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New this week: ‘Your Place or Mine’ and ‘All That Breathes’
By The Associated Press
This week’s new entertainment releases include an album from Paramore that shows off the band’s funkier side, the Academy Award-nominated documentary “All That Breathes” about Indian brothers who heal birds of prey, and two rom-coms just in time for Valentine’s Day — “Your Place or Mine” on Netflix and “Somebody I Used to Know” on Amazon Prime Video. There’s also a documentary on the infamous thief known as “Murf the Surf” and an attempt to boost the Harry Potter universe with the video game Hogwarts Legacy, an ambitious open-world adventure set at the school of magic in the 1800s. | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national/2023/02/03/new-this-week-your-place-or-mine-and-all-that-breathes/ | 2023-02-03 21:08:12 | 1 | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national/2023/02/03/new-this-week-your-place-or-mine-and-all-that-breathes/ |
Carriers feeling cheery about on-time holiday deliveries
(AP) - The nation’s major shipping companies are in the best shape to get holiday shoppers’ packages delivered on time since the start of the pandemic, suggesting a return to normalcy.
Carriers like the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx and United Parcel Service project to have enough capacity after struggling under the holiday crush for the past two years, when many people hunkered down at home and turned to online shopping.
The system is already being put to the test ahead of big shopping days on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when retailers entice shoppers with bargains. Amazon held a second Prime Day in October to jumpstart early holiday sales, but some shoppers are still holding out for deals in the coming days.
Brie Carere, chief customer care officer at FedEx, told The Associated Press she’s not worried: “The network is running the best that it has since COVID. We’re confident and ready.”
There are several factors at play: Consumers have gotten an early start, done more shopping in stores and moderated spending because of inflationary pressures, thus reducing shipping volume and spreading out shipments over a longer period. An extra shipping day between Thanksgiving and Christmas helps, too.
The outlook could be a win for carriers who need fewer temporary workers, retailers who face fewer peak surcharges, and shoppers whose gifts are more likely to be delivered on time, said Satish Jindel, president of Pennsylvania-based ShipMatrix.
The overall optimism represents a sharp contrast to holiday seasons in 2020 and 2021 when more everyday items were shipped during the pandemic, supply chain problems were a concern, and shipping companies struggled to keep up.
Carriers that reached their capacity limit dumped their excess parcels on the struggling U.S. Postal Service in 2020, when more than a third of Postal Service first-class mail was late by the time Christmas arrived. Back then, the Postal Service battled through despite thousands of quarantined workers.
Performance improved last year. And Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said the situation is even better now, with the installation of 137 new package-sorting machines ahead of the holiday season, bringing the total to 249 additional package-processing machines since March 2021.
That boosts the Postal Service’s daily package processing ability to 60 million, and staffing improvements allowed the Postal Service to reduce seasonal hiring by half.
“Our customers and the American people should feel confident in the service we will provide for the holiday season,” he said.
All told, shipping companies are projected to have excess capacity of 10 million to 20 million parcels beyond what’s needed each day at peak shipping time, providing a buffer and lowering peak surcharges, Jindel said.
And they continue to line up extra workers to help with peak demand. Amazon, which operates its own fleet of delivery vehicles, said it’s once again hiring 150,000 employees for full-time, part-time and seasonal roles in the United States. United Parcel Service planned to hire upward of 100,000 seasonal workers to get over the hump while stressing that it’s still a good idea to avoid waiting to the last minute.
“Shopping, buying and shipping early continue to be important to avoid the busiest times of peak season,” said UPS spokesperson Jim Mayer.
—-
Sharp reported from Portland, Maine. Associated Press retail writer Anne D’Innocenzio in New York contributed to this report.
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Follow David Sharp on Twitter @David_Sharp_AP.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.weau.com/2022/11/21/carriers-feeling-cheery-about-on-time-holiday-deliveries/ | 2022-11-21 15:22:26 | 1 | https://www.weau.com/2022/11/21/carriers-feeling-cheery-about-on-time-holiday-deliveries/ |
UNLEASH World returns to Paris for its 10th Anniversary from 12-13th October 2022
LONDON, Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After a three year hiatus, UNLEASH World is back with a bang in Paris this October, gathering Europe's HR thinkers, strategists and innovators in person to mark its tenth anniversary.
As HR continues to transform, UNLEASH World 2022 is bringing together la crème de la crème to showcase the next wave of breakthrough technologies and global innovators changing the future of work. Despite everything, the heart and soul of HR remains the same – people, passion and purpose.
Held at the Paris Convention Centre, UNLEASH World will be the epicentre of the ultimate HR experience, hosting over 200 inspirational speakers and exhibitors sharing their expertise and thoughts on the people challenges that organisations face today.
UNLEASH will roll out the red carpet for some of the brightest minds of the business world, including:
- Q Hamirani, Global Head of Live and Work Anywhere - Airbnb
- Josh Novelle, Global Director of Digital Learning Solutions - Warner Music Group
- Beatriz Jaén Caparrós, Director People Technology and Analytics - Virgin Media O2
- Costas Markides, Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship - London Business School
- Béatrice Guillaume-Grabisch, CHRO - Nestle
- Hannah Fry, Mathematician and BBC Television Presenter
- Shakti Jauhar, Head of Global Digital HR Transformation and People Experience - McDonald's
Other people leaders taking the stage include Elisa Bassi, Global Learning Director for Transformation at L'Oreal, Antonio Bebba, DE&I Regional Operations Lead (Europe) at Pfizer, Peter Hinssen, Founder of nexxworks, Erin Mayer, Professor of Management Practice from Insead and Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia, plus many more.
Visitors can also expect to hear exclusive announcements live at the event from Avature, Benify, Crunchr and Remote.com.
Marc Coleman, CEO and Founder of UNLEASH:
"With the success of UNLEASH America back in May under our belts, we cannot wait to host our flagship event in Paris and deliver an in-person HR experience like none other. The last few years have been a whirlwind for the HR community, reinventing itself in the face of the challenges of the pandemic. However, we want to put the focus back on how the heart and soul of HR remains untouched with people, passion and purpose at its core. Our ultimate objective is for UNLEASH World to shine a light on HR superpowers shaping the future of work."
For more information on UNLEASH World, or to join the best HR experience of your career, visit: https://www.unleash.ai/unleashworld/.
About UNLEASH
UNLEASH is a global digital media and events business that brings the latest news, analysis and market trends to HR, technology, learning and recruitment leaders.
Since 2011, UNLEASH has served the global HR community. It drives transformation and pushes the industry forward. UNLEASH exists to inspire, connect and empower HR leaders worldwide to stay one step ahead in the fast-changing world of work.
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SOURCE UNLEASH | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/09/unleash-world-turns-ten-paris/ | 2022-08-09 08:09:38 | 1 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/09/unleash-world-turns-ten-paris/ |
WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — Deputies in Walton County, Florida say they are investigating after three packages of cocaine were discovered washed ashore on three different areas of the beach.
Deputies responded to Scenic Gulf Drive in Miramar Beach on Monday after a beachgoer found what appeared to be some type of narcotics.
“The package was in a clear Ziploc bag wrapped in clear plastic. The package was confiscated and submitted into evidence for destruction,” deputies wrote in a news release.
But later the same day, deputies were called to the Gulfview Heights beach access where they found a brick of cocaine, sometimes referred to as ‘snow,’ washed up on the shoreline.
“The package was wrapped in a bio bag and was black in color with a logo sticker on the outside,” deputies wrote. “The package was brought to the South Walton substation where it later tested positive for cocaine and submitted for destruction.”
Then on Tuesday morning, deputies were called to Grayton Beach State Park for a similar incident where they located another brick of cocaine wrapped with a different logo. The package was collected into evidence to be destroyed. Deputies estimate the value of the three packages to be more than $100,000.
“It’s not uncommon for Walton County Sheriff’s Office to be called to the beach for suspicious items washed ashore from the Gulf whether it be ordnance, drugs, or otherwise,” deputies added. “WCSO encourages residents and visitors to IMMEDIATELY call (850)-892-8111 and not attempt to retrieve or open these items.”
The Coast Guard was notified and Walton’s VICE/Narcotics Unit is also looking into these incidents, deputies said.
In October, beachgoers found a package containing roughly 11 pounds of cocaine that had washed ashore near Daytona Beach. Authorities estimated its value at around $150,000. | https://www.wdtn.com/news/snow-on-the-beach-florida-deputies-say-100000-in-cocaine-washed-ashore/ | 2023-04-06 18:25:20 | 1 | https://www.wdtn.com/news/snow-on-the-beach-florida-deputies-say-100000-in-cocaine-washed-ashore/ |
This was a major year for looking back to the Great Depression for guidance, as well as for a buck-up dose of that era's shining-through, Shirley Temple spirit. Out of all of the '30s-themed books I read this year, my pick for the best nonfiction book is Kirsten Downey's biography of Frances Perkins, The Woman Behind the New Deal. Here's how Franklin Roosevelt's controversial choice for secretary of labor recalled the first meeting of FDR's Cabinet in 1933:
"I tried to have as much of a mask as possible. I wanted to give the impression of being a quiet, orderly woman who didn't buzz-buzz all the time. ... I knew that a lady interposing an idea into men's conversation is very unwelcome. ... You didn't butt in with bright ideas."
As Downey's compelling biography reveals, Perkins' strategy of reticence worked. She achieved many of her "bright ideas," like the minimum wage, work-hour limitations and the Social Security Act. Indeed, if Perkins had completely realized her vision, national health care would have long been an American reality.
Henry Ford, of course, was a bitter foe of FDR and his worker-friendly legislation. During the 1930s, Ford attempted to escape to an imagined pre-industrial golden age by pouring money and manpower into a Disneyland-type settlement in the Amazon called "Fordlandia." In a lively work of narrative history of the same title, historian Greg Grandin rediscovers this forgotten utopian town, the ruins of which still stand deep in the jungles of Brazil.
Grandin mentions that Fordlandia had a dance hall where only polkas and minuets were allowed, because Ford disapproved of the "sex dancing" that was sweeping America in the 1920s and '30s. In contrast, esteemed literary critic Morris Dickstein's cultural history of the 1930s, called Dancing in the Dark, is fascinated with Busby Berkeley's "sex dancing" extravaganzas. Dickstein also investigates the deeper meanings of art deco industrial design, gangster movies, the photographs of Dorothea Lange and Margaret Bourke White, and the novels of Zora Neale Hurston and John Steinbeck.
Finally, the work of nonfiction I reviewed this year that garnered the most listener response had nothing to do with the Great Depression; Happens Every Day by novice writer Isabel Gillies is a disarming memoir that focuses on the collapse of her marriage to a poetry professor at Oberlin — a school, Gillies cheekily tells us, where all the students "play an instrument well" and "know how to address [transgendered people]."
Any year in which I stumble on a terrific new mystery series is a bull market year for me; this past summer, a wise independent bookseller recommended that I read the Moe Prager mysteries set in Brooklyn and starring a Jewish former police detective. The atmospheric Prager series is written by Reed Farrel Coleman, who just may be the only mystery writer licensed to drive trucks filled with hazardous materials like nuclear waste.
Speaking of nuclear Armageddon, my nominee for this year's best work of literary fiction, Zoe Heller's acerbic novel of ideas, The Believers, merrily decimates the world its characters once inhabited. The Believers explores what happens when a zealous, William Kunstler-type superstar lawyer dies and his children drift into various other political and religious orthodoxies. Heller has no patience for what she calls the phenomenon of "relatability" in fiction: Her characters aren't particularly likeable; instead, they rivet our attention with their wit, smarts and bad behavior.
Other fiction standouts were the incomparable Lorrie Moore's seductive tale A Gate at the Stairs, her first novel in 15 years; Brooklyn by Colm Toibin, about a young Irish woman who immigrates to New York in the 1950s and works at a department store; and The Man in the Wooden Hat by British master Jane Gardam. This nuanced story of a long marriage is a companion piece to her best-known work, Old Filth.
Last, but definitely not least, there's Jess Walter's superb farce, The Financial Lives of the Poets. His anti-hero is a middle-aged former journalist whose wife is on the verge of an affair and whose house is a week away from foreclosure. Unable to sleep one night, this sad sack goes out to a 7-Eleven to buy milk for his kids' cereal; there, he falls in with a gang of teenage drug dealers and hatches a desperate plan for restoring his financial solvency. It's not exactly a Frank Capra plot, but the screwball sensibility of Walter's novel is very much an updated take on those dark Depression comedies. Here's to looking ahead to better times and many more terrific books.
Maureen Corrigan's Complete List: The Best Books Of 2009
(click the book titles below or the book covers at left to read an excerpt)
Fiction
- The Believers, by Zoe Heller, hardcover, 352 pages, Harper, list price: $25.99
- Brooklyn, by Colm Toibin, hardcover, 262 pages, Scribner, list price: $25
- A Gate at the Stairs, by Lorrie Moore, hardcover, 336 pages, Knopf, list price: $25.95
- The Man in the Wooden Hat, by Jane Gardam, paperback, 240 pages, Europa, list price: $15
- The Financial Lives of the Poets, by Jess Walter, hardcover, 304 pages, Harper, list price: $25.99
Non-Fiction
- Happens Every Day: An All-Too-True Story, by Isabel Gillies, hardcover, 272 pages, Scribner, list price: $25
- The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR'S Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience, by Kirstin Downey, hardcover, 480 pages, Nan A. Talese, list price: $35
- Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City, by Greg Grandin, hardcover, 432 pages, Metropolitan, list price $27.50
- Dancing in the Dark: A Cultural History of the Great Depression, by Morris Dickstein, hardcover, 624 pags, W.W. Norton & Co., list price: $29.95
Mystery
- "Moe Prager" mysteries, by Reed Farrel Coleman, paperback
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air. | https://www.apr.org/arts-life/2009-12-23/maureen-corrigans-best-books-of-2009 | 2022-08-21 01:18:57 | 1 | https://www.apr.org/arts-life/2009-12-23/maureen-corrigans-best-books-of-2009 |
Pinwheel is now a PCI DSS Level 2 Compliant provider of income and employment data, strengthening its commitment to setting the industry standard for security and compliance.
NEW YORK, May 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Pinwheel, the market-leading provider of income and employment data engineered for next-generation fintech innovation, achieved Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) Level 2 compliance.
The PCI DSS is a set of security standards designed to ensure that all companies that accept, process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. To achieve PCI DSS Level 2 compliance, Pinwheel underwent a rigorous assessment carried out by A-LIGN, an independent Qualified Security Assessor (QSA). The review evaluated the company's infrastructure, policies, and procedures against the PCI DSS requirements, which include maintaining a secure network, implementing strong access control measures, and regularly monitoring and testing networks.
This milestone demonstrates Pinwheel's unwavering commitment to maintaining the highest security standards and protecting sensitive customer data. As a result, customers can feel confident that their data – ultimately, the consumers' critical income and employment data – is well protected when using Pinwheel's payroll connectivity solutions.
Pinwheel's growing list of compliance certifications and achievements includes the following:
- SOC 2 Type II Certification: A third-party audit evaluating Pinwheel's security, availability, confidentiality, processing integrity, and privacy.
- Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA): Pinwheel was the first income and connectivity provider to provide consumer-permissioned income and employment data to clients while ensuring consumers have full protections available under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), unlocking new FCRA-permissible use cases like credit evaluation.
- ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Certification: The highest security certification in the industry.
- Visa-Ready Certification: Meeting Visa's global standards around security and functionality, Pinwheel recently joined the Visa Fintech Partner Connect Program, allowing Pinwheel to work more seamlessly with merchants, financial institutions, and fintech companies to launch new use cases.
- The Income and Employment Connectivity Industry's First and Only CISO: Last year, Pinwheel appointed Jeff Hudesman as its CISO.
"Reaching PCI DSS Level 2 compliance is a testament to our dedication to providing secure and reliable solutions for fintechs, financial institutions, and their customers," said Jeff Hudesman, CISO at Pinwheel. "Pinwheel's ability to streamline innovation and power use cases is meaningless if the information is not impeccably safeguarded. Security has always been, and will remain, a guiding principle for Pinwheel, as we remain committed to the ongoing journey of exceeding and creating new security standards for the industry."
About Pinwheel:
Pinwheel is the market-leading income and employment API. With Pinwheel, fintechs, and financial institutions are empowered to build the next generation of financial products that will help create a fairer financial system. Pinwheel provides access to consumer-permissioned income & employment accounts and actionable insights that help them make sense of the data they need to tailor their tools and services for consumers. Pinwheel's platform has enterprise-grade security protocols to power connections to over 1,600 platforms (covering up to 100% of US workers who are paid via direct deposit), and over 1.5 million employers. From that point of connectivity, leading fintechs and financial institutions (such as Block, formerly Square) leverage us to power direct deposit switching, earned wage access, income & employment verification, and build innovative new products. Pinwheel is also a Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA), making the company the first provider in the space offering Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)-compliant income and employment data that lenders can use actively in decisioning. Pinwheel is trusted and funded with $77M by top-tier investors such as GGV, Coatue, First Round Capital, and more.
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SOURCE Pinwheel | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2023/05/09/pinwheel-achieves-pci-dss-level-2-compliance-its-income-employment-connectivity-powered-solutions/ | 2023-05-09 16:40:41 | 1 | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2023/05/09/pinwheel-achieves-pci-dss-level-2-compliance-its-income-employment-connectivity-powered-solutions/ |
NEW YORK, April 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of non-fungible tokens ("NFTs") of DraftKings Inc. (NASDAQ: DKNG) between August 11, 2021 and the present (the "Class Period") of the important May 8, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased DraftKings NFTs 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 DraftKings class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=1807 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 May 8, 2023. 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 litigate 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) the NFTs were securities for which DraftKings unlawfully failed to file a registration statement; (2) DraftKings ensured that money invested by class members stayed on DraftKings' private and exclusively controlled marketplace, propping up the market for and overall valuation of DraftKings' NFTs; and (3) as a result, investors have suffered significant damages. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the DraftKings class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=1807 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.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/04/22/rosen-respected-leading-firm-encourages-draftkings-inc-investors-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-dkng/ | 2023-04-22 23:06:09 | 0 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/04/22/rosen-respected-leading-firm-encourages-draftkings-inc-investors-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-dkng/ |
Chris Long bounced back.
After a tough outing against Minnesota in which he dropped two passes, the Rutgers wide receiver made his biggest play of the season against an FBS opponent against No. 4 Michigan.
With his team facing a 3rd-and-8 late in the second quarter, Long caught a ball on a slant route, beat a safety in space and ran into the open field for a 48-yard gain that set up an eventual touchdown for teammate Sean Ryan that put the Scarlet Knights (4-5, 1-5) up 17-14 at the half.
“They called the play and I knew the ball was coming to me because they were in man (coverage), so when the ball is thrown to me, I got to catch it,” Long said. “I caught it and I felt somebody, got him off me, then I made a move on the safety and I just saw a touchdown and started running. It was definitely a good play, a great feeling.”
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It was the best game of the season for Long, who is back at his preferred position of wide receiver after playing defensive back in his first two tumultuous seasons at Rutgers. He did not get into the end zone, but he showed an ability to do so earlier in the season against Wagner, when he caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from redshirt freshman quarterback Gavin Wimsatt.
“He’s really got great potential,” head coach Greg Schiano said. “He’s a good player now; I think he can be a really good player. I see him every day, so I know what he is capable of.”
Long met with the media for the first time this season this week, and here’s what he said about the position switch, catching passes from Wimsatt and his two-reception, 50-yard performance in the 52-17 loss to the Wolverines:
Question: What do you take away from your performance against Michigan?
Long: “Just being ready when my number is called. When the ball is thrown to me, I just got to catch it. I know what I am capable of doing. I have a really special offensive line and quarterback, we just got to learn from our mistakes and continue to move forward and grow for Michigan State.”
Q: What is it like to be back at wide receiver?
Long: “It’s been very, very fun. I’m very happy. (Playing defensive back) was cool with (former Rutgers cornerbacks coach) Fran (Brown) still being there and our relationship, but I knew at heart that my position was receiver. It definitely feels good getting back to doing what I love to do.”
Q: It seems like Gavin’s passes come out so fast. What’s it like to catch them?
Long: “Definitely a lot of heat on them, but at practice, that’s where we got to continue to grow our connection and just get used to catching his passes because we had a lot of different quarterback situations. With him being the starter, we just continue to work and grow. But it’s definitely a lot of heat on those passes.”
Q: From your vantage point, is he getting more comfortable?
Long: “Yeah, definitely. I can tell by the way he moves out there, the way he throws and all of that. He’s growing and adapting to his role.”
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Q: How is he as a leader, commanding the offense?
Long: “He’s growing into a leader. He’s accepting his role and doing what a starting quarterback does. He definitely adapted and learned how to become a leader.”
Q: Is that game a showing of what you and this offense can become?
Long: Definitely. We showed flashes out there. That play, it unlocked something in me I guess. But definitely getting our feet wet, getting warm out there. So there’s definitely more to come.
Q: Tell me about this tattoo on your neck. It looks cool.
Long: It’s a clock with a rose. It means time is precious. Don’t take anything for granted. You never know when your time is going to go, so live life to the fullest.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Brian Fonseca may be reached at bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com. | https://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/2022/11/rutgers-chris-long-shows-glimpses-of-potential-in-fun-1st-season-back-at-wr-qa.html | 2022-11-11 13:28:57 | 0 | https://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/2022/11/rutgers-chris-long-shows-glimpses-of-potential-in-fun-1st-season-back-at-wr-qa.html |
SAN FRANCISCO, July 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EP Cube announced its partnership with Treedom, the first platform in the world allowing customers to plant a tree remotely and track the story online, and jointly launched the "One Move to Green, One Step to Eternal Planet" event.
Through this initiative, all customers who purchase EP Cube will receive a tree planted by Treedom. Participants can invite their friends to join as well. The initiative details can be found on EP Cube's social media platforms. All proceeds from the trees will be used to benefit local communities and residents.
Battery systems bring sustainable benefits by supplying power to households during peak hours, thus reducing customers' electricity bills and their reliance on traditional energy sources. As the first self-designed-and-developed residential energy storage system by Eternalplanet, a consumer-oriented independent brand under Canadian Solar, EP Cube furthers these benefits, offering greater energy savings and sustainability through compatibility with high-power solar panels, enhancing energy efficiency and cutting down energy loss.
By partnering with Treedom, EP Cube now offers those investing in solar energy storage a way to make an even larger positive impact by helping support tree-planting projects around the world.
"In this collaboration with Treedom, we are proud to offer our customers an opportunity to take further action and help to protect our planet," said Mimosa Kan, Director of Business Development at Eternalplanet. "EP Cube plays a significant role in saving energy, decreasing reliance on fossil fuels, and reducing emissions - equivalent to as much as 600 trees a year. We hope this collaboration will encourage more people to go green with EP Cube."
The initiative is currently underway in the US and will come to more regions globally. Canadian Solar and Eternalplanet are dedicated to further popularizing this campaign and will introduce EP Cube to more markets, creating a greener and more sustainable future with their partners.
About Eternalplanet
Eternalplanet is a consumer-oriented independent brand of energy technology under Canadian Solar, with independent design, R&D, manufacturing and global service capabilities. Eternalplanet always adheres to scientific and technological innovation and is committed to providing energy solutions for people and promoting the sustainable development of the world. In September 2022, Eternalplanet launched the first self-designed-and-developed residential energy storage system in the United States - EP Cube. EP Cube adopts industry-leading technologies to provide all-round power backup for every household, with higher safety performance and more flexible capacity expansion. More information on the company can be found at https://epcube.com.
About Canadian Solar Inc.
Canadian Solar was founded in 2001 in Canada and is one of the world's largest solar technology and renewable energy companies. It is a leading manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules, provider of solar energy and battery storage solutions, and developer of utility-scale solar power and battery storage projects with a geographically diversified pipeline in various stages of development. Over the past 22 years, Canadian Solar has successfully delivered around 94 GW of premium-quality, solar photovoltaic modules to customers across the world. Likewise, since entering the project development business in 2010, Canadian Solar has developed, built and connected over 8.8 GWp in over 20 countries across the world. Currently, the Company has approximately 609 MWp of projects in operation, 6.9 GWp of projects under construction or in backlog (late-stage), and an additional 17.7 GWp of projects in advanced and early-stage pipeline. Canadian Solar is one of the most bankable companies in the solar and renewable energy industry, having been publicly listed on the NASDAQ since 2006. For additional information about the Company, follow Canadian Solar on LinkedIn or visit https://www.canadiansolar.com.
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SOURCE Eternalplanet | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/21/solar-energy-storage-system-ep-cube-cooperates-with-treedom-boost-environmental-friendly-sustainable-development/ | 2023-07-21 22:13:09 | 1 | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/21/solar-energy-storage-system-ep-cube-cooperates-with-treedom-boost-environmental-friendly-sustainable-development/ |
The December moon won’t be lighting up the night sky on Christmas Eve this year, but it will be turning full this week and glowing at full illumination for two straight nights.
The final moon of 2022 — nicknamed the “cold moon” because of the chill of winter — will be 97% full on Tuesday, Dec. 6, reaching full illumination at 11:08 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, Dec. 7. It will also be 100% full on Thursday, Dec. 8, according to MoonGiant.com.
The moon will be 98% full on Friday, Dec. 9, but by the time Christmas Eve arrives two weeks later, the moon will be in its waxing crescent phase, with only 2% illumination. The illumination will increase slightly, to 6%, on Christmas.
The moon is scheduled to start rising in the east-northeastern sky at 3:23 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Dec. 6, at about 4 p.m. on Dec. 7, at 4:40 p.m. on Dec. 8 and 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 9.
Nicknames for the December full moon
The nickname “cold moon” originated from native American tribes, in this case the Mohawks, which gave a name to each full moon throughout the year to help track the seasons. Most moon nicknames are based on weather conditions, crop cycles, hunting routines and other seasonal factors.
The cold in the December nickname refers to the dropping temperatures that start taking hold as the winter season sets in.
While the cold moon is the most popular nickname, there are a few others, according to the Farmers’ Almanac and its competitor, the Old Farmer’s Almanac. It’s sometimes referred to as the “full long night’s moon” or the “moon before yule.”
The yule refers to the Pagan celebration of the winter solstice — the moment winter officially starts. (That will happen this year on Wednesday, Dec. 21, in the northern hemisphere.)
As for the “long night” nickname, the Farmers’ Almanac notes it is “because the midwinter night is indeed long, and because the moon is above the horizon for a long time. The midwinter full moon has a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low sun.”
In the southern hemisphere, where the seasons are flipped, the full December moon is often called the strawberry moon, honey moon or rose moon, according to Space.com. In the northern hemisphere, the strawberry moon is in June.
Big meteor shower coming soon
The annual Geminid meteor shower, which often generates as many as 50 to 100 meteors per hour in dark locations, will be reaching its peak next week.
Although the meteor shower started in late November and will last through Dec. 24 this year, the Geminids are expected to be at their best during the evening and late-night hours on Tuesday, Dec. 13, into the early-morning hours on Wednesday, Dec. 14, according to astronomy experts at EarthSky.org.
Because the moon will be about 75% full, it will likely be tough to see the faintest meteors. But experts say the Geminids are known to produce meteors that are white and bright, so many should be visible this year.
As with any meteor shower, it’s best to find a viewing location that is as far away as possible from bright city lights or street lights. Experts say you should give your eyes about 20 minutes to adjust to the dark sky, lay back on a blanket or a lawn chair and scan the entire sky — not just the area of the sky where the meteors are originating from.
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Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com.
Have a news tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips. | https://www.nj.com/news/2022/12/december-cold-moon-final-full-moon-of-2022-to-shine-in-sky-this-week.html | 2022-12-05 21:54:37 | 1 | https://www.nj.com/news/2022/12/december-cold-moon-final-full-moon-of-2022-to-shine-in-sky-this-week.html |
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CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Omega Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: OMGA) ("Omega"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering the first systematic approach to use mRNA therapeutics as a new class of programmable epigenetic medicines by leveraging its OMEGA Epigenomic Programming™ platform, today announced that management will participate in a fireside chat at the H.C. Wainwright 24th Annual Global Investment Conference on Monday, September 12, 2022, at 10 a.m. ET.
A live webcast of the fireside chat will be available on the Investors & Media section of the Company's website at www.omegatherapeutics.com. An archived replay of the fireside chat will be available on the same website for approximately 90 days.
Omega Therapeutics, founded by Flagship Pioneering, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering the first systematic approach to use mRNA therapeutics as a new class of programmable epigenetic medicines. The company's OMEGA Epigenomic Programming™ platform harnesses the power of epigenetics, the mechanism that controls gene expression and every aspect of an organism's life from cell genesis, growth, and differentiation to cell death. Using a suite of technologies, paired with Omega's process of systematic, rational, and integrative drug design, the OMEGA platform enables control of fundamental epigenetic processes to correct the root cause of disease by returning aberrant gene expression to a normal range without altering native nucleic acid sequences. Omega's modular and programmable mRNA medicines, Omega Epigenomic Controllers™, are designed to target specific epigenomic loci within insulated genomic domains, EpiZips, from amongst thousands of unique, mapped, and validated genome-wide DNA-sequences, with high specificity to durably tune single or multiple genes to treat and cure diseases through Precision Genomic Control™. Omega is currently advancing a broad pipeline of development candidates spanning a range of disease areas, including oncology, regenerative medicine, multigenic diseases including immunology, and select monogenic diseases, including alopecia.
For more information, visit omegatherapeutics.com, or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding our participation in upcoming events and presentations and expectations regarding our business strategy and product candidate pipeline, including efficacy, trial design, regulatory submissions, approvals and timing thereof, and initiation of preclinical studies and advancement of multiple preclinical development programs. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: the novel technology on which our product candidates are based makes it difficult to predict the time and cost of preclinical and clinical development and subsequently obtaining regulatory approval, if at all; the substantial development and regulatory risks associated with epigenomic controller machines due to the novel and unprecedented nature of this new category of medicines; our limited operating history; the incurrence of significant losses and the fact that we expect to continue to incur significant additional losses for the foreseeable future; our need for substantial additional financing; our investments in research and development efforts that further enhance the OMEGA platform, and their impact on our results; uncertainty regarding preclinical development, especially for a new class of medicines such as epigenomic controllers; the fact that our product candidates may be associated with serious adverse events, undesirable side effects or have other properties that could halt their regulatory development, prevent their regulatory approval, limit their commercial potential, or result in significant negative consequences; the impact of increased demand for the manufacture of mRNA and LNP based vaccines to treat COVID-19 on our development plans; difficulties manufacturing the novel technology on which our OEC candidates are based; our ability to adapt to rapid and significant technological change; our reliance on third parties for the manufacture of materials; our ability to successfully acquire and establish our own manufacturing facilities and infrastructure; our reliance on a limited number of suppliers for lipid excipients used in our product candidates; our ability to advance our product candidates to clinical development; and our ability to obtain, maintain, enforce and adequately protect our intellectual property rights. These and other important factors discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 and our other filings with the SEC could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management's estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.
Media contact:
Jason Braco
LifeSci Communications
646.751.4361
jbraco@lifescicomms.com
Investor contact:
Kevin Murphy
Argot Partners
212.600.1902
ArgotOmega@argotpartners.com
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SOURCE Omega Therapeutics | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/06/omega-therapeutics-participate-hc-wainwright-24th-annual-global-investment-conference/ | 2022-09-06 12:43:34 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/06/omega-therapeutics-participate-hc-wainwright-24th-annual-global-investment-conference/ |
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The car of a prominent pro-Kremlin novelist exploded in Russia on Saturday, wounding him and killing his driver, Russia's state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency and law enforcement officials.
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The incident involving the car of Zakhar Prilepin, a well-known nationalist writer and an ardent supporter of what the Kremlin calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine, took place in the region of Nizhny Novgorod, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Moscow.
It is the third explosion involving prominent pro-Kremlin figures since the start of the war in Ukraine.
In August 2022, a car bombing on the outskirts of Moscow killed Daria Dugina, the daughter of an influential Russian political theorist often referred to as "Putin's brain.” The authorities alleged that Ukraine was behind the blast.
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Last month, an explosion in a cafe in St. Petersburg killed a popular military blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky. Officials once again blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies for orchestrating it.
Tass cited Prilepin's spokespeople as saying that he was “ok.” No details were given about the extent of the injuries.
Russian news outlet RBC reported, citing unnamed sources, that on Saturday, Prilepin was traveling back to Moscow from Ukraine’s partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions and stopped in the Nizhny Novogorod region for a meal.
Police are investigating the incident, the report said.
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Prilepin became a supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014, after Putin illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula. He was involved in the conflict in eastern Ukraine on the side of Russia-backed separatists. Last year, he was sanctioned by the European Union for his support of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In 2020, he founded a political party, For the Truth, which Russian media reported was backed by the Kremlin. A year later, Prilepin's party merged with the nationalist A Just Russia party that has seats in the parliament.
A co-chair of the newly formed party, Prilepin won a seat in the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, in the 2021 election, but gave it up.
Leader of the party Sergei Mironov called the incident on Saturday “a terrorist act” and blamed Ukraine for it. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova echoed Mironov's sentiment in a post on the messaging app Telegram, adding that the responsibility lies with the U.S. and NATO.
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“Washington and NATO have nursed yet another international terrorist cell — the Kyiv regime,” Zakharova wrote. “Direct responsibility of the U.S. and Britain. We're praying for Zakhar.” | https://www.seattlepi.com/news/world/article/pro-kremlin-novelist-injured-in-car-explosion-in-18082972.php | 2023-05-06 11:31:56 | 0 | https://www.seattlepi.com/news/world/article/pro-kremlin-novelist-injured-in-car-explosion-in-18082972.php |
‘Costume of the year’: Dad builds Zamboni wheelchair costume for son
Published: Oct. 31, 2022 at 12:07 PM CDT|Updated: 58 minutes ago
(CNN) – A Canadian dad built a costume for his wheelchair-bound 5-year-old son, and the getup is getting a lot of praise from hockey fans.
Easton Oetting was born with an extremely rare genetic condition, 8p23.1 Duplication Syndrome, which mainly affects his legs and speech delays. He also has a heart defect.
For this Halloween, Easton’s dad, DJ Oetting, built him an Edmondton Oilers-themed Zamboni costume that fits over his wheelchair.
The National Hockey League responded to the costume, calling it the “costume of the year.”
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/10/31/costume-year-dad-builds-zamboni-wheelchair-costume-son/ | 2022-10-31 18:05:25 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/10/31/costume-year-dad-builds-zamboni-wheelchair-costume-son/ |
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., May 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Revasum today announced the sale of a second 7AF-HMG grinder to Halo Industries, a leading silicon carbide substrate manufacturing technology customer in Santa Clara, CA.
This latest sale reinforces the 7AF-HMG grinder's position as the most flexible grinding platform available to support silicon carbide (SiC) substrate manufacturing and subsequent fabrication of devices such as SiC-based metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).
With the capability to efficiently remove SiC after the wafer has been cut from its boule, the 7AF-HMG has industry-leading flexibility to enable substrate manufacturing with shallower sub-surface damage and better surface roughness. After device fabrication, the 7AF-HMG can also be used for removing excess material on the back of the wafer for device packaging.
Commenting on the developing partnership with this customer, Chris Sloan, Revasum's Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing said: "We are delighted to grow our relationship with Halo. They are an innovative and valued customer reshaping how silicon carbide wafers are manufactured. The 7AF-HMG, equipped with the 'recipe-controlled head angle' (RCHA) feature, provides the most flexible grinding platform for silicon carbide and other hard materials."
Luke Asperger, Process Engineering Manager at Halo Industries and a member of the founding team said "The detailed process data and flexible recipe setup we get from the 7AF-HMG and its RCHA capability have enabled us to really dial-in our grinding process in order to provide the best-possible wafer quality to customers at a low consumable cost. We're quite excited to add a second tool to our line and continue working with the Revasum team."
About Revasum, Inc.:
Revasum specializes in the design and manufacturing of capital equipment used in the semiconductor substrate and device manufacturing process. Our current product portfolio includes the 7AF-HMG grinder and 6EZ CMP platform used to manufacture silicon carbide substrates up to 200mm and the packaging of SiC-based devices for the global semiconductor industry.
About Halo Industries, Inc.:
Halo Industries (https://www.halo-industries.com) uses proprietary laser-based hardware and processing technology to deliver industry-best SiC wafer-per-millimeter yield while eliminating high material stress and kerf loss caused by more traditional wafering methods.
For more information on our range of products please visit:
https://www.revasum.com/
Media Contact: Chris Sloan, chris.sloan@revasum.com
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SOURCE Revasum | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/05/02/revasum-asx-rvs-secures-sale-second-7af-hmg-grinder-halo-industries/ | 2023-05-02 09:11:04 | 0 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/05/02/revasum-asx-rvs-secures-sale-second-7af-hmg-grinder-halo-industries/ |
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) _ Masonite International Corp. (DOOR) on Monday reported second-quarter earnings of $58.5 million.
The Tampa, Florida-based company said it had net income of $2.58 per share.
The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $2.43 per share.
The door maker for the housing industry posted revenue of $761.9 million in the period, also beating Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $735.6 million.
Masonite expects full-year earnings in the range of $9.60 to $10.60 per share.
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This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on DOOR at https://www.zacks.com/ap/DOOR | https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Masonite-Q2-Earnings-Snapshot-17360241.php | 2022-08-08 23:20:33 | 0 | https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Masonite-Q2-Earnings-Snapshot-17360241.php |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Follow along for real-time, on-the-ground updates on the 2022 U.S. midterm elections from The Associated Press. Live updates — all times Eastern — are produced by AP journalists around the country.
It’s a brand new day so we’re starting fresh, but you can find updates from Election Night itself at this page.
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GROUNDBREAKERS IN ARKANSAS
Arkansas has never had a female governor. Or lieutenant governor. On Tuesday night, they got both.
