text stringlengths 65 123k | url stringlengths 25 420 | crawl_date timestamp[us, tz=UTC]date 2022-04-01 01:00:57 2022-09-19 04:34:04 |
|---|---|---|
China's ambassador to Washington says the U.S. is provoking China on the Taiwan question with congressional visits. The U.S. military says it's worried about Chinese military exercises around Taiwan.
Copyright 2022 NPR
China's ambassador to Washington says the U.S. is provoking China on the Taiwan question with congressional visits. The U.S. military says it's worried about Chinese military exercises around Taiwan.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-17/chinese-ambassador-says-u-s-is-provoking-china-with-congressional-visits-to-taiwan | 2022-08-17T22:19:21Z |
A federal judge has ordered CVS, Walgreens and Walmart to pay $650 million for helping to fuel the U.S. opioid crisis by selling and dispensing huge amounts of prescription pain pills.
Copyright 2022 NPR
A federal judge has ordered CVS, Walgreens and Walmart to pay $650 million for helping to fuel the U.S. opioid crisis by selling and dispensing huge amounts of prescription pain pills.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-17/cvs-walgreens-and-walmart-ordered-to-pay-650-million-for-fueling-opioid-crisis | 2022-08-17T22:19:37Z |
The agency overseeing organ transplants is under fire. A probe found transplants are canceled over lost or damaged organs, and lax oversight allowed at least 70 people to die by contracting diseases.
Copyright 2022 NPR
The agency overseeing organ transplants is under fire. A probe found transplants are canceled over lost or damaged organs, and lax oversight allowed at least 70 people to die by contracting diseases.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-17/damaged-and-diseased-organs-the-agency-overseeing-transplants-faces-intense-scrutiny | 2022-08-17T22:19:43Z |
DAVE DAVIES, HOST:
This is FRESH AIR. I'm Dave Davies, in today for Terry Gross. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than a million Americans have died from drug overdose since 1996. Our guest, journalist Beth Macy, writes that addiction has become the No. 1 destroyer of families in our time. Her last book, "Dopesick," which was adapted into an eight-part series on Hulu, detailed the dimensions and impact of the opioid crisis, particularly on rural communities. Macy returns to the subject in a new book, noting that given the scale of the opioid epidemic, the nation is sorely lacking in effective treatment programs, often due to the indifference of state and local officials or their hostility to treating people they regard as parasites or criminals.
Macy's new book highlights the work of citizens who have made it their business to help those struggling with addiction, sometimes working with small nonprofits or churches, sometimes driving their own cars to drug houses or makeshift encampments to offer clean needles, hepatitis testing and treatment, medications that ease withdrawal symptoms, and plenty of empathy and understanding.
Also with us today is one of those activists who's had a meaningful impact. Reverend Michelle Mathis is co-founder of Olive Branch Ministry, which now provides services to people in nine counties in North Carolina. She's also program coordinator for the Gaston County, N.C., Opioid Overdose Response Team. She serves on the board of several statewide organizations, including the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition. And she's the advisory board chair of the National Faith in Harm Reduction Movement. She's also an important character in Macy's new book, which also chronicles ongoing lawsuits and protests targeting the owners of Purdue Pharma. That book is called "Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, And The Future Of America's Overdose Crisis."
Well, Beth Macy, Michelle Mathis, welcome to FRESH AIR. Beth, I thought we'd begin with you to remind us of kind of where this opioid crisis came from. You know, a lot's happened in the last few years. We've had a pandemic. We've had, you know, a lot of political division and controversial stuff involving the former president. Remind us how it is that prescription opioids were introduced and became so widely abused back in the '90s.
BETH MACY: Yeah. Well, in 1996, Purdue Pharma, which was based in Connecticut under the direction of its owners, the Sackler family, introduced a drug called OxyContin. And they also funded a lot of pain orgs. And at the same time that the drug came out, they did this massive marketing campaign to show that, while for a hundred years we knew that opioids were addictive and only to be used in cases of cancer, end of life, severe pain, now they were flipping the narrative and telling a lot of doctors and sending them on fancy trips to learn to be paid speakers for the company, that their drug was virtually non-addictive.
And so it flipped from only using opioid pills. And this was really a national movement. And other companies soon joined in because they saw how Purdue was cashing in. But they basically flipped the narrative by convincing doctors that opioids were safe. And right away, the drug started being misused. It was being massively overprescribed. And so you had people who legitimately would have workplace injuries because, by the way, Purdue targeted those areas, particularly distressed areas in communities like the furniture belt of North Carolina or coalmining areas in western Virginia. And they went there. They targeted doctors who were already prescribing competing opioids like Percocet or Vicodin. And they targeted those doctors by saying, look, the FDA allows us to say this drug is virtually non-addictive. And it really took off like wildfire.
DAVIES: Right. There's been a lot of legal action in which Purdue Pharma had to admit to criminal misbranding of its pharmaceuticals. But they got out there. They were ubiquitous. What was the impact on so many of the communities that you've written about?
MACY: Yeah. In the communities that I cover - and it's largely southern Appalachia, rural communities - you've seen disability go through the roof. You've seen food stamps and food insecurity go up, foster care tripling, workforce participation rate, particularly among middle-aged men who haven't gone to college, way, way down. And when you tally up all the deaths, it's more than 1 million dead of drug overdose since 1996, the year OxyContin came out.
DAVIES: Michelle Mathis, you've been doing this work full-time since 2018, I believe, with your wife, Karen Lowe. I understand that before that, in the '90s, you worked with survivors of sexual abuse and then worked with - in HIV prevention and treatment. Tell us about the early days of when you got into working on people who were struggling with opioid addiction before you had, you know, funding and an organization.
MICHELLE MATHIS: Well, let me start off by saying that I did not come to this work easily. When I first heard about harm reduction, which is the work of reducing the negative consequences of high-risk behaviors, especially around the areas of sex work and people who use drugs, I saw the work as enabling. And it wasn't until I got into the trenches and began to meet people who were impacted daily by substance use that I realized that I had to change my thinking, that we were enabling people to have a second and third and fourth chance at life, that we had an opportunity to enable people to take positive steps and to find safe space.
So that was a good portion of the beginning of my work, really, was changing my mindset to embrace the work at hand. I was introduced to harm reduction while doing some HIV outreach and education and testing one evening, and met a man who was handing out some wound care kits in a parking lot. And he was involved in harm reduction. And through that, he began to mentor me. When we started, Karen and I, we had a decision to make. Were we going to go into this full force while working our regular jobs, or were we going to kind of take a more relaxed approach? And we wanted to make sure that we gave it our full effort. So we would spend evenings and weekends delivering food to individuals under the auspices of having a kind of mobile food exchange, whereas we were actually delivering syringes and condoms and alcohol wipes underground, if you will.
So we came to it in a kind of an unusual way, but what we found was the word spread very quickly. We didn't advertise, obviously, because it wasn't legal in North Carolina at the time, but we didn't have to advertise because when you provide a service that is desperately needed, the customers find you. So one would bring another and then another And then another. And we had one participant. She said, I get tired of giving people y'all's number and then people lose it. You need to print up some business cards and have your phone number on it and make it so nobody knows what you're doing.
So we already had Olive Branch Ministry. We put our phone numbers on there. So that way, when people found the card, whether it was a parent or a friend or a child, whoever, they would think someone was involved in a ministry. And, you know, being in the South, that's a really good thing. But it allowed us to spread the word effectively.
DAVIES: So you're providing clean syringes, which helps people because dirty syringes can spread disease and cause infections. But it's not just that, especially as the work went on in time. I mean, you made connections with this folk. What kinds of other services did you end up providing and connecting people to?
MATHIS: When we started, of course, it was syringe services. I mean, we did that for four years, but in the midst of that, we began to do unofficial peer support. So we were able to work with individuals, provide peer counseling, if you will, in an unofficial capacity. We met people simply where they were, and we listened because so often people who are stigmatized have no place to even share their thoughts, share their anger, share their grief because we were losing people left and right to overdose - so just providing safe space. And that's one of the biggest things that we provide. And as time has gone on, we provide overdose education and prevention. We provide naloxone, the medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. We provide that free of charge. We provide community education both to the regular community, the public, and to faith communities, because we are a faith-based organization. We provide low-barrier hepatitis C medication through an unusual partnership with a federally qualified health clinic in our area and a nurse practitioner named Tim (ph), who is an angel. And along with that, we also provide, through his help, low-barrier medication-assisted treatment through the Suboxone program that we have.
DAVIES: Right. That's the drug which helps people - it combats withdrawal symptoms, right?
MATHIS: That's correct. Yes. And then we also do simple things like provide food. We provide a sofa for somebody to take a nap if they've had to be up all night on the streets, so they were walking around to make sure that they were safe and that nobody attacked them. There's a lot of nuanced kind of things that we do in this work. Our mission statement is to extend hope and to extend life. And that's the goal of everything that we do.
DAVIES: It strikes me the enormous patience and empathy that it takes to deal with folks whose lives are in disarray and who, you know, have been dismissed, you know, and treated rudely at times when they've sought help. Was it hard for you to do that, to embrace people where they are?
MATHIS: That's a tricky question. Meeting people where they are is the key to harm reduction. And so if you're going to do this work, then you have to go into it with a mindset of you're going to meet all types of people from all walks of life because this disease does not discriminate. And if you're willing to meet the person who makes six figures a year where they are, you also have to meet the person who hasn't been able to hold down a job in 20 years where they are. It doesn't matter what they look like, what they smell like, where they come from, what they had for breakfast. You treat everyone with no judgment, no stigma, and with love. Love bears all things. Doesn't mean that our work is easy, but what it means is that if you truly enter into this work with a mindset of love and you want the best possible outcome for this individual and that they have a say in what that outcome is because they're the expert in that journey, then you're along for the ride. You're there to hold space with them, and you make that commitment from the time they walk through your door or you see them in a parking lot or in a tent city. From the first time you engage with them, you make that commitment to be with them.
DAVIES: Beth Macy, there's a moment that you describe in the book where a man who is, you know, struggling with addiction is in the presence of Michelle Mathis, our other guest here. And he's embarrassed. He hasn't bathed. He thinks he smells. Do you know the moment I'm talking about?
MACY: Yeah, they're in a Roses department store, and I believe Michelle was there to meet him, to give him clean supplies. And he told me the story. She didn't tell me. I reached out to him after I saw on Facebook that he was talking about how he had brought somebody back using Narcan that he'd gotten from Olive Branch. And so I just picked up the phone and called him, and he was - this is somebody that was initially prescribed OxyContin. He was a veteran and had had an injury in Kuwait and, you know, the typical journey. And he was in the middle of a four-day binge, as he said it, and he was there to get his needles. And Michelle stopped, and she looked at him, and she said, can I give you a hug? And he will never forget that moment. That was a pinnacle moment for him.
DAVIES: Michelle Mathis, do you remember this?
MATHIS: Absolutely. Absolutely. And he - it was then, as he is now, an amazing individual who has, through lots of hard work and his own determination, made many positive steps in his life. But I will never forget the moment that we met - never.
DAVIES: We need to take a break here. Let me reintroduce you both. Michelle Mathis is co-founder of Olive Branch Ministry, which provides services to people struggling with addiction in rural North Carolina. Also with us - Beth Macy. Her new book is "Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice And The Future Of America's Overdose Crisis." We'll continue our conversation in just a moment. This is FRESH AIR.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR. We're speaking with journalist Beth Macy, author of the book "Dopesick," about the opioid epidemic. Her new book, "Raising Lazarus," is about grassroots organizations and citizen volunteers working to help people struggling with addiction, often in rural communities. Also with us is Reverend Michelle Mathis, co-founder of Olive Branch Ministry, which provides a variety of addiction-related services in nine counties in North Carolina.
You know, it makes a difference when you're doing this work, whether you have some cooperation and support from the ruling authorities in the area - the politicians, the mayor, especially police and courts, because people who are addicted get arrested, and that's an opportunity to intervene and provide services and treatment. It's a juncture in their lives. But you can't if the local sheriff has no interest in this kind of thing. And I thought we would talk about efforts in Surry County, N.C. This is different from Michelle Mathis's home county. Beth Macy, tell us a little bit about this county. It's an interesting place on its own.
MACY: Yeah, it's - the county seat is Mt. Airy - or the best-known little town is Mt. Airy, N.C. That was Andy Griffith's hometown and the inspiration for "The Andy Griffith Show" in Mayberry. And if you drive down Main Street, you'll see all kinds of references to the show, from Aunt Bee's diner to - you know, you can pay a little money and take a ride in Andy Griffith's old police cruiser.
And the town has sort of built itself up on having this really wholesome image - I mean, images of Andy and Opie everywhere, which is awesome but not awesome when you cling so rigidly to that narrative that you're not willing to see that you have - when I first started going down there, they had the second-highest overdose rate in the nation.
DAVIES: Is there any common ground between harm-reduction groups and those in law enforcement agencies that pursue the war on drugs? I mean, has the war on drugs had any positive effect?
MATHIS: The war on drugs is the war on people who use drugs. And I just have to say that. It's not a war on drugs themselves. And I feel really strongly about that. That being said, I'm a little different than some harm reductionists in that I do believe in strong relationships with local law enforcement. Law enforcement has the ability and the option to divert charges. There is actually national programs called Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, which allows an officer to make a decision in that moment - are they going to arrest the individual, or are they going to divert those charges in order to assist the individual getting treatment?
That is a powerful relationship that we can have if we have the trust of the law enforcement community. It prevents people from catching charges, from having a record, potentially, especially if it's their first time, from destroying their employability, from destroying their family life. There's a lot of unintended consequences with one single arrest.
DAVIES: I mean, one of the things was that people who were addicted would get arrested. What was the county jail like?
MACY: It was twice as full as it was supposed to be. They let me tour it. There was an intake area where people who had been recently arrested were laying on urine-soaked mattresses with buckets to catch their vomit. Many of them were dope sick, in serious withdrawal. And, you know, I got the full tour. This is a county that has to spend a lot of money sending - busing inmates elsewhere to the other side of the state, so then their families can't visit them. And it was just really bad circumstances.
And they were pretty open about letting me see it, largely because they wanted to buttress their argument for a bigger, more expensive jail, which they are building presently. But when I would ask, like, here's a little nurse's office - why can't you do buprenorphine here? You know, they just kept coming back to this argument - we don't have enough room; we don't have enough staff. And I got to see that sort of attitude begin to shift because of Mark Willis, with Michelle's help, and this effort to create this pretty large network of peer-recovery specialists, and that's people in recovery who are going out, they're responding to overdoses, they're meeting people at the hospital and linking them, when they're ready, to care.
DAVIES: Yeah, you mentioned Mark Willis. He's this ex-Marine who'd done work overseas and took this job as the opioid response coordinator. So over time, this work in Surry County, the home of Andy Griffith, which prides itself on being, you know, the Mayberry of America - have overdoses declined? Have things visibly improved?
MACY: Not yet, to my knowledge. The last time I checked, no. I mean, they still have hundreds of people - job openings that they can't fill because people can't pass a drug test. But they have this huge infrastructure now, which is so important for every community to have now that this opioid litigation money is starting to filter down to communities. I mean, when I first asked Michelle what her hope was for this litigation money, she was very cynical. She said, I don't know, I think it's probably all going to go to drug war programming and abstinence-based treatment models.
But now you have, in the basement of the courthouse, where Mark Willis has his five or six peer-support people - he has community outreach. He has a data guy. I mean, it's like command central. And every person who has an overdose gets a response from his team. He has somebody stationed at the hospital that works with folks when they're ready to enter treatment. And I think we're going to start to see change there. And it's just - it's gotten the community excited. I mean, one of the things they did was they - you know, they did this garden outside of the courthouse. They're trying to make it appealing. They're trying to send a message that we care about everybody in our community.
DAVIES: Let me reintroduce you. We're going to take another break here. We're speaking with Beth Macy. Her new book is "Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice And The Future Of America's Overdose Crisis." Also with us is Michelle Mathis. She is co-founder of Olive Branch Ministry, which provides services to people struggling with addiction in rural North Carolina. They'll be back to talk more after a break. I'm Dave Davies, and this is FRESH AIR.
(SOUNDBITE OF MR. SUN'S "DRY AND DUSTY")
DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR. I'm Dave Davies, in for Terry Gross. We're speaking with journalist Beth Macy, who spent several years reporting on the opioid crisis in America. Her new book, "Raising Lazarus," tells the story of citizen volunteers and grassroots organizations that are working to help people struggling with addiction often in rural communities. The book also chronicles ongoing lawsuits and protests targeting the owners of Purdue Pharma. Also with us is Rev. Michelle Mathis, co-founder of Olive Branch Ministry, which provides a variety of addiction-related services to people in nine counties in North Carolina.
You know, Michelle Mathis, one thing that comes through in reading about this is how stressful this work can be, I mean, for folks - some who don't get paid for it. But, you know, when somebody calls you at the end of the day and they're really in need of something, you drive over there, and you do it. And you just - you can work around the clock. And then, there's the fact that there are tragedies, right? I mean, people who seem to be doing well disappear, or they die of overdose. How do you cope with all that emotionally?
MATHIS: This work is high-stress. You know, that kind of goes, I guess, without saying. You develop relationships with individuals, and then, they may pass away from an overdose. Or, like you said, they may disappear, and you don't know what's happened to them. And sometimes, it's because coming back to a syringe services program or reengaging with harm reduction may be triggering for them on their new journey. And so even reaching out to say I'm OK may be too much for them. You have to accept that and kind of live in the moment, if you will.
But, you know, I'll never forget the first death that we experienced in doing this work and the fact that - and it still haunts me to this day - that when she passed, she had, during the time we'd known her, saved dozens of lives through the administration of naloxone and had reversed overdoses. She had prevented disease from many people because she encouraged us to order special syringes from the U.K that were color-coded so that people would know who their own - you know, which syringes applied to them, you know, were theirs. She'd done everything she could do. But because of shame and stigma, she ended up dying alone having overdosed.
And the grief for us came obviously in her death, but also the fact that we could never share with her family the fact of - the - all the great work she had done in the midst of her addiction. And that is a tragedy for us. So it's not only the tragedy and the stress of losing individuals, but also losing the truth of their stories and not being able to tell them. So when we talk with people who are in the trenches doing this work, we say often, you can't fill someone else's cup unless you keep yours filled. Do what you have to do. Step away. Take care of yourself so you'll be able to take care of someone else tomorrow.
DAVIES: You know, one gut punch that hit me as I read this - I mean, when we were talking about the efforts in Surry County, the place where, you know, Andy Griffith's hometown was. And there was this guy, James Stroud, who was a former banker who was really active in this. At one point, he used his own money to get somebody out of jail, just pushed himself and pushed himself. And then, you learn, at some point, he's gone back to using meth again. It's just tough to see folks who are doing the work just overwhelmed by it. Is he better now? Do we know?
MACY: He tells me he is doing better now, and I don't know that he's back working with Birches. But, you know, I saw that kind of peer stress every - in every community that I visited, people with many years of sobriety relapsing. And it's just this irony or something that the people who are most qualified to do this work, the peers I'm talking about, are sometimes the most vulnerable, too. But I think it's important to show the issue fully in the round, warts and all, because that's what people are dealing with. And they need help. We need to scale what they're doing. Especially as this litigation money comes in, we need to offer this kind of help at a scale that actually matches the scale of the epidemic.
DAVIES: That actually leads me to my next question. You know, at the end of the book, I mean, it's inspiring to see how hard all of these people are working and the impact they're having. But it's one at a time, and it's hard. And you write that, you know, their work is simply not sustainable. Individuals, no matter how inspiring or selfless, cannot solve a systemic problem without sustained institutional and governmental support, bigger changes.
MACY: Yeah, and I think the government, they owe them that because, you know, they presided over this massive, overprescribing problem that led to this epidemic, where we are now, by, you know, impotent regulators who are using the revolving door to get better jobs with industry and on and on. There's a lot of - there were a lot of bad players. And I just really - I mean, whenever I talk to groups, I always say, you know, if you're somebody that has social capital in your community, if you know judges, if you know sheriffs, if you know emergency department directors, tell them about these examples of folks who have figured it out.
Because once - I mean, what I really love is when I'm interviewing somebody - and maybe I've talked to them two years ago, and they were totally against Suboxone, and now they got all their doctors waivered and are prescribing it in the emergency room - and you say, well, how's that feel? You're, like, potentially saving 30 lives this month. And they are so excited about it because they're not just seeing the same problem cycle back over and over. And then, they become evangelists for whatever progressive, new thing they're doing. And they go and teach other emergency room doctors in other places. Or sheriffs go and spread the word of what they're doing with other sheriffs. Because I think, you know, we'll hear change from somebody who's like us more likely than we'll hear it from somebody who isn't.
DAVIES: Yeah. You mention doctors getting waivered. That's essentially getting them the qualifications to write prescriptions for Suboxone, right?
MACY: Right.
DAVIES: Right, right.
MACY: Right. And there's no special DEA certification that you need to prescribe OxyContin, but there is - you have to have this special waiver and training. And only 8% of doctors have bothered to get it. And even a lot of those don't want to do this treatment because, you know, they'll say, well, the patients are too difficult or, you know, I don't want those people in my waiting room. Well, guess what? They're already in your waiting room.
DAVIES: We need to take another break here. Let me reintroduce you. We're speaking with Beth Macy. Her new book is "Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, And The Future Of America's Overdose Crisis." Also with us is Michelle Mathis, co-founder of Olive Branch Ministry, which provides services to people struggling with addiction in rural North Carolina. We'll continue our conversation after this short break. This is FRESH AIR.
(SOUNDBITE OF JAKE MASON TRIO'S "THE STRANGER IN THE MIRROR")
DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR. And we're speaking with journalist Beth Macy, author of the book "Dopesick" about the opioid epidemic. Her new book, "Raising Lazarus," is about grassroots organizations and citizen volunteers working to help people struggling with addiction, often in rural communities. Also with us is Reverend Michelle Mathis, co-founder of Olive Branch Ministry, which provides a variety of addiction-related services in nine counties in North Carolina.
There's been a lot of litigation that grew out of the opioid epidemic aimed at pharma companies. And one that you write about is against the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma, their company, which gave us OxyContin. And there's been more than one civil action against them. But in this one, you write about a protest movement, which sort of grew up in conjunction and parallel to the lawsuit, which sought to raise certain issues in the litigation. You want to just describe who these folks were, what the issues they were raising were?
MACY: Sure. In 2019, Purdue filed for bankruptcy, which got them out of this giant multidistrict litigation that also included other opioid makers and pharmacies and distributors. And they filed for bankruptcy in White Plains, N.Y., which is not where they're located. They filed there because there was a judge that favored what's called a third-party nonconsensual release. And what that did was it allowed them to hold on to a lot of their wealth, to basically walk away with a lot of their wealth sucked in offshore accounts. They have to give up the company. I think they're at $6 billion right now. But in the meantime, this grassroots group called the Ad Hoc Committee on Accountability, which was sort of fronted by the famous artist Nan Goldin, who has done all this protest to take the Sackler name down successfully - you know, in places like the Met and the Guggenheim and the Louvre - started getting really interested in following what was happening in the bankruptcy court. They wanted to make sure that the victims' voices were heard.
And interestingly, they partnered up - Nan herself is in recovery and on Suboxone for her opioid use disorder, which began with an OxyContin prescription. But many of the folks in this group are parents of the dead. I talk a lot about Ed Bisch - I profiled him as well in "Dopesick" - and, you know - which is - you couldn't get more opposite of Nan Goldin than Ed Bisch, who was this salt of the Earth IT worker in Philly. But suddenly, every Thursday night, they're all meeting on Zoom. And they're saying, how are we going to make sure that the public understands this very untransparent process - and what Ed calls the bankruptcy scam - that's going to allow them to walk away from this after already pleading twice in federal court to, you know, fraudulent marketing and the like, that's going to allow them to walk away a third time? And so they are still working on that.
DAVIES: Right. And so one of the things they wanted to deal with was that in addition to keeping a lot of their fortune, they would get this immunity from any future civil lawsuits, this - what's the expression? - third-party...
MACY: The nonconsensual releases.
DAVIES: Nonconsensual releases. You know, an unseen future person can no longer sue because the Sacklers committed this money. Tell us what happened and where it stands.
MACY: So they got up to $6 billion, the Sacklers giving up the company and a lot of public pressure was applied, a lot of media stories, a lot of legal filings by the Ad Hoc Committee's pro bono lawyer Mike Quinn. And currently, the bankruptcy is on appeal. The first judge that looked at it said - Judge Robert Drain, the bankruptcy judge, doesn't really have a right to tell Ed Bisch and other relatives of the dead that they can't sue the Sacklers civilly. And so that's - then the Purdue appealed that. And it's currently now sitting at the second appellate level. In the meantime, Ed Bisch and other members of this group, you know, staged a protest in front of the Department of Justice, begging Attorney General Garland to indict them criminally. And they've had follow-up meetings. And, you know, I report on kind of how that goes near the end of the book. And we don't know what's happening with that yet. But we do know that Garland came out very forcefully in favor of that first appellate judge's ruling. And so, you know, we wait and see what happens next on that.
DAVIES: So if there is $6 billion paid as a result of this litigation, does that go to people who need treatment? Does it go for compensations for families of victims? Can it be diverted to other spending by state legislatures or county governments?
MACY: It's all a patchwork, just like the whole addiction system in America is. Some states have set up really great guidelines - Massachusetts, New York, for instance - and other communities haven't really said what they're going to do with it. I know in North Carolina, which is where a lot of "Lazarus" takes place, only the half - only half of the counties have even appointed an opioid person, an opioid response point person to address with that. So the fear is - and Michelle's the first one that pointed this out - that the money is just going to come down and it's going to go to drug war policing, and that not enough of it is going to be actually spent to help people get better. There was a small settlement pot for personal injury victims, but many of them didn't know or they didn't have the capacity to apply. And so I think the average award is going to be for those who did is between - starts at $3,000 and goes up. I can't remember what the top number is, but it's not a lot of money. As Ed Bisch, a parent that I profile in both "Dopesick" and "Raising Lazarus," says, it wouldn't even cover the cost of a funeral.
DAVIES: You know, Beth Macy, your last book, "Dopesick," about the opioid crisis was made into an eight-part series on Hulu, you know, starring Michael Keaton. It won a Peabody Award, a lot of Emmy nominations. Michelle Mathis, did you see the series?
MATHIS: I did.
DAVIES: Yeah. What'd you think? What was your reaction?
MATHIS: I watched the first one with great anticipation. And then I had to take a break before I watched the next. We actually spent some time in our Hickory office watching together and crying with each other and holding each other, sitting on the sofa. It was triggering in a lot of ways. But it was also an affirmation of the necessity of the work that we do and that we're not fighting against a pharmacist, you know? We're fighting against big pharma and the destruction that they have left us with. And so for that, it was inspiring for us.
DAVIES: If it's not too personal, what in that first episode was hard for you or triggering?
MATHIS: In our day-to-day, we're in the trenches. And so we are working with folks that we know individually. And so we know an individual story here, an individual story there. But when you take a step back and you look at the big picture, as you see in a different community - but you see how this pure evil has affected not only the individuals that you know, but the story is so much bigger. And you know this in the back of your head. But you get so focused on the day-to-day of what you do that taking a step back and seeing truly the impact that it has had and the devastation of millions of lives - that was overwhelming in that moment.
DAVIES: Beth Macy, you know, the last time you and I spoke about your last book, we spoke briefly about alcoholism in your family, you know? Your dad struggled with it through your childhood. And recently, you wrote a piece about it in Oprah Magazine and said that your work on, you know, opioid addiction in recent years and all your reporting had made you rethink your attitude towards your father. Can you share some of that with us?
MACY: Yeah. I wrote about - you know, I was kind of the - I was the fourth child of much older parents. I was kind of like the midlife accident. And by the time I came along, my dad was really in advanced stage alcoholism. He couldn't work. He would sit at the VFW all day. And we were really poor. And it ticked me off. And it made me mad. It made me protective of my mother. And he died of lung cancer when I was in college. I was 19. And he was just really not a part of my life. So you know, he didn't attend any of my events, didn't come to my graduations. Nothing. And I was kind of relieved when he died. And I know that sounds really harsh.
But in getting to know these folks - and I know alcoholism and opioid use disorder are different - it began to hit me that he, too, had a disease, his disease of alcoholism. And while I didn't know him when he was healthier earlier in his years, I realized that if I'm going to be kind of giving this message that this is a treatable medical condition, which is so important to emphasize, that it's treatable - and that we need to extend grace and love to these folks, many of whom were victims of Purdue Pharma and others, and that I needed to extend some grace to him, too. And that was a tough piece to write.
DAVIES: Well, Beth Macy, good to talk with you again. Thanks so much for spending some time with us.
MACY: Thanks, Dave.
DAVIES: Michelle Mathis, good luck in your work. Thank you for speaking with us also.
MATHIS: It's been an honor, Dave. Thank you.
DAVIES: Beth Macy is the author of the book "Dopesick" about the opioid crisis, which has been adapted to a series on Hulu. Her newest book about grassroots efforts to help people with addiction is called "Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, And The Future Of America's Overdose Crisis." We also spoke with Michelle Mathis, co-founder of Olive Branch Ministry, which provides services to people struggling with addiction in nine counties in North Carolina. Coming up, TV critic David Bianculli reviews the final episode of the AMC series "Better Call Saul." This is FRESH AIR.
(SOUNDBITE OF THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET'S "UNSQUARE DANCE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-17/dopesick-author-turns-her-attention-to-the-citizen-volunteers-combatting-addiction | 2022-08-17T22:19:49Z |
NPR's Juana Summers talks with Olena Pareniuk of the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine about the threat to the Zaporizhzhia power plant.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Juana Summers talks with Olena Pareniuk of the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine about the threat to the Zaporizhzhia power plant.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-17/europes-largest-nuclear-power-plant-is-at-risk | 2022-08-17T22:19:55Z |
ELLENWOOD, Ga. — High school football teams around the country are starting training this time of year, including the Cedar Grove Saints.
On a hot, humid morning, players were doing drills on the field behind their suburban Atlanta high school as head coach John Adams gave them guidance and encouragement.
This is a good team; they've won four state titles in the past six years, and four former Saints were in the NFL draft this past year – more than any other high school in the country.
So Adams was excited about the upcoming season. But he was also watchful about keeping the athletes safe as they worked out in the Atlanta heat.
"The heat has been to a point where it's hard on anybody," he said. "But I think if you condition consistently in the heat, you kind of get used to it."
He reminds the students to drink enough water even on days they aren't practicing. They take longer breaks. And he said he checks on them during practice, to make sure they're OK.
Football and the dangers of heat
From the pros, to college, to high school, football players start practicing at the hottest time of year, many on turf fields roasting under direct sun. They wear layers of equipment, and many of them – especially the linemen – are big.
That can add up to a dangerous situation.
According to research from the University of Georgia, between 1980 and 2009, 58 football players around the country died from heat-related illness. Most of them were in high school.
The study, published in 2010, found that the number of football players dying from the heat was going up over time. Georgia was one of the worst states, leading the country in high school football player heat-related deaths.
But in the last decade, Georgia has turned things around. Experts say it's bucked the trend of rising numbers of players suffering from heat illness. And the rules put in place here have become a model for other states looking to protect student athletes from the heat.
That's all the more important as climate change drives up temperatures and humidity.
At Cedar Grove's practice, the sideline, which was in the shade, was littered with water bottles. The team took five-minute water breaks together, but Adonijah Green, a 17-year-old defensive end, said athletes can also get a drink whenever they need one.
