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Sean Deines and his wife, Rebekah, were road-tripping after he lost his job as a bartender when the pandemic hit. While visiting his grandfather in a remote part of Wyoming, Sean started to feel very ill.
Rebekah insisted he go to an urgent care center in Laramie.
“‘Your white blood count is through the roof. You need to get to an ER right now,’” Deines, 32, recalls a staffer saying. The North Carolina couple initially drove to a hospital in Casper, but were quickly airlifted to the University of Colorado Hospital near Denver, where he was admitted on Nov. 28, 2020.
There, specialists confirmed his diagnosis: acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a fast-growing blood cancer.
“Literally, within 12 hours, I needed to figure out what to do with the next step of my life,” said Deines.
So, after he was started on intravenous treatments, including steroids and antibiotics, in Colorado to stabilize him, the couple decided it was prudent to return to North Carolina, where they could get help from his mother and mother-in-law. They selected Duke University Medical Center in Durham, which was in his insurance network.
His family called Angel MedFlight, part of Aviation West Charters of Scottsdale, Arizona, which told Rebekah Deines that it would accept whatever the couple’s insurer would pay, and that they would not be held responsible for any remaining balance.
Sean Deines was flown to North Carolina on Dec. 1, 2020, and taken by ground ambulance to Duke, where he spent the next 28 days as an inpatient.
By his discharge, he felt better, and things were looking up.
Then the bills came.
Bills
Angel MedFlight, which was not in Deines’ insurance network, sought prior authorization from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. The request was dated Nov. 30, but the insurer said the fax arrived in the predawn hours the same day as the flight, Dec. 1, 2020.
On that day, Angel MedFlight flew Deines to North Carolina in an airplane, along with a nurse to oversee his IV medications and oxygen levels.
Angel MedFlight spokesperson Kimberly Halloran did not answer a specific written question from KHN about why the flight went ahead without prior approval; often medical interventions are postponed until it has been obtained. But in an emailed statement, she said the company “satisfied each step in the health insurance process and transported Sean to his long-term health care providers in good faith.”
According to the review of the case done months later by an independent evaluator, Blue Cross on Dec. 3 denied coverage for the air ambulance services because medical records did not support that it was an emergency, and Deines was already in an appropriate medical facility.
At the end of December, an appeal was filed against that decision on behalf of Deines by Angel MedFlight.
Then, in March 2021, Blue Cross sent Deines a check for $72,000 to cover part of the $489,000 bill, which he forwarded to the air ambulance company. The explanation of benefits showed the majority of the charges were ruled “not medically necessary.”
Angel MedFlight, through a revenue management firm it hires called MedHealth Partners, continued to appeal to Blue Cross to overturn the denial of the flight portion of the bill.
Then, three months after Blue Cross sent the check that Deines then sent on to Angel MedFlight, the insurer demanded Deines pay back the $72,000.
“The initial thought was ‘I can’t believe this is happening,’” said Deines.
Medical necessity criteria are set by insurers, with North Carolina Blue Cross covering air ambulances in “exceptional circumstances,” such as when needed treatment isn’t available locally.
When Deines, who was still unemployed and undergoing treatment, couldn’t pay, the debt was sent to collections.
In late June, Deines’ representatives at Angel MedFlight took the next step allowed under the Affordable Care Act, appealing the insurer’s internal determination that the flight wasn’t medically necessary to an independent third party through the state.
Ruling
On July 29, the evaluator ruled in favor of Blue Cross.
Normally, such a flight would be appropriate because the patient was “medically unfit to travel via commercial airflight,” the review noted. But, it went on to say, there was actually no need to travel, as the University of Colorado Hospital – a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network – could have managed Deines’ treatment.
His health plan “clearly stipulates their indications for medical flight coverage and, unfortunately, this case does not meet that criteria,” the review concluded.
Resolution: The bill disappeared only after the press got involved. Shortly after a KHN reporter contacted the communications representatives for both the insurer and Angel MedFlight, Deines heard from both of them.
The $72,000 payment was made in error, said Blue Cross spokesperson Jami Sowers.
“We apologize for putting the member in the middle of this complicated situation,” she said in an email that also noted “the air ambulance company billed more than $70,000 just for ground transportation to and from the airport – more than 30 times the average cost of medical ground transport.”
Such a situation would “typically” be flagged by internal systems, but for some reason was not, Sowers said.
“I have never heard of a ground transport that costs that much. That’s shocking,” said Erin Fuse Brown, director of the Center for Law, Health & Society at Georgia State University College of Law, who studies patient billing and air ambulance costs.
Still, there’s good news for Deines: Both the insurer and the air ambulance company told KHN he will not be held responsible for any of the charges. (None of the charges stemmed from his first air ambulance flight from Casper to Denver, which was covered by the insurer.)
“Once North Carolina Blue engages in our formal inquiries about its refund request, the status of the funds will be resolved,” the ambulance spokesperson wrote in her email. “One thing is certain, Sean will not have to pay for North Carolina’s wavering coverage decision.”
In an email, Sowers said Blue Cross had “ceased all recoupment efforts” related to Sean’s case.
No surprises
If the flight had happened this year, the couple might have received more price information before they took the flight.
A law called the No Surprises Act took effect Jan. 1. Its main thrust is to protect insured patients from “balance bills” for the difference between what their insurance pays and what an out-of-network provider charges in emergencies.
It also covers nonemergency situations in which an insured patient is treated in an in-network facility by an out-of-network provider. In those cases, the patient would pay only what they would owe had the service been fully in-network.
Another part of the law, called a good faith estimate, might have provided Deines with more transparency into the costs.
That portion says medical providers, including air ambulances, must give upfront cost estimates in nonemergency situations to patients. Had the law been in effect, Deines might have learned before the flight that it could be billed at $489,000.
Insured patients in similar situations today should always check first with their insurer, if they are able, to see if an air transport would be covered, experts said.
Even if the law had been in effect, it likely would not have helped with the big hang-up in Deines’ case: the disagreement over “medical necessity.” Insurers still have leeway to define it.
For his part, Deines said he’s glad he took the flight to be closer to home and family, despite the later financial shock.
“I would not change it, because it provided support for myself and my wife, who needed to take care of me; she was keeping my sanity,” he said.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/current_edition/in-wyoming-an-air-ambulance-ride-cost-this-man-489-000/article_56155c49-50cf-57c7-9bab-ee381e31e163.html
| 2022-04-24T14:59:55Z
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Demand for rural real estate has soared during the pandemic, pushing up housing prices in many places in Wyoming.
This raises the question of whether the state is experiencing or might soon be in a housing bubble.
Probably not, experts told the Wyoming Business Report.
Last month, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas reported signs that may indicate a housing bubble is forming. That is what happens when demand for real estate outpaces supply, driving up costs.
“This self-fulfilling mechanism leads to price growth that may become exponential (or explosive), resulting in the housing market becoming progressively misaligned from fundamentals until investors become cautious, policymakers intervene, the flow of money into housing dries up, and a housing correction or even a bust occurs,” the report said.
If a bubble bursts because of an economic downturn, rising interest rates or a sudden decrease in demand, some homeowners may find themselves unable to afford their property or owing more money than the property is worth.
Sheri Fluellen is both a licensed Realtor and the director of the Cheyenne Real Estate Investing Association. She said these dual roles give her a unique perspective when considering real estate trends in her local area.
“I use two lenses,” she said.
To put rumors to rest, it seems most likely the Great Recession from more than a decade ago is not going to repeat itself.
“A lot of people say another 2008, 2009, 2010 (is) happening. The way our market is reacting now is for very different reasons that what happened in 2008,” Fluellen explained. “That was the result of banks making stupid loans to people that couldn’t afford it. That was the issue then. It was a lending issue. We don’t have a lending issue now.”
When considering whether circumstances are present to suggest the formation of a housing bubble, Fluellen said Wyoming does share many similarities with the rest of the country.
Rising prices
“What we have seen in Wyoming over the last couple years is certainly similar to what the rest of the nation is experiencing as far as price increases and appreciation,” Fluellen said, adding that the average list price for a home in Laramie County has increased 34% since 2018, according to recent MLS statistics. For the Casper area, that amount is approximately 28%. While those numbers are significant, they aren’t as high as in other areas of the U.S.
“So, we have a similar trend, but it’s not as dramatic as some other areas in the country,” she said.
Much of the perceived demand for rural real estate was driven by the pandemic. A subset of city dwellers moved away from metropolitan areas in hopes of increasing their personal safety or avoiding restrictive social policies, like mask mandates or so-called vaccine passports.
“We were getting people from the West Coast moving here, or if they are a little more liberal in their beliefs, they moved to Colorado,” Fluellen said. “Coloradans that are more conservative moved to Wyoming. It seems like folks that have a conservative political bent are wanting to come here for that reason. We have a lot of space, and they don’t want to be bothered.”
The effect of the exodus from the cities was that Wyoming locals suddenly felt a pinch in their housing market.
“I have heard a lot of people say it feels like there are fewer houses on the market. I pulled the stats off the MLS in Laramie County, and in 2018, there were 2,223 listings. Last year, there were 2,500, so the number of listings are not decreasing,” Fluellen said. “There is more competition for each listing out there, so it feels like fewer listings.”
The increased competition for properties raises the chances for bidding wars over a property that constitutes a middle-class home.
“The unfortunate thing for Wyoming residents is out-of-state folks have sold property in California, capitalized on the incredible amount of appreciating on their home, and they’re coming here with a fat wad of cash. They can pay more. Not only do they have more cash, but their perception is it’s a good deal because it’s a lot cheaper than what they would have gotten in the places they came from,” Fluellen said.
Century 21 broker and owner Bruce Garber in Sheridan said he has seen competition for middle-class home purchases become more competitive to an unprecedented degree. He said the average number of days a property spends on the market in Sheridan County is 32, and functional and well-maintained homes under $400,000 are sure to sell even faster.
“You can certainly tell it’s a seller’s market,” Garber said, indicating that offers on homes are continually becoming more creative in order to stand out among the probability that the seller will be considering multiple offers. Buyers might be more flexible with closing dates, attaching a letter of loan pre-approval to the offer, or paying larger-than-usual amounts of earnest money. It’s even tempting to some buyers to waive a pre-purchase inspection, though Garber strongly discourages going that far.
“It’s not like it was in a normal market,” Garber said. “It’s not guaranteed the seller will make repairs or lower the price.”
Home values
From an investment perspective, the focus changes when it comes to housing transactions.
“With an investor, there’s a different mindset. You want to buy property that will generate an income, and it’s more about potential income. You’re not just looking at the housing market, but the renting market or whatever industry the property is in,” Fluellen said, adding that rental rates have also gone up, though not to the degree that housing sales prices have.
zAmong communities around the state, the housing market has been largely reactive to localized economic forces. Some areas where the local economy centers heavily on one industry experienced different developments in the past year.
“When I think about how different communities around the state are impacted differently, I think we need to take into account the large job losses seen in Wyoming’s mining sector (including oil and gas),” said Wyoming Department of Workforce Services Senior Economist David Bullard. He added that between first quarter of 2020 and third quarter in 2021, the mining sector, which includes oil and gas, lost 4,819 jobs. Those job losses were concentrated in certain parts of the state. The largest job losses occurred in Campbell, Natrona and Sweetwater counties.
“Holding all else equal, fewer mining jobs in a given community means less demand for housing. In other words, if some of the laid-off energy workers left the community, then there would be more housing available for new residents to move in from other states,” Bullard said. “On the other hand, in areas of the state with few mining jobs, such as Teton County, or Sheridan County, there were no significant mining job losses, so an influx of new residents might be expected to cause a large shift in the demand for housing and larger housing price increases.
“I expect that areas of the state that have seen large job losses in the mining sector (including oil and gas) would have more modest increases in housing prices, while areas of the state that have been unaffected by the downturn in mining would have larger increases in housing prices,” Bullard said.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/current_edition/prices-are-up-sharply-but-wyo-doesnt-appear-to-be-in-a-housing-bubble/article_23707ed0-4b8b-5d63-82ea-73e018fe99c5.html
| 2022-04-24T15:00:01Z
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Representatives from Wyoming’s key industries say they need a skilled workforce, and that Wyoming workers need training.
To address both needs, lawmakers have laid the groundwork for the Wyoming’s Tomorrow scholarship program, which experts say could have a positive impact on economic development in Wyoming for years to come. An endowment created by the Legislature has not yet been fully funded to a necessary $50 million for scholarship awards to be made, though the framework for the scholarship has been written into state law. The Wyoming Community College Commission will work on implementation plans for the rest of the year.
Sandra Caldwell, executive director of the WCCC, said in an interview that taking that first critical step to create the program was huge.
“The structure had to be created,” she said. “We know people support this program, and we had to get the mechanics right. That is why it took so many years.”
Wyoming’s Tomorrow has been funded with an initial $10 million allocation to an endowment fund. Before any money will reach Wyoming students, the endowment must grow to $50 million. The scholarships would be awarded to nontraditional students looking to go to college after age 24, with up to $7,200 throughout four full-time terms.
Caldwell said that the WCCC has been tasked with the rules writing process for the newly created scholarship program, which was to have begun at an April 21 meeting of the Community College Commission taking place at Western Wyoming Community College. Because the endowment is not yet fully funded, the commission will not have to implement emergency rules, and it will ensure that “when the funding is available, if they were to fully fund it in the next legislative session, we’re ready to roll with scholarships that very next academic year,” Caldwell said.
Since 2012, agencies from the Wyoming Business Council to the Department of Workforce Services and from the state’s soon-to-be eight community college districts to the University of Wyoming and others have been working on plans for the scholarship program. The rulemaking process will also include stakeholders, Caldwell said.
“We will have a substantial team of experts, so that we can potentially have rules by the next legislative session,” Caldwell said.
Business assist
It's not just students that would be helped by a new scholarship.
Ron Gullberg, strategic partnerships director for the Wyoming Business Council, said an available and skilled workforce has been a real issue in Wyoming, from keeping businesses here and their expansion efforts to recruiting new employers. The scholarship program could help with that, he said.
“From an economic development perspective, the Wyoming’s Tomorrow Scholarship program is another tool in providing opportunities not just for Wyomingites, but business and industry growth,” Gullberg wrote in an email to the Wyoming Business Report.
The effect on Wyoming workers could be personal, with additional training leading to higher-paying jobs, as well as career advancement. Data shows that having an industry-recognized credential, whether a certification, a credit, a credential or an associates degree, can lead to high-paying skilled jobs that are often hard to fill, Caldwell said.
On a larger scale, it is at the bachelor’s degree level that experts see the ability for growth in a skilled workforce, she continued.
“That is how we grow our own, and the other thing we know is that at the bachelor’s level is where new industry is created,” Caldwell said.
Cindy DeLancey, president of the Wyoming Business Alliance, said the scholarship could have statewide impacts for years to come.
“This is so far-reaching and can have so many generational impacts,” DeLancey said. “There are so many layers of value here.”
The goal, she said, is to get Wyoming people in good-paying jobs.
“We want people to stay in Wyoming. We want our 24-year-olds, we want our youth. Wyoming should have a place for everyone, and having a place where we have the ability to train … and improve our skill set, through higher education, that is really that path forward as we evolve and work on economic diversification,” DeLancey said.
Mining
Executive Director Travis Deti of the Wyoming Mining Association said that his organization also supports the scholarship program, and will continue to advocate for its full funding.
“Wyoming’s workforce is changing, and we are going into some uncharted territory,” Deti said. “We think that this, once it is fully funded and available, it will help some of our older workers make a career transition, and to stay in the state and continue to fill jobs we are going to need.”
The mining industry is the largest taxpayer in the state, Deti said, and is heavily vested in economic diversification and workforce training across the state.
“Wyoming’s economy and our extraction industries are intricately dependent on each other,” Deti said. “As the Wyoming extraction industry goes, so goes Wyoming, so anything we can do at the state level to help create and maintain that workforce for our extraction industries, and for our key industries and our taxpayers, it is a good thing.”
Lawmakers have said they will continue to advocate for full funding before the Legislature meets again.
Reserve funds
Sen. Jeff Wasserburger, R-Gillette, said he will be watching revenue streams into the Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account, which could set an all-time record of $2 billion.
“I am committed to working to use some of the record revenue to the LSRA account for funding the Wyoming’s Tomorrow endowment,” he said.
Rep. Steve Harshman, R-Casper, said the ultimate goal would be to have $100 million in the endowment, and that $50 million would provide investment earnings to retrain approximately 175 people per year.
“$100 million would be double that,” Harshman said in an email to WBR.
“We are off to a great start. The inviolate endowment is established,” he said.
Harshman has compared the program to Wyoming’s Hathaway Scholarship, established in 2006 to provide myriad scholarship opportunities for traditional students at UW and community colleges.
“It will be a game changer for our citizens and our state as our economy continues to change,” Harshman said. “Wyoming has a proven track record and has become an expert in using our boom and investing it for the future. This is about our descendants, and our future.
“I am confident, given our current mineral price and production, that we will enter a significant boom, and it will be important that we invest a portion of this in permanent savings, where the investment income will benefit our precious state and her people in perpetuity,” he said.
DeLancey said that supportive partners in establishing the scholarship range from the agricultural community to health care workers, to truckers and contractors and the energy sector. Creating programs like Wyoming’s Tomorrow, she said, are “the kinds of decisions that are going to be essential for Wyoming to stay competitive and relevant.”
“In a time when the world has been so uncertain, to know that we were willing to make that investment in ourselves and our future generation of workers is just incredibly rewarding,” she said.
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/current_edition/stakeholders-eager-for-wyoming-s-tomorrow-scholarship-to-launch/article_1336dc7e-44a0-58c7-953d-1bdf68284f51.html
| 2022-04-24T15:00:07Z
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A technology company focused on developing a diverse workforce and reducing poverty that extends between generations has announced its expansion to Cheyenne, along with four other locations across the U.S.
Bitwise Industries operates one of the largest federally accredited apprenticeship programs, and provides careers for instructors and job opportunities for students. In order to make this happen, the priority is breaking down barriers for those interested in the field.
“Our goal is to bring our proven, repeatable approach to as many communities and people as possible,” said Bitwise CEO and co-founder Jake Soberal. “What has been successful in our first five cities will become part of these new regions’ stories of how investing in underestimated people and places can create a more inclusive and representative economy.”
The impact on Cheyenne was scheduled to begin this month. Residents will be offered four online introductory courses on a tech skill for $250 each, and financial assistance is available for those who may not be able to afford the fee. If they continue to show interest in the industry and potential after one or more six-week courses, they have the chance to become an apprentice.
An apprentice is paid between $17 and $22 an hour to take classes and learn how to become an entry-level professional, with access to health care benefits, counseling, transportation and child care throughout the training. They can take courses virtually, but a rented-out workspace and classroom to build community will be available in the coming months.
When the average student comes out of the program, they go on to a position that makes more than $60,000 a year. The company reported it has trained up to 8,000 nontraditional tech students, with 80% gaining technical employment.
“Bitwise is a vehicle that has transformed lives and cities,” said Irma Olguin Jr., a fellow CEO and co-founder. “We look forward to helping more people left out of the digital economy to find financial independence and stability through increased employment opportunities, while bringing government digital infrastructure into the modern era with world-class software developed by the overlooked people we train and hire.”
The inspiration to support building a workforce in such a way stemmed from Olguin’s own childhood. She grew up in a rural town outside of Fresno, California, and her family had spent generations working in the agricultural fields. Her life path changed when she was given the opportunity to attend a university in Ohio and find a career in computer engineering.
Breaking the cycle of poverty is an important aspect of the company’s mission, which Bitwise Senior Vice President of City Expansion Amy Thelen said happens by finding the right environment. She said the company saw potential in Cheyenne and the workforce to create a tech economy. It was also made possible by raising nearly $100 million in venture capital.
She said the goal to invest in the region is not just for workforce purposes, but also community enhancement.
“We buy historically blighted buildings that have been vacant in downtowns, and in the urban core of the city, and we completely revitalize them,” she said.
Once the buildings have been renovated, students and the public are welcome to share in the Bitwise culture. Coffee shops, breweries, co-working spaces, event centers and more are integrated into the office. Thelen explained that the established buildings in five other cities are available for local businesses to lease out, which encourages economic growth.
“We want to touch as many people as we can in all of these different cities,” she said. “So, you’re going to see that.”
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/current_edition/tech-company-expands-invests-millions-of-dollars-in-workforce-development/article_0105760f-3df4-5515-a3f0-86f8ef28626d.html
| 2022-04-24T15:00:13Z
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CHEYENNE – Cheyenne East junior Elijah Cudney said Saturday afternoon’s match against Thunder Basin was the worst weather conditions he has played in.
It seemed as if the Thunderbirds had two opponents: the Bolts and the 40 mile per hour wins that was sweeping through Okie Blanchard Stadium. East was able to overcome the combination of the two in the second half and a Brenden Bohlmann goal put the T-Birds ahead 1-0 in the 50th. However, Riley Ringer evened the score in the 72nd for Thunder Basin.
The score remained tied through the rest of regulation and overtime and ended in a 1-1 draw.
“The most difficult thing about (that wind) was passing and trying to keep possession. Because our team is a very straight-forward team, we try to get the ball up to our forwards as fast as possible, which means a lot of long balls,” Cudney said. “But because of the wind … it changes the whole course of the game.”
East had a pair of opportunities in the first half with the wind at its back, but failed to capitalize. Hunter Sallee sent a shot from the right side of the penalty area that was swooped toward the goal by the wind and a gust carried it right into Thunder Basin goalie Carl Gray’s hands.
Midway through the first half, the visiting team found some success maintaining possession by keeping the ball out of the air. It also had nothing to show for it and the teams went into the break scoreless.
Even with the wind in its favor, East had just three first-half shots.
“We let an opportunity get away in the first half when we had the wind at our back,” East coach Ryan Cameron said. “We have to at least try to take shots and hopefully they end up close to goal … For us to preserve a tie (Saturday) was probably pretty good considering the opportunity we left in the first half of not putting the ball in the back of the net.”
The Bolts started the second half applying pressure on the East defense. In the 48th, Angel Ontiveros had a low shot roll past the right post, which was the Bolts’ best look to that point. Two minutes later, Bohlmann gave the T-Birds the lead when he gathered a deflected ball deep in the left side of the box and sent it to the bottom right corner of the netting.
“It’s all about capitalizing on those few opportunities. We didn’t have a lot of possession, we didn’t have a lot of time to capitalize,” Cudney said. “We really had to work on keeping it on the ground and our counter attack was different than it usually is.”
Following the goal, Thunder Basin had ample opportunities to tie the match, but the East back line and Fisbeck remained stout. The Bolts had 13 shots in the second half including a stretch over five minutes where they had five shots.
“We talked about what our strategy would be going with the wind versus against the wind, and we were going to be pretty defensive and kind of park the bus against the wind,” Cameron said. “And I thought our kids did a pretty good job of that with me just drawing it up on a board … I thought the back line did a nice job.”
After two free kicks at the top of the box in the 66th and 70th minute, Ringer scored the equalizer with a shot from 40 yards out and with the help of the wind, the ball sailed and bounced off Fisbeck’s left hand and into the back of the net.
Thunder Basin had two chances to pull ahead in overtime. The best opportunity came in the 98th when Cade Ayers had a chip shot in front of the net that Fisbeck laid out to his left to block. The other was a Ringer free kick from 44 yards out as the first half of overtime expired. The shot rang off the right post.
Fisbeck finished with five saves while East dodged the 19 shot attempts from the Bolts – most of which sailed over the top crossbar.
“I’m not sure a lot soccer was played, just because of the brutal conditions,” Cameron said. “But I was pretty proud of our kids to find a build up in the second half.”
THUNDER BASIN 1, EAST 1, OT
Goals: East, Bohlmann, 50. Thunder Basin, Ringer, 72.
Shots: TB 19, CE 9. Shots on goal: TB 6, CE 6. Saves: TB 5 (Gray); CE 5 (Fisbeck).
Corner kicks: TB 7, CE 1. Offsides: TB 1, CE 1. Fouls: TB 14, CE 10. Yellow cards: TB 1 (Delgado 53); CE 1 (White 98).
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/high_school/cheyenne_east/east-cant-hang-on-to-lead-tie-with-thunder-basin/article_389d9103-6fca-5277-ac64-0d4a70433103.html
| 2022-04-24T15:00:19Z
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LARAMIE — Much like throughout the spring so far, the constantly changing weather pattern this week gave new meaning to the word tentative with several scheduling adjustments made on the fly.
SOCCER
The Plainsmen soccer team (9-1 overall, 7-0 Class 4A East Conference) earned a tough 2-0 league win against Sheridan Friday night at Deti Stadium. But the latest winter blast arrived during the game and continued to deteriorate into Saturday for outside playing conditions.
The LHS boys home game against Campbell County on Saturday was originally scheduled for noon and moved to 6:30 p.m. when the University of Wyoming Indoor Practice Facility became available. The result of the game was not available at press time for the Boomerang.
Southeastern Wyoming caught the southern tip of the storm, which created blizzard conditions to the north, closing roads and keeping the Camels in Laramie to be able to accommodate the rare, late Saturday start time.
Earlier in the week, the Lady Plainsmen (8-2, 5-2) moved their weekend games to be able to play in Gillette and Sheridan on Thursday and Friday, respectively, before heading back to Laramie. The LHS girls beat Campbell County 3-0 and lost to Sheridan 2-0 for split on the road trip. More information from the games was not available.
SOFTBALL
The Lady Plainsmen softball team (10-6 overall, 5-4 East) was able to squeeze in a doubleheader against Wheatland late Friday afternoon at the Aragon Softball Complex.
LHS swept Wheatland 8-0 and 14-1 with the first game counting as an East Conference contest.
In the league game, Laramie ace pitcher Janey Adair tossed a complete game allowing just two hits and two walks while striking 17 of 25 batters in the shutout. Out of 114 pitches, 73 were for strikes.
With the bats, the Lady Plainsmen knocked around 10 hits for eight RBI with two walks and three strikeouts. Emilee Sirdoreus connected for a home run and three RBI. Haley Loya, Paysen Witte and Brooklyn McKinney had doubles with Loya going 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and Witte going 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Marisol Gomez was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
More information from the second game was not available.
GOLF
The Plainsmen and Lady Plainsmen were able to fit in a round at the Torrington Spring Golf Invite on Friday on Cottonwood at Torrington Golf Course.
The one-day invitational also featured teams from the three Cheyenne schools, Douglas, Wheatland, Kelly Walsh, Natrona County junior varsity and host Torrington.
The Lady Plainsmen were third with 315. Kelly Walsh won the girls team title with 267 and Cheyenne Central was second at 279.
The Plainsmen were fourth at 342 with the Kelly Walsh boys completing the team win sweep at 318. Cheyenne East and Central tied for second at 324.
Plainsman Jackson McClaren finished in a three-way tie for second with a scorecard of 76. Colter Harvey was 17th with an 87 and Colin Suloff was 19th at 89 for the top-three LHS golfers. East’s Nash Colman won the tournament with a 74.
Grace Kordon led the Lady Plainsmen with a 97 for seventh place. The next two for the LHS girls were Emma Welniak at 106 for a tie in 10th and Samantha Kitchen at 112 for 13th.
TRACK AND FIELD
The Plainsmen track and field athletes were able to join a many regional teams from Wyoming and Nebraska for the Kendra Roeder Invite Friday in Pine Bluffs. The meet was windy, but the temperatures were still warm before the cold front.
The Plainsmen and Lady Plainsmen swept the team titles with 198 points for the boys and 191 for the girls. Burns was runner-up in the boys standings at 107 and Leyton was second for the girls at 77.5.
Winning events for the Plainsmen were: Dominic Eberle in the 1,600 meters (4 minutes, 52.95 seconds); Gideon Moore in the 3,200 (11:05.68); Christopher Gonzalez in the discus (121 feet, 4 inches); John Rose in the high jump (6-2); Carson Diedrich in the pole vault (11-10); the sprint medley relay team of Jackson Reed, Brayden McKinney, Will McCrea and Meyer Smith (3:50.70); and the 4x800 relay team of McCrea, Nathan Martin, Cameron Burns and Smith (8:33.53).
Lady Plainsmen event winners were: Cassie Wulff in the 200 (28.64); Ilysa Soule in the 800 (2:40.83); Carey Berendsen in the 3,200 (13:16.49); Ashlyn Bingham in the triple jump (34-½); the 4x100 relay team of Andee Dory, Mischa Yurista, Wulff and Kodi Johnson (52.22); the 4x800 relay team of Leah Schabron, Soule, Ashlyn Mathes and Berendsen (10:48.95); and the sprint medley relay team of Bailey Craven, Ashlyn Bingham, Kamrie Bingham and Lethe Peden (5:01.61).
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/high_school/laramie_high/laramie-high-spring-sports-continue-through-adversity/article_202d2810-76d2-5235-9aab-c5ae6e19856f.html
| 2022-04-24T15:00:26Z
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BURNS – The Wyoming Storm organization was started with the goal of getting as many Laramie County girls playing travel basketball as possible.
Noah Teasley had coached for nearly a dozen years when he decided to start the group because he saw a lot of families being priced out of the sport, or being overlooked and underserved.
“We run this program for all kids, but we especially want low-income families,” said Teasley, who is Storm’s president and also coaches its ninth- and eighth-grade teams. “… We are 100% for the kids because we want to see them succeed, and we want the whole community involved.”
Added Storm vice president Victoria Hall: “There are other organizations where its easily $1,000 to just get warm-ups and that’s tough on families. We have families here who have three or four girls. How do you pick which kid is allowed to play the sport?
“That’s a huge problem in Cheyenne right now. Our goal has always been to provide every girl the chance to play ball.”
And Storm’s two oldest teams have become pretty good at that last part.
The junior high and 15-and-under teams were invited to the 16th Arch Challenge in St. Louis earlier this month based on how they did at the Reebok Denver Jamfest. The tournaments were a week apart, and the St. Louis bid was earned at the last minute. Storm put the trip together in whirlwind fashion thanks to some very generous sponsors.
It was worth the 13-hour trip in a 15-passenger van.
Storm’s junior high team won the Arch Challenge title, while the 15-year-old squad finished as runners-up.
