes will offer larger volume PRP while maintaining the key features that practices have come to expect: practice efficiency with a short 10-minute processing time, the ability to capture a high concentration of platelets and a safe and effective product that has been cleared by the FDA.
On January 12, 2022, Suneva Medical and Viveon Health Acquisition Corp. (NYSE American: VHAQ) ("Viveon Health" or "VHAQ"), a special purpose acquisition company, announced that they entered into a definitive merger agreement. Upon completion of the transaction, the combined company's securities are expected to be traded as an autonomous entity.
Amplifine PRP Gel Tube is designed to be used for the safe and rapid preparation of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) from a small sample of peripheral blood at the patient point-of-care. Each gel tube is provided sterile and non-pyrogenic and with a gel separator that contains a proprietary blend of anticoagulant citric acid, sodium citrate and dextrose solution (ACD-A) and is to be used only for the preparation of PRP with Amplifine PRP gel tube. The Amplifine gel tube must be processed via centrifuge at a designated speed and length of time following blood draw. The PRP must be used within four hours after drawing blood. For more information including indications for use and complete Instructions for Use, visit www.Sunevamedical.com
Suneva Medical, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, CA, is a leader in regenerative aesthetics. It is focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing branded products for providers and their patients. Suneva Medical offers a portfolio of products to address the impact of the aging process to deliver solutions that leverage the body's own restorative capacity. The product portfolio is composed of several "only" and "first to market" solutions with both FDA PMA approval and 510(k) clearance. For more information, visit https://www.sunevamedical.com/.
Important Information About the Proposed Business Combination and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed business combination, Viveon Health will file a registration statement on Form S-4 containing a proxy statement/prospectus (the "Form S-4") with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Form S-4 will include a proxy statement to be distributed to holders of Viveon Health's common stock in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the vote by Viveon Health's stockholders with respect to the proposed transaction and other matters as described in the Form S-4, as well as the prospectus relating to the offer of securities to be issued to Suneva's stockholders in connection with the proposed business combination. After the Form S-4 has been filed and declared effective, Viveon Health will mail a definitive proxy statement, when available, to its stockholders. Investors, security holders and other interested parties are urged to read the Form S-4, any amendments thereto and any other documents filed with the SEC carefully and in their entirety when they become available because they will contain important information about Viveon Health, Suneva and the proposed business combination. Additionally, Viveon Health will file other relevant materials with the SEC in connection with the business combination. Copies may be obtained free of charge at the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov. Securityholders of Viveon Health are urged to read the Form S-4 and the other relevant materials when they become available before making any voting decision with respect to the proposed business combination because they will contain important information about the business combination and the parties to the business combination. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, the websites referenced in this press release is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this press release.
Participants in the Solicitation
Viveon Health and its directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from Viveon Health's stockholders with respect to the business combination. A list of the names of those directors and executive officers and a description of their interests in Viveon Health will be included in the Form S-4 for the proposed business combination and be available at www.sec.gov. Additional information regarding the interests of such participants will be contained in the proxy statement/prospectus for the proposed business combination when available. Information about Viveon Health's directors and executive officers and their ownership of Viveon Health's common stock is set forth in Viveon Health's prospectus, dated December 22, 2020, as modified or supplemented by any Form 3 or Form 4 filed with the SEC since the date of such filing. Other information regarding the direct and indirect interests of the participants in the proxy solicitation will be included in the proxy statement/prospectus pertaining to the proposed business combination when it becomes available. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov.
Suneva and its directors and executive officers may also be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of Viveon Health in connection with the proposed business combination. A list of the names of such directors and executive officers and information regarding their interests in the proposed business combination will be included in the Form S-4 for the proposed business combination.
Certain statements made in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "target," "believe," "expect," "will," "shall," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "would," "positioned," "future," "forecast," "intend," "plan," "project," "outlook" and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements made in this press release regarding: Mr. Brower's instrumentality in fundraising and partnership development; expansion of Suneva in the regenerative aesthetic market; Suneva's growth within its announced SPAC deal and continued evolution and adoption of Suneva's regenerative medical products; and the combined company's shares being traded on the NYSE. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on Viveon Health's and Suneva's current beliefs, expectations and assumptions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: (1) the occurrence of any event, change, or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement; (2) the institution or outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Viveon Health and/or Suneva following the announcement of the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated therein; (3) the inability of the parties to complete the proposed business combination, including due to failure to obtain approval of the stockholders of Viveon Health or Suneva, certain regulatory approvals, or satisfy other conditions to closing in the merger agreement; (4) the occurrence of any event, change, or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement or could otherwise cause the transaction to fail to close; (5) the failure to meet the minimum cash requirements of the merger agreement due to Viveon Health stockholder redemptions and the failure to obtain replacement financing; (6) the inability to complete a concurrent PIPE; (7) the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Suneva's business and/or the ability of the parties to complete the proposed business combination; (8) the inability to obtain or maintain the listing of Viveon Health's shares of common stock on the NYSE American following the proposed business combination; (9) the risk that the proposed business combination disrupts current plans and operations as a result of the announcement and consummation of the proposed business combination; (10) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed business combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition and the ability of Suneva to grow and manage growth profitably and retain its key employees; (11) costs related to the proposed business combination; (12) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (13) the possibility that Suneva may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (14) the amount of redemption requests made by Viveon Health's stockholders; (15) changes in the competitive landscape, including the introduction of competitive products or improvements in existing products; and (16) other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the final prospectus of Viveon Health for its initial public offering dated December 22, 2020 filed with the SEC and the Form S-4 relating to the proposed business combination, including those under "Risk Factors" therein, and in Viveon Health's other filings with the SEC. Viveon Health and Suneva caution that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. Viveon Health and Suneva caution readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Viveon Health and Suneva do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in their expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. Neither Viveon Health nor Suneva gives any assurance that the combined company will achieve its expectations.
This press release shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent, or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the proposed business combination. This press release shall also not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom.
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SOURCE Suneva® Medical, Inc. | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/09/13/suneva-medical-launches-30-ml-prp-gel-tubes-amplifine-allowing-more-variety-efficiency-prp-treatments/ | 2022-09-13 12:50:04 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/09/13/suneva-medical-launches-30-ml-prp-gel-tubes-amplifine-allowing-more-variety-efficiency-prp-treatments/ |
APSO searching for missing man
Published: Jan. 27, 2023 at 11:41 AM CST|Updated: 36 minutes ago
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office is searching for a missing man.
Police said Robert Lee Johnson Hampton, 26, has not been heard from or seen by his family since Thursday, Jan. 19.
Anyone with information please contact the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office at 225-621-4636 or by texting 84741 to an anonymous tip line.
Click here to report a typo.
Copyright 2022 WAFB. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/2023/01/27/apso-searching-missing-man/ | 2023-01-27 18:18:13 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/2023/01/27/apso-searching-missing-man/ |
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A gun battle at an Oakland gas station killed one person and wounded seven others in the second shooting Monday night in the San Francisco Bay Area, police said.
Officers were sent to the scene on Macarthur Boulevard just after 6 p.m. and learned there had been a shooting between several people, a police statement said.
The officers found shell casings at the Valero gas station but no victims. However, dispatchers learned several victims had taken themselves to local hospitals for treatment of gunshot wounds.
One person died and the others were in stable condition, police said.
No arrests were made and other details weren’t immediately released.
At least 19 shots were fired, according to a photo of the shell casings that appeared in the East Bay Times.
The shootout took place only a few hours after a gunman killed seven people at two locations on the outskirts of Half Moon Bay. Officers arrested a suspect, 67-year-old Chunli Zhao, after they found him in his car in the parking lot of a sheriff’s substation, San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said.
Half Moon Bay is 24 miles (38 kilometers) southwest of Oakland and about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of San Francisco. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/gun-battle-kills-1-wounds-8-at-oakland-gas-station/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-01-24 08:01:14 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/gun-battle-kills-1-wounds-8-at-oakland-gas-station/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Failure of Vega-C rocket launch in French Guiana
BERLIN (AP) — The launch of a European Vega C rocket carrying two Airbus satellites has failed less than three minutes after liftoff from the European base in French Guiana. Arianespace, which provided the launch service, said in a statement that “an anomaly occurred” approximately 2 minutes and 27 seconds after liftoff “thus ending the Vega C mission.” It gave no further information. It was the first commercial launch of a Vega C rocket, Europe’s light launcher capable of lifting about 800 kilograms into space. The launch, operated by the European Space Agency, was meant to take two earth observation satellites made by Airbus, Pleiades Neo 5 and 6, into orbit. | https://kion546.com/news/ap-national-news/2022/12/21/failure-of-vega-c-rocket-launch-in-french-guiana/ | 2022-12-21 13:54:15 | 1 | https://kion546.com/news/ap-national-news/2022/12/21/failure-of-vega-c-rocket-launch-in-french-guiana/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nikiesha Thomas was on her way to work one day when she told her sister that she was thinking about getting involved with domestic violence prevention.
The idea gave Keeda Simpson pause. Her younger sister had never mentioned anything like that before, and she was bringing it up in a phone call just days after filing for a protective order against her ex-boyfriend.
It was their last conversation.
Less than an hour later, Thomas’ ex-boyfriend walked up to her parked car in a southeastern neighborhood of the nation’s capital and shot through her passenger window, killing the 33-year-old.
It’s cases like hers, where warning signs and legal paperwork weren’t enough to save a life, that lawmakers had in mind this summer when they crafted the first major bipartisan law on gun violence in decades.
The measure signed by President Joe Biden in June was part of a response to a harrowing string of shootings over the summer, including the slaying of 19 children at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
The package included tougher background checks for the youngest gun buyers and help for states to put in place “red flag” laws that make it easier for authorities to take weapons from people adjudged dangerous.
Also tucked into the bill was a proposal that will make it more difficult for a convicted domestic abuser to obtain firearms even when the abuser is not married to or doesn’t have a child with the victim.
Nearly a decade in the making, lawmakers’ move to close the “boyfriend loophole” received far less attention than other aspects of the legislation. But advocates and lawmakers are hopeful this provision will save lives and become a major part of the law’s legacy.
“We have so many women killed — one every 14 hours, from domestic partners with guns in this country,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., a longtime advocate for the proposal, said before passage of the bill in June. “Sadly, half of those involve dating partners, people who aren’t married to someone, but they are in a romantic relationship with them in some way.”
Federal law has long barred people convicted of domestic violence or subject to a domestic violence restraining order from being able to buy a gun. But that restriction had only applied to an individual who is married to the victim, lived with the victim or had a child with the victim. As a result, it missed a whole group of perpetrators — current and former boyfriends or intimate partners — sometimes with fatal consequences.
At least 19 states and the District of Columbia have taken action on this issue, according to data compiled by Everytown for Gun Safety. Klobuchar and domestic violence advocates have worked for years to do the same on the federal level, with little success.
The struggle over defining a boyfriend in the law remained difficult to the end. Negotiations in Congress nearly broke down over the provision. The same thing happened in March when a similar bipartisan effort to reauthorize a 1990s-era law that extended protections to victims of domestic and sexual violence passed only after Democratic lawmakers took out the loophole provision to ensure Republican support.
“That was the toughest issue in our negotiations,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a lead negotiator of the gun package, said of the loophole proposal. “The biggest discussion that took us a long time at the end was around the question of how you would get your rights back after you had been prohibited.”
Murphy and other Democratic negotiators were able to persuade Republicans by including a narrow path to restoring access to firearms for first-time offenders after five years, only if they are not convicted of another misdemeanor for violent crime. For married couples, and those who have had a child together, the firearm ban is permanent.
To some advocates, more change is still needed. The legislation only partially closes the loophole because dating partners subject to a domestic violence restraining order, as in Thomas’ case, are still able to buy and maintain access to firearms.
“It will for sure save lives. But also to be clear, this is a partial closure of what’s known as the boyfriend loophole. There’s still a lot of work to be done,” Jennifer Becker, the legal director and senior attorney for Legal Momentum, a legal defense and education fund for women, told The Associated Press.
Federal crime data for 2020 showed that out of all murder victims among intimate partners — including divorced and gay couples — girlfriends accounted for 37%, while wives accounted for 34%. Only 13% of the victims were boyfriends, and 7% were husbands.
In 2018, a group of researchers who looked at intimate partner homicides in 45 states from 1980 to 2013 found that when firearm prohibitions linked to domestic restraining orders included people who were dating, deaths dropped by 13%.
“It suggests that when you cast that wider net, by covering boyfriends, you are able to cover people who are more dangerous and potentially save more lives,” April Zeoli, a researcher at the University of Michigan who was part of that study, told the AP.
Thomas’ family hopes the changes in the law will save lives and ensure their daughter’s death wasn’t in vain. They say Thomas was doing everything she could to protect herself when she left her yearslong relationship with 36-year-old Antoine Oliver in late September 2021.
It was only after her death in October that her family members found out that the protective order Thomas had filed three days earlier, detailing how her former partner had access to firearms and she felt unsafe, was never served. Sheriff’s deputies in Prince George’s County, Maryland, where Thomas and Oliver lived, had been trying to reach him by phone.
When law enforcement finally reached Oliver, he told them he would come to accept service of the judicial order the following day. Instead, authorities said, he killed Thomas that day before fatally shooting himself.
“Some days I just sit and review the paper she had filed with the court just a few days prior and just think, what else could she have done to protect herself?” said Nadine Thomas, her mother. Gilbert Thomas, her father, said his daughter did everything she was supposed to do, but it was the system that failed her.
“She feared for her life and what did the police do? They called him and made arrangements for him to come to pick up the order,” he said. “There was no urgency placed on it.”
But now the family is bracing for the anniversary of Thomas’ killing. The weight of grief is heavy, particularly for her 11-year-old daughter, Kylei, whom Thomas had from a relationship before she met Oliver.
In the months before her death, Thomas had been making plans to buy a home for her and her daughter. She was saving up from her job with the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education, where she was assigned to an intervention program to help some of the district’s most challenged students.
“We really were starting to map out some things and it just got taken away,” her sister, Keeda Simpson, said. “One of the last things we talked about was her wanting to evoke change for other women.
“I’m going to do whatever it takes — even if it’s a small thing — to help someone else that’s in her situation, not to lose their life,” she added.
___
Associated Press writer Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report. | https://pix11.com/news/national-news/ap-national/ap-in-new-gun-law-a-quiet-breakthrough-for-victims-of-abuse/ | 2022-08-30 12:51:04 | 0 | https://pix11.com/news/national-news/ap-national/ap-in-new-gun-law-a-quiet-breakthrough-for-victims-of-abuse/ |
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Todd Pletcher-trained Tapit Trice is the 5-2 morning-line favorite and will start from the No. 1 post in Saturday’s $1 million Blue Grass at Keeneland, one of three major preps being run this weekend for next month’s Kentucky Derby.
Verifying is the 3-1 second chice and will start from the No. 3 post. Third-choice Raise Cain drew the No. 10 post in the 11-horse on Wednesday. Blazing Sevens is next at 6-1, starting from the No. 8 post.
The 1 1/8-mile, Grade 1 dirt race for 3-year-olds will award points on a 100-40-30-20-10 scale for the 149th Derby on May 7 at Churchill Downs. The other big Derby preps this weekend are the Santa Anita Derby in California and Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in New York.
Blue Grass post time is 5:15 p.m.
Tapit Trice has three wins and a third in four career starts with victories in both races this year. The son of Tapit and Danzatrice by Dunkirk is coming off a two-length victory over Classic Car Wash in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 11.
Raise Cain won last month’s Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct and is 2-1-1 in six starts. Verifying seeks his first graded stakes win in six starts after finishing fourth in February’s Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/sports/article/tapit-trice-is-5-2-favorite-for-the-blue-grass-at-17880589.php | 2023-04-05 18:46:31 | 0 | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/sports/article/tapit-trice-is-5-2-favorite-for-the-blue-grass-at-17880589.php |
Banco Cuscatlan, Banco Industrial and Ficohsa, together with the HUGE Business and Investment Council agree to promote the generation of sustainable jobs, support the financing of strategic projects for the region and bring positive attention to the productive sectors of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- This week's conference, "Investment Opportunities to Capitalize on Nearshoring of US Companies in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador", hosted by the HUGE Business and Investment Council, featured presentations of eight large infrastructure projects by their private sector sponsors to twelve major financial institutions involved in funding private sector infrastructure projects in the region.
The total private investment in these projects amounts to $3.4 billion and generates approximately 140,000 new jobs in the Northern Triangle region of Central America. The investment opportunities include two large industrial parks, a technology park, a large data center to support e-commerce, modern highway construction and two alternative energy projects, as well as the expansion of an operations center for maintenance, repair, and overhaul of commercial airplanes in El Salvador, making it one of the largest of its kind in the world.
The leaders of three major Central American banks also signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize their commitment towards creating greater opportunities for Central Americans and helping address causes of irregular migration to the United States.
"Encouraging investment in projects that generate positive economic, social, and environmental impact is crucial for the sustainable development of our region. It ensures a future of new opportunities, allowing Central Americans to fulfill their "American Dream" at home rather than risking their lives to seek it elsewhere," said Dr. Juan José Daboub, President of HUGE.
Banco Cuscatlan, Banco Industrial and Ficohsa are Founders of HUGE, an initiative that represents the first joint effort of private sector job creators from the three Central American countries and their counterparts from the United States to create massive employment throughout the region, including in the United States.
In addition to supporting the development of investment projects, as part of its mission, HUGE seeks to bring together major players in the United States and in the countries of the Northern Triangle, including small and medium-sized businesses, as well as civil society organizations, and the public sector, to support large-scale regional infrastructure projects that will catapult the region's competitiveness.
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SOURCE HUGE Business and Investment Council | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2023/04/21/major-banks-northern-triangle-central-america-aim-attract-investment-united-states/ | 2023-04-21 23:54:12 | 1 | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2023/04/21/major-banks-northern-triangle-central-america-aim-attract-investment-united-states/ |
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – A federal appeals court has ruled that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, is unlawful.
Now some DACA recipients detail the fear and uncertainty they face with this ruling.
DACA recipient Jaime Rangel arrived in the U.S. as an infant. He grew up and made a life in northwest Georgia. Rangel now serves as the Georgia State Immigration Director for FWD.us.
However, Rangel is constantly living in fear that DACA, a program that allows him to stay and work in the U.S., could end.
“I’m scared, I’m terrified,” Rangel said. “And now I have a two-year-old son, I have a wife, I have a family.”
This week, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that DACA is unlawful.
“It was devastating because the first thing that came to my mind is what’s going to happen to our family?” Rangel questioned.
The court said current DACA recipients can renew their school and work permits for now. However, Rangel says “it’s heading toward a very terrible ending.”
Debu Gandhi, Senior Director for Immigration Policy at the Center for American Progress, agrees.
“There’s absolutely a chance that DACA could be ended,” Gandhi said.
The case will likely end up before the Supreme Court and Gandhi says previous rulings by the high court signal the justices could decide to end the program, saying the court will “often rule against programs or rights that Americans believe to be lawful.”
Rangel says, “this is a call to action for Republicans and Democrats to do what they’re being paid to do — legislate.”
Rangel added that only congressional action will deliver permanent protections for young immigrants, like him, who face possible deportation. | https://www.pahomepage.com/washington/washington-dc/daca-recipients-face-uncertainty-as-court-rules-program-unlawful/ | 2022-10-08 01:56:57 | 0 | https://www.pahomepage.com/washington/washington-dc/daca-recipients-face-uncertainty-as-court-rules-program-unlawful/ |
LEE COUNTY, Fla. — The Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) announced one of its longtime K9s has passed away.
According to an LCSO Facebook post, K9 Ruger passed away with family and friends by his side.
Ruger was a retired K9 who served LCSO from 2010 until 2019. He served alongside his partner, Sergeant Dan Scowden, who passed away in November 2020.
LCSO said Ruger assisted with hundreds of searches for fleeing suspects, explosive searches and public demonstrations.
K9 Ruger received the K-9 Officer of the Year award from the Lee County Rotary Club. According to LCSO, Ruger received the award for his service following a serious injury.