"We're able to hydrate anytime with no restrictions on the water," he said
And the players weren't wearing their pads yet. In late July, they were getting used to working out in the heat, with limited practices, limited contact – no tackling allowed – and without all their equipment.
"With the pads, it gets hot, it gets heavy," Green said. "It tires you down."
These aren't just policies at Cedar Grove. The Georgia High School Association mandates a five-day ramp-up period without pads as teams begin training.
Athletes have to be allowed to hydrate whenever they need to, and coaches aren't allowed to make them do drills as punishment.
During the hotter part of the year, teams also have to measure the wet bulb globe temperature, which factors in not only heat and humidity, but also sun exposure, before and during practice. Depending on that reading, there are more and longer breaks required, and at high temperatures, teams have to be prepared to immerse a player in an ice bath if needed.
If it gets even hotter, no outside practice is allowed at all. If the wet bulb globe temperature hits 92, no outside practice is allowed at all.
Bud Cooper, a clinical professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Georgia who studies heat illness and athletes, said before the Georgia High School Association adopted those rules about a decade ago, schools could do pretty much whatever they wanted.
After a high-profile heat-related death of a high school football player, though, the association was ready to make a change.
"Clearly, there was a problem," Cooper said.
Protecting student athletes
He and other experts at UGA designed the heat rules based on their research. Cooper said when they presented them to the high school association, he wasn't sure how they'd be received.
"The rules committee was made up of a group of five coaches, all who had individually, probably 35 or 40 years of coaching. So folks that have been around for a long, long time," he said.
But the rules, which cover all high school sports, not just football, were adopted, he said, after relatively little discussion.
Cooper and his colleagues did a follow-up study after the rules had been instituted, to confirm that they worked.
They did.
According to their research, there have been fewer heat illnesses, and, among programs that followed the rules, no heat-related deaths among high school football players in Georgia.
"It's exciting for my part," Cooper said. "There is nothing that's more satisfying than for me to be able to sit here and say, 'I've done some things that have saved lives.' "
And not only in Georgia, according to Becca Stearns, chief operating officer at the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut, a program that studies and advocates for athlete safety, named after a Minnesota Vikings player who died from heat stroke.
"Georgia is one of the states that has been so profound in its impact and leadership when it comes to heat safety and the policies enacted within the state," Stearns said.
Science-backed rules
What stands out about Georgia, Stearns said, is that the rules are based on data and research. Other states have been able to adapt Georgia's model to protect their student athletes, too.
According to Stearns, 30 states mandate some kind of policy around heat. A dozen states base their policy on the wet bulb globe temperature.
It's more urgent now, Stearns said, as climate change drives up temperature and humidity.
According to another paper from the UGA researchers, in the future, Atlanta could have four times as many days when it's too hot to exercise outdoors safely. Other cities around the country also see increases.
"It's certainly a very relevant conversation in terms of maybe trying to act now, before it becomes even more intense," Stearns said. "We're seeing an uptick in the cases of heat illness."
Experts underscore, death from heat stroke is preventable, but teams have to be prepared: to be able to recognize its symptoms, and to treat anyone suffering from it as quickly as possible – cooling their bodies down before transporting them anywhere.
For parents of student athletes, Stearns said they should feel comfortable asking what their school's or state's heat policies are.
"The question always comes down to, 'Who is responsible for the health and safety of our high school athletes?' And the sad thing is, it's not always a clear answer," she said. "I would not drop my kids off at the pool without a lifeguard. And it's the same idea with this. You want to make sure those protections are in place before you drop your kid off at sports practice."
Cedar Grove's Coach Adams said to him, the key is to plan ahead, be smart with practices, and always keep the best interests of the students in mind.
"They're kids. So, you know, sometimes kids are just going to try to toughen it out. But you got to be smart," he said. "Life is more important than football."
Copyright 2022 90.1 WABE | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-17/how-georgia-reduced-heat-related-high-school-football-deaths | 2022-08-17T22:20:02Z |
Rising prices at the grocery store and elsewhere are putting a strain on family budgets. Retailers are making adjustments, offering smaller package sizes and more discount options.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Rising prices at the grocery store and elsewhere are putting a strain on family budgets. Retailers are making adjustments, offering smaller package sizes and more discount options.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-17/how-grocery-stores-are-adjusting-for-rising-prices | 2022-08-17T22:20:08Z |
After the nation watched a Minneapolis police officer murder George Floyd two summers ago, Gov. Greg Abbott promised Floyd's Houston relatives that his death would not be in vain — and signaled an openness to pursuing police reforms.
But even as millions of Americans protested excessive force, systemic racism and law enforcement’s treatment of people of color, Abbott quickly pivoted to defending police funding while remaining relatively quiet on overhauling public safety practices. Earlier this month, Abbott appointed an Austin police officer indicted for excessive force during the 2020 protests to the state agency that regulates law enforcement — which brought swift criticism for the message it sent to Black Texans.
Not that Chas Moore, an Austin activist who helped organize some of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, was surprised by the actions of the governor, who is white. After all, Texas is the birthplace of Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people. And it is frequently a political harbinger in a country with a long history of racism, discrimination and oppression.
“There’s always been an attack on our very existence,” Moore said. “We’re not new to this, we’re true to this … it’s sad to say that we’re true to daily struggles of just existing as Black people.”
Floyd’s death and the massive demonstrations that followed it were part of a seemingly endless onslaught of upheaval, crises and emergencies that have trickled into every aspect of daily life — from the economy and health care to public safety and education — for the past two years. For Black people, deaths, illness, job loss and economic insecurity wrought by the coronavirus pandemic have compounded those traumas.
And in Texas, those seismic forces have been accompanied by a Republican-controlled state government that has limited how America’s history of racism is taught in public schools, restricted voting options heavily used by people of color and protected the GOP’s grip on power with new political maps that diminish the power of voters of color — who accounted for 95% of the state’s population boom between the last two censuses.
“What we’re dealing with now in Texas is not new,” said Karen Kossie-Chernyshev, a history professor at Texas Southern University. “It’s still about impacting the strength of the Black vote.”
Texas is home to more Black Americans than any other state — more than 3.8 million, about 13% of the state’s population. The state was founded by white men who were determined to expand slavery westward — the conflict that sparked the Civil War. Today, white men are overrepresented in the Legislature. At the start of the 2021 regular legislative session, there were 17 Black lawmakers in the 150-member Texas House — 16 Democrats and one Republican. Only two Black senators, both Democrats, serve in the 31-member Texas Senate. A few Black Texans have held statewide office, but none have made it to the senior-most executive and legislative positions.
Black Texans’ experiences of the past two years — and how they’re looking ahead to the November midterm elections and next year’s legislative session — are as varied as the individuals themselves. Some Black Republicans, for instance, don’t think that everything should be viewed through a lens of race. Robin Armstrong, who recently made an unsuccessful bid for the GOP nomination for a Texas Senate district that includes Galveston, said that people use the “offense of racism” to control Black Texans.
“If we see everything through that, then we’re always going to have an excuse to fail,” Armstrong said.
But nearly a dozen Black Texans who talked to The Texas Tribune see racism in state leaders’ actions. Some have wondered if remaining in the state makes sense for them. Others are determined to stay and advocate for a more equal and just government.
“If we all run, who’s going to be here to change some of the policies, change some of the laws and change some of the minds of people that are in control and power so that we are able to make it a better place?” said Naomi Green, a transgender woman who volunteers with multiple LGBTQ advocacy organizations in North Texas. “Who’s gonna be here to do that?”
Some turn to human connections made in their own daily lives as a way to focus on the joys in the world, rather than completely fixate on the hardships. Some Black Texans draw strength from their ancestors’ resilience, while others point out that the constant fighting for survival is utterly exhausting.
“We’ve been through Jim Crow, we’ve been through the ‘war on drugs,’ we’ve been through the ’90s crime bill,” Moore said. “We’ve been through redlining with banks, we’ve been through work discrimination. It’s just kind of what it is. We’ve always, in that same breath, been organizing and fighting for humanity and fighting for our rightful place in society as Americans.”
Perseverance and pain
The history of Black people in Texas is a story of resilience.
Texas was the last state where enslaved people were proclaimed free — on June 19, 1865. The Juneteenth commemoration has been a Texas state holiday since 1980 and was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021.
In a state where the scars of Jim Crow segregation still linger, Black students today find themselves turning up at weekend brunch parties, Greek Life events and Black History Month observances on campuses that refused to entertain their applications a few decades ago. Many excel at institutions established by Black pioneers. Thousands have voted for Black legislators in a state where thousands used to gather for Black lynchings.
Faith Anderson grew up in East Austin in the 1990s. Local culture was everything to Anderson. They attended several Black-owned charter schools that accommodated students’ various learning styles. There was East Side Story, an afterschool program started by neighborhood legend Larry Jackson. Kids would go to youth dances. Sliding to Highland Mall on Saturdays was still the move.
Today, the 29-year-old is a director, actor, pilates coach and trauma-informed yoga teacher. They have leaned heavily into arts and community building as a way to preserve their own mental health — and bring joy to others.
“I do think we are the people who are reflecting and giving fun and a breath of air to this painful society,” they said.
But for some Black Texans, resilience takes a toll — and some wonder what their lived experiences would be like if they didn’t always have to put so much emotional labor into persistently fighting for equality.
One 32-year-old Black Texan, whose name is X, has worked in service of Black communities for most of their adult life. They helped during recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the cataclysmic Louisiana hurricane that killed more than 1,800 mostly Black people and displaced millions of others. Nearly 20 years later, they are still busy overseeing House of Rebirth, a Dallas organization advocating for Black trans women. They feel a constant tension between fighting for people’s rights and equality — and a sense that it’s inherently unequal to have to do so.
“At the end of the day, if I could have just been born free … I can’t imagine that I would be doing this,” X said.
Which Anderson gets. That’s a major reason why they stepped back from grassroots activism and now focuses largely on artistic endeavors meant to replenish people’s souls.
“I do think some of us are better suited in different places,” Anderson said.
A budding leader
Kennedy McGregor is entering her junior year at the University of North Texas in Denton as president of the school’s Progressive Black Student Organization. She has spent some of the summer trying to figure out the organization’s identity — finding a sweet spot between grassroots activism and serving as a safe space for Black students. The 20-year-old from Round Rock is also trying to keep her head in current events as much as possible to stay informed.
The leadership opportunity feels surreal considering she started college during the fall 2020 semester — when classes operated in a hybrid format because of the coronavirus and when much of the country stood off balance from Floyd’s murder. Months before McGregor arrived on campus, Darius Tarver, a 23-year-old Black student, was shot and killed by Denton police. Tarver’s family has filed a lawsuit seeking damages, asserting that police used excessive force.
“First, it kind of made me want to withdraw from things a little bit more because everything that was happening in 2020, with Black Lives Matter and then even nowadays where there’s grocery store shootings, church shootings, school shootings,” McGregor said, “it just made me want to withdraw because I’m like, am I even gonna be safe out here? Like, is there even a point of me doing all this and changing all this?”
But when McGregor joined the organization during her freshman year, she immediately identified with members’ raw and real vibe. Students were not consumed with trying to act overly flashy or classy. They prioritized getting to know one another through stimulating conversations, group meetings and social events.
That sense of grounding and belonging was exactly what she unsuccessfully sought in her predominantly white high school in an Austin suburb. For years, she tried to fit in and gain her white friends’ acceptance. Then came a devastating realization: They didn’t all respect her.
In the 11th grade, as she sat with some of her schoolmates in the local high school library, a white male friend unexpectedly walked up with a handful of students to harass her. Together the white students started shouting the N-word at the dark-skinned Black girl. Over and over and over. Even though there was no physical attack, she still felt like she’d been verbally jumped.
“It just scared the mess out of me,” she said. “It was just a real trigger for a while just to even hear their names or see them at school. So it was something I really struggled with.”
McGregor’s high school experience in part moved her to join the primarily Black student organization at UNT. The recent string of events has contributed to her longing to work in the service of more people who look like her.
Approaching the fall semester, at another moment when many Black Texans don’t feel that the state and country are working in their best interests, McGregor bears a heightened sense of responsibility to show up on campus ready to help those searching for guidance.
“I’m just trying to prepare myself and be as educated on what’s going on as I can,” McGregor said, “so that way I’m not biasing people, but I’m giving them information through someone who is familiar to them and … isn’t trying to trick them.”
Targeted on two fronts
Black trans women are fighting a battle on two fronts — one related to their race and the other having to do with their gender identity.
Since Green, the Garland woman who volunteers for several advocacy groups, began working in Texas, the state GOP has sought to limit access to LGBTQ-themed books in schools and vowed to restrict or ban classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity. Lawmakers have already passed a law that requires student-athletes to play on sports teams that correspond to their sex assigned at birth rather than their gender identity. And state leaders have pushed to open child abuse investigations of parents who allow their children access to gender-affirming care.
Republicans also passed a law limiting classroom discussions about race and slavery’s role in the shaping of the country. Many Republican officials and parents criticized diversity and equity initiatives — and social studies lessons about slavery and racism — as attempts to make white students feel guilt or discomfort, something some school officials called a “manufactured crisis.”
A Black principal in North Texas — not far from where Green resides — resigned from his position after white officials and parents accused him of “encouraging the disruption and destruction of our district” after he shared the pain he felt over the deaths of three Black Americans: Floyd in Minnesota, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia.
“It’s a constant attack,” Green said. “You’re waiting on the next thing to happen. You’re waiting on the next law, you’re waiting on the next executive order. You’re waiting on the next proposed legislation, you know, you’re waiting on all of these things to happen because it’s been happening. I have not let my guard down.”
Green’s gender transition started in 2006. Looking back, she said her transition wasn’t as difficult as many people’s because she had already graduated from high school and college, started her career and had loving family members who accepted her.
“The thing about it is, for most transgender women of color, specifically, that’s not the case,” she said. “They lack most of those things. And so it’s much more difficult. And I didn’t realize that until I got into this work.”
Black trans women make up two-thirds of the victims of deadly violence in LGBTQ communities across the U.S. since 2013, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Advocates say that Texas officials’ rhetoric and legislation targeting marginalized communities only makes people of color and LGBTQ people more vulnerable.
Green’s motivation is powered by her work helping disempowered and stigmatized people.
“That is what keeps me going — receiving calls and texts and emails and kind gestures from people letting me know that I helped them in some way or that they need my help or that I am making a difference and having an impact,” she said.
Not that it always yields a positive result. Green recently got a call from a colleague asking her to help a trans woman sleeping outside of an office building. The woman had previously tried living in a shelter but left for unknown reasons. But when the colleague asked Green what she could do to help, she realized there were virtually no options available because of Dallas’ scarcity of resources for trans people.
“It’s deflating,” Green said about not being able to help the woman. “It’s sympathy, it’s empathy, you know, it’s feeling helpless in those particular moments. But at the same time, it’s what drives me because it’s something that I know needs to change.”
“Everything you were put on this Earth to be”
At 20 years old, Ryan Douglas finds herself frustrated with the ongoing political and social upheaval that so often impacts Black people much more negatively than their white counterparts. When she was younger, the Carrollton native had already decided there wasn’t really a future for her in Texas.
Then the U.S. Supreme Court this summer overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, a procedure Black women use at the highest rates. It was a decision many saw as a devastating revocation of settled law — and another attack on women’s rights. And Texas has a “trigger law” in place to now ban virtually all abortions this month.
That sealed the deal for the North Carolina A&T State University junior. She doesn’t want to live in Texas long term after she graduates partly because she’s lost faith that women of color will gain equitable political ground.
“I just don’t see it changing anytime soon,” she said. “It’s been this way for so long.”
But Ashton Woods, the co-founder of Black Lives Matter Houston, plans to stay in place. He most recently organized a demonstration outside of the Republican Party of Texas’ state convention. He understands that heading into the November midterm elections, there are fewer voting options than in 2020. His message to the thousands of people who showed up to protest was simple: Hold elected officials accountable and hold your neighbors accountable.
“I love the whole idea of being able to vote at midnight; I did love the idea of being able to drive-thru. I liked all of that,” Woods said.
For him, a piece of the antidote is still casting ballots, despite attempts that make it less convenient.
“We’ve always adapted,” he said. “So we’re just gonna have to do what we gotta do to get people to the polls.”
Milton Harris, the 54-year-old executive director of 100 Black Men of San Antonio, a youth training and support organization, views officials’ actions as attempts to knock Black Texans off their destined paths. The Air Force veteran said that as long as the “white caucasian male” power structure lasts, Black people will face strife. His organization uses job training, teaching and mentorship to show young people how to overcome those hindrances.
“Things are gonna be adversarial because it’s all about power and control,” Harris said. “But that should not and cannot prevent you from being everything you were put on this Earth to be and potentially, at some point, bringing about change.”
Moore, of the Austin Justice Coalition, also said Black Texans need to focus on holding officials accountable. To incite meaningful change, he said, they will need to mobilize more outside of mass demonstrations. He says, “something is going to have to give.”
He also plans to stay in Texas — even though he does sometimes entertain the idea of living somewhere else.
“Yes, I fantasize about being at a Black-ass brunch in Harlem, but I can’t do that and rest peacefully knowing that there are Black people that can’t up and leave if they wanted to, and they don’t want to leave because they have culture and heritage and history here,” Moore said. “I have to fight to make sure that Black people have the freedom and self will to call any place home, you know? So why not fight? This land is my land just as much as anybody else’s.”
The full program is now LIVE for the 2022 The Texas Tribune Festival, happening Sept. 22-24 in Austin. Explore the schedule of 100+ mind-expanding conversations coming to TribFest, including the inside track on the 2022 elections and the 2023 legislative session, the state of public and higher ed at this stage in the pandemic, why Texas suburbs are booming, why broadband access matters, the legacy of slavery, what really happened in Uvalde and so much more. See the program.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2022/08/16/black-texans-future/.
The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
Disclosure: Human Rights Campaign, Texas Southern University - Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs and University of North Texas have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-17/more-black-americans-live-in-texas-than-any-other-state-but-many-are-reconsidering-their-future-here | 2022-08-17T22:20:14Z |
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Wired reporter Pia Ceres about surveillance programs on school laptops and how law enforcement's access to them creates a major privacy issue for students.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Wired reporter Pia Ceres about surveillance programs on school laptops and how law enforcement's access to them creates a major privacy issue for students.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-17/more-kids-are-going-back-to-school-so-why-is-laptop-surveillance-increasing | 2022-08-17T22:20:21Z |
NPR's Juana Summers talks with Monica Lennon, a member of the Scottish Labour Party, about Scotland becoming the first country to offer free period products.
Juana Summers is a political correspondent for NPR covering race, justice and politics. She has covered politics since 2010 for publications including Politico, CNN and The Associated Press. She got her start in public radio at KBIA in Columbia, Mo., and also previously covered Congress for NPR.
Justine Kenin is an editor on All Things Considered. She joined NPR in 1999 as an intern. Nothing makes her happier than getting a book in the right reader's hands – most especially her own. | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-17/scotland-is-making-free-period-products-the-norm | 2022-08-17T22:20:27Z |
Jumping spiders appear to move their eyes during sleep, similar to the way humans do during REM sleep — raising the question of whether spiders might dream as well.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Jumping spiders appear to move their eyes during sleep, similar to the way humans do during REM sleep — raising the question of whether spiders might dream as well.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-17/some-spiders-might-experience-rem-sleep-and-even-dream | 2022-08-17T22:20:33Z |
The White House is touting the Inflation Reduction Act as a major fix for environmental injustices. But many experts and grassroots anti-pollution groups say the bill is anything but equitable.
Copyright 2022 NPR
The White House is touting the Inflation Reduction Act as a major fix for environmental injustices. But many experts and grassroots anti-pollution groups say the bill is anything but equitable.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-17/the-new-law-meant-to-fix-environmental-injustices-is-far-from-equitable-critics-say | 2022-08-17T22:20:39Z |
A key primary re-affirmed Trump's hold on the Republican party. Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney lost her race in a landslide, defeated by a Trump-endorsed political newcomer: attorney Harriet Hageman.
Copyright 2022 NPR
A key primary re-affirmed Trump's hold on the Republican party. Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney lost her race in a landslide, defeated by a Trump-endorsed political newcomer: attorney Harriet Hageman.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-17/whats-next-for-liz-cheney | 2022-08-17T22:20:45Z |
Keller’s school board adopted policies earlier this month about classroom and library books that get challenged by parents.
Despite long-standing review policies, the district said in an email Tuesday that administrators asked staff and librarians to pull all of the classroom and library books that were challenged by parents last year “to determine if they meet the requirements of the new policy.”
Before the Aug. 8 meeting, books that were challenged by parents were pulled from the shelves and then reviewed by a standing committee. Some of the challenged books were removed, while others were restored or limited to certain age groups.
Now, all of the books that were challenged in the past year — including those that had been restored — are gone again.
Alex Gino’s George, which is described as the story of a 4th grader born as a boy who knows in her heart she’s a girl, had been removed last year. Keller ISD’s review committee had unanimously agreed to leave the book in classrooms and libraries. But it was back off the shelf Tuesday.
Similarly, Toni Morrison’s first novel, The Bluest Eye, about an African American girl growing up in Ohio just after the Depression, had been removed, reviewed and restored. But it’s also gone for now.
The committee had permanently removed some books from the classrooms and the shelves. Those included Sharon Draper’s Panic — described as a story of an abducted teen, friends desperate to find her, and plots touching on sexting and date abuse — and L.C. Rosen’s Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts), described as a young adult (YA) novel about a sexually-active gay teen trying to uncover a blackmailer attempting to force him back into the closet.
New, more conservative trustees joined the board after the last election, changing the board’s political make-up/balance.
Here’s Keller ISD’s list of removed books.
Got a tip? Email Reporter Bill Zeeble at bzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on Twitter @bzeeble. | https://www.keranews.org/education/2022-08-17/keller-isds-book-hit-list-includes-all-versions-of-the-bible-and-many-lgbtq-titles | 2022-08-17T22:20:51Z |
Country
United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary
People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe | https://www.kitv.com/news/crime/big-island-woman-who-escaped-police-custody-monday-arrested-update/article_47171d54-1dd3-11ed-855c-130a7deb1e04.html | 2022-08-17T22:25:07Z |
HONOLULU (KITV4) -- Hawaii Senate Majority Leader Kurt Favella has requested Gov. David Ige declare a state of emergency to address rising electricity rates in the state.
Favella’s request comes less than two weeks after the Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) said it would have to raise its rates by an additional 7% as the state shuttered its last coal power plant and the ban on coal as an energy source is set to take effect to start 2023.
The HECO rate increase is in addition to 10% to 20% increase they announced for the state in March 2022.
Citing Hawaii Revised Statute Chapter 127A-14, Favella says Gov. Ige has the power to “relieve hardships and inequities, or obstructions to the public health, safety, or welfare found by the governor to exist in the laws.”
In Favella’s request, the senator says the emergency declaration should remain in place until HECO can obtain cost-effective renewable energy sources.
“Per HECO, it has had to turn to oil as a result of a delay with renewable energy projects. However, HECO's reliance on oil results in residential households and businesses left to carry the burden,” wrote Fevella.
As part of the declaration, Favella called for the AES plant to be restarted until the state’s renewable energy projects are ready to go.
KITV4 has reached out to Gov. Ige for comment on this story. So far we have not received a response. | https://www.kitv.com/news/local/sen-favella-calls-for-emergency-declaration-over-rising-electricity-costs-in-hawaii/article_60144142-1e73-11ed-b25d-3f9205db4705.html | 2022-08-17T22:25:14Z |
The White House condemns calls from some members of the Republican Party, to "defund the FBI" in the wake of last week's search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. President Joe Biden, pictured here, on August 10, in Washington.
The White House is strongly condemning calls from some members of the Republican Party, including some elected lawmakers, to "defund the FBI" in the wake of last week's search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.
The pushback marks the White House's most aggressive response to the FBI's search to date and comes as other Republicans, including former Vice President Mike Pence, are sounding alarms on this message amid heightened threats to law enforcement.
"Just like President Biden rejects defunding the police, he rejects defunding other law enforcement, including the FBI," White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement exclusively to CNN Wednesday.
"The President has called for boosting police funding through the COPS program and hiring 100,000 additional officers. He also included over $10.8 billion for the FBI in his most recent budget. The men and women who bravely serve in law enforcement to keep all of us safe deserve the resources and support that they need to do their jobs - not seeing their budgets slashed," he said.
The statement comes as GOP calls to defund the FBI ramped up in the past week, signaling Trump's grip on his party. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and Paul Gosar of Arizona have each posted the sentiment on their social media accounts, and Greene is selling $30 hats and T-shirts with the slogan.
It's similar to a tactic taken by some progressive Democrats who campaigned on defunding the police in response to police brutality as the Black Lives Matter movement gained national momentum. Biden has consistently distanced himself from that stance, reiterating his support for law enforcement on the campaign trail and since taking office.
"We Republicans had pushed back very successfully, and had a very strong message against Democrats on a lot of issues. But Democrats pushing a defund the police message was something that was really, palpably strong for Republicans. And now because of a few Republicans -- not all, but enough of them -- who have said defund, destroy, and other things like that, they have allowed Democrats to really get up off the mat on this and have some momentum," former Republican National Committee communications director Doug Heye, a CNN contributor, said.
Other Republicans have similarly cautioned against the message, foreseeing dissonance with voters ahead of the midterm elections from a party that has strongly aligned itself as pro-law enforcement.
"I just want to remind my fellow Republicans, we can hold the AG accountable for the decision he made without attacking rank-and-file law enforcement personnel at the FBI," former Vice President Mike Pence said at an event in New Hampshire Wednesday.
"The Republican Party is the party of law and order. Our party stands with the men and women who serve on the thin blue line at the federal and state and local level and these attacks on the FBI must stop. Calls to defund the FBI are just as wrong as calls to defund the police," Pence added.
Pence's comments echo Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican, who told Axios last week: "I'm impressed Democrats finally got us to say, 'Defund the FBI.' That makes you look unserious, when you start talking like that."
And Rep. Mike Turner, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, called statements in support of defunding law enforcement "outrageous."
The FBI is investigating an "unprecedented" number of threats against bureau personnel and property following the Mar-a-Lago search, including some against agents listed in court records as being involved in the recent search, a law enforcement source told CNN last week.
The bureau, along with the Department of Homeland Security, also has issued a joint intelligence bulletin warning of "violent threats" against federal law enforcement, courts and government personnel and facilities.
After an attempted attack on an FBI field office last week in Cincinnati, Ohio, Vice President Kamala Harris condemned attacks on law enforcement and similar political rhetoric.
"It's just highly irresponsible of anyone who calls themselves a leader and certainly anyone who represents the United States of America to engage in rhetoric for the sake of some political objective that can result in harm to law enforcement officers and agents," she told reporters aboard Air Force Two. | https://www.kitv.com/news/national/biden-rejects-defunding-the-fbi-amid-calls-from-some-republicans/article_f93eb7b9-1105-53d5-b063-419cf7509fb0.html | 2022-08-17T22:25:20Z |
The girl allegedly seen in multiple child pornography tapes from the late 1990s having sex with R. Kelly is expected to testify the singer had sex with her when she was 14 and recorded some of their hundreds of sexual encounters, prosecutors said at the start of Kelly and two associates' Chicago federal trial Wednesday.
The tapes showing the alleged encounters were part of a 2008 Illinois child pornography trial in which Kelly was acquitted after the witness declined to take the stand. Now nearly 40 years old, she is finally expected to testify, using the pseudonym "Jane," said Assistant US Attorney Jason Julien during his opening statement.
"Jane's going to testify. Jane's going to tell you that it's her on the videos," Julien told jurors. "That it's Kelly on the videos having sex with her."
Kelly faces charges he sexually abused five minors in the late 1990s and created multiple explicit videos with four of them. The charges also include producing and receiving child pornography, enticing minors to engage in criminal sexual activity and obstruction charges.
Two of his former associates are co-defendants. Derrel McDavid was Kelly's former business manager and accountant and faces child pornography and obstruction charges. Milton "June" Brown was Kelly's former assistant and faces one count of conspiracy to receive child pornography. Kelly, McDavid and Brown each pleaded not guilty to the charges.
"The defendant Robert Kelly had sex with multiple children. He made videotapes of himself having sex with young children. And these two defendants Derrel McDavid and Milton Brown knew about it. Derrel McDavid and Milton Brown helped Kelly cover it up and keep it a secret," Julien said.
Kelly's attorney Jennifer Bonjean asked jurors to question why Jane is coming forward now to testify that the tapes show Kelly having sex with her when she was underage, contradicting what she told authorities decades ago.
"For the last 22 years she has adamantly denied that it was her in that video. Before there was any criminal investigation, she denied it. She denied it repeatedly to prosecutors, she denied it to social workers to police officers. She denied it under oath to a grand jury," Bonjean said.
Prosecutors are expected to show multiple tapes of child pornography allegedly involving Kelly having sex with underage girls. The public and media will not be permitted to view the tapes, as they are considered contraband, but jurors will.
"The videos are difficult to watch," Julien said. "But it's important for you all to watch those videos to understand what happened."
Before opening statements began, one juror was excused by US District Judge Harry Leinenweber due to medical issues. The jury is now made up of four men and eight women, along with five alternates, who were sworn in Tuesday.
The trial in Kelly's hometown is the latest chapter in a series of legal battles the singer faces. Kelly was convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking charges at a Brooklyn federal trial in September and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Kelly's inner circle
Both Milton Brown and Derrel McDavid began working with Kelly around the height of his career in the 1990s.
But when allegations began surfacing in 2001 that a tape had leaked showing Kelly having sex with a minor, prosecutors said the pair and others in Kelly's inner circle sprang into action.
"Kelly, Brown and McDavid went through extraordinary lengths to get that tape back," Julien said.
But Vadim Glozman, an attorney for McDavid, told jurors Kelly, Jane and her family were not truthful to McDavid and the team of high-powered entertainment lawyers and denied the recordings showed Kelly having sex with Jane when she was underage.
"We will show you that everything he (McDavid) saw and everything he was told led him to believe that the tape was not legitimate," Glozman said. "Because he believed that, there was never any intention to obstruct justice or break the law. The only intention was to present the best defense possible."
That defense team helped Kelly win his 2008 trial. Glozman said McDavid will take the stand at this trial to tell jurors what he did and did not do during that time, and that he believed he was simply doing his job.
In an opening statement, Kathleen Leon, an attorney for Brown, painted him as a small-town, high school dropout who was trying to break into the music industry and felt he hit the jackpot when he started working for Kelly as one of his assistants, an "errand boy."
"Evidence will prove that he was just an assistant who, day in and day out fulfilled his employment duties," Leon said. "He had no knowledge of the secrets that his employer Robert Kelly held close and hidden from the world. He had no knowledge of any conspiracy and no knowledge that the individual portrayed in the VHS tape was a minor."
Disturbing videos of Jane
Prosecutors said Jane was from a musical family. Her aunt, known professionally as Sparkle, signed a recording contract with Kelly. Jane's father played guitar on several of Kelly's records.
"Kelly became Jane's family's only source of income," Julien told jurors.
Jane met Kelly when she was about 12 or 13 years old in the mid 1990s, and the singer eventually became her godfather.
"Kelly never became Jane's godfather in a religious sense," Julien said. "But being Jane's 'godfather' provided cover for spending time with her."
Jane was around 13 or 14 when Kelly took her virginity, Julien said. Kelly was about 31.
"Kelly taught Jane what to do to please Kelly sexually. Kelly told Jane how to position her body during sex. What he wanted Jane to say to him during sex," Julien said.
One thing Kelly and Jane discussed during sex was her age, Julien said.
Julien said jurors will see Kelly setting up a camcorder and adjusting it before having sex with Jane, and offered a disturbing description of what the tapes show.
