Maternal stress during the second trimester of pregnancy may influence the nervous system of the developing child, both before and after birth, and may have subtle effects on temperament, resulting in less smiling and engagement, as well as diminished ability to regulate emotions.
In a study led by UC San Francisco, researchers looked at the stress levels of 151 low-to-middle-income women who were between 12 and 24 weeks pregnant. The study was published in the journal Development and Psychopathology on Nov. 22, 2017.
The researchers followed the women throughout pregnancy and after delivery, and conducted a test to compare their reported stress levels during pregnancy with objective levels of stress in their 6-month-old offspring. In the test, the infants’ cardiac function was monitored while the mothers were instructed to look at the infant’s face but not interact with or touch them for two minutes following a brief play session.
The mothers reported the number of stressful life events they had experienced during pregnancy, which included illness, relationship problems, housing difficulties and legal issues. The babies of mothers with the highest number of these stressful life events – 22 of the 67 who completed the testing – were 22 percent more “reactive” than the 22 infants of mothers reporting the lowest number of stressful life events. They also recovered less quickly from the stressor, demonstrating lower resilience.
High reactivity, which is assessed by measuring the variability in the heart rate in conjunction with breathing, is indicative of a stronger decrease in parasympathetic nervous system activity in response to challenge, said first author Nicole Bush, PhD, of the UCSF departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, and UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences. The parasympathetic nervous system enables the body to rest and digest food, by slowing the heart rate and increasing intestinal and glandular activity.
However, in an optimal environment with few adversities, children with higher stress reactivity “don’t have their stress response triggered too often and may exhibit better-than-average social skills and emotional and behavioral well-being, because greater reactivity can make them more sensitive to the benefits of positive relationships and experiences in their environments,” said Bush, who is also associate director of research at the UCSF Division of Developmental Medicine.
Additionally, questionnaires from the 151 mothers revealed that those in the top third, who had higher levels of perceived stress in pregnancy and post-delivery, had babies with temperamental “surgency” levels that were 8 percent lower than those babies of mothers in the lower third, who reported less perceived stress in pregnancy and post-delivery.
Surgency includes traits such as willingness to approach and engage with the outside world, as well as laughter and smiles. These same babies born to the highly-stressed mothers were also found to have 8 percent lower levels of self-regulation, the ability to manage emotions – such as soothing themselves in periods of high stress – compared with the babies of mothers with less perceived stress during pregnancy and post-delivery.
This combination of lower surgency and lower self-regulation can place individuals at added risk for depression, anxiety and difficulties with their social relationships, said Bush.
The study was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholars Program, and the Lisa and John Pritzker Family Foundation.
Co-authors are Karen Jones-Mason, PhD, Michael Coccia, Zoe Caron, Abbey Alkon, PhD, RN, Kim Coleman-Phox, Nancy Adler, PhD, and Elissa Epel, PhD, of UCSF; Melanie Thomas, MD, of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center; Prathik Wadhwa, MD, PhD, of UC Irvine; and Barbara Laraia, PhD, RD, of UC Berkeley.


Marwah Maasarani and her husband Omar Awad watching Donald Trump's RNC speech in their New Jersey livingroom on Thursday.
One of the groups Donald Trump has been most vocal about is Muslims. Back in December, he called for a complete shutdown of Muslim immigration to America. So as he spoke at the Republican National Convention Thursday night, Muslims were watching closely.
In one house in New Jersey, Omar Awad and his wife, Marwah Maasarani, settled down to watch.
Awad and Maasarani live in a townhouse in the town of Lodi. They say all their neighbors are Muslim, mostly from Turkey. The couple’s families are from Egypt. Maasarani, 25, says she’s a devout Muslim — she wears a headscarf and follows the religious rules.
Awad was also born in New Jersey, though he lived in Egypt for 10 years when he was a kid. Awad worked in the field of biomedical engineering before leaving to become the president and CEO of the largest mosque in the area, the Islamic Center of Passaic County.
Awad and Maasarani say that watching the Republican National Convention has been an evening ritual all week. They’ve been paying special attention to comments about Muslims and immigrants.
Suddenly Awad’s phone goes off. It was the aisha prayer, the last prayer of the day, and Awad gets five notifications a day for the prayers.
“That’s the beauty of having Islamic apps,” he says.
Midway through the speech, Trump brings up the Middle East and makes the statement that as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton managed to “almost single-handedly destabilize” the entire region — and that during her tenure, Egypt was turned over to the radical Muslim brotherhood before the military took control. Listening to that, Awad says Trump doesn’t know his Egyptian history.
“There was a revolution in Egypt, then an election, then a coup,” he says.
“He also seems to be giving Hillary credit for the Arab Spring, basically,” Maasarani says.
Even while the Trump campaign rhetoric has been unsettling for Maasarani and Awad, they say they feel supported as Muslims in New Jersey. Awad says his mosque just opened a second campus, and town councilors were there to wish them well. Maasarani says her company asked her to give a presentation last month about Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting.
“And they were like, is there anything we can do to make this month easier?” she says.
The couple notes that one person who did a lot for local Muslims in New Jersey was Governor Chris Christie. Back in 2011, Christie appointed a Muslim lawyer to be a judge in New Jersey Superior Court in Passaic County. Now, Christie is one of the bulldogs for the Trump campaign.
In the end, Maasarani and Awad say the most remarkable part of the night is what they see as the lack of any real plans in Trump’s speech — yet the crowd loved it.
Next week, they’ll be tuned in to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia to hear what Hillary Clinton has to say. Maasarani went to the same college as Clinton — Wellesley — but she says she was a Bernie Sanders supporter.
She says Clinton hasn’t connected with her — yet.


Colombo, 01 July, (Asiantribune.com): Latest reports in the Eastern Front reveal that there are about 100 Tamil Tiger cadres holed up in the jungles of Yala with limited supplies of food other and other items. Eastern sources have confirmed that their needs are supplied by an underground group Sinhala political activists in the region linked to the opposition political party; UNP. Military analysts say that it is in the interest of the UNP to keep the Tiger forces going in the east to discredit the Government’s claims of victories.
The role of the UNPers in the east is under suspicion as Ranil Wickremesinghe, the UNP leader, instigates his spokespersons, Lakshman Kiriella, Tissa Attanayake to belittle the achievements of the Security forces that had driven the Tigers out of their commanding position in the east. The Mangala-Sooriyapathi duo, now in an alliance with the UNP, too has joined the UNPers in running down the victories of the Security forces.
The Tiger cadres battling in the Yala jungles are led by Commander Ram and his assistant Stanley.
Another group led by Nagesh has under his command nearly another 100 cadres but sources said that they are divided into small groups ranging from 10 to 15 men in various locations around Thanthamalai in Amparai District border areas.
Recently, a group under Nagesh staged a lightening attack on the Karuna group cadres based in Vakaneri, Pulipainthakal and Pendukalchenai. Sources revealed that two of Karuna group cadres were shot and killed and another sustained serious injuries. Reports reveal that Karuna cadres were also chased away in sudden attack by Nagesh’s men.
The LTTE’s Batticalao district Commander Jeyam it seems has withdrawn from the Beruit border and entered the other side of mountain located in the Thoppigala jungle. It is said that he has with him about 35 cadres.
Another LTTE group leader Pallavan has with him around three dozens of fighters near Koolavadi on the road from Kiran to Tharavai.
Sources also revealed that Keerthi of the intelligent wing and Mano Master are with nearly 50 cadres, hidden deep in the Thoppigala jungle waiting to attack the Sri Lanka army and STF forces.
LTTE has already buried the big guns and mortars they earlier used to attack the Sri Lankan security forces. Now they are involved in lightening guerilla attacks, mining strategic roads and burying claymore mines .
In the meantime, according to sources Ramesh former Batticaloa – Amparai Commander after the split with the LTTE’s breakaway leader Karuna, has already crossed the Trincomalee road and is on his way to Vanni with about 320 LTTE cadres. It is said that majority of them are injured cadres and women fighters.
However, sources added that Ramesh and his fleeing cadres had not managed to pass Nilaveli area in the Trincomalee district. They also face severe problems as the Sri Lanka Army is in the know of the movement of this LTTE cadres and are waiting to confront them before they slip into Vanni.


Companies truly benefit from having a strong Human Resources (HR) department. But alas, not all businesses have gotten the memo. When your boss doesn’t listen (or the problem you’re having is with your boss), HR is supposed to be the place you can turn to for help. But when an HR department underperforms, it can leave employees in a tight spot. So what do you do when neither your boss or HR will listen? Read on for some alternative ideas.
The first step should always be to file a complaint with HR, even if you already have a sneaking suspicion they won’t listen to you. It’s usually better to give a person or department the benefit of the doubt, so allow them the chance to try and fix your grievance. In order to make that easier, PayScale recommends you document everything having to do with the complaint. Whether it’s an issue with another employee, your boss, or even a client, be sure to write down, date, and save as many screenshots, emails, texts, incidents, etc. as possible. This will help build an evidence-based claim HR will have a harder time ignoring than if you simply walk in with a verbal complaint.
These laws apply to all stages of the workplace, including hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits. Most companies that employ at least fifteen to twenty people must follow the EEOC’s guidelines, so if your business qualifies and your complaint falls into one of the above categories, contacting them might be your next best bet. But in situations where you feel like your immediate safety is in peril, you should instead contact the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration.
If you’ve presented HR with copious documentation of your complaints and they reject your claim, they must put that rejection in writing. You always have the right to dispute their findings, but it’s very rarely successful. In this case, you should consider seeking outside legal counsel—and be sure to tell HR exactly what you’re planning on doing. Bustle claims that simply announcing your intent to look for help outside of the company may be enough to convince HR to up their game. But if it doesn’t, speaking about your options with an experienced lawyer will help you clarify what your next steps should be—or if there are “next steps” available for you to take.
The truth is that, if you’ve taken any or all of the above steps and discover HR really, truly has no interest in remedying the issue(s) you’ve presented to them, your only other option may be to leave the company. Consider whether you would even want to continue working in an office that cares so little about its employees’ wellbeing and, if the answer is “no,” begin looking around for opportunities somewhere else. No, it’s not fair to feel as though you are being forced to leave through no fault of your own, but it is vastly better than the alternative: staying in a workplace where you feel unsafe, unwanted, or unseen.
Serious complaints in the workplace, especially those not satisfactorily handled by a competent HR department, indicate a much larger problem that will not be remedied by repeated complaints. In this case, it’s probably best for your mental health and emotional wellbeing to seek employment elsewhere.
It can be incredibly frustrating to be faced with a seemingly uncaring boss and HR department. But hopefully, by carefully considering the options that are available, you can take your future into your own hands—whether or not you finally get HR to properly respond.


