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Beginning in her early 20s, Julie Faenza’s doctors attributed her significant sleep problems — suddenly nodding off during the day and an inability to stay asleep at night — to long-standing anxiety and depression.
Medical Mysteries: Why was her sleep so frighteningly out of whack?
After a scary incident while driving, she began a search — punctuated by missteps and erroneous conclusions — that resulted in the discovery of an overlooked disorder
The episode that convinced the North Carolina health-care lawyer something else was wrong occurred in 2013, when she fell asleep at the wheel early one morning on her way to work. Badly shaken but uninjured, Faenza, who lives in Raleigh, began a year-long search — punctuated by missteps and erroneous conclusions — that culminated in the discovery of a long-overlooked disorder.
“It was a game changer almost immediately,” Faenza, now 42, said of the treatment she received for the ailment that took eight years to diagnose. “At the time I wasn’t someone who did a lot of medical research. I hadn’t needed to.” Her experience changed that.
Mental health explanation
Faenza’s sleep problems surfaced around 2006. Since adolescence the medication she had taken for depression and anxiety had been reasonably effective.
But no matter how much rest Faenza had gotten the previous night, she began feeling unusually sleepy during the day. She routinely ducked out to her car for a 30-minute nap during her lunch break at work.
“I always felt better after a nap,” she said.
At night she fell asleep quickly but had trouble staying asleep. She often woke up after an hour or two and had difficulty going back to sleep. Her psychiatrist prescribed a popular sleep drug that seemed to help for a while.
In 2008, Faenza, who was working full-time, enrolled in night law school, which involved classes from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. That year she decided to undergo gastric bypass weight loss surgery after a long battle with severe obesity.
Preoperative testing included a polysomnogram (PSG), an overnight test performed at a sleep center in which a person is hooked up to electrodes that monitor brain activity and breathing patterns during sleep. A PSG is the primary test for sleep apnea, a common and potentially serious condition in which breathing stops briefly and repeatedly. Apnea is a particular risk for severely obese patients who can experience serious complications while under anesthesia.
Faenza was relieved to learn she didn’t have sleep apnea. Her December surgery went well.
But losing weight did not improve her sleep, which by 2010 had worsened dramatically. Faenza frequently dozed off during night classes; getting through a full day of work without falling asleep became nearly impossible. She was prescribed Adderall, a widely used stimulant that she took during the day to help her stay awake, and Xanax, a potentially addictive sedative used for anxiety, to help her stay asleep at night. Neither seemed to help much.
Her therapist and psychiatrist, noting that Faenza was engaged and planning a wedding scheduled the day after her 2011 law school graduation, decided she was overloaded.
“I was terrified. I hadn’t even realized I was sleepy.”— Julie Faenza
“They said, ‘Of course you’re tired, you have so much going on,’” Faenza remembered being told. The expectation was that after the twin events, her sleep would improve.
When it didn’t, the explanation shifted.
“You’re bored,” she remembered her therapist telling her. Once she had an engaging legal job, the therapist predicted, her sleep problems would resolve.
By October 2012, Faenza who had married, passed the bar and gotten a job as a legal analyst, began lowering her dose of Adderall under a doctor’s supervision in the hope that might improve her sleep. She also began going to a gym regularly before work; exercise reduced her daytime sleepiness.
One morning in early spring 2013, after seven hours sleep, Faenza hit the gym at 5:30 a.m., returned home for a shower and breakfast and then drove to work.
As she was turning into her office complex shortly before 7:30 she suddenly fell asleep, only to be awakened by a violent jolt as her car rolled onto a curb. She was uninjured — and greatly relieved that no other cars or pedestrians were in the vicinity.
“I was terrified,” Faenza said. “I hadn’t even realized I was sleepy.” She had often fallen asleep without warning at home while reading or listening to music, but never while driving.
Faenza called her internist who referred her to a sleep disorders clinic.
A ‘visual barricade’
In April Faenza saw a physician assistant at a sleep clinic. The PA ordered a second PSG, followed by a multiple sleep latency test consisting of a series of naps that assess daytime sleepiness.
Faenza said she was told she had to discontinue stimulants a week before the test but could take other medication. No stimulants posed a problem: She doubted she could stay awake at work.
To minimize the chance of being caught sleeping, Faenza had erected what she called a “visual barricade” on her desk. She sat strategically positioned behind two large computer monitors that faced her office door, which shielded her from view if she nodded off. Faenza decided to take the week off before the sleep study.
To her surprise, the PSG showed that she did have sleep apnea — a result that contradicted the finding five years earlier. And the sleep latency test showed that she fell asleep in 2.6 minutes on average; a reading under five minutes is regarded as indicative of a disorder.
But the latency test did not detect periods of sleep characterized by rapid eye movements (REM). The presence of REM episodes so early in the sleep cycle can indicate narcolepsy, a chronic neurological disorder that impairs the brain’s sleep/wake cycles and causes excessive daytime sleepiness.
The PA concluded that Faenza’s problems were the result of apnea. She prescribed an additional stimulant, replaced the Xanax with a different medicine at bedtime and recommended that Faenza be fitted for a CPAP machine, a device that uses mild air pressure to keep breathing airways open during sleep.
But after six months on the new drug regimen, and despite nightly use of her CPAP, Faenza continued to conk out without warning during the day. In January 2014 the PA ordered another PSG and a maintenance of wakefulness test, which assesses daytime alertness in a dark room specially designed to induce sleep. The test can help determine the severity of sleep apnea symptoms. Although Faenza learned later that the wakefulness test was performed incorrectly, she still fell asleep much more quickly than expected. She was advised to adjust the settings on her CPAP.
In late January 2014 Faenza met with a neurologist specializing in sleep disorders — the first time she had seen a doctor during her treatment for a sleep disorder. He told her that she had undergone all possible tests and that he didn’t know why treatment wasn’t working or what was wrong; she didn’t fit the criteria for narcolepsy or other sleep disorders. Other than adding additional stimulants, he had nothing to suggest, Faenza recalled.
“It was really upsetting and frustrating,” she said. “This was affecting so many things in my world. I wasn’t doing well at work, and I couldn’t do much of anything else. It felt like I was going to be in a perpetual state of exhaustion.”
Faenza decided her only choice was to start searching for answers on her own. “I started Googling,” she recalled.
“This was affecting so many things in my world. I wasn’t doing well at work, and I couldn’t do much of anything else. It felt like I was going to be in a perpetual state of exhaustion.”— Julie Faenza
She was struck by the description of a condition called cataplexy that occurs in Type 1 narcolepsy. “It clicked,” Faenza said.
Cataplexy is the sudden loss of voluntary muscle control and weakness while awake that is triggered by strong emotions including anger, fear or excitement. Episodes, which last seconds to a few minutes, can be occasional or frequent and resolve on their own. Cataplexy is not present in Type 2 narcolepsy, which tends to be less severe.
For years Faenza had noticed that when she got angry or excited her legs felt briefly “tingly and weird” and weak. She also noted that in some cases people with narcolepsy can fall asleep without warning during activities including eating, talking or driving.
The cause of narcolepsy, which can range from mild to debilitating, is unknown. The disorder is estimated to affect 1 in 2,000 Americans. It often develops in adolescence and is believed to result from genetic factors coupled with an environmental trigger. Excessive daytime sleepiness is its hallmark symptom.
If untreated, the lifelong disorder can greatly impair social, cognitive and psychological functioning. Treatment typically consists of medication and lifestyle changes.
Faenza emailed the neurologist to ask if she might have cataplexy. He dismissed the possibility; cataplexy, he replied, affects the head or neck, not the legs. He offered to repeat the sleep latency test but said he doubted it would yield a different result — unless Faenza had not stopped taking her antidepressant before the test. (Antidepressants can skew the results.)
That stopped Faenza cold. She told him she had continued taking the drug because no one had told her not to.
“I was angry,” Faenza recalled. She decided she needed to start over, this time with a new doctor. “If they didn’t tell me to stop [the drug] the first time, I couldn’t trust them to do the test right.”
Her internist referred her to a new sleep specialist.
Yet another sleep study
The second neurologist told her he suspected she might have Type 1 narcolepsy. He ordered a test for genetic markers associated with cataplexy, which can reveal low levels of a brain hormone called hypocretin, which helps control sleep cycles. If Faenza did not have one of these markers, he said, narcolepsy was unlikely.
After one marker was found, Faenza repeated the polysomnogram and the sleep latency test — this time without stimulants or antidepressants. The prospect of not taking the antidepressant that had worked well was scary, said Faenza, whose doctors helped wean her off the drug over a six-week period.
The repeat PSG found no sign of sleep apnea, while the sleep latency test was abnormal and detected REM episodes. Faenza was diagnosed with Type 1 narcolepsy.
“When I got the results I cried with joy,” she recalled. After eight years, her problem had a name and could be treated.
Such a delay is not uncommon, said Charles Bae, a sleep specialist who is an associate professor of medicine and neurology at the University of Pennsylvania. It can take five to 10 years for patients to receive a narcolepsy diagnosis, he noted, although awareness of the disorder is increasing.
“There are any number of things more common than narcolepsy,” he said. Depression and anxiety can cause excessive sleepiness and insomnia.
But cataplexy can be a tip-off. And contrary to what the neurologist told Faenza, it can affect any part of the body, not just the head, Bae noted.
The lack of education about sleep disorders in medical school remains a barrier to timely diagnosis, he added. “Sometimes even sleep doctors just focus on the test results.”
Soon after her diagnosis Faenza began taking sodium oxybate or xyrem, better known as GHB or the “date rape drug.” Xyrem is approved to treat narcolepsy, although it is not clear how it works. The drug may slow brain activity, improving the quality and duration of sleep. Access is tightly controlled by the Food and Drug Administration. Faenza also takes daytime stimulants and has adjusted her sleep schedule.
The results were dramatic. “I wasn’t falling asleep all the time,” Faenza said. She was able to stay asleep at night and the episodes of cataplexy diminished.
Faenza, who believes her maternal grandmother had narcolepsy that was never diagnosed, wishes she had heeded advice her mother had given her years earlier. A longtime registered nurse, her mother emphasized the importance of knowledge and self-advocacy in medical matters.
“It’s not wrong to trust doctors,” Faenza said, “but I could have asked better questions and bypassed some negative consequences. I wish I had started doing research earlier.”
Submit your solved medical mystery to sandra.boodman@washpost.com. No unsolved cases, please. Read previous mysteries at wapo.st/medicalmysteries. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/06/10/sleep-problems-medical-mysteries/ | 2023-06-10 14:37:40 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/06/10/sleep-problems-medical-mysteries/ |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A man is dead after a late-night shooting Thursday in Portland’s Hazelwood neighborhood, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
Police said a patrol sergeant was flagged down and was told someone had been shot nearby at around 11:45 p.m. The gunshot victim was found east of the Northeast 122nd Avenue and Northeast Wasco Street intersection.
Medics were called to the scene, but officers said the man ultimately died.
Police said they have not found a suspect in this shooting.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact Detective Calvin Goldring at Calvin.Goldring@police.portlandoregon.gov or by phone at 503.823.0256; or Detective Steve Gandy at Stephen.Gandy@police.portlandoregon.gov or call 503.823.0449. Reference case number 23-123499.
Detectives with the PPB Homicide Unit are handling the investigation. | https://www.koin.com/news/crime/man-found-shot-to-death-in-ne-portland-after-police-flagged-down/ | 2023-05-12 12:30:57 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/news/crime/man-found-shot-to-death-in-ne-portland-after-police-flagged-down/ |
Lakers vs. Grizzlies Injury Report Today - April 22
Find the injury report for the Los Angeles Lakers (43-39), which currently has three players listed, as the Lakers prepare for their NBA playoffs first round game 3 against the Memphis Grizzlies (51-31) at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday, April 22 at 10:00 PM ET.
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On Wednesday when these squads last met, the Grizzlies took down the Lakers 103-93. In the Grizzlies' win, Xavier Tillman put up 22 points (and added 13 rebounds and three assists), while LeBron James scored 28 in the loss for the Lakers.
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Los Angeles Lakers Injury Report Today
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Memphis Grizzlies Injury Report Today
Lakers vs. Grizzlies Game Info
- When: Saturday, April 22, 2023 at 10:00 PM ET
- Where: Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California
- TV: ESPN, SportsNet LA, and BSSE
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Lakers Season Insights
- The Lakers average 117.2 points per game, only 4.2 more points than the 113 the Grizzlies give up.
- Los Angeles is 34-16 when scoring more than 113 points.
- In their last 10 games, the Lakers have been putting up 120.9 points per game, an average that's a little higher than the 117.2 they've scored over the course of the 2022-23 season.
- Los Angeles makes 10.8 three-pointers per game (24th in the league) while shooting 34.6% from beyond the arc (24th in the NBA). It is making 1.7 fewer threes per contest than its opponents, who drain 12.5 per game while shooting 34.4%.
- The Lakers rank 19th in the league by averaging 111.8 points per 100 possessions on offense, and defensively are 14th in the NBA, allowing 111.5 points per 100 possessions.
Grizzlies Season Insights
- The Grizzlies score an average of 116.9 points per game, just 0.3 more points than the 116.6 the Lakers give up to opponents.
- Memphis is 34-7 when it scores more than 116.6 points.
- The Grizzlies have fared worse offensively in their past 10 games, posting 116.2 points per contest, 0.7 fewer points their than season average of 116.9.
- Memphis makes 12 three-pointers per game (16th in the league), while its opponents have made 13 on average.
- The Grizzlies' 112.3 points per 100 possessions on offense rank 14th in the NBA, and the 108.3 points they concede per 100 possessions rank second in the league.
Lakers vs. Grizzlies Betting Info
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.weau.com/sports/betting/2023/04/22/lakers-vs-grizzlies-nba-playoffs-injury-report/ | 2023-04-22 21:39:38 | 1 | https://www.weau.com/sports/betting/2023/04/22/lakers-vs-grizzlies-nba-playoffs-injury-report/ |
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court ruled Thursday that inaction by the country’s former president and four others led to Easter Sunday bomb attacks in 2019 that killed nearly 270 people and ordered them to pay compensation for violating the basic rights of the victims and their families.
A seven-judge bench of the top court ordered former President Maithripala Sirisena to pay 100 million rupees ($273,300) from his personal funds. It also ordered the police chief, two top intelligence officials and the secretary to the ministry of defense at the time to pay a total of 210 million rupees ($574,000).
Two local Muslim groups that had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group were accused of carrying out six near-simultaneous suicide bomb attacks targeting worshipers at Easter services at three churches and tourists eating breakfast at three top hotels.
A breakdown in communication caused by a rift between Sirisena and the then prime minister was blamed for the failure of authorities to act on near-specific foreign intelligence received prior to the attacks, which also wounded about 500 people.
The court said Sirisena, who was also defense minister and commander in chief of the armed forces, had not called regular meetings of the national security council and had omitted key personnel from the meetings he held.
“All this is a stark reality that strikes this court as a serious omission on the part of the then president,” the court said.
“This dismal failure on the part of former President Sirisena resulted in disastrous consequences for this country. Not only were lives lost and properties destroyed, but interracial tension and interethnic hatred began to raise their ugly heads, causing the very fabric of this nation to be broken,” it said.
“The due care with which the minister of defense should have exercised his wide powers in the greater good of the country was totally nonexistent according to the evidence that has been placed before this court,” it said.
A presidential commission earlier recommended criminal procedures against Sirisena for alleged negligence, but it has not been followed up.
The government has prosecuted several people in connection with the attacks, but leaders of the country's Catholic church say they suspect a larger conspiracy and are demanding that the leaders be revealed. | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Sri-Lankan-court-orders-ex-leader-to-pay-victims-17712843.php | 2023-01-12 13:04:48 | 1 | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Sri-Lankan-court-orders-ex-leader-to-pay-victims-17712843.php |
A Twitter account dedicated to astrophotography shared an image it said was Antarctica as seen from space. The image, which appears to depict a massive ring of sea ice around the continent, has been liked 140,000 times since it was first posted July 15.
One of the most popular replies to the photo was from a person who believed the photo was evidence that global warming is a hoax.
“Don't see any melting polar cap there, plenty of ice,” said the person in the reply. “Global warming? No.”
THE QUESTION
Is this a real photo of Antarctica as seen from space?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
No, this is not a real photo of Antarctica as seen from space. It’s an image a NASA scientist created using real satellite data to depict what the continent would look during the time of year when it’s too dark for any satellites to photograph it.
WHAT WE FOUND
The image in the tweet, which is not a real photo, is a visualization by NASA’s Cindy Starr released in 2007. The visualization was designed to depict the extent of the sea ice in the Antarctic on Sept. 21, 2005.
Sea ice is frozen ocean water that forms, grows and melts entirely within the ocean. In contrast, glaciers and icebergs form on land. In the visualization that went viral, the sea ice is the area of light blue between the dark blue of the unfrozen ocean and the white of the continent.
Starr created the image using a combination of real data and photos from NASA satellites. For the sea ice, Starr pulled from data collected by NASA’s AQUA satellite, which measures Earth’s microwave radiation to determine how much sea ice surrounds Antarctica. Microwave radiation readings from land, sea ice and open ocean are all different, so scientists can use the readings to identify sea ice and measure it.
She then combined that microwave radiation data with infrared radiation readings from both NASA’s AQUA satellite and its TERRA satellite. This kind of radiation creates infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye but can be picked up by equipment like satellites. Starr used infrared readings from September 2004 to create the Antarctic continent, and used readings from 2002 to add in the cloud cover.
Why would NASA have to use all of this data to create this image, instead of just using satellite photos? It’s because Antarctica is in constant darkness during its winter, which occurs during the same months that make up American summertime. Since much of Antarctica would be shrouded by darkness during the winter, NASA says it can only photograph the continent during the summer.
Actual NASA photos of Antarctica are always taken during the continent’s spring or summer. Antarctic sea ice appears white in these photos, almost identical to the color of the continent itself, rather than light blue like it appears in the visualization. There is very little sea ice in these photos, a stark contrast to the sea ice extent depicted in the visualization.
Antarctica’s sea ice varies greatly between seasons, which is important for understanding why the sea ice looks like it covers a much larger area than we’d normally see in a photo of Antarctica.
An image created by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) depicts the average minimum and maximum sea ice during March and September for the Arctic and Antarctic from 1981 through 2010. It shows that during September, which is winter for Antarctica, sea ice typically surrounds the continent in much the same way the NASA visualization depicts. But in February, a summer month for Antarctica, almost all of the sea ice surrounding the continent melts away.
“At its winter maximum, Antarctic sea ice covers an area of around 11 million square miles: almost twice the size of the United States of America, and larger than Antarctica itself,” the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition says.
Not only does Antarctic sea ice vary wildly between seasons, but it also does so on an annual basis, too.
Since measurements began in 1978, Antarctica’s sea ice cover gradually increased for about 30 years. In 2014, Antarctic sea ice cover hit a record high, according to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition. In 2017, just three years later, it hit a record low.
“Within only three years, 35 years of gradual gains had been lost,” the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition said.
Researchers are currently studying Antarctica’s changing sea ice to improve the performance of climate models and better predict the changes to come. The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition say warming oceans, local winds, cloud cover, meltwater from ice shelves, the ozone hole and variable climate patterns such as the El Niño affect Antarctic sea ice dynamics. It’s currently unknown whether the properties of the ice, such as its thickness, is changing due to global warming
NASA offers a timeline of September and February Antarctic sea ice cover from year-to-year, and how that year’s ice compares to the median between 1981 and 2010. Sea ice cover in September 2005, the same month the visualization from the tweet depicts, was around the winter peak’s median, if slightly less.
More from VERIFY: No, the Supreme Court did not overturn the Clean Water Act | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/verify/science-verify/antarctica-sea-ice-space-photo-actually-nasa-visualization-using-real-data/536-1268ce41-9272-40c5-8fc9-70176f5330a8 | 2022-07-25 19:33:52 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/verify/science-verify/antarctica-sea-ice-space-photo-actually-nasa-visualization-using-real-data/536-1268ce41-9272-40c5-8fc9-70176f5330a8 |
Governor Wolf move expands voter registration forms at state offices
HARRISBURG, Pa. - Seven additional Pennsylvania government agencies will provide voter registration forms under a new order being signed Wednesday by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf.
The executive order requires the materials and information be available to the public through agencies within the Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, Corrections, Education, Labor and Industry, Military and Veterans Affairs and State departments.
It means those who want to vote can start the process at Farm Show events, state parks, libraries and elsewhere.
RELATED COVERAGE
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- Gov. Wolf touts increased funding for education during trip to Montgomery County
- Wolf sues to stop GOP-backed amendments on abortion, voting
Visitors to the designated areas will be able to get official voter registration mail applications, envelopes and instructions about how to send them in. Signs informing people about the availability of voter registration forms must be posted in visible areas.
The agency employees who coordinate the effort will be required to tell the Department of State every three months how many people have taken advantage of the initiative.
The move under the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993 expands a program that had already made the forms and information available at other Pennsylvania offices and entities. | https://www.fox29.com/news/governor-wolf-move-expands-voter-registration-forms-state-offices | 2022-09-08 11:08:56 | 1 | https://www.fox29.com/news/governor-wolf-move-expands-voter-registration-forms-state-offices |
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service issued a draft environmental assessment Thursday to lay the foundation for a proposed 20-year moratorium on copper-nickel mining upstream from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Formally, the proposal would “withdraw” from new mineral leasing for 20 years about 352 square miles within the Rainy River watershed in the Superior National Forest around the town of Ely. The plan threatens to doom the proposed Twin Metals mine near Birch Lake, which drains into a river that flows into the Boundary Waters. But it would not affect a separate project, the proposed PolyMet mine near Babbitt and Hoyt Lakes, which lies in a different watershed.
The Forest Service plans to start a 30-day comment period Tuesday when it publishes a notice in the Federal Register. The assessment was posted on the project website at go.usa.gov/xtaCw. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will make the final decision on whether to approve the moratorium.
“The proposed mineral withdrawal aims to prevent further negative environmental impacts from future mining operations,” the Forest Service said in its announcement of the draft. “It also evaluates the impacts of future mining on important social, cultural, and economic values.”
Democratic U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, who represents a St. Paul-area district and is sponsoring legislation to permanently ban copper-nickel mining in that area, welcomed the study, as did environmental groups that have been fighting the Twin Metals project for years. They say the risk of acid mine drainage poses an unacceptable threat to the country's most-visited federally designated wilderness area.
McCollum said in a statement that the draft “makes it clear that sulfide-ore copper mining in the Superior National Forest is a toxic threat to the Boundary Waters. This pristine, precious wilderness demands permanent protection. The EA’s scientific foundation leaves no doubt: it is simply too risky to mine in this location.”
But Twin Metals said in a statement that the study was “not informed by science” and contradicts the goals of the Biden administration to ensure domestic accessibility of copper and other minerals needed for the renewable energy economy.
“We remain confident that we will move this project forward, responsibly source clean energy minerals and bring 750 family-sustaining jobs and 1,500 spinoff jobs to the communities of northeast Minnesota,” the company said.
Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, who represents northeastern Minnesota, where iron mining is a major industry, said the Biden administration “politicized” the review to kill Twin Metals instead of evaluating the project on its own merits.
“Biden and his fellow elitist Democrats in Washington and St. Paul are denying my constituents of our way of life,” Stauber said in a statement. “Joe Biden has made his position clear: he’d rather have foreign and child slave labor produce minerals instead of American union miners working to deliver Minnesota’s mineral wealth to the nation and world using the best environmental and labor standards.”
The Forest Service first proposed the moratorium in the final days of the Obama administration, which canceled Twin Metals' two federal mineral rights leases. The Trump administration reversed that decision and canceled the environmental assessment process,. But the Biden administration revived the proposed mor atorium last year, and in January terminated the leases, saying they had been unlawfully reinstated.
Twin Metals is owned by the Chilean mining company Antofagasta. The proposed $1.7 billion underground mine was in the very early stages of the permitting process until the state Department of Natural Resources pulled the plug on its own environmental review in February, citing the company’s loss of the federal leases.
“The environmental assessment released today provides a strong scientific foundation for a 20-year ban on copper mining near the Boundary Waters,” Becky Rom, national chair for the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters, said in a statement. “It is deeply rooted in peer-reviewed science, law, and established federal public lands policy, and validates the concerns of local residents and the American people about the risk sulfide-ore copper mining poses to the Wilderness." | https://www.mrt.com/news/article/Feds-issue-draft-assessment-that-could-doom-17261841.php | 2022-06-23 23:13:50 | 1 | https://www.mrt.com/news/article/Feds-issue-draft-assessment-that-could-doom-17261841.php |
STE MARE EGLISE, France (AP) — While U.S. military officers caution against too direct a comparison between the 1944 D-Day landings and Ukraine’s upcoming counteroffensive, the echoes of what Kyiv faces today are a dominant theme of this year’s commemorations of the young U.S. soldiers who died on the Normandy beaches nearly 80 years ago.
For days the villages and towns surrounding Omaha and Utah beaches have held parades, memorial events, flyovers and parachute demonstrations to build up to the annual celebration of D-Day, the launch of Operation Overlord. The June 6, 1944, invasion marked the beginning of the Allies’ massive ground offensive, which would eventually lead to Germany’s surrender and the end of World War II in Europe.
The celebration is taking place as Ukraine prepares to launch its own counteroffensive against Russia — an impending fight for which many of those same allied forces have now provided billions of dollars in weapons and training to Kyiv’s soldiers to best prepare them to win.
“There’s echoes of that of course,” said Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Mark Milley. However, he cautioned against making a direct comparison to World War II’s Normandy invasion, where more than 150,000 troops made landfall in a 24-hour period and millions eventually fought across Europe to defeat the Nazis.
The goal “is certainly the same, to liberate occupied territory and to free a country that has been unjustly attacked by an aggressor nation, in this case, Russia,” Milley said.
Over the last several days, Ukraine has been a theme.
“(They are) very naive, those who think peace is eternal: History shows us quite the opposite,” said Alain Holley, mayor of Ste Mere Eglise, at a D-Day commemoration ceremony Sunday. “The proof is that today, the shells are again falling in Europe, two hours by plane from here. Where and when this new war will stop, no one knows today.”
Holley said it was imperative to stop “these arsonists, before the fire takes away our children, our grandchildren, as well as these brave young American paratroopers.”
At the spot where Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower established the first forward Supreme Allied Command headquarters in 1944, current U.S. Army Europe and Africa commander Gen. Darryl Williams said Eisenhower’s choice to push forward was like the West’s decision to continue arming Ukraine in that it was a sign of hope.
“We particularly need hope today, because the dark clouds of war once again hang over Europe.”
Just 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Omaha beach, the larger town of Carentan was the site of a key victory allowing Allied forces to advance. The commander of the current air assault troops — whose predecessors gave their lives freeing Carentan one week after D-Day — said the grounds were a hallowed reminder of the present.
The unit was one of the first sent back to Europe after Russia invaded last year, to bolster Eastern European defenses.
“While we did not return to fight, we were ready to fight,” said Col. Ed Matthaidess, commander of the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. “So we stand here in Carentan today, and across Normandy this week, in remembrance not only of our past, but also mindful of our present.”
Two days before the annual celebration of Operation Overlord, Ukraine’s ministry of defense posted a video to Twitter of soldier after soldier putting his finger to his lips, in a hint that Kyiv’s much anticipated counteroffensive is imminent.
“Plans like silence,” the video text read. “There will be no announcement of the start.”
There’s usually a Ukrainian military delegation here as part of the commemorations, but not this year, as they focus on the fight at home, said a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
Ste Mere Eglise became the first French town liberated by Allied forces; its namesake church was made famous by 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper John Steele, whose parachute got caught on the church steeple, leaving him hanging there for two hours during the initial invasion.
“D-Day is a commemoration. I think it’s also a warning,” said Army Col. Marty O’Donnell, spokesman for U.S. Army forces in Europe “While certainly there is not a world war going on right now, we certainly must reflect upon the history as we deal with current events.” | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/ap-international/at-normandy-d-day-celebrations-echoes-of-ukraines-looming-fight/ | 2023-06-05 23:08:31 | 0 | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/ap-international/at-normandy-d-day-celebrations-echoes-of-ukraines-looming-fight/ |
Preeclampsia is a disorder that can lead to high blood pressure and serious complications for expectant mothers, and there were few indicators that doctors could rely on to warn them of its onset – until recently. In May, the Food and Drug Administration approved a blood test that can accurately detect whether mothers are likely to suffer from the complication, giving physicians a jump on critical care.
The test was developed by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. and had been already used for several years in Europe. Reuters reported in May on the company’s FDA approval, which allows for the blood test to be used in U.S. hospitals. Preeclampsia can begin sometime around the 20th week of pregnancy or can even manifest after the baby has been delivered. The Thermo Fisher test is intended for women who have already been hospitalized for blood pressure irregularities and, among those women, it can detect signs of imminent preeclampsia with 96 percent accuracy, according to the New York Times.
Prior to this blood test, doctors had little to go on when it came to identifying the disorder. Warning signs of preeclampsia can include vague symptoms like nausea, headaches and shortness of breath, and some mothers may experience no symptoms at all. If doctors suspect the disease in pregnant women, the usual treatment is to deliver the baby early. In extreme cases, complications can result in eclampsia, a condition that can lead to seizures and even death. Preeclampsia can even have long-term consequences such as increased risk of kidney disease and hypertension, both for the mother and her child.
MORE: This new federal law protects pregnant workers
“Women who have preeclampsia are at higher risk for short-term and long-term hypertensive disorders and cardiovascular disease for the remainder of their lives,” said Sarosh Rana, the chief of maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Chicago Medicine and the author of more than 100 papers examining the usage of biomarkers to predict preeclampsia, in a University of Chicago statement last month.
Doctors hope the test can provide better health outcomes for women across the board, with preeclampsia occurring in one out of 25 American pregnancies in varying levels of severity. But Rana noted that the development is particularly good news for Black women, who are 60% more likely to develop the condition during pregnancy than white women and have much higher rates of complications from the illness. Johns Hopkins University reports Black women are up to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications such as preeclampsia.
The Thermo Fisher Scientific test’s approval came on the heels of a study that examined more than 1,000 pregnant women in 18 United States hospitals. This research, which identified imbalances in two key proteins among women who developed severe cases of preeclampsia, led to the development of the blood test that can now be used both to identify women at high risk and to clear mothers who are less susceptible to the disorder.
Eleni Tsigas, CEO of the Preeclampsia Foundation, hailed the breakthrough, saying: “Patients and providers will benefit from having better tests to predict progression to preeclampsia with severe features, especially for those patients at risk of severe, early-onset disease or for whom there is some diagnostic uncertainty. Our organization celebrates this result after many years of advocacy with leaders in research and regulatory bodies, such as the FDA, to accelerate the development and adoption of better clinical tools.”
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Check out Simplemost for additional stories. | https://www.lex18.com/blood-test-can-now-predict-preeclampsia-in-pregnant-women | 2023-07-06 21:43:06 | 1 | https://www.lex18.com/blood-test-can-now-predict-preeclampsia-in-pregnant-women |
A stray llama led cops on a foot chase in Virginia.
"Llama drama! Our officers are prepared for anything," the Fairfax County Police Department said in a Facebook post. "That doesn’t mean we’re still not surprised when we get a unique call for service."
The department said on its Facebook page that its officers tried again and again, by land and air, to capture the elusive llama on Sunday.
Police said officers were a jogger notified them about the animal after seeing it on the Fairfax County Parkway near Popes Head Road.
It took a few officers, including animal protection police, to catch it.
Officers say that the llama was eventually found in a backyard and secured.
A trailer was brought to transport the llama to the animal shelter safely. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/stray-llama-leads-cops-on-a-foot-chase-in-virginia | 2022-12-23 18:43:05 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/stray-llama-leads-cops-on-a-foot-chase-in-virginia |
It’s been a while since the Wolverines have played in the NIT. Their opening-round opponent is very familiar with the event.
Watch Michigan basketball on FuboTV (7-day free trial)
Michigan hosts Toledo on Tuesday night. The Rockets have appeared in each of the last three NITs, failing to win a game. Tuesday’s winner will advance to face either Vanderbilt or Yale. Michigan would visit Vanderbilt but host Yale; that game will be played Saturday or Sunday.
Toledo has the second highest scoring offense in the country at 85.6 points per game, behind only Gonzaga. All five starters shoot the 3 at a good percentage. As a team, Toledo ranks second in the country at 39.7 percent from deep. Point guard RayJ Dennis was the MAC Player of the Year.
Michigan last appeared in the NIT in 2007, having gotten accustomed to deep NCAA Tournament runs in recent years. The Wolverines are 16-0 in NIT games in Ann Arbor, including a victory over Toledo in 1981. The teams met at Crisler Center on Dec. 9, 2020, when Toledo filled in for North Carolina State on short notice. Michigan won 91-71.
GAME INFORMATION
• Who: Toledo Rockets (27-7) at Michigan Wolverines (17-15)
• Where: Crisler Center (Ann Arbor, Michigan); capacity: 12,707
• When: Tuesday, March 14, 7:01 p.m. ET
• Point spread: Michigan -6
• Tickets starting at $39: Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, StubHub
HOW TO WATCH AND FOLLOW
TV: ESPN2 (Doug Sherman, Corey Alexander)
Streaming options:
FuboTV (7-day free trial): Stream live TV with ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN & top channels without cable. DVR included. Start watching free. No contract, cancel anytime.
Sling | Hulu + Live TV | YouTube TV
Follow: Andrew Kahn on Twitter
HOW TO LISTEN
• Ann Arbor: WTKA-1050 AM | Detroit: WWJ-950 AM | Online (Brian Boesch, Terry Mills)
• SiriusXM: 380 | SXM App: 970
Visit MLive’s Betting Home for latest odds & sportsbook promos
PREGAME READING
Michigan motivated for NIT, a ‘chance to play for a championship’
Michigan will host Toledo in NIT opener
What went wrong for Michigan this season?
Healthy and battle tested, Michigan women eyeing another NCAA Tournament run
Pregame listening: Wolverine Confidential podcast
Buy Wolverines gear: Fanatics, Nike, Amazon, Lids
Buy Wolverines tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek, Ticketmaster
Stream Wolverines games live: fuboTV, ESPN+ and Hulu + Live | https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2023/03/how-to-watch-michigan-vs-toledo-31423-free-live-stream-tipoff-time-channel.html | 2023-03-14 15:43:17 | 0 | https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2023/03/how-to-watch-michigan-vs-toledo-31423-free-live-stream-tipoff-time-channel.html |
DENVER (AP)Logan O’Connor and Mikko Rantanen each scored twice Thursday and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Nashville Predators 5-3 on a night when the team paid tribute to longtime color analyst Peter McNab following his death earlier this week.
