text
stringlengths 65
123k
| url
stringlengths 25
420
| crawl_date
timestamp[us, tz=UTC]date 2022-04-01 01:00:57
2022-09-19 04:34:04
|
|---|---|---|
Country
United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary
People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
|
https://www.kitv.com/news/local/north-shore-school-rallies-to-save-music-and-art-classes/article_45a47684-b586-11ec-94af-5f9c314458c2.html
| 2022-04-06T22:08:01Z
|
The Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences has moved up it's planned date to decide on possible sanctions against Will Smith for slapping Chris Rock at this year's Oscars ceremony.
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images North America/Getty Images
"I am calling a board meeting for this Friday morning, April 8, at 9:00 am PT, rather than the previously scheduled April 18 meeting, to address possible sanctions for Will Smith in response to his actions during the Oscars broadcast on March 27," Academy president David Rubin stated in a letter obtained by CNN Wednesday.
"The April 18 date was set in accordance with California law and our Standards of Conduct because our agenda included possible suspension or expulsion of Mr. Smith from membership," the letter reads. "We were required to provide Mr. Smith notice 15 days prior to the board meeting at which such action might be taken, and also give him the opportunity to provide the board a written statement no less than five days prior to that meeting.
According to the letter, in light of Smith resigning from the Academy last Friday, "suspension or expulsion are no longer a possibility and the legally prescribed timetable no longer applies."
"It is in the best interest of all involved for this to be handled in a timely fashion," Rubin wrote.
Smith slapped Rock after the comic and actor made a joke from the Oscars stage about Jada Pinkett Smith's close-cropped hair.
"Jada I love you, 'G.I. Jane 2,' can't wait to see it," Rock said while presenting the award for best documentary.
Smith then walked on stage, struck Rock, walked back to his seat and yelled at the comic to "Keep my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth!"
Not long after, Smith won the best actor Oscar for his role in the film "King Richard."
|
https://www.kitv.com/news/national/academy-moves-up-meeting-to-decide-on-will-smith-sanctions/article_8144535d-a538-5938-aca6-08253ac0b1d2.html
| 2022-04-06T22:08:08Z
|
Watching an ad in which former President Donald Trump promoted Covid-19 vaccines was linked to increased vaccinations in US counties with low immunization rates, according to a new study. The study was released Monday as a working paper in the National Bureau of Economic Research that has not yet been peer-reviewed.
Researchers created a 27-second ad designed to serve as a public service announcement from Trump encouraging people to get vaccinated. Through a randomized control trial, the ad was featured on different YouTube channels across more than 1,000 counties with populations of less than 1 million and in which more than half of the population was still unvaccinated.
When compared to counties that did not receive the ads, those that did receive the ads had more than 100 additional vaccinations on average. In total, treatment counties received an estimated 104,036 more vaccines than control counties. The analysis also found that for every 1,000 more ads presented, there were nearly nine additional vaccinations, on average, per county.
However, the ad's effect waned with increasing strength of Trump's base. Researchers found that in counties where more than than 70% of voters supported Trump, the ads did not change vaccine uptake.
Studies have shown that Covid-19 vaccination rates often differ across party lines. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that in October 2021, when the ad campaign took place, 90% of Democrats reported being vaccinated compared to 61% of Republicans.
Marc Hetherington, an author of the study and professor of political science at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, was conducting surveys to assess people's attitudes towards the pandemic when it first hit the US in 2020.
"What we started to realize at that point is this is turning into a highly politicized pandemic of all things," he said. "Public health people are probably not used to coming up with solutions to health problems that are politicized."
Overall, the researchers spent $100,000 in ads that reached 6 million viewers, costing about $1 per additional vaccine received. The ad campaign ran from October 14, 2021 to October 31, 2021, after Trump was no longer in office. The ad was featured on a diverse array of YouTube channels, including NBC News, Fox News and Saturday Night Live.
"We found in our survey work that unvaccinated Republicans ... had more confidence in Donald Trump than even their own family doctor when it came to providing advice about vaccines," Hetherington said.
The ad opens with a segment from a Fox 13 News Utah anchor who says, "Donald Trump is urging all Americans to get the Covid-19 vaccine."
A Trump interview on Fox News follows: "I would. I would recommend it. And I would recommend it to a lot of people that don't want to get it, and a lot of those people voted for me, frankly," he says about the vaccine in the ad. The ad also features a quote from Ivanka Trump with a photograph of her receiving the vaccine.
The ad also linked to a full interview between Trump and Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo from March 16, 2021 -- a clip of which was featured in the ad.
Due to the algorithms used by YouTube's advertising platform, Google Ads, the researchers could not control exactly who received the ads within the treatment counties. Not all counties that were assigned as treatment counties received the ads, though the analysis was based on whether they were intended to receive the treatment.
Hetherington said he hopes the results of this study can be used to influence public health campaigns, especially as more health issues become politicized. Paralleling coronavirus vaccine trends, flu vaccine uptake has recently become partisan -- a change that was not observed prior to the pandemic.
"This politicization of the Covid vaccine is leaking over into people's attitudes about vaccines more generally," Hetherington said. "For public health professionals, they're going to probably need to take politics into account, not just about the Covid vaccine, but about other vaccines in the future."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.kitv.com/news/national/trumps-endorsement-of-covid-19-vaccines-increased-uptake-in-counties-with-low-vaccination-rates/article_bc2c47f5-2f8c-50eb-9613-72a8e448d168.html
| 2022-04-06T22:08:14Z
|
Bald eagle in critical condition after being shot with over 20 pellets
ANTIGO, Wis. (WEAU/Gray News) - A reward is being offered for information about a bald eagle shot by pellets in Wisconsin last week.
The Raptor Education Group is offering a $3,000 reward for tips about the shooting, which left the raptor with lead poisoning and a broken wing.
The female eagle was found in the Town of Cooks Valley, about 95 miles east of Minneapolis. The Raptor Education Group said it appears the eagle was struck with bird shot while in mid-flight and had over 20 pellets in her body. With bird shot, each shot shell has small pellets that spray, increasing the likelihood of hitting the target.
As of Sunday, the eagle was in critical condition. The Department of Natural Resources is investigating the shooting, the organization said.
In addition to the reward from the Raptor Education Group, citizens in Chippewa and Dunn counties and surrounding areas have also pledged rewards for anyone who provides information to law enforcement leading to an arrest. As of Wednesday morning, those reward pledges eclipsed $3,000, which combined with the reward being offered by the Raptor Education group puts the total reward over $6,000.
The Raptor Education Group, which rehabilitates injured or sick birds, said they were aware of 32 shootings involving protected species of birds last year, including a dozen instances of a bald eagle being shot. The organization also reported that they took in a peregrine falcon, which was recently on protected species lists, last week after it had been shot in New London on Thursday, but it died due to its injuries.
In regard to the shooting of the bald eagle, the organization said that it’s hard to mistake an adult bald eagle for any other type of bird due to its clearly visible white head and white tail feathers.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Department of Natural Resources or the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office.
The Raptor Education Group is a nonprofit dedicated to the care and rehabilitation of wild birds and public education on wildlife issues. You can visit their website for more information about their work, to donate or to learn more about birds.
Copyright 2022 WEAU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/06/bald-eagle-critical-condition-after-being-shot-with-over-20-pellets/
| 2022-04-06T22:14:24Z
|
Dad who lived in dorm convicted of abusing daughter’s friends
NEW YORK (AP) — A man who moved into his daughter’s college dorm and charmed her schoolmates with claims of influence and wisdom was convicted Wednesday of charges that he exploited the close-knit group, using threats and violence to enrich himself with millions of dollars as he ruined their lives.
Lawrence Ray, 62, was convicted at a trial where weeks of testimony chronicled his psychologically manipulative relationship with young people he met in fall 2010 at Sarah Lawrence College, a small New York liberal arts school. Ray moved into his daughter’s dorm after finishing a prison stint for a securities fraud conviction.
Sentencing was set for Sept. 16 on charges including racketeering, conspiracy, forced labor, sex trafficking and obstruction of justice. Ray, who stood with his arms at his side and faced the Manhattan jury as guilty verdicts were returned on 15 counts, could face up to life in prison. One charge carries a mandatory minimum 15-year term.
After the verdict was read, Ray was returned to custody, where he had been since his early 2020 arrest.
His lawyers declined comment outside court and did not return email messages seeking comment.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said Ray had changed “a group of friends who had their whole lives ahead of them.”
“For the next decade, he used violence, threats, and psychological abuse to try to control and destroy their lives,” Williams said. “He exploited them. He terrorized them. He tortured them. Let me be very clear. Larry Ray is a predator. An evil man who did evil things. Today’s verdict finally brings him to justice.”
Jurors concluded deliberations less than a day after receiving the case following a monthlong trial that featured testimony from numerous victims who usually referred to Ray just as “Larry.” Some testified that Ray had made them believe they had poisoned or otherwise harmed him and they needed to pay him back.
One woman testified that she became a sex worker to try to pay reparations to Ray after becoming convinced that she had poisoned him. She said that, over four years, she gave Ray $2.5 million in installments that averaged between $10,000 and $50,000 per week.
Another woman who was educated at Harvard and Columbia and was about to become a medical doctor in 2012 testified that her career and life were derailed when she met Ray and became romantically involved with him. She said he sometimes demanded that she have sex with strangers and film it for him.
Ray’s lawyers maintained he was victimized by former friends who fabricated their stories.
Ray did not testify. Twice, the trial was interrupted as he was taken to the hospital in an ambulance for undisclosed illnesses.
Several students testified that they were drawn into Ray’s world as he told them stories of his past influence in New York City politics, including his role in ruining the career of former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik after serving as the best man at his wedding years earlier. Ray had, in fact, been a figure in the corruption investigation that derailed Kerik’s nomination to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Some of the students agreed to live with Ray in the summer of 2011 at his Manhattan one-bedroom apartment, where his sinister side emerged as he started to claim that the students had poisoned and harmed him or his property.
To make amends, they testified, they did what he asked, including turning over money. One man said he gave Ray over $100,000.
Prosecutors said the money was never enough. Through threats and violence and videotaped “confessions,” Ray tightened his hold on the young people, including forcing them to to landscaping and other work at the Pinehurst, North Carolina home of his stepfather for weeks in 2013, they said.
The abuse culminated in October 2018 when Ray for hours repeatedly abused the woman who gave him her proceeds from sex work, forcing her to be tied naked to a chair while he berated her, choked her with a leash and made her fear for her life by putting a bag over her head, prosecutors said.
Ray carried out his crimes with help from his daughter and Isabella Pollok, a woman who has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges, prosecutors said. Her trial is set for later this year. The daughter has not been charged.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/06/dad-who-lived-dorm-convicted-abusing-daughters-friends/
| 2022-04-06T22:14:30Z
|
LOOK: 11-foot hammerhead shark washes up on beach
POMPANO BEACH, Fla. (WPLG) – An 11-foot female hammerhead shark was found on a Florida beach.
The shark washed up on the sands of Pompano Beach overnight, and early morning beachgoers said they experienced a range of emotions regarding the creature, from wonderment to heartbreak.
Beach residents said the shark was close to the shoreline early in the morning, but was moved out of the water with a Bobcat so it wouldn’t be carried back out to sea.
After hearing reports of the shark, scientist Hannah Medd came out to the beach to collect samples.
“It might have to do with post-release mortality, which means this species in particular gets a little stressed out when it’s caught,” she said. “It fights really hard.”
Medd said the adult hammerhead’s untimely death may be connected to an encounter with fishermen, with the frazzled shark swimming onto shore to escape capture.
“There is some fishing line in her gills and, from earlier pictures, there was a large hook in the side of her mouth, which indicates she was probably involved in fishing,” Medd said.
Nearby construction crews used equipment to move the shark away from beach crowds before scientists can collect more samples. She’ll then be removed and buried.
Some beachgoers stared in excitement at the rare site while others realized the heartbreaking reality of what led to the creature’s death.
“You never want to see an animal this big lying on the beach,” beachgoer Kevin Nosal said. “This is 11 feet long and over 500 pounds, and it’s a female, so it’s always sad when a female passes.”
Copyright 2022 WPLG via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/06/look-11-foot-hammerhead-shark-washes-up-beach/
| 2022-04-06T22:14:39Z
|
Murder case going to Grand Jury
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (WVVA) - Nichole Brooks was in court early Wednesday, April 6, for a preliminary hearing for her involvement in the death of a 13-year-old.
In the evidence presented, Brooks was identified as the driver of the vehicle and the alleged shooter who fired the lethal shot that killed the 13-year-old victim. During the hearing, the victim was referred to by her initials, M.T.
Isis Wallace was a passenger in the vehicle, but is said to have fired the shots on Memorial Avenue before the deadly shooting at Cumberland Rd. and Rt. 460 on March 24th.
A judge decided that there was enough substantial evidence to move the case against the 43-year-old forward.
Wallace is expected to be in court next week.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/06/murder-case-going-grand-jury/
| 2022-04-06T22:14:46Z
|
Severe storms possible after sundown; cooler, some lingering showers into Thursday
The best window to see severe weather will be between 9PM-MIDNIGHT
An incoming cold front will interact with the warm air we have in place this evening. We will see cloud cover rapidly build back in after sunset. By 9PM, showers and thunderstorms will be pushing in, and will last on and off into the night.
A few isolated strong to severe storms cannot be ruled out, especially between the hours of 9PM and midnight tonight. Low temps will remain on the milder side, hovering in the 50s and 60s for a while, eventually hitting the 40s as the wind changes direction into early Thursday (from SW TO NW).
The main threats with any severe storms overnight will be gusty winds and torrential rain. Large hail and even a weak, brief isolated tornado or two will also be possible. STAY WEATHER AWARE!
If a tornado warning is issued for your area, get to the LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING (MOBILE HOMES DO NOT COUNT). Place as many walls between you & the outside as possible- stick to interior rooms like basements, bathrooms, and closets.
Thursday won’t bring the threat of severe weather, but we can expect to stay breezy and a bit unsettled. We’ll see some occasional lingering showers here & there through the day. High temps Thursday will be in the 50s for most. Thursday night will bring passing clouds and colder temps in the 30s.
We’ll have a wintry end to the work-week, with strong NW winds and high temps in the 40s Friday. We’ll likely see scattered cold rain showers, occasionally mixing with snow, especially Friday evening as temps drop to around freezing (upper 20s-low 30s).
Saturday, highs will be in the upper 30s-low 40s, and rain/snow will continue on and off. Straight snow showers look likely Saturday night-early Sunday. Accumulations are looking very light (if any, and mainly on the grass) thanks to warm ground temps. However, some slick areas will still be possible, especially if we get any snow bands/squalls.
We warm up quickly again next week...stay tuned!
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (WVVA) -
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/06/severe-storms-possible-after-sundown-cooler-some-lingering-showers-into-thursday/
| 2022-04-06T22:14:52Z
|
Texas orders new border action, migrant bus charters to DC
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state troopers on Wednesday to begin stopping and inspecting commercial vehicles coming across the U.S-Mexico border and said bus charters would be offered to take migrants to Washington, D.C., in a dig at President Joe Biden and Congress.
Texas officials also said they would begin “increased military activity” on the southern border and install razor wire at some low-water along the river to deter migrants from crossing.
The new directives amount to the “unprecedented actions” that Abbott promised in response to the Biden administration winding down a public health law – now set to expire in May – that has limited asylum-seekers in the name of preventing the spread of COVID-19. When that happens, it is expected to draw potentially thousands more migrants to the southern border.
Flanked by Texas troopers in the border city of Weslaco, Abbott acknowledged that additional inspections of commercial vehicles near the U.S. ports of entry will “dramatically slow” vehicle traffic coming into the county.
But the latest orders further push the limits of a multibillion-dollar Texas border security mission that the two-term Republican governor, who is running for reelection in November, has made the cornerstone of his administration. Already, Texas has deployed thousands of troopers and National Guard members, installed new border barrier and arrested thousands of migrants on trespassing charges.
Still, the efforts do not go far enough for some former Trump administration officials, who are pressing Abbott to declare an “invasion” and give state law enforcement sweeping new authority to turn back migrants – essentially bestowing enforcement powers that have been a federal responsibility.
That concept is legally dubious, nearly unprecedented and would almost certainly face swift court challenges, according to some constitutional experts.
Abbott, who is up for reelection in November and is already installing more border barrier and allowing troopers to arrest migrants on trespassing charges, did not say Wednesday whether he supports such a proposal. He said more actions would be announced next week.
Border Patrol officials say they are planning for as many as 18,000 arrivals daily once the health policy, known as the Title 42 authority, expires in May. Last week, about 7,100 migrants were coming a day to the southern U.S. border.
But the way former Trump immigration officials see it, Texas and Arizona can pick up where the federal government leaves off once the policy ends. Their plan involves a novel interpretation of the U.S. Constitution to have the National Guard or state police forcibly send migrants to Mexico, without regard to immigration laws and law enforcement procedures. Border enforcement has always been a federal responsibility, and in Texas, state leaders have not been pushing for such a move.
Tom Homan, the former acting director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Trump, said at a border security conference in San Antonio last week he had spoken with Abbott about the idea.
“We’ve had discussions with his attorneys in his office, ‘Is there a way to use this clause within the Constitution where it talks about invasion?’” Homan said during the Border Security Expo.
Homan said those talks took place about three months ago, and on Tuesday described the governor’s office as “noncommittal but willing to listen.”
In Arizona, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has also been under pressure within his party to declare that the state is being invaded and use extraordinary powers normally reserved for war. But Ducey, who is term-limited and not on the ballot in 2022, has not embraced the theory and has avoided commenting directly on it.
Driving the effort on the right is the Center for Renewing America, a conservative policy think tank led by former Trump administration officials. It includes Ken Cuccinelli, an immigration hard-liner and former Homeland Security official under Trump. He argued that states are entitled to defend themselves from immediate danger or invasion, as it is defined by the “invasion clause,” under the “states self-defense clause.”
Cuccinelli said in practice, he envisions the plan would look similar to the enforcement of Title 42, which circumvented U.S. obligations under American law and international treaty to provide asylum. He said he has not spoken with Abbott and said the governor’s current sweeping border mission, known as Operation Lone Star, has put little dent in the number of people crossing the border. The mission has also drawn criticism from Guard members over long deployments and little to do, and some arrests have appeared to have no connection to border security.
“Until you are actually returning people to Mexico, what you are doing will have no effect,” Cuccinelli said.
Emily Berman, who teaches constitutional law at the University of Houston, said the “invasion clause” cited by proponents is tucked into a broader constitutional assurance that the U.S. must defend states from invasion and domestic violence. Additionally, she said, the “state self-defense clause” says states cannot engage in warlike actions or foreign policy unless invaded.
Berman said she hasn’t seen the constitutional clauses used since the 1990s, when the courts ruled that they did not have jurisdiction to decide what qualified an invasion, but believed that one could only be done by another governmental entity.
For example, Berman said, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia can be qualified as one because it is an outside government breaching another country’s boundaries with the use of military force.
“Just because the state says that it is an invasion that doesn’t necessarily make it so, it is not clear to me what additional legal authority that conveys on them,” Berman said, adding that state officials can enforce state laws, but the line is drawn at what the federal law allows.
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat whose district includes the Texas border, has criticized the Biden administration over border security and ending Title 42. But he does not support states trying to use new powers that would let them “do whatever they want.”
“I think it should be more of a partnership instead of saying, ‘Federal government, we don’t think you’re doing enough, and why don’t we go ahead and do our own border security?’” he said.
___
Coronado is a corps members for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Associated Press reporter Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix and Nomaan Merchant in Washington contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/06/texas-orders-new-border-action-migrant-bus-charters-dc/
| 2022-04-06T22:14:58Z
|
UPDATE: Victim identified in Bluefield shooting
Published: Apr. 6, 2022 at 5:56 PM EDT|Updated: 17 minutes ago
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (WVVA) - The name of the 13-year-old victim in the March 24 shooting on Rt. 460 and Cumberland Road has been confirmed by WVVA.
Maryze Unique Tatum was riding in the back-seat of a family member’s car when the deadly shot was fired.
In an obituary posted by a funeral home in North Carolina, it states that she attended a middle school in High Point, NC.
Her funeral is set for this Sunday, April 10. To read her obituary, you can click here.
Nichole Brooks, 42, and Isis Wallace, 22, are facing first degree murder charges. To learn more about the latest developments in court, click here.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/06/update-victim-identified-bluefield-shooting/
| 2022-04-06T22:15:09Z
|
Woman wins $10M lottery prize after being ‘pushed’ into buying scratch-off ticket
LOS ANGELES (Gray News) - A woman in Southern California is ‘accidentally’ $10 million richer thanks to some help pushing a button at a California Lottery Scratchers vending machine.
According to lottery officials, California resident LaQuedra Edwards was at a Los Angeles-area Vons grocery store in November 2021 when she put $40 into the Scratchers machine.
Edwards said when she was deciding which games to play, “some rude person” bumped into her. The impact then pushed her into choosing the wrong selection on the machine, a $30 200X Scratchers ticket.
“He just bumped into me, didn’t say a thing, and just walked out the door,” Edwards said.
Edwards told lottery officials that she wasn’t planning on playing that game and was initially irritated because the ticket took most of her lottery budget.
However, Edwards said she was not upset for long as she started scratching the $30 ticket once back in her car and discovered she’d just won the game’s top prize of $10 million.
“I didn’t really believe it at first, but I got on the freeway and kept looking down at [the ticket], and I almost crashed my car,” Edwards said. “I pulled over, looked at it again, scanned it with my [California Lottery mobile] app, and I kept thinking this can’t be right.”
According to lottery officials, Edwards plans to use the prize money to purchase a home and start a nonprofit organization.
“I’m still in shock. All I remember saying once I found out how much I just won was, ‘I’m rich!” Edwards said.
Lottery officials said the Vons store where Edwards bought the Scratcher received $50,000 for selling the winning ticket.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/06/woman-wins-10m-lottery-prize-after-being-pushed-into-buying-scratch-off-ticket/
| 2022-04-06T22:15:15Z
|
WASHINGTON — By announcing they will vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, three Republican senators are marking the historical moment by building legacies of their own.
The three GOP senators — Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney — have broken with their party at critical junctures, despite the political risks of standing alone.
The three said separately that they don’t expect to agree with all of Jackson’s rulings from the bench. President Joe Biden’s nominee to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer will likely join the liberal wing of the high court, and is not expected to tilt its 6-3 balance toward conservatives. But the senators also indicated the Harvard-educated judge is more than just likable, well-qualified and possessing the judicial temperament to do the job. They said she is deserving of confirmation.
As the other Republican senators line up to oppose Jackson, the support from the three outliers gives Biden the bipartisan backing he was seeking for the historic choice. It may do little to shield them from the blowback of party leaders and activists back home.
The votes from Collins, Murkowski and Romney also serve as a rejection of the soft-on-crime attacks leveled at Jackson, some tapping into conspiracy theories.
Voting for the “historic nomination,” Murkowski said it was worth the political risk. She described it as a rejection of a Senate process that “is growing worse and more detached from reality.”
It’s a measure of the nation’s polarizing times that what could be seen as a milestone for the country — the first time in the court’s 233-year history it won’t be made up of mostly white men — has devolved into a political brawl.
Jackson’s nomination is advancing through procedural hurdles, and is on a glide path to confirmation in the Senate by week’s end.
While Democrats hold a narrow majority in the 50-50 chamber, with Vice President Kamala Harris able to break a tie, her vote is unlikely to be needed.
“The confirmation of the nation’s first Black woman to the highest court in the land will resonate for the rest of our nation’s history,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday as he launched the weeklong procedural steps toward confirmation.
GOP concerns
It wasn’t always guaranteed that Jackson, who was confirmed by the Senate to be a federal appellate judge just a year ago, would win over Republicans this time.
One key Republican, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who voted to confirm her for the lower court, led the opposition during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on her nomination.
Along with other Republicans, Graham saw political value in using Jackson’s hearing to dredge up complaints about the partisan treatment of previous Supreme Court nominees during the Donald Trump era — from Brett Kavanaugh, who faced accusations of sexual assault from his high school years that he strenuously denied during his 2018 confirmation hearing for the Supreme Court, to Amy Coney Barrett's fervent Catholic faith.
“If we were in charge, she would not have been before this committee,” Graham said about the Republican side ahead of the panel's deadlocked vote Monday. "You would have had somebody more moderate than this.”
But personal political legacies can be as strong a draw for senators, who like to think of themselves as one of the 100 distinct voices in the Senate.
Collins, Murkowski and Romney have all proven over long careers in Republican Party politics that they can be independent brokers.
Collins, who won re-election in 2020, has long gone her own way to vote for any president's judicial nominees. An exception was Barrett, whose confirmation in October 2020 she said she could not support so close to the presidential election.
Collins expressed hope that the Senate could get back to a place where there is bipartisan support for qualified Supreme Court nominees “because it’s important for public confidence in the court. The court is not supposed to be a politicized institution.”
Romney, the party's 2012 presidential nominee and the only Republican senator to vote to convict Donald Trump during both trials of the former president, has emerged as a new force in the Senate, helping to broker bipartisan deals on issues like infrastructure and COVID-19 aid. He declined to back Jackson just a year ago for the lower court, but once he had a chance to meet and review her record he said she "more than meets the standard of excellence and integrity.’' He would run for re-election in 2024.
Murkowski faces perhaps the most precarious political climate because she is up for re-election this year in Alaska where Republican Party leaders have censured her over voting to convict Trump in impeachment over the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, among her other stances.
Alaska party leaders have endorsed Kelly Tshibaka, a Trump-backed candidate, ahead of the August primary. In the state’s new election system, the top four primary vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the general election where voters will rank their choices.
If anyone knows how to use political independence as a political currency, it's Murkowski who in 2010 won a write-in campaign — voters had to write in M-u-r-k-o-w-s-k-i for Senate — after she lost the primary bid and party backing to a more conservative challenger.
Murkowski shrugged off the political attacks that could come from her decision to back Jackson as worth the risk.
“Is there any safe place in this polarized time?" she said.
|
https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/from_the_wire/3-republican-senators-backing-jackson-as-the-first-black-woman-on-the-supreme-court/article_7e372b7f-ac3d-5bdc-8911-b77b896ce6a6.html
| 2022-04-06T22:59:29Z
|
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — U.S. officials improperly downplayed the climate change effects from burning coal when they approved a large expansion of an underground Montana coal mine that would release an estimated 190 million tons of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, a court ruled.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in a 2-1 ruling that Interior Department officials “hid the ball” during the Trump administration, by failing to fully account for emissions from burning the fuel in a 2018 environmental analysis.
A judge previously ruled against the disputed expansion of Signal Peak Energy’s Bull Mountain mine in 2017, but allowed mining to continue while a lawsuit brought by environmentalists proceeded.
Monday’s ruling sends the case back to the district court level to decide the fate of the mine’s federal permit.
It marks the latest in long string of decisions against the U.S. government going back to the Obama administration for failing to adequately consider climate damages from extracting and burning fossil fuels.
The appeals court faulted the government for comparing emissions from the mine against total global emissions. That approach “predestined that the emissions would appear relatively minor,” Circuit Judge Morgan Christen wrote.
Circuit Judge Ryan Nelson disagreed, saying in a dissenting opinion that the court should have deferred to the Interior Department’s expertise after agency officials determined the expansion would not significantly affect the environment.
An attorney for environmental groups that challenged the mine expansion said the ruling could have impacts for mines across the country.
“They have to evaluate the impacts of billowing hundreds of millions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere,” said Derf Johnson with the Montana Environmental Information Center.
The mine near Roundup is a major employer in central Montana, with about 250 workers. Its coal has been exported to countries including South Korea, Japan and the Netherlands, according to court documents.
Interior spokesperson Tyler Cherry said the agency was reviewing the ruling. Signal Peak representatives did not immediately respond to the ruling.
The Biden administration last year announced it will review the climate impacts of a U.S. coal leasing program that allows companies to mine vast reserves of the fuel from public lands. It has also priced future climate damage s from burning fossil fuels at about $51 for every ton of carbon dioxide emitted, a figure known as the social cost of carbon.
Environmentalists had sought a ruling that would compel officials to apply the social cost of carbon to Signal Peak’s mine, but the court rejected the request and said how effects are measured is up to the government.
|
https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/from_the_wire/appeals-court-says-u-s-downplayed-coal-mine-s-climate-impacts/article_e2ea69fa-61e6-5acf-ba16-57b1c6dbb915.html
| 2022-04-06T22:59:36Z
|
Wildlife managers have millions of dollars in new funding at their disposal to collect statewide movement and mortality data on mule deer, a species that has been in a prolonged decline in Wyoming and across the West.
Ultimately, data derived from GPS collars on 1,000-plus animals and increased deer herd population assessments will be used to help identify pilot projects to knock down numbers of large carnivores that eat muleys. The data could also shine light on where the Wyoming Game and Fish Department will strategically shrink elk herds, which compete with their smaller, less adaptable cervid cousins for habitat.
Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik told members of the Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce in late March that he doesn’t see large-scale predator control as a silver bullet to turning the corner on mule deer numbers, which have fallen statewide from a high of over 500,000 in the early 2000s to just over 300,000 today. But it could be a useful tool in places, he said.
“We know we’re sharing our deer herds, in some places, with large carnivores,” Nesvik said. “Are there ways that we can make prescriptions and adjustments to wildlife management that will, at a localized level, provide more opportunity? In other words, share less of the deer resource with large carnivores.”
Other pilot projects will target elk, which have thrived and trended in the opposite direction as mule deer, growing from about 90,000 animals in the early 2000s to 110,000-plus today. Research by University of Wyoming Ecology Professor Kevin Monteith provides enough justification to test out using hunters to trim down elk herds — a decline mule deer could respond favorably to, Nesvik said.
Monteith, earlier in the same meeting, outlined preliminary results from an ungulate competition study south of Rock Springs in the Little Mountain area.
“Those [deer] that are further away from elk are gaining more fat over the summer,” Monteith said. “Those [deer] that are living closer to elk are gaining less fat over the summer.
“It’s certainly very convincing evidence that there’s potential competition between deer and elk given that relationship right there,” he added.