“It was kind of surprising,” said 13-year-old Peyton Hall, who was named MVP of the eighth-grade tournament. “We’ve done well this whole year, but St. Louis is a huge tournament. Getting invited to something like that was a big deal for this team. We went from not winning much to winning big tournaments.”
Freshman Jessica Hoffman is already standout thrower for Pine Bluffs High’s track and field team. She had to choose between basketball and representing the Hornets at Cheyenne East’s Okie Blanchard Invitational.
“That meet was a big deal, but the St. Louis tournament was a great experience and I had a lot of fun,” said Hoffman, who has the second-best discus throw in Class 2A this season. “The whole trip was kind of chaotic because of how quickly it came together, but it was a lot of fun.”
Their performances in St. Louis earned both Storm teams berths in the Reebok World Championships starting July 29 in Chicago.
“Playing Denver teams is a lot different than playing the teams we saw in St. Louis,” said eighth-grader Taylor Schaffer, who was voted co-MVP of the 15-and-under tournament. “Denver teams are a lot more aggressive and play hard defense. Some Denver teams are really physical.
“St. Louis was like playing teams that slow the game down. I’m excited to see how the teams in Chicago play, and I’m really excited for the trip.”
Teasley calls his group’s run this month a Cinderella story.
“A lot of our girls are C-teamers at their junior highs,” said Teasley, whose own daughters play on Storms elementary school team. “They weren’t given a shot to play with the A or B team, maybe they missed a practice, or they were deemed not good enough. These girls have just shined this year.
“This is a team full of girls who don’t get a lot of accolades. It was nice for them to be recognized by people who didn’t know us and get invited to that tournament in St. Louis.
“I could talk about these girls all day. I enjoy every single one of them.”
Storm’s junior high and ninth-grade teams include athletes from Burns, Pine Bluffs and Cheyenne’s Carey, Johnson and McCormick junior high schools. They embrace the underdog label. It’s become a rallying cry that’s carried them past quality basketball teams.
“It’s nice being underrated because people don’t know what to expect from you, and you can prove to them who you are,” Peyton Hall said. “This is the farthest we’ve traveled all year. It’s a huge tournament. If we keep playing how we’ve been playing, we can make it far.”
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/other_sports/community/storms-cinderella-runs-earn-them-national-tourney-invites/article_f7f0505d-de97-5612-82c8-7e27dfc2b958.html
| 2022-04-24T15:00:32Z
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https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/other_sports/lacrosse-cheyenne-goes-1-1-over-the-weekend/article_d9b87b22-d4c0-539a-b4b5-7899400507a5.html
| 2022-04-24T15:00:38Z
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Coast Guard: 3 children missing after plunging into Mississippi River
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Three children are missing after plunging into the Mississippi River late Saturday day, according to WVUE and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The missing children, a 15-year-old boy, a 14-year-old girl and an 8-year-old girl, were reported entering the water sometime around 7:15 p.m. Saturday night near the Cresent City Connection bridge. The bridge connects the east and west banks of New Orleans.
No one knows why the children entered the river.
The New Orleans’ Regional Transit Authority suspended service of the Algiers-Canal Street ferry so the U.S. Coast Guard can enable its vessels to search the area.
The rescue crews dispatched to the area included a Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and the Coast Guard cutter Sawfish. Three other boatcrews from Coast Guard Station New Orleans and the Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team were also dispatched, officials said.
The New Orleans Fire Department and New Orleans police have also joined the search for the missing children.
Copyright 2022 WVUE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/24/coast-guard-3-children-missing-after-plunging-into-mississippi-river/
| 2022-04-24T15:05:20Z
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COVID shots still work but researchers hunt new improvements
(AP) - COVID-19 vaccinations are at a critical juncture as companies test whether new approaches like combination shots or nasal drops can keep up with a mutating coronavirus — even though it’s not clear if changes are needed.
Already there’s public confusion about who should get a second booster now and who can wait. There’s also debate about whether pretty much everyone might need an extra dose in the fall.
“I’m very concerned about booster fatigue” causing a loss of confidence in vaccines that still offer very strong protection against COVID-19′s worst outcomes, said Dr. Beth Bell of the University of Washington, an adviser to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Despite success in preventing serious illness and death, there’s growing pressure to develop vaccines better at fending off milder infections, too — as well as options to counter scary variants.
“We go through a fire drill it seems like every quarter, every three months or so” when another mutant causes frantic tests to determine if the shots are holding, Pfizer vaccine chief Kathrin Jansen told a recent meeting of the New York Academy of Sciences.
Yet seeking improvements for the next round of vaccinations may seem like a luxury for U.S. families anxious to protect their littlest children — kids under 5 who are not yet eligible for a shot. Moderna’s Dr. Jacqueline Miller told The Associated Press that its application to give two low-dose shots to the youngest children would be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration “fairly soon.” Pfizer hasn’t yet reported data on a third dose of its extra-small shot for tots, after two didn’t prove strong enough.
COMBINATION SHOTS MAY BE NEXT
The original COVID-19 vaccines remain strongly protective against serious illness, hospitalization and death, especially after a booster dose, even against the most contagious variants.
Updating the vaccine recipe to match the latest variants is risky, because the next mutant could be completely unrelated. So companies are taking a cue from the flu vaccine, which offers protection against three or four different strains in one shot every year.
Moderna and Pfizer are testing 2-in-1 COVID-19 protection that they hope to offer this fall. Each “bivalent” shot would mix the original, proven vaccine with an omicron-targeted version.
Moderna has a hint the approach could work. It tested a combo shot that targeted the original version of the virus and an earlier variant named beta — and found vaccine recipients developed modest levels of antibodies capable of fighting not just beta but also newer mutants like omicron. Moderna now is testing its omicron-targeted bivalent candidate.
But there’s a looming deadline. FDA’s Dr. Doran Fink said if any updated shots are to be given in the fall, the agency would have to decide on a recipe change by early summer.
DON’T EXPECT BOOSTERS EVERY FEW MONTHS
For the average person, two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine plus one booster — a total of three shots — “gets you set up” and ready for what may become an annual booster, said Dr. David Kimberlin, a CDC adviser from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
After that first booster, CDC data suggests an additional dose offers most people an incremental, temporary benefit.
Why the emphasis on three shots? Vaccination triggers development of antibodies that can fend off coronavirus infection but naturally wane over time. The next line of defense: Memory cells that jump into action to make new virus-fighters if an infection sneaks in. Rockefeller University researchers found those memory cells become more potent and able to target more diverse versions of the virus after the third shot.
Even if someone who’s vaccinated gets a mild infection, thanks to those memory cells “there’s still plenty of time to protect you against severe illness,” said Dr. Paul Offit of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
But some people — those with severely weakened immune systems — need more doses up-front for a better chance at protection.
And Americans 50 and older are being offered a second booster, following similar decisions by Israel and other countries that offer the extra shot to give older people a little more protection.
The CDC is developing advice to help those eligible decide whether to get an extra shot now or wait. Among those who might want a second booster sooner are the elderly, people with health problems that make them particularly vulnerable, or who are at high risk of exposure from work or travel.
COULD NASAL VACCINES BLOCK INFECTION?
It’s hard for a shot in the arm to form lots of virus-fighting antibodies inside the nose where the coronavirus latches on. But a nasal vaccine might offer a new strategy to prevent infections that disrupt people’s everyday lives even if they’re mild.
“When I think about what would make me get a second booster, I actually would want to prevent infection,” said Dr. Grace Lee of Stanford University, who chairs CDC’s immunization advisory committee. “I think we need to do better.”
Nasal vaccines are tricky to develop and it’s not clear how quickly any could become available. But several are in clinical trials globally. One in late-stage testing, manufactured by India’s Bharat Biotech, uses a chimpanzee cold virus to deliver a harmless copy of the coronavirus spike protein to the lining of the nose.
“I certainly do not want to abandon the success we have had” with COVID-19 shots, said Dr. Michael Diamond of Washington University in St. Louis, who helped create the candidate that’s now licensed to Bharat.
But “we’re going to have a difficult time stopping transmission with the current systemic vaccines,” Diamond added. “We have all learned that.”
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/24/covid-shots-still-work-researchers-hunt-new-improvements/
| 2022-04-24T15:05:27Z
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Russian officer: Missile to carry several hypersonic weapons
MOSCOW (AP) — A new Russian intercontinental ballistic missile is capable of carrying several hypersonic weapons, a senior Russian military officer said Sunday.
Col. Gen. Sergei Karakayev, the commander of the Russian military’s Strategic Missile Forces, said in televised remarks that the new Sarmat ICBM is designed to carry several Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the Sarmat was test-fired for the first time Wednesday from the Plesetsk launch facility in northern Russia and its practice warheads have successfully reached mock targets on the Kura firing range on the far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.
The test launch came amid soaring tensions between Moscow and the West over the Russian military action in Ukraine and underlines the Kremlin’s emphasis on the country’s nuclear forces.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the Sarmat launch as a major achievement, claiming that the new missile has no foreign equivalent and is capable of penetrating any prospective missile defense.
“This really unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, reliably ensure Russia’s security from external threats and make those, who in the heat of frantic aggressive rhetoric try to threaten our country, think twice,” Putin said Wednesday.
The Sarmat is a heavy missile that has been under development for several years to replace the Soviet-made Voyevoda, which was code-named Satan by the West and forms the core of Russia’s nuclear deterrent.
The military has said that the Avangard is capable of flying 27 times faster than the speed of sound and making sharp maneuvers on its way to target to dodge the enemy’s missile shield.
In anticipation of the deployment of the Sarmat, the new hypersonic vehicle has been fitted to the existing Soviet-built ICBMs, and the first unit armed with the Avangard entered duty in December 2019.
The director and the designer-in-chief of the Makeyev missile-maker that developed the Sarmat, Vladimir Degtyar, said in televised remarks that its range allows it to fly along any trajectory across north or south poles to hit any target around the world.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/24/russian-officer-missile-carry-several-hypersonic-weapons/
| 2022-04-24T15:05:34Z
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Native American artist, chief, Oklahoma lawmaker Haney dies
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Enoch Kelly Haney, a Native American artist, Seminole Nation chief and Oklahoma state lawmaker, has died at age 81.
Haney’s death was announced Saturday by Brian Palmer, assistant chief of the Seminole Nation.
Haney, a Democrat, served stints in the Oklahoma House and Senate from 1980-2002, including a stint as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2002 and was elected principal chief of the Seminole Nation in 2005.
His 17-foot sculpture “The Guardian” was placed atop the state Capitol dome in 2002.
In a tweet on Saturday, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said Haney’s “contributions to our state are mighty.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/24/native-american-artist-chief-oklahoma-lawmaker-haney-dies/
| 2022-04-24T16:38:35Z
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Prisoner serving murder sentence escapes in Alabama
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA/Gray News) - The Alabama Department of Corrections is searching for an inmate who escaped Saturday afternoon, WSFA reports.
Kyle David who is currently serving a 99-year prison sentence for a 2000 murder conviction, is assigned to the Red Eagle Work Center in Montgomery, Alabama. He left his assigned job location around 5:15 p.m. Saturday and did not return.
The department has not provided details on where David’s assigned job location was.
David is 49-years-old and described as being 5 foot 11 inches and approximately 190 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes.
David’s Alabama Department of Corrections custody classification lists him a “minimum-out” inmate. These inmates “do not pose a significant risk to self or others and suitable to be assigned off-property work details without the direct supervision of correctional officers,” according to the Alabama Department of Corrections.
The classification requires inmates to remain “in prison clothing at all times.” Their work is generally assigned to only government positions. Inmates in this custody are generally assigned to Community Work Centers with higher security facilities that maintain a small number of job assignments requiring minimal supervision.
Anyone with information on David’s location is asked to call the Alabama Department of Corrections at 1-800-831-8825.
Copyright 2022 WSFA via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/24/prisoner-serving-murder-sentence-escapes-alabama/
| 2022-04-24T16:38:41Z
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Average US gasoline price drops 3 cents to $4.24 a gallon
CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The national average retail price of regular-grade gasoline dropped 3 cents in the past two weeks to $4.24 a gallon, the Lundberg Survey reported Sunday.
That brings the total decline over six weeks to 19 cents a gallon, leaving the current price $1.27 above its year-ago point, the survey said.
Mid-grade gasoline averaged $4.57 a gallon and premium averaged $4.83.
Nationwide, the highest average price for regular-grade gasoline in the April 22 survey was $5.71 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The lowest average was $3.70 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Lundberg surveys a national panel of markets twice monthly.
“Although crude oil prices rose in this period, the past few days saw them drop,” industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said. “This with a big loss of business margin by retailers allowed the average price to decline. Unless oil prices fall further, additional drops in pump prices are likely to be small or none.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/24/average-us-gasoline-price-drops-3-cents-424-gallon/
| 2022-04-24T18:14:50Z
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Dorothy’s dress from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ is up for auction
(Gray News) – A dress worn by Judy Garland in the classic film “The Wizard of Oz” is up for auction.
The dress was specifically matched to a scene from the movie in which Garland’s character Dorothy faces the Wicked Witch of the West in the Witch’s Castle.
Bonhams says the blue and white gingham dress is one of only two existing dresses with the white blouse and only one of four blue and white dresses in existence.
The fabric label of the dress is inscribed with “Judy Garland.”
The dress went missing in the 1980s after it was given to the Head of Drama at The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. by actress Mercedes McCambridge.
The costume was recently discovered, and will go for anywhere between $800,000 to $1.2 million, according to Bonhams.
The other dress with the blouse was also sold by Bonhams in 2015, where it went for over $1.5 million.
The dress will be presented at the Bonhams Classic Hollywood: Film and Television sale in Los Angeles on May 24.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/24/dorothys-dress-wizard-oz-is-up-auction/
| 2022-04-24T18:14:58Z
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Beckley Coffee and Tea Celebration returns to town
BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - 2022 brought the return of Beckley’s Coffee and Tea Celebration on Saturday. The event took a two-year hiatus during the pandemic following 2019′s inaugural celebration.
On Saturday though -- locals were treated to live music, entertainment, vendors and even a dance-off between attendees.
Beckley Events Director Jill Moorefield said she’s happy to see the event return, as she hopes to see local businesses benefit from the foot-traffic.
“It’s helpful for the businesses that are downtown,” said Moorefield. “There’s different businesses that come to set-up, and to market their products in a fun atmosphere.”
Moorefield added that barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Coffee and Tea Celebration is on-track to be an annual event.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/24/beckley-coffee-tea-celebration-returns-town/
| 2022-04-24T19:46:45Z
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First annual Dwayne Richardson Jr. memorial 3-on-3 basketball tournament hosted in Beckley
BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - Former Woodrow Wilson High School basketball star Dwayne Richardson Jr. was remembered Saturday at his former high school with the first annual three-on-three basketball tournament and sneaker convention in his honor.
Put on by the Dwayne Richardson Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund, Richardson’s family was able to turn tragedy into celebration.
“The goal is to have fun and also to raise money for the memorial scholarship that we’re making in honor of him to go to an early high school senior student,” said Jada Watts, Richardson’s sister. “He made such a big impact, especially for him only being 18 years-old. I think everybody knew him, everybody loved him.”
“I actually traveled four hours back home,” said Bryce Radford, friend of Richardson. “Just to be around everybody and pay my tributes to Wayne and his family.”
Watts said the goal was to create an event that Richardson would have enjoyed.
“Oh my gosh, Wayne would be -- Wayne would be in all his glory right now,” said Radford. “This is heaven to Wayne. Shoes, basketball, his friends, food. This is what he loved to do.”
Richardson’s family plans to continue the event annually. All proceeds are set to go toward the Dwayne Richardson Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Richardson was shot and killed nearly a year ago at 18 years old. The perpetrator has since been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/24/first-annual-dwayne-richardson-jr-memorial-3-on-3-basketball-tournament-hosted-beckley/
| 2022-04-24T19:46:51Z
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Man saves woman who stopped breathing on flight despite missing item in medical kit
CARY, N.C. (WRAL) – A North Carolina man is being called a hero after jumping into action to save a woman’s life during a flight.
As a professional extreme athlete, Seth Coley travels all over the country.
Last month, he was flying from Arizona to Las Vegas when a young woman had stopped breathing.
“They yell, ‘Is there any medical personnel on board?’” Coley said.
Coley is trained as a wilderness first responder.
“I was shocked that I was the only one that really knew what to do,” he said.
When someone brought him the plane’s medical kit, he said a key item he needed was missing.
“I need an NPA or OPA. Both of those systems are basically a straw for your nose or your mouth and it basically forces an airway open,” Coley said.
Coley was still able to get the woman breathing again by manipulating her neck and airway but when he called and emailed Frontier Airlines to discuss his concerns, he got an automated response.
So he posted about it on social media to get their attention.
“I want to make sure people feel safe flying with certain airlines,” Coley said. “I think that’s really irresponsible.”
Frontier Airlines would not address the specific situation, but sent a statement which says: “It is a regulatory requirement to have specific emergency and first aid equipment on an aircraft and the required equipment is the same for all airlines. If any equipment is missing, a flight cannot be dispatched absent an FAA approved exemption.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said airlines risk receiving a fine for not following the rules.
Coley said Frontier has all of his contact information and he hopes they will reach out to him about his concerns.
Copyright 2022 WRAL via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/24/man-saves-woman-who-stopped-breathing-flight-despite-missing-item-medical-kit/
| 2022-04-24T19:46:57Z
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France’s Macron is reelected but far-right rival raises game
PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron comfortably won reelection to a second term Sunday, according to polling agencies’ projections. In the midst of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the result offered the European Union the reassurance of leadership stability in the bloc’s only nuclear-armed power and was immediately hailed by France’s allies.
A second five-year term for the centrist Macron spares France and its allies the seismic upheaval of a wartime shift of power to Macron’s populist challenger Marine Le Pen, who quickly acknowledged her defeat Sunday night but still appeared on course for a best-ever showing for her fiercely nationalist far-right policies.
During her campaign, Le Pen pledged to dilute French ties with the 27-nation EU, NATO and Germany, moves that would have shaken Europe’s security architecture as the continent deals with its worst conflict since World War II. Le Pen also spoke out against EU sanctions on Russian energy supplies and faced scrutiny during the campaign over her previous friendliness with the Kremlin.
A chorus of European leaders hailed Macron’s victory. “Democracy wins, Europe wins,” said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
“Together we will make France and Europe advance,” tweeted European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Italian Premier Mario Draghi hailed Macron’s victory as “splendid news for all of Europe” and a boost to the EU “being a protagonist in the greatest challenges of our times, starting with the war in Ukraine.”
Polling agencies’ projections, released as the last voting stations closed, said Macron was on course to beat his rival by a double-digit margin. Several hundred Macon supporters happily gathered in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, waving French and EU flags to the beat of Daft Punk’s “One More Time.”
Five years ago, Macron won a sweeping victory over Le Pen to become France’s youngest president at 39. The margin is expected to be much smaller this time: Polling agencies Opinionway, Harris and Ifop projected that the 44-year-old pro-European centrist would win at least 57% of the vote.
Le Pen was projected to win between 41.5% and 43% support -- a still unprecedented result for the 53-year-old on her third attempt to win the French presidency.
Early official results in France’s presidential runoff are expected later Sunday night. If the projections hold, Macron would become only the third president since the 1958 founding of modern France to win twice at the ballot box, and the first in 20 years, since incumbent Jacques Chirac trounced Le Pen’s father in 2002.
Le Pen called her results “a shining victory,” saying that “in this defeat, I can’t help but feel a form of hope.”
Breaking through the threshold of 40% of the vote is unprecedented for the French far-right. Le Pen was beaten 66% to 34% by Macron in 2017 and her father got less than 20% against Chirac.
She and hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, one of 10 candidates eliminated in the first round of voting on April 10, both quickly pitched forward to France’s legislative election in June, urging voters to give them a parliamentary majority to hamstring Macron.
Le Pen’s score this time rewarded her years-long efforts to make her far-right politics more palatable to voters. Campaigning hard on cost-of-living issues, she made deep inroads among blue-collar voters in disaffected rural communities and in former industrial centers.
The projected drop in support for Macron compared to five years ago points to a tough battle ahead for the president to rally people behind him in his second term. Many French voters found the 2022 presidential rematch less compelling than in 2017, when Macron was an unknown factor, having never previously held elected office.
Leftist voters — unable to identify with either the centrist president or Le Pen’s fiercely nationalist platform — often agonized with the choices available Sunday. Some trooped reluctantly to polling stations solely to stop Le Pen, casting joyless votes for Macron.
“It was the least worst choice,” said Stephanie David, a transport logistics worker who backed a communist candidate in round one.
It was an impossible choice for retiree Jean-Pierre Roux. Having also voted communist in round one, he dropped an empty envelope into the ballot box on Sunday, repelled both by Le Pen’s politics and what he saw as Macron’s arrogance.
“I am not against his ideas but I cannot stand the person,” Roux said.
In contrast, Marian Arbre, voting in Paris, cast his ballot for Macron “to avoid a government that finds itself with fascists, racists.”
“There’s a real risk,” the 29-year-old fretted.
Macron went into the vote with a sizeable lead in polls but faced a fractured, anxious and tired electorate. The war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic battered Macron’s first term, as did months of violent protests against his economic policies, which created fertile ground for Le Pen.
With the EU’s only seat on the U.N. Security Council and only nuclear arsenal, the outcome in France was being watched across the 27-nation bloc. France has played a leading role in international efforts to punish Russia with sanctions and is supplying weapons systems to Ukraine.
Appealing to working-class voters struggling with surging prices, Le Pen vowed that bringing down the cost of living would be her priority and argued that Macron’s presidency had left the country deeply divided.
Macron sought to appeal to voters of immigrant heritage and religious minorities, especially because of Le Pen’s proposed policies targeting Muslims and putting French citizens first in line for jobs and benefits.
Macron also touted his environmental and climate accomplishments to trawl for young voters who backed left-wing candidates in round one. Macron said his next prime minister would be put in charge of environmental planning as France seeks to become carbon neutral by 2050.
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Associated Press journalists Thomas Adamson, Sylvie Corbet and Elaine Ganley in Paris, Michel Spingler in Henin-Beaumont, and Alex Turnbull in Le Touquet, contributed.
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Follow AP’s coverage of the French election at https://apnews.com/hub/french-election-2022
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/24/polling-agencies-project-reelection-french-leader-macron/
| 2022-04-24T19:47:04Z
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University of California San Francisco celebrates 1,000 lung transplants
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) – A 60-year-old man is being called number 1,000.
Insurance agent Patrick Alexander is recovering from being the 1,000 lung transplant at the University of California San Francisco since the program began in 1991.
“We don’t know much about the donor family or the donor his or herself, but we’re just so grateful,” Alexander said.
Alexander had scarring of the lung that impeded the ability for oxygen to enter the bloodstream.
USCF’s transplant expertise is world class. Pulmonologist Steve Hays said the one year survival rate is top in the county and has been that way for a decade.
“Our long-term survival is also continuing to really improve every year so that patients who are now getting a transplant have an expectation they could live nearly 12 years,” Hays said.
In about a year, Alexander is expected to be able to resume an active life of travel, exercise and other activities. Post-transplant complications are now rare.
Transplant surgeon Jasleen Kukreja said the program went from about 20% airway complications requiring some sort of intervention down to less than 1%.
“Which is really quite remarkable because no other program has been able to achieve that outcome,” Kukreja said.
Alexander can now expect to extend his life 10 to 12 years.
“A year ago we didn’t even know that Patrick had the disease,” Alexander’s wife Allison said. “This is how quickly it progressed, and we’re just so grateful for the staff at UCSF. They have been so thorough.”
Copyright 2022 KGO via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/24/university-california-san-francisco-celebrates-1000-lung-transplants/
| 2022-04-24T19:47:10Z
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Local teacher recognized as national economics educator
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - A fourth-grade teacher at South River Elementary School is now a nationally recognized economics educator.
Lauren Shifflett graduated from Bridgewater College in 2010 with a degree in liberal studies. While raising her child, Shifflett realized the need for economics education in schools and started designing her classroom lessons around real-world situations.
“We focus so much on reading and math that we forget about life skills,” said Shifflett. “One of the major skills that kids have to know is how to manage money.”
Shifflett garnered national attention from the Council for Economic Education and earned the 2021 John Morton Award in financial education. She is now considered one of the most outstanding elementary educators in the country.
“I never think of myself as great,” she added. “I do it for the kids, so I feel like this award belongs to them.”
Shifflett’s goal is to help the next generation make economic decisions that will help them succeed in the classroom and in life.
“I’m just a stepping stone,” said Shifflett. “I’m a little part of their lives but hopefully I can be a meaningful one.”
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/22/local-teacher-recognized-national-economics-educator/
| 2022-04-24T20:16:13Z
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Suspect found dead after shooting 4, causing DC lockdowns
WASHINGTON (AP) — At least four people, including a 12-year-old girl, were shot when a gunman unleashed a flurry of bullets in the nation’s capital, leading to lockdowns at several schools on Friday. The injured were expected to recover and the suspect was found dead hours later.
Police did not release the suspect’s name, pending notification to his family, after finding the suspect dead inside an apartment at the scene as Metropolitan Police Department officers conducted door-to-door searches of buildings in the area.
Authorities had said earlier that they were seeking a 23-year-old Virginia man as a person of interest. The man had been “linked to social media postings” that emerged as part of the investigation, said Assistant Metropolitan Police Chief Stuart Emerman.
Police believe the suspect erected a “sniper-type setup” with a tripod and rifle in his apartment and began firing indiscriminately at people walking below, Chief Robert Contee said. The shooting was recorded and posted online on 4chan, an online message board.
Police in Fairfax County, Virginia, said Saturday they had identified a residence tied to the suspected shooter and assisted District of Columbia officers in executing a search warrant. A Fairfax spokesman, 2nd Lt. Ian Yost, said his information indicated authorities did not find any family members there.
Separately on Friday, emergency medical crews were called to the Supreme Court around 6:30 p.m. after a man set himself on fire outside the building. Police said Saturday that the man, Wynn Bruce, 50, of Boulder, Colorado, had died.
The four shooting victims — a 54-year-old man who is a retired police officer, a woman in her 30s, a woman in her mid-60s who was grazed by a bullet, and a 12-year-old girl who was shot in the arm — were all expected to recover, police said. For hours, authorities had warned residents to stay inside their homes while they searched for the shooter.
The gunfire broke out shortly before 3:30 p.m. near the corner of Connecticut Avenue and Van Ness St. in the Van Ness neighborhood of Washington, just as parents were picking up their children from the Edmund Burke School, a private college preparatory school.
The University of the District of Columbia went into lockdown, telling students and staff to shelter and stay in place.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/22/police-say-least-2-shot-northwest-dc/
| 2022-04-24T20:16:19Z
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Sharpton demands name of Michigan officer who killed Patrick Lyoya
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — The Rev. Al Sharpton demanded that authorities publicly identify the Michigan officer who killed Patrick Lyoya, a Black man and native of Congo who was fatally shot in the back of the head after a struggle, saying at Lyoya’s funeral Friday: “We want his name!”
Sharpton’s comments renewed demands by Lyoya’s family members and activists. He told the roughly 1,000 people gathered that authorities cannot set a precedent of withholding the names of officers who kill people. Police in Grand Rapids have said they would withhold the officer’s name unless he is charged with a crime, which they describe as a long-standing practice that applies to the public as well as city employees.
“Every time a young Black man or woman is arrested in this town, you put their name all over the news. Every time we’re suspected of something, you put our name out there,” Sharpton said. “How dare you hold the name of a man that killed this man? We want his name!”
Mourners at Renaissance Church of God in Christ, many wearing T-shirts or sweatshirts bearing Lyoya’s picture, stood and applauded.
In a statement Friday, City Manager Mark Washington acknowledged the demands and said he would discuss the matter with the police chief and human resources officials.
“Police reform requires evaluating many long-standing practices to ensure our actions are consistent with the best interests of the community and the individuals involved,” Washington said.
No timeline has been set for the discussions or a decision, spokesman David Green said, adding that Washington’s statement was intended to let city residents know “we hear you” and “we’re willing to assess that practice and see if it works or not.”
Sharpton noted that Lyoya was killed on April 4, the anniversary of the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., putting Lyoya’s death in the context of the national civil rights movement. He said Lyoya came to America in search of a better life and “ran into an America that we know too well.” He urged those gathered to continue to fight for justice, and called for a federal investigation into Lyoya’s killing.
“We can’t bring Patrick back. But we can bring justice in Patrick’s name,” he said.
Andrew Birge, U.S. attorney for the district that includes Grand Rapids, said in a statement that his office and the FBI had offered help state investigators and local prosecutors and that the Justice Department can provide “consultation, mediation or training assistance.” He said his office will continue to review the facts to determine whether additional federal response is warranted.
Sharpton and civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Lyoya family, have frequently joined with mourners to speak at the funerals of Black people killed by police. Sharpton has eulogized George Floyd, whose death in Minneapolis sparked a national reckoning on race; Daunte Wright, who was shot during a traffic stop in suburban Minneapolis; Andre Hill, who was killed in Columbus, Ohio; and Andrew Brown Jr., who was killed in North Carolina.
Crump also called for justice Friday, saying “an unnamed police officer escalated a simple misdemeanor traffic stop into a deadly execution.” He said the issue is one of humanity, and he called on federal lawmakers to pass reforms aimed at curbing systemic racism in policing.
“World leaders can’t condemn Russian soldiers shooting unarmed citizens in the back of the head in Ukraine, but then refuse to condemn police officers shooting unarmed Black citizens here in Grand Rapids, Michigan,” he said. “If it’s wrong that you do it in the Ukraine then it’s wrong that you do it in Grand Rapids.”
After the service, Crump told reporters: “We believe the whole world is watching Grand Rapids, Michigan.”
Lyoya’s body lay in a white, open casket inside the church before the service began. Once the funeral started, the casket was closed and the flag of Congo was draped over it. Below the casket, a sign bearing an image of the American flag and a photo of Lyoya said: “It’s our right to live,” in both English and Swahili.
Lyoya’s mother, Dorcas, sobbed as mourners filed in to pay their respects, and tears ran down her cheek as music played and a choir sang.