Ruger went on to live with purchasing agent Daysi Castillo after he retired. He lived with her until his death. | https://nbc-2.com/news/local/lee-county/2023/03/22/lee-county-sheriffs-office-k9-passes-away/ | 2023-03-23 00:56:58 | 1 | https://nbc-2.com/news/local/lee-county/2023/03/22/lee-county-sheriffs-office-k9-passes-away/ |
CHANDLER, Ariz., June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Viavi Solutions Inc. (VIAVI) (NASDAQ: VIAV) today announced that it is supporting NTT DOCOMO, INC.'s 5G Open RAN Ecosystem (OREC). NTT DOCOMO has used the VIAVI TM500 Network Tester for base station testing from the early stages of 3G through to 5G, and has now adopted key elements of the company's leading test suite for end-to-end testing of the entire O-RAN. Both companies are also active contributors to specifications development in the O-RAN ALLIANCE.
NTT DOCOMO launched OREC in 2021, growing the ecosystem to 13 vendor partners. The initiative's ambition is not limited to advancements in its own 5G network, but extends to enabling ubiquitous connectivity for users around the globe. As such, NTT DOCOMO is committed to allowing overseas mobile operators to remotely access the Shared Open Lab in Yokosuka, Japan to validate their own virtualized RAN.
Based on its leading position validating network products for operators and manufacturers worldwide, the VIAVI test suite gave NTT DOCOMO confidence that it would support the requirements of operators from all over the globe. End-to-end testing of the O-RAN is enabled by the TM500 Network Tester, TM500 O-DU Tester, the TeraVM O-CU Tester and the TeraVM Core Emulator. Critical use cases include:
- Benchmarking performance: of a virtual O-DU and O-CU individually or in combination where the O-RU could be real or emulated. This provides the operator the ability to validate the performance of the virtual components against a real or emulated O-RU in a repeatable way.
- Super-high load testing: the combined use of the TM500, TM500 O-DU Tester, TeraVM O-CU Tester and TeraVM Core Emulator provides the operator the flexibility to stress test the O-DU/O-CU to near or exceeding full capacity to identify where there are performance bottlenecks.
- Flexible end-to-end scenario testing: all of the test elements have a single point of control, allowing the operator to do multiple combinations of traffic scenarios, over 1000's of emulated UEs, hundreds of emulated DUs, multiple 5G carriers, while exercising different aspects of the virtual O-RAN components across frequency ranges from sub 6GHz to millimeter wave frequencies.
VIAVI offers the most comprehensive test suite on the market for lab validation, field deployment and service assurance of O-RAN networks. With vast experience validating network products for operators and manufacturers worldwide, VIAVI allows any node – O-RU, O-DU, O-CU, RIC and Core – and complete end-to-end testing to be performed on premise, in the cloud or as a service.
"In response to the diversifying needs of the market, NTT DOCOMO is driving 5G Open and virtualized RAN solutions with its ecosystem partners, aiming to realize highly flexible networks globally," said Sadayuki Abeta, General Manager, Radio Access Network Development Dept., NTT DOCOMO, INC. "Our collaboration with VIAVI will ensure robust and comprehensive validation of virtualized base stations, and facilitate availability for operators around the globe."
"NTT DOCOMO's bold vision and exacting requirements have always raised the bar for our solutions, and their advancement of Open RAN is no exception," said Rajesh Rao, Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan, VIAVI. "The disaggregation of the network places a heavy focus on interoperability as a third pillar of validation alongside conformance and performance. VIAVI's test suite has been proven to deliver all three."
About VIAVI
VIAVI (NASDAQ: VIAV) is a global provider of network test, monitoring and assurance solutions for communications service providers, enterprises, network equipment manufacturers, government and avionics. We help these customers harness the power of instruments, automation, intelligence and virtualization to Command the network. VIAVI is also a leader in light management solutions for 3D sensing, anti-counterfeiting, consumer electronics, industrial, automotive, and defense applications. Learn more about VIAVI at www.viavisolutions.com. Follow us on VIAVI Perspectives, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.
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SOURCE VIAVI Solutions | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/21/viavi-enables-global-access-ntt-docomo-open-ran-ecosystem-lab/ | 2022-06-21 10:54:59 | 0 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/21/viavi-enables-global-access-ntt-docomo-open-ran-ecosystem-lab/ |
Doctor clarifies confusion over colonoscopy effectiveness after new study questions it
Some Iowa doctors are expressing concerns over a landmark study that questions the effectiveness of colonoscopies.
The study — the largest of its kind — was recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine and looked at 84,000 European patients. Only 18% of people invited to get the procedure had a lower risk of getting colorectal cancer, according to the findings. But it’s important to note: Less than half of the people invited to get a colonoscopy in the study actually got one.
“I think there is a lot of anxiety about colonoscopies,” said Dr. Ohmar Coughlin, a colorectal surgeon at the Iowa Clinic in Des Moines. The procedure uses a camera to scope the colon and identify abnormal growths.
Researchers found that those who agreed to undergo colonoscopy reduced their risk by 31% compared to those who were not screened. The risk of dying was cut by about 50%.
“One of the conclusions of this study was that colonoscopy itself does not prevent death from colon cancer or death from all causes,” Coughlin said. “That is not a reason to avoid a colonoscopy. Certainly, colonoscopy still reduces our risk of developing colon cancer, and I think that’s an admirable goal.”
Doctors said colonoscopies are a lifesaving procedure. They recommend people start regular colonoscopies at age 45. For people who are at high risk because of family history or other factors, it’s even younger.
See the recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Cancer Society. | https://www.kcra.com/article/colonoscopy-effectiveness-doctor-clarifies-confusion/41603833 | 2022-10-12 23:01:40 | 0 | https://www.kcra.com/article/colonoscopy-effectiveness-doctor-clarifies-confusion/41603833 |
WINONA, Miss. (WTVA) — Federal and state officials met with folks in Winona Thursday night to hear questions and concerns after an EF-3 tore through the town three weeks ago.
The meeting was held in the Zion District Association Building. A full house of people attended.
Not only did FEMA and MEMA attend but also the American Red Cross and the Small Business Administration.
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson was scheduled to be there but a family emergency prevented him from attending.
The town hall’s main goal was to give people answers about any type of storm assistance or relief that is available.
Both FEMA and MEMA said they are committed to sticking it out with the people of Montgomery County and throughout the state.
"This is a marathon,” John Brown of the American Red Cross said of tornado recovery.
Thursday’s town hall in Winona was the third one held this week. The first two were held in Rolling Fork and Silver City. | https://www.wtva.com/news/tornado-recovery/winona-town-hall-used-to-answer-tornado-recovery-questions/article_e50c61d4-dad1-11ed-8906-d73edf762716.html | 2023-04-14 17:49:15 | 0 | https://www.wtva.com/news/tornado-recovery/winona-town-hall-used-to-answer-tornado-recovery-questions/article_e50c61d4-dad1-11ed-8906-d73edf762716.html |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 60 years after he was first recommended for the nation’s highest award for bravery during the Vietnam War, retired Col. Paris Davis, one of the first Black officers to lead a Special Forces team in combat, will receive the prestigious Medal of Honor on Friday.
The overdue recognition for the 83-year-old Virginia resident comes after his recommendation for the medal was lost, resubmitted — and then lost again.
It wasn’t until 2016 — half a century after Davis risked his life to save some of his men by fighting off the North Vietnamese — that a volunteer group of advocates painstakingly recreated and resubmitted the paperwork.
Some of Davis’ supporters believe racism was to blame, but Davis doesn’t dwell on it. He said he doesn’t know why it has taken decades for his heroism to be recognized.
“Right now I’m overwhelmed,” he told The Associated Press in an interview the day before he attends a White House ceremony where President Joe Biden will hang the blue ribbon holding the Medal of Honor around Davis’ neck.
“When you’re fighting, you’re not thinking about this moment,” Davis said. “You’re just trying to get through that moment.”
That moment lasted nearly 19 hours and stretched over two days in mid-June 1965.
Davis, then a captain and commander with the 5th Special Forces Group, engaged in nearly continuous combat during a pre-dawn raid on a North Vietnamese army camp in the village of Bong Son in Binh Dinh province.
He led the charge against the enemy, called for precision artillery fire, engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the North Vietnamese and thwarted the capture of three American soldiers — all while suffering multiple wounds from gunshots and grenade fragments. Davis used his pinkie finger to fire his rifle after his hand was shattered by an enemy grenade, according to reports.
Davis repeatedly sprinted into an open rice paddy to rescue each member of his team, according to the ArmyTimes. His entire team survived. Davis refused to leave the battlefield until his men were safely removed.
Davis, a native of Cleveland, retired in 1985 at the rank of colonel and now lives in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington. Biden called him several weeks ago to deliver the news.
He compares receiving the medal to getting a long-anticipated ice cream cone and says the wait in no way lessens the honor.
“It’s just the antithesis of that,” he said. “It heightens the thing, if you’ve got to wait that long … It’s like someone promised you an ice cream cone. You know what it looks like, what it smells like. You just haven’t licked it.”
Davis’ commanding officer recommended him for the military’s top honor, but the paperwork disappeared. He eventually was awarded a Silver Star Medal, the military’s third-highest combat medal, as an interim honor, but members of Davis’ team have argued that his skin color was a factor in the disappearance of his Medal of Honor recommendation.
“I believe that someone purposely lost the paperwork,” Ron Deis, a junior member of Davis’ team in Bong Son, told the AP in a separate interview.
Deis, now 79, helped compile the recommendation that was submitted in 2016. He said he knew Davis had been recommended for the Medal of Honor shortly after the battle in 1965 and he spent years wondering why Davis hadn’t been awarded the medal. Nine years ago he learned that a second nomination had been submitted “and that also was somehow, quote, lost.”
“But I don’t believe they were lost,” Deis said. “I believe they were intentionally discarded. They were discarded because he was Black, and that’s the only conclusion that I can come to.”
Army officials say there is no evidence of racism in Davis’ case.
“We’re here to celebrate the fact that he got the award, long time coming,” Maj. Gen. Patrick Roberson, deputy commanding general, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, told the AP. “We, the Army, you know, we haven’t been able to see anything that would say, ‘Hey, this is racism.'”
“We can’t know that,” Roberson said.
In early 2021, Christopher Miller, then the acting defense secretary, ordered an expedited review of Davis’ case. He argued in an opinion column later that year that awarding Davis the Medal of Honor would address an injustice.
“Some issues in our nation rise above partisanship,” Miller wrote. “The Davis case meets that standard.”
Davis’ daughter, Regan Davis Hopper, a mom of two teenage sons, told the AP that she only learned of her dad’s heroism in 2019. But, like him, she said she tries not to dwell on her disappointment in how the situation was handled.
“I try not to think about that. I try not to let that weigh me down and make me lose the thrill and excitement of the moment,” Hopper said. “I think that’s most important, to just look ahead and think about how exciting it is for America to meet my dad for the first time. I’m just proud of him.” | https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-news-now/watch-live-black-vietnam-vet-at-last-getting-his-due-medal-of-honor/ | 2023-03-03 18:01:31 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-news-now/watch-live-black-vietnam-vet-at-last-getting-his-due-medal-of-honor/ |
- 2Q22 Net Sales of $3.3 billion, increased 7%; organic sales increased 9% versus year-ago period
- 2Q22 GAAP Income from continuing operations of $365 million; operating EBITDA of $829 million increased 6% versus year-ago period; consistent operating EBITDA margin on year-over-year and sequential basis
- 2Q22 GAAP EPS from continuing operations of $0.71; adjusted EPS of $0.88 increased 11% versus year-ago period
- ~$665 million of capital returned to shareholders during the quarter through $500 million in share repurchases and ~$165 million in dividends
- Pricing actions continue to fully offset higher inflationary costs from raw materials, logistics and energy
WILMINGTON, Del., Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- - DuPont (NYSE: DD) today announced financial results(1) for the second quarter of 2022.
"We delivered second quarter financial results ahead of expectations by maintaining a disciplined focus on pricing actions and operational excellence in the face of continued global supply chain and logistics challenges and ongoing inflationary pressure," said Ed Breen, DuPont Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Underlying demand during the quarter in our key end-markets remained strong. Year-over-year and sequential sales and earnings growth in a volatile macro environment demonstrated the strength of our portfolio, our deep customer relationships and the leading market positions we hold globally."
"We continue to advance our previously announced portfolio actions of acquiring Rogers Corporation and divesting a substantial portion of the former Mobility & Materials segment," Breen continued. "Regarding Rogers, we expect to close the acquisition during the third quarter of 2022, with China being the last remaining jurisdiction requiring regulatory approval. For the M&M transactions, we continue to expect the completion of the sale of portions of this business to Celanese to close around year-end."
"As DuPont drives innovation investment to support long-term growth, we continue to introduce new products across our key growth pillars," Breen said. "We are excited to have won four 2022 Edison Awards highlighting innovative technologies, while also progressing well with our broader new product pipeline to support growth over the coming years."
Net sales
- Net sales increased 7% on organic sales(2) growth of 9%; portfolio benefit of 1% was more than offset by a 3% currency headwind.
- Organic sales(2) growth of 9% consisted of an 8% increase in price and 1% increase in volume.
- 9% organic sales(2) growth in Water & Protection; 8% organic sales(2) growth in Electronics & Industrial; 15% organic sales(2) growth in retained businesses reported in Corporate & Other, which predominantly consists of our auto adhesives portfolio.
- Organic sales(2) growth in all regions globally, including 13% in U.S & Canada, 8% in EMEA and 6% in Asia Pacific.
GAAP Income/GAAP EPS from continuing operations
- GAAP income/GAAP EPS from continuing operations declined as higher segment earnings and a lower share count were more than offset by lower gains on business divestitures and a higher tax rate compared to the year-ago period.
Operating EBITDA(2)
- Operating EBITDA(2) increased as pricing actions, earnings associated with Laird Performance Materials and volume gains more than offset higher inflationary costs from raw materials, logistics and energy.
Adjusted EPS(2)
- Adjusted EPS(2) increased due to higher segment earnings and a lower share count partially offset by a higher tax rate compared to the year-ago period.
Operating cash flow
- Operating cash flow in the quarter of $86 million and capital expenditures of $135 million resulted in free cash flow(2) of $(49) million.
Net sales
- Net sales increased 16% on organic sales(2) growth of 8%; a portfolio benefit of 11%, reflecting the acquisition of Laird Performance Materials in the prior year, was slightly offset by a 3% currency headwind.
- Organic sales(2) growth of 8% driven by a 6% increase in volume and a 2% increase in price.
Operating EBITDA
- Increase in operating EBITDA driven by earnings associated with Laird Performance Materials, volume gains and higher pricing which was partially offset by higher raw material and logistics costs.
Net sales
- Net sales increased 6% as organic sales(2) growth of 9% was partially offset by a 3% currency headwind.
- Organic sales(2) growth of 9% reflects a 12% increase in price and a 3% decline in volume. The increase in price reflects broad-based actions taken across the segment to offset continued cost inflation.
Operating EBITDA
- Operating EBITDA was down slightly as pricing actions taken to offset higher raw material, logistics and energy costs were more than offset by volume declines.
"Our strong first half 2022 results reflect positively on the secular end-markets in which we operate and highlight our team's focus on execution," said Lori Koch, Chief Financial Officer of DuPont. "As we look towards the second half, demand and overall order trends in our key end-markets remain solid, however, future uncertainties continue to exist including continued inflationary pressure, challenging supply chains, and U.S. dollar strength against global currencies."
"We are narrowing our full year 2022 adjusted EPS guidance from $3.20-$3.50 to $3.27-$3.43 while maintaining the mid-point of our previous range." Koch continued. "Our updated full year 2022 guidance ranges for net sales and operating EBITDA reflect incremental foreign currency headwinds and the removal of contribution from the Biomaterials business, which was divested on May 31, 2022."
"We expect third quarter 2022 net sales and operating EBITDA to be slightly weaker than second quarter 2022 as sequential volume increases are expected to be offset by foreign currency headwinds and the absence of the Biomaterials net sales contribution," Koch said. "We are also expecting a negative impact during the third quarter on operating EBITDA of approximately $15 million from unplanned downtime at our Spruance site in Virginia within the W&P segment resulting from an unforeseen utility disruption with a third-party supplier. On a year-over-year basis, we expect third quarter net sales to be up 2 percent at the mid-point of the range, or up high single-digits on an organic basis."
Conference Call
The Company will host a live webcast of its second quarter earnings conference call with investors to discuss its results and business outlook beginning today at 8:00 a.m. ET. The slide presentation that accompanies the conference call will be posted on the DuPont's Investor Relations Events and Presentations page. A replay of the webcast also will be available on the DuPont's Investor Relations Events and Presentations page following the live event.
About DuPont
DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Our employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, construction, water, healthcare and worker safety. More information about the company, its businesses and solutions can be found at www.dupont.com. Investors can access information included on the Investor Relations section of the website at investors.dupont.com.
DuPont™ and all products, unless otherwise noted, denoted with ™, SM or ® are trademarks, service marks or registered trademarks of affiliates of DuPont de Nemours, Inc.
Overview
On November 2, 2021, DuPont announced it has entered definitive agreements to acquire Rogers Corporation ("Rogers"), (the "Intended Rogers Acquisition"). On January 25, 2022, Rogers's shareholders approved the transaction. Closing is expected in the third quarter 2022, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
On February 18, 2022, DuPont announced that it has entered into definitive agreements to divest a majority of its historic Mobility & Materials segment, excluding certain Advanced Solutions and Performance Resins businesses, to Celanese Corporation ("Celanese"), (the "M&M Divestiture"). Closing is expected around the end of 2022, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. The Company also announced on February 18, 2022, that its Board of Directors has approved the divestiture of the Delrin® acetal homopolymer (H-POM) business. In addition to the entry into definitive agreements, the Company anticipates that the closing of the sale of Delrin® would be subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, (the "Delrin® Divestiture" and together with the M&M Divestiture, the "M&M Divestitures").
As of March 31, 2022, the results of operations and the assets and liabilities of the businesses in scope for the M&M Divestitures are presented as discontinued operations for all periods presented. The cash flows of these businesses have not been segregated and are included in the interim Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. Unless otherwise indicated, the discussion of results, including the financial measures further discussed below, refer only to DuPont's Continuing Operations and do not include discussion of balances or activity of the businesses in scope for the M&M Divestitures. The Auto Adhesives & Fluids, Multibase™ and Tedlar® product lines previously within the historic Mobility & Materials segment (the "Retained Businesses") are not included in the scope of the intended divestitures. The Retained Businesses are reported in Corporate & Other. The reporting changes have been retrospectively applied for all periods presented.
Cautionary Statement about Forward-looking Statements
This communication contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and often contain words such as "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "seek," "see," "will," "would," "target," and similar expressions and variations or negatives of these words.
Forward-looking statements address matters that are, to varying degrees, uncertain and subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, many of which that are beyond DuPont's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results. Some of the important factors that could cause DuPont's actual results to differ materially from those projected in any such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (i) the parties' ability to meet expectations regarding the timing, completion and accounting and tax treatments of the M&M Divestiture to Celanese, including (x) any failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals, anticipated tax treatment or to satisfy any of the other conditions to the proposed transaction, (y) the possibility that unforeseen liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition, losses, future prospects, business and management strategies could impact the value, timing or pursuit of the proposed transaction, and (z) risks and costs and pursuit and/or implementation, timing and impacts to business operations of the separation of business lines in scope for the M&M Divestiture to Celanese, (ii) the timing and outcome of the Delrin® Business Divestiture, including entry into definitive agreements, and the risks, costs and ability to realize benefits from the pursuit of the Delrin® Business Divestiture; (iii) ability to achieve anticipated tax treatments in connection with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and other portfolio changes actions and impact of changes in relevant tax and other laws; (iv) indemnification of certain legacy liabilities; (v) risks and costs related to each of the parties respective performance under and the impact of the arrangement to share future eligible PFAS costs by and between DuPont, Corteva and Chemours; (vi) failure to timely close on anticipated terms (or at all), realize expected benefits and effectively manage and achieve anticipated synergies and operational efficiencies in connection with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and other portfolio changes including the Intended Rogers Acquisition and the M&M Divestitures; (vii) risks and uncertainties, including increased costs and the ability to obtain raw materials and meet customer needs, related to operational and supply chain impacts or disruptions, which may result from, among other events, the COVID-19 pandemic and actions in response to it, and geo-political and weather related events; (viii) ability to offset increases in cost of inputs, including raw materials, energy and logistics; (ix) risks, including ability to achieve, and costs associated with DuPont's sustainability strategy including the actual conduct of the company's activities and results thereof, and the development, implementation, achievement or continuation of any goal, program, policy or initiative discussed or expected; and (x) other risks to DuPont's business, operations; each as further discussed in DuPont's most recent annual report and subsequent current and periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward-looking statements. Consequences of material differences in results as compared with those anticipated in the forward-looking statements could include, among other things, business or supply chain disruption, operational problems, financial loss, legal liability to third parties and similar risks, any of which could have a material adverse effect on DuPont's consolidated financial condition, results of operations, credit rating or liquidity. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. DuPont assumes no obligation to publicly provide revisions or updates to any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This earnings release includes information that does not conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") and are considered non-GAAP measures. Management uses these measures internally for planning, forecasting and evaluating the performance of the Company, including allocating resources. DuPont's management believes these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors because they provide additional information related to the ongoing performance of DuPont to offer a more meaningful comparison related to future results of operations. These non-GAAP financial measures supplement disclosures prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and should not be viewed as an alternative to U.S. GAAP. Furthermore, such non-GAAP measures may not be consistent with similar measures provided or used by other companies. Reconciliations for these non-GAAP measures to U.S. GAAP are provided in the Selected Financial Information and Non-GAAP Measures starting on page 11 and in the Reconciliation to Non-GAAP Measures on the Investors section of the Company's website. Non-GAAP measures included in this release are defined below. The Company has not provided forward-looking U.S. GAAP financial measures or a reconciliation of forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures on a forward-looking basis because the Company is unable to predict with reasonable certainty the ultimate outcome of certain future events. These events include, among others, the impact of portfolio changes, including asset sales, mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures; contingent liabilities related to litigation, environmental and indemnifications matters; impairments and discrete tax items. These items are uncertain, depend on various factors, and could have a material impact on U.S. GAAP results for the guidance period.