Prosecutors said Jane's story was not an outlier in Kelly's world, that he had sex with her underage friends, as well, who are also expected to testify at trial.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.kitv.com/news/national/girl-in-child-pornography-tapes-allegedly-made-by-r-kelly-expected-to-testify-against-singer/article_84f0987c-18d0-59ef-9cb4-2c91687b7e11.html | 2022-08-17T22:25:26Z |
Rep. Liz Cheney's supporters say her reelection hopes were doomed on January 13, 2021, when a week after the insurrection at the Capitol, she and nine other House Republicans voted to impeach former President Donald Trump.
Everything since that day -- Cheney's role on the House select committee investigating the insurrection; her ads featuring her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, eviscerating Trump; her speeches attempting to steer the GOP away from Trump's influence -- only served Harriet Hageman's victory in Wyoming's primary for its lone House seat on Tuesday.
Cheney's ouster caps a summer in which Trump has purged the GOP of many of his critics, while elevating candidates -- including Hageman -- who have parroted his lies about widespread election fraud. Trump-aligned candidates have won primaries for governor in swing states such as Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, and Senate in Georgia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Candidates backed by the former President have positioned themselves to take over the election machinery in a series of key states if they win in November.
Primaries in recent months have also brought into focus the role a handful of prominent Republicans, including Cheney and former Vice President Mike Pence, are seeking to play in moving the GOP beyond Trump and his election denialism.
But Wyoming's results on Tuesday demonstrated the long odds those Trump critics face in a party in which the former President remains the most dominant figure and is teasing a third run for the White House in 2024.
Cheney attempted to assemble a coalition of Democrats, independents and moderate and anti-Trump Republicans -- many of them ideological opponents of the neoconservative congresswoman before the last 19 months -- to save her seat. Her campaign sent information to registered Democrats in Wyoming about how to change their party registration, and in interviews across the state in the lead-up to the election, a number of Democrats did say they were voting for Cheney.
But the Cowboy State's electorate is almost entirely Republican. Wyoming has more than 215,000 registered Republicans compared to just 36,000 registered Democrats, according to data from the secretary of state's office. That's a drop of about 15,000 registered Democrats from early 2021, but the pool of party-switchers, along with a fall-off of more than 3,000 independent voters who likely became Republicans, was nowhere near large enough to save Cheney from defeat in a Republican Party that had turned against her.
"I think she stood up for what she believes in," said John Grant, a Republican who cast his ballot for Cheney, even though he suspected she would fall short. "It took a lot of courage to stand against the Republican Party and Donald Trump."
'Uneasy from the beginning'
The roots of Cheney's loss were planted long before Tuesday's primary. And in some cases, the seeds were planted during the factional battles within the Wyoming GOP that date back to the tea party era, when Cheney was still a resident of Virginia.
The state's GOP, with no real competition from Democrats, has divided into two factions, with a more moderate establishment wing butting heads with a more conservative faction that has increasingly wrested away control.
The establishment wing retains some power in Wyoming. Gov. Mark Gordon, a part of that wing, won Tuesday. But the conservative faction has seized control of the state Republican Party and many of its local organizations.
"In Wyoming, we don't necessarily embrace the idea of a big tent," Wyoming GOP Chairman Frank Eathorne said on Fox earlier this year.
Wyoming Republicans' reservations about Cheney were first evident in 2016, when she won her House seat after winning just 39% of the vote in the GOP primary against a fractured field. She was cast as too close to the establishment by some rivals, and as a carpetbagger by others -- including Tim Stubson, a former state lawmaker who now supports Cheney.
But, she was by far the best-known candidate in the race thanks to the decade her father spent representing Wyoming in Congress prior to becoming secretary of defense and later, vice president.
Cheney had coasted to reelection since then, largely because she had not broken with conservatives on major issues. Stubson said she was on course to do so again, until the aftermath of the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, when Cheney became a leading critic of Trump's actions and defender of the integrity of the 2020 election.
The makings for a divorce from Cheney were immediately evident. Though Wyoming's GOP has been fractured by warring factions, one thing that has broadly united those factions is support for Trump. He won Wyoming in 2020 by 43.3 percentage points over President Joe Biden -- Trump's largest margin of victory anywhere in the nation.
"Yes, there may have been an undercurrent there of anti-Liz sentiment, but there is no way she would have had any trouble getting elected," Stubson said.
"Her relationship with that portion of the party has been uneasy from the beginning, and they probably never totally embraced her because she has been the definition of an establishment Republican. But she was right on the policies," he said. "In my mind, it's a sort of binary issue: If she votes for impeachment, it doesn't matter what she does afterward."
Voters say Cheney was too focused on Trump
While Trump's shadow loomed large over the race, conversations with voters across Wyoming over the last week often came across with a sense of disappointment in Cheney, more than a burning sentiment of anger. Several people said they felt Cheney devoted far more time on national issues -- to the detriment of her focusing on energy and natural resource priorities of critical importance to the state.
"I want Wyoming to be protected and I don't feel Liz is doing that job," said Jenille Thomas, who lives in the coal-mining town of Rock Springs in southwestern Wyoming.
For many Republican voters in Wyoming, though, it was Cheney's vote to impeach Trump that spurred them to action.
Esther Egan, a 68-year-old who cleans houses and lives in Jackson, said she voted for Hageman because Cheney "bailed on us when we need her the most."
"They can say whatever they want about Trump, but he did a damn good job. And then she turns tail," Egan said. "She's with Nancy Pelosi."
Catherine Norsworthy, a 68-year-old homemaker in Jackson, said she switched from being an unaffiliated voter to a Republican to vote for Hageman, citing Trump's endorsement of her.
"I'm not in favor of the January 6 hearings at all," she said. "I didn't like her voting against Trump. I'm very pro-Trump. I listen to him."
Going down swinging
Cheney was by far the most prominent of the 10 House Republicans to vote in January 2021 for Trump's impeachment. She revealed her decision to do so the day before the House vote, saying in a statement that Trump "summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing."
The retribution she faced within the GOP built over the following months. In May 2021, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy publicly endorsed removing Cheney from her position as the No. 3 spot in the party's leadership team.
That same month, the House GOP removed Cheney from her leadership post on a voice vote.
She followed the ouster by telling reporters, in a preview of how she would approach the following year and her reelection campaign: "I will do everything I can to ensure that the former President never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office."
In July 2021, Cheney accepted a position as one of two Republicans, along with retiring Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, on the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection.
As the committee conducted its probe, Trump set his sights on revenge, endorsing challengers to most of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach him.
Trump's biggest target was Cheney. He endorsed Hageman, a former Republican National Committee member and lawyer who had once been a Cheney ally, on the day she entered the race in September 2021.
For the most part, Trump's efforts have succeeded. Four of the 10 have retired. Three more, in addition to Cheney, lost their primaries. Only two survived their primaries, and California Rep. David Valadao and Washington Rep. Dan Newhouse did so in part because their states hold all-party open primaries.
As those retirements piled up and those primaries unfolded, Cheney was busy playing a leading role on that committee, in its interviews of former Trump administration officials and in its public hearings in which the panel has revealed some of its findings.
She has also sought out opportunities to confront the GOP's direction. She delivered a searing rebuke of Trump and her party's leadership in a late June speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
"We are confronting a domestic threat that we have never faced before -- and that is a former President who is attempting to unravel the foundations of our constitutional Republic," Cheney said then. "And he is aided by Republican leaders and elected officials who have made themselves willing hostages to this dangerous and irrational man."
Weeks after that speech, Cheney was elusive when asked about the possibility of running for president in 2024. She told CNN's Jake Tapper in an interview that she will "make a decision on 2024 down the road."
In an interview with CNN's Kasie Hunt earlier this month, Cheney made clear she would not temper her criticism of Trump at all -- even if it costs her the House seat that her father once held and that she has held since 2017.
"We're in a situation where former President Trump has betrayed the patriotism of millions and millions of people across our country, and many people here in Wyoming, and he's lied to them," she said. "And what I know to do is to tell the truth, and to make sure that people understand the truth about what happened and why it matters so much."
Even as polls showed Cheney was on her way to a resounding defeat, she stuck to a message focused squarely on Trump.
Her campaign bought ad time on Fox for a spot featuring Dick Cheney, in which he called Trump a "coward" who lies to his supporters and "tried to steal the last election" using violence.
What's next
It didn't take long for the outcome of Tuesday's primary to become clear. Cheney had been badly defeated, and conceded the race to Hageman quickly.
She told supporters that she'd won the primary with 73% support two years ago, and "could easily have done the same again." But doing so, she said, would have required embracing Trump's lies about election fraud.
"That was a path I could not and would not take," Cheney said.
"No House seat, no office in this land, is more important than the principles that we are all sworn to protect. And I well understood the potential political consequences of abiding by my duty," she said.
After a primary that Cheney and her allies knew she was set to lose, the question is, what's next for the Wyoming congresswoman who had in a short time rocketed up the House Republican ranks?
She did not answer that question Tuesday night, at her election night event on a ranch in Jackson Hole. But overnight, her campaign filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission creating a leadership PAC to be called "The Great Task" -- a nod to Abraham Lincoln, who spoke at Gettysburg of the "great task" facing the country. And on Wednesday morning, she told NBC's "Today" show that she is "thinking about" running for president and will make a decision in "the coming months."
In her election night speech, Cheney previewed a continued fight against Trump: "I have said since January 6 that I will do whatever it takes to ensure that Donald Trump is never again near the Oval Office, and I mean it. This is a fight for all of us, together."
"I ask you tonight to join me: As we leave here, let us resolve that we will stand together, Republicans, Democrats and independents, against those who would destroy our republic," she added.
As she left the stage, Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" blared over the event's speakers as the sun set over the Grand Teton mountain peak.
This story and headline have been updated.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.kitv.com/news/national/how-liz-cheney-lost-wyomings-lone-seat-in-the-house/article_fdf0f457-449e-50fb-a5f9-635c8aa969e7.html | 2022-08-17T22:25:32Z |
"Three Books ..." is a series in which we invite writers to recommend three great reads on a single theme.
You may not like her, but you do what she wants. She's a tough chick, a woman with attitude and an instinct for survival. She's quick with a quip and totally in charge — of herself and those around her.
Curled up on the couch in a fuzzy robe and slippers — book in hand — I don't feel so indestructible. That's why I look for my tough chicks in literature.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2008-07-21/smart-sassy-heroines-pack-a-literary-punch | 2022-08-17T22:36:00Z |
"Three Books ..." is a series in which we invite writers to recommend three great reads on a single theme.
All I wanted for my 14th birthday was a keytar, one of those hybrid keyboard-with-a- guitar-neck instruments that you see in old, old music videos.
It was 1986, the age of glam rock, and everyone wanted to be a rock star. A six-string, a drum kit — even a saxophone — would have been a more valuable commodity to the aspiring bands in my junior high.
But with six years of piano lessons behind me, there was no time to learn a new instrument. I wanted stardom; I wanted a keytar. I didn't get either.
So, when I want to live the fantasy of being in the band, I turn to these three books.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2008-07-30/im-with-the-band-i-wishthree-books-that-rock | 2022-08-17T22:36:06Z |
"Three Books ..." is a series in which we invite writers to recommend three great reads on a single theme.
As we get ever more pressed for time, it seems that authors take delight in burdening us with ever longer books. That's why I have always been a particular fan of authors who've written maxims, pithy brief sayings and reflections that can be gulped down in a few moments by the most impatient of travelers.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2008-08-03/in-praise-of-pithy-books-for-short-attention-spans | 2022-08-17T22:48:03Z |
Man's best friend. We go way back. Of all the animals on earth, only the horse has such a symbiotic relationship with people, and dogs have been with us longer.
A science-writer friend has a cocktail-party theory that canines and human beings actually co-evolved. He likes to say that we made a deal with them to protect their puppies if they would lend us their noses. They became our furry, walking olfactory lobes, freeing our forebrains to develop logic, spatial reasoning and Playstation 3.
Maybe all that ancient history explains why we're so fascinated by our four-legged friends, why we laud and demonize them, fear and love them.
I invite you to lie back in your hammock and enjoy the literature of three very different doggies.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2008-08-17/going-to-the-dogs-books-with-bark-and-bite | 2022-08-17T22:48:09Z |
"Three Books ..." is a series in which we invite writers to recommend three great reads on a single theme.
Some friends of mine recently did an experiment while traveling through Europe. In an effort to gauge the value of the dollar, they visited a McDonald's in every country to compare the prices. The cost of a Big Mac in Norway? Almost eight bucks.
Between that and the price of airfare, I won't be taking the Grand Tour any time soon. But I can still go abroad this summer. All I need to do is crack open one of the following three books.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2008-08-19/europe-on-the-cheap-voila-a-grand-literary-tour | 2022-08-17T22:48:15Z |
Alex Jones’ lawyer faces disciplinary hearing in Connecticut
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A lawyer for conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is facing scrutiny from a Connecticut judge, who began hearing testimony Wednesday on whether the lawyer should be disciplined for giving other attorneys for Jones highly sensitive documents, including medical records of relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Attorney Norman Pattis is representing Jones in a defamation lawsuit filed by Sandy Hook families against Jones for calling the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, a hoax. Twenty first-graders and six educators were killed.
The Connecticut trial is separate from a trial in Texas that ended earlier this month with a jury awarding more than $49 million to the parents of one of the slain children. There’s also a second lawsuit against Jones in Texas by Sandy Hook families over the hoax claims.
Pattis, who did not testify Wednesday, has denied violating Judge Barbara Bellis’ order in the case to not disclose confidential documents to unauthorized people. Pattis said he was “confident in our defense” in a brief response to an email seeking comment Wednesday.
A lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, Christopher Mattei, testified Wednesday that Pattis sent him a text in which Pattis said he may have violated the document disclosure order. After a couple hours of testimony before Bellis in Waterbury, Connecticut, the hearing was continued to next week.
Jury selection before Bellis is set to resume Thursday for a trial on how much in damages Jones should pay the families. Bellis found him liable for damages last November.
According to court documents, Pattis sent a large number of records from the Connecticut defamation case within the past month to the lawyer representing Jones in Texas in the similar lawsuits by Sandy Hook parents over the hoax claims, as well as a bankruptcy case for one of Jones’ companies.
It hasn’t been made clear what documents Pattis allegedly sent. But from what has emerged from court documents, lawyer comments and the Texas lawsuit, they appear to have included confidential medical records of some of the Sandy Hook victims’ relatives as well as texts from Jones’ cell phone.
Jones’ attorneys in Texas mistakenly sent the last two years’ worth of texts from Jones’ cellphone an attorney for a Sandy Hook family. In the recently completed Texas case, Jones had said he didn’t have any texts about Sandy Hook. Legal experts say that episode could open Jones up to a possible perjury charge.Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/alex-jones-lawyer-faces-disciplinary-hearing-connecticut/ | 2022-08-17T22:48:51Z |
Bite-sized breakfast: Chick-fil-A taste-testing chorizo cheddar egg bites
ATLANTA (Gray News) - Chick-fil-A is taste-testing a new menu item: Egg bites.
The popular chicken restaurant announced it would start offering chorizo cheddar egg bites at select locations in the U.S. later this month.
According to Chick-fil-A, the chorizo cheddar egg bites are made with whole eggs, Mexican-style chorizo and several blends of cheeses. Each order includes four egg bites.
“As summer ends and the back-to-school morning routine begins, we wanted to offer our customers a new protein-packed entree,” said Leslie Neslage, director of menu and packaging at Chick-fil-A.
The chorizo cheddar egg bites will be available for a limited time starting on Aug. 22 at participating restaurants in Georgia, South Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Florida and New Orleans.
The restaurant chain said guest feedback would help determine if the new breakfast bites will be featured on menus nationwide in the future.
“Our guests are asking for more bite-sized, shareable breakfast options, and we look forward to hearing what they think about our limited-time chorizo cheddar egg bites,” Neslage said.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/bite-sized-breakfast-chick-fil-a-taste-testing-chorizo-cheddar-egg-bites/ | 2022-08-17T22:48:57Z |
Human umbilical cords found in luggage at New Orleans airport, CBP says
NEW ORLEANS (Gray News) – A human umbilical cord was found in a passenger’s baggage at the Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans earlier this month.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), on Aug. 2, agents found the umbilical cord with a passenger on a Spirit flight from Honduras. The passenger was then referred for a secondary inspection.
The CDC was contacted and said the umbilical cord and the medical wrist band that was with it needed to be abandoned or detained. The passenger claimed it belonged to a relative and chose to abandon the items, which were then incinerated.
CBP said this is not the first time this summer that an umbilical cord was found in luggage. On June 28, another passenger from Honduras was found to have a positive pregnancy test and an umbilical cord wrapped in the middle of clothing and sealed in cellophane. The passenger also said they belonged to a relative.
“With the vast number of daily travelers, our officers are guaranteed to encounter some unusual items,” said Mark Choina, acting area port director of New Orleans. “However, two umbilical cords, a month apart, coming from the same country is noteworthy.”
The CDC requires a permit or certification for certain biological materials imported into the United States.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/human-umbilical-cords-found-luggage-new-orleans-airport-cbp-says/ | 2022-08-17T22:49:05Z |
TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Accelerate Diagnostics, Inc. (Nasdaq: AXDX) ("Accelerate Diagnostics") today announced that it has commenced an underwritten public offering of shares of its common stock. Accelerate Diagnostics expects to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 15% of the shares of common stock offered in the offering at the public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions. Accelerate Diagnostics anticipates using the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes and to fund commercialization efforts. All of the shares are being offered by Accelerate Diagnostics. The offering is subject to market and other conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the offering.
William Blair & Company, L.L.C. is acting as lead book-running manager for the offering. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. is acting as a book-running manager and Craig-Hallum Capital Group LLC is acting as co-manager for the offering.
A shelf registration statement relating to the shares was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on January 27, 2021 and declared effective on February 4, 2021. The offering is being made solely by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. A copy of the preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering, when available, may be obtained from William Blair & Company, L.L.C., Attention: Prospectus Department, 150 North Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL 60606, or by telephone at (800) 621-0687, or by email at prospectus@williamblair.com or by visiting the EDGAR database on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
Accelerate Diagnostics, Inc. is an in vitro diagnostics company dedicated to providing solutions for the global challenges of antimicrobial resistance and sepsis. The Accelerate Pheno® system and Accelerate Arc™ system are designed to reduce the time clinicians must wait to determine the most optimal antibiotic therapy for bacteremic patients. These diagnostic systems are designed to serve clinical laboratories with automated solutions to expedite time to identification and antimicrobial susceptibility test results directly from positive blood culture samples.
The "ACCELERATE DIAGNOSTICS" and "ACCELERATE PHENO" and "ACCELERATE PHENOTEST" and "ACCELERATE ARC" and diamond shaped logos and marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Accelerate Diagnostics, Inc.
Certain of the statements made in this press release are forward looking, such as those, among others, relating to Accelerate Diagnostics' expectations regarding the completion, timing and size of the public offering, its expectations with respect to granting the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase additional shares and its anticipated use of the net proceeds from the offering. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements and Accelerate Diagnostics cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Factors that may cause such a difference include risks and uncertainties related to completion of the public offering on the anticipated terms or at all, market conditions and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the public offering. More information about the risks and uncertainties faced by Accelerate Diagnostics is contained in the section captioned "Risk Factors" in the preliminary prospectus supplement to be filed with the SEC and the documents incorporated by reference therein, which include Accelerate Diagnostics' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and Quarterly Reports Form 10-Q for the periods ended March 31, 2022 and June 30, 2022. Except as required by law, Accelerate Diagnostics disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Accelerate Diagnostics, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/accelerate-diagnostics-announces-proposed-public-offering-common-stock/ | 2022-08-17T22:49:07Z |
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Allspring Multi-Sector Income Fund (NYSE American: ERC), a closed-end fund, announced today that the fund's Board of Trustees has approved a change to the fund's managed distribution plan.
Effective with the distribution to be declared in August 2022, the plan will provide for the declaration of monthly distributions to common shareholders of the fund at an annual minimum fixed rate of 8% based on the fund's average monthly net asset value (NAV) per share over the prior 12 months. Under the managed distribution plan, monthly distributions may be sourced from income, paid-in capital, and/or capital gains, if any. Shareholders may elect to reinvest distributions received pursuant to the managed distribution plan in the fund under the existing dividend reinvestment plan, which is described in the fund's shareholder reports.
The Allspring Multi-Sector Income Fund is a closed-end income fund. The fund's investment objective is to seek a high level of current income consistent with limiting its overall exposure to domestic interest rate risk.
Under the managed distribution plan, the fund will distribute available investment income to its shareholders monthly. If sufficient investment income is not available on a monthly basis, the fund will distribute long-term capital gains and/or return capital to its shareholders in order to maintain its managed distribution level. The fund expects that distributions under the managed distribution plan may exceed investment income. Distributions in excess of net investment income will be treated as distributions of capital gains to the extent of realized gains during the fiscal year. Any distributions in excess of both net investment income and realized gains will be treated as returns of capital. No conclusions should be drawn about the fund's investment performance from the amount of the fund's distributions or from the terms of the fund's managed distribution plan.
The amount distributed per share is subject to change at the discretion of the fund's Board of Trustees. The managed distribution plan will be subject to periodic review by the fund's Board of Trustees to determine whether the managed distribution plan should be continued, modified, or terminated. The fund's Board of Trustees may amend the terms of the managed distribution plan or suspend or terminate the managed distribution plan at any time without prior notice to the fund's shareholders. The amendment or termination of the managed distribution plan could have an adverse effect on the market price of the fund's shares.
With each distribution that does not consist solely of net investment income, the fund will issue a notice to shareholders that will provide detailed information regarding the amount and composition of the distribution and other related information. The amounts and sources of distributions reported in the notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the fund's investment experience during its full fiscal year and may be subject to changes. The fund will send shareholders a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell shareholders how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.
For more information on Allspring's closed-end funds, please visit www.allspringglobal.com.
This closed-end fund is no longer available as an initial public offering and is only offered through broker-dealers on the secondary market. A closed-end fund is not required to buy its shares back from investors upon request. Shares of a fund may trade at either a premium or discount relative to the fund's net asset value, and there can be no assurance that any discount will decrease. The values of, and/or the income generated by, securities held by the fund may decline due to general market conditions or other factors, including those directly involving the issuers of such securities.
Debt securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk, and high-yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality have a much greater risk of default and their values tend to be more volatile than higher-rated securities with similar maturities. Foreign investments may contain more risk due to the inherent risks associated with changing political climates, foreign market instability, and foreign currency fluctuations. Risks of foreign investing are magnified in emerging or developing markets. The fund is exposed to mortgage- and asset-backed securities risk. This fund is leveraged through a revolving credit facility and also may incur leverage by issuing preferred shares in the future. The use of leverage results in certain risks, including, among others, the likelihood of greater volatility of the net asset value and the market price of common shares. Derivatives involve additional risks, including interest rate risk, credit risk, the risk of improper valuation, and the risk of noncorrelation to the relevant instruments they are designed to hedge or closely track.
Allspring Global Investments™ is the trade name for the asset management firms of Allspring Global Investments Holdings, LLC, a holding company indirectly owned by certain private funds of GTCR LLC and Reverence Capital Partners, L.P. These firms include but are not limited to Allspring Global Investments, LLC, and Allspring Funds Management, LLC. Certain products managed by Allspring entities are distributed by Allspring Funds Distributor, LLC (a broker-dealer and Member FINRA/SIPC). Associated with Allspring is Galliard Capital Management, LLC (an investment advisor that is not part of the Allspring trade name/GIPS firm).
This material is for general informational and educational purposes only and is NOT intended to provide investment advice or a recommendation of any kind—including a recommendation for any specific investment, strategy, or plan.
Some of the information contained herein may include forward-looking statements about the expected investment activities of the funds. These statements provide no assurance as to the funds' actual investment activities or results. Readers must make their own assessment of the information contained herein and consider such other factors as they may deem relevant to their individual circumstances.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Allspring Global Investments | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/allspring-multi-sector-income-fund-announces-change-managed-distribution-plan/ | 2022-08-17T22:49:08Z |
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier last month, slot manufacturer Gaming Arts launched a very unique new slot game, Brian Christopher's Pop'N Pays More!™. Besides great game play, what makes this slot game so unique is that Gaming Arts has partnered with Brian Christopher, America's no. 1 slot influencer, to design this new game from the ground up that revolves around Brian Christopher, complete with many fun and exciting animations, voice overs and much, much more!
Although just released last month, the game has enjoyed a massively successful launch with game placements including: Plaza Hotel & Casino, Palms Casino Resort and M Resort in Las Vegas, Gila River Wild Horse Pass, Harrah's AK-Chin, Desert Diamond West Valley, Casino Arizona and Talking Stick in Arizona, Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage, Agua Caliente Palm Springs, Agua Caliente Cathedral City and Yaamava' in California, and Hard Rock Tulsa in Oklahoma. Upcoming installations are also slated for Morongo in California, Coushatta in Louisiana, Grand Casino Hinckley in Minnesota and Saratoga Black Hawk in Colorado.
In the coming months, Gaming Arts will continue installing the new Brian Christopher game along with adding the other new Pop'N Pays More! games, Piñatas Olé and Big Top, across the rest of the country. To date, the response to Brian Christopher's Pop'N Pays More!™ has been outstanding with performance numbers in many cases, consistently running more than 4X house average.
For many of these locations, Brian has made appearances with live streaming videos, hosting group pulls and free slot pulls, along with the unique opportunity for fans to meet with Brian and take photos. The reception by Brian's fans has been astonishing with wait times up to several hours and with lines over 300 people long, all done happily by his legion of followers!
The Brian Christopher game with 1,047-ways-to-win, has a feature that very often expands reels 2-5 up to eight symbols high. At full expansion, there are 16,384 ways to win on every spin. In addition, there is a rapid free game feature offering up to 15 free games with frequent re-triggers. For added entertainment, throughout game play, Brian Christopher's avatar pops up as cash-on-reels symbols, uttering his most popular catch phrases including: "Oh Nelly!" after a big win, "Line it UP!" in anticipation of a winning spin and other favorites including "Do it to it!", "It's all about timing!" and "Rude" where a symbol lands just short of a combination!
The collaboration between Brian Christopher and Gaming Arts is a natural fit as Gaming Arts is a supremely inventive slot company with an understanding and appreciation for how the rapidly evolving social media will influence gaming in the years to come. Gaming Arts has proven itself as a top industry innovator with a long list of successful slots, including the extremely popular Kung Fu Empress™ and the world's most advanced electronic table games (ETGs), Casino Wizard™, as well as the soon to be released Casino Wizard VIP™.
Brian Christopher's more than 5 million monthly viewers on social media have received this first-of-its-kind partnership with open arms. Brian and the Gaming Arts design team delivered a game loaded with features appealing to both superfans and general slot players alike. This winning formula has earned rave reviews and generated unprecedented interest among players. They are not only coming out to the casino properties that have installed the game to date, but they are also asking their local casinos to add it to their gaming floors!
Jean Venneman, Chief Operating Officer of Gaming Arts commented, "We're really excited to be working with Brian," Venneman continued, "He's been an amazing partner to collaborate with, and we're confident that his fans and players alike will really enjoy this exciting new game."
Brian Christopher added, "We're a perfect match. We are both super innovative and forward thinking. As my fans already loved the original Pop'N Pays games with their constant action, fun bonuses, free games and catchy music, Gaming Arts was the obvious choice to partner with."
About Gaming Arts - Gaming Arts, LLC is an award-winning end-to-end gaming equipment technology provider of electronic gaming machines, electronic table games, bingo, keno, and emerging technologies. Gaming Arts is privately owned and operated, with its business headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is licensed in approximately 150 jurisdictions. To learn more, visit http://www.gamingarts.com/ or call 702.818.8943.
About Brian Christopher Slots - Brian Christopher is the leading influencer in the casino gaming world. He publishes daily videos playing slots in casinos and online, showing millions of fans how to have a great time using an entertainment budget. His content excites and educates the most vibrant, deeply engaged, and demographically diverse community of gaming enthusiasts. To learn more, please visit https://www.bcslots.com/ and @bcslots on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.
Gaming Arts
Bree Cardona
Marketing Manager
bcardona@gamingarts.com
Brian Christopher Slots
Marco Bianchi
Vice President, Operations
marco@bcslots.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Gaming Arts, LLC | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/brian-christopher-americas-no-1-slot-influencer-gaming-arts-llc-successfully-launch-new-slot-game-brian-christophers-popn-pays-more/ | 2022-08-17T22:49:11Z |
MELBOURNE, Australia, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Delegate Connect, an end-to-end solution for delivering immersive virtual and hybrid events, has officially rebranded as Joyn. Initially focused on the APAC region, the rebranding comes at a pivotal time in the company's growth as it successfully expands into the United States and the wider global market.
Joyn, the company's new brand identity, goes beyond an invigoration of its visual identity to stand out against competitors. More importantly, it reflects the company's commitment to innovation with exciting new goals and products in tow.
"Technology and support, engagement, content and continued learning. These are the pillars that define our new brand," remarked Jordan Walsh, Co-founder and CEO of Joyn. "We're on a mission to help organizations forge deep engagement by elevating knowledge, fostering belonging, and enabling access to relevant content anywhere, anytime – this initiative is just the beginning of us doubling down on that mission," Walsh continued.
What started as an internal platform designed to give founders, Jordan Walsh and Jacob Thomas, a means to support registration, live streaming, and video-on-demand hosting for large scale events for their technical production and events business, swiftly evolved into a premier white-label solution for the biggest organizations, associations, and event management companies in the world.
In 2021, the Melbourne-based startup raised $10 million AUD (about $7.3 million USD) in seed funding led by AirTree Ventures. The impressive sum was AirTree Ventures' biggest seed cheque value in the fund's history and a true testament to the company's remarkable potential. Other participants included Skip Capital, TEN13 and renowned Australian startup founders like Culture Amp's Didier Ezinga and Go1's Andrew Barnes.
"Thinking about where we were just a couple years ago to what we have achieved since is a truly humbling experience," reflected Walsh. "We owe our success to our clients and our teams, many of whom have been on this journey with us from day one."
Asked about what's next for Joyn, Walsh explained, "We want to be the only software platform organisations need to deliver their events, webinars and recorded content. We are launching products over the coming months that help to foster belonging and increase year round engagement for our clients. Our clients have been asking us to build this for a while now, and we are really excited to be launching these products shortly!"
Joyn is set to make its grand debut this week at the 2022 ASAE Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
About Joyn
Joyn is a technology platform empowering organizations worldwide to drive engagement, foster belonging, increase revenue, and create compelling experiences. Visit www.joyn-us.co for more information.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Joyn | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/delegate-connect-rebrands-joyn/ | 2022-08-17T22:49:17Z |
The 2.2 million square foot facility makes Digi-Key one of the 10 largest warehouses in North America
THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Digi-Key Electronics, which offers the world's largest selection of electronic components and automation products in stock for immediate shipment, celebrated the ribbon cutting of its Product Distribution Center expansion (PDCe) today, expanding the company's headquarters' footprint by 2.2 million square feet for a combined total of more than 3 million square feet. The new facility allows Digi-Key to pick, pack and ship nearly three times the previous daily average of 27,000 packages to customers in more than 180 countries around the world.
