{"question_id": "20230324_0", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:53", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2023/03/14/smelly-seaweed-sargassum-headed-toward-florida/11468969002/", "title": "Sargassum seaweed blob headed toward Florida, the Caribbean ...", "text": "Beachgoers in Florida and the Caribbean could be greeted by heavy blankets of smelly seaweed in the weeks ahead as a 5,000-mile swath of sargassum drifts westward and piles onto white sandy beaches.\n\nSargassum, a naturally occurring type of macroalgae, has grown at an alarming rate this winter. The belt stretches across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to Florida and the Yucatan Peninsula and is as much as 200 to 300 miles wide.\n\n\"This year could be the biggest year yet,\" even bigger than previous growths, said Brian Lapointe, an algae specialist and research professor at Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute.\n\nThe belt is already beginning to wash up in the Florida Keys and Barbados and elsewhere in the region, but researchers don't know where the bulk of it could wind up.\n\nHow does climate change affect you? Subscribe to the weekly Climate Point newsletter\n\nREAD MORE: Latest climate change news from USA TODAY\n\nThe monstrous seaweed bloom is just one more example of a growing global invasion of macro and microscopic algal blooms thriving on an increasing supply of nutrients such as nitrogen in freshwater and marine ecosystems.\n\nWhat is causing the algal blooms?\n\nIn addition to the unsightly piles of sargassum along the coast, some species produce toxins that affect the food chain or deplete the oxygen in the water when they start to decay, causing fish kills and the die-off of other marine species.\n\nHere's what to know:\n\nCause: The algal blooms are linked to human activities, such as lawn fertilizers, wastewater and agricultural runoff, that increasingly send pollutants into rivers, lakes and oceans.\n\nThe algal blooms are linked to human activities, such as lawn fertilizers, wastewater and agricultural runoff, that increasingly send pollutants into rivers, lakes and oceans. Key quote: \"These nutrients are the common thread that ties all the algal blooms together,\" whether it's sargassum, red tide, or blue green algae, Lapointe said. It's also linked to the \"brown tide\" bloom in Florida's Indian River Lagoon that has been blamed for killing thousands of acres of seagrass, leading to the starving deaths of hundreds of manatees.\n\n\"These nutrients are the common thread that ties all the algal blooms together,\" whether it's sargassum, red tide, or blue green algae, Lapointe said. It's also linked to the \"brown tide\" bloom in Florida's Indian River Lagoon that has been blamed for killing thousands of acres of seagrass, leading to the starving deaths of hundreds of manatees. Looking ahead: Such algal blooms are expected to occur more often and cover larger areas of the globe, potentially harming other aquatic ecosystems, fisheries and coastal resources, reported a group of international researchers in a coastal phytoplankton study published this month in the journal Nature.\n\nNot all algal blooms are bad. Many can occur naturally and can have positive effects.\n\nFOR SUBSCRIBERS:Huge seaweed blob on way to Florida is 'like a Stephen King movie'\n\nIsn't sargassum naturally occurring?\n\nYes. Christopher Columbus wrote about floating mats of it in the Atlantic Ocean.\n\n\"It's not a bad thing to have the sargassum in the ocean,\" said Brian Barnes, an assistant research professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Sea turtle hatchlings swim from Florida beaches to the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic, where they spend their early lives floating and foraging in the grass.\n\n\"If it all stays offshore, we wouldn't really have a problem,\" Barnes said. But the macroalgae has mushroomed in size over the past 12 years or so, which makes it more likely to see large piles of seaweed that make it difficult to walk, sit or play on beaches.\n\nThe trend was first documented on satellite in 2011.\n\nIn some cases, there's so much seaweed that local governments must use heavy equipment and dump trucks to haul it away, LaPointe said.\n\nHe has linked the surge in sargassum to flow from the Mississippi River, extreme flooding in the Amazon basin, and the mouth of the Congo, where upwelling and vertical mixing of the ocean can bring up nutrients that feed the blooms. He said deforestation and burning also may contribute.\n\nDEFINITIONS: Is climate change the same thing as global warming? Definitions explained.\n\nCLIMATE CHANGE CAUSES: Why scientists say humans are to blame.\n\nPhytoplankton blooms increasing in size and frequency\n\nBlooms of much smaller algae – a microscopic species known as phytoplankton – increased in size and frequency around the world from 2003 to 2020, the researchers concluded in the Nature study.\n\n\"We’ve seen something pretty similar in a lot of the things we study,\" Barnes said. \"We’re seeing such massive blooms now.\"\n\nThe coastal phytoplankton study, by researchers at the Southern University of Science and Technology in China and elsewhere, used images from NASA’s Aqua satellite. They found:\n\nBlooms affected more than 8% of the global ocean area in 2020, a 13.2% increase from 2003.\n\nBloom frequency increased globally at a rate of nearly 60%.\n\nEurope and North America had the largest bloom areas.\n\nAfrica and South America saw the most frequent blooms, more than 6.3 a year.\n\nAustralia had the lowest frequency and smallest affected area.\n\nIs climate change affecting algae blooms?\n\nBlooms have been at least indirectly linked to climate change in several ways, but especially to the warming temperatures that bring more extreme rainfall that washes silt and pollutants into waterways.\n\nFOR SUBSCRIBERS:Saving endangered right whales pits advocates against lobstermen\n\nGREEN ENERGY:Growing group of mayors at odds with experts over whale deaths and offshore windmills\n\nThe authors of the coastal phytoplankton study, Lapointe and other researchers have found:\n\nA correlation in some regions between changes in sea surface temperatures and ocean circulation.\n\nWarmer temperatures coincided with blooms in high latitude regions such as Alaska and the Baltic Sea.\n\nClimate change can affect ocean circulation and the movement of nutrients that feed phytoplankton blooms.\n\nGlobal climate events, such as El Nino, also show connections to bloom frequency and movement.\n\nAlgal-bloom-favorable seasons in temperate seas have increased with warmer temperatures.\n\nWhere will the sargassum pile up this year?\n\n\"We can't really say which particular beach at which particular time,\" Barnes said. The university publishes a regular update on the status of the bloom.\n\n\"We can get an idea of when it will be fairly close,\" he said. \"In general, everything flows west. It will come across the Central Atlantic and into the Caribbean, and into the Gulf of Mexico through the straits of Florida.\"\n\nWinds, currents and even small storms can influence where the sargassum moves.\n\nPuerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands could get hit hard, Barnes said. But the floating mats also wind up on beaches in Jamaica and all around the coast of Florida.