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Don Mayer: Politics: Supreme Court has lost Americans’ respect
The Supreme Court has become politicized in such a way that it has lost the respect of most Americans. Something must be done, as SCOTUS has become just another political institution. What the country truly needs is a restructuring of our entire political system. As long as the influence of corporate money is the primary force in our politics, our entire political system, Congress, the Judiciary and the Executive will not serve to benefit ordinary Americans. The current court, in deciding against gerrymandering in Alabama, took us by surprise. Clearly, despite having recently gutted the Civil Rights Act, they were worried about the political blowback. Such major blowback happened after their decision on women’s right to self-determination. What is politically tolerable seems always to trump what is right. Luckily, Congress can set term limits and can impose ethics guidelines on the court. But it will be able to do so only if there are substantial congressional gains by Democrats in 2024.
Don Mayer, Boulder
Mike Fontenot: Firearms: Gun ownership is about protection
In a previous letter to the editor (entitled “Gun ownership has never been about protection), the author wrote, “An inanimate object’s (referring to a gun) only purpose is to harm …”
It’s true that when a bullet hits a person, that person will be harmed, and maybe killed. But much more often than not, the person who is harmed is an evil person who was trying to harm an innocent person.
Mike Fontenot, Boulder
Ken Bublitz: Politics: Do the GOP’s views really differ from Trump’s?
Many candidates want to distance themselves from Trump. A step in the right direction? Maybe, but I think they miss the point. Trump may be crude and a bully, but basically his views are the views of the party. So before we think them kinder and gentler candidates we might want to ask them how they feel about the issues that concern most Americans.
Do they accept the science of global warming and what scientists say is required to combat it? Do they accept the science of vaccines? Do they accept science period? Do they agree that clean water and air standards are necessary?
Do they accept the results of the 2020 election? Do they agree that the wealthy should pay a greater share of taxes than they currently do?
Do they agree a woman and her doctor should make the decisions about her body? Do they agree that all American citizens should be able to vote and have access to the polls? Do they oppose gerrymandering?
Do they accept that Americans should decide for themselves what books they can read? That teachers should get to teach history as it actually happened without censorship or pressure from the government?
Will they admit that trickle-down didn’t work for anyone but the wealthy and corporations? Do they accept that some people, like those with mental deficiencies or criminals, should not be allowed to own guns? Do they think that background checks should be universal and stricter than today?
At present, it seems all the media want to talk about is who is ahead and where each ranks. I think Americans want more than that when it comes to elections. I think we need to insist they do a better job of informing us where each candidate stands.
Ken Bublitz, Loveland
Bill Butler: Technology: Rules must be set for how AI is used in research
Artificial Intelligence as a research tool is fine, but AI should be prohibited from interpretation and writing a report based on that research. It is too easy for someone with a particular bias to rig the system to interpret the findings their way and write a prejudiced report: The rest of us would never know we had been had.
Bill Butler, Longmont | https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/06/20/letters-to-the-editor-losing-americans-respect-guns-are-for-protection-views-of-the-gop-rules-for-ai/ | 2023-06-20 13:54:52 | 1 | https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/06/20/letters-to-the-editor-losing-americans-respect-guns-are-for-protection-views-of-the-gop-rules-for-ai/ |
DETROIT (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday evening's drawing of the Michigan Lottery's "Daily 3" game were:
0-9-7
(zero, nine, seven)
DETROIT (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday evening's drawing of the Michigan Lottery's "Daily 3" game were:
0-9-7
(zero, nine, seven) | https://www.sfchronicle.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Daily-3-game-17280404.php | 2022-07-02 00:57:20 | 0 | https://www.sfchronicle.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Daily-3-game-17280404.php |
What do I need to play kickball?
Kickball is a fun, adaptable game playable by both kids and adults. It incorporates running, kicking, catching and throwing and is a good way to add a little exercise to your day. Additionally, kickball is good for your cardiovascular system. It helps develop gross motor skills, reduces stress and improves your mood. It also teaches sportsmanship and healthy social interaction.
Shop this article: WAKA Official Kickball, GoSports Five-Piece Base Set and 12-Inch Plastic Training Cones.
A brief history of kickball
Kickball began as Kick Baseball in Ohio around 1917. Nicholas C. Seuss, a Cincinnati Park Playground supervisor, invented the game for play on baseball fields throughout the city. Eventually, the game was embraced by physical education teachers and became popular in schools around the country.
Why are there so many variations of kickball?
The World Kickball Association has outlined a set of official rules for regulation games, but the bulk of kickball games are not official. Time limits, skill levels and age ranges vary. Details of the game change from situation to situation to better accommodate the players.
How big is a kickball field?
Originally, kickball was played on a baseball field, so the dimensions are similar. The field is a diamond shape with three bases and a home plate. There should be 60 feet between each base.
If you have no way of measuring, 20 paces between bases will do. The pitcher should be roughly 42 feet or 14 paces away from home plate. Alternatively, you could think of the pitcher as standing in the center of the diamond. If you do not have a foul line marker, you can use traffic cones to help delineate the foul line.
What are the rules of kickball?
- Objective: Score the most runs by the end of the game. A run is scored each time a player rounds the bases and crosses home plate.
- Gameplay: A regulation game lasts seven innings or 55 minutes but schoolyard games are typically only six innings. An away team bats first and a home team bats second. After each team has a chance to bat, the inning is over.
- Number of players: According to the WKA, each team must have a minimum of eight but not more than 10 players on the field. If you are playing for fun and have less than the required number of players, create two teams of equal numbers utilizing all available players.
- Pitching: The pitcher stands at the pitching rubber and throws the ball underhand toward home plate. The ball cannot bounce more than two or three times. In most situations, a roll with no spin or excessive speed is agreed upon. If you are using WKA rules, there are no restrictions on pitching style.
- Strikes: Any pitch that crosses within one foot of home plate and is not kicked is a strike. This can mean the ball crosses to the right, left or above home plate. Additionally, a strike is any attempted but missed kick. According to WKA rules, three strikes count as an out. If you are playing a schoolyard game, two strikes may be an out.
- Balls: Any pitch that does not fit within the parameters of a strike is a ball. According to WKA rules, four balls allow the batter to take a base. If you are playing a schoolyard game, three balls allow the batter to take a base.
- Fouls: A kicked ball that first lands in foul territory or moves into foul territory before crossing first or third base is a foul. According to WKA rules, three fouls count as an out. If you are playing a schoolyard game, two fouls may be an out.
- Outs: Each batting team gets three outs. An out happens whenever a batter strikes out or fouls out. An out also happens in three other ways. First, when a kicked ball is caught before it touches the ground. Secondly, when a runner is tagged out while not on a base. You can throw the ball at a runner as long as it stays below the shoulders. Lastly, when a fielder steps on a base with the ball in hand before the runner arrives.
Best kickball gear
This 10-inch official World Adult Kickball Association kickball is the official ball for the game’s adult version.
Sold by Amazon
This handy pump kit from Franklin Sports includes a pump, three needles, an extension tube and a pressure gauge.
Sold by Amazon
This set of throw-down bases and pitching rubber is placeable on any surface, allowing you to mark off and set up a field for play quickly.
Sold by Amazon
12-Inch Plastic Training Cones
If you’d like a set of plastic cones that you can use to help mark the foul line, this affordable set of 10 does the trick.
Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.cenlanow.com/reviews/br/sports-fitness-br/recreational-sports-br/how-to-play-kickball/ | 2023-07-21 22:09:47 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/reviews/br/sports-fitness-br/recreational-sports-br/how-to-play-kickball/ |
Samsung Venture Investment Corporation, as general partner of the fund managed on behalf of Samsung C&T Corporation, invests in Powin to expand support of projects behind energy transition
PORTLAND, Ore., June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Powin LLC, a global leader in the design and manufacture of safe and scalable energy storage solutions, today announced that it has signed an agreement to sell a minority interest to and obtain strategic equity funding from Samsung Venture Investment Corporation, a fund managed on behalf of Samsung C&T (Engineering & Construction Group), a global Engineering Procurement and Construction firm that has built some of the world's most iconic infrastructure projects. As a part of the agreement, Samsung C&T has designated Powin as a preferred storage provider and will bid for new projects with Powin as the BESS hardware and software provider.
The partnership will enable Powin to accelerate its international expansion into key markets including the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The transaction also allows Samsung C&T to invest in the long-term growth of a BESS platform that aligns with its corporate objectives to support the energy transition. The transaction marks the first strategic agreement that Samsung C&T has entered with a BESS integrator.
Powin CEO Geoff Brown said, "We are pleased to establish a strategic and forward-looking partnership with Samsung C&T as we accelerate our international growth. The long-term relationships that Samsung C&T has built with customers across the globe and their project execution experience and reputation will be instrumental as we enter new markets. We look forward to learning from Samsung C&T's immense execution experience as we build the future of energy."
Samsung C&T Executive Vice President Byungsoo Lee said, "Samsung C&T has enhanced its competitiveness in the global BESS market through strategic partnership with Powin, and furthermore, this agreement is expected to be part of strengthening Samsung's global strategy to move forward eco-friendly business portfolios in the renewable sector."
About Powin, LLC (Powin):
Powin is a global leader in the design and manufacture of safe and scalable energy storage solutions. Our innovative and cost-effective hardware and software are revolutionizing the way energy is generated, transmitted, and distributed, helping the world achieve decarbonization objectives. Powin has delivered over 2,500 MWh of BESS in 12 states and eight countries, and has a contracted pipeline to supply over 6,500 MWh of energy storage systems globally over the next three years. To learn more, please visit www.powin.com.
About Samsung C&T(Engineering & Construction Group):
Samsung C&T Engineering and Construction Group is a global leading EPC constructor with more than 40 years of experience operating throughout the world. The group has a variety of experienced construction and engineering professionals ranging from industrial plants to renewable energy, and utilizes the latest and the most advanced techniques, tools, and solutions to deliver the highest value to all its clients. Its landmark projects include the Burj Khalifa - the world's tallest building, Riyadh Metro Project in Saudi Arabia, and the UAE's Barakah Nuclear Power Plant Project. To learn more, please visit www.samsungcnt.com.
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SOURCE Powin Energy | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2022/06/15/powin-accelerate-global-growth-with-samsung-campt-corporations-support/ | 2022-06-15 12:43:51 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2022/06/15/powin-accelerate-global-growth-with-samsung-campt-corporations-support/ |
(NEXSTAR) — The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation just might be the best Twitter account you’re not following.
The department, which oversees the protection of Oklahoma’s fish and wildlife resources, is taking a somewhat unusual approach to maximizing engagement on social media — at least as far as a state-run agency is concerned.
Ahead of Mother’s Day, for instance, the ODWC shared this sweet gem:
“Get your mom a fishing license because at least it will show up at her house and not be such a disappointment.”
Granted, the majority of the department’s other tweets aren’t nearly as Wendy’s–level brutal as the one above. But most are extremely silly, at the very least.
“Our ultimate goal with all of our social media accounts is engagement,” Kelly Adams, the communication and education supervisor at OKWC, told Nexstar.
Adams explained how the OKWC’s social-media strategy changed back in 2020, after the department went viral with a tweet warning residents to never invite mountain lions into their homes.
“YOU are cold. They have fur. Do not let inside,” the tweet warned.
“It unexpectedly went viral and helped our leadership recognize the importance of being relevant (which can sometimes be ‘silly’),” Adams said.
After that, the department hired a social media coordinator to help “develop a voice” for the OKWC, according to Adams. In the years that followed, the OKWC has earned plenty of retweets and “likes” for its memes, its posts about “hot girl fishing licenses,” and its frustration with a local husky that keeps jumping into the water feature outside the OKWC headquarters.
“If we had a nickel for every time an intern had to clean husky hair out of the office pond filter, we’d have two nickels — which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice,” the department tweeted last month.
More recently, the OKWC amassed over 260,000 likes for a post explaining how “bear spray DOES NOT work like bug spray.”
“We would like to not have to say that again,” last week’s cryptic tweet said.
That particular post wasn’t prompted by any specific bear-related incident, Adams told Nexstar. Rather, it was designed as a means to spread awareness for conservation efforts and the wildlife of Oklahoma’s great outdoors.
“We recommend [everyone] follow their state’s fish and wildlife state agency,” Adams said. “If someone has a niche interest like snakes, birding, bats, etc. there is likely a page for that as well.” | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/oklahomas-department-of-wildlife-conservation-goes-viral-with-silly-brutal-tweets/ | 2022-05-29 16:24:06 | 1 | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/oklahomas-department-of-wildlife-conservation-goes-viral-with-silly-brutal-tweets/ |
Coalition of 32 state organizations supports responsible gun ownership, calls on voters and Senate to act
WASHINGTON, June 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- To capture the groundswell of bipartisan support for responsible gun ownership, States United to Prevent Gun Violence (SUPGV) launched a public service campaign calling on voters to write to their Senators in support of responsible gun ownership. The campaign runs as legislators gear up for another vote on gun safety and in the lead up to the June 11 March For Our Lives events taking place in more than 450 communities across the country.
The campaign joins a growing chorus with a clear message; responsible Americans want responsible gun ownership laws. And while the majority of firearm owners are responsible, not all of them are. The time is now for the Senate to act in support of responsible gun ownership and vote YES on Background Checks to close the loophole on private gun sales, including online and at gun shows.
Download the free content here: https://gunsafetyalliance.org/media.html#Media
"Over 90 percent of all the firearm deaths among children and adolescents in industrialized nations occur in this country. Every day that goes by is a missed opportunity to prevent another senseless death at the hands of an irresponsible gun owner. We are failing our citizens by allowing this crisis to continue," said Sonya Yee Coleman, SUPGV Board Chair. "It's time for the Senate to meet the moment and enact the life-saving legislation of background checks. The majority of American's agree asking a responsible adult to wait just 14 days to take possession of a firearm preserves Second Amendment rights and takes absolutely nothing away from responsible gun owners."
"Again, this uniquely American nightmare has played out here in Texas. We are heartsick for the 21 killed in Uvalde, the 23 killed in El Paso, the 10 killed in Santa Fe, the 26 killed in Sutherland Springs, and the countless others stolen by gun violence every day in our home state," said Nicole Golden, executive director, Texas Gun Sense, the Texas affiliate of States United to Prevent Gun Violence. "When we can no longer safely send our children to school or go to the grocery store, the hospital, a concert, or a movie theater without serious risk of physical harm or worse, we are no longer free. Texas is full of responsible gun owners, and I know they don't want this epidemic to continue. Please let senators Cornyn and Cruz know we urge them to help pass sensible background checks."
Voters across the country are encouraged to go to the States United website and send an email to both their U.S. Senators ahead of the next Senate vote, expected the week of June 13. Voters can also find state by state gun death data and sign up for the group's newsletter to stay informed on progress in the fight to reduce the number of firearm deaths in America.
The coalition's public service campaign has been produced and run by more than 40 creative and media partners across out of home, digital, video, print, and audio platforms. To date, these partners have collectively donated 50M+ impressions valued at more than $500,000 dollars.
Founded in 2000, States United to Prevent Gun Violence is a coalition of 32 independent state-based gun violence prevention organizations drawn together to communicate, share expertise, and gain traction as a community in a common cause. In 2010, States United merged with Freedom States Alliance, a non-profit assembly of Midwest state organizations, to form a States United to Prevent Gun Violence 501(c)(3) non-profit. Learn more at www.supgv.org.
Editor's Note:
Campaign creative is free to download: https://gunsafetyalliance.org/media.html#Media. State-based and national campaign spokespersons are available for interviews.
View original content:
SOURCE States United to Prevent Gun Violence | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2022/06/10/states-united-prevent-gun-violence-launches-psa-campaign/ | 2022-06-10 18:38:05 | 1 | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2022/06/10/states-united-prevent-gun-violence-launches-psa-campaign/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — As alarms began to go off globally about a novel coronavirus spreading in China, officials in Washington turned to the intelligence agencies for insights about the threat the virus posed to America.
But the most useful early warnings came not from spies or intercepts, according to a recent congressional review of classified reports from December 2019 and January 2020. Officials were instead relying on public reporting, diplomatic cables and analysis from medical experts — some examples of so-called open source intelligence, or OSINT.
Predicting the next pandemic or the next government to fall will require better use of open source material, the review found.
“There is little indication that the Intelligence Community’s exquisite collection capabilities were generating information that was valuable to policymakers,” wrote the authors of the review, conducted by Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee.
That echoes what many current and former intelligence officials are increasingly warning: The $90 billion U.S. spy apparatus is falling behind because it has not embraced collecting open-source intelligence as adversaries including China ramp up their efforts.
This doesn’t diminish the importance of traditional intelligence. Spy agencies have unique powers to penetrate global communications and cultivate agents. They scored a high-profile success when the Biden administration publicized ultimately correct intelligence findings that Russian President Vladimir Putin intended to invade Ukraine.
But officials and experts worry that the U.S. hasn’t invested enough people or money in analyzing publicly available data or taking advantage of advanced technologies that can yield critical insights. Commercial satellite imagery, social media and other online data have given private companies and independent analysts new powers to reveal official secrets. And China is known to have stolen or acquired control over huge amounts of data on Americans, with growing concerns in Washington about Beijing’s influence over widely used apps like TikTok.
“Open source is really a bellwether for whether the intelligence community can protect the country,” said Kristin Wood, a former senior official at the CIA who is now chief executive at the Grist Mill Exchange, a commercial data platform. “We collectively as a nation aren’t preparing a defense for the ammunition that our adversaries are stockpiling.”
Intelligence agencies face several obstacles to using open source intelligence. Some are technological. Officers working on classified networks are often not able to easily access the unclassified internet or open data sources, for example. There are also concerns about civil liberties and protecting First Amendment rights.
But some experts also question whether agencies are held back by a reflexive belief that top-secret information is more valuable.
Rep. Jim Himes, a Connecticut Democrat and longtime Intelligence Committee member, said he believed there needed to be “some cultural change inside places like the CIA where people are doing what they’re doing for the excitement of stealing critical secrets as opposed to reviewing social media pages.”
In one 2017 test held by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, a human team competed against a computer programmed with algorithms to identify Chinese surface-to-air missile sites using commercial imagery.
Both the humans and the computer identified 90% of the sites, Stanford University professor Amy Zegart wrote in the book “Spies, Lies, and Algorithms,” but the computer needed just 42 minutes — and it took the human team 80 times longer.
Reports created using commercial satellites, online posts and other open sources — like the daily analyses on Russian and Ukrainian military tactics published by the Institute for the Study of War — are widely read by lawmakers and intelligence officials.
“There is a lot of open-source capability that the U.S. intelligence community can pretty much rely on to be there,” said Frederick Kagan, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who oversees the creation of those reports. “What it needs to do is figure out how to leverage that ecosystem instead of trying to buy it.”
Most of the 18 U.S. spy agencies have open-source programs, from the CIA’s Open Source Enterprise to a 10-person program in the Department of Homeland Security’s intelligence arm. But top officials acknowledge there isn’t consistency across those programs in how they analyze open-source information or how they use and share it.
“We’re not paying enough attention to each other and so we’re not learning the lessons that different parts of the (intelligence community) are learning, and we’re not scaling solutions,” said Avril Haines, the U.S. director of national intelligence, at an industry event last year sponsored by the Potomac Officers Club. “And we’re not taking advantage of some of the outside expertise and information and work that could be taken advantage of.”
The Open Source Enterprise headquartered at the CIA is the successor to the Foreign Broadcast Information Service, where for generations employees monitored broadcasts to translate them for analysts.
Much of that work was transformed in the last decade. Where people once had to travel long distances to pick up tapes of radio broadcasts in remote places or areas where Americans weren’t welcome, sensors now transmit more signals automatically. And machine translation has largely taken the place of people who had to listen to the tapes and transcribe them.
But officials acknowledge they have to do more.
Haines has begun multiple open-source reviews since becoming director of national intelligence and is expected to finalize recommendations this year. Some people involved in those reviews have suggested that the Open Source Enterprise no longer be designated as leading OSINT efforts across the spy agencies, said people familiar with the reviews who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal government deliberations.
Three people familiar with Open Source Enterprise say the center had cut its budget for multiple years running prior to last year. They argue that’s a sign that open-source work has not always been prioritized at a consistent level.
The CIA recently appointed new leadership for the Open Source Enterprise and in 2021 created a “mission center” dedicated to technology.
“We recognize the importance of open source is only growing as the sheer volume of data openly available increases,” the agency said in a statement. “CIA is working not just to keep pace with this trend, but to get ahead of it — and ahead of our adversaries who also utilize open-source information.”
There’s no consensus on whether the U.S. should create a new open-source agency or center. Supporters say a new organization could focus on adopting advanced technologies and creating more useful products, while opponents question whether it would be unnecessary bloat and take away resources from other agencies.
Carmen Medina, a retired CIA deputy director of intelligence, now studies how spy agencies can incorporate outside ideas and encourage employees to be more creative and intuitive.
She suggests a pilot program in which a cell of open-source analysts would compete for a number of years against the regular output of people with top-secret clearances.
Medina and others who have worked in top positions and briefed White House officials think that on most days, an open-source group would be competitive and might even produce better analysis using information that’s broadly available.
“You can’t make sense of the world today by just packaging tidbits,” she said. “I’ve come to believe that almost all of the time, the open source way of thinking about it is correct.” | https://www.kxnet.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-us-spies-lag-rivals-in-seizing-on-data-hiding-in-plain-sight/ | 2023-01-13 01:40:08 | 1 | https://www.kxnet.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-us-spies-lag-rivals-in-seizing-on-data-hiding-in-plain-sight/ |
STRASBOURG, France (AP) — A group of Swiss retirees took their government to a top European court Wednesday over what they claim is its failure to take stronger action on climate change.
Lawyers and members of the group Senior Women for Climate Protection appeared before the European Court of Human Rights for a rare public hearing that activists say could mark a legal milestone in legal efforts to force governments to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
The group, which counts around 2,000 members across Switzerland with an average age of 73, argues that older women’s rights are especially infringed on because they are most affected by the extreme heat that will become more frequent due to global warming, which current Swiss climate policy contributes to.
“It’s been proved that we older women are particularly sensitive (to climate change),” said plaintiff Rosmarie Wydler-Waelti, 73, from Basel. “We get sick a little bit faster due to heat waves than older men or other groups.”
After exhausting domestic legal avenues, the group has taken its case to the Strasbourg, France-based tribunal in the hope of setting a precedent that will apply to all signatories of the European Convention on Human Rights. It is linked to two further cases brought by other groups that will be heard by the court in the coming months.
“We are suing for our human right to life,” said Lore Zablonier, a 78-year-old from Zurich who stood outside the court with supporters and the environmental group Greenpeace. “With this case, we want to help spur politicians into action a little bit.”
A verdict is expected next year. | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/nasa-space-and-science/swiss-seniors-take-government-to-european-court-over-climate/ | 2023-03-29 13:32:48 | 0 | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/nasa-space-and-science/swiss-seniors-take-government-to-european-court-over-climate/ |
LOWELL — What started as a backyard activity a few years ago has become a 16-team league, well-organized and officiated. Northeast Flag Football operates out of Lowell but includes players from around the Merrimack Valley area including Manchester and Nashua, N.H.
Sure, there are lots of independent flag football leagues throughout the region but a few things set this league apart.
"Here you can stiff-arm, block and have lots of physical contact with the opponent," said league Commissioner Joey Bova.
Bova and his neighborhood mates set out to create a league that best mirrors the backyard experience while still adhering to many of the basic regulations of the American Flag Football League. There is no central governing body nor a nationally established set of rules that the hundreds of independent leagues must follow. "So, we set up our own rules when we started the league a few years ago," he said.
"I have played in several different leagues over the years and decided to incorporate various elements I liked from all of them," the Tewksbury native who now lives in Methuen said. And his founding council decided on a few other unique features. "We have no snapper, the quarterback starts with the ball and has seven seconds to run a play."
But the most distinctive deviation from the normal is in the configuration of the teams. "We have a draft," Bova said. After captains are selected there is a league-wide skills day. From that display, captains select in a predetermined sequence the 11 players for their upcoming season.
"In most other leagues, teams join," he said. "This creates an imbalance and lack of parity. There will always be two or three teams that rise above the rest. But the draft system keeps things even. And it allows for some less-skilled players to get into the action." And this aspect appeals to the nearly 500 members.
Northeast Flag Football plays all of its eight weekly contests at Regatta Festival Field, on Pawtucket Boulevard in Lowell, near the Esplande, for 10 weeks in the fall and then 10 weeks during the spring. Each 10-week session is a separate season with new champions for each. At the field, two gridirons have been carefully measured and marked. Every Sunday two games are played simultaneously. And, in another notable difference from other leagues, each game is timed at one hour broken into two 30-minute halves. "Most leagues have games only about 17-minute halves." So all 16 teams will have played over about a five-hour period.
Also, unique to Northeast Flag Footbal lis the 70-point rule. A game can end ahead of regulation if one team reaches 70 points.
Field dimensions are loosely universal, depending on the squad size. Northeast Flag Football is a six-on-six league so it measures out at 75 yards long by 33 yards wide. With a rule-book written and with approval from the city, the league officially kicked off in spring 2021. Bova was the de facto commissioner because he grew the core group through social media.
Using membership dues ($100 per player) Bova arranged for team jerseys, some soft advertising, permitting and referee costs. The two refs for each game are players from other teams and scheduled them, as well as the games, is another duty for the commissioner.
To join the spring league or for more information visit the league's website at northeastflagleague.com. | https://www.unionleader.com/news/back_page/merrimack-valley-flag-football-league-up-to-16-teams/article_77fb9c3e-cea1-5851-a2a6-463cd2b6aa2b.html | 2022-09-10 14:07:33 | 0 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/back_page/merrimack-valley-flag-football-league-up-to-16-teams/article_77fb9c3e-cea1-5851-a2a6-463cd2b6aa2b.html |
Mr. Frank J. Butler, Jr.
Services for Mr. Frank J. Butler, Jr. age 32 of Jackson, Tennessee will be held on Thursday, December 29, 2022, 1:00 P.M., at the Stephenson-Shaw Chapel. The interment will be in the Montgomery Cemetery.
The family will receive friends on Wednesday, from 4:00-5:00 P.M.
If you like to send flowers in memory of Mr. Butler, you can visit our website at https://www.stephenson-shaw.co
For more information contact Stephenson-Shaw Funeral Home at (731) 427-7411. | https://www.wbbjtv.com/2022/12/27/mr-frank-j-butler-jr/ | 2022-12-27 23:11:15 | 0 | https://www.wbbjtv.com/2022/12/27/mr-frank-j-butler-jr/ |
Peggy Coppom hasn’t quite seen it all with the Colorado Buffaloes, but she’s seen much more than most, so believe her when she says Thursday was a good day to be a fan.
The 98-year-old has been attending football games since her family moved from the high plains of eastern Colorado to Boulder in 1939 to escape the Dust Bowl, and she’s missed only a couple home games since buying season tickets in 1966.
The excitement in her voice was obvious during a phone call minutes after university regents approved the school’s return to the Big 12 in 2024.
“I’m so happy to get back to the Big 12 — or the Big 15 or whatever it ends up being,” she said, laughing. “It seems like that’s where we belong. We don’t belong with the West Coast people.”
Of course, the Big 12 isn’t the same league it was when the Buffs left for the Pac-12 in 2012. Nebraska and Missouri are gone, and Oklahoma and Texas will be, too. BYU could become a rival, but the Buffs have little in common with Cincinnati, Houston and Central Florida.
“I wish some of those old schools were there, but we’ll make the best of it,” Coppom said.
The conference change, plus the hiring of Deion Sanders, has her eagerly anticipating watching the Buffs from her seats near the 40-yard line on the west side of Folsom Field — “God willing, I always have to add,” she said.
Coppom, carrying a gold pom-pom, was escorted onto the field by Sanders and performed a ceremonial kickoff during the spring game in April. Coppom said Sanders and the return to the Big 12 has created the most buzz about the team since it won a share of the national championship in 1990.
Former CU fullback Jim Kelleher, who was second in the Big Eight with 15 rushing touchdowns in 1976, said he’s in wait-and-see mode about the move.
“I originally wasn’t that excited about it, but at the same time, the Pac-12 had let things get to such a point where you had to do something,” he said. “The Big 12 signed a good media rights agreement. It’s just sad the Pac-12 hasn’t been able to get a TV contract.”
Kelleher said that while Colorado will get exposure across three time zones, which is a positive, he’s sad to see how traditions and geographic rivalries have been sacrificed with realignment in general.
Specific to Colorado, he said, the Buffs seemed to be a good fit in the Pac-12. He said his sentimental attachment to the Big 12 won’t be there without Nebraska and other teams he played against in the old Big Eight.
“Whether it’s the school or the individual athletes — with TV and NIL — it’s all money, money, money,” he said. “I understand their decision. Hey, I’m part of the Colorado team, so I’m for my team and hope it works out.”
Tom Osborne, the College Football Hall of Fame coach at Nebraska and its former athletic director, shepherded the Cornhuskers’ move from the Big 12 to Big Ten in 2011. He said he’s able to view past, present and future realignment from the perspective of both a fan and administrator.
“You’re talking about lost traditions,” Osborne said. “I can share the feelings of the fans in that I miss those drives to Manhattan, Kansas; Lawrence, Kansas; Ames, Iowa, and some of those relationships.”
Nebraska’s move to the Big Ten had as much or more to do with finding stability as it did with finances, Osborne said. In the summer of 2011, Osborne said, Big 12 South teams were negotiating with the Pac-12, Missouri wanted to go to the SEC and Texas A&M also was looking to leave.
“Finances are driving this thing more than anything, and my guess is that the uncertainty about where the Pac-12 stands right now appears to make the Big 12 better for Colorado — even though the Big 12 has not been a paragon of stability.”
___
AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25 Sign up for the AP Top 25 newsletter here: https://link.apnews.com/join/6nr/morning-wire-newsletter-footer-internal-ads | https://www.qcnews.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-big-12-not-quite-the-same-but-it-feels-like-home-to-a-98-year-old-colorado-fan/ | 2023-07-29 10:28:33 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-big-12-not-quite-the-same-but-it-feels-like-home-to-a-98-year-old-colorado-fan/ |
CARY, N.C. — Izzy Scane scored four goals to set two Northwestern scoring records and lead the top-seeded Wildcats to their first NCAA women’s lacrosse championship in 11 years with a dominating 18-6 win over third-seeded Boston College on a rain-soaked Sunday afternoon.
Hailey Rhatigan scored twice and Emerson Bohlig, Elle Hansen, Samantha Smith and Samantha White also had goals for Northwestern, which outshot the Eagles 42-19 and had a 17-8 advantage in draw controls.
Scane, the favorite to win the national player of the year award, reached 99 goals for the season, one more than she scored in 2021, before she sat out last year with an ACL injury. Scane, a graduate student who said she would return next season, moved past Selena Lasota for the career scoring record with 291.
Molly Laliberty, a transfer from Division III Tufts, had three saves behind a stout defense.
White led that dominating defense with six ground balls while causing three turnovers. She also had seven draw controls, one less than Smith, and both are sophomores.
Northwestern coach Kelly Amonte Hiller is 53-11 in the NCAA Tournament, a record for tournament wins. It was also her 10th title, eight as the Wildcats’ coach and two as a player at Maryland. Her eight titles match Terrapins coach Cindy Timchal for the most in history.
“Honestly, it means everything,” Amonte Hiller said. “I can’t even tell you what went into this. So many years from 2012, the last time we won ... it means so much. I am so proud of this group. I said in the summer before the season we have to get them to believe. They believed in everything. It’s so sweet. I’m so proud of this group.”
Boston College (19-4), which suffered its worst loss of the season, was in the championship game for the sixth straight time with only a title in 2021 to show for it. Kayla Martello scored three goals and Belle Smith added two.
Jenn Medjid, who leads the team with 83 goals, was held to one third-period goal on four shots.
BC finished with 21 turnovers, one short of its season high, and five yellow cards and a green card. The Wildcats were not carded. Northwestern scored three times on six free-position shots and the Eagles were 0 for 3..
Boston College’s six straight finals appearances are the most since Northwestern was in eight straight from 2005-12, with the Wildcats winning seven. Since then Northwestern has lost in the semifinals five times.
With Taylor scoring twice after free-position starts, Northwestern led 3-0 after one period, only the second time this season Boston College didn’t score in a 15-minute period.
The Eagles got goals from Martello and Smith 37 seconds apart early in the second period but the Northwestern defense shut them down, holding them without a shot for more than nine minutes. Meanwhile, the Wildcats responded with three goals for a 6-2 lead at the half.
Taylor scored two more as Northwestern dominated the third quarter to take an 11-4 lead.
The two teams played at Northwestern in February with the Wildcats winning 15-14.
___
AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/05/28/ncaa-womens-lacrosse-boston-college-northwestern-izzy-scane-madison-taylor/86e80878-fd91-11ed-9eb0-6c94dcb16fcf_story.html | 2023-05-28 21:17:09 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/05/28/ncaa-womens-lacrosse-boston-college-northwestern-izzy-scane-madison-taylor/86e80878-fd91-11ed-9eb0-6c94dcb16fcf_story.html |
16-year-old boy shot in Baltimore on Christmas Eve
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16-year-old boy shot in Baltimore on Christmas Eve
A teenager was shot Saturday evening in Baltimore, city police said.City police said officers were called around 7:11 p.m. to the 1600 block of Bolton Street for reports of gunfire.Police said officers found evidence that a shooting occurred and then received a call a short time later that a 16-year-old boy went to a hospital with a gunshot wound.Anyone with information is asked to call police at 410-396-2411 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 866-7LOCKUP.
BALTIMORE —
A teenager was shot Saturday evening in Baltimore, city police said.
City police said officers were called around 7:11 p.m. to the 1600 block of Bolton Street for reports of gunfire.
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Police said officers found evidence that a shooting occurred and then received a call a short time later that a 16-year-old boy went to a hospital with a gunshot wound.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 410-396-2411 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 866-7LOCKUP. | https://www.wbaltv.com/article/16-year-old-boy-shot-bolton-street-baltimore/42335208 | 2022-12-25 18:11:44 | 1 | https://www.wbaltv.com/article/16-year-old-boy-shot-bolton-street-baltimore/42335208 |
WASHINGTON — The maker of the popular Fortnite video game will pay $520 million in penalties and refunds to settle complaints revolving around children's privacy and its payment methods that tricked players into making unintended purchases, U.S. federal regulators said Monday.
The Federal Trade Commission reached the settlements to resolve two cases against Epic Games Inc., which has parlayed Fortnite's success in the past five years to become a video game powerhouse.
The $520 million covered in the settlement consists of $245 million in customer refunds and a $275 million fine for collecting personal information on Fortnite players under the age of 13 without informing their parents or getting their consent. It’s the biggest penalty ever imposed for breaking an FTC rule.