Digi-Key celebrated the opening event with an official cutting of tape from a Digi-Reel and ceremonial first package handoffs to each of the company's four carrier partners: DHL, FedEx, UPS and USPS. Remarks were given by Digi-Key President Dave Doherty, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Steve Grove, Thief River Falls Mayor Brian Holmer and several other Digi-Key executives, as well as video messages from U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
"This is a significant milestone for all Digi-Key employees and our community," said Dave Doherty, president of Digi-Key. "Our new product distribution center expansion will help us continue to deliver excellence to our customers for many years to come. As exciting as this expansion is for us, our hope is that our customers truly don't notice a difference – the transition for them should be seamless, and if anything, result in an even better customer service experience than they are already accustomed to. For us, it's deeper roots in Thief River Falls and a commitment to continue investing in this community and the state of Minnesota."
The PDCe building was designed by Minnesota-based Widseth, and McShane Construction served as general contractor on the project. KNAPP, a leader in warehouse logistics and automation, partnered with Digi-Key on the internal automation and operational equipment.
"The state of Minnesota is thrilled to celebrate Digi-Key's growth milestone today," said Steve Grove, commissioner of Minnesota DEED. "Growth at this level is a win for the employees of Digi-Key, it's a win for the Thief River Falls community and it's a win for the state of Minnesota. The opening of this facility is made possible by local and state economic support which will contribute an additional $500 million in economic output, as well as the addition of more than 1,000 new jobs."
The opening of the facility comes at a time of record growth for the company – Digi-Key wrapped up 2021 growing faster than ever before with a 65% growth rate, and bookings in 2022 are up more than 25% over last year. This year has also been one of the largest years for supplier additions for the company with 250 suppliers already added for the year. Since construction began in 2018, Digi-Key has added 1,500 suppliers and 1.5 million part numbers to their inventory.
The new facility is nearly fully automated, the only task that is truly done by hand is the actual picking of parts. Among the racks of components, carts are wire-guided so that the only thing a cart driver will have to worry about is where to stop. The wire-guided system will save more than 10% of time and is significantly safer.
The product distribution center expansion features two primary conveyor systems to provide redundancy in the case of a breakdown and provide opportunities for future growth. Scalability and growth were top of mind in the plans and design of the new building, and the majority of the fourth floor is currently open for the time being. There are over 27 miles of automated conveyor belt in the new facility, and an average order will travel more than 3,200 feet inside the building.
The building features six backup diesel engines and pumps along with a water tank built for fire suppression. It also has its own storm sewer and run-off ponds so as not to contribute to any flooding or storage concerns in the community.
The state-of-the-art facility features multiple common work areas and break rooms with oversized windows for optimal natural sunlight, as well as the Two Rivers Café that features a range of food options from ready-to-eat salads and wraps to burgers and paninis cooked to order. Local vendor, Las Ranitas, serves authentic Mexican options from the café a couple days per week as well. Digi-Key is recognized by the state of Minnesota as a Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace and has 16 private Mother's Rooms throughout the PDCe for employees returning to work after parental leave. The building also has a spacious Quiet Room for employees to take their breaks, relax and recharge.
Outside of the new building there is a new Community Garden where employees can adopt a plot for the summer and plant seasonal flowers, fruits and vegetables. In the Skybridge connecting the original PDC to the PDCe building there is a "Digi-Walk" mapped out from end to end, offering a great place for employees to get in some extra steps during their breaks.
Sustainability was also considered during the planning and construction of the facility. The roof has a white membrane to reflect the sun's heat, sensor-activated LED lights to minimize electricity usage, and a specially designed conveying system which maximizes energy usage as well as efficiency.
To learn more about Digi-Key, visit the Digi-Key website.
About Digi-Key Electronics
Digi-Key Electronics, headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., USA, is recognized as both the leader and continuous innovator in the high service distribution of electronic components and automation products worldwide. As the original pioneer in this space, Digi-Key provides more than 13.4 million components from over 2,300 quality name-brand manufacturers with an industry-leading breadth and depth of product in stock and available for immediate shipment. Beyond the products that drive technology innovation, Digi-Key also supports design engineers and procurement professionals with a wealth of digital solutions and tools to make their jobs more efficient. Additional information can be found at digikey.com and on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Editorial Contact
Megan Derkey
Bellmont Partners
+1 612-255-1115
digikey@bellmontpartners.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Digi-Key Electronics | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/digi-key-celebrates-ribbon-cutting-product-distribution-center-expansion/ | 2022-08-17T22:49:31Z |
First-of-its kind collaborative research will increase Indigenous student visibility in higher education while informing effective practices of student support to increase student achievement.
DENVER, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Native Scholarships Providers (NNSP) has released its first-ever National Study on College Affordability for Indigenous Students. The research and report, which were funded by a grant from Lumina Foundation, are the result of a collaboration of collection, data-sharing, analysis, and reporting between the nation's four Native scholarship providers: the American Indian College Fund, the Cobell Scholarship, the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, and Native Forward Scholars Fund (formerly American Indian Graduate Center). Researchers have found the primary obstacle to college completion is affordability, causing overall college student attrition. Yet until NNSP's research, the national data on the effect of college affordability on Indigenous students' college completion had not been fully explored.
Only 36.2% of Indigenous students entering four-year colleges and universities in 2014 completed their academic degrees in six years, as compared to 60.1% of all other students. The NNSP's goal in the research was to understand the integrated college-going experiences of Native scholars, their families, communities, Tribes, and how they viewed the promise of a post-secondary education—and how these factors played a role in their navigating college affordability.
Principal research staff from the NNSP organizations served as co-principal investigators for the project, with the support from Indigenous research faculty nationwide. Because of limited research available on the topic of college affordability for Indigenous students, the team used a mixed-method approach to provide a deeper understanding of student insights and experiences, including quantitative data (gained through surveys of former and current NNSP scholarship recipients) and qualitative data (gained through survey participants' participation in individual interviews or sharing circles). The researchers applied for and received approval for the research with an Internal Review Board (IRB) application through the Northwest Indian College (NWIC) Institutional Review Board (IRB), the IRB of Record for the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC).
The report is divided into subject-matter sections that include demographic and background data, Tribal affiliations, navigating personal finances to pay for education, financial aid and FAFSA completion, and debt accrual. Researchers also conducted an analysis of variables on affordability, such as food security, caretaking responsibilities, cultural experience, availability of off-campus housing, being the sole source of a family's income, and more.
In addition to this ground-breaking research, the NNSP provided valuable practice and policy recommendations for higher education institutions, financial aid offices, secondary and pre-college education institutions, land grant colleges and universities, Native-American serving non-tribal colleges and universities, and national Non-Native scholarship providers. This research is the first step in the NNSP's work to provide data to challenge the U.S. higher education system's erasure of Indigenous people through its lack of collection of and attention to data inclusion at the campus and national levels. The NNSP identified the next steps for research on college affordability for Native students, including the impact of COVID-19, student loans, the impact of external scholarship on collegiate outcomes, and more.
Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said, "We want the American public and policymakers to understand the unique barriers faced by Native students as they pursue their education dreams. These barriers can be removed through continued investment via scholarships, tuition support, and supportive partnerships. This study provides a foundation from which to explore those investments."
Sarah EchoHawk, Chief Executive Officer of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), said, "The incredible data produced by this national study will shed a more direct light on our Indigenous students and the financial barriers that they face along their educational journeys. This information not only allows AISES to better support our students' financial needs, but it also provides deeper context to our overall mission goals as an organization. The collaborative efforts with the other National Native Scholarship Providers are truly remarkable in terms of the impact this work will have on our Indigenous students in Indian Country."
Melvin E. Monette, CEO of the Cobell Scholarship Program administered by Indigenous Education, Inc., said, "Data on college affordability for Native students now has new national visibility due to our scholarship organizations' powerful data and research collaboration. This ongoing Indigenous-centric research endeavor not only enables the Cobell Scholarship program to better understand and meet our scholars' financial needs, it aligns with Elouise Cobell's vision of making higher education more accessible to Native students throughout the U.S."
Angelique Albert, CEO of Native Forward Scholars Fund, said, "This national study brings Native students' voices to the forefront so we can begin to build the foundation for awareness, inclusion, and better understanding of the complexities of Native students' journey through college. Collaborating with other nonprofits to form National Native Scholarship Providers is an important step in this process to explore college affordability, access to higher education, and the challenges Native students face, on and off campus."
To download or read a copy of the report online, please visit: https://collegefund.org/NNSP_Affordability
About the American Indian College Fund—The American Indian College Fund has been the nation's largest charity supporting Native higher education for 33 years. The College Fund believes "Education is the answer" and provided $15.5 million in scholarships and other direct student support to American Indian students in 2020-21. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $259 million in scholarships, programmatic and community support. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs at the nation's 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators and is one of the nation's top 100 charities named to the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit https://www.collegefund.org.
Journalists—The American Indian College Fund does not use the acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College Fund.
About AISES — Advancing Indigenous People in STEM—For 45 years, AISES has focused on substantially increasing the representation of Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands in critically needed STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) disciplines. This robust nonprofit currently supports individual student and professional members across the U.S. and Canada through chartered college and university chapters, professional chapters, tribal chapters, and affiliated PK-12 schools. Members benefit from diverse STEM-focused programming that supports careers and promotes student success and workforce development in multiple crucial areas. To learn more visit https://www.aises.org/.
About The Cobell Scholarship Program, Indigenous Education, Inc.—Created in 2016 for the express purpose to administer the Cobell Scholarship Program, Indigenous Education, Inc. provides highly competitive scholarship and fellowship opportunities for Native vocational, undergraduate, and graduate students through empowering them with an impactful scholarship experience designed to support their success in higher education. The overarching mission and vision of Indigenous Education, Inc. is to support American Indian and Alaska Native student success. Since the program's beginning, it has supported over 4000 students with more than $35,000,000 in scholarships to attend more than 400 colleges and universities worldwide. To learn more about, Ms. Cobell, IEI and the Cobell Scholarship, visit https://cobellscholar.org.
About Native Forward Scholars Fund – Native Forward Scholars Fund—As the nation's longest-running scholarship provider for Native students, we have awarded over $350 million in direct scholarships since 1969 and have empowered over 20,000 students from over 500 Tribes in all 50 states. Native Forward is committed to creating an impact in Native communities by providing access to quality education for Native students. We believe higher education deepens our transformative impact on every part of society. Native Forward invests 95% of our resources directly into Native students' higher education experience at 1,700+ institutions across the U.S. in undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs.
Our goal is to create opportunities for success for all Native people. Knowledge and experience are powerful tools that can advance and preserve our way of life. By honoring our history, we are creating our own brilliant future. We are Native Forward Scholars Fund. For more information, visit https://www.nativeforward.org.
Journalists — Native Forward Scholars Fund does not use the acronym NFSF. On second reference, please use the Native Forward.
Photo—The first-ever National Study on College Affordability for Indigenous Students released by the National Native Scholarships Providers (NNSP). The NNSP is comprised of the American Indian College Fund (College Fund), the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), the Cobell Scholarship Program administered by Indigenous Education, Inc., and Native Forward.
View original content:
SOURCE Native Forward Scholars Fund | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/four-national-native-scholarship-providers-release-national-study-college-affordability-indigenous-students/ | 2022-08-17T22:49:37Z |
TORONTO, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (the "Company" or "TGOD") (CSE: TGOD) (OTC: TGODF), a sustainable global cannabis company will release its Q2 2022 consolidated financial results after market close on August 29, 2022, and hold a conference call with analysts on Wednesday August 31st, beginning at 10:00 a.m. (ET). An audiocast of the conference call will be available on a listen-only basis at: https://app.webinar.net/9jGq5RB5xp2
Scheduled speakers are Sean Bovingdon, Chief Executive Officer & Interim Chief Financial Officer, and Shane Dungey, Vice President, Investor Relations, followed by a question-and-answer period with analysts.
CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION:
Date: August 31, 2022 | Time: 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time
Participant Dial-In
Local – Toronto: 1-416-764-8688
Toll Free – North America: 1-888-390-0546
Conference ID – 05534890
A replay of the call will also be available until September 7, 2022, by dialing 1-416-764-8677 or 1-888-390-0541 (Passcode: 534890#).
About The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd.
The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (CSE: TGOD) (OTC: TGODF) is a sustainable, global cannabis company with a focus on innovation, quality, consistency, integrity and transparency. By leveraging science and technology, TGOD harnesses the power of nature from seed to sale. The Company is committed to cultivating a better tomorrow by producing its products responsibly, with less waste and impact on the environment. In Canada, TGOD serves the recreational market with a brand portfolio including The Green Organic Dutchman, Highly Dutch Organics, Ripple by TGOD and Cruuzy brands, and the medical markets in Canada, South Africa, Australia, and Germany. All cannabis utilized in products for The Green Organic Dutchman and Highly Dutch Organics brands is grown through a certified organic process, which includes living soil, filtered rainwater, sunlight, and natural inputs.
TGOD's Common Shares and certain warrants issued under the indentures dated December 19, 2019, June 12, 2020, October 23, 2020, and December 10, 2020, trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") under the symbol "TGOD", "TGOD.WS", "TGOD.WR", "TGOD.WA", and "TGOD.WB" respectively. TGOD's Common Shares trade in the U.S. on the OTCQX under the symbol "TGODF". For more information on The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd., please visit www.tgod.ca.
Neither the CSE nor the CSE's Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of CSE) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/green-organic-dutchman-release-q2-financial-results-august-29th-2022/ | 2022-08-17T22:49:43Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- iStar Inc. (NYSE: STAR) announced today that the Company's Board of Directors has declared quarterly dividends on the Company's Common Stock and Preferred Stock for the third quarter of 2022. The dividends are all payable on September 15, 2022 to holders of record on September 1, 2022.
* * *
iStar Inc. (NYSE: STAR) is focused on reinventing the ground lease sector, unlocking value for real estate owners throughout the country by providing modern, more efficient ground leases on institutional quality properties. As the founder, investment manager and largest shareholder of Safehold Inc. (NYSE: SAFE), the creator of the modern ground lease industry, iStar is using its national investment platform and its historic strengths in finance and net lease to expand the use of modern ground leases within the $7 trillion institutional commercial real estate market. Recognized as a consistent innovator in the real estate markets, iStar specializes in identifying and scaling newly discovered opportunities and has completed more than $40 billion of transactions over the past two decades. Additional information on iStar is available on its website at www.istar.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE iStar Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/istar-declares-quarterly-common-dividend-preferred-stock-dividends/ | 2022-08-17T22:49:50Z |
LINCOLN, Neb., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With values in transition across equipment and trucking industries throughout Q2 2022, the newest market reports from Sandhills Global take a deeper look at the growing gap between asking and auction values within Sandhills marketplaces. Data for July shows asking values for heavy-duty trucks and semi-trailers at 61% and 62% above auction values, respectively.
"Fleet truck auction values have dropped significantly from April," explains Mitch Helman, sales manager at Sandhills Global. "Despite the massive decrease, auction values remain above historic trends and are 22% higher than last July."
The key metric used in all of Sandhills' market reports is the Sandhills Equipment Value Index (EVI). Buyers and sellers can use the information in the Sandhills EVI to monitor equipment markets and maximize returns on acquisition, liquidation, and related business decisions. The Sandhills EVI data include equipment available in auction and retail markets, as well as model year equipment actively in use. Regional EVI data is available for the United States (and key geographic regions within) and Canada, allowing Sandhills to reflect machine values by location.
The percentage gap between asking and auction values is quantified in Sandhills market reports as EVI spread. During periods of accelerated EVI spread, such as what Sandhills is seeing now, assessing buying and selling strategies is crucial in order to mitigate risk.
Chart Takeaways
Sandhills Market Reports highlight the most significant changes in Sandhills' used heavy-duty truck, construction equipment, and farm machinery markets. Each report includes detailed analysis and charts that help readers visualize the data. The latest reports examine the EVI spread, focusing on the current trends in heavy-duty trucks and medium-duty construction equipment. Currently, data for July shows the EVI spread for heavy-duty trucks has doubled since March 2022, when the gap was just 30%. Regional variabilities are also identified to showcase value trends in different geographic locations.
U.S. Used Heavy-Duty Trucks EVI and Regional Variability
- Auction values for heavy-duty trucks dropped 7.4% month-to-month from June to July; the auction EVI dipped to $37,863.
- The North East region displayed the biggest EVI spread (66%), along with the largest auction value decrease (8.7% M/M), among U.S. regions tracked by Sandhills.
- The South East region displayed the largest inventory increase from June to July, up 2.7% M/M.
U.S. Used Medium-Duty Construction Equipment EVI and Regional Variability
- The EVI spread for medium-duty construction equipment was 33% in July, up from 31% in June.
- The South Central region's 2.5% M/M auction value decrease in July represented the biggest drop among the five regions Sandhills tracks for used medium-duty construction equipment, a category that includes used skid steers, loader backhoes, and mini-excavators.
- The growing EVI spread coincided with consecutive months of used inventory increases. Prior to the recent increases, inventory levels had been in continual decline for two years.
- The largest inventory increase occurred in the West region, and the 16.7% M/M increase in July was considerably higher than gains seen in the other four regions.
Obtain the Full Report
For more information, or to receive detailed analysis from Sandhills Global, contact us at marketreports@sandhills.com.
About Sandhills Global
Sandhills Global is an information processing company headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our products and services gather, process, and distribute information in the form of trade publications, websites, and online services that connect buyers and sellers across the construction, agriculture, forestry, oil and gas, heavy equipment, commercial trucking, and aviation industries. Our integrated, industry-specific approach to hosted technologies and services offers solutions that help businesses large and small operate efficiently and grow securely, cost-effectively, and successfully. Sandhills Global—we are the cloud.
About the Sandhills Equipment Value Index
The Sandhills Equipment Value Index (EVI) is a principal gauge of the estimated market values of used assets—both currently and over time—across the construction, agricultural, and commercial trucking industries represented by Sandhills Global marketplaces, including AuctionTime.com, TractorHouse.com, MachineryTrader.com, TruckPaper.com, and other industry-specific equipment platforms. Powered by FleetEvaluator, Sandhills' proprietary asset valuation tool, Sandhills EVI provides useful insights into the ever-changing supply-and-demand conditions for each industry.
Contact Sandhills
www.sandhills.com/contact-us
402-479-2181
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Sandhills Global | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/new-sandhills-global-market-reports-show-growing-gap-between-asking-auction-values-across-equipment-truck-markets/ | 2022-08-17T22:49:56Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Safehold Inc. (NYSE: SAFE), the creator and leader of the modern ground lease industry, announced that Ryan Howard has joined iStar (NYSE: STAR), Safehold's external manager, as Senior Vice President, Investments focusing on the Southeast region.
"Safehold has grown to nearly $6B in assets and more than 125 ground leases. We are committed to continue the growth of Safehold and the ground lease ecosystem across the country and Ryan is the ideal person to spearhead our efforts in the Southeast," said Tim Doherty, Head of Investments for Safehold. "Ryan's experience and network speak for themselves, and we are excited for him to join the team."
"I am impressed by Safehold's reputation for innovation and growth. Safehold's modern ground lease provides an accretive and efficient capitalization option for our clients," Mr. Howard added. "I look forward to helping expand our presence in the Southeast."
Mr. Howard joins iStar from Centennial Bank where he established the bank's Miami office and grew its Southeast commercial real estate loans business across all property types. Prior to Centennial Bank, he founded Brookdell Capital, was a Principal at the Barlington Group, and worked for Trez Capital. In addition, his early career was spent at Torchlight Investors and Ernst & Young.
Mr. Howard holds a BS in Finance and a BS in Accounting from Syracuse University.
About Safehold:
Safehold Inc. (NYSE: SAFE) is revolutionizing real estate ownership by providing a new and better way for owners to unlock the value of the land beneath their buildings. Having created the modern ground lease industry in 2017, Safehold continues to help owners of high-quality multifamily, office, industrial, hospitality, life science, and mixed-use properties generate higher returns with less risk. The Company, which is taxed as a real estate investment trust (REIT) and is managed by its largest shareholder, iStar Inc., seeks to deliver safe, growing income and long-term capital appreciation to its shareholders. Additional information on Safehold is available on its website at www.safeholdinc.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Safehold | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/ryan-howard-joins-istar-lead-southeast-region/ | 2022-08-17T22:50:02Z |
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the global leader in CRM, today announced it has been named a Leader by Gartner Inc. in its 2022 Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce. It is the seventh consecutive year that Salesforce has earned the recognition.
Salesforce was recognized as a Leader in this Magic Quadrant report based on its "Ability to Execute" and "Completeness of Vision."
"There is no shortage of digital shoppers in today's world," said Scot Gillespie, GM of Salesforce Commerce Cloud. "We believe Commerce Cloud empowers businesses to build the flexible, personalized commerce experiences that these shoppers want across every touch point on a highly trusted and scalable platform."
Gartner defines a digital commerce platform as "the core technology that enables customers to purchase goods and services through an interactive and usually self-service experience. The platform provides necessary information for customers to make buying decisions and uses rules and data to present fully priced orders for payment."
Commerce Cloud helps companies around the world build a personalized experience around their customers across every channel — all with a secure, trusted, and highly scalable platform that allows for the flexibility needed to adapt to market shifts.
Businesses grow on Commerce Cloud because it's a complete platform built for the entire connected customer journey, offering AI capabilities, a 360 degree view of every customer, the Salesforce partner ecosystem, and more. These features, along with integrations with Marketing Cloud, Service Cloud, Order Management, Salesforce Payments, and Experience Cloud, offer businesses better personalization, marketing, content management, customer service, and last mile capabilities that help them drive loyalty at every touchpoint throughout the shopper's journey.
In the last year, Commerce Cloud also unveiled Commerce Marketplace following its acquisition of Atonit, expanded Commerce for Social offerings, and released Composable Storefront. Additionally, Salesforce added to its B2B commerce offerings with Einstein AI recommendations and additional D2C functionality, and introduced new Order Management innovations
Additional Information
- A complimentary copy of the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce is available here.
- Learn more about Salesforce Commerce Cloud here.
*Source: Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce, Jason Daigler, Mike Lowndes, Yanna Dharmasthira, Sandy Shen, Penny Gillespie, and Aditya Vasudevan, 10 Aug 2022.
Gartner Disclaimer
Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
Gartner and Magic Quadrant are registered trademarks of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.
Appeared as Demandware in 2016 report. Demandware was acquired by Salesforce in 2016.
About Salesforce
Salesforce is the global leader in Customer Relationship Management (CRM), bringing companies closer to their customers in the digital age. Founded in 1999, Salesforce enables companies of every size and industry to take advantage of powerful technologies—cloud, mobile, social, internet of things, artificial intelligence, voice and blockchain—to create a 360° view of their customers. For more information about Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), visit: www.salesforce.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Salesforce | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/salesforce-positioned-leader-gartner-magic-quadrant-digital-commerce-seventh-consecutive-year/ | 2022-08-17T22:50:09Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Statewide Central Station (SCS), part of Scutum North America, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Digicom Central Station in Florida. This acquisition marks the first step for both entities to combine resources and tackle the national task of protecting communities using state-of-the-art security and alarm monitoring technology.
Digicom, as part of Statewide, will work on accelerating its development, benefiting from Statewide resources, and setting up synergies for more optimal protection of our clients. Statewide dealers in Florida will have the advantage of joining Statewide's vast dealer network and full support from the company's security monitoring technology. Through the partnership and collaboration, Statewide with Digicom will provide the dealer network with the necessary solutions and tools to be among the top-ranked alarm security providers.
"Scutum North America is excited to share that our footprint has expanded throughout the eastern US, from New York to Florida," says Franck Namy, Scutum Group. "We will continue actively seeking further M&A opportunities as we grow our footprint in the North American market."
Scutum North America provides fire detection, electronic security, and central station monitoring services. It relies on its own UL Listed central stations, which assure the closest personalized attention and service. In this rapidly accelerating market, Scutum North America has established several strategic partnerships to develop its capacities in terms of services and responses to client needs and to increase its performance in the face of a growing and more competitive market.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Scutum North America | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/scutum-north-america-furthers-its-expansion-statewide-acquires-digicom/ | 2022-08-17T22:50:15Z |
On the heels of the historic climate legislation, wellness and sustainability pioneer strengthens commitment to people, planet and purpose through its 'Million Trees, Million Dreams' program
PLEASANTON, Calif., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Shaklee, a leading wellness company, today celebrates planting 2 million trees in North America. The effort is part of its Million Trees, Million Dream program in cooperation with American Forests, the oldest national nonprofit conservation organization in the United States.
"Shaklee exists to bring true wellness to the world, and to the health of the planet," said Roger Barnett, Chairman and CEO, Shaklee Corporation. "We hope that this program's success will inspire more companies to increase their environmental efforts."
In 2004, inspired by the visionary works Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Wangari Maathai and her Green Belt Movement, Barnett initiated Shaklee's tree-planting campaign across North America and Asia. And in 2.5 years, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Maathai, and Barnett planted the 1 millionth tree at the Shaklee Global headquarters in Pleasanton, California. Last year, Shaklee increased its commitment to the planet with a pledge to plant 10 million trees in 10 years.
According to The Global Tree Restoration Potential study (Science, 2019), "The restoration of trees remains among the most effective strategies for climate change mitigation." For 2 million trees planted, approximately 96 million pounds of carbon dioxide will be eliminated from the atmosphere each year.1
For more than 65 years, Shaklee has led the way in environmental stewardship. It is the first company in the world to be certified Climate Neutral and totally offset its carbon emissions, resulting in a net zero impact on the environment.
Since its inception, Shaklee has quietly led the way in support of social causes including climate change. To learn more about Shaklee and its sustainability initiatives, visit: https://us.shaklee.com/shakleecares.
About Shaklee
Shaklee is a leading wellness company founded by Dr. Shaklee, who invented the first multivitamin in the U.S. more than 100 years ago. As a pioneer in sustainability, Shaklee was the first company in the world to fully offset its carbon emissions and have a net zero impact on our planet. Shaklee products are backed by over 110 published clinical studies proving safety and efficacy and are marketed through more than 2 million micro-influencers in North America and Asia. With a complete wellness portfolio, Shaklee is committed to providing consumers with the products and support they need to live their healthiest lives. For more information, visit us.shaklee.com, follow @shakleehq on Instagram, or like us on Facebook.
About Roger Barnett
Roger Barnett is the Chairman and CEO of Shaklee Corporation, the first company in the world to become certified carbon neutral. A graduate of Yale College, Yale Law School, and Harvard Business School, Roger has spent the majority of his career as an impact investor. In 2004, he acquired control of Shaklee, the pioneer of nutritional supplements, and has since transformed this once analog business into a digital powerhouse with a network of 2 million ambassadors across the globe. He has been selected as a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum, and is a member of the Harvard and Yale Schools of Public Health Leadership Councils, the University Council of Yale University, and the Yale University President's Council on International Activities.
1Arbor Day Foundation, https://www.arborday.org/trees/treefacts/
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Shaklee Corporation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/shaklee-american-forests-celebrate-2-million-trees-planted-north-america/ | 2022-08-17T22:50:22Z |
Groups formerly affiliated with PlanMember Securities and LPL among latest to join Cetera Advisor Networks
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cetera Financial Group, one of America's largest networks of financial professionals, announced today that three teams managing more than $550 million have affiliated with Cetera Advisor Networks. The teams are led by three seasoned advisors: Nuno Pereira, Jim Lohnes, and Brenton Schmidt. Pereira and Lohnes were formerly affiliated with PlanMember Securities, while Schmidt was formerly affiliated with LPL. The affiliations are among the latest recruiting wins for Cetera, which attracted a record $3.6 billion in assets in the second quarter of 2022.
Pereira manages nearly $340 million for clients. Raised in a union family, he specializes in serving union workers, providing holistic retirement planning, pension planning, and 401(k) guidance services. He serves multiple generations and works closely with union leadership and members of local unions to provide wide-ranging retirement planning services.
"After carefully evaluating options for a new firm affiliation, I'm pleased to join Cetera Advisor Networks," Pereira said. "The impressive platform and leading tools and technology offerings will help me better serve my clients for the long-term. I look forward to elevating my business and serving my union clients more holistically thanks to Cetera's dedicated support, committed team and valuable resources."
Lohnes leads Lohnes Wealth Management, which manages $120 million for clients, serving individuals in organized labor, specifically telephone and utility union members who are retiring. Schmidt is based in Delano, MN, and manages nearly $100 million, providing wide-ranging financial planning and wealth management services for clients.
"We welcome these teams to Cetera Advisor Networks and are pleased that they have found the right fit for their business needs and aspirations," said John Pierce, head of business development at Cetera. "As financial professionals evaluate their firm affiliation, we believe Cetera will continue to rise to the top of advisors' consideration set and attract the industry's best financial professionals who are seeking a fresh start to more effectively serve their clients and grow their enterprise value."
For more information about Cetera Advisor Networks, visit https://www.cetera.com/cetera_at_a_glance/cetera-advisor-networks.
Cetera Financial Group (Cetera) is a leading financial services firm whose purpose is to enable the delivery of best-in-class financial advice to as many Americans as possible. Cetera empowers its financial professional communities to help clients achieve their version of financial wellbeing through the Advice-Centric Experience®. Cetera proudly serves independent financial professionals, tax professionals, banks and credit unions in providing wide-ranging financial planning and wealth management services.
Cetera oversees approximately $353 billion in assets under administration and $122 billion in assets under management, as of December 31, 2021.
Visit www.cetera.com, and follow Cetera on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
"Cetera Financial Group" refers to the network of independent retail firms encompassing, among others, Cetera Advisors LLC, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions or Cetera Investors), Cetera Financial Specialists LLC, and First Allied Securities, Inc. All firms are members FINRA/SIPC. Located at: 655 W. Broadway, 11th Floor, San Diego, CA 92101.
Individuals affiliated with Cetera firms are either Registered Representatives who offer only brokerage services and receive transaction-based compensation (commissions), Investment Adviser Representatives who offer only investment advisory services and receive fees based on assets, or both Registered Representatives and Investment Adviser Representatives, who can offer both types of services.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Cetera Financial Group | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/three-teams-managing-more-than-550-million-join-cetera/ | 2022-08-17T22:50:30Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Voyager Digital Ltd. ("Voyager" or the "Company") (OTC Pink: VYGVQ) (FRA: UCD) today announced that European Holdings ApS, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Voyager, agreed to sell all of its equity interests in Coinify ApS ("Coinify") to Ascension ApS, an entity owned by certain members of Coinify management, for US$2 million in cash. An additional, conditional earn-out payment is stipulated in the event of a subsequent sale of Coinify by Ascension ApS within three years following the transaction, thus preserving potential upside for Voyager.
Coinify is a cryptocurrency platform operating in Europe, Asia and other regions, offering individual and corporate cryptocurrency trading, crypto payment processing services, and enterprise solutions via Coinify API. Coinify's platform is separate and distinct from the Voyager platform.
Voyager purchased Coinify in August 2021; on August 16, 2022, Coinify's sale was approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, which is overseeing Voyager's ongoing Chapter 11 restructuring process. The sale of Coinify reduces overall headcount by 15% and eliminates Voyager's ongoing funding requirements for Coinify of up to US$500,000 per month.
Under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101") the transaction is considered a related party transaction, as the purchaser is controlled by Mark Højgaard, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, and Hans Henrik Hoffmeyer, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, who are senior officers. The Company relied on the exemption from the minority approval and the formal valuation requirement available to it pursuant to sections 5.7(a) and 5.5(a) of MI 61-101.
Voyager Digital Ltd.'s (OTC Pink: VYGVQ) (FRA: UCD) US subsidiary, Voyager Digital, LLC, is a cryptocurrency platform in the United States founded in 2018 to bring choice, transparency, and cost-efficiency to the marketplace. Voyager offers a secure way to trade over 100 different crypto assets using its easy-to-use mobile application. To learn more about the company, please visit https://www.investvoyager.com.