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/14"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_1", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:53", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/30/business-food/grocery-store-prices-food/index.html", "title": "Grocery store prices aren't coming down anytime soon | CNN Business", "text": "New York CNN Business —\n\nSome sobering news for US shoppers: There’s little relief in sight on grocery store bills.\n\nGrocery prices climbed 13.5% in August from the year before, the highest annual increase since March 1979, according to government data.\n\nExecutives at large food manufacturers and analysts expect inflation to hover around this level for the rest of 2022.\n\nNext year, the rate of food inflation is expected to moderate — but that doesn’t mean prices are going to drop. Once prices hit a certain level, they tend to stay there or go up, but rarely down.\n\nA number of factors have contributed to the surge in prices. Producers say they’re paying higher prices for labor and packaging materials. Extreme weather, like drought or flooding, and disease, like the deadly avian flu, have been hurting crops and killing egg-laying hens, squeezing supplies.\n\nEven if some of these situations stabilize, it will take a while for those changes to reach consumers.\n\n“There’s a lot of uncertainty,” said David Ortega, food economist and associate professor at Michigan State University. It’s not clear when the war in Ukraine will end, or how weather will impact crops in the future. “That’s one of the reasons why prices take longer to come down.”\n\nProducers aren’t “seeing any end to inflation in terms of their labor and commodities cost,” said KK Davey, the president of client engagement at market research company IRI. The firm expects food inflation to rise between 5% and 10% next year.\n\nMeanwhile, demand is high. Consumers may be able to pull back on some discretionary items, but they have to eat. And paying higher grocery prices may still be cheaper than dining out at restaurants, where menu prices are also rising (though at a slower clip). And many people are still working from home and consuming more of their meals there.\n\nThis imbalance means companies can pass along higher prices to shoppers without sales plunging.\n\n“The cycle will break when supply is high and demand moderates,” said Davey.\n\nCompanies continue to raise prices\n\n“We do expect the near-term inflation to remain high,” Mondelez (MDLZ) CEO Dirk Van de Put said on an earnings call this summer. The maker of Oreo and Ritz said that its energy, transportation, packaging and raw materials costs remain elevated, and it announced further price increases to offset those increases.\n\nGeneral Mills (GIS), which makes everything from Cheerios to Blue Buffalo pet food, expects that its costs will increase by 14% to 15% for its 2023 fiscal year, led by a rise in prices of ingredients such as nuts, fruits and flavors. The company is planning additional price hikes for its retail customers.\n\nFor now, consumers haven’t balked at the higher prices, noted CEO Jeff Harmening during a September earnings call.\n\nCereal maker General Mills is predicting higher cost inflation next year. Brandon Bell/Getty Images\n\n“So far, we haven’t seen really any change in elasticities, which for us was a positive in the quarter,” he said. Elasticity refers to how easily customers change their shopping behavior in response to higher prices. Consumers accepted the higher prices more than General Mills would have expected, Harmening noted.\n\nBetween costs continuing to rise and people continuing to buy, there’s little reason for companies to discount their products.\n\n“We think the risk of promotions ramping up significantly over the next couple of quarters is quite low,” Harmening said during the call.\n\nFor manufacturers to increase promotions, supply chain disruptions would have to end and costs would have to fall significantly, he said. “We don’t see any of those things.”\n\nWhy grocery prices are so sticky\n\nIn general, prices tend to go up over time. Government data shows that from 1974 to 2021, grocery prices dropped only during two years. Every other year, they went up, though some years the increase was very slight.\n\n“There’s always a general increase in prices overall,” said Ortega, the food economist. “That’s just the nature of the economy.”\n\nTypically, however, grocery prices go up about 2% or 3% a year, he said — far slower a pace than the increase happening now.\n\nIn the past, consumers may not have noticed higher prices because their wages kept pace with the increases. Right now, that’s not the case.\n\n“Consumer prices are increasing faster than wages are increasing,” he said. “What we’re seeing now is really a cost of living crisis.”\n\nGrocery prices in particular are sticky also because of how much of a hassle it is to change them.\n\nWhen food manufacturers raise prices for retailers, those retailers don’t necessarily pass prices along to consumers. Some may opt to keep prices low — if they can afford it — to attract customers into the store.\n\nRetailers also don’t like to raise prices little by little because it frustrates consumers, said Andy Harig, vice president of tax, trade, sustainability and policy development at FMI, a food industry association.\n\n“A lot of people shop every week … and there’s lots of consistency in what they buy,” he said. So when prices change, even slightly, “they really notice that, and feel those changes.”\n\nWhen retailers do switch prices in stores, they have to print out new labels and enter the new values into their sales systems. Stores carry tens of thousands of different items, so when prices go up across different categories, making adjustments becomes a ton of work.\n\nThat means that “when you do see increases happen, they tend to stay in place,” Harig said.", "authors": ["Danielle Wiener-Bronner Nathaniel Meyersohn", "Danielle Wiener-Bronner", "Nathaniel Meyersohn"], "publish_date": "2022/09/30"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/14/politics/biden-victory-lap-inflation-fears-analysis/index.html", "title": "Biden's victory lap marred by stock slump on inflation fears | CNN ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nIt was an unfortunate moment for Joe Biden to be celebrating.\n\nThe President staged his latest victory lap on Tuesday for the health care and climate law that Democrats hope will boost enthusiasm ahead of the midterm elections in November that could make him a domestic lame duck.\n\nBut the crowd on the sun-baked South Lawn of the White House cheered the controversially named Inflation Reduction Act only hours after punishing new government data showing food prices soaring. Stocks were meanwhile plummeting in the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s largest one-day reverse since June 2020 in the darkest days of the pandemic.\n\nThe slump came on the back of new figures that showed inflation still a corrosive force in August, despite big falls in gasoline prices. All this probably means more aggressive action from the Federal Reserve next week to curb inflation amid fears the central bank’s harsh medicine could throw the economy into recession and cool a strong job market.\n\nBehind the scenes, as Biden marked what once seemed an unlikely legislative victory, his team was working frantically to avert a freight rail strike that could break out on Friday. A stoppage would be a disaster since it could cost several billions of dollars a day and further clog supply chains that already contributed to the rising inflation that have hurt so many Americans this year. Food shortages could occur, sending prices of staple goods soaring once again.