O’Connor had two goals in 1:25 during a four-goal second period that helped the Avalanche take control. The team showed few signs of jet lag in its return from Finland, where Colorado recently completed a two-game sweep of Columbus as part of the NHL Global Series.
”We picked up the pace a lot,” Rantanen said.
The Avalanche played with heavy hearts in memory of McNab, the former NHL player turned broadcaster who died Sunday at 70. He revealed in late summer of 2021 that he was battling cancer.
The team showed a video tribute and held a moment of appreciation for him.
McNab was a familiar face and voice of the Avalanche ever since the club moved to Denver before the 1995-96 season. A fan held up a sign that read, ”We miss you, Peter.” On the Altitude TV broadcast, team executive Joe Sakic said: ”He loved the game so much. He was a storyteller.”
Evan Rodrigues also scored and Nathan MacKinnon had two assists to go with his eight shots for the Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev finished with 32 saves to move to 7-1-1 this season.
”It was OK,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said of his team’s performance. ”We had some guys that played outstanding tonight. MacKinnon was phenomenal. Logan O’Connor, phenomenal. Mikko had a pretty good night finishing.
”We capitalized on our chances in this game and they didn’t. That was the difference.”
Eeli Tolvanen, Ryan Johansen and Roman Josi had goals for the Predators. Kevin Lankinen stopped 30 shots.
After trailing by four, the Predators cut it to 5-3 early in the third period as Colorado resorted to a more conservative style of play. Nashville pulled Lankinen for an extra skater with around two minutes left, but couldn’t score.
”Against teams like that, with any team in this league, you go down like that, it’s nearly impossible to come back,” Johansen said. ”We need more. You can always do better. You can always work harder, but there’s more there. There’s more from this group.”
This was the first of four meetings between the teams – all before Christmas. The Avalanche swept the Predators in the first round of the playoffs last season on their way to hoisting the Stanley Cup.
O’Connor provided a big lift for a banged-up Avalanche team that’s missing quite a bit of scoring punch with captain Gabriel Landeskog (knee) and Valeri Nichushkin (ankle) sidelined. They’re also without defensemen Bowen Byram and Samuel Girard due to lower-body injuries.
MacKinnon assisted on both of Rantanen’s scores, including one on a power play in the first period to tie the game and the second with a breakaway pass as Rantanen raced out of the penalty box.
The speedy MacKinnon became the third Avalanche player to reach 20 points in 12 games or less. He joined Rantanen (11 games in 2018-19) and Peter Forsberg (12 games in 2003-04).
”He’s been great,” Bednar said. ”Those are the guys that are driving the bus and we need them to be good. Things are thin and we need those guys to be sharp every night. That’s the kind of pressure we put on them.”
BOWERS DEBUT
Colorado center Shane Bowers made his NHL debut. Bowers, a first-round draft pick by Ottawa in 2017, was part of a three-team deal that sent former Avalanche standout Matt Duchene to the Senators on Nov. 5, 2017. Duchene later signed with Nashville.
Bowers nearly scored on his first shot. He played 1:46 in the first period before leaving the ice holding his arm. He didn’t return. There was no update from Bednar.
”He was waiting his whole life to get here to play this game and he gets hurt a couple seconds into his third shift,” Bednar said. ”You have to feel for the kid.”
UP NEXT
Predators: Host the New York Rangers on Saturday.
Avalanche: Host the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.
—
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports | https://www.krqe.com/sports/nhl-hockey/oconnor-rantanen-each-score-twice-as-avs-beat-preds-5-3/ | 2022-11-11 19:20:06 | 0 | https://www.krqe.com/sports/nhl-hockey/oconnor-rantanen-each-score-twice-as-avs-beat-preds-5-3/ |
Sen. Lindsey Graham reportedly completed his testimony before a special grand jury in Georgia. The Fulton County district attorney is investigating former President Donald Trump's actions following the 2020 election.
In a statement obtained by NBC News, a representative for the senator said that he would not comment on the process.
“The Senator feels he was treated with respect, professionalism, and courtesy,” the statement reportedly says.
Graham didn't want to appear before the special grand jury. He appealed all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court to try and quash a subpoena.
The Supreme Court weighed in last month and decided it wouldn't block Graham from testifying.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis reportedly wanted to ask Graham about a phone call he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in the weeks after the election.
Raffensperger said Graham asked whether he had the power to reject certain absentee ballots, something Raffensperger took as a suggestion to toss out legally cast votes. Graham has dismissed that interpretation as “ridiculous.”
Graham claimed his actions were protected because he was working as a U.S. Senator.
Trump lost Georgia to Biden by less than 1%. He previously carried the state in 2016 when he beat Hillary Clinton. | https://www.kbzk.com/news/national/sen-lindsey-graham-finally-testifies-before-ga-grand-jury | 2022-11-22 21:46:59 | 1 | https://www.kbzk.com/news/national/sen-lindsey-graham-finally-testifies-before-ga-grand-jury |
Facing stubbornly high gas prices that average about $5 a gallon nationwide, President Joe Biden on Wednesday urged Congress to suspend federal gasoline and diesel taxes for three months.
If savings from the 18.4 cents-a-gallon federal tax on gas are fully passed along to consumers, drivers would save about $2.76 for a 15-gallon fill-up.
It’s unclear, though, if Biden can push his proposal through Congress, where lawmakers, including some Democrats, are skeptical or even opposed to the idea. Many economists also are wary of a gas tax holiday.
A look at how the proposed gas tax holiday would work and what impact it might have on gas prices and a highway trust fund that is paid for in large part by taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel.
WHY IS BIDEN PROPOSING A GAS TAX HOLIDAY?
The price of gas is up dramatically around the world — and by nearly $2 per gallon in the United States — since Russian President Vladimir Putin began amassing troops on the border of Ukraine. High gas prices pose a fundamental threat to Biden’s political and policy ambitions. They’ve caused confidence in the economy to slump, contributed to record inflation and adds to the formidable challenges that Democrats face in keeping control of the House and the Senate in November.
U.S. & World
Biden’s past efforts to cut gas prices — including release of oil from the U.S. strategic reserve and greater ethanol blending this summer — have done little to produce savings at the pump. Biden says the gas tax holiday can provide some direct relief to consumers, and he is calling on states to follow suit by suspending their own gas taxes or helping consumers in other ways.
“I’m doing my part. I want Congress, states and industry to do their part as well,” he said in a White House speech.
HOW MUCH MONEY WOULD DRIVERS SAVE?
It's unclear exactly how much drivers would save; a lot depends on whether states lower or suspend their own gas taxes, as Biden has suggested. But it's not clear how many would do so.
There's also the question of whether the full savings would be passed on to drivers.
Still, recent studies indicate that a gas tax holiday would result in lower prices.
A Penn Wharton Budget Model analysis says recent suspensions of state gasoline taxes in Maryland, Georgia and Connecticut were mostly passed onto consumers in the form of lower gas prices. About 72% of tax savings in Maryland were passed onto consumers, up to 65% in Georgia and up to 87% in Connecticut, the report says.
However, the price reductions were not sustained during the entire tax holiday, and prices rose once the holiday was lifted, the report said.
HOW MUCH WOULD A GAS TAX HOLIDAY COST?
The administration says the three-month pause would cost about $10 billion. The lost revenue would otherwise go to the Highway Trust Fund, which finances most federal government spending for highways and mass transit.
Critics of the tax holiday say that could lead to decreased spending on roads, bridges and other infrastructure that are the hallmark of the Biden presidency. But the White House says the money could be transferred from other government accounts and that infrastructure remains a top priority for the president.
If the holiday is extended, as some experts expect, the cost could be tens of billions higher and could jeopardize administration efforts to build and maintain roads and bridges.
Even a temporary gas tax holiday “sets a bad precedent and undermines the funding mechanism in the infrastructure investment law that has been the signature policy achievement of the Biden presidency,″ said Dave Bauer, president and CEO of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association.
WHAT DOES CONGRESS SAY?
Lawmakers from both parties expressed skepticism, or even outright opposition.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said lawmakers “will see where the consensus lies on a path forward” for Biden’s plan, but she and other congressional Democrats have long worried that suspending the gas tax would allow oil companies to reap additional profits with no guarantee the savings would be passed along to consumers.
Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said he opposes the tax suspension in part because it provides minuscule relief and could become permanent. “You know what happens in this town: you suspend the tax, it’s gone forever,” he said Wednesday. “I do not want to compromise the highway trust fund. We have not raised the gas tax since 1993, and it’s worth 6 cents now compared to 1993. No, I do not support in any way degrading that contribution to rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure.”
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, meanwhile, mocked the gas tax holiday as an “ineffective stunt,” while Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. called it a “political band-aid” that would do little to lower costs at the gas pump.
The plan also could have long-term consequences on road safety and improvements by diverting funds away from infrastructure projects across the country, added McMorris Rodgers, the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “Under President Biden’s proposal, people will be forced to drive on unsafe, potholed roads to get the gas they can’t afford," she said.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said he was unsure if Democrats have the votes to pass it. “We haven’t counted, so we don’t know yet.″
WHAT DO EXPERTS SAY?
Marc Goldwein, a senior policy director for the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said the gas tax holiday would not make a dent in inflation or produce big savings at the pump. He also worried it may not be temporary, as the White House suggested.
“Do we really think in three months gas prices will be down? Are we going to raise prices right before an election?″ Goldwein asked in an interview. A long-term suspension of the gas tax would be catastrophic to administration efforts to build and maintain roads and bridges, he said.
But Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, said high gas prices are “the number one financial problem for many American households,″ especially those with low incomes. While small, a gas tax holiday “is a step to help these households,″ Zandi said. “They’re under a lot of pressure because of the high gasoline prices. And this is intended to provide some temporary relief. I mean, it’s pretty obvious why the administration is focused on this.″
Still, Zandi said the plan “is not a slam-dunk solution. It’s on the margin.″
___
Associated Press writers Josh Boak, Nathan Ellgren and Kevin Freking contributed to this story. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/explainer-how-bidens-proposed-gas-tax-holiday-would-work/3745342/ | 2022-06-22 21:35:33 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/explainer-how-bidens-proposed-gas-tax-holiday-would-work/3745342/ |
CONCORD — Kevin Smith, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, called for all 50 governors to mobilize National Guard or available law enforcement troops to help crack down on illegal immigrants coming into the U.S. over the southern border.
In a letter to President Biden and the nation’s chief executives, Smith said the White House should designate Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations to give authorities more tools to seize their assets and stem drug trafficking into the U.S.
“Our border crisis is the worst it’s ever been, and deadly foreign fentanyl is pouring over the southern border and into our communities causing record overdoses,” said Smith, a former Londonderry town manager and state juvenile justice official.
“It is past time to view this fentanyl as a foreign weapon of mass destruction, and formally designate the cartels that traffic it as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.”
Smith also called upon Biden to remove Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas from his cabinet position.
Smith said Mayorkas failed to admit the southern border was a “crisis” and claimed his office “effectively managed an unprecedented number of noncitizens” entering the U.S.
“Nothing could be further from the truth and there hasn’t been anything effective at all about the lack of a strategy along the Mexican border,” Smith said.
Both party candidates pressing agenda
Immigration has clearly emerged as a major issue in this U.S. Senate race.
Smith was the first major GOP candidate to visit the border, which he did last February.
He then issued an immigration plan, which called for finishing the border wall, ending a catch-and-release border policy, ending sanctuary cities, and mandating E-Verify tracking nationwide on the hiring of undocumented workers.
Sen. Maggie Hassan made her own southern border visit to Texas and Arizona in April, her third during her first term in office.
Prior to the trip, Hassan attracted the ire of liberals in her own party by authoring bipartisan legislation calling on Biden to continue Title 42, a tough anti-illegal immigration policy that former President Trump had imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hassan’s bill also called for Biden to come up with a comprehensive plan to deal with the surge in attempted illegal border crossings.
Retired Brig. Gen. and GOP hopeful Don Bolduc said some of his most difficult deployments during a 33-year military career were along the U.S-Mexican border.
He vowed to keep the pressure on Biden and recently praised the president for extending Title 42.
Last week, Senate President and GOP hopeful Chuck Morse went to McAllen, Texas, with three county sheriffs to meet with Border Patrol officials at the invitation of Gov. Greg Abbott.
“Getting to see firsthand the crisis Joe Biden and Maggie Hassan have created on our southern border,” Morse posted on social media during that trip.
Among the other GOP candidates, Lincoln businessman Vikram Mansharamani has highlighted the topic in the past, while Durham bitcoin millionaire Bruce Fenton has not.
“Our nation is a nation of immigrants. We win when we let refugees and immigrants come here ‘legally’ to pursue the American dream; we should make this as easy as possible for them,” Fenton posted on his website. | https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/voters/smith-says-50-state-govs-should-deploy-troops-to-southern-border-crisis/article_6a200398-bc2d-5eca-8a04-c12a3125e760.html | 2022-05-25 02:18:22 | 0 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/voters/smith-says-50-state-govs-should-deploy-troops-to-southern-border-crisis/article_6a200398-bc2d-5eca-8a04-c12a3125e760.html |
Syracuse already is searching for answers after playing just two games this season.
The Orange hope to bounce back from a lopsided loss to Colgate on Saturday when winless Northeastern visits for a nonconference battle.
Syracuse (1-1) topped Lehigh 90-72 in its season opener for coach Jim Boeheim’s 999th career win (not counting 101 victories that were previously rescinded by the NCAA).
However, the Orange were dominated by the Raiders on Tuesday as they fell flat with Boeheim seeking win No. 1,000. They allowed 19 3-pointers and made just 8 of 25 attempts from beyond the arc as part of a 38.7 percent shooting performance.
“Our offense was horrendous,” said Boeheim, whose team finished with just nine assists on 24 baskets.
Judah Mintz led Syracuse with 20 points. The freshman guard is averaging a team-high 18.0 points and has made 56.0 percent of his shots through two games.
“We’re not as good as we thought, obviously,” Mintz said. “But we’ve got high spirits. We’ll be ready to play Saturday.”
Northeastern (0-3) opened its season with a trio of defeats, the latest a 70-69 setback against Harvard on Wednesday. Jahmyl Telfort scored 23 points against the Crimson and is averaging 20.0 points and 5.7 rebounds — both team highs — on the young season.
Telfort and Coleman Stucke (10.0 points per game) have combined to make 15 3-pointers through three games. However, the Huskies only knocked down 10 3-pointers in 35 attempts as a team on Wednesday.
“Not the result we were looking for, but I’m proud of our effort from start to finish,” Northeastern coach Bill Coen said. “I thought our young guys showed some composure and grittiness, and we fought to the end.”
The Orange are 8-0 in the all-time series with all eight matchups coming at home. Their narrowest win over the Huskies came in the last meeting — a 62-56 triumph on Dec. 16, 2020, in which Joe Girard scored 21 points to pace Syracuse and Telfort had 16 to lead Northeastern.
–Field Level Media | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ncaa-mens-basketball/jim-boeheim-eyes-1000th-win-as-syracuse-faces-northeastern/ | 2022-11-19 01:22:01 | 0 | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ncaa-mens-basketball/jim-boeheim-eyes-1000th-win-as-syracuse-faces-northeastern/ |
MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — Bryan Kohberger, a suspect in the murders of four University of Idaho students, intends to expedite the extradition process back to Idaho from Pennsylvania, where he was taken into custody Friday.
A statement released Saturday from Kohberger's public defense attorney, Jason LaBar, says that his client "is eager to be exonerated" and "looks forward to resolving these matters as soon as possible." He intends to waive his extradition hearing set for Tuesday to speed up the transport process, it says.
"Mr. Kohberger has been accused of very serious crimes, but the American justice system cloaks him in a veil of innocence. He should be presumed innocent until proven otherwise - not tried in the court of public opinion. One should not pass judgment about the facts of the case unless and until a fair trial in court at which time all sides may be heard and inferences challenged," the statement says.
Kohberger, 28, is charged with four counts of murder and one count of felony burglary "with intent to murder," according to Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson, in the homicides of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee GonCalves -- who were all stabbed to death in an off-campus home in the early hours of Nov. 13.
Kohberger was found in a residential area near the Poconos mountains in Pennsylvania and arrested based on a "fugitive from justice" warrant, according to PA State Police -- the agency and Moscow Police were working together to bring Kohberger into custody. He is currently being held in the Monroe County Correctional Facility.
Kohberger is a teacher's assistant and graduate student in criminology at Washington State University in Pullman, according to WSU's website. Pullman just a 15-minute drive across the border from Moscow, where the murders took place. WSU has since removed the graduate listings that included Kohberger out of privacy for their students.
Before attending WSU, Kohberger graduated in June of 2022 from DeSales University in Pennsylvania, the university confirmed Friday.
Seven months ago, a Reddit post (which was later removed) appeared on the sub-Reddit "Ex-Cons" by a person with the name Bryan Kohberger who said he was a "student investigator" at DeSales University. The person included contact information with a school email address, asking for help with a research project.
The project required him to reach out to people who have been arrested.
"My name is Bryan, and I am inviting you to participate in a research project that seeks to understand how emotions and psychological traits influence decision-making when committing a crime," he wrote. "In particular, this study seeks to understand the story behind your most recent criminal offense, with an emphasis on your thoughts and feelings throughout your experience."
The survey included questions about the "feeling" of the person committing the crime, how they approached their victim and how they left the scene.
There is no known connection by Kohberger to the victims at this time. Police are not releasing a possible connection or how they reached Kohberger as their suspect due to the ongoing investigation. More information will be released when Kohberger returns to Idaho, police said.
Investigators were previously searching for a white Hyundai Elantra seen in the area at the time, of which Moscow Police Chief James Fry said in a Friday press conference that they, "have located an Elantra."
If Kohberger waives his extradition hearing, he could be transported to Idaho much more quickly than expected.
Watch more coverage of this story:
Ongoing coverage of the University of Idaho investigation can be found in our YouTube playlist: | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/special-reports/moscow-murders/moscow-murder-suspect-bryan-kohberger-eager-to-be-exonerated-statement-attorney-reddit-post-extradition/277-ea46b56f-981f-4339-9a60-520fa4641f7d | 2022-12-31 20:57:27 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/special-reports/moscow-murders/moscow-murder-suspect-bryan-kohberger-eager-to-be-exonerated-statement-attorney-reddit-post-extradition/277-ea46b56f-981f-4339-9a60-520fa4641f7d |
This week, the golf world descends on St. Andrews for what is gearing up to be the biggest Open Championship to date. The Home of Golf is ripe with history, legacies and nostalgia, and the next chapter of this hallowed story is already being written.
GolfChannel.com senior writers Rex Hoggard and Ryan Lavner sit down to discuss Friday's second round, including Rory McIlroy’s back-nine rally, Cameron Smith’s halfway lead and Tiger Woods’ surprising early exit.
Make sure to follow the Golf Central Podcast all week, as Rex and Lav will have daily podcasts from St. Andrews, recapping all the happenings of this historic major.
Listen below: | https://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-podcast-reactions-round-2-150th-open-championship-0 | 2022-07-16 05:14:21 | 1 | https://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-podcast-reactions-round-2-150th-open-championship-0 |
Serves 6
A warming bowl of tender, flavorful root vegetables will satisfy everyone at your table. When you want to add extra flavor to a vegetarian dish, dried mushrooms are your secret weapon. In this stew, reconstituted porcini add a pleasant chewy texture, and their soaking liquid gives the broth some heft and richness. For the rest of the broth, use homemade vegetable stock, or simply add water; the stew gets tons of flavor from all the vegetables. Big chunks of cremini, butternut, turnip, rutabaga, and celery root go into the pot, along with cipollini onions, chickpeas, and fire-roasted tomatoes. Pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika) and a pinch of cayenne add a little smoke and heat, while white balsamic vinegar gives the colorful vegetables subtle sweetness and acidity. This is a versatile stew. Swap out any vegetables you don't love for those you do and serve it over cooked barley or brown rice for a hearty accompaniment. It's filling and wonderfully comforting.
1. In a small bowl, soak the porcini mushrooms in the boiling water for 30 minutes (prep the vegetables while they soak). Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and drain the mushrooms; reserve the soaking liquid. Quarter the mushrooms.
2. In a soup pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onions and cremini mushrooms and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until they are lightly browned. Add the garlic, pimenton (smoked paprika), and cayenne. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Add the squash, turnip, rutabaga, celery root, chickpeas, tomatoes, white wine, porcini mushrooms and their soaking liquid, vegetable stock or water, and a generous pinch of salt. Bring the liquid to a boil, lower the heat, and set on the cover askew. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
4. Stir in the vinegar. Taste for seasoning. Add more salt or cayenne pepper, if you like. Sprinkle with parsley. Ladle into shallow bowls and serve with barley or brown rice.
Sally Pasley Vargas
Serves 6
A warming bowl of tender, flavorful root vegetables will satisfy everyone at your table. When you want to add extra flavor to a vegetarian dish, dried mushrooms are your secret weapon. In this stew, reconstituted porcini add a pleasant chewy texture, and their soaking liquid gives the broth some heft and richness. For the rest of the broth, use homemade vegetable stock, or simply add water; the stew gets tons of flavor from all the vegetables. Big chunks of cremini, butternut, turnip, rutabaga, and celery root go into the pot, along with cipollini onions, chickpeas, and fire-roasted tomatoes. Pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika) and a pinch of cayenne add a little smoke and heat, while white balsamic vinegar gives the colorful vegetables subtle sweetness and acidity. This is a versatile stew. Swap out any vegetables you don't love for those you do and serve it over cooked barley or brown rice for a hearty accompaniment. It's filling and wonderfully comforting.
1. In a small bowl, soak the porcini mushrooms in the boiling water for 30 minutes (prep the vegetables while they soak). Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and drain the mushrooms; reserve the soaking liquid. Quarter the mushrooms.
2. In a soup pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onions and cremini mushrooms and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until they are lightly browned. Add the garlic, pimenton (smoked paprika), and cayenne. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Add the squash, turnip, rutabaga, celery root, chickpeas, tomatoes, white wine, porcini mushrooms and their soaking liquid, vegetable stock or water, and a generous pinch of salt. Bring the liquid to a boil, lower the heat, and set on the cover askew. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
4. Stir in the vinegar. Taste for seasoning. Add more salt or cayenne pepper, if you like. Sprinkle with parsley. Ladle into shallow bowls and serve with barley or brown rice. | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/11/08/lifestyle/recipe-simmer-vegetarian-fall-stew-with-lots-roots-chickpeas-porcini/ | 2022-11-08 18:10:58 | 1 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/11/08/lifestyle/recipe-simmer-vegetarian-fall-stew-with-lots-roots-chickpeas-porcini/ |
Calamus-Wheatland's impenetrable defense prompted a 10-0 blanking of Tipton in an Iowa high school softball matchup on June 21.
In recent action on June 12, Tipton faced off against West Liberty and Calamus-Wheatland took on Arlington Starmont on June 6 at Calamus-Wheatland High School.
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/softball/girls/calamus-wheatland-refuses-to-yield-in-shutout-of-tipton-10-0/article_9c2964f6-c7c8-5fb4-b130-d3d055cfcbd1.html | 2023-06-22 06:48:02 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/sports/high-school/softball/girls/calamus-wheatland-refuses-to-yield-in-shutout-of-tipton-10-0/article_9c2964f6-c7c8-5fb4-b130-d3d055cfcbd1.html |
Company leaders launch 25th anniversary celebrations ringing NYSE opening bell
SAN DIEGO, June 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sempra (NYSE: SRE) (BMV: SRE) today begins its 25th year of business, marking a quarter century of continued performance and progress toward its mission to be North America's premier energy infrastructure company.
"Over the past 25 years, we have been connecting people to safer, more reliable and cleaner energy sources, empowering communities and providing value to shareholders, while also driving growth in some of North America's largest economic markets," said Jeffrey W. Martin, chairman and chief executive officer of Sempra. "I am honored to celebrate this significant milestone in partnership with the thousands of talented employees across Sempra's family of companies who share a common mission and commitment to a high-performance culture."
To commemorate Sempra's 25th anniversary, company leadership participated in the ringing of the New York Stock Exchange opening bell in New York this week, initiating company-wide celebrations from coast to coast.
Sempra was formed on June 29, 1998, from a merger between two century-old utilities: Pacific Enterprises and Enova Corporation, the parent companies of Southern California Gas Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric Co., respectively. Since then, Sempra has grown into one of the leading North American energy infrastructure companies with service to nearly 40 million consumers in California, Texas and Mexico. The company has developed a portfolio of businesses over the last two and a half decades comprised of top-tier utilities and long-term contracted energy infrastructure assets. Sempra's disciplined capital allocation approach and sustained performance has delivered long-term value for its shareholders, resulting in a total shareholder return of roughly 1,200% from 1998 through 2022. During that same period, the company's market capitalization increased 810% from $6 billion in 1998 to nearly $50 billion at the end of 2022.
Today, Sempra's three growth platforms — Sempra California, Sempra Texas and Sempra Infrastructure — are building modern infrastructure to deliver electricity and cleaner fuels to some of North America's leading economies and globally. Together, these growth platforms serve a common purpose of helping to meet the world's expanding decarbonization and energy security goals. The company is currently executing a record $40 billion capital plan for 2023-2027 to connect customers to cleaner energy, strengthen community resilience against extreme weather events and increase safety and reliability. The referenced capital plan only includes Sempra's proportionate ownership share of capital expenditures. Across the Sempra family of companies, 20,000 employees are bound by a common set of values — do the right thing, champion people and shape the future — and a shared vision to deliver energy with purpose. These values underpin Sempra's commitment to empowering communities and supporting social progress. Over the course of its 25-year history, Sempra's family of companies and the Sempra Foundation have contributed more than $440 million to charitable causes and continue to find innovative ways to support the communities they serve.
About Sempra
Sempra is a leading North American energy infrastructure company that helps meet the daily energy needs of nearly 40 million consumers. As the owner of one of the largest energy networks on the continent, Sempra is helping to electrify and decarbonize some of the world's most significant economic markets, including California, Texas, Mexico and the LNG export market. The company is also consistently recognized as a leader in sustainable business practices and for its long-standing commitment to building a high-performance culture focused on safety and operational excellence, leadership and workforce development and diversity and inclusion. Investor's Business Daily named Sempra the top-ranked utility in the U.S. for environmental, social and governance scores and financial performance. Sempra was also included on the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for the 12th consecutive year. More information about Sempra is available at sempra.com and on Twitter @Sempra.
This press release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions with respect to the future, involve risks and uncertainties, and are not guarantees. Future results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. We assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
In this press release, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "contemplates," "plans," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," "should," "could," "would," "will," "confident," "may," "can," "potential," "possible," "proposed," "in process," "construct," "develop," "opportunity," "initiative," "target," "outlook," "optimistic," "poised," "maintain," "continue," "progress," "advance," "goal," "aim," "commit," or similar expressions, or when we discuss our guidance, priorities, strategy, goals, vision, mission, opportunities, projections, intentions or expectations.
Factors, among others, that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement include risks and uncertainties relating to: California wildfires, including potential liability for damages regardless of fault and any inability to recover all or a substantial portion of costs from insurance, the wildfire fund established by California Assembly Bill 1054, rates from customers or a combination thereof; decisions, investigations, inquiries, regulations, issuances or revocations of permits, consents, approvals or other authorizations, renewals of franchises, and other actions by (i) the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Comisión Reguladora de Energía, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Utility Commission of Texas, and other governmental and regulatory bodies and (ii) the U.S., Mexico and states, counties, cities and other jurisdictions therein and in other countries in which we do business; the success of business development efforts, construction projects and acquisitions and divestitures, including risks in (i) being able to make a final investment decision, (ii) completing construction projects or other transactions on schedule and budget, (iii) realizing anticipated benefits from any of these efforts if completed, and (iv) obtaining the consent or approval of third parties; litigation, arbitrations, property disputes and other proceedings, and changes to laws and regulations, including those related to the energy industry in Mexico; cybersecurity threats, including by state and state-sponsored actors, of ransomware or other attacks on our systems or the systems of third-parties with which we conduct business, including the energy grid or other energy infrastructure, all of which have become more pronounced due to recent geopolitical events; our ability to borrow money on favorable terms and meet our obligations, including due to (i) actions by credit rating agencies to downgrade our credit ratings or place those ratings on negative outlook or (ii) rising interest rates and inflation; failure of foreign governments, state-owned entities and our counterparties to honor their contracts and commitments; the impact on affordability of San Diego Gas & Electric Company's (SDG&E) and Southern California Gas Company's (SoCalGas) customer rates and their cost of capital and on SDG&E's, SoCalGas' and Sempra Infrastructure's ability to pass through higher costs to customers due to (i) volatility in inflation, interest rates and commodity prices, (ii) with respect to SDG&E's and SoCalGas' businesses, the cost of the clean energy transition in California, (iii) with respect to SDG&E's business, departing retail load resulting from additional customers transferring to Community Choice Aggregation and Direct Access, and (iv) with respect to Sempra Infrastructure's business, volatility in foreign currency exchange rates; the impact of climate and sustainability policies, laws, rules, regulations, disclosures and trends, including actions to reduce or eliminate reliance on natural gas, increased uncertainty in the political or regulatory environment for California natural gas distribution companies, the risk of nonrecovery for stranded assets, and our ability to incorporate new technologies; weather, natural disasters, pandemics, accidents, equipment failures, explosions, terrorism, information system outages or other events that disrupt our operations, damage our facilities or systems, cause the release of harmful materials or fires or subject us to liability for damages, fines and penalties, some of which may not be recoverable through regulatory mechanisms or insurance or may impact our ability to obtain satisfactory levels of affordable insurance; the availability of electric power, natural gas and natural gas storage capacity, including disruptions caused by failures in the transmission grid, pipeline system or limitations on the withdrawal of natural gas from storage facilities; Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC's (Oncor) ability to reduce or eliminate its quarterly dividends due to regulatory and governance requirements and commitments, including by actions of Oncor's independent directors or a minority member director; changes in tax and trade policies, laws and regulations, including tariffs, revisions to international trade agreements and sanctions, such as those imposed in connection with the war in Ukraine, any of which may increase our costs, reduce our competitiveness, impact our ability to do business with certain counterparties, or impair our ability to resolve trade disputes; and other uncertainties, some of which are difficult to predict and beyond our control.
These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the reports that Sempra has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These reports are available through the EDGAR system free-of-charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and on Sempra's website, www.sempra.com. Investors should not rely unduly on any forward-looking statements.
Sempra Infrastructure, Sempra Infrastructure Partners, Sempra Texas, Sempra Texas Utilities, Oncor and Infraestructura Energética Nova, S.A.P.I. de C.V. (IEnova) are not the same companies as the California utilities, SDG&E or SoCalGas, and Sempra Infrastructure, Sempra Infrastructure Partners, Sempra Texas, Sempra Texas Utilities, Oncor and IEnova are not regulated by the CPUC.
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SOURCE Sempra | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/06/29/sempra-commemorates-25-years-innovation-safety-service-others/ | 2023-06-29 11:10:29 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/06/29/sempra-commemorates-25-years-innovation-safety-service-others/ |
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Seven mothers have given up their babies in South Carolina so far in 2022, more than any year since the state passed its safe haven law more than two decades ago.
The babies were all given up at hospitals, according to data from the Department of Social Services obtained by The State newspaper.
Daniel's Law allows babies younger than two months to be turned over to the state at safe places like hospitals, fire stations, police departments or churches if someone is there.
Before 2022, the most babies given up in a year were six in 2016 and 2019.
Four babies have been adopted, while the last three are currently in the Family Court system, DSS spokesperson Danielle Jones said.
The agency isn't guessing why 2022 has been the busiest year for Daniel's Law.
The babies turned over to the state have been twins in Anderson County, a boy in Greenville County, a girl in Spartanburg County, a boy in Dorchester County, a boy in Greenwood County and a girl in Lexington County.
The General Assembly passed Daniel's Law in 2001 after a newborn boy was found abandoned at an old dump in Allendale County, alive but covered in fire ant bites, by a mother who never told her parents she was pregnant or went to the doctor and gave birth in her bathroom. | https://www.mrt.com/news/article/2022-already-sets-record-in-SC-with-7-babies-17453743.php | 2022-09-20 13:25:02 | 0 | https://www.mrt.com/news/article/2022-already-sets-record-in-SC-with-7-babies-17453743.php |
Ford’s Mustang in recent generations has been making the transition from boulevard cruiser to bona fide sports car, and the seventh-generation ‘Stang revealed on Wednesday at the 2022 Detroit auto show looks set to finally cement this with an extensive racing program that will include a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The new Mustang is set to compete across a wide spectrum of racing series, including NASCAR, IMSA SportsCar Championship, and Australia’s Supercars series, as well as in various GT3 and GT4 competitions around the globe. With confirmation the Mustang will race at Le Mans, the World Endurance Championship can be added to that list. Le Mans is the premier event on the WEC calendar, similar to the 24 Hours of Daytona on the SportsCar Championship calendar, and has seen a Mustang compete in 1967 and 1997.
A new Mustang GT3 is being developed and will be eligible to compete in the WEC’s GT classes as soon as 2024, so the Mustang won’t be chasing outright victory in the Hypercar class. The Mustang GT3 will also be the basis for the race cars competing in the GT classes of the SportsCar Championship. This means it will compete against race cars based on the likes of the Aston Martin Vantage, Chevrolet Corvette, Mercedes-Benz AMG GT, and Porsche 911.
Ford hasn’t said whether it plans to field cars directly at Le Mans, or whether it will partner with a race team, similar to its partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing for the GT supercar’s successful run at Le Mans in recent years. It will run a factory team fielding two of the Mustang GT3s in the SportsCar Championship’s GTD Pro class.
Ford also plans to offer the Mustang GT3 to customer teams, meaning it could compete in other GT3 competitions around the globe.
The race car is being developed in partnership with Multimatic, the Canadian motorsports and engineering company that builds the GT for Ford, as well as the more recent Bronco DR racer. It will run a unique version of the familiar 5.0-liter V-8. The engine is being developed by Ford Performance and will be supplied by M-Sport, the British motorsport and engineering company responsible for recent Ford rally cars, including the Ford Puma-based car competing in the 2022 World Rally Championship.