Certain information in this press release, including, but not limited to, statements regarding future growth and performance of the business, momentum in the businesses, future adoption of digital assets, the terms of the term sheet and any definitive loan documentation and the Company's anticipated results may constitute forward looking information (collectively, forward-looking statements), which can be identified by the use of terms such as "may," "will," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "estimate," "intend," "continue" or "believe" (or the negatives) or other similar variations. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Voyager's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any of its future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, the future events and trends discussed in this press release may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are subject to the risk that the global economy, industry, or the Company's businesses and investments do not perform as anticipated, that revenue or expenses estimates may not be met or may be materially less or more than those anticipated, that parties to whom the Company lends assets are able to repay such loans in full and in a timely manner, that trading momentum does not continue or the demand for trading solutions declines, customer acquisition does not increase as planned, product and international expansion do not occur as planned, risks of compliance with laws and regulations that currently apply or become applicable to the business and those other risks contained in the Company's public filings, including in its Management Discussion and Analysis and its Annual Information Form (AIF). Factors that could cause actual results of the Company and its businesses to differ materially from those described in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, a decline in the digital asset market or general economic conditions; changes in laws or approaches to regulation, the failure or delay in the adoption of digital assets and the blockchain ecosystem by institutions; changes in the volatility of crypto currency, changes in demand for Bitcoin and Ethereum, changes in the status or classification of cryptocurrency assets, cybersecurity breaches, a delay or failure in developing infrastructure for the trading businesses or achieving mandates and gaining traction; failure to grow assets under management, an adverse development with respect to an issuer or party to the transaction or failure to obtain a required regulatory approval. Readers are cautioned that Assets on Platform and trading volumes fluctuate and may increase and decrease from time to time and that such fluctuations are beyond the Company's control. Forward-looking statements, past and present performance and trends are not guarantees of future performance, accordingly, you should not put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, current or past performance, or current or past trends. Information identifying assumptions, risks, and uncertainties relating to the Company are contained in its filings with the Canadian securities regulators available at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements in this press release are applicable only as of the date of this release or as of the date specified in the relevant forward-looking statement and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after that date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. The Company assumes no obligation to provide operational updates, except as required by law. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements, unless required by law. Readers are cautioned that past performance is not indicative of future performance and current trends in the business and demand for digital assets may not continue and readers should not put undue reliance on past performance and current trends.
Contacts
Voyager Digital, Ltd.
Voyager Investor Relations Team
investor.relations@investvoyager.com
Voyager Public Relations Team
pr@investvoyager.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Voyager Digital Ltd. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/voyager-announces-coinify-sale/ | 2022-08-17T22:50:37Z |
6.2 Billion Parcels Elevated Market Share by 2 pts to 23.0%
$1.8 Billion Adjusted Net Income Grew 38.2% on Price Steadiness and Cost Leverage
SHANGHAI, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE: ZTO and SEHK: 2057), a leading and fast-growing express delivery company in China ("ZTO" or the "Company"), today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022[1]. The Company delivered a parcel volume growth of 7.5% and expanded market share by 2 percentage points to 23% despite adverse impact from COVID while maintaining high quality of service and customer satisfaction. Adjusted net income increased 38.2%[3] to reach RMB 1,758.7 million. Cash generated from operating activities was RMB 3,780.8 million.
Second Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights
- Revenues were RMB 8,656.7 million (US$ 1,292.4 million), an increase of 18.2% from RMB 7,325.1million in the same period of 2021.
- Gross profit was RMB 2,202.8 million (US$ 328.9 million), an increase of 31.6% from RMB 1,673.6 million in the same period of 2021.
- Net income was RMB 1,758.7 million (US$ 262.6 million), an increase of 38.2% from RMB 1,272.2 million in the same period of 2021.
- Adjusted EBITDA[2] was RMB 2,892.0 million (US$ 431.8 million), an increase of 36.0% from RMB 2,125.7 million in the same period of 2021.
- Adjusted net income was RMB 1,758.7 million (US$ 262.6 million), an increase of 38.2% from RMB 1,272.2 million in the same period of 2021.
- Basic and diluted net earnings per American depositary share ("ADS" [4]) were RMB 2.23 (US$ 0.33), an increase of 42.9% from RMB1.56 in the same period of 2021.
- Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per American depositary share attributable to ordinary shareholders[5] were RMB 2.23 (US$ 0.33), an increase of 42.9% from RMB 1.56 in the same period of 2021.
- Net cash provided by operating activities was RMB 3,780.8 million (US$ 564.5 million), compared with RMB 1,932.4 million in the same period of 2021.
Operational Highlights for Second Quarter 2022
- Parcel volume was 6,203 million, an increase of 7.5% from 5,772 million in the same period of 2021.
- Number of pickup/delivery outlets was over 30,900 as of June 30, 2022.
- Number of direct network partners was over 5,800 as of June 30, 2022.
- Number of self-owned line-haul vehicles was approximately 11,000 as of June 30, 2022.
- Out of the approximately 11,000 self-owned trucks, over 9,250 were high capacity 15 to 17-meter-long models as of June 30, 2022, compared to approximately 9,200 as of March 31, 2022.
- Number of line-haul routes between sorting hubs was approximately 3,700 as of June 30, 2022, compared to over 3,650 as of March 31, 2022.
- Number of sorting hubs was 98 as of June 30, 2022, among which 87 are operated by the Company and 11 by the Company's network partners.
Mr. Meisong Lai, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ZTO, commented, "Despite the COVID resurgence and macro uncertainties in the first half, we delivered a robust set of results gaining in both volume and profit. Our parcel volume reached 6.2 billion, expanding our market share by 2.0 points to 23.0%, and adjusted net income increased by 38.2% to 1.8 billion while we maintained high quality of services and customer satisfaction. Being among the first to resume operations, ZTO capitalized on the growth momentum and accelerated volume growth by leveraging our strong infrastructure and capacity advantages. Our cost initiatives continued to yield results where standardization and digitization is allowing us to optimize economics across the entire network including our network partners' operations."
Mr. Lai added, "While short-term challenges exist in the marketplace, the express delivery industry is resilient with huge potential to expand. As the pandemic prevention becomes routine, we are focused on quality of operations and earnings as we further leverage our core competencies. In the past, we benefited from a better integrated network of sortation centers across the country. Our success for the future depends largely on our ability to reduce the number of sortation and further reach to customers through better linkage with last mile operations to reduce costs and improve timeliness. Our strategies to widen our market share lead and enhance operational excellence are crucial for consistent and profitable growth."
Ms. Huiping Yan, Chief Financial Officer of ZTO, commented, "As price competition deescalated, our core express delivery ASP grew 10.5% or 13 cents year-on-year. We continued to gain operating efficiencies and soften the negative impact from rising labor cost and fuel price hike. Our corporate cost structure is lean and healthy where SG&A as percentage of revenue declined 0.1 pts to 5.3%. Cash flow from operating activities increased 95.7% to 3.8 billion. Capital spending outlay was 1.5 billion as we manage the pace of investment according to demand changes."
Ms. Yan added, "For many years, the industry grew tremendously in volume yet suffered from prolonged price decline. This trend was reversed for ZTO for this quarters as we grew volume 9 percentage above industry overage and increase net income 38.2% which is 4 times faster than volume expansion. We intend to stay focused on what we can do to expand volume and earnings while empowering our network partners to improve profitability as well. This will fundamentally ensure sustainability of our entire network for years to come."
Second Quarter 2022 Unaudited Financial Results
Total Revenues were RMB 8,656.7 million (US$ 1,292.4 million), an increase of 18.2% from RMB7,325.1 million in the same period of 2021. Revenue from the core express delivery business increased by 18.8% compared to the same period of 2021, as a combined result of a 7.5% increase in parcel volume and a 10.5% increase in parcel unit price. Revenue from freight forwarding services increased by 5.2% compared to the same period of 2021 as cross border e-commerce demand and pricing gradually normalized with pandemic recovery. Revenue from sales of accessories, largely consisted of sales of thermal paper used for digital waybills' printing, increased by 11.3%. Other revenues were mainly derived from financing services.
Total cost of revenues was RMB 6,453.9 million (US$ 963.5 million), an increase of 14.2% from RMB5,651.4 million in the same period last year.
Line haul transportation cost was RMB 3,029.9 million (US$ 452.4 million), an increase of 9.6% from RMB 2,763.3 million in the same period last year. The unit transportation cost increased 2.0% given the sharp increase in fuel costs and decrease of parcel volume during Covid resurgence yet offset by continued transportation cost efficiency gain derived mainly from higher mix of high-capacity trailer trucks of our fleet and improved load rate from better route planning. There were approximately 1,100 more self-owned high-capacity vehicles in operation compared to the same period last year.
Sorting hub operating cost was RMB 1,891.4 million (US$ 282.4 million), an increase of 17.3% from RMB 1,612.7 million in the same period last year. The increase was primarily consisted of (i) RMB 140.2 million (US$ 20.9 million) increase in labor-associated costs, a net result of wage increases partially offset by automation-driven efficiency improvement, and (ii) RMB 105.5 million (US$ 15.8 million) increase in depreciation and amortization costs for automation equipment and facility construction. As of June 30, 2022, 431 sets of automated sorting equipment were in service, compared to 361 sets as of June 30, 2021.
Cost of accessories sold was RMB 119.9 million (US$ 17.9 million), increased 22.2% compared with RMB98.1 million in the same period last year. The increase included uniform costs for dress code standardization which helps enhance brand image.
Other costs were RMB 1,105.6 million (US$ 165.1 million), an increase of 21.4% from RMB 911.1 million in the same period last year. The increase was mainly consisted of (i) RMB 62.8 million (US$ 9.4 million) in costs expanding last mile business, (ii) RMB 51.8 million (US$ 7.7 million) in information technology and related costs, and (iii) RMB 44.5 million (US$ 6.6 million) in costs serving enterprise customers.
Gross Profit was RMB 2,202.8 million (US$ 328.9 million), increased 31.6% from RMB1,673.6 million in the same period last year as a result of driven by both volume and ASP increase plus a stable cost structure. Gross margin rate improved to 25.4% from 22.8% for the same period last year.
Total Operating Expenses were RMB 217.3 million (US$ 32.4 million), compared to RMB 218.0 million in the same period last year.
Selling, general and administrative expenses were RMB 456.9 million (US$ 68.2 million), increased by 16.0% from RMB 394.0 million in the same period last year, mainly from increases of compensation and benefits.
Other operating income, net was RMB 239.6 million (US$ 35.8 million), compared to RMB 176.0 million in the same period last year. Other operating income mainly consisted of (i) government subsidies and tax rebates of RMB 145.8 million (US$ 21.8 million), and (ii) RMB 56.6 million (US$ 8.4 million) of VAT super deduction.
Income from operations was RMB 1,985.5 million (US$ 296.4 million), an increase of 36.4% from RMB 1,455.7 million for the same period last year. Operating margin rate increased to 22.9% from 19.9% in the same period last year.
Interest income was RMB 118.5 million (US$ 17.7 million), compared with RMB 102.4 million in the same period last year.
Interest expenses was RMB 23.1 million (US$ 3.4 million), compared with RMB 33.8 million in the same period last year.
Net income was RMB 1,758.7 million (US$ 262.6 million), which increased by 38.2% from RMB 1,272.2 million in the same period.
Basic and diluted earnings per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders were RMB 2.23 (US$ 0.33), compared to basic and diluted earnings per ADS of RMB1.56 in the same period last year.
Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders were RMB 2.23 (US$ 0.33), compared with RMB1.56 in the same period last year.
Adjusted net income was RMB 1,758.7 million (US$ 262.6 million), compared with RMB 1,272.2 million during the same period last year.
EBITDA[1] was RMB 2,892.0 million (US$ 431.8 million), compared with RMB 2,125.7 million in the same period last year.
Adjusted EBITDA was RMB 2,892.0 million (US$ 431.8 million), compared to RMB 2,125.7 million in the same period last year.
Net cash provided by operating activities was RMB 3,780.8 million (US$ 564.5 million), compared with RMB 1,932.4 million in the same period last year.
Business Outlook
Based on current market and operating conditions, the Company maintains its previously stated annual guidance. Parcel volume for 2022 is expected to be in the range of 24.96 billion to 25.86 billion, representing a 12% to 16% increase year over year. Such estimates represent management's current and preliminary view, which are subject to change.
Company Share Purchase
On November 14, 2018, the Company announced a share repurchase program whereby ZTO was authorized to repurchase its own Class A ordinary shares in the form of ADSs with an aggregate value of up to US$500 million during an 18-month period thereafter. On March 13, 2021, the board of directors of the Company approved the extension of the active share repurchase program to June 30, 2021. On March 31, 2021, the board of directors has approved changes to the share repurchase program, increasing the aggregate value of shares that may be repurchased from US$500 million to US$1 billion and extending the effective time by two years through June 30, 2023. The Company expects to fund the repurchases out of its existing cash balance. As of June 30, 2022, the Company has purchased an aggregate of 36,074,242 ADSs at an average purchase price of US$25.21, including repurchase commissions.
Exchange Rate
This announcement contains translation of certain Renminbi amounts into U.S. dollars at specified rates solely for the convenience of readers. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars were made at the exchange rate of RMB 6.6981 to US$ 1.00, the noon buying rate on June 30, 2022 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Systems.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The Company uses EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, adjusted net income attributable to ordinary shareholders and adjusted basic and diluted earnings per American depositary share, and adjusted basic and diluted earnings per American depositary share attributable to ordinary shareholders, each a non-GAAP financial measure, in evaluating ZTO's operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes.
Reconciliations of the Company's non-GAAP financial measures to its U.S. GAAP financial measures are shown in tables at the end of this earnings release, which provide more details about the non-GAAP financial measures.
The Company believes that EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, adjusted net income attributable to ordinary shareholders and adjusted basic and diluted earnings per American depositary share help identify underlying trends in ZTO's business that could otherwise be distorted by the effect of the expenses and gains that the Company includes in income from operations and net income. The Company believes that EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, adjusted net income attributable to ordinary shareholders and adjusted basic and diluted earnings per American depositary share provide useful information about its operating results, enhance the overall understanding of its past performance and future prospects and allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by ZTO's management in its financial and operational decision-making.
EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, adjusted net income attributable to ordinary shareholders and adjusted basic and diluted earnings per American depositary share should not be considered in isolation or construed as an alternative to net income or any other measure of performance or as an indicator of the Company's operating performance. Investors are encouraged to compare the historical non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures. EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, adjusted net income attributable to ordinary shareholders and adjusted basic and diluted earnings per American depositary share presented here may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Other companies may calculate similarly titled measures differently, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures to ZTO's data. ZTO encourages investors and others to review the Company's financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.
Conference Call Information
ZTO's management team will host an earnings conference call at 8:30 PM U.S. Eastern Time on Wednesday, August 17, 2022 (8:30 AM Beijing Time on August 18, 2022).
Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:
Please dial in 15 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin and provide the passcode to join the call.
A replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following numbers until August 24, 2022:
Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available at http://zto.investorroom.com.
About ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc.
ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE: ZTO and SEHK:2057) ("ZTO" or the "Company") is a leading and fast-growing express delivery company in China. ZTO provides express delivery service as well as other value-added logistics services through its extensive and reliable nationwide network coverage in China.
ZTO operates a highly scalable network partner model, which the Company believes is best suited to support the significant growth of e-commerce in China. The Company leverages its network partners to provide pickup and last-mile delivery services, while controlling the mission-critical line-haul transportation and sorting network within the express delivery service value chain.
For more information, please visit http://zto.investorroom.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This news release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the Company's unaudited results for the second quarter of 2022, ZTO management quotes and the Company's financial outlook.
These forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead represent only the Company's belief regarding expected results and events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of its control. The Company's actual results and other circumstances may differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results and events indicated in these forward-looking statements. Announced results for the second quarter 2022 are preliminary, unaudited and subject to audit adjustment. In addition, the Company may not meet its financial outlook included in this news release and may be unable to grow its business in the manner planned. The Company may also modify its strategy for growth. In addition, there are other risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual results to differ from what it currently anticipates, including those relating to the development of the e-commerce industry in China, its significant reliance on the Alibaba ecosystem, risks associated with its network partners and their employees and personnel, intense competition which could adversely affect the Company's results of operations and market share, any service disruption of the Company's sorting hubs or the outlets operated by its network partners or its technology system. For additional information on these and other important factors that could adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects, please see its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of the press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this release, except as required by law. Such information speaks only as of the date of this release.
The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the condensed consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total of the same such amounts shown in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows:
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc.
Investor Relations
E-mail: ir@zto.com
Phone: +86 21 5980 4508
View original content:
SOURCE ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/zto-reports-second-quarter-2022-unaudited-financial-results/ | 2022-08-17T22:50:43Z |
"Three Books ..." is a series in which we invite writers to recommend three great reads on a single theme.
I never set out to become a financial journalist. Even if I'd had it in mind, I wouldn't have started on the eve of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.
But here I am, watching the stock market swooning around below 9000 and waiting for McCain and Obama to debate tonight on the miserable economy.
Meanwhile, I get to wrestle with questions like this one from my friend Jack. He says, "Hey, I've listened to your shows, but I still don't get it. Can you tell me exactly what a derivative is?" I can, mostly, but only because I've been slogging through a book by economist Satyajit Das.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2008-10-14/crisis-crash-course-high-finance-low-jinks | 2022-08-17T23:20:09Z |
Laura Zorch McDermit, executive director of Laramie Public Arts Coalition, introduces Ashley Quick and her mural on the Visit Laramie building during a Thursday grand opening party.
Laramie’s Visitor Center hosted a grand reopening ceremony last week to show off its new space on 3rd Street, including a mural by local artist Ashley Quick.
Area business owners, neighbors and local nonprofits turned out Thursday to support the Laramie Visitor Center and it's new ground zero of operations. Attendees played yard games, enjoyed free drinks and food and learned about the agency and Laramie Public Art Coalition, which helped select the artist.
“When we moved in, (we saw) that wall is perfect for a mural. It’s vibrant and it’s colorful. We worked with LPAC to select the artist,” said Scott Larson, executive director of Visit Laramie. “It’s another one of those things that, as you’re driving by, it catches your eye and pulls you into the building.”
The mural, which features a variety of elements, is along the south wall of the center. Like other murals in Laramie’s public spaces, it radically changes the atmosphere of the neighborhood.
“I wanted to include a lot of different things that I think are personally very important in Laramie, and also what I think is important to other people as well,” said Quick about the colorful, playful work. “There’s a lot of flora and fauna and geological formations, but also the music and culture and things I tend to make in my other artwork.”
Quick expressed gratitude at the chance to celebrate her art at the visitor center and said the grand opening was a much bigger event than some of LPAC’s other artist celebrations. The unveiling also included a raffle.
“We used to be in this building, but it’s been a much better space for them. They are just way more visible, and it’s just been really great to celebrate with them,” said Joe Marr, operations and membership director for the Laramie Chamber Business Alliance.
The project to make the former office into a space for Visit Laramie began a year ago with the help of Elk Ridge Builders and LPAC. Thanks to the efforts of both organizations, the visitor center is much more obvious when driving along 3rd Street through town.
“Elk Ridge (Builders) have been a great partner in all of this,” Marr said. “This was their project and we’re really excited with how they stayed in budget and everything they were able to within the budget.”
The new building is located at 800 S. 3rd St. and operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/advertising_and_marketing/visit-laramie-reveals-new-mural-office/article_9018ef66-1e76-11ed-b524-93599f862d7c.html | 2022-08-17T23:20:09Z |
Updated August 17, 2022 at 5:43 PM ET
Rapper A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm at a Los Angeles court Wednesday.
The charges are related to a shooting involving a former friend of the recording artist. The incident occurred in Hollywood last November.
Mayers, 33, was arrested in April and later released on bond. He remains free until the next court date on Nov. 2, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office.
District Attorney George Gascón announced the felony charges on Monday, saying Mayers is facing allegations of personally using a firearm during an altercation.
On Nov. 6, 2021, Mayers allegedly pointed a semiautomatic handgun at the victim. Later on during another confrontation with this person, Mayers allegedly drew the gun and fired twice in the direction of the victim, according to prosecutors.
The LAPD said the victim suffered a minor injury from the shooting.
An attorney for Mayers didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
"Discharging a gun in a public place is a serious offense that could have ended with tragic consequences not only for the person targeted but also for innocent bystanders visiting Hollywood," Gascón said in a statement Monday. "My office conducted a thorough review of the evidence in this case and determined that the addition of a special firearm allegation was warranted."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-16/a-ap-rocky-pleads-not-guilty-to-assault-charges | 2022-08-17T23:20:09Z |
The New Yorker staff writer Jane Mayer discusses The Dark Side, her nonfiction account of the Bush administration's anti-terror policies. Mayer has been nominated for a 2008 National Book Award for the work.
This interview was originally broadcast on July 15, 2008.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air. | https://www.keranews.org/2008-10-24/mayer-reveals-dark-side-of-war-on-terror | 2022-08-17T23:20:15Z |
TOP: Steam billows from stacks at the Naughton Power Plant in Kemmerer earlier this month. When the coal-fired power plant is retired in 2025, Bill Gates-backed TerraPower has announced the plant will be the site of a demonstration nuclear reactor. ABOVE: A rendering of what the Natrium nuclear plant planned for Wyoming could look like.
TOP: Steam billows from stacks at the Naughton Power Plant in Kemmerer earlier this month. When the coal-fired power plant is retired in 2025, Bill Gates-backed TerraPower has announced the plant will be the site of a demonstration nuclear reactor. ABOVE: A rendering of what the Natrium nuclear plant planned for Wyoming could look like.
Natalie Behring/Associated Press File
A rendering of what the Natrium nuclear plant planned for Wyoming could look like.
CASPER — TerraPower, the advanced nuclear developer planning to build a demonstration reactor in Kemmerer by 2028, announced Monday that it has raised $750 million from new private investments.
The bulk of the funding came from Bill Gates, the company’s founder, and subsidiaries of SK Group, a major South Korean energy and technology conglomerate that contributed $250 million.
“To our knowledge, no other advanced nuclear company has achieved an investment of this magnitude, and we have continued interest from the financial community,” said TerraPower CEO Chris Levesque.
SK Group’s investment is “a great validation of our business plan,” Levesque said. “Investors had to choose between us and other people, and chose TerraPower.”
In addition to supporting the Natrium plant headed to Wyoming, the financing will bolster the rest of TerraPower’s nuclear initiatives, including other reactor designs and cancer research.
“We are committed to supporting TerraPower’s global deployment of game changing products, Moohwan Kim, an executive vice president at subsidiary SK Inc., said in a written statement. “We see important synergies in our businesses and this investment reinforces our strategic global carbon reduction goals.”
The first Natrium project comes with a multi-billion-dollar price tag. Being the first of its kind adds a lot of extra startup costs to the project, Levesque said.
“We have 800 engineers working on the reactor right now,” he said. “You don’t need to redesign it every time.”
Once the Natrium design receives initial regulatory approval, variations proposed elsewhere will be simpler to license, he said. And it will be easier for those future facilities to source components and fuel when a supply chain already exists for at least one plant.
Levesque said the private investments in TerraPower, coupled with federal support — a Department of Energy grant will cover half of the inaugural Natrium project’s costs — are a “dream team” for the fledgling industry.
“If we do need to make further capital raises, I think our business plan will support that,” Levesque said.
But he noted that once Natrium and other TerraPower reactors reach commercial adoption, selling those designs to utilities will also become a key source of funding for the company. First-time costs “add up to real money,” he said.
“And that’s really what’s been holding advanced nuclear back.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/banking_and_finance/nuclear-firm-terrapower-raises-750m-from-investors/article_78dea34a-1e76-11ed-91e9-9f055a149091.html | 2022-08-17T23:20:16Z |
Former President Donald Trump is under investigation for possible violations of the Espionage Act, election fraud and fomenting a crowd to storm the U.S. Capitol, among other things. But how did the Republican Party get here?
More than 70% of GOP voters believe the lie that election fraud led to Trump’s loss in the 2020 election. Several Republican candidates are running for office based on that lie.
Trump did not cause the GOP to embrace misinformation, conspiracy theories and extremism. But rather, he’s the culmination of a quarter-century trend, says Dana Milbank, Washington Post columnist and author of “The Deconstructionists: The 25-Year Crack-Up of the Republican Party.”
Milbank points out that years before Trump’s “Big Lie,” Republican officials promoted other big lies. The George W. Bush White House stoked fears and promoted the Iraq war by promoting baseless claims of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Candidate for Vice President Sarah Palin described so-called Obamacare “death panels,” or boards to determine who was eligible for lifesaving care. For years GOP officials have called the science around climate change a hoax.
Each of these could be debunked over and over. But Milbank says Republican leaders realized, “If you kept saying it, you could get a lot of people — 10s of millions of people — to believe these things.”
For example, the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party brought thousands of activists to the Capitol when former President Barack Obama was in office.
“Capitol Police were struggling to keep them outside the building, and they got to within 50 feet of it,” says Milbank. “And you had Republican members of Congress out on the House balcony fomenting the crowd.”
It was remarkable at the time, but in hindsight, Milbank says it’s part of a bigger picture with iterations building to the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
And, the lies leading up to the war in Iraq spread by former Vice President Dick Cheney laid the groundwork for the lies that are now dividing the Republican Party and opposing his daughter Liz Cheney.
Liz Cheney called out Trump for weaponizing patriotism. But Milbank says her father pushed the weaponizing of patriotism and the strategic use of lies two decades ago.
“It’s almost like a Greek tragedy in a way, when you look at the forces that are bringing down Liz Cheney right now,” says Milbank.
Shirley Jahad produced and edited this interview for broadcast with Gabe Bullard. Jahad also adapted it for the web.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-16/what-happened-to-the-republican-party-how-did-the-gop-get-here | 2022-08-17T23:20:16Z |
Country
United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary
People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/economy_and_labor/average-gas-prices-drop-another-6-2-cents-statewide-in-past-week/article_a7d82572-1e76-11ed-8469-638c644af52c.html | 2022-08-17T23:20:22Z |
MONTPELIER STATION, Va. — The United States Postal Service has closed a small Virginia post office over agency management's concerns about its location inside a historic train depot that also serves as a museum about racial segregation.
In a statement this week addressing the closure, the USPS noted that the museum near former president James Madison's Montpelier estate has historical signage above two exterior doors, one labeled "White" and another labeled "Colored."
It added that "Postal Service management considered that some customers may associate the racially-based, segregated entrances with the current operations of the Post Office and thereby draw negative associations between those operations and the painful legacy of discrimination and segregation."
The statement was provided to The Associated Press by a USPS spokesperson Wednesday.
It said operations were being suspended at the Montpelier Station Post Office with the intention of finding suitable alternative quarters in the community or in the absence of any, to proceed with a study of whether to discontinue the branch.
The post office location had one employee and operated four hours daily, according to the statement. It served about 100 people and closed in June, according to the Culpeper Star-Exponent.
The restored train depot is owned by the nonprofit foundation that manages the Montpelier estate. A panel on the building's exterior introduces the exhibit inside.
Christy Moriarty, The Montpelier Foundation's communications director, told the newspaper that the racial segregation exhibit and the post office have co-existed since 2010.
"Montpelier owns the Train Depot building and the exhibition will remain open," she said. "We call upon the USPS to reverse the decision and reopen this historic facility that has served this community for over a century."
U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who represents the area, also raised concerns about the closure in a letter to the agency's Virginia district manager.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/a-post-office-closes-over-an-historic-exhibit-showing-signs-for-white-and-colored | 2022-08-17T23:20:22Z |
University of Wyoming cornerback Jakorey Hawkins, left, intercepts a pass during the Cowboys' spring game April 30. Hawkins transferred to UW from Ole Miss.
University of Wyoming cornerback Jakorey Hawkins, left, intercepts a pass during the Cowboys' spring game April 30. Hawkins transferred to UW from Ole Miss.
LARAMIE – Two of the University of Wyoming’s most anticipated off-season additions are looking to use their experience to boost a Cowboys pass defense that led the Mountain West last season.
UW lost 2021 starters Azizi Hearn and C.J. Coldon, who landed at UCLA and Oklahoma, respectively, to the transfer portal shortly after last season ended. Fortunately for the Pokes, they snagged a couple Power Five transfers of their own that are expected to make an impact at the position, alongside highly touted returning sophomore Cam Stone.
Jakorey Hawkins comes to Laramie from Ole Miss with four years of Division I experience, while Deron Harrell spent five years at Wisconsin before joining the Cowboys. The duo believes their time going up against top-tier talent in the SEC and Big Ten has prepared them to step in and help take UW’s secondary to even greater heights.
“For me, I feel I learned how to really compete every single day in practice,” Harrell said. “You're always competing with guys within your group, but at the same time, you're getting each other better. I really feel like that's what I took away most from it, just learning how to be a team.”
Added Hawkins: “It feels good to have somebody else who has been in kind of the same situation you've been in. It's kind of like a brother. If he has a bad day, I lift him up, and vice versa. It's been good having him around.”
Hawkins, who recorded 32 tackles, 20 solo stops, three pass deflections and two forced fumbles during his time at Ole Miss, was one of the Cowboys' top performers in spring practice. He carried this over into a strong showing in the Brown and Gold game, during which he recorded four tackles, three solo stops, one pass breakup and one interception. He also nearly came up with two additional picks during the scrimmage.
The Montgomery, Alabama product says he would like to see the secondary, himself included, “make more plays and just be more savvy with the ball in the air.” Overall, though, he’s excited with what he’s seen from the group so far.
UW cornerbacks coach Benny Boyd describes Hawkins as “very dynamic and coachable,” noting his eagerness to learn is one of the things he appreciates most about him. Boyd adds that while Hawkins isn’t the loudest guy in the room, his abilities do plenty of talking.
“He's very quiet,” Boyd said. “He's not a rah-rah guy, but his talent speaks very loudly.”
Harrell appeared in 22 games with nine starts at Wisconsin, recording 26 tackles and eight pass breakups. He missed all of last season with an injury, though, and was limited in the spring while recovering from hip surgery.
Despite this setback, UW coach Craig Bohl has been pleased with what he’s seen from the senior during training camp.
“Boy, he's been a bright guy,” Bohl said. “He's from Denver, and his father was a really good player. I think his hip slowed him down a little at the beginning of the year, just with the number of repetitions we were doing and the workload, but he's adapted well.
“He really played well in the scrimmage (last Saturday), and he tackled well. Those are situations where you try to see who, when they're faced with a play one-on-one, can make the play. Who can break a tackle, who can make a tackle, and who can knock down a contested ball? He did well.”
Harrell has plenty of familiarity with the Cowboys’ first opponent of the fall, with the Badgers facing Illinois five times while he was with the program. Wisconsin went 4-1 in these games, and he’s confident UW can hold its own against his former conference foe, as well.
“It's going to be a tough, physical game,” Harrell said. “They're going to come with it, but we're going to come with it, too.”
