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BOSTON — In Kenley Jansen, the Red Sox added one of the most decorated closers in baseball. They also added one of the game’s slowest workers, which is notable considering MLB’s impending introduction of the pitch clock in 2023.
According to FiveThirtyEight, Jansen (who spent 2022 with the Braves) took an average of 25.2 seconds per pitch with runners on base last season, which was well above the league average of 17.5 seconds. That’s more than five seconds longer than the rules will allow in 2023, as pitchers will be limited to 15 seconds between receiving the ball from the catcher and the start of their delivery with the bases empty, and 20 seconds with runners on base (or be charged with an automatic ball). Every big league pitcher will have to adjust in some fashion next season. Jansen’s adjustment might be a significant one.
“There is no higher pressure role, arguably, in this game, than what he has done for a living, for basically his whole career,” Bloom said. “There will be an adjustment. I expect we’ll see a pretty tough adjustment period for a lot of guys across the league. A lot of guys who have mindsets who are not as pressure-honed as his might struggle with it more. And then I think everybody’s going to find their way.”
Jansen, like many other pitchers in baseball, has come out against the pitch clock. In a February 2018 interview with the Los Angeles Times, he called MLB’s pace-of-play initiatives “ridiculous.” On Tuesday, knowing he has no choice but to abide by the new rules next season, the 35-year-old struck a different tone. He thought back to the minors when, after first converting from catching to pitching, he focused on working quickly with then-pitching coach (and famed knuckleballer) Charlie Hough.
Jansen’s deliberate approach on the mound isn’t something he was consciously aware of before recently.
“I don’t have a problem with it ...,” Jansen said. “It’s going to be tough on the hitters, too. I remember last year when I found out I’m the slowest and I started to speed up myself a little bit. I’m telling you, I was on the rubber waiting for the hitter for so long. I think it’s both sides. Both sides have to adjust. You can’t let stuff like that bother you. I’m excited for it. We’re going to learn about it and it’s going to be fine.”
Theoretically, the adjustment for Jansen, who is primarily a one-pitch pitcher, might be easier than for a pitcher who has a full arsenal to choose from. Jansen used his dominant pitch — his cutter — 64.4% of the time in 2022 while mixing in a sinker (22.5%) and slider (13.1%) more than he had throughout his career. Knowing what he’s going to throw most of the time might help Jansen get rid of the ball more quickly.
“If you, in past years, had guessed anything except for the cut fastball, you’re probably going to be wrong,” Bloom said. “With that said, he has shown an ability to make some adjustments here and there when it has been necessary.
“I’m sure it will be an adjustment,” Bloom said. “There’s obviously an unknown that introduces. I think you saw, in the way he was talking about it, that he thinks through things.”
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2022-12-16T03:35:58Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Red Sox’s Kenley Jansen one of MLB’s slowest workers but not worried about pitch clock | Red Sox | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/red_sox/red-sox-s-kenley-jansen-one-of-mlb-s-slowest-workers-but-not-worried-about/article_46cb1ebd-0e87-54ff-bdbe-7ee2c2b46f2c.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/red_sox/red-sox-s-kenley-jansen-one-of-mlb-s-slowest-workers-but-not-worried-about/article_46cb1ebd-0e87-54ff-bdbe-7ee2c2b46f2c.html
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It worked. “It made them happy,” says Lyubomirsky. You don’t need to be super outgoing, she says, “Just a little bit more social than you otherwise are — call up an old friend, for example.”
A current trend at Starbucks is “pay it forward.” A customer tells the cashier they will pay for the person behind them. That surprised customer then often decides to pay for the next person. It starts a chain. That small act “makes you feel like the world is a good place,” says Lyubomirsky.
“Not shocking,” says Lyubomirsky. “The key to happiness is connecting with others.” But solitary activities are on the researchers’ list too, like gardening and walks in nature.
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2022-12-16T05:15:30Z
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www.unionleader.com
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John Stossel: The science of happiness | Columnists | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/columnists/john-stossel-the-science-of-happiness/article_3308b752-db6f-5694-9d41-5858fd18f6fa.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/columnists/john-stossel-the-science-of-happiness/article_3308b752-db6f-5694-9d41-5858fd18f6fa.html
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How do greedy states get away with this?
To the Editor: I use to have Christmas and birthday presents sent to my sister in Georgia. Most of these presents are purchased through Amazon. She’d wrap and distribute gifts to my nieces and nephews and her grand kids. The past two years I’ve had the gifts sent to me and I’ve sent them to my sister. I’ve saved a little over $400 this way. I’ve saved because it’s cheaper for me to send them rather than pay the Georgia sales tax.
I don’t live in Georgia, I did not buy in Georgia and I still have to pay their sales tax. Will someone explain to me how greedy states can get away with this grab?
JOE HUBISZ
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2022-12-16T05:15:59Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Letter: How do greedy states can get away with this? | Letters to the Editor | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/letter-how-do-greedy-states-can-get-away-with-this/article_6ec22af8-3a83-5b06-b261-956d67f4afbc.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/letter-how-do-greedy-states-can-get-away-with-this/article_6ec22af8-3a83-5b06-b261-956d67f4afbc.html
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Gail Huff Brown
THE 2022 election cycle has come to a close with a new House Republican majority, some resounding losses, and a lot of questions. Pundits, talking heads, and Monday morning quarterbacks are still working to understand what happened on Nov. 8. What many hoped would be a Red Wave was underwhelming. It is critical that we understand what happened, but more importantly we must understand where we are going as a party, our objectives, and why we run for office at a fundamental level.
Running for office, and entering the ever-devolving arena of politics is, at its core, about serving the public and improving the lives of people we have never met. It is a noble goal that has been muddied by a focus on hyper-partisan talking points and a belief that our politicians must stand on the extreme edges of partisanship and not on the common ground many of us share.
This spirit of service is evident in New Hampshire. Our volunteer legislature comprises state representatives and senators who make only $200 per biennium and serve not for financial benefit but to effect change for Granite Staters. For our legislature, it’s about the people, not the money. This is what it’s all about.
Our path forward must be about the people we serve.
During my campaign for Congress, I worked to put people over politics and to talk about issues and solutions, not rhetoric and talking points. I dove into the hard and unpopular issues, and I strayed from the party line — not because it was self-serving, after all I was unsuccessful in the primary, but instead because it is what the voters of New Hampshire deserve. Our neighbors are facing serious issues and they deserve leadership.
As the U.S. House gavels in under Republican leadership, it is important they hold true to the promises made during the campaign cycle, especially holding the Biden administration accountable. Leadership begins with trust, and trust is built by honoring the promises given and commitments made on the campaign trail.
Republicans must lead. We cannot sit idle or rest on our talking points. To move forward, we must provide tangible conservative solutions to the problems we face.
With crippling inflation, heating costs that will force our most vulnerable to make tough decisions about heating or putting food on the table, and a drug epidemic that is killing people in every community across the country, there is much to be done.
Our objective is clear: work on behalf of the people, not the special interests, talking heads or Twitter users who live online.
Finding and implementing solutions is no easy task. But it is the task all of us must engage in. From the elected officials who create policies to the families who are worried about paying bills, we all have ideas for our shared problems. As the GOP charts a path forward, we must break from the beltway pundits and engage with voters.
Providing solutions delivers results. Across the country we saw conservatives re-elected by running on positive, results-driven agendas. Here in New Hampshire, Governor Chris Sununu has put the best interests of the state first while working to keep tax levels low and our level of freedom high. In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis delivered a “red wave” by running on a concrete record of results. He set out an agenda and he executed it. Voters reward results. These two Republican governors understand one simple truth: it is about the people, always.
As we look ahead to 2024, our state parties and the national committee must recognize that not only do quality candidates matter, but the quality of the candidate’s message matters too. There is no one-size-fits-all message or candidate that can work in every state or district.
We must build on our fundamental belief in small government, low taxes, and freedom. It would be advantageous for our party, in all corners of our country, to embrace the Granite State’s “Live Free or Die” mentality.
We must work on behalf of the American people. We must find solutions standing on common ground instead of on talking points and we must demand leadership at all levels. It’s time for a conservative path forward focused on solutions, leadership, and the American people.
Gail Huff Brown lives in Rye.
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2022-12-16T05:16:00Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Gail Huff Brown: Time for a conservative path forward | Op-eds | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/op-eds/gail-huff-brown-time-for-a-conservative-path-forward/article_ff830d3c-228d-58b4-9048-2e876b0d5c6e.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/op-eds/gail-huff-brown-time-for-a-conservative-path-forward/article_ff830d3c-228d-58b4-9048-2e876b0d5c6e.html
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Twitter suspended the accounts of more than half a dozen journalists from CNN, the New York Times, The Washington Post and other outlets Thursday evening, as company owner Elon Musk accused the reporters of posting "basically assassination coordinates" for him and his family.
The Post has seen no evidence that any of the reporters did so.
Many of the journalists suspended Thursday, including Washington Post technology reporter Drew Harwell, had been covering that rule change, as well as Musk's claims that he and his family had been endangered by location sharing.
Twitter did not respond to questions about the suspensions. Musk suggested, without evidence, that the journalists had revealed private information about his family, also known as doxxing. "Criticizing me all day long is totally fine, but doxxing my real-time location and endangering my family is not," he tweeted at 9:20 p.m. Thursday.
Harwell had recently asked Musk for comment on a story about the rise of conspiracy theories on Twitter. He discovered he was unable to log into his account or tweet around 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
At least eight other journalists were suspended the same evening. One of them, New York Times technology reporter Ryan Mac, had published an article one day earlier about the suspension of the ElonJet account, which used public data to track the location of Musk's private plane.
CNN reporter Donie O'Sullivan was suspended shortly after posting a tweet about Musk's claim that a "crazy stalker" had chased his young son in Los Angeles, according to screenshots.
Independent journalist Tony Webster's account was also suspended as of Thursday evening. So were the accounts of former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, Intercept reporter Micah Lee and Voice of America's chief national correspondent Steve Herman, and Aaron Rupar, a Substack writer with nearly 800,000 followers on Twitter.
"It's impossible to square Twitter's free speech aspirations with the purging of critical journalists' accounts," American Civil Liberties Union executive director Anthony D. Romero said in a statement. "The First Amendment protects Musk's right to do this, but it's a terrible decision. Their accounts should be restored immediately."
Musk tweeted late Thursday that the suspensions would last a week, although several of the reporters had been informed by Twitter they were banned permanently. Musk also suggested without evidence that the journalists had revealed private information about his family.
"Same doxxing rules apply to 'journalists' as to everyone else," he wrote in another tweet. "They posted my exact real-time location, basically assassination coordinates."
On Wednesday, an account that used publicly available information to display the locations of Musk's private jet, known as @elonjet, was permanently suspended despite a tweet from Musk weeks earlier, saying he would keep it up as part of "my commitment to free speech."
The same day, a new Twitter policy outlawed the sharing of "live location information, including information shared on Twitter directly or links to [. . .] travel routes, actual physical location, or other identifying information that would reveal a person's location, regardless if this information is publicly available."
Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass) wrote on Twitter Thursday night that her staff had met that same day with Twitter officials. "They told us that they're not going to retaliate against independent journalists or researchers who publish criticisms of the platform. Less than 12 hours later, multiple technology reporters have been suspended."
In a company statement, CNN called the suspension of O'Sullivan and other reporters "impulsive and unjustified" and that it asked Twitter for an explanation. "We will reevaluate our relationship based on that response."
The Washington Post's Faiz Siddiqui and Joseph Menn contributed to this report.
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2022-12-16T14:02:11Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Musk suspends journalists from Twitter, claims 'assassination' danger | Business | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/musk-suspends-journalists-from-twitter-claims-assassination-danger/article_0485c4b7-7844-5ec7-b122-a0359908f613.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/musk-suspends-journalists-from-twitter-claims-assassination-danger/article_0485c4b7-7844-5ec7-b122-a0359908f613.html
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U.S. judge halts Biden attempt to end 'Remain in Mexico' policy
A federal judge in Texas has put a halt to the Biden administration's attempt to end the Trump-era "Remain in Mexico " program, which requires some non-Mexican asylum seekers to be sent back to that country to await immigration proceedings.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk on Thursday issued a stay on the administration's effort to terminate that policy while Texas and Missouri's attempts to force the federal government to continue the program are considered in court.
President Joe Biden had campaigned on putting an end to the policy. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court said that Biden had the right to end the program, but the case was sent down to Kacsmaryk's court to determine whether the October 2021 memo that outlined how the policy would be dismantled complied with administrative laws.
The Amarillo, Texas, judge wrote Thursday that the 2021 memo did not consider the policy's "deterrent effect on illegal border crossings and the reduction of unmeritorious asylum claims," and said it prioritized dangers in Mexico over dangers of crossing the border "in the first instance."
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) celebrated the stay on Thursday evening. "The Admin played games all the way to SCOTUS, but tonight Texas & USA WINS," he wrote on Twitter. "Biden's open-border agenda won't survive my legal attacks."
The Washington Post's Maria Sacchetti contributed to this report.
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2022-12-16T14:02:17Z
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www.unionleader.com
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U.S. judge halts Biden attempt to end 'Remain in Mexico' policy | Courts | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/u-s-judge-halts-biden-attempt-to-end-remain-in-mexico-policy/article_2b0f1017-24bf-5492-a47d-c608d44abf68.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/u-s-judge-halts-biden-attempt-to-end-remain-in-mexico-policy/article_2b0f1017-24bf-5492-a47d-c608d44abf68.html
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The sentence was handed down on Tuesday to Caio Costa, 26, by U.S. District Court Judge Leo Sorokin, after Costa pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery and using and carrying a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence for robbing the Salem Five Bank on Main Street in Tewksbury on Sept. 25, 2020, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins's office.
Following Costa's sentencing, Tewksbury Police Chief Ryan Columbus, whose department assisted in the investigation with several local, state and federal partners, described Costa's capture as "tremendous policework."
"This was a very dangerous person that we were able to bring into custody with assistance from the Boston FBI Office (Violent Crimes Task Force), the Massachusetts State Police and the Lawrence Police," Columbus said in an email to The Sun. "We are grateful for the continued partnerships and the effort by all involved to ensure this individual was held accountable."
An affidavit filed in federal court by a member of the FBI's Bank Robbery Task Force states Costa, armed with a .22-caliber revolver, entered the bank, clad in a black motorcycle helmet that hid his face.
Using the VIN number on the wrecked 2020 Honda CBR600, police and FBI agents learned the motorcycle had been stolen. According to the affidavit, a follow-up investigation with the motorcycle's owner determined it was Costa who had used the bike.
The day after the robbery, Costa was tracked down by authorities at a motel in Salem, N.H. At the time, the affidavit states Costa denied being involved in the robbery. After obtaining a search warrant for Costa's pickup truck, the affidavit states investigators found large sums of U.S. currency.
On Sept. 28, 2020 — three days after the Tewksbury robbery — Costa admitted to the crime, as well as other armed bank robberies that took place between August and September that year. The affidavit states the other banks included Eastern Bank, 265 Chelmsford St., Chelmsford, on Aug. 28, 2020; People's United Bank, 10 George St., Lowell, on Sept. 18, 2020; and the Reading Co-Op, 230 Lowell St., Wilmington, also on Sept. 18, 2020.
Costa's sentence also includes five years of supervised release after his prison time.
Rollins's office said the announcement of Costa's sentencing was made by Columbus; Joseph Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division; Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan; Lowell Police Acting Superintendent Barry Golner; Wilmington Police Chief Joseph Desmond; and Chelmsford Police Chief James Spinney.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Shine of Rollins's Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
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2022-12-16T14:02:23Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Motorcycle-riding bank robber sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison | Crime | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/motorcycle-riding-bank-robber-sentenced-to-7-1-2-years-in-prison/article_93857448-57e8-59e6-9e92-115970603f79.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/motorcycle-riding-bank-robber-sentenced-to-7-1-2-years-in-prison/article_93857448-57e8-59e6-9e92-115970603f79.html
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By Alex Horton The Washington Post
A U.S. pilot ejected from a fighter jet after a bizarre slow-moving crash in Texas on Thursday, video shows.
The aircraft, an F-35B, descended toward the ground from a hover at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth. The landing gear touched the ground, then bounced back into the air before the aircraft crashed nose-first and entered a spin, which appeared driven by the system that provides its vertical thrust.
The pilot then ejected into the air for a seven-second descent to earth.
It is unclear whether the pilot was injured in the crash. Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said the jet is owned by Lockheed Martin but flown by a "U.S. government pilot," without specifying whether they were military or civilian personnel.
Lockheed Martin said in a statement that the company is aware of the crash and that the pilot "ejected successfully" but did not say whether the pilot was injured. It referred questions about the pilot's condition to the Defense Department's Contract Management Agency.
It is also unclear how the crash occurred. Other videos of similar aircraft show small bounces that occur once their landing gear hits the ground, though those are absorbed by shock struts. In the incident Thursday, the aircraft bounced as if it were landing on the moon.
The F-35B is the Marine Corps variant of the advanced fighter jet capable of short takeoff and vertical landing. That capability helps aircraft fly in and out of places where space is limited, such as assault ships.
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2022-12-16T14:02:30Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Fighter pilot ejects in bizarre runway crash, video shows | Military | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/military/fighter-pilot-ejects-in-bizarre-runway-crash-video-shows/article_9f19f826-9325-5f07-938b-421627f1238c.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/military/fighter-pilot-ejects-in-bizarre-runway-crash-video-shows/article_9f19f826-9325-5f07-938b-421627f1238c.html
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By Erin Cunningham and Victoria Bisset The Washington Post
A wave of explosions and missile strikes was reported across Ukraine early Friday - from the capital, Kyiv, to Kharkiv and Sumy in the northeast and Poltava in central Ukraine.
Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, urged residents to remain in shelters after blasts in three districts of the city, while Sumy's regional governor described a temporary power outage due to a "massive missile attack." A regional official reported three attacks on "critical infrastructure" in Kharkiv, which left the regional capital without electricity.
Kryvyi Rih is an industrial city of nearly 700,000 in Ukraine's heartland and is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown.
Explosions were reported in three districts in the capital Kyiv. Klitschko warned that the city's water supply had been affected.
Several car crashes have been reported in Dnipro, probably the result of the streetlights being off, The Washington Post's Jeff Stein reported. Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov has also warned residents to stock up on water, in case the supply is shut off.
Friday's barrage of strikes on Ukraine come after the U.S. and the European Union announced additional measures to support Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the European Union on Thursday approved 18 billion euros ($19.1 billion) in financing for Ukraine next year and agreed on a ninth package of sanctions targeting Russia. The package is expected to be formally confirmed Friday.
U.S. officials also said this week that the Pentagon was preparing to provide Ukraine with a Patriot missile system, the U.S. military's most sophisticated air defense weapon. The Kremlin warned that if the United States were to send Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, they would be legitimate targets for Russia's military. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Thursday that Washington "has nearly become a party to the conflict."
The Washington Post's Dan Lamothe and David L. Stern contributed to this report.
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2022-12-16T14:02:36Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Massive' missile attacks reported across Ukraine, residential building hit | Military | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/military/massive-missile-attacks-reported-across-ukraine-residential-building-hit/article_adb8bbce-baa2-524b-8e35-04bf83754331.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/military/massive-missile-attacks-reported-across-ukraine-residential-building-hit/article_adb8bbce-baa2-524b-8e35-04bf83754331.html
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Donald Trump announces his new bid for president last month at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla.
Thomas Simonetti/Washington Post
Former president Donald Trump is back to leading Republicans in cries of election "fraud," but what he is referring to has almost entirely changed.
When Trump suggested in an online post earlier this month that the Constitution could be terminated to redo the 2020 election or declare him the winner, the "UNPRECEDENTED FRAUD" that he said required this "UNPRECEDENTED CURE" was no longer a conspiracy involving counterfeit mail ballots or sabotaged voting machines. Those claims have been thoroughly debunked in audits, litigation and outside reviews.
Instead, Trump was now advancing a new theory of how the election was "stolen" from him: a supposed scheme among social media companies, the FBI and the Democrats to suppress information that might have helped Trump's campaign. The claim is fueled in part by new Twitter owner Elon Musk's decision to release internal documents about the platform's brief suppression of a 2020 news story about then-candidate Joe Biden's son amid concerns it might be the result of disinformation efforts.
"The biggest thing to come out of the Twitter Targeting Hoax is that the Presidential Election was RIGGED - And that's as big as it can get!!!" Trump said in another post on his Truth Social platform on Dec. 9.
This new spin has quickly won the backing of many Republicans and right-wing media sources. Those reinforcements come at a critical time for Trump, as he attempts a political comeback amid increasing isolation from other party leaders. Several recent surveys show Trump trailing Florida's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, in early presidential primary polling.
Many Republicans have faulted Trump for dragging down the party's midterm election results with his focus on election denial, and his 2024 campaign announcement speech on Nov. 15 conspicuously lacked his usual false claims of fraud in the 2020 election results. But now, seizing on the recent Twitter disclosures, Trump is pounding away at 2020 again. And though some Republican leaders denounced the suggestion of suspending the Constitution, many Republicans have joined Trump in demanding investigations into the Twitter controversy or alleging election manipulation.
"The reason this is happening right now is because they had some defeats, and there's, like, a crisis where many people are turning away from Trump and splitting the movement," said Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian at New York University and the author of "Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present." "Think about how much he and others have invested in indoctrinating people with this language of a 'rigged election.' You can't just give all that up. You have to keep the conspiracy mentality going."
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung emphasized the new theme in a statement. "President Trump has been proven correct time and time again, and the latest revelations about how woke liberals at Twitter meddled in an election and suppressed important information is further proof that Big Tech put their thumb on the scale to benefit Democrats," he said. "If they can do this to President Trump, imagine what they are doing to everyday Americans."
Even before Musk started releasing company communications this month, complaints of social media censorship had become a fixture of Trump's repertoire. In midterm rallies, Trump repeatedly claimed that Twitter's suppression of the New York Post article about Hunter Biden's laptop cost him 17 points at the polls. It was not clear where he derived that estimate.
Other Republicans were also shifting to emphasize social media. In a debate in a U.S. Senate race in Arizona, Republican candidate Blake Masters moved to modify his earlier proclamation that "I think Trump won in 2020" by acknowledging he hadn't seen evidence of vote tampering but claimed the federal government "forced" social media companies to block information that would have helped Trump win. At that time, Trump took exception to that reframing.
"I heard you did great on the debate, but a bad election answer," Trump told Masters in a phone call that was recorded and released as part of a Fox News documentary. Trump added, "You gotta go stronger on that one thing."
In addition, a lawsuit by the Republican attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana alleging that government officials "colluded" with technology companies to censor social media has generated depositions, including one from an FBI agent who coordinated regular meetings with social media companies about election misinformation. The agent testified that the Hunter Biden story was not discussed.
In the newly released Twitter documents, some company officials expressed caution or uncertainty about whether the laptop story violated Twitter's policy against hacked materials. While some of the laptop information has since been authenticated, it remains uncertain how it was obtained.
Congressional Republicans, including the incoming chairmen of the House Oversight and Judiciary committees, are now clamoring to investigate Twitter's handling of the Hunter Biden story as part of larger probes into alleged politicization at the FBI and the president's son's business dealings. Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy, who is trying to shore up the conference's right flank to win the speaker's gavel, has pledged to subpoena former intelligence officials who signed a public letter warning that the Hunter Biden story had "all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation."
"I think there are all kinds of questions that need to be answered, and we're determined to get there," Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who is poised to lead the Judiciary Committee, said at a November news conference. "We know that had an impact on the election."
Jordan referenced surveys "where thousands and thousands of voters across this country say that might have impacted their decision in the election in 2020." His spokesman provided a poll by a right-leaning outfit published in the Daily Mail, a British tabloid, claiming that more than half of 501 adults following the story said knowing the material was "real and not 'disinformation'" would probably have changed their vote.
Another survey shortly after the election by a right-wing organization claimed to find that "full awareness of the Hunter Biden scandal" would have flipped the electoral college. The group posed the question in a way that misrepresented the facts of the case.
Notwithstanding Twitter's actions, the Hunter Biden story was well publicized before the election, as demonstrated by Google search traffic. Trump also raised the claims during the first debate, viewed by an estimated 73.1 million people.
The Trump campaign has been sending fundraising emails with subject lines such as "FRAUD" asking supporters, "Did you see the BIG story about Twitter and various forms of government fraud, specifically Election Fraud?" The campaign has also been promoting articles from Fox News, the New York Post and other right-wing media outlets emphasizing Twitter, the FBI and the Hunter Biden story.
"The last election was influenced by the FBI," Fox News host Tucker Carlson said in a Dec. 7 prime-time appearance. "If this were happening in another country, in a third-world country, the State Department would declare the election illegitimate, because it would have been . . . That's absolutely election interference."
In a video announcement released Thursday to the New York Post, Trump said as president he would issue an executive order banning federal agencies from "colluding" with businesses to censor Americans or label domestic speech as misinformation or disinformation, and would root out "every federal bureaucrat who has engaged in domestic censorship - directly or indirectly."
No evidence has emerged that the federal government, which was led at the time by Trump, controlled what social media companies allowed to circulate. In the course of weekly consultations with Twitter, federal law enforcement agencies warned that foreign countries might try to hack people involved in political campaigns and release damaging material over social media, according to a declaration by a Twitter official as part of the company's defense to a Federal Election Commission complaint. The official (whom Musk has since fired) said he learned from these meetings "that there were rumors that a hack-and-leak operation would involve Hunter Biden" before the New York Post's story was published.
"Twitter was just a tool in the hands of the deep state in attacking President Trump and doing all they can to prevent President Trump from being reelected," Trump campaign senior adviser Boris Epshteyn said in a recent interview on former White House strategist Stephen K. Bannon's podcast. "The crime is the stealing of the 2020 election from President Donald J. Trump."
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2022-12-16T14:02:45Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Trump reinvents 'rigged' election myth around Twitter allegations | Voters First | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/voters/trump-reinvents-rigged-election-myth-around-twitter-allegations/article_d9f4a363-eaa0-5786-ada2-af0597c02192.html
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"I was talking to one guy in his 20s about it, and when I showed him my pay phone, he had no idea what he was looking at," said Mike Dank, 31. "It was like an alien had delivered it from outer space."
Dank, a technical engineer from Springfield, Pa., about 30 miles from Philly, has loved pay phones since he was a teenager. Fifteen years ago, he picked one up for $20 at a flea market and stored it in a corner of his parents' basement.
"Pay phones are nostalgic to me - I used one to call my parents to come pick me up when I was in high school," he said. "After I bought one, I thought, 'I'm going to do something with this phone someday - maybe install it as my house phone.'"
"It was just a really cool idea, and I wondered if I could do something similar in Philadelphia," Dank said. "There are lots of people who can't afford a cellphone or a phone bill."
Homeless people, low-income families and anyone who just doesn't want the hassle of owning a cellphone would all benefit, he said.
"Pay phones have unfortunately been pretty much phased out - we only have about 50 still working in Philadelphia," Dank said. "I thought it would be great to bring them back."
He and a friend, Naveen Albert, decided in June to start PhilTel - a phone collective that would convert old donated pay phones into free working phones using coinless circuit boards rewired to connect through the internet.
They're now looking for people to donate pay phones, phone booths, telephone cable, routers and pay phone parts such as handsets and keypads so that they can rewire and install public phones in neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia.
For their first project, Dank hauled his old collectible 60-pound pay phone from his parents' basement.
He then convinced Steve McLaughlin, the owner of Iffy's Books, to let him install the first PhilTel phone outside his shop near Chinatown in Philly.
"Mike's a good customer and has been coming to the store since we opened," said McLaughlin, 37. "I'm always looking for creative ideas to shift our culture, and a free pay phone is a great example of shared resources. I was all in."
"Lots of younger people today have never used one," Dank said. "They might walk past one and not even notice that they were looking at a pay phone. They seem irrelevant. But I'm hoping to change that."
Some people are surprised he wants to bring back the retro phones, but Dank said he's not alone in his enthusiasm. He points to a Google map site that tracks pay phones that have been reported to still be operating in the United States, and one that is devoted exclusively to the Philadelphia area.
"I was happy when I discovered there are pay phone aficionados who appreciate pay phones as much as I do," he said. "It used to be you couldn't go anywhere without seeing one."
Payphones have been on their way out for decades - ever since cellphones became popular in the 1990s, he noted. A 2021 Pew Research Center study found that 97 percent of Americans now own a cellphone of some kind.
It was 1995 - four years after Dank was born - when the number of pay phones in the United States peaked at 2.6 million.
By the end of 2016, there were less than 100,000 still in service, according to the Federal Communications Commission. New York City bid farewell to what some called the city's last pay phone this past May, and there were only six pay phones said to be working in D.C. in 2021.
It's a nostalgic kick for some people to stumble upon a working pay phone today - particularly if it's enclosed inside a Superman-style booth, said Dank, adding that the clunky phones supply a lifeline.
"I've heard about situations of domestic violence where a partner tries to control everything, including cellphone use," he said. "There are people who want to get help, but they don't have a way to communicate. Free pay phones on the street would help to resolve that."
"Libraries, art spaces, soup kitchens, community centers - I can think of lots of public places that would benefit," Dank said.
Karl Anderson, director of Portland's Futel, said Dank is on the right path.
"Our phones get a lot of use - we even have volunteers now who will answer the phone if somebody dials for an operator," Anderson said. "Sometimes people just want to hear a real human voice on the line."
He said he is hopeful that Dank's project will become as popular as the free phones in Portland.
"I'd like to see PhilTel succeed - phones like these would be a useful thing to have anywhere," Anderson said. "They're a direct way for anyone to get help, whether they want to find organizations to help with housing and medical services, or they want to call the mayor."
Even if somebody just wants to order a pizza, Dank said he's good with that.
"If we can save a pay phone from the landfill and trigger some fun memories for people, I'm happy," he said. "I hope that bringing back a pay phone will help improve somebody's life."
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2022-12-16T16:12:46Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Remember the pay phone? This man is bringing them back at no cost. | Back Page | unionleader.com
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Edward Murray IV, Benjamin Chase and Robert Doherty.
“We were painted out so terribly, and my name was dragged through the mud,” said Wolfeboro resident Robert Doherty, 19, a sophomore and one of the three acquitted.
“It literally was stupid kids being stupid and having a fun time and trying to entertain ourselves,” Doherty said.
“In a lot of these cases, it’s not going to be expressly put. In a fraternity, it’s implied,” said Emily Garod, an assistant Strafford County Attorney. When asked if the three were innocent, she said they were not convicted.
“It’s incredibly disappointing these families had to go through this,” said Hampton defense lawyer Andrew Cotrupi, who represented Chase.
“I’m curious about how they get their names and images off the internet now,” he said.
“Obviously, arrests are public record. We follow the guidelines to a T,” he said. Asked whether his department should publicize acquittals, Kelley said: “I don’t think that’s our responsibility.”
Garod said, “I don’t know how to answer that” when asked who is responsible for publicizing not-guilty verdicts. Her office doesn’t usually publicize verdicts either way. “Perhaps the media is responsible to follow up,” she said.
Another 12 arrested in alleged UNH fraternity hazing incident
Durham police announced on Tuesday the arrest of 12 more people in connection with an alleged hazing incident that took place earlier this yea…
Nineteen more fraternity brothers arrested in UNH hazing investigation
Police announced 19 more arrests in the investigation into hazing at a University of New Hampshire fraternity.
46 members of UNH fraternity charged with hazing
Forty-six members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at the University of New Hampshire, and the fraternity itself, face hazing charges in …
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2022-12-16T16:12:52Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Three UNH frat members acquitted of hazing; 46 were arrested last spring | Courts | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/three-unh-frat-members-acquitted-of-hazing-46-were-arrested-last-spring/article_03c0db55-89ab-5f45-b7fa-d94cbcf30a7b.html
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By Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Julia Mio Inuma The Washington Post
TOKYO - Japan on Friday unveiled sweeping changes to its national security strategy and a major ramp-up of its defense budget, a dramatic shift to shed its longtime postwar pacifist constraints as it grapples with increasing security threats and risk of war in the Indo-Pacific.
Among the notable changes is the move to acquire "counterstrike" capabilities, or the ability to hit enemy bases with long-range missiles and coordinate with the United States in such circumstances, and an increase of its defense budget to 2 percent of gross domestic product over five years, making it the third-largest in the world.
"Each and every one of us must have the awareness that we are protecting our country. This is very important as we have learned from Ukraine," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a news conference Friday. "We are now at a turning point of our national security policy."
In August, after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visited Taipei, an outraged Beijing carried out aggressive military drills near Taiwan, including the launch of ballistic missiles that landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone. This comes on top of multiple incursions by sea and air in the waters surrounding Japan.
The new strategy documents noted that countries surrounding Japan have made major advances in missile-related technologies in both qualitative and quantitative ways. Missile attacks against Japan are now a "palpable threat," and Japan needs capabilities beyond existing ballistic missile defenses to protect itself, it said. Japan considers counterstrike capabilities a potentially powerful conventional deterrent.
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2022-12-16T16:12:54Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Wary of China, Japan unveils sweeping new national security strategy | Military | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/military/wary-of-china-japan-unveils-sweeping-new-national-security-strategy/article_22598b03-4680-521b-aba7-7c4c450448a6.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/military/wary-of-china-japan-unveils-sweeping-new-national-security-strategy/article_22598b03-4680-521b-aba7-7c4c450448a6.html
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A Cruise vehicle in San Francisco on Feb. 2.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating three crashes involving driverless taxis operated by General Motors's Cruise, just as the autonomous-vehicle division is poised to expand service.
Officials are looking into Cruise vehicles that braked suddenly -- resulting in three crashes in which human motorists rear-ended the robotaxi -- or cars that unexpectedly pulled over and stopped, according to a NHTSA document posted Friday. The agency said it's unknown if there have been accidents related to the second issue.