“Epic used privacy-invasive default settings and deceptive interfaces that tricked Fortnite users, including teenagers and children,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a statement.
Even before the settlement was announced, Epic said in a statement it had already rolled out a series of changes “to ensure our ecosystem meets the expectations of our players and regulators, which we hope will be a helpful guide for others in our industry." The Cary, North Carolina, company also asserted that it no longer engages in the practices flagged by the FTC.
The $245 million in customer refunds will go to players who fell victim to so-called “dark patterns" and billing practices. Dark patterns are deceptive online techniques used to nudge users into doing things they didn’t intend to do.
In this case, “Fortnite’s counterintuitive, inconsistent, and confusing button configuration led players to incur unwanted charges based on the press of a single button," the FTC said.
Players could, for example, be charged while trying to wake the game from sleep mode, while the game was in a loading screen, or by pressing a nearby button when simply trying to preview an item, it said.
“These tactics led to hundreds of millions of dollars in unauthorized charges for consumers," the FTC said.
Epic said it agreed to the FTC settlement because it wants “to be at the forefront of consumer protection and provide the best experience for our players.”
“No developer creates a game with the intention of ending up here,” Epic said.
During the past two years, Epic also has been locked in a high-profile legal battle with Apple in an attempt to dismantle the barriers protecting the iPhone app store, which has emerged as one of the world’s biggest e-commerce hubs during the past 14 years. After Epic introduced a different payment system within its Fortnite app in August 2020, Apple ousted the video from the app store, triggering a lawsuit that went to trial last year.
A federal judge ruled largely in Apple's favor, partly because she embraced the iPhone maker's contention that its exclusive control of the app store helped protect the security and privacy of consumers. The ruling is currently under appeal, with a decision expected at some point next year. | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/nation-world/fortnite-maker-epic-games-settlement/507-ecccbde6-83a9-4012-8e9c-c295d6fc299b | 2022-12-19 22:28:40 | 1 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/nation-world/fortnite-maker-epic-games-settlement/507-ecccbde6-83a9-4012-8e9c-c295d6fc299b |
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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Nakia Watson scored two touchdowns against his former team as Washington State beat No. 19 Wisconsin 17-14 on Saturday.
Watson scored on a 2-yard run in the second quarter and put the Cougars (2-0) ahead for good by turning a short completion into a 31-yard score with 5:12 left in the third quarter. Watson rushed for 522 yards and five touchdowns at Wisconsin from 2019-20 before transferring.
“He represented himself and all the work he's put in,” Washington State coach Jake Dickert said. “I'm proud of him.”
A game that featured three turnovers by each team and multiple bizarre plays produced a happy homecoming for Dickert.
Dickert was born in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, Wisconsin, about 65 miles east of Camp Randall Stadium. Dickert played for Wisconsin-Stevens Point from 2002-06, and about 200 friends and relatives gathered for a pregame tailgate Saturday.
“My grandma told me something today, your grandpa would be so proud if my grandpa was still here,” Dickert said. “That's a special moment. Special people that just know me as Jake Dickert. That's always what we've been. I'm just proud to be able to win this game with all of them here cheering us on.”
This game featured two separate plays in which one team intercepted a pass and then fumbled the ball away, creating a first down for the team that threw the pick.
Wisconsin (1-1) trailed 17-14 and faced third-and-6 from the Washington State 9 midway through the fourth quarter when defensive tackle Christian Mejia picked off a Graham Mertz pass before losing the football. Wisconsin recovered at the Washington State 20, but a personal foul on Badgers tight end Clay Cundiff after the play pushed them back to the 35.
Cundiff then caught a 24-yard pass, but Quinn Roff forced a fumble that Sam Lockett III recovered at the 12 with 5:14 left.
Washington State never gave up possession the rest of the way.
Wisconsin’s two touchdowns came in the second quarter on passes from Mertz to Cundiff. They connected on a 17-yarder and a 10-yarder, the latter coming 20 seconds before halftime.
These were Cundiff’s first touchdowns since the tight end dislocated his right ankle, broke a fibula and tore a foot ligament in a victory over Iowa last October. His first game back from that injury came in Wisconsin’s 38-0 victory over Illinois State last year.
Washington State rallied from a 14-7 halftime deficit. The Cougars capitalized on Wisconsin's 11 penalties and two missed field-goal attempts.
“We didn't help ourselves,” Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said.
The Cougars trailed 14-10 and had third and 10 from their 47 when Ward was hit by Kamo’I Latu just as he threw a pass that Wisconsin’s Jay Shaw picked off. Washington State receiver Lincoln Victor then applied a hit that knocked the ball loose, and center Konner Gomness recovered the fumble at the Wisconsin 49.
Instead of losing the ball on the turnover, Washington State suddenly had a first down just beyond midfield.
Six plays later, Watson caught a pass just beyond the line of scrimmage, made a spin move to get past Latu at the 30 and raced untouched the rest of the way for a 31-yard touchdown that put the Cougars ahead 17-14.
THE TAKEAWAY
Washington State: The Cougars overcame an injury to defensive backs Derrick Langford Jr. and Ward's two interceptions to produce a major road victory.
Wisconsin: The Badgers controlled the ball for over 38 minutes but had continual breakdowns. Vito Calvaruzo missed field-goal attempts from 51 and 43 yards out, and the Badgers had 103 yards in penalties.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Wisconsin figures to fall out of the poll, while Washington State should at least get some votes.
UP NEXT
Washington State: Hosts Colorado State on Saturday.
Wisconsin: Hosts New Mexico State on Saturday.
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25 | https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/Watson-helps-Washington-State-beat-No-19-17432999.php | 2022-09-11 00:49:04 | 1 | https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/Watson-helps-Washington-State-beat-No-19-17432999.php |
Today in History
Today is Tuesday, May 10, the 130th day of 2022. There are 235 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On May 10, 1940, during World War II, German forces began invading the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium and France. The same day, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned, and Winston Churchill formed a new government.
On this date:
In 1775, Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys, along with Col. Benedict Arnold, captured the British-held fortress at Ticonderoga, New York.
In 1818, American patriot Paul Revere, 83, died in Boston.
In 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured by Union forces in Irwinville, Georgia.
In 1869, a golden spike was driven in Promontory, Utah, marking the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States.
In 1924, J. Edgar Hoover was named acting director of the Bureau of Investigation (later known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI).
In 1933, the Nazis staged massive public book burnings in Germany.
In 1941, Adolf Hitler’s deputy, Rudolf Hess, parachuted into Scotland on what he claimed was a peace mission. (Hess ended up serving a life sentence at Spandau Prison until 1987, when he apparently committed suicide at age 93.)
In 1994, Nelson Mandela took the oath of office in Pretoria to become South Africa’s first Black president. The state of Illinois executed serial killer John Wayne Gacy, 52, for the murders of 33 young men and boys.
In 1995, 104 miners were killed in an elevator accident in Orkney, South Africa.
In 2002, a tense 39-day-old standoff between Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem ended with 13 suspected militants flown into European exile and 26 released into the Gaza Strip.
In 2013, the Internal Revenue Service apologized for what it acknowledged was “inappropriate” targeting of conservative political groups during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status.
In 2014, Michael Sam was picked by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the NFL draft, becoming the first openly gay player drafted by a pro football team. (Sam retired after an unsuccessful stint with the Rams and the Dallas Cowboys.)
Ten years ago: Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney apologized for “stupid” high school pranks that might have gone too far and moved quickly to stamp out any notion that he’d bullied schoolmates because they were gay. In Syria, twin suicide car bombs exploded outside a military intelligence building, killing 55 people. Legendary car designer Carroll Shelby, 89, died in Dallas.
Five years ago: All but ignoring the unfurling drama over Russia and the U.S. election, President Donald Trump sought to advance prospects for cooperation between the former Cold War foes in Syria and elsewhere in a rare Oval Office meeting with Vladimir Putin’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (sir-GAY’ lahv-RAWF’).
One year ago: Eleven days of fierce fighting between Israel and Hamas broke out when Hamas fired a barrage of long-range rockets toward Jerusalem in response to what it said were Israeli provocations; Israel quickly responded with a series of airstrikes. U.S. regulators expanded the use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to children as young as 12. The White House said it was monitoring fuel supply shortages in parts of the Southeast resulting from a ransomware attack that shut down a major pipeline system.
Today’s Birthdays: Author Barbara Taylor Bradford is 89. R&B singer Henry Fambrough (The Spinners) is 84. Actor David Clennon is 79. Writer-producer-director Jim Abrahams is 78. Singer Donovan is 76. Singer-songwriter Graham Gouldman (10cc) is 76. Singer Dave Mason is 76. Actor Mike Hagerty is 68. Sports anchor Chris Berman is 67. Actor Bruce Penhall is 65. Former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., is 64. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., is 63. Actor Victoria Rowell is 63. Rock singer Bono (BAH’-noh) (U2) is 62. Former Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., is 62. Rock musician Danny Carey (Tool) is 61. Actor Darryl M. Bell is 59. Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks is 59. Model Linda Evangelista is 57. Rapper Young MC is 55. Actor Erik Palladino is 54. Rock singer Richard Patrick (Filter) is 54. Actor Lenny Venito is 53. Actor Dallas Roberts is 52. Actor Leslie Stefanson is 51. Actor-singer Todd Lowe is 50. Actor Andrea Anders is 47. Race car driver Helio Castroneves is 47. Rock musician Jesse Vest is 45. Actor Kenan Thompson is 44. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jason Dalyrimple (Soul For Real) is 42. Actor Odette Annable is 37. Actor Lindsey Shaw is 33. Actor Lauren Potter is 32. Olympic gold medal swimmer Missy Franklin is 27. | https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Today-in-History-May-10-transcontinental-17141535.php | 2022-05-10 04:21:56 | 1 | https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Today-in-History-May-10-transcontinental-17141535.php |
PITTSBURGH, Dec. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I thought there should be a simple and easy way to detect when tire tread is too low or worn and needs replaced," said an inventor, from Redlands, Calif., "so I invented the COLOR CODED TIRE. My design would enhance safety and convenience for motorists."
The invention provides a visual way to indicate when tire tread is worn out and needs replaced. In doing so, it eliminates the need to check the tire tread depth with a gauge or coin. As a result, it saves time and effort and it could help to reduce accidents associated with driving on badly-worn tires. The invention features a practical and user-friendly design that is easy to use so it is ideal for vehicle owners. Additionally, it is producible in design variations.
The original design was submitted to the Riverside sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 21-RSJ-143, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2022/12/12/inventhelp-inventor-develops-modified-tires-detect-low-or-worn-tread-rsj-143/ | 2022-12-12 17:45:54 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2022/12/12/inventhelp-inventor-develops-modified-tires-detect-low-or-worn-tread-rsj-143/ |
By JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — In Hollywood’s superhero era thus far, there has been one particularly conspicuous absence: While a parade of big-name actors have taken their turns donning various spandex suits, Dwayne Johnson — arguably the biggest movie star in the world — has, until now, sat out the trend.
The Rock didn’t really need a cape to prove his powers. The 6-foot-5 260-pound actor was, in many respects, already a superhero in his own right: a skyscraper-climbing hulk, a shape-shifting demi-god, even a bulked-up tooth fairy.
“I was always ready and open to playing a superhero,” Johnson said in a recent interview. “But it had to be right and it had to feel right. I had been approached before in the past about playing a few superheroes that, ultimately, I ended up passing on. They ended up going to the right actors to play them. I just waited.”
The fates have finally aligned in “Black Adam,” a debut so seamless that it could be called redundant. When Johnson was first trying on Black Adam’s suit, he had the muscle padding removed.
Johnson’s entry to the superhero business comes at a crucial juncture for the DC Extended Universe, which has been plagued of late by scandal and misfires. Ezra Miller, star of the upcoming “The Flash,” has been arrested twice this year amid reports of troubling behavior (in August, Miller sought treatment for what he described as mental health issues ). “Batgirl,” a $90 million movie completed for HBO Max, was summarily axed, prompting an outcry over its atypical cancellation.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has promised a “reset” to the studio’s DC operations in an overhaul to implement a more Marvel-like 10-year structure and improve quality. At the fulcrum of these two eras sits “Black Adam,” which opens in theaters Thursday.
Amid such turmoil, it certainly doesn’t hurt to be welcoming in a movie star as popular as Johnson, who has 341 million followers on Instagram and is often forced to deflect questions about a possible presidential run. But just how much stability can The Rock bring to DC?
“I think the timing is actually perfect. What an opportunity we have,” Johnson said. “I have been saying for almost years now that the hierarchy of power in the DC universe is about to change.”
Before Johnson, not many saw Black Adam as such an axis-tilting force. The character, an ancient Egyptian created by Otto Binder and C.C. Beck, first appeared in a 1945 issue of Fawcett Comics’ “In DC Comics” and has generally been portrayed as a supervillain and foe to Captain Marvel (not the Brie Larson one).
More recent treatments have pushed Black Adam more toward antihero status, something the film, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (“Jungle Cruise”), extends. Black Adam, summoned to modern day, is depicted as a reluctant hero who fears his own powers.
In one telling scene, Black Adam stops for a moment to watch a television with Clint Eastwood as the Man With No Name — an antihero model for Black Adam.
“He has been my inspiration from day one. My favorite actor and certainly one of my favorite directors,” Johnson said. “I’m happy to call Clint a buddy. That was my way of paying homage to him.”
How Black Adam would be introduced to movie audiences wasn’t always clear. Initially, Captain Marvel, also known as Shazam, and Black Adam were to debut in a movie together. After the scripting stage, Johnson and others felt the combined launch did a disservice to Black Adam.
“We did have a template for a really good idea, but ultimately both characters required so much space to properly launch them,” said producer Hiram Garcia. “We were just struggling in terms of bandwidth that the script could hold and in terms of tone, as well. Inherently, as you saw with how the ‘Shazam’ movie came out, that movie is just so differently tonally from how ‘Black Adam’ is.”
“Shazam!” starring Zachary Levi, was a goofy, well-received body-swap hit, grossing $366 million worldwide in 2019 (a sequel is due out in March). The ambitions for “Black Adam” are larger.
The film, made with a budget roughly twice that of “Shazam!” also introduces the Justice Society of America, a superhero team of Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) and Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell).
“I always felt like it was a matter of convincing our studio partners to try to look beyond the Justice League,” Johnson said. “I love the Justice League. But when you look past them, you open up the DC bible. There are so many cool characters you can tap into.”
It’s been a long haul to develop the film, tailor the part to Johnson and shoot the movie around COVID-19 delays. Johnson was first announced to play Black Adam way back in 2014.
“Easy and this process have not gone together,” Garcia said.
But the filmmakers were committed to giving Black Adam the proper launch.
“If Dwayne Johnson’s going to do a superhero, the powers better be A-plus,” said producer Beau Flynn.
Superhero films aren’t often described as a “passion project” but it’s how Johnson talks about “Black Adam.” He speaks about the character’s previously low profile like an underdog.
“No one gave him a shot,” he said. Unlike many of the best-known comic-book characters, Johnson is not taking on this role secondhand.
“No other actors had stepped into the boots of Black Adam,” said Johnson who professes a deep connection with the character. “I’m a very direct talker. Black Adam is very direct with his thoughts, too. The difference is: Black Adam will slap some people around. I might slap some people around but I’ll do it with a smile.”
As of this summer, Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy are running Warner Bros.’ revamped film division, though no new DC leader has yet been appointed. Zaslav has been seeking his studio’s answer to Marvel’s Kevin Feige to take the reigns. For Johnson, “Black Adam” is part of that new chapter for DC.
“I think you’re feeling this sense of urgency and the sense of excitement,” said Johnson. “This has been a great convergence of ‘Black Adam’ coming out and new leadership.”
Tracking reports have suggested that Johnson, 50, could be headed for his biggest opening weekend ever at the box office with “Black Adam.” But sounding a little like his WWE wrestler, Johnson is also eyeing his next opponent. Black Adam, he believes, is a lesser power to no superhero. He’s gunning for Superman.
“For five years, the most powerful and unstoppable force in the entire superhero universe has been idle on the sidelines. All that had to come to a new end,” says Johnson. “This is what I mean with this new era in the DC universe. Let’s get that hero off the sidelines and on the big screen.”
___
Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/10/17/can-the-rock-steady-the-dc-universe-with-black-adam-4/ | 2022-10-18 00:02:00 | 1 | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/10/17/can-the-rock-steady-the-dc-universe-with-black-adam-4/ |
PORTLAND, Ore. – A jury verdict that found an Oregon power company liable for devastating wildfires — and potentially billions of dollars in damages — is highlighting the legal and financial risks utilities take if they fail to take proper precautions in a hotter, drier climate.
Utilities, especially in the U.S. West, are increasingly finding themselves in a financial bind that’s partly of their own making, experts say. While updating, replacing and even burying thousands of miles of powerlines is a time-consuming and costly undertaking, the failure to start that work in earnest years ago has put them on the back foot as wildfires have grown more destructive — and lawsuits over electrical equipment sparking blazes have ballooned.
“How do they pay for that and at the same time try to do grid hardening at a pace that could prevent the need for constant shutting down of the power?” Josh Hacker, chief science officer at Jupiter Intelligence, a company that provides advice on managing climate change risks, said of lawsuit damages. “This is an enormous challenge. Now it’s biting them. And in the end it’s going to bite all of us, because they have to recover that expense.”
Last week, a jury in Oregon found PacifiCorp liable for damages for negligently failing to cut power to its 600,000 customers during a windstorm over Labor Day weekend despite warnings from top fire officials and for its powerlines being responsible for multiple blazes.
PacifiCorp said it was disappointed with the jury's decision and that it plans to appeal.
The fires were among the worst natural disasters in Oregon’s history. They killed nine people, burned more than 1,875 square miles (4,856 square kilometers) and destroyed upward of 5,000 homes and other structures. While total damages remain to be determined, they are expected to reach into the billions.
Because utilities make money from customers, they often raise revenue for infrastructure upgrades by hiking rates. In California, for example, Pacific Gas and Electric has requested to increase its rates for residential customers this year by roughly 18%, partly to bury more than 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometers) of overhead powerlines underground, according to a fact sheet from the state’s public utilities commission. The commission, which regulates utility rates, said it expects to make a final decision on the request between July and September.
PG&E’s planned upgrades come amid heightened scrutiny of the utility, which serves more than 16 million people over 70,000 square miles (181,300 square kilometers) in central and northern California. Facing billions of dollars in damages stemming from multiple blazes, it filed for bankruptcy in 2019, shortly after its neglected equipment caused a fire that virtually razed the town of Paradise in the Sierra Nevada foothills in 2018. The Camp Fire was the deadliest and most destructive fire in California’s history.
PG&E’s bankruptcy settlement with wildfire victims was an eye-popping $13.5 billion. Only half of the money was paid to victims in cash, while the other half was paid out in PG&E stock, which has since declined in value.
PacifiCorp, meanwhile, says it has invested hundreds of millions of dollars since the Labor Day 2020 fires in Oregon in upgrading its equipment and expanding its weather stations and weather modeling. But customers are also helping fund those investments. Oregon’s public utility commission approved rate increases for PacifiCorp in 2023 in part so that the utility could cover “non-energy costs,” including wildfire mitigation and vegetation management.
The revenue model of utilities — and the way some have settled previous wildfire claims — have raised questions about the extent to which such companies are truly being held accountable for their role in sparking wildfires.
“Where is public safety and the durability of the entire system in the priorities of what are basically profit-making enterprises? That is the big question that is being addressed here,” said Scott McNutt, a part-time lecturer in bankruptcy law at the University of California, Davis, who also worked as counsel to the fee examiner in the PG&E bankruptcy case.
Utilities, meanwhile, say the growing risk of wildfires to public safety is being driven by forces beyond their control, such as climate change and population growth in the wildland-urban interface — the boundary where development encroaches on natural areas.
“These systemic issues affect all Oregonians and are larger than any single utility,” PacifiCorp said in a statement earlier this week after the jury handed down one of its verdicts.
Some experts agree to a certain extent, saying that hardening the electrical grid is just one of many critical steps that must be taken to protect people and their homes from wildfires.
“Power companies ... should always be working to reduce any potential ignition risk,” said Michael Gollner, associate professor of engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. “But you also want to make it so that if there are those fires, those fires aren’t going to cause death and destruction.”
Changing the materials that homes are built with, Gollner said, is one way communities can protect themselves from wildfires. Having fire-retardant roofs made of asphalt or tile instead of wood, covering vents with fine mesh to keep embers out, and having nonflammable siding can help prevent homes from burning down. Creating what’s known as a “defensible space” around one’s home — a buffer area where there is less vegetation, helping to slow down a fire’s progress — is also key. Prescribed burns and thinning out fuels in forests are important as well, he said.
“We haven’t taken a more holistic step to harden our communities so they don’t invite in fires,” he said. “We haven’t done the hard, other work." | https://www.clickorlando.com/business/2023/06/19/verdict-in-oregon-wildfires-case-highlights-risks-utilities-face-amid-climate-change/ | 2023-06-19 05:45:13 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/business/2023/06/19/verdict-in-oregon-wildfires-case-highlights-risks-utilities-face-amid-climate-change/ |
Quinta Brunson did not come to play in 2023! The Emmy award-winning actress has been making press rounds for Abbott Elementary in fabulous looks, and we are coveting each piece! Last year, Brunson came with slay after slay that had us stalking her Instagram page. And as a result, our stalking will turn up this year.
It’s only the first week in January, and Brunson has come out the gate with fly ensembles. From ANИAKIKI to Carolina Herrera, the comedian has been strutting around New York like the fashion queen that she is. It’s apparent that Brunson’s stylist Bryon Javar has been in the lab cooking up some spicy looks for the mogul-in-the-making, and the outcome is off the meter. Without further ado, let’s get into Brunson’s latest chic garb.
Quinta Brunson Starts 2023 Off With A Fashionable Bang was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
1. ANИAKIKI Set
Source:GettyBrunson stepped out in New York City for an appearance at The Late Show, rocking a fierce ANИAKIKI blue and black set that featured an off-the-shoulder dress and an oversized jacket. She paired the look with Dolce & Gabbana black pumps.
2. Carolina Herrera
Source:GettyBrunson appeared on a view in a colorful Carolina Herrera regalia that featured dramatic sleeves. Her white Gucci platform shoes and mini Amina Muaddi bag added jazz to her look.
3. Red Floor-length Coat
Source:GettyCan we get into this red, floor-length coat that Brunson wore over her Carolina Herrera dress? This lovely garment featured fringe, an eye-catching print, and a light blue stripe. We are all over this! | https://wzakcleveland.com/playlist/quinta-brunson-starts-2023-off-with-a-fashionable-bang/ | 2023-01-07 10:32:24 | 0 | https://wzakcleveland.com/playlist/quinta-brunson-starts-2023-off-with-a-fashionable-bang/ |
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has highlighted efforts by Republican governors and statehouses across the country to embrace proposals limiting the rights of transgender people, signing new restrictions as he moves closer to a presidential bid.
The restrictions are spreading quickly despite criticism from medical groups and advocates who say they’re further marginalizing transgender youth and threatening their health.
Here’s what’s happening:
FLORIDA’S RESTRICTIONS
DeSantis on Wednesday signed bills that ban gender affirming care for minors, restrict pronoun use in schools and force people to use the bathroom corresponding with their sex assigned at birth in some cases.
DeSantis also signed new restrictions on drag shows that would allow the state to revoke the food and beverage licenses of businesses that admit children to adult performances. The DeSantis administration has moved to pull the liquor licenses of businesses that held drag shows, alleging children were present during lewd displays.
The rules on gender affirming care also ban the use of state money for the care and place new restrictions on adults seeking treatment. They take effect immediately, along with the drag show restrictions. The bathroom and pronoun restrictions take effect July 1.
DeSantis has been an outspoken advocate for such restrictions, and championed a Florida law that restricts the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools. Florida has expanded that prohibition, which critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law, to all grades.
WHERE BANS STAND NATIONALLY
Hundreds of bills have been proposed this year restricting the rights of transgender people, and LGBTQ+ advocates say they’ve seen a record number of such measures in statehouses.
At least 17 states have now enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, South Dakota and West Virginia. Federal judges have blocked enforcement of laws in Alabama and Arkansas, and several other states are considering bills this year to restrict or ban care. Proposed bans are also pending before Texas and Missouri’s governors.
These bans have spread quickly, with only three states enacting such laws before this year.
Before DeSantis signed the latest ban, Florida was one of two states that had restricted the care via regulations or administrative action. Texas’s governor has ordered child welfare officials to investigate reports of children receiving such care as child abuse, though a judge has blocked those investigations.
Three transgender youth and their parents who are suing to block Florida’s earlier ban on the care for minors expanded their challenge on Wednesday to include the prohibition DeSantis signed into law.
Every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, has opposed the bans and supported the medical care for youth when administered appropriately. Lawsuits have been filed in several of the states where the bans have been enacted this year.
STATES POISED TO ACT
A proposed ban on gender affirming care for minors is awaiting action before Republican Gov. Mike Parson in Missouri. The state’s Republican attorney general, Andrew Bailey, this week withdrew a rule he had proposed that would have gone further by also restricting access to the care for adults.
Bailey cited the bill pending before Parson as a reason for eliminating the rule, which had been blocked by a state judge.
Nebraska Republicans on Tuesday folded a 12-week abortion ban into a bill that would ban gender affirming care for minors, potentially clearing the way for a final vote on the combined measure as early as this week.
Not all states are adopting restrictions, and some Democrat-led states are enacting measures aimed at protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ youth.
Michigan Democrats plan to introduce legislation Thursday that would ban conversion therapy for minors, a discredited practice of trying to “convert” people to heterosexuality.
The legislation is expected to move quickly with Democrats in control of all levels of state government. Democratic state Rep. Jason Hoskins, a sponsor of the bill, told The Associated Press that he hopes the legislation passes by the end of June, which is Pride Month.
___
Associated Press writers Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee, Florida; Margery Beck in Lincoln, Nebraska; Margaret Stafford in Kansas City, Missouri; and Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan, contributed to this report. | https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/here-are-the-restrictions-on-transgender-people-that-are-moving-forward-in-us-states/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-05-18 05:28:23 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/here-are-the-restrictions-on-transgender-people-that-are-moving-forward-in-us-states/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Superior Protection Professionals is looking to help keep people safe even when their guards can't be around.
TOMS RIVER, N.J., June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week Superior Protection Professionals, a security guard agency headquartered in Toms River, NJ, donated 20 bullet-proof backpacks to the Toms River School District. "Our company was formed with the sole purpose of protecting people," company owner and retired Toms River police officer Kelly Conklin said. "Being our guards only cover NJ we wanted to help keep people safe all over the country so these bullet-proof backpacks are the perfect way to do it.".
With the recent school tragedy in Texas, these backpacks, which can stop bullets from 95% of the guns used in gun violence in the country each year, have become hot selling items. Some companies have experienced up to an 800% increase in sales when these incidents happen. "Although our backpacks are widely used by students in schools, adults are also purchasing them as their everyday backpack. They carry them to work to have with them as a shield in the event of a shooting. Mass transit travelers use them on subways, buses, and airplanes for added protection. They mitigate the risk of getting seriously injured or dying in a shooting and increase your chances of survival. My entire family has them and no one even knows they are protective backpacks. We also sell the inserts you can put into your favorite backpack and turn it into a bulletproof one."
Michael Kenny, spokesman for the Toms River Regional Schools said, "Superior Protection Professionals owner, local resident, and retired Toms River police officer- along with his son, Kelly Conklin Jr., vice president, have made an impactful gesture that will benefit our students, providing them specialty backpacks which will serve them well on their educational journey. We sincerely thank the Conklins and SPP for turning their commitment to our community into action, and for providing tangible resources to our students."
Conklin goes on to say, "This isn't an easy topic to discuss by any means. It's an unfortunate fact that there are evil people with guns in this world looking to cause harm to good people. I love the fact that we can sell these all over the country and make a difference. People can protect themselves, and their loved ones, and we play a part in that. That's the foundation of our company, keeping people safe,and now we can do it even when our guards aren't around."
He also mentioned that there is funding and grants for schools to buy these and can help out with that if you contact him.
SPP contact information:
Cell 908-783-1939, email kpconklin209@gmail.com
Website- https://sppsecurityinvestigations.com/
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SOURCE Superior Protection Professionals | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/bullet-proof-backpacks-donated-school-district-by-security-guard-agency/ | 2022-06-30 18:51:04 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/bullet-proof-backpacks-donated-school-district-by-security-guard-agency/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Norma Torres wins reelection to U.S. House in California's 35th Congressional District.
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- Jones, 70, has played the role of a mall Santa Claus for over a decade now, with his skills... | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Alert-Democrat-Norma-Torres-wins-reelection-to-17580481.php | 2022-11-13 02:58:59 | 1 | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Alert-Democrat-Norma-Torres-wins-reelection-to-17580481.php |
BALTIMORE (AP) — A Baltimore judge on Monday ordered the release of Adnan Syed after overturning Syed’s conviction for the 1999 murder of high school student Hae Min Lee — a case that was chronicled in the hit podcast “Serial,” a true-crime series that transfixed listeners and revolutionized the genre.
At the behest of prosecutors who had uncovered new evidence, Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn ordered that Syed’s conviction be vacated as she approved the release of the now-41-year-old who has spent more than two decades behind bars. There were gasps and applause in the crowded courtroom as the judge announced her decision.
Phinn ruled that the state violated its legal obligation to share evidence that could have bolstered Syed’s defense. She ordered Syed to be placed on home detention with GPS location monitoring. The judge also said the state must decide whether to seek a new trial date or dismiss the case within 30 days.
“All right Mr. Syed, you’re free to join your family,” Phinn said as the hearing ended.
Minutes later, Syed emerged from the courthouse and flashed a smile as he was shepherded to a waiting SUV through a sea of cameras and a cheering crowd of supporters.
Syed did not speak during the hearing, nor did he address the reporters outside afterward. But after the hearing, his lawyer Erica Suter described his reaction to the decision, saying: “He said he couldn’t believe it’s real.”
Sara Patel, a friend of Syed’s, said “we’re very happy and relieved that he’s finally free. We’ve just been on pins and needles this whole time.”
Syed has always maintained his innocence. His case captured the attention of millions in 2014 when the debut season of “Serial” focused on Lee’s killing and raised doubts about some of the evidence prosecutors had used, inspiring heated debates across dinner tables and water coolers about Syed’s innocence or guilt.
Last week, prosecutors filed a motion saying a lengthy investigation conducted with the defense had uncovered new evidence that could undermine the conviction of Syed, Lee’s ex-boyfriend, in 2000.
“I understand how difficult this is, but we need to make sure we hold the correct person accountable,” assistant state’s attorney Becky Feldman told the judge as she described various details from the case that undermine the decades-old conviction, including other suspects, flawed cellphone data, unreliable witness testimony and a potentially biased detective.
After the hearing, State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby said investigators are waiting for the results of “DNA analysis” before determining whether to seek a new trial date or throw out the case against Syed and “certify his innocence.”
Syed was serving a life sentence after he was convicted of strangling 18-year-old Lee, whose body was found buried in a Baltimore park.
The investigation “revealed undisclosed and newly-developed information regarding two alternative suspects, as well as unreliable cell phone tower data,” Mosby’s office said in a news release last week. The other suspects were known persons at the time of the original investigation, but weren’t properly ruled out nor disclosed to the defense, said prosecutors, who declined to release information about the suspects, due to the ongoing investigation.
Prosecutors said they weren’t asserting that Syed is innocent, but they lacked confidence “in the integrity of the conviction” and recommended his release on his own recognizance or bail. The state’s attorney’s office had said if the motion were granted it would effectively put Syed in a new trial status, vacating his convictions, while the case remained active.
Syed was led into the crowded courtroom in handcuffs Monday. Wearing a white shirt with a tie, he sat next to his attorney. His mother and other family representatives were in the room, as was Mosby.
In 2016, a lower court ordered a retrial for Syed on the grounds that his attorney, Cristina Gutierrez, who died in 2004, didn’t contact an alibi witness and provided ineffective counsel.
But after a series of appeals, Maryland’s highest court in 2019 denied a new trial in a 4-3 opinion. The Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court that Syed’s legal counsel was deficient in failing to investigate an alibi witness, but it disagreed that the deficiency prejudiced the case. The court said Syed waived his ineffective counsel claim.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review Syed’s case in 2019.
The true-crime series was the brainchild of longtime radio producer and former Baltimore Sun reporter Sarah Koenig, who spent more than a year digging into Syed’s case and reporting her findings in almost real-time in hour-long segments. The 12-episode podcast won a Peabody Award and was transformative in popularizing podcasts for a wide audience.
During the hearing, Hae Min Lee’s brother Young Lee spoke to the court, saying he feels betrayed by prosecutors, since he thought the case was settled.
“This is not a podcast for me. This is real life,” he said.
Speaking outside the courthouse after the ruling, Mosby expressed sympathy for Lee’s brother and said she understands why he feels betrayed.
“But I also understand the importance as the administer of the criminal justice system to ensure equality and justice and fairness. That is entitled to the defendant, as well,” she added.
___ Associated Press writers Mike Kunzelman and Sarah Brumfield in Silver Spring, Maryland, contributed to this report. | https://www.kron4.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-serial-case-adnan-syed-to-be-released-conviction-tossed/ | 2022-09-20 00:52:57 | 1 | https://www.kron4.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-serial-case-adnan-syed-to-be-released-conviction-tossed/ |
Dear Amy: I have one son and two grandsons.
The older grandson, age 17, appeared at his prom wearing a full-length purple gown with nail polish to match.
I privately told my son (his father) that I was concerned for my grandson’s safety, as he would be a target if he is so flamboyant.
My son became very defensive and said that people can love who they want, and that society needs to get used to it. I agree. But there are people out there who don’t like this “in your face” behavior.
I have not mentioned this again. I don’t want to alienate my son or grandson, but the prospect of having a LGBTQ grandson makes me sick.
He spends most of his time alone in his room and is very sullen. His maternal grandfather committed suicide last year, so I am concerned about the mental health of the entire family.
They are receiving counseling individually and as a family.
People are also reading…
Can I do anything other than cry myself to sleep?
Could this be a phase, or will he always be like this?
— Devastated Grandma
Dear Devastated: I have a blunt question for you: Are you going through a phase, or will you always be like this?
I hope it’s a phase.
Yes, you worry. Yes, you fret. But the role of a grandparent is actually so simple: All you have to do is to love your grandchildren — exactly as they are, exactly as they present to you; through phases, representations, or revelations — and through whatever joys or challenges they encounter.
Can you imagine the impact on this family if you just simply loved and accepted all of them, no matter what?
You might not understand why your grandson would make the choice to go to the prom wearing what sounds like an amazing outfit. But that sullen teenager left his bedroom, got dolled-up, and took himself to the prom!
(I wish I’d had an ounce of that kind of courage at his age.)