U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, Michigan’s only Black member of Congress, read a proclamation saluting Lyoya’s memory, saying he was an American of great distinction, whose life and legacy would not be forgotten.
“This is personal to me. This is my family. You are my family. This is my community,” she said. “And if I don’t stand up, who will?”
Other elected officials, such as Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss and state Sen. Winnie Brinks, were also in attendance.
The funeral program was printed in English and Swahili, and a portion of the service was led by leaders in the Congolese community. Bethlehem Shekanena, whose parents immigrated from Congo, said the Lyoyas came to the U.S. for life, liberty and the ability to pursue happiness.
“We are gathered here today because the promise given to all those who reside on this land, the very foundation of what makes America America — it was broken the moment Patrick Lloya was killed in the streets.” she said, adding: “He did not deserve to die.”
Before the service, mourners were given T-shirts that read “Justice For Patrick Lyoya” on one side and “It’s our Right to Live!” on the other. Some men removed their suit jackets and slipped the shirt on over their dress shirts.
Lyoya, who was unarmed, was face down on the ground when he was shot April 4. The officer, whose name has not been released, was on top of him and can be heard on video demanding that he take his hand off the officer’s Taser.
Earlier, the officer is heard saying Lyoya was stopped because the license plate did not match the car Lyoya was driving. Lyoya, a 26-year-old father of two, declined to get back into the vehicle as ordered, and a short foot chase ensued before the deadly struggle.
“How dare you pull your gun about some car tags?” Sharpton said during his eulogy.
State police are investigating the shooting. The agency will forward findings to Kent County prosecutor Chris Becker for consideration of any charges. He has told the public to not expect a quick decision.
Attorneys for the Lyoya family have said they believe video collected and released by police shows Lyoya was resisting the officer, not fighting him. His parents have called the shooting an “execution.”
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Forliti contributed from Minneapolis. Associated Press reporter John Flesher contributed from Traverse City, Michigan.
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Find the AP’s full coverage of the fatal police shooting of Patrick Lyoya: https://apnews.com/hub/patrick-lyoya
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/22/sharpton-demands-name-michigan-officer-who-killed-patrick-lyoya/
| 2022-04-24T20:16:25Z
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Afraid to fly with unmasked passengers? Select airlines offering refunds
DALLAS (AP) - Airlines say they are offering options — including refunds in some cases — for people worried about flying now that other passengers aren’t required to wear face masks.
However, the airlines aren’t providing many details. Customers could find themselves at the mercy of workers at airline customer-service centers.
Many people who will be flying in the next few weeks bought their tickets before a federal judge in Florida on Monday struck down the requirement to wear a mask in airports and during flights. That requirement, designed to limit the spread of COVID-19, was due to expire anyway on May 3.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said his airline will be flexible with people who have a weak immune system or are concerned about mask-optional flying for any other reason.
“We are working with those customers ... to find another option, give them a credit, or if they just don’t ever want to fly again, (we are) actually willing to give them a refund,” Kirby told NBC.
A United spokesman said customers except those on the lowest-priced “basic economy” fares can delay their travel plans for any reason with no extra fee. He said passengers with special circumstances should call the airline’s customer service number.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said Thursday that the airline hasn’t fielded many refund requests yet.
“But like we do in all these events, we are taking a look at our policies and ... asking them to get in touch with our reservations office, and we will make sure that we accommodate them in an appropriate fashion,” Isom said.
An American spokeswoman pointed to the airline’s policy, which allows refunds for refundable tickets — those usually cost more — and credit for the value of unused non-refundable tickets. However, people who bought “basic economy” tickets since April 1 are not entitled to a refund or to change their ticket.
A Delta Air Lines spokesman said customers who wish to cancel a trip should contact the airline. Decisions about how to handle those requests are made on a case-by-case basis, he said.
Southwest, Alaska, JetBlue, Spirit and Frontier did not reply to inquiries.
On Thursday, the Justice Department said it would appeal the Florida judge’s ruling striking down the mask mandate, which was put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and enforced by the Transportation Security Administration.
However, as of late Friday afternoon, the administration still had not asked any court for an emergency stay of the Florida ruling. Legal experts said the White House appeared mostly interested in appealing the Florida ruling to prevent it from becoming a precedent that could limit the CDC’s power to impose pandemic-related measures in the future.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/afraid-fly-with-unmasked-passengers-select-airlines-offering-refunds/
| 2022-04-24T20:16:33Z
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All lanes of Virginia Avenue closed because of fatal wreck
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - UPDATE: The Harrisonburg Police Department has been informed that the motorcycle driver involved in this evening’s wreck is deceased.
All lanes of Virginia Avenue in the area of Harmony Square shopping center are currently closed due to a wreck involving a passenger vehicle and a motorcycle that occurred around 5:45 p.m., according to Michael Parks with the City of Harrisonburg.
The driver of the motorcycle has been transported to Sentara RMH with life-threatening injuries. The driver of the passenger vehicle was transported with minor injuries.
Law enforcement remains at the scene, and travel lanes will remain closed. Drivers are advised to avoid the area.
No additional information is available at this time.
This is a developing story. Stay with WHSV for updates.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/all-lanes-virginia-avenue-closed-because-wreck/
| 2022-04-24T20:16:39Z
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Beaver Creek Fly Fishing holds invitational for disabled veterans
DAYTON, Va. (WHSV) - Beaver Creek Fly Fishing hosted an invitational for disabled vets Saturday in Dayton.
Veterans got to cast their lines along the creek from sunrise to sunset. This program accompanies national-scale programs giving disabled vets the opportunity to get out and have a sense of normalcy.
”I’ve had the opportunity to talk to other veterans from all services who are now coming here reconnecting with Mother Nature and other veterans as well. It helps them out with their re-entry into society after the time they have served,” Roy Maddocks, Navy Seal veteran said.
The invitational provides a calm and serene atmosphere for veterans who might be experiencing PTSD or other military traumas.
“Disabled American Veterans and the people that come here to run this event in support of them has really been an eye-opener for me. It’s also been therapeutic,” Maddocks said.
The invitational is held every year, but this is its first year back after the pandemic.
Veterans from across the East Coast come out to Beaver Creek to participate in the fly fishing event.
“Relaxation, such as fishing... of course, it takes a lot of patience you can’t think about a whole lot of things while you’re fishing... you got to concentrate on what you’re doing if its a smart fish, but yeah it’s a good thing,” George Bailey, World War II veteran said.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/beaver-creek-fly-fishing-holds-invitational-disabled-veterans/
| 2022-04-24T20:16:46Z
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Bow-WOW-Walk celebrates in-person
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The CASPCA held its first in person Bow-WOW-Walk since the start of the pandemic. More than 400 people showed up at the Boar’s Head Resort to walk with their furry friends.
The event had many pet friendly vendors including ice cream for dogs. There was also a competition that had many top prizes including one for best trick.
“People bring their dogs out to celebrate that relationship with their pets and go for a nice walk. It’s to fundraise for our organization too. A lot of the dogs here today have been adopted from our shelter, so it’s really exciting to bring everyone together and also again just to raise funds,” CASPCA’s, Angie Gunter said.
All of the proceeds raised from the ninth annual walk go towards the care of the pets in the shelter.
Copyright 2022 WVIR. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-04-24T20:16:52Z
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Building Bridges holds “What We Lost” event in Staunton
STAUNTON, Va. (WHSV) - Saturday members of the Staunton community gathered at Booker T. Washington Community Center for a presentation on “lost” Black-owned businesses in the Queen City.
The event, “What We Lost,” was a set-up of former businesses that used to operate throughout the city such as bakeries and clothing shops.
“We just wanted to acknowledge the fact that Black businesses were here, they were a vibrant part of our community, and the fact that they were lost actually affects the life of our children and those going forward so we wanted to display that to our community and show them what can happen when we work together,” Ophie Kier, founder of Building Bridges said.
Ophie Kier said this is a lost history that they are trying to restore and educate the next generation on.
“We’re hoping to inspire young people to get that urge to open up their own business, to help others that are already in business to succeed, for us as a people to feed those businesses so that they can succeed,” Kier said. “For them to run for City Council, for them to run for state government, for them to be voices that they used to be when we had our own community.”
Kier said this is the start of many upcoming projects in Staunton to get more involved with the Black community.
”We intend to go forward from here, we intend to work on why there are so few black businesses here now, and we intend to find them and pull them out and help nurture them and their futures,” Kier said.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/building-bridges-holds-what-we-lost-event-staunton/
| 2022-04-24T20:16:58Z
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Chris Rock’s mother reacts to Oscars slap, “when Will slapped Chris, he slapped all of us.”
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS/Gray News) - Rose Rock, mother of comedian Chris Rock, was in Columbia, South Carolina Friday delivering motivational speeches to high schools in the area before stopping by ‘Soda City Live.’
In an exclusive, one-on-one interview with WIS’ Billie Jean Shaw, for the first time ever, Rock spoke out about the shocking incident when her son Chris Rock was slapped on live television by actor Will Smith, following a joke made about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s hair.
“You reacted to your wife giving you the side-eye and you went and made her day because she was mulled over laughing when it happened,” Rock said.
Rock says this is the one year she did not attend the Oscars and was watching the ceremony at home when her son was slapped in front of millions. She told WIS, at first, she thought the slap was staged, until “he [WIll] started using obscenities.” She continued saying, “when he slapped Chris, he slapped all of us.” She added, “He really slapped me.”
According to Rock, her son was very excited to give Questlove his Academy Award, and because of Smith, that moment was taken away.
“No one even heard his speech. No one was able to just be in the moment because everyone was sitting there like, ‘what just happened?’” she said.
She said the only thing she could do from home was reach out, and tell him she was proud of how he reacted. Which, as a mother, was hard to do.
Rock said so many things could have happened at that moment, stating Chris could have stepped back and fallen or Smith could have even been taken out in handcuffs.
Earlier this month, The Academy announced Will Smith has been banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years.
“The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards,” Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement earlier this month.
When asked about how the Academy handled the situation Rock said, “I wouldn’t take his award away, and I don’t see any good way they could have taken him out without disrupting.” However, the Hollywood mom did say the lack of apology from Will Smith for his actions has hurt her. “I feel really bad that he never apologized,” Rock said. “I mean his people wrote up a piece saying I apologize to Chris Rock, but you see something like that is personal, you reach out.”
Copyright 2022 WIS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/chris-rocks-mother-reacts-oscars-slap-when-will-slapped-chris-he-slapped-all-us/
| 2022-04-24T20:17:05Z
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Cuba and US take tentative step with talks on migration
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cuba and the United States took a tentative step toward thawing relations and resuming joint efforts to address irregular migration, a senior Cuban official said following the highest-level talks between the two countries in four years.
There were no major breakthroughs, but the mere fact that the U.S. was holding substantive talks was a sign relations might be looking better under President Joe Biden after going into deep freeze under his predecessor, Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said Friday.
“They seem committed. They ratified that they are committed to the agreements in place,” Fernandez de Cossio said. “So we have no reason to mistrust what they’re saying, but time will tell.”
The talks did not focus on broader U.S.-Cuba relations but more narrowly on restoring adherence to previous agreements that were intended to curtail the often-dangerous irregular migration from the island to the United States.
“These talks helped both of us to understand the nature and the magnitude of the problem we’re facing,” the deputy foreign minister said in an interview with The Associated Press at the Cuban ambassador’s residence outside Washington.
U.S. officials want Cuba to resume taking back flights of deported migrants, which it stopped doing at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cuban authorities, meanwhile, want to see the U.S. follow through on its plan to restore consular services in Havana, so people can once again get visas to legally come to the United States, as well as change other policies that it believes encourage irregular migration from the island.
“They asked us to renew the flights because it was an important element of deterrence,” he said. “We said we agree that is an important element of deterrence. We explained that we needed to do in an integral manner, and they understood this.”
It was a more detailed rundown of the talks than what was provided by the U.S. a day earlier. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the meeting “underscores our commitment to pursuing constructive discussions with the government of Cuba where appropriate to advance U.S. interests.”
The talks take place against the backdrop of relations that sharply deteriorated under President Donald Trump and amid a sharp increase in the number of Cubans seeking to enter the U.S. along the Southwest border.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection stopped Cubans more than 79,800 times from October through March — more than double all of 2021 and five times more than all of 2020. Overall, the Border Patrol stopped migrants of all nationalities more than 209,000 times in March, the highest monthly mark in 22 years.
Cubans who cross the U.S. border illegally face little risk of being deported or expelled under a public health law that has been used to deny asylum to thousands of migrants of other nationalities on the grounds of slowing the spread of COVID-19.
Asked why so many Cubans are fleeing their country, Fernandez de Cossio blamed tough economic conditions in his country and widespread knowledge among Cubans that they will be granted asylum and legal residency in the U.S.
“Life is difficult for Cubans. It’s a developing country like any other country in the region,” he said. “They leave for economic reasons, like most migrants around the world.”
Cubans are often granted asylum after they assert what’s known under U.S. law as “credible fear” of persecution, typically for political or religious reasons. The deputy foreign minister is, not surprisingly, skeptical of such claims.
“When they reach the border, they claim that they have a credible fear if they if they are returned,” he said. “But then they’re accepted, and once they get residence the first thing they do is get a passport and move back to Cuba.”
Cuba wants the U.S. to stop routinely granting asylum, end the economic embargo and take other measures that it says encourage migration and to restore consular activities so people can legally travel back and forth from the island with visitor visas.
Operations at the U.S. embassy in Havana were severely curtailed beginning in 2017 after the emergence of unexplained health problems among some employees.
Cases of what became known as “Havana Syndrome” became a major issue during the Trump administration, which rolled back the rapprochement between the United States and Cuba that had been initiated by former President Barack Obama.
Fernandez de Cossio said the Trump administration curtailed visas as part of its “maximum pressure” against Cuba, contributing to the irregular migration occurring now and he welcomed the Biden administration’s commitment to restore visa operations.
“It needs to be done so that people in Cuba can find that there’s a legal normal way to migrate to the United States, which has been lacking since 2017,” he said.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/cuba-us-take-tentative-step-with-talks-migration/
| 2022-04-24T20:17:11Z
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Dollar Tree manager loses job after controversial ‘help wanted’ sign goes viral
BREMEN, Ind. (WNDU/Gray News) - A Dollar Tree store in Indiana has come under fire after its manager at the time posted a “help wanted” sign that some were calling controversial and discriminatory.
WNDU reports a store manager recently put up a hiring sign after two young employees had quit.
The handwritten sign read:
“I apologize for us closing AGAIN. My 2 new cashiers quit because I said their boyfriends couldn’t stand here for their entire shift. Don’t hire Gen Z’s. They don’t know what work actually means. NOW HIRING! *Baby Boomers ONLY, thanks!”
The Pew Research Center defines Generation Z as any person born between 1997 and 2012 and the baby-boomer generation includes any person born between 1946 and 1964.
The sign has since been removed, but it was there long enough for potential customers to share photos and gain attention on social media.
“You’re going to get people from every group who are lazy and work hard. I’m sure when baby boomers were young, they were probably also called lazy, and it just keeps going on from generation to generation,” said frequent Dollar Tree customer Lindsay Berger.
Dollar Tree was informed of the manager’s sign and released the following statement:
“We are aware that an unauthorized sign was posted at our store for a brief period of time. The handwritten message was absolutely not approved by or condoned by our company.”
Additionally, Dollar Tree representatives said the manager was no longer employed by the company.
Federal law prevents employment discrimination based on race, sex, sexual orientation, disability, religion, color and veteran status.
Copyright 2022 WNDU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/dollar-tree-manager-loses-job-after-controversial-help-wanted-sign-goes-viral/
| 2022-04-24T20:17:18Z
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EXPLAINER: How South Carolina execution firing squad works
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — It’s unknown how long a stay will hold off the execution of Richard Bernard Moore — South Carolina’s first-ever inmate to be put to death by a firing squad — as his attorneys pursue legal challenges.
But the issuance of Moore’s death warrant, initially planned to be carried out April 29, has renewed interest in how a state puts in motion its plans to shoot an inmate to death. The method is employed in only a handful of states and has not been used in the U.S. in more than a decade.
South Carolina just instituted the firing squad option last year, giving condemned inmates the choice between that and electrocution, prompted by an inability to procure lethal injection drugs.
In choosing the firing squad, the 57-year-old Moore said he didn’t concede that either method was legal or constitutional but that he more strongly opposed death by electrocution and only opted for the firing squad because he was required to make a choice.
Moore drew the death sentence for the 1999 killing of convenience store clerk James Mahoney in Spartanburg. Planning to rob the store for money to support his cocaine habit, investigators have said that Mahoney pulled a gun, which Moore was able to wrestle away and use to shoot the clerk.
A May 13 execution date has also been set for another inmate, Brad Sigmon, although a state judge is examining his legal argument that both electrocution and the firing squad are “barbaric” methods of killing.
Only three executions in the United States have been carried out by firing squad since 1976, according to the Washington-based nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center. Moore’s would mark the first since Ronnie Lee Gardner‘s 2010 execution by a five-person firing squad in Utah.
WHEN DID THIS PROCESS BEGIN?
South Carolina — once home to one of the busiest death chambers in the nation — has been unable to carry out any execution since 2011, an involuntary pause that officials have attributed to the state’s inability to procure the trifecta of drugs needed to carry out a lethal injection. Condemned inmates had the choice between injection and electrocution, meaning that opting for the former would in essence leave the state unable to carry out the sentence.
For several years, lawmakers have mulled adding the firing squad as an option to approved methods, but debate never advanced. Last year, Democratic Sen. Dick Harpootlian and GOP Sen. Greg Hembree, both of whom previously served as prosecutors, again argued in favor of adding the firing squad option.
“The death penalty is going to stay the law here for a while. If it is going to remain, it ought to be humane,” Harpootlian said, positing that the firing squad provided a more humane alternative than electrocution, if executions were to continue in the GOP-dominated state.
The measure, which Republican Gov. Henry McMaster signed into law last May, made South Carolina the fourth state in the country to allow use of a firing squad, according to the Washington-based nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center.
HOW IS THE EXECUTION CARRIED OUT?
Since the bill’s passage, the South Carolina Department of Corrections worked at retrofitting its existing death chamber in Columbia — where executions by lethal injection and electrocution have been carried out for more than 30 years — to accommodate the needs of a firing squad.
The agency spent $53,600 in state funding on renovations, including the installation of bullet-resistant glass between the death chamber and witnesses, as well as a metal chair into which the inmate will be strapped. They also cut into the brick wall of the chamber to make an aperture through which the three shooters — all volunteer employees from the Corrections Department — will thread their weapons, all loaded with live ammunition.
The aperture is 15 feet from the condemned, situated in a corner of the room, according to a memo released last month by the prisons agency. While the inmate will be visible to witnesses, officials said that the shooters and their weapons will not.
The electric chair, which officials say cannot be removed from the chamber, will be covered in its spot between the glass wall and the firing squad chair.
After an opportunity to make a final statement, the inmate will be strapped into the chair and a hood placed over his head. An execution team member will place a “small aim point” over the inmate’s heart.
After the warden reads the execution order, officials said the team will fire. The agency has not specified what caliber rifles the volunteer shooters will use, nor details of the “certain qualifications” they will be required to have met.
WHO WILL BE THERE TO WITNESS IT?
Aside from the state officials in the chamber to carry out the execution, three media witnesses may attend the execution, as well as three witnesses from the victim’s family, according to the Corrections Department.
State law also allows religious and legal counsel for the inmate, as well as representatives from law enforcement and local prosecutors.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTERWARD?
As is standard with all South Carolina executions, a physician will examine the inmate and make a death declaration. A photo released by Corrections officials shows a lipped metal basin underneath the inmate chair, as well as a rectangular box directly behind it, potentially to absorb the gunfire.
Immediately thereafter, the witnesses will be escorted from the room and taken to the Corrections headquarters building, where other media will be gathered.
Out of sight of the witnesses, the inmate’s body is removed from the chamber and taken by the Richland County Coroner’s Office for an autopsy before being returned to the inmate’s family.
___
Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/explainer-how-south-carolina-execution-firing-squad-works/
| 2022-04-24T20:17:24Z
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Explosion at illegal oil refinery in Nigeria kills over 50
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — More than 50 people were killed and many injured when an explosion rocked an illegal oil refinery in southeastern Nigeria, state officials and police said Saturday.
The death toll may be more than 100, according to a report in the Lagos-based Punch newspaper. The fire was reported to have spread to nearby properties.
The fire broke out Friday night and quickly spread to two fuel storage areas at the illegal crude oil refinery, causing the complex to be “engulfed by fire which spread rapidly” within the area, said Declan Emelumba, the Imo State commissioner for information.
The immediate cause of the explosion and the extent of the deaths, injuries and damage were being investigated, Emelumba said.
Multiple videos posted on social media showed a gruesome scene, with people’s charred remains reduced to skeletons and cinders. The Associated Press was unable to independently verify them.
“A lot of people died. The people who died are all illegal operators,” said Michael Abattam, spokesman of the Imo State Police Command.
The Imo state government was looking for the owner of the refinery where the explosion occurred and declared him a wanted individual, an official said.
Illegal refineries are common in Nigeria, where shady business operators often avoid regulations and taxes by setting up refineries in remote areas, out of sight of authorities.
Nigeria is Africa’s largest producer of crude oil but it has very few official refineries and as a result most gasoline and other fuels are imported, creating an opening for the illegal refinery operators.
The practice is so widespread that is affecting crude oil production in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/explosion-illegal-oil-refinery-nigeria-kills-over-50/
| 2022-04-24T20:17:31Z
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‘Free gift for you’ text message is latest scam going around, BBB says
(Gray News) - Every few months, a new scam pops up that seems to be everywhere, and the Better Business Bureau says that is the case this month.
The BBB Scam Tracker has received numerous reports of a text message scam that attempts to trick people with the promise of a “free gift.”
The scam starts with you receiving a text message that says something like this: “Your bill is paid for March. Thanks, here’s a little gift for you.” This message is followed by a link to an unfamiliar website.
The text doesn’t specify what bill you paid, what company the message is coming from, or what the total amount was. The BBB says the message may be a group text sent to a dozen or more other people, none of whom are in your contacts list.
The text isn’t from a real company. The goal is to get your personal information, which puts you at risk for identity theft.
In some versions of the scam, you may be directed to a website asking you to “confirm your identity,” so you can receive the gift. Scammers may also ask for your credit card information, claiming you need to pay a few dollars to ship the “free” gift, according to the BBB.
Officials with the BBB advise consumers to not click on links from strangers. Additionally, be wary of suspicious links forwarded to you by friends too. Even well-meaning friends may forward suspicious links without realizing they’ve been scammed.
Scammers often use links along with either an exciting offer or a threat as part of a phishing scam.
If you think the message came from a company you do business with, call them directly before you click on any links. And the BBB says to keep in mind that businesses need your permission to send you text messages.
Furthermore, use good judgment. BBB representatives say scammers love to trick people with offers that are too good to be true.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/free-gift-you-text-message-is-latest-scam-going-around-bbb-says/
| 2022-04-24T20:17:38Z
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High Arts Festival comes to Ix Art Park
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The High Arts Festival at Ix Art Park, both celebrated and educated people on the beneficial uses of cannabis and CBD.
“We have 40 vendors who are selling various things, from jewelry, to art to CBD products. We have music going on all day and then we have some talks, like DIY talks, and workshops and things that are happening throughout,” Ix Art Park Executive Director, Alex Bryant said.
This past year, Virginia changed the laws on cannabis so people are able to grow it at home.
“Every household can grow four plants and you can share those plants with your friends, and that’s all perfectly legal and you can consume in private,” Bryant said.
Bryant says it’s important to know what you’re putting in your body is coming from.
“There’s no consumption today, the art park is a public park, but everyone here is encouraged. There’s lots of seed giveaways and things, go home, try their luck and just share in the culture,” Bryant said.
Vendors are sharing tips on how to take care for plants and the possible benefits it has.
“This is really a community effort to showcase support and to help normalize and educate the general public about cannabis and marijuana and THC and CBD and all of those fun acronyms,” Bryant said.
Ix Art Park says it plans on having similar events in the future.
Copyright 2022 WVIR. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/high-arts-festival-comes-ix-art-park/
| 2022-04-24T20:17:44Z
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Man charged with hiding corpse nearly 40 years after killing, authorities say
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WLUK) - A Wisconsin man has been charged with hiding a corpse in a murder case in which the victim’s remains weren’t found for nearly four decades.
This week, investigators said 82-year-old John C. Andrews was officially charged with hiding a corpse.
Andrews was convicted of murdering Starkie Swenson nearly 30 years ago, but initially, his body was not located.
Calumet County District Attorney Nathan Haberman said Swenson’s remains were found in September 2021. At that time, forensic anthropologist Dr. Jordan Karsten concluded the body was placed there either at the time of death or shortly after – dating back to 1983.
“My understanding of the law is that the statute of limitations on this class of felony is six years, so from 1983 to 2022 is far more than that. So, there’s a very real, in my opinion, statute of limitations problem,” defense attorney Jonas Bendereck said.
However, the District Attorney’s office made it clear the charge wasn’t for moving a corpse.
“There’s not an allegation that’s in the criminal complaint about him moving the body. That’s simply not something that we have evidence about, nor that we are charging him with. The charges in the case are hiding a corpse, and part of the definition of hiding is keeping the location of the corpse unknown,” Haberman said.
The charge stems from an interaction Andrews allegedly had with investigators in June 2021.
According to the criminal complaint, he was asked to help locate Swenson and refused, stating that he’d never seen or spoken to Swenson.
Swenson’s remains were finally discovered last year, which is why the hiding of a corpse is said to have happened in that timeframe.
“Law enforcement continued to investigate what happened and continued to investigate where the remains of Starkie Swenson were and, in doing so, they asked Mr. Andrews for some assistance, because he was the only one who would know, according to them,” Haberman said.
Authorities said the statute of limitations issue remains in question as arguments continue.
Copyright 2022 WLUK via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/man-charged-with-hiding-corpse-nearly-40-years-after-killing-authorities-say/
| 2022-04-24T20:17:50Z
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Michigan GOP picks candidates with Trump clout on the line
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Two candidates who were endorsed by former President Donald Trump won Michigan Republicans’ backing for attorney general and secretary of state at a convention Saturday, clearing their path to face Democratic incumbents in the fall.
The meeting of thousands of delegates was a test of Trump’s clout in the party.
His allies — attorney general candidate Matthew DePerno, a lawyer, and secretary of state candidate Kristina Karamo, a community college instructor — emerged victorious from three-person fields at the 10-hour “endorsement” convention in downtown Grand Rapids.
The political newcomers support Trump’s false claims about his 2020 loss in the swing state. They will be officially nominated at a second convention in August and challenge Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in November.
Karamo won handily with two-thirds of the vote. DePerno was just shy of the majority needed in an initial vote. But he won a runoff over former legislative leader Tom Leonard that was paused and later restarted after the ballot order of races did not match what was shown on screens flanking the stage.
Trump has said his preferred candidates would not let Michigan be “stolen” in the next presidential election. He lost the state by 154,000 votes to Joe Biden. Trump’s slate drew criticism, however, within a wing of the GOP that views the candidates as unelectable in the fall and was frustrated that party leaders openly backed them rather than be neutral.
State Republican Party Chairman Ron Weiser said such critics are “poor losers.”
“We’re going to unite together, and we will be able to win this election this fall,” he said.
DePerno’s main rival for the nomination was Leonard, the party’s 2018 attorney general nominee whom Trump later nominated for U.S. attorney in western Michigan. State Rep. Ryan Berman, who finished third, urged his supporters to back Leonard in the runoff.
Bernadette Smith, one of the party’s vice chairs, said DePerno “is the only candidate who will fight for election integrity.” As DePerno’s supporters walked to the front of the hall to demonstrate their support, a video played of Trump touting DePerno and calling Leonard a “RINO” — or Republican in name only.
DePerno unsuccessfully sued after human error led rural Antrim County to erroneously show a local victory for Biden over Trump. It was quickly corrected but was used to spread misinformation about voting equipment.
DePerno was in “the field working when no one else was,” Smith said.
He may face repercussions over the Antrim lawsuit.
DePerno recently confirmed that the state’s Attorney Grievance Commission is investigating him. Nessel last year began a separate probe after a Republican-led legislative committee said people were making baseless allegations about the results in Antrim to raise money or publicity for their own ends. The panel’s report did not specify whom should be investigated, but the people mentioned in it include DePerno.
Republican U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman supported Leonard.
“Mark my words: Democrats are motivated and we will only win if we put our best candidates forward,” he said. “I truly believe he’s the only candidate in this race with integrity, grit, determination and the skills to not only win in November but to perform the duties of attorney general on day one.”
DePerno, however, said he can unite Republicans and defeat Nessel.
“She is literally drunk on power and we are going to end that,” he said.
In the secretary of state’s race, Karamo defeated state Rep. Beau LaFave and Chesterfield Township Clerk Cindy Berry.
“We’re going to make sure that our election results is something that everyone can be confident in,” Karamo said.
In a sign of how pervasive election falsehoods have become, the party used machines to tabulate votes but, in a change, also hand-counted the ballots in a compromise with activists.
Nominees for Michigan’s statewide races are chosen at conventions except in gubernatorial and U.S. Senate primaries. The midterm election climate is expected to favor Republicans, but incumbent attorney generals and secretaries of state rarely lose.
The state Democratic Party said the GOP should be “ashamed” of its endorsed candidates. Chair Lavora Barnes called Karamo a “fear-spreading, inexperienced extremist” and said DePerno is a Trump “lackey” willing to protect the former president but not all Michiganders.
___
Follow David Eggert at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/michigan-gop-picks-candidates-with-trump-clout-line/
| 2022-04-24T20:17:57Z
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Offense tops defense, 20-2, in JMU Spring Game
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - The James Madison football team held its 2022 Spring Game Saturday at Bridgeforth Stadium.
The White Team (Offense) defeated the Purple Team (Defense), 20-2. The game featured standard scoring across two regulation quarters of play.
The White Team scored on the first play of the game when Billy Atkins connected with Devin Ravenel on a quick pass and he broke away for a 75-yard touchdown. Todd Centeio performed well at quarterback, completing 15-of-20 passes for 213 yards and one touchdown. Atkins 5-of-9 for 138 yards and one TD while freshman Alonza Barnett III was 4-of-6 passing for 13 yards. JMU head coach Curt Cignetti has said the quarterback competition will extend into fall practice.