A spokesperson for Cruise said it's rare for cars to pull over, and that there have been no accidents when that's happened.
Cruise is expanding its robotaxi service across San Francisco and preparing to charge for rides in Austin, Texas, and Phoenix. Cruise's business is a big piece of GM Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra's quest to double revenue by 2030. The startup, which is majority owned by GM, has a goal of $1 billion in revenue in 2025 and $50 billion by 2030.
What's at issue is how the cars interact with human drivers on public roads. NHTSA is looking at whether either problem amounts to a defect.
Cruise said that in all three crashes involving sudden braking, the vehicles had a safety driver, and that the cars' robotic systems were responding to aggressive or erratic human drivers in other vehicles. The self-driving cars were trying to minimize collision severity and risk of harm, said company spokesman Drew Pusateri.
"These immobilizations may increase the risk to exiting passengers," the agency said. "Further, immobilization may cause other road users to make abrupt or unsafe maneuvers to avoid colliding with the immobilized Cruise vehicle, by, for example, diverting into oncoming lanes of traffic or into bike lanes."
"Cruise's safety record is publicly reported and includes having driven nearly 700,000 fully autonomous miles in an extremely complex urban environment with zero life-threatening injuries or fatalities," Pusateri said in a statement. "This is against the backdrop of over 40,000 deaths each year on American roads."
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2022-12-16T18:14:34Z
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www.unionleader.com
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GM's Cruise robotaxi unit faces safety probe after three accidents | Transportation | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/transportation/gms-cruise-robotaxi-unit-faces-safety-probe-after-three-accidents/article_59dca274-ef12-5963-9d52-fb64c0941ba0.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/transportation/gms-cruise-robotaxi-unit-faces-safety-probe-after-three-accidents/article_59dca274-ef12-5963-9d52-fb64c0941ba0.html
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Concord police has identified a pedestrian who died after being struck by a motor vehicle earlier this month.
Ewa Martel, 75, of Concord, died after she was hit near the HP Hood dairy company on North State Street about 10:50 a.m. Friday, Dec. 2.
Police said the victim was taken by ambulance to Concord Hospital, where she died of her injuries.
The driver, Timothy Ricker, 53, also of Concord, remained on scene and was cooperative with investigators.
The accident is still under investigation. Anyone who witnessed the accident, or who had a dashboard camera operating at the time, should call police detectives at 603-225-8600.
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2022-12-16T18:15:11Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Concord police ID pedestrian, driver involved in fatal crash | Public Safety | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/safety/concord-police-id-pedestrian-driver-involved-in-fatal-crash/article_47384cbb-64a5-59db-88fe-a214abfbeea2.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/safety/concord-police-id-pedestrian-driver-involved-in-fatal-crash/article_47384cbb-64a5-59db-88fe-a214abfbeea2.html
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Mike Raymond of Bonneville and Son Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram helps clear the snow in the lot during Friday's storm in Manchester.
A wrecker rights a box truck which rolled onto its side on the south bound side of Interstate 89 near Exit 8 in Warner during Friday's storm.
The first significant snowfall of the season led to a messy morning commute across New Hampshire Friday, with multiple vehicles sliding off slippery roads.
In Hollis, a police officer checking on a vehicle that had slid off the road was struck by another cruiser that was responding to the same crash. He was not seriously injured, officials said.
Friday morning, advisory speed limits were posted at 45 mph on most highways, including all of I-89, I-93 from Salem to Lincoln, Route 101 from Bedford to Hampton, and the entire corridors of the Everett Turnpike, Spaulding Turnpike and Routes 393 and 293.
Shortly before 11 a.m., those advisory speed limits were lifted for some roadways as weather conditions improved and road temperatures rose above freezing, according to Nick King, program manager at the state’s Transportation Management Center.
“Conditions for motorists have improved significantly since early this morning, when folks were just careening off the roads all over the state,” King said.
In the Hollis incident, a police officer was out of his cruiser on Silver Lake Road around 6:45 a.m. checking on a driver whose vehicle had gone off the road, when a second cruiser approached the scene and began to slide. The cruiser’s right front side hit the officer in the roadway, and he was thrown a short distance, according to a news release.
First responders from Hollis fire department attended to the officer and took him to St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua, where he was treated and later released.
Late Friday morning, TMC’s King warned that the storm is far from over and conditions may again deteriorate.
“This is a long duration storm,” he said. “It’s going to be constantly changing.”
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2022-12-16T18:15:24Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Slippery roads, crashes: Winter arrives in New Hampshire | Weather | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/weather/slippery-roads-crashes-winter-arrives-in-new-hampshire/article_5a76dc4d-4730-56b3-bd32-3205c75d67e1.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/weather/slippery-roads-crashes-winter-arrives-in-new-hampshire/article_5a76dc4d-4730-56b3-bd32-3205c75d67e1.html
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By Nina Wu The Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Hawaii and Connecticut tied for fourth place in the United Health Foundation's annual ranking of states for their overall health, behind Vermont at No. 3, Massachusetts at No. 2 and New Hampshire at No. 1.
According to the United Health Foundation, was created to show how health varies among states from a holistic point of view encompassing the physical, mental and social well-being of a state's population and not just the absence of disease.
The point of view is inspired by the World Health Organization's definition of health.
Overall, the report painted the picture of Hawaii as a state full of residents that are for the most part physically active in an environment with good air and water quality, and who try to keep their teeth healthy by going to the dentist—but are struggling to pay for housing and get enough sleep at night.
But nonmedical drug use in Hawaii increased to about 15.5 % of adults this year, putting the state at No. 27 in this category.
While the smoking rate among adults dropped 28 % between 2015 and 2021, the use of e-cigarettes among adults increased, placing Hawaii at No. 33 in this category.
And Hawaii residents with high cholesterol increased by 17 %—from about 30 % in 2019 to 35 % of adults in 2021. Chlamydia cases among residents are also rising, earning the state a No. 30 ranking.
The year 2019, prior to the pandemic, Hawaii was ranked No. 3, so this year's ranking is considered a notch lower. No state rankings were published in 2020 and 2021 due to unprecedented health challenges presented by the pandemic, according to the foundation.
The report, which has provided annual assessments of the nation's health on a state-by-state basis for the past 33 years, also presented a special edition this year focusing on the impact of the pandemic.
Between 2020 and 2021 the percentage of adults with three or more of these chronic health conditions increased 5 %, possibly because many Americans delayed diagnosis and care during the pandemic. Additionally, COVID-19 infections increase the risk of some of these diseases.
The report specifically noted that COVID-19 deaths disproportionately affected certain ethnic groups in 2021—and that it was 4.1 times higher among Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, at 192.2 deaths per 100, 000 people.
HEALTHIEST STATES IN THE U.S.—1. New Hampshire—2. Massachusetts—3. Vermont—4. Hawaii and Connecticut (tied )
Source : America's Health Rankings / United Health Foundation HAWAII HEALTH RANKING NO. 4—Strengths : Low prevalence of frequent mental distress and multiple chronic conditions and physical inactivity.—Challenges : High prevalence of excessive drinking, high economic hardship index score, low supply of primary care providers.—High rankings : No. 1 for air and water quality, dental visits among adults and number of residents avoiding care due to costs.—Medium rankings : Childhood immunizations (No. 24 ), low birth-weight racial disparity (No. 26 ) and access to mental health care (No. 27 ).—Low rankings : No. 50 for water fluoridation, severe housing problems, insufficient sleep.—Improvements : Access to high-speed internet improved by 8 % between 2016 and 2021. Smoking rates among adults dropped 28 % between 2015 and 2021.—Worse : High cholesterol among adults increased 17 % between 2019 and 2021. Drug use increased to 15.5 % of adults this year. Hawaii ranked No. 30 in number of new chlamydia cases.
Visit The Honolulu Star-Advertiser at www.staradvertiser.com
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2022-12-16T20:12:34Z
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NH, Mass., Vt. healthiest states, new survey reports | Health | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/health/nh-mass-vt-healthiest-states-new-survey-reports/article_e4994c22-d6d7-56f4-a019-2a154c04356f.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/health/nh-mass-vt-healthiest-states-new-survey-reports/article_e4994c22-d6d7-56f4-a019-2a154c04356f.html
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Manchester officials are investigating a fire that destroyed four vehicles at a Harvey Road distribution center Thursday night.
The fire outside the True Value Distribution Center at 333 Harvey Road was reported shortly before 10:30 p.m. and the first crews on the scene found four truck cabs engulfed in flames, according to a news release.
Firefighters managed to confine the fire to those vehicles and brought the fire under control in less than a half-hour, officials said.
However, six fuel tanks failed during the fire, causing a large diesel spill, and the state Department of Environmental Services was called to the scene.
Fire officials said firefighters’ protective gear and hose lines became saturated with the diesel fuel, complicating their efforts.
The loss of the cabs was estimated between $200,000 and $400,000. No truck trailers were damaged in the fire, officials said.
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2022-12-16T20:12:41Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Fire damages four truck cabs at Manchester distribution center | Public Safety | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/safety/fire-damages-four-truck-cabs-at-manchester-distribution-center/article_15471da3-6ad3-5c28-a2e7-fb804582f55b.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/safety/fire-damages-four-truck-cabs-at-manchester-distribution-center/article_15471da3-6ad3-5c28-a2e7-fb804582f55b.html
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CBS serves crow for Christmas
THE DEVIL, they say, is in the details. And that’s why the devil doesn’t show up in too many Christmas movies. But maybe he should.
CBS, once the home of Hallmark Hall of Fame-quality fare, has now tried to out-Hallmark Hallmark in the cheesy Christmas romance movie department. It’s a tad like an artisanal cheese monger trying to beat Velveeta at its own game.
“When Christmas Was Young” (8:30 p.m., Sunday, CBS, TV-PG) is the network’s latest effort, a Nashville-based story executive produced by Sheryl Crow. It stars singer/songwriter Tyler Hilton as a struggling talent manager trying to find a hit song for his one remaining client. When he stumbles upon a promising tune from his slush pile of old submissions, he makes a desperate effort to track down the artist (Karen David) and secure the rights. Unfortunately, she’s given up on her songwriting dreams. She’d rather toil as a single mother than write hit singles. His efforts to woo her legal permissions end up with the two beneath the mistletoe. Dim the lights, you can guess the rest.
We all know “Young” fits a very popular formula. But even generic movies can be revealing. Most everything I know about Nashville is from watching ABC’s melodrama “Nashville.” In that series, not-yet-famous songwriters lived in humble and barely furnished bungalows. Before “Nashville” helped Nashville become a tourist destination, it also made Nashville look interesting and filled with striving, talented people willing to do without for their artistic dreams.
But doing without has no place in a network Christmas movie. And that’s why they seem so cookie-cutter. When we meet our mystery songwriter, she’s entertaining in a million-dollar home with enough ornaments and tabletop decorations for several department store windows.
Generic set decoration that looks airlifted from a warehouse or some boring person’s Instagram feed generally indicates that the filmmakers didn’t put much thought into their characters.
Contrast that with the details surrounding Christmas films and characters that you actually remember, like the exploding boiler in “A Christmas Story,” Scrooge’s spartan setting in a dozen iterations of “A Christmas Carol” or Randy Quaid’s approach to casual travel in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”And it’s not just Christmas movies where details spell the difference between classic status and utter forgettability. In the just-completed HBO satire series “The White Lotus,” a remarkable effort was made to distinguish characters by their choice of clothes, hats, makeup and swimwear. The result was an explosion of chatter about each character’s wardrobe that in turn reflected viewers’ affection, disdain and interest in each guest at the posh resort.
Apparently social media had a meltdown of sorts over Portia’s (Haley Lu Richardson) outfits. Ultimately, it was Tanya’s (Jennifer Coolidge) florid getups that may have contributed to her (spoiler alert) tragic demise. But not before going out with a bang.
I can all but guarantee nobody will be chattering about the details, decor or clothes on display in “When Christmas Was Young.” It’s as if its makers want the film to go unnoticed and be instantly forgotten.
• The ever-popular soap opera “Yellowstone” (8 p.m. Sunday, Paramount, CMT, TV-MA) churns out its second spinoff series about the Dutton family’s heritage. While “1883” was set when the family’s land was barely wrested from Native American tribes, “1923” (9 p.m., TV-MA) has the clan recovering from the trauma of World War I and adjusting to a rapidly modernizing world when cars, the telephone and radio seemed to erase distances even in the vast open spaces of the high plains.
While this ain’t “Downton Abbey,” it will feature some major British talent, including Helen Mirren (“Prime Suspect”) and James Bond himself, Timothy Dalton. Harrison Ford also stars. This cast is a vast improvement on “1883,” a series saddled with too many pretty country music stars not known for their acting abilities.
Not made available for review.
• An icy silence comes between two old friends (Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson) in the 2022 black comedy “The Banshees of Inisherin” (8 p.m. Saturday, HBO), written and directed by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh. This film reunites the actors, who starred in the 2008 comedy “In Bruges,” also written by McDonagh.
For what it’s worth, this film seems to be a favorite to receive accolades in movieland’s awards season, soon to be breathing down our necks.
• BYU and SMU clash in college football (7:30 p.m., ABC).
• A visiting actress commandeers a small town’s holiday tradition in the 2022 holiday romance “’Twas the Night Before Christmas (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).
• A self-help author’s publisher challenges her to put her words into action in the 2022 romance “The Holiday Dating Guide” (8 p.m., Lifetime, TV-PG).
• Falsehoods loom large in “Sherri Papini: Lies, Lies and More Lies” (9 p.m., Oxygen).
• Austin Butler hosts “Saturday Night Live” (11:30 p.m., NBC, TV-14), featuring musical guest Lizzo.
Sunday’s highlights
• Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer star in the 1965 adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical “The Sound of Music” (7 p.m., ABC, TV-PG). Among the most popular movies ever made, it has been a fixture in ABC’s holiday schedule for decades.
• Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (7:30 p.m., CBS): Pediatric cancer patients in Ukrainian hospitals under Russian attack; how Wall Streeters “invest” in lawsuits in hopes of lucrative payouts; investigating “miracles” at the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France.
• The past catches up to Camille and Valmont on “Dangerous Liaisons” (8 p.m., Starz, TV-MA).
• A matchmaker sets up rival deli owners in the 2022 romance “Hanukkah on Rye” (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).
• The Washington Commanders and New York Giants meet in NFL action (8:15 p.m., NBC).
• Success accelerates George’s battles with the bottle on “George & Tammy” (9 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA).
An Irish hobo (Victor Moore) and an evicted vet (Don Defore) take over a tycoon’s (Charles Ruggles) mansion in the 1947 holiday comedy “It Happened on 5th Avenue” (5:45 p.m. Sunday, TCM, TV-G; streaming on HBO Max). The cast features future TV stars Gale Storm (“My Little Margie”), Alan Hale Jr. (“Gilligan’s Island”), John Hamilton (Perry White in “Adventures of Superman”) as well as Johnny Arthur, who played Darla’s overmatched dad Mr. Hood in the “Our Gang” shorts.
Saturday series
A building collapse leaves a mystery behind on “Fire Country” (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) ... “Password” (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) ... “Gordon Ramsay’s Road Trip” (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) ... Two episodes of “48 Hours” (9 p.m. and 10 p.m., r, CBS) ... “Dateline” (9 p.m., NBC, r) ... “Hell’s Kitchen” (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) ... A vintage helping of “Saturday Night Live” (10 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).
Sunday series
Marge can’t get off her exercise bike on “The Simpsons” (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) ... Obsessed with a chain restaurant on “The Great North” (8:30 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG).
A cabin filled with fear on “Bob’s Burgers” (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) ... Not-so-legal briefs on “Family Guy” (9:30 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) ... A child vanishes on “East New York” (10:30 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).
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2022-12-17T01:39:02Z
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www.unionleader.com
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CBS serves crow for Christmas | | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/cbs-serves-crow-for-christmas/article_b6358a63-7af1-50f8-a301-f91b763f91e6.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/cbs-serves-crow-for-christmas/article_b6358a63-7af1-50f8-a301-f91b763f91e6.html
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The Mercedes Benz C300.
Marc Grasso/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald/TNS
Seeing the multiple improvements on the 2022 C300, all we can think to say is, What took you so long? As with other Mercedes-Benz vehicles we have tested recently, we notice a 2.0-liter inline-4 turbo engine paired with a mild-hybrid operation. Its 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque are matched with a 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic transmission. Eco start/stop and 4Matic all-wheel drive was standard.
Changing the configuration of the interior is a 11.9-inch center-stack touchscreen infotainment system with MBUX, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Navigation and a Burmester 3D Surround Sound System. Augmented video, heads-up display, interior mood lighting, driver-assist safety features and parking assist were just some of the features also available that we enjoyed on our week-long test.
With its $45,000 base price tag, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class is known for its economical interior features and its stylish exterior. While riding on 19-inch AMG multi-spoke wheels, that is true, but its style also leaks to the interior. With AMG power red and black seats, metal trim and a carbon fiber-like offsetting interior, the C-Class just became much more appealing. Panorama roof, acoustic glass, Sirius XM, and heated and ventilated seats and illuminated door sills are more options we enjoyed on our C-Class tester.
With a four-year/50,000-mile warranty, 24-hour roadside assistance and really good gas mileage, the C-Class is a great option for consumers in the small sedan market. With over $15,000 in options, the C-Class allows you to make it your own — as presentable, comfortable or appearing as you prefer. Having owned a 2009 C-350 AMG owner in the past, we can say the C-Class has come a long way!
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2022-12-17T01:39:10Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Grasso's Garage: Mercedes Benz redesigns the C-Class | Transportation | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/transportation/grassos-garage-mercedes-benz-redesigns-the-c-class/article_49f85314-fae1-50dd-b923-aeba04192911.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/transportation/grassos-garage-mercedes-benz-redesigns-the-c-class/article_49f85314-fae1-50dd-b923-aeba04192911.html
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MORGAN CASEY
MADELINE WATERS
Morgan Casey of Bishop Brady High School in Concord and Madeline Waters of Keene High School were selected by a panel of judges who evaluated the pool of top students nominated by principals throughout the state.
Both students will receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study, and they will represent the Granite State for a comprehensive public service, leadership and education experience in Washington, D.C. this coming March.
Casey, a junior at Bishop Brady High School, has served as class president since her freshman year. She is also the class representative for the Student Athlete Leadership Team and has participated in four varsity sports – soccer, tennis, lacrosse and basketball.
She has dedicated time during her high school years to volunteer service working with the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, Sycamore Gardens and the Pease Greeters program.
Waters, a senior at Keene High School, is the Student Council president at her school. She is also the vice president of Students for Hope, the school board student representative, and co-leader of Reading on the Road.
She is ranked second in her class, and her teachers refer to her as a “spunky, enthusiastic and ardent learner.” She loves history, is an avid reader and hopes to one day work in the nation’s capital.
“The U.S. Senate Youth Program will be an excellent opportunity for Morgan and Madeline to be exposed to high-level leadership and a front row seat to federal government operations,” said Edelblut. “I commend their academic excellence and drive, and congratulate them on being chosen to participate in such a highly competitive program.”
Ricky Truong, a senior from Manchester Memorial High School, and Samay Sahu, a senior from Nashua High School South, have been chosen as alternates for this year’s program.
The scholarships and all expenses for Washington Week are provided by the Hearst Foundations, which have fully funded the program since its creation in 1962. More than 6,000 students have participated. For more information visit the U.S. Senate Youth Program website.
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2022-12-17T01:39:22Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Two New Hampshire students selected for the U.S. Senate Youth Program | Education | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/education/two-new-hampshire-students-selected-for-the-u-s-senate-youth-program/article_999e50db-8f5c-5e5a-9676-1268203a40ce.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/education/two-new-hampshire-students-selected-for-the-u-s-senate-youth-program/article_999e50db-8f5c-5e5a-9676-1268203a40ce.html
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Provided by the NH DHHS
The program will collect data to help track trends in changing levels of COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) over time in our communities, and potentially provide an earlier warning signal of rising levels.
People who are infected with the COVID-19 virus, whether they have symptoms or not, can shed the virus in waste. Viral fragments in a community-wide samples collected from wastewater treatment facilities can help determine if the levels of COVID-19 are going up, down, or staying the same. Wastewater surveillance can provide useful information as part of a more comprehensive surveillance system, especially as data on the number of individual infections becomes less reliable.
“This is another tool we can use to help monitor COVID-19 spread in our state,” DPHS Director Patricia Tilley stated. “Wastewater surveillance does not depend on individuals testing for COVID-19, so this new program has the potential to provide additional and earlier insight about COVID-19 in our communities.”
Participating wastewater treatment facilities include:
Wastewater data will soon be published on the NH COVID-19 website. The wastewater surveillance program is funded by a grant provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC launched the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) in September 2020.
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2022-12-17T01:39:28Z
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www.unionleader.com
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COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance Program launches in New Hampshire | Health | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/health/covid-19-wastewater-surveillance-program-launches-in-new-hampshire/article_fd892120-c1c9-5489-94df-0396d959244a.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/health/covid-19-wastewater-surveillance-program-launches-in-new-hampshire/article_fd892120-c1c9-5489-94df-0396d959244a.html
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Disreputable businesses let folks know “you’ve been nominated for your notable personal and professional achievements!” All you have to do is send in some money and, voila, your profile will get noticed around the globe. Not!
Unfortunately, figuring out Who’s Who isn’t limited to publishing scams these days. According to the American Medical Association, when you go into a doctor’s office, it’s often hard to figure out who’s who, too.
The AMA says, “The skill sets and experience of non-physician practitioners are not the same as those of physicians.”
However, non-physicians may identify themselves as “doctors” — consistent with the doctoral-level degree they have — and “it may create confusion and be misleading to patients.”
The AMA also notes that most patients aren’t clear about what nurse practitioners or physician assistants are allowed to do, and more importantly, not do.
That’s why the AMA has created guidelines that recommend all members of your doctor’s team tell you about their credentials, training and role in your care. And, the doctor must be front and center in the care provided.
Patients can also improve their relationship with the care team by asking questions: “What’s your title and role? What are you allowed and not allowed to do?” And never be shy about saying you want to talk to or be examined by the M.D. (medical doctor).
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2022-12-17T01:39:35Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Figuring out who's who in your doctor's office | Health | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/health/figuring-out-whos-who-in-your-doctors-office/article_9e2c3d9d-e119-54ec-b59a-f9dc1f81bf08.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/health/figuring-out-whos-who-in-your-doctors-office/article_9e2c3d9d-e119-54ec-b59a-f9dc1f81bf08.html
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Residents wait to collect water outside an apartment building in Pavlohrad, Ukraine, on Friday after water service was knocked out during a Russian missile barrage.
Washington Post/Heidi Levine
Customers shop in the dark at a supermarket in Pavlohrad, Ukraine, after a Russian missile attack on Friday.
and Jeff Stein The Washington Post
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia launched another ferocious barrage of missiles at Ukraine on Friday, again pummeling critical infrastructure. At least three people were killed and more than a dozen were injured when a residential building was hit in Kryvyi Rih, one of seven cities targeted in the attack.
Damaged cities — including Kharkiv and Sumy in the northeast, Poltava, Dnipro and Kyiv, the capital — reported power outages after the strikes, even though Ukrainian officials said that their bolstered air defenses had succeeded in intercepting and destroying 60 of 76 missiles fired by the Russians.
It was not possible for The Washington Post to independently verify the Ukrainian claims, but Kyiv’s Western supporters have been rushing to send additional air defense systems to the country since Russia began its bombing campaign against infrastructure in early October.
Ukraine’s air force said in a statement that Friday’s strikes were a “massive” attack on “critical infrastructure facilities and fuel.” The missiles were launched from ships and aircraft in the Caspian, Azov and Black seas, as well from areas farther inside mainland Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has openly acknowledged Russia’s efforts to destroy Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, accusing Kyiv and the West of provoking the attacks, though it was Russia that initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly 10 months ago, seeking to topple its government. Western leaders have said the attacks could be a war crime, because they have no military purpose.
Friday’s barrage confirmed that the Kremlin has no intention of relenting in its bombing campaign and may make good on threats to step up its strikes in response to recent announcements by the United States and other Western nations of plans to send additional, increasingly high-powered weapons to Ukraine and to increase training for the Ukrainian military.
The European Union on Thursday adopted a ninth package of sanctions as part of the continuing Western effort to punish Russia for the war by isolating its economy. “We have acted in unprecedented unity and speed,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a news conference. “We have legendary sanctions.”
Putin is planning a visit next week to Belarus, which has allowed Russian forces to use its territory as a springboard for attacks, and there is rising concern among Ukrainian officials that Russia may attempt another incursion into Ukraine from the north — not necessarily to retry its failed attempt to seize Kyiv but perhaps to hit from behind at Ukrainian forces pushing east into Russian-occupied territory in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The Pentagon has acknowledged Ukraine’s concerns but says it sees no signs that such an attack is imminent.
Leonid Pasechnik, the Russian proxy leader in occupied Luhansk, said on Telegram that Ukrainian artillery fire killed eight people and injured 23 in the village of Lantratovka and the town of Stakhanov early Friday.
Despite repeated setbacks on the battlefield, Russia has had greater success in its bombing campaign, and the destruction of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has pushed the country to the brink of humanitarian and economic crises by depriving citizens of heat and hot water in winter and cutting off electricity used to power homes and businesses.
Air raid sirens sounded out across Ukraine around 8 a.m. It was the ninth heavy missile attack since Russia began targeting Ukraine’s energy systems on Oct. 10, officials at Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s primary power operator, said in a statement.
Soon after the sirens went off, explosions could be heard in the capital of Kyiv, in Kharkiv and Sumy in the northeast, Poltava in central Ukraine, and numerous other locations. For citizens it was generally impossible to know whether the booms represented successful strikes or were the sound of air defenses destroying the missiles in midair.
About 40 missiles were fired at Kyiv, Klitschko said, of which 37 were shot down. The Post could not verify those numbers.
However, Klitschko also said in a television interview that three districts of the city were hit by missiles and that because of the attack, “several energy-providing facilities” had been damaged and Kyiv was experiencing “interruptions with electricity, water and heat.”
In Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, three people were killed when a Russian missile hit a residential building, “a 64-year-old woman and a young couple,” Valentyn Reznichenko, the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, said in a Telegram post. Thirteen people were also injured, including four children, Reznichenko said.
Kharkiv Governor Oleh Synyehubov said that 10 missiles were fired at the region, cutting electricity to more than 1 million people. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov also described “colossal destruction” to the city’s infrastructure and said residents had lost electricity, heating or water supplies.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed Friday to have destroyed a “missile and artillery arms depot” in Kharkiv and to have hit Ukrainian command posts in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions — two of the Ukrainian regions that Putin has claimed to have annexed, in violation of international law.
Friday’s attacks reverberated through Pavlohrad in southeastern Ukraine, where some residents said they had lost water for the first time since the war began.
His neighborhood supermarket had lost power earlier in the day and began turning customers away before locking its doors, leading a handful of women to stand outside and discuss where they could go for groceries.
“The lack of electricity is manageable. We have candles. We have food,” Velichko said. “But the water is a different case. You have to shower, you have to do laundry, or be able to have tea and drink water.”
With an automatic water pump shut off a few blocks away because of the outages, about 30 residents lined up on Poltavska Street to use a manual pump, carrying large plastic jugs, which they would then lug home.
Natalia, 40, a social worker, said she had been working since 7:30 a.m. to distribute food, medicine and water to elderly residents. One of her clients, a 76-year-old woman with a disability, lives on the fourth floor of her building and cannot get up and down the stairs.
Natalia brought two large aluminum jugs with her to the pump around 3 p.m. She then had to deliver them, before returning to the pump again Friday for her last elderly client.
Vova Shtonda, 20, accompanied his mother Oksana, 41, and his brother Dina, 10, to the manual water pump, carrying five plastic bottles in addition to the 10 liters he could fit in his backpack. His father is off fighting in the besieged eastern city of Bakhmut.
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2022-12-17T01:39:41Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Ukraine air defenses counter Russian barrage, but missiles hit energy targets | World | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/world/ukraine-air-defenses-counter-russian-barrage-but-missiles-hit-energy-targets/article_56a917cf-df2f-51b2-822e-d5738bf5284a.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/world/ukraine-air-defenses-counter-russian-barrage-but-missiles-hit-energy-targets/article_56a917cf-df2f-51b2-822e-d5738bf5284a.html
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Snow this morning will give way to some clearing this afternoon. High near 40F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulations less than one inch..
One of the three fragments of Parthenon Sculptures housed by the Vatican Museum that Pope Francis decided to return to Athens, is displayed in this undated photo provided by Vatican Museum.
VATICAN MUSEUM/VIA REUTERS
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis has decided to return to Greece three 2,500-year-old pieces of the Parthenon that have been in the papal collections of the Vatican Museums for more than a century.
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2022-12-17T09:41:58Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Pope Francis orders return of Parthenon sculptures to Greece | Religion | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/religion/pope-francis-orders-return-of-parthenon-sculptures-to-greece/article_fb12903f-2a45-534e-a5d0-551e1cc5dc40.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/religion/pope-francis-orders-return-of-parthenon-sculptures-to-greece/article_fb12903f-2a45-534e-a5d0-551e1cc5dc40.html
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The Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services keeps a public list of those it has barred from receiving any payment from its programs - it reported excluding more than 14,000 individuals and entities since January 2017 - but it does little to track or police the future endeavors of those it has excluded.
By Sarah Jane Tribble, Kaiser Health News, Lauren Weber Kaiser Health News
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2022-12-17T11:48:14Z
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www.unionleader.com
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KHN investigation: The system feds rely on to stop repeat health fraud is broken | Crime | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/khn-investigation-the-system-feds-rely-on-to-stop-repeat-health-fraud-is-broken/article_bc6ed9c3-c818-5778-b603-0642c52b7c86.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/khn-investigation-the-system-feds-rely-on-to-stop-repeat-health-fraud-is-broken/article_bc6ed9c3-c818-5778-b603-0642c52b7c86.html
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Television writer David Radcliff navigates his wheelchair over an electric cable channel at The Bloc shopping complex after rolling out of Metro’s 7th Street Station in Los Angeles on Sept. 26, 2019.
Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times
By Don Lee Los Angeles Times
“It’s good that we now have this option, but it’s also heartbreaking that it took so long and that it happened overnight. And it was possible all along,” said Charles-Edouard Catherine, director of corporate and government relations at the National Organization on Disability.
In a new research paper analyzing the strong job gains for people with disabilties, Ari Ne’eman and Nicole Maestas of Harvard University found that there’s been an increase of newly disabled employees with trouble remembering and concentrating. Ne’eman said in an interview that they may have acquired the condition during the pandemic, and could possibly be symptoms of long COVID.
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2022-12-17T11:48:20Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Surge in remote working due to COVID fuels record employment for the disabled | Health | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/health/surge-in-remote-working-due-to-covid-fuels-record-employment-for-the-disabled/article_ac245bf4-7b08-517f-956a-505e814cd80d.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/health/surge-in-remote-working-due-to-covid-fuels-record-employment-for-the-disabled/article_ac245bf4-7b08-517f-956a-505e814cd80d.html
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Nature Talks author Cheryl Kimball captured this “sun pillar” phenomenon during the sunset on Dec. 2 in Kittery, Maine.
Cheryl Kimball Nature Talks: Meteorological phenomenon was spectacular
A COUPLE OF friends and I figured out we were all going to be in the Kittery, Maine, area at the same time and arranged to meet for drinks and early dinner on Friday afternoon Dec. 2. I suggested The Ski Club Bar on the third floor of the old Frisbee’s Store overlooking Pepperrell Cove. Since we were meeting in late afternoon in December on a day predicted to be sunny, the timing seemed right for a nice sunset from the incredible view at The Ski Bar. I made reservations for three for 4:15. We would not be disappointed.
After going through Shipyard traffic, construction on Route 103 and a hub-bub of congestion at the beautiful old Congregational church for their annual well-attended Christmas Fair, I felt guilty subjecting my friends to this “out-of-the-way” place (says the country bumpkin who grew up a mile away from the Ski Club Bar) for the off-chance of a great sunset. But as usual they were totally game and not phased by the “congestion.”
One friend was already there when I arrived and had snagged our table. I joined her and turned my chair to look out. I explained my reasoning for the suggestion of our gathering spot. We agreed it looked like there would, in fact, be a nice sunset.
We caught up a little and kept our eye on the bank of windows looking out to the west toward New Castle. The sunset was developing and getting richer and richer orange. Then it started to bulge up a little in the middle with an even amount of orange/red glow on either side. We continued to keep our eye on it.
A few minutes later the bulge in the middle had popped up, quite a bit higher than anything I had ever seen. I took a couple of pictures through the windows. But the bulge kept getting taller. And taller. And even taller until there was a column of sunset reaching straight up to the “top” of the sky.
I took another picture. A few people started to go out on the Ski Club Bar deck, each time letting a blast of cold air into the bar. At first, a couple people seemed annoyed by that, but this column of sunset became so spectacular that as I headed out onto the deck to take another picture, even a member of the staff joined us. The Ski Club Bar staff surely see amazing sunsets regularly, but this was clearly very unusual. I texted my picture to my husband who replied something like “Wow, I’m glad you are with good friends for the end of the world.”
By the time the third member of our party arrived, the sunset seemed to have reached its pinnacle and was starting to fade. She had seen it in its full glory on the way there. And, as is the case these days, by the time I got home and sat down with my iPad, it was all over Facebook. Pictures were being posted from Greenland and Newington and as far inland as Chester. I love when Facebook can bring people together in awe.
I had been thinking “this has to be a thing, it has to be some meteorological phenomenon.” And sure enough, someone who posted a picture said it was called a “sun (or solar) pillar.”
