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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden arrived at the White House promising to “build back” America, and legislation he signed Tuesday delivers a slimmer, though not insignificant, version of that once sweeping idea.
Approved by the divided Congress, the bill brings the biggest investment ever in the U.S. to fight climate change. Also in the legislation is a $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients as well as a new 15% corporate minimum tax to ensure big businesses pay their share.
And billions will be left over to pay down federal deficits.
All told, the Democrats’ “Inflation Reduction Act” may not do much to immediately tame inflationary price hikes. But the package, an election year turnaround after loftier versions collapsed, will touch countless American lives and secure longtime party goals.
Democrats alone supported the package, as Republicans lined up against it. Republicans deride the 730-page bill as big government overreach and point particular criticism at its $80 billion investment in the IRS to hire new employees and go after tax scofflaws.
Voters will be left to sort it out in the November elections, when control of Congress will be decided.
Not as robust as Biden’s initial ideas to rebuild America’s public infrastructure and family support systems, here’s what’s in the estimated $740 billion package — made up of $440 billion in new spending and $300 billion toward easing deficits.
LOWER PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS
Launching a long-sought goal, the bill would allow the Medicare program to negotiate some prescription drug prices with pharmaceutical companies, saving the federal government some $288 billion over the 10-year budget window.
The result is expected to lower costs for older adults on medications, including a $2,000 out-of-pocket cap for older adults buying prescriptions from pharmacies.
The revenue raised would also be used to provide free vaccinations for seniors, who now are among the few not guaranteed free access, according to a summary document.
Seniors would also have insulin prices capped at $35 a month.
HELP PAYING FOR HEALTH INSURANCE
The bill would extend the subsidies provided during the COVID-19 pandemic to help some Americans who buy health insurance on their own.
Under earlier pandemic relief, the extra help was set to expire this year. But the bill would allow the assistance to keep going for three more years, lowering insurance premiums for some 13 million people who are purchasing their own health care policies through the Affordable Care Act.
BIGGEST U.S. INVESTMENT ‘BY FAR’ IN CLIMATE CHANGE
The bill would infuse nearly $375 billion over the decade in climate change-fighting strategies that Democrats believe could put the country on a path to cut greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030, and “would represent the single biggest climate investment in U.S. history, by far.”
For consumers, that means tax rebates to buy electric vehicles — $4,000 for used vehicle purchase and up to $7,500 for new ones, eligible to households with incomes of $300,000 or less for couples, or single people with income of $150,000 or less.
Not all electric vehicles will fully qualify for the tax credits, thanks to requirements that component parts be manufactured and assembled in the U.S. And pricier cars costing more than $55,000 and SUVs and trucks priced above $80,000 are excluded.
There’s also tax breaks for consumers to go green. One is a 10-year consumer tax credit for renewable energy investments in wind and solar.
For businesses, the bill has $60 billion for a clean energy manufacturing tax credit and $30 billion for a production tax credit for wind and solar, seen as ways to boost and support the industries that can help curb the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.
The bill also gives tax credits for nuclear power and carbon capture technology that oil companies such as Exxon Mobil have invested millions of dollars to advance.
The bill would impose a new fee on excess methane emissions from oil and gas drilling while giving fossil fuel companies access to more leases on federal lands and waters.
A late addition pushed by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and other Democrats in Arizona, Nevada and Colorado would designate $4 billion to combat a mega-drought in the West, including conservation efforts in the Colorado River Basin, which nearly 40 million Americans rely on for drinking water.
HOW TO PAY FOR ALL OF THIS?
One of the biggest revenue-raisers in the bill is a new 15% minimum tax on corporations that earn more than $1 billion in annual profits.
It’s a way to clamp down on some 200 U.S. companies that avoid paying the standard 21% corporate tax rate, including some that end up paying no taxes at all.
The new corporate minimum tax would kick in after the 2022 tax year and raise more than $258 billion over the decade.
There will also be a new 1% excise tax imposed on stock buybacks, raising some $74 billion over the decade.
Savings from allowing Medicare’s negotiations with the drug companies is expected to bring in $288 billion over 10 years, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.
The bill sticks with Biden’s original pledge not to raise taxes on families or businesses making less than $400,000 a year.
Yet money is also raised by boosting the IRS to go after tax cheats. The bill proposes an $80 billion investment in taxpayer services, enforcement and modernization, which is projected to raise $203 billion in new revenue — a net gain of $124 billion over the decade.
Sinema was instrumental in doing away with other tax proposals and shaping the final plan.
EXTRA MONEY TO PAY DOWN DEFICITS
With some $740 billion in new revenue and around $440 billion in new investments, the bill promises to put the difference of about $300 billion toward deficit reduction.
Federal deficits spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic when federal spending soared and tax revenues fell as the nation’s economy churned through shutdowns, closed offices and other massive changes.
The nation has seen deficits rise and fall in recent years. But overall federal budgeting is on an unsustainable path, according to the Congressional Budget Office, which recently put out a new report on long-term projections.
WHAT’S LEFT BEHIND?
The package, nowhere near the sweeping Build Back Better program Biden once envisioned, remains a sizable undertaking and, along with COVID-19 relief and the GOP 2017 tax cuts, is among the more substantial bills from Congress in years.
While Congress did pass and Biden signed into law a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill for highways, broadband and other investments that was part of the White House’s initial vision, the Democrats’ other big priorities have slipped away.
Gone, for now, are plans for free pre-kindergarten and community college, as well as the nation’s first paid family leave program that would have provided up to $4,000 a month for births, deaths and other pivotal needs. Also allowed to expire is the enhanced child care credit that was providing $300 a month during the pandemic.
___
Associated Press writer Matthew Daly contributed to this report.
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| 2022-08-17T02:56:52Z
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Apple (AAPL) has laid off about 100 contract workers as it slows new hires and spending. Citing people with knowledge of the matter, Bloomberg reports that the tech giant let go of contract-based recruiters. Apple stock fell a tad bit by 0.09% after the news.
Apple Targets Contractual Workers
The company employs contract workers for technical support and customer service tasks. Contractors are also tasked with localizing products and improving the mapping service. Unlike full-time workers, contract workers receive fewer benefits and have fewer protections.
Apple has retained recruiters who were full-time employees. Additionally, it did not fire all of its contractors. Terminated workers were to receive pay and medical benefits for two weeks. The layoffs affected workers across many regions, including the company’s offices in Texas and Singapore.
The tech giant is moving slowly with new hires after years of staffing up. It currently employs more than 150,000 people. However, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tim Cook has already confirmed that the iPhone maker intends to be more deliberate in its spending even as it invests in new areas.
The iPhone maker is not the only one to slow down new hires. Meta Platforms (META), Tesla (TSLA), Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), and Oracle (ORCL) are some of the companies that have suspended new hires. The pause is in response to a slowdown in tech spending.
Is Apple a Buy or Sell Now?
Yesterday, Credit Suisse analyst Sami Badri upgraded Apple stock to a Buy from a Hold. The analyst has an Apple target price of $201, implying 16.16% upside potential to current levels. According to the analyst, Apple’s services and software offerings are well positioned to enjoy increased adoption. Backed by a 1.8 billion base of installed devices, the company should benefit from stickier customer relationships. A large cash balance also leaves the company in a good position to pursue organic investments.
The Street is optimistic about the stock, with a Strong Buy consensus rating, based on 23 Buys, four Holds, and one Sell. The average Apple price target of $182.07 implies 5.2% upside potential from current levels.
Key Takeaway for Investors
Apple laying off contractual workers underscores its focus on keeping operating costs low amid a challenging macro environment. Consequently, it should be able to bolster its margins. The company’s assurance that it will be deliberate on new hires should avert any concerns about future investments.
Read the full Disclosure
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| 2022-08-17T08:18:22Z
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NEW YORK (AP) — Bank of America says the revenue it gets from overdrafts has dropped 90% from a year ago, after the bank reduced overdraft fees to $10 from $35 and eliminated fees for bounced checks.
The nation’s largest banks are moving away from the practice of charging exorbitant fees on what are mostly small-dollar purchases after years of public pressure. Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan told The Associated Press that he expects whatever residual income the bank earns from overdraft fees will come from small businesses using overdraft fees as a convenience.
BofA’s new overdraft fee policy was implemented starting in June. Moynihan said in the policy’s first two months, overdraft fee revenue declined 90% and the bank was seeing fewer instances of the fees being collected. He did not share specifics on the number of instances.
“The remaining (people that get charged overdraft fees) are business owners who are moving money around,” Moynihan said. “It’s not individuals anymore, frankly.”
Starting the middle of 2021, regional banks such as PNC and Capital One, as well as the online bank Ally, announced plans to eliminate overdraft fees or find ways to curtail them dramatically. Most of the banks said the fees largely impacted the poor and racial minorities, or that the pandemic had shown the banks they could earn big profits without charging fees on their customers, in explaining their decision.
While notable, consumer advocates considered these announcements symbolic wins, not substantial reform for the industry.
However, Bank of America’s decision in January to eliminate non-sufficient fund fees — sometimes referred to as a bounced check fee — as well as cut overdraft fees to $10 is credited with shaking up the industry. BofA for years was cited as one of the top collectors of overdraft fees and still brought in slightly more than $1 billion from such fees last year. Other banking giants such as Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase and Truist all changed their overdraft fee practices shortly after BofA’s announcement.
BofA took in $1.63 billion in overdraft fee revenue in 2015, the first year banks were required to publicly report overdraft fee revenues to regulators. Its overdraft fee revenues have been declining as the bank took incremental steps to reduce its reliance on fees. Roughly half of all accounts now opened at BofA do not allow the customer to overdraft.
____
AP Personal Finance Writer Adriana Morga contributed to this report from New York.
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| 2022-08-17T18:28:05Z
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading reproductive health care provider and abortion rights advocacy organization, plans to spend a record $50 million ahead of November’s midterm elections, pouring money into contests where access to abortion will be on the ballot.
The effort, which breaks the group’s previous $45 million spending record set in 2020, comes about two months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that created a constitutional right to have an abortion. It will be waged by the organization’s political and advocacy arms and will focus on governor’s offices, U.S. Senate seats and legislative races in nine states where abortion rights could be restricted or expanded depending on the outcome at the ballot.
The historic proportions of the midterm campaign, when less money is usually spent, were made possible by a torrent of money raised after the decision by the high court’s new conservative majority, touching off a tectonic shift in the politics of abortion. Now, for the first time, Republicans who have long campaigned against abortion and Roe v. Wade will face voters on an issue that is no longer hypothetical and carries real life consequences.
Planned Parenthood says its spending will help remind voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin what’s at stake in a bid to drive turnout by Democratic and independent voters.
“Who wins in these midterm elections will determine whether a state has access to abortion and potentially determine whether we will face a national abortion ban,” said Jenny Lawson, the executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes. “We will be clear about who is on which side.”
A recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found a majority of Americans think Congress should pass a law guaranteeing access to legal abortion nationwide. More than half of the respondents said they feel at least somewhat “sad” or “angry” about the Supreme Court’s decision.
Earlier this month in red-state Kansas, voters rejected by nearly 20 percentage points a constitutional amendment that would have allowed the legislature to advance a ban on abortion.
Whether it truly is a galvanizing issue will become clear after Election Day, Nov. 8.
“We say this every cycle: ‘This is the important election,’” said Amy Kennedy, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Votes in Georgia. “For us, this really is the most important election cycle of our life.”
Planned Parenthood says it intends to contact 6 million voters through door knocking, phone calls, digital advertising, mailers and radio ads. It has already run some TV ads in Wisconsin, where Republicans control the statehouse and where Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson are up for reelection.
It also is launching a website, takecontrol2022.com.
While the Supreme Court’s ruling in June effectively left setting abortion policy to the states, Planned Parenthood says it is also investing in U.S. Senate races because Republicans have expressed an interest in pursuing a national abortion ban, though such a measure would almost certainly be vetoed by President Joe Biden.
Democrats and their allies have long tried, without much success, to energize supporters by focusing on abortion. But the Supreme Court’s decision clarified the stakes as never before. In roughly a dozen states led by Republicans, abortion has already been banned or heavily restricted. Many more are expected to follow.
“When people go to vote this November, nearly half of the folks voting could be living in a state that either has already banned abortion or is quickly moving to ban abortion. These are entirely new circumstances,” Lawson said. “There are a lot of issues people care about, certainly, but the state of abortion access is absolutely one of the defining issues this November.”
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the midterm elections at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections.
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Cloudy skies have returned to Middle Georgia
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Cloudy skies have returned to Middle Georgia overnight and will stick around the rest of the week.
Today
Cloudy skies moved into Middle Georgia during the overnight hours and will dominate the region today. We may see a few pockets of sunshine later this afternoon, however overall things will be cooler due to the arrival of thicker clouds. Highs today will be in the low to mid 80s around Middle Georgia with heat indices in the upper 80s. Ambient winds will generally come in from the north at about 5 mph.
Storm chances today will rise as we go along, however during the daylight hours we should only see a few isolated showers. A couple of them could become thunderstorms as we push later towards the evening. There is a high probability for storms that form in the evening to persist into tonight. It is also suggested you do not leave your rain gear in the car if you use it today.
Overnight tonight is when our rain chances will jump up, especially after midnight. Overcast skies will hang over the region until then with a few storms carrying over from the evening hours. The heavier, more organized rain will begin to take over as we push into the early morning hours of our Thursday, becoming more widespread as we approach sunrise. Lows tonight will be in the upper 60s and lower 70s, and conditions out the door tomorrow are likely to be soppy (and potentially foggy) across most of Middle Georgia.
Tomorrow
It will be a wet start to our Thursday as widespread rain begins during the early morning hours. The heavy, consistent rain will hang around for the first half of the day, making its way out of our eastern counties as we roll through the afternoon. A few isolated thunderstorms may fire up during the afternoon and evening hours as well, following up the early mess. All of the clouds and rain will keep temperatures cool – the coolest they have been in months. Forecast highs tomorrow afternoon are in the upper 70s and lower 80s.
Tomorrow night will see more organized rainfall move in, starting with thunderstorms persisting from the evening. The heaviest rain is likely around the midnight hour with storms beginning to taper off as the morning approaches. Cloudy conditions will stick around, and there is likely to be widespread fog thanks to all of the new moisture. Lows will be in the upper 60s and lower 70s.
Friday and the Weekend
Friday will also be a cloudy day, however it should not be as wet as Thursday. Aside from the heavy rain during the extreme early morning hours, we should only see a few showers until the late afternoon and evening arrive. Highs will be a bit warmer as a result of the rain backing off, climbing into the low to mid 80s around Middle Georgia. Storms will reach their peak intensity during the late evening hours, tapering off once the sun sets.
Saturday should see some sunshine make a return to the region, and rain chances will reach their lowest since Wednesday. Some isolated storms are still likely during the afternoon, however. Highs will reach into the upper 80s and lower 90s as a result of the sunshine making a return, and lows will drop into the lower 70s.
Sunday should also see some sun, however it will likely be a bit less than Saturday. Rain chances will remain low until the evening when widespread scattered storms are likely to fire up. Highs will be in the upper 80s with lows in the lower 70s.
The tropics are still overall quiet with just the one cluster of storms near the Yucatán being watched. Formation chance within the next 5 days remains at 20%.
Follow Meteorologist Aaron Lowery on Facebook (Aaron Lowery 41NBC) and Twitter (@ALowWX) for weather updates throughout the day. Also, you can watch his forecasts Monday through Friday on 41NBC News at Daybreak (6-7 a.m.) and 41Today (11 a.m).
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| 2022-08-17T19:54:34Z
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Couple arrested and charged for fatal Waverly Pointe Townhouse shooting
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Two people have been charged in connection to a deadly shooting that took place at the Waverly Pointe Townhouses in late July.
According to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, it was during the search of a townhouse after the shooting happened that investigators were able to find 2 of the suspects in connection to the deaths of Roctavia Edwards and Jayden Ellington and the assault of Devin Washington and Christian Edwards
BCSO says the night of the shooting, officers were checking the townhouses to make sure there weren’t any other victims from the incident– they found a bullet hold in the front door of a residence, and entered the townhouse to check for victims. It was here that they found marijuana in plain view, which led to the investigators requesting a search warrant to search the residence. During this search, officers found several handguns, rifles, an abundance of ammunition, and marijuana.
While in the townhouse, 37-year-old Shaqwonda Russell approached officers, saying she lived in the residence they were searching. Russel was interviewed at the investigations division and then charged with (1 count) Purchase, Possession, Manufacture, Distribution, or Sale of Marijuana and (9 counts) of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of or Attempt to Commit Certain Felonies. She’s being held at the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center without bond.
The second occupant of the townhouse, was identified as 38-year-old Kenneth Williams Jr., Russell’s boyfriend, was found on the 28th after he had left the apartment complex . Williams was interviewed, and charged with Purchase, Possession, Manufacture, Distribution or Sale of Marijuana, (9 counts) of Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon or Felony First Offender, and (9 counts) of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission or Attempt to Commit Certain Felonies. Williams was taken to the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center and is being held without bond.
During the investigation, officers found that Williams was involved with the death of Roctavia Edwards and Jayden Ellington, as well as the aggravated assault of the other two victims. Investigators charged Kenneth Williams Jr. with ( 2 counts) of Murder and (2 counts) of Aggravated Assault. They also issued a warrant for the charge of Murder, (Party to a Crime), to Shaqwonda Lakisha Russell.
Anyone with information concerning this incident is urged to call the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at 478-751-7500 or Macon Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-877-68CRIME.
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| 2022-08-17T19:54:40Z
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End Zone Game of the Week Preview: Baldwin vs Peach County
The End Zone Game of the Week is scheduled for Friday, August 19, at 7:30 p.m. at Braves Field.
MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — It’s finally high school football’s week one of the regular season, hence the beginning of The End Zone this Friday.
This week, The End Zone game of the week features the Baldwin Braves and the Peach County Trojans.
The home team, Baldwin Braves, is coming off of a 6-4 season, with a loss in the first round of the state playoffs.
Both teams played their scrimmages two weeks ago, so they had equal time to prepare for each other. So here’s what Baldwin football head coach Jesse Hicks had to say when asked how ready his team is on a scale of one thru 10.
“Regardless of how we feel, we better be at ten. Feel really good about the spring and summer we had. Had the opportunity to get a few padded camps in. Went against some great competition this summer, seven on seven, so I feel confident in what we’re doing. We had a pretty good scrimmage a couple of weeks ago, and now it’s the home opener, the first game of the season as we kick off the season. I don’t think you could have a better game or better rivalry than Peach County,” said Hicks.
The End Zone Game of the Week is scheduled for Friday, August 19, at 7:30 p.m. at Braves Field.
Live pre-game coverage begins Friday at 5, 5:30, and 6 p.m., with highlights and scores on The End Zone at 11 p.m. on 41NBC.
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| 2022-08-17T19:54:46Z
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ICYMI: Stories you may have missed today on 41NBC News
Top stories from August 16, 2022
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Warner Robins Police Department adding new cameras throughout city
- For other stories you may have missed today on 41NBC News, click here.
Warner Robins Police Department adding new cameras throughout city
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| 2022-08-17T19:54:52Z
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Two arrested after attempting to bring drugs into prison
The suspects allegedly used a drone to drop the shipment
LAURENS COUNTY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Two people are behind bars after attempting to sneak contraband into Telfair Prison using a drone. According to a release from the Georgia Department of Corrections, on August 14th a drone was spotted flying over the prison.
Deputies were able to locate the suspect vehicle and a chase ensued. The suspects crashed the car in Laurens County and fled on foot but were captured and arrested and taken to the Laurens County Jail.
A search of the facility grounds revealed 280 grams of meth, 283 grams of marijuana, 1000 grams of tobacco, 4 cell phones, 4 chargers, a tube of epoxy, and 4 saw blades…..a gun and ammunition were found in the vehicle.
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| 2022-08-17T19:54:58Z
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Warner Robins Police Department adding new cameras throughout city
"These cameras will help the investigators gather leads and hopefully solve these crimes and put the bad guys away."
WARNER ROBINS, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT)— Warner Robins was just designated as a Smart City. The first phase in the designation will focus on public safety.
According to Warner Robins Mayor Larhonda Patrick, the city has grown so fast the number of law enforcement is lacking. That’s why the Warner Robins Police Department is focusing on alternatives to help decrease crime.
In February, the department installed 10 still cameras. Now, they’re hoping to add more safety measures by installing 10 movable cameras.
“These cameras will help the investigators gather leads and hopefully solve these crimes and put the bad guys away,” said Lieutenant Eric Gossman.
According to Lieutenant Gossman, the 10 still cameras have already helped solve violent crimes. The new cameras will also come with an added bonus. Georgia Tech is creating an app that will pair with the cameras and collect data on crime.
“The app will help predict where the crimes will be,” said Lt. Gossman.
Mayor Patrick says the new cameras will help address crime.
“The smart cameras are force multipliers for our police department, so it benefits all around, it allows us to have that reach where we just don’t have that man power to reach,” said Mayor Patrick.
The still cameras allow law enforcement to see the make, model and license plate of a vehicle. The new cameras will allow for more eyes in high crime areas according to Mayor Patrick.
“This is just furthering that mission of being proactive when it comes to crime prevention.”
The new cameras are expected to be up and running in the next four to five weeks.
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| 2022-08-17T19:55:04Z
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Book review: Without Warning & Only Sometimes, by Kit de Waal
In this intelligent, angry and sometimes very funny memoir, the novelist Kit de Waal looks back on her childhood as a Jehovah’s witness. Review by Stuart Kelly
Given that around 188,000 books are published in the UK each year, it is not surprising that vortices emerge in the maelstrom. Nor is it unpredictable that some trends are prominent – you do not have to be a seer to have foreseen that there would be a slew of books about Brexit, virology, Ukraine, a former Prime Minister and so on; nor that there would – Lord save us – be a rash of books about people during lockdown learning to bake sourdough or save their marriage or train their Transnistrian rescue dog. But there are occasional convergences that are curious.
I recently reviewed The Last Days, Ali Millar’s harrowing account of growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness. At roughly the same time I reviewed David Collard’s scintillating collection, Multiple Joyce, a series of 100 meditations on Joyce, where the book’s pivot (essay number 50) is about growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness. Now we have Kit de Waal’s excellent memoir, subtitled “Scenes from an Unpredictable Childhood” about growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness. Why should this be? I really have no idea, although I would guess at serendipity rather than destiny.
De Waal is an accomplished novelist, with My Name Is Leon being shortlisted for the Costa and Desmond Elliot prize and becoming a television drama. She is an eloquent advocate for publishing to better represent working class lives, especially in the radio series “Where are all the working class writers?” More importantly, she has put her money where her mouth is, establishing the de Waal Creative Writing scholarship at Birkbeck College, specifically for writers from “disadvantaged” backgrounds. Her work has analysed diversity, and in an interview she has described her and her siblings being “the only black children at the Irish Community Centre and the only ones with a white mother at the West Indian Social Club”. This full length memoir expands on that idea of betweenness, complicated by the religious dimension which stresses being “set apart”. De Waal has drawn on her dual heritage in her novels, but here sets fiction aside; and it is no less compelling. There is discrimination, as one might expect, but it is in the understanding of zealotry that it comes into its own.
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As a memoir it does not feel teleological, nor, until the final chapter does it look into how the child of a “haphazard” mother and an extravagant but distant father, in a religious sect, turns into the novelist. There is no sense of “this was because it had to be”. Although usually quite limpid, the prose takes on an electrifying – maybe electrified – quality when de Waal describes the strictures of being part of Kingdom Hall, with sentences a page long enumerating all the rules. It takes on the feeling of a barely suppressed hysteria. The use of photographs gives a sense of snapshots, and it is quite rare to read a memoir and think that it is only part of the story.
