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PARIS (AP) — Garbage. Heaps, mounds and piles of it are growing daily — and in some places standing higher than a human being.
A strike by Paris garbage collectors, which begins its 16th day on Tuesday, is taking a toll on the renowned aesthetics of the French capital, a veritable blight on the City of Light.
“I prefer Chanel to the stink,” joked Vincent Salazar, a 62-year-old artistic consultant who lives in a tony Left Bank neighborhood. A pile of garbage sits at the corner of his building overlooking the Luxembourg Gardens.
“I’ve seen rats,” he said.
But like many nonchalant and strike-hardened Parisians, Salazar doesn’t mind.
“I’m fortunate to live here, but I’m 200% behind these guys,” Salazar said. “They’re smelling it all day long,” he said, though “it” wasn’t the word he used. “They should get early retirement.”
He is among the majority of French who, polls show, oppose President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to raise the retirement age by two years, from 62 to 64 for most and from 57 to 59 for garbage collectors.
Macron rammed the showcase legislation of his second term through Parliament last week — without a vote, thanks to a special constitutional article. On Monday, the government won two no-confidence motions put forth by angry lawmakers. The bill is now considered adopted.
But garbage got wrapped up in the politics. And neither unions organizing protests nor some citizens are prepared to back down.
Posters showing a digitally altered images of Macron atop a garbage heap — or collecting garbage himself — have made the rounds on social networks.
The Socialist mayor of Paris, who supports the strikers, found herself in a bind. City Hall refused orders to get the trucks out, saying it’s not their job. Police Chief Laurent Nunez then ordered garages unblocked and ordered 674 sanitation personnel and 206 garbage trucks back to work to provide a minimal service, police tweeted Tuesday.
Sure enough, a green Paris garbage truck was seen collecting a long, high pile of rubbish Tuesday outside a school on a Left Bank street — although the truck was full long before all the refuse could be cleaned up. With incinerators blocked, the garbage was being taken to a storage site outside Paris.
City Hall said that as of Monday, 9,300 tons of rubbish remained on the streets.
Workers in numerous sectors, from transportation to energy, have been holding intermittent strikes since January. But it is the garbage in the French capital that has made garbage collectors, long taken for granted, visible — and their anger obvious.
The city’s vibrant outdoor culture is feeling the effects. Some of Paris’ fabled narrow streets are more choked than usual, forcing people on foot to pass through garbage heaps single file. The scent of rancid, rotting garbage increasingly wafts through the air as spring arrives and the weather grows milder. Seats at some sidewalk cafes located near heaps of rubbish are empty.
A server for the past 26 years at Le Bistro du Dome specializing in fish, adjacent to the famed restaurant Le Dome, said some 50% of diners had disappeared in the past 10 days. Other restaurants are suffering the same fate, said Guillaume, who would identify himself only by his first name.
“It doesn’t bother me because it’s for a good cause,” said Franck Jacquot, 51, standing outside a small bar he runs. Nearby, heaps of garbage loomed. “If we’re obliged to go this route — well, we’re here,” he said.
However, garbage bags and bins have served as fuel for troublemakers.
Two spontaneous protests last week at the huge Place de la Concorde, facing the National Assembly, degenerated when police started evacuating thousands with tear gas and water cannons. Some of those forced out began setting fires to garbage piles along their path through high-end Paris.
That scenario was repeated Monday night when hundreds of young people demonstrated near the gold-domed Invalides monument, site of Napoleon’s tomb. As night fell, small, mobile groups of troublemakers combed the city, burning trash bags, lamp posts and other objects. Nunez, the police chief, speaking on TV news station BFM, said 234 people were detained.
More is ahead: Unions are planning nationwide marches and strikes for Thursday to pressure the government to withdraw the retirement measure.
“Garbage is a good way to protest. It has a big impact,” said Tony Gibierge, 36, who is opening a restaurant in several months on a street in southern Paris — a street currently heaped with garbage.
He was among those who have peacefully demonstrated through Paris, and other cities, with song and dance in recent weeks. “Now we have to send out the fire, stop dancing,” he said. The message: Nothing is over, and much of the garbage isn’t going anywhere quite yet.
|
2023-03-21T17:19:11+00:00
|
kron4.com
|
https://www.kron4.com/health/ap-health/garbage-in-paris-streets-heaps-of-it-become-protest-symbol/
|
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — A prominent Guatemalan newspaper editor who has overseen investigations into corruption has been arrested, prompting denunciations Saturday by politicians, anticorruption activists and civic groups.
Prosecution agents arrested José Ruben Zamora Marroquín at his home on Friday night, searching his home, seizing telephones and accusing him of money laundering. Zamora Marroquín is a prize-winning journalist who heads the newspaper El Periodico.
“This is an orchestrated plan, where the aim now is not to pursue those who are corrupt, but rather opponents,” said human rights activist Eleonora Muralles. “The strategy is to coopt the whole system and have judges — with serious doubts about their impartiality — put together cases and evidence against opponents.”
Journalists protested Saturday outside a courthouse where the case is being heard.
U.S. Congressman James P. McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat, wrote that he was “deeply concerned” by the detention.
McGovern wrote in his Twitter account, “The judiciary is already decimated, is the Free Press next? Journalism is not a crime!”
Zamora Marroquín has declared a hunger strike. Speaking before a court hearing, he said, “I haven’t eaten anything nor drunk any water in 36 hours.”
The U.S. government has sharply criticized the weakening of anti-corruption efforts in Guatemala and last year cancelled the U.S. visa of Guatemalan Attorney General Consuelo Porras, who has been pursuing former prosecutors who had been conducting corruption investigations against officials..
More than former anti-corruption officials have fled the country. Now that effort appears to have extended to journalists.
Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei has been dismissive of U.S. officials’ criticism of his attorney general and what they see as a backsliding in Guatemala on battling corruption. The country’s new special prosecutor against impunity has been placed on a U.S. list of people suspected of corruption or undermining democracy. He is accused of obstructing corruption investigations.
Giammattei’s government and prosecutors accelerated efforts begun by his predecessor to undo a U.N.-backed anti-corruption campaign that put several top officials, including former presidents, behind bars. They say those prosecutions themselves were irregular.
Moreover, a number of the Guatemalans, including two Supreme Court magistrates, were allegedly involved in a scheme to stack the Supreme and Appellate Courts with corrupt judges, according to the State Department report.
|
2022-07-31T16:36:14+00:00
|
kfor.com
|
https://kfor.com/news/international/ap-international/arrest-of-prominent-guatemalan-journalist-draws-condemnation/
|
Microsoft Azure Customers Worldwide Now Gain Access to Capella to Take Advantage of the Scalability, Reliability and Agility of Azure to Drive Application Development and Shape Business Strategies
SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Couchbase, Inc. (NASDAQ: BASE), the cloud database platform company, today announced the availability of Couchbase Capella™ Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, an online store providing applications and services for use on Azure. Couchbase customers can now take advantage of the productive and trusted Azure cloud platform with streamlined deployment and management.
Capella is a fully managed JSON document and key-value database with SQL access and built-in full-text search, eventing and analytics. It easily supports a broad range of modern application use cases with multi-model and mobile synchronization capabilities and allows customers to use the programming language of their choice. Furthermore, Capella's memory-first architecture drives blazingly fast millisecond data responses at scale, resulting in best-in-class price performance of any fully managed document database. With Capella on Azure, customers can improve alignment with modern applications and support hybrid and multicloud strategies from a single platform.
"We continue to invest in our industry-leading Capella DBaaS, including making it more accessible for customers, improving the developer experience and supporting enterprises," said Scott Anderson, senior vice president of product management and business operations at Couchbase. "Debuting Capella in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace means we can streamline and simplify the process for customers to adopt our cloud database platform and deploy applications on their cloud of choice. We believe offering Capella in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace will accelerate adoption and bring the power of Couchbase to more organizations."
Jake Zborowski, General Manager, Microsoft Azure Platform at Microsoft Corp. said, "We're pleased to welcome Couchbase to the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, which gives our partners great exposure to cloud customers around the globe. Azure Marketplace offers world-class quality experiences from global trusted partners with solutions tested to work seamlessly with Azure."
The Azure Marketplace is an online market for buying and selling cloud solutions certified to run on Azure. The Azure Marketplace helps connect companies seeking innovative, cloud-based solutions with partners who have developed solutions that are ready to use.
Capella is now generally available in the Azure Marketplace here. Please visit this page for more information about the benefits of Capella on Azure.
Additional Resources
- Start a free trial of Capella today by clicking here.
- Read more about how customers are modernizing with Couchbase here.
- Developers can learn more about building modern applications with Capella here.
About Couchbase
Modern customer experiences need a flexible database platform that can power applications spanning from cloud to edge and everything in between. Couchbase's mission is to simplify how developers and architects develop, deploy and consume modern applications wherever they are. We have reimagined the database with our fast, flexible and affordable cloud database platform Capella, allowing organizations to quickly build applications that deliver premium experiences to their customers – all with best-in-class price performance. More than 30% of the Fortune 100 trust Couchbase to power their modern applications. For more information, visit www.couchbase.com and follow us on Twitter @couchbase.
Couchbase®, the Couchbase logo and the names and marks associated with Couchbase's products are trademarks of Couchbase, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Couchbase, Inc.
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2023-05-04T13:58:24+00:00
|
witn.com
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https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2023/05/04/couchbase-capella-database-as-a-service-now-available-microsoft-azure-marketplace/
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ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A fishing boat carrying migrants capsized and sank off the coast of Greece on Wednesday, authorities said, leaving at least 78 people dead and many dozens feared missing in one of the worst disasters of its kind this year.
Coast guard, navy and merchant vessels fanned out for a vast search-and-rescue operation that also included a plane and a helicopter.
Authorities said 104 people have been rescued so far after the boat sank overnight in international waters some 75 kilometers (45 miles) southwest of Greece’s southern Peloponnese peninsula. The spot is close to one of the deepest areas of the Mediterranean Sea.
It was unclear how many passengers might still be in the water or trapped in the sunken vessel, but some initial reports suggested hundreds of people may have been on board.
Four survivors were hospitalized with symptoms of hypothermia. At the southern port of Kalamata, dozens of others were taken to sheltered areas set up by the ambulance services and the United Nations Refugee Agency to receive dry clothes and medical attention.
The Greek coast guard said 78 bodies have been recovered so far.
The Italy-bound boat is believed to have sailed from the Tobruk area in eastern Libya. That country plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime autocrat Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Human traffickers have benefited from the ensuing instability, and made Libya one of the main departure points for people attempting to reach Europe on smuggler’s boats.
The Italian coast guard first alerted Greek authorities and the European Union border protection agency, Frontex, about the approaching vessel on Tuesday.
The United Nations migration agency, IOM, said initial reports suggested up to 400 people were on board. A network of activists said it received a distress call from a boat in the same area whose passengers said 750 people were on board — but it was not clear if that was the vessel that sank.
After that first alert, Frontex aircraft and two merchant ships spotted the boat heading north at high speed, according to the Greek coast guard. More aircraft and ships were sent to the area.
But repeated calls to the vessel offering help were declined, the coast guard said in a statement.
“In the afternoon a merchant vessel approached the ship and provided it with food and supplies, while the (passengers) refused any further assistance,” it said. A second merchant ship that approached it later offered further supplies and assistance, which were turned down, it added.
In the evening, a coast guard patrol boat reached the vessel “and confirmed the presence of a large number of migrants on the deck,” the statement said. “But they refused any assistance and said they wanted to continue to Italy.”
The coast guard boat accompanied the migrant vessel, which, the statement said, capsized and sank early Wednesday, prompting a massive rescue operation by all the ships in the area.
Alarm Phone, a network of activists that provides a hotline for migrants in trouble, meanwhile, said it was contacted by people on a boat in distress on Tuesday afternoon. That boat was in the same general area as the one that sank, but it was not clear if it was the same vessel.
The organization notified Greek authorities and Frontex. In one communication with Alarm Phone, migrants reported the vessel was overcrowded and that the captain had abandoned the ship on a small boat, according to the group. They asked for food and water, which was provided by a merchant ship.
When they have larger boats, Mediterranean smugglers are increasingly trying to stay in international waters as they pass by Greece to try to avoid its coast guard patrols.
On Sunday, 90 migrants on a U.S.-flagged yacht were rescued in the area after they made a distress call.
Six Greek coast guard vessels, a navy frigate, a military transport plane, an air force helicopter, several private vessels and a drone from Frontex are currently taking part in the search for the boat that sank Wednesday.
Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou headed for the area where rescued migrants are being tended to and planned campaign events by political parties ahead of June 25 national elections were called off.
Separately Wednesday, a yacht with 81 migrants on board was towed to a port on the south coast of Greece’s island of Crete after authorities received a distress call.
___
Associated Press journalists Nicholas Paphitis in Athens, Greece, Sam Magdy in Cairo and Renata Brito in Barcelona, Spain, contributed.
___
Follow AP stories on global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
|
2023-06-14T13:24:59+00:00
|
kfor.com
|
https://kfor.com/news/international/greece-more-than-80-migrants-rescued-from-capsized-fishing-vessel/
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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Wichita man who was found guilty by a jury of 33 counts related to two rapes and a standoff with the Wichita SWAT was sentenced in court yesterday.
Patrick Newborn, 35, was sentenced to 105 years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office. He was found guilty of the crimes by a jury on Sept. 28, 2022.
In September 2020, a 32-year-old woman said she was sexually assaulted while at home with her two small children.
She told police at the time a man, later identified as Newborn, entered her home around midnight, demanded money, then sexually assaulted her before leaving.
When police went to Newborn’s apartment at Harry and Webb a few days after the Pershing assault, they said he pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot them.
SWAT and negotiators arrived, and after a seven-hour standoff, police arrested Newborn. He was charged a few days later.
|
2022-12-09T21:14:32+00:00
|
ksn.com
|
https://www.ksn.com/news/crime/wichita-man-guilty-of-rape-sentenced-to-105-years-in-prison/
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WFO SAN DIEGO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 30, 2022
_____
AREAL FLOOD WATCH
Flood Watch
National Weather Service San Diego CA
1103 PM PDT Sat Jul 30 2022
...FLOOD WATCH HAS EXPIRED...
The Flash Flood Watch for the mountains and deserts has expired.
The flash flooding threat has ended tonight. However, another Flash
Flood Watch may be needed Sunday.
The Flash Flood Watch has expired for a portion of southwest
California, including the following areas, Antelope Valley, Los
Angeles County Mountains, Los Angeles County San Gabriel Valley,
Santa Clarita Valley and Ventura County Mountains.
The flash flooding threat has ended. Therefore, the Flash Flood
Watch has expired.
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
|
2022-07-31T06:55:53+00:00
|
seattlepi.com
|
https://www.seattlepi.com/weather/article/CA-WFO-SAN-DIEGO-Warnings-Watches-and-Advisories-17340983.php
|
___
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|
2022-08-09T07:46:48+00:00
|
ourmidland.com
|
https://www.ourmidland.com/sports/article/Atlanta-Team-Stax-17360871.php
|
WASHINGTON (AP) — After having just four official staffers on the payroll last quarter, President Joe Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign on Monday announced that former White House aide and congressman Cedric Richmond is joining as co-chair and that two veteran Democratic fundraisers are signing on to lead outreach to donors.
Richmond, who served as a senior adviser to Biden in the White House and director of the office of public engagement, has been a key political confidant to the president and is set to reprise that role on his campaign. Biden’s team also announced that Rufus Gifford and Chris Korge will serve as finance chairs of Biden’s campaign and victory fund, respectively.
Gifford has been chief of protocol at the Department of State and served as ambassador to Denmark in the Obama administration. He had previously served as finance director for Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign and for the Democratic National Committee. Korge is the finance chairman for the DNC and held a similar role for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential effort.
“Bringing in these trusted and known leaders that have a strong and proven record of helping win presidential campaigns sends a clear signal to the American people that we continue to build out a powerhouse campaign leadership team that knows what it will take to win in November 2024,” said Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez in a statement.
Biden’s campaign has remained deliberately small in the early days, with only a small team of aides working from the DNC’s offices in Washington in anticipation of a larger expansion in coming months. The campaign reported on Saturday that it raised nearly $20 million since Biden declared his candidacy in April — with the total rising to over $72 million when other contributions to the DNC and other democratic entities are factored in.
|
2023-07-18T12:40:41+00:00
|
ksn.com
|
https://www.ksn.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-biden-campaign-staffs-up-with-former-white-house-aide-cedric-richmond-and-fundraising-leaders/
|
CLEVELAND (WJW) – Police are investigating after nine people were shot in Cleveland’s Warehouse District early Sunday morning.
The I-Team at Nexstar’s WJW has learned that nine were injured after a suspect opened fire toward a group of people at West 6th and Johnson Court around 2:30 a.m. The suspect then left the scene.
In an afternoon press conference, Cleveland Police Chief Wayne Drummond confirmed that officers were already on the scene when the shooting happened. They immediately stepped in and rendered aid to the victims.
Drummond said the victims, seven men and two women, were ages 23 through 38.
One man was critically hurt, but the other victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Police are now searching for the suspect, who is described as a Black male who possibly has a gold grill in his mouth.
Meanwhile, Bobby George, owner of several downtown businesses like Barley House and Rebol, is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for the mass shooting.
Investigators continue reviewing evidence and video, as well as interviewing victims at MetroHealth Medical Center.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact Cleveland police at 216-623-5318. Anonymous tips can be provided by calling Crimestoppers at 216-25-CRIME.
Congresswoman Shontel Brown released a statement on the shooting. It said, in part:
“I am horrified by the shooting last night in Cleveland. My office is in contact with local authorities and is monitoring the situation. I’m deeply thankful to the officers and first responders at the scene. Gun violence is devastating Northeast Ohio and Clevelanders deserve to be safe. This epidemic is tearing at the fabric of our communities, and it will not end without significant legislative action.”
As WJW previously reported, this shooting was one of several in the city overnight.
|
2023-07-09T19:27:46+00:00
|
pahomepage.com
|
https://www.pahomepage.com/news/national-news/9-injured-in-cleveland-shooting-suspect-remains-at-large-police/
|
Everyone wants to be happy.
Today, we launch a series of columns to explore ways to gain happiness through gardening.
Previously, each weekly column included garden images to illustrate the current topic. That won’t work for the happiness columns, because they are not readily illustrated with photos from my collection. It might be possible to draw upon emerging artificial intelligence technology to create helpful illustrations (I might try that approach), but here’s an alternative that you might find interesting:
Each column of “Gardening for Happiness” series will include photos, with captions, that exemplify a category of garden plants. You are invited to determine what that category is.
The answer will be provided at the end of the column. Just for fun, before looking at the answer, decide on your idea of the category.
Let’s launch.
There are of course different versions of being happy, on various points ranging from mild contentment to wild ecstasy. Choose your ideal!
Achieving your personal form of happiness, according to people who think a lot about this subject, involves (a) a sense of control and autonomy over one’s life, (b) being guided by meaning and purpose, and c) connecting with others.
Those are good basic approaches to happiness, but recommendations for action are usually quite general: get plenty of sleep, exercise, meditate, spend time with family and friends, etc.
For a realistic pursuit of the achievement of happiness, it’s essential to focus on a practical plan organized around your individual interests and priorities. There are several possibilities for such a thematic approach to happiness. For these columns, we will focus on (surprise!) gardening.
The pursuit of happiness can take different activities, in various combinations, for different durations, and different schedules. It’s complicated. For that reason, we will explore this topic through a series of columns.
We will need an organizational structure. To begin (it could change), here are the initial stages of this exploration.
• Hands-on gardening.
• Learning and thinking about gardening.
• Linking with other gardeners.
• Communing with nature.
These explorations could evolve over time as we dig deeper into the ideas of happiness specialists. This is not a recognized scientific discipline; it’s more like the cumulative product of thoughtful social scientists and dedicated gardeners.
In addition, it’s the real-world experiences and insights of gardeners who read these columns. Your ideas will be welcome dimensions to this discussion over this series of columns. If you have gardening experiences that have brought you happiness, or suggestions for gardening activities that others would enjoy, you are invited to send them to facebook.com/ongardeningcom.
So, you are invited to follow this series, starting next week with Hands-on Gardening, and to share your views.
Advance tour gardening knowledge
The Monterey Bay chapter of the California Rare Fruit Growers has announced its 2023 scion exchange from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Soquel High School, 401 Soquel San Jose Road, Soquel. This is an in-person event. Hundreds of scions will be available for dormant varieties of fruit (apples, stonefruit and more). To review the 2023 Scion Exchange List, visit tinyurl.com/3hj98d72.
Activities will include grafting demonstrations and rootstock sales. Free member access opens at 11 a.m. General public access opens at noon and costs $5.
Webinar reminders:
The Cactus & Succulent Society of America will present the webinar, “Your Dreams Have Come True, at 10 a.m., Saturday. The presenter will be Petra Crist, the owner of the Rare Succulents Nursery in Fallbrook. To register for this free event, visit cactusandsucculentsociety.org/.
The Garden Conservancy will present a virtual talk by next-generation landscape designer Lily Kwong at 11 a.m. Jan. 26. Kwong has roots in the urban planning and art worlds with a mission to reconnect people to nature. This event is the second webinar in the Conservatory’s Winter 2023 Virtual Programs, which are fee-based ($5 for conservancy members, $15 for general admission). For registration and additional information, visit gardenconservancy.org.
This week’s photo category
This week’s photos are selections from my garden’s Chile bed. All are plants that grow naturally in Chile, as well as in other parts of South America with a summer-dry (Mediterranean) climate. Some are generally considered native to Peru. Here are their native lands:
• The Red Angel’s Trumpet is native to Peru.
• The Shining Pink Rock Purslane is native to Chile.
• (Cantua buxifolia) is native to Chile, and is also the national flower of Peru and one of two national flowers of Bolivia. Called the Sacred Flower of the Andes
• Hedgehog Cactus grows widely throughout South America, including Chile.
• Fucshia magellanica “Aurea” is native to Chile and Argentina
Enjoy your garden!
Tom Karwin is a past president of Friends of the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and the Monterey Bay Iris Society, a past president and Lifetime Member of the Monterey Bay Area Cactus & Succulent Society, and a Lifetime UC Master Gardener (Certified 1999–2009). He is now a board member of the Santa Cruz Hostel Society, and active with the Pacific Horticultural Society. To view daily photos from his garden, https://www.facebook.com/ongardeningcom-
566511763375123/. For garden coaching info and an archive of previous On Gardening columns, visit http://ongardening.com.
|
2023-01-20T00:00:48+00:00
|
santacruzsentinel.com
|
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2023/01/19/tom-karwin-on-gardening-gardening-for-happiness/
|
PITTSBURGH, Dec. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I made 27 blankets for Christmas last year using my technique and found this process to be fast and easy. I thought other quilters and blanket makers would appreciate this kit," said an inventor, from Montpelier, Idaho, "so I invented the E Z TIE GRID KIT. My design would make it easier to mark the tie points evenly every time and it would help to reduce errors."
The patent-pending invention provides an improved method for measuring and marking blankets/quilts for tying. It also ensures that the necessary supplies and instructions are accessible for quilters. As a result, it saves time and effort and it eliminates the need to measure with a ruler from one tie to another. The invention features a practical design that is easy to use so it is ideal for quilters and blanket makers. Additionally, it is producible in design variations and a prototype is available.
The original design was submitted to the National sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 21-MHO-206, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE InventHelp
|
2022-12-20T19:04:12+00:00
|
kxii.com
|
https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/12/20/inventhelp-inventor-develops-e-z-tie-grid-kit-quilters-amp-blanket-makers-mho-206/
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Carhartt chooses Dearborn over Kentucky, Mexico for 125 new jobs: Here's why
Dearborn-based apparel firm Carhartt plans to hire up to 125 more workers in Dearborn with an average $43 hourly wage, rather than in Kentucky or Mexico, with help from a recently approved state grant.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Monday that Carhartt has been approved for a $937,500 performance-based grant from the Michigan Business Development Program to assist with an anticipated $4.65 million capital investment at its Dearborn campus, which is expected to result in the new hiring.
The grant was approved last week by the Michigan Strategic Fund.
Carhartt had told economic development officials that, absent the nearly $1 million in grant assistance, it may have hired those new positions not in Dearborn but rather at its IT service center offices in Mexico or distribution center in Hanson, Kentucky, or Supply Chain Administration office in Irvine, Kentucky. The firm also considered making the new positions fully remote.
Carhartt must create all 125 jobs to get the full grant
"A new facility in Mexico and two Kentucky facilities are alternative locations for this project due to thehigher cost of recruiting and maintaining talent and the higher cost of doing business in Michigan comparedto those locations," according to a Michigan Economic Development Corp. briefing memo.
The ultimate size of the state grant will depend on the total number of new jobs Carhartt creates over a three-year period. The firm must create all 125 jobs to get the full $937,500.
Carhartt does about $1.1 billion in annual revenues, according to the briefing memo, and already employs 644 people in Michigan and more than 5,500 worldwide.
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"We’re working hard in a bipartisan fashion to ensure Michigan’s business climate and talented manufacturing workforce can thrive and create more jobs," Whitmer said in a statement. "That work paid off over the last year, as evidenced by the investment and growth by longstanding companies like Carhartt continuing to invest in Michigan,”
Carhartt's anticipated $4.65 million capital investment would expand the firm's digital presence and online marketing, according to the briefing memo.
Jobs for web developers, marketers, sales and customer service workers
Carhartt has already spent more than $30 million at two of three facilities at its Dearborn campus, the memo said, and the anticipated project could bring about an expansion at the third building, "as well as future projects that involve a women's brand and diversity, equity and inclusion program expansion."
The project will involve hiring people for designing and managing digital content for the Carhartt brand, including web developers, marketing specialists and sales and customer service personnel. The jobs will pay an average $43 per hour, or $33.20 per hour at the lowest end.
“We’re excited to bring more high-paying jobs to Michigan,” Carhartt Chief Financial Officer Susan Telang said in a statement. “Our business continues to grow year over year, and partnering with the MEDC allows us to expand our employee base by adding top talent and, at the same time, continue to invest in our home state where Carhartt was established in 1889.”
A Carhartt representative did not provide any additional details about the planned expansion in Dearborn.
Contact JC Reindl: 313-378-5460 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @jcreindl.
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2022-12-19T21:48:36+00:00
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freep.com
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https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2022/12/19/carhartt-dearborn-expansion-michigan/69740768007/
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LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. (WTVO) — Volkswagen says a “serious breach” of its security protocols resulted in a delay in tracking a stolen SUV with a toddler trapped inside.
The incident started on the afternoon of Feb. 23 when a 36-year-old woman — who was 6 months pregnant — returned to her Libertyville, Illinois home with her two children. She brought one child inside and was walking back to her vehicle to get her 2-year-old son out of the car when a 2000s model BMW pulled into her driveway, parking behind her, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said.
A tall, thin man in a zip-up hooded sweatshirt and green face mask then forced his way into the woman’s Volkswagen as she tried to fight him off and protect her child, officials said. The man attacked her, knocking her to the ground and managing to steal her car, with the boy still inside.
As they drove from the scene, one of the two men ran her over, causing “serious injuries to her extremities,” sheriff’s officials said, but the woman managed to call 911.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that detectives immediately contacted Volkswagen Car-Net, which allows the car manufacturer to track its cars, but the company “would not track the vehicle with the abducted child until they received payment to reactivate the tracking device in the stolen Volkswagen.”
Detectives got a break when they received a 911 call from someone working at a Waukegan business who reported seeing two vehicles enter the parking lot and the driver of one of the vehicles abandon a small child, the release said. The caller brought the child – the one who had been abducted – in from the parking lot “before the child wandered onto the busy roadway.”
Authorities later tracked down the stolen SUV in a different parking lot, according to sheriff’s officials. The mother of the two children was taken to the hospital in stable but serious condition.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that a detective implored a representative at Car-Net to release the vehicle’s location, citing the “extremely exigent circumstance,” but the representative wouldn’t budge.
“The detective had to work out getting a credit card number and then call the representative back to pay the $150 and at that time the representative provided the GPS location of the vehicle,” sheriff’s office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli told the paper. By the time the payment was sorted out, however, the GPS location was no longer necessary.
Volkswagen later released a statement, saying “Volkswagen has a procedure in place with a third-party provider for Car-Net Support Services involving emergency requests from law enforcement. They have executed this process successfully in previous incidents. Unfortunately, in this instance, there was a serious breach of the process. We are addressing the situation with the parties involved,” according to NBC News.
Nexstar reached out to Volkswagen for further comment but didn’t immediately receive a reply.
As of Wednesday, police were still searching for the BMW, which was reported stolen from a dealership in Waukegan.
|
2023-03-02T03:20:45+00:00
|
kfor.com
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https://kfor.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/volkswagens-tracking-firm-refused-to-find-stolen-suv-kidnapped-boy-without-payment-sheriff/
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Polestar is offering an over-the-air software update that boosts output of dual-motor versions of the Polestar 2—for a one-time $1,195 fee.
The new software increases output by 68 hp and 15 lb-ft of torque to 476 hp and 502 lb-ft, Polestar said in a press release. This reduces the manufacturer-estimated 0-60 mph time to 4.2 seconds, but Polestar claims the performance boost will mostly be felt at speeds between 44 and 80 mph. With the update, 50-75 mph acceleration drops by half a second, to 2.2 seconds, according to Polestar.
This puts the dual-motor Polestar 2 in the same vicinity as the Tesla Model 3 Performance. Anecdotally, the upgrade makes no dent to efficiency or range, Polestar says.
That doesn’t necessarily suggest that with the upgrade the Polestar 2 might achieve the same EPA-cycle results—and this is new ground for how such an example will be treated. The dual-motor Polestar 2 is currently EPA-rated at 260 miles of range and 100 MPGe combined.
Polestar confirmed to Green Car Reports that the upgrade can be applied to any dual-motor Polestar 2—including models from the 2021, 2022, and 2023 model years.
Like Tesla, Polestar has shown that it can deploy fixes for recall issues quickly, over the air. It did just that in 2021 to fix a powertrain issue in some of the earliest Polestar 2 EVs shipped to the U.S. Like that fix, the new performance software can be downloaded and installed over the air without a visit to a service center. Polestar has also resisted the temptation to make the software into a monthly subscription, so customers only have to pay a one-time fee.
The Polestar 2 dual-motor is already a lot of fun to drive, without the upgrade. Polestar also has more powerful models in the works. The future Polestar 5 will be a performance flagship, with 884 hp and an 800-volt architecture. Based on the Precept Concept revealed in 2020, it’s due to go on sale in 2024 as a rival to the Tesla Model S, Lucid Air, and Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan—as well as the Porsche Taycan to some degree.