Specific pilot projects to help mule deer via killing elk and large carnivores are still in the planning phases and have not been identified, according to Game and Fish spokeswoman Sara DiRienzo. But the large carnivore species that the department has zeroed in on are primarily black bears and mountain lions, Nesvik said.
“There was no edict to create a war on mountain lions and black bears,” he said. “It’s not that.”
As for other predators: wolves in Wyoming are managed close to the lower limits required by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for now grizzly bears are protected from hunting by the Endangered Species Act and coyotes can already be killed without limit throughout Wyoming.
Experimental predator control and elk reduction projects are just a couple of the possible outcomes of the infusion of mule deer research funds that the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission signed off on while meeting March 24 in Cody. The state agency’s seven commissioners OK’d a special allocation of $2.36 million for the five-year-study, called the “Mule Deer Monitoring Project.” All told, however, there’s $5.7 million projected to be sunk into the project, according to Game and Fish documents.
This project represents a separate effort from the 15-year-old ongoing Wyoming Mule Deer Initiative, which focuses on improving habitat, adapting hunting seasons and developing science to attempt to conserve deer herds throughout the state.
Millions of data points
There are three primary expenses to the new Mule Deer Monitoring Project, said Embere Hall, who supervises Game and Fish’s science, research and analytical support unit. One, the state is going to beef up its mule deer herd abundance surveys. Currently, she said, the state agency censuses just one deer herd a year, but the new funding will bring that total to seven or eight of Wyoming’s 37 recognized mule deer herds.
“So over the course of the five-year proposal,” Hall said, “we’ll have gotten a really robust estimate, potentially for every single herd in the state.”
Another big component will look closely at factors in mule deer mortality from five “focal herds” that will be selected from throughout the state — this is the portion that will most help inform predator control pilot projects. GPS collars will be used to monitor a total of 100 buck, doe and fawn deer from each herd, and when they die wildlife biologists and technicians will rush to the site to attempt to determine the cause.
Data analysis and presentation is the third big expense. On that front, Game and Fish is partnering with the University of Wyoming Quantitative Wildlife Ecologist Jerod Merkle. Approximately every three months, he told WyoFile, the 500 or so mule deer that are wearing GPS tracking collars in the five focal herds at any one time will output 1 million location points.
“We’re going to take in the millions of data points that are going to be collected, and turn them into something that can be used by field biologists and managers,” Merkle said.
The raw data will be sorted, analyzed and presented with apps and through other means by Merkle’s lab, the university’s new school of computing and the Wyoming Innovation Partnership. It’s a unique collaboration, he said.
“We’re trying to build all this data science expertise at the University of Wyoming,” Merkle said. “And here we are plugging that directly into the state needs of wildlife management.”
Of course, it remains to be seen if wildlife managers can use the fine-scale Wyoming mule deer data to help the species stage a comeback. Habitat quality, drought and winter severity — factors often out of wildlife managers’ control — typically drive mule deer populations.
“I think this gives the department and managers and the public the best tools that we can have to understand how our management actions are influencing populations,” Game and Fish’s Hall said. “Is it going to, at the snap of your fingers, return us to populations consistent with what we had 30 years ago? Probably not, but it can give us the information that we need to take the best steps in that direction.”
WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.
|
https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/environment/wyoming-to-target-elk-large-carnivores-to-aid-reeling-mule-deer/article_85f3009a-b5ed-11ec-970b-a76d0a3239a2.html
| 2022-04-06T22:59:42Z
|
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force has dubbed its next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile the LGM-35A Sentinel.
The official name for the United States’ next nuclear missile, which until now has been referred to as the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, was announced by the service Tuesday.
The Sentinel is to succeed the five-decade-old Minuteman III beginning in 2029, and it would represent a major upgrade – and a costly one, at $100 billion – to the ICBM portion of the U.S. nuclear triad. Nuclear-armed bombers, such as the B-52 Stratofortress and the in-development B-21 Raider, as well as submarines make up the other two portions of the nuclear triad.
Don Koser, Air Force Global Strike Command’s lead historian, said in a Monday interview that the name was chosen to evoke the image of “one that stands guard and keeps the watch.”
It also is intended to signal the continuation of the vigil carried out by airmen and Air Force civilians who operated, secured, maintained and supported its predecessors: Minuteman, Peacekeeper, Titan and Atlas. The latter is America’s first ICBM system, and it became operational in 1959.
“Our nation’s nuclear deterrent force, two legs of which is operated by airmen, has quietly provided a strategic security shield for decades,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said in a release. “All that time, the Department of the Air Force has kept the watch; always vigilant and ready. The name Sentinel recognizes the mindset that thousands of airmen, past and present, have brought to the deterrence mission, and will serve as a reminder for those who operate, secure and maintain this system in the future about the discipline and responsibility their duty entails.”
Beginning in the 1950s, the military drew some of its earliest missiles’ names from Greek mythology, resulting in the Atlas and Titan programs, as well as the Nike anti-aircraft missiles. The Navy’s Poseidon and Trident submarine ballistic missiles also followed in the 1970s.
The Air Force shifted gears in the early 1960s and looked to American history for inspiration when it named the first in the series of Minuteman missiles, after the colonial-era militiamen who were ready to rapidly respond to danger at all times. Koser said the Air Force hoped such a name would be more “relatable” to the American public.
In 1986, the Air Force fielded the four-stage Peacekeeper missile, capable of delivering multiple nuclear warheads on different targets using multiple independently targeted reentry vehicles. Those weapons were deactivated in 2005.
When asked why the Air Force opted out of choosing a name from mythology or a specific historical reference, like the Minuteman, Koser said the service considered six factors: historical relevance, the link to the mission, aggressiveness, popularity, simplicity and recognition.
Global Strike Command could not say how many other names were considered, or identify some of the other candidates.
Tom Karako, director of the missile defense project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who last year wrote about the need for better names of weapons, said he thinks the metaphor of a sentinel keeping watch is fitting.
“America’s most fearsome weapons need better names,” Karako said. “Bland descriptors, acronyms, and bunches of letters and numbers are good enough for some weapons. But instruments of deterrence, the bedrock of U.S. national security, deserve a proper name, conjuring up story, honor and connection to the past.”
The LGM-30G Minuteman III was first deployed in 1970. There are now about 400 Minuteman IIIs in hardened silos, designed to withstand attacks, spread out across the country at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, and other sites in Colorado and Nebraska.
Launch crews of two officers are on duty around the clock in underground launch control centers, which are connected to the silos with hardened cables and can be contacted immediately by the president or defense secretary.
The Defense Department says the $100 billion Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program is necessary to modernize the ICBM force and maintain an effective deterrent to China and Russia. The department also says the GBSD effort would be about $38 billion cheaper than extending the Minuteman III through 2075.
But critics of GBSD argue the modernization plans are escalatory, excessive for a deterrent capability and wasteful. Some Democratic lawmakers have opposed the program and sought to divert money away from it last year.
Northrop Grumman received a $13.3 billion contract in 2020 to develop the GBSD, and it opened a $1.4 billion facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado, last August to work on it and other strategic weapons programs.
The Air Force said the Sentinel will use a modular architecture that can be easily upgraded with new, emerging technologies to meet evolving threats, and will be easier to maintain than the Minuteman. This will save money and keep the Sentinel relevant well into the 2070s, the service said.
The Air Force’s current missile bases will also be the home of Sentinel missiles. Koser said the Sentinel upgrade will modernize more than the missiles themselves; it will also modernize or replace the existing Minuteman-era silos, control centers and ground infrastructure, as well as its flight systems and command-and-control systems.
The Air Force said that adapting the existing infrastructure will allow both the Minuteman III and the Sentinel to meet all nuclear surety and safety standards during the transition process.
This article was reprinted with permission from Sightline Media Group. The original article can be found online at https://www.defensenews.com/air/2022/04/05/heres-the-new-name-of-the-us-air-forces-next-gen-nuke/.
|
https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/government_and_politics/new-nuclear-missile-system-has-a-name-sentinel/article_4cb2c144-b5ed-11ec-9437-afa77e57989d.html
| 2022-04-06T22:59:48Z
|
Oregon will face more mudslides and flooding during the next 80 years as a result of extreme wildfires followed by extreme rains, according to scientists in Colorado, California and Washington.
The findings, published in Science Advances – the journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science – show that extreme wildfire events across the West will increase in the next several decades, and by the later half of the century, extreme rainfall events will be just as common.
The combination of the two will lead to greater risk of flood and mudslides due to landscapes destabilized by fires, the scientists concluded.
Danielle Touma is a climate scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, who worked on the study with researchers from the University of California in Santa Barbara and from Washington State University in Vancouver.
“You’re getting an increase in one of these ingredients at the beginning of the 21st century,” Touma said, “and by the end of the 21st century you’re getting both.”
She said that of the 11 states they looked at, Oregon “will have the largest changes in terms of extreme weather events.”
Maps of wildfire and rainfall projections show the greatest growth in fire and rainfall will occur in eastern Oregon. Touma said she and her colleagues ran hundreds of years of climate data to reach their projections, but did not explore why the eastern half of the state appears to have more fire and rain events through the rest of the century.
Touma cited ongoing drought in the eastern part of Oregon as well as effects of air pressure and temperature increases east of the Cascades in the decades ahead.
The projections were based on greenhouse gas emissions continuing without climate mitigation efforts outlined in the Fifth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. That report was published in 2014.
The final installment of the Sixth Assessment Report was published Monday, and showed that while there is evidence of some countries decreasing greenhouse gas emissions since 2014, emissions overall during the last decade were the highest in human history.
The frequency and duration of wildfires and heavy rains in the West has accelerated due to human-caused climate change, according to the scientists. Without global climate mitigation, Oregon could face up to seven extreme wildfires and seven extreme rainfall events per year by 2100, according to the study.
“Our results point to a future with substantially increased post-fire hydrologic risks across much of the western United States,” the report states.
While rains following a fire might sound beneficial, Touma said it’s a recipe for mudslides, floods and destruction.
“Extreme rain can be detrimental after a fire,” Touma said. “The landscape changes a lot. It loses vegetation, the soil becomes hydrophobic so it repels water, it doesn’t absorb it.”
The loss of vegetation means a loss of root systems holding soil in place. Layers of burned debris on the surface flow into waterways and down slopes.
“Sometimes you don’t even need that much rainfall to trigger an event,” she said.
The scientists found that impacts are greater when extreme rainfall occurs within one or two years after a wildfire, because there is still a large amount of surface debris and loose soil.
Within five years of an extreme wildfire event, the scientists predict Oregon would see at least three rain events following in an impacted area.
|
https://www.heraldandnews.com/klamath/more-flooding-mudslides-in-oregon-as-extreme-fires-to-be-followed-by-extreme-rains/article_c96d46d9-cb3f-5278-9593-d4d5678cdb63.html
| 2022-04-06T23:41:17Z
|
Harney County had the highest COVID-19 death rate on the West Coast, according to a report published this week.
A Poor People’s Pandemic Report 2022 shows that 36 people died in Harney County between February 2020 and this February, giving the county a death rate of 487 per 100,000 people. That’s higher than any other county in Oregon, Washington or California.
Imperial County in southern California, where 860 people died over the two-year period, came next with 475 deaths per 100,000. The highest death rate in Washington state was in Columbia County in the west central part of the state. A total of 13 people died over the two-year span, giving it a rate of 326 deaths per 100,000, the report said.
The report, which relied on death data from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, was prepared by the Poor People’s Campaign, an advocacy group for low-income people, and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, a nonprofit created by the United Nations to promote sustainable development.
Overall, Oregon, Washington and California had among the lowest COVID death rates in the country. Galax County in Virginia had the highest rate at 1,134 per 100,000. Hancock County in Georgia came next with a death rate of 1,029 per 100,000. It was followed by Motley County in Texas, with 1,000 people dying per 100,000.
“The 10% of counties that had the highest death rates had death rates exceeding approximately 526 deaths per 100,000,” said Alainna Lynch, senior research manager of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network in an email.
The Oregon Health Authority said Oregon fared much better than many states because so many Oregonians wore masks and followed other COVID mandates. “Our COVID-19 strategy helped to save lives and kept cases and hospitalizations lower than in other states,” Rudy Owens, an agency spokesman, said in an email.
The report considered vaccination rates but said they didn’t explain variation in death rates.
“Average vaccination rates are in general higher in the highest income counties than in the middle- and low-income counties, however these differences do not explain the whole variation in death rates in the later waves of the pandemic,” the report said.
Poverty and demographics wound together as the common thread, the report said.
“Counties with the highest death rates are poorer than counties with lower death rates, with higher percentages of people of color,” the report said. “The 300+ counties with the highest death rates have a poverty rate of 45%, which is 1.5 times higher than in counties with lower death rates.”
The health authority said the pandemic made it clear that not everyone has an equal opportunity to be healthy.
“This includes people of color, people with low incomes, people who identify as LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and people who live in rural areas of the state,” Owens said. “People in these communities face considerable barriers due to inequities in the social and physical infrastructures that affect health.”
Nic Calvin, director of Harney County’s Public Health Department, said poverty could have been a factor in the county’s death rate.
“In terms of access to the vaccine, it’s completely free so we’ve tried to break down any barriers,” Calvin said. “Once a person got Covid, poverty could have been a factor” in the severity of the disease.
The report found that in Harney County, nearly 40% were living in poverty, defined as a maximum of $2,265 a month for one person and $4,625 a month for a family of four.
In Josephine County, which had the second highest death rate in the state at 354 deaths per 100,000, nearly 44% were living in poverty, the report found. In Malheur County, which had the third highest death rate at 330 deaths per 100,000 in the two-year time span, the report found that 48% were living in poverty.
Calvin said Harney County’s low population – about 7,300 people – could have skewed the numbers.
“We’re such a small population,” Calvin. “If we have an additional five people die, that puts our per-capita death rate higher.”
Other eastern Oregon counties
Other eastern Oregon counties also have low populations, and among the lowest vaccination rates in the state. Lake County has the lowest vaccination rate in the state, with 46% of adults receiving one dose, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Malheur, Grant, Gilliam and Baker come next in that order. Harney County has the sixth lowest rate: 56% of adults have had at least one dose.
“Like most eastern Oregon counties, there was some resistance to getting vaccinated due to the political nature of the vaccine,” Calvin said. “We have had vaccinations available every day basically since the vaccine came out.”
The Oregon Health Authority, which considers equity a top priority, has acknowledged that racial and ethnic minorities had the lowest vaccination rates in the first half of 2021. But the agency said it has since narrowed the difference between minorities and whites. About 67% of adult Hispanics have had one dose compared with 83% of whites, according to July 1, 2021 estimates from the U.S. Census bureau. The discrepancy is even bigger when looking at booster shots. About 28% of Hispanics have had one booster shot compared with 49% for whites.
The state’s most populous counties, largely in the Willamette Valley, all had relatively low poverty rates, like Deschutes, and low deaths rates. Benton County, which had the lowest death rate in the state at 63 deaths per 100,000, had a poverty rate of 33%, comparable to most other Willamette Valley counties.
Race was a factor in high rates in counties across the county, the report said, but it appeared to be less relevant in Oregon, where 87% of the population is white. For example, in Harney County only 5% were Hispanic, and in Josephine County, with the second highest death rate, 7% of the population was Hispanic. That compared with Malheur County, where 34% were Hispanic.
The groups behind the report hope it will rally members of Congress and President Joe Biden to do more to help poor people.
“The findings of this report reveal neglect, and sometimes intentional decisions, to not focus on the poor,” said Bishop William Barber II, president of the nonprofit advocacy group, Repairers of the Breach. “It is further evidence why we have called for the president to meet, at the White House, with a diverse delegation of poor and low-wealth people, religious leaders and economists to put addressing poverty and low wealth front and center.”
|
https://www.heraldandnews.com/klamath/report-harney-county-has-highest-covid-19-death-rate-on-west-coast/article_6e60fd8d-5997-59ef-801a-dec7146272ab.html
| 2022-04-06T23:41:23Z
|
The city of Klamath Falls found an inventive path to buying a new dump truck for its water services division.
The Klamath Falls City Council approved a $109,000 allocation at its April to buy a slightly used truck instead of more expensive and less in supply new vehicle.
Robbie West, the city’s water distribution manager, said he was doing some research on trucks to purchase when he spoke to locally based Bogatay Construction.
West told the council the construction firm told it had a 2022 Kenworth dump truck it had just purchased but was not happy with in terms of its operational needs. West said truck has approximately 1,800 miles on it has been used on a few jobs.
He said the $109,000 for the used truck compares favorably with dealership quotes of approximately $130,000 and $139,000. The used purchase saves the city $20,000 to $30,000, West said.
He also said trucks are not easy to find because of current supply chain issues impacting vehicle availability. “As you guys know right now trucks are hard to come by,” West said. Local governments across the country, including police and other departments have been challenged by inflation and shortages of vehicles for purchase.
The city is looking to replace a 1997 GMC dump truck the water division is currently using. The newly purchased truck will be use to haul gravel and other materials to and from job sites, according to council documents.
|
https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/city-opts-to-buy-used-dump-truck-for-water-division/article_4e96545d-0c86-50c9-82f3-d4c049dd5d84.html
| 2022-04-06T23:41:30Z
|
Electric scooters are coming to Klamath Falls after the city council approved a deal with Santa Monica, California-based Bird Rides Inc.
The city council approved an agreement with Bird at its April 4 meeting to allow for electric scooters within the downtown, campus and the Washburn area north of South 6th Street. Bird will start out with 50 scooters, said Scott Souders, development services director for the city.
The scooters will be geofenced to only operate in the designated area, Souders said. That means the scooters will stop operating outside their approved zones. They will be allowed to operate from 4 a.m to 10 p.m.
Bird will pay the city $500 for a fleet of 50 vehicles under the annual agreement, according to city documents. The California company will pay the city $1,000 annually if it grows its Klamath Falls fleet to 51 to 100 scooters. They would pay the city another $10 per scooter if the local fleet grows to more than 100.
“They will have a local manager locally who will represent the company,” Souders said.
The electric scooters are restricted from sidewalks and are for adult use for short-term rentals. The scooters cost $1 to unlock and then 10 cents to 35 cents per minute to rent. Bird also offers day and weekly passes for frequent users. Those range between $25 and $70.
Bird is one of the major electric scooters companies. It operates in Portland, Medford, San Francisco, Boise, Sacramento and a number of other U.S. cities. Bird approached the city about a scooter effort last year, Souders said.
He said the city could look at adjusting the deal, including the parameters for where scooters can be used. Bird officials have not yet responded to questions about the new Klamath Falls service.
Cities have looked to the scooters to help locals with mobility and to enhance experiences for tourists. Critics worry about accidents and scooter riders sharing areas with pedestrians and cars.
|
https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/klamath-falls-gives-bird-scooters-the-go-ahead/article_5af57e0b-4f88-55b5-9fe7-a995e13ce323.html
| 2022-04-06T23:41:36Z
|
Alex Jones appears for questioning in Sandy Hook lawsuit
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Alex Jones was questioned Wednesday by lawyers for families of Sandy Hook victims in Connecticut, where a judge had ordered the Infowars host to face mounting fines until he appeared for a deposition.
Relatives of some of the 20 children and six educators killed in the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, massacre sued Jones for defamation after he said the shooting never happened. A judge found Jones liable for damages and a trial on how much he should pay the families is set for August.
Jones, who lives in Texas, had defied a judge’s order to appear for a deposition in the case, saying he was too ill. But Connecticut Judge Barbara Bellis said there wasn’t enough evidence that Jones was too sick to attend and ordered him to come to Connecticut for questioning and pay escalating daily fines until he did so. Jones paid $25,000 in fines for Friday and $50,000 in fines for Monday, according to court records.
A spokesperson for the families and their lawyers at Bridgeport-based Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder declined to comment on the deposition Wednesday.
Jones said in a video on the Infowars website that the deposition began Tuesday and was to continue Wednesday. He said in the video that the families’ lawyers began the deposition by “demonizing” him for his questioning official versions of events.
“It’s just totally insane to sit there and watch this happen and to watch them lick their lips and lick their chops and think we’re going to finally shut Alex Jones down,” Jones said. “These people want to put us in prison for our speech.”
Jones’ lawyer, Norman Pattis, said tempers flared at times during the deposition on Tuesday, and much of the questioning was not related to the school shooting.
“I had the impression watching the attack on Mr. Jones that this trial will be about something far greater than what happened at Sandy Hook,” Pattis said on the video. “The trial’s going to be about ordinary people’s ability to say I’m not buying it, I want to raise questions, I want to draw my own conclusions.”
The deposition was held at the Bridgeport office of Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder. After it ended Wednesday, Pattis filed a court document asking Bellis to return to Jones the $75,000 in fees he paid, which the judge said he could request only after sitting for questioning. Bellis did not immediately rule.
Jones missed the originally scheduled deposition in the case on March 23 and 24 in Austin, Texas. He cited a health issue including vertigo that his doctors initially thought was a serious heart problem but turned out to be a sinus infection.
The plaintiffs have said they have been subjected to harassment and death threats from Jones’ followers because of the hoax conspiracy promoted on his website show. Jones has since conceded the shooting did happen.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/06/alex-jones-appears-questioning-sandy-hook-lawsuit/
| 2022-04-06T23:45:38Z
|
Allen named permanent administrator of Mercer County Health Department
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (WVVA) -After more than thirty years in the healthcare field working as a Registered Nurse, floor nurse and more, Bonnie Allen has been named administrator of the Mercer County Health Department. Allen has worked at the department for the last two years and stepped in as interim administrator late last year.
While Allen hasn’t been in the position long, she already knows that she plans to make the community her top priority.
“I’m really excited for the position because you know the county- the people of the county are important to us,” she shared.
Allen says the department plans to be more proactive in reaching locals and creating a physical presence in Mercer County.
“We want to get out in the community more... let them see that we are still here,” she said. “We really want people to know that the clinic-we can see anyone. I think the biggest thing is being out there in the community and increasing the number of people that come to the clinic because we offer some great services. We have some great staff and we’d really like to see the community take advantage of that.”
According to Allen, the department handles sports physicals, women’s health, vaccinations, family planning, cancer screenings, acute care and more. She adds that patients do not have to meet income requirements and do not have to have an appointment.
On Saturday, April 23, the Mercer County Health Department will host a Health Fair to offer blood pressure and glucose level checks, as well as share information on their other services. The event will be held in Oakvale from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Anyone is welcome to attend.
For more information, call 304-324-8367.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/06/allen-named-permanent-administrator-mercer-county-health-department/
| 2022-04-06T23:45:44Z
|
Fellow sisters in Louisiana pray for abducted nun’s safe return
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE/Grays News) - Marianite Sister Suellen Tennyson, 83, was abducted from a parish in Yalgo, Burkina Faso, Africa, where she had been stationed as a missionary since 2014, according to officials with the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Many across the globe and locally in the Greater New Orleans area are coming together in prayer for Sister Tennyson.
Sister Tennyson attended high school at the former Academy of the Holy Angels. She served at the former St. Cecilia Catholic Church in the Marigny and at Resurrection of Our Lord Catholic Church. She also did work for the Archdiocese of New Orleans as the Vicar for Religious.
The Marianite sisterhood is in disbelief after learning about her disappearance.
Sister Ann Lacour, the Marianite Congregational Leader currently stationed in France, said Sister Tennyson was taken in the middle of the night on Tuesday, April 5, by 10 armed hijackers.
“In her night clothes. No shoes, no glasses, no medication, no phone. And she was blindfolded,” Sister Lacour said.
Now she is working with investigators in Paris, Rome, and Burkina Faso.
“The U.S. Embassy of Burkina Faso calls us at least twice a day,” said Sister Lacour. “They definitely want to keep this alive and want this to end as soon as possible.”
As do those who know her best; her family and friends back home in New Orleans, like Marianite Sister Marjorie Hebert.
“We’re doing our part to cooperate trusting that all of this is going to ultimately bring Suellen home safely. And home for Suellen right now is Burkina Faso,” said Sister Hebert.
She said Sister Tennyson lived in the Yalgo parish of Burkina Faso since 2014, serving as support to medical staff in the community. Those close to her describe Sister Tennyson as the face of compassion.
“That call to her was there. It came late in her Marianite vocation but that’s firm to her. So that’s her home,” she said. “When she left to go there back in 2014, she made it very clear to us that love her and cherish her friendship; ‘I’m gonna work there. I’ll die there. And I’ll be buried there.’”
Now they are carrying hope in their hearts -- hope that she is protected and hope that she is safe.
“We truly truly believe she will be found and we do believe. We’re holding on to that and God’s great grace she’ll be ok,” said Sister Lacour.
The Marianite congregation believes in the power of prayer, and they are asking those who pray to pray for Sister Suellen’s safety and release from her captives.
Copyright 2022 WVUE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/06/fellow-sisters-louisiana-pray-abducted-nuns-safe-return/
| 2022-04-06T23:45:51Z
|
‘I see barren fields’: Ukrainian Civil Society leaders discuss wartime agriculture disruptions
Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) hosted an event discussing the war in Ukraine and what it means for global food security.
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Known as the breadbasket of Europe, Ukraine is one of the top exporters of grain in the world.
The ongoing war is expected to cut trade drastically. Some economists fear the war will disrupt the global food chain, leading to famine in parts of the East and higher domestic commodity costs.
“Ukraine basically exports to a number of countries in North Africa and the Middle East,” said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, who told Gray DC his department is monitoring the situation. “These are developing countries. These are countries that rely a great deal on that wheat supply to be able to feed their people.”
Wheat growers in the U.S are already facing high operating costs and drought conditions. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) says it’s unlikely the U.S will be able to fill any gap that might be created by the war.
“Even if America does everything we can to grow more wheat, it’s not going to be enough to replace what comes through the Black Sea right now,” said Marshall.
During a Wednesday press conference, Marshall and fellow GOP Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) discussed the issue with members of the Ukrainian Civil Society.
Ukrainian Military volunteer Maria Berlinska says Russia is using food as a quiet weapon, starving residents into submission and targeting farmland and agriculture infrastructure.
“We have less and less fields, and we have less and less opportunities,” said Berlinska.
During the discussion, she pleaded for additional aid in the form of weapons, sanctions, and international pressure on Russia.
Copyright 2022 Gray DC. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/06/i-see-barren-fields-ukrainian-civil-society-leaders-discuss-wartime-agriculture-disruptions/
| 2022-04-06T23:45:57Z
|
Jan. 6 trial of former Virginia officer continues with testimony from man who called him “dad”
Jacob Fracker said he once called Thomas Robertson “dad,” and Robertson called him “son.” The two were together inside the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - It’s day two in the trial of former Rocky Mount police officer Thomas Robertson. He’s charged with six crimes related to his alleged actions on and after the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Dramatic moments inside the courtroom in the final hours today as Jacob Fracker, Robertson’s former co-defendant, takes the stand to testify against Robertson.
Jacob Fracker said that he used to call Thomas Robertson “dad”, and said Robertson would call him “son.”
Now, he’s testifying against Robertson after taking a plea deal for his involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
A picture that prosecutors used in their original charging document shows Fracker on the left, and Robertson on the right, inside of the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, according to prosecutors.
Fracker testified Wednesday that Robertson invited him, and planned the trip to the Capitol. Fracker also said on that day, he was hyped up and wanted to see the results of 2020 election overturned.
The defense said in its opening statements that Robertson only went into the Capitol because they said Fracker got too excited and ran in first. They argue that Robertson was only trying to find Fracker and leave.
During his testimony, Fracker told the court that he did lose sight of Robertson before entering the Capitol. Fracker said he and Robertson were reunited in a room below the Capitol Rotunda known as the crypt, where they took pictures and began singing and clapping with a crowd.
He said Robertson never told him that his only goal was to retrieve him, and that Robertson was just as excited as he was once they left the Capitol.
Fracker told the court that he and Robertson discussed a potential next civil war on the ride back home to Virginia.
Fracker’s testimony still is not done. Robertson’s defense is expected to cross-examine Fracker when court is back in session on Thursday morning.
Robertson’s lawyer told the judge tonight that Robertson may testify when the defense presents its case tomorrow.
The judge told lawyers that he wants to hear closing arguments on Friday.
Copyright 2022 Gray DC. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/06/jan-6-trial-former-virginia-officer-continues-with-testimony-man-who-called-him-dad/
| 2022-04-06T23:46:04Z
|
Kit Kat debuts blueberry muffin flavor for limited time
(Gray News) - Kit Kat fans are getting a new flavor inspired by a classic baked good without even turning on an oven.
The Hershey Company unveiled its limited-edition Blueberry Muffin Kit Kat flavor on Wednesday.
This new flavor creation is a blueberry muffin-flavored creme with tastes of fresh and cooked blueberries, plus a cake batter-like muffin flavor with graham cookie pieces folded into the bar, according to Hershey.
“Our product creators have such passion for deciding which flavor Kit Kat should take on next and making sure it delivers for our fans,” said Dan Williard, brand manager of Kit Kat. “Kit Kat Blueberry Muffin has already become one of our favorites. It has all the taste of a freshly baked blueberry muffin, but no baking required.”
The blueberry muffin flavor becomes the latest in the brand’s growing portfolio of flavors. Hersey has previously released Kit Kat Duos Strawberry and Dark Chocolate, Thins Hazelnut and Lemon Crisp flavors.
Hersey representatives said the blueberry muffin flavor would be available nationwide at retailers starting this month.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/06/kit-kat-debuts-blueberry-muffin-flavor-limited-time/
| 2022-04-06T23:46:20Z
|
Police report uptick in gun violence
MERCER COUNTY, W.Va. (WVVA) - Police are attributing an uptick in gun violence to a pair of factors: Drug and gang activity and the warmer weather.
Detective Lieutenant Kenneth Adams with the Bluefield, West Virginia Police Department says they’re dedicating more officers to patrol areas of their city as a deterrent.
“People are getting out of those houses that they’ve been cooped up all winter in. They’re starting to interact with people they weren’t normally interacting with and not necessarily in a good way. It’s normal for this time of the year but it seems like here lately it seems like an uptick in people trying to use a gun to solve their situation,” said Adams.
Detective Sergeant Steven Sommers with the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office says the department recently responded to a shooting that involved over 30 rounds being fired at a residence in the Oakvale area. He says the sheriff’s office is not fully staffed but says the department is patrolling the areas with the deputies they do have.