The historic Mobility & Material segment costs that are classified as discontinued operations include only direct operating expenses incurred by the M&M Businesses which the Company will cease to incur upon the close of the M&M Divestitures. Indirect costs, such as those related to corporate and shared service functions previously allocated to the M&M Businesses, do not meet the criteria for discontinued operations and remain reported within continuing operations. A portion of these indirect costs include costs related to activities the Company will continue to undertake post-closing of the M&M Divestiture, and for which it will be reimbursed ("Future Reimbursable Indirect Costs"). Future Reimbursable Indirect Costs are reported within continuing operations but are excluded from operating EBITDA as defined below. The remaining portion of these indirect costs is not subject to future reimbursement ("Stranded Costs"). Stranded Costs are reported within continuing operations in Corporate & Other and are included within Operating EBITDA.
Adjusted earnings per common share from continuing operations - diluted ("Adjusted EPS"), is defined as earnings per common share from continuing operations - diluted, excluding the after-tax impact of significant items, after-tax impact of amortization expense of intangibles, the after-tax impact of non-operating pension / other post employment benefits ("OPEB") credits / costs and Future Reimbursable Indirect Costs. Management estimates amortization expense in 2022 associated with intangibles to be approximately $600 million on a pre-tax basis, or approximately $0.93 per share.
The Company's measure of profit/loss for segment reporting purposes is Operating EBITDA as this is the manner in which the Company's chief operating decision maker ("CODM") assesses performance and allocates resources. The Company defines Operating EBITDA as earnings (i.e., "Income from continuing operations before income taxes") before interest, depreciation, amortization, non-operating pension / OPEB benefits / charges, and foreign exchange gains / losses, excluding Future Reimbursable Indirect Costs, and adjusted for significant items. Reconciliations of these measures are provided on the following pages.
Significant items are items that arise outside the ordinary course of the Company's business that management believes may cause misinterpretation of underlying business performance, both historical and future, based on a combination of some or all of the item's size, unusual nature and infrequent occurrence. Management classifies as significant items certain costs and expenses associated with integration and separation activities related to transformational acquisitions and divestitures as they are considered unrelated to ongoing business performance.
Organic Sales is defined as net sales excluding the impacts of currency and portfolio.
Free cash flow is defined as cash provided by/used for operating activities less capital expenditures. As a result, free cash flow represents cash that is available to the Company, after investing in its asset base, to fund obligations using the Company's primary source of liquidity, cash provided by operating activities. Management believes free cash flow, even though it may be defined differently from other companies, is useful to investors, analysts and others to evaluate the Company's cash flow and financial performance, and it is an integral measure used in the Company's financial planning process. Free cash flow conversion is defined as free cash flow divided by net income adjusted to exclude the after-tax impact of non-cash impairment charges, gains or losses on divestitures, and amortization expense of intangibles.
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SOURCE DuPont | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/08/02/dupont-reports-second-quarter-2022-results/ | 2022-08-02 10:28:08 | 0 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/08/02/dupont-reports-second-quarter-2022-results/ |
Iowa State football player accused of raping injured woman
AMES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa State football player has been arrested on charges alleging that he raped a woman while she lay immobile after he shoved her so hard into stairs in his home that it fractured her spine.
Aidan Ralph, a 20-year-old linebacker and redshirt sophomore from Chicago, was arrested Wednesday on Story County felony sexual assault and misdemeanor domestic violence charges in the alleged attack at his Ames home at around 1 a.m. on Dec. 3, court records show.
According to a police affidavit, Ralph accused the woman of cheating and shoved her several times, including once into the stairs. The resulting injury caused the woman to lose mobility and she pleaded with Ralph to call an ambulance, police wrote. He refused and instead lay on top of her and raped her as she cried and begged him to stop, according to the affidavit.
A judge set bond at $11,000 for Ralph, appointed a public defender to represent him, ordered him to have no contact with his accuser and scheduled the next hearing in the case for May 15. Calls on Thursday to the Iowa Public Defender’s Office in Story County were automatically disconnected. Ralph remained jailed Thursday.
Iowa State’s athletics department has suspended Ralph indefinitely from all football team activities, a spokesman told the Ames Tribune. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/iowa-state-football-player-accused-of-raping-injured-woman/ | 2023-05-04 20:21:37 | 0 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/iowa-state-football-player-accused-of-raping-injured-woman/ |
How to Watch the WNBA on Sunday: TV Channel, Game Times and Odds
Today's WNBA schedule features {{ apnumber (all_matches | array.size) }} top teams in action. Among those three contests is the Washington Mystics taking on the Connecticut Sun.
Catch live WNBA games, plus tons of other sports and shows, with a free trial to Fubo!
Today's WNBA Games
The Connecticut Sun play host to the Washington Mystics
The Mystics hit the road the Sun on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: NBC Sports Networks
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Records and Stats
- CON 2022 Record: 25-11
- WAS 2022 Record: 22-14
- CON Stats: 85.8 PPG (third in WNBA), 77.8 Opp. PPG (second)
- WAS Stats: 80.2 PPG (eighth in WNBA), 75.9 Opp. PPG (first)
The New York Liberty take on the Indiana Fever
The Fever look to pull off an away win at the Liberty on Sunday at 2:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: Twitter and YES
- Game Time: 2:00 PM ET
Records and Stats
- NYL 2022 Record: 16-20
- IND 2022 Record: 5-31
- NYL Stats: 79.6 PPG (ninth in WNBA), 82.0 Opp. PPG (sixth)
- IND Stats: 78.0 PPG (12th in WNBA), 89.1 Opp. PPG (12th)
Watch live WNBA games on all your devices! Sign up now for a free trial to Fubo.
The Phoenix Mercury host the Chicago Sky
The Sky look to pull off a road win at the Mercury on Sunday at 4:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
Records and Stats
- PHO 2022 Record: 15-21
- CHI 2022 Record: 26-10
- PHO Stats: 81.1 PPG (seventh in WNBA), 84.1 Opp. PPG (ninth)
- CHI Stats: 86.3 PPG (second in WNBA), 81.3 Opp. PPG (fourth)
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/sports/betting/2023/05/21/wnba-odds-how-to-watch/ | 2023-05-21 10:59:41 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/sports/betting/2023/05/21/wnba-odds-how-to-watch/ |
This story is part of Focal Point iPhone 2022, CNET's collection of news, tips and advice around Apple's most popular product.
Apple's embrace of virtual, embedded SIM cards in the iPhone 14 line -- eliminating the SIM card slot for US models -- has led some online to worry that switching carriers is about to get a lot more difficult. Smaller carriers like Mint Mobile, US Mobile and Boost Mobile, however, see it as just the opposite.
"Mint has always believed in digital technologies that enhance and ease wireless services," Aron North, Mint Mobile's chief marketing officer, said in a statement to CNET. "Mint has been supporting [the] eSIM for almost two years because we knew, even back then, this innovation would allow users to switch faster and easier."
Apple has supported digital SIM cards dating as far back as 2018's iPhone XS, XS Max and XR. Last year's iPhone 13 line expanded that support and allowed for multiple eSIMs to be enabled at once, letting customers easily swap carriers or make use of multiple phone numbers, for instance, for work and personal use.
While the physical SIM card slot won't be included on the iPhone in the US, international phones will still have a physical SIM card slot.
"I think it's transformational," Ahmed Khattak, founder and CEO of US Mobile, a mobile virtual network operator that offers service on Verizon and T-Mobile's respective networks. "I think the fact that it even happened ... I'm shaking my head ... because it really democratizes connectivity."
"I didn't expect that they [would] just go cold turkey on physical SIM cards," he adds. "The fact that they just got rid of it like headphone jacks is surprising."
Boost Mobile CEO Stephen Stokols believes eSIM technology makes it "way easier to switch" providers. Boost Mobile uses a combination of AT&T, T-Mobile and parent Dish's wireless networks. Once a Sprint brand, it became part of Dish as a result of T-Mobile's 2020 merger with Sprint, with the satellite TV provider now in the process of becoming a fourth network option to rival AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.
Later this year Dish will start offering Boost Infinite, a wireless service that seems set to more directly compete with the big three providers. Having an easier way to get customers to switch networks could be key to its ability to grow.
No different than signing up for Netflix
A physical SIM card, Stokols says, usually takes a few days to arrive if ordered online. Customers then have to put the SIM card into their phone and go through an activation process. With the eSIM, he says the activation and transferring can be done "immediately" at the time of purchase.
"It looks a lot like software... It's literally 'you sign up online and you activate.' No different than [when] you sign up for Netflix."
Khattak has nearly 250,000 subscribers for his US Mobile service, with a third of his customers using eSIMs today.
"It's easier for you to move in, it's easy for you to move out," he says. "I think the reason why people think it's not that easy is because most carriers have made it very difficult" to switch in the past. "But I think if you try it out... you realize it's so easy."
Khattak says that the process can potentially take "less than a minute to get your device provisioned with us." If you wanted to leave, that could similarly take "less than a minute to cancel your phone number" and bring it to someone else, which is known as "porting."
He notes that the porting process is largely the same via eSIM as it was with physical SIM cards, but because you don't need to wait for a physical SIM card to show up it can go faster, leading to a potentially more seamless experience. You don't have to deal with figuring out what size SIM card goes into your phone, when to put it in during activation or having to search for 16- or 17-digit numbers to enter into a website or repeat to a customer service representative to activate the physical SIM cards.
Khattak envisions that, over the next couple of years "the end result" of the switch to eSIM technology will lead to people "buying their cell phone connectivity on the app stores, not through local stores."
All three of the main US providers support the eSIM. Some, like T-Mobile, have even been utilizing the technology to offer free trials of their networks as a way to lure customers from competitors.
Last month it expanded the program, now dubbed Network Pass, to allow for three free months of T-Mobile service. Using the eSIM, the virtual SIM card is downloaded from T-Mobile's app and is designed to exist alongside your current provider to let you see if T-Mobile's network works as well or exceeds what a rival might be offering. You will need your phone to be unlocked to participate, but the company doesn't run a credit check or even take down a credit card number.
If you want to switch, the app will guide you through the process. If you want to stick with your current provider, you can simply delete the eSIM inside the settings app of your phone.
US Mobile and Verizon-owned Visible offer similar free trial programs over apps that use an eSIM to allow you to try out their respective networks.
Growing pains expected
Although there is plenty of optimism from some smaller wireless players for the future, some wireless watchers do envision a few potential issues in the transition. For one, finding out who's accepting eSIMs is not readily apparent. Apple has a list of eSIM-ready wireless providers on its website, but as of when this is written, that only includes 39 networks and still lacks some MVNOs, including US Mobile.
"In the short term, there are going to be a lot of growing pains as carriers streamline the process of converting from physical SIMs," Avi Greengart, an analyst for research firm Techsponential, tells CNET. "Things go wrong," he says, noting that there are issues with MVNOs that don't currently support the eSIM, as well as potentially with the process of transferring from an eSIM to a physical SIM card if you needed to go back to an older device.
That said, Greengart does see the benefits in the technology, particularly when it comes to consumers' flexibility for choosing network providers, switching between networks and managing multiple phone lines on one account.
"I think in the short term, there's going to be some pain, and in the long term, I think it'll actually be OK." | https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/apples-iphone-14-esim-change-has-small-carriers-hopeful-switching-will-be-easier/ | 2022-09-10 10:50:47 | 1 | https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/apples-iphone-14-esim-change-has-small-carriers-hopeful-switching-will-be-easier/ |
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Maine Department of Education is not doing enough to enforce a decades-old law requiring students to be taught about Native American history, leading most schools to fall short, according to a study.
The study, released on Monday, which is Indigenous Peoples Day in Maine, concluded most school districts are failing to cover all required areas of Wabanaki studies.
“Teaching Wabanaki Studies is not optional. It is required by law," Michael Kebede, policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine, said in a statement.
The Wabanaki Alliance, Abbe Museum and the ACLU of Maine used the state's open records law to survey 10 districts and the state education department on their compliance with the law. The Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission also joined in the report.
The 21-year-old state law requires schools to teach Wabanaki history, economic and political systems, and culture. The Wabanaki are comprised of the Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy tribes at Indian Township and Pleasant Point, Houlton Band of Maliseets, and Mi’kmaq.
The study came at a time of fraught relations between the tribes and the state of Maine.
The tribes are pressing to change the Maine Indian Land Claims Settlement Act of 1980, which prevents tribes in the state from having the same rights as the other 570 federally recognized tribes.
The Maine House approved the bill that would have amended the settlement in April, but the Maine Senate never gave a final vote because of a threatened veto by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills.
The tribal frustration comes despite some successes: The state ended tribal imagery for high school mascots, changed the name of Columbus Day, and gave tribes revenue from mobile sports betting.
President Joe Biden proclaimed Monday to be Indigenous People's Day for the second year, as states and cities rebranded the federal holiday that had long-celebrated Christopher Columbus’ sighting of what came to be known as the Americas.
But Rep. Jeffrey Evangelos, an independent from Friendship, said in an op-ed in the Portland Press Herald on Monday that Maine's Indigenous people are still treated as “second-class citizens.”
“The relationship between the Wabanaki Nations and the state of Maine is frayed, and one way to repair that relationship is for the state to invest in proper implementation of the Wabanaki Studies Law," said Maulian Dana, a Penobscot and president of the Wabanaki Alliance.
The state contends it's making progress in schools.
Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin convened a working group of tribal leaders and Wabanaki scholars in the first months of the administration, an agency spokesperson said.
Decisions on what’s taught in the classroom are made locally, and the Maine Department of Education provides resources by grade on its website that have been reviewed by tribal cultural experts and educators, spokesperson Marcus Mrowka said.
The agency recently hired an educator to lead the work of creating lessons for the state’s online lesson sharing website for teachers from kindergarten to high school, Mrowka said.
Across the country, there have been recent gains in teaching students about Native Americans, with new requirements in states such as Connecticut, North Dakota and Oregon.
Maine adopted its law in 2001, identifying material that should be taught and creating a Wabanaki Studies Commission to compile resources for teachers.
But the review revealed that one school district had no records demonstrating how it complies with the statute, and another admitted it didn't systemically include Wabanaki studies in its curriculum.
Several school districts referred to Wabanaki people in the past tense and focused only on colonization, playing into a misconception that Wabanaki people are either invisible or a thing of the past, the report said.
The survey cited some successes in Old Town, Portland, Bangor and Lewiston, which incorporated Wabanaki people in several different study disciplines. Presque Isle brought Mi’kmaq drummers into their schools, and Houlton invited Mi’kmaq and Maliseet members to class. Calais offered a Passamaquoddy language course.
“Schools achieved the most success when they partnered with Wabanaki experts,” the report said.
___
Follow David Sharp on Twitter @David_Sharp_AP | https://www.mrt.com/news/article/Study-Most-Maine-schools-fall-short-on-Wabanaki-17499402.php | 2022-10-10 18:15:37 | 1 | https://www.mrt.com/news/article/Study-Most-Maine-schools-fall-short-on-Wabanaki-17499402.php |
Reports: Anne Heche to be taken off life support
(Gray News/AP) - Anne Heche, who was declared brain-dead after suffering extensive injuries in a car crash, will reportedly be taken off life support Sunday.
CNN reports a representative for Heche’s family said the actor will be taken off life support after being matched with an organ recipient.
NBC News reports that Heche will be taken off life support after organ recipients were identified, according to a spokesperson for the actor, who added that surgeons are ready to perform the implants once Heche is taken off life support.
A representative for Heche said Friday that she remained on life support and under evaluation for organ donation after the car crash that led to her brain death.
Under current California law, death can be determined by the loss of all brain function and in accordance with accepted medical standards.
While Heche is legally dead, she’s on life support and “her heart is still beating” so that the nonprofit organization OneLegacy can determine if she can be a donor, spokeswoman Holly Baird said in a statement Friday.
The process, which involves assessing which organs are viable and finding an appropriate recipient, could take from one day to several days, Baird told The Associated Press.
In the U.S., most organ transplants are done after the donor has been declared brain-dead.
The actor suffered a “severe anoxic brain injury,” caused by a lack of oxygen, when her car crashed into a Los Angeles area home Aug. 5 and fire erupted, according to a statement released Thursday that said she wasn’t expected to survive.
She’s been hospitalized at a Los Angeles burn center.
“This is a sad day. I’m sending Anne’s children, family and friends all of my love,” Ellen DeGeneres said Friday on Twitter amid reports of Heche’s dire condition. They were a couple from 1997 to 2000.
Detectives investigating the crash said narcotics were found in a blood sample taken from Heche, though toxicology tests still had to be performed to differentiate them from drugs she was given for her injuries, Los Angeles police said.
The Los Angeles Police Department on Friday announced it had ended its investigation into Heche’s car accident.
“As of today, there will be no further investigative efforts made in this case,” the department announced Friday. “Any information or records that have been requested prior to this turn of events will still be collected as they arrive as a matter of formalities and included in the overall case. When a person suspected of a crime expires, we do not present for filing consideration.”
A native of Ohio, Heche first came to prominence on the NBC soap opera “Another World” from 1987 to 1991. She won a Daytime Emmy Award for the role of twins Marley and Vicky.
In the late 1990s she became one of the hottest actors in Hollywood, a constant on magazine covers and in big-budget films. In 1997 alone, she played opposite Johnny Depp as his wife in “Donnie Brasco” and Tommy Lee Jones in “Volcano” and was part of the ensemble cast in the original “I Know What You Did Last Summer.”
The following year, she starred with Harrison Ford in “Six Days, Seven Nights” and appeared with Vince Vaughn and Joaquin Phoenix in “Return to Paradise.”
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2022/08/14/reports-anne-heche-be-taken-off-life-support/ | 2022-08-14 20:47:24 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2022/08/14/reports-anne-heche-be-taken-off-life-support/ |
A meeting between President Joe Biden and Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is now expected to happen next month, according to an administration official.
CNN reported earlier this week that Biden and the crown prince were planning to meet at the end of June as part of a broader summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which Saudi Arabia currently presides over.
Biden is still expected to travel later this month to Germany and Spain for the G7 and NATO summits respectively.
Officials determined that two separate trips -- one to Europe and one to the Middle East -- would allow for more time to plan and set a schedule and agenda.
An in-person meeting with Prince Mohammed would mark the first time Biden directly engages with the de facto Saudi leader since taking office. Biden has so far opted instead to speak directly with King Salman, the crown prince's father.
The meeting would also be the culmination of months of diplomatic work by the Biden administration to repair the US-Saudi relationship and would represent a turnabout for Biden, who once suggested that Saudi Arabia be made a "pariah" for its human rights record.
The US President has been highly critical of the Saudis' record on human rights, its war in Yemen and the role its government played in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Biden on Friday defended the prospect of meeting with Prince Mohammed.
