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TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The Chinese military held large-scale joint combat strike drills starting Sunday, sending war planes and navy vessels toward Taiwan, both the Chinese and Taiwanese defense ministries said.
The exercises coincided with the visit of a group of German lawmakers who landed in Taiwan on Monday morning. Leading the delegation is the Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, who leads the German Parliament’s Defense Committee.
The German lawmakers will meet with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, as well as Taiwan’s National Security Council head and the Mainland Affairs Council, which handles issues related to China.
China has stepped up its pressure on Taiwan’s military in recent years by sending warplanes or navy vessels on an almost-daily basis toward the self-ruled island. China claims sovereignty over the island, which split from the mainland in 1949 after a civil war.
Sunday's exercises have continued into Monday, Taiwan’s defense ministry said, monitoring Chinese warplanes and navy vessels on its missile systems.
China’s actions “have severely disrupted the peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and surrounding waters,” the ministry said.
Over the course of 24 hours between 6 a.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Monday morning, China's People's Liberation Army flew 57 warplanes and four ships toward Taiwan, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said in a statement Monday morning. Twenty-eight of those planes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial boundary that both sides had previously stood by.
China announced the drills around 11 p.m. Sunday, saying their “primary target was to practice land-strikes and sea assaults,” according to a statement from Shi Yi, a spokesperson for the PLA's Eastern Theater Command.
At the end of December, China sent a record 71 planes and 7 ships toward Taiwan, the largest such scale exercise in 2022.
Taiwan will hold its annual two-day military drills starting Wednesday. The exercise ahead of Lunar New Year holidays is aimed at showcasing its defense capabilities.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/ap-top-news/2023/01/09/china-holds-large-scale-joint-strike-drills-aimed-at-taiwan | 2023-01-09 07:28:01 | 1 | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/ap-top-news/2023/01/09/china-holds-large-scale-joint-strike-drills-aimed-at-taiwan |
ALLENTOWN, Pa., Feb. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PPL Capital Funding, Inc. ("PPL Capital Funding"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), announced today the pricing of $900 million aggregate principal amount of its 2.875% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2028 (the "notes") in a private placement (the "offering") to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). PPL Capital Funding also granted the initial purchasers of the notes an option to purchase, within a 13-day period beginning on, and including, the first date on which the notes are issued, up to an additional $100 million aggregate principal amount of notes. The sale of the notes to the initial purchasers is expected to settle on February 24, 2023, subject to customary closing conditions, and is expected to result in $882 million in net proceeds to PPL Capital Funding after deducting the initial purchasers' discount but before deducting estimated offering expenses payable by PPL Capital Funding (assuming no exercise of the initial purchasers' option to purchase additional notes).
The notes will be senior, unsecured obligations of PPL Capital Funding and will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior, unsecured basis by PPL Corporation. The notes will bear interest at a rate of 2.875% per year, payable semi-annually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year, beginning on September 15, 2023. The notes will mature on March 15, 2028, unless earlier exchanged, redeemed or repurchased.
The notes will be exchangeable at an initial exchange rate of 29.3432 shares of PPL Corporation's common stock (the "common stock") per $1,000 principal amount of notes (equivalent to an initial exchange price of approximately $34.08 per share of common stock, which represents an exchange premium of approximately 22.5% to the last reported sale price of $27.82 per share of common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on February 21, 2023). Upon exchange of the notes, PPL Capital Funding will pay cash up to the aggregate principal amount of the notes to be exchanged and pay or deliver (or cause to be delivered), as the case may be, cash, shares of common stock or a combination of cash and shares of common stock, at PPL Capital Funding's election, in respect of the remainder, if any, of its exchange obligation in excess of the aggregate principal amount of the notes being exchanged. Prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding December 15, 2027, the notes will be exchangeable at the option of the noteholders only upon the satisfaction of specified conditions and during certain periods. On or after December 15, 2027, until the close of business on the business day immediately preceding the maturity date, the notes will be exchangeable at the option of the noteholders at any time regardless of these conditions or periods.
PPL Capital Funding may not redeem the notes prior to March 20, 2026. PPL Capital Funding may redeem for cash all or any portion of the notes, at its option, on or after March 20, 2026, if the last reported sale price of the common stock has been at least 130% of the exchange price then in effect for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive), during any 30 consecutive trading day period (including the last trading day of such period) ending on and including the trading day immediately preceding the date on which PPL Capital Funding provides notice of redemption, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, plus any accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date. No sinking fund is provided for the notes.
Subject to certain conditions, holders of the notes will have the right to require PPL Capital Funding to repurchase all or a portion of their notes upon the occurrence of a fundamental change (as defined in the indenture that will govern the notes) at a repurchase price of 100% of their principal amount plus any accrued and unpaid interest. In connection with certain corporate events or if PPL Capital Funding calls any notes for redemption, PPL Capital Funding will, under certain circumstances, increase the exchange rate for noteholders who elect to exchange their notes in connection with any such corporate event or exchange their notes called for redemption.
PPL Capital Funding intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to repay short-term debt and for general corporate purposes.
The notes are being offered only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act. The notes, the guarantee, and the shares of common stock deliverable upon exchange of the notes, if any, have not been, nor will be, registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction, and unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an applicable exemption from such registration requirements.
This announcement is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is unlawful.
About PPL
PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is a leading U.S. energy company focused on providing electricity and natural gas safely, reliably and affordably to 3.5 million customers in the U.S. PPL's high-performing, award-winning utilities are addressing energy challenges head-on by building smarter, more resilient and more dynamic power grids and advancing sustainable energy solutions.
Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this news release, including without limitation terms and phrases that include "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "continue," "should," "could," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "will," "potential," "forecast," "target," "guidance," "outlook," or other similar terminology, are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Although PPL Corporation believes that the expectations and assumptions reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in the statements. The following are among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements: strategic acquisitions, dispositions, or similar transactions, including the acquisition of The Narragansett Electric Company, and our ability to consummate these business transactions or realize expected benefits from them; the COVID-19 pandemic or other pandemic health events or other catastrophic events, including severe weather, and their effect on financial markets, economic conditions and our businesses; weather conditions affecting customer energy usage and operating costs; significant changes in the demand for electricity; the effect of any business or industry restructuring; the profitability and liquidity of PPL Corporation and its subsidiaries; new accounting requirements or new interpretations or applications of existing requirements; operating performance of our facilities; the length of scheduled and unscheduled outages at our generating plants; environmental conditions and requirements, and the related costs of compliance; system conditions and operating costs; development of new projects, markets and technologies; performance of new ventures; receipt of necessary government permits, approvals, rate relief and regulatory cost recovery; capital market conditions, including interest rates, and decisions regarding capital structure; the impact of state, federal or foreign investigations applicable to PPL Corporation and its subsidiaries; the outcome of litigation involving PPL Corporation and its subsidiaries; stock price performance; the market prices of debt and equity securities and the impact on pension income and resultant cash funding requirements for defined benefit pension plans; the securities and credit ratings of PPL Corporation and its subsidiaries; political, regulatory or economic conditions in states, regions or countries where PPL Corporation or its subsidiaries conduct business, including any potential direct or indirect effects of threatened or actual cyberattack, terrorism, or war or other hostilities, including the war in Ukraine; changes in state, federal or foreign legislation or regulatory developments, including new tax legislation; and the commitments and liabilities of PPL Corporation and its subsidiaries. Any such forward-looking statements should be considered in light of such important factors and in conjunction with factors and other matters discussed in PPL Corporation's Form 10-K and other reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Note to Editors: Visit our media website at www.pplnewsroom.com for additional news about PPL Corporation.
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SOURCE PPL Corporation | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/02/22/ppl-capital-funding-inc-announces-pricing-900-million-2875-exchangeable-senior-notes/ | 2023-02-22 05:16:54 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/02/22/ppl-capital-funding-inc-announces-pricing-900-million-2875-exchangeable-senior-notes/ |
Winthrop vs. High Point Women's Basketball Predictions & Picks - February 25
Published: Feb. 23, 2023 at 8:49 AM EST|Updated: 51 minutes ago
Saturday's contest features the High Point Panthers (14-13) and the Winthrop Eagles (8-20) facing off at Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena in what is expected to be a lopsided matchup, with a projected 70-51 victory for heavily favored High Point according to our computer prediction. Game time is at 4:00 PM ET on February 25.
The Eagles fell in their last matchup 48-38 against Campbell on Wednesday.
Winthrop vs. High Point Game Info
- When: Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 4:00 PM ET
- Where: Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena in Amherst, Massachusetts
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Winthrop vs. High Point Score Prediction
- Prediction: High Point 70, Winthrop 51
Winthrop Schedule Analysis
- In terms of their signature win this season, the Eagles defeated the Radford Highlanders at home on February 4 by a score of 60-48.
- Against Quadrant 4 teams, Winthrop is 7-16 (.304%) -- tied for the third-most losses.
Winthrop 2022-23 Best Wins
- 59-51 at home over Presbyterian (No. 320) on January 28
- 69-55 at home over Longwood (No. 337) on January 7
- 69-58 on the road over Longwood (No. 337) on February 1
- 53-48 on the road over South Carolina Upstate (No. 351) on February 11
- 56-52 at home over South Carolina Upstate (No. 351) on February 12
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Winthrop Performance Insights
- The Eagles have been outscored by 8.6 points per game (posting 51.7 points per game, 354th in college basketball, while conceding 60.3 per outing, 73rd in college basketball) and have a -239 scoring differential.
- In Big South games, Winthrop has averaged 1.3 more points (53) than overall (51.7) in 2022-23.
- At home the Eagles are scoring 55.4 points per game, 7.3 more than they are averaging on the road (48.1).
- Winthrop is allowing fewer points at home (58.1 per game) than on the road (61.8).
- The Eagles are putting up 55.6 points per game in their past 10 games, compared to their season average of 51.7.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbtv.com/sports/betting/2023/02/25/winthrop-high-point-womens-college-basketball-picks-predictions/ | 2023-02-23 14:41:50 | 0 | https://www.wbtv.com/sports/betting/2023/02/25/winthrop-high-point-womens-college-basketball-picks-predictions/ |
Authorities are investigating what they describe as the discovery of the “possible remains of an infant” outside an apartment building in a community north of Boston, state police said.
Revere police responded to the building in the city at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday after a man found the possible remains outside, state police said in a statement.
According to broadcast reports, the remains were found inside a trash bag near some trash cans.
State police assigned to the Suffolk district attorney’s office also responded to the scene.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was expected to take custody of the possible remains for further forensic examination, state police said.
No additional information was released.
Massachusetts has a baby “safe haven” law, that allows parents to surrender infants up to 7 days old at a hospital, police station, or staffed fire station without facing criminal prosecution. | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/04/12/police-investigate-discovery-of-possible-infant-remains/ | 2023-04-12 16:01:35 | 0 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/04/12/police-investigate-discovery-of-possible-infant-remains/ |
Pope Francis to undergo intestinal surgery, will be hospitalized for several days
ROME (AP) - Pope Francis is going to the hospital Wednesday for intestinal surgery, two years after he had 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his colon removed because of an inflammation and narrowing of the large intestine.
The Vatican said Francis, 86, would be put under general anesthesia and would be hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli hospital for several days.
The pope was undergoing what the Vatican said was a “laparotomy and abdominal wall plastic surgery with prosthesis” to treat a “recurrent, painful and worsening” constriction of the intestine.
A laparotomy is open abdominal surgery. It can help a surgeon both diagnose and treat issues.
“The stay at the health facility will last several days to allow for the normal post-operative course and full functional recovery,” the statement said.
In July 2021, Francis spent 10 days at Gemelli to remove 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his large intestine. He had suffered what the Vatican said was a severe inflammation and narrowing of the colon. In an interview with The Associated Press in January, Francis said the diverticulosis, or bulges in his intestinal wall, that prompted the 2021 surgery, had returned.
Francis went to the Gemelli on Tuesday for what the Vatican said were medical tests. It revealed no details at the time.
Francis, 86, had appeared in good form Wednesday morning at his audience in St. Peter’s Square, zipping around the square in his popemobile greeting the faithful. He also had two meetings Wednesday morning beforehand, the Vatican said.
The Argentine pope had part of one lung removed when he was a young man. He also suffers from sciatica nerve pain and has been using a wheelchair and walker for more than a year because of strained ligaments in his knee.
Francis has had a packed schedule of late, with multiple audiences each day. The Vatican has recently confirmed a travel-filled August, when the Holy See and Italy are usually on vacation, with a four-day visit to Portugal the first week of August and a similarly long trip to Mongolia starting Aug. 31.
In a sign that the trips were very much on, the Vatican on Tuesday released the planned itinerary for Francis’ visit to Portugal for World Youth Day events from Aug. 2-6. The itinerary confirms a typically busy schedule that includes all the protocol meetings of an official state visit plus multiple events with young people and a day trip to the Marian shrine at Fatima.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/06/07/pope-francis-undergo-intestinal-surgery-will-be-hospitalized-several-days/ | 2023-06-07 08:52:52 | 0 | https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/06/07/pope-francis-undergo-intestinal-surgery-will-be-hospitalized-several-days/ |
TEREHOVA, Latvia — The road carrying a mile-long stream of semi-trucks waiting to enter Russia from Latvia is lined with port-a-potties and dumpsters full of junk-food wrappers and empty caffeinated soda bottles. The wait to get through this border crossing takes around two days.
"You should have seen this line two months ago," recalls Belarusian trucker Dmitri, who sits in the cab of his truck passing the time watching Russian television. "There were more than a thousand trucks and it took at least seven days to cross into Russia."
Dmitri, who doesn't give his last name for fear of being targeted for his opinions, has been idling here for two days, inching toward the front of the line. The mustachioed man in his 50s says he's transporting a trailer full of beer from Germany to Moscow, and he says because his country has aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Moscow's invasion of Ukraine has impacted his work and reputation.
"I've lost work from this and people treat me worse than before," he says. "I was in Lithuania a few days ago trying to eat at a Ukrainian restaurant there, and they wouldn't let me. They kicked me out and told me to get my food from Putin instead."
Dmitri says he ate at a restaurant across the street, but the incident stuck with him. "The leaders behind this war aren't suffering from it," he says. "It's us, the regular people, who have to suffer."
Latvia, a member of NATO and the European Union, has pushed for a strong global response to Russia's war in Ukraine. The country's 180-mile border with Russia has become tense as a result. Long lines of trucks at border crossings illustrate the toll economic sanctions against Russia and Belarus have taken, and anxieties among those living along the border are also on the rise.
Some of those in Latvia are stateless
Farther back in line is Anatoly Chibaterevsky, who's driving 1,000 miles from his home in western Latvia to his brother's funeral in Volgograd, a city in southwest Russia. The 75-year-old has lived in Latvia most of his life. He doesn't say what country he was born in, but explains that his family moved here as part of the Soviet occupation of the country shortly after World War II, and returned after being deported to Siberia for a decade's worth of hard labor in 1949.
When Latvia gained independence in 1991, Chibaterevsky was one of tens of thousands of ethnic Russians who were never given Latvian citizenship. He is essentially stateless. He rifles through his suitcase and emerges with his passport, which says "Latvian noncitizen" on its burgundy cover.
He says he hopes the Russians let him enter. "They usually let me cross with no problems," he says, "but last time they told me, 'You ran away from Russia, so you're staying in Latvia.'"
Ethnic Russians are a large minority in Latvia
Ethnic Russians like Chibaterevsky only make up a quarter of Latvia's population of 2 million, but they're the norm in the towns along the eastern border, where many of them speak Russian and identify with Russia. And up until recently, they got much of their information about the world from Russian TV.
"Russian channels are now blocked and since Russia has been declared the aggressor, we just follow orders and watch what we're being ordered to watch," says Nadezhda Kravchenko, who lives in the Latvian border town of Zilupe.
When asked how Russia's war in Ukraine is affecting her, she says Latvia has no power over the situation, that it's none of her business, and then walks away without saying another word.
Nearly everyone NPR approached in Zilupe was hesitant to talk about the war.
"Everyone is afraid to tell you what they really think, but I'm not," says Jurijs, a 65-year-old pensioner who says he's not scared to talk about the war, but doesn't give his last name for fear of being targeted by authorities.
He says he watches both Russian and Latvian news and he's decided the Latvian side is propaganda. "Ukrainians are fascists and the U.S. gives them weapons," he complains, repeating talking points from Russian state TV. "Russia has liberated them, but they continue to plant land mines and bomb kindergartens and hospitals. Why is Ukraine doing this?"
Latvian authorities are cracking down on public support of Russia, and that's why Jurijs says nobody here wants to openly talk about the war. "They can put you in jail for that," he says. "But I'm old. Let them put me in jail for supporting Russia. When Russia invades, they'll come and liberate me."
Some Russian-speakers seem to be changing their views on the war
A poll taken earlier this year by Latvian research firm SKDS showed only 25% of Latvians who spoke Russian at home sympathize with the Ukrainian side in the war, while 83% of Latvian speakers supported Ukraine. In another poll conducted by the same firm, 36% of Russian-speakers in Latvia believed that Russia was fighting "Naziism" in Ukraine, a narrative pushed by Russian state television, while just 6% of Latvian speakers believed the same to be true.
"What we know from surveys done before the Russian invasion of Ukraine is that a majority of Russian speakers in Latvia actually had favorable views regarding Russia and Putin," says SKDS Executive Director Arnis Kaktins. "The reason for that is quite a large part of this population lived in the Russian information field, and we know it is very specific, distorted propaganda, and inevitably you are going to believe it and start to think the same way."
Kaktins says the polls his firm have taken since the war began show an increasing number of Russian-speaking Latvians changing their views to a more nuanced and critical stance on Russian state narratives. Kaktins says young Russian-speaking Latvians tend to be the most critical of Russia's government.
A Ukrainian seeks a roundabout route to the Donbas
Back at Latvia's Terehova border crossing, cars inch forward toward Russia. Among them is the Toyota SUV of Natalia Kononenko, who never thought she'd be here. She's Ukrainian, and she's driven nearly 1,000 miles from Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, where she's been staying, as her home region of Donetsk in the eastern part of her country is being fought over by Russian and Ukrainian troops. Her son, a young student, is stuck there.
"There's talk that the Russians will take over the rest of our region and then we'll have to make a decision to be on one or other side," she says. "But until now, no one is forcibly taking us anywhere."
And that's why Kononenko is on a rescue mission to pull her son out of the Donetsk region. Instead of driving a few hundred miles through the fighting on the front line and risking getting killed, she's driving thousands of miles, circumnavigating Ukraine, so that she can approach Donetsk from Russia, a journey that'll take several days.
She's praying that the Russian border guards will allow her into the country. "There shouldn't be a problem, but we don't know," she says with a nervous grin. "We'll just keep on driving and hope for the best."
Behind her in the line is Anatoly Chibatersvsky, the Latvian noncitizen who's also hoping to get to the other side. "There are benefits to being a noncitizen," he concedes. "With my passport I don't have to buy visas for the EU nor for Russia."
He says even his children who are eligible for Latvian citizenship have opted to be like him and remain stateless. In today's world of national allegiance and the wars fought over it, he says being stateless is, in some ways, a relief.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.ctpublic.org/2022-09-04/at-latvias-border-with-russia-the-line-grows-long-and-tempers-short | 2022-09-04 12:41:21 | 0 | https://www.ctpublic.org/2022-09-04/at-latvias-border-with-russia-the-line-grows-long-and-tempers-short |
HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Porter Jr. scored 27 points and the Houston Rockets beat the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers 114-110 on Wednesday night.
Los Angeles scored five points, with a 3-pointer from Rui Hachimura, to get within four early in the fourth quarter. The Rockets countered with an 8-0 run, with the first five points from rookie Jabari Smith Jr., to push it to 96-83.
The Rockets were up by eight with 7.2 seconds to go before Malik Beasley hit a 3 for the Lakers to cut the lead to 114-109. Austin Reaves then got a steal and Porter fouled him with 0.3 seconds remaining. It was ruled a Flagrant-1 foul after a review, but Reaves made just 1 of 2 free throws and Houston held on.
Porter was disappointed that Houston let it get that close in the final seconds.
“We got a little comfortable,” he said. “We were up like eight or 10 … when our youth kind of showed right there. We’ll learn from that. We’ve got to stay focused until the last buzzer.”
It’s the second straight victory for the Western Conference-worst Rockets, who beat Boston on Monday night.
Already without LeBron James because of an injury, the Lakers were also missing Anthony Davis against Houston. Davis, who had 35 points and 17 rebounds in a win over New Orleans on Tuesday night, isn’t playing both games of back-to-back per doctors’ orders after coming back from a right foot injury.
“Houston — young team — and regardless of what their record is, they came to play,” coach Darvin Ham said. “And we felt them. They made us feel them in terms of them attacking the paint, them getting hits… (and) we should have been the ones playing with that type of edge.”
Reaves had 24 points off the bench and D’Angelo Russell added 18 as the Lakers lost for the second time in three games as they fight to stay in line for one of the last playoff spots in the Western Conference.
Porter had 18 points before halftime despite missing the last two minutes of the second quarter after sustaining a cut about his left eye. He was bleeding profusely as he held a towel to the cut as he walked to the locker room. He returned to start the third quarter with a band-aid covering the cut.
He said that he received some stitches and had glue put on the cut at halftime.
Coach Stephen Silas was impressed with Porter’s peformance.
“He was great right from the start,” he said. “He was aggressive. He was making plays for his teammates… just a solid, complete game.”
Houston took advantage of the absence of Davis to dominate in the paint where the team outscored the Lakers 78-46.
The Rockets led by as many as 18 in the first half and had a 62-48 lead at halftime. That deficit came a night after Los Angeles led 75-40 at halftime after making a franchise-record 15 3-pointers in the first two quarters.
The Lakers used a 9-2 run to get to 79-74 with about three minutes left in the third quarter. Troy Brown Jr. made the first five points in that stretch and Wenyen Gabriel capped it with a basket.
But the Los Angeles offense went cold after that and didn’t score for the rest of the quarter as Houston got baskets from Jae’Sean Tate and Jalen Green to lead 83-74 after three.
TIP-INS
Lakers: James was out for the ninth straight game with a right foot injury. Mo Bamba missed a fifth straight game with a sprained left ankle. … Beasley had 16 points. … Jarred Vanderbilt added 13 points with 11 rebounds. … Gabriel had a career-high 15 rebounds.
Rockets: Alperen Sengun had 13 points and nine rebounds in his return after sitting out Monday night with a groin injury. … Kenyon Martin Jr. had 16 points and eight rebounds. … Green scored 11 points.
HOUSTON’S GROWTH
Despite his team’s record this season, Silas has seen growth in the Rockets in recent weeks.
“All of them have some sort of chip on their shoulders it seems,” he said. “They are young but they’re all competitive… and they really want to do the right thing. Sometimes we just don’t because we’re young, but they’re a fun group to coach because they’re all good guys.”
UP NEXT
Lakers: Host Dallas on Friday night.
Rockets: Host New Orleans on Friday and Sunday nights. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.yourbasin.com/sports/porter-scores-27-points-rockets-beat-short-handed-lakers/ | 2023-03-16 12:09:02 | 1 | https://www.yourbasin.com/sports/porter-scores-27-points-rockets-beat-short-handed-lakers/ |
DALLAS (AP) — A federal judge has struck down one of Texas’ few remaining firearm restrictions, finding a law that barred adults under the age of 21 from carrying a handgun was unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman in Fort Worth on Thursday ruled that the state law prohibiting most 18- to 20-year-olds from carrying a handgun outside the home violates the Second Amendment right to bear arms and cannot be enforced. He stayed the ruling from taking effect for 30 days.
The decision came in a case brought last year by a gun rights advocacy group and a man and woman who argued they should be able to carry handguns for protection despite being under 21. They sued five months after Texas removed one of its last major gun restrictions, allowing people over 21 to carry handguns without a license, background check or training.
Pittman, an appointee of President Donald Trump, ruled in favor of the pair and the Firearms Policy Coalition Inc. based on “the Second Amendment’s text, as informed by Founding-Era history and tradition.”
The decision follows a major expansion of gun rights by the U.S. Supreme Court. After a series of mass shootings, the high court ruled in June that Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense.
Cody Wisniewski, a lawyer with the Firearms Policy Coalition, said Pittman’s decision “is a significant victory for the rights of young adults in Texas and demonstrates for the rest of the nation that similar bans cannot withstand constitutional challenges grounded in history.”
A spokeswoman for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican whose office defended the law in court, did not immediately responded to questions, including whether the state will appeal.
The ruling comes amid renewed calls in Texas for stricter gun laws following the May massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, where an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two teachers with a legally purchased AR-15 style rifle.
Although Texas had kept age restrictions on handgun sales, the age limit to purchase long rifles in the state is 18. Many Uvalde families have joined Democrats and gun control advocates in calling on lawmakers to raise the age to purchase rifles to 21.
Uvalde parents are also expected to call for stricter gun measures at a rally Saturday at the Texas Capitol. Neither Republican Gov. Greg Abbott nor the GOP’s overwhelming majority in the state Legislature have signaled support for new gun measures since Uvalde.
Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa decried the new court ruling Friday and urged Abbott to convene a special legislative session to pass “meaningful, widely-supported gun safety laws.”
___
Associated Press reporter Paul J. Weber in Austin contributed to this report. | https://www.myarklamiss.com/news/national-news/ap-federal-judge-strikes-down-texas-handgun-age-restriction/ | 2022-08-26 21:20:45 | 0 | https://www.myarklamiss.com/news/national-news/ap-federal-judge-strikes-down-texas-handgun-age-restriction/ |
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A man was seriously injured in a stabbing along Division Avenue just after noon Tuesday, Jan. 31.
Grand Rapids police responded about 12:15 p.m. to the area of S. Division Avenue and Weston Street for the stabbing report.
They learned that, during an altercation between two men, one stabbed the other.
The injury was believed to be life-threatening, police said.
Police said they believe they know the assailant’s identity but he has not yet been arrested.
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Crisis in Muskegon Heights: Another city departure as council members continue to skip meetings | https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2023/01/man-seriously-injured-in-grand-rapids-stabbing.html | 2023-01-31 20:48:22 | 0 | https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2023/01/man-seriously-injured-in-grand-rapids-stabbing.html |
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Greece’s prime minister said Monday that his government wants to take full advantage of a developing positive political climate with neighboring Turkey in order to improve bilateral relations despite a string of decades-old disputes.
But Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that doesn’t mean Turkey has “substantially changed” its stance on key differences between the two countries and needs to “decisively abandon its aggressive and unlawful conduct” against Greece’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Turkey and Greece remain at odds over maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean, a dispute that affects irregular migration into the European Union, mineral rights and the projection of military power.
Mitsotakis said that he agreed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11-12 to initiate new “lines of communication” and to maintain “a period of calm.”
High-level talks between the the two countries are expected to take place in the Greek city of Thessaloniki later this year.
However, the Greek prime minister said that Erdogan’s outreach to the EU can’t come at the expense of efforts to heal Cyprus’ nearly half-century ethnic division.
Speaking after talks with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, Mitsotakis said that he told Erdogan that improved European-Turkish ties can’t exclude a Cyprus peace accord and that the issue can’t be “left by the wayside.”
Turkey and the breakaway Turkish Cypriots have insisted on a two-state solution since July 2017 when the most recent round of U.N.-facilitated peace talks collapsed.
That position overturned a long-standing agreement sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council in numerous resolutions that any peace deal would aim for a reunified Cyprus as a federation made up of Greek and Turkish speaking zones.
Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence in the island’s northern third, where more than 35,000 Turkish troops are stationed.
On Friday, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar repeated that peace talks could resume only if Greek Cypriots recognize the Turkish Cypriots’ “sovereign equality.”
Christodoulides said Monday that any improvement in European-Turkish relations should be based on reciprocal action by Turkey, adding that the EU prioritizes a Cyprus peace deal in line with U.N. resolutions. | https://www.myarklamiss.com/news/business/ap-business/ap-greek-prime-minister-seeks-improved-relations-with-turkey-but-says-ankara-needs-to-drop-aggression/ | 2023-07-31 13:47:43 | 1 | https://www.myarklamiss.com/news/business/ap-business/ap-greek-prime-minister-seeks-improved-relations-with-turkey-but-says-ankara-needs-to-drop-aggression/ |
The latest plan for Albuquerque’s ‘Rail Trail’
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — An intersection in downtown Albuquerque has reopened to foot traffic after nearly two years.
It’s to pave the way for construction on the “Rail Trail.” The trail is a key part of the city’s plan to revitalize downtown Albuquerque.
“The goal is to have an eight-mile loop around the city that visits all sorts of neighborhoods and areas that that we’re all familiar with across downtown Albuquerque,” said Terry Brunner with the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency.
The stretch of road on Marquette, by Commercial and First Street, is a portion of the future site of the Rail Trail.
The project has nearly $40 million earmarked. That includes $15 million from the city, $10 million from the state government and $14.5 million in federal grants.
“Make it more pedestrian friendly and bike friendly and give people something to do this will be a statewide attraction that people drive in, bring their bikes, bring their strollers, cruise along the trails see different parts of the city,” Brunner said.
The idea is to link downtown to nearby neighborhoods, including the Sawmill District, Old Town, and circling back along the Bosque Trail and the Rail Yards.
“And we really hope along the trail, you’re going to see new small businesses, restaurants, bars, things to do museums, cultural activities that we haven’t had before,” Brunner said.
City officials expect the project will bring a boost to businesses along the trail. At the same time, they hope to attract potential businesses to set up along the trail’s path.
So when can we expect all this to happen?
“We think that this is at least a two to five-year project, so it’s going to take some time to build. It’s a very long trail, at eight miles, so there’s a lot of work to be done. We really hope to be up and going in the next year or two,” Brunner said. | https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/the-latest-plan-for-albuquerques-rail-trail/ | 2023-01-28 01:20:12 | 1 | https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/the-latest-plan-for-albuquerques-rail-trail/ |
Rain showers early with overcast skies later in the day. A few flurries or snow showers possible. High 43F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..
Tonight
Partly cloudy during the evening followed by cloudy skies overnight. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 26F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.
WAYNE — The Wayne County Board of Education recently approved next year’s school calendar.
During their Feb. 28 meeting, the board members approved the 2023-24 school year calendar with students marked to start school Thursday, Aug. 24 and tentatively finish school Thursday, June 6.
Faculty Senate will meet Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, beginning students’ winter break. Curriculum development will take place Jan. 2, 2024, and students will return to school Jan. 3, 2024.
Students will also have off the week Nov. 20-24, 2023, for the Thanksgiving holiday, and spring break will occur April 1-5, 2024.
The full calendar can be found on the Wayne County Schools website.
The board also approved a new four-year contract with Superintendent Todd Alexander. Alexander was first selected as Wayne County Schools Superintendent in 2017, and Board President Missy Perry Hall said he has been a positive addition to the district.
“He’s been a wonderful asset to the county. He’s a great leader,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of great things happen and we hope to continue that in the future.”
Data analyst Nikki Steffy reviewed monthly absenteeism data during the board meeting and told board members that as of February, 32.13% of students and 19.71% of district staff were deemed chronically absent.
Chronic absenteeism is when a student has missed more than 10% of instructional school days regardless of having excused or unexcused absences.
For the 2021-22 school year, about 53% of students were deemed chronically absent by the end of the school year. Alexander said when the board reviewed data during the second semester last year, absenteeism rates remained stable through the end of the year.
Alexander said he hopes if the number of chronically absent students and staff does not decrease before the end of this school year, that it at least stays close to the current roughly 32%, as that would still be a significant improvement from last year.
“We’d like to be about 25%, I think that’s about the state average, but (Nikki Steffy) is right, it’s a significant improvement,” he said. “Hopefully it holds steady. Last year it held steady, you know, what we were at the early in the second semester we ended the year at, so hopefully it holds steady.”
The next regularly scheduled meeting is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 14 at the Board of Education Office in Wayne.
Sarah Ingram is a reporter for The Herald-Dispatch, covering public K-12 education. Follow her on Twitter @SIngramHD.
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accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/wayne-boe-approves-2023-24-school-calendar-superintendent-contract/article_322215cb-5e1a-50ec-936f-54963854b8e0.html | 2023-03-13 05:36:13 | 1 | https://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/wayne-boe-approves-2023-24-school-calendar-superintendent-contract/article_322215cb-5e1a-50ec-936f-54963854b8e0.html |
Semiconductor firm Rogue Valley recommended for Brevard tax break if it opens in Palm Bay
An economic development advisory board is recommending that an Oregon-based semiconductor company receive a 70% property tax break from Brevard County extending for seven years, in return for the company opening a facility in Palm Bay.
The proposal will go to the Brevard County Commission on Jan. 24 for consideration.
The company, Rogue Valley Microdevices Inc. of Medford, Oregon, said, if it opens in Palm Bay, it expects to make an initial investment of $25 million on new equipment and other improvements at the proposed site at 2301 Commerce Drive NE. Of the $25 million, $21.4 million would go for clean-room equipment.
That 50,000-square-foot building is currently vacant and is in a light-industrial area.
Palm Bay proposal:Oregon-based high-tech company seeks county, city tax breaks to expand into Palm Bay
Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast Director of Business Development Edgar Campa-Palafox said the addition of Rogue Valley to Palm Bay would help create a semiconductor "cluster" in the city and would help diversify the local economy.
Among the other semiconductor makers in Palm Bay is Renesas Electronics Corp., which Campa-Palafox said has about 300 local employees. Japanese-based Renesas in 2017 completed its acquisition of Intersil Corp., which became a wholly owned subsidiary of Renesas.
Campa-Palafox said Renesas makes semiconductors for a wide ranges of uses, including for space satellites, motor vehicles and cellphones.
If Rogue Valley decides to open operations in Palm Bay, the company said it would crate 30 jobs there within three years. Those jobs would pay an average of $59,900 a year, and would be in 21 job categories. Salaries would range from a $120,000-a-year operations manager to a $31,000-a-year accounting associate.