“We’re in the process of hiring two more deputies. But again until we can get them trained and get the numbers on the street to be more proactive, that takes time. The sheriff and the chief and the county commission have been working diligently to insure that we can hire and retain deputies,” said Sommers.
Bluefield’s City Manager, Cecil Mason says the city is currently in the bidding process to deploy 80 to 130 cameras in high crime and high traffic areas. He says cameras are more tools to help police fight crime.
“I think once word gets out it’ll be another preventative measure but it will also, you know not everybody comes forward to the police so this will be another piece to that puzzle to help identify what happened, when it happened,” said Marson.
Marson says the process is just beginning for camera installation in Bluefield, but he expects them to begin deployment by the end of summer.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/06/police-seeing-uptick-gun-violence/
| 2022-04-06T23:46:32Z
|
Runners residing in Russia, Belarus banned from 2022 Boston Marathon
BOSTON (AP) - Athletes from Russia and Belarus previously accepted to compete in this year’s Boston Marathon who are currently residing in either country will no longer be allowed to participate, the Boston Marathon Association announced Wednesday.
The exclusion from the world’s oldest annual marathon also extends to athletes previously accepted into the B.A.A.’s 5K event. However, it doesn’t affect Russian or Belarusian athletes registered for the events who are not residents of the countries. They will be allowed to compete but won’t be able to run under their country’s flag.
“Like so many around the world, we are horrified and outraged by what we have seen and learned from the reporting in Ukraine,” B.A.A. president and CEO Tom Grilk said in a statement. “We believe that running is a global sport, and as such, we must do what we can to show our support to the people of Ukraine.”
The B.A.A. said it won’t recognize the country affiliation or flags of Russia and Belarus until further notice. This year’s Boston Marathon, 5K, and Invitational Mile do not include any professional or invited athletes from those countries.
Organizers said they will make reasonable attempts to refund entry fees to athletes no longer able to participate.
The B.A.A. will also provide all Ukrainians who are registered in the marathon or 5K and are unable to compete with a refund or option to defer to a future year.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/06/runners-residing-russia-belarus-banned-2022-boston-marathon/
| 2022-04-06T23:46:38Z
|
Six-days-a-week mail delivery saved; Biden signs Postal bill
WASHINGTON (AP) — A sweeping overhaul of the U.S. Postal Service meant to shore up the popular but beleaguered agency’s financial future and cement six-days-a-week mail delivery was signed into law Wednesday by President Joe Biden.
The legislation cleared Congress last month after fully a dozen years of discussion that took on a new sense of urgency amid widespread complaints about mail service delays. Officials had repeatedly warned that without congressional action, the Postal Service would run out of cash by 2024.
“The Postal Service is central to our economy and essential to rural America,” Biden said. He added that mailmen and women deliver 4 million prescriptions per day, along with letters, consumer goods and even live animals, “often to parts of the country that private carriers can’t or won’t or aren’t required to reach.”
The final legislation achieved rare, bipartisan support by scrapping some of the more controversial proposals and settling on core ways to save the service. Delivering the mail is among the most popular things the government does, with 91% of Americans having a favorable opinion of the Postal Service, according to a Pew Research Center poll released in 2020.
The bill signing came the same day the Postal Service announced it plans to raise rates effective July 10. Under the proposal submitted to the Postal Regulatory Commission, the cost of a first-class Forever stamp would increase by 2 cents to 60 cents.
The Postal Service said the increase, which is less than the annual rate of inflation, will help the agency implement Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s 10-year plan to stabilize agency finances.
Lawmakers from both parties attended the signing ceremony and the mood was jovial, a big improvement from Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran previously saying the service was in a “death spiral” that was particularly hard on rural Americans.
The Postal Service Reform Act lifts budget requirements that have contributed to the agency’s red ink, and spells out that mail must be delivered six days a week, except for federal holidays, natural disasters and some other situations.
Postage sales and other services were supposed to sustain the Postal Service, but it has suffered 14 straight years of losses. Growing worker compensation and benefit costs, plus steady declines in mail volume, have exacerbated losses, even as the service delivers to 1 million additional locations every year.
The new law ends a requirement that the Postal Service finance workers’ health care benefits ahead of time for the next 75 years — an obligation that private companies and federal agencies do not face. Biden said that rule had “stretched the Postal Service’s finances almost to the breaking point.”
Now, future retirees will enroll in Medicare, while other health plans and the Postal Service cover only current retirees’ actual health care costs that aren’t paid for by the federal health insurance program for older people,
“In recent years we saw how unfair policies forced this treasured institution to cut costs and delayed the delivery of medication, financial documents and other critical mail,” Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, who helped write the legislation, said in a statement. “These long overdue reforms will undo these burdensome financial requirements.”
To measure the agency’s progress in improving its service, the law requires it to set up an online dashboard that would be searchable by ZIP code to show how long it takes to deliver letters and packages.
Dropped from the package as it neared actual legislation were efforts to cut back mail delivery. Also set aside — for now — were other proposals that have been floated over the years to change operations, including to privatize some services.
Criticism of the Postal Service peaked in 2020, amid the COVID-19 crisis and ahead of the presidential election, as cutbacks delayed service at a time when millions of Americans were relying on mail-in ballots during the pandemic. Then-President Donald Trump acknowledged he was trying to financially pinch the service to limit its processing ability for an expected surge of mail-in ballots, which he worried could cost him the election he eventually lost.
Dominated by Trump appointees, the agency’s board of governors had tapped DeJoy, a major GOP donor, as postmaster general. He proposed a 10-year plan to stabilize the service’s finances with steps like additional mail slowdowns, cuts in some offices’ hours and perhaps higher rates.
Biden said Wednesday that more needs to be done to reform the Postal Service, including investing in an electrified vehicle fleet that could save money while helping combat climate change. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform is examining a Postal Service contract to replace its huge fleet of mail-delivery trucks with a mix of gas and electric vehicles, which the Environmental Protection Agency and Democratic lawmakers argue has too few electric vehicles.
“Today we enshrine into law our recognition that the Postal Service is fundamental to our economy, to our democracy, to our health and the very sense of who we are as a nation,” Biden said.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/06/six-days-a-week-mail-delivery-saved-biden-signs-postal-bill/
| 2022-04-06T23:46:44Z
|
Our Pasifika is a platform powered by Aloha Hula Supply that provides workshops and tutorials on various Polynesian artforms. Manager, Kelina Eldredge Handley shared the inspiration behind creating this type of platform. “We get phone calls all the time asking, ‘How do you tie a malo?,’ ‘How do you put on a pa’u?’...’How do you beat an ipu?’” To provide answers to these questions, they decided to call their friends and “ask these master craftsmen that are in the community to teach us these different things that people don’t really have access to.” Some of these tutorials include weaving lessons, lei po’o making and even a “How to: ‘Ori Tahiti rolled Pareu” by award winning, professional Tahitian Dancer, Chelsea Clement.
Walking through the Aloha Hula Supply Store you can find beautiful cultural pieces and dance costumes, as well as an interactive “Our Pasifika” tablet. On this screen you can scroll through the site and see the videos that are accessible for free. As a member, you get the benefit of gaining full access to premium workshops and all video content. “If you want to become a member, right now it's $25 a month or $250 for the year.”
With tutorials highlighting all islands of Polynesia, Our Pasifika helps to bring these cultures together from anywhere in the word. For those who aren’t in Hawaii, “this is a great opportunity for our people to dig into culture and learn more.. We can’t grow and go further unless we learn from our past.” Kelina continued and emphasized why it is so important to learn about Polynesian culture. “As a Hawaiian I feel like it's important that I know my culture and I do it correctly. As a whole and as a community, people want to find their roots of who they are and we want to make sure we are doing it in the best way we know how.”
Kelina demonstrated an example of what type of content that can be found on Our Pasifika. With an ipu in hand, we learned the basic steps of how to create a rhythmical beat. “So basically you are going to hold it with your left hand.. from the bottom and then go up to the top…” The sound of the ipu created a steady beat, ready for someone to dance to.
Our Pasifika brings people from all over the world closer to the Polynesian Culture. “You don’t have to be Hawaiian, or be Tahitian…Our Pasifika is a platform that brings everybody.. no matter where you are in the world to learn, share, and grow.”
To access these workshops, visit https://ourpasifika.com/
4369 Lawehana Street, #A2, Honolulu, HI 96818
(808) 847-7600
|
https://www.kitv.com/island-life/business/learn-about-the-polynesian-culture-from-anywhere-with-our-pasifika/article_24c18a8c-b5f5-11ec-9c75-bf25b8960bac.html
| 2022-04-07T00:13:52Z
|
Chef Roy Yamaguchi has over 30 years of experience and owns multiple award-winning restaurants. We had the privilege to be invited to his home and to see what goes into making a great home cooked meal.
“When I was young, my father made this dish…this is kind of like how I got started in this industry,” Chef Roy explained. To start, Chef Roy poured marinade over two short ribs. The marinade was syrupy and contained ginger, garlic, green onions, and soy sauce. He instructed us to let the ribs sit in the marinade for a few minutes while preparing the other parts of the meal. “The actual base of this sauce has been around for about 10 years now” and it “tastes like liquid gold!” he exclaimed.
To prepare the salad, Chef Roy used salad greens that his wife grows in the backyard, as well as locally sourced cauliflower, beets, and tomatoes. In his backyard are multiple soil and hydroponic gardens he uses in his home cooked dishes. Chef Roy feels it is important to support local because “it’s good to have our local economy going” and to “use our local farmers to get all of the fresh products.”
After preparing the salad, it was time to head out back to the grill. While placing the short ribs on the grill, Chef Roy shared, “I love my mother’s cooking, my father’s cooking, because it comes from the heart. It’s just great to be able to be with people that really want to cook for you, from their heart…”Chef Roy emphasized the importance of home cooked meals and how cooking is all about connecting.
All the food was ready and it was time to plate! The short ribs were perfectly tender and had a great amount of flavor. The salad was colorful and fresh. When creating these dishes, Chef Roy recommends using local ingredients. “You can buy the products from the farm itself” and “build a community that way through food.”
As Miss Hawaii 2019 & 2020, Nikki was a representative for the Aloha State and was highly involved with the community as she promoted the importance of service. Nikki is the host of KITV's entertainment and culture platform, ISLAND LIFE.
|
https://www.kitv.com/island-life/food/celebrity-chef-teaches-how-to-make-a-great-home-cooked-meal/article_c6384de0-b5f2-11ec-bc9c-47cf57d50f10.html
| 2022-04-07T00:13:58Z
|
President Joe Biden signed a sweeping bill into law on Wednesday that will overhaul the US Postal Service's finances and allow the agency to modernize its service.
"It's no exaggeration to say that the Postal Service delivers democracy. And it's no exaggeration to say the Postal Service is as essential as it ever was, has ever been, today," Biden said at a bill signing ceremony at the White House.
Biden, ticking through the reforms included in the bipartisan bill, noted that it sets the Postal Service on a more "sustainable and stable financial footing."
The new law will require retired postal employees to enroll in Medicare when eligible and repeals a previous mandate for the agency that forced it to cover health care costs up front and years in advance. Those two measures would save the USPS nearly $50 billion over the next decade, according to the House Oversight Committee.
The legislation also requires the Postal Service to create an online public dashboard with local and national delivery and performance data, as well as allow USPS to work with local governments to offer other helpful non-postal services.
"Today, we enshrined into law, our recognition that the Postal Service is fundamental to our economy, to our democracy, to our health, and the very sense of who we are as a nation," Biden said to an audience at the White House filled with members of Congress from both sides of the aisle.
Unlike other government institutions, the US Postal Service must rely on revenue it collects from deliveries, not taxpayer funding, to support itself. This means that the agency, established in 1775, must operate without the usual financial benefits of being a federal agency while still having to bear those costs.
In his remarks, the President praised the Postal Service for keeping people and communities across the nation connected, noting its long history as one of the government's oldest agencies and its most recent efforts to deliver free Covid-19 at home test kits to millions of households.
"The Postal Service stepped up to make that happen as well, and now they've delivered over 320 million Covid-19 test kits so far," Biden said. "Impressive turnaround for an unprecedented task and it's continuing to truly heroic service that you've provided throughout this pandemic."
The new law comes after years of increasing warnings about the state of the agency.
Most recently, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said that USPS' "dire financial condition" has inhibited the service from modernizing, including from replacing the vast majority of its aging vehicle fleet with electric trucks.
DeJoy said last year that longer first-class mail delivery times and cuts to post office hours across the country are among the changes in his 10-year plan for the agency.
Before heading to the President's desk, the Postal Service Reform Act enjoyed a rare wave of bipartisan support, easily clearing the Senate in a 79-19 vote after passing in the House 342-92.
The co-sponsors of the legislation -- which included Democrats, Rep. Carolyn Maloney and Sen. Gary Peters, as well as Republicans, Rep. Jim Comer and Sen. Rob Portman -- praised the bill signing.
"This historic law will finally get the Postal Service on sustainable financial footing after decades of decline," said Maloney, a New York representative. "I am proud to have negotiated this bill across party lines and to have worked hand-in-hand with Ranking Member Comer, Chairman Peters, and Ranking Member Portman."
Comer, who represents Kentucky, said the new law "will strengthen USPS for the years to come." And Portman, a senator for Ohio, said that when paired with USPS' 10-year plan, the new law will help put the agency on a "more sustainable financial footing and support the goal of providing long-term reliable service across the country."
Peters, who represents Michigan, called the new law a "momentous achievement that shows when lawmakers put their differences aside and work together, we can deliver meaningful results for the American people."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.kitv.com/news/business/biden-signs-us-postal-service-reform-bill-into-law/article_8cefb6ca-3fe0-5b36-a629-7eb5b0ead224.html
| 2022-04-07T00:14:04Z
|
Country
United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary
People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
|
https://www.kitv.com/news/local/hiker-killed-after-250-foot-fall-on-olomana-trail/article_f7fe95e6-b5fc-11ec-87ab-cbe48bb92974.html
| 2022-04-07T00:14:11Z
|
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has been internationally recognized as one of the world’s top universities across multiple subject areas, including linguistics, anthropology and geology, according to the 2022 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject released on April 6.
HONOLULU (KITV4) -- The University of Hawaii at Manoa has received top rankings internationally and nationally for a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs.
Nearly 40 UHM programs were recognized among the nation’s best, according to the U.S. News and World Report’s 2023 Best Graduate Schools rankings, released on March 29. This is the highest number of UH Manoa grad programs on the list since at least 2013.
UH Manoa placed in the world’s top 100 and the country’s top 25 in five narrow subject areas:
• Linguistics: #34 worldwide, #12 U.S.
• Anthropology: #51–100 worldwide, #18 U.S.
• Geology: #51–100 worldwide, #22 U.S.
• Geophysics: #51–100 worldwide, #22 U.S.
• Earth and marine sciences: #51–100 worldwide, #23 U.S.
“We are gratified that many of our graduate programs continue to receive national recognition for their excellence. Hawaii residents should take pride in knowing that one of the top universities in the world is located right here, educating future innovators, educators and leaders,” said UH Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno.
The QS World University Rankings by Subject are compiled annually to help prospective students identify the leading universities in a particular subject. Research citations, along with the results of major global surveys of employers and academics, are used to rank universities.
|
https://www.kitv.com/news/local/university-of-hawaii-at-manoa-programs-receive-top-rankings-in-international-and-national-ratings/article_9918226e-b5f1-11ec-8a6e-8b7c8e0a1164.html
| 2022-04-07T00:14:17Z
|
High anticipation surrounding the return of international travel to the islands is now at the forefront, as Hawaii lifts the last of its COVID-19 restrictions.
Especially eager to welcome back the state's largest source of international visitors, local leaders are making it a priority to work with the Japanese Tourism Industry, to ensure a safe and efficient return.
"The main thing they're concerned about is safety and wellness," explained Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) Chairman, Hiroyuki Takahashi. "So part of the JATA delegation, to come to Hawaii was to see for ourselves, with our own eyes, the safety and wellness Hawaii has kept. This is going to be part of our work now, to go back to Japan and tell our customers that it's safe."
According to numbers released by the Hawaii Tourism Authority, just over 1.5 million Japanese visitors arrived in the islands back in 2019.
Accounting for nearly 12% of the state's total visitor revenue that year, it's a relationship that has been waiting to be revitalized in the past two years.
"I'm just so excited that we can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel," admitted Governor David Ige. "It won't be immediate, but they are definitely committed to restoring the flights to Hawaii, and slowly building all throughout the remainder of the year."
Still, to reach those pre-pandemic visitation numbers, JATA Chairman Hiroyuki Takahashi says Japan will have to lift its current inbound international cap allowing just 10,000 arrivals a day to actualize that goal.
"Japan's border restrictions, concerning entry, is one of the strictest in the world. And until this is lifted or eased considerably, that remains a slight impediment," Takahashi continued.
A slow but steady rebound, which Takahashi says we can expect to begin in June, forecasts Hawaii realizing those numbers by 2023.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com
Erin found her passion in journalism from a young age, watching her dad on the news. He taught her the importance of meeting, learning, and sharing people's stories.
|
https://www.kitv.com/news/revitalization-of-japanese-tourism-industry-to-begin-this-summer/article_fc125c22-b5f1-11ec-9124-cffa68b0243e.html
| 2022-04-07T00:14:23Z
|
Bluefield State College hosts 33rd Annual Resource Fair
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (WVVA) - Today, Wednesday, April 6, 2022, Bluefield State College (BSC) hosted in 33rd Annual Spring Employment, Recruitment & Resource Fair at the BSC campus. The event was a group effort between the Office of Senator Joe Manchin, WorkForce West Virginia and BSC.
On Wednesday, students were able to meet and speak with dozens of local and state businesses. Kashif Alston, a Junior at BSC studying mechanical and electrical engineering, was dressed to impress and says he was hoping to learn valuable information from potential employers.
“As an engineering student especially, it’s especially hard to receive information about what it’s like out there in the career of engineering,” he said. “The professors are going to teach you what they need to teach you in the classroom, of course it’s up the employers to show you what comes after your time in the classroom.”
One of the event’s coordinators Rebekah Hatch says she hopes the event will encourage West Virginia students to stay local, using their talents to better the state.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/07/bluefield-state-college-hosts-33rd-annual-resource-fair/
| 2022-04-07T01:12:51Z
|
Cash App data breach could have affected over 8 million users
(Gray News) – A data breach committed by a former employee of the company which owns the mobile payment app Cash App could have affected over 8 million users.
According to a report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Block, Inc. announced that it determined a former employee downloaded reports containing U.S. customer information from its subsidiary Cash App Investing LLC in December 2021.
Although the former employee had access to the information during their employment, the data was accessed without permission after they were no longer with the company, the filing says.
Only customers who used Cash App’s stock function are affected by the breach, according to the report. The information included the full name and brokerage account number, brokerage portfolio value, brokerage portfolio holdings and stock trading activity.
Downloaded data did not include usernames and passwords, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, payment card information, addresses, bank account information or any other identifiable information.
Customers outside of the U.S. were not affected, the filing says.
When it made the discovery, Block launched an investigation in partnership with a forensics firm. The company has notified regulatory authorities and law enforcement of the breach.
The filing says the company “takes the security of information belonging to its customers very seriously and continues to review and strengthen administrative and technical safeguards to protect the information of its customers.”
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/07/cash-app-data-breach-could-have-affected-over-8-million-users/
| 2022-04-07T01:12:57Z
|
College coach cuts entire volleyball team; players left scrambling without scholarships
GRAMBLING, La. (KSLA/Gray News) - Grambling State University’s new head volleyball coach Chelsey Lucas has decided to cut the entire team.
KSLA reports Lucas notified the 19 players about the roster change on Monday. She has been the coach of the team since February.
GSU Athletics Communications Director Brian Howard said athletic leaders knew Lucas would be making some changes to the roster, but not to what extent.
“It’s her decision to make, and she’s got some quality players coming on board. I think 13 or 14 are coming on board. So, I hate to say out with the old, but in with the new a little bit,” Howard said.
According to the players, Lucas called individual player meetings and told them their scholarships would not be renewed.
Maurisa Harris, a junior at GSU, said players were advised that their scholarships would not be renewed based on their performance at recent practices held this semester.
Harris said the coach’s decision has left many of her teammates scrambling to find another program to transfer to in the off-season.
GSU Athletic Director Trayveon Scott issued the following statement:
“Just as the transfer portal empowers student-athletes, our coaches are also empowered to make the decisions they deem necessary to advance their programs.”
According to Howard, athletic leaders wish the players whose scholarships were not renewed future success.
Copyright 2022 KSLA via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/07/college-coach-cuts-entire-volleyball-team-players-left-scrambling-without-scholarships/
| 2022-04-07T01:13:03Z
|
Maxine Soppe 1930-2022 Maxine Soppe, 91, formerly of Carpenter, Wyoming passed away March 31, 2022 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The youngest of five children, Maxine was born on October 17, 1930 to M. Ethel (Vertz) and John O. Gordon. She was the first baby born at the Grover, Colorado hospital. Maxine grew up along the bluffs east of Hereford, Colorado creating a love of the outdoors and fear of rattlesnakes. Many of her memories of that time in her life involved her closest in age brother Gene. She attended school in Grover Colorado and graduated in 1949. Maxine attended Greeley Teachers College and obtained her teaching certificate and went on to teach in a one room school in district 35 in Nebraska. Maxine married Rodney Soppe on December 26, 1952, this marriage lasted until his death in 2016. Rodney was drafted into the Korean war so while he attended to his service in the army Maxine lived with her parents. Upon his return from his Korean tour they moved to South Dakota where his parents resided. The next move was to Denver, CO while he attended barbing school. Their final move was to the Carpenter, WY area eventually leading to the purchase of a dry land wheat farm in 1959 where she resided for 60 years. Later on when the children got older one of Maxine's happy memories was from the purchase of her own tractor to farm alongside her husband. Maxine was a devoted and loving mom, rarely missing the many school and sports activities of her five children. She served many years on the election board and was on the Carpenter Cemetery Board. Maxine was also a substitute teacher at the Carpenter School. She was a member of the Carpenter Methodist Church which her grandfather helped build. Her many interests included sewing, baking, wood working, flower gardening and most of all arrowhead hunting. Besides being greatly missed at Maxine's Carpenter home was also her welcoming cup of coffee and baked goodies. Our Mom so gracefully dealt with her Alzheimer's diagnosis for many years. What was lost in her present memories lead to many past memories coming forth. Maxine was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brothers-Fred Gordon, Don (Ann) Gordon, Gene (Lula) Gordon, sister Irene (Ray) Kane, sister-in-law Leola (Darold) Bauman. She is survived by her children, Mike (Sue) Soppe, Libby, MT; David (Cindy) Soppe, Kaycee, WY; Lorraine (Gary) Smith, Carpenter, WY; Mary Soppe, Las Cruces, NM, Lucinda (Eddy) Smith, Carpenter, WY. Maxine has been blessed with grandchildren: Christine Berestoff, Robert Soppe, Bobbie Boyd, Shannon Lusk, Cody Smith, Casey Smith, Ana Brouwer-Torres, Molly Brouwer-Theus, Megan Ripley and Rebecca Smith, ten great-grandchildren plus one on the way and numerous nephews and nieces. Graveside services will be on Friday, April 8th, 2022 at the Carpenter, WY Cemetery at 2:00 p.m. Memory donations for Maxine can be made to the Carpenter Cemetery, Attn: Lorraine Smith, 4696 Road 204, Carpenter, WY 82054. Condolences may be made at www.schradercares.com.
To plant a tree in memory of Maxine Soppe as a living tribute, please visit Tribute Store.
|
https://www.wyomingnews.com/milestones/obituaries/soppe-maxine/article_b3bac434-8c97-5540-83af-718ca324c08c.html
| 2022-04-07T01:31:39Z
|
Wildlife managers have millions of dollars in new funding at their disposal to collect statewide movement and mortality data on mule deer, a species that has been in a prolonged decline in Wyoming and across the West.
Ultimately, data derived from GPS collars on 1,000-plus animals and increased deer herd population assessments will be used to help identify pilot projects to knock down numbers of large carnivores that eat muleys. The data could also shine light on where the Wyoming Game and Fish Department will strategically shrink elk herds, which compete with their smaller, less adaptable cervid cousins for habitat.
Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik told members of the Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce in late March that he doesn’t see large-scale predator control as a silver bullet to turning the corner on mule deer numbers, which have fallen statewide from a high of over 500,000 in the early 2000s to just over 300,000 today. But it could be a useful tool in places, he said.
“We know we’re sharing our deer herds, in some places, with large carnivores,” Nesvik said. “Are there ways that we can make prescriptions and adjustments to wildlife management that will, at a localized level, provide more opportunity? In other words, share less of the deer resource with large carnivores.”
Other pilot projects will target elk, which have thrived and trended in the opposite direction as mule deer, growing from about 90,000 animals in the early 2000s to 110,000-plus today. Research by University of Wyoming Ecology Professor Kevin Monteith provides enough justification to test out using hunters to trim down elk herds — a decline mule deer could respond favorably to, Nesvik said.
Monteith, earlier in the same meeting, outlined preliminary results from an ungulate competition study south of Rock Springs in the Little Mountain area.
“Those [deer] that are further away from elk are gaining more fat over the summer,” Monteith said. “Those [deer] that are living closer to elk are gaining less fat over the summer.
“It’s certainly very convincing evidence that there’s potential competition between deer and elk given that relationship right there,” he added.
Specific pilot projects to help mule deer via killing elk and large carnivores are still in the planning phases and have not been identified, according to Game and Fish spokeswoman Sara DiRienzo. But the large carnivore species that the department has zeroed in on are primarily black bears and mountain lions, Nesvik said.
“There was no edict to create a war on mountain lions and black bears,” he said. “It’s not that.”
As for other predators: wolves in Wyoming are managed close to the lower limits required by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for now grizzly bears are protected from hunting by the Endangered Species Act and coyotes can already be killed without limit throughout Wyoming.
Experimental predator control and elk reduction projects are just a couple of the possible outcomes of the infusion of mule deer research funds that the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission signed off on while meeting March 24 in Cody. The state agency’s seven commissioners OK’d a special allocation of $2.36 million for the five-year-study, called the “Mule Deer Monitoring Project.” All told, however, there’s $5.7 million projected to be sunk into the project, according to Game and Fish documents.
This project represents a separate effort from the 15-year-old ongoing Wyoming Mule Deer Initiative, which focuses on improving habitat, adapting hunting seasons and developing science to attempt to conserve deer herds throughout the state.
Millions of data points
There are three primary expenses to the new Mule Deer Monitoring Project, said Embere Hall, who supervises Game and Fish’s science, research and analytical support unit. One, the state is going to beef up its mule deer herd abundance surveys. Currently, she said, the state agency censuses just one deer herd a year, but the new funding will bring that total to seven or eight of Wyoming’s 37 recognized mule deer herds.
“So over the course of the five-year proposal,” Hall said, “we’ll have gotten a really robust estimate, potentially for every single herd in the state.”
Another big component will look closely at factors in mule deer mortality from five “focal herds” that will be selected from throughout the state — this is the portion that will most help inform predator control pilot projects. GPS collars will be used to monitor a total of 100 buck, doe and fawn deer from each herd, and when they die wildlife biologists and technicians will rush to the site to attempt to determine the cause.
Data analysis and presentation is the third big expense. On that front, Game and Fish is partnering with the University of Wyoming Quantitative Wildlife Ecologist Jerod Merkle. Approximately every three months, he told WyoFile, the 500 or so mule deer that are wearing GPS tracking collars in the five focal herds at any one time will output 1 million location points.
“We’re going to take in the millions of data points that are going to be collected, and turn them into something that can be used by field biologists and managers,” Merkle said.
The raw data will be sorted, analyzed and presented with apps and through other means by Merkle’s lab, the university’s new school of computing and the Wyoming Innovation Partnership. It’s a unique collaboration, he said.
“We’re trying to build all this data science expertise at the University of Wyoming,” Merkle said. “And here we are plugging that directly into the state needs of wildlife management.”
Of course, it remains to be seen if wildlife managers can use the fine-scale Wyoming mule deer data to help the species stage a comeback. Habitat quality, drought and winter severity — factors often out of wildlife managers’ control — typically drive mule deer populations.
“I think this gives the department and managers and the public the best tools that we can have to understand how our management actions are influencing populations,” Game and Fish’s Hall said. “Is it going to, at the snap of your fingers, return us to populations consistent with what we had 30 years ago? Probably not, but it can give us the information that we need to take the best steps in that direction.”
WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.
|
https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/from_the_wire/wyoming-to-target-elk-large-carnivores-to-aid-reeling-mule-deer/article_c6f28083-cc04-5f4e-943a-a133f882e345.html
| 2022-04-07T01:31:45Z
|
Michael Skinner, public information officer for the city of Cheyenne, showed the handrails that were in the stairwells at the Cheyenne Municipal Building on April 9, 2021. Built in 1979, the Municipal Building is in need of a number of safety- and disabilities accessibiity-related changes, but the project was not included on the recent sixth-penny sales tax ballot. The building has currently closed due to boiler and HVAC system problems. In April 2022, the building is reopening. Rhianna Gelhart/For the Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Michael Skinner, public information officer for the city of Cheyenne, showed the handrails that were in the stairwells at the Cheyenne Municipal Building on April 9, 2021. Built in 1979, the Municipal Building is in need of a number of safety- and disabilities accessibiity-related changes, but the project was not included on the recent sixth-penny sales tax ballot. The building has currently closed due to boiler and HVAC system problems. In April 2022, the building is reopening. Rhianna Gelhart/For the Wyoming Tribune Eagle
The Municipal Building’s main sign is pictured Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, in Cheyenne. Wyoming Tribune Eagle/file
CHEYENNE – Effective Monday, April 11, City Council and committee meetings will return to the Municipal Building, 2101 O’Neil Ave.
April 11 also marks the building’s reopening date to the public following necessary boiler repairs. For more information about the building’s repairs and updates, visit https://bit.ly/3K8yniZ.
The next City Council meeting will take place in the Municipal Building’s Council Chambers on Monday, April 11 at 6 p.m. The following week, Finance and Public Services Committee meetings will resume at their normal location in Room 104 of the Municipal Building.