McAfee Internet Security offers all expected suite features, antivirus, firewall, antispam, parental control, and more. But you get the best of these features in McAfee's standalone antivirus, for quite a bit less.
Protection for every Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS device in your household. Password manager rich in multi-factor authentication options. Many bonus features.
Parental control awkward, limited, and ineffective. Offers little beyond what's in the antivirus.
Upgrading to McAfee Internet Security gets you a clever password manager along with parental control and spam filtering that you may not need. You're better off paying $20 less for McAfee AntiVirus Plus.
McAfee packs an amazing number of useful features into its standalone antivirus product. This year's edition adds ransomware protection and a PC speed booster. You might think there's not much left to add to distinguish its security suite. Indeed, while the added features in McAfee Internet Security are welcome additions, they don't add value for everyone. Password management is a universal need, but McAfee's offering isn't one of our top choices. Not every user requires parental control, or spam filtering. And these components haven't significantly grown or evolved since last year. Unless this combination of components perfectly fits your needs, you're better off sticking with the less expensive McAfee AntiVirus Plus.
All the products in McAfee's security lineup include protection for every Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS device in your household. That's a lot of protection for $89.99 per year. Bitdefender and Kaspersky give you five licenses for that price, and Symantec Norton Security Premium lets you have 10 for $109.99 per year. Even if you don't use more than 10 licenses, it just feels good to know there's no limit.
If you buy this product in a store, you may find that the box says it offers 10 licenses. A McAfee marketer explained that labeling a box "unlimited licenses" confused consumers looking at boxes on the shelf. Don't worry. You really do get unlimited licenses.
Last year McAfee's designers abandoned the blocky old user interface for a completely new look, in shades of white, gray, and pale blue. This year the macOS product got the same style of makeover. A menu across the top lets you select pages for Home, PC Security, Identity, Privacy, and Account. The True Key password manager shows up on the Home and Identity pages. Antispam also appears on the Identity page, and parental control comes under Privacy. Other than that, it looks about the same as the standalone antivirus.
Of course, everything you get as part of McAfee AntiVirus Plus is also present in the full suite. Below is a precise of my findings, but for details you really should read the full antivirus review.
Three of the four independent labs I follow include McAfee in their testing. After spotty results for a few years, McAfee seems to be doing better. It aced tests by AV-Test Institute, with 18 of 18 possible points. In three tests by AV-Comparatives, it earned two Advanced+ ratings and one Advanced.
Tested by MRG-Effitas, McAfee earned decent scores, but most others did better. Kaspersky Internet Security earned perfect scores in the latest tests by all four labs, and Bitdefender came close.
In my own hands-on malware protection tests, I learned that McAfee doesn't scan files merely on access. Rather, it waits until they try to launch and silently quarantines any malware. It detected 93 percent of my samples and earned 9.3 points, sharing the top spot with F-Secure and Cylance.
Challenged with a collection of 100 malware-hosting URLs, McAfee defended the test system in two ways. The WebAdvisor browser plugin deflected 10 percent of them, and its download-checker eliminated another 87 percent. A protection rate of 97 percent is very good, but Norton eked out 98 percent, and Bitdefender Internet Security rules this test with 99 percent.
WebAdvisor also steers users away from phishing sites, fraudulent sites that try to steal your login credentials for banks, finance sites, and even gaming and dating sites. In testing with 100 very new phishing sites, McAfee achieved 100 percent protection, a feat recently also matched by Kaspersky's security software.
New in this edition, Ransom Guard adds a layer of protection against ransomware. When it detects a whiff of illegitimate "file transformation," it backs up files that might be affected. In the case of a ransomware attack, it quarantines the attack and restores the files. When I tested with hand-modified versions of real-world ransomware, it definitively identified one as ransomware, totally missed another, and flagged the rest as generic malware. It looks like this feature may need tuning.
McAfee Antivirus Plus contains a surprising number of features that go beyond merely protecting against malware. New in this edition, PC Boost speeds your day in two ways. It boosts applications by diverting extra resources to the foreground program, and to any processes that need more than they're getting. And it boosts browsing by actively pausing any videos that try to launch automatically.
The firewall component both protects against outside attack and keeps programs from misusing your network connection. By default, it handles program control internally, which is much better than entrusting that task to the untutored user. For testing, I enabled its Intrusion Protection module and attacked the test system using vulnerabilities generated by the CORE Impact penetration tool. The attacks didn't penetrate the fully patched test system, but McAfee's firewall didn't actively defend against them. It mostly stood up to my direct attack test, though I managed to disable a few of its Windows services.
A vulnerability scanner seeks out missing security patches for Windows and popular programs and, when possible, automates the update process. You can use the Shredder to securely delete sensitive files beyond the possibility of forensic recovery.
On the My Network page, you can view all devices on the network. The list flags devices that have McAfee protection, and you can set up a trust relationship between Windows installations that allows you to remotely check security status and adjust configuration.
The Protect More Devices feature, accessed from the Home page, lets you send an email or text with a link to install protection on any Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android device you own. There's also an option to find all devices on your network that don't have McAfee protection. In testing, I didn't manage to see that feature in action, but it's not all that necessary. Just email yourself the installation link, and open the email on each device.
Base protection for non-Windows devices is the same whether you're subscribed for the antivirus or the full suite, though some of the suite's added features add mobile apps. On a Mac, it installs McAfee AntiVirus Plus (for Mac). The most impressive event in my macOS testing? It achieved 100 percent phishing protection, just as under Windows. The Android edition is a full-featured security suite, with antivirus, antitheft, call and text blocking, and more. Those using iOS don't get as much—secure storage for photos, backup for contacts, the ability to locate a lost device, and safe browsing using a Proxy VPN. If you had to pay for each license, installing on iOS would be a waste, but with no limit on devices you might as well.
Like parental control, the anti-spam component's installation takes place the first time you try to use it. That makes total sense. If you use a web-based email system, the service provider filters out spam, and they're quite effective. Your work email probably has spam filtered out at the server level. Those who need a local spam filter are an endangered species. But if you are a member of this group, McAfee has a lot to offer.
McAfee's spam filter integrates with Microsoft Outlook and Mozilla Thunderbird. In these email clients, it adds a handy toolbar and automatically tosses spam messages in their own folder. You can still use it if you're a fan of Eudora or The Bat!, but you'll have to define a message rule to sift out the spam. McAfee filters spam from POP3 and Exchange email accounts, though it doesn't handle IMAP accounts in your email client the way Kaspersky does.
In an unusual twist, McAfee can reach into your webmail accounts to filter out spam. When this feature first came out, it was impressively and unusual. But now that most webmail services do a fine job of filtering spam internally, it's less necessary. If you choose to use it, you can view messages filtered out of your webmail stream right in the application and, if necessary, rescue any valid mail back to your online inbox.
There are quite a few options for configuring the spam filter. To start, there are five levels of protection, from Minimal, which allows more spam but doesn't throw away valid mail, to Restricted, which blocks all messages unless the sender is on your Friends list. I'd advise leaving it set to the default Balanced level.
You can define custom spam filtering rules, but I can't imagine why any user would take the time to do this. The Friends list identifies addresses or domains that should always reach the Inbox. You can manually edit this list, add friends from the email client toolbar, or add all your contacts to the Friends list. There's also an option to automatically block messages written using character sets for languages you don't speak.
If you do need spam filtering at the local level, McAfee can handle it. Where many products limit protection to POP3 accounts, McAfee can filter Exchange accounts and even pull spam from your webmail. If you don't need it, well, at least it isn't installed by default.
McAfee's parental control component hasn't changed significantly in years. In fact, it's nearing the end of its life. My McAfee contact indicates that by the first quarter of 2019 it will be withdrawn, and McAfee Internet Security will not include a parental control component. No parental control is probably better than a lame parental control system.
Note that McAfee's mega-suite, McAfee Total Protection, does offer parental control, but not internally. Rather, your subscription gives you access to McAfee Safe Family, a modern, cross-platform parental control system.
Parental control isn't part of the default installation, which makes sense, given that nonparents don't need it, and some parents don't want it. The first time you try to use it, you go through a simple install process and set a configuration password, so the kids can't turn it off. When you go to configure protection, you'll find that it's quite limited. For each child's Windows account, you can choose content categories for blocking and set a schedule for Internet use. You can also view a report of activity for each child or all children.
As with previous versions, setting up parental control for a child's account that has Administrator privileges triggers a big warning. And yet, many parents do give older children Administrator accounts, to avoid constantly having to jump in and supply an admin password any time the child wants to install a new game. Most other parental control systems manage to handle Administrator accounts.
To configure the content filter, you first choose one of five age ranges. Doing so preconfigures which of the 20 content categories to block. Rather than the usual list with checkboxes, McAfee displays a list of blocked categories and another list of allowed categories, with arrow buttons to move items back and forth between the lists. Most are what you'd expect, but I'd sure like to see a site that gets blocked for "Historical Revisionism."
There's an option to block search links to sites containing inappropriate images or language, but what it really does is attempt to force Safe Search in the search engines. This attempt fails when the engine defaults to a secure HTTPS connection, as Google does.
The content filter does handle websites that use HTTPS, which means your kid won't sleaze past the filter using a secure anonymizing proxy. I couldn't uncouple the content filter using the three-word network command that foiled parental control in a few less advanced products. Last year I found that many truly raunchy sites slipped right past the filter. This time around, the content filter blocked every naughty site I dreamed up.
Like many parental control systems, McAfee offers a scheduling grid that lets you schedule permitted times for internet access. However, it remains the most awkward implementation of this feature that I've encountered. You can't drag a rectangle to, say, block from midnight to six every morning of the week. You can only drag within one day's column. The grid is so tall that you can only select about seven hours at a time, and it doesn't auto-scroll when you hit the edge. This feature could be so much easier to use! The kids can't fool it by resetting the system clock, but, as the product warns, a kid with Administrator access could get around it by tweaking the time zone.
The simple parental report lists all domains blocked, along with their categories. It also logs all attempts to use the Internet when the schedule doesn't allow it.
Don't bother installing this suite's parental control component. It's going away in a few months, in any case. If parental control is something you need, pick a top-notch standalone product. Or look to a suite whose parental control component is comprehensive and effective, such as Kaspersky, Norton, or Check Point ZoneAlarm Extreme Security.
In my briefing on this year's product line, I was told about big changes in password management. True Key would be rebranded as McAfee Password Manager, and no longer available as a separate product. But when I clicked the button for Password Manager, it installed True Key. My McAfee contact explained that the changeover should happen by March, mentioning the company needed "to honor commitments to certain partners." For now, please check my review of the standalone True Key product for current details.
While you can install McAfee Internet Security on every device in your household, you only get a license for one True Key profile. If you want a separate profile for each family member, you'll have to upgrade to McAfee Total Protection, which comes with five licenses.
You can install True Key on all your Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. It syncs nicely across them all, and supports a dazzling array of multifactor authentication options, including email verification, trusted device management, master password, face recognition, and fingerprint recognition. You can even reset a lost master password using multiple other authentication factors. With almost all other password managers, losing your master password means you've lost all your data.
True Key's multifactor authentication system works nicely, and it handles standard password manager functions, but it lacks advanced features found in the best competing products. There's no secure password sharing, password inheritance, or automated password updating. It doesn't even fill personal data into web forms. Getting it free as part of this suite is great. But if you're paying, you'll be better off with one of our Editors' Choice password managers.
If your security suite puts such a drag on system performance that you turn it off, that's not very good protection. Fortunately, the days of resource-hog suites are long in the past. I still test performance impact using a few simple tests. I time certain common activities before and after installing the suite, averaging multiple runs, to come up with a percentage reflecting impact on performance. McAfee put more of a drag on some activities than others, but not so much that you'd really notice.
For one test, I run a script that launches at startup and checks CPU usage once per second. When 10 seconds pass with CPU usage at five percent or lower, I consider the PC ready for use. Subtracting the start of the boot process (as reported by Windows) yields the length of time required to boot the system. The average boot time went up by 68 percent after I installed McAfee, which is more than the last time I tested it. It's true, though, that many users just let their PCs sleep, rebooting only when forced.
My other two tests time scripts that move and copy a mixed collection of files between drives, and that zip and unzip that same collection repeatedly. McAfee didn't slow these scripts at all, which is excellent. In truth, you spend a lot more time working with files than you do restarting the system. McAfee's average impact of 23 percent is near the bottom of current products, but that's still not terrible. At the other end of the scale, adaware, Bitdefender, Norton, and Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Plus didn't have any performance impact measurable by my tests.
To upgrade from McAfee's antivirus to the McAfee Internet Security suite costs $30 per year. For that price, you get a password manager that focuses strongly on multifactor authentication, along with a spam filter and parental control system that you may not need. Every other feature is already present in the nominally standalone antivirus. Protection on macOS, Android, and iOS doesn't change. Given that the extra $30 would more than pay for a year of True Key, most users have no compelling reason to upgrade.
Other than the cross-platform benefits, this suite is comparable to Bitdefender Internet Security and Kaspersky Internet Security. These two suites earn fantastic scores from the independent testing labs, their components are capable across the board, and they offer a comparable smorgasbord of bonus features. They're our Editors' Choice winners for entry-level security suite.