Previously approved tax break:West Melbourne high-tech company USSI Global plans expansion, seeks tax incentives
An analysis by the Economic Development Commission found that the 30 direct jobs that Rogue Valley plans to create would lead to 20 spinoff jobs. Those 50 jobs would have a total annual payroll of $2.99 million and would bring $4.72 million a year into the local economy.
A 70% county property tax break could be worth $57,260 a year to Rogue Valley, or $400,820 over the seven-year period.
The EDC's Ad Valorem Tax Abatement Council made the recommendation of a 70% tax break for seven years, based on a formula that takes into account the company's planned capital investment, number of jobs created and average salary for those jobs.
Rogue Valley said in its application that, after a national site search on where to expand, it is considering sites in Arizona, Texas and Palm Bay.
Campa-Palafox cautioned the Tax Abatement Council that Arizona is "extremely aggressive" in offering companies economic incentives to attract jobs.
Still, Tax Abatement Council Chair Neal Johnson, who is senior mortgage loan officer with U.S. Bank, said he believes the availability of high-tech workers on the Space Coast, coupled with the proposed Brevard incentives, could be the combination that attracts Rogue Valley to expand in Palm Bay.
The council's vote was 14-1, with Katherine Wall voting against the the tax break.
Wall, who is Brevard County's central services director, said she voted no because there was no agreement in place at the time of the vote to prevent the owner of the Palm Bay property ― and not Rogue Valley ― from getting some of the benefit of the tax break.
Rogue Valley founder and Chief Executive Officer Jessica Gomez said in her application for tax break that the Palm Bay site would generate an estimated $15 million a year in sales of the company's products.
A tax break would require the company to meet its capital investment and job creation projections. It the company does not meet those requirements, its tax tax break would be revoked.
Rogue Valley also is seeking a break on property taxes paid to the city of Palm Bay.
Based on Palm Bay's tax abatement formula that takes into account jobs created, average wage of those jobs and capital investment ― Rogue Valley could qualify for Palm Bay property tax breaks over a six-year period. The tax break would amount to a 60% city property tax reduction in Years 1-3; 50% in Year 4; 40% in Year 5; and 30% in Year 6. The Palm Bay City Council can modify those tax breaks, based on various circumstances.
Palm Bay Deputy City Manager Joan Junkala-Brown said the Palm Bay site Rogue Valley is considering formerly was occupied by AAR Airlift and Harris Corp. (now known as L3Harris Technologies).
Rogue Valley Microdevices was founded in 2003. The company is a manufacturing partner to more that 150 technology companies supporting the development and commercialization of a wide range of technology, including autonomous vehicles, cancer screening equipment, devices that detect airborne toxins, glucose monitoring devices and gas flow sensors.
The company said in its application that approval for property tax breaks from Brevard County and Palm Bay "would be of great benefit to our growth and expansion efforts by allowing the company to better leverage its capital to increase efficiency and raise competitiveness. It will enable us to move forward with an expansion in Florida."
In its application for the county property tax break, Rogue Valley said: "Due to growing customer demand, Rogue Valley Microdevices has decided to expand its production capacity by building a second manufacturing facility. The ideal facility will have 50,000 square feet of space to support significant growth in capacity and allow the company to more than double in size."
Brevard County voters in 2014 approved the program to provide economic incentives to new and expanding businesses, with 70.31% support.
If approved, this would be the first such county property tax break approved in more than a year. On Dec. 2, 2021, the Ad Valorem Tax Abatement Council recommended a tax abatement of 60% for six years for West Melbourne high-tech company USSI Global for its planned expansion. The County Commission approved that tax break on Dec. 21, 2021.
Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on Twitter at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54. | https://www.floridatoday.com/story/money/business/2023/01/18/semiconductor-firm-rogue-valley-recommended-for-brevard-tax-break/69813255007/ | 2023-01-18 12:40:43 | 1 | https://www.floridatoday.com/story/money/business/2023/01/18/semiconductor-firm-rogue-valley-recommended-for-brevard-tax-break/69813255007/ |
TinCaps catcher Brandon Valenzuela thinks this season will be a special one at Parkview Field.
"This group is amazing, I've never seen something like this before, I'm really excited for this year," Valenzuela said during a workout at Parkview Field on Monday, three days before the TinCaps are set to play their season opener at West Michigan on Thursday. "The most important thing is that we got to know each other very well during spring training, working together as a group.
"I'm really excited for this year. I'm going to say that about six more times, I'm really excited."
Valenzuela, a 22-year-old switch-hitter from Hermosillo, Mexico, is one of 11 players who finished the 2022 season with the TinCaps. Another 10 TinCaps have been promoted from the Lake Elsinore Storm, a Single-A Padres affiliate that won a California League championship in 2022.
Valenzuela is in Fort Wayne for a third season after playing 15 games for the TinCaps in 2021 and 99 games for the High-A team last year. In 2022, Valenzuela hit .209 with 14 doubles and 10 home runs, but he led the Midwest League by throwing out 29 attempted base stealers – 31.9% of all runners who attempted to steal with him behind the plate.
"A lot of it is because of my pitchers, they were managing the run game very well, they were staring down the runners, making them take a step back and all that stuff," Valenzuela said. "And my coaches helped me a lot, too, with that. 2021 was a terrible year for me defensively, so I made some adjustments there in 2021, 2022. And the rest was pitchers taking care of the running game, that was it."
Valenzuela, who is rated as the No. 30 prospect in the Padres system according to MLB.com, is still getting to know many members of the TinCaps pitching staff.
"More than anything, it's just spending time with them, get to know them as a person and then as a player, and that builds a relationship," Valenzuela said. "And it's being there for whatever they need, throwing partner, catching in the bullpen, watching their games, all that stuff. Doing a review after the game with them, too."
Valenzuela split the offseason between Hermosillo and the Padres' training complex in Peoria, Arizona, fine-tuning some of his mechanics and putting on some more muscle. He also said he recalibrated the way he approaches the game mentally.
"It's not something that you're going to see, but part of my routine changed a little bit last year because of my struggles," Valenzuela said. "We take this game so serious, but it's not, it's still a game. It's our job, but it's still a game. You still have to enjoy it, and get some fun."
And while Valenzuela thinks the TinCaps could do a lot of special things at Parkview Field this year, he – like all minor league players – is working with the hopes of being promoted, in this case to Double-A San Antonio.
"I love Fort Wayne, I love the stadium – I'm not trying to spend the whole year here," he said.
And the path forward is pretty clear: The better you play, the faster you move on.
"Keep getting better at this – there is so much room for improvement right now, just 1% better every day and I'll move fast." | https://www.journalgazette.net/sports/professional/tincaps/tincaps-valenzuela-excited-for-new-season/article_8f290356-d27c-11ed-80c4-736bf68d034b.html | 2023-04-04 02:07:09 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/sports/professional/tincaps/tincaps-valenzuela-excited-for-new-season/article_8f290356-d27c-11ed-80c4-736bf68d034b.html |
KALAMAZOO, MI -- The city of Kalamazoo is in the process of repairing a water gate valve and the work resulted in a temporary loss of pressure and consequently, a precautionary boil water advisory is being issued for all water intended for drinking or ingestion or any consumptive uses within the affected area.
The city issued the warning on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 26.
The area includes:
- Shakespeare Avenue- From Lake Street (northern boundary) to Clinton Street (southern boundary) both sides of the roadway. It Does include 1926 Lake Street.
- Schuster Avenue- From Lake Street (northern boundary) to Clinton Street (southern boundary) both sides of the roadway.
- East Stockbridge Avenue- From Bryan Avenue (western boundary) to Schuster Avenue (eastern boundary) both sides of the roadway.
- Egleston Avenue- From Bryan Avenue (western boundary) to Schuster Avenue (eastern boundary) both sides of the roadway.
- Clinton Street- From Shakespeare Avenue (western boundary) to Schuster Avenue (eastern boundary) both sides of the roadway.
- Byron Avenue- From Stockbridge Avenue (northern boundary) to Egleston Avenue (southern boundary) both sides of the roadway.
The advisory is precautionary only; there have not been any confirmed tests showing bacteria present in the water main at the location of the infrastructure repair. Initial sampling results will be available within 24 hours of its collection and the final set within 48 hours. It is expected that the advisory will be lifted within 72 hours, on July 29, the city said.
Municipal water customers in the affected area may use bottled water for consumptive purposes or boil their tap water for 2 minutes prior to use for drinking or other ingestion. No special precautionary measures are necessary for water used for personal hygiene.
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This week’s weather has great news on temps, not on rain | https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2022/07/water-valve-repair-leads-to-boil-water-advisory-in-kalamazoo.html | 2022-07-26 21:49:06 | 1 | https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2022/07/water-valve-repair-leads-to-boil-water-advisory-in-kalamazoo.html |
Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker were on the court Saturday morning for the Miami Heat ahead of Saturday night’s Game 3 at TD Garden against the Boston Celtics in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals.
For the Heat, it was a significant step, considering Lowry had missed eight of the previous 10 games due to a strained left hamstring, and considering that Tucker bruised his left knee in Game 2 to the degree that there were initial thoughts of requiring an MRI.
“They are both going to do their whole routine with the intention of playing,” Spoelstra said. “So, yes, they both were involved in shootaround.”
Lowry has missed the past two weeks, initially injured April 22 in the Heat’s Game 3 loss during the first round to the Atlanta Hawks, a series the Heat won 4-1.
He then returned, only to be sidelined in the East semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers, which the Heat won 4-2.
Spoelstra stressed that the setback against the 76ers was not a setback in terms of Lowry’s rehab.
“He wanted to play Game 5 last series,” Spoelstra said. “I think we’ve handled this appropriately. I think even the ramp up before that, in the Philly series, I think we checked all the boxes. Things will happen.
“He didn’t reinjure. I think that was important, so he still was able to heal. If he did reinjure it, I think he would have been out a lot longer. It’s just he still felt it, so we erred on the side of caution and taking more time.”
Tucker left Thursday night’s Game 2 loss at FTX Arena after first injuring the knee in the first half and the aggravating it in the third quarter.
But instead of an MRI there was treatment and then court time Saturday morning.
Spoelstra laughed when asked what it would take to keep Tucker out.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I think all of us, you’re kind of on eggshells with him. You can’t ask him how he’s doing. I can’t ask a trainer, because if he sees me talking to a trainer, he barks at me and yells at me if I’m talking to the trainers. I’m allowed to talk to the trainers, that is part of my job.
“But he is a throwback by every definition of that.”
The Lowry return injects a similar upgrade to what the Celtics received in Game 2, after guard Marcus Smart and big man Al Horford were sidelined from their Game 1 loss on the Heat’s court on Tuesday night.
“Obviously you have a Hall of Fame point guard,” Spoelstra said. “It won’t be 40 minutes. But whatever his minutes are, he has the experience and resume. You can’t necessarily put a weight to it; you just know what it means to your team, especially in a building like this, on the road.”
() | https://www.twincities.com/2022/05/21/kyle-lowry-p-j-tucker-back-in-heat-mix-ahead-of-east-finals-game-3-in-boston/ | 2022-05-21 17:01:56 | 1 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/05/21/kyle-lowry-p-j-tucker-back-in-heat-mix-ahead-of-east-finals-game-3-in-boston/ |
Local restaurants face tequila shortage amid supply chain crisis
TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - This Cinco de Mayo, tequila is getting harder to find and prices are rising.
Tequila is found in the majority of drinks here at local Mexican restaurants here in Tucson.
When it comes to shortages impacted by the supply chain, tequila is a little different. Experts say there were shortages before the pandemic and now things like the supply chain crisis and worker shortages are making it worse.
“All of our margaritas have tequila, we have tequila shots, we have palomas. I want to say like 90% of our drinks have tequila and if it’s not vodka, so it impacts us greatly,” Si Charro marketing manager Ami Fong said.
El Charro is celebrating 100 years of business in 2022. They’re one of many businesses feeling the impact of shortages, but now that the attention is turning to a tequila shortage, they say they’ve had to substitute some drinks because of the limited stock.
Fong says, “As far as the tequila shortage, I know and I have seen where we’ve been short on a couple of our signature tequilas that we carry.”
Si Charro CEO, Ray Flores, says he’s seen tequila shortages over the years, but he isn’t worried yet. He believes the shortage will primarily impact mass-produced tequila.
“It’s tequila farming, you know, farmers are going to need to turn their crops more. They may have shortages. They may move their workers over to other crops that are more profitable and they may want to hold onto what they produce. There’s also of course all the government issues that interplay with bringing product back and forth across the border,” he said.
What they’re seeing, supply chain expert said, is a little residual from the normal ebb and flow of the agave crop.
“I think that’s combined with the labor shortages we’re seeing that is really sort of exasperating it,” supply chain expert, Ken Gyure says.
There have been tequila shortages before, but the supply is being more impacted now than it has in the past. This is also driving up the cost about 15%.
“We’re going to see a lot of the distributors try and ration and make sure there is enough to go around,” he said.
Gyure says he expects to start seeing thinner stock at liquor stores as the demand continues to climb.
For those who are purchasing tequila whether it’s for your business or for yourself, his advice is to only buy what you need. Keep an eye on the stock, but don’t overbuy and hoard.
Copyright 2022 KOLD News 13. All rights reserved. | https://www.kold.com/2022/05/06/local-restaurants-face-tequila-shortage-amid-supply-chain-crisis/ | 2022-05-06 02:17:41 | 0 | https://www.kold.com/2022/05/06/local-restaurants-face-tequila-shortage-amid-supply-chain-crisis/ |
Jensen Partners joins the ranks of OpenAI, Disney, Tiffany & Co., and more
NEW YORK, March 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jensen Partners ("the Firm"), a leading global distribution-focused executive search and corporate advisory firm, today announced it has been named to Fast Company's prestigious list of the World's Most Innovative Companies for 2023. The Firm was recognized in part for the accomplishments of Jensen DiversityMetrics™, a first-of-its kind software platform that enables asset managers to measure, report and improve workforce diversity, equity and inclusion.
This year's list highlights Jensen Partners among a roster of organizations at the forefront of their respective industries, paving the way for the innovations of tomorrow and setting the standard with some of the greatest accomplishments of the modern world.
As institutional investors expect more information about how a firm approaches diversity and inclusion initiatives, policies and workforce metrics, asset management leaders face the challenge of demonstrating how they promote diversity and inclusion at their firms and in their portfolios. Jensen DiversityMetrics™ enables asset managers to lead with diversity and inclusion as a differentiator in their investment strategy, providing access to a fully integrated suite of DEI and tech-enabled talent solutions that leverages a data-driven approach to candidate sourcing, pipeline development and DEI analysis. Jensen Partners' integrated model allows it to build relationships with clients while providing them with access to the human capital data necessary to make meaningful, long-term progress on critical DEI challenges.
"For years, Jensen Partners has been at the forefront of the push to address systematic inequality across the asset management industry," said Sasha Jensen, Founder and CEO of Jensen Partners and Jensen DiversityMetrics™. "What began just three years ago as nice-to-have DEI-focused human capital data product has transformed into a revolutionary integrated recruitment strategy that helps solve the most pressing challenges facing all asset classes, and we're thrilled to be recognized by Fast Company for our differentiated approach to driving this necessary and timely change."
Fast Company's editors and writers sought out the companies making the biggest strides around the globe, and judged nominations received through its application process. The World's Most Innovative Companies is Fast Company's signature franchise and one of its most highly anticipated editorial efforts of the year. Past honorees include prominent brands across all industry verticals, including Microsoft, GlaxoSmithKline and Shopify. It provides a firsthand look at the inspiring and innovative efforts of companies across all sectors of the economy. Fast Company's 'Most Innovative Companies' issue is available online here, as well as in-app form via iTunes, and on newsstands beginning March 14.
About Jensen Partners
Jensen Partners is a global advisory, corporate development and executive search firm that leverages its extensive relationships in the investor and alternative asset management community to source and recruit leading capital raising and investment candidates. The Firm takes a data-driven approach, combining quantitative and qualitative insights to source and place the ideal human capital. In addition to executive search, Jensen Partners offers LP/GP referencing, proprietary 360° Investor Referencing™ methodology, and compensation benchmarking and analysis. To learn more, please visit www.jensen-partners.com.
About Jensen DiversityMetrics™
Jensen DiversityMetrics™ combines rich diversity analytics with the latest research from the field of human capital management, providing an objective, 360 degree view of where a firm stands on DEI and how they can make meaningful progress towards a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce, including: verified demographic data for more than 25,000 investment and distribution professionals from across the industry, a candidate pipeline of over 8,000 investment and distribution professionals who self-identify as having a diverse background and a proprietary scoring algorithm that enables objective DEI comparisons across firms and industries. With Jensen DiversityMetrics™, firms can benchmark against competitors, develop diverse candidate pipelines, analyze hiring and retention practices, identify biases in workplace culture and report progress to investors.
Jensen Partners publishes JensenDiversityMetrics™ data and insights in its quarterly newsletter. To sign up for Jensen Partners' newsletters, please visit: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/tbmquk0
Media Contact:
Prosek Partners for Jensen Partners
Max Berger
mberger@prosek.com
215-595-3686
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SOURCE Jensen Partners | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2023/03/02/jensen-partners-named-fast-companys-annual-list-most-innovative-companies-2023/ | 2023-03-02 12:54:57 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2023/03/02/jensen-partners-named-fast-companys-annual-list-most-innovative-companies-2023/ |
The Lakeview Roscoe Village Restaurant week is benefitting Common Pantry and Nourishing Hope Chicago with restaurants offering prix fixe menus. Here in our Studio41 kitchen with a preview is chef and co-owner of Reclaimed Restaurant and Bar – Craig Bell.
Now – March 5th
Daytime Chicago airs weekdays on WGN from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. | https://wgntv.com/daytime-chicago/lakeview-roscoe-village-restaurant-week/ | 2023-02-27 18:57:10 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/daytime-chicago/lakeview-roscoe-village-restaurant-week/ |
Newt Gingrich: Wyoming voters rendered judgement
The former speaker says Liz Cheney's loss sends a clear message
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Rep. Liz Cheney's political future doesn't look bright after her Wyoming GOP congressional primary loss on "The Ingraham Angle."
NEWT GINGRICH: Liz Cheney is a fantasy being developed by the elite news media. But the truth is, we saw in Wyoming where people rendered judgement. You can’t get 29% of the vote and turn around — she compared herself to Abraham Lincoln, who, by the way, got 53% of the vote for the Senate, but because the state legislature made the choice, Douglas won. But Lincoln got 53% of the vote, he did not get 29%.
TRUMP BLASTS LIZ CHENEY AFTER PRIMARY LOSS TO HARRIET HAGEMAN: ‘SHE CAN FINALLY DISAPPEAR’
I think that Liz has no future. She can run around the country. She has $7 million in the bank of political money. She can feel good, The New York Times will love her, The Washington Post will love her. I’m sure that ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, they will all love her, but the country won’t love her.
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If you believe in government of the people, by the people and for the people, Wyoming spoke and spoke decisively, and Liz Cheney wasn't on the winning side.
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE: | https://www.foxnews.com/media/newt-gingrich-wyoming-voters-rendered-judgement | 2022-08-18 05:15:02 | 0 | https://www.foxnews.com/media/newt-gingrich-wyoming-voters-rendered-judgement |
According to news reports, the recent surge of migrants from Latin America flooding our southern border is largely a result of the end of a Trump-era COVID policy. I beg to differ.
It’s the result of a new world.
There is only one way to deal with the waves of migrants who will continue to come America’s way. And that is with a very high wall with a very big gate.
Democrats don’t want to hear about high walls, and Republicans don’t want to hear about big gates. Too bad. We need both.
Donald Trump was a fraud on immigration. He exploited the fears of an uncontrolled border to stop immigration and appeal to racists and white supremacists in his base.
President Joe Biden should out-Trump Trump. Do everything possible to secure the border — barriers, the 82nd Airborne — whatever it takes. Make Democrats own border security. But not for choking immigration — for expanding it. It is good policy and good politics.
If we are going to thrive in the 21st century and compete effectively with China, we need to double down on our greatest competitive advantage: our ability to attract the most high-aspiring migrants and risk-takers who start new businesses.
But we cannot have a rational discussion if too many Americans think our southern border is out of control.
The 10,000 migrants a day who surged across the Mexico-U.S. border in the few days before the Trump restrictions were lifted were not an aberration, even if those levels were reduced in recent days to less than the chaotic levels Biden feared. They’re the start of a new normal.
The first 50 years after World War II were a great time to be a weak nation-state in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. There were two superpowers throwing money at you, sending you wheat, giving your kids scholarships, rebuilding your army and competing for your affection.
Climate change was moderate. Population growth was still under control. No one had a smartphone to easily compare their conditions with that of the nation next door or in Europe, and China was not in the World Trade Organization, so it was much easier to compete in low-wage industries.
Now no superpower wants to touch you because all they win is a bill. Climate change pounds countries. Populations have exploded. More than two-thirds of the world has a smartphone and can get information and misinformation faster than ever, as well as easily connect with a human trafficker online. China is in the WTO and has dominated low-wage manufacturing.
More countries are starting to descend into disorder and spill out migrants who want to come to the World of Order. That’s us and the European Union.
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It is no accident that the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration stated, “Today more people than ever live in a country other than the one in which they were born.”
The Berlin Wall symbolized the Cold War. The fall of the Berlin Wall symbolized the post-Cold War. And the Rio Grande, filled with families trying to get out of the World of Disorder into the World of Order, symbolizes the post-post-Cold War.
It is going to be increasingly difficult to sort out the difference between economic migrants and those legitimately seeking political asylum.
Since World War II, we have offered asylum to those with well-founded fears of persecution on the basis of race, nationality, religion, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.
But if more nation-states fracture and leave their citizens to the tender mercies of warlords and gang leaders, half the world will be able to potentially seek political asylum in America. So many migrants have done this over the past decade that it has completely overwhelmed America’s antiquated and underfunded system for sifting out genuine from bogus asylum claims — with more than 2 million immigration cases pending in courts.
The best evidence that a strong border can lead to a more rational debate is California. And the person who taught me that was Seth Stodder, a native Californian, who served as President Barack Obama’s assistant secretary of homeland security for border, immigration and trade policy and now teaches law at the University of Southern California.
“Nearly a quarter of America’s undocumented population lives in California,” Stodder told me, “and most of us are fine with that. At the beginning of Trump’s presidency, we even passed a ‘sanctuary state’ law to protect otherwise law-abiding people from deportation.”
But back in 1994, California voters passed Proposition 187 — cutting off immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally from public benefits. Gov. Pete Wilson, a Republican, won reelection “with menacing ads featuring grainy video of immigrants running across the border and filtering through traffic into San Diego, with scary music in the background and a deep voice intoning, ‘They keep coming. Two million illegal immigrants in California.’”
So how did California flip to being a sanctuary state? Lots of reasons, Stodder explained. “But a big one is that, in the wake of Prop 187, the Clinton administration finally got control of the border between San Diego and Tijuana — strengthening the Border Patrol and constructing a 14-mile double- and, in some places, triple-layer fence along the border. Did this stop illegal immigration into the U.S.? No. The flow shifted east, to Arizona and Texas. But it got control of the border here in Southern California. ... The fence got illegal immigration off the nightly local news, and Californians were able to exhale and focus on other things.”
It gave many Californians “the emotional space to feel accepting of the millions of undocumented migrants who live in our state,” Stodder said, “seeing them less as a threat and more as our neighbors, friends, family and as fellow Californians.”
If you want a big gate — as I do — you need a high wall.
THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN writes for The New York Times. | https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/opinion/secure-border-increase-immigration-competitiveness/article_5c73a1de-58d4-5955-ab61-faf9166bbf62.html | 2023-05-20 05:39:46 | 0 | https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/opinion/secure-border-increase-immigration-competitiveness/article_5c73a1de-58d4-5955-ab61-faf9166bbf62.html |
NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the stock of Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT) between June 8, 2019 and May 25, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important November 7, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Medtronic 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 Medtronic class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=8603 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 7, 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. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. 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) Medtronic's product quality control systems were inadequate; (2) Medtronic had failed to comply with numerous regulations regarding risk assessment, corrective and preventive action, complaint handling, device recalls, and reporting of adverse events; (3) these failures increased the risk of regulatory investigation and action; (4) as a result of Medtronic's misconduct, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") would delay the approval of additional Medtronic MiniMed devices, including the MiniMed 780G; (5) these delays in product approvals, as well as the Company's need to improve its quality control systems, would negatively affect Medtronic's financial performance and cause it to fall further behind its competitors; and (6) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Medtronic class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=8603 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.
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SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2022/10/25/rosen-leading-law-firm-encourages-medtronic-plc-investors-with-losses-secure-counsel-before-important-november-7-deadline-securities-class-action-mdt/ | 2022-10-25 23:01:42 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2022/10/25/rosen-leading-law-firm-encourages-medtronic-plc-investors-with-losses-secure-counsel-before-important-november-7-deadline-securities-class-action-mdt/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Saturday signed the most sweeping gun violence bill in decades, a bipartisan compromise that seemed unimaginable until a recent series of mass shootings, including the massacre of 19 students and two teachers at a Texas elementary school.
“Lives will be saved,” he said at the White House. Citing the families of shooting victims, the president said, “Their message to us was to do something. Well today, we did.”
The House gave final approval Friday, following Senate passage Thursday, and Biden acted just before leaving Washington for two summits in Europe.
The legislation will toughen background checks for the youngest gun buyers, keep firearms from more domestic violence offenders and help states put in place red flag laws that make it easier for authorities to take weapons from people adjudged to be dangerous.
Most of its $13 billion cost will help bolster mental health programs and aid schools, which have been targeted in Newtown, Connecticut, and Parkland, Florida, and elsewhere in mass shootings.
Biden said the compromise hammered out by a bipartisan group of senators “doesn’t do everything I want” but “it does include actions I’ve long called for that are going to save lives.”
“I know there’s much more work to do, and I’m never going to give up, but this is a monumental day,” said the president, who was joined by his wife, Jill, a teacher, for the signing.
He said they will host an event on July 11 for lawmakers and families affected by gun violence.
Biden signed the measure two days after the Supreme Court’s ruling Thursday striking down a New York law that restricted peoples’ ability to carry concealed weapons.
While the new law does not include tougher restrictions long championed by Democrats, such as a ban on assault-style weapons and background checks for all gun transactions, it is the most impactful firearms violence measure produced by Congress since enactment of a long-expired assault weapons ban in 1993.
Enough congressional Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the steps after recent rampages in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas. It took weeks of closed-door talks but senators emerged with a compromise.
Biden signed the bill just before he departed Washington for a summit of the Group of Seven leading economic powers — the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan — in Germany. He will travel later to Spain for a NATO meeting. | https://www.localsyr.com/news/biden-signs-landmark-gun-measure-lives-will-be-saved/ | 2022-06-25 21:24:20 | 1 | https://www.localsyr.com/news/biden-signs-landmark-gun-measure-lives-will-be-saved/ |
Grand jurors in New York City have indicted Daniel Penny on a second-degree murder charge in the subway death of Jordan Neely.
Penny, a 24-year-old veteran of the Marines, faces a second-degree manslaughter charge.
The tragic incident occurred on May 1. Neely, who was homeless, was riding the F train in Manhattan when a witness says he began engaging in “aggressive speech” towards Penny. It’s reported that Neely was loudly complaining to fellow passengers about a variety of issues.
Not long after that Penny engaged Neely in a choke hold that was captured in a viral video, from which Neely never was able to recover.
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The death has sparked debate about mental health and public safety. Many have also noted the perception of Penny, a white man, taking the life of Neely, who was Black.
From NBC News:
The city’s medical examiner said Neely died from “compression of neck (chokehold)” and declared his manner of death a homicide — a routine term used by coroners and medical examiners to mean death caused by another person, but not a finding of criminal culpability.
To read the entire NBC News report, [click here].
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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- Tory Lanez Sentencing Date Moved To August 7 | https://wzakcleveland.com/4572801/daniel-penny-indicted-subway-death-jordan-neely/ | 2023-06-14 23:06:07 | 1 | https://wzakcleveland.com/4572801/daniel-penny-indicted-subway-death-jordan-neely/ |
The funeral for Tyre Nichols is set to be held in Memphis on Wednesday, roughly three weeks after he died following a beating by police that was caught on video and sparked a wave of protests and calls for accountability nationwide.
The Rev. Al Sharpton will deliver Nichols' eulogy, and Ben Crump, an attorney for Nichols' family, will give a "call to action," organizers said.
Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to attend the funeral at the invitation of Nichols' family. Tamika Palmer, the mother of Breonna Taylor, and Philonise Floyd, the brother of George Floyd, are also expected.
Services at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis are scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. Central Time. Organizers said the funeral would be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.
Nichols died on Jan. 10, three days after he was brutally beaten by police during a traffic stop. He was 29.
Body-camera video shows officers pull over Nichols on Jan. 7 on suspicion of reckless driving. They yank Nichols from his car and try to arrest him, but he flees.
When police finally catch up with him at a second location, officers kick him, hit him with a baton and repeatedly punch him in the head in a violent encounter also captured by a surveillance camera nearby.
Five Memphis police officers have been fired and charged with Nichols' murder, and two other officers are facing discipline. The city's fire department fired two EMTs and a lieutenant. The Memphis Police Department also disbanded the specialized unit whose officers beat Nichols.
Nichols' death has garnered national attention and drawn comparisons to other instances in which Black people have been killed at the hands of police, including Taylor and Floyd. President Biden said the video of officers beating Nichols left him "outraged and deeply pained."
An avid skateboarder, Nichols had a 4-year-old son, worked at FedEx with his stepfather and had a tattoo of his mother's name.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wdiy.org/npr-news/2023-02-01/tyre-nichols-will-be-laid-to-rest-in-memphis-on-wednesday | 2023-02-01 10:07:52 | 1 | https://www.wdiy.org/npr-news/2023-02-01/tyre-nichols-will-be-laid-to-rest-in-memphis-on-wednesday |
Trump indictments, IRS whistleblowers, cocaine in the White House… the news cycle has seemed non-stop with bad, frustrating, and/or disappointing news. In order to take a break from the madness, we thought it was time to pause the noise and appreciate something good in the world.
A man is marking his 104th birthday with a shoutout to his two friends, Jim Beam and Jack Daniels.
Arthur Walters, Jr. was smiling ear to ear while discussing his long healthy life with his local news station in Washington. When the interviewer asked what the secret was to longevity, Walters did not disappoint.
“People always ask, ‘What do you attribute it [living this long] to?’ And I always say I have two good friends: Jim Beam and Jack Daniels.”
Now THAT is an answer!
In other words of wisdom, he also encouraged the younger generation. He said that you have to work for what you want and to not be afraid to fail. If you fall, “get back up and get on it.”
Walters enlisted in the Air Force in his early twenties.
The next time you find a Jack Daniels or Jim Beam in hand, be sure to give Arthur a cheers! | https://wibc.com/155019/104-year-old-man-thanks-his-two-friends-jim-beam-jack-daniels-for-his-longevity/ | 2023-07-20 03:40:47 | 0 | https://wibc.com/155019/104-year-old-man-thanks-his-two-friends-jim-beam-jack-daniels-for-his-longevity/ |
Parallaxes Capital Management Highlights Previously Terminated TRA of a Leading Coal Producer
Published: Sep. 9, 2022 at 4:14 PM EDT|Updated: 16 minutes ago
NEW YORK, Sept. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Parallaxes Capital Management ("Parallaxes") is an alternative asset manager and, since 2017, has raised four funds dedicated to Tax Receivable Agreements ("TRAs"). As the market leader in monetizing TRAs, Parallaxes is dedicated to increasing the visibility and transparency of TRAs which remain an often overlooked and misunderstood asset class. In the vein of creating greater visibility into the TRA ecosystem, Parallaxes is pleased to highlight a notable development in the market as Cloud Peak Energy Inc. ("Cloud Peak") previously terminated its TRA with Rio Tinto Energy America Inc. ("Rio Tinto").
Cloud Peak disclosed that it paid $45 million to terminate an estimated $103 million TRA liability, recognizing a gain of $58 million. The Cloud Peak TRA provided for the payment of 85% of the net cash tax savings realized from certain tax attributes, including savings from the increase in tax basis obtained in connection with the acquisition of Cloud Peak's interests in Cloud Peak Energy Resources LLC.
Parallaxes views TRAs, including the Cloud Peak TRA, as a valuable tool to reduce certain moral hazard problems and informational asymmetry inherent in a company's public offering. TRAs help ensure that pre-IPO owners are economically aligned with new public shareholders and incentivize pre-IPO owners to pursue an IPO structure that provides the company with ongoing tax benefits. Parallaxes anticipates enhanced awareness and understanding of TRAs will drive increased market adoption.
Parallaxes Capital Management ("Parallaxes") is the premier investment firm focused exclusively on monetizing Tax Receivable Agreements ("TRAs"). Parallaxes offers private equity sponsors, co-investors and management team members solutions to achieve liquidity, diversification and optionality from their TRAs. Parallaxes was founded in 2017 and is comprised of experienced investment professionals from leading private equity and growth equity firms. To learn more, please visit www.plxcap.com This press release should not be regarded as representative of an official position or statement of Parallaxes or any related entity.
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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.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/09/parallaxes-capital-management-highlights-previously-terminated-tra-leading-coal-producer/ | 2022-09-09 20:30:24 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/09/parallaxes-capital-management-highlights-previously-terminated-tra-leading-coal-producer/ |
ESPANOLA, N.M. (AP) — A former New Mexico sheriff’s deputy who used a stun gun on a teen with special needs will go to prison for 30 days.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports Jeremy Barnes was sentenced Thursday for one count of false imprisonment. Once he is released, he will serve 17 months of supervised probation.
The sentencing was part of a plea deal with the New Mexico Attorney General's Office, which included the condition that Barnes never work in law enforcement again. He will also give up any law enforcement certifications.
The former Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s deputy was initially also charged with child abuse, aggravated battery and violation of ethical principles of public service.
In May 2019, a widely circulated video showed Barnes using a stun gun on a 15-year-old boy several times at Espanola Valley High School. He was later fired.
Then Attorney General Hector Balderas, whose office brought the charges, said there was no excuse for Barnes to deploy the stun gun.