The next Finance Committee meeting will take place Monday, April 18, at 12 p.m., with the Public Services Committee meeting set for Tuesday, April 19 at 12 p.m. On Wednesday, April 20, the Committee of the Whole meeting to discuss liquor license applications will also be held in Council Chambers at 6 p.m.
All meetings remain available remotely via Zoom to watch and provide public comment. Zoom links are available on the city’s Electronic Conference Meeting webpage at www.cheyennecity.org/ecm. City Council meetings and the April 20 Committee of the Whole meeting will also be livestreamed on the city’s Facebook and YouTube pages, in addition to Spectrum local access channel 192.
Public comment through Zoom is accessible with a computer, tablet or smartphone. To be recognized for comment, the public will utilize the “raise hand” feature within the Zoom platform. Additional information and instructions to use this can be found at https://bit.ly/3hZ9N7e.
During the Municipal Building’s extended closure, City Council meetings were held in person at the Laramie County School District 1 Board Room and committee meetings at the Kiwanis Community House.
|
https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/city-meetings-to-return-to-municipal-building-the-week-of-april-11/article_23f7e075-68a2-5283-962c-526f72468557.html
| 2022-04-07T01:31:51Z
|
Country
United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary
People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
|
https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/free-certified-nursing-assistant-training-starting-soon-for-local-single-moms/article_e774bf14-0441-5027-834a-ff0a4f3f50a0.html
| 2022-04-07T01:31:58Z
|
These are the members of the Wyoming Public Service Commission, pictured from left to right: Deputy Chairman Mike Robinson, Chairman Chris Petrie and Commissioner Mary Throne. Photo taken during the commissioners' April 5, 2022, meeting. Jonathan Make/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Wyoming Public Service Commission Chairman Chris Petrie. Photo taken during the commissioners' April 5, 2022, meeting. Jonathan Make/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Wyoming Public Service Commission Deputy Chairman Mike Robinson. Photo taken during the commissioners' April 5, 2022, meeting. Jonathan Make/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
The Wyoming Public Service Commission's name and state seal. Photo taken after the commissioners' April 5, 2022, meeting. Jonathan Make/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
These are the members of the Wyoming Public Service Commission, pictured from left to right: Deputy Chairman Mike Robinson, Chairman Chris Petrie and Commissioner Mary Throne. Photo taken during the commissioners' April 5, 2022, meeting. Jonathan Make/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Wyoming Public Service Commission Chairman Chris Petrie. Photo taken during the commissioners' April 5, 2022, meeting. Jonathan Make/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Wyoming Public Service Commissioner Mary Throne. Photo taken during commissioners' April 5, 2022, meeting. Jonathan Make/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Wyoming Public Service Commission Deputy Chairman Mike Robinson. Photo taken during the commissioners' April 5, 2022, meeting. Jonathan Make/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
The Wyoming Public Service Commission's name and state seal. Photo taken after the commissioners' April 5, 2022, meeting. Jonathan Make/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
CHEYENNE – Five entities got the regulatory green light Tuesday to take part in a proceeding about a multimillion-dollar, multi-year power project envisioned by the local electric utility.
At the Wyoming Public Service Commission’s meeting on Tuesday, the PSC members quickly approved without much discussion the petitions to intervene in the proceeding about Black Hills Energy and its Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power’s Ready Wyoming transmission expansion project. Staff of the agency recommended the commissioners approve these five petitions from outside parties.
As expected, there was no public or stakeholder discussion about these requests at the regulators’ meeting.
Microsoft, a customer of Black Hills, was among those wanting to take part. Like the other stakeholders, it now can participate.
The others requesting and now being allowed to have similar involvement were Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Powder River Energy Corp., the Wyoming Municipal Power Agency and the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association.
|
https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/other-power-companies-microsoft-can-take-part-in-wyoming-regulatory-consideration-of-black-hills-energys/article_1a5e3582-e214-579e-b855-9d34ce169f38.html
| 2022-04-07T01:32:04Z
|
Country
United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary
People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
|
https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/planning-and-development-department-seeks-community-input-on-housing/article_5453d20a-26c1-5a7b-a502-07fbe86e8bb8.html
| 2022-04-07T01:32:10Z
|
Country
United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary
People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
|
https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/public-open-house-scheduled-for-u-s-30-whitney-dell-range-project/article_9261cf68-6248-5b7b-a170-59e42e10d93c.html
| 2022-04-07T01:32:16Z
|
SWEETWATER COUNTY – The Sweetwater County Commissioners voted to approve the submission of a statement of intent to the Fiscal Year 2023 Transportation Alternatives Grant Program for a Scenic Turnout and Overlooks Project during the meeting on Tuesday, April 5.
The executive summary included with the meeting’s agenda states, “Sweetwater County has the opportunity to collaborate with the Sweetwater County Joint Travel and Tourism Board and apply for federal funding under the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) through the Wyoming Department of Transportation. If approved, the grant award requires a cash match of 9.51%, and must be completed within three years.
“The purpose of TAP funding is to support community-based projects that expand travel choices and enhance the transportation experience by integrating modes and improving the cultural, historic and environmental aspects of our transportation infrastructure. The proposed project consists of developing two scenic turnouts with possible trails along the All-American Road (Flaming Gorge – Green River Scenic Byway).”
The estimated total budget for the 2023 Transportation Alternatives Program is $200,000 - $300,000.
The TAP grant, which would cover 90.49% of the program, would account for $180,980 - $271,470 of the overall budget.
The SWCO cash match, which would cover 9.51% of the program, would account for $19,020 - $28,530 of the overall budget.
Grants manager Krisena Marchal said that the improved infrastructure won’t be owned by Sweetwater County.
“Usually, we like to pay match money for our own improvements. But, very importantly it is consistent with the 2022 Sweetwater County Tourism Master Plan’s vision and strategy of Outdoor Recreation, which specifically identifies, ‘Work on developing and improving the Flaming Gorge experience from the Sweetwater County side of the gorge.’”
Marchal also said that the submission of the statement of intent is not binding and “does not commit and obligation to carry out the project.”
According to Marchal, Sweetwater County would have to be the official sponsor of the grant application and project, as well as oversee all of the contractual obligations and compliance.
“The required match has been reduced from 20% to 9.51%, and I would include that in the FY 2023 grant projects budget. Joint Travel and Tourism funding cannot be used for the TAP match but they would participate significantly with signage and kiosks at the turnouts, and ongoing contractual costs for restrooms or porta potties,” Marchal said.
Sweetwater County Travel and Tourism executive director Jenissa Meredith said that this is being done to build two different turnouts: one on Hwy 191 and one on Hwy 530.
“There’s a sand dune at the edge of the Butte there that has been forming there over the past several years. We’re hoping to build a turnout there and offer some interpretive signage about the sand dunes and the geology of the area; possibly a nature trail walking path and possibly a mountain biking path,” Meredith said.
Meredith said that the turnout for Hwy 530 included in the application is located near Clay Basin
“There’s a lot of opportunities there. As you know, that’s a beautiful overlook,” Meredith said. “We’re hoping to, either with this or another funding stream, provide restroom facilities near Clay Basin. That’s a great stretch of highway without any restroom facilities, so that’s a really opportune location for that.”
According to Meredith, they are also looking at another grant opportunity through the Federal Highway Administration.
Public works director Gene Legerski said that an estimated range for the budget was given due to the exact cost not being known yet. He said that a lot of it will depend on the exact location.
|
https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/commissioners-approve-statement-of-intent-for-scenic-turnout-and-overlooks-project/article_9961f3f8-5ba9-5ad3-856c-ff2581e34ef9.html
| 2022-04-07T01:32:22Z
|
Church not using ‘white music’ in worship services during Lent
OAK PARK, Ill. (Gray News) - A church in Illinois is ‘Fasting from Whiteness’ during the season of Lent.
Lead Pastor John Edgerton at the First United Church of Oak Park wrote in a March newsletter that the church’s worship services during Lent would not use any music or liturgy written or composed by white people. And that First United would be doing a mix of giving something up and taking something on.
According to Edgerton, the music during Lent will be drawn from the African American spirituals tradition, South African freedom songs, Native American traditions and others.
Edgerton also noted that the church would be offering a weekly program entitled “Tell Me the Truth About Racism,” a six-week series with Sunday meetings.
On Wednesday, the church updated its online content, releasing a statement about how some are questioning its message:
“Our Lenten theme has spurred considerable discussion, with some people questioning the message. In practice with the Lenten spiritual discipline of fasting, our intent was to lay aside our usual frames of reference and open ourselves to hearing the Gospel message through the voices of Black People, Indigenous People, and People of Color. Our worship services in Lent have been diverse and beautiful. We pray that God oils the hinges of our hearts’ doors that they might swing open gently to receive the good news of Christ’s resurrection, which we all await at the culmination of Lent.”
According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Lent is a 40-day Christian season of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/07/church-not-using-white-music-worship-services-during-lent/
| 2022-04-07T02:46:46Z
|
New outpatient addiction treatment center in Winchester
WINCHESTER, Va. (WHSV) - A new addiction treatment center will provide help to hundreds of Winchester residents. BrightView is an outpatient treatment program which serves thousands of patients in Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio and Delaware.
In 2020, Virginia reported fatal overdoses reached an all-time high, mirroring the pattern of communities nationwide and spiking a need for effective treatment.
BrightView’s programs include medication-assisted treatment, individual and group support, and social services. Staff also connect patients to cases managers and local agencies to help them find safe housing, transportation, access to food and prepare for jobs.
According to statistics from BrightView, its patients decrease time spent in jail by nearly 70 percent during their first 90 days in the outpatient program, along with a 50 percent decrease in unemployment rates.
“Our Winchester center treats adults seeking help with a variety of substance use disorders. This area is our home and the BrightView team is committed to helping people recover by providing accessible, substance use care in a friendly, non-judgmental setting. Our goal is to create a healthier, happier community for everyone in Winchester,” Lance Woods, a Virginia resident and BrightView VP of Operations said.
People or families seeking help can call 833-510-HELP (4357) 24/7, or schedule an appointment online at brightviewhealth.com, with treatment often beginning the same day. Walk-ins are welcome until 3:00 p.m. on weekdays.
BrightView is located at 200 Faraday Drive in Winchester.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/05/new-outpatient-addiction-treatment-center-winchester/
| 2022-04-07T02:48:03Z
|
Virginia War Memorial seeks photos of Vietnam veterans taken during service
RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - The Virginia War Memorial is seeking personal photos of Vietnam War veterans taken during their time of service.
The photos will be reviewed by staff and may be used as part of an upcoming exhibit entitled “50 Years Beyond: The Vietnam War Experience.”
“We plan to feature photos of fifty Vietnam veterans from Virginia in the exhibit which will open January 27, 2023 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Peace Accords which officially ended the Vietnam War,” said Dr. Clay Mountcastle, director of the Virginia War Memorial. “These photos will be used alongside professional photo portraits of the selected veterans taken today.”
The photos and stories of these Virginia Vietnam veterans will illustrate the journey in the 50 years beyond the war, sharing untold stories.
“This is our attempt to try and bring people’s attention back to the Vietnam veteran because we’re losing them every day, unfortunately,” Mountcastle said. “We want to make sure that their stories are known and honored.”
The war memorial is working with award-winning photographer and US Navy veteran Laura Hatcher to take recent photos of veterans selected.
So far, the Virginia War Memorial has received several submissions filled with tales.
“It’s absolutely wonderful to just start looking through the various faces, the various places, and really understand that the Vietnam veteran experience is just about as varied as Virginians themselves, from all different backgrounds and all different parts of the state,” Mountcastle said.
“The memorial staff is currently collecting “in-country” photos from the Vietnam War, personal correspondence, mementos and oral histories of veterans who served,” a release said.
Veterans should submit their digital photos in jpg, tiff or PDF formats to the war memorial by April 30 for consideration. Submissions can be sent here.
Photos and materials can also be mailed to:
Fifty Years Beyond: The Vietnam War Experience
c/o The Virginia War Memorial
621 South Belvedere Street
Richmond, VA 23220
Copyright 2022 WWBT. All rights reserved.
Want NBC12’s top stories in your inbox each morning? Subscribe here.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/05/virginia-war-memorial-seeks-photos-vietnam-veterans-taken-during-service/
| 2022-04-07T02:48:12Z
|
12-year-old child shot 9 times in Colorado fighting for his life, family says
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV/Gray News) - A 12-year-old boy among four people shot in Colorado on Saturday continues to fight for his life, according to family.
The shooting happened Saturday evening in Colorado Springs. A total of four people, including the 12-year-old, were shot.
“I received a phone call that my brother had been shot,” a family member of the boy told KKTV. “All I could think of was... I just started screaming, ‘No... just please... no.’”
The family members of two brothers who were shot said their lives have been turned upside down in the past few days.
“He is in critical condition,” the family member said. “My 12-year-old brother, he got shot 9 times. [In the] face, the neck, the leg, and everywhere. Just everywhere. He’s in so much pain.”
According to the Colorado Springs Police Department, the suspect fired several shots into a home just after 6 p.m. Saturday.
The suspect has been identified as 18-year-old Estevan Pacheco. Police add that someone in the home returned fire and Pacheco fled the scene.
Police then believe someone who knows the victim at the first shooting followed Pacheco and a few blocks away.
Police learned Pacheco opened fire again, hitting several people in the truck that was following him including the 12-year-old boy and his brother, before Pacheco was run over by the truck.
Family members say hearing about what happened to their loved ones is devastating.
“I just couldn’t imagine it,” the family member said. “It did not seem real to me. It’s unbelievable. I was screaming and yelling and just angry. I remember it was just a nightmare. It’s the worst thing that could ever happen.”
The boy’s family also said they had reached out to police a few weeks before this shooting asking for something to be done about the violence in the area. As of Tuesday night, Pacheco was in the El Paso County Jail on a $50,000 bond facing charges including attempted murder.
Click here to donate to a GoFundMe set up to benefit the family.
Copyright 2022 KKTV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/12-year-old-child-shot-9-times-colorado-fighting-his-life-family-says/
| 2022-04-07T02:48:21Z
|
Alex Jones appears for questioning in Sandy Hook lawsuit
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Alex Jones was questioned Wednesday by lawyers for families of Sandy Hook victims in Connecticut, where a judge had ordered the Infowars host to face mounting fines until he appeared for a deposition.
Relatives of some of the 20 children and six educators killed in the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, massacre sued Jones for defamation after he said the shooting never happened. A judge found Jones liable for damages and a trial on how much he should pay the families is set for August.
Jones, who lives in Texas, had defied a judge’s order to appear for a deposition in the case, saying he was too ill. But Connecticut Judge Barbara Bellis said there wasn’t enough evidence that Jones was too sick to attend and ordered him to come to Connecticut for questioning and pay escalating daily fines until he did so. Jones paid $25,000 in fines for Friday and $50,000 in fines for Monday, according to court records.
Jones said in a video on the Infowars website that the deposition began Tuesday and was to continue Wednesday. He said in the video that the families’ lawyers began the deposition by “demonizing” him for his questioning official versions of events.
“It’s just totally insane to sit there and watch this happen and to watch them lick their lips and lick their chops and think we’re going to finally shut Alex Jones down,” Jones said. “These people want to put us in prison for our speech.”
Jones’ lawyer, Norman Pattis, said tempers flared at times during the deposition on Tuesday, and much of the questioning was not related to the school shooting.
“I had the impression watching the attack on Mr. Jones that this trial will be about something far greater than what happened at Sandy Hook,” Pattis said on the video. “The trial’s going to be about ordinary people’s ability to say I’m not buying it, I want to raise questions, I want to draw my own conclusions.”
The families’ lawyer, Christopher Mattei, said Jones has declared his “entire deposition confidential even while he and his attorney conduct media interviews discussing the details.”
“Accordingly, we are unable to comment further at this time,” Mattei said.
The deposition was held at the Bridgeport office of Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder. After it ended Wednesday, Pattis filed a court document asking Bellis to return to Jones the $75,000 in fees he paid, which the judge said he could request only after sitting for questioning. Bellis did not immediately rule.
Jones missed the originally scheduled deposition in the case on March 23 and 24 in Austin, Texas. He cited a health issue including vertigo that his doctors initially thought was a serious heart problem but turned out to be a sinus infection.
The plaintiffs have said they have been subjected to harassment and death threats from Jones’ followers because of the hoax conspiracy promoted on his website show. Jones has since conceded the shooting did happen.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/alex-jones-appears-questioning-sandy-hook-lawsuit/
| 2022-04-07T02:48:28Z
|
Bald eagle in critical condition after being shot with over 20 pellets
ANTIGO, Wis. (WEAU/Gray News) - A reward is being offered for information about a bald eagle shot by pellets in Wisconsin last week.
The Raptor Education Group is offering a $3,000 reward for tips about the shooting, which left the raptor with lead poisoning and a broken wing.
The female eagle was found in the Town of Cooks Valley, about 95 miles east of Minneapolis. The Raptor Education Group said it appears the eagle was struck with bird shot while in mid-flight and had over 20 pellets in her body. With bird shot, each shot shell has small pellets that spray, increasing the likelihood of hitting the target.
As of Sunday, the eagle was in critical condition. The Department of Natural Resources is investigating the shooting, the organization said.
In addition to the reward from the Raptor Education Group, citizens in Chippewa and Dunn counties and surrounding areas have also pledged rewards for anyone who provides information to law enforcement leading to an arrest. As of Wednesday morning, those reward pledges eclipsed $3,000, which combined with the reward being offered by the Raptor Education group puts the total reward over $6,000.
The Raptor Education Group, which rehabilitates injured or sick birds, said they were aware of 32 shootings involving protected species of birds last year, including a dozen instances of a bald eagle being shot. The organization also reported that they took in a peregrine falcon, which was recently on protected species lists, last week after it had been shot in New London on Thursday, but it died due to its injuries.
In regard to the shooting of the bald eagle, the organization said that it’s hard to mistake an adult bald eagle for any other type of bird due to its clearly visible white head and white tail feathers.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Department of Natural Resources or the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office.
The Raptor Education Group is a nonprofit dedicated to the care and rehabilitation of wild birds and public education on wildlife issues. You can visit their website for more information about their work, to donate or to learn more about birds.
Copyright 2022 WEAU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/bald-eagle-critical-condition-after-being-shot-with-over-20-pellets/
| 2022-04-07T02:48:35Z
|
Bridgewater installs Medsafe drop box
BRIDGEWATER, Va. (WHSV) - Bridgewater residents now have a way to dispose of expired or unwanted medications.
After hearing requests from the Bridgewater community, the Bridgewater Police Department has installed a drop box at the back entrance of the police department building.
The drop box comes from MedSafe, a company that specializes in disposing of old, expired and unwanted medications by disintegrating them.
“I think it’s important. We have this here for unused medications or expired medications,” said Bridgewater Police Chief Phillip Read, who was instrumental in getting the drop box installed, said, “it keeps it out of the hands of children, it keeps it out of the hands of people who may abuse certain narcotics.”
The drop box is available to all Bridgewater residents Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/bridgewater-installs-medsafe-drop-box/
| 2022-04-07T02:48:41Z
|
Dad who lived in dorm convicted of abusing daughter’s friends
NEW YORK (AP) — A man who moved into his daughter’s college dorm and charmed her schoolmates with claims of influence and wisdom was convicted Wednesday of charges that he exploited the close-knit group, using threats and violence to enrich himself with millions of dollars as he ruined their lives.
Lawrence Ray, 62, was convicted at a trial where weeks of testimony chronicled his psychologically manipulative relationship with young people he met in fall 2010 at Sarah Lawrence College, a small New York liberal arts school. Ray moved into his daughter’s dorm after finishing a prison stint for a securities fraud conviction.
Sentencing was set for Sept. 16 on charges including racketeering, conspiracy, forced labor, sex trafficking and obstruction of justice. Ray, who stood with his arms at his side and faced the Manhattan jury as guilty verdicts were returned on 15 counts, could face up to life in prison. One charge carries a mandatory minimum 15-year term.
After the verdict was read, Ray was returned to custody, where he had been since his early 2020 arrest.
His lawyers declined comment outside court and did not return email messages seeking comment.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said Ray had changed “a group of friends who had their whole lives ahead of them.”
“For the next decade, he used violence, threats, and psychological abuse to try to control and destroy their lives,” Williams said. “He exploited them. He terrorized them. He tortured them. Let me be very clear. Larry Ray is a predator. An evil man who did evil things. Today’s verdict finally brings him to justice.”
Jurors concluded deliberations less than a day after receiving the case following a monthlong trial that featured testimony from numerous victims who usually referred to Ray just as “Larry.” Some testified that Ray had made them believe they had poisoned or otherwise harmed him and they needed to pay him back.
One woman testified that she became a sex worker to try to pay reparations to Ray after becoming convinced that she had poisoned him. She said that, over four years, she gave Ray $2.5 million in installments that averaged between $10,000 and $50,000 per week.
Another woman who was educated at Harvard and Columbia and was about to become a medical doctor in 2012 testified that her career and life were derailed when she met Ray and became romantically involved with him. She said he sometimes demanded that she have sex with strangers and film it for him.
Ray’s lawyers maintained he was victimized by former friends who fabricated their stories.
Ray did not testify. Twice, the trial was interrupted as he was taken to the hospital in an ambulance for undisclosed illnesses.
Several students testified that they were drawn into Ray’s world as he told them stories of his past influence in New York City politics, including his role in ruining the career of former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik after serving as the best man at his wedding years earlier. Ray had, in fact, been a figure in the corruption investigation that derailed Kerik’s nomination to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Some of the students agreed to live with Ray in the summer of 2011 at his Manhattan one-bedroom apartment, where his sinister side emerged as he started to claim that the students had poisoned and harmed him or his property.
To make amends, they testified, they did what he asked, including turning over money. One man said he gave Ray over $100,000.
Prosecutors said the money was never enough. Through threats and violence and videotaped “confessions,” Ray tightened his hold on the young people, including forcing them to do landscaping and other work at the Pinehurst, North Carolina home of his stepfather for weeks in 2013, they said.
The abuse culminated in October 2018 when Ray for hours repeatedly abused the woman who gave him her proceeds from sex work, forcing her to be tied naked to a chair while he berated her, choked her with a leash and made her fear for her life by putting a bag over her head, prosecutors said.
Ray carried out his crimes with help from his daughter and Isabella Pollok, a woman who has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges, prosecutors said. Her trial is set for later this year. The daughter has not been charged.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/dad-who-lived-dorm-convicted-abusing-daughters-friends/
| 2022-04-07T02:48:47Z
|
Democrats accuse oil companies of ‘rip off’ on gas prices
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats on Wednesday accused oil companies of “ripping off the American people” and putting profits before production as Americans suffer from ever-increasing gasoline prices during the war in Ukraine.
“At a time of record profits, Big Oil is refusing to increase production to provide the American people some much needed relief at the gas pump,” said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Oil executives, testifying before Congress for the second time in six months, responded that oil is a global market and that oil companies don’t dictate prices.
“We do not control the market price of crude oil or natural gas, nor of refined products like gasoline and diesel fuel, and we have no tolerance for price gouging,” said Chevron CEO Michael Wirth.
Facing sharp questions from Democrats, Wirth, ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods and other executives said their companies have no plans to halt payments of dividends to stockholders or to restrict stock buybacks that have enriched shareholders and company executives. The six companies at the hearing recorded $77 billion in profits last year, they testified.
The hearing comes as President Joe Biden has ordered the release of 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve for six months in a bid to control energy prices, which have spiked as the United States and its allies have imposed steep sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The national average gas price was $4.16 a gallon for regular on Wednesday, up from $2.87 a year ago, according to AAA.
Biden and other Democrats have blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin and the U.S. oil industry for the increase, citing reports that oil companies have made record profits in recent months as prices have risen following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“This is the Biden price hike,’’ countered Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state, the committee’s top Republican.
Noting that prices were increasing before Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, McMorris Rodgers said Americans “are too smart and have not fallen for this” claim by Biden and other Democrats. She called the hearing “purely political.”
Woods said Exxon has halted investments in Russia and is withdrawing from operations there. The company is increasing production in the United States, Woods said, including in the oil-rich Permian Basin in New Mexico and Texas. Exxon also is increasing production outside the U.S., including “a world-class development in Guyana,’’ he said.
Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Wash., said gas prices are close to $5 per gallon in her Seattle-area district. Her constituents “are mad, and they should be,’’ she said, citing the record profits oil companies are reaping.
“This feels like gouging. It even feels like profiteering,’’ Schrier said. Prices at the pump have not gone down in recent weeks along with crude oil prices, she and other Democrats noted.
At a time of war and high prices, “oil companies should not be sending profits back to shareholders,’’ she said, urging oil executives to restore production to pre-pandemic levels.
Wirth, the Chevron CEO, said his company produced a record amount of oil in 2021, while also making sure to “return value to shareholders’' through higher dividends and stock buybacks.
“They’re not mutually exclusive. We can do both,’’ he said.
Democrats have introduced bills in the House and Senate to impose a windfall tax on oil profits, although the idea has generated little momentum on Capitol Hill. West Coast senators, including Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell of Washington state, have called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate possible price manipulation on the West Coast, where prices in California top $6 per gallon.
“Americans have the right to know why one of our most important commodities doesn’t have the right amount of transparency and oversight,’’ Cantwell said at a hearing Tuesday. Targeting what she called the “mysterious middle of the supply chain,’’ Cantwell said lawmakers and the FTC should ensure that — as in the 2001 energy crisis spurred by Enron — “there aren’t a bunch of ‘smart guys in the room’ hurting consumers because they think we can’t figure out what is happening.’’
Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., blamed Biden for high gas prices, citing cancellation of the Keystone XL oil pipeline and a moratorium on new drilling leases on federal lands. Walberg said he was disappointed that neither Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm nor any other administration official appeared at the House hearing “to answer for the administration’s failed policies.″
Biden has called on Congress to impose financial penalties on companies that lease public lands but don’t produce oil, a request that so far has been ignored. Biden also invoked the Defense Production Act to encourage mining of critical minerals for batteries in electric vehicles, part of a broader push to reduce use of fossil fuels and address climate change.
“The bottom line is if we want lower gas prices we need to have more oil supply right now,” Biden said last week in announcing the strategic oil release. Higher prices have hurt Biden’s approval domestically and added billions of oil-export dollars to the Russian government as it wages war on Ukraine.
Oil companies have pledged to boost domestic production, but it is growing slowly. Executives point to supply chain and labor constraints as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as investor demands for returns. They have called for more federal permits to allow additional leases.
Besides Exxon and Chevron, other companies represented at the hearing were Shell, BP, Pioneer Natural Resources and Devon Energy.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/democrats-accuse-oil-companies-rip-off-gas-prices/
| 2022-04-07T02:48:54Z
|
El Charro restaurants pay up after federal labor violations
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Six Mexican restaurants operating under variations of El Charro Group LLC in Virginia including three in the valley had to pay back wages to employees following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The restaurants included the two El Charro locations in Harrisonburg and one in Bridgewater. The others are located in Fredericksburg, King George, and Orange.
Over the last several months, the Richmond district of the U.S. Department of Labor conducted an investigation that found the six restaurants had violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by denying proper overtime pay to 55 employees.
As a result of the investigation, the operator of the six restaurants had to pay $196,350 in back wages to the employees.
“For the locations in Harrisonburg and that area (Bridgewater), it was $125,444 for 18 employees,” said Roberto Melendez, Wage and Hour Division Director for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Richmond district.
The department of labor also found the restaurants violated child labor laws by allowing six 14 and 15-year-olds to work over the number of hours allowed by the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The operator of the restaurants paid $4,027 in Civil Money Penalties to the federal government for those violations.
According to the Department of Labor, these kinds of violations are more common than one would think.
“When it comes to the restaurant industry, we do have a considerable amount of violations. Part of it is the owners don’t necessarily understand where they can find the resource to look at to see what it takes to run the business and remain in compliance with the labor laws,” said Melendez.
The department also found that the operator of the restaurants did not keep accurate records of employee hours at each location. There was also no Family Medical Leave Act Policy in place.
“I know it’s a tough time for employers to try to find a workforce and I understand that. But when you have this workforce in place, it’s important for the employer to stay in compliance with the labor laws to maintain that workforce that they need,” said Melendez.
WHSV made multiple attempts to contact the owners of El Charro on Wednesday but did not hear back. WHSV did speak with the operator of the Bridgewater location who declined to comment.
The U.S. Department of Labor asks anyone whose employer may be committing similar violations to call them at 1-866-487-9243 or the Richmond Office at 804-771-2995.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/el-charro-restaurants-pay-up-after-federal-labor-violations/
| 2022-04-07T02:49:00Z
|
Fed signals more aggressive steps to fight inflation
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve officials are signaling that they will take an aggressive approach to fighting high inflation in the coming months — actions that will make borrowing sharply more expensive for consumers and businesses and heighten risks to the economy.
In minutes from their March policy meeting, released Wednesday, Fed officials said that half-point interest rate hikes, rather than traditional quarter-point increases, “could be appropriate” multiple times this year.
At last month’s meeting, many of the Fed’s policymakers favored a half-point increase, the minutes said, but held off then because of the uncertainties created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Instead, the Fed raised its key short-term rate by a quarter-point and signaled that it planned to continue raising rates well into next year.
The minutes said the Fed is also moving toward rapidly shrinking its huge $9 trillion stockpile of bonds in the coming months, a move that would contribute to higher borrowing costs. The policymakers said they would likely cut those holdings by about $95 billion a month — nearly double the pace they implemented five years ago, when they last shrank their balance sheet.
The plan to quickly draw down their bond holdings marks the latest move by Fed officials to accelerate their inflation-fighting efforts. Prices are surging at the fastest pace in four decades, and officials have expressed increasing concern about inflation.
The Fed’s plans “reflect their great discomfort with the rapid pace of inflation,” said Kathy Bostjancic, chief U.S. financial economist at Oxford Economics.
The Fed is “increasingly worried” that consumers and businesses will start expecting price surges to persist, Bostjancic added, a trend that can itself prolong high inflation.
Many economists have said they worry the Fed has waited too long to start raising rates and could be forced to respond so aggressively as to trigger a recession. Indeed, economists at Deutsche Bank predict that the economy will tumble into a recession late next year, noting that the Fed, “finding itself now well behind the curve, has given clear signals that it is shifting to a more aggressive tightening mode.”