Rolandan Finch ran for 243 yards and two touchdowns, and Boston College defeated Maryland, 28-17, yesterday for its first Atlantic Coast Conference victory of the season.
The game featured the two teams with the worst overall records in the ACC, and it showed. The Eagles (2-6, 1-4) committed four turnovers, and the Terrapins (2-6, 1-4) gave the ball away twice and missed two short field goals.
The lackluster matchup, along with freezing temperatures and a surprise snowfall, caused thousands of fans to stay at home. Attendance was announced at 29,945, but there were fewer than 10,000 people in the seats when the second half started with Maryland trailing, 21-3.
Finch, a sophomore, never before broke the 100-yard mark and had run for 266 yards in six games before yesterday. He had 152 yards rushing at halftime, finished with a career-high 39 carries and had a team-leading two catches for 7 yards.
Finch is filling in for standout senior Montel Harris, who’s out for the year with a knee injury.
Linebacker Luke Kuechly had 12 tackles and an interception to help Boston College snap a three-game skid. The Eagles’ only other win was against UMass.
Maryland coach Randy Edsall started C.J. Brown at quarterback, then switched to Danny O’Brien in the second quarter. Both threw an interception, and neither moved the offense until O’Brien threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Adrian Coxson with 6:39 left.
That made it 21-10, and after a failed onside kick, Finch scored his second touchdown to clinch it.


WASHINGTON — Veterans Affairs officials are declining to give members of Congress documents related to accusations that outside businessmen are unduly influencing department policy, citing legal ongoing disputes over the issue.
At issue are concerns raised by a ProPublica report this summer that identified three businessmen — Marvel Entertainment CEO Ike Perlmutter, primary care specialist Dr. Bruce Moskowitz, and attorney Marc Sherman — as key architects of a host of veterans policy decisions by Trump’s administration.
None of the men hold official government positions, but all three are confidants of Trump and members of his exclusive Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Documents released by the news organization show frequent contact between the men and top VA officials last year, including discussions on policy matters and personal favors.
Last month, at a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie told lawmakers he has only met with the men once, as a courtesy during a trip to Florida, and that they have no role in crafting department policy.
The claim appears to be connected to a lawsuit filed by the left-leaning advocacy group VoteVets, to block the men from contact with VA leadership on official matters.
Minnesota Rep. Tim Walz, the top ranking Democrat on the veterans’ panel, called Wilkie’s excuse for not releasing the documents “unacceptable” and without legal merit.
Walz is demanding the documents be turned over to the committee before the end of the month.
In his Senate appearance, Wilkie told lawmakers he believes that VA “has calmed down” in the first few weeks of his tenure as secretary.
Wilkie was nominated for the post after former VA Secretary David Shulkin was fired by Trump over Twitter in March, and after Trump’s other replacement nominee, Rear. Adm. Ronny Jackson, withdraw from the process amid reports of unprofessional behavior while working as the White House physician.


Shares of Hyundai Motors and its Kia Motors affiliate slumped on Thursday, after both companies said they are recalling more than 1.8 million cars and SUVs in the United States to address a potentially faulty switch and a loose headliner, according to U.S. safety regulators.
Hyundai and Kia tumbled 5 percent and 4 percent respectively in early trade in Seoul.
Hyundai is recalling 1,059,824 cars and SUVs and Kia 623,658 vehicles from model years 2007 through 2011 to replace a switch that could increase the risk of a crash, according to documents filed with U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
A Kia spokesman in the United States said the company was not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue, and did not have any information on whether the recall was being done in other countries. Reuters could not immediately reach officials at Hyundai.
In addition, Hyundai is recalling another 186,254 Elantra cars from model years 2011 through 2013 to apply adhesive strips to the headliner to prevent that part from becoming displaced during a side curtain airbag deployment and increasing the risk of cuts during a crash, the NHTSA said.
The malfunctioning stop lamp switch in the larger recall affecting Hyundai and Kia may cause the brake lights not to illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed, or cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by pressing the brake pedal, the NHTSA said.
That malfunctioning switch may also cause intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, prevent the shifter from being moved out of the park position or allow the driver to move the shifter out of park without applying the brake, or cause the electronic stability control malfunction light to illuminate, according to NHTSA documents.
Failure to illuminate the brake lights or disengage cruise control could increase the risk of a crash, while disabling the brake-transmission interlock could result in a vehicle rollaway, the NHTSA said.
Both South Korean automakers are notifying owners, and dealers will replace the switch at no cost.
Genesis coupes and 2011 Sonata cars, according to the NHTSA.
The affected Kia models include 2011 Optima cars, 2007-2010 Rondo crossovers, 2007 Sedona minivans, 2007-2011 Sorento crossovers, 2010-2011 Soul cars and 2007-2010 Sportage SUVs.


Nate Mason scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half to help Minnesota (22-7, 10-6) take control. Mason also had 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Jordan Murphy finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Golden Gophers.
Lynch, the Big Ten’s leading shot blocker, dominated on the defensive end without committing a foul.
With Penn State trying to make a late push, Lynch rejected a Shep Garner layup attempt to protect an 11-point lead. After a Lynch dunk, Akeem Springs hit a 3-pointer to give the Golden Gophers their largest lead of the game at 77-61 with 4:10 remaining.
Minnesota shot 55.6 percent from the field in the second half to close out the win. Dupree McBrayer scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half for the Golden Gophers, who extended their winning streak to seven games.
Lamar Stevens and Payton Banks each had 11 points for Penn State, and Garner added 10.
The Nittany Lions shot 35.5 percent from the field for the game.
Notes: Carr now has 119 assists this season, setting the program’s freshman single-season record previously owned by Ben Luber (114 in 2004). ... The Nittany Lions finished 7 for 21 from 3-point range. ... Penn State finished with 10 assists and zero turnovers in the second half and finished with 16 assists and five turnovers in the game. ... Penn State hosts its final home game of the regular season against Ohio State at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.