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2022-12-08T12:08:55+00:00
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upmatters.com
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https://www.upmatters.com/automotive/internet-brands/polestar-2-offers-permanent-performance-boost-over-the-air-for-1195/
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NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- First Acceptance Corporation (DBA Acceptance Insurance) (OTCQX: FACO) today announced the sudden and unexpected death of President and CEO Larry Willeford. He was 65.
The company's board of directors issued the following statement: "Larry Willeford was a visionary leader who exemplified our service vision of taking care of each other. Larry always put people first, and he was dedicated to the success of everyone at Acceptance Insurance. As we mourn his passing, we will remember his legacy of boundless compassion and generosity—both as a leader and a friend."
A spokesman for the company added, "The Acceptance Insurance family is profoundly saddened by this untimely event and extends its heartfelt condolences to Larry's wife, his three sons, and his family."
Mr. Willeford was appointed President and CEO of Acceptance Insurance in November 2021 to succeed Ken Russell, who has remained closely involved in the company as a strategic advisor and board member. Mr. Russell will lead Acceptance in an interim capacity to ensure the continuity of its operations.
Larry Willeford attended Texas State University before beginning an insurance career spanning 42 years. He joined the team at Acceptance Insurance as its Chief Claims Officer in October 2016 before serving as President and Chief Operating Officer starting in 2019.
Under his leadership, Acceptance received national acclaim for its commitment to excellence in workplace culture. In 2022, the company was named to Forbes' annual list of America's Best Midsize Employers, Best Employers for New Graduates, and Best Employers for Diversity.
Acceptance Insurance (OTCQX: FACO) is both an omnichannel insurance agency and insurance carrier operating in 13 states across 338 retail locations. Their team of 1,300-plus focuses on developing long-term relationships with historically underserved customers and those who prefer more flexible payment schedules and greater risk tolerance. Local community engagement, supported by robust digital messaging on owned and earned platforms, gives each agency a local feel and the resources of an institutional carrier. Learn more online at acceptance.com.
Media Contact
Chris Song
615-202-0595
chris@greenapplestrategy.com
Investor Relations Contact
Mike Bodayle
615-844-2907
mbodayle@acceptance.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Acceptance Insurance
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2022-10-06T03:33:58+00:00
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uppermichiganssource.com
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https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/prnewswire/2022/10/06/acceptance-insurance-announces-unexpected-death-president-ceo-larry-willeford/
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Yes, ‘Cocaine Bear’ is a real movie. It’s also a true story
ATLANTA, Ga. (AP) - On Dec. 22, 1985, The Associated Press reported the following from Blue Ridge, Georgia:
“Investigators searching for cocaine dropped by an airborne smuggler have found a ripped-up shipment of the sweet-smelling powder and the remains of a bear that apparently died of a multimillion-dollar high.”
Police found a sad scene. A 175-lb. black bear dead near a duffle bag and some $2 million worth of cocaine that had been opened and scattered over a hillside. The parachutist, a former Kentucky narcotics investigator, had fallen to his death in a backyard in Knoxville, Tennessee. His unmanned airplane crashed into a North Carolina mountain. Back in Georgia, the bear, examiners said, had overdosed.
The story is in many ways too much. Too absurd. Too ‘80s. Even the screenwriters of the “Fast & Furious” movies would think it far-fetched. The stranger-than-fiction tale quickly receded from the headlines and, before some began to stoke the myth of “Pablo Escobear,” it mostly stayed buried in news media archives.
That changed when screenwriter Jimmy Warden delivered to producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller a script titled “Cocaine Bear.” They were on board from page one.
“When the movie’s pitched, you hear the word ‘Cocaine,’ you’re like I’m not sure what to think of this,” Lord says. “Then when you hear the word ‘Bear,’ you’re like: I’m all in.”
Yes, “Cocaine Bear” is a real movie. And after it opens in theaters Friday, it might even be a hit. Since the trailer first debuted for Elizabeth Banks’ very, very loosely based-on-a-true-story R-rated comedy has stoked a rabid zeitgeist. At a time when much in Hollywood can feel pre-packaged, the makers of “Cocaine Bear” think it can be an untamed exception.
Banks on the set of “Cocaine Bear.” (Pat Redmond/Universal Pictures via AP)
“Hopefully the film lives up to the title,” Banks says, smiling. “That was the goal.”
Little on the movie calendar has captured the public imagination quite like “Cocaine Bear.” Its trailer, watched more than 25 million times, immediately went viral. The movie, itself, is like a meme sprung to life — a kind of spiritual heir to “Snakes on a Plane” crossed with a Paddington Bear fever dream. Everything about it is propelled by a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor and can-you-believe-this-is-a-real-movie wink. “I’m the bear who ate cocaine,” reads one of the film’s official tweets. “This is my story.”
While most studio movies are driven by well-known intellectual property and few original comedies manage to attract audiences in theaters, “Cocaine Bear” is here to strike a blow to business-as-usual in Hollywood. “Cocaine Bear” is here to be bold. “Cocaine Bear” is here to party.
“You have to demonstrate theatricality to get the greenlight. It just means you have to swing the bat a little harder,” Lord says. “In this world that’s increasingly mechanized, things that don’t feel mechanized have really special value.”
Miller and Lord have in recent years shepherded some of the most vibrant and irreverent films to the screen, including “The Lego Movie,””Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and “The Mitchells vs the Machines.” They like to take apart old conventions and give them an absurdist, post-modern spin.
“Certainly, this movie was not mandated by a corporation,” Miller says, laughing. “It’s a thing we somehow snuck through the system. That’s how we love to make all our movies, like: ‘I can’t believe they let us get away with this.’”
Warden had been a production assistant on their 2012 action comedy “21 Jump Street.” After hearing about the 1985 story, Warden wrote the script on spec and hoped his old bosses would like it. Intrigued at the screenplay’s possibility, the producers found an unexpectedly open reception from Universal Pictures chief Donna Langley.
“What’s funny is that we thought it would be difficult because of the subject matter. But surprisingly, they were excited right from the jump and didn’t shy away from the movie, its tone or even its title,” says Miller. “We thought at some point, someone was going to say, ‘Well you can’t call it ‘Cocaine Bear.’ You have to call it ‘A Walk in the Woods.’”
Since her directorial debut in 2015′s “Pitch Perfect 2,” Banks has carved out a second career behind the camera. She last helmed 2019′s “Charlie’s Angels.” With Universal’s backing and Lord and Miller producing, “Cocaine Bear” struck her as not just a viable, actually-happening project but one where she could marry a gory animal attack movie with comedy.
“Most people are surprised that it is a real thing, and very surprised that I’m the person that made it,” says Banks, laughing. “I just got a text from someone who was like, ‘I’ve been hearing about this movie and I had no idea you made it.’”
Though the title meant “Cocaine Bear” would be limited from some advertising platforms, the filmmakers describe the studio as interested in leaning into what made the film distinct from the all the options viewers are inundated with. Nothing, it turned out, could cut through all the noise like “Cocaine Bear.”
“They love things with strong flavor. That’s the word I hear a lot in my marketing meetings,” Banks says. “It’s harder and harder to find things that are theatrically exciting. The hope was that we were making something people needed to leave their house to see.”
The film, itself, takes the basis of the real story and imagines what might have transpired if the bear didn’t quickly die but went on a coke-fueled rampage through a national forest, terrorizing park wardens, campers and drug dealers seeking the lost shipment. After an initial taste, the bear goes after more cocaine with all the zeal of Yogi pursuing a picnic basket.
The bear, named Cokie, was a CGI concoction created by Weta FX with Allen Henry, a stunt man and student of Andy Serkis, performing motion capture. He wore all black and walked on all fours with prosthetic arms. The rest of the cast includes Keri Russell, Margo Martindale, Alden Ehrenreich, O’Shea Jackson and Ray Liotta. It’s one of Liotta’s final performances before his death last May, and one that connects back to his similarly cocaine-laced performance in “Goodfellas.”
“I’ve said that this film felt very risky. The risk was: I was never going to have the lead character of the movie on the set of the movie,” Banks says. “That was truly what scared me the most. If the bear didn’t work, the movie falls apart.”
Lord and Miller hope that there’s a rising realization within the film industry that movies that are audaciously original can pack theaters. Lord points to the Academy Awards favorite “Everything Everywhere All at Once” as recent proof.
“It could win best picture and it’s the zaniest idea out there,” Lord says. “For the scale of that movie, it’s a huge hit. What we’re after is demonstrating that these movies can be original and fun and surprising and they can be hits.”
“I can’t think of a movie that came out last year that wouldn’t have been maybe a little bit better if there had a been a cocaine-fueled bear on a rampage as part of it,” adds Miller. “Imagine if ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ had a big bear just running through biting that guy’s fingers off.”
If it’s successful, “Cocaine Bear” could, of course, become a franchise of its own. A sequel isn’t out the question. “LSD Armadillo”? “Quaalude Tortoise”? Banks, for now, is deferring.
“Somebody will put something into the AI chat bot and it will spit out something ridiculous and the internet will write it for us.”
Copyright 2023 WANF. All rights reserved.
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2023-02-25T17:06:26+00:00
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foxcarolina.com
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https://www.foxcarolina.com/2023/02/24/yes-cocaine-bear-is-real-movie-its-also-true-story/
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New additions on display highlighting history at Reelfoot Lake State Park
LAKE COUNTY, Tenn.–A local museum displays collection of history, creativity and growth.
Officials with Reelfoot Lake State Park held a ribbon cutting Monday, unveiling its newest additions to the R.C. Donaldson Museum and Exhibit Hall.
Over the past decade, community members and park members have gathered various items to compile a local look at part of West Tennessee’s History.
The latest additions feature a walk through time display, state archives and even a private collection of Native American artifacts.
The museum is located just east of Tiptonville along Reelfoot Lake.
It’s open Monday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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2022-07-19T07:46:20+00:00
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wbbjtv.com
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https://www.wbbjtv.com/2022/07/18/new-additions-on-display-highlighting-history-at-reelfoot-lake-state-park/
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Predictions have been rife that large language models (LLMs), and especially the most recent manifestation, ChatGPT, will bring about a “revolution” in skilled white-collar work and eliminate the need for educated workers. Last week, Time magazine (itself staffed mainly by educated, white-collar workers) called it “The End of Humanity.” Somewhat less breathlessly, Goldman Sachs recently announced that artificial intelligence appeared poised to eliminate one out of every four jobs, especially white-collar work, while the White House issued a report late last year sounding a similar alarm. The Washington Post has reported that for some writers, ChatGPT is already endangering their careers.
But what employers are doing to jobs with ChatGPT and other forms of AI is far from new, and that’s precisely the problem. For the better part of a century, managers have deployed digital technology to degrade both blue-collar and white-collar work, and this process has resulted not in the end of human labor, but rather the transformation of good jobs into bad ones.
Since the 19th century, employers have used machines to transform relatively well-paid skilled work — like weaving and butchering — into poorly paid, ostensibly “unskilled” jobs. Employers used machines to break up these crafts and free themselves from their dependence on more expensive and powerful craft workers. They called this mechanization. In place of a single worker who knew the entirety of a trade and used their own tools, mechanized employers hired small armies of workers who learned only a small part of the production process and worked on machines that belonged to their employer. Unlike craft work, these new jobs were boring, exhausting and low-paying.
In the years immediately following World War II, employers began speaking of a new technology, one that would supposedly revolutionize industrial production and do away with the old methods of de-skilling of labor and driving workers harder. They called this process “automation.” The word was of very recent vintage. An executive for the Ford Motor Company, D.S. Harder, coined the term, and in 1947 the company established its Automation Department. Harder called it “a new concept — a new philosophy — of manufacturing.”
In reality, the technology that the term described was rather old. The automatic machine-tool called the transfer machine was older than the assembly line, dating from the end of the 19th century. What was new on the factory floor was the presence of a militant industrial union that the federal government had compelled the Ford to recognize in 1941.
Forced to bargain with unionized workers by the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, a law ordering employers to recognize labor unions, Ford — a company notoriously hostile to unionization — used the idea of automation to question the principle of organized industrial workers in the widespread technological enthusiasm of the postwar period. Executives blamed technological progress for the effects of their decision to speed up production and degrade job classifications. When asked during a 1955 congressional hearing whether the company’s invocation of automation was a response to “labor difficulty in the collective bargaining process,” a vice president for Ford denied that that was its purpose, answering instead, “You can’t bury your head in the sand to progress.”
It appeared that epochal innovations such as the atomic bomb had played a decisive role in winning the Second World War and elevating the United States to the world’s greatest power. Now employers from across the industrial landscape channeled enthusiasm for technological progress.
Fighting workers’ collectively bargained contracts, Ford portrayed unionized workers as technologically obsolete. But in substance, “automation” in automobile factories — like in meatpacking, freight and coal mining, where employers used the word widely — was materially indistinguishable from the mechanization of old.
Workers complained of management speeding them up, breaking up their job classifications and moving work to the South, in an attempt to weaken the union and to obscure the continuing presence — and value — of human labor still on the line.
Human beings still labored, but now they did so under worsening conditions. “Automation has not reduced the drudgery of labor,” wrote one Chrysler line-worker. “Whatever Automation means to management, labor bureaucrat, or engineer, to the production worker it means a return to sweatshop conditions, increased speedup and gearing the man to the machine, instead of the machine to the man.”
The same was just as true when it came to the installation of new machines, and one machine in particular, in the American office.
Beginning in the 1950s, American office managers began introducing electronic digital computers to office work in the hopes of doing the same thing to white-collar workers that it had to automobile workers on the assembly line. The computer’s promise for employers was that it would break up and cheapen the skilled work of secretaries and office clerks. Where an early-20th-century secretary might have worked for one or two people, composed copy, attended meetings, maintained a filing system and even served as an adviser, with computerization clerical workers were thrown into “pools” — a typing pool, a stenography pool, a filing pool — where each worker did only a small portion of secretarial labor. Many did nothing but sit at key-punch machines all day, transforming documents into machine-readable format.
Ironically, the result of office “automation” meant more clerical workers, not fewer — but now their jobs paid far less. When employers introduced word processors in the late 1970s (what they called video display terminals or TV Typewriters), managers and workers alike understood that these machines would speed up and intensify the labor of the lowest rung of clerical worker. Or as one office worker who witnessed the changeover to a computer recalled, “Everything is speed in the work now.” In 1980, a veteran clerical worker in the insurance industry compared the old ways of working to the new computerized system. She acknowledged that the computer was useful “for doing written business,” but she still did not like what the machine had allowed employers to do to her work, specifically the handling of insurance claims. “They’ll still need people,” she said. “There’s going to be a lot of key-punch jobs … and it’s going to be really boring work for anyone who has to work there.”
AI and LLMs like ChatGPT appear poised to continue this trend of degrading white-collar work, but the work itself will not disappear.
Instead, if the history of computers and white-collar work is any guide, employers will use the new machines to break up craft jobs, speed up people and make labor cheaper. Today, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) is on strike, and among their demands is the right to “regulate the use of material produced using artificial intelligence or similar technologies.” According to members of the WGA, they are not afraid that AI will replace them completely. Instead, they fear that studios will use the new technology to transform them from writers into “rewriters.” In a kind of writerly assembly line, ChatGPT will spit out rough copy, which poorly paid, highly contingent writers will smooth out into the final product.
Far from eliminating the role of writer, AI might require studios to hire more people to produce scripts — just as the digital computer led to more clerical workers — although for less money and under worse conditions. With the craft of writing broken into smaller tasks, and all of it paced by a fast-working machine, studios could control and produce a more regular (and probably more mediocre) product.
It is encouraging that the WGA is demanding control over AI in their workplace. Because it isn’t AI that’s endangering white-collar workers. It’s the weakness of working people in the face of their employers. AI will not bring about the end of work, but it might very well help employers destroy good work.
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2023-06-19T12:20:17+00:00
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washingtonpost.com
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/made-by-history/2023/06/19/ai-chatgpt-jobs-unions/
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Under the plaintive painted eyes of the holy, a volunteer team of two United Nations-backed engineers watched as a whirling laser took a million measurements a second inside Kyiv's All Saints Church.
The laser swept quickly across the church, part of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, while taking a series of incredibly high-resolution photographs.
Those images will be stitched together with navigational data to create a perfect three-dimensional rendering of the holy site, part of a project to protect and preserve historic places across Ukraine now in as much in danger as its people amid Russia's war on the country.
“It’s a critical moment," said Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, who oversees Ukraine for UNESCO, the U.N.'s cultural agency. "If it’s not protected now, we really risk that this heritage is lost forever.”
Since Russia launched the war in February 2022, at least 259 cultural and historic sites have been damaged by the fighting, according to UNESCO. They include religious sites, museums, monuments and libraries. It remains common to see statues across the country surrounded by sandbags or scaffolding to protect them from airstrikes or other attacks.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is pouring money and the donations of Western nations backing it into its military as it tries to claw back more territory as the summer fighting months begin. That leaves little money for preservation of its historic sites, which already have faced cycles of destruction in the past from czarist Russia, the Nazis during World War II and the Soviet Union in the decades after.
That's where the work of Emmanuel Durand, a French engineer based in Geneva, and Serhii Revenko, a Ukrainian architect who has taken 3D models of other sites during the war, comes into play. In recent days, the two men, who volunteer through UNESCO, worked at All Saints Church, built between 1696 and 1698 at the Lavra, also known as the Monastery of the Caves.
The men used a donated device called a Zoller & Fröhlich Imager 5010X, which has two rectangular boxes connected by a high-resolution, rapidly spinning camera in the center. The imager, as well as required software and supporting equipment, together cost about $70,000.
The two placed the imager atop a tripod, then slipped away from it as the device measured the heights underneath the churches’ golden domes.
The camera then whirled to life, spinning around to capture the inside so closely that even the textures of the brushstrokes will be recorded.
“If due to the war, the church would be bombed in the next week or next month, it would be terrible, of course, but at least we would have this digitalization and it would help a lot in rebuilding the church,” Durand said.
That danger is real. Revenko earlier shot 3D images of the Library of Youth in Chernihiv, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) northeast of Kyiv. That library, opened in 1902 in a building bearing the style of the Gothic revival with pointed arches, was targeted by a Russian airstrike on March 11, 2022.
The 3D image shows the massive hole torn into the side of the building, debris scattered everywhere. It also shows the depth and the power of the bomb that struck the site. That can be vital for historians — as well as for prosecutors or investigators — who later want to see such scenes long after any repairs.
“This is important to preserve because what the enemy and the Russians are trying to destroy is who we are and what our identity is," Revenko said. "Our identity really is the heritage and culture that we can preserve and give to the next generation.”
The men began their work at the All Saints Church in part because of its relative safety during the war. The Lavra's gates bear the blue shield emblem of the 1954 Hague Convention, in theory providing the protection of international law to the site.
But the site on a hill overlooking the Dnieper River is only a few kilometers (a mile) from Ukraine's presidency and other buildings in Kyiv that could be targets for Moscow. In recent weeks, Kyiv has come under repeated missile and drone attacks by Russia, raising the risks of a strike or damage from falling debris.
Russia's embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment about its targeting practices regarding historical sites.
Durand and Revenko also traveled to the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, far closer to the front lines, to create images of other cultural sites.
“As an architect, it’s like rediscovering your country, really, and rediscovering your culture," Revenko said, gesturing toward the artworks within the All Saints Church.
For Durand, who also volunteered at the 2020 Beirut port explosion and the recent earthquake that struck Turkey, doing the 3D scanning in Ukraine offers him a chance to use his talents when people are in need.
“I’m not a doctor. I cannot go to Kherson or places and heal people. That’s not my skill," Durand said. "I’m not a good cook. I cannot give food, but I’m an engineer. I have this 3D skill and other structural assessment skills that I give.”
___
Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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2023-06-13T09:53:08+00:00
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lmtonline.com
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https://www.lmtonline.com/news/world/article/using-high-tech-laser-gear-un-backed-team-scans-18149316.php
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NY Rep.-elect George Santos admits lying about career, college
WASHINGTON (AP) - Rep.-elect George Santos, R-N.Y., admitted Monday that he lied about his job experience and college education during his successful campaign for a seat in the U.S. House.
In an interview with the New York Post, Santos said: “My sins here are embellishing my resume. I’m sorry.”
He also told the newspaper: “I campaigned talking about the people’s concerns, not my resume” and added, “I intend to deliver on the promises I made during the campaign.”
The New York Times raised questions last week about the life story that Santos, 34, had presented during his campaign.
The Queens resident had said he had obtained a degree from Baruch College in New York, but the school said that couldn’t be confirmed.
On Monday, Santos acknowledged: “I didn’t graduate from any institution of higher learning. I’m embarrassed and sorry for having embellished my resume.”
He added: “I own up to that. … We do stupid things in life.”
Santos had also said he had worked for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, but neither company could find any records verifying that.
Santos told the Post he had “never worked directly” for either financial firm, saying he had used a “poor choice of words.”
He told the Post that Link Bridge, an investment company where he was a vice president, did business with both.
Another news outlet, the Jewish American site The Forward, had questioned a claim on Santos’ campaign website that his grandparents “fled Jewish persecution in Ukraine, settled in Belgium, and again fled persecution during WWII.”
“I never claimed to be Jewish,” Santos told the Post. “I am Catholic. Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background I said I was ‘Jew-ish.’”
Santos first ran for Congress in 2020 and lost. He ran again in 2022 and won in the district that includes some Long Island suburbs and a small part of Queens.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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2022-12-27T05:35:45+00:00
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kfyrtv.com
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https://www.kfyrtv.com/2022/12/27/ny-rep-elect-george-santos-admits-lying-about-career-college/
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday it will take up a Republican-led challenge to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a case that could threaten how the consumer watchdog agency functions. It is the second time in three years that the justices will be examining the federal agency, which was created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.
The case will not be heard before October. That's when the court begins its next term.
Late last year, a federal appeals court — the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit — ruled that the agency’s funding structure is unconstitutional, threatening its ability to function. The Biden administration asked the high court to review that decision, which it has now agreed to do.
The administration said the lower court’s ruling “calls into question virtually every action the CFPB has taken” since its creation. The decision “threatens to inflict immense legal and practical harms on the CFPB, consumers, and the nation’s financial sector,” the administration said.
Since the bureau was created more than a decade ago by the Dodd-Frank Act, it has varied in its aggressiveness. During the Obama administration, it used its muscle to collect fines from banks and credit card companies; during the Trump administration, it drastically scaled back enforcement actions. Republicans have argued that the agency has unchecked power.
The case the justices agreed to hear centers on the agency's funding. Unlike a majority of agencies, the CFPB does not get its funding from the annual budget process in Congress. Instead, it is funded directly by the Federal Reserve. The agency’s budget is capped at 12% of the total operating expenses of the Federal Reserve System. In the 2022 fiscal year, the agency received about $640 million.
The case the justices will hear began when two associations sued over the agency's Payday Lending Rule. They argued in part that the agency's funding structure violated the Constitution, improperly insulating the agency from congressional supervision. A trial court ruled against the associations, but the appeals court agreed the funding structure was unconstitutional. Other courts that had previously looked at the agency's funding structure found no issue.
In urging the justices to take the case, a group of 16 mostly Republican-led states called the CFPB “a failed experiment in administrative governance.”
Just three years ago, in 2020, the high court dealt with a different challenge to the agency. That case involved the agency's structure. The justices ultimately ruled that Congress had improperly insulated the head of the bureau from removal. The justices said the agency could continue to operate but that its director had to be removable by the president at will.
The CFPB was the brainchild of Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and former Democratic presidential candidate.
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2023-02-27T15:27:52+00:00
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daytondailynews.com
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https://www.daytondailynews.com/nation-world/supreme-court-agrees-to-hear-case-challenging-cfpbs-funding/XOYZAMZBUVA6LKPF7LIVTJ3H7U/
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Texas soldier who drowned trying to help migrants wasn’t equipped with flotation device
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The river was moving swiftly the morning Spc. Bishop Evans jumped into the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass to save two migrants who appeared to be drowning.
The risk was great. In the past month, at least 23 migrants had drowned in those waters. And rescues by Guard members patrolling the river were a regular occurrence.
The 22-year-old part-time field artilleryman from Arlington, was found dead Monday — ending a four-day search for his body, which had been washed away by the river. He was one of 10,000 National Guard members deployed to Operation Lone Star, Gov. Greg Abbott’s prized mission to secure the Texas-Mexico border.
Evans jumped into the raging waters without a flotation device, the Texas Military Department said in an email Tuesday in response to inquiries from The Texas Tribune and Military Times.
He took that risk because, like many other troops on the mission, he wasn’t outfitted with the potentially lifesaving equipment.
The Texas Military Department ordered rescue ropes and hundreds of ring buoys in February to increase safety for water rescues. But the equipment had not yet arrived to most Guard members at the time Evans died.
“The incident is still under investigation, however we do not believe SPC Evans had a floatation device at the time of death,” the Texas Military Department’s public affairs staff said Tuesday in an unattributed statement. “We only received about 25 percent of the requested equipment due to delays from the vendor and global supply chain issues.”
The public affairs staff also said it made the request for equipment in February as part of its plan to address “gaps in equipment and safety gear.”
It’s not clear why the equipment wasn’t requested until February, 11 months after the mission began in March 2021. For months, soldiers have decried a lack of equipment on Abbott’s hastily deployed border mission, but the absence of water equipment is the first time that lack of supplies may have contributed to a soldier’s death.
Two Guard officials specializing in logistics told Military Times and the Tribune that the Texas Military Department sat on a request for flotation devices for three weeks before it was approved. The delays, those officials said, were avoidable and highlight the dysfunction plaguing the unprecedented $2 billion-per-year state mission.
The logistics officials, and eight other troops posted along the Rio Grande, spoke to Military Times and the Tribune under condition of anonymity after they were explicitly warned by military leaders against talking to the press.
The delays are new evidence of TMD’s staggering failure to ensure its troops have the equipment they need. Military Times and the Tribune previously investigated how haste and planning failures overwhelmed the department’s bureaucracy and led to significant hardship for the thousands of troops involuntarily mobilized.
Lawmakers are now calling for investigations into the lack of equipment.
“For any member of our Guard or DPS [Department of Public Safety] who are sent to the border along the river to not be assigned basic, inexpensive safety equipment is unforgivable,” said state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, who said he has requested information on whether service members have access to water equipment. “We believe the death of Bishop Evans was avoidable if he had been provided with the proper equipment.”
A known danger
Spc. Hunter Schuler, a soldier on the border mission who represents a group of newly unionized soldiers, said Evans’ death was tragic, preventable and unnecessary. He criticized the military department for not providing service members with water equipment.
“It is astonishing that with thousands of soldiers stationed along a river that has claimed countless lives over the years, we have yet [to] be issued flotation devices of any kind,” Schuler said.
The Texas Military Department said in its statement that service members are “strongly advised not to enter the water at any time for their safety” and that they are not given instructions or training on water rescue due to that restrictive posture.
In contrast, Border Patrol agents patrolling those areas are equipped with flotation devices and rescue ropes and are required to carry them while on assignment, said Jenn Budd, a former U.S. Border Patrol agent.
Border Patrol agents have been busy rescuing migrants for the last month from the stretch of river where Evans died. A spokesperson for the agency told The Washington Post that agents rescued a dozen people in the same area two weeks ago after they were swept off their feet by a swift current.
A Border Patrol union representative told the newspaper that 11 bodies had been found this month on the U.S. side of the river along a stretch of the Rio Grande that extends west to Del Rio. At least 12 were found on the Mexican side.
Texas Guard officials have been aware of the danger for months, too. Six troops told Military Times and The Tribune that water rescues have been occurring despite guidance to avoid the water.
A source familiar with incident reporting said that Operation Lone Star troops have been performing about 15 to 20 water rescues each month.
Officials from the two main state agencies participating in the mission said they do not keep track of water rescues.
Department of Public Safety spokesperson Ericka Miller said that water rescues are “not information the department tracks.” The Texas Guard then admitted that it also does “not track water rescues” because they “are not part of our security operations.”
The military department acknowledged that service members were acting heroically to conduct water rescues, despite instructions to stay out of the water.
“When someone puts on a uniform, they do it because they want to help and serve the community and country,” the department said in its written response. “We are proud of the hard work and dedication of our service members, not knowing the dangers they may come across that day.”
The statement also said Evans will be granted a posthumous award.
“SPC [Evans] sacrificed himself, so that somebody else may live,” the statement said. “That kind of selfless service act represents the soldiers and airmen we have serving in our force.”
A logistics logjam
The junior of the two logistics sources told Military Times and the Tribune that the border task force had requested the safety equipment in February with a one-week delivery timeframe.
The senior logistics official also disagreed with the Texas Military Department’s reasoning that supply chain issues held up the delivery.
Trying to “get anything purchased in a timely manner is almost impossible,” the official lamented, due to administrative bottlenecks and “friction points along the way.” In the case of the late February purchase order, the Office of State Administration took three weeks to process it despite the one-week delivery request.
Early on in the mission, the senior logistics official said, units on the border were able to meet critical equipment needs locally by using government credit cards. But that practice ended due to the agency’s desire for greater oversight on purchasing, the source explained.
As a result, the state receives hundreds of purchase requests per day from the border mission, according to the senior official. And all of them must be processed by the Office of State Administration, a small cadre of TMD state employees who have also faced recent criticism for their struggles with the mission’s payroll.
The Texas Military Department is also struggling through a financial crunch. Operation Lone Star’s cost has ballooned to more than $2 billion a year, well beyond the $412 million the state Legislature budgeted for the mission. This month, the department’s newly appointed leader, Maj. Gen. Thomas M. Suelzer, said TMD would need another $531 million to fully fund the mission beyond May 1.
That request came after state officials had already transferred $480 million to the military department from other agencies in January to keep Operation Lone Star going.
The department’s public affairs staff said TMD’s budget woes had not affected how it prioritizes lifesaving water equipment — which was ultimately approved for purchase.
Little training, virtually no equipment
While the senior official cautioned that “there’s a lot of factors” that lead to tragedies like Evans’ death, such as his local leadership and job description, they said that part of the responsibility lies with senior leadership to determine what equipment troops need to have — and then to obtain it and station it where troops can use it efficiently and effectively.
Six troops who watch the river told the Tribune and Military Times they had not been provided flotation devices. It’s unclear how widespread the equipment shortage is — though the troops represent units spanning from Del Rio to Brownsville, in addition to various posts in between.
