Playlist Project: Babyface
It was not my intention to begin this playlist with a reference to the much ballyhooed producer showdown between our playlist honoree and fellow super-producer Teddy Riley, but that elephant is still in the room so there's that! I also thought that folks might appreciate a perspective on why Babyface might not be all that bothered if this never happens again...and honestly, I don't know how recovered I will be come October when it will be Riley's birthday.
(Well, the battle went down on Monday night while I was still writing, so I'll be sure to weigh in with my thoughts when this posts.)
To be clear, this piece is not about that Saturday night fiasco (I'll leave it to others to deconstruct), but there is a point to be made about the different styles each producer brought to the 90s music scene. Riley brings the flashy New Jack Swing while Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds brings his version of the more laid back Quiet Storm. The great thing about music is that one can be a fan of both approaches, so let's celebrate Mr. Edmonds, born April 10, for his musical contributions as both a performer and producer.
Of course, whenever I begin to research these artists, I learn SO much. For the Facebook playlist, I barely scratched the surface by only focusing on songs that feature Babyface the singer. To my knowledge at the time, that began with I Love You Babe (1986), from his first solo album, Lovers.
What I didn't know was that he had been with The Deele during that same time, so Lovers was a side project. (I also had no idea that prior to his time with The Deele, Babyface had been a member of a late 70s psychedelic funk group named Manchild...and wow, when this quarantine is over, guess who will be digging deep into her Daddy's crates because Face's song Funky Situation is exactly my Dad's kind of groove). Face joined the The Deele in 1981, so our formal review of his work begins with that era of his career. The first major hit that most of us remember from The Deele was Two Occasions (1988). However, they released two prior albums, beginning with Street Beat in 1983, where you can hear what would become classic Babyface arrangements and lyrics on Just My Luck. His name also appears on one other song from that album, Crazy 'Bout 'Cha, along with Antonio "LA" Reid, his long-time creative collaborator, who was the drummer for The Deele during that time.
With few exceptions, Face did not sing the lead and was often pictured in the back or off to the side with the other members of the group. Perhaps he was more interested in writing and producing, so he might have been content to stay in the background, much like another very talented and prolific songwriter and producer from the same era, Rod Temperton. On The Deele's second album, Material Thangz (1985), Face was credited as a writer on nearly all of the songs, and he sang lead on Sweet November (which would become a hit for the group Troop in 1992). Babyface clearly possessed the looks and the voice to be a solo artist, as evidenced on the Lovers project, but he appeared to lack the charisma to be a front man for a group. At least that is my impression; by the time he releases his second solo project, Tender Lover in 1989, the stars seem to be aligning differently.
Or possibly it could have been that Face was studying the business and preparing for musical domination...
While I was re-discovering pre-1988 The Deele, I noted how this modest dance hit Body Talk (1983) sounded exactly like the kind of filler song that would be played on Soul Train between music acts. Hearing that song again for the first time in years reminded me of Klymaxx's The Men All Pause which came out in 1984. That compelled me to look more closely at SOLAR Records, the label that distributed The Deele and Klymaxx, and that had been founded by Soul Train creator Don Cornelius and partner Dick Griffey in 1977. (I wrote a piece in the early days of this blog about my nostalgia for that show, so I will definitely revisit this topic for a future playlist.)
SOLAR was home to several groups that made regular appearances on Soul Train, so it wasn't just a random similarity of sound that caught my ear--there was a SOLAR sound as evidenced in songs such as: And the Beat Goes On (1979) and It's A Love Thing (1981) by the Whispers; Second Time Around (1979) and A Night to Remember (1982) by Shalamar; and Wet My Whistle (1983) and Freakazoid (1983) by Midnight Star. In that environment, LA Reid and Babyface honed their skills by working with their own group as well as their label-mates, producing Slow Jam (1983) for Midnight Star and Rock Steady (1987) for the Whispers.
That made this performance and interview with Don Cornelius all the more prophetic. The changes he noted with the group weren't just about their toned down stage presence and mellower sound. It was also evident in how Reid centered the conversation on his and Face's production partnership and their forthcoming work with various up and coming artists. The mere fact that The Deele performed as the back-up band for Pebbles on her song Girlfriend should have been a clue that we were witnessing the end.
What emerged was a new era of super-producers who had taken copious notes from the success of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who had their own experience with the SOLAR sound. There were also personal ties--at the time, LA Reid was married to singer Perri "Pebbles" Reid and Terry Lewis would marry singer Karyn White in 1992. Both women found success thanks to their collaborations with Babyface, who recorded Love Saw It (1988) with White, and Love Makes Things Happen (1990) with Pebbles. In the space between the release of both of those albums, Face released Tender Lover (and these were my faves): Whip Appeal, Soon As I Get Home, and Sunshine. He also released A Closer Look (1991), a remix album that included his duets with Pebbles and Karyn White and the live version of Two Occasions.
The Babyface/Reid machine continued to churn out successful projects with other artists, so in some respects, Babyface music was what got released as the side project. To provide a representative sample of artists with whom Babyface worked, I started with Bobby Brown, who worked with Face and Reid on Don't Be Cruel (1988) and then primarily with Teddy Riley on Bobby (1992). Akin to drawing six degrees of separation, it was fascinating just to demonstrate how that Saturday night wasn't really a botched battle between rivals, but a comparison of notes... **
Face and Reid produced most of the songs, including Don't Be Cruel for Brown's second solo project, and also worked with Brown's future first wife, Whitney Houston on I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990). During that same time in 1990, Face produced songs for the solo projects of both Ralph Tresvant (Love Hurts) and Johnny Gill (My, My, My), both from New Edition (and all three singers appear on the others' solo projects). Face worked with Boys II Men on the megahit End of the Road (1992), who were discovered by Michael Bivens of New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe. Face produced the soundtrack for Boomerang in 1992, which introduced us to Toni Braxton (Love Shoulda Brought You Home). Braxton and Face also performed Give You My Heart together for that same soundtrack. Face produced the Queen of the Night (1992) for Houston on the Bodyguard soundtrack (which does sound a LOT like Free Your Mind by En Vogue...released the same year). TLC was also featured on the Boomerang soundtrack on Reversal of a Dog, as well as Aaron Hall of Guy with Charlie Wilson of The GAP Band on It's Gonna Be Alright. Aaron Hall was in Riley's group Guy, so that brings us almost exactly within six degrees to Teddy Riley's work on Brown's third album, from which his most most memorable contribution was...Something In Common?
Even more impressive than that list of projects was how Face still managed to find time to release his own music. He released two studio albums in the 90s, For the Cool in 1993 which included: Never Keeping Secrets, And Our Feelings, and When Can I See You. From The Day, released in 1996, there was his cover of For the Lover in You, with LL Cool J and featured a reunion of the Hewitt/Watley/Daniels lineup of Shalamar, who had initially recorded the song in 1980. That album also included his duet with Mariah Carey on Everytime I Close My Eyes.
Face did more soundtrack work in between his album releases, most notably Waiting to Exhale in 1995 and Soul Food in 1997. On Waiting, he reunited with Houston for Shoop, Shoop; with Braxton for Let it Flow; and with TLC for This is How It Works. On Soul Food, he produced A Song for Mama, another big hit for Boys II Men, and he had a cameo as a member of the fictional group Milestone, which consisted of his brothers Kevon and Melvin of After 7, and K-Ci and Jo-Jo from Jodeci on the song I Care About You. A live version of that song was also featured on his MTV Unplugged album along with a cover of Eric Clapton's Change the World with thee Eric Clapton. He recorded a version of Fire with singer Des'ree for the 1997 independent film Hav Plenty (bonus points for anyone who knew that Bruce Springsteen wrote that song in 1977, but it was popularized by the Pointer Sisters in 1978). The duet he produced for Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, When You Believe from The Prince of Egypt soundtrack, was performed at the Academy Awards in 1999, even though his version of the song was not nominated.
We haven't even addressed the work that Face produced in the 21st century. He released his fifth studio album in 2001, Face 2 Face, on which he collaborated work with Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes. The two stand-outs on that project were There She Goes and What If. His next project, Grown and Sexy was released in 2004, with the title track, The Loneliness, and Sorry for the Stupid Things being my faves. He released an album of duets with Toni Braxton in 2014 called Love, Marriage and Divorce which featured the single Hurt You.
And even after going through all of those songs, there is still plenty more from Babyface. So my honorable mentions include One Tender Moment (1978) from his Manchild days; Shoot 'Em Up Movies (1988) by the Deele; Superwoman (1989) by Karyn White; Can't Stop and Ready or Not in 1990 by After 7; Can We Talk (1993) by Tevin Campbell; and Someone to Love (1995) with Jon B. As much as I really want to include Slow Jams from Q's Juke Joint (1995), I won't post a link to any songs by or that make reference to a certain R&B singer (even though that joint is fire, Tamia and Babyface are perfection, and it was written by the late, great Rod Temperton.) While not a show-stopper, this song Smile (2004) which he produced for Tamia's More album is an acceptable alternative. Finally, I will close this out with this undated clip I found of Face playing with Uncle Charlie on a live version of Yearning for Your Love. That's not even one of his songs, but damn if just seeing him on stage makes the song sound that much better.