With the Fourth of July fast approaching, I am reminded of the many benefits of independence, especially independent investment advice. You would think that independent advice would be any adviser’s highest calling. Surely our mission should be to aggressively avoid direct or indirect conflicts of interest, so we can freely employ any funds or investments that best suit our clients’ needs.
Investors should expect this highest level of care from their adviser, and they should ignore recommendations made by any firm that won’t look at all the options available in the marketplace. Yet, I routinely see conflicts of interest from advisers that restrict their clients to a limited investment list.
When I was a broker during the 1990s, the firms I worked for encouraged us to sell their proprietary mutual funds. Many competing funds were more appropriate and lower cost, but we were told to recommend in-house funds first.
This sounds improper, but it is not a breach of the suitability standard that governs a broker’s advice. The liberal suitability standard allows a broker to sell in-house financial products as long as the broker can show that they are suitable for a client based on the circumstances. However, being suitable for a client is decidedly not the same as being the best available choice for that individual.
A disturbing new trend in the advisor industry is to limit investment options for clients. When I see a firm restricting its investment recommendations to only its own proprietary funds or limiting portfolios to only exchange-traded funds (ETFs), I must question whether these decisions are in the best interest of clients. These are the elements of a suitability standard, not a fiduciary standard.
One behemoth mutual fund company who will remain nameless has recently launched an advisory service that charges clients a separate fee to choose their funds and manage a portfolio. The company restricts client portfolios to only their own proprietary mutual funds for which they are also paid fees. They do not recommend competing mutual funds even when those products may be a better fit for their client.
Sound familiar? It’s the suitability standard for brokers that I described earlier.
Here’s another example. There is a growing presence in the marketplace of automated portfolio management services that use ETFs exclusively in their core portfolio management offering. These firms are often referred to as robo-advisors. Investors take a questionnaire on-line, are served up a portfolio of ETFs, and then asked to open an account and invest, all without speaking with a human being.
Why do most robo-advisors only use ETFs and exclude mutual funds? It’s not because mutual funds don’t offer broad, low-cost investment opportunities, nor is it because ETFs are better than traditional funds. It’s because the robo-advisors haven’t figured out how to efficiently include mutual funds in a portfolio due to trading issues and settlement differences with ETFs.
A fiduciary is not biased; they act in the best interest of the client and provide full and fair disclosure of material facts and conflicts of interest. Restricting client portfolios to a narrow set of investments because it benefits of the adviser runs contrary to this ideal.
Being a great steward of clients’ money isn’t easy and no investment adviser is perfect. I’m proud to say that my firm, Portfolio Solutions®, has never restricted clients to one mutual fund company or to ETFs-only. When we believe that an investment best fits a client’s needs, we use it. That’s adviser independence. That’s the way it should be.


A poker-faced Jason Pierre-Paul is still not showing the Giants his hand.
As his teammates gathered Friday to start training camp, JPP emerged Friday with his severely' damaged right hand swaddled in thick bandages — and none of his four remaining fingers visible.
The bearded Pierre-Paul sported a heavy black sling to support his even-more heavily wrapped arm in the exclusive photos taken in southern Florida and obtained by the Daily News.
His face betrayed no emotion, but the pictures seemed to dash expectations that the nine-fingered Pierre-Paul was returning to the Meadowlands anytime in the near future.
The 26-year-old star pass rusher has yet to allow anyone connected with the Giants to examine the disfiguring injuries suffered in a Fourth of July fireworks disaster that claimed his right index finger.
The suddenly reclusive JPP reportedly suffered a badly fractured thumb in the late-night blast, along with severe burns. The bandages extended well past his wrist before disappearing into the sling.
Pierre-Paul wandered outside Friday as a flatbed truck arrived to take away one of his cars. He wore a white T-shirt with a quote indicating he was taking the setback philosophically.
"Without music, life would be a mistake," read the message lifted from German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's book "Twilight of the Idols."
The Giants hope the title isn't prophetic when it comes to their top D-lineman, who wore black shorts and flip-flops. He never signed a one-year, $14.7 million contract after the team designated him as its franchise player, and is currently not under contract with the Giants.
The team's frustration with JPP boiled over this week as he remained out of touch while Big Blue began prepping for the start of its season.
"We don't know how extensive the damage is," Giants' co-owner John Mara said Thursday. "That's the problem. I don't know how many fingers he has."
Two-time Super Bowl winning coach Tom Coughlin said Pierre-Paul never responded to a text message of concern. "I want to be there for him," said Coughlin. "But he has decided that he doesn't want our help."
Pierre-Paul's finger was amputated during a 10-day hospital stay that followed the accident. The former first-round draft pick sent out a photo of a U-Haul truck filled with fireworks before the blast.
JPP's agent and others in his camp then snubbed every attempt by the Giants to offer medical assistance or examine the injuries. A Giants contingent that included Ronnie Barnes, the team's respected senior VP of medical services, was turned away from the hospital.


The Government has said there was no plan to set up a one-stop regulatory authority to receive complaints against broadcasting of programmes on private radio and television channels in violations of the code, thus ending the practice of self regulation.
MUMBAI: Fortinet, a leader in high-performance cybersecurity solutions, has announced that the Maharashtra Information Technology Corporation (MITC) has selected Fortinet to provide wireless Internet access to the citizens of Mumbai, India.
NEW DELHI: Faced with just less than one month to go before total switch-off of analogue signals, the Government today decided that all provisional multi-system operators will be deemed as having regular licence for ten years.


At almost every Brazilian gathering you’ll find pão de queijo (pronounced pow-ge-kay-ju) on the table: small golden cheese balls with a crunchy crust, a light, fluffy centre and a slightly tart flavour. They are similar to French gougère but are naturally gluten free.
Its culinary roots can almost certainly be traced back to the landlocked state of Minas Gerais in south-east Brazil. It’s thought that the indigenous Guaraní peoples pounded native cassava, otherwise known as yuca or manioc, to make basic bread long before the arrival of the Portuguese in 1500. When the colonisers settled in Minas, bringing with them African slaves – the colonial capital Ouro Preto was at the heart of the Brazilian gold rush – they discovered that the land wasn’t suitable for cultivating grains like wheat, and turned to this hardy, starchy tuber.
Like bitter almonds, cassava root contains cyanide and rendering it edible was a laborious process; it had to be peeled, finely grated, soaked in water and dried. This left behind a residue of powdery tapioca starch that the slaves, desperate to boost their paltry diet, would scrape out of the bowls and roll into small balls of dough before baking.
Fast-forward to the late 19th century; slavery was abolished, cattle farms were widespread, and salty, aged Minas cheese, milk and eggs were added to the mix, and this historic snack went nationwide. It is available around-the-clock and often sold in bars, but it’s best eaten at breakfast, fresh from the oven and washed down with a cup of Brazilian coffee.


A bright white smile can make a powerful first impression, but many people have smiles that are structurally healthy but unattractive. Porcelain veneers can correct a host of cosmetic dental issues. For April 2019, Savannah Dental Solutions is offering a free veneers consultation.
people have smiles that are structurally healthy but unattractive. Porcelain veneers can correct a host of cosmetic dental issues. For April 2019, Savannah Dental Solutions is offering a free veneers consultation.
How Long Do Porcelain Veneers Last? Although they will not last a lifetime, porcelain veneers are extremely strong. They can easily last for a decade or more with proper care. More stain-resistant than natural teeth, porcelain veneers are more durable than other cosmetic solutions such as dental bonding.
Do Porcelain Veneers Look Natural? Many people are concerned that they will end up with a fake "game show host" smile, but modern porcelain veneers actually look quite natural. They have a translucency and sheen that mimic those of natural teeth, and they can be color-matched to the existing teeth. In fact, some people choose to whiten their teeth before getting veneers and then matching the veneers to the brighter shade. However, it must be noted that whitening should be repeated periodically to maintain the color match.
About Savannah Dental Solutions Married dentists Chad and Alexandra Schnabel welcome new patients to Savannah Dental Solutions. From caring children's dentistry to high-tech cosmetic procedures and even full-mouth reconstruction, they blend the latest technology with traditional customer-oriented values. Those who are ready to start their journey to better oral health can call today at (912) 354-1366 or visit the website at http://savannahdentalsolutions.com. The office is located at 9A Medical Arts Center, Savannah, GA 31405.