Voters elevated former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to the state’s top role, a position her father held from 1996 to 2007.
Arkansas voters also picked current Attorney General Leslie Rutledge to serve as lieutenant governor. She becomes the first woman to serve as the state’s No. 2 and essentially swaps roles with current Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin, who was elected attorney general.
All are Republicans.
Sanders faced Democrat Chris Jones, a nuclear engineer who would have become Arkansas’ first Black governor. In a statement Wednesday congratulating Sanders, Jones said: “History was made. Sarah’s election has shown women, including my little girls, that being a woman is no longer a barrier to becoming governor in our state.”
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WHAT’S IN A NAME
With Sean Patrick Maloney losing his race, New York’s congressional delegation goes from having two Maloneys to zero. Carolyn Maloney lost her primary for the 12th district earlier this year.
For the first time since 1993, when Carolyn Maloney was first elected, New York will have no Maloneys in Congress.
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1:15 p.m.
President Joe Biden completed a final round of calls to lawmakers on Tuesday’s ballot. Amid the many congratulatory and conciliatory calls to fellow Democrats, Biden also called Republican Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio.
The two have certainly had their policy differences — DeWine even ran campaign ads attacking Biden’s policies — but they have also found areas of common ground and mutual interest. Biden pushed for the CHIPS and Science Act, a $280 billion measure intended to boost the semiconductor industry and scientific research. Passage of the law was crucial to Intel Corp. agreeing to build a new $20 billion facility outside of Columbus, Ohio.
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WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Pennsylvania Rep.-elect Summer Lee replaced Mike Doyle, a Democrat who did not seek reelection after nearly 30 years in Congress, AP’s Brooke Schultz reports. But to nab the seat, Lee had to face Mike Doyle — a completely different person and a Republican.
The identical names were the source of some puzzlement, and the Republican Doyle tried to capitalize on it by using the tagline #TheRight Mike.
In her speech to supporters Tuesday night, Lee nodded to the name conflation.
“When we were up against a wall — every single time when it looked like it was getting bleak: friends came from all over,” she said. “When we got into the name confusion and people started wondering, ‘What’s going on?’ We had friends come up.”
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THE UVALDE VOTE
Despite outspoken activism by some families of the children killed at Robb Elementary School, voters in Uvalde County backed Gov. Greg Abbott over challenger Beto O’Rourke in the governor’s race.
Unofficial results show about 60% of voters in Uvalde County backed the Republican Abbott.
O’Rourke made the Uvalde attack a centerpiece of his campaign, at one point interrupting Abbott during a press conference shortly after the school shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers.
On the local level, the acting Uvalde police chief — who has been suspended — won a county commissioner’s race, prevailing over challengers that included the father of Jacklyn Cazares, who died in the school shooting.
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READ MORE
The winner of Alaska’s U.S. Senate contest is yet unclear, but whoever it will be, we know it will be a Republican. AP’s Mike Catalini explains how the state’s ranked choice voting will ensure either Republican incumbent Lisa Murkowski or Trump-backed Kelly Tshibaka will nab the seat.
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THEY SAID IT
“The reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.”
— GOP Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who won reelection Tuesday despite an array of controversies, including disciplinary action by the state bar, an FBI investigation and a long-delayed trial on securities fraud charges.
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DID YOU KNOW?
Summer Lee has made history as Pennsylvania’s first Black congresswoman with her election. AP called the race for the open seat Wednesday morning.
Lee has served as a state representative since 2019. Speaking to supporters at a watch party, she called their event a “scaled down thing, because we’ve been through it.”
“We had to go through ugly to get here,” she said. “There is a reason why there had never been a Black woman, ever, serving (in Congress) in the history of Pennsylvania. So I can assure you they’re not going to let up on us. They’re not going to relent.”
Lee defeated Republican Mike Doyle, who conceded Tuesday night.
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THEY SAID IT
“Saddle up.”
— Doug Mastriano, Republican gubernatorial nominee in Pennsylvania
The AP called the Pennsylvania governor’s race for Democrat Josh Shapiro on Tuesday night, but Mastriano has yet to concede. He posted a photo of him on a horse with the above caption Wednesday morning and told a crowd of supporters Tuesday night that he would wait “until every vote counts,”
Meanwhile, Republican Mehmet Oz said he called John Fetterman to concede the race for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat Wednesday morning, saying he wished him well “both personally and as our next United States Senator.” AP called the race in the early hours Wednesday.
“We are facing big problems as a country and we need everyone to put down their partisan swords and focus on getting the job done,” Oz said in a statement.
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12 p.m.
Abortion rights advocates in Kentucky saw clear vindication in that state’s rejection of an amendment that would have provided legal protections for a ban on abortions approved by the state legislature.
“We’ve been making the case throughout this campaign that Kentucky’s abortion laws are very extreme and are out of step with the majority of Kentuckians’ values,” said Rachel Sweet, campaign manager for Protect Kentucky Access, who also coordinated a successful fight against a similar amendment in Kansas earlier this year. “And I think that the results that we are seeing from the Amendment 2 vote are a repudiation of the policies that have been in place in Kentucky so far.”
Sweet, who spoke on a Zoom call organized by opponents on the amendment, said the fight is far from over, in Kentucky or anywhere else: “It is still an issue that we do not anticipate will be settled in any way, shape or form.”
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THEY SAID IT
“There’s still a beating heart to American democracy.”
— U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Wednesday morning
Maloney, who represents a New York district, acknowledged his own defeat after conceding to Republican Mike Lawler, a state assemblyman. The AP has not declared a winner in that contest.
Maloney said Nov. 8 would stand as a “signature day in American political history.”
“If we fall a little short,” Maloney said of his party, “we’re going to know that we gave it our all and we beat the spread.”
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STATUS UPDATE
In a series of statewide ballot measures, voters affirmed abortion rights in the first major election after the overturning of Roe v. Wade earlier this year.
In Michigan, California and Vermont, voters enshrined the right to abortion in their state constitutions on Tuesday, AP’s Lindsay Whitehurst reports. And in Kentucky, a heavily Republican state, voters declared there is no state constitutional right to abortion.
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THEY SAID IT
“Let me say the message so it can be loud and clear — so that the radical left-wing teachers’ union can hear it, so that Joe Biden can hear it. Folks, Oklahoma won’t go woke.”
— Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s newly elected superintendent of schools who as a candidate targeted teachers over banned books
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STATUS UPDATE
Why hasn’t the AP called control of Congress yet? Neither party has reached the thresholds required to win the House or Senate — and it’s not quite clear when that might change, AP’s Mike Catalini explains.
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DID YOU KNOW?
Here’s the difference between two phrases often bandied about during elections, from AP national political reporter Meg Kinnard’s glossary:
“Too early to call”: Races in which the vote count is active and ongoing and a winner is not yet clear are “too early to call.” That includes races in which the vote count may take several days.
“Too close to call”: Races in which the vote count has reached its primary conclusion – all outstanding ballots save provisional and late-arriving absentee ballots have been counted – without a clear winner are “too close to call.” AP formally declares a race “too close to call” via our election reporting system and in our news report.
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STATUS UPDATE
Backers of recreational marijuana scored wins Tuesday night in Maryland and Missouri but in Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota legalization efforts went up in smoke.
Recreational pot use will be legal in 21 states following Tuesday’s results, AP’s Andrew DeMillo reports.
The votes come a month after President Joe Biden announced he was pardoning thousands of Americans convicted of simple possession of marijuana under federal law.
In Colorado, recreational pot has been legal for a decade. A ballot measure that would decriminalize certain psychedelic substances including so-called “magic mushrooms” remained too early to call Wednesday morning.
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READ MORE
The AP has tallied votes and declared winners in U.S. elections since 1848. AP’s Meg Kinnard and Mike Catalini take you through how we made the calls in 10 key races so far:
U.S. Senate calls: John Fetterman in Pennsylvania, Maggie Hassan in New Hampshire, Ted Budd in North Carolina, JD Vance in Ohio, Michael Bennet in Colorado
Governor calls: Tony Evers in Wisconsin, Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan, Brian Kemp in Georgia, Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania, Greg Abbott in Texas, Ron DeSantis in Florida
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MORNING AGAIN IN AMERICA
The weather in the nation’s capital is cool and crisp on this Election Morning After, as control of Congress still hangs in the balance.
AP’s Brian Slodysko in Washington identifies the takeaways so far:
— Republicans hoped for a sweep that never came — but they could still wrest control of the House and Senate
— The increasing redness of Florida, a traditional battleground state, was reinforced by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio’s reelection victories
— At $16.7 billion, the midterms themselves are on track to be the most expensive ever, according to the nonpartisan OpenSecrets, nearly doubling the cost of the 2010 midterm elections | https://www.wivb.com/news/political-news/ap-politics/ap-2022-midterms-live-updates-latest-election-news-from-ap-2/ | 2022-11-09 19:39:20 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/news/political-news/ap-politics/ap-2022-midterms-live-updates-latest-election-news-from-ap-2/ |
WASHINGTON — Democrats are punting a vote to protect same-sex and interracial marriages until after the November midterm elections, pulling back just days after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed to put the Senate on the record on the issue “in the coming weeks.”
The request for a delay by senators who have been pushing for the legislation follows Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, the lead senator championing the bill, predicting that they would be able to get the 10 Republican votes they need to break a filibuster. But the group struggled in recent days as some Republicans had raised increasing concerns about whether it would protect the rights of religious institutions, business owners or others who oppose same sex marriage.
The decision came after a meeting on Thursday with Schumer.
“Through bipartisan collaboration, we’ve crafted commonsense language that respects religious liberty and Americans’ diverse beliefs, while upholding our view that marriage embodies the highest ideals of love, devotion, and family," Baldwin and Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Rob Portman of Ohio and Thom Tillis of North Carolina said a statement along with Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. "We’ve asked Leader Schumer for additional time and we appreciate he has agreed. We are confident that when our legislation comes to the Senate floor for a vote, we will have the bipartisan support to pass the bill.”
The delay significantly threatens the legislation and could allow interest groups and other lawmakers opposing the bill more time to rally Republicans against it. But supporters hope that the delay will give them time to find more GOP supporters and take off pre-election political pressure.
Amid news of the delay, the White House emphasized again that the administration was leaving the mechanics of the legislation -- such as the timing of a vote -- to the Senate.
“We believe the Senate should find consensus just as the American people have,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday.
Baldwin and the other core group of supporters had worked with the GOP senators who had religious liberty concerns. They were planning an amendment to clarify that the legislation did not affect the rights of such private individuals or businesses, which are already enshrined in law. The legislation instead requires the federal government and states to recognize all marriages that were legal where they were performed, along with interracial marriages.
But some Republicans who had wavered on the bill were not yet on board.
Democrats and the small group of Republicans have moved to safeguard same-sex marriage following the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and the federal right to an abortion. Lawmakers fear the court’s ruling, and a concurring opinion from Justice Clarence Thomas, indicate that an earlier high court decision protecting same-sex marriage could come under threat.
“We all want to pass this quickly,” Schumer said last week. “I hope there will be 10 Republicans to support it.”
The Senate push for the historic vote — and the openness by some Republicans to back it in an election year — reflects a large shift on the issue since the Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision legalizing gay marriage nationwide. Some 70% of U.S. adults in a Gallup poll released in June 2021 said same-sex unions should be valid under the law.
The bill protecting same-sex marriage cleared the House in a July vote with the support of 47 Republicans – a larger than expected number that gave the measure a boost in the Senate. But as the weeks went on, more Republicans raised the religious liberty issues.
Another proposed tweak to the bill would make clear that a marriage is between two people, an effort to ward off some far-right criticism that the legislation could endorse polygamy.
The legislation would repeal the Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act and require states to recognize all marriages that were legal where they were performed. The new Respect for Marriage Act would also protect interracial marriages by requiring states to recognize legal marriages regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.”
It's not clear how many Republicans would support the bill. In addition to Collins, Portman and Tillis, a fourth GOP senator, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, has supported same-sex marriage in the past. Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, who is up for reelection this year, has said he doesn’t see a “reason to oppose it” but has talked on both sides of the issue in recent weeks.
Most Republicans opposing the legislation have said it is simply unnecessary because the court ruling still stands. But others have gone further.
One group that has been opposed, the conservative Alliance Defending Freedom, has pushed back on the legislation, with one blog post on its website calling it a “grave” threat.
“In the grander scheme, the Respect for Marriage Act is a way of putting an exclamation mark on the sexual revolution and its ideology,” wrote Ryan Womack, who works for the group. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/politics/national-politics/same-sex-marriage-vote-pushed-until-after-elections/507-0dce33f5-8d89-437d-8d71-61063f3b52eb | 2022-09-15 21:02:40 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/politics/national-politics/same-sex-marriage-vote-pushed-until-after-elections/507-0dce33f5-8d89-437d-8d71-61063f3b52eb |
Deandre Ayton NBA Playoffs Player Prop Bets: Suns vs. Nuggets - May 1
The Phoenix Suns, Deandre Ayton included, take on the Denver Nuggets at 10:00 PM ET on Monday in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
Now let's dig into Ayton's available prop bets, with a particular eye on stats and trends to help you make good picks.
Deandre Ayton Prop Bets vs. the Nuggets
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Suns vs Nuggets Additional Info
Deandre Ayton Insights vs. the Nuggets
- This season, he's put up 12.0% of the Suns' attempted field goals, as he's averaging 13.2 per contest.
- The Suns rank 19th in possessions per game with 101.4. His opponents, the Nuggets, have one of the slowest tempos with 99.5 possessions per contest.
- The Nuggets allow 112.5 points per game, eighth-ranked in the league.
- The Nuggets concede 40.8 rebounds per contest, best in the league.
- Looking at assists, the Nuggets are 15th in the league, giving up 25.7 per game.
Deandre Ayton vs. the Nuggets
Want another way to try to win cash prizes? Add Ayton or any of his Suns teammates to your lineup in FanDuel Daily Fantasy NBA contests. Use our link to sign up and get a great offer for new users. (See website for offer details, not available in all areas.)
Not all offers available in all states. Please gamble responsibly. If you or someone you know has developed a gambling problem or addiction, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.kbtx.com/sports/betting/2023/05/01/deandre-ayton-nba-playoffs-player-prop-bets-suns-vs-nuggets/ | 2023-05-01 21:14:49 | 0 | https://www.kbtx.com/sports/betting/2023/05/01/deandre-ayton-nba-playoffs-player-prop-bets-suns-vs-nuggets/ |
Strategic acquisition brings hybrid digital experiential services to
Horizon clients, further expanding its overall offering
NEW YORK, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The pandemic created a quickly evolving marketing landscape – pushing brands to shift away from IRL ("in real life") touchpoints to digital experiences and forcing them to rethink experiential marketing overall. With more brands and more channels competing for consumer attention, and consumers engaging with content on their own terms, brands must become more creative in breaking through barriers, connecting artists to new fans, and targeting audiences with authentic engagement. Today, Horizon Media, the largest U.S. media agency according to AdAge Data Center 2022, is taking another innovative step by acquiring a majority interest in First Tube – the leading live digital experience platform for brands – adding hybrid digital experiential marketing to the suite of services offered to clients.
"Some companies have chosen to reactively cut back in this time, but Horizon is focused on the long game," said Bill Koenigsberg, CEO and Founder of Horizon Media. "We are making strategic investments in technology and creativity platforms that meet and exceed our clients' desire to better connect their brands with consumers in more meaningful ways now and in the future. Our goal every day is to be our clients' most valued partner, and we make that possible by consistently helping to drive their business with expanded offerings, relevant innovation, and enhanced marketing and growth service capabilities that reach their audiences in new and different environments – whether the metaverse, NFTs, Web3.0, experiential, data solutions or beyond."
Established in 2017, First Tube is one of the pioneers in the "experiential transformation" space, combining the power of performance media with experiential, delivering a new format for brands to harness creative, experiences, content, and media – all in one solution. The company has delivered substantial ROI for prominent global brands in numerous categories including CPG, DTC, financial services, media, retail, technology and more. First Tube will continue to operate as a standalone company and be led by Andrew Beranbom, CEO and Co-Founder.
"Not only does the acquisition broaden our creative and innovative solutions, it's also truly symbiotic – both Horizon and First Tube benefit from each other's expertise," said Donnie Williams, EVP/Chief Digital Officer, Horizon Media. "Coming on the heels of launching our metaverse- and Web3-focused unit, Chapter & Verse, earlier this month, this move significantly strengthens Horizon's position as we guide clients into web3 and the metaverse, while giving First Tube a foothold in the metaverse itself."
Experiential Transformation – the marketing discipline that transforms a brand's assets into dynamic content that has never been experienced before – is forcing a titanic shift in the global $71 billion experiential marketing industry (per PQ Media) while helping advertisers move beyond traditional formats and create meaningful experiences. A recent example around the Governor's Ball was produced by First Tube and took place and was streamed live on June 9, 2022.
"Horizon is a market leader, driving data-driven marketing solutions, so the unique opportunity to add an exciting capability with deep expertise across their entire portfolio, while accelerating our leadership position in the market, is an easy win-win," said Beranbom. "This move enables investment in First Tube's innovation and technology road map, while ensuring we can capitalize on the massive opportunities ahead across Horizon's full portfolio."
Horizon Media, Inc, the largest U.S. media agency according to AdAge Data Center 2022, delivers data-driven business outcomes for some of the most innovative and ambitious brands. Founded in 1989, headquartered in New York, and with offices in Los Angeles and Toronto, the company employs 2,400 people and has media investments of more than $9 billion. Horizon Media's fundamental belief is that business is personal, which drives its approach to connecting brands with their customers and engaging with its own employees resulting in industry-leading workplace satisfaction levels (Glassdoor). The company is consistently recognized by independent media outlets for its client excellence and has earned several "Best Workplaces" awards reflecting its commitment to DEI and the life and well-being of everyone at Horizon Media.
First Tube is a leading branded live experience marketing platform designed to deliver "always on" premium video content distributed at scale resulting in clear ROI. Founded in 2017 in Brooklyn, NY, FTM is a team of music experts, filmmakers, digital marketers, and technologists that have put together a full-service approach that has powered thousands of digital experiences delivering billions of views for some of the top brands in the world.
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SOURCE Horizon Media | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/continued-expansion-horizon-media-acquires-experiential-transformation-pioneer-first-tube-leading-live-digital-experience-platform-brands/ | 2022-06-30 14:11:40 | 0 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/continued-expansion-horizon-media-acquires-experiential-transformation-pioneer-first-tube-leading-live-digital-experience-platform-brands/ |
ORLANDO, Fla., July 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AcariaHealth, the fifth largest specialty pharmacy in the U.S., announced today that it has been selected by Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. as part of the limited distribution network for ELEVIDYS (delandistrogene moxeparvovec-rokl). ELEVIDYS, an adeno-associated virus-based gene therapy, is approved for the treatment of ambulatory pediatric patients aged four through five years with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) with a confirmed mutation in the DMD gene. This indication was approved under accelerated approval based on expression of ELEVIDYS micro-dystrophin observed in patients treated with ELEVIDYS.
DMD is a rare neuromuscular disease caused by a mutation in the gene that encodes instructions for creating dystrophin, an essential protein for muscle strength. Without dystrophin, daily activities cause excessive damage to muscle cells, resulting in weakness over time which becomes increasingly noticeable between the ages of three and five. In adolescence, heart and breathing muscles diminish, leading to serious and life-threatening complications, causing most patients to require a wheelchair by the time they are 12.
"We are honored to be selected by Sarepta Therapeutics to play a critical role in bringing ELEVIDYS to sites of administration throughout the U.S," said Steve Granzyk, vice president of pharmacy relations and business development, AcariaHealth. "The road to approval in gene therapy is a long journey, but thanks to the tireless pursuit of Sarepta, as well as the work of many clinicians treating this rare disease, we now have an US Food and Drug Administration-approved therapeutic – and hope for families across the country who are living with the challenges of DMD diagnoses. The AcariaHealth team is committed to helping DMD patients and their families receive this innovative therapy and our award-winning services."
ABOUT ACARIAHEALTH
AcariaHealth is a national comprehensive specialty pharmacy focused on improving care and outcomes for patients living with complex and chronic conditions, such as oncology, neurology, leukemia, cystic fibrosis, liver disease, hemophilia and other orphan diseases, including gene therapy. Offering specialized care management services in these disease states, AcariaHealth is dedicated to enhancing the patient care offering, collaborating with providers and capturing relevant data to measure patient outcomes. Learn more about how we put patients first while providing exceptional specialty pharmacy care at AcariaHealth.com.
For more information about ELEVIDYS, please see the ELEVIDYS Full Prescribing Information. Additional information for patients and physicians can also be found at www.SareptAssist.com.
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SOURCE AcariaHealth | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/06/acariahealth-selected-dispense-elevidys-first-gene-therapy-fda-approved-treat-duchenne-muscular-dystrophy/ | 2023-07-06 20:41:58 | 1 | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/06/acariahealth-selected-dispense-elevidys-first-gene-therapy-fda-approved-treat-duchenne-muscular-dystrophy/ |
Three weapons that changed the course of Ukraine’s war with Russia
By Brad Lendon, CNN
When Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his forces into Ukraine a year ago, most observers expected a quick victory for the invaders.
Those early predictions of Russian success have not materialized, for what experts cite as a variety of factors, including higher morale and superior military tactics on the Ukrainian side but also — crucially — the supply of Western armaments.
While recent headlines have made much of the potential for Western battle tanks or Patriot air defense systems to influence the war’s outcome, these systems have yet to be used in combat in Ukraine.
But there are other weapons that have already helped to change the course of the war. Here are three key ones that the Ukrainians have used to devastating effect.
Javelin
At the very beginning of the war, fighters on both sides were expecting Russian armored columns to begin rolling into the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv within days.
The Ukrainians needed something that could blunt that attack — and found it in the form of the Javelin, a shoulder-fired, guided anti-tank missile that can be deployed by a single individual.
Part of its appeal lies in its ease of use, as manufacturer Lockheed Martin, which co-developed the missile with Raytheon, explains: “To fire, the gunner places a cursor over the selected target. The Javelin command launch unit then sends a lock-on-before-launch signal to the missile.”
The Javelin is a “fire and forget” weapon. As soon as its operator takes the shot, they are able to run for cover while the missile finds its way to the target.
This was particularly important in the early days of the war as the Russians tended to stay in columns when trying to enter urban areas. A Javelin operator could fire from a building or behind a tree and be gone before the Russians could fire back.
The Javelin is also good at targeting the weak spot of the Russian tanks — their horizontal surfaces — because its trajectory after launch sees it curve upwards then fall on the target from above, according to Lockheed Martin.
This could be seen in images early in the war of Russian tanks with their turrets blown off. Often, it was a Javelin that had done the damage.
Indeed, so great was the Javelins’ impact that two-and-a-half months into the war US President Joe Biden visited the Alabama plant where they are made to praise the workforce for their help in defending Ukraine.
“You’re making a gigantic difference for these poor sons of guns who are under such enormous, enormous pressure and firepower,” Biden said at the time.
There was one other advantage to the Javelins, particularly pertinent at the start of the war: they were politically acceptable.
“Their low cost and defensive usage make them politically easier for other countries to provide,” Michael Armstrong, an associate professor at Brock University in Ontario, wrote on the Conversation. “By contrast, governments disagree about sending more expensive offensive weapons like warplanes.”
HIMARS
The full US Army name is the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. It’s “a full-spectrum, combat-proven, all-weather, 24/7, lethal and responsive, wheeled precision strike weapons system,” the US Army says.
That’s a mouthful, but to put it more plainly, HIMARS is a 5-ton truck carrying a pod that can launch six rockets almost simultaneously, sending their explosive warheads well beyond the battlefield’s front lines, and then quickly change positions to avoid a counterstrike.
“If Javelin was the iconic weapon of the early phases of the war, HIMARS is the iconic weapon of the later phases,” Mark Cancian, senior adviser for the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International studies, wrote in January.
HIMARS fires munitions called the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) that have a range of 70 to 80 kilometers (about 50 miles). And their GPS guidance systems make them extremely accurate, within about 10 meters (33 feet) of their intended target.
Last July, Russian reporter Roman Sapenkov said he witnessed a HIMARS strike on a Russian base at Kherson’s airport in territory Moscow’s forces had occupied at the time.
“I was struck by the fact that the whole packet, five or six rockets, landed practically on a penny,” he wrote.
HIMARS has had two key effects, Yagil Henkin, a professor at the Israel Defense Forces Command and Staff College, wrote for the US Marine Corps University Press.
The strikes have forced “the Russians to move their ammunition depots farther to the rear, thereby reducing the available firepower of Russian artillery near the front lines and making logistical support more difficult,” Henkin wrote.
And using the long-range rockets to hit targets such as bridges has disrupted Russian supply efforts, he said.
The HIMARS system is manufactured and patented in the United States by Lockheed Martin.
Bayraktar TB2 drone
The Turkish-designed drone has become one of the world’s best-known unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) due to its use in the Ukraine war.
It’s relatively cheap, made with off-the-shelf parts, packs a lethal punch and records its kills on video.
Those videos have shown it taking out Russian armor, artillery and supply lines with the missiles, laser-guided rockets and smart bombs it carries.
“Viral videos of the TB2 are a perfect example of modern warfare in the TikTok era,” Aaron Stein, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, wrote on the Atlantic Council’s website.
The Bayraktar TB2 was not a “magic weapon,” but it was “good enough,” he wrote.
He cited as its weaknesses its lack of speed and vulnerability to air defenses. Battlefield statistics appear to bear that out. Seventeen of the 40 to 50 TB2s that Ukraine has received have been destroyed in combat, according to the Oryx open source intelligence website.
But Stein says the number of losses are outweighed by the low cost of the drone, which means they can be relatively easily replaced.
Indeed, a plan to set up an assembly line for the drones in Ukraine was in the works even before the war. And using the drones potentially has saved the lives of Ukrainian pilots who would otherwise have had to carry out the missions.
Recent reports from Ukraine indicate the TB2 may be playing less of a role as Russian forces figure out how to combat it, yet its fans say it delivered when Ukraine’s position was most precarious.
Its videos of Russian kills were “a great morale booster,” Samuel Bendett, adjunct senior fellow at the Center of Naval Analyses Russia Studies (CNAS), told CNN early in the war.
“It’s a public relations victory.”
The TB2 even had a music video made about it. That’s the status it has attained among Ukrainians.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/news/national-world/cnn-europe-mideast-africa/2023/02/25/three-weapons-that-changed-the-course-of-ukraines-war-with-russia/ | 2023-02-26 04:04:19 | 1 | https://localnews8.com/news/national-world/cnn-europe-mideast-africa/2023/02/25/three-weapons-that-changed-the-course-of-ukraines-war-with-russia/ |
South Carolina is working to help people there cope with the intense heat. Daniel Rickenmann, mayor of Columbia, S.C., joins the program to discuss how he's trying to address the issue.
Copyright 2023 NPR
South Carolina is working to help people there cope with the intense heat. Daniel Rickenmann, mayor of Columbia, S.C., joins the program to discuss how he's trying to address the issue.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.apr.org/2023-07-20/mayor-in-south-carolina-discusses-efforts-to-help-people-cope-with-intense-heat | 2023-07-20 09:24:13 | 0 | https://www.apr.org/2023-07-20/mayor-in-south-carolina-discusses-efforts-to-help-people-cope-with-intense-heat |
SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading commercial service robot manufacturer Pudu Robotics has been expanding rapidly throughout the European market in recent months. So far, Pudu Robotics' advanced intelligent service robots such as KettyBot and BellaBot are being used by more than 50 brands and businesses in Europe to improve operations across a wide range of scenarios, proving superior usability and adaptability of PUDU services.
Thanks to the products' wide-ranging utility, PUDU Robots are being used in a great variety of different scenarios. In Poland, oil refining conglomerate, Shell, are leveraging the BellaBot and KettyBot to operate Europe's first automated service station, greeting customers, informing them of current promotional campaigns, and assisting with order delivery. PUDU Robots are also making appearances in other venues, including European electronics retailer Media Markt in the Netherlands, McDonald's in Slovenia, Pizza Hut and KFC in Poland, Nevins Newfield Inn in Ireland, as well as a photography and videography studio in Italy.
Regarding the growth in Europe, founder and CEO of Pudu Robotics, Felix Zhang said, "At PUDU, we see the European market as an important focus for growth and development. European businesses are amongst the most scrupulous with tech innovation, and we believe our industry-leading product range is capable of rising to the challenge. Moving forward, we plan to continue our expansion throughout Europe and provide the very best in commercial service robots to partners around the world."
Outside of Europe, Pudu Robotics has also been serving businesses in other growing regions, leading to the brand's truly global reach. In Jordan, the company recently started a strategic cooperation with Coca-Cola and M&Ms to use the high-end delivery robot, BellaBot, to assist promotional activities in major supermarkets. The BellaBot has also become part of the Filipino chain of fast-food restaurants Jollibee's cool new store innovations. The continuous growth across diverse and highly demanding industries marks the company as a clear leader in the development and deployment of commercial service robots, with a number of successful case studies clearly showing the devices' superior quality and design.
Alongside growing user numbers, Pudu Robotics has continued to focus on R&D and product design, as evidenced by the release of the PuduBot 2 in July this year. The more versatile PuduBot 2 is equipped with a high-performance lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, features self-developed PUDU SLAM technology for superior navigation, dual lidar sensors, and industry-first fusing laser and visual positioning navigation technology. In addition, the device is capable of marker-less deployment to reduce deployment time by 75% without having to redecorate ceilings and ensures stable operation even in high-ceilinged environments of up to 40m.
With its many years of expertise in the industry and continuous effort to enrich the service space and expand application scenarios of its products, Pudu Robotics is ready to serve international users and further expand the company's reach.
For more information on Pudu Robotics, please visit www.pudurobotics.com
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About Pudu Robotics
Shenzhen-based and founded in 2016, Pudu Robotics is a world-leading tech-focused enterprise dedicated to the design, R&D, production and sales of commercial service robots, which aims to use robots to improve the efficiency of human production and living, Pudu Robotics has been rapidly growing in recent years to become a "leader" in the global markets with coverage of over 60 countries and regions worldwide.
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SOURCE Pudu Robotics | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/pudu-robotics-continues-strong-european-growth-now-servicing-50-businesses/ | 2022-08-18 15:46:49 | 1 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/pudu-robotics-continues-strong-european-growth-now-servicing-50-businesses/ |
Millions of North Texas residents experienced heavy rain and tornadoes as a strong storm system blew through the area on Tuesday.
The National Weather Service warned of the potential for severe storms well before dawn, issuing a Tornado Watch for dozens of North Texas counties from about 4 a.m. to 11 a.m. The watch included the counties of Archer, Brown, Clay, Collin, Comanche, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Eastland, Ellis, Erath, Fannin, Grayson, Hood, Hunt, Jack, Johnson, Kaufman, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, Stephens, Tarrant, Wise, and Young.
As the storm passed through North Texas, tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for numerous counties in its path.
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There were reports of a tornado in Grapevine that caused damage to local homes and buildings. Tornado damage was also reported in parts of Palo Pinto County and Jack County where emergency responders were dispatched to help with downed power lines and damaged barns.
The storms and tornado warnings caused multiple school cancellations and flight delays throughout North Texas.
Both Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field saw numerous delays and cancellations. DFW Airport also issued a "shelter in place" warning shortly before 9 a.m., asking travelers to seek safety inside and away from windows.
Tuesday's severe weather was part of a larger storm system that impacted a large portion of the United States, causing tornado chances for those in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi as well as blizzard alerts for residents in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas.
TORNADO WARNING HISTORY FOR DEC. 13, 2022
- The first Tornado Warning of the day was issued in Jacksboro and Vinyard at 5:09 a.m. as severe thunderstorms moved northeast across North Texas Tuesday morning. At 5:31 a.m., a Tornado Warning was issued in Palo Pinto County for Mineral Wells and Cool as the storms pushed east.
- Four minutes later, at 5:35 a.m., another Tornado Warning was issued for Huckabay. At 5:58 a.m. the NWS urged anyone in the path of the tornado warned storm in Eastland and Erath counties to seek shelter.
- At 6:09 a.m. the fourth Tornado Warning was issued, this time for De Leon, Duster and Rucker in Comanche County.
- At 6:13 a.m. a Tornado Warning was issued for Parker and Wise counties including Springtown, Paradise and Agnes. At 6:36 a.m., as the storms pushed northeast, the sixth warning of the morning was issued and included Weatherford, Willow Park and Hudson Oaks.
- Just before 7 a.m. a Tornado Warning was issued for Decatur, Krum and Ponder and included a shelter warning.
- At 7:21 a.m., a Tornado Warning was issued for Slidell in Wise County and at 7:32 a.m. a Tornado Warning was issued in Cooke and Grayson counties including Gainesville, Preston and Sherwood Shores. Just two minutes later, a Tornado Warning was also issued in Hood County for Granbury, Pecan Plantation and Oak Trail Shores.
- Severe storms began pushing into the Metroplex at about 7:30 a.m., with the first Tornado Warning in Tarrant County being issued at 7:35 a.m. for Keller, Saginaw and Azle. The NWS said at 7:40 a.m. that the storm, with embedded tornadic circulations, continued pushing northeast.
- At 8:11 a.m. Tornado Warnings were issued in Fort Worth, Arlington and North Richland Hills. NWS said four minutes later that a radar-confirmed tornado was spotted with debris in Sansom Park and River Oaks, moving northeast.
- At 8:17 a.m. the storm continued moving through Tarrant County and people in Saginaw, Blue Mound, Haltom City, and North Fort Worth were all warned to take shelter.
- At 8:48 a.m. a Tornado Warning was issued for Tarrant and Denton counties that included Grapevine, Flower Mound and Lewisville. Video reports later showed a tornado crossing Texas 114 near Texas 26 and there were several reports of damaged businesses, homes and vehicles.
- As the storm moved northeast toward Collin County, a Tornado Warning was issued at 9:12 a.m. for McKinney, Frisco and Allen with the NWS tracking the storm along Texas 121 from South Frisco to North Plano.
- As the line of storms moved into East Texas, a Tornado Warning was issued for Fannin County including Bonham, Leonard and Honey Grove at 10:06 a.m. At 10:20 a.m. the warning was expanded to include Honey grove, Roxton and Ladonia.
- In Lamar County, a Tornado Warning was issued at 10:52 a.m. for Toco and along the Red River for Arthur City and Powderly.
Be prepared for your day and week ahead. Sign up for our weather newsletter. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/weather/weather-connection/storms-tuesday-morning-in-north-texas/3146533/ | 2022-12-13 21:12:36 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/weather/weather-connection/storms-tuesday-morning-in-north-texas/3146533/ |
Pakistan’s ex-PM Khan ordered detained amid unrest
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan can be held for eight days, a court ruled Wednesday, a day after the popular opposition leader was dragged from a courtroom and arrested on corruption charges, deepening the country’s political turmoil.
Khan’s arrest Tuesday set off violent clashes involving his supporters and police in several cities, including Islamabad, that left at least six people dead, and his continued detention raised the prospect of more unrest.
Following a Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif denounced the attacks on public property and military installations, and he approved the deployment of troops in the capital of Islamabad, in the country’s most populous province of Punjab, and in the volatile northwest, according to a government statement.
In the latest unrest, thousands of protesters stormed a radio station and offices of the state-run agency in the northwestern city of Peshawar.
The military weighed Wednesday with a strongly worded statement, vowing to take stern action against those seeking to push Pakistan toward a “civil war.” It called the organized attacks on its installations a “black chapter” in the country’s political history.
“What the eternal enemy of the country could not do for 75 years, this group, wearing a political cloak, in the lust for power, has done it,” the statement said, adding that troops had exercised restraint but they will respond to further attacks, and those involved will bear the responsibility.
It said those who facilitated or planned attacks on military installations had been identified, and “strict action will be taken against them as per the law, and all these evil elements will now be responsible for the consequences.”
The military did not directly name Khan, the 70-year-old politician who was ousted in a no-confidence vote last year.
His dramatic arrest on Tuesday — he was pulled out of a hearing in Islamabad’s High Court on one set of charges, only to be arrested on another set — was the latest confrontation to roil Pakistan. He is the seventh former prime minister to be arrested in the country, which has also seen interventions by the powerful military over the years. The move comes at a time of economic crisis, when the cash-strapped nation is trying to avoid a default.
Khan’s Islamabad appearance was on multiple graft charges brought by police. As he showed up, the courtroom was stormed by dozens of agents from the anti-corruption agency, the National Accountability Bureau, backed by paramilitary troops. They broke windows after Khan’s guards refused to open the door.
The former cricket star has denounced the cases against him, which include corruption and terrorism charges, as a politically motivated plot by Sharif, his successor, to keep him from returning to power in elections to be held later this year. Khan has campaigned against Sharif and demanded early elections.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has appealed for calm, but the standoff put the country on high alert after Tuesday’s clashes. Police were deployed in force across the country, and they placed shipping containers on a road leading to the sprawling police compound in Islamabad where Khan is being held.
Khan supporters in Peshawar raided a building housing Radio Pakistan, damaging equipment and setting fire to it, said police official Naeem Khan. Some employees were trapped inside, he said, and police were trying to restore order.
In eastern Punjab province, the local government asked the army to step in after authorities said 157 police were injured in clashes with protesters.
Police have arrested 945 Khan supporters in eastern Punjab province alone since Tuesday — including Asad Umar and Sarfraz Cheema, two senior leaders from Khan’s party.
Amid heightened security, Khan appeared Wednesday before a judge at a temporary court in the police compound. Pakistan’s GEO television broadcast video showing him seated in a chair, holding documents. He appeared calm but tired.
In the new charges, Khan was accused of accepting millions of dollars worth of property in exchange for providing benefits to a real estate tycoon. The National Accountability Bureau asked to hold him for 14 days, but the tribunal granted eight days.