\n\nPresidents often cannot control the economy’s trajectory, but it was an inopportune matter of scheduling that Biden was on Tuesday thumping Democratic chests on a bill that pours hundreds of billions more dollars into an already overheating economy.\n\nPast the poor optics, the new storm clouds underscored the tenuous nature of signs of slowed inflation that have contributed to a late summer spurt of political momentum for Democrats ahead of elections in which they’re trying to hold into their narrow House and Senate majorities.\n\nAnd yet, on a day when disappointing economic data would seem to provide Republicans an opportunity to hammer home their attacks on Democrats over inflation, they were distracted by their own abortion politics after South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham unveiled a bill to ban the procedure after 15 weeks. Abortion has put Republicans on the defensive in the wake of the publicly unpopular Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, and the lukewarm reception Graham’s proposal received from Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke to how electorally toxic it might be.\n\nSunny days for the economy remain elusive\n\nTuesday’s data highlights the fragile foundation of an economic recovery from a once-in-a-century pandemic that does have undeniable strong points for Biden to highlight, but that also leaves far too many Americans facing real pain.\n\nThe President on Tuesday conjured a political message suggesting a national and a personal political resurgence after a dark time, mirroring the sentiments sung by his warm-up act James Taylor: “I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain.” Despite the upbeat mood, however, the country seems far from the “sunny days that I thought would never end,” also evoked in Taylor’s hit.\n\nStill, Biden hailed this summer’s Inflation Reduction Act and the infrastructure deal he signed last year as huge wins for serious legislators over special interests and an example of how competent government could work for every US citizen.\n\n“Today offers proof that the soul of America is vibrant, the future of America is bright, and the promise of America is real,” he said.\n\nSenate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, drove home the political point, declaring, “Not a single Republican joined us to make these new investments in new jobs possible, not one.”\n\nThe mood of optimism in the White House was born out of what looked for months like a failed Biden agenda. The President’s roster of achievements on Capitol Hill now stands in favorable comparison with most recent administrations as midterm elections, which are traditionally troublesome for first-term commanders in chief, approach.\n\nSome polls are showing Democrats ticking up in the generic congressional ballot ahead of November, and expectations for an overwhelming red wave have been tempered amid a shifting political landscape following the Supreme Court’s abortion decision. And yet the unpredictable nature of the economy, which is pumping out jobs but remains deeply challenging for many Americans, means it may still be hard for Democrats to beat the historical odds of the party in power losing seats during a first-term president’s midterms.\n\nInflation barely slows\n\nWhen the Inflation Reduction Act passed last month, after months of wrangling between progressives and moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, there was a fierce debate over whether it would live up to its name.\n\nThe White House insists it will do exactly what it says it will because it will, for example, lead to lower prescription drug costs for seniors. But most analysts argue that any such deflationary effects will unfold in the long term. Certainly most Americans will not see much impact before they cast their votes in November, or before as early voting begins in many states in the coming weeks.\n\nThe White House pointed to progress in Tuesday’s inflation report. It’s true that while prices were up 8.3% year on year, they dipped down from an 8.5% hike in July and a 9.1% spike in June.\n\n“Overall, prices have been essentially flat in our country these last two months: that is welcome news for American families, with more work still to do,” Biden said in a statement. But that was a rather selective reading of a report that showed just how high the burden is of near 40-year highs in the cost of living. In fact, food prices spiked 11.4% over the past year, the largest annual increase since May 1979, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Egg prices soared 39.8% from a year ago, flour is 23.3% more expensive. Milk is up 17% and bread jumped 16.2%. Rents, medical care and new cars are all more pricey than they were a year ago.\n\nSuch figures explain why inflation is such a pernicious force – everyone feels it, and it hammers the poorest Americans disproportionately. No amount of statements that things are getting better from Biden will alleviate disillusionment that voters will feel in the aisles of their grocery stores, even if gas prices have been falling almost every day for weeks.\n\nThe disappointing inflation report helps explain why stocks tanked on Tuesday amid rising investor concern that the Fed could overcook its response – with another 75-basis-point hike in interest rates expected next week – and tip the economy into a contraction. The Dow dropped 3.9%, the S&P 500 was off 4.3% and the Nasdaq fell 5.2%. Stock prices often rebound quickly, but such huge one-day slumps are unsettling for Americans with their pensions invested in the market. And they further chip away at confidence in the economy that can be reflected in voting patterns come Election Day.\n\nRenewed concern over inflation also comes as anxiety mounts over another possibly politically significant shock to consumers. CNN reported this week that some White House officials worry about a consequential rise in energy prices for Americans this winter, as Russian President Vladimir Putin crimps the supply of natural gas to Europe as part of the new Cold War-style showdown caused by the West’s opposition to his invasion of Ukraine.\n\nRail strike threat\n\nAs if the current economic conditions weren’t challenging enough, the administration is battling to stave off a new threat – a strike on the nation’s freight rail network that could occur as soon as Friday if no agreement is reached.\n\nBiden and White House officials have been burning up phone lines to union leaders and industry chiefs to stave off the industrial action that the Association of American Railroads predicts could cost more than $2 billion per day and lead to food and agricultural shortages, manufacturing shutdowns and job losses. A strike would be another blow to supply chains that ground to a halt in the pandemic and contributed to the rise in inflation. The freight rail network plays a critical yet often unnoticed role in American life. In a letter to members of Congress this week, the American Trucking Associations warned that a freight shutdown would require an extra 460,000 trucks – an impossible goal – to move goods by road, especially given the current shortage of 80,000 drivers.\n\nThe dispute puts Biden in a tough position, creating a conflict between his longstanding support for unionized labor and his immediate political imperative to avoid any other disastrous hits to the economy with elections in less than two months. The White House confirmed on Tuesday that the President spoke to both rail unions and freight companies the day before while visiting Boston. Union officials and representatives of the railroads are headed to Washington, DC, on Wednesday to meet with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, CNN reported Tuesday evening.