The stock market sold off when the minutes were released but later rebounded from its worst levels. Still, the S&P 500 index closed down nearly 1% after a sharp drop on Tuesday.
Markets now expect much steeper rate hikes this year than Fed officials had signaled as recently as their meeting in mid-March. At that meeting, the policymakers projected that their benchmark rate would remain below 2% by the end of this year and 2.8% at the end of 2023, up from its current level below 0.5%. But Wall Street now foresees the Fed’s rate reaching 2.6% by year’s end, with further hikes next year.
Higher Fed rates will, in turn, heighten costs for mortgages, auto loans, credit cards and corporate loans. In this way, the Fed hopes to cool economic growth and rising wages enough to tame high inflation, which has caused hardships for millions of households and poses a severe political threat to President Joe Biden.
Chair Jerome Powell opened the door two weeks ago to increasing rates by as much as a half-point. Lael Brainard, a key member of the Fed’s Board of Governors, and other officials have also made clear they envision such sharp increases. Most economists now expect the Fed to raise rates by a half-point at both its May and June meetings.
In a speech Tuesday, Brainard underscored the Fed’s increasing aggressiveness by saying its bond holdings will “shrink considerably more rapidly” over “a much shorter period” than the last time it reduced its balance sheet, from 2017-2019. At that time, the balance sheet was about $4.5 trillion. Now, it’s twice as large.
After the pandemic hammered the economy two years ago, the Fed bought trillions in Treasury and mortgage bonds, with the goal of lowering longer-term loan rates. It also cut its short-term benchmark rate to near zero.
As a sign of how fast the Fed is reversing course, the last time the Fed bought bonds, there was a three-year gap between when it stopped its purchases, in 2014, and when it began reducing the balance sheet, in 2017. Now, that shift is likely to happen in as few three months or less, with the reduction in the balance sheet likely to be announced as early as May.
Brainard’s remarks caused a sharp rise in the rate on the 10-year Treasury note, which influences mortgage rates, business loans and other borrowing costs. On Wednesday, that rate reached 2.6%, up from 2.3% a week earlier and 1.7% a month ago. Average mortgage rates have leapt higher, reaching 4.67% last week, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac, the highest since 2018.
Shorter-term bond yields have jumped more, in some cases to above the 10-year yield, a pattern that has often been taken as a sign of an impending recession. Fed officials say, however, that shorter-term bond market trends aren’t flashing the same warning signals.
Gennadiy Goldberg, senior U.S. rates strategist at TD Securities, said the narrow gap between longer- and shorter-term bond yields indicates that investors think the economy will slow enough in the next two years to force the Fed to scale back its rate hikes.
To shrink its balance sheet, the Fed will let some of its bonds mature without reinvesting the proceeds. What impact this might have is uncertain. Powell said last month that the reduction in bond holdings would be equivalent to another rate hike. Economists estimate that reducing the balance sheet by $1 trillion a year would be equal to anywhere from one to three additional quarter-point increases in the Fed’s benchmark short-term rate each year.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who preceded Powell as Fed chair, suggested at a congressional hearing Wednesday that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would likely keep escalating inflation in the coming months.
“The sanctions we’ve placed on Russia are pushing up the price of energy,” Yellen said. “When energy prices are going up, the price of wheat and corn that Russia and Ukraine produce are going up, and metals that play an important industrial role are going up.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/fed-signals-more-aggressive-steps-fight-inflation/
| 2022-04-07T02:49:06Z
|
Fellow sisters in Louisiana pray for abducted nun’s safe return
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE/Grays News) - Marianite Sister Suellen Tennyson, 83, was abducted from a parish in Yalgo, Burkina Faso, Africa, where she had been stationed as a missionary since 2014, according to officials with the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Many across the globe and locally in the Greater New Orleans area are coming together in prayer for Sister Tennyson.
Sister Tennyson attended high school at the former Academy of the Holy Angels. She served at the former St. Cecilia Catholic Church in the Marigny and at Resurrection of Our Lord Catholic Church. She also did work for the Archdiocese of New Orleans as the Vicar for Religious.
The Marianite sisterhood is in disbelief after learning about her disappearance.
Sister Ann Lacour, the Marianite Congregational Leader currently stationed in France, said Sister Tennyson was taken in the middle of the night on Tuesday, April 5, by 10 armed hijackers.
“In her night clothes. No shoes, no glasses, no medication, no phone. And she was blindfolded,” Sister Lacour said.
Now she is working with investigators in Paris, Rome, and Burkina Faso.
“The U.S. Embassy of Burkina Faso calls us at least twice a day,” said Sister Lacour. “They definitely want to keep this alive and want this to end as soon as possible.”
As do those who know her best; her family and friends back home in New Orleans, like Marianite Sister Marjorie Hebert.
“We’re doing our part to cooperate trusting that all of this is going to ultimately bring Suellen home safely. And home for Suellen right now is Burkina Faso,” said Sister Hebert.
She said Sister Tennyson lived in the Yalgo parish of Burkina Faso since 2014, serving as support to medical staff in the community. Those close to her describe Sister Tennyson as the face of compassion.
“That call to her was there. It came late in her Marianite vocation but that’s firm to her. So that’s her home,” she said. “When she left to go there back in 2014, she made it very clear to us that love her and cherish her friendship; ‘I’m gonna work there. I’ll die there. And I’ll be buried there.’”
Now they are carrying hope in their hearts -- hope that she is protected and hope that she is safe.
“We truly truly believe she will be found and we do believe. We’re holding on to that and God’s great grace she’ll be ok,” said Sister Lacour.
The Marianite congregation believes in the power of prayer, and they are asking those who pray to pray for Sister Suellen’s safety and release from her captives.
Copyright 2022 WVUE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/fellow-sisters-louisiana-pray-abducted-nuns-safe-return/
| 2022-04-07T02:49:13Z
|
AG Garland, Commerce Sec. Raimondo test positive for COVID-19
WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland has tested positive for COVID-19 and will quarantine at home for five days, the Justice Department said Wednesday.
Garland is the second Cabinet official to announce a positive test result on Wednesday. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo also tested positive for the virus using an at-home antigen test.
The two officials are among more than a dozen attendees of the Gridiron Club dinner to test positive for the virus in the past few days. Saturday night’s white-tie society affair was attended by some of the nation’s most prominent political leaders, journalists and media executives. Guests had been asked to show proof of vaccination but were not required to be tested for the virus and many mingled around without masks during the event.
Tom DeFrank, the president of the Gridiron Club, said the group knew of 14 guests who had attended and then tested positive. Many of the cases involve guests who were seated at three tables, he said.
“There is no way of being certain about when they first contracted COVID,” DeFrank said. “But they did interact with other guests during the night, and we have to be realistic and expect some more cases.”
The announcement from the Justice Department comes hours after Garland held a news conference in Washington, standing side-by-side with the deputy attorney general, FBI director and other Justice Department officials.
The Justice Department says Garland asked to be tested “after learning that he may have been exposed to the virus.” Officials say he is not experiencing symptoms, is fully vaccinated and has received a booster.
The Justice Department said Garland would isolate at his home for at least five days and work remotely. The department said it would also conduct contact tracing in line with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Raimondo’s office said she was experiencing “mild symptoms” and was sharing the news “out of an abundance of transparency.”
The nation’s capital appears to be experiencing an outbreak, hitting not only Cabinet officials but also members of Congress, staffers in the White House and members of the media.
Reps. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Joaquin Castro, D-Tex., have also announced they tested positive for the virus. Both had attended the Gridiron dinner.
Other members of Congress including Reps. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Scott Peters of California, both Democrats, have also said they tested positive.
The White House on Wednesday also said Jamal Simmons, the communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris, had also tested positive and that Simmons was in close contact with Harris. Harris’ office said she would follow CDC guidelines and consult with her doctor but planned to continue with her schedule.
The CDC says people vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 are much less likely to suffer adverse outcomes, including serious illness and death, from the virus compared to those who are unvaccinated.
___
Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/garland-raimondo-test-positive-covid-19/
| 2022-04-07T02:49:19Z
|
Gov. Youngkin donates first quarter salary to law enforcement support organization
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) -Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin paid a visit to the Valley Wednesday to announce he’ll donate his first quarter salary to an organization that supports law enforcement officers and first responders.
The organization, Virginia Law Enforcement Assistance Program (VALEAP), provides mental health resources to law enforcement and first responders, particularly after traumatic events.
Wednesday’s donation was almost $44,000. Youngkin spoke at VALEAP’s conference, the Post Critical Incident Seminar.
The governor said he chose VALEAP for his first donation because he wants to help people who protect the commonwealth vital mental health resources.
“I am so troubled by the political climate that has developed around these amazing heroes, you all, that have chosen to keep us safe,” Youngkin said.
During his speech, he talked about where he was earlier today -- attending the funeral of fallen Henrico Officer Trey Sutton. He also spoke about backing the blue, and how he’s urging state lawmakers to move on the budget, so he can push for more funding for law enforcement.
“You all can’t fight massive increases in violent crime. You can’t fight increases in drug trafficking without the resources to do it,” Youngkin said.
Youngkin said he’ll donate his salary every quarter, and he said Wednesday there are many worthy organizations in the commonwealth.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/gov-youngkin-donates-first-quarter-salary-law-enforcement-support-organization/
| 2022-04-07T02:49:28Z
|
Scavino, Navarro held in contempt of Congress in Jan. 6 probe
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Trump advisers Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino were held in contempt of Congress on Wednesday for their monthlong refusal to comply with subpoenas rendered by the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The two men became the latest members of former President Donald Trump’s inner circle to face legal jeopardy as the select committee continues its more than nine-month-long probe into the worst attack on the Capitol in more than 200 years.
The near-party-line 220-203 vote will send the criminal referrals for Navarro and Scavino to the Justice Department for possible prosecution.
The contempt action followed hours of raw debate on the House floor as Republicans stood by Trump and charged that Democrats were trying to politicize the attack on the Capitol by his supporters.
House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy accused the Jan. 6 committee of “criminalizing dissent,” defended Scavino as a “good man” and lobbed harsh criticism at members of the committee, some by name. “Let’s be honest, this is a political show trial,” McCarthy said.
Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, among the nine members of the Jan. 6 panel, noted that the committee has two Republicans, including Liz Cheney of Wyoming. He added that the purpose of the floor vote was to make clear that “open contempt and mockery for this process, and for the rule of law” will not be allowed by the chamber.
“I mean, it is just amazing that they think they can get away with this,” the three-term lawmaker told reporters about Scavino and Navarro as the debate raged on Wednesday.
Cheney and Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who is also on the select committee, were the only Republicans who voted in favor of the contempt charges.
While pursuing contempt charges may not yield any new information for the Jan. 6 committee — any prosecutions could drag for months or years — the vote Wednesday was the latest attempt to show that witnesses will suffer consequences if they don’t cooperate or at least appear for questioning. It’s all part of an effort to claw back legislative authority that eroded during the Trump era when congressional subpoenas were often flouted and ignored.
“This vote will reveal to us who is willing to show tolerance for the intolerable,” Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland said on the floor, directing his comments to Republicans across the aisle.
Raskin and other Democrats made their case that Scavino and Navarro are among just a handful of individuals who have rebuffed the committee’s requests and subpoenas for information. The panel has interviewed more than 800 witnesses so far.
In the last week alone, the committee scored two of those interviews from Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner. Their virtual testimonies are the closest lawmakers have gotten to the former president.
Members of the panel said Kushner’s testimony last Thursday was helpful. Ivanka Trump, who was with her father in the White House on Jan. 6, was questioned for eight hours Tuesday as congressional investigators tried to piece together her father’s failed effort to delay the certification of the 2020 election results.
The main focus of the committee’s outreach to the former first daughter surrounds a telephone call they say she witnessed from her father to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject Biden’s 2020 election win as part of his ceremonial role overseeing the electoral count. Pence rejected those efforts.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the chairman of the committee, highlighted Ivanka Trump’s voluntary cooperation with the committee as opposed to Scavino and Navarro’s defiance. Raskin said Scavino has “refused to testify before Congress about what he knows about the most dangerous and sweeping assault on the United States Congress since the War of 1812.”
The committee says Scavino helped promote Trump’s false claims of a stolen election and was with him the day of the attack on the Capitol. As a result, he may have “materials relevant to his videotaping and tweeting” messages that day.
A lawyer for Scavino did not return multiple messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Navarro, 72, a former White House trade adviser, was subpoenaed in early February over his promotion of false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election that the committee believes contributed to the attack.
Navarro cited executive privilege when declining to testify, saying the committee “should negotiate this matter with President Trump.” He added, “If he waived the privilege, I will be happy to comply.”
But the Biden administration has already waived executive privilege for Navarro, Scavino and former national security adviser Michael Flynn, saying it was not justified or in the national interest for them to withhold their testimony.
Executive privilege was developed to protect a president’s ability to obtain candid counsel from his advisers without fear of immediate public disclosure, but it has limits. Courts have traditionally left questions of whether to invoke executive privilege up to the current White House occupant. The Supreme Court earlier this year rejected a bid by Trump to withhold documents from the committee.
The vote Wednesday will be the third time the panel has sent contempt charges to the House floor. The first two referrals, sent late last year, were for former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Trump ally Steve Bannon.
The contempt referral against Bannon resulted in an indictment, with a trial set to start in July. The Justice Department has been slower to decide whether to prosecute Meadows, much to the frustration of the committee.
“It’s the committee’s hope that they will present it to a grand jury,” Thompson told reporters Tuesday. “Obviously, the Meadows case is still outstanding. We don’t really know where that is, other than we’ve done our work.”
He added, “The firewall goes up from our standpoint, and DOJ uses its systems to take it from there.”
Thompson suggested more witnesses could still be held in contempt in the weeks ahead even as the committee looks to wrap up the investigative portion of their work in the next two months.
A conviction for contempt of Congress carries a fine of up to $100,000 and up to a year in prison.
___
Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/house-debates-contempt-scavino-navarro-jan-6-probe/
| 2022-04-07T02:49:34Z
|
‘I see barren fields’: Ukrainian Civil Society leaders discuss wartime agriculture disruptions
Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) hosted an event discussing the war in Ukraine and what it means for global food security.
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Known as the breadbasket of Europe, Ukraine is one of the top exporters of grain in the world.
The ongoing war is expected to cut trade drastically. Some economists fear the war will disrupt the global food chain, leading to famine in parts of the East and higher domestic commodity costs.
“Ukraine basically exports to a number of countries in North Africa and the Middle East,” said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, who told Gray DC his department is monitoring the situation. “These are developing countries. These are countries that rely a great deal on that wheat supply to be able to feed their people.”
Wheat growers in the U.S are already facing high operating costs and drought conditions. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) says it’s unlikely the U.S will be able to fill any gap that might be created by the war.
“Even if America does everything we can to grow more wheat, it’s not going to be enough to replace what comes through the Black Sea right now,” said Marshall.
During a Wednesday press conference, Marshall and fellow GOP Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) discussed the issue with members of the Ukrainian Civil Society.
Ukrainian Military volunteer Maria Berlinska says Russia is using food as a quiet weapon, starving residents into submission and targeting farmland and agriculture infrastructure.
“We have less and less fields, and we have less and less opportunities,” said Berlinska.
During the discussion, she pleaded for additional aid in the form of weapons, sanctions, and international pressure on Russia.
Copyright 2022 Gray DC. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/i-see-barren-fields-ukrainian-civil-society-leaders-discuss-wartime-agriculture-disruptions/
| 2022-04-07T02:49:41Z
|
Jan. 6 trial of former Virginia officer continues with testimony from man who called him “dad”
Jacob Fracker said he once called Thomas Robertson “dad,” and Robertson called him “son.” The two were together inside the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - It’s day two in the trial of former Rocky Mount police officer Thomas Robertson. He’s charged with six crimes related to his alleged actions on and after the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Dramatic moments inside the courtroom in the final hours today as Jacob Fracker, Robertson’s former co-defendant, takes the stand to testify against Robertson.
Jacob Fracker said that he used to call Thomas Robertson “dad”, and said Robertson would call him “son.”
Now, he’s testifying against Robertson after taking a plea deal for his involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
A picture that prosecutors used in their original charging document shows Fracker on the left, and Robertson on the right, inside of the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, according to prosecutors.
Fracker testified Wednesday that Robertson invited him, and planned the trip to the Capitol. Fracker also said on that day, he was hyped up and wanted to see the results of 2020 election overturned.
The defense said in its opening statements that Robertson only went into the Capitol because they said Fracker got too excited and ran in first. They argue that Robertson was only trying to find Fracker and leave.
During his testimony, Fracker told the court that he did lose sight of Robertson before entering the Capitol. Fracker said he and Robertson were reunited in a room below the Capitol Rotunda known as the crypt, where they took pictures and began singing and clapping with a crowd.
He said Robertson never told him that his only goal was to retrieve him, and that Robertson was just as excited as he was once they left the Capitol.
Fracker told the court that he and Robertson discussed a potential next civil war on the ride back home to Virginia.
Fracker’s testimony still is not done. Robertson’s defense is expected to cross-examine Fracker when court is back in session on Thursday morning.
Robertson’s lawyer told the judge tonight that Robertson may testify when the defense presents its case tomorrow.
The judge told lawyers that he wants to hear closing arguments on Friday.
Copyright 2022 Gray DC. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/jan-6-trial-former-virginia-officer-continues-with-testimony-man-who-called-him-dad/
| 2022-04-07T02:49:49Z
|
3rd day of deliberations ends with no verdict yet in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — The third day of deliberations ended Wednesday without a verdict in a trial that centers on a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker urged jurors to keep their thoughts about the case private when away from the courthouse.
“We’re obviously at a delicate time,” he said. “You’re in the midst of deliberations. You now know a lot more about the case than you ever expected to know and a lot more about each other’s views than you ever expected to know.”
Adam Fox, Barry Croft Jr., Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta are charged with a kidnapping conspiracy. Three of them also face additional charges, including conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, namely an explosive.
The trial has covered 18 days since March 8, including 13 days of testimony.
Prosecutors said the conspiracy against Whitmer was fueled by anti-government extremism and anger over her COVID-19 restrictions. The men trained with a crudely built “shoot house” to replicate her vacation home in September 2020, according to testimony.
Fox and Croft, traveled to Elk Rapids, Michigan, that same weekend to see the location of the governor’s lakeside property and a nearby bridge, evidence showed. Harris and Caserta have been described as “soldiers” in the scheme.
Another man, Ty Garbin, who pleaded guilty, said the goal was to get Whitmer before the fall election and create enough chaos to create a civil war and stop Joe Biden from winning the presidency.
Defense lawyers attacked the government’s investigation and the use of a crucial informant, Dan Chappel. They claimed Chappel was the real leader, taking direction from the FBI and keeping the group on edge while recording them for months.
Croft is from Bear, Delaware, while the others are from Michigan.
Whitmer, a Democrat, rarely talks publicly about the plot, though she referred to “surprises” during her term that seemed like “something out of fiction” when she filed for reelection on March 17.
She has blamed former President Donald Trump for fomenting anger over coronavirus restrictions and refusing to condemn right-wing extremists like those charged in the case.
___
Find AP’s full coverage of the Whitmer kidnap plot trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/whitmer-kidnap-plot-trial
___
White reported from Detroit.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/jury-deliberations-enter-3rd-day-gov-whitmer-kidnap-plot/
| 2022-04-07T02:49:55Z
|
Kit Kat debuts blueberry muffin flavor for limited time
(Gray News) - Kit Kat fans are getting a new flavor inspired by a classic baked good without even turning on an oven.
The Hershey Company unveiled its limited-edition Blueberry Muffin Kit Kat flavor on Wednesday.
This new flavor creation is a blueberry muffin-flavored creme with tastes of fresh and cooked blueberries, plus a cake batter-like muffin flavor with graham cookie pieces folded into the bar, according to Hershey.
“Our product creators have such passion for deciding which flavor Kit Kat should take on next and making sure it delivers for our fans,” said Dan Williard, brand manager of Kit Kat. “Kit Kat Blueberry Muffin has already become one of our favorites. It has all the taste of a freshly baked blueberry muffin, but no baking required.”
The blueberry muffin flavor becomes the latest in the brand’s growing portfolio of flavors. Hershey has previously released Kit Kat Duos Strawberry and Dark Chocolate, Thins Hazelnut and Lemon Crisp flavors.
Hershey representatives said the blueberry muffin flavor would be available nationwide at retailers starting this month.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/kit-kat-debuts-blueberry-muffin-flavor-limited-time/
| 2022-04-07T02:50:04Z
|
‘Trey, we will now carry the flame’: Henrico police officer laid to rest one week after multi-vehicle crash
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WWBT) - A final salute for fallen Henrico Police Officer Trey Sutton. Community members and loved ones gathered to pay their last respects in a memorial service one week after Sutton’s death.
Officer Sutton was killed in a multi-vehicle crash on Route 301 at the intersection of Chamberlayne Road and Wilkinson Road.
On Wednesday, Sutton’s family and friends said it was a day not to mourn but rather to celebrate the life he had. Many of those close to the 24-year-old urged the community to incorporate the qualities that shine bright in Sutton and act on them in their own lives.
“He always put others before himself, which made him a perfect candidate for this career path,” said Tyler Snellings, a friend.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers gathered to support their fallen brother Officer Trey Sutton.
Having only graduated from the academy in mid-February, Henrico Chief of Police Eric English said the rookie had a bright future.
The service was live-streamed on Henrico County’s YouTube:
“Trey had a glow about him; Trey had a purpose,” English added. “He was on the verge of maximizing his flame.”
Sutton died from injuries sustained in a three-car crash while completing his field training. His field training officer was also critically injured in the crash, but Sutton’s family said in a letter he was incredibly supportive of the rookie.
“They were well on their way to forming a bond that would last a lifetime,” said Officer Andrew Lehatto, an academy coordinator who read the letter from Sutton’s parents. “We know Greg was trying to keep Trey safe that night.”
Governor Glenn Youngkin was among the roughly 1,500 in attendance at Victory Tabernacle in Chesterfield. Youngkin acknowledged the risks and dangers these men and women in blue sign up for.
“It doesn’t lessen the severe blow, the severe blow that when tragedy strikes, we all feel with you,” Youngkin said.
“I couldn’t help but smile seeing everyone here, standing and showing their respects,” said Jared Sutton, his brother. “He’s made me proud.”
The Sutton family urged everyone to celebrate the 24 years Trey had. Jared shared memories about the bond with his best friend over the last two decades.
“We spent a lot of time together watching the Red Sox and Patriots win championships,” Jared said. “We spent a lot of time in the woods with my dad hunting.”
“Trey was the king of trash talk, especially when it came to his Red Sox and Patriots,” Snellings added. “If you were not a fan of either one, he would never let you live it down.”
Beyond his love for Boston teams was Sutton’s love for his fiance Zoe Pierson, whom he was set to marry this coming June.
“I would give anything for more days with Trey, but if I had to choose this over never loving him at all, I would choose this pain 100 times over,” Pierson said. “How lucky we are to have loved the way we did in the amount of time we were given.”
Pierson was fully supportive of Sutton’s dream to become a police officer.
“His love language was acts of service - as you can tell,” she said. “He didn’t want recognition; he didn’t want to be remembered. He did good things because he embodied all the best qualities you could ever see in someone.”
His friends from the police academy say he was the kind of person who was always looking out for others, and Henrico Police said he was their brother the second he put on the uniform.
“He believed in helping people; he believed in saving people,” said fellow rookie officer Matthew Cayne. “He didn’t do his job to ever be called a hero, but in the end, that’s what made him my hero.
The Henrico County Police Division is now set to retire the Sutton badge, number 559, which will never be worn again by an officer.
“Trey, we will now carry the flame,” English said. “Not one that flickers, but the kind of flame you brought to each of us - one that shines bright, bright and strong, because that’s how you will be remembered.”
Governor Glenn Youngkin has ordered flags to fly at half-staff in honor of Officer Sutton. Flags will be lowered until sunset Wednesday night.
Copyright 2022 WWBT. All rights reserved.
Want NBC12’s top stories in your inbox each morning? Subscribe here.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/live-henrico-police-officer-be-laid-rest-one-week-after-multi-vehicle-crash/
| 2022-04-07T02:50:12Z
|
Locals delve into two local cemeteries, start conversations to preserve history
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - A group of locals will gather Wednesday night to talk about the wealth of information within Valley cemeteries.
President Harry Truman desegregated cemeteries in 1948, so there are many historically Black cemeteries. Too many of those have been neglected.
A group will focus on Fairview Cemeteries in Staunton and Waynesboro, discussing the history contained in the grounds and efforts to preserve it.
“Through those cemeteries, I think we can really get a lend to African American culture, African American history, and some of those names of people that have gone forgotten when we really go in and uncover the history that exists there,” said Dean of Mary Baldwin’s College for Women and history professor, Dr. Amy Tillerson-Brown.
Tillerson-Brown said much of the Valley’s Black history traces back to those cemeteries, like one of Staunton’s first Black doctors, Dr. Morris Pannell, and Mr. William Perry, who is the namesake for the elementary school.
“Walking through these cemeteries, looking at those tombstones, we get the names and dates that people existed. They serve as almost memorials and testaments to the culture of African Americans that existed in both of those communities,” Tillerson-Brown said.
There will be a showing of “Unmarked,” a documentary about Black cemeteries in Richmond and local efforts to preserve that history. The screening is at 7 p.m. at Mary Baldwin University, but you can also join on Zoom.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/locals-delve-into-two-local-cemeteries-start-conversations-preserve-history/
| 2022-04-07T02:50:19Z
|
LOOK: 11-foot hammerhead shark washes up on beach
POMPANO BEACH, Fla. (WPLG) – An 11-foot female hammerhead shark was found on a Florida beach.
The shark washed up on the sands of Pompano Beach overnight, and early morning beachgoers said they experienced a range of emotions regarding the creature, from wonderment to heartbreak.
Beach residents said the shark was close to the shoreline early in the morning, but was moved out of the water with a Bobcat so it wouldn’t be carried back out to sea.
After hearing reports of the shark, scientist Hannah Medd came out to the beach to collect samples.
“It might have to do with post-release mortality, which means this species in particular gets a little stressed out when it’s caught,” she said. “It fights really hard.”
Medd said the adult hammerhead’s untimely death may be connected to an encounter with fishermen, with the frazzled shark swimming onto shore to escape capture.
“There is some fishing line in her gills and, from earlier pictures, there was a large hook in the side of her mouth, which indicates she was probably involved in fishing,” Medd said.
Nearby construction crews used equipment to move the shark away from beach crowds before scientists can collect more samples. She’ll then be removed and buried.
Some beachgoers stared in excitement at the rare site while others realized the heartbreaking reality of what led to the creature’s death.
“You never want to see an animal this big lying on the beach,” beachgoer Kevin Nosal said. “This is 11 feet long and over 500 pounds, and it’s a female, so it’s always sad when a female passes.”
Copyright 2022 WPLG via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/look-11-foot-hammerhead-shark-washes-up-beach/
| 2022-04-07T02:50:25Z
|
Judge acquits man of misdemeanors in Capitol riot trial
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday acquitted a New Mexico man of misdemeanor charges that he illegally entered the U.S. Capitol and engaged in disorderly conduct after he walked into the building during last year’s riot.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden issued the verdict from the bench after hearing testimony without a jury in the case against Matthew Martin. McFadden, who was nominated by former President Donald Trump, acquitted Martin of all four counts for which he was charged.
McFadden said it was reasonable for Martin to believe that outnumbered police officers allowed him and others to enter the Capitol through the Rotunda doors on Jan. 6, 2021. The judge also said Martin’s actions were “about as minimal and non-serious” as anyone who was at the Capitol that day.
Martin is the third Capitol riot defendant whose case has been resolved by a trial. He is the first of the three to be acquitted of all charges that he faced. The first two Capitol riot trials ended with convictions, although McFadden acquitted one of those defendants of a disorderly conduct charge after a bench trial last month.
In the same courthouse where Martin was acquitted, a fourth trial continued on Wednesday for a former Virginia police officer who is charged with storming the Capitol with another off-duty officer. Jurors heard testimony from the fellow officer, who pleaded guilty to a riot-related charge and agreed to be a witness for prosecutors.
Martin, whose bench trial started Tuesday, testified that a police officer waved him into the building after the riot erupted. A prosecutor dismissed that testimony as “nonsense.”
The judge, however, said video shows two police officers standing near the Rotunda doors and allowing people to enter as Martin approached. One of the officers appeared to lean back before Martin placed a hand on the officer’s shoulder as a possible sign of gratitude, the judge said.
McFadden described Martin’s testimony as “largely credible.” The judge said it was not unreasonable for him to believe that officers allowed him to enter the Capitol, even though alarms were blaring and broken glass was strewn about the floor.
Martin was charged with four misdemeanor counts: entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
The judge said Martin appeared to be a “silent observer of the actions of others.” McFadden didn’t find any evidence that Martin intended to disrupt Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
Dozens of Capitol riot defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced, but Martin is the first to testify at a trial. His acquittal could embolden others to gamble on a bench trial, although McFadden so far is the only judge to preside over one and decide a case.
Martin said he “went with the flow” as he approached the Capitol and testified that he saw a police officer wave him into the building. Martin remained inside the Capitol for about 10 minutes after entering the building through the Rotunda doors, according to prosecutors.
Martin said he “enjoyed the day” of the riot.
“It was a magical day in many ways,” he testified on Tuesday before adding, “I know some bad things happened.”
“You understand that police officers died?” Justice Department prosecutor Michael Romano asked Martin.
At least nine people died in the riot or its aftermath. One officer died after he collapsed hours after being sprayed with bear spray and other officers who tried to quell the riot died by suicide in the months following the attack.
Prosecutors said Martin, an engineer, worked for a government contractor at the National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and held a top-secret security clearance on Jan. 6. Martin said he actually worked at a different facility in Los Alamos.
Defense attorney Dan Cron said Martin saw another person shake a police officer’s hand after entering the Capitol. Martin placed his hand on an officer’s shoulder “as a gesture of thanks and of good will,” Cron said.