The Mustang GT3 will also feature an unequal-length double-wishbone suspension front and rear, a rear-mounted transaxle gearbox, carbon-fiber body panels, and of course an aero package developed to meet GT3 rules.
Joey Hand, one of the class-winning drivers in Ford’s 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans campaign, will serve as a test and development driver for the program, alongside his current NASCAR duties.
The Mustang GT3 isn’t the only new Mustang racer in the works. Ford has also announced a Mustang Dark Horse R that could potentially compete in a new one-make series.
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- Ford wants to turn your truck and trailer into a giant R/C car | https://cw33.com/automotive/internet-brands/ford-mustang-set-for-le-mans-return-in-2024/ | 2022-09-15 14:59:45 | 1 | https://cw33.com/automotive/internet-brands/ford-mustang-set-for-le-mans-return-in-2024/ |
DENVER - A NIACC alum made his MLB debut on Wednesday night for the Cincinnati Reds.
Brandon Williamson allowed one run on two hits in the Reds' 3-1 win over the Rockies as he became the first player from NIACC to reach the big leagues.
While at NIACC, Williamson won 12 games and is the school's career strikeout leader with 151.
"I went to NIACC with no scholarship," Williamson said in August of 2022. "It was just kind of a chance piece. I owe (former NIACC head coach) Travis Hergert a lot.
"He saw something that could possibly happen and is happening now. It allowed me to work hard and to grow and to be with the right people to help me get me where I am now." | https://www.kimt.com/news/cerro-gordo-county/from-niacc-to-the-big-leagues-williamson-becomes-1st-player-from-niacc-to-pitch-in/article_149e851a-f4bf-11ed-a5b0-23831e67260c.html | 2023-05-17 15:06:56 | 1 | https://www.kimt.com/news/cerro-gordo-county/from-niacc-to-the-big-leagues-williamson-becomes-1st-player-from-niacc-to-pitch-in/article_149e851a-f4bf-11ed-a5b0-23831e67260c.html |
TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — "Bayonetta 3" is the type of game the Switch needs more of.
Edgy and irreverent, the saucy hack-and-slash romp is a breezy, wild experience that is just about the polar opposite of mild, family-friendly fare in the Mario, Zelda and Pokemon universes.
Developer PlatinumGames has honed its skills to razor-sharp edges as it carved out the capstone to its trilogy — the previous games were released in 2009 and 2014 — with a magnificent coup de grace worthy of a standing ovation.
The protagonist is a Halloween costume-style witch with some naughty librarian mixed in for good measure. A one-woman hurricane of destruction, she blasts, kicks and smacks screen-sized enemies with aplomb.
The game is a ceaseless romp of loosely-connected action sequences that flow with thunderous battles, sly humor and did-I-really-just-see-that moments.
Just about all enemies you face are far more robust and powerful than you, but you can equalize the playing field by doling out a power-up that slows time, allowing you to make precise maneuvers, as well as summoning giant fists from beyond, as well as other supernatural attacks.
Battles tend to finish in quick-time-event-driven flourishes, and you're graded on your style and performance at the end of each level.
While the difficulty can seem overwhelming at times, it's amazing how rapidly it dissipates when you dive back in for a rematch. The slightest tweak in tactics and power distribution can render even the most towering beast as a weak object of pity in short order. The empowerment fantasy that emanates from the gameplay is intoxicating. You truly feel as though you're a masterful tactician capable of marauding all comers.
A feel-good romp of an action game, "Bayonetta 3" is one of the better title releases on Switch this year, as well as one of the most satisfying action games in this console generation. Its spell lingers strongly in between encounters with this wily witch.
Publisher provided review code.
——-
Phil Villarreal is the senior real-time editor for KGUN 9. He is also a digital producer and host of "Phil on Film" seen weekly on Good Morning Tucson, Phil moved to KGUN after 17 years with the Arizona Daily Star. He is married and has four children. Share your story ideas and important issues with Phil by emailing phil.villarreal@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. | https://www.abc15.com/news/national/sultry-stylish-bayonetta-3-slays-on-switch | 2022-10-31 18:48:30 | 1 | https://www.abc15.com/news/national/sultry-stylish-bayonetta-3-slays-on-switch |
Star tight end Darren Waller has agreed on a three-year contract extension with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Agent Drew Rosenhaus said the sides reached the deal on Saturday that adds $51 million to Waller’s existing contract that was previously set to pay him about $7 million in each of the next two seasons.
The reworked deal will pay Waller an average of a little more than $13 million a season through 2026. The new money average of $17 million a year exceeds the top existing deal at the position that pays San Francisco’s George Kittle $15 million per season. Waller had previously had the 18th highest average annual salary at the position.
“Darren Waller is an exemplary teammate in every way, and we’re excited to see him continue to grow as a leader on this team,” Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said in a statement. “Darren brings a tremendous commitment and work ethic to the building every day and we couldn’t be more thrilled that he will be a part of the Raiders family for years to come.”
Waller had two years remaining on the contract he signed during his 2019 breakout season. Waller had been looking for a new deal and changed agents to Rosenhaus last week in hopes of speeding the process along.
The sides were able to come to the agreement the day before the Raiders’ season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Waller is the fourth key player to get a lucrative extension in the past six months from the new regime led by coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. Las Vegas previously gave deals to defensive end Maxx Crosby, quarterback Derek Carr and receiver Hunter Renfrow.
The move to bring in Waller and lock him up early was one of the best made by former coach Jon Gruden during his three-plus seasons in charge of the Raiders. Waller had been on Baltimore’s practice squad as he tried to get his career on track after being suspended twice for recreational drug use.
The Raiders signed him late in the 2018 season and made him the starter the following year. Since becoming a starter, Waller ranks second in the NFL among all tight ends with 252 catches for 3,006 yards, trailing only Kansas City’s Travis Kelce in both categories. He is also tied for fifth with 14 TD catches the past three years.
Waller, who turns 30 next week, played 11 games last season when he was hampered by ankle and knee injuries. He had 55 catches for 665 yards and two TDs.
The Raiders are counting on Waller to be part of a dynamic passing attack for Carr that includes All-Pro receiver Davante Adams and Renfrow.
___
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.wane.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-raiders-agree-to-contract-extension-with-te-darren-waller/ | 2022-09-11 02:16:30 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-raiders-agree-to-contract-extension-with-te-darren-waller/ |
FLINT, MI -- There’s a cease-fire in the Flint City Council’s political war zone.
Council members tentatively agreed Monday, June 12, to cancel two meetings scheduled for later this month -- June 21 and June 26 -- with a majority saying they and the administration of Mayor Sheldon Neeley need a break from each other and the often bitter and personal attacks that occur at their meetings.
“Breaks are healthy. Breaks are good,” council President Allie Herkenroder said at Monday’s meeting. “My testimony last week showed that pretty damn well ... You have to protect your mental health.”
Herkenroder, who represents Flint’s 7th Ward, last week announced her resignation from the council effective July 1, citing her health as the driving reason for her departure.
On Monday, she went further, saying she’s been plagued by anxiety and depression related to her work on the council, which routinely struggles to finish its scheduled business as members spend much of their time debating parliamentary rules and critiquing their colleagues.
The council approved cancelation of the meetings in a 5-2 vote following the removal of 1st Ward Councilman Eric Mays for violating council rules and being disorderly on Monday. Mays had argued that the cancelations amounted to a violation of the city charter and a dereliction of duty.
But while the charter calls for the council to meet at least twice monthly, City Attorney William Kim said the twice-monthly meeting requirement has already been met with three weeks still remaining this month.
Council members Jerri Winfrey-Carter (Ward 5) and Tonya Burns (Ward 6) voted against the cancelations while Mays and Councilman Quincy Murphy (Ward 3) were absent for the vote.
“This is a job,” Winfrey-Carter said. “I know we get paid part-time (wages) but we were elected” to meet. “If you need to miss, you can do so.”
But most members agreed with Herkenroder that a break in meetings is needed.
“We all deserve a mental health break from this abuse we take every time we step inside these chambers,” said 2nd Ward Councilwoman Ladel Lewis. “It’s not funny. It’s nothing to laugh at. We have someone resigning because of the abuse and stress we’re going through.”
Members of the Neeley administration also said the break in meetings would be welcomed.
Asked if the mayor’s staff, many of whom attend council meetings, needed a pause in the schedule, City Administrator Clyde Edwards said, “Absolutely. 100%. Positively.”
Council members have described their own meetings as at times chaotic, routinely marred by personal disputes, accusations and name-calling.
Just last year, three top officials in City Hall filed complaints against council members, saying they were victims of verbal abuse and bullying.
Earlier last year, Neeley issued an executive order he said was designed to combat harassment and bullying of city employees and said the order stemmed from the treatment of city employees by members of the council. In May, he issued another executive order, designating an employee parking garage beneath City Hall as off-limits to the public because of recent “threats of physical violence and intimidation” against city officials.
In addition to Herkenroder’s resignation, two other members of the council -- Lewis and 9th Ward Councilwoman Eva Worthing -- are facing potential recall elections for having not attended a special meeting of the council to discuss Flint’s American Rescue Plan Act funding.
Recall language has also been filed against Herkenroder and recall language filed against Councilwoman Judy Priestley (Ward 4) was rejected by the Genesee County Election Commission just last week.
Read more at The Flint Journal:
Flint City Council president resigns, says health issues ‘made me come to this decision’
Hydroplane race could be a rare super-fast event at no-wake Mott Lake
Flint mayor declares Pride Month but no LGBTQ flag will fly at City Hall
Want more Flint-area news? Bookmark the local Flint news page or sign up for the free “3@3 Flint” daily newsletter. | https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2023/06/feuding-flint-city-council-takes-a-break-from-itself-cancels-two-june-meetings.html | 2023-06-13 17:00:43 | 1 | https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2023/06/feuding-flint-city-council-takes-a-break-from-itself-cancels-two-june-meetings.html |
An off-duty New York City firefighter died Friday while swimming at the Jersey Shore, according to the city fire department.
Mark Batista was a department veteran who served as both an EMT and a firefighter, the department said.
“Firefighter Batista was a dedicated public servant who spent fifteen years serving in the FDNY,” the department said. “We join his family in mourning his tragic passing.”
The department did not provide any further details about the death. However, police in Avon-By-Sea said Friday that a 39-year-old Teaneck man died that morning while trying to save his daughter from a rip current, and a report by Pix11 identified the victim in that drowning as Bautista.
Officers were called to the Sylvania Avenue beach at 8:35 a.m after getting a report of two swimmers in distress, local police said. Rescue swimmers began searching for the pair and 10 minutes later found the girl and rescued her from the water, Capt. Tony Pecelli said.
A short time later, the rescuers found a man who was submerged and pulled him from the water. After starting life-saving efforts on the beach, the man was brought to nearby Jersey Shore University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, Pecelli said.
Batista was a member of Engine Company 226 in Brooklyn, the report by Pix11 says.
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Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com. | https://www.nj.com/news/2023/06/veteran-nyc-firefighter-drowns-at-jersey-shore.html | 2023-06-11 02:06:11 | 0 | https://www.nj.com/news/2023/06/veteran-nyc-firefighter-drowns-at-jersey-shore.html |
NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Atento S.A. (the "Company") (NYSE: ATTO) confirmed that on November 18, 2022, MCI Capital, LC commenced a tender offer to purchase up to 1,525,000 of the Company's ordinary shares at a price of $5.00 per share in cash (the "Tender Offer").
The Board of Directors of the Company is evaluating the Tender Offer and determining whether it will recommend that stockholders accept or reject the Tender Offer, or whether it expresses no opinion and remains neutral toward the Tender Offer. The Company will notify stockholders of the Board's formal recommendation on or before December 5, 2022, by filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission a solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9. The Company's stockholders are advised to take no action at this time pending the review of the Tender Offer by the Board.
Important Additional Information
This press release does not constitute an offer to buy or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities. The Company will file a solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 relating to the Tender Offer with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). BEFORE MAKING ANY INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE SCHEDULE 14D-9 AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. These materials will be available at the Company's Investor Relations website at https://investors.atento.com/. In addition, all of these materials (and all other tender offer documents filed with the SEC) will be available at no charge from the SEC through its website at www.sec.gov.
About Atento S.A.:
Atento is the largest provider of customer relationship management and business process outsourcing ("CRM BPO") services in Latin America and among the top providers globally. Since 1999, the company has developed its business model in 14 countries with a workforce of 131,000 employees. Atento has over 400 clients for which it provides a wide range of CRM/BPO services through multiple channels. Its clients are leading multinational companies in the technology, digital, telecommunications, finance, health, consumer and public administration sectors, amongst others. Atento trades under ATTO on the New York Stock Exchange. In 2019, Atento was recognized by Great Place to Work® as one of the 25 World's Best Multinational Workplaces and as one of the Best Places to Work in Latin America. In 2021, Everest named Atento a Star Performer, while in 2022 Gartner named the Company a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for the second consecutive year.
For additional information about Atento, S.A., please visit www.atento.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "intends," "continue" or similar terminology. These statements reflect only Atento's current expectations and are not guarantees of future performance or results. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic, and governments' extraordinary measures to limit the spread of the virus, are disrupting the global economy and Atento's industry, and consequently adversely affecting the Company's business, results of operation and cash flows and, as conditions are recent, uncertain and changing rapidly, it is difficult to predict the full extent of the impact that the pandemic will have. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, competition in Atento's highly competitive industries; increases in the cost of voice and data services or significant interruptions in these services; Atento's ability to keep pace with its clients' needs for rapid technological change and systems availability; the continued deployment and adoption of emerging technologies; the loss, financial difficulties or bankruptcy of any key clients; the effects of global economic trends on the businesses of Atento's clients; the non-exclusive nature of Atento's client contracts and the absence of revenue commitments; security and privacy breaches of the systems Atento uses to protect personal data; the cost of pending and future litigation; the cost of defending Atento against intellectual property infringement claims; extensive regulation affecting many of Atento's businesses; Atento's ability to protect its proprietary information or technology; service interruptions to Atento's data and operation centers; Atento's ability to retain key personnel and attract a sufficient number of qualified employees; increases in labor costs and turnover rates; the political, economic and other conditions in the countries where Atento operates; changes in foreign exchange rates; Atento's ability to complete future acquisitions and integrate or achieve the objectives of its recent and future acquisitions; future impairments of our substantial goodwill, intangible assets, or other long-lived assets; and Atento's ability to recover consumer receivables on behalf of its clients. In addition, Atento is subject to risks related to its level of indebtedness. Such risks include Atento's ability to generate sufficient cash to service its indebtedness and fund its other liquidity needs; Atento's ability to comply with covenants contained in its debt instruments; the ability to obtain additional financing; the incurrence of significant additional indebtedness by Atento and its subsidiaries; and the ability of Atento's lenders to fulfill their lending commitments. Atento is also subject to other risk factors described in documents filed by the comp any with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which the statements were made. Atento undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Investor and analyst inquiries
investor_relations@atento.com
Media Relations
press@atento.com
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SOURCE Atento S.A. | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2022/11/22/tender-offer-communication/ | 2022-11-22 02:18:05 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2022/11/22/tender-offer-communication/ |
LONDON (AP) — A foreign correspondent, a consultant, a businessman, a retired accountant and his wife stand in a line for nearly eight hours.
That is how this story begins, once I claim my spot among a growing queue of mourners coming from all corners of the United Kingdom and the world to pay their last respects to Queen Elizabeth II in England’s capital.
It ends when the five of us exit the majestic hall — each in awe, in our own individual way, of the forces of change that swirl around us.
One step into the line, a volunteer named Kofi jots down my number; a wristband later confirms I am No. 3,017 in the queue.
I look back, and the chain of people has already grown by a dozen. It will stretch for miles along the south bank of the River Thames toward Westminster Hall, where the late queen is lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday.
We were told to expect this. Long waiting times, potentially for 30 hours, in lines that could stretch more than five miles.
A single-zip backpack was all we were allowed to bring; food and drink would be tossed before entering the hall. I packed as I would for a hostile assignment: Layers and waterproofs to account for the notoriously moody weather. Protein bars and a fully charged power bank. An obscene number of pens. And good shoes.
___
The first challenge is finding the end of the ever-moving queue. I start from the beginning, near the Albert Embankment, and work my way through the sea of humans from all walks of life who are lined up in single file.
My fellow queuers and I assess each other silently. There is Ramakant and his wife Usha, a retired pair with a passion for mountains. Daniel, a jolly businessman from Essex, specializes in office refurbishment. There is a consultant whose identity I’ve sworn to secrecy because she was skipping work to stand in line.
In the course of our normal lives, we are unlikely to ever cross paths. But the forces of history have somehow bound us together, at least for these next few hours. Quietly, not explicitly, a sense of community has mysteriously formed between us.
We have different reasons for coming. Ramakant and Usha adored the queen. Daniel admired her dedication. For the unnamed consultant, saying goodbye to the queen was something she had to do “for myself.”
Me? I was curious. Death has been on my mind lately.
A week prior, I had been in southern Iraq to witness thousands of pilgrims make their way to the holy city of Karbala to mark the Shiite religious observance of Arbaeen — a 40-day mourning period to commemorate the death of Imam Hussein, Prophet Mohammed’s grandson.
I watched an endless procession of pious Iraqis recreate scenes from seventh-century Islam under the scorching 105-degree (40 degrees Celsius) sun. Men rode camels in Hejazi regalia and black-clad youth waved religious flags. Food stalls that dotted the many miles to the shrine gave out rice and beans.
Now I am witness to a dramatically different queue of mourners, there to mark the passing of a monarch whose 70-year reign encompassed the end of an empire. Unlike in the parched terrain of Iraq, people here are fearful it may rain.
___
The queue, observed: Readers engrossed in thick novels. Groups of friends chatting and sharing large bottles of champagne. A woman practicing tai chi.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Ramakant says.
Usha marvels at how Elizabeth worked up until hours before she died, handling the transition of power from Boris Johnson to Liz Truss two days before her demise.
“Imagine all the things she has done behind the scenes, in the background, none of us know anything about,” she says.
They can’t believe Elizabeth is dead, despite the fact they knew she could not live forever. “Did you notice her fingertips?” Daniel says of Elizabeth’s last appearance two days before her death. “They were see-through almost, weren’t they?”
We are silent, listening to the gentle soundtrack of the Thames.
It’s a good thing, he adds, that she died soon after Prince Philip, her husband of 74 years. It had been the same with his parents; they died within two weeks of each other. “It’s the best death, really.”
The consultant ducks to avoid a TV crew. Later she scrolls social media, hoping not to find herself on international news broadcasts. A colleague calls, and she tells them she is just “getting lunch.”
I ask: Why not just tell them you are here?
“It’s just one of those things I want to do for myself, and not have to explain.” ___
Suddenly, the line is moving. The queen’s coffin has arrived in the Hall.
Everything that follows is the epitome of order. The line snakes quickly around the bank, down to the embankment, where we watch boats cruise by. Before us, in the late-afternoon sun, the gothic complex of Westminster glimmers.
Ramakant was an accountant and has spent his retirement years traveling the world with his wife. From Niagara Falls to Mt. Kilimanjaro, they have been everywhere. “The key,” says Usha, “is not to wait until tomorrow.”
“You might be dead,” Ramakant says. To our left is the National COVID Memorial Wall, with one heart for each life lived and lost.
The consultant has to use the bathroom, but the line is now moving rapidly. So we share our location with her and, moments later, wave when we are many yards ahead and are reunited.
At the final stretch, we eye the security check just before the hall entrance. We are surprised by how fast the line has moved. A woman behind me complains to the volunteers who come to take away drinks: “I’ve got 30 hours’ worth of alcohol in here!”
Ramakant is stopped from taking off his shoes before the X-ray. “This isn’t like Gatwick!” jokes one policeman, invoking the name of one of London’s airports.
Inside the hall, all falls silent and still. We look up at the lofty wood-beam ceilings. We look down, and there it is — the queen’s coffin on a raised platform, surrounded by honor guards. On top, the imperial state crown glitters with its 3,000 diamonds.
The line divides in two, and each of us is given three seconds to pay last respects. A man in a tartan kilt and with a walking stick salutes. An elderly woman rises from her wheelchair and makes the sign of the cross. Daniel gets on one knee. Ramakant and Usha bow their heads. Then it is my turn. Outside, the sun is setting.
“We probably would never have met if it weren’t for this,” Daniel says afterward. Everyone exchanges numbers. “Even in death, she’s still doing her work.”
Total time elapsed: Just over 7½ hours.
Ramakant turns to me. “So,” he says. “What will you write about us?”
___
Samya Kullab, Iraq correspondent for The Associated Press, is on assignment in London covering the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/samya_kullab | https://www.koin.com/news/international/ap-london-diary-reflections-from-the-queue-to-mourn-the-queen/ | 2022-09-16 19:25:51 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/news/international/ap-london-diary-reflections-from-the-queue-to-mourn-the-queen/ |
You don’t need a massive savings account to get solar panels. Here are a few ways to them more affordable.
Installing a solar system on your home can feel complicated and costly. After all, solar panels are meant to be a long-term commitment of a quarter century or longer.
Even though there's an entire industry dedicated to making this process as painless as possible, there are plenty of pitfalls to avoid. You can spend an infinite amount of money on a system designed to protect you against any number of apocalypses. But going solar doesn't have to be a huge expense. Some basic approaches and programs can make going solar a very smart investment over the medium to long term.
Here are a few ways to make going solar cheaper.
Can solar panels save you money?
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As with anything else, the key to getting the best price is knowing the market.
Corey Ramsden, vice president for Go Solar programs at Solar United Neighbors, recommends that consumers get at least three proposals when shopping for a residential solar installation. SUN is a non-profit dedicated to helping people go solar directly and that also advocates for improved solar policies.
It's not so much about looking for the cheapest price but rather finding a quality installation at the best value, Ramsden said. There's also usually room for negotiation, and having other quotes in hand may help with that process. He says to go about it the same way you would shopping around for any other sort of contractor.
"Talk to friends and neighbors, talk about their experiences, check online reviews," Ramsden said. "If you're getting loan financing, one particular tip is to make sure you ask for a cash price in addition to whatever loan financing you're seeing. That makes it easier to compare installation costs between providers."
The state-based chapters of the Solar Energy Industries Association may also maintain lists of trusted installation firms that can be a good starting point, alongside CNET's library of reviews.
It's not necessarily better to go with a large, nationwide installer versus smaller, locally-focused companies, Ramsden said. Both can perform well or leave customers dissatisfied.
"Most of the solar industry does wonderful work and are trying hard to meet the needs of their customers, but there are some bad actors out there, unfortunately," he said.
Whoever you speak to, be sure to get all quotes and details in writing.
Getting a sense of how much a solar installation is going to cost for your unique situation can be tricky. As such, most solar companies can be quite cagey about providing much pricing information before you've already invested a significant amount of time with them going over the myriad details of your home and needs.
But there are a handful of installers that are willing to guarantee their ability to compete on price, although sometimes they might refer to it as matching or beating value rather than overall cost. Here's a list of the companies we've spoken to that offer some sort of price match:
A maze of tax credits and other incentives are available to help bring down the cost of going solar. The recent Inflation Reduction Act set the federal residential energy tax credit at a whopping 30 percent, and plenty of states also offer money back or some other form of savings.
A good installer should be up to date and informed on what's available in your area. SUN also staffs a help desk that's free to US consumers. Ramsden said there's a lot of information online of varying quality.
"I would particularly be wary of trusting incentive information that's coming through a marketing channel like Facebook ads or things of that nature," he said. "They can often be a little misleading."
In particular, watch out for any marketing that talks about solar being completely free.
"It should raise flags for you," Ramsden said. "Anything that you're engaging with in the marketplace is going to have a cost, whether it's a lease or loan or cash."
North Carolina State University maintains a database of state incentives for renewables and efficiency (DSIRE) that can be a good starting place to double check what's available in your area.
One exception to the rule about avoiding messaging on free solar is if it's a government program that provides free solar for low-income households. Such programs do exist and the DSIRE site is one potential way to verify a program is legit.
New state and local programs seem to be coming online as funding from the IRA is beginning to filter down to local institutions. Just be sure that any information you consider is coming from a trusted source. You can also read CNET's guide to avoiding solar scams before signing up for anything that sounds too good to be true.
Local nonprofits, co-ops or other groups in your area may organize discount or group buying programs to bring down the cost of solar.
SUN runs buying programs in 11 states, DC and Puerto Rico. And Ramsden says other groups work in other states. Ask local installers and others in the industry if they're aware of such programs in your area.
About half of states have enabled community solar programs, which allow residents to subscribe to an array located elsewhere in their community that is generating electricity, thereby lowering their own cost of power in the form of bill credits from that array.
"Community solar is by design opening market access to folks that can't put solar on their roof physically," said Gilbert Michaud, assistant professor of Environmental Policy at Loyola University Chicago. "They could have an aging roof or be renters, condo owners … It's about opening access."
Michaud says only 25% of people actually have the ability to put panels on their roof. If the other 75% have an appetite for renewable energy, community solar could be a way to do it.
Another option are so-called "solarize" programs in which a bunch of neighbors band together to work with one installer to achieve economies of scale, potentially reducing costs by 15-20%.
Leases can be a good option for people who don't want to take out a loan and don't have the cash or interest in installing their own system. Instead, you can agree to let a company install and maintain an array that they retain ownership of on top of your roof in exchange for leasing that array from the company or agreeing to purchase the power it generates for a fixed cost. The rules that govern exactly how these agreements can be structured varies by state.
"For folks that really just want to have someone else take care of it and they want cheaper electricity, that is certainly an option," Ramsden said.
He emphasizes taking a look at all the fine print on a lease or power purchase agreement to be sure you understand precisely which party will be responsible for what during what could be a very long-term partnership with a solar company.
Michaud added that in the case of a lease, homeowners don't get the federal tax credit or most other incentives. | https://www.cnet.com/home/energy-and-utilities/6-ways-to-go-solar-for-cheap/ | 2023-07-14 18:57:04 | 0 | https://www.cnet.com/home/energy-and-utilities/6-ways-to-go-solar-for-cheap/ |
NEW YORK, June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Mullen Automotive, Inc. f/k/a Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN, NETE) between June 15, 2020 and April 6, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important July 5, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline in the securities class action commenced by the Firm.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Mullen securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Mullen class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=5459 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than July 5, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Mullen overstates its ability and timeline regarding production; (2) Mullen overstates its deals with business partners, including Qiantu Motors; (3) Mullen overstates its battery technology and capabilities; (4) Mullen overstates its ability to sell its branded products; (5) Net Element did not conduct proper due diligence into Mullen Technologies; (6) the Dragonfly K50 was not (solely) delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and (7) as a result, defendants' public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Mullen class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=5459 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com
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SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2022/06/02/rosen-top-ranked-investor-counsel-encourages-mullen-automotive-inc-fka-net-element-inc-investors-with-losses-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-securities-class-action-first-filed-by-firm-muln-nete/ | 2022-06-02 02:12:40 | 1 | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2022/06/02/rosen-top-ranked-investor-counsel-encourages-mullen-automotive-inc-fka-net-element-inc-investors-with-losses-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-securities-class-action-first-filed-by-firm-muln-nete/ |
Laurie Blog By Laurie Hardie | December 23, 2022 Wanna Keep an Eye on Santa Share: Adisakdi|BigStock See When Santa will be flying over your hood. Norad Santa Tracker | https://warm1069.com/wanna-keep-an-eye-on-santa/ | 2022-12-24 00:14:41 | 0 | https://warm1069.com/wanna-keep-an-eye-on-santa/ |
DHAKA,Bangladesh (AP) — Heavy monsoon downpours in Bangladesh’s northeastern and northern regions have stranded hundreds of thousands of people, forcing authorities to deploy military soldiers for evacuation and relief work, official statements and news reports said early Saturday.
Military’s Inter Service Public Relations office said on its website that the soldiers have been deployed as floods have devastated the northeastern districts of Sunamganj and Sylhet, cutting off people from electricity as thousands of homes have been inundated.
At least nine people died across the delta nation on Friday after lightning struck amid rainfalls, the United News of Bangladesh agency reported.
In a statement, the government’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Center in Dhaka, the nation’s capital, said Friday that water in all major rivers across the country was rising. The country has about 130 rivers.
The center said the flood situation is likely to deteriorate over the next 24 hours in the worst-hit Sunamganj, Sylhet districts in the northeastern region as well as in Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Rangpur districts in northern Bangladesh.
Hafiz Ahmed, manager at the Osmani International Airport in Sylhet, said Friday that flight operations in the airport have been suspended for three days as flood water has almost reached the runway.
Last month, a pre-monsoon flash flood, triggered by an onrush of waters from upstream India’s northeastern states, hit Bangladesh’s northern and northeastern regions, destroying crops and damaging homes and road network vastly. The country was only recovering from that shock, but as the monsoon this year set in only a few days ago fresh rains flooded the same regions again.
Bangladesh, a nation of 160 million people, is low-lying and faces threats of climate change-related natural disasters such as floods and cyclones. According to the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, about 17% of people in Bangladesh would need to be relocated over the next decade or so if global warming persists at the present rate. | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Fresh-floods-hit-Bangladesh-hundreds-of-17249552.php | 2022-06-17 21:30:44 | 1 | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Fresh-floods-hit-Bangladesh-hundreds-of-17249552.php |
Updated annotation and reporting features represent RedTeam Software's ongoing investment in an evolving suite of integrated construction technology solutions for contractors of any size
ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RedTeam Software, a leading construction management software platform provider, has added a powerful PDF markup function and Indicated Outcome Report as enhanced features to its flagship software solution, which it has renamed, RedTeam Flex.
The RedTeam Flex solution is designed to help mid- to enterprise-level contractors maximize communication, performance and productivity in the field. RedTeam Flex integrates with existing software platforms to offer users a convenient, accessible on-ramp to industry-leading jobsite management.
The RedTeam Flex PDF markup feature allows teams to annotate, publish and share drawing files on the web platform, as well as drawings and photos from the mobile application. With RedTeam Flex Indicated Outcome Report (IOR), contractors can aggregate data from construction management at risk (CMAR) projects. The feature enables the contractor to share the financial status of the project with clients in an easy, understandable format, offering full transparency throughout the life of the project.
"RedTeam Software continues to provide contractors with solutions that help them communicate changes, so they can minimize disruptions and keep their projects on track," said Betsie Hoyt, VP of Product of RedTeam Software. "We realize the value of helping teams stay connected, and that's why we are adding enhanced markup capability and the Indicated Outcome Report to the RedTeam Flex platform. We are committed to building great software so construction professionals can build great things."
In August, the company announced a similar PDF markup enhancement to Fieldlens by RedTeam, a dynamic, intuitive jobsite management software solution that keeps issues organized, documented, and appropriately escalated, and empowers effective collaboration among field, office, and trade workers. These updates followed RedTeam Software's recent recapitalization and the acquisition of Paskr, now rebranded RedTeam Go, a commercial construction management solution for small to midsize contractors.
RedTeam Software is a growing construction management software company built by contractors who understand construction. The cloud-based software solutions are designed to help contractors face the day-to-day challenges of commercial construction. The company's suite of construction solutions features products ranging from field-management software to enterprise-level workflow, collaboration and construction management solutions. The solutions include:
- RedTeam Go: Formerly named Paskr, software designed to help simplify, automate and standardize workflow for small to mid-size contractors
- Fieldlens by RedTeam: Dynamic jobsite collaboration software that facilitates effective, real-time collaboration among field, office, and trade workers, at any time from any location.
- RedTeam Flex: Highly customizable construction management software that can also be integrated into popular business platforms for optimal, overarching project management.
RedTeam Software appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies in the United States in 2020 and 2021. Over 500,000 users worldwide manage a collective $25 billion commercial construction work with RedTeam Software. For more information, visit RedTeam.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Ripley
Ripley PR
(865) 977-1973
hripley@ripleypr.com
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SOURCE RedTeam Software | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2022/10/18/redteam-adds-powerful-new-collaboration-features-its-flagship-software-solution-now-renamed-redteam-flex/ | 2022-10-18 12:43:22 | 1 | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2022/10/18/redteam-adds-powerful-new-collaboration-features-its-flagship-software-solution-now-renamed-redteam-flex/ |
The Philadelphia Folk Festival returns to the Old Poole Farm in Montgomery County, with ticketed concerts running from Friday through Sunday. The festival had been entirely digital for two years -- due to the pandemic.
WHYY's Peter Crimmins reports the festival is keeping one-foot in the dirt and the other online.
(Original air-date: 8/18/22) | https://www.wdiy.org/whyy-regional-news/2022-08-18/philadelphia-folk-festival-returns-both-in-person-and-online | 2022-08-19 03:06:42 | 0 | https://www.wdiy.org/whyy-regional-news/2022-08-18/philadelphia-folk-festival-returns-both-in-person-and-online |
NEW YORK, Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Wells Fargo & Company ("Wells Fargo") (NYSE: WFC) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors. This lawsuit is on behalf of persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Wells Fargo common stock between February 24, 2021 and June 9, 2022.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Wells Fargo, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Wells Fargo includes allegations that the Company made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Wells Fargo had misrepresented its commitment to diversity in the Company's workplace; (ii) Wells Fargo conducted fake job interviews in order to meet its Diverse Search Requirement; (iii) the foregoing conduct subjected Wells Fargo to an increased risk of regulatory and/or governmental scrutiny and enforcement action, including criminal charges; (iv) all of the foregoing, once revealed, was likely to negatively impact Wells Fargo's reputation; and (v) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
DEADLINE: August 29, 2022
Aggrieved Wells Fargo investors only have until August 29, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
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SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-wells-fargo-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-august-29-2022/ | 2022-08-01 10:02:23 | 1 | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-wells-fargo-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-august-29-2022/ |
ATMORE, Ala., Jan. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- (OTCQX: UBAB)- United Bancorporation of Alabama, Inc., parent company of United Bank, Town-Country United Bank, and UB Community Development, announces its financial results for the period ended December 31, 2022. United reported unaudited consolidated net income of $18.6 million or earnings per share of $5.11 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2022, as compared to net income of $18.5 million or earnings per share of $4.87 for the same period last year. For the three months ended December 31, 2022, unaudited net income was $5.1 million or earnings per share of $1.43, as compared to net income of $3.2 million or earnings per share of $0.87 for the same period last year.