"I have been engaged in trying to work with how we can bring more stability and peace in the Middle East and there is a possibility that I would be going to meet with both the Israelis and some Arab countries at the time -- including, I expect, would be Saudi Arabia, would be included in that if I did go," the President said.
Two key deals were reached on Thursday -- OPEC announcing it would increase oil production and the extension of a truce in Yemen -- that laid the groundwork for the meeting between Biden and the crown prince.
But even ahead of a formal announcement about the meeting, it has drawn scrutiny, including from Khashoggi's fiancée, Hatice Cengiz.
"President Biden's decision to meet MBS is horribly upsetting to me and supporters of freedom and justice everywhere. President Biden, if he meets MBS, will have lost his moral compass and greatly heightened my grief," she said in a statement to CNN, referring to the crown prince by his initials.
9/11 Families United, a group representing family members of those who died in the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, also urged Biden in a letter Thursday to raise Saudi Arabia's role in the attack should he meet with Prince Mohammed or other leaders in Riyadh.
On Saturday, the group said it was "pleased" Biden's expected meeting was pushed back.
"We are pleased that President Biden is taking a step back and evaluating his priorities for this Saudi trip," Terry Strada, the group's national chair, said in a statement. "The September 11th community looks forward to his engagement with us."
This story has been updated with additional developments.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/bidens-meeting-with-saudi-crown-prince-pushed-back-to-july/article_0904cc5d-adf3-50a3-9296-d6a9df80a248.html | 2022-06-04 19:50:10 | 1 | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/bidens-meeting-with-saudi-crown-prince-pushed-back-to-july/article_0904cc5d-adf3-50a3-9296-d6a9df80a248.html |
After winning a localized regional championship during the limited COVID-19 pandemic season in 2021, the Brewer boys basketball team seemed poised to claim a 2022 Class A North crown when the Maine high school basketball team returned in full force.
But then Nokomis of Newport’s Cooper Flagg burst onto the scene.
Despite defeating Nokomis 57-46 early in the regular season last year — and becoming the only team to beat Nokomis all season — the Brewer Witches fell to the Warriors 68-58 in the Class A North final.
Now the Witches are ready to run it back with three returning starters and seven total seniors this year, with the goal of winning the team’s first regional championship since 1988. And the experience of playing against Nokomis in the packed Augusta Civic Center will be a valuable tool for the Brewer squad this winter.
“If we get there again, we’ll have the experience,” Brewer’s Brock Flagg said. “That game was just a great memory. It was awesome, being able to play in that environment, play against Cooper Flagg, it’s a great experience.”
But Cooper Flagg and his twin brother, Ace, have left Nokomis this season, and the Witches have their eyes on a different team this winter: Skowhegan.
When the Class A North coaches recently voted for how they expect the region’s standings to pan out, the Skowhegan River Hawks received seven first-place votes. Brewer followed with two.
When asked about the poll, Brewer coach Ben Goodwin said he didn’t think much of it.
“The kids enjoy looking those things up and talking about them and it’s fun for them,” Goodwin said. “I think the kids looked at us being voted number two — which is fine with me — but the kids looked at that and I think they want to come out and show some teams that maybe they should’ve been voted a little bit higher.”
On the court, the Brewer players don’t give the poll much credence.
“For me, personally, I block all that out and focus on the season,” Saunders said. “Skowhegan is going to be a tough team this year, and we know that every game is going to be a challenge for us, and we just decide to focus on the next one up.”
Brewer put the poll to the test Friday on the road at Skowhegan.
The Witches beat the River Hawks, 60-37. The Witches looked like the 18-3 team from last year, while the River Hawks had players working their way back from injury.
Brewer wing Brady Saunders scored 22 points in the win.
“He gets a lot of hype, and he deserves it,” Goodwin said of Saunders. “He’s worked really hard over the years to get all the hype. He brings a player that can score inside and outside. I think a big thing for him is his defensive tenacity.”
It wasn’t just Saunders. Teammate Ryder Goodwin scored eight points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Brock Flagg also pulled in four boards and scored seven points.
The versatility of Brewer is a huge advantage for this group.
“Brock Flagg has done a great job improving his basketball game, and also Ryder Goodwin has done a great job and gives us a big presence inside,” Ben Goodwin said. “Brock can play inside and out and will surprise some people. Ryder does the little things that a senior captain does.”
Many of the players on Brewer have been playing together for years, with Saunders saying he’s played sports with Flagg since they were both young.
“I am very excited about how this team has come together already as a team this season,” Ben Goodwin said. “They enjoy each other and have fun playing and it makes it easy as a coach to run practice and go to games.”
Brewer’s next game is its home-opener against Messalonskee on Tuesday.
“This year we’re going to have a shooting team, and I think it’ll be exciting,” Saunders said. “We’re higher-paced and up-tempo, and I think people like to watch that.” | https://www.bangordailynews.com/2022/12/13/sports/high-school-sports/brewer-boys-basketball-preview-joam40zk0w/ | 2022-12-13 07:12:53 | 0 | https://www.bangordailynews.com/2022/12/13/sports/high-school-sports/brewer-boys-basketball-preview-joam40zk0w/ |
Des Moines Public Schools planned the five-part 'Community Conversation' series as a way to gather community input to better address student safety and resources at its schools. The first was Thursday evening at East High School, where three teens were shot last month.
Parents, students and faculty gathered in the school’s entrance. The district organized free childcare for registered attendees as well as a light meal of papusas, a traditional Central American dish.
"What you're seeing is a community that's responding to the events that have taken place, and also is responding to wanting to work with the district in a collaborative way," DMPS chair Dwana Bradley said.
She, along with interim superintendent Matt Smith, greeted people as they entered the building and waited in the papusa line.
"Violence is not just a school issue, it's a community issue. It's a state issue, it's a national issue. And so the solutions are within and among our community," Smith added. In order to heal, he explained, the community should come together, not resort to silence.
I think it's very powerful when we can bring our community together along with our school district to create some solutions to make things better for our students and our staff.
Mother of three Ana Rojas said the roundtable discussions mean a lot to her.
“They’re listening to our voices as mothers because sometimes they focus on the kids, but they don’t know our thoughts as mothers or as immigrants as well," she said in Spanish. Her oldest son is currently a senior at East High.
Rojas is from Mexico City. She said immigrant parents are accustomed to a different idea of school, with more protections. She described how immigrant families are facing the choque or clash of different cultures and that's something schools should take time to learn about.
Rojas explained how she wanted the discussion to help ease some of her doubts as a mother when it comes to her children's safety at school. And more importantly, how she and other parents can help the district keep their children safe and in school.
Maria Uribe, a mother of six, attended the meeting as well. She has co-led an initiative to bring back Student Resource Officers (SROs) to the schools. Some disagree with bringing SROs back, that program recently ended in the district. Uribe's petition has gathered around 1,700 signatures to bring back SROs.
"I would like to hear good things, I would like to hear that yes, there are going to be changes. Obviously there are many changes that are possible. We would not want to leave our children in unsafe schools," Uribe said in Spanish.
She said she wanted to have confidence in the schools, and she believes together, they can do it.
Devyn Sam, a 15-year-old East High sophomore, said he wants to make sure decision makers factor in student voices when considering changes.
“So I’m glad I’m here today to be able to express to the adults, the administrators, anybody above me, that my ideas are the students’ ideas and see if we can make a change," he said. "I feel like it's time for a change and I feel like this is a step in the right direction."
He didn't have any specific ideas he planned on sharing, he was going to listen to others' ideas and offer suggestions from a student perspective. But, he noted, he was open to any opinion.
Superintendent Smith appreciated students attending, and said "we have to continue to be better together for one another, and create a future that our students deserve. And they want to be a part of that. And so their voices are important to be a part of that solution."
During the roundtable discussions, participants were given worksheets to fill out with their suggestions. Near the end of the event, they were invited to share their ideas.
One group of primarily Spanish-speakers shared that they felt they didn't have enough time. They were concerned the format was not culturally inclusive and urged organizers to consider that for future conversations, since they felt they could not properly participate without feeling pressured for time.
The roundtable discussions are only available to those who register. The district will collect the discussion responses and themes at each of the events and gather them into a publicly shared report in partnership with Aces 360. DMPS said the report will guide future planning. | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/ipr-news/2022-04-29/dmps-hosts-its-first-community-conversation-in-response-to-the-fatal-shooting-on-one-of-its-campuses | 2022-04-29 17:34:00 | 1 | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/ipr-news/2022-04-29/dmps-hosts-its-first-community-conversation-in-response-to-the-fatal-shooting-on-one-of-its-campuses |
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the New Mexico Lottery's "Pick 3 Evening" game were:
5-2-1
(five, two, one)
¶ Top Prize $500
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the New Mexico Lottery's "Pick 3 Evening" game were:
5-2-1
(five, two, one)
¶ Top Prize $500 | https://www.ourmidland.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-3-Evening-game-17642006.php | 2022-12-09 06:14:31 | 0 | https://www.ourmidland.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-3-Evening-game-17642006.php |
$29-million donation is largest-ever gift to a faculty of education in Canada
MONTREAL, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - A $29-million gift from Quebec-born entrepreneur Sylvan Adams will launch an exciting venture for McGill's Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education in the Faculty of Education, ushering in a new era of world-leading research and discovery in sports science, with the long-term goal of improving elite human performance, and promoting healthier living across the human lifespan. Through its support for the science of high performance, Adams' gift also promotes a new lens through which to conduct health research – one that focuses on learning from the study of optimal health, rather than disease.
The donation will support the creation of the Sylvan Adams Sports Science Institute (SASSI) comprising state-of-the-art testing labs, training suites, research offices, and meeting rooms, in a new facility neighbouring the Montreal Neurological Institute and adjacent to the Sir Arthur Currie Memorial Gymnasium on Pine Avenue West. Approximately $24.4 million will be used to build the facility and purchase equipment, while $4.6 million will be allocated to the development of the Institute's sports science research program through the creation of research grants, scientific conferences, student fellowships, and international exchanges.
"We are deeply grateful to Mr. Sylvan Adams for his generous gift in support of McGill's Faculty of Education and its Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education," said McGill Principal Suzanne Fortier. "This contribution will allow McGill researchers and students to develop new insights into sports science education, research and practice, elevate the performance of Canadian athletes and improve our understanding of human health."
The new Institute at McGill will focus on studying elite athletes, using evidence-based approaches and best practices, knowledge transfer, and scientific innovations. SASSI researchers will partner with those at other leading institutions, notably the Sylvan Adams Sports Institute (SASI) at Tel Aviv University, established in 2017.
Sylvan Adams noted: "I am pleased to support McGill's work in sports science research. As a former Montrealer, I am especially proud to have this opportunity to invest in McGill's track record of research excellence and potential for innovation – and contribute to building a culture of collaboration between McGill and Tel Aviv University."
View original content:
SOURCE McGill University | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/mcgill-launches-sylvan-adams-sports-science-institute-advance-world-leading-research-into-sports-science-human-performance/ | 2022-08-31 11:54:47 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/mcgill-launches-sylvan-adams-sports-science-institute-advance-world-leading-research-into-sports-science-human-performance/ |
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Los Angeles Times Earns Two L.A. Area Emmy Awards Alongside TV Partners
The Times’ video documentary “Firefighting After Prison” about the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program (FFRP) was the basis for the Emmy-winning segment on Spectrum News 1’s “L.A. Times Today”.
The Los Angeles Times produced visual journalism that won two Los Angeles area Emmy Awards: feature segment for “FFRP Firefighters” with “L.A. Times Today,” which was based on the “Firefighting After Prison” documentary, on Spectrum News 1 and sports series programming (post-produced) for the Spanish-language version of “Fernandomania @ 40” series that aired on Univision Los Angeles (KMEX). The awards were presented on Saturday at the Television Academy’s 74th annual L.A. area Emmy Awards ceremony.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the video team for these Emmy wins,” said interim co-head of Originals for L.A. Times Studios
Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein. “Both ‘Firefighting After Prison’ and ‘Fernandomania @ 40’ were generated internally by our team, and it’s great to be recognized for our original reporting, and to make a positive impact on different communities in Southern California.”
“Firefighting After Prison” features former inmates who are attending a training program conducted by the Forestry and Fire Prevention Recruitment Program (FFRP), a nonprofit that trains former inmate firefighters to work as industry professionals. The inmates had all fought fires while in prison and are now pursuing it as a career.
“Producer Claire Hannah Collins poignantly tapped into the human aspect of life and opportunity – or lack thereof – after incarceration,” said Himmelsbach-Weinstein.
“Fernandomania @ 40” is a documentary series that examines star pitcher Fernando Valenzuela’s impact on the Dodgers, Major League Baseball and the Latino community in Los Angeles more than 40 years ago. The Times partnered with Univision Los Angeles (KMEX) to air the series last fall. It was translated from English to Spanish with narration by Times Columnist Gustavo Arellano.
The challenge with “Fernandomania @ 40,” explained Himmelsbach-Weinstein, was finding a new way to tell a well-known story. “We decided to focus on those living in L.A. during Fernando’s rookie year. We spoke with musicians, artists, politicians and others for whom Fernando’s success most powerfully resonated.”
“We’re grateful for our partnership with Univision for their embrace of the ‘Fernandomania @ 40' series and enabling it to reach a wider audience,” said Himmelsbach-Weinstein, who added a special thanks to Mark Potts, senior producer of video series, “for being a fantastic creative partner on the series.”
Below is a breakdown of the winning entries:
Feature Segment
“FFRP Firefighters”
“L.A. Times Today” and Spectrum News 1
- Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein, Executive Producer
- Claire Hannah Collins, Senior Producer
- John McCutchen, Senior Producer
- Leslie Lindsey, Producer
- Denise Callahan, Producer
- Meiying Wu, Camera
- Albert Brave Tiger Lee, Camera
Sports Series – Programming (Post-Produced)
“Fernandomania @ 40”
KMEX
- Lucy Anguiano, Executive Producer
- Salvador I. Garcia, Executive Producer
- Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein, Executive Producer, Writer
- Mark E. Potts, Editor, Supervising Producer
- Steve Saldivar, Camera
- Jessica Q. Chen, Camera
- Claire Hannah Collins, Camera
- Cody Long, Graphic Designer
- Gustavo Arellano, Host
- Micah Fluellen, Graphic Designer
For more about the L.A. area Emmy Awards, visit: emmys.com. | https://www.latimes.com/about/pressreleases/story/2022-07-25/los-angeles-times-receives-two-l-a-area-emmy-awards | 2022-07-25 23:35:15 | 0 | https://www.latimes.com/about/pressreleases/story/2022-07-25/los-angeles-times-receives-two-l-a-area-emmy-awards |
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit Monday against journalist Bob Woodward, claiming he never had permission to publicly release interview recordings made for the book “Rage.”
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Pensacola, Florida, against Woodward, his publisher Simon & Schuster Inc., and the publisher’s parent company Paramount Global. Trump’s attorneys are seeking nearly $50 million in damages.
Simon & Schuster and Woodward released a joint response saying Trump’s lawsuit is without merit, and they will aggressively defend against it.
“All these interviews were on the record and recorded with President Trump’s knowledge and agreement,” the statement said. “Moreover, it is in the public interest to have this historical record in Trump’s own words. We are confident that the facts and the law are in our favor.”
The lawsuit claims that Trump consented to being recorded for a series of interviews between December 2019 and August 2020, but only for a book Woodward was working on. “Rage” was published in September 2021. Trump claims Woodward and Simon & Schuster Inc. violated his copyright by releasing the audio recordings in November 2022 as “The Trump Tapes: Bob Woodward’s Twenty Interviews with President Donald Trump.”
The copyright lawsuit comes just weeks after a federal judge in West Palm Beach sanctioned Trump and one of his attorneys, ordering them to pay nearly $1 million for filing what the judge said was a bogus lawsuit against Trump's 2016 rival Hillary Clinton and others.
U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks accused Trump in a Jan. 19 filing of a “pattern of abuse of the courts” for filing frivolous lawsuits for political purposes, which he said “undermines the rule of law” and “amounts to obstruction of justice.”
Citing Trump’s recent legal action against the Pulitzer Prize board, the New York attorney general, big tech companies and CNN, Middlebrooks described Trump as “a prolific and sophisticated litigant” who uses the courts “to seek revenge on political adversaries.” | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/trump-lawsuit-claims-woodward-audiobook-violates-copyright/ON5NWRTFVFA7JJ7SJI24DGEDG4/ | 2023-01-31 01:53:27 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/trump-lawsuit-claims-woodward-audiobook-violates-copyright/ON5NWRTFVFA7JJ7SJI24DGEDG4/ |
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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Uvalde’s school district suspended its entire police force Friday amid fresh outrage over the hesitant law enforcement response to the gunman who massacred 21 people at Robb Elementary School.
The extraordinary move follows the revelation that the district hired a former state trooper who was among hundreds of officers who rushed to the scene of the May 24 shooting.
School leaders also put two members of the district police department on administrative leave, one of whom chose to retire instead, according to a statement released by the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District. Remaining officers will be reassigned to other jobs in the district.
Uvalde school leaders’ suspension of campus police operations one month into a new school year in the South Texas community underscores the sustained pressure that families of some of the 19 children and two teachers killed have kept on the district.
Brett Cross, the uncle of 10-year-old victim Uziyah Garcia, had been protesting outside the Uvalde school administration building for the past two weeks, demanding accountability over officers allowing a gunman with an AR-15-style rifle to remain in a fourth-grade classroom for more than 70 minutes.
Uvalde families have said students in the district are not safe so long as officers who waited so long to confront and kill the gunman remain on the job.
“We did it!” Cross tweeted.
The Uvalde school district had five campus police officers on the scene of the shooting, according to a damning report from Texas lawmakers that laid out multiple breakdowns in the response. A total of nearly 400 officers responded, including school district police, the city’s police, county sheriff’s deputies, state police and U.S. Border Patrol agents, among others.
The fallout Friday is the first in Uvalde’s school police force since the district fired former police Chief Pete Arredondo in August. He remains the only officer to have been fired from his job following one of the deadliest classroom attacks in U.S. history.
The district said it would ask the Texas Department of Public Safety, which had already assigned dozens of troopers to the district for the school year, for additional help. Spokespersons for the agency did not immediately return messages seeking comment Friday.
“We are confident that staff and student safety will not be compromised during this transition,” the district said in a statement.
The statement did not specify how long campus police operations would remain suspended.
The former DPS trooper who was hired by the district was among at least seven troopers later placed under internal investigation for her actions at Robb Elementary.
Officer Crimson Elizondo was fired Thursday, one day after CNN first reported her hiring. She has not responded to messages left by The Associated Press.
Steve McCraw, the head of the Department of Public Safety, has called the law enforcement response to the shooting an “abject failure.” McCraw has also come under pressure as the leader of a department had more than 90 troopers on the scene but still has the support of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
On Thursday, after Elizondo was fired, Abbott called it a “poor decision” for the school to hire the former trooper and that it was up to the district to “own up to it.”
___
For more AP coverage of the Uvalde school shooting: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting
___
This story has been corrected to reflect that Brett Cross was the uncle of Uziyah Garcia. | https://www.qcnews.com/news/national-news/ap-uvalde-schools-suspend-entire-police-force-after-outrage/ | 2022-10-08 10:03:42 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/national-news/ap-uvalde-schools-suspend-entire-police-force-after-outrage/ |
Refinance originations at their lowest levels since 2014
SEATTLE, June 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Milliman, Inc., a premier global consulting and actuarial firm, today announced the first quarter (Q1) 2023 results of the Milliman Mortgage Default Index (MMDI), which shows Milliman's latest monthly estimate of the lifetime default risk of U.S.-backed mortgages.
Between the fourth quarter (Q4) 2022 and Q1 2023, default risk for government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) acquisitions (purchased and refinanced loans backed by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae) ticked downward from 3.53% to 3.44%. This means that, for mortgage loans originating in Q1 of this year, the expectation is that 3.44% will become delinquent (180 days or more) over their lifetimes.
Mortgage originations for Q1 2023 were at their lowest levels since 2019, with refinance originations at their lowest levels since 2014, when Milliman started tracking this data. This is the fifth consecutive quarter that mortgage originations have decreased and represents a 73% decrease in mortgage origination volume year-over-year.