Romano, the Justice Department prosecutor, said Martin joined the mob in crowding police officers who were trying to disperse the crowd. The prosecutor said Martin knew that he wasn’t allowed to be in the Capitol.
“The idea that he thought he had permission to do that is nonsense,” Romano said.
Other riot defendants have claimed police waved them in or said they could enter.
McFadden presided over a bench trial last month for Cuoy Griffin, a county official in New Mexico. The judge on March 22 convicted Griffin of illegally entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds but acquitted him of engaging in disorderly conduct.
On March 8, a jury decided the first Capitol riot trial by convicting a Texas man, Guy Reffitt, of storming the Capitol with a holstered handgun.
After Martin’s acquittal Wednesday, a jury in a different courtroom heard a second day of testimony for the trial of former Rocky Mount, Virginia, police officer Thomas Robertson. The town fired Robertson and another officer, Jacob Fracker, who joined him at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Fracker was scheduled to be tried alongside Robertson before he pleaded guilty last month to a conspiracy charge and agreed to testify against somebody who was his mentor and a father figure.
“I absolutely hate this,” Fracker said. “I’ve always been on the other side of things, the good guys’ side so to speak.”
Fracker testified that he and Robertson both believed the 2020 presidential election had been stolen from Trump. Fracker said they both wore gas masks as they joined a mob in storming the Capitol.
Asked why he went to the Capitol that day, Fracker said he wanted to play a part in overturning the election results.
“I felt like we had maybe been heard by whoever it was we needed to be heard by,” Fracker said.
He said he has grown ashamed of his actions on Jan. 6.
“That’s not the person I am,” he said. “I wasn’t raised like that.”
Fracker is due to be cross-examined by one of Robertson’s lawyers on Thursday.
Prosecutors plan to call two more witnesses, a police officer and FBI agent. A defense attorney said Robertson may testify. Jurors could hear attorneys’ closing arguments as soon as Friday.
More than 770 people have been charged with riot-related federal crimes. Over 240 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors, and over 140 of them have been sentenced.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/man-who-testified-his-capitol-riot-trial-awaits-verdict/
| 2022-04-07T02:50:32Z
|
No charges filed in no-knock warrant killing of Amir Locke
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota prosecutors declined to file charges Wednesday against a Minneapolis police SWAT team officer who fatally shot Amir Locke while executing an early morning no-knock search warrant in a downtown apartment in February.
Locke, 22, who was Black, was staying on a couch in his cousin’s apartment when authorities entered it on Feb. 2 without knocking as part of an investigation into a homicide in neighboring St. Paul.
Prosecutors said body camera video showed that Locke pointed a gun at Officer Mark Hanneman, justifying his use of deadly force. Locke’s family has disputed that, arguing that the footage suggests Locke was startled awake and that he grabbed for a gun he was licensed to carry.
Locke’s mother, Karen Wells, said she was disgusted by the decision. At a news conference in New York with attorney Ben Crump and civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton, she vowed to keep up pressure on Minneapolis city leaders and spoke directly to Hanneman.
“This is not over. You may have been found not guilty, but in the eyes of me, being the mother who I am, you are guilty,” Wells said. “And I’m not going to give up. Continue to have your restless nights, because I know you do.”
Locke was shot seconds after officers entered the apartment. The body camera footage shows that Locke was holding a gun before he was shot.
Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman, whose offices reviewed the case, said Locke might never have been shot if not for the no-knock warrant. But they said there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hanneman violated the state statute governing when police can use deadly force.
“It would be unethical for us to file charges in a case in which we know that we will not be able to prevail because the law does not support the charges,” Ellison said.
Locke’s death came as three former Minneapolis police officers were on trial in federal court in St. Paul in George Floyd’s killing. It sparked protests and a reexamination of no-knock search warrants. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced an immediate moratorium on such warrants, and on Tuesday, he formalized a new policy requiring officers to knock and wait before entering a residence, with limited exceptions. Some lawmakers have been pushing for a statewide ban on no-knock warrants, except in rare circumstances.
The department issued a statement from Interim Chief Amelia Huffman saying that Hanneman returned to active duty on Feb. 28 but is no longer on a SWAT team. She did not comment directly on Hanneman’s actions but said, “Officers never want to face split-second decisions that end in the loss of life.”
Locke’s family was angry that police initially described him as a suspect, which police later said was a mistake.
“Our investigation found no evidence that he had any role in the homicide investigation that brought the police to his door at 6:48 on Feb. 2,” Ellison said. “Amir was a victim. He never should have been called a suspect.”
In their applications for search warrants of the Minneapolis apartment and other locations, authorities said a no-knock warrant was necessary to protect the public and officers as they looked for guns, drugs and clothing worn by people suspected in a violent killing. Authorities asked that officers be allowed to conduct the search without knocking, and outside the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., because the suspects being sought in the Jan. 10 killing of Otis Elder had a history of violence.
Locke was killed seconds after the SWAT team entered the apartment at 6:48 a.m. Body camera video shows an officer using a key to unlock the door and enter, followed by at least four officers in uniform and protective vests. As they enter, they repeatedly shout, “Police, search warrant!” They also shout “Hands!” and “Get on the ground!”
The video shows an officer kicking a sectional sofa, and Locke is seen wrapped in a comforter, holding a pistol. Three shots are heard and the video ends.
“I was convinced that the individual was going to fire their handgun and that I would suffer great bodily harm or death,” Hanneman wrote in his statement to investigators. “I felt in this moment that if I did not use deadly force myself, I would likely be killed.”
Ellison and Freeman said they spoke with Locke’s parents on Wednesday before announcing they wouldn’t file charges.
“They, like us, are very frustrated with no-knock warrants. They, like us, believe that if a no-knock warrant hadn’t been used Amir Locke might well be here today,” Freeman said, declining to give further details about their conversation.
Sharpton said the family will demand that the U.S. Justice Department review the case. Crump faulted police for creating a life-or-death situation, and said gun rights groups should join with the family in demanding an end to no-knock warrants.
He connected Locke’s death with that of Breonna Taylor, who was killed in a botched police raid in Kentucky in 2020 in which her boyfriend shot at officers first as they broke into her apartment.
“Because if it can happen to Amir, it can happen to Breonna Taylor, it could happen to your children, too,” Crump said.
Although Locke was not named in the warrant, his then-17-year-old cousin, Mekhi Camden Speed, was named and has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in Elder’s killing.
Elder, a 38-year-old father, was found shot and laying in the street in what police believe was an apparent robbery. Drugs and money were found in Elder’s SUV, according to court documents.
The police department hired Hanneman in 2015. City records show there were three complaints made about him and that all were closed without him being disciplined, but they give no details. Data on the website of the citizen group Communities United Against Police Brutality shows a fourth complaint, in 2018, that remains open. No details were given.
___
Associated Press writer Amy Forliti contributed to this report.
___
Find the AP’s full coverage of the death of Amir Locke: https://apnews.com/hub/amir-locke
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/no-charges-filed-no-knock-warrant-killing-amir-locke/
| 2022-04-07T02:50:42Z
|
Non-profit solar initiative comes to Harrisonburg
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - A new solar initiative has arrived in Harrisonburg.
The city is partnering with Solarize Virginia which is a non-profit focused on making it easier and cheaper for people to begin using solar energy. The organization provides a free solar assessment to everyone who signs up to evaluate if their property is good for a solar installation and what kind of installation would work best.
“We’ll check to see if their roof is good for solar, how much tree coverage there is, if their roof has a southern exposure which makes it even better for solar. But if their roof isn’t good for solar we also install ground mounts through our program,” said Katie VanLangen, program director for Solarize Virginia.
Solarize Virginia also provides discounted installation rates through pre-vetted solar panel installers.
“We have so many people signing up through the program that we’re able to access some bulk pricing and discounted pricing for participants. So we’re really excited to be able to make going solar more affordable through the program than what they might find in the marketplace,” said VanLangen.
From the time a resident signs a contract with Solarize Virginia it takes about 4 months for their solar panel installation to be complete.
Since 2014 Solarize Virginia has helped get solar panels on more than 700 homes in Virginia.
“We don’t have a specific set goal for the city of Harrisonburg but we’re really hoping to see that kind of exponential growth we’ve seen elsewhere in the state in the Shenandoah Valley region as well,” said VanLangen.
People who sign up for the program this year can also reap some additional benefits.
“There is a 26 percent solar income tax credit available to anybody who installs solar this year and that rate will be dropping to 22 percent at the end of the year so we really encourage anybody who’s interested to get in early,” said VanLangen.
Solarize Virginia will also work with the city to provide educational events and info sessions about solar energy.
Sign-ups are open through June 30th. You can sign up here.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/non-profit-solar-initiative-comes-harrisonburg/
| 2022-04-07T02:50:49Z
|
Police: Sacramento shooting was gunfight among gang rivals
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The mass killing that left six people dead and 12 wounded outside bars just blocks from California’s Capitol last weekend was a gunfight involving at least five shooters from rival gangs, Sacramento police said Wednesday.
Police said they identified at least five gunmen but there may have been more. Only two suspects — both brothers wounded by gunfire — have been arrested in connection with the shooting and, so far, only face firearms charges.
“We’re still working through ... who the actual shooters are in the case,” Sgt. Zach Eaton said.
Until Wednesday’s announcement, police had been silent on what led to the shooting that erupted early Sunday as bars were letting out. Rapid-fire bursts of over 100 gunshots echoed through the streets as terrified patrons ran for their lives and others were hit by bullets.
Police said at least two gangs were involved. They declined to provide more details or name the gangs involved or the affiliation of any suspects.
Experts said that if gangs were to blame, it would mark an unusually bloody feud.
In 20 years of researching gangs in Los Angeles, Alex Alonso said he can’t remember a gang-related shooting with such a high body count.
“It’s extremely rare that a gang shooting happened as the way this one is being characterized,” Alonso said. “It’s extremely rare to have that happen in a public place with so many victims.”
Gregory Chris Brown, a criminal justice professor at California State University, Fullerton, said gangs often target rivals in drive-by shootings with fewer victims, though innocent bystanders are sometimes also struck.
The location of the Sacramento shooting – near the Capitol, in a bustling commercial area — was incidental to whatever fueled the fight.
“If rival gang members see each other it doesn’t matter if they’re in the Capitol of the United States of America,” Brown said. “If you see a rival gang member and you’re going to attack them, it doesn’t matter where they are.”
The large number of casualties was the result of high-capacity weapons in a crowded area, he said.
Berry Accius, founder of Voice of the Youth who leads gun intervention and prevention programs and offered his services to counsel families who lost loved ones in the shooting, criticized police for characterizing the crime as gang-related, which he said will lead some to “think Black people.”
He said people will see the photos of the Black women and men who were shot, assume they were in a gang and wonder why gang members are downtown.
“That’s the narrative we don’t need at this particular time,” Accius said. “This idea that we’re going to put blame to one demographic of folks and blame them for the violence that ensued.”
Authorities credited witnesses who contributed nearly 200 videos, photos and other tips with helping the investigation.
Police were trying to determine if a stolen handgun found at the crime scene was used in the massacre. It had been converted to a weapon capable of automatic gunfire.
One of the brothers in custody, Smiley Martin, 27, was seen brandishing a handgun on a live Facebook video hours before the shooting, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.
Martin was freed from prison about two months ago and last year was rejected for earlier release after prosecutors argued he “clearly has little regard for human life,” documents show.
Investigators were trying to determine if the gun seen in the video was used in the shooting, according to the official, who was briefed on the investigation but was not authorized to publicly discuss details and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Martin and his brother were among those wounded when gunfire erupted about a block from the state Capitol at about 2 a.m. Sunday as bars closed and patrons filled the streets. Smiley Martin remained hospitalized and it wasn’t clear if he had an attorney who could speak for him.
The Sacramento County coroner identified the three women killed as Johntaya Alexander, 21; Melinda Davis, 57; and Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21. The three men killed were Sergio Harris, 38; Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32; and De’vazia Turner, 29.
Ten people were wounded in addition to the Martin brothers and at least two remained hospitalized with gunshot wounds.
Dandrae Martin, 26, was arrested Monday as a “related suspect” and appeared briefly Tuesday in Sacramento Superior Court on a charge of being a convict carrying a loaded gun. He did not enter a plea.
A 31-year-old man seen carrying a handgun immediately after the shooting was arrested Tuesday on a weapons charge. Police said they don’t believe his gun was used in the shooting.
Smiley Martin’s criminal history dates to 2013. He was released on probation from state prison in February after serving about half of a 10-year sentence for punching a girlfriend, dragging her from her home by her hair and whipping her with a belt, prosecutors said.
Dandrae Martin, who was held without bail, was freed from an Arizona prison in 2020 after serving just over 18 months for violating probation in separate cases involving marijuana possession and aggravated assault.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg questioned why the brothers were on the streets.
“Those questions need to be answered and they will be answered over the days ahead,” Steinberg said.
Defense lawyer Linda Parisi said any effort to seek Dandrae Martin’s release on bail will depend on whether prosecutors bring stiffer charges.
“If it turns out that the evidence demonstrates that this was mere presence at a scene that certainly argues more for a release,” Parisi said. “If it shows some more aggressive conduct then it would argue against it. But we don’t know that yet.”
___
This version corrects that Smiley Martin served about half of a 10-year prison sentence, not about two years of the term.
___
Melley reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Stefanie Dazio, Christopher Weber in Los Angeles, Don Thompson in Sacramento, Michael Balsamo in Washington, Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix and News Researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York City contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/police-least-5-gunmen-involved-sacramento-shooting/
| 2022-04-07T02:50:55Z
|
Residents clear debris from southern storms as more severe weather looms
PEMBROKE, Ga. (AP) — After violent storms blamed for killing at least three people, Southerners cleared fallen trees from roadways Wednesday and began cleaning up debris from homes and buildings smashed by suspected tornadoes as forecasters warned more violent weather was likely on the way.
In southeast Georgia, residents of Bryan County had barely begun recovery efforts after a likely tornado touched down Tuesday evening, killing one woman and injuring several other people, when local officials urged them to halt work by mid-afternoon Wednesday and take shelter for the night.
The National Weather Service said another round of tornadoes was possible Wednesday, with heightened risk across a three-state area that included the cities of Atlanta; Birmingham, Alabama; and Knoxville, Tennessee.
Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday declared a state of emergency following Tuesday’s storms, which were blamed for killing people in Louisiana and Texas. The move effectively frees up state resources to be used in storm recovery and response efforts.
Louisiana state police said Gene Latin, a 65-year-old correctional officer, was killed early Tuesday when he crashed into a tree that had fallen across a highway as storms blew through Webster Parish. And in east Texas, 71-year-old W. M. Soloman died when storm winds toppled a tree onto his home in Whitehouse, said Mayor James Wansley.
In Bryan County, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Savannah, a woman was found dead Tuesday night amid the shredded wreckage of her mobile home in the unincorporated community of Ellabell, said Bryan County Coroner Bill Cox.
“It was just completely ripped to pieces,” Cox said Wednesday. “It’s like it exploded.”
Cox said the dead woman’s husband was taken to a hospital with injuries. He did not give her name, saying relatives were still being notified.
A motorist’s cellphone video taken in Bryan County showed a large funnel cloud crossing Interstate 16 as drivers braked and pulled to the side of the roadway.
In the county seat of Pembroke, large sections of roof got torn off the courthouse and the entryway to a government building across was demolished. The storm destroyed at least 18 homes in the county and left more than 10 others with major damage, according to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency. Several people were injured, said Matthew Kent, a Bryan County government spokesperson.
Kemp toured the destruction Wednesday and said it was fortunate the twister did not stay on the ground very long, or the damage and loss of life would likely have been much worse. Places where it did touch down, he said, got hit hard.
“It is literally total devastation for some homes,” Kemp said. “We walked through a house where there’s no wood left on that house. It’s nothing but a foundation with a water heater sitting there.”
In South Carolina, about a dozen homes were destroyed or heavily damaged Tuesday in rural Allendale County. Tractors and other equipment were flipped and twisted on a number of farms in South Carolina’s least populated county. Other storms caused damage to solar panels near Bowman and flipped vehicles and shopping carts in a Walmart parking lot in Manning.
National Weather Service forecasters planned to survey damage from several possible tornadoes in Georgia and South Carolina, but said that effort could be interrupted by the potential for more storms Wednesday.
In Alabama, the weather service said it was sending survey teams to examine potential tornado damage in the Wetumpka area.
More than 7,000 customers in Texas and more than 3,000 in Georgia remained without power Wednesday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/residents-clear-trees-assess-damage-southern-storms/
| 2022-04-07T02:51:02Z
|
Runners residing in Russia, Belarus banned from 2022 Boston Marathon
BOSTON (AP) - Athletes from Russia and Belarus previously accepted to compete in this year’s Boston Marathon who are currently residing in either country will no longer be allowed to participate, the Boston Marathon Association announced Wednesday.
The exclusion from the world’s oldest annual marathon also extends to athletes previously accepted into the B.A.A.’s 5K event. However, it doesn’t affect Russian or Belarusian athletes registered for the events who are not residents of the countries. They will be allowed to compete but won’t be able to run under their country’s flag.
“Like so many around the world, we are horrified and outraged by what we have seen and learned from the reporting in Ukraine,” B.A.A. president and CEO Tom Grilk said in a statement. “We believe that running is a global sport, and as such, we must do what we can to show our support to the people of Ukraine.”
The B.A.A. said it won’t recognize the country affiliation or flags of Russia and Belarus until further notice. This year’s Boston Marathon, 5K, and Invitational Mile do not include any professional or invited athletes from those countries.
Organizers said they will make reasonable attempts to refund entry fees to athletes no longer able to participate.
The B.A.A. will also provide all Ukrainians who are registered in the marathon or 5K and are unable to compete with a refund or option to defer to a future year.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/runners-residing-russia-belarus-banned-2022-boston-marathon/
| 2022-04-07T02:51:08Z
|
Sen. Kaine weighing in on issues in Washington, D.C.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - There’s a lot of action in Washington, D.C.: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is getting closer to being confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court, and bills are being introduced to help those suffering from long COVID-19.
“I think her public defender role is not only a strong asset of hers, but it would really needed on the court right now,” U.S. Senator Tim Kaine said Wednesday, April 6.
Sen. Kaine believes Judge Jackson is a solid addition to the Supreme Court for many reasons: “Stellar academic credentials, prestigious clerkship, strong track record as a public defender, and a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission,” the senator said. “I think people underestimate the difficulty of being a good trial judge, but when you find a good trial judge then they’re worth their weight in gold and again, if you think about the Supreme Court docket so much of it is cases that are designed to be instructions on how to fairly try cases in court.”
While this happens, Kaine is also working on a bill that will help people suffering from long COVID-19. He says it would help gather patient information, propel research, and help with relief.
“It’s to help somebody to determine whether they can make a claim for Social Security Disability or what kind of treatment or maybe there might be a medical trial that they can participate in to see if they can get relief. How can we support patients,” Kaine said.
Copyright 2022 WVIR. All rights reserved.
Do you have a story idea? Send us your news tip here.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/sen-kaine-weighing-issues-washington-dc/
| 2022-04-07T02:51:18Z
|
Six-days-a-week mail delivery saved; Biden signs Postal bill
WASHINGTON (AP) — A sweeping overhaul of the U.S. Postal Service meant to shore up the popular but beleaguered agency’s financial future and cement six-days-a-week mail delivery was signed into law Wednesday by President Joe Biden.
The legislation cleared Congress last month after fully a dozen years of discussion that took on a new sense of urgency amid widespread complaints about mail service delays. Officials had repeatedly warned that without congressional action, the Postal Service would run out of cash by 2024.
“The Postal Service is central to our economy and essential to rural America,” Biden said. He added that mailmen and women deliver 4 million prescriptions per day, along with letters, consumer goods and even live animals, “often to parts of the country that private carriers can’t or won’t or aren’t required to reach.”
The final legislation achieved rare, bipartisan support by scrapping some of the more controversial proposals and settling on core ways to save the service. Delivering the mail is among the most popular things the government does, with 91% of Americans having a favorable opinion of the Postal Service, according to a Pew Research Center poll released in 2020.
The bill signing came the same day the Postal Service announced it plans to raise rates effective July 10. Under the proposal submitted to the Postal Regulatory Commission, the cost of a first-class Forever stamp would increase by 2 cents to 60 cents.
The Postal Service said the increase, which is less than the annual rate of inflation, will help the agency implement Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s 10-year plan to stabilize agency finances.
Lawmakers from both parties attended the signing ceremony and the mood was jovial, a big improvement from Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran previously saying the service was in a “death spiral” that was particularly hard on rural Americans.
The Postal Service Reform Act lifts budget requirements that have contributed to the agency’s red ink, and spells out that mail must be delivered six days a week, except for federal holidays, natural disasters and some other situations.
Postage sales and other services were supposed to sustain the Postal Service, but it has suffered 14 straight years of losses. Growing worker compensation and benefit costs, plus steady declines in mail volume, have exacerbated losses, even as the service delivers to 1 million additional locations every year.
The new law ends a requirement that the Postal Service finance workers’ health care benefits ahead of time for the next 75 years — an obligation that private companies and federal agencies do not face. Biden said that rule had “stretched the Postal Service’s finances almost to the breaking point.”
Now, future retirees will enroll in Medicare, while other health plans and the Postal Service cover only current retirees’ actual health care costs that aren’t paid for by the federal health insurance program for older people,
“In recent years we saw how unfair policies forced this treasured institution to cut costs and delayed the delivery of medication, financial documents and other critical mail,” Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, who helped write the legislation, said in a statement. “These long overdue reforms will undo these burdensome financial requirements.”
To measure the agency’s progress in improving its service, the law requires it to set up an online dashboard that would be searchable by ZIP code to show how long it takes to deliver letters and packages.
Dropped from the package as it neared actual legislation were efforts to cut back mail delivery. Also set aside — for now — were other proposals that have been floated over the years to change operations, including to privatize some services.
Criticism of the Postal Service peaked in 2020, amid the COVID-19 crisis and ahead of the presidential election, as cutbacks delayed service at a time when millions of Americans were relying on mail-in ballots during the pandemic. Then-President Donald Trump acknowledged he was trying to financially pinch the service to limit its processing ability for an expected surge of mail-in ballots, which he worried could cost him the election he eventually lost.
Dominated by Trump appointees, the agency’s board of governors had tapped DeJoy, a major GOP donor, as postmaster general. He proposed a 10-year plan to stabilize the service’s finances with steps like additional mail slowdowns, cuts in some offices’ hours and perhaps higher rates.
Biden said Wednesday that more needs to be done to reform the Postal Service, including investing in an electrified vehicle fleet that could save money while helping combat climate change. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform is examining a Postal Service contract to replace its huge fleet of mail-delivery trucks with a mix of gas and electric vehicles, which the Environmental Protection Agency and Democratic lawmakers argue has too few electric vehicles.
“Today we enshrine into law our recognition that the Postal Service is fundamental to our economy, to our democracy, to our health and the very sense of who we are as a nation,” Biden said.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/six-days-a-week-mail-delivery-saved-biden-signs-postal-bill/
| 2022-04-07T02:51:29Z
|
Supreme Court reinstates Trump-era water rule for now
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated for now a Trump-era rule that curtails the power of states and Native American tribes to block pipelines and other energy projects that can pollute rivers, streams and other waterways.
In a decision that split the court 5-4, the justices agreed to halt a lower court judge’s order throwing out the rule. The high court’s action does not interfere with the Biden administration’s plan to rewrite the rule. Work on a revision has begun, but the administration has said a final rule is not expected until the spring of 2023. The Trump-era rule will remain in effect in the meantime.
The court’s three liberal justices and Chief Justice John Roberts dissented. The court’s other conservative justices, including three nominated by President Donald Trump, voted to reinstate the rule.
Writing for the dissenters, Justice Elena Kagan said the group of states and industry associations that had asked for the lower court’s ruling to be put on hold had not shown the extraordinary circumstances necessary to grant that request.
Kagan said the group had failed to demonstrate their harm if the judge’s decision were left in place. She said the group had not identified a “single project that a State has obstructed” in the months since the judge’s decision and had twice delayed making a request, indicating it was not urgent.
Kagan said the court’s majority had gone “astray” in granting the emergency petition and was misusing the process for dealing with such requests. That process is sometimes called the court’s “shadow docket” because the court provides a decision quickly without the full briefing and argument. The liberal justices have recently been critical of its use.
As is typical, the justices in the majority did not explain their reasoning.
Kagan wrote that her colleagues’ decision “renders the Court’s emergency docket not for emergencies at all.”
The Biden administration had told the justices in a court filing that it agreed that the U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup lacked the authority to throw out the rule without first determining that it was invalid. But the administration had urged the court not to reinstate the rule, saying that in the months since the Alsup’s ruling, officials have adapted to the change, reverting to regulations in place for decades. Another change would “cause substantial disruption and disserve the public interest,” the administration said.
Alsup was nominated to the bench by President Bill Clinton.
EPA spokesman Tim Carroll said in an email that the agency is reviewing the Supreme Court’s order as well as “moving forward with rulemaking to restore state and Tribal authority to protect water resources that are essential to public health, ecosystems, and economic opportunity.”
LeRoy Coleman, a spokesman for the National Hydropower Association, one of the groups that had sought to halt the lower court judge’s order, said in a statement that the court’s decision will “ensure that the Biden administration properly considers this important rule as it considers changes promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency less than two years ago.”
The section of federal law at issue in the case is Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. For decades, it had been the rule that a federal agency could not issue a license or permit to conduct any activity that could result in any discharge into navigable waters unless the affected state or tribe certified that the discharge complied with the Clean Water Act and state law, or waived certification.
The Trump administration in 2020 curtailed that review power after complaints from Republicans in Congress and the fossil fuel industry that state officials had used the permitting process to stop new energy projects. The Trump administration said its actions would advance then-President Donald Trump’s goal to fast-track energy projects such as oil and natural gas pipelines.
States, Native American Tribes and environmental groups sued. Several mostly Republican-led states, a national trade association representing the oil and gas industry and others have intervened in the case to defend the Trump-era rule. The states involved in the case are: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, West Virginia, Wyoming and Texas.
___
Associated Press reporter Matthew Daly in Washington contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/supreme-court-reinstates-trump-era-water-rule-now/
| 2022-04-07T02:51:36Z
|
Texas orders new border action, migrant bus charters to DC
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday delivered new orders along the U.S.-Mexico border and promised more to come as former Trump administration officials press him to declare an “invasion” and give state troopers and National Guard members authority to turn back migrants.
The two-term Republican governor did not say whether he supports such a concept, which constitutional scholars say is legally dubious, nearly unprecedented and would almost certainly face swift court challenges.
But for now, Abbott said state troopers would begin stopping and inspecting commercial vehicles that come across the border, which he acknowledged would “dramatically slow” vehicle traffic near U.S. ports of entry. He also said bus charters to Washington, D.C., would be offered to migrants who volunteer for them, in a dig at President Joe Biden and Congress, who Abbott has criticized for not doing enough.
Abbott said the inspection stops would occur on Texas roadways and follow the law. “But of course, everyone always files a lawsuit,” he said.
The new directives amount to the “unprecedented actions” that Abbott promised in response to the Biden administration winding down a public health law – now set to expire in May – that has limited asylum-seekers in the name of preventing the spread of COVID-19. When that happens, it is expected to draw more migrants to the southern border.
Texas officials also said they would begin “increased military activity” on the border and install razor wire at some low-water along the river to deter migrants from crossing.
The orders further expand a multibillion-dollar Texas border security mission that Abbott, who is running for reelection in November, has made the cornerstone of his administration. Already, Texas has deployed thousands of troopers and National Guard members, installed new border barrier and jailed migrants on trespassing charges.
Still, the efforts do not go far enough for some former Trump administration officials, who want Abbott to essentially bestow on troopers and Guard members enforcement powers that have been a federal responsibility.
Border Patrol officials say they are planning for as many as 18,000 arrivals daily once the health policy, known as the Title 42 authority, expires in May. Last week, about 7,100 migrants were coming a day to the southern U.S. border.
But the way former Trump immigration officials see it, Texas and Arizona can pick up where the federal government leaves off. Their plan involves a novel interpretation of the U.S. Constitution to have the National Guard or state police forcibly send migrants to Mexico, without regard to immigration laws and law enforcement procedures. Border enforcement has always been a federal responsibility, and in Texas, state leaders have not been pushing for such a move.
Tom Homan, the former acting director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Trump, told an audience in San Antonio last week that he had spoken with Abbott about the idea.
“We’ve had discussions with his attorneys in his office, ‘Is there a way to use this clause within the Constitution where it talks about invasion?’” Homan said during the Border Security Expo.
Homan said those talks took place about three months ago and described the governor’s office as “noncommittal but willing to listen.”
In Arizona, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has also been under pressure within his party to declare that the state is being invaded and use extraordinary powers normally reserved for war. But Ducey, who is term-limited and not on the ballot in 2022, has not embraced the theory and has avoided commenting directly on it.
Driving the effort on the right is the Center for Renewing America, a conservative policy think tank led by former Trump administration officials. It includes Ken Cuccinelli, an immigration hard-liner and former Homeland Security official under Trump. He argued states are entitled to defend themselves from immediate danger or invasion, as it is defined by the “invasion clause,” under the “states self-defense clause.”
Cuccinelli said in practice, he envisions the plan would look similar to the enforcement of Title 42, which circumvented U.S. obligations under American law and international treaty to provide asylum. He said he has not spoken with Abbott and said the current Texas border mission, known as Operation Lone Star, has put little dent in migration. The mission has also drawn criticism from Guard members over long deployments and little to do, and some arrests have appeared to have no connection to border security.
“Until you are actually returning people to Mexico, what you are doing will have no effect,” Cuccinelli said.
Emily Berman, who teaches constitutional law at the University of Houston, said the “invasion clause” cited by proponents is tucked into a broader constitutional assurance that the U.S. must defend states from invasion and domestic violence. Additionally, she said, the “state self-defense clause” says states cannot engage in warlike actions or foreign policy unless invaded.
Berman said she hasn’t seen the constitutional clauses used since the 1990s, when the courts ruled that they did not have jurisdiction to decide what qualified an invasion, but believed that one could only be done by another governmental entity.
For example, Berman said, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia can be qualified as one because it is an outside government breaching another country’s boundaries with the use of military force.