\n\nMore than 60,000 rail freight workers could walk off the job on Friday if they cannot secure certain quality of life benefits and changes to a rostering system that requires engineers and conducts to be constantly on call to work.\n\nBiden headed off a strike two months ago by imposing a 60-day cooling-off period during which a panel he appointed made recommendations for pay rises. But that period ends at 12:01 a.m. ET Friday, ending the President’s power to block strike action. Congress would be able to intervene but Democrats and Republicans would have to find rare agreement on what to do.\n\nPolitically, Biden can ill afford any more major economic disruption. And Americans more broadly have suffered so much already over the last few years.\n\nBut the freight dispute, and the one step-forward-two-steps-back nature of the economy after a tumultuous period, show that the organizing principle of Biden’s presidency – restoring the country to normal – remains a huge challenge. And they show just how quickly things could fall apart.", "authors": ["Stephen Collinson"], "publish_date": "2022/09/14"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/18/business/dairy-farmers-food-inflation/index.html", "title": "Milk prices: Why you could be paying 50% more this year | CNN ...", "text": "Prices are rising at the fastest pace in decades, creating a cost-of-living crisis that’s forcing people around the world to make tough choices about what to buy.\n\nThe United Kingdom is no exception: inflation hit a 40-year high of 9% in April and is forecast to peak above 10% toward the end of this year. The high cost of fuel and heating is just part of the problem. Food prices have also leaped, climbing nearly 7% compared with a year ago, according to data released Wednesday.\n\nA big part of the problem is the soaring price of dairy products. The cost of milk, cheese and eggs — supermarket staples — shot up 9.5% in the 12 months to April. The price of whole milk rose more than 12%.\n\nIn the United States, wholesale milk prices jumped 38% last month year-over-year, while the retail price of fresh whole milk was up 15%.\n\nThere could be more pain to come, according to a recent analysis by Kite Consulting, which specializes in the UK dairy industry. Between 2020 and 2021, a standard four-pint carton of milk cost between £1.10 ($1.36) and £1.20 ($1.49). This year, it could reach £1.70 ($2.11), the consultancy said. That would mark an increase of more than 50% from the bottom end of the range.\n\nWhy the dramatic spike? It partly comes down to supply and demand. Covid-19 drove up the price of many goods as lockdowns distorted global supply chains. This weighed on milk production, as farmers dealt with more expensive fertilizer and animal feed as well as new environmental rules. Meanwhile, the appetite for dairy products, especially in developing countries, grew during the recovery.\n\nThen came the invasion of Ukraine, which further scrambled access to products like wheat, fertilizer and fuel, hiking costs for dairy farmers once again.\n\n“The war is the thing that’s causing the major problem at present,” Kite Consulting managing partner John Allen said.\n\nA customer shops for food items inside a Tesco supermarket store in east London. Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images\n\nThe price of fertilizer\n\nOne of the biggest problems is the spiking price of nitrogen-based fertilizers, which are essential to dairy farming.\n\n“If you look at April 2022 compared to April 2021, you see fertilizer prices almost four times where they were before,” Robert Craig, who runs three dairy farms in northern England with about 1,500 cows.\n\nIf farmers cut back on how much fertilizer they use, they can’t grow enough grass to feed their cows while they graze. A recent lack of rain in England is making the problem even worse.\n\nJessica Langton, who helps run a family farm in Derbyshire with 100 cattle, is concerned.\n\n“We get the majority of our income from milk, so we need to be producing a large amount of grass to feed [cows] through the summer and the winter,” she said. Milk from her family’s farm is used to make cheddar cheese.\n\nLangton noted that a lot of other farms also rely on fertilizer to grow wheat, maize and barley to feed their cows. If they can’t produce enough, they could be forced to sell some of the herd, either to slaughter or to other dairy farmers.\n\nFertilizer prices were increasing before the invasion of Ukraine because of a spike in natural gas prices last year. Nitrogen-based fertilizers like urea and ammonium nitrate are produced from natural gas.\n\nThe invasion of Ukraine made matters worse. Russia and its ally Belarus are major exporters of fertilizer, but few buyers want to touch their supply now. An estimated 18% of the UK’s urea comes from Russia and 7% of its ammonium nitrate, according to Independent Commodity Intelligence Services.\n\n“Russia is such a big exporter of fertilizer, and they have so many sanctions,” said ICIS analyst Deepika Thapliyal. “That’s going to keep supply very tight.”\n\nThe price of fuel and animal feed\n\nEnergy prices aren’t just a factor in fertilizer production. Fuel is also essential to running a farm, where tractors and other machines can run for between 16 and 20 hours a day.\n\nLangton estimates that the cost of the diesel her family uses has more than doubled compared to last year.\n\nHeifers feed in a barn at a farm in Ashford, Kent. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images\n\nThe price of animal feed for cows, which supplements their diets, has surged, too. The UK’s National Farmers’ Union estimates that feed prices have climbed by 70% over the past two years.\n\nBefore the war, Russia and Ukraine accounted for more than a quarter of global wheat exports. But the disruption caused by Russia’s blockades at Ukrainian ports sent prices to an all-time high in March. They’ve since come down slightly but remain extremely elevated, rising again in recent days as India banned exports.\n\nWheat, along with maize and soy, serves as a benchmark for feed prices, Allen of Kite Consulting said.\n\nCraig, the farmer, said that Ukraine produces the “vast majority” of feed for organic dairy cows in the United Kingdom. Now, that product is practically inaccessible.\n\nHow it shakes out\n\nIt’s not a given that grocery stores will hike milk and other dairy prices in line with dramatic forecasts. Stores are wary of raising the price of essential items too much, lest they scare away customers.\n\n“Some retailers will be prepared to take a much lower margin, if not potentially small losses, [to] make [sure] people come through the door,” said Tom Holder, a spokesperson for the British Retail Consortium. “No one wants to go to the supermarket that has the high-priced milk.”\n\nBut farmers like Langton and Craig worry that the dynamics hurting their businesses aren’t going away. Many have to contend with rising labor and transportation costs, too.\n\n“There’s literally nobody to employ. You advertise jobs and there’s very little response,” said Craig. Two of his farms produce milk for cheese. Milk from the third farm is dried and used in a cappuccino mix made by Nestlé (NSRGY).\n\nKite Consulting estimates that total costs of production for dairy farmers will rise by 29% from 2021 to early 2023. Government subsidies, meanwhile, are dropping, making it even harder to break even.