There is still so much more. But you get the point. Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds is a musical genius. Period.
** As I was still writing this piece, the rescheduled producer battle resumed (4-20) and it was EPIC. In all fairness to Teddy Riley, who will be the subject of a playlist later this year, I won't formally declare a winner...but I will refer back to a few points I made at the outset. These two were comparing notes. Between the two of them, there are not many other producers who can stand toe to toe and go more than 15 rounds, and still have unearthed gems in reserve. And while Riley was STILL doing the most, I think he redeemed himself and deserves to preen a bit. But since this is Babyface's playlist index, and he chose Count on Me (sung by Whitney Houston and CeCe Winans) as his closer, that's how this ends.
Labels: icons, movies, music, nostalgia, Playlist Project, TV shows, Whitney Houston
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Will the Tea Party Shoot Itself in the Foot Yet Again?
Paul Waldman notes today that although Jeb Bush is substantively pretty conservative, his tone on the campaign trail has remained resolutely moderate and affable. Waldman explains how this leads to Bush winning the nomination:
If you're Bush, your path to victory looks like this: Trump soaks up all the attention for a while, but eventually gets bored (and hasn't bothered to mount an actual campaign that can deliver votes), and either fades or just packs it in. Meanwhile, the conservative vote is split. Once the voting starts, the failing candidates will begin to fall away one by one. But by the time most of them are gone and their supporters have coalesced around a single candidate like Scott Walker, it's too late — Jeb has built his lead and is piling up delegates,
has all the money in the world, and can vanquish that last opponent on his way to the convention in Cleveland.
In other words, a repeat of 2012, when all the hard-core conservatives split the tea party vote ten ways while Mitt Romney quietly vacuumed up the entire moderate vote. By the time Rick Santorum was the last tea partier standing, it was too late. Romney coasted to victory.
This is the great conundrum of the tea-party wing of the Republican Party. What they should do is coalesce immediately around Scott Walker. He's the most plausible winner among the tea partiers, and if the race was basically between him and Bush from the start, there's a pretty good chance he could win. On the other hand, if he has to fight off a dozen challengers for months on end, it'll just be a rerun of 2012. He'll get a share of the tea party vote, but it won't be nearly enough to fend off Bush, who will have his own share of the tea partiers plus the vast majority of the moderate wing of the GOP, which is disgusted that their party has been taken over by loons. There are still quite a few of those folks around.
I guess this is where a smoke-filled room would come in handy. This is a classic collective action problem, but without party bosses who can step in and take charge, there's really no answer to it. The tea-party candidates keep thinking that they can run and win because there are so many tea partiers among the Republican primary electorate. Unfortunately, there are too many of them who think so. The end result is that they tear each other to shreds and end up with John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Jeb Bush. And then they whine and complain about how "the party" has betrayed the conservative cause yet again.
This isn't inevitable, of course. It's possible that Walker or one of the other mean-boy candidates will break out and become the de facto tea party standard bearer. It's just not as likely as it should be. It's a shame the tea partiers can't get their act together, isn't it?


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BioWare Announces Newest Dragon Age Game With Cryptic Teaser
Aidan Simonds Thursday, December 06, 2018
Does this count as Dragon Age news? BioWare didn't just come to The Game Awards 2018 with Anthem. The developer also showed off an extremely brief but nevertheless very intriguing teaser for the newest Dragon Age game, which currently doesn't have a title. Based on the very cryptic and very brief teaser, it appears to directly follow the events of Dragon Age: Inquisition in some way.
Check out the announcement trailer here:
In a follow-up blog post, Mark Darrah confirmed that this is, in fact, the next Dragon Age game, but didn't reveal much after that. This confirms some rumors that emerged prior to the awards show that claimed BioWare would officially reveal the newest Dragon Age game. Unfortunately, a release date wasn't revealed, possibly because it is apparently at least three years away.
While details are scarce, the words "The Dread Wolf Rises" should immediately catch the attention of Dragon Age fans. Without spoilers, it looks to pick up on information revealed at the end of Dragon Age: Inquisition, information that will surely have massive implications for the Dragon Age universe.
The announcement of the next Dragon Age should be a relief for fans of BioWare, who may be worried at the massive departure represented by Anthem. The newest Dragon Age game will continue "BioWare's rich legacy of colorful companions, romance and epic choices" that fans have come to love.
[Source: BioWare]
Tags: BioWare, Dragon Age, EA


NC Parks and Rec Dept. Breaks Ground on First "Green" Visitor Center
March 12, 2008 March 12, 2008 Blueplate PR
March 11, 2008 (GATESVILLE, NC) – On Saturday, March 15, the North Carolina Department of Parks & Recreation will hold its groundbreaking ceremony to start construction of the LEED® Gold rated Merchants Mill Pond State Park Visitors Center in Gatesville, NC, the department's first LEED®-rated building and a model for responsible development. The ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m.
Designed by Frank Harmon Architect PA in Raleigh – a nationally recognized leader in sustainable design – the project will include a 6500-square-foot Visitor Center with exhibit space, an auditorium, classrooms, workspace and administrative offices, plus an 600-square-foot outdoor classroom. A trail will lead from to the outdoor classroom at the edge of the pond.
According to Frank Harmon, FAIA, the building "touches the site as lightly as possible in an attempt to protect and preserve the many species of plants and wildlife that call Merchants Mill Pond State Park home." The project respects the environment, he said, by minimizing the impact and footprint of both building and the parking area.
Daylight and views will be available in all occupied spaces, he said, with particularly dramatic views available through the two-story glass window in the lobby and the adjacent porch along the pond side of the building. Every main space in the building will benefit from natural light through at least two sides of the room, which will reduce the need for artificial illumination.
The Visitors Center will also utilize an efficient geothermal heat pump system to protect the surroundings from the noise of the mechanical equipment and to reduce energy use.
Locally available materials, such as Atlantic White Cedar wood siding, will be used on the interior and exterior of the building. "To protect the native Atlantic White Cedar species, at least 95 percent of the lumber will come from trees in the Dismal Swamp that were felled during Hurricane Fran," Harmon noted.
Since water conservation is a primary concern, the Visitor Center will contain dual-flush toilets and waterless urinals. Collection cisterns will provide rainwater for irrigation and hosing down canoes at the Outdoor Classroom.
Merchants Mill Pond is a Registered Natural Heritage Area that covers 1900 acres and includes the millpond and part of Lassiter Swamp. It was established as a state park so that its diverse biological, scenic, archaeological, geological and recreational values could be protected. For more information and directions to the park, visit http://ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/memi/main.php.
For more information on Frank Harmon, visit http://www.frankharmon.com.
green architecture, Uncategorizedarchitecture, Frank Harmon, green architecture, Merchants Mill Pond, modern architecture, North Carolina architecture, Raleigh
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2020 RTD download
Burton Albion extend shirt sponsorship deal
Burton Albion have agreed a renewal deal with Tempobet to extend the current shirt sponsorship deal for the 2017/18 season.
The previous deal signed last year was the biggest in the club's 67-year history. The renewal will see Tempobet's logo remain on the first team shirt.
Tempobet will also continue to be prominently advertised throughout the Pirelli Stadium, while also featuring on the club's training tops.
Tempobet CEO, Tim Peters, said: "We're excited about renewing our sponsorship with Burton Albion, showing that our working relationship continues to go from strength-to-strength.vIt was a season to remember last time with some terrific battling performances, and we were really happy to have been part of the journey."
Fleur Robinson, Burton Albion Commercial Director, said: "We are delighted to continue our successful partnership with Tempobet. The Championship is a high-profile league and having an international company such as Tempobet as our main shirt sponsors for a second season demonstrates that. I'm now looking forward to working with them over the course of the 2017/18 season and continuing our successful journey together."
Posted on 22nd June 2017


NFL betting: It's gonna be an ugly night at Lambeau in Week 17
Matt Rhule
Mark Drumheller
·Betting analyst
27 December 2021, 12:53 pm ·3-min read
Who didn't play in Week 16 was more important than the players on the field. COVID ravaged rosters around the league while bettors reacted by targeting totals in several games. The roster challenges combined with the NFL coming off its lowest-scoring week of the year had bettors driving totals down in a big way. The average closing total this past weekend hit a season-low 43.1 points. Bettors' expectation of another low-scoring week never came to fruition.
Overs went 10-5 and those who bet later in the week may have paid the price. The final scores in two games landed under the opening number but they closed as an over due to getting pushed down throughout the week. Overs were only 8-7 to the opening line, a contrast that helps highlight the importance of betting early in the week. The market is constantly moving without you, so if you are waiting until kickoff you are losing value. When targeting an under, don't let the uncertainty of players' statuses stop you from getting the best of the number. Here are two games that I bet today to go under the total for Week 17.