QUARTERLY HIGHLIGHTS
- Recognized as one of OTCQX's 2023 Best 50
- Loan growth of $26.9 million
- Year-to-date and quarter-to-date net interest margin of 3.71% and 4.23%, respectively.
- Tier one capital ratio and tier one leverage ratio of 25.7% and 18.0%, respectively.
About United Bancorporation of Alabama, Inc.
United Bancorporation of Alabama, Inc. (OTCQX: UBAB) is a $1.4 billion financial holding company that primarily serves Southwest Alabama as well as Northwest Florida. United is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), which recognizes its commitment to stimulating economic development in underserved communities. United operates three subsidiaries: United Bank, Town-Country United Bank and UB Community Development. United Bank is also designated as a CDFI and operates 22 locations across five counties. The recently acquired Town-Country United Bank serves Wilcox County and its surrounding counties. UB Community Development focuses on economic and community development through its New Markets Tax Credits, affordable housing and community facilities programs. United Bank has offices in Atmore, Brewton, East Brewton, Flomaton, Monroeville, Frisco City, Bay Minette, Daphne, Foley, Lillian, Loxley, Magnolia Springs, Semmes, Silverhill and Summerdale in Alabama. United Bank serves Santa Rosa County, Florida in Jay, Milton and Pace. For a complete quarterly report visit our investor relations tab at www.UnitedBank.com. Member FDIC.
Contact: Leigh Anne Russell Jones
EVP, Chief Financial Officer
(251) 446-6165
Leighanne.jones@unitedbank.com
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SOURCE United Bancorp | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/01/27/united-bancorporation-alabama-inc-announces-fourth-quarter-results/ | 2023-01-27 13:12:07 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/01/27/united-bancorporation-alabama-inc-announces-fourth-quarter-results/ |
NEW YORK, Jan. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Olaplex Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: OLPX).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/olaplex-holdings-loss-submission-form/?id=35351&from=4
This lawsuit is on behalf of persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Olaplex common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the Company's initial public offering conducted on or around September 30, 2021.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until January 17, 2023 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, Olaplex Holdings, Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) macroeconomic pressures and competition in the haircare market were more robust than the Company had represented to investors; (ii) accordingly, the Company was unlikely to maintain its sales and revenue momentum; and (iii) as a result, it was unlikely that the Company would be able to achieve the financial and operational growth projected in the offering documents; and (iv) as a result, the offering documents were materially false and/or misleading and failed to state information required to be stated therein.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
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SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2023/01/06/olpx-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-olaplex-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-january-17-2023/ | 2023-01-06 11:17:23 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2023/01/06/olpx-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-olaplex-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-january-17-2023/ |
ADC rebrand to Upshop recognizes total store retail operations technology capabilities
TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Applied Data Corporation (ADC), global pioneer of total store operations, announces an extensive rebranding effort to reflect the company's accelerated vision and growth. Upshop promises to deliver a simplified, smarter, more connected platform for retailers and associates by synchronizing Fresh, Packaged, and eCommerce operations.
ADC has been a visionary in Fresh operations for over thirty years in 28,000+ grocery and convenience locations. In 2019, the company re-architected from on-premise to cloud-based SaaS as a first step in driving associate usability and adoption. This past year has seen eCommerce fulfillment orchestration and expiration date management capability integrations to pioneer a singular platform for total store operations.
"AFS chose Upshop because it enables our store teams to focus on fresh," said Associated Food Stores Systems and Integration Director, Greg Welling. "Upshop provides our customers with a fresher experience while making our store teams more efficient at the same time. The combination is a win-win that drives customer loyalty and improves AFS store success."
Sync up your people, products, and processes with one singular platform for store operations. Upshop provides retailers the end-to-end visibility necessary to increase sales, cut waste, and improve labor efficiency; gaining a pivotal, competitive edge to win and maintain loyalty with shoppers.
Upshop has been pioneering store operations technology for over 30 years; delivering SaaS-based solutions which offer a simplified, smarter, more connected solution to retail store associates. The business leveraged the technology of leading products FreshIQ®, ShopperKit, and Date Check Pro to synchronize one platform, providing retailers the visibility needed to increase sales, cut waste, and streamline labor efficiencies. Over 145+ retail chain accounts trust our software in over 28,000+ stores, 9 countries, and 3 continents.
CONTACT:
Mike Weber, CMO
mike.weber@upshop.com
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SOURCE Upshop | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/introducing-upshop-total-store-operations-platform/ | 2022-08-18 12:30:22 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/introducing-upshop-total-store-operations-platform/ |
PORTLAND, Ore. — PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland General Electric Co. (POR) on Friday reported second-quarter net income of $39 million.
The electric utility posted revenue of $648 million in the period.
Portland General Electric expects full-year earnings in the range of $2.60 to $2.75 per share.
_____
This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on POR at https://www.zacks.com/ap/POR | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/28/earns-portland-general-electric/d8edc472-2d26-11ee-a948-a5b8a9b62d84_story.html | 2023-07-28 09:20:47 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/28/earns-portland-general-electric/d8edc472-2d26-11ee-a948-a5b8a9b62d84_story.html |
SMITHFIELD, Va., Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Smithfield Foods, Inc. this week donated more than 20,000 pounds of protein to help the victims of recent floods in Eastern Kentucky. Partnering with Mercy Chefs, a non-profit disaster relief organization, the donated products will be professionally prepared as restaurant-quality meals for victims, volunteers and first responders impacted by the historic floods.
"At Smithfield Foods, we are passionate about leading the fight against hunger and making sure the communities where our employees live and work are supported," said Jonathan Toms, community development manager for Smithfield Foods. "With operations in Kentucky, thousands of our neighbors have been devastated by these unprecedented floods and do not know where their next meal is coming from or how they will feed their families. We are proud to partner with Mercy Chefs to aid their recovery and provide this much-needed nourishment."
The donation is part of Helping Hungry Homes®, Smithfield's initiative focused on alleviating hunger across the country and helping Americans become more food secure. By joining forces with Mercy Chefs, Smithfield is placing nearly 100,000 servings of high-quality, nutrient-rich protein in the hands of flood victims, volunteers and first responders.
"The need here in Eastern Kentucky is so widespread and overwhelming," says Chef Gary LeBlanc, founder and chief executive officer of Mercy Chefs. "We are so grateful for Smithfield Foods' partnership to provide hope in the form of a meal and help hungry homes across Eastern Kentucky. We couldn't do what we do without their support!"
This year, Helping Hungry Homes® will help fight hunger by donating food to food banks, school nutrition programs, disaster relief and community outreach programs. To learn more about Helping Hungry Homes®, visit https://www.smithfieldfoods.com/helping-communities.
About Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Headquartered in Smithfield, Va. since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. With more than 60,000 jobs globally, we are dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly.®" and serve as one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in our U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30 percent across our entire U.S. value chain by 2030. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to our communities. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield®, Eckrich® and Nathan's Famous®, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
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SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc. | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2022/08/04/smithfield-foods-helping-hungry-homes-assists-kentucky-flood-victims/ | 2022-08-04 16:31:37 | 0 | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2022/08/04/smithfield-foods-helping-hungry-homes-assists-kentucky-flood-victims/ |
KAHRAMANMARAS, Turkey (AP) — Rescuers have pulled more survivors from the debris of the Feb. 6 earthquake that devastated parts of Turkey and Syria even as the window for finding people alive shrank.
Here’s a look at the key developments Friday from the aftermath of the earthquake.
DEATH TOLL RISES
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu updated the death toll in Turkey to 39,672, bringing the overall number of earthquake fatalities in both Turkey and Syria to 43,360.
The figure is certain to increase further as search teams retrieve more bodies amid the devastation.
The powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake was the deadliest disaster in Turkey’s modern history.
MORE SURVIVORS RESCUED
Rescuers on Friday removed a survivor from the rubble of a collapsed building in the district of Defne, in hard-hit Hatay province, more than 11 days after the powerful earthquake struck.
Hakan Yasinoğlu, 45, spent 278 hours beneath the rubble, according to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency. TV footage showed him being carried on a stretcher to an ambulance.
Search teams working overnight also found a woman and two men alive in earthquake wreckage.
The latest rescues came as crews began clearing debris in cities devastated by the earthquake.
Neslihan Kilic, a 29-year-old mother of two, was removed from the rubble of a building in Kahramanmaras, after being trapped for 258 hours, private DHA news agency reported late Thursday.
In the city of Antakya, police rescue crews found a 12-year-old boy named Osman alive after retrieving 17 bodies from a collapsed building.
“Just when our hopes were over, we reached our brother Osman at the 260th hour,” police rescue team leader Okan Tosun told DHA.
An hour later, crews reached two men inside the debris of a collapsed hospital in Antakya.
One of them, Mustafa Avci, used the mobile phone of a rescuer to call his brother and ask about family members.
“Have they all survived? he asked. “Let me hear their voices.”
UN AID CROSSES INTO SYRIA
A total of 178 trucks carrying aid from Turkey into northwest Syria have crossed the border since Feb. 9, the United Nations said.
Jens Laerke, spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said the trucks are carrying a “multitude” of items from six U.N. agencies — including tents, mattresses, blankets, winter clothes, cholera testing kits, essential medicines, and food from the World Food Program.
U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said that according to recent assessments in Syria’s northwest, 50,000 households need tents or emergency shelter and at least 88,000 households need mattresses, thermal blankets and clothing. In addition, the U.N.’s partners says hospitals and medical centers “are overstretched and under-resourced,” he said.
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, said it was working closely with Turkey to determine the steps needed to rehabilitate infrastructure in the agricultural sector damaged by the quake, including irrigation systems, roads, markets and storage capacity.
“In Syria, rapid assessments by FAO of areas affected by the earthquakes suggest major disruption to crop and livestock production capacity, threatening immediate and longer-term food security,” the Rome-based agency said in a statement.
SYRIANS’ RETURN
The bodies of at least 1,522 Syrians have been brought back to Syria from Turkey for burial, an official at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based war monitor, reported that when the numbers from other, smaller crossings are tallied, the number of earthquake victims returned to Syria for burial is 1,745.
Syrian survivors have also begun crossing back from Turkey. Some 1,795 Syrians crossed from Turkey into Syria on Wednesday, the first day after Turkey agreed to allow Syrian refugees impacted by the earthquake to return to their country temporarily without losing their protected status in Turkey, an official at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing said.
The decision allows holders of Turkish temporary protection cards residing in earthquake-damaged areas to cross into Syria without having to obtain a travel permit from Turkish authorities. Normally, Turkey would consider Syrians holding protected status who crossed into Syria without a permit to have relinquished their status as asylum-seekers. They would be required to surrender their protection cards and banned from reentering Turkey for five years.
SPAIN TO TAKE IN 100 SYRIANS
Spain says it will take in some 100 Syrian refugees in Turkey that have suffered in the earthquake. Migration Minister José Luis Escrivá said the refugees would be those considered most vulnerable and badly affected by the quake.
Making the announcement late Thursday, Escrivá said “the earthquake reminds us of Syria’s drama in a tremendous way and we are going to try to help within our possibilities.”
OVER 1,500 CHILDREN SEPARATED FROM FAMILIES
Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said the state was caring for 1,589 children who were separated from their families in the earthquake, including 247 who have not yet been identified.
He said 953 children had been reunited with their families.
Oktay also said search and rescue teams were working at fewer than 200 sites, with Hatay province accounting for the largest number.
___
Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Frances D’Emilio in Rome, Ciaran Giles in Madrid and Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed.
___
Follow AP’s earthquake coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/earthquakes | https://www.myarklamiss.com/news/international/ap-key-developments-in-the-aftermath-of-the-turkey-syria-quake/ | 2023-02-17 22:56:26 | 1 | https://www.myarklamiss.com/news/international/ap-key-developments-in-the-aftermath-of-the-turkey-syria-quake/ |
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We've placed cookies on your device to improve your browsing experience. They're safe and don't contain sensitive information. | https://tj.news/times-and-transcript/102039606 | 2023-01-03 00:41:05 | 1 | https://tj.news/times-and-transcript/102039606 |
‘Our hero’: Police K-9 dies unexpectedly during surgery for sudden illness
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (Gray News) – A police K-9 in Georgia died while undergoing surgery for a sudden illness earlier this month.
According to the Lawrenceville Police Department, K-9 Hyro died unexpectedly on July 20 during surgery at UGA Veterinary Hospital in Athens.
The police department said K-9 Hyro began showing signs of illness in the days before the surgery. Officials didn’t give further details about the illness.
The day after his death, K-9 Hyro was taken to his final resting place at Oakrest Pet Gardens Funeral Home and Crematory in Bethlehem.
Police said K-9 Hyro received a farewell from hundreds of police officers across several departments.
On Monday morning, Lawrenceville police held K-9 Hyro’s funeral, including a procession route.
Police said K-9 Hyro was a “very active” police dog with an “impressive career” with Lawrenceville police. He was deployed hundreds of times during his career and assisted dozens of agencies.
“K-9 Hyro will be greatly missed. Hyro, our hero,” police wrote in a Facebook post.
Lawrenceville is located about 30 miles northeast of Atlanta.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/our-hero-police-k-9-dies-unexpectedly-during-surgery-sudden-illness/ | 2023-07-31 16:20:16 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/our-hero-police-k-9-dies-unexpectedly-during-surgery-sudden-illness/ |
WASHINGTON — (AP) — It's a stunning new allegation in an already serious case: Former President Donald Trump sought to delete Mar-a-Lago surveillance footage to obstruct the Justice Department's investigation into his handling of classified documents.
The latest criminal charges unsealed Thursday deepen Trump's legal jeopardy, alleging a more central role for the former president than previously known in a cover-up that prosecutors say was meant to prevent them from recovering top-secret documents he took with him after he left the White House. Coming as Trump braces for possible additional indictments related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, the new allegations strengthen special counsel Jack Smith's already powerful case against Trump while undercutting potential defenses floated by the former president, experts say.
“Before these new charges, you could maybe try some sort of defense that ‘this was all a mistake, it was my staff’ or confusion about what documents he actually had,” said former federal prosecutor Randall Eliason, a George Washington University law professor.
“But especially now, when you’re trying to destroy video footage,” he added, “that’s kind of the final nail in the coffin. I don’t see much in the way of a defense, not a real defense. All he can do is claim he’s being persecuted and hope for a holdout juror or something.”
Trump resorted to that familiar playbook on Friday, writing in a post on his Truth Social platform that “this is textbook Third World intimidation by rabid, lawless prosecutors.” He insisted during an interview with radio host John Fredericks that he did nothing wrong and accused prosecutors of trying to intimidate his staff into making up lies about him.
Later Friday, Trump posted on Truth Social that Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to prosecutors. Trump said he was told they were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
The new Florida charges came as a surprise given that Trump and his legal team have been focused on the prospect of an additional indictment in Washington — possibly within days — related to his efforts to cling to power after he lost to President Joe Biden. Trump received a letter this month informing him that he's a target in that probe, and his lawyers met Thursday with special counsel Jack Smith's office.
Hours after that meeting, Smith revealed the new classified documents case charges on top of a 38-count indictment issued last month against Trump and his valet, Walt Nauta. The updated indictment includes a detailed chronology of phone conversations and other interactions between Trump, Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager, Carlos De Oliveira, in the days after the Justice Department last June drafted a subpoena for security camera footage at Mar-a-Lago.
Video from the home would ultimately become vital to the government's case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump's direction and in an effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump's own lawyers.
The day after a draft subpoena was sent to the Trump Organization, the indictment says, Trump called De Oliveira and spoke with him for about 24 minutes. Though the details of that conversation are not included in the indictment, De Oliveira is described by prosecutors as asking a Mar-a-Lago information technology staffer several days later how long the server retained footage for and is quoted as telling the employee that “the boss” wanted it deleted.
Lawyers for Nauta, who has pleaded not guilty, and De Oliveira declined to comment on the allegations. De Oliveira is expected to make his first court appearance in Miami on Monday.
To the extent that evidence of Trump's involvement in trying to delete video is circumstantial rather than direct, it might present a challenge for prosecutors, said David Aaron, a former Justice Department national security prosecutor who has worked on cases involving the mishandling of classified documents.
But if they can tie the effort to Trump, he added, "it’s devastating in its own right, because it doesn’t matter at that point what he thought he had the right to do, or whatever other defense he’s going to have about the classified documents. That’s in and of itself very bad.”
It could also help prosecutors establish that Trump knew what he was doing was wrong because "you only delete video of what you’ve done if you think it’s going to get you in trouble," Aaron said. And Trump's own accusations against others, like his claims against Hillary Clinton, his opponent in the 2016 presidential race, could boomerang against him.
Trump has claimed that Clinton deleted emails from her private server for the purpose of obstructing a criminal investigation into her own handling of classified information — something the FBI and Justice Department never alleged — but now stands himself accused of scheming to delete evidence he feared would be incriminating.
“He has specifically criticized other public figures for deleting data when he says they thought they were going to be in trouble," Aaron said. "So if you needed to prove his consciousness of guilt, it’s not just an obvious thing that you would ask the jury to rely on common sense for — he’s actually made statements about what it means when someone does this.”
Trump and Nauta are set for trial next May, though it's not clear if that date will hold.
Smith’s team also added a new count of willful retention of national defense information related to a classified document about a Pentagon plan of attack on a foreign country prosecutors say Trump showed off during a July 2021 meeting at his Bedminster, New Jersey resort.
That charge comes after Trump repeatedly claimed he didn’t have any secret documents when he spoke, only magazine and newspaper clippings, even though an audio recording captured him saying “this is secret information.” The document was returned to the government in January 2022, months before the subpoena for classified records.
It's not clear why prosecutors moved now to indict another one of Trump's underlings, though bringing charges against De Oliveira that could carry significant prison time adds serious pressure on him, potentially increasing the odds that he could decide to cut a plea deal and cooperate.
“But, you know, Trump seems to inspire a lot of loyalty, at least in some people,” Eliason said. “Maybe they are holding out for the idea that he is reelected and he can pardon them.”
____
Richer reported from Boston.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/news/politics/fresh-charges-tie/NGO5MK7PW6XKJABKWIRL65U5RI/ | 2023-07-29 05:56:40 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/politics/fresh-charges-tie/NGO5MK7PW6XKJABKWIRL65U5RI/ |
Anker Innovations Launches Best-in-Class Products
From Anker Charging, eufy Security, soundcore and Nebula Brands
NEW YORK, Sept. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Anker Innovations, a global leader in charging technology, smart home, connected consumer devices and audio products, today unveiled new landmark products from the Anker charging, eufy Security, soundcore and Nebula brands during the Anker On Board event in New York City.
Anker, the world's #1 mobile charging brand, today launched the Anker 767 Portable Power Station (GaNPrime PowerHouse 2048Wh), a 2400W output portable power generator designed for emergency power, outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers alike. Power meets portability with the 767's new suitcase design with features sturdy wheels and an ergonomic extendable tow handle to easily transport the powerhouse from car to campsite.
The 767 PowerHouse is Anker's largest portable battery station yet, able to power 99.9% of home appliances like electric grills, refrigerators, space heaters, laptops, microwaves and more. Its 2048Wh capacity keeps these essentials powered for days with the optional 760 Expansion Battery capable of doubling the capacity to 4096Wh. Thanks to its 12 charging ports, the 767 PowerHouse is a multi-tasking must-have, and with a new TT-30R AC outlet, it can power almost all appliances in a traveler's RV.
Additionally, like the Anker 757 and 555, the Anker 767 features a safe and long-lasting Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery that fully recharges in just 2 hours when plugged into the wall. Alternatively, users can harness the power of the sun by connecting the 767 with up to 5 Anker 531 Solar Panels (200W) to recharge in just 2.5 hours.
More details in the US, UK and Germany can be found online and it is slated to be available for preorder on Anker.com in the US and Germany on November 14, 2022.
eufy Security, a global leader in DIY smart security devices, today announced the Edge Security System, the world's smartest, most accurate and most connected home security solution.
The Edge Security System is managed by the new HomeBase 3, which leverages eufy Security's proprietary BionicMind™, a self-learning A.I. that can deliver up to 99% accuracy in recognizing different people, pets and objects. BionicMind can automatically curate and catalogue video data utilizing HomeBase 3's free local storage. All of the data can be accessed anytime, anywhere from the eufy Security app.
HomeBase 3 comes with 16GB of free, 256-bit encrypted local storage. The data hub can support up to 16 TB of additional memory using an external hard drive (sold separately) for up to 60 years of local video storage without the need to clear space.
At launch, HomeBase 3 will come bundled with two of the new eufyCam 3 security cameras. eufyCam 3 is designed with 4K ultra-HD resolution and includes night vision, two-way audio, built-in spotlight, and a 13,400 mAh battery with built-in solar panel for non-stop power.
eufy's new Edge Security System will eventually be compatible with a number of other eufy Security devices including Video Smart Lock, Video Doorbell Dual and Floodlight Cam 2 Pro.
Details on pricing and availability for the Edge Security System are available at eufy.com.
soundcore, the premium audio brand of Anker Innovations', today launched the next generation of Liberty TWS earbuds, the Liberty 4, as well as a product in a new category for the brand, the Sleep A10 Sleep Earbuds.
Following the success of the Liberty 2 Pro and Liberty 3 Pro, the Liberty 4 will be the brand's first pair of "stick" earbuds that feature dual drivers in a coaxial architecture. The Liberty 4 will push the boundaries of sound performance, offering clarity across all frequencies for the best listening experience with all genres of music.
For the first time, soundcore has also added advanced features including spatial audio as well as health sensors that can track a person's heartbeat through the soundcore app.
The Liberty 4 will launch on soundcore.com as well as via pre-order on Amazon.com and Bestbuy.com starting today for $149.99 before expanding to other channels soon.
soundcore also introduced the Sleep A10 Sleep Earbuds, which were designed to help users fall asleep and be comfortable enough to wear all night long. With a four-point noise masking system, they can block up to 35 decibels (db) of noise – 15 db more than any other pair of sleep focused earbuds on the market today.
The Sleep A10 can also monitor user's sleep patterns and maintain a constant record in the app to help users identify and adjust their sleep conditions to achieve a better night's sleep.
The Sleep A10 Earbuds will be available on Amazon.com and soundcore.com beginning today and will be available at Best Buy in the coming weeks for $179.99 in the US.
Nebula, Anker's smart entertainment brand today introduced the next generation in portable entertainment, the Capsule 3 Laser portable projector. Following in the design of previous Capsule projectors, the Capsule 3 Laser is a laser projector that features Android TV 11 while offering a clear, bright, 300 ISO lumen image, advanced 360° sound and a built-in battery for a complete, portable movie theater experience.
The Nebula Capsule 3 Laser has the capabilities of a smart TV with 2.5 hours of movie playtime on a single charge. With AndroidTV 11, users have access to over 7,000 apps that can be downloaded over a Wi-Fi connection and offer hundreds of thousands of movies, TV shows and video content via streaming services like: YouTube, YouTubeTV, ESPN and Disney+. It also seamlessly connects to devices via Bluetooth, offers an HDMI connection as well as screen mirroring from a mobile phone using the built-in Chromecast function.
The Capsule 3 Laser will be sold via pre-sale beginning on today via Nebula's website in the US, UK, Germany and Canada. In the U.S., early buyers can save $120 before it becomes available for sale online in select retail locations on November 14 for $799.99. For more information on the Nebula Brand visit,www.seenebula.com.
Anker is the world's #1 mobile charging brand. It is known for making the world's best charging products for virtually all mobile devices. This includes fast charging accessories, solar and wireless charging, car charging, smart home plugs and an exciting, new class of battery generators called PowerHouse. Find out more about Anker at www.anker.com.
From laser-guided robotic vacuum cleaners to wireless security systems, eufy is focused on building easy-to-use smart home devices and appliances designed to enhance people's lives. More information can be found at eufy.com.
Nebula represents an exciting new class of smart, portable entertainment products. This includes Nebula's popular line of high-definition projectors. These devices are breathing new life into the projector space in 5 key ways: beautiful and portable designs, incredible sound, amazing battery life, rich content and smart A.I. For more information, please visit SeeNebula.com.
soundcore creates audio products that help spark emotions through music. This includes premium true wireless earbuds endorsed by Grammy-winning audio engineers and musicians, smart wearable audio devices as well as over-ear headphones and indoor and outdoor Bluetooth speakers designed to amplify the party. soundcore is part of the Anker Innovations' family of consumer brands. For more information, please visit soundcore.com.
Anker Innovations is a global leader in charging technology and a developer of unique, consumer electronic products that support premium audio, mobile entertainment and the emerging smart home space. This innovation is being led by its six key brands: Anker, AnkerWork, eufy, Nebula, soundcore and AnkerMake. More information on Anker Innovations and its various brands can be found at anker.com.
PR Contacts: For images or to request a review sample, please contact us at:
Mary Woodbury (Anker Charging) // Mary.Woodbury@anker.com
Brett White (eufy Security) // Brett.White@anker.com
Adam Weissman (soundcore & Nebula) // Adam.weissman@anker.com
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SOURCE Anker Innovations | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/29/anker-board-is-back-running-full-power-multi-brand-product-unveiling-event-nyc/ | 2022-09-29 23:45:47 | 1 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/29/anker-board-is-back-running-full-power-multi-brand-product-unveiling-event-nyc/ |
Family of 4 still hospitalized after father drove off cliff
MONTARA, Calif. (AP) — The driver of a car that plunged off a treacherous cliff in Northern California, injuring his two young children and his wife after the 250-foot drop, remained hospitalized with serious injuries Wednesday, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Dharmesh A. Patel of Pasadena will be booked into the San Mateo County jail on suspicion of attempted murder and child abuse after he’s released from a hospital, the highway patrol said. He was in serious but stable condition and has not yet been cleared by doctors to leave.
Rescuers initially hailed the family’s survival as a “miracle” after the Tesla sedan plummeted down a notorious cliffside Monday along the Pacific Coast Highway near an area called Devil’s Slide that’s known for fatal wrecks.
Firefighters were forced to cut the family out of the wreckage. They used a rope system to haul the children up the cliff in a rescue basket while the parents were hoisted by helicopter.
Patel’s family — including his 41-year-old wife, 7-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son, whose names have not been released — also remained hospitalized Wednesday. CHP Officer Mark Andrews would not comment on their conditions or detail Patel’s wounds.
It wasn’t immediately known if Patel, 41, has an attorney. Pasadena police records do not show any calls about violence at the family’s home. The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether the agency had received or investigated any reports on the family.
The case brought back memories of a 2018 tragedy when a woman intentionally drove off another Northern California cliff i n an SUV with her wife and their six adopted children. All were killed. The crash in Mendocino County happened just days after authorities in Washington state opened an investigation following allegations that Jennifer Hart’s children were being neglected.
Investigators are looking into Patel’s motive and Andrews would not say whether detectives have been able to interview him.
“I have no idea what his thought pattern was,” he said.
Andrews said investigators likely would not present the case to prosecutors until after Patel is booked into the jail.
Patel is a doctor in radiology at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in the Mission Hills area of Los Angeles.
“Providence Holy Cross Medical Center is deeply saddened to learn of a traffic incident involving one of our physicians and his family,” the statement said. “We are extremely grateful there were no serious injuries. We will not respond further, as this incident is under investigation.”
___
Associated Press researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed from New York.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/2023/01/04/family-4-still-hospitalized-after-father-drove-off-cliff/ | 2023-01-04 21:24:52 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/2023/01/04/family-4-still-hospitalized-after-father-drove-off-cliff/ |
There is a nationwide recall of VCURC portable chargers after one of the devices caught fire on a commercial flight.
Four flight attendants had to be transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation after the device ignited.
VCURC chargers are sold exclusively on Amazon.
Consumers are asked to immediately stop using it and contact the company for a free replacement. | https://abc11.com/amazon-phone-chargers-charger-recall-vrurc-recalled/13474857/ | 2023-07-07 22:02:38 | 0 | https://abc11.com/amazon-phone-chargers-charger-recall-vrurc-recalled/13474857/ |
SYDNEY, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- OneQode, a leading digital infrastructure platform designed for the demands of real-time apps and competitive gaming, and member of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), today announced it will offer connectivity to Oracle Cloud through Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) FastConnect.
OCI FastConnect connections within the Oracle Cloud Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney and Phoenix regions will provide dedicated, low-latency data exchange for customers, enabling enterprise cloud connectivity to OCI from trusted enterprise data centers. This enables both OneQode and Oracle customers fast, private access to OCI's 42 cloud regions around the world.
This announcement follows OneQode's recent collaboration with Oracle, unveiled in December. This collaboration sees both parties providing enhanced offerings to enterprise customers in the Asia Pacific region, particularly to those requiring performance solutions, low-latency networking or whole-of-region reach.
With OCI, customers benefit from best-in-class security, consistent high performance, simple predictable pricing, and the tools and expertise needed to bring enterprise workloads to cloud quickly and efficiently.
With access to Oracle Cloud through OCI FastConnect, OneQode and Oracle customers will benefit from enhanced connectivity and access to resources across Asia Pacific, improving performance for enterprise applications. OneQode and Oracle will also collaborate on regional digital transformation solutions in the coming months.
"We're thrilled to further our relationship with Oracle and unlock even more value for our respective customers through OCI FastConnect," said Matt Shearing, CEO of OneQode. "Asia Pacific is particularly underserved and OneQode and Oracle both have a shared commitment to solving these regional challenges. There's huge potential for the joint solutions we'll now be able to offer."
Oracle and OneQode will now work to implement joint solutions for enterprise customers across the Asia Pacific region, including those in underserved locations like the Philippines, Indonesia and the Pacific Islands.
About Oracle PartnerNetwork
Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) is Oracle's partner program designed to enable partners to accelerate the transition to cloud and drive superior customer business outcomes. The OPN program allows partners to engage with Oracle through track(s) aligned to how they go to market: Cloud Build for partners that provide products or services built on or integrated with Oracle Cloud; Cloud Sell for partners that resell Oracle Cloud technology; Cloud Service for partners that implement, deploy and manage Oracle Cloud Services; and License & Hardware for partners that build, service or sell Oracle software licenses or hardware products. Customers can expedite their business objectives with OPN partners who have achieved Expertise in a product family or cloud service. To learn more visit: https://www.oracle.com/partnernetwork
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Oracle, Java, MySQL and NetSuite are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. NetSuite was the first cloud company -- ushering in the new era of cloud computing.
About OneQode
OneQode is a digital infrastructure provider operating a high-performance cloud platform and a low-latency network designed for the demands of real-time apps and competitive gaming.
In a regional first, OneQode built APAC Central, a central server region for Asia-Pacific located on the island of Guam. The latency-neutral location provides a level playing field for cross-regional gaming, real-time services and business applications.
To learn more, visit https://www.oneqode.com/
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SOURCE OneQode | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/06/22/oneqode-announces-access-oracle-cloud-infrastructure-via-fastconnect/ | 2023-06-22 15:45:12 | 0 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/06/22/oneqode-announces-access-oracle-cloud-infrastructure-via-fastconnect/ |
DALLAS (AP) — Iowa star Caitlin Clark was whistled for a technical foul late in the third quarter with her team trailing LSU by nine points in the NCAA championship game.
The bigger problem for the Hawkeyes was the call meant a fourth personal foul for the junior scoring sensation, moments after front court leader Monika Czinano had picked up her fourth.
Clark never fouled out, while Czinano and fellow senior McKenna Warnock did as Iowa never made a serious run in the fourth quarter of a 102-85 loss to the Tigers on Sunday.
The second and third fouls against Clark were both for push-offs about three minutes apart in the second quarter, when The Associated Press Player of the Year was trying to dribble around defenders.
The latter sent her to the bench for the final 3:26 of the first half with the Hawkeyes down 11, and she left the game again after the technical with 1:04 remaining in the third.
“I thought they called it very, very tight,” said Clark, who scored 30 points. “I don’t know about the two push-offs in the second quarter. I thought all I could do is respond and come back out there and keep fighting and keep trying to help this team crawl back into the game.”
In a pool report, lead official Lisa Jones said the technical came when Clark didn’t pass the ball to an official after the Hawkeyes had been given a delay-of-game warning for batting the ball away after a made basket earlier in the third quarter.
Clark’s tech was among 37 personal fouls. It wasn’t a championship game record, and was 15 fewer than a first-round game this year between James Madison and Ohio State.
Social media just made it seem like an all-time record, with the cascade of comments that officials were becoming the story by taking the stars out of the game. Czinano didn’t want to go there after the game.
“I don’t really think that’s a great question for me to answer honestly,” Czinano said. “We can’t live in the past. All we can do is live in the moment. That game happened. Those calls were called. Going forward, we’ll see what people decide what to do about it.”
LSU’s Angel Reese sat for a long stretch of the first half after picking up two fouls. Czinano and Warnock had two fouls at halftime, and both had four entering the fourth quarter.
Czinano fouled out with 6:25 remaining and the Hawkeyes trailing by 14. She had 13 points in a postseason-low 22 minutes.
“It’s very frustrating because I feel like I can’t talk to them,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “They won’t even listen. When your two seniors have to sit on the bench — they don’t know they’re seniors. I get it. But those two women didn’t deserve it. And then Caitlin getting a ‘T.’ I don’t know. It’s too bad.”
___
More AP coverage of March Madness: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/clark-tech-foul-count-put-focus-on-officials-in-title-game/ | 2023-04-03 20:09:50 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/clark-tech-foul-count-put-focus-on-officials-in-title-game/ |
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey's state-run news agency puts incumbent President Erdogan solidly ahead with nearly 20% of ballot boxes counted.
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- What happened when a critic of anti-racism ‘ideology’ led DEI at a collegeTabia Lee is on her way out at De Anza College in Cupertino. She says she fell victim to “woke” excesses she was trying to fix. Her critics say her approach was “adversarial and hostile.”By Nanette Asimov | https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/world/article/alert-turkey-s-state-run-news-agency-puts-18098603.php | 2023-05-14 16:22:23 | 1 | https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/world/article/alert-turkey-s-state-run-news-agency-puts-18098603.php |
In Collaboration with the Ad Council, AFSP, The Jed Foundation, Caleb Cares Foundation & USC, New Student-Produced Public Service Advertisement Encourages Young Adults to Check in on Their Friends
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Seize the Awkward campaign released a new public service advertisement (PSA) featuring star quarterback Caleb Williams encouraging young people to check in with their peers and have open conversations about their mental health.
The campaign— from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and The Jed Foundation (JED) in collaboration with the Ad Council —worked with the Caleb Cares Foundation and the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of California (USC) to develop the student-produced video.