When I Googled “sun pillar” I learned that a “light pillar” is any vertical column of light (think the Twin Towers 9/11 light columns memorial) but when the light source is the sun the adjective becomes “solar” or “sun.” Weather.com described it as “a shaft of light extending vertically above the sun, most often at sunrise or sunset. They develop as a result of ice crystals slowly falling through the air, reflecting the sun’s rays off of them. Look for sun pillars when the sun is low on the horizon, and cirrus clouds are present.”
In an article for Newsweek.com by Aristos Georgiou (“Pillar Shooting Into the Sky Explained,” Feb. 28, 2022), “full-time northern lights photographer” (who knew?) in the Manitoba, Canada, area, Justin Anderson, said that a sun pillar’s column “looks like hundreds of feet for us, but really it’s going miles in the air … ” He also said “because conditions have to be just right for this phenomenon to appear, (sun) pillars are a relatively rare sight … only a handful of half-decent examples are recorded every year” in the Manitoba region, where conditions are “right” more often than other places. He also said that, unlike the northern lights, “you don’t need a fancy camera to take photos of them.” That is certainly true since the photo accompanying this column I took with my Pixel 6 Pro cell phone camera.
The sun pillar pictures shown on a general internet search are very pretty but not nearly as spectacular as what we witnessed at the Ski Club Bar that afternoon. The right conditions were certainly present. And I was so happy to be present myself!
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2022-12-17T11:48:26Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Cheryl Kimball Nature Talks: Meteorological phenomenon was spectacular | Outdoors | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/nh/outdoors/cheryl-kimball-nature-talks-meteorological-phenomenon-was-spectacular/article_a76c3827-c490-5d09-a84e-44e69d831ff7.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/nh/outdoors/cheryl-kimball-nature-talks-meteorological-phenomenon-was-spectacular/article_a76c3827-c490-5d09-a84e-44e69d831ff7.html
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A probable ash-throated flycatcher was seen at Moore Fields on Route 155A in Durham on Dec. 11.
A Ross’s goose was seen at Jackson’s Landing at the Oyster River in Durham on Dec. 12. It is not known if this is the same bird as the one that has been in Rochester.
A Ross’s goose was discovered at the Rochester Wastewater Treatment Plant on Nov. 30, and continued to be seen there during the last week. It was last reported from Pickering Ponds (adjacent to the Treatment Plant) on Dec. 11. The treatment plant is gated and the hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays only. If you visit, be out of the plant by 1:45 p.m. so that plant personnel do not have to ask birders to leave. Do not drive on the dikes and do not block the road. The Trails at Pickering Ponds, located east of the plant, are not gated, and are always open during daylight hours.
A very-late migrating barn swallow has been seen in the same area during the past week and was last reported on Dec. 11.
A flock of approximately 25 Brant was seen on the Connecticut River in Hinsdale on Dec. 10.
Dovekies have been seen along the coast and in the Gulf of Maine during the past week, including 14 seen from Rye Harbor State Park on Dec. 7.
A thick-billed murre was seen on the coast on Dec. 6, and four razorbills were seen from Peirce Island in Portsmouth on Dec. 11.
A black-legged kittiwake was photographed on the Connecticut River in Hinsdale on Dec. 11; a lesser black-backed gull was seen in Rochester on the 8th; and an Iceland gull was seen in Salem on the 11th.
A male Barrow’s goldeneye was seen in Opechee Bay in Laconia on Dec. 9, and a hybrid of a common goldeneye and a Barrow’s goldeneye was photographed at Stark Landing on the Merrimack River in Manchester on Dec. 8.
A pair of gadwall was seen at Canobie Lake in Salem on Dec. 11, and a male wood duck was seen at Lucas Pond in Northwood on Dec. 8.
A snowy owl was seen in Hampton Marsh on Dec. 11.
A black vulture was seen soaring with a turkey vulture in East Kingston on Dec. 11. Two turkey vultures were seen in Durham, and single turkey vultures were seen in Dover and Barrington all during the past week.
A Northern shrike was seen in North Stratford on Dec. 10, and one was seen at the N.H. Audubon Thompson Sanctuary in North Sandwich on the 12th.
A great egret was seen at Rye Harbor on Dec. 6.
A flock of 26 Bohemian waxwings was seen in Twin Mountain on Dec. 11, and a flock of 14 was seen in Sandwich on the 12th.
A flock of 57 evening grosbeaks was seen in Twin Mountain on Dec. 11; a flock of 30 was seen visiting a birdfeeder in Berlin on the 11th; a flock of 18 was seen in North Sutton on the 10th; a flock of 14 was seen in Lyme Center on the 7th; and a flock of eight was seen in Wilmot on the 6th.
Six pine grosbeaks were seen from Hazen Road in Whitefield on Dec. 11, and 19 were seen in Sandwich on the 9th.
Two red crossbills were reported from Mount Monadnock on Dec. 10.
Two American pipits were seen at Woodmont Orchard in Hollis on Dec. 5.
Sixty snow buntings were seen at Hampton Beach State Park on Dec. 11, and a Lapland longspur was seen here on the 6th.
A Canada warbler continued to be seen at Beckman’s Landing in Seabrook during the past week, and was last reported on Dec. 10.
A pine warbler was seen at Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Newington on Dec. 9.
A ruby-crowned kinglet was seen in Seabrook on Dec. 11, and one was seen in Concord on the 7th.
A yellow-bellied sapsucker was seen in Walpole on Dec. 9, and one was seen in Durham on the 5th.
A gray catbird was seen in Barnstead on several days during the past week, and one was seen in Hollis on Dec. 10.
A chipping sparrow was seen in Conway on Dec. 11; one was seen in Northfield on the 7th; and one was seen in Walpole on the 7th.
A Carolina wren was reported from Gorham on Dec. 11.
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2022-12-17T11:48:32Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Rare Bird Alert | Outdoors | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/nh/outdoors/rare-bird-alert/article_76d2132a-8b38-53dd-a0f4-289d4fa98a01.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/nh/outdoors/rare-bird-alert/article_76d2132a-8b38-53dd-a0f4-289d4fa98a01.html
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John Boyd, farmer and president of the National Black Farmers Association, checks the condition of a soybean field for harvesting in Baskerville, Va., on Jan. 8, 2019.
John Boyd, farmer and president of the National Black Farmers Association, plants winter wheat in one of his fields in Baskerville, Va., on Jan. 8, 2019.
Texas Agricultural Commissioner Sid Miller arrives to meet with President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago Club on Dec. 30, 2016, in Palm Beach, Fla.
Ricky Carioti/Washington Post
Stephen Miller, at the time a senior adviser to President Donald Trump, at the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 24, 2017.
By Beth Reinhard and Josh Dawsey The Washington Post
The suit argued that the debt relief approved by Congress was unconstitutional because it excluded "white ethnic groups that have unquestionably suffered ethnic prejudice," referring to Irish, Italian, German and other European immigrants and Jews. Sid Miller is White, with primarily Scotch and Irish roots, but said in the lawsuit that he has 2 percent African American ancestry.
In some of the requests, AFL claims "widely recognized status as a representative of the news media" to expedite its requests.
"They step forward," Spicer said. "No one else on the right is doing what they are doing in terms of holding the administration accountable."
The ads, which included misleading and false claims about Biden's policies on racial and LGBTQ issues, were condemned by left-leaning civil rights groups. "They're trying to create mass hysteria and fear," said Joni Madison of the Human Rights Campaign.
AFL Vice President Gene Hamilton, who worked in Trump's justice and homeland security departments, defended the ads in a previous statement that speaks to the group's broader mission.
"The Biden administration and left-wing officials in education, business, and governments across the country are imposing policies that systemically and routinely discriminate against American citizens based solely on the color of their skin. That is illegal," he said. "Our advertisements make the point that racism is always wrong - regardless of who it is targeted against."
The Washington Post's Isaac Stanley-Becker contributed to this report.
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2022-12-17T13:50:00Z
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www.unionleader.com
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How a Trump-allied group fighting 'anti-white bigotry' beats Biden in court | Courts | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/how-a-trump-allied-group-fighting-anti-white-bigotry-beats-biden-in-court/article_102a48d4-d697-560e-a52e-1b63ae18b4fb.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/how-a-trump-allied-group-fighting-anti-white-bigotry-beats-biden-in-court/article_102a48d4-d697-560e-a52e-1b63ae18b4fb.html
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By Paul Kane The Washington Post
WASHINGTON - House Democrats won two-thirds of the most competitive races in November, leaving them narrowly in the minority but with at least 10 GOP-held seats ripe for the taking in 2024.
"Those discussions are ongoing. According to the caucus rules, the incoming leader will have until the middle of February or so to make that decision. I expect that it will happen much sooner than that," Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the incoming House minority leader, told reporters last week.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and his allies seem to be squarely focused on trying to tie together the legislative loose ends of the lame-duck session, before the House flips to GOP control when the new Congress is sworn in Jan. 3.
Two candidates, Reps. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) and Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.), emerged for the DCCC this year, but a clutch of Democrats began to campaign for a different way to pick the chair, leaving it in the hands of whomever the Democratic leader is, rather than an open campaign before the entire caucus.
That change won approval a few weeks ago, but it became clear that, if either Bera or Cárdenas were a popular enough choice, the caucus would have just gone ahead and elected one without changing the rules.
This has left Jeffries in a slight bind, trying to find the right person for a complex job that requires good candidate recruiting skills, fundraising acumen and a willingness to travel practically nonstop for two years. But he is also trying to walk the caucus's delicate tightrope of identity politics, aware that any choice could upset a faction of the caucus.
Democrats start the 2024 campaign in better-than-expected shape given that the November elections left Republicans clinging to a majority with just 222 seats and Democrats at 213. The battlefield starts out tilting in the Democratic direction.
That's due, at least in part, to how the GOP committees devoted resources in an uneven fashion, spending heavily to win deep-blue seats in suburbs outside New York and Los Angeles. But Republicans left a few more evenly divided seats undernourished in the Midwest, allowing Democrats to win despite a tough political climate.
Republicans hold 18 seats in districts that favored President Joe Biden in 2020, including five in which he defeated Donald Trump by more than 10 percentage points and five more that Biden won by at least 5 percentage points, according to officials with the DCCC and NRCC.
Democratic aides have said that Bera and Cárdenas have received interviews with Jeffries, but the field has expanded and the longer the process takes, the less likely the decision lands on one of those two.
Those mentioned include Reps. Don Beyer (Va.), a top DCCC fundraiser; Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), who for four years has chaired a select climate committee; Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), a former chairwoman of the New Democrat Coalition; Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas), a prolific fundraiser who won a GOP seat in 2018 and is now in a safe district; and Robin Kelly (Ill.), who has served as the Illinois Democratic Party chairwoman.
Now Democrats have given Jeffries the power to make the choice - but he still hasn't made it.
Schumer's first excuse for not naming a new campaign chief was Georgia, where Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) had to compete in a runoff election last week to lock down the 51st seat for the Democratic caucus.
But it's also true that there are very few Democrats angling for the job - and very few might be an overestimate. So far no one has stepped forward to indicate any interest.
And it will take one of Schumer's best sales jobs to land a DSCC chair, given the political landscape.
Beyond that potential candidates get floated through conversations among campaign operatives, former Senate aides who now lobby and media types, spitballing names into the ether to see if any are interested. HuffPost approached a half-dozen Democrats or their aides earlier this week, and the responses all came back the same: "Zero interest."
This Senate class has posed previous problems for Democratic leaders to find a campaign boss. In late 2010, heading into the 2012 cycle, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) got rebuffed by several choices before he finally cajoled Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) into taking over the DSCC, in addition to her leadership post and committee chairmanship.
Now Schumer, who is known for playing his heavy role at the campaign shop, will have to spend even more time finding someone to lead the uphill campaign for the next two years.
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2022-12-17T13:50:06Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Despite midterm success, Democrats struggle to find next campaign chiefs | Voters First | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/voters/despite-midterm-success-democrats-struggle-to-find-next-campaign-chiefs/article_41d4872e-8237-5fec-b8b4-383d02a0cccb.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/voters/despite-midterm-success-democrats-struggle-to-find-next-campaign-chiefs/article_41d4872e-8237-5fec-b8b4-383d02a0cccb.html
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Every year the National Park Service announces free entrance days into national parks across the United States.
In 2023, visitors will get five free days to visit national parks.
“The entrance fee-free days encourage people to discover the beauty, history and inspiration awaiting them in more than 400 national parks throughout the country,” National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said in a Dec. 8 news release.
The free days include:
There are 423 National Park Service sites in the U.S., and about 100 of them have entrance fees, which range from $5 to $35.
About 80% to 100% of the fees is spent on the national park, officials said.
“The funds are used to enhance the visitor experience by providing programs and services, habitat restoration and infrastructure maintenance and repair,” park officials said in the release.
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2022-12-17T13:50:11Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Planning a national parks trip in 2023? Going on these days could save you some money | Travel | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/nh/travel/planning-a-national-parks-trip-in-2023-going-on-these-days-could-save-you-some/article_acb8c5fc-81d9-55d1-a95c-3eab6e56dcb5.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/nh/travel/planning-a-national-parks-trip-in-2023-going-on-these-days-could-save-you-some/article_acb8c5fc-81d9-55d1-a95c-3eab6e56dcb5.html
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By Matthew Stolle Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
Four years ago, during the 2018 World Cup between France and Croatia, Camila went into labor. Cedric watched the game on a hospital TV screen. That was a good day for Cedric. France won the World Cup. He was blessed with a new-born son. And his wife turned to him and said, "You going to pay attention to me now."
Still in doubt? When asked about their marriage's ability to survive the World Cup outcome, given the national emotions stirred by the contest, Cedric offers a message of reassurance.
"Only because it's Messi," Cedric said.
"I would be bitter if France lost," Cedric said. "But because of Messi, I would be OK with it."
The World Cup is described for the benefit of American audiences as soccer's Super Bowl, but with four times the intensity because it happens only once every four years. It is also a more global event. There is no shortage of story lines to the game.
Cedric compares Messi to the NFL's old man of the game, Tom Brady. And he compares France's Kylian Mbappé, a 23-year-old soccer phenom some have compared to Brazil's legendary Pelé, to Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes.
"You could look at it that way. It is the new and the old," he said.
Camila and Cedric met in Mount Washington, New Hampshire. Camila worked at a coffee shop. Cedric worked as a pastry chef. Camila said Cedric follows the sport more closely than she does (he also talks more smack), but that the Argentine fan base is more ardent and passionate. And she has not been immune from the sense of infectious celebration that has convulsed her native country.
Growing up in soccer-obsessed Argentina, Camila recalled how she and other students would gather in the school gymnasium to watch the national team play in past World Cups. The streets would empty.
"They wouldn't do anything else," she said.
And it has been exciting, Camila said, to see the people of Argentina celebrating in the streets in this latest version of the World Cup after each victory. When Argentina defeated Croatia to advance to the title game, the main avenue of Buenos Aires was "just a sea of people," Camila said.
"It was so emotional, because you see all the people, the flag, everybody together in the streets," Camila said. "It's just very unique."
Camila and Cedric said they imagined the possibility that Argentina and France would meet in the World Cup. At one point, they thought the teams would cross paths at the quarterfinal stage.
"I didn't want that to happen. I didn't want France to eliminate Argentina so soon," Cedric said, revealing a certain confidence in the outcome.
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2022-12-17T15:43:14Z
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www.unionleader.com
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She is from Argentina. He is from France. And, yes, they will survive the World Cup | Back Page | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/back_page/she-is-from-argentina-he-is-from-france-and-yes-they-will-survive-the-world/article_597b5894-af15-5747-9b6f-249e36a25d07.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/back_page/she-is-from-argentina-he-is-from-france-and-yes-they-will-survive-the-world/article_597b5894-af15-5747-9b6f-249e36a25d07.html
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News & Record, Greensboro, N.C.
For 65 years, Todaro and his father before him have run La Nova. Ten years ago, the restaurant's website said it employed 150 employees, brought in $30 million a year and had more than 500 distributors nationwide. Since then, La Nova has continued to expand. It has become an official sponsor for the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres and sells its pizza at their home games.
One of his nephews is behind bars, convicted of possessing guns while dealing drugs. A second, Peter Gerace Jr., is awaiting trial in connection with an ongoing federal "Italian Organized Crime" investigation, accused of paying bribes to a DEA agent to avoid arrest for drug dealing.
Joseph Todaro, Gerace's uncle, "is the current boss of the Buffalo LCN family," Homeland Security Investigations Agent Curtis Ryan wrote, using the abbreviation for La Cosa Nostra, in a 2019 report on the interrogation of the former DEA agent.
Todaro, 77, calls the accusations "nonsense." He says he has no links to organized crime, despises illegal drugs for the ruin they cause and has disavowed his nephews. He describes himself as a hard worker who started in the pizza business when he was a boy working with his father, Joseph E. Todaro, who died in 2012.
"Throughout the '70s and '80s, the government had round-the-clock surveillance, wiretaps, full-time embedded informants, a specialized task force, all supervised by some very skilled and tenacious prosecutors," said Boreanaz, who now represents Todaro.
"Since then and for the last 50 years, it's been nothing but rumors, reports and stories fueled by an ugly stereotype of Italian Americans," the attorney said.
The FBI has claimed in court documents that Todaro's father and, later, Todaro took control of the local Mafia at some point after longtime mob boss Stefano Magaddino, a Lewiston resident, died in 1974.
The organized crime accusations against the Todaros go back decades, even before Magaddino's death.
In May 1967, just days before Joseph A. Todaro was to marry the former Carol A. Panaro, law enforcement officers raided his stag party and arrested him, his father and 34 other men. Authorities described it as "Little Apalachin," a reference to when Mafia chieftains met in 1957 in the upstate community, confirming there was a national organized crime network.
Those attending the West Side stag were charged with "consorting with known criminals." All counts were dismissed in Buffalo City Court later that day.
In 1970, Todaro and his father were among five people charged with running illegal gambling junkets to Las Vegas on jets they rented. The FBI dubbed the operation "Flying Fleece," accusing the five of running mid-air dice and card games. But the aerial gambling case ended in no convictions.
In 1976, Faust A. Novino shot his way out of an attempt to kill him in a Connecticut Street building. The shooting wounded John Sacco, an underworld figure who famously told police arriving at the scene, "Nobody shot me," as he lay bleeding from bullet wounds. Breaking years of silence, Novino testified at a 1993 federal perjury trial that a man who "looked like Joe Todaro Jr." was present at the ambush.
"I know Joe Sr. pocketed a million dollars and Joe Jr. pocketed close to $600,000 or $700,000," Bruce asserted. "They had all this money in their pocket, and the theory was, why did they need to go out and break heads? The mob is all about making money, and they had their money."
On a YouTube video in February 2021, Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, a notorious mob hitman, talked about a 1985 trip to Florida to meet with the Todaros.
This is Gravano's account: After the 1985 murder of Paul Castellano — who had been the head of the five Mafia families in New York City — John Gotti requested that Gravano meet with Todaro's father. Gotti had heard Todaro's father planned to kill Gotti in revenge for the killing of Castellano. Gravano said that after he met with Joseph E. Todaro and discussed their differences, the father asked Gravano to also meet with his son.
"I had good shoes, Italian made shoes, a good pair of slacks and an Italian knit shirt," Gravano said in the YouTube podcast, adding that Todaro was dressed in a shirt, Bermuda shorts and sandals.
"By this time we're in the water, up to my ankles. I'm saying to myself this guy is ... nuts. We're walking in the ocean now. He's worried about a bug? My shoes are on, my socks are on, my pants are ... soaking wet, everything is wet and we're still walking," Gravano said.
Gravano said he repeated a pointed message he had already delivered to Todaro's father: Gotti wasn't worried about a newspaper report that Todaro was planning to kill him over the Castellano murder. Gotti had enough soldiers to kill anyone he viewed as a threat.
"I brought it to his attention too, we have 100 shooters. His face, his lips puckered up a little. He nodded. He seemed to be a little impressed with that number," Gravano said.
"I couldn't help myself. I said Joe, 'I'm soaking ... wet.' My wallet, my money was in my pocket. 'How ... far out are we going to walk? This don't even make sense, bro. I'm a little guy. I'm ... five-foot nothing. We keep going, I'm going to drown. I wonder what John Gotti is gonna say about that?'
" 'Oh, you'll be alright Sammy. We'll get everything tailored and fixed for you. Don't worry about it.' I'm not worried about it, really. I just think it's strange. We talked a little while longer and came back out. I never experienced anything like that in my life," Gravano said.
The Buffalo News made several attempts to reach Gravano for a comment on Todaro's claim, but he did not respond.
'People would go to jail for him'
Given their failure over the decades to convict Todaro — and the fact that he hasn't been charged with anything in 39 years — why do federal prosecutors assert Todaro heads the Buffalo's Mafia?
The U.S. Attorney's Office repeatedly refused to discuss its ongoing Buffalo organized crime investigation, and the court filings that name Todaro don't provide the answer.
Just five years ago, an FBI leader had pronounced organized crime in Buffalo as all but dead. In 2017, Adam S. Cohen, then the special agent in charge of the FBI's Buffalo office, said that while former Mafia figures were still around, "... their organized crime activities don't exist anymore."
The ongoing federal investigation into organized crime has already resulted in prison terms for Todaro's nephew Anthony Gerace for possessing weapons while dealing drugs and for Buffalo high school teacher Michael Masecchia, whom authorities called a Mafia associate, for selling more than a ton of marijuana and possessing weapons. Still awaiting sentencing is Joseph Bella, a business owner identified by prosecutors as an organized crime associate, who has pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine and a firearm. Awaiting trial are Todaro's other nephew, Peter Gerace Jr., and former DEA Agent Joseph Bongiovanni, who is accused of accepting $250,000 in bribes from Masecchia, Peter Gerace and others who prosecutors say he believed were associated with Italian organized crime.
In 2017, Canadian authorities said a Hamilton drug trafficker named Domenico Violi was appointed by Todaro as the "underboss" of the Buffalo mob family.
Todaro has denied that claim, but retired Canadian mob investigator Stephen Metelsky told The News the report is "authentic."
Metelsky said Todaro and other suspected mobsters in Buffalo are extremely careful and have been in "turtle mode" for many years.
"I'm not putting fellow agents down, and this is my personal opinion," said Andrew "Andy" Goralski, a retired FBI agent who investigated organized crime in the 1990s. "At the time, the FBI missed a chance to go after the upper level, and why is a reasonable question to ask."
Goralski said he and a fellow agent would stop by the West Side La Nova monthly for "a slice" and to let Todaro know he was on their radar.
"Joe Jr. was always very, very cautious of what was going on at the business because he was concerned about forfeiture," Goralski said, referring to the prosecutors' practice of seizing assets. "We never saw a member in there, except one day, there was a street boss. They were right in the dining area, and Joe Jr.'s jaw just dropped. They were talking but we couldn't hear."
"It wasn't from any lack of due diligence from any law enforcement agencies, but nothing was coming up on these guys," Bruce said.
Peter Ahearn, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Buffalo office after suspected mob-connected people left Local 210, said the bureau continued to take meaningful actions.
"We were targeting members of the group under the Todaros to see if we could go up the chain. We prosecuted several underlings of the family," Ahearn said, but added that they could not come up with evidence to make a broader racketeering case that showed suspected leaders were directing criminal activity.
Ronald M. Fino, who was an informant against the Buffalo mob in the 1990s, said he doesn't believe the current investigation will produce charges against Todaro.
"They are shielded by others," said Fino, who had Todaro as a groomsman at his 1970 wedding. "They have a long line. You have to go after their shields and have them cooperate, and that is expensive."
Said Fino: "There are people who would go to jail for him."
Todaro's pizza empire
Whatever Todaro may be, his restaurant appears to be a success. Todaro says that his father gave up work as a carpenter in 1957 to open the first La Nova pizzeria at Seymour and Niagara streets in the City of Tonawanda. When urban renewal decimated Tonawanda's downtown in the 1960s, the restaurant moved to Buffalo, settling at the corner of West Ferry and Hampshire streets, where it remains.
At 12 years old, the son started working at the restaurant. Over the years, La Nova opened a second restaurant in Amherst. It became the official pizza sold at Buffalo Bisons, Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres games, according to its website. La Nova Wings, based in Cheektowaga, started selling chicken wings and wing sauces to restaurants around the country, and La Nova started shipping pizza and wings to its out-of-state customers, according to Todaro and information on the company's website.
"When we moved from Tonawanda, we were selling maybe 10 or 11 pizzas a day," Todaro said as he took a News reporter on a tour of the West Side restaurant. Prosperity, he said, came when "we introduced the white pizza and barbecued chicken wings."
By the fall of 1998, the Todaros were featured on the front page of Pizza Marketing Quarterly, a trade magazine, with a headline stating: "America's Busiest Pizzeria: How they do $100,000 per week."
Todaro and Robert Boreanaz wouldn't provide current sales or employment figures.
After the May racist shootings that took the lives of 10 Black people at the Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue, La Nova provided more than 100 sheet pizzas to the affected community, according to Todaro's attorney.
"He never forgot where he came from, his West Side roots. He invested in the old neighborhood when nobody wanted a part of it," Masiello said.
He added: "He is an innovative genius when it comes to food. Look what he pioneered, different flavored chicken wings and pizzas that had different kinds of crust and toppings. He's done very well, and he shares his largess with community organizations and he hires a lot of people from the neighborhood who, without La Nova, wouldn't have jobs."
Of the government's claims that Todaro heads local organized crime, Masiello said, "I don't know anything about that, and I don't believe it."
Like many businesspeople, Todaro donates to political campaigns. La Nova Pizzeria and La Nova Wings have donated $3,300 to Mayor Byron W. Brown's campaigns. Brown spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge declined to comment.
One of those donations to Brown, a $500 contribution made in 2017, was made the same year federal prosecutors in New York City issued a press release that mentioned the "Todaro organized crime family" in connection with drug-trafficking mobsters downstate and in Canada.
"There's no mob in Buffalo, and I know everybody. It's all a fantasy," Paladino said. "Joe Todaro makes a great pizza. He's a wonderful friend and he is well-respected in the community because of his charitable works."
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2022-12-17T15:43:27Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Who is Joe Todaro and why do the feds say this pizzeria owner runs the Buffalo mob? | Crime | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/who-is-joe-todaro-and-why-do-the-feds-say-this-pizzeria-owner-runs-the/article_06687035-2106-56b4-a761-441ebb67dfad.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/who-is-joe-todaro-and-why-do-the-feds-say-this-pizzeria-owner-runs-the/article_06687035-2106-56b4-a761-441ebb67dfad.html
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DOT work scheduled for tolls in Hooksett, Everett Turnpike on Tuesday
Provided by NH DOT
The New Hampshire Department of Transportation will temporarily close the southbound Open Road Toll lanes at the Hooksett Toll Plaza on Interstate 93 for maintenance work.
Weather permitting the work is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The closure is necessary to perform routine maintenance on the overhead equipment. All motorists will be guided via signs and traffic cones to the non-ORT portion of the Hooksett Toll Plaza where they will proceed through either dedicated E-ZPass lane or cash lanes.
Also, the NHDOT will use rolling roadblocks on the Everett Turnpike in Nashua at two locations to allow for the lashing of a new cable between existing poles over the highway.
State Police will lead intermittent rolling road blocks in the northbound and southbound travel lanes near Exit 1 on Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 11 p.m., and near Exit 4 on Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 11 p.m. Weather may delay the start of the work each night.
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2022-12-17T15:43:33Z
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www.unionleader.com
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DOT work scheduled for tolls in Hooksett, Everett Turnpike on Tuesday | Public Safety | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/safety/dot-work-scheduled-for-tolls-in-hooksett-everett-turnpike-on-tuesday/article_6f8f2422-2b73-5b60-b605-3821d8bf5da3.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/safety/dot-work-scheduled-for-tolls-in-hooksett-everett-turnpike-on-tuesday/article_6f8f2422-2b73-5b60-b605-3821d8bf5da3.html
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By Donna St. George The Washington Post
Research shows that private school salaries vary considerably, often linked to the size and type of school, he said. Smaller schools typically pay less, and elite independent schools tend to pay more. Still, it's not always easy for private school teachers to move to public schools, Welner said, unless they have required credentials.
The survey also showed that, as before, teachers worked more hours than their contracts required - an average of 52 hours a week for full-timers in public and private schools despite contracts that required 38 or 39 hours.
Teachers working longer hours did not mean more instruction for students. Compared with 2015-16, full-time public school teachers spent two hours less delivering lessons - 25 hours in 2020-21, down from 27 hours five years earlier.
About 17 percent of the full-time public and private school educators held an outside job - at a time when the turmoil and hardship of the pandemic added to the load that teachers and their students were shouldering.
"The 2020-21 school year made considerable demands on educators," said NCES Commissioner Peggy G. Carr. "The efforts to keep students safe and learning resulted in long hours for teachers and principals across the country - shifting priorities, additional instructional support, more communication with parents, and much greater challenges for staffing schools. Teacher vacancies plagued a large proportion of public and private schools during this time.
The teacher and principal workforce was not diverse - another longtime trend. In public schools, 80 percent of public school teachers were White, 9 percent were Hispanic, 6 percent were Black and 2 percent were Asian - similar to the private school workforce. Three-quarters were women, with an average age of 43.
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2022-12-17T17:31:55Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Study: Public schools paid teachers more than private ones in 2020-21 | Education | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/education/study-public-schools-paid-teachers-more-than-private-ones-in-2020-21/article_52214cda-f0e8-5013-bc2f-8cab2769859f.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/education/study-public-schools-paid-teachers-more-than-private-ones-in-2020-21/article_52214cda-f0e8-5013-bc2f-8cab2769859f.html
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From left, Scott Schwartz as Flick, R.D. Robb as Schwartz, Peter Billingsley as Ralphie and River Drosche as Mark in “A Christmas Story Christmas,” a new sequel to the 1983 classic.
books-christmas
Yana Blajeva/Warner Bros. Pictures
By Samuel G. Freedman Special to The Washington Post
Late on a weekday afternoon in November 1983, I sat amid the scattered handful of moviegoers in a multiplex on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, awaiting the opening frames of the new film “A Christmas Story.” The measly turnout confirmed my sense of being part of a cult following, one of those fortunate few who shared the inside joke that was the humor of Jean Shepherd.
I had grown up in central New Jersey, well within range of Shepherd’s nightly radio show on WOR, and as a teenager had treasured the short stories about his Indiana childhood in the collections “In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash” and “Wanda Hickey’s Night of Golden Memories.” As the credits on “A Christmas Story” indicated, the movie was based on those books, with a screenplay partly written by Shepherd. The moment the voice-over began, I recognized Shepherd’s own voice doing the narration.
While “A Christmas Story” logged a few decent weeks at the box office, at least for an indie film with a budget of just $3.25 million, it performed as a boutique item, attracting the fan base from Shepherd’s radio show, books and public-television series. Its 1983 box office total of $13.2 million ranked 53rd, and for the full year of 1984, its $6.1 million take lagged at No. 111.
By this holiday season, nearly 40 years later, “A Christmas Story” qualifies as an unexpected juggernaut, a yuletide staple akin to “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The home-video version had sold $66 million worth of copies by the end of 2021. The film has spun off a Broadway musical with a national tour and a live TV performance, as well as two movie sequels, including this fall’s “A Christmas Story Christmas.” Since 1997, Turner Broadcasting has aired a 24-hour marathon of the original from Christmas Eve through Christmas Day.
Yet the phenomenon of “A Christmas Story” leaves those of us familiar with Shepherd as a writer wondering just how many of the multitude of viewers ever read, or even know of, the original short stories, which both inform and interestingly differ from the film. As Eugene B. Bergmann put it in his 2005 biography, “Excelsior, You Fathead!: The Art and Enigma of Jean Shepherd”: “Ask ten people who Jean Shepherd was and maybe two will know. Ask them all if they know of A Christmas Story and nine of them will know . . . but probably only a few will realize that the movie is a Shepherd creation . . . based on written stories; the written stories based on tales spun live on the air.”
As Bergmann pointed out, Shepherd began shaping the tales of his boyhood in the steel-mill town of Hammond, Indiana (which he renamed as Hohman), during his nightly show on WOR from 1955 until 1977. Sometimes, he would free-associate about philosophy and literature; at other times, though, he would embroider his childhood experiences during the Depression into works of audio fiction.
Shepherd’s on-air style anticipated the spoken-word narratives of Garrison Keillor and Spalding Gray and inspired Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of an overnight disc jockey in the film “The King of Marvin Gardens.” No less a scholar of mass media than Marshall McLuhan praised Shepherd for utilizing “radio as a new medium for a new kind of novel that he writes nightly.”
By the mid-1960s, Shepherd began adapting his autobiographical monologues into stories, initially for Playboy magazine and then for his books. The plot of “A Christmas Story” — the misadventures of stand-ins for a youthful Shepherd, here named Ralph, and his parents and younger brother — was assembled from pieces of a half-dozen different stories in “In God We Trust” and “Wanda Hickey.”
The overarching narrative, inasmuch as the episodic film has one, depicts Ralph’s pining for a BB gun for Christmas and (spoiler alert) the near-realization of the warning from his mother, teacher and even department store Santa that “you’ll shoot your eye out.” Other comic set pieces in the film — an attack on the family’s Christmas turkey by a hillbilly neighbor’s hounds; Ralph’s fixation on a decoding game from the “Little Orphan Annie” radio show; his father getting the sweepstakes prize of a lamp shaped like a showgirl’s sexy leg — stood alone in their initial literary versions.
As craftily as Shepherd and the film’s director, Bob Clark, massaged the mishmash into a relatively cohesive whole, the sentimental tone of “A Christmas Story” belies the subtler textures of the original stories and the deep awareness of human frailty that permeated even Shepherd’s funniest yarns. In that respect, in rereading “In God We Trust” and “Wanda Hickey” recently, I was brought to mind of the mordant, tragicomic wit of novelist T.C. Boyle.