The teen later settled a lawsuit with Rio Arriba County and the Espanola school district for $1.3 million. | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Ex-deputy-who-used-stun-gun-on-Espanola-teen-gets-17699682.php | 2023-01-06 19:24:33 | 1 | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Ex-deputy-who-used-stun-gun-on-Espanola-teen-gets-17699682.php |
Former Chief Operating Officer brings more than 40 Years of Service to the System and Community at Pivotal Time in Healthcare
DETROIT, Sept.8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Henry Ford Health, one of the nation's leading comprehensive integrated academic health systems, announced today it has named former system Chief Operating Officer Robert G. Riney as President and CEO. Riney had been serving in the role in an interim capacity following the departure of Wright Lassiter, III, in August.
A graduate of Wayne State University, Riney joined Henry Ford Health in 1978 and has since worked in almost every operating unit in the organization. In addition to serving as Chief Operating Officer since 2003, Riney has held numerous other leadership positions at Henry Ford over the past 20 years, including President, Healthcare Operations; SVP and Chief Administrative Officer; SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer; and VP of Organizational Design and Effectiveness.
"Henry Ford is home," said Riney. "Home to incredible innovation, cutting-edge science, and an unwavering commitment to our colleagues and to the communities we serve. It's a place where, despite even the most daunting of challenges, making the impossible possible happens every day. I am energized and excited to lead this special organization. I look forward to Team Henry Ford continuing to innovate, excel and grow in serving our patients, members, communities and each other."
System board chair David Breen said Riney's more than 40 years of experience at Henry Ford Health, as well as in the Metro Detroit community, make him the ideal leader as the organization continues to lead the nation in providing innovative, compassionate care while advancing research and discovery. "With Bob at the helm, Henry Ford Health is under the guidance of a leader who has seen our organization through some of its greatest challenges, and for whom a lifetime commitment to team members, patients and our communities has been his calling and his mission. His strategic insights and ability to foster meaningful business partnerships and drive advancement of our clinical, research and academic distinctions are noteworthy. Additionally, he is very skilled and focused on fostering a culture of belonging between team members, patients and members, and our communities."
Riney is a passionate contributor to the overall quality of the community and is often sought out for input on major community strategic issues. He currently serves as a trustee of the Alfred I. duPont Charitable Trust, board member and past-chair of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA), board chair of The Parade Company and Caymich Insurance Company, and board member of the Detroit Zoological Society, M1 Rail Transit Authority, Hudson-Webber Foundation and Business Leaders of Michigan.
Serving communities across Michigan and beyond, Henry Ford Health is committed to partnering with patients and members along their entire health journey. Henry Ford Health provides a full continuum of services – from primary and preventative care, to complex and specialty care, health insurance, a full suite of home health offerings, virtual care, pharmacy, eye care and other healthcare retail.
It is one of the nation's leading academic medical centers, recognized for clinical excellence in cancer care, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, and multi-organ transplants. Consistently ranked among the top five NIH-funded institutions in Michigan, Henry Ford Health engages in more than 2,000 research projects annually. Equally committed to educating the next generation of health professionals, Henry Ford Health trains more than 4,000 medical students, residents and fellows every year across 50+ accredited programs.
With more than 33,000 valued team members, Henry Ford Health is also among Michigan's largest and most diverse employers, including nearly 6,000 physicians and researchers from the Henry Ford Medical Group, Henry Ford Physician Network and Jackson Health Network.
The health system is led by President and CEO Robert G. Riney, and serves a growing number of customers across 250+ locations throughout Michigan, including five acute care hospitals, two destination facilities for complex cancer and orthopedics and sports medicine care, three behavioral health facilities, primary care and urgent care centers.
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SOURCE Henry Ford Health | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/robert-g-riney-named-henry-ford-health-president-ceo/ | 2022-09-08 15:21:30 | 1 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/robert-g-riney-named-henry-ford-health-president-ceo/ |
Abbott signs into law CROWN Act banning race-based hair discrimination
Gov. Greg Abbott over the weekend signed into law a bill prohibiting race-based hair discrimination in Texas workplaces, schools and housing policies. It goes into effect in September.
(TEXAS TRIBUNE) - Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a bill prohibiting race-based hair discrimination in Texas workplaces, schools and housing policies.
House Bill 567, introduced by Democratic Rep. Rhetta Bowers of Rowlett, sailed through both chambers of the Legislature with overwhelming support after the same bill stalled during the legislative session in 2021. The policy, which Abbott signed Saturday, will go into effect Sept. 1.
Twenty states have passed the CROWN Act — an acronym for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, according to the CROWN Coalition, an organization that champions the legislation. Harris County, the state’s most populous, and the city of Austin have adopted versions of the legislation.
“I am incredibly thankful to the Governor for signing the CROWN Act into law,” Bowers said in a statement, thanking Sen. Borris L. Miles, a Houston Democrat who sponsored the bill in the Senate, and Adjoa B. Asamoah, who co-founded the CROWN Coalition. “The CROWN Act is a civil rights law that will improve the lives of countless Texans, and it will be appreciated by more people than we can imagine.”
Asamoah, who conceptualized the law in 2018, said she was “overjoyed.”
“I’m forever grateful for the servant leadership of Representative Bowers and Senator Miles,” Asamoah said. “They both embody what it means to lead boldly and commit to ushering a bill across the finish line.”
The movement against natural hair discrimination reached national headlines in 2020 with a series of instances, including two students near Houston who were told to cut their hair or be disciplined.
COPYRIGHT 2023 TEXAS TRIBUNE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. | https://www.ktre.com/2023/05/30/abbott-signs-into-law-crown-act-banning-race-based-hair-discrimination/ | 2023-05-31 09:47:04 | 0 | https://www.ktre.com/2023/05/30/abbott-signs-into-law-crown-act-banning-race-based-hair-discrimination/ |
BROWNSVILLE, Texas — Under a set of white tents at the U.S.-Mexico border in Brownsville, Texas, dozens of Venezuelan men waited. Some sat on curbs and others leaned on metal barricades. When the gates eventually opened, the long line of men filed slowly up the pedestrian pathway to the bridge and across the Rio Grande River to Mexico.
In the past few weeks, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials have been facilitating these expulsions three times a day as roughly 30,000 migrants, mostly from Venezuela, have entered the U.S. in this region since mid-April. That's compared with 1,700 migrants Border Patrol agents encountered in the first two weeks of April.
In the other end of the state, in El Paso, officials are dealing with another surge of migrants and worry that thousands more are waiting to cross.
All this comes as the U.S. is preparing for the end of a policy linked to the coronavirus pandemic that allowed it to quickly expel many migrants, and it spotlights concerns about whether the end of the immigration limits under Title 42 of a 1944 public health law will mean even more migrants trying to cross the southern border.
“We’ve been preparing for quite some time and we are ready. What we are expecting is indeed a surge. And what we are doing is planning for different levels of a surge,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said last week during a visit to southern Texas. But he also stressed that the situation at the border is “extremely challenging.”
He spoke from a location in Brownsville where U.S. officials had set up a tent and facilities like portable bathrooms for migrants. He said it's difficult to identify the cause of the recent Venezuelan surge but said the U.S. is working with Mexico to address it and predicted change “very shortly.”
Many of those crossing the border are entering through Brownsville just north of the Mexican border town of Matamoros. The city was rocked by another crisis Sunday when an SUV plowed into people waiting at a bus stop across from the city's migrant shelter. Eight people, mostly men from Venezuela, died.
Ricardo Marquez, a 30-year-old Venezuelan man, arrived at a shelter in McAllen after crossing the border with his wife and 5-month-old child in Brownsville. They left Venezuela because his daughter needs surgery.
“I was confronted with the decision to either stay there or risk it all for my daughter,” he said. They had crossed the Rio Grande after spending a month in Matamoros trying to get an appointment through an app the U.S. uses to schedule appointments for people without documents to come to the border and seek entry.
Officials in President Joe Biden's administration say they have been preparing for well over a year for the end of Title 42. The strategy has hinged on providing more legal pathways for migrants to get to the U.S. without risking the perilous journey to the border. That includes things like setting up centers in foreign countries where migrants can apply to emigrate as well as a humanitarian parole process already in place with 30,000 slots a month for people from four countries to come to the U.S. Starting May 12 they're expanding appointments available through the CBP One app Marquez tried to use. When it was launched many migrants and advocates criticized the app, saying it had technological problems and there simply weren't enough appointments.
The strategy is also heavy on consequences. The U.S. is proposing a rule that would severely limit asylum to migrants who first travel through another country, quickly screening migrants seeking asylum at the border and deporting those deemed not qualified, and a five-year ban on reentry for those deported.
A lot of these consequences have been met with harsh criticism by immigrants' rights groups who have gone so far as to compare the policies to then-President Donald Trump's and say the right to apply for asylum on U.S. soil is sacrosanct. Much of the Biden administration strategy is also facing legal peril in the coming weeks. The proposed rule limiting asylum is almost certain to be the subject of lawsuits. And Republican-leaning states want to stop the Democratic administration's use of humanitarian parole on such a large scale.
The administration has also been increasing Immigration and Customs Enforcement flights to remove people from the country — flights like one that took off recently from an airport in Harlingen, Texas. Shortly after dawn three buses pulled up next to a plane. One by one migrants got out of the bus. They were wearing handcuffs and leg restraints and surgical masks. First they were patted down for contraband and then slowly walked up the stairs to the plane. Altogether 133 migrants were sent back to their home country of Guatemala.
But those flights only work if countries accept them. Venezuela does not. And Colombia says it's suspending deportation flights due to “cruel and degrading” treatment of migrants.
Administration officials say they're using technology to speed up the processing of migrants who cross the border without documentation and using mobile processing, so they can process migrants while they're being transported by bus or van, for example. They've pushed to digitize documents that at one time were filled out by hand by Border Patrol. And they've beefed up the hiring of contractors so agents can remain in the field.
But critics have slammed the administration, saying it's not doing enough. Kyrsten Sinema, an independent U.S. senator from Arizona, said on CBS' “Face the Nation” on Sunday that the administration wasn't communicating with local officials about things like what type of surge to expect or whether buses would be available to transport migrants. And she said a decision to send 1,500 military troops to the border came too late.
In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday he was deploying “tactical” National Guard teams this week to the busiest crossing spots. Abbott, who for years has accused the Biden administration of not doing enough on the border, also said “many thousands more” migrants in the coming days will be bused by the state to Democratic-led cities elsewhere in the U.S.
“It did not have to be this way," said Abbott, speaking in Austin as Guard members boarded four C-130 cargo planes behind him.
In communities that border Mexico, officials and community groups that care for newly arrived migrants are anxious about what the end of Title 42 means. Sister Norma Pimentel runs Catholic Charities' Humanitarian Respite Center, the largest shelter in South Texas.
The shelter functions mainly as a resource center where migrants can purchase tickets, make calls, eat and rest before traveling to their next destination, where they often have family or other contacts. But, Pimentel said, many of the Venezuelans in this latest surge don’t have connections in the U.S., making it harder for them to move to the next destination. “That becomes a problem for us,” she said.
The federal government gives money to communities to help them deal with the increases in migrants. On Friday the administration announced that $332 million had been disbursed to 35 local governments and service organizations. Most goes to communities close to the border “due to the urgencies they are confronting,” but cities far from the border also get funds.
In the Texas border city of El Paso, about 2,200 migrants are currently camped or living on the streets a few blocks from major ports of entry that connect El Paso with the Mexican city of Juárez. The city is prepared to open up shelters next week if needed at two vacant school buildings and a civic center.
El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser estimated that roughly 10,000 to 12,000 migrants are in Juárez waiting to cross, as local officials prepare for the “unknown.” Leeser said migrants are flocking to the border under false assumptions that it will be easier to gain entry to the U.S. when Title 42 goes away, but for many there could be tougher consequences.
It's a message federal officials have been repeating. But they're competing against a powerful human smuggling network that facilitates northern migration and the desperation of migrants who feel they have no other option.
At the Brownsville port of entry, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials say they've run drills to prepare in case there’s a surge of migrants trying to cross and they need to close the bridge. Pedestrians cross from Matamoros using a covered walkway that can only accommodate a few people across. Worried about the impact of long lines of migrants coming to the port after May 11 without an appointment and impacting port operations, they're calling on people to schedule appointments through CBP One. | https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/may/08/risk-it-migrant-surge-as-us-prepares-for-title-42-end/ | 2023-05-08 17:40:45 | 1 | https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/may/08/risk-it-migrant-surge-as-us-prepares-for-title-42-end/ |
STATELINE, Nev. — Three-time champion Mark Mulder made a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th hole Saturday and scored 25 points to take a three-point lead in the American Century Championship.
“I feed off the fans and the energy,” Mulder said. “I’ve been here before. I know that pars aren’t going to win it. It all depends on putting and I’m putting well.”
Former tennis player Mardy Fish, the 2020 winner, was second after a 27-point day. He finished with an 8-footer for eagle on the par-5 18th.
“I’m playing way better than in 2020, so my confidence is good going into tomorrow,” Fish said.
Derek Lowe and Adam Thielen were tied for third at 38. Lowe scored 22 points Saturday, and Thielen had 20.
Tony Romo, the 2018 and 2019 champion, scored 19 points to match Mike Modano at 37.
Annika Sorenstam and Joe Pavelski had 35 points. First-round leader T.J. Oshie was tied for ninth with 34. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/golf/3-time-champ-mulder-leads-american-century-celebrity-event/2022/07/09/32717c40-ffd9-11ec-b39d-71309168014b_story.html | 2022-07-10 00:15:11 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/golf/3-time-champ-mulder-leads-american-century-celebrity-event/2022/07/09/32717c40-ffd9-11ec-b39d-71309168014b_story.html |
LONDON (AP) — A U.K. parliamentary committee on Thursday issued a damning report concluding that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson deliberately misled lawmakers over what he knew about multiple lockdown-flouting parties at his office and government buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lawmakers voted in April 2022 for the seven-member panel to investigate Johnson’s conduct over “partygate,” a series of boozy gatherings attended by Johnson and his staff that broke rules and eventually contributed to his downfall.
Here are the key points of the report:
WHAT WAS THE COMMITTEE TASKED TO DO?
The seven lawmakers — including four from Johnson’s Conservatives and three from opposition parties — examined what Johnson told the House of Commons about gatherings in Downing Street in 2020 and 2021.
If a statement was misleading, the committee said it considered whether it was a “genuine error or was intentional or reckless,” and whether the record was corrected in good time.
The committee said the investigation “goes to the very heart of our democracy.” “Misleading the House is not a technical issue, but a matter of great importance,” it said.
WHAT GATHERINGS WERE THERE?
The report detailed evidence of six gatherings that took place in government buildings at a time when Johnson frequently appeared on television urging people to stick to strict social distancing rules.
The events included send-off parties for staff and a Christmas “drinks event with cheese and wine.” Johnson attended some of them, including:
— May 20, 2020: A gathering in the garden of Downing Street where alcohol was provided and staff were encouraged to “bring your own booze!” Johnson’s private secretary had invited more than 200 people.
— June 19, 2020: A gathering in the Cabinet Room to celebrate Johnson’s birthday. A cake and alcohol were provided. Photos showed at least 17 other people were there. Johnson and others were later fined by police.
WHAT DID JOHNSON SAY ABOUT THE EVENTS?
Johnson told Parliament that COVID rules and guidance had been followed at all times at Downing Steet. He claimed he relied on “repeated assurances” from advisors that rules had not been broken.
He also told lawmakers and the committee that he believed the events were “essential” for work purposes, namely to boost staff morale.
WHAT DID THE COMMITTEE CONCLUDE?
The committee concluded that as the “most prominent public promoter” of the government’s COVID rules and guidance, Johnson knew what wasn’t allowed at the time, and knew about breaches of such rules at Downing Street.
It was highly unlikely that he could have genuinely believed that rules were being followed, it said.
It added he misled Parliament, and failed to tell lawmakers about his own knowledge of the rule-breaking gatherings. Johnson was “deliberately disingenuous when he tried to reinterpret his statements to the House to avoid their plain meaning,” it said.
“We came to the view that some of Mr Johnson’s denials and explanations were so disingenuous that they were by their very nature deliberate attempts to mislead the Committee and the House, while others demonstrated deliberation because of the frequency with which he closed his mind to the truth,” the report said. “We conclude that Mr Johnson’s conduct was deliberate and that he has committed a serious contempt of the House.”
The panel said Johnson committed a further serious contempt of Parliament for breaching confidentiality requirements in his resignation statement and attacking the panel with abusive language including “kangaroo court” and “witch hunts.” It said his behavior amounted to “an attack on our democratic institutions.”
WHAT WERE THE RECOMMENDED SANCTIONS?
The committee said Johnson should be suspended from the House of Commons for 90 days for repeated contempts and for seeking to undermine the parliamentary process. But Johnson avoided suspension when he quit last Friday as lawmaker, pre-empting the report’s publication.
The panel also said he should be stripped of a former member’s pass to Parliament’s grounds.
Lawmakers will vote Monday on whether they will uphold the committee’s recommendations. Johnson’s allies could yet propose amendments to lighten the proposed sanctions. And even if the sanctions are upheld, they would not bar Johnson from seeking to run again as a lawmaker in the future. | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/5-key-takeaways-from-partygate-report-that-found-boris-johnson-deliberately-misled-uk-parliament/ | 2023-06-15 22:47:50 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/5-key-takeaways-from-partygate-report-that-found-boris-johnson-deliberately-misled-uk-parliament/ |
Engaged Georgia firefighters hospitalized after fire engine rolls over in on-duty crash
THOMASTON, Ga. (WANF/Gray News) - Two Georgia firefighters are in the hospital fighting for their lives after their firetruck overturned while responding to an incident, WANF reports.
The couple is engaged to be married in October.
According to Monroe County Emergency Services, Logan Gordy and Trista Cheeks were responding to a car accident when their fire engine rolled, leaving the volunteer firefighters with life-threatening injuries.
Cheeks was rushed into surgery, and Gordy had to be placed in a medically induced coma due to the severity of his condition.
Her family told MCES she is responsive but still has a rough road ahead.
“She opens her eyes when they move her. She did pretty good with her neuro checks last night, still sluggish, but that’s OK …” her mother wrote. “Pray that EEG doesn’t show seizures, her brain continues to heal, and that we continue to see more alertness and response. We have lots of people ask if we need anything and we just want your prayers. Pray like you have never prayed before that Logan & Trista are healed and can have their dream wedding. I know this is a long road of recovery, but that’s OK. We just want both of them well!”
In the Facebook post, MCES said Gordy will need a miracle.
“There are prayers coming from all over the country. Please keep them coming, we are asking for some good news. Our hearts are overwhelmed with sadness and love. We love this boy, he is a fighter. God bless you all,” said his father.
Upson County Sheriff Dan Kilgore said 22-year-old Gordy works for him as a jail officer while volunteering as a firefighter with his fiancé. The sheriff added that Cheeks just joined the volunteer force about three weeks ago.
“It’s just absolutely heartbreaking,” Kilgore said. “What should be a happy time in their life this fall has been delayed because of this tragedy.”
Friends and family are asking for your prayers.
“Unfortunately, this tragic event happened while they were out trying to help someone else,” Kilgore said.
The Upson County community is also set to come together for a benefit for Gordy and Cheeks on July 29 at the Rock Hill Volunteer Fire Department in Thomaston, Georgia.
Copyright 2023 WANF via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wflx.com/2023/07/18/engaged-georgia-firefighters-hospitalized-after-fire-engine-rolls-over-on-duty-crash/ | 2023-07-18 16:25:17 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/2023/07/18/engaged-georgia-firefighters-hospitalized-after-fire-engine-rolls-over-on-duty-crash/ |
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Feb. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Vue.ai, the retail vertical of AI startup Mad Street Den, announces its partnership with Meta to generate automated and inclusive ad creatives using AI-powered models for brands using Meta's creative services.
There has been an increasing demand for fashion brands to be more inclusive while showcasing their products. However, shooting outfits on multiple models is a time-consuming and expensive process.
Vue.ai enables brands to feature their outfits on a diverse range of AI-generated across body types, sizes, and complexions. A single outfit can be draped on a wide range of models from sizes 4-20 with the help of Vue.ai's patented technology - VueModel, which enhances and diversifies the shopping experience for customers worldwide. These features are packed into a single dashboard and have proven to be faster than traditional photoshoots.
The AI networks are taught to recreate the garment's characteristics and comprehend how it will fit on a person's body, taking into account the postures and height variations of the models. These AI networks are also honed to comprehend the subtleties of clothing fitting on the human body using sophisticated machine learning algorithms already in place. Customers across the globe have consistently reduced time to go-live on their websites, cost of creative production and increased conversions with the help of VueModel.
For instance, Lane Crawford, the Asian designer retail company, implemented Vue.ai's technology through various advertising formats on Meta platforms and saw a 33% increase in their return on ad spending (ROAS), 55% higher Click-through rates(CTR) and 28% decrease in cost per action (CPA), thereby significantly boosting their business.
Another example is Showpo, an Australian fashion retailer, who has already implemented a trial run to test an inclusive advertising campaign to show more diversity to their customers using Vue.ai's models, with a plan to roll out the feature to their site and more if the campaigns end up being successful.
"AI technology can help us automate our on-model product photography process in a cost-efficient and scalable way while ensuring we can embrace diversity thanks to the diverse library of Vue.ai models," said Jane Lu, the founder of Showpo.
"Vue.ai is very pleased to partner with Meta's Creative Shop and participating brands to make size and ethnicity-inclusive presentation of garments a reality. Although AI-based image generation for fashion has long been a compelling use case, convincing garment-on-model imagery requires a level of fidelity to the product and high resolution that has been beyond reach. We are proud that Vuemodel has proven to provide excellent customer response while providing cost savings, convenience, and inclusivity to brands." said Costa Colbert, Co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Vue.ai.
About Mad Street Den
Mad Street Den is an Enterprise AI company with a mission to make businesses and teams AI-native by driving top-down and bottom-up change in AI adoption. Vue.ai is Mad Street Den's proprietary AI stack for retail businesses to provide them with Computer Vision & NLP-led solutions that solve problems ranging from data unification & structuring to prediction & personalization as well as workflow and process automation.
With a combination of ready-to-use APIs, no-code, and low-code tools, Vue.ai enables marketing, product, sales, and technology teams to bring an order of magnitude improvement to lead generation, churn reduction, revenue growth, cost efficiency, and more. Blox.ai is currently deployed across several industries, including Retail (under the brand name Vue.ai), healthcare, finance, media and entertainment, education, and more. Retailers across the globe trust our AI stack as their revenue growth driver and cost-saving engine. They use the suite to personalize and curate the customer experience while enabling end-to-end retail automation across site merchandising, product, eCommerce & marketing operations.
Mad Street Den is backed by leading investors such as Avatar Growth Capital, Sequoia Capital and Alpha Wave Global (formerly known as Falcon Edge Capital) and works with some of the largest conglomerates across every geography.
View original content:
SOURCE Mad Street Den | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/02/28/vueai-announces-new-ai-powered-models-generate-inclusive-ad-creatives-through-metas-creative-shop/ | 2023-02-28 16:43:03 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/02/28/vueai-announces-new-ai-powered-models-generate-inclusive-ad-creatives-through-metas-creative-shop/ |
A Vietnam veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) claiming Black veterans have been disproportionately denied in benefits claims for years.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court by Conley Monk Jr. says that through a Freedom of Information Act request he and his attorneys saw "statistically significant differences" in VA claims decisions between Black veterans and white veterans, Military.com reported.
CNN reporting showed that VA records reflected at least 37.1% of white veterans who applied for disability benefits received them, while 30% of Black veterans were granted benefits claims, the Department of Veterans Affairs records showed.
The lawsuit is based on VA data from 2002 until 2020.
Richard Brookshire, CEO of the Black Veterans Project, said, "This lawsuit records the shameful history of racism by the Department of Veterans Affairs and seeks to redress long-standing impropriety and inaction reverberating across generations of Black military service."
According to VA data, 36% of claims filed by Hispanic veterans were approved during that time.
Monk founded the National Veterans Council for Legal Redress, an organization that supports veterans who need employment, benefits and shelter while advocating to seek upgrades to military discharges.
"I feel that we need to be compensated and receive some form of reparations. My lawsuit also is going to lead the charge for other veterans. That's what's really important to me," Monk said. | https://www.wptv.com/news/national/former-marine-sues-va-claims-years-of-discrimination-and-denial-of-benefits | 2022-12-01 03:55:23 | 0 | https://www.wptv.com/news/national/former-marine-sues-va-claims-years-of-discrimination-and-denial-of-benefits |
CINCINNATI (AP) — Rookie sensation Elly De La Cruz became the first Cincinnati Reds player in 34 years to hit for the cycle when he accomplished the feat on Friday against the Atlanta Braves.
De La Cruz doubled to open the second inning, had a two-run homer in the third, a run-scoring single to center in the fifth and tripled in the sixth for his fourth RBI of the night. The last hit increased the Reds’ lead to 11-7.
The cycle is the franchise’s seventh overall — fifth since 1900 — and first since Eric Davis did it against San on June 2, 1989. | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/de-la-cruz-gets-first-cycle-for-reds-since-1989/ | 2023-06-24 19:02:56 | 0 | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/de-la-cruz-gets-first-cycle-for-reds-since-1989/ |
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Taylor Ward hit a go-ahead double in the seventh inning, Noah Syndergaard snapped a four-game losing streak and the Los Angeles Angels rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Monday night.
Brandon Marsh added three hits for the Angels, who have won two straight home games for the first time in nearly five weeks. The Angels are 17-18 at The Big A this season but have won only five of the last 19 in their ballpark.
Gavin Sheets had two hits for the White Sox, who have dropped five of six. Lucas Giolito pitched six solid innings but did not factor in the decision.
Before the game, the Angels had nine players and coaches suspended by Major League Baseball for their roles in a nasty brawl with the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.
Interim manager Phil Nevin began serving his 10-game suspension Monday night. Bench coach Ray Montgomery managed the club.
Assistant pitching coach Dom Chiti (five games), pitcher Andrew Wantz (three games) and major league interpreter Manny Del Campo (two games) also began their suspensions. Montgomery will serve a two-game ban when Chiti returns.
The White Sox went ahead 3-2 in the seventh on Josh Harrison’s RBI single before the Angels regained the lead in the home half.
Max Stassi drew a one-out walk from Reynaldo Lopez (4-2) and moved to second on Marsh’s single. Pinch-runner Monte Harrison and Marsh advanced on Andrew Velazquez’s sacrifice bunt before Ward hit a two-run double off the wall in right-center that was just beyond the reach of center fielder Luis Robert.
Syndergaard (5-6) allowed three runs on six hits in seven innings and struck out seven. It was the right-hander’s first victory since May 24 against Texas.
Raisel Iglesias worked the ninth for his 14th save.
Syndergaard retired the first nine White Sox hitters before Tim Anderson singled leading off the fourth.
The Angels got on the board with two outs in the second when Jared Walsh scored after a long fly ball hit by Marsh went in and out of Sheets’ glove near the right-field wall. The ball deflected off the top of the short fence in the corner but stayed in play. It originally was ruled a home run, but got overturned to a triple.
Marsh scored when Velazquez hit a grounder up the middle that deflected off Giolito’s foot into shallow right field for a hit.
The White Sox tied it in the sixth on RBI doubles by Andrew Vaughn and Jose Abreu.
CENTURY MARK
Anderson stole second in the fourth inning to become the 31st player in White Sox history with 100 stolen bases. Anderson, in his seventh year with Chicago, is 10 for 10 on steals this season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: 3B Yoán Moncada (right hamstring strain) worked out before the game with the anticipation that he will return to the lineup Tuesday. … RHP Liam Hendriks (right forearm strain) threw a bullpen, but there’s still no decision on whether he will go on a rehab assignment.
Angels: INF Matt Duffy was placed on the 10-day injured list due to low back spasms. C Matt Thaiss was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake.
UP NEXT
White Sox: RHP Johnny Cueto (1-4, 3.19) is 4-0 with a 1.34 ERA in five career starts against the Angels.
Angels: A starter had not been announced for Tuesday, but rookie RHP Chase Silseth (1-2, 4.96 ERA) is part of the team’s taxi squad and could be activated.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/after-suspensions-angels-rally-for-4-3-win-over-white-sox/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2022-06-28 05:18:56 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/after-suspensions-angels-rally-for-4-3-win-over-white-sox/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Documents considered classified were found at President Joe Biden’s home from his time serving as President Barack Obama’s vice president, Biden attorney Richard Sauber said.
It was the second location where classified documents were found.
Sauber said that Biden and his legal team are “fully cooperating” with the National Archives and the Department of Justice.
Sauber said the first set of documents was found in November 2022 at the Penn Biden Center. Lawyers have since searched other places where documents from his vice presidential office were shipped during the 2017 transition. Sauber said Biden’s lawyers immediately contacted the DOJ to take possession of the documents.
“During the review, the lawyers discovered among personal and political papers a small number of additional Obama-Biden Administration records with classified markings," Sauber said. “All but one of these documents were found in storage space in the President’s Wilmington residence garage. One document consisting of one page was discovered among stored materials in an adjacent room.”
Thursday’s statement by Sauber was the most extensive account of how Biden ended up with these documents after leaving the Obama administration in 2017. Biden said he did not know what was contained in the documents found at the Penn Biden Center.
“They immediately called the Archives -- immediately called the Archives, turned them over to the Archives,” he said. “And I was briefed about this discovery and surprised to learn that there were any government records that were taken there to that office.” | https://www.abc15.com/news/national/attorney-classified-documents-were-found-at-bidens-delaware-home | 2023-01-12 16:02:23 | 1 | https://www.abc15.com/news/national/attorney-classified-documents-were-found-at-bidens-delaware-home |
IRS to refund penalties for millions of taxpayers who filed late amid pandemic
(Gray News) - The Internal Revenue Service announced that it would be helping struggling taxpayers affected by the pandemic by sending select refunds to those who filed their taxes late.
On Wednesday, the IRS issued a notice that would provide penalty relief to most people and businesses who filed certain 2019 or 2020 returns late.
The agency said the relief applies to the failure to file penalty – a penalty that is typically assessed at a rate of 5% per month and up to 25% of the unpaid tax when a federal income tax return is filed after Tax Day.
“The penalty relief issued is yet another way the agency is supporting people during this unprecedented time. This penalty relief will be automatic for people or businesses who qualify,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig.
According to the IRS, the notice covers $1.2 billion in penalties for more than 1.6 million taxpayers.
The IRS said to qualify for late-penalty forgiveness, individual tax returns for 2019 or 2020 must be filed by Sept. 30, with taxpayers who already paid a fine automatically receiving the refund.
Most eligible taxpayers will receive their refunds by the end of September.
The IRS notice is also waiving specific late penalties for businesses and individuals who were required to report various international information returns.
According to the agency, these changes will help with the backlog of unprocessed tax returns as it looks to return to normal operations for the 2023 filing season.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wcjb.com/2022/08/24/irs-refund-penalties-millions-taxpayers-who-filed-late-amid-pandemic/ | 2022-08-24 23:32:29 | 1 | https://www.wcjb.com/2022/08/24/irs-refund-penalties-millions-taxpayers-who-filed-late-amid-pandemic/ |
Max Verstappen was crowned the 2022 Formula 1 World Champion on Sunday after winning a rain-affected Japanese Grand Prix, held at the Suzuka Circuilt.
It means the Red Bull Racing driver is now a two-time World Champion, with his maiden title coming in 2021 after a controversial victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Impressively, the second title, like the first, came in a season in which Verstappen didn’t always have the fastest car.
Given his points lead in the 2022 Drivers’ Championship, there was little doubt Verstappen would eventually score the title. However, it came a little earlier than expected after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who was on track to finish second in Japan and as a result delay Verstappen his title, cut through a chicane on the final lap and was given a five-second penalty that dropped him to third. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez then moved into second place.
Despite heavy rain, the race started as normal, with Verstappen on pole and Leclerc also at the front of the grid. However, after two laps and a series of incidents that included Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Williams’ Alexander Albon both spinning and crashing out at the start, the race was red-flagged.
After a lengthy delay, the race finally resumed with a rolling start but with only 50 minutes remaining. With the conditions drying up, many drivers chose to pit for medium firmness tires, including race leaders Verstappen and Leclerc around lap seven, with Verstappen emerging fourth and Leclerc sixth.
A lap later, Verstappen passed Haas’ Mick Schumacher to take the lead, while Leclerc had overtaken Alfa Romeo’s Guanyu Zhou to go fourth. Leclerc eventually climbed to second in the ninth lap but by then Verstappen already had a decent gap that only continued to grow.
Perez also managed to catch up to Leclerc, who cut through the chicane on the final lap attempting to defend second position, for which the Ferrari driver was penalized. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon finished fourth after managing to hold off Mercedes-Benz AMG’s Lewis Hamilton, who took fifth. Notably, Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel recovered from an opening-lap clash with Alpine’s Fernando Alonso to finish sixth.
Following the weekend’s action, Verstappen now enjoys an unbeatable lead in the 2022 Drivers’ Championship with 366 points. However, the battle for second is still very much alive, with Perez currently in second with 253 points and Leclerc third with 252 points. The battle for the Constructors’ Championship is also alive, albeit barely, with Red Bull sitting on 619 points, versus the 454 of Ferrari and 387 of Mercedes.
The next race on the calendar is the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 23.
Below are the full results from the 2022 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix:
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
2) Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing +27.066 seconds
3) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari +31.763 seconds
4) Esteban Ocon, Alpine +39.685 seconds
5) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-Benz AMG +40.326 seconds
6) Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin +46.358 seconds
7) Fernando Alonso, Alpine +46.369 seconds
8) George Russell, Mercedes-Benz AMG +47.661 seconds
9) Nicholas Latifi, Williams +70.143 seconds
10) Lando Norris, McLaren +70.782 seconds
11) Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren +72.877 seconds
12) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin +73.904 seconds
13) Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri +75.599 seconds
14) Kevin Magnussen, Haas +86.016 seconds
15) Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo +86.496 seconds
16) Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo +87.043 seconds
17) Mick Schumacher, Haas +92.523 seconds
18) Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri +108.091 seconds
NC) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari – DNF
NC) Alex Albon, Williams – DNF
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- Gen3 Ford Mustang GT racer revealed for Supercars touring car series | https://who13.com/automotive/internet-brands/verstappen-crowned-2022-f1-champion-at-japanese-grand-prix/ | 2022-10-10 15:24:24 | 1 | https://who13.com/automotive/internet-brands/verstappen-crowned-2022-f1-champion-at-japanese-grand-prix/ |
ISTANBUL (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in southern Turkey on Sunday and set off on a tour of the earthquake disaster zone accompanied by his Turkish counterpart.