Carolina at New Orleans (Under 39.5)
We all could have predicted that Matt Rhule's plan of rotating quarterbacks was not going to work. The Carolina Panthers notched six points on Sunday, which marked the third time in the last four games they scored 14 points or less. Carolina has dropped to 31st in EPA per play on offense above only the Houston Texans. Considering how the Texans looked yesterday, I think there is a chance we see Carolina last by the time the season wraps up. Matt Rhule's answer to his offensive woes is to hand the ball off more. That won't work against the New Orleans Saints' top-three rush defense. However, it will waste some time off the clock, which is good for our bet.
The Saints' offense will get a boost next week as Taysom Hill is expected to return off the COVID list. That's how bad it's been for Sean Payton's offense this season. New Orleans ranks 30th as a team in QB completion percentage and it will only get worse with Hill throwing into a strong Panthers secondary. It's much tougher running on the teams when you are one-dimensional. These teams combined for 33 points back in Week 2. Despite looking much different now, neither looks any better offensively. Ian Book starting for the Saints on national television Monday will only hurt the public's perception of the Saints' offense moving forward. Take the under today before it plummets.
Minnesota at Green Bay (Under 47.5)
This might sound familiar as we hit the under in the Minnesota Vikings' last road game at Chicago two weeks ago. They scored a total of 17 points against the Bears' defense in chilly 38-degree temperatures. The forecasted low for Sunday night in Green Bay is 8 degrees. That's extremely cold and it's a problem for Minnesota in more ways than one.
Not only is that less than ideal for a team that plays the majority of its games indoors. It will also amplify Vikings coach Mike Zimmer's conservative nature, which has been a detriment to this offense all season. As if going up against Aaron Rodgers with your playoff lives on the line isn't enough pressure, Cousins still has to fight off the demons of previous underwhelming prime-time performances. The Green Bay Packers offense operates at the slowest pace in the NFL, and they are 7-3 to the under in games that close over 46 this season. Let's take the under and run.
Stats provided by teamrankings.com, espn.com, Football Outsiders, and Ben Baldwin (based off 90/10 WP).
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Jameis Winston officially suspended three games for personal-conduct violation
Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB cuts deal, apologizes to Uber driver, said he has stopped drinking
By ERIC EDHOLMFollow
Jameis Winston (USA Today Sports)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston issued a statement acknowledging that he has been suspended for the first three games of the 2018 NFL season, apologizing to the Uber driver whom he was accused of groping in a March 2016 incident.
Winston, who accepted the punishment from the NFL and will not appeal, also indicated that he has stopped drinking alcohol.
"The NFL informed me today that I will be suspended for the first three games of the season," the statement reads. "First and foremost, I would like to say I'm sorry to the Uber driver for the position I put you in. It is uncharacteristic of me and I genuinely apologize. In the past 2 1/2 years my life has been filled with experiences, opportunities and events that have helped me grow, mature and learn, including the fact that I have eliminated alcohol from my life."
Winston was punished for violating the league's personal conduct policy after not properly reporting the incident to the NFL. He was accused of groping a female Uber driver in Scottsdale, Arizona, in March 2016. Although no police report was filed, Uber had documented the woman's claims and suspended Winston as a customer.
The league also issued a statement Thursday, saying that the woman's claims were found to be "consistent and credible," finding that Winston "[touched] the driver in an inappropriate and sexual manner without her consent."
Additionally, under the terms of the punishment, Winston must "obtain a clinical evaluation and fully cooperate in any recommended program of therapeutic intervention" from the league. Failure to do so will result in further discipline. Winston also will be subject to harsher punishments if any additional incidents deemed to be conduct violations occur, including a potential ban from the NFL.
But why three games and not six? Back in 2014, the league revised and strengthened its policy as it relates to domestic violence or sexual assault. The wording in that statement appeared to make it clear that this suspension should have been longer. It reads: "A baseline suspension of six games without pay for violations involving assault, battery, domestic violence, dating violence, child abuse, other forms of family violence, or sexual assault, with consideration given to possible mitigating or aggravating circumstances."
It appears the league cut a deal with Winston in exchange for him not appealing the case, avoiding a situation drummed up with the court drama the NFL faced with Ezekiel Elliott last year. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero also reported that Winston's apology was part of the negotiated settlement on his reduced suspension, although Winston did not admit guilt to the conduct the NFL says violated the policy.
The Buccaneers, who soon must decide if they can trust Winston to be the continued face of the franchise, are not happy with how their star quarterback handled himself on a number of front regarding this incident.
"All members of our organization are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the Personal Conduct Policy of the NFL," a Buccaneers team statement reads. "We are disappointed that Jameis put himself in a position that has been found to violate the policy & accept today's decision by the Commissioner."
The NFL began its investigation in November 2017, and Winston issued a statement around that time indicating that the "accusation [was] false" and claiming that he "did not make any inappropriate contact."
Winston's statement issued Thursday carried a different tone.
"I know I have to hold myself to a higher standard on and off the field and that I have a responsibility to my family, community, and teammates to live above the platform with which God has blessed me. I apologize to my teammates, the Buccaneers organization and fans for letting them down and for not being able to be out there for the first three games of the season. Although I am disappointed in the NFL's decision, I understand the NFL's process, and I embrace this as an opportunity to take advantage of the resources available to help me achieve the goals that I have for myself.
"I now look forward to putting this behind me and I will continue to work hard every day to be a positive influence in my community and be the best person, teammate and leader I can be."
Winston will miss his team's games against the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers, and he will be eligible to make his regular-season debut on Sept. 30 at Chicago. Backup Ryan Fitzpatrick likely will take Winston's place as the starter for the first three games, but he can practice and play in preseason games up until that point.
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Jill P. Carter looks to carry out father's mission in Baltimore civil rights role
By Luke Broadwater
May 20, 2017 | 11:26 PM
Former state Del. Jill P. Carter has taken over Baltimore's Office of Civil Rights at a pivotal moment. With city police now under a federal consent decree mandating reform and amid widespread attention on Baltimore's long-festering problems, she sees an opportunity to finally bring about the change her father fought so hard for.
In 1968, in the wake of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the riots that tore Baltimore apart, Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro III nominated the relentless civil rights activist Walter P. Carter to lead an anti-poverty agency and bring about "liberal and aggressive" change.
The backlash from the city's old guard was swift: The City Council rejected Carter's nomination. One council member said Carter was "too militant." Another called him "too radical." A third called on the mayor to nominate more of "our people" to city jobs. In case there was any confusion, he made himself clear: "I mean white people."
Half a century later, Walter P. Carter's daughter now has an opportunity to pursue the civil rights work inside city government that the establishment once prevented her father from doing.
Jill P. Carter has taken over Baltimore's Office of Civil Rights and Wage Enforcement at a pivotal moment in city history. The death of Freddie Gray, the riots that followed and the Justice Department investigation of the Police Department have brought new scrutiny to Baltimore's long-festering problems. City police are now working under a court-enforced consent decree mandating reform.
Carter, a 52-year-old attorney, sees an opportunity to finally bring about the change her father envisioned. The Democrat resigned her seat in the House of Delegates to join the administration of Mayor Catherine Pugh.
"Baltimore, when it comes to issues of racial and economic justice, has not advanced very far since the time of my father," she said. "But with the right vision and resources we can become the model for the whole country."
In her new role, Carter now oversees the Civilian Review Board, which investigates complaints against police; the Community Relations Commission, which investigates discrimination claims throughout the city; and the Wage Commission, which enforces rules on minimum, living and prevailing wages.
These agencies have been weak and underutilized for years, Carter says. Now, she says, it's time they wake up and flex some muscle.
"This office has the ability to mete out justice everywhere in Baltimore City," Carter said. "It's so unfair for people to have a ceiling on their life before they even get started. That happens far too often in Baltimore between drugs, lead poisoning, sub-standard housing and dilapidated schools.
"I believe the current administration is committed to changing the conditions that have plagued too many people in Baltimore for far too long."
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'Goal's got to be liberation'
Jill Carter was 7 years old when her father died of a heart attack in 1971 while speaking at a meeting of Baltimore's Black United Front. Walter Carter was 48.
The North Carolina native came to Baltimore after earning a master's degree in social work at Howard University. While leading the Baltimore branch of CORE, the Congress for Racial Equality, Carter took part in sit-ins, freedom rides and other protests throughout Maryland. He was arrested at least six times between 1961 and 1963.
He pushed for desegregation in Ocean City, Westminster and at the Gwynn Oak Amusement Park. In his own words, he attacked segregation "militantly, forcefully and unrelentingly."
"You got to be militant but you got to be smart," he told The Baltimore Sun in 1968. "You got to operate on soul feeling. Your goal's got to be liberation, not integration."
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Carter led protests against the Baltimore real estate tycoon Morris Goldseker, whom Carter and other activists accused of blockbusting — a practice through which developers stoked racial fears to increase profits. The day before his death, Carter won a court decision against Goldseker, who had sought to block activists from picketing outside his office.
He was known for not pulling punches. He once criticized Mayor Theodore McKeldin as a "tom," and D'Alesandro — who became a Carter supporter — as a candidate who "bought himself an office."
After the City Council voted down his nomination to head the Community Action Agency, Carter described the council as being controlled by racists.