In times of crisis, three in four young adults turn to a peer for support. As students across the country return to school and National Suicide Prevention Month begins in September, this new video from Seize the Awkward inspires them to learn the signs and start the conversation with friends about mental health. View the full PSA here.
Starring Caleb Williams, the spot highlights the real experiences of the student-athlete and his fellow students about how talking with friends about their mental health made an impact.
As the first collegiate athlete to participate in the campaign, Williams adds his distinct outlook and experiences to expand the conversation about mental health. The video also incorporates perspectives from several current USC students who drew on their firsthand experiences as they ideated, filmed, directed, and edited the PSA.
"Working with fellow USC students and the Seize the Awkward team on this PSA allowed me to share how important mental health awareness is in my life, especially through my experiences as a student-athlete," said Williams. "I hope everyone sees the importance of supporting your friends and what a huge difference that can make in someone's life."
Williams, who has committed to advocating for mental health and anti-bullying through his foundation, Caleb Cares, also spoke at the live premiere of the PSA yesterday at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. The event included a first look at the PSA and a panel moderated by USC Annenberg Dean Willow Bay. Panelists included Williams; members of the student production team; JED's Director of School Engagement, Erica Riba and the Ad Council's Creators for Good Director, Elena Havas Taylor. Bonus content from the panel will be released on the @SeizeTheAwkward Instagram.
Williams is the latest in a rich history of trusted messengers and celebrities who have lent their voices to share the message of Seize the Awkward since the campaign first launched in January 2018. Billie Eilish, Aminé, Orion Carloto, Lauv, Noah Cyrus and more have all shared their personal stories about how talking with friends about mental health has made an impact.
"All indicators show how needed this campaign and message are during this time. AFSP thanks Caleb Williams and the USC team for creating the video and encouraging young people to continue supporting each other and staying connected. That support for one another will save lives," shared AFSP CEO Robert Gebbia.
"This PSA comes at a very important time, as we know that young people are facing increasing levels of anxiety and depression as they grapple with uncertainty, isolation, and loss resulting from the pandemic, as well as concern about school shootings, incidents of bias and racism, climate change, and loss of reproductive rights and autonomy, among other stressors," said JED CEO John MacPhee. "It is important for young people to hear from their peers that it's OK to open up and talk about their experiences."
For resources and conversation starters to talk with friends about mental health, young adults can visit SeizeTheAwkward.org and follow @SeizeTheAwkward on Instagram.
About The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide, including those who have had a loss. AFSP creates a culture that's smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, with an Advocacy office in Washington, DC, AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report, and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
About The Jed Foundation
JED is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation's teens and young adults. We're partnering with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. We're equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. We're encouraging community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health.
Connect with JED: Email | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn
About the Ad Council
The Ad Council is where creativity and causes converge. The non-profit organization brings together the most creative minds in advertising, media, technology and marketing to address many of the nation's most important causes. The Ad Council has created many of the most iconic campaigns in advertising history. Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk. Smokey Bear. Love Has No Labels.
The Ad Council's innovative social impact campaigns raise awareness, inspire action and save lives. To learn more, visit AdCouncil.org, follow the Ad Council's communities on Facebook and Twitter, and view the creative on YouTube.
About Caleb Cares Foundation
USC quarterback Caleb Williams has always believed deeply in helping the underdog. Through his foundation, he will dedicate energy and resources to focus on eliminating bullying, mental health awareness and youth development. Through different initiatives, events and programs Caleb hopes to help the kids who are suffering because they don't fit in. Fitting in means you're not standing out. Greatness is formed in our differences. What makes you different today will propel you tomorrow.
To learn more, visit CalebCares.org and follow the foundation on Instagram.
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SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/09/07/usc-quarterback-caleb-williams-teams-up-with-national-seize-awkward-campaign-support-young-adults-mental-health/ | 2022-09-07 14:53:37 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/09/07/usc-quarterback-caleb-williams-teams-up-with-national-seize-awkward-campaign-support-young-adults-mental-health/ |
Texas Rangers players ready to shine on All-Star stage
SEATTLE - The first place Texas Rangers will have a franchise-record six players in Tuesday night's All-Star Game in Seattle.
The Rangers will have 5 of the AL team's starters, second baseman Marcus Semien, shortstop Corey Seager, third baseman Josh Jung, catcher Jonah Heim and outfielder Adolis Garcia.
Pitcher Nathan Eovaldi was also named to the team.
It is the first time in 47 years that a single team has 5 All-Star starters.
The Rangers tied the 1939 Yankees and the 1956, 1957 and 1976 Cincinnati Reds.
READ MORE: Rangers take Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford with No. 4 pick in MLB Draft
The Texas players say it is an honor to represent their team, especially together.
"Any time you can make one it’s very special, but to be able to share it with a bunch of your teammates, it’s really cool," said Seagar.
"I got some really good guys around me," said Jung, a rookie starting in his first All-Star Game. "[You] don’t have as much pressure when you have Corey Seager and Marcus Semien next to you, so just go out there and have fun truly."
The All-Star break comes at a good time for the Rangers, who have lost 18 of their last 30 games.
Next year's All-Star Game will be held in Arlington at Globe Life Field.
READ MORE: 2023 MLB All-Star Game: Everything you need to know
Coverage of this year's All-Star Game will start during the 5 p.m. news on FOX 4.
Pregame starts at 6 p.m., with first pitch at 7 p.m.
FOX 4 News at 6 will be available to stream on FOX4News.com and the FOX LOCAL app. | https://www.fox4news.com/news/texas-rangers-all-star-game-2023 | 2023-07-11 14:59:58 | 0 | https://www.fox4news.com/news/texas-rangers-all-star-game-2023 |
DUNEDIN, Fla. (WFLA) — A Dunedin man was arrested on Wednesday following a crash with a Pinellas County deputy.
The crash happened at 9:07 p.m. on Alt. US-19 near Cedar Street, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said Deputy Schiebner was heading north when Edward Parsons, 70, pulled out in front of him. Dashboard camera footage showed the front of the patrol car striking the driver’s side of Parsons’ Honda Accord.
Schiebner received minor injuries in the crash and Parsons’ injuries were non life-threatening. Parsons allegedly showed signs of impairment at the site of the crash, according to the sheriff’s office.
Parsons was arrested and booked into the Pinellas County Jail on charges of DUI with property damage, failure to obtain a Florida drivers license, and failure to register a vehicle in Florida. | https://www.wfla.com/news/pinellas-county/video-dunedin-drunk-driver-arrested-after-crashing-into-deputy-pcso-says/ | 2023-07-13 22:11:03 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/news/pinellas-county/video-dunedin-drunk-driver-arrested-after-crashing-into-deputy-pcso-says/ |
KHERSON, Ukraine (AP) — Exclusive drone footage of the collapsed Ukrainian dam and surrounding villages under Russian occupation show the ruined structure falling into the flooded river and hundreds of submerged homes, greenhouses and even a church — and no sign of life.
An Associated Press team flew a drone over the devastation on Wednesday, a day after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam on the Dnieper River. The buildings that remain visible above the rushing waters did not show damage typical of a bomb dropped from above, such as scorch marks or shrapnel scars.
Russia accused Ukraine of bombarding the structure, which was under Moscow's control, while Ukraine alleged that Russia blew it up from within.
The collapse of the dam in an area that Moscow has controlled for over a year and the emptying of its reservoir has irrevocably changed the landscape downstream, and shifted the dynamic of the 15-month-old war.
In the images captured by the AP, most of the dam was submerged by the rushing water. Two nearby villages under occupation, Dnipryany and Korsunka, were also underwater up to the rooftops of homes and a bright blue church.
The rounded shape of dozens of greenhouses was visible over the waterline. The images were devoid of people, but AP journalists could hear the screaming howls of dogs trapped by the flooding.
The nearby town of Nova Kakhovka, also under occupation, was less touched by the flooding but equally devoid of people and animals. Its Ferris wheel was stopped and water lapped up a main street.
Ukraine has warned since last October that the hydroelectric dam was mined by Russian forces, and accused them of touching off an explosion that has turned the downstream areas into a waterlogged wasteland. Russia said Ukraine hit the dam with a missile. Experts have said the structure was in disrepair, which could also have led to its collapse.
There were no signs typical of a missile attack in the few remaining buildings.
The Dnieper River forms part of the front line in the war, and many people had already fled the area because of the fighting. Ukraine holds the western bank, while Russia controls the low-lying eastern side, which is more vulnerable to flooding.
Anna Lodygina, a Nova Kakhovka resident who fled last autumn, said the flooding has paralyzed the occupied town, with markets closed, and limited electricity and mobile reception. The Russian soldiers occupying her family home, just 500 meters (yards) from the river, fled after the dam collapsed and neighbors have told her water now reaches the upper floor of the two-story building.
Friends and neighbors told her the Russians pulled out themselves, but extended no help to residents, so people took matters into their own hands, finding shelter a neighborhood farther from the river.
According to Lodygina, the historic part of the city is submerged. “Its state now is unknown,” she said.
On the Ukrainian-controlled side, a Red Cross worker fielded calls from people begging for rescue from the other bank but could do little for them.
“Our telephone is burning up from calls and our phone number is not well known. Just yesterday we got at least 30 calls from occupied territories,” said Mykola Tarenenko, chief of the Kherson Red Cross quick response team. “People are asking us to evacuate them because no evacuation was organized.”
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Credit: AP | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/ap-exclusive-drone-images-of-collapsed-dam-show-ruined-structure-devastation-and-no-signs-of-life/LPHSVL4MPZA7ZJ6HW4LRNK5WMU/ | 2023-06-08 11:41:28 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/ap-exclusive-drone-images-of-collapsed-dam-show-ruined-structure-devastation-and-no-signs-of-life/LPHSVL4MPZA7ZJ6HW4LRNK5WMU/ |
There have been nearly two weeks of shelling around a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin said that Russia will allow international inspectors to enter the plant.
Copyright 2022 NPR
There have been nearly two weeks of shelling around a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin said that Russia will allow international inspectors to enter the plant.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.nprillinois.org/2022-08-19/russia-will-let-inspectors-enter-occupied-ukrainian-nuclear-power-plant-putin-says | 2022-08-19 22:16:09 | 0 | https://www.nprillinois.org/2022-08-19/russia-will-let-inspectors-enter-occupied-ukrainian-nuclear-power-plant-putin-says |
FRESNO, Calif. – For decades, worshipping in temples, Ram Asra has sung spiritual songs known as kirtans.
He did so on a recent Sunday at the Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha in Fresno, California, seated cross-legged on a dais in the temple’s prayer hall playing a harmonium. Devotees closed their eyes and swayed to the calming melody.
But not all of Asra’s experiences in sacred spaces have been so sublime. He is a member of the former untouchable caste in India, and recounted a time when he was pulled aside at another U.S. temple and told not to enter the kitchen.
“I felt so disrespected,” he said.
Asra feels much more secure at the Fresno Ravidassia temple. Congregants follow Guru Ravidass, a 14th century Indian teacher who also belonged to the former untouchable caste whose members are also known as Dalit, which means “broken” in Hindi.
Several congregants, who say equality is at the heart of their faith, are now championing a bill which aims to outlaw caste discrimination in California. Caste is a division of people based on birth and descent.
If the legislation passes, California will become the first state to add caste to its nondiscrimination laws. In February, Seattle became the first U.S. city to pass a similar law.
There are about 20,000 members of the Ravidassia community in California’s Central Valley — a vast majority of them with roots in Punjab in northwestern India. There are five Ravidassia temples in California alone — in Fresno, Pittsburg, Rio Linda, Selma and Yuba City — with a sixth under construction in Union City.
Signs supporting the bill grace the walls of the Fresno temple. Annihilating caste is intrinsic to the Ravidassia ethos, said Amar Daroch, president of the Fresno temple. He said Guru Ravidass envisioned a classless, casteless utopia he called “Begampura,” which means “a land without sorrow” in Hindi.
“Our goal is to create Begampura right here,” he said.
The legislation has been met with strong opposition from groups who say it will lead to discrimination against Hindu Americans and those of Indian descent. Several Dalits have also spoken against it, saying they do not wish to be burdened with a caste identity that they feel is irrelevant in this country.
But many in the Ravidassia community believe this law would bring attention to a problem they say does affect their lives.
In California, members of the Ravidassia community come from Hindu, Indigenous and Sikh backgrounds. Their temples have the appearance and feel of a Sikh gurdwara, with the sacred text, the Guru Granth Sahib, installed as the focal point in the main prayer hall. The text includes 40 verses of Guru Ravidass, in addition to other spiritual leaders.
Ravidassia religious practices vary from Sikhism. However, many in the community do identify themselves as Sikh and have much in common with the Sikh community including dress, food, language and other customs.
The principle of equality also forms the basis of Sikh theology, said Opinderjit Kaur Takhar, associate professor of Sikh Studies at the University of Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom, a city that has a sizeable Punjabi population including a large Ravidassia community. Takhar said the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, the most significant shrine in Sikhism, was designed with four doors, sending the message that “everyone from all walks of life, all corners of the world and all castes are welcome to come in and be together.”
She mentioned the importance of a post-worship community meal known as langar, saying its purpose “is to sit down as equals and share food with everyone regardless of caste, which used to be taboo."
Vinod Kumar Chumber, chairman of the Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha in Union City, California, said those teachings on equality have not translated into reality in the U.S. and beyond. In Punjab, Chumber said each village has gurdwaras led by dominant-caste members and those run by Dalits.
“Things are improving, but people are still not being treated equally,” he said, adding that members of his community are rarely found in leadership positions at mainstream U.S. Sikh temples. “We figured it was best for us to have our own places of worship where we can freely practice our customs and celebrate our festivals.”
Members of the Fresno Ravidassia community say fighting for equality is part of their history and their spiritual DNA, which has motivated them to come forward with their stories despite the potential repercussions of being exposed to the larger community as “lower-caste.” Community members say they still experience discriminatory treatment from people who share otherwise share everything from culture and food to language and national origin.
Harbhans Singh said his friend opened a grocery store in a largely South Asian neighborhood in Central California that did well in the beginning, but “his business flopped” once customers learned his caste.
“He had to shut down his business,” he said. “How can this still happen in the United States?”
Harblas Singh, who worked at a poultry plant near Fresno, said his Punjabi colleagues refused to sit with him at lunch after learning he was Dalit.
“I came to this country hoping that I can break away from the chains of caste,” he said. “But it seems as if we cannot accomplish that as human beings. We need the law to do that for us.”
Rajinder Ganger, who used to run a trucking company in Selma, said one of his upper-caste drivers quit after learning Ganger’s caste identity.
“He said his relatives were berating him for working with me,” he said.
Rajinder Kumar, whose family operates a business in Bakersfield, said the answer to caste bias is education and an enforceable anti-discrimination law that names caste as a protected category. He says categories such as “ethnicity” or “national origin” will still not cover the type of discrimination he and the others in the Ravidassia community frequently face.
“Whether you are a cashier, a business owner, a professor, or a doctor — in 2023 — you are still an untouchable,” he said. “When does that stop? How much money do you have to make? How many degrees do you have to get to make it stop?”
After the recent Sunday worship at the Fresno temple, Kumar took the microphone in the prayer hall, urging members to speak up for the caste bill. Footage of community members testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee looped on a screen behind him.
During the April hearing, elderly community members who couldn’t speak English showed up, and made their views known to the committee with a simple “vote yes.” Kumar said such courage is no longer an option but an imperative for the community.
“There is no need to hide,” Kumar said. “We have hundreds of stories to share. We all need to come forward and make our voices heard.”
The caste bill has given members of the larger Sikh community an opportunity to show solidarity with the Ravidassia community and to uphold the tenets of their faith, said Kashmir Singh Shahi with the Gurdwara Sahib in Fremont, a Sikh congregation. He said his temple is diverse and free from discrimination and stereotyping.
“That’s the way it should be,” he said, adding that while caste discrimination may be “less prevalent” in the United States, some still suffer because of it and that alone justifies the need for such a law.
Gurbachan Singh, a community elder in Fresno who has founded several Ravidass temples, said he would like to see people start having those conversations, challenging as they may be.
“If we don’t go to the other gurdwaras, talk to them and speak the truth, that’s on us,” he said. “I hope to see a day when all our temples stand together on the foundation of truth.”
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. | https://www.wsls.com/news/national/2023/05/29/casteless-utopia-california-religious-group-backs-bill-to-ban-caste-discrimination/ | 2023-05-29 13:05:03 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/national/2023/05/29/casteless-utopia-california-religious-group-backs-bill-to-ban-caste-discrimination/ |
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norway's justice minister apologized Wednesday for having failed to admit, when quizzed in Parliament, that she had installed and used TikTok on her government-issued phone.
The popular video-sharing app is Chinese owned, which has raised fears in the West that Beijing could use it to scoop up user data or push pro-China narratives or misinformation.
Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl, 29, told lawmakers Wednesday that she had installed TikTok on her government phone for about a month last fall and has since deleted it. Questioned by opposition lawmakers in the past, she had dodged the issue citing “security reasons.”
“I could have been open about this earlier,” Enger Mehl said Wednesday. “I am sorry that the matter has developed in that way. ... I see in retrospect that I should have been open about the fact that I had TikTok on a (government) phone earlier.”
The matter arose in September, when Norway's Dagbladet newspaper reported that Enger Mehl's TikTok postings included photos and videos from her official duties. That sparked concern that sensitive information and government activity could have reached Chinese authorities.
In a television interview on Feb. 1, Enger Mehl admitted having installed TikTok on her government phone — three months after she was asked about it for the first time. She claimed that she had consulted with her ministry before the installation.
Erna Solberg, a former prime minister now in opposition, said it was “stupid that a justice minister, who’s responsible for security laws, has installed TikTok on her work phone.” During her eight-year tenure, Solberg advised government officials against TikTok on work phones.
TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020. Several U.S. states have moved to ban the video-sharing app from state-issued devices for government workers. | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/politics/article/norwegian-minister-apologizes-over-tiktok-on-her-17771937.php | 2023-02-08 19:54:52 | 0 | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/politics/article/norwegian-minister-apologizes-over-tiktok-on-her-17771937.php |
George W. Bush part of MLB’s 9/11 anniversary tribute
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Former President George W. Bush took part in a first ball ceremony in Texas, Aaron Judge put on special cleats at Yankee Stadium and the New York Mets wore first responder caps as Major League Baseball paused Sunday to remember the Sept. 11 attacks.
There were moments of silence, remembrances and tributes at ballparks all across America on the 21st anniversary of 9/11.
“It’s a moment in our country’s history. We all have certain things we remember, where we were when it happened and how we felt. So many people involved, so it’s a chance to honor those people today. Realizing the people and families that were affected by this that are still feeling the pain from it,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said before a game in Miami.
Bush, who was president on the day of the attacks, was at Globe Life Field as the Rangers played Toronto. He joined Jimmy Pollozani, a police officer in nearby Fort Worth, and Pollozani’s 13-year-old daughter, Andita, in the ceremony.
They represented police officers, firefighters and first responders across the state. Andita threw the pitch to Rocky Wolfe, a firefighter from the central Texas city of Killeen.
Bush famously delivered a perfect strike before Game 3 of the 2001 World Series at Yankee Stadium between the Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks weeks after New York City’s twin towers fell.
There was a moment of silence before the Blue Jays and Rangers played. During the Canadian and U.S. national anthems, Bush stood between Texas interim manager Tony Beasley and first base coach Corey Ragsdale in front of the home dugout.
Bush delivered the ball to Andita and gave her a hug and a word of advice before she threw from just in front of the mound. Afterward, Bush gave a fist bump to her father before they left the field.
Bush received rousing applause when he was announced. As he headed toward the Rangers’ dugout afterward, some fans chanted, “USA! USA!”
All Rangers and Blue Jays personnel in uniform wore a special Patriot Day patch on their caps. Special lineup cards and base jewels were used.
Bush was part of the investment group that owned the Rangers from April 1989 until June 1998 and remains involved with the club. He and wife Laura have lived in Dallas since he left the White House in January 2009.
At Yankee Stadium as New York played Tampa Bay, Judge wore cleats marking the day. His left cleat had “9/11 Patriot Day” on the back and the right one had “9-11-01.”
The Yankees wore hats in tribute of 9/11 responders rather than their interlocking NY.
Starter Domingo Germán’s cap said NYPD and there was a mix of FDNY. He sprinted to the bullpen to warm up holding an American flag in his right hand, drawing cheers from a crowd that had been sitting through a rain delay.
Manager Aaron Boone placed a wreath at the monument in Monument Park that was dedicated on the first anniversary of the attacks.
Yankee Stadium public address announcer Paul Olden began a brief pregame ceremony by calling the attacks “an unsuccessful attempt to break the spirit of our great nation.”
Firefighter Regina Wilson sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” after the Port Authority Honor Guard presented the colors.
The Mets wore caps with insignias representing New York first responder departments. Featured were the city’s police and fire departments as well as Port Authority Police and departments of sanitation and correction.
Anthony Varvaro, a former big league pitcher who retired in 2016 to become Port Authority police officer, was killed in a car accident Sunday morning in New Jersey on his way to work at the Sept. 11 memorial ceremony in Manhattan.
Varvaro, 37, was born in Staten Island and played at St. John’s before becoming a reliever for Seattle, Atlanta and Boston from 2010-15.
“We are deeply saddened on the passing of former Braves pitcher Anthony Varvaro,” the Braves said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and colleagues.”
___
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Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kwch.com/2022/09/11/george-w-bush-part-mlbs-911-anniversary-tribute/ | 2022-09-11 23:29:49 | 0 | https://www.kwch.com/2022/09/11/george-w-bush-part-mlbs-911-anniversary-tribute/ |
SANTA CLARITA, Calif., July 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Princess Prizes – a first-of-its-kind experience that turns every stateroom entry into a chance to win a variety of prizes, including $100,000 in cash – is rolling out across the Princess Cruises fleet following a highly successful pilot on Caribbean Princess.
The way Princess Prizes works is simple - every time an adult guest accesses their stateroom using their Medallion, they have the chance to win a prize including shipboard credits, wine tastings, Chef's Table dinners and even free cruises for two for the next decade. Additionally, guests can enter an end-of-cruise drawing awarding at least $5,000 every voyage.
"Princess Prizes takes our guests' MedallionClass experience to the next level, providing them with a fun way to win prizes simply by entering their stateroom," said Princess President John Padgett. "At Princess, we're always aiming to provide our guests with unique experiences they can't have anywhere else and Princess Prizes is just the latest example of how we can leverage MedallionClass technology in new and exciting ways."
Princess Prizes was introduced on Majestic Princess and Discovery Princess in Alaska this past weekend with an additional 10 ships coming online between now and the end of the month. The rollout schedule is as follows:
- Grand Princess – July 6
- Crown Princess, Royal Princess, Ruby Princess – July 9
- Regal Princess – July 16
- Emerald Princess – July 20
- Enchanted Princess – July 22
- Sky Princess – July 23
- Coral Princess, Island Princess – July 29
Princess Prizes is part of the recently launched Princess Premier, the line's premium add-on that includes unlimited WiFi for four devices, a top-shelf beverage package, specialty dining, photos, and daily crew appreciation at one all-inclusive price.
Princess Prizes also takes full advantage of Princess' exclusive MedallionClass experience which begins with the Medallion™ wearable, a quarter-sized, device that enables everything from expedited contactless boarding to locating loved ones anywhere on the ship, as well as enhanced service like having whatever guests need, delivered directly to them, wherever they are on the ship.
More information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel advisor, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237), or by visiting the company's website at www.princess.com.
About Princess Cruises
One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is the world's leading international premium cruise line and tour company operating a fleet of 15 modern cruise ships, carrying millions of guests each year to 330 destinations around the globe, including the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Europe, South America, Australia/New Zealand, the South Pacific, Hawaii, Asia, Canada/New England, Antarctica, and World Cruises. A team of professional destination experts have curated 170 itineraries, ranging in length from three to 111 days and Princess Cruises is continuously recognized as "Best Cruise Line for Itineraries." In 2017 Princess Cruises, with parent company Carnival Corporation, introduced MedallionClass Vacations enabled by the Medallion device, the vacation industry's most advanced wearable device, provided free to each guest sailing on a MedallionClass ship. The award-winning innovation offers the fastest way to an effortless personalized vacation, giving guests more time to do the things they love most. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK).
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SOURCE Princess Cruises | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/07/05/innovative-new-stateroom-entry-experience-princess-prizes-rolling-out-fleetwide-offering-guests-chance-win-host-prizes-including-100000-cash/ | 2022-07-05 18:40:52 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/07/05/innovative-new-stateroom-entry-experience-princess-prizes-rolling-out-fleetwide-offering-guests-chance-win-host-prizes-including-100000-cash/ |
Is your turkey still sitting in the freezer? Depending on its size, it’s likely too late to thaw in the refrigerator.
If you forgot to thaw, or did so too late, do not worry. Here are some helpful tips from the USDA for thawing a turkey.
According to the USDA, after placing the turkey in a water-tight bag, submerge the wrapped turkey in cold tap water. Then, change the water every 30 minutes until thawed.
Here is how long it takes to thaw a turkey using water.:
- 4 to 12 pounds — 2 to 6 hours
- 12 to 16 pounds — 6 to 8 hours
- 16 to 20 pounds — 8 to 10 hours
- 20 to 24 pounds — 10 to 12 hours
Once a turkey is thawed, the USDA says that a turkey must be cooked within one to two days before becoming contaminated.
Perhaps you'll be enjoying your turkey later in the weekend.
Here is a general rule of thumb on when to move your turkey from the freezer to the refrigerator, according to the USDA:
- 4 to 12 pounds — 1 to 3 days
- 12 to 16 pounds — 3 to 4 days
- 16 to 20 pounds — 4 to 5 days
- 20 to 24 pounds —5 to 6 days | https://www.wptv.com/news/national/i-left-my-turkey-in-the-freezer-too-long-can-i-still-thaw-it | 2022-11-22 15:44:35 | 0 | https://www.wptv.com/news/national/i-left-my-turkey-in-the-freezer-too-long-can-i-still-thaw-it |
NEW YORK, Oct. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ford Models, Inc. is proud to announce the launch of FMDC3 (Ford Models Digital Community 3.0), to unlock new and unique experiences for communities passionate about fashion, beauty, wellness, art, and culture.
FMDC3's vision is to build global, enhanced digital communities that provide access to unique, MBC ("money-can't-buy") experiences and opportunities. Our members will be able to access top-notch live and virtual events around the world, tailored and curated for their enjoyment. Additionally, our members will have access to exclusive content and intellectual property from Ford Models and other products and services, along with opportunities for support and collaboration.
During Ford Models' 75 years of history, the Company has always been a pioneer of the industry. Decio Restelli Ribeiro, President of Ford Models, Inc., witnessed many of these visionary changes through his long history of collaboration with the founders and past leaders of Ford Models, Eileen, Jerry and Katie Ford.
"In 2020, we created a truly global talent management platform and expanded our talent portfolio to include creators and change makers. That was Ford Models 1.0 to Ford Models 2.0. Today, we are expanding that vision to create Ford Models 3.0 – with the focus on global digital communities because fashion, beauty, wellness, art, and culture transcend boundaries".
In collaboration with Snowbell Labs, we are connecting technology innovations like web3.0 to create a more accessible, transparent, and participatory environment. The ideals of beauty themselves have broadened to be more inclusive. As content becomes democratized in its creation and dissemination, we believe that our community should be more involved in all aspects of our evolution.
FMDC3 will be launching the Ford First Access 2022-23 digital membership in an invite-only private sale in October, with a public sale scheduled for early November. Please refer to fmdc3.com for more information about the program.
In celebration, FMDC3 is hosting the first official Ford Models Digital Community 3.0 Halloween Launch Event on the evening of Friday, October 28, 2022 at The Top of the Standard, Highline (NYC). Community members and other contributors will be offered complimentary first priority access and press will be in attendance.
Founded in 1947 by its namesakes, Eileen and Jerry Ford, Ford Models pioneered a new kind of global industry based on beauty. Starting out of their New York City home, Eileen and Jerry established a company and brand that launched and defined the modeling industry; as the agency renowned for innovating model management, Ford Models is the most recognized and respected name in the history of modeling. Today, Ford Models is at the forefront of the cultural conversation, representing fashion talent around the world, operating where culture meets creativity. With its main headquarters located in New York City, and with offices in Paris, São Paulo, Los Angeles, Miami, and Chicago, Ford Models continues to innovate and influence the industries of modeling and fashion.
Snowbell Labs is a holistic technology and service platform for creating and supporting engaged digital communities. Snowbell Labs works with brand partners in all aspects of EDC ("Engaged Digital Community") development, including: community strategy, marketing plans, websites, smart contracts, minting infrastructure, secure storage, payment integration, and data support.
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SOURCE FORD MODELS | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/10/14/ford-models-inc-unveils-fmdc3-membership-program/ | 2022-10-14 22:42:34 | 1 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/10/14/ford-models-inc-unveils-fmdc3-membership-program/ |
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The prominent sports and merchandise retailer, Rally House, recently debuted its first store in the Omaha market. The company is now pleased to announce its second location in the area - Rally House Metro Crossing. This new store is in Council Bluffs, IA, giving all the fans east of the state line a broad selection of sports apparel and localized merch from the industry's top brand names.
Rally House is always eager to expand in new markets, as it allows more fans to express their love for sports and their hometown with stand-out merch the company offers. "It's amazing to see a new Rally House store land near Omaha," describes District Manager Hanna Wilson. "Now, we get to work with even more incredible people in the area and show them why they can always count on us for a fun shopping experience and an extraordinary assortment of products!"
Shopping at Rally House Metro Crossing means customers have access to some of the best brands available, including well-known names such as Mitchell & Ness, New Era, '47, and Nike. This new location also carries a diverse collection of college and pro teams, offering merchandise for favorites like the Iowa Hawkeyes, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Iowa State Cyclones, Creighton Bluejays, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, and others.
To assist residents and visitors boast their support for the area, this Rally House store offers stylish local apparel, accessories, and gifts. Patrons will especially appreciate the available RALLY Brand™ products featuring unique designs inspired by this great city and state.
Rally House Metro Crossing provides excellent customer service to ensure visitors always have an enjoyable time at the store. Customers can also browse a variety of products online at www.rallyhouse.com, with shipping options to any state.
Store updates and news can be located at www.rallyhouse.com/rally-house-metro-crossing or by following Rally House Metro Crossing on Facebook (@RallyMetroCrossing) and Instagram (@rallymetrocrossing).
About Rally House
Rally House and Sampler Stores Inc. is a family-owned specialty boutique that offers a large selection of apparel, hats, gifts and home décor representing local NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS teams in addition to locally inspired apparel, gifts and food. Proudly based in Lenexa, Kansas, Rally House operates 100+ locations across 13 states.
CONTACT:
Hanna Wilson, District Manager
hwilson@rallyhouse.com
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SOURCE Rally House | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2022/07/29/second-rally-house-store-opens-omaha-market/ | 2022-07-29 20:57:24 | 0 | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2022/07/29/second-rally-house-store-opens-omaha-market/ |
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MOSCOW (AP) — Towering clouds of ash and glowing lava are spewing from two volcanoes on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula and scientists say major eruptions could be on the way.
The peninsula, which extends into the Pacific Ocean about 6,600 kilometers (4,000 miles) east of Moscow, is one of the world's most concentrated areas of geothermal activity, with about 30 active volcanoes.
The sudden new activity followed a strong earthquake on Saturday, news reports said.
The Russian Academy of Sciences' vulcanology institute said that at Klyuchevskaya Sopka, which at 4,754 meters (nearly 16,000 feet) is Eurasia's tallest active volcano, as many as 10 explosions an hour were being recorded.
Lava flows and ash emissions also are coming from the Shiveluch volcano, the institute said.
Kamchatka is sparsely populated. The town of Klyuchi, with about 5,000 people, lies between the two volcanoes, 30-50 kilometers (20-30 miles) from each.
The volcanoes are about 450 kilometers (270 miles) from the peninsula's only major city, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. | https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/2-volcanoes-rumble-into-action-in-Russia-s-far-17598839.php | 2022-11-20 12:49:54 | 1 | https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/2-volcanoes-rumble-into-action-in-Russia-s-far-17598839.php |
DEERFIELD, Ill., Dec. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TerSera Therapeutics announced today a new sponsorship with the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation (CCF) and Alira Health to expand and optimize a holistic patient journey digital platform for patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors and Carcinoid Syndrome.
Carcinoid syndrome (CS) is a rare condition that occurs in patients living with metastatic neuroendocrine tumors (mNETs) and is characterized by frequent and debilitating diarrhea that often prevents patients from leading active, predictable lives. Other symptoms of CS include facial flushing, abdominal pain, fatigue and, over time, for some people, heart valve damage.1-3
To support patients in coping with the impact NETs have on their quality of life and collaborate with their care team on treatment decisions, Alira Health and the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation have collaborated since 2015 to build "NET Cancer Health Storylines," a customized version of the Health Storylines™ app that makes it easy for patients to record their symptoms, nutritional concerns, moods, medication and more. The NET Health Storylines app provides patients with resources developed by NET experts. Specific tools include a Stool Diary, NET Nutrition tool, Medication tracker, and additional educational resources. The app is available for download at the NET Cancer Health Storylines website or through the Apple App Store or Google Play.
"We are grateful for this support from TerSera to continue to enhance the NET Health Storylines platform to distribute meaningful educational content to NETs patients. The resources available through this platform are important tools in supporting NET patients throughout their journey," said Keith Warner, Chief Executive Officer of the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation.
TerSera Therapeutics is the manufacturer of Xermelo (telotristat ethyl), the only oral medication approved for the treatment of carcinoid syndrome diarrhea (CSD), in combination with somatostatin analog (SSA) therapy.4
"Collaborating with CCF and the NET Cancer Health Storylines platform is a fantastic opportunity for us to support patients with Carcinoid Syndrome Diarrhea beyond our existing clinical nurse educator program. We are also looking forward to learning from patients how we can continue to support them better on their journey," said Pamela Gaytan, Executive Director, Clinical Nurse Educators and Patient Advocacy of TerSera Therapeutics.