“Just because the state says that it is an invasion that doesn’t necessarily make it so, it is not clear to me what additional legal authority that conveys on them,” Berman said, adding that state officials can enforce state laws, but the line is drawn at what the federal law allows.
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat whose district includes the Texas border, has criticized the Biden administration over border security and ending Title 42. But he does not support states trying to use new powers that would let them “do whatever they want.”
“I think it should be more of a partnership instead of saying, ‘Federal government, we don’t think you’re doing enough, and why don’t we go ahead and do our own border security?’” he said.
___
Coronado is a corps members for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Associated Press reporter Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix and Nomaan Merchant in Washington contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/texas-orders-new-border-action-migrant-bus-charters-dc/
| 2022-04-07T02:51:43Z
|
Traffic on Port Republic Road cleared
Published: Apr. 6, 2022 at 5:56 PM EDT|Updated: 4 hours ago
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Traffic on Port Republic Road is open in both directions and normal traffic patterns have resumed.
The Harrisonburg Police Department warned of a traffic crash on Port Republic Road in area of Bradley Drive.
Traffic is backed up in both directions on Port Republic Road. Please avoid the area between Neff Avenue to South Main Street.
This is a developing story. Stay with WHSV for the latest information.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/traffic-crash-harrisonburg-causing-delays/
| 2022-04-07T02:51:50Z
|
UVA Health seeing more norovirus cases
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - UVA Health says it is seeing an uptick in norovirus cases.
Doctor Amy Mathers says this is unusual since norovirus “season” is usually from October to April and it doesn’t usually rise at this point.
“Statistically, we’re back to sort of pre-pandemic norovirus cases,” Dr. Mathers said. “The other thing that’s a little unusual about this norovirus uptick that we are seeing in the country right now.”
Mathers says this increase could be due to people relying on hand sanitizer, rather than washing their hands. The doctor says alcohol gel will not kill norovirus like it does for COVID-19.
Signs of infection include nausea and diarrhea for about three days.
Mathers says if you do come down with norovirus it’s best to stay home for at least five days.
Copyright 2022 WVIR. All rights reserved.
Do you have a story idea? Send us your news tip here.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/uva-health-seeing-more-norovirus-cases/
| 2022-04-07T02:51:56Z
|
VDOT starting Afton Mountain stabilization April 11
AFTON, Va. (WVIR) - The Virginia Department of Transportation says it will begin a project to shore up a section of Afton Mountain on April 11.
Rocks below the scenic overlook on Interstate 64, furthest up the mountain, were identified as problem spots.
Out of precaution, crews will stabilizing the mountainside.
This will cause the overlook on I-64 and Route 250 to be closed, and traffic on Rt. 250 will be split into two lanes.
“They’re dealing with a very steep slope, so all the work has got to be done from the top from that overlook on Interstate 64,” VDOT Spokesperson Lou Hatter said. “It’s going to take some time to do that correctly and to do it safely.”
The project is expected to be completed by the end of April.
No major traffic delays are expected.
Copyright 2022 WVIR. All rights reserved.
Do you have a story idea? Send us your news tip here.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/vdot-starting-afton-mountain-stabilization-april-11/
| 2022-04-07T02:52:03Z
|
Virginia DMV employee, Chesterfield man saved by siblings’ kidney donations
RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Two sets of siblings are celebrating Living Donor Day together after two life-saving kidney transplants.
Drivers who decide to check off the box to become an organ donor now have a sentimental meaning to Evon Walker, who has worked at the South Hill DMV for over two decades.
Walker never thought she’d be on the receiving end of an organ donation.
“I would get winded. I had no strength. It had just taken everything out of me,” Walker said.
Walker was diagnosed with Minimal Change Disease in recent years, which caused her kidney function to decline. After dieting, exercising, and medication didn’t work, she was told that she needed a kidney transplant.
Sam Maye also needed a kidney transplant. Diabetes forced him to go on dialysis for two years.
“I’m on the machine until maybe 9-10 in the morning because it’s a 12-hour process, seven days a week,” Maye said.
Evon’s sister Carol Chapman and Sam’s sister Sophia Maye-Smith wanted to give their siblings a second chance at life, but they were not a perfect match.
They thought hope was lost until doctors told them about the SWAP program, a paired exchange where an incompatible donor and a recipient pair match with another incompatible donor and a recipient pair.
The two sets of siblings didn’t know who would be there to answer their prayers.
Doctors found Sam would be the perfect recipient for Carol, and Sophia was a perfect match for Evon.
“[I] didn’t want to give him a healthy kidney, and he gets five years [to live] as opposed to 15 if Evon can have it and get 17-20 years whatever,” Sophia said.
Waiting on a deceased donation from the organ transplant list could have taken 5-10 years, Sam said. On July 26, 2021, the four met for the first time and underwent surgery. The two sets of siblings who were once strangers were now bonded for life.
“We had a very grateful Thanksgiving this past year because we all got to meet and appreciate each other. We’re all huggers, and now we’re all an extended family. We have another brother and sister,” Evon said.
They are planning a special celebration for their one-year anniversary. Grateful for a second chance at life, the recipients now encourages others to become a living organ donor to help save more lives more quickly.
Copyright 2022 WWBT. All rights reserved.
Want NBC12’s top stories in your inbox each morning? Subscribe here.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/virginia-dmv-employee-chesterfield-man-saved-by-siblings-kidney-donations/
| 2022-04-07T02:52:09Z
|
Woman wins $10M lottery prize after being ‘pushed’ into buying scratch-off ticket
LOS ANGELES (Gray News) - A woman in Southern California is ‘accidentally’ $10 million richer thanks to some help pushing a button at a California Lottery Scratchers vending machine.
According to lottery officials, California resident LaQuedra Edwards was at a Los Angeles-area Vons grocery store in November 2021 when she put $40 into the Scratchers machine.
Edwards said when she was deciding which games to play, “some rude person” bumped into her. The impact then pushed her into choosing the wrong selection on the machine, a $30 200X Scratchers ticket.
“He just bumped into me, didn’t say a thing, and just walked out the door,” Edwards said.
Edwards told lottery officials that she wasn’t planning on playing that game and was initially irritated because the ticket took most of her lottery budget.
However, Edwards said she was not upset for long as she started scratching the $30 ticket once back in her car and discovered she’d just won the game’s top prize of $10 million.
“I didn’t really believe it at first, but I got on the freeway and kept looking down at [the ticket], and I almost crashed my car,” Edwards said. “I pulled over, looked at it again, scanned it with my [California Lottery mobile] app, and I kept thinking this can’t be right.”
According to lottery officials, Edwards plans to use the prize money to purchase a home and start a nonprofit organization.
“I’m still in shock. All I remember saying once I found out how much I just won was, ‘I’m rich!” Edwards said.
Lottery officials said the Vons store where Edwards bought the Scratcher received $50,000 for selling the winning ticket.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/woman-wins-10m-lottery-prize-after-being-pushed-into-buying-scratch-off-ticket/
| 2022-04-07T02:52:15Z
|
Yellen: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will have ‘enormous economic repercussions’
WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned a House panel Wednesday that Russia’s aggression in Eastern Europe will have “enormous economic repercussions in Ukraine and beyond.” She added that the rising price of energy, metal, wheat and corn that Russia and Ukraine produce “is going to escalate inflationary pressures as well.”
Russia’s invasion “including the atrocities committed against innocent Ukrainians in Bucha, are reprehensible, represent an unacceptable affront to the rules-based global order, and will have enormous economic repercussions for the world,” she told the House Financial Services Committee.
Her remarks were part of her annual testimony on the state of the international financial system.
WARNING: Videos contain graphic content.
Along with touching on the need for food and energy security and debt sustainability globally, Yellen called on Congress to provide support to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank organizations, which have provided grants and humanitarian funds financing to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable.
“Globally,” she said, “spillovers from the crisis are heightening economic vulnerabilities in many countries that are already facing higher debt burdens and limited policy options as they recover from COVID-19.”
“The sanctions we’ve placed on Russia are pushing up the price of energy. It’s a price that’s important to pay to punish Russia for what it’s doing in Ukraine,” she added, drawing on how the conflict is impacting Americans at home.
Inflation has reached 40-year highs as an inflation metric closely monitored by the Federal Reserve jumped 6.4% in February compared with a year ago, the largest year-over-year rise since January 1982.
The United States and Western allies have imposed an avalanche of sanctions against Russia in the first weeks of the war and administration officials in recent days have put more focus on closing loopholes that Russia might try to use to circumvent them.
On Wednesday morning, the U.S. announced more sanctions, this time targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two adult daughters and toughening penalties against Russian banks in retaliation for “war crimes” in Ukraine.
“Treasury is committed to holding Russia accountable for its actions so it cannot benefit from the international financial system,” Yellen said.
Lawmakers also questioned Yellen on China and the threat of an invasion of Taiwan as the U.S. and its allies continue to impose sanctions on Russia. She said the U.S. is prepared to impose sanctions against China if Beijing moves aggressively toward Taiwan, as some fear it might.
“I believe we’ve shown that we can in the case of Russia,” she said. “I think you should not doubt our ability to resolve to do the same in other situations.”
She was also asked about Russia’s involvement in the G-20 summit, which is set to take place in Indonesia later this year.
The Indonesian government has said it would hold the G-20 Summit impartially, resisting calls to exclude Russia.
“I’ve made clear to my colleagues in Indonesia that we will not be participating in a number of meetings” at the annual summit where Russia would be involved, Yellen said.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki clarified later in the day that Yellen was referring to ministerial-level meetings and that the U.S. would not boycott the summit in its entirety.
“It shouldn’t be business as usual,” she said.
President Joe Biden has said he would like to kick Russia out of the G-20.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/06/yellen-russias-invasion-ukraine-will-have-enormous-economic-repercussions/
| 2022-04-07T02:52:22Z
|
Cash App data breach could have affected over 8 million users
(Gray News) – A data breach committed by a former employee of the company which owns the mobile payment app Cash App could have affected over 8 million users.
According to a report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Block, Inc. announced that it determined a former employee downloaded reports containing U.S. customer information from its subsidiary Cash App Investing LLC in December 2021.
Although the former employee had access to the information during their employment, the data was accessed without permission after they were no longer with the company, the filing says.
Only customers who used Cash App’s stock function are affected by the breach, according to the report. The information included the full name and brokerage account number, brokerage portfolio value, brokerage portfolio holdings and stock trading activity.
Downloaded data did not include usernames and passwords, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, payment card information, addresses, bank account information or any other identifiable information.
Customers outside of the U.S. were not affected, the filing says.
When it made the discovery, Block launched an investigation in partnership with a forensics firm. The company has notified regulatory authorities and law enforcement of the breach.
The filing says the company “takes the security of information belonging to its customers very seriously and continues to review and strengthen administrative and technical safeguards to protect the information of its customers.”
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/07/cash-app-data-breach-could-have-affected-over-8-million-users/
| 2022-04-07T02:52:31Z
|
Church not using ‘white music’ in worship services during Lent
OAK PARK, Ill. (Gray News) - A church in Illinois is ‘Fasting from Whiteness’ during the season of Lent.
Lead Pastor John Edgerton at the First United Church of Oak Park wrote in a March newsletter that the church’s worship services during Lent would not use any music or liturgy written or composed by white people. And that First United would be doing a mix of giving something up and taking something on.
According to Edgerton, the music during Lent will be drawn from the African American spirituals tradition, South African freedom songs, Native American traditions and others.
Edgerton also noted that the church would be offering a weekly program entitled “Tell Me the Truth About Racism,” a six-week series with Sunday meetings.
On Wednesday, the church updated its online content, releasing a statement about how some are questioning its message:
“Our Lenten theme has spurred considerable discussion, with some people questioning the message. In practice with the Lenten spiritual discipline of fasting, our intent was to lay aside our usual frames of reference and open ourselves to hearing the Gospel message through the voices of Black People, Indigenous People, and People of Color. Our worship services in Lent have been diverse and beautiful. We pray that God oils the hinges of our hearts’ doors that they might swing open gently to receive the good news of Christ’s resurrection, which we all await at the culmination of Lent.”
According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Lent is a 40-day Christian season of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/07/church-not-using-white-music-worship-services-during-lent/
| 2022-04-07T02:52:38Z
|
College coach cuts entire volleyball team; players left scrambling without scholarships
GRAMBLING, La. (KSLA/Gray News) - Grambling State University’s new head volleyball coach Chelsey Lucas has decided to cut the entire team.
KSLA reports Lucas notified the 19 players about the roster change on Monday. She has been the coach of the team since February.
GSU Athletics Communications Director Brian Howard said athletic leaders knew Lucas would be making some changes to the roster, but not to what extent.
“It’s her decision to make, and she’s got some quality players coming on board. I think 13 or 14 are coming on board. So, I hate to say out with the old, but in with the new a little bit,” Howard said.
According to the players, Lucas called individual player meetings and told them their scholarships would not be renewed.
Maurisa Harris, a junior at GSU, said players were advised that their scholarships would not be renewed based on their performance at recent practices held this semester.
Harris said the coach’s decision has left many of her teammates scrambling to find another program to transfer to in the off-season.
GSU Athletic Director Trayveon Scott issued the following statement:
“Just as the transfer portal empowers student-athletes, our coaches are also empowered to make the decisions they deem necessary to advance their programs.”
According to Howard, athletic leaders wish the players whose scholarships were not renewed future success.
Copyright 2022 KSLA via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/07/college-coach-cuts-entire-volleyball-team-players-left-scrambling-without-scholarships/
| 2022-04-07T02:52:44Z
|
Goodwill Career Center opens in Staunton
STAUNTON, Va. (WHSV) - It’s no secret that many businesses are facing staff shortages, but a Shenandoah Valley organization is working with people eager to get a job.
Goodwill Industries of the Valley opened its new Career Center in Staunton, kicking it off with an Open House on Wednesday afternoon.
“You can come into the center, use our computers, and we will help you with resumes. We’ll help you with mock interviews. We provide some wrap-around services, so if there are other things you need in order to get to work, we’ll help you with those things as well,” Melanie Blosser, the Regional Coordinator of Workforce Training Services with Goodwill, said.
Job seekers can also take computer classes, and get referrals to job certification courses and training, and workshops at no cost. Case managed reentry services are also available at the center.
“You don’t need an appointment, you can just show up,” Blosser said. “We have staff here in the building during those hours and they’ll be glad to help you.”
Local employers can also utilize the Career Center.
“[Businesses come] here looking for employees, so today we had Amazon here. There’s a big facility in Fishersville coming on board and she was here today recruiting for that facility,” Blosser said. “The Legacy was here. Care Advantage is here on occasions.”
Services like this are made possible by people who donate to and shop at Goodwill stores.
The Career Center is open Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. It is located at 1201 Greenville Avenue in Staunton.
For more information on services, click here.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/07/goodwill-career-center-opens-staunton/
| 2022-04-07T02:52:51Z
|
Severe weather wreaks havoc in the Southeast
(CNN) - The Southeast cannot catch a break from severe weather as another severe outbreak hit Tuesday with more severe weather on Wednesday. Some states are still recovering from Tuesday’s deadly thunderstorms and tornadoes only to have the potential for more Wednesday.
Near Savannah, Georgia, there was a tornado caught on camera as severe thunderstorms turned deadly. Three hours inland, there is more destruction. A hundred miles east of Dallas in Whitehouse, Texas, a trailer park was leveled by severe weather.
“We ran straight to the bathroom. As soon as I got to the kitchen, the tree came through the house about six inches from me,” said Thomas Knight, a survivor in Whitehouse.
“It raised the trailer up a couple of feet and blocked us in. We had to have the fire department come cut things out so we could get out,” said Ron Roan, another survivor in Whitehouse.
The National Weather Service said the destruction in the trailer park is from a downburst of winds up to 100 mph. Local officials said a 71-year-old man is dead after a tree fell on his mobile home there.
“Great guy. He was a cowboy and anytime you needed help he would help you. He was the best neighbor you could ask for. We’ll miss him,” said Gary Richey, another survivior in Whitehouse.
Closer to Dallas, four people are lucky to be alive after a flash flood. Lawmakers in South Carolina had to take cover during a tornado warning Tuesday. The town of Allendalle, South Carolina, 70 miles south of the state capital Columbia, people are coping with this damage. More dangerous weather is happening in the South Wednesday.
This is all happening the same week as the Master’s Tournament as Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and the Carolinas at the center of the storm Wednesday.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/07/severe-weather-wreaks-havoc-southeast/
| 2022-04-07T02:52:58Z
|
Study.com CEO and Co-Founder received award at the ASU+GSV Summit
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Adrián Ridner, CEO of one of the most transformational companies in EdTech, received the 2022 Innovator of Color award at this year's ASU+GSV Summit. This award honors leading global innovators who truly impact the learning world. As co-founder of Study.com, Ridner has dedicated the last two decades to making education accessible for millions of learners.
"I am very honored and humbled to receive this award, and I am proud to share this with mi papá y mi mamá, who deserve the credit. They left everything in Argentina behind, moved across four countries and three languages in less than ten years, to give my brother Pablo and me an education and a chance for a better future," said Ridner. "I am thankful that I've been fortunate enough to dedicate myself to a mission that can help pay it forward and unlock better futures for many other under-supported and under-represented students."
Ridner's dedication to equitable learning includes Study.com's $24 million donation to social impact programs and commitment to increasing access and equity in education for underserved learners.
- These programs include the Working Scholars initiative, an accelerated pathway for working adults to earn their bachelor's degree at no cost. Over three-quarters of Working Scholars are students of color, and 74 percent are the first in their family to graduate from college.
- And most recently, the Keys to the Classroom program addresses the teacher shortage and lack of diversity in the teacher pipeline by helping aspiring educators earn their teacher certification.
"As a Latino founder and CEO of a bootstrapped, high impact EdTech unicorn, Adrián Ridner is emblematic of the values of the ASU+GSV Innovator of Color Award," said Deborah Quazzo, Managing Partner at GSV Ventures. "Study.com drives a high return on education by increasing access and lowering costs to improve learning outcomes for K12 and higher ed students and enabling teachers in and out of the classroom."
Ridner joins an esteemed list of honorees across education and technology, including President of The University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Freeman A. Hrabowski, III.
Ridner's trailblazing efforts have resulted in several accolades and achievements, including Silicon Valley Business Journal's 40 Under 40 honoree in 2019 and Silicon Valley Latino's Latino Trailblazer Award. Ridner serves on the board of the Riecken Foundation, an organization promoting literacy and access to knowledge in Central America, and on the advisory council for Cal Poly State University's Engineering & Computer Science department.
In addition to receiving the Innovator of Color award, Ridner spoke on Building A Mission Driven Brand to discuss how EdTech companies can bring a mission to reality. The annual ASU+GSV Summit connects leading minds focused on transforming society and business around learning and work. More about the 2022 global innovators of color recipients can be found online here.
About Study.com
Study.com is a leading online education platform providing academic support for learners and educators. Recognized on the GSV EdTech 150 as a leading EdTech company, Study.com simplifies learning for over 30 million learners and educators a month. Study has donated $24 million in-kind value across social impact programs committed to Making Education Accessible through our Pledge 1% partnerships and programs focused on increasing access and equity in education for underserved learners.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Study.com
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/06/adrin-ridner-honored-with-asugsv-2022-innovator-color-award/
| 2022-04-07T02:53:05Z
|
Industry Veterans Join Build-out of Indirect Sales Division
BROOKLYN, N.Y., April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Approved Energy, a leading provider of energy products and services headquartered in New York City, announces the launch of a dedicated Indirect sales organization. The new structure is built to deliver best-in-class channel sales operations and support to brokers, aggregators and consultants across Approved's expanding service footprint. The Company has added industry veterans who will develop and accelerate its channel sales capabilities.
Fulfilling the role of VP, Indirect Sales, Bill Moul brings 20 years of retail energy sales and management experience, with an emphasis on organizational design, leadership and growth. Joining Approved Energy from his role as Managing Director of SFE Energy's C&I business, Bill was active in management and business development positions at other energy services companies including USG&E, APG&E and Gateway Energy Services.
Filling key Channel Sales Manager positions are commodity veterans Peter Sharp and Ryan Finnucan, each with deep experience and relationships across PJM, NYISO, ISO-NE and ERCOT. Sharp contributes over a decade of indirect sales experience at APG&E, USG&E and SFE, while Finnucan brings 12 years of service at firms such as First Energy, Constellation, and SFE. Their combined depth of knowledge and expertise will help to accelerate Approved Energy's existing capabilities to the forefront of the competitive energy landscape.
"Approved Energy is excited to add Bill, Peter and Ryan to our growing energy services business," stated Chris Fazio, Executive Vice President at the Approved Companies. "As we capitalize on nearly a century of service to our broad and diverse customer base, Approved Energy will rely on professionals like Bill and his team, who are recognized for their track record of success and passion for the business."
Approved Energy is a division of Approved Companies, the leading provider of energy products and services in the NYC metro area for over 90 years. With a product suite offering fuel oil, natural gas, electricity, mechanical services and renewable products to thousands of customer, Approved is committed to a plan of growth, innovation and diversification of its energy services to all customer classes.
Contact: Niraj Parikh, Chief Operating Officer
nparikh@approvedenergy.com
201-627-0075
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Approved Energy
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/06/approved-energy-expands-campi-sales-organization/
| 2022-04-07T02:53:11Z
|
ASUR Announces Total Passenger Traffic for March 2022
Published: Apr. 6, 2022 at 4:30 PM EDT|Updated: 6 hours ago
Compared to March 2019, passenger traffic increased by 41.0% in Colombia, 9.3% in Mexico and 11.8% in Puerto Rico
MEXICO CITY, April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: ASR; BMV: ASUR), ASUR, a leading international airport group with operations in Mexico, the U.S. and Colombia, today announced that passenger traffic for March 2022 reached a total of 5.7 million passengers, 15.6% above the levels reported in March 2019, reflecting a continued gradual recovery in travel demand.
Compared to March 2019, passenger traffic increased by 41.0% in Colombia, 9.3% in Mexico and 11.8% in Puerto Rico. Passenger traffic growth in Mexico and Colombia was driven by a recovery in both domestic and international traffic, while international traffic in Puerto Rico remained weak.
This announcement reflects comparisons between the periods March 1 through March 31, 2022, March 1 through March 31, 2021 and March 1 through March 31, 2019. Transit and general aviation passengers are excluded from traffic measures in Mexico and Colombia.
About ASUR
Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S.A.B. de C.V. (ASUR) is a leading international airport operator with a portfolio of concessions to operate, maintain and develop 16 airports in the Americas. This comprises nine airports in southeast Mexico, including Cancun Airport, the most important tourist destination in Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America, and six airports in northern Colombia, including Medellin international airport (Rio Negro), the second busiest in Colombia. ASUR is also a 60% JV partner in Aerostar Airport Holdings, LLC, operator of the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport serving the capital of Puerto Rico, San Juan. San Juan's Airport is the island's primary gateway for international and mainland-US destinations and was the first, and currently the only major airport in the US to have successfully completed a public–private partnership under the FAA Pilot Program. Headquartered in Mexico, ASUR is listed both on the Mexican Bolsa, where it trades under the symbol ASUR, and on the NYSE in the U.S., where it trades under the symbol ASR. One ADS represents ten (10) series B shares. For more information, visit www.asur.com.mx.
View original content:
SOURCE Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S.A.B. de C.V.
The above press release was provided courtesy of PRNewswire. The views, opinions and statements in the press release are not endorsed by Gray Media Group nor do they necessarily state or reflect those of Gray Media Group, Inc.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/06/asur-announces-total-passenger-traffic-march-2022/
| 2022-04-07T02:53:17Z
|
Stonehurst Place has earned the prestigious and coveted AAA Four Diamond designation three years in a row and is the only Atlanta Bed & Breakfast to receive the designation.
ATLANTA, April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Award-winning Stonehurst Place, the most luxurious boutique hotel-style bed and breakfast in the South, has done it again: for three years running, they have retained their AAA Four Diamond Designation. Inclusion in the AAA Diamond Program requires passing an unannounced, objective evaluation of the premises completed by trained inspectors. Hotels must meet defined criteria that evaluates cleanliness, comfort, and hospitality.
AAA Diamond Designations provide discerning travellers the assurance that the accommodation they select meets rigorous standards. AAA hotel inspections include ATP surface testing, the same technology used to confirm cleanliness for both health care and food services. For each inspection, inspectors evaluate eight surfaces in randomly chosen guest rooms and bathrooms. Hotels are required to obtain or exceed a 75 percent pass rate to achieve the designation.
"Cleanliness is paramount to Stonehurst Place," said owner, Barb Shadomy. "When you stay at Stonehurst Place, you can be assured our spotless boutique hotel will exceed even the highest of expectations."
Stonehurst Place is a sustainable tourism accommodation and the cornerstone of Midtown, Atlanta. Established 126 years ago by George Burch Hinman as a home for his growing family, Stonehurst Place is now an art-filled inn with designer furnishings, gallery-quality art, contemporary décor and an approachable, easy atmosphere.
The stunning property features a main house and carriage house with eight unique, luxuriously appointed rooms, including five suites. An incredible gourmet breakfast featuring fresh, local ingredients is served daily and in-room massage services are available. Midtown Atlanta and all it has to offer, including fine dining, museums, gardens, and theatre, is merely steps away.
AAA Four Diamond designations, awarded to less that 6% of AAA-approved properties, are reserved for luxury accommodations that offer upscale amenities and quality hospitality. These hotels – including Stonehurst Place – are premier destinations for a romantic getaway.
"Stonehurst Place is a one-of-a-kind retreat favored by lovers from all around the world," continues Shadomy. "We cannot wait to host more couples to an intimate, comfortable stay at Stonehurst Place that marries cleanliness and Southern hospitality."
To learn more about Stonehurst Place and book your romantic getaway, visit https://www.stonehurstplace.com/
For further information:
Media Contact: Barb Shadomy, Owner
Stonehurst Place
info@stonehurstplace.com
+1.404.881.0722
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Stonehurst Place Bed & Breakfast
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/06/atlantas-stonehurst-place-retains-its-aaa-four-diamond-designation/
| 2022-04-07T02:53:24Z
|
WALTHAM, Mass., April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 1,400 students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, friends of the university and representatives of other colleges celebrated the inauguration of E. LaBrent Chrite, PhD, as the ninth president in Bentley University's 105-year history. In a livestreamed ceremony in the Bentley Arena, Chrite was welcomed and praised for his leadership skills and strong belief in business as a force for good in the world.
"President Chrite personifies our strong belief in the power of business to create solutions to human problems," said Bentley Trustee Chair J. Paul Condrin '83, P'19 '22. "For much of his career, he has dedicated himself to improving business education, developing market-based economies and expanding economic opportunities for organizations and people around the world. President Chrite is a shining example of the type of leader we hope all of our students aspire to be — using knowledge, wisdom, compassion and a strong business mindset to change the world."
Chrite has more than 25 years of leadership experience in higher education. Before Bentley, he was the president of Bethune-Cookman University, an iconic historically Black college in Florida. He also served as dean of the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business and of the Feliciano School of Business at Montclair State University and in academic and senior leadership roles at the University of Arizona's Eller College of Management and the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
In a tradition-steeped ceremony at the Bentley Arena, Chrite walked to the stage as part of an academic procession of more than 200 delegates, many from other colleges and universities who were lined up precisely based on the year of their founding, from Harvard University (1636) and Yale (1701) to William James College (1974) and Olin College of Engineering (1997). The delegates wore satin-lined hoods and brightly colored cassock-like gowns reflecting the college that awarded their highest degree and the field in which it was earned — beige for Accounting and Business, copper for Economics, purple for Law.
As he rose and stepped to the podium, Chrite looked over an audience that included his wife Phyllis, children Elrie, Adriana and Jordan, and friends from across the country. Blue inauguration pennants waved throughout the crowd, and many students wore inauguration T-shirts with "Chrite - 9" on the back to welcome and honor the university's ninth president.
Chrite said he and Phyllis were "deeply moved by the outpouring of support, goodwill and generosity expressed here this afternoon." He said Bentley's greatest strength is its ability to empower the next generation of students and business leaders to realize their full potential.
"The American Dream includes the possibility that all citizens have the opportunity to move up — or down — the economic ladder," he said. "In a society that is neither fully meritocratic nor egalitarian, higher education in general and places like Bentley in particular represent a vital gateway to mobility.
"Mobility, access and opportunity are ideas that were central to our university at its founding," he said.
Bentley was founded by Harry C. Bentley in 1917 to prepare a new generation of students for professional careers in business, and the university has been reinventing business education for more than a century. Chrite, the university's first Black president, has worked to develop the private sector and spur development and economic opportunities for residents around the world, including in Afghanistan, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East.
Trustee Nick Stavropoulous '79, in remarks read in his absence by fellow trustee Lebone Moses '02, praised Chrite as "a leader who may look unlike any we've ever had but whose commitment to using business to do good in the world represents every single one of us."
Chrite started as Bentley's president on June 1, 2021, but asked that his inauguration be delayed so the university could focus on students last fall and a full return to operations after the pandemic.
Debora Spar, PhD, Jaime and Josefina Chua Tiampo Professor of Business Administration and senior associate dean of business and global society at Harvard Business School, said she observed three successful leadership traits in Chrite: common sense, heart and the ability to make tough decisions.
Spar, who also serves as a university trustee, said in her keynote address that Chrite was the type of educational leader who remains "perpetually willing to seek and revel in the magic that education can, and should, bring."
"Brent is that kind of leader," she said. "He has seen the transformative power of education in his own life and has dedicated his life to bringing that same transformation to others."
B. Joseph White, PhD, president emeritus at the University of Illinois, has known Chrite for 30 years since they worked together at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He said a university president has many jobs, including setting the school's direction, raising money and being chief HR person for the faculty – but those aren't the most important.
"The most important job is creating an environment in which young adults with the guidance of the faculty can learn, develop and thrive. Find their way. Nail down their values. Experience achievement. Overcome adversity. Prepare for the future," White said in his keynote address. "Brent will deliver that leadership: firm and friendly, with clarity and consensus, through diligence and deliberation."