2,476 fans attended Saturday’s JMU Spring Game.
NOTE: Statistics mentioned above are courtesy of Noah Flesichman of the Daily News-Record. They are unofficial statistics.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/offense-tops-defense-20-2-jmu-spring-game/
| 2022-04-24T20:18:04Z
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Official: Meadows had been warned of possible 1/6 violence
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former White House official told the House committee investigating the Capitol riot that President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, had been advised of intelligence reports showing the potential for violence, according to just-released transcripts.
Cassidy Hutchinson, a special assistant in the Trump White House, told the committee “there were concerns brought forward” to Meadows before the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but it was unclear what Meadows did with that information.
“I just remember Mr. Ornato coming in and saying that we had intel reports saying that there could potentially be violence on the 6th,” Hutchinson said, presumably referencing Anthony Ornato, a senior Secret Service official. “And Mr. Meadows said: ‘All right. Let’s talk about it.’”
The exact nature of what Meadows was told is not clear from Hutchinson’s testimony. Though law enforcement had been bracing for potential violence on Jan. 6, officials had not properly accounted for the prospect that a violent mob would attack the Capitol.
The filing late Friday is the latest in a long legal fight over the extent to which Meadows, whose proximity to Trump has made him a key target of House Democrats, can be forced to cooperate with the committee’s investigation. Meadows has handed over thousands of text messages, but he has refused to sit for an interview, has argued that he is immune from having to testify by virtue of his White House position, and has sued the committee.
The filing seeks a court ruling in the committee’s favor that Meadows has no valid basis to refuse to testify. It says the committee has refined the scope of its request to focus on seven specific topics, including testimony about communication with Congress before Jan. 6, 2021; White House plans to replace the leadership of Justice Department so the department could pursue Trump’s bogus claims of election fraud; and efforts to create alternate, or fake, slates of state electors who could change the outcome of the vote of the 2020 election that Democrat Joe Biden won.
The committee released excerpts of testimony from multiple witnesses it has interviewed, including Hutchinson. Besides describing warnings of potential violence provided to Meadows, Hutchinson revealed how the White House counsel’s office cautioned against plans to enlist fake electors in states, including in meetings involving Meadows and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
The filing also includes new text messages that Meadows turned over, including several from House Republicans who were pushing the former North Carolina congressman to act. Meadows’ close friend, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, suggests in a late text on Jan. 5, 2021 — the day before Congress was due to certify Biden’s victory — that Vice President Mike Pence “should call out all electoral votes that he believes are unconstitutional as no electoral votes at all.”
Meadows texted back in the early hours of Jan. 6: “I have pushed for this. Not sure it is going to happen.” Pence ultimately resisted the overwhelming pressure from Trump and his allies and did not attempt to object to Biden’s certification.
Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., was texting Meadows as early as Dec. 26, 2020: “Mark, just checking in as time continues to count down. 11 days to 1/6 and 25 days to inauguration. We gotta get going!”
In the texts released by the committee, Perry encouraged Meadows to talk to Jeffrey Clark, an assistant attorney general who was sympathetic to Trump’s bogus claims of election fraud. A week later, on Jan. 3, Clark attended a meeting at the White House with Trump, where the prospect of elevating Clark to the role of acting attorney general was discussed — but adamantly resisted by Justice Department officials, who threatened to resign, and White House lawyers. Trump ultimately backed down.
Hutchinson said Meadows talked “frequently” to Clark, and Hutchinson recalled Clark’s presence at the White House and “his frequent outreach and communications.”
In another interview released by the committee Friday, former Justice Department official Steven Engel, then the head of the Office of Legal Counsel, said Clark had suggested that the department provide a legal opinion to Pence regarding the vice president’s authority to object to the certification of the presidential election. Engel said he told Clark that was “absurd” and reminded him that Pence’s role was a ceremonial one as president of the Senate.
The testimony released Friday also reinforced how certain Republicans in Congress were deeply involved in White House discussions about overturning the election in the months leading to the deadly insurrection.
Hutchinson, for instance, described several calls involving Meadows and members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus in late November and early December in which participants discussed what Pence’s role could be on Jan. 6, besides the ceremonial role he was required to play.
On those calls, according to Hutchinson, were representatives from Trump’s legal team, including Giuliani, Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell, as well as Jordan and Perry.
Meadows’ lawsuit asked a judge to invalidate two subpoenas that he received from the committee, alleging they were “overly broad and unduly burdensome.” The suit accused the committee of overreaching by subpoenaing Verizon for his cellphone records.
After the complaint was filed, the House committee sent a contempt of Congress charge against Meadows to the full House, where it passed on a near-party-line vote. It was the first time the chamber had voted to hold a former member in contempt since the 1830s.
While an earlier contempt referral against former Trump adviser Steve Bannon resulted in an indictment, the Justice Department has been slower to decide whether to prosecute Meadows.
Any criminal case against Meadows would be more complex than that presented against Bannon, in part because Meadows was a White House chief of staff and because he had begun to cooperate with the committee, even providing documents to the nine-member panel.
Meadows’ attorney, George Terwilliger, has previously defended his client by noting that due to Meadows’ willingness to turn over records, he should not be compelled to appear for an interview. Terwilliger did not immediately return an email seeking comment about the latest disclosures.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/official-meadows-had-been-warned-possible-16-violence/
| 2022-04-24T20:18:10Z
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Police ID Maryland man shot in incident at Peruvian ambassador’s home
WASHINGTON (AP) — Gordon Casey, a 19-year-old from Germantown, Maryland, was identified by the Metropolitan Police Department on Saturday as the man who was shot and killed by U.S. Secret Service officers this past week at the residence of Peru’s ambassador to the United States.
Police said the diplomat and his family were inside the home in the Forest Hills neighborhood of northwest Washington when they heard several windows being smashed Wednesday morning and called the Secret Service.
Officers responding to the call for a burglary in progress encountered a man they said was armed with a metal stake in the rear yard.
District of Columbia Police Chief Robert Contee said officers had used a Taser to try to detain the man, but “those weapons appear to not have any effect on the person.”
Police said the officers “gave multiple commands to the suspect to drop the weapon.” When he didn’t, two officers fired their guns, striking and killing Casey. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators have not revealed any details about a potential motive. Earlier in the week, Contee said police were still trying to learn why the man was at the ambassador’s home and why he was smashing the windows.
Several windows and doors around the large property had been shattered, he said.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/police-id-maryland-man-shot-incident-peruvian-ambassadors-home/
| 2022-04-24T20:18:17Z
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Reifsnider’s walk-off double lifts JMU to extra-inning win over William & Mary
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - The James Madison baseball team picked up a dramatic win over William & Mary Friday night at Eagle Field.
In the bottom of the 10th inning, Travis Reifsnider launched a double off the right field wall to score Nick Zona as the Dukes claimed a 5-4, walk-off victory in the first game of a three-game series between the two teams. James Madison improves to 21-17 overall (7-6 CAA) while William & Mary drops to 17-17 overall (7-6 CAA).
JMU jumped out to a 2-0 lead after three innings but William & Mary came through with a pair of clutch hits in the top of the seventh inning to jump in front 4-2.
Jason Schiavone’s RBI squeeze bunt scored Mason Dunaway in the bottom of the 8th inning to cut the deficit to 4-3. In the bottom of the ninth, Ryan Dooley lifted a sacrifice fly to centerfield allowing pinch runner Bryce Suters to score the game-tying run and send the contest to extra innings where Reifsnider became the hero for JMU.
Justin Showalter started on the mound for James Madison and battled his way through 6.1 innings. He allowed three hits, two earned runs, three walks, hit three batters with a pitch, and struck out two. Eli Ottinger earned the win after working a scoreless frame in the top of the tenth inning. Kyle Novak went 1-for-4 with a double and two walks. He has now reached base safely in 35 consecutive games, setting a new program record at JMU.
Game two between JMU and William & Mary is scheduled for a 4 p.m. first pitch Saturday at Eagle Field (Veterans Memorial Park).
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/reifsniders-walk-off-double-lifts-jmu-extra-inning-win-over-william-mary/
| 2022-04-24T20:18:24Z
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Ukraine battered again; Zelenskyy says US officials to visit
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces in Ukraine tried to storm a steel plant housing soldiers and civilians in the southern city of Mariupol on Saturday in an attempt to crush the last pocket of resistance in a place of deep symbolic and strategic value to Moscow, Ukrainian officials said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, announced he would meet Sunday in his nation’s capital with the U.S. secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and the U.S. secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin. The White House declined to comment.
Speaking at a news conference, Zelenskyy gave little detail about logistics of the encounter but said he expected concrete results — “not just presents or some kind of cakes, we are expecting specific things and specific weapons.”
It would be the first high-level U.S. trip to Kyiv since the war began Feb. 24. While visiting Poland in March, Blinken stepped briefly onto Ukrainian soil to meet with the country’s foreign minister. Zelenskyy’s last face-to-face meeting with a U.S. leader was Feb. 19 with Vice President Kamala Harris.
In attacks on the eve of Orthodox Easter, Russian forces pounded cities and towns in southern and eastern Ukraine.
A 3-month-old baby was among eight people killed when Russia fired cruise missiles at the Black Sea port city of Odesa, officials said. Zelenskyy said 18 more were wounded.
GRAPHIC WARNING: Videos may contain disturbing content.
“The war started when this baby was one month old. Can you imagine what is happening?” Zelenskyy said. “They are just bastards. ... I don’t have any other words for it, just bastards.”
The Ukrainian military said Saturday it destroyed a Russian command post in Kherson, a southern city that fell to Russian forces early in the war.
The command post was hit on Friday, killing two generals and critically wounding another, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency said in a statement. The Russian military did not comment on the claim, which could not be confirmed.
Oleksiy Arestovych, a Zelenskyy adviser, said in an online interview that 50 senior Russian officers were in the command center when it was attacked.
The fate of the Ukrainians in the sprawling and besieged seaside steel mill in Mariupol, where Russia says its forces have taken the rest of the city, wasn’t immediately clear. Earlier Saturday, a Ukrainian military unit released a video reportedly taken two days earlier in which women and children holed up underground, some for as long as two months, said they longed to see the sun.
“We want to see peaceful skies, we want to breathe in fresh air,” one woman in the video said. “You have simply no idea what it means for us to simply eat, drink some sweetened tea. For us, it is already happiness.”
Russia said it took control of several villages elsewhere in the eastern Donbas region and destroyed 11 Ukrainian military targets overnight, including three artillery warehouses. Russian attacks also struck populated areas.
Associated Press journalists observed shelling in residential areas of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city; regional Gov. Oleh Sinehubov said three people were killed. In the Luhansk area of the Donbas, Gov. Serhiy Haidai said six people died during the shelling of a village, Gorskoi.
In Sloviansk, a town in northern Donbas, the AP witnessed two soldiers arriving at a hospital, one of them mortally wounded.
Sitting in a wheelchair outside her damaged Sloviansk apartment, Anna Direnskaya, 70, said, “I want peace.”
One of many native Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine, Direnskaya said she wishes Russians would understand that Ukrainians are not bad people and that there should be no enmity between them.
“Why is this happening?” she said. “I don’t know.”
While British officials said Russian forces had not gained significant new ground, Ukrainian officials announced a nationwide curfew ahead of Easter Sunday, a sign of the war’s disruption and threat to the entire country.
Mariupol has been a key Russian objective and has taken on outsize importance in the war. Completing its capture would give Russia its biggest victory yet, after a nearly two-month siege reduced much of the city to a smoking ruin.
It would deprive Ukrainian of a vital port, free up Russian troops to fight elsewhere and establish a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow seized in 2014. Russia-backed separatists control parts of the Donbas.
An adviser to Ukraine’s presidential office, Oleksiy Arestovych, said Russian forces resumed airstrikes on the Azovstal plant and were also trying to storm it, in an apparent reversal of tactics. Two days earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin had given an order not to send troops in but instead to blockade the plant.
Ukrainian officials have estimated that about 2,000 of their troops are inside the plant along with civilians sheltering in its underground tunnels.
Earlier Saturday, the Azov Regiment of Ukraine’s National Guard, which has members holed up in the plant, released the video of about two dozen women and children. Its contents could not be independently verified. But if authentic, it would be the first video testimony of what life has been like for civilians trapped underground there.
The video shows soldiers giving sweets to children who respond with fist-bumps. One young girl says she and her relatives “haven’t seen neither the sky nor the sun” since they left home Feb. 27.
The regiment’s deputy commander, Sviatoslav Palamar, told the AP the video was shot Thursday. The Azov Regiment has its roots in the Azov Battalion, which was formed by far-right activists in 2014 at the start of the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine and has elicited criticism for some of its tactics.
More than 100,000 people — down from a prewar population of about 430,000 — are believed to remain in Mariupol with scant food, water or heat. Ukrainian authorities estimate that over 20,000 civilians have been killed in the city.
Yet another attempt to evacuate women, children and older adults from Mariupol failed Saturday. Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to Mariupol’s mayor, said Russian forces did not allow Ukrainian-organized buses to take residents to Zaporizhzhia, a city 227 kilometers (141 miles) to the northwest.
“At 11 o’clock, at least 200 Mariupol residents gathered near the Port City shopping center, waiting for evacuation,” Andryushchenko posted on the Telegram messaging app. “The Russian military drove up to the Mariupol residents and ordered them to disperse, because now there will be shelling.”
At the same time, he said, Russian buses assembled about 200 meters (yards) away. Residents who boarded those were told they were being taken to separatist-occupied territory and not allowed to disembark, Andryushchenko said. His account could not be independently verified.
In the attack on Odesa, Russian troops fired at least six missiles, according to Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister.
“Residents of the city heard explosions in different areas,” Gerashchenko said via Telegram. “Residential buildings were hit. It is already known about one victim. He burned in his car in a courtyard of one of the buildings.”
Zelenskyy’s news conference was held in a Kyiv subway station, where he paused at one point as a train noisily passed through. The subway system, which includes the world’s deepest station, attracted widespread attention early in the war when hordes of people took shelter there.
Regarding the expected visit Sunday by U.S. officials, Zelenskyy said: “I believe that we will be able to get agreements from the United States or part of that package on arming Ukraine which we agreed on earlier. Besides, we have strategic questions about security guarantees, which it is time to discuss in detail, because the United States will be one of those leaders of security countries for our state.”
___
Fisch reported from Sloviansk, Ukraine. Associated Press journalists Mstyslav Chernov and Felipe Dana in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Inna Varenytsia in Kviv and Associated Press staff members around the world contributed to this report.
___
Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/russia-shifts-forces-battle-over-ukrainian-heartland/
| 2022-04-24T20:18:32Z
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Saving lives off the clock: Nurse saves baby from choking at restaurant
ROCHESTER Minn. (WCCO) - A nurse turned into an unlikely hero off the clock at a Minnesota restaurant.
Nurse Brad Burt was having lunch earlier this month when he was alerted to an infant who was choking.
“We had just got done finishing paying up and about to leave when we heard someone calling for a nurse or a doctor,” Burt said.
And Burt said he sprang into action to perform the Heimlich maneuver.
“They were looking around for someone to step up. Thankfully, I was there to be able to do that. Otherwise, I don’t know if anyone else would’ve had the skills,” Burt said.
Burt is currently working with children at the Mayo Clinic and said this is a reminder of the importance of people learning first aid or becoming CPR certified.
“The area here is very lucky to have a lot of health care professionals, but choking and needing CPR can happen anywhere. So, it’s very important to be learning these skills,” Burt said.
Copyright 2022 WCCO via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/saving-lives-off-clock-nurse-saves-baby-choking-restaurant/
| 2022-04-24T20:18:39Z
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Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department unveils new facility
ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - The Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department has a brand new facility and they say it’s different than any in the area.
“Enabling that kind of consistent and local capability for our folks is going to be a game changer for us,” training officer, Robert Knight said.
Knight estimates the volunteers are there around 70,000 hours a year. He says that time can now be put to better use with a new training center. It’s waterproof and acts as a simulation for real house fires.
“Depending on what kind of learner you are, it can be really challenging to kind of grasp that and so this space offers us 99% of that experience,” Knight said.
The space is something the team has been working towards since 2014. It finally received enough grants and donations to fund the necessary tools.
“It’s long awaited,” Chief Dennis Hahn said. “This was a vision of a couple of us here at the department a few years ago, but being able to do this and actually seeing it is very rewarding.”
Hahn says the convenience of the location of this space will make the team more productive, ultimately benefitting the community.
He’s also hoping the new facility will lead to more volunteers.
“If it doesn’t help recruit, then it’ll at least help us retain because they’re able to acquire the training,” Hahn said. “The other volunteer departments don’t have this ability.”
If this new training center has you wanting to join the team, you can go to Join Us – Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department (stvfd.org) to learn more.
Copyright 2022 WVIR. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/seminole-trail-volunteer-fire-department-unveils-new-facility/
| 2022-04-24T20:18:46Z
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Somalia’s extremists bomb restaurant in the capital; 6 dead
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A bomb blast by Somalia’s Islamic extremist rebels hit a popular seaside restaurant in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, killing at least six people, ambulance service officials say.
The explosion was detonated by a suicide bomber who had been denied access inside the restaurant where the Somali Police Commissioner and several lawmakers were having dinner, Somali Police Spokesman Maj. Abdifatah Aden Hassan announced at a press conference Saturday.
The explosion occurred Friday evening when many patrons gathered for an Iftar meal to break the Ramadan fast. The restaurant is frequented by government officials.
Those killed were mostly civilians and seven other people were wounded, the director of Aamin Ambulance Service, Abdulkadir Adan told The Associated Press by phone. The blast caused “huge damage,” he said. Some security personnel were killed in the blast but police did not specify how many.
Somalia’s al-Shabab Islamic extremist group has claimed responsibility for the explosion.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/somalias-extremists-bomb-restaurant-capital-6-dead/
| 2022-04-24T20:18:52Z
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Split verdict in first-ever Air Force general military trial
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AP) — An Air Force major general in Ohio has been convicted by a military judge of one of three specifications of abusive sexual contact in the first-ever military trial of an Air Force general.
The charge faced by Maj. Gen. William Cooley during the weeklong court-martial at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio had three specifications, one alleging a forcible kiss and two alleging forcible touching in 2018. Cooley was convicted Saturday of the forcible kissing specification but acquitted of the other two.
Officials said the verdict marks the first court-martial trial and conviction of a general officer in the Air Force’s 75-year history.
A former commander of Air Force Research Laboratory, Cooley was charged with abusive sexual contact in an encounter with a woman who gave him a ride after a backyard barbecue in New Mexico nearly four years ago. Officials said the woman is a civilian who is not a Department of Defense employee.
Cooley was to be sentenced Monday morning and could face as much as seven years in jail as well as loss of rank, pay and benefits.
Cooley had the option of a trial by court member jurors or by military judge, and chose to have the case heard by the judge.
“Today marks the first time an Air Force general officer has been held responsible for his heinous actions,” the woman’s attorney, Ryan Guilds, said in a statement, the Dayton Daily News reported. “... Hopefully, this will not be as difficult for the next survivor.”
Cooley was fired from his research laboratory position in January 2020 after an Air Force investigation and has worked in an administrative job since then. A message seeking comment was left for his attorney Saturday.
“This case clearly demonstrates the commitment of Air Force leaders to fully investigate the facts and hold Airmen of any rank accountable for their actions when they fail to uphold Air Force standards,” Col. Eric Mejia, staff judge advocate for Air Force Materiel Command, said in a statement.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/split-verdict-first-ever-air-force-general-military-trial/
| 2022-04-24T20:18:59Z
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Tigers’ Cabrera gets 3,000th hit; 33rd player to reach mark
DETROIT (AP) — Tigers star Miguel Cabrera delivered the 3,000th hit of his decorated career Saturday, becoming the 33rd major leaguer to reach the mark and the first player from Venezuela to accomplish the feat.
Still an imposing presence at 39, Cabrera made history by grounding an opposite-field single to right through the shift in the first inning of Detroit’s game against Colorado.
Cabrera immediately raised his right arm as he headed toward first base. The crowd of 37,566 at Comerica Park gave him a rousing ovation and chanted “Miggy! Miggy!” while fireworks were shot off from beyond the center field fence.
“I was like, ‘Get it done today,”” Cabrera said.
The milestone hit came on a 1-1 pitch from Antonio Senzatela, a fellow Venezuelan, in the first game of a day-night doubleheader. Rockies shortstop José Iglesias, who played with Cabrera on the Tigers, came over to give his former teammate a big hug.
By then, all the Tigers were streaming from the dugout to greet the newest member of baseball’s elite 3,000-hit club. Moments later, Cabrera went behind home plate to embrace his mother, wife, son and daughter on the field.
“I’m happy I hit it here. I’m happy for the people of Detroit to see it. Hopefully I can get more hits here,” Cabrera said.
.Cabrera soon returned to first base, but he didn’t stay there for long. He scored on a three-run homer by 22-year-old rookie Spencer Torkelson, who is touted as the next big thing in Detroit and has taken over as the Tigers’ regular first baseman with Cabrera now in the role of designated hitter.
When the inning ended, the scoreboard flashed “Congratulations Miggy.” Cabrera emerged from the dugout for a curtain call, waving to fans who had been rewarded with the highlight they came to see.
Cabrera, however, wasn’t quite done. He added a two-run single in the sixth, exited for a pinch-runner and drew another huge cheer. The Tigers went on to win 13-0.
Cabrera kept moving up the chart with a bloop single in the first inning of the nightcap, which the Rockies won 3-2. He finished the day with 3,002 career hits.
A two-time AL MVP, a Triple Crown winner and an 11-time All-Star with four batting titles, Miggy’s place among the Major League Baseball greats already was assured long before this afternoon in Detroit.
As a 20-year-old rookie, Cabrera helped the Florida Marlins win the 2003 World Series championship. All these years later, stamping his name onto the 3,000-hit list had a nice ring, too.
And it’ll certainly look good on a plaque in Cooperstown someday.
Cabrera became just the seventh player with 500 home runs and 3,000 hits. He joined an exclusive club with Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Rafael Palmeiro, Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez.
Last August in Toronto, Cabrera connected for his 500th homer. He’s at 502 in his 20th season.
Cabrera is the seventh Latino player to make the 3,000 chart. Hitting the mark tied him with the late Roberto Clemente, and hit No. 3,001 moved Cabrera ahead of the Pirates Hall of Famer.
Pujols was the previous player to reach 3,000 hits, doing it in 2018. He was at 3,308 going into Saturday and, at 42 with St. Louis, has said this is his final season.
The next hitter to reach 3,000? Hard to say.
Robinson Canó trailed Cabrera on the active list with 2,630 going into Saturday and is 39 years old. Yadier Molina, also 39, followed at 2,116.
Among younger players, Jose Altuve (32) has 1,783 and Freddie Freeman (32) had 1,722. Mike Trout (30) was at 1,428.
Cabrera got three hits Wednesday to get to 2,999, then struck out in his final at-bat of the night. He went 0 for 3 Thursday and was intentionally walked his final time up against the Yankees, drawing loud boos and chants from Detroit fans.
The hallowed hit remained on deck when Friday night’s game against Colorado was rained out.
Cabrera was the third player to get his 3,000th hit while with Detroit, joining late Hall of Famers Ty Cobb and Al Kaline.
“Al is one of my heroes. It’s really sad he couldn’t see it because he would always talk about this moment. Hopefully, somewhere right now he’s happy and smiling,” Cabrera said.
While age has diminished his power to clear any fence and smash opposite-field shots to right-center, Cabrera has enjoyed a monster career at the plate.
Cabrera became the first major leaguer in 45 years to win the Triple Crown by leading the league in batting average, home runs and RBIs in 2012. That year, he won his first of two straight MVP awards and helped Detroit reach the World Series, during a stretch that included four straight division championships.
“He is one of the great right-handed hitters ever,” Yankees manager and former Marlins teammate Aaron Boone said this week.
“And 3,000 hits, 500 homers, that’s obviously rarefied air. He’s done it, you know, in bigger ballparks his entire career, between Florida and here also. You know, he’s an all-timer. He’s in that, probably inner circle, of even the Hall of Fame. It’s been a special career,” Boone said.
Cabrera boosted his total most often against James Shields, getting 27 hits against the former Tampa Bay, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City and San Diego pitcher.
Detroit acquired Cabrera in a trade with the Marlins in 2007, with Dontrelle Willis also going to the Tigers in a deal for Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin. Cabrera had 842 hits at the time.
The swap came a year after the Tigers lost the World Series to St. Louis, in the hope that Cabrera would help them win the championship for the first time since 1984.
The Tigers, though, never won it all with their superstar. Detroit was swept by San Francisco in the 2012 World Series and spent a decade in a rebuilding mode that bottomed out with 310 losses between 2017-19.
After Cabrera was an All-Star for the 11th time in 2016, his production declined and Detroit’s rate of success did as well.
The Tigers made bold moves in the offseason in a quest to be relevant with Cabrera serving as a draw to bring fans to the ballpark and to hit about one ball per game into the outfield grass with savvy swings after crushing baseballs with incredible force earlier in his career.
A top prospect in the minors, Cabrera made his big league debut in June 2003. He announced his presence to the whole baseball world that October.
Brushed back by a couple of heaters from Yankee ace Roger Clemens, Cabrera came back to launch a home run off the Rocket in helping the Marlins win the World Series.
Cabrera is almost twice as old now and is still a kid at heart, recently taking the grounds crew’s three-wheel bicycle for a ride during batting practice.
And, one of the game’s all-time greats can still get a base hit against some of the world’s best pitchers.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/tigers-cabrera-gets-3000th-hit-33rd-player-reach-mark/
| 2022-04-24T20:19:06Z
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Traffic Alert: Staunton district April 25-29
STAUNTON, Va. (WHSV) -The following is a list of highway work that may affect traffic in the Staunton transportation district during the coming weeks, according to VDOT.
The Staunton District consists of 11 counties from the Alleghany Highlands to the northern Shenandoah Valley: Alleghany, Bath, Rockbridge, Highland, Augusta, Rockingham, Page, Shenandoah, Frederick, Clarke and Warren.
Scheduled work is subject to change due to inclement weather and material supplies. Motorists are advised to watch for slow-moving tractors during mowing operations. When traveling through a work zone, be alert to periodic changes in traffic patterns and lane closures.
*NEW* or *UPDATE* indicates a new or revised entry since last week’s report.
ALLEGHANY COUNTY
INTERSTATE 64:
Mile marker 7 to 2, westbound – Alternating lane closures for paving, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. through May 6.
*NEW* Mile marker 10 to 12, eastbound – Overnight mobile lane closures for survey work, Tuesday through Friday nights from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
*NEW* Mile marker 14 to 16, eastbound – Right shoulder closures for shoulder repairs, Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Mile marker 20 to 22, eastbound and westbound – Alternating lane closures for Karnes Creek bridge painting, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through April 30.
*UPDATE* Mile marker 23 to 25, eastbound and westbound – Alternating lane closures for maintenance of bridge over Route 60 and Route 220, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through April 29.
Mile marker 25 to 26, eastbound and westbound – Alternating lane closures for painting of bridges over Sioux Street and Commercial Avenue, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through April 30.
PRIMARY ROADS:
*NEW* Route 42 (Forty Two Road) – Northbound and southbound alternating lane closures for painting of I-64 overpass bridges, April 26 – May 8 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
*NEW* Route 269 (Longdale Furnace Road) – Eastbound and westbound alternating closures for painting of I-64 overpass bridges, April 26 – May 8 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Various roads – Flagger traffic control for tree and debris removal, drainage work, pothole patching and shoulder repairs. Street sweeping with mobile operations. Weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
SECONDARY ROADS:
Various roads – Flagger traffic control for ditch work, asphalt patching, pothole patching and brush cutting. Street sweeping with mobile operations. Weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
BATH COUNTY
PRIMARY ROADS:
Various roads – Flagger traffic control for shoulder repairs and pipe cleaning. Weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
SECONDARY ROADS:
Various roads – Flagger traffic control for brush cutting and pipe cleaning. Weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY
INTERSTATE 64:
No lane closures reported.
INTERSTATE 81:
*NEW* Mile marker 174 to 191, northbound and southbound – Overnight mobile lane closures for pothole patching, Tuesday night from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
*NEW* Mile marker 185 to 189, northbound – Overnight mobile lane closures for survey work, Tuesday through Friday nights from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
*NEW* Mile marker 194 to 192, southbound – Right shoulder closures for sign work, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
*UPDATE* Exit 205, northbound and southbound – Northbound on- and off-ramp closures Sunday through Thursday nights (May 1-5) from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. for removal of concrete barriers and paving. Follow posted detours. Northbound and southbound ramp shoulder closures 24/7. Traffic restrictions are for interchange improvements with estimated completion in fall 2022.
PRIMARY ROADS:
*NEW* Route 11 (Lee Highway) – Northbound shoulder closures for tree removal between Route 712 (Decatur Road) and Route 763 (Lincoln Road), Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Route 11 (Lee Highway) – Flagging operations for paving operations between Route 739 (Fox Hunt Road) and Route 684 (Tinkerville Road), Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
*NEW* Route 39 (Maury River Road) – Flagging operations for tree removal between Route 732 (McCurdy Lane) and Route 729 (Back Draft Road), Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Various roads – Flagger traffic control for pipe replacement, ditch work, tree removal, shoulder repairs, pavement patching and brush cutting. Weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
SECONDARY ROADS:
Route 606 (Raphine Road) – Lane closures possible in area of I-81 ramps during daytime or overnight hours. Traffic restrictions are due to interchange improvements with estimated completion in fall 2022.
Route 720 (Spring Run Road) – Bridge replacement at Poor Creek just north of Route 604 (Gibbs Run Lane). Traffic uses temporary causeway during construction through May 19.