Furthermore, his father is his ally! Give yourself credit for raising a man who is a good parent.
This family is receiving professional support (another very wise choice).
Your only job here is to find a way around your own fears, and to relieve yourself of the burden to judge this family — and instead to love all of them, just as they are.
Dear Amy: I moved to a different state in 2019 and have made one friend.
I met “Stacy” before the pandemic so up until now, she’s been the only person in my new home that I have close ties to.
I’m a loner, and it takes a lot for me to let people in.
One of the main reasons for this is because I believe I suffer from an eating disorder.
Most of the time, I have to force myself to eat. Some months are better than others, but it’s a daily battle for me.
I overheard Stacy talking to her significant other about my weight the other day. She said I lost too much weight and that something must be wrong with me.
I feel like if we’re friends, why not ask me about this directly?
My weight has been a struggle for me and I’ve actually gained a little bit, so this hurt my feelings.
Only my children know how much I struggle with this. (I’ve never been diagnosed by a doctor, either.)
This isn’t the first time Stacy has said something that has cut me deep, but I also don’t want to lose the only new friend I’ve made.
How should I handle this?
— A Confused Loner
Dear Loner: First, do this (today): Go to the National Eating Disorders Association webpage, national eating disorders.org. They offer many invaluable and supportive resources, including a “chat” function and a “helpline”: (800) 931-2237. You should see a physician and get a thorough checkup.
Second: Please be brave enough to be honest with “Stacy.” Sharing this might deepen your friendship, and you deserve to have a good friend in your corner. You can get better, and I hope you’ll move toward a healthy recovery today.
Dear Amy: I did NOT agree with your advice to “Accidental Witness,” who saw her stepdaughter’s husband kissing the family’s nanny.
I would be horrified if someone knew about this in my family and did not tell me.
— Upset
Dear Upset: The problem was that this witness couldn’t seem to bring herself to deliver this news. She wanted others to do it.
Contact Amy Dickinson at | https://tucson.com/lifestyles/ask-amy-a-grandsons-prom-gown-horrifies-his-grandmother/article_b967ffe0-f317-11ec-8423-cbdf347ab8de.html | 2022-06-28 13:38:07 | 0 | https://tucson.com/lifestyles/ask-amy-a-grandsons-prom-gown-horrifies-his-grandmother/article_b967ffe0-f317-11ec-8423-cbdf347ab8de.html |
Learning technology leader recognized for its innovative digital platform, "built for today's modern education challenges"
PARAMUS, N.J., June 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Savvas Learning Company, a K-12 next-generation learning solutions leader, is proud to announce that its Savvas Realize learning management system (LMS) has won the 2023 EdTech Breakthrough Award for "LMS Innovation of the Year." Savvas Realize, a dynamic and flexible LMS for teaching and learning, was recognized as a "truly breakthrough educational technology solution built for today's modern education challenges."
Winners of this year's EdTech Breakthrough Awards, which showcase technologies and companies that drive innovation and exemplify the best in edtech solutions, were selected from more than 2,400 nominations based on innovation, design, user experience, and overall technological advancement. This is the second year in a row that the Savvas Realize LMS has received an EdTech Breakthrough Award.
"We would like to thank the EdTech Breakthrough Awards for honoring Savvas Realize as an innovative learning management system," said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company. "Built to meet all of a district's K-12 curriculum and administrative needs, our robust platform supports educators with the most advanced tools, engaging content, and instructional resources to help move learning forward for all students."
Savvas is showcasing its game-changing Savvas Realize LMS to thousands of educators at the ISTELive 23 show in Philadelphia starting today. Attendees can visit Savvas at Booth #2220 to learn more about the Savvas Realize platform and other new innovative products.
A trendsetter among publisher platforms, Savvas Realize is the digital home to Savvas Learning Company's high-quality, rigorous, and research-grounded K-12 programs — all purposefully built for blended learning environments. Teachers can access everything they need with one login, from standards-aligned content and customizable assignments to rich student data and powerful class planning tools. Featuring cutting-edge adaptive technology, it provides data-driven insights to help teachers differentiate instruction and personalized, real-world learning experiences to increase student engagement — all on one easy-to-use platform that enables students to learn anytime, anywhere.
Savvas Realize has been recently updated to be better than ever, with powerful enhancements that deliver even greater simplicity, shareability, and seamless interoperability with more than two dozen major edtech tools that school districts use most.
Savvas was previously named "LMS Solution Provider of the Year'' by the 2022 EdTech Breakthrough Awards program. The award recognized Savvas and its popular Realize LMS as an innovator and leader "driving the global digital transformation of the education industry."
ABOUT EDTECH BREAKTHROUGH
Part of Tech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence and recognition platform for global technology innovation and leadership, the EdTech Breakthrough Awards program is devoted to honoring excellence in educational technology products, companies and people. For more information, visit EdTech Breakthrough.
ABOUT SAVVAS LEARNING COMPANY
At Savvas, we believe learning should inspire. By combining new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways of interacting, we design next-generation learning solutions that help prepare students to become global citizens in a more interconnected, digital world. To learn more, visit Savvas Learning Company. Savvas Learning Company's products are available for sale in Canada through its subsidiary, Rubicon.
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SOURCE Savvas Learning Company | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/06/26/savvas-realize-earns-2023-edtech-breakthrough-award-lms-innovation-year/ | 2023-06-26 15:48:27 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/06/26/savvas-realize-earns-2023-edtech-breakthrough-award-lms-innovation-year/ |
Recovery and Wellness Franchise Continues to Expand with 50 New Centers Anticipated for 2023
HOUSTON, Jan. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- iCRYO, one of the world's leading recovery and wellness franchises, continues to experience tremendous growth, with nine new centers, 12 new territories sold, and more than 40 new centers expected to open within those territories. In total, iCRYO is scheduled to open 50 centers in 2023 across North America.
iCRYO has also announced a record setting year for sales reaching two new massive sales records at a single location, surpassing $70,000 on a single day and $200,000 on a single month at one location. They are on pace to create potential multimillion dollar annual revenue locations.
The fast-growing health care franchise announced their partnership with 24 Hour Fitness in January of 2022, introducing the first iCRYO to be located inside the 24 Hour Fitness Parker Arapahoe Club in Aurora, Colorado. The new iCRYO dedicated space located within select 24 Hour Fitness clubs are targeted to open in several phases in California and Colorado.
Fueling the brand's continuous growth is the addition of several new services, including Theralight Red Light Bed, Aspen Red Light Laser, Ozone UV/IV, Upgraded IV & IM formularies, and EmSculpt NEO. In addition to new services, iCRYO enhanced the guest experience through the launch of Simplified.io to improve guest communication, and the launch of a new website and iCRYO app.
iCRYO's accomplishments also stem from being strategically focused on setting the brand's franchisees and employees up for success. Along with hiring a variety of new team members, adding additional members to their Medical Advisory Board, and announcing a number of new corporate promotions, including appointing Scott Briner, former Chief Administrative Officer, as the new COO of iCRYO, new members of the Franchisee Advisory Committee were elected for 2023.
Members include:
- Travis Ala - President - Multi-Unit Owner
- Nick Mericle - Vice President - Multi-Unit Owner
- Tracey Miller - Secretary - Multi-Unit Owner
- Bob Lemon - Multi Unit Owner
- Matthew Pepe - Member - Multi-Unit Owner
In addition, this past year marked the launch of iCRYO.Space, an intranet that hosts hundreds of documents, educational videos, and supporting material for iCRYO employees, and the launch of iCRYO University, a Learning Management System that hosts over 300+ students company wide. In an effort to form a strong community within the franchise system, iCRYO held its 1st Annual iCRYO Golf Classic and ELEVATE conference, an action-packed weekend filled with team-building exercises and educational opportunities.
"2022 was a huge year for us for franchise development, soaring sales, implementing new ways to elevate the guest experience, and bringing franchisees and corporate team members together to build the future of iCRYO," stated Kyle Jones, Co-founder and Chief Innovation and Branding Officer of iCRYO. "We have a lot of exciting projections for 2023 that will keep the momentum going, provide franchisees with new educational opportunities to grow their business, and help iCRYO guests achieve, and even exceed, their health and wellness goals."
Initiatives for 2023 Include:
- CAMP – Collaborate. Align. Master. Party: An event designed for the iCRYO leadership team and franchisees to collaborate and enhance the franchise model
- Elevate 2023 Conference
- Launch of Hyperbaric Chamber Oxygen Therapy, DNA and lifestyle assessment, and expansion of service offerings in aesthetics, nutrition, and weight loss
- Launch of iCRYO's first international location in Canada
- Launch of iCRYO's apparel and merchandise shop
Currently, their franchise model is over 200 locations awarded with a plan to build over 1,000 locations in several different countries.
Headquartered in Houston, TX, iCRYO is setting the standard for Cryotherapy nationwide. As the leading franchise in the industry, iCRYO is an affordable, convenient and professional Cryotherapy franchise that offers Cryotherapy and a hybrid of other wellness services to the communities in which they are located. iCRYO offers a turnkey franchise system for Cryotherapy business owners. Whether it be a retail location or an addition to a gym or existing business, iCRYO has the systems and comprehensive training in place to provide safe Cryotherapy across the globe. Their mission is to elevate the lifestyle of their team members and guests while raising the bar in the health and wellness market. To learn more, visit www.icryo.com.
MEDIA CONTACT: Rachel Patton, Fishman Public Relations, rpatton@fishmanpr.com or (847) 945-1300
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SOURCE iCRYO | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2023/01/05/icryo-kicks-off-2023-with-impressive-franchise-growth-record-breaking-systemwide-sales/ | 2023-01-05 15:34:29 | 0 | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2023/01/05/icryo-kicks-off-2023-with-impressive-franchise-growth-record-breaking-systemwide-sales/ |
Work includes trimming along nearly 2,000 miles of power lines in 2022
BRECKSVILLE, Ohio, May 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Illuminating Company, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), is conducting tree trimming and other vegetation management work in communities across its northeast Ohio service area as part of its ongoing efforts to help enhance electric service reliability. This year's $16.5 million tree-trimming program will help keep power flowing to customers by helping to prevent tree-related outages, such as those that can occur during the spring and summer storm season.
On the ground, contractors have trimmed trees along more than 400 miles of power lines across The Illuminating Company's service area since the beginning of the year. The company's program remains on track to complete an additional 1,600 miles of tree-trimming work by the end of the year. Similar work is performed annually by FirstEnergy transmission companies along high-voltage power lines in the company's service territory.
"Trees are a leading cause of power outages, and we complete proactive tree-trimming work each year to prevent tree-related outages during severe weather," said Ed Shuttleworth, president of FirstEnergy's Ohio operations. "This work, paired with the vast upgrades we're making to our local power system, undoubtedly helps minimize the impact of weather-related outages to keep the power flowing safely and reliably to customers."
Tree trimming is done on a four-year cycle. The work includes inspecting vegetation near power lines to ensure trees are pruned to preserve the health of the tree while also maintaining safe clearances. Trees that present a danger or are diseased may be removed.
This year, the work is being conducted in the following counties and communities:
- Ashtabula – Ashtabula City, Ashtabula Township, Austinburg, Conneaut, Geneva, Geneva Township, Harpersfield Township, Jefferson Township, Kingsville Township, Lenox Township, Morgan Township, North Kingsville, Orwell Township, Pierpont Township, Plymouth Township, Rome Township, Saybrook Township and Windsor
- Cuyahoga – Bay Village, Beachwood, Bedford, Bedford Heights, Berea, Bratenahl, Brecksville, Broadview Heights, Brook Park, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Chagrin Falls, Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga Heights, East Cleveland, Eastlake, Euclid, Fairport Village, Fairview Park, Garfield Heights, Gates Mills, Highland Heights, Hunting Valley, Independence, Lakewood, Lyndhurst, Maple Heights, Mayfield Heights, Middleburgh Heights, Moreland Hills, Newburgh Heights, North Olmsted, North Royalton, Oakwood, Olmsted Falls, Olmsted Township, Orange, Parma, Parma Heights, Pepper Pike, Richmond Heights, Rocky River, Seven Hills, Shaker Heights, Solon, South Euclid, Strongsville, University Heights, Valley View, Walton Hills, Warrensville Heights, Westlake and Woodmere
- Geauga – Aquilla Village, Auburn, Auburn Township, Bainbridge, Burton Township, Burton Village, Chardon Village, Chester Township, Claridon Township, Hambden Township, Hunting Valley, Huntsburg Township, Munson Township, Russell Township, South Russell and Thompson Township
- Lake – Concord Township, Grand River, Kirtland, Madison, Madison Township, Mentor, Painesville, Painesville Township, Perry Township, Perry Village, Wickliffe, Willoughby, Willoughby Hills and Willowick
- Lorain – Avon and Avon Lake
As part of its notification process, The Illuminating Company works with municipalities to inform them of tree-trimming schedules. In addition, customers living in areas along company rights-of-way also are notified prior to vegetation management work being done.
The Illuminating Company's vegetation management work is conducted by certified forestry experts under the company's direction, including Asplundh Tree Expert Company, Davey Tree Expert Company, Penn Line Services and Townsend Tree Service.
In the air, helicopters equipped with aerial saws began trimming trees in April to maintain clearances along hard-to-access transmission and distribution corridors throughout The Illuminating Company's service area. The aerial saw is typically deployed along transmission and distribution lines in areas that may be environmentally sensitive or inaccessible to bucket trucks and other vehicles. This method typically covers more area in a day than a ground crew might complete in a week. The saw also eliminates the risk of injury to workers using bucket trucks or climbing trees to cut limbs near high voltage equipment.
The Illuminating Company serves more than 750,000 customers across Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and Lorain counties. Follow The Illuminating Company on Twitter @IlluminatingCo and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/IlluminatingCo.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp or online at www.firstenergycorp.com.
Editor's Note: Photos of workers trimming trees near FirstEnergy power lines are available for download on Flickr. A video explaining and demonstrating tree-trimming work can be found on FirstEnergy's YouTube channel.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp. | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2022/05/03/illuminating-company-invests-165-million-tree-trimming-efforts-reinforce-electric-system-during-severe-weather/ | 2022-05-03 20:14:16 | 1 | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2022/05/03/illuminating-company-invests-165-million-tree-trimming-efforts-reinforce-electric-system-during-severe-weather/ |
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday called for several freight rail reforms in the aftermath of a train derailment in northeastern Ohio earlier this month that resulted in the release of toxic chemicals and temporarily forced the evacuation of thousands of residents.
Buttigieg urged Norfolk Southern, whose train was involved in the incident in East Palestine, and other freight rail companies to deploy new inspection technologies; phase in new, safer tank cars; and notify state emergency officials in advance if hazardous gas is being transported through their state.
The Department of Transportation will also begin a series of inspections of routes over which trains with large amount of hazardous material travel and advance a new rule requiring that at least two railroad staff be present for most operations.
“Profit and expediency must never outweigh the safety of the American people,” Buttigieg said in a statement. “We at [the Department of Transportation] are doing everything in our power to improve rail safety, and we insist that the rail industry do the same – while inviting Congress to work with us to raise the bar.”
Buttigieg urged Congress to increase the fines that the Transportation Department can levy against rail companies for safety violations, which currently sits at a little over $225,000.
“This is a rounding error for a company that reported an astonishing record annual operating income in 2022 of $4.8 billion,” the department said in a press release, referring to Norfolk Southern.
The Department of Transportation also revived demands for rail companies to provide their workers with paid sick leave, an issue at the center of talks last year between rail worker unions and management. After negotiations broke down and workers threatened to strike, Congress and the White House ultimately forced through an agreement without paid leave. | https://www.kxnet.com/hill-politics/buttigieg-unveils-freight-rail-reforms-in-wake-of-east-palestine-derailment/ | 2023-02-21 17:02:37 | 0 | https://www.kxnet.com/hill-politics/buttigieg-unveils-freight-rail-reforms-in-wake-of-east-palestine-derailment/ |
CT Albany NY Zone Forecast for Thursday, December 1, 2022
_____
828 FPUS51 KALY 020814
ZFPALY
FPUS51 KALY 020811
ZFPALY
Zone Forecast Product for Eastern New York and Western New England
National Weather Service Albany NY
311 AM EST Fri Dec 2 2022
CTZ001-021600-
Northern Litchfield-
Including the city of Torrington
311 AM EST Fri Dec 2 2022
.TODAY...Sunny. Highs in the lower 40s. Southwest winds around
5 mph, becoming south this afternoon.
.TONIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming mostly
cloudy. Cold with lows in the lower 30s. Temperature rising into the
upper 30s after midnight. South winds 10 to 15 mph.
.SATURDAY...Rain. Not as cool with highs in the lower 50s. Southwest
winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. Chance of rain near
100 percent.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then clearing. Cold
with lows in the upper 20s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts
up to 30 mph.
.SUNDAY...Mostly sunny. Cooler with highs in the upper 30s. West
winds 5 to 10 mph.
.SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 20s. Highs
in the lower 40s.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then mostly cloudy
with a chance of snow after midnight. Cold. Near steady temperature
in the lower 30s. Chance of snow 30 percent.
.TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Highs in the lower 50s.
Lows in the lower 40s. Chance of rain 70 percent.
.WEDNESDAY...Partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of showers. Highs
around 50.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain in the
evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Colder with lows in the
lower 30s. Chance of rain 30 percent.
.THURSDAY...Mostly sunny. Cooler with highs in the upper 30s.
Temperature falling into the lower 30s in the afternoon.
$$
CTZ013-021600-
Southern Litchfield-
Including the cities of Oakville, New Milford, Terryville,
and Woodbury
311 AM EST Fri Dec 2 2022
.TODAY...Sunny. Highs in the mid 40s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
.TONIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming mostly
cloudy. Cold with lows in the lower 30s. Temperature rising into the
lower 40s after midnight. South winds 5 to 10 mph.
.SATURDAY...Rain. Not as cool with highs in the mid 50s. Southwest
winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. Chance of rain
90 percent.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then clearing. Cold
with lows in the upper 20s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts
up to 25 mph.
.SUNDAY...Sunny, cooler with highs in the lower 40s. West winds
around 5 mph.
.SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 20s. Highs
in the mid 40s.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then mostly cloudy
with a chance of rain or snow after midnight. Cold. Near steady
temperature in the mid 30s. Chance of precipitation 30 percent.
.TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Highs in the mid 50s. Lows
in the mid 40s. Chance of rain 70 percent.
.WEDNESDAY...Partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of showers. Highs
in the mid 50s.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. A chance of rain in the evening.
Cooler with lows in the mid 30s. Chance of rain 30 percent.
.THURSDAY...Mostly sunny. Cooler with highs in the lower 40s.
$$
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/CT-Albany-NY-Zone-Forecast-17625920.php | 2022-12-02 09:25:24 | 1 | https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/CT-Albany-NY-Zone-Forecast-17625920.php |
WATCH: Texas family rides out tornado in their SUV
PASADENA, Texas (KHOU) - Days after a ferocious tornado ripped through parts of Texas, a grandmother is recounting how she and her family survived the storm while trapped in their SUV.
Irma Cantu and her daughter had just picked up her 18-year-old grandson from Pasadena High School on Tuesday afternoon when the powerful winds and rain of a storm hit.
The three were stuck in Cantu’s Land Cruiser SUV outside the school and couldn’t go any further, even as a tornado was bearing down on them.
“I looked around. There was nowhere that we could go, so, I just put the car in park. I put my emergency brake on,” Cantu said.
Dashcam video reveals just how heavy the winds and rain were. It shows limited visibility and objects hitting the SUV’s front windshield.
“I could feel objects hitting my car repeatedly. It was terrifying,” Cantu said. “It was a very scary experience.”
The footage from the video gets noisier as the tornado gets closer, and Cantu’s daughter begins to pray that she and her family will be protected.
Cantu, however, appears to stay calm.
“I guess you’re either going to panic or you’re not,” she said. “No matter what happened, I knew that we would be OK, regardless of what did happen.”
In the end, the family was OK, but their SUV suffered damage, including a large dent to the rear driver’s side door.
When asked if there was anything she would do differently, Cantu said yes.
“Definitely in advance, when I see that there is going to be those warnings, I’m sure going to advise my daughter not to send her son to school. I would not have left the house,” she said.
The National Weather Service determined the tornado was an EF3, which means it packed winds between 136 and 165 miles per hour.
Copyright 2023 KHOU via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/2023/01/29/watch-texas-family-rides-out-tornado-their-suv/ | 2023-01-29 08:09:25 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/2023/01/29/watch-texas-family-rides-out-tornado-their-suv/ |
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — The White House says Russian officials have visited an airfield in central Iran at least twice in recent weeks to view weapons-capable drones it is looking to acquire for use in its ongoing war in Ukraine.
The administration released the intelligence as President Joe Biden was to meet Saturday with the leaders of six Arab Gulf countries, plus Egypt, Jordan and Iraq for a regional summit. Biden is expected to lay out a “major statement” explaining his vision for the Middle East as he closes the final leg of a four-day trip meant to bolster U.S. positioning and knit the region together against Iran.
Iran showcased the drones for Russian officials at Kashan Airfield on June 8 and July 15, according to the White House. The administration also released satellite imagery of Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 drones being displayed and in flight on the airfield, while a Russian delegation transport plane was on the ground.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan in a statement said the administration has “information that the Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia with several hundred UAVs.” UAVs are unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.
“We assess an official Russian delegation recently received a showcase of Iranian attack-capable UAVs. We are releasing these images captured in June showing Iranian UAVs that the Russian government delegation saw that day,” Sullivan said. “This suggests ongoing Russian interest in acquiring Iranian attack-capable UAVs.”
Sullivan said U.S. officials believe the June visit “was the first time a Russian delegation has visited this airfield for such a showcase.”
Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Saturday regarding the White House’s assertion.
On Friday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, in a phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, rejected reports on exporting Iranian drones to Russia, calling them “baseless.”
“This sort of claims parallel with Biden’s visit to occupied Palestine, or Israel, are in direction of political intentions and purposes,” the website of Iran’s Foreign Ministry quoted Amirabdollahian as saying. “We oppose any move that could lead to continuation and intensifying conflicts.”
Biden is looking to strengthen coordination among Middle East allies’ response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and what the ongoing conflict means to the region. Many of the Gulf nations — Saudi Arabia, in particular — have grave concerns about Iran’s malign activity in the region.
None of the countries represented at the summit have moved in lockstep with the U.S. to sanction Russia, a key foreign policy priority for the Biden administration. If anything, the United Arab Emirates has emerged as a sort of financial haven for Russian billionaires and their multimillion-dollar yachts. Egypt remains open to Russian tourists.
Kashan Air Base, located some 190 kilometers (120 miles) south of Tehran, is one of Iran’s oldest airfields.
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz in 2021 linked Kashan to Iran’s drone program, alleging that Iran trained militants from Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen to fly drones at the facility.
The U.S. intelligence assessment was first reported by CNN.
—
Gambrell reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Associated Press writer Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/politics/white-house-russian-officials-visited-iran-to-view-drones/ | 2022-07-16 11:31:28 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/politics/white-house-russian-officials-visited-iran-to-view-drones/ |
UVALDE, Texas — KVUE and our parent company TEGNA have joined a media coalition of local and national news organizations as part of an effort to learn the details of what happened at Robb Elementary School when 19 children and two teachers were killed on May 24.
A total of 21 lives were lost inside Robb Elementary School and many others were injured in late May when a gunman entered the school and opened fire. Since then, details about the response have trickled out to the public.
Now, a media coalition has sent a letter to the office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton regarding numerous public information requests served to the Texas Department of Public Safety in connection to the Uvalde mass shooting.
The letter states that exemptions to the Public Information Act claimed by DPS to withhold information from the response in Uvalde do not apply to the previous requests made.
Multiple media outlets have filed requests seeking:
- Recordings of 911 calls, radio traffic, computer-aided dispatch (CAD) transmissions and other phone calls reporting and responding to the incident at Robb Elementary;
- Recordings of body camera footage and dashboard camera footage from responding officers,
- Surveillance footage from inside Robb Elementary;
- Timelines, interview records, notes and other materials collected or maintained by DPS;
- Incident reports, toxicology reports, ballistic reports and other reports;
- Lists of DPS personnel who responded to Robb Elementary, including ranks, positions, titles and years of service.
"As explained in detail below, we believe that the exceptions claimed by DPS do not apply to the Requests. The public has already received selective access to much of the information at issue, and, as a result, DPS is required to release that information to all Requestors," the letter reads.
The group sending the letter includes NBC News, The New York Times Company, Gannett, Univision, the Texas Tribune and others. Eleven TEGNA stations are also part of the group, including KVUE-TV, KHOU-TV in Houston, WFAA-TV in Dallas and KENS-TV in San Antonio.
Read the full letter here.
MORE ON THE UVALDE SHOOTING:
- Uvalde sheriff says he will testify to Texas House committee about Robb shooting response
- Uvalde mom who ran into school to save kids says police are harassing her for speaking out
- Report shows three missed opportunities to slow Uvalde school shooter
- Gov. Abbott asked to remove head of Uvalde's victim assistance center 'after numerous complaints'
- After Uvalde shooting, Texas leaders will spend more than $100 million on school safety, mental health | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/special-reports/uvalde-school-shooting/kvue-media-alliance-information-texas-dps-uvalde-mass-shooting/269-372c2cce-d745-4ea7-93da-849fe0b8d62f | 2022-07-08 11:57:04 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/special-reports/uvalde-school-shooting/kvue-media-alliance-information-texas-dps-uvalde-mass-shooting/269-372c2cce-d745-4ea7-93da-849fe0b8d62f |
WASHINGTON (AP) — In fallout from the debt ceiling deal, Speaker Kevin McCarthy is suddenly confronting a new threat to his power as angry hard-right conservatives bring the House chamber to a halt, reviving their displeasure over the compromise struck with President Joe Biden and demanding deeper spending cuts ahead.
Barely a dozen Republicans, mainly members of the House Freedom Caucus, shuttered House business for a second day Thursday in protest of McCarthy’s leadership. Routine votes could not be taken, and a pair of pro-gas stove bills important to GOP activists stalled out. Some lawmakers asked if they could simply go home.
McCarthy brushed off the disruption as healthy political debate, part of his “risk taker” way of being a leader — not too different, he said, from the 15-vote spectacle it took in January for him to finally convince his colleagues to elect him as speaker. With a paper-thin GOP majority, any few Republicans have outsized sway.
But the aftermath of the debt ceiling deal is coming into focus: The hard-right flank that helped put the speaker in power five months ago is not done with McCarthy yet.
“I enjoy this conflict,” the speaker bantered Wednesday at the Capitol, saying he feels like Goldilocks being pushed from all sides. “Conflict makes you stronger if you deal with it.”
At its core, the standoff between the House conservatives and the speaker revolves around the budget levels McCarthy agreed to in the debt-ceiling bill with Biden that the right flank of his conference strenuously opposed. The agreement restricted spending, but not as much as the Freedom Caucus and others demanded. Unable to stop the debt bill’s passage last week, the conservatives are now digging in and preparing for a longer fight to prevent it from taking hold.
It’s all setting the stage for a potentially disastrous showdown ahead, when Congress will need to pass spending bills to fund the government at the levels set by the McCarthy-Biden debt package, or risk a shutdown in federal government operations when the new fiscal year starts Oct. 1.
The test will likely come even sooner, this summer, when the Biden administration is expected to ask Congress to approve supplemental funding for Ukraine to fight the war against Russia. It’s an issue that splits the Republicans between those who want to cut budgets and those insisting on a strong military.
Aligning with the defense hawks, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell raised his own concerns Wednesday about the cap on military spending: “I’m not sure at this point how to fix it, but it’s a problem, a serious problem.”
While the conservatives have aired a long list of grievances, the debt deal looms largest.
The McCarthy-Biden compromise set overall federal budget caps — holding spending flat for 2024, and with a 1% growth for 2025 — and Congress still needs to pass appropriations bills to fund the various federal agencies at the agreed-to amounts. That’s typically done by Oct. 1. After Biden signed the debt deal into law last weekend, lawmakers have been fast at work on the agency-spending bills ahead of votes this summer to meet the deadline.
Not only did the conservatives object to the deal with Biden as insufficient, they claim it violated the terms of an agreement they had reached with McCarthy to roll back spending even further, to 2022 levels, to make him speaker.
“There was an agreement in January,” Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., told reporters after he left the speaker’s office Wednesday morning. “And it was violated in the debt-ceiling bill.”
McCarthy insists the agreement he made during the speakers race to roll back spending to 2022 was not a guaranteed outcome, only a goal. Besides, the debt deal has a provision that would automatically return spending to the 2022 level if Congress fails to put in place all the funding bills by January.
“We never promised we’re going to be all at ‘22 levels —I said we would strive to get to the ’22 level or the equivalent amount,” McCarthy said Wednesday. “We’ve met all that criteria.”
McCarthy also said he’s not opposed to more funding for Ukraine, but he wants to see exactly what’s needed rather than simply agree to undoing the spending caps that he negotiated with Biden and that were just signed into law.
Democrats watching the fallout from the debt-ceiling deal are mindful of the challenges ahead.
“I think it’s going to be tough,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.
“You’ve got a whole bunch of people who want to cut back,” she said of the Republicans. “Potentially they could hold up appropriations.”
If Congress fails to pass the spending bills by fall it risks a federal government shutdown — an outcome conservatives have forced multiple times before, starting in the Clinton era when then-Speaker Newt Gingrich led the House into a budget standoff, and again in 2013 when conservatives shut down the government as they tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
The longest federal shutdown in history was during the Trump era when Congress refused his demands for money to build the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico.
For now, McCarthy and his leadership team need to just figure out how to bring the House chamber back into session.
“This is insane,” said Republican Rep. Steve Womack of Arkansas. “This is not the way a governing majority is expected to behave, and frankly, I think there will be a political cost to it.”
The bills on tap this week were not the most pressing on the agenda, but are popular among Republicans and carry important political messages even if they have no chance of becoming law.
Among them is a pair of bills related to gas stoves, including one that would prohibit the use of federal funds to regulate gas stoves as a hazardous product.
House action came to a sudden halt midday Tuesday when the band of conservatives refused to support a routine procedural vote to set the rules schedule for the day’s debate. It was the first time in some 20 years a routine rules vote was defeated.
___
Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Stephen Groves, Mary Clare Jalonick and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report. | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/gop-conservatives-shutter-house-to-protest-mccarthy-biden-debt-deal-setting-up-next-budget-brawl/ | 2023-06-08 02:20:09 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/gop-conservatives-shutter-house-to-protest-mccarthy-biden-debt-deal-setting-up-next-budget-brawl/ |
The San Francisco 49ers made a big addition to their stellar defense, agreeing to a four-year, $84 million contract with star defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.
A person familiar with the deal said the sides reached agreement on Monday on the first day teams were allowed to negotiate with free agents from other teams. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract can't be finalized until the start of the league year on Wednesday.
The deal with Hargrave included $40 million in guarantees and gives the Niners a top interior pass rusher to team with AP Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa on the edge.
The 30-year-old Hargrave is coming off his most productive season in seven years as a pro with a career-high 11 sacks that helped Philadelphia beat San Francisco in the NFC title game and reach the Super Bowl.
Hargrave ranked fourth among all interior pass rushers with 57 quarterback pressures last season, according to Pro Football Focus, and provides a big upgrade on one of the few weak spots on San Francisco's defense that was ranked first in the NFL.
Arik Armstead led the Niners interior rushers with 20 pressures last regular season but had no sacks in nine games.
The 49ers had been hoping for 2020 first-round pick Javon Kinlaw to anchor their interior after trading away star DeForest Buckner following the 2019 season.
But Kinlaw has been slowed by knee injuries that have limited him to 24 games in three seasons and has been ineffective when he played. Kinlaw has 1 1/2 career sacks and was repeatedly pushed around by the Eagles line in the NFC title game loss.
Hargrave has been far more effective over his career since being drafted in the third round by Pittsburgh in 2016. He had 14 1/2 sacks in four seasons with the Steelers and stepped up his game after signing as a free agent with Philadelphia in 2020.
Hargarve has 11 pressures and 18 1/2 sacks the past two regular seasons for the Eagles.
The Niners also kept one of their own defensive lineman, agreeing to a one-year deal with Kevin Givens, who was eligible to be a restricted free agent.
Givens originally signed with the Niners as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He played 40 games with 12 starts with San Francisco, recording 57 tackles and three sacks. He had 20 tackles and two sacks in 13 games last season.
___
AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/ap-source-49ers-agree-to-deal-with-javon-hargrave-17837019.php | 2023-03-13 20:35:08 | 1 | https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/ap-source-49ers-agree-to-deal-with-javon-hargrave-17837019.php |
BOONEVILLE • The Baptist Student Union (BSU) at Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville is slowly returning to life as the fall semester gets underway. Between classes, new students wander in, looking a bit sheepish.
Longtime BSU director Wayne Vandiver is there to welcome newcomers and help them feel more at home. Now in his 27th year at Northeast, Vandiver is nearing the 40-year mark as a campus pastor.
“I’ll be 65 in September,” Vandiver said. “I was at Itawamba for 11 years before I came here. I want to finish out next year so I can go out on 40 years, if the Lord will let me.”
With a thick head of hair and an unlined face, it looks as if the years have been kind to Vandiver. He said people frequently tell him he looks far younger than his age.
“Maybe it’s from hanging around with college students all these years,” he said with a chuckle.
Hanging out is an important skill for a campus pastor, Vandiver said. Although there’s paperwork that goes along with the job, Vandiver said he tries to remain as visible as possible.
It’s an important part of his job, making students feel comfortable being around their campus pastor.
“I try not to be hidden away in my office,” Vandiver said. “I like to be out front, playing ping-pong or just hanging out.”
With hungry students always around, being a cook comes in handy as well. Every Wednesday and Thursday, he’ll host a luncheon for students.
For these weekly meals, he’ll recruit a bit of help.
“I’ll cook something, and women from the Baptist churches in a five-county area will bring homemade desserts,” he said. “We also do a breakfast devotional on Tuesdays.”
But the proper work of campus ministry isn’t feeding the stomach, but the soul.
“We have a Bible study on Tuesday nights,” he said. “And we have a lot of student-led groups that meet in the dorms. I also do a lot of one-on-one time just talking with students about what the Lord is doing in their lives and whatever is going on with them.”
In his nearly 40 years of experience, Vandiver said he sees a troubling change in students these days. Their social skills aren’t what they should be.
“They’ll come in and just sit there staring at their phones,” Vandiver said. “If a new person is across the room, they won’t go over and introduce themselves unless I make them.”
As someone who sees his role as helping young people develop both emotionally and spiritually, that’s concerning to Vandiver.
While he loves to see students trickling back into the BSU as the semester begins, Vandiver said he likes to make connections with students on campus as well.