Others spoke of the connections Chrite had quickly made with the Bentley community. Since arriving on campus, he has become a popular and often-seen fixture working out at the Dana Center gym, participating in on-campus events or just walking around campus with his backpack from meeting to meeting.
"I see President Chrite as the president of the masses," said Hiral Mehta MSBA '22, MBA '22. "Through my interactions with him both formally or informally, at graduate events or at the gym, what stuck with me is his rigor and passion to make a difference and create a strong, diverse and engaging community."
After the keynote addresses were finished, Board Chair Condrin stepped to the podium and called Chrite forward for the moment all had been waiting for. Condrin lifted the university's presidential medallion — a chain symbolizing the authority of the office that includes the names of every past Bentley president — over Chrite's head and placed it onto his shoulders. "We are confident that your enthusiasm for Bentley University's mission, vision and core values; your wise and collaborative leadership style; and your belief in the power of business to create solutions to human problems will enable the institution to fulfill its great promise for years to come," Condrin said. "On behalf of the board of trustees, I welcome you as president of Bentley University. You have our full confidence and unwavering support to lead this institution through the next chapter in its history."
Bentley University is more than just one of the nation's top business schools. It is a lifelong-learning community that creates successful leaders who make business a force for positive change. With a combination of business and the arts and sciences and a flexible, personalized approach to education, Bentley provides students with critical thinking and practical skills that prepare them to lead successful, rewarding careers. Founded in 1917, the university enrolls 4,000 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate and PhD students and is set on 163 acres in Waltham, Massachusetts, 10 miles west of Boston. For more information, visit bentley.edu.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Bentley University
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/06/bentley-celebrates-inauguration-ninth-president-e-labrent-chrite/
| 2022-04-07T02:53:31Z
|
Smart technologies and innovation remain hallmarks for the list's only primary care practice with decades of successes as a value-based care pioneer.
MIAMI, April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hernando Celada, chief innovation and strategic initiatives officer at ChenMed, is among Modern Healthcare's 2022 class of Top Innovators. Modern Healthcare, the leader in healthcare business news, research and data, annually recognizes leaders who are instituting innovation and leading transformative programs that improve care by achieving measurable results and contributing to the clinical and financial goals of their organization. A proven market disruptor, ChenMed is the largest and fastest growing primary care medical practice included in the new Top Innovators list.
"The healthcare industry is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by innovations in digital health technology and demand for alternative care models. This year's Top 25 Innovators not only have the courage to try new ideas and approaches, but they also have the vision to turn them into tangible improvements in patient outcomes and experiences, population health, efficiency and cost-effectiveness," Fawn Lopez, Publisher shares. "Their innovative leadership serves as a model to aspire to, and we congratulate them for their achievements."
ChenMed CEO, Christopher Chen, M.D. says, "Our amazing clinicians and care teams are truly empowered by the visionary and intuitive technologies created and continuingly enhanced by Hernando Celada and his highly regarded Curity software team. Constant innovation with resolute focus on helping doctors transform care of the neediest populations makes it possible for ChenMed to fuel vital hyper growth while maintaining best in primary care patient satisfaction and health outcomes."
Celada is responsible for leading the innovation arm that identifies and creates new lines of business for ChenMed, and he also drives enterprise-wide strategic initiatives. In addition, Hernando leads Curity, ChenMed's software company that has developed a technology platform which includes the electronic health record (EHR) used in nearly 100 ChenMed centers operating in 12 states. Before joining ChenMed, Celada worked at several Fortune 1000 companies, beginning his career in technology. He has a proven track record of creating business value and building a great company culture.
"Our 'everyone wins' approach makes Curity technology careers really special," explains Celada, noting that he's currently working to fill several challenging and rewarding roles from software engineering to product management, all with the goal of enhancing technology to drive the best outcomes for our providers and patients. "We are excited to be helping Miami become a destination for the nation's best technology professionals seeking unrivaled opportunities for career growth (watch 2022 Cafecito Tech Talk with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez). Curity offers unparalleled opportunities to help reshape healthcare in America."
This year's honorees are profiled in the April 4 issue of MH magazine and online at Modernhealthcare.com/awards/top-25-innovators-2022
About ChenMed:
ChenMed, headquartered in Miami, is a privately owned medical, management and technology company that delivers the high-touch and personalized primary care Medicare-eligible seniors need to enjoy better health. The company operates nearly 100 senior medical centers in 12 states. Named a Fortune 2020 "Change the World" company, a "Most Loved Workplace" by Newsweek Magazine, and a certified Best Place to Work® by the Best Place to Work Institute, ChenMed brings concierge-style medicine and better health outcomes to the neediest populations. ChenMed brands include Chen Senior Medical Center, Dedicated Senior Medical Center and JenCare Senior Medical Center. Thanks to its nimble and growing software entity, Curity, ChenMed also was recently named "A Best Place to Work in IT" by IDG's Insider Pro and ComputerWorld.
Contact for information or questions on the Top Innovators recognition program: Carly Rick, Carly.rick@modernhealthcare.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE ChenMed
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/06/chenmeds-hernando-celada-named-modern-healthcare-top-25-innovator-2022/
| 2022-04-07T02:53:38Z
|
PANAMA CITY, April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Copa Holdings, S.A. (NYSE: CPA) announces the following events:
We encourage our listeners to join the conference via webcast. Please access the website several minutes prior to the scheduled start time, allowing sufficient time to register, download and install any necessary software.
If you are unable to listen or access this presentation at the scheduled time, a webcast replay option will be available at the above website shortly after the conference.
Copa Holdings is a leading Latin American provider of passenger and cargo services. The Company, through its operating subsidiaries, provides service to countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. For more information visit www.copa.com.
CPA-G
PRESS RELEASE CONTACT: Daniel Tapia – Panamá
Director – Investor Relations
011 (507) 304-2774
View original content:
SOURCE Copa Holdings, S.A.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/06/copa-holdings-announces-first-quarter-2022-financial-results-release-schedule/
| 2022-04-07T02:53:44Z
|
SAN PEDRO GARZA GARCIA, Mexico, April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cydsa, S.A.B. de C.V. ("Cydsa") (BMV: CYDSASA) announced today that it has commenced a "modified Dutch auction" tender offer to purchase for cash (the "Tender Offer") up to an aggregate principal amount of its 6.250% Senior Notes due 2027 (the "Notes") that will not result in the Aggregate Purchase Price (as defined below) for the Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdraw) and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer to exceed U.S.$40.0 million (such amount, as may be modified by Cydsa in its sole discretion, the "Maximum Amount"). The Tender Offer is being made pursuant to the terms of an Offer to Purchase dated April 6, 2022 (as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Offer to Purchase"), and is subject to certain conditions.
The Tender Offer will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on May 3, 2022, unless extended or earlier terminated by Cydsa in its sole discretion (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Expiration Time"). In order for holders of Notes to be eligible to receive the Total Consideration (as defined below) for their Notes, such holders must validly tender (and not validly withdraw) such Notes at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 19, 2022, unless extended by Cydsa in its sole discretion (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Early Tender Time"). Holders that tender Notes after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time will only be eligible to receive the Tender Offer Consideration (as defined below), which does not include the Early Tender Payment (as defined below). If any Notes are purchased in the Tender Offer, Notes tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Time with a Bid Price (as defined below) equal to or less than the Clearing Price (as defined below) will be accepted for purchase in priority to other Notes validly tendered in the Tender Offer after the Early Tender Time. Accordingly, if the Maximum Amount is reached in respect of tenders made at or prior to the Early Tender Time, no Notes tendered after the Early Tender Time will be accepted for purchase.
The consideration for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer (the "Total Consideration") will be equal to the Clearing Price, as determined pursuant to a "modified Dutch Auction" procedure described below, which Total Consideration includes a payment equal to U.S.$50.00 per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer (the "Early Tender Payment"). Holders who tender (and do not validly withdraw) their Notes after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time will be eligible to receive consideration (the "Tender Offer Consideration"), equal to (i) the Total Consideration minus (ii) the Early Tender Payment, on the Final Settlement Date (as defined below). The Total Consideration and the Tender Offer Consideration will be payable in cash in U.S. dollars. Holders will also receive accrued and unpaid interest from the last interest payment date up to, but not including, the applicable Settlement Date (as defined below) for the Notes accepted for purchase (the "Accrued Interest"). The aggregate amount of Tender Offer Consideration and Total Consideration that holders of Notes are entitled to receive, excluding Accrued Interest, for Notes that are validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) and accepted for purchase by Cydsa is referred to as the "Aggregate Purchase Price." The following table describes certain terms of the Tender Offer:
Whether and to what extent tendered Notes of a holder are accepted for purchase in the Tender Offer will depend upon how the Bid Price specified by such holder compares to Bid Prices specified by other tendering holders. Specifically, at the Early Tender Time, Cydsa will compare all the Bid Prices received at or prior to the Early Tender Time to calculate a single Clearing Price for the Tender Offer. Under the "modified Dutch Auction" procedure, Cydsa will accept Notes validly tendered (and not withdrawn) in the Tender Offer in the order of the lowest to the highest Bid Prices specified or deemed to have been specified by tendering holders at or prior to the Early Tender Time, and will select the single lowest Bid Price so specified that will enable Cydsa to purchase the maximum principal amount of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time such that the Aggregate Purchase Price for such Notes would not exceed the Maximum Amount (or, if a single Bid Price as applied to the purchase of all Notes validly tendered (and not withdrawn) in the Tender Offer at or prior to the Early Tender Time would result in an Aggregate Purchase Price less than the Maximum Amount, then Cydsa will select such Bid Price), which is referred to as the "Clearing Price."
This means that if a holder of Notes elects to participate in the Tender Offer at or prior to the Early Tender Time, it must specify the minimum purchase price (its "Bid Price") that such holder would be willing to receive as the Total Consideration in exchange for each U.S.$1,000 in principal amount of Notes it chooses to tender in the Tender Offer. A holder's specified Bid Price for each U.S.$1,000 in principal amount of Notes must be in increments of U.S.$2.50 and must be at least U.S.$955.00 (the "Minimum Price") but not greater than U.S.$995.00 (the "Maximum Price") (such range, the "Accepted Bid Price Range").
Holders who tender Notes at or prior to the Early Tender Time without specifying a Bid Price will be deemed to have specified the Minimum Price as their Bid Price. If any Bid Price is not submitted in a whole increment of U.S.$2.50, such Bid Price will be rounded down to the nearest U.S.$2.50 increment. In addition, tenders of Notes outside of the Accepted Bid Price Range will not be accepted and will not be used for purposes of determining the Clearing Price. Any Bid Price specified by a tendering holder with respect to Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time shall be disregarded and not used for purposes of calculating the Clearing Price, and holders who so tender shall be (i) deemed to have tendered with a Bid Price equal to the Tender Offer Consideration (regardless of the Bid Price submitted by such holder) and (ii) eligible to receive only the Tender Offer Consideration (and not the Early Tender Payment), subject to proration. This may result in Notes being accepted for purchase at a lower price than a holder intended. Acceptance of tendered Notes may be subject to proration.
Cydsa will pay the same Total Consideration or Tender Offer Consideration, as applicable, for all Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) with Bid Prices at or below the Clearing Price (including Bid Prices deemed to be the Minimum Price or the Tender Offer Consideration as described in the prior paragraph) and accepted for purchase, upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Tender Offer, taking into account the Maximum Amount and proration. Accordingly, any holder whose Notes are validly tendered (and not withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time and accepted in the Tender Offer will receive no less than the Bid Price specified by such holder (or deemed to be specified). Holders who tender after the Early Tender Time will not receive the Early Tender Payment and may receive less than their Bid Price.
On any business day following the Early Tender Time and before the Expiration Time, Cydsa will have the right, but not the obligation, to accept for purchase any Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time (the settlement date of such purchase being referred to as the "Early Settlement Date"), subject to the Maximum Amount and proration. The Early Settlement Date with respect to the Tender Offer will be determined at Cydsa's option, subject to all conditions to the Tender Offer (including a financing condition) having been either satisfied or waived by Cydsa. Regardless of whether Cydsa exercises its option to have an Early Settlement Date with respect to the Tender Offer, Cydsa will purchase any remaining Notes that have been validly tendered at or prior to the Expiration Time and that Cydsa chooses to accept for purchase, subject to all conditions to the Tender Offer (including a financing condition) having been either satisfied or waived by Cydsa, within three business days following the Expiration Time or as promptly as practicable thereafter (the settlement date of such purchase being referred to as the "Final Settlement Date"; the Final Settlement Date and the Early Settlement Date, each being referred to as a "Settlement Date"), subject to the Maximum Amount and proration.
Tendered Notes may be withdrawn in accordance with the terms of the Tender Offer prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 19, 2022, unless extended by Cydsa in its sole discretion (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Withdrawal Deadline"), but not thereafter. The Early Tender Time and/or Expiration Time Offer can be extended independently of the Withdrawal Deadline (as defined below) for such Offer and the Early Tender Time, Expiration Time or Withdrawal Deadline with respect to any other Offer.
Cydsa's obligation to accept for purchase, and to pay for, any Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Tender Offer is conditioned upon the satisfaction or, when applicable, waiver of certain customary conditions, which are more fully described in the Offer to Purchase, including, among others, a financing condition as described in the Offer to Purchase.
In addition, subject to applicable law, Cydsa reserves the right, in its sole discretion, at any time (i) to waive any condition to the Tender Offer, (ii) to amend any of the terms of the Tender Offer, (iii) to terminate the Tender Offer; (iv) to increase or modify the Maximum Amount, (v) to extend the Withdrawal Deadline, (vi) to extend or amend the Early Tender Time or the Expiration Time, or (vii) to modify the Tender Offer Consideration or the Early Tender Payment, in each case (other than clause (v)) without extending the Withdrawal Deadline or otherwise reinstating withdrawal rights of holders.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. are acting as the dealer managers for the Tender Offer and can be contacted with questions regarding the Tender Offer at the following telephone numbers: Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC: +1 (800) 828-3182 (toll-free) and +1 (212) 357-1452 (collect); and Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. +1 (212) 225-5501 (collect).
Copies of the Offer to Purchase are available to holders of Notes from D.F. King & Co., Inc., the information agent and the tender agent for the Tender Offer. Requests for copies of the Offer to Purchase should be directed to D.F. King at +1 (800) 669-5550 (toll free), +1 (212) 232-3233 (collect) or cydsa@dfking.com.
Neither the Offer to Purchase nor any related documents have been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, nor have any such documents been filed with or reviewed by any federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority of any country. No authority has passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the Offer to Purchase or any related documents, and it is unlawful and may be a criminal offense to make any representation to the contrary.
The Tender Offer is being made solely on the terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. Under no circumstances shall this press release constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell the Notes or any other securities of Cydsa or any of its affiliates. The Tender Offer is not being made to, nor will Cydsa accept tenders of Notes from, holders in any jurisdiction in which the Tender Offer would not be in compliance with the securities laws of such jurisdiction. No recommendation is made as to whether holders should tender their Notes with respect to the Notes. Holders should carefully read the Offer to Purchase because it contains important information, including the various terms and conditions of the Tender Offer.
About Cydsa
Cydsa is a Mexico-based holding company, headquartered in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon, operating through subsidiaries located in nine cities throughout Mexico, engaged in the industrial sector. Since the incorporation of the Company in 1945, Cydsa has grown into a diversified company and Cydsa's current products and services range from edible salt to specialty chemicals for diverse industries to clean energy alternatives and hydrocarbon storage. Cydsa sells over 100 different products in more than 15 countries, including Mexico, the United States, Canada, Central America, South America and Europe. As part of Cydsa's strategy, it offers the first system in Mexico and Latin America dedicated to processing and underground storage of hydrocarbons in salt caverns, offering clean, efficient and safe storage of hydrocarbons, while helping reduce the hydrocarbon storage deficit in Mexico. Cydsa currently operates through its chemical manufacturing and specialties business group and its energy processing and logistics business group.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Cydsa's perspectives and expectations, are forward-looking statements. All statements that express belief, expectation, estimates or intentions, as well as those that are not statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Such statements use forward-looking words such as "proposed," "anticipate," "project," "potential," "could," "should," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "may," "believe," "will," "plan," "seek," "outlook" and other similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. Cydsa cautions you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Although the expectations in the forward-looking statements are based on Cydsa's current beliefs and expectations, caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements because such statements speak only as of the date hereof. Except as required by federal and state securities laws, Cydsa undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or any other reason.
View original content:
SOURCE Cydsa, S.A.B. de C.V.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/06/cydsa-announces-modified-dutch-auction-tender-offer-up-40-million-aggregate-purchase-price-its-outstanding-6250-senior-notes-due-2027/
| 2022-04-07T02:53:51Z
|
NEW YORK, April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Denali Capital Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: DECA, the "Company") announced today that it priced its initial public offering ("IPO") of 7,500,000 units at a price of $10.00 per unit. The units have been approved for listing on The NASDAQ Global Market ("NASDAQ") and trade under the symbol "DECAU" beginning on April 7, 2022. Each unit issued in the IPO consists of one share of Class A ordinary share and one redeemable warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable to purchase one whole share of Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share. After the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, Class A ordinary shares and warrants are expected to be listed on NASDAQ under the symbols "DECA" and "DECAW", respectively. The offering is expected to close on or about April 11, 2022, subject to customary closing conditions.
The Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to 1,125,000 additional units at the IPO price to cover over-allotments, if any.
US Tiger Securities, Inc. and EF Hutton, division of Benchmark Investments, LLC are acting as the joint book-running managers in the offering. Craig-Hallum Capital Group LLC is acting as qualified independent underwriter.
A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and declared effective on April 6, 2022. A final prospectus relating to this Offering will be filed with the SEC. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus, copies of which may be obtained, when available, by contacting US Tiger Securities, Inc., 437 Madison Avenue, 27th Floor, New York, New York 10022; email: IB@ustigersecurities.com. Copies of the registration statement can be accessed through the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About Denali Capital Acquisition Corp.
Denali Capital Acquisition Corp. is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. The Company has not selected any business combination target and have not, nor has anyone on its behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. While the Company may pursue an initial business combination target in any business or industry, it intends to focus its research on technology, hospitality and consumer services sector.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, risks and changes in circumstances, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's registration statement, as amended from time to time, and prospectus for the offering filed with the SEC. Such forward-looking statements include the successful consummation of the Company's initial public offering or exercise of the underwriters' over-allotment option. The Company expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Denali Capital Acquisition Corp.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/06/denali-capital-acquisition-corp-announces-pricing-75-million-initial-public-offering/
| 2022-04-07T02:53:58Z
|
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dover (NYSE: DOV) today announced that it has completed the acquisition of certain intellectual property from Boivin Evolution Inc. ("BEV") related to electrically-powered refuse collection vehicle ("RCV") bodies. The acquisition will enhance and solidify the technological leadership and product portfolio of Dover's Environmental Solutions Group ("ESG") business unit within Dover's Engineered Products segment.
Founded in 2017 by inventor and waste-collection industry veteran Claude Boivin, BEV is a pioneer in the development of an all-electric automated side-loading RCV body that, when combined with an electric truck chassis, enables a zero-emission refuse truck. BEV's body can be configured to be completely self-powered with its own battery pack and mounted on conventional diesel, compressed natural gas, or electric power chassis, or it can be integrated into the electric-powered chassis to use a common battery pack. An all-electric RCV using BEV's technology can complete a full daily route on a single overnight charge, offering waste haulers and their municipal waste customers a new technologically and economically viable tool for sustainability initiatives.
"ESG is a global leader in solutions for the waste and recycling industries and a recognized technology pioneer. BEV's intellectual property portfolio brings to ESG a complementary set of innovative capabilities and proprietary technologies that will position ESG to better support our customers as they invest in alternative-fuel and sustainable RCV offerings," said ESG President, Patrick Carroll. "The acquisition positions ESG to capitalize on the secular growth in the adoption of electric RCVs and reinforces our commitment to leadership in alternative fuels while enhancing our position as a full-solution partner to our customers."
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Dover is a diversified global manufacturer and solutions provider with annual revenue of approximately $8 billion. We deliver innovative equipment and components, consumable supplies, aftermarket parts, software and digital solutions, and support services through five operating segments: Engineered Products, Clean Energy & Fueling, Imaging & Identification, Pumps & Process Solutions, and Climate & Sustainability Technologies. Dover combines global scale with operational agility to lead the markets we serve. Recognized for our entrepreneurial approach for over 65 years, our team of over 25,000 employees takes an ownership mindset, collaborating with customers to redefine what's possible. Headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois, Dover trades on the New York Stock Exchange under "DOV." Additional information is available at dovercorporation.com.
Environmental Solutions Group ("ESG") encompasses industry-leading brands, such as Heil Environmental, 3rd Eye, Soft-Pak, Parts Central, Marathon®, Bayne, The Curotto-Can® to create a premier, fully integrated equipment group serving the solid waste and recycling industry. Through extensive voice-of-customer outreach, in-house engineering and manufacturing capabilities, a wide-reaching service network, and proven industry expertise, ESG is focused on solving customer problems through environmentally responsible products and providing world-class support. For more information, visit www.doveresg.com.
This press release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. All statements in this document other than statements of historical fact are statements that are, or could be deemed, "forward-looking" statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous important risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, the impacts of COVID-19, or other future pandemics, on the global economy and on our customers, suppliers, employees, business and cash flows, other general economic conditions and conditions in the particular markets in which we operate, changes in customer demand and capital spending, competitive factors and pricing pressures, our ability to develop and launch new products in a cost-effective manner, and our ability to realize synergies from newly acquired businesses. For details on the risks and uncertainties that could cause our results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that may be contained herein, we refer you to the documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, and any subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. These documents are available from the SEC, and on our website, www.dovercorporation.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Dover
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/06/dover-completes-acquisition-electric-refuse-collection-vehicle-intellectual-property-portfolio/
| 2022-04-07T02:54:05Z
|
China Resources Pharmaceutical Group ("CR Pharma") intends to make strategic equity investment for Everest's mRNA technology platform
Partnership with CR Pharma will provide local support to navigate China regulatory pathways across mRNA vaccine platform, first in the advancement of Everest's potentially best-in-class COVID-19 vaccine candidate
SHANGHAI, April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Everest Medicines (HKEX 1952.HK, "Everest", or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing transformative pharmaceutical products to address critical unmet needs in Asia Pacific markets, announced today that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding for a partnership with China Resources Pharmaceutical Group Limited (HKEX 3320.HK, "CR Pharma") with the intent to establish an independent company ("the mRNA Co.") focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of messenger RNA ("mRNA") vaccines.
CR Pharma is a subsidiary of China Resources (Holdings) Co., Ltd, a key state-owned enterprise overseen by China's State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC). CR Pharma is an integrated pharmaceutical company in China, engaging in the R&D, manufacturing, and distribution of pharmaceutical products. Their products include chemical drugs, traditional Chinese medicine, biological drugs and supplements, which cover a wide range of treatment fields, including the cardiovascular system, digestive tracts, metabolism, large-volume intravenous infusion, pediatrics, the respiratory system, Coagulation disorders and immune diseases, etc.
Through this proposed partnership with CR Pharma, the mRNA Co. will be well-positioned to advance its potentially best-in-class mRNA vaccine candidates through Chinese regulatory pathways and into commercialization. Under the terms of the MOU, the mRNA Co. will be a fully functional, independent operating company, by assuming the rights under the existing collaboration with Providence Therapeutics Holdings Inc. ("Providence"), including the full technology platform, as well as Everest's mRNA manufacturing infrastructure. Everest will be the majority and controlling shareholder of the mRNA Co.
The mRNA Co. will accelerate the late-stage development and registration of its potentially best-in-class mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate, PTX-COVID19-B, and continue the development of a second-generation COVID-19 vaccine with broad spectrum activity designed to be effective against but not limited to the Omicron variants, as well as two Collaboration Project with Providence that target new mRNA based vaccines. The mRNA Co. will also continue to advance the construction of Everest's global GMP manufacturing site in Jiashan, Zhejiang Province, which is expected to be operational by the end of 2022. Once complete, the first phase of manufacturing will be dedicated to PTX-COVID19-B, with an expected annual capacity of 700-800 million doses.
CR Pharma comments that through this cooperation with Everest Medicines, the two companies intend to work together in the development of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and the development of other potential products using the mRNA technology platform, so as to contribute to China's public health.
"We are pleased with Everest's ability to continually grow the business, as well as its industry leadership and reputation, by executing strategic collaborations and partnerships with key stakeholders like CR Pharma, which provide valuable expertise and resources to critical ventures such as this," said Wei Fu, Chairman of Everest Medicines and Chief Executive Officer of CBC Group. "This potential collaboration propels forward the development of Everest's mRNA vaccines, and shows our commitment to bring highly sought-after mRNA vaccines to China."
The lead vaccine candidate for development under Everest's mRNA technology platform is PTX-COVID19-B, a potentially best-in-class lipid nanoparticle formulated mRNA vaccine with strong immunogenicity and tolerability profiles and has been shown to generate high titer neutralization against the original and variant strains of SARS-CoV-2 in an S protein-typed pseudovirus assays. Based on data from the Phase 1 trial, neutralizing antibody levels at Day 42 were 8.6 times and 23 times higher than convalescence sera in the 40μg and 100μg dose levels, respectively.
Everest's licensing partner Providence is currently evaluating PTX-COVID19-B in a head-to-head clinical trial against Pfizer-BioNTech's Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine. Everest and Providence expect to report top line data in mid-2022, and if positive, this study together with a required safety dataset can support emergency marketing authorization with a stringent Western regulatory authority. Everest and Providence also plan to initiate a registrational booster vaccine trial in 2022 to further expand the indication of PTX-COVID19-B.
About PTX-COVID19-B
PTX-COVID19-B is an mRNA vaccine in Phase 2 development for the treatment of COVID-19, which encodes the full-length S protein of SARS-CoV-2 encapsulated in a lipid nanoparticle (LNP). Interim data from Providence's Phase 1 study showed that PTX-COVID19-B generated strong virus neutralization activity and produced a level of antibodies in participants in the treatment arm that compare favorably to those produced by other mRNA vaccines that have been approved for use against COVID-19. The treatment was generally safe and well tolerated.
In September 2021, Everest entered into a strategic partnership with Providence Therapeutics Holdings Inc. ("Providence") to advance mRNA vaccines and therapies. Under the terms of the agreement, Everest owns the rights Providence's mRNA vaccine candidates, including PTX-COVID19-B, in Greater China, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. Everest and Providence also entered into a 50/50 global collaboration under which Everest is enabled to create and develop products using Providence's mRNA platform for product discovery across a broad range of other prophylactic and therapeutic areas.
About Everest Medicines
Everest Medicines is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing transformative pharmaceutical products that address critical unmet medical needs for patients in Asian markets. The management team of Everest Medicines has deep expertise and an extensive track record of high-quality clinical development, regulatory affairs, CMC, business development and operations both in China and with leading global pharmaceutical companies. Everest Medicines has built a portfolio of eleven potentially global first-in-class or best-in-class molecules, many of which are in late-stage clinical development. The Company's therapeutic areas of interest include oncology, autoimmune disorders, cardio-renal diseases and infectious diseases. For more information, please visit its website at www.everestmedicines.com.
Forward-Looking Statements:
This news release may make statements that constitute forward-looking statements, including descriptions regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company or its officers with respect to the business operations and financial condition of the Company, which can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, or other factors, some of which are beyond the control of the Company and are unforeseeable. Therefore, the actual results may differ from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors and assumptions, such as future changes and developments in our business, competitive environment, political, economic, legal and social conditions. The Company or any of its affiliates, directors, officers, advisors or representatives has no obligation and does not undertake to revise forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or circumstances after the date of this news release, except as required by law.
View original content:
SOURCE Everest Medicines
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/06/everest-medicines-enters-into-an-mou-partnership-with-china-resources-pharmaceutical-group-its-mrna-vaccine-business/
| 2022-04-07T02:54:11Z
|
- Powering faster, synchronized reactions to unprecedented changes
- Implementing leading supply chain practices without costly IT overhauls
- Automating decision-making to drive operational and financial improvement
LONDON, April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EY today announces an alliance between Aera Technology (Aera) and Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) to help organizations leverage decision intelligence to accelerate their supply chain transformation.
Today's supply chains are facing growing pressures from demanding consumers while trying to mitigate the impact of increased disruption. To address the increased volume, velocity and complexity of decisions, organizations are turning to decision intelligence — the digitization, augmentation and automation of decision-making — to dramatically increase the agility and reaction times to those almost daily changes.
The EY–Aera Alliance combines the supply chain transformation knowledge of the EY organization with Aera's innovative cognitive technology. Aera's Decision Cloud™ is a cloud-based, always-on digital platform. It applies data crawling, artificial intelligence and industry-specific models to make recommendations, predict outcomes and act autonomously to execute complex strategic and operational decisions.
The EY–Aera Alliance helps deliver broad digital transformation and leading-edge technology tailored to customers' business needs, providing clients a road map to reimagine processes and derive value. Through the EY–Aera Alliance, organizations can recognize the value of decision intelligence in their supply chains within just a few weeks of implementation.
Michael Dobslaw, EY US Aera Alliance Leader, says:
"The need for visibility and faster informed decision-making has elevated the supply chain discipline to a C-suite conversation. Today's supply chain practitioners are mired down in sifting through old data and manual systems. Aera's Decision Cloud™ helps clients' planners to move from reactive to proactive with the support of decision intelligence. This will not only lead to better business results, but more fulfilling careers for supply chain professionals."
Fred Laluyaux, CEO, Aera Technology, says:
"EY teams share our vision of helping organizations reimagine how decisions are made. Together we will allow business leaders to elevate decision intelligence and accelerate supply chain transformation."
For more information, visit ey.com/alliances.
About EY
EY exists to build a better working world, helping to create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets.
Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.
Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.
EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.
This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients.
About Aera Technology
Aera Technology is the cognitive automation company that makes business agility happen. We deliver the first scalable digital platform that integrates with existing systems to make and execute business decisions in real time. In the era of digital acceleration, Aera helps enterprises around the world transform how they respond to the ever-changing environment. For more information, visit aeratechnology.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE EY
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/06/ey-announces-alliance-with-aera-technology-unlock-power-decision-intelligence-supply-chain-transformation/
| 2022-04-07T02:54:18Z
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.