State-run Anadolu news agency reported that Blinken and Mevlut Cavusoglu, left Incirlik air base near Adana by helicopter for nearby Hatay province, one of the areas hardest hit by the Feb. 6 quake. Blinken had earlier arrived at Incirlik, where U.S. troops are based, from Germany.
Blinken is on his first trip to NATO ally Turkey since he took office two years ago. He is due to visit a tent city in Hatay established for those displaced by the earthquake, which has killed at least 44,000 in Turkey and Syria, before touring an aid distribution center, said Turkish officials who were not authorized to be identified publicly.
On returning to Incirlik, he will meet U.S. and Turkish service personnel, as well as Turkish military families affected by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake.
The top U.S. diplomat will also inspect American aid efforts organized from the base and speak to members of USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team, a quick reaction group of disaster experts.
He will fly to Ankara later Sunday for discussions with Turkish officials on Monday, including an anticipated meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. As well as the effects of the earthquake, Blinken is expected to discuss Sweden and Finland's efforts to join NATO, which Turkey is delaying, calling for Sweden in particular to tighten its approach to Kurdish rebels that Ankara considers terrorists.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/blinken-arrives-for-tour-of-turkeys-earthquake-zone/TH3WVQJSGNFHRGTZRH7RJISL54/ | 2023-02-19 14:32:45 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/blinken-arrives-for-tour-of-turkeys-earthquake-zone/TH3WVQJSGNFHRGTZRH7RJISL54/ |
Here's a quick quiz: What replaced the food pyramid, the government guide to healthy eating that stood for nearly 20 years?
If you're stumped, you're not alone.
More than a decade after Agriculture Department officials ditched the pyramid, few Americans have heard of MyPlate, a dinner plate-shaped logo that emphasizes fruits and vegetables.
Only about 25% of adults were aware of MyPlate – and less than 10% had attempted to use the guidance, according to a study released Tuesday by the National Center for Health Statistics. Those figures for 2017-2020 showed only slight improvement from a similar survey done a few years earlier.
That means that the Obama administration program that costs about $3 million a year hasn't reached most Americans, even as diet-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease have continued to rise.
"This is currently the primary education tool that communicates guidelines for Americans," said the study's lead author, Edwina Wambogo, a nutrition epidemiologist at the agency. "MyPlate should be doing a little bit better."
The results are hardly surprising, said Marion Nestle, a food policy expert.
"Why would anyone expect otherwise?" she said in an email. "MyPlate never came with an education campaign, is old hat by now, only dealt with healthy foods, said nothing about unhealthy foods and is so far from what Americans actually eat as to seem unattainable."
A top USDA official said the agency's proposed fiscal year 2023 budget seeks an increase from $3 million to $10 million a year to bolster the MyPlate campaign by extending its reach and making recipes and other materials more culturally relevant.
"We absolutely want to make sure that MyPlate and other critical tools are in the hands of more people," said Stacy Dean, deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services.
The new study found that people who rated their diet as excellent, very good or good were far more likely to have heard of MyPlate than those who said their diet was fair or poor. Of those who'd heard of the plan, about one-third tried to follow it, the study found.
MyPlate was introduced in 2011 with high-profile support from former first lady Michelle Obama, who made healthy eating and exercise her focus.
It uses a dinner plate with four colored sections for fruit, vegetables, grain and protein, with a smaller circle for dairy products, such as low-fat milk or yogurt. It encouraged Americans to make half of their meals fruits and vegetables in what was promoted as a fast, easily accessible format.
But the guide left out crucial details, said Dr. Vijaya Surampudi, a nutrition specialist at the University of California, Los Angeles.
"It doesn't differentiate between starchy vegetables and non-starchy vegetables," she said. "There's no fats on there."
Nor does MyPlate acknowledge that vegetables, grains and dairy foods also contain protein, Nestle added.
MyPlate replaced the USDA's food pyramid, which was in use from 1992 to 2011. Although it was recognized by generations of schoolkids, nutritionists were critical of the pyramid for promoting too many carbohydrates through grains and cutting back on fats.
"It wasn't the best set of recommendations on so many levels," Surampudi said. "Our rates of diabetes didn't go down. Our rates of obesity didn't go down. It went up."
The new study called for research into why some groups are less likely to be aware of and follow government guidance – and how best to reach those with poor diets.
But it's tricky, Surampudi said. In general, people know now that they should eat more fruits and vegetables. Beyond that, the message gets muddled.
"The minute it gets a little confusing, people shut down," she said.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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FILE - A sample plate of the food icon MyPlate, is unveiled at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, Thursday, June 2, 2011. A new study finds that few Americans have heard of MyPlate, the government diet guide that replaced the longstanding food pyramid in 2011, and even fewer have tried to follow its advice. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) | https://wcfcourier.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/myplate-few-americans-know-or-heed-us-nutrition-guide/article_b8ab4034-db59-527f-9882-6079dbdfe9de.html | 2022-11-30 00:01:49 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/myplate-few-americans-know-or-heed-us-nutrition-guide/article_b8ab4034-db59-527f-9882-6079dbdfe9de.html |
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Angelina Jolie and the United Nations’ refugee agency are parting ways after more than two decades.
In a joint statement issued Friday, the U.S. actor and the agency announced she was “moving on” from her role as the agency’s special envoy “to engage on a broader set of humanitarian and human rights issues.”
“I will continue to do everything in my power in the years to come to support refugees and other displaced people,” Jolie was quoted as saying in the statement, adding that she felt it was time “to work differently” by directly engaging with refugees and local organizations.
Jolie first started working with the U.N. refugee agency in 2001 and was appointed its special envoy in 2012. The release described the multi-hyphenate as “carrying out more than 60 field missions to bear witness to stories of suffering as well as hope and resilience.”
“After a long and successful time with UNHCR, I appreciate her desire to shift her engagement and support her decision,” U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi was quoted as saying. “I know the refugee cause will remain close to her heart, and I am certain she will bring the same passion and attention to a wider humanitarian portfolio.”
In an opinion piece published in The Guardian last month, Jolie alluded to frustration with the lack of global progress in ending sexual violence in conflict.
“We meet and discuss these horrors and agree that they should never be allowed to happen again. We promise to draw — and to hold — that line. But when it comes to hard choices about how to implement these promises, we run into the same problems time and again,” she wrote, specifically calling out U.N. Security Council members for “abusing their veto power.”
Jolie previously characterized the United Nations as “imperfect” during a 2017 speech in Geneva, but also defended the international body and said it needed to be supported.
She later pressed the United Nations to create a permanent and independent investigative body to amass and evaluate evidence in cases regarding alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and other human rights violations. While promoting that effort at U.N. headquarters in 2019, she told the AP that promoting equality for women, combatting injustice, and helping refugees were the most important parts of her life after her children.
“But in many ways, they go hand in hand,” she said. Jolie has been involved in other advocacy efforts, recently pushing for the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act in the U.S.
Jolie began visiting refugee camps in 2001, and was appointed as a UNHCR goodwill ambassador that same year. At the time, the then-high commissioner said he hoped the then-26-year-old actress could direct young people’s attention to the plight of refugees.
Last year, Jolie told The Associated Press in Burkina Faso that she was concerned that increasing displacement across the world would drive more instability — and that governments had to do something to address the conflicts at the root of the issue.
“Compared to when I began working with UNHCR 20 years ago, it seems like governments have largely given up on diplomacy … countries which have the least are doing the most to support the refugees,” she told the AP.
Developing countries play host to more than 80% of the world’s refugees, according to UNHCR, which also announced in May that the number of displaced people crossed 100 million for the first time. Speaking to the AP in August, Grandi praised the European Union’s efforts to aid Ukrainian refugees but implored world leaders to remember the other humanitarian crises for which is agency was fundraising.
“The big problem that we have at the moment is that it tends to marginalize all other crises in which people suffer,” Grandi said of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
UNHCR lists different categories of “prominent supporters” on its website, including goodwill ambassadors like Australian actor Cate Blanchett, British author Neil Gaiman and Pakistani actor Mahira Khan.
In response to a request for additional comment, a spokesperson for the U.N. agency declined to offer further details beyond saying that UNHCR “has no intention of appointing anyone else in the role of special envoy.” | https://www.fox16.com/news/world-news/ap-international/ap-angelina-jolie-leaves-role-as-un-refugee-agency-envoy/ | 2022-12-17 14:02:13 | 0 | https://www.fox16.com/news/world-news/ap-international/ap-angelina-jolie-leaves-role-as-un-refugee-agency-envoy/ |
The waiver provides companies greater return on investment partnering with Soaring Eagle Technologies to conduct unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) operations beyond the pilot's visual line of sight (BVLOS)
HOUSTON, Oct. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Soaring Eagle Technologies, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) drone data collection company servicing critical infrastructure owners across the continental U.S., has obtained one of the first BVLOS Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) waivers to fly small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS) commercial inspection missions under operational guidelines versus specific operations in restrained geographical areas. The newest BVLOS approval is nationwide and based on meeting operational parameters, not restricted to specific areas during specific time limits. This waiver allows Soaring Eagle Technologies clients to collect data such as high-resolution images or LiDAR more quickly and safely than with manned aviation.
The most recent FAA approval for flying BVLOS for commercial missions allows asset managers to partner with Soaring Eagle Technologies to inspect electric utility corridors and other critical infrastructure and collect information on the condition of assets or vegetation with greater efficiency and return on investment. This waiver enables commercial and industrial clients as well as utilities and other critical infrastructure managers to inspect large geographical areas, ranging from 800-3000 acres in a day for light detection and ranging (LiDAR) or photogrammetry, with a high degree of granularity.
The long-range BVLOS inspection is used to conduct vegetation and other audits as well as for detailed mapping over large geographical areas, all currently carried out by foot or via flying manned aircraft. BVLOS is a more competitive alternative for mapping large areas, including surveying land for large construction projects such as solar fields, electrical utility construction, and large-footprint buildings. BVLOS is also used for controlled burn overwatch, right-of-way audits, farming and agriculture, as well as other vast distance applications.
The veteran pilot recipient of the waiver is Noah Ruiz, Chief Pilot for Soaring Eagle Technologies. Ruiz stated, "This is big news for clients needing more efficient, reliable, greener and safer inspections of large geographic areas and critical infrastructure. The advanced technology is long-awaited for uses ranging from transmission and distribution, engineering and construction, and other critical infrastructure as well as for post-disaster assessments to recover power promptly and safely. There is high demand for the BVLOS inspection missions this waiver allows to conduct in one flight. Soaring Eagle has completed over 60 BVLOS missions across the country under SGI (special government interest) waivers, more than any other competitor. We currently have the capability to patrol up to 100 miles per day with each BVLOS sUAS in our fleet. This allows us to provide a cleaner and safer alternative to using fossil fuels. Asset owners can potentially save up to 30% when conducting BVLOS inspections compared to using manned aircraft—helicopters and airplanes—to do the same work."
Soaring Eagle Technologies has previously obtained approval to inspect up to 61 linear miles, one of the longest distances approved by the FAA for such commercial infrastructure and transmission and distribution inspections. The remote pilot-in-command (RPIC) missions leverage Iris Automation's advanced detect-and-avoid technology (DAA) system, Casia, the safety component that allows the long-range BVLOS flights. The FAA issues BVLOS waivers based on the proven safety standards and track record of the pilots and management.
Soaring Eagle Technologies is a minority and veteran-owned tech-enabled drone inspections company servicing the continental United States. Soaring Eagle is owned and operated by Houston-based Iapetus Holdings LLC (Iapetus), a privately held portfolio of energy and utility services businesses and alternative investments solving the world's most urgent needs around energy sustainability, efficiency, reliability, and safety. Iapetus' diverse lens drives strategic thinking, innovation, and an entrepreneurial vision to utility and energy problems by strengthening infrastructure, electric reliability, the economy, and future generations of professionals. Iapetus teams implement agile strategies to serve energy, utility, commercial and industrial companies. The Iapetus suite is a multimillion-dollar portfolio with more than 400 employees across eight offices, efficiently structured to deliver optimum results for clients. The operating companies include Iapetus Infrastructure Services, Atlas Commodities, Atlas Field Services, Atlas Retail Energy, Soaring Eagle Technologies, Gold Coast Utility Specialists, Hyperion Safety Environmental Solutions and the Unmanned Aviation Training Institute - UATI. In 2022, Iapetus Holdings ranks as the number one Houston Business Journal Veteran-Owned Business based on revenues and is listed among the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing companies in the U.S. Iapetus is the proud sponsor of a 501c3 non-profit, Atlas Scholars. For more information, visit Iapetus Holdings LLC.
Contact: S. Lechin
media@iapetusllc.com
832-993-6794
#UnmannedAerialSystems #UAS #UnmannedAerialVehicles #Droneinspections #InfrastructureInspections #DroneimageCapture #Softwaresystems #CustomDroneSolutions #GIS #3DModelling #3DMapping #InfrastructureRiskManagement #Thermalimaging #AssetManagement #Drones4Good #Mapping #GIS #Geospatialinformation #BVLOS #LIDAR
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SOURCE Soaring Eagle Technologies | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/10/18/soaring-eagle-technologies-receives-latest-long-distance-faa-waiver-commercial-uas-inspections/ | 2022-10-18 13:13:05 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/10/18/soaring-eagle-technologies-receives-latest-long-distance-faa-waiver-commercial-uas-inspections/ |
DETROIT — The historic section of Detroit where Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. built his music empire six decades ago is now looking better than ever.
Motown legend — and Gordy’s best friend — Smokey Robinson was among those who visited the newly improved Motown Museum site on Monday night for an event celebrating the completion of the first two phases of the museum’s expansion.
Robinson was joined by Otis Williams, Martha Reeves and other Motown luminaries in celebrating the grand opening of Hitsville NEXT, an educational programming and creative hub, and the newly established Rocket Plaza.
“Kids who aren’t even born yet will be aware of Motown,” Robinson told The Associated Press during an interview ahead of the event held near the entrance to the museum. “Some of their parents weren’t even born when we started this. But it’s a wonderful thing.”
The festivities included comments from Robinson and Williams, an original founding member of The Temptations who gifted microphones to the museum from his personal collection.
And they concluded with a performance of the Temptations classic, “My Girl,” performed by the cast of the musical “Ain’t Too Proud,” and introduced by Marcus Paul James, who portrays Williams in the show.
“I am very happy to be part of something — this here, Motown — (that will) outlast us all,” Williams said.
The museum will continue to be housed in the famed “Hitsville, U.S.A” building at 2648 West Grand Boulevard.
But three nearby Motown-era buildings have been transformed into Hitsville NEXT, which will be home to camps, workshops, master classes and community events. It represents the first phase of the museum’s expansion.
Phase two is Rocket Plaza, an outdoor plaza that will serve as a community gathering place and a welcome destination for museum visitors.
“This plaza is the new front porch to Motown,” said Robin Terry, Motown Museum chairwoman and CEO.
Gordy launched Motown in 1959. His late sister, Esther Gordy Edwards, founded the museum in the former Hitsville headquarters in 1985. In addition to Robinson and The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye and many others recorded hits there before Motown moved to California in 1972.
The museum is inviting the community to its Founder’s Day celebration on Saturday in honor of Gordy Edwards, the reopening and the completed expansion phases.
And the museum on Sunday will welcome back visitors for tours of Hitsville, U.S.A. following pandemic- and construction-related closures. | https://www.phillytrib.com/entertainment/music/motown-stars-celebrate-completion-of-museum-expansion-phases/article_3d99799c-eda6-555d-ace9-6fcbae2924c2.html | 2022-08-12 09:57:46 | 1 | https://www.phillytrib.com/entertainment/music/motown-stars-celebrate-completion-of-museum-expansion-phases/article_3d99799c-eda6-555d-ace9-6fcbae2924c2.html |
The Aug. 23 session will address the tactical steps compliance teams should take when transitioning to a new compliance technology solution
NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ComplySci, the leading provider of regulatory technology and compliance solutions for the financial services sector, announced a webinar to outline the tactical steps for compliance departments to consider during a technology transition.
The Aug. 23 event is ComplySci's second session in a three-part webinar series, which discusses how financial firms, including wealth management firms, equity capital markets, hedge funds, registered investment advisers and investment banks, should address the process of selecting a compliance technology solution. The team will discuss a step-by-step process for implementing a new compliance technology, best practices for transitioning data and increasing employee engagement.
"Effectively navigating the transition stage of the process is crucial to successful integration with your compliance program and sets the tone for firm-wide adoption," said ComplySci Chief Executive Officer Amy Kadomatsu. "We know a compliance professional's worst nightmare is the thought of something slipping through the cracks as they make this change. This session will help you navigate what can be a complex process so you can rest assured you aren't missing a thing."
The second webinar session titled, "Making the Switch: What Not to Miss When Changing Compliance Technology Providers," will air Tuesday, Aug. 23, at 2 p.m. Eastern. Presenters include:
- DA Davidson Senior Compliance Officer Susan Eckhardt.
- RIA in a Box Senior Vice President of Compliance Operations and General Counsel Chris DiTata.
- ComplySci Vice President of Onboarding James Wallace.
- RIA in a Box Director of Compliance Hovig Melkonian.
Those who register and attend will also be able to take advantage of a free consultation with a transition specialist to discuss firm-specific requirements and additional questions you may have about how to evaluate platform options and the internal processes which accompany any transition.
The first session in the three-part series highlighted the requirements for evaluating and selecting your compliance technology partner and can be viewed at complysci.com. The third session is currently scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 6.
At ComplySci, we believe advanced compliance technology empowers compliance professionals to transform their business. More than 7,000 customers, including some of the world's largest financial institutions, rely on ComplySci's scalable and sophisticated platform to stay ahead of risk and unlock the strategic potential of their compliance data. Its portfolio of firms includes ComplySci, RIA in a Box, illumis, a ComplySci company, NRS, a ComplySci company, and ITEGRIA®, a division of RIA in a Box.
Together, the firms offer a full suite of governance, risk and compliance (GRC) consulting, technology, managed services, analytics and outsourcing solutions for the financial services industry. Its regulatory technology solutions help compliance organizations identify, monitor, manage and report on risk and conflicts of interest, including personal trading, gifts and entertainment, political contributions, outside business affiliations and other code of ethics violations. Learn more at complysci.com.
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FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky school district has agreed to make “institutional changes” to settle a federal investigation into complaints of widespread harassment of Black and multiracial students, the U.S. Justice Department announced.
The investigation of the Madison County school district, launched in October 2021, uncovered numerous cases of race-based harassment in which Black and multiracial students were subjected to derogatory racial comments by their peers, the Justice Department said in a news release Monday. It found that the district failed to “consistently or reasonably” address the problems, including racial taunts and intimidation, at times reinforced by displays of the Confederate flag, the department said.
When the district did respond, it often failed to follow its own anti-racial harassment policies and ineffectively addressed the “broader hostile environment,” the department said. The situation deprived Black and multiracial students of equal access to educational opportunities, the DOJ said.
“Racial harassment inflicts grievous harm on young people and violates the Constitution’s most basic promise of equal protection,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This agreement will create the institutional changes needed to keep Black and multiracial students safe and to provide them with a supportive educational environment.”
The school district — based in Richmond, Kentucky, about 28 miles (45 kilometers) southeast of Lexington — said it fully cooperated with the investigation.
“The district will continue working closely with the U.S. Department of Justice to implement policy and procedure changes outlined in the agreement, particularly those that pertain to the tracking and analyzing of data pertaining to racially motivated incidents,” the district said in a statement Tuesday.
The investigation also raised concerns about racially disproportionate disciplining of Black students at some schools and inadequate record keeping and analysis of disciplinary data.
The district agreed to take “all necessary and reasonable steps,” consistent with federal law, to end racial harassment and prevent recurrence, the department said.
It agreed to retain a consultant to revise anti-discrimination policies. It also plans to create three new positions to oversee how racial discrimination complaints are handled, and will update how it tracks and responds to race-based harassment.
Additional measures will include training staff to identify, investigate and respond to racial harassment and discriminatory discipline practices and informing students and parents how to report harassment and discrimination.
The district also agreed to update its electronic reporting system to track and manage complaints as well as the district’s responses.
Carlton S. Shier IV, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, said the investigation’s principles and settlement are straightforward.
“All young people are entitled to seek their educational opportunities without facing racial harassment and abuse, and schools simply must adequately protect those entrusted to their care and instruction from that offensive, harmful behavior,” Shier said. | https://www.ksn.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/justice-department-settles-with-kentucky-school-district-over-racial-harassment/ | 2023-06-14 14:16:14 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/justice-department-settles-with-kentucky-school-district-over-racial-harassment/ |
SYKESVILLE, Md — Most kids spend their summers outside in the pool or maybe even playing games with their friends but one 6 grader spent his summer winning a national cooking contest. Cameron Livesay is a young baker from Sykesville who entered the Farmers’ Almanac 2022 cooking contest and not only won, but Livesay’s cookies took him all the way to first place. The Famers’ Almanac host a unique cooking contest every year.
Each year they pick a specific ingredient that must be featured in each dish entered in the contest. Bakers that win the contest receive a cash prize. This year’s special ingredient was honey. Contestants had to use at least 2 tablespoons for their recipe to be considered. 11-year-old Cameron Livesay decided to make Honey Churro Cookies. According to his recipe, the cookies only take 10 minutes to make and use 1 tablespoon of honey for the actual cookie and another tablespoon for the sweet frosting on top. Livesay became interested in cooking last year when he was baking with his mom for a homeschool project. From there, things began to snowball.
As his interest peaked, he began cooking for his baseball and football team. Last year he received a Kitchen Aid mixer for his birthday and from there it seems things just continued to take off. Now, Cameron Livesay has his own website and is taking orders for not just cookies but cakes as well. Earlier this month, Livesay posted to his Instagram a video of him baking a graduation party. But the baking does not stop at desert. Just two days ago Livesay advertised that he is selling lemon and chocolate chip scones. If you would like to place an order for some of his treats, you can visit his website. Farmers’ Almanac has already started preparing for next years contest. Those wanting to participate in the 2023 blueberry can learn more here. | https://www.wmar2news.com/homepage-showcase/sweet-summer-win | 2022-08-15 13:46:42 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/homepage-showcase/sweet-summer-win |
LUSAKA, Zambia -- Unlike in the United States, where conversations about climate change usually revolve around replacing fossil fuels with clean energy, the focus in Africa is on expanding access to food. Vice President Kamala Harris said Saturday she is pushing for $7 billion in private-sector investments, mostly to boost conservation and improve food production, to help Africa prepare for the effects of climate change.
Harris on Saturday traveled down a dirt road to tour a farm outside Zambia's capital that's using new techniques and technology to boost its vegetable crop as she highlighted ways to secure food supplies in an age of global warming.
"It's an example of what can be done around the world," she said after walking past rows of peppers and inspecting a drip irrigation system.
Rising prices stemming from the Russian invasion of Ukraine have been damaging to poor countries, and global warming is expected to bring more challenges in the coming years.
Hunger can also create instability, leading to migration and conflict.
"The connection between these issues is quite clear," Harris said.
Her announcement came as she wrapped up her weeklong visit to Africa, which included earlier stops in Ghana and Tanzania. The trip was intended to advance U.S. efforts to make inroads in a part of the world where China's influence runs deep.
It's the biggest-ticket item that Harris has announced, but more work will be needed to follow through.
For example, African Parks, a nonprofit group, has committed to raise $1.25 billion over the next seven years in order to expand its conservation program. Another organization, One Acre Fund, plans to raise $100 million to plant 1 billion trees by the end of the decade.
The politics of climate change are complicated in Africa, which has contributed far less to overall greenhouse gas emissions than richer corners of the world such as the United States. According to the International Energy Agency, 43% of Africans didn't have access to electricity in 2021, and recent outages have caused frustration.
In Ghana, Harris was questioned at a news conference about how the West can demand that Africa go green and forgo using its natural resources. She also was pressed on whether wealthy nations would supply $100 billion annually to help poor countries cope with climate change, a commitment made under the Paris climate accord.
Harris said it is "critically important that, as global leaders, we all speak truth about the disparities that exist in terms of cause and effect and that we address those disparities." She said there were opportunities in the "clean energy economy" that could help generate growth in Africa.
As for the money, President Joe Biden has requested $11 billion in his proposed budget to meet its international commitments.
"We are waiting for Congress to do its work," Harris said. | https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/apr/02/harris-highlights-food-access-in-africa/ | 2023-04-02 09:35:39 | 1 | https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/apr/02/harris-highlights-food-access-in-africa/ |
Close call in New Mexico: Hot air balloon crashes into power lines, no one injured
By Sam Smith
Click here for updates on this story
RIO RANCHO, New Mexico (KOAT) — A potential crisis was averted, after a balloon crashed into power lines Sunday morning in Rio Rancho. The crash occurred Sunday morning near the intersection of Rainbow Blvd. and Idalia Road SW.
A spokesman for the Rio Rancho Fire Department says it appears that one person was aboard the balloon, when the crash occurred. That person was treated at the scene, and did not suffer any injuries.
PNM shut down power in the area for nearly an hour, as crews worked to safely remove the balloon from the power lines. Service has been restored and roads in the area have been reopened.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. | https://kion546.com/cnn-regional/2022/11/07/close-call-in-new-mexico-hot-air-balloon-crashes-into-power-lines-no-one-injured/ | 2022-11-07 19:28:44 | 0 | https://kion546.com/cnn-regional/2022/11/07/close-call-in-new-mexico-hot-air-balloon-crashes-into-power-lines-no-one-injured/ |
Police seize 18 pounds of suspected fentanyl, largest bust in department history
The Eugene Police Department seized an estimated 18 pounds of suspected fentanyl, stolen guns and cash from a man's vehicles and home, in what the department says is the largest fentanyl seizure in its history.
The drug bust came following an officer's welfare check a little after 10:45 p.m. Oct. 19 at the intersection of East 11th Avenue and High Street, according to police spokeswoman Melinda McLaughlin. An EPD officer was checking on Andre Lavell Johnson, who police say was slumped over the steering wheel of his Range Rover at a stop light.
Johnson, a 42-year-old Portland man, was unconscious, McLaughlin said. Police used their cars to pin the vehicle in before waking up Johnson. Upon waking, Johnson tried to start his car and allegedly refused police commands to stop. Police removed Johnson from the vehicle and officers spotted a gun near his feet, McLaughlin said. Officers also saw bags of pills, later determined to be fentanyl.
The pills matched the description of counterfeit oxycodone pills that are actually fentanyl being circulated in the area, McLaughlin said.
A search found Johnson had a large amount of cash and multiple phones. A K9 unit also detected the odor of controlled substances on the cash and firearm, McLaughlin said. Johnson, who also had warrants for his arrest elsewhere, was lodged in Lane County Jail.
Previous bust:Eugene police seize heroin, meth and 1,900 pills of suspected fentanyl in warrant search
Over the next 28 hours officers and detectives carried out search warrants on Johnson's vehicles and home where they seized around 18 pounds of suspected fentanyl in both powder and pill form, 12 guns, and over $47,000 in cash, McLaughlin said. Six of the firearms seized were allegedly stolen, according to McLaughlin. She said EPD cannot release the address searched because the case is still being investigated.
Johnson was arraigned Oct. 20. His three felony charges include driving with a revoked license, drug possession and DUII. The felony-level drug possession charge is commercial-level. To be considered a commercial drug offense, three of these four criteria must be met, according to court documents:
- In possession of $300 or more in cash
- Unlawfully in possession of a firearm
- In possession of stolen property
- In possession of more than three grams of a mixture or substance containing detectable amounts of fentanyl
Johnson's next court appearance is set for Nov. 28.
The pills were a mixture of blue- and rainbow-colored, according to photos of the seized drugs from EPD. The seizure comes five months after EPD reported the department's previous largest fentanyl bust.
"The (rainbow) colored ones we're concerned about because it can look a little bit like candy," McLaughlin told The Register-Guard.
Eugene Police also warned people about the dangers of fentanyl and said it should be assumed any street drug could contain the powerful, illicit opioid that has a high risk for overdose.
Eugene Police has seen fentanyl contamination in cheap, counterfeit pills sold as common medications such as oxycodone, Adderall or Xanax, McLaughlin said. "We also have reports of fentanyl being found in white or colored powdered drugs that might be sold as cocaine, MDMA or methamphetamine," she said in a news release.
Lane County Public Health warns against any pills not obtained from a pharmacy and urges people who use illicit drugs to take precautions and to not use alone. LCPH recommends anyone who uses drugs or knows someone who does, to carry Narcan (naloxone), an overdose reversal nasal spray, and individuals are able to test drugs for fentanyl with a fentanyl testing strip. It is also important to know the signs of an overdose and always call 911 immediately.
Contact reporter Louis Krauss at lkrauss@registerguard.com, call 541-521-2498 or follow him on Twitter @louiskraussnews. | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/2022/10/26/eugene-police-fentanyl-bust-guns-drugs-oregon/69591184007/ | 2022-10-26 07:21:42 | 0 | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/2022/10/26/eugene-police-fentanyl-bust-guns-drugs-oregon/69591184007/ |
Utah Rep Chris Stewart to resign from House, shrinking GOP majority
Stewart's departure from the House would leave Republicans with only a 4-seat majority
Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, is planning to resign from Congress before the end of the year, according to multiple reports.
Stewart, a six-term lawmaker, is expected to announce his intent to leave the House of Representatives Wednesday due to his wife's illness, The Associated Press reported. His resignation would leave open a Republican seat on the House Appropriations and Intelligence committees — and reduce an already narrow GOP majority to just four seats.
Utah law states that the governor must call for a special election in the event of a House vacancy. Once Stewart makes his resignation official, Republican Gov. Spencer Cox will have seven days to set the time for a primary and special election. The law requires those dates to be the same as municipal primary and general elections scheduled for this year, unless the state legislature appropriates funds to hold a separate election.
A Republican candidate is heavily favored to fill the vacancy. Stewart represents Utah's 2nd Congressional District, a reliably GOP constituency in western Utah that stretches from the Salt Lake City metro area to St. George. In the 2022 midterm election, Stewart easily defeated Democratic challenger Nick Mitchell, winning re-election with a landslide 63.4% vote share.
‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’: UTAH MAYOR ANNOUNCES BID TO TAKE ROMNEY'S SENATE SEAT
However, until a special election happens, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., will have even less room for error when whipping votes. Assuming united Democratic opposition, McCarthy can only afford to lose three Republican votes on any given legislation. Intra-party fighting between hard-line conservatives and moderates already threatened to tank a Republican border security bill this year, and current GOP disagreements on the debt ceiling deal demonstrate plenty of Republican lawmakers are willing to buck the party line.
Stewart's retirement would also reshape Utah politics, as he was widely believed to be considering a run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah., or the governor's mansion. His wife's illness would put those plans on hold, creating opportunities for other ambitious Republicans.
HOUSE GOP BLASTS CBO PROJECTION THAT BIDEN-MCCARTHY DEBT LIMIT DEAL WOULD ACTUALLY EXPAND SNAP
Stewart, a U.S. Air Force veteran and author, was first elected in 2012 and collaborated with Utah’s Elizabeth Smart on a memoir about her kidnapping. The 62-year-old Stewart was raised as a potential nominee for U.S. director of national intelligence during former President Trump’s administration. Little is known about Stewart’s wife’s health.
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The Salt Lake Tribune first announced Stewart’s plans to resign. His resignation would mark the second time a Utah congressman has left office early in the past six years. Former U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz resigned from office in 2017, stepping away from his role as chairman of the House Oversight Committee and prompting a special election.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/utah-rep-chris-stewart-resign-house-shrinking-gop-majority | 2023-05-31 12:29:51 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/utah-rep-chris-stewart-resign-house-shrinking-gop-majority |
SHANGHAI, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading Italian luxury designer outlet Florentia Village, announced today the launch of the sustainable care program "To Love, Together" in 2023 and firstly joined hands with Star.Bunny.Love Children's Mental Health Care Action to help children with autism. At the same time, with its commitment to corporate social responsibility, Florentia Village will also organize a series of creative events, such as charity markets and autistic children's art exhibitions to raise public awareness of autistic children. Mr. Jacopo De Vena, Managing Director of Florentia Village and RDM Asia, Ms. Serene Tang, Center Director of Florentia Village Shanghai, and Ms. Bonnie Chen, Initiators of the "To Love, Together" program, presented at the launch ceremony of the charity partnership.
Initiated by the model and actress Bonnie Chen in 2011, the Star.Bunny.Love program is an eco-friendly and care initiative that raises funds to help autistic children. Through exhibitions, charity markets, and other activities, Star.Bunny.Love has raised over 1 million RMB to support art therapy programs for autistic children for over a decade.
Autistic children, also known as "children from the stars", are unable to communicate and live like normal children due to their condition. They are absorbed in their own world and disconnected from the others. "As the first cooperation of the annual sustainable public welfare project, we want to help children with needs", said Jacopo De Vena, Managing Director of Florentia Village and RDM Asia, "Furthermore, we will integrate the unique resources of the village as well as customize diverse and creative activities and content for this partner initiative in order to offer enriched recreation and shopping experiences for customers while increasing public awareness of the community and promoting a more positive and a healthier lifestyle. Exciting events, such as autism children's art exhibitions, charity markets and activities, are also forthcoming."
In addition, Florentia Village has also partnered with renowned brands such as AIGLE, ANTEPRIMA, BROOKS BROTHERS, LANE CRAWFORD, MAX MARA, MICHAEL KORS and MLB, as well as the Istituto Marangoni, presented extraordinary themed fashion shows. WANACCESSORY, a London-based brand founded by a Chinese designer -- Ms. Meng Yi Wan, renowned for its daring designs, also made appearances in the fashion shows, adding a unique charm to the event.