*NEW* Route 917 (Oakland Circle, Raphine) – Overnight flagger traffic control between Route 613 (Ridge Road) and Augusta County line for slope repairs, Wednesday night from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Various roads – Flagger traffic control for grading, pipe replacement, ditch work, tree removal, pavement patching, shoulder repairs and brush cutting. Weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
HIGHLAND COUNTY
PRIMARY ROADS:
*NEW* Route 84 (Mill Gap Road) – Flagging operations for tree removal between Route 640 (Meadowdale Road) and West Virginia state line, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
*NEW* Route 220 (Jackson River Road) – Flagging operations for tree removal between Route 606 (Dry Branch Road) and Route 642 (Blue Grass Valley Road), Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
*NEW* Route 250 (Highland Turnpike) – Flagging operations for tree removal between Route 656 (Bertie Lane) and Route 649 (Myers Moon-Road), Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Various roads – Flagger traffic control for pothole patching and shoulder repairs. Weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
SECONDARY ROADS:
Various roads – Flagger traffic control for brush cutting, pipe cleaning, tree removal, ditch work, and adding stone to unpaved roads. Weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
AUGUSTA COUNTY
INTERSTATE 64:
No lane closures reported.
INTERSTATE 81:
*NEW* Mile marker 211 to 213, northbound – Right shoulder closures for sign work, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
*NEW* Mile marker 212 to 214, northbound – Overnight right lane and closure for sinkhole repairs, Wednesday night from 8 p.m. until repairs are complete.
*NEW* Mile marker 220 to 218, southbound – Right shoulder closures for shoulder repairs, Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
*NEW* Mile marker 222 to 223, northbound – Right shoulder closures for sign work, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
*NEW* Mile marker 232 to 238, northbound and southbound – Overnight alternating lane closures for soil and rock testing, April 25 – May 14 from 8 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
*NEW* Mile marker 235 to 236, northbound – No lane closures, but survey work in the right-of-way Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
PRIMARY ROADS:
Route 250 (Richmond Avenue, Staunton) – Overnight westbound right turn lane closures for road improvements between Severn Street and Young Street, Wednesday and Thursday nights from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Ongoing lane closures as needed. Estimated project completion June 24.
Route 261 (Statler Boulevard, Staunton) – Overnight southbound left turn lane closures for intersection improvements at Richmond Avenue, Wednesday and Thursday nights from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Ongoing lane closures as needed. Estimated project completion June 24.
*NEW* Route 262 (Woodrow Wilson Parkway) – Southbound right shoulder closures for sign work between I-81 interchange (at exit 225) and Country Club Road, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
SECONDARY ROADS:
Route 610 (Howardsville Turnpike) – Shoulder closures for water-line installation between Route 660 (Lake Road) and Route 848 (Rankin Lane), 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 28.
*NEW* Route 612 (Crimora Mine Road) – Closed to through traffic April 25-May 19 between Route 340 (Eastside Highway) and Route 663 (Mine Branch Road) for bridge work at Mine Branch Creek. Follow posted detour.
*NEW* Route 613 (Old Greenville Road) – Overnight flagging operations for pavement marking work between Route 701 (Howardsville Road) and Route 871 (Cochrans Mill Road), Sunday to Thursday nights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
*NEW* Route 621 (Sandy Ridge Road) – Overnight flagging operations for pavement marking work between Route 340 (Eastside Highway) and dead end, Sunday to Thursday nights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Route 631 (Ladd Road) – Flagging operations for utility work at the Route 340 (Stuarts Draft Highway) intersection, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. through April 24.
*NEW* Route 634 (Patton Farm Road) – Overnight flagging operations for pavement marking work between Route 639 (Wayne Avenue) and Route 970 (Hall School Road), Sunday to Wednesday nights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
*NEW* Route 658 (Avis Road) – Overnight flagging operations for pavement marking work between Route 657 (Indian Ridge Road) and Route 608 (Cold Springs Road), Sunday to Thursday nights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Route 695 (Arborhill Road) – Shoulder closures for pole installation between Route 252 (Middlebrook Road) and Route 697 (Griner Road), 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. through April 28.
*NEW* Route 794 (Sangers Lane) – Overnight flagging operations for pavement marking work between Route 792 (Balsley Road) and Route 642 (Barrenridge Road), Sunday to Thursday nights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
*NEW* Route 795 (Entry School Road) – Overnight flagging operations for pavement marking work between Route 796 (Kiddsville Road) and Route 640 (Old White Bridge Road), Sunday to Thursday nights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
*NEW* Route 823 (Beagle Gap Run) – Overnight flagging operations for pavement marking work between Route 340 (Eastside Highway) and cul-de-sac, Sunday to Thursday nights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
*NEW* Route 905 (Browns Lane) – Overnight flagging operations for pavement marking work between Route 340 (Eastside Highway) and dead end, Sunday to Thursday nights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY
INTERSTATE 81:
*UPDATE* Mile marker 238 to 257, northbound – Right shoulder closures for brush removal, drainage work and fence repairs, Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Mile marker 239 to 237, southbound – Overnight alternating lane closures for drainage work, 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. through April 29.
Mile marker 245 to 244, southbound – Right shoulder closures as needed for unloading equipment, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 27.
Mile marker 262 to 264, northbound – Overnight alternating lane closures for drainage work, 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. through April 29.
PRIMARY ROADS:
*NEW* Route 42 (Main Street, Timberville) – Flagging operations for bridge inspection between Route 1506 (C Street) and Route 1507 (Maple Avenue/Riverside Drive), Thursday from 12 noon to 4 p.m.
Route 42 (Main Street, Timberville and Timber Way, Broadway) – Alternating lane closures between Route 211 (New Market Road, Timberville) and Route 259 (Lee Street, Broadway) for paving operations, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. through May 6.
Route 211 (New Market Road) – Mobile flagging operations for pavement patching between Route 42 (Main Street, Timberville) and Shenandoah County line, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through April 30.
Route 280 (Stone Spring Road) – Overnight mobile lane closures for pavement patching between Route 33 (Spotswood Trail) and Harrisonburg city limits, 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. through April 30.
*NEW* Route 340 (East Side Highway) – Flagging operations at Page County line for inspection of Naked Creek bridge, Thursday from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.
Route 340 (East Side Highway) – Mobile flagging operations for pavement patching between Route 754 (Rocky Bar Road) and Lonesome Lane, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through April 30.
SECONDARY ROADS:
Route 641 (Cave Hill Road) – Shoulder closures for tree trimming between Route 991 (Jacob Burner Drive) and Route 843 (Cemetery Road), 8:30 am to 2:30 p.m. through April 25.
Route 641 (White Rose Road) – Shoulder closures for tree trimming between Route 649 (Island Ford Road) and Route 648 (Dave Berry Road), 8:30 am to 2:30 p.m. through April 25.
Route 644 (Resort Drive) – Overnight mobile lane closures for pavement patching between Route 33 (Spotswood Trail) and Route 646 (Bloomer Springs Road), 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. through April 30.
Route 672 (Pineville Road) – Shoulder closures for brush removal between Route 253 (Port Republic Road) and Route 708 (Goods Mill Road), 8:30 am to 2:30 p.m. through April 25.
Route 682 (Friedens Church Road) – Closed between Route 867 (North River Road) and Route 989 (Creekside Drive) for roadway improvements and bridge replacement at Pleasant Run. Follow posted detour. Speed limit on detour route is 25 miles an hour. Estimated project completion April 2023.
Route 708 (Goods Mill Road) – Shoulder closures for brush removal between Route 672 (Pineville Road) and Route 657 (Longley Road), 8:30 am to 2:30 p.m. through April 25.
*NEW* Route 727 (Sangersville Road) – Overnight flagging operations for pavement marking work between Augusta County line and Route 613 (Jordan Hill Road), Tuesday to Thursday nights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Route 989 (Valley Branch Road) – Closed to through traffic between Route 989 (Scholars Road) and Route 846 (Western View Road) through April 29 for replacement of bridge Pleasant Run tributary. Follow posted detour.
*NEW* Route 995 (Koiner Ford Road) – Overnight flagging operations for pavement marking work between Route 693 (Fairview Road) and Route 682 (Friedens Church Road), Tuesday to Thursday nights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
*NEW* Route 4113 (Country Club Road, Harrisonburg) – Flagging operations for soil and rock testing at I-81 overpass bridge between Linda Lane and Country Club Court, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
PAGE COUNTY
PRIMARY ROADS:
*NEW* Route 211 (Lee Highway, Luray) – Eastbound and westbound right shoulder closures for sign work between Route 656 (Whispering Hill Road) and Route 675 (Bixlers Ferry Road), Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Route 211/340 (Lee Highway, Luray) – Turn lanes closed to Route 737 (Northcott Drive) and no left turns for westbound traffic onto Route 211 Business (West Main Street). Traffic restrictions are for road improvements through June 30. Follow posted detours. Project completion scheduled for December 2022.
Route 211/340 – Single-lane traffic between Route 615 (Egypt Bend Road) and Route 646 (Oak Leaf Road). Westbound traffic uses median crossover to share eastbound bridge over Shenandoah River South Fork. Work zone speed limit 45 miles an hour. Traffic restrictions are for westbound bridge replacement with estimated completion in summer 2022.
Route 211 Business (West Main Street, Luray) – Shoulder closures for road improvements between Route 211 (Lee Highway) and Carillon Drive through December 2022.
*NEW* Route 340 – Shoulder closures for sign work near Route 658 (Pass Run Road), Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
*NEW* Route 340 – Flagging operations at Rockingham County line for inspection of Naked Creek bridge, Thursday from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.
SECONDARY ROADS:
Route 718 (Hinton Road) – Closed to through traffic between Route 731 (Collins Avenue) and Route 340 for bridge work through May 5. Follow posted detour.
Route 737 (Northcott Drive) – Closed between Route 211/340 and Route 211 Business (West Main Street) for road improvements and roundabout construction through December 2022. Follow posted detour.
SHENANDOAH COUNTY
INTERSTATE 81:
*NEW* Mile marker 264 to 299, northbound and southbound – Overnight alternating lane closures for vegetation control, Wednesday night from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
*NEW* Mile marker 264 to 299, northbound and southbound – Shoulder closures for litter pickup, Monday to Thursday from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Mile marker 294 to 299, northbound and southbound – Shoulder closures for soil and rock testing, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through April 25.
Mile marker 296 to 299, northbound – Right shoulder closures for utility work, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 30.
*NEW* Mile marker 298 to 299, northbound and southbound – Shoulder closures for litter pickup, April 29 – May 2 from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Mile marker 299 to 296, southbound – Overnight alternating lane closures for soil and rock testing, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. through June 3.
PRIMARY ROADS:
*NEW* Route 11 (Old Valley Pike) – Shoulder closures for sign work between Route 653 (Brook Creek Road) and Heishmans Park, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
*NEW* Route 11 (Old Valley Pike) – Shoulder closures for sign work between Route 730 (Caverns Road) and Route 620 (Smith Creek Road), Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
*NEW* Route 11 (Old Valley Pike) – Alternating lane closures for inspection of bridge over North Fork Shenandoah River, Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Route 11 (Old Valley Pike) – Flagger traffic control as needed between Route 720 (Wissler Road) and Mount Jackson town limits, weekdays from 7 a.m. 5 p.m. Work zone speed limit 45 miles an hour. Traffic restrictions are for replacement of North Fork Shenandoah River bridge. Estimated completion August 2023.
SECONDARY ROADS:
Route 720 (Wissler Road) – Closed until further notice just west of Route 11 (Old Valley Pike) due to damage to Meems Bottom bridge. Follow posted detour.
FREDERICK COUNTY
INTERSTATE 81:
*NEW* Mile marker 300 to 324, northbound and southbound – Overnight alternating lane closures for vegetation control, Wednesday night from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
*NEW* Mile marker 300 to 325, northbound and southbound – Shoulder closures for litter pickup, April 29 – May 2 from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
*NEW* Mile marker 305 to 310, northbound and southbound – Right shoulder closures, including exit 307 off-ramps, for sign work, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mile marker 314 to 315, northbound and southbound – Overnight alternating lane closures for inspection of Abrams Creek bridge, Wednesday and Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
*NEW* Mile marker 317 to 319, northbound – No lane closures, but survey work in the right-of-way Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
PRIMARY ROADS:
Route 11 (Main Street, Middletown) – Alternating lane closures for road and utility work between Route 627 (Reliance Road) and Skirmisher Lane, Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Route 50 (Northwestern Turnpike) – Single-lane closures between Route 654 (Poorhouse Road) and West Virginia state line for safety enhancement project. Work zone active during daytime and nighttime hours. On four-lane portion of roadway, no eastbound lane closures from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., and no westbound lane closures from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Estimated completion October 31.
Route 277 (Fairfax Pike) – Both shoulders closed 24/7 between I-81 ramps and Route 1075 (Nottoway Drive) for roadway and utility reconstruction project with completion in November 2022.
Route 522 (Front Royal Pike) – Southbound traffic uses median crossovers between Route 644 and Route 1054 (Clydesdale Drive) to share northbound Opequon Creek bridge. Northbound and southbound traffic limited to one lane. Work zone is for bridge replacement with completion scheduled for September 2022.
SECONDARY ROADS:
Route 627 (Reliance Road) – Alternating lane closures for road and utility work between Route 11 (Main Street, Middletown) and Route 1116 (Carolyn Avenue), Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Various roads – Alternating lane closures on Route 657 (Senseny Road), Route 736 (Rossum Lane), Route 867 (Twinbrook Circle) and Route 868 (Glenridge Drive) just west of Clarke County line for roadway and utility work, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Various roads – Flagger traffic control for utility tree trimming, weekdays during daylight hours.
CLARKE COUNTY
PRIMARY ROADS:
*NEW* Route 7 (Harry Byrd Highway) – Eastbound and westbound right shoulder closures for sign work in the area of Route 621 (Shepherds Mill Road), Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
*NEW* Route 50 (John Mosby Highway) – Eastbound and westbound right shoulder closures for sign work in the area of Route 255 (Bishop Meade Road), Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
SECONDARY ROADS:
No lane closures reported.
WARREN COUNTY
INTERSTATE 66:
*NEW* Mile marker 0 to 15, eastbound and westbound – Alternating lane closures for vegetation control, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Mile marker 0 to 15, eastbound and westbound – Right shoulder closures for utility work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 30.
*UPDATE* Mile marker 4 to 10 including Exit 6, eastbound and westbound – Right shoulder closures along interstate and off-ramps for sign work, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mile marker 8 to 7, westbound – Right lane closures for utility work, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 30.
INTERSTATE 81:
*NEW* Mile marker 299 to 300, northbound and southbound – Shoulder closures for litter pickup, April 29 – May 2 from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Mile marker 299 to 300, northbound and southbound – Shoulder closures for soil and rock testing, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through April 25.
Mile marker 299 to 300, southbound – Right shoulder closures for utility work, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 30.
Mile marker 300 to 299, southbound – Overnight alternating lane closures for soil-boring operations, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. through June 3.
PRIMARY ROADS:
No lane closures reported.
SECONDARY ROADS:
No lane closures reported.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/traffic-alert-staunton-district-april-25-29/
| 2022-04-24T20:19:13Z
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Twitter bans ads that contradict science on climate change
BERLIN (AP) — Twitter says it will no longer allow advertisers on its site who deny the scientific consensus on climate change, echoing a policy already in place at Google.
“Ads shouldn’t detract from important conversations about the climate crisis,” the company said in a statement outlining its new policy Friday.
There was no indication that the change would affect what users post on the social media site, which along with Facebook has been targeted by groups seeking to promote misleading claims about climate change.
The announcement coinciding with Earth Day came hours before the European Union agreed upon a deal requiring big tech companies to vet their sites more closely for hate speech, disinformation and other harmful content.
Twitter said it would provide more information in the coming months on how it plans to provide “reliable, authoritative context to the climate conversations” its users engage in, including from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The U.N.-backed science panel’s reports on the causes and effects of climate change provide the basis for international negotiations to curb climate change.
The company already has a dedicated climate topic on its site and offered what it described as “pre-bunks” during last year’s U.N. climate conference to counter misinformation surrounding climate change.
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Follow AP’s coverage of climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/twitter-bans-ads-that-contradict-science-climate-change/
| 2022-04-24T20:19:19Z
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US military drops appeal of Hawaii order to drain fuel tanks
HONOLULU (AP) — The U.S. government on Friday dropped its appeals of a Hawaii order requiring it to remove fuel from a massive military fuel storage facility that leaked petroleum into the Navy’s water system at Pearl Harbor last year.
Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Defense notified the state and federal courts of its decision. The move comes more than a month after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the military would permanently shut down the tanks and drain all of their fuel.
The Hawaii Department of Health, which issued the order, said the decision regarding the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility was a “step forward.”
“While today’s announcement is good news, the work continues,” the department said in a statement. It said it would “continue to act expeditiously and proactively to oversee the safe defueling and decommissioning of Red Hill and restoration of the aquifer.”
David Henkin, an attorney for Earthjustice which is representing the Sierra Club of Hawaii as an interested party in the case said his clients would remain vigilant to make sure the tanks are promptly defueled.
“It’s a wonderful Earth Day gift to the people of Hawaii and in particular to all the residents of Oahu who depend on safe, clean drinking water when they turn on their tap,” Henkin said.
The Navy and the Hawaii Department of Health did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
Henkin said even if Austin were to change his mind and try to keep the tanks open, the military will now face “an enforceable, unimpeachable, unchallengeable order from the Department of Health that they need to follow.”
The order from the Hawaii Department of Health requires the military to remove fuel from the tanks 30 days after it’s safe to do so. The military will have to stick to this deadline now that it’s dropping the appeal, Henkin said.
The military, with oversight from the state health department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is currently developing plans to safely remove the fuel. It’s uncertain how long this will take.
Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, said in a statement that the dropping of the lawsuit “paves the way for us to shut down Red Hill this year.”
The legal challenge made it hard for the state to work cooperatively with the Defense Department, Schatz said. He said he pushed hard for the military to make this decision.
Petroleum leaked from the Red Hill tanks into a Navy drinking water well late last year, sickening 6,000 people mostly living in military housing. Medical teams treated people complaining of nausea, headaches, rashes and other symptoms. The military put about 4,000 families in hotels for several months while it cleaned its water pipes.
The tanks also pose a threat to water consumed by 400,000 on Oahu. That’s because they sit 100 feet (30 meters) above an aquifer that serves the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, the city’s water utility, in addition to the Navy’s water system.
The city utility has suspended use of three of its wells until it can be sure petroleum won’t migrate through the aquifer from the area by the Navy’s well to its own wells.
The water utility and local leaders are also worried another spill could poison the city’s water system.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/us-military-drops-appeal-hawaii-order-drain-fuel-tanks/
| 2022-04-24T20:19:26Z
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Want to get paid $10K to eat tacos? You could be the next ‘Chief Taco Officer’
(Gray News) - A Texas-based food delivery service is offering taco fans a job to find some of the best street tacos in the state.
Favor, a food delivery service, is hiring someone to be its “Chief Taco Officer.”
According to the company, the new CTO will travel across the Lone Star State to discover and review select tacos.
Favor’s job listing reports it will pay $10,000 for the role with dates listed for June and July. The person who gets the job will get free food, accommodations, transportation and free delivery for a year.
Those interested in applying do have to be a Texas resident. The application process also includes creating and sharing a short video on why you should be selected along with completing an online form.
There is no catch with the job offer, according to Favor. The company said it wants to find the best delivery tacos in Texas with a little help.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/want-get-paid-10k-eat-tacos-you-could-be-next-chief-taco-officer/
| 2022-04-24T20:19:33Z
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Warm start to the week
Cold front arrives Tuesday
SUNDAY: A mix of sun and clouds for the afternoon as a spotty shower or storm forms in the late afternoon to early evening. The Northern Valley and Potomac Highlands have the best odds of seeing a thunderstorm but most places will dodge any rain. Very warm with highs in the low to mid 80s!
A few passing clouds and warm for the evening with temperatures falling into the 70s. A few clouds for the evening and overnight and turning pleasantly cool with temperatures falling into the mid to upper 50s.
MONDAY: Plenty of sunshine with a few clouds to start the day and mild with temperatures rising into the 60s. A mix of sun and clouds in the afternoon and very warm with highs in the low to mid 80s. A beautiful day overall.
Some clouds for the evening and warm with temperatures falling into the 70s. Scattered clouds for the overnight and turning pleasantly cool. Overnight lows in the mid to upper 50s.
TUESDAY: A mix of sun and clouds to start the day and mild with temperatures rising into the 60s. A cold front will pass through the area, bringing scattered showers by late morning. Scattered showers will remain in the area through the afternoon and early evening. Limited rainfall with this system. Warm during the day with highs in the upper 60s to low 70s. Any rain showers wrapping up by midnight with clearing to follow. Chilly with overnight lows in the upper 30s to low 40s.
WEDNESDAY: Plenty of sunshine to start the day and chilly with temperatures in the 40s. Clouds will increase throughout the day and pleasantly cool in the afternoon with highs in the low to mid 50s. Some clouds overnight and turning cold with overnight lows in the low to mid 30s. A freeze or frost is possible overnight.
THURSDAY: Plenty of sunshine to start the day with a few passing clouds and chilly. Temperatures rising into the 40s. Mild in the afternoon with passing clouds and highs in the upper 50s to low 60s. Some clouds overnight and turning cold with overnight lows in the mid to upper 30s.
FRIDAY: A mix of sun and clouds to start the day and turning pleasantly cool with temperatures quickly rising into the 50s. Some clouds into the afternoon and turning mild with highs in the low to mid 60s. Scattered clouds for the evening and overnight with temperatures falling into the upper 30s to low 40s.
SATURDAY: More clouds than sun to start the day and pleasantly cool with temperatures rising into the 50s. Plenty of clouds around for the afternoon and mild for the day with highs in the low to mid 60s.
As always, you can get the latest updates by downloading and checking the WHSV Weather App.
**A reminder that spring wildfire season is underway for both Virginia and West Virginia. No outdoor burning before 4pm in Virginia until April 30th. No outdoor burning in West Virginia before 5pm through May 31.**
Copyright 2021 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/warm-temperatures-continue/
| 2022-04-24T20:19:40Z
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Waynesboro defeats Fort Defiance in girls soccer showdown
Published: Apr. 22, 2022 at 11:15 PM EDT|Updated: Apr. 22, 2022 at 11:57 PM EDT
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Two of the best girls soccer teams in the Shenandoah Valley squared off Friday night.
Waynesboro defeated Fort Defiance, 1-0, behind a goal from Kathleen Ledford. The Little Giants improve to 7-1 overall (3-0 Shenandoah District) while the Indians suffer their first loss of the season and drop to 7-1 overall (3-1 Shenandoah District).
To see more high school spring sports scores from Friday night, click here.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/waynesboro-defeats-fort-defiance-girls-soccer-showdown/
| 2022-04-24T20:19:46Z
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What are some common mistakes people make gardening?
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - Spring planting is very tempting when it’s warm out in the spring but Arlene Reid from Glenhaven Greenhouses said that’s the biggest mistake a person can make.
“Becuase it’s warm, they believe that they can plant. They don’t understand and these are not just new gardeners. These are gardeners who’ve been doing it for... I’ve been in the business for 40 some years and these are gardeners that have been there maybe not as long as me but close,” said Reid.
Reid said that also a lot of times people will clean up their garden in February and uncover things which is also too early to do.
“What happens many times is those little daffodils and tulips so on and so forth and there are other perennials as well that are like oh yes and the sun warms up the ground. It has nothing to protect them, then we get a really cold freeze or cold snap. It doesn’t even have to be a freeze and you wonder why the plants are turning brown on top,” said Reid.
Reid said the best thing you can do with plants already growing out of the soil is to mulch them for protection.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/23/what-are-some-common-mistakes-people-make-gardening/
| 2022-04-24T20:19:53Z
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5 shot in ‘altercation’ near Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park
ATLANTA (WGCL) - The Atlanta Police Department has confirmed that five people were shot in the area of John Portman Boulevard and Centennial Olympic Park Drive in northwest Atlanta Saturday night.
Just before 10 p.m., Atlanta Police responded to the scene for a report of a person shot. When units arrived, officers found three people who had been shot, all with non-life threatening injuries, WGCL reports.
APD later learned that two other shooting victims had taken themselves to Grady hospital to be treated. Atlanta Police Deputy Chief Timothy Peek said it appears those two victims took a vehicle from a valet at gunpoint before driving to the hospital.
Police did not release the conditions of the shooting victims, only saying all are stable at this time. Peek says all of the victims are between the ages of 15 and 19 years old.
Over the course of the investigation, police say they recovered three guns and the stolen vehicle used to transport two of the victims to the hospital. The motive for the shooting is not known at this time.
Peek said before the shooting occurred, a number of 911 calls were received from the area regarding several juveniles on scooters, who very well could have been involved in the shooting.
“We have not had the opportunity to determine whether they were directly involved with this incident, but of course, that will be a part of the investigation,” Peek said. “There were a number of scooters that were on scene when we got here. Now, how they got here and who was using them, we’ll have to figure that piece out.”
Police did not identify any specific suspects, only that they are continuing to investigate exactly what led up to the shooting and who was involved.
“What we’ll say is that the investigators are certainly still working in turning over every leaf to determine what happened,” Peek said. “All individuals thus far have been identified. Of course, based off the area surveillance, we will look to see who else we can identify that may have had some involvement with this shooting.”
Copyright 2022 WGCL via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/5-shot-altercation-near-atlantas-centennial-olympic-park/
| 2022-04-24T20:19:59Z
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Average US gasoline price drops 3 cents to $4.24 a gallon
CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The national average retail price of regular-grade gasoline dropped 3 cents in the past two weeks to $4.24 a gallon, the Lundberg Survey reported Sunday.
That brings the total decline over six weeks to 19 cents a gallon, leaving the current price $1.27 above its year-ago point, the survey said.
Mid-grade gasoline averaged $4.57 a gallon and premium averaged $4.83.
Nationwide, the highest average price for regular-grade gasoline in the April 22 survey was $5.71 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The lowest average was $3.70 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Lundberg surveys a national panel of markets twice monthly.
“Although crude oil prices rose in this period, the past few days saw them drop,” industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said. “This with a big loss of business margin by retailers allowed the average price to decline. Unless oil prices fall further, additional drops in pump prices are likely to be small or none.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/average-us-gasoline-price-drops-3-cents-424-gallon/
| 2022-04-24T20:20:06Z
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Biden marks ‘Armenian genocide,’ aims to stop ‘atrocities’
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden on Sunday commemorated the 107th anniversary of the start of the “Armenian genocide,” issuing a statement in memory of the 1.5 million Armenians “who were deported, massacred or marched to their deaths in a campaign of extermination.”
The statement did not reference the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which Biden has called a genocide. Yet Biden used the anniversary to lay down a set of principles for foreign policy as the United States and its allies arm Ukrainians and impose sanctions on Russia.
“We renew our pledge to remain vigilant against the corrosive influence of hate in all its forms,” the president said. “We recommit ourselves to speaking out and stopping atrocities that leave lasting scars on the world.”
In 1915, Ottoman officials arrested Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople, now Istanbul. The Biden statement notes that this event on April 24 marked the beginning of the genocide.
Fulfilling a campaign promise, Biden used the term “genocide” for the first time during last year’s anniversary. Past White Houses had avoided that word for decades out of a concern that Turkey — a NATO member — could be offended.
Turkish officials were angered by Biden’s declaration a year ago, with the foreign ministry issuing a statement that said, “We reject and denounce in the strongest terms the statement of the President of the US regarding the events of 1915 made under the pressure of radical Armenian circles and anti-Turkey groups.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/biden-marks-armenian-genocide-aims-stop-atrocities/
| 2022-04-24T20:20:12Z
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Coast Guard: 3 children missing after plunging into Mississippi River
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE/Gray News) - Three children are missing after plunging into the Mississippi River late Saturday day, according to WVUE and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The missing children, a 15-year-old boy, a 14-year-old girl and an 8-year-old girl, were reported entering the water sometime around 7:15 p.m. Saturday night near the Cresent City Connection bridge. The bridge connects the east and west banks of New Orleans.
No one knows why the children entered the river.
The New Orleans’ Regional Transit Authority suspended service of the Algiers-Canal Street ferry so the U.S. Coast Guard can enable its vessels to search the area.
The rescue crews dispatched to the area included a Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and the Coast Guard cutter Sawfish. Three other boat crews from Coast Guard Station New Orleans and the Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team were also dispatched, officials said.
The New Orleans Fire Department and New Orleans police have also joined the search for the missing children.
Copyright 2022 WVUE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/coast-guard-3-children-missing-after-plunging-into-mississippi-river/
| 2022-04-24T20:20:19Z
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COVID shots still work but researchers hunt new improvements
(AP) - COVID-19 vaccinations are at a critical juncture as companies test whether new approaches like combination shots or nasal drops can keep up with a mutating coronavirus — even though it’s not clear if changes are needed.
Already there’s public confusion about who should get a second booster now and who can wait. There’s also debate about whether pretty much everyone might need an extra dose in the fall.
“I’m very concerned about booster fatigue” causing a loss of confidence in vaccines that still offer very strong protection against COVID-19′s worst outcomes, said Dr. Beth Bell of the University of Washington, an adviser to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Despite success in preventing serious illness and death, there’s growing pressure to develop vaccines better at fending off milder infections, too — as well as options to counter scary variants.
“We go through a fire drill it seems like every quarter, every three months or so” when another mutant causes frantic tests to determine if the shots are holding, Pfizer vaccine chief Kathrin Jansen told a recent meeting of the New York Academy of Sciences.
Yet seeking improvements for the next round of vaccinations may seem like a luxury for U.S. families anxious to protect their littlest children — kids under 5 who are not yet eligible for a shot. Moderna’s Dr. Jacqueline Miller told The Associated Press that its application to give two low-dose shots to the youngest children would be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration “fairly soon.” Pfizer hasn’t yet reported data on a third dose of its extra-small shot for tots, after two didn’t prove strong enough.
COMBINATION SHOTS MAY BE NEXT
The original COVID-19 vaccines remain strongly protective against serious illness, hospitalization and death, especially after a booster dose, even against the most contagious variants.
Updating the vaccine recipe to match the latest variants is risky, because the next mutant could be completely unrelated. So companies are taking a cue from the flu vaccine, which offers protection against three or four different strains in one shot every year.
Moderna and Pfizer are testing 2-in-1 COVID-19 protection that they hope to offer this fall. Each “bivalent” shot would mix the original, proven vaccine with an omicron-targeted version.