Neither creed nor colour determines the book: it is far stronger, far angrier on poverty. Particularly the descriptions of food are immediate, with margarine as a luxury of sorts, as are the logistics of choosing bus stops to minimise the fare or surreptitiously seeking out dropped coins in a launderette. But this does not wallow in privation, and there are moments of genuine charity and warmth. De Waal is very good on daydreaming, as in this passage: “I feel the whole of algebra and my fingertip grasp of long division slip forever into a filing cabinet marked ‘Who cares?’, where it will meet with the chemical symbol for boron, the size of a frog’s heart and the name of the man who invented the heat exchanger. Where’s the story in random facts? Where’s the story in algebra? What’s it for? When will I ever need it? Tell me about the princess and the frog, tell me about the childhood of Mr Heat Exchanger or his wife or his broken arm, and I can plug in again”.
Read in tandem with the other books, it is possible to discern a certain strategy. I do not impute evil intentions to every Witness, and believe some of them to be sincere, if sincerely wrong. But in the targeting of low income families, promises of future abundance, insistence on God’s fury and wrath (and that one needs to protect one’s family from it) and the oppressive nature of limiting access to things, there seems something calculating. I was slightly bemused by the book not recounting whether de Waal was actively disfellowshipped – there is an account, indeed a very funny account, of this happening to someone else. (The fellow in question asks how Noah got to the Arctic to get a pair of polar bears).
By chance I was actually preaching the day after I finished this serious, intelligent book. The lectionary was Isaiah chapter 1, where God is pretty judgmental. But it moves on to redemption, forgiveness and reconciliation. Basically, if a version purportedly about Jehovah doesn’t have that, it is not just a slightly wonky version of Christianity, it is heretical and wrong. All praise to de Waal for calling them out on that.
Without Warning & Only Sometimes, by Kit de Waal, Tinder Press, £16.99. Kit de Waal is appearing at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on 29 August.
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| 2022-08-17T20:20:04Z
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NEW YORK (AP) — Bank of America says the revenue it gets from overdrafts has dropped 90% from a year ago, after the bank reduced overdraft fees to $10 from $35 and eliminated fees for bounced checks.
The nation’s largest banks are moving away from the practice of charging exorbitant fees on what are mostly small-dollar purchases after years of public pressure. Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan told The Associated Press that he expects whatever residual income the bank earns from overdraft fees will come from small businesses using overdraft fees as a convenience.
BofA’s new overdraft fee policy was implemented starting in June. Moynihan said in the policy’s first two months, overdraft fee revenue declined 90% and the bank was seeing fewer instances of the fees being collected. He did not share specifics on the number of instances.
“The remaining (people that get charged overdraft fees) are business owners who are moving money around,” Moynihan said. “It’s not individuals anymore, frankly.”
Starting the middle of 2021, regional banks such as PNC and Capital One, as well as the online bank Ally, announced plans to eliminate overdraft fees or find ways to curtail them dramatically. Most of the banks said the fees largely impacted the poor and racial minorities, or that the pandemic had shown the banks they could earn big profits without charging fees on their customers, in explaining their decision.
While notable, consumer advocates considered these announcements symbolic wins, not substantial reform for the industry.
However, Bank of America’s decision in January to eliminate non-sufficient fund fees — sometimes referred to as a bounced check fee — as well as cut overdraft fees to $10 is credited with shaking up the industry. BofA for years was cited as one of the top collectors of overdraft fees and still brought in slightly more than $1 billion from such fees last year. Other banking giants such as Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase and Truist all changed their overdraft fee practices shortly after BofA’s announcement.
Overdraft fee revenues at BofA have been declining for some time as the bank took several incremental steps to cut back its reliance on fees. Roughly half of all accounts opened at BofA are now accounts that do not allow the customer to overdraft. The bank took in $1.63 billion in overdraft fee income in 2015, the first year banks were required to publicly report overdraft fee revenues to regulators.
“(BofA) is miles ahead of what Wells and Chase have done. Both of them did some reforms, we certainly applaud those changes, but they are still charging the $35 fee,” said Mike Calhoun, head of the Center for Responsible Lending and a long-time critic of overdraft fee practices. Calhoun sits on an advisory board that includes several other consumer advocacy groups that advised BofA on the changes.
But regulators and researchers have taken note of the overall industrywide decline in overdraft fee revenues since the pandemic. In a July report, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau researchers found that “industry changes in overdraft program settings and in other checking account policies are making meaningful difference in the amount consumers incur in various fees.”
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| 2022-08-17T21:24:55Z
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CLEVELAND (AP) — A federal judge in Cleveland awarded $650 million in damages Wednesday to two Ohio counties that won a landmark lawsuit against national pharmacy chains CVS, Walgreens and Walmart, claiming the way they distributed opioids to customers caused severe harm to communities and created a public nuisance.
U.S. District Judge Dan Polster said in the ruling that the money will be used to abate a continuing opioid crisis in Lake and Trumbull counties, outside Cleveland. Attorneys for the counties put the total price tag at $3.3 billion for the damage done to the counties.
Lake County is to receive $306 million over 15 years. Trumbull County is to receive $344 million over the same period. Polster ordered the companies to immediately pay nearly $87 million to cover the first two years of the abatement plan.
In his ruling, Polster admonished the three companies, saying they “squandered the opportunity to present a meaningful plan to abate the nuisance” after a trial that considered what damages they might owe.
CVS, Walmart and Walgreens said they will appeal the ruling. It is unclear whether the companies will have to immediately pay the nearly $87 million during their appeals.
Trumbull County Commissioner Frank Fuda praised the award in a statement, saying “the harms caused by this devastating epidemic” can now be addressed.
Lake County Commissioner John Hamercheck said in a statement “Today marks the start of a new day in our fight to end the opioid epidemic.”
A jury returned a verdict in November in favor of the counties after a six-week trial. It was then left to Polster to decide how much the counties should receive from the three pharmacy companies. He heard testimony in May to determine damages.
The counties convinced the jury that the pharmacies played an outsized role in creating a public nuisance in the way they dispensed pain medication into their communities.
It was the first time pharmacy companies completed a trial to defend themselves in a drug crisis that has killed a half-million Americans since 1999.
Attorneys for the pharmacy chains maintained they had policies to stem the flow of pills when their pharmacists had concerns and would notify authorities about suspicious orders from doctors. They also said it was doctors who controlled how many pills were prescribed for legitimate medical needs not their pharmacies.
Walmart issued a statement Wednesday saying the counties’ attorneys “sued Walmart in search of deep pockets, and this judgment follows a trial that was engineered to favor the plaintiffs’ attorneys and was riddled with remarkable legal and factual mistakes.”
Walgreens spokesperson Fraser Engerman said “The facts and the law did not support the jury verdict last fall, and they do not support the court’s decision now.
“The court committed significant legal errors in allowing the case to go before a jury on a flawed legal theory that is inconsistent with Ohio law and compounded those errors in reaching its ruling regarding damages.”
CVS spokesperson Michael DeAngelis said “We strongly disagree with the Court’s decision regarding the counties’ abatement plan, as well as last fall’s underlying verdict.”
CVS is based in Rhode Island, Walgreens in Illinois and Walmart in Arkansas.
Two chains — Rite Aid and Giant Eagle — settled lawsuits with the counties before trial. The amounts they paid have not been disclosed publicly.
Mark Lanier, an attorney for the counties, said during trial that the pharmacies were attempting to blame everyone but themselves.
The opioid crisis has overwhelmed courts, social services agencies and law enforcement in Ohio’s blue-collar corner east of Cleveland, leaving behind heartbroken families and babies born to addicted mothers, Lanier told jurors.
Roughly 80 million prescription painkillers were dispensed in Trumbull County alone between 2012 and 2016 — equivalent to 400 for every resident. In Lake County, some 61 million pills were distributed during that period.
The rise in physicians prescribing pain medications such as oxycodone and hydrocodone came as medical groups began recognizing that patients have the right to be treated for pain, Kaspar Stoffelmayr, an attorney for Walgreens, said at the opening of the trial.
The problem, he said, was “pharmaceutical manufacturers tricked doctors into writing way too many pills.”
The counties said pharmacies should be the last line of defense to prevent the pills from getting into the wrong hands.
The trial before Polster was part of a broader constellation of about 3,000 federal opioid lawsuits consolidated under the his supervision. Other cases are moving ahead in state courts.
Kevin Roy, chief public policy officer at Shatterproof, an organization that advocates for solutions to addiction, said in November the verdict could lead pharmacies to follow the path of major distribution companies and some drugmakers that have reached nationwide settlements of opioid cases worth billions. So far, no pharmacy has reached a nationwide settlement.
Also on Wednesday, attorneys general from numerous states announced they had reached an agreement with Endo International plc to pay as much as $450 million over 10 years to settle allegations the company used deceptive marketing practices “that downplayed the risk of addiction and overstated the benefits” of opioids it produced.
Based in Ireland, Endo’s U.S. headquarters are in Malvern, Pennsylvania. The company did not respond Wednesday to telephone and email requests for comment.
The agreement calls for the $450 million to be divided between participating states and communities. It also calls for Endo to put opioid-related documents online for public viewing and pay $2.75 million in expenses to publicly archive those documents.
Endo can never again market opioids, according to the agreement.
The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Tuesday night.
Endo produces generic opioids and name brands such as Percocet and Endocet. The company’s Opana ER opioid was withdrawn from the market in 2017. The attorneys general say Endo “falsely promoted the benefits” of Opana ER’s “so-called abuse deterrent formulation.” The attorneys general said the formulation did not deter abuse of the drug and led to deadly outbreaks of hepatitis and HIV resulting from people injecting the drug.
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| 2022-08-17T22:51:32Z
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Baldwin County Schools adding school safety director position
The Baldwin County School District is creating a school safety director position.
MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The Baldwin County School District is adding more safety measures by creating a new position.
The position of ‘School Safety Director’ will proactively ensure a safe and secure school environment.
Safety remains a concern for school leaders in the district, and that’s why Superintendent Dr. Noris Price says the position is important.
“We will have somebody that is solely devoted to school safety,” she said. “Someone who will be on-site, familiar with all of our facilities, and will be able to respond if we have any type of emergency.”
Price says after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas and several meetings with other school leaders, she knew more measures had to be taken.
The duties previously fell under several people who had other responsibilities.
“We’ll have someone who is walking our facilities, making sure that all the doors are secured, ” she said. “For example, they’ll assess any possible threats that we’re not thinking about.”
Qualifications for the position include having a first aid/CPR certification and a minimum of 10 years experience in Law Enforcement.
Maj. Scott Deason with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office says the requirements are a must.
“We have four deputies stretched out through the six schools they have,” he said. “It will help with that, and a lot of times the presence is a deterrence.”
Teachers like Mandy Hopkins say the school district already has safety measures in place that make her feel safe, like cameras and panic buttons, but Hopkins says you can never be too safe.
“I think in this day and age, we need as much support as far as safety goes,” she said. “Our teachers and our children are our top priority.”
The School Safety Director Position is part-time for now, but that could change by the end of the year.
The application will go live on Monday.
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| 2022-08-18T10:33:32Z
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Baldwin High School expanding culinary opportunities for students
Baldwin High School is giving its students an opportunity to pursue a career in culinary arts.
MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Baldwin High School is giving its students an opportunity to pursue a career in culinary arts.
The school district partnered with Helms College to offer a $10,000 scholarship. High school students in the district’s culinary arts course will receive credit that will count toward Helms College.
Principal Jason Flanders says the culinary course has caught students’ attention since it started in 2020.
“Students will see how culinary is being used at the post-secondary level,” he said. “They’ll see how college students are using the skill set and how it can be applied to career fields. It really opens their eyes to a whole new level.”
Students must be enrolled in the course to apply for the scholarship.
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| 2022-08-18T10:33:38Z
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BS Report: August 17th – Braves: The Roaring Twenties
The Braves are building a new dynasty by keeping young talent through the decade.
The Braves are building a new dynasty by keeping young talent through the decade. Bill Shanks explains how these latest deals will keep the Braves in a solid winning position that will last for years to come.
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| 2022-08-18T10:33:44Z
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Giuliani faces grand jury in Georgia 2020 election probe
ATLANTA (AP) — Rudy Giuliani faced hours of questioning Wednesday before a special grand jury in Atlanta as a target of an investigation into attempts by former President Donald Trump and others to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia.
The former New York mayor and Trump attorney left the Fulton County courthouse without commenting to reporters roughly six hours after the special grand jury convened Wednesday as part of a rapidly escalating investigation that has ensnared several Trump allies.
Giuliani’s questioning took place behind closed doors, as grand jury proceedings are secret. Swarmed by news cameras Wednesday morning as he stepped out of a black SUV at the courthouse steps, Giuliani said he didn’t plan to talk about his testimony.
“Grand juries, as I recall, are secret,” said Giuliani, who came to court with his attorney, Robert Costello. “They ask the questions and we’ll see.”
Though grand jury secrecy rules prohibit people present during grand jury testimony from discussing it, that prohibition does not apply to witnesses, including Giuliani. As a former federal prosecutor, he is likely familiar with those rules.
It’s unclear how much the former New York mayor and attorney for Trump was willing to say after his lawyers were informed Monday that he’s a target of the investigation.
Giuliani’s Atlanta-based attorney, Bill Thomas, declined to comment after Giuliani left the courthouse. Costello did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The investigation by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has brought heightened scrutiny to the desperate and ultimately failed efforts to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 election win. It’s one of several investigations into Trump’s actions in office as he lays the groundwork for another run at the White House in 2024.
Willis opened her investigation after the disclosure of a remarkable Jan. 2, 2021, phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. On the call, Trump suggested that Raffensperger could “find” the exact number of votes that would be needed to flip the election results in Georgia.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing. He has described the call as “perfect.”
Willis last month filed petitions to compel testimony from seven Trump associates and advisers. She has also said she’s considering calling Trump himself to testify, and the former president has hired a legal team in Atlanta that includes a prominent criminal defense attorney.
Other Trump allies swept up in the probe include U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham. His attorneys filed a legal motion Wednesday asking a federal judge to put Graham’s special grand jury appearance set for Aug. 23 on hold while the South Carolina Republican appeals an order compelling him to testify.
Fulton County prosecutors want to ask Graham about phone calls they say he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff in the weeks following the vote.
Graham’s attorneys, including former Trump White House counsel Don McGahn, are fighting the subpoena in federal court. They argue Graham’s position in Congress protects him from having to appear before the grand jury. A federal judge rejected that notion and ordered the senator to testify. Graham has said he plans to appeal.
In seeking Giuliani’s testimony, Willis noted that he was both a personal attorney for Trump and a lead attorney for his 2020 campaign.
She recalled in a petition how Giuliani and others appeared at a state Senate committee meeting in late 2020 and presented a video that Giuliani said showed election workers producing “suitcases” of unlawful ballots from unknown sources, outside the view of election poll watchers. The claims of fraud were debunked by Georgia election officials within 24 hours. Yet Giuliani continued to make statements to the public and in subsequent legislative hearings claiming widespread election fraud using the debunked video, Willis noted in her filing.
Two of the election workers seen in the video, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, said they faced relentless harassment online and in person after it was shown at the Dec. 3 Georgia legislative hearing in which Giuliani appeared. At another hearing a week later, Giuliani said the footage showed the women “surreptitiously passing around USB ports as if they are vials of heroin or cocaine.” They actually were passing a piece of candy.
Willis wrote in the court filing that Giuliani’s hearing appearance and testimony were “part of a multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump Campaign to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere.”
Willis also wrote in a petition seeking the testimony of attorney Kenneth Chesebro that he worked with Giuliani to coordinate and carry out a plan to have Georgia Republicans serve as fake electors. Those 16 people signed a certificate declaring falsely that Trump had won the 2020 presidential election and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors even though Biden had won the state and a slate of Democratic electors was certified.
Giuliani’s attorneys tried to delay his appearance before the special grand jury, saying he was unable to fly due to heart stent surgery in early July.
But Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who’s overseeing the special grand jury, said during a hearing last week that Giuliani needed to be in Atlanta on Wednesday and could travel by bus, car or train if necessary.
Asked how he made the trip, Giuliani told reporters, “I’ll give you one answer: I didn’t walk.”
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Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
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| 2022-08-18T10:33:50Z
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ICYMI: Stories you may have missed today on 41NBC News
Top stories from August 17, 2022
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Couple arrested and charged for fatal Waverly Pointe Townhouse shooting
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18-year-old shot in critical condition after Wednesday afternoon shooting
- For other stories you may have missed today on 41NBC News, click here.
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| 2022-08-18T10:33:56Z
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Macon church pressing forward after gunfire damages building
Community Church of God is continuing to hold services after gunfire damaged the church's windows and doors in July.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Community Church of God is continuing to hold services after gunfire damaged the church’s windows and doors in July.
The shooting also led to water damage from the church’s sprinkler system.
The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office reports deputies responded to gunfire in the area around 10 p.m. on July 26. Deputies say they found shell fragments and water leaking inside the church.
The congregation is now holding services in a tent until repairs are made.
Pastor Jason McClendon says he’s not letting this situation slow down their mission.
“I have to tell the truth, it hurt, I was shocked, I was surprised, but then again as a pastor, all the good we’re doing in the community, we just know things happen, things are going to get you down to make you slow down, but it’s just helping us to keep going,” he said.
Pastor McClendon believes the church was not the intended target of the shooting.
The church hosts a crime intervention program that holds events like sports leagues, food services, senior aid and rehab programs.
Pastor McClendon says the congregation plans to meet in the tent for another two months. The church is located at 5555 Bethesda Ave.
If you would like to help the church, visit maconcommunity.church.
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| 2022-08-18T10:34:02Z
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Macon County residents get access to high speed fiber internet
30% of Macon County residents now have access to fast speed internet.
OGLETHORPE, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT) – Almost 3,000 Macon County residents now have access to high speed internet for the first time.
It’s all thanks to a partnership between the county and Kinetic Wireless.
The county held a ribbon held ceremony Wednesday to announce Kinetic’s expansion of high speed internet.
Michael Foore, Kinetic’s President of Operations in Georgia, says this will benefit thousands of business and homes.
“It’s a big day,” Foore said. “We enjoy coming to rural communities in Georgia and letting them know that through Kinetic, by Windstream’s investment, there’s now fiber in there downtown area and even extending beyond that to reach around 3,000 households and businesses.”
Georgia Representative Patty Bentley, who was at Wednesday’s ceremony, says the community needed more internet access.
“There’s so many things that go on where we need internet,” Bentley said. “This is going to help the county with educational efforts, health care, bringing in new industry, keeping all of our seniors and young adults connected.”
30% of the county now has access to fast speed internet. Oglethorpe councilwoman Jill Harrison says residents needed this to keep up with the times.
“This is a internet world,” Harrison said. “It’s not going anywhere, and it’s not changing, so I’m glad that Kinetic took it upon themselves to help our county.”
Foore says the county and customers can sign up for service at windstream.com.
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| 2022-08-18T10:34:09Z
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Macon Film Festival is back this weekend
It's lights, camera, action for the 17th annual Macon Film Festival.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – It’s lights, camera, action for the 17th annual Macon Film Festival.
The festival starts Thursday, August 18 and continues through Sunday, August 21 with film screenings and events in multiple venues throughout the city.
More than 80 films from around the world will be showcased during the four-day festival, including a documentary about the life of Yogi Berra at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday.
Those who attend will be able to watch independent films and attend workshops.
Macon Film Festival President Justin Andrews says they’re excited to be back in person.
“This year we are back to 100% go for the whole festival,” Andrews said. “So we’re using the Grand Opera House, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, Theater Macon and the Douglass to show these films for these four days this weekend.”
Tickets are available for purchase at maconfilmfestival.com.
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| 2022-08-18T10:34:15Z
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Man dies in work-related accident at Dublin tire shop
UPDATE: The Dublin Police Department says that Rogers was working on a tire when the rim separated from the tire and hit him. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
DUBLIN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — An employee at Duncan Tire Company in Dublin died in a work-related accident this afternoon.
Nathan Stanley, the Deputy Coroner for Laurens County, told 41NBC that the accident happened around 2 p.m. Wednesday. Stanley says there was an explosion involved, but not many other details are available as the case is under investigation.
The accident resulted in the death of Duncan employee Stephen Rogers, a 32-year-old man from Wrightsville Georgia. Rogers was pronounced dead shortly after the accident, at 2:21 p.m.
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| 2022-08-18T10:34:21Z
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Man found dead in Vienna motel room
VIENNA, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A 30-year-old man was found dead in a motel room in Vienna on Monday.
The Vienna Police Department says just after midnight on August 15th, police and Dooly County EMS responded to Vienna Travel Inn in reference to an unresponsive male. Upon arrival, first responders identified the man as 30-year-old Daniel Athon, who was deceased in one of the motel rooms.
The Dooly County Coroner’s Office and Sheriff’s Office both responded to investigate. Athon’s body will be sent to the GBI Crime Lab for an autopsy to be performed.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call Chief Ketorie Sales, Vienna Police Department or Investigator Richard Eschenbach, Dooly County Sheriff’s Office.
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| 2022-08-18T10:34:27Z
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Sisters share dream of becoming pilots
Students at MGA's Eastman campus got a chance to look at aircraft and watch them take flight during a Fly-In event Wednesday.
EASTMAN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Middle Georgia State University is celebrating Aviation Week.
Students at the Eastman campus got a chance to look at aircraft and watch them take flight during a Fly-In event Wednesday.
Breland Wray, a senior in the Aviation Program at MGA, has wanted to fly helicopters since she was a little.
“My uncle, he was a Blackhawk pilot in the Army, and just him coming and telling me stories, that just really inspired me,” she said.
Her fraternal twin, Sydni, is also in the program. Wray says her uncle’s pilot background was an inspiration for her career goals.
“I’ve just generally always thought that helicopters were more of a challenge,” Wray said. “They give me more of a challenge than fixed-wing would. I think that’s what really drew me to them.”
She shares what it’s like to have the same career goals as Sydni.
“It keeps us accountable, it’s like having your best friend with you, built-in best friend,” she said. “It’s made it very easy to navigate at this school.”
Sydni and Breland said they didn’t have female role models to look up to in aviation growing up.
Earlier this month, Haley Jo Lucas, a MGA graduate, made history as Georgia State Patrol’s first female pilot in the Aviation Division.
“I hope that someday I can do that for younger girls as well, and help them navigate their way in this industry,” she said.
Sydni hopes she can also inspire young women to join the field.
“Especially as she [Haley] came from this school and started where I am right now,” she said. “And for me, that’s like one day I can achieve something like that as well.”
At one point, Breland doubted her ability to become a pilot. She shares advice for anyone dealing with similar doubts.
“Talk to people around you that are in the industry,” Wray said. “I would say do it. It’s amazing.”
If you missed the Fly-In event in Eastman, the Macon campus is having a helicopter fly-in Thursday at 12:30 p.m. in the SLC parking lot.
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| 2022-08-18T10:34:33Z
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Staying rainy and cool Thursday
During the day Thursday we could see some sunshine, but rain and storms will be back, especially during the afternoon.
We saw a start to our rainy weather pattern today, with much of Middle Georgia seeing at least a few showers.
More scattered showers are possible overnight, but the better rain chances will wait until Thursday.
During the day Thursday we could see some sunshine, but rain and storms will be back, especially during the afternoon.
A few thunderstorms are possible.
Highs Thursday will be staying the low and mid 80s across Middle Georgia.
By Friday a stationary boundary, that is currently to our south, will lift north, bringing us more gulf moisture.
This means that thunderstorms and heavy rain will be more likely on Friday.