\n\n“If we don’t see the milk price increasing alongside hyperinflation, we could see a lot of dairy farms exiting the industry across the UK,” Langton said, referring to the price at which her family can sell its milk to processors.\n\nRising food costs will hit poorer households the hardest. About a quarter of Britons have already skipped meals in response to the cost-of-living crisis, according to a survey published by Ipsos this week. That number rises to one in three for people with lower incomes.\n\nDavid Beasley, head of the United Nations World Food Programme, has warned that rising food prices will cause social unrest in some parts of the world.\n\nAs prices are pushed higher to help farmers stay in business, demand is expected to begin to fall off, allowing the market to rebalance itself. But when that moment will arrive remains an anxiety-inducing unknown.\n\n“I don’t think it’s too expensive yet,” Kite Consulting’s Allen said.", "authors": ["Julia Horowitz"], "publish_date": "2022/05/18"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/19/politics/republicans-inflation-midterm-what-matters/index.html", "title": "Here's how Republicans would address inflation | CNN Politics", "text": "A version of this story appears in CNN’s What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here.\n\nCNN —\n\nLife is more expensive, which means everyone has gotten a pay cut. And people are not happy about it.\n\nStill-high gas prices. High rents. The cost of service. It’s all having a cumulative effect. And wage hikes haven’t kept pace with inflation.\n\n$1,000 for a day at Disney. A more specific example that affects people fortunate enough to consider a vacation is the fact that a family of four will now spend more than $1,000 for a single day parking their car and park hopping at Disneyland. And that’s before food or souvenirs, according to CNN’s Natasha Chen.\n\nTide turning. Aggravating and persistent inflation that refuses, so far, to be tamed by interest rate hikes, remains a motivating force in American politics. And the sour economic mood is tilting the political landscape toward Republicans, according to CNN polling director Jennifer Agiesta.\n\n“The nation’s overall political mood – which had been somewhat more favorable for Democrats following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade – may be tilting more in Republicans’ favor,” Agiesta writes.\n\nWhat would Republicans do? It’s worth considering how the economy will be different with Republicans in charge of the House or Senate.\n\nRepublicans on the campaign trail have tried to capitalize on the ongoing sticker shock and laid primary blame for inflation on government spending, an argument that overlooks the energy spike caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine and the supply chain issues caused by the lingering Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nHere’s an extended riff from Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy – who is in line to be speaker of the House next year if Republicans win in November – when he appeared on Fox on Tuesday:\n\n“Every American needs to be asked this one question: ‘Could you afford to give up one month of your wages?’ Ninety-five percent of Americans will say no. But that’s what the Democrats have taken from you. Because one month of your wages is 8.3% of your overall year – inflation is higher than that.\n\nThat’s why when you go to the store, eggs are higher. You‘ve got milk higher, your gasoline prices higher. It is the Democrat policies that brought that. That’s why in the Commitment to America, we will be energy independent, that lower your prices. We’ll take away this runaway spending. We’ll make America more productive to curve inflation, what the Democrats have brought us.”\n\nThat’s the pitch. Can they deliver?\n\nControlling the House and/or Senate would certainly give Republicans the ability to squash any more spending pushed by the Biden administration. And for an idea of what they support, check out McCarthy’s Commitment to America website. It contains few specifics, but has three basic tenets:\n\n“Curb wasteful government spending …”\n\nEnact “pro-growth tax and deregulatory policies …” (cut taxes and regulations)\n\n“Make America energy independent …” (specifically through oil and gas production)\n\nRegarding the tax and regulation ideas, those are longer-term ideas since they would require a Republican president.\n\nA fourth promise to end reliance on China and ease supply chain problems does not include specific policy ideas.\n\nPresident Joe Biden, for his part, has partially wrapped independence from China and building up US manufacturing into his climate policy, and on Wednesday announced $2.8 billion in grants for US battery supply chains under authority from the bipartisan infrastructure law that passed last year.\n\nHow far could Republicans go to cut spending?\n\nMcCarthy has suggested Republicans will go further and even use the debt ceiling, which will likely be reached early next year, as leverage to force spending cuts. It’s a more overt endorsement of the tactic, which would theoretically see the US default on its obligations.\n\nFor an assessment of what Republicans can and would be able to accomplish on inflation, I talked to Douglas Holtz-Eakin, an economist and president of the American Action Forum, a nonprofit organization that does not endorse policy positions but has a center-right viewpoint. He’s a former director of the Congressional Budget Office and was the economic policy adviser to Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, but he’s not affiliated with either party.\n\nControlling inflation is primarily the Fed’s job\n\nThe first thing to know, Holtz-Eakin said, is that the primary job of controlling inflation belongs to the Federal Reserve, not Congress or the White House.\n\nHowever, he’s of the opinion – along with other economists like the Democrat Larry Summers – that government spending, and in particular the American Rescue Plan Act passed without help from Republicans shortly after Biden took office, helped drive inflation.\n\n“Not committing the same mistake is something Republicans can control, there’s no doubt about it,” he said. “They can block things if they control the House, and that would be beneficial” to curb spending.\n\nThe proof that spending helped spur inflation\n\nWhile Holtz-Eakin said it is not accurate to say Biden and Democrats created the inflation, they certainly helped accelerate it.\n\n“It’s quite clear in the data that there’s a sharp ramp up of inflation in April of 2021 immediately as the checks go out, to implement a $2 trillion stimulus in our economy,” he said.\n\nWhat about using the debt ceiling as leverage to cut spending?\n\n“We’ve seen this movie a million times before,” Holtz-Eakin said, rattling off various ideas that have been put forward to control deficit spending and the national debt.\n\n“People have talked on both sides of this forever, and there hasn’t been one difference in the outcomes,” he said. The debt has gone up steadily. It is currently set at nearly $31.4 trillion. At some point, he argued, someone is going to have to get serious about making fiscal policy more sustainable.\n\nCutting spending is contrary to Congress’ nature\n\nWhile the American Rescue Plan never would have happened if Republicans had been in control of the House, Holtz-Eakin also said something important about how even when there are promises to cut spending, spending occurs.