Moderna has a hint the approach could work. It tested a combo shot that targeted the original version of the virus and an earlier variant named beta — and found vaccine recipients developed modest levels of antibodies capable of fighting not just beta but also newer mutants like omicron. Moderna now is testing its omicron-targeted bivalent candidate.
But there’s a looming deadline. FDA’s Dr. Doran Fink said if any updated shots are to be given in the fall, the agency would have to decide on a recipe change by early summer.
DON’T EXPECT BOOSTERS EVERY FEW MONTHS
For the average person, two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine plus one booster — a total of three shots — “gets you set up” and ready for what may become an annual booster, said Dr. David Kimberlin, a CDC adviser from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
After that first booster, CDC data suggests an additional dose offers most people an incremental, temporary benefit.
Why the emphasis on three shots? Vaccination triggers development of antibodies that can fend off coronavirus infection but naturally wane over time. The next line of defense: Memory cells that jump into action to make new virus-fighters if an infection sneaks in. Rockefeller University researchers found those memory cells become more potent and able to target more diverse versions of the virus after the third shot.
Even if someone who’s vaccinated gets a mild infection, thanks to those memory cells “there’s still plenty of time to protect you against severe illness,” said Dr. Paul Offit of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
But some people — those with severely weakened immune systems — need more doses up-front for a better chance at protection.
And Americans 50 and older are being offered a second booster, following similar decisions by Israel and other countries that offer the extra shot to give older people a little more protection.
The CDC is developing advice to help those eligible decide whether to get an extra shot now or wait. Among those who might want a second booster sooner are the elderly, people with health problems that make them particularly vulnerable, or who are at high risk of exposure from work or travel.
COULD NASAL VACCINES BLOCK INFECTION?
It’s hard for a shot in the arm to form lots of virus-fighting antibodies inside the nose where the coronavirus latches on. But a nasal vaccine might offer a new strategy to prevent infections that disrupt people’s everyday lives even if they’re mild.
“When I think about what would make me get a second booster, I actually would want to prevent infection,” said Dr. Grace Lee of Stanford University, who chairs CDC’s immunization advisory committee. “I think we need to do better.”
Nasal vaccines are tricky to develop and it’s not clear how quickly any could become available. But several are in clinical trials globally. One in late-stage testing, manufactured by India’s Bharat Biotech, uses a chimpanzee cold virus to deliver a harmless copy of the coronavirus spike protein to the lining of the nose.
“I certainly do not want to abandon the success we have had” with COVID-19 shots, said Dr. Michael Diamond of Washington University in St. Louis, who helped create the candidate that’s now licensed to Bharat.
But “we’re going to have a difficult time stopping transmission with the current systemic vaccines,” Diamond added. “We have all learned that.”
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/covid-shots-still-work-researchers-hunt-new-improvements/
| 2022-04-24T20:20:26Z
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Dorothy’s dress from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ is up for auction
(Gray News) – A dress worn by Judy Garland in the classic film “The Wizard of Oz” is up for auction.
The dress was specifically matched to a scene from the movie in which Garland’s character Dorothy faces the Wicked Witch of the West in the Witch’s Castle.
Bonhams says the blue and white gingham dress is one of only two existing dresses with the white blouse and only one of four blue and white dresses in existence.
The fabric label of the dress is inscribed with “Judy Garland.”
The dress went missing in the 1980s after it was given to the Head of Drama at The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. by actress Mercedes McCambridge.
The costume was recently discovered, and will go for anywhere between $800,000 to $1.2 million, according to Bonhams.
The other dress with the blouse was also sold by Bonhams in 2015, where it went for over $1.5 million.
The dress will be presented at the Bonhams Classic Hollywood: Film and Television sale in Los Angeles on May 24.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/dorothys-dress-wizard-oz-is-up-auction/
| 2022-04-24T20:20:32Z
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Long-serving Utah Senator Orrin Hatch dies at age 88
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Orrin G. Hatch, the longest-serving Republican senator in history who was a fixture in Utah politics for more than four decades, has died at age 88.
The retired senator’s death Saturday was announced in a statement from his foundation, which did not specify a cause.
A staunch conservative on most economic and social issues, he also teamed with Democrats several times during his long career on issues ranging from stem cell research to rights for people with disabilities to expanding children’s health insurance. He formed friendships across the aisle, particularly with the late Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.
President Joe Biden, whose served with Hatch in the Senate over three decades, on Sunday described the Republican lawmaker as a fighter for the causes he believed in, but with a softer side including writing songs and poems that he shared with friends.
“To serve with Orrin, as I did for over three decades, was to see — and appreciate — both,” Biden said in a statement. “I saw that energetic, sharp-elbowed Orrin in the many battles we had over tax policy, the right of workers to join a union, and many others.”
Hatch championed GOP issues like abortion limits and helped shape the U.S. Supreme Court, including defending Justice Clarence Thomas against sexual harassment allegations during confirmation hearings.
He later became an ally of Republican President Donald Trump, using his role as chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee to get a major rewrite of U.S. tax codes to the president’s desk. In return, Trump helped Hatch deliver on a key issue for Republicans in Utah with a contentious move to drastically downsize two national monuments established by past presidents.
Hatch retired in 2019. Trump encouraged him to run again, but the longtime senator would have faced a tough primary and had promised to retire. Hatch encouraged Republican Mitt Romney, a Trump critic, to run to replace him.
“Few men have made their mark on the Senate as he did,” Romney wrote in a tribute to his friend and predecessor, praising his “vision and legislative accomplishment.”
Former Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa issued a statement recalling Hatch’s help in securing conservative support for the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, which Hatch would later rank among his most important accomplishments.
“Orrin was always a likable conservative, and until the advent of the Trump administration, willing to work with liberals to find common ground and compromises,” Harkin said.
Utah’s Sen. Mike Lee called Hatch “a friend, a mentor and an example to me and countless others.”
Hatch was noted for a side career as a singer and recording artist with themes of his religious faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He is survived by his wife, Elaine, and their six children.
Hatch was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1976 and served seven terms to become the longest-serving senator in Utah history. He became the Senate president pro tempore in 2015 when Republicans took control of the Senate. The position made him third in the line of presidential succession behind then-Vice President Joe Biden and the Speaker of the House. His tenure places him as the longest GOP senator, behind several Democrats.
One issue Hatch returned to over the course of his career was limiting or outlawing abortion, a position that put him at the center of one of the nation’s most controversial issues. He was the author of a variety of proposed “Hatch amendments” to the Constitution aimed at diminishing the availability of abortions.
In 1991, he became known as one of Thomas’s most vocal defenders against sexual harassment allegations from law professor Anita Hill. Hatch read aloud at the confirmation hearings from “The Exorcist,” and he suggested that Hill stole details from the book.
While unquestionably conservative, Hatch sometimes differed with conservative colleagues — including then-President George W. Bush when Hatch pushed for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.
In 1997, Hatch joined Kennedy in sponsoring a $24 billion program for states to provide health insurance to the children of low-income parents who don’t qualify for Medicaid.
“He exemplified a generation of lawmakers brought up on the principles of comity and compromise, and he embodied those principles better than anyone,” Hatch Foundation chairman A. Scott Anderson said in a statement. “In a nation divided, Orrin Hatch helped show us a better way.”
Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, praised Hatch’s legislative acumen.
“Orrin’s decades of leadership drove an unending catalog of major legislative accomplishments and landmark confirmations,” McConnell said in a statement. “He entered the Senate as a young principled conservative in the 1970s when the modern conservative movement was in its infancy. He held to his principles his whole career.”
Hatch also helped usher through legislation toughening laws against child pornography and illegally downloading music.
The music-download issue was a personal one. A member of the faith widely known as Mormon, he frequently wrote religious songs and recorded music in his spare time as a way to relax from the stresses of life in Washington. Hatch earned about $39,000 in royalties from his songs in 2005.
One song, “Unspoken,” went platinum after appearing on “WOW Hits 2005,” a compilation of Christian pop music.
In 2000, Hatch sought the Republican presidential nomination, saying he had more experience in Washington than his opponents and could work with Democrats. Hatch acknowledged winning would be a long shot, and withdrew from the race after getting only 1% of the vote in the Iowa caucuses. He endorsed George W. Bush.
He became a strong opponent of President Barack Obama’s 2009 health care law after pulling out of early bipartisan talks on the legislation. At one point, he said of the legislation: “It is 2,074 pages long. It is enough to make you barf.”
Hatch faced a tough re-election battle from a conservative candidate in 2012, two years after a tea party wave carried longtime Utah Republican Sen. Bob Bennett out of office. Both Bennett and Hatch voted in favor of a 2008 bank bailout that rankled the far right.
Hatch poured about $10 million into his 2012 race and worked to build support among tea party conservatives.
Hatch was used to playing tough — he learned to box as a child in Pittsburgh to fend off the attacks of older, larger students. Unafraid to fight, he said he always made a point to quickly become friends with those he had arguments with.
When Hatch announced he would not seek re-election in 2018, he said “every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves.”
After moving to Utah in the early 1970s, Hatch — a former bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — ran for his first public office in 1976 and narrowly upset Democratic Sen. Frank Moss.
In 1982, he held off challenger Ted Wilson, the Democratic mayor of Salt Lake City, to win a second term by a solid margin.
He was never seriously challenged again.
Orrin Grant Hatch was born in 1934 in Pittsburgh, to a carpenter and plaster lather. He married Elaine Hanson in 1957 and graduated from Brigham Young University in 1959. He received a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1962 and was a partner in the law firm of Thomson, Rhodes and Grigsby in that city until 1969. Later, he was a partner in the Salt Lake City firm of Hatch & Plumb.
His six children are Brent, Marcia, Scott, Kimberly, Alysa and Jess.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/former-sen-orrin-hatch-dies-88/
| 2022-04-24T20:20:39Z
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JMU lacrosse edges past Delaware
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Eleventh-ranked James Madison lacrosse overcame Delaware 14-11 on senior day.
After trailing by one in the fourth quarter, the Dukes scored five goals to power past the Blue Hens and secure their ninth consecutive win.
The Dukes improve to 12-4 and 5-0 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play. Redshirt sophomore Isabella Peterson led the Dukes with four goals, all scored in the second half. The Blue Hens were relentless on offense, and redshirt senior Molly Dougherty made 11 critical saves.
With this victory, the Dukes clinched at least a share of the regular season CAA Championship.
“We haven’t had a tight game in a long time,” said head coach Shelley Klaes. “It was a testament to this team to manage the adrenaline and pull out a win.”
In her final regular-season game at Sentara Park, senior Ava Frantz scored two goals for the Dukes.
“It’s very sentimental, a lot of emotions and I’m so glad we won,” she said.
Dougherty, who currently ranks seventh in program history in career saves, said the Dukes are aiming to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
“I have a lot of memories here,” said Dougherty. “Hopefully we’ll be able to make a big NCAA run and maybe even have a postseason game back on this field.”
Softball
In softball, James Madison swept Drexel in a doubleheader in Philadelphia. After taking the first game 4-1, the Dukes powered past the Dragons 10-1 in the afternoon to win the weekend series. The Dukes had four home runs over both games.
JMU improves to 20-21 and 9-5 in conference play. The Dukes are back in action on Sunday at noon for the final game against Drexel.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/jmu-sports-roundup-saturday-april-23/
| 2022-04-24T20:20:49Z
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Man saves woman who stopped breathing on flight despite missing item in medical kit
CARY, N.C. (WRAL) – A North Carolina man is being called a hero after jumping into action to save a woman’s life during a flight.
As a professional extreme athlete, Seth Coley travels all over the country.
Last month, he was flying from Arizona to Las Vegas when a young woman had stopped breathing.
“They yell, ‘Is there any medical personnel on board?’” Coley said.
Coley is trained as a wilderness first responder.
“I was shocked that I was the only one that really knew what to do,” he said.
When someone brought him the plane’s medical kit, he said a key item he needed was missing.
“I need an NPA or OPA. Both of those systems are basically a straw for your nose or your mouth and it basically forces an airway open,” Coley said.
Coley was still able to get the woman breathing again by manipulating her neck and airway but when he called and emailed Frontier Airlines to discuss his concerns, he got an automated response.
So he posted about it on social media to get their attention.
“I want to make sure people feel safe flying with certain airlines,” Coley said. “I think that’s really irresponsible.”
Frontier Airlines would not address the specific situation, but sent a statement which says: “It is a regulatory requirement to have specific emergency and first aid equipment on an aircraft and the required equipment is the same for all airlines. If any equipment is missing, a flight cannot be dispatched absent an FAA approved exemption.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said airlines risk receiving a fine for not following the rules.
Coley said Frontier has all of his contact information and he hopes they will reach out to him about his concerns.
Copyright 2022 WRAL via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/man-saves-woman-who-stopped-breathing-flight-despite-missing-item-medical-kit/
| 2022-04-24T20:20:57Z
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Missing couple found fatally shot in woods near their home
CONCORD, N.H. (WBZ) - Authorities in New Hampshire are investigating the deaths of a couple in their 60s, who were found shot multiple times in a wooded area by a hiking trail.
The bodies of 67-year-old Stephen Reid and 66-year-old Djeswende “Wende” Reid were found Thursday evening near the Broken Ground Trail in Concord, New Hampshire, where they had been out walking. An autopsy found the couple were shot multiple times.
“I’m shocked. What would’ve provoked something like that? It’s hard to believe,” a neighbor said.
The Reids were last seen Monday afternoon when they left the Alton Woods apartment complex where they lived for a walk outside. Family members first reported the couple missing Wednesday.
Police are asking anyone with information to come forward. They are looking for any evidence of the Reids’ last moments they can find.
No arrests have been made, and police have not said whether the attack was random or targeted. They are asking residents to be vigilant but say there is no reason to believe that the public is at risk at this time.
Still, some neighbors are fearful for their safety.
“That’s horrible. My sister is scared to walk the dog at night now. She’s thinking about getting a Taser,” a neighbor said.
Copyright 2022 WBZ via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/missing-couple-found-fatally-shot-woods-near-their-home/
| 2022-04-24T20:21:03Z
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Native American artist, chief, Oklahoma lawmaker Haney dies
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Enoch Kelly Haney, a Native American artist, Seminole Nation chief and Oklahoma state lawmaker, has died at age 81.
Haney’s death was announced Saturday by Brian Palmer, assistant chief of the Seminole Nation.
Haney, a Democrat, served stints in the Oklahoma House and Senate from 1980-2002, including a stint as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2002 and was elected principal chief of the Seminole Nation in 2005.
His 17-foot sculpture “The Guardian” was placed atop the state Capitol dome in 2002.
In a tweet on Saturday, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said Haney’s “contributions to our state are mighty.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/native-american-artist-chief-oklahoma-lawmaker-haney-dies/
| 2022-04-24T20:21:10Z
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Officers in Texas seize $35M in meth in massive drug bust at US-Mexico border
LAREDO, Texas (Gray News) - Authorities at the Laredo Port of Entry report they were able to stop more than $35 million in methamphetamine from coming into the U.S. in a commercial truck hauling strawberry purée.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports on April 12, a CBP officer assigned to the World Trade Bridge encountered a tractor-trailer arriving from Mexico hauling a shipment of strawberry purée. The truck was then referred for a secondary examination.
After conducting a thorough secondary examination, CBP officers said they discovered 158 packages containing nearly 1,761 pounds of methamphetamine concealed within the shipment.
Officials said the methamphetamine had an estimated street value of more than $35.2 million.
“This mammoth seizure of methamphetamine underscores the reality of the drug threat we face at the port of entry and the determination of our frontline officers to apply the latest inspections technology coupled with officer experience to keep our border secure,” said Laredo Port of Entry Director Albert Flores.
CBP seized the narcotics and an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations special agents remains ongoing.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/officers-texas-seize-35m-meth-massive-drug-bust-us-mexico-border/
| 2022-04-24T20:21:16Z
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France’s Macron is reelected but far-right rival raises game
PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron comfortably won reelection to a second term Sunday, according to polling agencies’ projections. In the midst of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the result offered the European Union the reassurance of leadership stability in the bloc’s only nuclear-armed power and was immediately hailed by France’s allies.
A second five-year term for the centrist Macron spares France and its allies the seismic upheaval of a wartime shift of power to Macron’s populist challenger Marine Le Pen, who quickly acknowledged her defeat Sunday night but still appeared on course for a best-ever showing for her fiercely nationalist far-right policies.
During her campaign, Le Pen pledged to dilute French ties with the 27-nation EU, NATO and Germany, moves that would have shaken Europe’s security architecture as the continent deals with its worst conflict since World War II. Le Pen also spoke out against EU sanctions on Russian energy supplies and faced scrutiny during the campaign over her previous friendliness with the Kremlin.
A chorus of European leaders hailed Macron’s victory. “Democracy wins, Europe wins,” said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
“Together we will make France and Europe advance,” tweeted European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Italian Premier Mario Draghi hailed Macron’s victory as “splendid news for all of Europe” and a boost to the EU “being a protagonist in the greatest challenges of our times, starting with the war in Ukraine.”
Polling agencies’ projections, released as the last voting stations closed, said Macron was on course to beat his rival by a double-digit margin. Several hundred Macon supporters happily gathered in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, waving French and EU flags to the beat of Daft Punk’s “One More Time.”
Five years ago, Macron won a sweeping victory over Le Pen to become France’s youngest president at 39. The margin is expected to be much smaller this time: Polling agencies Opinionway, Harris and Ifop projected that the 44-year-old pro-European centrist would win at least 57% of the vote.
Le Pen was projected to win between 41.5% and 43% support -- a still unprecedented result for the 53-year-old on her third attempt to win the French presidency.
Early official results in France’s presidential runoff are expected later Sunday night. If the projections hold, Macron would become only the third president since the 1958 founding of modern France to win twice at the ballot box, and the first in 20 years, since incumbent Jacques Chirac trounced Le Pen’s father in 2002.
Le Pen called her results “a shining victory,” saying that “in this defeat, I can’t help but feel a form of hope.”
Breaking through the threshold of 40% of the vote is unprecedented for the French far-right. Le Pen was beaten 66% to 34% by Macron in 2017 and her father got less than 20% against Chirac.
She and hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, one of 10 candidates eliminated in the first round of voting on April 10, both quickly pitched forward to France’s legislative election in June, urging voters to give them a parliamentary majority to hamstring Macron.
Le Pen’s score this time rewarded her years-long efforts to make her far-right politics more palatable to voters. Campaigning hard on cost-of-living issues, she made deep inroads among blue-collar voters in disaffected rural communities and in former industrial centers.
The projected drop in support for Macron compared to five years ago points to a tough battle ahead for the president to rally people behind him in his second term. Many French voters found the 2022 presidential rematch less compelling than in 2017, when Macron was an unknown factor, having never previously held elected office.
Leftist voters — unable to identify with either the centrist president or Le Pen’s fiercely nationalist platform — often agonized with the choices available Sunday. Some trooped reluctantly to polling stations solely to stop Le Pen, casting joyless votes for Macron.
“It was the least worst choice,” said Stephanie David, a transport logistics worker who backed a communist candidate in round one.
It was an impossible choice for retiree Jean-Pierre Roux. Having also voted communist in round one, he dropped an empty envelope into the ballot box on Sunday, repelled both by Le Pen’s politics and what he saw as Macron’s arrogance.
“I am not against his ideas but I cannot stand the person,” Roux said.
In contrast, Marian Arbre, voting in Paris, cast his ballot for Macron “to avoid a government that finds itself with fascists, racists.”
“There’s a real risk,” the 29-year-old fretted.
Macron went into the vote with a sizeable lead in polls but faced a fractured, anxious and tired electorate. The war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic battered Macron’s first term, as did months of violent protests against his economic policies, which created fertile ground for Le Pen.
With the EU’s only seat on the U.N. Security Council and only nuclear arsenal, the outcome in France was being watched across the 27-nation bloc. France has played a leading role in international efforts to punish Russia with sanctions and is supplying weapons systems to Ukraine.
Appealing to working-class voters struggling with surging prices, Le Pen vowed that bringing down the cost of living would be her priority and argued that Macron’s presidency had left the country deeply divided.
Macron sought to appeal to voters of immigrant heritage and religious minorities, especially because of Le Pen’s proposed policies targeting Muslims and putting French citizens first in line for jobs and benefits.
Macron also touted his environmental and climate accomplishments to trawl for young voters who backed left-wing candidates in round one. Macron said his next prime minister would be put in charge of environmental planning as France seeks to become carbon neutral by 2050.
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Associated Press journalists Thomas Adamson, Sylvie Corbet and Elaine Ganley in Paris, Michel Spingler in Henin-Beaumont, and Alex Turnbull in Le Touquet, contributed.
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Follow AP’s coverage of the French election at https://apnews.com/hub/french-election-2022
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/polling-agencies-project-reelection-french-leader-macron/
| 2022-04-24T20:21:22Z
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Prisoner serving murder sentence escapes in Alabama
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA/Gray News) - The Alabama Department of Corrections is searching for an inmate who escaped Saturday afternoon, WSFA reports.
Kyle David who is currently serving a 99-year prison sentence for a 2000 murder conviction, is assigned to the Red Eagle Work Center in Montgomery, Alabama. He left his assigned job location around 5:15 p.m. Saturday and did not return.
The department has not provided details on where David’s assigned job location was.
David is 49-years-old and described as being 5 foot 11 inches and approximately 190 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes.
David’s Alabama Department of Corrections custody classification lists him a “minimum-out” inmate. These inmates “do not pose a significant risk to self or others and suitable to be assigned off-property work details without the direct supervision of correctional officers,” according to the Alabama Department of Corrections.
The classification requires inmates to remain “in prison clothing at all times.” Their work is generally assigned to only government positions. Inmates in this custody are generally assigned to Community Work Centers with higher security facilities that maintain a small number of job assignments requiring minimal supervision.
Anyone with information on David’s location is asked to call the Alabama Department of Corrections at 1-800-831-8825.
Copyright 2022 WSFA via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/prisoner-serving-murder-sentence-escapes-alabama/
| 2022-04-24T20:21:29Z
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Russian officer: Missile to carry several hypersonic weapons
MOSCOW (AP) — A new Russian intercontinental ballistic missile is capable of carrying several hypersonic weapons, a senior Russian military officer said Sunday.
Col. Gen. Sergei Karakayev, the commander of the Russian military’s Strategic Missile Forces, said in televised remarks that the new Sarmat ICBM is designed to carry several Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the Sarmat was test-fired for the first time Wednesday from the Plesetsk launch facility in northern Russia and its practice warheads have successfully reached mock targets on the Kura firing range on the far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.
The test launch came amid soaring tensions between Moscow and the West over the Russian military action in Ukraine and underlines the Kremlin’s emphasis on the country’s nuclear forces.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the Sarmat launch as a major achievement, claiming that the new missile has no foreign equivalent and is capable of penetrating any prospective missile defense.
“This really unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, reliably ensure Russia’s security from external threats and make those, who in the heat of frantic aggressive rhetoric try to threaten our country, think twice,” Putin said Wednesday.
The Sarmat is a heavy missile that has been under development for several years to replace the Soviet-made Voyevoda, which was code-named Satan by the West and forms the core of Russia’s nuclear deterrent.
The military has said that the Avangard is capable of flying 27 times faster than the speed of sound and making sharp maneuvers on its way to target to dodge the enemy’s missile shield.
In anticipation of the deployment of the Sarmat, the new hypersonic vehicle has been fitted to the existing Soviet-built ICBMs, and the first unit armed with the Avangard entered duty in December 2019.
The director and the designer-in-chief of the Makeyev missile-maker that developed the Sarmat, Vladimir Degtyar, said in televised remarks that its range allows it to fly along any trajectory across north or south poles to hit any target around the world.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/russian-officer-missile-carry-several-hypersonic-weapons/
| 2022-04-24T20:21:36Z
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‘This is my year’: 75-year-old woman earns college degree after 57-year gap
RALEIGH, N.C. (WRAL) - It’s never too late to follow your dreams. And a 75-year-old grandmother in North Carolina has a degree to prove it.
At Shaw University, Rebecca Inge is completing something she said she first started back in 1965.
That’s when Inge hopped on a train, leaving her home in Sanford, Florida, to pursue a college degree in Raleigh.
“I always dreamed of going to med school because I was sick a lot as a child. I dreamed of being a surgeon,” Inge said.
However, job opportunities, marriage, and then in 1968, the birth of her daughter put college on the back burner.
“Basically, she put her life on hold so that I could finish my 21 years, all of my education,” said Inge’s daughter Marisa Ratliff Dunston.
When Inge’s husband passed away in 2015, she decided to return to the Shaw campus to finish what she started by re-enrolling.
Inge said the administration department told her that they might not have her records from 1965, and she told them to find them as she was returning.
Inge’s journey took her around the world but brought her back to Wake County with her daughter’s family.
“You got to live until you die. So, why not be happy doing something that makes you happy and get involved?” Inge said.
The university indeed found her records, and this year Inge’s graduation ceremony is set for May 8.
Copyright 2022 WRAL via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/this-is-my-year-75-year-old-woman-earns-college-degree-after-57-year-gap/
| 2022-04-24T20:21:43Z
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Three homers, strong pitching helps JMU clinch series win over Tribe
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - The James Madison baseball team clinched another CAA series victory Saturday evening.
The Dukes defeated William & Mary, 4-1, at Eagle Field to take the first two games of the weekend series. JMU will go for the sweep Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
Travis Reifsnider blasted two home runs and drove in three for James Madison on Saturday. His second homer came in the bottom of the fifth inning and it was immediately followed by a solo shot from Fenwick Trimble to give JMU back-to-back home runs. Reifsnider is now batting .337 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI.
Liam McDonnell started on the mound for JMU. The lefty matched a career-high with six innings pitched while allowing five hits, one earned run, and three walks to go along with four strikeouts. McDonnell improves to 6-0 overall while lowering his ERA to 2.06. Hunter Entsminger tossed two scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts while Lliam Grubbs worked a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his third save of the season.
James Madison improves to 22-17 overall (8-6 CAA).
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/three-homers-strong-pitching-helps-jmu-clinch-series-win-over-tribe/
| 2022-04-24T20:21:50Z
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Ukraine leader pushes for more arms; US officials to visit
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed the West for more powerful weapons as he prepared to meet with top U.S. officials in the war-torn country’s capital Sunday, while Russian forces concentrated their attacks on the east, including trying to dislodge the last Ukrainian troops in the battered port of Mariupol.
Zelenskyy announced the planned visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at a news conference Saturday night in a Kyiv subway station. The White House has not commented.
Zelenskyy said he was looking for the Americans to produce results, both in arms and security guarantees. “You can’t come to us empty-handed today, and we are expecting not just presents or some kind of cakes, we are expecting specific things and specific weapons,’’ he said.
The visit would be the first by senior U.S. officials since Russia invaded Ukraine 60 days ago. Blinken stepped briefly onto Ukrainian soil in March to meet with the country’s foreign minister during a visit to Poland. Zelenskyy’s last face-to-face meeting with a U.S. leader was Feb. 19 in Munich with Vice President Kamala Harris.
While the West has funneled military equipment to Ukraine, Zelenskyy has stressed repeatedly that the country needs more heavy weapons, including long-range air defense systems, as well as warplanes.
His meeting with Austin and Blinken was set to take place as Ukrainians and Russians observed Orthodox Easter, when the faithful celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Speaking from Kyiv’s ancient St. Sophia Cathedral, Zelenskyy, who is Jewish, highlighted the significance of the occasion to a nation wracked by nearly two months of war.
“The great holiday today gives us great hope and unwavering faith that light will overcome darkness, good will overcome evil, life will overcome death, and therefore Ukraine will surely win!” he said.
Still, the war cast a shadow over celebrations. In the northern village of Ivanivka, where Russian tanks still littered the roads, Olena Koptyl said “the Easter holiday doesn’t bring any joy. I’m crying a lot. We cannot forget how we lived.”
GRAPHIC WARNING: Videos may contain disturbing content.
Victor Lobush of Kyiv said Ukraine needs more weapons and financial support, and for Western nations “not to buy even a drop of the Russian oil.”
“Actions, not words, are needed,” he said on Independence Square.
The Russian military reported hitting 423 Ukrainian targets overnight, including fortified positions and troop concentrations, while its warplanes destroyed 26 Ukrainian military sites, including an explosives factory and several artillery depots.
Most of Sunday’s fighting focused on the Donbas in the east, where Ukrainian forces are concentrated and where Moscow-backed separatists controlled some territory before the war. Since failing to capture Kyiv, the Russians are aiming to gain full control over the eastern industrial heartland.
Ukraine’s national police said two girls, aged 5 and 14, died in shelling in the town of Ocheretyne, part of the industrial region.
Russian forces launched fresh airstrikes on a Mariupol steel plant where an estimated 1,000 civilians are sheltering along with about 2,000 Ukrainian fighters. The Azovstal steel mill where the defenders are holed up is the last corner of resistance in the city, which the Russians have otherwise occupied.
Zelenskyy said he stressed the need to evacuate civilians from Mariupol, including from the steel plant, in a Sunday call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is scheduled to speak later with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Guterres is scheduled to travel to Turkey on Monday and then Moscow and Kyiv. Zelenskyy it was a mistake for Guterres to visit Russia before Ukraine.
“Why? To hand over signals from Russia? What should we look for?” Zelenskyy said Saturday. “There are no corpses scattered on the Kutuzovsky Prospect,” he said, referring to one of Moscow’s main avenues.
Mariupol has seen fierce fighting since the start of the war due to its location on the Sea of Azov. Its capture would deprive Ukraine of a vital port, free up Russian troops to fight elsewhere, and allow Moscow to establish a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014.
More than 100,000 people — down from a prewar population of about 430,000 — are believed to remain in Mariupol with scant food, water or heat. Ukrainian authorities estimate that over 20,000 civilians have been killed. Recent satellite images showed what appeared to be mass graves dug in towns to the west and east of Mariupol.
Mykhailo Podolyak, a Ukrainian presidential adviser, called for a localized Easter truce. He urged Russia to allow civilians to leave the steel plant and suggested talks to negotiate an exit for the Ukrainian soldiers.