The councilmen "want me to say they are good white folks and that I am the slave and they are the masters, but those days are gone forever," he said. "They stand for absolutely everything I deplore."
Lenwood M. Ivey remembers Carter as relatively subdued. Ivey, president of the Baltimore City Foundation, bonded with Carter over their upbringings in the South.
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He said Carter was more strategic than other civil rights leaders of the time.
"Walter was fairly quiet, soft-spoken," Ivey said. "Most of the leaders of the movement at the time were ministers. They tended to preach and yell and fire people up. Walter was more disciplined. When he spoke, he didn't speak a lot of rhetoric. He was very specific. He would talk about what we were going to do and how we were going to do it."
Ivey says he sees Walter Carter's influence on Jill Carter when he reads her quotes in the newspaper.
Jill Carter, a state delegate for 14 years, led a legislative effort opposing the construction of a new youth jail in Baltimore and sponsored "Christopher's Law," which requires police to undergo more training on use and level of force, cultural diversity and lifesaving skills. The law is named for Christopher Brown, a 17-year-old student at Randallstown High School who was killed in an encounter with an off-duty Baltimore County police officer in 2012.
Carter was a vocal opponent of the mass arrests under the mayoral administration of Martin O'Malley, and sponsored "Phylicia's Law," which requires state officials to publish lists of missing children and oversee local search efforts. It was named for Phylicia Barnes, the North Carolina teen who disappeared while visiting Baltimore in 2010 and was later found dead.
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Still, Carter says, she felt marginalized in Annapolis. Outside of the Legislative Black Caucus, she said, she was blocked from holding leadership positions and saw many of her proposals ignored.
"I thought I was going to have a chance to fight for real issues and make real change," Carter said. "I was excited about it because it was a continuation of my dad's struggle and our people's struggle for justice, fairness and equality. But I was very surprised about how much resistance there was in the Maryland General Assembly on so many issues."
Carter said her proposals to keep lead out of pipes in the city's public schools, increase civilian oversight of police, expunge arrest records and increase school funding for Baltimore all met resistance.
Del. Curt Anderson, chairman of Baltimore's House delegation, said he agrees that Carter's ideas were frequently marginalized in Annapolis.
"It probably still stings a little bit," he said, "but now she has a tremendous opportunity to do something on her own. She's leadership now."
The Office of Civil Rights was created in 2010 by then-Mayor Sheila Dixon. Carter is its third director, after Alvin O. Gillard and Kisha A. Brown.
Anderson said some of the commissions that report to the office have sat vacant or underutilized for too long.
"Jill Carter is someone who can infuse energy in these commissions," Anderson said. "I'm looking for these boards to be more than paper tigers."
Ivey said he thinks Carter can have a larger impact in her new role than she could as one of 141 members of the House of Delegates.
"In the General Assembly, you're one of many," he said. "But I think she has the same revolutionary attitude that her father had, and she has the same basic interests in helping people who are less fortunate.
"She brings to it the knowledge of what can be done to expand civil rights in ways that really affect people's lives."
Carter drew criticism from law enforcement in February for expressing empathy for an armed 18-year-old in West Baltimore who was shot and killed by police.
"I always think of how stupid & foolish I was at 18, 19, 20 ... 30," Carter wrote on Facebook. "Whatever that child did or didn't do, I'm fairly certain he was scared & 18 year old foolish & immature. Even if use of force protocol was followed, that doesn't mean this child's death was unavoidable. Another child is dead."
Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler posted a response blaming that thinking for the surging crime rate in Baltimore.
"After reading the comments of this city official and former legislator, I believe this is exactly why the bloodshed in Baltimore has grown, and why I am clueless on how the Baltimore Police Department can attract anyone willing to go out and actually do police work," Gahler wrote. "It is apparent that there is more concern for the 18 year old armed criminal offender than for the police officer who was put in a position that forced him to take another person's life."
Carter said she sees the humanity of everyone involved in the shooting — the 18-year-old and the officer.
"How do you hear or read about an 18-year-old dying and not have empathy?" she asked. "I'm just a person who believes through the grace of God and good parenting I avoided a lot of problems as a young person. I stayed away from a lot of bad acts because I had fear of disappointing my parents or my father's legacy. I have a lot of empathy and sympathy for young people who too often lack the kind of guidance and structure that I had."
The support of Mayor Pugh
Pugh and Carter have struck some political observers as unlikely allies. Pugh received much backing for her mayoral run from the business and political establishment. Carter has positioned herself as an activist and outsider.
But Carter says Pugh has often used her establishment connections to accomplish goals the two share. She was the first elected official from Baltimore to endorse Pugh for mayor and campaigned with her frequently.
"She lent a certain hope to the issues no one usually cared about, like prisoners' rights," Carter said. "While many people characterized Senator Pugh as a favorite of the establishment, I felt that she did the right thing and utilized that favor to do some challenging things others wouldn't do."
Pugh says she selected Carter for the job because she "has the pulse of the community, especially with young people and on justice issues."
The job pays an annual salary of $100,000.
Carter faces some major challenges right away.
From the time the Civilian Review Board was organized in 1999 until this year, not one police commissioner has ever heeded a board recommendation to impose tougher discipline on an officer, The Baltimore Sun has reported. The board can only recommend sanctions and hope that the commissioner agrees.
"I want to change the Civilian Review Board to a civilian oversight board," Carter said. "That's not radical. What's radical is for civilians to have no say in the policing of their communities."
The consent decree the city negotiated with the Department of Justice could help. The agreement calls for changes to the Civilian Review Board, which Carter hopes will increase the panel's power.
Ray Kelly, director of the West Baltimore-based No Boundaries Coalition, says his organization has long believed the Civilian Review Board was a "toothless tiger."
But Kelly said he sees hope in Carter's approach. And he believes the consent decree could lead to more powerful civilian oversight in Baltimore.
"I'm optimistic. Jill Carter is the right person to be in that seat," he said. "The Civilian Review Board should have some kind of disciplinary prowess. Right now, there is no fear of consequence. There has to be some kind of fear of repercussions."
Rodney Hill, chief of internal affairs for the Baltimore Police Department, said Carter is already starting to make a difference.
Hill said Carter has influenced the internal affairs division to change two of its findings.
In one case, an officer was accused of using abusive and sexually explicit language with residents. The other case involved allegations of excessive force, false arrest and abusive language.
In each case, the division found that the complaints were not supported. The board said that they were.
"She was able to make her pitch and, at the end of the day, I agreed with her," Hill said.
"With Jill, she's not mean-spirited about it. She's a critic, but I can handle criticism if it makes you better."
Hill said internal affairs investigators have been reluctant in the past to honor Civilian Review Board opinions because the board didn't include facts or reasoning with its recommendations.
"Their stuff was based on what they saw on television," he said. "In order for people to have respect for civilian review, they have to have the training. She's really big on making sure the members receive a lot of training."
Carter said the Community Relations Commission also can do much more.
The agency investigates individual cases of discrimination, much like a local branch of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and tries to settle complaints. But Carter thinks it's ready take a broader stand against institutionalized oppression — in housing, employment and government.
"I think we can take broader view in terms of conducting investigations," she said. "I want to move us toward us confronting systemic discrimination beyond an individual complainant."
Carter has limited funds to work with. The Office of Civil Rights is scheduled to receive a small cut in funding this year.
John B. Ferron Sr., past director of the Baltimore Community Relations Commission, says Carter is taking over an organization that past mayors have allowed to languish.
"That agency was watered down so much it was emasculated," he said. "Jill is the ideal appointee for director. I'm glad it appears there's going to be an independent, competent body that will be dealing with police misconduct."
Carter said her office is at a "critical stage."
"We're either going to take everything we know from the DOJ report and go in the direction of authentic civilian oversight," she said, "or we're going to continue in a way that doesn't bring the necessary changes.
"This is our time. I hope we don't miss our time."
lbroadwater@baltsun.com
twitter.com/lukebroadwater
Jill P. Carter
Position: Director, Baltimore Office of Civil Rights & Wage Enforcement, 2016-present.
Experience: House of Delegates, 2003-2016; assistant public defender, lawyer in private practice.
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Education: B.A., Loyola College; J.D., University of Baltimore.
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Essential and Continuing Operations / COVID19: In the interest of the health and safety of our staff and the community, our offices will remain closed to the public, and most of the agency's prosecutors and staff will work remotely, until further notice. The HCDAO continues to perform key functions in the county criminal justice system and will do so during the Covid-19 pandemic. Click Here for More Information
The Harris County District Attorney's Office HOPE (Helping Our Pets through Education) program was created to educate 5th grade students on responsible pet ownership and animal welfare issues. The program involves a one hour presentation, to include education on proper pet care, age-appropriate information on animal cruelty laws, and what to do if the student encounters animal cruelty. The program's mascot "Hope" will also be present during the presentation, allowing students to interact with a real victim of animal cruelty and to hear her story firsthand. The Office designed the program after seeing a lack of education, a lack of compassion, and the cyclical nature of abuse in many of the Office's adult cases, and after seeing more and more reports of young people committing animal cruelty. The program is being led by Jessica Milligan, Assistant District Attorney and the Animal Cruelty Section Chief in our office. "We believe that children learn abusive behaviors from their surrounding environments and that if they observe it, they will continue the cycle themselves, if they don't learn that it's wrong," said Milligan. "We also believe that individuals who abuse or neglect animals are more likely to carry on that abuse towards people later in life. Through this program, we hope to break this cycle of abuse by planting seeds of compassion and empathy towards animals at an early age."