Although Shepherd’s father held an office job for a bread company, young Jean grew up in a blue-collar town ravaged by the Depression, came to adulthood serving in World War II and never lost sight of such grim realities. Setting the scene early in his story “Duel in the Snow,” he wrote: “Off on the far horizon, beyond the railroad yards and the great refinery tanks, lay our own private mountain range. Dark and mysterious, cold and uninhabited, outlined against the steel-gray skies of Indiana winter, the Mills. It was the Depression, and the natives had been idle so long that they no longer even considered themselves out of work. Work had ceased to exist, so how could you be out of it? A few here and there picked up a day or so a month at the Roundhouse or the Freight Yards or the slag heaps at the Mill, but mostly they just spent their time clipping out coupons.”
It took Shepherd just one or two unfussy sentences, embedded within the surrounding humor, to paint life’s aches and losses. Watching Ralph head off to a junior prom dance, his father cruelly comments within his wife’s earshot: “Yep. Too many guys settle for the first skirt that shows up. And regret it the rest of their lives.”
In the new film “A Christmas Story Christmas,” the adult Ralph returns to Hohman and is reunited with his childhood friends Flick and Schwartz. But in the final story of “In God We Trust,” similarly set on a grown-up visit back home, there is a radically different tone when Ralph stops by Flick’s tavern:
”’Too bad Schwartz couldn’t have been here,’ I said.”
”Flick grunted, busy with his change counting. We both knew that Schwartz had been shot down over Italy. They never found him.”
The adult Ralph who narrates “In God We Trust” speaks of his “despised hometown” and is acutely aware that as a New Yorker now, he fully fits in to neither place. “I looked again at my Rolex,” Shepherd writes toward the book’s end. “For some reason I didn’t quite recognize it at first as belonging to my arm. Somehow that sleeve and that watch all belonged in New York. Another world. Back there they would probably not even believe there was such a man as Flick.”
”A Christmas Story” made Shepherd rich, and more famous than ever, by the time he died in 1999 at age 78. And certainly it led many new readers to his books; the copy of “In God We Trust” that I recently bought was the title’s 55th printing in its 56-year history. But the film’s many charms are also simpler, more slapstick, than its genesis on radio and in print.
”Innocence is ever so pleasant,” Bergmann observes in his biography, “but leaving Eden for a more unsettling understanding is part of the tragedy and triumph of being a fully human adult. Shepherd insisted on it.”
Samuel G. Freedman is the author of the forthcoming book “Into the Bright Sunshine: Young Hubert Humphrey and the Fight for Civil Rights.”
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2022-12-17T20:56:23Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Do you know the stories behind 'A Christmas Story'? | | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/do-you-know-the-stories-behind-a-christmas-story/article_5093ccb1-1576-59fb-812c-3fd732b84dab.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/do-you-know-the-stories-behind-a-christmas-story/article_5093ccb1-1576-59fb-812c-3fd732b84dab.html
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The USS America pulls into Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, July 21, 2014. The Navy announced Dec. 13, 2022, that a future America class ship will be named the USS Fallujah to commemorate battles fought by Marines in Iraq.
Scott Pittman/U.S. Navy
By Jonathan Snyder Stars and Stripes
"It is an honor to memorialize the Marines, Soldiers, and coalition partners that fought valiantly and those that sacrificed their lives during both battles of Fallujah," Del Toro said at a press briefing. "This namesake deserves to be in the pantheon of iconic Marine Corps battles and the [amphibious assault ship's] unique capabilities will serve as a stark reminder to everyone around the world of the bravery, courage, and commitment to freedom displayed by those who fought in the battle."
America-class warships are the largest amphibious assault vessels in the Navy's fleet. They carry Marines to the scene of conflict or disaster, where their aircraft move them from ship to shore.
They are also small aircraft carriers designed to carry the F-35B Lightning II, a fighter capable of vertical takeoffs and short-landings, and the MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.
The two ships of its class in service — the America and Tripoli — were built with enlarged hangar decks, enhanced aviation maintenance facilities, increased aviation fuel capacity and additional aviation storerooms, according to the Navy.
America-class ships also provide a broader, more flexible command-and-control capability.
A third ship in the class, the USS Bougainville, is under construction at Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula, Miss., and is expected to join the fleet in 2024, according to a Navy factsheet.
The two battles fought in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004, first in April and again in November and December, are considered the bloodiest fighting of the Iraq War and the fiercest urban combat involving Marines since the Battle of Hue City in 1968. More than 100 coalition troops were killed and over 600 wounded, according to the Navy.
Amphibious assault ships are traditionally named after U.S. Marine Corps battles, early U.S. sailing ships or legacy names of earlier carriers from World War II, according to the Navy.
The First Battle of Fallujah was an effort to capture or kill insurgents responsible for the killing of four U.S. contractors, according to the Navy. The Second Battle of Fallujah, fought between Nov. 7 and Dec. 23, 2004, was a major U.S.-led offensive to retake control of the city from insurgents and foreign fighters.
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger heralded the Navy announcement on his Twitter account Tuesday.
"At Fallujah, Marines and coalition forces defeated a determined enemy," he said. "The USS Fallujah will serve as a reminder to our Nation and its foes why the USMC is the world's finest."
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2022-12-17T20:56:35Z
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www.unionleader.com
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USS Fallujah: Future Navy amphibious assault ship will honor Marine battles in Iraq | Military | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/military/uss-fallujah-future-navy-amphibious-assault-ship-will-honor-marine-battles-in-iraq/article_0ce256ad-2e4a-5808-8785-0e426e7137c9.html
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WHENEVER you do business with someone, you expect them to have values, be honest and not have criminal intent. The vast majority of the time, that is true. But unfortunately, there are exceptions. And when fraud happens in business, it’s usually very serious.
This past week, Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange, was arrested and charged with defrauding thousands of customers. The news shocked many, as memories of the collapse of Enron in 2001 resurfaced. You’d think all of the regulations, controls and laws that have been put into place since then would have prevented something like this from happening. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
I never jumped on the cryptocurrency train. I know a lot of people who have invested large amounts of money into crypto. Some have done well. However, I know several people who used FTX and are now facing the grim reality that they were defrauded. It’s a very sad situation for many, and hopefully the people who were involved in this criminal enterprise are held accountable. It’s highly unlikely investors will recoup their money, and that’s the most devastating part of the story.
There was another recent story about a New Hampshire contractor who took deposits from several people in Massachusetts and never did the work. This type of fraud isn’t as surprising as being defrauded by a large financial institution, but it’s still hard to comprehend how someone could do something like that and get away with it for so long.
Whenever you are considering doing business with someone, you really need to do your due diligence. When you’re dealing with large, reputable companies, the risk of being taken advantage of is low. But if you’re considering doing business with someone for the first time, it’s important to do your research and ensure the person and organization are legitimate. Here are a few suggestions on ways you can protect yourself and not end up losing your hard-earned money.
These days, you can read reviews about almost everything. From products to companies, people often take the time to share their experiences with others. It’s extremely valuable and can often shed light on what you can expect. Look for reviews in various places, such as Google and social media platforms. If you are looking for reviews and can’t find any, that should be a major red flag. Be skeptical, and if you are questioning the legitimacy of an organization, go with your gut.
Talk to other customers
Prior customers are your best source of information. Anytime I am considering a major purchase, I ask to speak to a few of their most recent customers. Even in business, if we’re considering investing in new technologies, I spend the time talking to people who have purchased whatever I am considering buying. Ask the tough questions and talk to multiple people. If someone can’t or won’t provide referrals for you to talk to, that’s another sign that something isn’t right.
Check the legitimacy of the business
I am a big fan of the Better Business Bureau. You can go online, research companies and read detailed reviews and complaints from consumers. It’s a great way to learn more and ensure you are dealing with a legitimate company. You can also file formal complaints with the Better Business Bureau if you believe a company has done something wrong or illegal.
It’s impossible to completely stop fraud in business, but there are things we can all do to protect ourselves. Be diligent, do your research and be skeptical of companies you are doing business with for the first time.
I strongly believe the vast majority of people and organizations are legitimate and not out to do harm. Unfortunately, it only takes a few bad characters to instill skepticism in our minds.
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2022-12-18T01:52:23Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Closing the Deal: Fraud in business is concerning | Business | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/columns/closing-the-deal-fraud-in-business-is-concerning/article_7b613718-628d-59b9-99e1-deb159f79607.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/columns/closing-the-deal-fraud-in-business-is-concerning/article_7b613718-628d-59b9-99e1-deb159f79607.html
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A CONNECTICUT 401(k) participant wants to know if she should avoid rolling over her 401(k) to an individual retirement account (IRA) because 401(k)s are protected from claims of creditors. If she does a rollover to an IRA, will she lose creditor protection?
That’s a question that is most relevant to individuals who are fearful of being sued. The answer may depend on the state you live in. For example, in my home state, Connecticut, creditor protection extends to both IRAs and 401(k)s. That is not the case in all states.
But even in other states, there may be IRA protection in the case of bankruptcy, as I’ll explain with the help of tax expert attorney Edward A. Renn of Withers Bergman LLP (tinyurl.com/2s3u2ded). Renn advises ultra-high-net-worth individuals on tax, estate planning and other private client concerns. Withers is an international law firm with offices in Connecticut, New York, London, Geneva, Singapore and other places.
We’ll talk about two federal laws first, then state laws.
• ERISA. There is a federal statute (ERISA — the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) that protects retirement plans such as 401(k)s against claims of creditors. The exceptions are spouses who have a right to claim 401(k) assets through the courts (for example, in the case of a divorce). Another exception is a claim by the federal government.
ERISA does not extend its protections to IRAs.
• Bankruptcy. A federal bankruptcy statute (the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BABCPA)) does protect IRAs from creditors, no matter what state an account holder may live in.
To benefit, you have to file bankruptcy.
Protection for rollover IRAs is unlimited in dollar amount. Rollover IRAs are funded with rollovers or transfers from qualified plans, such as 401(k)s. Protection for IRAs that you yourself funded (contributory IRAs) is capped at approximately $1.5 million. The cap is due to increase in 2025 for cost-of-living adjustments.
That’s good reason to set up a new rollover IRA account for accepting 401(k) rollover assets, instead of using an existing IRA that you funded yourself.
• States. Certain states, such as Connecticut, address IRA creditor protection by statute.
The Connecticut statute protecting IRAs from creditors is Section 52-321(a) of the Connecticut General Statutes. Protection is not limited in dollar amount.
In Connecticut, protection extends to owners of IRAs whether the IRA is set up to receive the rollover from the 401(k) or the IRA is one that you set up with your own contributions.
The exceptions are qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs); recovery of costs of incarceration; and recovery of damages by a victim of crime (tinyurl.com/mrm2kawu).
In other states that offer protection, there may be a dollar limit. For example, in Maine, the dollar amount protected is limited to $15,000. In California, the dollar amount protected is subject to court review of the debtor’s situation.
If you are concerned about potential creditor claims against your IRA, you do need to know the rules of your state. Make sure to seek legal counsel specialized in this area of the law. Your 401(k) will be protected in all states.
On another note, people seeking asset protection for other assets will likely come across international asset protection trusts.
“The asset protection trust industry was born from doctors who couldn’t get enough malpractice insurance,” according to attorney Blake Harris of Blake Harris Law (blakeharrislaw.com). The primary jurisdiction for such trusts is the Cook Islands, located in the South Pacific.
Asset protection trusts are for protection against lawsuits, explained Harris, not for evading taxes.
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2022-12-18T01:52:29Z
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www.unionleader.com
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'Your Money': Creditor protection for IRAs? | Business | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/columns/your-money-creditor-protection-for-iras/article_a98a35fc-8050-5ec6-b0c4-852154dfb27c.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/columns/your-money-creditor-protection-for-iras/article_a98a35fc-8050-5ec6-b0c4-852154dfb27c.html
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By Renata Geraldo The Seattle Times
Since Picnic was founded in 2016, its robots have assembled pizzas in many places, including Seattle’s T-Mobile Park and the Las Vegas Convention Center. The company has seen a growing interest in its robots. This summer, Picnic announced partnerships with pizzeria Moto’s West Seattle location and a Domino’s store in Berlin, Germany.
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2022-12-18T01:52:47Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Seattle startups bring robots to coffee, pizza prep | Business | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/seattle-startups-bring-robots-to-coffee-pizza-prep/article_d75cca86-5f51-5046-825e-b2eac4ace9e1.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/seattle-startups-bring-robots-to-coffee-pizza-prep/article_d75cca86-5f51-5046-825e-b2eac4ace9e1.html
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In all, the pieces stolen from one of Europe’s greatest art collections contained more than 4,300 diamonds with an estimated value of more than $120 million.
The returned pieces will be examined by specialists “to confirm their authenticity and intactness,” authorities said. Pieces still missing include an epaulet on which a precious stone known as the Dresden White Diamond was mounted.
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2022-12-18T01:53:06Z
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www.unionleader.com
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German police recover bulk of booty from $120 mln Dresden diamonds heist | Crime | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/german-police-recover-bulk-of-booty-from-120-mln-dresden-diamonds-heist/article_51b85000-b55c-5f6d-bbc2-01a8efe19f25.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/german-police-recover-bulk-of-booty-from-120-mln-dresden-diamonds-heist/article_51b85000-b55c-5f6d-bbc2-01a8efe19f25.html
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Ken Snow speaks with fellow RiverWoods Manchester residents Ann and Karl Hentz in an upstairs lobby. Snow, a retired social worker, says he has struggled since the death of his wife, but support from his friends and neighbors has helped him make progress.
Ken Snow wipes away tears while talking about his late wife at RiverWoods Manchester. The longtime social worker and former state representative said nothing prepared him for how shattered he would feel when his wife of 58 years died in September.
Ed Mahoney leads the Remembering Together storytelling group at the Cashin Senior Activity Center, a program sponsored by the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester and the Manchester City Library.
Counselors urge seniors to find meaningful activities and connect with others to benefit their mental health.
Ken Snow recently moved into the assisted living area at RiverWoods in Manchester, at the request of his grown children, who worried about him living alone.
Dale Knapschaefer, 95, of Manchester talks about his time in the Navy during at a recent meeting of the Remembering Together group at the Cashin Senior Activity Center in Manchester.
Ken Snow says he has had a tough time since the death of his beloved wife, but he's starting to feel better, thanks to his fellow residents at RiverWoods Manchester.
Robert Dobzanski of Manchester tells a story about his favorite teacher at the Remembering Together storytelling group. The group encourages seniors to tell stories from their lives, which helps with cognition and connection.
Ed Mahoney from the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester leads the Remembering Together storytelling group at the Cashin Senior Activity Center in Manchester.
Dale Knapschaefer, 95, of Manchester takes notes at a recent gathering of the Remembering Together storytelling group at the Cashin Senior Activity Center in Manchester.
The Remembering Together storytelling group meets at the Cashin Senior Activity Center on Manchester's West Side.
Ken Snow
The past three years have been especially challenging what with a deadly global pandemic, an ongoing drug epidemic that is ravaging families, bitter political divisiveness and rising costs.
It’s little wonder many seniors are experiencing anxiety, depression, even despair.
Pandemic isolation
Counselors who work with the older population said the isolation that accompanied the pandemic was especially difficult for seniors.
Some are struggling with dementia, Cornell said, “but we’re also seeing a tremendous amount of older people who are really dealing with sadness and grief and loss in ways that we haven’t seen before.”
Michele Harlan, director of community support programs at the Center for Life Management, the community mental health center for the Derry-Salem area, said seniors who regularly gathered with friends suddenly couldn’t.
“For somebody who’s younger, they can overcome that because they’re on their iPads, their Facebook, their Instagram,” Harlan said. “That’s how they socialize.”
“They do face-to-face,” Harlan said. “When that stopped, we saw a lot of depression, a lot of anxiety: ‘Is this going to be the rest of my life? It’s not what I want my ending days to be.’ ”
Stress of caregiving
Because of the drug epidemic, many seniors today are caring for their grandchildren. That brings its own challenges, Cornell said.
“There are a lot of people that are looking at their later years in life saying, ‘This is not what I thought it was going to be,’” he said. “They have had to restructure their lives in a very different way because they’ve had to take on things they never thought they were going to have to take on.”
Bernie Seifert, deputy director of the National Alliance on Mental Health’s New Hampshire chapter, said the mental health issues facing seniors are not unique, but they are becoming more prevalent in a state with one of the oldest populations in the nation.
However, depression and anxiety often go undiagnosed among seniors, she said, “because older adults tend to have other medical conditions as well, so we assume that what we’re seeing is related to their pain.”
Depression is treatable, and oftentimes treatment can bring improvement in other health conditions as well, NAMI’s Seifert said.
Untraditional therapy
Ed Mahoney from MHCGM facilitates a program called “Remembering Together” at the Cashin Senior Activity Center on Manchester’s West Side, where a group of seniors gathers twice monthly, both in-person and remotely, to share their stories.
“It does help when they see my white hair and realize I’m an older person myself, that I probably can appreciate some of what they’re going through,” he said.
But many seniors experience a more “ambiguous” sense of grief and isolation, she said. “It’s a loss of life skills, loss of mobility, the things they used to be able to do, the changes in their overall functioning, that is very difficult for people,” she said.
Dartmouth Health’s Stevens said therapy can help people focus on what they value most and find ways to connect with those interests. Withdrawing from activities can have a cascading, negative effect on both mental and physical health, she said.
“People stop doing things that they used to do, that used to bring them fulfillment or used to keep them active,” she said. “And if they aren’t able to do those things in the ways they used to, they might stop doing them entirely.”
“Have some sense of what is most important to you,” she said. “If you are finding that your world has gotten quite small, reach out in ways to get connected.”
She tells them not to feel like they’re being a burden by asking others for help, reminding them how good they feel when they have been able to help someone.
“When you don’t ask your church friends for a ride, or you don’t let them know you have no food to eat, you are taking the opportunity away from them to help you and to feel good,” she said.
Getting past barriers
The Center for Life Management’s Harlan has also encountered a generational attitude that keeps some from seeking help.
“There’s this group of seniors who think people are worse off than they are, so they don’t want to take up somebody’s time that might be needed for someone else,” she said.
“Someone can call and say, ‘I’m here with my dad and I’m a little worried,’” she said, “and see what options there are for resources.”
If a loved one is talking about wanting to end things, Stearns said, families also can reach out for help through the new suicide prevention line, 988. They may also want to remove firearms and extra medication from the individual’s home, she said.
“Make sure we’re looking out for each other, offering support,” she said.
“I think I was a voice for a group that’s pretty voiceless,” he said.
Snow’s advice to other seniors experiencing loss and other troubles: “Don’t isolate yourself.”
“Probably two-thirds to three-quarters of the people who live here have all lost spouses,” he said. “They all seem to be handling it well, which gives me the confidence to say: You’re going to get past this.
“Heads Up: A Year-Long Mental Health Awareness Journey” is financially supported in part by Dartmouth Health.
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2022-12-18T01:53:18Z
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Heads Up: Seniors feel 'like they’re getting hit from all sides' | Health | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/health/heads-up-seniors-feel-like-they-re-getting-hit-from-all-sides/article_4e24baa7-7ac5-5574-90ed-90c2f5a24e73.html
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Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg speaks about the new Manchester Public Health and Safety Team (PHAST) during a team introduction June 21, 2022, at City Hall.
MANCHESTER ALDEMEN have yet to vote on a request from the city’s police chief to offer detectives and their supervisors a $25 a week “on-call” stipend for investigators frequently called back to work on major crimes and incidents, after tabling the proposal last month.
In tabling the proposal, aldermen asked for more information. Ward 10’s Bill Barry questioned whether other unions would seek similar compensation if this “availability pay” was approved.
Police Chief Allen Aldenberg said he views the stipend as “something small” the city can do to help retain employees. The Manchester Police Department has lost 46 officers since 2019, including 17 to the private sector.
“I don’t want to be faulted for bringing something up on behalf of my employees because some other department may, quite frankly, have their feelings hurt because I moved quicker than them,” Aldenberg said.
“I just don’t want to keep kicking this can down the road. Let’s be frank — every department in this city is losing people, and if we have the ability to do something small for them to retain people, we’re doing a disservice to our employees if we don’t at least try to make this happen for them.”
Under Aldenberg’s proposal, investigators and their supervisors working in four specialty units — detective, domestic violence, juvenile and traffic — would receive a $25 per week stipend for being available to respond to off-duty emergency incidents.
“The rate of callbacks for such investigators has increased as the number of homicides, shootings, suicides and incidents of domestic violence, sexual assault and complicated motor vehicle accidents have increased in the city,” Human Resources Director Lisa Drabik wrote in a memo to aldermen supporting the proposal.
“With the call volume of serious crashes, a relatively young patrol division, and several newly promoted supervisors the traffic unit is frequently called after hours for advice regarding motor vehicle crashes,” Aldenberg wrote in a memo.
“Since there are only 4 full time investigators they are required to plan vacations and time off around each other in order to ensure that these serious crashes and often tragic events are handled with the utmost proficiency,” Aldenberg wrote.
Simply counting how many official documented “callouts” happen over a time period is not an “accurate way to account for how many times detectives have been available on their off-duty time,” Aldenberg wrote about the investigative division.
“Detectives and detective supervisors are constantly contacted in their off-duty hours regarding work related matters by prosecutors, supervisors, other detectives and other members of this agency,” Aldenberg said. “The number of these encounters are difficult to track because detectives are not submitting overtime cards to be compensated for them, even though the argument could be made that in some of these circumstances, the detective would be entitled to submit a 3-hour call back in accordance with their collective bargaining agreement.”
“While not all of these calls resulted in detectives being called back in, the overwhelming majority likely did,” Aldenberg wrote, adding the numbers don’t account for text messages the commander receives notifying him of major incidents.
Aldenberg also provided information about other law enforcement agencies’ policies on investigative personnel receiving availability pay, saying it is common practice.
At the last meeting of the Committee on Human Resources and Insurance, aldermen adjourned the meeting without removing the proposal from the table. The committee isn’t scheduled to meet again before the end of 2022.
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2022-12-18T01:53:42Z
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City Hall: Aldenberg's 'availability pay' ask remains stuck on the table | City Hall | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/city_hall/city-hall-aldenbergs-availability-pay-ask-remains-stuck-on-the-table/article_58e232ce-8760-56c1-9f8d-5ca33f2348f8.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/city_hall/city-hall-aldenbergs-availability-pay-ask-remains-stuck-on-the-table/article_58e232ce-8760-56c1-9f8d-5ca33f2348f8.html
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Alpine skiing: Injury can’t stop Goggia; Shiffrin finishes fourth
Italy’s Sofia Goggia claimed a World Cup downhill victory in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on Saturday, a day after injuring herself and being airlifted to a hospital for surgery.
She clocked 1 minute, 28.85 seconds, .43 of a second ahead of Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec. Germany’s Kira Weidle took third place, .52 of a second behind Goggia.
“Yesterday it was broken, today it was already fixed,” Goggia said after her third downhill victory of the season.
“I’m really happy, I’m really grateful because it was not guaranteed at all that I could be at the start gate today,” Goggia said.
“I really understand that it was a bit risky, but I said to myself that after Beijing, I could endure everything, and this is exactly what I did.”
Goggia is now second in the overall standings, 50 points behind the leader, former Lyme resident Mikaela Shiffrin, who took fourth place on Saturday.
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2022-12-18T01:53:54Z
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Alpine skiing: Injury can’t stop Goggia; Shiffrin finishes fourth | Sports | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/alpine-skiing-injury-can-t-stop-goggia-shiffrin-finishes-fourth/article_98f2668a-e8b2-574b-8234-f01a4bbb105f.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/alpine-skiing-injury-can-t-stop-goggia-shiffrin-finishes-fourth/article_98f2668a-e8b2-574b-8234-f01a4bbb105f.html
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Portsmouth Christian Academy’s Brianna Malone, left, gets off to a good start at the Manchester Invitational.
ALEX HALL/UNION LEADER
Athlete of the Month: Portsmouth Christian Academy's Brianna Malone saved her best for last
WHILE usually fatigued by the final month of the high school cross-country season, Brianna Malone made sure she had plenty of stamina left for the biggest races of her senior season.
The Portsmouth Christian Academy runner won her second straight NHIAA Meet of Champions race, finished runner-up at the New England Cross Country Championships and placed 13th at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional Championships last month.
Malone’s performance at those meets earned her the Union Leader Apple Therapy Services/Bedford Ambulatory Surgical Center/Express MED November Athlete of the Month award from the New Hampshire Union Leader Board of Judges.
The Barrington resident said three-plus years of hard training for cross-country and track seasons helped her feel more rested after meets and workouts even toward the end of this fall. Portsmouth Christian cross-country coach Mike Shevenell said he was also careful not to over-race Malone earlier in the season by holding her out of some dual meets.
“This is the best I’ve ever felt in a season,” said Malone, who took first place in all but one race before the New England Championships. “Usually I die out pretty quickly but I just trained right this year so I still felt strong for MOCs.”
Malone, who won her third consecutive Division III title in October, finished the Meet of Champions race on Alvirne High School’s course in 18 minutes, 4 seconds on Nov. 5. Oyster River sophomore Haley Kavanagh crossed the finish line 36.6 seconds later to take runner-up honors.
Malone said she changed her strategy for the Meet of Champions at the starting line after realizing Susanna Zahn of Bow was not competing due to an injury. Malone finished runner-up to Zahn in the girls small school race at the Manchester Invitational in September.
Malone, who will run at Division I High Point University next year, said her original plan was to stay with Zahn and make a kick to pass her in the last 800 meters. Instead, Malone took her usual approach and focused on running her own race on the flat, unfamiliar Hudson course.
“There was definitely a lot of pressure beforehand being the returning champion,” said Malone, who owns the Division III track record in the 800-meter run. “It just felt like a lot of relief that it was just over and I didn’t have to worry about it anymore.”
Shevenell said Malone obviously had stiff competition from all three divisions at the Meet of Champions but likely was a little more rested. Malone won the Division III race in 19:15.6, which was the second-fastest time of any girl across the three divisional meets and 53.1 seconds ahead of D-III runner-up Hannah Bennett of Hopkinton.
“Her times from the divisional meet were kind of comparable to the winners of some of the other divisions,” Shevenell said, “but the advantage she had is she (got) to run the state meet pretty relaxed. ... So we know she’s got, at least going into the Meet of Champions, a lot more gas in the tank, if you will.”
Malone said she went into the New England Championships at Ponaganset High in Glocester, Rhode Island, on Nov. 12 just looking for a top-10 finish. Taking second was quite a surprise, she said.
The course is difficult, mostly flat but also slightly uphill. She said she felt confused while running it for the first time.
Malone finished in 18:33.6, 13.3 seconds ahead of third-place Tess Drury of Mount Mansfield Union (Vermont) High School. Orono (Maine) High junior Ruth White defended her 2021 New England title, winning the race in 17:51.3.
“I just remember I couldn’t even see the person ahead of me but I could hear the people behind me and that was what kept me going,” said Malone, who was exhausted after the race. “I was like, ‘I can’t let them catch me.’”
Shevenell said Malone ran to the best of her ability at the New Englands and was wise not to go out with White at the start of the race.
“If she tried to run the first 2½ miles with Ruth, she probably could have worn herself out and really had a crummy last half-mile but she didn’t,” Shevenell said. “She ran a really smart race for her abilities.”
Malone finished the Foot Locker Northeast Regionals on Nov. 26 in New York City in 18:59.6 to take 13th place, three spots from qualifying for the national race. The 10th-place runner, Emma Zawatski of Manalapan, New Jersey, finished in 18:35.9.
Malone said she would have liked to qualify for nationals but considered any finish in the top 20 a successful performance at the regional.
“I achieved most of my goals,” Malone said of the season. “I just wanted to stay strong until the end of the season and I think that I accomplished that.”
Other athletes considered for the November honor were University of North Carolina women’s basketball player Eva Hodgson, University of New Hampshire women’s basketball player Brooke Kane, Bedford High School football player Colby Snow, Campbell High School football player Scott Hershberger and Bedford High School volleyball player Lindsey Healey.
Hodgson, a redshirt senior guard from Rindge, averaged 13.3 points, three rebounds and 4.5 assists over a 6-0 start to the season last month for North Carolina.
Kane, a senior guard from Hampstead, averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, one block and one steal over UNH’s 3-5 start to the season.
Snow, a senior, rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries, logged 11 receptions for 243 yards and four touchdowns, made two field goals, including the game-winner in the NHIAA Division I final, and four point-after kicks and logged an interception on defense over 10th-seeded Bedford’s four-game playoff run last month.
Hershberger, a sophomore running back, rushed for 474 yards, seven touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions and made a game-winning tackle for Campbell over its NHIAA Division III semifinal and final victories.
Healey, a junior, recorded 36 kills, 11 digs and five aces in Bedford’s NHIAA Division I semifinal and final triumphs last month.
Previous 2022 winners: January, Jackson Marshall, Hooksett (basketball); February, Brooke Paquette, Hudson (basketball); March, Geo Baker, Derry (basketball); April, Kyle Maurice, Exeter (baseball); May, Nate Fletcher, Greenland (outdoor track and field); June, Kristen Beebe, Brentwood (softball); July, Brandon Gillis, Nashua (golf); August, Julianna Megan, Hooksett (golf); September, Eli Bahuma, Concord (football); October, Thomas Cantara, Nashua (running).
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2022-12-18T01:54:00Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Athlete of the Month: Portsmouth Christian Academy's Brianna Malone saved her best for last | Sports | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/athlete-of-the-month-portsmouth-christian-academys-brianna-malone-saved-her-best-for-last/article_58558d04-67cd-529e-9f66-b47124714856.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/athlete-of-the-month-portsmouth-christian-academys-brianna-malone-saved-her-best-for-last/article_58558d04-67cd-529e-9f66-b47124714856.html
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McDaniels says it’s hard to trick Jones
One of the highlights on Josh McDaniels’s resume as an offensive coordinator was the job he did last year guiding and mentoring Mac Jones during his rookie season with the Patriots.
During an in-house interview posted on the Raiders website, McDaniels was asked what he’s seen from his former protege this year. Despite the numbers in 10 games played (seven TDs, eight INTs) and regression from last year, the Raiders’ head coach was highly complimentary of Jones, who has played better of late.
“High completion percentage, like always. He did that in college,” said McDaniels. “It’s hard to trick him. He sees the field very well. He sees the defense.
“Heady guy. We’re going to have to try to do a good job of mixing some things up to keep him off balance a little bit,” McDaniels said. “But those screen passes, those short throws, they’ve got a lot of guys who can catch ’em and run.”
One of those guys, running back Rhamondre Stevenson, has a bad ankle and may not play Sunday. Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, another favorite target of Jones, might also be sidelined with a concussion.
Even so, McDaniels pointed out that Jones will fight with whatever he has in order to prevail.
“From his college career, what he did there, last year to this year, (he) just has a knack for winning, making big plays. He continues to fight and press on even when there’s some adversity,” said McDaniels. “Very tough. He’ll stand in there, take a shot in the mouth and keep playing. So we have a lot of respect and admiration for what he did last year, what he did in college and then what he’s doing this year. Just a solid player — every way you want to look at it — he’s a solid player at that position.
“It’s hard to rattle that kind of guy. He’s just a competitive guy. We’re going to try to do the best we can to play our defense. ... make it as hard as we can, as tough as we can. We know they’ll be plays made on both sides of the ball. We’re going to have to keep fighting and keep playing like he will.”
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2022-12-18T01:54:25Z
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www.unionleader.com
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McDaniels says it’s hard to trick Jones | Patriots | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/patriots/mcdaniels-says-it-s-hard-to-trick-jones/article_2cfa128d-e1f2-5536-bf90-74cc91e3cd3e.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/patriots/mcdaniels-says-it-s-hard-to-trick-jones/article_2cfa128d-e1f2-5536-bf90-74cc91e3cd3e.html
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Eric Hosmer, shown on Aug. 5, was designated for assignment by the Red Sox.
After sending Groome to the San Diego Padres as part of the trade that brought former All-Star, Gold Glover and World Series champion Eric Hosmer to Boston in July, the Red Sox dumped Hosmer on Friday.
But Boston’s willingness to part with Groome, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2016 draft whose curveball was once compared to Clayton Kershaw’s, could come into question if Groome develops into a big league starter.
The news comes one day after the Sox designated Jeter Downs for assignment. Downs was the top prospect acquired in the Mookie Betts trade with the Dodgers three years ago.
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2022-12-18T01:54:37Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Red Sox designate Eric Hosmer for assignment after minor league swap with Royals | Red Sox | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/red_sox/red-sox-designate-eric-hosmer-for-assignment-after-minor-league-swap-with-royals/article_1d3ce576-73b7-5a6f-a9ed-004c15847a41.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/red_sox/red-sox-designate-eric-hosmer-for-assignment-after-minor-league-swap-with-royals/article_1d3ce576-73b7-5a6f-a9ed-004c15847a41.html
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By Jasper Ward Reuters
His decision to consent to extradition would pave the way for him to appear in U.S. court to face charges of using billions of dollars in stolen customer deposits to pay for expenses and debts and to make investments on behalf of his crypto hedge fund, Alameda Research LLC.
Neither a spokesman nor a U.S.-based lawyer for Bankman-Fried immediately responded to requests for comment. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan declined to comment.
The State Department in a 2021 report said conditions at Fox Hill were “harsh,” citing overcrowding, rodent infestation and prisoners relying on buckets as toilets. Authorities there say conditions have since improved.
Bankman-Fried made a new bail application before the Bahamas Supreme Court on Thursday, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters at the time.
Bankman-Fried amassed a fortune valued at over $20 billion as he rode a cryptocurrency boom to build FTX into one of the world’s largest exchanges before it abruptly collapsed this year.