\n\n“On the whole, Congress tends to spend more and tax less and run deficits,” he said. “On the whole, it’s directionally always more inflationary than not.” But a GOP majority would certainly lower the magnitude of spending, he said.\n\nA recession might be on the way no matter what\n\nThere are more and more predictions of a recession as the Federal Reserve tries to tamp down on inflation by raising interest rates.\n\n“Once inflation is there, you have nothing but bad choices,” Holtz-Eakin said. “You have to raise rates and tighten financial conditions. That means fewer jobs and less retail sales, fewer housing starts and all sorts of bad decisions.”\n\nThose decisions are being made regardless of who sits in the House and Senate.\n\n“Ownership of the economy usually falls to the president, who gets blamed or gets credit for what happens on his or her watch,” he said.\n\nWhat’s Biden doing?\n\nThe President tried again Wednesday to put even the smallest dent in gas prices with the formal announcement of yet another release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve – 15 million barrels in December – although it’s unlikely to have much impact.\n\nThe rest of the government is trying to do its part to ease the burden of inflation too:\n\nThat said, none of those measures will likely make Americans feel very different about the economy before Election Day.", "authors": ["Zachary B. Wolf"], "publish_date": "2022/10/19"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/26/perspectives/inflation-food-prices-fed-interest-rates/index.html", "title": "Opinion: Surging food prices are hurting those who can least afford it ...", "text": "Editor’s Note: Dana Peterson is an executive vice president and chief economist at The Conference Board. The opinions expressed in this commentary are her own.\n\nPrices are rising for nearly everything, biting into everyone’s income. But the surging cost of food, specifically, hits especially hard, exacerbating the wealth and income disparities between the richest and poorest Americans.\n\nThe Federal Reserve has been patient throughout the Covid-19 pandemic about achieving full employment to help the broadest set of Americans. Now, it is pivoting toward fighting inflation. This shift is critical to help tame higher prices in virtually every category and will require a measured and well-communicated plan to raise interest rates.\n\nOne of the more closely watched categories is food, as soaring prices have hit consumers’ pocketbooks, especially those least able to afford it. Food prices in December 2021 increased by 6.3% from a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Consumer Price Index. This is the fastest pace of food-price inflation since October 2008, when swelling energy prices lifted the cost of other commodities.\n\nNow, pandemic dynamics are driving inflation: sick workers, supply chain disruptions, transportation bottlenecks and labor shortages, not to mention bad weather events, have forced the price of food higher. Food consumed at home is up 6.5% year-over-year, with prices for staples like meats, poultry, fish and eggs spiking by 12.5% year-over-year. Fruit and vegetable prices climbed to a 10-year high (5%) in December. Food in restaurants, too, is up 6% year-over-year. And prices for full- and limited-service meals and snacks (i.e., dine-in restaurants and takeout) have risen at the fastest pace on record, according to BLS data.\n\nThese levitating prices exacerbate food insecurity. According to the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, 42 million Americans said in early January that they lacked sufficient food because they couldn’t afford to buy enough. That number is nearly double what it was in April as prices rose and stimulus payments (e.g., checks, enhanced federal unemployment insurance) dwindled or ended.\n\nFood-insecure families tend to have incomes below the poverty line of $26,500 for a family of four, but those with incomes just above it or in the lower middle class are also feeling food pressure. Additionally, ethnic minority groups (Black 17%, Hispanic 15%) are more likely than their White (6%) peers to cite food insecurity, according to The Conference Board’s calculations of the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey.\n\nIn a modern economy, no one should struggle to eat because of spiking food prices.\n\nStill, we could see prices rising even further. US CEOs see rising inflation as their second greatest externally facing concern for the year ahead, after labor shortages, according to The Conference Board C-Suite Outlook 2022 survey. An outsized 74% said they are facing upward pricing pressures for inputs (e.g., raw materials, other supplies, wages), with 66% blaming supply chain bottlenecks for higher costs, and 50% citing labor shortages as causes.\n\nWhen asked how they would manage these rising costs, 56% of CEOs said that passing price increases on to customers would be their first choice. Only about one-third stated that they might absorb prices into profit margins (36%) or cut costs (32%) as a first option. While these sentiments pertained to all goods and services, this is likely to be particularly acute for food producers and providers. As long as the lingering pandemic gums up supply chains and constricts the labor supply, firms may feel obligated to raise prices, especially for food.\n\nFed action is the key to any quick relief. Interest rate hikes will slow certain aspects of the economy, like housing activity, more intensely than others. But rate rises should also help calm inflationary pressures, especially as the temporary drivers of higher food prices, including supply chain disruptions, persist.\n\nRaising interest rates from zero percent, and gradually reducing the size of the balance sheet, would also ensure that runaway prices, or even a wage-price spiral, do not damage consumers and hamstring businesses. Since the Great Recession, financial markets have been wary of the Fed’s attempts to tighten policy. Recall, for example, the taper tantrum of 2013 and the 2018 selloffs when the Fed attempted to “normalize” interest rates.\n\nNow, though, financial markets should recognize that the Fed’s efforts to fight inflation are in their interest as they will stabilize the economy. Fed policymakers are signaling several interest rate hikes this year, and markets may become nervous after the first few. However, by using effective communication now, the Fed should seek to convince investors that its actions are not to be feared, but welcomed to keep the US economy on track and help many Americans whose spending is vital to continued growth.", "authors": ["Opinion Dana Peterson For Cnn Business Perspectives"], "publish_date": "2022/01/26"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/30/politics/snap-food-stamps-benefits-inflation-increase/index.html", "title": "Food stamps benefits to jump 12.5% starting in October due to inflation", "text": "CNN —\n\nCome October, it will be a little easier for food stamp recipients to afford groceries.\n\nTheir monthly benefits are going up 12.5%, or $104 for a family of four, thanks to soaring inflation, according to the US Department of Agriculture. That brings the maximum benefit for this size household to $939 a month, up from $835.\n\nBenefit levels are based on the cost of the USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan each June, and the change takes effect in October.\n\nThis year’s cost of living adjustment is the largest annual percentage increase since the Thrifty Food Plan was developed in 1975 and stems from the massive jump in inflation since last year.