Josh Criswell covers the University of Wyoming for WyoSports. He can be reached at jcriswell@wyosports.net or 307-755-3325. Follow him on Twitter at @criswell_sports. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/university_of_wyoming/transfers-ready-to-showcase-experience-at-corner/article_7d0d3602-1e71-11ed-b2b9-9fcb469548a9.html | 2022-08-17T23:20:28Z |
NPR's Juana Summers speaks with Mother Jones reporter Samantha Michaels about an investigation into "failure to protect" laws and how abuse survivors can end up serving more time than their abusers.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Juana Summers speaks with Mother Jones reporter Samantha Michaels about an investigation into "failure to protect" laws and how abuse survivors can end up serving more time than their abusers.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/are-failure-to-protect-laws-failing-mothers | 2022-08-17T23:20:28Z |
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with author Olaf Olafsson on his new novel Touch and how the pandemic inspired the love story he had been wanting to write for years.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with author Olaf Olafsson on his new novel Touch and how the pandemic inspired the love story he had been wanting to write for years.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/author-olaf-olafsson-on-exploring-love-loneliness-and-memory-in-new-novel-touch | 2022-08-17T23:20:35Z |
Authors Jade Chang and Jacqueline Woodson share a conversation about how they prepare mentally to write a new book and what motivates them.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Authors Jade Chang and Jacqueline Woodson share a conversation about how they prepare mentally to write a new book and what motivates them.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/authors-jade-chang-and-jacqueline-woodson-on-how-they-prep-mentally-to-write-a-book | 2022-08-17T23:20:41Z |
China's ambassador to Washington says the U.S. is provoking China on the Taiwan question with congressional visits. The U.S. military says it's worried about Chinese military exercises around Taiwan.
Copyright 2022 NPR
China's ambassador to Washington says the U.S. is provoking China on the Taiwan question with congressional visits. The U.S. military says it's worried about Chinese military exercises around Taiwan.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/chinese-ambassador-says-u-s-is-provoking-china-with-congressional-visits-to-taiwan | 2022-08-17T23:20:48Z |
A federal judge has ordered CVS, Walgreens and Walmart to pay $650 million for helping to fuel the U.S. opioid crisis by selling and dispensing huge amounts of prescription pain pills.
Copyright 2022 NPR
A federal judge has ordered CVS, Walgreens and Walmart to pay $650 million for helping to fuel the U.S. opioid crisis by selling and dispensing huge amounts of prescription pain pills.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/cvs-walgreens-and-walmart-ordered-to-pay-650-million-for-fueling-opioid-crisis | 2022-08-17T23:20:54Z |
The agency overseeing organ transplants is under fire. A probe found transplants are canceled over lost or damaged organs, and lax oversight allowed at least 70 people to die by contracting diseases.
Copyright 2022 NPR
The agency overseeing organ transplants is under fire. A probe found transplants are canceled over lost or damaged organs, and lax oversight allowed at least 70 people to die by contracting diseases.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/damaged-and-diseased-organs-the-agency-overseeing-transplants-faces-intense-scrutiny | 2022-08-17T23:21:01Z |
DAVE DAVIES, HOST:
This is FRESH AIR. I'm Dave Davies, in today for Terry Gross. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than a million Americans have died from drug overdose since 1996. Our guest, journalist Beth Macy, writes that addiction has become the No. 1 destroyer of families in our time. Her last book, "Dopesick," which was adapted into an eight-part series on Hulu, detailed the dimensions and impact of the opioid crisis, particularly on rural communities. Macy returns to the subject in a new book, noting that given the scale of the opioid epidemic, the nation is sorely lacking in effective treatment programs, often due to the indifference of state and local officials or their hostility to treating people they regard as parasites or criminals.
Macy's new book highlights the work of citizens who have made it their business to help those struggling with addiction, sometimes working with small nonprofits or churches, sometimes driving their own cars to drug houses or makeshift encampments to offer clean needles, hepatitis testing and treatment, medications that ease withdrawal symptoms, and plenty of empathy and understanding.
Also with us today is one of those activists who's had a meaningful impact. Reverend Michelle Mathis is co-founder of Olive Branch Ministry, which now provides services to people in nine counties in North Carolina. She's also program coordinator for the Gaston County, N.C., Opioid Overdose Response Team. She serves on the board of several statewide organizations, including the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition. And she's the advisory board chair of the National Faith in Harm Reduction Movement. She's also an important character in Macy's new book, which also chronicles ongoing lawsuits and protests targeting the owners of Purdue Pharma. That book is called "Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, And The Future Of America's Overdose Crisis."
Well, Beth Macy, Michelle Mathis, welcome to FRESH AIR. Beth, I thought we'd begin with you to remind us of kind of where this opioid crisis came from. You know, a lot's happened in the last few years. We've had a pandemic. We've had, you know, a lot of political division and controversial stuff involving the former president. Remind us how it is that prescription opioids were introduced and became so widely abused back in the '90s.
BETH MACY: Yeah. Well, in 1996, Purdue Pharma, which was based in Connecticut under the direction of its owners, the Sackler family, introduced a drug called OxyContin. And they also funded a lot of pain orgs. And at the same time that the drug came out, they did this massive marketing campaign to show that, while for a hundred years we knew that opioids were addictive and only to be used in cases of cancer, end of life, severe pain, now they were flipping the narrative and telling a lot of doctors and sending them on fancy trips to learn to be paid speakers for the company, that their drug was virtually non-addictive.
And so it flipped from only using opioid pills. And this was really a national movement. And other companies soon joined in because they saw how Purdue was cashing in. But they basically flipped the narrative by convincing doctors that opioids were safe. And right away, the drug started being misused. It was being massively overprescribed. And so you had people who legitimately would have workplace injuries because, by the way, Purdue targeted those areas, particularly distressed areas in communities like the furniture belt of North Carolina or coalmining areas in western Virginia. And they went there. They targeted doctors who were already prescribing competing opioids like Percocet or Vicodin. And they targeted those doctors by saying, look, the FDA allows us to say this drug is virtually non-addictive. And it really took off like wildfire.
DAVIES: Right. There's been a lot of legal action in which Purdue Pharma had to admit to criminal misbranding of its pharmaceuticals. But they got out there. They were ubiquitous. What was the impact on so many of the communities that you've written about?
MACY: Yeah. In the communities that I cover - and it's largely southern Appalachia, rural communities - you've seen disability go through the roof. You've seen food stamps and food insecurity go up, foster care tripling, workforce participation rate, particularly among middle-aged men who haven't gone to college, way, way down. And when you tally up all the deaths, it's more than 1 million dead of drug overdose since 1996, the year OxyContin came out.
DAVIES: Michelle Mathis, you've been doing this work full-time since 2018, I believe, with your wife, Karen Lowe. I understand that before that, in the '90s, you worked with survivors of sexual abuse and then worked with - in HIV prevention and treatment. Tell us about the early days of when you got into working on people who were struggling with opioid addiction before you had, you know, funding and an organization.
MICHELLE MATHIS: Well, let me start off by saying that I did not come to this work easily. When I first heard about harm reduction, which is the work of reducing the negative consequences of high-risk behaviors, especially around the areas of sex work and people who use drugs, I saw the work as enabling. And it wasn't until I got into the trenches and began to meet people who were impacted daily by substance use that I realized that I had to change my thinking, that we were enabling people to have a second and third and fourth chance at life, that we had an opportunity to enable people to take positive steps and to find safe space.
So that was a good portion of the beginning of my work, really, was changing my mindset to embrace the work at hand. I was introduced to harm reduction while doing some HIV outreach and education and testing one evening, and met a man who was handing out some wound care kits in a parking lot. And he was involved in harm reduction. And through that, he began to mentor me. When we started, Karen and I, we had a decision to make. Were we going to go into this full force while working our regular jobs, or were we going to kind of take a more relaxed approach? And we wanted to make sure that we gave it our full effort. So we would spend evenings and weekends delivering food to individuals under the auspices of having a kind of mobile food exchange, whereas we were actually delivering syringes and condoms and alcohol wipes underground, if you will.
So we came to it in a kind of an unusual way, but what we found was the word spread very quickly. We didn't advertise, obviously, because it wasn't legal in North Carolina at the time, but we didn't have to advertise because when you provide a service that is desperately needed, the customers find you. So one would bring another and then another And then another. And we had one participant. She said, I get tired of giving people y'all's number and then people lose it. You need to print up some business cards and have your phone number on it and make it so nobody knows what you're doing.
So we already had Olive Branch Ministry. We put our phone numbers on there. So that way, when people found the card, whether it was a parent or a friend or a child, whoever, they would think someone was involved in a ministry. And, you know, being in the South, that's a really good thing. But it allowed us to spread the word effectively.
DAVIES: So you're providing clean syringes, which helps people because dirty syringes can spread disease and cause infections. But it's not just that, especially as the work went on in time. I mean, you made connections with this folk. What kinds of other services did you end up providing and connecting people to?
MATHIS: When we started, of course, it was syringe services. I mean, we did that for four years, but in the midst of that, we began to do unofficial peer support. So we were able to work with individuals, provide peer counseling, if you will, in an unofficial capacity. We met people simply where they were, and we listened because so often people who are stigmatized have no place to even share their thoughts, share their anger, share their grief because we were losing people left and right to overdose - so just providing safe space. And that's one of the biggest things that we provide. And as time has gone on, we provide overdose education and prevention. We provide naloxone, the medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. We provide that free of charge. We provide community education both to the regular community, the public, and to faith communities, because we are a faith-based organization. We provide low-barrier hepatitis C medication through an unusual partnership with a federally qualified health clinic in our area and a nurse practitioner named Tim (ph), who is an angel. And along with that, we also provide, through his help, low-barrier medication-assisted treatment through the Suboxone program that we have.
DAVIES: Right. That's the drug which helps people - it combats withdrawal symptoms, right?
MATHIS: That's correct. Yes. And then we also do simple things like provide food. We provide a sofa for somebody to take a nap if they've had to be up all night on the streets, so they were walking around to make sure that they were safe and that nobody attacked them. There's a lot of nuanced kind of things that we do in this work. Our mission statement is to extend hope and to extend life. And that's the goal of everything that we do.
DAVIES: It strikes me the enormous patience and empathy that it takes to deal with folks whose lives are in disarray and who, you know, have been dismissed, you know, and treated rudely at times when they've sought help. Was it hard for you to do that, to embrace people where they are?
MATHIS: That's a tricky question. Meeting people where they are is the key to harm reduction. And so if you're going to do this work, then you have to go into it with a mindset of you're going to meet all types of people from all walks of life because this disease does not discriminate. And if you're willing to meet the person who makes six figures a year where they are, you also have to meet the person who hasn't been able to hold down a job in 20 years where they are. It doesn't matter what they look like, what they smell like, where they come from, what they had for breakfast. You treat everyone with no judgment, no stigma, and with love. Love bears all things. Doesn't mean that our work is easy, but what it means is that if you truly enter into this work with a mindset of love and you want the best possible outcome for this individual and that they have a say in what that outcome is because they're the expert in that journey, then you're along for the ride. You're there to hold space with them, and you make that commitment from the time they walk through your door or you see them in a parking lot or in a tent city. From the first time you engage with them, you make that commitment to be with them.
DAVIES: Beth Macy, there's a moment that you describe in the book where a man who is, you know, struggling with addiction is in the presence of Michelle Mathis, our other guest here. And he's embarrassed. He hasn't bathed. He thinks he smells. Do you know the moment I'm talking about?
MACY: Yeah, they're in a Roses department store, and I believe Michelle was there to meet him, to give him clean supplies. And he told me the story. She didn't tell me. I reached out to him after I saw on Facebook that he was talking about how he had brought somebody back using Narcan that he'd gotten from Olive Branch. And so I just picked up the phone and called him, and he was - this is somebody that was initially prescribed OxyContin. He was a veteran and had had an injury in Kuwait and, you know, the typical journey. And he was in the middle of a four-day binge, as he said it, and he was there to get his needles. And Michelle stopped, and she looked at him, and she said, can I give you a hug? And he will never forget that moment. That was a pinnacle moment for him.
DAVIES: Michelle Mathis, do you remember this?
MATHIS: Absolutely. Absolutely. And he - it was then, as he is now, an amazing individual who has, through lots of hard work and his own determination, made many positive steps in his life. But I will never forget the moment that we met - never.
DAVIES: We need to take a break here. Let me reintroduce you both. Michelle Mathis is co-founder of Olive Branch Ministry, which provides services to people struggling with addiction in rural North Carolina. Also with us - Beth Macy. Her new book is "Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice And The Future Of America's Overdose Crisis." We'll continue our conversation in just a moment. This is FRESH AIR.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR. We're speaking with journalist Beth Macy, author of the book "Dopesick," about the opioid epidemic. Her new book, "Raising Lazarus," is about grassroots organizations and citizen volunteers working to help people struggling with addiction, often in rural communities. Also with us is Reverend Michelle Mathis, co-founder of Olive Branch Ministry, which provides a variety of addiction-related services in nine counties in North Carolina.
You know, it makes a difference when you're doing this work, whether you have some cooperation and support from the ruling authorities in the area - the politicians, the mayor, especially police and courts, because people who are addicted get arrested, and that's an opportunity to intervene and provide services and treatment. It's a juncture in their lives. But you can't if the local sheriff has no interest in this kind of thing. And I thought we would talk about efforts in Surry County, N.C. This is different from Michelle Mathis's home county. Beth Macy, tell us a little bit about this county. It's an interesting place on its own.
MACY: Yeah, it's - the county seat is Mt. Airy - or the best-known little town is Mt. Airy, N.C. That was Andy Griffith's hometown and the inspiration for "The Andy Griffith Show" in Mayberry. And if you drive down Main Street, you'll see all kinds of references to the show, from Aunt Bee's diner to - you know, you can pay a little money and take a ride in Andy Griffith's old police cruiser.
And the town has sort of built itself up on having this really wholesome image - I mean, images of Andy and Opie everywhere, which is awesome but not awesome when you cling so rigidly to that narrative that you're not willing to see that you have - when I first started going down there, they had the second-highest overdose rate in the nation.
DAVIES: Is there any common ground between harm-reduction groups and those in law enforcement agencies that pursue the war on drugs? I mean, has the war on drugs had any positive effect?
MATHIS: The war on drugs is the war on people who use drugs. And I just have to say that. It's not a war on drugs themselves. And I feel really strongly about that. That being said, I'm a little different than some harm reductionists in that I do believe in strong relationships with local law enforcement. Law enforcement has the ability and the option to divert charges. There is actually national programs called Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, which allows an officer to make a decision in that moment - are they going to arrest the individual, or are they going to divert those charges in order to assist the individual getting treatment?
That is a powerful relationship that we can have if we have the trust of the law enforcement community. It prevents people from catching charges, from having a record, potentially, especially if it's their first time, from destroying their employability, from destroying their family life. There's a lot of unintended consequences with one single arrest.
DAVIES: I mean, one of the things was that people who were addicted would get arrested. What was the county jail like?
MACY: It was twice as full as it was supposed to be. They let me tour it. There was an intake area where people who had been recently arrested were laying on urine-soaked mattresses with buckets to catch their vomit. Many of them were dope sick, in serious withdrawal. And, you know, I got the full tour. This is a county that has to spend a lot of money sending - busing inmates elsewhere to the other side of the state, so then their families can't visit them. And it was just really bad circumstances.
And they were pretty open about letting me see it, largely because they wanted to buttress their argument for a bigger, more expensive jail, which they are building presently. But when I would ask, like, here's a little nurse's office - why can't you do buprenorphine here? You know, they just kept coming back to this argument - we don't have enough room; we don't have enough staff. And I got to see that sort of attitude begin to shift because of Mark Willis, with Michelle's help, and this effort to create this pretty large network of peer-recovery specialists, and that's people in recovery who are going out, they're responding to overdoses, they're meeting people at the hospital and linking them, when they're ready, to care.
DAVIES: Yeah, you mentioned Mark Willis. He's this ex-Marine who'd done work overseas and took this job as the opioid response coordinator. So over time, this work in Surry County, the home of Andy Griffith, which prides itself on being, you know, the Mayberry of America - have overdoses declined? Have things visibly improved?
MACY: Not yet, to my knowledge. The last time I checked, no. I mean, they still have hundreds of people - job openings that they can't fill because people can't pass a drug test. But they have this huge infrastructure now, which is so important for every community to have now that this opioid litigation money is starting to filter down to communities. I mean, when I first asked Michelle what her hope was for this litigation money, she was very cynical. She said, I don't know, I think it's probably all going to go to drug war programming and abstinence-based treatment models.
But now you have, in the basement of the courthouse, where Mark Willis has his five or six peer-support people - he has community outreach. He has a data guy. I mean, it's like command central. And every person who has an overdose gets a response from his team. He has somebody stationed at the hospital that works with folks when they're ready to enter treatment. And I think we're going to start to see change there. And it's just - it's gotten the community excited. I mean, one of the things they did was they - you know, they did this garden outside of the courthouse. They're trying to make it appealing. They're trying to send a message that we care about everybody in our community.
DAVIES: Let me reintroduce you. We're going to take another break here. We're speaking with Beth Macy. Her new book is "Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice And The Future Of America's Overdose Crisis." Also with us is Michelle Mathis. She is co-founder of Olive Branch Ministry, which provides services to people struggling with addiction in rural North Carolina. They'll be back to talk more after a break. I'm Dave Davies, and this is FRESH AIR.
(SOUNDBITE OF MR. SUN'S "DRY AND DUSTY")
DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR. I'm Dave Davies, in for Terry Gross. We're speaking with journalist Beth Macy, who spent several years reporting on the opioid crisis in America. Her new book, "Raising Lazarus," tells the story of citizen volunteers and grassroots organizations that are working to help people struggling with addiction often in rural communities. The book also chronicles ongoing lawsuits and protests targeting the owners of Purdue Pharma. Also with us is Rev. Michelle Mathis, co-founder of Olive Branch Ministry, which provides a variety of addiction-related services to people in nine counties in North Carolina.
You know, Michelle Mathis, one thing that comes through in reading about this is how stressful this work can be, I mean, for folks - some who don't get paid for it. But, you know, when somebody calls you at the end of the day and they're really in need of something, you drive over there, and you do it. And you just - you can work around the clock. And then, there's the fact that there are tragedies, right? I mean, people who seem to be doing well disappear, or they die of overdose. How do you cope with all that emotionally?
MATHIS: This work is high-stress. You know, that kind of goes, I guess, without saying. You develop relationships with individuals, and then, they may pass away from an overdose. Or, like you said, they may disappear, and you don't know what's happened to them. And sometimes, it's because coming back to a syringe services program or reengaging with harm reduction may be triggering for them on their new journey. And so even reaching out to say I'm OK may be too much for them. You have to accept that and kind of live in the moment, if you will.
But, you know, I'll never forget the first death that we experienced in doing this work and the fact that - and it still haunts me to this day - that when she passed, she had, during the time we'd known her, saved dozens of lives through the administration of naloxone and had reversed overdoses. She had prevented disease from many people because she encouraged us to order special syringes from the U.K that were color-coded so that people would know who their own - you know, which syringes applied to them, you know, were theirs. She'd done everything she could do. But because of shame and stigma, she ended up dying alone having overdosed.
And the grief for us came obviously in her death, but also the fact that we could never share with her family the fact of - the - all the great work she had done in the midst of her addiction. And that is a tragedy for us. So it's not only the tragedy and the stress of losing individuals, but also losing the truth of their stories and not being able to tell them. So when we talk with people who are in the trenches doing this work, we say often, you can't fill someone else's cup unless you keep yours filled. Do what you have to do. Step away. Take care of yourself so you'll be able to take care of someone else tomorrow.
DAVIES: You know, one gut punch that hit me as I read this - I mean, when we were talking about the efforts in Surry County, the place where, you know, Andy Griffith's hometown was. And there was this guy, James Stroud, who was a former banker who was really active in this. At one point, he used his own money to get somebody out of jail, just pushed himself and pushed himself. And then, you learn, at some point, he's gone back to using meth again. It's just tough to see folks who are doing the work just overwhelmed by it. Is he better now? Do we know?
MACY: He tells me he is doing better now, and I don't know that he's back working with Birches. But, you know, I saw that kind of peer stress every - in every community that I visited, people with many years of sobriety relapsing. And it's just this irony or something that the people who are most qualified to do this work, the peers I'm talking about, are sometimes the most vulnerable, too. But I think it's important to show the issue fully in the round, warts and all, because that's what people are dealing with. And they need help. We need to scale what they're doing. Especially as this litigation money comes in, we need to offer this kind of help at a scale that actually matches the scale of the epidemic.
DAVIES: That actually leads me to my next question. You know, at the end of the book, I mean, it's inspiring to see how hard all of these people are working and the impact they're having. But it's one at a time, and it's hard. And you write that, you know, their work is simply not sustainable. Individuals, no matter how inspiring or selfless, cannot solve a systemic problem without sustained institutional and governmental support, bigger changes.
MACY: Yeah, and I think the government, they owe them that because, you know, they presided over this massive, overprescribing problem that led to this epidemic, where we are now, by, you know, impotent regulators who are using the revolving door to get better jobs with industry and on and on. There's a lot of - there were a lot of bad players. And I just really - I mean, whenever I talk to groups, I always say, you know, if you're somebody that has social capital in your community, if you know judges, if you know sheriffs, if you know emergency department directors, tell them about these examples of folks who have figured it out.
Because once - I mean, what I really love is when I'm interviewing somebody - and maybe I've talked to them two years ago, and they were totally against Suboxone, and now they got all their doctors waivered and are prescribing it in the emergency room - and you say, well, how's that feel? You're, like, potentially saving 30 lives this month. And they are so excited about it because they're not just seeing the same problem cycle back over and over. And then, they become evangelists for whatever progressive, new thing they're doing. And they go and teach other emergency room doctors in other places. Or sheriffs go and spread the word of what they're doing with other sheriffs. Because I think, you know, we'll hear change from somebody who's like us more likely than we'll hear it from somebody who isn't.
DAVIES: Yeah. You mention doctors getting waivered. That's essentially getting them the qualifications to write prescriptions for Suboxone, right?
MACY: Right.
DAVIES: Right, right.
MACY: Right. And there's no special DEA certification that you need to prescribe OxyContin, but there is - you have to have this special waiver and training. And only 8% of doctors have bothered to get it. And even a lot of those don't want to do this treatment because, you know, they'll say, well, the patients are too difficult or, you know, I don't want those people in my waiting room. Well, guess what? They're already in your waiting room.
DAVIES: We need to take another break here. Let me reintroduce you. We're speaking with Beth Macy. Her new book is "Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, And The Future Of America's Overdose Crisis." Also with us is Michelle Mathis, co-founder of Olive Branch Ministry, which provides services to people struggling with addiction in rural North Carolina. We'll continue our conversation after this short break. This is FRESH AIR.
(SOUNDBITE OF JAKE MASON TRIO'S "THE STRANGER IN THE MIRROR")
DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR. And we're speaking with journalist Beth Macy, author of the book "Dopesick" about the opioid epidemic. Her new book, "Raising Lazarus," is about grassroots organizations and citizen volunteers working to help people struggling with addiction, often in rural communities. Also with us is Reverend Michelle Mathis, co-founder of Olive Branch Ministry, which provides a variety of addiction-related services in nine counties in North Carolina.
There's been a lot of litigation that grew out of the opioid epidemic aimed at pharma companies. And one that you write about is against the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma, their company, which gave us OxyContin. And there's been more than one civil action against them. But in this one, you write about a protest movement, which sort of grew up in conjunction and parallel to the lawsuit, which sought to raise certain issues in the litigation. You want to just describe who these folks were, what the issues they were raising were?
MACY: Sure. In 2019, Purdue filed for bankruptcy, which got them out of this giant multidistrict litigation that also included other opioid makers and pharmacies and distributors. And they filed for bankruptcy in White Plains, N.Y., which is not where they're located. They filed there because there was a judge that favored what's called a third-party nonconsensual release. And what that did was it allowed them to hold on to a lot of their wealth, to basically walk away with a lot of their wealth sucked in offshore accounts. They have to give up the company. I think they're at $6 billion right now. But in the meantime, this grassroots group called the Ad Hoc Committee on Accountability, which was sort of fronted by the famous artist Nan Goldin, who has done all this protest to take the Sackler name down successfully - you know, in places like the Met and the Guggenheim and the Louvre - started getting really interested in following what was happening in the bankruptcy court. They wanted to make sure that the victims' voices were heard.
And interestingly, they partnered up - Nan herself is in recovery and on Suboxone for her opioid use disorder, which began with an OxyContin prescription. But many of the folks in this group are parents of the dead. I talk a lot about Ed Bisch - I profiled him as well in "Dopesick" - and, you know - which is - you couldn't get more opposite of Nan Goldin than Ed Bisch, who was this salt of the Earth IT worker in Philly. But suddenly, every Thursday night, they're all meeting on Zoom. And they're saying, how are we going to make sure that the public understands this very untransparent process - and what Ed calls the bankruptcy scam - that's going to allow them to walk away from this after already pleading twice in federal court to, you know, fraudulent marketing and the like, that's going to allow them to walk away a third time? And so they are still working on that.
DAVIES: Right. And so one of the things they wanted to deal with was that in addition to keeping a lot of their fortune, they would get this immunity from any future civil lawsuits, this - what's the expression? - third-party...
MACY: The nonconsensual releases.
DAVIES: Nonconsensual releases. You know, an unseen future person can no longer sue because the Sacklers committed this money. Tell us what happened and where it stands.
MACY: So they got up to $6 billion, the Sacklers giving up the company and a lot of public pressure was applied, a lot of media stories, a lot of legal filings by the Ad Hoc Committee's pro bono lawyer Mike Quinn. And currently, the bankruptcy is on appeal. The first judge that looked at it said - Judge Robert Drain, the bankruptcy judge, doesn't really have a right to tell Ed Bisch and other relatives of the dead that they can't sue the Sacklers civilly. And so that's - then the Purdue appealed that. And it's currently now sitting at the second appellate level. In the meantime, Ed Bisch and other members of this group, you know, staged a protest in front of the Department of Justice, begging Attorney General Garland to indict them criminally. And they've had follow-up meetings. And, you know, I report on kind of how that goes near the end of the book. And we don't know what's happening with that yet. But we do know that Garland came out very forcefully in favor of that first appellate judge's ruling. And so, you know, we wait and see what happens next on that.
DAVIES: So if there is $6 billion paid as a result of this litigation, does that go to people who need treatment? Does it go for compensations for families of victims? Can it be diverted to other spending by state legislatures or county governments?
MACY: It's all a patchwork, just like the whole addiction system in America is. Some states have set up really great guidelines - Massachusetts, New York, for instance - and other communities haven't really said what they're going to do with it. I know in North Carolina, which is where a lot of "Lazarus" takes place, only the half - only half of the counties have even appointed an opioid person, an opioid response point person to address with that. So the fear is - and Michelle's the first one that pointed this out - that the money is just going to come down and it's going to go to drug war policing, and that not enough of it is going to be actually spent to help people get better. There was a small settlement pot for personal injury victims, but many of them didn't know or they didn't have the capacity to apply. And so I think the average award is going to be for those who did is between - starts at $3,000 and goes up. I can't remember what the top number is, but it's not a lot of money. As Ed Bisch, a parent that I profile in both "Dopesick" and "Raising Lazarus," says, it wouldn't even cover the cost of a funeral.
DAVIES: You know, Beth Macy, your last book, "Dopesick," about the opioid crisis was made into an eight-part series on Hulu, you know, starring Michael Keaton. It won a Peabody Award, a lot of Emmy nominations. Michelle Mathis, did you see the series?
MATHIS: I did.
DAVIES: Yeah. What'd you think? What was your reaction?
MATHIS: I watched the first one with great anticipation. And then I had to take a break before I watched the next. We actually spent some time in our Hickory office watching together and crying with each other and holding each other, sitting on the sofa. It was triggering in a lot of ways. But it was also an affirmation of the necessity of the work that we do and that we're not fighting against a pharmacist, you know? We're fighting against big pharma and the destruction that they have left us with. And so for that, it was inspiring for us.
DAVIES: If it's not too personal, what in that first episode was hard for you or triggering?
MATHIS: In our day-to-day, we're in the trenches. And so we are working with folks that we know individually. And so we know an individual story here, an individual story there. But when you take a step back and you look at the big picture, as you see in a different community - but you see how this pure evil has affected not only the individuals that you know, but the story is so much bigger. And you know this in the back of your head. But you get so focused on the day-to-day of what you do that taking a step back and seeing truly the impact that it has had and the devastation of millions of lives - that was overwhelming in that moment.
DAVIES: Beth Macy, you know, the last time you and I spoke about your last book, we spoke briefly about alcoholism in your family, you know? Your dad struggled with it through your childhood. And recently, you wrote a piece about it in Oprah Magazine and said that your work on, you know, opioid addiction in recent years and all your reporting had made you rethink your attitude towards your father. Can you share some of that with us?
MACY: Yeah. I wrote about - you know, I was kind of the - I was the fourth child of much older parents. I was kind of like the midlife accident. And by the time I came along, my dad was really in advanced stage alcoholism. He couldn't work. He would sit at the VFW all day. And we were really poor. And it ticked me off. And it made me mad. It made me protective of my mother. And he died of lung cancer when I was in college. I was 19. And he was just really not a part of my life. So you know, he didn't attend any of my events, didn't come to my graduations. Nothing. And I was kind of relieved when he died. And I know that sounds really harsh.
But in getting to know these folks - and I know alcoholism and opioid use disorder are different - it began to hit me that he, too, had a disease, his disease of alcoholism. And while I didn't know him when he was healthier earlier in his years, I realized that if I'm going to be kind of giving this message that this is a treatable medical condition, which is so important to emphasize, that it's treatable - and that we need to extend grace and love to these folks, many of whom were victims of Purdue Pharma and others, and that I needed to extend some grace to him, too. And that was a tough piece to write.
DAVIES: Well, Beth Macy, good to talk with you again. Thanks so much for spending some time with us.
MACY: Thanks, Dave.
DAVIES: Michelle Mathis, good luck in your work. Thank you for speaking with us also.
MATHIS: It's been an honor, Dave. Thank you.
DAVIES: Beth Macy is the author of the book "Dopesick" about the opioid crisis, which has been adapted to a series on Hulu. Her newest book about grassroots efforts to help people with addiction is called "Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, And The Future Of America's Overdose Crisis." We also spoke with Michelle Mathis, co-founder of Olive Branch Ministry, which provides services to people struggling with addiction in nine counties in North Carolina. Coming up, TV critic David Bianculli reviews the final episode of the AMC series "Better Call Saul." This is FRESH AIR.
(SOUNDBITE OF THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET'S "UNSQUARE DANCE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/dopesick-author-turns-her-attention-to-the-citizen-volunteers-combatting-addiction | 2022-08-17T23:21:07Z |
NPR's Juana Summers talks with Olena Pareniuk of the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine about the threat to the Zaporizhzhia power plant.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Juana Summers talks with Olena Pareniuk of the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine about the threat to the Zaporizhzhia power plant.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/europes-largest-nuclear-power-plant-is-at-risk | 2022-08-17T23:21:14Z |
A new law allots billions for research and manufacturing semiconductor chips. The chip industry is enthusiastic, but says bringing chipmaking to the U.S. will be a long, complicated process.
Copyright 2022 NPR
A new law allots billions for research and manufacturing semiconductor chips. The chip industry is enthusiastic, but says bringing chipmaking to the U.S. will be a long, complicated process.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/even-with-billions-of-dollars-making-semiconductor-chips-domestically-will-be-tough | 2022-08-17T23:21:20Z |
When he was 21, Stanley Andrisse hit rock bottom.
"I was sitting in a courtroom facing 20 years to life and had this prosecutor telling me that I had no hope for changing," Andrisse says. He was convicted on three felony counts and spent the next few years in a Missouri prison.
He says his 21-year-old self could never have imagined his life today: Andrisse is now an endocrinologist, scientist and professor at Howard University's College of Medicine. He has a Ph.D., an MBA, and a lab full of students who affectionately call him Dr. Stan.
"So I didn't quite live up to the expectations of the prosecutor those many, many years ago," he says with a laugh.
Andrisse credits his success to a mentor he had while he was incarcerated. They encouraged him to continue his education and helped him apply to higher education programs while he was still behind bars.