Khan’s legal team has challenged the arrest in an Islamabad court and is considering doing the same at the country’s Supreme Court.
Khan was finally indicted Wednesday in the original graft case for which he appeared at the Islamabad court on Tuesday, pleading not guilty. In that case, he faced multiple graft charges brought by Islamabad police.
As he showed up, the courtroom was stormed by dozens of agents from the accountability bureau, backed by paramilitary troops, breaking windows after Khan’s guards refused to open the door.
The National Accountability Bureau has detained and investigated former officials, including former prime ministers, politicians and retired military officers. But some view it as a tool used by those in power, especially the military, to crack down on political opponents. When Khan was in power, his government arrested Shahbaz Sharif, then the opposition leader, through the bureau. Sharif faced multiple corruption cases when he ousted Khan, and the charges were later dropped for lack of evidence.
Mobs angered by the dramatic arrest set fire to the residence of a top army general in the eastern city of Lahore, and supporters attacked the military’s headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi near Islamabad. They did not reach the main building housing the offices of army chief Gen. Asim Munir.
Demonstrators also tried to reach the prime minister’s residence in Lahore, but were driven off by baton-wielding police. Still others attacked vehicles carrying troops, hitting armed soldiers with sticks. So far, police and soldiers have not opened fire at protesters.
None of the leaders from Khan’s party denounced the attacks on the military, although they have appealed to their supporters to be peaceful.
By morning, police in Lahore said about 2,000 protesters still surrounded the fire-damaged residence of Lt. Gen. Salman Fayyaz Ghani, a top regional commander. They chanted slogans, including, “Khan is our red line and you have crossed it.” Ghani and his family were moved to a safer place Tuesday when the sprawling house was attacked Tuesday.
The unrest happened at a time when cash-strapped Pakistan is struggling to avoid a default amid stalled talks with the International Monetary Fund for the revival of a bailout. The rupee traded Wednesday at a record 290 to the dollar amid a weekly inflation rate of at least 46%, also a record.
“Political stability is linked to economic stability and I don’t see any sign of revival of the economy,” said Shahid Hasan, a former adviser to Pakistan on economic affairs.
He said political leaders should set aside their egos and “sit together and think about Pakistan, which is on the verge of a default.”
Amid the violence, Pakistan’s telecommunication authority blocked social media, including Twitter. The government also suspended internet service in Islamabad and other cities. Classes at some private schools were canceled Wednesday, and several social media sites remained suspended.
Amnesty International said it was alarmed by reports of authorities blocking access to internet networks and social media. It urged authorities to show restraint, saying clashes between law enforcement and Khan’s supporters risk human rights violations.
As the violence spread, many stayed home. The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad canceled all its Wednesday consular appointments following Khan’s arrest and issued a nationwide alert, telling Americans to review their personal security plans and avoid large crowds.
____
Associated Press writers Riaz Khan in Peshawar and Babar Dogar in Lahore, Pakistan, contributed.
___
The story has been corrected to show that Imran Khan is 70 years old, not 71.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kob.com/news/us-and-world-news/pakistans-ex-pm-khan-ordered-detained-amid-unrest/ | 2023-05-10 17:45:43 | 1 | https://www.kob.com/news/us-and-world-news/pakistans-ex-pm-khan-ordered-detained-amid-unrest/ |
WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, December 5, 2022
_____
HIGH WIND WATCH
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX
408 AM CST Sun Dec 4 2022
...HIGH WIND WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT MONDAY AFTERNOON...
* WHAT...West winds 35 to 55 mph with gusts up to 65 mph
possible.
* WHERE...Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains.
* WHEN...Monday afternoon.
* IMPACTS...Travel could be difficult, especially for high profile
vehicles. Severe turbulence near the mountains will be
hazardous for low flying light aircraft.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates on this
situation. Fasten loose objects or shelter objects in a safe
location prior to the onset of winds.
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-MIDLAND-ODESSA-Warnings-Watches-and-17630042.php | 2022-12-04 11:24:07 | 1 | https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-MIDLAND-ODESSA-Warnings-Watches-and-17630042.php |
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Monday Night Brewing (MNB), an Atlanta-based craft brewery, announced Monday that it will be opening its fifth taproom at 2217 South Tryon in the heart of Charlotte’s dynamic South End neighborhood.
“We spent a lot of time with the Monday Night team in both Charlotte and Atlanta, and it was immediately evident that they would be the perfect match for South End’s laid-back and fun-loving culture,” PGC Partner, Eric Nichols, said. “They have cultivated a distinct community at each of their locations by embracing the vibrancy of the neighborhood, while also offering some of the most innovative and exceptional beers.”
Monday Night Brewing first launched its operations in Atlanta in 2011 after several years of homebrewing by its three co-founders: Jeff Heck, Joel Iverson, and Jonathan Baker.
“The South End is an incredibly exciting locale to debut our broad beer portfolio in the great state of North Carolina,” CEO and Co-Founder of MNB, Jeff Heck, said. “Not only is Charlotte our fifth taproom, but North Carolina is also the fourth state we’ll be expanding our distribution to. We are thrilled to join the beer scene and community in North Carolina, which we have long admired.”
MNB’s Charlotte taproom is currently under construction with an anticipated opening in early 2023. The 8,500 square feet building, on 1.13 acres, will offer one of South End’s largest outdoor open spaces. Patrons can look forward to a diverse, internationally-award winning tap list, sweeping outdoor spaces, hand-crafted Neapolitan-style pizzas, and a curated wine and cocktail program.
Wake Up Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with the team at Wake Up Charlotte.
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All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/monday-night-brewing-charlotte-atlanta-beer/275-8451352d-3ae7-48bc-91ae-152ccc5e018c | 2022-07-12 14:01:50 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/monday-night-brewing-charlotte-atlanta-beer/275-8451352d-3ae7-48bc-91ae-152ccc5e018c |
Bethlehem welcomes Christmas tourists after pandemic lull
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Business is bouncing back in Bethlehem after two years in the doldrums during the coronavirus pandemic, lifting spirits in the traditional birthplace of Jesus ahead of the Christmas holiday.
Streets are bustling with tour groups. Hotels are fully booked, and months of deadly Israeli-Palestinian fighting appears to be having little effect on the vital tourism industry.
Elias Arja, head of the Bethlehem hotel association, said that tourists are hungry to visit the Holy Land’s religious sites after suffering through lockdowns and travel restrictions in recent years. He expects the rebound to continue into next year.
“We expect that 2023 will be booming and business will be excellent because the whole world, and Christian religious tourists especially, they all want to return to the Holy Land,” said Arja, who owns the Bethlehem Hotel.
On a recent day, dozens of groups from virtually every continent posed for selfies in front of the Church of the Nativity, built on the grotto where Christians believe Jesus was born. A giant Christmas tree sparkled in the adjacent Manger Square, and tourists packed into shops to buy olive wood crosses and other souvenirs.
Christmas is normally peak season for tourism in Bethlehem, located in the Israeli-occupied West Bank just a few miles southeast of Jerusalem. In pre-pandemic times, thousands of pilgrims and tourists from around the world came to celebrate.
But those numbers plummeted during the pandemic. Although tourism hasn’t fully recovered, the hordes of visitors are a welcome improvement and encouraging sign.
“The city became a city of ghosts,” said Saliba Nissan, standing next to a manger scene about 1.3 meters (4 feet) wide inside the Bethlehem New Store, the olive wood factory he co-owns with his brother. The shop was filled with Americans on a bus tour.
Since the Palestinians don’t have their own airport, most international visitors come via Israel. The Israeli Tourism Ministry is expecting some 120,000 Christian tourists during the week of Christmas.
That compares to its all-time high of about 150,000 visitors in 2019, but is far better than last year, when the country’s skies were closed to most international visitors. As it has done in the past, the ministry plans to offer special shuttle buses between Jerusalem and Bethlehem on Christmas Eve to help visitors go back and forth.
“God willing, we will go back this year to where things were before the coronavirus, and be even better,” said Bethlehem’s mayor, Hanna Hanania.
He said about 15,000 people attended the recent lighting of Bethlehem’s Christmas tree, and that international delegations, artists and singers are all expected to participate in celebrations this year.
“Recovery has begun significantly,” he said, though he said the recent violence, and Israel’s ongoing occupation of the West Bank, always have some influence on tourism.
Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war. The internationally recognized Palestinian Authority has limited autonomy in parts of the territory, including Bethlehem.
The Christmas season comes at the end of a bloody year in the Holy Land. Some 150 Palestinians and 31 Israelis have been killed in Israeli-Palestinian fighting in the West Bank and east Jerusalem this year, according to official figures, making 2022 the deadliest year since 2006. Israel says most of the Palestinians killed were militants, but stone-throwing youths and some people not involved in the violence have also been killed.
The fighting, largely concentrated in the northern West Bank, reached the Bethlehem area earlier this month, when the Israeli army killed a teenager in the nearby Deheishe refugee camp. Palestinians held a one-day strike across Bethlehem to protest the killing.
Residents, however, seem determined not to allow the fighting to put a damper on the Christmas cheer.
Bassem Giacaman, the third-generation owner of the Blessing Gift Shop, founded in 1925 by his grandfather, said the pandemic was far more devastating to his business than violence and political tensions.
Covered in sawdust from carving olive-wood figurines, jewelry and religious symbols, he said it will take him years to recover. He once had 10 people working for him. Today, he employs half that number, sometimes less, depending on demand.
“The political (situation) does affect, but nothing major,” Giacaman said. “We’ve had it for 60-70 years, and it goes on for a month, then it stops, and tourists come back again.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kob.com/news/us-and-world-news/bethlehem-welcomes-christmas-tourists-after-pandemic-lull/ | 2022-12-15 06:49:17 | 1 | https://www.kob.com/news/us-and-world-news/bethlehem-welcomes-christmas-tourists-after-pandemic-lull/ |
U.S. officials say they've identified and infiltrated the Mexican drug organization that's largely responsible for the fentanyl crisis killing tens of thousands of Americans every year.
In a sweeping series of indictments targeting two dozen leaders and kingpins, the Justice Department blamed much of the carnage on the Chapitos network, a faction of the Sinaloa drug cartel.
"Over the last year and a half, the DEA proactively infiltrated the Sinaloa Cartel and the Chapitos network, obtained unprecedented access to the organization's highest levels, and followed them across the world," Anne Milgram, head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, said in a statement.
Officials say the Chapitos faction is led by the four sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, who is currently serving a life sentence in a federal prison in Colorado after being convicted in 2019 of numerous drug and murder conspiracy charges.
According to federal officials and drug policy experts, the Chapitos shifted their operation aggressively to focus on fentanyl.
"While El Chapo's [era of] Sinaloa was about cocaine and meth, and to a much lesser extent, heroin, the Chapitos' Sinaloa is about fentanyl," said Vanda Felbab-Brown, a drug trafficking expert at the Brookings Institution.
The Chapitos now allegedly operate a sophisticated network of fentanyl smugglers, money-launderers and drug-runners in countries around the world.
In court filings, the Justice Department and the DEA detailed private meetings and fentanyl deals over the past two years involving leaders and top operatives in Mexico as well as the United States, Austria and other countries.
"The Chapitos indictments in their detail and the undercover work that was required is a major accomplishment," said Felbab-Brown, who said the information suggests a "high-level infiltration" of the cartel by the U.S.
It's not clear how the intelligence was gathered, but one expert on the Mexican cartels told NPR it appears the U.S. has at least one paid informant inside the gang.
"I think at a high level they have a paid informant and likely undercover [agents] on the periphery [of the Chapitos network] around the globe," said Ioan Grillo, a Mexico City-based journalist whose books focus on the Mexican cartels.
A glimpse inside one of the world's most dangerous drug cartels
The indictments made public last week detail, among other things, what authorities say is the Chapitos network's sophisticated pipeline of fentanyl precursor chemicals from China.
The documents also describe extensive guns-for-fentanyl deals that involve the smuggling of military-grade weapons from the U.S.
In December 2022, according to the Justice Department, a Sinaloa operative in Vienna, Austria, tried to arrange a fentanyl-for-weapons swap that included 500 AR-15 rifles, along with hundreds of grenade launchers and rocket-propelled grenades.
U.S. officials say in addition to thousands of fentanyl deaths in American communities, the Chapitos network is responsible for a campaign of violence and terror inside Mexico.
"They often torture and kill their victims," U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said at a press conference when the indictments were announced. "They have fed some of their victims, dead and alive, to tigers belonging to the Chapitos."
U.S. officials say cartel leaders know the deadly danger fentanyl poses to Americans struggling with opioid addiction and that they simply don't care that so many people are being poisoned.
During a meeting in May 2022, according to the court documents, a Chapitos leader named Ovidio Guzmán López allegedly acknowledged fentanyl is lethal if the dosage is just a "little off."
"Indeed, multiple 'cooks' used by the cartel to manufacture its fentanyl at Chapitos-controlled labs in Mexico have died from testing the product," the federal indictment states.
"These guys are absolute creeps, these Chapitos dudes," said Sam Quinones, a journalist who has written extensively about the cartels and the fentanyl crisis. "I think bringing these previously untouchable princes of drugs to some kind of justice is a very good thing all the way around."
These indictments come as the Biden administration faces growing political pressure to stop, or significantly reduce, the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.
The Justice Department is offering tens of millions of dollars in rewards as part of the effort to arrest the gang's leaders.
As the U.S. "expands the battle space" against Mexican cartels, drug policy experts are skeptical
Drug policy experts interviewed by NPR agreed that capturing and prosecuting members of the Chapitos network would bring a measure of accountability for the devastating harm caused by fentanyl.
The street drug is now the leading cause of death for Americans between the age of 18 and 45, according to U.S. officials.
But the experts also voiced skepticism about how effective this effort will be reducing fentanyl smuggling and preventing overdose deaths.
One major complication is that Mexican officials are increasingly unwilling to join the U.S. effort by targeting the Sinaloa cartel aggressively inside their country.
U.S. officials describe these indictments as part of a global effort to "expand the battle space" against drug gangs, comparing the campaign to previous fights against terrorist groups.
But on Monday, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador blasted the U.S. for spying on the Sinaloa cartel without first gaining his government's permission. He described the DEA's infiltration of the Chapitos network as as part of a wider campaign of unauthorized espionage by U.S. agents inside his country.
"It is abusive, arrogant meddling, that should not be accepted under any circumstance," López Obrador said.
Experts say fentanyl is here to stay
As the diplomatic rift over the fentanyl crisis widens, experts also questioned the U.S. claim that dismantling the Chapitos network will reduce overdose deaths in American communities.
"I am quite pessimistic," said Jonathan Caulkins, who studies drug trafficking at Carnegie Mellon University. "In the best of all possible worlds, we would literally shrink the supply. That's very difficult to do. That was very difficult to do when it was cocaine and heroin, and for a bunch of reasons it's much harder with a synthetic."
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can be made cheaply and easily from industrial chemicals widely available from producers in China and India. It's hugely profitable.
Caulkins and others told NPR that if the Chapitos are captured or sidelined from the fentanyl trade, other factions of the Sinaloa Cartel or other major drug gangs such as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel would quickly pick up the slack.
"The war on drugs hasn't worked," said Grillo, who noted many other kingpins, including "El Chapo," have already been arrested. "We've got more deaths from drug overdose than ever, we've got more violence between drug cartels in Mexico than ever."
But like others interviewed for this story, Grillo said bringing the Chapitos to justice is a laudable goal even if it doesn't stop the flow of fentanyl.
"They've been involved in multiple murders and intimidation," he said. "They're trafficking fentanyl, which has led to the deaths of thousands and thousands of Americans. So they're bad people, and having impunity isn't good."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.mainepublic.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-04-21/u-s-says-it-infiltrated-the-sinaloa-drug-cartel-in-the-fight-against-fentanyl | 2023-04-27 04:38:10 | 1 | https://www.mainepublic.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-04-21/u-s-says-it-infiltrated-the-sinaloa-drug-cartel-in-the-fight-against-fentanyl |
Beef. It's What's For Dinner. spotlights meal trends to keep kids fueled and lunch packing easy
DENVER, Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As kids head back to school parents everywhere want to make sure their children have everything they need to succeed including nutritious meals to get them through another busy year. Beef. It's What's For Dinner., funded by the Beef Checkoff, has five meal trends to help save time and keep kids happy and fueled.
Bento Boxes
- Even the pickiest of eaters can find something they like with the variety delivered in a bento box. Known for their divided compartments, the Japanese-style lunch boxes make prepping school lunches easy. Fill the different sized compartments with different sides like fruits and vegetables to accompany a kid-friendly entrée like these Personal Beef Pizzas.
Handheld Items
- Back to school often means being on-the-go, so anything you can hold in one hand, like these Saucy Beef Wraps, makes for a great lunch and quick cleanup. As an added bonus, this is the perfect way to use leftovers from the night before to stretch your budget and save on time. And for those afternoon snacks, a handful of this Beef Jerky Trail mix packs in the protein.
Strength for Sports and Extracurriculars
- For many, the day is only halfway done once school is out and after school activities can require a lot of fuel. These Beef, Dark Chocolate and Cherry Power Bites offer a boost of energy to get through the day. Equally important, they can be made in advance and kept on hand for a quick power up between activities.
Experience Other Cultures
- It's easy to feel stuck in a rut at mealtime when you have so much else going on but venturing beyond traditional family favorites and introducing flavors from other cultures and heritages keeps mealtime exciting. Not only are these Korean-inspired Beef Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps kid-friendly, they make trying new foods fun and help everyone learn about different flavors and cultures.
Cook Once, Eat Twice
- Back to school time can be expensive, but dinner doesn't have to be. Recipes like this One Pot Lasagna Pasta give you so many options. Just cook up some extra ground beef to make extra lasagna for later, or use it for Italian Beef & Cheese Calzones. Using ground beef and getting creative with items you might already have in your fridge or pantry is the perfect way to get dinner on the table quickly not just once, but multiple nights with leftovers or planned-overs.
To keep the inspiration going you can find more beefy recipes on BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.
About the Beef Checkoff
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The Checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
About NCBA, a Contractor to the Beef Checkoff
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) is a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. The Beef Checkoff Program is administered by the Cattlemen's Beef Board, with oversight provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Contact:
Hailey Thayn
hthayn@beef.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE National Cattlemen's Beef Association | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/beef-makes-back-school-easy/ | 2022-08-25 12:19:59 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/beef-makes-back-school-easy/ |
I wanted to report this story last month, but I was too sick with COVID. My kid gave it to me.
My colleagues on the health reporting team would have tackled the story, but they've been sick, too, thanks to their children. (Just last week, one colleague dropped off her daughter for her first day back at preschool after recovering from a bug, only to pick her up that same afternoon, sniffling from a new illness. Yikes.)
And we're far from alone in our woes.
"Like so many parents out there, you know, my husband and I have been sick all winter. We've been sneezing, coughing, had fevers. It's gross," says Dr. Rachel Pearson, a pediatrician at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and University Hospital. She's also the mother of 2-year-old Sam.
"I feel like half the time he has a virus, has a runny nose, is coughing – to the point where my dad was like, 'Is there something wrong with Sam?' " she says.
With flu, RSV, colds and COVID all coming at once, it can feel like things may be worse than ever for parents of little kids. But as Pearson tells her dad – and the parents of her own young patients – this seemingly never-ending cycle of sniffles is normal, if miserable.
"When I counsel parents, I say you can have a viral infection every month. Some kids are going to cough for four weeks to six weeks after a virus. And so they're going to catch their next virus before they even stop coughing from the last one."
In fact, if you've ever described your child as an adorable little germ vector, you're not wrong, says Dr. Carrie Byington, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and executive vice president for the University of California Health System. And she's got hard data to back that up.
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"We all think it, but it was really incredible to have the definitive proof of it," says Byington.
The "proof" she's referring to comes from a study she and her colleagues began back in 2009, when she was at the University of Utah. They wanted to understand the role kids play in the transmission of respiratory viruses in their homes. So they recruited 26 households to take nasal samples of everyone living in the home, every week, for an entire year. What they found was eye-opening.
"We saw as soon as a child entered the house, the proportion of weeks that an adult had an infection increased significantly," Byington says.
And more kids meant more infections. For families with two, three or four kids, someone at home had an infection a little more than half the year. Families with six kids had a viral detection a whopping 87% of the year. Childless households, on the other hand, only had a viral detection 7% of the year.
(Appropriately enough, the study was called Utah BIG-LoVE – an acronym for Better Identification of Germs-Longitudinal Viral Epidemiology.)
The findings also suggest that the youngest kids are the ones bringing germs home most often: Children under age 5 were infected with some kind of respiratory virus a full 50% of the year – twice as often as older kids and adults. And while a viral detection didn't always translate into illness, when they were infected, the littlest kids were 1.5 times more likely to have symptoms, like fever or wheezing.
And that's just respiratory viruses. As Byington notes, the study wasn't even looking at other kinds of infections, such as strep throat, which is caused by bacteria. "So obviously, there could be other things that happened throughout the year to even make it seem worse," she says.
Byington says all of this means that, in the grand scheme of things, it's normal for kids to be getting all these viruses. But it's all more intense right now because of the disruptions of the pandemic. Children were kept at home instead of going to daycare or school, where they would normally viruses and bacteria one after another, she says. So kids didn't get a chance to build immunity over time.
As children returned to normal routines, "there were lots of kids ages 1, 2 and 3 who had never really seen a lot of viruses or bacteria," Byinton says. "And so what might have been spread out in the past over 12 months, a year, they were now seeing it all at once in this very concentrated time."
Byington says the pandemic also disrupted the seasonality of viruses. Flu season hit earlier than usual this year, as RSV and COVID were also circulating. Young children without prior exposure to these viruses were hit especially hard.
Pearson notes that's because kids are likely to have a more severe course of illness the first time they encounter a virus, before they have some level of immunity. She says there's a larger cohort of kids this year that didn't have that prior exposure.
And there is evidence that younger kids who get multiple infections – say, COVID and RSV– at the same time can end up with more severe illness than if they'd gotten just one virus at a time.
The end result is that many pediatric hospitals and care units have seen a surge in sick kids over the fall and winter. That includes University Hospital in San Antonio, where Pearson sees hospitalized kids in the acute care unit.
Nationwide, "pediatric care right now is at this point of strain," Pearson says, not just because of the current surge but because of an underinvestment that predates the pandemic.
And "the kids who get admitted to the hospital are the tip of the iceberg," Pearson says. For every kid sick enough to be hospitalized, there are likely many more with the same virus recuperating at home, she says.
The good news is that the viral stew seems to be easing up. Recent data from the CDC show the number of emergency department visits for flu, COVID and RSV dropped to the lowest they've been since September for all age groups.
But of course, the respiratory virus season isn't over yet.
As for families who are currently living in what one headline memorably dubbed "virus hell," Byington hopes the findings of the BIG-LoVE study should offer some comfort that eventually this, too, shall pass.
"It's nice to have done the study and to offer some real-world data to families that what they're living through is normal and will pass and their children will be well," she says.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.knau.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-01-26/your-kids-are-adorable-germ-vectors-heres-how-often-they-get-your-household-sick | 2023-01-26 11:34:36 | 0 | https://www.knau.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-01-26/your-kids-are-adorable-germ-vectors-heres-how-often-they-get-your-household-sick |
A house in Colonia that sold for $725,000 tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Woodbridge area between June 12 and June 18.
In total, 34 residential real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past week, with an average price of $399,133. The average price per square foot was $327.
The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of June 12 even if the property may have been sold earlier.
10. $475,000, single-family house at 3 Ned Court
The 1,744 square-foot single-family residence at 3 Ned Court, Sewaren, has been sold. The transfer of ownership was settled in May and the total purchase price was $475,000, $272 per square foot. The house was built in 1991. The deal was finalized on May. 22.
9. $494,000, single-family residence at 154 Crescent Ave.
A sale has been finalized for the detached house at 154 Crescent Ave. in Woodbridge. The price was $494,000 and the new owners took over the house in May. The house was built in 1951 and the living area totals 1,075 square feet. The price per square foot ended up at $460. The deal was finalized on May. 24.
8. $495,000, single-family home at 178 Tyler Ave.
The property at 178 Tyler Ave. in Iselin has new owners. The price was $495,000. The house was built in 1950 and has a living area of 1,371 square feet. The price per square foot is $361. The deal was finalized on May. 30.
7. $500,000, detached house at 29 Fiat Ave.
The 1,512 square-foot single-family residence at 29 Fiat Ave. in Iselin has been sold. The transfer of ownership was settled in May and the total purchase price was $500,000, $331 per square foot. The house was built in 1926. The deal was finalized on May. 31.
6. $513,000, detached house at 86 Holly Road
The sale of the single family residence at 86 Holly Road in Iselin has been finalized. The price was $513,000, and the new owners took over the house in May. The house was built in 1958 and has a living area of 1,594 square feet. The price per square foot was $322. The deal was finalized on May. 22.
5. $515,000, single-family residence at 101 Highland Road
The property at 101 Highland Road in Colonia has new owners. The price was $515,000. The house was built in 1945 and has a living area of 1,390 square feet. The price per square foot is $371. The deal was finalized on May. 24.
4. $525,000, single-family house at 741 Harrell Ave.
The sale of the detached house at 741 Harrell Ave., Woodbridge, has been finalized. The price was $525,000, and the new owners took over the house in May. The house was built in 1956 and has a living area of 978 square feet. The price per square foot was $537. The deal was finalized on May. 19.
3. $540,000, single-family home at 142-144 Judy Drive
The 2,160 square-foot single-family home at 142-144 Judy Drive, Keasbey, has been sold. The transfer of ownership was settled in May and the total purchase price was $540,000, $250 per square foot. The house was built in 1969. The deal was finalized on May. 26.
2. $590,000, single-family house at 41 S. Robert Street
The sale of the single-family residence at 41 S. Robert Street, Sewaren, has been finalized. The price was $590,000, and the house changed hands in May. The house was built in 1925 and has a living area of 2,288 square feet. The price per square foot was $258. The deal was finalized on May. 24.
1. $725,000, single-family home at 775 Inman Ave.
The sale of the single family residence at 775 Inman Ave. in Colonia has been finalized. The price was $725,000, and the new owners took over the house in May. The house was built in 2008 and has a living area of 2,227 square feet. The price per square foot was $326. The deal was finalized on May. 18.
Real Estate Newswire is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to generate analysis of data from Propmix, an aggregator of national real-estate data. | https://www.nj.com/realestate-news/2023/06/10-most-expensive-homes-sold-in-the-woodbridge-area-june-12-18.html | 2023-06-24 11:57:18 | 0 | https://www.nj.com/realestate-news/2023/06/10-most-expensive-homes-sold-in-the-woodbridge-area-june-12-18.html |
DENVER (AP) — Earth’s protective ozone layer is slowly but noticeably healing at a pace that would fully mend the hole over Antarctica in about 43 years, a new United Nations report says.
A once-every-four-years scientific assessment found recovery in progress, more than 35 years after every nation in the world agreed to stop producing chemicals that chomp on the layer of ozone in Earth’s atmosphere that shields the planet from harmful radiation linked to skin cancer, cataracts and crop damage.
“In the upper stratosphere and in the ozone hole we see things getting better," said Paul Newman, co-chair of the scientific assessment.
The progress is slow, according to the report presented Monday at the American Meteorological Society convention in Denver. The global average amount of ozone 18 miles (30 kilometers) high in the atmosphere won’t be back to 1980 pre-thinning levels until about 2040, the report said. And it won’t be back to normal in the Arctic until 2045.
Antarctica, where it’s so thin there’s an annual giant gaping hole in the layer, won't be fully fixed until 2066, the report said.
Scientists and environmental advocates across the world have long hailed the efforts to heal the ozone hole — springing out of a 1987 agreement called the Montreal Protocol that banned a class of chemicals often used in refrigerants and aerosols — as one of the biggest ecological victories for humanity.
“Ozone action sets a precedent for climate action. Our success in phasing out ozone-eating chemicals shows us what can and must be done – as a matter of urgency — to transition away from fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gases and so limit temperature increase,” World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas said in a statement.
Signs of healing were reported four years ago but were slight and more preliminary. “Those numbers of recovery have solidified a lot,” Newman said.
The two chief chemicals that munch away at ozone are in lower levels in the atmosphere, said Newman, chief Earth scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Chlorine levels are down 11.5% since they peaked in 1993 and bromine, which is more efficient at eating ozone but is at lower levels in the air, dropped 14.5% since its 1999 peak, the report said.
That bromine and chlorine levels “stopped growing and is coming down is a real testament to the effectiveness of the Montreal Protocol,” Newman said.
“There has been a sea change in the way our society deals with ozone depleting substances,” said scientific panel co-chair David W. Fahey, director of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s chemical sciences lab.
Decades ago, people could go into a store and buy a can of refrigerants that eat away at the ozone, punch a hole in it and pollute the atmosphere, Fahey said. Now, not only are the substances banned but they are no longer much in people’s homes or cars, replaced by cleaner chemicals.
Natural weather patterns in the Antarctic also affect ozone hole levels, which peak in the fall. And the past couple years, the holes have been a bit bigger because of that but the overall trend is one of healing, Newman said.
This is “saving 2 million people every year from skin cancer,” United Nations Environment Programme Director Inger Andersen told The Associated Press earlier this year in an email.
A few years ago emissions of one of the banned chemicals, chlorofluorocarbon-11 (CFC-11), stopped shrinking and was rising. Rogue emissions were spotted in part of China but now have gone back down to where they are expected, Newman said.
A third generation of those chemicals, called HFC, was banned a few years ago not because it would eat at the ozone layer but because it is a heat-trapping greenhouse gas. The new report says that the ban would avoid 0.5 to 0.9 degrees (0.3 to 0.5 degrees Celsius) of additional warming.
The report also warned that efforts to artificially cool the planet by putting aerosols into the atmosphere to reflect the sunlight would thin the ozone layer by as much as 20% in Antarctica. | https://www.wptv.com/news/national/un-says-ozone-layer-slowly-healing-hole-to-mend-by-2066 | 2023-01-09 21:59:02 | 1 | https://www.wptv.com/news/national/un-says-ozone-layer-slowly-healing-hole-to-mend-by-2066 |
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — When Seneca Landry booked a weekend stay through Airbnb for her sister’s bachelorette party earlier this year, the online listing said they would have the entire Rhode Island home to themselves.
But on the final day of their stay in May, after some of the women thought they heard voices coming from the basement of the Providence home, Landry said a man followed her from outside and tried to force his way in.
“He told me, ‘I live in the basement and I need to check the electric meter,'” Landry told WPRI. “I was like, ‘No one lives in the basement — we have the whole house.’ And he started to get irate, accusing me of lying.”
The women said they barricaded themselves in the top part of the home and called the police to report a break-in as he repeatedly tried to open the door. Providence Police Department body-worn camera footage obtained by WPRI shows several officers responding.
The officers opened a window at the back of the home so one of them could crawl through and open a locked door. With guns drawn, the officers moved through the basement area, eventually arriving at a closed door, where they heard voices on the other side.
“Open the door,” one of the officers shouted, as he banged on the door.
“Why do I need to open the door for you?” A woman yelled back. “You don’t have a [expletive] warrant.”
“I don’t need a warrant, someone broke in here,” the officer responded.
“Nobody broke in here!” the woman screamed. “I live here!”
A police report shows the officers later spoke with a property management company, Michie House, listed as working for the homeowner, and they confirmed the basement floor was rented out to a tenant.
But Landry said that information was never disclosed on the Airbnb listing, and the website showed no mention of the basement tenant. The property was listed as being available as an entire home.
“The basement was locked off, and we should trust that we have the house to ourselves and it’s safe,” Landry said.
Michie House and the homeowner didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment. An Airbnb spokesperson said the online booking giant fully refunded Landry after she reported the incident, and the company has since decided to take further action in response to what happened.
“On our platform, we hold our hosts to high standards in terms of providing accurate, quality listings, and when they fall short of those standards, we take appropriate action,” the spokesperson said. “Based on our investigation to date, we have deactivated these listings and are in the process of removing this host from our platform.”
Despite the basement apartment, the property is listed as a single-family home, according to the city assessor’s office. It’s also zoned in a neighborhood where homes must be owner-occupied to be rented out as short-term rentals.
Providence spokesperson Andrew Grande told WPRI that the city’s inspections department had received leases showing the property was no longer a short-term rental. But Airbnb provided a list of links to other online booking platforms that showed the home was still available for rent.
When WPRI attempted to book the property using different dates, some worked and others did not.
“It doesn’t look like anyone is vetting these properties,” Landry said.
Landry and her bachelorette party’s experience is a symptom of what some lawmakers have argued is a largely unregulated and untracked multibillion-dollar industry led by companies such as Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com and others.
For several years, state lawmakers, including Rep. Lauren Carson, D-Newport, have called for the creation of a statewide registry to track short-term rentals, which she argues are businesses and should be treated as such.
“These properties that are engaged with third-party hosting platforms are businesses,” Carson said, adding that law enforcement would have an easier time responding to issues like the one in Providence if they had better information about the properties.
The Rhode Island General Assembly passed a law last year to create a registry, much to the chagrin of third-party platforms, property owners and Gov. Dan McKee, who vetoed the legislation last July.
“I cannot support this bill because it will create additional burden for property owners,” he wrote in his veto message at the time. “Short-term rental concerns, like other property/land use and small business matters, are more effectively addressed at the municipal level.”
In January, the General Assembly voted to override McKee’s veto, with Sen. Dawn Euer, also a Newport Democrat, arguing the short-term rental industry is “thriving,” especially in seaside communities like the one where she lives.
“In places like our districts in Newport, investors have been buying up housing to rent in this way, and the state is not tracking where these businesses are operating,” Euer said at the time. “It’s impossible to ensure safety or compliance with laws when we don’t even know where the rentals are.”
Last month, the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulations issued a set of draft rules to create the registry, which is slated to begin on Oct. 1. According to the rules, each short-term rental would need to register and owners would have to provide details, including contact information, number of rooms for rent and the intended use of the space.
Every owner would also have to pay a two-year, $50 registration fee for “each property advertised for short-term rental.” DBR currently estimates there are about 3,680 short-term rentals listed across the state, meaning the registry would also generate about $184,000 every two years if every owner complied.
For Landry, she said the stay in Providence was a bad experience that caused her so much anxiety that she missed two days of work.
“We did so many great things, but if you mention my sister’s bachelorette, it’s always going to have that dark cloud,” she said.
Maggie Wayland, a Boston resident who also attended the party, described it as “one of the scariest things that had ever happened.” She hopes action can be taken to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
“We want to make sure that this doesn’t happen to another bachelorette party,” she said. | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/i-live-in-the-basement-airbnb-stay-turns-chaotic-for-bachelorette-party-in-rhode-island/ | 2022-08-18 18:25:11 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/i-live-in-the-basement-airbnb-stay-turns-chaotic-for-bachelorette-party-in-rhode-island/ |
DENVER, May 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alerian MLP ETF (NYSE Arca: AMLP) declared its second quarter 2022 distribution of $0.73 on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. The dividend is payable on May 19, 2022 to shareholders of record on May 13, 2022. Based on current financial information, the distribution is estimated to consist of 100% return of capital.
AMLP Distributions:
- Ex-Date: Thursday, May 12, 2022
- Record Date: Friday, May 13, 2022
- ayable Date: Thursday, May 19, 2022
ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. is also the distributor for the Alerian Energy Infrastructure ETF and the ALPS | Alerian Energy Infrastructure Portfolio. Please direct any inquiries to info@alerianmlp.com or by calling 1-866-759-5679.
Important Disclosures
An investor should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. To obtain a prospectus containing this and other information, call 1-866-759-5679 or visit www.alpsfunds.com. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.
Shares are not individually redeemable. Investors buy and sell shares on a secondary market. Only market makers or "authorized participants" may trade directly with the Fund, typically in blocks of 5,000, 25,000 or 50,000 shares.
All investments are subject to risks, including the loss of money and the possible loss of the entire principal amount invested. Additional information regarding the risks of this investment is available in the prospectus.
Investments in securities of Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) involve risks that differ from an investment in common stock. MLPs are controlled by their general partners, which generally have conflicts of interest and limited fiduciary duties to the MLP, which may permit the general partner to favor its own interests over the MLPs.
A portion of the benefits you are expected to derive from the Fund's investment in MLPs depends largely on the MLPs being treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes. As a partnership, an MLP has no federal income tax liability at the entity level. Therefore, treatment of one or more MLPs as a corporation for federal income tax purposes could affect the Fund's ability to meet its investment objective and would reduce the amount of cash available to pay or distribute to you. Legislative, judicial, or administrative changes and differing interpretations, possibly on a retroactive basis, could negatively impact the value of an investment in MLPs and therefore the value of your investment in the Fund.
The Fund invests primarily in a particular sector and could experience greater volatility than a fund investing in a broader range of industries.
The Fund may be subject to risks relating to its investment in Canadian securities. Because the Fund will invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies and the income received by the Fund will generally be in foreign currency, changes in currency exchange rates may negatively impact the Fund's return.
Investments in the energy infrastructure sector are subject to: reduced volumes of natural gas or other energy commodities available for transporting, processing or storing; changes in the regulatory environment; extreme weather and; rising interest rates which could result in a higher cost of capital and drive investors into other investment opportunities.
All K-1s are received and processed by the Alerian MLP ETF. The Alerian MLP ETF distributes a single Form 1099 to its shareholders. This notice is provided to you for informational purposes only, and should not be considered tax advice. Please consult your tax advisor for further assistance.
If, due to tax law changes, an MLP in the portfolio is deemed a corporation rather than a partnership for federal income purposes, then income would be subject to federal taxation at the MLP level. This would reduce the amount of cash available for distribution to the fund which could result in a reduction of the fund's value. The Fund is taxed as a regular corporation for federal income purposes, which reduces the Net Asset Value of fund shares by the accrual of any deferred tax liabilities. Depending on the taxes paid by the fund as a result of income and/or gains from investments and/or the sale of MLP interests, the return on an investment in the Fund will be reduced. This differs from most investment companies, which elect to be treated as "regulated investment companies" to avoid paying entity level income taxes. The ETF is taxed as a regular corporation and is subject to US federal income tax on taxable income at the corporate tax rate (currently as high as 21%) as well as state and local taxes.