Looking at the components of default risk, borrower risk remained steady in Q1 2023, while there was a slight decrease in overall economic risk between Q4 2022 and Q1 of this year. Underwriting risk remains low for purchase originations, though the increasing interest rate environment is having an impact on refinance originations.
"With interest rates increasing, only 30% of refinance loans were rate/term refinance for the most recent quarter. This compares to 40% in the year prior," said Jonathan Glowacki, a principal at Milliman and co-author of the MMDI. "Because cash-loans are assigned a greater default risk, they continue to drive up overall risk for refinance originations in Q1."
The MMDI reflects a baseline forecast of future home prices. For more on the MMDI, go to www.milliman.com/mmdi/. To access additional mortgage market thought-leadership, analytics, and technology go to https://www.milliman.com/en/products/milliman-m-pire.
About Milliman
Milliman is among the world's largest providers of actuarial, risk management, and technology solutions. Our consulting and advanced analytics capabilities encompass healthcare, property & casualty insurance, life insurance and financial services, and employee benefits. Founded in 1947, Milliman is an independent firm with offices in major cities around the globe. Visit us at milliman.com.
View original content:
SOURCE Milliman, Inc. | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/06/01/milliman-analysis-mortgage-originations-decrease-73-year-over-year-q1-2023-mortgage-default-risk-declines-slightly/ | 2023-06-01 19:05:55 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/06/01/milliman-analysis-mortgage-originations-decrease-73-year-over-year-q1-2023-mortgage-default-risk-declines-slightly/ |
How random numbers are the driving force behind video games, jury selection, and more
LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images
How random numbers are the driving force behind video games, jury selection, and more
Close up view of roulette ball on wheel
Before computers and algorithms were developed to generate random numbers, there were dice. Middle Eastern tombs uncovered cubical dice dating back to the 20th century BC—but it’s believed they’re even older. Other methods of producing a random result included heating turtle shells until they cracked and tossing and dividing yarrow stalks, which provides a similar effect to repeated coin tosses.
The demand for random numbers has only increased since the days of yarrow stalks. In the 1940s, RAND Corporation released the first book of random numbers, “A Million Random Digits with 100,000 Normal Deviates,” with which mathematicians and scientists could flip to a page, point to a line, and have a random number at their fingertips. However, this method became obsolete with the development of computer models and algorithms that could generate random numbers in vast quantities.
As computers become increasingly pervasive in everyday life, numbers and data follow suit. Although we don’t always see the mathematical processes behind our screens, random numbers have become deeply ingrained in many daily functions. Using a variety of news stories, scientific reports, and other sources, GigaCalculator investigated where and how random numbers power processes in everyday life.
Keep reading to see how random numbers impact your life and which uses for them you may not have known about previously.
Dean Drobot // Shutterstock
Video games
Person playing video games on computer
Many video games use random number generators to dictate the outcome of certain actions, adding an element of surprise and unpredictability to the player experience. For example, a random number generator may dictate the kind of special item a player receives when they hit a checkpoint or whether a player has an interaction with a specific character in a game.
Though many popular games use random numbers to guide outcomes, the overuse of randomization can undermine a player’s skill level, especially if the randomization algorithm can be manipulated based on other user inputs. Overall, using random numbers to drive gameplay keeps the experience fresh and unpredictable, but too much randomization can cause a game to feel unfair or undervaluing player skill.
Dzmitry Krus // Shutterstock
Gambling
Roulette wheel with poker table in the background
Like video games, physical gambling machines and online gambling games use randomization to make unpredictable outcomes. The process can be done using a true random number generator, which uses a physical event like noise signals to determine the number, or a pseudo-random number generator, which uses an entirely computer-based algorithm. Both methods produce a similar experience for the user, but pseudo-randomization poses a slight risk of being hacked because the process is executed entirely online.
No matter which type of randomization is used in a particular game, implementing random number generation is meant to provide a fair and exciting experience for the user. Independent auditors help ensure that legal gambling providers use algorithms that create unpredictable and unbiased outcomes so users can play safely.
Skreidzeleu // Shutterstock
Military drafts
White balls with numbers used in lottery draw
Though it doesn’t happen often, the U.S. Selective Service System requires nearly all male U.S. citizens and immigrants ages 18-25 to enroll. The last time the SSS was implemented was between 1964-1973 during the Vietnam War, which drafted more than 1.8 million men.
With so many roles to fill, many eligible people turned to alternative means to avoid the draft. The saying “If you’ve got the dough, you don’t have to go” indicates one of the ways draft evasion could be managed. To make the process fair, the U.S. launched its first draft lottery in 1969, which assigned eligible individuals a number based on their birthday. Lower numbers were then called to service first.
Michelle Milano // Shutterstock
Jury selection
Jury duty summons and badge
The SSS is not the only database the government maintains to randomly select eligible individuals for some kind of service: jury selection is completed similarly. States and counties have a list of people who meet the requirements for jury duty, including age restrictions, resident needs, and other criteria.
When a court case requires a jury, jurors are randomly selected from the database. The specific algorithm may differ by jurisdiction, but the goal is to assemble a random sample of people to help decide the case. Of course, additional measures are in place to ensure the randomly selected jury is fair, and in many cases, one or more jurors will be rejected.
Tero Vesalainen // Shutterstock
Encryption
Hand enters passcode on smartphone
Traditionally, encryption is the process by which a message or other information is translated into a code so that it can be communicated securely. The code is then translated back into the original message using the cipher or key. Despite the increased security this type of encryption can provide, it is by no means foolproof; messages can be deciphered using different algorithms.
Increasingly complicated ciphers are used to increase the security of encryption; however, the advancement of machine learning and other computer algorithms has made even these easier to break. As a result, computer scientists and other encryption experts have been integrating elements of randomness into their ciphers, including using random number generators to change how every individual message is encrypted. This constant random flux of ciphers makes messages much more secure.
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
Forensic accounting
Two Businesspeople Calculating Financial Statement
Ever wondered how the IRS decides whose taxes to audit? The answer is forensic accounting: a field of mathematics that focuses on the examination of fraud and other crimes involving money. Forensic accountants can use various statistical methods, including comparisons to randomly generated and historical data sets, to determine the likelihood that financial statements were fabricated or doctored.
One such method is Benford’s Law, a mathematical law that outlines the probability that a natural number starts with any given digit from one through nine. Any number that is not randomly generated—and is not intentionally human-generated to convey information like ZIP codes or telephone numbers—is considered a natural number. Using Benford’s Law, the IRS and others can identify sets of numbers that seem like they wouldn’t naturally occur and therefore need to be investigated in the case of a potential crime.
This story originally appeared on GigaCalculator and was produced and
distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. | https://localnews8.com/stacker-money/2022/09/29/how-random-numbers-are-the-driving-force-behind-video-games-jury-selection-and-more/ | 2022-09-30 08:45:49 | 1 | https://localnews8.com/stacker-money/2022/09/29/how-random-numbers-are-the-driving-force-behind-video-games-jury-selection-and-more/ |
WFO SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, April 17, 2023
_____
AREAL FLOOD ADVISORY
Flood Advisory
National Weather Service Hanford CA
507 PM PDT Mon Apr 17 2023
...FLOOD ADVISORY FOR A DAM FLOODGATE RELEASE IS CANCELLED...
The Flood Advisory is cancelled for a portion of central California,
including the following counties, Fresno, Kings and Tulare.
The threat for widespread flooding has increased over the area.
Therefore the Flood Advisory has been replaced by a Flood Warning.
Please refer to that bulletin for more information.
_____
Copyright 2023 AccuWeather | https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/ca-wfo-san-joaquin-valley-warnings-watches-and-17902824.php | 2023-04-18 01:05:09 | 1 | https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/ca-wfo-san-joaquin-valley-warnings-watches-and-17902824.php |
Assessment of the Industry Giant was Conducted Using TruSight's Newly Released Best Practices Methodology 4
NEW YORK , May 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TruSight, the financial industry's leading provider of validated third-party risk data, recently completed its fourth annual comprehensive risk assessment of the Microsoft Cloud, making Microsoft the longest-running cloud provider to participate in the TruSight assessment process. The assessment was performed using the newly released TruSight Best Practices Methodology 4, which has been enhanced to include the most recent global due diligence and privacy requirements governing the financial services industry. Microsoft is also the first major cloud provider to successfully complete the TruSight 4 Methodology. The comprehensive, fully validated Microsoft risk assessment is now available to institutions interested in obtaining the data for their third-party risk management efforts and will continue to be updated on a regular basis to ensure alignment with the latest regulatory requirements, industry standards, and developments in Microsoft's technology.
The widely adopted TruSight methodology enables financial institutions to gain greater visibility into supply chain risk and supports third parties by removing the need to perform multiple bilateral and duplicative assessments. Working in collaboration with a diversified group of industry stakeholders, TruSight has designed – and continually updates – this comprehensive methodology for the benefit of all market participants.
The TruSight Best Practices Methodology 4 covers 27 diversified control domains, enabling a holistic approach to assessing third parties, and maps to the latest regulations worldwide. The 4 Methodology incorporates additional requirements for assessment against the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) and global data protection and privacy requirements. TruSight's objective with its assessment methodology is to check against all the high-value requirements that customers in the United States, Canada, EMEA, and APAC expect. For the Microsoft assessment, TruSight put into practice the 4 methodology to assess the company's cloud services, including Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Dynamics 365, to validate the design and implementation of controls according to the methodology's requirements.
"Being the longest-running major cloud provider participating in TruSight's third-party assessment process is a testament to Microsoft's dedication to equipping our customers with risk data that surpasses global regulatory requirements," said Alan Ross, Managing Director, Microsoft Cloud for FSI. "Simplifying the assessment consumption process for customers is essential to Microsoft's compliance offerings and we are pleased to be the first major cloud provider to successfully complete TruSight's recently launched and rigorous Methodology 4. The continued enhancement of TruSight's standardized industry-backed methodology showcases the organization's drive to provide the highest-quality risk data and solutions to customers."
"With global legislation constantly evolving, financial service firms are challenged to ensure that their vendors and third-party partners are in compliance, and TruSight's rigorous methodology enables them to achieve that," said Sarah Gavan, COO of TruSight. "We are proud that one of the industry's most important cloud providers, Microsoft, has entrusted TruSight to once again validate its compliance against global regulatory requirements."
Financial institutions seeking to work with Microsoft can purchase the validated risk assessment data of Microsoft's services by contacting info@trusightsolutions.com.
About TruSight
TruSight, an industry-initiated utility, is the leading provider of comprehensive, validated third-party risk assessments. Developed and backed by five of the largest global financial institutions, including American Express, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, BNY Mellon, and Wells Fargo, the TruSight methodology combines best practices and standardization to deliver the highest quality data, enabling businesses to gain greater visibility into supply chain resilience.
For more information, contact:
Laura Nelson or Erin O'Brien
SVM Public Relations
401.490.9700
laura.nelson@svmpr.com
erin.obrien@svmpr.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE TruSight | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/05/16/trusight-announces-completion-4th-annual-risk-assessment-microsoft/ | 2022-05-16 15:12:58 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/05/16/trusight-announces-completion-4th-annual-risk-assessment-microsoft/ |
WFO MEDFORD Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, January 11, 2023
_____
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Medford OR
953 PM PST Wed Jan 11 2023
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL EXPIRE AT 10 PM PST THIS EVENING
ABOVE 4000 FEET...
Snow levels will continue to rise gradually to around 6000 feet
overnight into Thursday with a mix of snow and rain changing to
all rain. Therefore, the winter weather advisory will be allowed
to expire.
_____
Copyright 2023 AccuWeather | https://www.sfchronicle.com/weather/article/CA-WFO-MEDFORD-Warnings-Watches-and-Advisories-17712554.php | 2023-01-12 06:22:58 | 0 | https://www.sfchronicle.com/weather/article/CA-WFO-MEDFORD-Warnings-Watches-and-Advisories-17712554.php |
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A man was stoned to death after being accused of blasphemy in northwest Nigeria, authorities and activists said, sparking outrage on Monday from rights groups worried about what they said were growing threats to religious freedom in the region.
Usman Buda, a butcher, was killed Sunday in Sokoto state’s Gwandu district after he “allegedly blasphemed the Holy Prophet Muhammad” during an argument with another trader in a marketplace, police spokesman Ahmad Rufa’i said in a statement on Sunday night.
Local residents shared videos that appeared to be from the scene showing a large crowd that included children pelting stones at Buda on the floor as they cursed him.
Rufa’i said a police team was deployed in the area but when they arrived, “the mob escaped the scene and left the victim unconscious.” He was later declared dead at Usmanu Danfodiyo Teaching Hospital in Sokoto, Rufa’i said.
The killing was the latest attack rights campaigners have said threatens religious freedom in Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim northern region. Blasphemy carries the death penalty under Islamic law in the area.
Amnesty International Nigeria’s office said the failure to ensure justice in such cases would encourage more extrajudicial killings. “The government is not taking the matter seriously and that has to change,” Isa Sanusi, acting director of Amnesty International Nigeria, said.
Sokoto Gov. Ahmed Aliyu said local residents should not take laws into their hands. But he also warned that his government would “deal decisively” against anyone found guilty of blasphemy.
“Sokoto people have so much respect and regard for Prophet Muhammad … hence the need for all the residents to respect (and) protect his dignity and personality,” Abubakar Bawa, his spokesman, said.
Many of those accused of blasphemy never make it to court for trial. Last year, a student in Sokoto was beaten and burnt to death for alleged blasphemy while a man was killed and set ablaze for the same reason in the capital city of Abuja also in the northern region.
The police in Sokoto said it has opened an investigation into the latest incident, though arrests are rare in such cases.
“Even where arrests were made, there were serious allegations that those arrested were either later released or the whole case is jeopardized. This is very dangerous and it shows the Nigerian authorities are deliberately not willing to do the right thing to fix this dangerous situation,” Sanusi added. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/world/outrage-erupts-after-man-accused-of-blasphemy-is-stoned-to-death-in-latest-mob-killing-in-nigeria/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-06-26 13:21:47 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/world/outrage-erupts-after-man-accused-of-blasphemy-is-stoned-to-death-in-latest-mob-killing-in-nigeria/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
LONDON (AP) — The European Union’s digital policy chief warned TikTok’s boss Thursday that the social media app will have to fall in line with tough new rules for online platforms set to take effect later this year.
EU Commissioner Thierry Breton held a video call with Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, the popular Chinese-owned video sharing app that’s coming under increasing scrutiny from Western authorities over fears about data privacy, cybersecurity and misinformation.
The two discussed the company’s plans to comply with the bloc’s Digital Services Act, which is set to take effect for the biggest online companies in September. The act is a set of sweeping rules that will require platforms to reduce harmful online content and combat online risks.
“With younger audiences comes greater responsibility,” Breton said, according to a readout of the call. “It is not acceptable that behind seemingly fun and harmless features, it takes users seconds to access harmful and sometimes even life-threatening content.”
Breton added that, with millions of young users in Europe, TikTok has a “special responsibility” to ensure its content is safe.
TikTok is hugely popular with young people but its Chinese ownership has stoked fears that Beijing could use it to scoop up user data or push pro-China narratives or misinformation. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020.
Earlier this month, Shou met four other officials from the EU’s executive Commission in Brussels to discuss concerns ranging from child safety to investigations into user data flowing to China. In the U.S., at least 22 states, the military and Congress have banned the TikTok app from government-issued devices.
A London-based spokesperson for TikTok didn’t respond immediately to a request for comment. The company’s Brussels-based director of public policy and government relations, Caroline Greer, said on Twitter that Breton’s talk with Shou was a “good exchange” and that the “safety of our users is paramount.”
Breton said he is also concerned about allegations TikTok is spying on journalists and transferring reams of personal user data outside of Europe, in violation of the 27-country bloc’s strict privacy rules.
Bretaon said he “explicitly conveyed” to Shou that TikTok needs to “step up efforts to comply” with EU rules on data protection, copyright as well as the Digital Services At, which includes provisions for heavy fines or even a ban from the EU for repeat offenses that threaten the people’s lives or safety.
“We will not hesitate to adopt the full scope of sanctions to protect our citizens if audits do not show full compliance,” he said.
Greer said TikTok “welcomed the opportunity” to reiterate its commitment to the Digital Services Act and outlined efforts to comply with EU rules on privacy and a voluntary code of practice on disinformation for tech companies. | https://www.koin.com/news/business/ap-business/ap-eus-breton-warns-tiktok-ceo-comply-with-new-digital-rules/ | 2023-01-19 21:37:04 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/news/business/ap-business/ap-eus-breton-warns-tiktok-ceo-comply-with-new-digital-rules/ |
Baltimore block party shooting victims include more than a dozen minors, police say
BALTIMORE (AP) — Gunfire erupted at a block party in Baltimore on Sunday — killing two people, wounding 28 and leaving an extensive crime scene that marred the U.S. holiday weekend, police said. Three of the wounded were in critical condition and more than a dozen were under 18.
The shooting took place just after 12:30 a.m. at a block party in the Brooklyn Homes area in the southern part of the city, said Richard Worley, Baltimore’s acting police commissioner.
The shooting comes amid gatherings around the country leading up to the July Fourth holiday. Elsewhere, a shooting in Kansas left seven people with gunshot wounds and two more victims hospitalized after being trampled as people rushed out of a nightclub early Sunday morning, police there said.
The violence in Baltimore comes as federal prosecutors there this week touted their efforts to reduce violent crime in the city. Police have reported nearly 130 homicides and close to 300 shootings so far this year, though that’s down from the same time last year. Authorities have vowed to crack down aggressively on repeat violent offenders.
Nine of Sunday’s victims were transported by ambulance and 20 walked into area hospitals with injuries from the shooting, Worley said.
Nineteen of those victims were treated in the emergency department at MedStar Harbor Hospital, according to hospital spokesperson Debra Schindler. Nine of the critically injured patients were stabilized and transferred to Baltimore trauma centers. All but one of those sent to MedStar were released.
“As is protocol following any walk-in victim of violence, the hospital went on immediate lock-down to secure the campus and ensure the safety of all patients and associates,” Schindler said in a statement. “Multiple critically injured patients were evaluated and triaged simultaneously by clinical staff, while hospital security managed the throng of family members that gathered in and outside of the emergency department.”
Meanwhile, a dozen victims were sent to be treated at R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center and four others were sent to the University of Maryland Medical Center’s Pediatric Emergency Department, according to University of Maryland Medical System spokesman Michael Schwartzberg.
An 18-year-old woman was found dead at the scene and a 20-year-old man was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after, police said.
“I want those who are responsible to hear me, and hear me very clearly,” Mayor Brandon Scott said at the scene. “We will not stop until we find you, and we will find you. Until then, I hope that every single breath you take, that you think about the lives that you took, think about the lives that you impacted here tonight.”
No arrests were made immediately after the shooting. Scott asked anyone with information to come forward to assist investigators locate the “cowards” who were responsible for the shooting.
Gov. Wes Moore said his “heart breaks for these victims, their families, and the Baltimore community that is coping with the loss.”
“Maryland has had enough of watching gun violence continue to ravage our state and our nation,” Moore said in a statement. “The fact that these horrific shootings continue to take place is abominable. We as a state will continue to do everything we can to prevent senseless acts of violence like the one we saw last night.”
Authorities said the crime scene was extensive and that it will take some time for detectives to work it.
Hours after the shooting, a number of officers remained working behind police tape amid densely packed two-story housing blocks. Folding tables and plastic cups were scattered on the street, apparently left behind when people ran from the gunshots.
Lakell Nelson said there had been several false alarms of people mistaking the sounds of fireworks for gunfire earlier in the night while she was at the block party. The actual shooting started as she was getting to her car.
“The shots were just going on and on and on,” she said.
That’s when two young women approached her and said they’d been shot, with one woman showing how a bullet had gone through her shorts.
Nelson said she told the women to get in the car and she sped through red lights to get to the nearest hospital.
“When I pulled up to the door of the hospital, my car was almost getting ready to be inside the hospital, because I was determined to get those babies in that hospital,” Nelson said.
A police union official said in an email Sunday there were no officers specifically assigned to the gathering.
“There were only three officers assigned to the Brooklyn area of Baltimore City’s Southern District. This is a large area, and to police it safely and effectively you need about seven to eight officers per shift,” said Mike Mancuso, president of the Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3.
Mancuso said about 2,800 officers are needed to effectively police the city, but staffing is down to about 2,100.