The European Chemicals Agency on Wednesday said glyphosate, the key chemical in Monsanto Co.'s flagship herbicide, doesn't cause cancer, but the agricultural giant is facing new questions over the safety of the weedkiller.
Emails among company employees, released this week as part of a continuing lawsuit over the herbicide, reflect what the plaintiffs' attorneys say was the company's inappropriate role in shaping research and a cozy relationship with regulators at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Monsanto argued the emails were taken out of context.
Glyphosate, which Monsanto invented and has marketed since 1974 under the brand "Roundup," is the world's most widely used herbicide. Its use proliferated with the advent of corn and soybeans genetically engineered to survive the spray. It has been deployed to destroy everything from illegal coca crops in Colombia to weeds sprouting among railroad tracks. Monsanto generated $3.5 billion in sales last year from its agricultural-productivity division, which largely reflects its Roundup business.
Scrutiny of glyphosate has grown since 2015, when the International Agency for Research on Cancer, an arm of the World Health Organization, said glyphosate can likely cause cancer in humans. That finding ran counter to earlier conclusions by the EPA and other chemical regulators, and was rebuked by Monsanto and agriculture groups.
On Wednesday, Monsanto said the European Chemicals Agency's finding matched the view of every other chemical regulatory body world-wide.
Monsanto's internal emails were released as part of a case, brought in a federal court in California by a group of farmers and farmworkers, that alleges that Monsanto failed to warn of glyphosate's alleged cancer risks. The emails show a Monsanto employee describing a senior EPA official telling Monsanto he wanted to block a planned glyphosate review by another government agency.
EPA representatives didn't comment immediately.
Other emails include a 2015 message from Dr. William Heydens, a senior Monsanto regulatory scientist, who suggested to colleagues that "we ghost-write" sections of a potential study on glyphosate. He suggested a 2000 study had been handled similarly. Lawyers pursuing the case against Monsanto argue that the communications proved the company's "deceptive authorship practice" of scientific reviews.
Monsanto denied that its scientists secretly wrote review papers. In court testimony released by Monsanto, Dr. Heydens said he made "minor editorial contributions to that 2000 paper that do not mount to the level of a substantial contribution or an intellectual contribution." Monsanto said he was recognized in the paper's acknowledgments, rather than as an author.
"These were unfortunate words, but this is not substantive," said Scott Partridge, Monsanto's vice president of global strategy. He said Monsanto would continue to fight the case.
In a separate case spurred by the IARC classification, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, which evaluates hazardous substances, moved to list glyphosate among chemicals known to cause cancer and require a warning label on jugs containing the chemical. Monsanto contested that move in state court, but suffered a setback on Friday when a judge dismissed Monsanto's case.
A company spokeswoman said Monsanto plans to appeal.
"The allegation that glyphosate can cause cancer in humans is inconsistent with decades of comprehensive safety reviews by the leading regulatory authorities around the world," a Monsanto spokeswoman said.


NEW YORK – Johan Santana of the Minnesota Twins (search) was a unanimous pick for the American League Cy Young Award on Thursday, rewarded for a stellar second half that helped his team win its third straight division title.
Santana went 20-6 and led the AL with a 2.61 ERA and 265 strikeouts, going 13-0 with a 1.21 ERA in 15 starts after the All-Star break.
He received all 28 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America (search), becoming the first unanimous Cy Young winner since Arizona's Randy Johnson two years ago and the first in the AL since Boston's Pedro Martinez in 2000. He is the 18th unanimous winner overall, the seventh in the AL.
Curt Schilling (search), 21-6 with a 3.26 ERA in his first season with the Red Sox, received 27 second-place votes and one third for 82 points. Voting was conducted before the start of the postseason, when Schilling pitched despite an injured ankle and helped Boston win the World Series for the first time since 1918.
Schilling, who led the major leagues in wins, has never won a Cy Young Award. He was runner-up for the third time, tying Johnson, a five-time winner, and 1957 winner Warren Spahn for the most second-place finishes.
Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees, who led the major leagues with a career-high 53 saves, received the other second-place vote and 24 thirds for 27 points.
Santana, the first Venezuelan to win the award, had a breakout season after going 12-3 for the Twins in 2003. He is eligible for free agency after next season.
Santana lost in salary arbitration last February and earned $1.6 million salary with no bonuses. Schilling, who had a $12 million salary, earned a $400,000 bonus for finishing second.
Houston's Roger Clemens won the NL honor Tuesday, his record seventh Cy Young Award.


ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) Pakistan's Supreme Court adjourned a contempt hearing for its prime minister on Thursday (January 19), leaving a brewing political crisis over corruption cases, presidential immunity, and the possible fate of the government, unresolved. Yusuf Raza Gilani was in court to explain why he should not be charged with contempt for failing to re-open old corruption cases against his boss, President Asif Ali Zardari. The government maintains Zardari enjoys presidential immunity. The immediate battle is about Gilani, but the larger political crisis is about Zardari and the fate of his government, the longest-running civilian administration in Pakistan's coup-marred history. If Gilani is charged with contempt of court for failing to follow court orders, he could be disqualified from office and forced to resign. That would further increase the pressure on the unpopular civilian government and the risk of instability in the nuclear-armed ally in America's war on militancy. Thursday's adjournment did nothing to settle the issue, and was mainly to allow Gilani to explain his position. After the hearing, a confident-looking Gilani appeared outside the court smiling and waving. Television stations reported that the court agreed that he would not have to appear again personally before the court, when it reconvenes on Feb. 1.


Juncker costumes at the ready... Brexit has been extended until Halloween!
A special live recording of Brexitcast with guest presenter, Jo Coburn!
The PM tears up her red lines.
The BBC's Brexitcast team look back at another unprecedented week at Westminster.
It’s 29th March 2019 and we still don’t know what Brexit means.
The PM says she’ll quit if Parliament passes her deal BUT Arlene says ‘no’.
Has Adam finally lost the plot?


John Ellis Double-Wide, Live In Concert: Newport Jazz 2012 A commanding tenor saxophonist with a gorgeous, caramelized tone, Ellis is now a leading player on the New York scene. But his band shows that you can't take New Orleans out of his musical vision.
Saxophonist John Ellis (center) performs with Matt Perrine (left) on sousaphone at the 2012 Newport Jazz Festival.
The tenor saxophonist John Ellis is a commanding instrumentalist with a most gorgeous, carmelized tone. And though he now lives in New York, his band gives away the fact that he learned an awful lot in New Orleans. A chunk of Double-Wide lives there — notably, Matt Perrine (sousaphone) and Jason Marsalis (drums) — and the Crescent City's carnivalesque and high-stepping timbres are refracted through Ellis' tunes. You can take the boy out of the South, but you can't take the South out of his musical vision.