The Fund is classified for federal income tax purposes as a taxable regular corporation or so-called Subchapter "C" corporation. As a "C" corporation, the Fund accrues deferred tax liability for its future tax liability associated with the capital appreciation of its investments and the distributions received by the Fund on equity securities of master limited partnerships considered to be a return of capital and for any net operating gains. The Fund's accrued deferred tax liability, if any, is reflected each day in the Fund's net asset value per share. The deferred income tax expense/(benefit) represents an estimate of the Fund's potential tax expense/(benefit) if it were to recognize the unrealized gains/(losses) in the portfolio. An estimate of deferred income tax expense/(benefit) is dependent upon the Fund's net investment income/(loss) and realized and unrealized gains/(losses) on investments and such expenses may vary greatly from year to year and from day to day depending on the nature of the Fund's investments, the performance of those investments and general market conditions. Therefore, any estimate of deferred income tax expense/(benefit) cannot be reliably predicted from year to year.
The Fund employs a "passive management" - or indexing - investment approach and seeks investment results that correspond (before fees and expenses) generally to the performance of its underlying index. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund is not "actively" managed. Therefore, it would not necessarily sell or buy a security unless that security is removed from or added to the underlying index, respectively.
ALPS Advisors, Inc. and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc., affiliated entities, are unaffiliated with Alerian.
ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. is the distributor for the Fund.
Not FDIC Insured • No Bank Guarantee • May Lose Value
About SS&C Technologies
SS&C is a global provider of services and software for the financial services and healthcare industries. Founded in 1986, SS&C is headquartered in Windsor, Connecticut, and has offices around the world. Some 18,000 financial services and healthcare organizations, from the world's largest companies to small and mid-market firms, rely on SS&C for expertise, scale, and technology. Additional information about SS&C (Nasdaq: SSNC) is available at www.ssctech.com.
About SS&C ALPS Advisors
SS&C ALPS Advisors, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SS&C Technologies, is a leading provider of investment products for advisors and institutions. With over $19 billion under management as of March 31, 2022, SS&C ALPS Advisors is an open architecture boutique investment manager offering portfolio building blocks, active insight and an unwavering drive to guide clients to investment outcomes across sustainable income, thematic and alternative growth strategies. For more information, visit www.alpsfunds.com.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alerian-mlp-etf-declares-second-quarter-distribution-of-0-73--301545960.html
SOURCE ALPS Advisors | https://www.wfmz.com/news/pr_newswire/pr_newswire_business/alerian-mlp-etf-declares-second-quarter-distribution-of-0-73/article_0869fd52-61c7-534d-a21e-fa71a8baccc7.html | 2022-05-12 15:45:36 | 1 | https://www.wfmz.com/news/pr_newswire/pr_newswire_business/alerian-mlp-etf-declares-second-quarter-distribution-of-0-73/article_0869fd52-61c7-534d-a21e-fa71a8baccc7.html |
Updated December 21, 2022 at 1:20 PM ET
After the Democratic-controlled House Ways and Means Committee announced the Internal Revenue Service failed to audit former President Donald Trump during the first two years of his presidency, it voted along party lines to release its findings, as well as all additional documentation.
Part of that release late Tuesday night included a separate report from the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, which outlined the numbers behind its own findings and suggestions for the IRS.
What the numbers show
That report looking into former President Donald Trump's tax returns from 2015-2020 raised questions about just what an IRS audit would have uncovered in terms of tax liability.
The report very clearly stated the Joint Committee on Taxation "did not have any investigatory powers." On page 1, the committee states: "we express no opinion regarding whether any adjustment, or increase or decrease in tax, would have resulted if these issues had been pursued on examination." This message is repeated throughout the nearly-40 page document.
Still, the report found many areas of additional interest. For example, despite earning $400,000 per year as president of the United States, in both 2017 and 2020, the former president reported no taxable income on his personal, joint return with wife Melania Trump. Further, in 2016, the former president reported just $978 in wages for the year, though his income mostly came (in all 6 years examined) from capital gains, taxable interest and ordinary dividends.
In 2016 and 2017, he paid just $750 in net tax on his income. In 2020, he paid $0 in net tax on his income. He reported millions in losses across various areas of personal and business income during his time in the White House.
In each year examined, from 2015 to 2020, the president reported income from related-party loans made to his children ranging from $46,000 to $51,000. This caused the committee to question whether these transactions were legitimate "arms length" or potential gifts that, in turn, should have triggered gift tax and don't qualify for interest deductions for related borrowers.
While president, Trump claimed foreign tax credits in 2018 of more than $1 million, which the committee suggests warrants further review.
In addition, Trump claimed charitable contributions in large amounts ranging from $500,00 to $2 million, with a $21.1 million charitable contribution claim in 2015, prior to his becoming president. The committee noted that in many years, these contributions did not impact tax liability (because there wasn't any) but that carryover contributions might in the future. The group flagged that this might have triggered an IRS inquiry about whether such large cash contributions were substantiated.
Ways & Means Democrats want more done in the future
The House Ways & Means committee in its own report said it found that only one audit was started while Trump was in office and no audits were completed. This is in violation of standing IRS policy.
The findings were announced after the House Ways and Means Committee voted earlier Tuesday to release a report related to Trump's tax returns. The report covers 2015 through 2020 of the former president's tax filings.
"The Committee expected that these mandatory audits were being conducted promptly and in accordance with IRS policies," Committee Chairman Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., said in a statement. "However, our review found that under the prior administration, the program was dormant. We know now, the first mandatory audit was opened two years into his presidency. On the same day this Committee requested his returns."
In a vote split along party lines, the Democrats on the panel voted in support of the release while Republicans voted against the measure.
Whether or not to release the former president's tax records has become a point of contention, with Republicans arguing that doing so would set a dangerous precedent.
Democrats on the panel had argued that the president's tax returns were necessary for the panel to evaluate the IRS's presidential audit program. In response, Trump filed an emergency application on Oct. 31 to block the release. But the the Supreme Court denied Trump's request to block the committee's request, clearing the way for the records to be released.
"We anticipated the IRS would expand the mandatory audit program to account for the complex nature of the former president's financial situation yet found no evidence of that," Neal said. "This is a major failure of the IRS under the prior administration, and certainly not what we had hope to find."
In the committee's separate report, it made recommendations for the future of the IRS presidential audit program and stated: "Congress should codify the mandatory audit program to require the IRS to conduct mandatory audits while a President is in office and publicly disclose related returns and return information."
This is, because, in the words of the Democrat-led panel, "Americans must have confidence that no taxpayer is able to operate above the law. This, of course, extends to the President of the United States, who is the single most powerful public official in the country."
Democrats' fight for Trump's tax returns on a legal front have been ongoing for more than three years, beginning in 2019.
Neal had requested the IRS turn over then-President Trump's tax returns spanning 2013 to 2018, but was denied by the Treasury Department, which oversees the IRS. The department said the request was not supported by a legitimate legislative purpose, NPR previously reported, and was "pretextual."
Republicans warn of dangerous precedent set by report release
The ranking Republican on Ways and Means, Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, asked committee Democrats to reconsider before the issue was brought to a vote.
"We urge Democrats to turn back while they still can. If they release tax returns today it will be a stain on this committee," Brady told reporters.
Brady also stated that releasing the returns would unleash a new weapon for partisan politicians who would use tax filings against the opposition.
"Ways and Means Democrats are unleashing a dangerous new political weapon that reaches far beyond President Trump, and jeopardizes the privacy of every American," Brady said in a statement last week. "Going forward, partisans in Congress have nearly unlimited power to target political enemies by obtaining and making public their private tax returns to embarrass and destroy them."
Brady added that releasing confidential records wouldn't be limited to public officials, but potentially private citizens, businesses, labor leaders and even Supreme Court justices.
Neal said, following the vote, "This was not about being punitive, it was not about being malicious."
NPR's Halimah Abdullah contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wunc.org/2022-12-20/the-irs-did-not-audit-trump-during-his-presidencys-first-2-years | 2022-12-21 18:54:58 | 1 | https://www.wunc.org/2022-12-20/the-irs-did-not-audit-trump-during-his-presidencys-first-2-years |
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va., Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GreenPower Motor Company Inc. (NASDAQ: GP) (TSXV: GPV) ("GreenPower"), a leading manufacturer and distributor of zero-emission, electric-powered, medium and heavy-duty vehicles, today announced the sale and delivery of three BEAST Type D all-electric school buses to the West Virginia Department of Education and the appointment of an independent dealer with locations across the state of West Virginia for GreenPower's BEAST Type D and Nano BEAST Type A all-electric school buses.
"We are excited to be working with Monica Matheny and her experienced bus team who are a full-service dealer covering the state of West Virginia," said Michael Perez, Vice President School Bus, Contracts and Grants for GreenPower. "The Matheny family has been selling and servicing commercial vehicles in West Virginia for more than 100 years. This relationship will help ensure that GreenPower school buses, manufactured in West Virginia, will be the school bus of choice across the state. It's a partnership that further provides for economic development in West Virginia and puts an emphasis on kids' health and well-being."
The dealer, headquartered in Parkersburg, West Virginia, will be the exclusive dealer for sales, parts and service for GreenPower school buses in the state of West Virginia and has initially agreed to purchase one BEAST and one Nano BEAST school bus from GreenPower for customers and demonstrations.
"I am pleased to learn of the new relationship between GreenPower and Monica Matheny and her team," said West Virginia Secretary of Economic Development Mitch Carmichael. "Having these electric vehicles manufactured in West Virginia and on the road transporting our most precious commodity, school kids, means a healthier school day, a stronger West Virginia economy and future job markets for these same children."
In addition to the buses to be purchased by the dealer, the West Virginia Department of Education has purchased and taken delivery of the three BEAST Type D school buses which will be used for the pilot project announced by Gov. Jim Justice in June. The pilot will commence in September as the school year begins. One Nano BEAST will also be purchased by the state later in the school year to expand the pilot to include a Type A all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emissions school bus.
GreenPower's BEAST is a 40-foot Type D school bus seating up to 90 passengers and the Nano BEAST is a 25-foot Type A school bus which is available with standard seating or with ADA. Both the BEAST and Nano BEAST have a class-leading range of up to 150 miles with a monocoque chassis design and built from the ground up to be battery-electric. The vehicles can charge up to 20 KW on a standard J1772 protocol or DC fast charge.
GreenPower and Media Contacts:
Brendan Riley
President
(510) 910-3377
Michael Perez
Vice President School Bus, Contracts and Grants
(909) 308-0960
Allie Potter
Skyya PR for GreenPower
(218) 766-8856
allie@skyya.com
GreenPower designs, builds and distributes a full suite of high-floor and low-floor all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, cargo van, and a cab and chassis. GreenPower employs a clean-sheet design to manufacture all-electric vehicles that are purpose built to be battery powered with zero emissions while integrating global suppliers for key components. This OEM platform allows GreenPower to meet the specifications of various operators while providing standard parts for ease of maintenance and accessibility for warranty requirements. GreenPower was founded in Vancouver, Canada with primary operational facilities in southern California. Listed on the Toronto exchange since November 2015, GreenPower completed its U.S. IPO and NASDAQ listing in August 2020. For further information go to www.greenpowermotor.com
This document contains forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, GreenPower's business and operations and the environment in which it operates, which are based on GreenPower's operations, estimates, forecasts, and projections. Forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and projections about future events, and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "upon", "may", "should", "will", "could", "intend", "estimate", "plan", "anticipate", "expect", "believe" or "continue", or the negative thereof or similar variations. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict or are beyond GreenPower's control. A number of important factors, including those set forth in other public filings (filed under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com), could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. Consequently, readers should not place any undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. In addition, these forward-looking statements relate to the date on which they are made. GreenPower disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. © 2022 GreenPower Motor Company Inc. All rights reserved.
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SOURCE GreenPower Motor Company | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/greenpower-delivers-three-beast-electric-school-buses-west-virginia-appoints-dealer-state/ | 2022-08-25 13:11:47 | 0 | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/greenpower-delivers-three-beast-electric-school-buses-west-virginia-appoints-dealer-state/ |
Congress passed a $858 billion defense policy bill this week called the National Defense Authorization Act.
Most of that money – $816.7 billion – will go toward Department of Defense programs, according to documents. About $30.3 billion will go toward national security programs, and $378 million is allocated for defense-related activities.
The NDAA will fund new military weapons purchases, increase pay for service members, and add more support for Ukraine and Taiwan.
The bill would also end the Pentagon’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
The bill increases America’s total national security budget by about 10& from the defense bill we saw last year.
To put our defense spending into context, a chart by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation shows the U.S. spends more on defense than the next 9 countries combined. It shows the U.S. spending $801 billion, while China, India, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and South Korea spend $777 billion combined.
China had the second highest military spending at $293 billion, according to 2021 stats from Statista.
The bill will now go to President Biden’s desk to be signed. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/congress-passes-858-billion-national-defense-authorization-act | 2022-12-16 22:58:14 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/congress-passes-858-billion-national-defense-authorization-act |
‘Pieces of mailbox everywhere’: Pipe bomb explodes in family’s mailbox
MOBILE, Ala. (WALA/Gray News) - A family in Alabama got a scary delivery when their mailbox was blown up early Saturday morning.
A handmade explosive launched fragments everywhere in surveillance video which captured the whole event.
WALA reports the unnamed family that lives in Tillmans Corner is on a mission to find the culprit.
In the video, a vehicle can be seen easing its way to the mailbox, planting an explosive and immediately driving away.
One of the residents of the home said the explosion around 1:15 a.m. woke them from sleep.
“We are used to hearing 18-wheeler tires blow up all the time on the interstate,” she said. “So I got up, checked the cameras, but I didn’t see anything. When I went back and reviewed our cameras, a couple of young boys, it looked like, put a homemade pipe bomb in our mailbox, lit it on fire, and it exploded. It is a federal offense.”
The explosion occurred at Quail Run in Tillmans Corner.
“This is a huge safety concern because we have a child in our house, people across the street have children, there are children all in this neighborhood and I don’t want stuff like that in this neighborhood,” the resident said.
According to the family, the explosion sent the debris flying. Some debris even ended up on their next door neighbor’s porch.
“It went a long range, like two and three yards down both sides, across the street. There were pieces of mailbox everywhere,” the family member said.
After gathering the evidence and picking up the shards, the family believes the explosive was a homemade pipe bomb.
“It was made out of PVC pipe, mortars like you would shoot off in the canons of fireworks, you could tell it was glued together with some kind of glue, probably had duck tape around it,” the resident said. “Whatever it was, it was big.”
The family said their Christmas lights were broken into “millions of pieces,” mail in the mailbox was burned up, and part of their front yard even caught fire for a moment.
The victims said they are unaware of who the suspects are and why they targeted their mailbox.
“Be aware of your surroundings. Watch your children at all times,” the resident said. “I mean, I know this is the world we live in, but if we can do anything to stop these people from committing crimes like this that is one day gonna end up injuring or hurting or killing anyone, I’m all for it.”
The family says they filed a police report, and an investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information on the suspects are urged to contact the Mobile Police Department.
Copyright 2023 WALA via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kalb.com/2023/02/06/pieces-mailbox-everywhere-pipe-bomb-explodes-familys-mailbox/ | 2023-02-06 23:25:21 | 1 | https://www.kalb.com/2023/02/06/pieces-mailbox-everywhere-pipe-bomb-explodes-familys-mailbox/ |
TAIPEI, June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At Embedded World 2022, in addition to their AI area, where they showcased AI solutions and products from their subsidiaries and partners, Innodisk introduced their new flash, DRAM, and EP solutions, which push the barrier of possibility in industrial AI use cases.
First they introduced the world's first industrial-grade PCIe Gen4x4 (NVMe) SSD with namespace technology, which delivers better r/w efficiency, and has a longer lifespan.
From their EP product line, they also showcased the first M.2 2280-to-single 10GbE Base-T Ethernet module, and InnoAgent, an exciting new hardware module that allows out-of-band remote management of systems, even if they have crashed, or are completely offline.
Innodisk's DRAM team highlighted their Ultra Temperature DDR4 DRAM module, which offers a compact design, the industry's fastest memory speed with 3200MT/s, and can operate in temperatures from -40°C to 125°C. One of Innodisk's customers, who made use of Ultra Temperature 32GB SODIMMs in outdoor 5G AI edge servers was able to benefit from the extreme temperature tolerance of the modules. Their servers, which were designed for telecom use suffer from 5G's tendency to quickly generate heat, and was therefore the perfect fit for Innodisk's Ultra Temperature solution, which withstand up to 125°C.
The innovative solutions that these modules allow are the reason that Innodisk's Ultra Temperature DRAM won the Best-in-Show award for memory and storage. The award, which Innodisk was previously presented for its InnoAGE SSDs, evaluates design excellence, relative performance, and market impact/disruption. Once again, the award proves Innodisk's industrial excellence, and shows how the company continues to innovate.
Innodisk is excited to see its industrial customers again at next year's Embedded World.
About Innodisk
Innodisk is a service-driven provider of flash memory, DRAM modules, and embedded peripheral products for industrial and enterprise applications. For more information about Innodisk, please visit https://www.innodisk.com
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SOURCE Innodisk Corporation | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/innodisks-embedded-world-2022-innovations-win-best-in-show-award/ | 2022-06-23 09:42:50 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/innodisks-embedded-world-2022-innovations-win-best-in-show-award/ |
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes pleaded with Chiefs coach Andy Reid to let him stay in the game on Saturday.
He argued with trainers, assistant coaches and anyone else within earshot on the Kansas City sideline to let him play through an injured right ankle.
“I’m not coming out of a playoff game,” Mahomes would say later, “unless they take me out.”
Well, the Chiefs did, forcing him to get X-rays late in the first half of their divisional game against Jacksonville.
But when they came back negative, and Mahomes proved he could protect himself in the halftime locker room, Reid decided to let his All-Pro quarterback back on the field — and he gamely led them to victory.
Mahomes finished with 195 yards passing and two touchdowns, the second capping a 75-yard drive late in the fourth quarter, and lifted Kansas City to a 27-20 victory over the Jaguars and a spot in a fifth straight AFC championship game.
Mahomes also vowed to be ready for next week against the winner of Sunday’s game between Cincinnati and Buffalo. If the Bengals win, they will be back at Arrowhead Stadium; if the Bills win, they’re headed to Atlanta.
Chad Henne led a 98-yard touchdown drive while Mahomes was out. Travis Kelce had a career-high 14 catches for 98 yards and two scores. Marquez Valdes-Scantling hauled in the eventual clinching TD pass with about 7 minutes left in the game.
“It’s a credit to the team I have around me, the coaches around me and the organization in general,” Mahomes said. “We try to do whatever we can to be in this position, to get to the AFC championship game and find a way to the Super Bowl.”
The Jaguars, who rallied from a 27-0 deficit to beat the Chargers in the wild-card round, squandered two chances to mount another late rally. The first ended when Jamal Agnew had the ball pop loose inside the Chiefs 5 with about 5 1/2 minutes to go, and the second when Jaylen Watson made a leaping, one-handed interception near midfield.
The Jaguars’ last-gasp chance ended when Kansas City recovered an onside kick with 24 seconds to go.
Trevor Lawrence finished with 217 yards passing with a touchdown toss to Christian Kirk, who was briefly hurt midway through the fourth quarter but returned to finish the game. Travis Etienne added 62 yards rushing and a touchdown.
“When you get this far you don’t want to only go this far,” the Jaguars’ Foyesade Oluokun said. “You want to keep going.”
“I don’t really have the words right now,” Lawrence added. “The Chiefs did more today than we did.”
Long before Mahomes hobbled to the sideline in pain, he was at his creative best, driving the Chiefs downfield on their opening possession.
There was a shortstop-style sidearm sling to JuJu Smith-Schuster, a key third down pass to Kelce as he was being dragged to the turf, and the flip pass to his tight end that gave Kansas City a 7-0 lead.
The Jaguars came right back, taking advantage of a big kickoff return and a short field.
Lawrence, whose four touchdown throws helped to stun the Chargers last week, proceeded to hit Kirk for the matching touchdown.
Then, the complexion of the game changed.
Mahomes was moving up in the pocket when Arden Key brought the full weight of his body down on the quarterback’s ankle. Mahomes hobbled to the huddle and managed to get through three more plays to end the first quarter, then was on the field two more plays before Harrison Butker kicked a 50-yard field goal.
During the Jaguars’ ensuing possession, Mahomes got into a heated argument with Reid and the training staff. He then threw down his coat and headed to the locker room, forcing Henne to take over midway through the second quarter, just as the 37-year-old journeyman did two years ago in a playoff win over Cleveland.
“Yeah, I did not want to go, and they kind of gave me the ultimatum that I wasn’t going back in unless I went in there,” said Mahomes, who cheered on Henne’s 98-yard drive from the sideline, wearing a puffy winter coat on a cold, sleeting night.
As the second half began, though, that familiar red No. 15 jersey was trotting back onto the field.
“It was a short leash,” Reid acknowledged. “If I felt like he wasn’t able to handle it, he would have been out.”
His right ankle heavily taped, Mahomes struggled to move around, but simply his presence seemed to calm the Chiefs — and their angst-filled fan base. Butker added a second 50-yard field goal late in the third quarter to extend the lead to 20-10, and when the AFC South champs answered with a touchdown of their own, so did the Chiefs.
Mahomes drove them downfield for one last score that proved to be the margin of victory.
“We know that if it’s up to Pat, he’s going to be in there. I’m sure he had some words with everyone on the sideline that he wanted to be in there as fast as possible,” Kelce said afterward.
“It’s just a different feeling when one-five is in there. He can make anything happen, even on one ankle.”
STATS AND STREAKS
Mahomes improved to 5-0 in the divisional round of the playoffs. He’s thrown 28 TD passes and three interceptions in 10 home playoff games. … Henne was 5 of 7 for 23 yards and a score. … Jacksonville had eight wins as an underdog this season, tied for the most in the Super Bowl era.
UP NEXT
The Chiefs wait to hear whether they play the Bengals at Arrowhead Stadium or the Bills in Atlanta for a spot in their third Super Bowl in four years. The Jaguars turn their attention to the free agency and the NFL draft.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.texomashomepage.com/sports/ap-chiefs-led-by-hobbled-mahomes-beat-jags-27-20-in-playoffs/ | 2023-01-22 22:01:21 | 0 | https://www.texomashomepage.com/sports/ap-chiefs-led-by-hobbled-mahomes-beat-jags-27-20-in-playoffs/ |
Behind a closed chapel office door inside a federal women’s prison in California, a chaplain forced inmates seeking his spiritual guidance to have sex with him — exploiting their faith and their powerlessness behind bars for his own gratification, prosecutors said.
James Theodore Highhouse, who pleaded guilty in February and is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday, would tell women he abused at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, that everyone in the Bible had sex and that God wanted them to be together, prosecutors said.
Highhouse, an Army veteran, pressured one inmate into having intercourse with him on Veterans Day by telling her she needed to serve her country and on Thanksgiving by telling her she needed to show her gratitude for him, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors are seeking a 10-year prison sentence for Highhouse, who’s among five workers at the Bay Area lockup charged in the last 14 months with sexually abusing inmates.
In a sentencing memorandum, they implored a judge to deviate from federal guidelines, which call for less than three years in prison, and deliver “a just punishment for this particularly vile conduct.”
While Highhouse, 49, was charged only with abusing one inmate, prosecutors say he engaged in predatory conduct with at least six women from 2014 to 2019 — including one he counseled at a veterans hospital where he worked before joining the federal Bureau of Prisons, where allegations were routinely ignored.
“Highhouse ruined my life — he truly did,” one inmate said in a victim impact statement. “I don’t even go to Church anymore because of him. I have no trust in the Church and really, I don’t trust anyone because of what he did.”
Highhouse, enabled by a toxic culture of abuse and coverups at the prison — known to many as the “rape club” — warned victims not to report him, telling one of them “no one will believe you because you’re an inmate, and I’m a chaplain,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
At the same time, prosecutors wrote, a prison counselor would rail about inmates “snitching” on employees, suggesting they instead “tell Trump about it,” referring to then-President Donald Trump.
Highhouse’s lawyers are seeking a two-year prison sentence, the low end of the 24 months to 30 months recommended in federal guidelines.
In their sentencing memorandum, Highhouse’s lawyers noted that he served as an Army chaplain in Iraq and Afghanistan, is seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder and spends time caring for his elderly mother after his father’s death earlier this year. He has no prior criminal history and accepts responsibility for his crimes, they wrote.
“He fully regrets the pain he caused the victim in this case, as well as the other people in his life,” Highhouse’s lawyers wrote, calling his actions “a grave mistake.”
Federal probation officers who conducted a pre-sentence investigation and interviewed Highhouse recommended a seven-year prison sentence, writing that Highhouse characterized his abuse as an “inappropriate relationship” and blamed his conduct on marital problems.
All sexual activity between a prison worker and an inmate is illegal. Correctional employees enjoy substantial power over inmates, controlling every aspect of their lives from mealtime to lights out, and there is no scenario in which an inmate can give consent.
Earlier this year, an Associated Press investigation revealed years of sexual misconduct at FCI Dublin, including allegations against the prison’s former warden. The AP also detailed steps that were taken to keep abuse secret, such as ignoring allegations, retaliating against whistleblowers and sending prisoners to solitary confinement or other prisons for reporting abuse.
After the AP’s reporting, a task force of senior federal prison officials descended on Dublin, meeting with staff and inmates and pledging to fix problems and change the culture. On Wednesday, as Highhouse is being sentenced in federal court in Oakland, new federal Bureau of Prisons Director Colette Peters is scheduled to visit Dublin for a status update.
Highhouse is the first of the five charged Dublin employees to reach the sentencing phase.
Enrique Chavez, a food service foreman, is expected to plead guilty on Sept. 14. Ross Klinger, a recycling technician, pleaded guilty in February but has yet to be sentenced.
The former warden, Ray J. Garcia, was recently charged with abusing two additional inmates, for a total of seven counts involving three victims. He pleaded not guilty to the initial charges against him and is scheduled to go on trial in November.
John Russell Bellhouse, a prison safety administrator, is scheduled to stand trial next June.
Highhouse pleaded guilty on Feb. 23 to two counts of sexual abuse of a ward, two counts of abusive sexual contact and one count of making false statements to federal agents.
All of the charges stem from allegations Highhouse repeatedly abused a female prisoner over a nine-month span in 2018 and 2019.
That woman said in a victim impact statement that she cried herself to sleep after testifying before a grand jury about Highhouse’s abuse.
“I felt so lost, hopeless, worthless, and betrayal and truly do not know what to do or who to talk to about my problems,” the woman wrote.
The AP does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission.
Other allegations against Highhouse, previously kept quiet by Dublin officials, came to light during the investigation, prosecutors said.
Two inmates said Highhouse claimed to them that he was a sex therapist, asked graphic questions about their sex lives and offered to let them have sex in his office, prosecutors said. One of them said Highhouse leered at her when she got out of the shower and had a reputation as a “predator.”
Another inmate told investigators that she avoided Highhouse after he made suggestive remarks during a counseling session, such as suggesting that the commissary sell sex toys.
In May, an inmate now incarcerated at another federal prison facility reported that Highhouse raped her multiple times in his chapel office after she sought him out for counseling, prosecutors said.
“He took my ability to sleep at night and he took my ability to trust in the Church,” the inmate wrote in a victim impact statement. “I would never go back to Church. I’m constantly on alert. He played on my vulnerability and took advantage of me — I have nightmares.”
The inmate said that she attempted to report the abuse but that when she did, a prison officer shrugged and reminded her that she would soon be transferring out of Dublin.
“To me the BOP is an epic fail in terms of the way they handle PREA,” the inmate wrote, referring to the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act. “The system is flawed and broken.” ___
On Twitter, follow Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak and Balsamo at twitter.com/mikebalsamo1. Send confidential tips by visiting https://www.ap.org/tips/. | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/politics/ap-us-rape-club-chaplain-used-faith-fear-to-abuse-inmates/ | 2022-08-31 14:27:26 | 1 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/politics/ap-us-rape-club-chaplain-used-faith-fear-to-abuse-inmates/ |
SINGAPORE, Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- XT.COM listed CARAC (CARAC) in both the Innovation & DeFi Zones and opened trading for the CARAC/USDT trading pair at 2022-09-07 07:00 (UTC).
- Users can start depositing CARAC in preparation for trading from 2022-09-06 7:00(UTC)
- Withdrawals for CARAC will open at 2022-09-08 07:00 (UTC)
Moving forward, XT.com will continue to further strengthen its battle-hardened crypto listing strategies for everyone to take a deep dive and experience crypto. Deposit, trading, and withdrawal options are available live and colored for both CARAC users and XT holders. Everyone is encouraged to indulge in CARAC trading seamlessly anytime, anywhere without any limitations. As a promise, XT.COM will continue welcoming projects for crypto listings and achieve growth hand-in-hand.
Introducing CARAC, the Utility Currency of CARAC
The CARAC Token is a token for NFTs, Points, and DeFi Purposes. It is also used to pay for various NFT goods, and DeFi-yield farming via liquidity pools. The CARAC tokens can be converted to and from USDT on the platforms and also receive farming rewards from the pool in USDT. Additionally, as the number of videos delivered continues to increase, so will the funds distributed to token holders on a daily basis. This gives the CARAC token a "perpetual profit distribution", allowing the token to sustain its monetary value. Sales profit received from manufacturers will also be distributed to LP token holders as well, providing additional value to the CARAC token without fail.
A liquidity pool will be available on POcket Swap, a DEX built on the Ethereum blockchain. Users can provide liquidity there and farm for rewards just like on uniswap. Carac llc would then receive revenue by sharing the CARAC token ownership as well as the LP tokens, increasing the token value and promoting a healthy revenue growth via various services.
About CARAC LLC
CARAC llc is a company based in Tokyo, Japan and its business model utilizes the CARAC token in its business model with 5 different revenue streams: NFT Business, Video distribution, DVD sales, Video rental business, and its DeFi (DEX). Among these five categories, the video distribution business is currently distributed by a major Japanese video distribution company, ensuring the contents purchased will be properly distributed for the next 5 to 10 years.
Website: https://www.carac-jp.llc/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carac_llc
About XT.COM
By consistently expanding its ecosystem, XT.COM is dedicated to providing users with the most secure, trusted, and hassle-free digital asset trading services. Our exchange is built from a desire to give everyone access to digital assets regardless where you are.
Founded in 2018, XT.COM now serves more than 6 million registered users, over 500,000+ monthly active users and 40+ million users in the ecosystem. Covering a rich variety of trading categories together with an NFT aggregated marketplace, our platform strives to cater to its large user base by providing a secure, trusted and intuitive trading experience.
As the world's first social-infused digital assets trading platform, XT.COM also supports social networking platform based transactions to make our crypto services more accessible to users all over the world. Furthermore, to ensure optimal data integrity and security, we see user security as our top priority at XT.COM.
Website: https://www.xt.com/
Telegram: https://t.me/XTsupport_EN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/XTexchange
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SOURCE XT.com | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/xtcom-lists-carac-carac-opens-its-trading/ | 2022-09-08 07:14:43 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/xtcom-lists-carac-carac-opens-its-trading/ |
Award-winning Just a Tint 3-in-1 Tinted Skin Conditioner adds 4 new shades and Quick Conceal Liquid Caffeine Concealer adds 3 new shades to Protect, Hydrate, and Perfect the Skin
DETROIT, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Deliberately designed to give your complexion maximum impact with minimal effort, clean, vegan and non-toxic beauty brand The Lip Bar, announces the expansion of its award-winning complexion products with three new Quick Conceal Liquid Caffeine Concealer shades and four new Just a Tint 3-in-1 Tinted Skin Conditioner shades. Benefiting ingredients such as Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and rosemary leaf extract, work to protect the skin that's already yours for the perfect marriage of skincare and a flawless complexion.
The Quick Conceal Liquid Caffeine Concealer offers three additional shades in the six shade families, totaling nine formulas to wake up your beauty routine in an instant. The Just a Tint 3-in-1 Tinted Skin Conditioner offers four additional tints that fit within the six shade families, totaling twelve formulas that deliver a light, buildable coverage while hydrating the skin.
Praising women and reminding them of their natural beauty through easy-to-use and skin-like formulas with effective ingredients, The Lip Bar aims to promote creating effortless beauty routines in a matter of minutes. The Quick Conceal Liquid Caffeine Concealer and Just a Tint 3-in-1 Tinted Skin Conditioner works for a wide range of skin tones, with an easy application, long-lasting, and hydrating properties to reveal a radiant glow!
"I've read all of the reviews and while consumers loved both formulas, the consistent feedback was to have more shades to wear all year round. Our product development team worked hard over the past year to bring more shades so everyone can get into them". - The Lip Bar Founder and CEO, Melissa Butler.
Easy-to-use, hydrating, and brightening concealer helps wake up your beauty routine in an instant. Infused with caffeine and nourishing ingredients to combat the look of puffiness, reduce dark circles, and brighten your eyes, this pigmented self-setting formula gives you full coverage with one application. New shades that bring the collection to nine shades include:
- Ivory 1.0: Light with neutral undertone within the Ivory complexion family
- Caramel 1.0: Tan with neutral undertones within the Caramel complexion family
- Cinnamon 2.0: Deep with golden undertones within the Cinnamon complexion family
The Just a Tint 3-in-1 Tinted Skin Conditioner with SPF hydrates like a moisturizer, and perfects with a hint color. This formula was designed to provide a healthy radiant glow with sheer buildable coverage. New shades that bring the collection to twelve shades include:
- Vanilla Bean: Fair with neutral/cool undertones within the Ivory complexion family
- Chai Tai: Medium with neutral undertones within the Honey complexion family
- Iced Coffee: Medium tan with peach undertones within the Caramel complexion family
- Cinna Bae: Medium with cool golden undertones within the Cinnamon complexion family
Hi-res images of the Quick Conceal Liquid Caffeine Concealer and Just a Tint 3-in-1 Tinted Skin Conditioner are available HERE.
The Lip Bar is available to purchase at www.thelipbar.com, www.target.com, www.walmart.com, and in-store at Target, Walmart, and The Lip Bar's Flagship Store in Detroit, MI.
For all The Lip Bar media inquiries, please contact TheLipBar@firstandlastpr.com
The Lip Bar is a beauty brand started in the kitchen of Founder and CEO, Melissa Butler while working on Wall Street. Since her early days of developing formulations, The Lip Bar has become a pioneer on clean beauty and inclusion, proudly founded and owned by a self-made Woman of Color. Since its launch in 2012, Butler has been on a mission to change the way people think about beauty. Believing that all beauty brands have the capacity to represent all beauty lovers, while creating clean and exciting products.
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SOURCE The Lip Bar | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2022/09/20/lip-bar-expands-complexion-range-offering-7-new-concealers-tinted-moisturizers-with-more-inclusive-universal-shades-all/ | 2022-09-20 18:53:02 | 1 | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2022/09/20/lip-bar-expands-complexion-range-offering-7-new-concealers-tinted-moisturizers-with-more-inclusive-universal-shades-all/ |
In Uvalde, closeness complicates accountability for school shooting
UVALDE, Texas (AP) — After the massacre at Uvalde’s Robb Elementary School in May, Jesse Rizo was worried about his old friend, police chief Pete Arredondo.
Blame for the botched police response was being directed heavily at Arredondo when Rizo texted him just days after the shooting: “Been thinking of and praying for you.”
Two months later, with investigations and body-camera video spotlighting the hesitant and haphazard response by police to the killing of two teachers and 19 students, Rizo remains worried about Arredondo. He also wants him fired.
Rizo’s complicated feelings toward his Uvalde High School classmate capture the type of mixed emotions that families of victims and many residents of this close-knit community are navigating as they channel their grief and fury into demands for change.
“I care about Pete. I care that he’s mentally OK. I don’t want a human to start to lose it,” said Rizo, who is distantly related to a 9-year-old girl who was killed at Robb Elementary. “But I also want to hold people accountable who don’t perform their jobs properly.”
The 50-year-old Arredondo, who was one of the first officers on the scene, has taken much of the blame for not immediately storming the classroom and confronting the shooter. He has not responded to repeated requests for comment from The Associated Press.
This week, the Uvalde school board abruptly scheduled a meeting to discuss firing Arredondo, only to cancel it days later. As officials weigh their options, residents are growing impatient with unanswered calls to hold people accountable for the bewildering 77 minutes of inaction by nearly 400 police officers who responded to the school shooting.
But the mere possibility of his firing after months of resistance from local officials stands as a demonstration of the victims’ families’ rising political clout.
The strain over how to move forward is visible in the signs that have popped up all over town. “Uvalde United.” “Uvalde Must Stand Together.” While those signs mean different things depending on whom you ask, other signs are more pointed: “Prosecute Pete Arredondo.”
Family ties and political struggles go back generations in Uvalde, a community where nearly three-quarters of the residents are Hispanic. Locals had largely revered the police before the shooting. Uvalde’s leaders, many of whom are white, share church pews with their fiercest critics. And demanding accountability can mean calling for the job of your friend, neighbor or employer.
It’s a town with a “power structure” and “unwritten rules” that make it hard for many people to speak out, said Michael Ortiz, a local college professor who moved to Uvalde 13 years ago and said his tenure allows him to be vocal in a way that’s not viable for many of the community’s mostly working-class residents.
“Someone’s boss might not like that,” Ortiz said. “They are afraid even to march.”
Since the shooting, the mostly Hispanic parents of the victims have struggled to make their demands heard by the city and school district. Local officials initially resisted releasing information and calls to fire officers. But things are shifting.