___
Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire. Kimberlee Kruesi in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/baltimore-block-party-shooting-victims-include-more-than-a-dozen-minors-police-say/ | 2023-07-02 20:06:55 | 1 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/baltimore-block-party-shooting-victims-include-more-than-a-dozen-minors-police-say/ |
CALGARY, AB, Feb. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - TransAlta Corporation ("TransAlta" or the "Company") (TSX: TA) (NYSE: TAC) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a 50% interest in the Tent Mountain Renewable Energy Complex ("Tent Mountain" or the "Project"), an early-stage 320 MW pumped hydro energy storage development project, located in southwest Alberta, currently owned by Montem Resources Limited ("Montem") (ASX:MR1). TransAlta and Montem will form a partnership and jointly manage the Project, with TransAlta acting as project developer. The acquisition includes the land rights, fixed assets and intellectual property associated with the pumped hydro development project. The Project leverages Montem's existing assets at Tent Mountain, which include large legacy water reservoirs from past mining operations.
Pumped hydro is an environmentally sustainable solution for managing the intermittency of increased renewable electricity generation in the Province of Alberta; the characteristics of the Tent Mountain site are rare and present a unique opportunity to provide 15 hours of energy storage capability for the Alberta market. The Project is strategically located on private, industrial zoned land, including an existing upper reservoir that supports a cost competitive pumped hydro project compared to other similar projects. The Project has already completed key technical and environmental work including a hydrology assessment, with additional geotechnical analysis being planned in 2023 to further advance the design of the Project. The Project will be developed over the next four years, with construction targeted to start as early as 2026 with a commercial operation date between 2028 and 2030, all subject to regulatory, commercial and engineering considerations.
TransAlta has owned, operated, and constructed hydro facilities for more than 110 years and this Project offers similar long-term advantages as TransAlta's other Alberta hydro facilities. These long-term advantages include that the Project will have a life span of greater than 80 years, which will substantially reduce its operating costs compared to other technologies over the life of the Project. The Project's closed loop system will result in minimal impacts to Alberta's natural river system and will have the ability to provide flexible, firm clean power to customers at scale. The Project will actively seek an offtake agreement over the development period for the energy and environmental attributes generated by the facility; the Project will provide a unique value proposition to customers seeking carbon free electricity.
"The Tent Mountain Renewable Energy Complex is a unique development opportunity for our Company and the Province of Alberta. The Project can support the reliability of the Alberta grid with a proven technology that is non-emitting and has a significantly larger capacity and duration than other currently available storage options. We believe long duration storage projects, like Tent Mountain, are essential to support the reliability of the grid in Alberta as wind and solar penetration increase on the path to net-zero electricity," said John Kousinioris, President and Chief Executive Officer of TransAlta.
"We are thrilled to be entering into this partnership with TransAlta to develop the Tent Mountain Renewable Energy Complex. TransAlta has been operating in the Alberta power market for more than 110 years and brings many skill sets which are complementary to Montem's," said Peter Doyle, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Montem.
TransAlta will pay Montem approximately $8 million upon closing the transaction with additional payments of up to $17 million (approximately $25 million total) contingent on the achievement of specific development and commercial milestones. The acquisition also includes the intellectual property associated with a 100 MW offsite green hydrogen electrolyser and a 100 MW offsite wind development project. The closing of the transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt by Montem of shareholder approval, with closing expected to occur in March 2023. The Project will be independent of TransAlta's existing Alberta hydro assets and will be managed through this partnership. TransAlta bears no exposure to reclamation obligations nor to any environmental liabilities arising from Montem's historical mining operations at the Tent Mountain site.
Montem Resources (ASX: MR1) is a steelmaking coal and renewable energy development company that owns and leases coal tenements and freehold land in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. The Company's objective is to advance its steelmaking coal projects and renewable energy complex in the Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. The Company has planned an integrated mining complex in the Crowsnest Pass, focusing on the low-cost development of open-cut operations that leverage central infrastructure. This is centered around the Tent Mountain Mine Redevelopment Project, and the Chinook Vicary Project.
TransAlta owns, operates and develops a diverse fleet of electrical power generation assets in Canada, the United States and Australia with a focus on long-term shareholder value. TransAlta provides municipalities, medium and large industries, businesses and utility customers with clean, affordable, energy efficient and reliable power. Today, TransAlta is one of Canada's largest producers of wind power and Alberta's largest producer of hydro-electric power. For over 111 years, TransAlta has been a responsible operator and a proud member of the communities where we operate and where our employees work and live. TransAlta aligns its corporate goals with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and its climate change strategy with CDP (formerly Climate Disclosure Project) and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. TransAlta has been recognized by CDP with an 'A-' rating. TransAlta has achieved a 61 per cent reduction in GHG emissions since 2015.
For more information about TransAlta, visit our web site at transalta.com.
This news release contains "forward-looking information", within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, and "forward-looking statements", within the meaning of applicable United States securities laws, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements). In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "plans", "expects", "proposed", "will", "anticipates", "develop", "continue", and similar expressions suggesting future events or future performance. In particular, this news release contains, without limitation, statements pertaining to: the Project, including the ability of the Company to develop, construct and operate the Project; the ability of the Project to leverage Montem's existing assets at Tent Mountain, including access to infrastructure; the energy storage capabilities, including as it pertains to duration; cost-competitiveness of the Project relative to similar projects; additional geotechnical analysis to be undertaken in 2023 to further advance the design of the Project; the intention to actively seek an offtake agreement over the development period for the energy and environmental attributes generated by the Project; that the Project will have minimal impacts to Alberta's natural river system; and TransAlta's exposure to reclamation obligations and environmental liabilities arising from Montem's historical mining operations at the Tent Mountain site. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts but are based on TransAlta's belief and assumptions based on information available at the time the assumptions were made, including, but not limited to the price of power in Alberta and the condition of the financial and electricity markets not changing significantly. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Some of the factors that could cause such differences include: adverse geotechnical conditions that may not support the construction and operation of the Project; potential inability to secure interconnection and other required infrastructure to support the Project; risks associated with relevant stakeholders, including any opposition from Indigenous and local communities; inability to secure an offtake contract, which may be required to support the economic construction and operation of the Project; inability to access to any government grants or incentives; inability to secure qualified personnel or staff in regard to the development, construction or operation of the Project; supply chain constraints and limitations; inability to obtain required regulatory approvals; an event of bankruptcy or insolvency of Montem; ; and other risks and uncertainties discussed in the Company's materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities from time to time and as also set forth in the Company's MD&A and Annual Information Form for the year ended Dec. 31, 2021. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect TransAlta's expectations only as of the date of this news release. The purpose of the financial outlooks contained in this news release are to give the reader information about management's current expectations and plans and readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes and is given as of the date of this news release. TransAlta disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Note: All financial figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.
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SOURCE TransAlta Corporation | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/02/17/transalta-announces-acquisition-50-interest-early-stage-pumped-hydro-energy-storage-development-project/ | 2023-02-17 07:53:55 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/02/17/transalta-announces-acquisition-50-interest-early-stage-pumped-hydro-energy-storage-development-project/ |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The union representing film and television actors says no deal has been reached with studios and streaming services and its leadership is voting on whether to strike on Thursday.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists said early Thursday that its decision on whether to join already striking screenwriters will be considered by leadership, with a press conference announcing their decision scheduled for noon Pacific.
If the actors do go on strike, it will be the first time since 1960 that the actors and writers guilds picket simultaneously.
The actors’ guild released a statement announcing that its deadline for negotiations had ended without a contract. The statement came hours after this year’s Emmy nominations, recognizing the best work on television, were announced.
“The companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics and on others completely stonewalled us. Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal,” said Fran Drescher, the star of “The Nanny” who is now the actors guild president.
The group representing the studios, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, said it was disappointed by the failure to reach a deal.
“This is the Union’s choice, not ours. In doing so, it has dismissed our offer of historic pay and residual increases, substantially higher caps on pension and health contributions, audition protections, shortened series option periods, a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors’ digital likenesses, and more,” the AMPTP said in a statement.
It added that instead of continuing to negotiate, “SAG-AFTRA has put us on a course that will deepen the financial hardship for thousands who depend on the industry for their livelihoods.”
If the actors strike, they will formally join screenwriters on the picket lines outside studios and filming locations in a bid to get better terms from studios and streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon. The actors’ guild had previously authorized a strike by a nearly 98% margin.
Members of the Writers Guild of America have been on strike since early May, slowing the production of film and television series on both coasts and in production centers like Atlanta.
Issues in negotiations include the unregulated use of artificial intelligence and the effects on residual pay brought on by the streaming ecosystem that has emerged in recent years.
In a letter to SAG-AFTRA membership overnight, Drescher told actors to prepare to hit picket lines after the board’s vote Thursday.
“As you know, over the past decade, your compensation has been severely eroded by the rise of the streaming ecosystem,” Drescher wrote. “Furthermore, artificial intelligence poses an existential threat to creative professions, and all actors and performers deserve contract language that protects them from having their identity and talent exploited without consent and pay.”
Appearing on CNBC, Disney chief Bob Iger warned Thursday morning that an actors strike would have a “very damaging effect on the whole industry.”
“This is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption,” Iger said. “There’s a level of expectation that (SAG-AFTRA and the WGA) have that is just not realistic.”
Actors have joined writers on picket lines for weeks in solidarity. An actors’ strike would prevent performers from working on sets or promoting their projects.
With a stoppage looming, the premiere Christopher Nolan’s film “Oppenheimer” in London was moved up an hour so that the cast could walk the red carpet before the SAG board’s announcement.
Attending a photo event on Wednesday, “Oppenheimer” co-star Matt Damon said that while everyone was hoping a strike could be averted, many actors need a fair contract to survive.
“We ought to protect the people who are kind of on the margins,” Damon told the AP. “And 26,000 bucks a year is what you have to make to get your health insurance. And there are a lot of people whose residual payments are what carry them across that threshold. And if those residual payments dry up, so does their health care. And that’s absolutely unacceptable. We can’t have that. So, we got to figure out something that is fair.”
The looming strike has cast a shadow over the upcoming 75th Emmys. Nominations were announced Wednesday, and the strike was on the minds of many nominees.
“People are standing up and saying, ‘This doesn’t really work, and people need to be paid fairly,’” Oscar winner Jessica Chastain, who was nominated for her first Emmy for playing Tammy Wynette in “George & Tammy,” told the AP. “It is very clear that there are certain streamers that have really kind of changed the way we work and the way that we have worked, and the contracts really haven’t caught up to the innovation that’s happened.”
___
Associated Press journalists Sian Watson in London and Jake Coyle and Jocelyn Noveck in New York contributed to this story. For more on the Hollywood strikes, visit https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/ | https://www.texomashomepage.com/entertainment-news/ap-deadline-for-hollywood-actors-negotiations-with-studio-passes-with-no-word-on-strike/ | 2023-07-13 18:53:59 | 1 | https://www.texomashomepage.com/entertainment-news/ap-deadline-for-hollywood-actors-negotiations-with-studio-passes-with-no-word-on-strike/ |
Abrams, Georgia Democrats look to prove 2020 wasn’t ‘fluke’
ATLANTA (AP) — Four years ago, Georgia Democrats had a contested primary for governor because the party old guard didn’t believe in Stacey Abrams. She blew away the elders’ alternative and, in a close general election loss, established herself as de facto party boss in a newfound battleground.
That previewed 2020, when Joe Biden put Georgia in Democrats’ presidential column for the first time in 28 years, while Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff captured two Senate seats in early 2021 to give Democrats control on Capitol Hill.
Now Abrams and Warnock top the Democratic ticket together for the first time as the party tries to replicate its success in a tough midterm election landscape. The outcome will again help determine Senate control in Washington and whether Republicans continue to dominate state government in Georgia.
“We’re putting in the work to show everyone across the country that 2020 was not a fluke,” said Democratic Chair Nikema Williams ahead of the party’s convention Saturday.
Yet Williams and other Democrats acknowledge that 2022 is not a simple replay of the last two cycles.
Abrams is no longer a burgeoning juggernaut running against a little-known secretary of state; she’s a battle-worn challenger facing Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, a well-positioned incumbent. Warnock isn’t a political newcomer but a sitting senator who must distinguish himself from a relatively unpopular president who once campaigned for him — a point underscored by GOP nominee Herschel Walker relentlessly criticizing Warnock as a rubber-stamp for the White House.
The rest of the Democratic slate must run under the banner of a national party that controls Washington amid sustained inflation and an uncertain economy. And Democrats must retool their voter turnout operation to comply with tighter voting restrictions that Kemp and the state’s Republican legislature enacted after Democrats’ 2020 victories.
The response, Democrats here say, isn’t to run from their record but to embrace it, while casting Republicans as an “extremist” party that advances an out-of-step cultural agenda and remains in thrall to former President Donald Trump.
“The party of Trump is a party of extremism, a party of election deniers, a party of authoritarianism, that says that their opinions about who should win elections matter more than the voters,” said lieutenant governor nominee Charlie Bailey, whose Republican opponent, Burt Jones, is among the fake electors who signed certificates falsely stating that Trump, not Biden, had won their states.
That approach aligns with the national midterm pitch that Biden unveiled Thursday at a campaign rally in Maryland, where he cast voters’ choice in November as being between Democrats and Trump’s “MAGA movement,” a dominant strain of the GOP that Biden said resembles “semi-fascism.”
Kemp and Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger have garnered plaudits from moderate voters for bucking Trump’s bid to overturn the 2020 election. But Abrams and others challenge the “moderate” label for either man.
Abrams criticizes Kemp as an “extremist” who signed a concealed carry law to loosen gun restrictions and a near-total abortion ban that bars the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they’re pregnant.
Bee Nguyen, a legislator challenging Raffensperger, hammers the secretary of state for his part in overhauling state voting procedures. Nguyen notes Raffensperger as a state lawmaker compiled a staunchly conservative record on abortion and guns, among other matters. “He’s not a friend to democracy. He’s not a friend to women, either,” she said recently on the liberal “Pod Save America” podcast.
Indeed, Georgia Democrats agree that the Supreme Court’s decision eliminating a constitutional right to access abortion, combined with Georgia’s near ban, is a critical enough issue to overcome swing voters’ worries about the economy.
“I’ll tell you that people are much more concerned about protecting their rights and their access to health care than anything else,” said attorney general nominee Jen Jordan, a state senator who has made her support of abortion rights a centerpiece of her bid.
Even so, Democrats insist they aren’t afraid to discuss the economy or other issues Republicans try to claim as theirs.
Kemp blasts Abrams as a liberal who wants to “defund the police.” Abrams counters with proposals that would increase salaries for many law enforcement and criminal justice personnel. “Brian Kemp wants you to be afraid of me,” she says in one of her advertisements.
Jordan talks openly of crime increases but dismisses Republicans’ effort to cast it as “an Atlanta problem” — GOP framing aimed at white voters beyond the demographically diverse and heavily Democratic city.
“It’s not an urban problem or a suburban problem. It’s a Georgia problem, and the people who have been in charge have a lot to answer for,” Jordan said.
In the Senate campaign, Warnock has largely steered clear of Biden, even as he embraces Democrats’ legislative victories. Warnock touts a pandemic relief bill and its child tax credit as critical aid to Georgia families. He notes the benefits from a long-sought infrastructure package.
The senator acknowledges that gas prices and general inflation have spiked but notes that he called for a suspension of the federal gas tax and then won passage of a provision in the Democrats’ big climate and health care bill that caps the price of insulin for Medicare patients. Republicans blocked his effort to extend the cap to all consumers.
Williams, who is also an Atlanta congresswoman, summed up the two-track argument.
“We Democrats have delivered on the national level. ... And just imagine what we could be doing when we are in control at the state level,” she said. And if Republicans control Congress, she added, “a national abortion ban is on the table” along with cuts to popular programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Those warnings ignore that Biden would certainly veto such measures. But Williams said the point remains: “A lot is at stake.”
And every marginal shift among voters matters. In 2018, Kemp topped Abrams by 55,000 votes out of about 4 million cast. Biden outpaced Trump by less than 12,000 votes out of 5 million cast. In concurrent Senate runoffs two months later, about 4.5 million Georgians voted; Warnock and Ossoff won by 2 percentage points and 1.2 percentage points, respectively.
Democrats hope the November electorate is at least as large as that Jan. 5, 2021, electorate. Georgia requires a majority vote to win statewide office, and Libertarian candidates can draw enough to force a runoff.
With that in mind, Abrams, a Black woman from Atlanta, has spent a noticeable amount of time in rural, mostly white Georgia, where she lost ground in 2018 compared with Democrats’ performances in previous midterms. Jordan, who is white, notes that she grew up in small-town south Georgia but now represents a suburban Atlanta state Senate district that had been a Republican lock. Abrams sometimes campaigns alongside Bailey, a white man with a pronounced Southern accent and small-town Georgia roots.
“We have a ticket that looks like Georgia,” Abrams says often.
Al Williams, a Black state lawmaker who is close to Abrams, praises the ticket as well. But he put the pressure most squarely on the woman at the top, predicting that in an era of few split-ticket voters, Abrams must win for Democrats to have a big day.
“Stacey is the wind beneath the sail,” he said.
___
Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ap_politics.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/2022/08/27/abrams-georgia-democrats-look-prove-2020-wasnt-fluke/ | 2022-08-27 06:45:58 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/2022/08/27/abrams-georgia-democrats-look-prove-2020-wasnt-fluke/ |
Republicans look to win back power in Congress, stop Biden
WASHINGTON (AP) — Energized Republicans are eager to claw back power in Congress, working to break the Democrats’ one-party hold in Washington and putting the future of President Joe Biden’s agenda at stake this Election Day.
With the narrowly held House and an evenly split Senate, Democrats could easily see their fragile grasp on power slip as they face a new generation of Republican candidates. Among them are political newcomers to public office, including skeptics, deniers of the 2020 election and some extremists inspired by Donald Trump. They could bring a new intensity to Capitol Hill with promises to end Biden’s once lofty ideas and launch investigations and oversight — even, potentially, impeachment of Biden.
Tuesday brings the first major national elections since the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, and emotions are raw. The violent assault on Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband has stunned many, and federal law enforcement is warning of heightened threats nationwide. Biden’s party is laboring to hold on by the most tenuous of margins.
All 435 seats in the House and one-third of the Senate are being contested. If Republican newcomers help the party seize control of the House, and possibly the Senate, the outcome will pose new challenges for Congress’ ability to govern.
“I do think that this will end up being a period of government that is defined by conflict,” said Brendan Buck, a former top aide to the past two Republican speakers of the House.
Divided government has historically offered the possibility of bipartisan deal-making, but the Republican candidates are campaigning instead on a platform to stop Democrats.
Without a unified agenda of their own, the Republicans are running toward crises and confrontations as they promise to cut federal spending, refuse to raise the nation’s debt limit and balk at supporting Ukraine in the war with Russia. It all points to potential gridlock ahead.
“They’re going to make very clear that there’s a new sheriff in town,” Buck said.
House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, who is in line to seize the speaker’s gavel from Pelosi next year if Democrats lose power, has recruited the most racially diverse class of House GOP candidates, with more women than ever. But it also has a new cadre of Trump loyalists including election skeptics and deniers, some who were around the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Trump has endorsed nearly 200 House and Senate Republicans for the final ballots, even though they were not always the first choices of McCarthy and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell as they work to bolster their ranks.
In a sign of the nation’s toxic political climate, Pelosi canceled most public appearances in the final week of campaigning after an intruder broke into her family’s San Francisco home in the middle of the night, demanding “Where is Nancy” and bludgeoning her 82-year-old husband in the head with a hammer. Authorities have said it was an intentional attack.
“People say to me, ‘What can I do to make you feel better?’” Pelosi told grassroots activists on a video call. “I say: ‘Vote!’”
As polls close Tuesday evening on the East Coast, outcomes in some of the early races for Congress could begin to set the pace.
In the fight for the House, Virginia’s marquee race between Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria and Republican challenge Jen Kiggans, both Navy veterans, provides a snapshot. The two-term Democrat Luria, first elected in the 2018 backlash to Trump, rose as part of the committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot but is now at risk of defeat.
The Senate battleground is focused on four deeply contested states where razor-thin margins could determine outcomes — in Georgia, Arizona and Nevada, where Democratic incumbents are trying to hold on. In Pennsylvania, the race between Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz for an open seat is considered key to party control.