Part 2 - WHO - The Pain Of "Uncertainty"
Part 3 - WHAT - Denniston's "Caviar" Of Coal?
Introduction: One way or another it’s a fact that the past, present and future of Westport and the Buller District is inextricably linked to the ground-covered seams and coal-fields on the lofty cloud-draped plateaus directly outside the township’s front door. On the cusp of a weather bomb that hit New Zealand on June 20, Scoop Amplifier paid a 3-day visit to this enduring part of the nation to begin to gain some on-the-spot perspectives into just how steep a battle the majority of Coasters are facing to find ways to tell the story of their intertwined environmental and economic prospects.
New Zealand’s first settlers, the Maori, were aware of, and used, coal.
It is said that Tainui Maori (Waikato region) knew that waro (coal) had heating properties and used it for cooking.
The first European use was probably at Shag Point on the Otago coast, where whalers used coal heating trypots as they rendered blubber.
Various small coal deposits were mined throughout the country, and with Great Britain’s growing industrialisation, in the 1870s it was imagined that a thriving coal industry could do the same for New Zealand.
At this time it was known that some of the West Coast’s bituminous coals were a quality resource, and a number of mines, including the 600m high Denniston plateau were opened during the decade.
The completion of the cable railway known as the Denniston incline in 1879, a 1.5km long railway over a very steep gradient created a feat sometimes known as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’.
Top of the Denniston incline as it looked when it was operating in the first part of the 20th Century.
However, it was an event over three thousand kilometres from New Zealand that cemented the reputation of the West Coast’s high quality coals.
Amateur historian Gary Blair says that the region’s bituminous coal was extensively transported around the country.
Gary’s the author of a historic fact-based novel set in 1855-61 called ‘Empire under the Long White Cloud’.
Some of the Coast’s coal ended up in Wellington.
“In 1889, a British warship the Calliope, took on Westport coal at Wellington before heading for Apia in Samoa,” says Gary.
“The light cruiser Calliope had both sails and powerful engines, and her job as part of Britannia’s showing of the flag, was to show a presence to American and German warships also hanging around Apia. There were three American and three German navy vessels showing off their imperialist ambitions along with Britain.
“The harbour was small, primitive and surrounded by reefs, perhaps fit for four ships. But on March 14 there were seven warships and six merchant vessels in the V-shaped port when what was to become a tropical storm began.
“Winds of up to 185kph blew, ships were dragging their anchors, some were crashing into each other, some had attempted to beach themselves.
“On March 16, the Calliope’s Captain Kane ordered maximum pressure from the boilers which had been kept fired over the previous two days.
“She barely managed to avoid the other hapless ships and the reef entrance at its narrow opening, but eventually broke through and to safety at sea.
“When the Calliope came back on March 19, it was to incredible destruction of the other ships, and the death of over 100 seamen.
Gary says the fame of the Calliope lived on for many years in New Zealand.
“Generations of New Zealand schoolchildren read in their school magazines about Calliope’s battle with the sea gods and how ‘the fine Westport coal, the best in the world’, tipped the scales in her favour,” he says.
Such was the reputation underpinned by this performance that for many years after, the generic term ‘Calliope Coal’ applied to the West Coast’s bituminous resource.
A pile of coal from Bathurst Resource's operational Cascade Mine which is on the Western edge of the Denniston Plateau.
Metallurgical coke, made from bituminous coals such as the West Coast’s, are desirable in the blast furnace conversion of iron ore to iron. They are sometimes referred to as the caviar of coals for their special steel enhancing properties.
As Jakarta-based managing director Peter Gunn of Coal Marketing International explains, coke, which is coal heated in the absence of air, has to perform three important functions in a blast furnace – which in effect is a giant chimney in which iron ore is reduced to iron.
Firstly the coke must act as a source of carbon in what is a reduction process.
Coke and iron ore are feed into the top of the blast furnace in alternate layers and to these layers is added limestone, a source of lime that is used to flux (melt) ash associated with the coke and iron ore.
“The final main requirement for the coke is as a fuel, once it reaches the bottom of the blast furnace, it is combusted, and becomes a source of energy for the whole reaction,” he says.
To be used in iron and steelmaking, first the coal, usually as a blend of different types and prices, are mixed and fed into coke ovens. Typically these exist as a battery of up to 30 ovens six to seven metres tall, one metre diameter, often situated adjacent to a steelmaking plant.
The coal blend is crushed to less than 3 mm, fed into the coke ovens and heated in the absence of air to between 1100 - 1300° for between 24-36 hours. This heating drives off volatile matter such as short and long chain hydrocarbons out of the coal, all of which are collected and used elsewhere.
The end result is a hard, grey pumice-like lump of carbon, strong enough to support iron ore or sinter and perform the actions Gunn describes above.
Coke-makers often have 20 to 30 years’ experience in what is as much an art as a science, attempting to add a quality aspect to the coke in order to make the steelmaker’s blast furnace as efficient and productive as possible.
Many of the West Coast’s bituminous coals can help contribute to these coke qualities Gunn says.
Most of these West Coast coals have extremely low ash contents and in the steelmaking process ash is simply an inert component that adds nothing to the actual production of iron and requires heat and limestone to melt and remove from the molten iron as slag. This process is highly endothermic and wastes heat and reduces blast furnace efficiency.
“The higher a coal’s ash content, and therefore the resultant coke’s ash content, the more limestone that has to be added at the blast furnace to flux the ash and the lower the overall productivity of the blast furnace. The limestone is broken down to calcium oxide and releases CO2 in the process,” he says.
Most of the West Coast’s bituminous coals have a 2-4% ash content. Countries such as India or China have their own, cheaper, coals, but these can have up to 25% ash. A blast furnace operator never wants more than 11% ash in their coke, and preferably about 8-9%.
“The West Coast coals are particularly used to trim the ash in blends mostly. The other great advantage they have is low phosphorous, which if present in steel causes it to crack and be brittle,” says Gunn.
Gunn can’t see that using only recycled steel is going to be a feasible solution to supplying the world’s demand for steel, in even the medium term future. (Recycled steel can use a different manufacturing process, reducing the quantity of CO2 produced).
“One of the major uses of steel is as a structural steel used in reinforcing concrete, and as a consequence is it not feasible to knock down a building simply to get its steel. At the same time, the Western world uses about 250 -300 kilos of steel per person a year,” he says.
Gunn says that even in a mature country such as the United States, 50% of its new steel comes from recycling; showing that even in the US there is still a need for new steel that has to be made from iron ore (via the blast furnace route).
At the same time, the manufacture of car parts, for example, requires very high quality steel, and steelmakers prefer to use precise mixtures of iron ore, coke and other ingredients to obtain their desired products.
“At today’s level of technology, in the mature economies such as Europe, USA, Canada, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Australasia, even sophisticated steelmakers aren’t able to use just recycled steel to produce exactly what they want,” he says.
Gunn says that there is no redeeming story for the use of coal in steelmaking. Iron ore is most economically reduced to iron through the use of carbon as the reductant. The inevitable by-product of this process is carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide that results from steelmaking contributes to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
It is sometimes put forward that charcoal, able to be made by recyclable, renewable processes, could substitute for coal and coke in iron and steelmaking.
However, it could only do so on a limited basis, and certainly not on the industrial scale required by the modern world says Coal International Marketing’s managing director, Peter Gunn.
“Charcoal could provide the required source of carbon and energy while at the same time having very low levels of ash,” he says.
2.	Auroma Coke Company (India) "Coke Making"
3.	Solid Energy January 2010 - "Coal for Steel making"
4. Steel Works - "How a blast furnace works"
It is often unrecognised how unique New Zealand’s West Coast coals are says Simon Nathan, geologist, emeritus scientist at GNS, and the author of numerous books about geology and fellow geologists.
One unusual feature is that bituminous, sub-bituminous and lignite coals all occur within a relatively small area. Having the geologically high-ranked bituminous, medium-ranked sub-bituminous and low-ranked lignite in close proximity occur hardly anywhere else in the world Nathan says.
“The other unusual feature of the bituminous coking coals of the West Coast is how young they are compared to others,” he says.
During their formation, the Coast’s original vegetation was deposited in small basins that were very deeply buried, transformed by pressure and temperature to bituminous coal and then uplifted, often to the tops of mountains – another unusual feature.
Sandstone above the coal has been welded into a hard rock, which protects the coal from erosion, meaning that it is often available for mining.
“Some of these bituminous coal seams are up to 30 metres thick, which, if you remove the overburden, makes them especially suitable for open-cast mining,” says Nathan.
Nathan says the thickness of some of the Coast’s bituminous coal seams provided challenges for many of the early English coalminers brought out to mine it.
“They were used to mining underground seams, say one to two metres thick. Being able to stand up properly in a mine was a great thing,” he says.
He says companies such as Bathurst are now looking to go back and open cast mine areas that were previously worked underground by removing the overburden to reveal the bituminous coal.
Geology.com : What Is Coal and How Does It Form?
This story is being published in four parts starting July 31st 2013.
One way or another it's a fact that the past, present and future of Westport and the Buller District is inextricably linked to the ground-covered seams and coal-fields on the lofty cloud-draped plateaus directly outside the township's front door.
On the cusp of a weather bomb that hit New Zealand on June 20, Scoop Amplifier paid a 3-day visit to this enduring part of the nation to begin to gain some on-the-spot perspectives into just how steep a battle the majority of Coasters are facing to find ways to tell the story of their intertwined environmental and economic prospects. One month later, Scoop is publishing a series of feature articles to better inform a wider audience about the lie of the land in Buller, to provide a deeper factual background, and to outline who's saying what about the role of coal mining.
Declaration: Scoop Amplifier's production, travel and logistical costs to and from Westport in order to produce this series were paid for by Buller Coal (owned by Bathurst Resources Limited). A strict protocol for the purposes of editorial freedom was agreed. Scoop Amplifier is a business unit of Scoop Media.


The hackers who exposed innocent internet users to malicious computer code, bought the advertising space on the New York Times website directly from the newspaper it has been revealed.
According to a report published on the New York Times website, the hackers posed as internet telephone company Vonage, and persuaded NYTimes.com to run ads that initially appeared as legitimate online adverts.
It is believed that the adverts were switched to the malicious content late on Friday, causing pop up messages to appear on readers’ screens warning them that their computer had been infected, and urging them to install and purchase fake anti-virus software.
New York Times CTO Marc Frons says that confusion about the offending ad’s origin meant it took a long time for them to shut the dangerous adverts down.
Scareware attacks like these are on the rise for one simple reason – they work. Unsuspecting computer users are easily frightened by bogus security warnings into installing and purchasing fake anti-virus products, making cash for unscrupulous hackers.


Sepsis is an inflammatory response to infection that can cause organ failure.
Most people think sepsis only happens in a hospital. Yet home care nurses statewide are tackling the 80 percent of life-threatening sepsis cases that occur outside the hospital – with promising results.
HCR Home Care recently implemented a pioneering at-home sepsis screening tool developed by the state’s home care association through its “Stop Sepsis at Home” initiative. This effort is saving lives. Since implementing the tool, HCR Homecare has identified 120 patients suspected of sepsis and 120 other patients who met the criteria for severe sepsis, which is a veritable death sentence without immediate treatment.
Sepsis is an inflammatory response to infection that can cause organ failure. While this sounds straightforward, I know from personal experience the stealth of this medical condition, as both an RN and as a sepsis survivor.
My sepsis experience began on a day like any other. I arrived at work feeling a bit chilled but with a normal temperature. Eventually I began shaking to the point where I could no longer sit at my desk. Like many people, I mistook my symptoms for the flu and headed home. As my temperature reached 104 degrees, my husband insisted that I go to the hospital where I soon experienced a rapid heart rate, severe shaking and difficulty breathing.
Over the course of six days in the hospital, I underwent flu tests, blood work, a chest x-ray, antibiotics, urinalysis, x-rays, ultrasounds, an echocardiogram and a battery of other treatments. On the second or third day, it was determined that I had sepsis.
I can’t express enough my gratitude for the hospital staff who saved my life, but my case is also a classic reminder of the potential hidden risks and costs of sepsis well before – and during – a hospital visit.
As in my case, severe sepsis can advance quickly: the chance of death increases 8 percent for each hour that sepsis goes untreated. Sepsis also mirrors so many other illnesses, like the flu. It can also affect anyone, including otherwise healthy and active individuals like me.
With my six days and countless interventions in the hospital, one can see why sepsis accounts for $27 billion of all hospital costs in the U.S. About one-third of people diagnosed with sepsis end up back in the hospital within three months.
My hope is that the public learns more about this condition and how to identify signs of potential sepsis risk: a heart rate above 90 beats per minute; temperature above 100.9 degrees or less than 96.8 degrees; respiratory rate of 20 breaths per minute or more; and an abnormal white blood cell count.
I tell my story about a personal experience with sepsis not only to educate the community about this public health crisis but also to highlight the way that home care and other providers can make an enormous difference in saving lives and reducing medical costs through evidence-based protocols and clinical focus.
Carla M. Wahls RN BSN is clinical dducator at HCR Home Care based in Rochester.