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2022-12-18T03:28:04Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Sam Bankman-Fried to reverse decision on contesting extradition -source | Business | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/sam-bankman-fried-to-reverse-decision-on-contesting-extradition--source/article_1473f835-162a-516d-8f48-801d673720d8.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/sam-bankman-fried-to-reverse-decision-on-contesting-extradition--source/article_1473f835-162a-516d-8f48-801d673720d8.html
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A class-action lawsuit seeks to hold Tom Brady and his supermodel ex-wife, Gisele Bündchen, pictured here at a Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala, and nine other celebrity endorsers of FTX responsible for luring investors into a bad deal.
and Julian Mark The Washington Post
Until its collapse, FTX had been one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges — and one of the most aggressive at marketing digital currencies to the masses. The company had partnerships with NBA teams, patches on Major League Baseball umpire uniforms and the naming rights to the Miami Heat arena. It ran splashy TV ads during NBA and NFL games, including last year’s Super Bowl, in which celebrities portrayed FTX as an exciting but safe place to invest money.
On Tuesday, the U.S. government brought both criminal charges and civil actions against Sam Bankman-Fried, the 30-year-old founder of FTX, accusing him of orchestrating one of the biggest financial frauds in U.S. history. But the odds of restitution for FTX customers like Livieratos are slim.
“We’re not going to be able to recover all the losses here,” FTX’s new chief executive John J. Ray III told a House committee.
So Livieratos and his fellow plaintiffs are trying a different approach. Working with Coral Gables, Fla., lawyer Adam Moskowitz, their lawsuit seeks to shift the focus from FTX executives to what Moskowitz sees as a larger circle of complicity that includes some of the world’s most celebrated actors and athletes.
Moskowitz argues that FTX’s interest-bearing accounts were a security, which would require Brady and other promoters to reveal the details of their payments from FTX. The complaint claims “they have never disclosed the nature, scope, and amount of compensation they personally received in exchange for the promotion.”
Instead, they appeared in ads featuring such moments as an enthusiastic Brady dialing up everyone in his contact list to pitch crypto trading on FTX, asking again and again: “You in?”
“You have very rich people we all love telling us that they checked this out, and it was OK,” Moskowitz said in an interview. “Why shouldn’t they be held responsible?”
In part, Moskowitz’s lawsuit reflects the reality that wealthy celebrities are likely to have large amounts of money left — unlike Bankman-Fried, who has said he has $100,000 in the bank and only one working credit card. Celebrities also may be inclined to settle quickly to avoid the bad publicity of a protracted court proceeding.
But there are significant legal hurdles to holding promoters accountable. Just this month, a federal judge in California dismissed a lawsuit from investors accusing reality-TV star Kim Kardashian, boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and others of touting an obscure crypto token known as EMAX as part of a plan to artificially inflate the coin’s value.
Although the celebrities agreed to pay millions in fines to the Securities and Exchange Commission for failing to disclose that they had been paid to promote the token, Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald said investors are partly responsible for what happens to their money.
While the case “raises legitimate concerns over celebrities’ ability to readily persuade millions of undiscerning followers to buy snake oil with unprecedented ease and reach,” Fitzgerald wrote, investors should “act reasonably before basing their bets on the zeitgeist of the moment.”
Lots of celebrity hype
Moskowitz, who specializes in class-action lawsuits, didn’t set out to become a crypto watchdog. But as Miami has become a hub of crypto investment — and as case referrals came to him from consumers who’d lost money from various digital-currency scams — he started scrutinizing the industry.
“It seemed like a lot of investors were getting hurt and no one was really looking out for them,” said Moskowitz, who has also brought prominent lawyer David Boies onto his lawsuit.
If FTX’s accounts are ruled to be securities, Moskowitz argues that the celebrities could be responsible for investor losses under many states’ strict “blue sky” laws that ban the promotion of unregistered securities — and hold promoters liable even if they didn’t understand what they were endorsing.
FTX and most of the crypto industry has maintained that digital assets are not securities. But citing a standard that emerged from a 1946 Supreme Court case, Moskowitz’s complaint argues that they are, saying they fit the definition of a public investment in which the investor benefits from the efforts of others.
Demonstrating that the interest-bearing accounts FTX offered were in fact unregistered securities won’t be simple, given how contentious and unresolved the issue remains among regulators. Moskowitz has separately filed a state class action in Florida against Brady and two others and asked the judge, Michael Hanzman, to rule on that question.
Even if the judge rules FTX interest-bearing accounts were not securities, Moskowitz says, he will argue that celebrities should be liable under a strict Florida consumer protection law, which bans “unconscionable, deceptive, or unfair acts or practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce.”
All of the defendants in Moskowitz’s federal class action — from tennis champion Naomi Osaka to NBA star Stephen Curry to entrepreneur Kevin “Mr. Wonderful” O’Leary from the business reality show “Shark Tank” — also hyped the brand.
In a video posted to his website less than a month before FTX filed for bankruptcy, O’Leary said he had total confidence in the exchange. “If there’s ever a place I could be that I’m not gonna get in trouble, it’s going to be at FTX,” O’Leary said.
Moskowitz argues that such comments make his case extremely persuasive — especially coming from someone like O’Leary, who is regarded as a savvy businessman.
“O’Leary is someone people trust because he’s on ‘Shark Tank,’ “ Moskowitz said. “Who doesn’t love ‘Shark Tank?’ “
Spokespeople for Brady, Bündchen, Osaka, Curry and O’Leary did not reply to requests for comment. A lawyer for Brady did not provide a comment for this story.
Sunil Kavuri, a 42-year-old crypto investor from Britain and a plaintiff in the case, said O’Leary’s endorsement was the reason he put a seven-figure sum into an FTX account, including funds he intended to use for his 2-year-old son’s education.
All that money is now gone, Kavuri said, stuck with the funds of so many others in FTX bankruptcy proceedings. Kavuri said he thought that, since O’Leary ran a successful investment fund that’s regulated by the SEC, he would be familiar with the legal limits of undue promotion.
In an interview last week on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” O’Leary said he was paid just under $15 million to be a spokesman for FTX, much of which is gone. (He says he put the bulk of the money into crypto through the exchange, and prices have since plummeted. About $4 million went to taxes and his agent’s fees, and $1 million went to equity in FTX, which is now worthless.)
Asked about an August 2021 statement that FTX met his “own rigorous standards of compliance,” O’Leary said he and other institutional investors “relied on each other’s due diligence.”
Now, “we all look like idiots,” he said.
Question of responsibility
Moskowitz’s pursuit of A-listers actually began with a separate case against Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, O’Leary’s co-star on “Shark Tank,” who promoted Voyager, a now-bankrupt cryptocurrency lender.
In October 2021, Cuban held a news conference with Voyager co-founder Steve Ehrlich announcing a five-year partnership with the Mavericks that would, as Cuban put it, “come up with new ways to introduce Mavs fans to cryptocurrency and help them understand it.”
In a widely circulated YouTube video, Cuban offered $100 in bitcoin to anyone who downloaded the Voyager app and made a trade worth at least $100. “I think Voyager is going to be a leader among sports fans and crypto fans around the country,” Cuban said. American Airlines Arena, where the Mavericks play, soon displayed Voyager ads.
But then crypto prices collapsed and Voyager filed for bankruptcy, leaving many customers unable to access money they thought they could easily reclaim. In August, Moskowitz and Boies filed a proposed class-action lawsuit in federal court in Miami, arguing that Cuban’s endorsement was a big factor in creating that false sense of security.
Litigants are waiting for the judge to rule on Cuban’s motion to dismiss, with experts divided on the odds of it being granted. In the meantime, Moskowitz is gathering depositions from several NBA veterans, including Mavericks general manager Don Nelson, in a bid to show Cuban’s deep involvement with Voyager.
In a brief email to The Post, Cuban said that as a sponsor to the Mavericks, Voyager was “supported by the team as we would any sponsor.” A lawyer for Cuban and the Mavericks, Stephen A. Best, said Moskowitz has not demonstrated that Cuban’s statements prompted anyone to do business with Voyager.
“Mark Cuban and any comments that he made were part of an announcement of a sponsorship whereby Voyager became an official sponsor of Dallas Mavericks,” Best said, adding: “You’ll find that... there’s a question as to whether any comments were relied upon by the named plaintiffs in this case.”
The FTX case makes similar claims against defendants including basketball stars Shaquille O’Neal and Udonis Haslem, quarterback Trevor Lawrence and baseball players David Ortiz and Shohei Ohtani. A representative for Ortiz declined to comment. Representatives for O’Neal, Haslem, Lawrence and Ohtani did not respond to requests for comment.
Jeff Greenbaum, a New York advertising attorney, said celebrity endorsers can be held liable in false-advertising claims, but the Federal Trade Commission has typically been the main enforcer. It’s far less common for a private plaintiff to bring legal action against an endorser, he said, adding that courts have generally been hesitant to hold spokespeople responsible when investments go bad.
In the FTX case, “what we’re all going to be watching really closely is: What standards are the courts going to apply?” Greenbaum said. “In other words, what level of involvement does the celebrity need to have? What level of knowledge does the celebrity need to have” to be found responsible.
To be found liable under Florida’s consumer protection law, Moskowitz will have to offer evidence that the celebrities knew FTX may have been deceiving investors, said Florida attorney Daniel Lustig, which is tough to prove. He said that it’s likely no one, including Brady, expected FTX to collapse.
Moskowitz acknowledges the case’s difficulties. But he notes the celebrities neglected their responsibility to their fans, who lost large sums of money — and other things, too.
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2022-12-18T03:28:10Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Tom Brady pushed crypto to his fans. This lawyer wants him to pay up. | Courts | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/tom-brady-pushed-crypto-to-his-fans-this-lawyer-wants-him-to-pay-up/article_4c2c59b0-40aa-5a57-a031-d054acb731db.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/tom-brady-pushed-crypto-to-his-fans-this-lawyer-wants-him-to-pay-up/article_4c2c59b0-40aa-5a57-a031-d054acb731db.html
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“Today’s allegations that individuals sought to attack and hurt or kill FBI personnel are sickening. FBI employees honorably perform their duties protecting the American public and upholding the Constitution and they should be able to execute these duties without threats of violence,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a written statement.
Josh Hedrick, an attorney representing Carter, told Reuters in an email that “Mr. Carter maintains his innocence and we look forward to zealously defending him against these allegations.” Kelley’s attorney could not be reached for comment by Reuters on Friday evening.
The two men are also accused of discussing with the cooperating witness a possible attack on the FBI’s field office in Knoxville.
Kelley is among hundreds of defendants who have been charged in connection with the violent Jan. 6 protests at the U.S. Capitol as Congress met to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory over incumbent Donald Trump.
He is charged with physically assaulting a Capitol police officer at the capitol and breaking a window of the building to gain entry. Kelley has pleaded not guilty to those charges.
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2022-12-18T03:28:16Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Jan 6 defendant, second man charged with conspiring to kill FBI agents | Crime | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/jan-6-defendant-second-man-charged-with-conspiring-to-kill-fbi-agents/article_2eed1ea8-297e-5aff-a47f-6644da057260.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/jan-6-defendant-second-man-charged-with-conspiring-to-kill-fbi-agents/article_2eed1ea8-297e-5aff-a47f-6644da057260.html
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The Celtics’ Jayson Tatum reacts to a call during Friday night’s Boston-Orlando game won by the Magic.
The return of Rob Williams promises to strengthen the Boston Celtics in their push for a championship this season. But his long-awaited debut couldn’t save the Celtics from their current struggles.
Williams electrified the TD Garden crowd with several dunks in an exciting return, but the bad habits the Celts picked up from the end of their road trip carried back to Boston. They had another horrendous outside shooting night, and it had a domino effect as frustration mounted and a physical and hungry Magic team led by Mo Wagner imposed its will on the Celtics, who lost for the first time at home in regulation with a 117-109 defeat.
Jayson Tatum scored 31 points, but only 11 came in a frustrating second half as the Celtics went on a few runs but never sustained momentum. Al Horford was ejected, the Celtics lost their composure and never fully recovered.
The Celtics host the Magic again today at 3 p.m.
“I feel like we kind of let missed shots and turnovers kind of affect our play,” Tatum said. “We didn’t have much energy. That was everybody. We had a few good plays but we didn’t put three, four, five of them together.”
The Celtics have now lost three of their last four games, and if not for their wild comeback victory over the Lakers on Tuesday, the feeling might be even worse. But it’s clear they’re playing their worst stretch of basketball this season over the last week.
Among the concerns, their 3-point shooting — which has been one of their greatest strengths to start the season — has leveled off. They’re shooting 29.5% from deep over their last four games, including Friday’s 11-for-46 effort, their second-worst of the season. Their worst came in Monday’s loss to the Clippers, when they shot 9-for-39.
They don’t seem to be worried — yet. Coach Joe Mazzulla likes the open looks they’re continuing to get with their spacing.
“If you’re open, you gotta shoot it,” Mazzulla said. “And we’re open, so I’m not going to tell someone who’s open not to shoot it.”
They have to have the confidence to shoot it, and then you just gotta shoot it. As long as you’re getting quality looks, I think that’s important.”
After a sluggish first half, the beginning of the Celtics’ second half couldn’t have gone much worse. Horford was ejected after receiving a Flagrant 2 foul. Soon after, Tatum picked up a technical foul for arguing with an official. The Celtics, as they’ve done at different points this season, were losing their composure.
The Celtics, though, restored order — at least briefly. Marcus Smart rallied his group, and behind a strong surge from Williams, the Celtics responded with a 15-4 run that cut their deficit to eight. They trailed by seven on multiple occasions, including an 88-81 deficit going into the fourth quarter. But the Magic seemed to have an answer at every point, and the Celtics couldn’t make stops when they needed.
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2022-12-18T03:28:35Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Celtics fall to Magic in Rob Williams’ return, suffer first home loss of season in regulation | Celtics | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/celtics/celtics-fall-to-magic-in-rob-williams-return-suffer-first-home-loss-of-season-in/article_4a582db5-8b23-5dfb-9429-d722a096ba28.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/celtics/celtics-fall-to-magic-in-rob-williams-return-suffer-first-home-loss-of-season-in/article_4a582db5-8b23-5dfb-9429-d722a096ba28.html
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Gradey Dick recorded 20 points, six rebounds and five steals to lead No. 8 Kansas to an 84-62 victory over No. 14 Indiana in nonconference action on Saturday at Lawrence, Kansas. Dick made four of five 3-point shots and was eight of 12 overall as the Jayhawks (10-1) won their fourth consecutive game.
Houston 69, Virginia 61: Jarace Walker tallied 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists as No. 5 Houston handed No. 2 Virginia its first loss, in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Gonzaga 100, Alabama 90: Drew Timme had 29 points and 10 rebounds to lead six Bulldogs in double figures as No. 15 Gonzaga defeated No. 4 Alabama in the C.M. Newton Classic in Birmingham, Alabama.
Miami 91, St. Francis 76: Isaiah Wong had 22 points, a career-high 10 assists and five rebounds to lead 25th-ranked Miami past visiting St. Francis of Pennsylvania.
Providence 71, Seton Hall 67: Ed Croswell scored a season-high 21 points and keyed a late 9-0 run to lift visiting Providence College over Seton Hall in both teams’ Big East opener Saturday in Newark, New Jersey.
Croswell’s three-point play tied the game at 57 and launched the decisive run for Providence (9-3, 1-0 Big East), which also got a career-high 24 points from Bryce Hopkins.
Rutgers 81, Wake Forest 57: Cam Spencer scored 15 points and did not miss a shot as host Rutgers took control early and pulled away in the second half for a victory over Wake Forest at Piscataway, New Jersey.
St. John’s 93, Florida State 79: Joel Soriano scored a career-high 23 points amid his 22nd career double-double as St. John’s withstood Florida State’s 3-point barrage in Sunrise, Florida.
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2022-12-18T03:28:41Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Drew Timme leads No. 15 Gonzaga over No. 4 Alabama | College Sports | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/college/drew-timme-leads-no-15-gonzaga-over-no-4-alabama/article_20dfcdee-36d4-5f0b-93f1-be972450410f.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/college/drew-timme-leads-no-15-gonzaga-over-no-4-alabama/article_20dfcdee-36d4-5f0b-93f1-be972450410f.html
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THERE ARE a lot of reasons why New Hampshire should have the first-in-the-nation presidential primary. Local and national New Hampshire elected officials have laid out the case succinctly and well, notwithstanding unfounded Republican claims that Democrats have not done enough to stop the Democratic National Committee from attacking our primary.
Cycle after cycle, the state’s Democrats have battled to protect the primary. Sometimes it was a very public battle, while at others it was a behind the scenes struggle that never made the papers.
In those years, state Democrats and Republicans worked together to protect the primary. While current NHDP chair Raymond Buckley and I often disagreed with RNC members Tom Rath and Steve Duprey on policy issues, we were united in our efforts to keep New Hampshire first. The current New Hampshire Republican Party, however, has discarded that tradition. This saddens me because our previous unity helped both of the state’s parties face outside challenges.
It also saddens me to see President Joe Biden make such a terrible political misjudgment. By upending the nominating calendar, he has set the stage for disruption in what should have been a glide path to an easy Biden renomination.
Whatever the Democratic National Committee decides, New Hampshire will have our primary, including a Democratic primary, and it will be first.
If Biden refuses to participate in the New Hampshire primary, he will create a vacuum on the Democratic side.
And politics, like nature, abhors a vacuum.
What the DNC and the President seem to have forgotten is that there will be a wide-open Republican primary. The national press corps will plant itself in the Granite State to cover the circus that will be Donald Trump and other Republicans vying for the GOP nomination.
That press presence, and the absence of Joe Biden, will be a very tempting opportunity for a credible Democratic candidate to plunk down $1,000 to put their name on the ballot. It does not even have to be a well-known Democrat, just a Democrat willing to campaign in towns and cities across New Hampshire to promote either themselves or a single issue.
For example, what if a Tom Steyer-like candidate ran to focus on climate change? Or gun violence in schools? Or voting rights? A credible candidate speaking passionately about one or more issues important to Democratic base voters could draw crowds, attract press attention, win the primary and make people question the inevitability of a Biden nomination. Bypassing New Hampshire will open the door for the type of insurgent victory the DNC should be trying to avoid.
I do not want to see that happen; I like Biden. He has been a good president. But in trying to control the process, the DNC and the President instead have lost control.
The DNC may think that threatening candidates and New Hampshire with loss of delegates will deter Democratic voter participation but losing delegates does not matter to Granite State Democrats. We are a pretty hardy bunch. Twenty-six years ago, New Hampshire had elected a string of Republican governors. Republicans had controlled the legislature for decades. That did not stop us from building our party into a political force that elects Democrats — including presidential candidates.
We did that, not the DNC.
The prime mover of that effort was Jeanne Shaheen. She also was the first woman in the country to be elected as a governor and a United States senator. Maggie Hassan is the second woman to achieve that feat. But the national party establishment thinks that threats to strip Shaheen and Hassan of their delegate credentials are a good idea? Seriously?
None of this is necessary. South Carolina never asked, nor expected, to jump ahead of New Hampshire. The calendar adopted by the DNC starting with the 2008 nominating process is the same calendar that led to Biden’s nomination. It respected and honored the importance of racial and ethnic diversity, as well as geographic representation, organized labor, retail politics and past Democratic performance in presidential elections.
We hope that President Biden and the DNC reconsider this new calendar proposal. We would love to have them participate in our primary.
But even if they do not, we are having our primary.
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2022-12-18T07:19:03Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Kathleen Sullivan: Biden will skip NH primary at his peril | Columnists | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/columnists/kathleen-sullivan-biden-will-skip-nh-primary-at-his-peril/article_ceaf4c8f-6675-553a-a9bd-fefe6bb1649b.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/columnists/kathleen-sullivan-biden-will-skip-nh-primary-at-his-peril/article_ceaf4c8f-6675-553a-a9bd-fefe6bb1649b.html
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In what might be called a “win-win-win” situation, consider a donation to the Union Leader Santa Fund for the Salvation Army.
Whether it’s two bucks or $200, that gift will help an individual or a family have a bit better Christmas. It may be in the form of a warm meal or a warm coat or even warmer days for a kid at summer camp.
The Salvation Army knows how to do this and knows who is in need. This isn’t their first time playing Santa.
What’s the win-win-win? Well, the receiving kid or family wins, of course. If you make your donation in someone’s name, it’s a win for that someone. And the third win? It’s the feeling you will get by helping a truly worthy cause at Christmas.
Donations may be made online at UnionLeader.com/SantaFund or by mailing your check to Union Leader Santa Fund, Box 9555, Manchester, 03108.
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2022-12-18T07:19:09Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Christmas wins: Santa’s triple play | Editorials | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/editorials/christmas-wins-santa-s-triple-play/article_ce2908c4-15f5-5c7a-b90b-91df47b0fb58.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/editorials/christmas-wins-santa-s-triple-play/article_ce2908c4-15f5-5c7a-b90b-91df47b0fb58.html
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The school board is looking for a firm to help it reshape the city’s school buildings. Last week, it chose three firms to bid on the project. The bids will be opened in public next month.
The three firms will presumably be identified at that time. But why the wait? The sooner the public knows more about them, the better.
Manchester is still ahead of the state. Before choosing three final bidders, the school district issued a request for qualifications. Imagine that! The district thinks the companies that want to oversee a project with major implications for the citizens ought to prove that they have the wherewithal to do what they say.
In proposing to sell the Laconia State School property, the state seems to have skipped that part.
Between news reporting and commentary (including one in our newspaper last Thursday), it appears increasingly clear that there has not been a thorough or even a cursory vetting of the chosen developer.
The state is claiming that Laconia officials were part of “the process.” But those officials say they were not involved in actually seeing if the developer is in fact qualified.
State Administrative Services head Charles Arlinghaus has said that the state did indeed check. That’s not quite what he told Laconia in October.
He said the developer’s qualifications were “of particular interest to the state.” We would hope so. But he then seemed to pass off the real due diligence to the real estate broker that found the developer.
He said the state relied on the broker to check the qualifications. “There were a number of people who looked at things,” he said.
Gov. Chris Sununu was all set to accept a $21 million check and be done with the long-vexing issue of the large tract that once housed (and warehoused) young people with special needs.
The Executive Council needs to do its own thorough vetting to assure itself — and the citizens in Laconia and statewide — that this deal has a good chance of succeeding.
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2022-12-18T07:19:22Z
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www.unionleader.com
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What qualifications? NH skipped a step | Editorials | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/editorials/what-qualifications-nh-skipped-a-step/article_32e36fe4-7c02-5562-a0fd-6358a82dedb4.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/editorials/what-qualifications-nh-skipped-a-step/article_32e36fe4-7c02-5562-a0fd-6358a82dedb4.html
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Better schools do more for choice than lawsuits
A simple solution would be to make public schools so appealing to parents, students and taxpayers that there would be no interest in sending a student anywhere but public school. Without interest in their product, and if they couldn’t possibly compete with public schools, charter and private schools would close and the problem would be solved. Simple, right?
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2022-12-18T07:19:28Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Letter: Better schools do more for choice than lawsuits | Letters to the Editor | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/letter-better-schools-do-more-for-choice-than-lawsuits/article_bc4ac5ae-d073-5752-affc-189e6f4b373a.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/letter-better-schools-do-more-for-choice-than-lawsuits/article_bc4ac5ae-d073-5752-affc-189e6f4b373a.html
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These 10 states saw an increase in labor production: NH ranks 5th
By Kristin F. Dalton Staten Island Advance, N.Y.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — There's been a decline in labor production since a slight increase during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020, however there was a slight increase, 0.3%, in the third quarter of 2022.
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2022-12-18T15:25:36Z
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www.unionleader.com
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These 10 states saw an increase in labor production: NH ranks 5th | Business | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/these-10-states-saw-an-increase-in-labor-production-nh-ranks-5th/article_327ea842-b31c-5486-9ef5-f0b84b52f1a8.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/these-10-states-saw-an-increase-in-labor-production-nh-ranks-5th/article_327ea842-b31c-5486-9ef5-f0b84b52f1a8.html
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While the officers were talking to the three males, police reports state Figueroa fled, running through a door that separates the bakery's customer area from the staff space. According to police reports, Figueroa was quickly detained by officers in the back of the bakery, which police said had no exit.
"It should be noted that the area that Figueroa ran to and was located at had three staff members actively working who appeared alarmed at the actions of Figueroa," police reports state.
Police reports state that a check of Figueroa's Board of Probation record revealed he is on probation until Jan. 31, 2024. The probation stems from charges he received in July 2021 in Tewksbury.
Tewksbury Police reports available in court documents state Figueroa allegedly drove a car into a K-9 officer's cruiser in a bank parking lot then tried to flee the scene. According to court documents, Figueroa was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (motor vehicle), vandalizing property and possession of Class B substance (crack cocaine).
Figueroa was also previously arrested in August 2021 following allegations he was involved in a shootout with two other men in the city's South Lowell neighborhood. He was charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. However, prosecutors filed a nolle prosequi — a formal notice that they would no longer pursue charges — in January.
The Middlesex District Attorney's Office and Figueroa's attorney, Stephen Barton, were not immediately available for comment.
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2022-12-18T15:25:42Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Man arrested with loaded gun during disturbance in Lowell | Crime | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/man-arrested-with-loaded-gun-during-disturbance-in-lowell/article_6a475c34-1e91-527b-9d27-8cf3649defb1.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/man-arrested-with-loaded-gun-during-disturbance-in-lowell/article_6a475c34-1e91-527b-9d27-8cf3649defb1.html
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Early in the pandemic, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis repeatedly praised President Donald Trump for the expedited development and rollout of a coronavirus vaccine. The governor's office pushed for $480 million in pandemic resources, including media campaigns promoting the shots, according to state budget documents. And DeSantis, a Republican, even lauded the Biden administration for helping to expand access to vaccines.
"We're having more vaccine because of this, which is great," DeSantis said of a federal program shipping shots to pharmacies in February 2021.
"These companies have made a fortune off this federal government imposing or at least attempting to impose mandates, and a lot of false statements," DeSantis said at the roundtable event on Wednesday. "I think people want the truth and I think people want accountability, so you need to have a thorough investigation into what's happened with these shots."
A review of DeSantis's public positions on the vaccines shows a full reversal that has unfolded gradually since 2021, seizing on the shots' waning efficacy against new virus variants and portraying evolving scientific advice as deliberate deceit.
The hard-line position he's now staking out is taking on additional significance: DeSantis is widely seen as a potential presidential candidate in 2024, with many Republicans wanting him to challenge Trump for the GOP nomination and some seeing vaccines as a potential wedge issue to outflank the former president to his right.
"We know he's not really anti-vax, he's on the record, but now he's taking this position for really blatant political purposes, it appears, and it's really undermining to health care professionals," said Dr. David Pate, a retired health systems executive and lifelong Republican who has advised Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R). "I'm not sure what the gain is, because he's already got the base, and now this is just going to alienate moderates and independents."
Trump has all but acknowledged his potential vulnerability on the issue of vaccines. He was booed in December 2021 for saying he received a booster shot. Then, at a rally in Alaska in July, he touted his administration's response to the pandemic while avoiding using the word "vaccine."
Tensions have grown between the two men as Trump formally announced his 2024 candidacy and DeSantis has risen as a potential rival, with chants of "two more years" at his reelection victory party on Nov. 8. Several early primary polls have showed DeSantis leading Trump; a CNN survey this month found one of the steepest drops in support for Trump's 2024 bid among voters who describe themselves as very conservative. Skepticism about the vaccines and guidance from government health agencies has been palpable in the far-right wing of the party in recent years.
DeSantis's event succeeded in drawing cheers from pro-Trump corners of the far-right. "What I like about DeSantis, he's probably not a guy you'd like to run at, let's go have a beer, but he's all business," former Trump strategist Stephen K. Bannon said on his podcast.
Supporters of DeSantis pushed back on suggestions - including from Trump allies - that the vaccine announcements were meant to outflank Trump ahead of a potential 2024 clash.
"If the left comes at him and says, you flipped because you want to be more anti-vaccine than Trump, he's just gonna kill 'em with facts," said Eric Anton, a GOP donor who said DeSantis would be one of his top choices for 2024. "If you want to call that political, then I think you're too political."
Even before DeSantis solidified his standing as the leading GOP alternative to Trump following a decisive reelection win, Republican strategists were quietly discussing Trump's handling of the pandemic as a point of attack for DeSantis. But embracing a hostile position toward vaccines is not without political risk in the long run.
Public health experts voiced concern that DeSantis's roundtable event could contribute to undermining public confidence in vaccines, especially for Florida seniors at high risk for severe covid.
"Initially his position was much more reasoned where he was actually saying vaccines are an important tool but maybe he didn't think it was necessary to mandate that. That's a reasonable debate to have," said Jennifer Nuzzo, a professor of epidemiology and director of the Pandemic Center at the Brown University School of Public Health. "Where I feel that the argument has improperly gone is to try to impugn the safety of these vaccines. . . . I hate to think that people's takeaway is going to be that these vaccines are not safe and effective, and that is just simply false."
Throughout 2020, DeSantis repeatedly praised the Trump administration for working with industry to accelerate vaccine development, production and distribution, an effort known as "Operation Warp Speed."
"I think they're putting all hands on deck for it," he said in one interview on Fox News Channel. "I applaud the president. I think that's the right approach."
As the vaccine became available in 2021, DeSantis defended the rollout against frustrations with initially scarce supplies. "I can tell you, we wish we have had more vaccine every week, but it's just being produced," he said in a February interview with Fox News. "So, I think, by and large, the Warp Speed team did a great job."
DeSantis appeared in person at vaccination-related events, such as a February visit to a World War II veteran, a stadium appearance in Pahokee, Fla., and a March discussion highlighting "Florida's status as a national leader on vaccine distribution." His office also touted partnerships with companies such as Publix supermarkets, a vaccine site for law enforcement officers and a rural vaccination initiative.
In the face of new variants that threatened to blunt the effectiveness of vaccinations, DeSantis stood by the shots. "We've not seen any data or any evidence to suggest these vaccines are not effective," he said at a February 2021 news conference.
As the Biden administration took over, DeSantis demanded that the federal government's "sole focus" be on increasing vaccine supplies, which he promised his state would deliver right away. He also attributed the vaccines' successes to Trump.
"I think the credit goes to President Trump," he said in an interview with right-wing radio host Mark Levin in April 2021. "If we'd had a Biden, or heck, if we'd had some establishment Republican, they would have gotten drowned out in bureaucracy. This would never have gotten done."
In another Fox News interview that month, DeSantis said the state's efforts to encourage vaccinations, especially among seniors, succeeded in bringing down hospitalization rates. He was so enthusiastic about the vaccines' effectiveness that he criticized the CDC for initially advising vaccinated people to continue wearing masks and social distancing.
"I think the messaging should be, 'Get a vaccine because it's good for you to do it. It works. You're not going to have to have to be doing anything abnormal. You can live your life,'" DeSantis told a crowd at an April 2021 event in Lakeland. "That's got to be what the message is."
He also specifically endorsed the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, which were developed using an innovative mRNA technology that DeSantis has more recently criticized in public statements. Back in March 2021, when production problems caused a shortage of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, DeSantis encouraged people to get the mRNA shots instead. "If you have your heart set on Johnson & Johnson but you are able to get Pfizer or Moderna, I would say get it," he said at the time.
Later in 2021, DeSantis's office formally asked state lawmakers to approve $480 million in additional funding for the state's health department, specifying that the money would support coronavirus testing, medical staffing and "Media and Education campaigns in response to COVID-19 and associated vaccinations." The current state budget authorizes using leftover money for fighting covid, including testing and "immunization."
"If you are vaccinated, fully vaccinated, the chance of you getting seriously ill or dying from covid is effectively zero," DeSantis said in July 2021. "These vaccines are saving lives."
DeSantis began his shift away from vaccines by opposing mandates, calling a special legislative session to ban employer requirements in 2021. By January 2022, after Trump was booed, DeSantis wouldn't say whether he'd received a booster. "I've done whatever I did," he said. "The normal shot, and that at the end of the day is people's individual decisions about what they want to do."
The governor appointed a new state surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, who advised young men against getting vaccinated, citing a preliminary analysis that was not signed or peer reviewed and that was denounced by medical and public health leaders. Ladapo has given interviews on podcasts associated with the groundless QAnon conspiracy theory - an extremist movement the FBI has designated as a domestic terrorism threat. Back in 2020, Ladapo participated in an event with a right-wing group that promoted false covid treatments.
"You expect disinformation from social media, but to actually have these folks holding government positions is really a slap in the face in the health-care profession," said Pate, the retired health-care executive.
DeSantis invited Ladapo to present that discredited research at Wednesday's event, before appointing him to lead a state panel that would issue its own guidance to rival the CDC's. The other panel members, introduced at the event, are prominent critics of the vaccines. They include the authors of a controversial open letter calling for lifting pandemic restrictions and letting the virus spread to achieve "herd immunity," as well as an emergency room physician whose studies on adverse reactions to the vaccines have been rebutted by experts. At DeSantis's prompting, the ER doctor said calling the vaccines safe and effective is "a lie. It has to be."
At the event, DeSantis also announced a petition to the Florida Supreme Court to establish a grand jury to investigate fraud related to the vaccines. The formal petition cited government and company statements about the vaccines' protection against infection over time. But instead of understanding those statements as reflecting evolving scientific evidence and resistant new variants, the petition alleges a conspiracy.
"It is impossible to imagine that so many influential individuals came to this view on their own," reads the petition, signed by DeSantis. "Rather, it is likely that individuals and companies with an incentive to do so created these perceptions for financial gain."