Carcinoid syndrome (CS) is a rare condition which affects approximately 1 out of every 5 patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs).5 In CS, patients have NETs that overproduce certain hormones such as serotonin, bradykinin, and histamine.1 One key hormone that is overproduced in CS is serotonin. Elevated serotonin levels in patients with CS can cause carcinoid syndrome diarrhea (CSD) which is characterized by increased motility in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and reduced absorption of water and nutrients.2 Patients with CSD can experience multiple, urgent, loose and watery stools several times a day. CSD can have a prominent effect on patients' quality of life. Patients with CSD may avoid social activities and have increased fatigue, anxiety, and weight loss.2,3
Xermelo is the first and only approved oral therapy for CSD.4 Xermelo targets tryptophan hydroxylase, an enzyme that mediates the excess serotonin production within metastatic neuroendocrine tumor (mNET) cells, providing an additional treatment option for patients suffering from CSD. Xermelo is approved in the United States, the European Union, and certain additional countries for the treatment of CSD in combination with somatostatin analog (SSA) therapy in adults inadequately controlled by SSA therapy.
Patients and healthcare professionals with questions about Xermelo should call 1-844-334-4035 or visit www.Xermelo.com.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION ABOUT XERMELO:
Indication
Xermelo is a tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of carcinoid syndrome diarrhea in combination with somatostatin analog (SSA) therapy in adults inadequately controlled by SSA therapy.
Contraindications: XERMELO is contraindicated in patients with a history of a hypersensitivity reaction to telotristat. Reactions have included angioedema, rash and pruritis.
Warnings and Precautions: XERMELO may cause constipation, which can be serious. Serious complications of constipation have been reported during clinical trials and post marketing with individual reports of intestinal perforation, obstruction, and fecaloma. Monitor for signs and symptoms of constipation and/or severe, persistent, or worsening abdominal pain in patients taking XERMELO. Discontinue XERMELO if severe constipation or severe, persistent, or worsening abdominal pain develops.
Adverse Reactions: In a clinical trial of patients with carcinoid syndrome diarrhea and 4-12 bowel movements per day, the most common adverse reactions (≥5%) include nausea, headache, increased gamma-glutamyl transferase, depression, flatulence, decreased appetite, peripheral edema, and pyrexia. In a second clinical trial of patients with carcinoid syndrome diarrhea and less than 4 bowel movements per day, additional adverse reactions of abdominal pain and constipation were reported in ≥5% of patients.
Drug Interactions: If necessary, consider increasing the dose of concomitant CYP3A4 and CYP2B6 substrates, as XERMELO may decrease their systemic exposure. If combination treatment with XERMELO and short-acting octreotide is needed, administer short-acting octreotide at least 30 minutes after administering XERMELO.
Use in Special Populations: Xermelo is not recommended in patients with moderate and severe hepatic impairment.
For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information for Xermelo.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. You can also contact TerSera Therapeutics at 1-844-334-4035 or medicalinformation@tersera.com.
TerSera Therapeutics acquires, develops, and markets specialty pharmaceutical products with a focus on oncology and non-opioid pain. Its mission is to provide products which truly make a difference for patients. For more information about TerSera Therapeutics, please visit www.tersera.com.
The Carcinoid Cancer Foundation is the oldest nonprofit carcinoid and neuroendocrine cancer organization in the United States, founded in 1968. The mission of the foundation is to increase awareness and educate the general public and healthcare professionals regarding neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), to support NET cancer patients and their families, and to serve as patient advocates. Visit the CCF website for more information, www.carcinoid.org.
Alira Health is a global healthcare firm whose mission is to humanize healthcare and life sciences in partnership with patients. From development to medical care, we complement the expertise of our Pharma, Biotech, and MedTech clients with a full spectrum of services across their entire solutions lifecycle, including clinical operations, real-world evidence, and patient-centric technology offerings. Our integrated and multidisciplinary team of over 600 scientists, strategists, economists, clinicians, and biostatisticians collaborate across our North American, European, and Asian offices and advise 80% of the top 50 MedTech companies and 75% of the top 50 Pharma companies. More information may be obtained at www.alirahealth.com.
Media Contacts:
References:
- Clement D, Ramage J, Srirajaskanthan R. Update on Pathophysiology, Treatment, and Complications of Carcinoid Syndrome. J Oncol. 2020 Jan 21;2020:8341426.
- Naraev BG, Halland M, Halperin DM, et al. Management of Diarrhea in Patients With Carcinoid Syndrome. Pancreas. 2019 Sep;48(8):961-972.
- Anthony L, Ervin C, Lapuerta P, Kulke MH, Kunz P, Bergsland E, Hörsch D, Metz DC, Pasieka J, Pavlakis N, Pavel M, Caplin M, et al. Understanding the Patient Experience with Carcinoid Syndrome: Exit Interviews from a Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study of Telotristat Ethyl. Clin Ther. 2017 Nov;39(11):2158-2168.
- XERMELO® (telotristat ethyl) Prescribing Information. TerSera Therapeutics LLC.
- Halperin DM, Shen C, Dasari A, Xu Y, et al. Frequency of carcinoid syndrome at neuroendocrine tumour diagnosis: a population-based study. Lancet Oncol. 2017 Apr;18(4):525-534.
Xermelo® is a registered trademark of TerSera Therapeutics LLC or its affiliates.
©2022 TerSera Therapeutics LLC. All rights reserved.
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SOURCE TerSera Therapeutics LLC | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/12/07/tersera-sponsor-net-cancer-health-storylines-digital-platform-support-patients-suffering-carcinoid-syndrome-diarrhea/ | 2022-12-07 14:48:40 | 0 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/12/07/tersera-sponsor-net-cancer-health-storylines-digital-platform-support-patients-suffering-carcinoid-syndrome-diarrhea/ |
UPDATE: U.S. Marshals search for man in relation to Beartown Murder
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (WVVA) - The U.S. Marshals and Crime Stoppers of West Virginia are searching for Kenneth Alan Stout, 62, of West Virginia, in connection to the first-degree murder of Barbara Baker, 54.
Baker’s body was found on April 1 in a vehicle on Beartown Branch Road in McDowell County. Baker is from the Jolo area and worked at a local convenience store. According to law enforcement, Baker and Stout were previously in a “domestic relationship.”
Stout also has a criminal record. He was previously arrested for domestic violence charges.
“Stout is known by local law enforcement to be considered dangerous,” James Muncy, McDowell County Sheriff said at a press conference at the United States in Charleston, West Virginia. “He has made threats that he will not go back to jail. This case is still fluid and any assistance the public can provide will be greatly appreciated.”
On Friday, Michael Baylous, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of West Virginia said they will not stop until Stout is apprehended.
“The United States Marshal Service has made this a major case, therefore it’s a priority and Mr. Stout, if you’re out there, we will find you.”
Baylous and Muncy say they cannot know for sure if Stout is armed but that he should be considered so at all times. He was last seen in the area of Dillion County, South Carolina, on Interstate 95 North and is believed to frequent Jacksonville, Florida; Bristol, Tennessee; and the Kingsland, Georgia area.
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Stout is described as a white man, 5′7″ and weighing approximately 160 pounds. He has black hair, though he is mostly bald, and brown eyes. His right arm and hand are noticeably scarred.
The U.S. Marshals and Crime Stoppers of West Virginia are offering a reward up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of Stout.
Anyone with information on Stout’s current location is urged to contact the U.S. Marshals Service at 1-877-WANTED-2 or the USMS Southern District of West Virginia at (304) 347-5136. Tips may be submitted via the USMS Tips App. Tips can also be emailed to the CUFFED Task Force Tip Hotline at USMS88TIPS@usdoj.gov, or tips can be submitted at www.crimestopperswv.com. Your information will be taken in strict confidence. Your anonymity is guaranteed.
Copyright 2023 WVVA. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/04/28/update-us-marshals-search-man-relation-beartown-murder/ | 2023-04-28 23:42:31 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/04/28/update-us-marshals-search-man-relation-beartown-murder/ |
BEIJING, Sept. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A forum promoting cultural exchanges between China and Argentina was held in Beijing on Wednesday with senior officials from both countries pledging to advance the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind.
The China-Argentina High-Level Forum on Cultural Exchanges comes as the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Both Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Argentine counterpart Alberto Fernandez sent congratulatory letters to the forum.
For half a century, China-Argentina relations have endured tests posed by the changing international environment, exemplifying the unity and mutual development between developing countries and emerging economies, Xi said in his letter.
Noting the comprehensive and rapid development of bilateral ties reflects the vitality of China-Latin America relations, Xi voiced the hope that participants of the forum will pool their wisdom and build a consensus to help write a new chapter in the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership and contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for China and Latin America and mankind in the new era.
Fernandez said the much accomplished media cooperation between the two countries has raised mutual understanding between the two peoples, and he looks forward to the deepening of bilateral cooperation so as to further strengthen the China-Argentina strategic comprehensive partnership.
Over 100 representatives from China and Argentina attended the forum, which was jointly hosted by China Media Group and Argentina's Public Media of the Nation. It was one of a series of events in 2022 marking the friendship between the two countries.
The many understandings reached between the two countries, such as a cooperation agreement between Argentina's Buenos Aires Province and China's Sichuan Province, will further upgrade bilateral trade and financial collaboration, Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero said at the forum.
Buenos Aires and Sichuan are important economic provinces, Cafiero said, adding that their collaboration marks a great achievement in the China-Argentina strategic comprehensive partnership.
Fruitful cooperation, exchanges
China and Argentina established diplomatic ties in March 1972. Under the principles of the non-aligned movement, the two countries made significant progress in their pursuit of a cooperative agenda.
In 2004, the two countries signed a series of agreements, drastically boosting economic cooperation. Bilateral trade has grown rapidly during the past two decades, with China becoming Argentina's biggest trading partner in April 2020.
In November 2018, President Xi paid a state visit to Argentina where he also attended the Group of 20 Summit. Over 30 agriculture and investment deals were announced during that visit.
In a letter addressed to Xi in January 2022, Fernandez said countries should be united, respect and support each other against the pandemic disruptions, and commit to building a community with a shared future for mankind, a concept proposed by the Chinese president.
Fernandez later attended the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where Chinese and Argentine officials also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), making the Latin American country an official BRI partner.
In addition to the MoU, the two countries also signed cooperation documents in over 10 areas, including green development, the digital economy, aerospace, the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, technological innovation and agriculture.
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SOURCE CGTN | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2022/09/30/cgtn-china-argentina-pledge-promote-community-with-shared-future/ | 2022-09-30 04:20:50 | 1 | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2022/09/30/cgtn-china-argentina-pledge-promote-community-with-shared-future/ |
BOSTON — The Red Sox reinstated right-hander Brayan Bello from the 15-day injured list to start Monday’s rain-delayed game against Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels.
The Red Sox also recalled outfielder Jarren Duran from Triple-A Worcester. To make room, they optioned infielder Bobby Dalbec to Worcester and designated right-hander Jake Faria for assignment.
Ohtani (2-0, 0.47 ERA) has allowed only one earned run in 19 innings over his first three starts this season.
It’ll be just his second career start in Fenway. Last year, he earned the win with 11 strikeouts over seven shutout innings.
___ | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/2023/04/17/bello-red-sox-angels-ohtani/ac491ad0-dd39-11ed-a78e-9a7c2418b00c_story.html | 2023-04-17 16:45:29 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/2023/04/17/bello-red-sox-angels-ohtani/ac491ad0-dd39-11ed-a78e-9a7c2418b00c_story.html |
NEW YORK, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for CLNN, GOEV, EVGO, PAYO, and ALLK.
To see how InvestorsObserver's proprietary scoring system rates these stocks, view the InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alert by selecting the corresponding link.
- CLNN: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=CLNN&prnumber=071420222
- GOEV: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=GOEV&prnumber=071420222
- EVGO: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=EVGO&prnumber=071420222
- PAYO: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=PAYO&prnumber=071420222
- ALLK: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=ALLK&prnumber=071420222
(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)
InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alerts are based on our proprietary scoring methodology. Each stock is evaluated based on short-term technical, long-term technical and fundamental factors. Each of those scores is then combined into an overall score that determines a stock's overall suitability for investment.
InvestorsObserver provides patented technology to some of the biggest names on Wall Street and creates world-class investing tools for the self-directed investor on Main Street. We have a wide range of tools to help investors make smarter decisions when investing in stocks or options.
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SOURCE InvestorsObserver | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2022/07/14/thinking-about-buying-stock-clene-canoo-evgo-payoneer-global-or-allakos/ | 2022-07-14 15:17:05 | 0 | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2022/07/14/thinking-about-buying-stock-clene-canoo-evgo-payoneer-global-or-allakos/ |
DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Jan. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Not only was Ed Morse Automotive Group the official automotive partner of the Gasparilla Bowl game played in Tampa Bay, but they surprised the crowd with a new car giveaway to a local Gold Star family.
Cheryl and Steve Sitton of Largo, Florida were recognized on the field to honor the service of their son Matthew Sitton, but they didn't know that they would be awarded a brand new red 2023 Toyota Highlander. The $46K four-door Highland was donated by Ed Morse Delray Toyota.
"We were absolutely shocked to be presented a new car from Teddy Morse and his team. It was incredibly overwhelming and such a heartwarming gesture. This generosity demonstrates that Teddy Morse cares about military families that have suffered heartbreak. My family is truly touched with their dedication to honor Matthew's incredible service to our country," said Cheryl Sitton.
Matthew Sitton was an Army Staff Sargent for the 82nd Airborne Division who served three tours and six years in Afghanistan. He was killed in action by an IED on August 2nd, 2012. Just months earlier, Matthew had written his local congressman about the unnecessary dangers that their leaders were putting his division in. It wasn't until Matthew's death that General Raymond Odierno and the Army started making key leadership changes.
"Too often we use the term hero, when it really isn't deserving. Matthew Sitton is a true hero and true patriot. Not only did he serve his country with honor, but always put his platoon first. Also, heroic are the families of these soldiers, and we thank them for allowing their sons and daughters to fight for our freedom. We were thrilled to honor the Sitton family," said Teddy Morse, Chairman and CEO of Ed Morse Automotive Group.
The Gasparilla Bowl was held in December at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay and aired on ESPN.
The Morse family has been in the automotive business since 1946 when Ed Morse founded Morse Motors. Over 75 years later, Ed's grandson, Chairman/CEO Teddy Morse continues to build on the legacy and family tradition. Headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida and with recent acquisitions into Texas, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois and Oklahoma, Ed Morse Automotive Group is considered to be one of the nation's fastest growing and most respected automotive and motorcycle dealer groups. www.edmorse.com
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SOURCE Ed Morse Automotive Group | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/01/10/ed-morse-automotive-group-donates-brand-new-toyota-highlander-gold-star-family-gasparilla-bowl-game-tampa-bay/ | 2023-01-10 15:47:53 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/01/10/ed-morse-automotive-group-donates-brand-new-toyota-highlander-gold-star-family-gasparilla-bowl-game-tampa-bay/ |
VMX 2023 REGISTRATION OPENS TODAY WITH THROWBACK PRICE OF $125
Life-changing Veterinary Education sessions include:
- Treatments for Feline and Canine Lymphoma
- Shockingly Easy: Clinical Procedures On Electric Eels
- Ultrasound Techniques For Aquatic Animals
- Advances In Equine Surgery
ORLANDO, Fla., July 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- When the NAVC opens the doors to its 40th anniversary VMX: Veterinary Meeting & Expo, January 14, 2023, in Orlando, FL, attendees will find themselves immersed in 1980's nostalgia complete with a pop culture theme, events, entertainment and historically-low, throwback registration pricing of $125 – mirroring the cost when the first VMX registration opened in 1983. Most important, the education and excellence VMX is known for – industry-leading scientific sessions and life-changing innovations – will be on full display.
Since its first conference, VMX has grown to be the world's largest and most comprehensive global veterinary education conference. As the first veterinary conference of the year, thousands of veterinary professionals and industry leaders gather from around the world to learn and experience the latest advances in veterinary medicine that are helping animals of all species live longer, better quality lives. Presented by the NAVC, the global leader in continuing education (CE) for veterinary professionals, VMX will feature sessions and hands-on workshops led by world-renowned animal healthcare experts. VMX 2023 will be held January 14-18, 2023, at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) and everywhere virtually. Click here for VMX 2023 registration information.
"The last 40 years have ushered in some of the most exciting advances in veterinary medicine. Many of which have been introduced and taught at VMX," said NAVC CEO Gene O'Neill. "We are pleased to mark our 40th anniversary of hosting the veterinary industry's leading annual conference by making it financially easier for veterinary professionals to attend VMX, meet their education requirements, network with colleagues – and have a lot of fun in the process. Our mission is to help the entire veterinary community thrive and we are delighted to support them by offering all the value of VMX 2023 at the price of the inaugural VMX."
The throwback registration price of $125 is for all attendees who register through October 31, 2022. After that, prices will increase but remain 40% lower than VMX's customary early bird pricing: $495 for veterinarians, $295 for veterinary nurses/technicians and practice managers. Veterinary students, as always, attend for free.
"Veterinary medicine continues to evolve and transform how we care for animals,'' said Dana Varble, NAVC Chief Veterinary Officer. "Each year I attend VMX, I learn something that helps me become a better veterinarian and provide the best care to my patients. The future holds even more possibilities and I can't wait to see what life-changing innovations are to come."
From companion animals and exotics, to farm animals and aquatics, VMX 2023 will offer more than 800 hours of Continuing Education sessions, hands-on workshops and Masterclasses at the in person event in Orlando, and more than 280 virtual sessions, which will be available through March 15, 2023. Sessions include:
- "Puppies and Kittens with a Cardiac Murmur"
- "Taming the Tigers: Tips for Handling Challenging Cats" and "Behavior Solutions for 'Normal' Cat Behaviors"
- "Corneal Disease in Cats: Finding Success with a Feline-Focused Approach"
- "Happy Pills for Happy Pets, and Happier Clients!"
- "Terrible Teenagers? Preventing Adolescent Dog Relinquishment"
- "Sea Turtle Rehabilitation"
- "ERs of the Zoo Kind"
- "Wound Healing: The Science Changes, the Biology Has Not"
- "Chinchilla Tips and Tricks"
- "Basic Surgery Tips for Very Small Patients"
- "Standing Orthopedic Surgery in Horses"
- "A One Health Approach for Understanding and Mitigating Emerging Infectious Diseases of Human and Non-human Animals"
- "The Fresh Food Revolution: What's Next and What Are the Potential Benefits?"
Veterinary professionals around the world can learn about and engage with the industry's latest products and innovations at the NAVC's award-winning Expo Hall and explore the New Product Gallery inside the OCCC or virtually in the VMX Virtual Expo Hall. The exciting VMX Pet Pitch Competition, where startups introduce their products and services in a highly-anticipated, shark-tank style event, will return for its sixth year.
Credentialed media may attend VMX for free, in person in Orlando or virtually. For more information on how to register, contact publicrelations@navc.com.
The North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and advancing veterinary professionals worldwide. The world's leading provider of veterinary continuing education, the NAVC delivers essential training, tools and resources for veterinary professionals to stay abreast of advances in animal medicine and provide the best medical care for animals everywhere. Through its commitment to innovation and excellence, the NAVC has developed a diverse portfolio of products and services, including: educational events, headlined by VMX, the world's largest, most comprehensive continuing education conference and launchpad for new products and innovations within the veterinary industry; a robust digital platform for virtual learning and engagement; the veterinary industry's largest and award-winning portfolio of trade publications; and an advocacy arm which unites the veterinary community and pet lovers. The NAVC was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Orlando, FL. Since 2017, the NAVC has been recognized as one of the Top Workplaces by the Orlando Sentinel. To learn more about the NAVC's products and brands, visit https://navc.com/. To see our schedule of upcoming events, visit https://navc.com/calendar/.
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SOURCE North American Veterinary Community | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2022/07/06/north-american-veterinary-community-navc-celebrate-40th-vmx-anniversary-like-its-1983/ | 2022-07-06 15:16:33 | 0 | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2022/07/06/north-american-veterinary-community-navc-celebrate-40th-vmx-anniversary-like-its-1983/ |
LONDON (AP) — Several asylum-seekers and refugee groups began a court challenge on Monday to the British government’s plan to send hundreds of migrants on a one-way trip to Rwanda.
The claimants’ attorney, Raza Husain, argued at the Court of Appeal in London that the “high-profile and controversial” policy was unlawful. He said Rwanda was “an authoritarian one-party state” that “imprisons, tortures and murders” opponents.
The governments of Britain and Rwanda signed a deal a year ago under which some migrants who arrive in the U.K. in small boats would be flown to Rwanda, where their asylum claims would be processed. Those granted asylum would stay in Rwanda rather than return to Britain.
Britain’s Conservative government says the plan will smash the business model of people-smuggling gangs and deter migrants from taking risky journeys across the English Channel. More than 45,000 people arrived in Britain by boat in 2022, compared with 8,500 in 2020.
Human rights groups argue it’s inhumane and illegal to send people more than 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) to a country they don’t want to live in.
No one has yet been sent to Rwanda under the deal. In December, Britain’s High Court ruled the Rwanda policy was legal, but a group of asylum-seekers from countries including Iran, Iraq and Syria was granted permission to appeal.
At the start of the four-day appeal hearing, Husain said the High Court judges had “failed to scrutinize” British government assurances that people sent to Rwanda would not suffer ill-treatment.
David Pannick, representing the government, said in written submissions that there was “a clear and compelling set of reasons why the U.K. government is confident the Rwandan authorities will comply with the assurances.”
The government has also drafted legislation barring anyone who arrives in the U.K. in small boats or by other unauthorized means from applying for asylum. If passed, the Illegal Migration Bill, which returns to Parliament this week, would compel the government to detain all such arrivals and deport them to their homeland or a “safe third country” such as Rwanda.
The U.N. refugee agency says the law breaches U.K. commitments under the international refugee convention. ___
Follow AP’s coverage of global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration | https://www.wane.com/news/national-world/ap-international/migrants-mount-legal-challenge-to-uk-rwanda-deportation-plan/ | 2023-04-25 03:16:12 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/national-world/ap-international/migrants-mount-legal-challenge-to-uk-rwanda-deportation-plan/ |
‘He was screaming for help’: Bystanders rescue swimmer attacked by shark
PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. (KSBW) – A man was significantly injured following a shark attack off the coast of California.
He is now recovering thanks to the help of a couple out paddle-boarding nearby.
Paul Bandy and Aimee Johns were in the water just past Lovers’ Point in Pacific Grove, California, when they came across the swimmer who had just been attacked by a shark.
“He was screaming for help, you can tell by the sound and the emotion in his voice that there was something definitely wrong,” Bandy said. “And he was slapping the water. I wasn’t sure if there was some sort of thing that he was trying to get away from him or just trying to draw attention to himself.”
Bandy is a Sacramento Police Officer, and Johns is a nurse.
“As a police officer I respond to emergencies all the time so I don’t think there was ever a question of whether or not we were gonna go, it was just how fast we were going to be able to get there,” Bandy said.
The swimmer was bitten on his torso. Severely injured, the couple had to act quickly.
“We had to quickly cut his wetsuit off of him and open it all up and then try to apply the tourniquets to each limb and also to his abdomen, put the pressure there because he was bleeding severely,” Johns said.
The rescue was caught on surveillance video from a nearby restaurant.
The couple was in town celebrating their wedding anniversary.
“Not really the one in a million opportunity we were looking for,” Bandy said.
Johns said she was just glad they were there to help.
An aerial search of the water showed no sightings of the shark.
Meanwhile, Lover’s Point and nearby beaches were closed until Saturday as a precaution.
Copyright 2022 KSBW via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.weau.com/2022/06/26/he-was-screaming-help-bystanders-rescue-swimmer-attacked-by-shark/ | 2022-06-26 18:40:56 | 1 | https://www.weau.com/2022/06/26/he-was-screaming-help-bystanders-rescue-swimmer-attacked-by-shark/ |
Idaho stepmom gets life sentence for killing 9-year-old boy
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A 29-year-old Idaho woman convicted of torturing and killing her 9-year-old stepson has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. Monique Osuna received the sentence Thursday in Fourth District Court. KTVB-TV reports that Osuna previously pleaded guilty to murdering Emrik Osuna in a deal that eliminated the death penalty. Erik Osuna, the boy’s biological father, has also pleaded guilty to murder and is scheduled to be sentenced June 27. Videos from nanny cameras throughout the home show Erik and Osuna abusing Emrik, who is also forced to exercise for hours and becomes malnourished. He died in September 2020 at St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital in Boise. | https://kion546.com/news/ap-national-news/2022/06/10/idaho-stepmom-gets-life-sentence-for-killing-9-year-old-boy/ | 2022-06-10 23:24:33 | 1 | https://kion546.com/news/ap-national-news/2022/06/10/idaho-stepmom-gets-life-sentence-for-killing-9-year-old-boy/ |
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MASSIVE: Medical and Subrogation Specialists have been selected by the Personal Injury Trustee and Claims Administrator to be the exclusive Lien Resolution Administrator for the Mallinckrodt Opioid Bankruptcy Trust mass tort litigation.
MASSIVE has a wide range of experience working on Mass Tort projects and were also selected as the exclusive lien resolution administrator in the Just for Men and Purdue Opioid Bankruptcy Trust litigations, and the Flint Water co-lien resolution administrator.
In 2020, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals agreed to settle for $1.6 billion for their role in the opioid epidemic. MASSIVE is expecting to resolve liens for tens of thousands injured plaintiffs. More information can be found on our website at https://gomassive.com/mallinckrodt-opioid-bankruptcy-trust-what-claimants-can-expect/.
ABOUT MASSIVE
MASSIVE: Medical and Subrogation Specialists is a nationwide provider of healthcare lien resolution services. By working hand in hand with personal injury law firms across the nation in both Single Event and Mass Tort cases, MASSIVE expedites settlements through cutting edge software, services, and support.
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SOURCE MASSIVE: Medical and Subrogation Specialists | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/06/21/massive-announced-exclusive-lien-resolution-administrator-mallinckrodt-opioid-bankruptcy-trust/ | 2022-06-21 16:13:18 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/06/21/massive-announced-exclusive-lien-resolution-administrator-mallinckrodt-opioid-bankruptcy-trust/ |
Panasonic releases the best of photo and video capture with the new Lumix S5II and S5IIx full-frame hybrid mirrorless cameras, camera/lens bundles, and a new zoom lens
NEW YORK, Jan. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- B&H is excited to announce powerful new hybrid mirrorless camera offerings from Panasonic, the Lumix S5II and Lumix S5IIx full-frame mirrorless cameras. The new releases include the Lumix S5II camera body, the Lumix S5IIx camera body, kits with the S5II and S5IIx cameras and a 20-60mm zoom lens, and a new 14-28mm ultra-wide L-mount half-macro zoom lens for photo and video applications.
The Panasonic Lumix S5 II maintains many of the great features of its predecessor the S5, and it adds numerous enhancements, including:
Panasonic Lumix S5 II Mirrorless Camera
- A new L2 technology image engine
- New 24.2MP CMOS sensor with PDAF
- 6K30 Opengate video
- 14+ stop V-Log/V-Gamut dynamic range
- New Phase Hybrid AF
- New Active I.S. technology
- 30 fps electronic burst shooting
- Real-time LUT application
- High-frame-rate, 10-bit 4:2:2 C4K/4K video
- RAW video recording output upgrade option
- Enhanced 4-channel audio
- Enhanced Dual-Native ISO
The Lumix S5 IIX Camera features everything above and adds numerous professional video and streaming enhancements, including:
Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX Mirrorless Camera
- RAW video recording output upgrade included
- USB-SSD recording
- ALL-Intra and ProRes recording
- Wireless/Wired IP streaming
- The first all-black Lumix body design
New Features, Many Enhancements
On both cameras, the new L2 image engine features 2x faster processing than the S5, and it enables 10-bit 4:2:0 6K30 recording, 10-bit 4:2:2 4K60 recording, and lower rolling shutter distortion. Many Lumix S5 features were retained and improved upon in the S5II/S5IIx, including the compact form factor, 5-axis image stabilization, 96MP RAW and JPEG capture, dual SD card slots, dual-native ISO, LUT support, 14+ stops of dynamic range, and Phase Detection AF.
In the S5II/S5IIx, 5-axis I.S. has been enhanced to the new Active I.S. to reduce shake and keep your footage rock steady as you perform motion shots. It also supports PDAF within its new Phase Hybrid AF system, which greatly improves subject tracking and increases focus points to 779 for better accuracy. Real-time color grading using built-in or custom LUTs can now be applied in real time on the camera while recording. Burst photo has also been enhanced to shoot 30 fps RAW shots using the electronic shutter.
Pro Video Enhancements
High-resolution 6K30 and C4K/4K60 recording isn't the only pro video enhancement on the S5II and S5IIx. The cameras also feature high-frame-rate recording for slow-motion and effects up to 4K120 and 1080p180, and they also support unlimited video recording. Audio has also been enhanced with built-in 24-bit / 48 KHz audio, external mic support for 24-bit / 96 KHz audio, and 4-channel capture with the DMW-XLR1 for crisp, clear recordings.
While you can add an optional upgrade license to allow RAW video to output via its full-size HDMI port on the S5II, the S5IIx includes this license, a welcome feature for professional production. Additional pre-installed features on the S5IIx allow you to record to an external USB SSD drive and capture high-bitrate video in the ALL-Intra and ProRes formats. The 5IIx also allows you to livestream directly from the camera using wireless connectivity, wired Ethernet options, or by tethering the camera to a smartphone.
Additional Features
Even more enhanced features include the ability to power each camera via a USB-PD power source for faster charging of the inserted battery. Panasonic has made many enhancements to the controls, joystick, and form factor for ease of use in a multitude of setups. If you do decide to challenge that unlimited recording feature, a built-in cooling fan will keep your camera running in warm temperatures. The newly available kits include a reliable stock 20-60mm lens that can get you started with full-frame shooting, featuring an f/3.5 to f/22 aperture, AF motor, and AF/MF switch.
Panasonic Ultra-Wide 14-28mm Half-Macro Zoom Lens
An ideal L-mount lens for photo or video, the new 14-28mm zoom provides options for landscape or portrait shots, including macro closeups in an ultra-lightweight form for use with gimbals. It features minimal focus breathing and smooth adjustments, which are needed for smooth, stable video.
Learn More about the New Panasonic S5 II Cameras at B&H Explora
Panasonic Lumix S5 II and S5IIX Cameras - YouTube First Look
About B&H Photo Video
As the world's largest source of photography, video, and audio equipment, as well as computers, drones, and home and portable entertainment, B&H is known worldwide for its attentive, knowledgeable sales force and excellent customer service, including fast, reliable shipping. B&H has been satisfying customers worldwide for over 48 years.
Visitors to the website can access a variety of educational videos and enlightening articles. The B&H YouTube Channel has an unmatched wealth of educational content. Our entertaining and informative videos feature product overviews from our in-house specialists. You can view the B&H Event Space presentations from many of the world's foremost experts and interviews with some of technology's most dynamic personalities. Tap into this exciting resource by subscribing to the B&H YouTube Channel here. In addition to videos, the B&H Explora blog presents new product announcements, gear reviews, helpful guides, and tech news written by product experts and industry professionals, as well as our award-winning podcasts.
When you're in Manhattan, take a tour of the B&H Photo SuperStore, located at 420 Ninth Avenue. The techno-carousel spins all year round at the counters and kiosks at B&H. With hundreds of products on display, the B&H Photo SuperStore is the place to test-drive and compare all the latest gear.
Contact Information
Henry Posner
B&H Photo Video
212-615-8820
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/
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SOURCE B&H Photo | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2023/01/04/panasonic-announces-lumix-s5ii-amp-s5-iix-full-frame-mirrorless-hybrid-photovideo-cameras-first-look-youtube-more-info-bamph-photo-video/ | 2023-01-04 16:46:41 | 1 | https://www.kold.com/prnewswire/2023/01/04/panasonic-announces-lumix-s5ii-amp-s5-iix-full-frame-mirrorless-hybrid-photovideo-cameras-first-look-youtube-more-info-bamph-photo-video/ |
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — President Joe Biden celebrated 17 new recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in a ceremony at the White House Thursday.
The recipients included civil rights trail blazers, humanitarians and athletes: Olympian Simone Biles, social justice advocate Sister Simone Campbell, former University of Texas President Julieta Garcia, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, former Alabama state legislator Fred Gray, late Apple CEO Steve Jobs, Greek Orthodox Father Alexander Karloutsos, Gold Star father and religious freedom advocate Khizr Khan, New York nurse Sandra Lindsay, late U.S. Sen. John McCain, civil rights advocate Diane Nash, Olympian and World Cup soccer champion Megan Rapinoe, former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson, late AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, retired Brigadier General Wilma Vaught, actor Denzel Washington and civil rights advocate Raul Yzaguirre.
At 25, Biles is the youngest person to receive the Medal of Freedom. She is the most decorated Olympic gymnast ever.
“She adds to her medal count of 32. I don’t know where you’re going to find room,” Biden joked.
He praised her courage for speaking out against sexual assault within gymnastics, saying she “turned personal pain into greater purpose.”
Jobs and McCain received the award posthumously.
“What Steve left us is something special: technology with the capacity to improve our lives in ways that haven’t even yet been thought of,” Biden said.
He also praised McCain, a prisoner of war, longtime Republican senator and friend.
“We used to argue like hell on the Senate floor but then we’d go down and have lunch together,” Biden said. “I never stopped admiring John. I never said a negative thing about him in my life.”
Denzel Washington was absent from the ceremony after testing positive for COVID-19. The president said he would be honored later.
Including the 17 honored Thursday, only 631 Americans have ever received the award, including Biden himself. He said the new recipients reflect the country at its finest. | https://www.wivb.com/news/washington-dc/17-receive-presidential-medal-of-freedom/ | 2022-07-07 22:29:26 | 1 | https://www.wivb.com/news/washington-dc/17-receive-presidential-medal-of-freedom/ |
North Korea launches missile into sea amid US-South Korea drills
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile toward the sea on Sunday, its neighbors said, ramping up testing activities in response to U.S.-South Korean military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal.
The missile launched from the North’s northwestern region flew across the country before it landed in the waters off its east coast, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
It said South Korea’s military has boosted its surveillance posture and maintains a readiness in close coordination with the United States.
Japan’s Defense Ministry said a suspected North Korean missile was launched on Sunday morning. It said the suspected weapon landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. There were no immediate reports of damage in the area.
The launch was the North’s third round of weapons tests since the U.S. and South Korean militaries began their joint military drills last Monday.