Only one service member, a soldier in the Laredo area, reported having any water rescue equipment at all. A unit there received rescue throw ropes in early April after its soldiers witnessed four migrant drownings in February and prevented a fifth, the soldier said.
One airman who spoke to the Tribune and Military Times said early in the mission officials told troops not to rescue people — including children — from the river, because it could be a distraction so smugglers could move drugs across other parts of the river.
An officer who leads around 40 soldiers along a part of the river with deep water explained that “it’s just not safe for us to authorize [water rescues]” without additional training and equipment, especially considering the hefty gear troops wear on duty. “I understand the instinct to save lives … [but] we are not comfortable with that level of risk.”
Some units received renewed orders to stay out of the river after Evans disappeared. Others were told they could only enter with flotation devices.
Schuler, the union representative, also criticized the department for not soliciting soldier feedback in the months since its last survey of the troops, which he said “produced scathing criticisms of the mission.”
“Our hope is that the new TMD command staff learns from this tragedy, listens to soldiers, and works cooperatively with leaders on the ground towards safer working and living environments,” he said in a text message. “With the growing number of service member fatalities on Operation Lone Star, what more will it take for the Governor to end this political charade? It is long past time to let the thousands of involuntarily activated guardsmen and women return home to their families - before it’s too late for yet another soldier.”
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This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2022/04/27/bishop-evans-texas-soldier-drown-flotation/.
The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
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2022-04-27T22:12:48+00:00
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krgv.com
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https://www.krgv.com/news/texas-soldier-who-drowned-trying-to-help-migrants-wasn-t-equipped-with-flotation-device
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MIAMI – Ocean water temperatures at the southern end of Florida clipped past 100 degrees this week, potentially setting a record for the hottest seawater ever.
A buoy at Manatee Bay registered 100.2 degrees on Sunday evening. On Monday, the temperature was even warmer, 101.1 degrees, National Weather Service meteorologist George Rizzuto told The Associated Press. On Sunday night the same buoy showed an online reading of 100.2 (37.9 Celsius) degrees.
“It seems plausible,” Rizzuto said. “That is a potential record.”
While there aren’t official water temperature records, a 2020 study listed a 99.7 degree mark in Kuwait Bay in July 2020 as the world’s highest recorded sea surface temperature.
“This is a hot tub. I like my hot tub around 100, 101, (37.8, 38.3 Celsius). That’s what was recorded yesterday,” Yale Climate Connections meteorologist Jeff Masters told The AP. Hot tub maker Jacuzzi recommends water between 100 and 102 degrees (37.8 and 38.9 Celsius).
“We’ve never seen a record-breaking event like this before,” Masters said.
The Manatee Bay buoy temperature reading was among several extreme values in South Florida’s offshore waters, The Washington Post reported.
A buoy near Johnson Key, southwest of Manatee Bay, topped out at 98.4 degrees. The temperature hovered at or above 98 degrees for several hours during the evening.
Most of the buoys in the area reached or surpassed 95 degrees during the day. In fact, the average of the two dozen observation locations in and around Florida Bay was right around 96 degrees during the early evening, The Post said.
Already devastating effects of the prolonged hot temperatures can be seen.
While there aren’t many coral reefs in Manatee Bay, scientists diving at Cheeca Rocks to the southwest found bleaching and even death in some of the Keys most resilient corals, Ian Enochs, lead of the coral program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, told The AP.
“This is more, earlier than we have ever seen,” Enochs said. “I’m nervous by how early this is occurring.”
This all comes as sea surface temperatures worldwide have broken monthly records for heat in April, May and June, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
Temperatures in the north Atlantic Ocean are off the charts — as much as 9 to 11 degrees warmer than normal in some spots near Newfoundland, meteorologist Brian McNoldy said.
Other ocean hot spots in the Northern Hemisphere, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Watch, include the Mediterranean Sea, which reached its hottest level on record Monday, averaging 83.1 degrees and the waters west of Peru.
An unusual weather pattern that has lingered for the majority of the month, has helped drive the warm temperatures in the Florida water, NBC News reported. That pattern has featured a stagnant set-up fueled by a strong area of high pressure that has led to days of above average, and in many cases, record-setting air temperatures.
The pattern has also led to weaker than average trade winds – southeast winds that usually produce a sea breeze for south Florida, NBC said. The trade winds help keep sea surface temperatures in check. Instead, winds have been out of the west and weak, allowing sea surface temperatures to heat up.
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2023-07-26T15:35:25+00:00
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cleveland.com
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https://www.cleveland.com/nation/2023/07/ocean-temperature-hits-all-time-high-101-in-florida-endangering-reefs.html
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Police: 1 dead, 4 hurt in Baltimore shopping center shooting
BALTIMORE (AP) — Five teens, believed to be high school students on their lunch break, were shot Wednesday at a Baltimore shopping center, and one has died, the police commissioner said.
Officers called to Edmondson Village shopping center’s parking lot around 11:15 a.m. found the five male victims with gunshot wounds and they were taken to hospitals, Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said. One victim, a 16-year-old boy, died, police said. The other victims are two 17-year-olds and two 18-year-olds, police said. Their injuries aren’t considered life-threatening, Harrison said.
Police believe the five were students at nearby Edmondson Westside High School on their lunch break, Harrison said. They were in front of a Popeyes and Rita’s Italian Ice when two shooters opened fire, then fled, but police don’t have a description, Harrison said.
“We’re looking for witnesses,” Harrison said. “We are looking for anything that would tell us how this happened, why this happened and who’s responsible for it.”
Just before the shooting, an officer was patrolling the parking lot, considered a hot spot, and doubled back after hearing the call, Harrison said. The shooting sparked a lockdown at the school while police investigated, Baltimore City Public Schools tweeted. Classes were canceled at the school Thursday, officials said.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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2023-01-05T00:13:37+00:00
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kxii.com
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https://www.kxii.com/2023/01/05/police-1-dead-4-hurt-baltimore-shopping-center-shooting/
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ROME (AP) — With a message that blends Christianity, motherhood and patriotism, Giorgia Meloni is riding a wave of popularity that next month could see her become Italy’s first female prime minister and its first far-right leader since World War II.
Even though her Brothers of Italy party has neo-fascist roots, Meloni has sought to dispel concerns about its legacy, saying voters have grown tired of such discussions.
Still, there are nagging signs that such a legacy can’t be shaken off so easily: Her party’s symbol includes an image of a tricolored flame, borrowed from a neo-fascist party formed shortly after the end of the war.
If Brothers of Italy prevails at the polls on Sept. 25 and the 45-year-old Meloni becomes premier, it will come almost 100 years to the month after Benito Mussolini, Italy’s fascist dictator, came to power in October 1922.
In 2019, Meloni proudly introduced Caio Giulio Cesare Mussolini, a great-grandson of the dictator, as one of her candidates for the European Parliament, although he eventually lost.
For most Italian voters, questions about anti-fascism and neo-fascism aren’t “a key driver of whom to vote for,” said Lorenzo Pregliasco, head of the YouTrend polling company. ”They don’t see that as part of the present. They see that as part of the past.”
Still, Meloni is sensitive to international scrutiny about her possible premiership and prefers the term conservative instead of far right to describe her party.
She recently recorded video messages in English, French and Spanish that said the Italian right “has handed fascism over to history for decades now, unambiguously condemning the suppression of democracy and the ignominious anti-Jewish laws.”
That was a reference to the 1938 laws banning Italy’s small Jewish community from participating in business, education and other facets of everyday life. The laws paved the way for the deportation of many Italian Jews to Nazi death camps during the German occupation of Rome in the waning years of World War II.
Yet by keeping the tri-colored flame in her party’s logo, “she is symbolically playing on that heritage,” said David Art, a Tufts University political science professor who studies Europe’s far right. “But then she wants to say, ‘We’re not racist.’”
Unlike Germany, which worked to come to terms with its devastating Nazi legacy, the fascist period is little scrutinized in Italian schools and universities, says Gastone Malaguti. Now 96, he fought as a teenager against Mussolini’s forces. In his decades of visiting classrooms to talk about Italy’s anti-fascist Resistance, he found many students “ignorant” of that history.
Only five years ago, Brothers of Italy — its name is inspired by the opening words of the national anthem — was viewed as a fringe force, winning 4.4% of the vote. Now, opinion polls indicate it could come in first place in September and capture as much as 24% support, just ahead of the center-left Democrat Party led by former Premier Enrico Letta.
Under Italy’s complex, partially proportional electoral system, campaign coalitions are what propels party leaders into the premiership, not just votes. Right-wing politicians have done a far better job this year than the Democrats of forging wide-ranging electoral partnerships.
Meloni has allied with the right-wing League party led by Matteo Salvini, who, like her, favors crackdowns on illegal migration. Her other electoral ally is the center-right Forza Italia party of former Premier Silvio Berlusconi.
Last year, her party was the only major one to refuse to join Italy’s national pandemic unity coalition led by Premier Mario Draghi, the former European Central Bank chief. Draghi’s government collapsed last month, abruptly abandoned by Salvini, Berlusconi and 5-Star leader Giuseppe Conte, who are all preoccupied with their parties’ slipping fortunes in opinion polls and local elections.
In opinion surveys, Meloni is “credited with a consistent and coherent approach to politics. She didn’t compromise,” Pregliasco said, adding that she also is perceived as “a leader who has clear ideas — not everyone agrees with those ideas, of course.”
She has apologized for the “tone” but not the content of a blistering speech she delivered in June in Spain to drum up support for far-right party Vox.
“They will say we are dangerous, extremists, racists, fascists, deniers and homophobes,” Meloni thundered, in an apparent reference to Holocaust deniers. She ended with a crescendo of shouted slogans: “Yes to natural families! No to LGBT lobbies! Yes to sexual identity! No to gender ideology!”
Meloni slammed ”bureaucrats in Brussels” and “climate fundamentalism.” Meloni, who has a young daughter, claimed that “the most censured” phrase is “woman and motherhood.”
Abortion hasn’t emerged as a campaign issue in Italy, where it’s legal. But Meloni has decried Italy’s shrinking birth rate, which would be even lower without immigrant women having babies.
At a rally of right-wing supporters in Rome in 2019, Meloni drew roars of approval when she yelled in a staccato pace: “I am Giorgia! I am a woman. I am a mother. I am Italian, and I am Christian. And you cannot take that away from me!”
Within days, her proclamation became fodder for a rap song’s lyrics. While some saw that as a parody, Meloni loved it and even sang a few bars on a state radio program.
According to her 2021 memoir “I am Giorgia,” much of her identity was forged by growing up in Rome’s working-class Garbatella neighborhood. At 15, she joined a youth branch of the Italian Social Movement, the neo-fascist party with the flame symbol, and plastered political posters in the capital.
When she was 31, Berlusconi made her the minister of youth in his third and last government. But she soon blazed her own path, co-founding Brothers of Italy in 2012.
Both Salvini and Meloni say they are safeguarding what they call Europe’s Christian identity. Salvini kisses dangling rosaries and wears a large cross on his often-bared chest, while Meloni’s tiny cross sometimes peeks out from her loose-fitting blouses.
Her party staunchly backed Draghi’s moves to send weapons to Ukraine, even as Salvini and Berlusconi, open admirers of Russian President Vladimir Putin, issued only tepid support. Meloni also defends the NATO alliance anchored by the United States, a fellow Group of Seven country. But she often views European Union rules as an infringement on Italy’s sovereignty.
If Meloni’s far-right forces dominate Italy’s next government, there’s concern about the support Italy will give to right-wing governments in Hungary and Poland “for their deeply conservative agendas” amid fears about a ”democratic backsliding” in the EU, Art said.
For her part, Meloni says she will “fiercely oppose any anti-democratic drift.”
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2022-08-17T00:40:50+00:00
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upmatters.com
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https://www.upmatters.com/news/business/ap-business/far-right-italian-leader-meloni-rides-popular-wave-in-polls/
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LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – A massive 542-foot guitar – actually, back-to-back guitars – will be much more than a sign in front of the Hard Rock Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.
The resort – currently being rebranded from The Mirage, with construction that will replace the famous volcano – says it’s not a sign at all. It will be a hotel tower with 600 rooms and a 48,234-square-foot casino.
A conceptual rendering of the project has been released, but details of the design are just becoming public. The guitar itself shoots 542 feet skyward.
“Designed to resemble back to back guitars, complete with guitar faces and lit strings, this tower will be an engineering masterpiece at a height of 660 feet with floor to ceiling glass panes. The guitar tower will forever change the skyline of the Strip,” according to documents approved by Clark County Commissioners on Wednesday.
It’s so tall it will have to get a waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration.
“The necessary forms have been filed with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). However, final action cannot occur until the FAA has issued a valid Determination of No Hazard, and the Department Of Aviation (DOA) has reviewed the determination,” according to documents.
According to the documents, the design of the hotel features an exterior composed of a glazed aluminum window wall system and aluminum composite panels.
The structure will include 36 levels with occupied rooms within the tower, which will rise above a 105-foot base structure, reaching a height of 660 feet “for additional architectural features to mimic the neck of the guitar. The plan also includes a plan for more than 4,500 additional parking spaces and multiple “potential” pedestrian bridges over existing driveways on the property.
A similar guitar-shaped hotel was opened by the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in South Florida in 2019.
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2023-03-23T03:28:29+00:00
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nwahomepage.com
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https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/national/hard-rock-hotels-guitar-tower-gets-ok-will-forever-change-the-vegas-strip-skyline/
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Sleep apnea linked to smaller brain volume, study finds
By Sandee LaMotte, CNN
(CNN) — A part of the brain connected to memory shrank in people with severe sleep-disordered breathing — which can include heavy snoring and sleep apnea — according to a new study. People with sleep apnea stop breathing for 10 seconds or more at a time multiple times a night.
“It is more and more acknowledged that this sleep disorder, if untreated, will increase the risk of dementia. Here, we provide new original evidence focusing on the medial temporal lobe, a brain region early affected in Alzheimer’s disease,” said lead study author Géraldine Rauchs, a postdoctoral research officer at the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Caen, France, in an email.
The medial temporal lobe is an area of the brain essential for memory and recall of facts and events. Buried deep in that area is the hippocampus, a complex structure critical for learning, memory encoding and consolidation, and spatial navigation.
However, the loss of volume in the brain only occurred when a person also had signs of beta-amyloid plaques, a hallmark sign of Alzheimer’s disease, the study found.
“We found that greater severity of sleep apnea was associated with lower volumes in the hippocampus and in various subregions of the medial temporal lobe,” Rauchs said. “The people who did not have amyloid plaques did not have this lower brain volume, even if they had severe sleep apneas.”
Amyloid buildup in the brain can start decades before any clinical signs of cognitive decline — as early as the 30s and 40s, experts say. After age 70, one-third of cognitively normal people have amyloid in their brain tissue, according to a February 2022 study. Interestingly, the deposits do not necessarily result in Alzheimer’s disease — many older people have evidence of extensive amyloid in their brains and do not go on to develop Alzheimer’s.
However, it’s during sleep, especially deep, slow-wave sleep, that the brain clears away much of the amyloid buildup in the brain, said Rudy Tanzi, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, who was not involved in the study.
In order to get enough deep sleep for the brain to rejuvenate, adults need at least seven hours of uninterrupted sleep. However, people who snore heavily or who have sleep apnea can experience hundreds of mini-arousals per night — even though they don’t realize it.
“It makes sense that sleep apnea was associated with reduced brain volume in older individuals, particularly those with amyloid plaque,” Tanzi said in an email.
“If the amyloid is not properly removed, it will initiate the cascade of Alzheimer’s disease pathology ultimately leading to dementia,” said Tanzi, who is also the director of the genetics and aging research unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
Sleep apnea plus plaques
The study, published Wednesday in the journal Neurology, examined data collected on 128 people older than age 65 participating in Age Well, an ongoing randomized clinical trial in Caen, France. The trial is designed to test interventions on cognitive aging.
All participants were free of any cognitive, psychiatric or chronic diseases at the start of the study. None had sleep apnea at the start of the study, and those who developed sleep-disordered breathing and were treated with continuous positive airway pressure, also known as CPAP, were excluded from the study results.
The study group underwent brain scans, memory tests that were repeated at about 21 months, and an overnight sleep study done at their homes. Sleep testing showed 91 of the 122 study participants had moderate to severe sleep apnea, but most didn’t have many obvious symptoms — only 11 people experienced excessive daytime sleepiness.
Twenty-six of the participants had amyloid plaques in their brain tissue. In those people, severe sleep-disordered breathing was linked to less volume in the medial temporal lobe. The more severe the apnea, the greater the loss of volume, the study found.
In addition, “lower volumes in some regions of the medial temporal lobe were associated with worse memory performance assessed 18 months later,” Rauchs said.
However, no shrinkage was found in the brains of people with sleep apnea who had no amyloid plaques. This finding suggests certain individuals may be more vulnerable to the adverse effects of sleep disorders that impact breathing and interrupt sleep, Rauchs said.
“People who are in the very early stages of the Alzheimer’s continuum showed a specific vulnerability to sleep apneas,” Rauchs said. “Further studies should look at whether treating sleep-disordered breathing could potentially improve cognition and prevent or delay neurodegeneration.”
Sleep apnea and the brain
It’s estimated 936 million adults worldwide between the ages of 30 and 69 may suffer from sleep apnea, with many more people undiagnosed. If the sleep apnea is severe and untreated, people have three times the risk of dying from any cause, according to research.
A study published in May found people with severe sleep apnea who spent less time in slow-wave, deep sleep had more damage to the white matter of the brain than people who had more slow-wave sleep. For every 10% decrease in time spent in deep sleep, there was an increase of white matter hyperintensities (lesions) in the brain similar to the effect of being 2.3 years older, the study found.
Severe sleep apnea was associated with worrisome changes in the brains of middle-aged and older adults, a July 2018 study found. People who had low levels of oxygen in their blood from sleep apnea were more likely to have thinner brain matter in certain regions linked to dementia, the study showed.
When tested, those people had less ability to remember and recall new information. At the same time, they were more likely to have thickness in other regions of the brain, which the researchers said could be indications of signs of swelling and inflammation.
Rauchs said in a prior study she found amyloid burden in the brain was “predicted by the severity of hypoxia associated to sleep apneas. Hypoxia is a lack of oxygen to the brain that occurs in sleep apnea when a person stops breathing multiple times each hour.
“We surmise that hypoxia may also have a deleterious effect on the volume of the regions of the medial temporal lobe. Indeed, some regions of the medial temporal lobe such as the hippocampus are particularly vulnerable to hypoxia,” she said.
Studies such as these reinforce the need to be assessed by a sleep specialist and treated for sleep apnea. Work with a physician “to keep your brain healthy and clear of amyloid deposits which initiates the cascade of Alzheimer’s pathology eventually leading to nerve cell loss and cognitive decline,” Tanzi said.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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2023-05-31T22:25:49+00:00
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keyt.com
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https://keyt.com/health/2023/05/31/sleep-apnea-linked-to-smaller-brain-volume-study-finds/
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Donald Trump will join Fox News anchor Sean Hannity for a town hall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on July 18, amid tensions between the former president and some Republicans in the state.
The town hall, which will air on Fox News Channel from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET, will be pre-taped earlier in the day at the Alliant Energy Powerhouse Arena, the network announced Tuesday.
Hannity will “take questions from the audience while discussing the 2024 presidential race, immigration, the economy and the overall state of the country with the former president,” according to a press release.
The news comes as Trump risks a growing rift with Republicans in the Hawkeye State. The former president declined to take part in a forum being hosted by Tucker Carlson — himself a former Fox News personality — in Iowa this Friday, even though some of his top Republican rivals, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), will be participating.
The Friday forum, which is being run by the conservative group The Family Leader alongside Blaze Media, comes days after Trump drew headlines for attacking Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) over her approach to the 2024 race.
“I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Monday. “Now, she wants to remain ‘NEUTRAL.’ I don’t invite her to events! DeSanctus down 45 points!”
Reynolds had appeared alongside DeSantis’s wife, Casey DeSantis, at an event days earlier. There have also been reports that Trump’s team has been frustrated by her relationship with the DeSantis campaign.
DeSantis and other 2024 Republicans were quick to rally around Reynolds following Trump’s comments. And some Iowa Republicans, including veteran strategist David Kochel, openly expressed their frustration with the former president.
Still, most polls show Trump with a commanding lead over the GOP primary field, including one survey of Iowa voters taken in May that showed him with an overwhelming 42-point lead.
Meanwhile, Trump has joined several interviews with Fox News hosts, including Hannity and Bret Baier. Fox News announced Sunday that the former president will join anchor Maria Bartiromo for a pre-taped interview on her show “Sunday Morning Futures” on July 16 at 10 a.m.
His media engagements come as his relationship with Fox News has grown increasingly unpredictable and, often, contentious. Trump has railed on the network for focusing too much on DeSantis and has labeled Fox the “DeSanctimonious Network,” a nod to Trump’s nickname for the governor.
Trump also called Baier’s line of questioning “hostile,” during Baier’s recent one-on-one interview with the former president.
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2023-07-12T04:18:45+00:00
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qcnews.com
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https://www.qcnews.com/hill-politics/trump-to-sit-with-hannity-for-town-hall-in-iowa-after-criticizing-governor/
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SAN FRANCISCO, July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Connected Technology, a residential electrical services provider based in the Greater Sacramento metropolitan area, has focused primarily on installing electric vehicle chargers, whole house battery systems, and solar since 2016. With the implementation of NEM3.0, the role of residential energy storage systems has become increasingly important, and the EP Cube's excellent performance and features have helped them better meet customer needs.
In Sacramento, summers can be scorching, and homeowners need constantly run air-conditioning systems. However, owing to insufficient power output and surge capacity, most energy-storage systems cannot consistently support air-conditioning, and the transportation and installation processes are also complicated. As a result, Connected Technology had been looking for a product that better meets the needs of local customers.
A single EP Cube unit has a maximum output of 7.6kW, which can support a 5-ton air conditioner during an outage with a soft starter; this output can jump to 45.6 kW when six units are connected. Additionally, the product is compatible with both new and existing PV systems. All these features help to address customers' concerns about residential battery systems. "When we began to look at the specifications for the EP Cube, it really could provide a lot of good options. One of the things in particular that we appreciate is the maximum power throughput, especially the round trip efficiency savings of providing DC electricity directly into the batteries," said Bill Horbaly, the co-founder of Connected Technology. "That's something that we feel like we can adequately explore for our customers and provide an additional solar option that we haven't had before."
EP Cube comes with multiple specifications. The minimum capacity of a single unit is 9.9kWh, with each battery module's capacity of 3.3kWh. By stacking modules, a single unit can be expanded to 19.9 kWh. When a maximum of six units are connected, it can reach 119.9kWh. "For the customers who want to take advantage of Net Metering 3.0 pricing or have fundamental backup options, we can provide a small system. For the customers who have multiple air conditioners and want to have everything from the whole hose backed up, the EP Cube allows us to do that as well," said Horbaly.
The user-friendly design of EP Cube also benefits installers. "Besides meeting our customer needs better, the consistency and short time required for the commissioning makes it very much a plug-and-play option. We can complete the work very quickly and reliably. And being able to stack batteries without additional wiring for batteries installed saves us a lot of time."
Most products in the market weigh over 300 lbs and require special lifting equipment, lengthening the job and leading to possible injuries and product damage. Bill Horbaly and his team must pay extra attention to avoid accidents. "We have always been concerned about moving them in and out of vehicles and putting them in customers' homes - we have to spend extra effort to ensure no injuries are caused. As a business owner, having a much lighter modular system like EP Cube relieves my concern, making transport and equipment storage much easier and more effective."
EP Cube is committed to providing the best experience for its users and partners. As more installers recognize and recommend the product, it will continuously bring reliable and clean energy to more homeowners in California.
About Eternalplanet
Eternalplanet is a consumer-oriented independent brand of energy technology under Canadian Solar, with independent design, R&D, manufacturing and global service capabilities. Eternalplanet always adheres to scientific and technological innovation and is committed to providing energy solutions for people and promoting the sustainable development of the world. In September 2022, Eternalplanet launched the first self-designed-and-developed residential energy storage system in the United States - EP Cube. EP Cube adopts industry-leading technologies to provide all-round power backup for every household, with higher safety performance and more flexible capacity expansion. More information on the company can be found at https://epcube.com.
About Canadian Solar Inc.
Canadian Solar was founded in 2001 in Canada and is one of the world's largest solar technology and renewable energy companies. It is a leading manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules, provider of solar energy and battery storage solutions, and developer of utility-scale solar power and battery storage projects with a geographically diversified pipeline in various stages of development. Over the past 22 years, Canadian Solar has successfully delivered around 94 GW of premium-quality, solar photovoltaic modules to customers across the world. Likewise, since entering the project development business in 2010, Canadian Solar has developed, built and connected over 8.8 GWp in over 20 countries across the world. Currently, the Company has approximately 609 MWp of projects in operation, 6.9 GWp of projects under construction or in backlog (late-stage), and an additional 17.7 GWp of projects in advanced and early-stage pipeline. Canadian Solar is one of the most bankable companies in the solar and renewable energy industry, having been publicly listed on the NASDAQ since 2006. For additional information about the Company, follow Canadian Solar on LinkedIn or visit https://www.canadiansolar.com.
View original content:
SOURCE Eternalplanet
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2023-07-28T18:35:08+00:00
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wsfa.com
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https://www.wsfa.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/ep-cube-help-installers-win-more-orders-with-more-industry-friendly-design/
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2022-05-25T02:08:06+00:00
|
chieftain.com
|
https://www.chieftain.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chieftain.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2F2022%2F05%2F24%2Fpueblo-west-wont-host-popular-fourth-of-july-wet-parade-year%2F9891703002%2F
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Red Stars' Pugh, top MLB FA Swanson get married originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Pugh and top MLB free agent Dansby Swanson tied the knot over the weekend.
The two wed on Saturday after having been dating since 2017.
Get Chicago local news, weather forecasts, sports and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Chicago newsletters.
Pugh, 24, is originally from Colorado and has played for the Red Stars since 2021. She has 13 goals in 31 appearances for the Red Stars over the last two seasons and played on the United States 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup championship team.
Of her career on the U.S. Women's National Team (USWNT), she has 25 goals and 27 assists in 82 appearances.
Local
Swanson, 28, has spent the last seven seasons with the Atlanta Braves before entering free agency this offseason.
The Cubs have targeted the veteran shortstop and are in the mix to sign him, according to NBC Sports Chicago's Gordon Wittenmeyer.
MORE: How Aaron Judge's return to Yankees impacts Cubs, Correa
Over his seven-year career, he's slashed .255/.321/.417 and records 20 home runs and 80 RBIs on a 162-game average.
During the 2021 season, he helped the Atlanta Braves win the World Series. Last season, he secured his first All-Star nod and Gold Glove award at shortstop, landing 12th in NL MVP voting.
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2022-12-12T20:47:01+00:00
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nbcchicago.com
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https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/red-stars-mallory-pugh-cubs-fa-target-dansby-swanson-get-married/3020006/
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Indonesian troops accused of killing, mutilating 4 Papuans
JAYAPURA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian security forces say they have arrested six elite troops who are accused of involvement in the killing of four indigenous Papuans and the mutilation of their bodies. Villagers were shocked on Friday by the discovery of four sacks, each containing a headless and legless torso, in a river. The remaining body parts were found separately in two other sacks. Police say the victims were residents of a neighboring district who allegedly were going to meet someone to buy an AK-47 rifle and a gun. A low-level insurgency has simmered for decades in Papua, a former Dutch colony that is ethnically and culturally distinct from much of Indonesia.
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2022-08-29T19:01:47+00:00
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keyt.com
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https://keyt.com/news/2022/08/29/indonesian-troops-accused-of-killing-mutilating-4-papuans/
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The 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E earned a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS, and it also earned top marks in the independent safety agency’s new side-impact crash test, the insurance industry-funded group announced Tuesday.
The electric crossover earned top “Good” marks in all seven of the crash tests performed by the IIHS, including the new test that better reflects the realities of today’s roadways. The new side-impact test, which simulates a perpendicular crash such as getting T-boned at an intersection, uses a barrier that weighs 4,200 lb and hits the test car at a speed of 37 mph.
Since 2003, that test has been conducted by a barrier weighing 3,300 lb, and moving at 31 mph. The IIHS said the new test—the first update to side-impact testing in 20 years—reflects the preponderance of heavier SUVs populating modern roads.
As more automakers meet the criteria for a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ award, the IIHS raises the safety bar. More than half of the 220-plus vehicles tested in 2022 earned either a TSP or TSP+ rating. The new side-impact test has been performed on 2022 models but the IIHS has given automakers time to respond and won’t use the tougher criteria to earn a TSP until the 2023 model year.
So far, the results are mixed. Ten of 18 models tested have earned “Good” ratings on the new test.
The IIHS found the Mustang Mach-E protected occupants’ heads, and the crash dummies showed a low risk of injury. The one concern was the driver’s side rear door partially opened during the crash testing. In theory, that could increase the risk of an unbelted passenger to be ejected from the vehicle.
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- Porsche recalls nearly 200,000 vehicles for possible headlight glare
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2022-10-05T01:26:32+00:00
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cbs42.com
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https://www.cbs42.com/automotive/internet-brands/2022-ford-mustang-mach-e-earns-top-safety-pick-aces-new-crash-test/
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School bus catches fire with elementary students on board in Indiana
Published: May. 4, 2023 at 7:42 AM EDT|Updated: 53 minutes ago
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE/Gray News) - A Deputy, Indiana, school bus caught fire with students on board Tuesday afternoon.
Madison Consolidated Schools said the bus was taking students from Deputy Elementary School home when the fire broke out.
They said it happened on North Bethany Road and that all students, including the bus driver, were evacuated.
Families were alerted, and students were checked out by EMS.
Madison Consolidated Schools thanked the heroic efforts of veteran bus driver Jessie Ritzline and the quick actions of the students on the bus.
The school district in southern Indiana said mechanics will evaluate the bus, and no injuries were reported.
Copyright 2023 WAVE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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2023-05-04T12:37:07+00:00
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uppermichiganssource.com
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https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2023/05/04/school-bus-catches-fire-with-elementary-students-board-indiana/
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Company Proudly Introduces Alison Lee, Andrea Lee and Annie Park as "Team F&G"
DES MOINES, Iowa, April 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- F&G Annuities & Life, Inc. (NYSE: FG) ("F&G"), a leading provider of insurance solutions serving retail annuity and life customers and institutional clients, is proud to introduce "Team F&G" comprised of three Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) golfers. Alison Lee, Andrea Lee and Annie Park will serve as F&G's brand ambassadors through the 2023-2024 season.