In a statement, Pfizer said regulatory agencies around the world approved the company's vaccine based on independent evaluations of scientific data on safety and efficacy, confirmed by real-world studies. "Over the course of this deadly pandemic, mRNA vaccines have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, tens of billions of dollars in health care costs, and enabled people worldwide to go about their lives more freely," the company said.
Nuzzo, the Brown epidemiologist, said the vaccines' safety has been proven by the billions of doses delivered worldwide. There are rare cases of heart inflammation in young men that scientists are working to avoid with measures such as spacing out doses.
"Those are reasonable, science-based questions to have," she said. "But when dressed as, 'I'm going to ask for a legal investigation,' that was just irresponsible. . . . You gave a national platform to them to basically advance the goal of anti-vaxxers."
The Washington Post's Hannah Knowles, Fenit Nirappil and Scott Clement contributed to this report.
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2022-12-18T15:26:00Z
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www.unionleader.com
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DeSantis reverses himself on coronavirus vaccines, moves to right of Trump | Voters First | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/voters/desantis-reverses-himself-on-coronavirus-vaccines-moves-to-right-of-trump/article_9ae5fed9-d7da-540a-a9d8-85807c3869af.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/voters/desantis-reverses-himself-on-coronavirus-vaccines-moves-to-right-of-trump/article_9ae5fed9-d7da-540a-a9d8-85807c3869af.html
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A 25-year-old Concord man died while in custody of Merrimack County Department of Corrections.
Christopher Cronan was found unresponsive in his cell on Dec. 12, according to a news release. Correctional officers and medical staff administered emergency aid.
He was brought to Concord Hospital where he later died, according to the release.
Cronan was arrested by Concord police on Dec. 8 and was assigned to the quarantine unit for the first 10 days of his detention after a screening of his physical and mental health.
“Our goal is to provide persons residing in the Department of Corrections with a safe and secure environment. Our staff takes their responsibilities very seriously. It is tragic whenever a situation like this occurs,” Superintendent Travis Cushman said in a statement. “Merrimack County expresses our condolences to Mr. Cronan’s family during this time.”
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2022-12-18T17:14:23Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Concord man dies in Merrimack County jail | Public Safety | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/safety/concord-man-dies-in-merrimack-county-jail/article_2d379eb4-14cf-5381-8da2-b35f2e60909c.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/safety/concord-man-dies-in-merrimack-county-jail/article_2d379eb4-14cf-5381-8da2-b35f2e60909c.html
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Around 4:10 p.m., Krishna Ganne, 32, of Norman, called Fish and Game stating the rocky summit was completely cloud covered and “he may have strayed off trail above tree line,” according to a news report.
The department was able to get cell phone information from the man, which was shared with three Monadnock State Park rangers from the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and a Fish and Game conservation officer, according to the release.
Ganne was told to find shelter and not move so that the team could find him. The team faced heavy snow, high winds and freezing temperatures at the summit, according to the release.
Ganne was located about two hours later uninjured and able to descend with the rescue team.
“Ganne was well outfitted for winter hiking, but inexperienced with ‘above tree line’ navigation in these challenging conditions,” the release read.
Fish and Game reminds hikers to be prepared for the unexpected and carry the necessary equipment for their safety and survival in an emergency situation. For more information, log onto HikeSafe.com to learn more and be prepared in the event of such an emergency.
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2022-12-18T17:14:24Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Hiker assisted off Mt. Monadnock in dark, freezing temperatures | Public Safety | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/safety/hiker-assisted-off-mt-monadnock-in-dark-freezing-temperatures/article_8efeb224-634c-57a6-b806-445f48c70228.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/safety/hiker-assisted-off-mt-monadnock-in-dark-freezing-temperatures/article_8efeb224-634c-57a6-b806-445f48c70228.html
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By Jordan Kendall Cumberland Times-News, Md.
"I know that my team's gonna play 100% for four quarters," new Keyser head coach Scott Furey said. "That's what we ask them to do. Execution isn't always gonna be pretty, but we know they're gonna play hard for four quarters. That's what we did, all the way down to the last play."
"We played a great Keyser team," Hampshire head coach Danny Alkire said. "They were ready, they came in, they played well. We just gotta get down to the basics and more fundamentals."
"He gets to the basket, he puts the ball in the basket," Alkire said. "He came into the season well prepared. He knows how to score. When he gets the ball there's a good chance he's gonna get downhill and get the ball in."
"He's a shooter, you get him the ball and he gets space, he's gonna put it in," Alkire said of Fields.
"We might not be the most talented bunch but effort lends to defense and rebounding," Furey said. "You can rebound just with effort, you don't need any special talent."
"Michael has all the skills and tools you need in an offensive player," Furey said of Schell. "He didn't hit a lot of outside shots today, but he did exactly what we needed him to do around the rim."
"It was big, you could feel it" Furey said on tying the game early in the quarter. "Everyone was like we're right back to where we need to be. Now we only gotta win two quarters instead of four. That basically put us back to 0-0 in our mind. Now let's go and beat them for two quarters."
"We're big on making sure our kids don't get rattled or flustered by anything," Furey said. "The most important play is the next play, that's our philosophy. Get it in, get it up, get a bucket. That's the most important thing."
"It was huge at the time," Alkire said. "Momentum is great in the moment, but it means nothing down the road if you don't continue to capitalize on that momentum."
"He's just a gamer in every aspect of his life," Furey said. "State champion golfer, hitting walkoff home runs in the playoffs. He relishes that opportunity. He loves being on that stage. We were happy to have the ball in his hands."
"He's doing what he should be doing," Alkire said of Shanholtz. "He loves basketball, he's a humble kid."
"Anytime you go to Southern, you better strap it on," Furey said. "Coach (Tom) Bosley, no matter what he's got, he can coach a group of chimpanzees and they'll be really good. We know going to Southern's gonna be tough. Get that typical Southern man-to-man and be super fundamental."
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2022-12-18T17:14:27Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Keyser completes halftime comeback in 54-53 win over Hampshire | College Sports | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/college/keyser-completes-halftime-comeback-in-54-53-win-over-hampshire/article_eb1dcbac-7942-5b47-9f76-ea79794e1b81.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/college/keyser-completes-halftime-comeback-in-54-53-win-over-hampshire/article_eb1dcbac-7942-5b47-9f76-ea79794e1b81.html
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The Bicentennial Hikers – Traversing Northern Ohio and Indiana
Hormell, King, and Hurd spent the night of April 30 in the town of Richvalley. Hormell’s family had its origins in Indiana, a fact that he had mentioned to Craig German, a member of the Decatur Jaycees, a few days earlier. German was surprised to discover that he was Hormell’s second cousin. He arranged for other family members to show up in Richvalley on the morning of May 1 to meet Hormell, and to send him off with words of encouragement. After this happy gathering, Hormell walked from Richvalley to Logansport, a distance of around 27 miles.
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2022-12-18T20:38:56Z
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www.unionleader.com
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The Bicentennial Hikers – Traversing Northern Ohio and Indiana | Looking Back | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/voices/looking_back/the-bicentennial-hikers-traversing-northern-ohio-and-indiana/article_adee9a96-44a2-5c47-aec6-814000b594be.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/voices/looking_back/the-bicentennial-hikers-traversing-northern-ohio-and-indiana/article_adee9a96-44a2-5c47-aec6-814000b594be.html
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Now, as the holidays near, they could use a little help from the rest of us.
Many parents who came to the Salvation Army seeking help this year are working as licensed nursing assistants, taking care of the elderly and disabled.
They certainly don’t do it for the money; LNAs are at the bottom of the medical field pay scale.
They do it for love.
Regina is a mother of four who works as an LNA at a Bedford nursing home. (It’s not her real name, to protect her family’s privacy.)
She and her husband came here from Nigeria in 2008. Their daughters — ages 6, 10, 11 and 13 — were all born in Manchester, their four American girls.
“I just love taking care of people,” Regina said. “You just do it with all your heart.”
Her husband, Joseph, is proud of his wife’s dedication to nursing care.
“Helping people is not something new to her,” he said. “It has been a way of life even before we migrated to this country.”
Among those seeking help from the Union Leader Santa Fund this year:
A 45-year-old mother of four who cares for residents of the Hillsborough County Nursing Home.
A 29-year-old single mother of two little boys who is an LNA at an assisted-living facility in Manchester.
A 26-year-old mother of a 3-year-old girl and 1-year-old boy. She works at a staffing agency that places nursing assistants in long-term care facilities.
In a country where people who take care of computers can easily earn six figures, it can seem unfair that those who care for our elderly parents, our disabled friends and our poor neighbors often struggle to pay their rent and grocery bills.
Caregivers’ children deserve a happy Christmas too. That’s where the Santa Fund for the Salvation Army comes in, providing gifts and warm clothing for needy little ones in our community.
Brendan Williams, president and CEO of New Hampshire Health Care Association, said while wages for LNAs in New Hampshire have risen significantly in response to ongoing workforce shortages, the rising cost of housing and living expenses has offset those gains.
“Inflation has just taken such a toll,” Williams said.
The people who do this work are exceptionally caring, he said. “I think it is a labor of love, I really do,” he said. “It always has been.”
Many who work in the profession are single moms working hard to support their children, Williams said.
“You don’t get into it to get rich, but you shouldn’t get into it and become poor,” he said.
“I think it’s kind of an indictment of our society that we don’t value our most vulnerable enough to support living wages for those who care for them,” Williams said.
Being an LNA is “all about love,” he said. “But love alone can’t sustain you. You’ve got to be able to make ends meet, and I think that’s where we’re falling short as a society,” he said. “We’re not valuing these workers enough.”
Regina said the elderly residents she cares for remind her of her grandmother back home. “I feel like they are mine too,” she said.
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2022-12-18T22:19:05Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Santa Fund helps take care of the caregivers | Santa Fund | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/human_interest/santa_fund/santa-fund-helps-take-care-of-the-caregivers/article_58e602e3-d597-5db0-8ac0-faa8153a8ac6.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/human_interest/santa_fund/santa-fund-helps-take-care-of-the-caregivers/article_58e602e3-d597-5db0-8ac0-faa8153a8ac6.html
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A man watches a TV broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing a ballistic missile off its east coast, in Seoul, South Korea, on Sunday.
SEOUL -- North Korea's state media KCNA said on Monday the country conducted an "important, final phase" test on Sunday for the development of a spy satellite, which it seeks to complete by April 2023.
A vehicle carrying a mock satellite was fired at the "lofted angle" of 311 miles, it added.
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2022-12-18T22:19:11Z
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www.unionleader.com
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North Korea confirms 'important' test to develop spy satellite, KCNA says | Military | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/military/north-korea-confirms-important-test-to-develop-spy-satellite-kcna-says/article_52f3e82b-8977-5e85-b953-edaa30b9ed4a.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/military/north-korea-confirms-important-test-to-develop-spy-satellite-kcna-says/article_52f3e82b-8977-5e85-b953-edaa30b9ed4a.html
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Rev. Frank Anthony Pavone, the national director of Priests for Life from New York, gives a homily during a funeral Mass in Gulfport, Florida, on April 5, 2005.
Jim Stem JMS/Reuters/File Photo
VATICAN CITY -- Rev. Frank Pavone, a leader of the U.S. anti-abortion movement and a strong supporter of former president Donald Trump, has been dismissed from the Catholic priesthood for "blasphemous" social media posts and disobedience to bishops.
In a Twitter post in 2020 he spoke of "supporters of this goddamn loser Biden and his morally corrupt, America-hating, God-hating Democrat party."
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2022-12-18T22:19:17Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Vatican dismisses Trump-supporting, anti-abortion leader from priesthood | National | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/national/vatican-dismisses-trump-supporting-anti-abortion-leader-from-priesthood/article_d24cac8e-4289-5104-9ec2-d5441fbe49d6.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/national/vatican-dismisses-trump-supporting-anti-abortion-leader-from-priesthood/article_d24cac8e-4289-5104-9ec2-d5441fbe49d6.html
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Alpine Skiing - FIS Alpine Ski World Cup - Women's Super G - Courchevel, France - March 17, 2022 Mikaela Shiffrin of the U.S. celebrates on the podium her overall third place on the Women's Super G REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
Mikaela Shiffrin won the World Cup super-G race on the slopes of St. Moritz, Switzerland, on Sunday to post her 77th World Cup win, taking her to within five victories of teammate Lindsey Vonn's women's record of 82.
Shiffrin finished with a time of 1 minute, 13.62 seconds, 0.12 seconds ahead of Elena Curtoni from Italy. France's Romane Miradoli placed third, took third place, 0.40 seconds behind Shiffrin.
"That was the best run I could possibly have," a said Shiffrin, who spent some of her youth living in Lyme, N.H. "I don't know if it felt perfect, but what I've learned over the years in super-G is that you can't really do it perfect."
The World Cup takes a break over Christmas before resuming with two giant slaloms and one slalom in Semmering, Austria on Dec. 27-29.
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2022-12-18T22:19:23Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Shiffrin moves closer to all-time record with super-G win | Sports | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/shiffrin-moves-closer-to-all-time-record-with-super-g-win/article_7e5315fe-cbbb-51e8-bafb-3ea98497c64a.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/shiffrin-moves-closer-to-all-time-record-with-super-g-win/article_7e5315fe-cbbb-51e8-bafb-3ea98497c64a.html
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Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Final - Argentina v France - Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar - December 18, 2022 Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates winning the World Cup with the trophy REUTERS/Hannah Mckay TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Soccer: Argentina wins thrilling World Cup final in shootout
By Mitch Phillips Reuters
LUSAIL, Qatar -- Argentina won its third World Cup in an extraordinary final on Sunday as it beat France 4-2 on penalties after Lionel Messi scored twice in a 3-3 draw and Kylian Mbappe netted a hat-trick to bring the defending champions back from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits.
It was a night of drama, high emotion and fluctuating fortunes, delivering one of the all-time great finals as its two star players delivered command performances on the biggest stage of all.
Argentina had looked to be cruising to a one-sided victory after Messi's penalty and a brilliant goal by Angel Di Maria in the first half put them in total control but Mbappe converted an 80th-minute penalty and volleyed in the tying goal a minute later to take the game to extra time.
Messi put Argentina ahead again but Mbappe tied it with another penalty, becoming the second man to score a World Cup final hat-trick after England's Geoff Hurst in 1966.
It meant that after his record 26th World Cup match and his fifth appearance, the 35-year-old Messi claimed the trophy his talent and commitment to his country demanded, elevating him alongside Diego Maradona, Argentina's first football god, who carried them to their emotional second triumph in 1986 following the first in 1978.
The victory seems all the more incredible coming a month after his team began the tournament by suffering statistically the biggest upset in World Cup history, losing to Saudi Arabia.
France is the only team to have scored three goals in a final and lost.
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2022-12-18T22:19:29Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Soccer: Argentina wins thrilling World Cup final in shootout | Sports | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/soccer-argentina-wins-thrilling-world-cup-final-in-shootout/article_8ff04f6d-23af-52c0-a878-4cdbb34ca5d3.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/soccer-argentina-wins-thrilling-world-cup-final-in-shootout/article_8ff04f6d-23af-52c0-a878-4cdbb34ca5d3.html
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Manchester Superintendent of Schools Jenn Gillis
DAVID LANE/ UNION LEADER
Barry Brensinger
The three firms are SMMA, with offices in Cambridge, Mass., and Providence, Rhode Island; Harriman, with locations in Portsmouth, Portland and Auburn, Maine, and Boston, Mass.; and Lavallee Brensinger, which has offices in Portland, Maine, Boston, Mass., and on Dow Street in Manchester.
Barry Brensinger, coordinator for the education advocacy group Manchester Proud, is the former CEO of Lavallee Brensinger. He said in an email Sunday no conflict of interest exists, because he hasn’t served as CEO of the firm “for some time.”
“In fact, I completed the sale of my ownership in the company several years ago,” said Brensinger in an email. “Additionally, I fully retired from employment by the firm more than a year ago. Therefore, I have no financial interest in Lavallee Brensinger and no conflict exists.”
Last month, school officials released a “request for qualifications,” a requisite “next step” in the procurement process, used to ensure potential bidders are qualified.
The Board of School Committee approved moving forward with the three qualified firms last week. Those firms must now submit proposals by Jan. 3.
“The members of the Finance and Facilities Committee met over the last two weeks to review the initial submissions, and there was genuine excitement because the next steps are coming into focus,” said Superintendent of Schools Jenn Gillis in a statement. “We’ve been talking about this work for so long, but we’re a step closer to identifying the team that will help us truly transform our schools.”
In August, Gillis received approval on her “3-4-12 model” — three high schools, four middle schools and 12 elementary schools.
Manchester is currently home to four high schools, four middle schools and 13 elementary schools.
Gillis’ presentation did not include recommendations for any specific school closures.
School officials say the proposed “3-4-12” model is supported by information gathered through previous studies, including a 2018 Long-Range Facilities Plan, 2021 Capacity/Utilization Review and 2021 Davis Demographics Study.
The full request for qualifications document can be viewed at https://finance.mansd.org/request-for-proposals.
Manchester school board members previously authorized administrators to spend up to $50,000 to hire a project manager to oversee implementation of the district’s long-term facilities plan.
The 16-page plan includes three phases for work to be performed at schools across the district, but it lacks specific dates for completion of the phases.
The first phase of the plan calls for a project manager to be assigned to oversee facilities renovation and any potential construction or demolition.
The second phase will zero in on renovations at current schools, based on feedback received at community input sessions over the past year. All but one of the 13 elementary schools in the city will likely receive some sort of renovation, with the exception of Weston Elementary.
Wilson Elementary School could be in line for a complete renovation, according to the report.
Phase 2 also will include the completion of the city’s four public middle schools into grade 5-8 schools.
The final phase is expected to examine the long-term viability of the elementary schools and finalize plans for the high schools.
Projected costs for any of the phases have yet to be determined, school officials said, because ongoing and impending housing projects could impact future enrollment figures.
The selected firm will help the district take the next steps toward making the “3-4-12 model” a reality.
The Finance and Facilities Committee will open the bids at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 5 at the District Office at 20 Hecker Street. The process will be open to the public.
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2022-12-18T23:54:33Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Names of firms invited to submit proposals for Manchester facilities planning revealed | Education | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/education/names-of-firms-invited-to-submit-proposals-for-manchester-facilities-planning-revealed/article_ab058bfa-2a5c-5ee5-9d13-5e1ce5f3b5eb.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/education/names-of-firms-invited-to-submit-proposals-for-manchester-facilities-planning-revealed/article_ab058bfa-2a5c-5ee5-9d13-5e1ce5f3b5eb.html
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Sox, Justin Turner agree on 2-year contract
The Red Sox have an agreement with former Dodgers infielder Justin Turner for two-year, $22 million deal with the 38-year-old.
Playing Turner at first base would seem to cut into playing time for rookie Triston Casas. The Red Sox released Eric Hosmer, seemingly to clear a path for Casas. Turner does have experience as second base, but not in 2022.
Turner played 66 games at third and 62 as a DH last year. He was a leader in L.A. and could help fill the void left by Xander Bogaerts.
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2022-12-18T23:54:46Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Sox, Justin Turner agree on 2-year contract | Sports | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/sox-justin-turner-agree-on-2-year-contract/article_f6d9310e-a7b8-51cd-a7e3-7ac783641937.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/sox-justin-turner-agree-on-2-year-contract/article_f6d9310e-a7b8-51cd-a7e3-7ac783641937.html
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Alderman Pat Long made a motion earlier this month to allocate up to $15,000 in contingency funds to cover the cost for some students to play in the Manchester Basketball League, created by Manchester resident and 1987 Central graduate Chris Morgan, claiming hundreds of students cut from school-run basketball teams want to play basketball but can’t afford the league’s $68 registration fee.
Last week, school board members seemed surprised by the request.
“I would find it amazing that a Board of Mayor and Aldermen or school board would decide to make a donation to a private for-profit company for no reason other than they asked for it,” said school board Vice Chairman Jim O’Connell.
School Superintendent Jenn Gillis said if the district received a request for $15,000 it would be earmarked to go back into city school athletic programs.
“We did not have communication with this organization prior to the BMA’s request and have not had communication subsequent to the BMA request,” said Gillis.
O’Connell confirmed Manchester Basketball League is a private organization, for profit, that bills students to play sports.
“It’s a private enterprise that happens on Sunday in the city of Manchester,” said O’Connell. “If we are in the business of giving stipends, grants or monies to sports in the city of Manchester, disconnected from the school district, there are lots of organizations for profit that would like to be part of the bidding process for that money.”
The school board took no formal action on the issue, beyond a brief discussion.
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2022-12-19T01:30:16Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Manchester school board puzzled by talk of public funds for private basketball league | Education | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/education/manchester-school-board-puzzled-by-talk-of-public-funds-for-private-basketball-league/article_2fbb148e-a0ed-5a02-8289-7aed77f74b78.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/education/manchester-school-board-puzzled-by-talk-of-public-funds-for-private-basketball-league/article_2fbb148e-a0ed-5a02-8289-7aed77f74b78.html
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When working for a multinational, I was given a 48-month calendar. They had them printed specially. New product development and major promotions were on a four-year cycle. It took about a year to come up with a new product that was measurably better than the competition and our own best offering.
Year two was spent in testing and in working out how best to scale things up for mass production while reducing costs. Year three was user testing and package development. Year four was building inventory and finally new product launch. All of this was going on in different phases with several products. Not all made it through. Market testing was a year two and three process. All this was very costly and time consuming.
The business press would comment upon product introduction that it was “A you bet your company” move. True in a way, but it was much closer to a sure thing than most knew. More often than not the new product would be incredibly successful. This of course set the bar even higher for its successor and effectively ruled out competition that could not afford the process and had to be satisfied with second place and a distant market share.
Humorously the marketing hotshot MBAs would say they were not allowed to use their brains as the sample size was too small. They were required to run large test markets a year or two in advance of product launch. This was the ultimate in low risk but very costly development. The profits involved supported the effort.
All this can’t be done in small to medium business, but some of the principles apply. Testing and sample size are not places to cut costs or rush things through. Haste indeed makes for product failure.
Instead of multi-month cycles, a next quarter mentality develops with the final two weeks of each quarter being crunch time. You only must miss your numbers in a public company a couple of times before you become a takeover target or customers get a sense that you don’t know what you are doing, and they begin to look for second sources.
Youth in business is often overvalued. Decisions are made without risk being given due diligence. What is plan B? What will all this cost? The idea of starting small and taking extra time to make sure you know everything possible about what you are doing seldom makes the business books. Right place at the right time is credited with success. You don’t want to get lucky and play the “You bet your company” game on major expansion or revolutionary products or programs.
Is it possible to run across an interstate? Yes, but there are better and less risky ways of getting to the other side.
Jack Falvey is a former adjunct professor at U-Mass Boston and Boston College. He is the founder of www.MakingTheNumbers.Com in Londonderry.
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2022-12-19T03:06:04Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Man on the Move: Managing risk is part of the path to success | Business | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/columns/man-on-the-move-managing-risk-is-part-of-the-path-to-success/article_02711c0b-9621-50d2-a325-28650086d507.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/columns/man-on-the-move-managing-risk-is-part-of-the-path-to-success/article_02711c0b-9621-50d2-a325-28650086d507.html
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Signage on a Verizon store in San Francisco on Jan. 21, 2021.
This isn’t how the era of better, faster wireless service — known as 5G — was supposed to unfold for the No. 1 U.S. provider. Verizon headed into the decade with a reputation for the best network and service. But management was outflanked by T-Mobile U.S. Inc.’s rapid ascent in network quality, as well as lower prices, and out-marketed by AT&T Inc.’s free-phone giveaways.
The latest trouble erupted two weeks ago, when the head of Verizon’s consumer division departed. It’s the second time in a year that the chief of the company’s largest business got the boot. Chief Executive Officer Hans Vestberg is overseeing that operation for now.
Verizon is also having to contend with a reinvigorated AT&T. That company has begun a rebound by focusing on expanding its network, adding subscribers and reducing debt.Price War?Verizon, along with T-Mobile and AT&T, raised prices earlier this year to pass along higher labor and supply costs. Customers were willing to absorb the higher bills, showing just how essential wireless service has become.
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2022-12-19T03:06:10Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Verizon lost its network superiority - now it's paying the price | Business | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/columns/verizon-lost-its-network-superiority---now-its-paying-the-price/article_d8526689-a963-5276-adba-fb5c2852cf45.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/columns/verizon-lost-its-network-superiority---now-its-paying-the-price/article_d8526689-a963-5276-adba-fb5c2852cf45.html
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Cynthia Bolumbu, left, looks for gifts for her family at the Santa Fund Toy Shop with help from volunteer Chrissy Bone on Sunday in Manchester. (For more photos, see Page A3.)
Mary Blossom of Manchester looks for gifts for her children at the Santa Fund Toy Shop in Manchester on Sunday.
Volunteer Christine Telge looks for a gift for a client at the annual Santa Fund Toy Shop held on Sunday in Manchester.
Jodie Andruskevich/ Union Leader
Cari Lee, a volunteer at the Santa Fund Toy Shop restocks stuffed animals on Sunday at the annual Salvation Army and New Hampshire Union Leader event.
Lillian Hamilton, 7, is all smiles as she volunteers at the annual Salvation Army and Union Leader Toy Shop in Manchester on Sunday.
Mary Blossom searches for gifts for her family at the Santa Fund Toy Shop in Manchester on Sunday.
Cynthia Bolumbu clutched a giant tan teddy bear as she shopped for gifts for her five children at the Salvation Army’s Toy Shop Sunday afternoon.
She also got a Kindle Fire tablet for her 7-year-old son and a Disney princess Moana styling doll for her 9-year-old daughter.
The gifts will be opened on Christmas morning, said the single mother, who works as a nursing assistant at an assisted living facility in Bedford. Her youngest is 11 months and her oldest 12 years old.
“It helps me a lot, especially now with everything being so expensive,” she said. The Salvation Army has helped bring joy to the family for the past three years, she said.
“I am thankful for everything,” she said.
Bolumbu, who is originally from the Congo and has lived in Manchester for seven years, was among hundreds who received toys for children 12 and younger on the first day of the Salvation Army’s annual Toy Shop, set up at the Expo Center at the DoubleTree Hotel in Manchester. The event is supported by the New Hampshire Union Leader Santa Fund for the Salvation Army, which is in its 63rd year.
In all, 1,091 families were expected to receive gifts for 2,137 children.
Salvation Army Maj. Colin DeVault is in his first year with the Manchester Corps.
“I have not seen anything quite this massive,” he said. “It is amazing. What is amazing to me is the number of volunteers who give their own time to walk through this with folks so no one comes in as a stranger and has to figure it out.”
There will always be a need during the holidays each year.
“Jesus said, ‘The poor you will always have with you.’ It is a natural part of life,” DeVault said. “It is not a nice part of life, but it is a natural part. I am just grateful that he raised up the Salvation Army and the many volunteers and people with caring hearts to give and make this possible.”
Parents received three gifts for each child, a stuffed animal for each child 7 or younger, a book, a board game and a Market Basket gift card with an amount determined by the size of the family.
Volunteer Marci Martel wore a Christmas-themed shirt that read, “Love is all around.” She used to work for the Salvation Army’s Kids Cafe and has volunteered at the Toy Shop since 1996.
“Christmas is not Christmas unless our family does this,” she said. “It has just become a part of our tradition. Christmas should be about giving, not getting.”
One special moment this year included a mother with a three- month-old boy looking for anything with Winnie the Pooh on it. It ended up being a memory keepsake box as a child grows.
“She was extremely grateful and had tears in her eyes,” Martel said.
Ryan Bartlett, a veteran from Manchester who is on disability, said the toys are for his 7-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son. Some of the gifts included LOL dolls and science/discovery toys.
He said it’s been a tough year with medical issues.
The family has a tradition to allow the kids to open the stocking first then eat breakfast before opening the big items under the tree.
“It helps out Christmas morning,” he said of the Toy Shop. “It works out great for the kids and they love it.”
Mary Blossom, who recently started working full time at Market Basket on Elm Street, has lived in Manchester her whole life. She shopped for her 9-year-old daughter, Mia.
She was able to get a Barbie with extra clothing and fashion accessories.
“I wouldn’t say it’s hard times because who isn’t having a hard time now,” she said. “It was nice to know you are able to have something under the tree and still keep your rent paid and not having to choose.”
She always runs into volunteers ringing bells at the Market Basket.
“When they are outside, I always try to put a few bucks in there because I know I am gaining from it, so I want to make sure to pay it forward as well,” Blossom said.
Four years ago, Peter came to the United States from the Democratic Republic of the Congo with his wife and daughter.
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2022-12-19T03:06:16Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Salvation Army Toy Shop helps spread joy to more than 2,100 kids | Santa Fund | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/human_interest/santa_fund/salvation-army-toy-shop-helps-spread-joy-to-more-than-2-100-kids/article_334d8957-e102-5adb-aa2c-80190334734b.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/human_interest/santa_fund/salvation-army-toy-shop-helps-spread-joy-to-more-than-2-100-kids/article_334d8957-e102-5adb-aa2c-80190334734b.html
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Suzanne Foley
BRASETH
HEIDT
MCQUILLEN
Newsmakers: Port City Pretzels honored with award
Port City Pretzels honored with award
The 2022 Easterseals New Hampshire David P. Goodwin Lifetime Commitment Award granted Port City Pretzels the company of the year. Each year, Easterseals honors a company that shows exceptional dedication to disability inclusion. Port City Pretzels was founded in 2015 and has since committed to hiring employees with disabilities while creating an inclusive workplace. Owner Suzanne Foley has more than doubled her workforce over the last three years.
Braseth joins Colliers
Tim Braseth joined the Portsmouth team of Colliers, a commercial real estate services company. Braseth recently returned to his native New Hampshire from Los Angeles, where he spent the last 18 years in real estate. With his companies, ArtCraft Homes and ArtCraft Development, he bought, renovated, and resold dozens of luxury properties throughout Los Angeles. As a commercial developer, he repositioned eight light industrial buildings into offices, restaurants, and brew-pubs along West Adams’ Jefferson Boulevard.
Tanner joins PBS board
Michael Tanner Jr. of Bedford joined the New Hampshire PBS Board of Directors. Tanner brings a global perspective to his board duties, having served as an engineer on projects worldwide, including Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Tanner currently serves as a program manager, F-15 International at BAE Systems in Nashua, where he initiates and executes projects and manages personnel.
Editors named at NH Magazine
McLean Communications, a subsidiary of Yankee Publishing Inc., recently appointed Emily Heidt as new managing editor of New Hampshire Magazine. Heidt, who has been with McLean Communications for more than five years, previously was associate editor. Heidt will also serve as managing editor of New Hampshire Home Magazine.
McLean Communications also recently added Caleb Jagoda as assistant editor of New Hampshire Magazine. Prior to joining McLean Communications, Jagoda was a freelance writer. He recently co-founded Neon Snooze Magazine, a triannual magazine that features creators and artists across New England.
DuPont joins Littleton Regional Healthcare
Emily DuPont joined Littleton Regional Healthcare as diabetes nurse educator. Most recently, DuPont served as the diabetes nurse educator at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in its Outpatient Endocrinology Clinic. DuPont received her associate of science in nursing from New Hampshire Technical Institute. She graduated summa cum laude with her bachelor of science in nursing from Granite State College in 2021. She is pursuing her master of science in nursing healthcare education from Granite State College.
McQuillen appointed to REDC committee
Terrie McQuillen was appointed to the Regional Economic Development Center’s credit committee. McQuillen serves as senior vice president of credit administration at Merrimack County Savings Bank. McQuillen assists the nonprofit in reviewing small business loan applications and recommending appropriate terms and conditions for each application.
The Merrimack recently purchased $50,000 in tax credits from the REDC to help expand capital to the New Hampshire New Americans Loan Fund, which provides assistance to recent immigrants of New Hampshire, allowing them to open or grow their businesses.
VATICAN CITY — Rev. Frank Pavone, a leader of the U.S. anti-abortion movement and a strong supporter of former president Donald Trump, has been dismissed from the Catholic priesthood for “blasphemous” social media posts and disobedience to bishops.
Early in the pandemic, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis repeatedly praised President Donald Trump for the expedited development and rollout of a coronavirus vaccine. The governor's office pushed for $480 million in pandemic resources, including media campaigns promoting the shots, according to stat…
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2022-12-19T03:06:38Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Newsmakers: Port City Pretzels honored with award | | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/newsmakers-port-city-pretzels-honored-with-award/article_78026213-7489-5e95-85fb-cc4438131138.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/newsmakers-port-city-pretzels-honored-with-award/article_78026213-7489-5e95-85fb-cc4438131138.html
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Erin George-Kelly, director of homeless youth services at Waypoint, speaks to a reporter at the new Youth Resource Center in Manchester on Wednesday.
Waypoint's new Youth Resource Center recently opened on the corner of Hanover and Beech streets in Manchester.
Clothing is available at Waypoint's new Youth Resource Center in Manchester.
Artwork and an area to make art popped up at Waypoint's new Youth Resource Center in Manchester on Wednesday.
A bed at Waypoint’s new Youth Resource Center in Manchester on Wednesday.
A single unit is ready for a resident at Waypoint's new Youth Resource Center in Manchester.
Mark Hayward's City Matters: Six available beds, 28 homeless youth; who gets a good night's sleep?
ALMOST TWO MONTHS ago, Waypoint opened the state’s only homeless shelter exclusively for young adults on the edge. By the fourth night, the shelter was full.
One night last week, 28 youth (the facility serves people ages 18 to 25) signed up to bed down at the shelter. Six beds were available.
So who gets a bed?
The coldest six? Those who have been homeless the longest? The first six in line? The most affable?
Waypoint’s method for picking the six is quintessentially ManchVegas — a lottery.
Names are entered into the website Random.org. A list pops out, and the six at the top get a warm bed.