“I’m on campus a lot,” he said. “I walk around and hand out stuff about the BSU. When it comes to conversations about the Lord and how to get saved, they’re not gonna come to you; you have to go out and strike up those conversations on campus.”
Even though he looks much younger than his nearly 65 years, kids at the BSU still see Vandiver as a father-like, or even grandfather-like, figure.
That’s just fine by Vandiver.
I used to be ‘Brother Wayne,’ but to this generation I’m ‘Mister Wayne,’” he said. “They started saying ‘Yes, sir,’ to me when I was about 30. Now they see me as a kind of grandfather figure.”
The way Vandiver sees it, age doesn’t make much difference as long as you really care.
“Most students value anyone who really cares about them and wants to make a difference in their life, regardless of age,” he said. “The older you are, the more experience you have at this thing called life. If you’ll pay attention, you can learn from their mistakes instead of making them yourself.”
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Error! There was an error processing your request. | https://www.djournal.com/lifestyle/religion/northeast-mississippi-community-college-bsu-director-wayne-vandiver-helps-guide-students-through-college-life/article_4ad23de0-704f-534f-83a9-0675440d43e4.html | 2022-08-19 10:00:08 | 0 | https://www.djournal.com/lifestyle/religion/northeast-mississippi-community-college-bsu-director-wayne-vandiver-helps-guide-students-through-college-life/article_4ad23de0-704f-534f-83a9-0675440d43e4.html |
H2U applies world's fastest catalyst-discovery capability to new Iridium-free electrolyzer designs
LOS ANGELES, June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- H2U Technologies, Inc. (H2U), the developer of new energy technologies to produce green hydrogen, today appointed clean energy veteran Tom Werner as Chairman of the Board. Werner spent 18 years on the front lines of the solar revolution as CEO of SunPower, and has more than 25 years of experience leading disruptive technology and energy organizations.
"Tom is an excellent fit to lead our Board as we advance into the commercialization phase of H2U's unique technology," said Mark McGough, CEO and President of H2U Technologies. "As the demand for green hydrogen accelerates, H2U electrolyzer designs will solve an important problem, by producing low-cost hydrogen without the need for rare and expensive iridium catalysts. This is new technology, and Tom and I both have extensive experience in commercializing new energy technologies."
Before joining SunPower, Werner was CEO at Silicon Light Machines, Inc., and VP and general manager of the Business Connectivity Group of 3Com Corp. Werner also serves on the boards of Wolfspeed Inc., Addenerrgie, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and the University of Wisconsin College of Engineering Industrial Advisory Board, and the Marquette University Board of Trustees.
H2U is developing technologies that dramatically reduce the cost of green hydrogen, accelerating the species-changing movement of clean energy production.
"With hydrogen gaining momentum as the next fast-developing clean energy market, H2U's electrolyzer designs are uniquely positioned to reduce the cost and enable the scaling of green hydrogen," said Werner, chairman of H2U. "My experience at SunPower, where we pioneered and scaled the industry's highest efficiency solar products, is directly applicable to H2U's commercialization roadmap."
H2U Technologies is a developer of new catalysts used for the electrolysis of water into hydrogen. The company also develops PEM electrolyzers using these catalysts. The technology underpinning H2U Technologies' products is based on 10 years of research and development at Caltech, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. For more information, visit h2utechnologies.com.
Contact:
Michelle Moody
michelle@moodypr.com
+1.214.363.3460
View original content:
SOURCE H2U Technologies, Inc. | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/06/08/cleantech-expert-tom-werner-named-chairman-h2u-company-advances-commercialization-new-green-hydrogen-technology/ | 2022-06-08 17:11:58 | 0 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/06/08/cleantech-expert-tom-werner-named-chairman-h2u-company-advances-commercialization-new-green-hydrogen-technology/ |
DHS shuts down disinformation board
WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Department of Homeland Security’s disinformation board has officially been disbanded.
The board was originally intended to coordinate the department’s activities related to fighting disinformation aimed at the U.S. public.
However, intense Republican-led backlash forced it to be put on hold back in May.
Nina Jankowicz, an expert on Russian disinformation, resigned at that time because the future of the board seemed uncertain.
GOP lawmakers accused her of being biased because of her past tweets on Hunter Biden’s laptop and the discredited Steele dossier.
Even though the board no longer exists, DHS officials said they will continue the fight against disinformation that undermines America’s security.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/2022/08/25/dhs-shuts-down-disinformation-board/ | 2022-08-25 14:24:31 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/2022/08/25/dhs-shuts-down-disinformation-board/ |
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The city of Philadelphia issued an apology Thursday for the unethical medical experiments performed on mostly Black inmates at its Holmesburg Prison from the 1950s through the 1970s.
The move comes after community activists and families of some of those inmates raised the need for a formal apology. It also follows a string of apologies from various U.S. cities over historically racist policies or wrongdoing in the wake of the nationwide racial reckoning after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.
The city allowed University of Pennsylvania researcher Dr. Albert Kligman to conduct the dermatological, biochemical and pharmaceutical experiments that intentionally exposed about 300 inmates to viruses, fungus, asbestos and chemical agents including dioxin — a component of Agent Orange. The vast majority of Kligman’s experiments were performed on Black men, many of whom were awaiting trial and trying to save money for bail, and many of whom were illiterate, the city said.
Kligman, who would go on to pioneer the acne and wrinkle treatment Retin-A, died in 2010. Many of the former inmates would have lifelong scars and health issues from the experiments. A group of the inmates filed a lawsuit against the university and Kligman in 2000 that was ultimately thrown out because of a statute of limitations.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said in the apology that the experiments exploited a vulnerable population and the impact of that medical racism has extended for generations.
“Without excuse, we formally and officially extend a sincere apology to those who were subjected to this inhumane and horrific abuse. We are also sorry it took far too long to hear these words,” Kenney wrote.
Last year, the University of Pennsylvania issued a formal apology and took Kligman’s name off some honorifics like an annual lecture series and professorship. The university also directed research funds to fellows focused on dermatological issues in people of color. | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-philadelphia-apologizes-for-experiments-on-black-inmates/ | 2022-10-07 02:36:06 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-philadelphia-apologizes-for-experiments-on-black-inmates/ |
President Joe Biden made clear in his State of the Union address last month that as the U.S. spends billions of dollars on new broadband connections, “we’re going to buy American.”
But that aspiration is easier said than done. While there seems to be enough domestic fiber-optic cable to connect communities, the electronic components such as routers that transform glass strands into data highways are made mainly in other countries.
Cable providers, chip makers and wireless carriers are pleading for relief from the requirement to “buy American,” saying they can’t build new networks without foreign electronics. Otherwise the broadband buildup that Biden has set as a priority will be delayed by years as domestic sources are developed.
“Everybody’s sorting this out,” said Michael Romano, executive vice president of NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association, a trade group.
“It’s not clear there’s much, if any, American equipment that would satisfy Build America Buy America as it stands today.”
The Build America Buy America Act was enacted as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021, and requires any infrastructure projects to use domestically sourced materials to receive federal assistance.
That applies to the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program (BEAD), the flagship Biden initiative for building new networks to connect the 30 million Americans the administration estimates are without fast internet service.
Broadband has been seen as a necessity nearly on par with electricity or water since the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered schools and offices, making a fast internet connection a prerequisite for education and work for millions of people. Biden has estimated that 35% of rural America still doesn’t have access, placing a huge disadvantage on a large swathe of the population.
Congress and the administration have adopted or enlarged a passel of programs totaling more than $90 billion to extend internet service, including the BEAD program that backers call a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure all Americans are connected.
The BEAD program would offer subsidies to companies that in turn build networks to reach more households. Recipients of aid are expected to include smaller providers represented by the likes of Romano’s NTCA, as well as major cable companies such as Comcast and Charter Communications, and carriers AT&T and Verizon Communications.
Biden has pushed to focus federal government spending on American products since his first cabinet meeting in 2021, saying that would bolster jobs and support communities. At the same time he is confronting a trade imbalance in manufactured communications electronics, which are concentrated in Asia. Gear needed for broadband networks include wireless radios, cell towers, active electronics such as customer equipment, and switches, routers and user terminals, much of which is manufactured outside the U.S.
Administration officials have offered mixed signals on the possibility of issuing waivers for those products.
“The bar has been set very high,” said Alan Davidson, administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The Commerce Department branch oversees several broadband programs including BEAD. “It’s not an impossibly high bar, but it’s a high bar,” Davidson said at a March 15 event in Washington.
Still, the agency is set to issue a waiver for another broadband subsidy, the $1 billion Middle Mile Grant Program that helps fund lines between local networks, said a Commerce Department official briefed on the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the action isn’t final. The waiver is justified, the agency has noted, since the fiber optic cable is assembled in Mexico, while about two-thirds of the value in network devices is derived from components sourced from Asia.
Companies need to be assured they will get permission to buy foreign electronics before they’ll break ground to lay new broadband lines, said Dave Stehlin, chief executive officer of the Telecommunications Industry Association. Members of the trade group include chipmakers Cisco Systems and Qualcomm, Nokia Oyj and Ericsson.
“A waiver has to be in place by then,” Stehlin said in an interview. “No service provider’s is going to dig a hole, lay a fiber cable, and hope and pray as they wait for the electronics. They’re going to wait until they have everything lined up. So the longer we wait, the longer it is before these unserved and underserved people actually have broadband.”
Most of the value of new broadband networks lies in the labor and materials such as fiber and towers, with electronics making up less than 10% of network value, according to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, or ITIF, a nonprofit policy group.
That means spending will go largely into U.S. paychecks and ledgers, regardless of the source of electronics, said Joe Kane, ITIF’s director of broadband and spectrum policy.
“You’re going to get a lot of the benefit of Build America provisions even if you allow waivers,” Kane said in an interview. “It’s not as if we’re saying, ‘Oh we’re going to ship all the BEAD money overseas.’” | https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/biden-broadband-plan-runs-headlong-into-buy-america-mandate/article_acbc6498-29e0-5ddc-ade1-45b33439d0ee.html | 2023-03-27 01:32:25 | 1 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/biden-broadband-plan-runs-headlong-into-buy-america-mandate/article_acbc6498-29e0-5ddc-ade1-45b33439d0ee.html |
Benefit dinner for Bob Stowe's cancer battle set in Sebring
BELOIT − Bob Stowe saved and planned for a retirement full of hunting and fishing trips, enjoying the family farm and sharing with his family.
The 68-year-old Beloit man, a graduate of McKinley High School in Sebring, finally took the chance to set his plans in motion and retired in late August.
Stowe left the oil industry, having inspected wells for 30 plus years. "He had it all planned," his wife, Carolyn, said this week.
Five months later, a benefit dinner for Bob Stowe is planned from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Almost Home Event Center in Sebring to help defray medical costs.
Stowe has Stage 4 lung cancer.
His wife and daughters, Courtney and Katie, shared his story and their family's journey to help "the man in their lives" battle this disease.
Fighting for more time
Shortly after he retired, Stowe developed a cough that worsened. He had trouble breathing and was flown by helicopter to University Hospital in Cleveland.
There, his family said doctors discovered the cancer and started chemotherapy. He was in the hospital for a month before Stowe returned home for outpatient care.
He has chemotherapy three times a week, every three weeks, at Salem Regional Medical Center. Carolyn Stowe quit her job to care for him.
"He has not been able to work or enjoy any part of his retirement," Courtney Stowe, 31, said. "It's just been very hard."
Her sister, Katie Stowe, 24, said the benefit will help defray chemotherapy and other medical expenses not covered by Medicare.
Tickets cost $10 for adult and $6 for kids. The event, a spaghetti dinner, will include raffle baskets and 50/50 raffles. At least 250 tickets already have been sold.
"It's very humbling to see how many people have reached out and helped," Courtney Stowe said.
Everyone knows the Stowes
Most people in the Sebring and Beloit areas know the Stowe family. They're the kind of folks that are active in the community, and who make friends easily.
"Our girls never stood a chance of getting away with anything," Carolyn Stowe said with a chuckle.
Their father's diagnosis has been difficult for the young women.
"My dad, in my and my sister's eyes, is our hero. We look up to him so much," said Katie Stowe, who organized the benefit dinner. "It's very emotional."
Courtney Stowe added: "He's been a big mentor to us. He showed us to work hard, to be the best and be good to people. He's always been with us racing."
They followed their father's footsteps into drag racing, competing in the junior circuit from ages 8 to 18. He also taught them to hunt and fish.
"He's always been kind of the big supporter, the man in our life, really," Courtney Stowe said.
'He's been a trooper.'
Carolyn Stowe said her husband has good and bad moments, as does she. The girls do too. All of this was unexpected and has been stressful.
"Cancer didn't run in his family," Carolyn Stowe said.
Courtney Stowe added: "It is hard to watch him and see the decline of his health."
Like others facing a similar situation, they hope and pray for more time. "He's been a trooper," Carolyn Stowe said.
Bob Stowe was not interviewed for this story.
Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com. Follow on Twitter @bduerREP.
Please box:
Spaghetti Benefit Dinner for Bob Stowe
Where: Almost Home Event Center, 230 S. 12th St., Sebring
When: Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023
Time: 4 to 7 p.m.
Ticket prices: $10 adults and $6 kids; raffles and more | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2023/01/26/benefit-dinner-stowe-beloit-sebring-cancer-ohio/69839730007/ | 2023-01-26 13:48:41 | 1 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2023/01/26/benefit-dinner-stowe-beloit-sebring-cancer-ohio/69839730007/ |
This month voters elected Gustavo Petro — the nation's first leftist president. His running mate Francia Marquez also broke barriers when she became South America's first Black vice president.
Copyright 2022 NPR
This month voters elected Gustavo Petro — the nation's first leftist president. His running mate Francia Marquez also broke barriers when she became South America's first Black vice president.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wbaa.org/2022-07-01/after-electrifying-colombian-voters-francia-marquez-makes-history | 2022-07-01 10:13:21 | 1 | https://www.wbaa.org/2022-07-01/after-electrifying-colombian-voters-francia-marquez-makes-history |
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Even with 1.4 billion people, China can’t find 11 solid soccer players.
China is missing out on the World Cup again despite spending millions — probably billions — to develop the game, a reported priority of Xi Jinping, the all-powerful general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party.
To underline the humiliation, smaller neighbors Japan and South Korea have had sustained success with high-profile players scattered across Europe. Among them, South Korea forward Son Heung-min, who has become one of the world's best scorers at English club Tottenham.
China’s abysmal record is startling, particularly compared to the Summer and Winter Olympics, where it’s always near, or atop, the medal table.
China has played only once in the World Cup, and that was in 2002 when it lost all three games and failed to score a single goal. The appearance, however, was monumental. Bora Milutinovic, who coached the national team, was affectionately called “Milu” and treated like a national hero.
“China is bigger than most things, so China is used to doing things on its own terms,” said Cameron Wilson, a British journalist who has lived in China for almost two decades and is the founding editor of the website “Wild East Football.”
“Football is one of the few things in the world that is bigger than China,” Wilson told The Associated Press. "And I think that is where the problem comes in because they are not able to make the fundamental changes that are necessary.”
A year ago on the website, Wilson wrote about China's top-down bureaucratic system and how it has hindered soccer's development — both for the national team and its failing domestic league, the Chinese Super League.
“In short — Chinese football is simply not about football. It’s about politics, business, and self-interest,” Wilson wrote. “These things are of course far from absent elsewhere. But in China they are all-dominating, because the ecosystem ... is not designed for passion and love for anything not related to the bottom line.”
Wilson puts part of the blame on China's “hyper-competitive society” where soccer is a low priority for kids faced with mounds of homework who live in dense urban areas with few soccer fields, and little time to play. It's also an activity largely out of the mainstream, which is a disadvantage in a conformist society like China.
Wilson noted that countries like the United States, Japan and South Korea are also non-traditional soccer nations, but they have developed strong domestic leagues. China has not. The Super League has long been filled with corruption, splurges of spending, a carousel of changing coaches, and money interests and sponsors put ahead of the soccer.
China's zero-COVID policy has basically shut down the league, which has wasted millions on foreign coaches and aging foreign players who have used the league as a holiday destination.
In 2016, Argentine striker Carlos Tevez signed a two-year deal for $40 million with Shanghai Shenhua. He scored only four goals and eventually returned to his boyhood club in Buenos Aires, Boca Juniors. He was quoted in Argentina calling his stay in Shanghai his “China vacation.”
Wilson noted that the Chinese soccer association — the body that runs the sport in China — is an arm of the government and does not operate independently as similar bodies do in England or elsewhere. It's part of the General Administration of Sport, a government agency.
“The evidence is extremely strong that a successful domestic league is a strong component of a national team,” Wilson told the AP.
In the FIFA rankings in August, China was No. 78 — one ahead of the tiny African nation of Gabon, and just behind central Asian nation Uzbekistan.
“FIFA rules stipulate very clear that football associations should be run free of political interference," Wilson said. "The people who are running football in China are not football people. They're politicians and administrators who do not understand the ethos of the game.”
Wilson used the example of Chinese player Wu Lei, who played for several seasons in Spain with Espanyol. He’s also been a standout on the national team.
“There are players who are pretty decent like Wu Lei," Wilson said. "He wasn’t amazing but he showed he had the ability to play at that level.”
So there is hope.
China's population and state-run training academies have been used to produce swimmers, divers, volleyball and basketball players, gymnasts, table tennis players and more. The list is long. But soccer does not seem to fit into the development model.
“There are 1.4 billion people, but hardly anybody plays football,” Wilson said. “It's a tiny proportion of the population. So that takes away the population advantage.
“The Chinese think they have some special advantage because they can and control resources in a way that other countries can't,” Wilson added. “But it's not working out that way. They put all their eggs in one basket, and they keep dropping the basket.”
___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.ourmidland.com/sports/article/China-a-country-of-1-4-billion-again-misses-17563971.php | 2022-11-07 15:49:27 | 1 | https://www.ourmidland.com/sports/article/China-a-country-of-1-4-billion-again-misses-17563971.php |
ATLANTA, June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Progress Learning, LLC, a leading nationwide provider of online K-12 standards-aligned learning solutions, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Horizon Education, LLC, a provider of postsecondary readiness programs aimed at helping high school students prepare for graduation and college entrance exams, including the SAT, PSAT, ACT, and PreACT.
This acquisition comes on the heels of the integration and merger of USATestprep, an online platform for grades 3-12 standards-aligned learning tools, and Education Galaxy, an online learning solutions provider for K-8 e-learning programs, to create Progress Learning, LLC. With the addition of Horizon Education, Progress Learning is further establishing itself as a premier standards-aligned content solution across every grade level, from kindergarten to elementary school, middle school, and high school.
The acquisition upgrades Progress Learning's high school experience. In more than 20 states across the country, the SAT and ACT are not just considered college entrance exams; they're also used as required summative assessments for high school graduation. Unlike other SAT/ACT preparation tools sold directly to consumers, Horizon Education partners directly with high schools to equip students with the resources they need to master these exams.
Horizon Education will become the fifth product in the Progress Learning suite of education tools, which now includes Progress Learning Elementary School, Liftoff for Adaptive Intervention, Progress Learning Middle School, Progress Learning High School, and Horizon Education.
"We're thrilled to bring Horizon Education on board our K-12 solution," said Will Clemens, Chief Executive Officer of Progress Learning. "In 2020, we identified the best elementary education solution in Education Galaxy, and now, we're adding the best college preparation solution, Horizon Education, to our leading middle and high school product. These integrations will allow Progress Learning to be a first-in-class solution for all students, no matter whether they're just entering kindergarten or thinking about life after high school."
The strategic partnership allows Progress Learning to continue offering the best products from experts in their respective fields. Founded in 2013, Dustin Bainbridge created Horizon Education after leveraging years of test preparation experience at the Princeton Review. Serving students through their high schools across 25 states, Horizon Education is committed to college readiness for all students, regardless of socioeconomic status. They provide equitable access and resources to students, families, and educators by partnering with districts and schools. Their powerful solutions and professional development tools help educators measure and analyze growth over time with diagnostic PSAT, SAT, PreACT, and ACT-aligned assessments, including detailed score reports and analysis.
"Our missions at Horizon Education and Progress Learning are perfectly aligned, which is why we couldn't be more pleased to join their family of products," said Dustin Bainbridge, CEO of Horizon Education. "We have always believed that education is a civil right and the cornerstone to our democracy, and as part of Progress Learning, we will continue to help students pave the way toward success on their postsecondary path."
Progress Learning provides a comprehensive, standards-aligned instructional resource and content solution for grades K-12. Bringing over 30 years of combined education and classroom experience, Progress Learning has transformed the teaching and learning experience for thousands of school districts and millions of students by providing innovative, high-quality, tech-enabled education solutions, progress monitoring, and standards-aligned content created by veteran classroom teachers. Progress Learning has served more than 4 million students per year in 4,000 school districts nationwide across 50 states. More information can be found at progresslearning.com.
Progress Learning Locations:
Dallas Office
2201 N Central Expy #121
Richardson, TX 75080
Phone: 1-844-542-5299
Media Contacts:
Progress Learning
Name: Nancy Rothman
Title: VP, Marketing
Email: nancy@progresslearning.com
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SOURCE Progress Learning | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/progress-learning-acquires-horizon-education-strengthen-enhance-college-test-prep-offering/ | 2022-06-23 16:25:42 | 0 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/progress-learning-acquires-horizon-education-strengthen-enhance-college-test-prep-offering/ |
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden elevated CIA Director William Burns to his Cabinet on Friday, a symbolic move that underscores the intelligence chief's influence and his work in U.S. support for Ukraine.
In a statement, Biden said Burns had “harnessed intelligence to give our country a critical strategic advantage" and credited his “clear, straightforward analysis that prioritizes the safety and security of the American people.”
Burns has been a central figure in the Biden administration, particularly in the White House strategy to declassify intelligence findings that Russia was intending to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A career diplomat and former ambassador to Russia, Burns was sent to Moscow months before the war to warn Russian President Vladimir Putin of Washington's analysis.
In the nearly 18 months since Putin invaded, the U.S. has provided intelligence support to Ukraine along with weapons and ammunition. Burns has gone to Kyiv repeatedly to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He was also sent in November 2022 to warn Russia not to use nuclear weapons in the conflict.
Burns is known to meet with Biden regularly and often briefs him directly on Ukraine and other world issues. As a Cabinet member, he will serve alongside Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, whose office sets direction for the CIA and other members of the U.S. intelligence community.
“The President’s announcement today recognizes the essential contributions to national security the Central Intelligence Agency makes every day, and reflects his confidence in our work,” Burns said in a statement. “I am honored to serve in this role, representing the tremendous work of our intelligence officers.”
Not all administrations have had top intelligence officials in their Cabinet. Former President Donald Trump included his directors of national intelligence and CIA directors. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/nation-world/biden-cabinet-cia-director-william-burns/507-36497c06-45cc-4258-89ae-4f6e833f5122 | 2023-07-21 23:18:56 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/nation-world/biden-cabinet-cia-director-william-burns/507-36497c06-45cc-4258-89ae-4f6e833f5122 |
The hot streak didn’t make the trip to California.
After reeling off three wins in a row, including the first two games of Pac-12 Conference play, the win streak of the Colorado women’s lacrosse team ended on Friday at USC, as the 18th-ranked Trojans posted a 17-13 victory at McAlister Field.
CU fell to 3-5 overall and 2-1 in the Pac-12. The Buffaloes also fell to 1-7 all-time in road games at USC.
“The things that made the difference today were in our control, and we didn’t execute in those moments,” CU head coach Ann Elliott Whidden said. “We have to be confident enough in ourselves to accept that, learn from that, and be more prepared for the next moment.”
The Buffs scored the first two goals of the match and stayed close early, and the contest remained tied at 6-6 midway through the second quarter. The Trojans took control from there, scoring the next four goals and eight of the next nine, taking a 16-8 lead into the fourth quarter.
Elliott Whidden swapped goalies at halftime, sending Danielle Heintz to the field in the second half, but the Buffs were outscored 4-1 in the third quarter. CU outscored the host Trojans 5-1 in the fourth, but it wasn’t nearly enough to make up the deficit.
Charlie Rudy scored four goals for the Buffs, while Ashley Stokes added three goals and an assist. USC (7-2, 2-0 Pac-12) was led by Isabelle Vitale (three goals, four assists) and Ella Heaney (two goals, three assists).
CU’s first Pac-12 road trip of the season continues on Sunday at Arizona State (1 p.m. MT, Pac-12 Mountain).
“Nothing is going to come easy, and at moments, we wanted someone to give us a call, give us a play,” Elliott Whidden said. “That’s not going to happen against a team like USC. We have to earn it. We did in spots, but in the middle of the game, we gave in on little plays and that cost us.
“We have a big turnaround and need the game Sunday. We will get refocused tonight and tomorrow and be ready for that.”
No. 18 USC 17, Colorado 13
CU 3 4 1 5 — 13
USC 4 8 4 1 — 17
Goals — Colorado: Rudy 4, Stokes 3, Pence 2, Zimmerman 2, McGee, Peluso. USC: Brown 3, Vitale 3, Tilton 2, Heaney 2, Shevitz 2, Dora 2, Murphy 2, Ramsay.
Assists — Colorado: Stokes, Halus, McElhaney, Phillips, Peluso, Pence. USC: Vitale 4, Heaney 3, Ramsay, Dora, Murphy.
Goalies (Min.-goals against-saves) — Colorado: Donnelly (30-12-4), Heintz (30-5-2); USC: Devir (60-13-11). | https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/03/24/no-18-usc-ends-cu-buffs-lacrosse-win-streak/ | 2023-03-25 04:28:52 | 0 | https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/03/24/no-18-usc-ends-cu-buffs-lacrosse-win-streak/ |
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (WIVB) – Bills quarterback Josh Allen wouldn’t just give fans the shirt off his back — he’d even give them the cleats off his feet.
Allen was signing autographs after Tuesday’s training camp practice at St. John Fisher University and noticed two young fans didn’t have any Bills gear for him to sign. So, Allen took off his own cleats, signed them, and gave one to each brother.
“Josh Allen wouldn’t let them leave with nothing,” wrote WROC’s Thad Brown, the Sports Director at News 4’s sister station in Rochester, who captured the moment. “So, he took off his cleats and signed them.”
Allen was seen in the accompanying photos standing in white Nike socks after giving away his cleats.
Allen, the Bills’ fifth-year quarterback, has enjoyed a great relationship with fans since being drafted seventh overall in 2018. Fans have donated millions to Buffalo’s Oishei Children’s Hospital in honor of Allen’s late grandmother, Patricia, and a wing at the hospital was named after her in 2021. Allen visited the hospital last week her to see the latest updates, which included new x-ray equipment in the pediatric trauma bay.
For fans, Allen’s generosity Tuesday was just another reason they’re enamored with the Bills’ $258 million quarterback.
“I love this man,” one fan replied.
“How can anyone not like this guy?” another wrote.
While fans often joke that Allen “looks good in shorts,” one summed up the moment nicely Tuesday: “Looks good in socks.” | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/josh-allen-signs-own-cleats-for-fans-without-bills-gear/ | 2022-07-26 22:30:23 | 0 | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/josh-allen-signs-own-cleats-for-fans-without-bills-gear/ |
Russia's war in Ukraine has led to rising energy prices across Europe, which in turn is leading to protests and rising tensions in many parts of the continent.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Russia's war in Ukraine has led to rising energy prices across Europe, which in turn is leading to protests and rising tensions in many parts of the continent.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.kcbx.org/2022-10-25/rising-energy-prices-across-europe-lead-to-protests-in-the-czech-capital-of-prague | 2022-10-25 22:16:26 | 1 | https://www.kcbx.org/2022-10-25/rising-energy-prices-across-europe-lead-to-protests-in-the-czech-capital-of-prague |
Company wins EcoVadis Gold, EPA WasteWise award, listed on the CDP Supplier Engagement Leaderboard and accepted as a U.S. Department of Energy' Better Climate Challenge partner
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Steelcase announced a series of recent awards and recognitions that celebrate the company's commitment to designing products that have less impact on the planet and its work to reduce climate change.
"We're delighted to be recognized both nationally and internationally for the work we've done and progress we continue to make," said Mary Ellen Mika, director of sustainability for Steelcase. "While there's much more to accomplish, hitting these milestones energizes us as we keep to our commitment to limit the impact of climate change through sustainable practices across our business."
EcoVadis, the world's largest and most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, scored Steelcase at a Gold level, placing it in the top four percent of companies assessed globally. The EcoVadis rating is awarded based on the themes of environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. Most notably, the company was recognized for its overall sustainability achievements, including its commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions as approved through the independent Science-Based Targets Initiative. This is the second year Steelcase has been recognized by EcoVadis with a Gold award.
Steelcase also received the EPA's WasteWise Award in the large business category for outstanding leadership in reducing the amount of waste going to landfills and incinerators for disposal. The company was recognized for its commitment to scrap reduction in manufacturing, with a 25% reduction in fiscal year 2022.
Additionally, Steelcase has been recognized on the 2021 CDP Supplier Engagement Leaderboard. The CDP is a not-for-profit organization that runs the global environmental disclosure system for business and local governments. Steelcase was recently recognized in the top eight percent of reporting companies for its work with suppliers to tackle climate change. Additionally, for calendar year 2021, Steelcase received the highest grade among the contract furniture industry for overall environmental transparency and action.
Finally, the U.S. Department of Energy recognized Steelcase as a partner in the Department of Energy's Better Climate Challenge for committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the company by at least 50% within 10 years and to work with the DOE to share successful solutions and decarbonization strategies. As a partner, Steelcase is one of more than 50 organizations across the U.S. economy that are stepping up to the challenge and driving real-world action toward a low-carbon future.
"We believe in protecting our environment in everything we do. Our products and operations are designed around smart material choices, addressing embodied carbon, reducing packaging waste and preparing for a circular economy," continued Mika. "Our commitment to the planet can be seen through real actions, including our work with these great organizations."
In its commitment to transparency of its products and processes, Steelcase recently announced it has the most BIFMA LEVEL-certified products in the contract furniture manufacturing industry. BIFMA LEVEL is a multi-attribute standard that provides a comprehensive approach to measure product materials and chemicals, manufacturing processes and the social responsibility commitments of an organization. Additionally, the company also boasts 283 products listed on the Origin database, the world's largest product material data hub. Those products make up the vast majority of the company's sales, and 86 percent of them can be found on the Mindfulmaterials library, a database for the industry's most sustainable products.
Steelcase creates products that are good for people and good for the world. The company's products and operations are designed around a commitment to reduce climate change, reinforced by sustainable practices across our value chain. Learn more at this Steelcase website.
About Steelcase
Organizations around the world trust Steelcase to help them create places that help people work better, be inspired and accomplish more. The company designs, manufactures and partners with other leading organizations to provide architecture, furniture, and technology solutions – accessible through a network of channels, including over 800 Steelcase dealer locations. Steelcase is a global, industry-leading, and publicly traded company with fiscal year 2022 revenue of $2.8 billion. For more information, visit steelcase.com.
Contact: Chiara Licari
Steelcase, 616.406.6494
clicari@steelcase.com
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The latest Broadway incarnation of To Kill A Mockingbird is touring the country, and now the cast includes a familiar face from the old black-and-white movie.
"Isn't this stunning?" marveled 69-year-old Mary Badham, pausing in the lobby of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., as the show wrapped up its first leg. (As it happens, John F. Kennedy was president in 1962, when Badham was nominated for an Oscar at 10 for playing Scout, the daughter of Atticus Finch, a white small-town Southern lawyer who defends a Black man accused of rape.)
Child stardom was the last thing her family expected for Badham when Hollywood talent agents arrived in her hometown of Birmingham, Ala., searching for kids to play Scout and her older brother, Jem.
"They wanted children with real Southern accents. You can't teach that to a child in Los Angeles," Badham said. She said she got the role of a lifetime because she and Scout were so much alike.
"I was a tomboy, I was mouthy. I was an outdoors kid," she told NPR. "I'd rather be in my jeans and T-shirt than a dress, getting doodied up."
Following the movie's success, Badham appeared in a few small roles, but ended up living a relatively normal offscreen existence. She became a certified nursing assistant, sold makeup and learned to restore art. She married and had two children, one an adoptee from India. Now, she lives on a farm in Virginia and rocks a relaxed, coastal grandmother vibe with long flyaway hair. It was a surprise, she said, to get a call inviting her to New York City to see Aaron Sorkin's adaptation of the play — and do a table read.
"I guess it was an audition," she said, with a smile and a Scout-like shrug.
This spring, Badham joined the national tour playing a minor character who's the exact opposite of Scout Finch. Mrs. Henry Dubose is a racist, morphine-addicted neighbor who's rumored to keep a Confederate pistol under her shawl and mercilessly torments the Finch youngsters.
"Don't you say hey to me, you ugly girl!" she screams in the show. "Jeremy and Jean Louise Finch, you are the sassiest, stupidest mutts that ever passed my way!"
"She's wicked, oh God," Badham sighed. The actor, who had never before performed onstage, said she never feels possessive of the role she originated on screen. After all, she's spent decades attending countless schools and local productions to promote the message of Harper Lee's novel.
"I've seen so many little Scouts, and it's wonderful to see these characters come alive in another body," Badham said. "It's beautiful."
Badham said the character of Scout Finch has something to tell us about America today.
"I think Scout tells us not to give up," she said. "We have to keep after it. This is not a God-given right. We have to work at it if we want this country to survive."
That's been her job since she was little, Badham added. To keep To Kill A Mockingbird's story of progress, equality and democracy vibrantly, exuberantly alive.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wvpublic.org/2022-07-19/scout-from-the-to-kill-a-mockingbird-film-now-plays-the-racist-neighbor-onstage | 2022-07-19 09:51:54 | 1 | https://www.wvpublic.org/2022-07-19/scout-from-the-to-kill-a-mockingbird-film-now-plays-the-racist-neighbor-onstage |
NORTHBROOK, Ill., Sept. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a notification from UL Solutions that the Clean-agent Extinguishing Systems identified below bear unauthorized UL Certification Marks for the United States and are shown in photo 1 below. These Clean-agent Extinguishing Systems have not been evaluated by UL Solutions to the appropriate Safety Standards and it is unknown if they comply with any safety requirements.
Although the Clean-agent Extinguishing Systems are marked with Steel Recon Industries Sdn Bhd's brand name "SRI" and UL Certification No. "EX27164", the Clean-agent Extinguishing Systems were not manufactured by nor are affiliated with Steel Recon Industries Sdn Bhd.
The notice does not cover authorized Extinguishing Systems manufactured by Steel Recon Industries Sdn Bhd shown in photo 2 below. Authorized product can be identified by Steel Recon Industries brand name "SRI" embossed on the valve assembly and is also provided with a solenoid actuator and pressure gauge that both bear a UL Recognized Component Mark. The unauthorized product does not display any of these features.
Name of Product: Clean-agent Extinguishing System Units
Remedy: UL recommends that these products be removed from service.