"F&G is proud to partner with three accomplished LPGA professionals who turn aspirations into reality both on and off the golf course," said Renee Hamlen, SVP, Chief Human Capital and Brand Officer of F&G. "Through their talent, dedication and drive, Annie, Alison and Andrea embody our brand, and we look forward to cheering them on this year."
"We view this sponsorship as mutually beneficial, as F&G's owned distribution strategy is focused on multicultural markets, where a significant portion of sales in this segment are driven by female advisors," said John Phelps, EVP, Head of Owned Distribution at F&G. "Golf is a sport that many key distribution partners in these markets enjoy and connect with, and we are excited to have Team F&G on board to provide additional inspiration and excitement to our extended team members."
As part of the sponsorship, F&G's logo will be displayed on the team's clothing and golf bag. Team F&G players will also drive engagement sharing their stories of perseverance and success with F&G employees and the community through various events and activities.
Team F&G will officially debut at the JM Eagle LA Championship taking place in Los Angeles, CA on April 27-30, 2023.
Alison Lee
A former #1 US Amateur with 16 career top 10s, Alison Lee turned professional in 2015. Ms. Lee made 19 of 23 cuts in her rookie season and qualified for the victorious Team USA Solheim Cup team in Germany. Last season, she recorded four top-10 finishes and captured her maiden victory on the Ladies European Tour. She was born and raised in Southern California and currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Andrea Lee
Andrea Lee is coming off of a career year in 2022, where she recorded six top-10 finishes including her first LPGA tour victory at the AmazingCre Portland Classic. Ms. Lee turned professional in 2020 as the #1 ranked amateur in the world and the winningest golfer in Stanford Women's Golf history. She was born and raised in Hermosa Beach, California, where she still resides.
Annie Park
Annie Park has been a fixture on LPGA leaderboards since she turned professional in 2015 after winning the individual and team NCAA Championship at USC. Ms. Park has 11 career top 10s and captured her first LPGA victory at the 2018 ShopRite LPGA Classic, which also helped her qualify for the 2019 Solheim Cup team. She was born and raised just outside of New York City, and currently lives in Dallas, Texas.
For more information, visit www.fglife.com/golf.
F&G Annuities and Life, Inc. is committed to helping Americans turn their aspirations into reality. F&G is a leading provider of insurance solutions serving retail annuity and life customers and institutional clients and is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. For more information, please visit fglife.com.
Media Contact:
Karen Pevenstein
Karen.Pevenstein@fglife.com
617.312.3922
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE F&G Annuities & Life, Inc.
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2023-04-25T13:32:05+00:00
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kcrg.com
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https://www.kcrg.com/prnewswire/2023/04/25/fampg-annuities-amp-life-announces-sponsorship-three-lpga-golfers/
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NEW YORK, Dec. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Discover Financial Services ("DFS" or the "Company") (NYSE: DFS).
If you suffered losses exceeding $50,000 investing in DFS stock or options and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310). You may also click here for additional information: www.faruqilaw.com/DFS.
There is no cost or obligation to you.
Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading minority and Woman-owned national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia.
On July 20, 2022, Discover announced that, due to an internal investigation into compliance practices at its student loan servicing business, the Company was suspending its share buyback program.
On this news, Discover's stock fell as much as 10.5% during intraday trading on July 21, 2022, thereby injuring investors.
Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP
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2022-12-30T00:29:38+00:00
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mysuncoast.com
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https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/12/29/discover-financial-services-investor-alert-securities-litigation-partner-james-josh-wilson-encourages-investors-who-suffered-losses-exceeding-50000-dfs-contact-him-directly-discuss-their-options/
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MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina said Thursday that he supports a federal abortion ban after 20 weeks of pregnancy and would sign such legislation into law if he became president.
“It makes total sense to me,” Scott told reporters in New Hampshire, where he was meeting with GOP officials and pastors a day after announcing his exploratory committee for a 2024 presidential campaign.
Abortion has become an increasingly animating issue in elections in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision last year to overturn Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide. Republican candidates are under pressure from influential anti-abortion groups to support a national ban. Democrats, including President Joe Biden, have sought to codify the right to an abortion.
Scott declined to say whether he believes medication abortion should remain legal following a Wednesday ruling by a federal appeals court that preserved access to the abortion pill mifepristone for now but reduced the period of pregnancy when the drug can be used and said it could not be dispensed by mail. The Justice Department said it would ask the Supreme Court for an emergency order to put any action on hold.
“The courts are on their way to solving the problem,” Scott said of medication abortion.
As a senator, he has co-sponsored anti-abortion legislation and supported a 20-week ban with criminal penalties for abortion providers. Asked Thursday if he would sign such a bill as president, he said he supports a 20-week ban but did not comment on specific penalties.
“We should certainly always side with a culture that preserves and appreciates and respects life,” he said. “How do we do that? I certainly think that the 20-week threshold is not a question in my mind at all.”
Scott argued that questions about specific legislation obscure what he characterized as Democrats’ “radical positions” on abortion.
“When you look at the issue of abortion, one of the challenges that we have is we continue to go to the most restrictive conversations without broadening the scope,” he said.
Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, was in Iowa on Wednesday for meetings with evangelical pastors and parents who home-school their children. Both groups are part of the influential Christian conservative base of Republicans’ leadoff caucus state.
He also planned to meet with pastors in New Hampshire, generally considered one of the least religious states. Still, Scott said he expects his message to resonate.
“What we all should agree on is that we should have faith beyond ourselves. Faith in each other is beyond ourselves. Faith in the future of America is beyond ourselves,” he said.
The Republicans already in the 2024 race are former President Donald Trump, former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Others, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence, are considering launching campaigns in the coming months.
DeSantis is expected to address roughly 500 Republicans at a New Hampshire GOP fundraising dinner Friday night. Scott had breakfast Thursday with state and local party officials and mingled with customers at a popular Manchester diner.
Brendan Celluci, finishing an omelet with several teammates from the minor league Portland Sea Dogs baseball team from Maine, said he didn’t expect to be meeting a presidential hopeful or being surrounded by media.
“Well, it’s not the most fun, but you know, life always throws curveballs at you,” he said.
|
2023-04-14T12:56:00+00:00
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everythinglubbock.com
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https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/health/gops-tim-scott-says-he-backs-20-week-federal-abortion-ban/
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SEATTLE — I've heard of people having skeletons in their closet, but Russell Wilson seems to have an entire Seahawks cemetery in there and old bones are being unearthed on a regular basis.
The latest exhumation comes from The Athletic. According to the publication, Wilson wanted Pete Carroll and John Schneider fired because they were inhibiting his quest to win additional Super Bowls.
Wilson placed his request in February last year.
Less than a month later he was traded to Denver.
That shows you the kind of support Carroll and Schneider had and still have from ownership, in particular Jody Allen.
Wilson of course has since denied he wanted Carroll fired, saying Pete was like a father to him.
The thing that bothers me about Wilson is his lack of accountability. It's not just his problem, it's a societal problem. Take ownership of your mistakes, learn from them and move on. Too many people are quick to point the finger.
Jocko Willink is a former Navy Seal and an all-everything man who wrote a book titled, "Extreme Ownership." It's all about owning up to things in life. The basic message I got from the book is this: For just about everything that goes sideways in your life, even on a daily basis, you played some part in it. You bear some of the fault. You could have done something to change the outcome.
Someone needs to leave that book on Russell Wilson's porch.
It took Wilson a few years to alienate his Seahawks teammates, and seemingly just a few days to do the same with his Broncos mates. That's part of the reason they finished last in their division with a record of 5-12.
Seahawks great Richard Sherman made it abundantly clear during his final days in Seattle, he was not happy with the preferential treatment Wilson got from the Seahawks coaching staff, especially Pete Carroll. He knew then what a lot of fans know now - the 2013 Super Bowl Championship season had more to do with the Hawks' top ranked defense and the Legion Of Boom than the play of Wilson.
To Pete's credit, he kept it together and never aired any dirty laundry at the podium. He kept it in the locker room where it should be.
I spent all season sitting down with Pete once a week for a one-on-one interview. Through the ups and downs, the lows and the highs, he never tipped his hand to let us know what he was really thinking. Sure, there were times off camera where we would get a hint of what was really on his mind, but that's part of what he does so well. He controls information. When Wilson ran his mouth on a national radio show about his subpar offensive line, his lack of protection and the team's need to upgrade, Pete simply told us in the media he conveyed a message to Wilson of keeping those complaints in house. He could have criticized his quarterback in public, but he didn't.
Ultimately, Wilson wanted to replace Carroll with Sean Payton. Well, now Payton is his new head coach in Denver. He's already laid down the law, too. Gone from Broncos headquarters are Wilson's personal coaches, his private office and his personal parking space.
The message is clear: Football is the ultimate team sport and no player will get preferential treatment.
Considering Wilson performed at an all-time low last season, will Payton be able to resurrect Wilson's game from the dead?
I'm not sure.
But don't be surprised if the new coach finds a few more bones.
|
2023-02-25T18:46:23+00:00
|
king5.com
|
https://www.king5.com/article/sports/silvi-says-russell-wilson-take-accountability-for-mistakes/281-f7a277a5-1b5a-4566-96f0-0e7b28524f21
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A master business negotiator, McKay will share tips to shift relationships for peak profitability
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Venn Negotiation, a negotiation center of excellence for small and mid-sized companies, proudly announced today its CEO, Christine McKay will keynote at The Grow Retreat, January 19-20 in San Antonio.
"Business owners and executives often miss vital components and relationship building opportunities in contracts and other common negotiations because they don't know what to look for and are not even aware that they're putting their business at risk," says McKay, a 25-year veteran negotiator for businesses large and small. "Most people think their negotiation skills are either good enough, excellent, or non-existent. Typically, none of these are true. Negotiation is a skill that can and should be learned and mastered to shift business toward growth for all parties concerned."
A flagship event hosted annually in Central Texas by Grow Disrupt, specialists in producing educational events for entrepreneurs with ADHD, The Grow Retreat lays out every detail with care from custom-crafted scent and music to the focus, energy, and intentionally selected food, drinks, and speakers.
"I don't have words for how excited I am for Christine to join us at The Grow Retreat," says Stephanie Scheller, founder, Grow Disrupt and producer of The Grow Retreat. "I choose our speakers with immense care every year. We have a 16-point checklist and Christine checks all the boxes. She has incredible energy, passion, and experience that I know will make a difference for our guests."
The event is invitation-only and limited to 50 entrepreneurs. To qualify to attend, schedule an interview with event founder Stephanie Scheller.
View original content:
SOURCE Venn Negotiation
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2023-01-17T16:11:50+00:00
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uppermichiganssource.com
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https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/prnewswire/2023/01/17/venn-negotiation-ceo-christine-mckay-keynote-grow-retreat-2023-san-antonio/
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Prosecutors set to present evidence against Colorado dentist accused of poisoning his wife’s shakes
DENVER (AP) — Investigators say a Colorado dentist accused of killing his wife researched how to poison her and get away with it, searching online for answers to questions like “Is Arsenic Detectable in Autopsy?”
On Wednesday, prosecutors are set to present their evidence against James Craig to a judge to show that he should stand trial for first-degree murder in the death of Angela Craig in March.
Police believe James Craig, 45, laced her pre-workout protein shakes with arsenic and cyanide, so he could be with a woman he was having an affair with, according to court documents. He has yet to be asked to enter a plea to the charge.
James Craig’s lawyer, David M. Beller, declined to comment on the allegations against his client.
Angela Craig died after being taken off life support during her third trip to the hospital in March. She was married to her husband for 23 years and the mother of six children, according to her obituary.
As she languished in the hospital, with doctors unable to figure out what was wrong with her, police in the Denver suburb of Aurora alleged her husband was meeting the woman he was having an affair with, a fellow dentist, who flew in for visits with him. Police began investigating James Craig after his dental practice partner and friend, Ryan Redfearn, told a nurse that James Craig had ordered potassium cyanide even though they did not need it for their work, according to an arrest warrant laying out evidence gathered by investigators.
Investigators believe James Craig put arsenic in one of the protein shakes he routinely made for his wife for their workouts on March 6 and then, after she survived, he ordered a rush shipment of potassium cyanide that he told the supplier was needed for a surgery. James Craig had asked an office manager not to open that package but another employee did, leading to its discovery and eventual disclosure to authorities, the document says.
The delivery of a third substance he is accused of ordering, Oleandrin, was intercepted by authorities after they began investigating him, the document says. Oleandrin is a poisonous substance found in the leaves of the oleander plant.
James Craig told Redfearn that he ordered the potassium cyanide for his wife and told a social worker that she had been suicidal and depressed since he asked for a divorce in December even though neither of the couple’s children said anything about suicide attempts, according to the arrest affidavit.
Redfearn also told investigators that James Craig was on the verge of bankruptcy and had been having problems in his marriage, according to the document. Angela Craig’s sister, Toni Kofoed, told police that James Craig had drugged his wife about five years ago with an unknown drug because he said he planned to kill himself and did not want her to be able to save him.
Kofoed believes that incident is what James Craig referenced in a series of texts between Angela and James Craig about her symptoms after she first fell ill on March 6. According to the arrest affidavit, James Craig wrote: “Given our history I know that must be triggering. Just for the record, I didn’t drug you. I am super worried though.”
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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2023-07-12T12:27:53+00:00
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waff.com
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https://www.waff.com/2023/07/12/prosecutors-set-present-evidence-against-colorado-dentist-accused-poisoning-his-wifes-shakes/
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NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump's former spokesperson Hope Hicks met Monday with Manhattan prosecutors who are investigating hush-money payments made on the ex-president's behalf — the latest member of the Republican's inner circle to be questioned in the renewed probe.
Hicks and her lawyer, Robert Trout, spent several hours inside the Manhattan district attorney’s office and, afterward, were seen walking to a waiting SUV. They didn't say anything to reporters as they got into the vehicle.
Trout declined comment. The district attorney’s office also declined comment and would not confirm prosecutors interviewed Hicks served as Trump’s 2016 campaign press secretary and held various roles in his White House, including communications director.
Last week, prosecutors questioned Trump’s long-estranged former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, and Trump’s former political adviser Kellyanne Conway.
After his session last Friday, Cohen told reporters that the probe of payments to two women alleging affairs with Trump is “really progressing" and that he expects to be called soon to testify before the grand jury that's been hearing evidence since January.
“The level of specificity to which they are attacking the various issues is extraordinary," said Cohen, adding that he's met with prosecutors 18 times through several iterations of the probe.
Monday’s meeting with Manhattan prosecutors wasn't the first time that Hicks has been questioned by prosecutors investigating the president.
In 2018, federal prosecutors interviewed Hicks as part of their investigation in the waning weeks of the 2016 presidential campaign to two women who claimed to have had extramarital affairs with Trump.
Cohen, the only person charged in the federal probe, pleaded guilty in 2018 to various charges, including that he violated campaign finance law by arranging the payouts to porn actor Stormy Daniels and model Karen McDougal to keep them from going public. Trump has denied the affairs.
Last year, Hicks was interviewed by the House Jan. 6 committee, telling the panel that Trump told her that no one would care about his legacy if he lost the 2020 election. She told the committee that Trump told her, "The only thing that matters is winning."
Hicks was also a key witness in former special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, delivering important information to the special counsel's office about Trump's attempts to obstruct that investigation.
As for the hush-money probe, the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan decided not to prosecute Trump personally over the payments. The Manhattan district attorney’s office then began investigating the payments to see if any state laws were broken.
Conway's lawyer didn’t respond to multiple messages about her meeting last week with prosecutors, which was first reported by The New York Times.
Trump's lawyers have said that the payments to the two women broke no laws. Trump says the investigation is politically motivated.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
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2023-03-07T00:36:55+00:00
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springfieldnewssun.com
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/hope-hicks-meets-with-ny-prosecutors-investigating-trump/ZODRYFJUGBGNPAJFH37BFGJ64Q/
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2023-01-23T02:30:39+00:00
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beloitdailynews.com
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https://www.beloitdailynews.com/sports/beloit-memorial-boys-hockey-team-rolls-past-deforest/article_af9e11fc-9ab5-11ed-a76b-7b45ca519364.html
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Small group of Republicans calling for special session to repeal South Dakota grocery tax
A small group of eight Republicans are calling for a special session ahead of the Nov. 8 election to get lawmakers to vote on repealing the state sales tax on groceries.
The announcement Tuesday, headed by Phil Jensen (R-Rapid City), follows Gov. Kristi Noem's public support of repealing the tax. Noem made the announcement during the last week of September, saying that if reelected, she would push legislators to repeal the tax during the 2023 session.
Jensen told the Argus Leader by phone Tuesday that a special session in November could save families hundreds of dollars rather than waiting for the law to pass during the winter session in Pierre and then be enacted next summer.
"It's become dire for families to put food on the table," he said.
The other seven lawmakers who are calling for the special session include: Senator-elect Tom Pischke (R-Dell Rapids), Sen. Julie Frye-Muller (R-Rapid City), Rep. Taffy Howard (R-Rapid City), Rep. Tony Randolph (R-Rapid City), Rep. Kevin Jensen (R-Canton), Rep. Steve Haugaard (R-Sioux Falls) and Rep. Arron Aylward (R-Harrisburg).
Aylward and Randolph are chairman and vice-chairman of the South Dakota Freedom Caucus, a far-right caucus group.
More:'A desperate political stunt': Lawmakers slam Gov. Kristi Noem's proposed grocery tax cut
The current sales tax is 4.5%, according to the South Dakota Department of Revenue. The sales tax accounts for over half of the state revenue.
Jensen said that final details were being hammered out with the Legislative Research Council and that legislators should be getting a memo for a special session petition as soon as the language was finalized.
Jensen voted in favor of a bill in March that would have repealed the full state sales tax on food, along with 46 other House members. The bill then failed in the Senate.
He added he was hoping for an answer "sooner rather than later" on if the Legislature approves of the special session.
More:What does it mean for Gov. Kristi Noem's campaign to cut the sales tax on food?
A majority two-thirds of lawmakers must vote in favor of a special session to be held in South Dakota.
Pischke, who was in the House during the 2022 Legislative session and voted in support of the bill to repeal the tax on food, also voiced support for the special session and the tax cut in general.
"I think there's no better time to strike to move forward with this," he said over the phone. "We don't want it to be just a campaign thing. We want to actually make sure this gets done for the people."
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2022-10-12T00:59:47+00:00
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argusleader.com
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https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/politics/2022/10/11/some-south-dakota-republicans-call-special-session-repeal-food-tax-legislature/69556505007/
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Climate solution: Green hydrogen company Ohmium raises $250M
In what could prove a milestone for an industry that hopes to help address climate change, the Silicon Valley company Ohmium announced Wednesday it has raised $250 million to increase production of machines that can make clean hydrogen and displace fossil fuels.
Some climate experts say burning hydrogen can substitute for burning coal, oil or gas, for example in making steel or cement — without contributing to climate change. That’s been largely theoretical, but real world examples are now growing.
Just four or five years ago, a company working on clean hydrogen from water would not have been able to raise several hundred million dollars, said Daryl Wilson, executive director of the Hydrogen Council. But now there’s rapid growth and demand for it, and a broader recognition that it’s key to addressing climate change, he said.
Mark Viehman, a hydrogen and clean fuels expert at the consulting firm Capgemini, called $250 million a “very impressive” fundraise, and said its own recent research found that 64% of energy and utility companies plan to put money into low-carbon hydrogen efforts by 2030.
Ohmium’s role is to make electrolyzers, the devices that take water and split it into hydrogen and oxygen.
CEO Arne Ballantine said the company will use the $250 million to scale up its plant in Chikkaballapur, outside Bengaluru, India, continue research at the Fremont, California headquarters to reduce the cost of production, and add to its 400-person workforce.
Ballantine said he plans to make enough electrolyzers each year to supply 2 gigawatts’ worth of hydrogen — enough for a few steel or fertilizer plants or several refineries.
Countries and industries are setting ambitious targets to cut carbon dioxide from heavy manufacturing using hydrogen. There are also plans to use it in power generation and transport. The United States, European Union, Canada and India are offering tax credits and production incentives for clean, or green, hydrogen.
The International Energy Agency said in September that global hydrogen demand reached 94 million tons in 2021. Nearly 200 million tons will be needed by 2030 to get on track for net zero emissions by 2050, it said. There are about two dozen major electrolyzer manufacturers.
An electrolyzer produces clean hydrogen if it draws electricity from a grid that’s powered by renewable energy, such as wind and solar. Ballantine said Ohmium clients are completely focused on this method. This will be a major change, because less than 1% of hydrogen produced globally now comes from renewable energy, according to the IEA.
It will take a significant ramp-up in electrolyzer manufacturing and in zero-carbon electricity to meet the demand for low-emissions hydrogen, said Emily Kent, the U.S. director for zero-carbon fuels at the Clean Air Task Force. That’s because it requires massive amounts of electricity to run the electrolyzers.
Most hydrogen today is made from natural gas, which means greenhouse gases are released to get it out of the ground, and then more can leak as it travels through pipelines. Then to crack the hydrogen from natural gas, companies burn more fossil fuel to make steam, releasing more planet-warming greenhouse gases, unless carbon capture technology is used. This common method does not require an electrolyzer and the hydrogen then goes on to be used mainly in the refining and chemical sectors.
Some U.S. power plants plan to use Ohmium’s “Lotus” electrolyzer as a partial substitute for natural gas. Ohmium is also collaborating with Spanish energy company Cepsa and renewable energy developer Amp Energy India on green hydrogen projects. It announced an agreement last week to send an electrolyzer to a liquified natural gas import terminal in Andalusia, Spain.
Each electrolyzer can generate up to 50 tons of hydrogen per year, costs a few hundred thousand dollars and comes in a cabinet 8 feet high by 5 feet wide by 6 feet long, according to Ohmium. They’re interlocking and modular, in case more than one is needed.
Ballantine said it can be difficult to grasp exactly what hydrogen gas is and how it is useful in lessening climate change. But if he shows someone a piece of steel and says it was made releasing far less greenhouse gases, because we burned hydrogen made from water instead of burning coal to heat it up, then they get it, he said.
____
Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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2023-04-26T14:51:57+00:00
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kaaltv.com
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https://www.kaaltv.com/news/business-news/climate-solution-green-hydrogen-company-ohmium-raises-250m/
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Chloe Vasquez scored 19 points as Pequannock defeated DePaul 57-42 in the first round of the Blue and Gold Tournament at Pequannock High School in Pompton Plains.
Pequannock (4-1) led 26-18 at the half and extended its lead to 45-32 after a 19-14 run in the third quarter.
Faith Tucker also tallied 14 points.
Madison Reardon led DePaul (1-4) with 13 points.
Pequannock will face Columbia in the final on Wednesday at 2 PM.
DePaul will face West Milford on Wednesday at 10 AM.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.
The N.J. High School Sports newsletter now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now and be among the first to get all the boys and girls sports you care about, straight to your inbox each weekday. To add your name, click here.
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2022-12-28T03:30:24+00:00
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nj.com
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https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2022/12/pequannock-tops-depaul-blue-and-gold-tournament-girls-basketball-recap.html
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OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Entrust Group, a self-directed IRA administrator, announced their integration with Stripe to upgrade their client's payment experience. This will be the first integration of its kind in the self-directed retirement plan industry.
Stripe integration gives Entrust clients a new level of control over their alternative investing practices. They can easily switch between ACH payments and credit cards in the Entrust Client Portal or through the Entrust mobile app. They will also be able to quickly and easily add external bank accounts. The addition of payment wallets, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, are slated for early Q1 2023.
"Stripe is an incredibly powerful tool for our clients," says Nikita Brodskiy, Chief Strategy Officer at The Entrust Group. "Technology and security in the finance industry have evolved tremendously since the pandemic. This migration ensures the best possible user experience, as well as data security, for our clients."
For over 40 years, The Entrust Group has been a pioneer in the SDIRA and alternative investment world. An integration with Stripe continues their forward momentum and lays the groundwork for a more advanced and secure industry as a whole.
The Entrust Group began utilizing Stripe in early 2023 and will fully integrate the rest of their new features by the end of spring 2023.
About The Entrust Group:
The Entrust Group is the original self-directed IRA administrator. They empower investors to use their retirement funds to purchase alternative assets typically unavailable through brokerage firms. Education-focused, Entrust offers a wide variety of resources to encourage clients to take control of their own financial future.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE The Entrust Group
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2023-02-16T18:31:17+00:00
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kwch.com
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https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/02/16/entrust-group-chooses-stripe-provide-enhanced-payment-features-security-its-clients/
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BELFAST, Maine — Educators and school administrators at Regional School Unit 71 have new guidelines to address the needs of transgender and gender nonconforming students.
The Regional School Unit 71 board of directors approved the transgender and gender expansive students policy Monday night in a 5-3 vote. The policy codifies guidance on trans and gender expansive students’ rights to privacy, using the bathroom or locker room of their choice, requesting name or pronoun changes on nonlegal documents, handling instances of bullying or discrimination, and how to notify parents of these requests.
RSU 71, which serves students from Belfast, Belmont, Morrill, Searsmont and Swanville, joins a growing number of school districts adopting policies to address the needs of trans students, help them feel comfortable on school grounds and handle discrimination. The policy was first adopted by Millinocket’s school board in 2015.
The policy also aims to set a procedure for communication when the student isn’t out to their parents.
“When we’re in delicate situations and there is a child who is terrified of what might happen if parents find out something, we work extremely hard to create a bridge between the students and the family … with students feeling loved by their parents and by parents expressing love for their kids,” Superintendent Mary Alice McLean said.
McLean emphasized the district cannot withhold information from parents, especially if a parent requests it.
However, the district’s purpose, now mandated through the policy, is to work to strengthen the bond between transgender students and their parents, she said.
The policy is modeled strictly after Maine law and a sample policy from Drummond Woodsum, the district’s law firm, McLean said.
While other districts have recently seen challenges to books about gender nonconforming people like “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe and challenges to policies like this, Belfast did not.
Ryan Harnden, Elizabeth Burnett, Catherine Halsted-Robbins, David Crabiel and Martha Proulx voted in favor, while Vice Chair Cory Seekins, Steve Hopkins and Jean Dube voted against it. Chair Ryan Otis was absent.
At Monday’s meeting, Dube and Hopkins wondered how these guidelines will differentiate between younger and older students.
“These days, it’s a trendy thing. And they’re afraid, ‘what are your parents going to say?’ Does that mean you’re not going to tell the parents? At what point do the students have the right to control their life?” Hopkins said.
The two also had concerns about how the policy can protect students who are not transgender or gender expansive, specifically when it comes to using locker room.
RSU 71 has an ongoing practice to allow trans students to use the locker room of their choice, and there have not been any complaints thus far, McLean said. And she explained there are ways to make all students feel comfortable, such as single-use bathrooms and single stalls in locker rooms.
“I’m not sure how it doesn’t protect other students,” McLean said.
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2022-11-29T19:26:48+00:00
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bangordailynews.com
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https://www.bangordailynews.com/2022/11/29/news/midcoast/belfast-schools-transgender-policy-xoasq1i29i/
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DETROIT (AP) _ The winning numbers in Wednesday evening's drawing of the Michigan Lottery's "Fantasy 5" game were:
12-14-29-34-36
(twelve, fourteen, twenty-nine, thirty-four, thirty-six)
DETROIT (AP) _ The winning numbers in Wednesday evening's drawing of the Michigan Lottery's "Fantasy 5" game were:
12-14-29-34-36
(twelve, fourteen, twenty-nine, thirty-four, thirty-six)
|
2023-01-26T02:21:19+00:00
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lmtonline.com
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https://www.lmtonline.com/lottery/article/winning-numbers-drawn-in-fantasy-5-game-17742365.php
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Updated February 12, 2023 at 7:19 PM ET
A unidentified object has been shot down by U.S. forces over Lake Huron, according to the Department of Defense. The object appears to be the same object that had been detected over Montana a day earlier, said officials.
The airborne object — flying about 20,000 feet above the lake waters — was shot down by an F-16 fighter jet with a missile on Sunday afternoon, at the direction of President Biden and based on the recommendations of military leadership, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.
The path and altitude of object — which flew close to sensitive DOD sites and could have posed a risk to commercial aircraft — sparked concerns, the press secretary said.
"We did not assess it to be a kinetic military threat to anything on the ground, but assess it was a safety flight hazard and a threat due to its potential surveillance capabilities," Ryder said.
On Saturday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command said it detected a "radar anomaly" over Havre, Mont., after an aircraft investigation of radar hits failed to locate an object matching the hits.
But on Sunday, Ryder said, officials could "reasonably" link the object downed that afternoon to the radar signal picked up over Montana based on its flight path and data.
"Our team will now work to recover the object in an effort to learn more," Ryder said in the statement.
Earlier in the day, politicians from Michigan said they were in contact with the Defense Department about the object.
"The American people deserve far more answers than we have," Rep. Jack Bergman tweeted.
The downing follows a shootdown of a cylindrical object by the U.S. military in Canada's Yukon territory on Saturday, and the downing of "a high altitude airborne object" off of the northern coast of Alaska on Friday. The U.S. also took down a Chinese spy balloon off the South Carolina coast on Feb. 4.
Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told NPR's All Things Considered on Sunday that he was "very confident" that none of the unidentified objects "represent a threat to the national security of the United States."
"I'm confident that they are very unlikely to have the kinds of surveillance capabilities that the Chinese balloon that was shot down had," Himes said. "And the reason I say that is that if they were a threat, if they were a military action, if they had dangerous capabilities, I'm quite certain I would have been briefed on that."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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2023-02-13T00:53:46+00:00
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kanw.com
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https://www.kanw.com/npr-news/npr-news/2023-02-12/over-lake-huron-the-u-s-downs-a-3rd-unidentified-object-in-3-days
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The body of a man missing for almost two months has been found in the Kennebec River.
The body of 36-year-old Justin Howard was spotted in the river between the Benton Bridge and dam on Sunday afternoon, according to police.
Howard, who was from the Winslow and Waterville area, was visiting friends on Pleasant Street in Clinton in late March when he went missing.
Witnesses told police in March they saw Howard running down Pleasant Street onto Water Street, where he entered the river.