Over the years, Florentia Village has worked closely with partners and taken measures to fulfill corporate social responsibility in high standard.
In 2019, Florentia Village introduced sustainable packaging options on its ecommerce platform FVshop.com, to encourage the reusage of existing packaging for online orders. In addition, Florentia Village launched a new initiative involving B2B recycled polyester (rPET) specialist P.E.T. (Plastic Ecological Transformation) in a move to transform plastic bottle waste into textiles for the fashion industry. In 2022, Florentia Village recycled a total of 1,805 kg of plastic bottles. Furthermore, Florentia Village's architectural designs also incorporate sustainability. The roof designs of Florentia Village Chongqing and Florentia Village Shanghai new phase use the same material structure as the National Aquatics Center, Beijing (or the "Water Cube"). A design that balances energy-saving and aesthetics that allows the buildings to let in more natural light, thereby reducing energy consumption and emissions.
The "To Love, Together" is a new initiative for sustainable charity by Florentia Village. In the future, Florentia Village will introduce more initiatives with partners to remain committed to promoting the highest level and standards of corporate social responsibility, thus creating closer connections and interactions between people as well as contributing to the charity's cause.
ABOUT FLORENTIA VILLAGE
Florentia Village is China's renowned Italian designer outlet under the Italian real estate development group, RDM. Florentia Village was first launched in 2011 and currently has a total of seven outlets across Greater China, located in Hong Kong, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu and Chongqing. The outlets' distinctive Italian architecture recalls Florence, Rome and the Renaissance Age by combining plazas, galleries, fountains and monumental buildings to deliver a one-of-a-kind shopping environment. Florentia Village carries more than 300 renowned brands from Europe, the United States and Asia at a year-round discount of up to 80% off.
Thanks to RDM's extensive network of contacts within the global retail community, the storefronts are leased to the most prestigious luxury fashion brands in the world. To date, Florentia Village has achieved a combined total leasing area of 500,000m2 with 1,200 total shops. In 2022 alone, Florentia Village outlets in China attracted more than 20 million visitors, and that number is projected to increase by 31% in 2023. As the leading international designer outlet in Asia, Florentia Village brings an unparalleled Italian style and shopping experience to the region.
Official website: www.florentiavillage.com
LinkedIn: Florentia Village – Luxury Designer Outlets / RDM Asia
Instagram: @Florentiavillage
Facebook: @Florentia Village
WeChat Accounts:
@FVJJOutlet @FVWHOutlet
@FVSHOutlet @FVCDOutlet
@FVGFOutlet @FVCQOutlet
@FVHKoutlet
View original content:
SOURCE Florentia Village | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2023/04/21/florentia-village-partners-with-starbunnylove-childrens-mental-health-care-action-launch-sustainable-care-program-love-together/ | 2023-04-21 15:01:48 | 0 | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2023/04/21/florentia-village-partners-with-starbunnylove-childrens-mental-health-care-action-launch-sustainable-care-program-love-together/ |
Start putting some cash aside if you want to grab these deals
Amazon’s annual Prime Day is a massive sales event where most anything on the website goes for steep discounts. From clothing and kitchen accessories to musical instruments and vehicle parts, it’s the time to be on the lookout for items you’ve always wanted.
One of the big-ticket companies involved is Apple, putting some of its most sought-after tech gadgets on sale. Apple’s products are notoriously expensive, so grabbing a new set of earbuds, a wireless Mac keyboard or an iPhone cover can save you a few bucks.
Shop this article: Apple 2020 MacBook Air Laptop M1, Apple AirPods Max and Apple Watch SE
Planning with Prime
The first Amazon Prime Day took place in 2015, and since then, shoppers have been spending millions of dollars each year scooping up some of the best deals. Last year, more than 300 million items were sold, and by some estimates, it saved Amazon Prime members a collective $1.7 billion. The total value of all products sold over last year’s two-day event was $12 billion.
It’s no regular day for Amazon by any stretch of the imagination, meaning if you want to get some Apple products and accessories, the last thing you need is to see “insufficient funds” when trying to buy something. Amazon hasn’t announced the dates for 2023 yet, but it’s a safe bet to assume that it will be at the end of June or early July — so start putting money away now.
Best products Apple usually discounts on Prime Day
Apple 2020 MacBook Air Laptop M1
With a battery life of almost 18 hours and a powerful M1 chip, this MacBook Air is a workhorse for anybody who isn’t office-bound. It has a 13.3-inch Retina display, 8GB of unified memory and is compatible with various productivity apps such as Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft 365 and Google Drive. It might not be the latest MacBook Air, but it’s an excellent value when it goes on sale during Prime Day at a steep discount.
Sold by Amazon
Listen to all your favorite music and podcasts with Apple’s powerful headphones. AirPods Max have large audio drivers powered by the Apple H1 headphone chip, giving you superb spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, Active Noise Cancellation to block unwanted ambient sounds and a battery that lasts around 12 hours. They also have a Transparency mode so you can hear what’s happening around you.
Sold by Amazon
A smartwatch is a handy tool for checking messages and emails at a glance without taking out your phone. The Watch SE isn’t as technologically advanced as later models from Apple, but at a Prime Day discount, it’s a solid purchase. It has a 40-millimeter display that incorporates an activity tracker, heart rate monitor and a sleep monitor, and you can control it with your voice to make phone calls or listen to music.
Sold by Amazon
Apple 2021 14-Inch MacBook Pro
The MacBook Pro is the pinnacle of Apple’s laptop offerings, and it’s extra valuable when you pick it up at a discount. This model has a 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, the Apple M1 Max chip and 512GB of internal storage. The 10-core central processing unit is three times faster than previous MacBook Pro models, and the 64GB memory is more than enough for resource-intensive tasks. The battery lasts about 17 hours, the bezel has a 1080p FaceTime HD camera built-in and there’s a six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers to reduce distortion.
Sold by Amazon
There are many tablets to choose from, but none can hold a candle to Apple’s iPad — especially when you score a deep discount during Prime Day. This ninth-generation tablet has a 10.2-inch Retina display, is powered by Apple’s A13 Bionic chip and has an ultra-wide front-facing camera for crystal-clear video calls. You can choose between 64GB or 256GB of internal storage, and there are Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi with cellular versions. It has the TouchID button at the bottom of the display, making it easy to sign in with your thumbprint and pay for services through Apple Pay.
Sold by Amazon
Apple Wireless Charging Case for AirPods
Apple accessories are usually not in short supply when it comes to Prime Day discounts, making it an opportune moment to grab yourself a wireless charging case that keeps your AirPods charged at all times. It’s worth getting even if you already have one, as you can keep the extra case in your vehicle. It’s compatible with Qi charging pads, has an LED indicator on the front to see the charging status and can also be charged with a cable through the Lightning port at the back.
Sold by Amazon
No matter the model, the Apple Watch is a top-of-the-line accessory. With a glance at your wrist, you can see the time, any messages and emails, your activity levels and even control the music that’s playing through a paired mobile phone. Apple Watch 7 has a 41-millimeter display, built-in GPS and various fitness and activity trackers to monitor your heart rate. The watch bands are interchangeable and come in various colors. Usually, you can expect to grab the Watch Series 7 at a 10% to 20% discount during Prime Day.
Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
- Step up your graphic design and drawing game with the awesome Apple Pencil (2nd Generation).
- The Apple MagSafe Charger ensures that your iPhone and earbuds are always charged.
- Type like a professional with the Apple Magic Keyboard, turning your iPad into a laptop.
- Keep track of your belongings with this four-pack of Apple AirTags.
- This Apple USB-C Charge Cable is a smart accessory to keep in your bag for charging on the go.
Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.
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Charlie Fripp writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wjhl.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/cell-phones-accessories-br/heres-what-apple-usually-discounts-on-prime-day/ | 2023-06-16 20:53:32 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/cell-phones-accessories-br/heres-what-apple-usually-discounts-on-prime-day/ |
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
On this day one year ago, Kabul fell to the Taliban. With that, they were ruling Afghanistan again after 20 years out of power. So what has this day been like for Afghans? NPR's Diaa Hadid joins us from the Afghan capital. Hi, Diaa.
DIAA HADID, BYLINE: Hi, Juana.
SUMMERS: So tell us. What was today like?
HADID: Well, Taliban security forces, mostly young men, were doing victory laps around Kabul in convoys of jeeps, cars and motorbikes. Some of them were waving the black-and-white Taliban flag. Some guys were brandishing assault rifles, and some had pasted flowers to their cars and were wearing sequined bandanas. But it wasn't some mass event. Most Afghans - in Kabul, at least - appeared to stay home. There weren't families out or anything like that. We walked over to an army jeep that was blaring pro-Taliban tunes. These are male singers who praise fighters who wrested Kabul from their enemies.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST: (Singing in non-English language).
HADID: There I spoke to one participant, a young fighter. His name is Samiullah. He's 23, and we chat in Arabic because he learned it in a madrassa or religious seminary. And he tells me they're celebrating because they liberated Afghanistan from foreign occupation.
SAMIULLAH: (Speaking Arabic).
HADID: And he says this is an example for other Muslim countries, but he also says life has been hard. He says Afghans are hungry, and he blames sanctions imposed by America and the international community.
SUMMERS: With daily life being so tough for many, how are other Afghans feeling about today's anniversary?
HADID: Well, it's hard to tell. You know, some are likely to feel pleased because security is generally much better. But the Taliban have silenced those who oppose them, like women who held a rare protest on Saturday to demand their rights. See; the Taliban have banned girls from going to secondary school. They've pushed most women out of work. They've ordered them to cover up and stay home. And Taliban security forces swiftly ended that protest by opening fire above the women's heads. But women, at least, are still trying to show that they're resisting. Like, today one young woman sent me a clip of herself singing in Dari.
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Singing in Dari).
HADID: It's a very catchy tune in Dari. And the song's message is, don't be afraid of the Taliban.
SUMMERS: Well, that raises the question, how fearful are people of the Taliban a year after they took power?
HADID: I would say with the exception of these young, defiant women, most people appear to be nearly entirely consumed with just trying to get by. There's a humanitarian crisis here. The U.N. estimates that more than 90% of all Afghans aren't getting enough food to eat. And millions need aid just not to starve. And that's mainly because of sanctions to punish Taliban leaders, who are now in the government. And that has had a disastrous impact on the economy. To understand this a bit better, listen here to Samira Sayed Rahman. She's with the International Rescue Committee. It's one of the really big aid groups that works in Afghanistan.
SAMIRA SAYED RAHMAN: I've been traveling to clinics and hospitals. Here you see - you know, there was three babies in a single incubator. I talked to nurses who haven't been paid in months. So the sanctions that have been placed on the Taliban - we have a few hundred people in power, but 38 million people are suffering.
SUMMERS: Diaa, what is being done to help all of those people?
HADID: Well, the U.N. has an enormous, enormous presence here, and they've spent about $4 billion effectively to stop Afghans from starving. The problem is they say they need about $8 billion because the need is so great. But it's unlikely donors are going to give substantially more money. We hear from multiple sources that they're fed up with the Taliban. Western donors in particular accuse the group of breaking promises they made when they first came to power, like letting all girls go to school.
SUMMERS: There are so many challenges at this point. What are the Taliban's priorities now?
HADID: Well, looking forward, the Taliban are focused on revenue raising. They're mining. They're doing customs taxes. And one Western representative we spoke to said he was actually impressed by how quickly the group takes decisions and gets moving. But that revenue - about 2.5 billion - is nowhere near substituting for the enormous amount of aid that Afghanistan currently needs. And frankly, it appears that hardliners among the Taliban have taken the upper hand in decision making. And they've issued repeated statements that they won't compromise on their values to appease the West. So it's unlikely they're going to soften on women's rights, and the country is likely to remain mired in crisis.
SUMMERS: That is NPR's Diaa Hadid speaking with us from Kabul on the first anniversary of the Taliban takeover. Thank you, Diaa.
HADID: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.mainepublic.org/2022-08-15/after-a-year-of-taliban-rule-many-afghans-are-struggling-to-survive | 2022-08-16 06:57:41 | 0 | https://www.mainepublic.org/2022-08-15/after-a-year-of-taliban-rule-many-afghans-are-struggling-to-survive |
Burrito Brigade, Circle of Friends School recipients of Gannett Foundation's A Community Thrives
Burrito Brigade and Circle of Friends School in Eugene are the Oregon recipients of the Local Operating Grants through the Gannett Foundation’s crowdfunding initiative, A Community Thrives.
Nonprofit food access group Burrito Brigade was awarded for the third year in a row, receiving $9,200 this year, which required local fundraising to be eligible. The group raised an additional $6,000 from supporters during the crowdfunding portion of the campaign, for a total of $15,200. The money will help the group refurbish an old Chinese restaurant they are leasing into an industrial kitchen to produce the 750 burritos made each week to distribute to people experiencing homelessness. Previous grants allowed the group to purchase their first and second vans, taking pressure off volunteers using their personal vehicles to haul donated food.
Burrito Brigade's mission is to feed the unhoused and hungry of Oregon through a local community network of personal donors and nonprofit partnerships.
“We are honored to be a recipient, and the funds will greatly improve our ability to complete our mission to help the food insecure,” Executive Director Jennifer Denson said in a news release.
Circle of Friends School, a nonprofit serving youth with complex disabilities and medical hurdles, will receive a $2,500 grant. The school additionally crowdfunded more than $27,500 during the campaign.
The female-founded school said on its campaign site that the donations would ensure the school "can continue to provide existing programming, as well as expand to after-school programs, respite care, provide grief counselors and other mental health specialists for families, and even have a private classroom option for those who want the additional support."
Learn more at circleoffriendsschool.org.
Previous coverage:Burrito Brigade again awarded $8,400 grant for feeding community, tackling waste
Nationwide, 187 Local Operating Grants from $2,500-$35,000 were handed out in 2022.
This year, the initiative sponsored by USA TODAY’s parent company, Gannett, raised $3.1 million in an effort to support local organizations that alleviate hardships their residents face on a daily basis. The organizations cater to issues surrounding homelessness, pre- and perinatal care, immigration reform, addiction services and more. The local grants are chosen by leaders in one of the 250 news sites from Gannett’s USA TODAY Network.
"In 2022, the A Community Thrives program leveraged the Foundation’s investment and USA TODAY consumer base resulting in a $6 mill social impact investment in nonprofits doing important work across the country," said Sue Madden, director of the Gannett Foundation. "We are thrilled to engage with these impressive grantees."
For the full list of grant recipients, go togannettfoundation.org/act. | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/2022/10/29/2-eugene-nonprofits-receive-gannett-foundation-grants-burrito-brigade-circle-friends-school/69582279007/ | 2022-10-29 21:25:00 | 1 | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/2022/10/29/2-eugene-nonprofits-receive-gannett-foundation-grants-burrito-brigade-circle-friends-school/69582279007/ |
LONDON (AP) — British judges gave the go-ahead on Monday for the Court of Appeal to consider challenges to the U.K. government’s plan to send some asylum-seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda.
Two High Court judges ruled in December that the controversial policy is legal, rejecting a lawsuit from several asylum-seekers, aid groups and a border officials’ union. The same judges said Monday that the claimants can challenge that decision on issues including whether the plan is “systemically unfair” and whether asylum-seekers would be safe in Rwanda.
No date has been set for the appeal hearing.
The Conservative government struck a deportation agreement with Rwanda last year that is intended to deter migrants from trying to reach the U.K. on risky journeys across the English Channel. More than 45,000 people arrived in Britain across the Channel in 2022, and several died in the attempt.
The U.K. plans to send some migrants who arrive in the country as stowaways or in small boats to Rwanda, where their asylum claims would be processed. Those granted asylum would stay in the East African country rather than return to Britain.
The U.K. government argues that the policy will deter criminal gangs that ferry migrants on hazardous journeys across one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
Human rights groups say it is immoral and inhumane to send people more than 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) to a country they don’t want to live in. They also cite Rwanda’s poor human rights record, including allegations of torture and killings of government opponents.
Britain has already paid Rwanda 140 million pounds ($170 million) under the deal struck in April, but no one has yet been sent to the country. The U.K. was forced to cancel the first deportation flight at the last minute in June after the European Court of Human Rights ruled the plan carried “a real risk of irreversible harm.”
Last month, the High Court said the policy didn’t breach Britain’s obligations under the U.N. Refugee Convention or other international agreements. But the judges added that the government “must decide if there is anything about each person’s particular circumstances” which meant they should not be sent to Rwanda, and had failed to do that for the eight claimants in the case.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-uk-plan-to-send-migrants-to-rwanda-faces-new-court-challenge/ | 2023-01-16 20:47:27 | 0 | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-uk-plan-to-send-migrants-to-rwanda-faces-new-court-challenge/ |
___
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Bipartisan legislation would prevent the implementation of steep Medicare cuts to home health services totaling $18 billion over the next decade
WASHINGTON, July 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare (The Partnership) and the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) today applauded bipartisan lawmakers in the U.S. Senate for introducing new legislation to prevent a newly proposed 7.69% permanent cut, and an additional $2 billion in "clawback" cuts, to home healthcare services included in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Home Health Prospective Payment System (HHPPS) for CY2023.
Introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Susan Collins (R-ME), The Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022 S. 4605 would delay the 7.69% payment cut proposed for 2023, which would total $1.33 billion in 2023 alone. The bill would also block additional cuts of more than $2 billion as soon as 2024 due to an unjustified "clawback" of payments for critical home healthcare services delivered to seniors and people with disabilities during the pandemic. Estimates show Medicare's proposed cuts will total $18 billion to providers over the next 10 years.
"We applaud Senators Stabenow and Collins for introducing this legislation, which will protect home health patients and providers from extreme cuts and help ensure continued access to safe, patient-preferred home healthcare for millions of American seniors and individuals with disabilities," said Joanne Cunningham, CEO of the Partnership. "While we continue to educate CMS on the overall impacts of their proposed cuts, we commend lawmakers in Congress for proactively offering legislative solutions to these harmful payment adjustments."
"We are honored to have the support of Senator Stabenow and Senator Collins for many years. Their support in this new battle with Medicare will help ensure that home health agencies can continue to deliver high quality care that is accessible throughout the country. This is a battle for the future of health care at home and we thank the senators for their leadership," said William A. Dombi, President, National Association for Home Care & Hospice. "The legislation will provide essential protection from the devastating rate cut proposed by CMS. We sincerely hope that CMS will support this legislation and recognize the need to work with us to avoid the harm that the current proposal would inflict."
The Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022 will make the following policy changes:
- Prevent CMS from implementing any permanent or temporary adjustment to home health prospective payment rates prior to 2026. This would delay cuts currently proposed by CMS for 2023 and beyond, allowing more time for CMS to refine its proposed approach to determining budget neutrality in home health.
- Ensure that any adjustments CMS determines to be necessary to offset increases or decreases in estimated aggregate expenditures are made by 2032, such that no cuts would be delayed beyond the end of the budget window.
- The legislation is intended to be self-implementing. It would become effective as of the date of enactment and includes instructions allowing for implementation by program instruction or other means.
Home health leaders have consistently outlined concerns related to CMS' methodology in proposing these payment adjustments while also highlighting significant increases in labor and supply costs across the home health community. A labor cost survey of home health providers conducted in August 2021 concluded that wages and home health industry expenses have increased dramatically since 2019, a trend that continues to worsen as inflation hits its highest point in decades.
"Home health providers are facing enormous pressures today, including historically high costs of delivering quality home healthcare, so these severe and unjust cuts could not come at a worse time," added Cunningham. "We look forward to working with lawmakers in Congress to build support for this legislation to ensure Medicare's proposed cuts are not implemented as proposed."
About the Partnership
The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare represents community- and hospital-based home healthcare agencies across the U.S. and is dedicated to developing innovative reforms to improve the quality, efficiency and integrity of home healthcare. To learn more, visit www.pqhh.org.
About NAHC
The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) is a nonprofit organization that represents the nation's 33,000 home care and hospice organizations. NAHC also advocates for the more than two million nurses, therapists, aides, and other caregivers employed by such organizations to provide in-home services to some 12 million Americans each year who are infirm, chronically ill, and disabled. To learn more, visit www.nahc.org.
View original content:
SOURCE Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare and National Association for Home Care & Hospice | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2022/07/25/home-health-leaders-applaud-introduction-bipartisan-legislation-block-deep-cuts-medicare-home-health/ | 2022-07-26 00:52:37 | 1 | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2022/07/25/home-health-leaders-applaud-introduction-bipartisan-legislation-block-deep-cuts-medicare-home-health/ |
Ultimate Father’s Day gift: Son donates kidney to save his dad’s life
Some dads might get gift cards, steak dinners or new golf clubs for Father’s Day.
Yet Jose Calixto, 56, received something far more significant for the occasion this year.
A few weeks ago, Jonathan Calixto, 30, saved his father’s life by donating a healthy kidney.
"I never hesitated," the son told Fox News Digital.
FATHERHOOD IS ‘HEROIC ROLE' FOR MEN, SAYS FILMMAKER AND DEFENDER OF DADS JOHN PAPOLA
Ahead of Father’s Day weekend, father and son revealed how the operation changed their lives.
Easy decision
Jose Calixto, a porter at a New York City building, learned he had kidney disease during a routine physical 10 years ago — an effect of medications he took when he was younger, he said.
He was able to live with the disease without intervention for several years, but his condition took a turn for the worse in mid-2021. Calixto was forced to start dialysis, a treatment that removes waste and toxins from the blood when the kidneys can’t do the job.
Jonathan Calixto, 30 (left), donated a kidney to his dad, Jose Calixto, 56 (right), on March 29, 2023. Fox News Digital spoke to father and son about how the operation changed their lives. (Jose and Jonathan Calixto)
After two years of receiving dialysis three times a week, for four hours per session, Calixto had become so frail and exhausted that he was forced to retire from his job, he told Fox News Digital.
In spite of the dialysis, Calixto's kidneys were continuing to fail. Ultimately, he was hospitalized.
A transplant was his only option for long-term survival.
TINA TURNER SUFFERED FROM KIDNEY DISEASE BEFORE HER DEATH: 'I HAVE PUT MYSELF IN GREAT DANGER'
At the time, Jonathan Calixto didn’t know much about what it meant to be a kidney donor, but the decision to donate to his father was a no-brainer for him, he said.
To determine if the father and son were a match, they both had to go through a litany of tests at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, which has a dedicated transplant center for kidney donors and recipients.
The first step was to find out whether the donor’s and recipient’s blood types were compatible.
This ensured the recipient wouldn't immediately reject the kidney when it was placed in the body, explained Dr. Vinita Sehgal, Jose Calixto's primary kidney physician at Mount Sinai.
Jose Calixto (left) and Jonathan Calixto are pictured at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York on the morning of their surgery. (Jose and Jonathan Calixto)
"When a donor and a recipient do not have compatible blood types — for example, if a donor with blood type A wants to give a kidney to a recipient with blood type B — a paired exchange, or ‘swap,’ can be arranged with another donor-recipient pair," Dr. Sehgal explained to Fox News Digital.
Next, they did a histocompatability test, which checks to see if the pair’s tissues match.
This test looks at human leukocyte antigens (HLAs), molecules that make up a person’s tissue type.
FRIENDS SHORTEN KIDNEY PATIENTS' LONG WAITS FOR TRANSPLANTS TO MERE MONTHS BY DONATING ORGANS
"A child to a parent is a 3/6 antigen match, which is a better match than other, non-related donors," explained Elaine Mitchell, Mount Sinai’s living donor transplant coordinator.
That means there was a 50% chance the Calixtos would have a tissue match.
Dr. Antonios Arvelakis, Jose Calixto's multi-organ transplant surgeon at Mount Sinai, said he sees cases where children donate to parents and where parents give to children.
Jose Calixto is pictured on his 55th birthday with his wife, Rosario Calixto, in New York. (Jose Calixto)
"This is the ideal scenario versus getting a donor from a non-relative, because they are typically better matched due to relation," he explained to Fox News Digital.
Finally, the Calixtos had to do a serum cross-match, which is when the donor’s blood is mixed with the recipient’s to make sure there aren’t any antibodies that would result in the recipient’s immune system's rejection of the transplant.
"Sometimes, especially when people are blood relatives, they may be very similar genetically, and may even be what is called a ‘perfect match,’" Sehgal said. "This means their immune system is less likely to reject the new kidney."
In February 2023, the Calixtos received the great news: Father and son were a match on all fronts. The doctors gave the green light for the donation process to begin.
UBER DRIVE DONATES KIDNEY TO RIDER HE MET NEARLY 3 YEARS AGO: ‘GOD MUST HAVE PUT YOU IN MY CAR’
Over the next few weeks, the Calixtos each met with their teams of transplant surgeons and coordinators to ensure that both men were healthy and fully committed to the process.
Doctors repeatedly asked Calixto’s son whether he was sure he wanted to go through the organ donation.
Dad Jose Calixto is shown on the morning of his transplant surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. (Jose Calixto)
"They asked me so many times: ‘Are you sure? Do you really want to do this? Are you worried about anything?’" the son said.
"But for me, it was never a question. I knew that if I could get the chance, I wanted to do it."
With his career as a media host and editor just starting to take off, the younger Calixto knew the surgery could potentially slow his progress — but helping his dad became his main focus.
"Jonathan was committed to his father from the very beginning and did anything necessary to donate to him," said Mitchell of Mount Sinai.
For Jose Calixto’s part, he was "not on board" initially, his son told Fox News Digital.
"He didn’t like the idea of someone giving up a piece of their body, especially his son — it felt like it was going to cut my life in half, in a sense," Jonathan Calixto said. "So he was hesitant about moving forward at first."
With more time and research, Calixto became more comfortable with the idea, but was still more concerned about his son’s health than his own.
Any kidney transplant comes with some degree of risks — including bleeding, infection, graft failure and negative reactions to the medications, transplant surgeon Arvelakis said.
Jose and Jonathan Calixto are shown arriving at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City on the morning of the transplant surgery. (Jose and Jonathan Calixto)
But for the Calixtos, the doctors described the procedure — which took place on March 29 — as "smooth sailing."
"Jonathan and Jose had no major complications — they both did very well," Mitchell said.
"Donors usually have a difficult time initially, as they are coming from a healthy position to go through surgery."
Added Mitchell, "Recipients usually feel better at first, but the healing process is more of a roller coaster, as they take medication to prevent rejection and need monitoring twice weekly, initially."
Calixto’s son was discharged the very next day with no issues, while Calixto came home three days after the surgery. His body accepted the donated kidney with no significant problems.
Recipients are monitored very closely after surgery, Mitchell said — twice a week for the first month, once a week for the second month and usually once a month for the first year.
During these appointments, the doctors check bloodwork to make sure the kidney is functioning properly and make any necessary adjustments to medications.
For the donors, post-surgery checkups are usually scheduled at six weeks, six months, one year and two years, when doctors will check blood pressure, weight, bloodwork and urine.
After the two-year mark, donors should get annual checkups with their primary care physician, Mitchell said.
"Most people who receive a kidney transplant are able to live normal lives as long as they take their medications, follow up with their transplant teams and take certain precautions," said Sehgal.
‘Another chance at life’
Two months post-surgery, Calixto and his son are both recovering well and feeling good, they told Fox News Digital.
Calixto is completely off dialysis for the first time in two years and is expected to make a full recovery in about six months.
With his new kidney, Calixto is no longer weak and exhausted. His energy and appetite have skyrocketed, and he is starting to resume some of the activities he couldn’t do while he was on dialysis, he said.
Most importantly, he has hope again — hope that he’ll live a long and healthy life, and that he’ll eventually be able to return to work, he added.
"I’ve been given another chance at life," Calixto said.
In the meantime, Calixto’s son has returned to work and is feeling "back to normal," he said.
‘Living donors are heroes’
For people suffering from end-stage kidney disease like Calixto, kidney transplantation is the best-case scenario, Sehgal said.
"While people can live with dialysis treatments for many years, they typically live much longer, and are healthier, with a kidney transplant," she told Fox News Digital.
"Staying on dialysis long-term increases people's risks of heart disease, circulatory problems, debility [weakness] and death."
The wait time for a cadaver kidney (a donation from a deceased person) is typically between four and eight years in the New York area — and nationally, up to half of people on the waiting list will die without ever receiving a transplant, Sehgal pointed out.
"Living donors really have the ability to change a recipient's life in a dramatic way," she said.
"They are heroes who are truly giving the gift of life."
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About half the kidney transplants that are performed at Mount Sinai each year come from living donors, she added.
For other families suffering from kidney failure, Jose and Jonathan Calixto wholeheartedly encourage donation as a life-saving and life-changing decision.
"If you have a loved who is going through kidney failure or is on dialysis, maybe you can be the one who gives them another chance at life," Jose Calixto said. "I know how much it has meant to me." (Jonathan and Jose Calixto)
"If you have a loved who is going through kidney failure or is on dialysis, maybe you can be the one who gives [that person] another chance at life," Calixto said. "I know how much it has meant to me."
Both father and son are exceedingly grateful for the care they received at Mount Sinai.
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"I'm super grateful that they took care of us and were able to find a good option, while keeping us healthy and safe," Calixto’s son said. | https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/son-donates-kidney-to-save-his-dads-life-jose-calixto | 2023-06-18 17:43:53 | 1 | https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/son-donates-kidney-to-save-his-dads-life-jose-calixto |
BANGKOK (AP) — Voters disaffected by nine years of plodding rule by a coup-making army general are expected to deliver a strong mandate for change in Thailand’s general election Sunday. But a predicted victory by the allies of Thaksin Shinawatra, whose ouster by coup 17 years ago plunged the country into prolonged instability, has caused concern for an unhindered democratic transition.
Dissatisfaction with the incumbent prime minister running for reelection, Prayuth Chan-ocha, is high, due in part to a slumping economy and his government’s mismanaged response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But weariness and even anger at the military’s habitual interference in politics is a major factor. Thailand has had more than a dozen coups since becoming a constitutional monarchy in 1932, the last one in 2014 carried out by Prayuth when he was army commander. Prayuth’s governments slapped down democratic reforms and prosecuted activists.
“The main factor could be that people are no longer willing to tolerate the authoritarian government that has been in power for over nine years, and there is a significant wish for change among the people.” said Pinkaew Laungaramsri, a professor of anthropology at Chiang Mai University.
Seventy political parties are contesting the 500 seats up for grabs in the House of Representatives: 400 are directly elected, with 100 chosen via a form of proportional representation.
Opposition parties endorsing reforms to rein in the army are running strides ahead in opinion polls. But pitching policies that threaten the status quo alarms the ruling conservative establishment. It has repeatedly shown itself capable of bringing down popularly elected governments it didn’t like, through rulings in the royalist courts and army coups.
Prayuth represents one pole of the country’s politics, centered around royalists and the military. Thaksin, the billionaire populist ousted in the 2006 coup, represents the other. The power struggle between Thaksin’s supporters and his opponents has been fought — sometimes in the street, sometimes at the ballot box — for almost two decades.
Prayuth is trailing badly in opinion polls behind Thaksin’s 36-year-old daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who inherited the popularity and political style of her father. She campaigned intensively while heavily pregnant and gave birth to a son last week.
She is the favorite among the opposition Pheu Thai Party’s three registered nominees for prime minister. Her party looks set to win a majority of seats in the lower house of Parliament.
Recent history strengthens the appearance of this election as a grudge match between the Shinawatras and their foes. Prayuth’s 2014 coup unseated a government that had come to power with Yingluck Shinawatra — Paetongtarn’s aunt, Thaksin’s sister — as prime minister. And Pheu Thai topped the field in the 2019 vote, only to be denied power when the army-backed Palang Pracharath Party found partners to assemble a coalition government.
But a third major player has injected a sharp ideological aspect into the election. The Move Forward Party, led by 42-year-old businessman Pita Limjaroenrat, has galvanized younger voters and is running a strong second to Pheu Thai in the polls. However, for conservative Thailand, its platform is frighteningly radical: reform of the military and reform of the powerful monarchy, a bold move because the institution has been traditionally treated as sacrosanct.
Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, points out that while Move Forward’s agenda would be considered just “progressive” in other countries, in the Thai context it is “revolutionary.”
“This election is the most important in contemporary Thai politics because it’s an election that’s going to determine Thailand’s political future,” he says, crediting Move Forward with “pushing the frontiers of Thai politics into areas where it needs to go.”
Pheu Thai largely shares Move Forward’s reformist agenda, but the smaller party’s more forthright stand poses a dilemma. Adding Move Forward to a coalition government could antagonize the Senate, a conservative body whose support is crucial to taking power.
Thailand’s 2017 constitution, adopted under military rule, calls for the prime minister to be selected by a joint vote of the 500-member House and the unelected 250-seat Senate, whose members were appointed by Prayuth’s junta.
In 2019, the Senate voted as a bloc, unanimously backing Prayuth. This time, a party that wins a clear majority of House seats still might need at least 376, or 75% plus one, of the votes in the 500-member lower house if its prime minister candidate was opposed in the Senate.
If Pheu Thai lands in such a position, it could find coalition partners among parties that win some House seats. It could also nominate one of its other candidates for prime minister, most likely 60-year-old Srettha Thavisin, who is not burdened with the Shinawatra name that is anathema to the Senate’s conservatives.
Most intriguingly, Pheu Thai could ally with another former general, 77-year-old Prawit Wongsuwan, who has been Prayuth’s ambitious deputy prime minister and is this year’s prime minister candidate for the Palang Pracharath Party.
He and his party are polling badly, but his presence in government might reassure some senators. Such an alliance would seem like a deviance from Pheu Thai’s platform, but could be sold to supporters on the basis that Prawit was not actively involved in plotting the 2014 coup.
Until Sunday’s votes are counted, Pheu Thai’s path forward will remain unclear.
“Many said that this election reflects the people’s hope for change in politics, but at the same time, the greater the hope for change imposed on this election, the more nervous the conservatives currently holding power become,” says Chiang Mai University’s Pinkaew. “We will begin to see the retaliation from the conservative side, from provoking a sense of extreme nationalism to obstructing some parties.”