“We want to be an emergency shelter and have young people to be able to have equal access to us every night,” said Erin George-Kelly, director of youth services for Waypoint, a private, nonprofit human-services organization.
Last week, George-Kelly, who is also a Manchester alderman, showed me and a photographer around the Waypoint Youth Resource Center.
Located at the corner of Hanover and Beech streets, the center provides a host of supports for destitute youth during the day. There are showers, a food pantry, a clothes closet, TV, Wi-Fi, a comfortable couch, computers and support services for any 18- to 25-year-old.
The shelter beds, located in the basement, number 14. Each is inside a cubby with a half-sized wall.
Some of the beds, eight when I visited, are designated as two-week beds. They are for people who are taking steps to improve their situation — school, job, counseling. One resident had tucked in a half-dozen stuffed animals at the head of their bed; another had attached dream catchers to the wall.
They are guaranteed a bed for two weeks. They are then reviewed and renewed, if warranted.
The remaining beds are one-night-only beds.
They are for youth with “multiple complex challenges,” including untreated mental illness or drug abuse. They aren’t ready to address those challenges, George-Kelly said, so they get entered into the nightly lottery.
Most shelters select their clients on a first-come, first-serve basis. But George-Kelly sees problems with that.
Someone might have a job and can’t get in line before the picking starts. They might not have a cellphone, which allows them to stay on top of things. And bias could creep into any decision-making.
The Families in Transition shelter on Manchester Street is first-come, first-served.
Once you’re in and you have a bed, you keep it as long as you return to the shelter by 7 p.m., said Stephanie Savard, director of community outreach for Families in Transition.
If you don’t show up (unless you have a good, pre-approved reason such as a job), the bed goes to the first name on the waiting list.
The Waypoint model is great for their population, Savard said. But it wouldn’t work at the 138-bed New Horizons shelter.
“Being a low-barrier shelter and being so large, this is a model that works for us,” she said.
Savard said Families in Transition attempted several strategies after it took over the shelter. At one point, the shelter was reconfigured with private, guaranteed rooms as an incentive for people to work on their problems.
But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and space became the priority.
Waypoint opened the $2.48 million youth resource center on Oct. 31. George-Kelly said it takes about $500,000 a year to operate the facility, money raised by donations.
The Chapin Hall research center at the University of Chicago estimates that one in 10 young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 endures some form of homelessness.
The shelter isn’t licensed for minors, and homeless kids are directed to Webster House in Manchester or two Seacoast-area group homes.
George-Kelly said the resource center operates with the developing brain in mind. Misbehavior results in a brief disinvite, a day or two. And shelter residents can check weapons (knives and pepper spray; no guns allowed) in a hotel-like lock box.
Safety and harm reduction, George-Kelly said, are the priorities.
George-Kelly said it’s tough to draw the lottery at 5 p.m. and bid good luck to those who don’t get selected. They have to be out by 7 p.m., which gives them time to try for a bed at New Horizons or a chair at the Cafe 1269 warming center.
A youth homeless shelter has been discussed for years. When I met George-Kelly in 2013, the topic was youth homelessness and whether a shelter was necessary.
Back then, she said, it wasn’t hard to get youth off the streets. That was before the opioid epidemic, the COVID-19 pandemic and $1,800-a-month apartments.
“I used to think there was a clear pathway out of homelessness and poverty,” George-Kelly said. “You get a high school diploma, a job, save for a place. There is no longer a straight pathway anymore. It’s not a given.”
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2022-12-19T03:06:50Z
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Mark Hayward's City Matters: Six available beds, 28 homeless youth; who gets a good night's sleep? | City Matters | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/voices/city_matters/mark-haywards-city-matters-six-available-beds-28-homeless-youth-who-gets-a-good-nights/article_0a8ffc94-2c51-53ca-bbd5-5c0f4b850241.html
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Support mental health of military men and women
To the Editor: In November, I attended a virtual community event hosted by Swim With A Mission (SWAM) to discuss veterans’ mental health in New Hampshire. As a Navy veteran, I was encouraged to hear the work being done to improve mental healthcare services for veterans from state leaders in the mental health community such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Easterseals Veterans Count, Hero Pups, and HCA Healthcare hospitals in New Hampshire — Portsmouth Regional Hospital, Parkland Medical Center and Frisbie Memorial Hospital.
I’m so proud of the Union Leader for publishing Howard Altschiller’s piece on veterans’ mental health in the Granite State. While the piece detailed the very personal challenges of a few veterans, the message echoed the sentiments shared by the panelists who participated in the virtual event: “there is help, and there is hope,” thanks to the work of dedicated organizations working in coordination to serve a common good.
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2022-12-19T07:01:03Z
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Letter: Support our military men and women | Letters to the Editor | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/letter-support-our-military-men-and-women/article_de7cce14-3673-511c-b46f-7f5f5396e210.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/letter-support-our-military-men-and-women/article_de7cce14-3673-511c-b46f-7f5f5396e210.html
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Suzanne Gaetjens-Oleson
THERE MAY be a family in your social or professional circle that has a child with a developmental disability like Down syndrome or autism. Let’s call them the Smiths. Over the years, the Smith’s child Susan grows into adulthood, but, because she does not have the cognitive or physical ability to live a totally independent life, she still significantly depends on her parents.
As Mr. and Mrs. Smith get older, this question may have crossed your mind. What’s going to happen to Susan once they pass away or can’t care for her any longer?
This is a very real concern and one, fortunately, we have a system in place to address.
Throughout the North Country and around the state, open-hearted people known as home care providers welcome adults with developmental disabilities into their homes and into their families. This requires kindness, but it also presents a career opportunity as home care providers are compensated for their work.
Thanks to home care providers supplying a home and support with daily activities, adults with developmental disabilities like Susan can live safely and independently when their loved ones are no longer able to care for them.
Metaphorically, you might think of home care as adult foster care, and it plays an important role in our state’s developmental service system.
Every area agency serving people with developmental disabilities and their families employs home care providers. We currently contract with 80. And like every developmental services agency around the state, we are actively seeking more.
It is a compensated job. Without getting into detail, the range of payment a home care provider receives might be in the area of $20,000 per year to host someone who is very independent, to $100,000 for a client who needs significant support. The compensation home care providers receive is tax-free.
A home care provider can host anywhere from one to three individuals in their home, depending on the number of bedrooms they have and our ability to arrange for the people living together to be compatible with one another.
The process to qualify as a home care provider is similar to qualifying as a foster care provider — an application with references, a background check, and an interview and inspection of the home. Home care providers receive training, most of which is online training that we provide.
The most important factor in a successful home care arrangement is the right match. We try to match people with similar interests. For example, if we have a client who enjoys going to church and participating in other church activities and that wasn’t an interest of the home care provider, that may not be a good match.
If the client is very active and wants to go out to evening concerts or to ball games, we try to find a home care provider who also enjoys being active. Conversely, some people are home bodies, and if so we try to factor that into the match.
If we find the right match between a home care provider and the individual who lives with them, that individual is probably going to have a home for life.
Why do people want to be home care providers?
First, it’s an immensely rewarding job you can do at home. For some people, that’s convenient if they are raising a young family. Or if they’ve raised their family, it might be appealing because they don’t have to go to an office or work for somebody else. The tax-free compensation is appealing to some folks.
But the majority are just caregivers at heart. It’s something that they want to do. We’ve discovered that our home care providers have room in their hearts as well as room in their homes. In the right match the individual becomes a loved companion — a member of the family.
Our home care providers range in age from their 20s to their 70s. Our clients who live in home care settings are 22 and up. The majority are in their 50s and older. Like Susan in the example above, they often don’t have family left and don’t have others to support them in their lives.
If you have room in your home and room in your heart and are interested in a job that’s tremendously rewarding, area agencies that serve people with developmental disabilities would love to hear from you. You can connect with an area agency near you at csni.org/careers-in-the-aa-system.
Suzanne Gaetjens-Oleson, LCMHC is chief executive officer of nonprofit Northern Human Services, serving residents in Carroll, Coos, and Upper Grafton County with locations in Berlin, Colebrook, Conway, Groveton, Lancaster, Littleton, Tamworth, Whitefield, Wolfeboro & Woodsville. She lives in Lancaster.
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2022-12-19T07:01:20Z
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Suzanne Gaetjens-Oleson: Open homes and open hearts needed | Op-eds | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/op-eds/suzanne-gaetjens-oleson-open-homes-and-open-hearts-needed/article_e84860fe-f0e2-5620-9f50-e5eb681d92cd.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/op-eds/suzanne-gaetjens-oleson-open-homes-and-open-hearts-needed/article_e84860fe-f0e2-5620-9f50-e5eb681d92cd.html
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Actor Amber Heard hugs her lawyer Elaine Bredehoft after the jury said they believe she defamed ex-husband Johnny Depp while announcing split verdicts in favor of both Depp and Heard on their claim and counter-claim in the Depp v. Heard civil defamation trial at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Va., on Wednesday, June 1, 2022.
EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/VIA REUTERS
"I make this decision having lost faith in the American legal system, where my unprotected testimony served as entertainment and social media fodder," Heard wrote in a statement on Instagram.
The case stemmed from a 2018 op-ed in which Heard described herself as a representative of domestic abuse, without naming anyone specific. Depp, to whom Heard was legally married for two years, sued her for $50 million, citing defamation and claiming the article negatively impacted his career.
After a weeks-long trial in Fairfax, Va., earlier this year that captivated social media and led to all sorts of pointed commentary online - much of the vitriol directed toward Heard, often in a misogynistic manner - a jury awarded Depp $15 million in damages. Heard received $2 million for one of three counts in her countersuit, which argued that Depp's lawyer Adam Waldman defamed her.
In her statement, Heard wrote that she was "vindicated by a robust, impartial and fair system" in the United Kingdom, where Depp in 2020 lost a libel case against the publisher of the Sun, a British tabloid that called him a "wife beater" in reference to Heard. In the United States, she argued, "I was subjected to a courtroom in which abundant, direct evidence that corroborated my testimony was excluded and in which popularity and power mattered more than reason and due process."
Representatives for Depp have not yet responded to The Washington Post's request for comment.
Depp has returned to work since the trial. Shortly after, he announced he would be releasing an album with British guitarist Jeff Beck. He booked film projects - including a biopic of the artist Modigliani that Depp is set to direct and co-produce alongside Al Pacino - and has continued to serve as the face of Dior's Sauvage cologne. He made a brief virtual cameo at the MTV Video Music Awards in August and last month stirred controversy by appearing in Rihanna's "Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4."
Heard stated that while her choice to settle was "not an act of concession," the case had been draining her financially and emotionally. In settling the case, she wrote, "I am also choosing the freedom to dedicate my time to the work that helped me heal after my divorce; work that exists in realms in which I feel seen, heard and believed, and in which I know I can effect change."
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2022-12-19T16:51:04Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Amber Heard settles Johnny Depp defamation case | Back Page | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/back_page/amber-heard-settles-johnny-depp-defamation-case/article_86fb761c-3f23-5cdd-8409-48fca6d1bf1d.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/back_page/amber-heard-settles-johnny-depp-defamation-case/article_86fb761c-3f23-5cdd-8409-48fca6d1bf1d.html
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FILE PHOTO: An image of Elon Musk is seen on a smartphone placed on printed Twitter logos in this picture illustration taken April 28, 2022. Illustration/File Photo
By Vlad Savov and Giles Turner Bloomberg
Musk, who's also chief executive officer of Tesla and Space Exploration Technologies, has dedicated much of his time since acquiring Twitter on Oct. 27 to the social media service, drawing criticism for his abrupt policy changes and neglect of his other businesses. The stock of Tesla, his most valuable holding, has sunk by about a third since the acquisition.
It is not the first time Musk has put major corporate decisions to Twitter users. He recently conducted a poll of his followers on whether to reinstate Donald Trump's Twitter account, and allowed him back the following day.
There is no clear replacement at Twitter, with almost all of the top rank executives having been fired or resigned over the past few months. Musk added in later tweets that "No one wants the job who can actually keep Twitter alive. There is no successor," and "it has been in the fast lane to bankruptcy since May."
The threat that Twitter might veer into financial difficulties has been constant during Musk's tenure, who in his first address to employees in November said bankruptcy was a possibility if it doesn't start generating more cash. The company has almost $13 billion of debt that's now in the hands of seven Wall Street banks that have been unable to offload it to investors.
Musk was in Qatar to watch the World Cup final match between Argentina and France and tweeted out his poll after the game's conclusion. The billionaire has been looking for new investors at $54.20 a share, the same price he paid when he took the company private for $44 billion in October.
Musk originally agreed to acquire Twitter in April but then spent months trying unsuccessfully to get out of the deal. After taking the top role, he indicated that he'd only be in charge of Twitter for a limited time to complete the organizational overhaul he thought it needed to prosper, and complained of having "too much work" and sleeping at Twitter's San Francisco office while enforcing his radical changes.
Tesla shares gained 4.8% in U.S. premarket trading on Monday. Shares in the carmaker have slumped 57% this year amid concerns the chaotic takeover of Twitter has distracted Musk from the firm that propelled him to the richest person in the world - a title he lost last week to luxury titan Bernard Arnault.
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2022-12-19T16:51:11Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Twitter users vote for Elon Musk to step down as CEO | Science & Technology | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/scitech/twitter-users-vote-for-elon-musk-to-step-down-as-ceo/article_d190159b-e421-5a18-8c71-527058ee574d.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/scitech/twitter-users-vote-for-elon-musk-to-step-down-as-ceo/article_d190159b-e421-5a18-8c71-527058ee574d.html
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A marine looks at the capsized HTMS Sukhothai warship in the Gulf of Thailand, December 18, 2022.
ROYAL THAI NAVY/VIA REUTERS
Crew members from the capsized HTMS Sukhothai warship receive medical treatment in the Gulf of Thailand, December 18, 2022.
Footage shared by the navy's Twitter account showed a ship loaded with armaments, identified as HTMS Sukhothai, listing heavily as a separate vessel attempted a nighttime rescue effort.
The warship had been patrolling an area of the Gulf of Thailand off the Bang Saphan district, in the country's Prachuap Khiri Khan province, government officials said.
According to navy officials, a storm caused flooding on the ship and disrupted its power supply. "It suffered from high waves due to strong winds that blew seawater onto the electric system and knocked out the system, the large engine stopped working and lost control over the ship. The seawater leaked into the ship very quickly and made the ship lean on one side," officials said.
Footage posted to the navy's Twitter account showed sailors stranded on an inflatable raft, wearing life vests and awaiting rescue in the dark waves. Overnight efforts to rescue the dozens of crew members who remained missing were hampered by heavy winds and strong waves, military officials said.
"The waves are still high and we cannot search for them from the horizontal line. We have to fly the helicopters and search for them from a bird's eye view instead," Vice Adm. Pokkrong Monthatphalin, a navy spokesman, told Thai PBS, according to the Associated Press.
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2022-12-19T16:51:17Z
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Dozens of Thai sailors missing after navy warship sinks in choppy waters | World | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/world/dozens-of-thai-sailors-missing-after-navy-warship-sinks-in-choppy-waters/article_f60b6f55-9c2c-5a33-8b68-ffd4b1244b81.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/world/dozens-of-thai-sailors-missing-after-navy-warship-sinks-in-choppy-waters/article_f60b6f55-9c2c-5a33-8b68-ffd4b1244b81.html
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Revlon nail polish arranged in Brooklyn on June 21. MUST CREDIT: Bloomberg photo by Gabby Jones.
The company entered a restructuring support agreement with a critical lender group and its official committee of unsecured creditors on Monday, filings show. The deal calls for doling out ownership stakes in Revlon to secured lenders, while mostly wiping out the company's lowest-ranking creditors and leaving existing stockholders with nothing.
The bankruptcy is Revlon Inc., 22-10760, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
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2022-12-19T18:34:33Z
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Revlon's bankruptcy plan would wipe out stockholders, hand ownership to lenders | Courts | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/revlons-bankruptcy-plan-would-wipe-out-stockholders-hand-ownership-to-lenders/article_54ef6311-c707-593a-ac87-8fa7e64282ad.html
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Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., is proposing bipartisan legislation to require social media companies report to law enforcement agencies on the abuse of their platforms to illegally market fentanyl, especially to young people.
WASHINGTON — Social media companies should have to reveal to law enforcement the abuse of their platforms to engage in the illegal sales of fentanyl, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said Monday.
Shaheen and Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, introduced the Cooper Davis Act aimed at assisting federal agencies to crack down on the sale and distribution of counterfeit and controlled drugs sold via social media.
“Fentanyl is fueling the addiction crisis, and too many young people across New Hampshire and the nation are falling victim by acquiring drugs through social media,” said Shaheen, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee’s panel that approves the U.S. Department of Justice’s budget.
“Social media companies have a responsibility to report illicit drug activity on their platforms.”
Cooper Davis was a Mill Valley (Kansas) High School junior who died in August 2021 after taking half a pill he thought was Percocet but was laced with fentanyl.
His mother, Libby Davis, has led a campaign to increase awareness about how fentanyl, disguised and sold as benign pain pills, ultimately get users hooked on the powerful opioid, often with fatal results.
“We will not rest in our fight to stop this terrible scourge that is killing Americans at record rates,” Marshall said in a statement. “Without a doubt, Cooper and all those have been poisoned deserve our best fight.”
Under the measure, these social media companies would provide the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration with standardized reporting that would enable the agency to better identify and dismantle international criminal networks engaged in the illegal drug trade.
The bill mandates the Justice Department better coordinate its efforts in this area with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, state and local authorities and foreign law enforcement agencies.
Companies already share intel about child sex rings
Shaheen noted these companies have had to share with authorities’ information about child sexual exploitation, which stems from then-Senator Joe Biden’s PROTECT our Children Act in 2008.
“As the substance use disorder crisis continues to evolve, so must our response. This epidemic has wrought enough havoc and heartbreak on our communities: We must protect future generations from succumbing to addiction,” Shaheen said.
Mrs. Davis said the legislation was a logical extension of the work her organization has engaged in since her son’s passing.
“I think it was already in the works; it wasn’t something that I requested, it was their own idea,” she said on her foundation’s website.
“When they took it upon themselves to create a bill and asked his name to be put on it, I thought it would save lives.”
Shaheen’s office said officials with Snap Inc., the maker of Snapchat camera app, worked with the senators in crafting this legislation.
“Snap is committed to doing everything we can to combat the national fentanyl epidemic. We appreciate Senator Marshall and Senator Shaheen’s work on this critical topic, and look forward to continuing to work with them on this important legislation,” Jennifer Stout, Snap vice president for Global Public Policy, said in a statement.
In response to the opioid epidemic, Shaheen worked with Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and a group of many bipartisan senators to send a record $92 million back to New Hampshire over the past four years for substance abuse prevention and treatment.
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2022-12-19T18:34:46Z
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Shaheen: Social media firms should have to share info on fentanyl marketing | State | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/state/shaheen-social-media-firms-should-have-to-share-info-on-fentanyl-marketing/article_4165efa7-bf93-56f7-b4f9-96f4c4a84f0d.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/state/shaheen-social-media-firms-should-have-to-share-info-on-fentanyl-marketing/article_4165efa7-bf93-56f7-b4f9-96f4c4a84f0d.html
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A rendering of the 323,750-square-feet building to be built at 50 Robert Milligan Parkway
Provided by Trammell Crow Company
The building with 53 dock doors will be located at 50 Robert Milligan Parkway.
The 323,750-square-feet building is being built by Trammell Crow Company, a global commercial real estate developer, and joint venture partner Diamond Realty Investments, according to a news release.
The building, which could include multiple tenants, is slated to be completed by quarter four of 2023.
The facility was first proposed in 2021 by TC Boston Development Inc.
The spot is 48 miles north of Boston and is adjacent to Route 3 and the F.E. Everett Turnpike.
Elisha Long, senior vice president with TCC Boston, said in a statement that the logistics footprint in Greater Boston is constrained.
“Our project is well-located, just north of Nashua and within an hour’s drive of Boston. The site is accessible to a Class A freight system via the Ayer Intermodal, as well as Manchester-Boston Regional Airport that serves as a major cargo hub, checking many of the boxes that today’s industrial user has for a distribution facility,” she said.
As of September 30, TCC had $19.5 billion of projects in process and $13.5 billion in its pipeline, including office, industrial/logistics, healthcare, life sciences and mixed-use projects and multi-family residential.
CBRE is handling the marketing and leasing for the facility.
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2022-12-19T21:54:20Z
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Dallas developer secures $32.6M in financing for Merrimack logistics center | Business | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/dallas-developer-secures-32-6m-in-financing-for-merrimack-logistics-center/article_4cb7201b-3e3e-58da-968e-5d50db789177.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/dallas-developer-secures-32-6m-in-financing-for-merrimack-logistics-center/article_4cb7201b-3e3e-58da-968e-5d50db789177.html
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Alexey Brayman of Merrimack, shown here in a Facebook photo with his wife, Daria, was named in a federal indictment Tuesday that says he was part of a network that acquired high-tech equipment and shipped it to Russia from the couple’s home.
A filing in federal court includes this undated photo of Vadim Konoshchenok, one of the seven arrested in the Merrimack-to-Moscow smuggling network. The uniform is of the Russian Federal Security Service, or FSB, the successor to the Soviet KGB.
U.S. court filings
A New Hampshire man implicated in a Merrimack-to-Moscow network that allegedly delivered high-tech equipment to the Russian war machine will be spending a lot of his time at his Merrimack home in the coming months.
Two lawyers from the Boston firm of Verrill Dana -- David Lazarus and Tawny Alvarez -- have filed appearances on Brayman's behalf in U.S. District Court in Concord. They did not return a telephone call seeking comment.
Brayman’s Facebook page remained public immediately after his arrest, allowing media to grab images of him, his wife and his life in the United States. In one post, he wrote about trying to ice skate at the JFK Coliseum in Manchester. The page no longer is public.
“Both Brayman and Yermolenko would alter, forge, and destroy shipping documents, invoices and other business records to unlawfully export items from the United States,” reads a federal filing attempting to justify high bail for the two.
“Brayman used his residence in New Hampshire as a frequent transshipment point for items that were unlawfully exported from the U.S. and ultimately destined for Russia,” the filing reads.
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2022-12-19T23:29:03Z
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www.unionleader.com
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At home, alleged Russian operative must stay put, remain out of trouble | Crime | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/at-home-alleged-russian-operative-must-stay-put-remain-out-of-trouble/article_b483a94d-3177-5175-ab84-3519e14eb79c.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/at-home-alleged-russian-operative-must-stay-put-remain-out-of-trouble/article_b483a94d-3177-5175-ab84-3519e14eb79c.html
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Hudson police work at a crash between a tractor-trailer and a red sedan on Route 111 near the Hudson Park Drive intersection on Dec. 19, 2022.
A tractor-trailer involved in a crash with a red sedan on Route 111 ended up in a gulley on Dec. 19, 2022.
Hudson crash
A Nashua man was medflighted to a Massachusetts hospital with life-threatening injuries after the car he was driving collided with a tractor-trailer truck on Route 111 in Hudson on Monday morning.
Hudson police say a 2008 Pontiac G6 driven by Paul Cella, 83, of Nashua, collided with the truck, driven by Mark Beauchesne, 63, of Methuen, Mass., on Route 111 near Hudson Park Drive, forcing the tractor-trailer off the eastbound side of Route 111 and into an embankment.
Hudson firefighters had to cut Cella from the wreckage of his vehicle.
Beauchesne was transported to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua for treatment of minor injuries.
Route 111 remained closed into the evening.
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2022-12-20T01:07:26Z
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Nashua man critically injured in crash | Public Safety | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/safety/nashua-man-critically-injured-in-crash/article_6aa06a51-f3e5-579e-b1f9-ba9bcbb92af0.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/safety/nashua-man-critically-injured-in-crash/article_6aa06a51-f3e5-579e-b1f9-ba9bcbb92af0.html
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REUTERS/DANTE CARRER/FILE PHOTO
Cryptocurrency mogul to agree to extradition to face charges
Sam Bankman-Fried has agreed to be extradited to the United States to face fraud charges, a person familiar with the matter said on Monday, just hours after the FTX founder’s lawyer told a Bahamas judge he was not ready to consent.
It was not immediately clear when Bankman-Fried would depart the Bahamas, where he was arrested on Dec. 12 per a U.S. extradition request. No further court date was set at the conclusion of Monday’s hearing.
His U.S.-based defense lawyer, Mark Cohen, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Bankman-Fried’s abrupt decision came after a tumultuous appearance on Monday morning before Magistrate Shaka Serville at a court in l Nassau, following reports by Reuters and other outlets over the weekend that he had decided to reverse his decision to contest extradition.
Serville said at the hearing that he could not take any action on Bankman-Fried’s extradition without the former billionaire’s consent.
Bankman-Fried was given the chance to speak to his U.S. counsel over the phone and then remanded back to the Caribbean nation’s Fox Hill prison. He departed the courthouse in a black van marked “Corrections,” carrying a manila folder containing papers, a Reuters witness said.
Franklyn Williams — the Bahamas’ deputy director of legal affairs, who is representing the United States in its push to extradite Bankman-Fried — called the day’s proceedings “incredible” and appeared frustrated by the delay.
The 30-year-old crypto mogul rode a boom in the value of bitcoin and other digital assets to become a billionaire several times over and an influential political donor in the United States, until FTX collapsed in early November after a wave of withdrawals.
The exchange declared bankruptcy on Nov. 11.
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2022-12-20T01:07:32Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Cryptocurrency mogul to agree to extradition to face charges | Wire | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/wire/international/cryptocurrency-mogul-to-agree-to-extradition-to-face-charges/article_7707f80c-986f-5c22-9b62-0ee1b56a9129.html
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Six neighbors killed in condo dispute near Toronto including suspect, 73
Six people, including the suspect, died and one person was wounded in a shooting at a high-rise condominium building near Toronto on Sunday where a 73-year-old gunman is alleged to have killed his neighbors before being shot dead by police.
Police said three of the victims were members of the condominium’s board. The suspect, Francesco Villi, had been involved in ongoing litigation with the board, according to Canadian media, citing court documents.
Police received a call about an active shooter in the Ontario city of Vaughan, a Toronto suburb, at about 7:20 p.m. on Sunday, York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween told reporters.
MacSween said police fatally shot the suspect in a hallway of the 16-story building after he allegedly killed three men and two women. A 66-year-old woman is in the hospital with serious injuries. The victims were shot in separate units on different floors, police said.
“Three victims were members of the condominium board but the motive for the shooting remains part of this very complicated and very fluid investigation which is still ongoing at this time,” he said.
Citing court documents, the Globe and Mail newspaper said there had been a years-long history of confrontations between Villi and his neighbors. The newspaper said that a 2019 court order prohibited Villi from communicating with the condo board or condo employees.
In a Facebook video posted before the incident, an elderly man who identified himself as Villi and gave his address as the building where the shootings took place, spoke about his dispute with the condo’s board, saying they and court officials were conspiring against him and “working to destroy me.”
Authorities recovered a semi-automatic handgun that they believe was used in the shootings, a spokesperson for Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) told reporters.
The SIU said the suspect’s post-mortem examination was scheduled for Tuesday.
“Everybody is horrified ... to wake up to this news this morning, to hear it last night. People are just in absolute shock,” Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca said on Monday.
Canada’s gun homicide rate is a fraction of the United States’ rate, 2020 data showed, but is still higher than other wealthy countries and has been rising. Handguns were the main weapon used in the majority of firearm-related violent crimes between 2009 and 2020.
Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government has been trying to tackle gun violence through measures including a ban on the sale, purchase or transfer of handguns that took effect in October.
“To the families and friends of the victims of yesterday’s shooting in Vaughan: I’m keeping you in my thoughts,” Trudeau said on Twitter.
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2022-12-20T01:07:38Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Six neighbors killed in condo dispute near Toronto including suspect, 73 | Wire | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/wire/international/six-neighbors-killed-in-condo-dispute-near-toronto-including-suspect-73/article_d6ed05bc-bbbf-54a3-8153-2fef48918f37.html
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Migrants are detained by U.S. Border Patrol agents after crossing into the United States from Mexico to request asylum, in El Paso Texas, on Monday.
Supreme Court pauses end of COVID-era border restrictions on migrants
The Supreme Court on Monday said COVID-era restrictions at the U.S.-Mexico border set to end this week should temporarily stay in place as a Republican legal challenge moves forward, just as the White House had been prepping for an increase in the number of migrant crossings.
A judge ruled last month that Title 42, which blocks many migrants from seeking asylum, is unlawful and set the order to end on Wednesday, Dec. 21. But the states sought to overturn that decision by intervening in a case originally brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of migrants denied entry under the order.
The Supreme Court gave the parties in the legal dispute until Tuesday at 5 p.m. to respond. The temporary order from the nation’s highest court means Title 42 will stay in place until further notice from the court.
The administration of President Joe Biden had been preparing for Title 42 to end this week and press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a press conference Monday that the White House was seeking more than $3 billion from Congress to pay for additional personnel, technology, migrant holding facilities and transportation at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The push for additional resources came as U.S. authorities had been preparing for the possibility of 9,000-14,000 people per day trying to cross into the United States if Title 42 was lifted, around double the current rate.
Title 42, aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19, was issued in March 2020 under former President Donald Trump, an immigration restrictionist. Biden kept it in place for more than a year.
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2022-12-20T01:07:44Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Supreme Court pauses end of COVID-era border restrictions on migrants | Wire | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/wire/international/supreme-court-pauses-end-of-covid-era-border-restrictions-on-migrants/article_412bade3-f658-5185-9a94-48656f7c3775.html
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Committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and committee Vice Chair Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) begin the final public meeting of the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., December 19, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
WASHINGTON -- A U.S. House of Representatives panel on Monday asked federal prosecutors to charge Donald Trump with obstruction and insurrection for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol.
The Democratic-led select committee asked the Justice Department to bring charges against the former president, including obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress, conspiracy to defraud the United States and insurrection.
Monday's session is likely the last final public gathering of a panel that spent 18 months probing the unprecedented attempt to prevent the peaceful transfer of power by thousands of Trump backers, inspired by his false claims that his 2020 election loss to Democratic President Joe Biden was the result of widespread fraud.
"If we are to survive as a nation of laws and democracy, this can never happen again," said committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., as the meeting began.
Trump has already launched a campaign to seek the Republican nomination for president again in 2024.
"Among the most shameful of this committee's findings. was the President Trump sat in the dining room off the Oval Office, watching the violent riot at the Capitol on television," said Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, one of two Republicans on the committee.
Trump has faced a series of legal problems since leaving office. His real estate company was found guilty on Dec. 6 of carrying out a 15-year-long criminal scheme to defraud tax authorities.
"The highly partisan Unselect Committee is illegally leaking confidential info to anyone that will listen," the former president wrote on his Truth Social platform before Monday's session. "How much longer are Republicans, and American Patriots in general, going to allow this to happen."
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2022-12-20T01:07:50Z
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www.unionleader.com
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House Jan. 6 committee recommends charging Trump | National | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/wire/national/house-jan-6-committee-recommends-charging-trump/article_b249b7c9-8084-5d5f-b5fc-e1e7f889f998.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/wire/national/house-jan-6-committee-recommends-charging-trump/article_b249b7c9-8084-5d5f-b5fc-e1e7f889f998.html
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Dan O’Brien Kia agreed to a $1.25 million settlement with the Attorney General’s Office to resolve allegations of unfair and deceptive acts or practices in selling cars at its Concord dealership.
An investigation by the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau found DMO Auto Acquisitions LLC (Dan O’Brien Kia) employees deceived customers into buying vehicles they could not afford, inflated consumer incomes on loan applications and forged the signature of a customer on loan paperwork, according to a news release.
The settlement was approved in Merrimack Superior Court Monday morning. The company will need to adhere to strict terms over the next five years to assure customers are protected from similar practices in the future, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
An increase in complaints between 2019 and 2021 prompted the investigation.
Besides the $1.25 million, DMO Auto must reimburse the Attorney General’s Office $49,209.50 in legal costs, hire an independent compliance monitor for the next five years, audio and video record “all substantive financing discussions that occur between DMO employees and customers” and pay restitution to two victims of the deceptive sales practices.
The car dealer must implement an approved training and education program for all staff to ensure “knowledge of and compliance with state consumer protection laws.”
Brian Quirk, an attorney for DMO Auto Acquisitions, said in a statement that DMO addressed all the issues raised by the Attorney General’s Office.
“It is pleased that this matter has been resolved so it can focus on serving its customers. The settlement recognizes that there was no admission of wrongdoing,” he said. “DMO has put in place best practices and welcomes the NH Attorney General’s monitoring process in the area of recording transactions, something it has done for years.”
According to the complaint, DMO developed a sales pitch that was only allowed to be used by senior management. The sales pitch was referred to as either the credit repair program, credit rehabilitation program or the six-month financing program.
When a customer informed a salesperson they could not afford the lowest available financing option, a senior manager would tell the customers paying on time for six months would improve their credit and DMO employees would help the customer refinance the loan to a more affordable rate.
Saying customers were “qualified” was deceptive in that there were no written policies, procedures, literature or information available.
“The program was nothing more than a sales pitch designed to deceive customers into accepting a loan that was out of their price range,” the complaint reads.
The program was not endorsed or affiliated with any financial institution. Capital One deactivated Dan O’Brien Kia from being able to offer financing to its customers, according to the complaint.
Many of the customers had extremely poor credit histories with considerable debt.
“Customers who relied on the respondent’s assurances that they would refinance the customers’ loans after six months of timely payments were left in a contractual obligation to pay a loan that they could not afford,” the complaint reads.
After financing fell through for one customer who bought a Kia Sorento, a salesman forged multiple documents including protections the customer did not want.
Some employees inflated the income of potential borrowers using systems to secure loans from banks and credit unions, according to the complaint. In one case, a customer’s monthly income was increased from $2,832 to $6,200.