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2022-05-23T16:34:36+00:00
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bangordailynews.com
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https://bangordailynews.com/2022/05/23/news/central-maine/body-of-missing-man-found-in-kennebec-river/
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PITTSBURGH, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Certain industry reports, articles, websites, and speakers are making false claims that "missed subrogation is costing insurers $15B annually and 32% of recoverable claims are not pursued." These groups are falsely using the name of NASP (National Association of Subrogation Professionals) without permission and erroneously citing NASP as the source. The claims are untrue. The data is false and does not represent true metrics of the subrogation industry.
NASP Benchmarking reports are a trusted source of accurate and timely subrogation data. For more information, visit https://subrogation.org/benchmarking, or contact NASP's CEO, Leslie Wiernik, at 1-800-574-9961.
About NASP: www.subrogation.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP)
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2022-08-19T18:42:57+00:00
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uppermichiganssource.com
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https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/nasp-verified-subrogation-data/
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Kansas City Chiefs visit White House to celebrate Super Bowl win
WASHINGTON (Gray News) – The Super Bowl LVII champion Kansas City Chiefs are set to be welcomed to the White House by President Joe Biden on Monday.
This is Kansas City’s third Super Bowl win but first White House visit. The Chiefs also won the Lamar Hunt Trophy in the 2019 season but were unable to attend a ceremony due to COVID restrictions, and they also won a championship in 1969.
The franchise also may take the opportunity to remember Norma Hunt, team founder Lamar Hunt’s wife. Her family announced Sunday that she had died at the age of 85.
Led by star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs finished the 2022 season 14-3 and the top seed in the AFC. They overcame a first half deficit to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in the Super Bowl on Feb. 12.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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2023-06-05T18:46:51+00:00
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kmvt.com
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https://www.kmvt.com/2023/06/05/kansas-city-chiefs-visit-white-house-celebrate-super-bowl-win/
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — A man who was arrested in Las Vegas on Thursday, and his 17-year-old son, were charged with murder in the fatal shooting of rapper PnB Rock at a South Los Angeles restaurant, authorities said.
An FBI-led fugitive task force took 40-year-old Freddie Lee Trone into custody at about 1 p.m., Los Angeles police said. He had been charged earlier in the day with one count of murder, two counts of second-degree robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery, the District Attorney’s Office said. His son, who was arrested Tuesday, was charged with the same counts.
Trone’s 38-year-old wife, Shauntel Trone, the boy’s stepmother, was also arrested Tuesday and was charged with one count of being an accessory after the fact to the killing. She pleaded not guilty at her arraignment Thursday.
The teen, who remains jailed, made an initial appearance in juvenile court and was told to return next month. It is not clear when Freddie Lee Trone will appear in court for an extradition hearing, or whether any of the defendants have retained attorneys.
PnB Rock, the 30-year-old Philadelphia hip-hop artist whose legal name is Rakim Allen, was gunned down Sept. 13 at Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘N Waffles while eating with his girlfriend. A robber approached their table and demanded items from the rapper, according to investigators.
The robber took items from the victim and fled in a car that was waiting in the parking lot, police said. Rock was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Rock was best known for his 2016 hit “Selfish” and for making guest appearances on other artists’ songs such as YFN Lucci’s “Everyday We Lit” and Ed Sheeran’s “Cross Me” with Chance the Rapper. His latest track, “Luv Me Again,” was released Sept. 2.
|
2022-09-30T14:52:33+00:00
|
kfor.com
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https://kfor.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-father-teenage-son-charged-in-killing-of-rapper-pnb-rock/
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Could the soap you use be attracting more mosquitoes?
Researchers at Virginia Tech tested four soaps, having volunteers wash one forearm sleeve with soap and leaving the other unwashed.
The sleeves were then put in cups in a container with mosquitoes.
“Then we would look at how many mosquitoes would land on either cup to quantify their preference,” said Clement Vinauger, an assistant professor at Virginia Tech. The soaps tested were popular options chosen by Americans.
In three of the four soaps tested, the soap increased the attractiveness to mosquitoes. These soaps were fruity or flowery scented.
One deterred them more than the unwashed sample — a coconut-scented soap.
SEE MORE: Cases Of West Nile Virus Rising In Some Parts Of The U.S.
"There are other studies in literature showing that coconut oil derivative chemicals ... they tend to repel a lot of blood feeding insects," Vinauger said.
Researchers said there is still more work to be done, including more soap tests on more volunteers to determine patterns with certain scents. Each person has different body chemicals as well, which is a factor.
"It's really about the specific chemical combinations that occur," Vinauger said.
So if you are prone to mosquito bites, what can you do? Researchers say soap can’t replace traditional repellents, but you can try changing what soap you use.
"Maybe you should consider exploring different and testing different soaps," he said.
Soap is only one aspect. Other scented products, like laundry detergent, could also play a role.
Mosquitoes spread a number of viruses including Zika, malaria and West Nile. Severe cases of mosquito-borne diseases can lead to death.
In 2019, 409,000 people died from malaria, according to the CDC.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
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2023-05-17T22:23:55+00:00
|
fox17online.com
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https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/soap-scents-could-make-mosquitoes-more-less-attracted-to-you
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CARTERVILLE Ill. and SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Aug. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The IBA (Illinois Broadcasters Association) has selected Neal Sabin, Vice-Chairman of Weigel Broadcasting, as its 2022 "IBA/Vincent T. Wasilewski Broadcaster of the Year."
A lifelong Chicago and native of Skokie, IL., a Chicago Tribune article once proclaimed Sabin as "the programming mastermind behind Weigel's Me-TV," turning a "burgeoning television network into a national powerhouse."
"The formula for broadcasting success is simple," said Sabin in the article. "There's some research. There's my history. There's my gut."
"Neal Sabin single-handedly changed the landscape of digital television," remarked Dennis Lyle, President, and CEO of the IBA. "I've long admired his genius, his creativity, and his passion for the industry," Lyle continued. "He is a true visionary and is more than qualified for selection as IBA's "Vincent T. Wasilewski Broadcaster of Year."
"I am humbled to join the ranks of Illinois broadcasters who have received this prestigious award," said Sabin upon learning of the award. "So many of them provide inspiration to me and many other broadcast professionals here in Illinois and beyond. I am grateful to the Association for awarding me this honor."
Sabin is scheduled to accept the award on opening night of IBA's annual conference, October 24-25 in Normal, IL. For more details visit https://ilba.org/event/iba2022-leadingfortomorrow/ .
About Vincent T. Wasilewski: Born December 17, 1922, in Athens, Illinois, Vincent T. Wasilewski would become the 18th President of the National Association of Broadcasters in January 1965. Wasilewski entered the University of Illinois College of Engineering in 1940, but World War II would interrupt his studies. He served in the US Air Force from September 1942 until October 1945 and returned to the University at the close of the war. He switched to political science and received his bachelor's degree in 1948, followed by a degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence the following year. Wasilewski joined the NAB's legal staff in 1949, where he spent his entire professional career. Like any true broadcaster, Wasilewski was no stranger to public service, having served on the Board of Directors of the Advertising Council, the Advisory Council on Federal Reports, and the American Advertising Federation. The IBA inducted Wasilewski into its Hall of Fame in 1976. In his honor, the IBA renamed its "Broadcaster of the Year Award" in 1989, as the "Vincent T. Wasilewski Award." The award was created to honor those Illinois broadcasters who exhibit the same passion and dedication to this industry as Wasilewski did. Honorees are recognized for broadcast excellence with their Illinois station(s) and within the broadcast industry as a whole, for the respect they receive from their peers both on a local market and national level, and for their work to achieve a favorable legislative climate for the broadcast industry.
About the IBA: (Illinois Broadcasters Association)- The IBA is the leading advocate for the broadcast industry in Illinois and is engaged in shaping public policy to create a positive legislative and regulatory environment for its members.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Illinois Broadcasters Association
|
2022-08-24T15:39:32+00:00
|
kxii.com
|
https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/24/neal-sabin-named-illinois-broadcasters-associations-2022-broadcaster-year/
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TX El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM Zone Forecast for Thursday, January 19, 2023
_____
576 FPUS54 KEPZ 201027
ZFPEPZ
Zone Forecast Product for New Mexico
National Weather Service El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM
327 AM MST Fri Jan 20 2023
TXZ418-210100-
Western El Paso County-
Including the cities of Downtown El Paso, West El Paso,
and Upper Valley
327 AM MST Fri Jan 20 2023
.TODAY...Sunny. Not as cool with highs in the upper 50s. South
winds 5 to 10 mph, increasing to west 15 to 20 mph this
afternoon.
.TONIGHT...Clear, cold with lows in the upper 20s. Northwest
winds 15 to 20 mph.
.SATURDAY...Sunny. Highs around 50. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Clear, cold with lows in the upper 20s.
Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
.SUNDAY...Sunny. Highs in the mid 50s. Southwest winds 10 to
15 mph.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear in the evening, then becoming partly
cloudy. Cold with lows in the lower 30s.
.MONDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs around 50.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming
mostly clear. A slight chance of snow showers. Cold with lows in
the mid 20s. Chance of snow 20 percent.
.TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...Mostly clear. Highs in the upper 40s.
Lows in the mid 20s.
$$
TXZ419-210100-
Eastern/Central El Paso County-
Including the cities of East and Northeast El Paso, Socorro,
and Fort Bliss
327 AM MST Fri Jan 20 2023
.TODAY...Sunny. Not as cool with highs around 60. South winds
5 to 10 mph, increasing to west 15 to 25 mph this afternoon.
.TONIGHT...Clear, cold with lows around 30. Northwest winds 15 to
20 mph.
.SATURDAY...Sunny, cooler with highs around 50. Northwest winds
5 to 10 mph.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Clear, cold with lows in the upper 20s.
Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
.SUNDAY...Sunny. Highs in the mid 50s. Southwest winds 5 to
10 mph.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear in the evening, then becoming partly
cloudy. Lows in the lower 30s.
.MONDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs in the lower 50s.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy in the evening, then becoming
partly cloudy. A slight chance of snow showers. Cold with lows in
the mid 20s. Chance of snow 20 percent.
.TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Highs in the
upper 40s. Lows in the mid 20s.
.THURSDAY...Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 50s.
$$
TXZ420-210100-
Northern Hudspeth Highlands/Hueco Mountains-
Including the cities of Hueco Tanks and Loma Linda
327 AM MST Fri Jan 20 2023
.TODAY...Sunny. Highs in the upper 50s. South winds 5 to 10 mph,
increasing to west 15 to 20 mph this afternoon.
.TONIGHT...Clear, cold with lows in the upper 20s. West winds
15 to 20 mph.
.SATURDAY...Sunny, cooler with highs in the upper 40s. Northwest
winds 10 to 15 mph.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Clear, cold with lows in the mid 20s. Northwest
winds 10 to 15 mph.
.SUNDAY...Sunny. Highs in the lower 50s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear in the evening, then becoming partly
cloudy. Lows in the lower 30s.
.MONDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 40s.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy in the evening, then becoming
partly cloudy. A slight chance of snow showers. Colder with lows
in the lower 20s. Chance of snow 20 percent.
.TUESDAY...Mostly sunny. A slight chance of snow showers in the
morning. Highs in the lower 40s.
.TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...Mostly clear. Lows in the mid
20s. Highs in the upper 40s.
$$
TXZ423-210100-
Rio Grande Valley of Eastern El Paso/Western Hudspeth Counties-
Including the cities of Fabens, Fort Hancock, and Tornillo
327 AM MST Fri Jan 20 2023
.TODAY...Sunny. Not as cool with highs in the lower 60s.
Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph, becoming southwest 10 to 15 mph this
afternoon.
.TONIGHT...Clear, cold with lows in the upper 20s. Northwest
winds 10 to 15 mph.
.SATURDAY...Sunny, cooler with highs in the lower 50s. Northwest
winds 5 to 10 mph.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Clear, cold with lows in the mid 20s. Northwest
winds 5 to 10 mph.
.SUNDAY...Sunny. Highs in the mid 50s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Cold with lows in the lower 30s.
.MONDAY...Mostly sunny in the morning, then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs in the lower 50s.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy in the evening, then becoming
partly cloudy. A slight chance of snow showers. Cold with lows in
the mid 20s. Chance of snow 20 percent.
.TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Highs in the mid 40s.
Lows in the lower 20s.
.WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...Mostly clear. Highs in the lower
50s. Lows in the mid 20s.
$$
TXZ421-210100-
Salt Basin-
Including the cities of Cornudas, Dell City, and Salt Flat
327 AM MST Fri Jan 20 2023
.TODAY...Sunny. Not as cool with highs in the lower 60s.
Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph.
.TONIGHT...Clear, cold with lows in the mid 20s. West winds 15 to
20 mph.
.SATURDAY...Sunny, cooler with highs in the lower 50s. West winds
10 to 15 mph.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Clear, cold with lows in the lower 20s. West
winds 10 to 15 mph, diminishing to around 5 mph after midnight.
.SUNDAY...Sunny. Highs in the mid 50s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear in the evening, then becoming partly
cloudy. Cold with lows in the upper 20s.
.MONDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs in the lower 50s.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy in the evening, then becoming
partly cloudy. A slight chance of snow showers. Cold with lows in
the lower 20s. Chance of snow 20 percent.
.TUESDAY...Mostly sunny. A slight chance of snow showers in the
morning. Highs in the lower 40s. Chance of snow 20 percent.
.TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in
the lower 20s. Highs in the upper 40s.
.THURSDAY...Partly cloudy in the morning, then becoming mostly
sunny. Highs around 50.
$$
TXZ422-210100-
Southern Hudspeth Highlands-
Including the city of Sierra Blanca
327 AM MST Fri Jan 20 2023
.TODAY...Sunny. Not as cool with highs in the lower 60s. South
winds 5 to 10 mph, becoming southwest 10 to 15 mph this
afternoon.
.TONIGHT...Clear, cold with lows in the upper 20s. Northwest
winds 10 to 15 mph.
.SATURDAY...Sunny, cooler with highs in the upper 40s. Northwest
winds 15 to 20 mph.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Clear, cold with lows in the upper 20s.
Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph.
.SUNDAY...Sunny. Highs in the lower 50s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 30s.
.MONDAY...Mostly sunny in the morning, then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs in the lower 50s.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy in the evening, then becoming
partly cloudy. A slight chance of snow showers. Colder with lows
in the mid 20s. Chance of snow 20 percent.
.TUESDAY...Mostly sunny. A slight chance of snow showers in the
morning. Cooler with highs in the lower 40s.
.TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in
the mid 20s. Highs in the upper 40s.
.THURSDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 40s.
$$
TXZ424-210100-
Rio Grande Valley of Eastern Hudspeth County-
Including the city of Indian Hot Springs
327 AM MST Fri Jan 20 2023
.TODAY...Sunny. Not as cool with highs in the upper 60s.
Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph, becoming southwest 10 to 15 mph this
afternoon.
.TONIGHT...Clear, cold with lows in the lower 30s. Northwest
winds 10 to 15 mph.
.SATURDAY...Sunny, cooler with highs in the mid 50s. Northwest
winds 10 to 15 mph.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Clear, cold with lows in the upper 20s.
Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph, diminishing to around 5 mph after
midnight.
.SUNDAY...Sunny. Highs in the upper 50s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.
.SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 30s.
Highs in the upper 50s.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy with a slight chance of rain and
snow showers. Cold with lows in the upper 20s. Chance of
precipitation 20 percent.
.TUESDAY...Mostly sunny. A slight chance of rain and snow showers
in the morning. Cooler with highs in the mid 40s.
.TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in
the upper 20s. Highs in the lower 50s.
.THURSDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 50s.
$$
Hefner
_____
Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
|
2023-01-20T11:43:19+00:00
|
ourmidland.com
|
https://www.ourmidland.com/weather/article/TX-El-Paso-Tx-Santa-Teresa-NM-Zone-Forecast-17730197.php
|
NEW YORK, June 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminder purchasers of the securities of Futu Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: FUTU) between April 27, 2020 and May 16, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important August 11, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline, in the securities class action commenced by the Firm.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Futu securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Futu class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=16261 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than August 11, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose, among other things, that: (1) Futu's business was, quite simply, illegal as it related to operations in China as a result of its failure to obtain the proper licenses; (2) it did not fully disclose to investors that it was engaging in unlawful activity and instead falsely characterized the applicable Chinese laws as ambiguous; (3) the foregoing subjected the Company to a heightened risk of regulatory enforcement; and (4) as a result, defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Futu class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=16261 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm.
Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm's attorneys are ranked and recognized by numerous independent and respected sources. Rosen Law Firm has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for investors.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
|
2023-07-01T01:43:38+00:00
|
wsfa.com
|
https://www.wsfa.com/prnewswire/2023/06/30/rosen-top-ranked-law-firm-encourages-futu-holdings-limited-investors-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-securities-class-action-first-filed-by-firm-futu/
|
Florida - Wednesday April 19, 2023: The Florida Board of Education on Wednesday approved a ban on classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, expanding the law critics call “Don't Say Gay” at the request of Gov. Ron DeSantis as he gears up for an expected presidential run.
The proposal will take effect after a procedural notice period that lasts about a month, according to an education department spokesman.
The rule change would ban lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity from grades 4-12, unless required by existing state standards or as part of reproductive health instruction that students can choose not to take. Florida currently bans such lessons in kindergarten through third grade.
The DeSantis administration put forward the proposal last month as part of the Republican's aggressive conservative agenda, with the governor leaning heavily into cultural divides ahead of his looming White House candidacy.
DeSantis has not commented on the proposal. He previously directed questions to Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr., who said it was meant to clarify confusion around the existing law and reinforce that teachers should not deviate from existing curriculums.
“Our instruction should be based on state academic standards,” Paul Burns, chancellor of the state’s division of public schools, told board members on Wednesday.
The prohibition, which began last year with the law banning sexual orientation and gender identity lessons in kindergarten through third grade, has drawn intense backlash from critics who argue it marginalizes LGBTQ+ people and has vague terms that result in self-censorship from teachers. Democratic President Joe Biden has called it “hateful.”
The current law is also the root of an ongoing feud with Disney, one of the state’s largest employers and political donors.
The entertainment giant publicly opposed the legislation last year, and as punishment, DeSantis pushed lawmakers to give him control of a self-governing district that Disney oversees in its theme park properties.
Before a set of new DeSantis appointees could assume control of the district, Disney’s board passed restrictive covenants that strip the incoming members of most of their powers, blunting the governor’s retaliation.
DeSantis has directed the chief inspector general to investigate the Disney board’s move and vowed to take additional revenge against the company through legislation.
|
2023-04-19T17:34:37+00:00
|
wqcs.org
|
https://www.wqcs.org/wqcs-news/2023-04-19/florida-board-of-ed-approves-ban-on-classroom-instruction-about-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity
|
2 men charged with kidnapping; waited for children on top of slide at playground, police say
WINCHESTER, Ky. (WKYT/Gray News) – Two men are facing kidnapping charges in Kentucky after police say they waited for children on a playground and forced at least one child to take photos with them.
According to the Winchester Police Department, officers were called to Legacy Grove Park on Monday regarding two suspicious men.
Officers arrived and arrested 21-year-old Rahul Rahul and 23-year-old Arvind Arvind.
According to their arrest citations, the men were waiting on top of a slide for kids to come to them.
Police said one boy told officers the men grabbed him and forced him to take pictures with them. According to the arrest citation, the boy told police they picked him because he was “cute.”
Rahul and Arvind were both charged with kidnapping of a minor. Arvind was also charged with fourth-degree assault with no visible injury, according to jail records.
Both men are being held at the Clark County Detention Center, each on a $10,000 cash bond.
In a Facebook post, the Winchester Police Department encouraged parents to keep vigilant while watching their children in public spaces and report any suspicious activity to police immediately.
“We would like to encourage all our citizens to do what they did yesterday. If you see something, say something,” the department said. “Because of concerned citizens who took the step to contact us, this incident was handled quickly and resulted in the quick apprehension of the two suspects.”
Police said the investigation is ongoing.
Copyright 2023 WKYT via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
2023-04-04T21:30:04+00:00
|
foxcarolina.com
|
https://www.foxcarolina.com/2023/04/04/2-men-charged-with-kidnapping-waited-children-top-slide-playground-police-say/
|
HOUSTON, April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Golden Section is thrilled to announce our recent investment in Sinecure, a talent discovery platform that leverages AI-powered products to deliver highly qualified and diverse candidates for organizations. We led the $2.5 million round with the majority of funding going to enable increased activity in marketing and sales. As a B2B SaaS focused venture capital firm, we're excited to partner with Sinecure to help transform the recruiting process through their innovative and holistic approach to talent discovery.
What excites us most about Sinecure is their focus on identifying and vetting candidates who possess the exact skills, knowledge, and experience required for a particular job opening. Their machine learning algorithms and analysis of personality traits, work style, and other motivators help to predict performance and career potential. This, in turn, helps organizations to find and retain top talent, driving growth and success well into the future.
We're looking forward to the launch of Sinecure's new products in 2023, including career trajectory-based candidate search and their plans to launch FOMO, a marketplace for contract and freelance talent, and new product collaboration software.
As part of our partnership, we'll be working closely with Sinecure to provide guidance on product development and strategy, drawing on our expertise in early-stage investments and business development. We're committed to working together with Sinecure's leadership team and contributing to their mission of improving the recruiting process for all organizations.
We'll be actively involved in helping Sinecure to realize its vision of disrupting the traditional recruiting process. We're excited about the journey ahead and look forward to supporting the team every step of the way.
Sinecure
New York, NY
sinecure.ai
Golden Section
Houston, Texas
goldensection.com
Media Contact:
Yosef Levenstein, CMO at Golden Section
yosef@goldensection.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Golden Section
|
2023-04-27T16:07:19+00:00
|
kwch.com
|
https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/04/27/sinecures-ai-powered-talent-discovery-platform-promises-precise-hiring-outcomes/
|
Visiting NATO's newest member, Finland, Secretary of State Antony Blinken gives a speech about what he sees as Russia's strategic failings in Ukraine and promises NATO support for Kyiv.
Copyright 2023 NPR
Visiting NATO's newest member, Finland, Secretary of State Antony Blinken gives a speech about what he sees as Russia's strategic failings in Ukraine and promises NATO support for Kyiv.
Copyright 2023 NPR
|
2023-06-02T22:00:04+00:00
|
nprillinois.org
|
https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-06-02/what-secretary-of-state-antony-blinken-sees-as-russias-strategic-failings-in-ukraine
|
Ahmet Mete, controversial ‘mufti’ among Greek Muslims, dies
By COSTAS KANTOURIS and DEMETRIS NELLAS
Associated Press
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Ahmet Mete, who was recognized by Turkey but not by Greece as the elected mufti for the Muslim population in Greece’s Xanthi region, died Thursday at age 57. His family did not give a cause of death Thursday, but he had been suffering from cancer for several years. Under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, the Greek state is responsible for enforcing Islamic law in its Muslim minority and appoints the religious officials known as muftis. But Turkey has encouraged Greek Muslims to elect their own muftis in the regional units of Xanthi and Rodopi. Greece does not recognize the elected muftis. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan acknowledged in a tweet the passing of “our deceased teacher.”
|
2022-07-15T02:49:28+00:00
|
keyt.com
|
https://keyt.com/news/2022/07/14/ahmet-mete-controversial-mufti-among-greek-muslims-dies/
|
Padres first. Fernando Tatis Jr. doubles to center field. Manny Machado doubles to deep right field. Fernando Tatis Jr. scores. Juan Soto flies out to deep right center field to Mookie Betts. Manny Machado to third. Xander Bogaerts doubles to deep right field. Manny Machado scores. Nelson Cruz grounds out to shortstop, Chris Taylor to Freddie Freeman. Jake Cronenworth flies out to deep left field to David Peralta.
2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Padres 2, Dodgers 0.
Dodgers sixth. Freddie Freeman reaches on error to deep left field, advances to 2nd. Fielding error by Juan Soto. Will Smith doubles to left field. Freddie Freeman scores. Max Muncy strikes out swinging. Miguel Rojas pinch-hitting for Jason Heyward. Miguel Rojas lines out to right center field to Adam Engel. James Outman hit by pitch. Miguel Vargas walks. James Outman to second. Will Smith to third. David Peralta pops out to shallow center field to Ha-Seong Kim.
1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 3 left on. Padres 2, Dodgers 1.
Dodgers ninth. Trayce Thompson pinch-hitting for David Peralta. Trayce Thompson grounds out to shortstop, Xander Bogaerts to Jake Cronenworth. Chris Taylor flies out to deep left field to Juan Soto. Mookie Betts homers to center field. Freddie Freeman flies out to deep left field to Juan Soto.
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Dodgers 2, Padres 2.
Dodgers tenth. Will Smith grounds out to second base, Ha-Seong Kim to Jake Cronenworth. Freddie Freeman to third. Max Muncy called out on strikes. Michael Busch singles to left field. Freddie Freeman scores. James Outman homers to right field. Michael Busch scores. Miguel Vargas strikes out swinging.
3 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Dodgers 5, Padres 2.
|
2023-05-08T02:49:08+00:00
|
ourmidland.com
|
https://www.ourmidland.com/sports/article/l-a-dodgers-san-diego-runs-18084892.php
|
(CNN) — Football legend Cristiano Ronaldo announced on social media Monday his baby son has died.
Ronaldo said, “It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away. It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel.”
The Manchester United and Portugal star had announced in October he and his partner, Georgina Rodriguez, were expecting twins. In December they announced they were expecting a boy and a girl.
Ronaldo wrote Monday on Twitter, “Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness. We would like to thank the doctors and nurses for all their expert care and support. We are all devastated at this loss and we kindly ask for privacy at this very difficult time.
“Our baby boy, you are our angel. We will always love you.”
Monday’s announcement was signed by both Ronaldo and Rodriguez.
Manchester United tweeted their support for the grieving football player: “Your pain is our pain, @Cristiano Sending love and strength to you and the family at this time.”
A tweet from the English Premier League reads: “The thoughts and condolences of everyone at the Premier League are with you and your family, Cristiano.”
Ronaldo’s first child with Rodriguez, Alana Martina, was born in November 2017. He is also father to fraternal twins Eva and Mateo, whom he welcomed via a surrogate in June 2017. The doting dad also shares his son, Cristiano Jr., 11, with a former partner who has never been publicly named.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
|
2022-04-18T21:12:05+00:00
|
wsvn.com
|
https://wsvn.com/sports/football-legend-cristiano-ronaldo-announces-baby-son-has-died/
|
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Wednesday evening's drawing of the Louisiana Lottery's "Easy 5" game were:
04-06-11-30-33
(four, six, eleven, thirty, thirty-three)
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Wednesday evening's drawing of the Louisiana Lottery's "Easy 5" game were:
04-06-11-30-33
(four, six, eleven, thirty, thirty-three)
|
2022-11-10T06:08:18+00:00
|
seattlepi.com
|
https://www.seattlepi.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Easy-5-game-17573308.php
|
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Kentucky Derby is up for grabs.
The starting gate will contain 19 horses vying to wear the garland of red roses.
Most of the 3-year-olds will be running 1 1/4 miles for the first time on Saturday. Besides the distance, the traffic-choked conditions typically eliminate half the field in the opening quarter-mile.
Here are some horses to watch: FORTE
Comes into the Derby on a five-race winning streak and is the early 3-1 favorite. Rallied in the Florida Derby to win by a length after being ninth in the early going. Lost just once in seven career races, as a 2-year-old. He’s trying to become just the fourth 2-year-old champion since 1980 to go on and win the Derby. Forte is one of three horses in the race trained by Todd Pletcher, a two-time Derby winner. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. knows the colt well, having ridden him in all of his races. Forte is co-owned by Mike Repole, whose Uncle Mo was the early favorite for the 2011 Derby but scratched the day before because of illness. His other owner is Vincent Viola, who owns the NHL’s Florida Panthers and co-owned Always Dreaming, the 2017 Derby winner trained by Pletcher.
ANGEL OF EMPIRE
Comes off a 4 1/4-length victory in the Arkansas Derby, where Derby rival Reincarnate finished third. His running style is from off the pace. If he can negotiate heavy traffic in front, he could be a threat in the late going. One of four Derby horses for trainer Brad Cox, a Louisville native. Flavien Prat will be aboard, the fifth different jockey for the colt. He’s one of three Derby contenders with at least $1 million in earnings. The bay colt is owned by Albaugh Family Stables, based in Des Moines, Iowa. The outfit also co-owns Jace’s Road, who has yet to win as a 3-year-old and got into the Derby after another horse dropped out. Would be the third Pennsylvania-bred to win.
TAPIT TRICE
The Blue Grass winner brings a four-race winning streak into the Derby. The gray colt is a powerful late runner and one of trainer Todd Pletcher’s three entries. He didn't break sharply from the starting gate in his Blue Grass and Tampa Bay Derby victories, but if he can get in position by the top of the stretch, he’ll have a shot to win. Luis Saez has been aboard for the colt’s last three wins.
DERMA SOTOGAKE
One of two Japanese horses in the field, along with Mandarin Hero. They’re just the third and fourth Japan-bred entries in Derby history. Derma Sotogake is coming off a wire-to-wire victory by 5 1/2 lengths in the UAE Derby. Owner Hiroyuki Asanuma is a dermatologist in Hokkaido who uses the word derma as the first part of all his horses’ names. Sotogake is an outside leg trip in sumo wrestling. Continuar was scratched Thursday after his trainer said the colt was not in peak physical condition. That opened up a spot for another Japanese horse, Mandarin Hero, who finished second by a nose in the Santa Anita Derby.
CONFIDENCE GAME
The horse comes off a 10-week layoff, much longer than most contenders. He won the Rebel Stakes by a length on Feb. 25. The dark bay colt was purchased for $25,000, making him the cheapest horse in the field. Perhaps tellingly, his other two career victories came at Churchill Downs as a 2-year-old. His sire is Candy Ride, who also produced 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner. Trainer Keith Desormeaux is the brother of Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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2023-05-05T17:53:50+00:00
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clickorlando.com
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https://www.clickorlando.com/sports/2023/05/04/forte-derma-sotogake-among-kentucky-derby-horses-to-watch/
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The United Center, Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks announced their trifold partnership with PepsiCo to become the new beverage sponsor of the triopoly, replacing the likes of Coca-Cola, according to a collective release from the United Center and its teams.
With popular beverages like Pepsi Zero Sugar and STARRY -- its new lemon-lime flavored soda -- PepsiCo will deliver its brand of drinks around the stadium. They're also implementing the Pepsi Grab & Go store all across the arena.
"Chicagoans live and breathe sports, entertainment, and creativity. Our athletes, artists, and fans are some of the most passionate in the world and the United Center hosts the city’s most unforgettable moments," said Kalen Thornton, VP of Sports, Gaming and Entertainment, PBNA. "Our company’s longstanding presence here in Chicago goes back more than 100 years, where we’ve fueled iconic athletes in the game and celebrated fandom off the court."