Apple's iPhone OS 3.0 seems to be causing problems with Wi-Fi connectivity, according to reports. Also, iPhone 3GS users have been complaining about poor battery life and, in some instances, overly hot mobile devices. iPhone OS 3.1 is expected to cure what ails the Apple smartphone.
The Apple iPhone OS 3.0's latest ailment seems to be a difficulty connecting to Wi-Fi, according to PC World, as well as hundreds of readers on the Apple discussion boards.
"After upgrading my 3G to 3.0 my Wi-Fi is not stable, particularly when syncing a large database using FMTouch," wrote one user. Another complained, "OK, I thought I would post my issues as Apple in the UK have been rubbish and I cannot contact them, and O2 are refusing to help saying it's a software issue provided by Apple."
"My Wi-Fi signal strength jumps all over the place, from five to zero bars every few seconds," wrote a third.
The reports of Wi-Fi issues follow recent complaints of some iPhone 3GS handsets overheating to the point of discoloration, as well as problems with the iPhone battery-a touted feature of the new iPhone, meant to last longer than the battery in the iPhone 3G-running down prematurely.
Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research whose focus is on Apple, told eWEEK that all he'd heard about the incidents was what the press was reporting. "I don't really know that it's more than a few small things," he said.
Gottheil agreed with the suggestion that the reports are surprising given Apple's reputation for a certain degree of quality. "I think that's reasonable. Their record is that the software is well-tested, and it works well when it's released. If there are [things happening] it would be unusual."
Gottheil said if there are widespread problems, "it's probably due to some combination of factors occurring out in the real world that they didn't anticipate ... Some combination of access points, signal strength, etc., creating something that wasn't present in their test environments."
However, he said, "There's no sense that [OS 3.0] was 'too much, too fast.'"
Sometime in the night between June 30 and July 1, developers received iPhone OS 3.1 beta software, which is expected to be offered as a free download later in 2009. OS 3.1 is also expected to clear up any major problems with OS 3.0.


HealthCare.gov, the troubled insurance-shopping website launched in October by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is now working well for most users, officials said Sunday.
The HHS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has met a deadline set by officials in President Barack Obama's administration to have the site functioning well for the vast majority of users, said Jeffrey Zients, a former acting director at the White House Office of Management and Budget serving as a management consultant on the repairs to the site.
"HealthCare.gov on December 1 is night and day from where it was on October 1," Zients said during a press briefing Sunday. When it launched, the site had "an unacceptable user experience, marked by very slow response times, inexplicable user error messages and frequent website crashes and user outages," he added.
HealthCare.gov also suffered from management problems, "with slow decision-making and diffuse or unclear accountability," Zients added.
About 80 percent of shoppers who have the correct documentation are now able to complete their applications for insurance on the site, said Julie Bataille, communications director for CMS. That number is up from about 30 percent in the first weeks after the site's launch on October 1, she said.
Many of the remaining 20 percent will choose to complete their insurance applications over the phone or with in-person advisers because they are more comfortable using those methods instead of the website, she said.
The HealthCare.gov team will continue to look for ways to improve the site, she said.
Since mid-October, a tech team has made more than 400 bug fixes and software improvements to the site, including about 50 over the past weekend, Zients said.
The team has installed dedicated hardware to improve the registration throughput and the site's core database, according to a report issued by CMS Sunday. The hardware upgrades have repaired "the system's on-ramp," Zients said.
The website's up time for the past week was higher than 95 percent, compared to just 43 percent for the week ending November 2, the report said. The site's up time has been 92 percent or higher for the past three weeks. A rapid response team has been able to fix most major problems within an hour during recent weeks, Zients said.
"We needed to get the team working with the speed and urgency of a high-performing private-sector tech company," he said.
In addition, the page response time has dropped from an average of eight seconds late October to less than one second now, and the page error rate has dropped from 6 percent in October to .75 percent now, the report said.
The website should now be able to handle 50,000 concurrent users, Zients said. At peak times when the traffic exceeds that number, the site now has a queuing system that allows users to receive an email telling them when to come back for a faster experience.
HealthCare.gov was a central piece of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare. The law's goal is to allow U.S. residents without health insurance coverage to purchase inexpensive plans through the site or by other means.


Milk straight from the cow has become a new obsession of New York’s raw-food disciples, who believe that it works as a “milk cure” for ailments as varied as hypertension, heart disease, chronic gastritis, and psoriasis. They dispute accusations (made by the F.D.A., among other dairy-industry stooges) that raw-milk products contain high levels of pathogens that can cause salmonella, brucellosis, and tuberculosis.
The raw-milk question goes way back, in these parts. In pre-Revolutionary Manhattan, the sale of milk seems to have been forbidden in public markets. In a letter to a newspaper in 1763, a dairy zealot channelled the voice of milk itself: “What can or may be the reasons that I am not admitted or ordered into the public markets? Tho’ that I am the support and only nourishment of almost every creature, the poorer sort of mankind are deprived of me, as they cannot bribe my bearers.” Over the years, the sale of raw milk has been so restricted that it has become virtually impossible to buy.
By 6:15 p.m., the customers had begun to show up, greeting one another with silent nods. They eyed strangers with suspicion. Rumor had it that an angry vegan might be infiltrating the ranks. “All you need is one person in the dairy world to tell someone else,” Claudia said. At precisely six-thirty, the coolers were opened, revealing a tightly packed stash of bootleg milk, butter, cream cheese, and feta. The farmer, baby-faced and dressed in black jeans, began filling brown paper bags with his goods.
After an hour, Claudia was getting tired. “I am spending so much of my life for this,” she said. “Sometimes I think, What am I doing it for?” She lowered her voice. “The thing I’m most protective about is the farmer.” She looked over at him. His supply had sold out, and he was packing up the empty coolers, his pocket stuffed with crumpled checks and dollar bills.
This article appears in the print edition of the November 29, 2004, issue.


If you're anything like me, the idea of following a diet is daunting — especially one that forces you to quit pretty much all of the things you love — and therefore not something you're excited about diving into. That being said, I give serious credit to my OrangeTheory Fitness (OTF) trainers who got me excited to do a modified Whole 30 program, which helped me shed 10 pounds in 30 days.
I did a trial class at OTF, and it was love at first splat. About a month after I joined, my trainers posted a sign-up sheet for an Orange 30 Challenge but refused to give out any details. So naturally I signed up. They didn't tell us until the night before the challenge started exactly what we were in for; we would essentially be hitting an internal reset button by eliminating foods that have a negative impact on our health. It was a modified (i.e. less restrictive) version of the Whole 30 program that they dubbed the Orange 30. I was mildly terrified, but I had signed up and was going to crush this challenge (OTF brought out a competitive side of me that I never knew I had). There were only five rules we had to follow, and our trainer was there to coach us through the month, which, as it turns out, wasn't so bad after all. Here are the rules I followed for 30 days.
Eat real food. Real food includes meat, seafood, eggs, tons of vegetables, Orange 30-approved fruits, and healthy fats. Anything processed was out. That meant no deli meat, canned vegetables, or pre-made meals. This rule forces you to step up your food-prep game, but it's worth the extra effort and actually easy once you get into a routine. I prepped on Sundays. I'd make a compliant breakfast casserole and grill enough chicken breasts and sweet potatoes to last the entire week. With breakfast and lunch taken care of for the week, the only thing I had to worry about daily was dinner.
Eat food with very few ingredients and only ingredients that you can pronounce. Eating food with no added ingredients is the ideal, but sticking to ingredients you can pronounce is a great guideline.
If it's not on the approved foods list, do not eat it! OrangeTheory gave us a list of approved foods, which was broken down into the following categories: proteins, fats, carbs, vegetables, fruits, nuts/seeds, and drinks. I was surprised by how long the list actually was and by the fact that carbs were not entirely off limits (I learned to love oatmeal, quinoa, and brown rice, while sweet potatoes became my new staple).
Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. For me, this was the hardest part because I am a sugar addict. I was a big soda drinker, and dessert is my vice. I do wish that someone had warned me about sugar withdrawal (because yes, that's a thing). Thankfully, my trainer had me covered and sent over a recipe for Orange 30-approved sweet potato brownies that saved my life.
Do not consume alcohol in any form. I promise that this sounds much harder than it is. I almost cried at the thought of not being able to order a prickly pear margarita at my favorite restaurant, but instead I decided that that would be my reward on day 31. And on day 31, that margarita had never tasted so good!
On day 30, we weighed in on a fancy scale that calculated our actual body fat. Mine was down exactly 10 pounds, and I had never felt better. Not only were my clothes fitting more comfortably, but I had more energy, rarely found myself in a bad mood, and I just felt so proud of myself for having accomplished something I never thought I could do. The best part was that I was eating foods I truly enjoyed and never once felt that I was depriving myself. Since I didn't resent the program, Orange 30 went from being a diet to a lifestyle, and because of that, I am forever indebted to OTF.


Elmar Mammadyarov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Anatoliy Yurchenko, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Azerbaijan, who completes his diplomatic mission in the country, the press-center of the Ministry told Trend.
The Ambassador thanked for cooperation and aid rendered to him during his work in the country. Yurchenko voiced hope for development and expansion of the friendship relations between Azerbaijan and Ukraine. The diplomat underlined that cooperation of the two countries in all spheres, particularly, in energy represents great importance.
The Azerbaijani Minister mentioned the similarity of the bilateral interests on many issues and said that the deep relations existed between the countries had a great future. He wished success to Yurchenko in his further activities.


On 21 February 2017, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova commended the French and Canadian governments for endorsing the Safe Schools Declaration, an international political commitment to protect students, teachers, schools and universities from attack in times of armed conflict. This brings the number of signatories to 59 countries. France is the first permanent member of the UN Security Council to sign the Declaration.
The Declaration was developed through consultations with States in a process led by Norway and Argentina in Geneva in early 2015 and was opened for endorsement at the Oslo Conference on Safe Schools on May 29, 2015. During the 38th session of UNESCO’s General Conference in November 2015, the Director-General and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway participated in an event to raise awareness about the Declaration. In 2014, together with Ms Leila Zerrougui, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative to Protect Children in Armed Conflict, Ms Bokova launched the Guidance Note on Attacks against schools and hospitals, to build on UN Security Council Resolution 1998 (2011). UNESCO is a member of the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack.
Argentina is hosting the Second International Conference on Safe Schools in Buenos Aires on 28 and 29 March 2017.