Meet Hope: "Hope" is the mascot for the HOPE program. She is a black Border Collie mix found along the Trinity River at an animal cruelty scene in 2007. A witness saw someone shoot her several times and hit another dog in the head with a machete before getting in a truck and driving away. Hope suffered several gunshot wounds to her leg, chest and face. The witness took Hope and the other dog to an emergency clinic. Soon after, Hope was adopted by the Milligan family. She had to go through several surgeries which included having one leg amputated and several teeth removed from one side of her mouth because of the animal abuse she endured. Today, Hope is a happy, 3-legged dog with different-colored eyes and a burn scar on the side of her body that is shaped like an iron. The remnants of her injuries serve both as a reminder of how far Hope has come, and also help make Hope a symbol of an animal-cruelty survivor.
If you would like to have the HOPE Program in your school, please fill out the request form. Someone from our office will be contacting you soon to schedule a presentation date.
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Speaker, Author, Well-Being Expert
TRAVELS FROM: Connecticut
Cheryl L. Jones has dedicated her entire career to helping others live a healthier lifestyle. She was a personal trainer to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and is a recognized expert in health and wellness. Today, Cheryl is a published author and sought-after leader of mindfulness programs that are transforming lives. As the director of mindfulness at Aetna, Cheryl has been at the forefront of the mindfulness revolution in the workplace and in healthcare. Her mindfulness work with women—through workshops, retreats and coaching sessions—empowers them to build resilience, live more fully and thrive in all areas of life.
Cheryl L. Jones has dedicated her entire career to helping others live a healthier lifestyle. She was a personal trainer to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and is a recognized expert in health and wellness. Today, Cheryl is a published author and sought-after leader of mindfulness programs that are transforming lives.
As the director of mindfulness at Aetna, Cheryl has been at the forefront of the mindfulness revolution in the workplace and in healthcare. Her mindfulness work with women—through workshops, retreats and coaching sessions—empowers them to build resilience, live more fully and thrive in all areas of life.
She holds a master's degree in exercise science from the University of Connecticut and a Certificate in Spirituality from the University of Saint Joseph. Cheryl completed three in-person professional trainings in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) through the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Center for Mindfulness. This program, developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, is considered the gold standard of research-based mindfulness meditation training.
Create a Resilient Workplace Culture of Well-Being
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RD.COM Tech Personal Tech Smartphone
iPhone Virus Warning: Scam or Real?
Meghan JonesUpdated: Dec. 23, 2020
Emma Kumer/rd.com, Getty Images
Here's why you might not want to trust the next virus warning pop-up that appears on your phone.
If your iPhone gets a virus, you'll certainly want to know as soon as possible. But in a world of scams, pop-ups, and technological fear-mongering, unfortunately, it can be tough to tell if an iPhone virus check is legit—or could end up causing further problems. Luckily, we spoke to a couple of experts about why you're getting iPhone virus warnings on your phone—and how to tell when they're fake. Plus, find out how to remove spyware from an iPhone.
Why did I get an iPhone virus warning?
Right off the bat, you should know that if you get a "warning" about a virus, it is almost definitely fake. According to Adam Radicic, managing director of Casaba Security, "if an iPhone detects something nefarious, it simply blocks the action and informs the user." Meanwhile, "nefarious 'warnings' require user action to 'fix' the issue, where legitimate 'warnings' will not require user action." So if you get a warning that requires you to click or take a specific action—don't, even if it looks convincing. "The notifications emulate the look of native OS alerts in order to increase the chances of successfully enticing a click," says John Lloyd, CTO of Casaba Security. They grab your attention by making you think something's wrong, but in fact, they're going to cause something to go wrong.
Is the virus warning on my iPhone real?
"No," Lloyd sums up. "Most of the time these 'warnings' link to sites which are part of a phishing campaign. A malicious party crafted a pop-up to scare the user into clicking and potentially disclosing data."
And not only will a legitimate iPhone virus check not require you to do anything, but iPhones, as a rule, are pretty well protected from getting viruses at all. Lloyd adds that "an iOS device that isn't jailbroken is almost never infected with malware. There is a higher chance of the warning trying to do something malicious than a normal user already being infected with malware." Learn more about why malware on iPhone is so rare and why iPhones are so good at protecting against malware.
What exactly is the scam?
Scams come in all shapes and sizes. "There are thousands of permutations/varieties of ways scammers try to 'hook' a target," Radicic says. "Whether it is a web link sent via WhatsApp, or iMessage, or SMS, or email, or a pop-up from another website visited, it is simply impossible to describe all of the various things a person may see." Their goal is to get you to click and visit a malicious site, but they might do that in one of scores of different ways. Bottom line? "Any unsolicited phone call or any odd email or message or pop-up asking for you to 'take action to fix something' is not something you should trust blindly." Check out the signs you're about to fall for a phishing email.
What will happen if you click on the iPhone virus warning?
Well, the good news is, it probably won't instantly result in a case of malware on iPhone. "iOS is configured in a manner where it is improbable (but possible) that a user's actions could result in a root-level compromise," Radicic says. What it will do is take you to a page that'll try to get you to pay to have the "issue" fixed. Don't click on anything else, and certainly don't download anything. That could lead to your devices being infected with malware. "Malicious files can be downloaded but they would need to be moved to a different device to be executed," Lloyd clarifies. "The originator probably counts on the file being synced to the user's PC and then opened."
How do I get rid of the virus warning on my iPhone?
Basically, you'll just want to shut it down without engaging the warning or clicking on it in any way. Lloyd and Radicic offered the same suggestion: Just force-close the page. And Radicic adds, "If in doubt, don't click on anything and use another device to research the topic on the Internet."
How do I prevent scams and fake pop-ups from getting added to my iPhone?
"Adopt a mindset of healthy paranoia as it pertains to your online activities," Radicic suggests. Scammers will try all sorts of things to ensnare you and get ahold of your money and/or information, and it's better safe than sorry. "Just like telemarketers have creatively found ways since the 1980s to reach into your home to try and convince you to give them your hard-earned money, the Internet gives people…another avenue to gain access to your life," he warns.
So, as Lloyd rattles off: "Stop browsing to questionable sites. Use an ad blocker. Reputable sites do not sell intrusive ads. Browse cautiously. Avoid clickbait." Got all that? And here's a more in-depth run-down of how to avoid online scams.
Does Apple have a virus scan?
That's an easy one: No, Apple does not have an iPhone virus scan. "Virus scanning requires access to system files which iOS does not allow users or apps to interact with," Lloyd says. "The app store is the only approved method of obtaining new applications. Apple conducts reviews of all applications before they are allowed to be placed on the app store. Apps which do not conform to Apple's security or content standards are rejected." Next, find out our take on which phone is more secure: iPhone or Android.
Adam Radicic, managing director of Casaba Security
John Lloyd, CTO of Casaba Security
rd.com, Getty Images (2)
Top Smartphone Security Threats (2020)
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How to Hide Apps on an iPhone
How to Stop iPhone Calendar Spam
Meghan Jones
Meghan Jones is a Staff Writer for RD.com who has been writing since before she could write. She graduated from Marist College with a Bachelor of Arts in English and has been writing for Reader's Digest since 2017. In spring 2017, her creative nonfiction piece "Anticipation" was published in Angles literary magazine. She is a proud Hufflepuff and member of Team Cap.
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NewsStartups
ONLINE HEALTH COMPANY LIMITED launches her health-tech solution(OHEALTH)
Online Health Company limited is a tech-driven startup in Ibadan, Nigeria that focuses on innovative solutions towards improving the health and well-being of their clients and citizen of Nigeria.
The health solution launched few months ago has given them a famous nickname OHEALTH which is the name of their tech-based health solution with the vision is to provide easy access to health care thus making people live a fuller and healthier life.
Ohealth is a telemedicine application with a global reach, designed to work on mobile devices for medical consultation and health care service.
Ohealth app has arrays of specialist (pediatrician, ophthalmologist, dentist, obstetrics and gynecology, neurologist, dermatologist etc.).
The specialist are available for consultation on voice call (#100/min) video call (#300/min) or chat(#40/min).
Online Health Company limited is changing the face of health care delivery in Nigeria, this will in turn eradicate self-medication among citizen which is the order of the day, and also reduce them falling in the hands of quack doctors.
To get O-health application, click here to download and reach out to the best specialist in the world.
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Odeajo Israel
Odeajo Israel is a Software Engineer & Data Scientist. He is passionate about growing the technical communities
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Kamchatka: The hottest wonders of Russia
Ice and fire, glaciers and volcanoes, merging in a territory the size of California. A beauty yet to be explored, with countless occasions to take astonishing pictures of an ever-changing landscape. The Kamchatka Peninsula was discovered by audacious Cossacks from Mother Russia three centuries ago, but has remained a mysterious and unknowable place for most of this time.