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
PepsiCo is also stepping into the community service projects the triopoly has in place, becoming a sponsor of the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation’s new Job Exposure Pilot Program. The program "aims to increase awareness of career fields and job opportunities among young people through a partnership with West Side after-school and school organizations," according to the release.
"The expanded partnership with the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks is the ultimate opportunity for us to continue giving back to our neighbors and support our culture," Thornton said. "We can’t wait to lift up Chicago fans, its teams and players, and our city’s vibrant community with epic experiences brought to you by iconic brands like Pepsi, our new lemon-lime flavored soda STARRY, fan-favorite MTN DEW and more."
On July 20, fans are invited to Union Station to sample the drinks, play basketball and hockey minigames, earn a chance to win Blackhawks and Bulls tickets and take photos with Tommy Hawk and Benny the Bull. The event takes place from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. CST.
News
"Together with the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks, the United Center is committed to elevating the fan experience by partnering with brands who lead with innovation and offer best-in-class products," said Joe Myhra, Senior Vice President, United Center. "We are thrilled to collaborate with PepsiCo in the coming years as we work to create iconic experiences for fans at the arena in addition to expanding our collective impact in our surrounding community."
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2023-07-12T16:42:05+00:00
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nbcchicago.com
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https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/united-center-unveils-new-drink-provider-for-bulls-blackhawks-games-heres-who-is-taking-over/3184913/
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UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Police: Shooter in Texas walked into elementary school 'unobstructed' through door that was apparently unlocked.
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2022-05-26T19:16:51+00:00
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ourmidland.com
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https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Alert-Police-Shooter-in-Texas-walked-into-17201294.php
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FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Navajo Nation presidential hopefuls Jonathan Nez and Buu Nygren advance to tribe's general election in November.
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MOST POPULAR
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2022-08-03T07:38:38+00:00
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sfgate.com
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https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Alert-Navajo-Nation-presidential-hopefuls-17347427.php
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BOISE, Idaho, May 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TELEO Capital Management, LLC ("TELEO") announced the acquisition of Webtext Holdings Limited ("Webtext"), an omnichannel messaging software solution, by its existing portfolio company, Sharpen Technologies Inc. ("SharpenCX"). SharpenCX is an all-in-one unified contact center platform.
Based in Galway, Ireland, Webtext is a Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) solution providing turnkey enterprise messaging for contact centers.
"Webtext's robust messaging capabilities combined with SharpenCX's agent-first solutions and advanced analytics backbone will continue to enhance and revolutionize the omnichannel contact center experience for both customers and agents," stated TELEO Capital.
"More companies see the benefits of cloud-native solutions, but the shift can be daunting. Now, through our combined digital engagement platform, customers can create omnichannel strategies today while making a full cloud migration over time," stated Pam Hynes, Chief Operating Officer of SharpenCX.
"SharpenCX gives our customers access to a broader suite of customer engagement solutions that improves the agent experience and brings them closer to their customers," stated A.J. Cahill, CEO and Co-Founder of Webtext.
Bowen acted as the exclusive M&A advisor to Webtext.
About Webtext
Founded in 2014, Webtext is a leading CPaaS for contact centers worldwide. Webtext's Application Programming Interface (API)-driven solution allows contact centers to integrate inbound and outbound messaging into existing programs or applications. Webtext serves customers across many industries, with a focus on the financial services, insurance, and healthcare sectors.
For additional information, please visit: https://www.webtext.com/.
About SharpenCX
SharpenCX provides unified contact center software that empowers agents to deliver engaging customer experiences with an all-in-one, configurable platform. SharpenCX is shaking up the CCaaS/UCaaS space with its holistic next-gen, AI platform and agent-first approach.
For more information, please visit https://sharpencx.com/.
About TELEO Capital Management
TELEO Capital is a lower middle-market private equity firm that looks to invest in opportunities where its strategic thought, operational resources, and capital base empower management to perform and execute their business plan. TELEO brings a successful track record of executing corporate carve-outs, recapitalizing broken balance sheets, acquiring founder-owned companies, and implementing buy and build strategies for its portfolio companies. TELEO targets opportunities in the technology and software, healthcare IT, business services, and industrial sectors. The firm is headquartered in Boise, ID with an additional office in Los Angeles, CA.
For additional information, please contact Matt Oehlmann at moehlmann@teleocapital.com or visit: https://www.teleocapital.com/.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE TELEO Capital
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2023-05-24T16:55:27+00:00
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wlbt.com
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https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/05/24/teleo-capital-portfolio-company-sharpencx-acquires-webtext/
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Schoenfeld to shape The Mark Foundation's allocation of a new $500 million commitment to cancer research funding
NEW YORK, May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research announced that Ryan Schoenfeld, PhD, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. An experienced scientific leader, Ryan will oversee the Foundation's scientific programs, investments, and operations, and will be responsible for shaping how The Mark Foundation allocates the $500 million in additional funding recently committed by its founder.
"In four years at The Mark Foundation, Ryan has played a pivotal role in leading the scientific team in identifying and supporting promising high-risk, high-reward grants and investments," said Raymond N. DuBois, MD, PhD, Executive Chairman of the Board. "He has helped establish The Mark Foundation as a leader in accelerating innovative cancer research across diverse areas of science including molecular biology, chemistry, immunology, genetics, and data science."
Schoenfeld joined The Mark Foundation in 2018 and was named Chief Scientific Officer in February 2021. In August 2021 he also assumed the role of Interim CEO.
During his tenure, Schoenfeld has been instrumental in increasing the research portfolio from five grants in January 2018 to over 200 grants in May 2022, representing more than $160 million in funding. Together with his Mark Foundation colleagues, Schoenfeld also helped create and launch the ASPIRE, Drug Discovery, Endeavor, and Emerging Leader award programs; and establish Mark Foundation Centers at Johns Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Cambridge.
"As the Foundation marks its fifth year of funding groundbreaking cancer research and prepares to substantially increase its cancer research grant and investment portfolios, Ryan's expertise and vision will be critical," added DuBois.
"It's an honor to take on the CEO role at The Mark Foundation at this significant time in its growth," said Schoenfeld. "I am confident that we will continue to make an impact by investing in teams, companies, and individuals around the globe who embrace risk and innovation in their scientific and entrepreneurial pursuits, ultimately helping us to achieve our mission of accelerating research that will transform the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer."
Prior to joining The Mark Foundation, Schoenfeld was Senior Director of Data Sciences at Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, where he built and led a large global team of data scientists who delivered high impact machine learning and AI-based solutions for a wide range of problems across all therapeutic areas. Earlier in his career, Schoenfeld led medicinal chemistry and chemical biology teams at Roche Pharmaceuticals where he played a major role in the discovery and advancement of multiple novel small molecule therapeutics to human clinical trials.
Schoenfeld received a PhD in Chemistry from Cornell University studying organic synthesis with Professor Bruce Ganem, and a BS in Chemistry from California Polytechnic State University. He is the author of numerous peer-reviewed scientific publications and is an inventor on over 25 patents.
About The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research actively partners with scientists, research institutions, and philanthropic organizations around the world to accelerate research that will transform the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. Since 2017, The Mark Foundation has awarded more than $160 million in grants to enable innovative basic, translational, and clinical cancer research, including drug discovery. In 2022, The Mark Foundation received an additional $500 million commitment to fund cutting-edge cancer research in its first decade. The Mark Foundation also has a robust and growing portfolio of investments in oncology companies developing novel therapeutics and diagnostics. Through its research and venture arms, The Mark Foundation supports projects throughout their life cycle to ensure their highest chance of success in impacting the lives of patients with breakthroughs in cancer care.
For additional information visit www.themarkfoundation.org. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Media contact:
Linda Heaney
LHeaney@themarkfoundation.org
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SOURCE The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research
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2022-05-18T15:24:44+00:00
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wagmtv.com
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https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2022/05/18/mark-foundation-cancer-research-appoints-ryan-schoenfeld-ceo/
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Voters in the Columbia-based Boone County Fire Protection District will cast ballots in April on an $8-million no tax increase bond issue.
Boone County Fire assistant chief Gale Blomenkamp says passage requires a four-sevenths majority, which is 57 percent.
“In 2014, our voters approved a 25-cent bond levy in which we were able to do a lot of work with. It was $14-million worth. And so what we’re asking the public to do now is allow us to extend and continue that same 25-cent bond levy,” Blomenkamp says.
The Boone County Fire Protection District covers 492 square miles, making it Missouri’s third-largest fire department. It includes the area from around Deer Park all the way north to the Boone/Randolph County line and east to west from the Boone/Callaway County line to the Boone/Cooper county line, excluding the city of Columbia.
One of the main components in April’s proposed bond issue is the replacement of the fire station that’s on South Route K. It was built in 1982. Assistant chief Blomenkamp tells 939 the Eagle that volunteer firefighters can live at the station. A number of them are college students and the district wants them to be able to study at the station, rather than the library.
“You put eight people in a building that’s built for two or three, it can be very crowded and troublesome at times. And so, we want to give them the space that they need and the space that they deserve because the more time that they spend there, the more time our trucks are covered,” says Blomenkamp.
The bond issue includes $5-million to build a new fire station next door to the old station. It also includes $1-million for firefighting equipment. The money would allow the district to purchase new thermal imaging cameras for every fire engine, fire tanker and rescue squad.
The Boone County Fire Protection District will purchase one new fire engine and two new 1,500 gallon fire tanker trucks, if voters approve the bond issue. Blomenkamp tells 939 the Eagle that the district is currently using some apparatus that was built in 2000.
“And so those things are now, we’re looking at 23 years old. They’re going to be 24, 25 years old if this bond passes by the time we get the new apparatus. It takes about two years to build them,” Blomenkamp says.
He notes the price of fire apparatus has increased dramatically in the past 15 years, due to technology advancements, national standards and regulations. A fire engine that cost $178,000 in 1999 now costs $754,000, according to Mr. Blomenkamp.
There is no organized opposition to the April 4 ballot measure.
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2023-03-27T17:27:19+00:00
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kwos.com
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https://kwos.com/2023/03/audio-multi-million-dollar-bond-issue-on-boone-county-fire-protection-district-ballot/
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the "Pick Three-Evening" game were:
3-2-2, Fireball: 9
(three, two, two; Fireball: nine)
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the "Pick Three-Evening" game were:
3-2-2, Fireball: 9
(three, two, two; Fireball: nine)
|
2022-09-30T03:20:09+00:00
|
sfgate.com
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https://www.sfgate.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-Three-Evening-game-17476983.php
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SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Isaiah Moore had 28 points in South Alabama's 84-70 victory over Robert Morris on Sunday.
Moore added five rebounds for the Jaguars (3-4). Kevin Samuel scored 23 points while shooting 11 of 17 from the field, and added 12 rebounds and four blocks. Greg Parham recorded 14 points and was 5 of 7 shooting (2 for 3 from distance).
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Josh Corbin finished with 19 points and two steals for the Colonials (2-5). Michael Green III added 17 points and seven assists for Robert Morris. In addition, Kahliel Spear had 16 points and 10 rebounds.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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2022-11-28T02:08:34+00:00
|
seattlepi.com
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https://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/Moore-s-28-powers-South-Alabama-past-Robert-17614391.php
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DENVER (AP) — The NFL indefinitely suspended Denver Broncos defensive end Eyioma Uwazurike on Monday for betting on league games during the 2022 season.
Uwazurike, a fourth-round draft pick from Iowa State in 2022 who played in eight games as a rookie, becomes the 10th player this offseason to be suspended for gambling on games or betting on other sports while in NFL locker rooms. He will be eligible to petition for reinstatement no earlier than July 24, 2024.
“Our organization fully cooperated with this investigation and takes matters pertaining to the integrity of the game very seriously,” the Broncos said in a statement. “The Denver Broncos will continue to provide all members of our organization with the necessary education, resources and support to ensure compliance with the NFL’s gambling policy.”
NFL players and personnel are not allowed to gamble while in NFL facilities, disclose any nonpublic NFL information, enter a sportsbook during the NFL season, or maintain any social, business or personal relationships with sports gamblers.
They are permitted to place non-sports wagers at legally operated casinos and horse or dog racing tracks on their personal time, including during the season.
The rules have been in place for years, but the league has cracked down on violators as sports gambling becomes legal in more states.
Former Indianapolis cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, linebacker Rashod Berry and free agent Demetrius Taylor were suspended indefinitely last month for betting on NFL games last year. The Colts waived Rodgers and Berry following their suspensions.
Tennessee offensive tackle Nicholas Petie-Frere was suspended for the first six regular-season games for betting on non-NFL sports at the club facility.
In late April, the league suspended Detroit receivers Jameson Williams, Quintez Cephus, Stanley Berryhill and safety C.J. Moore, and Washington defensive end Shaka Toney for violating the gambling policy.
Last December, New York Jets receivers coach Miles Austin was suspended for a year for betting on non-NFL sports.
Wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the entire 2022 season for gambling on NFL games; he was later traded from Atlanta to Jacksonville and eventually reinstated. In November 2019, Arizona Cardinals cornerback Josh Shaw was suspended for gambling on an NFL game; he has not played in the league since.
The causes for gambling-related suspensions have ranged from players who placed wagers on their own teams while not participating to players who have not abided by the league’s prohibition of betting on non-NFL sports while at the club facility.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
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2023-07-25T17:15:00+00:00
|
wate.com
|
https://www.wate.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-nfl-indefinitely-suspends-broncos-defensive-end-eyioma-uwazurike-for-gambling-on-games/
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ARGYLE, N.Y. — Seth Jacobs has about 100 bins packed with marijuana flower sitting in storage at his upstate New York farm.
Now, another growing season is underway and farmers still sitting on much of last year’s harvest are in a financial bind.
“We are really under the gun here. We’re all losing money,” Jacobs recently said at his farm on rolling land near the Vermont border. “Even the most entrepreneurial and ambitious amongst us just can’t move much product in this environment.”
New York pot farmers aren’t the only ones struggling with difficult economic conditions. Marijuana growers in western states have also complained that low prices, tough competition from the black market, high state taxes and federal banking and exporting restrictions have made it tough for legal growers to make money.
But the farmers’ plight in New York is directly tied to the bumpy launch of the state’s recreational pot market.
State leaders had always planned to gear up the market in stages, giving a chance for a diverse set of participants to get a toe-hold. The state’s process for licensing new dispensaries, however, has moved at a far slower pace than expected.
Last fall, Gov. Kathy Hochul foresaw 20 new shops opening every month or so to start this year. Instead, one store was open by the start of the year, with 11 more opened since.
Unlicensed shops rushed in to fill the void, especially in New York City, but those outlets aren’t a legal market for the state’s farmers. Federal law prohibits the New York farmers from transporting their crop across state lines.
That means limited shelf space to sell the 300,000 pounds (136,000 kilograms) of cannabis grown in the state last year, much of the product meant to be processed for items like gummies and vapes.
Statewide, there is estimated to be hundreds of millions of dollars worth of unsold cannabis, about 80% in the form of cannabis oil, according to the Cannabis Association of New York, a trade group. There are concerns the smokable flower will eventually become too old to sell.
Jacobs keep his bins of buds at Slack Hollow Organics in secure, temperature controlled units. More valuable still is the distillate at various processors he’s waiting to sell. Elsewhere in rural New York, Brittany Carbone, co-founder of Tricolla Farms, said the stock they’re sitting on includes 1,500 packs of pre-rolled joints and about 2,000 packs of edibles.
“What we really need to see is more retailers get open, and that’s going to actually give us the sustainable solution,” Carbone said.
The lack of sales is a particular problem for small farmers who stretched themselves thin financially to produce last year’s crop and now need capital for their second year.
Jacobs, whose brand is Bud & Boro, said he won’t grow plants for distillate this year because of the backlog. Carbone said they are planting on less than the acre they’re legally allowed and are holding off on infrastructure investments, like hoop houses to help with growing.
In New York, many critics blame missteps by state officials in their well-intentioned effort to open the market to a diverse array of entrepreneurs. That meant reserving the first legal pot harvests for struggling hemp farmers. And people with past marijuana convictions were given the chance to open some of the first dispensaries.
Critics say the process has been cumbersome for dispensary applicants. And there have been issues with a planned $200 million fund to help “social equity” dispensary licensees with the costly task of setting up shops.
The fund was supposed to consist of up to $150 million in private investment. But state Dormitory Authority spokesperson Jeffrey Gordon declined to say whether any private money had been invested yet, saying in an email only that “work to raise private capital is ongoing.”
Gordon noted New York’s “complex and unprecedented” effort to create a new statewide enterprise from scratch, which included evaluating 10,000 commercial properties for dispensary locations and arranging for banking, training and other services for the licensees.
The retail rollout also was hobbled by a federal judge’s ruling in November that temporarily barred New York from issuing dispensary licenses in parts of the state, including Brooklyn and Buffalo. The injunction was later narrowed to the Finger Lakes region before a settlement was reached this week.
The Office of Cannabis Management has taken recent steps to boost demand, including the provisional approval last month of 50 new dispensary licenses. And plans are in the works for that would allow groups of growers to join with retail licensees to sell their cannabis at places other than stores, like at a farmers’ market or a festival.
“We know these cultivators are worried about how to sell last year’s harvest as they decide whether to plant a cannabis crop in 2023, and we will continue to support them as more adult-use dispensaries open to sell their products,” cannabis office spokesman Aaron Ghitelman said in an email.
On a separate track, Hochul and the Legislature approved a new law giving regulators broader power to seize weed from the illicit shops competing with the legal shops.
Though frustrated, farmers like Jacobs and Carbone are hanging on. Carbone has gotten her farm’s brand, TONIC, into six dispensaries. Jacobs has received some intermittent payments and hopes the farmers market policy being devised will give him a new avenue to sell his marijuana.
“This all will get worked out,” Jacobs said. “And I want to be there when it does.”
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2023-06-04T05:55:38+00:00
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washingtonpost.com
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/06/04/marijuana-sales-farmers-new-york/c064b41c-0290-11ee-9eb0-6c94dcb16fcf_story.html
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AKRON, Ohio, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequoia Financial Group, LLC (Sequoia), a leading SEC-registered wealth manager with nearly $16 billion in assets under management, today announced several key leadership appointments.
- Annie McCauley, executive vice president and chief client experience officer, adds significant responsibilities for the advisor group and organic growth to her existing asset management, wealth planning, and client segment strategy responsibilities.
- Kevin Tichnell, executive vice president, is now chief strategy & acquisitions officer.
- Joseph Glick has joined the firm as executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Akron, Ohio-based Sequoia provides asset management and planning services across the wealth continuum—from individuals to family offices—with locations throughout the United States. Sequoia was named by Barron's as one of the top RIA firms in the U.S. in 2022 for the fourth consecutive year. Founded in 1991, Sequoia employs more than 200 people.
"Today's leadership appointments are designed to strengthen our strategic expansion plans as we continue to build a durable and scalable firm to serve clients for generations to come," said Tom Haught, founder and CEO of Sequoia. "Our priorities are organic growth, selective acquisitions, and operational excellence. Annie is now responsible for organic growth and unifying our client experience, asset management and planning. We welcome Joe to Sequoia in the key role of overseeing our growing operations and breadth of services. Kevin will focus solely on leading our M&A efforts."
McCauley is responsible for asset management, wealth planning, and the firm's advisor group, with more than half of the firm's employees now under her leadership. She joined Sequoia Financial Group in 2002 as a financial advisor. She became managing planner in 2008, was promoted to managing director of family wealth in 2015 and chief client experience officer in early 2021.
Glick is responsible for finance, risk & compliance, legal, client service & administration, technology and organizational development. He brings to Sequoia more than a decade of experience in the financial services industry in various COO roles, as well as strategy, innovation, and transformation-focused positions. Before joining Sequoia, Glick was head of strategy – client lifecycle management for Deutsche Bank, where he worked for 13 years in Cleveland, New York, and London.
Glick said, "Joining Sequoia was the obvious choice for me. The firm's leadership team has a clear commitment to a client-first, values-based culture and has an ambitious plan to serve clients in a competitive industry."
Tichnell joined Sequoia Financial Group in 2003 as a wealth advisor. He has also held the roles of managing director, business development; vice president of mergers & acquisitions; chief of staff; and chief financial officer.
For more than three decades, Sequoia has grown organically and through acquisitions to expand its services and its geographic footprint. Most recently, in February 2023, Sequoia acquired Zeke Capital Advisors, LLC in Berwyn, Pa., a multi-family office firm managing more than $5 billion in assets and providing generational family wealth management to individuals, families, and foundations.
About Sequoia Financial Group
Sequoia Financial Group, LLC, founded in 1991, takes a client-centered approach to providing wealth management services, including asset management, estate and retirement planning, fiduciary consulting, and family wealth. Sequoia builds and maintains strong relationships that emphasize long-term planning to help clients reach their financial and life goals. Sequoia was named by Barron's as one of the top RIA firms in the U.S. in 2022 for the fourth consecutive year. The firm had nearly $16 billion in assets under management as of May 31, 2023. For more information, visit www.sequoia-financial.com.
Investment advisory services offered through Sequoia Financial Advisors, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Registration as an investment advisor does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
Barron's weighs dozens of qualitative and quantitative components, including assets managed, the size and experience of teams, regulatory record of the advisors and firms, succession planning, technology spending, and staff diversity. No fees in any years awarded were paid or incurred to receive this recognition. $8,500 was spent in 2021, $0 in 2020, and $17,240 in 2019 for marketing collateral associated with the award to be used on social media, our website, and email signatures. This award is not representative of any one client's experience and is not indicative of our firm's future performance. This award was independently granted as Sequoia is a separate company from Barron's. Sequoia applied to be considered for the recognition. Please note this award is not a referral to, endorsement or recommendation of, or testimonial for the advisor with respect to its investment advisory or other services.
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SOURCE Sequoia Financial Group, LLC
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2023-06-22T19:35:18+00:00
|
wafb.com
|
https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/06/22/sequoia-financial-group-promotes-executives-annie-mccauley-kevin-tichnell-hires-joseph-glick-coo/
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ACCOKEEK, Md. (AP) — President Joe Biden lambasted Republicans’ emerging trade-off plans to raise the nation’s debt limit only in exchange for spending cuts and other policy concessions on Wednesday, declaring that GOP lawmakers are threatening a historic default on U.S. obligations “unless I agree to all these wacko notions they have.”
His remarks in a union hall speech came as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who had for months struggled to unite Republicans around a unified budget proposal, released a sweeping spending-restraint plan to offer to the White House along with lifting the debt limit by $1.5 trillion.
But it’s far from settled whether McCarthy has 218 Republican votes — a House majority — in favor of his proposal, which has no chance of becoming law in the Senate and is meant to kickstart negotiations with the administration. Cruising toward crisis, if Congress and Biden can’t agree to raise the limit in coming weeks, the government would be at risk of being unable to pay its bills and facing an economy-ravaging default.
This week’s split-screen presentations, which began with McCarthy delivering a speech on Wall Street, vividly displayed how Biden and the speaker are talking to two very different Americas.
Standing in a steel garage and workshop, Biden pointedly noted the contrast, telling the members of International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 77 that while “I’m here in the union hall with you, Speaker McCarthy just got finished speaking to Wall Street two days ago.”
Biden emphasized that strictly limiting government spending programs could hurt a middle class that’s already struggling to afford basic needs. And demanding concessions in exchange for paying the nation’s debts is “worse than totally irresponsible,” Biden said, declaring that “America is not a deadbeat nation.”
“Folks, that’s the MAGA economic agenda: Spending cuts for working- and middle-class folks … with tax cuts for those at the top of the pile,” Biden said, referring to former President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, Make America Great Again. “It’s not about fiscal discipline. It’s about cutting benefits for folks … they don’t seem to care much about.”
Commenting in kind, McCarthy said, “President Biden is skipping town to deliver a speech in Maryland rather than sitting down to address the debt ceiling.” He also insisted that House Republicans were the ones acting responsibly by insisting on reining in the federal government’s spending habits.
“If you gave your child a credit card and they kept maxing out the limit, you wouldn’t blindly raise the limit. You’d change their behavior,” McCarthy said. “The same is true with our national debt.”
The speaker took to the House floor shortly before Biden spoke Wednesday and detailed the GOP plan. It would, among other provisions, claw back billions of unspent COVID-19 relief funds, rescind money meant to boost staffing at the Internal Revenue Service, and stop Biden’s effort to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for millions of borrowers.
The plan would roll back spending to 2022 levels, and impose a 1% cap on most future federal spending for the next decade. The proposed debt limit increase would last until sometime next year, putting the issue back in the spotlight during the presidential campaign.
The California Republican argues excess government spending is driving up inflation, empowers China and threatens the future of Social Security and Medicare.
Biden and McCarthy, who need to come together for the sake of the U.S. economy, are playing out diametrically opposing strategies to different audiences, each wagering he’ll win out in the end.
To the extent the two men have engaged each other — with no active negotiations so far — it has been only to provide fodder for attacks.
McCarthy says Biden is “bumbling” into a default by not meeting with him; Biden counters that McCarthy has already “threatened to become the first speaker to default on our national debt” unless he gets what he wants in the budget.
Complicating things for McCarthy, he is facing pressure not to give ground from conservatives in his razor-thin House majority who earlier this year delayed his elevation to the speakership.
But Biden contends that spending cuts would put an unacceptable strain on the government’s ability to meet its constitutional responsibility to stand behind its obligations. The GOP’s faith in tax cuts has blown up the deficit, he says.
Under the Republican proposal, the debt limit would be extended into next year, McCarthy said. He pressed the White House to negotiate a compromise with GOP lawmakers, noting that voters elected a divided Congress in the November midterms.
So far this year, he said, Biden “has been avoiding the issue for 77 straight days and counting.”
Both men are veterans of the nasty debt limit battle of 2011, when Biden was vice president and McCarthy was a relatively new member of the House Republican leadership. They know the risks of even edging close to the debt limit deadline, such as the first-ever downgrade of the U.S. credit rating that occurred that summer. For all the posturing, the markets generally assume as of now that a deal will be reached as it has in the past.
But as they’ve talked past each other, they’ve rarely talked with each other. The president and the new Republican speaker sat down in early February, but have had little substantive communication since. The White House, instead, has pushed McCarthy publicly to release a GOP budget plan that details its proposed cuts — which Democrats say are anathema to voters.
Meanwhile, the White House is standing with Democrats on Capitol Hill who overwhelmingly insist that no concessions be made in exchange for lifting the debt limit.
It’s far from clear whether McCarthy’s plan can get 218 votes — a House majority —and whether he would have to add on other changes — such as repealing the Democrats’ sweeping climate, health care and tax law known as the Inflation Reduction Act — to persuade holdout Republican lawmakers.
Much of the rhetoric now is political posturing ahead of the deadline to raise the debt limit before the U.S. reaches the ceiling, which is a moving target but is expected in the coming months. The White House has only hardened on its no-negotiation stance since Biden hosted McCarthy in the Oval Office, but most lawmakers and economists believe that eventually the two sides will avert a default.
Wall Street firms — looking at tax revenues — are estimating that the day of reckoning is near. Goldman Sachs this week estimated that the “x-date” could be reached in June, at which point the “extraordinary” steps taken by the Treasury Department to keep the government running would be exhausted and bills would start going unpaid.
Both sides could tone down the rhetoric by committing first and foremost to the U.S. government avoiding a default on its payments, said Brian Riedl, a senior fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute. That could help to build credibility and show good faith in talks.
___
AP congressional correspondent Lisa Mascaro and AP writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
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2023-04-20T13:21:30+00:00
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cbs42.com
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/politics/ap-politics/biden-mccarthy-in-different-worlds-on-debt-standoff/
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NEW LONDON, Wis. (WFRV) – Andy Brigham had a non-traditional path to serving his country.
“Just the adventure of being out on the ocean, I love the water. That’s what I wanted to do and I also wanted to serve my country. So, that’s what I wanted to do my whole life,” Brigham said.
Growing up in a Navy family in New London, Brigham always knew he wanted to put on the uniform.
But his path to the Navy blues was cut short before it ever started in 1978. The day before he was to report for bootcamp, Brigham was electrocuted on the job at a local factory.
“I didn’t talk about it for almost 40 years, because I felt I’d let my country down. But being around veterans, they got me to realize that what I did mattered, and that I still and one of them, even though I’m not a veteran,” he said.
Brigham serves his country in a different way now- Volunteering in the veteran community. Namely, as the Assistant State Captain for the Patriot Guard Riders, a volunteer group of funeral escorts who honor those who paid the ultimate price- Not only active military and veterans, but law enforcement, EMS and firefighters.
“We stand for our fallen, the people that fought for our country. Whether they died in service or they died later, it doesn’t matter. They’re veterans and they deserve the ultimate respect on their final stage,” said Brigham.
Brigham also volunteers as an escort on the Old Glory Honor Flights, immersing himself in the veteran community. Brigham says he’s found a sense of belonging and for him, its been theraputic.
“I’m actually serving my country now, helping out with Patriot Guard and Old Glory. I couldn’t serve my country per say, but I’m serving them now and respecting our fallen and our veterans that are living today. So, it makes me feel better that I couldn’t complete my service doing what I actually wanted to do,” Brigham said.
To request the Patriot Guard Riders services, or to learn more about joining click here.
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2023-06-16T18:04:00+00:00
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wearegreenbay.com
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https://www.wearegreenbay.com/hometown-heroes/hometown-hero-andy-brigham-continues-serving-country-through-patriot-guard-riders-old-glory-honor-flight/
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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Margret Yama’s phone screensaver is a picture of her cousin, Rifkatu Galang, who is still held by Boko Haram extremists nearly nine years after she and 275 other girls were seized from their school in northeastern Nigeria.
Yama was among those taken but later freed. Dozens of others have been rescued or found, but 94, including her cousin, remain missing in what was one of the Islamic extremist group’s most daring attacks in Nigeria.
“I saved her as my screensaver so that any time I see her face, it will remind me to be praying for her to return” along with the others, 25-year-old Yama said. “They are in my prayers every day.”
On April 14, 2014, Boko Haram stormed the Government Girls Secondary School in the Chibok community in Borno state and abducted the girls as they prepared for science exams. Many of the girls remained missing, sparking the #BringBackOurGirls social media campaign that involved celebrities worldwide including former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama.
Now, the missing girls are being remembered in new sculptures created by French artist Prune Nourry in collaboration with Obafemi Awolowo University.