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Mitch Maguire almost hung up the phone when the person on the other end introduced themselves as the Sydney Swans list manager. It had to be a prank.
The Canberra Demons midfielder is glad he didn't - because it was in fact Swans list guru Kinnear Beatson on the line, inviting Maguire and his NEAFL teammate Angus Baker to train with the AFL powerhouse.
The Demons stars will spend the bulk of the next fortnight training full-time with the Swans as the club considers picking the duo in the AFL rookie draft.
The pair have been brought to Moore Park alongside towering UNSW-Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs ruckman Jack Blair to press their claims ahead of the rookie draft at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on November 23.
A chance in the big smoke has Maguire far removed from the 300-acre farm just a few hundred metres out of Mirrool he grew up on, and a phone call "out of nowhere" has seen the NEAFL Rising Star winner scrambling to make other arrangement in the midst of his university exam period.
"I thought it was a joke to be honest, because one of the boys last year pranked one of the boys and said they were Kinnear Beatson," Maguire said.
"I thought that was someone pranking me again, but it turns out it wasn’t. Ever since he rang it’s been playing on my mind and I had to sort out all these arrangements with uni.
"I do physiotherapy, so there was a few prac exams as well that threw other people out. It was a nightmare trying to sort it all out, but I’ve got it all sorted now.
"Last week I had to go down there on Wednesday for a medical and I had exams Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday that week. They flew me in and out in time to sit the exams but it was all really rushed, but it’s alright.
"It hasn’t sunk in at all to be honest because I haven’t really thought too far ahead."
Demons player-coach Kade Klemke's arrival signalled a major culture shift as he set his sights on turning Canberra into a destination club for draft hopefuls.
Klemke believed the Demons were "a red hot chance to maybe get one drafted this year" following Canberra's stunning run to the NEAFL preliminary final.
Now they are a genuine chance of having two 20-year-old prospects scooped up after 190cm defender Baker found himself on the radar of the Swans a year after returning from an anterior cruciate ligament tear.
"We didn’t really know each other got the phone call until a couple of days after," Maguire said.
"When we found out, it was a bit of a relief for both of us I think because it would be pretty intimidating walking in there by yourself not knowing anyone. It was good to have Bakes get a call-up as well.
"It’ll make it that bit easier when we go into training."
The Demons will boast a new-look team next season as they look to go one better than their preliminary final appearance and transform into a consistent premiership contender under Klemke.
Canberra have farewelled 11 players in Luke Robertson, Sam Tonkes, Luke McKay, Nathan Oakes, Ben Fulford, Sam Askew, Nathan Richards, Billy Muir, Cameron Milne, Sam Burge and Rohan McLachlan.
But a handful of key pillars have re-signed with captain Aaron Bruce, deputy Andrew Swan and Tom Faul committing to the Demons as the club eyes back-to-back finals appearances.
Donald Roberts, Riley Budd, Alex Paech, Connor Owen-Auburn, Jack Powell and Jarrod Osborne have all signed new deals while assistant coach Jeremy Rowe has departed to join Mangoplah-Cookardinia United-Eastlakes.


Turkey will start a military operation east of the Euphrates river in northern Syria in a "few days," President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said.
"It is time to realize our decision to wipe out terror groups east of the Euphrates," Erdoğan said in a speech at the Turkish Defense Industry Summit held at the presidential complex in Ankara on Dec. 12.
The Pentagon had announced on Dec. 11 that American observation posts in northern Syria, meant to prevent altercations between the Turkish army and US-supported YPG, have been erected, despite Ankara’s request to scrap the move.
"There is no Daesh threat in Syria any longer," Erdoğan said Dec. 12, accusing the U.S. of "delaying tactics" regarding its promise to clear the northeastern Syrian town of Manbij from YPG members.
"It is clear that the purpose of U.S. observation points in Syria is not to protect our country from terrorists but protect terrorists from Turkey," he noted.
“We do not see them as well-intentioned approaches," the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesman Ömer Çelik said Dec. 11, referring to the reported U.S. plan. He added that the move will be seen by Turkey as "lending fresh support to terror elements in Syria."
U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford had said on Dec. 7 that the U.S. needs to train and equip around 40,000 local fighters to "provide stability" in Syria.


Get ready to witness the yearly calendar like never before, which features divas from the tinsel town. These TV actresses have set new worldwide norms through Amit Khanna's focal point. This calendar photoshoot displayed divas of Indian TV actresses at their boldest best. The rundown highlights young ladies like Karishma Sharma, Tina Dutta, Diandra Soares, Suzanna Mukherjee, Iris Maity, Sony Kaur and Quetee Nagpal among others. “I am extremely pleased to work with these 12 lovely girls. I respect their confidence and talent. This calendar is a step forward that is all set to burn your screens,” said the photographer Amita Khanna while talking about this sensuous & unusual concept.
TV diva Karishma Sharma is grabbing all attention for her bold and sultry photoshoot for 2018 Calendar shot by photographer Amit Khanna. Karishma is considered probably one the hottest Indian TV actresses thanks to the glamorous photos she posts on her Instagram account.
Remember Diandra Soares, the Ex-Bigg Boss contestant is gaining headlines on social media due to her extremely sensual photos, shot for this calendar shoot by famous photographer Amit Khanna.
From high school teacher to a beauty queen, Supriya Aiman just killed it with her smoldering hot look in this photoshoot for Streaming Calendar 2018 shot by Amit Khanna.


Grab your family and friends and bring them out for some outdoor fun at Austin's newest 12-acre park, The Grove at Shoal Creek. There will be live music, food truck favorites and tons of different activities.
RSVP now to claim your free food and activity tickets. Admission is free, but you are encouraged to make a donation to the Shoal Creek Conservancy.


The CBI on Tuesday filed a chargesheet in the Satyam accounting fraud case involving thousands of crores of rupees against company's founder B Ramalinga Raju and eight others.
The 76-page chargesheet was filed before the special court in Hyderabad under various sections of Indian penal code for cheating and forgery.
Besides Raju, those named in the chargesheet include his brother and former managing director of the company Rama Raju, Satyam former CFO Vadlamani Srinivas, and the two sacked auditors of PriceWaterhouse, S Gopalkrishnan and Talluri Srinivas.
Others named in the chargesheet include Satyam employees G Ramakrishna (Vice President- Finance), D Venkatpathi Raju and Srisailam, both in the finance department of the company.
Raju's another brother Suryanarayna Raju, a director with SRSR Advisory Services is the ninth person named in the chargesheet.
Except Suryanarayana Raju, others are at present in the judicial custody and are lodged in the Chanchalguda jail in Hyderabad.
The CBI submitted 1,532 original documents of bank transactions and 65,000-page other documents, which included the statements of 432 witnesses in the case along with the chargesheet in the court.


It was a baking Friday evening, and tensions were quickly boiling over at the Peterborough Telegraph’s election hustings last week.
Candidates for the Peterborough seat fronted up to an audience who were in no mood to give them an easy ride, with questions on terrorism and Brexit prompting a fierce reaction from spectators.
The two-hour hustings was held at Peterborough Regional College’s Park Crescent campus, and the tone of the opening hour appeared to surprise some of the watching students, with compere Mark Edwards having to ask for calm on more than one occasion so the candidates could finish their points.
Fronting up for the event were Conservative Stewart Jackson, Labour’s Fiona Onasanya, Liberal Democrat Beki Sellick and Fiona Radic of the Green Party.
Unsurprisingly the first question reflected on last week’s Manchester terror attack, and Ms Radic began by saying: “In many cases the UK has sold weapons or got involve in battles abroad that have caused distress.
Ms Sellick said: “The main issue here is about people feeling engaged,” before Mr Jackson stepped in to hit out at Jeremy Corbyn.
The audience then had their say. One member said: “Enough of the vigils, enough of the hashtags, enough saying ‘standing united’. What’s that doing?
Next came Brexit, and in particular the single market.
She continued: “Entrepreneurs are telling me they can’t invest.
Ms Radic said: “Mr Jackson has had three terms and yet he is still moaning at the Labour Party for not putting infrastructure in place for migrant labour. I suggest someone should have done something about it before now.
The candidates also tackled questions on mental health and how to generate wealth.
On the former, Mr Jackson highlighted family breakdown as an issue, with teachers having to take on parental responsibility.
The other candidates stressed the negative impact on public testing for children.
On generating wealth, railway engineer Ms Sellick promised to embrace infrastructure, Mr Jackson highlighted trade deals after Brexit, Ms Onasanya said there would be small increases of taxes for the richest, and Ms Radic said the Greens would scrap Trident and introduce a tax on financial transactions (the Robin Hood Tax).
She said as a worker who is unmarried, does not have children and does not claim benefits, how would the parties benefit her?
Ms Onasanya said she was in a similar position, and that Ms Audsley should take a look at Labour’s manifesto and see what is in there.
Ms Radic said everyone would have a citizen’s income under the Green Party, meaning people would not have to go out to work.
Ms Sellick highlighted Brexit, air quality, the phasing out of diesels and fossil fuels and access to legal aid, while Mr Jackson said the Conservatives had brought in lower taxes and a higher minimum wage, with more to come on narrowing the gender pay gap, reducing carbon emissions and promising a pensions double lock.
Ms Audsley said after the meeting that the candidates still needed to do more to persuade her to vote for them.
Each candidate was given a minute to sum up at the end.
Ms Onasanya said: “For the people of Peterborough I’m saying that I would like to be a voice for you in Parliament.
“Brexit is a real issue but it’s not the only issue. We need to look at local issues as well as looking at the national picture.
Ms Sellick said: “I’m a practicing engineer and I know about negotiating within Europe - that’s what I’ve done in my job.
“This election is about people and money, so that we can afford proper funding for vital services.
Mr Jackson, who slipped in the Conservative “strong and stable” line, said: “It’s been the greatest of privileges to have been MP for Peterborough for 12 years.
Ms Radic said: “The Greens want a Brexit but the best possible deal. They want to offer a ratification referendum which, if it is okay, they are confident people can vote for it.
The election is being held on Thursday, June 8.