Enough words. Let's check out the images, all courtesy of Eugene Kaspersky, the same guy providing my current antivirus, who turned out to also be a talented photographer and travel storyteller. You can read all his adventures through the far far east in his blog, Nota Bene.
The pulse of the Earth. More than 160 volcanoes, 29 of them still active.
Ring of Fire. Kamchatka is an essential part of the arc around the Pacific ocean where every year a high number of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes take place.
The valley of the giants. The Klyuchevsky group of volcanoes, in the north of the peninsula, includes the tallest active volcano in Eurasia (4,750 m or 15,584 ft).
Another world. The look of these black volcanic deserts of Tolbachik seems to come from of the camera of the latest NASA rover on Mars. Apparently, the Soviet Union used to test its lunar remote control artifacts here.
A closed region. Due to its strategical position during the Cold War, up until 1990 foreigners were not allowed to step onto Kamchatka, and Russians only with special permission.
Dead forest. This sparsely populated land and its isolation contributed to the preservation of an exuberant wildlife. It has only been threatened by natural disasters, like an eruption in 1976, which killed all the living creatures around the Tolbachik Volcano instantly.
A constantly changing world. Compare the satellite image on the left from 2009, with the one to the right from September 2011. They show the extent of the changes in Kizimen volcano, after the eruptions in late 2010, which created a new lake. Images by NASA Visible Earth
Newborn. Aerial shot of the brand new lake and the one that already existed.
Wuthering Heights. The Kizimen volcano itself.
Bubbling pots. The Uzon caldera is a kaleidoscopic geothermal field of pools and hot water streams.
The Valley of Geysers. It hosts the second largest concentration of them in the world, after Yellowstone National Park.
Hot showers. One of the geysers has been measured as able to expel a waterjet of up to 40 meters.
Volcanic ephemeral beauty. A landslide in 2007 buried part of the valley, although it seems that the damage was less than expected and many of the highlights of the park have survived.
Lost Highway. If you are one of the lucky ones to explore Kamchatka Peninsula, it's likely that you will land near the capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. No roads connect this land to the rest of the continent.
Into the Wild. The Three brothers are welcome the boats arriving to this port city via the Avachinsky bay.
Backpacker unfriendly zone. Expensive helicopter rides are sometimes the only way to get to many landmarks at the peninsula in a reasonable lapse of time. Backpacking Kamchatka is an unwise (but very tempting) option.
Heavy trekking. Without a helicopter Mi-8 some areas are only reachable after several days on foot, generally all the excursions require you to be prepared for long walks.
Heaven's Gate. The Mutnovsky volcano is an amazing and monumental thermal field, where you go to experience all these rare phenomena like geysers, hot springs and incredible pools.
Masterful mise en scène. A river runs down from the crater of Mutnovsky, setting a waterfall 80 meters high, followed by a scenic deep canyon.
Multiple crater cones and lakes. Going further to the south, the Ksudach Volcano complex is another must.
World Heritage. The UNESCO included the Volcanoes of Kamchatka in its exclusive list in 1996.
Colorful Mountains of Russia. An upcoming article?
Encounters at the end of the world. Kamchatka is a land of bears, huge and wild ones. It's not hard to spot them fishing around the rivers of Kuril Lake, near the southern tip.
Giant vertical boats. Kutkhiny Baty is an unique and weird valley made of light and whitish pumice stone.
Spread out the world. Only 322,000 souls living in the region, half of them in Petropavlovsk, giving you plenty of room to meet the hottest Russian marvels on your own.
Happy ending. Why not finish the trip relaxing in the natural thermal springs of Khodutka?
Far away. Unfortunately.
View Kamchatka in a larger map


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Viral Posts Distort WHO Guidance on COVID-19 Tests
FAN Moderator 12 months ago
Dubious websites and viral posts falsely claim that the World Health Organization changed COVID-19 testing protocols for political reasons following Joe Biden's inauguration and admitted that false-positive cases had been inflating the case count. The WHO's guidance merely reminded labs to follow instructions provided by each test's manufacturer.
A recent memo from the World Health Organization designed for lab professionals became a major focus of misinformation — with unreliable websites and social media users claiming the agency had changed a testing protocol and admitted that COVID-19 cases have been wildly inflated.
But neither of those claims is accurate.
Instead, the Jan. 20 memo directed labs facilitating polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests to carefully follow manufacturer instructions for testing to prevent false positive and negative results.
The distortions online also tied the purported change to U.S. politics.
"An Hour After Joe Biden Is Sworn In, WHO Admits Their Testing Grossly Overstates Individuals Testing Positive for COVID," read a headline from the Gateway Pundit, a website known for spreading misinformation. The story questioned the motives of public health agencies, asking, "how can these entities ever be trusted again?"
The story was shared more than 8,000 times on Facebook, according to CrowdTangle analytics data.
Another website, Zero Hedge, which also has previously spread falsehoods, similarly told readers: "Right On Cue For Biden, WHO Admits High-Cycle PCR Tests Produce COVID False Positives." That story was shared on Facebook nearly 7,000 times.
Many posts also cited a viral tweet from David Samadi, a urologist and contributor to the conservative news channel Newsmax, whose work in a New York hospital was the subject of a federal investigation into fraudulent Medicare claims. That hospital reached a $12.3 million settlement in late 2019.
In his tweet, which has since been deleted, Samadi said the guidance instructed labs "to reduce the cycle count in PCR tests to get a more accurate representation of COVID cases," because "the current cycle was much too high and resulting in any particle being declared a positive case." One Facebook post sharing Samadi's tweet claimed that the guidance proved "they've been lying to you about case counts and mortality rate THE WHOLE TIME."
As we said, the WHO guidance implied no such admission. And the memo was an updated version of one issued a month earlier, on Dec. 14, so the idea that it was timed for Biden's inauguration is wrong.
As we've explained before, PCR tests work by scanning the RNA in a sample, such as a nose swab, and searching for the virus RNA. (See our SciCheck article "The Facts on Coronavirus Testing.")
The PCR test analyzes samples by amplifying a segment of the virus's genetic material in a series of cycles. A sample with a higher viral load, meaning more virus is present in the sample, will require fewer cycles to detect the novel coronavirus. Lower viral loads will be detected at higher cycles.
There is no universal threshold setting or endpoint — "although 40-45 cycles is often used as the endpoint" of a PCR run — Ian MacKay, a virologist in Australia, told us in an email.
The WHO's Jan. 20 guidance said it was requesting that those conducting tests be sure to read manufacturer instructions "carefully to determine if manual adjustment of the PCR positivity threshold is recommended."
In a statement to FactCheck.org, the WHO said it had received 10 reports since early 2020 about some PCR tests providing both false positive and false negative results and that "[a]fter thorough investigation, WHO confirmed that the tests were not always being used appropriately and in accordance with the instructions provided by the manufacturer."
"In particular, users in laboratories encountered problems with these tests when they did not apply the recommended positivity threshold — this can result in either false negative results (if the threshold applied is lower) or false positives (if threshold is higher)," the WHO said.
MacKay said that problem "is not a test issue; it's a human training and experience issue."
"I suspect this is more a problem for certain countries or jurisdictions where rapid roll-out of new testing labs has occurred; labs that are new to public health testing," MacKay said. "This would typically involve places that have failed to adequately invest in a good public health laboratory network, to begin with. I don't think anything shows changing threshold values or less experienced laboratories have driven significant inflation of COVID-19 case counts though."
Kelly Wroblewski, director of infectious diseases at the Association of Public Health Laboratories, said in a phone interview that the WHO guidance was a simple reminder that if lab professionals deviate from the recommended manufacturer thresholds they're "going to over- or under-call the positives or negatives." She said the issue was not a significant concern in the U.S.
In a blog post batting down the misconceptions about the WHO's guidance, MacKay wrote that "this lab-focused advice has been taken by those with malicious intent, or with too little understanding of the topic, and blown it up into something else entirely wrong."
He further emphasized to us that "PCR results are not a diagnosis by themselves" — they're part of the COVID-19 diagnosis. WHO advises they be considered in context of other factors, including symptoms and potential exposure to COVID-19.
Understanding Cycle Threshold Values
PCR tests are considered a gold standard for diagnostics among scientists, and while false negative and positive results are possible with any test, false positives from PCR tests are not thought to be a major or systemic issue — even positive results at high-cycle threshold values — experts say.
For example, MacKay has observed that, looking at COVID-19 data on tests in the United Kingdom, even reducing the "cycle number by 10 (from, for example, 45 to 35), for the sake of appeasement, the majority of positives would still be uncontroversially positive."
Matthew Binnicker, a professor of laboratory medicine and pathology at the Mayo Clinic, said the true debate over results at high-cycle threshold values isn't whether they are "false positives."
"PCR tests are very specific, and these are not false-positives," he told us in an email. "The test is doing what it was designed to do — detect the viral RNA in samples."