Identification on the Products:
The Clean-agent Extinguishing Systems bear unauthorized UL Certification Marks and the following:
SR-200
FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM
CLEAN AGENT EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM UNIT
EX27164
SRI
Photos:
1. The Clean-agent Extinguishing Systems bearing unauthorized UL Certification Marks covered by this notice are shown in the photographs below:
For photos please visit ul.com
2. Clean-agent Extinguishing Systems bearing authorized UL Certification Marks, not covered by this notice, are shown in the photographs below and are provided for comparison only:
Location: The Clean-agent Extinguishing Systems bearing unauthorized UL Certification Marks, shown in photo 1 were found in Bangladesh. They may be available in other areas.
A global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions transforms safety, security and sustainability challenges into opportunities for customers in more than 100 countries. UL Solutions delivers testing, inspection and certification services, together with software products and advisory offerings, that support our customers' product innovation and business growth. The UL Certification Marks serve as a recognized symbol of trust in our customers' products and reflect an unwavering commitment to advancing our safety mission. We help our customers innovate, launch new products and services, navigate global markets and complex supply chains and grow sustainably and responsibly into the future. Our science is your advantage.
Release No. 22PN-17
Peyton Zylke
Corporate Communications
UL Solutions
847.226.3483
Peyton.Zylke@ul.com
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GÖTEBORG, Sweden, June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In the latest step on its path toward carbon neutrality, Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) becomes the first manufacturer to deliver a construction machine built using fossil-free steel to a customer. This demonstrates the fast-tracking of innovation to real-world solutions as companies across the value chain come together to drive change.
The A30G articulated hauler built using fossil-free steel was handed over by President of Volvo CE Melker Jernberg to long-standing customer NCC today, 1 June 2022, at a ceremony hosted by LeadIt – the Leadership Group for Industry Transition – in conjunction with the United Nations environmental meeting Stockholm +50. It was attended by John Kerry, US Special Presidential Envoy to Climate and Annika Strandhäll, Swedish Minister for Climate.
The move comes just nine months after the company unveiled the world's first vehicle concept using fossil-free steel, as part of the testing of the implementation in an ordinary production setup. While commercial introduction is expected to be gradual with selected customers, this speedy first handover is an important milestone in the Group's ambition to drive industry transformation towards global climate goals. The A30G is produced at Volvo CE's Braås facility in Sweden, using the existing manufacturing process, with fossil-free steel from Swedish steel company SSAB.
Melker Jernberg says: "We are sure that to succeed in decarbonizing the construction industry, actors in the value chain will need to collaborate and act. Thanks to our strong partnerships with other driven and forward-thinking companies, we are now able to lead the change towards fossil-free construction and be the first to deliver a machine built using fossil-free steel to a customer. Turning commitments into actions is key to building the world we want to live in."
Tomas Carlsson, CEO and President of NCC, says: "NCC has a firm commitment to contribute to sustainable development. We are working determinedly and systematically to reach that target, which includes selecting machines that live up to our high demands. As demonstrated in this great example, it takes strong and proactive partnerships between several players to make the sustainable shift possible."
As part of its Science-Based Targets commitment, Volvo CE is set to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Alongside the electrification of its machines, the company recognizes the importance of reducing its carbon footprint across its entire value chain. This includes the raw materials used in its products, of which steel is a major component. The production using fossil-free steel in Volvo CE's machines and components will be gradual and depend on aspects such as steel availability.
Journalists wanting further information, please contact:
Åsa Alström
Head of Strategic Communications
Volvo Construction Equipment
asa.alstrom@volvo.com
+46700034384
Link to images and film
For more information, please visit www.volvoce.com
For frequent updates, follow us on
Twitter: @VolvoCEGlobal
LinkedIn: @Volvo Construction Equipment
Facebook: @VolvoCEGlobal
Instagram: @VolvoCE
YouTube: @Volvo Construction Equipment
Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) is a leading international manufacturer of premium construction equipment, and with over 14,000 employees, it is one of the largest companies in the industry. Volvo CE offers a wide range of products and services in more than 140 countries through its global distribution network. Volvo CE is part of the Volvo Group. The Volvo Group drives prosperity through transport and infrastructure solutions, offering trucks, buses, construction equipment, power solutions for marine and industrial applications, financing and services that increase our customers' uptime and productivity. Founded in 1927, the Volvo Group is committed to shaping the future landscape of sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions. The Volvo Group is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, employs almost 100.000 people and serves customers in more than 190 markets. In 2020, net sales amounted to about SEK 338 billion (EUR 33.6 billion). Volvo shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.
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SOURCE AB Volvo | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2022/06/01/volvo-ce-first-world-deliver-construction-machine-built-using-fossil-free-steel-customer/ | 2022-06-01 09:47:48 | 0 | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2022/06/01/volvo-ce-first-world-deliver-construction-machine-built-using-fossil-free-steel-customer/ |
Dobbs decision claims one of state's 4 abortion clinics. Here's why and what's next for the doctor.
The building that housed the Affiliated Medical Services' former abortion clinic in Milwaukee is up for sale.
The historic building, located at 1428 N. Farwell Ave., has hosted an abortion clinic for decades, making it a well-known site in the city where abortion rights and anti-abortion activists clashed almost daily as patients sought out the procedure.
But in the months since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization — overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that assured access to abortion nationwide and in Wisconsin — the clinic has been mostly empty.
All abortion clinics in Wisconsin stopped providing services when the Dobbs decision came down June 24, essentially reverting Wisconsin to an 1849 law that bans abortion in all cases except where it is necessary to protect the life of the mother.
Affiliated Medical Services ran one of two Milwaukee abortion clinics. The other was operated by Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, which also had abortion clinics in Madison and Sheboygan.
Dr. Dennis Christensen, CEO of Affiliated Medical Services and a retired OB-GYN, bought the building on Farwell Avenue in 2016 for $736,600, according to city property records. The building was listed for sale in late September for $1 million, according to LoopNet.com.
More:Rockford abortion clinic to open in coming weeks after meeting city's zoning requirements
In the wake of the Dobbs ruling, Affiliated Medical Services offered to help women with ultrasounds and abortion aftercare if they got the procedure in another state. The clinic was also referring women who wanted the procedure to clinics in Minnesota and Illinois.
But the demand for aftercare services was not strong, Christensen said Tuesday, and unlike Planned Parenthood, the clinic did not have other reproductive services that it could pivot to and justify maintaining a physical space.
"People call and they want to talk to the place where they're gonna go to have the abortion procedure," Christensen said. "It wasn't financially viable to maintain an office just to do (referrals and aftercare)."
Christensen's plans for Illinois clinic
Affiliated Medical Services is keeping its Milwaukee phone number active as a resource line for people who are seeking abortion services. Christensen said the plan is to eventually have the phone line run by staff who will be working at an abortion clinic he and other Wisconsin doctors have been trying to open in Rockford, Illinois.
The opening of the Rockford clinic is moving forward slower than anticipated, Christensen said. The doctor purchased two different buildings in Rockford in the wake of the Dobbs decision.
One building, which will first open for services, was caught up in zoning issues that have now been resolved, according to Christensen and the Rockford Register Star.
More:Overwhelmed and uncertain, Milwaukee abortion clinic providers prepare for a post-Roe world
Now, Christensen said, the group is still working through the process of getting a doctor licensed to practice in Illinois. Once that happens, they will be able to start providing medication abortions for people who are at or before the end of the 11th week of pregnancy, he said.
Christensen hesitated to put a date on when the clinic would open, though the Rockford Register Star estimated it could be a matter of weeks if the licenses are approved or the group finds a doctor already licensed in Illinois.
Christensen said he is also working on making the necessary building renovations so the clinic can perform surgical abortions.
"As soon as we have a license for the responsible physician for the clinic, we will start dispensing pills," he said. "We're planning to offer both pill and surgical services. (The building) still has to be renovated for (surgical) use and we are in the process of doing that."
Contact Devi Shastri at 414-224-2193 or DAShastri@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @DeviShastri. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/health/2022/10/19/milwaukee-farwell-avenue-abortion-clinic-building-up-sale-affiliated-medical-services/10533709002/ | 2022-10-19 17:49:05 | 1 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/health/2022/10/19/milwaukee-farwell-avenue-abortion-clinic-building-up-sale-affiliated-medical-services/10533709002/ |
INDIANAPOLIS — A new report on the state of child care in Indiana finds the state is making gains, but trouble is brewing.
Early Learning Indiana updated their “Closing the Gap” report. It measures child care on four values: access, quality, affordability and choice.
“It’s a little bit of good news,” said Maureen Weber, president and CEO of Early Learning Indiana. “We’ve made progress in expanding capacity since our last report.”
The good news is that access and quality are moving up slightly. That means more seats for kids and better learning while they are in child care.
But the shortage of child care workers that started in the pandemic has not gotten any easier. It’s especially hard in Marion County, and that’s having ripple effects in neighboring areas.
“Marion County has kind of pulled the capacity into the center,” said Weber. “It made more sense when people were commuting into Indianapolis.”
The number of child care workers in Marion County is down almost 20% from before the pandemic. That’s pushing up wages for workers in the county and pulling them from surrounding counties. Hendricks and Hancock counties have actually seen a drop in access over the past year.
A shortage of workers is not an easy fix. Weber said there are three main areas where the industry can improve to attract more.
“You might think compensation is a good place to start. We’ve been able to use pandemic relief funds to help with that, but we need more solutions in the long term," Weber said.
Weber said career growth is another problem. As child care workers get more training and better educated, they tend to leave the industry to teach in K-12 schools.
“The average kindergarten teacher makes just over twice what a child care worker makes,” Weber said.
She said the industry needs to do more to give child care workers ways to grow while staying in the field. That means advancement that keeps them in the classroom and compensates them for the work. Early Learning is working with institutions like Ivy Tech to help with this.
“We also have room to grow when it comes to flexibility. Maybe give mom some time off so she can go to her kids games, too,” said Weber.
In the meantime, parents are facing rising child care costs that can put them in a bind. There are government child care subsidies available, but they have strict income guidelines.
“There are many providers, including our Early Learning centers, that offer help even if a parent doesn’t meet those federal aid guidelines,” Weber added.
Weber said parents should just ask providers if help is available.
Finally, there is also the Early Learning Marketplace, to help parents find child care providers with open seats.
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- Completion date for North Split construction threatened by multiple concerns | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/indiana-childcare-access-increases-but-so-do-costs-affordability-quality-choice/531-cebbbd97-7091-4f45-b42e-c2e1969a4cda | 2022-11-04 09:35:51 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/indiana-childcare-access-increases-but-so-do-costs-affordability-quality-choice/531-cebbbd97-7091-4f45-b42e-c2e1969a4cda |
HOUSTON (AP) — Kyle Schwarber stayed near home plate after he had already rounded the bases on what was initially ruled a fair ball. He was about to get another swing, and the slugger launched a long drive again.
Neither of those meaty cuts in the eighth inning Saturday night — which sent balls a total of 756 feet — resulted in a much-needed homer for the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of the World Series as they tried to overcome another five-run deficit.
Following a 5-2 loss to the Houston Astros, the wild-card Phillies go home even in the Fall Classic. They are 5-0 this postseason at Citizens Bank Park, where Game 3 is Monday night.
With a runner at first and no outs, Schwarber pulled reliever Rafael Montero’s 96 mph fastball down the right field line, a towering shot near the pole. The slugger leaned to watch the ball, along with plate umpire Pat Hoberg.
After some initial confusion, Schwarber didn’t even drop his bat and start trotting around the bases until right field umpire James Hoye appeared to signal fair ball.
“I thought, you know, I don’t know — I was like, oh, did they see something I didn’t see?” Schwarber said. “Maybe he thought it nicked (the pole) or something.”
The six umpires then came together to discuss the play. They went to a replay review, which showed the ball barely hooked foul — just as Astros fans in that corner had been signaling since Schwarber sent the 2-2 pitch soaring 403 feet.
“It was close, but it was foul,” Schwarber said.
“Well, it looked foul to me, but the umpire called it fair, and then they got together, called it foul,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “I just went out and I said, `Why don’t we just check it just to make sure it just didn’t clip off the foul pole?’”
When Schwarber got back in the box, he got another 96 mph fastball from Montero. Schwarber hit another deep shot, this one 353 feet and caught by right fielder Kyle Tucker with his back against the wall.
“You don’t see it too often where a guy hits a foul home run and then hits a fair home run,” Thomson said. “But he almost pulled it off. That would have been nice.”
Pinch-hitter Bryson Stott started the eighth by drawing a walk, the fourth inning a row the Phillies got their leadoff runner on base. Only one of them scored.
The Phillies didn’t have two runners on base at the same time until the sixth, after Schwarber walked and Rhys Hoskins singled. They were in the perfect part of their batting order to start another big comeback, too.
Except J.T. Realmuto, whose 10th-inning homer in Game 1 was the difference in a 6-5 win, swung and missed at a 96 mph heater from Astros starter Framber Valdez. Cleanup hitter Bryce Harper grounded into an inning-ending double play on the next pitch.
“I thought he kept us off balance pretty well tonight,” Harper said about Valdez. “We had some opportunities, especially myself, to get something going, but wasn’t able to do that.”
Harper went 0 for 4 with a strikeout and stranded five runners. That ended the NL Championship Series MVP’s postseason hitting streak at 11 games. He had reached base in each of the Phillies’ first 12 postseason games.
The Astros also turned a double play in the fifth after a leadoff single.
Nick Castellanos started the seventh with a double and scored Philadelphia’s first run on a sacrifice fly by Jean Segura right after Valdez came out of the game.
Phillies ace Zack Wheeler was quickly doubled up in his first World Series start. He allowed three doubles on the first four pitches he threw as the Astros jumped ahead 2-0.
The right-hander began the postseason with 11 1/3 scoreless innings and pitched in two Philadelphia wins during the NLCS against San Diego. But he struggled against the Astros, who weren’t going to blow a 5-0 lead for the second night in a row.
Wheeler gave up five runs (four earned) on six hits over five innings. He struck out three and walked three while throwing 41 of 69 pitches for strikes.
An error by shortstop Edmundo Sosa extended the first and allowed a third run to score, then Alex Bregman hit a two-run homer off Wheeler in the fifth.
“He was just a little off. It was a little bit light stuff, and location was a little bit off,” Thomson said. “Should have only given up two runs in the first inning and then Bregman hits a home run. He got behind him, and beat him to the spot.”
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-schwarbers-2-big-swings-went-756-feet-got-phillies-nothing/ | 2022-10-31 00:14:17 | 0 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-schwarbers-2-big-swings-went-756-feet-got-phillies-nothing/ |
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Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder still hasn’t been interviewed for the NFL’s investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against him.
Former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White was hired in February to conduct the investigation and the NFL has promised to release a written report of the findings. The league has said there’s no timeline for White to complete the probe. White also handled the league’s investigation into Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross earlier this year.
“I anticipate at some point that it’ll be scheduled and she’ll meet with him and ask him questions and he’ll answer them,” Commanders legal counsel John Brownlee said on the AP Pro Football Podcast. “He sat for an 11-hour deposition, as you know, before Congress this summer. (He) did a great job, answered every question. ... He’s doing his best to cooperate with all of these things that are going on, and we feel confident that once people kind of learn the actual facts, they’ll realize that these allegations are not true.”
Brownlee indicated Snyder would likely be the last person White would interview for the investigation. The league declined to comment Thursday.
White’s current review follows the league’s initial independent investigation by attorney Beth Wilkinson’s firm commissioned in 2020, which found Washington’s workplace culture to be toxic. Snyder and the team were fined $10 million in July 2021, and the league said he turned day-to-day operations over to wife Tanya, but no written report of the findings was released.
Brownlee says Snyder is no longer under any restrictions, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said last week that his status hasn’t changed. Tanya Snyder has represented the team at league meetings, including last Tuesday in New York.
“He’s under no restrictions from the NFL or anyone else with regard to what he does or what he can do,” Brownlee said.
A league spokesman reiterated Thursday that Goodell’s comment stands and Snyder’s status hasn’t changed. Goodell said in August he’ll discuss it with Snyder after the investigations are completed and there’s a resolution.
Brownlee says the Snyders together made the decision that Tanya should attend the league meetings.
“She’s just done a great job and I think he recognizes that,” Brownlee said. “I think the other folks within the organization recognize it. I think she enjoys it. And so, this is a really strong team. They’ve been married for almost 30 years. ... They’ve done everything really together as a team. And so in light of kind of everything that’s going on, I think they jointly made the decision that she would take a more prominent role as an owner and represent the team at the league meetings. And, she’s really been embraced. It’s really been positive. There aren’t too many female owners in the league. And so she’s one and she’s got real strong relationships with many of the owners. And so it’s been a real positive for her, for the team, for the league.”
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has taken a hard stance against Snyder, saying there’s “ merit to remove ” him as owner based on the allegations. Removing Snyder would be unprecedented and requires 24 votes from the other owners.
“Mr. Irsay has acknowledged that he doesn’t have the evidence,” Brownlee said. “He’s never been briefed on the evidence, whatever evidence exists. And so I think that’s important. I’m not sure why he felt compelled to speak about an investigation for which he’s not been briefed but that was his choice. We do think that it’s important, as the Commissioner noted, to wait and listen to the evidence, evaluate it, look what it says, and then you can make judgments about it.”
Earlier this month, ESPN reported, citing anonymous sources, Snyder has hired private investigators and told people he has enough information to expose fellow owners and Goodell.
The Commanders denied the contents of the report, calling it “categorically untrue” and “clearly part of a well-funded, two-year campaign to coerce the sale of the team, which will continue to be unsuccessful.”
Snyder addressed the report in a letter to owners.
“That is patently false and intended to erode the trust and goodwill between owners that I take quite seriously,” he wrote.
Snyder has owned the team since 1999. He and the organization are currently the subject of ongoing investigations by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
The league’s latest investigation came after Tiffani Johnston, who worked for Washington for eight years starting in 2002 as a cheerleader and marketing manager, told the committee in February that Snyder placed his hand on her thigh without her consent at a team dinner, and that he pushed her toward his limousine with his hand on her lower back. She had not previously disclosed those allegations to the media or investigators.
Another former team employee, Jason Friedman, corroborated Johnston’s account in a letter to the committee.
“It’s our understanding that Ms. Wilkinson offered to interview Ms. Johnston when she was doing her investigation, and she declined,” Brownlee said. “The reality is there’s just no evidence that ever occurred. All you have is this allegation uncorroborated. No physical evidence, no calendar confirmation, no receipt confirmation. But you have an allegation and it has just spread. It’s as if when the media reports it, it’s as if it actually happened.”
___
Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi
___
More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.expressnews.com/sports/article/Dan-Snyder-still-hasn-t-interviewed-for-NFL-s-17539093.php | 2022-10-27 19:21:09 | 0 | https://www.expressnews.com/sports/article/Dan-Snyder-still-hasn-t-interviewed-for-NFL-s-17539093.php |
PREP FOOTBALL=
CLASS 6A=
¶ Humble Kingwood 28, League City Clear Creek 6
CLASS 4A=
¶ WF Hirschi 48, Clint 6
CLASS 1A=
¶ Borden County 42, Lubbock Kingdom Prep 38
¶ Follett 60, Hedley 0
___
Some high school football scores provided by Scorestream.com, https://scorestream.com/ | https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/Thursday-s-Scores-17399115.php | 2022-08-26 02:06:40 | 0 | https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/Thursday-s-Scores-17399115.php |
Fugitive wanted for 2 murders drowns in river while at float camp
RIPLEY COUNTY, Mo. (KFVS/Gray News) – A Florida fugitive wanted on first-degree murder charges drowned Sunday afternoon at a river in southern Missouri, officials said.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 22-year-old Sherron McCombs was swimming at a float camp on the Current River when he began to panic, went under the water and didn’t resurface.
McCombs was pronounced dead at the scene by the Ripley County coroner.
The highway patrol confirmed McCombs was a fugitive. According to CrimeStoppers, he was wanted in Florida for his involvement in two fatal shootings in Tampa on Nov. 21, 2021, and Jan. 3, 2022. He was facing charges of:
- 2 counts of first-degree murder, premeditated
- 1 count of first-degree murder firearm, premeditated
- 3 counts of first-degree murder firearm & tampering with physical evidence
McCombs drowned nearly 1,000 miles away from the locations of his alleged murders in Tampa.
Copyright 2022 KFVS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wnem.com/2022/06/06/fugitive-wanted-2-murders-drowns-river-while-float-camp/ | 2022-06-06 22:00:00 | 0 | https://www.wnem.com/2022/06/06/fugitive-wanted-2-murders-drowns-river-while-float-camp/ |
BEKAA, Lebanon, June 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --
The Situation in Lebanon
The ongoing economic collapse in Lebanon has had multiple debilitating consequences for its social fabric. In the last few months, an increasing climate of racism and scapegoating of Syrian refugees reached a fever pitch, leading to a series of raids and deportations of Syrians. While such rhetoric is not representative of all Lebanese citizens' beliefs, it comes as the latest in an escalation of anti-Syrian sentiment.
Such high levels of threat and deprivation experienced by children have lasting effects on their confidence, self-esteem, and dignity, leading to behavioral changes like nightmares and social withdrawal. As Suha, Jusoor's Head of Refugee Education, explained, "The children were so unusually quiet in our classrooms these few months – they were terrified that they would go home to find their family had been detained or deported."
Support for Children
Jusoor mobilized to support its community affirming their commitment to all children's rights to education and safety. Jusoor's psychosocial counselor, Rania Al Boubou, offered one-on-one psychosocial support sessions for children who were struggling to process their feelings and fears. Sessions included identifying and expressing the fear they feel as many children expressed fear of separation from their parents, validating their fears, in addition to other topics related to seeking comfort, coping techniques, and open communication with parents
Support for Parents
Jusoor acknowledges the fear carried by refugee parents, who experienced the Syrian conflict during their adolescence. They now have the responsibility of caring for their children amidst triggering their own memories. Recognizing the crucial role of parents in protecting their children's well-being, Jusoor invited them to meet with their counselor, offering advice on stress management and creating a safe environment.
As one of the parents expressed to Rania, "Since the raids started, my child has been getting nightmares and speaking in his sleep about how the army will take us." While most children were born in Lebanon and did not directly experience displacement from Syria, their fear is mostly a reflection of their parents' fear.
Despite challenging circumstances, Jusoor believes in individuals and groups' ability to provide comfort, connection, and build stronger communities for refugee children in times of great duress.
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SOURCE Jusoor | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/06/23/syrian-children-lebanon-are-fear-deportation-jusoor-mobilized-psychosocial-support/ | 2023-06-23 07:45:26 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/06/23/syrian-children-lebanon-are-fear-deportation-jusoor-mobilized-psychosocial-support/ |
WHL
All Times Local
Eastern Conference
Central Division
East Division
Western Conference
B.C. Division
U.S. Division
Note: Two points for a team winning in overtime or shootout; the team losing in overtime or shootout receives one which is registered in the OTL or SOL columns.
Tuesday's results
Saskatoon 3 Prince Albert 1
Red Deer 7 Edmonton 1
Lethbridge 3 Medicine Hat 2
Vancouver 3 Victoria 2
Tri-City 5 Everett 2
Seattle 7 Spokane 5
Kamloops 6 Kelowna 4
Wednesday's results
Brandon 4 Regina 0
Moose Jaw 3 Winnipeg 1
Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Calgary 8 Edmonton 2
Portland 4 Tri-City 3 (OT)
Kamloops 6 Kelowna 2
Victoria 3 Vancouver 0
Seattle 6 Spokane 5
Thursday's results
Calgary at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Friday's games
Lethbridge at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Regina at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Winnipeg, 7:05 p.m.
Red Deer at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Tri-City at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Portland at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday's games
Moose Jaw at Brandon, 5 p.m.
Saskatoon at Winnipeg, 5:05 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Everett at Portland, 5 p.m.
Kamloops at Prince George, 6 p.m.
Kelowna at Seattle, 6:05 p.m.
Spokane at Tri-City, 6:05 p.m.
Sunday's games
Red Deer at Calgary, 1 p.m.
Lethbridge at Edmonton, 2 p.m.
Prince Albert at Regina, 4 p.m. | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/HKO-WHL-Standings-17682704.php | 2022-12-29 08:24:14 | 1 | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/HKO-WHL-Standings-17682704.php |
Suns vs. Nuggets: Odds, spread, over/under and other Vegas lines - Western Conference Semifinals Game 5
In Game 5 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs, the Denver Nuggets will be seeking a win against Phoenix Suns.
You will check out odds, spreads, over/unders and more across multiple sportsbooks for the Nuggets vs. Suns matchup in this article.
Suns vs. Nuggets Game Info
- Date: Tuesday, May 9, 2023
- Time: 10:00 PM ET
- How to Watch on TV: TNT
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Venue: Ball Arena
Click on our link to sign up for a free trial of Fubo, and start watching live sports without cable today!
Suns vs. Nuggets Odds, Spread, Over/Under
Here's a look at the odds, spread and over/under for this matchup listed at different sportsbooks.
Suns vs Nuggets Additional Info
Suns vs. Nuggets Betting Trends
- The Nuggets outscore opponents by 3.3 points per game (scoring 115.8 points per game to rank 12th in the league while giving up 112.5 per contest to rank eighth in the NBA) and have a +273 scoring differential overall.
- The Suns have a +170 scoring differential, topping opponents by two points per game. They're putting up 113.6 points per game, 17th in the league, and are giving up 111.6 per contest to rank sixth in the NBA.
- These two teams score a combined 229.4 points per game, 1.9 more points than this matchup's over/under.
- These two teams allow a combined 224.1 points per game, 3.4 fewer points than this matchup's over/under.
- Denver has covered 44 times in 82 games with a spread this season.
- Phoenix has compiled a 42-39-1 ATS record so far this season.
Suns Player Props
Want to place a bet on a player prop for Deandre Ayton or another Suns player? Get a first deposit bonus when you sign up for DraftKings Sportsbook using our link today!
Looking to place a futures bet on the Suns? Sign up for DraftKings Sportsbook using our link for a first deposit bonus.
Not all offers available in all states. Please gamble responsibly! Contact 1-800-GAMBLER if you or someone you know has developed a gambling problem or addiction.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.kold.com/sports/betting/2023/05/09/suns-nuggets-western-conference-semifinals-game-5-odds-spread-over-under/ | 2023-05-09 21:50:25 | 0 | https://www.kold.com/sports/betting/2023/05/09/suns-nuggets-western-conference-semifinals-game-5-odds-spread-over-under/ |
Russia says it shot down Ukrainian drone near airbase
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - The Russian military reported on Monday that it shot down a Ukrainian drone approaching an airbase deep inside Russia, the second time the airbase has been targeted this month, raising questions about the effectiveness of Russia’s air defenses if drones can fly that far into the country.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the incident took place in the early hours of Monday, and three servicemen were killed by debris at the Engels airbase that houses the Tu-95 and Tu-160 nuclear-capable strategic bombers that have been involved in launching strikes on Ukraine.
Engels is located in Russia’s Saratov region on the Volga river, more than 600 kilometers (more than 370 miles) east of the border with Ukraine.
No damage was inflicted on Russian aircraft, the ministry said.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat, speaking to Ukrainian television on Monday, did not directly acknowledge his country’s involvement in Monday’s incident, but said: “These are the consequences of Russian aggression.”
He added: “If the Russians thought that the war would not affect them in the deep rear, they were deeply mistaken”
Ukrainian officials have never confirmed sending drones into Russia. They have maintained ambiguity over previous high-profile attacks, including drone strikes on Russian military bases earlier this month.
On Dec. 5, unprecedented drone strikes on Engels and the Dyagilevo base in the Ryazan region in western Russia killed a total of three servicemen and wounded four more. The strikes on the airbases were followed by a massive retaliatory missile barrage in Ukraine that struck homes and buildings and killed civilians.
In Ukraine, at least four civilians have been wounded in Russian shelling of five regions in the country’s southeast over the past 24 hours, according to the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko. Overall the intensity of the shelling the night from Sunday into Monday has been significantly lower.
For the first time in weeks, Russian forces didn’t shell the Dnipropetrovsk region, which borders the partially occupied southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, its governor, Valentyn Reznichenko, reported on Telegram.
“This is the third quiet night in 5.5 months since the Russians started shelling” the areas around the city of Nikopol, Reznichenko wrote. Nikopol is located across the Dnieper River from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under control of the Russian forces.
Ukrainian-controlled areas of the neighboring Kherson region were shelled 33 times over the past 24 hours, according to Kherson’s Ukrainian Gov. Yaroslav Yanushevich. There were no casualties.
On Sunday, Russian forces attacked the city of Kramatorsk, where Ukrainian forces are headquartered. Three missiles hit an industrial facility and damaged residential buildings, but no casualties were reported, according to the battlefield report from the Ukrainian presidency.
In the partially occupied eastern Donetsk region, fierce battles continue around the city of Bakhmut, which Russian forces have been trying to seize for weeks to consolidate their grip on Ukraine’s east.
In the neighboring Luhansk region that it is almost entirely under Moscow’s control, the Russian forces are “suffering huge losses and medical facilities are overwhelmed with wounded soldiers,” Luhansk’s Ukrainian governor, Serhiy Haidai, told Ukrainian television Monday. The Russian army is redeploying paratroopers from the Kherson region to the area, Haidai said.
On Saturday, a deadly attack on the city of Kherson, which was retaken by Kyiv’s forces last month, killed and wounded scores. Local residents are lining up to donate blood for those wounded in the deadly attack, Gov. Yaroslav Yanushevich said Monday.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kait8.com/2022/12/26/russia-shoots-down-ukrainian-drone-near-its-engels-airbase/ | 2022-12-26 11:18:49 | 1 | https://www.kait8.com/2022/12/26/russia-shoots-down-ukrainian-drone-near-its-engels-airbase/ |
PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pixelworks, Inc. (NASDAQ: PXLW), a leading provider of innovative video and display processing solutions, today announced the Company will participate at the 25th Annual Needham Growth Conference on Thursday, January 12, 2023, which is a designated day for virtual participation. Management will host virtual meetings throughout the day with investors participating in the conference.
Portfolio managers and analysts can request a meeting with Pixelworks management should email conferences@needhamco.com or contact their Needham representative.
Pixelworks provides industry-leading content creation, video delivery and display processing solutions and technology that enable highly authentic viewing experiences with superior visual quality, across all screens – from cinema to smartphone and beyond. The Company has more than 20-years of history delivering image processing innovation to leading providers of consumer electronics, professional displays, and video streaming services. For more information, please visit the company's web site at www.pixelworks.com.
Note: Pixelworks and the Pixelworks logo are trademarks of Pixelworks, Inc.
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SOURCE Pixelworks, Inc. | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/01/04/pixelworks-participate-needham-growth-conference-january-12/ | 2023-01-04 21:29:18 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/01/04/pixelworks-participate-needham-growth-conference-january-12/ |
- CRB-913 is a novel oral cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1) inverse agonist with potent pre-clinical anti-obesity activity
- CRB-913 markedly enhances pre-clinical efficacy of liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide
- CB1 inverse agonism is a clinically validated therapeutic approach to treating obesity
NORWOOD, Mass., Sept. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRBP) ("Corbus" or the "Company"), an immunology company, announced that preclinical data for CRB-913 are being presented today in an oral presentation at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes 2022 Annual Conference taking place in Stockholm, Sweden.
The data show that in the diet-induced obesity (DIO) mouse model, CRB-913 monotherapy demonstrated a reduction in body weight, body fat content, food consumption, liver triglycerides, and liver fat deposits as well as improvements in insulin resistance and leptinemia. Combining CRB-913 with the incretin analogues liraglutide, semaglutide, or tirzepatide demonstrated significant additive effects across all these outcomes.
"The data presented today are exciting as they demonstrate that CRB-913 is a differentiated CB1 inverse agonist with improved pharmacokinetic properties compared to the first generation of these drugs while still retaining the same efficacy," commented Rachael Brake, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Corbus. "Furthermore, potentially combining CRB-913 with an incretin analogue into a single therapy could meaningfully enhance the current standard of care as well as expand the number of patients who could benefit from anti-obesity drug therapy."
The EASD presentation is available on the company's website at: 58th European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) presentation on CRB-913 (CB1 Inverse Agonist).
Corbus is an immunology company committed to helping people defeat serious illness by bringing innovative scientific approaches to well understood biological pathways. Corbus' current pipeline includes anti-integrin monoclonal antibodies that block activation of TGFβ and small molecules that activate or inhibit the endocannabinoid system. Corbus is headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts. For more information on Corbus, visit corbuspharma.com and connect on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, as amended, including those relating to the Company's restructuring, trial results, product development, clinical and regulatory timelines, market opportunity, competitive position, possible or assumed future results of operations, business strategies, potential growth opportunities and other statement that are predictive in nature. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the industry and markets in which we operate and management's current beliefs and assumptions.
These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking expressions, including, but not limited to, "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "estimate," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "would" and similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. These statements relate to future events or our financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, including the potential impact of the recent COVID-19 pandemic and the potential impact of sustained social distancing efforts, on our operations, clinical development plans and timelines, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include those set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
INVESTOR CONTACT:
Corbus Investor Relations
Sean.moran@corbuspharma.com
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SOURCE Corbus Pharmaceuticals | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/09/22/corbus-presents-first-pre-clinical-data-crb-913-european-association-study-diabetes-2022-annual-conference/ | 2022-09-22 13:23:48 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/09/22/corbus-presents-first-pre-clinical-data-crb-913-european-association-study-diabetes-2022-annual-conference/ |
UAB Blazers (1-0) vs. Toledo Rockets (1-0)
Toledo, Ohio; Friday, 5 p.m. EST
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Toledo -4; over/under is 155
BOTTOM LINE: The UAB Blazers visit the Toledo Rockets after Jordan Walker scored 38 points in UAB’s 111-70 win over the Alabama State Hornets.
Toledo went 26-8 overall with a - record at home during the 2021-22 season. The Rockets averaged 79.9 points per game while allowing opponents to score 68.6 last season.
UAB went 14-4 in C-USA action and 7-4 on the road last season. The Blazers averaged 80.3 points per game last season, 13.3 from the free throw line and 23.7 from beyond the arc.
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/uab-visits-toledo-following-walkers-38-point-game/2022/11/10/3127d2d4-60c9-11ed-a131-e900e4a6336b_story.html | 2022-11-10 08:51:32 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/uab-visits-toledo-following-walkers-38-point-game/2022/11/10/3127d2d4-60c9-11ed-a131-e900e4a6336b_story.html |
- Showcasing MORAI SIM Cloud, a SaaS model to increase efficiency through test automation feature at Automotive Testing Expo Europe 2022
- MORAI to enhance engagement with industry leaders to foster global partnership
STUTTGART, Germany, June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MORAI, a leading developer of full-stack autonomous vehicle simulation technology in Korea, announced today that it will showcase MORAI SIM Cloud, a cloud-based solution that builds a myriad of simulation environments without hardware restrictions and enable simultaneous testing at Automotive Testing Expo 2022. As Europe's largest vehicle and component testing and validation technology exhibition, Automotive Testing Expo Europe brings the latest in automotive testing, development, and validation technologies. This year, the expo is held from June 21 to 23 in Stuttgart, Germany and MORAI will exhibit its latest autonomous driving simulation technology at the booth 1358.