Highs will once again stay well below normal, in the mid 80s.
Although thunderstorms are possible, severe weather is not expected.
Not much changes as we head into the weekend other than a small warm up.
Rain chances will dip slightly on Saturday and Sunday, but widespread rain is still possible.
Next week is looking pretty soggy as well, but highs stay in the mid 80s.
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| 2022-08-18T10:34:39Z
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The End Zone Game of the Week Preview: Baldwin vs Peach County, Pt. 2
The End Zone Game of the Week is scheduled for Friday, August 19, at 7:30 p.m. at Braves Field.
FORT VALLEY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Our first End Zone Game of the Week for the 2022 season features the Baldwin Braves hosting the Peach County Trojans.
The visiting Trojans finished last season 8-4 and lost in the GHSA 3A state quarterfinals. Even with a record four games above .500, it was the Trojans’ worst record since 2013, which was also the last season that Peach County faced Baldwin.
Both teams scrimmaged two weeks ago, and here’s Peach County head coach Chad Campbell on what the Trojans need to improve on.
“There’s a lot of things that need to be fixed, but we put ourselves in bad situations all night. Turned the ball over a couple of times, giving them good field position, dropped balls, passes left and right, busted coverages left and right, and missed tackles left and right. So it’s all correctable things, and we see Friday night if we’ve gotten better at the little basic things,” said Campbell.
The End Zone Game of the Week is scheduled for Friday, August 19, at 7:30 p.m. at Braves Field.
Live pre-game coverage begins Friday at 5, 5:30, and 6 p.m., with highlights and scores on The End Zone at 11 p.m. on 41NBC.
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| 2022-08-18T10:34:45Z
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UPDATE: 18-year-old dies after Wednesday afternoon shooting
An 18-year-old who was shot Wednesday afternoon has died.
UPDATE (10:20 p.m.) – An 18-year-old who was shot Wednesday afternoon has died.
Deputy Coroner Luanne Stone pronounced Ashton Fort dead at the hospital at 9:22 p.m.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – An 18-year-old male is in critical condition following a shooting Wednesday afternoon.
That’s according to a Bibb County Sheriff’s Office news release, which says the shooting happened “in the area” of Nisbet Drive just after 4:30.
Deputies and EMS arrived at a home in the 5000 block of Nisbet Drive, where the victim was located, and took him to the hospital.
The shooting is under investigation.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at 1-478-751-7500 or Macon Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-877-68CRIME.
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| 2022-08-18T10:34:51Z
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Yakima has joined other cities throughout the United States in calling on the Biden administration to take a more active role in resettling refugees.
The Yakima City Council unanimously decided to sign on to a bipartisan letter authored by the Refugee Advocacy Lab, a national organization for refugee inclusion, asking President Joe Biden to rebuild and resource the refugee resettlement program.
In introducing the item at Tuesday’s council meeting, City Manager Bob Harrison said the letter focuses on welcoming refugees and meeting the resettlement commitment for fiscal year 2023.
In 2021, the U.S. settled 11,411 refugees, which was substantially lower than the commitment of 125,000, Harrison said. He said the country is falling short again in 2022.
“We’ve seen over time the impact that refugees can have on communities and in the country in aiding and supporting economic development, providing jobs and helping to build strong and healthy communities,” he said.
Deputy Mayor Soneya Lund said at the meeting that refugees bring a valuable addition to the country’s culture.
Council member Holly Cousens said she thinks it’s important the city take a stand in light of conflicts in Ukraine and elsewhere.
“Being that I am Ukrainian, I think this is really important for us to be open and show that we’re (welcoming),” Cousens said.
State and local elected leaders can sign the letter ahead of the Aug. 29 deadline.
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https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/yakima-city-council-signs-on-to-letter-welcoming-refugees-to-the-u-s/article_698e086c-1e40-11ed-8100-a36f0f89e447.html
| 2022-08-18T12:51:55Z
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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The world’s smallest and most endangered sea turtles have hatched in Louisiana’s wilds for the first known time in more than 75 years, officials said Wednesday.
“Louisiana was largely written off as a nesting spot for sea turtles decades ago, but this determination demonstrates why barrier island restoration is so important,” Chip Kline, chairman of the Louisiana Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority, said in a news release.
Crews monitoring the Chandeleur Islands — a chain 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of New Orleans — to help design a restoration project found tracks of females going to and from nests and of hatchlings leaving a nest.
The first tracks were found by a crew surveying birds “before the sea turtle nesting season really kicked off,” said Matthew Weigel, coastal resources scientist manager for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
After that crew brought back a photo of a sea turtle “crawl,” the two agencies began weekly flights over the island to look for more. Weigel said he and Todd Baker of the restoration agency were walking between two that they’d sighted from the plane on July 29 when they stumbled on hatchling tracks on the beach.
“There was some high-fiving going on,” he said. They followed those tracks back to a nest they hadn’t known about. There, they found two tiny, newly emerged turtles, which they followed back to the beach.
Weigel said aerial surveys found 52 sets of tracks that experts identified as Kemp’s ridley, though some were “false crawls” where no nest was made.
“The endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle has returned to nest on the Chandeleur Islands, highlighting the need to protect this sensitive habitat so it can continue to be home to ocean and coastal wildlife in the future,” said Beth Lowell, vice president for the United States of the environmental nonprofit Oceana.
The Louisiana agencies said threatened loggerhead sea turtles also are nesting on the Chandeleurs, which are part of the nation’s second-oldest national wildlife refuge, called Breton National Wildlife Refuge.
Loggerhead nests found in 2015 on Grand Isle — roughly 70 miles (112 kilometers) southwest of the Chandeleurs — were the first confirmed sea turtle nests in Louisiana in more than 30 years, according to the statement.
All six sea turtle species found in U.S. waters are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Tens of thousands of Kemp’s ridleys, which grow to about 2 feet (0.6 meter) long, once nested in Mexico, but in the 1980s a low of only about 250 did so, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Wednesday’s announcement came less than two weeks after officials reported the first sea turtle nest since 2018 on Mississippi’s mainland.
That location in Pass Christian Harbor is roughly 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of the Chandeleurs, the easternmost part of Louisiana. The chain has been eaten away by erosion, tropical storms including Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the BP oil spill in 2010.
The two agencies have been closely monitoring the islands since May as part of work to restore the islands using oil spill money.
The discovery of nesting sea turtles will help ensure sea turtle nesting habitat is preserved and improved, officials said.
Most Kemp’s ridley nests are along the western Gulf of Mexico, 95% of them in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, according to NOAA. “Occasional nesting has been documented in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama,” according to its website about the species.
Juvenile Kemp’s ridleys feed in Louisiana’s estuaries. Many species of sea turtles gather around the Chandeleur Islands, feeding in and around the state’s only marine seagrass meadows, the news release said.
“It is well known that the Chandeleur Islands provide key habitats for a host of important species; however, with the recent discovery of a successful Kemp’s ridley sea turtle hatching, the islands’ value to the region has been elevated,” Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Jack Montoucet said.
Additional nests may be discovered on the Chandeleur Islands as monitoring continues and hatchlings emerge, the news release said. The nesting season peaks in June and July, and eggs take 50 to 60 days to hatch, it said.
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| 2022-08-18T16:00:33Z
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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A judge’s order that forced the Biden administration to resume sales of oil and gas leases on federal land and waters was vacated Wednesday by a federal appeals court in New Orleans.
It was at least a temporary victory for President Joe Biden but the immediate effect was unclear.
The much-heralded climate bill that Biden signed into law Tuesday provides for new drilling opportunities, in a compromise among Democrats, and mandates that several lease sales be held over the next year in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska.
Biden had signed an executive order that suspended new lease sales soon after taking office in 2021. The following March, U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty in Monroe, Louisiana, blocked the policy, siding with a more than a dozen Republican-leaning states opposed to Biden’s move.
The appeals court in New Orleans on Wednesday said the judge’s reasons were unclear and sent the case back to him.
“We cannot reach the merits of the Government’s challenge when we cannot ascertain from the record what conduct — an unwritten agency policy, a written policy outside of the Executive Order, or the Executive Order itself — is enjoined,” Judge Patrick Higginbotham wrote for a panel that also included judges James Dennis and James Graves.
Department of the Interior officials were reviewing the decision, spokesperson Melissa Schwartz said. She declined to say whether the climate law made the issue moot.
The practical impacts of the ruling could be minor because of the fossil fuel leasing mandates in the climate law, said Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, which represents oil and gas companies.
The law requires the government to reinstate $192 million in leases in the Gulf of Mexico that were blocked by another court ruling last year. And it requires two more sales in the Gulf and one in Alaska before October 2023. Those sales had been canceled under Biden. The provision reviving them was inserted into the law at the insistence of West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, an advocate for fossil fuels.
Going forward the law says Interior will hold periodic oil and gas lease sales and offer at least 60 million acres (24 million hectares) of offshore parcels and 2 million acres (810,000 hectares) onshore during the prior year before it can approve any renewable energy leases.
“Offshore oil and gas leasing has been protected and will proceed,” said Milito.
Environmentalists remained hopeful that the ruling would prompt the administration to move forward with other changes to the oil and gas leasing program, such as limits on future development including where leasing occurs.
“They may not be able to deliver a full moratorium on leasing, but at least they can exercise more restraint than they could with the injunction in place,” said Jeremy Nichols with the environmental group WildEarth Guardians. “All eyes are going to be on the Interior Department to see what their next move might be.”
Following last year’s injunction from Doughty that forced lease sales to resume, the Biden administration auctioned off more than 2,700 square miles (6,950 square kilometers) of leases in the Gulf of Mexico in November. The sale was later overturned by a federal judge in Washington D.C., who said the government had failed to adequately consider climate change impacts from burning oil and gas from the Gulf.
In June, the administration sold leases on about 110 square miles (285 square kilometers) of federal land, mostly in Wyoming, despite concluding that future emissions from the parcels offered could cause billions of dollars in damages due to climate change impacts. Legal challenges of those sales by environmentalists are pending.
Doughty was appointed to the federal bench by former President Donald Trump. Higginbotham was appointed to the appeals court by former President Ronald Reagan; Dennis, by former President Bill Clinton; Graves, by former President Barack Obama.
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| 2022-08-18T18:26:40Z
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According to the Mail Online, Princes William and Harry have been ‘kept in the dark’ over a new documentary about their mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales. The Channel 4 programme is a four-part series entitled Investigating Diana: Death in Paris, and will air on the 25th anniversary of the princess's untimely death on 31 August.
On 31 August 1997, Diana was killed in a tragic car accident alongside her boyfriend Dodi Fayed. The couple had spent the summer together aboard Fayed's superyacht before travelling to Paris on their return to the UK. The princess died from the injuries she sustained in the car crash, which took place beneath the Pont de L'alma tunnel. The driver of the vehicle, who died at the scene of the incident, was discovered to have been under the influence of alcohol and prescription drugs at the time of the crash.
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| 2022-08-18T19:37:55Z
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18-year-old arrested for drugs, guns on Wren Avenue
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — An 18-year-old was arrested after the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office was called in reference to a group of males standing in the street with guns.
According to the BCSO, Gang Unit members responded to the call on Wren Avenue around 6:53 p.m. Investigators arrived at the scene and noticed the group jump out of a Chevrolet Suburban and run from the area. One of the suspects, 18-year-old Dontavious Houser, dropped a book bag containing marijuana, a Glock handgun, and an AR style handgun. Houser was taken into custody after a short pursuit on foot.
A second book bag was also found inside of the Suburban, also containing an abundance of marijuana– the total weight coming to 1 pound.
Houser was interviewed and taken to the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center for charges of Possession of Marijuana with the Intent to Distribute, Possession of Marijuana in Government Housing, Transactions of Marijuana in Government Housing, (2 counts) of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Criminal Street Gang Activity, and Unlawful Possession of Firearms and Weapons. He is being held without bond.
Anyone with information connected to this incident is urged to call the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at 478-751-7500 or Macon Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-877-68CRIME.
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| 2022-08-18T22:32:02Z
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Dinosaurs to roam again in Warner Robins this weekend
Dinosaurs are roaming the Earth again in Warner Robins this weekend.
WARNER ROBINS, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT) – Dinosaurs are roaming the Earth again in Warner Robins this weekend.
Jurassic Jungle is having its “Cretaceous Carnivore event” this Sunday at the Warner Robins Recreation Center.
Families will be able to have a chance to get up close and personal with a wide of dinosaur species, and kids can learn how to train a dinosaur.
“We really want children to experience dinosaurs, so we try to present them in the friendliest way possible so that there a little less intimidating,” handler Marissa Bryant said.
There will also be crafting tables and other activities for kids. Shows are Sunday at 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. For tickets and prices, you can visit the Jurassic Jungle Facebook page.
If you miss the show in Warner Robins, Jurassic Jungle will be have another dinosaur event in Atlanta on September 17 and 18.
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| 2022-08-18T22:32:08Z
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Law enforcement presence at Monroe County Schools after Snapchat threat
FORSYTH, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says a threat on Snapchat caused law enforcement presence to be added to schools in the Monroe County School system on Thursday.
According to MCSO, a report came in of a nonspecific threat against a nonspecific school on the morning of August 18th via the social media site Snapchat. The threat indicated that somebody was planning to commit a violent act at an unnamed school between 12p.m. and 12:45 p.m. The report came in from a student, who was interviewed and said they believed the threat was towards a Monroe County School because they advised several students from Monroe County had been reposting the threat.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office worked with School Resource Officers, Patrol Deputies, and Criminal Investigators, as well as the school staff to help with searches including utilizing Monroe County Sheriff’s Office K-9 teams. A criminal investigation into the incident has been opened.
The timeframe of the threat passed, and the threat was not carried out, though the MCSO is still working to find the original poster of the threat. Anyone with information concerning this incident is urged to call the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office at 478-994-7043 or your local law enforcement agency.
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| 2022-08-18T22:32:14Z
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Man arrested after Narcotics search warrants lead to several drugs, guns
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man after executing 2 narcotics search warrants on 2 separate residences on August 17th.
The Gang Unit, SWAT team, Special Investigations Unit, and Response team worked to execute the warrants on 2 homes connected to 45-year-old Mario Parker. The homes searched are located in the 2800 block of Elpis Street and the 1900 block of Christian Avenue. One of the homes is owned by Parker, the second home is where Parker lived.
When members of the BCSO arrived at the home on Elpis Street, Parker was seen running into the home, and then a short time later returning to the front door. After the search warrants were served, about 10 ounces of Codeine, 18 grams of marijuana, several THC pens, multiple digital scales, over $25,000, and a stolen 9mm handgun were found.
Parker, a convicted felon who is not allowed to own a firearm, was taken into the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Center and charged with Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon ,Possession of Controlled Narcotic in Schedule II, Theft Lost Mislaid Property- Felony, and Marijuana less than an Ounce. He is being held without bond.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at 1-478-751-7500 or Macon Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-877-68CRIME.
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| 2022-08-18T22:32:21Z
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Middle Georgia Regional Library expands ‘Play Card Program’ to more counties
Students in Macon County and Twiggs County now have access to library services by using their school ID numbers.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Students in Macon County and Twiggs County now have access to library services by using their school ID numbers.
This is the first time the Middle Georgia Regional Library has extended its Play Card Program to counties outside of Bibb.
The goal was to remove a barrier to help students access materials for free.
If a student in those counties returns a book late, there will be no charge. They can also place holds on books and access online resources.
Alexandria Holsey, the Marketing Coordinator for the library system, says the program has seen a continuous use in Bibb County. Their hope is that will also happen in the other two counties.
“It’s just an extra stepping stone of resources of bridging the gaps that children need to learn and grow as they develop,” she said. “Also for recreational purposes too, because we would love to see people develop a fondness of reading for leisure.”
Holsey says there is a possibility the program could expand to four more counties.
To learn more about the program, click here.
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| 2022-08-18T22:32:27Z
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Rain arriving later than expected Thursday
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Rain did not arrive in Middle Georgia ahead of the sunrise as expected.
Today
It has been a cloudy but dry morning around Middle Georgia. As we prepare to enter the lunchtime hours we have barely seen a lick of rain around the region. The large mass of storms expected to arrive ahead of the sunrise has missed the region completely, instead impacting South Georgia. This does not mean we are clear for rain chances today, however, as scattered showers and thunderstorms are still likely this afternoon and evening. Highs will again be kept cooler today as they reach into the low and mid 80s around the region. Ambient winds will predominantly blow out of the southeast at about 5 mph.
Storms are likely to persist overnight tonight, and models are once again hinting at the potential for a large mass of storms to make its way through Middle Georgia overnight tonight and ahead of the sunrise tomorrow. Should this hold, locations that receive that rain could get more than an inch as the mass passes through. For the rest it will simply be a cloudy and humid night. Lows will be in the lower 70s and upper 60s, and ambient winds will come from the south-southeast at about 5 mph.
Tomorrow
We will continue to see cloudy skies dominate for our Friday, however during the afternoon a little bit of sun may get through. Highs will be in the low to mid 80s once again with ambient winds coming from the south-southwest at about 5 mph. Storm chances will diminish in the morning following the large mass of rain (assuming it indeed hits Middle Georgia this time) and then climb again during the late afternoon and evening hours.
A couple of storms may push into the overnight hours. At some point after midnight and before the sunrise Saturday the last of them should push their way out of Middle Georgia to the east. After that we will see a few breaks in the clouds as temperatures reach their valleys in the upper 60s and lower 70s.
The Weekend
Mostly cloudy conditions will continue to stick around on Saturday, however the rain chances should drop off a bit to just some isolated storms in the afternoon and evening. As a result highs will return to the upper 80s with lows in the lower 70s.
Sunday will see a bit more sun than Saturday and highs will push into the lower 90s for the hottest Middle Georgia locations. A few storms will be possible in the afternoon and evening, however they are unlikely overnight. Lows will be in the lower 70s.
The tropics are still quiet outside of the one system we are watching in the gulf. The National Hurricane Center is now forecasting a 20% chance for development over the next 48 hours and a 30% chance over the next 5 days.
Follow Meteorologist Aaron Lowery on Facebook (Aaron Lowery 41NBC) and Twitter (@ALowWX) for weather updates throughout the day. Also, you can watch his forecasts Monday through Friday on 41NBC News at Daybreak (6-7 a.m.) and 41Today (11 a.m).
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| 2022-08-18T22:32:33Z
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Senator Warnock stops in Baldwin County on statewide bus tour
Senator Raphael Warnock brought his “Working for Georgia" bus tour to voters in Baldwin County Thursday.
MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Senator Raphael Warnock brought his “Working for Georgia” bus tour to voters in Baldwin County Thursday.
He spoke to a crowd in downtown Milledgeville about the work he’s done in Washington so far and his plans for the future.
Warnock is using the tour, which started Wednesday, to rally voters ahead of the November election.
“Invest in STEM and in regional tech hubs so we can create places of innovation and creativity and economic prosperity,” he said. “I’ve got a feeling that the folks here in Milledgeville could benefit from that.”
Senator Warnock will face Republican nominee Herschel Walker in the November 8 election.
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| 2022-08-18T22:32:39Z
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WRPD: Cash register theft leads to Code Yellow at 5 schools
Five schools in Warner Robins were placed under a "Code Yellow" Thursday morning after a man stole a cash register from a convenience store.
WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Five schools in Warner Robins were placed under a “Code Yellow” Thursday morning after a man stole a cash register from a convenience store.
A Warner Robins Police Department news release says a man and woman were playing gaming machines at VIP Foods on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. when the clerk exited the store. The man, who police say they know, then stole the cash register and fled on foot toward South Davis Drive.
The woman, 46-year-old Alicia Rose Sorrow Arnold of Warner Robins, fled in a pickup truck toward Watson Boulevard but was later spotted and stopped.
The man has not been located.
Sacred Heart Catholic School, Warner Robins High School, C.B. Watson Primary, Pearl Stephens Elementary and Middle Georgia State University were all placed on “Code Yellow” during the call.
Arnold is charged with theft by taking – party to a crime.
Call Det. Nix at (478) 302-5380 or Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 1-877-68-CRIME if you have additional information.
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https://www.41nbc.com/wrpd-cash-register-theft-code-yellow/
| 2022-08-18T22:32:45Z
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The luxury market and the high-profile brands captured within it face a new generation of shoppers. These buyers are exiting a years-long pandemic and face red hot inflation with an unclear end. They are expected to continue to curb spending on "aspirational" purchases, favoring frugality.
As Forbes reported in May, the personal luxury market has faced a roller coaster of challenges and successes in recent years. The market saw a worldwide high of $307 billion in 2019 sales. It was then hit by an unprecedented pandemic, watching COVID-19 lockdowns and other unforeseen factors cause the sector to plunge an incredible 22% during the pandemic's height in 2020. The year after that, astonishingly, it was back to supporting luxury brands, with most people settling into their work-from-home lives, shopping online while saving on takeaway lunches, and commuting costs associated with office life.
The industry saw a rebound last year, reaching $309 billion, Bain reported. But, as industry leaders look at the longer outlook, that could all have been a fluke.
For Gen Z, faced with a future of student loans, possible sustained inflation, and unattainable purchasing power, for many, amid fast-rising home prices and interest rates that could maintain their highs: The prospect of buying a $700 t-shirt as a sign of success is becoming evermore unlikely.
The luxury sector is worried about these financially stretched Gen Z consumers, and how they will sell those "aspirational" products to them, Reuters reported.
Kenneth Chow, director of consulting firm Oliver Wyman, said, “In the U.S., inflation is a big problem, the focus of many luxury companies…in China, it’s youth unemployment that’s alarming right now.”
Internationally, government data over the summer signaled a concerning outlook, with the unemployment rate among Chinese city dwellers aged 16-24 at an astonishing record 19.9%. And if global sales for luxury brands are affected, that could most certainly mean domestic worries for all international labels.
Claudia D’Arpizio, a partner with Bain, said, “There’s this young group of consumers entering the market that requires a lot of creativity at more affordable prices.”
In 2021, a call held by speakers for the Business of Fashion noted that Gen Z is expected to account for 40 percent of the international luxury goods market by 2035.
By a Bain and Company estimate, millennials and Gen Z will hold 130 percent of the purchasing power in the sector, controlling that chuck of its market growth from 2021 until 2025.
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| 2022-08-19T00:33:50Z
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WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Discussions on deciding the future home of two new aircrafts began Thursday night.
The National Guard Bureau held a public meeting to discuss the proposal of a location for two new aircrafts. The public was invited to learn about the proposal, talk to the project team and provide concerns regarding the proposal.
104th Flight Commander David Halasi-Kun told 22News, “What is going to be the difference? That’s a question we hope we receive from the public, so the environmental impact study can find out what the public’s interest is and really narrow down the scope and give the public the answers they want.”
If you missed the meeting on Thursday, a virtual meeting will be held via zoom on August 24th.
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| 2022-08-19T00:56:01Z
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The luxury market and the high-profile brands captured within it face a new generation of shoppers. These buyers are exiting a years-long pandemic and face red hot inflation with an unclear end. They are expected to continue to curb spending on "aspirational" purchases, favoring frugality.
As Forbes reported in May, the personal luxury market has faced a roller coaster of challenges and successes in recent years. The market saw a worldwide high of $307 billion in 2019 sales. It was then hit by an unprecedented pandemic, watching COVID-19 lockdowns and other unforeseen factors cause the sector to plunge an incredible 22% during the pandemic's height in 2020. The year after that, astonishingly, it was back to supporting luxury brands, with most people settling into their work-from-home lives, shopping online while saving on takeaway lunches, and commuting costs associated with office life.
The industry saw a rebound last year, reaching $309 billion, Bain reported. But, as industry leaders look at the longer outlook, that could all have been a fluke.