WARNING: Video contains graphic content.
In a sign of growing political activism, more than 300 people have registered to vote in Uvalde since the shooting -- more than double the number in the same period during the last midterm election season. And in July, over 100 protesters braved 106-degree heat to call for stronger gun regulations — including raising the minimum age to buy an assault weapon — and for greater transparency from local and state authorities investigating the shooting.
That was the largest local demonstration since 1970, when the school district’s refusal to renew the contract of a popular Robb Elementary teacher prompted one of Texas’ longest school walkouts over demands for equal education for Mexican American residents. That teacher’s son is Ronnie Garza, a Uvalde County commissioner.
Garza said the shooting has changed the community, uniting people in grief but dividing them on questions of accountability. “We are a desperate people right now. We are yelling here that way, we are yelling (the other) way, for somebody to listen to us, to come and help us,” said Garza.
Faced with incomplete and contradictory accounts from local and state law enforcement, the families of those killed in Uvalde have begun to make people listen.
After state lawmakers issued a damning report that found “systemic failures and egregiously poor decision making” by both police and school officials, the Uvalde school board held a special session to hear from parents. Superintendent Hal Harrell apologized for previously being “too formal” and not letting the victims’ families say their piece.
“Trying to find the right time, the right balance out of respect, I did not do well,” said Harrell, who is white and spoke in an auditorium named for his father, who was also superintendent.
For the next three hours, grieving parents and community members upbraided the board, saying that if it didn’t hold people accountable they would lose their jobs. Some told Harrell he wasn’t living up to his father’s legacy, while others referenced the 1970 lockout and said they hoped he would do better, drawing applause. People called for the whole school police force to be fired and jeered at state troopers standing at the room’s edges.
Rizo, who was at that meeting, said he cannot respect how the police chief or the many other officers he knows handled their jobs that day. “There are consequences to that,” he said. “I can’t understand why he wouldn’t just resign.”
But the long history between them tugs at Rizo too. In the text he sent Arredondo days after the shooting, he said: “Please be strong and be patient.”
Arredondo responded: “Good to hear from you, bro. Thank you and please keep praying for the babies.” They haven’t spoken since.
___
For more AP coverage of the Uvalde school shooting: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kold.com/2022/07/23/uvalde-closeness-complicates-accountability-shooting/ | 2022-07-23 14:04:10 | 0 | https://www.kold.com/2022/07/23/uvalde-closeness-complicates-accountability-shooting/ |
MADRID — Spain’s National Court has agreed to the extradition to the U.S. of a British citizen who allegedly took part in computer attacks, including the July 2020 hacking of Twitter accounts of public figures such as Joseph Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Gates.
O’Connor, 23, from Liverpool, England was arrested in the southern Spanish coastal town of Estepona in July 2021.
He is accused of hacking some 130 Twitter accounts. The court document said he is also wanted for hacking the Snapchat account of an unidentified public figure whom he allegedly tried to extort with the threat of publishing nude photographs of the person.
He is also wanted for several cases of “swatting,” prank calls to emergency services aimed at getting large numbers of police to be sent to different locations.
The court rejected arguments by O’Connor’s lawyers that he should be tried in Spain since the servers he used were located there.
The statement said he is wanted by courts in the Northern District of California and the Southern District of New York. The extradition order can be appealed. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/spain-orders-extradition-of-british-alleged-hacker-to-us/2023/02/17/3bce94cc-aedd-11ed-b0ba-9f4244c6e5da_story.html | 2023-02-17 17:00:18 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/spain-orders-extradition-of-british-alleged-hacker-to-us/2023/02/17/3bce94cc-aedd-11ed-b0ba-9f4244c6e5da_story.html |
LONDON (AP) — The family of a comatose boy who have fought to prevent doctors from ending his life-support treatment have filed a legal action requesting permission to move their son from a London hospital to a hospice.
Archie Battersbee’s parents announced the move after the European Court of Human Rights late Wednesday rejected a request to intervene in the case following a series of rulings by U.K. courts that backed doctors who said further treatment was not in the 12-year-old’s best interests because he is brain dead.
The family is now seeking permission to move Archie from the Royal London Hospital in east London to a hospice. They say the hospital informed them that life support would be withdrawn at 11 a.m. Thursday unless a legal challenge over the hospice move was submitted by 9 a.m.
“I would like him out of here as quick as possible, really, and in a peaceful hospice to say goodbye and spend time with his family, uninterrupted by the noise and chaos,” his mother, Hollie Dance, told the BBC.
The dispute is the latest U.K. case pitting the judgment of doctors against the wishes of families. It is common for British courts to intervene when parents and doctors disagree on the treatment of a child. In such cases, the best interests of the child take primacy over the parents’ right to decide what they believe is best for their offspring.
Archie was found unconscious at home with a ligature over his head on April 7. His parents believe he may have been taking part in an online challenge that went wrong.
Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs the Royal London Hospital, said it understands the motivation behind the family’s request but a previous High Court ruling requires that Archie remain in the hospital while his treatment is ended. The boy’s condition is so unstable that moving him would hasten the deterioration of his condition, the trust said.
“As directed by the courts, we will work with the family to prepare for the withdrawal of treatment, but we will make no changes to Archie’s care until the outstanding legal issues are resolved,” Alistair Chesser, chief medical officer of the trust, said in a statement.
Archie’s parents took their campaign to prolong his treatment all the way to the U.K. Supreme Court. After exhausting their legal options in Britain, they asked the European Court of Human Rights to intervene.
The ECHR late Wednesday said it would not “interfere with the decisions of the national courts to allow the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from (Archie) to proceed.” | https://phl17.com/news/international/ap-international/family-of-comatose-boy-seek-to-have-him-moved-to-hospice/ | 2022-08-04 19:11:40 | 0 | https://phl17.com/news/international/ap-international/family-of-comatose-boy-seek-to-have-him-moved-to-hospice/ |
WAKEFIELD, Mass., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (CSE: CURA / OTCQX: CURLF) ("Curaleaf" or the "Company"), a leading international provider of consumer products in cannabis, today announced that it will report its financial and operating results for the second quarter ended September 30, 2022 after market close on November 7, 2022.
Management will host a conference call and audio webcast that evening at 5:00 p.m. ET consisting of prepared remarks followed by a question and answer session related to the Company's operational and financial highlights.
For interested individuals unable to join the conference call, a dial-in replay of the call will be available until November 14, 2022, and can be accessed by dialing +1-877-344-7529 (U.S.), +1-855-669-9658 (Canada) or +1-412-317-0088 (International) and entering replay pin number: 9958653
Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (CSE: CURA) (OTCQX: CURLF) ("Curaleaf") is a leading international provider of consumer products in cannabis with a mission to improve lives by providing clarity around cannabis and confidence around consumption. As a high-growth cannabis company known for quality, expertise and reliability, the Company and its brands, including Curaleaf and Select, provide industry-leading service, product selection and accessibility across the medical and adult-use markets. In the United States, Curaleaf currently operates in 21 states with 144 dispensaries, 29 cultivation sites, and employs over 6,000 team members. Curaleaf International is the largest vertically integrated cannabis company in Europe with a unique supply and distribution network throughout the European market, bringing together pioneering science and research with cutting-edge cultivation, extraction and production. Curaleaf is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol CURA and trades on the OTCQX market under the symbol CURLF. For more information, please visit https://ir.curaleaf.com.
Curaleaf IR Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/Curaleaf_IR
Investor Toolkit: https://ir.curaleaf.com/investor-toolkit
Investor Relations Website: https://ir.curaleaf.com/
Investor Contact:
Curaleaf Holdings, Inc.
Camilo Lyon, Chief Investment Officer
IR@curaleaf.com
Media Contact:
Curaleaf Holdings, Inc.
Tracy Brady, SVP Corporate Communications
media@curaleaf.com
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SOURCE Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2022/10/05/curaleaf-report-third-quarter-2022-financial-operational-results/ | 2022-10-05 20:57:49 | 1 | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2022/10/05/curaleaf-report-third-quarter-2022-financial-operational-results/ |
FIRE
Locomotive engine catches fire in Hutchinson - engineers extinguish it
Alice Mannette
The Hutchinson News
The Hutchinson Fire Department responded to a locomotive fire near Eighth Avenue and Keast Street. The lead engine's motor caught fire. Engineers on the locomotive were able to extinguish the fire before fire crews arrived. Fire crews noticed engine oil running out of the locomotive.
According to the Hutchinson Fire Department the department's Haz-mat team arrived on the scene and placed a catch basin under the leak so the oil wouldn’t contaminate the ground soil. The rail company is working on moving the train cars and the railway Haz-mat crew is on there way to off load the remaining oil from the locomotive. | https://www.hutchnews.com/story/news/fire/2023/02/23/train-catches-fire-in-hutchinson-train-crew-extinguishes-it/69936423007/ | 2023-02-24 08:23:20 | 1 | https://www.hutchnews.com/story/news/fire/2023/02/23/train-catches-fire-in-hutchinson-train-crew-extinguishes-it/69936423007/ |
Paul Rudd FaceTimed 12-year-old when classmates refuse to sign his yearbook
Published: Jul. 12, 2022 at 12:23 PM EDT|Updated: 32 minutes ago
(CNN) - A young boy who was being alienated at his middle school in Colorado was treated to a FaceTime call with actor Paul Rudd.
Brody Riddler, 12, made headlines in his hometown of Westminster after his mother revealed on Facebook that his classmates refused to sign his yearbook.
As it turns out, Brody’s favorite superhero is Ant-Man, which is played by Rudd in the Avengers franchise.
When Rudd heard the boy’s story, he reached out to the family and arranged a FaceTime call.
Rudd followed the call up with a signed Ant-Man helmet and a handwritten note, which Brody’s mom posted to social media.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wnem.com/2022/07/12/paul-rudd-facetimed-12-year-old-when-classmates-refuse-sign-his-yearbook/ | 2022-07-12 16:56:54 | 1 | https://www.wnem.com/2022/07/12/paul-rudd-facetimed-12-year-old-when-classmates-refuse-sign-his-yearbook/ |
LOS ANGELES, March 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fezibo, the leading brand of standing desks and ergonomic chairs, has seen a 120% surge in sales compared to the previous year, thanks to its commitment to meeting customer needs with a range of new products. With more features and design styles, Fezibo has become the brand offering the most diverse selection in the standing desk market.
"We understand that working from home can be challenging, especially when maintaining a comfortable, ergonomic, stylish workspace. Customers often find it disappointing to see only the basic standing desk model with the same design on traditional e-commerce platforms. Thus, we want to provide a diverse range of options to meet each unique customer's needs, offering stylish designs that go beyond typical office furniture." said Zhu, Fezibo's Head of Product Marketing, "Fezibo is committed to providing its customers with high-quality, affordable ergonomic solutions for their home and office, from compact standing desks for small spaces to adjustable ergonomic chairs for home offices, from the basic up-down-function desk frames to professional-grade models that can handle up to 300 pounds, from the mid-century modern design styles to the Cyberpunk styles, Fezibo has something for everyone."
Various models for various spaces
Fezibo has designed a variety of standing desk frames to meet the functional needs of users in different scenarios. The heavy-duty model is designed for users with multiple heavy devices. It can handle up to 300 pounds. The 3-stage frame can be adjusted from 23" to 48", a good option for family users with different body heights. Fezibo has many models with built-in drawers above or below the desk. If users want extra space, there are also spacious L-shaped standing desks. Fezibo has also designed a wide range of products with different design styles to meet the personality and mood of each user. For those who prefer a vintage design style, Fezibo is available in the Victorian, English style, and more. For those who prefer modern design styles, Fezibo can offer styles such as Modern, Futuristic, and more. Fezibo also offers Steampunk and Cyberpunk for gamers to help users achieve a personalized and unique office environment.
High-quality but affordable
Fezibo offers products at a competitive price by shipping directly from factories to cut out middlemen fees, platform fees, dealership fees, and more. At the same time, Fezibo dedicates to quality control. All products undergo at least 10,000 up-down tests to ensure durability. In addition, Fezibo tests parts in salt spray environments to check for corrosion resistance. As a result, the brand has already obtained various certifications, such as FCC, CARB, UL, and CE. Furthermore, Fezibo is exploring advanced techniques like laser cutting and edge sealing for its desktops. In 2023, Fezibo plans to launch a height adjustable desk priced below $200 with a one-piece desktop, which is unique in the market. Fezibo continues to listen to its customers and strives to deliver high-quality ergonomic furniture that meets their individual needs.
About Fezibo
Fezibo is a leading brand specializing in designing and manufacturing ergonomic office furniture for home and office use. With various styles and functions available, the brand is committed to utilizing the rich industry experience to deliver high-quality, affordable products. Being the largest standing desk seller on Amazon since 2022, Fezibo has products sold to more than ten countries and continues the customer-centric approach and dedication to innovation.
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SOURCE FEZiBO | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/03/16/fezibos-diverse-design-styles-features-set-them-apart-standing-desk-market/ | 2023-03-16 03:39:02 | 1 | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/03/16/fezibos-diverse-design-styles-features-set-them-apart-standing-desk-market/ |
AUSTIN, Texas and MILAN, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Oracle today announced the successful deployment of its cloud-based retail solutions at Prada Group. The leading, luxury brand is on a journey to combine its physical and digital offerings to get to know its customers better and use data to deliver an increasingly personalized experience. Through the mobile deployment of Oracle Retail Xstore Point-of-Service (POS) and Oracle Retail Customer Engagement Cloud Service, Prada Group can collect customer preferences and purchase habits. This data can then be analyzed and translated into strategic actions to increase loyalty.
"A global player like the Prada Group takes the time to understand the data around its customers, including attributes, behavior, and preferences," said Mike Webster, senior vice president and general manager of Oracle Retail. "The marriage of planning and analytics with the customer experience technology allows a retailer to predict, personalize and deliver on its brand promise. We are delighted to celebrate the successful deployment of our cloud-based, AI-infused retail planning and forecasting solutions integrated with our omnichannel solutions at Prada Group."
"Understanding our customers and their journey is critical to our success," said Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Marketing Director and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility. "Technology can help with that and allow us to innovate faster, to drive value, and ultimately growth. With Oracle, we have built a trusted relationship and know we can rely on the team and their technology to meet our business needs."
Most recently, Prada Group successfully deployed Oracle Retail Cloud Services for Merchandise Financial Planning, Assortment, and Item Planning to optimize its merchandising process. This includes enhancing sales and forecasts, performance analysis, as well as inventory management and allocation. With this data, the Prada Group aims to better understand its operations process, scenario plan more effectively, and react more quickly as the market evolves.
In the next phase, Prada Group will deploy Oracle Retail Demand Forecasting Cloud Service, an enterprise forecasting engine within the Oracle Retail Analytics and Planning suite. These solutions sit on top of Oracle Retail AI Foundation, which provides analytical insights to drive planning, buying, moving, and selling decisions.*
*Demand Forecasting, Retail Analytics and Planning, and Retail AI Foundation were purchased on 8/23/21, 1/3/2022, and 8/23/21, respectively.
About Oracle
Oracle offers suites of integrated applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit us at oracle.com.
Trademarks
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.
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SOURCE Oracle | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/05/23/oracle-cloud-elevates-customer-experience-prada-group/ | 2023-05-23 09:47:58 | 0 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/05/23/oracle-cloud-elevates-customer-experience-prada-group/ |
WFO SPOKANE Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, June 16, 2022
_____
FLOOD WARNING
Flood Statement
National Weather Service Spokane WA
540 PM PDT Wed Jun 15 2022
...The Flood Warning is extended for the following rivers in Idaho...
St Joe River at St Maries affecting Benewah County.
...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in
Washington...Idaho...
Pend Oreille River below Albeni Falls affecting Pend Oreille and
Bonner Counties.
For the St. Joe River...including Calder, St Maries...Minor flooding
is forecast.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.
Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks.
Additional information is available at www.weather.gov.
The next statement will be issued late tonight at 545 AM PDT.
...FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE...
* WHAT...Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast.
* WHERE...Pend Oreille River below Albeni Falls.
* WHEN...Until further notice.
* IMPACTS...At 100000.0 cfs, Beehive Lane and Bear Paw Dr will be
flooded at low spots. Water will be up to several homes on Yergens
Rd, Riverbend Loop Road, and on Highway 20 near Deeter Road. Water
will be up to the south end of Riverbend Loop Road. Many yards,
outbuildings, and recreational sites along the river between
Newport and Ione will be flooded. This flow corresponds
approximately to 2042.5 feet (river rising 5/16/1997) to 2045 feet
(river receding 6/24/1997) at the Cusick gage, based on 1997
records.
At 105000.0 cfs, Water will be over the South end of Riverbend
Loop Road.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- At 5:00 PM PDT Wednesday the flow was 102200.0 cfs.
- Recent Activity...The maximum river flow in the 24 hours
ending at 5:00 PM PDT Wednesday was 102200.0 cfs.
- Forecast...The river will continue a slow rise. It is
forecast to crest around 105000 cfs around June 22nd.
- Flood flow is 95000.0 cfs.
- Flood History...This crest compares to a previous crest of
104300.0 cfs on 06/25/1975.
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.sfchronicle.com/weather/article/WA-WFO-SPOKANE-Warnings-Watches-and-Advisories-17244846.php | 2022-06-16 01:11:46 | 1 | https://www.sfchronicle.com/weather/article/WA-WFO-SPOKANE-Warnings-Watches-and-Advisories-17244846.php |
The House Oversight Committee is distancing itself from a push by Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to bring Tara Reade, who has accused President Biden of sexually assaulting her, in for an interview after Gaetz announced the panel’s chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) had given the green light.
But Greene on Wednesday said that while there has been some “miscommunication,” she is in the beginning stages of the process of bringing Reade in for a transcribed interview.
Gaetz, who is not on the House Oversight panel, said on his podcast released Wednesday that Comer told Greene “that we would be fully authorized to bring in Tara Reade, to take her transcribed interview.” Reade went public during the 2020 campaign to accuse Biden of sexually assaulting her when she worked as a staffer in his Senate office in 1993, which Biden has denied.
The House Oversight Committee quickly pushed back on Gaetz’s assertion.
“The Oversight Committee is focused on the Biden family’s business schemes and bank records. Chairman Comer is happy to have a conversation with Rep. Gaetz about oversight he thinks should be done and what committee that should be done in,” a committee spokesperson said in a statement.
Comer reportedly told Politico, “I don’t even know who that is” when asked about Gaetz’s announcement of a Reade interview, and noted his committee had not made any announcement. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) also told The Hill that he did not know anything about a Reade interview.
Still, Greene and Gaetz said there had been a conversation with Comer about interviewing Reade.
“We are going to be talking to her. I just confirmed that. There’s going to be a multiple-step process because the biggest story that we have right now is the banking records,” Greene said, in reference to records that the Oversight Committee got from the Treasury Department relating to businesses connected to Biden’s family members.
Greene said a transcribed interview is “going to take place,” but it has not yet been scheduled.
“We’re gonna first be talking with her privately. And then we’ll be planning a transcribed interview,” Greene said.
Greene said she would probably include Gaetz, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, in the interview.
“I’m in,” Gaetz said, noting that “Oversight and Judiciary have a history of collaborating on investigations.”
“Things happened quickly before – there was – it was a little bit of a miscommunication,” Greene said.
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) took a personal swipe at Gaetz when asked about a Reade interview.
“Wasn’t he the subject of a year-long investigation?” Connolly said, in reference to the Department of Justice investigating Gaetz for sex trafficking but declining to bring any charges. “And he wants to subpoena somebody and have a deposition whose credentials, shall we say, are highly suspect.”
While Reade got some corroboration from people who said she told them about the assault decades ago, other past acquaintances of her’s cast doubt on her credibility, and discrepancies and confusion about whether she graduated from college as she said she did further damaged her public credibility.
Oversight Committee member Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), for his part, indicated that he is taking Gaetz’s word for it that there will be an interview with Reade.
“If it’s in the middle of August and Matt Gaetz tells me it’s fixing the snow, I’m gonna get my sled up here,” Burchett said when asked about the situation.
Reade over the weekend called on Greene and Gaetz to investigate her claims of assault, jumping off President Donald Trump’s announcement that he could soon be arrested in connection to the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation into hush money payments to former adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016.
Greene on Sunday responded that they would like to invite Reade to come speak to them in Washington to “take a stand against the two-tiered justice system.”
Mychael Schnell contributed. | https://www.wivb.com/news/political-news/us-political-news/hill-politics/oversight-panel-distances-from-gaetz-greene-push-to-bring-tara-reade-for-interview/ | 2023-03-23 03:26:43 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/news/political-news/us-political-news/hill-politics/oversight-panel-distances-from-gaetz-greene-push-to-bring-tara-reade-for-interview/ |
The New Monitor Provides Users With a Comfortable and Healthy Home Environment When Paired with Other Govee Smart Home Appliances
HONG KONG, Nov. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Govee, a global innovator in smart home ecosystem technology, launched its first Smart Air Quality Monitor, designed to give users control over their spaces and enhance the overall quality of life within the home environment. With high-accuracy detection, the product tracks temperature, humidity, and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5). The smart monitor is complemented by other Govee Smart Home products to optimally manage users' preferences and provide them with utmost control of the overall health of their living space.
For an improved living experience, the Govee Smart Air Quality Monitor can be used in conjunction with the Govee Smart Air Purifier (13.6 inches), Govee Smart Air Purifier (11 inches), Govee Smart Humidifier, and Govee Smart Space Heater, empowering users to control and customize their settings for a healthy and comfortable smart home environment. When the Govee smart appliances work in unison with the monitor, users can set a target temperature and humidity via the Govee Home app. From there, all connected appliances will turn on automatically, allowing the monitor to detect the current indoor temperature and humidity, and adjust it based on the requested settings. In addition, when the smart monitor detects the room has reached the preferred setting, the connected appliances will run at a low power level to stabilize temperature and humidity–ultimately saving energy for users.
The Govee Smart Air Quality Monitor also features high accuracy monitoring. The monitor updates every two seconds to ensure the current state of the air is reported and has the highest accuracy among the home air quality monitors now in the market. This is not only helpful but important when it comes to identifying PM 2.5, which the EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) found is linked to cardiovascular and respiratory health. Natural occurrences, such as destructive wildfires, often have ultra-fine PM and pose the greatest health risk, as their size is small enough to access deep parts of human lungs. Having a Govee Smart Air Quality Monitor and Govee Smart Air Purifier ensures users' environment is always safe and healthy.
With poor indoor air quality linked to health ailments such as headaches, itchy eyes, runny nose and dry throat, among others, the Govee Smart Air Quality Monitor offers users peace of mind with its array of features and user-friendly operation, including:
- A display screen combined with the Govee app, to help users understand the most common household air pollutant levels, including humidity, temperature and PM 2.5
- The ability to check real-time data via Wi-Fi
- Real-time notifications in the Govee app
- Automatic historical data backup for users to set room preferences with other Govee smart home appliances
- Hands-free operation via the Govee app and Amazon Alexa integration
- Three levels of brightness offered by its premier display, and can display data in different colors
- Has a clock and show timers on the screen for a more casual display
Looking ahead, Govee will continue to explore more innovative and affordable smart products to create a smart home ecosystem, designed to further improve the living space at home.
The Smart Air Quality Monitor and its complementary smart home products make an excellent gift for the upcoming holiday season. The Govee Air Quality Monitor is available in the United States on Govee.com and Amazon, for $59.99.
Since November 2017, Govee has created cutting-edge lighting and home products for consumers from around the world and is committed to upholding the highest standards in quality for our smart home technology. Our products are consistently rated as Amazon's Choice with highly rated reviews from our consumers. The Govee Home App, our corresponding app for all of our products, has a growing community of over 10 million registered users. We have also received rave reviews from trusted publications. For more information, please visit our website at govee.com.
Media Contact:
marketing@govee.com
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SOURCE GOVEE MOMENTS LIMITED | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/11/14/govee-launches-smart-air-quality-monitor-designed-improve-consumers-living-space/ | 2022-11-14 14:38:31 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2022/11/14/govee-launches-smart-air-quality-monitor-designed-improve-consumers-living-space/ |
Tenable: Q4 Earnings Snapshot
COLUMBIA, Md. — Tenable: Q4 Earnings Snapshot
COLUMBIA, Md. — Tenable: Q4 Earnings Snapshot
KIFI Local News 8 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.
Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here
If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. | https://localnews8.com/news/2023/02/07/tenable-q4-earnings-snapshot/ | 2023-02-07 23:33:33 | 0 | https://localnews8.com/news/2023/02/07/tenable-q4-earnings-snapshot/ |
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Saturday evening's drawing of the "Pick Four-Evening" game were:
4-1-9-7, Fireball: 4
(four, one, nine, seven; Fireball: four)
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Saturday evening's drawing of the "Pick Four-Evening" game were:
4-1-9-7, Fireball: 4
(four, one, nine, seven; Fireball: four) | https://www.expressnews.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-Four-Evening-game-17281800.php | 2022-07-03 02:59:30 | 0 | https://www.expressnews.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-Four-Evening-game-17281800.php |
NASCAR Cup Series returns to action at Nashville
June 23, 2023 11:26 AM
Dustin Long previews the top storylines ahead of NASCAR's return to action at Nashville, with eyes on Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Alex Bowman, Brad Keselowski, Ross Chastain, Daniel Suarez, and Martin Truex Jr. | https://www.nbcsports.com/watch/nascar/hamlin-chastain-cant-avoid-each-other-again | 2023-06-28 21:16:34 | 0 | https://www.nbcsports.com/watch/nascar/hamlin-chastain-cant-avoid-each-other-again |
Eruption at Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano stops after 61 days
Honolulu — The latest eruption at Kilauea’s summit on Hawaii's has paused after 61 days of volcanic activity.
U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists said Tuesday lava was no longer flowing on the crater floor of Halemaumau, where all recent volcanic activity had been confined, Hawaii News Now reported.
No significant changes have been observed along the volcano’s rift zones. Scientists on Monday observed small “ooze-outs” of lava flowing sluggishly in the lava lake.
Officials said activity diminished in the afternoon, and by Tuesday, there was no active lava in the crater.
USGS said the reduction in activity was related to the “larger deflationary tilt drop” that began Feb. 17, a common process at Kilauea in which the ground deflates for hours or days. The drop in pressure can then cause eruptions to diminish.
Kilauea began erupting again Jan. 5 after scientists detected a glow within Halemaumau Crater. The latest eruption started after a nearly monthlong pause in activity.
Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. A 2018 Kilauea eruption destroyed more than 700 homes.
Before the major 2018 eruption, Kilauea had been erupting since 1983, and streams of lava occasionally covered farms and homes. During that time, the lava sometimes reached the ocean, causing dramatic interactions with the water. | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2023/03/08/eruption-hawaii-kilauea-volcano-stops-after-61-days/69984805007/ | 2023-03-08 17:49:24 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2023/03/08/eruption-hawaii-kilauea-volcano-stops-after-61-days/69984805007/ |
COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. (WRIC) — The Colonial Heights Police Department is searching for a group suspected to have stolen credit cards out of cars, and then used them at Sam’s Club to buy more than $4,000 worth of merchandise.
Police said the suspects broke into several cars at Roslyn Landing in Colonial Heights on Sept. 1, where they stole items and credit/debit cards. On the same day, many of the stolen credit cards were used at the Sam’s Club at 735 Southpark Boulevard.
A total of four suspects were involved in the heist at the store, and police said they worked in pairs at different times, getting away with more than $4,000 worth of merchandise. All four suspects left the store in an unknown tan, or gold-colored, four-door SUV, according to police.
If you have any information on this crime, you’re asked to contact the Chesterfield County or Colonial Heights Police Department. | https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/the-tri-cities/suspects-spend-4000-at-sams-club-after-breaking-into-cars-stealing-credit-cards-in-colonial-heights/ | 2022-10-10 14:51:27 | 0 | https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/the-tri-cities/suspects-spend-4000-at-sams-club-after-breaking-into-cars-stealing-credit-cards-in-colonial-heights/ |
The first phase of a broad effort tackling America's overdose crisis targeting youth taps former drug dealers to deliver the facts on fentanyl in a new platform, "Real Deal on Fentanyl," created by JOAN Creative
NEW YORK, Oct. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ad Council, as part of a coordinated public awareness effort announced earlier this year, today launched part one of a holistic approach to tackle the overdose crisis. Educating young Americans about the dangers and prevalence of fentanyl, the first phase of the campaign is funded by leading technology companies Snap and YouTube, with a separate campaign in partnership with Meta that focuses on informing parents of the drug's dangers launching this Fall.
Drug overdose-related deaths have skyrocketed in recent years, with 2021 seeing a 52 percent increase over the previous two years. The rise in deaths is largely due to the growing presence of synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, which were involved in an estimated 66% of overdose deaths during this time period.1 Over 190 people die each day from overdoses involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl. While 79% of teens say stress and anxiety are common reasons to misuse prescription medicine, 73% report they hadn't heard of the risk of fentanyl being added to counterfeit pills.2
"Young Americans are dying of fentanyl overdoses at a staggering rate and the time to act is now," said Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council. "We're so grateful to all our partners who are joining us in the fight against the overdose crisis and delivering critical information during a time of need. This powerful coalition is uniquely qualified to reach and influence young people and will allow us to make an extraordinary difference and save lives."
Illegally manufactured fentanyl has become increasingly prevalent, appearing as a contaminant in illicit powdered drugs and being used to create counterfeit prescription pills. Many young people are unaware of this shift, meaning that there is an increased risk of unexpectedly coming into contact with fentanyl. The campaign, Real Deal on Fentanyl, is funded by Snap and YouTube and looks to educate young Americans on the dangers of fentanyl and the likelihood of it being in counterfeit prescription pills and illicit drugs.
Developed pro bono by creative agency JOAN and produced by JOAN Studios, the youth-oriented work aims to help young Americans understand the deadly reality of fentanyl-laced drugs, working with unexpected yet highly qualified sources to educate them on these fake drugs: former drug dealers. Shatterproof, a national non-profit dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the U.S., served as an issue advisor to the campaign production – in conjunction with Second Chance Studios and JOAN who worked hand-in-hand with these former drug dealers to develop classroom-style lessons that offer hands-on learning opportunities to educate young people on the dangers of fentanyl. The content was captured at Holyoke High School in Holyoke, Massachusetts, an area especially affected by the crisis. Taking over the school for the day, former drug dealers stepped in as teachers – or "substitute dealers" – to educate students about the fentanyl crisis through the lens of their everyday class subjects. The pilot effort was captured by a documentary team, and the lessons will be edited into snackable content custom-tailored for social, digital and linear media. The lessons and resources for youth to learn about the dangers of fentanyl, how to reduce their risks, ways to help a friend, and other life-saving tools will also be available at RealDealOnFentanyl.com, the campaign website developed by Viget and Good Works, Inc. Additionally, as part of this national youth fentanyl awareness campaign, Snap will launch a series of new Augmented Reality lenses, filters, stickers and content that amplify the campaign's messaging across its platform and SXM Media's Studio Resonate has developed a series of audio PSAs to run in targeted donated media across their platforms and additional publishers. This multi-channel effort is designed to reach young adults across the country, getting them the facts on fentanyl through an interactive yet unconventional program in hopes that intercepting them during this impressionable time will potentially save their lives.
WATCH THE PSA HERE: https://youtu.be/JcAT6x8tY1I
The former dealers featured in the Real Deal on Fentanyl campaign creative – Didi, James and Kyle – come from diverse backgrounds, each with different experiences with drugs, fentanyl and recovery education: an addiction recovery coach, a substance abuse counsellor and a member of Second Chance Studios which helps formerly incarcerated people find new careers as digital educators. All of them are people who have dedicated their lives to helping educate and help people avoid substance use or recover from it. They were instrumental in developing this work, candidly sharing their personal stories and connections to fentanyl with the production team and youth, as well as their personal work as sober coaches and helping others through the recovery process. Audiences are encouraged to learn more about them and their individual journeys on the campaign website.
"We're proud to be partnering with the Ad Council on this unprecedented effort to raise awareness and educate young people and parents around the dangers of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl," said Jennifer Stout, VP of Global Public Policy at Snap, Inc. "As we continue to do our part to combat this national epidemic, support law enforcement investigations and educate our community through in-app tools, we recognize an industry-wide approach is needed. That's why we're grateful for this collaboration and remain committed to bringing every resource to bear to keep fighting this crisis both on our app and across the tech landscape."
"Fentanyl has permanently altered the course of so many people's lives, leaving devastated families and communities in its wake. It's critical that we educate young people on the dangers and prevalence of fentanyl and help them understand the threat. We're proud to be a part of this initiative and hope that it helps turn the tide on a deadly epidemic that has ended far too many lives far too soon." -- YouTube
"It may seem strange at first to think these students might trust a former drug dealer more than a traditional authority figure. But Gen Z is notoriously independent – they use information to make their own decisions. That's why we took this pioneering new approach. It's hands-on fentanyl education from former dealers, frankly discussing the things that grownups normally wouldn't dare. Yes, it's unorthodox, but we must keep kids alive. We are so proud to partner with the Ad Council on this urgently important campaign" said Jaime Robinson, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, JOAN Creative.
This unique set of partners, in addition to trusted messengers will play a significant role in the campaign's success reaching young adults. These digital content creators and influencers will be sharing experiences they have had with fentanyl in their families and communities, providing real world examples in addition to relevant lifestyle creators sharing information on the drug's dangers. Understanding that teens and young adults ages 16-24 spend an average of over three hours on social each day, ensuring that messaging resonates with our audience and reaches them where they spend much of their time is incredibly important.
Media partners and social platforms including CSMG/EsportsU, Reddit, Reddit's KarmaLab, Snap, SXM Media, TikTok, Twitter and VICE Media Group will also provide resources to extend the youth-targeted campaign messaging and creatives. These partners will play a critical role in donating media space as well as the development and distribution of content to educate young people about fentanyl and its dangers. Non-profit Song for Charlie is serving the campaign in an advisory capacity alongside a panel of public health organizations and issue experts to provide key insights, data and ensure all aspects of these initiatives are accurately and medically informed.
As a follow up to the youth-targeted campaign funded by Snap and YouTube, Meta's Creative Shop is launching a creative campaign this Fall focused on informing parents and caregivers about the dangers of fentanyl. The new work centers on education and honest conversations, ensuring families are prepared to create open, candid and meaningful dialogue. In addition to video content, Meta has developed supplementary tools designed to engage audiences like polls, stickers and more. They will also be donating advertising space across Facebook and Instagram to increase the reach of this campaign.
Additional efforts from the Ad Council's holistic approach to the overdose crisis to help individuals with substance use disorders navigate resources and start their recovery journey are currently in the research and development phase. The subsequent efforts will feature a suite of PSAs in addition to platform-specific activations and robust ground game components such as faith-based programs, trusted messenger strategies, employer engagement and open-source toolkits. These components are designed to also equip other organizations and nonprofits, enabling them to leverage the Ad Council's research and content to bring important messaging to their communities.
To learn more about the Real Deal on Fentanyl campaign, or to access information about the dangers of fentanyl, please visit RealDealOnFentanyl.com.
The Ad Council has a long history of creating life-saving public service communications in times of national crisis, starting in the organization's earliest days during World War II to September 11th and natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy and, most recently, leading the industry's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its deep relationships with media outlets, the creative community, issue experts and government leaders make the organization uniquely poised to quickly distribute life-saving impactful information to millions of Americans.
The Ad Council is where creativity and causes converge. The non-profit organization brings together the most creative minds in advertising, media, technology and marketing to address many of the nation's most important causes. The Ad Council has created many of the most iconic campaigns in advertising history. Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk. Smokey Bear. Love Has No Labels.
The Ad Council's innovative social good 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.
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts – United States. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm
2. According to research by Morning Consult commissioned by Snap Inc. in July 2021. Available at: https://assets.ctfassets.net/gqgsr8avay9x/5EolnMWMUxEQdvGoMVFFJW/92e882a47bc8119aead9589ca95631dd/Dangers_of_Counterfeit_Drugs_and_Fentanyl_-_Key_Findings.pdf
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SOURCE The Ad Council | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/10/18/ad-council-leading-tech-companies-team-up-coordinated-efforts-educate-youth-parents-dangers-fentanyl/ | 2022-10-18 05:50:03 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/10/18/ad-council-leading-tech-companies-team-up-coordinated-efforts-educate-youth-parents-dangers-fentanyl/ |
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The Polish operator of an oil pipeline says there are “no signs of any third-party interference” related to a leak in a pipeline that is the main source of crude oil from Russia to Germany.
PERN, the operator, said in a statement late Wednesday that its technical services had located the site of the spill after removing most of the contamination from the area.
“Based on first findings and the manner in which the pipeline was deformed, it appears that at this point there are no signs of any third-party interference,” PERN said. “However, more detailed analyses are underway to determine the cause of the incident and to repair the pipeline so that crude oil pumping can be restarted as soon as possible.”
PERN detected a leak in the Druzhba pipeline on Tuesday evening 70 kilometers (45 miles) from the central Polish city of Plock.
The Druzhba pipeline, which in Russian means “Friendship,” is one of the world’s longest oil pipelines. After leaving Russia, it branches out to bring crude to points including Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Austria and Germany.
The incident follows leaks late last month in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines running along the Baltic seabed, and amid an energy standoff between Russia and the West over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Denmark and Sweden say those natural gas pipelines were attacked with large amounts of explosives, and the discovery of another leak so soon in an oil pipeline had raised concerns. | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/u-s-world/ap-poland-sees-no-signs-of-interference-in-oil-pipeline-spill/ | 2022-10-13 07:38:45 | 1 | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/u-s-world/ap-poland-sees-no-signs-of-interference-in-oil-pipeline-spill/ |
Grain ship from Ukraine docks in Turkey; nuke plant shelled
DERINCE, Turkey (AP) — The first of the ships to leave Ukraine under a deal to unblock grain supplies and stave off a potential global food crisis arrived at its destination in Turkey on Monday, as Russia again accused Ukraine of shelling Europe’s largest nuclear power station.