\n\n“It will put SNAP benefits better in line with the increase in the cost of food over the past year,” Dottie Rosenbaum, director of federal SNAP policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, as food stamps are formally known.\n\nNearly 41 million people were enrolled in the food stamp program in June, according to the most recent USDA data. The average monthly benefit is just over $218 per person.\n\nGrocery prices soaring\n\nEven with this hefty adjustment, food stamp recipients are already falling behind since inflation has continued to rise since June.\n\nGrocery prices jumped 13.5% in August, according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.\n\nEgg prices soared nearly 40%, while milk rose 17% and bread jumped 16%. The cost of chicken grew 16%, while fruit and vegetables together are up more than 9%.\n\nThe higher costs for food are putting a strain on many Americans’ budgets, including those who receive food stamps. Many are turning to food pantries to supplement what they buy in the supermarket.\n\nSome 40% of food pantries and soup kitchens in the Feeding America network saw an increase in the number of people served in July compared with June, according to a recent survey conducted by the anti-hunger group. Another 40% said demand remained about level.\n\nSome pandemic assistance is still in place – for now\n\nMany food stamp recipients are still benefiting from a Covid-19 pandemic relief program that Congress enacted early in the outbreak. Lawmakers raised enrollees’ monthly food stamp allotment to the maximum amount for their family size – a minimum of $95 a month. Some 34 states and the District of Columbia still have this program in place.\n\nA separate 15% boost to benefits ended a year ago.\n\nThose receiving food stamps also received a major permanent increase in benefits last year when the USDA revised its Thrifty Food Plan formula. This resulted in a $36 per person hike in monthly allotments.", "authors": ["Tami Luhby"], "publish_date": "2022/09/30"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/shopping/2022/04/05/food-prices-inflation-grocery-stores/9477026002/", "title": "Food prices rising 2022: USDA predicts these grocery store increases", "text": "If you think paying $10 for a pound of bacon or $6 for a pound of butter is bad, it's about to get more expensive.\n\nPretty soon, you'll be paying even more for just about everything when it comes to eating in or dining out, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.\n\n\"All food prices are now predicted to increase,\" the USDA's Food Prices Outlook for 2022 March report said.\n\nThe increases are the highest in decades as grocery prices got more expensive and rose nearly 9% for the year.\n\nThe USDA's Economic Research Service updated its March report predicting a 4.5%-5% rise in food prices this year. Eating out will see the highest increase, 5.5%-6.5%, the report said.\n\nRising cost of eggs: Bird flu outbreak and inflation cause rising egg prices ahead of Easter and Passover\n\nFood safety: How long is food safe to eat after the best if used by date? Longer than you think.\n\nGrocery prices impacted by inflation\n\nGrocery prices are expected to rise between 3% and 4% in the coming months. And that's on top of all the other increases consumers faced over the past several months.\n\nNo food category, the USDA said, decreased in price in 2021. And now the USDA revised its forecast upward for all food categories, including meats, poultry, eggs, dairy products, fats and oils, and more. The only category that the USDA revised downward was fresh vegetables.\n\nBeef and veal had the largest increase and fresh vegetables the smallest. Prices for wholesale beef are predicted to increase between 4% and 7%.\n\nContributing to the higher retail poultry and egg prices, the report said, is avian influenza. Prices for poultry are predicted to increase by 6% to 7% and 2.5%-3.5% for eggs.\n\n\"An ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza could contribute to poultry and egg price increases through reduced supply or decrease prices through lowered international demand for U.S. poultry products or eggs,\" according to the report.\n\nCoin shortage 2022:Why is there a coin shortage? Quarters, nickels, dimes and pennies are in short supply again\n\nInflation impacts:Three painful ways in which inflation is ravaging seniors' retirement income\n\nStrong demand for dairy products is driving up retail prices. The USDA's outlook in 2022 for dairy predicts a 4% to 5% increase.\n\nAlso putting pressure on food prices is Russia's invasion of Ukraine and increases in interest rates by the Federal Reserve.\n\n\"The impacts of the conflict in Ukraine and the recent increases in interest rates by the Federal Reserve are expected to put upward and downward pressures on food prices, respectively. The situations will be closely monitored to assess the net impacts of these concurrent events on food prices as they unfold,\" the report said.\n\nInflation came in at 7.9% for the last 12 months — the highest year-over-year increase since April 1981, according to February's U.S. Consumer Price Index, released in March.\n\nFollow Susan Selasky on Twitter: @SusanMariecooks.\n\nHigh egg prices affecting you? Share your thoughts with USA TODAY\n\nAre you changing your Easter or Passover plans because of rising prices? Share your thoughts with USA TODAY for possible inclusion in future coverage. If you don't see the form below, click here.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/04/05"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2022/09/22/inflation-daily-life-average-american/10382646002/", "title": "No more steak. Ordering out less. Here's how inflation is squeezing ...", "text": "John Harriger loves a good steak, but these days it's an expense he can no longer afford.\n\nThe 66-year-old Virginian has been living off Social Security since a work-related back injury in 1994. That’s $1,800 a month total for Harriger and his wife.\n\nWith grocery prices up 13.5% over the past 12 months and gas prices above $3.39 a gallon, Harriger has had to make cuts. He’s down to two meals a day instead of three – typically a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch and trout for dinner if a friend had a good day fishing.\n\nHe filed for bankruptcy two months ago, which made his cost of living more manageable. Basic monthly expenses like groceries and electricity now cost him about $1,500 instead of $2,400, but he still worries.\n\nLearn more: Best current CD rates", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/09/22"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/18/economy/price-controls-inflation/index.html", "title": "Price controls: Should the government control how much food and ...", "text": "London CNN Business —\n\nPeople are paying a lot more for food, gas, cars and services, and inflation isn’t over yet as the pandemic continues to distort the economy. So should governments consider setting the price of essential goods?\n\nIt’s been done before, typically during times of crisis, but for most mainstream economists, the answer to this question is a resounding “no.” Limiting how much companies can charge will distort markets, they argue, causing shortages and exacerbating supply chain problems while only temporarily reducing inflation.\n\n“Price controls can of course control prices — but they’re a terrible idea,” David Autor, a professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, remarked in a survey published earlier this month by the University of Chicago.