For Gen Z, faced with a future of student loans, possible sustained inflation, and unattainable purchasing power, for many, amid fast-rising home prices and interest rates that could maintain their highs: The prospect of buying a $700 t-shirt as a sign of success is becoming evermore unlikely.
The luxury sector is worried about these financially stretched Gen Z consumers, and how they will sell those "aspirational" products to them, Reuters reported.
Kenneth Chow, director of consulting firm Oliver Wyman, said, “In the U.S., inflation is a big problem, the focus of many luxury companies…in China, it’s youth unemployment that’s alarming right now.”
Internationally, government data over the summer signaled a concerning outlook, with the unemployment rate among Chinese city dwellers aged 16-24 at an astonishing record 19.9%. And if global sales for luxury brands are affected, that could most certainly mean domestic worries for all international labels.
Claudia D’Arpizio, a partner with Bain, said, “There’s this young group of consumers entering the market that requires a lot of creativity at more affordable prices.”
In 2021, a call held by speakers for the Business of Fashion noted that Gen Z is expected to account for 40 percent of the international luxury goods market by 2035.
By a Bain and Company estimate, millennials and Gen Z will hold 130 percent of the purchasing power in the sector, controlling that chuck of its market growth from 2021 until 2025.
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https://www.katc.com/news/national/gen-z-buying-habits-are-radically-transforming-the-luxury-industry
| 2022-08-19T01:22:26Z
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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — After Terrence Hersey had a stroke on the way home from his railroad job in 2015, he underwent months of therapy to learn how to put words together in sentences and learn to walk again. He had to relearn how to get in and out of a car and how to dress himself before his doctors eventually cleared him to return to work with no restrictions.
That recommendation wasn’t good enough for Union Pacific. The railroad decided after reviewing Hersey’s records — but without a doctor’s examination — that he was unfit for his job overseeing inspections of stationary railcars in Chicago because of the risk he would become incapacitated.
“I had a doctor that cleared me, and then Union Pacific did not give me any kind of physical or anything. I felt tossed to the side,” said Hersey.
Without his job, his car was repossessed. He lost his house. He had worked on the railroad for more than 20 years, and finding a job that paid as well as Union Pacific was hard for the 50-year-old Hersey, who now drives a school bus. For his current job, he’s had no problem passing an annual medical test to retain his commercial driver’s license.
“I was a 20-year man and had worked my way up to being a supervisor and had some management opportunities that I could have reached out for. Now I’m making half the money I could make. It’s just like my whole world went upside down,” he said.
Hersey is among hundreds of Union Pacific employees who are fighting back with federal lawsuits after losing their jobs because of health issues. Although they make up only a small percentage of the railroad’s more than 30,000 employees, their cases could prove costly to Union Pacific and could hinder the companies’ efforts to fill scores of open jobs at a time when all of the nation’s railroads are dealing with worker shortages.
Former Union Pacific workers have filed at least 15 other federal lawsuits, and more than 200 other complaints are pending with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that are likely to turn into lawsuits. Seven other cases have been settled.
The lawsuits were originally going to be part of a class-action case filed by former employees, but a federal appeals court decided in 2020 that the complaints had to be pursued individually. The first few cases have now been tried and verdicts over $1 million have been issued in all three.
A spokeswoman for the EEOC said it can’t comment on whether it is investigating allegations against Union Pacific. However, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, Jim Kaster, said the EEOC has ongoing investigations of the railroad’s practices.
“What makes this case so egregious is the planning from the top down,” said Kaster, who helped handle the class-action case. “It is one thing for a rogue manager in a company to discriminate on the basis of disability. This case is different because this company targeted people with disabilities and disqualified them from working without even examining them and many times without even talking to them.”
By the railroad’s own count, UP said in arguments in the original class-action lawsuit that some 7,700 employees had to undergo what is called a “fitness-for-duty” review between 2014 and 2018. It’s not clear how many of those people were forced out by unworkable restrictions, but lawyers for the plaintiffs estimate nearly 2,000 people faced restrictions that kept them off the job for at least two years if not indefinitely.
Union Pacific policies say that anyone with more than a slight chance of “sudden incapacitation” shouldn’t work for the railroad because it’s dangerous. The railroad has vigorously defended its policy, arguing its strict rules are designed to protect its workers and the public from injury risks or environmental damage if someone suffers a health emergency that causes a derailment or other accident.
Union Pacific spokeswoman Robynn Tysver said the railroad strives to maintain an inclusive workplace, but “the Americans with Disabilities Act does not diminish Union Pacific’s commitment and obligation to maintain a safe work environment.”
“Union Pacific medical personnel who have a thorough understanding of a railroad’s unique operational requirements assess employees’ medical condition to determine if it prevents them from safely performing their essential job duties in accordance with our medical standards and obligations under the ADA,” Tysver said. “In addition, Union Pacific often engages third-party medical consultants to assist with medical reviews.”
Yet former workers claim Union Pacific is ignored their doctors’ advice and making their own determinations, often when doctors have said an employee is cleared to work.
The cases leave Union Pacific potentially facing more than $350 million in damages plus sizeable legal fees, and government regulators could impose additional penalties if they fault the railroad. That may not do much to dent the bottom line for a company that reported a $1.84 billion profit in its most-recent quarter, but the lawsuits could add to unrest among its current workers. UP workers are already upset that they haven’t had a raise since 2019 and that the railroad tightened its attendance policy, making it harder to take time off.
Federal law caps most damages in these disability cases besides lost wages at $300,000, but lawyers for the plaintiffs say the giant judgments, including a $44 million decision they won last year in Wisconsin, send a strong message that Union Pacific’s policy is flawed even if the penalty is reduced. In the Wisconsin case, a conductor with impaired hearing was forced out despite years of successful employment because he couldn’t pass a hearing test while wearing the company’s newly required hearing protection. The railroad wouldn’t consider alternative protective gear.
The cases all argue that Union Pacific discriminates against people with disabilities because of the way it disqualifies employees after they report certain health conditions, even if they have little bearing on whether an employee can safely do their job. Since 2014, the Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad has required workers to report anytime they develop a heart condition, have a seizure or develop diabetes that needs to be treated with insulin. Union Pacific also routinely imposes restrictions on employees who fail a color vision test it designed and refuses to employ someone with a prosthetic limb regardless of how capable they might be.
When an employee or their supervisor reports a health condition, Union Pacific puts them on leave and demands they submit medical records that railroad doctors review to determine their suitability for work. The plaintiffs say the railroad usually makes its decision without doctors examining employees, and Union Pacific ignores the recommendations of doctors who are treating individuals and have cleared them to return to work.
An occupational medicine doctor who works with the plaintiffs, Kevin Trangle, said he doesn’t think UP’s policy is sound because it’s “more restrictive than necessary, and would tend to cause workers to be unnecessarily prevented from working.”
Rolando Vasquez said in one of the lawsuits he lost his job after he had a motorcycle accident because doctors put him on anti-seizure medication as a precaution. In response, the railroad imposed a series of restrictions that made it impossible for him to work as an electronic technician inspector in Del Rio, Texas, even though he’d never actually had a seizure.
In another case, a diesel electrician said he was treated as if he had a condition that causes seizures after he fainted once because he was dehydrated while battling an illness. The railroad ruled that Joseph Carrillo shouldn’t be allowed to operate any company vehicles, work around moving trains or hold any job that involved “critical decision making,” so his managers in El Paso agreed he could no longer repair locomotives.
J.J. Stover lost his job as a track inspector in Kearney, Nebraska, after having a dizzy spell at work because his doctors labeled the 2016 incident a mini stroke, or transient ischemic attack, even though he said all the tests they performed on him while he was hospitalized for more than three days came back negative and he hasn’t experienced any more dizziness.
Stover’s doctors said he could return to work just a couple weeks later. Shortly after that, the Army Reserves took his doctors’ word and sent him to Poland for several weeks of training, but Union Pacific spent nine months reviewing his records before deciding he shouldn’t be allowed to drive a railroad truck or work around the tracks.
“It’s just hard to understand,” Stover said.
Another one of the workers’ attorneys, Nick Thompson, said Union Pacific doesn’t seem to consider any mitigating details, and it applies the same restrictions to every worker that has a condition regardless of whether that person drives a train or digs a ditch to install a signal for the railroad.
“They treat every condition like it’s the worst version of that. If you pass out — regardless of the cause — they treat it for determining risk of future events as though it is an unmedicated seizure condition. That just doesn’t make any sense,” Thompson said.
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| 2022-08-19T02:19:07Z
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ARNAUDVILLE, La. – United Water System has restored water pressure and the boil water advisory is still in effect until further notice.
The water system experienced electrical problems at the plant that caused low pressure. That electrical issue has been resolved and water pressure has been restored, according to a spokesperson for United Water System.
All residents are under a boil water advisory until further notice.
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| 2022-08-19T03:24:23Z
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2 arrested in Monroe County after search of repair shop turns up drugs, firearm
A Monroe County Sheriff's Office news release says the sheriff's office had received "numerous" complaints regarding illegal drug activity at 596 Indian Springs Drive (Forsyth Tire and Auto).
FORSYTH, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Two people are in custody following following the execution of a search warrant at a Monroe County repair shop Thursday.
A Monroe County Sheriff’s Office news release says the sheriff’s office had received “numerous” complaints regarding illegal drug activity at 596 Indian Springs Drive (Forsyth Tire and Auto).
“Investigators initiated an investigation and learned the individual operating the repair shop was involved in illegal drug sales,” the release stated.
The sheriff’s office executed a search warrant Thursday, and investigators say they found methamphetamine, marijuana and a firearm.
50-year-old Tony Ponder, the operator of the shop, and 57-year-old Douglas Minyard, both of Forsyth, were arrested.
Ponder is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
Minyard is charged with possession of methamphetamine.
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| 2022-08-19T08:27:47Z
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3-year-old in critical condition following Macon shooting
A 3-year-old is in critical condition after being struck by gunfire Thursday night.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A 3-year-old is in critical condition after being struck by gunfire Thursday night.
A Bibb County Sheriff’s Office news release says the incident was called in just before 6:30. Lt. Sean Defoe says the shooting happened in “the Millerfield Road area.”
Witnesses told investigators a mother took her 3-year-old child to Piedmont Macon hospital by personal vehicle. An ambulance then transferred the child to Atrium Health Navicent.
The incident is under investigation. Call the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at (478) 751-7500 or Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 1-877-68-CRIME if you have information.
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| 2022-08-19T08:27:53Z
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Houston County breaks ground for new aquatic center
Houston County will see its first county public pool in more than 50 years thanks to a new aquatic center that's now in the works.
WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Houston County will see its first county public pool in more than 50 years thanks to a new aquatic center that’s now in the works.
The Houston County Board of Education and county officials held a groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate the construction of the Tommy Stalnaker Aquatic Center, which will be located on Cohen Walker Road.
The center is named in honor of Houston County Board of Commissioner Chairman Tommy Stalnaker for his years of service and dedication to recreation.
Stalnaker says the county has needed the center for almost 50 years.
“This community has been long over due for a new pool,” Stalnaker said. “A larger pool that is in tune with what is needed for a community of this size, for the young people and the old people to be able to have activities in this swim facility.”
Once it’s completed, the center will have a 50-meter pool and a warm pool for community use.
Dr. Mark Scott, Superintendent of Houston County Schools, says the Houston County High School swim team now has a place to call home.
“They will not have to be sharing facilities with other community members and having to travel outside of our county for competitions,” Dr. Scott said. ” We can host competitions here just an awesome opportunity for the swim community here in Houston County.”
Warner Robins Mayor LaRhonda Patrick says the facility will allow children in the community to learn about water safety.
“Knowing that our children will be able to be exposed to safe swimming and receive lessons at a young age makes me feel like we are accomplishing something major for our future generations,” Patrick said.
The Houston County Board of Education also announced plans for a fine arts center to be built next to the aquatic center. The aquatic center is expected to be complete within two years.
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| 2022-08-19T08:27:59Z
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ICYMI: Stories you may have missed today on 41NBC News
Top stories from August 18, 2022
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Senator Warnock stops in Baldwin County on statewide bus tour
- For other stories you may have missed today on 41NBC News, click here.
Senator Warnock stops in Baldwin County on statewide bus tour
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| 2022-08-19T08:28:05Z
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Local health experts react to new Covid guidelines
The CDC has changed its Covid guidelines again.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The CDC has changed its Covid guidelines again.
Dr. Jennifer Hoffman, Infectious Disease Physician with Piedmont Macon, says if you’re exposed to Covid-19, you no longer have to quarantine. Instead, you should wear a high-quality mask for ten days and get tested for Covid on day five.
There are, however, different guidelines if you test positive for Covid.
“Then they want you staying home for at least five days, and it can be longer depending on specific circumstances,” Dr. Hoffman said. “Then wearing a high-quality mask at least until day 10.”
Dr. Hoffman says that unfortunately it seems like we’ll be dealing with Covid indefinitely. She believes it’s something we have to learn to live with.
“Quarantine was very disruptive, for example, to school children who were missing 10 days several times a year, and that’s just not good educationally for kids,” she said. “It was bad for working parents who had to stay home with their kids, so it was a variety of practical concerns. Is it ideal from an infection control standpoint? I mean no. It’s not.”
North Central Health District Public Information Officer Michael Hokanson says Covid cases are on the rise in Middle Georgia, but the district believes the numbers are under-represented because of home Covid testing.
“Because the home test is such a popular option, people can go to any kind of pharmacy,” he said. “They can visit our local health department and get those home tests for free, but if they don’t follow that up with a confirmatory PCR test, that’s not a case that’s counted.”
Hokanson says the concern with the CDC relaxing Covid guidelines is people think they can go back to normal. He says that’s not the case and expects to see a higher level of transmission of the virus.
“We want people to still do that individual risk assessment,” he said. “To make those decisions on a person-to-person basis and just be aware that Covid is out there. It is very active right now, and we want people to stay safe.”
Dr. Hoffman continues to encourage people to get their Covid vaccines and boosters if they haven’t already.
“Vaccination is still very important, getting boosters is still very important,” she said. “It may not prevent you from getting Covid. In fact, it likely won’t prevent you from getting the current variants, but it should help make your case much less severe.”
The North Central Health District says it expects a different Covid vaccine formulation to come out in the fall.
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| 2022-08-19T08:28:12Z
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Macon Water Authority wins awards for service
The Macon Water Authority recently received several awards for its service.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Macon Water Authority recently received several awards for its service.
During the recent Utility Leadership Conference of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) in Seattle, Washington, MWA was awarded for its 100% compliance for its Lower Poplar Water reclamation facility.
The Amerson water treatment plant also received an award for best water plant in Georgia.
MWA Executive Director Joey Leverette says the good work of the authority will continue.
“We don’t stop, we can’t get to the end of the month and stop or get to the end of the year and stop,” he said. “Our work goes on 24-7, and we’ll continue that way until perpetuity.”
The Amerson Water Treatment plant has reached 100% permit compliance for nine consecutive years.
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| 2022-08-19T08:28:18Z
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Monroe County Recreation Department increasing sports fees
The Monroe County Recreation Department is increasing its sports fees in three areas.
FORSYTH, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The Monroe County Recreation Department is increasing its sports fees in three areas.
County commissioners approved a $25 fee for out-of-county participants. That’s a $15 increase from the previous fee.
There will also be a late registration fee of $25.
All increases will be added to the cost of each sport.
Residents wanting to use the facility for events or group activities will now have to pay a $30 daily fee.
According to the county, there’s been an increase in interest for activities at the department.
Richard Dumas, the county’s public information officer, says the fees will help with the day-to-day cost of maintenance.
“We’re constantly expanding our program and expanding the age groups, expanding the number of teams in each age group, and that’s a great thing, so I think this is just evidence of the success that we’re having,” he said.
The fees for sports will begin during the next sports sign-up period. The facility usage fees will go into effect at the end of this month.
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| 2022-08-19T08:28:24Z
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Monroe County Sheriff’s Office investigating Snapchat threat made against school
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office says a threat on Snapchat caused law enforcement presence to be added to schools in the Monroe County School system on Thursday.
FORSYTH, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says a threat on Snapchat caused law enforcement presence to be added to schools in the Monroe County School system on Thursday.
According to MCSO, a report came in about a “nonspecific threat against a nonspecific school” on the morning of August 18 via the social media site Snapchat. The threat indicated that somebody was planning to commit a violent act at an unnamed school between 12 p.m. and 12:45 p.m. The report came in from a student who was interviewed and said they believed the threat was towards a Monroe County School. They told investigators several students from Monroe County had been reposting the threat.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office worked with School Resource Officers, Patrol Deputies, and Criminal Investigators, as well as the school staff, to help with searches including utilizing Monroe County Sheriff’s Office K-9 teams.
A criminal investigation into the incident has been opened.
The timeframe of the threat passed, and the threat was not carried out, though the MCSO is still working to find the original poster of the threat.
Anyone with information concerning this incident is urged to call the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office at (478) 994-7043 or your local law enforcement agency.
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| 2022-08-19T08:28:30Z
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One World Link expands to 35 Georgia counties
One World Link, which is powered by Americorps, is teaming up with local health organizations to expand public and rural health programs.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — One World Link, which is powered by Americorps, is teaming up with local health organizations to expand public and rural health programs.
Organizations that will get support from Americorps members are:
- The North Central Health District
- Atrium Health Navicent
- First Choice Primary Care
They’re hoping to train and develop a new generation of public health leaders. Many members will be working as community health workers to connect people with the services they need.
Nancy Cleveland, Assistant Program Director for One World Link, says they will expand from serving one county to 35.
“This program is going to help fill in the gaps,” she said. “A lot of people don’t have services or access to services because they simply don’t know or they don’t know how to navigate the system. These Americorps members in our program are going to specifically address that issue.”
Americorps members can get a living stipend up to $2,000 a month. Additionally, they can get nearly $6,500 education award upon completion of the program. You can sign up for Americorps on their website.
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| 2022-08-19T08:28:36Z
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Pace Center for Girls receives grant from United HealthCare
The Pace Center for Girls plans to provide more mental and behavioral health services to girls in Bibb and Peach Counties.
MACON, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT) — The Pace Center for Girls plans to provide more mental and behavioral health services to girls in Bibb and Peach Counties.
It’s thanks to a $160,000 grant from United HealthCare.
The Pace Center for Girls plans to hire two more therapists to add to the three it already has.
The center focuses on reaching girls ages 11-17 . This grant will also allow families to get involved with sessions.
Program manager Rebecca Richard says they meet with girls at schools, at home or at the center.
“When we meet with a girl, we’re like, ‘Hey, you have at least one hour a week to talk about, be about, learn about anything that you want to, so it really depends,'” Richard said.
According to the center, it helped a total of 64 girls last year, and with the grant funding, it hopes to double that number this year.
The center is located inside the Booker T. Washington center on Monroe Street in Macon.
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| 2022-08-19T08:28:42Z
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Rutland defeats Towers in the first game of the 2022 high school football season
Rutland scored all of its 15 points in the second quarter.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The Rutland Hurricanes defeated the Towers Titans 15-0 in the first game of the 2022 high school football season.
The Hurricanes struggled in the first quarter with a fumble on their first drive and an interception on the second drive.
However, early in the second quarter, Rutland quarterback Marquies Lattner converted an easy touchdown run after a bad snap on a punt by the Titans gave the Hurricanes great field position.
Later in the second quarter, Jarvis Washington picked off the Titans, which would lead to a reception touchdown by Keith Johnson. Rutland would attempt the point after, but a bad snap halted the extra point; however, Lattner ran it in for the two-point conversion.
Hurricanes would score all of their 15 points in the second quarter to take their first victory on the season.
Rutland is back in action next Friday on the road against Hawkinsville.
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| 2022-08-19T08:28:48Z
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Strong storms possible Friday
Showers and storms will be a bit more widespread Friday with a few potentially becoming severe. Highs stay in the low 80s.
We have been seeing some mostly dry conditions across Middle Georgia with a few storms popping up this afternoon.
Some dry air pushed in, in the mid levels, which really limited our storm activity north of Warner Robins.
We are already starting to see the stationary boundary to our south push north and that will continue overnight.
This will bring in more moisture to the area and better rain chances Friday.
Highs Friday will be mainly in the low 80s once again.
With the increased moisture we will also be seeing an increased chance for a few strong storms.
Any threats with storms on Friday will center around gusty winds and heavy rainfall.
Stay weather aware if you are going to be out and about Friday afternoon/evening.
By Saturday the entire area should be fully south of the stationary boundary, which means we will all be seeing plentiful moisture.
We will also see an increase in our high temps back to the low 90s.
Showers and storms are back for the weekend with heavy rain possible in any storms that move through.
Next week will be staying soggy with some cooler temps and highs in the 80s.
Right now, no days look to bring an significant severe threat, but that could change.
On top of all of that, the tropics are getting a bit more active with an area of storms over southeast Mexico showing potential for tropical cyclone development.
This is still expected to move inland over Mexico, so it shouldn’t have much of an impact over Georgia.
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| 2022-08-19T08:28:54Z
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The End Zone Game of the Week Preview: Baldwin vs Peach County, Pt. 3
The End Zone Game of the Week is scheduled for Friday, August 19, at 7:30 p.m. at Braves Field.
MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The first End Zone Game of the Week features the Baldwin Braves hosting the Peach County Trojans.
The Braves are coming off a 6 and 4 season, which saw them go down in the first round of the GHSA 4A state playoffs.
On the other side, the Trojans are coming off their worst regular season since 2013, finishing 8-4, with a loss in the 3A state quarterfinals.
Baldwin returns five starters on offense and six on defense, with their strength coming in the trenches.
“Look at us up front. I think we bring back the most people on the offensive and defensive lines. Got great leaders on that side–Jermon Simmons and Decori Elum, who are guiding us up front for the offensive line, and on the defensive line, we are bringing everybody back but one guy,” said Baldwin’s head coach Jesse Hicks.
As for the Trojans, Head Coach Chad Campbell still needs time to find his team’s strengths.
“Still got some question marks going into the first game. Our goal is to get better each and every week,” said Campbell.
For both head coaches, the first game of the season is about cleaning up the minor details.
“First part of the season is always little things like lining up right, understanding what we are doing, not jumping offsides, not creating penalties for yourself, and just playing great execution football,” said Hicks.
Those not in Middle Georgia don’t realize high school football’s impact on the communities.
“We do this for our community too. We don’t have pro teams in this area. Everything’s in Atlanta. Football Friday Nights in the state of Georgia and small towns is the biggest thing going,” said Hicks.
The End Zone Game of the Week is scheduled for August 19 at Braves Field in Milledgeville. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
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| 2022-08-19T08:29:00Z
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Tractor trailer driver dies in Monroe County wreck
FORSYTH, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A Cobb County driver is dead after a crash in Monroe County Friday morning.
According to a press release from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Deputies responded to a crash on GA 401 (I-75) Northbound near mile marker 191 where a tractor trailer was blocking the roadway– deputies shut down 2 lanes. While at the scene, it was reported to deputies that just south of them a second crash had happened, involving 3 tractor trailers near the Weigh station.
At this second crash, deputies saw that a tractor trailer had rear ended another tractor trailer. This crash resulted in the death of one of the drivers of the tractor trailers– Maddyel Llanes from Cobb County.
No other injuries were reported at the time of the crash, which is still under investigation.
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| 2022-08-19T16:39:52Z
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Vehicle chase in Houston County leads to arrest of armed robbery suspects
PERRY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A vehicle pursuit in Houston County led to 2 arrests Friday morning.
The Georgia State Patrol says around 7 a.m., a trooper attempted to conduct a traffic stop on an Infinity SUV for following too close and improper tag display on Interstate 75 North in Houston County. The driver didn’t yield for the trooper, and instead initiated a chase.