The Turkey-flagged Polarnet docked at Derince port in the Gulf of Izmit after setting off from Chornomorsk on Aug. 5 laden with 12,000 tons of corn.
“This sends a message of hope to every family in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia: Ukraine won’t abandon you,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted. “If Russia sticks to its obligations, the ‘grain corridor’ will keep maintaining global food security.”
Polarnet Captain Ahmet Yucel Alibeyler highlighted the risks faced by the three grain-carrying ships that left Ukraine.
“These were, of course, dangerous areas, corridors that had been cleared, demined,” he said, adding that the convoy was escorted by a harbor pilot ship until it left the risky waters.
A total of 12 ships have now been authorized to sail under the grain deal between Ukraine and Russia, which was brokered by Turkey and the United Nations — ten outbound and two headed for Ukraine. Some 322,000 metric tons of agricultural products have left Ukrainian ports, the bulk of it corn but also sunflower oil and soya.
Four ships that left Ukraine on Sunday are expected to anchor near Istanbul on Monday evening, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said. They are due to be inspected on Tuesday.
Ships leaving Ukraine are checked by officials from the three countries and the U.N. to make sure they carry only grain, fertilizer or food and not any other commodities. Inbound vessels are checked to ensure they are not carrying weapons.
But the grain deal remains far from plain sailing. The first ship to leave Ukraine, the Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni, which left on Aug. 1, will no longer dock in Lebanon and will change course, the director of the Tripoli Port told The Associated Press on Monday.
The Sierra Leonian-flagged Razoni ship, carrying 26,000 metric tons of corn for chicken feed that departed from Odesa last Monday was set to dock in the northern Lebanese port on Sunday. But according to Marine Traffic, it changed its status on Saturday to “order,” meaning the ship was waiting for someone to buy the corn.
“All that I know is that the ship is no longer coming here,” Tripoli Port director Ahmad Tamer said.
Ukraine’s embassy in Beirut tweeted Monday that the corn’s final buyer in Lebanon refused to accept the cargo due to delivery delay beyond a contractual limit and that the shipper was now looking for another buyer.
The shipment had been a grain of hope for the economically-shattered tiny Mediterranean nation, also suffering from a food security crisis. Soaring food inflation, wheat shortages, and breadlines have crippled a population, of which about half are food insecure, according to the United Nations World Food Program.
Meanwhile, Moscow again accused Ukrainian forces of shelling the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station from Marganets on the opposite bank of the Dniper River on Sunday.
The station, occupied for months by Russian forces, also came under fire late Saturday and each side accused the other of the attack.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement Monday that the Ukrainian attack a day earlier caused a power surge and smoke erupted at the power plant’s switch facility, causing an emergency shutdown. Fire teams extinguished the fire, and the plant’s personnel lowered the output of reactors No. 5 and No. 6 to 500 megawatt, Konashenkov said.
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, recently warned that the way the plant was being run and the fighting going on around it posed grave health and environmental threats.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged Western powers to force Kyiv to stop attacking the plant.
“Shelling of the territory of the nuclear plant by the Ukrainian armed forces is highly dangerous,” Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. “It’s fraught with catastrophic consequences for vast territories, for the entire Europe.”
But Ukrainian military intelligence chief Andriy Yusov said his organization had received credible information from several sources that the Russians had planted explosives at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to head off an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive in the region.
“We have seen the Russian shelling of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant,” Yusov said. “If it’s not true, the Russians can make a goodwill gesture and hand over control of the plant to an international commission and the IAEA, if not to the Ukrainian military.”
Yusov said the Russians used similar tactics at the Chernobyl nuclear plant when they had occupied it.
“This is a strategy of terror and scorched earth used by the Russians ahead of an inevitable Ukrainian counteroffensives in the south,” he said.
The Kremlin also reaffirmed that Russia will continue its military action in Ukraine until it achieves its goals, saying that Ukraine has shown no interest in talks since March.
Asked if plans for holding referendums in Russia-occupied areas in southeastern Ukraine would effectively thwart any possible talks, Peskov said that those votes are being organized by local authorities, not Moscow.
Ukrainian forces struck Russian-controlled areas in the south of the country overnight, according to Ukrainian and Russian-installed officials, including again hitting a strategic bridge in the southern city of Kherson.
The Ukrainian mayor of Melitopol, a Russian-controlled city in the neighboring Zaporizhzhia region, said Ukrainian forces shelled several facilities where Russian military were stationed with U.S.-provided HIMARS rocket launchers. Mayor Ivan Fyodorov said on Telegram that some 100 Russian troops were killed. His claims could not be independently verified, and the Russian military did not immediately comment.
Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Moscow-appointed administration of the Kherson region, said Monday morning that Ukrainian shelling again damaged the Antonivskiy bridge over the Dnipro river.
The bridge, a key artery for Russian military supplies in the region, has been closed in recent weeks because of earlier shelling and plans to reopen it to traffic on Wednesday were shelved due to the latest attack, Stremousov said.
Ukraine’s presidential office said Monday that the Russian military shelled seven Ukrainian regions over the past 24 hours, killing five people and wounding 20 more.
The Russian forces also continue to shell Nikopol, a city just across the Dnipro river from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the presidential office said. Nikopol’s gas pipelines, plumbing and power lines are no longer functioning, and thousands of people are left without electricity.
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Associated Press writer Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kwch.com/2022/08/08/grain-ship-ukraine-docks-turkey-nuke-plant-shelled/ | 2022-08-08 12:33:46 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/2022/08/08/grain-ship-ukraine-docks-turkey-nuke-plant-shelled/ |
ATLANTA — Marcus Mariota and the Atlanta Falcons hope they are a good match.
He last started a game in 2019 but remains confident in his ability to lead a team to success.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to prove, not only to myself but to those who have believed in me,” Mariota said. “I’m excited. The last couple of years was a great reset.”
While the Falcons have a bunch of issues, Mariota is looking forward to working with one of the league’s top tight ends in Kyle Pitts, who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie, and running back/receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.
“We are going to be really versatile and be able to do a lot of different things and that’s going to play to our advantage,” Mariota said. “I think this offense can hunt.”
If Mariota’s hunting comes up empty, the Falcons could turn to rookie Desmond Ridder, a third-round pick who led Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff last season.
Whoever handles the quarterback job might be a short-timer.
If the Falcons land one of the top picks in next year’s draft, they surely will be tempted by a QB class expected to include Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young from Alabama and Ohio State star C.J. Stroud.
This season is expected to be a washout for a team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2017.
By trading Julio Jones last summer and dealing Ryan in March to Indianapolis, the Falcons accepted a short-term mauling under the salary cap — they have a staggering $63 million in “dead money” — so they’ll have more room to rebuild down the road.
No wonder the Falcons are rated a 250-1 long shot to reach the Super Bowl by FanDuel Sportsbook — the worst odds for any team except the Houston Texans.
Coach Arthur Smith said he’s not concerned about the naysayers.
“There’s always going to be peripheral opponents out there,” he said. “You can’t pay attention to that. Good or bad, you see it ruin teams.”
VERSATILE PATTERSON
The Falcons have one of the league’s most versatile players in Patterson, who led team in rushing (618 yards, six TDs), ranked third in receptions (52 for 548 yards and five TDs) and returned kickoffs.
He certainly enjoys being the center of attention, pulling up at training camp in a three-wheeler, interacting with fans and speaking bluntly through social media.
“He probably goes and searches his name on social media and feels all warm inside,” Smith joked.
Patterson signed a two-year, $10.5 million deal to stay with the Falcons and says he’d like to retire in Atlanta.
EYES ON PEES
Defensive coordinator Dean Pees, who turns 73 a week before the opener, predicts big improvement out of his unit in Year 2 at the helm.
It can’t get much worse.
Only two teams allowed more points than the Falcons. No team had fewer sacks than Atlanta’s total of 18. The team leader, Dante Fowler with 4 1/2, was let go after the season.
“I’m sick of that crap,” Pees said, vowing this year will be different. “It’s not going to be in the bottom half of the league like it’s been 15 out of the last 20 years.”
WHO TO THROW TO?
First-round draft pick Drake London sustained a minor knee injury in his first preseason game, but he should be ready to go when it counts.
The rookie will have to take a lead role right away, because the rest of Atlanta’s receiving corps is a bunch of no-names.
The Falcons don’t have any wideouts who produced more than 34 catches or three touchdowns in 2021.
HOME-FIELD DISADVANTAGE
The Falcons have got to find a way to create more of a home-field edge.
Atlanta is 15-24 since moving into Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017 — and downright awful the last two seasons, with just three wins in 15 games at home.
Crowds have dwindled along with the team’s fortunes, creating an atmosphere that’s not the least bit intimidating to opponents.
“We’ve got to take pride in being here,” Smith said before a preseason practice at the stadium. “We’ve got to make this a tough place to come and play.”
TOUGH START
The Falcons could use a good start to build confidence, but that might be out of reach with a schedule that includes both of last year’s Super Bowl teams and Tom Brady over the first seven weeks.
After hosting NFC South rival New Orleans in the opener on Sept, 11, the Falcons travel to Los Angeles to take on the reigning champion Rams in Week 2.
There also are early road tests against Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 9 and defending AFC champion Cincinnati on Oct. 23.
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Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963
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More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nfl/marcus-mariota-atlanta-falcons-hope-theyre-a-good-match/2022/08/24/17c841ee-23e2-11ed-a72f-1e7149072fbc_story.html | 2022-08-24 20:37:43 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nfl/marcus-mariota-atlanta-falcons-hope-theyre-a-good-match/2022/08/24/17c841ee-23e2-11ed-a72f-1e7149072fbc_story.html |
Free concert begins at 3 p.m. Oct. 2
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Jay Steveskey is a much loved performer at the Dietrich Theater in downtown Tunkhannock, returning each year with new music and new themes.
On Sunday, Oct. 2 at 3 p.m., Jay will be back on the Dietrich stage with Spanish Guitar & the New World. Steveskey has played at the Dietrich for over 13 years. This time his program will explore the rich heritage of Spain and South America as well as popular favorite guitar arrangements. Free tickets will be available at the door or seats may be reserved by calling 570-836-1022 x3.
This concert is sponsored by John Keker in memory of Jessie Reppy Keker, because she loved coming to Jay’s concerts for many years. She appreciated his artistry and she expressed that it was wonderful to leave the busy world outside the door and just sit back and enjoy new and familiar music.
According to Jay Steveskey, “Audience members will experience music by Isaac Albeniz, Francisco Tarrega and their contemporaries as well as pop hits by The Beatles and more!”
Jay Steveskey is active as a soloist, chamber musician and teacher. He has had extensive private studies with Argentine guitarist Pablo Cohen, Professor of Classical Guitar, Ithaca College and was selected to perform for a Master Class conducted by Sharon Isbin, Head of the Classical Guitar Department, Juilliard.
The concert will be followed a light reception. | https://www.timesleader.com/features/1577039/guitarist-jay-steveskey-returns-to-dietrich-theater | 2022-09-30 19:27:53 | 0 | https://www.timesleader.com/features/1577039/guitarist-jay-steveskey-returns-to-dietrich-theater |
NORTH PORT, Fla. — A 10-year-old was arrested on Monday after the North Port Police Department was notified of threats being made to a local school.
Over the weekend, the agency explained it was alerted about a fourth-grade student at Toledo Blade Elementary who was "recruiting other students to conduct mass violence at the school."
Officers worked with Sarasota Schools Police Department to investigate. Detectives were able to conduct interviews and confirmed the verbal and written threats.
The 10-year-old was arrested on felony charges of false report to use a firearm in a violent manner.
A robocall was sent out by the school to tell parents about the incident.
“Please talk to your children about the serious consequences of making these types of threats, in jest or not,” North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison said in a statement. "There are serious consequences.
"We are not playing around when it comes to the protection of our children." | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/sarasotacounty/toledo-blade-student-arrested-threat/67-3c1ecd9c-1bb2-4aec-9cac-34f0e363ab11 | 2023-02-08 21:09:54 | 0 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/sarasotacounty/toledo-blade-student-arrested-threat/67-3c1ecd9c-1bb2-4aec-9cac-34f0e363ab11 |
A couple of years into the pandemic, Shirley Neville had finally had enough of her crappy internet service.
Neville said she was willing to pay more to be able to Zoom without interruption, so she called AT&T to upgrade her connection. She said she was told there was nothing the company could do.
In her area, AT&T only offers download speeds of 1 megabit per second or less, trapping her in a digital Stone Age. Her internet is so slow that it doesn’t meet Zoom’s recommended minimum for group video calls; doesn’t come close to the Federal Communications Commission’s definition of broadband, currently 25 Mbps; and is worlds below median home internet speeds in the U.S., which average 167 Mbps.
“In my neighborhood, it’s terrible,” Neville said.
But that’s not the case in other parts of New Orleans. AT&T offers residents of the mostly white, upper-income neighborhood of Lakeview internet speeds almost 400 times faster than Neville’s—for the same price: $55 a month.
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This story was reported by The Markup, and the story and data were distributed by The Associated Press.
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The Markup gathered and analyzed more than 800,000 internet service offers from AT&T, Verizon, Earthlink, and CenturyLink in 38 cities across America and found that all four routinely offered fast base speeds at or above 200 Mbps in some neighborhoods for the same price as connections below 25 Mbps in others.
The neighborhoods offered the worst deals had lower median incomes in nine out of 10 cities in the analysis. In two-thirds of the cities where The Markup had enough data to compare, the providers gave the worst offers to the least white neighborhoods.
These providers also disproportionately gave the worst offers to formerly redlined areas in every one of the 22 cities examined where digitized historical maps were available. These are areas a since-disbanded agency created by the federal government in the 1930s had deemed “hazardous” for financial institutions to invest in, often because the residents were Black or poor. Redlining was outlawed in 1968.
By failing to price according to service speed, these companies are demanding some customers pay dramatically higher unit prices for advertised download speed than others. CenturyLink, which showed the most extreme disparities, offered some customers service of 200 Mbps, amounting to as little as $0.25 per Mbps, but offered others living in the same city only 0.5 Mbps for the same price—a unit price of $100 per Mbps, or 400 times as much.
Residents of neighborhoods offered the worst deals aren’t just being ripped off; they’re denied the ability to participate in remote learning, well-paying remote jobs, and even family connection and recreation—ubiquitous elements of modern life.
“It isn’t just about the provision of a better service. It’s about access to the tools people need to fully participate in our democratic system,” said Chad Marlow, senior policy counsel at the ACLU. “That is a far bigger deal and that’s what really worries me about what you’re finding.”
Christopher Lewis, president and CEO of the nonprofit Public Knowledge, which works to expand internet access, said The Markup’s analysis shows how far behind the federal government is when it comes to holding internet providers to account. “Nowhere have we seen either the FCC nor the Congress, who ultimately has authority as well, study competition in the marketplace and pricing to see if consumers are being price gouged or if those service offerings make sense.”
None of the providers denied charging the same fee for vastly different internet speeds to different neighborhoods in the same cities. But they said their intentions were not to discriminate against communities of color and that there were other factors to consider.
The industry group USTelecom, speaking on behalf of Verizon, said the cost of maintaining the antiquated equipment used for slow speed service plays a role in its price.
“Fiber can be hundreds of times faster than legacy broadband—but that doesn’t mean that legacy networks cost hundreds of times less,” USTelecom senior vice president Marie Johnson said in an email. “Operating and maintaining legacy technologies can be more expensive, especially as legacy network components are discontinued by equipment manufacturers.”
AT&T spokesperson Jim Greer said in an emailed statement that The Markup’s analysis is “fundamentally flawed” because it “clearly ignored our participation in the federal Affordable Connectivity Program and our low-cost Access by AT&T service offerings.” The Affordable Connectivity Program was launched in 2021 and pays up to $30 a month for internet for low-income residents, or $75 on tribal lands.
“Any suggestion that we discriminate in providing internet access is blatantly wrong,” he said, adding that AT&T plans on spending $48 billion on service upgrades over the next two years.
Recent research looking at 30 major cities found only about a third of eligible households had signed up for the federal subsidy, however, and the majority use it to help cover cellphone bills, which also qualify, rather than home internet costs. Connectivity advocates told The Markup that it’s hard to get people to jump through the bureaucratic hoops needed to sign up for the program when service is slow.
Greer declined to say how many or what percentage of AT&T’s internet customers are signed up for either the ACP or the company’s own low-cost program for low-income residents.
In a letter to the FCC, AT&T insisted its high-speed internet deployments are driven by “household density, not median incomes.” But when The Markup ran a statistical test controlling for density, it still found AT&T disproportionately offered slower speeds to lower-income areas in three out of four of the 20 cities where it investigated their service.
“We do not engage in discriminatory practices like redlining and find the accusation offensive,” Mark Molzen, a spokesperson for CenturyLink’s parent company, Lumen, wrote in an email.” He said that The Markup’s analysis is “deeply flawed” without specifying how. He did not respond to requests for clarification.
EarthLink, which doesn’t own internet infrastructure in the examined cities but rather rents capacity from other providers, did not provide an official comment despite repeated requests.
Internet prices are not regulated by the federal government because unlike telephone service, internet service is not considered a utility. As a result, providers can make their own decisions about where they provide service and how much to charge. The FCC declined a request to comment on the findings.
The investigation is based on service offers collected from the companies’ own websites, which contain service lookup tools that list all available plans for specific addresses, using a method pioneered by researchers at Princeton University. The Markup analyzed price and speed for nearly 850,000 offers for addresses in the largest city in 38 states where these providers operate.
Las Vegas is one city where large swaths of CenturyLink’s offers were for slow service. Almost half didn’t meet the current federal definition of broadband. These fell disproportionately on Las Vegas’s lower-income and least white areas.
Las Vegas councilwoman Olivia Diaz said that in the summer of 2020, she approached families where children had stopped showing up to virtual lessons the previous school year to find out what went wrong.
City schools were preparing to begin their second school year marked by COVID-19 lockdowns.
“We kept hearing there were multiple children trying to connect in the household, but they weren’t able to,” said Diaz, who represents a district that’s predominantly Latino and on the lower end of the city’s income spectrum.
More than 80% of CenturyLink’s internet offers in her district were for service slower than 25 Mbps. Education advocacy group Common Sense Media recommends at least 200 Mbps download speeds for a household to reliably conduct multiple, simultaneous video conferencing sessions.
“I think it’s unfair knowing that it is slow service that we’re paying for that is not commensurate with the faster speeds that they have in the other parts of the city that are paying the same price,” Diaz said. “It just breaks my heart to know we’re not getting the best bang for our buck.”
Diaz said city officials have asked CenturyLink to expand high-speed service in her district, but the company declined, citing the prohibitive cost of deploying new infrastructure in the area. CenturyLink did not respond to emails asking about this request.
Some officials told The Markup they’ve been yelling for years about bad service for high prices.
“If I was paying $6 a month,” Joshua Edmonds, Detroit’s director of digital inclusion, “well you get what you’re paying for.” But he objects to people being asked to pay premium rates for bad service. “What I pay versus what I get doesn’t really make sense.”
In a 2018 report, Bill Callahan, who runs the online accessibility organization Connect Your Community, coined the term “tier flattening” to describe charging internet customers the same rate for differing levels of service. He said The Markup’s findings show how much of America’s internet market is based on the “basic unfairness” of internet service providers deciding to deprioritize investing in new, high-speed infrastructure in marginalized areas.
“They’ve made a decision that those neighborhoods are going to be treated differently,” said Callahan. “The core reason for that is they think they don’t have enough money in those neighborhoods to sustain the kind of market they want.”
The FCC is currently drafting rules under a provision of the 2021 infrastructure bill aimed at “preventing digital discrimination of access based on income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion, or national origin.”
A coalition of 39 groups led by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Center for Accessible Technology urged the FCC to take aggressive action rectifying broadband inequality by examining the socioeconomics of the neighborhoods getting the slowest speeds and the prices they pay—regardless of whether the companies intended to discriminate.
AT&T insisted in filings with the agency that the standard for discrimination should be explicit, deliberate efforts to avoid building infrastructure in areas that are populated by people of color or lower-income residents.
It also asked for subsidies to build high-speed internet in lower-income neighborhoods because, as AT&T asserted in its letter to the FCC, “most or all deficiencies in broadband access appear to result not from invidious discrimination, but from ordinary business-case challenges in the absence of subsidy programs.”
Advocates say that’s just not true. “There are very few places in the country where it is not economically feasible to deploy broadband,” said Brian Thorn, who served as a senior researcher for the Communication Workers of America, a union representing telecom employees, which has been vocal on the issue and filed its own comment to the FCC. (The CWA is the parent union of The NewsGuild-CWA, which represents employees at The Markup and The Associated Press.) He said members are tired of seeing their employers make inequitable infrastructure deployment decisions.
“We would hear from members all the time that they’re out laying lines on one side of the neighborhood and not on the other,” he said.
In a letter to the FCC, the coalition asserted that “broadband users are experiencing discriminatory impacts of deployment that are no different than the impacts of past redlining policies in housing, banking, and other venues of economic activity.”
The term “redlining” derives from efforts by the federal government to stem the tide of foreclosures during the Great Depression by drawing up maps, with the help of real estate agents, to identify areas that were safe for mortgage lending. Predominantly white neighborhoods were consistently rated better than less-white neighborhoods, which were shaded in red. Echoes of these maps still reverberate today in things like rates of home ownership and prenatal mortality.
Notes on the historical map explaining why one part of Kansas City, Missouri, was redlined cited “Negro encroachment from the north.” In that same area, AT&T offered only slow service to every single address The Markup examined.
Across Kansas City, AT&T offered the worst deals to 68% of addresses in redlined areas, compared to just 12% of addresses in areas that had been rated “best” or “desirable.”
Redlining maps frequently tracked neatly with the disparities The Markup found.
Addresses in redlined areas of 15 cities from Portland to Atlanta were offered the worst deals at least twice as often as areas rated “best” or “desirable.” Minneapolis, which is served by CenturyLink, displayed one of the most striking disparities: Formerly redlined addresses were offered the worst deals almost eight times as often as formerly better-rated areas.
Pamela Jackson-Walters, a 68-year-old longtime resident of Detroit’s Hope Village, said she needs the internet to work on her dissertation in organizational leadership at University of Phoenix online and to virtually attend church services. The slow speeds AT&T offered were a constant annoyance.
“They still haven’t installed the high-speed internet over here,” she said. “How do we get it? Are we too poor of a neighborhood to have the better service?”
Hope Village has a per capita income of just over $11,000 and is almost entirely Black.
To add insult to injury, last fall, AT&T internet service across Hope Village went down for 45 days before being restored. This summer, Jackson-Walters’s internet went down again, this time for four weeks, she said.
Jeff Jones, another longtime Hope Village resident, noted a bitter irony amid all the service problems. “To add to the insult, I can look out my bedroom window literally, maybe 150 yards, is the AT&T service facility,” he said with a weary laugh. “I’m like, please help me! You’re right there! How can you ignore this problem that is just right in front of your face?”
Until The Markup told Hope Village residents its findings about AT&T’s pricing practices in Detroit, they didn’t know that lower-income areas were more often asked to pay the same price for slower internet.
“That’s the big piece,” said Angela Siefer, the executive director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, which advocates for broadband access. “Folks don’t know that they’re being screwed.”
___
This story was reported by The Markup and the story and data were distributed by The Associated Press. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/poor-less-white-areas-get-worst-internet-deals/2022/10/19/4d0d0736-4f9d-11ed-ada8-04e6e6bf8b19_story.html | 2022-10-19 11:35:23 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/poor-less-white-areas-get-worst-internet-deals/2022/10/19/4d0d0736-4f9d-11ed-ada8-04e6e6bf8b19_story.html |
ATLANTA (AP) — Waiting for just the right moment to launch his game-winning shot was no problem for Trae Young. He says he has been envisioning similar shots since he was a kid.
Young waited patiently for Mikal Bridges to fly past him before sinking a buzzer-beating jumper over the reach of Spencer Dinwiddie to lift Atlanta to a 129-127 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, a few hours before the Hawks announced they hired Quin Snyder as their coach.
The Hawks took their final possession with 7.3 seconds remaining after Cam Johnson’s 3-pointer tied the game at 127 with 7.8 seconds remaining. Young hit his pull-up 12-foot jumper as Dinwiddie tried in vain to block the shot from behind.
“I’ve been counting down those seconds since I was 5 years old, 6 years old,” Young said. “That’s nothing new.”
Young finished with 34 points for the Hawks, who recovered after blowing an 18-point lead to overcome four Nets scorers with at least 20 points.
Atlanta, No. 8 in the East, won its second consecutive game under interim coach Joe Prunty after Nate McMillan was fired Tuesday. General manager Landry Fields announced Sunday night Snyder had been hired to replace McMillan. The team scheduled a news conference for Monday to introduce Snyder.
Johnson had 27 points for Brooklyn. Mikal Bridges scored 24 for the Nets, who have lost four of five. Cam Thomas added 22 points and Dinwiddie had 20.
The Nets began the day fifth in the Eastern Conference, only a half-game ahead of the New York Knicks. Coach Jacque Vaughn is trying to find a new winning mix after the team traded Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
“You can’t feel sorry for yourself,” Vaughn said. “What we have to do is continue to stay together and believe we can get it done.”
Dorian Finney-Smith’s 3 for Brooklyn with 48 seconds remaining cut Atlanta’s lead to 127-124.
Both wins under Prunty have come against teams above the Hawks in the conference.
“It’s great,” said Dejounte Murray, who scored 28 points. “Like I continue to tell the players, we have no control over what the front office does. We’re going to continue to work and try to build as many wins as we can.”
Bogdan Bogdanovic added 22 for Atlanta. Bogdanovic’s three 3-pointers early in the second quarter helped Atlanta take a 50-32 lead. Thomas had 11 points in the period, helping the Nets trim the Hawks’ lead to 64-57 at halftime.
Brooklyn kept its momentum to open the second half, taking a 78-73 lead. Onyeka Okongwu scored the final four points of the third period as Atlanta took a 97-94 advantage into the final period.
“We would not give up in the second half even though we were down by double digits,” Vaughn said.
STICKING WITH THE STARTERS
Vaughn stuck with his starters after the first five combined for only 34 points as the team set a season scoring low in an ugly 131-87 loss at Chicago on Friday night.
Before the game, Vaughn said he’s looking for consistency and a balance of offense and defense. He said Finney-Smith, who had only two points against the Bulls, is “one of our best defenders we have on the team.”
“It’s pretty tough to take him out of the lineup when there’s other offensive guys he’s covering sins up for,” Vaughn said of Finney-Smith.
TALKING ABOUT PRACTICE
When asked how many practices he has had with the team since the All-Star break, Vaughn referred to the blowout loss to the Bulls as “a scrimmage with referees.”
TIP-INS
Nets: C Nic Claxton, from the University of Georgia, had four steals, three blocked shots and 11 rebounds. … G Ben Simmons (left knee soreness) missed his second consecutive game.
Hawks: F John Collins returned with 12 points after missing one game while on concussion protocol. Collins was questionable with lower back tightness and cleared to start after pregame warmups, but his minutes were restricted. Collins logged almost 26 minutes, which Prunty acknowledged was more than planned.
UP NEXT
Nets: Host Milwaukee on Tuesday night.
Hawks: Host Washington on Tuesday night.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-youngs-buzzer-beating-jumper-lifts-hawks-past-nets-129-127/ | 2023-02-27 16:33:08 | 1 | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-youngs-buzzer-beating-jumper-lifts-hawks-past-nets-129-127/ |
RICHMOND, Va. — Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's administration has rewritten Virginia's model policies for the treatment of transgender students, issuing guidance for school divisions that would roll back some accommodations and tighten parental notification requirements.
The new model policies from the Virginia Department of Education, which were posted online Friday, say students' participation in certain school programming and use of school facilities like bathrooms or locker rooms should be based on their biological sex, with modifications offered only to the extent required under federal law. The policies also say that students who are minors must be referred to by the name and pronouns in their official records, unless a parent approves the use of something else.
Regarding parental notification, the guidelines say school divisions may not encourage teachers to conceal information about a student's gender from his or her parents. And they say parents must be given an opportunity to object before counseling services pertaining to gender are offered.
The guidance is subject to a 30-day public comment period that opens later this month. Then, in accordance with a 2020 state law, local school boards must adopt policies that are “consistent with” the department's but may be “more comprehensive,” the document says.
Macaulay Porter, a spokesperson for Youngkin, said in a statement that the updated policy “delivers on the governor’s commitment to preserving parental rights and upholding the dignity and respect of all public school students.”
The revisions mark a sharp departure to guidance that was first issued in 2021 during Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam's administration. Those guidelines said schools should let students use names and gender pronouns that reflect their gender identity without “any substantiating evidence." They also said students could participate in programming and access facilities in a manner consistent with their gender identity and urged schools to weigh sharing information about students' gender identity with parents on a “case-by-case” basis, considering the health and safety of students.
The updated guidelines say school divisions must ensure no student is discriminated against or harassed on the basis of his or her sex and should “attempt to accommodate students with distinctive needs, including any student with a persistent and sincere belief that his or her gender differs from his or her sex."
Single-user bathrooms and facilities should be made available in accessible areas and provided with appropriate signage, indicating accessibility for all students, the guidelines say.
Conservative lawmakers and advocacy groups welcomed the changes.
“We are thrilled to see Governor Youngkin leading our schools toward respecting the privacy and dignity of all students and the preeminent role of parents in the lives of their children,” said Victoria Cobb, president of The Family Foundation.
Democrats, the Virginia Education Association and LGBTQ advocacy groups, meanwhile, criticized Youngkin, saying the changes would harm vulnerable children.
The new policy “calls for the misgendering and outing of children in schools where they’re supposed to be safe. Absolutely shameful,” tweeted Democratic Del. Mike Mullin. Senate Democrats, in a collective statement, called the move “an outright violation of Virginians’ civil rights" and said it perpetuated "the national MAGA playbook of obliterating any inference of diversity, equity, or inclusion in our communities.”
Some LGBTQ advocates suggested the changes could be contested in court. The ACLU of Virginia said it was “appalled” by the overhaul, was reviewing the proposal and would have “more to say in the days to come.”
Virginia's initial guidance was developed in accordance with a bipartisan 2020 law, which required the Department of Education to craft the policies concerning the treatment of transgender students in public schools and make them available to local school boards. The school boards were then directed to adopt policies “consistent with” the state's model policies.
But many school boards never complied, according to a recent analysis by Equality Virginia, an LGBTQ advocacy group. A Department of Education spokesman told the Virginia Mercury last year the agency was not even tracking which divisions were meeting the standards. | https://www.wptv.com/news/national/virginia-governor-seeks-new-transgender-student-policies | 2022-09-17 21:47:23 | 0 | https://www.wptv.com/news/national/virginia-governor-seeks-new-transgender-student-policies |
Time now for our Pet of the Month.
We are joined by Senior Dog Haven and Hospice whose mission is to place senior dogs in loving homes.
The center is based in Wilmington, Delaware, but they do have foster homes in our local area.
Joining us is Karen Belfi and Kim Shafer, along with Clark and Gina.
Both of these dogs were found as strays.
Clark is roughly 10 years old and suffers from allergies. He needs a home where he can be the only dog.
Gina is about 8 years old, loves people and other dogs. She is diabetic, but is still fairly active. | https://www.wfmz.com/features/pets/a-mission-to-place-senior-hospice-dogs-in-loving-homes/article_d4cedf50-d080-11ed-a8fc-271011fc94af.html | 2023-04-01 14:26:23 | 1 | https://www.wfmz.com/features/pets/a-mission-to-place-senior-hospice-dogs-in-loving-homes/article_d4cedf50-d080-11ed-a8fc-271011fc94af.html |
SACRAMENTO (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday evening's drawing of the California Lottery's "Daily 4" game were:
2-5-6-1
(two, five, six, one)
¶ Ticket-holders with all four winning numbers in the order given win the top prize. Lesser amounts are also awarded to ticket-holders with other varying combinations of the winning numbers. | https://www.mrt.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Daily-4-game-17482305.php | 2022-10-03 02:23:32 | 1 | https://www.mrt.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Daily-4-game-17482305.php |
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the Louisiana Lottery's "Pick 4" game were:
9-8-2-1
(nine, eight, two, one)
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the Louisiana Lottery's "Pick 4" game were:
9-8-2-1
(nine, eight, two, one) | https://www.mrt.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-4-game-17196956.php | 2022-05-25 04:12:50 | 0 | https://www.mrt.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-4-game-17196956.php |
One man arrested after pursuit, drugs and cash seized
OLIVE HILL, Ky. (WSAZ) - One man was arrested Saturday after a pursuit in Olive Hill.
Olive Hill Police Chief Bruce Palmer said the pursuit started around 2:20 p.m. Saturday in Olive Hill.
40 year-old Russell Jon Barker of Olive Hill was arrested.
Several drugs were seized after the pursuit ended including meth and fentanyl, along with nearly $6,000 in cash.
Barker is lodged in the Carter County Detention Center with a long list of charges.
Charges include fleeing and evading police, wanton endangerment, trafficking a controlled substance, and possession of a controlled substance.
Police say they also served two indictment warrants for burglary.
Three Olive Hill Police Department units were involved including two K-9 officers.
The Olive Hill Police Department is starting a new Drug Interdiction Unit.
This is one of the first drug busts from the officers involved in that interdiction team.
Copyright 2022 WSAZ. All rights reserved. | https://www.wymt.com/2022/10/22/one-man-arrested-after-pursuit-drugs-cash-seized/ | 2022-10-23 01:40:23 | 0 | https://www.wymt.com/2022/10/22/one-man-arrested-after-pursuit-drugs-cash-seized/ |
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A pilot in South Africa made a hasty emergency landing after discovering a highly venomous cobra hiding under his seat.
Rudolf Erasmus had four passengers on board the light aircraft during Monday’s flight when he felt “something cold” slide across his lower back. He glanced down to see the head of a fairly large Cape Cobra “receding back under the seat,” he said.
“It was as if my brain didn’t know what was going on,” he told The Associated Press.
After taking a moment to compose himself, he informed his passengers of the slippery stowaway.
“There was a moment of stunned silence,” he said. Everyone stayed cool, especially the pilot.
Erasmus called air traffic control for permission to make an emergency landing in the town of Welkom in central South Africa. He still had to fly for another 10 to 15 minutes and land the plane with the snake by his feet.
“I kept looking down to see where it was. It was happy under the seat,” Erasmus said. “I don’t have a big fear of snakes, but I normally don’t go near them.”
Brian Emmenis, who works at Welkom radio station Gold FM and is also an aviation expert, received a phone call to see if he could help. He called the fire and rescue department, which sent emergency responders and a snake handler to meet the plane at the airport. Emmenis was first at the scene and saw everyone disembark, “visibly shaken,” Emmenis said, but all safe thanks to Erasmus.
“He stayed calm and landed that aircraft with a deadly venomous Cape Cobra curled up underneath his seat,” Emmenis said.
Cape Cobras are one of Africa’s most dangerous cobra species because of the potency of their venom.
The drama wasn’t over for the poor pilot.
Welkom snake handler Johan de Klerk and a team of aviation engineers searched the plane for the best part of two days but still hadn’t found the cobra by Wednesday and were uncertain if it had sneaked out unnoticed.
The engineering company Erasmus works for wanted its plane back in the city of Mbombela in northern South Africa. So, he had to fly it back home, a 90-minute voyage with the possibility that the cobra was still onboard.
Unsurprisingly, his passengers decided to look for another way to get home.
This time, Erasmus took some precautions: He wore a thick winter jacket, he said, wrapped a blanket around his seat, and had a fire extinguisher, a can of insect repellent and a golf club within arm’s reach in the cockpit.
“I would say I was on high alert,” Erasmus said.
The cobra didn’t reappear on that flight and the plane has now been completely stripped, but still no sign of the snake, Erasmus said.
The theory is it found its way on board before Erasmus and his passengers took off at the start of their trip from the town of Worcester in the Western Cape province, where Cape Cobras are usually found in South Africa. It might have got out in Welkom or might still be hiding somewhere deep in the plane.
“I hope it finds somewhere to go,” Erasmus said. “Just not my aircraft.” | https://www.krqe.com/news/weird/snnaaake-s-african-pilot-finds-deadly-cobra-under-his-seat-while-inflight/ | 2023-04-06 14:32:17 | 0 | https://www.krqe.com/news/weird/snnaaake-s-african-pilot-finds-deadly-cobra-under-his-seat-while-inflight/ |
Public workers strike in Tunisia, signaling national crisis
By FRANCESCA EBEL and BOUAZZA BEN BOUAZZA
Associated Press
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — A nationwide public sector strike in Tunisia is poised to paralyze land and air transportation and other vital activities with the North African nation already in the midst of a deteriorating economic crisis. Tunisia’s powerful General Labour Union (UGTT) announced Thursday’s walkout on the basis of pressing social and economic demands. The union is demanding wage increases and protesting the government’s planned economic reforms. The purchasing power of Tunisian citizens has eroded since the beginning of the year amid rising prices, high unemployment and widespread poverty. President Kais Saied’s government unveiled plans last week to cut its massive public wage bill and said it would progressively reduce energy and food subsidies starting next year. | https://kion546.com/news/ap-national-business/2022/06/16/public-workers-strike-in-tunisia-signaling-national-crisis/ | 2022-06-16 10:50:03 | 1 | https://kion546.com/news/ap-national-business/2022/06/16/public-workers-strike-in-tunisia-signaling-national-crisis/ |
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Biden administration on Thursday said it would immediately begin turning away Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, a major expansion of an existing effort to stop Venezuelans attempting to enter the U.S.