___
Associated Press writer Jintamas Saksornchai contributed to this report. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/thailands-election-may-deliver-mandate-for-change-but-opposition-victory-may-not-assure-power/ | 2023-05-13 07:49:45 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/thailands-election-may-deliver-mandate-for-change-but-opposition-victory-may-not-assure-power/ |
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(WJHL) – Around 36,000 customers within Appalachian Powers service area are without electric service after damaging winds and cold temperatures swept the area.
According to a release from the company, nearly 50,000 customers were without power Friday morning but since then service has been restored to about 14,000.
According to the release, restoration estimates for the following areas are:
Tonight:
- West Va, except for Northern Panhandle
- Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell, Scott, Tazewell and Wise counties
- Tennessee customers
Tomorrow night:
- Northern Panhandle and West Va.
- Bland, Carroll, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Montgomery, Pulaski and Wythe County
The release says that hundreds of workers from several states will arrive later Saturday and Sunday and will join more than 1,000 personnel already working to restore power to customers. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/appalachian-power-working-to-restore-power-to-thousands-of-customers/ | 2022-12-24 17:10:26 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/appalachian-power-working-to-restore-power-to-thousands-of-customers/ |
Homicide investigation underway in Orlando
Homicide investigation underway in Orlando
FROM STATE ROAD 436, WE ARE SITTING IN THE GREEN ABOUT 10 MINUTES. MEREDITH: WE ARE STILL FOLLOWING BREAKING NEWS OVERNIGHT. A MAN WAS FOUND DEAD. HE WAS DISCOVERED ON LEXINGTON AVENUE, NEAR WHAT’S COLONIAL. OFFICERS HAVE NOT SAID HOW HE DIED, BUT THEY ARE NOW CONSIDERING IT A HOMICIDE. THEY HAVE NOT RELEASED ANY INFORMATION ABOUT A SUSPECT.
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Homicide investigation underway in Orlando
Orlando Police tell WESH 2 that a man was found dead near downtown late last night. Officials say he was discovered on Lexington Avenue, near West Colonial Drive. Officers have not said how he died, but say they are investigating his death as a homicide. They have not released any information about a suspect.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Orlando Police tell WESH 2 that a man was found dead near downtown late last night.
Officials say he was discovered on Lexington Avenue, near West Colonial Drive.
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Officers have not said how he died, but say they are investigating his death as a homicide.
They have not released any information about a suspect. | https://www.wesh.com/article/homicide-investigation-underway-orlando/41571590 | 2022-10-10 11:50:55 | 0 | https://www.wesh.com/article/homicide-investigation-underway-orlando/41571590 |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is enforcing stricter limits on hydrofluorocarbons, highly potent greenhouse gases used in refrigerators and air conditioners that contribute to global warming.
A rule announced Tuesday will impose a 40% overall reduction in HFCs starting next year, part of a global phaseout designed to slow climate change. The rule aligns with a 2020 law that calls for an 85% reduction in production and use of the climate-damaging chemicals by 2036.
Officials said refrigeration and air conditioning systems sold in the United States will emit far fewer HFCs as a result of the rule, the second step in a 15-year phasedown of the chemicals that once dominated refrigeration and cooing equipment.
Here’s a look at HFCs and what the United States and other countries are doing to limit their use.
Hydrofluorocarbons are highly potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners. HFCs produce greenhouse gases that are thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide. They often leak through pipes or appliances that use compressed refrigerants and are considered a major driver of global warming.
More than 130 countries, including the United States, have signed a 2016 global agreement to greatly reduce use and production of HFCs by 2036.
The Senate ratified the so-called Kigali Amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol on ozone pollution last year in a rare bipartisan vote. The measure requires participating nations to phase down production and use of HFCs by 85% over the next 13 years, as part of a global phaseout intended to slow climate change.
Scientists said the agreement, reached in Kigali, Rwanda, could help the world avoid a half-degree Celsius of global warming.
Ratification of the amendment, signed last year by President Joe Biden, follows bipartisan action Congress took in 2020 to approve the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act, which phased out domestic HFC manufacturing. The AIM Act has accelerated an industry shift from HFCs to alternative refrigerants that use less harmful chemicals and are widely available throughout the country. The law also averts a previous patchwork of state laws and regulations that govern HFCs.
The new rule announced Tuesday builds on a 10% reduction required by the end of this year. It requires a 40% overall reduction from 2024 through 2028.
Companies that produce, import, export, destroy, use, process or recycle HFCs are subject to the rule.
EPA officials said the rule would help ensure the U.S. leads the way as countries around the world implement the Kigali Amendment. The HFC phasedown, “bolstered by domestic innovation to develop alternative chemicals and equipment, is paving the way for the United States to tackle climate change and strengthen global competitiveness,” said Joe Goffman, principal deputy assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.
White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi said the rule will help develop next-generation technologies for refrigeration, “ensuring that American workers reap the benefits of a growing global market for HFC alternatives.”
The Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute, which represents air conditioning, heating and commercial refrigeration manufacturers, called the rule a crucial step to implement the AIM Act.
“Our industry appreciates the work of the EPA and the timely issuance of this rule as we prepare for the next HFC reduction step-down next January,” said AHRI president & CEO Stephen Yurek.
The EPA rule includes a range of administrative penalties, including license revocation and retirement of allowances for companies that don’t comply. Fines and criminal penalties also can be imposed. EPA said it has finalized administrative consequences retiring more than 6.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent for 2022 and 2023 for companies that misreported data or imported HFCs without required allowances.
Since January 2022, an interagency task force on illegal HFC trade, led by EPA and the Department of Homeland Security, has prevented illegal HFC shipments equivalent to more than 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide at the border, officials said. That is the equivalent to carbon emissions from more than 200,000 homes for one year. | https://cbs4indy.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-epa-sets-stricter-limits-on-hydrofluorocarbons-used-in-refrigerators-air-conditioners/ | 2023-07-11 18:51:38 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-epa-sets-stricter-limits-on-hydrofluorocarbons-used-in-refrigerators-air-conditioners/ |
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Russian military’s top brass came under increasing scrutiny Wednesday as more details emerged of how at least 89 Russian soldiers, and possibly many more, were killed in a Ukrainian artillery attack on a single building.
The scene last weekend in the Russian-held eastern Ukrainian town of Makiivka, where the soldiers were temporarily stationed, appears to have been a recipe for disaster. Hundreds of Russian troops were reportedly clustered in a building close to the front line, well within range of Ukraine’s Western-supplied precision artillery, possibly sitting close to an ammunition store and perhaps unwittingly helping Kyiv’s forces to zero in on them.
It was one of the deadliest single attacks on the Kremlin’s forces since the war began more than 10 months ago and the highest death toll in a single incident acknowledged so far by either side in the conflict.
Ukraine’s armed forces claimed the Makiivka strike killed around 400 Russian soldiers housed in a vocational school building. About 300 more of them were wounded, officials alleged. It wasn’t possible to verify either side’s claims due to the fighting.
The Russian military sought to blame the soldiers for their own deaths. Gen. Lt. Sergei Sevryukov said in a statement late Tuesday that their phone signals allowed Kyiv’s forces to “determine the coordinates of the location of military personnel” and launch a strike.
Emily Ferris, a research fellow on Russia and Eurasia at the Royal United Services Institute in London, told The Associated Press it is “very hard to verify” whether cellphone signaling and geolocation were to blame for the accurate strike.
She noted that Russian soldiers on active duty are forbidden from using their phones — exactly because there have been so many instances in recent years of their being used for targeting, including by both sides in the Ukraine war. The conflict has made ample use of modern technology.
She also noted that blaming the soldiers themselves was a “helpful narrative” for Moscow as it helps deflect criticism and steer attention toward the official cellphone ban.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to move the conversation along, too, as he took part via video link in a sending-off ceremony Wednesday for a frigate equipped with the Russian navy’s new hypersonic missiles.
Putin said the Zircon missiles that the Admiral Gorshkov frigate was carrying were a “unique weapon,” capable of flying at nine times the speed of sound and with a range of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). Russia says the missiles can’t be intercepted.
Meanwhile, away from the battlefields, France said Wednesday it will send French-made AMX-10 RC light tanks to Ukraine — the first tanks from a Western European country — following an afternoon phone call between French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday.
The French presidency didn’t say how many tanks would be delivered and when. The NATO member has given Ukraine anti-tank and air defense missiles and rocket launchers.
Later Wednesday, President Joe Biden confirmed that the U.S. is considering sending Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine. The Bradley is a medium armored combat vehicle that can carry about 10 personnel, or be configured to carry additional ammunition or communications equipment.
The Pentagon has already provided Ukraine with more than 2,000 combat vehicles, including 477 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles and more than 1,200 Humvees.
The weekend Makiivka strike seemed to be the latest blow to the Kremlin’s military prestige as it struggles to advance the invasion of its neighbor.
But Ferris, the analyst, said “there should be a bit of caution around leaning too heavily on this (attack) as a sign of (the) Russian army’s weakness.”
As details of the strike have trickled out in recent days, some observers detected military sloppiness at the root of so many deaths.
U.K. intelligence officials said Wednesday that Moscow’s “unprofessional” military practices were likely partly to blame for the high casualties.
“Given the extent of the damage, there is a realistic possibility that ammunition was being stored near to troop accommodation, which detonated during the strike, creating secondary explosions,” the U.K. Defense Ministry said on Twitter.
In the same post, the ministry said the building struck by Ukrainian missiles was little more than 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the front line, within “one of the most contested areas of the conflict,” in the partially Russian-occupied Donetsk region.
“The Russian military has a record of unsafe ammunition storage from well before the current war, but this incident highlights how unprofessional practices contribute to Russia’s high casualty rate,” the update added.
The Russian Defense Ministry, in a rare admission of losses, initially said the strike killed 63 troops. But as emergency crews searched the ruins, the death toll mounted. The regiment’s deputy commander was among the dead.
That stirred renewed criticism inside Russia of the way the broader military campaign is being handled by the Ministry of Defense.
Vladlen Tatarsky, a well-known military blogger, accused Russian generals of “demonstrating their own stupidity and misunderstanding of what’s going on (among) the troops, where everyone has cellphones.”
“Moreover, in places where there’s coverage, artillery fire is often adjusted by phone. There are simply no other ways,” Tatarsky wrote in a Telegram post.
Others blamed the decision to station hundreds of troops in one place. “The cellphone story is not too convincing,” military blogger Semyon Pegov wrote. “The only remedy is not to house personnel en masse in large buildings. Simply not to house 500 people in one place but spread them across 10 different locations.”
Unconfirmed reports in Russian-language media said the victims were mobilized reservists from the region of Samara, in southwestern Russia.
The Institute for the Study of War saw in the incident further evidence that Moscow isn’t properly utilizing the reservists it began calling up last September.
“Systemic failures in Russia’s force generation apparatus continue to plague personnel capabilities to the detriment of Russian operational capacity in Ukraine,” the think tank said in a report late Tuesday.
Ferris, of the Royal United Services Institute, said the Makiivka strike shows the Russian army is more interested in growing its number of troops, not in training them in wartime skills.
“That’s really how Russia conducts a lot of its warfare — by overwhelming the enemy with volume, with people,” she said. “The Kremlin view, unfortunately, is that soldiers’ lives are expendable.”
In a grinding battle of attrition, Russian forces have pressed their offensive on Bakhmut in Donetsk despite heavy losses. The Wagner Group, a private military contractor owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a millionaire businessman with close ties to Putin, has spearheaded the Bakhmut offensive.
U.S. intelligence officials have determined that convicts Wagner pulled from prisons accounted for 90% of Russian casualties in fighting for Bakhmut, according to a senior administration official who requested anonymity to discuss the finding.
The White House said last month that intelligence findings showed Wagner had some 50,000 personnel fighting in Ukraine, including 40,000 recruited convicts. The U.S. assesses that Wagner is spending about $100 million a month in the fight.
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Kozlowska reported from London. Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | https://www.kxnet.com/news/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/ap-russia-says-phone-use-allowed-ukraine-to-target-its-troops/ | 2023-01-05 04:47:17 | 1 | https://www.kxnet.com/news/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/ap-russia-says-phone-use-allowed-ukraine-to-target-its-troops/ |
MIAMI (AP) — Caroline O’Connor didn’t know what her ceiling was when she entered the sports business world, simply because there were so few examples of women who traveled her path.
Turns out, she had no limit.
The Miami Marlins promoted O’Connor to president of business operations on Monday, making them the first U.S. major sports franchise to have women serving simultaneously as president and general manager. The Marlins made history by hiring Kim Ng as GM in November 2020; two years later, they’ve made another significant move.
“When I talk to young girls, I really like them to see me in my role because I didn’t feel like I had that role model,” O’Connor said. “And I want people to see themselves when they see me and know that it is a possibility.”
O’Connor is just the second woman to serve as president of a Major League Baseball team; Seattle’s Catie Griggs is the other. She was brought to the Marlins by then-CEO Derek Jeter in 2017 as a senior vice president and chief of staff, then became the team’s chief operating officer in 2019.
Ng handles the on-field business, O’Connor runs the off-field business.
“We are fortunate to have someone with Caroline’s business acumen and vision leading our day-to-day business operations,” Marlins chairman and principal owner Bruce Sherman said. “Her passion and drive for success is unmatched in our game and the South Florida market. Her leadership will continue to guide the Marlins organization toward our goal of sustained success while strategizing additional new ventures to grow our business and enhance our brand recognition.”
O’Connor’s path to this spot was, in some ways, unintentional. She was a high school athlete in New Jersey — playing basketball, tennis, soccer and softball — and went to college at Rutgers and New York University, first studying computers, then finance.
She worked for some powerful places: IBM, UBS Investment Bank, Morgan Stanley. She wasn’t thinking about a career in sports.
And then Jeter called.
“A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” O’Connor said.
She’s been with the Marlins ever since.
Miami has been trying to turn things around, on the field and off, for the better part of the last two decades. Jeter was part of the ownership group that took over in 2017; he’s gone, but two of his more significant hires — Ng and O’Connor — are now tasked with finishing the job.
O’Connor has seen progress. Attendance this past season was up 12% over 2019, the last time there was a full season of baseball without pandemic interruptions or major restrictions — though there is still a long way to go before Miami gets the crowds it is seeking.
O’Connor has overseen growth in season-ticket sales. With the 2023 World Baseball Classic coming to Miami for all three rounds in March, including the championship game, the Marlins know big crowds are coming. O’Connor is fixated on how to get those people to come back as Marlins customers.
“I think it’s a really special place,” she said. “And I would say if we didn’t feel so strongly about this market and the opportunity that is here, that would not make us so excited to come in every day. I think we have so many people in this market that love entertainment, love sports, love baseball, love getting together and going out. It’s just trying to create an experience that attracts everyone.”
The growing role of women in baseball leadership isn’t lost on O’Connor. Griggs leads the Mariners; Laura Day is Minnesota’s executive vice president and chief business officer; Kellie Fischer has a similar role in Texas, as the Rangers’ EVP and chief financial officer.
“I’ve been incredibly fortunate in that I’ve had a lot of support from a lot of different people, regardless of gender, my entire career,” Griggs said earlier this year on a panel at Seattle University. “With that being said, I haven’t been able to see a lot of people who look like me doing the stuff that I do. … I don’t have a lot of role models.”
O’Connor feels the same way. She doesn’t mind the “trailblazer” description. She just goes about all the details of her job — including sitting down with community groups and civic organizations, even having lunch last month with the Consul General of Japan at his Miami residence — knowing that her success now might make it easier for women to follow.
“It’s taken a real community to get behind me,” O’Connor said. “The team that I work with today, the team that supports me every day, I feel like this is a reflection on all of them and what we’ve produced together. I might have the title, but of course I think about all the people that help me get it.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.kark.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-marlins-promote-caroline-oconnor-to-president/ | 2022-11-15 06:16:06 | 0 | https://www.kark.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-marlins-promote-caroline-oconnor-to-president/ |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s coronavirus emergency officially ended Tuesday, nearly three years after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the nation’s first statewide stay-at-home order and just days after the state reached the grim milestone of 100,000 deaths related to the virus.
As California’s emergency winds down, such declarations continue in just five other states — including Texas and Illinois — signaling an end to the expanded legal powers of governors to suspend laws in response to the once mysterious disease. President Joe Biden announced last month the federal government will end its own version May 11.
Newsom on Tuesday signed a proclamation officially ending the state of emergency, declaring “the conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property … no longer exist.”
The end of California’s order will have little to no effect on most people as Newsom already lifted most of the state’s restrictions, like those that required masks, closed beaches and forced many businesses to close. It offers a symbolic marker of the end of a period that once drastically altered the lives of the state’s nearly 40 million residents.
Illinois’ order will end in May alongside the federal order, while the governors of Rhode Island and Delaware recently extended their coronavirus emergency declarations. In New Mexico, public health officials are weighing whether to extend a COVID-19 health emergency beyond its Friday expiration date.
Texas, meanwhile, hasn’t had any major coronavirus restrictions for years, but Republican Gov. Greg Abbott keeps extending his state’s emergency declaration because it gives him the power to stop some of the states’ more liberal cities from imposing their own restrictions, like requiring masks or vaccines. Abbott has said he’ll keep the emergency order — and his expanded powers — in place until the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature passes a law to prevent local governments from imposing virus restrictions on their own.
The conflicting styles show that, while the emergencies may be ending, the political divide is not — foreshadowing years of competing narratives of the pandemic from two potential presidential candidates in Newsom and Abbott.
Newsom has used his authority to make sure all of California’s local governments had restrictions in place during the pandemic, even threatening to cut funding to some cities that refused to enforce them. While California’s emergency declaration is ending, other local emergencies will remain in place — including in Los Angeles County, home to nearly 10 million people.
The Los Angeles emergency order encourages mask use in some public places like business and trains and for residents who have been exposed to the virus. It will remain in effect for another month. On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to end the order March 31.
Many public health experts say it makes sense that California’s order is coming to a close.
“Three years ago, if you … got infected you were rolling the dice about dying,” said Brad Pollock, chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of California, Davis. “What’s happened in the three years now is we have vaccines, we have antiviral therapy, we have much more knowledge about how we take care of patients in terms of supportive care. Your risk of dying is a fraction of what it was.”
The Newsom administration’s approach was to issue broad restrictions on what people could do and where they could go. California ended up faring better than other states, but they did worse than some other countries, like Sweden, said Jeffrey Klausner, professor of clinical population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.
“I think if we had better focused our resources on those most at risk, we probably could have avoided more deaths,” he said.
The pandemic strained California’s health care system, which has yet to fully recover, said Carmela Coyle, president and CEO of the California Hospital Association. She said hospitals remain overwhelmed — not from COVID patients, but from an influx of people returning to the health care system after staying away during the pandemic. She said a majority of California’s hospitals are losing money, prompting fears some could close — just as a community hospital in the state’s Central Valley did in December.
“While the state’s COVID public health emergency is formally concluding, the health care system emergency remains,” Coyle said.
Health care workers have felt the strain, too, working long hours among people infected with a highly contagious and potentially life-threatening disease. The strain has prompted a workforce shortage, with competing proposals to remedy it. The California Hospital Association is asking for a one-time infusion of $1.5 billion to help keep hospitals afloat. Labor unions, meanwhile, are backing a bill that would impose a $25 minimum wage for health care workers.
Meanwhile, local public health departments worry the end of the coronavirus emergency will mean a return to limited funding for their budgets, an issue exposed in the early days of the pandemic when many counties did not have enough people to respond to the crisis. Newsom signed a budget last year that will spend $200 million to help public health departments hire more workers. This year, he’s proposing cutting nearly $50 million in public health workforce training programs, part of his plan to cover a projected budget deficit.
“Public health is dependent on their frontline workforce, and that frontline workforce has to be skilled and trained and educated,” said Michelle Gibbons, president of the County Health Executives Association of California.
Overall, Newsom’s budget proposal would sustain $300 million in public health spending, including $100 million for 404 new positions in the state Department of Public Health, including areas of workforce training and emergency preparedness and response. The money will “modernize state and local public health infrastructure and transition to a resilient public health system,” said H.D. Palmer, spokesperson for the California Department of Finance.
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Associated Press journalists Christopher Weber in Los Angeles; Paul Weber in Austin, Texas; and Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico, contributed reporting. | https://cw33.com/health/ap-health/final-state-emergencies-winding-down-3-years-into-pandemic/ | 2023-03-02 09:45:48 | 1 | https://cw33.com/health/ap-health/final-state-emergencies-winding-down-3-years-into-pandemic/ |
CHICAGO, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HUB International Limited (Hub), a leading full-service global insurance brokerage and financial services firm, announced today that it has acquired the assets of Intercontinental Growth Strategies, LLC (IGS). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Located in Chicago, Illinois, IGS is a trade credit insurance brokerage helping clients grow sales safely and aggressively while protecting against any bad debt loss coming from bankruptcy or non-payment.
"We're excited for IGS to join us," said Seth Hopkins, Chief Marketing Officer & Property Casualty Practice Leader for Hub International Midwest Limited. "Their industry focus supports our Financial Institutions Specialty and Complex Risk practice by complementing and strengthening our existing capabilities."
About Hub's M&A Activities
Hub International Limited is committed to growing organically and through acquisitions to expand its geographic footprint and strengthen industry and product expertise. For more information on the Hub M&A experience, visit WeAreHub.com.
About Hub International
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Hub International Limited is a leading full-service global insurance broker and financial services firm providing risk management, insurance, employee benefits, retirement and wealth management products and services. With more than 14,000 employees in offices located throughout North America, Hub's vast network of specialists brings clarity to a changing world with tailored solutions and unrelenting advocacy, so clients are ready for tomorrow. For more information, please visit www.hubinternational.com.
CONTACT:
Media: Marni Gordon
Phone: 312-279-4601
Marni.gordon@hubinternational.com
M&A: Clark Wormer
Phone: 312.279.4848
Clark.wormer@hubinternational.com
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SOURCE Hub International Limited | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/08/08/hub-international-expands-trade-credit-insurance-capabilities-with-acquisition-intercontinental-growth-strategies-llc-illinois/ | 2022-08-08 12:49:38 | 0 | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/08/08/hub-international-expands-trade-credit-insurance-capabilities-with-acquisition-intercontinental-growth-strategies-llc-illinois/ |
WFO BUFFALO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, July 18, 2022
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SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
603 PM EDT Mon Jul 18 2022
...Strong line of thunderstorms will impact portions of southeastern
Jefferson, Lewis and northeastern Oswego Counties through 700 PM
EDT...
At 601 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a line of strong
thunderstorms along a line extending from near Carthage to 7 miles
west of Redfield. This line of storms will produce brief torrential
rain which may cause localized flooding. Movement was northeast at
25 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 30 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Carthage, Lowville, West Carthage, Redfield, Herrings, Highmarket,
Barnes Corners, Whetstone Gulf State Park, Richland, Denmark, New
Bremen, Watson, Martinsburg, Williamstown, Lyonsdale, Greig, Orwell,
Copenhagen, Port Leyden and Harrisville.
This includes Interstate 81 near exit 34.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
These storms may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
LAT...LON 4342 7553 4348 7581 4341 7585 4343 7618
4423 7548 4410 7517 4361 7511
TIME...MOT...LOC 2201Z 247DEG 23KT 4399 7555 4353 7596
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH
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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/weather/article/NY-WFO-BUFFALO-Warnings-Watches-and-Advisories-17313174.php | 2022-07-18 23:40:27 | 1 | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/weather/article/NY-WFO-BUFFALO-Warnings-Watches-and-Advisories-17313174.php |
Company also Announces Delivery of Final Samples for Voodo Fé's Miles Davis Legacy Collection
LAS VEGAS, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nitches Inc., (NICH) (the "Company") which blends high-tech with high-end fashion to create exclusive clothing lines and NFTs, today announced it has paid off all convertible debt notes to strengthen the company's financial standing. No debt conversions have been completed during John Morgan tenure as Nitches' CEO.
"We wanted to reward our investors who believed in our company and its mission to create high-quality capsule collections with celebrities, as well as develop leading edge authentication technology," said John Morgan, Nitches' CEO. "Our primary goal remains to bring the utmost value to our shareholders."
Nitches' recent clothing line with Voodo Fé is progressing at a rapid rate. Voodo Fé has received the final samples of the legacy collection that celebrates the genius of Miles Davis, one of the greatest musicians of all time. Voodo Fé's team is putting the final touches on the one-of-a-kind clothing items and creating a comprehensive retail distribution strategy.
All of merchandise will include Nitches' industry-changing Owner Verification System (OVS™), which proves the authenticity of its limited-edition clothing.. To verify ownership, Nitches sews a unique QR code into every item it manufactures. Buyers then scan these codes to register their products on the OVS mobile dApp.
About Nitches Corporation
Nitches is a diversified technology and exclusive clothing company that blends high-tech with high-end fashion to design luxury clothing items and NFTs. We specialize in creating limited-edition athleisure and streetwear apparel and accessories that are sustainable, authentic and exclusive. We collaborate with fashion-forward influencers and celebrities to create capsule collections that reflect their vision and brand. We develop innovative technology to protect our intellectual property and prevent counterfeiting. Nitches strives for creativity, excellence and value in all that we do for our collaborators, customers and stakeholders.
Forward Looking Statements:This press release contains forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "may," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "should," "plan," "could," "target," "potential," "is likely," "will," "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The Company has based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Some or all of the results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not be achieved. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
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SOURCE Nitches Inc. | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/nitches-announces-payoff-convertible-notes/ | 2022-07-21 18:54:53 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/nitches-announces-payoff-convertible-notes/ |
The Latest on the U.S. Open tennis tournament (all times local):
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2:55 p.m.
Casper Ruud is the first Norwegian to make a U.S. Open semifinal.
The fifth-seeded Ruud knocked off No. 13 Matteo Berrettini 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (4) to continue his strong run this year in Grand Slam events.
Ruud must reach at least the final to have a chance at ending the U.S Open as the top-ranked player in the world. Ruud says he “doesn’t want think too much” about the potential accomplishment and he didn’t know the milestone was even in the cards until the draw started, but says the chance of leaving New York as world No. 1 is “extra motivation.”
Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal, who lost Monday, can both end the U.S. Open as the new top-ranked player because Daniil Medvedev lost his match earlier in the tournament.
Ruud improved to 12-2 this season in his Grand Slam events.
Ruud was the runner-up at the French Open this year. He will face Nick Kyrgios or Karen Khachanov in the semifinals.
Kyrgios vs. Khachanov will be the last singles match Tuesday, following 18-year-old American Coco Gauff against Caroline Garcia in the night session.
The other women’s quarterfinal Tuesday is No. 5 Ons Jabeur against Ajla Tomljanovic, the player who eliminated Serena Williams in the third round.
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1 p.m.
Matteo Berrettini and Casper Ruud are in action in the first men’s quarterfinal at Flushing Meadows.
Both men have been the runner-up at another Grand Slam tournament: No. 5 seed Ruud at the French Open this year, and No. 13 seed Berrettini at Wimbledon last year.
It is raining, so they are playing under a closed roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium. With showers in the forecast all day, the U.S. Open called off all junior matches that were scheduled for Tuesday, because they are played on smaller, outdoor courts.
The Berrettini-Ruud winner will face Nick Kyrgios or Karen Khachanov in the semifinals. Kyrgios vs. Khachanov will be the last singles match on Tuesday, following 18-year-old American Coco Gauff against Caroline Garcia in the night session.
The other women’s quarterfinal Tuesday is No. 5 Ons Jabeur against Ajla Tomljanovic, the player who eliminated Serena Williams in the third round.
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More AP coverage of U.S. Open tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/us-open-tennis-championships and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wowktv.com/sports/ap-berrettini-ruud-on-court-coco-gauff-later-us-open-updates/ | 2022-09-06 20:48:22 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/sports/ap-berrettini-ruud-on-court-coco-gauff-later-us-open-updates/ |
A 56-foot-long sperm whale washed up dead on a Hawaii beach over the weekend, marking a loss for an endangered species that was nearly wiped out before commercial whaling was put to an end in 1986.
The carcass, which is an estimated 122,000 pounds, was first spotted on Friday floating on the reef off Lydgate Beach on Kauai's east shore. High tide ushered it onto the beach on Saturday, according to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. The beach was closed through Monday,
Researchers from the University of Hawaii Health and Stranding Lab are examining the animal to determine the cause of death, and it will take months before lab tests are complete and results are finalized. Jamie Thomton, the Kauai Stranding Coordinator with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries division, said that the whale likely died only days before washing ashore.
“There are many possible causes including disease, injuries from a vessel strike, entanglement with discarded fishing line, or ingestion of plastic marine debris,” Dr. Kristi West, who leads the lab, said in a DLNR news release.
Over the weekend, multiple local agencies used large machinery to lift the whale from the wet sand to a dry area so researchers could conduct a necropsy, a postmortem examination that includes taking samples and measurements. Historians then identified an area where the whale remains can be buried without disturbing ancestral bones, the DLNR said.
Known for their large heads and mouths full of teeth, Sperm whales inhabit the deep waters of all the world's oceans. Their populations plummeted from the 1800s to 1987 as the whaling industry hunted the species for oil that was used in oil lamps, candles and lubricants, according to NOAA. The agency said the species is still recovering.
— The battle to save Hawaii's "Stairway to Heaven" is far from over
— Divers discovered a shipwreck in Hawaii. It's 1 of 60.
— Over 150 people stung in mass jellyfish event on popular Hawaii beaches
— Tech billionaire gets ticketed on Hawaii island he owns
— Hawaii approved a 'FCKBLM' license plate and can't get it back
We have a newsletter all about Hawaii, with news, tips and in-depth features from the Aloha state. Sign up here. | https://www.sfgate.com/hawaii/article/endangered-whale-dead-on-hawaii-beach-17753811.php | 2023-01-31 19:08:55 | 0 | https://www.sfgate.com/hawaii/article/endangered-whale-dead-on-hawaii-beach-17753811.php |
Trial of 3 ex-officers in George Floyd death won’t be livestreamed
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota judge has ruled that the trial of three fired Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting George Floyd’s killing will not be livestreamed.
Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill, who cited the threat of COVID-19 to allow livestreaming of last year’s murder trial of Derek Chauvin in Floyd’s death, wrote in an order filed Monday evening that the pandemic has receded to the point that he cannot override the other three officers’ objections to live audiovisual coverage.
The trial for former Officers Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng is set to begin with motions on June 13. Jury selection begins June 14 with opening statements set for July 5. Cahill said he expects the evidence phase to take four or five weeks, meaning the trial could last into early August.
Kueng knelt on Floyd’s back, Lane held his legs and Thao kept bystanders back as Chauvin, who is white, used his knee to pin Floyd, a Black man, to the pavement for 9 1/2 minutes on May 25, 2020, in a case that sparked protests around the world and a national reckoning on race.
Thao, Lane and Kueng were convicted in a separate trial in federal court in February of violating Floyd’s civil rights. Chauvin pleaded guilty in December to a federal charge of violating Floyd’s civil rights. Sentencing dates have not been set in those cases, which were not televised due to federal court rules.
Last year, Cahill sentenced Chauvin to 22 1/2 years in the murder case, which was viewed around the world. Prosecutors disclosed during a hearing two weeks ago that the other three former officers had rejected plea deals that would have averted the upcoming trial.
Prosecutors and a coalition of media organizations including The Associated Press had argued for allowing live televised coverage again, citing the continued intense public and media interest in the case, and the potential resurgence of the coronavirus.
But Cahill wrote that the “unusual and compelling circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic” at the time of the Chauvin trial have substantially abated, and court system rules in force at the time that mandated social distancing have been lifted. So, he said, he’s bound by Minnesota’s normal court rules, which allow cameras during most of a trial only if all parties consent.
“It is deeply disappointing that thousands of people interested in this important trial won’t be able to watch it,” said Leita Walker, an attorney for the media coalition, who noted in an email that an advisory committee to the Minnesota Supreme Court is considering whether the state court system should ease its restrictions on cameras. “Our Supreme Court needs to change the rule. They are working on it. I wish they could have worked faster.”
Cahill wrote that he agreed with prosecutors that livestreaming Chauvin’s trial “inspired public confidence in the proceedings and helped ensure calm in Minneapolis and across the country.” And he noted that he recommended to the committee that judges should have discretion to allow audiovisual coverage even if a party objects. But he said he has “no unfettered mandate” to ignore existing rules in the absence of compelling circumstances needed to prevent a “manifest injustice.”
News organizations will have to cover the upcoming proceedings mostly from a closed-circuit feed in one of at least three overflow courtrooms. Only two pool reporters can be present in the main courtroom. Only four members of the Floyd family and two members from each defendant’s family at a time may be in the courtroom. The general public can watch only from an overflow courtroom.
Cahill also ruled that the jury won’t be sequestered except for deliberations, but with security restrictions, similar to how he conducted Chauvin’s trial.
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Find AP’s full coverage of the killing of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd
___
The story has been updated to correct that the order was filed Monday evening.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kswo.com/2022/04/26/trial-3-ex-officers-george-floyd-death-wont-be-livestreamed/ | 2022-04-28 09:44:30 | 1 | https://www.kswo.com/2022/04/26/trial-3-ex-officers-george-floyd-death-wont-be-livestreamed/ |
Anita Kerr, a key voice in the Nashville Sound, dies at 94
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Grammy-winning singer and composer Anita Kerr, whose vocal group the Anita Kerr Singers provided the lush backdrop to the Nashville Sound, has died. She was 94.
Her daughter, Kelley Kerr, confirmed to The New York Times that her mother died in Geneva on Monday.
Kerr worked alongside hit producers Chet Atkins and Owen Bradley to create the popular countrypolitan sound of country music in the ‘50s and ‘60s that relied on strings and choral singers for an orchestral sound. She and her singers provided backup to songs by Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee, Ernest Tubb, Jim Reeves, Red Foley, Roy Orbison and many more. Alongside the Jordanaires, the Anita Kerr Singers were prolific in recording sessions and provided the essential sound to so many hit recordings.