The chase ended when the trooper conducted a PIT maneuver in Peach County, which led to the SUV crashing the center guardrail, beginning to overturn , and resting in the median. All of the occupants were taken to Navicent in Macon for minor injuries.
The driver and a passenger in the SUV were arrested for outstanding felony warrants for automobile theft, aggravated armed robbery, and drug trafficking. The driver is also being charged with pursuit related charges.
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| 2022-08-19T16:39:58Z
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The man in charge of the House GOP's campaign strategy has been doling out advice to Republican candidates and incumbents in key battleground races as they prepare for the general election: Don't be distracted by Donald Trump on the campaign trail, and instead focus on the issues Republicans believe will be most salient to voters in the midterms.
The guidance from Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, relayed by three GOP sources familiar with the internal conversations, reflects a tacit acknowledgment among Republican leaders that the former president could knock the GOP's midterm messaging off course as they seek to recapture the House majority this fall. It also represents a shift from the strategy deployed in many Republican primaries, where embracing Trump -- or at least not alienating him and his base -- was seen as essential to survival.
The dynamic that House Republicans are now grappling with underscores the continued challenge Trump's influence over the GOP poses for the party -- a challenge that will only intensify if the former President decides once again to run for the White House in 2024.
"Tom Emmer, and I think Kevin (McCarthy) and Steve (Scalise), are all saying we should be focusing on the issues -- and they're right," said Rep. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican who represents a Biden-won district and faces a competitive re-election race this fall. "Our focus should be on 2022. If it's 2024, it hurts us. .. We need to be focused on winning this November, and I think anything that takes your eyes off that, it could cost us a couple of victories."
A spokesman for Emmer said the National Republican Congressional Committee chairman has indeed counseled candidates to focus on the issues that matter to voters, like inflation, crime and the border, but emphasized that Trump is not on the ballot this fall and therefore has not been a focus during their strategy discussions.
"Candidates know their districts best," said NRCC communications director Michael McAdams. "Public and private polls show the midterms will be a referendum on Joe Biden and Democrats' failed agenda that's left voters paying record prices, dealing with soaring violent crime and facing billions in middle-class tax hikes."
But Emmer's recommendation may be increasingly tough to follow, especially if Trump announces a presidential run before the midterms -- something Republican leaders, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, are desperate to avoid. GOP leaders want the midterms to be a referendum on President Joe Biden and the Democrats, not Trump, even though the former president relishes in being the topic of conversation.
Meanwhile, the recent FBI search on Mar-a-Lago related to the retention of classified documents has been like rocket fuel for the GOP's base, prompting a surge in fundraising and rallying Republicans to Trump's side. But it has also posed a dilemma for some GOP lawmakers, who are wrestling with how much to invoke Trump back in battleground districts now that they are looking ahead to the general election, where appealing to moderate and suburban voters is crucial.
McCarthy -- who has been barnstorming the country this month in his quest to raise cash and win back the majority -- told CNN before the recess break that he sees Trump as integral to their efforts to recapture the House, and has tightly hugged the ex-president in the aftermath of the January 6, 2021, insurrection. But he still believes Trump should wait until after the midterms to launch any presidential bid, wanting to keep a laser-focus on 2022. However, McCarthy dismissed the idea the upcoming election will be anything but an indictment on the party in power.
"The No. 1 thing that (Trump) wants, and America wants, is to put this economy back on track," McCarthy said. "The real question is, are you better off than you were two years ago? Does a car cost more? Does your gas cost more? Does your food cost more?"
Swing district Republicans attempt to avoid talking about Trump
While embracing Trump proved to be a beneficial strategy in Republican primaries, multiple Republicans in battleground districts told CNN they try to avoid talking about Trump on the campaign trail as they seek to appeal to moderate and suburban swing voters this fall, some of whom were turned off by Trump but are unhappy with Biden's handling of the economy.
One lawmaker said they only mention the former president when directly asked about him, another member said they try to focus on highlighting Trump's policies and legislative achievements, and a third said they try not to get dragged into the daily Trump maelstrom.
"I don't say his name, ever. I just avoid saying his name generally," said one of the GOP lawmakers in a competitive race. "I talk about the policies of his that I like."
Republicans are banking on Biden's low approval ratings, historical trends, and the still high -- though decreasing -- cost of goods and gas prices to deliver them the majority. In the House, Republicans only need to net five seats to seize the lower chamber.
In the coming weeks, McCarthy is planning to roll out a formal policy agenda for his conference. Last year, he tapped seven task forces to start sketching out a legislative agenda for if Republicans recapture the majority, with the goal of releasing a document before the end of this summer that members can run on in the fall.
But Trump -- who has criminal, civil and congressional investigations swirling around him -- remains a looming presence in the party who is threatening to overshadow the GOP's preferred talking points and policy goals. And after the FBI search, even some of Trump's Republican doubters have felt compelled to publicly defend him, cognizant of how the episode has fired up the base.
Across the Capitol, there's also been some apprehension about hinging campaigns too tightly on Trump. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell -- who cut ties with Trump after January 6 -- expressed frustration this week over some of the Trump-backed nominees who have struggled in their general election campaigns, and warned that the battle for control of the Senate is going to be "extremely close."
"I think there's probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate," McConnell said this week at an event in Kentucky. "Senate races are just different. They're statewide," he added. "Candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome."
Democrats, meanwhile, are practically salivating at the prospect of Trump declaring an early bid for president. They have coalesced around a midterm message that attempts to paint all Republicans as "ultra MAGA" extremists who are blindly loyal to Trump.
"We will remind voters that while we fight to lower costs and build an economy that works for everyone, MAGA Republicans are hellbent on attacking women's freedom," the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said in a recent memo. "The data and voters of every background are overwhelmingly clear that Democrats are with the American people on this issue. Our position puts us closer to holding the House majority in November."
But there are plenty of Republicans in conservative districts who have happily centered their campaigns around Trump and embraced the role of Trump acolyte, including House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, who said she was "proud" to be considered an ultra MAGA Republican.
And while Emmer has privately implored certain candidates to avoid Trump talk on the campaign trail, the NRCC has invoked his name to fundraise and invited Trump to be the keynote speaker at fundraising events -- a sign that he is still a powerful and energizing force in certain corners of the party. But that's why lawmakers say Emmer has not taken a "one-size fits all" approach to their midterm campaign strategy.
"He has shown a balanced approach with people. He's not a one-size-fits-all guy. That's what I appreciate," Bacon said. "He measures each district and takes it from there."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-08-19T17:07:50Z
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GENEVA (AP) — Europe’s embrace of millions of Ukrainians who fled Russia’s invasion showed that it’s possible to welcome large numbers of asylum-seekers, and the approach should be replicated to receive those fleeing other nations, the head of the U.N. refugee agency said.
In an interview with The Associated Press, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi described the European Union’s response as “exemplary,” noting that nearly 4 million Ukrainians, mainly women and children, have registered with the bloc’s temporary protection system since the start of the war nearly six months ago.
That stands in stark contrast to EU efforts in recent years to keep migrants from Africa and the Middle East from reaching Europe’s shores. Some European leaders have sought to differentiate between the plight of Ukrainians and that of other refugees — a distinction that Grandi condemned as “racist.”
“If that’s possible for such a large number of people, and since that has proven so effective, why not use some of these approaches also for other people that are coming to knock at Europe’s doors?” Grandi asked.
Though it was created decades ago, the EU’s emergency protection system was activated for the first time this year in response to the flight of more than 6 million Ukrainians over the course of just a few months — the largest exodus of refugees the continent has seen since World War II. It allows Ukrainians to move around the bloc, gives them the right to work, and helps them to access housing, education and health care.
It has been credited with helping Europe avoid setting up refugee camps to house Ukrainians — like the ones that have existed in Greece for years and where thousands of asylum-seekers arriving by boat have often languished.
In the wake of the 2015-2016 refugee crisis, when more than 1 million people, mainly from Syria, arrived in Europe by land or sea, leaders erected fences within the EU to keep many from moving deeper into the continent. The bloc has also spent billions to keep people, including those fleeing persecution and conflict but also poverty, from reaching its shores, giving money to countries like Turkey, Libya and Morocco to stop migrants before they set out.
The number of irregular crossings into Europe fell from its peak in 2015 to under 200,000 in 2021, according to Europe’s border and coast guard agency, although they are on the rise again this year. While such crossings often attract significant attention, more than 80% of the world’s refugees are hosted by developing countries, according to UNHCR.
“Heads of government in Europe spent hours, days negotiating where, who should take a hundred people floating on a boat in the Mediterranean,” Grandi said, referring to European leaders’ inability to agree on how to resettle those who have arrived in recent years in Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain. “And then contrary to that, millions (of Ukrainians were) embraced, accepted, allowed to have access to services in a very effective manner.”
Asked about the different responses, Grandi said he didn’t think the European governments’ policies themselves were racist.
But he added: “Declarations that I have heard from some politicians saying the Ukrainians are real refugees … and the others are not real refugees. That’s racist. Full stop.”
Grandi didn’t specify what statements he was referring to, but Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi was criticized by human rights organizations and opposition lawmakers when he used that phrase to refer to Ukrainians fleeing the war earlier this year.
Other European politicians have made similar statements — with some arguing that many people seeking asylum are looking for a better life, rather than fleeing wars, and thus may not qualify for that protection under international law. Some have also defended the differing treatment by saying they have a duty to help fellow Europeans, but shouldn’t be responsible for taking in refugees from other continents.
Grandi acknowledged that the issue is complex and some of those heading to Europe are economic migrants. But he stressed that effective systems exist to evaluate asylum claims.
Roughly half of the Ukrainians who have left the country so far have returned — and many more may eventually do so, although Grandi said some have ended up fleeing a second time.
Still, with no end to the war in sight, the U.N. refugee agency has said the total number of Ukrainians who have left their homeland at some point could reach more than 8 million by December. There are also currently 6.6 million Ukrainians displaced within the country, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Around 2 million Ukrainians have ended up in Russia, whether they chose to or not. An AP investigation earlier this year revealed that many were forced to head there and subjected to human rights abuses along the way. Grandi acknowledged that his agency’s access in Russia was limited. Of the 1,500 accommodation sites for Ukrainians in the country, UNHCR teams had only been able to visit nine so far, he said.
While the war in Ukraine has attracted global attention and support for those displaced by it, Grandi pleaded with world leaders to remember the other 12 humanitarian crises for which his agency is struggling to raise funds. He especially noted the Horn of Africa, where a prolonged drought and protracted conflicts have not only forced millions from their homes, but have also pushed countries ever closer to famine.
“The big problem that we have at the moment is that it tends to marginalize all other crises in which people suffer,” Grandi said.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration and Russia’s war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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| 2022-08-19T17:50:11Z
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ST. MARTINVILLE, La.— According to officials of South Louisiana Community College a new Home Health Training Lab at the college’s Evangeline Campus in St. Martinville will be unveiled on Monday, August 22,2022.
The lab is the result of a partnership with LHC Group and Myers Family Foundation called “A Legacy of Caring in the Home and Community” that began in 2020.
The state-of-the-art, immersive environment replicates a patient’s bedroom or living room and allows SLCC healthcare students to practice the knowledge, skills, and abilities of home care in a realistic environment. The lab is complete with an advanced computerized simulation mannequin that replicates a variety of clinical situations and responds to care given by its users.
“We are thrilled to officially open this laboratory at our St. Martinville campus and expose our nursing students to a growing and critical component of healthcare,” said Dr. Vincent June, SLCC chancellor. “Simulations have been incredibly important to training students in healthcare. It allows for a realistic, hands-on experience, so students can practice and enhance their skills before ever touching a human patient.”
The creation of Home Health Labs across SLCC’s rural campuses anchors the “Legacy” project. Similar labs have been opened in Lafayette, Abbeville, Ville Platte and Morgan City. Two additional labs will be completed at SLCC’s Crowley and Opelousas campuses in the near future. The systems of labs will help to create a new workforce for a growing subset of the healthcare industry.
“The launch of this lab offers an enhanced level of opportunity for members of this community who wish to pursue a career in healthcare,” said Dr. Benjamin Doga, LHC Group’s chief medical officer. “In-home care has increased in both importance and demand across the healthcare industry, particularly over the last two years. Now, we can offer students a chance to learn and train in an environment that will hone the skills they need to help our community, our state, and our nation meet this growing demand.”
Over the course of the five-year project, SLCC will create a large-scale scholarship program for healthcare students, drive the implementation of a home health credential, bring health training opportunities to SLCC’s healthcare faculty, offer continuing education in home health, and establish endowed professorships to support the recruitment and retention of exemplary nursing faculty. Lastly, the project will create the state’s first community college endowed chair, which will focus its activities on nursing and home health.
The $2.5 million funding behind the project is historic and represents the largest private investment in a community college in Louisiana.
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| 2022-08-19T20:53:16Z
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Two Port Barre people have been booked on exploitation charges, accused of spending money that belongs to a man one of them was a caretaker for.
Bryan Charles Vidrine, 46, and Amanda Renee Briscoe, 40, both of Port Barre, were booked with exploitation of the infirm following an investigation that began in April.
The sheriff's office was called by a person who said they had the power of attorney for a disabled family member and noticed some $30,000 in transactions on the family member's credit card that shouldn't have been there.
The complainant identified Briscoe as the family member's caretaker for the past five years.
Deputies found out that several online transactions between July 2020 and February 2022 had been made using the disabled man's credit card, including a state hunting license application that was purchased by Vidrine in November 2021.
Detectives checked with the bank, and found that $18,000 of the funds had been credited back to the man's account, leaving $12,000 lost.
Upon questioning by detectives, Vidrine allegedly said he used Briscoe's phone to get his hunting license, and found the credit card stored on the phone. Briscoe allegedly said she had the credit card in her phone because she purchased things for him. She also said other household members had used her phone for purchases.
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| 2022-08-19T22:41:23Z
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Biden bill to help millions escape higher health care costs
WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of people in the United States will be spared from big increases in health care costs next year after President Joe Biden signed legislation extending generous subsidies for those who buy plans through federal and state marketplaces.
The sweeping climate, tax and health care bill sets aside $70 billion over the next three years to keep out-of-pocket premium costs low for roughly 13 million people, just before the reduced prices were set to expire in a year beset by record-high inflation.
As the calendar pushed closer to the Nov. 1 open enrollment date, Sara Cariano was growing nervous about her work helping people across Virginia sign up for subsidized, private health insurance on the HealthCare.gov website.
“I expected very difficult conversation with folks to explain why their premiums were spiking,” said Cariano, a policy specialist at the Virginia Poverty Law Center.
But the passage of the “Inflation Reduction Act” erased those worries.
“Things aren’t going to change for the worst for individuals who are purchasing coverage through the market,” she said.
The bill will extend subsidies temporarily offered last year when Congress and Biden signed off on a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill that significantly lowered premiums and out-of-pocket costs for customers purchasing plans through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace. It also continues reduced costs for more individuals and families who live well above the poverty line.
Only Democrats supported the extended health care subsidies and the other proposals in the bill that Biden signed on Tuesday. Republicans criticized the measure as big government overreach that will only worsen inflation. In reality, economists say, the bill will do little to either fan or extinguish the flames of exorbitant prices.
Health insurance premiums in the marketplace are expected to rise significantly next year — roughly 10 percent — according to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The extended subsidies, which determine premium payments based on income, will guard most people from those price increases, said Cynthia Cox, a vice president at the foundation.
“Generally speaking, people should not see increases in their premiums,” Cox said.
Those who bought plans on the government marketplace saved on average about $700 in premium payments from the subsidies this year, according to estimates by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
As costs dropped, more people signed up for the coverage over the last year and the number of those without health insurance dropped to an all-time low of 8% in August, the Department of Health and Human Services announced. Roughly 26 million people, 2 percent of them children, remain uninsured in the U.S.
In California, many of the 1.7 million people who purchase health insurance through Covered California, the state-operated insurance marketplace will continue to see savings ranging from $29 and $324 per month, depending on their income level.
State officials predict about 220,000 people will be saved from being priced out of coverage. Between 2 million and 3 million people in California might also turn to the state marketplace if they lose coverage through Medicaid when the federal government’s COVID-19 public health emergency expires. About 15 million people in the U.S. have been extended Medicaid coverage during the pandemic.
Cost is the biggest factor driving whether a person signs up for coverage or not, said Joseph Poindexter, the senior director of health insurance programs at HealthCare Access Maryland.
Some parents, for example, sign their children up for Medicaid but skip buying coverage for themselves, he said.
“It’s really sad to see folks who will say, I’ll forgo treatment, or won’t go visit the doctor,” Poindexter said.
Fewer people have had to make that calculation with the subsidies, Poindexter said, attributing the lowered prices to a 9% increase in new enrollees in the state last year.
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Associated Press writer Adam Beam in Sacramento, Calif., contributed to this report.
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Follow AP’s coverage of health care costs at https://apnews.com/hub/health-care-costs.
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| 2022-08-19T23:33:25Z
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Buttigieg warns airlines to help travelers or face new rules
WASHINGTON (AP) — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has warned airlines that his department could draft new rules around passenger rights if the carriers don’t give more help to travelers trapped by flight cancellations and delays.
Buttigieg is asking airline CEOs to, at a minimum, provide lodging for passengers stranded overnight at an airport and give out meal vouchers for delays of three hours or longer when the disruption is caused by something in the airline’s control.
The Transportation Department on Friday released a copy of the letters, which it said were sent to CEOs of the major U.S. airlines, their regional affiliates, and budget carriers.
A spokeswoman for Airlines for America, a trade group whose members include American, United, Delta and Southwest, said airlines “strive to provide the highest level of customer service.” She said the airlines are committed to overcoming challenges including a tight labor market.
Buttigieg’s agency recently proposed rules around refunds for passengers whose flights are canceled or rescheduled. He told the CEOs the department is considering additional rules “that would further expand the rights of airline passengers who experience disruptions.”
Buttigieg has been sparring with the airlines since late spring over high numbers of canceled and delayed flights. In his latest salvo, he told airline CEOs he appreciates that airlines have stepped up hiring and trimmed schedules to better match the number of flights they can handle.
“Still, the level of disruption Americans have experienced this summer is unacceptable,” he wrote.
So far this year, airlines have canceled about 146,000 flights, or 2.6%, and nearly 1.3 million flights have been delayed, according to tracking service FlightAware. The rate of cancellations is up about one-third from the same period in 2019, before the pandemic, and the rate of delays is up nearly one-fourth.
Federal officials have blamed many of the disruptions on understaffing at airlines, which encouraged employees to quit after the pandemic started. The airlines have countered by blaming staffing problems at the Federal Aviation Administration, which hires air traffic controllers.
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| 2022-08-19T23:33:31Z
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CDC confirms Nebraska child died of brain-eating amoeba
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal health officials confirmed Friday that a Nebraska child died from a rare infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba after swimming in a river near Omaha.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the presence of the naegleria fowleri amoeba in the child, according to the Douglas County Department of Health in Omaha.
Health officials believe the child became infected while swimming Sunday in the Elkhorn River, a few miles west of Omaha. Authorities have not released the child’s name.
People are usually infected when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose while swimming in or diving into lakes and rivers. Other sources have been documented, including tainted tap water in a Houston-area city in 2020.
It is the second death in the Midwest this summer from primary amebic meningoencephalitis, an infection caused by the amoeba that has proved fatal in 97% of reported cases. A Missouri resident died of the infection in July after swimming at Lake of Three Fires in southwestern Iowa, health officials have said.
Symptoms of the infection include fever, headache, nausea or vomiting, progressing to a stiff neck, loss of balance, hallucinations and seizures.
The CDC says naegleria fowleri infections are rare, with about three cases in the United States every year. There were 154 cases reported between 1962 and 2021 in the U.S., with only four survivors. Only about 430 cases have ever been documented globally.
In the U.S., infections from the amoeba typically occur in southern states because the amoeba thrives in waters that are warmer than 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius). But infections have migrated north in recent years, including two cases in Minnesota since 2010.
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| 2022-08-19T23:33:37Z
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China’s response to Pelosi visit a sign of future intentions
BANGKOK (AP) — China’s response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan was anything but subtle — dispatching warships and military aircraft to all sides of the self-governing island democracy, and firing ballistic missiles into the waters nearby.
The dust has still not settled, with Taiwan this week conducting drills of its own and Beijing announcing it has more maneuvers planned, but experts say a lot can already be gleaned from what China has done, and has not done, so far. China will also be drawing lessons on its own military capabilities from the exercises, which more closely resembled what an actual strike on the island claimed by Beijing as its own territory would look like, and from the American and Taiwanese response.
During the nearly weeklong maneuvers that followed Pelosi’s early August visit, China sailed ships and flew aircraft regularly across the median line in the Taiwan Strait, claiming the de facto boundary did not exist, fired missiles over Taiwan itself, and challenged established norms by firing missiles into Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
“I think we are in for a risky period of testing boundaries and finding out who can achieve escalatory dominance across the diplomatic, military and economic domains,” said David Chen, an analyst with CENTRA Technology, a U.S.-based consulting firm.
Pelosi was the highest-level member of the U.S. government to visit Taiwan in 25 years, and her visit came at a particularly sensitive time, as Chinese President Xi Jinping prepares to seek a third five-year term as leader of the ruling Communist Party later this year.
Under Xi, China has been increasingly forceful in declaring that Taiwan must be brought under its control — by force if necessary — and U.S. military officials have said that Beijing may seek a military solution within the next few years.
Tensions were already high, with China conducting regular military flights near Taiwan and the U.S. routinely sailing warships through the Taiwan Strait to emphasize they are international waters.
China accuses the U.S. of encouraging the island’s independence through the sale of weapons and engagement between U.S. politicians and the island’s government.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying called Pelosi’s visit a “serious provocation” and accused Washington of breaking the status quo and “interfering in China’s internal affairs.”
“China is not the old China of 120 years ago, and we are not Iraq, Syria or Afghanistan — we will not allow any foreign force to bully, suppress or enslave us,” she told reporters in Beijing. “Whoever wants to do so will be on a collision course with the Great Wall of steel forged by the 1.4 billion Chinese people.”
The U.S. continues to insist it has not deviated from its “one-China” policy, recognizing the government in Beijing while allowing for informal relations and defense ties with Taipei.
China held off on its maneuvers until Pelosi had left Taiwan, and turned back its forces before they approached Taiwan’s coast or territorial airspace, which showed a “modicum of restraint,” Chen said. But, he noted, another congressional visit following Pelosi’s triggered the announcement of more exercises.
“We are likely entering a period of regular military demonstrations in and around China’s maritime domain,” he said.
“The Chinese Communist Party is also quite capable in creating cross-domain responses, as has been seen in the cyber realm. Beyond that, we could see escalatory moves in space, in the South China Sea, Africa, the Indian Ocean, or the South Pacific.”
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said the scale and coordination of the exercises suggested China was looking past Taiwan toward establishing dominance in the western Pacific. That would include controlling the East and South China Seas via the Taiwan Strait, and having the capability to impose a blockade to prevent the U.S. and its allies from coming to the aid of Taiwan in the event of an attack.
Short of an armed conflict, a blockade of the Taiwan Strait — a significant thoroughfare for global trade — could have major implications for international supply chains at a time when the world is already facing disruptions.
In particular, Taiwan is a crucial provider of computer chips for the global economy.
Though ostensibly a reaction to Pelosi’s visit, it is clear China’s exercises had been long planned, said Mareike Ohlberg, a senior fellow in the Asia Program of the German Marshall Fund think tank.
“I do think they were looking for an opportunity to escalate,” she said. “This is not something you prep after the announcement (of the visit) and then pull off that quickly and that easily.”