Inspired by ancient Nigerian Ife terracotta heads, the series titled “Statues Also Breathe” tries to recreate the girls’ facial expressions and hair patterns. Nourry hopes the sculptures on display in Nigeria’s commercial hub of Lagos will remind the world of a largely forgotten tragedy.
“These heads personify the absent girls, still missing, so that we don’t forget them, and raise the question of the rights of girls to a safe education on a global scale,” the artist told The Associated Press.
This year, about a dozen of the missing girls returned amid news that some had died in custody. Brief hope quickly faded into more anguish for families of the ones still missing.
Zanna Lawan, whose daughter was 16 when she was abducted, said one of the girls who returned this year told him that “Aisha has two children with Boko Haram but lost one of her elder sons.”
All of the girls in captivity are married now, Lawan said. “There is nothing I am feeling good for because of this. All that I am now looking for is to see my daughter alive.”
The girls who regained their freedom this year did not come home alone. All had children, 24 total, from the extremists, the parents said.
Over the years, freed girls have spoken of how the fighters forced them into marriages. As the years went by, others who resisted eventually gave in.
“If you see anyone that got married, it is her choice. She is the one that decided that she has lost hope,” said Yama, who regained her freedom in 2017. “Most of them, I think, it is losing hope that made them to marry.”
Yama recalled life in the militants’ camps: The girls, when not separated to make their whereabouts difficult for Nigerian security forces to trace, were usually together, often doing nothing. Access to them was restricted except for their husbands.
“We were just together like one family,” Yama said.
Her mother died shortly after she was abducted in 2014. At least 30 other parents have died in various circumstances since their daughters were taken, according to Lawan, one of the leaders of the Chibok parents’ association.
“Even if you are well, when you are traumatized, anything can happen. If you have a sickness, that will increase to another sickness because of your daughter,” he said.
A year after the girls were kidnapped, now-President Muhammadu Buhari rode a wave of goodwill to power after promising to rescue them. Last week, the nation’s national security adviser, Babagana Monguno, said the military remains committed to the cause but said it involves an “intelligence-driven process, which means it is going to be, unfortunately, painstaking.”
Many parents, however, are beginning to question the government’s commitment to the girls’ freedom. And the Chibok community continues to suffer attacks from Boko Haram and a breakaway faction that has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.
“I know the Nigerian army, they can finish this work within 24 hours, but I don’t know what makes it to be so difficult” said Yakubu Nkeki, whose niece was among the girls freed.
As chair of the Chibok girls’ parents union, Nkeki tries his best to offer hope to families.
“Even though my own has regained freedom, I don’t have peace of mind,” he said.
While studying law at American University of Nigeria, Yama continues trying to navigate her life back to normalcy after years of living with the extremists.
Studies can be challenging because books are one of the luxuries the girls never had while in captivity, she said. Her biggest challenge, though, is staying hopeful that her cousin and all the other girls will return home one day.
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2022-12-29T16:58:30+00:00
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texomashomepage.com
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https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/international/ap-i-think-of-them-abducted-nigerian-schoolgirls-remembered/
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MUNICH (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called on world leaders Saturday to “double down” on support for Ukraine, saying additional arms and security guarantees are needed to protect the country and the rest of Europe from Russian aggressio n now and in the future.
Sunak delivered the message in a speech to the Munich Security Conference, an annual meeting of heads of state, defense ministers and other world leaders. This year’s conference is focused on threats to the accepted rules of international relations nearly a year after Russian troops invaded Ukraine.
Highlighting Britain’s recent commitment to provide battle tanks, advanced air defense systems and longer-range missiles to Ukraine, Sunak urged other nations to follow suit before Russia launches an expected spring offensive.
“Now is the moment to double down on our military support,” Sunak said. “When Putin started this war, he gambled that our resolve would falter. Even now he is betting we will lose our nerve.”
Sunak also called on NATO to provide long-term security guarantees for Ukraine. Such commitments are necessary to shield Ukraine from future Russian aggression and to protect the system of international rules that have helped keep peace since the end of World War II, Sunak said.
“It’s about the security and sovereignty of every nation,” the prime minister said. “Because Russia’s invasion, its abhorrent war crimes and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric are symptomatic of a broader threat to everything we believe in.”
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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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2023-02-19T07:10:21+00:00
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kxnet.com
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https://www.kxnet.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-uks-sunak-set-to-say-security-guarantees-need-for-ukraine/
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PG&E Corporation Reports Second-Quarter Results; On Track to Deliver Solid 2023
Published: Jul. 27, 2023 at 4:30 AM MDT|Updated: 30 minutes ago
Recorded GAAP earnings were $0.19 per diluted share for the second quarter of 2023, compared to earnings of $0.17 per diluted share for the same period in 2022.
Non-GAAP core earnings were $0.23 per diluted share for the second quarter of 2023, compared to earnings of $0.25 per diluted share for the same period in 2022.
Recorded GAAP earnings were $0.46 per diluted share for the first half of 2023, compared to earnings of $0.39 per diluted share for the same period in 2022.
Non-GAAP core earnings were $0.52 per diluted share for the first half of 2023, compared to earnings of $0.55 per diluted share for the same period in 2022.
2023 EPS guidance updated for GAAP earnings from $1.00 to $1.13 per share (previously) to $1.04 to $1.13 per share.
2023 EPS guidance reaffirmed for non-GAAP core earnings in the range of $1.19 to $1.23 per share.
Forecasting no equity needs in 2023 through 2024.
OAKLAND, Calif., July 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG) recorded second quarter 2023 income available for common shareholders of $406 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, as reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). This compares with income available for common shareholders of $356 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2022.
The increase in GAAP results was primarily driven by lower costs related to PG&E Corporation's and Pacific Gas and Electric Company's (Utility) reorganization cases under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (Chapter 11) and lower wildfire-related costs, and higher Fire Victim Trust tax benefit net of securitization.
"Through the first half of 2023, we feel confident that we continue to reduce physical risk on our system overall, and that our investments since 2017 have made a dramatic difference in preventing catastrophic wildfires," said Patti Poppe, CEO of PG&E Corporation. "We also expect continued steady and predictable improvement in our financial health, which in turn allows us to further invest and innovate as we build a climate-resilient energy system for California's future."
Non-GAAP Core Earnings
PG&E Corporation's non-GAAP core earnings, which exclude non-core items, were $494 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2023, compared with $536 million, or $0.25 per diluted share, during the same period in 2022.
The decrease in quarter-over-quarter non-GAAP core earnings is primarily driven by timing items and other increases, including property taxes, partially offset by savings in operating and maintenance costs net of redeployment.
Non-core items, which management does not consider representative of ongoing earnings, totaled $88 million after tax, or $0.04 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2023, compared with $180 million after tax, or $0.08 per diluted share, during the same period in 2022.
PG&E Corporation uses "non-GAAP core earnings," which is a non-GAAP financial measure, in order to provide a measure that allows investors to compare the underlying financial performance of the business from one period to another, exclusive of non-core items. See the accompanying tables for a reconciliation of non-GAAP core earnings to consolidated earnings available for common shareholders.
2023 Guidance
PG&E Corporation is updating 2023 GAAP earnings guidance in the range of $1.04 to $1.13 per diluted share. Factors driving GAAP earnings include costs related to unrecoverable interest expense of $370 million to $430 million after tax and other earnings factors, including allowance for funds used during construction equity, incentive revenues, tax benefits, and cost savings, net of below-the-line costs. Additional factors include the amortization of the Wildfire Fund asset and accretion of the related Wildfire Fund liability, wildfire-related costs, PG&E Corporation's and the Utility's reorganization cases under Chapter 11, and investigation remedies, partially offset by Fire Victim Trust tax benefits and prior period net regulatory impact.
The guidance range for projected 2023 non-GAAP core earnings is reaffirmed at $1.19 to $1.23 per diluted share. The guidance range for non-core items, which management does not consider representative of ongoing earnings, is updated to $210 million to $320 million after tax.
Guidance is based on various assumptions and forecasts, including those relating to authorized revenues, future expenses, capital expenditures, rate base, equity issuances, and certain other factors.
PG&E Corporation will also hold a conference call on July 27, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (8:00 a.m. Pacific Time) to discuss its second quarter 2023 results. The public can access the conference call through a simultaneous webcast. The link is provided below and will also be available from the PG&E Corporation website.
What: Second Quarter 2023 Earnings Call
When: Thursday, July 27, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time
Alternatively, a toll-free replay of the conference call may be accessed shortly after the live call through August 10, 2023, by dialing (800) 770-2030. International callers may dial (647) 362-9199. For both domestic and international callers, the confirmation code 64421 will be required to access the replay.
Public Dissemination of Certain Information
PG&E Corporation and the Utility routinely provide links to the Utility's principal regulatory proceedings with the California Public Utilities Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission at http://investor.pgecorp.com, under the "Regulatory Filings" tab, so that such filings are available to investors upon filing with the relevant agency. PG&E Corporation and the Utility also routinely post, or provide direct links to, presentations, documents, and other information that may be of interest to investors, including regarding dividends, at http://investor.pgecorp.com, under the "Wildfire and Safety Updates," "News & Events: Events & Presentations," and "Shareholders: Dividend Information" tabs, respectively, in order to publicly disseminate such information. It is possible that any of these filings or information included therein could be deemed to be material information.
About PG&E Corporation
PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG) is a holding company headquartered in Oakland, California. It is the parent company of Pacific Gas and Electric Company, an energy company that serves 16 million Californians across a 70,000-square-mile service area in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit http://www.pgecorp.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the beliefs, expectations, estimates, future plans and strategies of PG&E Corporation and the Utility, including but not limited to earnings guidance and equity financing requirements for 2023 and 2024. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions, which management believes are reasonable, and on information currently available to management, but are necessarily subject to various risks and uncertainties. In addition to the risk that these assumptions prove to be inaccurate, factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements include factors disclosed in PG&E Corporation and the Utility's joint annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, their most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, and other reports filed with the SEC, which are available on PG&E Corporation's website at www.pgecorp.com and on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. PG&E Corporation and the Utility undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether due to new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law.
Non-GAAP Core Earnings and Non-GAAP Core EPS
"Non-GAAP core earnings" and "Non-GAAP core EPS," also referred to as "non-GAAP core earnings per share," are non-GAAP financial measures. Non-GAAP core earnings is calculated as income available for common shareholders less non-core items. "Non-core items" include items that management does not consider representative of ongoing earnings and affect comparability of financial results between periods, consisting of the items listed in Exhibit A. Non-GAAP core EPS is calculated as non-GAAP core earnings divided by common shares outstanding (taken on a basic basis in the event of a GAAP loss and a diluted basis in the event of a GAAP gain).
PG&E Corporation discloses historical financial results and provides guidance based on "non-GAAP core earnings" and "non-GAAP core EPS" in order to provide a measure that allows investors to compare the underlying financial performance of the business from one period to another, exclusive of non-core items. PG&E Corporation and the Utility use non-GAAP core earnings and non-GAAP core EPS to understand and compare operating results across reporting periods for various purposes including internal budgeting and forecasting, short- and long-term operating planning, and employee incentive compensation. PG&E Corporation and the Utility believe that non-GAAP core earnings and non-GAAP core EPS provide additional insight into the underlying trends of the business, allowing for a better comparison against historical results and expectations for future performance. With respect to our projection of non-GAAP core EPS for the years 2024-2026, PG&E Corporation is unable to predict with reasonable certainty the reconciling items that may affect GAAP net income without unreasonable effort. The reconciling items are primarily due to the future impact of wildfire-related costs, timing of regulatory recoveries, special tax items, and investigation remedies. These reconciling items are uncertain, depend on various factors and could significantly impact, either individually or in the aggregate, the GAAP measures.
Non-GAAP core earnings and non-GAAP core EPS are not substitutes or alternatives for GAAP measures such as consolidated income available for common shareholders and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies.
The above press release was provided courtesy of PRNewswire. The views, opinions and statements in the press release are not endorsed by Gray Media Group nor do they necessarily state or reflect those of Gray Media Group, Inc.
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2023-07-27T11:01:40+00:00
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kmvt.com
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https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/27/pgampe-corporation-reports-second-quarter-results-track-deliver-solid-2023/
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BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Walker & Dunlop, Inc. announced today that it structured $57.2 million in financing for three skilled nursing facilities located in Illinois. Walker & Dunlop Senior Managing Director, Joshua Rosen led the origination team, which has considerable experience with seniors housing and healthcare facilities across the country. Leveraging their extensive knowledge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) financing products, the team utilized the LEAN 232/223(f) for the refinance of two properties and the 232/223(a)(7) program for the other. Both programs provide long-term financing for skilled healthcare facilities. The deals reaffirm the post pandemic upward momentum in the seniors housing market.
The collection of properties includes:
- Avantara Park Ridge – Walker & Dunlop structured a $15.6 million loan through HUD's LEAN refinance program for Avantara Park Ridge, a 154-bed skilled nursing facility in Park Ridge, Illinois.
- Moraine Court Supportive Living – Walker & Dunlop secured a $28.7 million loan through HUD's LEAN refinance program for Moraine Court Supportive Living, a 185-bed Supportive Living Facility located in Bridgeview, Illinois. W&D assisted in structuring and obtaining HUD approval on a surplus cash note prior to application and refinanced the current HUD insured debt and surplus cash note.
- Aperion Care Elgin – Walker & Dunlop secured a $13.3 million loan through HUD's LEAN refinance program for Aperion Care Elgin, a 101-bed skilled nursing facility in Elgin, Illinois.
"Walker & Dunlop's ability to seamlessly navigate the HUD process helps our clients to successfully close on transactions," said Mr. Rosen. "Our team continues to enable our clients to carry out new business ideas and improve existing skilled nursing properties, keeping vulnerable populations safe."
Walker & Dunlop is a leader in seniors housing property sales and financing; the firm has completed more than 850 unique seniors housing and healthcare transactions worth over $9 billion since 2009. For more information about Walker & Dunlop's seniors housing team, visit our website.
Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD) is one of the largest providers of capital to the commercial real estate industry in the United States, enabling real estate owners and operators to bring their visions of communities — where Americans live, work, shop and play — to life. Our people, brand and technology make W&D one of the most insightful and customer-focused firms in our industry. With more than 1,400 employees across every major U.S. market, Walker & Dunlop has consistently been named one of Fortune's Great Places to Work® and is committed to making the commercial real estate industry more inclusive and diverse while creating meaningful social, environmental, and economic change in our communities.
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SOURCE Walker & Dunlop, Inc.
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2022-08-18T23:33:44+00:00
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wlbt.com
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https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/seniors-housing-market-is-back-stronger-than-ever/
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Kennedy boys, Waterloo West girls, Marion boys roll in basketball
Published: Jan. 13, 2023 at 10:54 PM CST|Updated: 2 hours ago
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - The No. 2 Cougars are still undefeated going into the weekend after an 86-55 win over Dubuque Wahlert.
The defending state runner-up Waterloo West girls, ranked third in class 5A, won big on the road 69-56 over Liberty.
The Marion boys defended home court with a 59-48 victory over Mount Vernon.
Copyright 2023 KCRG. All rights reserved.
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2023-01-14T06:28:22+00:00
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kcrg.com
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https://www.kcrg.com/2023/01/14/kennedy-boys-waterloo-west-girls-marion-boys-roll-basketball/
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NEW YORK, May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TORRAS, a leading phone accessory & electronic device brand, has launched the 2022 version of its wearable air conditioner, COOLIFY 2, through YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
As the pioneer of neck air conditioner (No.2 sales in 2021 Amazon category), TORRAS has made a significant breakthrough on COOLIFY 2, releasing 3 new colorways (priced at $179) and 1 limited edition (priced at $229). COOLIFY 2 is a personal temperature control air conditioner for both cooling and heating. It's currently available on TORRAS official website and Amazon store.
Build Your Own Temperature Zone & Save Energy
Through continuous in-depth research on daily life, TORRAS found that traditional large-scale cooling is difficult to provide suitable temperatures for different users in the same place, and even causes a waste of carbon consumption.
Taking this as an entry point, TORRAS further develops COOLIFY 2 by changing the traditional airflow cooling into thermal contact conductance, which makes it smarter to regulate individuals' body temperature. COOLIFY 2 also adds a heat mode to keep users warm during cold days. This improvement truly provides users with a customized temperature control system in different scenarios.
At the same time, COOLIFY 2 marks an entirely new era in which cooling goes greener. Personal cooling is more efficient than traditional large-scale cooling in terms of energy consumption, so there is an urgency to promote the popularization of personal cooling. TORRAS upholds the concept that technology changes the future, and constantly encourages more users to start by adapting their lifestyles, thus contributing to a more sustainable world.
"COOLIFY 2 helps users create a personal temperature zone, which bears the mission of TORRAS to make people's lives better" - said Carrie Kong, CEO of TORRAS.
Features of COOLIFY 2:
- Cool Down 27℉ in 1S: NTC smart temperature control and KU 2.0 chip make it possible to cool down 27°F in 1 second, driving heat away instantly.
- Comfortable Fit: Adjustable design with built-in silicone cushion enables COOLIFY 2 to fit easily around users' necks throughout their activities.
- 18 Hours Continuous Use: 3-hour charging provides 18 hours of battery life, ensuring a long-lasting cooling experience.
- Cooling & Heating 2 in 1 Device: In addition to beating the heat, it heats up when switched to heat mode to keep you warm on colder days.
- Stylish & Premium Design: 3 most popular colorways with innovative craft allow you to look cool and keep cool, perfectly keeping up with your style.
- Bladeless, Worry-free: Bladeless fan prevents your hair from getting pinched. Overcharge and short circuit protection make it safe enough for cooling.
If you want to place an order today, please visit TORRAS Official Website and Amazon Store:
TORRAS Official Website:
https://torraslife.com/product/coolify2-neck-air-conditioner/?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=MEDIA&utm_campaign=5-5&utm_id=PR
Amazon Store:
https://amzn.to/3kLO8Bx
For more information about TORRAS, please visit www.torraslife.com
TORRAS has been developing creative products in the fields of 3C electronics, vehicle accessories, and household appliances. Most of their products keep top sales all year round, and achieve high customer satisfaction. The newly launched COOLIFY 2, which stands out with its excellent cooling performance, is expected to be quickly recognized by the market!
About TORRAS
Founded in 2012, TORRAS is an innovative brand with a design philosophy of "Simple but Unique". They now have an R&D laboratory that spans over 2,000 square meters, and have obtained more than 1,100 patents thus far, with 36 of its products winning prestigious international design awards including the German Red Dot Award.
TORRAS Contact: press@torras-global.com;
TORRAS PR Manager: echo.huang@torras-global.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE TORRAS
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2022-05-10T15:44:28+00:00
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live5news.com
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https://www.live5news.com/prnewswire/2022/05/10/torras-launched-latest-version-neck-air-conditioner-coolify-2-inspiring-everyone-stay-cool/
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Masked man kills woman in ‘targeted’ hit at Florida home
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. (AP) — A woman who was in bed with her two young children was fatally shot early Tuesday during a home invasion that a Florida sheriff described as “targeted” hit.
A man knocked on a door in New Port Richey, which is north of Tampa, sometime after 12:30 a.m., Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said during a news conference.
The knock awakened a woman who was sleeping on the couch in a front room, the sheriff said. As she got up, a masked man kicked the door in and pointed a gun at her, Nocco said.
The man continued on to a bedroom and flipped the light switch, Nocco said.
“The light comes on, she sees the suspect walk into the door,” he said. “She sits up. As she sits up she says, ‘Don’t shoot me.’ The suspect then fires one round at her. She falls off the bed. He fires another round directly at her striking her.”
The children, under the age of 12, were not injured in the shooting, he said.
The shooter fled the scene and investigators were searching for him.
Nocco said he didn’t yet know whether the shooting was domestic-related, but anyone involved in a relationship with the woman will be questioned, he said.
“Clearly this person was targeted,” Nocco said.
He said that mental health counselors are working with the two children and the woman.
“For these young kids, I can imagine they were out last night trick-or-treating and I can imagine they went to bed a little later, like all the kids did last night,” Nocco said. “But to be woken up, to have a suspect walk in turn that light on and shoot the person who was in the bed with them, that’s horrific. That’s the only word I can think of.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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2022-11-01T13:35:32+00:00
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kmvt.com
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https://www.kmvt.com/2022/11/01/masked-man-kills-woman-targeted-hit-florida-home/
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MONTREAL, Quebec — Flames defenseman Chris Tanev was helped off the ice after taking a slap shot to the head in the second period of Calgary’s 2-1 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Monday.
“It’s tough, I mean, he doesn’t stay down very often,” said Calgary goaltender Jacob Markstrom. “So when he stays down you’re worried. I haven’t talked to him after, but hopefully he’s O.K.”
Although Montreal still possessed the puck, Canadiens right-winger Joel Armia asked the referees to whistle the play dead so Tanev could get medical assistance.
After team medics examined Tanev, he skated off the ice with help from his teammates. Before the injury, Tanev had 11:43 of ice time with one shot on net.
“I just talked to Tanev. I know the feeling and I know the sound,” said Calgary head coach Daryl Sutter. “I told the players, the toughest guy in the building is Chris Tanev, let’s go do it for him.”
The Flames were left with five defensemen for the remainder of the game.
The 32-year-old Tanev has five assists, four penalty minutes, and a minus-1 rating over 23 games for Calgary this season.
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2022-12-13T05:44:20+00:00
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washingtonpost.com
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nhl/flames-tanev-leaves-game-after-taking-shot-to-head/2022/12/12/d7b74c18-7a9d-11ed-bb97-f47d47466b9a_story.html
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Official: School bus hits student, crashes into building
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Authorities reported a school bus hit a student before crashing into a storefront in North Charleston, South Carolina.
First responders were dispatched to the scene at about 7:45 a.m. Tuesday, WCSC reported.
The student who was hit was taken to the hospital with injuries, North Charleston Fire Department Assistant Chief Christan Rainey said. Rainey did not provide any details about the student’s injuries.
According to the Charleston County School District, the bus was transporting students from North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary when the incident occurred.
Rainey said four of the eight students on the bus and the driver were taken to the hospital.
Two high school students were struck by debris caused by the crash and taken to the hospital.
Copyright 2022 WCSC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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2022-09-20T16:02:02+00:00
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newschannel10.com
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https://www.newschannel10.com/2022/09/20/official-school-bus-hits-student-crashes-into-building/
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Agawam
Popowich Family Investments LLC, to Popco Real Estate LLC, 66 Ramah Circle South, $450,000.
Christopher R. Mader to David North, 88 Doane Ave., $283,000.
Agawam
Popowich Family Investments LLC, to Popco Real Estate LLC, 66 Ramah Circle South, $450,000.
Christopher R. Mader to David North, 88 Doane Ave., $283,000.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
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2022-10-30T12:08:00+00:00
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masslive.com
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https://www.masslive.com/living/2022/10/massachusetts-real-estate-transactions-for-hampden-hampshire-and-franklin-counties-october-30-2022-edition.html
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Asian Americans to celebrate heritage, arts, community with performances at the DIA
Midwest Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) musicians, dancers and poets will unite Saturday for an evening celebrating the collaboration, healing and spirit of their community during the “Celebrating Asian American Arts, Community & Culture” performance. The free event will take place at the Detroit Film Theatre inside the Detroit Institute of Arts and is part of a series of events commemorating the 40th anniversary of the murder of Chinese-American Vincent Chin.
“Our hope is that through song, poetry and movement, these artists will really affirm our call for future generations to carry the torch of Vincent Chin’s legacy,” said event director Rebeka Islam. “And in the time that we’re in right now, in these times of turmoil, it’s transformative and healing. It was important 40 years ago, and it’s equally important today.”
Chin was bludgeoned to death outside a Highland Park bar in 1982 following a spat with two white men he had met inside. The two men allegedly yelled racial slurs during the argument, amid a time of growing anger against the Japanese who were perceived as stealing American automotive jobs. The men were fined $3,000 and sentenced to three years of probation with no jail time, and launched a pivotal moment for Asian American activism.
“One of the reasons why things like this happens is that we are dehumanized,” said Japanese-American Nobuko Miyamoto, a singer, composer, artist and activist. “And the way we become human is by telling our story and telling it through culture, through writing, through performance, through music, theater, dance; all of it is really important.”
Joined by producer and composer Derek Nakamoto, bassist Juan Perez and singer and percussionist Asiyah Ayubbi, Nobuko will perform original music, including a song written about Chin, as well as Chinese-American activist and Detroiter Grace Lee Boggs. Nobuko said her music is rooted in the Asian American movement of the early 1970s, and she will perform music from that era, including music from her album “A Grain of Sand.”
She’ll also perform new material from her latest record “120,000 Stories,” referencing the number of Japanese Americans who were put in camps during World War II, including her own family when she was a child.
“That experience of being sort of a refugee in America was one of my foundational experiences,” she said. “It was only really through exposure to the arts that I healed from the trauma, and I had a form of expression.”
The Electronic Music Ensemble of Wayne State, directed by Korean-American Joo Won Park, will also perform, playing Park’s original music on keyboards, synthesizers and laptop computers.
“I find in Michigan, in this area, there are a noticeable number of Asian American artists, but they’re not represented well,” Park said. “It’s hard to find, so I think doing this concert where Asian Artists are featured, in a larger audience, has a meaning. It basically says… that there are creatives of Asian American heritage who are active and doing interesting things in the area.”
Other performers include poet Frances Kai-Hwa Wang and dancer Joori Jung.
Guests must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test and wear a mask to enter.
Park said the performance is a great way to see and meet active Asian Americans artists.
“Usually we are scattered, we do our own things, but you get to see people from music, dance and poetry in one place, so I think it’s a good place to meet others in the area,” he said. “For those who are aspiring to be a part of the Detroit arts community, it’s a good opportunity to see the diversity of the culture scene, and it’s nurturing.”
'Celebrating Asian American Arts, Community & Culture'
7-9:30 p.m. Saturday at the Detroit Film Theatre, located within the Detroit Institute of Arts at 5200 John R. Street, Detroit.
For more information and a full list of events, go here.
|
2022-06-16T14:32:18+00:00
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detroitnews.com
|
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/2022/06/16/asian-americans-to-celebrate-heritsian-americans-celebrate-heritage-arts-community-performances-dia/7644770001/
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Which Funko Pop ‘Rick and Morty’ toy is best?
“Rick and Morty” is one of the most popular animated series for adults and Funko has capitalized on that by adding the series to its Funko Pop lineup. Fans can purchase a wide range of Funko Pop “Rick and Morty” figures from throughout all five seasons of the series. A top pick sure to please is the Funko Pop “Rick and Morty” Pickle Rick.
What to know before you buy a Funko Pop ‘Rick and Morty’ toy
Quantity
“Rick and Morty” is one of the larger Funko Pop product lines. There are dozens of Funko Pop figures in this group. Collectors will need plenty of shelf space if they intend to purchase all of the figures. Fans should decide which characters are their favorites and if they want to focus on specific types of characters. Do you want just the regular versions of the characters? Or do you want to collect all the Ricks? Do you need only the main characters or do you like the supporting characters too?
Designs
It’s important to remember that these Funko Pop toys come from an animated series that is also a science fiction show. That means some character designs can vary wildly. They might have strange paint colors or different features compared to other Funko Pop figures. These oddities are normal for this product line. As long as the Funko Pop toy doesn’t show obvious signs of damage or paint flaws, it’s perfectly fine.
Age-appropriateness
“Rick and Morty” may be a cartoon, but it is not family friendly. The Funko Pop toys are not as inappropriate as the series, but some are still not appropriate for children. They can include adult accessories or references. Fans will want to look closely at each figure before purchasing for anyone under the age of 15.
What to look for in a quality Funko Pop ‘Rick and Morty’ toy
Paint quality
The most important feature of a quality Funko Pop “Rick and Morty” toy is its paint job. A sloppy or incomplete paint job can ruin fans’ enjoyment of a figure. It also severely detracts from the toy’s collectible value. The paint is even more important with Funko Pop “Rick and Morty” figures because of the many different colors and outlandish features included on each figure. A quality figure will be painted well with bright colors accurate to the TV show.
Unique features
There are dozens of different “Rick and Morty” characters, so the best Funko Pop “Rick and Morty” toy will stand out in the crowd. Fans should look for the quirky details that identify each character. Most Rick figures have his trademark unibrow. Morty figures often have some kind of accessory that corresponds to a specific episode. Other toys have completely different designs. Look for Funko Pop “Rick and Morty” toys with at least one unique aspect.
Box condition
Funko Pop toys are judged heavily on the condition of their box. Collectors often display the figures in the box. A damaged box also impacts the potential resale value. Even a small detail like missing an exclusive sticker can change a Funko Pop figure’s worth. Many retailers will include a picture of the box in their listing and fans should look closely at the picture before they purchase any Funko Pop “Rick and Morty” toy.
How much you can expect to spend on Funko Pop ‘Rick and Morty’ toys
Funko Pop “Rick and Morty” toys range from $10 to $30, depending on the size and rarity of each figure.
Funko Pop ‘Rick and Morty’ toy FAQ
Which ‘Rick and Morty’ characters have Funko Pop figures?
A. All five main “Rick and Morty” characters (Rick, Morty, Beth, Jerry and Summer) have multiple Funko Pop figures. The product line also includes many of the show’s most popular guest characters, including Mr. Meeseeks and Birdperson. Most of the significant “Rick and Morty” characters each have a corresponding Funko Pop toy. Funko is continuing to add other “Rick and Morty” figures regularly.
Are there special Funko Pop ‘Rick and Morty’ toys?
A. Yes. “Rick and Morty” is one of the brands that has a large number of Funko Pop special editions and variants. Several Funko Pop “Rick and Morty” toys glow in the dark. There are others that are specific to certain popular episodes of the series. Some of these variants are sold individually, while others are released in sets.
What’s the best Funko Pop ‘Rick and Morty’ toy to buy?
Top Funko Pop ‘Rick and Morty’ toy
Funko Pop “Rick and Morty” Pickle Rick
What you need to know: The most infamous “Rick and Morty” character gets an excellent Funko Pop treatment that captures all of his unbridled craziness.
What you’ll love: This is a great representation of Pickle Rick, from the maniacal grin on his face to the details on his battle suit. The colors are excellent. The standing pose of the figure makes it easy to display in or out of the box.
What you should consider: The popularity of Pickle Rick means many “Rick and Morty” fans already have one. There are a few variants, so it’s not very collectible.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top Funko Pop ‘Rick and Morty’ toy for the money
Funko Pop “Rick and Morty” Balthromaw
What you need to know: One of the biggest “Rick and Morty” characters is immortalized in one of the largest Funko Pop “Rick and Morty” toys.