Podolyak tweeted that the Russian military was attacking the plant with heavy bombs and artillery while accumulating forces and equipment for a direct assault.
During his nightly address to the nation, Zelenskyy accused Russians of committing war crimes by killing civilians, as well as of setting up “filtration camps” near Mariupol for people caught trying to leave the city.
From there, he said, Ukrainians are sent to areas under Russian occupation or to Russia itself, often as far as Siberia or the Far East. Many of them, he said, are children.
The claims could not be independently verified. But they were repeated by Yevheniya Kravchuk, a member of Ukraine’s parliament, on ABC’s “This Week.”
“They have pulled these people from Mariupol -- they are put to filtration camps ... it’s sort of something that can’t be happening in the 21st century,” Kravchuk said.
Zelenskyy claimed that intercepted communications recorded Russian troops discussing “how they conceal the traces of their crimes” in Mariupol. He also highlighted the death of a 3-month old girl in a Russian missile strike Saturday on the Black Sea port of Odesa.
In attacks on the eve of Orthodox Easter, Russian forces pounded cities and towns in southern and eastern Ukraine. The baby was among eight people killed when Russia fired cruise missiles at Odesa, Ukrainian officials said.
Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, citing social media posts, reported that the infant’s mother, Valeria Glodan, and grandmother also died when a missile hit a residential area. Zelenskyy promised to find and punish those responsible.
“The war started when this baby was 1 month old,’’ Zelenskyy said. Can you imagine what is happening? They are filthy scum, there are no other words for it.”
For the Donbas offensive, Russia has reassembled troops who fought around Kyiv and in northern Ukraine. The British Ministry of Defense said Ukrainian forces had repelled numerous assaults in the past week and “inflicted significant cost on Russian forces.”
“Poor Russian morale and limited time to reconstitute, re-equip and reorganize forces from prior offensives are likely hindering Russian combat effectiveness,” the ministry said in an intelligence update.
The spiritual leaders of the world’s Orthodox Christians and Roman Catholics appealed for relief for Ukraine’s suffering population.
From Istanbul, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I said a “human tragedy” was unfolding. Bartholomew, considered the first among his Eastern Orthodox patriarch equals, cited in particular “the thousands of people surrounded in Mariupol, civilians, among them the wounded, the elderly, women and many children.”
Pope Francis, speaking from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, renewed his call for an Easter truce, calling it “a minimal and tangible sign of a desire for peace.”
“The attacks must be stopped, to respond to the suffering of the exhausted population,” Francis said without naming the aggressor.
___
Associated Press journalists Yesica Fisch in Sloviansk, Ukraine, Mstyslav Chernov and Felipe Dana in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Cara Anna, Inna Varenytsia and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kviv and AP staff around the world contributed.
___
Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/ukrainian-steel-plant-bombed-zelenskyy-meet-us-officials/
| 2022-04-24T20:21:57Z
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University of California San Francisco celebrates 1,000 lung transplants
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) – A 60-year-old man is being called number 1,000.
Insurance agent Patrick Alexander is recovering from being the 1,000 lung transplant at the University of California San Francisco since the program began in 1991.
“We don’t know much about the donor family or the donor his or herself, but we’re just so grateful,” Alexander said.
Alexander had scarring of the lung that impeded the ability for oxygen to enter the bloodstream.
USCF’s transplant expertise is world class. Pulmonologist Steve Hays said the one year survival rate is top in the county and has been that way for a decade.
“Our long-term survival is also continuing to really improve every year so that patients who are now getting a transplant have an expectation they could live nearly 12 years,” Hays said.
In about a year, Alexander is expected to be able to resume an active life of travel, exercise and other activities. Post-transplant complications are now rare.
Transplant surgeon Jasleen Kukreja said the program went from about 20% airway complications requiring some sort of intervention down to less than 1%.
“Which is really quite remarkable because no other program has been able to achieve that outcome,” Kukreja said.
Alexander can now expect to extend his life 10 to 12 years.
“A year ago we didn’t even know that Patrick had the disease,” Alexander’s wife Allison said. “This is how quickly it progressed, and we’re just so grateful for the staff at UCSF. They have been so thorough.”
Copyright 2022 KGO via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/university-california-san-francisco-celebrates-1000-lung-transplants/
| 2022-04-24T20:22:04Z
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Utah Democrats back independent as US Senate candidate
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah Democrats pulling hard to defeat Republican Sen. Mike Lee took the unusual step Saturday of spurning a party hopeful to instead get behind an independent, former presidential candidate Evan McMullin.
Democrats were swayed by calls from prominent members who said McMullin, a conservative who captured a significant share of the vote in Utah in 2016, was the best chance to beat Lee in the deeply conservative state that hasn’t elected a Democratic U.S. senator for more than 50 years.
“I want to represent you. I’m committed to that. I will maintain my independence,” McMullin told Democratic delegates.
Lee also faced two GOP challengers at his party’s nominating conventions. He handily won in front of the right-leaning crowd with over 70% of the vote. But those candidates will still appear on the primary ballot because they used the state’s other path to the primary ballot and gathered signatures.
Former state lawmaker Becky Edwards garnered about 12% of the vote Saturday. Former gubernatorial deputy chief of staff Ally Isom came in third.
Lee’s relationship with former president Donald Trump has been front and center since CNN reported on text messages showing that the senator was involved in early efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, though Lee later pivoted and voted to confirm the election results after no widespread fraud emerged.
“I did my job,” Lee said about the messages. “I did my job the way that I’ve always promised I would go about doing my job.”
McMullin is a former CIA officer ran for president in 2016 and made inroads in the deeply conservative state where where many GOP voters had reservations about then-candidate Trump. Lee himself cast a protest vote for McMullin, though he later became as staunch Trump ally, and the former president has endorsed him.
A Democrat ran for the nomination, Kael Weston, but the pro-McMullin camp ultimately convinced party delegates to nominate no one, clearing the path for the independent as much as possible. His supporters included prominent Democrats like former Congressman Ben McAdams.
“I know Evan. I trust Evan,” McAdams told delegates during the contentious debate, framing McMullin as the best possible chance to unseat Lee in a state where Republicans outnumber Democrats 4-to-1.
Republican Party Chair Carson Jorgensen took aim at the Democrats’ decision, arguing it showed a weakness in the other party’s platform. “We as Republicans, now’s our time to shine,” he said. “I don’t know if everyone quite understands the gravity of this.”
Also Saturday, moderate Republican Congressman John Curtis was forced into a primary, coming in second in a crowded field that included a challenger who brought in longtime Trump confidant Roger Stone. The effort didn’t carry candidate Jason Preston beyond the first round of voting, however.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/utah-democrats-choose-independent-candidate-us-senate/
| 2022-04-24T20:22:11Z
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WATCH: Deputy climbs balcony to save baby from apartment fire
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - A sheriff’s deputy in Florida climbed up a balcony and plucked a 1-year-old girl to safety from a third-story apartment that had caught fire, the dramatic rescue captured on the deputy’s body-worn camera.
Deputy William Puzynski climbed to the second-floor balcony early Saturday and asked the mother to hand off the baby in diapers as flames shot from the apartment one floor above. He then brought the baby down before the mother and grandmother were subsequently rescued by firefighters.
The video posted online captures Puzynski telling the woman “hand me the baby, hand me the baby. We are coming,” as he goes up and balances himself on the railing before she extends the crying baby to him. “Please, come get me,” she pleads afterward.
Firefighters using a ladder brought the mother and grandmother down from the third-floor apartment safely. They also evacuated other residents while responding to the fire at an apartment building in Orlando.
The Orange County Fire Rescue said the fire caused extensive damage with 24 units impacted.
The camera that recorded the infant’s rescue was attached to Puzynski’s vest, which he had taken off before climbing up the building.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/24/watch-deputy-climbs-balcony-save-baby-apartment-fire/
| 2022-04-24T20:22:18Z
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WHO: 1 child has died in mystery liver disease outbreak
BERLIN (AP) - The World Health Organization says at least one death has been reported in connection with a mysterious liver disease outbreak affecting children in Europe and the United States.
The U.N. health agency said late Saturday that it has so far received reports of at least 169 cases of “acute hepatitis of unknown origin” from a dozen countries.
The cases were reported in children aged one month to 16 years old, and 17 of those who fell ill required liver transplants. WHO didn’t say in which country the death occurred.
The first cases were recorded in Britain, where 114 children have been sickened.
“It is not yet clear if there has been an increase in hepatitis cases, or an increase in awareness of hepatitis cases that occur at the expected rate but go undetected,” WHO said in a statement.
Experts say the cases may be linked to a virus commonly associated with colds, but further research is ongoing.
“While adenovirus is a possible hypothesis, investigations are ongoing for the causative agent,” WHO said, noting that the virus has been detected in at least 74 of the cases. At least 20 of the children tested positive for the coronavirus.
WHO said affected countries are stepping up their surveillance of hepatitis cases in children.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-04-24T20:22:25Z
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NEW ORLEANS, April 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until May 3, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against C3.ai, Inc. ("C3" or the "Company") (NYSE:AI), if they purchased the Company's securities between December 9, 2020 and February 15, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period") and/or purchased or otherwise acquired the Company's shares pursuant to the Company's December 2020 initial public offering (the "IPO"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
C3 investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-ai/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.
C3 and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period and/or in the Registration Statement and Prospectus issued in conjunction with the initial public offering, violating federal securities laws.
The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that: (i) the Company's partnership with Baker Hughes was deteriorating; (ii) the Company was employing a flawed accounting methodology to conceal the deterioration of its Baker Hughes partnership; (iii) the Company faced challenges in product adoption and significant salesforce turnover; (iv) the Company overstated, inter alia, the extent of its investment in technology, description of its customers, its total addressable market, the pace of its market growth, and the scale of alliances with its major business partners; and (v) as a result of the foregoing, the Company's statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
The case is The Reckstin Family Trust v. C3.Ai, Inc., et al., No. 22-cv-01413.
ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.
To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.
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| 2022-04-24T20:22:31Z
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BURBANK, Calif., April 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- California Psychics has a simple Match Me tool that consists of a quiz that can help you find the perfect psychic to make your reading a positive one. If you have questions about any part of your future, a psychic reading by California Psychics can change your life.
Just answer three simple questions and we'll recommend some of our most trusted advisors for an accurate and customized psychic reading experience.
(1) What area interests you most? Love. Money. Need Guidance. Deceased Loved Ones. Career. Destiny & Life Path. Lost Objects. Past Lives. Pets.
(2) What style of reading do you want? Straightforward. Inspirational. Compassionate. Spiritual.
(3) What psychic tool do you prefer? No tools. Tarot. Astrology. Medium. Numerology. Clairvoyant. Remote Viewing. Crystals.
The Match Me tool only shows psychics who are online at that moment, so you can take the quiz at a different time with the same answers and get different recommendations.
Many first-time users ask about relationships or career, but our trusted online psychics can offer advice for whatever is on your mind. Their specialties range from love to life path to lost objects, money to missing persons, past lives to pets.
Our spiritual advisors use psychic tools such as Tarot, crystals, I-Ching, astrology, and dream analysis to provide the guidance you need to live positively and have healthy connections in your future. You will speak with them in private via phone, from a quiet place where you can relax, focus, and find clarity.
Find the caring, thoughtful, and focused insight you're looking for with California Psychics' expert psychic advisors. They can help lead you on a path to serenity, happiness, and success.
About California Psychics
California Psychics is the most trusted source of psychic readings. We have delivered over 11 million discreet and confidential psychic readings since 1995. Learn more about how psychic readings work and explore the California Psychics blog. With over 500 psychics online to choose from with real customer reviews, you're sure to find the best psychics for you. Call one of our trusted and accurate psychics today! Confidential and secure, real psychics, accurate predictions, 100% guaranteed.
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| 2022-04-24T20:22:37Z
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GUANGZHOU, China, April 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "Since the opening of this session of the Canton Fair, we have connected with multiple Thai customers and exchanged contact information using the 'instant messaging' function. It is very effective," said Liu Yufeng, Director of the Foreign Trade Department of Jiaxin Modern Travel Goods, who just ended a livestream. Liu told reporters that the Canton Fair played an effective role in expanding their overseas markets along the Belt and Road, where buyers were eager to do business with them. He was expected to make full use of the Canton Fair platform to facilitate the company's entry into the emerging markets.
Since the Belt and Road Initiative was put forward in 2013, China and countries along the Belt and Road have experienced growing people-to-people exchanges and business partnerships year on year. The Canton Fair, as China's largest trade promotion platform, has distinct advantages in fostering economic and trade cooperation between China and other Belt and Road countries, with buyers from these countries accounting for 45% of the total each session.
Lin Xiaofeng, Deputy General Manager of International Marketing of Shen zhen Topray Solar, is a big fan of the Canton Fair. He appreciated the positive role played by the Fair in supporting the joint market development along the Belt and Road. He told reporters that they had successfully developed a partnership with a Moroccan customer in the previous session, which had benefited them significantly. At the 131st Canton Fair, they have brought 40 more products with pictures on the company page, mainly commodities and consumer goods aimed at the Belt and Road markets, expecting new friends and customers who are like-minded.
According to Alan Liu, Deputy Director General of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Canton Fair, the event has actively implemented the Belt and Road Initiative and has served as an essential platform for smooth trade between China and countries along the Belt and Road. He stated that, like previous sessions, this session would enable companies along the Belt and Road to discover more opportunities for collaboration, as a way of contributing to the acceleration of the new development pattern of domestic and international circulations.
Visit https://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en-US/register/index#/foreign-email for more opportunities.
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| 2022-04-24T20:22:44Z
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GUANGZHOU, China, April 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 131st Canton Fair, which takes place online from 15 to 24 April, attracts over 25,000 exhibitors from home and abroad. Given the virtual form of the event, making better use of the cloud platform to boost cooperation and identify business opportunities comes as an important matter for exhibitors and buyers.
Connecting with buyers anytime, anywhere
Right after the opening ceremony of the Canton Fair, Wang Jin, representative of Orans Sanitary Ware, immediately started a live promotion broadcast. In one hour, he showed viewers around their display hall while introducing their newest items and then took them to the workshop to watch the manufacturing process. When he learned a Bangladeshi buyer was interested in making a purchase, he asked one of their product engineers to design and make a drawing on the spot. As the entire process was livestreamed in real time, the buyer could engage in product design simultaneously. After some negotiations, the company made its first intended international order worth 300,000 US dollars with the buyer.
Boosting Business with Distinctive, Well-designed Showrooms
Walking around the showroom of Guangzhou Textiles Holdings Limited, apart from the spreading moss and cloud-shaped lights that echoed the virtual form of this Canton Fair, the reporter was most attracted to an eye-catching giant landscape painting made of cloth. This was the company's fifth participation in the online Canton Fair, told Huang Yutong, an engineer at the company's R&D Center. Drawn upon the experience of the previous four online sessions, the company turned its R&D center into an exhibition hall this year, creating a natural-looking outdoor space using textile materials. The giant landscape painting, which was actually a large curtain, was made of fragments of fabric acquired from daily textile production. Other employees added that this year's showroom featured environment-friendly design, which impressed foreign buyers.
Maggie Pu, Deputy Director General of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Canton Fair, said that holding an online event was an innovation answering to the call of digital economy, as well as a pragmatic choice in response to Covid-19. The Canton Fair will keep upgrading and optimizing its online platform with improved functions to help exhibitors expand their business and conduct win-win cooperation via online events.
Visit https://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en-US/register/index#/foreign-email.
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| 2022-04-24T20:22:51Z
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. and REDMOND, Wash., April 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cinnafilm, a global leader in innovative video optimization solutions for television, film, and multimedia delivery and Support Partners, one of the leading integrators for professional media services, together announce a new collaboration to bring SMPTE 2110 compliant live video standards conversion to Microsoft Azure.
Cinnafilm proudly announces Tachyon Live, an evolution of their award-winning file-based standards conversion and playback optimization software solution. "The combination of image quality, speed, and scalability that Tachyon Live brings to live streaming is unlike anything else in the industry," says Cinnafilm CEO and founder Lance Maurer. "Collaborating with Support Partners and Microsoft to bring this amazing concept exclusively to Microsoft Azure will be a game-changer for how customers will deliver the highest possible quality video at scale. We are embarking on the concept of true 'Transformation in Transit.'" Tachyon Live will be deployed exclusively on Azure in late 2022.
Tachyon Live will include standards conversion such as PAL/NTSC frame rate and format conversions, high-quality deinterlacing, and up/down rescaling from SD through UHD. This revolutionary product will provide a true, faster than real time and fully motion-compensated processing option for live streams running through Azure. Tachyon's frame rate conversion engine can process the highest-quality conversions for UHD 59.97p to UHD 50p 45% faster than real time in existing Azure NVIDIA GPU-accelerated infrastructure, providing adequate headroom to avoid dropping frames.
Working closely with Cinnafilm, Support Partners will bring a full end-to-end solution for customers needing high-quality standards conversion in the cloud. "Customers need the image quality power that Tachyon Live can bring to bear for them," says Harry Grinling, CEO of Support Partners. "But they also need help getting their live video into the cloud safely to take advantage of what Cinnafilm offers. It is exciting that the technology evolution has reached a point that this is now possible." Leveraging their experience in the media industry, Microsoft Gold Partner, Support Partners, will package and deliver an accelerator that makes real-time, end-to-end live conversion in the cloud a reality on Azure.
Simon Crownshaw, Worldwide Strategy Director, Media and Entertainment, Microsoft, said, "Microsoft is pleased to be working with Cinnafilm and Support Partners to bring this to market on our platform. UHD live content pushes the boundaries of what network and hardware can deliver at scale in the cloud; it is critical for partners like these to help us focus the power of Microsoft Azure into solutions that are ready to meet and exceed the media industry's needs."
Demonstrations of Tachyon Live will be available later this year. For general information about this endeavor, Cinnafilm will be exhibiting at NAB in their own booth (#W3912) and meeting customers with Support Partners in the Microsoft booth (#W3017) from 24 – 27 April. Please book a time @ NAB to schedule a meeting.
Cinnafilm, INC
Lance Maurer, CEO
Lance@Cinnafilm.com
+1 505.242.6626
Support Partners
Harry Grinling CEO
harry.grinling@support-partners.com
+1 480.608.5605
About Cinnafilm
Cinnafilm provides award-winning video and audio processing solutions and specializes in standards conversions, real-time transcode workflows, high-quality motion-based frame rate conversions, audio/video retiming, deinterlacing, denoising, and pristine playback optimization. Trusted by many of the world's premiere studios, streamers, networks, and their collective creative service suppliers, Cinnafilm's media conversion and transformation tools are essential business differentiators in the demanding field of hyper-quality media delivery. www.cinnafilm.com
About Support Partners
Support Partners, a Microsoft Gold Partner, help companies accelerate their transformation to the Microsoft Cloud, delivering an integrated, intelligent, sustainable platform, allowing our clients to make smarter, faster business decisions. Specializing in the content creation market, providing impartial, value for money advice from discovery, deployment, and training to long-term support. Support Partners, a fast-paced, disruptive technology partner, was created to embrace the media market's changing face, bringing together the synergy of the traditional content creation industry and transformational cloud space. www.support-partners.com
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| 2022-04-24T20:22:59Z
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NEW ORLEANS, April 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until May 2, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson ("Ericsson" or the "Company") (NasdaqGS: ERIC), if they purchased the Company's securities between April 27, 2017 and February 25, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Get Help
Ericsson investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nasdaq-eric-2/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.
About the Lawsuit
Ericsson and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.
On February 16, 2022, the Company disclosed "serious breaches of compliance rules" involving dealings in Iraq dating back to 2018 including payments made "for road transport through areas controlled by terrorist organisations, including IS." Then, on February 27, 2022, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists ("ICIJ") reported on the Company's alleged dealings with ISIS in Iraq, originating from an internal report by the Company that revealed it had reportedly made "tens of millions of dollars in suspicious payments" over nearly a decade to maintain business in the country and that "a spreadsheet lists company probes into possible bribery, money laundering and embezzlement by employees in Angola, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brazil, China, Croatia, Libya, Morocco, the United States and South Africa[,]" which "have not been previously disclosed."
On this news, the price of Ericsson's ADS fell $0.84 per ADS, or 8.3%, from its closing price on February 25, 2022, to close at $9.28 per ADS on February 28, 2022, the next trading day.
The case is Nyy v. Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson, et al., 22-cv-01167.
About ClaimsFiler
ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.
To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.
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| 2022-04-24T20:23:06Z
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NEW YORK, April 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Gatos Silver, Inc. (NYSE: GATO): (a) pursuant and/or traceable to the Registration Statement issued in connection with the Company's initial public offering (the "IPO" or "Offering") conducted on or about October 28, 2020; and/or (b) between October 28, 2020 and January 25, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important April 25, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Gatos Silver securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Gatos Silver class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=3100 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than April 25, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) the technical report for Gatos Silver's primary mine, the Cerro Los Gatos deposit, contained certain errors; (2) among other things, the mineral reserves had been overestimated by as much as 50%; and (3) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about Gatos Silver's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Gatos Silver class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=3100 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com
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| 2022-04-24T20:23:13Z
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Sitterle Homes will build homes on 79 lots in the newest section of the residential mixed-use community
GEORGETOWN, Texas, April 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new gated section of Parmer Ranch, an amenity-rich master-planned community in Georgetown, will soon open for sales. Featuring 79 lots, Sitterle Homes will build new homes ranging from 1,586-2,689 square feet in Parmer Ranch Cottages beginning this summer.
Homebuyers can join Sitterle's interest list for updates on pricing and home designs in Parmer Ranch Cottages. Sitterle Homes is currently selling Parmer Ranch lots and homes from an off-site center but plans to build a new model home in the Cottages.
"Parmer Ranch has been a huge success for us as we sold out Phase 1 incredibly fast. We are excited to continue within this community with this product," said Brian Shields, President of Sitterle Homes Austin LLC.
Nestled in the rolling Texas Hill Country north of Austin, Parmer Ranch is a 454-acre community showcasing beautiful amenities steps from home, including a 10-acre park currently under development that will feature an extensive trail system, zip lines and a playground. The community will also offer an amenity center and 100 acres of dedicated commercial real estate space.
In 2022, developer Owen Holdings began construction on new homesites in the second and third phases of Parmer Ranch, which are scheduled to open in May. GFO Home's new model home is now open at 2002 Clearlight Lane, Georgetown, TX 78633. Homebuilders Gehan Homes and Empire Communities anticipate to open model homes in early May.
Parmer Ranch is situated at Williams Drive and Ronald Reagan Boulevard, minutes from beloved restaurants, boutiques and festivals in the historic downtown Georgetown Square. Nearby Lake Georgetown also offers boating, hiking and mountain biking opportunities. The community is a quick commute away from top employment centers and major tech companies across northern parts of the region. Austin, Round Rock, Killeen/Ft. Hood and favorite Hill Country entertainment destinations are only a short drive away.
Served by the acclaimed Georgetown Independent School District, development of a new middle school within Parmer Ranch will begin this summer. The new Benold Middle School is scheduled to open for the 2024-2025 school year. The community will also be home to a future Georgetown ISD elementary school.
To visit the community from Austin, head north on I-35 to Georgetown and take exit 262. Head west on Williams Drive for 11 miles to the community entrance on Parmer Ranch Boulevard. For more information, visit parmerranch.com.
About the Developer
Owen Holdings Inc., founded by long-time real estate professional Joe Owen, owns and develops single-family and commercial real estate property throughout Texas. Along with his operating partner, Klugman Company, his current focus is residential and mixed-use development projects. In addition to Parmer Ranch, they developed and manage North Haven, an estate lot community in Liberty Hill and Crystal Falls Business Park in Leander and other projects in early stage of development.
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| 2022-04-24T20:23:20Z
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AUGUSTA, Ga., April 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation earlier today presented 26 awards recognizing the best of preservation in Georgia during its 45th annual Preservation Awards ceremony in Augusta.
Academy Lofts in Atlanta's Adair Park neighborhood received the Marguerite Williams Award, presented annually to the project that has had the greatest impact on preservation in the state.
Academy Lofts was recognized for its outstanding and impactful transformation from a vacant, deteriorated school building into a rehabilitated apartment building that provides the community with much-needed housing at below market rates. Constructed in 1912 as the George W. Adair Elementary School, the building now features a mix of affordable housing and market-rate apartment units, a coffee shop/restaurant and event venue, and nonprofit office space. A creative combination of tax credits and grants were used to make the project a reality, and the building is now poised to resume its role as a thriving center of community activity.
The Grantville Passenger Depot in Grantville, Ga. received the Chairman's Award, presented by the chairman of the Georgia Trust to a person or project of great preservation significance.
The Braselton Cotton Gin in Braselton, Ga. received the Michael L. Starr Award, presented to a project that best exemplifies the highest standards of historic rehabilitation and has a significant impact on the downtown of the city in which it is located.
The Camille W. Yow Volunteer of the Year Award was given to Paula and Larry Knox of Augusta.
The Trust also presented two awards for Excellence in Restoration, ten awards for Excellence in Rehabilitation, two awards for Excellence in Preservation, one award for Excellence in Preservation Service and seven awards for Excellence in Stewardship.
Excellence in Restoration winners were the Overton house in Augusta and the Pope's Museum in Ochlocknee, Ga.
Excellence in Rehabilitation winners were: ACE Skills Center at Georgia Southwestern State University, Americus; Kimpton Sylvan Hotel, Atlanta; Poplar Street Offices, Atlanta; Amoco Service Station, Brunswick; Leotis Building, Brunswick; Fort Valley High School, Fort Valley; Butts County Courthouse, Jackson; Dixie Cotton Mills, LaGrange; Lemon Street School, Marietta; and Powell Hall at Valdosta State University, Valdosta.
Excellence in Preservation winners were the Fox Theatre's Moller organ in Atlanta and the Washington Street Buildings in Clarkesville.
The Excellence in Preservation Service award went to the Whitfield County Historic Preservation Commission.
Excellence in Stewardship winners were Midtown High School, Atlanta; Cochran-Davenport Farmstead owned by Mrs. Elma Ettman, Dial; Richland Restoration League, Jeffersonville; Humanities Hall at Oxford College at Emory, Oxford; Clark Hall at SCAD, Savannah; Georgia Historical Society Research Center, Savannah; and Historic Train Depot and Platform, Toccoa.
"This year's winners represent a tremendous dedication to restoring and revitalizing Georgia's historic buildings and communities," said Mark C. McDonald, president of the Georgia Trust. "We are proud to honor such deserving projects and individuals."
For more than 40 years, the Trust has recognized preservation projects and individuals throughout Georgia who have made significant contributions to the field of historic preservation. Awards are presented on the basis of the contributions of the person or project to the community and/or state and on compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
Founded in 1973, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is one of the country's leading statewide, nonprofit preservation organizations. The Trust works for the preservation and revitalization of Georgia's diverse historic resources and advocates their appreciation, protection and use.
The Georgia Trust generates community revitalization by finding buyers for endangered properties acquired by its Revolving Fund and raises awareness of other endangered historic resources through an annual listing of Georgia's "Places in Peril." The Trust recognizes preservation projects and individuals with its annual Preservation Awards and awards students and young professionals with academic scholarships, the Neel Reid Prize and Liz Lyon Fellowship. The Trust offers a variety of educational programs for adults and children, provides technical assistance to property owners and historic communities, advocates for funding, tax incentives and other laws aiding preservation efforts, and manages two house museums in Atlanta (Rhodes Hall) and Macon (Hay House).
To learn more about the Georgia Trust and the Preservation Awards, visit www.georgiatrust.org.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Details and hi-res images of each award winner can be found at https://www.georgiatrust.org/our-programs/preservation-awards/#awards. Photos of the recipients at the awards ceremony will be available April 25. Contact Traci Clark Rothwell at trothwell@georgiatrust.org or 404-885-7802.
The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
1516 Peachtree Street, NW
Atlanta, GA 30309-2908
Tel 404 881-9980
Fax 404 875-2205
www.georgiatrust.org
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SOURCE The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
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https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/23/georgia-trust-historic-preservation-presents-26-statewide-preservation-awards-ceremony-augusta/
| 2022-04-24T20:23:26Z
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NEW ORLEANS, April 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until May 16, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Grab Holdings Limited (NasdaqGS: GRAB, GRABW), if they purchased the Company's securities between August 2, 2021 and March 3, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Get Help
Grab investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nasdaq-grab/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.
About the Lawsuit
Grab and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.
On March 3, 2022, the Company announced its 4Q2021 results, disclosing "a 44% decline YoY" in revenue and a $1.1 billion loss for the quarter due to "invest[ing] heavily" in driver incentives and that it would take one or two quarters "to get that equilibrium between drivers and riders, between supply and demand."
On this news, shares of Grab fell $2.04, or 37.3%, to close at $3.28 per share on March 3, 2022, on unusually heavy trading volume.
The case is Peccarino v. Grab Holdings Limited, et al., No. 22-cv-2189.
About ClaimsFiler
ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.
To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.
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SOURCE ClaimsFiler
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https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/23/grab-holdings-shareholder-alert-claimsfiler-reminds-investors-with-losses-excess-100000-lead-plaintiff-deadline-class-action-lawsuit-against-grab-holdings-limited-grab-grabw/
| 2022-04-24T20:23:33Z
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Team repeats as champions, secures record ninth U.S. victory
LOS ANGELES, April 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Granada Hills Charter (GHC) today captured its record ninth U.S. Academic Decathlon, repeating as national titlists in a competition that focused on a topic very familiar to the team: water.
The team scored 52,383.2 points to claim the title, with the highest-scoring students in their division being: Zainab Al-Atya, Colby Sapera, Lily Fairbank-Bermejo. Like the California Academic Decathlon held in March, the National competition took place virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Our whole team is thrilled to carry on Granada's winning tradition," said Head Coach Tyler Lee. "They deserve it after working hard all year and demonstrating real determination and dedication. Today's win is a great accomplishment, but I always tell our team that what's really important is they all learned a lot – about the subject, about how to handle adversity, about how to work as a team, and about themselves."