The U.S. held back throughout the maneuvers, keeping an aircraft carrier group and two amphibious assault ships at sail in the region, but not close to the island. Taiwan avoided any active countermeasures.
Kurt Campbell, the Biden administration’s coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, said this week that the U.S. was taking a “calm and resolute” long-view approach that would include continued transits of the Taiwan Strait, supporting Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities, and otherwise deepening ties with the island.
To that end, the U.S. announced Thursday that it was opening talks with Taiwan on a wide-ranging trade agreement.
Campbell said Washington sees China’s actions as “part of an intensified pressure campaign against Taiwan, which has not ended.”
“We expect it to continue to unfold in the coming weeks and months,” he said.
The U.S. Department of Defense has acknowledged China’s increasingly capable military, saying it has become a true rival and has already surpassed the American military in some areas, including shipbuilding, and now has the world’s largest navy.
The reserved American response to the recent exercises seemed calculated to avoid any accidental confrontation that could have escalated the situation, but could also feed China’s confidence, Ohlberg said.
“The base of China’s thinking is that the U.S. is in decline and that China is on the rise, and I guess the response would have been seen in Beijing as confirming that thinking,” she said.
The U.S. and China came perhaps the closest to blows in 1996, when China, irked by what it saw as increasing American support for Taiwan, fired missiles into the waters some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from Taiwan’s coast ahead of Taiwan’s first popular presidential election.
The U.S. responded with its own show of force, sending two aircraft carrier groups to the region. At the time, China had no aircraft carriers and little means to threaten the American ships, and it backed down.
China subsequently embarked on a massive modernization of its military and the recent exercises demonstrate a “quantum leap” of improvement from 1996, showing a joint command and control coordination not seen before, Chen said.
Before being confident enough to launch an actual invasion of Taiwan, however, the Chinese military still needs to do more to assure the country’s political leadership it would be successful, he said.
“These latest exercises are probably part of proving that capability, but more needs to be hammered out before they could be confident in conducting a full-scale Taiwan amphibious invasion,” he said. “They’ve only demonstrated the maritime blockade and air control parts of that campaign, without opposition.”
Following the visit, China released an updated “white paper” on Taiwan outlining how it envisioned an eventual annexation of the island would look.
It said it would follow the “one country, two systems” format applied in Hong Kong, which critics say has been undermined by a sweeping national security law that asserts Beijing’s control over speech and political participation. The concept has been thoroughly rejected in Taiwanese public opinion polls in which respondents have overwhelmingly favored their current de facto independence.
Tellingly, the new white paper discarded a pledge in its previous iteration not to send troops or government officials to an annexed Taiwan.
China has refused all contact with Taiwan’s government since shortly after the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party. Tsai was overwhelmingly reelected in 2020.
China’s bellicose response to Pelosi’s visit may have the unintended effect of strengthening the DPP in midterm elections later this year, said Huang Kwei-bo, vice dean of the College of International Affairs at Taiwan’s National Chengchi University.
Ideally, it would be in Taiwan’s best interest if both sides backed off and found “reasoned ways” to settle differences, he said.
“There’s an old saying that when two big elephants fight, the ant and the grass suffer,” he said.
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AP journalist Johnson Lai in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this story.
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| 2022-08-19T23:33:43Z
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City of Perry designated ‘Broadband Ready Community’
Perry joins more than 50 communities across Georgia.
PERRY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The City of Perry is now considered a “Broadband Ready Community.” The Georgia Department of Community Affairs announced the designation earlier this week.
“The City of Perry’s Broadband Ready designation demonstrates we are embracing technology and recognize this infrastructure is important to continue attracting businesses and remote workers to Perry,” said Ashley Hardin, City of Perry Economic Development Administrator.
A “Broadband Ready Community” exhibits collaboration and innovation by identifying broadband as essential infrastructure in furthering the community.
Perry joins more than 50 communities across Georgia when it comes to expanding broadband services.
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| 2022-08-19T23:33:50Z
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Doctors stay in Ukraine’s war-hit towns: ‘People need us’
ZOLOCHIV, Ukraine (AP) — Dr. Ilona Butova almost looks out of place in her neatly pressed lavender scrubs as she walks through a door frame that hangs from a crumbled wall into what used to be an administrative office of her hospital in Zolochiv.
Not one building in the facility in the northeastern Ukrainian town near the Russian border has escaped getting hit by artillery shells.
Since Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, space to treat patients at the hospital has shrunk constantly because of damage. Her staff has dwindled to 47 from 120. And the number of people seeking treatment in the small town 18 kilometers (11 miles) from the border is often higher now than before the fighting began.
Ukraine’s health care system struggled for years because of corruption, mismanagement and the COVID-19 pandemic. But the war has only made things worse, with facilities damaged or destroyed, medical staff relocating to safer places and many drugs unavailable or in short supply. Care is being provided in the hardest-hit areas by doctors who have refused to evacuate or have rushed in as volunteers, putting themselves at great risk.
“It’s very hard, but people need us. We have to stay and help,” said Butova, a neurologist who also is the administrator of the hospital in the town near Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. She added that she has had to do more with fewer resources.
The World Health Organization declared its highest level of emergency in Ukraine the day after the invasion, coordinating a major relief effort there and in neighboring countries whose medical systems also are under strain.
About 6.4 million people have fled to other European countries, and a slightly higher number are internally displaced, according to U.N. estimates. That presents a major challenge to a health care system built on family doctor referrals and regionally separate administrations.
Across Ukraine, 900 hospitals have been damaged and another 123 have been destroyed, said Health Minister Viktor Liashko, noting: “Those 123 are gone, and we’re having to find new sites to build replacements.”
In addition, scores of pharmacies and ambulances have been destroyed or are seriously damaged, and at least 18 civilian medical staff have been killed and 59 others seriously wounded, he said.
“In occupied areas, the referral system has totally broken down,” Liashko told The Associated Press. “People’s health and their lives are in danger.”
Kyiv’s economy was drained by the conflict with Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine that began in 2014. When he came to power five years later, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy inherited a health care system that was undermined by reforms launched under his predecessor that had slashed government subsidies and closed many small-town hospitals. During the pandemic, people in those communities had to seek care in large cities — sometimes waiting as long as eight hours for an ambulance in severe cases of COVID-19.
As Russia has expanded the territory it controls in eastern and southern Ukraine, the supply of drugs in those areas has dwindled, along with medical staff to administer them. In the southern front-line town of Mykolaiv, “things have been very difficult,” volunteer Andrii Skorokhod said.
“Pharmacies have not been working, and shortages have become increasingly acute: Hospital staff were among those evacuated, including specialists. We just need more staff,” said Skorokhod, who heads a Red Cross initiative to provide residents with free medications.
Volunteers like Skorokhod saved the life of 79-year-old Vanda Banderovska, whose home near Mykolaiv was destroyed by Russian artillery. Her 53-year-old son, Roman, was killed, and she was brought to the hospital badly bruised and barely conscious.
“My son went out to the car to get his mobile phone when the Russians started shelling. He was hit in the head,” she said at a recovery ward, her voice trembling with emotion. “They’ve destroyed everything and I have nothing left.”
Banderovska said she was deeply grateful to the people who saved her life but also overcome by grief and anger.
“The pain I feel is so great. When doctors took me to the hospital I was bruised black and blue but I slowly recovered,” she said.
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Derek Gatopoulos reported from Kyiv. Vasilisa Stepanenko and Hanna Arhirova contributed to this report from Kyiv.
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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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| 2022-08-19T23:33:56Z
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Dublin High School celebrating 1,000th game, start of 100th season
"It makes us more ready for the game, and our intensity and everything is more up, all time high."
DUBLIN, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT)— Dublin High School is cheering on its football team as they kick off their 100th season of football, and play in its 1,000th game. The school celebrated with a parade on Friday.
Head Football Coach Roger Holmes says he’s excited for the season.
“It’s wonderful feeling going around and with this historic event the involvement in the community has been tremendous.”
He’s already looking towards the future of his team.
“Our goal every year is the same here in Dublin Georgia, we want to be a good enough football team to get into the playoffs, and when the first round of the playoffs come around we’re playing our best football of the year,” said Holmes.
Coach Holmes is asking the community to bring the energy each game this year.
Quarterback Jaquairius Evans says he’s excited to get the season started.
“It makes us more ready for the game, and our intensity and everything is more up, all time high,” he said.
Of course, when going to a game you have to tailgate. Ronald Pierce is in charge of the tailgating festivities, and is known as the “Tailgating King”. His children were also part of the football team.
“We’re having fun and we just love doing what we do to support the community and support our kids, we’re Dublin Irish all the way,” said Pierce.
The team says their goal is to win, but to also have fun.
The team is facing Wilkinson County High School Friday night. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
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| 2022-08-19T23:34:02Z
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Jordan River, Jesus’ baptism site, is today barely a trickle
ALONG THE JORDAN RIVER (AP) — Kristen Burckhartt felt overwhelmed. She needed time to reflect, to let it sink in that she had just dipped her feet in the water where Jesus is said to have been baptized, in the Jordan River.
“It’s very profound,” said the 53-year-old visitor from Indiana. “I have not ever walked where Jesus walked for one thing.”
Here, tourists and pilgrims, many driven by faith, come to follow in Christ’s footsteps, to touch the river’s water, to connect to biblical events.
Symbolically and spiritually, the river is of mighty significance to many. Physically, the Lower Jordan River of today is a lot more meager than mighty.
By the time it reaches the baptismal site, its dwindling water looks sluggish, a dull brownish green shade.
Its decline is intertwined with the decades-old Arab-Israeli conflict and rivalry over precious water in a valley where so much is contested.
A stretch of the river, for instance, was a hostile frontier between once-warring Israel and Jordan. The waterway also separates Jordan to the east from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, seized by Israel in a 1967 war and sought by the Palestinians for a state.
“It’s a victim of the conflict, definitely. It’s a victim of people, because it’s what we did as people to the river, basically, and now adding to all this it’s a victim of climate change,” said Yana Abu Taleb, the Jordanian director of EcoPeace Middle East, which brings together Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli environmentalists and lobbies for regional collaboration on saving the river. “So it’s a victim in every way.”
EcoPeace has said for years that the Lower Jordan, which runs south from the Sea of Galilee, is threatened by decades of water diversions and by pollution. Only a tiny fraction of its historical water flow now reaches its terminus in the Dead Sea.
Standing at the Jordanian baptismal site Bethany Beyond the Jordan, Burckhartt grappled with many emotions — among them, sadness for the river’s dwindling.
“I am sure God above is also sad.”
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The river’s opposing banks are home to rival baptismal sites where rituals of faith unfold, a reflection of the river’s enduring allure.
The river holds further significance as the scene of miracles in the Old Testament.
At the Jordanian baptismal site on a recent day, a woman dipped her feet in the waters and then cupped some with her hands, rubbing it on her face and head. Others crossed themselves or bent to fill bottles.
Rustom Mkhjian, director general of the Baptism Site Commission in Jordan, spoke passionately about the Jordanian site’s claim to authenticity — UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Site “of immense religious significance to the majority of denominations of Christian faith, who have accepted this site as the location where Jesus” was baptized.
“Every year we celebrate interfaith harmony, and among my happiest days in my life is days when I see Jews, Christians and Muslims visit the site and the three of them cry,” Mkhjian said.
The Jordanian and West Bank sites give visitors access to a narrow stretch of the river, where they face people on the other side. An Israeli flag at the West Bank’s Qasr al-Yahud serves as a reminder that the river is a frontier separating the two worlds.
That site is also billed as the place where Jesus was baptized. Jordan and Israel, which signed a peace treaty in 1994, compete for these people’s tourism dollars.
Several people in flowing white robes waded in from the West Bank. Visitors in another group there stood on the bank or in the water as two men in black poured river water over their heads.
“Oh, Brothers, let’s go down. … Down in the river to pray,” some sang.
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Such serene moments contrast with the hostilities that have played out on the river’s banks.
“Any fresh water left in the river would have in the past been seen as empowering the enemy,” said Gidon Bromberg, EcoPeace Middle East’s group’s Israeli director. “You take everything that you can.”
“Israel, from a historical perspective, has taken about half the water, and Syria and Jordan have taken the other half,” Bromberg said.
Palestinians can no longer access or use water from the Jordan, a 2013 U.N.-German report noted. Syria doesn’t have access either but has built dams in the Yarmouk River sub-basin, which is part of the Jordan River basin, it added.
“The Jordan River in the past, for Palestinians, meant livelihoods and economic stability and growth,” said Nada Majdalani, EcoPeace’s Palestinian director. Now, she added, it has been reduced to an “ambition of statehood and sovereignty over water resources.”
The river’s decline, she said, is especially disappointing to elderly Palestinians who remember “how they used to go fishing, how they used to have a dip in the river.”
Bromberg said that “from a Jewish tradition, you know, the river and its banks are a place of miracles … (but) it doesn’t reflect a place of miracles in its current depleted state.”
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In July, Israel approved plans to rehabilitate a stretch of the Lower Jordan, a decision Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg called “historic.”
“For decades it was neglected and most of its waters were taken, and it effectively turned into a sewage canal,” Zandberg said in a statement. “In an era of climate crisis and a serious ecological crisis, there is double significance to rehabilitating the River Jordan.”
Speaking by phone, Zandberg said the plan focuses on a stretch that runs in Israeli territory and reflects Israel’s improved water situation given its desalination program, which has left it much less reliant on water it has been using from the Sea of Galilee.
“It can provide a success story on that segment, and then it will enable more successful partnerships in the future” in the region.
That’s something that hasn’t always come easily
A regional rehabilitation and development master plan announced in 2015 by EcoPeace and others was adopted by Jordan but not by the Israelis or Palestinians due to outstanding “final-status” peace process issues, according to the group.
Political tensions have stalled other efforts.
And not everyone welcomes, or trusts, EcoPeace’s work.
“We’re always accused of being ‘normalizers,’” or having normal relations with Israel, said Abu Taleb, the group’s Jordanian director. That is a contentious topic, unpopular among many Arabs, due to factors such as Israeli occupations and a lack of a resolution to the Palestinian issue.
Bromberg said he, too, has encountered criticism from a vocal minority in Israel “inappropriately” branding the group’s advocacy as benefiting Jordanians and Palestinians at the expense of Israeli interests.
Water woes also complicate revival efforts.
Jordan is one of the world’s most water-scarce nations, its challenges compounded by a growing population swelled by waves of refugees. Climate change threatens to exacerbate such problems.
“We are under stress, so we don’t have a surplus to add to the Jordan River and to revive it,” said Khalil Al-Absi, a Jordanian official with the Jordan Valley Authority. He added: “We have many beautiful ideas for the Jordan River, but there are limitations.”
For all the challenges facing the river, Al-Absi said he remains optimistic. The alternative could be grim.
“Water is life,” Al-Absi said. “Without water, there is no life.”
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Fam reported from Bethany Beyond the Jordan and Amman in Jordan. Associated Press writer Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
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| 2022-08-19T23:34:08Z
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Morning Business Report: Americans still awaiting tax refunds could accrue interest on return
Millions of Americans are still awaiting their tax refunds from the IRS. The money coming in may be accruing interest. The IRS generally pays interest on refunds that are delayed by more than 45 days after the filing deadline.
Proctor & Gamble is developing a bamboo-based toilet paper as part of its efforts to reduce its reliance on wood pulp.
Layoffs are in the works at half of companies. A PricewaterhouseCoopers survey says half of executives said they’re reducing headcount or plan to.
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| 2022-08-19T23:34:14Z
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Prince William charity invests with bank tied to dirty fuels
LONDON (AP) — The conservation charity founded by Prince William, second in line to the British throne and who launched the Earthshot Prize, keeps its investments in a bank that is one of the world’s biggest backers of fossil fuels, The Associated Press has learned.
The Royal Foundation also places more than half of its investments in a fund advertised as green that owns shares in large food companies that buy palm oil from companies linked to deforestation.
“The earth is at a tipping point and we face a stark choice,” the prince, a well-known environmentalist, is quoted saying on the websites of the Earthshot Prize and Royal Foundation.
Yet in 2021, the charity kept more than 1.1 million pounds ($1.3 million) with JPMorgan Chase, according to the most recent filings, and still invests with the corporation today. The foundation also held 1.7 million pounds ($2 million) in a fund run by British firm Cazenove Capital Management, according to the 2021 filing. As with JPMorgan, it still keeps funds with Cazenove, which in May had securities linked to deforestation through their use of palm oil. The foundation invested similar amounts in both funds in 2020, its older filings show. As of December 2021, the charity also held more than 10 million pounds ($12.1 million) in cash.
The investments, which the Royal Foundation didn’t dispute when contacted by the AP, come as top scientists repeatedly warn that the world must shift away from fossil fuels to sharply reduce emissions and avoid more and increasingly intense extreme weather events.
Financial experts say investments like those of the foundation can be blind spots for charities and philanthropies. As climate change is an increasing area of attention for foundations and others, organizations have sometimes struggled to recognize where their own investments lie and align them with more environmentally friendly choices, despite growing numbers of ways to steer clear of funds linked to fossil fuels.
Like the Royal Foundation, in recent years other foundations, including high profile British charities like the National Trust and Wellcome Trust, also have faced criticism for investments with strong connections to fossil fuels or environmentally harmful practices. Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates announced that he divested his foundation’s direct oil and gas holdings in 2019.
Charities that are talking the talk “also need to walk the walk,” said Andreas Hoepner, professor of Operational Risk, Banking and Finance at University College Dublin, who helped design several European Union climate benchmarks and has sat on its sustainable finance group.
“There are funds that are more sustainably oriented,” Hoepner added, pointing to a dozen alternatives to the JPMorgan product that are marketed as sustainable.
There are also alternatives to Cazenove’s sustainability fund. For example, funds manager CCLA caters to churches and charities and does not invest in businesses that get more than 10% of their revenue from oil and gas. Another option is Generation Investment Management, founded in part by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.
The Royal Foundation said by email that it had followed Church of England guidelines on ethical investment since 2015, and goes beyond them.
“We take our investment policies extremely seriously and review them regularly,” the statement said.
The foundation said management fees paid to JPMorgan were small, but declined to provide a figure.
It’s not clear what role, if any, Prince William had in investment decisions, as he did not respond to AP requests for comment. JPMorgan Asset Management in an email declined to comment on questions about charities investing in their products despite its record of financing fossil fuels.
Bloomberg data show JPMorgan has underwritten more bonds and loans for the fossil fuel industry and earned greater fees than its competitors in the five years up to 2021.
Environmental NGO Rainforest Action Network looked at direct loans and stock ownership along with bonds and estimated that between 2016 and 2021, JPMorgan’s banking arm financed fossil fuel companies with some $382 billion. This was more than any other bank.
“Major investors have their pick of companies to manage their assets, and mission-driven institutions have options well beyond the world’s worst fossil fuel bank,” said Jason Disterhoft, senior energy campaigner with Rainforest Action Network.
As one of the world’s biggest banks, JPMorgan is also a leading financier of green projects, and has set a target of investing $1 trillion in these over the next decade. However, it made about $985 million in revenue from fossil fuels compared to $310 million from green projects since the Paris Agreement in 2015, about three times more, according to Bloomberg Data.
Compared to some other charities, the Royal Foundation’s investments are small, with little impact on climate change. But they are not in line with the ethos of the foundation, which lists conservation and mental health as main points of emphasis, or Prince William’s public statements. His Earthshot Prize, a “global search for solutions to save our planet,” awards grants of up 1 million pounds ($1.2 million) each year to projects confronting environmental challenges, according to the the charity’s website, which suggests banks as among potential recipients. In July, the Royal Foundation announced that the Earthshot Prize had become an independent charity and Prince William would be its president.
Through launching and awarding the prize and in other public appearances, Prince William has been outspoken on the environment for years. He has argued that entrepreneurs should focus their energies on saving the Earth before investing in space tourism, encouraged parents to consider how their children don’t have the same outdoor opportunities they had and urged conservation.
“Today, in 2022, as the queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, the pressing need to protect and restore our planet has never been more urgent,” the prince said in June during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
The policies of the Royal Foundation do not allow ownership of stock in oil companies, tobacco or alcohol. But profits from the Royal Foundation’s account could enable JPMorgan to loan more money to the many oil companies it backs, allowing their expansion. In the same way, investing in companies tied to problems with palm oil supply could help fund unsustainable practices.
While the Cazenove fund is marketed as “sustainable,” as of May 31 the fund held almost $6 million of shares in Nestlé, and shares worth $8.1 million in Reckitt Benckiser, according to Morningstar Direct data. Both Nestlé and Reckitt Benckiser have faced controversy over their palm oil supply. Clearing rainforests to make way for palm oil plantations is one of Southeast Asia’s biggest drivers of deforestation.
Nestlé is the world’s largest food and beverage manufacturer, while Reckitt manufactures popular U.S. brands including Lysol and Woolite, and Vanish and Dettol, familiar in the U.K.
A 2021 investigation by the environmental NGO Global Witness said both companies were sourcing palm oil via intermediaries from illegally deforested areas in Papua New Guinea. The plantations responsible were also accused of corruption, use of child labor and paying police to attack protesters.
Another 2021 report, by sustainability analysts Chain Reaction Research, said both companies purchased palm oil from an Indonesian firm that has an affiliated mining project accused of deforestation in an orangutan habitat.
An investigation in 2020 by Chain Reaction Research found that more than 500 hectares (1,235 acres) — over 1,000 American football fields — of rainforest in Indonesia’s Papua province were felled by a supplier to Wilmar, a giant food and oils producer, from which both source their palm oil.
David Croft, head of sustainability at Reckitt, said no tainted palm oil entered its products from the Papua New Guinea properties, while conceding their mills were previously in its supplier list. An intermediary company linked Reckitt to the Indonesian mining conglomerate in its supply chain, he said, and it was investigating. Croft said they have had “active discussions” with Wilmar, which stopped sourcing from the Papua plantation in January 2022. In a public statement published in response to Chain Reaction’s investigation, Wilmar disputed the cleared area was high conservation value forest.
Despite being a “relatively small user of palm oil,” Reckitt knows there is more to do, said Croft, and is accelerating its progress. Croft said Reckitt could not get all the product it needs from certified producers before 2026.
Emma Keller, head of sustainability at Nestlé U.K. and Ireland, said the Wilmar case was to be investigated. Nestlé engages with suppliers that fall short to help them change and monitors performance, she said.
Sixty percent of Nestlé’s palm oil supply was certified as sustainable by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, an industry-organized effort, in 2021, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. For Reckitt, that figure was 15.3%.
Keller said that by winter 2021, more than 90% of Nestlé palm oil was deforestation-free and it will achieve zero-deforestation status by the end of 2022. It uses supply chain maps, on-the-ground verification and satellite monitoring for verification. Nestlé was moving towards “a model for conserving and restoring the world’s forests,” Keller said.
Lily Tomson, of the responsible investment charity ShareAction, said Cazenove had shown some leadership on sustainable investing, but there “remain areas charities such as the Royal Foundation can push them on.”
Investors can vote on key environmental issues in companies where they hold shares, for example setting targets to align with the Paris Agreement, or on climate lobbying. Yet Cazenove’s parent company, Schroders, voted against 22% of environmental resolutions last year, ShareAction research has found.
Kate Rogers, head of sustainability at Cazenove Capital, said the company engaged with Nestlé and Reckitt, and has seen progress on deforestation.
Environmental factors are ingrained in the company’s decision-making, she said, every investment assessed for sustainability. Cazenove has committed to eliminating commodity-driven deforestation from its investments by 2025 and said a new voting policy meant that as of June 2022, the firm had voted against 60 directors of companies it invests in over a lack of climate action.