What you’ll love: At 6 inches tall, Balthromaw is larger than most other Funko Pop toys. He appears exactly as a fearsome dragon should, including a scary facial expression and impressive wings. It’s one of the best-looking figures available.
What you should consider: Balthromaw isn’t one of the main “Rick and Morty” characters.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Funko Pop “Rick and Morty” Glow-in-the-Dark Hologram Rick
What you need to know: One of the many alternate Ricks gets a fun counterpart that looks even better in the dark.
What you’ll love: The glow-in-the-dark effect makes the figure look like a hologram. He comes with a protest sign that will leave fans laughing. Funko has captured Hologram Rick’s annoyed expression very well.
What you should consider: There are numerous variants of this Funko Pop figure, so it’s not very unique. It also isn’t as colorful as other Funko Pop “Rick and Morty” toys since it’s supposed to be a hologram.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Brittany Frederick writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.
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2022-10-25T18:01:56+00:00
|
wdtn.com
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https://www.wdtn.com/reviews/br/toys-games-br/theme-toys-br/best-funko-pop-rick-and-morty-toy/
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New space dedicated to player-favorite games Dragon Link™ and Lightning Link™
LAS VEGAS and IMMOKALEE, Fla., Dec. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Players who enjoy Aristocrat Gaming's™ Dragon Link™ and Lightning Link™ games celebrated Florida's first Lightning Link Lounge™, which opened with a grand debut at Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee today.
The new Lightning Link Lounge at Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee is the first to open in Florida, dedicated exclusively to Dragon Link and Lightning Link with 50 games for players to choose from. The lounge is a continuation of the long-standing and successful relationship between Seminole Gaming and Aristocrat Gaming.
"We are always exploring ways to enhance the player experience at Seminole Casino Hotel. This new Link Lounge concentrates 50 of the most popular games in the industry in one place, allowing players to more easily access these two top favorites," said Tony Alves, General Manager, Seminole Casino Hotel.
"We're thrilled to bring Florida's first Lightning Link Lounge to Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee so that players across the state can enjoy the entertaining style of play and Aristocrat's Hold & Spin™ mechanic that Dragon Link and Lightning Link offer," said Tom O'Brien, Aristocrat Gaming President, Americas and EMEA. "This lounge is a testament to our deep relationship with Seminole Gaming, and we look forward to continuing to bring the best games possible to their customers."
Click to learn more about Dragon Link and Lightning Link, and click here to learn more about Aristocrat's commitment to responsible gameplay.
Aristocrat Technologies Inc. is a subsidiary of Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL), a global games leader with more than 6,500 employees. The company is licensed in over 300 gaming jurisdictions, operates in more than 90 countries, and offers a unique blend of products and services. The company is the leading designer, manufacturer, and distributor of Class III games as well as Class II Innovations for Native American casinos and emerging markets. The company's mission is to bring joy to life through the power of play. Its values are rooted in creativity and technology, and the company has a rich history of innovation that has shaped the gaming industry over many decades. For further information, visit the company's website at www.aristocratgaming.com.
Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee is Southwest Florida's premier gaming and entertainment destination. Located at 506 South 1st Street in Immokalee, Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee is easily accessible to all of Southwest Florida. The 51,000-square-foot casino offers 1,400 slots and 38 live table games. Dining options include the award-winning 1st Street Deli, Asian fusion restaurant Lucky Mi Noodle House, and the EE-TO-LEET-KE ("The Camp") Grill. Seminole Casino Hotel's nightlife is highlighted by the Zig Zag lounge, home of the Zig Zag Girlz, "where the party never ends" featuring nightly live entertainment and no last call, as well as the new Corner Bar. Additional entertainment and events are held at the Seminole Center, an indoor/outdoor special event center featuring state-of-the-art sound and lighting system. The Seminole Casino Hotel is the first upscale hotel to open in or near Immokalee and offers suites and deluxe guestrooms with modern décor and upscale features. Seminole Casino Hotel participates in the Seminole Players Club Wild Card Rewards Program whereby players earn and redeem comp dollars at all Seminole Casinos in Florida. For more information, call toll-free (800) 218-0007 or visit moreinparadise.com or facebook.com/SeminoleCasinoHotel/.
Media Contacts:
For Aristocrat:
Oriana Branon, Oriana.Branon@aristocrat.com
Paul Speirs-Hernandez, paul@steinbeckcommunications.com
For Seminole Gaming:
Cathy Baker
Advertising and PR Manager
Seminole Casino Hotel
cathy.baker@stofgaming.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Aristocrat Technologies Inc.
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2022-12-15T04:22:21+00:00
|
kwtx.com
|
https://www.kwtx.com/prnewswire/2022/12/15/floridas-first-aristocrat-gaming-lightning-link-lounge-opens-seminole-casino-hotel-immokalee/
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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as Sri Lanka's interim president Friday until Parliament elects a successor to Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who resigned after mass protests over the country's economic collapse forced him from office.
The speaker of Sri Lanka's Parliament said Rajapaksa resigned as president effective Thursday and lawmakers will convene Saturday to choose a new leader. Their choice would serve out the remainder of Rajapaksa's term ending in 2024, said Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana. He expects the process to be done in seven days.
That person could potentially appoint a new prime minister, who would then have to be approved by Parliament. With Rajapaksa done, pressure on Wickremesinghe was rising.
Opponents had viewed his appointment as prime minister in May as alleviating pressure on Rajapaksa to resign. He became the acting president when Rajapaksa fled Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
Rajapaksa arrived in Singapore on Thursday and his resignation became official on that date. The prime minister's office said Wickremesinghe was sworn in Friday as interim president before Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya.
Sri Lanka has run short of money to pay for imports of basic necessities such as food, fertilizer, medicine and fuel, to the despair of its 22 million people. Its rapid economic decline has been all the more shocking because, before this crisis, the economy had been expanding, with a growing, comfortable middle class.
Protesters cooked and distributed milk rice — a food Sri Lankans enjoy to celebrate victories — after Rajapaksa's resignation. At the main protest site in front of the president's office in Colombo, people welcomed his resignation but insisted Wickremesinghe also should step aside.
"I am happy that Gotabaya has finally left. He should have resigned earlier, without causing much problems," Velauynatha Pillai, 73, a retired bank employee, said as patriotic songs were blaring from loudspeakers.
But he added that "Ranil is a supporter of Gotabaya and other Rajapaksas. He was helping them. He also must go."
Protesters who had occupied government buildings retreated Thursday, restoring a tenuous calm in the capital, Colombo. But with the political opposition in Parliament fractured, a solution to Sri Lanka's many woes seemed no closer.
The nation is seeking help from the International Monetary Fund and other creditors, but its finances are so poor that even obtaining a bailout has proven difficult, Wickremesinghe recently said.
The country remains a powder keg, and the military warned Thursday that it had powers to respond in case of chaos — a message some found concerning.
Abeywardana promised a swift and transparent process for electing a new president.
"I request the honorable and loving citizens of this country to create a peaceful atmosphere in order to implement the proper Parliamentary democratic process and enable all members of Parliament to participate in the meetings and function freely and conscientiously," he said Friday.
The protesters accuse Rajapaksa and his powerful political family of siphoning money from government coffers for years and of hastening the country's collapse by mismanaging the economy. The family has denied the corruption allegations, but Rajapaksa acknowledged that some of his policies contributed to Sri Lanka's meltdown.
Maduka Iroshan, 26, a university student and protester, said he was "thrilled" that Rajapaksa had quit, because he "ruined the dreams of the young generation."
Months of protests reached a frenzied peak over the weekend when demonstrators stormed the president's home and office and Wickremesinghe's official residence. On Wednesday, they seized his office.
Images of protesters inside the buildings — lounging on elegant sofas and beds, posing at officials' desks and touring the opulent settings — captured the world's attention.
The demonstrators initially vowed to stay until a new government was in place, but they shifted tactics Thursday, apparently concerned that an escalation in violence could undermine their message following clashes outside the Parliament that left dozens injured.
"The fear was that there could be a crack in the trust they held for the struggle," said Nuzly, a protest leader who goes by one name. "We've shown what power of the people can do, but it doesn't mean we have to occupy these places."
Closing the gate to the presidential palace after the crowds cleared out was bittersweet, said Visaka Jayaweer, a performing artist.
"Taking over his residence was a great moment. It showed just how much we wanted him to step down. But it is also a great relief" to leave, she said. "We were worried if people would act out — many were angry to see the luxury he had been living in when they were outside, struggling to buy milk for their children."
Rajapaksa and his wife slipped away in the night aboard a military plane early Wednesday. On Thursday, he went to Singapore, according to the city-state's Foreign Ministry. It said he had not requested asylum.
Since Sri Lankan presidents are protected from arrest while in power, Rajapaksa likely wanted to leave while he still had constitutional immunity and access to the plane.
The protests underscored the dramatic fall of the Rajapaksa political clan that has ruled Sri Lanka for most of the past two decades.
A military strategist whose brutal campaign helped end the country's 26-year civil war, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother, who was president at the time, were hailed by the island's Buddhist Sinhalese majority. Despite accusations of wartime atrocities, including ordering military attacks on ethnic Tamil civilians and abducting journalists, Rajapaksa remained popular among many Sri Lankans. He has continually denied the allegations.
It was not immediately clear if Singapore would be Rajapaksa's final destination, but he has previously sought medical care there, including undergoing heart surgery.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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2022-07-15T10:24:37+00:00
|
delawarepublic.org
|
https://www.delawarepublic.org/npr-headlines/2022-07-15/the-naming-of-an-interim-president-puts-an-end-to-a-political-dynasty-in-sri-lanka
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At 2:13 p.m., November 4, 2022, A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for Wichita Falls expected to last until 3 p.m.
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Most of Texoma and DFW can expect severe storms through most of Friday.
According to KFDX Meteorologists Michael Bohling and Noah Trombley, counties can expect to see half-dollar to ping-pong-size hail, over 60 to 70 mph wind gusts, and small chances for brief tornadoes.
The counties most expected to be impacted are East of Wilbarger County.
The central counties in the area can expect severe weather to start around 1 p.m. and end at 4 p.m. It’s worth noting that the counties could see two rounds of storms pop up throughout that window.
At 1:02 p.m. November 4, 2022, A Tornado Watch was issued for the following counties: Jefferson, Montague and Stephens. The Tornado Watches are in effect until 8 p.m. A tornado watch means the conditions are possible to produce a tornado.
At 1:21 p.m., November 4, 2022, a Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for the following counties: Comanche, Wichita, Wilbarger and Tillman Counties until 2:15 p.m.
At 2:13 p.m., November 4, 2022, A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for Wichita Falls expected to last until 3 p.m.
Storm updates will be published in this story. Stick with Texoma’s Weather Authority for the latest on severe storms.
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2022-11-04T21:53:49+00:00
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texomashomepage.com
|
https://www.texomashomepage.com/weather/tornado-watches-and-thunderstorm-warnings-issued-for-parts-of-texoma/
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2023-03-27T05:01:27+00:00
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leadertelegram.com
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https://www.leadertelegram.com/opinion/from-our-files/from-our-files-03-27-23/article_5f85b880-c505-11ed-8e83-83958d886bf1.html
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The Sixth: Public defender shortage
Advocates say lack of access to representation in court is a constitutional crisis that erodes public trust and violates the rights of the accused
Content warning: This story contains descriptions of and images associated with suicide. If you or someone you know are experiencing thoughts of suicide, contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling, texting or chatting 988. The original hotline number, 1-800-273-8255, is also open. Additional resources can be found at 988lifeline.org
(InvestigateTV) - The Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees citizens the right to an attorney to people who cannot afford one. But InvestigateTV uncovered most state public defender offices are chronically understaffed, leaving defendants waiting months without legal representation, some languishing behind bars waiting for their day in court.
Public defender advocates say the Covid-19 pandemic didn’t cause the problem, but rather exposed decades of underfunding a vital part of the criminal justice system, impacting poor and Black communities the most.
A class action lawsuit filed this past August in Wisconsin claims the problem has created a backlog of 35,000 criminal cases. In Brown County alone, which includes Green Bay, the lawsuit alleges approximately 350 defendants were in need of public defender representation at the time, and 17 were in custody for more than 100 days. All of them were not convicted of crimes at that time. Many claim they’re innocent.
“We have individuals sitting in custody waiting for their day in court,” said Kelli Thompson, the head of the Wisconsin State Public Defender office during an April 2022 interview with WisPolitics. “We have individuals whose family members are impacted because they’re not home with their families.”
Wisconsin has experienced a shortage of attorneys certified in public defense for years.
Desperate for representation
A preliminary hearing inside a rural courthouse in 2018 highlights the devastating impact of the problem. It involved Trequelle Vann-Marcouex, a teen living in Wisconsin Rapids, who was arrested in connection with an armed robbery.
The 18-year-old, who had never been in serious trouble in the past, faced up to 65 years in prison. During an interrogation, a detective repeatedly scolded the teen for not cooperating and dodging questions.
“You have information, but no proof. I was not there,” said Vann-Marcouex during the interrogation.
“I’m not some sort of punk you deal with on the street,” yelled the detective. “So take a step back, step back and calm down!”
Vann-Marcouex couldn’t afford an attorney or the $25,000 bail. So, he sat in Wood County’s jail waiting for his court-appointed attorney. His family said Vann-Marcouex called Wisconsin’s public defender’s office every day, asking for a lawyer.
“He’s like, ‘Mom, they literally laughed at me on the phone. Like, yeah right, you’re waiting for a lawyer. Like, there’s a lot of other people too,’” said Deb Vann, the teen’s mother.
Vann-Marcouex ‘s fellow inmates witnessed him struggle too.
“He was calling for weeks to get a public defender. They kept saying, ‘We don’t have one, we don’t have one,’” said Troy Orheim, a former inmate during a recorded interview with a sheriff’s investigator.
On the day of his court hearing, Vann-Marcouex walked into court alone. According to court transcripts, the judge told him, “You do have the right to ask questions of the officer … although if you had an attorney here, they would tell you not to do so.” At the end of the 30-minute hearing, the judge decided there was enough evidence to charge the teen. When Vann-Marcouex tried to protest the ruling, the judge told him, “That will be something you can discuss with your attorney.”
Later that night in jail, Vann-Marcouex took a shower, went to church, tied a blanket around his cell door and neck, and hanged himself.
A sheriff investigator asked Orheim, the former inmate, about Vann-Marcouex’s suicide, “What do you think drove him to do what he did?” “I think the detectives and not having a public defender,” Orheim said.
Vann-Marcouex’s family does not think he would have taken his own life if he had a public defender in court that day.
“I just think it would have given him hope,” said Mercedes Marcouex, the teen’s sister. “He would have had a voice, he would have been able to say ‘This is what happened.’ He would have been able to have somebody there to guide him through the system… Everybody makes mistakes, but your right to have representation was essentially taken away from him.”
The Wisconsin State Public Defender office said agency staff made approximately 300 calls and emails to private attorneys certified to take state public defender cases, but the office could not find Vann-Marcouex a lawyer in time for his court date.
Four years after Vann-Marcouex’s death, the problem is worse.
According to a July statement from the state public defender’s office, Wisconsin experienced a 20% vacancy rate for trial attorneys certified in public defense, nearly double the rate before the pandemic. About one-third of private bar attorneys also left the certification list.
During that time, cases assigned to staff attorneys in the state office jumped from about 32,000 open cases to 64,000.
“This is unsustainable and can potentially jeopardize the constitutional rights of our clients throughout the state,” said Wilson Medina, an agency spokesperson, in an email to InvestigateTV.
Shortages across America
The problem stretches from coast to coast.
In Oregon, a January 2022 study released by the American Bar Association (ABA) found the state has one-third of the public defenders it needs. At its current staffing, the study found attorneys would have to work 26 hours a day to catch up on the current workload.
A similar study by the ABA in New Mexico shows the state needs 67% more lawyers to adequately represent defendants.
There are no national vacancy rates available because each state appoints attorneys differently. Many heavily rely on private attorneys certified to take public defender cases. Those private attorneys often don’t show up in agency retention numbers.
InvestigateTV relied on primary sources to identify public defender shortages in each state, including class action lawsuits, court decisions, news reports, audits, and studies conducted by universities and organizations such as the ABA within the past five years.
In Fulton County, Georgia, it’s easy to spot the problem nearly every day in court. This past August, court administration records obtained from a state public record request show at least 113 people indicted for crimes did not have a court-appointed attorney. All of these individuals were charged with crimes that included multiple defendants, which requires the state’s public defender office to appoint attorneys outside its office to represent them, known as “conflict” or “C-3″ attorneys. The C-3 attorneys are private lawyers certified to represent indigent defendants on the state’s behalf. Of the 113 people waiting for legal representation, the majority of them were Black. Twenty-nine of them had been behind bars longer than a year.
‘An unacceptable crisis’
Frustration over the state’s failure was on full display during a hearing on August 5, 2022, inside Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney’s courtroom.
“We are working on an unacceptable crisis and you’re not the only one,” said McBurney to a defendant who had been in jail since December 2019 for armed robbery charges. The 23-year-old did not have an attorney during the hearing even though he qualified for one.
“We need to fix this,” McBurney said. “It is top of mind for the courts, but I don’t get to hire the lawyers. There are other agencies that are supposed to be getting this done. Meanwhile, you’re stuck in jail.”
When Demario Phillips approached the bench, McBurney had the same bad news. “We are struggling, and when I mean we, I mean around the state with these C-3 lawyers,” the judge said.
The 19-year-old, charged with murder, sat in jail for 11 months and did not have a lawyer for the court hearing. He said he’s innocent. In court, Phillips’ parents asked a judge for help.
“We’re trying. We can’t afford an attorney. The prices are like so high,” Phillips’ mother, Freda, said.
McBurney told Phillips’ parents it’s not their job to find an attorney if they cannot afford one. “The state of Georgia has an obligation to get a lawyer for your son and the state of Georgia is not living up to its obligation right now,” McBurney said.
A few weeks later, Phillips’s mother sat down with InvestigateTV. “We keep doing the same dance,” she said. “We go to these status hearings knowing they haven’t found him a lawyer yet. It is his constitutional right to be afforded an attorney.”
McBurney compares Georgia’s problem to court systems typically associated with authoritarian regimes.
“What we have right now is akin to the scenarios that we decry when we look at the criminal justice system in China or Iran, where people can get scooped up and held without charges or without it being clear what’s going on and most importantly no due process,” McBurney said during an October interview with InvestigateTV. “They’re stuck, they’re silenced and they don’t have a next court date other than to come back to see the judge, to say this is a travesty.”
In September, the Southern Center for Human Rights sent a letter to the Georgia Public Defenders Counsel (GPDC) threatening litigation if it did not address the problem. “GPDC is in breach of its clear and mandatory statutory responsibility with respect to potentially hundreds of indigent persons accused of crimes in multi-defendant cases across Georgia,” the civil rights organization wrote.
The crisis doesn’t just impact people accused of crimes. McBurney said it also delays justice for victims.
“You just may want to know that the person who did this is just being put away somewhere safe so that it doesn’t happen to the next person, or they don’t come back and get you because they burglarized your house and took all sorts of identifying information,” he said. “When you call the district attorney’s office to ask what’s going on with my case the answer is – nothing – because there is no lawyer here for the defendant.”
The future of representation
There is growing concern the right to an attorney at the state level could be overturned by the current U.S. Supreme Court.
In 2019, conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch wrote an opinion, eluding they disagreed with Gideon v. Wainwright, the landmark 1963 Supreme Court ruling that guaranteed the right to counsel for criminal defendants in federal and state courts.
In their dissenting opinion, the two justices wrote that the Sixth Amendment does not guarantee access to an attorney with any level of reliability or a reliable result.
“The structural protections provided in the Sixth Amendment certainly seek to promote reliable criminal proceedings, but there is no substantive right to a particular level of reliability. In assuming otherwise, our ever-growing right-to-counsel precedents directly conflict with the government’s legitimate interest in the finality of criminal judgments,” wrote the justices.
That opinion brought chills to Jon Rapping, president of Gideon’s Promise, a national public defender advocacy organization named after the 1963 case.
“It should bring chills to all of us when we realize that any of us can be accused of a crime,” Rapping said.
“Undoubtedly, there are people sitting in jail, accused of crimes who are innocent,” Rapping said. “We can’t possibly know that until they get a lawyer, who can gather information and shine light into what actually happened. So, having a lawyer early is the only way we can feel confident that people that are incarcerated actually committed the crimes they are accused of committing.”
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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2022-12-05T18:58:50+00:00
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kswo.com
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https://www.kswo.com/2022/12/05/sixth-public-defender-shortage/
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Wednesday’s loss to the Washington Wizards forced the Chicago Bulls to answer a pointed question — what is this team without DeMar DeRozan?
DeRozan sat out his first game of the season, spending a rare night on the sidelines decked out in a pink sweatsuit as he recovers from a right quad strain.
This question might seem unfair. Stars are signed to multimillion dollar contracts for a reason — to sit at the top of the statsheet. It makes sense any team would be listless without their leader on the court. But studying a team without its top star can also help illuminate weak points in a team, a learning opportunity which was on full display in D.C.
The Bulls brought Alex Caruso back into the primary rotation to replace DeRozan, sticking with a smaller lineup with backup forward Javonte Green unavailable. The game started slow with a scoreless opening three minutes for the Bulls, signaling the oncoming night of shaky offense as they sputtered out to a 100-97 loss.
It makes sense that the recently-prolific Bulls offense would crash land into its third sub-100 game of the season without DeRozan. The offense became increasingly reliant on the trio of DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević as it rose to an 115.6 offensive rating (12th in the league) over the last 15 games, contributing 61% of all scoring. DeRozan accounted for 25.9 (22.4%) of those points.
LaVine and Vučević stayed right on track in DeRozan’s absence — LaVine scored 38 points and hit a tying 3-pointer with 30.1 seconds remaining, while Vučević added 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
So where were the missing points?
The first place to look are the remaining starters — particularly Patrick Williams, who scored only six points in the loss, going 3-for-8 from the field and 0-for-2 from 3-point range.
Williams’ scoreless night from behind the arc highlighted the ongoing weaknesses of the Bulls’ 3-point shooting, which is virtually nonexistent outside of LaVine and Vučević. And while Williams has upped his aggressiveness in recent games, he disappeared in a game that desperately needed him, taking only one shot in the final quarter.
The Bulls bench is one of the best defensive secondary units — seventh-best 52.5 defensive rating in the league — but it’s balanced by a lack of scoring. The bench is 22nd overall in offensive rating (53.7) and that number has only trended down as the Big Three shifted the offense into second gear.
This disparity was highlighted in the third quarter, when the Bulls were outscored 41-21. Although the Bulls have been prone to deflation after halftime, the severity of this drop-off showcased the lack of cohesive scoring. LaVine scored 10 points and Vučević scored five; the remainder of the team tallied only six points.
The Bulls hope they won’t have to face the DeRozan question often.
DeRozan has played in all 82 games twice during his career and featured in 90.9% of all possible regular-season games in 14 seasons. He had to be convinced to take a night off for the season finale last year, sitting out with his fellow veterans to rest up for the playoffs.
But Wednesday’s loss without DeRozan served as an important reminder — stars can’t do it on their own. Consistency from the supporting cast is the only way the Bulls will consistency find the win column, an issue that will become more pressing with each game in the latter half of the season.
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2023-01-12T18:26:16+00:00
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twincities.com
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https://www.twincities.com/2023/01/12/an-injury-forced-the-chicago-bulls-to-study-who-they-are-without-demar-derozan-the-answers-could-help-them-avoid-further-losses/
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ATLANTA, Georgia (WANF) — An Atlanta woman is offering to drive stranded passengers from Atlanta’s airport to their destination, amid thousands of canceled flights nationwide.
Jodie Rush walked through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport holding only a sign on Tuesday evening.
“I can take three people anywhere they need to go,” she said. “You pay gas and food and lodging if required, and my Christmas gift to you.”
Rush said she is willing to take any passengers that had a flight canceled.
“People were saying, we’re not getting tickets until December 31, I have to get back to my family, I have to do this,” she said.
Rush told Atlanta News First she is willing to drive anywhere in the United States.
″I know how to drive in snow, I grew up in Michigan,” she said.
According to Rush, she recently hit the jackpot herself, and now wants to pay it forward during her time off work.
“What else am I going to do, sit on my couch for a week?” Rush asked. “Why not help somebody who might need it.”
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2022-12-28T21:57:44+00:00
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wishtv.com
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https://www.wishtv.com/news/national/atlanta-woman-offers-to-drive-stranded-passengers-from-airport-to-their-destination/
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By ROB MAADDI
AP Pro Football Writer
The NFL combine is winding down and it’s clear the annual scouting event that’s evolved into a made-for-TV spectacle continues to be a required stop on the road to a pro football career amid concerns it can be a demeaning process with diminishing value.
The combine, which launched in 1982 mainly to bring prospects to one location so teams could gather medical information, now unofficially kicks off the upcoming NFL season and puts football back on center stage just weeks after the Super Bowl.
The event is a moneymaking machine for the league, another interview/audition for players and a job fair for unemployed coaches. But opinions vary on how necessary it is today.
NFL Players’ Association executive director DeMaurice Smith strongly opposes the combine because he views it as intrusive and says it’s intended to point out negatives about prospects.
“As soon as you show up, you have to waive all of your medical rights and you not only have to sit there and endure embarrassing questions, and I think that’s horrible,” Smith said last month. “I don’t wanna pooh pooh any of that, but would you want your son to spend hours inside of an MRI (machine) and then be evaluated by 32 separate team doctors who are, by the way, are only doing it for one reason? What’s the reason? To decrease your draft value.”
During interviews at the combine, players have been asked to play putt-putt golf, darts or rock-paper-scissors to measure their competitiveness. Over the years, there have been instances where players were questioned about their sexual preference or whether their mother worked as a prostitute.
NFL executive Troy Vincent has sharply criticized the process and was instrumental in implementing rules to enhance the experience for players and ensure prospects are treated with “dignity, respect and professionalism.”
“Sometimes they share things with you and you scratch your head,” Vincent said about conversations with prospects. “Other times, you’re embarrassed. These are things we can fix.”
Now, teams would forfeit a draft pick between the first and fourth round and be fined a minimum of $150,000 for “disrespectful, inappropriate, or unprofessional” conduct during an interview.
A few coaches and general managers skipped the combine this year — including Les Snead and Sean McVay from the Los Angeles Rams — and are relying on reports from their scouts and assistants.
But most of their counterparts were in Indianapolis along with a record 1,625 media members accredited by the NFL to cover the weeklong activities. The number of credentialed media is up from 628 in 2010. NFL Network carried six days of live coverage highlighted by the individual on-field drills.
The attention the combine received just two weeks after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in a thrilling Super Bowl is a reflection of the NFL’s popularity.
But while fans enjoy watching the sprints and weightlifting, Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell doesn’t care much about the 40-yard dash times, bench press numbers or any of the other drills. He’s there for what the masses can’t see: the interviews.
“You grade them off the tape. You don’t grade off somebody out here in pajamas running around a 40 with no defender around,” Campbell said of players. “But the meetings are great. The meetings are really pivotal. All the other stuff, whatever.”
Even Campbell’s sound logic comes into question with teams having plenty of access to players at pro days and top-30 visits, their medical history readily available and an abundance of film to properly evaluate prospects.
Still, proponents say the combine is a crucial part of the draft process.
“One hundred percent necessary in my opinion,” Cincinnati Bengals general manager Duke Tobin said. “You want the right fits for your football team and the players want the team that drafts them to be the right fit for them because they’re dependent on finding a good fit early in their career. And this is a chance for all 32 teams to come together and start to really get to know these guys.
“If we start drafting without thorough knowledge of these guys, you’re gonna find that it hurts the players as much as it does the team. And this is a vital part of what we do in the offseason. And again, it’s something that we all look forward to.”
It’s almost become tradition vs. innovation.
While technological advances make information-gathering and communication easier, traditionalists aren’t going to want to mess with what’s been successful.
“It’s got to start with players and their agents understanding that the combine today has nothing to do with how fast you run, how high you jump, and how much you can lift,” Smith said. “We’re now in an era where we know exactly how fast these guys can run, how much they can lift, how far they can jump, do all of those things.
“Why do we insist on them showing up in Indianapolis?” the NFLPA executive director continued. “It’s not for anything physical, right? It’s for the teams to be able to engage in intrusive employment actions that don’t exist anywhere else.”
Leigh Steinberg, one of the original super agents who has represented the No. 1 overall pick a record eight times, considers the combine the “Super Bowl of scouting events.”
“There are certain dehumanizing aspects of the NFL combine evaluative process that need changing and everything that is tested at the combine can be replicated at pro scouting day on every college campus later in March,” Steinberg told The Associated Press. “There is also a need for injury protection insurance covering the event. Having said that, a potential draftee who is invited would be well advised to continue attending the combine unless there is some collective action to modify it’s format.”
The format of the combine may change and the ongoing scrutiny of the process will likely continue, but the combine doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.
___ AP Sports Writer Mike Marot in Indianapolis contributed. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
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2023-03-06T18:54:28+00:00
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wtmj.com
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https://wtmj.com/sports/2023/03/06/nfl-combine-a-tv-spectacle-moneymaker-value-under-scrutiny-2/
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Police ask for help in 2019 Lawrenceville fatal shooting case
Officials are looking for another person who
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Police officials in Lawrenceville are asking for the public’s help in finding another individual they believe is connected to a fatal shooting in 2019.
Officers responded to the area of New Hope Road after reports of a person shot on June 24, 2019. Upon arrival, officers located Guido Velez-Rodriguez who died from a gunshot wound while in the front seat of his 2017 Ford Focus. Lawrenceville police officials say “this location was known for illegal drug and gang activity.”
“There was possibly a second suspect that may have fired the fatal shot that killed the victim,” according to Lawrenceville police officials. “Witnesses described the potential second suspect as a tall and thin Black male with a deadlock hairstyle.”
Officials confirmed that one person was identified and arrested in connection to the shooting.
Anyone with information on the case can submit a tip anonymously to the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at 404-577-TIPS (8477), online at www.StopCrimeATL.org, or by texting CSA and the tip to CRIMES (274637).
Copyright 2023 WANF. All rights reserved.
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2023-03-15T20:33:36+00:00
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atlantanewsfirst.com
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https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2023/03/15/police-ask-help-2019-lawrenceville-fatal-shooting-case/
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