Instead, the administration will accept 30,000 people per month from the four nations for two years and offer the ability to legally work, as long as they come legally, have eligible sponsors and pass vetting and background checks. These four affected nations are among those for whom migrant border crossings have risen most sharply, with no easy way to quickly return migrants to their home countries.
"Do not, do not just show up at the border," Biden said Thursday. "Stay where you are and apply legally from there."
It was Biden's boldest move yet to confront spiraling arrivals at the U.S. border with Mexico, a major change to immigration rules that will stand even if the U.S. Supreme Court ends a Trump-era public health law that allows American authorities to turn away asylum seekers.
The president has seen the numbers of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border rise dramatically during his two years in office; there were more than 2.38 million stops during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, the first time the number cracked 2 million. The administration has struggled to clamp down on crossings, reluctant to take hard-line measures that would resemble those of the Trump administration.
That's resulted in relentless criticism from Republicans who say the Democratic president is ineffective on border security, and the newly minted Republican House majority has promised congressional investigations.
The new policy could result in 360,000 people from these four nations lawfully entering the U.S. in a year, a huge number. But currently, far more people from those countries are attempting to cross into the U.S. on foot, by boat or swimming. Migrants from those four countries were stopped 82,286 times in November alone.
"This new process is orderly," Biden said. "It's safe and humane, and it works."
Biden planned a trip to El Paso, Texas, this weekend, his first trip to the southern border as president, before a planned trip to Mexico City to meet with North American leaders on Monday.
Mexico has agreed to accept each month from the four countries up to 30,000 migrants who attempt to walk or swim across the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the White House.
Anyone coming to the U.S. is allowed to claim asylum, regardless of how they crossed the border, and migrants seeking a better life in the U.S. often pay smugglers the equivalent of thousands of dollars to deliver them across the dangerous Darien Gap. But the requirements for granting asylum are narrow, and only about 30% of applications are granted. That has created a system in which migrants come between ports of entry and are allowed into the U.S. to wait out their cases. But there is a 2 million-case immigration court backlog, so cases often are not heard for years.
The move, while not unexpected, drew swift criticism from asylum and immigration advocates, who have had a rocky relationship with the president.
Sen. Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, called it "an affront to restoring rule of law at the border and a circumvention of immigration law that "will exacerbate chaos and confusion." He welcomed allowing in more migrants, but said it will only benefit those who can afford it, not migrants fleeing violence and persecution.
The only lasting way to change the system is through Congress, but a bipartisan effort in Congress on new immigration laws failed shortly before Republicans took the House majority.
"The actions we're announcing will make things better, but will not fix the border problem completely," Biden said, in asking Congress to pass new legislation.
Under then-President Donald Trump, the U.S. required asylum seekers to wait across the border in Mexico. But massive delays in the immigration system created long delays, leading to fetid, dangerous camps over the border where migrants were forced to wait. That system was ended under the Biden era, and the migrants who are returned now to Mexico under the new rules will not be eligible for asylum.
Biden has agreed to triple the number of refugees accepted to the U.S. from the Western Hemisphere, to 20,000 from Latin America and Caribbean, over the next two years. Both refugees and asylum seekers have to meet the same criteria to be allowed into the country, but they arrive through different means.
At the U.S.-Mexico border, migrants have been denied a chance to seek asylum under U.S. and international law 2.5 million times since March 2020 under the Title 42 restrictions, introduced as an emergency health measure by Trump to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but there always has been criticism that the restrictions were used as a pretext by the Republican to seal off the border.
Even with the restrictions, there are still large increases in the number of migrants arriving. Homeland Security officials stopped migrants 2.38 million times during fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, the first time the number exceeded 2 million.
Biden moved to end the Title 42 restrictions, and Republicans sued to keep them. The U.S. Supreme Court has kept the rules in place for now. White House officials say they still believe the restrictions should end, but they believe they can continue to turn away migrants under immigration law.
Cubans, who are leaving the island nation in their largest numbers in six decades, were stopped 34,675 times at the U.S. border with Mexico in November, up 21% from 28,848 times in October. Nicaraguans, a large reason why El Paso has become the busiest corridor for illegal crossings, were stopped 34,209 times, up 65% from 20,920 in October.
But Venezuelans were seen far less after Mexico agreed on Oct. 12 to begin accepting those expelled from the United States. They were stopped 7,931 times, down 64% from 22,045 in October.
Venezuelans have said the changes have been difficult, particularly with finding a sponsor who has the financial resources to demonstrate the ability to support them. And even if they find a sponsor, sometimes they delay their arrival because they don't have the economic resources to pay for the flight to travel to the U.S. Other times, the Venezuelan passport that they need to come is expired, and they cannot afford to pay for the renewal.
Many Venezuelans who want to come to the U.S. face economic difficulties, do not have a job or do not earn enough money to support their families in their country. Sometimes they delay their trip to leave money for them to survive, or just one of them can come to the U.S. hoping to find a job and send money to the rest of the family, while they get some stability before bringing the rest.
Meanwhile, border officials are also creating an online appointment portal to help reduce wait times at U.S. ports of entry for those coming legally. It will allow people to set up an appointment to come and ask to be allowed into the country. | https://abc7ny.com/immigration-southern-border-migrants-joe-biden/12658518/ | 2023-01-05 18:00:41 | 1 | https://abc7ny.com/immigration-southern-border-migrants-joe-biden/12658518/ |
FARNBOROUGH, United Kingdom, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Cargolux today announced that Europe's largest all-cargo airline has selected the 777-8 Freighter as the preferred solution to replace its 747-400 fleet. The selection was announced at the Farnborough International Airshow.
"With the 777-8 Freighter being the preferred solution to replace our 747-400s, Cargolux is looking forward to continuing its ongoing relationship with Boeing," said Richard Forson, president and CEO of Cargolux.
The 777-8 Freighter is ideally suited for operators like Cargolux, creating a more sustainable and profitable future. With nearly identical payload and range capabilities as the 747-400 Freighter, the 777-8 Freighter will provide 30% better fuel efficiency and emissions and 25% better operating costs per tonne as the airplane to replace aging large freighters later this decade.
"With the selection of our newest freighter as their preferred solution, Cargolux continues its long and enduring history with Boeing, integrating the 777-8F seamlessly into the airline's all-747 cargo operations," said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "With its investment in the 777-8 Freighter, Cargolux will operate the most advanced, fuel-efficient, twin-engine freighter in the industry. The 777-8 Freighter significantly reduces CO2 emissions compared to previous models with a reduced noise footprint, helping to advance Cargolux's commitment to sustainable operations."
Boeing launched the 777-8 Freighter in January and has booked more than 50 orders for the model. With advanced technology from the new 777X family and proven performance of the market-leading 777 Freighter, the 777-8 Freighter offers the highest payload and the lowest fuel use, emissions and operating cost per tonne of any large freighter.
Cargolux is the largest operator of Boeing widebody freighters in Europe with a combined total fleet of 30 747-400 and 747-8 Freighters. Boeing and Cargolux's partnership has spanned almost 50 years from 1973 when it received its first Douglas DC-8 Freighter before entering the jet age in 1977 with the delivery of its first 747, a 747-200 Freighter called 'City of Luxembourg'.
The 2022 Boeing Commercial Market Outlook projects a 80% increase in the global freighter fleet through 2041, including approximately 940 new widebody freighters such as the new 777-8 Freighter. First delivery of the 777-8 Freighter is anticipated in 2027.
Cargolux, based in Luxembourg, is Europe's leading all-cargo airline operating a fleet of 30 Boeing 747-8 freighters and Boeing 747-400 freighters. The Cargolux worldwide network covers over 75 destinations on scheduled all-cargo flights and offers full and part-charter services. The company has more than 85 offices in over 50 countries and operates an extensive global trucking network to more than 250 destinations. With 50 years of experience in the air cargo industry and an extensive product portfolio, Cargolux provides tailored transport solutions for all types of shipments. As a responsible cargo carrier, Cargolux has developed a solid CSR program encompassing Environmental, Social, and Governance principles. The Cargolux Group employs close to 2,500 staff members worldwide.
As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing's diverse team is committed to innovating for the future, leading with sustainability, and cultivating a culture based on the company's core values of safety, quality and integrity. Join our team and find your purpose at boeing.com/careers.
Contact
Keelan Morris
Boeing Communications (London)
Mobile + 44(0)208 235 5664
keelan.j.morris@boeing.com
Jessica Kowal
Boeing Media Relations – Boeing Commercial Airplanes
+1 206-660-6849
jessica.m.kowal@boeing.com
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SOURCE Boeing | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/cargolux-selects-777-8-freighter-preferred-replacement-747-400-fleet/ | 2022-07-21 11:44:05 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/cargolux-selects-777-8-freighter-preferred-replacement-747-400-fleet/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — State officials across the nation have taken on Big Tech companies in the courts and state legislatures, and federal regulators have nipped at Twitter over alleged violations of users’ data privacy.
Now, one state attorney general with an outsize personality and edge-skating stance nearly in the league of Elon Musk is striding into the maelstrom of Musk’s $44 billion now-tenuous bid for Twitter. He is launching an investigation of Twitter for “potential false reporting” of bots on its platform to bolster complaints Musk himself made this week in threatening to walk away from the deal.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced his investigation of Twitter on Monday just hours after Musk, the billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO, accused Twitter of refusing to disclose the extent of its spam bot and fake accounts.
The unexpected turn in the months-long drama of Musk and Twitter sent that company’s shares down 1.5%, likely angering shareholders who had filed suit against Musk last month, accusing him of deflating the stock price. Twitter’s shares have tumbled more than 20% in the last month. They closed at $40.13 Tuesday, up 57 cents.
Paxton’s unusual move struck observers as singular and possibly inappropriate, though he likely has the legal authority to pursue it. In launching his investigation, Paxton suggested that Twitter might have violated Texas’ Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
The state attorney general’s move against Twitter is far different from the growing legal actions taken by groups of states that have joined to target alleged anticompetitive practices by Google and Meta, for example, or to investigate TikTok and its possible harmful effects on young users’ mental health.
Individual state attorneys general don’t normally investigate a major publicly traded company over its regulatory filings. In Twitter’s case, the data it submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission involve complex federal law.
“The SEC has the resources and the expertise and the legal remedies for this, and I doubt that Texas has any of these,” Marc Fagel, a securities law expert who was the regional director of the SEC’s San Francisco office, said in an interview. “It’s a headline-based investigation as far as I can tell.”
Johnny Koremenos, a spokesman for the Republican Attorneys General Association, told The Associated Press that he’s unaware of any other state attorney general who might be planning to launch a similar investigation into Twitter.
James Tierney, a former Maine attorney general who teaches at Harvard, was critical of Paxton’s probe, which he sees as aiding Musk, whose electric car maker Tesla recently opened a plant in Texas’ capital of Austin.
“Consumer laws exist to protect consumers from real harm,” Tierney said. “They do not exist to allow a government official to meddle in ongoing corporate transactions on behalf of a constituent.”
Paxton notes that Twitter had said in its filings with the SEC that fewer than 5% of all users are bots, when, Paxton asserts, “they may in fact comprise as much as 20% or more” of the 229 million total accounts. Musk contended in a May tweet, without providing evidence, that 20% or more are bogus.
Paxton demanded that Twitter turn over documents by June 27 to show how it calculates and manages its user data.
“The difference could dramatically affect the cost to Texas consumers and businesses who transact with Twitter,” such as advertisers, Paxton contended in his announcement. He asserted that the disparity may inflate the value of Twitter, now estimated at $30.5 billion, and raise the costs of doing business with it.
Twitter spokespeople declined comment Tuesday on Paxton’s announcement. The company said in a statement Monday that it has been cooperatively sharing information with Musk in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement.
The Texas attorney general, who has long carved out a distinctive public persona, isn’t likely to mind any criticism. A Republican currently running for a third term as the state’s top lawyer, Paxton has yet to have his day in court after being indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015, and his career has upended what it means to be a compromised officeholder in Texas.
His critics say Paxton has become an example of how powerful public figures can drag out even normally career-threatening criminal charges and defy predictions of their political demise.
Conservative Republicans, who accuse social media like Twitter of anti-conservative bias and censoring views of those opposed to abortion and others, have embraced Musk’s bid for Twitter because of his advocacy of free speech in place of the platform’s content moderation. Paxton’s fellow Texan U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has called Musk’s move “the biggest development for free speech in decades.”
—
Associated Press writers Geoff Mulvihill in New Jersey and Acacia Coronado in Texas contributed to this report.
__
Follow Marcy Gordon at https://twitter.com/mgordonap | https://www.myarklamiss.com/news/business/ap-business/texas-ag-strides-into-twitter-takeover-drama-to-bolster-musk/ | 2022-06-08 00:14:00 | 1 | https://www.myarklamiss.com/news/business/ap-business/texas-ag-strides-into-twitter-takeover-drama-to-bolster-musk/ |
USDA getting tougher on salmonella in chicken products
By DAVID PITT
Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The federal government on Monday announced proposed new regulations that would force food processors to reduce the amount of salmonella bacteria found in some raw chicken products or risk being shut down.
The proposed U.S. Department of Agriculture rules would declare salmonella an adulterant — a contaminant that can cause food-borne illness — in breaded and stuffed raw chicken products. That includes many frozen foods found in grocery stores, including chicken cordon bleu and chicken Kyiv products that appear to be cooked through but are only heat-treated to set the batter or breading.
The agency notified producers of the proposed changes on Friday.
USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Sandra Eskin said it marks the beginning of a broader agency effort to curtail illnesses caused by the salmonella bacteria, which sickens 1.3 million Americans each year. It sends more than 26,000 of them to hospitals and causes 420 deaths, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
Food is the source for most of those illnesses.
The CDC says approximately one in every 25 packages of chicken sold at grocery stores contains salmonella bacteria.
Since 1998, breaded and stuffed raw chicken products have been associated with 14 salmonella outbreaks and approximately 200 illnesses, the USDA said in a statement. An outbreak last year tied to frozen breaded raw chicken products caused 36 illnesses in 11 states and sent 12 people to hospitals.
The USDA currently has performance standards that poultry processing plants have to meet to reduce contamination, but the agency cannot stop products from being sold. There is also no adequate testing system to determine levels of salmonella in meat, Eskin said.
The proposed new rules require routine testing at chicken processing plants. Products would be considered adulterated when they exceed a very low level of salmonella contamination and would be subject to regulatory action, including shuttering plants that fail to reduce salmonella bacteria levels in their products, Eskin said.
“This action and our overall salmonella initiative underscore our view that our job is to ensure that consumers don’t get sick from meat and poultry products,” she said. “They shouldn’t be sold if they’re contaminated to the degree that people get sick.”
In 1994, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service took a similar step by declaring some strains of E. coli a contaminant in ground beef and launched a testing program for the pathogen.
Eskin said the agency met with food safety experts and poultry processors for ideas on how to reduce contamination in processing.
Representatives of the National Chicken Council, a trade group, and Tyson Foods said they would withhold comment until they received details of the new USDA rule.
Diana Souder, a spokeswoman for Maryland-based Perdue Farms, also declined to comment but pointed out that the company belongs to the Coalition for Poultry Safety Reform, a group formed last year to work with USDA and others to reduce foodborne illnesses from salmonella contamination.
The new rules will be published in the Federal Register this fall and the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service will seek public comment before finalizing the rules and setting a date for implementation. | https://kion546.com/news/ap-national-news/2022/08/01/usda-getting-tougher-on-salmonella-in-chicken-products/ | 2022-08-01 11:44:44 | 1 | https://kion546.com/news/ap-national-news/2022/08/01/usda-getting-tougher-on-salmonella-in-chicken-products/ |
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Missouri resident has been diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening brain infection. It’s the first confirmed case in the state in 35 years, the Department of Health and Senior Services announced Thursday.
The resident, whom public health officials did not identify, is in an intensive care unit battling an infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). It’s caused by the brain-eating amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri.
The amoeba lives in warm freshwater, such as lakes, rivers, and ponds. Health officials did not say where the resident was exposed to the amoeba, as they continue to investigate.
Since 1962, only 154 known cases have been identified in the United States. The only other case identified in a Missouri resident occurred in 1987, according to DHSS.
Although rare, people become infected by Naegleria fowleri when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose. It then travels to the brain, where it destroys brain tissue. This infection cannot spread from one person to another, and it cannot be contracted by swallowing contaminated water.
“These situations are extremely rare in the United States and in Missouri specifically, but it’s important for people to know that the infection is a possibility so they can seek medical care in a timely manner if related symptoms present,” Dr. George Turabelidze, Missouri’s state epidemiologist, said in a statement.
Symptoms can include severe headaches, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, seizures, altered mental state, and hallucinations. Anyone who experiences these symptoms after swimming in a warm body of water should contact their health care provider immediately.
For more information, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/index.html. | https://www.kark.com/news/national-news/brain-eating-amoeba-causes-rare-infection-in-missouri-patient-first-in-35-years/ | 2022-07-08 17:49:49 | 1 | https://www.kark.com/news/national-news/brain-eating-amoeba-causes-rare-infection-in-missouri-patient-first-in-35-years/ |
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — When a tornado is approaching and you are driving in a vehicle, what is the best way to stay safe?
Some people interviewed offered advice, including WPTV First Alert Meteorologist James Wieland.
Do you stay in the vehicle or seek shelter?
"The tornado was just going so fast and he was just stuck, I wouldn't know what to do," Qwalique Cuyler said in reaction to the tornado like the one that struck northern Palm Beach County on Saturday, including vehicles flipped over.
Michael Doria from West Palm Beach said: "I would try to find some kind of cover, a bridge and drive underneath and just pray we don't go blown away."
WPTV's Joel Lopez asked First Alert Meteorologist James Wieland: "So over the weekend we saw an EF2 tornado so what kind of damage can that cause?"
"An EF2 is about 130-mile-per-hour winds and what we saw it do is lift this ton and a half vehicle up in the air like it was nothing,"
Wieland said if you're caught in your car during a tornado, you should find shelter or buckle in.
"We used to think getting underneath the overpass was the safe place to be when in actuality that's not the thing to do at all. In fact that's worse because it speeds up the winds funneling underneath the overpass," Wieland said. "Plus you're going to clog up the road and you're still going to get hit by debris."
He said cars are designed for impact, but it's biggest weakness is the windows.
"That's where you're going to see the projectiles can go through any of these windows so what you want to do is bend down, get below the window if you can," said Wieland.
He said to avoid your steering wheel as the airbag could deploy, and not to try to outrun a tornado as they can move at speeds of 70+ mph.
"You gotta make that split-second decision on what's to be my best chances to survive," Wieland said.
He said it's best to stay weather aware and to avoid being on the roads when there's a threat of a tornado. | https://www.wptv.com/weather/how-do-you-safe-safe-when-driving-during-a-tornado | 2023-05-02 04:15:43 | 1 | https://www.wptv.com/weather/how-do-you-safe-safe-when-driving-during-a-tornado |
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday morning's drawing of the Texas Lottery's "Pick 3 Morning" game were:
8-8-3, FIREBALL: 4
(eight, eight, three; FIREBALL: four)
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday morning's drawing of the Texas Lottery's "Pick 3 Morning" game were:
8-8-3, FIREBALL: 4
(eight, eight, three; FIREBALL: four) | https://www.mrt.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-3-Morning-game-17493779.php | 2022-10-07 16:54:38 | 0 | https://www.mrt.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-3-Morning-game-17493779.php |
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TORONTO (AP) — Zach LaVine scored 39 points, DeMar DeRozan had 23 against his former team and the Chicago Bulls overcame a 19-point deficit to beat the Toronto Raptors 109-105 in a play-in tournament game Wednesday night.
The Bulls will visit the Miami Heat on Friday night for the chance to earn the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket, and a first-round playoff matchup with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Nikola Vucevic had 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls, who trailed 66-47 in the third quarter but took the lead by making four of seven attempts from 3-point range in the fourth. Chicago shot 3 for 19 from distance through the first three quarters.
Fred VanVleet had 26 points and 12 rebounds and Pascal Siakam scored 32 points, but Toronto’s season ended in disappointment as the Raptors — with DeRozan's daughter, Diar, screaming when they shot — went a dismal 18 for 36 at the free throw line. Toronto missed six attempts from the line in the fourth quarter.
Scottie Barnes had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors, and O.G. Anunoby scored 13 points.
Chicago’s Alex Caruso connected from the corner to tie the score at 91-all with 7:08 left in the fourth quarter and Patrick Beverley’s 3 with 5:07 remaining gave the Bulls a 96-93 lead. It was Beverley’s first basket of the game.
VanVleet’s 3 with 3:11 to go knotted it again at 100-all, but LaVine and DeRozan replied with baskets for the Bulls.
Barnes and Siakam each made one of two at the line inside the final two minutes, and VanVleet missed a 3 that would have tied the game.
Siakam’s driving dunk with 19 seconds left cut it to 105-104. After a timeout, LaVine pushed the lead to three with a pair of free throws. Caruso fouled Siakam on a 3 but the Raptors star missed his second and third attempts.
The Raptors led 28-23 after one and VanVleet connected on a halfcourt heave at the halftime buzzer as Toronto extended its lead to 58-47.
VanVleet’s 3 with 9:09 left in the third gave Toronto a 19-point edge, but the Bulls shaved the gap and trailed 81-72 heading to the fourth.
DOING IT FOR DAD
DeRozan’s daughter sat in a courtside seat adjacent to the Chicago bench. Toronto was 8 for 14 at the line in the opening half.
SHOWING HIS COLORS
Former NBA All-Star Charles Oakley, who played for both the Bulls and Raptors, sat in a courtside seat. Oakley wore a black hoodie with Toronto Raptors printed in gold letters on the back.
TIP-INS
Bulls: LaVine shot 13 for 15 at the free throw line. The Bulls went 18 for 22. … Patrick Williams scored 10 points.
Raptors: VanVleet had eight assists. … Siakam had nine rebounds.
___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/lavine-scores-39-bulls-beat-raptors-109-105-in-17894323.php | 2023-04-13 02:19:11 | 1 | https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/lavine-scores-39-bulls-beat-raptors-109-105-in-17894323.php |
TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Widget, the manufacturer and distributor of iconic CBD brand Hemp Bombs®, is celebrating its sixth anniversary this month, following years of large-scale growth, industry-leading products and an aggressive goal to set the gold standard in an emerging industry.
Hemp Bombs launched in 2016 with a two-count package of CBD Capsules as its first product. Today, the brand features over 100 products, including a full line of CBD Gummies and other edibles, tinctures, topicals and pet products.
"It's hard to believe it has been six years already," said Kevin Collins, co-founder of Global Widget. "We have grown the company to more than 300 employees and have introduced hundreds of products, but our success all along has been because of the loyalty and support of our terrific customers, retailers and business partners. We have nothing but immense gratitude for the opportunity to serve them."
Over the past year, Hemp Bombs expanded its gummy line to include Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC Gummies, with its Delta-8 THC Gummies being named a 2021 Retailer Choice Best New Product by CSP Magazine in a vote of more than 1,000 retailers nationwide. Hemp Bombs products are available direct to consumers through its e-commerce website and are available in more than 25,000 retail locations nationwide.
From the start, Hemp Bombs quickly became the original CBD brand retailers and, most importantly, its customers, trusted.
"Hemp Bombs continues to be the hemp-category captain in convenience with over 65 percent market share, six years and counting," said Vince Gillen, vice president of sales. "We are fortunate to have great distribution and retail partners that have driven our growth, and we are accelerating that growth with category resets and new store placements with CBD and Delta-9."
All Hemp Bombs products are made in-house at its manufacturing headquarters in Tampa, Florida. Over the past six years, Global Widget has expanded its operations to four locations, featuring more than 165,000 square feet of manufacturing and distribution space. The company has grown to more than 300 employees in research and development, manufacturing, sales, marketing, human resources, manufacturing, distribution, customer service and IT.
To learn more about partnering with Hemp Bombs, visit https://hempbombs.com/wholesale.
About Us
Global Widget, founded in 2016 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida, is a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor and marketer of premium Hemp-derived cannabinoid and health and wellness products, and a leader in gummy production and packaging. The company is the trusted powerhouse behind Hemp and health and wellness brands Hemp Bombs®, Mystic Labs™, hyper brain iQ and Forever Well Nutrition™. With more than 165,000 square feet of manufacturing and distribution space and over 300 employees, Global Widget is home to two of the nation's largest Hemp brands and a leading contract manufacturer providing quality products and support services to retailers, distributors and private brands worldwide. https://globalwidget.com/.
Media Contact:
Joe Agostinelli, PR Manager
813.497.5752 | mediarelations@globalwidget.com
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SOURCE Global Widget | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/12/global-widgets-flagship-cbd-brand-hemp-bombs-marks-6th-anniversary-with-award-winning-products-continued-growth-innovation/ | 2022-08-12 14:21:10 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/12/global-widgets-flagship-cbd-brand-hemp-bombs-marks-6th-anniversary-with-award-winning-products-continued-growth-innovation/ |
SHANGHAI, NANJING, China and SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IASO Biotherapeutics (IASO Bio), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in discovering, developing, and manufacturing innovative cell therapies and antibody products, announced today that the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved its investigational new drug (IND) application (Acceptance No.: CXSL2200233,CXSL2200234) for the new extended indication of Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) for a fully human BCMA chimeric antigen receptor autologous T (CAR-T) cell Injection (Equecabtagene Autoleucel, CT103A). This is the world's first IND approval for CAR-T in NMOSD treatment.
The new IND application is based on clinical data from an investigator-initiated clinical study of Equecabtagene Autoleucel. Subjects in the study were NMOSD patients with poor symptom control who had at least one year of treatment with at least one immunosuppressant. The study's primary objective was to evaluate the safety, tolerability, preliminary efficacy, pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) profiles in NMOSD patients treated with Equecabtagene Autoleucel. As of March 20, 2022, 12 subjects received Equecabtagene Autoleucel cell infusion, including three in the 0.5×106 CAR-T cells/kg dose group and nine in the 1.0×106 CAR-T cells/kg dose group. The study data initially showed that the Equecabtagene Autoleucel injection was safe in patients with relapsed/refractory NMOSD in the 0.5×106 CAR-T cells/kg and 1.0×106 CAR-T cells/kg dose groups. All patients experienced Grade 1-2 CRS (Cytokine Release Syndrome) and no Immune Effector Cell-Associated Neurotoxicity Syndrome (ICANS) events. In terms of efficacy, all subjects observed improved Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores after infusion. Fifty percent experienced improved visual acuity, 67% improved their walking ability, and 75% experienced improved bladder function. After a median follow-up of 5.5 months, 11 / 12 (92%) subjects did not observe any disease recurrence.
Wen (Maxwell) Wang, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer of IASO Bio, said, "As one of the first companies to conduct research on CAR-T to treat autoimmune diseases worldwide, our BCMA CAR T-cell therapy represents a significant milestone for Investigator Initiated Trial (IIT) data of relapsed and refractory NMOSD, an autoimmune disease with serious complications, blindness, and paralysis."
The existing treatment of NMOSD can only decrease the number of relapses within a certain period and has little effect on the functional recovery of sensory, nervous, and motor systems. BCMA CAR T-cell therapy can reduce the disability score and improve the functions of sensory, nervous, and motor systems, providing a milestone proof-of-concept for CAR-T therapy to treat autoimmune diseases caused by auto-antibodies produced by plasma cells. The IND's approval demonstrates further momentum for IASO Bio to promote the expansion of CAR-T therapy and launch products beyond the treatment of malignant tumors to the treatment of autoimmune diseases. IASO Bio will initiate and complete the clinical study per submitted protocol to prepare for new drug application (NDA) and to bring hope to NMOSD patients.
About Equecabtagene Autoleucel (CT103A)
Equecabtagene Autoleucel (CT103A) is a BCMA chimeric antigen receptor autologous T cell injection, a lentiviral vector containing a CAR structure with a fully human scFv, CD8a hinger and transmembrane, 4-1BB co-stimulatory and CD3ζ activation domains. Based on strict selection and screening, utilizing a proprietary in-house optimization platform, and integrated in-house manufacturing process improvement, the construct of the BCMA CAR-T is potent and Equecabtagene Autoleucel shows prolonged persistency in patients. The NMPA accepted the New Drug Application for Equecabtagene Autoleucel for the treatment of elapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM). Equecabtagene Autoleucel also received Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the NMPA in February 2021 and Orphan Drug Designation (ODD)by the U.S. FDA in February 2022.
In addition to multiple myeloma, the NMPA has received IND application of Equecabtagene Autoleucel for the new expanded indication of Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD).
About Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO)
Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) is an acute or subacute inflammatory demyelination disorder of the central nervous system, an antibody-mediated idiopathic inflammatory disease of the nervous system. NMO Spectrum Disorders (NMOSD) are marked by NMO-IgG antibodies in the serum, covering NMO and NMO-related diseases. The first onset of NMOSD is seen at all ages, mostly in young and middle-aged people, with a median age of 39 years. The prevalence of NMOSD is high in Asian populated areas, and middle-aged women are the most prevalent group. According to Frost & Sullivan, the number of NMOSD cases in China was around 49,300 and 173,000 worldwide in 2021. AQP4-Ab is a foremost pathogenic antibody of NMOSD, and many clinical studies have confirmed that this antibody may cause pathological damage to the central nervous system in animals and humans. Its diagnostic specificity is up to more than 90%, with the positive rate of AQP4-Ab in NMOSD patients ranging from 40% to 90%. NMOSD is a highly recurrent disease with a high disability rate. More than 90% of patients have a multitemporal course, 60% relapse within one year and 90% relapse within three years, with sequelae found in most patients such as severe visual impairment, physical dysfunction, and urination and defecation disorders.
About IASO Bio
IASO Bio is an innovative biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development and manufacture of cellular therapeutics and antibody drugs. The company is expanding into solid tumors and autoimmune diseases with the development of hematologic oncology cell-based drugs and antibody drugs as the cornerstone of innovation. It offers a complete platform from early discovery, registration, and clinical development to commercial production. IASO Bio owns many technology platforms, including a fully human antibody discovery platform, a high-throughput CAR-T drug preference platform, a general CAR technology platform, a production technology platform, and a clinical translational research platform. It has more than 10 products at different stages of development, including Equecabtagene Autoleucel (CT103A),fully human BCMA chimeric antigen receptor autologous T cell injection, which received NDA acceptance of the China NMPA for the treatment of elapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM). Equecabtagene Autoleucel also received Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the NMPA in February 2021 and Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) by the U.S. FDA in February 2022. In addition to multiple myeloma, the NMPA has received IND application of Equecabtagene Autoleucel for the new expanded indication of Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD). Additionally, its product CT120 (fully human CD19/CD22 dual-target CAR-T cell injection) has entered the clinical research stage for the treatment of CD19/CD22-positive relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) and relapsed/refractory acute B-lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and granted FDA Orphan Drug Designation (ODD).
Leveraging its strong management team, rich product pipeline, cutting-edge R&D, and business model, and with the introduction of innovative drugs that truly solve clinical pain points and open new treatment paths, IASO Bio is becoming one of the industry's most influential and innovative pharmaceutical companies. For more information, please visit www.iasobio.com or www.linkedin.com/company/iasobiotherapeutics.
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SOURCE IASO Biotherapeutics | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/worlds-first-car-t-nmosd-treatment-iaso-biotherapeutics-equecabtagene-autoleucel-receives-ind-approval-by-nmpa/ | 2022-08-19 11:57:03 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/worlds-first-car-t-nmosd-treatment-iaso-biotherapeutics-equecabtagene-autoleucel-receives-ind-approval-by-nmpa/ |
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. and SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- American Agents Alliance has endorsed Input 1 Payments as its preferred digital payment platform for its vast member network. Input 1 Payments' rapid ascent in popularity can be attributed to its transparent no-cost program and its simple and secure usability, leading to significant adoption by agencies and their customers. This endorsement by American Agents Alliance reinforces Input 1 Payments' position as a leader in digital payments. In turn, American Agents Alliance and its member agencies gain access to a unique, free-to-use platform that streamlines their accounts receivables.
As customer demands evolve, American Agents Alliance is constantly looking to provide exceptional value and opportunities that serve the needs of its independent agent members. With Input 1 Payments, American Agents Alliance found that rare combination of user-centric technology and value. "Input 1 brings forth technology that makes the business of agencies better through efficiency and cost reduction, making their digital payments platform a natural fit for our members. Our member agencies can now spend less time managing their premium receivables while exceeding customer expectations," said Mike D'Arelli, Executive Director. "Input 1's no-cost formula means our agents don't have to pay money to collect their money."
American Agents Alliance members will now have the best method of digitally collecting insurance premiums in the industry. "We are excited to have American Agents Alliance members adopt our digital payments platform. Our mission is to improve the businesses of our clients and the customers they serve. This partnership will benefit hundreds of agencies and tens of thousands of their policyholders," said Chris Farfaras, Executive Vice President and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Input 1. "As the number of our partnerships continues to grow, our drive to deliver more value grows as well."
The American Agents Alliance, a national member-driven insurance association since 1962, empowers independent insurance agents and brokers to thrive through advocacy, education, and networking. They are dedicated to serving the professional needs of independent insurance agents and brokers. They provide insurance agents and brokers a wealth of resources ranging from a members-only E&O insurance program, access to exclusive preferred markets, an industry-leading advocacy and government affairs program to protect producers' livelihoods, top-notch continuing education courses, industry forms and tools, local meetings, the largest insurance convention in the west, and many more discounted products and services available through their affinity programs.
Input 1 is a leading provider of digital billing and payment solutions to insurance carriers, MGAs, banks, agencies, and premium finance companies located throughout North America. Our software and cloud billing and payment solutions provide online access to more than one million agents, brokers, and policyholders annually.
Media Contact:
Input 1
Marketing Department
888-882-2554 ext. 2135
information@input1.com
American Agents Alliance
info@agentsalliance.com
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SOURCE Input 1 | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2022/06/16/american-agents-alliance-endorses-input-1-payments-its-preferred-digital-payments-platform/ | 2022-06-16 15:12:54 | 1 | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2022/06/16/american-agents-alliance-endorses-input-1-payments-its-preferred-digital-payments-platform/ |
Small Business Administrator of the United States Isabella Casillas Guzman to Deliver Opening Remarks
DUBLIN, Calif., March 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TriNet (NYSE: TNET), a leading provider of comprehensive human resources solutions for small and medium-size businesses (SMBs), is partnering with Inc. Magazine to bring TriNet PeopleForceX to SXSW 2023. The event, taking place at Inc. Founders House at SXSW, will feature an inspiring discussion with TriNet Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, and Chief Communications Officer Michael Mendenhall and Inc. Magazine Executive Editor Diana Ransom, centered around the Path to Purpose: How Company Culture and Your Brand Creates Customer Loyalty.
This special SXSW edition of TriNet PeopleForceX, an extension of its award-winning TriNet PeopleForce conference, will be held Saturday, March 11, at 4:20 p.m. CT and will feature opening remarks by SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, the voice in President Biden's Cabinet for America's over 33 million small businesses.
"We are absolutely thrilled to be a part of Inc. Magazine's Founders House, to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit that drives SMBs—something that we at TriNet live and breathe every day," said Michael Mendenhall, TriNet, SVP, CMO and CCO. "Additionally, it is an honor to have Administrator Guzman, one of our country's biggest champions of small businesses, join us from Inc. Magazine's Founders House at TriNet PeopleForceX during SXSW."
The Inc. Founders House at SXSW 2023 is a one-of-a-kind hub for the driven people starting, running, and growing businesses. The curated experience will feature sessions with star entrepreneurs, complimentary food, and networking with like-minded SMBs.
Registration for the event is here.
About TriNet
TriNet (NYSE: TNET) provides small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) with full-service HR solutions tailored by industry. To free SMBs from HR complexities, TriNet offers access to human capital expertise, benefits, risk mitigation and compliance, payroll, all enabled by industry leading technology capabilities. TriNet's suite of products also includes services and software-based solutions to help streamline workflows by connecting HR, Benefits, Employee Engagement, Payroll and Time & Attendance. From Main Street to Wall Street, TriNet empowers SMBs to focus on what matters most—growing their business and enabling their people. TriNet, incredible starts here. For more information, visit TriNet.com or follow us on Twitter.
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SOURCE TriNet Group, Inc. | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/03/09/special-sxsw-2023-edition-trinet-peopleforcex-saturday-march-11-live-inc-magazines-founders-house/ | 2023-03-09 22:17:14 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/03/09/special-sxsw-2023-edition-trinet-peopleforcex-saturday-march-11-live-inc-magazines-founders-house/ |
BELFAST, Northern Ireland and DALLAS, July 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Trinity Consultants, a leading global Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) firm, providing services and solutions in the Regulatory Compliance, Water & Ecology, Built Environments and Life Sciences markets, is proud to announce the expansion of its Digital Solutions Team in the UK & Ireland. The multilingual team will provide a range of services to help organizations plan and implement technology solutions to meet their EHS, ESG and Sustainability needs, including software selection, implementation, training, and support. Clients will benefit from increased efficiency, cost savings, and a more proactive approach to EHS, ESG and Sustainability management.
Trinity's UK/Ireland Digital Solutions team offers the essential regional regulatory knowledge, technology experience and software solutions to meet its clients' most complex data management needs. The team has successfully delivered projects in several countries in the EMEA region, including Italy, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Austria, and South Africa. Trinity DGS UK & Ireland will work alongside its U.S. group, and in partnership with leading software companies, Enablon | Wolters Kluwer, Cority, VelocityEHS, Intelex and Benchmark Digital in the delivery of world class outcomes.
"For nearly 50 years, Trinity has grown its expertise and local presence to bring insights and solutions for our client's country-specific and industry-specific compliance needs," said Jason Schmitz, Director of Digital Solutions, Trinity Consultants. "We are very excited to expand our team's footprint in the UK & Ireland, enabling us to offer a local dedicated team focused on delivery of exceptional technology solutions for clients in this region."