MORAI SIM Cloud is the Software as a Service (SaaS) model of the existing MORAI autonomous driving simulator, MORAI SIM, that will allow users to perform simulation tests in the cloud without installing any software onto local computers. The cloud-based offering increases test efficiency as it enables users to run a large number of simulation tests requiring multiple computers to run, with a single computer simultaneously and without hardware restrictions. MORAI SIM Cloud is applied to a variety of industries, including automotive, academia, trucking, defense, aerial, among others.
"As a first-time exhibitor at Automotive Testing Expo Europe 2022, we are looking forward to showcasing our advanced technologies and bringing innovation to the autonomous driving industry," said Jiwon Jung, CEO of MORAI. "We aim to actively engage in sharing our insights in autonomous driving simulation technology with industry leaders at the world's leading industry trade fair and to further foster global partnership."
MORAI is the only developer and distributor of a full-stack autonomous driving simulation platform in South Korea, with more than 100 clients, including Hyundai Mobis, Naver Labs, and Samsung Engineering. MORAI has established its US office in the Bay Area in 2020, and it has been proactively expanding domestic and global business opportunities. MORAI's competitive edge comes from its technology to automatically convert HD map data into digital twins, thereby providing large-scale simulation environments. In February 2022, MORAI successfully secured a USD 23 million Series B funding round to expand its global presence. The round included investment from new investors Korea Investment Partners, KB Investment, and the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), bringing MORAI's total funding to date to USD 27 million.
About MORAI
MORAI (www.MORAI.ai) was founded in 2018 as a startup by former Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) autonomous driving researchers dedicated to creating autonomous driving simulation platforms, and has since started to provide simulation software for verifying the safety and reliability of self-driving systems. MORAI is the first Korean company to have independently developed a full-stack self-driving simulation solution which includes the core simulation engine. MORAI currently supplies industry, research organizations, and universities with autonomous driving simulation solutions, and is looking to form partnerships with companies from around the world. With a team of over 95 experts dedicated to their respective fields, Naver, Hyundai Motor Company, Kakao Ventures, Korea Credit Guarantee Fund, Atinum Investment, and other major Korean industry players recognized MORAI's potential by participating in its funding rounds. Recently, in February 2022, the company raised USD 23 million through Series B Funding Round with existing investors and new investors such as Korea Investment Partners, KB Investment, and Korea Development Bank, bringing MORAI's total funding to date to USD 27 million.
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SOURCE MORAI | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2022/06/21/morai-showcase-cloud-based-autonomous-driving-simulation-technology-automotive-testing-expo-europe-2022/ | 2022-06-21 13:42:17 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2022/06/21/morai-showcase-cloud-based-autonomous-driving-simulation-technology-automotive-testing-expo-europe-2022/ |
(CNN) — A vacation with your pals should be the perfect opportunity to unwind, catch up and have fun with some of your favorite people in – ideally – a fabulous setting.
But coordinating large groups isn’t always easy. We’ve all heard travel horror stories of fighting over finances, itinerary arguments and barbed comments over cocktails.
Whether you’re currently planning a future friend vacation, or about to embark on a long-awaited group trip, here are some top tips to keep the trip as smooth and fun as possible.
Think carefully about who’s coming
So first things first, who are you inviting? Maybe the answer’s obvious because you’ve got a gang you always travel with, or a ready-to-go group of close pals who you’ve always wanted to vacation with en masse.
But if you’re planning a trip with a friend group that’s never traveled together before, or you’re thinking of bringing together a mix of friends from different parts of your life, it’s worth considering the potential group dynamic.
It sounds obvious, but if you’ve got friends who prefer outdoorsy hikes and adventures, they may or may not gel with the group who enjoy bar-hopping and city breaks.
Plus, travel can be stressful – some friends might get on really well at social events, but their personalities could clash when they’re under pressure to make a flight, or dealing with a vacation rental that doesn’t live up to the listing.
So, generally speaking, the closer the group, the more likely the vacation success. But traveling together can also be a great way to get to know people better, so definitely don’t rule out an invitee just because they’re a newer addition to your circle.
A vacation could also be a great opportunity to get to know a friend’s partner a little better, so extending the invite to significant others could be a great shout, just – again – keep the overall dynamic in mind. If the trip suddenly goes from a college pals reunion to a couples trip featuring a sole single friend, that might be a less-than-fun outcome for that one person who’s not coupled up.
Of course, everyone is different, and there’s no general rule for any of these situations – it’s just worth being considerate and thoughtful in the inviting.
On that note, also bear in mind the potential for a friend being offended if they’ve not made the cut. Not everyone can come to every trip, but be mindful that you don’t want to lose friendships before you’ve even boarded the plane.
Have a budget and stick to it
Talking about finances can be awkward, but it’s part and parcel of vacation planning. The best strategy is to set a budget early on for accommodation and travel costs.
If you want to make sure no one is priced out, ask everyone to be upfront from the beginning and make sure there are no surprise extra costs later down the line.
Chelsea Dickenson, the 33-year-old founder of website Cheap Holiday Expert, suggests one way of avoiding anyone feeling uncomfortable in the group chat is to set up a Google Form that everyone can fill out anonymously, detailing their preferred budget and any other concerns or thoughts.
“You essentially create a questionnaire for your friends,” Dickenson tells CNN Travel. “And then it’s down to the organizer – which probably would be me, in my case – to look at that and see, ‘Okay, what are we actually working with.’”
How you split costs both before and after vacation will depend on your group dynamic, your respective financial positions and your own preferences – but whatever the answer, it’s best to have that conversation before you embark on the trip.
While some friends might be happy to adopt an “I paid for the Uber, you buy the drinks” policy, others may feel more comfortable knowing everything’s been split evenly.
Apps like Splitwise do the complicated sums for you, keeping tabs on who spent what when. Or if everyone in your party happens to use banking apps like Monzo or Revolut (both of which generally allow spending internationally without extra fees) you can set up a shared tab and pay as you go.
Pick your destination and accomodation carefully
So the gang’s assembled and the budget’s confirmed. Now you’ve just to figure out where you’re actually going.
If you’ve not already had to consider the word compromise in the planning process, here’s where it’s almost guaranteed to come up. Maybe one of you fell in love with the beauty of Sicily while watching “The White Lotus” and is desperate to fly to Palermo, but someone else already ticked Italy off their bucket list and is dreaming of hiking the fjords of Norway. Maybe some of the group love the idea of spending evenings chilling in a secluded cabin with a hot tub, but your other friends would prefer to stay in a buzzy city hotel with a rooftop bar.
A group vacation is – generally speaking – more about the group than the destination. After all, while exploring a fantastic place together is theoretically the purpose of your trip, if you wanted free rein to go wherever in the world you like, you’re better off traveling alone – or picking just one like-minded travel buddy.
If you’re going on a friend vacation, you’re going somewhere to hang out with your friends, so you should consider their needs and preferences as much as yours. That doesn’t mean totally abandoning your dream trip, it just means being candid and going into the experience knowing what everyone wants out of the trip and making sure you’re all, more or less, on the same page.
And even if the group ends up voting on a destination you’ve visited before, returning with a different group at a different stage in life is always going to be rewarding.
Know your individual strengths - and your group dynamic
Some people are natural organizers. Others are great at map reading. Some people love driving. Others are pros at finding the best flight deals. Some bring the vibes on the day, arriving with a speaker and vacation-approved playlist.
Knowing your own strengths – and those of your friends – will help you plan and orchestrate the vacation as smoothly as possible.
If you’re vacationing with people you’ve never traveled with before, this dynamic might be a little more of an in-the-moment surprise, but you’ll still likely cotton on to people’s natural roles early on.
And depending on how big your group is, some people will naturally step up into organizing roles, while others might take a backseat. If you’re all natural organizers, you might have to reluctantly cede control to a friend – but if they’re your close pal, you know they’ll do a good job and that you can trust them. Enjoy taking a back seat for once and go along for the ride.
Plan in advance - but also leave room for spontaneity
You don’t want to force your friends to commit to a by-the-hour schedule, but it’s worth having some idea of what you’re hoping to see and do on the trip before you set off.
This is especially important the larger the group – if there are 12 of you vacationing together, you might need to prebook restaurants or organize museum entry in advance. Plus, having a pre-planned schedule avoids 12 different people wasting hours each morning just agreeing on the day’s activity.
To avoid ideas getting lost in a torrent of messages in the group chat, you could create a shared Google Doc pre-vacation and encourage everyone to add in ideas and research they’ve done in advance of the trip. As departure day gets closer, you can highlight the favorite ideas, or wait and go through them upon arrival, glass of wine in hand.
And while planning is always useful, some of the best moments in travel happen spontaneously. Don’t commit to a concrete schedule that can’t be switched around in the day, or leaves no room for improvisation.
Some of your best memories are going to be made at that little cove you randomly stumble upon, or the bar built into the clifftops you spot last minute, or just lying on the couch in the evening enjoying quality time with your best pals.
Take time to yourself when you need it
In a big group, people might naturally go their own way over the course of the vacation – everyone has different interests and it’s unrealistic to expect you all to stick together for the whole trip.
Plus, no matter how close you are to your friends, you might find yourself craving a bit of alone time as the days roll on. Don’t be afraid to take time to yourself, if and when you need it – whether that’s popping out for a solo coffee or taking yourself to see that landmark that only you’re interested in seeing.
If you find yourself getting frustrated with any of your fellow vacationers, taking some me time is also a good way to diffuse the situation without ending up doing or saying anything you’ll regret.
Resist the urge to badmouth a friend to another friend mid-trip. If you really want to vent, text someone neutral back home.
Cherish the moment
Long after you move past the weird Airbnb your friend booked, or the restaurant that would never have been your first pick, or the slightly fraught conversation about splitting the grocery store bill – you’ll remember the quality time you spent with your friends.
It sounds cheesy, but cherishing the moment is the most important tip on this list. A getaway with your friends can become harder and harder with the passing years, as life’s commitments build up and people become more settled in their homes and jobs.
No one is flawless, and no trip is perfect, but there can be perfection in that imperfection. Love your friends for their quirks – which may be out in full force on vacation – and they’ll love you for yours.
And before you know it, you’ll be back home sharing your favorite vacation photos and planning the next trip.
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THE-CNN-WIRE (TM) & © 2023 CABLE NEWS NETWORK, INC., A TIME WARNER COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. | https://www.channel3000.com/lifestyle/how-to-plan-a-group-vacation-without-everyone-hating-each-other/article_bc6c356a-3886-50e8-b9ae-30e1b80f9a7c.html | 2023-07-26 10:06:44 | 0 | https://www.channel3000.com/lifestyle/how-to-plan-a-group-vacation-without-everyone-hating-each-other/article_bc6c356a-3886-50e8-b9ae-30e1b80f9a7c.html |
Osceola County officials warn residents to stay out of floodwater
Osceola County officials warn residents to stay out of floodwater
TONY? TONY: THAT’S RIGHT. A SANDBAGGING OPERATION WILL OPEN AT 8:00 THIS MORNING AT OSCEOLA HERITAGE PARK SO PEOPLE CAN COME TO GET WHAT THEY NEED TO DEAL WITH THE FLOODING. THERE IS SOME MORE GOOD NEWS FOR PEOPLE HERE AS WELL OFFICIALS SAY WATER LEVELS AT EAST LAKE TOHO APPEARS TO HAVE PEAKED. THEY GO ON TO ADD THE RISE OF LAKE TOHO NEARBY TO OUR WEST ALSO APPEARS TO BE SLOWING DOWN. COUNTY OFFICIALS SAY OTHER REGIONAL LAKES, LIKE LAKE MARY JANE AND LAKE HART, APPEAR TO HAVE REACHED THEIR PEAKS AS WELL. THIS MEANS OFFICIALS CAN FINALLY BEGIN TO MOVE WATERS OUT OF THOSE LAKES SYSTEMS INTO LOWER LAKE LEVELS. NOW, AS THE COUNTY WORKS TO GET THESE WATER LEVELS UNDER CONTROL, TWO SHELTERS ARE OPERATING NOW TO HELP THOSE IMPACTED BY THE FLOODING. THOSE ARE BOTH AT HERITAGE PARK AT THE EVENTS CENTER AND THE SILVER SPURS ARENA. COMING UP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HOUR, I’LL TAKE A LOOK AT WAYS COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE URGIN
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Osceola County officials warn residents to stay out of floodwater
Osceola County officials say the flooding water, which has been here since Hurricane Ian passed through, poses health risks and people shouldn’t be playing, swimming or standing in it. It also put out other advisories regarding mosquitoes as well, including:Avoiding being outside at dusk or dawn when mosquitoes are most active Wearing clothes to cover most of your skin. Wear insect repellants. Checking around your home and drainage for standing water.There are still nearly a dozen boil-water notices in effect around Kissimmee and St. Cloud. A full list can be found here.All county boat ramps remain closed, in addition to 10 parks that were damaged in the storm. No reopening dates have been announced.The city of St. Cloud has already collected 200 tons of storm debris.In Kissimmee, debris collection will begin this weekend, starting with the areas that have been the most impacted.
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. —
Osceola County officials say the flooding water, which has been here since Hurricane Ian passed through, poses health risks and people shouldn’t be playing, swimming or standing in it.
It also put out other advisories regarding mosquitoes as well, including:
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- Avoiding being outside at dusk or dawn when mosquitoes are most active
- Wearing clothes to cover most of your skin.
- Wear insect repellants.
- Checking around your home and drainage for standing water.
There are still nearly a dozen boil-water notices in effect around Kissimmee and St. Cloud. A full list can be found here.
All county boat ramps remain closed, in addition to 10 parks that were damaged in the storm. No reopening dates have been announced.
The city of St. Cloud has already collected 200 tons of storm debris.
In Kissimmee, debris collection will begin this weekend, starting with the areas that have been the most impacted. | https://www.wesh.com/article/osceola-county-floodwater/41555975 | 2022-10-07 13:53:12 | 0 | https://www.wesh.com/article/osceola-county-floodwater/41555975 |
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)
Dana Goldman, University of Southern California and Karen Van Nuys, University of Southern California
(THE CONVERSATION) Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly is slashing the list prices for some of its most popular insulin products by 70% and capping insulin copays at US$35 for uninsured patients and those with private health insurance. These changes follow efforts by the federal government, the California state government, nonprofits and some companies to make insulin more affordable for the more than 7 million Americans with diabetes who require it.
The Conversation asked Dana Goldman and Karen Van Nuys, two scholars who have researched insulin pricing, to explain why Eli Lilly is dramatically cutting the cost of some of its insulin products and to sum up how it may improve access to this essential medical treatment.
1. Why is Lilly reducing prices now?
High insulin prices have not earned any U.S. manufacturer many friends, with list prices increasing 54% from 2014 to 2019.
Most troublingly, an estimated 1.3 million uninsured people with diabetes and patients with inadequate insurance have resorted to rationing their insulin. Skipping doses because of high insulin prices has sometimes had tragic and even deadly consequences.
But growing competition has shaken up the insulin market in recent years.
For example, Walmart introduced its own private-brand insulin in 2021. Mylan, a large generic drugmaker, developed a version of long-acting insulin called Semglee, priced 65% lower than its branded competitor. But few consumers use those products.
Efforts to produce cheaper insulin by the nonprofit drugmaker CivicaRx and the state of California are several years out and won’t provide immediate relief.
Then there’s the Inflation Reduction Act, a big spending package Congress approved in 2022. It capped insulin out-of-pocket costs at $35 for Americans with Medicare, a government health insurance program that covers people over 65.
And, in fact, Lilly itself has been trying to disrupt insulin prices. In 2019, the drugmaker introduced insulin lispro, a lower-cost version of its blockbuster insulin, Humalog.
2. What does this mean for Americans who need insulin?
Part of the problem with the existing system is that some patients, especially if they’re uninsured or have high deductibles, end up paying the list price – which can mean spending $1,000 or more a month on insulin. This can be a crushing financial burden.
Lilly’s new $35 out-of-pocket cap means that privately insured patients and those without insurance requiring insulin will spend no more than that monthly for copays. Its 70% reduction in the list price of two popular name brand insulins, Humalog and Humulin, will bring some financial relief. And the company has also reduced its generic lispro’s list price to $25 a vial, down from $126.
The evidence is clear that these price reductions will improve patient adherence – which means fewer missed doses of this lifesaving medication.
3. How might Lilly’s actions affect the whole industry?
Lilly has put pressure on its biggest competitors, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi, to follow suit.
These lower prices could also make Lilly’s insulins affordable to cash-paying patients. As a result, these insulins could be added to the list of drugs provided by pharmacies that are disrupting the U.S. prescription drug industry, like Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drug Co. and Blueberry Pharmacy. These companies provide low-cost drugs with transparent markups or through membership programs, typically without insurance.
4. Why did insulin get so expensive in the US?
That lispro, Lilly’s own, cheaper authorized generic insulin, hasn’t completely displaced the equivalent name brand Humalog in the market by now may seem surprising. But it is the result of the complex U.S. prescription drug distribution system.
Insulin prices are the result of a complex set of negotiations between manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers, which act on behalf of insurers. The three largest – CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and Optum Rx – handle about 80% of all prescriptions.
These middlemen negotiate directly with Lilly and other insulin manufacturers, focusing on two key sums: the list price and the rebate. Manufacturers are paid the list price but then must pay a rebate to the pharmacy benefit managers.
How do pharmacy benefit managers get manufacturers to pay rebates? They maintain formularies – lists of drugs that patients in a health plan can access. If an insulin manufacturer wants to supply diabetes patients, it needs to remain on those formularies. And doing so requires the manufacturer to pay bigger rebates. Otherwise, pharmacy benefit managers can exclude the manufacturer.
In 2016, OptumRx, which negotiates insulin prices for about 28 million people, excluded only four types of insulin from its formulary. By 2022, OptumRx was excluding 13 insulins.
Keeping insulin on formularies, in short, has required high rebates, and list prices have increased along with them. Ironically, as insulin list prices have been rising, manufacturers have been making less money off of insulin sales, while middlemen have been making more. The key to true price competition is to ensure access to all versions of insulin and to convince patients and providers that people with diabetes can substitute lower-cost versions without compromising their health.
5. What might happen next?
The Federal Trade Commission, a government agency that probes anti-competitive practices, and Congress are now investigating pharmacy benefit managers’ rebate and formulary practices, among other things. These investigations, along with Lilly’s moves, may lead other insulin manufacturers to lower their list prices.
And once its competitors decide whether they will follow Lilly’s example, pharmacy benefit managers will be under a lot of scrutiny to see whether they give preferred formulary placement to the lowest-cost insulin products, or to those that pay the highest rebates.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/eli-lilly-is-cutting-insulin-prices-and-capping-copays-at-35-5-questions-answered-200988. | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/eli-lilly-is-cutting-insulin-prices-and-capping-17818640.php | 2023-03-03 21:13:32 | 1 | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/eli-lilly-is-cutting-insulin-prices-and-capping-17818640.php |
Russia’s war in Ukraine
By Hafsa Khalil and Hannah Strange, CNN
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
By Hafsa Khalil and Hannah Strange, CNN
The-CNN-Wire
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(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)
Emily M. Godfrey, University of Washington and Adelaide H. McClintock, University of Washington
(THE CONVERSATION) Just over a month after the Supreme Court struck down 50 years of federal protection of abortion rights in the U.S., at least 43 abortion clinics in 11 states have stopped offering abortion services. In states where abortion remains legal, abortion clinics are experiencing excessive wait times due to the influx of out-of-state patients.
Wait times are only expected to grow as more states restrict abortion with regulations such as gestational age limits, waiting periods and requirements for in-person visits, unnecessary clinical tests and required parental consent for minors. Abortion bans and restrictions are associated with higher rates of complications and are harmful to the health of women because they delay necessary care.
Although primary care doctors and clinicians are not typically associated with the abortion debate, they are a critical, untapped resource to help offset the abortion care crisis. Primary care is a key access point for patients, especially for adolescent, low-income and rural women.
And because almost all Americans value their relationship with their primary care provider, primary care has a responsibility to ensure patients maintain personal bodily autonomy, including deciding when and how many children to have.
In the post-Roe era, primary care providers can help their patients prevent unintended pregnancy and avoid delays in abortion care by providing comprehensive contraceptive and family planning services, knowing how to counsel and refer individuals seeking pregnancy termination and providing post-abortion care. Due to various state restrictions, providers should familiarize themselves with their specific state regulations to determine what is permissible in their current practice environment.
We are practicing primary carephysicians who include comprehensive family planning as part of our practices. We have written extensively about the feasibility of including full-spectrum birth control and first-trimester abortion services in primary care.
Primary care providers make up 30% of the entire U.S. clinician workforce. They include family physicians, general internists, pediatricians and advanced practice clinicians such as nurse practitioners, midwives and physician assistants, who are often the only source of care in underserved and rural areas.
Primary care’s role in preventing abortion
One of the top reasons why patients go to their primary care provider is for birth control. Primary care clinics that provide all-inclusive birth control services reduce unintended pregnancy rates in their communities, which can help alleviate the demand for abortion services.
Primary care providers can talk with their patients about becoming pregnant now or in the future, using clinical tools that help patients decide which birth control method to use.
Nationally based birth control clinical guidelines empower clinicians to prescribe even the most effective birth control methods, such as an implant or intrauterine device – IUD – to patients with serious and chronic medical conditions. Primary care can also help patients with emergency contraception, either in the form of a pill or IUD, within five days after unprotected sex.
Emergency contraceptive pills are considered safe and effective. They are high-dose birth control pills that work by interfering with the process of ovulation, and thus will not affect a pregnancy if already pregnant. Emergency contraception is a last chance to prevent unplanned pregnancy.
Abortion pill prescription falls within primary care
Abortion with medications can be safely and effectively used up to the 11th week of pregnancy, with low rates of complications. Of the approximately 1 million legal abortions provided each year in the U.S., 90% occur in the first trimester, or through the 12th week of pregnancy. Thus, it’s no surprise that more than half of abortions are now managed with medicines that can be prescribed by a primary care provider.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine have issued evidence-based guidelines reiterating that trained, licensed primary care clinicians can safely and effectively provide medication abortion. Patients who have received abortions from primary care providers report that they are satisfied with the experience. Studies show that patients prefer abortion services in primary carebecause of the privacy, convenience and continuity of care.
How abortion care can be integrated into telehealth
Despite the fact that first-trimester abortion care fits well within primary care medical services, it has not been widely offered in this setting. This is due to roadblocks, including lack of provider training, federal and state legislation, institutional barriers and administrative resistance.
However, there are now new, more simplified medication abortion protocols that allow primary care to safely offer abortion care remotely with a history screening tool that doesn’t require unnecessary clinical laboratory and ultrasound testing. Primary care’s expansion of telehealth abortion services has the potential to significantly reduce delays in care. This could help reduce abortions at more advanced gestational ages and the complications that come with them. Our study from 2021 conducted among primary care physicians providing telemedicine abortion found that more than 85% of patients were less than seven weeks pregnant when they sought care.
Post-abortion ‘primary’ care
In states with restricted abortion access, it is inevitable that patients will seek abortions on their own. Given the current legal landscape, clinicians are often confused about how to treat patients with pregnancy complications, including miscarriage. The World Health Organization stresses that even in settings where abortion may be outlawed, it is incumbent for clinicians to provide compassionate, nonjudgmental post-abortion care.
Post-abortion care includes managing residual side effects or complications of abortion, as well as the provision of comprehensive birth control services without discrimination or coercion. Complications from abortion or miscarriage are rare. However, complications like retained pregnancy tissue in the uterus, bleeding or infection can occur, most of which can be managed by primary care providers in the clinical setting.
Primary care providers who don’t offer abortion care can still counsel patients about where to seek reliable, high-quality abortion services. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides information about Americans’ rights to reproductive health care.
The short-term implications of the Supreme Court decision remain uncertain as state legislators weigh public opinion among their constituents.
What remains certain in the post-Roe era, however, is that primary care continues to be among the most reliable resources in the U.S. for accurate information and safe reproductive health care services.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/how-primary-care-is-poised-to-support-reproductive-health-and-abortion-in-the-post-roe-era-186278. | https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/How-primary-care-is-poised-to-support-17366570.php | 2022-08-11 13:37:43 | 1 | https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/How-primary-care-is-poised-to-support-17366570.php |
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said Novak Djokovic played at the Grand Slam event with a muscle tear of 3 centimeters — a little more than an inch — in his left hamstring along the way to winning the championship.
“He gets a bad rap, but at the end of the day, I don’t think anyone can question his athleticism. This guy, I did see, he had a 3-centimeter tear in his hammy,” Tiley said Wednesday in an interview with SEN Sportsday.
“The doctors are … going to tell you the truth,” Tiley said. “I think there was a lot of speculation of whether it was true or not. It’s hard to believe that someone can do what they do with those types of injuries. But he’s remarkable.”
Djokovic won the trophy at Melbourne Park on Sunday by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets for a record-extending 10th title there and record-tying 22nd Grand Slam trophy overall. Rafael Nadal is the only other man who has won that many majors.
The triumph also allowed Djokovic to return to No. 1 in the ATP rankings on Monday.
The 35-year-old from Serbia hurt his hamstring during a tune-up tournament in Adelaide ahead of the Australian Open. He wore a heavy bandage on his left thigh and was visited by trainers during matches in Week 1 in Melbourne.
He said he took “a lot” of painkiller pills and did various treatments to help the leg.
“Let me put it like this: I don’t say 100%, but 97% of the players, on Saturday when you get results of the MRI, you go straight to the referee’s office and pull out of the tournament,” Djokovic’s coach, Goran Ivanisevic, said after the final. “But not him. … His brain is working different.”
___
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.localsyr.com/sports-news/ap-australian-open-director-djokovics-hamstring-had-3-cm-tear/ | 2023-02-03 10:01:40 | 1 | https://www.localsyr.com/sports-news/ap-australian-open-director-djokovics-hamstring-had-3-cm-tear/ |
NEW YORK, May 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Castle Connolly Private Health Partners (CCPHP) is proud to announce they have received two distinguished awards at the recent 2022 Health 2.0 Conference in Las Vegas, NV.
The Health 2.0 Conference primarily comprises achievers from the industry whom they recognize for their contributions while providing a platform for networking and knowledge sharing amongst this elite group of high-performing individuals and companies.
There were many incredible applications this year and choosing the Honorees for these categories "Health 2.0 - Outstanding Leadership Award" & "Health 2.0 - Best Companies Award" was a very tough job for the Assessment Committee.
After careful consideration and research, the Assessment Committee selected Dean McElwain CCPHP President and CEO for the Outstanding Leadership Award for his reputation as a leader, educational background, professional experience, creative thinking, and decisive leadership. Castle Connolly Private Health Partners was selected for the Best Companies Award for their industry reputation, creative DNA, financial outlook, competitive edge, and strong leadership.
"We are honored to receive these prestigious awards. Thank you to the Health 2.0 Conference for this special recognition, and to my CCPHP team members, our physician partners, and members for supporting our organization as leaders in concierge medicine," said Dean McElwain, CCPHP President and CEO.
About CCPHP
Castle Connolly Private Health Partners (CCPHP) works with exceptional physicians to create and support concierge (membership-based) healthcare programs that enable the optimal practice environment and the physician-patient relationship. Members (patients) pay an affordable fee to take advantage of a wide array of enhancements for a more convenient, comprehensive, collaborative, and personalized approach to support health and wellbeing. For more information, go to ccphp.net.
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SOURCE Castle Connolly Private Health Partners, LLC | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/04/castle-connolly-private-health-partners-is-proud-receive-two-awards-2022-health-20-conference/ | 2022-05-04 18:32:34 | 0 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/04/castle-connolly-private-health-partners-is-proud-receive-two-awards-2022-health-20-conference/ |
ALHAMBRA, Calif., July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Apollo Medical Holdings, Inc. ("ApolloMed," and together with its subsidiaries and affiliated entities, the "Company") (NASDAQ: AMEH), a leading physician-centric, technology-powered healthcare company focused on enabling providers in the successful delivery of value-based care, today announced that it will release financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023, after the close of the stock market on Monday, August 7, 2023. The Company will discuss those results in a conference call at 2:30 p.m. PT/5:30 p.m. ET that same day.
To access the call, please dial in approximately five minutes before start time. An accompanying slide presentation will be available in PDF format on the "IR Calendar" page of the Company's website (https://www.apollomed.net/investors/news-events/ir-calendar) after issuance of the earnings release.
Webcast
The call will also be available via online webcast at: https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=SC6cioUx.
Those who are unable to attend the live conference call may access the recording at the above webcast link, which will be made available shortly after the conclusion of the call.
About Apollo Medical Holdings, Inc.
ApolloMed is a leading physician-centric, technology-powered, risk-bearing healthcare management company. Leveraging its proprietary end-to-end technology solutions, ApolloMed operates an integrated healthcare delivery platform that enables providers to successfully participate in value-based care arrangements, thus empowering them to deliver high quality care to patients in a cost-effective manner.
Headquartered in Alhambra, California, ApolloMed's subsidiaries and affiliates include management services organizations (MSOs), affiliated independent practice associations (IPAs), and entities participating in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Innovation Center (CMMI) innovation models. For more information, please visit www.apollomed.net.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Investor Relations
(626) 943-6491
investors@apollomed.net
Carolyne Sohn, The Equity Group
(408) 538-4577
csohn@equityny.com
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SOURCE Apollo Medical Holdings, Inc. | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/apollo-medical-holdings-inc-schedules-2023-second-quarter-financial-results-release-conference-call/ | 2023-07-28 12:50:31 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/apollo-medical-holdings-inc-schedules-2023-second-quarter-financial-results-release-conference-call/ |
Dog toys and treats for your canine companion
Best dog toys and treats
Cloud Star Wag More Bark Less Oven Baked Biscuits
These delightfully crunchy biscuits are grain-free, ideal for dogs with grain allergies or sensitive stomachs. You can choose from five flavors, including one box of assorted flavors, so there’s something that most dogs will want to sink their teeth into.
IMK9 Freeze-Dried Salmon Dog Treats
Made of nothing but freeze-dried Alaskan salmon, these treats are perfect for picky pooches, as well as owners who prefer to avoid any unnecessary filler ingredients in their dogs’ treats.
Available at Amazon
Old Mother Hubbard P-Nuttier ‘N Nanners Grain-Free Oven Baked Mini Dog Treats
Peanut butter and banana is a classic flavor combination, perfect for making your dog feel special. These oven-baked treats are prepared from all-natural ingredients, so it’s almost like you’re baking your dog treats yourself but without the fuss.
Sojos Raw Freeze-Dried Meat Treats For Dogs
This bundle contains three packets of freeze-dried dog treats made from pure meat with no added extras. You get three versions in each bundle: beef, turkey and lamb. All three are freeze-dried from raw to create these treats.
Available at Amazon
Greenies Original Regular Natural Dental Care Dog Treats
Dog owners know how difficult it can be to keep their pets’ teeth clean. While not an alternative to brushing, these treats help reduce plaque and are useful as an additional line of defense against tooth and gum problems.
Merrick Power Bites Dog Treats
Their soft, chewy texture makes these dog treats a delectable choice most pups go wild for. They come in five flavors, including beef, chicken and salmon. The medium size suits all but the tiniest and largest dogs.
Buddy Biscuits Grain Free Dog Treats
Baked in the USA, these large biscuit dog treats are ideal for big dogs or as a generous treat. They come in bacon and cheese, roasted chicken and peanut butter flavors, so there’s something to appeal to most dogs.
Available at Amazon
Mammoth Flossy Chews Three-Knot Tug Toy With Tennis Ball
If your dog loves rope toys as much as tennis balls, this toy is a dream. It’s great for playing tug with your dog or for two dogs to play tug together. Dogs can also chew it, which helps keep their teeth and gums healthy.
Available at Amazon
This set of five rope toys includes something to keep most dogs entertained. It includes tug toys, balls and chew toys you can use to play with your dog or your dog can play with solo.
Available at Amazon
Pet Lifestyle and You American Classic Collection
One way to make dogs feel special is with their own dog toy gift sets. This set contains five fast food-inspired plush toys. They’re both adorable and durable, with a double-layer exterior and reinforced stitching. When they get dirty, you can machine-wash and tumble-dry them.
Available at Pet Lifestyle and You
Food-motivated canines will love pawing and nosing at this dog toy to get it to wobble around and dispense treats. It has the quality you’d expect from a big name such as Kong, and it comes in small and large sizes.
Available at Amazon
Nylabone Dura Chew Flavored Bone Dog Chew Toy
Chew toys such as this Nylabone give dogs an outlet for their natural urge to chew, so your pet and belongings stay safe. It comes in five sizes, suiting dogs weighing around 10 to 50 pounds.
Available at Amazon
Kong Floppy Knots Hippo Squeaker Dog Toy
This reinforced plush toy has a knotted rope skeleton and minimal stuffing, making it a safe choice for dogs that love plush toys but always try to destroy them. The squeakers and various textures keep dogs interested longer.
Available at Amazon
Active dogs who love to play fetch will adore this flying disc toy. It’s made from a tough fabric, so it’s durable but isn’t hard enough to hurt dogs’ mouths if they catch it midair. You can choose between small and large sizes.
Other top products
- Himalayan Original Dog Chews are made from hard yak cheese, which many dogs find irresistible. They’re gluten- and lactose-free.
- If your dog loves crunchy biscuit treats, Blue Buffalo Health Bars are ideal.
- Wag Baked Biscuits Crunchy Dog Treats come in five flavors, including chicken, salmon and peanut butter.
- The Booda Rope Bone Dog Toy is great for dogs to chew on or for playing tug.
- You can choose from a range of sizes with the Mammoth Flossy Chews Rope Toy, the longest measuring a whopping 72 inches.
- The Arm & Hammer for Pets Super Treadz Gorilla Dental Chew Toy cleans dogs’ teeth as they chew.
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Jennifer Manfrin writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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© 2023 BestReviews. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC | https://www.mcall.com/2023/06/22/make-your-dog-feel-special-with-these-toys-and-treats-2/ | 2023-06-22 18:34:06 | 1 | https://www.mcall.com/2023/06/22/make-your-dog-feel-special-with-these-toys-and-treats-2/ |
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, Nov. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MarginX, the world's first community-based decentralized exchange (DEX), launches on the Function X blockchain today. It runs on a first-of-its-kind multi-chain and on-chain infrastructure that allows investors to trade with close to zero gas fees, ultra high throughput and liquidity, and full ownership and transparency.