The latest U.S.-South Korean drills, which include computer simulations and field exercises, are to continue until Thursday. The field exercises are the biggest of their kind since 2018.
The North views such U.S.-South Korean military drills as a practice to launch an invasion, though Washington and Seoul have steadfastly said their training is defensive in nature.
The weapons North Korea recently tested include its longest-range Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile designed to strike the U.S. mainland. The North’s state media quoted leader Kim Jong Un as saying the ICBM launch was meant to “strike fear into the enemies.”
A day before the start of the drills, North Korea also fired cruise missiles from a submarine. The North’s state media said the submarine-launched missile was a demonstration of its resolve to respond with “overwhelming powerful” force to the intensifying military maneuvers by “the U.S. imperialists and the South Korean puppet forces.”
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Associated Press writer Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed to this report.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/2023/03/19/north-korea-launches-missile-into-sea-amid-us-south-korea-drills/ | 2023-03-19 03:52:43 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/2023/03/19/north-korea-launches-missile-into-sea-amid-us-south-korea-drills/ |
Report: 14% of doctors admit drinking or doing drugs at work to cope with stress
Published: Aug. 18, 2022 at 4:20 PM EDT|Updated: 55 minutes ago
(CNN) – The COVID-19 pandemic has some healthcare workers stressed out and looking for ways to ease their tensions.
According to a report on healthcare workers’ mental health released Thursday, 21% of physicians say they’ve taken drugs or drank alcohol more than once per day.
Additionally, 14% report consuming alcohol or controlled substances while at work.
The findings from the Mind-Body Health treatment chain APN were based on 1,000 healthcare workers questioned in July.
Researchers also say many of these healthcare workers suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder while experiencing trauma similar to what wartime soldiers go through.
Copyright 2022 CNN. All rights reserved. | https://www.wflx.com/2022/08/18/report-14-doctors-admit-drinking-or-doing-drugs-work-cope-with-stress/ | 2022-08-18 21:16:08 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/08/18/report-14-doctors-admit-drinking-or-doing-drugs-work-cope-with-stress/ |
Updated December 12, 2022 at 1:23 PM ET
Stefan Grossman sees himself as a "bridge." In the early 1960s, Grossman studied with blues and gospel singer Rev. Gary Davis, who sang on the streets of Harlem and taught at his home in the Bronx. Davis' fingerpicking style influenced guitarists, some of whom went on to major careers in American roots music.
Grossman has made it his life's work to pass on Rev. Davis' teachings. "I want to pass on the joy of playing this music to others, just as Rev. Davis passed it on to me," he says.
Grossman was 15 years old when he started making the trek from Brooklyn to the Bronx to study with Rev. Davis. When he first called Davis, he got the same reminder that all of the blind Baptist minister's students received: "Bring your money, honey."
Sometimes Grossman's lessons lasted all day. He often brought a tape recorder with him and over several years recorded Davis at home, in church and at Gerde's Folk City, a Greenwich Village nightclub.
"Besides being a master musician, he was a master teacher," says Grossman. "He taught music in the way that all great traditional music is taught – by imitation."
He treated his students like family
Davis' song "Death Don't Have No Mercy" was covered by Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead. Another tune from Davis' repertoire, "Samson and Delilah," was recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary. Although he didn't write the song, the trio credited him as its author and the resulting royalties allowed the once-impoverished musician to buy a home in Queens.
A scholarly list of the many prominent performers who studied with Rev. Davis at one point includes Ry Cooder, Janis Ian and Harry Chapin. But Grossman says there were a lot of people who had just one lesson with the man.
"There was a handful of us that really spent time with Rev. Davis – personal time," Grossman explains. "We were like grandchildren to him and he treated us with such warmth and care. You couldn't ask for anything more."
David Bromberg was one of those students. He recalled that at the time he studied with the reverend, the blind musician's guitar was "continually stolen." At one of Bromberg's performances in a small Greenwich Village club, Davis stood up in the audience and declared, "I have no children but I have sons." It was his way of claiming Bromberg and Grossman as his proteges.
A student becomes a teacher
Grossman says that once he became a decent fingerpicker, Rev. Davis admonished him about playing in public until the reverend said it was OK – the idea being that Grossman would be carrying Davis' name into the world and that he shouldn't do so until his teacher thought he was ready.
In the late 1960s, Grossman spent time performing in England where he was friends with musicians Eric Clapton and John Renbourn. His eclectic performance career includes being tapped for an acoustic band on the West Coast that included Janis Joplin and Taj Mahal but due to contractual conflicts, the group was disbanded after the initial rehearsals. Grossman ultimately decided to focus on teaching, not performing.
On his Guitar Workshop website, some of the instructors are guitar heroes like Bromberg. But others, like David Laibman, are hardly household names. Laibman is a master of ragtime guitar who was an economics professor at Brooklyn College. Although most of the lessons are purchased online, the business still sells DVDs and CDs. Many of the titles focus on the music of African American artists of the early 20th Century.
"Fingerpicking was really explored and extended by the Black musicians in the 1920s," says Grossman. "Those were the great, great players. That was the stuff that really intrigued me."
New technology helps teach an old style
Grossman's guitar lessons were initially distributed on reel-to-reel audio tape via snail mail but now — more than 50 years later — the lessons are downloaded as video files. That's also how the technology evolved at Homespun Music Instruction, which was founded by Happy Traum, the Woodstock musician who used to perform with his brother, the late Artie Traum.
"There are people all over the world who love this kind of music but they're isolated," Traum tells NPR. "Maybe they go to a festival and then come home all fired up and say, 'Now what do I do?' I think in those cases [web videos are] the perfect outlet for people to get this kind of instruction."
The playback software used for instructional guitar videos allows aspiring fingerpickers to easily slow down the material they're trying to learn, something that was much harder to do back in the 1960s when students had to drop a phonograph needle on a particular spot on a vinyl record.
"I used to sit with an LP and keep putting the needle down on a Merle Travis record to try to figure out the licks," Traum recalls. "That was work."
With the analog technology, slowing down playback caused a change in pitch and certain octaves became inaudible, something that doesn't happen with the software used for the playback of the video lessons.
Homespun started at around the same time as Grossman's instructional guitar business. Traum says that he, like Grossman, is a preservationist.
"Stefan is a master himself," says Traum. "I have a lot of respect for what he does."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.mainepublic.org/npr-news/npr-news/2022-12-12/rev-gary-davis-was-a-prolific-guitar-player-a-protege-aims-to-keep-his-legacy-alive | 2022-12-13 11:56:32 | 0 | https://www.mainepublic.org/npr-news/npr-news/2022-12-12/rev-gary-davis-was-a-prolific-guitar-player-a-protege-aims-to-keep-his-legacy-alive |
BETHESDA, Md., July 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AGNC Investment Corp. (Nasdaq: AGNC) ("AGNC" or the "Company") announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.12 per share of common stock for July 2023. The dividend is payable on August 9, 2023 to common stockholders of record as of July 31, 2023.
For further information or questions, please contact Investor Relations at (301) 968-9300 or IR@AGNC.com.
ABOUT AGNC INVESTMENT CORP.
AGNC Investment Corp. is an internally managed real estate investment trust that invests primarily in residential mortgage-backed securities for which the principal and interest payments are guaranteed by a U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise or a U.S. Government agency. For further information, please refer to www.AGNC.com.
CONTACT:
Investor Relations - (301) 968-9300
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SOURCE AGNC Investment Corp. | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/12/agnc-investment-corp-declares-monthly-common-stock-dividend-012-per-common-share-july-2023/ | 2023-07-12 20:50:29 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/12/agnc-investment-corp-declares-monthly-common-stock-dividend-012-per-common-share-july-2023/ |
PARIS (AP) — Over the course of an extraordinary nine-month trial, the lone survivor of the Islamic State extremist team that attacked Paris in 2015 has proclaimed his radicalism, wept, apologized to victims and pleaded with judges to forgive his “mistakes.”
For victims’ families and survivors of the attacks, the trial for Salah Abdeslam and suspected accomplices has been excruciating yet crucial in their quest for justice and closure. At long last, the court will hand down its verdict Wednesday.
Abdeslam faces up to life in prison without parole on murder and other counts, the toughest sentence possible under France’s justice system.
The historic trial in Paris of 20 men suspected of critical roles in the Islamic State massacres that killed 130 people on Nov. 13, 2015, addressed the violence in the Bataclan theater, Paris cafes and the national stadium — France’s deadliest peacetime attack.
For months, the packed main chamber and 12 overflow rooms in the 13th century Justice Palace heard the harrowing accounts by the victims, along with testimony from Abdeslam. The other defendants are largely accused of helping with logistics or transportation. At least one is accused of a direct role in the deadly March 2016 attacks in Brussels, which also was claimed by the Islamic State group.
For survivors and those mourning loved ones, the trial was an opportunity to recount deeply personal accounts of the horrors inflicted that night and to listen to details of countless acts of bravery, humanity and compassion among strangers. Some hoped for justice, but most just wanted tell the accused directly that they have been left irreparably scarred, but not broken.
“The assassins, these terrorists, thought they were firing into the crowd, into a mass of people,” said Dominique Kielemoes at the start of the trial in September 2021. Her son bled to death in one of the cafes. Hearing the testimony of victims was “crucial to both their own healing and that of the nation,” Kielemoes said.
“It wasn’t a mass — these were individuals who had a life, who loved, had hopes and expectations,” she said.
France was changed in the wake of the attacks: Authorities declared a state of emergency and armed officers now constantly patrol public spaces. The violence sparked soul-searching among the French and Europeans, since most of the attackers were born and raised in France or Belgium. And they transformed forever the lives of all those who suffered losses or bore witness.
Presiding judge Jean-Louis Peries said at the trial’s outset that it belongs to “international and national events of this century. ” France emerged from the state of emergency in 2017, after incorporating many of the harshest measures into law.
Fourteen of the defendants have been in court, including Abdeslam, the only survivor of the 10-member attacking team that terrorized Paris that Friday night. All but one of the six absent men are presumed to have been killed in Syria or Iraq; the other is in prison in Turkey.
Most of the suspects are accused of helping create false identities, transporting the attackers back to Europe from Syria or providing them with money, phones, explosives or weapons.
Abdeslam, a 32-year-old Belgian with Moroccan roots, was the only defendant tried on several counts of murder and kidnapping as a member of a terrorist organization.
The sentence sought for Abdeslam of life in prison without parole has only been pronounced four times in France — for crimes related to rape and murder of minors.
Prosecutors are seeking life sentences for nine other defendants. The remaining suspects were tried on lesser terrorism charges and face sentences ranging from five to 30 years.
In closing arguments, prosecutors stressed that all 20 defendants, who had fanned out around the French capital, armed with semi-automatic rifles and explosives-packed vests to mount parallel attacks, are members of the Islamic State extremist group responsible for the massacres.
“Not everyone is a jihadi, but all of those you are judging accepted to take part in a terrorist group, either by conviction, cowardliness or greed,” prosecutor Nicolas Braconnay told the court this month.
Some defendants, including Abdeslam, said innocent civilians were targeted because of France’s policies in the Middle East and hundreds of civilian deaths in Western airstrikes in Islamic State-controlled areas of Syria and Iraq.
During his testimony, former President François Hollande dismissed claims that his government was at fault.
The Islamic State, “this pseudo-state, declared war with the weapons of war,” Hollande said. The Paris attackers did not terrorize, shoot, kill, maim and traumatize civilians because of religion, he said, adding it was “fanaticism and barbarism.”
The night of the attack was a balmy Friday evening, with the city’s bars and restaurants packed. At the Bataclan concert venue, the American band Eagles of Death Metal were playing to a full house. At the national stadium, a soccer match between France and Germany had just begun, attended by then-President Hollande and then-Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The sound of the first suicide bombing at 9:16 p.m. barely carried over the noise of the stadium’s crowd. The second came four minutes later. A squad of gunmen opened fire at several bars and restaurants in another part of Paris. That bloodshed outside came to an end at 9:41 p.m.
Worse was to follow. At 9:47 p.m., three more gunmen burst into the Bataclan, firing indiscriminately. Ninety people died within minutes. Hundreds were held hostage – some gravely injured – inside the concert hall for hours before Hollande, watching people covered in blood make their way out of the Bataclan, ordered it stormed.
Abdeslam was silent for years, refusing to speak to investigators. In April, his words started flowing, in testimony that at times contradicted earlier statements, including on his loyalty to the Islamic State.
He told the court that he was a last-minute addition to the group. He said he “renounced” his mission to detonate his explosives-packed vest in a bar in northern Paris that night. He hid out at first near Paris, and then fled with friends to Brussels, where he was arrested four months later.
Prosecutors emphasized contradictions in Abdeslam’s testimony — from pledging allegiance to the Islamic State at the start of the trial and expressing regret that his explosives strapped to his body failed to detonate, to claiming he had changed his mind in the bar and deliberately disabled his vest because he did not want to kill people “singing and dancing.”
During closing arguments Monday, Abdelslam’s lawyer Olivia Ronen told a panel of judges that her client is the only one in the group of attackers who didn’t set off explosives to kill others that night. He can’t be convicted for murder, she argued.
“If a life sentence without hope for ever experiencing freedom again is pronounced, I fear we have lost a sense of proportion,” Ronan said. She emphasized through the trial that she is “not providing legitimacy to the attacks” by defending her client in court.
Abdeslam apologized to the victims at his final court appearance Monday, saying his remorse and sorrow is heartfelt and sincere. Listening to victims’ accounts of “so much suffering” changed him, he said.
“I have made mistakes, it’s true, but I am not a murderer, I am not a killer,” he said.
___
Surk contributed from Nice, France. | https://www.wowktv.com/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/verdict-looms-in-trial-over-2015-paris-extremist-attacks/ | 2022-06-29 09:38:57 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/verdict-looms-in-trial-over-2015-paris-extremist-attacks/ |
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian police are investigating the illegal trade of human organs involving police and immigration officers who were accused of helping traffickers send 122 Indonesians to a hospital in Cambodia to sell their kidneys, police said Tuesday.
Indonesian authorities arrested 12 people, including a police officer and an immigration officer, on July 19, and police will continue to crack down on human smuggling syndicates conducting the illegal trade of human organs, said Hengki Haryadi, the Jakarta police director for general crimes.
He said all 122 victims, including factory workers, teachers and executives, had returned to Indonesia, and police were still searching a number of other victims whose testimony would be required by investigators.
“Most of the victims lost their jobs during the pandemic and they agreed to sell their organs because they needed money,” Haryadi said, adding that six of the victims are still under observation of doctors.
Nine of the suspects were former organ trade victims who were accused of luring people from across Indonesia through social media into having their kidneys removed in Cambodia, Haryadi said. A 10th suspect was accused of sending them to Preah Ket Mealea Hospital in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, for kidney transplant surgery.
He said the turnover of the illegal trade in human organs since 2019 by the group of suspects totaled about 24.4 billion rupiah ($1.6 million), while each victim was promised 135 million rupiah ($9,000) .
A low-ranking police officer in Bekasi, an immigration officer in Bali and 10 traffickers, three of whom were arrested in Cambodia, are part of a human trafficking ring that prey on vulnerable job seekers, Haryadi said.
The immigration officer from Bali was accused of abusing his power and falsifying documents for victims to travel overseas and received at least 3 million rupiah ($200) for each person he smuggled to Cambodia.
The suspects were charged with violating Indonesia’s human trafficking law and face a maximum 15 years in prison and a fine of up to 600 million rupiah ($39,000).
The police officer from Bekasi city police, identified only with the initial M., allegedly received 612 million rupiah ($40,000) for helping the traffickers move from place to place to avoid police investigation, and he is also accused of obstructing the investigation. Under the 2007 Human Trafficking Law, the two officers face penalties of up to five years in prison if found guilty.
Police paraded the 12 suspects at a news conference on July 20.
“There have been kidney trafficking transactions at the Cambodia’s state-run Preah Ket Mealea Hospital,” said Krishna Murti, the National Police head of international relations division. “We have been communicating and closely cooperating with the Cambodian police.”
The World Health Organization first prohibited payments for organs in 1987 and many countries subsequently codified the prohibition into their national laws. WHO estimated in 2008 that 5% of all transplants performed worldwide were illegal, and living donor kidneys is the most commonly reported form of organ trade.
Aside illegal trade in human organs, cybercrime, human trafficking and labor abuse still abounds in Southeast Asia. Most recently, authorities in the Philippines staged a major raid last month and rescued more than 2,700 workers from China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and more than a dozen other countries who were allegedly swindled into working for fraudulent online gaming sites and other cybercrime groups.
The leaders of Association of Southeast Asia Nations in a summit at Indonesia’s Labuan Bajo in May agreed to increase cooperation in border management, investigation, law enforcement and prosecution, and repatriation of victims. They also urged that national prevention efforts be improved, including better public awareness campaigns and increased use of advanced technology. | https://www.localsyr.com/health/ap-indonesian-police-crack-down-on-traffickers-who-sent-122-people-to-sell-their-kidneys-in-cambodia/ | 2023-07-25 16:37:39 | 0 | https://www.localsyr.com/health/ap-indonesian-police-crack-down-on-traffickers-who-sent-122-people-to-sell-their-kidneys-in-cambodia/ |
WASHINGTON — New Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has issued her first Supreme Court opinion, a short dissent Monday in support of a death row inmate from Ohio.
Jackson wrote that she would have thrown out lower court rulings in the case of inmate Davel Chinn, whose lawyers argued that the state suppressed evidence that might have altered the outcome of his trial.
Jackson, in a two-page opinion, wrote that she would have ordered a new look at Chinn's case “because his life is on the line and given the substantial likelihood that the suppressed records would have changed the outcome at trial.”
The evidence at issue indicated that a key witness against Chinn has an intellectual disability that might have affected his memory and ability to testify accurately, she wrote.
Prosecutors are required to turn over potentially exculpatory evidence to the defense. In this case, lower courts determined that the outcome would not have been affected if the witness' records had been provided to Chinn's lawyers.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor was the only other member of the court to join Jackson's opinion. The two justices also were allies in dissent Monday in Sotomayor's opinion that there was serious prosecutorial misconduct in the trial of a Louisiana man who was convicted of sex trafficking.
Jackson joined the high court on June 30, following the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer, her onetime boss.
The court has yet to decide any of the cases argued in October or the first few days of this month. Jackson almost certainly will be writing a majority opinion in one of those cases. | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/nation-world/jackson-dissent-first-supreme-court-opinion/507-3adbb91c-ddcb-46bf-bd0b-3d9fc797ad02 | 2022-11-07 18:31:53 | 0 | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/nation-world/jackson-dissent-first-supreme-court-opinion/507-3adbb91c-ddcb-46bf-bd0b-3d9fc797ad02 |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — For the first time, researchers have captured and radio-collared a bear in the Santa Monica Mountains near Los Angeles where mountain lions have been studied for two decades, the National Park Service said Wednesday.
The 210-pound (95-kilogram) black bear dubbed BB-12 was caught April 23 in a natural area south of U.S. Route 101 on the western end of the range, the park service said in a statement.
It’s the first time in 20 years that scientists have encountered a bear that has taken up residence in the mountains northwest of downtown LA, according to Jeff Sikich, a park service biologist who studies cougars.
“He appears to be the only bear here in the Santa Monica Mountains, and he’s likely been here for almost two years based on our remote camera data,” Sikich said. “It will be interesting to see how he shares the landscape with our other resident large carnivores.”
BB-12, a male estimated to be about 3 or 4 years old, was measured, given a physical exam and outfitted with a GPS radio collar around its neck.
Researchers believe BB-12 may be the same black bear that was spotted in July 2021 lumbering along a road farther west in the Newbury Park area and later caught on wildlife cameras.
The nearest population of breeding black bears is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north in the Santa Susana Mountains, officials said. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/researchers-radio-collar-1st-bear-in-mountains-near-la/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-05-04 01:35:57 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/researchers-radio-collar-1st-bear-in-mountains-near-la/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Taylor Swift wins top prize, announces new album at MTV VMAs
Taylor Swift took home the top prize at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday before she closed out the show with a surprisingly big announcement: Her new album.
“I thought it would be a fun moment to tell you that my new album comes out Oct. 21,” said Swift after she won video of the year for her project “All Too Well: The Short Film" (10 minute version), which claimed best long form video and direction. “I will tell you more at midnight.”
The pop star's reveal came at the end of her acceptance speech where she praised the other women in the category — which included Doja Cat and Olivia Rodrigo.
Rapper Jack Harlow made his mark throughout the entire show. He kicked off the show with a performance inside a mock airplane walking down aisle while performing his hit song “First Class,” which was sampled by Fergie’s “Glamorous.” The rapper joined Fergie onstage - who wore a sparkling silver dress with the red words “First Class” - while she sang her 2006 jam.
See below for a full list of nominees with the winners indicated in bold.
Video of the year
Doja Cat — "Woman" — Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug — "Way 2 Sexy" — OVO/Republic
Ed Sheeran — "Shivers" — Atlantic Records
Harry Styles — "As It Was" — Columbia Records
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow — "INDUSTRY BABY" — Columbia Records
Olivia Rodrigo — "brutal" — Geffen Records
Winner: Taylor Swift — "All Too Well" (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) — Republic Records
Artist of the year
Winner: Bad Bunny — Rimas Entertainment
Drake — OVO/Republic
Ed Sheeran — Atlantic Records
Harry Styles — Columbia Records
Jack Harlow — Generation Now / Atlantic Records
Lil Nas X — Columbia Records
Lizzo — Atlantic Records
Song of the year
Adele — "Easy On Me" — Columbia Records
Winner: Billie Eilish — "Happier Than Ever" — Darkroom / Interscope Records
Doja Cat — "Woman" — Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Elton John & Dua Lipa — "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" — EMI / Interscope Records
Lizzo — "About Damn Time" — Atlantic Records
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber — "STAY" — Columbia Records
Best new artist
Baby Keem — Columbia Records
Winner: Dove Cameron — Disruptor Records / Columbia Records
GAYLE — Atlantic Records / Arthouse Records
Latto — Streamcut / RCA Records
Måneskin — Arista Records
SEVENTEEN — PLEDIS Entertainment/Geffen Records
Push performance of the year
September 2021: Griff — "One Night" — Warner Records
October 2021: Remi Wolf — "Sexy Villain" — Island Records
November 2021: Nessa Barrett — "i hope ur miserable until ur dead" — Warner Records
Winner: December 2021: SEVENTEEN — "Rock With You" — PLEDIS Entertainment / Geffen Records
January 2021: Mae Muller — "Better Days" — Capitol Records UK
February 2022: GAYLE — "abcdefu" — Atlantic Records / Arthouse Records
March 2022: Sheneesa — "R U That" — Rich Immigrants / Interscope Records
April 2022: Omar Apollo — "Tamagotchi" — Warner Records
May 2022: Wet Leg — "Chaise Longue" — Domino Recording Company
June 2022: Muni Long — "Baby Boo" — Supergiant Records LLC / Def Jam Recording
July 2022: Doechii — "Persuasive" — Top Dog Entertainment / Capitol Records
Best collaboration
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug — "Way 2 Sexy" — OVO/Republic
Elton John & Dua Lipa — "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" — EMI / Interscope Records
Winner: Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow — "INDUSTRY BABY" — Columbia Records
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa — "Sweetest Pie" — 300 Entertainment
Post Malone & The Weeknd — "One Right Now" — Mercury Records / Republic Records
ROSALÍA ft. The Weeknd — "LA FAMA" — Columbia Records
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber — "STAY" — Columbia Records
Best pop
Billie Eilish — "Happier Than Ever" — Darkroom / Interscope Records
Doja Cat — "Woman" — Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Ed Sheeran — "Shivers" — Atlantic Records
Winner: Harry Styles — "As It Was" — Columbia Records
Lizzo — "About Damn Time" — Atlantic Records
Olivia Rodrigo — "traitor" — Geffen Records
Best hip-hop
Eminem & Snoop Dogg — "From The D 2 The LBC" — Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Future ft. Drake, Tems — "WAIT FOR U" — Freebandz / Epic Records
Kendrick Lamar — "N95" — pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Latto — "Big Energy" — Streamcut / RCA Records
Winner: Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Baby — "Do We Have A Problem?" — Young Money / Cash Money / Republic Records
Pusha T — "Diet Coke" — G.O.O.D. Music / Def Jam
Best rock
Foo Fighters — "Love Dies Young" — RCA Records
Jack White — "Taking Me Back" — Third Man Records
Muse — "Won't Stand Down" — Warner Records
Winner: Red Hot Chili Peppers — "Black Summer" — Warner Records
Shinedown — "Planet Zero" — Elektra Music Group
Three Days Grace — "So Called Life" — RCA Records
Best alternative
Avril Lavigne ft. blackbear — "Love It When You Hate Me" — Elektra Music Group / DTA Records
Imagine Dragons x JID — "Enemy" — KIDinaKORNER / Interscope Records
Machine Gun Kelly ft. WILLOW — "emo girl" — Bad Boy / Interscope Records
Winner: Måneskin — "I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE" — Arista Records
Panic! At The Disco — "Viva Las Vengeance" — Fueled By Ramen / Elektra Music Group
Twenty One Pilots — "Saturday" — Fueled By Ramen / Elektra Music Group
WILLOW, Avril Lavigne ft. Travis Barker — "G R O W" — MSFTSMusic / Roc Nation Records
Best latin
Winner: Anitta — "Envolver" — Warner Records
Bad Bunny — "Tití Me Preguntó" — Rimas Entertainment
Becky G X KAROL G — "MAMIII" — Kemosabe Records / Sony Music Latin / RCA Records
Daddy Yankee — "REMIX" — Republic Records
Farruko — "Pepas" — Sony Music US Latin
J Balvin & Skrillex — "In Da Getto" — Sueños Globales, LLC /Universal Music Latino / Asylum Records UK
Best R&B
Alicia Keys — "City of Gods (Part II)" — AKW
Chlöe — "Have Mercy" — Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records
H.E.R. — "For Anyone" — RCA Records
Normani ft. Cardi B — "Wild Side" — Keep Cool/RCA Records
Summer Walker, SZA & Cardi B — "No Love (Extended Version)" — LVRN / Interscope Records
Winner: The Weeknd — "Out Of Time" — XO / Republic Records
Best K-pop
BTS — "Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)" — BIGHIT Music / Geffen Records
ITZY — "LOCO" — JYP Entertainment
Winner: LISA — "LALISA" — YG Entertainment / Interscope Records
SEVENTEEN — "HOT" — PLEDIS Entertainment/Geffen Records
Stray Kids — "MANIAC" — JYP Entertainment
TWICE — "The Feels" — JYP Entertainment
Video for good
Kendrick Lamar — "The Heart Part 5" — pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Latto — "P*ssy" — Streamcut / RCA Records
Winner: Lizzo — "About Damn Time" — Atlantic Records
Rina Sawayama — "This Hell" — Dirty Hit
Stromae — "Fils de joie" — Mosaert Label / The Darkroom / Interscope Records
Best Metaverse performance
Winner: BLACKPINK The Virtual | PUBG — YG Entertainment / Interscope Records
BTS | Minecraft — BIGHIT Music / Geffen Records
Charli XCX | Roblox — Atlantic Records
Justin Bieber — An Interactive Virtual Experience | Wave — Def Jam
Rift Tour ft. Ariana Grande | Fortnite — Republic Records
Twenty One Pilots Concert Experience | Roblox — Fueled By Ramen / Elektra Music Group
Best longform video
Billie Eilish — Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles — Darkroom / Interscope Records
Foo Fighters — Studio 666 — RCA Records
Kacey Musgraves — star-crossed — Interscope Records / MCA Nashville
Madonna — Madame X — Interscope Records
Olivia Rodrigo — driving home 2 u — Geffen Records
Winner: Taylor Swift — "All Too Well" (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) — Republic Records
Best cinematography
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar — "family ties" — Columbia Records
Camila Cabello ft. Ed Sheeran — "Bam Bam" — Epic Records
Winner: Harry Styles — "As It Was" — Columbia Records
Kendrick Lamar — "N95" — pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Normani ft. Cardi B — "Wild Side" — Keep Cool / RCA Records
Taylor Swift — "All Too Well" (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) — Republic Records
Best direction
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar — "family ties" — Columbia Records
Billie Eilish — "Happier Than Ever" — Darkroom / Interscope Records
Ed Sheeran — "Shivers" — Atlantic Records
Harry Styles — "As It Was" — Columbia Records
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow — "INDUSTRY BABY" — Columbia Records
Winner: Taylor Swift — "All Too Well" (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) — Republic Records
Best art direction
Adele — "Oh My God" — Columbia Records
Doja Cat — "Get Into It (Yuh)" — Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug — "Way 2 Sexy" — OVO / Republic Records
Kacey Musgraves — "simple times" — Interscope Records / MCA Nashville
Winner: Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow — "INDUSTRY BABY" — Columbia Records
Megan Thee Stallion ft. Dua Lipa — "Sweetest Pie" — 300 Entertainment
Best visual effects
Billie Eilish — "Happier Than Ever" — Darkroom / Interscope Records
Coldplay X BTS — "My Universe" — Atlantic Records
Kendrick Lamar — "The Heart Part 5" — pgLang/Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath/Interscope Records
Winner: Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow — "INDUSTRY BABY" — Columbia Records
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa — "Sweetest Pie" — 300 Entertainment
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber — "STAY" — Columbia Records
Best choreography
BTS — "Permission to Dance" — BIGHIT Music/Geffen Records
Winner: Doja Cat — "Woman" — Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
FKA twigs ft. The Weeknd — "Tears In The Club" — Atlantic Records
Harry Styles — "As It Was" — Columbia Records
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow — "INDUSTRY BABY" — Columbia Records
Normani ft. Cardi B — "Wild Side" — Keep Cool / RCA Records
Best editing
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar — "family ties" — Columbia Records
Doja Cat — "Get Into It (Yuh)" — Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Olivia Rodrigo — "brutal" — Geffen Records
Winner: ROSALÍA — "SAOKO" — Columbia Records
Taylor Swift — "All Too Well" (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) — Republic Records
The Weeknd — "Take My Breath" — XO / Republic Records
Group of the year
BLACKPINK
Winner: BTS
City Girls
Foo Fighters
Imagine Dragons
Måneskin
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Silk Sonic
Song of the summer
Bad Bunny & Chencho Corleone — "Me Porto Bonito"
Beyoncé — "Break My Soul"
Charlie Puth — "Left And Right (feat. Jung Kook of BTS)"
Doja Cat — "Vegas (From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Elvis)"
Future ft. Drake, Tems — "Wait For U"
Harry Styles — "Late Night Talking"
Winner: Jack Harlow — "First Class"
Kane Brown — "Grand"
Latto x Mariah Carey — "Big Energy (Remix) ft. DJ Khaled"
Lizzo — "About Damn Time"
Marshmello x Khalid — "Numb"
Nicki Minaj — "Super Freaky Girl"
Nicky Youre, dazy — "Sunroof"
Post Malone with Doja Cat — "I Like You (A Happier Song)"
Rosalía — "Bizcochito"
Steve Lacy — "Bad Habit"
Album of the year
Adele — "30'
Bad Bunny — "Un Verano Sin Ti"
Billie Eilish — "Happier Than Ever"
Drake — "Certified Lover Boy"
Winner: Harry Styles — "Harry's House" | https://www.wgal.com/article/2022-mtv-vmas-taylor-swift-winners/41017814 | 2022-08-29 16:32:46 | 1 | https://www.wgal.com/article/2022-mtv-vmas-taylor-swift-winners/41017814 |
Planning your day
JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) -We’re helping you plan your day on Good Morning Region 8.
I hope you like the cooler temperatures and lower humidity while it lasted.
Heat and humidity start to return today.
Highs today will be in the mid-90s, but with dewpoints in the 60s, we should remain below heat advisory criteria today.
Tuesday through the weekend, temperatures will be back in the upper-90s to 100°. Heat advisories will be likely for the rest of the week.
Rain changes remain low this week, but looking ahead to the end of the weekend, to the beginning of next week, some relief could come.
Before then, it will be hot and dry.
Drink plenty of water and take several breaks if you are working outside.
Meteorologist Aaron Castleberry has your morning drive forecast coming up on Good Morning Region 8
News Headlines
Police search for an armed and dangerous suspect.
West Memphis police offer a bounty for information on a shooting that killed an infant.
Offensive profanity lands a Swifton man in hot water.
Chase Gage and Jurnee Taylor will have details on these stories and more coming up at 6:00 a.m. on Good Morning Region 8.
Copyright 2022 KAIT. All rights reserved. | https://www.kait8.com/2022/06/20/planning-your-day/ | 2022-06-20 11:07:26 | 1 | https://www.kait8.com/2022/06/20/planning-your-day/ |
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Ohio (WDTN) – The first monkeypox case in the Miami Valley has been confirmed Monday.
Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County said it has identified its first case of monkeypox, but said the risk to the public is low.
The department said it is in contact with the Ohio Department of Health and the patient’s provider. Close contacts of the person will be notified and monitored for symptoms.
According to public health, monkeypox is “a viral illness that typically begins with flu-like symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes and progresses to a rash.”
The disease can be spread through person-to-person direct contact, respiratory secretions during prolonged face-to-face contact and intimate physical contact. Pregnant people can also spread the virus to their fetus.
On Thursday, the White House officially declared monkeypox a public health emergency As of Friday, there ate 7,510 confirmed monkeypox/orthopoxvirus cases in the U.S., with 45 being in Ohio, according to the CDC.
For more information about monkeypox visit the CDC’s website. | https://www.wdtn.com/news/local-news/first-monkeypox-case-confirmed-in-miami-valley/ | 2022-08-08 18:57:05 | 1 | https://www.wdtn.com/news/local-news/first-monkeypox-case-confirmed-in-miami-valley/ |
Robert Adams was standing in a San Bernardino, Calif., parking lot Saturday when a sedan with tinted windows rolled up. Two police officers exited suddenly, guns drawn and eventually pointed toward Adams, according to surveillance footage.
Adams turned away and ran, and within seconds, one of the officers shot him, the video shows. Adams, 23, later died at a hospital.
A handgun was recovered at the scene, police said, although Adams does not appear to point a gun at the officers, according to the footage.
The video spread widely on social media this week, prompting questions about whether the shooting was justified. At a news conference Wednesday, attorneys representing Adams's family said the unmarked car may have given Adams the impression that he was getting robbed or attacked and that police should not have shot him as he fled.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, one of the lawyers representing Adams's family, called it a "horrific execution" and said it was an example of "shoot first and ask questions later." Adams's mother, Tamika Deavila King, called for the firing of the officers involved in the incident.