“Anita Kerr helped Nashville achieve world-class stature as a music center through her roles as a gifted arranger, producer and leader of the lush vocal quartet the Anita Kerr Singers,” Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum said in a statement. “Her voice and her creativity expanded the artistic and commercial possibilities for country music.”
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Kerr moved to Nashville with her husband, a DJ, and started a vocal quartet that was featured on WSM radio. Along with Kerr, the group included Dottie Dillard, Gil Wright and Louis Nunley. They also appeared on the “Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts” TV show semi-regularly, while also handling Nashville recording sessions.
Their voices are notable in the intro to Orbison’s pop hit “Only The Lonely,” backing up Bobby Bare on “Detroit City,” and on the perennial holiday favorite, “Rockin’ Round The Christmas Tree,” sung by Brenda Lee. The Anita Kerr Singers went on a European tour with Jim Reeves and performed on his live network radio show.
Larry Jordan, the author of “Jim Reeves: His Untold Story,” said that Kerr was a master of composing sheet music and string arrangements in the studio on the spot. “They used to do three-hour sessions and cut four songs,” Jordan said in an email. “So there was little time to spare and yet she was often called up to write arrangements while everybody waited — and yet could fit all the pieces together musically.”
Jordan said that Kerr told him she rarely got credit for the producing work she did, often running the sessions while Atkins was away.
Fed up with the lack of credit, Kerr left Nashville in the ‘60s and moved to California. She continued to record and compose in areas outside of country music, including orchestral music, pop, Latin, gospel and film scores. The Anita Kerr Singers won three Grammy Awards and were nominated for seven in all.
She moved to Switzerland with her second husband, Alex Grob, where they opened the renowned Mountain Recording Studio in Montreux. The rock band Queen took ownership and recorded several albums there.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wlbt.com/2022/10/12/anita-kerr-key-voice-nashville-sound-dies-94/ | 2022-10-12 17:33:37 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/2022/10/12/anita-kerr-key-voice-nashville-sound-dies-94/ |
The innovative insurtech reports that a majority of respondents are planning to drive rather than fly this year, and they're bringing their pets along
CHICAGO, Dec. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With the winter holidays around the corner, Clearcover, Inc., the next-generation car insurance company, recently conducted a survey* to forecast this season's travel trends.
The company's report discovered who, why and how people are planning to travel this time of year and unwrapped some interesting key findings:
More people are likely to travel this holiday season (2022) compared to last year.
Based on the survey data, Clearcover reports that 60% of respondents noted they will or are likely to travel for the 2022 winter holidays compared to just 37% of those who traveled last year.
A majority of respondents indicated that they are planning to hit the roads rather than the runway.
Of those surveyed, 69.1% said they will likely drive rather than fly.
Fido and Fluffy are buckling up for the ride.
Nearly half (43%) of respondents that are likely to travel this year reported that they are planning to take their pets along with them.
COVID-19 is no longer top-of-mind.
Only 10.1% of respondents not likely to travel this year reported COVID-19 and other health and safety issues as the reason. This is a dramatic downturn from last year where 34.5% of respondents who chose not to travel last year cited the coronavirus as their primary reason for staying home.
Who is traveling and why?
The majority (74%) of those planning to travel this year are millennials (ages 25-44), and cited 'visiting friends and family' as their primary motivation to travel.
'Tis the season of spending.
The survey results show that despite 63.5% of respondents citing cost as a main consideration when determining their holiday travel, the majority of those traveling again this year plan to spend the same amount, if not more, than they did traveling in 2021.
Click here to explore the full Winter Holiday Travel Trend report.
*Clearcover polled 1,000 U.S. residents on their winter holiday travel plans. The survey was conducted at 95% confidence, +/- 3% margin of error.
About Clearcover
Clearcover is the next generation insurance company that provides customers with the technology they need to confidently make the smartest decisions at every step. Clearcover is challenging the status quo with hassle-free insurance that redefines what it means to put the customer first, delivering affordable car insurance with one of the industry's fastest claims experiences. Clearcover includes Clearcover, Inc., which was founded in 2016 by Kyle Nakatsuji and Derek Brigham, Clearcover Insurance Company (NAIC #16524) and Clearcover Insurance Agency. Clearcover has raised more than $480 million in funding to date. In 2022, the insurance fintech ranked No.50 on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ and No. 151 on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies in America. Clearcover has also been featured by Glassdoor as one of the nation's "Best Places to Work." For more information, visit Clearcover.com.
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SOURCE Clearcover, Inc. | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2022/12/21/clearcover-survey-reveals-key-2022-winter-holiday-travel-trends/ | 2022-12-21 16:50:52 | 0 | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2022/12/21/clearcover-survey-reveals-key-2022-winter-holiday-travel-trends/ |
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A Russian spacewalker had to rush back inside the International Space Station on Wednesday when the battery voltage in his spacesuit suddenly dropped.
Russian Mission Control ordered Oleg Artemyev, the station commander, to quickly return to the airlock so he could hook his suit to station power. The hatch remained open as his spacewalking partner, Denis Matveev, tidied up outside.
NASA said neither man was ever in any danger. Matveev, in fact, remained outside for another hour or so, before he, too, was ordered to wrap it up. Although Matveev's suit was fine, Russian Mission Control cut the spacewalk short since flight rules insist on the buddy system.
The cosmonauts managed to install cameras on the European Space Agency's new robot arm before the trouble cropped up, barely two hours into a planned 6 1/2-hour spacewalk.
“You know, the start was so excellent," Matveev said as he made his way back inside, with some of the robot arm installation work left undone.
The 36-foot robot arm arrived at the space station last summer aboard a Russian lab.
NASA spacewalks, meanwhile, have been on hold for months.
In March, water seeped into a German spacewalker's helmet. It was not nearly as much leakage as occurred in 2013 when an Italian astronaut almost drowned, but still posed a safety concern. In the earlier case, the water originated from the cooling system in the suit's undergarments.
The spacesuit that malfunctioned in March will be returned to Earth as early as this week in a SpaceX capsule, for further investigation.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/nation-world/russian-spacewalk-cut-short-international-space-station/507-adce594d-6a9c-4f2e-b2a4-3540fef4099c | 2022-08-17 23:12:52 | 1 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/nation-world/russian-spacewalk-cut-short-international-space-station/507-adce594d-6a9c-4f2e-b2a4-3540fef4099c |
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China played down the cancellation of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken after a large Chinese balloon suspected of conducting surveillance on U.S. military sites roiled diplomatic relations, saying that neither side had formally announced any such plan.
“In actuality, the U.S. and China have never announced any visit, the U.S. making any such announcement is their own business, and we respect that," China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Saturday morning.
Blinken was due to visit Beijing on Sunday for talks aimed at reducing U.S.-China tensions, the first such high-profile trip after the countries' leaders met last November in Indonesia. But the U.S. abruptly canceled the trip after the discovery of the huge balloon despite China’s claim that it was merely a weather research “airship” that had blown off course.
The Pentagon rejected that out of hand — as well as China’s contention that the balloon was not being used for surveillance and had only limited navigational ability.
Uncensored reactions on the Chinese internet mirrored the official government stance that the U.S. was hyping up the situation.
Many users made jokes about the balloon. Some said that since the U.S. had put restrictions on the technology that China is able to buy to weaken the Chinese tech industry, they couldn’t control the balloon.
Others called it the “wandering balloon" in a pun that refers to the newly released Chinese sci-fi film called “The Wandering Earth 2.”
Still others used it as a chance to poke fun at U.S. defenses, saying it couldn’t even defend against a balloon, and nationalist influencers leapt to use the news to mock the U.S. One wrote wryly: "The U.S., because of the balloon incident, delays Blinken’s visit to China.”
Censorship was visible on the topic — the “wandering balloon” hashtag on Weibo was no longer searchable by Saturday evening.
“The U.S. is hyping this as a national security threat posed by China to the U.S. This type of military threat, in actuality, we haven’t done this. And compared with the U.S. military threat normally aimed at us, can you say it’s just little? Their surveillance planes, their submarines, their naval ships are all coming near our borders,” Chinese military expert Chen Haoyang of the Taihe Institute said on Phoenix TV, one of the major national TV outlets.
The balloon was spotted earlier over Montana, which is home to one of America’s three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base, defense officials said.
President Joe Biden had declined to shoot down the balloon, following advice of defense officials who worried the debris could injure people below. Meanwhile, people with binoculars and telephoto lenses tried to find the “spy balloon” in the sky as it headed southeastward over Kansas and Missouri at 60,000 feet (18,300 meters).
The Pentagon also acknowledged reports of a second balloon flying over Latin America. “We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a question about the second balloon.
Blinken, who had been due to depart Washington for Beijing late Friday, said he had told senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in a phone call that sending the balloon over the U.S. was “an irresponsible act and that (China’s) decision to take this action on the eve of my visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions that we were prepared to have.”
China has denied any claims of spying, and said it is a civilian-use balloon intended for meteorology research. Experts have said that their response was feasible.
But analysts said the unexpected incident will not help the strained ties between the two countries, and particularly China's initial response where it said they could not control the balloon and “regretted” that it unintentionally entered U.S. space.
On Saturday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs again emphasized that the balloon's journey was out of its control and urged the U.S. to not “smear” it based on the balloon.
Wang said China “has always strictly followed international law, we do not accept any groundless speculation and hype. Faced with unexpected situations, both parties need to keep calm, communicate in a timely manner, avoid misjudgments and manage differences.”
Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore, said China’s apology did not appear sincere.
“In the meantime, the relationship will not improve in the near future ... the gap is huge.”
___
Associated Press researcher Henry Hou in Beijing 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.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/ap-top-news/2023/02/04/china-plays-down-blinkens-canceled-visit-over-balloon | 2023-02-04 11:20:43 | 0 | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/ap-top-news/2023/02/04/china-plays-down-blinkens-canceled-visit-over-balloon |
CHICAGO (AP) — Grain futures were lower Thursday in early trading on the Chicago Board of Trade. Wheat for May was down 7 cents at $6.3075 a bushel; May corn lost 11.50 cents at $6.3350 a bushel; May oats was off .50 cent at $3.3525 a bushel; while May soybeans fell 6.25 cents at $14.46 a bushel.
Beef and pork were lower on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
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Jun. live cattle was down .67 cent at $1.6305 a pound; May feeder cattle fe1l .14 cent at $2.0503 a pound; May. lean hogs was off .02 cent at $.7685 a pound. | https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/grains-lower-livstock-lower-18094121.php | 2023-05-11 18:00:24 | 0 | https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/grains-lower-livstock-lower-18094121.php |
CA Reno NV Zone Forecast for Wednesday, May 11, 2022
_____
848 FPUS55 KREV 121032
ZFPREV
Western Nevada-Eastern Sierra-Northeast California Zone Forecast
National Weather Service Reno NV
332 AM PDT Thu May 12 2022
This is an automatically generated product that provides averaged
values for large geographic areas and may not be representative
of a specific area. To get a more specific forecast for your area,
please visit www.nws.noaa.gov/wtf/udaf/area/?site=rev
CAZ072-NVZ002-130300-
Greater Lake Tahoe Area-
Including the cities of South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City, Truckee,
Markleeville, Stateline, Glenbrook, and Incline Village
332 AM PDT Thu May 12 2022
.TODAY...Partly cloudy. Highs 48 to 58. Light winds becoming
southwest 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon.
.TONIGHT...Clear. Lows 25 to 35. Southwest winds around 10 mph in
the evening becoming light.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs 59 to 69. Light winds.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 33 to 43. West winds around 10 mph in
the evening becoming light.
.SATURDAY...Sunny. Highs 67 to 77. Light winds.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 37 to 47.
.SUNDAY...Sunny. Highs 66 to 76.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening then clearing. Lows
36 to 46.
.MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...Clear. Highs 64 to 74. Lows 34 to 44.
$$
CAZ070-NVZ005-130300-
Surprise Valley California-Northern Washoe County-
Including the cities of Cedarville, Eagleville, Fort Bidwell,
Empire, and Gerlach
332 AM PDT Thu May 12 2022
.TODAY...Mostly cloudy. Highs 56 to 66. Southwest winds 10 to
20 mph. Gusts up to 35 mph in the afternoon.
.TONIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows 30 to 35. Southwest winds 10 to
20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.
.FRIDAY...Mostly cloudy. Highs 65 to 75. Southwest winds 10 to
15 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the afternoon.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows 38 to 43. West winds 10 to
15 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the evening.
.SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs 72 to 82. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening then clearing.
Lows 43 to 53.
.SUNDAY...Sunny. Highs 76 to 86.
.SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...Breezy. Partly cloudy. Lows
42 to 52. Highs 74 to 84.
.TUESDAY...Sunny. Highs 72 to 82.
.TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...Breezy. Partly cloudy. Lows 38 to
48. Highs 70 to 80.
$$
CAZ071-130300-
Lassen-Eastern Plumas-Eastern Sierra Counties-
Including the cities of Portola, Susanville, Westwood,
Sierraville, and Loyalton
332 AM PDT Thu May 12 2022
.TODAY...Mostly cloudy. Highs 53 to 63. Southwest winds 10 to
15 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the afternoon.
.TONIGHT...Clear. Lows 27 to 37. West winds 10 to 15 mph. Gusts
up to 30 mph in the evening.
.FRIDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs 63 to 73. Light winds becoming
west around 10 mph in the afternoon.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy in the evening then becoming partly
cloudy. Lows 35 to 45. West winds 10 to 15 mph.
.SATURDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs 71 to 81. Light winds becoming
southwest around 10 mph in the afternoon.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming
clear. Lows 38 to 48.
.SUNDAY...Sunny. Highs 73 to 83.
.SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...Partly cloudy. Lows 39 to 49. Highs
71 to 81.
.MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 36 to 46. Highs
70 to 80.
.WEDNESDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs 68 to 78.
$$
CAZ073-130300-
Mono County-
Including the cities of Bridgeport, Coleville, Lee Vining,
and Mammoth Lakes
332 AM PDT Thu May 12 2022
.TODAY...Sunny in the morning then becoming partly cloudy. Highs
54 to 64. Light winds becoming southwest 10 to 15 mph in the
afternoon.
.TONIGHT...Clear. Lows 26 to 36. West winds 10 to 15 mph.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs 65 to 75. Light winds becoming southwest
around 10 mph in the afternoon.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 33 to 43. West winds 10 to 15 mph.
.SATURDAY...Sunny. Highs 71 to 81. Light winds becoming east
around 10 mph in the afternoon.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows 38 to 48.
.SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Highs 70 to 80. Lows
36 to 46.
.MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...Clear. Highs 69 to 79. Lows 35 to 45.
$$
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.seattlepi.com/weather/article/CA-Reno-NV-Zone-Forecast-17167460.php | 2022-05-12 11:26:33 | 1 | https://www.seattlepi.com/weather/article/CA-Reno-NV-Zone-Forecast-17167460.php |
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Striker Paul Mullin, one of the stars of the “Welcome to Wrexham” docuseries, was hospitalized with a punctured lung after a collision with Manchester United goalie Nathan Bishop in a friendly Tuesday night.
Mullin was attempting a header when Bishop challenged him just outside the box in the 11th minute and the two went down. Mullin immediately grabbed his head with his right hand and his left hip with his left hand, and was clearly in pain. He was down for about seven minutes. A stretcher and a cart were sent out and Mullin was surrounded by medical personnel, but he eventually got up and slowly walked off with assistance while wearing an oxygen mask.
Manager Phil Parkinson called it a small puncture and said the team didn’t immediately know how long Mullin will be out. Ryan Reynolds, who owns Wrexham with fellow actor Rob McElhenney, tweeted that “Paul Mullin puts his last drop of blood into everything he does” and that the entire Wrexham community was pulling for a speedy recovery.
“Obviously it’s a massive blow for us,” Parkinson said after Wrexham won 3-1 in front of a record crowd of 34,248 at San Diego State’s Snapdragon Stadium in the third of four matches on a U.S. tour. “Injuries are part and parcel of football and you’ve got to deal with them as a group and we’ll come out stronger.”
The regular season starts Aug. 5 for the Welsh club, which recently earned promotion to English soccer’s fourth tier.
Bishop was not injured and was booed every time he touched the ball after the collision.
“I’m fuming,” Parkinson said. “It was a clumsy, reckless challenge, preseason game. I’m not happy with it at all.”
Wrexham supporters often serenade their team’s best player with a song called “Super Paul Mullin” and it came across in “Welcome to Wrexham” that the striker is the favorite player of Reynolds and McElhenney. McElhenney was at the match but Reynolds wasn’t.
There was no score when Mullin was hurt. Wrexham scored twice in a seven-minute span and led 2-1 at halftime.
“The way the lads responded after that I thought was honestly outstanding,” Parkinson said.
Wrexham, the oldest club from Wales, finishes its tour Saturday against Philadelphia Union II.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://fox59.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-wrexham-striker-paul-mullin-injured-in-collision-with-manchester-united-goalie-nathan-bishop/ | 2023-07-27 02:51:46 | 0 | https://fox59.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-wrexham-striker-paul-mullin-injured-in-collision-with-manchester-united-goalie-nathan-bishop/ |
Labor unrest in Iran this month — including a three-day nationwide strike, among the largest the country has seen in decades — has hinted at the potential role labor could come to play in the uprising that has swept the country since September.
Many demonstrators have embraced broad demands to oust Iran’s clerical leaders and dismantle their tools of repression. But massive labor disruptions on a level that could add exponential weight to the movement, such as those that helped oust the shah in 1979, remain difficult to envision, in part because the state retains near-total control of workers’ organizations at a time of deep poverty and labor fragmentation, activists and analysts say.
While the protests have shown remarkable staying power, surviving and even fanned further by an escalating crackdown, the movement is at somewhat of an impasse, neither cowed by violent suppression nor able to overthrow the status quo. More than 500 people have been killed and some 18,000 arrested, according to the HRANA activist news agency. Two people have been executed and more face the death penalty for convictions connected to the protests.
Some organized workers have already made the dangerous gamble to back the movement. But it would take millions of fed-up workers shutting down key sectors — oil fields, factory floors, public transit — to overwhelm the government’s “oppression machine,” said Foad Keykhosravi, of the Independent Iranian Workers Union. The union is a group that formed in 2006 to represent fired and unemployed workers, and then expanded to include people in industrial and service jobs, in defiance of Iran’s ban on independent unions.
Despite dogged efforts, the “regime’s extreme oppression” has hindered decades of efforts “to act in a more unified way,” he said.
Left with state-sanctioned labor groups, workers have struggled to fight declining wages, delayed payments, precarious contacts, unsafe conditions and eroding pensions in an economy dominated by elites with ties to the ruling clerics and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said labor historian Peyman Jafari. With the economy in free-fall, millions of Iranians are scraping by in fear of losing whatever jobs they can get.
When workers do strike — as they have at growing frequency — actions have centered on economic and not political demands, which still appear too “costly” for workers, Jafari said.
This dynamic, Keykhosravi said, the protest movement is trying to change.
The chance of workers acting en masse to throw their weight behind the protests, while still a distant prospect, appears to grow day by day. In a display of mass civil disobedience from Dec. 5 to 7, storefronts were boarded-up, offices emptied out and bazaars grew eerily quiet across some 50 cities. Leading the charge were Iran’s Kurdish regions and a few independent unions such as the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association, which has many female members.
Workers across sectors joined in. A chicken farmer in Sari, northern Iran, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of concern for his safety, said he shut down production and avoided financial transactions with state institutions on those days, withholding “money [that] will later turn into bullets and kill myself or my children.”
A university professor in Karaj, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, joined in coinciding street protests. She said she had gone on strike days after Amini’s murder. Under pressure by the school not to participate, she quit. “At least I am not connected to any corrupted system,” she said.
The December strikes were “important steps forward,” Jafari said, “but the picture is still really uneven.” The actions included only a small segment of workers, he said, and received no buy-in from state-sanctioned labor associations or in key industries, such as oil and transportation, needed to disrupt the economy.
Recent strikes “in the industrial sector are basically the continuum of strikes around socio-economic demands” in past years, he said.
Today, December 17, dozens of workers demonstrated in front of the Oil and Gas Company in #Asaluyeh, asking for their demands.#Iran pic.twitter.com/IqDVEw1PRF
— HRANA English (@HRANA_English) December 17, 2022
Historically, labor activists in Iran have been at the forefront of the fight against authoritarianism — and a frequent target of violence.
Mass industrial strikes in late 1978 helped overthrow Mohammad Reza Shah. The Shiite revolutionaries who took over permitted only state-sanctioned labor councils and associations.
In the 1990s, Tehran began prioritizing privatization and other policies that eroded labor conditions and wages by increasing reliance on contract gigs, Jafari said.
Fed up, in 2004, bus drivers serving Tehran and its suburbs organized the Islamic Republic’s first independent union, Jafari said. A sugar-cane plant, teachers, a steel plant in Isfahan and contract oil workers, among others, followed.
#Davood_Razavi, a member Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, is still detained after 83 days. Yesterday, December 18, he was transferred from Evin Prison to Great Tehran Penitentiary.#Iran#HumanRights pic.twitter.com/fKcFs1jQzT
— HRANA English (@HRANA_English) December 19, 2022
But repression continued to keep these unions in check. Authorities violently suppressed strikes and arrested key labor activists and heads of independent unions. Authorities imprisoned Esmail Abdi, the general secretary of the independent teachers union, in 2015. He went on a 15-day hunger strike in May to protest his imprisonment.
“Organized civil society is trying really hard to support the protests, but they have not been able to take a leading role because of the repression,” said Tara Sepehri Far of New York-based Human Rights Watch. “Authorities have long invested in controlling organized labor activism.”
In the background, “the growing precarity” and “fragmentation” of workers in low-paying jobs and contracts continue unabated, said Zep Kalb, a doctoral candidate at UCLA specializing in Iranian labor relations.
In Iran’s highly prized, and securitized, oil sector, about two-thirds of workers are contractors and have no central way to organize and ensure job security, said Kalb, citing government statistics.
Women, at the uprising’s forefront, officially make up 18 percent of Iran’s labor market but are highly represented in informal jobs, such as home businesses, without means of unionizing, Jafari said.
Iran is also among the world’s most designated countries under Western sanctions, and years of U.S. economic measures have “paradoxically really undermined the power of workers to organize and go and strike,” he said, by strengthening the ruling elite’s grip on the increasingly isolated economy.
The challenges remain immense, Keykhosravi said, and the expectations high, as “worker strikes weigh a lot for Iranian society.”
“The movement needs time and that might also be the case for workers,” Kalb said. “Large amounts of people have to take to the streets before workers will join.” | https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/12/21/iran-protests-strike-labor/ | 2022-12-21 07:18:15 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/12/21/iran-protests-strike-labor/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI searched President Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, on Friday and located additional documents with classified markings and also took possession of some of his handwritten notes, the president’s lawyer said Saturday.
The president voluntarily allowed the FBI into his home, but the lack of a search warrant did not dim the extraordinary nature of the search. It compounded the embarrassment to Biden that started with the disclosure Jan. 12 that the president’s attorneys had found a “small number” of classified records at a former office at the Penn Biden Center in Washington shortly before the midterm elections. Since then, attorneys found six classified documents in Biden’s Wilmington home library from his time as vice president.
Though Biden has maintained “ there’s no there there,” the discoveries have become a political liability as he prepares to launch a reelection bid, and they undercut his efforts to portray an image of propriety to the American public after the tumultuous presidency of his predecessor, Donald Trump.
During Friday’s search, which lasted nearly 13 hours, the FBI took six items that contained documents with classified markings, said Bob Bauer, the president’s personal lawyer. The items spanned Biden’s time in the Senate and the vice presidency, while the notes dated to his time as vice president, he said. The level of classification, and whether the documents removed by the FBI remained classified, was not immediately clear as the Justice Department reviews the records.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Fitzpatrick confirmed Saturday that the FBI had executed “a planned, consensual search” of the president’s residence in Wilmington.
The president and first lady Jill Biden were not at the home when it was searched. They were spending the weekend at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Speaking to reporters during a trip to California on Thursday, Biden said he was “fully cooperating and looking forward to getting this resolved quickly.”
“We found a handful of documents were filed in the wrong place,” Biden said. “We immediately turned them over to the Archives and the Justice Department.”
It remained to be seen whether additional searches by federal officials of other locations might be conducted. Biden’s personal attorneys previously conducted a search of the Rehoboth Beach residence and said they did not find any official documents or classified records.
The Biden investigation has also complicated the Justice Department’s probe into Trump’s retention of classified documents and official records after he left office. The Justice Department says Trump took hundreds of records marked classified with him upon leaving the White House in early 2021 and resisted months of requests to return them to the government, and that it had to obtain a search warrant to retrieve them.
Bauer said the FBI requested that the White House not comment on the search before it was conducted, and that Biden’s personal and White House attorneys were present. The FBI, he added, “had full access to the President’s home, including personally handwritten notes, files, papers, binders, memorabilia, to-do lists, schedules, and reminders going back decades.”
The Justice Department, he added, “took possession of materials it deemed within the scope of its inquiry, including six items consisting of documents with classification markings and surrounding materials, some of which were from the President’s service in the Senate and some of which were from his tenure as Vice President.”
Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed former Maryland U.S. Attorney Robert Hur as a special counsel to investigate any potential wrongdoing surrounding the Biden documents. Hur is set to take over from the Trump-appointed Illinois U.S. Attorney John Lausch in overseeing the probe.
“Since the beginning, the President has been committed to handling this responsibly because he takes this seriously,” White House lawyer Richard Sauber said Saturday. “The President’s lawyers and White House Counsel’s Office will continue to cooperate with DOJ and the Special Counsel to help ensure this process is conducted swiftly and efficiently.”
The Biden document discoveries and the investigation into Trump, which is in the hands of special counsel Jack Smith, are significantly different. Biden has made a point of cooperating with the DOJ probe at every turn — and Friday’s search was voluntary — though questions about his transparency with the public remain.
For a crime to have been committed, a person would have to “knowingly remove” the documents without authority and intend to keep them at an “unauthorized location.” Biden has said he was “surprised” that classified documents were uncovered at the Penn Biden Center.
Generally, classified documents are to be declassified after a maximum of 25 years. But some records are of such value they remain classified for far longer, though specific exceptions must be granted. Biden served in the Senate from 1973 to 2009.
___
Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, contributed to this report. | https://www.kxnet.com/news/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/ap-lawyer-doj-searched-biden-home-found-classified-documents/ | 2023-01-22 15:57:26 | 1 | https://www.kxnet.com/news/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/ap-lawyer-doj-searched-biden-home-found-classified-documents/ |
TDSM technologies will become essential as more DER resources are integrated onto a single grid system
BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report from Guidehouse Insights analyzes the transmission and distribution sensing and measurement (TDSM) market and discusses its vital role in creating a more balanced and technologically responsive electric grid.
The Energy Cloud transformation is expected to enable a two-way grid that is networked, distributed, clean, and intelligent. In this scenario, the electric grid no longer operates as a centralized system with unidirectional power flow; instead, it becomes a highly dynamic and digitalized energy ecosystem with customers at its center. To operate effectively, the grid must have accurate and real time sensing and measurement. According to a new report from Guidehouse Insights, global revenue from TDSM technologies is expected to grow from almost $4.5 billion in 2022 to $9.3 billion in 2031 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.4%.
"As this transition to a bidirectional, decentralized grid occurs, utilities around the world will be upgrading their automation and monitoring capabilities across transmission and distribution," says Elizabeth Wilson, research analyst with Guidehouse Insights. "This will happen in all regions and for all utilities—including investor-owned, municipal, vertically integrated, and distribution system operators."
As the cost of TDSM technologies decreases and they become more accessible, more and more utilities will gravitate toward deploying them. They will become essential as more distributed energy resources (DER) resources are integrated onto a single grid system. These systems can effectively monitor T&D systems remotely, using AI. Additionally, as costs decrease for integrated technologies, less integrated, more expensive solutions such as phasor measurement units (PMUs) will decline globally, according to the report.
The report, Market Data: Transmission and Distribution Sensing and Measurement, addresses how transmission and distribution sensing and measurement are crucial for creating a more balanced and technologically responsive electric grid. This report breaks down regional TDSM growth and technological development and includes an outlook for the ten-year period 2022-2031. An executive summary of the report is available for free download on the Guidehouse Insights website.
About Guidehouse Insights
Guidehouse Insights, the dedicated market intelligence arm of Guidehouse, provides research, data, and benchmarking services for today's rapidly changing and highly regulated industries. Our insights are built on in-depth analysis of global clean technology markets. The team's research methodology combines supply-side industry analysis, end-user primary research, and demand assessment, paired with a deep examination of technology trends, to provide a comprehensive view of emerging resilient infrastructure systems. Additional information about Guidehouse Insights can be found at www.guidehouseinsights.com.
About Guidehouse
Guidehouse is a leading global provider of consulting services to the public sector and commercial markets, with broad capabilities in management, technology, and risk consulting. By combining our public and private sector expertise, we help clients address their most complex challenges and navigate significant regulatory pressures focusing on transformational change, business resiliency, and technology-driven innovation. Across a range of advisory, consulting, outsourcing, and digital services, we create scalable, innovative solutions that help our clients outwit complexity and position them for future growth and success. The company has more than 13,000 professionals in over 50 locations globally. Guidehouse is a Veritas Capital portfolio company, led by seasoned professionals with proven and diverse expertise in traditional and emerging technologies, markets, and agenda-setting issues driving national and global economies. For more information, please visit www.guidehouse.com.
* The information contained in this press release concerning the report, Market Data: Transmission and Distribution Sensing and Measurement, is a summary and reflects the current expectations of Guidehouse Insights based on market data and trend analysis. Market predictions and expectations are inherently uncertain and actual results may differ materially from those contained in this press release or the report. Please refer to the full report for a complete understanding of the assumptions underlying the report's conclusions and the methodologies used to create the report. Neither Guidehouse Insights nor Guidehouse undertakes any obligation to update any of the information contained in this press release or the report.
Cecile Fradkin
+1.646.941.9139
cfradkin@scprgroup.com
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SOURCE Guidehouse Insights | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/guidehouse-insights-estimates-transmission-distribution-sensing-measuring-market-will-grow-9-billion-by-2031/ | 2022-09-01 09:39:29 | 0 | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/guidehouse-insights-estimates-transmission-distribution-sensing-measuring-market-will-grow-9-billion-by-2031/ |
MECCA, Saudi Arabia , June 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With the clock of the annual Muslim Hajj pilgrimage already ticking, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah released on Monday a cinematic video to welcome its guest pilgrims.
The Minister of Hajj Tawfiq Al Rabiah opened the video with Talbiyah, a Muslim prayer cited by pilgrims as a declaration that they intend to perform Hajj only for the glory of God.
"In Just a matter of days, millions of Muslims from every corner of the globe will raise their voices to recite the powerful Talbiyah chant," Al Rabiah said.
"As Hajj draws near, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia prepares to welcome pilgrims from all walks of life. With great pride and honor, we invite pilgrims to join us in the largest Islamic gathering in history," Al Rabiah added.
"Here, over two million pilgrims from over 160 countries will come together," the Minister stated.
Al Rabiah expressed gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, for their constant follow-up on the services provided to the pilgrims, so that they can embark on their journey of faith within an atmosphere of peace and comfort.
He explained that airline bookings by those arriving to the Kingdom reached the 1.7 million mark, while noting that more than 32,000 healthcare practitioners, both male and female, will be on site to provide their services to the devotees.
Al Rabiah also shed light on the transportation network at the holy sites, stating "With a well-connected road and train network, shuttle bus services, and integrated infrastructure, pilgrims are guaranteed a seamless travel experience, regardless of their language or unique needs."
The eco-friendly Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro line comes at the forefront of said networks, consisting of 17 trains distributed among 9 stations with an estimated operating capacity of 72,000 passengers per hour.
Al Rabiah pointed out that it is with the help of skilled Saudi cadres, an advanced system has been implemented, especially in Mina, which boasts the world's largest tent city, hosting 2,192,000 pilgrims.
The Minister concluded the video by stating that said achievements are not coincidental, but rather a result of an extensive effort exerted over the past years.
Video: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2105969/Ministry_of_Hajj.mp4
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SOURCE Ministry of Hajj | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2023/06/20/saudi-hajj-ministry-welcomes-more-than-2-million-pilgrims/ | 2023-06-20 10:29:39 | 0 | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2023/06/20/saudi-hajj-ministry-welcomes-more-than-2-million-pilgrims/ |
Starbucks is the latest company to pull out of the Russian market.
In a memo to employees Monday, the Seattle coffee giant said it decided to close its 130 stores and no longer have a brand presence in Russia.
Starbucks said it will continue to pay its nearly 2,000 Russian employees for six months and help them transition to new jobs.
Starbucks' Russian stores are owned and operated by Alshaya Group, a Kuwait-based franchise operator.
Starbucks had suspended all business activity in Russia on March 8 due to the war in Ukraine.
Starbucks isn't the only major company to leave Russia.
McDonald's announced last week that it had begun the process of selling its Russian business to one of its licensees in the country.
Alexander Govor, who operates 25 restaurants in Siberia, has agreed to buy McDonald’s 850 Russian restaurants and operate them under a new brand, McDonald's said.
McDonald’s didn’t disclose the sale price. | https://www.wmar2news.com/news/national/starbucks-leaving-russian-market-shutting-130-stores | 2022-05-23 18:02:02 | 1 | https://www.wmar2news.com/news/national/starbucks-leaving-russian-market-shutting-130-stores |
Ford Announces Recall for More Than 650,000 Trucks and SUVs
Heads up if you drive a Ford truck.
Ford has announced that they are recalling more than 650,000 pickup trucks and big SUVs in the U.S.
The reason for the recall? The windshield wipers on some vehicles may break or malfunction during use.
The vehicles involved in the recall are certain F-150 pickups, Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigator SUVs (2020 and 2021 model years).
Other Ford vehicles included in this recall are F-250, 350, 450, and 550 (models made from 2020 through 2022.)
According to Ford, the "teeth" on some wipers may cause them to malfunction, thus that is why they are addressing the issue on the above makes and models.