The case was investigated by Senior Assistant Attorney General Brandon Garod and investigator Calice Ducey of the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau.
Dan O'Brien Kia complaint
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2022-12-20T02:41:10Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Dan O’Brien Kia agrees to settlement in 'deceptive acts' in selling cars | Courts | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/dan-o-brien-kia-agrees-to-settlement-in-deceptive-acts-in-selling-cars/article_2e4ecf06-7415-53cb-a023-2c0bd8ed26e6.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/dan-o-brien-kia-agrees-to-settlement-in-deceptive-acts-in-selling-cars/article_2e4ecf06-7415-53cb-a023-2c0bd8ed26e6.html
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Patriots head coach Bill Belichick watches the action during Sunday’s game at Las Vegas.
To no surprise, Bill Belichick’s mood was no better the day after leaving Las Vegas with a stunning loss.
The Patriots head coach didn’t have any answers for why his team keeps making the same mistakes over and over, and why they’re so poor at situational football as evidenced by the final play — with ill-advised laterals — that led to the Raiders 30-24 win Sunday.
So how does the team get past a loss like like that, Belichick was asked during a videoconference Monday?
“Follow the same process we always follow,” Belichick answered. “Correct the mistakes, identify the things we need to keep doing well, and move on to Cincinnati.”
Yes, they’re leaving Las Vegas and right on cue, are once again on to Cincinnati, an infamous line Belichick used in 2014, after a humiliating loss in Kansas City.
Belichick didn’t want to relive the thought process behind the ill-fated final play with the score tied and just seconds remaining before overtime. It started with Rhamondre Stevenson running a draw play, and ended with Jakobi Meyers’s throw back across the field that was pulled in by the Raiders’ Chandler Jones, who scampered 48 yards for the winning touchdown, bowling over Mac Jones in the process.
“Obviously, we don’t want the result we had on that play,” he said. “We’ll just leave it at that.”
Fifteen weeks into the season, the Patriots keep making the type of mistakes that lose games. They’ve consistently flunked situational football all throughout the season.
Is it because of youth, inexperience, or difficulty getting through to the players, Belichick was asked?
The Patriots head coach was very circumspect with his answer. He chalked it up to mistakes being par for the course. That’s typically how it goes.
“I’ve never coached in a game where you weren’t coaching and making corrections of mistakes after the game, on all levels, playing, coaching, everything, decision-making, overall strategy,” said Belichick. “That’s a part of every review. I’ve never coached in a game where you didn’t have that. There are also things that are positive that you look at, that you want to try to build on. I think those elements occur in every game. I’ve never been in one that didn’t have both.”
Mac Jones threw for just 112 yards completing just 13 of 31 passes in the loss. Belichick also didn’t sound too concerned about the performance of his quarterback.
“We just have to do a better job,” he said. “We’ve thrown the ball well. In other games, our completion percentage has been different than that. That’s not the standard, but just in general, we just have to do a better job.”
As for the red zone fiasco in the second quarter, where two touchdowns were wiped out, why aren’t plays getting in on time? “It’s a combination of things that we need to do better,” said Belichick.
He was asked why the offense would be in the shotgun down by the goal line, as opposed to having Mac Jones under center during a red zone sequence in the second quarter that saw the Patriots have two touchdowns erased thanks to a timeout, and penalty.
What was the benefit?
Belichick explained that not having tight end Hunter Henry, who was being treated for an eye injury at the time, changed the dynamics.
“Without Hunter (Henry) there, that’s not where we normally would have been, but that’s what it was,” he said. “We did what we thought was best at the time. And given the circumstances, maybe there’s other options we’ll have in the future. We’ll see.”
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2022-12-20T02:41:46Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Bill Belichick still has no answers why Patriots keep making same mistakes | Patriots | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/patriots/bill-belichick-still-has-no-answers-why-patriots-keep-making-same-mistakes/article_bddd39a5-12a4-55e4-9104-4408d107682f.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/sports/patriots/bill-belichick-still-has-no-answers-why-patriots-keep-making-same-mistakes/article_bddd39a5-12a4-55e4-9104-4408d107682f.html
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LOS ANGELES — Former movie producer Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of rape in a trial in Los Angeles on Monday, the second conviction for the one-time Hollywood kingmaker who became the face of #MeToo sexual abuse allegations five years ago, according to the Los Angeles Superior Court.
The jury found Weinstein guilty of rape and two other charges involving one woman, but acquitted him of charges relating to a second alleged victim.
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2022-12-20T02:41:46Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Jury finds former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein guilty of rape | National | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/wire/national/jury-finds-former-hollywood-producer-harvey-weinstein-guilty-of-rape/article_0a4a2ec0-a9a8-5c52-890c-6c3dfccb70a2.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/wire/national/jury-finds-former-hollywood-producer-harvey-weinstein-guilty-of-rape/article_0a4a2ec0-a9a8-5c52-890c-6c3dfccb70a2.html
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Allen J. Davis
BEN CONANT
BARACK OBAMA shattered a glass ceiling and was, arguably, a very effective president. Joe Biden has done more in his first two White House years than Obama did in eight. Biden’s successes, by appointments, executive order, and legislation, rival those of Lyndon Johnson and are in a league with those of Franklin D. Roosevelt!
Some of the critical decisions Biden has made, via appointment or executive order, showcase his deepest values and beliefs: selecting Kamala Harris to be vice president, making her the first woman and the first Black and South Asian person to be a heartbeat away from the presidency; appointing Pete Buttigieg as Secretary of Transportation, the first openly gay cabinet member in history; appointing Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior, the first Native American person to serve in the cabinet; and appointing Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.
Here are a few of the president’s most consequential executive orders, reflecting his aspirations for our country:
Student debt cancellation from between $10,000 to $20,000;
Preventing and combating discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation;
Increasing the minimum wage for federal contractors;
White House initiative on advancing equity, excellence, and economic opportunity for Hispanics;
Securing access to reproductive and other health care services.
Biden’s legislative triumphs, with the narrowest of Democratic majorities in the Senate and House, have been extraordinary. Some of the most consequential victories that will be helpful to all Americans are:
American Rescue Act Plan (2021) providing $1.9 trillion to support the economy, public health, state and local governments, as well as individuals and businesses in order to offset the pain induced by the coronavirus;
Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act (2021) investing $1.2 trillion to create good-paying jobs in the U.S., with benefits and no requirement of a college degree, thereby helping women, people of color, and those with disabilities who have historically been excluded from construction jobs;
CHIPS Act (2022) committing $52 billion to grow America’s semiconductor research and production under the broader $280 billion CHIPS and Science Acts, strengthening our economy and national security by lessening reliance on authoritarian countries like China;
Inflation Reduction Act (2022), the first legislation in our history aimed at slowing global warming and climate change by investing in renewable energy — other provisions of the bill lowered the price of prescription drugs and hearing aids, got the largest corporations to pay their fair share, and provided three years of Affordable Care Act subsidies;
The Respect For Marriage Act (2022) mandating federal recognition for same-sex marriages.
Furthermore, 10 million jobs have been gained in just two years of the Biden administration while unemployment is at 3.7%, one of the lowest levels in 50 years!
The president’s foreign policy achievements are equally impressive. They include: leading the Western allies and NATO in confronting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and keeping allies together despite the high price of natural gas that is especially hurting Europeans; rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement; being tough with China as well as extending an open hand to President Xi by having a three-hour in person conversation with him at the G20 meeting in November to try to reduce tensions between the two countries and find areas for cooperation.
Plus, the Biden-led Democrats did better in the November midterm elections than any previous Democratic administration going back to 1962, losing only nine House seats. In contrast, in the 2010 midterms, Democrats lost 63 seats in the House and in 1994 they lost 54. In the Senate midterms, the Democrats did not lose a seat for the first time in 60 years!
This is a time when our democracy is under siege from MAGA Republicans and domestic terrorists, rising authoritarianism on multiple continents and great instability in the world. The nation’s primary challenges include managing relations with China and Russia, maintaining support for Ukraine, preserving democracy here and supporting it around the world, climate change, immigration, abortion rights, inflation, economic and racial justice, and increased attacks on marginalized people.
President Biden’s personal qualities of honesty, integrity, and compassion, plus his domestic and foreign policy expertise, make him my choice — and hopefully yours — to lead the Democratic Party and the country in 2024.
Allen J. Davis, Ed.D., lives in Dublin.
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2022-12-20T05:48:33Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Allen J. Davis: The case for Biden | Op-eds | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/op-eds/allen-j-davis-the-case-for-biden/article_c070aafd-7954-5d6c-bbe2-c842983f711e.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/op-eds/allen-j-davis-the-case-for-biden/article_c070aafd-7954-5d6c-bbe2-c842983f711e.html
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By María Luisa Paúl The Washington Post
On Sunday, Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead wore an Adidas tracksuit and bejeweled watch as he addressed his congregation via live stream from his home. During the over two-hour service he titled "What Are You Made Of," the "Bling Bishop" talked about his collection of Fendi, Gucci and Louis Vuitton items.
"It's God's design," the New York-based preacher with Leaders of Tomorrow International Churches said in a clip posted to Instagram. "Wear what you want to wear because it was designed for you."
Miller-Whitehead was arrested on federal charges less than 24 hours later. A grand jury alleged that some of the bishop's designer items weren't a product of faith, but rather the result of bilking a member of his church. He is also accused of attempting to extort a businessman and of lying to federal investigators, according to an indictment.
"His campaign of fraud and deceit stops now," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a news release.
On Monday, Miller-Whitehead pleaded not guilty to the four charges he is facing, including wire fraud, attempted extortion and deceiving the FBI. His attorney, Dawn Florio, told The Washington Post that Miller-Whitehead "is not guilty of these charges."
"He feels that he is being targeted and being turned into a villain from a victim," Florio said.
Miller-Whitehead made headlines in July when three masked gunmen entered his church and made away with $1 million worth of jewelry from the bishop and his wife during a live-streamed service. Two suspects were arrested two months later, while a third remains at large, the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York announced in September.
The incident garnered international attention, but in its aftermath, questions began swirling about Miller-Whitehead's flamboyant lifestyle - and soon, some of the bishop's previous legal battles were put under the spotlight.
One of the incidents to resurface in the robbery's wake: a 2021 lawsuit claiming Miller-Whitehead had promised to help a parishioner buy a home.
"I am a man of integrity and you will not lose," Miller-Whitehead texted the woman, who was recovering from "life-threatening surgery," after she liquidated her savings account in 2020, according to court documents.
Instead, he's accused of using $90,000 the woman had withdrawn from her retirement account as part of the down payment toward a $4.4 million New Jersey property, according to the lawsuit.
After months passed without a home purchase, the woman confronted Miller-Whitehead, who allegedly said he had no obligation to repay her since the money she provided counted as an investment in his unsuccessful campaign for Brooklyn borough president in 2021. A year later, the woman's lawsuit became part of the indictment against Miller-Whitehead.
The indictment also claims Miller-Whitehead made "threats of force" to get $5,000 from a businessman's company earlier this year. Then between April and May, the bishop allegedly tried to persuade the same unnamed businessman to lend him $500,000 and give him a "stake in certain real-estate transactions." In exchange, prosecutors said, Miller-Whitehead promised to "obtain favorable action from the New York City government" in a move that would enrich both the bishop and the businessman with "millions."
It's unclear why Miller-Whitehead would purportedly receive special treatment from government officials, but the indictment's allegations have cast light on the bishop's relationship with New York Mayor Eric Adams, who as former Brooklyn borough president took Miller-Whitehead under his wing, according to the pastor's online bio.
A spokesperson for Adams didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from The Post. However, in a statement to the Gothamist, the mayor said he'd refrain from commenting until the case is resolved.
"I've spent decades enforcing the law and expect everyone to follow it," Adams told the outlet, calling the allegations "troubling." "I have also dedicated my life to assisting individuals with troubled pasts."
Three charges Miller-Whitehead is facing - two counts of wire fraud and one of extortion - carry a maximum 20-year prison sentence each. The bishop is also accused of making material false statements to FBI agents, who were executing a search warrant, about the number of phones he possessed - a charge that carries a maximum five-year sentence.
After previously being found guilty of identity theft and larceny, which he maintains were "illegal" convictions, Miller-Whitehead turned to "the power of transformation through God's love and grace" to found the Leaders of Tomorrow Ministry, according to his bio. A preacher of prosperity gospel, the bishop's sermons often profess that a mix of God's will, unwavering faith and financial donations will result in personal wealth - his "Gucci, Fendi and Louis" outfits are a testament to it, Miller-Whitehead said a day before his arrest.
"Everybody thought that I was a villain," Miller-Whitehead said during his Sunday sermon, reflecting on the reactions to the July robbery. "But now they're seeing I was anointed by God."
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2022-12-20T13:44:56Z
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www.unionleader.com
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'Bling bishop' accused of defrauding parishioner to fund lavish lifestyle | Back Page | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/back_page/bling-bishop-accused-of-defrauding-parishioner-to-fund-lavish-lifestyle/article_b8362d9b-4415-5fa8-ae00-4fcfdfe39ace.html
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Alec Tabak/New York Daily News/TNS
A Los Angeles jury on Monday found Harvey Weinstein guilty of rape, forced oral copulation and a third sexual misconduct charge after a weeks-long trial detailing harrowing allegations against him, according to the Associated Press. This was the former Hollywood producer's second criminal trial; he is serving a 23-year sentence in New York state prison, though he was granted an appeal this year.
The convictions were related to one victim. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on three additional counts involving two other women, and Weinstein was acquitted of a sexual battery allegation made by another woman, the AP reported.
Weinstein faces a prison sentence of up to 24 years, according to the wire service.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement to The Washington Post that he was "of course disappointed that the jury was split on some of the counts, but hope its partial verdicts bring at least some measure of justice to the victims." He thanked "the survivors in this case, who exhibited extraordinary bravery in a case that put them in the national spotlight," as well as the jurors for serving in such a "lengthy trial."
"Our team will meet to determine whether or not we intend to retry the counts that were hung," Gascón added.
Weinstein's representative, Juda Engelmayer, said in a statement that "Harvey is obviously disappointed in the verdict." He said the counts on which Weinstein was found guilty "have a strong likelihood of an appeal with positive results, as the logistics of the time and location of the alleged incident make no sense."
Weinstein "is grateful for the jury's work on the other counts and he's determined to continue his legal challenges," Engelmayer added.
Weinstein's attorneys did not respond to a request for comment.
In October 2017, following explosive reports in the New York Times and New Yorker detailing decades of rape and sexual misconduct allegations against Weinstein, authorities in New York, London and Los Angeles launched investigations into the film executive's alleged behavior. He was charged in New York in May 2018 on counts of rape and sexual abuse related to two separate accusers; just hours after that trial began in January 2020, he was charged in Los Angeles with the sexual assaults of two women in incidents said to have taken place in 2013.
In February 2020, the New York jury found that Weinstein had forced oral sex on a production assistant in 2006 and raped an aspiring actress in 2013, but it acquitted him of the most severe charges of predatory sexual assault. He received the 23-year state prison sentence the following month. In July 2021, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office indicted Weinstein on charges of sexually assaulting five women in incidents spanning a decade. He was extradited for the indictment from New York to Los Angeles, where he pleaded not guilty to every count.
The Los Angeles trial kicked off in October following a failed bid from Weinstein's lawyers to push court proceedings in an attempt to avoid overlap with the "swirl of adverse publicity" his team said would accompany the November release of "She Said," a feature-film rendering of the Times's real-life investigation into Weinstein.
In opening statements, which began Oct. 24, prosecutors argued that there was a pattern to how Weinstein - who long had a reputation in the entertainment industry for aggressive behavior, especially as it related to awards season campaign tactics - allegedly targeted young women in Hollywood and threatened to harm their careers if they spoke up.
Multiple women who remained anonymous testified during the trial. The first, Jane Doe #1, said that she met Weinstein at a Los Angeles film festival in 2013 and that he showed up at her hotel room afterward, demanding he be let in, according to Deadline. She recalled "panicking with fear" as he allegedly forced her to perform oral sex on him and stated to the jury that she "wanted to die" as he assaulted her in the bathroom. She added, "I wish this never happened to me."
All three of the convictions against Weinstein announced Monday involved allegations made by Jane Doe #1, the AP reported.
Jane Doe #2, an aspiring actress and playwright who previously testified in the New York trial as a supporting witness, also said Weinstein assaulted her in a hotel bathroom in 2013, according to Variety. Jane Doe #2 had shown up to the hotel expecting to pitch a script to Weinstein in the lobby, as was arranged by a relatively new friend of hers. Instead, the accuser said, the friend led her to Weinstein's hotel suite and then left, shutting the door behind her.
The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the charge involving Jane Doe #2, identified by the AP as Lauren Young.
Variety reported that another accuser, a masseuse identified as Jane Doe #3, testified that Weinstein trapped her in a hotel bathroom, where he allegedly groped and yelled at her while masturbating. She said she agreed to see him again on the condition that he not make her uncomfortable again, but he repeated the behavior later on.
Jurors acquitted Weinstein of the felony sexual battery charge involving Jane Doe #3, according to Variety.
Among the most high-profile accusers to testify was Jennifer Siebel Newsom, 48, the documentary filmmaker and former actress married to California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). Siebel Newsom, whose attorney previously confirmed to The Post that Siebel Newsom was the accuser referred to in court filings as Jane Doe #4, accused Weinstein of raping her at a Beverly Hills hotel in 2005 when they met to discuss her career. She said that she hadn't expected him to be alone when she arrived, according to the AP, and that he groped her while masturbating before he then raped her.
An emotional Siebel Newsom recalled feeling nervous after she was directed to Weinstein's hotel suite, but said in court that she didn't leave because "you don't say no to Harvey Weinstein. He could make or ruin your career."
The jury was hung on the charges involving Siebel Newsom, the AP reported Monday.
"Harvey Weinstein will never be able to rape another woman. He will spend the rest of his life behind bars where he belongs," she said in a statement to the wire service after the verdict was announced. "Throughout the trial, Weinstein's lawyers used sexism, misogyny, and bullying tactics to intimidate, demean, and ridicule us survivors. The trial was a stark reminder that we as a society have work to do."
Prosecutors aimed to highlight a pattern in Weinstein's alleged behavior by calling upon "prior bad acts" accusers. One of them, model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, in 2015 participated in a New York sting operation by recording audio of Weinstein in which he admits to groping her and says he is "used to" behaving that way, the New Yorker reported.
Weinstein did not testify in his own defense. His lawyers pointed to what they claimed were inconsistencies in some of the accusers' testimonies, including specific details related to Jane Doe #1's claim that Weinstein demanded she perform oral sex on him. Prosecutors established in opening statements that Weinstein has abnormal genitalia because of a 1999 surgery in which his testicles were removed from his scrotum and relocated to his inner thighs, Variety reported. Alan Jackson, an attorney representing Weinstein, claimed that Jane Doe #1's story changed after hearing of Weinstein's irregular genitalia, while she maintained that she had previously made note of it to police.
British prosecutors in June authorized charges against Weinstein, citing two counts of indecent assault against a woman in 1996. (He cannot be arrested and formally charged unless extradited to England or Wales.) In August, over two years after Weinstein's New York conviction, the state's highest court granted him an appeal.
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2022-12-20T13:45:08Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Harvey Weinstein convicted of rape in L.A. trial | Courts | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/harvey-weinstein-convicted-of-rape-in-l-a-trial/article_f68eb0f9-d7f6-5ad7-8ebb-d863a3046626.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/harvey-weinstein-convicted-of-rape-in-l-a-trial/article_f68eb0f9-d7f6-5ad7-8ebb-d863a3046626.html
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Sens. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), left, and Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.) talk before a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in May. The two are retiring at the end of this Congress but worked together to write a $1.7 trillion spending bill that lawmakers must pass before Friday night to avert a government shutdown.
By Tony Romm The Washington Post
WASHINGTON - Democratic and Republican negotiators early Tuesday unveiled a roughly $1.7 trillion deal to fund the U.S. government through most of 2023, setting up a last-minute sprint on Capitol Hill to approve the sprawling package and avert a potential shutdown.
The 4,155-page measure, known in congressional parlance as an omnibus, included funding for key elements of President Biden's economic agenda, new boosts to defense programs and an additional $44.9 billion in emergency military and economic assistance for Ukraine.
Democrats did not achieve all of the increases to domestic spending that they initially had sought, a concession in talks with Republicans, who are set to assume control of the House in January. But the two parties' leaders did agree to stitch onto the measure a wide array of long-simmering and stalled bills, recognizing the omnibus marks their final major legislative opening before Congress resets in the new year.
Lawmakers appended proposals to improve pandemic readiness, extend some Medicaid benefits, help Americans save for retirement, ban TikTok on government devices and change the way the country counts presidential electoral votes. The bipartisan election bill - known as the Electoral Count Act - sought to respond to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
But Democrats and Republicans could not find compromises on other outstanding fiscal and economic debates, particularly around a package of tax credits that might have aided low-income families with children while preserving tax breaks for businesses - a slew of thorny issues that now await lawmakers in a tougher political environment next year.
"Despite having a little more work to do, the omnibus continues heading in the right direction," Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Monday on the chamber floor as the bill was being finalized, adding lawmakers were "working hard to get it done before the end of the week."
Even before negotiators clinched the final details, however, some Republicans had already rejected the approach - arguing that the talks should have been postponed until January, when the party assumes control of the House. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the chamber's minority leader, who is vying to become speaker next year, blasted his counterparts in the Senate for engaging Democrats at all.
"Republicans are about to literally give the Biden administration a blank check," said Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tex.), a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday."
"Republican leadership in the Senate - and frankly, too many in the House - are walking away from using that important tool to check the executive branch," he added.
McCarthy's allies in the Senate, meanwhile, have raised the prospect that they could try to slow down debate even as the shutdown deadline draws near. "I don't know why any Republican, let alone 10, would want to help them do that in those circumstances," said GOP Sen. Mike Lee (Utah) at a news conference last week, declining to say whether he would raise "procedural objections" to a vote.
The release of the omnibus followed weeks of haggling largely among a trio of lawmakers who oversee congressional appropriations: Sens. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.), and Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.). For the two soon-retiring Senate veterans in particular, the agreement cemented their status as bipartisan dealmakers - and secures billions of dollars for political pet projects, or earmarks, for themselves and others in Congress.
The top Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Kay Granger (Tex.), previously criticized lawmakers' work on a long-term spending agreement. In the days before its release, GOP leaders in the chamber even had encouraged their members to vote against a one-week spending stopgap, known as a continuing resolution, that kept the government running while talks proceeded. If Republicans had prevailed, they would have caused a shutdown at the end of last week.
"We should be passing a continuing resolution into next year instead of buying more time to rush through a massive spending package," Granger said during the House debate.
Partisan disputes spoiled other discussions, including a last-minute push to secure a deal on taxes. Democrats had hoped to expand the child tax credit, after an earlier policy - providing monthly payments to low-income families in need - expired last year. Republicans, meanwhile, aimed to preserve tax breaks for businesses that the party first secured under its 2017 overhaul. Ultimately, though, the two sides could not find common ground on a compromise, foreshadowing the tough fights to come in a divided Congress next year.
In brokering the current deal, Democrats and Republicans labored to put together the omnibus out of a belief that the alternatives - either a temporary fix or a year-long extension of current funding levels - could have invited political bickering and left key federal agencies, including the Pentagon, ill-equipped in the new year.
To assuage Republicans, who insisted on robust defense spending, the omnibus included nearly $798 billion for the Pentagon and related programs. Taking to the floor Monday before lawmakers released the legislation, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) touted that funding as he sought to sell the deal to his party: He heralded its inclusion of a "substantial, real-dollar increase" for defense - while pointing to what he called a "substantial real-dollar cut" to Biden's other spending priorities.
Shelby, in a statement earlier Tuesday, added the "far from perfect" negotiations had "allowed Republican redlines to be adhered to," and he similarly urged his colleagues to back the bill. "We need to do our job and fund the government," he said in a statement.
"The pain of inflation on American families is real, and it is being felt right now across the federal government," Leahy said in a statement, adding the bill "directly invests in providing relief from the burden of inflation on the American people."
Lawmakers also provided new money for some of Biden's top accomplishments, including bipartisan laws to boost U.S. infrastructure and to promote the domestic manufacturing of small computer chips, known as semiconductors. And the bill provisioned about $40 billion in emergency funds in response to recent natural disasters, including Hurricane Ian.
"As communities across the country work to rebuild after unprecedented natural disasters, this bill provides the urgently needed support to help families, small businesses, and entire towns and cities get back on their feet and repair damaged infrastructure," DeLauro said.
But Democrats did not secure all of the spending they sought. In the days before negotiators released their measure, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the chamber's Appropriations Committee, warned the party would see "painful cuts," but acknowledged that even that was "a lot better than it would be" if lawmakers had simply extended existing funding levels.
In a win for Republicans, the package allows states to start reevaluating who is still eligible for the program beginning in April. It also includes some long-sought Democratic priorities, such as allowing states to permanently extend Medicaid coverage for new mothers for 12 months and barring children from getting kicked off their Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program coverage for a continuous 12 months, even if a family's income fluctuates.
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2022-12-20T13:45:20Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Congress unveils $1.7 trillion deal to fund government, avert shutdown | National | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/national/congress-unveils-1-7-trillion-deal-to-fund-government-avert-shutdown/article_e928f568-11c6-5cd0-8291-3d9771b2530f.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/national/congress-unveils-1-7-trillion-deal-to-fund-government-avert-shutdown/article_e928f568-11c6-5cd0-8291-3d9771b2530f.html
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Rep.-elect George Santos (R-N.Y.) speaks during the Republican Jewish Coalition's annual leadership meeting at the Venetian Las Vegas on Nov. 19, 2022.
By Michael Kranish, Hannah Knowles and Azi Paybarah The Washington Post
The chairman of New York's Democratic Party on Monday called for a House ethics investigation into George Santos, a Long Island Republican elected last month, following a report questioning whether he misled voters about key details in his background.
The story by the New York Times cast doubt on Santos's claims that he worked for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup and the basis of his reported wealth as he loaned his campaign more than $700,000 before notching a surprise win that helped provide the GOP with a slim majority.
"This is about one of the biggest messes I've ever seen from anyone who is about to become a member of the Congress," said Jay Jacobs, the New York Democratic Party chairman, adding later, "I think that had voters seen this information, understood the ramifications and how egregious it really was, I don't see how he would have won the race."
In a statement, Santos's attorney criticized the Times without addressing the substance of the report.
"It is no surprise that Congressman-elect Santos has enemies at the New York Times who are attempting to smear his good name with these defamatory allegations," Joseph Murray said in a statement posted to Santos's Twitter.
Santos, a staunch supporter of former president Donald Trump who said he attended a rally on the Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021, defeated Democrat Robert Zimmerman in November. He claimed in an archived version of his campaign website that he "began working at Citigroup as an associate and quickly advanced" and that he "was then offered an exciting opportunity with Goldman Sachs but what he thought would be the pinnacle of his career was not as fulfilling as he had anticipated."
Representatives for both Citigroup and Goldman Sachs confirmed to The Washington Post that they had no record that Santos worked for either company. References to Citigroup and Goldman Sachs are not on Santos's current biography page of the website.
Zimmerman, in an interview with The Post, echoed Jacobs's calls for a probe into whether Santos made false statements on the personal financial disclosure form that candidates are required to file with the clerk of the House.
"An investigation is merited because of the serious allegations of filing false information on his financial disclosure documents and . . . questions about his finances [and] where his funds came from," said Zimmerman, calling on the House Ethics Committee and the U.S. attorney's office to look into the claims.
Some Democrats expressed disbelief on Monday that questions about Santos's background didn't surface more clearly during the campaign. Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), a member of the House Ethics Committee, noted his surprise that the issues hadn't emerged in prior reporting and opposition research, particularly given that Santos had unsuccessfully run for Congress in 2020.
"As someone who's had every case I've ever worked on vetted by opponents in both cycles, it's difficult to overstate how many people would've had to drop the ball in not even verifying the mere fact of Congressman-elect Santos' prior employment as he ran to flip a key House seat," Jones tweeted. Jones's office did not respond to a request for comment.
Zimmerman said the allegations in the Times story are "not a shock to me." He said his campaign learned about "many of these issues but were drowned out in the governor's race where crimes was the focus and the media had other priorities."
An 87-page opposition research report on Santos released during the race by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee did not mention some of the issues raised in the Times story. The group's opposition research relies on public records to verify employment and education, said a Democratic operative who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal processes. The operative also said Democrats had less time and resources than usual to scrutinize Republican nominees' records in New York because this year's primary was delayed to August amid a redistricting fight. Even then, Santos was considered a long shot and Democrats had other priorities.
Nonetheless, there were reports during the campaign that raised questions about Santos's finances. The North Shore Leader reported in September that Santos filed his financial report on Sept. 6, which it said was 20 months late, "and he is claiming an inexplicable rise in his alleged net worth."
By comparison, in his 2022 financial disclosure, Santos declared that he had assets worth between $2.6 million and $11.25 million. It also said he had income from a family business, the Devolder Organization, between $1 million to $5 million and a salary of $750,000. The Times reported that the lack of information about the company's clients was a "seeming violation" of the requirement to disclose compensation of more than $5,000 from one source.
Tom Rust, a spokesman for the House Ethics Committee, declined to comment. Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.), the chairwoman of the committee, also declined to comment through her spokeswoman, citing the panel's confidentiality rules.
Delaney Marsco, senior legal counsel for the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center, said that "there are a lot of red flags" that may merit an investigation. She cited questions about whether Santos made false statements in his financial disclosure report, a potentially serious offense that could be governed by a number of laws.
"The House is responsible for determining the qualifications of its own members, and if we had a system that was genuinely built around integrity, they would refuse to seat this guy and have a special election," said Norman Ornstein, an emeritus scholar at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute who helped create the Office of Compliance and the Office of Congressional Ethics. "Of course the odds of that happening are zero."
Santos previously has been the subject of scrutiny over his attendance at the Jan. 6 rally where Trump falsely claimed he won the election. Santos later said on a podcast hosted by Lara Trump, Trump's daughter-in-law, that it "was the most amazing crowd, and the president was at his full awesomeness that day. It was a front-row spectacle for me."
Newsday reported this year that Santos was filmed saying he wrote a "nice check to a law firm" to help get rioters out of prison and comparing the actions of those imprisoned to "breaking into your own house and being charged for trespassing."
The Washington Post's Alice Crites and Michael Scherer contributed to this report.
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2022-12-20T13:45:26Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Democrats call for probe into GOP congressman-elect's biography | National | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/national/democrats-call-for-probe-into-gop-congressman-elects-biography/article_96ad48ba-8680-539d-a956-7cc778ccbba5.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/national/democrats-call-for-probe-into-gop-congressman-elects-biography/article_96ad48ba-8680-539d-a956-7cc778ccbba5.html
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By Niha Masih The Washington Post
Drew Griffin, a CNN journalist who won a Peabody Award for an investigation into fatal delays at veterans hospitals, prompting legislative action and the resignation of the secretary of veterans affairs, died Dec. 17 at 60.
He had cancer, according to CNN
Mr. Griffin joined CNN in 2004, and his deeply reported, months-long investigations often led to policy changes.
In April 2014, after six months of sustained coverage on delayed medical appointments for veterans leading to late treatment and even deaths, CNN aired "A Fatal Wait," in which Mr. Griffin and his team revealed how a Veterans Affairs hospital in Arizona falsified records to hide the prolonged waiting times. The coverage of the issue led to the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.
In 2016, Mr. Griffin won an Emmy Award for uncovering the fraudulent moneymaking practices of Trump University. His exclusive interview with a former Trump University instructor revealed how the institute focused on luring participants to pay for more seminars rather than teaching them real estate strategies. "We were bringing in the money," the instructor shared with Mr. Griffin.
Two years later, Mr. Griffin and his colleagues uncovered sexual assault and abuse cases against more than 100 Uber drivers, leading the company to bring in new safety features and revamp its background-check protocols.
Mr. Griffin's recent work focused on the challenges to American democracy in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection led by Trump followers; his coverage was cited in court filings by the Justice Department and the House committee investigating the riots.
Mr. Griffin's reporting took him around the world. In Somalia he covered a devastating famine, in Singapore he reported on illegal drift net fishermen, and in El Salvador he narrated stories of gang members. While reporting on Hurricane Harvey in Texas in 2017, he rescued a man from a sinking truck.
In 2008, then vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin gave CNN her first interview, with Mr. Griffin pushing Palin on a report that found she had made an ethics violation in her handling of the firing of her estranged brother-in-law, an incident that became known as "Troopergate."
Andrew Charles Griffin was born Oct. 21, 1962. His father, a civil engineer, served in the Army and retired from the Cook County (Ill.) Highway Department. His mother, a lawyer, served as a lead lawyer in the Illinois state appellate research division.
Survivors include his wife, Margot; three children, Ele, Louis and Miles; and two grandchildren.
When he was awarded the Everett McKinley Dirksen Award for Distinguished Reporting of Congress in 2015, Mr. Griffin joked that it was rare to be welcomed in Washington - a nod to the tough questions he was known for asking lawmakers. A compilation video prepared by CNN showed subjects slamming doors in his face, or walking - or even running - away to avoid him. He kept asking anyway.
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2022-12-20T19:13:56Z
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www.unionleader.com
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Drew Griffin, veteran CNN investigative journalist, dies at 60 | Back Page | unionleader.com
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/back_page/drew-griffin-veteran-cnn-investigative-journalist-dies-at-60/article_8f3415d8-c5a2-5c72-bdfd-f9c608248bd6.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/back_page/drew-griffin-veteran-cnn-investigative-journalist-dies-at-60/article_8f3415d8-c5a2-5c72-bdfd-f9c608248bd6.html
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