Instead, he said, the tension among scientists concerns whether the values can be used "to determine whether someone is, or is not, 'infectious'" to others. In other words, the question isn't whether someone contracted the coronavirus, but rather, whether that person is likely to still be contagious and should be told to isolate and have their contacts traced.
"Some would argue that we should be ignoring low-positive PCR results (i.e., those with a high PCR cycle threshold value), as these results may mean that someone is no longer infectious," Binnicker said.
But, he said, such a result could also mean that a person only very recently became infected and has yet to hit peak infectiousness.
And, he cautioned, the quality and type of sample can also affect how many cycles are needed to detect the virus, so it's not always the case that a high-cycle result means a person is harboring remnants or only small amounts of the virus.
Michael Mina, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Harvard University, likewise said getting positive test results at high-cycle threshold values "doesn't mean they're false positive, they're still actually detecting the SARS-CoV-2 RNA."
Mina said during a call with reporters that the WHO's memo served as a reminder that "you have to be discerning about how to evaluate" cycle threshold values. "And if you're going to start using the actual values from the PCR as part of your decision-making, [it's important] to really know what it is you're doing."
For example, if someone is asymptomatic and happened to get a PCR test through testing as part of surveillance in a community, it may be a low viral load detected at a high-cycle threshold value — which could mean "you already were infectious and you maybe don't need to be isolated," he said.
"But it's very hard to know that. You need to do repeated testing, you need to take that person and test them again," he added. "Or, test them with an antigen test. That would be the other way to approach it." (Antigen tests are a different type of test that can be used to quickly identify an active coronavirus infection.)
Binnicker also noted that, since patients who test positive for COVID-19 can sometimes continue to test positive long after recovering, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn't recommend PCR tests be used to determine when someone is no longer infectious. Instead, the agency advises relying on time and symptoms to break from quarantine or isolation.
Jessica McDonald contributed to this article.
Editor's note: FactCheck.org does not accept advertising. We rely on grants and individual donations from people like you. Please consider a donation. Credit card donations may be made through our "Donate" page. If you prefer to give by check, send to: FactCheck.org, Annenberg Public Policy Center, 202 S. 36th St., Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Binnicker, Matthew. Professor of laboratory medicine and pathology, Mayo Clinic. Email to FactCheck.org. 22 Jan 2021.
"Coronavirus Disease 2019 Testing Basics." U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Accessed 29 Jan 2021.
"Duration of Isolation and Precautions for Adults with COVID-19." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated 19 Oct 2020.
"Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces $12.3 Million Settlement With Lenox Hill Hospital For Submitting Fraudulent Medicare Claims For Urology Procedures And Hospital Services." Press release, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. 8 Nov 2019.
McDonald, Jessica. "The Facts on Coronavirus Testing." FactCheck.org. 10 Mar 2020.
MacKay, Ian. Adjunct associate professor, University of Queensland. Email to FactCheck.org. 25 Jan 2021.
MacKay, Ian. "The 'false-positive PCR' problem is not a problem." Virology Down Under. 22 Nov 2020.
MacKay, Ian. "WHO to new PCR users: read the damned manual!" Virology Down Under. 23 Jan 2021.
Mina, Michael. Assistant professor of epidemiology, Harvard University. Phone conference. 22 Jan 2021.
"Using Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) in COVID-19 Testing." DNA Learning Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Accessed 28 Jan 2021.
"WHO Information Notice for IVD Users 2020/05." World Health Organization. 20 Jan 2021.
"WHO Information Notice for IVD Users." World Health Organization. Archived 14 Dec 2020.
Wroblewski, Kelly. Director of infectious diseases, Association of Public Health Laboratories. Phone interview with FactCheck.org. 28 Jan 2021.
The post Viral Posts Distort WHO Guidance on COVID-19 Tests appeared first on FactCheck.org.
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Former FBI lawyer gets probation for role in Carter Page surveillance
Fri Jan 29 , 2021
Kevin Clinesmith pleaded guilty last year to making a false statement. January 29, 2021, 8:01 PM • 5 min read Share to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this article Kevin Clinesmith, a former FBI lawyer, has been sentenced to 12 months probation after altering an email used to justify surveillance of Carter […]
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Deputy PM for investments gains greater powers
Deputy Prime Minister for Investments Peter Pellegrini (Smer) will coordinate EU funds and informatisation, but opposition MP Miroslav Beblavý is critical, pointing out an increase in bureaucracy.
Peter Pellegrini (Source: SITA)
Pellegrini gained greater powers at the extraordinary government's session on April 25. His role will now include the management, coordination and surveillance over the drawing of EU funds. Moreover, he will be the head of a new office covering Brussels's Informatisation of Society programme, the TASR newswire reported.
The new office will only amount to centralisation of the existing department and employees, Pellegrini said.
"It means that existing departments and employees will be concentrated under one roof and managed by a new office," he added, as quoted by TASR. "Establishment of the office won't represent any extreme burdens on the state budget."
The Investments and Informatisation Office will be the central authority for supervision, management, coordination and drawing of EU funds.
"It will be the central organ for investments, but only in areas that the cabinet designates," Pellegrini continued. "This office will be also commissioned with drafting an infrastructure document of Slovakia. It means to define all infrastructure projects that need to be completed in all areas over the next few decades, while also to determine how much money is needed."
Independent MP Miroslav Beblavý, who left Sieť shortly after elections, is rather critical of the step, saying that the government will establish a new "ministry".
"The government will approve the biggest increase in political bureaucracy since 1995 when the Construction Ministry was founded by the [Vladimír] Mečiar cabinet," Beblavý wrote on his Facebook profile.
According to him, Pellegrini's new office will have the powers and also the features of a ministry, including writing laws. The MP also pointed to the fact that while recently Pellegrini has been talking about closing schools and dismissing teachers, he now wants a completely new office for himself.
Though the Slovensko.Digital platform is not happy with increasing the number of state employees, it is necessary to centralise the informatisation. The reason for such a step may be that the government realised it cannot progress in informatisation under the current setting.
"The new office obtained quite a strong mandate and we hope it will use it to adopt fundamental reforms in state IT," Slovensko.Digital wrote on its Facebook profile.
The platform also reminded of 20 recommendations they submitted to the government, including Pellegrini. They will now wait to see how he will deal with them.
26. Apr 2016 at 13:18 | Compiled by Spectator staff


by Zorba
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H/T Scissorhead D-Cap
Another quote, but this time from Steve Bannon to Kari Lake from his podcast:
"Hang on — you shouldn't have to reach out to Ronna McDaniel. You're the frickin' governor of Arizona. You just won an incredibly tough race, because you stood for policies that MAGA stands for. She should be blowing your phone up every day…this is outrageous."
Mediaite adds, sardonically, "Lake is not the governor of Arizona. That is a fact."
Milli Brazilli
"I swear on any one of my mother's many graves that I am telling the truth."
Well, if true, here's a crime:
More than a dozen top donors listed in George Santos's failed 2020 campaign were attributed to addresses that don't exist or to names that could not be verified, according to a Mother Jones report published Friday.
His campaign raised $338,000 that year. But an investigation by Mother Jones reports that at least more than $30,000 came from donors whose identities can't be confirmed, raising concerns of possible violations of federal campaign finance laws.
Under federal campaign finance law, it is illegal to donate money using a false name or the name of someone else. This is how idiotic D'vorce D'spousa—documentarian fabulist, fired Y'all Qaeda business school dean, serial adulterer, would-be bigamist, self-proclaimed political prisoner of the Kenyan Usurper, and convicted election fraud felon (pardoned)—…
Within a day of the brutal hammer attack on Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi's 82-year-old husband, rightwing media began circulating scurrilous rumors. They said that the intruder did not break in, that he was invited in, and they claimed that the two men met in a gay bar, then quarreled.
The Capitol Police in D.C. had surveillance cameras around the property. Today they released the video of the intruder using a hammer to break the glass of the door or windows in the back of the house, then entering. This confirms the original account.
This is the video.
Capitol Police surveillance video from outside former Speaker Nancy Pelosi's home in San Francisco, released publicly on Friday, shows the man who attacked her husband in October breaking in.
Before he does that, the attacker can be seen peering into the dark house, walking away and then returning with bags, which he rummages…


Send Flowers for Robert "Bob"
Robert "Bob" A. Pelletier
December 9, 1930 ~ December 24, 2020 (age 90)
PELLETIER, Robert (Bob) Alfred
Age 90, resident of Wenham, MA for sixty years, passed away peacefully on Thursday, 24 December 2020, after bravely struggling with dementia for several years. He was predeceased by his wife Bettyjean (Haskell) Pelletier with whom he shared 56 years of Marriage.