One other Senate contest that will be closely watched is in New Hampshire, where Trump-styled Republican Don Bolduc is trying to oust Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan in a race that could signal the former president’s viability with voters two years after he left office.
Vote counting could extend beyond Election Day in many states, and Georgia in particular could head to a Dec. 6 runoff if no candidate reaches the majority. Both parties have already filed legal challenges in some cases foreshadowing the court fights that may delay final results.
Republicans need a net gain of five seats in the House to achieve the 218-seat majority and a net gain of one to seize control of the Senate. The 50-50 Senate is now in Democratic hands because Vice President Kamala Harris can cast a tie-breaking vote, in what has been one of the longest stretches of a split Senate in modern times.
Inflation, abortion, crime and the future of democracy have all been at the forefront of campaigns as candidates strive to reach voters.
Democrats gained momentum over the abortion issue after the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision this summer, and they have been warning voters about MAGA conservatives, short for Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
But Republicans have focused voter attention on closer-to-home issues — inflation’s high prices and crime — as they tap into unease over the country’s direction.
Senate Republican leader McConnell openly griped about “candidate quality” potentially costing his party victories, as Trump championed his preferred candidates to create a potentially untested class of newcomers.
House Democrats faced their own recruitment problems, a situation worsened by the slew of Democratic retirements as longtime lawmakers headed for the exits, some giving up their committee gavels rather than accepting a career in the minority party.
In one dramatic example of the difficult political environment for Democrats, the party’s House campaign chairman Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is fighting for political survival against Republican state legislator Mike Lawler in New York’s Hudson Valley. He would be the first Democratic campaign chief to suffer defeat in two decades.
Outside groups have poured hundreds of millions of dollars, often to shore up untested candidates, to mixed results.
“I find it almost comical that Republicans and Democrats are talking about what they’re going to do in the new Congress,” said Rory Cooper, a former House Republican leadership aide. “Neither side is going to get anything done unless Joe Biden has one last bipartisan deal in him.”
___
Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2022 midterm elections at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections. And learn more about the issues and factors at play in the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/explaining-the-elections.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/2022/11/08/republicans-look-win-back-power-congress-stop-biden/ | 2022-11-08 13:33:00 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/2022/11/08/republicans-look-win-back-power-congress-stop-biden/ |
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by: Reuben Contreras
Posted: Sep 30, 2022 / 08:44 AM PDT
Updated: Sep 30, 2022 / 08:44 AM PDT
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Subscribe Now | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/weather/ksee-weather/north-valley-forecast-1458/ | 2022-09-30 16:22:06 | 0 | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/weather/ksee-weather/north-valley-forecast-1458/ |
An evacuation order affecting more than 1,000 people was expected to remain in place through Wednesday around a large industrial fire in an Indiana city near the Ohio border where crews worked through the night to douse piles of burning plastics, authorities said.
Multiple fires, which began burning Tuesday afternoon, continued burning Wednesday morning within about 14 acres of various types of plastics stored both inside and outside buildings at the former factory site in Richmond, 70 miles east of Indianapolis, Richmond fire Chief Tim Brown said.
"There's plastics inside buildings, there's plastics outside buildings, there's plastics in semitrailers that are throughout the grounds here at the complex, so we're dealing with many type of plastics. It's very much a mess," Brown said.
Brown said a plume of smoke continued rising Wednesday from the site and about 15 firefighters had remained in place overnight working to fight the flames, which he said are contained within the old factory site. He said those fires are "not under control by any means" but he is optimistic crews will make progress Wednesday.
"We were waiting for daylight so we could start aggressively extinguishing the fire," he said.
Between 1,500 and 2,000 people who live within a half-mile of the plant were told to leave after the fire began, said David Hosick, spokesperson for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
Brown, the fire chief, said it's unclear how many people have been evacuated from around the site. People outside that radius who live downwind of the fire were advised to keep windows closed and pets inside.
Brown said the evacuation order would remain in place through Wednesday and perhaps into Wednesday night, depending on how much progress crews make in putting out the flames. He said the fire's cause remains under investigation.
Aaron Stevens, a Richmond police officer who lives six blocks from the plant, said he first heard the sirens Tuesday before he saw the pillar of smoke from his backyard that blocked the afternoon sun. The smoke came with an acrid odor and he said ash then fell on his deck and backyard.
"It was blocking out the sun completely," he said. "The birds were going crazy."
Despite the evacuation warning, Stevens said he plans on staying put after recently suffering an injury. His sister who lives at their childhood home, which is closer to the plant and in eyesight of the flames, came to stay with her brother to escape the smoke. Stevens said he plans on keeping an eye on the changing updates around the smoke.
"If there is an increased concern for toxic safety, I do have a contingency plan," he said.
State and federal regulators were at the scene to assess air quality and other environmental impacts at the site, which local officials said has been used to store plastics and other materials for recycling or resale.
Jason Sewell, the on-scene coordinator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said the agency has been doing roving air sampling outside the evacuation area and into part of nearby Ohio, but no toxic compounds have been detected.
He stressed, however, that smoke is harmful to inhale because it contains particulate matter of different sizes and can contain toxics, and residents should avoid the smoke.
Sewell said air sampling was continuing Wednesday in Richmond, a city of 35,000 residents.
President Joe Biden, who has been visiting Northern Ireland and Ireland, spoke by phone to Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and offered his support and any additional federal assistance needed to respond to the fire, the White House said.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the federal agency was working closely with its state and local partners in responding to and monitoring the fire. He said an EPA team would be collecting samples of debris in the area Wednesday "to determine whether asbestos-containing materials may have left the site."
"So we're following the situation very closely and will continue to provide the community with any assistance that they need," he said in the nation's capitol before speaking about tough new automobile pollution control limits.
Because of smoke still wafting from the fire, Indiana's environmental agency issued an air quality advisory Wednesday for two eastern Indiana counties, Wayne and Randolph, warning that forecasts call for elevated levels of fine soot particles in the air.
Indiana's state fire marshal, Steve Jones, said Tuesday "the smoke is definitely toxic" and residents need to get away from the smoke plumes, especially elderly people with respiratory problems. He said that if the wind changes, officials may alter the evacuation order.
"There's a host of different chemicals that plastics give off when they're on fire. And so it's concerning," Jones said.
Brown said the only injury has been a firefighter who suffered an ankle injury overnight Tuesday while fighting the flames, but was treated and released.
Bethesda Worship Center in Richmond housed several families, about 20 people total, Tuesday night after evacuation orders were issued, pastor Ken Harris told The Associated Press. Those families were later moved to a separate, larger facility about 5 miles away, he said.
"We gave them a safe space to breathe and collect their thoughts," Harris said Wednesday as dark gray smoke billowed in the distance through the clear-blue sky beyond the church's windows.
Richmond Mayor Dave Snow said Wednesday that the plastics recycling site had been under a city order to clean up and remediate the complex, but said the business owner had ignored that order. Snow called that person "a negligent business owner." | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2023/04/12/indiana-plastic-fire | 2023-04-12 17:52:02 | 0 | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2023/04/12/indiana-plastic-fire |
Sustainable California demonstrates GrubMarket's commitment to preserving the sustainability of California farming environment, empowering farmers, and reinvigorating California's agricultural ecosystem.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GrubMarket today announced the launch of its Sustainable California initiative, a commitment to promote and enhance agricultural sustainability in California by making meaningful investments from a portion of its net profits in the following endeavors: preserving the farming environment of the Central Valley and other areas of California through methods such as planting trees; promoting organic farming practices by financially supporting local farmers to obtain organic certifications; and developing innovative technologies that improve the sustainability of California's farming system in areas including farming and food procurement, sales, storage, and logistics. The Sustainable California initiative will address the numerous challenges facing California's agriculture industry today, including water scarcity, soil depletion, environmental preservation challenges, and climate change. GrubMarket is uniquely positioned to pioneer this movement due to its strong relationships with California farmers and producers and its fundamental mission to promote safer and healthier food practices and products.
Through active tree planting efforts in geographically and biologically diverse areas throughout California, Sustainable California aims to create greener and more sustainable environments that will deliver countless benefits to the food ecosystem. Through this initiative, GrubMarket will contribute to the reforestation in California, which will help reduce our collective carbon footprint, mitigate the effects of climate change, preserve precious land that can be used to grow more fresh, organic produce, and retain our underground water system which is essential for farming.
To further amplify the power of the Sustainable California initiative, GrubMarket will also provide funding and resources to farmers seeking organic certification in California. Right now, organic agriculture represents just 4-5% of cropland in California; nationally, this number is less than 1%, because organic certification is an expensive and rigorous process. However, California produces over 40% of the organic commodities sold in the U.S., including most of the country's organic vegetables. It is important to support California farmers by enabling them to produce more high margin and high quality organic products. By offering financial and resource support for obtaining organic certification, Sustainable California will encourage farmers to adopt organic farming practices, which are essential for long-term agricultural sustainability. This will help farmers increase their revenue, improve product quality, and promote the adoption of sustainable growing and harvesting practices. Organic is the future of food and farming in California.
"California farmers, especially farmers in the Central Valley, are challenged every day as farming becomes harder and harder, due to an increasingly hot climate, depleted water supply, and deteriorating soil conditions from over-farming. The farm-grown produce available today in California's local farmers' markets are much less in richness, variety, and diversity, compared to several years ago. Moreover, the past few years have seen economic uncertainty and supply chain disruptions that have presented a unique opportunity for long-term innovation in food production and environmental protection. We are excited to launch the Sustainable California initiative to protect, support, and uplift California's fragile agricultural ecosystem," said Mike Xu, CEO of GrubMarket. "It can be easy to take food for granted, yet sustainable food production is one of our society's most critical needs. The Sustainable California initiative is not only our way of giving back to the local agricultural community, but also reflects our commitment to supporting sustainable agriculture, protecting the environment, and ensuring that future generations can continue to benefit from the bountiful resources of California."
As GrubMarket continues scaling its business and advancing its technologies, it will continue to reinforce its commitment to ensuring a more sustainable future for California's agricultural ecosystem. The Sustainable California initiative will be funded through a portion of GrubMarket's net profits.
Any California farmers and growers, and technologists interested in learning more about or benefiting from this initiative, please send a message to SustainableCA@grubmarket.com.
About GrubMarket
Founded in 2014, GrubMarket is a San Francisco-based food technology company operating in the space of food supply chain eCommerce for both business customers and end consumers, as well as providing related software-as-a-service solutions to digitally transform the American and global food supply chain. Currently, GrubMarket operates in all 50 U.S. States; Ontario and British Columbia (Canada); Argentina, Chile, and Colombia (South America); India, Mexico, South Africa, and Spain, with plans to expand to the rest of the U.S., Canada, South America, and other parts of the world.
For Media Inquiries:
GrubMarket Media Team
media@grubmarket.com
(415) 986-0523
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SOURCE GrubMarket | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/03/08/grubmarket-launches-sustainable-california-initiative-support-agricultural-sustainability-promote-better-food-systems-california/ | 2023-03-08 16:28:12 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/03/08/grubmarket-launches-sustainable-california-initiative-support-agricultural-sustainability-promote-better-food-systems-california/ |
For more than a decade, Seattle-based TomboyX has been leading the way to be a more inclusive company, for every gender and every body. It all started because its founders wanted clothes that fit both their bodies and their identities.
Each week, the employees of TomboyX end their all-staff meeting by reading customer reviews. One note said, "I just want to thank you from here in Australia. I feel both affirmed and comfortable for the first time ever. This means the world." Another says, "These underwear have changed my life. And I am now a happier human due to this design fabric and cut of your items. "
TomboyX started more than ten years ago when married couple Fran Dunaway and Naomi Gonzalez co-founded a gender-neutral intimates and loungewear line in their single-car garage.
"Accidental entrepreneurs," Dunaway told Scripps News. "It was not what we were. We did not intentionally set out to do this."
It actually started with a shirt. Dunaway wanted to make a cool button-up shirt out of quality fabric.
"Customers started emailing Naomi and saying, 'Hey, we want boxer briefs,'" Dunaway said. "And so we got online, looked up boxer briefs for women on Nordstrom.com, and up came a pair of Spanx. And so we were pretty sure that wasn't what our customer was looking for."
SEE MORE: Gender-free fashion is creating bigger conversations in the industry
The duo pivoted, making the first boxer brief targeted for women.
"We are gender neutral," Dunaway said. "We have a wide variety of customers all along the gender spectrum. But we do feel like this is important that we are for everybody."
"This person came up to us last night saying, 'This is the first time that I've ever seen myself reflected in an ad. It just felt like it was something that was for me, because I could see myself.' And that is the validating part of what our brand means to people," Gonzalez added.
The brand took off.
"When we started to think about making underwear, we were just shocked at the reality that you couldn't find anything above a 2x," Dunaway said. "And so immediately were like, we're not going to have a separate tab on our website where you have to click plus."
Stars like Lizzo can be seen sporting their signature elastic on social media.
Dunaway, a two-time breast cancer survivor, had a bilateral mastectomy and realized there was another need not being met. So the duo launched a post-mastectomy bra line that also serves trans women who wear prosthetics.
"As being part of the LGBTQ community, as co-founders, we knew what it was like to not be seen and not be represented. So it was, it was important to us that we do that," Dunaway said.
In 2022 alone, TomboyX sold a half million pairs of underwear. They've shipped to 48 different countries and even got a call from Target last year about the company's Pride collection.
SEE MORE: Organization helps guide parents through LGBTQ+ world
"It was for us a mic drop moment in the history of the company. To know that our product was going to be in every Target store in the nation was huge. And they were inclusive in the category," Dunaway said. "So it was just really remarkable because we knew what it meant for people, for kids and adults and people, to walk into a Target and see themselves and be proud of who they were. Right up in the front of the store. And, it was really well received."
That was a year before Target faced some backlash over its LGBTQ+ merchandise, with some in-store confrontations and damage to displays.
"It's unfortunate that people are turning our lives into politics, in the way that we live in the way that we show up in the world," Dunaway said.
"As much as we possibly can, as a community, communicate with people that are not like us and have real conversations, I really feel that that's the only way that we can really move forward and change one heart and mind at a time," Gonzales added.
You can still find TomboyX in Target, Kohl's and more large retailers soon. But the company still relies on its grassroots movement and word of mouth to gain awareness.
"We've always been a grassroots brand," Gonzales said. "I would say today that we have a lot of big bright future ahead of us."
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.wptv.com/queer-owned-clothing-company-aims-to-serve-across-the-gender-spectrum | 2023-06-27 20:36:39 | 1 | https://www.wptv.com/queer-owned-clothing-company-aims-to-serve-across-the-gender-spectrum |
The First Black Natural Hair Trichologist and author of “I Love my Natural Hair” Tiffany Anderson shared how she is on a mission to educate the community about natural hair. Watch the clip to learn how you can get some of “Tiffany’s Naturals Hair” care organic products.
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Former Westwood College students get federal debt canceled
By COLLIN BINKLEY
AP Education Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Any federal student loans used to attend the for-profit Westwood College from 2002 through 2015 will be canceled after federal officials found that the school greatly exaggerated the job prospects of its graduates, the Biden administration announced Tuesday.
The action will automatically erase $1.5 billion in federal student debt for 79,000 borrowers who attended the now-defunct college, according to the Education Department.
It adds to the administration’s mounting effort to cancel federal loans for students who were defrauded by their colleges — more than $14 billion has been erased so far — and it follows President Joe Biden’s sweeping plan to cancel at least $10,000 in student debt for millions of Americans.
The Westwood College cancellation applies to all students who attended the chain from Jan. 1, 2002, through Nov. 17, 2015, when the college stopped enrolling new students before its 2016 closure. Students will not need to apply for the relief.
With help from attorneys general in Colorado and Illinois, federal officials found that the college routinely misled prospective students about their chances of getting good jobs after graduating.
In its marketing materials, the chain advertised employment rates and salary outcomes that were “grossly inflated,” the Education Department found. It also promised to help graduates pay their bills if they couldn’t find jobs within six months after graduating — a pledge officials say wasn’t kept.
In Illinois, the chain’s criminal justice programs told students they could expect law enforcement jobs in agencies including the Illinois State Police, but Westwood never had the accreditation needed to meet employment requirements for the state, authorities found.
“Westwood operated on a culture of false promises, lies, and manipulation in order to profit off student debt that burdened borrowers long after Westwood closed,” said James Kvaal, under secretary of education.
Kvaal said the administration is ramping up efforts to protect students and to “ensure that executives who commit such harm never work at institutions that receive federal financial aid again.”
Before its closure, Westwood operated 15 campuses in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois and Virginia, along with online programs.
A group of students and civil rights organizations sued the Education Department in May demanding debt cancellation for Westwood students in Illinois based on findings of fraud there. It followed a settlement between the college and Illinois that erased institutional loans but not federal debt.
“It never should have taken this long — or litigation — for the Department of Education to do the right thing, but we are thrilled that the department has finally discharged the loans of defrauded Westwood College students,” said Dan Zibel, chief counsel at National Student Legal Defense Network, one of the groups behind the suit.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., called it a victory for students but said more must be done “to crack down on for-profit colleges that lie and lead Illinoisans into mountains of student debt without a viable degree or career path.”
The cancellation is being granted through a federal rule known as borrower defense, which provides federal student debt cancellation to borrowers whose colleges misled them or defrauded them in other ways. The rule has mostly been used to erase debt used to attend for-profit colleges.
In similar actions, the Biden administration also moved to cancel nearly $6 billion for former students of Corinthian Colleges and nearly $4 billion for former students of ITT Technical institute.
After months of intense pressure for broader student debt cancellation, Biden last week unveiled a plan to forgive $10,000 in federal student debt for all borrowers with incomes less than $125,000 a year or $250,000 per household. Those who received a federal Pell Grant to attend college are eligible for an additional $10,000 in cancellation.
The plan, which is almost certain to be challenged in court, applies to federal student loans that were paid out before July 1 of this year. It applies to loans used to attend undergraduate and graduate programs.
Most borrowers will need to apply for cancellation through an application that the Education Department is expected to create by early October. Early applicants could see their student debt canceled before the start of next year, when a federal pause on student debt payments is set to expire.
The White House estimates the cancellation will cost $240 billion over the next 10 years, but outside analysts say it could be much higher. Official cost projections from the federal government are expected in coming weeks.
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The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://kion546.com/news/ap-national-news/2022/08/30/former-westwood-college-students-get-federal-debt-canceled/ | 2022-08-30 17:49:03 | 1 | https://kion546.com/news/ap-national-news/2022/08/30/former-westwood-college-students-get-federal-debt-canceled/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Country superstar Dolly Parton, who made a big donation to help fund coronavirus vaccine research in 2020, is among this year’s Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy recipients.
Also being honored are Dallas entrepreneur Lyda Hill, Kenyan industrialist Manu Chandaria, and Lynn and Stacy Schusterman, from the Oklahoma investment family.
The award, presented by the international family of Carnegie institutions to honor innovative philanthropists, debuted in 2001 and is normally awarded every two years. It was not issued in 2021 due to the pandemic.
The 2022 honorees will receive their medals in a private ceremony in New York on Oct. 13. A priority of the ceremony is fostering personal meetings to encourage the exchange of ideas and spur potential collaboration — something this year’s honorees have already done, said Eric Isaacs, president of the Carnegie Institution for Science and a member of the medal selection committee.
Parton’s $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center has received plenty of attention. But her fellow honoree Hill, through her Lyda Hill Philanthropies, was also an early donor to the work that would yield the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
“I invested before it was anything,” Hill told The Associated Press. “One of the things that Warren Buffett said that stuck with me was, ‘Don’t do what other people can do and will do. Do what other people can’t do and won’t do. And take risks.’ I have had to apply that to my philanthropic investments.”
Hill, who focuses her funding on advances in science and nature conservancy, as well as supporting women in those careers, said she never did get a Moderna shot.
“Unfortunately,” Hill said, “when I went to get my vaccine, I rolled my sleeves up and said, ‘What do you got?’ And she said, ‘Pfizer.’ I said, ‘OK.’”
Parton, in a statement, said she was honored to receive the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.
“I’ve always believed that if you are in a position to help, you should help, and I truly hope that I can be an inspiration for others to lift up those around them,” said Parton, who will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November, and makes most of her donations through her Dollywood Foundation. “Whether through my Imagination Library or giving to COVID-19 research, I try to support things that have a special meaning for me. I hope everyone can find something they’re passionate about supporting and do what they can to help make this world a better place.”