His story is remarkable, but historically Black colleges and universities are trying to make it more common. Around the country, HBCUs are investing in education for incarcerated or formerly incarcerated people, with the goal of reducing recidivism and building a prison-to-college pipeline.
"Our brothers and sisters behind the wall are coming home." says Laura Ferguson Mimms, executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education In Prison Initiative (THEI). "And over the course of three years, 47% will return to incarceration if we continue to do exactly what we've done."
Since 2011, her organization has worked with Tennessee community colleges to provide degree programs behind bars.
"When we introduce post-secondary educational options while the individual is incarcerated, we reduce the risk of recidivism by nearly half," she says.
HBCUs are well-positioned to help incarcerated students
In 2021, THEI launched its first four-year degree program with Lane College, an HBCU in Jackson, Tenn. Like many of the oldest HBCUs, Lane was founded to help educate formerly enslaved people. Mimms says the school's history makes it well-positioned to help incarcerated students.
She recalls the first day of Lane College classes at Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville. The lecture was supposed to be online, but the president of Lane College came to speak to the students in person. He talked about the history of the school and the legacy of HBCUs as a tool for Black liberation. "The students were absolutely mesmerized," Mimms says.
Claflin University, an HBCU in Orangeburg, S.C., has seen similar enthusiasm from students.
"They have truly embraced the program and they are probably some of the best recruiters for the program," says Twaina Harris, director of Claflin's prison-to-college initiative.
The program's enrollment numbers keep climbing. "We started last summer with 10 students, I am projecting we will probably be well over 140 students by the fall semester," she says.
Getting help from someone who has been in your shoes
Even though the interest is there, college programs in prison are hard to come by.
"My personal experience with higher education pretty much stopped at the door when I was incarcerated at the facility," says Rabia Qutab, who transitioned out of incarceration about a year ago.
Before serving about five years at a women's prison in Texas, Qutab had finished a pre-med degree and was getting ready to apply to medical school. She says transitioning back to life on the outside wasn't easy.
"I was like, 'I know, I want to go back to school, but how do we do this?' Right? Like, I want to pursue medicine, but then I have to worry about my record."
She started looking around, and found a program at Howard University that allows formerly incarcerated students to gain research experience in a top medical school lab, along with mentorship.
The program's founder and director is Stanley Andrisse.
For Qutab, the program offered a way to build her resume before applying to schools, and get guidance directly from Andrisse, someone who has been in her shoes.
"You don't have a lot of formerly incarcerated people pursuing medicine," she says. But if she can do it, she knows it'll make a difference. The same way Andrisse has made a difference for her.
She says, "I'm opening doors for people following me, you know? So why not? Because if I don't do it, then how do I expect others to follow that pathway?"
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/hbcus-are-building-a-new-prison-to-college-pipeline | 2022-08-17T23:21:27Z |
Rising prices at the grocery store and elsewhere are putting a strain on family budgets. Retailers are making adjustments, offering smaller package sizes and more discount options.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Rising prices at the grocery store and elsewhere are putting a strain on family budgets. Retailers are making adjustments, offering smaller package sizes and more discount options.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/how-grocery-stores-are-adjusting-for-rising-prices | 2022-08-17T23:21:33Z |
Talk about a storybook ending.
Author Jamil Jan Kochai searched for more than a decade for Susan Lung — the second-grade teacher who had changed his life over 20 years earlier. And on Saturday night, in one of those "life is better than fiction" twists, the two were finally reunited at one of his book-reading events.
"I pretty much learned how to read and write in English because of her, and if it wasn't for Mrs. Lung, I don't know what would have happened to me," Kochai, who still finds it difficult to call his former teacher by her first name, told NPR.
"I feel like everything that I've done up to this point — all the success that I've had, the fact that I'm a novelist today — it all started with Mrs. Lung all the way back in 1999, when I was 7 years old," he added.
Kochai is the author of 99 Nights in Logar, a finalist for the Pen/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel. He is currently promoting his second book, The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories. His work has been published and praised in many of the nation's most esteemed publications. But for much of his early life, he could hardly speak English.
The writer was born in a refugee camp for Afghans in Peshawar, Pakistan, and his family moved to California when he was just a year old. At home, they spoke mostly Pashto and some Farsi, so by the time he reached first grade, Kochai said, he was at a total loss.
As a result, he said, "I associated school and learning with punishment and with exclusion."
He fell further behind during the summer of 1999, when the family spent several months in Afghanistan.
"I fell in love with my parents' home village in Logar, but pretty much everything that I learned in first grade, I ended up forgetting by the time the summer was over," Kochai explained.
The magic of Mrs. Lung — and all the devoted teachers out there
Then came Mrs. Lung, who quickly realized that Kochai was deeply struggling at Alyce Norman Elementary School, both academically and socially.
"I could see he was sharp as a tack, but it was hard for him," Lung told NPR.
"Not only did he have to deal with forgetting all the English that he knew, but he had to deal with the kids who couldn't understand him."
The two got to work, meeting for one-on-one lessons nearly every day after school. By the end of the school year, Kochai said, he was winning reading-comprehension competitions.
Thinking back on the experience, Lung said it's not an especially unique situation.
"There are many thousands of teachers doing the same thing all over, and they're doing it for the love of it. Not for any kind of kudos but because we have a passion for it," she said.
Lung added: "It's just incredible to see their literacy grow by leaps and bounds. To see when they're able to communicate with their little friends, which I think is a big part of learning English or any other language."
The problem with not being on a first-name basis with your elementary school teachers
Lung and Kochai lost touch at the end of their year together. Kochai's father got a job in another city and the boy moved on, albeit with a voracious new love of reading and writing. By the time he reached high school, Kochai's parents encouraged him to find his former teacher to thank her. But despite his efforts, he failed to track her down.
"Part of it was that I didn't know her first name. She was always just Mrs. Lung to me, so when I called places to ask about her, they couldn't find any records of her," he said, laughing.
But Kochai kept trying through college and afterward. Still, he came up empty.
Then, while promoting his first novel, he wrote an essay for Literary Hub magazine touching on the transformative impact that Lung had on his life. Lung's neurosurgeon happened to read it, and during her next visit, the physician asked the now-retired educator, "Did you ever teach at Alyce Norman Elementary School?"
It was Lung's husband who ultimately found Kochai. "He found me on Facebook and reached out to me out of the blue," Kochai said.
They made plans for a phone call that same night.
"I finally got the chance after all these years to express to her how much I still thought of her and how much she meant to me," Kochai said, adding that he also managed to get both of his parents on the call. "She was just the same Mrs. Lung. Just as sweet and kind and warm as ever. And we were all tearing up. It was a really emotional, lovely night," he said.
It was the height of the coronavirus pandemic, and they promised to meet in person as soon as things returned to normal. But as life does, Kochai said, one thing after another seemed to get in the way, and the reunion never materialized.
Reunited and it feels so good
"Again, it was my husband who had the idea, to go to the reading on Saturday," Lung said.
Lung's husband had seen a Facebook post about Kochai's new book and suggested they make the drive to a reading in Davis, California.
"I had no idea they were going to be there," Kochai said, sounding absolutely delighted.
"I don't know how I didn't see her before, but Mrs. Lung was sitting in the front row. I mean, it had been 20 to 22 years since the last time I'd seen her," he reasoned.
They hugged and he gushed, and she asked him to sign her copy of his first novel.
"And I got to leave a little note for her explaining how much she meant to me. And it was a really lovely evening," Kochai added.
They exchanged numbers again, and now they've made a new plan. "We're going to have a big family dinner next week!" Kochai said.
In the meantime, Lung has some homework: "I am part of the way through his first book and I just got his second book at the reading, so I'll be reading that when I'm finished."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/it-took-20-years-for-this-author-to-reunite-with-the-teacher-who-changed-his-life | 2022-08-17T23:21:39Z |
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Wired reporter Pia Ceres about surveillance programs on school laptops and how law enforcement's access to them creates a major privacy issue for students.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Wired reporter Pia Ceres about surveillance programs on school laptops and how law enforcement's access to them creates a major privacy issue for students.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/more-kids-are-going-back-to-school-so-why-is-laptop-surveillance-increasing | 2022-08-17T23:21:46Z |
The United States took in 76,000 Afghan refugees last year, and many face multiple challenges. The International Rescue Committee is one of the resettlement agencies helping those refugees find housing and work.
Many Afghan refugees in the U.S. got here because they helped coalition forces in Afghanistan. Zamzama Safi is one of them. She was a translator for the U.S. military in Kabul and was evacuated last year.
Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks to JC Hendrickson of the IRC about the path ahead for Afghan refugees in the U.S and Safi about her new life in America, a year on.
Zamzama Safi. (Courtesy)
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/one-year-after-the-u-s-withdrew-from-afghanistan-refugees-face-challenges-and-new-realities | 2022-08-17T23:21:49Z |
Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids; neither do most insurance policies. That's why advocates are welcoming a new federal rule allowing over-the-counter sales of the devices, hoping the move cuts prices and makes it easier for people with hearing loss to improve their lives.
By mid-October, consumers could see over-the-counter devices in drug stores that are far more affordable than prescription aids that routinely cost thousands of dollars, thanks to the rule the Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday. But many people will likely have to bear that cost alone — and that's just one of the challenges still confronting people with hearing loss.
"We're really excited about the market," said Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America. But, she added, "we think it's going to be confusing for consumers."
Here's a rundown of why the rule is being celebrated, and what problems still exist.
The new rule is a long-awaited breakthrough
"There's 48 million people in this country with some degree of hearing loss," Kelley told NPR, "and there's no such thing as a small hearing loss. It can be completely disruptive to your life."
The new rule's promise to minimize a host of health problems was hailed by Dr. Debara Tucci, director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
"Hearing loss is associated with dementia, increased risk of falling, reduced mobility, depression, social isolation, and anxiety," Tucci said on her federal agency's website.
Wearing hearing aids can make a big difference. As the Hearing Industries Association said in an email to NPR, "8 in 10 who chose to treat their hearing loss report life-changing results."
Prescription hearing aids are often wildly expensive
"The FDA estimates this rule will save consumers on the order of about $1,400 per individual hearing aid or over $2,800 per pair," Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, said of the new FDA rule.
That's a substantial saving for an essential item that the Hearing Industries Association says can range from under $1,000 up to $4,000 each.
The industry group notes that the actual devices usually account for only about a third of the total cost, since the process of getting a prescription hearing aid normally includes numerous visits to doctors and specialists who evaluate patients and fit, test and adjust their hearing aids.
OTC aids could compete with PSAP devices
By creating a new product category, the FDA is giving a regulated alternative to people who in recent years might have turned to PSAPs — or personal sound amplification products.
PSAPs are promoted as a way to amplify a normal person's hearing. But many people who buy them aren't hunters or private detectives — they're just having trouble hearing, whether it's in person or when they're watching TV.
With the change, the PSAP category will still exist, but if their makers want to sell a device as an OTC hearing aid, they'll have to fulfill the FDA's quality and labeling standards.
"The truth is, in that category, there are some very good devices that will cross over to the over-the-counter market and meet the criteria," Kelley said. "The difference is they can now market them to people with hearing loss."
Medicare does not pay for hearing aids
"Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids or exams for fitting hearing aids," the government program's website states. "You pay 100% of the cost for hearing aids and exams."
Many Americans might be surprised that the federal insurance program doesn't offer help to people who are most likely to need hearing aids. But it's by design.
"Back when the law was enacted in 1965, hearing aids were not only not in there, they were statutorily excluded," Kelley said.
Other components of modern insurance, such as dental and vision coverage, were similarly left out of the original law — although in today's system, some Medicare Advantage plans do include coverage for those costs.
Kelley says several ideas are behind the exclusion, including a belief in 1965 that problems like hearing loss weren't major health issues. Average U.S. lifespans were also shorter — and as we now live longer, many of us are doing so in noisier environments that progressively harm our ability to hear.
Lawmakers made headway to include hearing aids in Medicare coverage in recent years, but a House-approved bill in 2019 failed to advance in the Senate. Attempts to include the requirement in the Democrats' Build Back Better framework also foundered.
Using hearing aids isn't as easy as putting on reading glasses
The new class of over-the-counter hearing aids is meant to help adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. But for anyone who thinks getting an OTC hearing aid will help them as easily as snagging a pair of cheap reading glasses boosts their sight, Kelley warns that it isn't that simple.
"That's a good analogy," she said, "except I'd like to clarify that when we put on glasses, typically they correct our vision. When you put on a hearing aid, it doesn't always correct your hearing."
That's because many hearing loss cases are highly individualized, with problems linked to specific frequencies or environments.
"Hearing loss is unique to each person, and most do not know if their condition is mild, moderate, or greater, caused by another medical issue or something as simple as ear wax," Hearing Industries Association President Kate Carr said in an emailed statement.
While many people might benefit from an OTC product, others might need to see a doctor and an audiologist for more sophisticated care, Carr and others say.
The chance that some consumers might rely on trial-and-error to find a device that works well for them led some commenters on the FDA proposal to ask the agency to ensure they can easily return or exchange OTC hearing aids. The FDA declined to do so, citing existing consumer laws. But its final rule does require manufacturers to clearly state their return policies.
If you buy a hearing aid without a prescription, the Hearing Industries Association says you should hang on to your receipt and be aware of the device's warranty and return details. It also cautions consumers against using devices that over-amplify sound, as too much volume could harm their hearing further.
The rule meets a mandate set in 2017
Despite the limit on Medicare coverage, the OTC rule comes as a highly anticipated victory, arriving five years after Congress voted in in 2017 to require the FDA to create an OTC category for hearing aids.
Regulators were prodded to take action last summer, when President Biden issued a wide-ranging executive order to promote more competition. It tasked the Department of Health and Human Services with proposing an OTC hearing aid rule, setting a new timeline in motion.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/over-the-counter-hearing-aids-will-bring-relief-but-with-some-confusion | 2022-08-17T23:21:56Z |
NPR's Juana Summers talks with Monica Lennon, a member of the Scottish Labour Party, about Scotland becoming the first country to offer free period products.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Juana Summers talks with Monica Lennon, a member of the Scottish Labour Party, about Scotland becoming the first country to offer free period products.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/scotland-is-making-free-period-products-the-norm | 2022-08-17T23:22:02Z |
Jumping spiders appear to move their eyes during sleep, similar to the way humans do during REM sleep — raising the question of whether spiders might dream as well.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Jumping spiders appear to move their eyes during sleep, similar to the way humans do during REM sleep — raising the question of whether spiders might dream as well.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/some-spiders-might-experience-rem-sleep-and-even-dream | 2022-08-17T23:22:09Z |
The White House is touting the Inflation Reduction Act as a major fix for environmental injustices. But many experts and grassroots anti-pollution groups say the bill is anything but equitable.
Copyright 2022 NPR
The White House is touting the Inflation Reduction Act as a major fix for environmental injustices. But many experts and grassroots anti-pollution groups say the bill is anything but equitable.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/the-new-law-meant-to-fix-environmental-injustices-is-far-from-equitable-critics-say | 2022-08-17T23:22:15Z |
A key primary re-affirmed Trump's hold on the Republican party. Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney lost her race in a landslide, defeated by a Trump-endorsed political newcomer: attorney Harriet Hageman.
Copyright 2022 NPR
A key primary re-affirmed Trump's hold on the Republican party. Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney lost her race in a landslide, defeated by a Trump-endorsed political newcomer: attorney Harriet Hageman.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/whats-next-for-liz-cheney | 2022-08-17T23:22:22Z |
Buffalo will again host Longmire Days beginning on Aug. 18, which attracts several thousand attendees annually. Sponsored by the Longmire Foundation, the event celebrates the fictional Absaroka County in the TV series Longmire, which is based on Buffalo and Johnson County.
The show is based off of Craig Johnson’s Longmire book series.
“We’re doing two horseback rides, we’re doing a big pig roast afterparty, we’re doing the hardware of Longmire [which] is a new event for us this year,” said Jennifer McCormick, Director of the Longmire Foundation. “They’re going to talk about why Craig chose certain vehicles and the rifles and the sidearms and all of the hardware that they used in the books and in the series.”
Longmire Days has attracted thousands of attendees in years past. The actors from the TV series have made regular appearances during the multi-day event. Both the 2020 and 2021 events were held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. McCormick said they’re expecting fewer attendees than in previous years, but that anywhere from 4,000 to 5,000 people are expected to attend, given the number of tickets sold and discussions that have been had on their Facebook page.
“We're rebuilding,” she said. It's a process. We think we'll have fewer people, but we still expect a really good crowd. People seem excited about it.”
Supporting charities has also been a part of the Longmire Foundation’s activities, which has donated various amounts to different organizations over the years.
“We have selected the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center,” she said. “They got a $30,000 donation from us last year, [and] we really support their work. They do a lot of work without a lot of paid help, so that money is dispersed out into the community.”
One of Johnson’s most recent books, Daughter of the Morning Star, deals with missing and murdered indigenous women.
A new event centers on the history of the area.
“We also added a new event this year with our local museum [the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum],” McCormick explained. “It's the history of Johnson County and they're working with Craig Johnson and Robert Taylor. They'll be doing diary readings and confessions from the cattle wars. It's going to be really interesting, and it's sold out very quickly.”
A full list of events can be found on the Longmire Foundation’s website. The festivities will run through Sunday, Aug. 21. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/arts-culture/2022-08-17/the-fictional-absaroka-county-comes-to-buffalo-again-for-the-10th-annual-longmire-days | 2022-08-17T23:22:28Z |
Wyoming is one of 22 states to receive federal money to restore abandoned mine sites, of which there are likely hundreds in the state.
Historically, Wyoming is a mining state, including mining for energy resources like coal and uranium, and 25 years ago, companies did not have to clean up their operation after completing a project.
In 1977, Congress passed the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), which requires companies to restore the land that they mined.
Keith Guille, the public information supervisor with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, said it is hard to know the exact number of abandoned mine sites in the state.
“You wish you had historical documents to pinpoint every abandoned line in the state,” Guille said. “But as you can imagine, as we clean one up, sometimes we find a few others that we just didn't know about.”
Wyoming will receive more than $9 million in federal funding to help continue the reclamation work. The funding is part of President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law.
Guille said the money will likely go toward stabilizing old, underground mines, to make sure the ground does not collapse and create sinkholes in the future.
“We will grout that area where we pump concrete into those seams, to stabilize the area, make sure that no holes open up in the future,” he said.
Guille added that there is a lot of reclamation work happening in communities like Hanna and Rock Springs, which are above old, unstable mining sites.
The abandoned mine land funding is part of a larger $11.3 billion that will be dispersed to 22 states over the next 15 years.
This funding is in addition to the regular Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund monies that mining states receive, as part of the 1977 SMCRA legislation. Mining companies have to pay into the fund of up to 28 cents per ton of coal produced, depending on how the coal was mined. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/natural-resources-energy/2022-08-17/wyoming-to-receive-millions-of-federal-dollars-for-mine-reclamation | 2022-08-17T23:22:35Z |
Daylight savings time has lapsed, and winter is creeping our way. Darkness comes sooner and lasts longer with every passing day.
I know I ought to go to bed earlier. But I'm still awake — hunkered in the midnight shadows with my nose in a book, letting my head run wild.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2008-11-10/for-night-owls-only-books-that-shine-after-dark | 2022-08-17T23:34:12Z |
"Shoot Me While I'm Happy" is an account of falling in love with tap dancing written by Jane Goldberg, who studied and performed alongside some of the greatest tap dancers of the past 50 years.
Goldberg and host Liane Hansen reprise their 1990 NPR segment and share some basic tap-dancing lessons.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2008-11-30/tap-dancing-a-love-story-reprised | 2022-08-17T23:34:18Z |
Anne Heche’s death ruled accidental after fiery car crash
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Actor Anne Heche died from inhalation injury and burns after her fiery car crash and the death was ruled an accident, according to coroner’s results released Wednesday.
Heche, 53, also had a fractured sternum caused by “blunt trauma,” according to information on the website of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner.
A full autopsy report was still being completed, the coroner’s office said.
The Emmy-winning film and television actor was removed from life support Sunday at a burn center. She was injured when her car jumped a curb and smashed into a West Los Angeles home on Aug. 5. The car and the home burst into flames. Only Heche was injured.
Heche suffered a “severe anoxic brain injury” caused by a lack of oxygen, according to a statement released last week on behalf of her family and friends.
She was declared brain-dead but was kept on life support until her organs could be donated.
Detectives looking into the crash had said narcotics were found in a blood sample taken from Heche. However, police ended their investigation after she was declared brain-dead.
The coroner’s office listed Aug. 11 as her date of death.
Heche first came to prominence on the NBC soap opera “Another World” in the late 1980s before becoming one of the hottest stars in Hollywood in the late 1990s. She was a constant on magazine covers and in big-budget films opposite actors including Johnny Depp and Harrison Ford.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/anne-heches-death-ruled-accidental-after-fiery-car-crash/ | 2022-08-17T23:34:43Z |
Community involvement making a difference with BRAFB, donations still needed
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - There are multiple ways to get involved with the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank besides just volunteering or donating food.
BRFB Director of Development and Community Engagement Millie Winstead says even just one person’s idea can make all the difference. That’s one of the ideas NBC29 is promoting this week through our Summer Fund Drive-- one person can make an impact.
Ed Kwasnick’s “Green Bean Bike Challenge” is one of multiple ongoing community driven opportunities to support the BRAFB.
“The food bank ultimately said, ‘Hey, we need green beans, we’re going into the holiday season,’ and we said, ‘Great, we’ll donate green beans.’ So, we reached out to friends and family and said, ‘Hey, we’re riding 106 miles, 10,000 feet of climbing, and we’d like you to donate green beans to support us,’” Kwasnick said.
The 100-mile bike ride generated 3500 cans of green beans in its first year. Since then, 415,285 meals have been provided, 1,027 miles have been biked, including 104,615 feet of elevation.
“They want to challenge themselves to also give back to the community, and that is exactly what they’ve done through that bike ride,” Winstead said.
“It was really two of us saying, ‘Hey, how can we push ourselves?’ Then, as soon as we determined what were were doing, we asked if this was going to push us beyond our limits, and then, we wondered, ‘What can we do? How can we turn that into something for our local community?’” Kwasnick said.
Now, 11 years later, the event now takes monetary donations for the BRAFB instead of cans. $99,521 have been raised.
“For every dollar, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank can put four meals on the table and for a dollar, and I can barely buy one can of green beans with that,” Kwasnick said.
Winstead says that there is always a way to help the food bank, and that Ed Kwasnick is a living example of that.
“One person with an idea and some passion, they can take that and they can make it into something that gives back to the community in a variety of ways,” Winstead said. “I hope that no one would consider that just because they’re one person, that they can’t make a difference. It’s all about someone stepping up and making an impact through a way that is meaningful to them.”
If you want to get involved this week, you can donate to NBC29′s Summer Fund Drive with the BRAFB.
Copyright 2022 WVIR. All rights reserved.
Do you have a story idea? Send us your news tip here. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/community-involvement-making-difference-with-brafb-donations-still-needed/ | 2022-08-17T23:34:49Z |
Salman Rushdie attacker ‘surprised’ the author survived
Published: Aug. 17, 2022 at 6:44 PM EDT|Updated: 50 minutes ago
MAYVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — The man charged with stabbing Salman Rushdie on a lecture stage in western New York said in an interview that he was surprised to learn the author had survived.
Speaking to the New York Post from jail, Hadi Matar said he decided to see Rushdie at the Chautauqua Institution after he saw a tweet last winter about the writer’s planned appearance.
Matar wouldn’t say whether he was following a 1989 edict issued by the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini that called for Rushdie’s death after he published his novel “The Satanic Verses.”
Rushdie suffered wounds to his neck, liver, eye and an arm in the attack.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/salman-rushdie-attacker-surprised-author-survived/ | 2022-08-17T23:34:55Z |
TSA stops Waynesboro man from carrying gun onto flight at CHO
Published: Aug. 17, 2022 at 10:12 AM EDT|Updated: 9 hours ago
ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - The TSA says one of its officers stopped a Waynesboro man from carrying a gun onto a flight at Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport.
TSA says a .38 caliber gun was spotted in the man’s carry-on items Tuesday, August 16.
Authorities say the gun was not loaded, but they did find bullets and a box cutter.
TSA says this is the first gun detected by its officers at CHO this year.
Copyright 2022 WVIR. All rights reserved.
Do you have a story idea? Send us your news tip here. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/tsa-stops-waynesboro-man-carrying-gun-onto-flight-cho/ | 2022-08-17T23:35:02Z |
Alex Jones’ lawyer faces disciplinary hearing in Connecticut
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A lawyer for conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is facing scrutiny from a Connecticut judge, who began hearing testimony Wednesday on whether the lawyer should be disciplined for giving other attorneys for Jones highly sensitive documents, including medical records of relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Attorney Norman Pattis is representing Jones in a defamation lawsuit filed by Sandy Hook families against Jones for calling the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, a hoax. Twenty first-graders and six educators were killed.
The Connecticut trial is separate from a trial in Texas that ended earlier this month with a jury awarding more than $49 million to the parents of one of the slain children. There’s also a second lawsuit against Jones in Texas by Sandy Hook families over the hoax claims.
Pattis, who did not testify Wednesday, has denied violating Judge Barbara Bellis’ order in the case to not disclose confidential documents to unauthorized people. Pattis said he was “confident in our defense” in a brief response to an email seeking comment Wednesday.
A lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, Christopher Mattei, testified Wednesday that Pattis sent him a text in which Pattis said he may have violated the document disclosure order. After a couple hours of testimony before Bellis in Waterbury, Connecticut, the hearing was continued to next week.
Jury selection before Bellis is set to resume Thursday for a trial on how much in damages Jones should pay the families. Bellis found him liable for damages last November.
According to court documents, Pattis sent a large number of records from the Connecticut defamation case within the past month to the lawyer representing Jones in Texas in the similar lawsuits by Sandy Hook parents over the hoax claims, as well as a bankruptcy case for one of Jones’ companies.
It hasn’t been made clear what documents Pattis allegedly sent. But from what has emerged from court documents, lawyer comments and the Texas lawsuit, they appear to have included confidential medical records of some of the Sandy Hook victims’ relatives as well as texts from Jones’ cell phone.
Jones’ attorneys in Texas mistakenly sent the last two years’ worth of texts from Jones’ cellphone an attorney for a Sandy Hook family. In the recently completed Texas case, Jones had said he didn’t have any texts about Sandy Hook. Legal experts say that episode could open Jones up to a possible perjury charge.Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/17/alex-jones-lawyer-faces-disciplinary-hearing-connecticut/ | 2022-08-17T23:39:14Z |
Anne Heche’s death ruled accidental after fiery car crash
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Actor Anne Heche died from inhalation injury and burns after her fiery car crash and the death was ruled an accident, according to coroner’s results released Wednesday.
Heche, 53, also had a fractured sternum caused by “blunt trauma,” according to information on the website of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner.
A full autopsy report was still being completed, the coroner’s office said.
The Emmy-winning film and television actor was removed from life support Sunday at a burn center. She was injured when her car jumped a curb and smashed into a West Los Angeles home on Aug. 5. The car and the home burst into flames. Only Heche was injured.
Heche suffered a “severe anoxic brain injury” caused by a lack of oxygen, according to a statement released last week on behalf of her family and friends.
She was declared brain-dead but was kept on life support until her organs could be donated.
Detectives looking into the crash had said narcotics were found in a blood sample taken from Heche. However, police ended their investigation after she was declared brain-dead.
The coroner’s office listed Aug. 11 as her date of death.
Heche first came to prominence on the NBC soap opera “Another World” in the late 1980s before becoming one of the hottest stars in Hollywood in the late 1990s. She was a constant on magazine covers and in big-budget films opposite actors including Johnny Depp and Harrison Ford.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/17/anne-heches-death-ruled-accidental-after-fiery-car-crash/ | 2022-08-17T23:39:21Z |
Iowa college’s efforts to attract more bees ‘working’ after students’ discovery
(Gray News) – Students at a private college in Iowa caused a buzz after identifying seven new bee species to the state, suggesting that the college’s efforts to attract more pollinators are working.
Emmelyn Cullen and Gwen Coleman, both students at Luther College in Decorah, spent their summer surveying bee diversity as part of a study meant to provide insight on how the college can “encourage more of these native pollinators on campus.”
In a release, the college said seven of the 55 species of bee found living on the college campus have never been recorded in Iowa.
The seven species of bees are recorded in other parts of the country.
Kirk Larsen, a biology professor and faculty advisor for the project, said it’s important to preserve and protect the diverse bee population.
“They are really important to us as pollinators for our crops and our food. One-third of all the food that we eat involves a pollinator of some sort and most of those are bees,” he said in the release.
Luther College is an affiliate with the Bee Campus USA program. The goal of the program is to help ensure a better future for pollinators, as well as their habitats and the planet as a whole.
Cullen and Coleman record which plants attract which bee species as part of their research, the college said. The results are used to help make recommendations to the grounds crew of what to plant so the bees are attracted to the campus and able to thrive.
The discovery of the bee species new to Iowa suggests that Luther College’s planting of more native flowers to attract pollinators is working, according to the college.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/17/iowa-colleges-efforts-attract-more-bees-working-after-students-discovery/ | 2022-08-17T23:39:27Z |
Salman Rushdie attacker ‘surprised’ the author survived
Published: Aug. 17, 2022 at 6:44 PM EDT|Updated: 55 minutes ago
MAYVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — The man charged with stabbing Salman Rushdie on a lecture stage in western New York said in an interview that he was surprised to learn the author had survived.
Speaking to the New York Post from jail, Hadi Matar said he decided to see Rushdie at the Chautauqua Institution after he saw a tweet last winter about the writer’s planned appearance.
Matar wouldn’t say whether he was following a 1989 edict issued by the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini that called for Rushdie’s death after he published his novel “The Satanic Verses.”
Rushdie suffered wounds to his neck, liver, eye and an arm in the attack.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/17/salman-rushdie-attacker-surprised-author-survived/ | 2022-08-17T23:39:33Z |
A new law allots billions for research and manufacturing semiconductor chips. The chip industry is enthusiastic, but says bringing chipmaking to the U.S. will be a long, complicated process.
Copyright 2022 NPR
A new law allots billions for research and manufacturing semiconductor chips. The chip industry is enthusiastic, but says bringing chipmaking to the U.S. will be a long, complicated process.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-17/even-with-billions-of-dollars-making-semiconductor-chips-domestically-will-be-tough | 2022-08-17T23:55:36Z |
Country
United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary
People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe | https://www.kitv.com/news/business/details-revealed-about-former-meadow-gold-dairies-property-redevelopment/article_d09085e8-1e78-11ed-bca7-8b3ea46fb83f.html | 2022-08-18T00:11:09Z |
Country
United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary
People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe | https://www.kitv.com/news/business/hawaii-county-to-temporarily-pause-its-emergency-rental-assistance-program/article_04a4e00a-1e78-11ed-9fa8-bf625018e0f6.html | 2022-08-18T00:11:15Z |
HONOLULU (KITV4) -- Hawaii Senate Minority Leader Kurt Fevella has requested Gov. David Ige declare a state of emergency to address rising electricity rates in the state.
Fevella’s request comes less than two weeks after the Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) said it would have to raise its rates by an additional 7% as the state shuttered its last coal power plant and the ban on coal as an energy source is set to take effect to start 2023.
The HECO rate increase is in addition to 10% to 20% increase they announced for the state in March 2022.
Citing Hawaii Revised Statute Chapter 127A-14, Fevella says Gov. Ige has the power to “relieve hardships and inequities, or obstructions to the public health, safety, or welfare found by the governor to exist in the laws.”