Dr. Raj Thamotheram, former head of responsible investing at both a $109 billion British university pension fund and AXA Investment Managers, said foundations should be better regulated, with annual reports made to detail how well their investment strategy aligns with their mission.
Thamotheram, now an independent adviser, called unsustainable investments a “cultural and governance blind spot of huge proportions,” and said they were endemic in the charity sector.
“It’s the status quo approach and it needs shaking up,” he said.
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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.
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| 2022-08-19T23:34:20Z
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Russia probe memo wrongly withheld under Barr, court rules
The Justice Department under Attorney General William Barr improperly withheld portions of an internal memo Barr cited in announcing that then-President Donald Trump had not obstructed justice in the Russia investigation, a federal appeals panel said Friday.
The department had argued that the 2019 memo represented private deliberations of its lawyers before any decision was formalized, and was thus exempt from disclosure. A federal judge previously disagreed, ordering the Justice Department to provide it to a government transparency group that had sued for it.
At issue in the case is a March 24, 2019, memorandum from the head of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel and another senior department official that was prepared for Barr to evaluate whether evidence in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation could support prosecution of the president for obstruction of justice.
Barr has said he looked to that opinion in concluding that Trump did not illegally obstruct the Russia probe, which was an investigation of whether his campaign had colluded with Russia to tip the 2016 election.
A year later, a federal judge sharply rebuked Barr’s handling of Mueller’s report, saying Barr had made “misleading public statements” to spin the investigation’s findings in favor of Trump and had shown a “lack of candor.”
Friday’s appeals court decision said the internal Justice Department memo noted that “Mueller had declined to accuse President Trump of obstructing justice but also had declined to exonerate him.” The internal memo said “the Report’s failure to take a definitive position could be read to imply an accusation against President Trump” if released to the public, the court wrote.
The Justice Department turned over other documents to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington as part of the group’s lawsuit, but declined to give it the memo. Government lawyers said they were entitled under public records law to withhold the memo because it reflected internal deliberations before any formal decision had been reached on what Mueller’s evidence showed.
Sitting presidents are generally protected from criminal charges on grounds it would undermine their ability to perform the office’s constitutional duties. The Justice Department, like Mueller, “took as a given that the Constitution would bar the prosecution of a sitting President,” the appeals court wrote, which meant the decision that Trump wouldn’t be charged had already been made and couldn’t be shielded from public release.
Had Justice Department officials made clear to the court that the memo related to Barr’s decision on making a public statement about the report, the appellate panel wrote, rulings in the case might have been different.
“Because the Department did not tie the memorandum to deliberations about the relevant decision, the Department failed to justify its reliance on the deliberative-process privilege,” wrote the panel of judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Appellate judges also noted that their ruling was “narrow,” saying that it should not be interpreted to “call into question any of our precedents permitting agencies to withhold draft documents related to public messaging.”
Attorneys for the Justice Department didn’t immediately respond to an email message seeking comment. The department can appeal the ruling to the full appeals court.
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| 2022-08-19T23:34:26Z
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Tech Report: Streaming breaks record, Gen Z relies on TikTok instead of Google
Netflix along with major streaming services are breaking records– last month along they represented a 34.8 % share of total television consumption.
FOX, CBS, AND NBC will conjointly pay over $1 Billion to broadcast conference sports.
Experts have mixed reviews about the Metaverse.
Gen Z is now starting to use TikTok as a search engine instead of Google.
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| 2022-08-19T23:34:32Z
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THE END ZONE SCOREBOARD: Scores from Week 1 of high school football
Here are Middle Georgia's high school football scores from Week 1.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Here are Middle Georgia’s high school football scores from Week 1.
Games featured on The End Zone:
Peach County , Baldwin
Lee County , Warner Robins
Richmond Academy , Veterans
Westside , Central
Southwest , Howard
Schley County , Tattnall
Other scores:
Houston County , Sumter County
Dooly County , Crisp County
Dodge County , Bleckley County
Crawford County , ACE Charter
Portal , Hawkinsville
Lamar County , Wilcox County
GMC , Wheeler County
Wilkinson County , Dublin
John Milledge , Brentwood
Mount de Sales , Strong Rock Christian
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| 2022-08-19T23:34:38Z
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US senator urges Kenyan president to aid peaceful transition
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A visiting U.S. senator says he has encouraged Kenya’s outgoing president to participate in a “peaceful transition of power” amid the latest election crisis in East Africa’s most stable democracy.
“I’ll let the president speak for himself, but that was certainly a hope I expressed today,” Sen. Chris Coons told The Associated Press after his meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday. He said they discussed ways in which Kenyatta can play a “constructive peacemaking role” after leaving office.
Kenyatta has remained publicly silent since the Aug. 9 vote, adding to the anxiety as Kenya again faces post-election uncertainty and a likely court challenge by the losing candidate, Raila Odinga. Coons, leading a congressional delegation on a five-country Africa visit, was in Kenya in part to meet the key parties and urge that calm continue.
Kenyatta had backed longtime rival and opposition leader Odinga in the close race against his own deputy president, William Ruto, who fell out bitterly with Kenyatta years ago. Ruto on Monday was declared the winner, but not before Kenya’s most peaceful election ever slid into chaos in the final moments.
The electoral commission split in two, each side accusing the other of trying to tinker with the results. It came as a shock to many Kenyans after an election widely seen as the country’s most transparent ever, with results from the more than 46,000 polling stations posted online.
Now Odinga almost certainly will challenge the results in Supreme Court. His campaign has seven days from Monday’s declaration to do so, and the court will have 14 days to rule. Odinga has urged supporters to remain patient instead of taking to the streets in a country with a history of sometimes deadly post-election violence.
After meeting with Kenyatta, Odinga and Ruto, Coons told the AP “I was encouraged that in all three meetings we heard a commitment to a call for calm and tranquility, to respect the legal processes established in the 2010 constitution.” He said the conversations were about the rule of law, the importance of free and fair elections and peaceful transitions.
“Obviously, the United States has had a very difficult experience with these issues for the past few years,” Coons said, referring to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol as former President Donald Trump tried to remain in power. “I said in all three meetings we have things to learn from Kenya.”
Kenyatta told Coons that Kenya would uphold “its position of a shining example of democracy in the continent by maintaining peace during this transition period,” according to a statement issued by the president’s office.
Coons said he did not come to Kenya seeking anything like the handshake that Kenyatta and Odinga, after prodding, famously shared to end months of crisis after the 2017 election, whose results were overturned by the Supreme Court over irregularities, a first in Africa. Odinga boycotted the fresh vote and declared himself the “people’s president,” bringing allegations of treason.
This time, with Kenyatta’s backing, the Odinga campaign felt he would win the presidency after a quarter-century of pursuing it.
Kenyatta is stepping down after two terms, itself a notable act in a region where longtime presidents like Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Paul Kagame of Rwanda have been accused of clinging to power through changes in term limits, manipulation of elections and crackdowns on dissenting voices.
The U.S. delegation is also visiting Rwanda, where human rights and violent tensions with neighboring Congo are almost certainly on the agenda following Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit there last week. Coons said he looks forward to visiting again with Kagame.
Kenyatta has played a leading role in efforts to calm the Rwanda-Congo tensions and in trying to mediate in neighboring Ethiopia’s deadly Tigray conflict, with support from the U.S. Coons did not say what kind of peacemaking role he hoped to see Kenyatta play after stepping down.
Ruto’s public comments this week have been on domestic matters, not foreign, but Coons said the president-elect made an “expression of concern and intent in trying to help lead to positive resolutions” in such regional crises.
Coons also has played a role in trying to calm the Ethiopia conflict. But he told the AP the delegation was not having a meeting with Ethiopia’s government or the Tigray forces while in Kenya.
Coons, a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and his delegation have already visited Cape Verde and Mozambique and will visit Tunisia as well.
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| 2022-08-19T23:34:44Z
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US to hold trade talks with Taiwan, island drills military
HUALIEN, Taiwan (AP) — The U.S. government will hold trade talks with Taiwan in a sign of support for the island democracy that China claims as its own territory, prompting Beijing to warn Thursday it will take action if necessary to “safeguard its sovereignty.”
The announcement of trade talks comes after Beijing fired missiles into the sea to intimidate Taiwan after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this month became the highest-ranking American official to visit the island in 25 years.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s government criticized the planned talks as a violation of its stance that Taiwan has no right to foreign relations. It warned Washington not to encourage the island to try to make its de facto independence permanent, a step Beijing says would lead to war.
“China firmly opposes this,” Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Shu Jueting said. She called on Washington to “fully respect China’s core interests.”
Also Thursday, Taiwan’s military held a drill with missiles and cannons simulating a response to a Chinese missile attack.
Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war and have no official relations but are bound by billions of dollars of trade and investment. The island never has been part of the People’s Republic of China, but the ruling Communist Party says it is obliged to unite with the mainland, by force if necessary.
President Joe Biden’s coordinator for the Indo-Pacific region, Kurt Campbell, said last week that trade talks would “deepen our ties with Taiwan” but stressed policy wasn’t changing. The United States has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan, its ninth-largest trading partner, but maintains extensive informal ties.
The U.S. Trade Representative’s announcement of the talks made no mention of tension with Beijing but said “formal negotiations” would develop trade and regulatory ties, a step that would entail closer official interaction.
Being allowed to export more to the United States might help Taiwan blunt China’s efforts to use its status as the island’s biggest trading partner as political leverage. The mainland blocked imports of Taiwanese citrus and other food in retaliation for Pelosi’s Aug. 2 visit.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry expressed “high welcome” for the trade talks, which it said will lead to a “new page” in relations with the United States.
“As the situation across the Taiwan Strait has recently escalated, the U.S. government will continue to take concrete actions to maintain security and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” it said in a statement.
U.S.-Chinese relations are at their lowest level in decades amid disputes over trade, security, technology, and Beijing’s treatment of Muslim minorities and Hong Kong.
The U.S. Trade Representative said negotiations would be conducted under the auspices of Washington’s unofficial embassy, the American Institute in Taiwan.
“China always opposes any form of official exchanges between any country and the Taiwan region of China,” said Shu, the Chinese spokesperson. “China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty.”
Washington says it takes no position on the status of China and Taiwan but wants their dispute settled peacefully. The U.S. government is obligated by federal law to see that the island has the means to defend itself.
“We will continue to take calm and resolute steps to uphold peace and stability in the face of Beijing’s ongoing efforts to undermine it, and to support Taiwan,” Campbell said during a conference call last Friday.
China takes more than twice as much of Taiwan’s exports as the United States, its No. 2 foreign market. Taiwan’s government says its companies have invested almost $200 billion in the mainland. Beijing says a 2020 census found some 158,000 Taiwanese entrepreneurs, professionals and others live on the mainland.
China’s ban on imports of citrus, fish and hundreds of other Taiwanese food products hurt rural areas seen as supporters of President Tsai Ing-wen, but those goods account for less than 0.5% of Taiwan’s exports to the mainland.
Beijing did nothing that might affect the flow of processor chips from Taiwan that are needed by Chinese factories that assemble the world’s smartphones and consumer electronics. The island is the world’s biggest chip supplier.
A second group of U.S. lawmakers led by Sen. Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, arrived on Taiwan on Sunday and met with Tsai. Beijing announced a second round of military drills after their arrival.
Taiwan, with 23.6 million people, has launched its own military drills in response.
On Thursday, drills at Hualien Air Base on the east coast simulated a response to a Chinese missile attack. Military personnel practiced with Taiwanese-made Sky Bow 3 anti-aircraft missiles and 35mm anti-aircraft cannon but didn’t fire them.
“We didn’t panic” when China launched military drills, said air force Maj. Chen Teh-huan.
“Our usual training is to be on call 24 hours a day to prepare for missile launches,” Chen said. “We were ready.”
The U.S.-Taiwanese talks also will cover agriculture, labor, the environment, digital technology, the status of state-owned enterprises and “non-market policies,” the U.S. Trade Representative said.
Washington and Beijing are locked in a 3-year-old tariff war over many of the same issues.
They include China’s support for government companies that dominate many of its industries and complaints that Beijing steals foreign technology and limits access to an array of fields in violation of its market-opening commitments.
Then-President Donald Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods in 2019 in response to complaints that its technology development tactics violate its free-trade commitments and threaten U.S. industrial leadership. Biden has left most of those tariff hikes in place.
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McDonald reported from Beijing.
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| 2022-08-19T23:34:50Z
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Walmart expands abortion coverage for employees
NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart, the nation’s largest employer, is expanding its abortion coverage for employees after staying largely mum on the issue for months following the Supreme Court ruling that scrapped a nationwide right to abortion.
In a memo sent to employees on Friday, the company said its health care plans will now cover abortion for employees “when there is a health risk to the mother, rape or incest, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage or lack of fetal viability.”
The new policy will also offer “travel support” for workers and dependents covered under their health care plans so they can access services that are not available within 100 miles of their locations, Donna Morris, the retailer’s chief people officer, said in the memo.
Walmart employs nearly 1.6 million people in the U.S. In Arkansas, where the company is based, abortion is banned under all circumstances unless the procedure is needed to protect the life of the mother in a medical emergency. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.
A Walmart spokesperson did not immediately reply for a request for comment on whether the company’s health plan — or travel support — will cover elective abortions.
Previously, the company’s benefits plan had covered abortion only in cases “when the health of the mother would be in danger if the fetus were carried to term, the fetus could not survive the birthing process, or death would be imminent after birth,” according to a copy of the policy viewed by The Associated Press but not confirmed by Walmart.
Many companies — including Meta, American Express and Bank of America — have said they will cover travel costs for their employees in the aftermath of the high court ruling that tossed out Roe v. Wade. But dozens of others corporations, and organizations that represent some of the nation’s most powerful companies. have continued to stay quiet.
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| 2022-08-19T23:34:56Z
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Witness about R. Kelly: I didn’t want to ‘carry his lies’
CHICAGO (AP) — A woman who says she was sexually abused hundreds of times by R. Kelly before she turned 18 testified Friday that she agonized several years ago about whether to cooperate with federal investigators who were looking into child abuse allegations involving the singer, but that she ultimately did because she didn’t want to “carry his lies.”
But the witness — who is now 37 years old and going by the pseudonym “Jane” at the trial — also conceded that even after she began cooperating, she lied at one point when she told federal agents that she wasn’t sure if Kelly had abused minors other than her. She said she lied because she didn’t want to get others in trouble.
Jane testified for over four hours Thursday, saying it was her and Kelly in a videotape that was at the heart of his 2008 child pornography trial, at which he was acquitted. She also said Kelly sexually abused her hundreds of times from the late 1990s before she turned 18. Kelly, 55, was around 30 years old at the time.
While cross-examining her Friday, Kelly’s lead attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, sought to cast the imprisoned R&B singer in a more favorable light after Jane testified the day before about how Kelly pursued her sexually starting when she was around 14 years old.
Kelly has been trailed for decades by complaints and allegations about his sexual behavior. The scrutiny intensified during the #MeToo era and following the 2019 release of the Lifetime television docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly.”
Under questioning, Jane said her relationship with Kelly lasted 12 years and continued for two years after his 2008 trial, until she was 26. Bonjean asked if, “after you broke up, you cared about him and he cared about you?” Jane said that was true.
As “Surviving R. Kelly” was coming out, Jane said she was concerned for Kelly and reached out to him. In one text to him, she wrote, “I love you. Don’t let the devil win.”
She said she repeatedly tried to contact him in 2019 for advice as she pondered whether to speak to authorities at length about Kelly for the first time. She told jurors: “I felt comfortable enough to reach out to him because I was afraid.”
She said she decided shortly thereafter to speak to investigators.
“I no longer wanted to carries his lies,” she said.
Kelly, who denies any wrongdoing, is serving a 30-year prison sentence following his conviction in a New York federal court last year for using his fame to sexually abuse fans.
At his current trial in his hometown of Chicago, he faces charges of child pornography and conspiring to rig his 2008 trial by intimidating and paying off the girl — Jane — to ensure she didn’t testify. He also faces four counts of enticement of minors for sex at the Chicago trial — one each for four other accusers. They, too, are expected to testify.
On Thursday, Jane said publicly for the first time that the girl in the videotape that was central to that 2008 trial was her and that the man was Kelly. She said she was about 14 years old at the time it was shot.
Some of that trial’s jurors said afterward that they had no choice but to acquit Kelly because the girl — by then an adult — didn’t testify. On the stand Thursday, Jane conceded that she lied to a grand jury in 2002 when she said it wasn’t her in the video. She said she did so because she was afraid “something bad would happen” to Kelly and because she was ashamed.
Jane said she grew up in a musical family in a Chicago suburb and was home-schooled because she was in a touring musical group that she joined when she was about 12. She said she met Kelly through an aunt who worked with him, and that she asked him to be her godfather when she was 13 because she viewed him as an inspiration and a mentor. She said within weeks, Kelly would call her and say sexual things. She told jurors she was 15 when they first had intercourse.
She described her parents confronting Kelly in the early 2000s about whether he was having sex with their daughter. Kelly dropped to his knees and begged her parents to forgive him, Jane testified. She said she later implored her parents not to do anything to get Kelly in trouble, telling them she loved him.
Kelly, who rose from poverty on Chicago’s South Side to become a star singer, songwriter and producer, knew a conviction in 2008 would effectively end his life as he knew it, and so prosecutors say he conspired to fix that trial.
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| 2022-08-19T23:35:03Z
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YKK opens medical clinic at Macon plant
The clinic is staffed by a physician assistant and medical technologist.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Employees at YKK USA can now receive on-site medical care at a clinic at the Macon Plant. The health clinic is for full-time Macon manufacturing plant employees thanks to a joint venture with Macon Occupational Medicine (MOM).
“We are so excited to be able to provide our YKK Macon team with this on-site access for their health and wellness needs,” said John Smith, president of YKK USA. “We appreciate our partnership with MOM, which has enabled us to facilitate a high level of professional care for our employees.”
According to a YKK news release, the health clinic is open Tuesdays and Thursdays during normal working hours. It includes an on-site pharmacy. The clinic is staffed by a physician assistant and medical technologist. Employees will now be able to receive treatment on-site for simple aches and pains to more complex conditions like diabetes and asthma.
Patients will also be able to undergo blood work and have access to rapid flu, COVID-19, strep, and pregnancy tests.
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| 2022-08-19T23:35:09Z
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Fed minutes reveal interest rates could remain ‘restrictive’ for some time
The Federal Reserve released the minutes from its most recent July meeting, which showed that it will likely need to continue raising rates as inflation remains high.
"In light of elevated inflation and the upside risks to the outlook for inflation, participants remarked that moving to a restrictive stance of the policy rate in the near term would also be appropriate from a risk-management perspective because it would better position the committee to raise the policy rate further, to appropriately restrictive levels, if inflation were to run higher than expected," the minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting stated.
The record showed that Fed members reiterated this narrative multiple times in the meeting, saying that the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy should be "restrictive."
"Participants noted that expectations of inflation were an important influence on the behavior of actual inflation and stressed that moving to an appropriately restrictive stance of policy was essential for avoiding an unanchoring of inflation expectations," the FOMC minutes stated.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of inflation, increased by 8.5% annually in July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This was down slightly from the 9.1% increase in June but remains near its 40-year high.
If you are struggling with rising inflation, you could consider taking out a personal loan to help you pay down debt at a lower interest rate, reducing your monthly payments. Visit Credible to find your personalized interest rate without affecting your credit score.
INFLATION HITS 8.5% ANNUALLY IN JULY, MONTHLY RATE REMAINS UNCHANGED
Fed awaits inflation data to determine future rate hikes
Although annual inflation fell in July, the cause behind it is not completely clear. While this could indicate that the Fed’s actions are starting to cool inflation, it could also be based on lower energy costs, experts said.
"While the latest CPI report was encouraging and possibly showing a peak, inflation is being driven by energy volatility, making us skeptical the current numbers represent a trend," Mace McCain, Frost Investment Advisors' managing director and chief investment officer, said in a statement. "Given the Fed’s comments that they are data dependent, they are hoping for additional clarity on inflation and employment before their next rate hike decision."
Other experts agreed that energy volatility is influencing inflation and that the Federal Reserve will likely continue on its current course with raising interest rates.
"While we saw CPI drop to 8.5% last week, down from 9.1%, the US consumer is still showing financial strength at historical levels as well as historically low unemployment levels," Rusty Vanneman, Orion Advisor Solutions' chief investment strategist, said in a statement.
"While these areas of strength are positive for the US economy at face value, this looks more negative through the lens of easing inflation," Vanneman said. "The FOMC noted that headlines such as falling gasoline prices may lower inflation rates in the short term, there is very little evidence that inflation pressures are broadly easing."
If you want to take advantage of interest rates before they rise higher, you could consider refinancing your private student loans to lower your interest rate and monthly payment. Visit Credible to compare multiple student loan lenders at once and choose the one with the best interest rate for you.
HOUSEHOLD DEBT SURGES PAST $16T IN Q2: NEW YORK FED REPORT
Fed could raise rates by up to 75 basis points in September
The FOMC raised rates at its July meeting by 75 basis points in an effort to combat rising inflation. This brought the target range for the federal funds rate to 2.25% to 2.5% and marked the fourth time in 2022 that the Fed raised rates.
Although inflation was slightly lower in July, many economists expect the Fed to continue raising rates in the coming months. But it's unclear if it'll be by 50 or 75 basis points.
"These comments are much more hawkish than dovish, once again, and a 50 to 75 basis point increase in the federal funds rate should be expected at the next Fed meeting, while these increases will only begin to slow ‘at some point' in the future,’" Vanneman said.
If you want to take advantage of interest rates before the central bank imposes another rate hike, you could consider refinancing your mortgage to lower your monthly payments. To see if this is the right option for you, contact Credible to speak to a home loan expert and get all of your questions answered.
Have a finance-related question, but don't know who to ask? Email The Credible Money Expert at moneyexpert@credible.com and your question might be answered by Credible in our Money Expert column.
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The town of Melville is being given the chance to address myriad financial problems, including a deficit of more than 400 thousand dollars.
The town's CPA hasn't been able to audit the town books for nearly three years which puts Melville on the state's non-compliance list. That prevents the town from receiving state or federal funding.
Parish President Jessie Bellard, says Melville has serious financial problems that need to be addressed - raising questions of whether the state should come in to fix it.
Bellard also says as of the end of June the town has nearly 18 thousand dollars in the bank.
“The main problem is they owe 450 thousand dollars, through vendors, IRS and everything they have a big liability on their back right now. One of the other issues is they don’t send out bills for water sewer or gas. They haven’t sent out bills since January of this year.”
According to Parish President Jessie Bellard, the town of Melville has not sent out a utility bill to its residents since January. Those utilities are a large part of the town's income, which has added more than 200 thousand dollars to the deficit.
“So people have been having the gas, water, sewer, and everything. And all the services but they haven’t been billed for it,” Bellard said.
All residents in the town are charged a flat rate of 75 dollars for utilities including water, sewer, gas, and to pay for fire trucks.
The town has also not completed an audit of the state in nearly three years.
“Without having a good audit in three years, that’s automatically one of the criteria to have the state taking over the Town,” Bellard added.
KATC spoke with Diane Allison, Director of local government services for the state legislative auditor. She said they've offered help, but the town emailed her office on August 16, stating they have their own financial consultant who is working to address the issues
“What the town wants to do is, in Melville, The town wants the opportunity to solve their own problems so we want to give them the opportunity to solve their own problems,” Allison said.
“They are going to develop their own plan. They need to put their plan in writing on how they're going to solve their problems. And then we will take a look at it and discuss it. And then we’ll make the ultimate decision. On if we think the plan is a good plan and how we should move forward,” Allison added.