The School's nine-member team includes Zainab Al-Atya, Lily Fairbank-Bermejo, Vivian Le, Anthony Mercado (alternate), Vanessa Miller, Elyssa Nguyen (alternate), Kira Pospeshil, Matthew Salcedo, Colby Sapera, Garrett Scott, and Mason Wong. The team was led by Head Coach, Tyler Lee and Assistant Coach, Amy Contreras.
"I'm very excited, very proud of all my teammates. We worked really hard all year," said Lily Fairbank-Bermejo. "It's great to see the success that comes from all the hard work that we put in come to fruition. That we were learning about water, which is such a critical resource for us in California, made it that much more relevant to us all. I know we'll all remember our time on the team for the rest of our lives and take the lessons we've learned with us."
The theme for this year's competition is one familiar to all students in California – Water: A Most Essential Resource.
The Academic Decathlon involves 10 events revolving around a central topic in seven subject areas: science, literature, art, music, social science, economics, and mathematics. The competition includes multiple-choice exams in each subject, as well as essays and speeches. It culminates with a fast-paced Super Quiz relay. As part of the competition, each school enters a field of students from the following GPA categories, - "A" students (honors), - "B" students (scholastic), and - "C or below" (varsity).
"All of us at GHC are so proud of the team and so impressed by the commitment they have shown to each other and to reaching their collective goal," said Brian Bauer, GHC's Executive Director. "They spend long hours preparing for the competitions and they sacrifice their time for something bigger than themselves, and that should be applauded. On behalf of all of us at GHC, I wish them a huge congratulations!"
The National Academic Decathlon was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. GHC also won in 2021. The 2022-23 competition will focus on "The American Revolution and the New Nation."
ABOUT GRANADA HILLS CHARTER: Named by the California Department of Education (CDE) as a California Distinguished School based on its outstanding student outcomes, Granada Hills Charter (GHC) is the largest public charter school in the nation and is located in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles County. As a fiscally independent conversion charter, the School has a student enrollment of more than 5,800 walking the breezeways on two sites, the Zelzah high school campus and the Devonshire TK-8 campus. Serving students in grades transitional kindergarten through 12 (TK-12), the School has an annual waitlist of 4,000+ hopeful students seeking the excellent and diverse curricular, extracurricular, and athletic opportunities of a vibrant comprehensive school. GHC's student population is one of the most diverse, with more than 40 languages other than English spoken at home and over 60 nationalities represented. Nearly 50% of students are eligible for the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program. As a 501c3 non-profit benefit corporation, the School's Governing Board is the legal entity overseeing all school policy and its $60 million operating budget. GHC is ranked "#1 Best Public Elementary School in California," "#1 Best Charter Middle School in California" and "#1 Best Charter High School in Los Angeles County" by Niche.com in the 2021 Best Schools rankings.
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| 2022-04-24T20:23:40Z
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NEW ORLEANS, April 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until June 17, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Lilium N.V. f/k/a Qell Acquisition Corp. (NasdaqGS: LILM, LILMW, QELL, QELLU, QELLW), if they purchased the Company's securities between March 30, 2021 and March 14, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
Get Help
Lilium investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nasdaq-lilm/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.
About the Lawsuit
Lilium and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.
On March 14, 2022, market analyst Iceberg Research issued a report on the Company's electric vertical take-off and landing production aircraft, Lilium Jet, highlighting numerous significant problems in design, capability and testing performance as well as other supply and company-wide issues.
On this news, shares of Lilium fell $1.25 per share, or 34%, to close at $2.44 per share on March 14, 2022, on unusually heavy trading volume.
The case is Gnanaraj v. Lilium N.V., et al., No. 22-cv-2564.
About ClaimsFiler
ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.
To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.
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| 2022-04-24T20:23:47Z
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RADNOR, Pa., April 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (www.ktmc.com) informs investors that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed against PLAYSTUDIOS, Inc. ("PLAYSTUDIOS") (NASDAQ: MYPS; MYPSW) f/k/a Acies Acquisition Corp. ("Acies") (NASDAQ: ACAC; ACACW). The action charges PLAYSTUDIOS with violations of the federal securities laws, including omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the company's business, operations, and prospects. The lawsuit also includes claims relating to a merger transaction with Acies and asserts claims on behalf of investors who held Acies common stock as of May 25, 2021, were eligible to vote at Acies' June 17, 2021 special meeting, and who exchanged their shares of Acies stock for PLAYSTUDIOS stock in connection with the merger. As a result of PLAYSTUDIOS' materially misleading statements to the public, PLAYSTUDIOS' investors have suffered significant losses.
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR PLAYSTUDIOS LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/playstudios-inc?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=playstudios
TO VIEW OUR VIDEO, PLEASE CLICK HERE
LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE: JUNE 6, 2022
CLASS PERIOD: JUNE 22, 2021 THROUGH MARCH 1, 2022
CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS:
James Maro, Esq. at (484) 270-1453 or via email at info@ktmc.com
THE CLASS INCLUDES: Investors who (1) purchased or acquired PLAYSTUDIOS securities between June 22, 2021 and March 1, 2022, including, but not limited to, those who purchased or acquired PLAYSTUDIOS securities pursuant to the offering of the private investment in public equity; (2) held Acies common stock as of May 25, 2021, and were eligible to vote at Acies' June 17, 2021 special meeting who exchanged their Acies stock for PLAYSTUDIOS stock; or (3) purchased or acquired PLAYSTUDIOS common stock pursuant or traceable to the Acies' Registration Statement and Proxy Statement issued in connection with the June 2021 merger.
Kessler Topaz is one of the world's foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field individually and our firm is both feared and respected among the defense bar and the insurance bar. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent.
PLAYSTUDIOS' ALLEGED MISCONDUCT
On February 1, 2021, Acies, a special purpose acquisition company, announced that it had reached a merger agreement with "Old Playstudios," a privately-held gaming company (the "Merger"). PLAYSTUDIOS' flagship game was Kingdom Boss. PLAYSTUDIOS told investors that "Kingdom Boss, which began development in 2020, will launch as expected in the second half of 2021."
On June 17, 2021, Acies held a General Meeting where Acies shareholders were asked to approve
the Merger. The Merger closed on June 21, 2021, and on June 22, 2021, PLAYSTUDIOS stock and warrants began publicly trading on NASDAQ.
The truth began to be revealed on August 11, 2021, when PLAYSTUDIOS released its financial results for the second quarter of 2021 wherein PLAYSTUDIOS revealed for the first time that the Kingdom Boss launch was being delayed until later in the year and that investors should expect decreased revenues and profits during the year as a result. These quarterly financial results were finalized on June 30, 2021, just nine days after the Merger closed. Thus, defendants knew or recklessly disregarded prior to the merger close (June 21, 2021) and prior to the merger vote by the Acies shareholders (June 17, 2021), that Kingdom Boss would not be ready to launch within just a matter of weeks. Following this news, PLAYSTUDIOS stock price fell $.66 to close at $5.09 per share on August 12, 2021, a decline of 13%.
Then, on February 24, 2022, during an earnings call for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2021, PLAYSTUDIOS' CEO, much to investors' surprise, disclosed that Kingdom Boss would not be launched at all. Following this news, PLAYSTUDIOS stock price fell $.24 to close at $4.86 per share on February 25, 2022, a decline of 5%. Two days later, on February 26, 2022, PLAYSTUDIOS' CEO attributed the failure to meet the projections made for revenue and earnings to the failure to launch Kingdom Boss, and revealed that Kingdom Boss was not only delayed, but indefinitely "suspended."
WHAT CAN I DO?
Current PLAYSTUDIOS investors and/or former Acies shareholders may, no later than June 6, 2022 seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages PLAYSTUDIOS investors and/or former Acies shareholders who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASE
WHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF?
A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.
ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP
Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com.
CONTACT:
Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP
James Maro, Jr., Esq.
280 King of Prussia Road
Radnor, PA 19087
(484) 270-1453
info@ktmc.com
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SOURCE Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP
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| 2022-04-24T20:23:53Z
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SAN FRANCISCO, April 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nektar Therapeutics (Nasdaq: NKTR) announced that collaborators from the Cairo Laboratory at New York Medical College today presented data from several preclinical studies demonstrating the potential of NKTR-255 to enhance the anti-tumor activities of different CAR-T therapies in a variety of cancer preclinical models. Presentations include an oral presentation by Wen Luo, Ph.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at NYMC, on in vivo and in vitro efficacy of NKTR-255 combined with anti-MCAMa CARb modified Natural Killer (NK) cells in several tumor models, and a poster presentation by Yaya Chu, Ph.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at NYMC, presenting studies of NKTR-255 in combination with ex vivo expanded anti-CD19 CAR NK cells and anti-CD20 or anti-CD79 antibodies in models of Burkitt Lymphoma (BL).
"Our research builds on the body of knowledge for the role of an agent which activates the full IL-15 biology pathway in the field of cell therapy," said Mitchell S. Cairo, M.D., director of the Cairo Laboratory, chief of pediatric hematology, oncology and stem cell transplantation, director of the Children and Adolescent Cancer and Blood Diseases Center, associate chairman of the Department of Pediatrics and professor of pediatrics, medicine, pathology, microbiology and immunology and cell biology and anatomy at NYMC. "My lab's findings show that NKTR-255's ability to expand and proliferate NK cells resulted in the enhancement of the efficacy of two different CAR therapies in our preclinical models."
The oral presentation will be virtually live streamed on Saturday April 23rd, 2022 at 3:00 PM MT and is accessible through the meeting organizer's website at https://www.astct.org/attend/tandem-meetings. These presentations are available for download at http://www.nektar.com/science/scientific-posters.
Key details and takeaways from the two collaborator presentations include:
Abstract 27: "Targeting Ewing sarcoma, Osteosarcoma and Neuroblastoma with Anti-MCAM Chimeric Antigen Receptor Modified Natural Killer Cells" Luo, W., et al.
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Presenting Author: Wen Luo, Ph.D.
Session: Oral Abstract - Session C - Immune and Gene Therapy
Virtual Live Stream of the presentation will begin at 3:00 PM MT on Saturday April 23rd, 2022
- NKTR-255 enhances expression of NK cell-activating receptors, stimulates NK cell proliferation and sustains NK cell expansion
- NKTR-255 enhances anti-MCAM CAR NK cell cytotoxicity against Ewing sarcoma, osteosarcoma and neuroblastoma in vitro
- Anti-MCAM CAR NK alone or in combination with NKTR-255 significantly decrease lung metastasis and prolong animal survival in an Ewing sarcoma orthotopic mouse model
Abstract 201: "Optimizing Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) Engineered NK Cell- Mediated Cytotoxicity Combined with anti-CD20 or anti-CD79 Therapeutic Antibodies and NKTR-255 in Burkitt Lymphoma (BL)" Chu, Y., et al.
Presentation Type: Poster
- NKTR-255 + obinutuzumab, a humanized type II anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (mAb) glycoengineered to enhance Fc receptor affinity, significantly enhanced the in vitro cytotoxicity of anti-CD19 CAR NK compared to controls against multiple Burkitt lymphoma model (Raji) (p<0.0081) as well as release of perforin (p<0.05), IFN-g (p<0.001) and granzyme B (p<0.01)
- These results were further confirmed utilizing Raji-2R and Raji-4RH cells
- NKTR-255 + polatuzumab vedotin (PV), an anti-CD79 mAb glycoengineered to enhance Fc receptor affinity, significantly enhanced the in vitro cytotoxicity of anti-CD19 CAR NK cells compared to control groups such as expanded NK cells +NKTR-255 + PV against Raji (p<0.0001), Raji-2R (p<0.0003), and Raji-4RH (p<0.0311), as well as enhanced release of Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and perforin
Posters will be on display Sunday, April 24, 2022 from 11:00 am to 7:15 pm; Monday, April 25, 2022 from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm; Tuesday, April 26, 2022 from 7:00 am to 12:00pm (all times MDT)
Poster Receptions are on Sunday, April 24, 2022 from 6:30 pm to 7:15 pm MDT
About NYMC
Founded in 1860, New York Medical College is one of the oldest and largest health sciences colleges in the country with nearly 1,500 students and 330 residents and clinical fellows, more than 2,600 faculty members and 23,200 living alumni. The College, which joined Touro University in 2011, is located in Westchester County, New York, and offers degrees from the School of Medicine, the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences, the School of Health Sciences and Practice, the Touro College of Dental Medicine at NYMC, and the Touro College School of Health Sciences' nursing program at NYMC. NYMC provides a wide variety of clinical training opportunities for students, residents, and practitioners. For more information, visit www.nymc.edu.
About NKTR-255
NKTR-255 is an investigational IL‐15 receptor agonist designed to boost the immune system's natural ability to fight cancer. NKTR-255 increases the proliferation and survival of cancer-killing natural killer (NK) cells and memory CD8+ T cells. NKTR-255 engages the entire IL-15 receptor complex (IL‐15Rα/IL‐15Rβγ) to enhance the formation of long-term immunological memory, which may lead to sustained antitumor immune response.
NKTR-255 is specifically engineered using Nektar's expertise in polymer chemistry to mimic the natural biological activity of the body's own IL-15, resulting in optimal activation of the IL-15 pathway. NKTR-255 is uniquely designed to overcome the challenges of recombinant IL-15, which has to be given in high doses due to rapid clearance from the body, limiting its utility due to toxicity and lack of convenience and use.
About Nektar
Nektar Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company with a robust, wholly owned R&D pipeline of investigational medicines in oncology, immunology, and inflammatory diseases as well as a portfolio of approved partnered medicines. Nektar is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with additional operations in Huntsville, Alabama and Hyderabad, India. Further information about the company and its drug development programs and capabilities may be found online at http://www.nektar.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements which can be identified by words such as: "will," "may," "design," "potential," "initiate," "plan," "advance" and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding the future development plans and the timing of data readouts for bempegaldesleukin. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others: (i) our statements regarding the therapeutic potential of bempegaldesleukin are based on preclinical and clinical findings and observations and are subject to change as research and development continue; (ii) bempegaldesleukin is an investigational agent and continued research and development for this drug candidate is subject to substantial risks, including negative safety and efficacy findings in ongoing clinical studies (notwithstanding positive findings in earlier preclinical and clinical studies); (iii) bempegaldesleukin remains in clinical development and the risk of clinical failure is high and can unexpectedly occur at any stage prior to regulatory approval; (iv) the timing of the end of clinical trials and the availability of clinical data may be delayed or unsuccessful due; (v) patents may not issue from our patent applications for our drug candidates, patents that have issued may not be enforceable, or additional intellectual property licenses from third parties may be required; and (vi) certain other important risks and uncertainties set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2022. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
Contact:
For Investors:
Vivian Wu of Nektar Therapeutics
628-895-0661
For Media:
Dan Budwick of 1AB
973-271-6085
dan@1abmedia.com
a) MCAM: Melanoma Cell Adhesion Molecule
b) CAR: Chimeric Antigen Receptor
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| 2022-04-24T20:24:01Z
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NEW ORLEANS, April 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into NRx Pharmaceuticals (NasdaqGM: NRXP).
In June 2021, the Company announced that it filed an application with U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") requesting Emergency Use Authorization ("EUA") for Zyesami, its investigational pre-commercial drug product for treating COVID-19 related respiratory failure. Then, on November 4, 2021, the Company disclosed that the FDA had declined to issue an EUA for Zyesami "due to insufficient data regarding the known and potential benefits of the medicine and the known and potential risks of Zyesami in patients suffering from Critical COVID-19 with respiratory failure."
The Company was subsequently sued in a securities class action lawsuit for failing to disclose material information, violating federal securities laws, which remains ongoing.
KSF's investigation is focusing on whether NRx's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to the Company's shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws.
If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of NRx shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nasdaqgm-nrxp/ to learn more.
About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients – including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors – in seeking to recover investment losses due to corporate fraud and malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.
To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.
Contact:
Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner
lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com
1-877-515-1850
1100 Poydras St., Suite 3200
New Orleans, LA 70163
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| 2022-04-24T20:24:08Z
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- Two presentations on the Phase 2b clinical trial show CSF-1 met the primary endpoints and achieved statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in distance-corrected near visual acuity (DCNVA) for participants with presbyopia
- Presbyopia is the loss of ability to focus on near objects as a result of the natural aging process and affects more than 120 million people in the U.S.
PONTE VEDRA, Fla. , April 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Orasis Pharmaceuticals, an emerging ophthalmic pharmaceutical company focused on developing a unique eye drop to improve near vision for people with presbyopia, today announced Phase 2b data demonstrating the efficacy and safety of its novel eye drop candidate, CSF-1, for the treatment of presbyopia at the 2022 American Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) Annual Meeting being held April 22-26 in Washington, D.C. The Phase 2b trial served as the foundation for the design and conduct of the Phase 3 NEAR-1 and NEAR-2 clinical trials of CSF-1, for which topline results were recently announced.
In the first Paper Session, which will be presented on Monday, April 25, the Phase 2b trial results showed that CSF-1 (pilocarpine hydrochloride 0.4%) preservative-free ophthalmic solution formulated in a proprietary vehicle met its primary endpoint, with 47% of participants in the CSF-1 group achieving a 3-line or more gain in DCNVA 1-hour post-treatment on Day 15 compared to 16% in the vehicle group (P=0.0002). Additionally, the trial met its secondary endpoint, with 80% of participants in the CSF-1 group achieving a 2-line or more gain in DCNVA compared to 43% in the vehicle group (P=0.0001). CSF-1 demonstrated tolerability with a favorable safety profile. The most reported treatment-related adverse events experienced by over 5% of trial participants included instillation site pain (5.5%), headache (9.1%) and vision blur (10.9%) with all adverse events in the study reported as mild, transient and self-resolving.
"In addition to meeting the primary endpoint, achieving the secondary endpoint of a 2-line or more gain is clinically meaningful, especially for early presbyopes whose near vision is not yet severely impacted," said Marjan Farid, M.D., presenting author. "We're also encouraged that there was no negative impact on distance or night vision, which is critical when looking at the potential benefit of an investigative treatment like CSF-1 could bring to patients to help them manage in their day-to-day lives."
Additionally, a post hoc analysis of the Phase 2b trial of CSF-1 will be presented in the second Paper Session on Monday, April 25. The analysis met its primary endpoint of sustained improvement, with 47% of participants showing an improvement of 20/40 visual acuity (VA) level or better consistently over an 8-hour period on Day 15 following one dose of CSF-1. In both monocular and binocular measurements, the proportion of participants who achieved sustained DCNVA improvements was higher in the CSF-1 group vs. vehicle for participants assessed for sustained 20/40 vision across all time points (P<0.05).
"These results, which showed that a greater proportion of participants receiving CSF-1 achieved sustained functional near vision of 20/40 or better compared to vehicle when tested binocularly, demonstrate clinically meaningful improvement that may allow individuals treated with CSF-1 to more easily conduct day-to-day activities requiring near vision," said Preeya K. Gupta, M.D., presenting author.
Binocular summation, or the superiority of binocular performance over monocular performance, is acutely involved with improved visual acuity.1,2,3 As binocular suppression is observed in a majority of patients with presbyopia,4 achieving binocular summation is an important marker for evaluating efficacy of potential treatments for this age-related condition.
"We are pleased with the favorable safety and efficacy results from this study, as well as the rapid onset and sustained duration of action," said Elad Kedar, Chief Executive Officer of Orasis Pharmaceuticals. "The Phase 2b trial provided robust data and critical direction to inform the Phase 3 NEAR-1 and NEAR-2 clinical trials, for which we recently reported similar positive, topline efficacy and safety results. The consistency of these results, which had nearly identical designs, reinforces CSF-1's efficacy, safety and comfort, and its potential to provide a first-line treatment option for people living with presbyopia."
*ASCRS Disclaimer: All educational content of the ASCRS Annual Meeting is planned by its program committee, and ASCRS does not endorse, promote, approve, or recommend the use of any products, devices, or services.
CSF-1 is a novel corrective eye drop candidate being investigated for the treatment of presbyopia. CSF-1 is a proprietary, preservative-free formulation of low-dose pilocarpine and multi-faceted vehicle designed to achieve an optimal balance between efficacy, safety and comfort. CSF-1 improves near visual acuity by pupil modulation, resulting in a "pinhole effect" and an increase in the depth of field, thus increasing the ability to focus on near objects.
Presbyopia is the loss of ability to focus on near objects as a result of the natural aging process. It occurs mostly after the age of 40 when the crystalline lens of the eye gradually stiffens and loses flexibility. There are almost two billion people globally and more than 120 million people in the U.S. living with presbyopia. People with presbyopia experience blurred vision when performing daily tasks that require near visual acuity, such as reading a book, a restaurant menu, or messages on a smartphone. Presbyopia cannot be prevented or reversed, and it continues to progress gradually. Many existing treatment options can be either cumbersome or invasive, presenting a significant unmet need for quality-of-life improvement for people with presbyopia.
Orasis Pharmaceuticals is developing CSF-1, a corrective eye drop for the treatment of presbyopia as an alternative to reading glasses. By repurposing existing and well-studied molecules, CSF-1 is designed to be effective, safe, comfortable, and easy-to-use. Orasis is led by a collaborative team of industry executives and eye care specialists with a broad range of experiences in research, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical drugs, as well as finance and business development. Orasis is funded by a diverse group of sophisticated and experienced life science and healthcare investors including the ophthalmology focused venture capital fund Visionary Ventures, Sequoia Capital, SBI (Japan) Innovation Fund, Bluestem Capital, LifeSci Venture Partners, Maverick Ventures Israel, and other private investors. Orasis has offices in the U.S. and Israel. For more information, visit www.orasis-pharma.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.
References
1 Pineles SL, et al. JAMA. 2013;131(11):1413-1419.
2 Blake R, et al. Percep Psychophys. 1981;30(3):266-276.
3 Cagenello R, et al. J Opt Soc Am A Opt Image Sci Vis. 1993. 10(8):1841-1848.
4 Rozanova O, et al. Eye and Vision. 2018;5:1. DOI 10.1186/s40662-018-0095-0.
Media Contact:
Amy Phillips
aphillips@greenroompr.com
412-327-9499
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| 2022-04-24T20:24:15Z
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NEW ORLEANS, April 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until May 6, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in securities class action lawsuits against Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NasdaqGS: RIVN), if they purchased or otherwise acquired the Company's shares between November 10, 2021 and March 10, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period") and/or pursuant or traceable to its November 2021 initial public stock offering (the "IPO"). These actions are pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
Get Help
Rivian investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nasdaq-rivn/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.
About the Lawsuits
Rivian and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period and/or in the Registration Statement and Prospectus issued in conjunction with the initial public offering, violating federal securities laws.
The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that the Company's R1T electric pickup truck and R1S electric SUV products were underpriced to such a degree that the Company would have to raise prices shortly after the IPO, which could tarnish its reputation as a trustworthy and transparent company and potentially jeopardize sales for the existing backlog of 55,400 preorders as well as future preorders. As a result, the price of the Company's shares was artificially and materially inflated at the time of the Offering and declined when the truth was subsequently revealed.
The first-filed case is Crews, Jr. v. Rivian Automotive Inc., et al., No. 22-cv- 1524.
About ClaimsFiler
ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.
To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.
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| 2022-04-24T20:24:22Z
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NEW YORK, April 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE: IBM) between April 4, 2017 and October 20, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important June 6, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased IBM securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the IBM class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=5104 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 6, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Strategic Imperatives Revenue and growth, CAMSS (the sectors of "Cloud," "Analytics," "Mobile," "Security," and "Social") and CAMSS Components' revenue and growth, and the Company's Segments' revenue and growth were artificially inflated as a result of the wrongful reclassification of revenues from non-strategic to strategic to make those revenues eligible for treatment as Strategic Imperatives Revenue; (2) IBM's present success and positive future growth prospects concerning its Strategic Imperative business strategy were being fueled by the wrongful reclassification of revenues from non-strategic to strategic to make those revenues eligible for treatment as Strategic Imperative Revenue; (3) as a result of the foregoing, defendants misled the market by portraying IBM's Strategic Imperative's financial performance and future prospects more favorable than they actually were as a result of the fraudulent scheme and/or the wrongful reclassification of revenues from non-strategic to strategic to make those revenues eligible for treatment as Strategic Imperatives; and (4) Total Revenue and IBM's Segments' revenue and growth were artificially inflated as a result of the fraudulent scheme and/or the wrongful reclassification of revenues from non-strategic to strategic and/or the wrongful recognition of revenue. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the IBM class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=5104 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com
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| 2022-04-24T20:24:29Z
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NEW YORK, April 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Cassava Sciences, Inc. ("Cassava" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: SAVA). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.
The investigation concerns whether Cassava and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.
On April 18, 2022, The New York Times published an article entitled "Scientists Question Data Behind an Experimental Alzheimer's Drug." The article addressed Cassava's experimental Alzheimer's drug, simufilam, and reported that one of Cassava's advisers, Dr. H.Y. Wang, had five papers he authored retracted from the scientific journal PLoS One after an in-depth investigation revealed "serious concerns about the integrity and the reliability of the results."
On this news, Cassava's stock price fell sharply during intraday trading on April 19, 2022.
Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com
CONTACT:
Robert S. Willoughby
Pomerantz LLP
rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
888-476-6529 ext. 7980
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| 2022-04-24T20:24:36Z
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NEW YORK, April 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. (f/k/a Peridot Acquisition Corp.)("Li-Cycle" or the "Company") (NYSE: LICY). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.
The investigation concerns whether Li-Cycle and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.
On March 24, 2022, before market hours, market researcher Blue Orca Capital released a report on Li-Cycle (the "Report"), which described the Company as "a near fatal combination of stock promotion, laughable governance, a broken business hemorrhaging cash, and highly questionable Enron-like acounting." Among other things, the Report alleged that the Company's revenues are based on "an Enron-like mark-to-model accounting gimmick," and that "Li-Cycle diverted $529,902 in investor capital to the family [] of its founders through a series of highly questionable related party payments." The Report also alleged that the Company's "cash burn is so severe and far above previous guidance" which "will require the Company to raise at least $1 billion . . . in large part by massively diluting current shareholders."
Following publication of the Report, Li-Cycle's stock price fell $0.47 per share, or 5.6%, to close at $7.93 per share on March 24, 2022.
Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com
CONTACT:
Robert S. Willoughby
Pomerantz LLP
rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
888-476-6529 ext. 7980
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| 2022-04-24T20:24:43Z
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NEW YORK, April 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Renalytix Plc ("Renalytix" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: RNLX). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.
The investigation concerns whether Renalytix and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.
On or around July 17, 2020, Renalytix conducted its initial public offering, issuing 11 million of its ordinary shares to the public at $13.50 per share. Then, on March 31, 2022, Renalytix announced its financial results for the second quarter of its fiscal year 2022. Among other results, the Company reported second quarter GAAP earnings per share of -$0.21, missing consensus estimates by $0.04, and revenue of $0.84 million, missing consensus estimates by $0.21 million. Renalytix also reported that during the three and six months ended December 31, 2021, the Company recorded a loss of $1.4 million and $2 million, respectively, to adjust its investment in a subsidiary, Verici Dx Limited, to fair value.
On this news, Renalytix's ordinary share price fell $0.21 per share, or 2.95%, to close at $6.92 per share on March 31, 2022.
Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com
CONTACT:
Robert S. Willoughby
Pomerantz LLP
rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
888-476-6529 ext. 7980
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| 2022-04-24T20:24:49Z
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NEW YORK, April 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Rubius Therapeutics, Inc. ("Rubius" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: RUBY). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.
The investigation concerns whether Rubius and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.
On April 8, 2022, Rubius issued a press release "Report[ing] Updated Clinical Data at AACR from the Ongoing Monotherapy Phase 1 Arm of the Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial of RTX-240 in Advanced Solid Tumors." Although Rubius touted that the data demonstrated "single-agent activity and favorable tolerability," the data appeared to be less effective than its previous readout.
On this news, Rubius's stock price fell $2.67 per share, or 45.56%, to close at $3.19 per share on April 8, 2022.
Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.
CONTACT:
Robert S. Willoughby
Pomerantz LLP
rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
888-476-6529 ext. 7980
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| 2022-04-24T20:24:59Z
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NEW YORK, April 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Synopsys, Inc. ("Synopsys" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: SNPS). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.
The investigation concerns whether Synopsys and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.
On April 13, 2022, Bloomberg published an article reporting that Synopsys "is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Commerce for possibly passing key technology to banned Chinese companies". Citing "people familiar with the matter", the article reported that "[i]nvestigators are looking into allegations that Synopsys, working with affiliates in China, provided chip designs and software to Huawei Technologies Co.'s HiSilicon unit for manufacture at Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp." As the article noted, "U.S. companies are barred from selling some types of technology to Huawei and SMIC because they've been designated as threats to national security by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security." On this news, Synopsys's stock price fell sharply over the following two trading sessions.
Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com
CONTACT:
Robert S. Willoughby
Pomerantz LLP
rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
888-476-6529 ext. 7980
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SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
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https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/23/shareholder-alert-pomerantz-law-firm-investigates-claims-behalf-investors-synopsys-inc-snps/
| 2022-04-24T20:25:06Z
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NEW YORK, April 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Vir Biotechnology, Inc. ("VIR" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: VIR). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.
The investigation concerns whether VIR and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.
On March 25, 2022, the United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") announced that it was limiting the use of VIR's monoclonal antibody, Sotrovimab, to treat COVID-19 in some U.S. regions due to the BA.2 Omicron sub-variant. On this news, VIR's stock price fell $3.42 per share, or 13.5%, to close at $21.81 per share on March 25, 2022.
Then, on April 5, 2022, the FDA announced that "Sotrovimab is no longer authorized to treat COVID-19 in any U.S. region due to increases in the proportion of COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant." Specifically, the FDA stated that "[d]ata included in the health care provider fact sheet show the authorized dose of sotrovimab is unlikely to be effective against the BA.2 sub-variant. Due to these data, sotrovimab is not authorized in any U.S. state or territory at this time." On this news, VIR's stock price fell sharply during intraday trading on April 5, 2022.
The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com
CONTACT:
Robert S. Willoughby
Pomerantz LLP
rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
888-476-6529 ext. 7980
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/23/shareholder-alert-pomerantz-law-firm-investigates-claims-behalf-investors-vir-biotechnology-inc-vir/
| 2022-04-24T20:25:12Z
|
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