During its beta test in August this year, the DEX accumulated a total transaction volume of more than 45 billion USDT. Currently, with a small group of invited users, the number of transactions on MarginX continues to steadily climb past 48 million, with the most updated numbers found on the Function X StarScan (https://starscan.io/).
"Today marks a milestone for not just MarginX but the DeFi ecosystem, as we push forth the notion of true decentralization, and uphold the values of community and ownership through our unique DEX infrastructure," said Dr. Danny Lim, Core Contributor of MarginX. "We are thrilled to be building on the Function X blockchain, as it provides us with the multi-chain architecture and EVM compatibility that sets the right DeFi environment for MarginX and its future DeFi protocols."
MarginX: A Truly Decentralized DEX for the Community
As the world's first community-based DEX, MarginX is committed to being a contributor-driven, fully decentralized blockchain infrastructure. To further elaborate, the DEX can be defined by the following key features:
1. Super Low Transaction Fees
MarginX runs on a multi-chain, cross-chain and para-chain infrastructure that allows the platform to handle a throughput of 2,000–20,000 transactions per block, while reducing congestion in the blockchain — thereby maintaining gas fees as low as 0.003 USDT and transaction fees as low as 0.04%.
2. Users Control Their Assets
Funds are traded through non-custodial wallets, and all transactions take place on-chain so they are secure, verifiable and transparent. Currently, MarginX supports f(x)Wallet and is designed to support all decentralized wallets (i.e. MetaMask, Trust Wallet) through WalletConnect in the near future.
3. Full Visibility and Access
All transactions run on-chain and are recorded on the blockchain. These include not just order matching, creation and cancellation, but also funding rate settlement, liquidation, and governance. Anybody can track and scrutinize these records, forming a fair system of checks and balances.
4. Connecting TradFi and DeFi
MarginX lays the foundation for where other DeFi products can be built upon, including stock-based derivatives or traditional financial assets. The DEX allows anyone to design and build their own DeFi products on the blockchain, and offers tools that bridge the old and new traders of the financial world.
5. By the Community, for the Community
At MarginX, every stakeholder, whether a developer, community manager, or a trader, has a say through its governance framework. The MarginX utility NFT system also determines each user's voting rights, trading rebates and referral fees, which builds a sense of community, and offers users an additional and perpetual source of yield.
In addition, in never-before-seen DEX style, MarginX offers a paper trading platform (https://demo.marginx.io) that runs parallel to its live trading platform. This is to allow new users to learn with ease using test tokens, in order to trade confidently in the real world.
"Our goal is to have people think about MarginX as more than just a DEX — it is an entire infrastructure on which DeFi protocols can be built upon," said Dr. Shin Liang Chin, Core Contributor of MarginX. "The sky is the limit when it comes to future partnerships and developments, and we are excited to be at the helm of such a direction for the industry. We hope to make finance more accessible, more transparent and more secure for everyone through the use of blockchain technologies."
Currently, MarginX facilitates the trading of cryptocurrency-based perpetual contracts for BTC, ETH and FX. In keeping consistent with the values of community and ownership, MarginX will not involve any ICO, IEO, token sale or NFT sale, so as to level the playing field for all.
For more information, please refer to our media kit (https://bit.ly/mxmedia) or our website (https://marginx.io).
About MarginX
MarginX is the world's first community-based decentralized exchange built on the Function X network, and running via a multi-chain and on-chain infrastructure. It aims to bridge the traditional financial markets and cryptocurrency world by providing a platform where investors can buy, sell and create derivative products of any financial asset, and where every stakeholder has a say in the future of the platform.
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SOURCE MarginX | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/11/09/marginx-worlds-first-community-based-decentralized-exchange-launches-function-x-blockchain/ | 2022-11-09 06:29:27 | 1 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/11/09/marginx-worlds-first-community-based-decentralized-exchange-launches-function-x-blockchain/ |
DUBLIN, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Theravance Biopharma, Inc. ("Theravance Biopharma" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: TBPH) today announced a "modified Dutch auction" tender offer (the "Offer") to purchase up to $95 million of its ordinary shares, par value $0.00001 per share (the "Shares").
Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Company's Offer to Purchase, dated September 28, 2022 (the "Offer to Purchase"), and the related Letter of Transmittal, the Company is offering to purchase up to $95 million of its Shares, at a purchase price not greater than $10.50 nor less than $9.75 per Share, in cash, less any applicable withholding taxes and without interest. The Offer will expire at midnight, New York City time, at the end of the day on November 10, 2022, or any other date and time to which the Company extends such Offer, unless earlier terminated.
A "modified Dutch auction" tender offer allows shareholders to indicate how many Shares and at what price or within the range described above they wish to tender their Shares. Based on the number of Shares tendered and the prices specified by the tendering shareholders, the Company will determine the lowest per-share price that will enable it to purchase up to $95 million of Shares, or if a lesser value of shares is validly tendered, all Shares that have been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn. All Shares accepted in the Offer will be purchased at the same price even if tendered at a lower price.
As of September 27, 2022, there were 67,365,912 Shares outstanding, which reflects the impact of the Company's previously reported repurchase of 9,644,807 Shares from GSK Finance (No.3) plc on September 20, 2022. If the Offer is fully subscribed, (1) at the maximum purchase price of $10.50 per share, the Company could purchase 9,047,619 Shares, which would represent approximately 13.4% of Shares outstanding and (2) at the minimum purchase price of $9.75 per share, the Company could purchase 9,743,589 Shares, which would represent approximately 14.5% of the Shares outstanding.
The Offer is not conditioned on any minimum number of Shares tendered, but is conditioned upon the satisfaction of certain customary conditions, as more fully described in the Offer to Purchase. The Company expressly reserves the right for any reason, subject to applicable law and as set forth in the Offer to Purchase, to extend, abandon, terminate or amend the Offer. Any Shares purchased pursuant to the Offer will be cancelled, and those Shares will cease to be outstanding.
The Company expects to fund purchases of Shares tendered in the Offer with cash on hand.
Specific instructions and complete terms and conditions of the Offer are set forth in the Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal and other related materials that are being sent to holders of Shares. Copies of the Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal and related documents may be obtained from the Information Agent (as defined below) for the Offer by calling (877) 797-1153.
Theravance Biopharma has retained Evercore Group L.L.C. to act as dealer manager (the "Dealer Manager") in connection with the Offer. For questions concerning the terms of the Offer, Evercore Group L.L.C. may be contacted at (888) 474-0200. The information agent for the Offer is Georgeson LLC (the "Information Agent"), and the depositary for the Offer is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
This press release is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to buy nor the solicitation of an offer to sell any of the Company's Shares. The Offer will be made solely by the Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal and related materials, as they may be amended or supplemented. Holders of Shares should read the Company's Offer statement on Schedule TO filed with the SEC in connection with the Offer, which will include as exhibits the Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal and related materials, as well as any amendments or supplements to the Schedule TO when they become available, because they will contain important information. Each of these documents will be filed with the SEC, and, when available, holders may obtain them for free from the SEC at its website (www.sec.gov) or from the Information Agent in connection with the Offer.
This press release does not set forth all of the terms and conditions of the Offer. Shareholders should carefully read the Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal and related materials, for a complete description of all terms and conditions before making any decision with respect to the Offer. None of the Company, its management, its board of directors, its officers, the dealer manager, the depositary, or the information agent, or any of their respective affiliates, makes any recommendation that holders tender or refrain from tendering all or any portion of their Shares, and no one has been authorized by any of them to make such a recommendation. Holders must make their own decision as to whether to tender their Shares and, if so, the amount of Shares to tender and the purchase price or prices at which to tender.
Theravance Biopharma, Inc.'s overarching purpose and goal as a biopharmaceutical company is focused on delivering Medicines that Make a Difference® in people's lives. In pursuit of its purpose, Theravance Biopharma leverages decades of expertise, which has led to the development of FDA-approved YUPELRI® (revefenacin) inhalation solution indicated for the maintenance treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Its pipeline of internally discovered programs is targeted to address significant unmet patient needs.
For more information, please visit www.theravance.com.
THERAVANCE BIOPHARMA®, THERAVANCE®, and the Cross/Star logo are registered trademarks of the Theravance Biopharma group of companies (in the U.S. and certain other countries).
YUPELRI® is a registered trademark of Mylan Specialty L.P., a Viatris Company. Trademarks, trade names or service marks of other companies appearing on this press release are the property of their respective owners.
This press release contains certain "forward-looking" statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, among other things, statements relating to goals, plans, objectives, expectations and future events. Theravance Biopharma intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Examples of such statements include statements relating to: the timing of the Offer, including the settlement thereof and the satisfaction of conditions to the Offer. These statements are based on the current estimates and assumptions of the management of Theravance Biopharma as of the date of this press release and are subject to risks, uncertainties, changes in circumstances, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results of Theravance Biopharma to be materially different from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements include, among others, risks related to the satisfaction of the conditions to the Offer, volatility and fluctuations in the trading price and volume of the Shares, and general economic and market conditions. Other risks affecting Theravance Biopharma are in the Company's Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 8, 2022, and other periodic reports filed with the SEC. In addition to the risks described above and in Theravance Biopharma's filings with the SEC, other unknown or unpredictable factors also could affect Theravance Biopharma's results. No forward-looking statements can be guaranteed, and actual results may differ materially from such statements. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Theravance Biopharma assumes no obligation to update its forward-looking statements on account of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Contact:
Gail Cohen
Corporate Communications / 917 214 6603
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SOURCE Theravance Biopharma, Inc. | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2022/09/28/theravance-biopharma-announces-tender-offer-up-95-million-its-ordinary-shares/ | 2022-09-28 10:24:54 | 1 | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2022/09/28/theravance-biopharma-announces-tender-offer-up-95-million-its-ordinary-shares/ |
Others receiving 6 or more points: Kamiakin 16. Skyview 9.
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Others receiving 6 or more points: Rainier Beach 16. Mead 11.
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Others receiving 6 or more points: none.
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Others receiving 6 or more points: none.
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Others receiving 6 or more points: Liberty (Spangle) 12.
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Others receiving 6 or more points: Naselle 12. Liberty Bell 7.
___ | https://www.mrt.com/sports/article/Washington-Poll-17536792.php | 2022-10-26 21:40:23 | 0 | https://www.mrt.com/sports/article/Washington-Poll-17536792.php |
Wins don't come more convincing than the way Decorah put away Charles City 71-19 for an Iowa girls basketball victory on December 9.
In recent action on December 3, Charles City faced off against Algona and Decorah took on Center Point CPU on December 3 at Center Point-Urbana High School. For more, click here.
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You're reading a news brief powered by ScoreStream, a world leader in fan-driven sports results and conversation. Help us collect and deliver more game results from your favorite teams and players by downloading the ScoreStream app. Nearly a million users nationwide share team scores and player performance stats with this convenient free app. | https://wcfcourier.com/sports/high-school/basketball/girls/decorah-gives-charles-city-the-business-71-19/article_0c6d9bca-5b18-5f47-b393-1064fc94b1e9.html | 2022-12-10 04:08:28 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/sports/high-school/basketball/girls/decorah-gives-charles-city-the-business-71-19/article_0c6d9bca-5b18-5f47-b393-1064fc94b1e9.html |
Brittney Griner plays in first WNBA preseason game since detainment in Russia
PHOENIX (AP) - Brittney Griner strolled down the sideline about 1 1/2 hours before the Phoenix Mercury played Friday night, giving hugs and high-fiving her teammates, coaches and opposing players.
Then it was a little stretching, a little shooting and a little agility work to prepare for a basketball game.
Just like old times.
"I'm grateful to be here, that's for sure," Griner said. "I'm not going to take a day for granted."
Griner returned to game action for the first time since a nearly 10-month detainment in Russia on drug-related charges ended with a prisoner swap in December. The seven-time All-Star, who missed the entire 2022 season because of the detainment, finished with 10 points and three rebounds in a WNBA preseason game against the Los Angeles Sparks.
The 6-foot-9 Griner looked good, especially considering the long layoff, casually throwing down a one-handed dunk during warmups. She stood with her teammates while the national anthem was played and received a loud ovation from the home crowd when she was introduced before tipoff.
"Hearing the national anthem, it definitely hit different," Griner said. "It's like when you go for the Olympics, you're sitting there, about to get gold put on your neck, the flags are going up and the anthem is playing, it just hits different.
"Being here today ... it means a lot."
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 12: Brittney Griner #42 of the Phoenix Mercury walks on the court during the first half of the WNBA game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Footprint Center on May 12, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly ackno
Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard said the anthem and introductions were emotional for the entire team.
"We looked at each other and we just had chills," Nygaard said. "We were here last year for all of it. I'm getting emotional about it now. Just to see her back out there — it's an absolute miracle. It was amazing. It's giving me chills again."
Once the game started, the 32-year-old Griner immediately went to work, scoring on a turnaround jumper early in the first quarter. A few minutes later, she was fouled on another turnaround and sank both free throws.
She even had a cameo with the medical staff in the third quarter. Teammate Sophie Cunningham went down with a knee injury and Griner helped carry her off the court so she didn't have to put weight on her leg.
"When one of us goes down, we're always right there," Griner said. "That's one thing about this team — we're always there for each other. We've got each others' backs, big time."
Griner’s return to the Mercury rekindles hope the franchise can make another run to the WNBA Finals. The former Baylor star helped the franchise win its third title in 2014 and has averaged 17.7 points and 7.6 rebounds during her nine-year career. She was runner-up for Most Valuable Player in 2021, when the Mercury also played in the Finals but lost to the Chicago Sky.
Griner said she was more rusty on the court than expected. But given the trials and emotions of the past 18 months, it was a pretty good night.
"Not where I want it to be, but on the right track," Griner said. "We're making the right moves."
Phoenix opens the regular season in Los Angeles next Friday.
The extra exposure from being detained in Russia for having vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage has given Griner a platform to advocate for other Americans being detained abroad. She was already an LGBTQ+ activist since publicly coming out in 2013 and became the first openly gay athlete to be sponsored by Nike.
Griner announced in April that she is working with Bring Our Families Home, a campaign formed last year by the family members of American hostages and wrongful detainees held overseas. She said her team has been in contact with the family of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is being detained in Russia on espionage charges.
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AP Sports Writer John Marshall contributed to this report. | https://www.fox29.com/sports/brittney-griner-plays-in-first-wnba-preseason-game-since-detainment-in-russia | 2023-05-13 16:16:17 | 0 | https://www.fox29.com/sports/brittney-griner-plays-in-first-wnba-preseason-game-since-detainment-in-russia |
Maroa-Forsyth derailed Athens' hopes after a 38-36 verdict in Illinois high school football action on October 21.
Both teams were shutout in the first quarter.
The Trojans fought to a 28-14 halftime margin at the Warriors' expense.
Athens drew within 38-28 in the third quarter.
The Warriors enjoyed an 8-0 edge in the final quarter, yet the result was already decided.
In recent action on October 7, Athens faced off against New Berlin/Franklin/Waverly Co-Op and Maroa-Forsyth took on Williamsville on October 7 at Williamsville High School. For more, click here.
You're reading a news brief powered by ScoreStream, a world leader in fan-driven sports results and conversation. Help us collect and deliver more game results from your favorite teams and players by downloading the ScoreStream app. Nearly a million users nationwide share team scores and player performance stats with this convenient free app. | https://pantagraph.com/sports/high-school/football/boys/maroa-forsyth-escapes-athens-in-thin-win-38-36/article_1ab58ef8-0ffe-5e57-90f9-c8ce49f2fe9b.html | 2022-10-22 04:45:00 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/sports/high-school/football/boys/maroa-forsyth-escapes-athens-in-thin-win-38-36/article_1ab58ef8-0ffe-5e57-90f9-c8ce49f2fe9b.html |
PALO ALTO, Calif., June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Adhera Health™, a Precision Digital Companion™ platform company that pioneers the use of evidence-based research and explainable artificial intelligence to deliver adaptive self-management programs for patients living with chronic conditions, today announced that Jonathan Anscombe has joined the company's advisory board.
Jonathan recently retired after a 30-year career with Kearney, a leading global management consultancy firm where he led the EMEA healthcare practice. In that role, he helped major healthcare and biopharma companies across a wide range of topics including digital transformation, digital solutions, product launch, and service redesign. He also created NEXT, a successful partnership with a technology start-up to create a market-leading SaaS work and data management platform.
"I'm excited to be working with the Adhera Health team as they continue to innovate their modular Precision Digital Companion platform and bring new products to market," said Jonathan Anscombe. "Their solutions are user centric, evidence based, supported by continuous research, and delivered through a powerful AI based platform. I believe we can have a real impact on the health outcomes of people with chronic conditions and hope to leverage my experience working closely with senior leaders across biopharma, healthcare, and technology to bring Adhera Health solutions to as many customers and patients as possible".
The addition of Jonathan to the advisory board follows the hiring of Don Moore as Adhera Health's Chief Technology Officer earlier this year. Don has deep technical experience building and scaling platforms for hyper-growth companies and is responsible for overseeing Adhera Health's real-world evidence Precision Digital Companion platform and global wellness solutions.
"Jonathan is a visionary. His business and technical expertise and success in the global healthcare ecosystem will help prepare Adhera Health for its next phase of growth," said Ricardo C. Berrios, Founding CEO of Adhera Health. "Coupled with the recent addition of Don Moore, we are excited to grow our platform, and connect with payers, healthcare providers, and pharma companies. Most importantly, both Jonathan and Don will contribute to Adhera Health's vision of empowering people living with chronic conditions by advancing our breakthrough technology platform.
Adhera Health™ is a Palo Alto, California-based company leveraging forefront research in behavioral science combined with an advanced personalization technology platform to create digital and human solutions that empower people with chronic conditions to achieve long-lasting positive personal health outcomes, both physical and mental. Adhera Health's solutions are based on real-world evidence that has been validated in peer-reviewed scientific journals and is used by multiple global customers, including Fortune 500 and small and medium-sized health systems.
Visit adherahealth.com to learn more and follow Adhera Health™ on LinkedIn and Twitter for news and updates.
Media Relations: Ms. Päivi Salminen
psalminen@adherahealth.com
+1 650 681 9664
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SOURCE Adhera Health | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2022/06/09/adhera-health-names-kearney-partner-emeritus-jonathan-anscombe-its-advisory-board/ | 2022-06-09 12:30:32 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2022/06/09/adhera-health-names-kearney-partner-emeritus-jonathan-anscombe-its-advisory-board/ |
VANCOUVER, BC, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - BuildDirect.com Technologies Inc. (TSXV: BILD) ("BuildDirect" or "Company"), announces the closing of a secured debt financing pursuant to which it issued, via its wholly owned subsidiary BuildDirect Operations Limited ("BuildDirect Operations"), secured notes to Pelecanus Investments Ltd. ("Pelecanus"), Lyra Growth Partners Inc. ("Lyra") and Beedie Investments Ltd. ("Beedie" and, together with Pelecanus and Lyra, the "Lenders") in an aggregated amount of US $1.5 million (the "Additional Loan"). The Company also announces the amendment of secured notes issued by BuildDirect Operations to (a) the Lenders in February 2022 and (b) Deans Knight Capital Management Ltd. in its capacity as portfolio manager on behalf and for the benefit of two fully managed accounts (collectively the "Dean Knight Noteholders") in March 2018 (the "2018 Notes").
Additional Loan:
The terms of the Additional Loan include the following:
- The Additional Loan bears interest at an annual rate of 12% compounded monthly and is payable upon repayment of the Additional Loan;
- The Additional Loan matures on January 1, 2023 and
- A commitment fee equal to 1% of the Additional Loan is payable upon repayment of the Additional Loan.
On February 15, 2022, the Company issued secured notes (the "Original Notes") to the Lenders pursuant to which an aggregate of US$3.0 Million was made available to the Company (the "Original Loan", and together with the Additional Loan, the "Loan"). Pursuant to the Additional Loan, BuildDirect Operations issued amended and restated secured notes which amend and restate the Original Notes, therefore (a) extending the maturity date of the Original Loan to January 1, 2023; and (b) consolidating the Original Loan and the Additional Loan in the same document.
The net proceeds from the Additional Loan will be used to continue to advance BuildDirect's strategy and for general working capital purposes of the Company. The TSX Venture Exchange has been provided notice of the Additional Loan under TSXV Policy 5.1 – Loans, Loan Bonuses, Finder's Fees and Commissions.
Pelecanus, Lyra and Beedie are insiders by virtue of holding 37.7%, 12.9% and 11.4% respectively of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company on a partially diluted basis. As a result of the foregoing, the Additional Loan issued to the above entities constitutes a related party transaction as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company relied upon the exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements in sections 5.5(b) – Issuer not Listed on Specified Markets and 5.7(1)(a) – Fair Market Value Not More Than 25 Per Cent of Market Capitalization, respectively of MI 61-101.
Amendment of 2018 Notes:
BuildDirect Operations (formerly BuildDirect.com Technologies Inc.) issued the 2018 Notes to Deans Knight Noteholders in an aggregate principal amount of approximately CAD $5,000,000 pursuant to a Note Purchase Agreement dated as of March 22, 2018. BuildDirect Operations and the Deans Knight Noteholders have agreed to amend the 2018 Notes pursuant to which (a) the maturity date of the 2018 Notes is extended to December 31, 2022 (the "2018 Notes Maturity Date") (b) the interest rate applicable to the 2018 Notes is increased to 15% effective June 30, 2022 and (c) deferred fees in the amount of between 1%-3% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2018 Notes are payable by BuildDirect Operations subject to repayment of the 2018 Notes prior to the 2018 Notes Maturity Date.
"We are very pleased to have the continued support of our shareholders as we navigate our continued transition to B2B focused customer acquisition said David Lazar, interim CEO of BuildDirect. "With our ongoing push to reallocate resources to the pro customer market and drive synergies with our two prior acquisitions, that exclusively service pro customers, we have continued conviction around our strategic direction."
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
About BuildDirect
BuildDirect (TSXV: BILD) is a growing omnichannel building material retailer. BuildDirect connects North American home improvement B2B and B2C organizations and homeowners with quality building materials and services through its robust global supply chain network. BuildDirect's growth trajectory, strong product offering and proprietary heavyweight delivery network are delivering value today, solidifying its position as an innovative player in the home improvement industry. For more information, visit www.BuildDirect.com.
Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"), including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to future business activities and operating performance. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar expressions. These statements reflect management's current beliefs and expectations and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof. Forward-looking statements involve significant risk, uncertainties and assumptions.
Forward-looking statements in this press release may include, without limitation, statements relating to BuildDirect's use of the proceeds from the Loan, BuildDirect's ability to repay the Loan and the 2018 Notes, the continued transition to B2B focused customer acquisition, the reallocation of resources to the pro customer market and to drive acquisition synergies and BuildDirect's conviction around its strategic direction.
Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Among those factors are changes in consumer spending, availability of mortgage financing and consumer credit, changes in the housing market, changes in trade policies, tariffs or other applicable laws and regulations both locally and in foreign jurisdictions, availability and cost of goods from suppliers, fuel prices and other energy costs, interest rate and currency fluctuations, retention of key personnel and changes in general economic, business and political conditions. These forward-looking statements may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of the Company and general market conditions, including COVID-19.
Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. These factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements.
Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect the Company's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made, the Company cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. There may be other risks, uncertainties and factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended and such changes could be material. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and BuildDirect assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.
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SOURCE BuildDirect.com Technologies Inc. | https://www.wfmz.com/news/pr_newswire/pr_newswire_technology/builddirect-closes-secured-debt-financing-for-us-1-5-million-and-amends-2018-secured-debt/article_8cdaca26-5ebe-5fed-8f83-193a8f1d93f3.html | 2022-06-30 11:06:55 | 0 | https://www.wfmz.com/news/pr_newswire/pr_newswire_technology/builddirect-closes-secured-debt-financing-for-us-1-5-million-and-amends-2018-secured-debt/article_8cdaca26-5ebe-5fed-8f83-193a8f1d93f3.html |
Noel Pagan went 2-for-4 with four RBI and four runs to lead Paterson Charter past Paterson Arts 14-8 in Paterson.
Paterson Charter (2-14) took a 10-6 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning before adding four more runs. Victor Salas also had a two-run single and scored four times.
Paterson Arts fell to 0-7.
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Craig Epstein may be reached at cepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @CraigEpstein18. | https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2023/05/paterson-charter-defeats-paterson-arts-baseball-recap.html | 2023-05-20 00:12:51 | 1 | https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2023/05/paterson-charter-defeats-paterson-arts-baseball-recap.html |
NYC subway shooting suspect in custody over 'unprovoked' death of Goldman Sachs employee Daniel Enriquez
Accused gunman Andrew Abdullah has surrendered to NYPD's Fifth Precinct
The brazen gunman accused of shooting and killing a New York City Goldman Sachs employee in an unprovoked attack on a moving subway car has been taken into police custody after surrendering to authorities.
Andrew Abdullah surrendered to the NYPD's 5th Precinct in Chinatown on Tuesday afternoon in connection with the Sunday morning attack on a New York City Q-train as it made its way from Brooklyn to Manhattan, Fox News has confirmed. He was flanked by several law enforcement officers, including agents with the U.S. Marshal Service, as he made his way into the precinct station house.
Abdullah boasts 19 prior arrests, sources told the New York Post.
FAMILY OF NYC SUBWAY SHOOTING VICTIM: 'I'M PLEADING THAT THIS NOT HAPPEN TO ANOTHER NEW YORKER'
Daniel Enriquez, a 48-year-old Brooklyn man, was sitting inside the moving train shortly before 11:42 a.m. when, according to witnesses, the suspect "was walking back and forth in the same train car," NYPD Chief of Department Kenneth Corey told reporters on Sunday.
"Without provocation," Corey said, he "pulled out a gun and fired at the victim at close range as the trains [were] crossing the Manhattan Bridge."
Enriquez, who worked as a research assistant for Goldman Sachs, was rushed to an area hospital, but could not be saved. Corey said the victim and his attacker were strangers to each other.
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This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates. | https://www.foxnews.com/us/nyc-subway-shooting-suspect-custody-unprovoked-death-daniel-enriquez | 2022-05-24 19:36:16 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/us/nyc-subway-shooting-suspect-custody-unprovoked-death-daniel-enriquez |
ThermaForce Platform Includes Combi Boilers, Boilers and Tankless Water Heaters for a Whole Home Heating Solution
ATLANTA, July 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rheem®, a leading global manufacturer of water heating and HVACR products, announces the launch of ThermaForce™, a platform of super high efficiency condensing gas water heaters and boilers for the residential market. Comprised of combi boilers, boilers and tankless water heaters, ThermaForce can provide hot water for hydronic space heating applications including radiant floors, baseboards and hydronic air handlers as well as domestic hot water for sinks, showers, washing machines and more.
"The Rheem ThermaForce platform offers a whole home heating solution that is simple, reliable and provides super high efficiency," said Eric Ashley, product development manager, Rheem. "Additionally, the platform includes game-changing features for multiple installation scenarios."
With universal shared platform parts including the illuminated touchscreen control panel and exhaust and moveable combustion air intake venting, ThermaForce products were engineered for easy diagnostics, ultimate serviceability and flexible, uncomplicated installation. In addition, ThermaForce's unmatched streamlined design, with as few as four or five moving parts on each unit, simplifies servicing.
The platform is designed to meet the most demanding space heating and domestic hot water needs with an industry-first wireless cascading capability. Up to eight ThermaForce units (combi boilers, boilers, or tankless water heaters) can be cascaded in multiple configurations without the need for proprietary communication cables or Wi-Fi connectivity. The US market exclusive condensing combi to combi cascading for domestic hot water and space heating improves system efficiency and individual unit life.
At the heart of each ThermaForce product is a patented labyrinth heat exchanger with integrated copper waterways that ensures maximum heat transfer with minimal heat loss. The super high efficiency condensing combi boiler and boiler are ENERGY STAR® certified (up to 96% AFUE) and the tankless gas water heater, at 0.90 EUF, will reduce energy use up to 32% compared to a standard 50-gallon gas tank. The entire platform is high-altitude compliant and the tankless water heaters are manufactured to withstand extreme hard water environments.
The Rheem ThermaForce super high efficiency platform is available beginning July 18, 2023, to the following U.S. markets: Northeast (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts), Great Lakes/Midwest (Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska), Mountain (Idaho, Utah, Colorado), and Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon). For more information, visit www.Rheem.com/ThermaForce.
About Rheem
Founded in 1925, Rheem Manufacturing is a global leader committed to delivering innovations that save energy and support a more sustainable future. With products available in more than 80 countries, Rheem is America's #1 water-heating brand and the only manufacturer in the world that produces heating, cooling, water heating, pool & spa heating, and commercial refrigeration products. The company's portfolio of premium brands include Rheem®, Intergas®, Friedrich, Raypak®, Ruud®, Eemax®, Richmond®, IBC™, Splendid®, Solahart® EverHot™ and MHG Group as well as Russell®, Witt®, ColdZone® and Kramer®, which are part of the Heat Transfer Products Group (HTPG®) division.
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SOURCE Rheem | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/18/rheem-enters-residential-boiler-market-with-new-thermaforce-super-high-efficiency-condensing-platform/ | 2023-07-18 18:36:17 | 0 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/18/rheem-enters-residential-boiler-market-with-new-thermaforce-super-high-efficiency-condensing-platform/ |
BEIJING, Dec. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- China Matters releases a talk show series on the development of southwest China's Guizhou Province. The six-episode talk show, named The Talk with Guizhou, invites six guests from China and abroad to share their views on topics such as how Guizhou promotes rural revitalization, how local culture can give a boost to its tourism industry and how the province can build a better eco-system.
In this episode, China Matters talks to Alessandro Teixeira, a professor of Public Policy at Tsinghua University. Teixeira served as Brazil's Minister of Tourism in 2016. He shares with us how Guizhou advances rural revitalization and what lessons can be learned from its experience.
Aiming at solving the serious rural issues, in 2017, China proposed the implementation of a rural revitalization strategy that involves improving the quality of agricultural development, promoting green development in rural areas, and enhancing rural culture and helping it flourish.
In Teixeira's view, one of the challenges facing Guizhou is to continue increasing efficiency in agricultural production while identifying the target market. He sees how farmers from Guizhou sell agricultural products on social media platforms and believes it benefits them as livestreaming marketing can help generate direct income by cutting the middlemen.
Besides boosting income, rural development also involves the utilization of technology and innovation. Guizhou is using big data to analyze the families and individuals in need of financial support. Teixeira says the big data industry can overflow to other sectors to push forward Guizhou's high-quality growth.
"One of the key lessons that Guizhou is teaching China and the world is how you use technology to tackle a problem that was poverty alleviation and rural revitalization," says Teixeira, "and how you can spin off this to other sectors."
Contact: Li Shengnan
Tel:0086-13701304527
E-mail: snli@cnmatters.com
YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/t-5uEjEwXX4
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SOURCE China Matters | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2022/12/01/china-matters-features-how-chinas-guizhou-province-is-promoting-development-its-rural-areas/ | 2022-12-01 11:42:48 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2022/12/01/china-matters-features-how-chinas-guizhou-province-is-promoting-development-its-rural-areas/ |
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has filed a lawsuit over the in-custody death of a Black man in Arizona alleging excessive force and “deliberate indifference to obvious medical needs by the officers,” according to a press release sent to NewsOne.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the family of Akeem Terrell, who died on New Year’s Day 2021 after officers arrested him at a party for purportedly refusing to leave. The Sheriff of Maricopa County, Maricopa County, the city of Phoenix and nine officers are named in the suit over an incident that Crump said bore eerie similarities to the murder of George Floyd.
Video footage from inside a police station shows Terrell, 31, exhibiting signs of a mental crisis. Still, police officers are shown handcuffing Terrell to the floor before swarming him for minutes at a time. Terrell could be heard yelling for his life. When the cops were done, they left Terrell’s motionless body on the ground for six minutes before anyone attempted to give him medical attention. AZ Central has published the video.
From AZ Central:
Terrell was 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed more than 400 pounds. Because of his size, the lawsuit said officers used two sets of handcuffs linked together that “forced Akeem’s hands behind his back in a strange, painful, and unnatural way.”
Several officers put their weight on Terrell, who was lying in a prone position with his arms behind his back. Terrell told the officers they were killing him as they folded his legs up and pressed them down onto his body.
The video shows Terrell’s head and face were smashed up against a wall as he grunted and struggled with the officers on top of him.
At one time, as many as seven officers were on top of Terrell and holding him down.
Crump compared the treatment that he said led to Akeem’s death to what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020.
“Akeem Terrell had a history of mental illness, and instead of compassion and treatment, officers showed him indifference and negligence. As he was taken into the station, he said, ‘Y’all trying to kill me,’ and just as we saw in that video, it turns out they would. Just like George Floyd, Akeem was put in a prone position, face down, which has been proven to be dangerous and all-too-often deadly,” Crump said in a statement emailed to NewsOne.
Crump obviously knows the Floyd case well since he represented that family in a similar wrongful death lawsuit that yielded a record settlement with the city of Minneapolis for $27 million.
“While Akeem’s death occurred before the convictions of the officers responsible for George Floyd’s death for similar actions, it is clear that due to the lack of accountability, more change needs to occur in law enforcement communities,” Crump continued. “These officers must answer for their negligence and excessive force that obviously contributed to Terrell losing his life. Terrell’s life mattered, and he deserved better care in his time of crisis.”
This is America.
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Black Farmers Sue The Federal Government For Unkept Promises Of Billions In Debt Relief
The post ‘Just Like George Floyd’: Ben Crump Sues After Black Man Dies In Arizona Police Custody appeared first on NewsOne.
‘Just Like George Floyd’: Ben Crump Sues After Black Man Dies In Arizona Police Custody was originally published on newsone.com | https://wtlcfm.com/3416120/just-like-george-floyd-ben-crump-sues-after-black-man-dies-in-arizona-police-custody/ | 2023-01-06 22:40:38 | 0 | https://wtlcfm.com/3416120/just-like-george-floyd-ben-crump-sues-after-black-man-dies-in-arizona-police-custody/ |
Micky Dolenz, the last-surviving member of the 1960s band The Monkees, is suing the FBI to get any files and reports generated by the bureau over the years, pertaining to him, his deceased bandmates, or the band more generally.
In the complaint, Dolenz's attorneys say the musician submitted a Freedom of Information Act Request on June 14. After receiving an automate notice of receipt from the agency, he has received no further responses.
Under the law, all federal agencies are obligated to respond to a FOIA request within 20 business days. That does not include notifications of receipt. However, the Department of Justice website says there is a massive backlog of requests for the FBI and that "it simply cannot" respond within the specified time period.
Dolenz alleges that during the height of the band's fame, the group interacted with other musicians and artists who were known to be tracked by the FBI, including The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix.