"I want them off our force because I don't want this to ever happen to another mother," she said Wednesday, adding that she had been on the phone with Adams before the shooting.
The shooting occurred less than a month after police officers in Ohio fatally shot another Black man, 25-year-old Jayland Walker, nearly four dozen times as he fled law enforcement unarmed.
Black Americans are shot by police at a disproportionate rate, according to Washington Post tracking. So far this year, officers have shot and killed more than 580 people in the United States.
San Bernardino Police Chief Darren Goodman said in a video statement Tuesday that the surveillance video "fails to provide critical details or context" about the shooting. The officers are not on leave, a police spokesperson told the Guardian newspaper.
"We ask that the public and the media allow us to complete our investigation and obtain all of the facts available before rendering opinions," Goodman said.
On Saturday just after 8 p.m., two uniformed officers in an unmarked car were surveilling a parking lot after "receiving information from a citizen informant that a Black male adult armed with a handgun" was present, Goodman said.
When the officers arrived, police saw two men, Goodman said. One of them, wearing a white shirt and later identified as Adams, was "clearly displaying a gun in his waistband," Goodman said, highlighting a portion of the video in which Adams appears to pull out an object and take several steps toward the unmarked car before the officers emerge. Goodman said Adams pulled out a gun.
That's when officers got out of the car and gave Adams "verbal commands," Goodman said. The surveillance video, which does not include audio, shows officers suddenly emerge from the vehicle with their guns drawn, at which point Adams turns around and runs toward several parked cars.
As Adams ran, an officer shot him, according to Goodman. The surveillance footage shows the officer fire within 25 seconds of entering the parking lot. Adams falls behind the parked cars near a wall. Goodman said officers believed Adams "intended to use the vehicle as cover to shoot at them."
The department released roughly 10 seconds of body-camera footage belonging to the officer who shot Adams. That video, initially without sound, shows the officer exit the driver's side of the vehicle and run toward Adams with a gun pointed at him. He then shoots at Adams multiple times as Adams runs away. As Adams falls onto his back, the sound turns on, and the officers can be heard yelling.
Police released another portion of the body-camera footage in which an officer appears to give Adams first aid. The department said Adams later died at a hospital.
On Wednesday, Adams's attorneys disputed the police department's account, saying the shooting was unjustified. Bradley Gage, an attorney representing Adams's family, said the unmarked police car rolled into the parking lot as though it were about to perform a "drive-by shooting."
Moreover, the attorneys said, the officers did not provide ample warning, and Adams should not have been shot.
Adams had been an honor student and had aspirations to attend business school, Gage said. "Rob was a son," he said. "Rob had a family."
King, Adams's mother, said her son was in the parking lot with his friend, who had just gotten a new car. "They were so excited about his friend getting his car, and that's what we were talking about on the phone," King said.
All of a sudden, she said, she heard gunshots.
"He never told me goodbye," she said. | https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/video-shows-california-police-officer-shoot-man-as-he-runs-away/article_927ca0b3-153f-56eb-8ff3-12252c6a3a8a.html | 2022-07-21 14:14:27 | 0 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/video-shows-california-police-officer-shoot-man-as-he-runs-away/article_927ca0b3-153f-56eb-8ff3-12252c6a3a8a.html |
- With over 80% of the U.S. network enrolled, 30% of its stores complete, and the 100th all-new or remodeled store open, data shows VI dealerships achieve greater customer satisfaction, sales volume, and profitability
- Launched in 2019, Mitsubishi's global Visual Identity Program is designed to provide a world-class customer experience through a dynamic, high-quality retail environment
FRANKLIN, Tenn., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) today announced Florida-based Jacobs Mitsubishi - Wesley Chapel is the 100th dealership to complete construction and open for business as part of the brand's global Visual Identity Program. Introduced in 2019, the program was designed to create a world-class customer experience through a premium Mitsubishi Motors retail environment.
Importantly, and after four years of execution, the program has delivered upon its mission to enhance customer experience as well as dealer performance. In fact, data shows that these reimagined stores' customer satisfaction scores are consistently and significantly higher, as well as allowing the facility to average nearly 17% higher monthly net profit than their non-VI counterparts. The Visual Identity Program also contributed to MMNA's success in the most recent J.D. Power Customer Service Index (CSI) rankings, in which MMNA took top honors in the mass-market segment for the first time in the 43-year history of the study, scoring the highest among 18 mass-market brands and achieving a 30-point year-over-year improvement, the greatest among all competitors.
"When Mitsubishi Motors established the standards for our Visual Identity Program, we put customer preferences and expectations for shopping, purchase, and ownership experience above everything else," said Mark Chaffin, MMNA President and CEO. "Our dealer partners' commitment to the swift completion of renovations and to providing the best experience for customers is already proving impactful on customer satisfaction, sales and profitability. As the 100th Visual Identity facility in our dealer partner network, Jacobs Mitsubishi - Wesley Chapel is joining dozens of others that are paving the way to a bright future for their businesses and all of Mitsubishi Motors."
Across MMNA's U.S. network of nearly 330 dealerships, more than three-quarters have enrolled in the Visual Identity program. Average dealer investment to bring facilities up to program standards is in the low-six figures. Jacobs Mitsubishi - Wesley Chapel, which was built from the ground up as a brand-new green-field facility, went well beyond the average commitment, with an investment of more than $11 million including land acquisition and facility construction.
"Anyone who has paid attention to the Mitsubishi brand knows they are in the midst of a renaissance," said Daniel Jacobs, President of Jacobs Mitsubishi - Wesley Chapel, who also owns a Mitsubishi dealership in New Port Richey, Florida. "We wanted our new retail space to be something we were proud of and a fitting showcase for our award-winning vehicles, like the Outlander and Outlander Plug-in Hybrid. We wanted our store to be the best in the country and believe we accomplished just that. If you build it, they will come, and our new state-of-the-art facility combined with our talented vehicle line-up will attract new customers to our showroom and keep them in the family for years to come."
MMNA Visual Identity Program dealerships are intended to be open, inviting, and welcoming to ensure the highest quality of interactions throughout a customer's vehicle ownership journey – from purchase to service to trade-in and repurchase. The main color palette is cool and muted, with black, grey, and red accents supporting Mitsubishi Motors' brand colors.
For more information on MMNA, visit media.mitsubishicars.com.
ABOUT MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Through a network of approximately 330 dealer partners across the United States, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is responsible for the sales, marketing and customer service of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles in the U.S. In its recently announced Midterm Plan – "Challenge 2025" – MMNA's parent company Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has committed to accelerating its efforts toward a sustainable carbon-neutral future, setting goals of 40 percent reduction in vehicle CO2 emissions and 50 percent reduction in operational CO2 emissions by 2030. Additionally, MMC has set targets for global sales of electrified vehicles at 50 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2035, leveraging a blend of plug-in hybrids (PHEV), hybrids (HEV) and pure electrics (BEV).
MMNA has its headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as corporate operations in California, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas, and Florida.
For more information on Mitsubishi vehicles, please visit media.mitsubishicars.com.
Contacts
Jeremy Barnes
Senior Director, Communications and Events
jeremy.barnes@na.mitsubishi-motors.com
Mobile: 714-296-1402
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SOURCE Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/06/22/mitsubishi-motors-dealer-facility-program-reaches-milestone-100th-updated-visual-identity-store-opens-outside-tampa-florida/ | 2023-06-22 11:44:12 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/06/22/mitsubishi-motors-dealer-facility-program-reaches-milestone-100th-updated-visual-identity-store-opens-outside-tampa-florida/ |
GPD investigates deadly crash on Archer Road
Published: Sep. 13, 2022 at 11:43 AM EDT|Updated: 22 minutes ago
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Gainesville Police Department officers are investigating a deadly crash on Tuesday morning that happened on a major roadway in the city.
Officers say the crash happened on Southwest Archer Road and Clark Butler Boulevard.
They say an SUV and a motorcycle crashed. A man was killed in the collision.
TRENDING: Marion County deputies investigating homicide on hiking trail
The roadway was blocked while traffic homicide detectives investigated the cause of the wreck.
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Copyright 2022 WCJB. All rights reserved. | https://www.wcjb.com/2022/09/13/gpd-investigates-deadly-crash-archer-road/ | 2022-09-13 16:08:07 | 1 | https://www.wcjb.com/2022/09/13/gpd-investigates-deadly-crash-archer-road/ |
BEIRUT — U.S.-led coalition forces captured a senior Islamic State leader in a military operation in northern Syria on Thursday, the coalition said.
In a statement, it said the captured leader was an experienced bomb maker and operational facilitator, describing him as one of the top leaders of the extremist group's Syria branch.
The statement did not identify the individual nor say where the raid took place. It said the operation was "successful" with no civilians harmed nor any injuries to coalition forces.
A Syria war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the operation began with two helicopters landing near the targeted area in the village of al-Humaira, about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the Turkish border.
It reported clashes unknown gunmen hiding in houses in the village in the northern Aleppo countryside, as they were chased by members of the coalition. The Observatory is Britain-based and maintains a network of activists on the ground in Syria.
The U.S.-backed forces declared victory over the Islamic State in March 2019 after retaking the last piece of territory held by the group in Syria. But IS continues to operate and carry out deadly attacks in both Iraq and Syria through sleeper cells and maintains several affiliates in various countries.
The coalition has conducted raids in the past to take out leaders of the violent group. In February, the group's leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi blew himself up along with members of his family as American forces raided his Syria hideout.
His predecessor, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, died similarly along with his family in 2019 by detonating a suicide vest in a tunnel in northwest Syria as a military operation unfolded during the Trump administration.
The IS group at the height of its power controlled more than 40,000 square miles stretching from Syria to Iraq and ruled over 8 million people. Its attacks in the region included a major assault last month to seize a prison in northeast Syria holding at least 3,000 IS detainees.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.apr.org/2022-06-16/a-u-s-led-military-raid-in-syria-captures-a-senior-is-leader | 2022-06-16 10:33:10 | 1 | https://www.apr.org/2022-06-16/a-u-s-led-military-raid-in-syria-captures-a-senior-is-leader |
NEW YORK, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Concern Worldwide today called for urgent international funding to assist communities in the Horn of Africa experiencing the worst drought in 40 years to avert a major humanitarian crisis in the coming months.
Over 23 million people require humanitarian support in Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Sudan, and South Sudan, after four failed rainy seasons over the last two years. Alarmingly, early forecasts indicate that the primary rainy season this October through December will also fail.
An estimated five million children in the region are malnourished, with 1.6 million experiencing severe malnutrition, putting their lives at risk. "Without an urgent response and scaling up of the humanitarian support, we risk 350,000 of these children dying," Concern's Regional Director for the Horn of Africa, Amina Abdulla, warned today.
Concern Worldwide has reached 2.5 million people with a range of assistance, including over 100,000 children, through nutrition interventions as part of its emergency response to the drought. It has scaled up its operations to reach an additional 1.5 million people since April. Its focus has been on providing cash support for families (to enable them to buy essentials such as water and food) and protecting critical services such as health and nutrition services.
"Scaling up of the emergency response to the drought is more important now than it has ever been, given the numbers we are looking at and what is anticipated in a few months," Ms. Abdulla said. "We need to scale up to prevent the situation from deteriorating further, or else we will surely not be able to cope with the numbers who will need assistance in the coming months."
During the drought of 2011 in the region, 13 million people needed humanitarian support in a famine, which resulted in 260,000 deaths in Somalia. Currently, there are 17 million people in need of humanitarian support in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia – and this figure is expected to rise to 20 million by September, she noted.
Ms. Abdulla said that an estimated 500,000 people are currently at risk of famine in the region. The number of cases of Cholera and Measles is also rising.
"The drought is taking a huge toll on livestock, with 1.2 million animals lost in Kenya over the last 18 months," she said. "Some 30% of livestock have died during the current drought in Somalia – a country where animals provide 80% of the country's income."
Concern's Country Director in Kenya Arshad Muhammad said the loss of livestock had led to displacement and dependence on humanitarian assistance of people in the country.
"The most vulnerable have been forced to reduce the amount of food they eat each day, as a fourth failed rainy season and the crisis in Ukraine has led to shortages of food and highly inflated prices. We are seeing a significant increase in the number of children under five requiring emergency treatment, but there simply aren't enough resources to meet the need, particularly in remote areas."
The drought is also taking a significant toll in Ethiopia. "Over eight million people rely on livestock for to make a living, but two million animals have perished and another 22 million are at risk of dying - they are weak and producing little milk, the main source of nutrition for children," said Concern's Ethiopia Country Director Barbara White.
"We focus on building people's ability to cope with emergencies, but this situation is now beyond that, and with rains expected to be below average in the coming season, it is a race against time to save people by providing basic food, water, and medical care."
The UN estimates that it will cost $4.4 billion to provide the necessary humanitarian support in the region up until August. However, donors' international response to appeals has fallen far short of targets.
The appeal for Somalia was just 27% funded, with the same response rate for South Sudan. Just 34% of the necessary funding was pledged for Kenya, while no fresh funding was pledged for Ethiopia.
Media Contact - Candance Patel-Taylor, (212) 557 - 8000, candance.pateltaylor@concern.net
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SOURCE Concern Worldwide US | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/06/29/urgent-response-required-avert-major-humanitarian-crisis-horn-africa-concern-worldwide-us-warns/ | 2022-06-29 13:54:46 | 0 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/06/29/urgent-response-required-avert-major-humanitarian-crisis-horn-africa-concern-worldwide-us-warns/ |
Love was not written in the stars for Michael Allio and Sierra Jackson.
The Oct. 10 episode of Bachelor in Paradise ended with one of the island's most promising couples breaking things off—and a whole lot of tension for everybody else.
From the moment they arrived on the beach, Michael Allio, 38, from Katie Thurston's season of The Bachelorette, and Sierra Jackson, 27, from Clayton Echard's season of The Bachelor, had an instant connection.
However, as their bond strengthened, Michael felt some familiar walls building back up again. Specifically, walls that he's been trying to break down as he attempts to create a new life for himself and his five-year-old son James after the death of his wife Laura in 2019.
"She's starting to create these scenarios where she's like, ‘I'd be such a good stepmom,'" Michael said to Bachelor in Paradise bartender Wells Adams. "I think it's something she would be great at. I think it's something that she cares about. But I don't know what it's like to love someone again. That part really frightens me."
Before he could tell Sierra how he was feeling, however, she brought him stargazing on the beach. Not only that, she told Michael she had purchased a constellation for Michael and his son, so they'd never have to be apart.
Not exactly an opportune time for a break-up, but Michael pushed forward.
"I can't put my finger on it, but there's something missing with us," he explained to Sierra. "I know you can feel me being guarded and I don't mean to do that. I really don't."
Michael admitted that his own grief was getting in the way of their potential, eventually telling Sierra, "I think the best thing now is space from the romantic pressure and to just be friends."
Sierra was noticeably taken aback, but ultimately told Michael she understood his decision.
Still, when she returned to the rest of the group, she informed them she was going home.
"Michael said he wants to be friends," Sierra said. "I just don't want to date anyone else and I don't want to see him date other people."
Sierra packed her bags and, after Teddi Wright made a similarly shocking exit during the Oct. 4 episode, became the second Bachelor in Paradise contestant to leave the island in as many weeks.
"I still want him, but I have to respect what he needs," Sierra said in confessional. "That's what you do whenever you care about someone."
Sierra's decision sent shockwaves through the rest of the cast, especially because her absence leaves one less rose available for the group of eligible men. Find out what goes down—and brace for the arrival of Salley Carson—when Bachelor in Paradise airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC. | https://www.eonline.com/news/1349764/how-an-emotional-bachelor-in-paradise-break-up-led-to-another-early-island-exit?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories | 2022-10-11 04:40:36 | 0 | https://www.eonline.com/news/1349764/how-an-emotional-bachelor-in-paradise-break-up-led-to-another-early-island-exit?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories |
Forrester's Financial Services Customer Trust Index helps providers assess and build customer trust to accelerate revenue growth
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Forrester's (Nasdaq: FORR) Financial Services Customer Trust Index rankings, over 50% of US customers have low trust in financial services providers across the banking, credit card, insurance, and investment industries. These firms are unsure of what drives trust and are unsuccessful in their efforts to earn it.
Forrester's data shows that customers who have strong trust in their primary financial services brands overwhelmingly indicated a greater likelihood to: 1) recommend the company to friends and family; 2) prefer the company over its competitors; 3) open an additional account; and 4) use additional products or services from that company. As an example, in the US, 93% of customers with high trust in their primary bank indicate that they would recommend the brand to family and friends, compared to just 39% of customers with low trust saying they would do the same.
Built upon Forrester's seven levers of trust, the Financial Services Customer Trust Index offers providers the data and insights needed to measure and assess customer trust and prioritize improvements that drive growth. To benchmark US customer trust in 2022, Forrester surveyed more than 10,000 US online adults about their primary financial services brands — including 12 of the largest and most popular auto and home insurers, 17 banks, 13 credit card issuers, and 12 investment firms.
Forrester's US Financial Services Customer Trust Index reveals that:
- Banks have the highest disparity gap in trust. Of all four industries surveyed, banking has the widest score differential — 18 points — which emphasizes the industry's disparity in earning and keeping customers' trust.
- Credit card issuers are mostly undifferentiated. Only one credit card brand has a "strong" Customer Trust Index score. The remaining 12 brands' scores show minimal differentiation, falling within a range of less than 9 points.
- Auto and home insurance customers have the lowest trust in their providers. Given that the insurance industry is built on protecting customers from potential losses, trust is a critical factor that ties directly to revenue. Eight out of 12 insurance providers surveyed, however, fall into the "weak" category for trust.
- Trust in investment firms is high, but few brands excel. While the investment industry has the highest average trust score, no brand reached the "strong" category.
- Top-scoring financial services firms in Forrester's Customer Experience Index (CX Index™) have high customer trust. Delivering great CX can help financial services firms earn trust. For example, USAA and Navy Federal Credit Union, firms that consistently achieve high scores on Forrester's US CX Index, also rank highly on Forrester's Trust Index. This indicates that a customer's perceptions and experiences accumulate over time to produce trust.
"Trust is difficult to earn and easy to lose," said Alyson Clarke, principal analyst at Forrester. "To design and execute strategies that earn more trust from customers, financial services providers must effectively measure customers' trust in the brand and understand the factors driving that trust. While data alone can't tell providers what and how to improve, Forrester's Financial Services Customer Trust Index is designed to help brands make informed decisions and ensure that trust is a core business imperative."
Resources:
- Read more about Forrester's Financial Services Customer Trust Index.
- Read Forrester's US 2022 Financial Services Customer Trust Index report and learn more about why providers have trouble measuring customer trust (client access required).
- Learn how business leaders can deliver impactful customer experiences that fuel growth.
About Forrester
Forrester (Nasdaq: FORR) is one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world. We help leaders across technology, marketing, customer experience, product, and sales functions use customer obsession to accelerate growth. Through Forrester's proprietary research, consulting, and events, leaders from around the globe are empowered to be bold at work — to navigate change and put their customers at the center of their leadership, strategy, and operations. Our unique insights are grounded in annual surveys of more than 700,000 consumers, business leaders, and technology leaders worldwide; rigorous and objective research methodologies, including Forrester Wave™ evaluations; 70 million real-time feedback votes; and the shared wisdom of our clients. To learn more, visit Forrester.com.
Media Contact:
Ira Kantor
Public Relations
Forrester Research, Inc.
ikantor@forrester.com
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SOURCE Forrester | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/11/10/forrester-over-half-us-customers-have-minimal-trust-their-financial-services-providers/ | 2022-11-10 15:25:01 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/11/10/forrester-over-half-us-customers-have-minimal-trust-their-financial-services-providers/ |
A major health network says a ransomware group has leaked patient information on the dark web after a cyberattack last month.
Lehigh Valley Health Network said in a statement Tuesday that BlackCat, a ransomware group described as being associated with Russia, posted limited patient information on the dark web.
LVHN said this includes three screenshots that are clinically appropriate photographs of cancer patients receiving radiation oncology treatment at LVPG Delta Medix in Scranton. The stolen information also included seven documents containing patient information.
LVHN’s statement condemned the leak, which it called “despicable,” saying “this unconscionable criminal act takes advantage of patients receiving cancer treatment.”
The health network said the attack on the Delta Medix IT system has had “very limited impact” on other LVHN IT systems, and that it will notify individuals whose information was involved.
In February, LVHN said BlackCat conducted a cyberattack on a network supporting a physician’s practice in Lackawanna County.
LVHN’s President and CEO Brian Nester said at the time that the network first detected unauthorized activity within its IT system on Feb. 6, notified law enforcement and cybersecurity experts, and launched an investigation.
The initial analysis found that the incident involved sensitive information and patient images for radiation oncology treatment. BlackCat demanded a ransom payment, but LVHN refused to pay.
The network said the cyberattack did not disrupt LVHN’s operations.
(Original air-date: 3/7/23) | https://www.wdiy.org/wdiy-headlines/2023-03-08/ransomware-group-leak-lvhn-patient-photos-information-online-after-cyberattack-wdiy-local-news | 2023-03-08 05:43:35 | 0 | https://www.wdiy.org/wdiy-headlines/2023-03-08/ransomware-group-leak-lvhn-patient-photos-information-online-after-cyberattack-wdiy-local-news |
INDIANAPOLIS — Two people are dead following a pair of shooting in the span of less than one hour overnight.
The two homicides took place on the east and near east sides.
Just before midnight, IMPD east district officers were dispatched to 619 N. Gray St. on a report of shots fired.
When officers arrived, they located an adult female inside a residence. Police say that victim was killed by a stray bullet fired into her home.
Dozens of bullets tore holes and shattered windows on both sides of the duplex.
“This is tragic,” said IMPD captain Mark McCardia. “There’s no excuse for this. This is a horrible situation.”
With the damage to the home visible in the daylight, friends and family say 51-year-old Farrenquai Bailey was shot through a window and died in her bedroom.
“It is senseless. What is the point? An innocent woman was shot for no reason. She didn’t do nothing,” said neighbor Amy Barajas.
Amy lives across the street. She says surveillance cameras on her home showed a car stop in front of victim’s home and two gunmen unleash a barrage of bullets.
“We just saw a guy get out of the car. He started shooting and then the driver got out,” said Amy.
“That was like a war,” said Juan Barajas.
While police and neighbors don’t know what motivated the overnight violence, police reports show shots were fired into the same home in late 2021.
“You don’t believe that would happen here. It’s not a quiet neighborhood, but you don’t expect that,” said Juan.
Less than an hour before that homicide, at approximately 11:00 pm, IMPD East District officers were dispatched to 1400 N. Priscilla Avenue on a report of a person shot.
57-year-old Stephen Flynn was found shot on the sidewalk in front of a vacant house. IEMS transported the victim to an area hospital in critical condition. Despite the best efforts of medical professionals, the victim passed away at the hospital.
Neighbors there reported hearing a single gunshot before seeing one suspect get into a car and drive away from that scene.
No arrests were made in either homicide.
Anyone with information about the Gray street incident should call Detective Gregory Shue at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475 or e-mail the detective at Douglas.Morning@indy.gov.
Anyone with information about the incident on Priscilla should call Detective Gregory Shue at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475 or e-mail the detective at Gregory.Shue@indy.gov . | https://cbs4indy.com/news/indy-woman-is-killed-by-stray-bullet-fired-into-her-bedroom-window/ | 2023-03-31 20:13:10 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/indy-woman-is-killed-by-stray-bullet-fired-into-her-bedroom-window/ |
ARIZONA, USA — Azee Romero climbed barefoot on the wrinkled trunk of the massive Emory oak tree at the center of the Oak Flat Campground.
The 5-year-old in his black dinosaur t-shirt with hair tied under a backwards baseball cap scaled higher and higher until he found the perfect seat. There, cradled by the sturdy trunk, the boy flashed a gap-toothed smile and rested comfortably as if he’d just climbed onto the lap of a grandparent.
In fact, that centuries-old oak tree and the ground below it – the sacred, ancestral flats that stretch for miles east of Phoenix -- are like kin to Azee’s family.
“My little guy, his umbilical cord is buried here,” said Azee’s mother, Lian Bighorse. She said the connection to Oak Flat is physical as well as spiritual.
The family is Chiricahua Apache and Oak Flat, or Chi’chil Bildagoteel, is a consecrated place used for prayer and ritual by them and many other Native Americans in the region. Elders say the land was blessed by Usen, their Creator, and inhabited by Ga’an, the mountain spirits or angels who provide spiritual succor and guidance to seekers.
But they fear for its future, seeing plans to carve a huge copper mine into the heart of Oak Flat as if it were a threat to their own flesh and blood — an obliteration of a piece of their spiritual heritage.
___
The 6.7-square-mile (17.3 square-kilometer) Oak Flat is a verdant oasis in an arid landscape dotted with towering saguaro cacti, majestic rock spires and sweeping canyons.
Here, sage and other plants used for medicinal and ritual purposes sprout along streams and wetlands that provide sanctuary for birds and other animals. It’s where Native people gather acorns that drop from the oak trees before crushing them into an edible powder, and pick red sumac berries for a refreshing, scarlet drink that Bighorse described as “Native Kool-Aid.”
It is also here that Resolution Copper Mining, a joint subsidiary of British and Australian mining giants, Rio Tinto and BHP, wants to remove layers of rock to extract copper from deep underground. The in-demand metal is used for electric vehicle and cell phone manufacturing. In the works for nearly a decade, the project has stalled amid a legal fight between U.S. agencies and those trying to protect Oak Flat on religious grounds.
Resolution Copper President Vicky Peacey said the mine will be a “massive investment in rural Arizona” — creating 3,700 jobs over the course of the project and boosting state and local tax revenues by $88 million to $113 million a year. The company continues to “seek dialogue, to come to a collaboration and partnership,” said Tyson Nansel, a company spokesperson.
“We need the copper. The town and the tribe need jobs," Nansel said.
But removing the ore from underground would eventually cause the ground surface to collapse into a 1.8-mile (2.9-kilometer) crater. Resolution says that other parts of the Oak Flat parcel would remain intact, including Devil’s Canyon and Queen Creek. Apache Leap, where local legend says a group of Apaches leapt to their death rather than surrender to the U.S. cavalry, has been placed under permanent protection.
That is little consolation for Native people who believe the mine will desecrate Oak Flat, a site for coming-of-age rituals for Apache women, healing sweat lodge ceremonies, and other big and small moments in the lives of Natives.
Bighorse’s 12-year-old daughter, Soleil Davignon, is preparing for her upcoming Sunrise Dance. The four-day ritual occurs within a year of a woman’s first menstrual period and Soleil’s ceremony is set for October. When the time comes, Soleil will don dresses and jewelry gifted by family members and perform more than 100 dances, using a curved staff to keep time with the music.
“I’ve always wanted my dance,” said Soleil on a recent day at Oak Flat as she picked sumac berries in a flowing skirt and sweatshirt. “I’ve been waiting for this. I’m ready.”
She practices the dances daily but worries mining could block her future access to a place where she can connect to something greater.
“This is a really sacred place,” Soleil said softly. “I love being here.”
___
Oak Flat sits on the edge of the Tonto National Forest property, where Resolution is proposing the project. The corporation began the permitting process nearly a decade ago, but the project has been stalled by legal and political wrangling between U.S. agencies and the nonprofit Apache Stronghold. The group is challenging a planned land swap that would allow the project to move forward. The full U.S. 9th District Court of Appeals is considering Apache Stronghold's request to permanently halt the project, and the only thing stopping that now is the lack of a new environmental impact statement.
Apache Stronghold's position is that the mine would endanger Oak Flat and hold back Native Americans from their spiritual practice, said Wendsler Nosie Sr., the longtime activist who leads the group. He lives on Oak Flat as an act of rebellion.
The former San Carlos Apache tribal chairman argues the land swap effectively declared that “the water, the air, the environment here in Oak Flat, they are all dead. … What we’ve done is given life back to it. It’s getting CPR right now through the religion.”
His tribe’s current top leadership supports Nosie’s efforts, but some members would rather have the mine and the possible job opportunities that could come with it given the area’s widespread unemployment.
They include Karen Kitcheyan-Jones, 64, the widow of a miner who never knew Oak Flat as a religious place. She had her coming-of-age celebration on the San Carlos Apache reservation — about 67 miles east of Oak Flat — where she still lives. Brenda Astor, Resolution’s Native affairs adviser, said Oak Flat is where her family gathered acorns for traditional Apache dishes.
Faith traditions differ on how they define sacredness, said Dan Dalton, a Detroit-based attorney who represents religious institutions in land use and zoning cases.
In the Oak Flat case, he said the law appears to favor the Native American community since “courts have deferred to the local religious entity to determine when land becomes sacred.” The only exception, he said, would be fraud, when someone is attempting to use religion to serve an ulterior motive.
Oak Flat has spiritual significance to many Native people and there are spots “where even a casual observer can experience a sense of the divine,” said John R. Welch, professor of archeology at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia who has worked extensively with Apache tribes. Evidence of its sacredness can be found in petroglyphs or rock paintings and Apache burial grounds.
“These places of transcendent holiness are not specifically attached to any one culture or territory,” he said. “They are recognized as being so important that no one should own them or restrict access to them.”
Stephanie Barclay, professor of law and director of the Religious Liberty Initiative at the University of Notre Dame, depicted the attitude of government officials toward Native sacred sites as shockingly callous.
“We would never tell a Christian that a church is just a place with bricks and mortar that you can get anywhere. Some things will have religious significance to some and not to others,” said Barclay, who learned about Oak Flat when she worked with Becket, the public-interest law firm that represents the Apache Stronghold.
__
For many, Oak Flat has been a place to reconnect with prayer and ceremonial traditions that can often get lost in urban areas. That includes Native American students from Brophy College Preparatory, the only Jesuit Catholic high school in Arizona.
The movement to save Oak Flat has allowed students in Brophy’s Native American Club to engage “more deeply in the work of understanding their own identity,” said Drew Rau, director of Brophy’s Office of Faith and Justice. For the past three years, the students have participated in an annual prayer run that culminates in Oak Flat. Students have also attended sunrise ceremonies and participated in sweat rituals.
A religiously diverse coalition — Christian, Muslim, Sikh and other Native American groups — has backed the Apache Stronghold by filing amicus briefs.
One brief filed by the Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty and Protect the First Foundation, argues that “a destroyed Oak Flat would devastate the Western Apache much like an obliterated Vatican for Catholics, a demolished Kaaba (in Mecca) for Muslims, or a dismantled temple for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
Religious allies have shown up in person, too. On a day in June, the Rev. Tracy Hughes, lead minister at Mountain View United Church in Aurora, Colorado, camped at Oak Flat with Nosie and his group in a show of unity. She is a member of Community Peacemaker Teams, an international organization that sends peace workers to conflict areas.
As a gentle breeze rustled the oaks and chaparral, Hughes said she felt the sanctity of Oak Flat in every breath: “That spiritual divine breath. It’s just here. It pulsates here.”
__
On a recent morning, Nosie sat on a lawn chair watching young Stronghold men stoke a fire to heat the rocks that would be used later in a sweat lodge ceremony at Oak Flat. For Apache men, sitting through the ceremony's four rounds of sweating is like returning to the mother’s womb and a reminder of women’s significance, he said.
“It’s about cleansing inside and out,” Nosie said.
Kooper Curley, who is Diné from Chichiltah on the Navajo Nation, planned to partake in the ritual, and called Oak Flat a “place of healing.” After falling into a life of drugs, gangs and violence, Kurley said re-connecting with his spiritual roots saved him.
These sacred sites have existed since the beginning of time to facilitate healing and renewal, which diminished as Native people were sent to reservations, Nosie said. He recalled that his mother would bring him and his siblings to Oak Flat when they were little. His mother and in many ways, he, grew up in an era where they were afraid to leave the reservation or to set foot on Oak Flat, even though it was public land and they had a right to be there, Nosie said.
“She’d park here and ask us to take a little air out of the tires so she could pretend like she had a flat tire, just in case someone stopped her,” he said. “We’d run out, say our prayers and grab what we can and come back. Then, we’d pump up the tires and leave.”
When he was in the San Carlos Apache reservation, Nosie felt like a prisoner. When he was out in the world, he felt he had lost his Apache identity.
“Here in Oak Flat,” he said, “this is home.”
Nosie credits his late mother for teaching him about his spiritual roots. He thinks about her as he walks around Oak Flat, picking up leaves and watching Native families have picnics under that ancient oak tree. He chokes up.
“Now, kids are running up and down the place, and they’re not scared,” he said. “We’ve come back to our spiritual home."
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/regional/native-america/arizonas-oak-flat-is-sacred-land-to-some-native-americans-but-endangered-by-a-plan-for-a-mine/75-b050e0fc-f7e5-4aa8-9108-e09c74f861fa | 2023-06-29 00:41:38 | 0 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/regional/native-america/arizonas-oak-flat-is-sacred-land-to-some-native-americans-but-endangered-by-a-plan-for-a-mine/75-b050e0fc-f7e5-4aa8-9108-e09c74f861fa |
Border Patrol: Woman crossing border attempts to smuggle meth, fentanyl in laundry basket
EL PASO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Texas found more than just dirty clothes when they investigated a basket of laundry making its way across the border.
The officers were working at the Paso Del Norte border crossing in El Paso on Aug. 13 when they encountered a 26-year-old female U.S. citizen. They said she was crossing the border from Mexico into the U.S in a vehicle.
The officers stopped the woman and conducted a secondary inspection of the vehicle, which included screening by a K-9 officer and an X-ray inspection. This search led the officers to the discovery of multiple bundles inside a basket of laundry containing 4.27 pounds of methamphetamine and .71 pounds of fentanyl.
In a release, CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio said people attempting to smuggle drugs in baskets of laundry was “out of the ordinary.”
“A seizure like this serves as a reminder that smugglers will use any and all means available in their attempts to introduce contraband into the United States,” he said.
CBP seized the drugs and the vehicle and turned the driver over to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for charges connected to the failed smuggling attempt.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/2022/08/19/border-patrol-woman-crossing-border-attempts-smuggle-meth-fentanyl-laundry-basket/ | 2022-08-19 00:51:46 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/2022/08/19/border-patrol-woman-crossing-border-attempts-smuggle-meth-fentanyl-laundry-basket/ |
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