In Fevella’s request, the senator says the emergency declaration should remain in place until HECO can obtain cost-effective renewable energy sources.
“Per HECO, it has had to turn to oil as a result of a delay with renewable energy projects. However, HECO's reliance on oil results in residential households and businesses left to carry the burden,” wrote Fevella.
As part of the declaration, Fevella called for the AES plant to be restarted until the state’s renewable energy projects are ready to go.
A HECO spokesperson issued the following statement in response to Fevella's request:
"We know that paying more for electricity will impact households and businesses, especially as costs for just about everything else are rising. The state has mandated ending the use of coal for power generation, and it’s the right thing to do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change.
We’re working with government leaders, regulators, developers, stakeholders and communities to bring more renewable projects online. On Oahu, the first utility-scale solar-plus-storage facility is now feeding energy to the grid, and eight more clean energy projects are slated to come online through 2024. Over time, these projects will stabilize energy costs for our customers."
KITV4 has also reached out to Gov. Ige for comment on this story. So far we have not received a response. | https://www.kitv.com/news/local/sen-fevella-calls-for-emergency-declaration-over-rising-electricity-costs-in-hawaii/article_60144142-1e73-11ed-b25d-3f9205db4705.html | 2022-08-18T00:11:21Z |
Authorities investigating human remains at Lake Mead; 5th such discovery this year
LAS VEGAS (KVVU/Gray News) - Authorities are investigating reports of human remains found at Lake Mead earlier this week.
Officials with the Lake Mead National Recreation Area said they are investigating the discovery of skeletal remains found at about 8 p.m. on Monday at Swim Beach.
According to KVVU, rangers set up a perimeter to recover the remains from the lake with help from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police dive team. The Clark County medical examiner was also contacted.
Authorities were reportedly called to the same area earlier this month to investigate another set of remains at Swim Beach.
Lake Mead officials have reported four different discoveries of remains found at the lake so far this year. The Clark County Coroner’s office said two of the partial sets might belong to the same person.
Lake Mead’s water level has plummeted due to recent drought conditions in the southwest.
Copyright 2022 KVVU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/authorities-investigating-human-remains-lake-mead-5th-such-discovery-this-year/ | 2022-08-18T00:21:55Z |
Iowa college’s efforts to attract more bees ‘working’ after students’ discovery
(Gray News) – Students at a private college in Iowa caused a buzz after identifying seven new bee species to the state, suggesting that the college’s efforts to attract more pollinators are working.
Emmelyn Cullen and Gwen Coleman, both students at Luther College in Decorah, spent their summer surveying bee diversity as part of a study meant to provide insight on how the college can “encourage more of these native pollinators on campus.”
In a release, the college said seven of the 55 species of bee found living on the college campus have never been recorded in Iowa.
The seven species of bees are recorded in other parts of the country.
Kirk Larsen, a biology professor and faculty advisor for the project, said it’s important to preserve and protect the diverse bee population.
“They are really important to us as pollinators for our crops and our food. One-third of all the food that we eat involves a pollinator of some sort and most of those are bees,” he said in the release.
Luther College is an affiliate with the Bee Campus USA program. The goal of the program is to help ensure a better future for pollinators, as well as their habitats and the planet as a whole.
Cullen and Coleman record which plants attract which bee species as part of their research, the college said. The results are used to help make recommendations to the grounds crew of what to plant so the bees are attracted to the campus and able to thrive.
The discovery of the bee species new to Iowa suggests that Luther College’s planting of more native flowers to attract pollinators is working, according to the college.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/iowa-colleges-efforts-attract-more-bees-working-after-students-discovery/ | 2022-08-18T00:22:01Z |
Ruling clears Biden’s 2021 pause on new oil, gas leases
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A judge’s order that forced the Biden administration to resume sales of oil and gas leases on federal land and waters was vacated Wednesday by a federal appeals court in New Orleans.
It was at least a temporary victory for President Joe Biden but the immediate effect was unclear.
The much-heralded climate bill that Biden signed into law Tuesday provides for new drilling opportunities, in a compromise among Democrats, and mandates that several lease sales be held over the next year in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska.
Biden had signed an executive order that suspended new lease sales soon after taking office in 2021. The following March, U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty in Monroe, Louisiana, blocked the policy, siding with more than a dozen Republican-leaning states opposed to Biden’s move.
The appeals court in New Orleans on Wednesday said the judge’s reasons were unclear and sent the case back to him.
“We cannot reach the merits of the Government’s challenge when we cannot ascertain from the record what conduct — an unwritten agency policy, a written policy outside of the Executive Order, or the Executive Order itself — is enjoined,” Judge Patrick Higginbotham wrote for a panel that also included judges James Dennis and James Graves.
Department of the Interior officials were reviewing the decision, spokesperson Melissa Schwartz said. She declined to say whether the climate law made the issue moot.
The practical impacts of the ruling could be minor because of the fossil fuel leasing mandates in the climate law, said Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, which represents oil and gas companies.
The law requires the government to reinstate $192 million in leases in the Gulf of Mexico that were blocked by another court ruling last year. And it requires two more sales in the Gulf and one in Alaska before October 2023. Those sales had been canceled under Biden. The provision reviving them was inserted into the law at the insistence of West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, an advocate for fossil fuels.
Going forward the law says Interior will hold periodic oil and gas lease sales and offer at least 60 million acres (24 million hectares) of offshore parcels and 2 million acres (810,000 hectares) onshore during the prior year before it can approve any renewable energy leases.
“Offshore oil and gas leasing has been protected and will proceed,” said Milito.
Environmentalists remained hopeful that the ruling would prompt the administration to move forward with other changes to the oil and gas leasing program, such as limits on future development including where leasing occurs.
“They may not be able to deliver a full moratorium on leasing, but at least they can exercise more restraint than they could with the injunction in place,” said Jeremy Nichols with the environmental group WildEarth Guardians. “All eyes are going to be on the Interior Department to see what their next move might be.”
Following last year’s injunction from Doughty that forced lease sales to resume, the Biden administration auctioned off more than 2,700 square miles (6,950 square kilometers) of leases in the Gulf of Mexico in November. The sale was later overturned by a federal judge in Washington D.C., who said the government had failed to adequately consider climate change impacts from burning oil and gas from the Gulf.
In June, the administration sold leases on about 110 square miles (285 square kilometers) of federal land, mostly in Wyoming, despite concluding that future emissions from the parcels offered could cause billions of dollars in damages due to climate change impacts. Legal challenges of those sales by environmentalists are pending.
Doughty was appointed to the federal bench by former President Donald Trump. Higginbotham was appointed to the appeals court by former President Ronald Reagan; Dennis, by former President Bill Clinton; Graves, by former President Barack Obama.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/ruling-clears-bidens-2021-pause-new-oil-gas-leases/ | 2022-08-18T00:22:08Z |
Sentara celebrates grand opening of new primary care center
STAUNTON, Va. (WHSV) - In Staunton on Wednesday, Sentara held a ribbon-cutting ceremony as a new primary care center will be opening next Monday, August 22.
The center’s purpose is to provide a convenient option for health care. This is an alternative to having to wait for an appointment that may be weeks out or going to the emergency room for unnecessary reasons.
“Our goal here is to open up a walk-in service. So we will be able to serve everybody same day with an acute health need or an acute physical therapy need,” said Kurt Hofelich, vice president of the ambulatory services division for Sentara.
The center is located at 103 Community Way in Staunton and will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/sentara-celebrates-grand-opening-new-primary-care-center/ | 2022-08-18T00:22:14Z |
Trump Org. CFO to plead guilty, testify against company
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s chief financial officer is expected to plead guilty to tax violations Thursday in a deal that would require him to testify about illicit business practices at the former president’s company, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
Allen Weisselberg is charged with taking more than $1.7 million in off-the-books compensation from the Trump Organization over several years, including untaxed perks like rent, car payments and school tuition.
The plea deal would require the Weisselberg speak in court Thursday about the company’s role in the alleged compensation arrangement and possibly serve as a witness when the Trump Organization goes on trial in October on related charges, the people said.
The two people were not authorized to speak publicly about the case and did so on condition of anonymity.
Weisselberg, 75, is likely to receive a sentence of five months in jail, to be served at New York City’s notorious Rikers Island complex, and he could be required to pay about $2 million in restitution, including taxes, penalties and interest, the people said. If that punishment holds, Weisselberg would be eligible for release after about 100 days.
Messages seeking comment were left with the Manhattan district attorney’s office and lawyers for Weisselberg and the Trump Organization.
Weisselberg is the only person to face criminal charges so far in the Manhattan district attorney’s long-running investigation of the company’s business practices.
Long seen as one of Trump’s most loyal business associates, Weisselberg was arrested in July 2021. His lawyers have argued the Democrat-led district attorney’s office was punishing him because he wouldn’t offer information that would damage Trump.
The district attorney has also been investigating whether Trump or his company lied to banks or the government about the value of its properties to obtain loans or reduce tax bills.
Former District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., who started the investigation, last year directed his deputies to present evidence to a grand jury and seek an indictment of Trump, according to former prosecutor Mark Pomerantz, who previously led the probe.
But after Vance left office, his successor, Alvin Bragg, allowed the grand jury to disband without charges. Both prosecutors are Democrats. Bragg has said the investigation is continuing.
The Trump Organization is not involved in Weisselberg’s expected guilty plea Thursday and is scheduled to be tried in the alleged compensation scheme in October.
Prosecutors alleged that the company gave untaxed fringe benefits to senior executives, including Weisselberg, for 15 years. Weisselberg alone was accused of defrauding the federal government, state and city out of more than $900,000 in unpaid taxes and undeserved tax refunds.
Under state law, punishment for the most serious charge against Weisselberg, grand larceny, could carry a penalty as high as 15 years in prison. But the charge carries no mandatory minimum, and most first-time offenders in tax-related cases never end up behind bars.
The tax fraud charges against the Trump Organization are punishable by a fine of double the amount of unpaid taxes, or $250,000, whichever is larger.
Trump has not been charged in the criminal probe. The Republican has decried the New York investigations as a “political witch hunt,” has said his company’s actions were standard practice in the real estate business and in no way a crime.
Last week, Trump sat for a deposition in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ parallel civil investigation into allegations Trump’s company misled lenders and tax authorities about asset values. Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination more than 400 times.
___
Follow Michael Sisak on Twitter at twitter.com/mikesisak. Send confidential tips by visiting https://www.ap.org/tips/.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/trump-org-cfo-plead-guilty-testify-against-company/ | 2022-08-18T00:22:20Z |
Volunteers make the Rockingham County Fair go ‘round
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - While the Rockingham County Fair only lasts one week, it takes all year long to get ready for the summer favorite. It takes many people working behind the scenes to make it all happen.
“It’s how they all work together to help each other make this fair go,” fair volunteer Art Mitchell said. “That’s what makes the fair work is the volunteers.”
Art Mitchell has been volunteering at the fair since 1966. He lost his legs in a farming accident 43 years ago and now he drives a courtesy shuttle to help those who have a hard time walking around the fairgrounds.
“I understand what it is when you can’t walk. Having artificial legs, these stumps get sore and you can’t put weight on them,” Mitchell said. “I just want to help people have a better life.”
He is just one of the hundreds of hard-working volunteers who make the fair possible.
“January 1, we’re starting a new fair and that’s how long it takes, from January to August,” Barbara Roadcap, with the Rockingham County Fair Committee, said. “Line up volunteers, get people involved, spread the word, all behind-the-scenes work that needs to be done.”
Roadcap has been volunteering at the fair for 20 years and runs the homemaking section. She said she signed up over 250 volunteers for the homemaking and demonstrations. Volunteers are critical in every part of the fair.
“I kind of oversee all the functions in the barn, just making sure that everybody has the supplies that they need and making sure the shows run like they’re supposed to,” Kymberly Coffman, the Fair Livestock Committee Chair, said.
Coffman has been a part of the fair since she was nine years old when she began showing livestock. Once she got older, she began to help with things behind the scenes and eventually became a fair board member.
“It’s amazing to see the youth involved in these programs and where these projects take them further on in life, so it’s that enthusiasm working with the youth that really brings all of us back as volunteers,” she said.
It takes many different people doing different jobs to make the fair work and some volunteers have to get down and dirty to keep things running.
“I prepare for all the acts in the grandstand, as well as take care of any of the aftermaths of rainstorms and things like that in the parking areas, in the ride areas, and things like that,” AJ Simmons, who volunteers for the Fair Dirt Crew, said. “Putting stone down, filling mud holes, anything just to make the fair happen.”
Simmons has volunteered with the fair for 15 years. He and the rest of his crew often work long hours during fair week to make sure things are ready for the fair’s musical performances.
“A lot of the acts come in at 7,8, 9 o’clock in the morning and we’ll start unloading the equipment for some of the concerts. Then when the act is over at 10 o’clock at night we start tearing everything apart, so some nights we finish at midnight and are back at it around 7 o’clock the next morning,” said Simmons.
For the volunteers, seeing the joy the fair brings makes it all worth it.
‘Yesterday, children came through, a family who had four children and they squealed with delight when they saw a blue ribbon on their work,” Roadcap said. “That’s what brings me back every year, it’s the people.”
The Rockingham County Fair ends Saturday. For more information, click here.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/volunteers-make-rockingham-county-fair-go-round/ | 2022-08-18T00:22:26Z |
Man accused of 2017 Edinburg stabbing appears in court
WOODSTOCK, Va. (WHSV) - On Wednesday, Samuel Jacob Homer who was accused of brutally stabbing a woman and two of her children at a park in Edinburg five years ago appeared in Shenandoah County Circuit Court for a mental health examination.
Back on May 18, 2017, Whitney Rice and two of her young daughters were allegedly attacked by the then 18-year-old Homer at the Edinburg Town Park. Rice said that Homer stabbed her and her children multiple times and repeatedly punched and kicked her while she was down. Homer was eventually arrested at the scene.
Early on in the court process, Homer was declared unrestorably incompetent to stand trial due to his mental health issues and was involuntarily committed to Western State Hospital. Online court records indicate Homer was released to a group home in February 2022 where he remains today.
During Homer’s appearance in front of a judge on Wednesday, there were some issues with the involuntary commitment orders from Western State with the original order having not been sent to the court or the Commonwealth’s Attorney Amanda Wiseley, but the evaluation was able to move forward as more recent orders were obtained.
The judge ordered the remainder of Homer’s commitment orders to be delivered to the court on September 7, 2022, at 9 a.m. at which point the case will be removed from the court’s docket because the five-year statute on the case has expired. Homer will remain at the group home indefinitely.
The judge said he understood the severity of the case and that the victim and her family were upset at the case’s status, but that there is nothing more the court can do because of the statute.
Because Homer has been declared incompetent beyond restoration there will be no further action that can be taken in court. However, if he is declared at any point in the future to be competent he will again face a slew of charges including attempted murder, and go to trial.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/18/man-accused-2017-edinburg-stabbing-appears-court/ | 2022-08-18T00:22:32Z |
DENVER, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE: AR) ("Antero Resources", "Antero" or the "Company") today announced the early results of the previously announced tender offer to purchase for cash an amount of the Company's 7.625% Senior Notes due 2029 (such notes, the "Maximum Tender Notes," and such offer, the "Maximum Tender Offer") equal to the difference between $300,000,000 and the aggregate principal amount of the Company's 8.375% Senior Notes due 2026 (the "Any and All Notes") accepted for purchase in the Company's previously announced cash tender offer for the Any and All Notes (such offer, the "Any and All Offer," together with the Maximum Tender Offer, the "Offers," and such difference, the "Maximum Tender Offer Cap"). The terms and conditions of the Maximum Tender Offer are set forth in the Company's Offer to Purchase, dated as of August 4, 2022 (the "Offer to Purchase"). As of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 17, 2022 (the "Early Tender Deadline"), an aggregate principal amount of $284,733,000 of Maximum Tender Notes had been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn. The deadline for holders to validly withdraw tenders of Maximum Tender Notes was 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 17, 2022, and was not extended. The Company intends to accept for purchase $118,344,000 of the Maximum Tender Notes (the "Accepted Notes") using a proration factor of approximately 41.56% and to make payment for Accepted Notes on August 19, 2022.
Select terms of the early tender results are described in the table below.
The Maximum Tender Offer will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on August 31, 2022, unless extended by Antero in its sole discretion (such date and time, as the same may be extended, the "Maximum Tender Expiration Date"). Because the Maximum Tender Offer Cap has been fully subscribed as of the Early Tender Deadline, the Company does not anticipate accepting for purchase any Maximum Tender Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Deadline.
As previously announced, $181,656,000 aggregate principal amount of Any and All Notes were tendered pursuant to the Any and All Offer, which amount excludes $2,803,000 aggregate principal amount of Any and All Notes tendered pursuant to guaranteed delivery procedures (the "Guaranteed Delivery Notes"). Because holders owning approximately $2,803,000 aggregate principal amount of Guaranteed Delivery Notes did not perform the delivery requirements under the guaranteed delivery procedures, Antero accepted for purchase $181,656,000 aggregate principal amount of Any and All Notes.
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC is acting as Lead Dealer Manager, Truist Securities, Inc. and CIBC World Markets Corp. are acting as Co-Dealer Managers and IPREO LLC is acting as the Tender Agent and Information Agent for the Offers. Requests for documents may be directed to IPREO LLC at (888) 593-9546 (toll-free), (212) 849-3880 (all others) or by email at ipreo-tenderoffer@ihsmarkit.com. Copies of such documents are also available at the following web address: https://www.debtdomain.com/public/antero/index.html. Questions regarding the Offers may be directed to Wells Fargo Securities, LLC (toll-free) (866) 309-6316 or (collect) (704) 410-4756.
This announcement is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to purchase or sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or sell, with respect to any securities. The Maximum Tender Offer is being made only pursuant to the Offer to Purchase. The Maximum Tender Offer is not being made in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. None of the Company, any Dealer Manager, or the Tender Agent and Information Agent is making any recommendation as to whether or not holders should tender their Maximum Tender Notes in connection with the Maximum Tender Offer.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This release includes "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are not under Antero's control. All statements, except for statements of historical fact, made in this release regarding activities, events or developments Antero expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future, such as Antero's ability to successfully consummate the Maximum Tender Offer and the terms thereof, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Words such as "may," "assume," "forecast," "position," "predict," "strategy," "expect," "intend," "plan," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "project," "budget," "potential," or "continue," and similar expressions are used to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. Although Antero believes that the plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements are reasonable, there is no assurance that these plans, intentions or expectations will be achieved. Therefore, actual outcomes and results could materially differ from what is expressed, implied or forecast in such statements. Except as required by law, Antero expressly disclaims any obligation to and does not intend to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.
Antero cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties incident to the exploration for and development, production, gathering and sale of natural gas, NGLs and oil, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond Antero's control. These risks include, but are not limited to, commodity price volatility, inflation, availability of drilling, completion and production equipment and services, environmental risks, drilling and completion and other operating risks, marketing and transportation risks, regulatory changes or changes in law, the uncertainty inherent in estimating natural gas, NGLs and oil reserves and in projecting future rates of production, cash flows and access to capital, the timing of development expenditures, conflicts of interest among our stockholders, impacts of world health events (including the COVID-19 pandemic), cybersecurity risks, the state of markets for, and availability of, verified quality carbon offsets, and the other risks described under the heading "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in Antero's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and in its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Antero Resources Corporation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/antero-resources-announces-early-tender-results-tender-offer-its-2029-notes/ | 2022-08-18T00:22:38Z |
CHICAGO, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- We are disappointed in today's Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) ruling, and we plan to file a petition for rehearing. A $36 million refund falls short of the refund recommended by CUB, the Illinois Attorney General's Office and the City of Chicago. Further, this case was limited to direct costs and only partially compensates customers for ComEd's misconduct—people deserve better in the wake of Illinois' most significant utility scandal ever. CUB continues to work on behalf of consumers for full restitution, as well as the most pro-consumer implementation of the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) to protect customers from unjustified rate increases.
- On August 17, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) voted 3-0 to order ComEd to give its customers a $31,296,338 refund in connection with the company's bribery scandal that erupted two years before. The refund, about a $4.80 bill credit on average, will be delivered to customers on their April 2023 bills. [Another $5,019,312, plus interest, will be added to the refund, upon Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approval, making the total refund at least $36.3 million.]
- In July 2020, ComEd was fined $200 million by federal authorities, after admitting to a bribery scheme to pass legislation in 2011 that implemented a "formula rate" system. That rate-setting system left electric customers vulnerable to hundreds of millions of dollars in rate hikes over the last decade. (Note: In 2013, ComEd went back to the General Assembly to adjust the formula rate because the utility did not approve of how the ICC was interpreting the law. CUB opposed the 2013 bill for the same reasons it opposed the 2011 law.)
- In October of 2020, in a federal lawsuit, CUB alleged ComEd enriched itself "at the expense of Illinois utility customers." The consumer watchdog joined a similar state class action.
- In September 2021, a judge dismissed the federal class action lawsuit. In December 2021, a judge threw out the state lawsuit.
- The Climate & Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), which passed in September of 2021, will replace the unfair formula rate system. CEJA also called for an ICC investigation into a refund. During this investigation, which the ICC ruled on Wednesday, CUB, the Illinois Attorney General's Office and the City of Chicago argued for a $45 million refund for ComEd customers. The ICC probe was narrow in scope, only focusing on direct costs—not damage done to consumers by paying higher electric rates.
CUB is Illinois' leading nonprofit utility watchdog. Created by the Illinois Legislature, CUB opened its doors in 1984 to represent the interests of residential and small-business utility customers. Since then, it has saved consumers more than $20 billion by helping block rate hikes, secure refunds and fight for clean, low-cost energy. For more information, call CUB's Consumer Hotline, 1-800-669-5556, or visit its website, www.CitizensUtilityBoard.org.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Citizens Utility Board | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/cub-statement-refund-connected-com-ed-scandal/ | 2022-08-18T00:22:44Z |
CALGARY, AB, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Enbridge Inc. (TSX: ENB) (NYSE: ENB) (Enbridge) announced today that none of its outstanding Cumulative Redeemable Preference Shares, Series L (Series L Shares) will be converted into Cumulative Redeemable Preference Shares, Series M of Enbridge (Series M Shares) on September 1, 2022.
After taking into account all conversion notices received from holders of its outstanding Series L Shares by the August 17, 2022 deadline for the conversion of the Series L Shares into Series M Shares, less than the 1,000,000 Series L Shares required to give effect to conversions into Series M Shares were tendered for conversion.
At Enbridge, we safely connect millions of people to the energy they rely on every day, fueling quality of life through our North American natural gas, oil or renewable power networks and our growing European offshore wind portfolio. We're investing in modern energy delivery infrastructure to sustain access to secure, affordable energy and building on two decades of experience in renewable energy to advance new technologies including wind and solar power, hydrogen, renewable natural gas and carbon capture and storage. We're committed to reducing the carbon footprint of the energy we deliver, and to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Headquartered in Calgary, Alta., Enbridge's common shares trade under the symbol ENB on the Toronto (TSX) and New York (NYSE) stock exchanges. To learn more, visit us at Enbridge.com
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Media Investment Community
Jesse Semko Jonathan Morgan
Toll Free: (888) 992-0997 Toll Free: (800) 481-2804
Email: media@enbridge.com Email: investor.relations@enbridge.com
View original content:
SOURCE Enbridge Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/enbridge-announces-conversion-results-series-l-preferred-shares/ | 2022-08-18T00:22:51Z |
Houston lawyer recognized as one of the nation's top employment advisors
HOUSTON, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hicks Thomas LLP partner Stewart Hoffer has been named to the 2022 Lawdragon 500 guide to the Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers in America, which honors the most accomplished employment attorneys in the nation.
This year's list recognizes "the nation's top advisors to businesses, universities, nonprofits, and other organizations dealing with the mind-bending matrix of today's global workforce," according to the publication.
"To be included among this incredible group of employment lawyers is really an honor," said Mr. Hoffer. "It is a privilege to be able to work each day on behalf of our clients, and to be recognized for work that I love makes it that much more special."
Mr. Hoffer, selected for his labor and employment litigation expertise, is marking his first year as a Lawdragon 500 honoree. Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, he represents both plaintiffs and defendants in employment lawsuits, counsels clients on workplace laws and regulations, and represents clients before federal, state, and local labor and employment agencies. Mr. Hoffer is known to his clients as a go-to resource, trusted for his timely and wise counsel.
"We are so pleased for Stewart," said Hicks Thomas name partner John B. Thomas. "Clients who have worked with him know him to be their fiercest advocate and someone who goes above and beyond to protect their interests. To see him recognized for all his great work is fantastic."
Published annually, the Lawdragon 500 guide relies on meticulous editorial evaluations, peer and client nominations, and independent third-party research. In choosing employment honorees, Lawdragon "reviews cutting-edge litigation, as well as trends in employment law and reviews the lawyers consistently turned to for guidance in those matters." The full corporate employment guide can be viewed at https://www.lawdragon.com/.
Founded in 1997, Texas-based Hicks Thomas LLP is a premier litigation firm representing plaintiffs and defendants across the nation. With offices in Houston, Austin, Beaumont, Amarillo, and Sacramento, California, the firm provides in-depth experience in cases involving oil and gas, environmental, complex commercial, toxic tort, construction, products liability, corporate governance, securities, banking, insurance coverage, transportation, trade secrets and business litigation. Visit the firm at http://www.hicks-thomas.com.
Media Contact:
April Arias
800-559-4534
april@androvett.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Hicks Thomas LLP | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/hicks-thomas-partner-stewart-hoffer-named-lawdragon-500s-leading-corporate-employment-lawyers-guide/ | 2022-08-18T00:22:58Z |
BOSTON, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new perspective published in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery examines the potential of biomolecular condensates to transform drug discovery. Condensates are membrane-less organelles that form dynamically throughout the cell via a process called phase separation. Over the last decade scientists have recognized the role of biomolecular condensates in cellular organization and disease, marking one of the most revolutionary areas of biology.
In "Modulating biomolecular condensates: a novel approach to drug discovery," a Dewpoint Therapeutics perspective, the authors discuss the largely untapped opportunities for targeting biomolecular condensates to develop therapeutic agents for various diseases. "To our knowledge, this is the first time that a cohesive logic has been assembled outlining how a deep understanding of condensate biology can revolutionize the drug discovery process across therapeutic areas," commented Dr. Isaac Klein, Chief Scientific Officer at Dewpoint Therapeutics and corresponding author.
The authors propose that condensate dysregulation may represent a node of disease origination in patients with different genetic background and environmental exposures, and that these nodes can be leveraged as drug targets. Classical drug discovery focuses on modifying the function of a single target biomolecule. By reimagining the drug target as the molecular community which resides within a condensate, researchers can modify the function of biological pathways and biomolecules that were previously considered "undruggable." Another promising aspect of condensate drug discovery is that by targeting a disease node, a single therapeutic agent might help treat a larger patient population.
"Condensates are unlike anything seen before in drug discovery. Dewpoint is leading the understanding of condensates and the diverse ways new medicines could be developed to restore aberrant condensate function. No one has previously published the potential of biomolecular condensates from a drug discovery perspective, and Dewpoint scientists are bringing forward a groundbreaking perspective to the field," commented Dr. Mark Murcko, Dewpoint Therapeutics Board and Scientific Advisory Board member, and co-corresponding author.
The perspective summarizes the rules that underlie the formation, dissolution and regulation of biomolecular condensates, which have emerged in the last decade. Based on these rules, the authors discuss how condensate dysfunction drives various diseases, including neurodegeneration, cancer, cardiomyopathy and viral infection. Klein comments, "Dewpoint has developed a platform and drug discovery pipeline that exploits cutting-edge technology and a deep understanding of condensate biology to discover novel condensate modifiers, or c-mods. These molecules have the ability to tackle the root cause of complex diseases and address previously undruggable targets."
Condensate-targeted drug discovery was pioneered by Dewpoint Therapeutics as the first biotech company to enter the field, founded in 2018. New rules for the design of condensate modifying therapeutics are continuously evolving along with the new discoveries in the field. Similarly, discovery pipelines are actively under development, bringing hope for new life-saving treatments for patients suffering from debilitating, uncurable diseases.
The article is viewable in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery: https://rdcu.be/cTLfy
Authors for the article include Diana M. Mitrea, Matthäus Mittasch, Beatriz Ferreira Gomes, Isaac A. Klein and Mark M. Murcko. Corresponding authors are iklein@dewpointx.com and mmurcko@dewpointx.com.
Dewpoint Therapeutics is the first company to apply the emerging understanding of biomolecular condensates to drug discovery. Dewpoint believes that a vast range of conditions have pathways that are regulated by condensates or arise from the dysfunction of condensates. Dewpoint currently has more than 20 development programs across an ambitious pipeline with programs spanning oncology, neuromuscular, cardiopulmonary and virology indications, and collaborations with leading global academic and pharmaceutical partners. Dewpoint scientists work in Boston, Dresden and Frankfurt with a shared vision to translate condensate biology into breakthrough treatments for diseases previously considered untreatable.
Jeanette Bressi
Head, Communications & PR | Dewpoint Therapeutics
609-439-3997
jbressi@dewpointx.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Dewpoint Therapeutics | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/how-might-biomolecular-condensates-revolutionize-drug-discovery-perspective-dewpoint-therapeutics/ | 2022-08-18T00:23:04Z |
The financing will be used to redevelop an office building at 801 South Canal Street in the expanding South Loop neighborhood of Chicago
CHICAGO, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lionheart Strategic Management LLC (Lionheart), an affiliate of Fisher Brothers that manages capital on behalf of third party investors, announced today that it originated a $67.6 million investment in the form of a mezzanine loan and preferred equity on behalf of Milestone Asset Management. The investment sits behind a $147.5 million senior loan from Bank OZK and was provided to 601W Companies. The financing will be used to redevelop 801 South Canal Street into a modern and highly amenitized 700,000 square foot office building located near Union Station in the vibrant Southwest Loop neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.
"As the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago continues to attract new companies and residents, we are thrilled to support 601W in their vision of redeveloping 801 South Canal Street and to further strengthen our relationship with Bank OZK," said Sang Kim, Lionheart Strategic Management LLC.
601W Companies plans to redevelop the Property, which is one block away from its $1 billion renovation of the Old Post Office building. The Old Post Office, which 601W Companies acquired in 2016, is now 95% leased and features a unique 3.5 acre urban rooftop oasis and an 18,000 square foot food hall.
Lionheart and Bank OZK recently announced its partnership to provide $150 million in funding to Two Roads Development for a residential development in Miami.
Andy Klein and Sang Kim led the transaction for Lionheart Strategic Management.
About Lionheart Strategic Management LLC
Lionheart Strategic Management, LLC was established in 2017 as the asset management vehicle for an affiliate of Fisher Brothers to manage investments for individuals of the firm and on behalf of third party investors seeking exposure to real estate strategies with a primary focus on top urban markets within the United States. For more information please visit http://www.lionheartstrategic.com/
About Bank OZK
Bank OZK (Nasdaq: OZK), through its Real Estate Specialties Group (RESG), provides financing on commercial real estate projects throughout the nation. RESG is considered a preeminent, market-leading construction lender focused on senior secured financing for a variety of property types including mixed use, multifamily housing, condominiums, office, hospitality, life sciences, industrial and retail. During the five years ended December 31, 2021, RESG originated approximately $35 billion in new commercial real estate construction loans. For more information visit www.ozk.com.
Contact: fbmc@berlinrosen.com
View original content:
SOURCE Lionheart Strategic Management, LLC | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/lionheart-strategic-management-bank-ozk-provide-215-million-funding-601w-companies-office-redevelopment-chicago/ | 2022-08-18T00:23:11Z |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.