The FBI website does state that "references to the band appear in two places in FBI files: a 1967 Los Angeles Field Office memorandum on anti-Vietnam war activities and a second document redacted entirely."
The site includes a PDF of the latter documents, written on March 26, 1967, in reference to the band's tour in the U.S. The report states the band projected "subliminal messages" which mirrored "left wing" political leanings. These messages included "riots in Berkley, anti-U.S. messages on the war in Vietnam, racial riots in Selma, Alabama, and similar messages which had received unfavorable response from the audience."
The Justice Department declined to comment for this story. The FBI says it has no comment to offer on pending litigation.
The Monkees, was a band formed in 1966 Los Angeles and conceived for a television comedy series of the same name. It ran for two years, during which the band enjoyed several popular hits, including "I'm a Believer", and "Daydream Believer."
The four-man rock and pop band included Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Davy Jones. They finally broke up in 1970.
In his complaint, Dolenz's lawyers state that whatever information is turned over from the FBI may be used in original work, including a film, book, or documentary.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2022-09-03/the-monkees-drummer-wants-the-fbi-to-quit-monkeying-around-and-hand-over-files | 2022-09-03 11:15:39 | 1 | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2022-09-03/the-monkees-drummer-wants-the-fbi-to-quit-monkeying-around-and-hand-over-files |
GREENWOOD, Ind. (NewsNation) — Four people were fatally shot, including the suspected shooter, and two were injured Sunday evening at an Indiana mall after a man with a rifle opened fire in a food court. An armed civilian shot and killed the suspect, preventing further loss of life, police said.
The man entered the Greenwood Park Mall with a rifle and several magazines of ammunition and began firing in the food court, Greenwood Police Department Chief Jim Ison said.
A 22-year-old from nearby Bartholomew County who was legally carrying a firearm at the mall shot and killed the gunman, Ison said at a news conference. The “good Samaritan” is cooperating with the police investigation.
Four of those hit by gunfire were females and one was a male, Ison said. He didn’t immediately know the specific gender or age of those who were killed.
Ison said a 12-year-old girl was among the two injured, both of whom are in stable condition.
Law enforcement officers arrived at the mall shortly before 6 p.m. in response to reports of an active shooter.
“The real hero of the day is the citizen that was lawfully carrying a firearm in that food court and was able to stop the shooter almost as soon as he began,” Ison said.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police and multiple other agencies are assisting in the ongoing investigation.
“We are sickened by yet another type of incident like this in our country,” Indianapolis Assistant Chief of Police Chris Bailey said.
At a news conference Sunday evening, Ison said SWAT teams had finished clearing the mall and expected to be on scene through the early Monday morning hours. Police also confiscated a suspicious backpack that was in a bathroom near the food court, he said. Police say there were no explosive devices found in the backpack.
Authorities have not yet determined a motive for the shooting and have not released the identity of the shooter, who was male.
“This tragedy hits at the core of our community,” Mayor Mark Myers said in a statement. Myers said he was in direct contact with the scene as it was ongoing and asked the public if they had any information about the shooting, to report it to police immediately.
Greenwood is a south suburb of Indianapolis with a population of about 60,000. Myers asked for “prayers to the victims and our first responders.”
Greenwood Park Mall said in a statement that its grieves for the victims and praised first responders as well as the “heroic actions” of the 22-year-old who police said fatally shot the gunman.
“Violence has no place in this or any other community,” the mall said. The mall did not open for business Monday.
A news conference with be held Monday at 2 p.m. ET to release additional information.
This mass shooting was just the latest to unnerve Americans in 2022. Schools, churches, grocery stores and a July Fourth parade in Highland Park, Illinois, have all become killing grounds in recent months. Still, the reality of America’s staggering murder rate can often be seen more clearly in individual deaths that rarely make the news.
The Associated Press and WXIN contributed to this report. | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/civilian-kills-suspect-after-3-killed-in-indiana-mall-police/ | 2022-07-18 17:21:36 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/civilian-kills-suspect-after-3-killed-in-indiana-mall-police/ |
If Roe falls, some fear repercussions for reproductive care
(AP) - If the Supreme Court follows through on overturning Roe v. Wade, abortion likely will be banned or greatly restricted in about half the U.S. states. But experts and advocates fear repercussions could reach even further, affecting care for women who miscarry, couples seeking fertility treatments and access to some forms of contraception.
Many conservatives insist they are only interested in curtailing abortion, and legislation passed so far often has exceptions for other reproductive care. But rumblings from some in the GOP have experts concerned, and laws banning abortion could also have unintended side effects.
“The rhetoric has been really increasing over the last several years,” said Mara Gandal-Powers, the director of birth control access at the National Women’s Law Center. “There’s definitely a domino effect which I think people are really starting to wake up to and see this is how far it could go.”
If Roe is overturned, as suggested by a leaked draft opinion, states will set their own abortion laws, and conservative lawmakers are already passing a steady stream of deeply restrictive regulations. Oklahoma lawmakers, for example, passed legislation Thursday banning abortion at conception, the strictest in the nation.
Although that bill has some exceptions, it signals a direction that is deeply worrisome for many doctors.
“I truly think the people writing these laws either have no concept of the broad implications or do not care about how this impacts so many aspects of women’s health care,’’ said Dr. Kristyn Brandi, a New Jersey OB-GYN who provides abortion care.
“In medicine, you are not considered pregnant until this fertilized egg is implanted into the uterus — which happens after fertilization,’’ Brandi said. She said it is unclear whether doctors performing infertility treatments would be in violation of the law if they dispose of extra fertilized eggs. The Oklahoma measure “is not based in science and is incredibly confusing and frustrating for medical professionals trying to provide evidence based care.″
The Roe decision was based on a constitutional right to privacy — and the decision leaned on another landmark case eight years earlier that gave married couples the right to birth control, Griswold v. Connecticut.
Reliable birth control is now a feature of life for millions of Americans, but in March U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee recorded a video message naming the Griswold decision as “constitutionally unsound.” She’s not proposing restrictions on birth control but hasn’t commented further to clarify what she meant.
Other conservatives have conflated emergency contraception, often known as the morning-after pill, with abortion. In Idaho, for example, it was prohibited at school-based health clinics last year under a law banning public funding for “abortion related services.”
Along with long-acting birth control devices called IUDs, emergency contraception has been been attacked by abortion foes who believe life begins when an egg is fertilized.
But those pills have no effect once a pregnancy is established, after implantation in the womb, Brandi said.
“You can take Plan B all you want when you’re pregnant. It will not do anything to your pregnancy,’’ she said.
Emergency contraceptive pills like Plan B and IUDs may also prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the womb, but experts say the science on that isn’t clear. It is believed they mostly work by blocking fertilization.
Political attempts to block access to intrauterine devices and other birth control “would be consistent with the pattern that we’re seeing right now,’’ said Dr. Jennifer Kerns, an associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco who also provides abortion care. “Many of us are very concerned that that’s kind of the next up on the chopping block.’’
In Missouri last year, for example, there was a failed effort to prevent IUDs and emergency contraception from being paid for by Medicaid. But in Tennessee, which just passed harsh penalties for providing abortion medication, Republican Senate Speaker Randy McNally pushed back on any suggestion that contraception could be in the crosshairs.
“Contraception and abortion are not the same thing. One is a responsible way to prevent pregnancy. The other ends a human life. It is a flagrant attempt to change the conversation and it won’t work,” spokesman Adam Kleinheider said in a statement.
The governor of Mississippi, one of 13 states that will immediately ban abortion if Roe is overturned, wouldn’t say whether he’d sign a hypothetical birth-control ban when asked on “Meet the Press.” Gov. Tate Reeves later clarified on Twitter: “I’m not interested in banning contraceptives.”
But doctors also worry other forms of reproductive care, like treating ectopic pregnancies, could be targeted. These occur when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, often in a fallopian tube. They are often life-threatening medical emergencies because the fragile tube can rupture, causing massive internal bleeding.
In 2019, an Ohio Republican proposed a measure that would have compelled doctors to try transplanting ectopic pregnancies into the uterus or allowing insurers to cover the hypothetical procedure, which is considered medically impossible.
After Texas banned abortion after six weeks, Kerns said colleagues there have told of patients with ectopic pregnancies being transferred out of state for treatment, putting their health at risk.
Physicians may even become hesitant to treat miscarriage, said Brandi, the New Jersey OB-GYN.
Women often miscarry alone, early in pregnancy, with no need for medical assistance. For others, it involves heavy prolonged bleeding and treatment is exactly the same as abortion — the same pills or procedure. Doctors in states that outlaw abortion would fear repercussions for treating miscarriages, Brandi said. Most end safely but infection is a risk, she said.
Plus, Brandi added, it can take eight weeks for someone “once they’ve diagnosed with a miscarriage to actually pass the pregnancy” without intervention. That can be traumatic, particularly for women who wanted to be pregnant.
Roxanne Kelly, a mental health specialist in Arkansas, has a family history of miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies. Knowing she’s at high risk, she shudders hearing politicians equate treatment for both with abortion.
“Instead of receiving medical care, … I would be treated potentially as a murderer,’’ Kelly said. She shared her fears with her husband recently, and he “immediately offered to get a vasectomy,” saying “it’s reversible and keeps you safe,” Kelly said.
Meanwhile, some states still have abortion bans on the books that date back to the 1800s. If Roe is overturned, those bans with vague definitions of abortion could snap back into effect.
“Some states don’t say what abortion is; they just say abortion is a crime,” said Mary Ziegler, a law professor at University of California, Davis. “There’s a history of defining abortion more broadly to include steps in IVF or some forms of contraception.”
The Supreme Court isn’t expected to issue its final ruling until June or July, but some states are already considering going beyond banning abortion. Lawmakers in Louisiana considered a proposal to make it a homicide — a plan the governor said could criminalize some types of contraception and parts of the in vitro fertilization process.
The legislation stalled, but it could signal future tactics.
Oklahoma passed a series of strict new anti-abortion measures after seeing abortions spike as a ban in nearby Texas sent women to surrounding states. Legislation passed Thursday and set to be signed by the governor has exceptions for ectopic pregnancies — despite opposition from at least one lawmaker — and contraception, too, but not a specific exception for in vitro fertilization.
The legislation, which is enforced through civil lawsuits similar to the Texas ban, would “provide strong, additional protection of the life of unborn children in Oklahoma,” Republican sponsor Rep. Wendi Stearman said in a statement.
A line describing an “unborn child” as one at any stage of gestation means it likely would not apply to embryos fertilized in a lab, leading some fertility doctors to say this bill would have little effect on people seeking IVF, but it could still apply to the selective reduction process sometimes used to remove a fetus from a woman’s womb if fertility treatments result in multiple pregnancies, said Seema Mohapatra, health law and bioethics professor at SMU Dedman School of Law.
“I think it is very reasonable to be fearful of what comes next,” Mohapatra said. “At what point does your reproductive decision making, even for people that are really, really desperately wanting a child, become constrained?”
___
Associated Press writer Kimberlee Kruesi in Tennessee contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kalb.com/2022/05/23/if-roe-falls-some-fear-repercussions-reproductive-care/ | 2022-05-23 20:30:40 | 1 | https://www.kalb.com/2022/05/23/if-roe-falls-some-fear-repercussions-reproductive-care/ |
NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- To address gaps in services for Hampton Roads communities, three leading corporations headquartered in Newport News, Virginia – HII, Ferguson, and BayPort Credit Union – have partnered to fund a $500,000, three-year transformation grant, called Accelerating Change Together (ACT). The inaugural year's focus will be on Education and Workforce Development.
The grant is an extension of the One Community Transformational Grant program, which HII's Newport News Shipbuilding division launched in 2018 and has since provided start-up funding for the Fort Monroe Foundation's National Center for Freedom and the Newport News Public Schools STEM Ecosystem project. The partnership among the three companies will expand the initial program's scope and funding. Recognizing their unwavering commitment to the community, the ACT Grant is an extension of the three companies existing charitable giving and social impact efforts.
"The ACT Grant builds on the tremendous success of the One Community Transformation Grant that allowed nonprofits to work together to dream about new ways they could use the funds to make a positive change in the community," said Gary Artybridge, Manager, Corporate Citizenship & Education Outreach at Newport News Shipbuilding. "We were thrilled that BayPort and Ferguson wanted to partner with us to build upon the program's early successes and make it sustainable. This year's investment will be a win for education in Hampton Roads and in the development of a skilled workforce that will benefit the nation."
"BayPort is excited to be a leader in the ACT Grant," said Nancy Porter, VP of Marketing at BayPort Credit Union and Executive Director of the BayPort Foundation. "So many nonprofits have creative ideas about how to address pressing community challenges but don't have a mechanism to fund the implementation of those ideas. The goal of the ACT Grant is to invest in a project that has the most significant potential to leave a lasting legacy on our community."
"Newport News has been home to Ferguson for more than 70 years, and we're honored to support our neighbors through this partnership," said Melissa Hazelwood, Director of Social Impact at Ferguson. "Just as our three companies are working collaboratively to implement this program, we hope that the grant will inspire like-minded nonprofits to work together to strengthen the communities where we all live and work.
The deadline for applications is October 31, 2022. For additional information on the ACT Grant and eligibility requirements, please visit actgrant.org.
HII is an all-domain defense and technologies partner, recognized worldwide as America's largest shipbuilder. With a 135-year history of trusted partnerships in advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities ranging from the most powerful and survivable naval ships ever built, to unmanned systems, ISR and AI/ML analytics. HII leads the industry in mission-driven solutions that support and enable an all-domain force. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII's skilled workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, please visit hii.com.
Ferguson plc (NYSE: FERG; LSE: FERG) is a leading value-added distributor providing expertise, solutions and products from infrastructure, plumbing and appliances to HVAC, fire, fabrication and more. We exist to help make our customers' complex projects simple, successful and sustainable. Ferguson is headquartered in the U.K., with operations in North America. For more information, please visit www.fergusonplc.com or follow Ferguson on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/ferguson-enterprises.
BayPort Foundation is the charitable arm of BayPort Credit Union, headquartered in Newport News, Virginia and was established to extend the credit union's philosophy of "people helping people." The Foundation is an extension of the credit union's charitable giving. BayPort Credit Union commits more than half a million dollars in annual corporate donations and pays all the Foundation's overhead to ensure that 100% of the Foundation donations support its mission. For more information, visit bayportfoundation.org.
Christine Hicks:
Communications and Community Engagement Supervisor
cjhicks@bayportcu.org
757-873-4076
Todd Corillo
Manager, Media Relations
Todd.T.Corillo@hii-co.com
757-688-3220
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SOURCE BayPort Credit Union | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/three-leading-newport-news-corporations-launch-500000-accelerating-change-together-grant/ | 2022-08-17 20:37:53 | 0 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/three-leading-newport-news-corporations-launch-500000-accelerating-change-together-grant/ |
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to deliver a live video address at the opening Thursday of the annual Berlin International Film Festival, whose organizers say they will pay special tribute this year to Ukraine and to protesters in Iran.
Zelenskyy, a former comedian and actor, features prominently in Sean Penn’s film about the war in Ukraine, “Superpower,” which will have its world premiere at the Berlinale.
This year's event, which runs until Feb. 26, will see 18 films compete for the Golden and the Silver Bear awards. The winners will be chosen by a jury headed by American actor, screenwriter and director Kristen Stewart.
The festival will open with the premier of Rebecca Miller’s film “She Came to Me,” starring Anne Hathaway, Marisa Tomei and Peter Dinklage. | https://www.clickorlando.com/entertainment/2023/02/16/ukraines-zelenskyy-to-address-opening-of-berlin-film-fest/ | 2023-02-16 15:49:02 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/entertainment/2023/02/16/ukraines-zelenskyy-to-address-opening-of-berlin-film-fest/ |
NEW YORK, Aug. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gross Law Firm issues the following notice to shareholders of LifeStance Health Group, Inc..
Shareholders who purchased shares of LFST during the class period listed are encouraged to contact the firm regarding possible lead plaintiff appointment. Appointment as lead plaintiff is not required to partake in any recovery.
CONTACT US HERE:
CLASS PERIOD: This lawsuit is on behalf of all purchasers of LifeStance common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the documents issued in connection with LifeStance's June 10, 2021 initial public stock offering.
ALLEGATIONS: The complaint alleges that during the class period, Defendants issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the number of virtual visits clients were undertaking utilizing LifeStance Health was decreasing as the COVID-19 lockdowns were being lifted, thereby flatlining LifeStance Health's out-patient/virtual revenue growth; (ii) the percentage of in-person visits clients were undertaking utilizing LifeStance Health was increasing as the COVID-19 lockdowns were being lifted, thereby causing LifeStance Health's operating expenses to increase substantially; (iii) LifeStance Health had lost a large number of physicians due to burn-out and, as a result, its physician retention rate had fallen significantly below the 87% highlighted in the initial public offering's registration statement, and LifeStance Health had been expending additional costs to onboard new physicians who were less productive than the outgoing physicians they were replacing; and (iv) as a result, LifeStance Health's business metrics and financial prospects were not as strong as the initial public offering's registration statement represented.
DEADLINE: October 11, 2022 Shareholders should not delay in registering for this class action. Register your information here: https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/lifestance-health-group-loss-submission-form/?id=31100&from=4
NEXT STEPS FOR SHAREHOLDERS: Once you register as a shareholder who purchased shares of LFST during the timeframe listed above, you will be enrolled in a portfolio monitoring software to provide you with status updates throughout the lifecycle of the case. The deadline to seek to be a lead plaintiff is October 11, 2022. There is no cost or obligation to you to participate in this case.
WHY GROSS LAW FIRM? The Gross Law Firm is nationally recognized class action law firm, and our mission is to protect the rights of all investors who have suffered as a result of deceit, fraud, and illegal business practices. The Gross Law Firm is committed to ensuring that companies adhere to responsible business practices and engage in good corporate citizenship. The firm seeks recovery on behalf of investors who incurred losses when false and/or misleading statements or the omission of material information by a company lead to artificial inflation of the company's stock. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
The Gross Law Firm
15 West 38th Street, 12th floor
New York, NY, 10018
Email: dg@securitiesclasslaw.com
Phone: (646) 453-8903
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SOURCE The Gross Law Firm | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2022/08/24/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-lifestance-health-group-inc-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-october-11-2022-nasdaq-lfst/ | 2022-08-24 18:48:13 | 0 | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2022/08/24/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-lifestance-health-group-inc-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-october-11-2022-nasdaq-lfst/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Prince Harry’s “Spare” sold more than 3.2 million copies worldwide after just one week of publication and will likely rank among the bestselling memoirs of all time.
Penguin Random House announced Thursday that Prince Harry’s headline-making memoir sold 1.6 million copies in the U.S. alone. It’s a number comparable to first week sales for blockbusters such as former President Barack Obama’s “A Promised Land” and former first lady Michelle Obama’s “Becoming,” which has sold more than 17 million copies since coming out in 2018.
The British publisher announced last week that “Spare” sold 400,000 copies in the United Kingdom in all formats — hardback, e-book and audio — on its first day.
The total sales announced for “Spare” are for print, audio and digital editions in the major English-language markets: the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia. The book has come out in 15 other languages, and editions in 10 additional languages are expected.
“Spare” may set records for nonfiction, but no book in memory approaches the pace of the final Harry Potter novel, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” which in 2007 sold more than 10 million copies in its first 24 hours.
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, worked on his book with American novelist J.R. Moehringer, who also helped write Andre Agassi’s acclaimed “Open” and is the author of “The Tender Bar,” a memoir adapted by George Clooney into a movie starring Ben Affleck. | https://who13.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-prince-harrys-memoir-spare-sells-3-2m-copies-in-1st-week/ | 2023-01-20 12:28:23 | 1 | https://who13.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-prince-harrys-memoir-spare-sells-3-2m-copies-in-1st-week/ |
PHOENIX (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday visited the site for a new computer chip plant in Arizona, using it as a chance to emphasize how his policies are fostering job growth in what could be a challenge to the incoming Republican House majority.
Biden has staked his legacy in large part on major investments in technology and infrastructure that were approved by Congress along bipartisan lines. The Democratic president maintains that the factory jobs fostered by $52 billion in semiconductor investments and another $200 billion for scientific research will help to revive the U.S. middle class.
“What I’m most excited about is people are starting to feel a sense of optimism as they see the impact of the achievements in their own lives,” Biden said Tuesday. “It’s going to accelerate in the months ahead and it’s part of a broad story about the economy we’re building that works for everyone.”
But there are signs that past moments of bipartisanship on economic matters may be harder to replicate after November’s midterm elections, in which Republicans won a House majority. Biden still pitches the investments as a sign of what happens when lawmakers partner with each other, but Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy, who could be the next speaker, attacked the legislation in a July floor speech as a “blank check” and “corporate welfare.”
The president is battling high inflation that has left most Americans feeling as though the country’s economic prospects are bleak. That has provided Republicans with a target for saying Biden is not meeting the needs of American families.
Biden toured a Phoenix plant being completed by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. that was announced in 2020 during Donald Trump’s presidency. TSMC also announced it’s investing a total of $40 billion in Arizona, with plans to build a second plant. Biden administration officials said the two TSMC plants as well as new factories by Intel, Micron, Wolfspeed and others could give a decisive edge to the American military and economy at time when competition with China is heating up.
But it can be challenging to explain how more U.S. chip production will change Americans’ lives, and Biden struggled Tuesday to talk about semiconductors that are just three nanometers in size.
“Three nano chip, chips that are three nano, you know what I’m saying,” Biden said. “Nano, no-no, I don’t know.”
The White House has simultaneously launched a video campaign to highlight the array of non-tech jobs associated with the semiconductor industry. Biden has visited four other computer chip sites since September, with the highly paid factory jobs promising spillover hiring for construction, janitorial services and other businesses.
Featured in the video campaign is Paul Sarzoza, president and CEO of Verde Clean. Sarzoza founded the company in 2019. It won a contract to clean TSMC’s construction site, accounting for a third of its 150 jobs. Sarzoza’s company will clean the semiconductor plant, with workers wearing what’s known as a “bunny suit” to prevent any contamination from hair and skin.
The government’s investment was key for his company’s growth, and he expects to add 150 to 200 more employees next year.
“It’s one step at a time,” Sarzoza said. “But it’s a tremendous opportunity for us.”
Computer chip company Intel has also invested in Arizona, which has become a microcosm of the nation’s broader political divides. The state on Monday certified the results of this year’s elections, a process drawn out by many GOP officials who falsely claim the 2020 election, in which Biden beat Trump, was rigged.
Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey attended the event, as did his newly elected Democratic successor, Katie Hobbs, Arizona’s current secretary of state. Also attending were Apple CEO Tim Cook, TSMC founder Morris Chang, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
Biden uses his visits to chip plants to talk about the jobs he expects will come to those regions, a process that could take a decade or longer to come to full fruition. Companies could face a challenge in finding educated workers for jobs with incomes averaging over $100,000 a year, according to Labor Department figures.
Ronnie Chatterji, White House coordinator for the chip investments, said these investments will shape entire regions of the country in ways that are overlooked now.
“Ten years from now we’ll be talking about all the jobs in Arizona,” Chatterji said in an interview. “You won’t be able to talk about that part of Arizona without thinking about the impact of those companies.”
But Biden might need to thread a needle and preserve a sense of bipartisanship for the long-term investments to succeed, said Keith Krach, a business executive who as an under secretary of state in the Trump administration helped bring TSMC to Arizona.
He said the investments will rival NASA’s Apollo Program, which didn’t just land men on the moon but also made the U.S. a leader in micro electronics, software, computers and aerospace.
Krach said that preserving political unity is key and the way to do that is for political leaders to stress how the chip plants can keep the U.S. ahead of China.
“It’s unifying,” Krach said, because Chinese President Xi Jinping “is terrified of the United States having a Sputnik moment, which I think this really represents, and declaring a moonshot.”
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Boak reported from Washington. | https://www.krqe.com/news/technology/ap-biden-to-visit-arizona-computer-chip-site-highlight-jobs/ | 2022-12-06 23:04:52 | 1 | https://www.krqe.com/news/technology/ap-biden-to-visit-arizona-computer-chip-site-highlight-jobs/ |
2021 Community Impact Report details support for programs across all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico
WASHINGTON, June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Delta Dental Institute released its 2021 Community Impact Report, highlighting the philanthropic investments that Delta Dental made last year to support the oral and overall health of communities across the country. A national leader in oral health giving, Delta Dental supported efforts and initiatives that expand access to care, advance health equity, build resilient communities, and innovate for a healthier tomorrow. In total, Delta Dental invested $106 million in communities in 2021 — an increase over 2020 — and positively impacted more than 21.3 million lives.
"For nearly 70 years, Delta Dental has been driven by our mission to advance the oral and overall health of the people we serve and the communities we call home," said James W. Hutchison, President & CEO, Delta Dental Plans Association. "We are proud to be one of the nation's leaders in oral health giving and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with our communities and partners on the journey toward better health for all."
"I'm so proud that our community impact work continues to focus on addressing health disparities and expanding access to care in underserved communities," said Vivian Vasallo, Executive Director, Delta Dental Institute. "Equity is at the heart of what we do, and we're committed to equipping all members of our communities with the tools they need to live their healthiest lives."
The 2021 Community Impact Report, "Our mission: your health," explores four main areas of Delta Dental's community impact efforts:
- Expanding access to care: Delta Dental supported dental treatment and prevention programs — such as free dental clinics — that reached 10 million people and helped 4.4 million more get access to fluoridated water.
- Advancing health equity: Delta Dental funded scholarships and grants for underrepresented students pursuing careers in oral health, including support for dental students at Howard University and Meharry Medical College, the only two HBCU dental schools in America. Delta Dental also reached more than 10 million people through oral health education programs, with a focus on underserved communities.
- Building resilient communities: Delta Dental expanded access to healthy food, supporting food drives and food banks that supplied more than 17 million meals, and prioritized sustainability through investing in water bottle-filling stations in schools and other efforts.
- Innovating for a healthier tomorrow: Delta Dental focused on the future by funding research and supporting new care models and technologies, like medical-dental integration and teledentistry, to help develop new solutions to improve care.
To accompany the report, today Delta Dental also released a video and digital story detailing its community impact work, including an interactive map showcasing specific initiatives in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
The full report is available online at 2021cir.deltadental.com.
Based in Oak Brook, Illinois, Delta Dental Plans Association is the not-for-profit national association of the 39 independent Delta Dental companies. Through these companies, Delta Dental is the nation's largest dental insurance provider, covering more than 83 million Americans, and offering the country's largest dental network with approximately 154,000 participating dentists. Over the last decade, Delta Dental companies provided over $1.8 billion in direct and in-kind support to improve the oral health of our communities.
The Delta Dental Institute is dedicated to advancing oral health for all Americans in partnership with the Delta Dental companies and dedicated partners across the country. With expertise rooted in Delta Dental's rich history of oral health leadership, we engage in and support oral health research, community outreach, and advocacy, striving to ensure that everyone understands the importance of oral health to overall health and has access to the care they need. Visit deltadentalinstitute.com for more information.
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SOURCE Delta Dental Institute | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2022/06/15/delta-dentals-annual-community-giving-increased-106-million-2021-positively-impacting-213-million-lives/ | 2022-06-15 11:27:56 | 1 | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2022/06/15/delta-dentals-annual-community-giving-increased-106-million-2021-positively-impacting-213-million-lives/ |
SAN DIEGO, May 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- May is National Pet Month, an annual celebration dedicated to promoting responsible pet ownership, encouraging pet adoption, and celebrating the special bond between pets and their owners.
With millions of households across the world owning at least one pet, National Pet Month is an opportunity to recognize the many benefits of pet ownership, including improved mental and physical health, companionship, and increased socialization. It's also a chance to highlight the important work of animal welfare and rights organizations, whose sole mission is to provide care and support to pets in need.
Show your pet just how important they are to you, by treating them to the trip of a lifetime! In celebration of National Pet Month, the following properties are waiving ALL pet fees for any 2023 stays booked in the month of May. Some exclusions may apply.
PARTICIPATING HOTELS:
- The Art Hotel, Laguna Beach, CA
- Sands Inn & Suites, San Luis Obispo, CA
- Onsen Hotel & Spa, Desert Hot Springs, CA
- Golden Gate Hotel, San Francisco, CA
- Lions Gate Hotel, Sacramento, CA
- Mountain Valley Lodge, Sun Valley, ID
- Ponderosa Inn, Portland, OR
Use code "PAWPERKS" to participate in the campaign, and get an additional 10% off your stay! National Pet Month is a time to celebrate the joy that pets bring to our lives. A vacation is the ultimate treat! Life can get RUFF, call and book your trip MEOW!
MEDIA CONTACT:
Maia Kelly
PR Manager at Oceanic Enterprises
mkelly@oceanicenterprises.com
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SOURCE Oceanic Enterprises | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/05/02/oceanic-enterprises-happy-celebrate-national-pet-month-travel-these-incredible-properties-with-your-furry-friends/ | 2023-05-02 13:08:51 | 0 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/05/02/oceanic-enterprises-happy-celebrate-national-pet-month-travel-these-incredible-properties-with-your-furry-friends/ |
A closing ceremony for “The Wall That Heals” took place at the Madonna Meadows in San Luis Obispo Sunday.
The ¾-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial arrived on the Central Coast on Tuesday.
It stayed open 24/7 during its time here, so local could come experience the memorial.
The wall closed at 2:00 p.m., following a closing ceremony at 1:30 p.m.
"The Wall That Heals" featured a mobile education center with various displays about the history of the Vietnam War.
It also included photo tributes to veterans from San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. | https://www.ksby.com/news/local-news/closing-ceremony-for-the-the-wall-that-heals | 2023-03-20 01:38:50 | 1 | https://www.ksby.com/news/local-news/closing-ceremony-for-the-the-wall-that-heals |
In the central Chinese city of Wuhan, a full-page newspaper advert called out companies owing money to the city government. There were reports — quickly denied — of an 11th-hour loan to the local authority in southwestern Kunming so it could make bond repayments. And then came complaints from residents in Nanning, a city near China’s border with Vietnam, about public parking being auctioned off as a way to secure new loans.
Across China local governments, whose balance sheets have long been precarious, are struggling to service debts estimated to total as much as $23 trillion.
Not only do cities have to make up for nearly three years of paying for costly “zero covid” measures, they also have to contend with a property downturn, slow land sales — a primary source of their income — and a weaker-than-expected economic recovery, which means lower tax revenue.
Now they’re having trouble repaying those debts, local governments are floundering around for cash. And that’s being felt on the ground.
Teachers say they’re not getting paid. Motorists say they’re paying more for parking. More and more cities are even auctioning off public services like school lunches, shared bicycles and operating rights for vendor stalls and sightseeing carts.
As the situation escalates, so too are calls for the central government to step in to defuse the situation. But policymakers in Beijing face a dilemma, analysts say.
If they step in too early or with too much support, they risk undermining attempts to improve fiscal responsibility. But doing too little or waiting too long could result in defaults with widespread implications for the already slowing Chinese economy.
A spiraling crisis could severely worsen that downturn and undermine promises of the Chinese Communist Party and its top leader, Xi Jinping, to raise living standards and what he calls “common prosperity,” and tackle income inequality
Previous “halfhearted” attempts to get local government debts under control were “always reversed as soon as the economic consequence started to bite,” said Michael Pettis, a Beijing-based senior fellow at the Carnegie China Center. But because debt levels rose so much during the pandemic, this time may be different. Beijing seems to finally be “getting serious about reining in local government debt this year,” he said.
Even before the pandemic, economists doubted whether China could continue relying on infrastructure and construction spending, fueled by debt, to prop up the economy during hard times.
But sticking to Beijing’s stated policy of no bailouts is potentially risky, too, because it leaves some of the least financially health parts of the economy with rising costs, little revenue and few ways to borrow more money.
“The challenge for China is that the government entities that have the most debt are the ones who are least able to pay it off,” said Nicholas Borst, director of China research at investment adviser Seafarer Capital Partners, referring to the vehicles authorities use to borrow money for real estate and infrastructure projects.
While Beijing has proved adept at averting full-blown financial crises in the past, this has often been achieved by simply pouring more money into infrastructure. Continuing that approach is becoming less and less effective and could even be undermining the long-term health of China’s economy.
“Now that the balance sheets of so many local governments are weighed down with debt, they will be less able to meet Beijing’s demands for policy spending,” Borst said. That means the central government will have fewer tools available to kick-start the economy.
Without Beijing’s help, some governments have rolled over loans, while others are coming up with novel ways to cut expenses, increase revenue and secure new loans. Sometimes they are even passing the costs on to government employees or the general public.
In Wuhan, where local government coffers were strained by strict and lengthy coronavirus lockdowns, the city’s money managers last month took out a full-page ad in a local state-run newspaper urging 259 companies to “immediately” repay money owed to the government.
In 2019, Wuhan spent $1.9 billion on public health. In the following three years, public health expenditure totaled $11.6 billion, largely because of costs of treating and containing the virus.
Residents in Nanning, capital of Guangxi province, have complained of soaring prices for street parking and fees for electric scooters and bikes since a state-run company was granted management rights in 2018. The company also took out a $283 million loan based on its projected 25-year income, according to Caixin, a Chinese financial media outlet.
Other cities are franchising public utilities to boost income. In theory, the agreements should mean better services and more revenue, but critics say that they can mean ordinary people pay twice: once as taxes to create the utility and then a second time to use it.
“Urban roads are built with taxes paid by everyone, and car owners also pay fuel tax,” one person wrote on Weibo, China’s equivalent to Twitter, about the Nanning parking controversy. “Why should we have to pay in urban public parking spaces?”
The looming cash crunch has surfaced simmering fears of salary and benefit cuts for public-sector jobs. In Sanmenxia city, Henan province, 34 teachers published an open letter saying that they had been working for years without pay. In response to an outcry online, the local education bureau said that the problem was caused by a policy shift that delayed payment for teachers recently transferred from private to public schools.
For some parts of the country, the problem appears to be less about covid expenditure and more about systemic issues stemming from a decades-long building binge.
In southwestern Kunming, rocked by multiple public finance-linked corruption scandals in recent years, city authorities last week denied “rumors” that its local government financing vehicles were struggling to pay off debts, after minutes allegedly of an internal meeting were circulated online.
Lavish spending on gravity-defying bridges and thousands of miles of roads as part of efforts to alleviate poverty in mountainous Guizhou have also left the province straining to stay afloat. The finance bureau in its capital city, Guiyang, said this month that “technical means of debt reduction have been basically exhausted,” adding that large debts in certain districts meant “risks may occur at any time,” according to Chinese media. The report was later deleted.
Pei-Lin Wu in Taipei, Taiwan contributed to this report. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/06/02/china-cities-debt-default/ | 2023-06-02 12:21:08 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/06/02/china-cities-debt-default/ |
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