The Trinity DGS UK & Ireland team will be based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, leveraging existing synergies with other Trinity teams in the region including AWN Consulting (Ireland), SafeBridge Consultants (UK) and ECOSA (UK).
For more information about Trinity Consultants and our UK & Ireland Digital Solutions Team, please contact Gaia Aplington, gaia.aplington@trinityconsultants.com, +44 7593 290603.
About Trinity Consultants
Founded in 1974, Trinity Consultants began as an air quality consulting firm for industrial clients. Today we provide clients across many industries with solutions in regulatory compliance, ecology and water, built environment and life sciences markets. We have over 1400 employees in 80 offices across four continents. We partner with our clients to create a sustainable and livable world across the natural and built environments.
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SOURCE Trinity Consultants | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/18/trinity-consultants-digital-solutions-team-expands-its-footprint-uk-amp-ireland/ | 2023-07-18 10:22:47 | 0 | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/18/trinity-consultants-digital-solutions-team-expands-its-footprint-uk-amp-ireland/ |
First-Time and Existing Franchisees to Bring More Daycares to Cities Across the Country as Same-Store Sales Growth Climbs Beyond 31 Percent
PHOENIX, Aug. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of National Dog Day today, Dogtopia, the nation's fastest-growing dog daycare franchise announced it has signed a record number of new franchise agreements in 2022. These deals, many of which were signed by existing franchisees looking to expand, will bring more than 100 new locations to markets across the U.S. over the next two years. In addition, the brand reported record same-store sales growth of more than 31% for the year so far.
A variety of entrepreneurs with backgrounds in childcare, hospitality, fitness, private equity and more will develop these new Dogtopia daycare centers in cities including Cleveland, OH; Fort Myers, FL; New Haven, CT; Orland Park, IL; Bakersfield, CA; Little Elm, TX; Summerville, SC; Seattle, WA; and more. Notably, three new centers being developed in Maryland with Jeff Lutton, the first franchisee to open a Dogtopia in 2007 and former Franchisee of the Year, bringing his total number of daycares to five. As a sign of confidence in the brand and financial return, 40% of the new deals are from existing Dogtopia franchisees who have signed on for more units.
"The new franchise deals, particularly those signed with existing Dogtopians, are the ultimate validation of our brand, supported by Dogtopia's position as the fastest-growing and leading brand in pet services," said Neil Gill, CEO and President of Dogtopia. "We are excited to support entrepreneurs through their development and expansion across the country and give thousands of new Dogtopia dogs a place to socialize, exercise and live their best and longest lives."
With nearly 200 locations across North America, Dogtopia is the nation's fastest-growing brand in the booming pet services industry and recently ranked at #51 on Entrepreneur Magazine's Annual Franchise 500 list. The ultimate destination for improving the physical and mental well-being of dogs and pet parents, Dogtopia helps all dogs live long, healthy and happy lives with services that provide canine wellness in a holistic manner.
The Dogtopia franchise family is composed of both single-unit and multi-unit operators, including husband and wife teams, father and daughter/son duos, siblings, and many experienced entrepreneurs who are diversifying their portfolios. With more than 31 percent same-store sales growth and AUVs nearing $1 million, Dogtopia's single-unit economics and unparalleled support is leading the pet services industry. For more information about Dogtopia or the franchise opportunity, visit www.dogtopia.com.
About Dogtopia
Founded in 2002, Dogtopia is an early pioneer and innovator in the pet services industry, offering an experience focused on wellness, quality of care, safety and transparency in the market. The ultimate destination for improving the physical and mental well-being of dogs and pet parents, Dogtopia helps our furry friends live long, healthy, and happy lives with services that address canine wellness in a holistic manner. Pet parents have the assurance of leaving their beloved furry family members in the hands of trained professionals in an environment created with the safety of dogs in mind, including an open-play environment with comfortable rubber flooring to ease joints and paws, top quality meals and snacks, as well as webcams for pet parents to check in on their pups. For more information, visit www.dogtopia.com.
Media contact: Mia Rusch, Fishman Public Relations, mrusch@fishmanpr.com or 847-945-1300
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SOURCE Dogtopia | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2022/08/26/dogtopia-celebrates-national-dog-day-with-record-100-new-franchise-agreements-secured-2022/ | 2022-08-26 13:59:56 | 1 | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2022/08/26/dogtopia-celebrates-national-dog-day-with-record-100-new-franchise-agreements-secured-2022/ |
- After a record year for trade in 2021, global trade growth is expected to remain robust in 2022, albeit with some slow down in pace
- A new multilateralism is expected to take hold, with increasing bilateral, regional and multiparty trade deals
- The UAE signing 27 Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements is representative of the new era of multilateralism
- Developments in virtual assets, including central bank digital currencies, stand to reshape global finance, trade and investment
- Full report can be accessed and downloaded here: www.futureoftrade.com
DUBAI, UAE, July 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --Global trade, which hit a record high of USD 28.5 trillion in 2021[1], is expected to grow steadily in 2022 and the coming years as a new era of multilateralism – underpinned by regionalisation, trade in services, innovation and sustainable trade – counters the impact of the slowing global economy, according to DMCC's latest Future of Trade 2022 report titled 'A New Era of Multilateralism'.
While trade growth may be somewhat slower in 2022 compared to 2021, overall, there is reason for optimism, notwithstanding well-flagged issues such as the fallout from the war in Ukraine and from the pandemic. Pent-up demand from the COVID-19 shock is already driving trade in goods; a rebound in trade in services is set to follow.
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC, said: "After a record year for trade in 2021, we expect global trade growth to remain resilient in 2022, albeit with some slowdown in pace. Beyond the immediate support from a rebound in pent-up demand from the COVID-19 shock, there are also more long-term changes underway that should support cross-border trade in the years ahead – these include increased regionalism, strength in services trade, innovation, and climate politics.
"There is a joint imperative for the future of trade and the building of more crisis-resilient economies – financing the shortfalls in infrastructure and in trade finance. Tackling both in a way that is environmentally sustainable will be crucial. So too will be closing the digital divide between countries and sectors to bring the benefits of global trade to all."
A new era of multilateralism
Geopolitics, as ever, will shape the trade landscape in the 2020s, building on new developments in regionalism, bilateral trade, and global investment flows. Nationalist – as opposed to protectionist – trade policies are likely to continue to dominate. A new multilateralism is likely to take hold. Old forms of multilateralism are likely to fade, while new forms, such as increased regionalism, will drive cross-border trade in new sectors, including predominantly in digitalisation and sustainability.
Bilateral, regional, and multiparty trade deals are increasing. In the UAE, the government is aiming to sign 27 bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements with key trading partners, including eight this year, as it looks to boost trade and foreign direct investment. Elsewhere, China and Taiwan's stated bids to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, in addition to the United Kingdom's ongoing accession process, offer opportunities for trade and bilateral investment.
Under the new trade paradigm, cross-border investment and trade will become increasingly market-seeking rather than efficiency-seeking. The intersection between trade liberalisation and digital transformation will continue to be a defining juncture, and the build-up of compatible and connective networks will be critical.
Developments in virtual assets, including central bank digital currencies, stand to reshape global finance, trade, and investment. Innovative technologies continue to drive productivity gains, sustainable development, and growth accelerations around the globe. Trade and technology will continue to seek synergies in 2022 and beyond.
Feryal Ahmadi, Chief Operating Officer, DMCC, said: "Robust global trade will help build resilience, sustainability, and economic growth in 2022 and beyond by providing countries with goods and services. Global value-chain restructuring will continue to be a source of trade normalisation and of reinvigorating recovery in global growth and cross-border trade, facilitating economic diversification and allowing countries to be less dependent on a limited number of importers, exporters, and sectors."
The Future of Trade 2022 report puts forward a number of key recommendations to business and government:
Policy recommendations for businesses:
- Increased information sharing through telecommunications (including through both traditional and new technologies). This would help anticipate, buffer, and manage unexpected shocks (including geopolitical tensions and natural disasters).
- Streamlining and digitalising trade facilitation processes. Faster and increasingly automated customs procedures and processes should be adopted to help offset the persistent increase in trade costs.
- Broaden and diversify inter-business credit. This would mitigate against risks. Firms and financial intermediaries should coordinate to tackle exposures within supply chains through enhanced inter-company credit.
- In coordination with the government, there should be an increased strategic emphasis on economic diversification to support resilience and sustainable initiatives against oil-price shocks and climate-related uncertainty in production.
Policy recommendations for governments:
- Continue to prioritise filling trade financing gaps, including through export credit agencies, the expansion of working capital programmes, and new facilities to support SME exporters.
- Trade promotion should be a key policy priority. Thinner trade relationships should be prioritised with a view to the fact that, as bilateral trade flows increase, the associated bilateral trade flows associated with the country pair tend to fall.
- Government-guaranteed bank loans should be used to purchase trade receivables and inject cash into supply chains. Additionally, these guaranteed loans could be securitised and financed by a central-bank facility.
- Increase logistics performance. Reduce trade costs through greater efficiency of customs and border clearance, improved quality of trade and transport infrastructure, and ease of arranging competitively priced shipments.
Three tectonic shifts
According to the research, the new era of multilateralism will be shaped by three tectonic shifts in the global economy.
Firstly, there will be a natural migration towards lifting barriers as countries become increasingly sensitive to the costs of protectionism, which many countries saw de facto when the pandemic froze global trade.
Secondly, inflation will continue to climb and central bank policy-tightening will become more pronounced to combat the rise in prices. This makes borrowing more expensive worldwide, lowering import demand and deteriorating export competitiveness.
Finally, global trade will be impacted by the climate crisis in terms of both the economic shocks and opportunities it will bring. While government intervention may be needed to limit potential economic losses, we should see increased demand growth for sustainable goods in both developed and developing economies, creating new opportunities for sustainable trade.
Report launch
During the launch event, which was held at Asia House in London, United Kingdom, global trade experts joined a panel discussion to share their views on the report. Speakers included Pascal Lamy, former Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO), and panelits from Standard Chartered Bank, Oliver Wyman, Hitachi and Pernod Ricard.
The Future of Trade is DMCC's biennial flagship research on the changing nature of global trade. It examines the impact of technology, global economic trends, and geopolitics on the future of trade, with a focus on trade growth, supply chains, trade finance, infrastructure, and sustainability. With updated scenarios for how trade will develop in the 2020s, the report is relevant for any reader involved in trade, trade policy, international investment, and the operation of businesses with global value chains.
To read the full report by DMCC, please visit: www.futureoftrade.com
[1] UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
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SOURCE DMCC | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/07/05/new-era-multilateralism-sustainable-trade-trade-services-drive-global-trade-dmccs-future-trade-report-finds/ | 2022-07-05 15:01:18 | 0 | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/07/05/new-era-multilateralism-sustainable-trade-trade-services-drive-global-trade-dmccs-future-trade-report-finds/ |
The devastation in Puerto Rico has so far sparked a quick response from Washington, but the federal government’s effectiveness is poised to be tested by the territory’s structural issues that remain fragile exactly five years after Hurricane Maria wrecked the island.
Hurricane Fiona again knocked out power island-wide and caused landslides, flooding, and destroyed infrastructure, sights that are all too familiar for Puerto Rico after Maria in 2017.
“It wasn’t as destructive because there wasn’t as much wind, but there was a lot of flooding,” said Puerto Rico Health Secretary Carlos Mellado.
“It affected a lot of places that flooded where typically there is no flooding.”
Fiona was a tropical storm when it hit the island, growing into a category one hurricane during its path over Puerto Rico. President Biden issued an emergency declaration hours before the storm was upgraded Sunday morning.
While the flooding, power and water outages and landslides present a very real danger to an already-traumatized population, Fiona pales in comparison to the sheer destruction of María, which struck with 200 mile-per-hour winds.
Still, Fiona dumped 25 to 27 inches of rain on the island, the equivalent of 1.1 million Olympic-sized swimming pools, compared to about 32 inches during María.
Biden activated emergency funds after Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi (D) declared a state of emergency. The White House has not yet said if the president will visit Puerto Rico, since he returned to the U.S. after a short trip to London for the queen’s funeral on Monday and then left for the United Nations in New York on Tuesday.
In a call with Pierluisi during his flight back from London, Biden and the governor discussed the immediate needs of Puerto Rico, including federal support to the island.
At the cabinet level, federal officials contacted their Puerto Rican counterparts, including Mellado, who coordinated with Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
Biden said there are over 300 federal personnel already working to assist and, in the coming days as damage assessments are conducted, the number of support personnel will increase “substantially.” Meanwhile, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell traveled to Puerto Rico on Tuesday.
The administration’s efforts so far are a stark contrast to that of former President Trump’s response to Maria, which was marked by a slow deployment of aid and disbursement of funds for reconstruction projects. A trip to the island by Trump was overtaken by images of him throwing rolls of paper towels at a group of people at a relief center.
At the time, Democrats blasted the Trump administration for what they saw as an inadequate response to helping a U.S. terrority.
“As many of you remember, Maria exposed the weaknesses of the infrastructure on the island, and the callousness. Remember the paper towels, the callousness of the federal response by the Trump administration,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) at an event observing the five-year anniversary of María in the Capitol Tuesday.
Still, in the first days after María hit, the Trump White House telegraphed an intention to quickly respond.
“I’m not going to defend Trump,” said Carlos Mercader, a political consultant who in 2017 was heading the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, the territory’s office in Washington.
“From the start, I had conversations with the president. I wasn’t even the governor and I talked to the president twice, and the governor talked to him about four times,” said Mercader.
But Mercader said Trump himself and his top officials – “[then-director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick] Mulvaney was a despot” – blocked relief and recovery funds with red tape, implementing accounting processes designed to slow disbursements to the island.
“Having said that, there was communication, there was help, what happened is nobody was ready for a hurricane like María,” said Mercader.
Still, Trump’s reluctance to release funds aggravated conditions on the ground, drawing condemnation, and the White House was further criticized after Trump celebrated the federal government’s reaction to Maria as an unsung success.
“I think in general, their message is that we’re more competent and this falls into that category and they will likely not follow the same playbook,” Ivan Zapien, a Democratic lobbyist and former executive director at the Hispanic Leadership Council of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), said of the Biden White House.
Biden’s response will be watched by voters, especially Hispanic voters, who are being aggressively courted by Republicans ahead of the midterms.
“I think it’s critically important that he respond effectively and aggressively just overall to show voters that his administration can get the job done. And I do think that many families and friends and particularly the state of Florida, where there’s big Puerto Rican communities, will be paying attention,” Zapien said.
In large part driven by the difficulties of reconstruction after María, hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans have moved to Florida, changing that state’s electoral landscape.
While many recent arrivals are reluctant to participate in elections – particularly midterms – a high diaspora turnout in Central Florida could shift the balance for statewide races.
The Biden administration’s disaster response started on the right foot, but Puerto Rico’s myriad structural issues could complicate the path forward.
Mellado said when he talked to the head of FEMA in Puerto Rico to ask for a power generator he “immediately” got one. He said most hospitals have working power generators, a massive upgrade from five years ago when some health centers were left without power for months.
But Puerto Rico’s health system is still underfunded, as the territory receives only a portion of the Medicare and Medicaid funds it would receive if it were funded on parity with the states.
While Mellado said there are funds coming to cover costs of treating certain diseases, including Zika, expected to spread in coming weeks, he’s concerned about longer term prospects.
“What I’m worried about is the long term access to Medicaid, which would help us because we’ve had many delays in identifying patients and giving them adequate treatment,” he added.
But perhaps Puerto Rico’s biggest structural deficiency is its power grid, a jury-rigged system with 1950s technology that completely collapsed after María and has not yet been fully rebuilt.
The power grid has been managed by a private entity since June 2021 and its stability is a contentious topic of debate on the island, where residents have pushed back against privatization.
The hurricane and island-wide blackout it caused raises more tensions over the U.S. territory’s infrastructure because it appears to be just as fragile in the five years since the last devastating hurricane.
Ismael Arciniegas Rueda, a senior economist at the policy research organization RAND, argued that not everything Puerto Rico wanted to do to strengthen the infrastructure could have been done in five years.
“Fixing the problem in Puerto Rico that we had takes time,” he said. “It takes a long time to move and change the design of the grid that Puerto Rico had that was kind of centralized, to a more decentralized system that might be more resilient to these kind of problems, hurricanes but also to earthquakes.”
But civil society in Puerto Rico is impatient after years of power grid mismanagement, and a privatization process that was closely linked to the island’s debt restructuring.
“Five years ago when Hurricane Maria hit, we were talking about how unprepared Puerto Rico was, how the electrical grid could not sustain a hit from a hurricane, and how the debt crisis of Puerto Rico was taking money away from the island’s recovery.” said Julio Lopez Varona, co-chief of campaigns at the Center for Popular Democracy.
“Puerto Ricans are in a place of distrust, sadness and frustration because we know there were conscious decisions made to pay the debt while they’re closing hospitals and schools. We know that there are millionaires coming here every year who don’t have to deal with these direct effects of climate change,” said Lopez Varona.
Meanwhile, the White House touted Biden’s focus on infrastructure throughout his administration to highlight the federal response to Hurricane Fiona.
And, it took a stab at Trump for his attempt to implement his own infrastructure policy.
“We’ve heard from the last administration—it was a joke about how we were going to improve our infrastructure. This is a president, along with Congress, that made it happen because of his leadership,” White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre said. | https://www.ksn.com/hill-politics/white-house-rushes-to-help-puerto-rico-during-fragile-recovery/ | 2022-09-21 01:34:00 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/hill-politics/white-house-rushes-to-help-puerto-rico-during-fragile-recovery/ |
Sloane Stephens 2023 Wimbledon Odds
Sloane Stephens, off a defeat in the round of 16 of French Open (to Aryna Sabalenka) in her most recent tournament, will start Wimbledon against Rebecca Peterson in the round of 128. Stephens' odds to win it all at AELTC Wimbledon Qualifying and Community Sports Ground are +20000.
Find all the latest odds for 2023 Wimbledon and place your bets with a new user bonus from BetMGM.
Stephens at 2023 Wimbledon
- Next Round: Round of 128
- Tournament Dates: June 25 - July 16
- Venue: AELTC Wimbledon Qualifying and Community Sports Ground
- Court Surface: Grass
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Stephens' Next Match
Stephens will meet Peterson in the round of 128 of Wimbledon on Monday, July 3 at 5:00 AM ET.
Sloane Stephens Grand Slam Odds
- Wimbeldon odds to win: +20000
- Wimbledon odds to win: +20000
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Stephens Stats
- In her last tournament, French Open, Stephens was eliminated in the Round of 16 by No. 2-ranked Sabalenka, 6-7, 4-6.
- In 18 tournaments over the past 12 months, Stephens is yet to win a title, and her record is 19-18.
- Stephens, over the past 12 months, has played 37 matches across all court surfaces, and 21.2 games per match.
- As far as serve/return winning percentages over the past year, Stephens has won 63.8% of her games on serve, and 37.8% on return.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/06/25/sloane-stephens-wimbledon-betting-odds/ | 2023-06-30 12:18:39 | 0 | https://www.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/06/25/sloane-stephens-wimbledon-betting-odds/ |
Howell Wayans, father of famous family, dies at 86
The patriarch of the famous Wayans family, Howell, has died at the age of 86.
Actor Marlon Wayans confirmed the news on Instagram Saturday. Although it wasn't clear when his father dad or the cause.
"Legend. When i was a child I asked my Dad what did you want to be when grew up? He simply said 'I wanted to be a man' I said 'not a lawyer? A doctor? An actor?' He said 'just a man.'"
RELATED: Foster care nonprofit opens film production studio
He continued, "Thank you Pop for being an example of a Man to all your boys. I pray all young black boys can grow up to be a Man like you. Baby boy loves you. And if ever i need you i know exactly where to find you… in my Bible that now sits by bed. Rest well. Kiss Ma for me. Tell her her babies miss her."
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 14: Actors Craig Wayans (L), Damien Dante Wayans (R) and Elvira Wayans and Howell Wayans attend the "Real Husbands Of Hollywood" & "Second Generation Wayans" screening at SVA Theatre on January 14, 2013 in New York City
Howell and his late wife raised the famous Wayans clan, including Marlon, Shawn, Damon, Kim and Keenen, all who have made a name for themselves in Hollywood. The siblings grew up in New York.
This story was reported from Los Angeles. | https://www.fox13news.com/news/howell-wayans-father-of-famous-family-dies-at-86 | 2023-04-03 13:28:39 | 1 | https://www.fox13news.com/news/howell-wayans-father-of-famous-family-dies-at-86 |
‘The floor disappeared under my feet’: Trapped tornado survivors waited hours for rescue, hoping ceiling wouldn’t collapse
By Jason Hanna and Caroll Alvarado, CNN
Randall McCloud saw trees fall and the porch get pulled apart as he watched from the entrance of his mother’s central Alabama house Thursday — and it was about to get much worse.
He dashed inside the kitchen and tried to reach his mother and his cousin in a hallway, but suddenly had nothing more to run on.
“The floor disappeared under my feet, and I went straight to the ground” beneath it, McCloud told CNN’s Amara Walker on Saturday, recalling the moment a tornado ripped his mother’s home apart.
The Marbury-area home in Autauga County, some 25 miles northwest of Montgomery, had just been clobbered by one of the twisters that raked the South on Thursday. Seven people were killed in that county alone and nine overall in that day’s storms, including two in Georgia.
McCloud was scraped but alive.
“Had to crawl back up into the end that was still standing … crawl back up into in the hallway,” he said.
He found his mother and cousin, both also OK. The hallway and a small part of the kitchen were intact, but they were otherwise trapped by debris with no immediate way out.
Worried about the ceiling collapsing, McCloud got his mother into a walker with a seat, and “pushed her up against the refrigerator,” he said.
“I figured if the roof collapsed, the refrigerator might take some of the force of the roof coming down some,” he said. “So we had a small area there in the kitchen (where) we were all kind of huddled together.”
“It was just (us) sitting there thinking any moment the rest of the roof and stuff was going to cave in on us.”
There was no quick way to get to them — the area was devastated.
At least 20 homes in Autauga County were either damaged or destroyed, Gary Weaver, the deputy director of the county’s emergency management agency, said. Wind intensity that caused the damage was rated EF-3, meaning gusts of at least 136 mph — the National Weather Service said.
Autuaga County’s Marbury area is about 45 miles northeast of Selma, an Alabama city, known for its role in the civil rights movement, that was devastated by an EF-2 tornado Thursday.
The same storm damaged both areas, but it wasn’t immediately clear if the path of damage was continuous, the National Weather Service said Friday.
In Autauga County, emergency workers and others cleared roads to get to the McCloud house. As people cut fallen trees, a neighbor used a skid steer loading vehicle to remove the pieces, McCloud said.
About three hours after the tornado hit, workers accessed the house and the family inside. McCloud’s mother was taken out on a gurney. “Once we got her out, we felt a lot better,” he said.
McCloud’s own home also was destroyed, as was another relative’s house, he said.
He and his mother are staying with his brother “until we can figure out a more permanent solution,” McCloud’s daughter Tiffany McCloud told CNN.
“It’s been something I really don’t want to experience again,” Randall McCloud said. “It was an ordeal.”
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CNN’s Paradise Afshar contributed to this report. | https://kion546.com/news/2023/01/14/the-floor-disappeared-under-my-feet-trapped-tornado-survivors-waited-hours-for-rescue-hoping-ceiling-wouldnt-collapse/ | 2023-01-14 19:43:40 | 0 | https://kion546.com/news/2023/01/14/the-floor-disappeared-under-my-feet-trapped-tornado-survivors-waited-hours-for-rescue-hoping-ceiling-wouldnt-collapse/ |
Giving to charity is a meaningful and rewarding way to build and strengthen community. Studies indicate that in addition to the benefit of knowing that their donations help support the important work of charitable institutions and programs, donors feel better about themselves when they are able to help others through charitable donations.
Our community is fortunate to have a wide range of nonprofit institutions that serve our community in a variety of meaningful ways, including as a local safety net for our most vulnerable. Our local charities provide social, cultural, educational and religious support for members of our community and are able to provide neighborhoods and families with lifesaving support and assistance in situations where government benefits may not be available or are difficult to access. In addition, many of our local institutions have links to national and international organizations that are poised to respond to a wide range of needs and crises that develop all over the world.
The more we can incentivize charitable giving, the better our world will be. It is for that reason that we were pleased to learn last week of the bipartisan Charitable Act introduced by 11 U.S. senators. The legislation seeks to expand tax deductions for charitable giving by individuals, with the goal of encouraging higher levels of giving to charitable organizations, houses of worship and religious institutions.
Under the act, taxpayers who do not itemize their deductions will be permitted to claim up to an additional one-third of the standard deduction for non-itemizers for their charitable donations. For 2023, that would translate to an increase in the deduction from the current $300 for individual filers and $600 for married filers to a deduction of up to $4,500 for an individual filer and $9,000 for married couples filing jointly. (A similar provision was part of the CARES Act — a COVID-19 response bill passed in 2020, which has since lapsed.)
The bill is supported by a wide range of nonprofits from all sectors of the charitable world, including Jewish Federations of North America. As explained by Elana Broitman, JFNA’s senior vice president for public affairs, “When disaster strikes, when tragedy hits, when crises befall us, everyday Americans want to step up and lend a hand, often by supporting the nonprofit sector’s vital work.” The Charitable Act will add a meaningful benefit for taxpayers to do just that. They can help nonprofits do what they do best, and get a tax benefit for their generosity.
The Charitable Act is a win-win proposition. We encourage prompt passage of the bill. | https://www.jewishexponent.com/2023/03/08/expanding-incentives-for-charitable-giving/ | 2023-03-09 00:20:15 | 0 | https://www.jewishexponent.com/2023/03/08/expanding-incentives-for-charitable-giving/ |
New Real-Time Earth Space Relay Service Will Provide Resilient, Flexible and Scalable Communications Links for Optimized Data Transfer of LEO Space Missions
CARLSBAD, Calif., April 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Viasat Inc., (NASDAQ: VSAT) a global communications company, today announced it was selected on April 20th by NASA to support its Communications Services Project (CSP), which seeks to accelerate the development of near-Earth communications by partnering with commercial satellite communications (SATCOM) providers. Aligned to the CSP objectives, Viasat is developing a space relay capability that will leverage its upcoming ViaSat-3 global satellite constellation, with a newly developed terminal that will enable on-demand and cost-effective communications services for LEO spacecraft anywhere and at any time in their global orbit.
Many satellites operating in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) routinely collect data, such as Earth and weather observations, radar measurements, space situational awareness, and other scientific data, that must be sent back to Earth in real-time. In choosing how to transport this data back to Earth for analysis and distribution, satellite operators often must consider a tradeoff between data latency, the time between data collection to when it is received back on Earth, and cost.
Viasat's existing RTE service has already reduced the cost to satellite operators by not requiring them to build and operate a costly, global network of ground station antennas to receive data from the LEO satellite; however, operators must wait until their satellites fly over a ground station to downlink their data. This introduces latency that can last from minutes to hours. Viasat's space relay service will give LEO operators the ability to send data—in real-time, from any point in LEO orbit—leveraging the upcoming ViaSat-3 geostationary orbit (GEO) network, which will include three Terabit-class high-throughput satellites.
Viasat's integrated space relay network will offer the best of both worlds by providing adaptable transport selection between the RTE ground network and ViaSat-3. This is expected to greatly reduce data latency by providing an affordable option for time-critical, latency-sensitive data transfer, while simultaneously offering multiple daily opportunities to downlink large amounts of data over a global ground network at very low cost. The Viasat RTE network currently operates on five continents, with sites in North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Africa.
"Under NASA's CSP program, Viasat will accelerate the deployment of its space relay services to support commercial and government NGSO operators, whether their space vehicles' mission is performing atmospheric analysis or rapidly moving data to support warfighters at the tactical edge," said Craig Miller, president of Viasat Government Systems. "The Viasat space relay service will deliver performance and scale beyond legacy data relay capabilities by transforming the way data is moved to and from space vehicles, offering persistent coverage to large numbers of LEO users simultaneously, with real-time access virtually anywhere, including the polar regions. The service will provide operators with the unique flexibility to switch between space relay and RTE direct-to-Earth depending on what the mission requires."
Viasat is currently developing a space-qualified Ka-band terminal to give LEO operators access to the ViaSat-3 network for data transfer. Additional information on this terminal is available to operators seeking to evaluate integration on their space vehicles.
For more information about Viasat's integrated space relay capability, please visit the Viasat website.
About Viasat
Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate. Today, the Company is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, secure, affordable, fast connections to impact people's lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air or at sea. To learn more about Viasat, visit: www.viasat.com, go to Viasat's Corporate Blog, or follow the Company on social media at: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube.
Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include statements about the features, expected benefits and performance of Viasat's multi-orbit satellite relay capability and service; the expected capacity and other features of the ViaSat-3 satellite constellation; and the timing of the Ka-band terminal to enable LEO operators access to the ViaSat-3 network for data transfer. Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include: risks associated with the construction, launch and operation of satellites, including the effect of any anomaly, operational failure or degradation in satellite performance; contractual problems, product defects, manufacturing issues or delays, regulatory issues, and technologies that do not perform according to expectations. In addition, please refer to the risk factors contained in Viasat's SEC filings available at www.sec.gov, including Viasat's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. Viasat undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.
Copyright © 2022 Viasat, Inc. All rights reserved. Viasat, the Viasat logo and the Viasat signal are registered trademarks of Viasat, Inc. All other product or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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SOURCE Viasat, Inc. | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/25/viasat-selected-deliver-real-time-near-earth-communications-nasas-communications-services-project/ | 2022-04-25 12:47:26 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/25/viasat-selected-deliver-real-time-near-earth-communications-nasas-communications-services-project/ |
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday authorized state forces to apprehend and transport migrants to the U.S.-Mexico border, claiming the enforcement powers of federal agents and pushing the legal boundaries of the Republican's escalating efforts to curb the rising number of crossings.
The federal government is responsible for enforcement of immigration laws, but for more than a year Texas has patrolled the border with an increasingly heavier hand.
Abbott stopped short of authorizing Texas troopers and National Guard members — who he has already deployed to the border by the thousands — to take migrants across the ports of entry and into Mexico. That disappointed former Trump administration officials who for months have pressured Abbott to declare an “invasion” and order state forces to forcibly take migrants out of the country.
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But the action is still a significant and untested expansion of the normal powers of the National Guard and state police, who until now have turned migrants over to Border Patrol agents, and in some cases, made arrests on state trespassing charges. It raises questions over the training they have to detain and transport migrants and is likely to invite legal challenges.
Crossings are at or near the highest in about two decades. On the Texas border, U.S. authorities stopped migrants from crossing illegally 523,000 times between January and May, up from 417,000 over the same span a year ago.
Abbott has blamed the Biden administration and spent more than $3 billion in state funds on a massive border security apparatus. But the state operation has not stemmed the flow of migrants.
"As the challenges on the border continue to increase, Texas will continue to take action to address those challenges caused by the Biden Administration.” Abbott said.
Officials with U.S. Custom and Border Protection did not immediately return request for comment.
The announcement comes two days after former Trump administration officials and sheriffs in several South Texas called on Abbott to declare that that the state is being invaded and use extraordinary powers normally reserved for war. Their plan involves a novel interpretation of the U.S. Constitution to have the National Guard or state police forcibly send migrants to Mexico, without regard to immigration laws and law enforcement procedures.
The idea has existed on the right fringes of the GOP for years but has gained traction among conservatives since Biden took office.
The Center for Renewing America, a conservative policy think tank led by former Trump administration officials, has been driving the effort and criticized Abbott's order since it does not call for expelling migrants.
“That is critical. Otherwise this is still catch and release,” the group said in a statement.
U.S. border authorities are stopping migrants more often on the southern border than at any time in at least two decades. Migrants were stopped nearly 240,000 times in May, up by one-third from a year ago.
Comparisons to pre-pandemic levels are complicated because migrants expelled under a public health authority known as Title 42 face no legal consequences, encouraging repeat attempts. Authorities say 25% of encounters in May were with people who had been stopped at least once in the previous year. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/national/texas-governor-authorizes-state-to-return-migrants-to-border/article_67e016e1-1faa-51c0-be5d-fb57ff2e486c.html | 2022-07-07 21:32:53 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/national/texas-governor-authorizes-state-to-return-migrants-to-border/article_67e016e1-1faa-51c0-be5d-fb57ff2e486c.html |
The University of New Mexico Art Museum is presenting “Art for the Future: Artists Call and Central American Solidarities,” an informative exhibition exploring the 1980s activist campaign Artists Call Against U.S. Intervention in Central America, through Dec. 3.
The Artists Call’s campaign was founded in New York City in 1984 to protest U.S. military interventions in Central America and educate the U.S. public.
The exhibition was curated by Erina Duganne, a professor of art history at Texas State University, and Abigail Satinsky, curator and head of public engagement, Tufts University Art Galleries The plans for this exhibition date back to last decade.
“I’ve been working on Artists Call since 2014 but Abby, my co-curator, around 2017 reached out to me about including artists in an exhibition she was working on,” Duganne said. “I told her about these boxes that I found, I asked her, ‘Would you want to co-curate an exhibition with me?’ ”
What initially sparked Duganne’s interest was the photography of Susan Meiselas.
“Her work was shown and is reproduced in magazines and newspapers, but her work also gets shown in art spaces,” Duganne said. “I thought that I was interested in this activist campaign, but there wasn’t a lot of material about it.”
After that, Duganne started researching Artists Call.
“An archivist said, ‘Oh, you are interested in Artists Call? There’s 12 boxes of archival material in the back that had never been entered into the database,’ ” Duganne said. “So when I found those 12 boxes I knew this was big, and I needed to do some big things with it.”
Then Satinsky and Duganne went to work.
“We had to try to locate these works. So it was a lot of emailing and some of the works were destroyed, some were lost,” Duganne. “For instance, this Gregory Sholette on the wall right behind you was recreated for this exhibition as the original work was destroyed.”
“I felt like I was actively trying to find things that were made in 1983 or 1984. And where are they now?”
While finding the information, the curators did face a few setbacks.
“There were 31 venues for Artists Call in New York, but there were no checkbooks. So I saw they had the names of which institutions but there is no list of artworks,” Duganne said. “So basically, what Abby and I did together was look at installation shots and we found works that were in Artists Call, because one of the things that we wanted to do was include work that was actually in Artists Call.
The exhibit was intended to premier earlier but was pushed back due to COVID-19.
“It was delayed a year by COVID-19 so it was opened this past January, but it was supposed to open a year previous to that,” Duganne said. “We also put together the catalog. We did a lot of grant writing to get additional funds to help support the exhibition.”
Artist and activist Sabra Moore, who created Reconstruction Codex (1984) was in attendance for the opening at the UNM Art Museum.
Moore’s work was found in “The Reconstruction Project,” a large-scale women’s collaborative exhibition that was featured at the Artists Space in New York City as part of Artists Call.
“I come from East Texas and my art relates to my grandmothers,” Moore said. “Both grandmothers made quilts, but we did not think of it as art at that time.”
After graduating high school, Moore moved south and attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s in the liberal arts honors program Plan II.
Moore knew a few people in New York and decided to leave Texas for the big city in 1966.
“I was wanting to be an artist by then, and I tried making a painting on canvas and it just did not work for me,” Moore said. “Then I realized I should make work with her forms and my materials so it was the use of repeated patterns and sewing and using materials.”
For Moore finding your style is important.
“So I still work that way and you wouldn’t necessarily know it when you see my pieces that it comes up with but it still does,” Moore said. “So I think everybody has to find their authentic language as an artist.”
_WebHeadline”>UNM Art Museum exhibit looks at pieces inspired by activism
_WebHeadline”>EXCERPT: The University of New Mexico Art Museum is presenting “Art for the Future: Artists Call and Central American Solidarities,” an informative exhibition to date exploring the 1980s activist campaign Artists Call Against U.S. Intervention in Central America, through Dec. 3. | https://www.abqjournal.com/2532798/unm-art-museum-exhibit-looks-at-pieces-inspired-by-activism.html | 2022-09-16 22:21:31 | 1 | https://www.abqjournal.com/2532798/unm-art-museum-exhibit-looks-at-pieces-inspired-by-activism.html |
Bills pending on Beacon Hill seeking to bolster services for women veterans will go before a legislative committee Tuesday.
A report last year by the Massachusetts' auditor's office said the state veteran's services office had only identified 6% of the 25,000 women veterans living in the commonwealth.
State Sen. John Velis, D- Westfield, chairs the legislature's joint committee on veterans and federal affairs. He said finding women veterans and making them aware of available services is a big part of his bill.
“And really, a lot of it is just kind of meeting women veterans where they are and getting them to raise their hand and say 'yes, I served, I'm a veteran,” Velis said. “We need to do it."
The legislation also calls for a look at how to improve benefits and services for women veterans and to create online resources.
A similar bill has also been filed by State Rep. Shirley Arriaga, D- Chicopee. In an e-mail, Arriaga said more needs to be done for veterans, but “the focus on women veterans needs to be seen and needs to be aggressive.”
“Simply put our commonwealth needs to do more and needs to push an aggressive outreach campaign to help contact and engage with our female veterans,” she continued.
Both Arriaga and Velis are veterans.
All told, nearly three dozen bills having to do with veterans will go before the committee. Another piece of legislation filed by Velis would require the state’s veterans’ homes to have full-time infection control and emergency preparedness specialists on staff. This comes in the wake of the deadly 2020 COVID-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home where at least 76 veterans died.
How the crisis was handled has been strongly criticized in reports on the incident and resulted in criminal neglect charges filed against the former superintendent and medical director at the facility. | https://www.ctpublic.org/2023-06-12/massachusetts-bills-focusing-on-women-veterans-go-before-legislative-committee | 2023-06-12 22:34:55 | 0 | https://www.ctpublic.org/2023-06-12/massachusetts-bills-focusing-on-women-veterans-go-before-legislative-committee |
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