Born in Danvers, MA December 9, 1930, Bob was the son of the late Joseph Pelletier and Amelia (Moquin) Pelletier. He was a graduate of Danvers High School Class of 1949. Shortly after Graduation he joined the Army where he was trained in Radio Repair before deploying to Germany as part of the HQ CO 3rd BN 109 INFANTRY 28th DIV proudly serving for several years. Bob was honorably discharged in 1953 as Acting Sargent and was awarded the Army Occupation Medal (Germany) and the National Defense Service Medal. Upon his return state side, he attended Massachusetts Radio School in Boston. Radio repair was to be his future, but with the emergence of Televisions he realized that the Television business was a better bet to provide for his growing family. He started Atlantic Radio and TV Repair in Danvers at the age of 26 and for next 40 years was busy working in an industry that he truly enjoyed. Bob was an ardent supporter of Boys Town, USO and The Jimmy Fund.
Bob was in his element with his Family surrounding him. Weekends spent around the pool, working in the garden in search of ingredients for his famous relish and pickles while chomping on the ever-present cigar. He was the go-to man for family carpentry projects. He was family entertainer with his "famous" magic trick and tap dance routine. He loved his animals especially Buddy. He loved his family.
Bob is survived by his daughter's Roberta and Husband William Wilson of Wenham, Candy and Husband William McNeill of Danvers, Tracye and Husband Gary Jernegan of Ipswich, Dawn Pelletier of Wenham and Son Joseph Pelletier and Wife Katie of Danvers. He is also survived by 10 Grandchildren and 11 Great-Grandchildren.
Due to the Pandemic, Burial on 31 December 2020 will be a private ceremony at Wenham Cemetery. A celebration of Bob's life will be planned for a future date. In lieu of flowers donations to Bob's memory can be made to THE JIMMY FUND, 10 Brookline Pl, Brookline, MA 02445, Phone: (800) 525-4669
To send flowers to Robert "Bob" A. Pelletier's family, please visit our floral store.
You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family
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Episode 22: Measuring Value
There are plenty of examples of metrics, KPIs and other hard data points to follow if you're looking to prove ROI. But sometimes, it isn't about hard metrics and it's not about the return; it's about value.
Value given and value derived are two different things, and the outcome you achieve depends greatly on which end of the value chain you're sitting. Are you measuring the wrong thing? Or maybe you're measuring the right thing the wrong way. This episode contains a parable about the metrics of value.
Be sure to check out other major stories from the February 13th edition of the newsletter:
Apple CEO Tim Cook is calling for technology companies to band together to defeat "fake news." With made-up stories and hoaxes clouding people's minds, he suggested that his colleagues "need to create some tools that help diminish the volume of fake news."
You can access 375,000 beautiful, copyright-free images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art online.
In 1802, the 32 year-old Ludwig van Beethoven wrote a stirring letter to his brothers shortly after writing his Second Symphony, in which he detailed the loneliness of living with hearing loss and how music saved his life.
Theme song: "The Liberty Bell," by John Philip Sousa, performed by the United States Marine Band and shared under a Creative Commons 3.0 license.
Incidental music: "One More Stripper" by APAMusic, royalty-free license from Pond5.com.
Voice over: Toni Deckers
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The Full Monty — February 27, 2017
Episode 23: Getting in the Habit
The Full Monty — February 6, 2017


Why Would the US Spy on its Allies? Because Everyone Does
Post author By Christopher J. Murphy
No Comments on Why Would the US Spy on its Allies? Because Everyone Does
People in Berlin protesting the NSA surveillance program. Image: Digitale Gesellschaft/Wikimedia
This article was originally published by The Conversation on 24 June, 2015.
The spotlight must be an uncomfortable position for intelligence organisations that would far prefer to remain in the shadows. But since Edward Snowden fled the United States in the summer of 2013, there has been an almost constant drip-feed of stories concerning the operations of the US National Security Agency (NSA) and the UK Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). Yet the most recent scoop – originating from Wikileaks – has shown that we would do well to consider these kinds of "revelations" with a little greater care.
At its heart, the claim that the NSA spied on French presidents Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Holland, effectively boils down to: "country A spied on country B". As a piece of news, this surely sits alongside the Pope's status as a Catholic. What else would we expect a national intelligence gathering agency to do? The fundamental purpose of such organisations is to seek out national advantage, in whatever field – whether it is political, economic, military, or otherwise.
Nothing New
The "twist" that makes the story newsworthy, we are told, is the fact that it reveals "spying on friends". A similar claim was made in October 2013, when the NSA was accused of targeting the German chancellor, Angela Merkel. A theatre of moral outrage followed, and the US ambassador was summoned to meet with the foreign minister.
But Merkel's statement that "spying on friends is not on at all" was soon undermined when Der Spiegel claimed that German intelligence had "accidentally" eavesdropped on both secretaries of state Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. Earlier this year, it was also claimed that German intelligence had spied on both the French government and the EU Commission, and passed on the products to the US.
The press (and indeed the politicians) would perhaps do well to remember the pragmatic reality that, in the world of intelligence, there are no "friends". There are, of course, international intelligence alliances. Perhaps the best known of these is UKUSA, the signals intelligence agreement between the UK and the US which was drawn up in the aftermath of World War II. Yet such alliances will likely incorporate an element of self interest; during the Cold War, the remnants of Britain's empire offered valuable, otherwise inaccessible listening posts for US signals intelligence. In return, the US offered the UK access to their resources, an exchange described by intelligence scholar Richard Aldrich as "terrain for technology".
In our Interests
Ultimately, intelligence allegiances are built around the point where national interests intersect. Such intersections are not necessarily permanent, and today's national interest may change tomorrow. Nor does a country have to be at daggers drawn with another to experience a divergence of national interest. Events may also result in the development of altogether more unlikely relationships, such as the reported links between the British SIS and Libyan intelligence following the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Perhaps the real (indeed, the only) newsworthy aspect of this story is the fact that such claims are continuing to enter into the public domain, courtesy of such organisations as Wikileaks and individuals such as Snowden. This leads to what is, perhaps, an altogether more interesting question; is it possible, in the 21st century, for the intelligence and security agencies of liberal democracies such as the US and UK to continue to go about their business in the shadows, as in years gone by, with their actions hidden from the public?
One can imagine that, at times, the British intelligence community must surely yearn for the bygone era when the very existence of the agencies – MI5, SIS and GCHQ – were unavowed. Concerns are frequently expressed about the power of the intelligence agencies to pry into our everyday lives and the consequent erosion of privacy. But in many respects, the spooks themselves appear to be ever more regularly faced with a similar problem.
Christopher J. Murphy is a Lecturer in Intelligence Studies at the University of Salford.
For more information on issues and events that shape our world, please visit ISN Security Watch or browse our resources.
Tags France, Germany, Electronic surveillance, NSA
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Beijing China United States United States Olympic Team China Olympic Team Austria Olympic Team David Gleirscher Sports 2019-2020 Coronavirus pandemic Coronavirus Infectious diseases Diseases and conditions Health Lung disease Winter Olympic games Olympic games Summer Olympic games Skeleton Women's luge Women's sports Luge Bobsledding 2022 Beijing Olympic Games Men's bobsledding Men's sports Men's luge Men's skeleton
Sliding track for 2022 Beijing Olympics to get 1st test
By TIM REYNOLDS - Oct. 23, 2020 10:53 AM EDT
The sliding track built for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics is about to get its first test.
With athletes from many nations — including the U.S. — unable to take part because of coronavirus and travel concerns, the certifying process for the track at the Yanqing Sliding Center northwest of Beijing is getting underway. Most international athletes who will be taking part were flying to Beijing on Friday and will quarantine through the weekend, with sliding set to start on Monday.
The process, called pre-homologation, is necessary for all new tracks. It must be completed before the International Luge Federation and the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, the two governing bodies for sliding sports, officially approve the track as safe for racing. Typically, sliders and coaches from many nations attend to test the track, collect data and offer feedback.
USA Luge veteran Summer Britcher was among the sliders who had been scheduled to go to Yanqing this past March for the pre-homologation. But that session was called off in January in the early days of the pandemic that originated in China, when the virus was for only 170 deaths. It has now been blamed for more than 1.1 million deaths worldwide, more than 220,000 of those in the U.S.
Bobsled and skeleton testing will be done exclusively by Chinese athletes. The Chinese luge program is largely developmental, so arrangements were made to bring a small number of international sliders in for testing in that sport. Reigning Olympic men's luge champion David Gleirscher of Austria was among those invitees. Others who said Friday that they were going included reigning World Cup women's overall champion Julia Taubitz of Germany, doubles veterans Andris Sics and Juris Sics of Latvia and Natalie Maag of Switzerland.
"The security precautions are very strict," Gleirscher told Austrian media before his flight. "I only know the profile of the track from sketches. I'm really excited about what to expect."
Video and data will be shared with all teams, with hopes that some nations do not get unfair advantages over those who were unable to travel to China for this process. For now, the U.S. is scheduled to send teams to the Yanqing track early next year — the luge World Cup season finale is there in February and the bobsled and skeleton World Cup season-ending races are there in March.
The U.S. teams are not expected to join the World Cup circuit until January at the earliest this season, and there are no major races this year in North America because of the pandemic. Bobsled and skeleton was to have its world championships in Lake Placid, New York, and a World Cup race in Park City, Utah; luge was planning to have its world championships in Whistler, British Columbia, and a World Cup race in Lake Placid.