Considering the intense need created by COVID-19, the pandemic was top of mind while the selection committee was making its decisions, Isaacs said.
“Obviously, this is a very difficult time with the pandemic,” he said. “But we think environmental issues are probably equally, if not more, impactful in the sense that pandemics like COVID-19 are likely to become more frequent as the atmosphere heats up. I think we take the long view in terms of our selections.”
The Schustermans exemplify philanthropists whose donations have made a long-lasting impact, in addition to making timely grants to address current needs.
The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation was established in 1987 to invest in systemic change in the United States and Israel on matters of justice and equity. When Charles died in 2000, Lynn Schusterman took over the foundation, expanding its work and becoming an outspoken advocate for inclusion, especially for the LGBTQ community. In 2018, their daughter Stacy Schusterman took over the foundation, which changed its name last year to Schusterman Family Philanthropies and now also includes work in reproductive equity, voting rights and criminal justice — all hot-button issues this summer.
“I hope that work like this will inspire other people to give more now,” Stacy Schusterman told the AP. “It’s important for people to give a meaningful percentage of their family’s assets. And I think the partnership that can exist between philanthropy and the communities that we’re seeking to help is vital. Government can’t address all problems.”
She said she’s thrilled to be carrying on her parents’ work and that she will be celebrated with her mom.
“I’m really excited that we’re being honored together,” she said. “It’s fun to have it happen as a mother-daughter team.”
The Chandaria Foundation had its start as a family enterprise in the 1950s, though the Kenyan-born industrialist of Indian descent had to do some convincing before it began.
When he first brought up the issue, Chandaria remembers his father asking if something was wrong with him and whether he had lived in the United States too long. “We are not the Rockefellers,” Chandaria’s father told him. “You better get to work. There’s a big hole over there.”
But by 1956, they had established a charitable organization providing scholarships in Kenya and, decades later, its work has expanded into building education and healthcare infrastructure in Africa.
“It’s a basic principle of the Gandhian philosophy: If you have wealth, you are not owners of the wealth,” said Chandaria, who also attributes generosity to being a follower of the Indian religion Jainism. “You really should go and help others who cannot help themselves.”
Isaacs said the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy is meant to recognize the work of the honorees in their various fields and locations. This year, the Carnegie institutions will also launch the Carnegie Catalyst award to “celebrate the transformative power of human kindness,” which will go to World Central Kitchen, the anti-hunger nonprofit founded by chef Jose Andres.
That award was inspired by the late Vartan Gregorian, the president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the co-founder of the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, who died in 2021.
“World Central Kitchen is an outstanding model of how humankind can respond in times of dire need by activating the inherent goodness in others — an ideal that was embodied through the life and work of Vartan Gregorian,” Thomas H. Kean, chairman of Carnegie Corporation of New York’s board of trustees and former governor of New Jersey, said in a statement.
____
Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy. | https://phl17.com/business/ap-business/dolly-parton-among-carnegie-medal-of-philanthropy-winners/ | 2022-08-04 10:59:18 | 1 | https://phl17.com/business/ap-business/dolly-parton-among-carnegie-medal-of-philanthropy-winners/ |
Application targets treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms associated (VMS) with menopause
TOKYO, June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., "Astellas") today announced a New Drug Application (NDA) for fezolinetant has been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Fezolinetant is an investigational oral, nonhormonal compound seeking approval for the treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS) associated with menopause. VMS, characterized by hot flashes and/or night sweats, are common symptoms of menopause.1,2
"In the United States, 60% to 80% of individuals experience VMS during or after the menopausal transition, with limited nonhormonal treatment options," said Ahsan Arozullah, M.D., M.P.H., Senior Vice President and Head of Development Therapeutic Areas, Astellas. "The fezolinetant NDA submission to the U.S. FDA is an important step in our efforts to bring to patients a first-in-class, nonhormonal treatment option to reduce the frequency and severity of moderate to severe VMS associated with menopause."
The NDA submission is based on results from two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials, SKYLIGHT 1™ and SKYLIGHT 2™, and the Phase 3 long-term safety study, SKYLIGHT 4™.
Fezolinetant is an investigational selective neurokinin 3 (NK3) receptor antagonist. The safety and efficacy of fezolinetant are under investigation and have not been established.
Astellas is reviewing the financial impacts of this submission for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023.
The BRIGHT SKY pivotal trials, SKYLIGHT 1™ (NCT04003155) and SKYLIGHT 2™ (NCT04003142), enrolled over 1,000 women with moderate to severe VMS. The trials are double-blinded, placebo-controlled for the first 12 weeks followed by a 40-week treatment extension period. Women were enrolled at over 180 sites within the U.S., Canada and Europe. SKYLIGHT 4™ (NCT04003389) is a 52-week double-blinded, placebo-controlled study designed to investigate the long-term safety of fezolinetant. For SKYLIGHT 4, over 1,800 women with VMS were enrolled at over 180 sites within the U.S., Canada and Europe.
VMS, characterized by hot flashes (also called hot flushes) and/or night sweats, are common symptoms of menopause.1,2 In the U.S., about 60% to 80% of women experience these symptoms during or after the menopausal transition and, worldwide, more than half of women 40 to 64 years of age experience VMS.3,4,5,6 VMS can have a disruptive impact on women's daily activities and overall quality of life.1
Fezolinetant is an investigational oral, nonhormonal therapy in clinical development for the treatment of moderate to severe VMS associated with menopause. Fezolinetant works by blocking neurokinin B (NKB) binding on the kisspeptin/neurokinin/dynorphin (KNDy) neuron to moderate neuronal activity in the thermoregulatory center of the brain (the hypothalamus) to reduce the frequency and severity of moderate to severe VMS associated with menopause.3,4,7 The safety and efficacy of fezolinetant are under investigation and have not been established. There is no guarantee the agent will receive regulatory approval or become commercially available for the uses being investigated.
Astellas Pharma Inc. is a pharmaceutical company conducting business in more than 70 countries around the world. We are promoting the Focus Area Approach that is designed to identify opportunities for the continuous creation of new drugs to address diseases with high unmet medical needs by focusing on Biology and Modality. Furthermore, we are also looking beyond our foundational Rx focus to create Rx+® healthcare solutions that combine our expertise and knowledge with cutting-edge technology in different fields of external partners. Through these efforts, Astellas stands on the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into value for patients. For more information, please visit our website at https://www.astellas.com/en.
In this press release, statements made with respect to current plans, estimates, strategies and beliefs and other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements about the future performance of Astellas. These statements are based on management's current assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: (i) changes in general economic conditions and in laws and regulations, relating to pharmaceutical markets, (ii) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (iii) delays in new product launches, (iv) the inability of Astellas to market existing and new products effectively, (v) the inability of Astellas to continue to effectively research and develop products accepted by customers in highly competitive markets, and (vi) infringements of Astellas' intellectual property rights by third parties. Information about pharmaceutical products (including products currently in development) which is included in this press release is not intended to constitute an advertisement or medical advice.
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SOURCE Astellas Pharma Inc. | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/astellas-submits-fezolinetant-new-drug-application-us-fda/ | 2022-06-24 00:42:50 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/astellas-submits-fezolinetant-new-drug-application-us-fda/ |
If you missed the Bodock Festival this past weekend you missed a great time.
The entertainment was, I think, one of the best line-ups we have had.
I didn’t get to the car show, but from going past, I am sure it was a big hit by the number cars on display and the number of people out walking around.
The bike ride drew over 200 riders coming from at least seven states.
There were people all day walking up and down the street visiting the arts and craft vendors.
We decided to set up a booth for the pottery that my niece and I get to spend time together creating pottery.
Pottery has been a hobby of mine for several years, but life has gotten in the way over the past few years and we have just gotten back into producing some pottery pieces.
I was so happy to be a part of Bodock and I want to thank everyone that came by and visited our booth and that purchased the pottery.
I want to especially thank everyone for their response to the Scrap Clay Crosses.
The story behind the Scrap Clay Cross is my sister-in-law was fighting cancer years ago and spent a day in the studio with us, she walked over to the work table and asked what we were going to do with the scrap clay.
She began to take the scrap clay and draw crosses on them. For one day, Stephanie did not think about her cancer, she created something beautiful that continues today.
For years we have continued to make the scrap clay crosses and always think of Stephanie when making them.
We give away many of these crosses to people who are fighting this horrible disease or is a cancer survivor.
I like to tell them the story behind the scrap clay cross.
This year, we decided to donate 100% of the proceeds from the Scrap Clay Cross to the American Cancer Society.
We will be donating to the American Cancer Society from your generosity in purchasing the Scrap Clay Cross.
Thank you all for your support of the Scrap Clay Cross and I hope to make many more to give this small token in hopes that it can bless another family fighting cancer.
My niece, Brandy and I, get to spend our Saturday’s creating pottery and now we have the opportunity to, in some small way, to help others.
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3 baby chimps abducted from animal sanctuary; abductors demanding ransom money
(CNN) - Three baby chimpanzees were abducted from an animal sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The sanctuary said it is facing ransom demands for money after the animals were stolen.
The incident reportedly happened on Sept. 9 around 3 a.m. when kidnappers broke into the sanctuary and took the animals.
Hours later, the abductors reportedly sent the owners messages and videos demanding money for the chimpanzees’ return.
The sanctuary said they would not pay any ransom because it would set a bad precedent.
Authorities are investigating the incident and said they are trying to identify the kidnappers.
Representatives with the sanctuary said this is the first time something like this has happened involving their animals.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/09/24/3-baby-chimps-abducted-animal-sanctuary-abductors-demanding-ransom-money/ | 2022-09-24 16:53:53 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/09/24/3-baby-chimps-abducted-animal-sanctuary-abductors-demanding-ransom-money/ |
Biden set to sign debt ceiling bill that averts prospect of unprecedented federal default
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is expected to sign legislation on Saturday to raise the debt ceiling, dodging Monday’s deadline when the Treasury warned that the United States would start running short of cash to pay all its bills.
The bipartisan measure, passed by the House on Wednesday and the Senate on Thursday, averts the potential of an unprecedented government default that would have rocked the U.S. and global economies. Raising the nation’s debt limit, now at $31.4 trillion, will ensure that the government can borrow to pay debts already incurred.
“Passing this budget agreement was critical. The stakes could not have been higher,” Biden said from the Oval Office on Friday evening. “Nothing would have been more catastrophic,” he said, than defaulting on the country’s debt.
The agreement was hashed out by Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, giving Republicans some of their demanded federal spending cuts but holding the line on major Democratic priorities. It raises the debt limit until 2025 — after the 2024 presidential election — and gives legislators budget targets for the next two years in hopes of assuring fiscal stability as the political season heats up.
“No one got everything they wanted but the American people got what they needed,” Biden said, highlighting the “compromise and consensus” in the deal. “We averted an economic crisis and an economic collapse.”
Biden used the opportunity to itemize the achievements of his first term as he runs for reelection, including support for high-tech manufacturing, infrastructure investments and financial incentives for fighting climate change. He also highlighted ways he blunted Republican efforts to roll back his agenda and achieve deeper cuts.
“We’re cutting spending and bringing deficits down at the same time,” Biden said. “We’re protecting important priorities from Social Security to Medicare to Medicaid to veterans to our transformational investments in infrastructure and clean energy.”
Even as he pledged to continue working with Republicans, Biden also drew contrasts with the opposing party, particularly when it comes to raising taxes on the wealthy, something the Democratic president has sought.
It’s something he suggested may need to wait until a second term.
“I’m going to be coming back,” he said. “With your help, I’m going to win.”
Biden’s remarks were the most detailed comments from the Democratic president on the compromise he and his staff negotiated. He largely remained quiet publicly during the high-stakes talks, a decision that frustrated some members of his party but was intended to give space for both sides to reach a deal and for lawmakers to vote it to his desk.
Biden praised McCarthy and his negotiators for operating in good faith, and all congressional leaders for ensuring swift passage of the legislation. “They acted responsibly, and put the good of the country ahead of politics,” he said.
Overall, the 99-page bill restricts spending for the next two years and changes some policies, including imposing new work requirements for older Americans receiving food aid and greenlighting an Appalachian natural gas pipeline that many Democrats oppose. Some environmental rules were modified to help streamline approvals for infrastructure and energy projects — a move long sought by moderates in Congress.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates it could actually expand total eligibility for federal food assistance, with the elimination of work requirements for veterans, homeless people and young people leaving foster care.
The legislation also bolsters funds for defense and veterans, cuts back some new money for the Internal Revenue Service and rejects Biden’s call to roll back Trump-era tax breaks on corporations and the wealthy to help cover the nation’s deficits. But the White House said the IRS’ plans to step up enforcement of tax laws for high-income earners and corporations would continue.
The agreement imposes an automatic overall 1% cut to spending programs if Congress fails to approve its annual spending bills — a measure designed to pressure lawmakers of both parties to reach consensus before the end of the fiscal year in September.
In both chambers, more Democrats backed the legislation than Republicans, but both parties were critical to its passage. In the Senate the tally was 63-36 including 46 Democrats and independents and 17 Republicans in favor, 31 Republicans along with four Democrats and one independent who caucuses with the Democrats opposed.
The vote in the House was 314-117.
___
AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kttc.com/2023/06/03/biden-set-sign-debt-ceiling-bill-that-averts-prospect-unprecedented-federal-default/ | 2023-06-03 13:30:21 | 0 | https://www.kttc.com/2023/06/03/biden-set-sign-debt-ceiling-bill-that-averts-prospect-unprecedented-federal-default/ |
“HCA can’t run our hospitals without us volunteering to work overtime because of their understaffing,” Donna Delia, a worker at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital in Palm Beach County, said in a statement shared by her union.
Voluntary overtime is paid overtime that a worker can opt into. If there's not enough staff on a shift, working longer hours could help to fill gaps in staffing that could otherwise pose a safety risk for patients, particularly those with complex healthcare needs.
“It’s time we sent a message that we won’t be exploited or taken for granted anymore,” added Delia, who’s a delegate for her union.
Delia’s union, 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, represents 10,000 hospital workers in HCA centers across Florida, including HCA Florida Osceola Hospital in Kissimmee.
“It’s time we sent a message that we won’t be exploited or taken for granted anymore,” an HCA worker said.
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In addition to the vote to refuse voluntary overtime, the union has also filed a complaint against the HCA hospital system for refusing to provide information about workplace injuries and safety issues within the HCA facilities.
The unfair labor practice complaint, filed with the National Labor Relations Board on May 19, alleges that HCA Healthcare has violated federal law by refusing to provide the union with information about hospital staffing and Occupational Safety and Health Administration logs concerning workplace injuries and illnesses, as they bargain for a new union contract.
Earlier this month, hospital workers rallied outside HCA Florida Osceola Hospital, as well as several other HCA facilities across Florida, to warn the public of a "staffing crisis" in hospitals that they say has created unsafe conditions for patients and has left staff overworked and burnt out.
“Within the last few weeks, we’ve had situations where we have the ER overwhelmed with ICU patients,” Vaughn Benton, a clinical pharmacist at the Osceola hospital, said during the rally.
“But, because we don’t have enough nursing staff, or enough staff in general to place them into ICU, they just closed the ICU down,” he said.
In response to our request for comment, a spokesperson for HCA Healthcare told Orlando Weekly in a prepared statement, “At HCA Florida Osceola Hospital, we believe a strong culture of respect and collaboration among our colleagues is critical to our mission. We value all members of our care teams and we provide a safe environment for our patients.”
The spokesperson pointed to HCA Florida’s accolades, including several of their hospitals’ inclusion on a Healthgrades list of America’s 250 Best Hospitals (including HCA Florida Osceola).
The labor union 1199 SEIU represents a wide range of hospital staff at HCA Florida Osceola, including pharmacists, dietary aides, certified nursing assistants, techs, and occupational therapists. Nurses at the hospital are represented by National Nurses United.
1199 SEIU is currently negotiating a new contract for workers at Florida hospitals owned by HCA Healthcare, the nation’s largest for-profit healthcare system.
The labor union’s rallies and unfair labor practice charge “is part of this labor union’s normal actions during collective bargaining, which happens every three years at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital,” the HCA spokesperson told Orlando Weekly.
“During those negotiations, our goal is the same: to secure a fair agreement that continues to support a culture of colleague safety, care excellence and compassion,”the spokesperson added.
Florida HCA workers have rallied and filed other unfair labor practice charges in the past, but their voiced concerns — particularly that of short-staffing — are not unique to the company’s Florida hospitals.
Nationwide, the hospital system is frequently hit with complaints of understaffing, union-busting, and prioritizing profit over patients (HCA Healthcare reported $5.6 billion in profits in 2022). The Nashville-based company is also facing allegations of Medicare fraud.
“HCA takes in billions of dollars each year with a CEO who made $30 million and can afford to make care for patients, caregivers and our communities a priority while still earning a fair profit,” said Joaquin Garcia, a radiology technician at HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in Miami, in a statement.
A study published by the union earlier this year found that staffing ratios at HCA facilities, located in 20 states nationwide, were 30% lower than national averages.
Weighted staff ratios at HCA facilities in Florida were 32% lower than state averages for other hospitals.
Workers warn that this is a big deal. Short-staffing can reduce the amount of time hospital workers have to spend with patients who have acute or complicated health needs, by forcing them to multi-task. It can also increase the risk for mistakes — some of which can have fatal consequences.
In 2019, the family of a former HCA Florida Osceola Hospital patient, for instance, sued the hospital after she died “as a result of the severe anoxic brain injury,” received in the aftermath of ovarian cyst surgery.
Working short-staffed, or otherwise lacking the resources or knowledge to adequately care for patients, can risk causing workers to develop what's been termed moral injury.
Moral injury, according to the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a form of trauma that can have a “lasting psychological, spiritual, behavioral or social impact.”
Maria Campbell, a patient technician at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital, said at a rally earlier this month that she believes that “profit is being put over patients,” as well as over their care and safety.
The tech added that she’d like to give the care to patients that she would want for herself or her loved ones. “But at this point, we can’t,” she said. “Our hands are tied.”
According to a copy of the latest NLRB complaint, obtained by Orlando Weekly, the union requested copies of OSHA 200 logs (on workplace injuries and illnesses) on Jan. 17, 2023, in addition to information on hospital staffing, and a list “of all reported sentinel events or adverse incidents.”
The union reiterated and clarified its request twice to HCA in March, per the complaint, then again on May 16, with additional clarification that they were specifically seeking this information because it related to their bargaining process with HCA.
Bargaining is a process through which unions and employers can come to an agreement on things like staffing levels, worker pay, and other workplace conditions to include in a labor contract.
Refusing to provide information relevant to this process is considered a form of bad faith bargaining under Section 8 (5) of the National Labor Relations Act.
This, as well as ongoing conditions within hospitals (according to the workers), prompted them to vote to refuse voluntary overtime — a move meant to spur HCA into action.
Orlando Weekly requested information from the union about how many workers voted to refuse voluntary overtime, and what percentage of union membership that represented, but did not receive a response prior to publication.
Workers at 19 HCA Florida hospitals, including the Osceola hospital, will refuse to take on voluntary overtime from June 2 through June 7, 2023, according to the union.
In the meantime, the union plans to continue demanding better workplace protections for workers to be included within their next contract.
Garcia, the Miami hospital worker, added in a statement about the vote, “To help solve this crisis, we need HCA to respect us, protect us, pay us and staff us.”
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Teacher accused of making child pornography, police say
BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX/Gray News) – A teacher in Vermont is accused of using hidden cameras to produce child pornography.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Norman Merrill II, 45, of Chester, is due in federal court on Friday.
According to WCAX, Merrill is a teacher at Green Mountain Union High School.
After allegations of possible voyeurism, police say they found pinhole cameras and a spy camera they believe were used in a bathroom at Merrill’s home. Some of the videos they found showed nude children.
They say Merrill also appeared to be secretly recording videos of young girls walking in front of him at Green Mountain High School.
Thursday, a federal grand jury indicted Merrill on charges including production of child sexual abuse material and possession of child sexual abuse material.
If convicted of all the charges, Merrill could face up to 30 years in prison.
Copyright 2022 WCAX via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kait8.com/2022/05/20/teacher-accused-making-child-pornography-police-say/ | 2022-05-20 16:03:41 | 0 | https://www.kait8.com/2022/05/20/teacher-accused-making-child-pornography-police-say/ |
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