We reached out to the Mayor of Melville, Velma Hendrix, regarding the town not distributing utility bills for over six months.
"Yes, I think it's fair because residents used the utilities. So it's fair for them to pay. They drank the water, they used the water for house purposes and everything else so they should be responsible for it,” Hendrix said.
And we also asked about the town creating laws…
“We are going to make laws for the town…Well right now we're in such a predicament that we're not really capable of really doing that right now but I imagine that in the next couple of months. We will be able to get this,” She added.
We’ll update you as this story develops.
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Forbes features Macon as “South’s Best Kept Secret!”
The article mentions some of the best food spots in town, like Macon bagels, and Nu-Way Weiners.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)— The secret is out about Macon, thanks to Forbes magazine.
Writer Katie Chang wrote an article titled “A Weekend Guide to Macon, One of the South’s Best Kept Secrets.”
The article mentions some of the best food spots in town, like Macon bagels, and Nu-Way Weiners. The new Hotel Forty-Five gets an honorable mention. She also wrote about attractions like the Tubman Museum and the Big House.
Visit Macon President and CEO, Gary Wheat, says they work with travel writers to help tell Macon’s story.
“Forbes is read all over the world and a well-known publication so we were excited to see Forbes represent us and kind of present that 30,000-foot view of our destination,” Wheat said. “I think that allows the visitor to see that and see all that we have to offer here.”
You can read the Forbes Magazine article for yourself on their website.
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Herschel Walker campaigns in hometown of Wrightsville
"Having the opportunity for a hometown small town guy represent our community is very exciting for me and so many people in our town."
WRIGHTSVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)— When politicians visit voters, small towns like Wrightsville get overlooked most of the time. When the politician is from Wrightsville though, it makes a difference.
Republican Senate candidate and former football star, Herschel Walker, visited his hometown to meet with supporters.
Wrightsville Mayor, Janibeth Outlaw, shared what it’s like to see him run for office.
“Having the opportunity for a hometown small town guy represent our community is very exciting for me and so many people in our town,” Mayor Outlaw said.
Walker talked about how he felt God called on him to run for office. His wife, Julie, and Mayor Outlaw also participated in a panel discussion with him. They talked about crime and inflation.
“Crime is very, very important, and this economy is tough because they’ve got to buy groceries,” Walker said. “I think all the inflation, the gas prices, the grocery prices, and you know the schools in certain areas it’s gotten really out of hand.”
Mayor Outlaw says the discussion from Walker on inflation and gas prices stood out to her, as well as other issues.
“I’m a mom of four and that’s very near and dear to my heart,” she said. “Then talking about faith and traditional values. What my children are being taught at a really early age is very important to me.”
Walker shared a message for voters and Senator Raphael Warnock, on the debate he invited him to in October.
“I’ve always went out and worked. I’m always going to be transparent with them because I always have been,” Walker said. “I’m not going to hide I’m not going to hide like Senator Warnock and what I would say to Senator Warnock is where you at scaredy cat? Debate me October the 14th Savannah Georgia in front of an audience and lets let the people see.”
Walker faces current Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock, and Libertarian Chase Oliver in the Senate race. Election Day is November 8.
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ICYMI: Stories you may have missed today on 41NBC News
Top stories from August 19, 2022
***Don’t forget to tune into Week 1 of The End Zone during 41NBC News at 11.****
- For other stories you may have missed today on 41NBC News, click here.
***Don’t forget to tune into Week 1 of The End Zone during 41NBC News at 11.****
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Monroe County millage rate decreases
County Commissioners voted due to lower the millage rate by three quarters of a mill.
FORSYTH, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT)— Monroe County could see a decrease in property taxes.
County Commissioners voted due to lower the millage rate by three quarters of a mill.
Chairman of the Board, Greg Tapley, says several factors helped in the decision to lower the rate, including new businesses expanding into the county and property improvements.
“Even with any increases in payroll or cost for equipment or maybe the projects that we’re doing in Monroe county, we’re still able to keep taxes the same or lower them and so thankfully its been a trend downward for the last few years.”
Tapley says the county’s goal is to keep the same millage rate the same or decrease it.
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THE END ZONE HIGHLIGHTS: Baldwin County hosts Peach County for our GOTW
This is the first time since 2013, the Braves and Trojans have played each other.
MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT) — The Peach County Trojans traveled to Milledgeville to take on the Baldwin Braves.
This is the first time since 2013, the Braves and Trojans have played each other.
Here are the highlights from Braves Field:
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THE END ZONE HIGHLIGHTS: Howard welcomes Southwest
The Huskies and Patriots looking to start off undefeated this year, after both had losing seasons last year.
MACON, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT) —The Howard Huskies hosted the Southwest Patriots at Ed Defore Sports Complex.
The Huskies and Patriots looking to start off undefeated this year, after both had losing seasons last year.
Check out the highlights below:
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THE END ZONE HIGHLIGHTS: Tattnall faces Schley County
The Trojans coming off a 9-2 season last year, taking on the Wildcats who are ranked #1 in A-Division II.
MACON, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT) — The Tattnall Trojans welcomed the Schley County Wildcats to Jack Baynes Field.
The Trojans coming off a 9-2 season last year, taking on the Wildcats who are ranked #1 in A-Division II.
Here are the highlights:
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THE END ZONE HIGHLIGHTS: Veterans hosts Richmond Academy
The Warhawks have a new head coach, Josh Ingram, who was the Offensive Coordinator the last four seasons at Veterans.
KATHLEEN, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT) — The Veterans Warhawks welcomed the Richmond Academy Musketeers to Freedom Field.
The Warhawks have a new head coach, Josh Ingram, who was the Offensive Coordinator the last four seasons at Veterans.
Check out the highlights below:
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THE END ZONE HIGHLIGHTS: Westside Seminoles visit Central Chargers
The Chargers are coming off a 1-9 season. The Seminoles also had a losing season last year. It was the first one in school history.
MACON, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT) — The Westside Seminoles went on the road to take on the Central Chargers.
The Chargers are coming off a 1-9 season. The Seminoles also had a losing season last year. It was the first one in school history.
Let’s take a look at the highlights from Henderson Stadium:
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THE END ZONE HIGHLIGHTS: Warner Robins welcomes Lee County
The Demons start the season ranked #2 in 6-A. The Trojans are ranked #1 in 5-A.
WARNER ROBINS, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT) —The Waner Robins Demons hosted the Lee County Trojans from southwest Georgia.
The Demons start the season ranked #2 in 6-A. The Trojans are ranked #1 in 5-A.
Here are the highlights from the MAC:
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The Macon Film Festival is back
The schedule includes films screenings and other events at multiple venues throughout Macon.
MACON, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT)– It’s lights, cameras, and action for the 17th Annual Macon Film Festival.
The schedule includes films screenings and other events at multiple venues throughout Macon. More then 80 films from around the world will be showcased.
On Friday, students from Jones and Jasper counties attended a screening of student-made films at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. There was also a Q&A session with film makers.
“This is our third year coming to the Macon Film Festival and we’ve got to interact with some of the filmmakers over the years and be inspired by some of their films and students learned today as well,” said Film Instructor of Jasper County High School, Tyson Harty.
To check out film screenings and times, or to purchase tickets, head to maconfilmfestival.com
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Bibb deputies: 18-year-old woman dies after Friday night shooting
An 18-year-old woman is dead after a Friday night shooting.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – An 18-year-old woman is dead after a Friday night shooting.
According to a Bibb County Sheriff’s Office news release, the shooting happened near the corner of Dellwood Drive and Dellwood Court just after 11:30.
Deputies were told 18-year-old Jamaya B. Warner of Macon was driving on Dellwood Court when “unknown subjects” fired shots at the car. Warner was struck by gunfire.
Warner and a 21-year-old male passenger then drove to the Circle K located at 5602 Thomaston Road. That’s where Deputy Coroner Luann Stone pronounced Warner dead.
The 21-year-old passenger was not injured.
There is no information on the suspects or what led to the shooting.
Call the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at (478) 751-7500 or Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 1-877-68-CRIME if you have additional information.
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THE END ZONE HIGHLIGHTS: Tattnall Square hosts Schley County
The Trojans were coming off a 9-2 season last year. The Wildcats were ranked #1 in A-Division II.
MACON, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT) — The Tattnall Square Trojans welcomed the Schley County Wildcats to Jack Baynes Field Friday.
The Trojans were coming off a 9-2 season last year. The Wildcats were ranked #1 in A-Division II.
41NBC’s Tucker Sargent has the highlights:
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MOSCOW (AP) — A key Russian natural gas pipeline will shut down for three days of maintenance at the end of this month, the state-owned energy company Gazprom announced Friday, raising economic pressure on Germany and other European countries that depend on the fuel to power industry, generate electricity and heat homes.
The latest shutdown will come a month after Gazprom restored natural gas supply through the pipeline to only a fifth of its capacity after a previous shutoff for maintenance.
Russia has blamed the reductions through the pipeline on technical problems but Germany has called the shutoffs a political move by the Kremlin to sow uncertainty and push up prices amid the conflict in Ukraine.
Natural gas prices rose on Friday after the announcement, and are now more than twice as high as a year ago.
In a statement posted online, Gazprom said the planned shutdown from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2 is for “routine maintenance” at a key compressor station along the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which links western Russia and Germany.
Natural gas prices have surged as Russia has reduced or cut off natural gas flows to a dozen European Union countries, fueling inflation and raising the risk that Europe could plunge into recession.
Germany’s Economy Ministry said in an email to The Associated Press that it had taken note of Gazprom’s planned downtime for Nord Stream 1.
“We are monitoring the situation in close cooperation with the Federal Network Agency” that regulates gas markets, the ministry said. “Gas flows through Nord Stream 1 are currently unchanged at 20%.”
The newly announced maintenance shutoff raises additional fears that Russia could completely cut off the gas to try to gain political leverage over Europe as it tries to boost its storage levels for winter.
Germany recently announced that its gas storage facilities had reached 75% capacity, two weeks before the target date of Sept. 1. Germans have been urged to cut gas use now so the country will have enough for the winter ahead.
Gazprom said once the work is completed, the flow of gas through Nord Stream 1 will resume at its prior level of 33 million cubic meters, or just 20% of the pipeline’s capacity.
The routine maintenance will be carried out jointly with Siemens specialists, Gazprom said, in a reference to its German partner, Siemens Energy.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart, the nation’s largest employer, is expanding its abortion coverage for employees after staying largely mum on the issue following the Supreme Court ruling that scrapped a nationwide right to abortion.
In a memo sent to employees on Friday, the company said its health care plans will now cover abortion for employees “when there is a health risk to the mother, rape or incest, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage or lack of fetal viability.”
Previously, the company’s benefits plan had covered abortion only in cases “when the health of the mother would be in danger if the fetus were carried to term, the fetus could not survive the birthing process, or death would be imminent after birth,” according to a copy of the policy viewed by The Associated Press but not confirmed by Walmart.
Donna Morris, the retailer’s chief people officer, said in the memo to staff that the new policy will also offer “travel support” for workers seeking abortions covered under its health care plans — as well as their dependents — so they can access services that are not available within 100 miles of their locations.
Walmart employs nearly 1.6 million people in the U.S. In Arkansas, where the company is based, abortion is banned under all circumstances unless the procedure is needed to protect the life of the mother in a medical emergency. There are no exceptions for rape or incest. That means under the revised policy, Walmart employees can travel out of the state — or any other state that bans abortion for rape and incest — to obtain the procedure through the retailer’s health plans.
Several companies — including Meta, American Express and Bank of America — have said they will cover travel costs for their employees in the aftermath of the high court ruling that tossed out Roe v. Wade, including elective abortions. But a Walmart spokesperson did not immediately reply for a request for comment on whether any of the company’s revised policy will cover elective abortions as well.
“It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s simply not far enough for a company that employs that many women,” said Bianca Agustin, director of corporate accountability program for United for Respect, a group that advocates for Walmart workers. She said the organization will be incorporating “safe abortions” for employees in their list of demands pressing the company for better pay and benefits.
Meanwhile, many other corporations, and organizations that represent some of the nation’s most powerful companies, have continued to stay quiet on the issue.
The careful expansion of Walmart’s abortion policy shows it is attempting to balance different pressures and opinions from employees, investors and other stakeholders, said Vanessa Burbano, a professor at Columbia University’s business school who researchers how companies take social stances.
“It’s much trickier than a lot of people initially think it is,” Burbano said. “It’s not like all of their stakeholders are of the same opinion on any of these issues, which is what makes it so challenging. They’re trying to figure out how to thread that needle.”
In the memo sent Friday, the company said it will also launch a center that provides fertility services to employees, such as in vitro fertilization. Additionally, it vowed to add surrogacy support and increase its financial aid for adoptions from $5,000 to $20,000. In June, Walmart said it would expand its offering of doulas — or people who assist women during pregnancies — to address racial disparities in maternal care.
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HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Republicans have found success in Democratic strongholds like Maryland and Massachusetts when they have fielded moderate candidates who could appeal to voters in both parties. With Democrats facing headwinds this year, Republicans had hoped that strategy could pay off yet again.
But Republican voters have nominated loyalists of former President Donald Trump in several Democratic states, including Maryland and Connecticut, making the GOP’s odds of winning those general election races even longer. Massachusetts will face its own test next month as GOP voters decide between a Trump-backed conservative and a more moderate Republican for the party’s gubernatorial nominee.
“It can’t continue,” said former Connecticut U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, a moderate Republican and Trump critic, referring to the GOP choosing pro-Trump candidates. “One of the things that will happen is that a lot of the Trump candidates who won the primary will lose the general election. And there are a lot of unhappy Republicans who hold office now who believe that the Senate now is in jeopardy of staying Democratic.”
Trump’s influence was on full display earlier this month when his last-minute endorsement helped propel Leora Levy, a member of the Republican National Committee who opposes abortion rights, to victory in a Republican U.S. Senate primary in Connecticut over the party’s endorsed candidate, former House Minority Leader Themis Klarides. Klarides supports abortion rights and said she didn’t vote for Trump in 2020.
“Sad day for CT …,” tweeted Brenda Kupchick, the Republican first selectwoman of Fairfield and a former state representative, after the Aug. 9 race was called for Levy. Days earlier, after Trump endorsed Levy on speakerphone at a GOP picnic, Kupchick tweeted, “How is that helpful in the general election in CT?”
Kupchick’s tweets sparked criticism in both GOP camps. Trump supporters accused Klarides of not being a “true conservative.” Moderate Republicans predicted that Levy’s nomination ensured Democratic U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal would sail to victory in November, despite a Quinnipiac poll in May registering his lowest job approval since he took office in 2011.
The last Republican to represent Connecticut in the U.S. Senate was Lowell P. Weicker Jr., who served from 1971 to 1989, though Connecticut has elected a moderate Republican governor as recently as 2006, with M. Jodi Rell.
Levy, who has never before served in elective office, contends her message of controlling high inflation and energy prices, stopping “government intrusion between parent and child” and addressing crime will resonate with a wide range of voters.
A similar dynamic has unfolded in liberal Maryland, where Dan Cox, a far-right state legislator endorsed by Trump, won the Republican primary for governor over a moderate rival backed by outgoing Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, a Trump critic. And in heavily Democratic Massachusetts, Republican voters casting ballots in the state’s Sept. 6 gubernatorial primary will choose between Geoff Diehl, a Trump-backed former state representative, and Chris Doughty, a businessman with moderate views. Centrist Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, a Trump critic, decided against seeking a third term.
The Democratic nominees in Maryland and Massachusetts are viewed as strong favorites to flip the governor’s mansions in those states.
Trump’s backing has propelled his candidates to victory in top races in battleground states, too, boosting Democrats’ optimism of winning the general election. In Arizona, former TV news anchor Kari Lake, who has said she would not have certified President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, defeated lawyer and businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson, who had been endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence and outgoing GOP Gov. Doug Ducey. In Wisconsin, Trump-backed businessman Tim Michels beat former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who had been endorsed by Pence and the state party. Both Michels and Kleefisch, however, falsely claimed the 2020 presidential election was rigged.
In Connecticut, Levy’s nomination is already being used as a rallying cry for Democrats, who contend she’s out of the mainstream for a state where Republicans are outnumbered by unaffiliated voters and by Democrats. Aside from opposing abortion rights — reversing her position years ago of supporting abortion rights — Levy has spoken out against job-related COVID-19 vaccine requirements and transgender rights. Levy effusively thanked the former president during her acceptance speech, promising, “I will not let you down.”
A day after the primary, Blumenthal’s campaign sent out a fundraising message that warned, “The primary results are in, and I’m officially facing off against Trump’s hand-picked candidate in the general election — a radical Republican who will be nothing but a rubber stamp on Mitch McConnell’s disastrous agenda.”
Levy, in turn, has tied Blumenthal to Biden, casting him as a “rubber stamp” for the Democratic president’s “failed policies” as president and blaming Blumenthal for playing a “a key role in creating virtually every challenge our country faces today.”
“Dick Blumenthal wants this election to be a referendum on a President. Donald Trump is not on the ballot in November, but Joe Biden is,” she said in a news release issued after the primary.
Shays, who now lives in Maryland, said he believes an endorsement by Trump is disqualifying. He said he contributed to the campaign of Wes Moore, the Democrat running against Cox in Maryland, and would vote for Blumenthal if he still lived in Connecticut.
“I will vote against anyone who seeks the support of Donald Trump because that tells me so much about their character and what they intend to do if elected. That’s the bottom line to me,” Shays said.
Ben Proto, chair of the Connecticut Republicans, dismissed any suggestion that the primary victory by Levy signaled a political evolution within the state GOP. Rather, he said, the party this year has “candidates across the board who hold different opinions on particular issues.”
But what they have in common, he said, is the goal of getting inflation under control, making Connecticut more affordable, addressing crime and allowing parents to be the “primary stakeholder” in their children’s lives.
“At the end of the day, the issues that are important to the people of the state of Connecticut, we’re pretty solid on,” he said.
___
Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ap_politics.
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MIAMI (AP) — A former Miami congressman who signed a $50 million consulting contract with Venezuela’s socialist government not only did no apparent work, but also channeled a large chunk of the money to a yacht company on behalf of a fugitive billionaire, according to new allegations in a civil suit.
The accusations against former Congressman David Rivera come in a new filing Friday in New York federal court by opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who now control the U.S.-based affiliates of the South American nation’s state oil company.
Rivera’s Interamerican Consulting was sued in 2020 by PDV USA — a Delaware-based affiliate of Venezuelan-owned Citgo. It alleges Rivera performed no work for the $50 million contract he signed in 2017 for three months of “strategic consulting” meant to build bridges with key U.S. stakeholders.
The same contract has been the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation by federal prosecutors in Miami looking into, among other things, whether Rivera failed to register as a foreign lobbyist as required bv law.
Rivera has not been charged with any crime, but the new filings give a detailed look at his dealings with Venezuela’s state-run oil industry and how he allegedly spent the money he received.
Around the same time Rivera was hired, Maduro’s government had launched a charm offensive to curry favor with the Trump administration. It initially avoided outright criticism of the new U.S. leader and even donated $500,000 to his inaugural committee through Citgo.
The new court filing is based on evidence only recently uncovered by PDV USA’s attorneys, including 18,000 text and WhatsApp messages from Rivera’s phone and statements he made during a two-day deposition in July.
Rivera received only $15 million of the original amount, but the new filing says he spent part of that on unexplained payments to a convicted drug trafficker and to a company managing yachts on behalf of a Venezuelan TV magnate wanted for arrest by U.S. authorities.
“Mr. Rivera never provided any services to Citgo and, it appears, never intended to do so,” according to the filing by PDV USA. “Instead, the true purpose of the agreement was to cover up illicit transactions.”
Rivera did not reply to a request for comment, but he has maintained his innocence and has countersued PDV USA alleging breach of contract and unjust enrichment for its failure to pay $30 million he says he is still owed.
According to the filing, in one exchange of messages with Raul Gorrin — a Maduro insider who owns Venezuela’s largest private TV network — Rivera discussed trying to set up a meeting between Venezuela’s foreign minister and executives from the U.S. oil company Exxon.
The new filing cites a message in which Rivera and Gorrin texted one another that “the concert ticket is $15, not 20, as we said last night” — wording PDV USA’s lawyers call a “clear reference to a bribe.”
“At deposition, Mr. Rivera was unable to explain what this text message meant, and testified that he did not remember attending any concerts at that time,” PDV USA stated in its filing. It did not say who a bribe might have been meant for and the meeting never took place.
Rivera had asked the court to shield his communications with Gorrin, who the U.S. alleges was the mastermind of a conspiracy to siphon $1.2 billion from PDVSA — Venezuela’s state oil company. Gorrin is a lawyer, though not licensed to practice in the United States, and a judge in June ruled that Rivera’s communications with him did not meet the threshold for attorney-client privilege and must be handed over as part of what’s known as discovery.
Of the $15 million that Rivera received, about 75% was transferred to other individuals, according to the new filing. Around $3.75 million was transferred to a Miami company, Interglobal Yacht Management. Rivera claimed the money was an expense for services under the contract. PDV USA alleges instead it was used to pay for maintenance on one of Gorrin’s superyachts.
Similar amounts went to Esther Nuhfer, who is described as a longtime political associate of Rivera, as well as Hugo Perera, a Miami developer who pleaded guilty to tax fraud in a massive drug-smuggling case in the 1990s against the feared Cali Cartel.
Rivera testified that the payments were referral fees and for assistance he received as part of the consulting contract, according to PDV USA.’s account. But the new anti-Maduro management claims PDV USA never gave Rivera permission to outsource the work, as was expressly required by the consulting agreement.
To justify the large payments, PDV USA alleges Rivera created “phony contracts” backdated to March 20, 2017 — the day before the consulting agreement took effect.
Interglobal declined to sign the backdated contract, saying it had not performed that sort of subcontractor service.
“In short, PDV USA received nothing from Interamerican in exchange for making payments of $15 million,” the plaintiffs allege. “Most of that sum was transferred to third parties that are either indicted fugitives from justice or under criminal investigation in connection with those payments.”
The filing also alleges that other payments, deducted as expenses by Interamerican, were in reality moved between accounts controlled by Rivera. The new filings allege that Rivera’s own accountant testified in a deposition after meeting with criminal investigators from the Internal Revenue Service that he believed his client had committed tax fraud.
The consulting contract had all the hallmarks of a sham, according to PDV USA. Rivera’s Interamerican made just $9,500 in the year prior to signing the multimillion-dollar deal.
The lawsuit claims the company then controlled by Maduro loyalists hired Interamerican out of the blue, without due diligence, and that Rivera never met in person with anyone from Citgo or PDV USA while supposedly working on its behalf. Instead, he filed two “deficient and incoherent” progress reports of the seven he was required to submit.
“The written record is bereft of any evidence that Interamerican performed any of the contracted services,” PDV USA argues in the new filings. “There is not a single email, a single PowerPoint presentation, a single outline, a single memorandum, a single calendar entry, or anything else suggesting that Interamerican ever performed any of the services.”
Rivera, a Republican, served a single term in Congress, in 2011-2013, and during that time honored Venezuelan exiles fleeing socialist rule and cosponsored legislation seeking to withhold funding from the Organization of American States until it confronted then President Hugo Chávez for allegedly violating Venezuela’s constitution.
While serving as a state legislator, he shared a house in Tallahassee with now-Sen. Marco Rubio, who was the state House speaker at the time. Rivera has been embroiled in several election-related controversies since then, including orchestrating the stealth funding of an obscure Democratic candidate to take on his main rival in a South Florida congressional race. Last year, he was fined $456,000 for violating campaign finance laws in connection to that plot.
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Follow Goodman on Twitter: @APJoshGoodman
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