Those with Ford vehicles will be notified by late May if their vehicle is part of this recall.
If your vehicle is part of the recall, the assigned dealership in the letter to you will replace both wipers. | https://q961.com/ford-recall-trucks-suvs/ | 2022-05-18 22:47:01 | 0 | https://q961.com/ford-recall-trucks-suvs/ |
Amidst Ongoing COVID-19 and Flu Threats, Safety Advocates Drive Prevention
TAMPA, Nov. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP), the largest independent kidney patient organization in the nation, announced the opening of the 2023 grant cycle for its AAKP Jenny Kitsen Patient Safety Award. The award funds a lecture or program that advances new approaches for increasing kidney patient safety knowledge and/or the dissemination of new research pertaining to effective safety procedures among medical professionals responsible for patient safety.
Immunocompromised and immunosuppressed kidney patients, including dialysis patients and kidney transplant patients, remain highly vulnerable to COVID-19 and the flu and have been among the most heavily impacted populations in terms of mortality rates throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. They are also at dramatically higher risks for acquiring healthcare-associated infections (HAI), often associated with in-center dialysis facilities, hospitals, and other healthcare settings. Kidney patients are medically fragile due to their weakened immune systems and typically manage multiple other medical conditions and co-morbidities. Infections among kidney patients can be challenging to address, require specialized care, and often involve hospitalizations and surgery. The consensus among policy and medical experts is that high standards for patient safety and infection control in healthcare settings, strictly observed, save patients' lives, reduce burdens on medical professionals and help avoid unnecessary costs to both taxpayers and insurers.
AAKP President Richard Knight, a former dialysis patient and current kidney transplant recipient, stated, "Every kidney patient entering a medical facility, especially dialysis patients receiving care in dialysis centers, should know their lives depend upon the infection control protocols medical professionals manage and how seriously healthcare systems prioritize their safety. This award puts a spotlight on best practices in patient safety and infection control, the professionals accountable for maintaining the integrity of safety protocols, and substantive efforts to protect patient lives while reducing care costs to taxpayers and insurers."
Among organizations eligible to apply for the award are 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(6) organizations, government agencies at every level, and other organizations as outlined on the application. Applicants seeking additional information should contact Erin Kahle, Director of Patient Insights, Data Analytics, and Advocacy, by emailing ekahle@aakp.org. Applications are due December 30, 2022.
AAKP empowers patients to take charge of their care and safety through extensive online disease education programming. AAKP collaborates with a wide network of global and national kidney medical experts and leading medical research institutions and universities on research initiatives focused on kidney medicine, the detection and management of acute kidney injury (AKI), and infection control and prevention (read more). In 2022, AAKP granted its first international safety recognition, honoring The Renal Patients Support Group (RPSG) of the United Kingdom. The RPSG participates in the AAKP Global™ initiative and is part of AAKP's expanding international collaborative of patient organizations focused on patient consumer-centered policies and innovations.
AAKP works closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to make certain infection control standards remain a priority in kidney facility performance metrics and reimbursement decisions related to kidney care. AAKP is a founding partner of the CDC's Making Dialysis Safer Coalition and an active participant in the CDC's Federal Health Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). The HICPAC is a Federal Advisory Committee appointed to provide advice and guidance to the CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding strategies for surveillance, prevention, and control of healthcare-associated infections, antimicrobial resistance, and related events in healthcare settings. AAKP Chair of Policy and Global Affairs Paul T. Conway serves as AAKP liaison to HICPAC. AAKP and the CDC co-branded the highly utilized "Conversation Starter to Prevent Infections in Dialysis Patients," a tool for patients and family members to initiate a discussion with dialysis facility staff about infection prevention, and also produced the HealthLine webinar, "Making Dialysis Safer for Patients."
To view a recent AAKP webinar on the ongoing threat COVID-19 poses to kidney patients, watch the AAKP interview with Dr. Michael Osterholm, Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota and a contributing health expert to the national media (watch OnDemand). At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, AAKP launched its COVID-19 Resource web page to educate national and global patient audiences on what they could do to minimize their risk of contracting the virus. To date, AAKP has conducted eight major national and international meetings and dozens of targeted safety educational sessions and HealthLine webinars to educate medical professionals, patients, and families on the danger of COVID-19, evolving vaccination strategies, and best practices for risk mitigation. These programs have reached audiences in over 90 countries, engaged tens of thousands of viewers, and involved experts from AAKP's strategic partners at the CDC, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; American Society of Transplantation; the American Society of Transplant Surgeons; the Renal Physicians Association; and the American Society of Nephrology.
The Patient Safety Award was created in 2014 by the former Network of New England, whose Board of Directors established an endowment to continue the patient safety work of the non-profit organization led by former Executive Director Jenny Kitsen. Past recipients include Dr. Alan Kliger, Chair, Nephrologists Transforming Dialysis Safety, American Society of Nephrology (2022); Kidneys Quest Foundation (2021); Satellite Healthcare (2020); Alabama A&M University (2020); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019); National Kidney Foundation (2018); National Renal Administrators Association (2018, 2016); A.T. Still University of Oral Health (2017); All Kidney Patients Support Group (2017); Renal Physicians Association (2016); American Nephrology Nurses Association (2015); and Forum of ESRD Networks (2015).
About the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP): Founded in 1969, AAKP is the largest kidney patient organization driving policy discussions on kidney patient consumer care choice and treatment innovations. In the past decade, AAKP patients have helped gain lifetime transplant drug coverage for kidney transplant recipients (2020); new patient-centered policies via the White House Executive Order on Advancing American Kidney Health (2019); new job protections for living organ donors under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) from the U.S. Department of Labor (2018); and Congressional legislation allowing HIV-positive organ transplants for HIV-positive patients (2013). AAKP virtual platforms and social networks are internationally known for their impact. Follow AAKP on social media at @kidneypatient on Facebook and @kidneypatients on Twitter, and visit its website at www.aakp.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jennifer Rate Marketing & Communications Manager
jrate@aakp.org
(813) 400-2394
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SOURCE American Association of Kidney Patients | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/11/10/grant-cycle-opens-top-award-kidney-patient-safety/ | 2022-11-10 23:35:22 | 0 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/11/10/grant-cycle-opens-top-award-kidney-patient-safety/ |
WFO NEW YORK CITY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, December 23, 2022
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FLASH FLOOD WARNING
Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service New York NY
634 AM EST Fri Dec 23 2022
...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR ROCKLAND COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELLED...
Flood waters have receded. The heavy rain has ended. Flooding is no
longer expected to pose a threat. Please continue to heed remaining
road closures.
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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.sfchronicle.com/weather/article/NY-WFO-NEW-YORK-CITY-Warnings-Watches-and-17673630.php | 2022-12-23 12:43:22 | 0 | https://www.sfchronicle.com/weather/article/NY-WFO-NEW-YORK-CITY-Warnings-Watches-and-17673630.php |
The next BuzzFeed quiz you take might have been written by a computer.
BuzzFeed announced last week that it will begin using artificial intelligence for some of its content, including its personality quizzes.
“The creative process will increasingly become AI-assisted and technology-enabled. If the past 15 years of the internet have been defined by algorithmic feeds that curate and recommend content, the next 15 years will be defined by AI and data helping create, personalize, and animate the content itself,” wrote BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti. “Our industry will expand beyond AI-powered curation (feeds), to AI-powered creation (content).”
Peretti said when readers view the work, they’ll find it pretty “amazing.”
“You’ll see AI-inspired content move from an R&D stage to part of our core business, enhancing the quiz experience, informing our brainstorming, and personalizing our content for our audience,” he said.
AI chatbots are software applications used to have a conversation that can take on the role of a live human using technology.
One of the top AI programs, ChatGPT, is owned by research company OpenAI and is one of these chatbot programs. The chatbot can be used for applications like customer service and virtual assistants.
It was also recently used in research to determine whether it could pass a master's of business administration exam. It was determined that the AI program could pass with roughly a B grade.
BuzzFeed will not be the first outlet to use AI for its content. The Associated Press said it began using computer-generated stories as early as 2014. Many of these stories are for sporting events where the AP does not send reporters to. | https://www.lex18.com/news/national/buzzfeed-to-use-artificial-intelligence-for-content | 2023-01-30 20:24:58 | 0 | https://www.lex18.com/news/national/buzzfeed-to-use-artificial-intelligence-for-content |
HOLTWOOD, Pa. — Note: The video is from Feb. 8.
Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of a suspect or suspects who shot two dogs outside a Lancaster County home earlier this month.
One of the dogs was killed, and the other required emergency surgery after sustaining gunshot wounds to both hips, according to State Police (PSP), who are investigating the incident.
The dogs, both German Shepherds, were in the yard of a home in Martic Township.
Friends Amber Zercher and Jennifer Porterfield were grilling dinner outside Porterfield's home with their dogs, Oliver and Ranger, when they heard gunfire on the back of the property.
Both dogs were struck by gunfire, Zercher told FOX43.
Zercher's dog, Oliver, sustained the injuries to his hips and required surgery.
Ranger, who belonged to Porterfield, did not survive.
Anyone with information is asked to please contact PSP Lancaster Criminal Investigation Unit at 717-299-7650, anonymously contact the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers Toll Free at 1-800-4PA-TIPS (8477), or submit an anonymous tip online.
All callers to Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest, the solving of a crime/cold case or the location of a wanted person/fugitive or missing person. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/pa-crime-stoppers-reward-lancaster-county-animal-cruelty/521-41e3fa49-08d2-4214-814c-f203381f25ae | 2023-02-16 15:19:12 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/pa-crime-stoppers-reward-lancaster-county-animal-cruelty/521-41e3fa49-08d2-4214-814c-f203381f25ae |
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The NBA generated more basketball related income than ever this past season, the total number coming up just short of $9 billion.
Business is good. The first night of free agency underscored how good.
Nikola Jokic and Bradley Beal both quickly agreed to deals that will be worth more than a quarter of a billion dollars by the time they expire, highlighting the moves made Thursday when the NBA’s annual free-agent negotiating window opened.
Jokic agreed to a supermax extension to remain with the Denver Nuggets, the two-time reigning MVP guaranteeing himself at least $264 million over five seasons starting with the 2023-24 campaign. The final number may go up slightly depending on what the league’s salary cap is going into the ‘23-24 season and if it exceeds current projections.
Beal will make $251 million over the next five seasons after re-signing with Washington, one day after turning down $37 million for this coming season from the team with whom he’s spent the entirety of his 10-year career.
Other extensions expected to be struck soon include supermax deals for Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns and Phoenix’s Devin Booker. And then there’s a slew of rookie extensions that can start coming Friday, with Memphis’ Ja Morant, Miami’s Tyler Herro and New Orleans’ Zion Williamson among the names on that list.
All those moves, even the biggest-money ones, were overshadowed by a piece of non-free-agent news that came earlier Thursday when Kevin Durant, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation, told the Brooklyn Nets that he wanted a trade. And that undoubtedly had some sort of an impact on the decisions some teams were making, or were considering, with the surprise development that one of the world’s elite players is looking for a new place to play.
Jokic and Beal have signed lucrative contracts before. For some, the ones they get this summer will be their first.
Anfernee Simons, who had a breakout season for the injury-plagued Portland Trail Blazers last year — taking advantage of his opportunity, and then some — agreed to a four-year, $100 million contract to remain with that club. And Lu Dort, undrafted three years ago and someone who made about $4 million combined in his three seasons with Oklahoma City, will stay with the Thunder for the next five years on a deal worth nearly $88 million.
NBA NUMBERS
The NBA set the new salary cap, luxury tax and other numbers that will be used this coming season and go into effect Friday.
The cap is $123.655 million, the tax level is $150.267 million. The minimum team salary level is $111.29 million and the exceptions were set as wel. The non-taxpayer mid-level is $10.49 million, taxpayer mid-level is $6.479 million, and the mid-level for a team with room under the cap is $5.401 million.
TUCKER TO PHILADELPHIA
P.J. Tucker is reuniting with Philadelphia general manager Daryl Morey and — assuming he re-signs, as planned — James Harden as well. Tucker agreed Thursday to a three-year deal with the 76ers for $33 million. Morey, Tucker and Harden were together with the Houston Rockets; Harden declared free agency Wednesday with the intention of coming back to Philadelphia. Tucker won a title with Milwaukee in 2021 and helped Miami to the Eastern Conference finals in 2022.
PORTIS, INGLES TO BUCKS
Bobby Portis (four years, $49 million) is returning to Milwaukee, and the Bucks are adding veteran guard Joe Ingles as well. Ingles is signing a one-year deal, according to his wife, Renae Ingles, who tweeted that “CEO of the house, Renae Ingles, is thrilled for Joe and their family.”
HEAT DECISIONS
Miami will retain Victor Oladipo on a one-year, $11 million deal and Dewayne Dedmon on a two-year deal for about $9 million, though the second year has conditional protections.
RAPTORS MOVES
Toronto is keeping forwards Chris Boucher (three years, $36 million) and Thaddeus Young (two years, $16 million).
BAGLEY STAYING
Detroit moved quickly to lock up restricted free agent Marvin Bagley III, agreeing to keep him with a three-year, $37 million deal.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.ourmidland.com/sports/article/Jokic-Beal-cash-in-quickly-as-NBA-free-agency-17278010.php | 2022-07-01 00:36:52 | 1 | https://www.ourmidland.com/sports/article/Jokic-Beal-cash-in-quickly-as-NBA-free-agency-17278010.php |
18-year-old man sent to prison for sexually abusing child, authorities say
YANCEY COUNTY, N.C. (WHNS/Gray News) - An 18-year-old North Carolina man was sentenced to prison for sexually abusing a 3-year-old child.
The Yancey County Sheriff’s Office reports Jason Procopio pleaded guilty to a first-degree statutory sexual offense stemming from an investigation that started in July 2021, as reported by WHNS.
Investigators said the abuse took place when Procopio was 18 and the victim was 3 years old.
“Every report of a sexual offense is taken seriously by the sheriff’s office,” Yancey County Sheriff Shane Hilliard said. “Our top priority is protecting the children of our community and holding sexual predators accountable.”
This week, Procopio was sentenced to 12-19 years in prison. The 18-year-old will be required to register as a sex offender and wear an ankle monitor upon release.
Copyright 2022 WHNS Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbtv.com/2022/06/24/18-year-old-man-sent-prison-sexually-abusing-child-authorities-say/ | 2022-06-24 19:28:08 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/2022/06/24/18-year-old-man-sent-prison-sexually-abusing-child-authorities-say/ |
Critical Federal legislation will provide consumers rights to repair their vehicle while protecting a free and fair repair market
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. and BETHESDA, Md. and DIAMOND BAR, Calif. and WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MEMA Aftermarket, Auto Care Association, CAR (Consumer Access to Repair) Coalition, and Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) applaud United States Reps. Neal Dunn (R-FL), Brendan Boyle (D-PA-02), Warren Davidson (R-OH-08), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-03) for reintroducing the 'Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act' (H.R. 906). The legislation will ensure the preservation of consumer choice, a fair marketplace, and the continued safe operation of the nation's 292 million registered passenger and commercial motor vehicles, 70% of which are maintained by independent repair facilities.
The REPAIR Act will accomplish this by:
- Preserving consumer access to high quality and affordable vehicle repair by ensuring that vehicle owners and their repairers of choice have access to necessary repair and maintenance tools and data as vehicles continue to become more advanced.
- Ensuring access to critical repair tools and information. All tools and equipment; wireless transmission of repair and diagnostic data; and access to on-board diagnostic and telematic systems needed to repair a vehicle must be made available to the independent repair industry.
- Ensuring cybersecurity by allowing vehicle manufacturers to secure vehicle-generated data and requiring the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to develop standards for how vehicle generated data necessary for repair can be accessed securely.
- Providing transparency for consumers by requiring vehicle owners be informed that they can choose where and how to get their vehicle repaired.
- Creating a stakeholder advisory committee and providing them with the statutory authority to provide recommendations to the FTC on how to address emerging barriers to vehicle repair and maintenance.
- Providing ongoing enforcement by establishing a process for consumers and independent repair facilities to file complaints with the FTC regarding alleged violations of the requirements in the bill and a requirement that the FTC act within five months of a claim.
As vehicle technology continues to advance, new barriers to a competitive auto repair market are emerging. These barriers limit consumer choice in where to repair their motor vehicles and increase the cost to repair and maintain vehicles. The REPAIR Act will reduce these barriers, putting consumers' interests first.
Rep. Dunn is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee which has responsibility for consumer protection matters (among several other topics) and is where the bill has been referred.
"When it comes to repairing their automobiles, consumers deserve options," said Representative Dunn. "The REPAIR Act would give owners, including the rural communities in my district, secure access to critical data so the service center of their choosing can replace parts and repair their vehicles. I am proud to support competition in the vehicle repair industry and this important legislation."
"There are hundreds of neighborhood mechanics in Philadelphia", said Representative Boyle. "The last thing those small business owners need is to be boxed out of making a living. This legislation would not only protect the business relationships between automobile owners and their mechanics, but it also ensures consumers continue to have more options on where to go for repairs."
"By prohibiting vehicle owners from accessing and sharing data they generate, manufacturers stop consumers from accessing third-party repair shops," said Representative Davidson. "American vehicle owners have a right to control their data, and a right to access third-party repair shops, tools and parts."
"Working families in rural America can't afford to take a day off to drive their car to the dealership for a costly repair. The REPAIR Act is a bipartisan solution to improve vehicle data access laws to give working families more choices for repair when their car breaks down," said Representative Gluesenkamp Perez. "I appreciate Representatives Dunn, Boyle, and Davidson for their leadership on this issue, and look forward to working in a bipartisan fashion to improve repair laws for families who work for a living."
The bill is introduced on significant momentum for choice in repair. In November 2020, Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly voiced their support for Ballot Question 1 (also known as Right to Repair) with 75% of the vote, which preserves their right as vehicle owners to have access to and control of their vehicle's mechanical data necessary for service and repair at the shops of their choice. In May 2021, the FTC released their Nixing the Fix report which highlighted barriers that vehicle manufacturers have instituted to squash a consumer's right to repair. The FTC strongly supports expanding consumer repair options and found "scant evidence" for repair restrictions imposed by original equipment manufacturers. In July 2021, President Bident issued the "Promoting Competition in the American Economy" executive order which encouraged the FTC to address anti-competitive repair restrictions. In December 2022, the Digital Fair Repair Act was signed into law by NY Governor Kathy Hochul and in January 2023, John Deere signed an MOU with the American Farm Bureau Federation.
The REPAIR Act is the only bill that addresses vehicle maintenance and repair restrictions, including heavy duty vehicles the U.S. economy depends on for freight transport.
Automotive aftermarket companies can urge legislators in their district to also co-sponsor the bill by visiting repairact.com.
About MEMA Aftermarket
MEMA Aftermarket exclusively serves manufacturers of aftermarket components, tools and equipment, and related products, an important part of the automotive parts manufacturing industry which supports 871,000 American jobs. MEMA Aftermarket is a recognized industry change agent – promoting a collaborative industry environment, providing a forum to address issues and serving as a valued resource for members across all areas of the aftermarket including light vehicle, commercial vehicle, and remanufacturing.
MEMA, The Vehicle Suppliers Association, is the leading trade association in North America for vehicle suppliers, parts manufacturers, and remanufacturers. Automotive and commercial vehicle suppliers are the largest manufacturing sector in the United States and lead the way in new vehicle innovations. MEMA has been the voice of the vehicle supplier industry since 1904. Its more than 1,000 members are Strong by Association.
Members supply the aftermarket with the parts that keep millions of vehicles on the road, fueling international commerce and meeting society's transportation needs. MEMA members are committed to safety and sustainability.
MEMA has offices in Southfield, Mich.; Research Triangle Park, N.C.; and Washington, D.C. Learn more at aftermarketsuppliers.org.
About Auto Care Association
Auto Care Association is the voice of the auto care industry, a $400 billion plus industry comprised of more than 4.5 million American workers. Providing advocacy, educational, networking, technology, market intelligence and data resources to serve the collective interests of members, the Auto Care Association serves the entire supply chain of the automotive aftermarket: businesses that manufacture, distribute and sell motor vehicle parts, accessories, tools, equipment, materials and supplies, and perform vehicle service, maintenance and repair. To learn more, visit www.autocare.org.
About the CAR Coalition
The CAR Coalition is committed to preserving and protecting consumer choice and affordable vehicle repair by ensuring competition in the automotive collision parts industry. Members include: Allstate, American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA), Automotive Manufacturers Equipment Compliance Agency, Inc. (AMECA), AutoZone, Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA), Diamond Standard, Geotab, KSI Auto Parts, and LKQ Corporation. Learn more at carcoalition.com
About SEMA
SEMA represents the $48 billion a year specialty equipment automotive aftermarket industry. The trade association includes more than 7,500 businesses nationwide that manufacture, distribute, market and retail specialty parts and accessories for vehicles. The industry employs over one million Americans and produces appearance accessories, racing and performance parts, restoration equipment, and high-technology products for passenger and recreational vehicles. Learn more at sema.org.
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SOURCE Auto Care Association | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/02/10/bipartisan-auto-right-repair-legislation-re-introduced-congress/ | 2023-02-10 20:38:16 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/02/10/bipartisan-auto-right-repair-legislation-re-introduced-congress/ |
It's a probe that has taken on many forms over the past two years, sparked by a January 2021 phone call made by former President Trump to Georgia's secretary of state. The probe has been followed by several key developments, including a slate of Republican fake electors and continued claims of widespread voter fraud.
Now — less than a week after Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney released nine pages of the special grand jury's report — jury forewoman Emily Kohrs is speaking out.
While Kohrs declined to mention names, The New York Times reports when asked if the list included the former president, Kohrs said, "You're not going to be shocked. The answer is not rocket science."
One section of the report, which has been made public, details the special grand jury's belief that "one or more" of the 75 witnesses they heard from lied under oath.
The special grand jury recommended that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis consider seeking indictments against several unnamed witnesses on charges of perjury.
Some high-profile witnesses who testified include Trump's former personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Georgia's governor, Georgia's secretary of state and several state lawmakers.
The grand jury also wrote, "We find by a unanimous vote that no widespread fraud took place in the Georgia 2020 presidential election that could result in overturning the results."
It contradicts what the former president and several of his allies have claimed, despite a lack of evidence.
Kohrs told The Associated Press that the grand jury wanted to hear from the former president, but didn't believe he would offer meaningful testimony.
Trump's attorneys were not present. They also note he was not subpoenaed or asked to voluntarily come in and testify. | https://www.lex18.com/news/national/jury-forewoman-in-georgia-2020-election-probe-speaks-out | 2023-02-23 14:34:29 | 0 | https://www.lex18.com/news/national/jury-forewoman-in-georgia-2020-election-probe-speaks-out |
Two doctors, a receptionist and a former soldier accompanying his wife during a checkup were killed in a mass shooting inside a Tulsa medical building, authorities said Thursday.
Police, officials at Saint Francis Health System and others provided details about the victims of Wednesday's shooting.
One of the doctors once worked for a pro basketball team, and the other was a huge college football fan. The receptionist supervisor cheered on her sons' high school baseball team, and police said the fourth victim was an Army veteran who sacrificed his life for his wife during the shooting.
DR. PRESTON PHILLIPS
Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin said Phillips performed back surgery on the gunman last month and was the primary target of the shooting. Phillips, 59, was found dead in a second-floor exam room.
Phillips was an orthopedic surgeon with an interest in spinal surgery and joint reconstruction, according to a profile on the hospital system's website. He had served as lead physician for Tulsa's WNBA team before the franchise moved out of state, according to the Tulsa World.
In addition to his medical degree, Phillips had advanced degrees in organic chemistry, pharmacology and theology.
Dr. Cliff Robertson, president and CEO of Saint Francis Health System, said Phillips was a dedicated caregiver who considered medicine his calling. Robertson said Phillips was a "consummate gentleman."
"He was — he is — a man that we should all strive to emulate," Robertson said. "The fact that some individual would go after Dr. Phillips is mind-blowing. He's one of those folks that, you know, his clinic can not always be on time because he will spend every minute with patients that they need."
Phillips graduated in 1990 from Harvard Medical School and completed his fellowship at the university-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
"Tragically, this incident is the latest in a seemingly unending series of devastating shootings that serve as painful and recurring reminders that gun violence is a medical and public health crisis in this country," Harvard Medical School Dean George Q. Daley said Thursday in a statement.
In a statement, the J. Robert Gladden Orthopaedic Society said Phillips was one of its members. The Towson, Maryland-based group said its mission is to increase diversity within the orthopedic profession "and promote the highest quality musculoskeletal care for all people."
The group called the shooting a "despicable act."
DR. STEPHANIE HUSEN
According to the hospital system's website, Husen, 48, focused on sports medicine. She graduated medical school in 2000 from Oklahoma State University and further trained at Greenville Memorial Hospital and the Steadman Hawkins Clinic of the Carolinas in South Carolina.
Robertson said Husen was "an incredible person."
Husen's ex-husband, John Reckenbeil, said Husen was a physical therapist when she broke her foot in a car accident in the late 1990s. As she was rehabilitating her injury, Husen made the decision to go to medical school and study orthopedics, Reckenbeil told The Associated Press.
Husen, who had two brothers, loved her family and enjoyed being a doctor, Reckenbeil said.
"That's what is just so unacceptable," Reckenbeil said. "She's there doing her job ... She loved helping people and she's ripped from this planet doing what she loved to do."
Husen grew up in Ponca City, Oklahoma, and was a big fan of Oklahoma Sooners football, Reckenbeil said.
"She was the greatest woman ever," he said. "She was the best doctor, she was the best person, she was the best wife."
Husen was cleaning out her house recently and sent him photos from their wedding of his late mother "out of the blue," Reckenbeil said.
"That's the type of woman she was," Reckenbeil said.
Reckenbeil said Husen was often "the smartest person in the room, but she never let you know about it."
AMANDA GLENN
Robertson said Glenn, 40, was a receptionist and served in a supervisory role.
The three employees were "the three best people in the entire world, the most committed to doing what they do every day and taking care of others. They didn't deserve to die like that," Robertson said.
The Charles Page High School baseball team said in a Facebook post that Glenn was a devoted wife, mother and friend.
"She was on our Booster Club Board and served the baseball boys and coaches selflessly. She was the biggest cheerleader for both of her sons and all of our boys!" the statement said. "Our baseball family is at a loss."
WILLIAM LOVE
Franklin, the police chief, said Love, 73, was found wounded in a second-floor exam room and taken to the hospital's emergency room for treatment. He died there.
Although Love was a patient at the clinic where the shooting happened, he didn't have an appointment that day but was instead accompanying another patient, said Tulsa Police Capt. Richard Meulenberg.
Love was a retired Army sergeant with 27 years of service, including one tour in the Vietnam War, the Tulsa Police Department said in a statement posted on Facebook. Love enjoyed traveling and spending time with his family, which included eight grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Love had taken his wife, Deborah, to the clinic the day of the shooting for her six-month checkup, said their daughter, Karen Denise Love. Deborah Love had back surgery in December.
They were in an examination room with one of Phillips' assistants when the couple heard the commotion outside. When they realized it was gunshots, Karen Love said her father grabbed the door handle from inside the room.
"As they heard this guy going up and down the hall, they knew it was gunfire," Karen Love said. "They thought it was someone just shooting people. My dad was trying to hold the door the best he could."
The shooter walked past their room, but they heard him come back. He then started shooting through the sheetrock walls and through the door, striking William Love, she said.
Karen Love said her father was born in Georgia, a "poor, sharecroppers' boy."
"He was a red, white and blue guy, my daddy," she said. "He was a good, stable human being."
Before he was killed, Love had planned to travel with his wife, his daughter said. They enjoyed California, Wyoming and Georgia, Karen Love said.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wbaa.org/2022-06-02/2-doctors-a-receptionist-and-a-visitor-were-killed-in-the-tulsa-shooting | 2022-06-03 02:33:47 | 1 | https://www.wbaa.org/2022-06-02/2-doctors-a-receptionist-and-a-visitor-were-killed-in-the-tulsa-shooting |
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Police blocked off part of a busy road in Bethlehem while they investigate a shooting.
Bethlehem police say a shooting incident happened in the 1100 block of Hellertown Road, also known as Route 412, just outside of Hellertown in the area of Interstate 78.
The southbound side of Route 412 is closed Monday morning between Silvex Road and Cherry Lane, police said. Drivers should avoid the area.
Police said they are not searching for anyone in connection with the investigation and there is no danger to the public.
Investigators did not give further information about what happened. | https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/lehighvalley/police-investigate-shooting-on-route-412-near-hellertown/article_99d2a48c-a618-11ed-9d18-53cd61ae126c.html | 2023-02-06 13:34:58 | 0 | https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/lehighvalley/police-investigate-shooting-on-route-412-near-hellertown/article_99d2a48c-a618-11ed-9d18-53cd61ae126c.html |
MonkeyBids will host a wide-range of auctions for jewelry, art, NFTs and more collectibles.
HONG KONG, Sept. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After launching the first ever cross-chain NFT breeding and minting event in April 2022, Monkey Kingdom, recognized as the first Asian PFP NFT project to gain mainstream recognition, is introducing yet another breakthrough with a Web3 auction house named MonkeyBids. Built on the Solana blockchain, MonkeyBids is a decentralized auction house that provides low barriers of entry for auctions of virtual assets and physical luxury goods. Supported by the traceability and transparency of blockchain technology, MonkeyBids aims to reinvent the way auctions are being conducted. Monkey Kingdom is calling it the Degen Auction - place your bid if you're degen enough!
This decentralized application (dApp) intends to provide users with a Web3 auctioning experience whereby its on-chain program is driven by algorithms that mimic traditional auction house processes. The exception being that auction items can now change ownership instantly and the entire transaction history will be publicly visible on the blockchain. Monkey Kingdom is developing MonkeyBids after being the first Asian NFT collections to have two digital pieces auctioned off by leading contemporary art auction houses Sotheby's and three pieces auctioned off by Phillips. MonkeyBids will bring about transparency during the entire auction process, including publicly displaying a bidder's wallet address and the total number of bidders on all auctions, providing bidders with a more complete picture for decision making purposes. The community will also be able to participate in certain key aspects of MonkeyBids. This includes deciding on operational strategies and the overall direction of its development. In the future, the community can also decide on the fee structure and duration of auctions. MonkeyBids will reward its early supporters by granting them access to exclusive auctions of some of the most coveted and limited edition items.
"Online penny auctions have long been identified as a possible form of an internet scam due to the underlying way in which they have been designed," said Alice Wong, CEO of Monkey Kingdom. "Penny auction sites are at a privileged position to win auctions they host by outbidding all other participants at the very last moment, and simultaneously profit from all the service fees collected from the participation of all bidders. Furthermore, no one really knows whether the winner is actually the auction host or a bot programmed to outbid everybody. This is where MonkeyBids' Degen Auction comes in. Decentralizing penny auctions provides transparency to transactions and ensures that there's no foul play. We foresee increasing applications of blockchain technology within businesses in the future. By integrating digital certificates as NFTs to represent actual physical goods, we can easily trace the ownership history of auctioned items in the future. Such applications can already be seen in the Aura Blockchain development by LVMH and Cartier."
Along with Degen Auction, MonkeyBids will feature other auction styles including Dutch, English, Reverse auctions and more. MonkeyBids have lined up partnerships with Japanese brands and creators to auction off luxury goods, e.g., watches, wine, physical and digital artworks. Auctions will be conducted round the clock alleviating problems associated with bidders missing out due to time zone differences. MonkeyBids will also release a brand new SPL token integral to the operations of the auction house.Users will be able to use this token to bid on auction items, enjoying lightning-fast transactions with minimal transaction fees on Solana. Monkey Kingdom will release more information on the specifics of this token in the coming weeks.
About Monkey Kingdom
Monkey Kingdom consists of 3 collections of algorithmically generated NFTs inspired by the legendary Monkey King, Sun Wukong, the iconic protagonist in the 16th-century novel Journey to the West. The Genesis (Gen 1 & 2) consist of 2,222 and 2,221 algorithmically generated 32x32 pixel NFTs on the Solana Blockchain, the male Wukongs and the female Diamond Baepes; the Monkey Legends (Gen 3) consists of 10,000 male and female avatars designed to be fully customisable, metaverse-ready, and support whole new experiences.
Originally created to bring an Asian voice to the incredibly fast-growing NFT market, Monkey Kingdom has already garnered the support of many prominent global celebrities and cultural personalities of Asian descent, including Steve Aoki (DJ and Producer), JJ Lin (Singer), Sunny Wang (Actor), Dizzy Dizzo (Musician), Ian Chan (from Hong Kong-based boy band Mirror), Dr. Woo (Tattoo artist), and Verbal (Japan-based musician and CEO of fashion brand AMBUSH).
Email: info@monkeybids.io
Website: www.monkeybids.io
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SOURCE Monkey Kingdom | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2022/09/09/introducing-monkeybids-monkey-kingdoms-decentralized-auction-house-virtual-physical-goods/ | 2022-09-09 22:20:24 | 0 | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2022/09/09/introducing-monkeybids-monkey-kingdoms-decentralized-auction-house-virtual-physical-goods/ |
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — An elderly man is dead after police say he was hit by a car while crossing the street in the Gainesville area of Prince William County.
According to the Prince William County Police Department, officers responded to the intersection of Somerset Crossing Drive and Forkland Way in the Gainesville area of Prince William at around 7:16 a.mm. on Friday, July 14 for a report of a crash involving a pedestrian.
When they got there, first responders found the pedestrian, 72-year-old Chyi Mao of Gainesville, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
It was determined that Mao was in the crosswalk at the intersection when the driver of a 2011 Honda Odyssey heading east on Somerset Crossing Way struck him.
The driver, a 77-year-old Gainesville woman, stayed at the scene and police determined that speed, alcohol or drug use were not factors in the crash. | https://www.wric.com/news/northern-virginia/pedestrian-killed-by-driver-in-prince-william/ | 2023-07-14 19:38:31 | 1 | https://www.wric.com/news/northern-virginia/pedestrian-killed-by-driver-in-prince-william/ |
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