\n\nAsked whether price controls similar to those used in the United States during the 1970s could reduce inflation over the next year, less than a quarter of economists surveyed said they agree while nearly 60% said they disagree or strongly disagree.\n\n“Just stop. Seriously,” Austan Goolsbee, a professor at the University of Chicago, said in response to the question. Goolsbee previously served as chairman of the Council of Economics Advisers under former President Barack Obama.\n\nThe attitude toward price controls appears to be similar in Washington, where policymakers have shown little enthusiasm for even targeted or temporary measures despite growing pressure on middle class families that feel the pain of price increases more than the rich.\n\nStill, with annual inflation running at a four-decade high of 7% and midterm elections approaching, price controls could feature in future debates about how to reduce prices, particularly if actions taken this year by the Federal Reserve fail to tame inflation.\n\nPeople shop for groceries at a supermarket in Glendale, California, on January 12. Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images\n\nThe problem with price controls\n\nPrice controls can be targeted or imposed on a broad range of goods, setting either a floor or ceiling. The German capital of Berlin, for example, has sought to limit how much rent landlords can charge tenants. In the United Kingdom, regulators limit how much consumers can be charged for energy and some types of rail fares.\n\nEconomists who are skeptical of price controls often point to basic economic concepts.\n\nThey argue that capping prices encourages companies to produce less of a product, while making it more attractive to consumers. Supply goes down, and demand goes up, with shortages being the inevitable result.\n\nBut that doesn’t stop governments around the world from resorting to price controls when inflation gets out of hand. As elections approached late last year in Argentina and annual inflation topped 50%, the government froze the price of over 1,000 household goods.\n\nLast week, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he would cut the price of flour, sugar, sunflower oil, milk, pork leg and chicken breast ahead of a national election in April, according to Reuters. He also extended caps on energy, fuel and mortgages.\n\nIsabella Weber, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, argues that price controls have a role to play in the United States, too, as policymakers try to address inflation caused by the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic.\n\n“Price controls would buy time to deal with bottlenecks that will continue as long as the pandemic prevails,” Weber wrote recently in The Guardian, adding that “the cost of waiting for inflation to go away is high.” One key to making the policy a success, she wrote, is to remove price caps gradually to prevent a rapid surge in prices.\n\nFree market or price controls?\n\nThere is plenty of precedent for price controls in the United States, but you have to look a few decades back.\n\nThey were last deployed at the federal level during the 1970s, when former President Richard Nixon established a Cost of Living Council in the summer of 1971 and blocked most wage and price increases for 90 days. The policy was popular with the American public, and inflation slowed temporarily after reaching 5.8% in 1970.\n\nBut Nixon’s subsequent efforts to cap prices were much less successful. The Republican repeatedly tried to freeze prices during the next few years, but inflation surged to 11% in 1974 — exacerbated by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) declaring an embargo on oil shipments to the United States the previous year.\n\nNixon had worked early in his career as an attorney for the Office of Price Administration, which was established during World War II to impose price ceilings on rents and a wide range of products. The price controls were largely effective, but gave rise to a thriving black market. The agency was dissolved in 1947.\n\nLimited price controls are also present in the US economy today. Some cities cap rents or the amount landlords can hike them each year, while government agencies limit the price that some monopolistic utilities charge.\n\nModern politicians tend to put their faith in the Federal Reserve’s ability to control inflation, but the central bank may struggle to address price hikes that are caused by supply chain issues resulting from the pandemic.\n\nPresident Joe Biden has also taken some steps to combat rising prices by targeting corporations and using the power of his office. He has pledged to enforce antitrust laws and crack down on price fixing by meat processors, an industry that is controlled by just a handful of large firms. Biden has also released oil from the country’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves in a bid to reduce energy prices. Meat and energy are both significant contributors to inflation.\n\nPrice controls, it seems, are still a bridge too far.", "authors": ["Charles Riley"], "publish_date": "2022/01/18"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/14/investing/premarket-stocks/index.html", "title": "Premarket stocks: Americans can't afford gas -- that's bad news for ...", "text": "New York CNN Business —\n\nGas doesn’t just fuel cars, it also powers Marlboros, Red Bull, and Doritos.\n\nAn estimated 80% of the fuel purchased in the United States comes from local convenience stores, which bring in about $475 billion of revenue each year, according to IBISWorld data. A quarter of that comes from the 44% of gas guzzlers who come into the store each time they hit the pumps to purchase groceries, snacks, beer and cigarettes.\n\nSo as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and record-high inflation rates cause crude oil prices to shoot up, executives at PepsiCo, General Mills, and Conagra (the company behind Slim Jim) are biting their nails.\n\nThe national gas average price in the United States was about $4.10 per gallon on Wednesday, according to data compiled by AAA. While that’s a little bit under the record high, it’s still high enough to make 60% of Americans reconsider their driving habits and make some lifestyle changes, according to a survey by the automotive service company.\n\nLess driving and fewer trips to the pump typically serve a double hit to convenience store retailers: a loss of foot traffic and money left for discretionary purchases.\n\n“Our [convenience store] retailer contacts have recently highlighted some signs of strain on consumer spending as gas prices remain stubbornly high, with one retailer noting a slowdown in March in-store purchases across categories,” wrote Bonnie Herzog, managing director at Goldman Sachs, in a research note Wednesday.\n\nRising gas prices also appear to be weighing on packaged snack food sales. “This is evidenced by the slowing volume trend seen across most major snack food categories and outright volume declines for single-serve chocolate and jerky meat,” she wrote.\n\nAbout 83% of purchases made at convenience stores are for immediate consumption, or impulse buys, typically the first thing to go when inflation increases.\n\n“Anytime you sell immediate consumption and people’s pocketbooks are pinched you could lose sales,” said Jeff Lenard, vice president of strategic industry initiatives at the National Association of Convenience Stores.\n\nFirst-quarter sales data from NielsenIQ underscore that fear. People are purchasing fewer items. “There is definite concern that the longer prices stay elevated, the more people could modify their behavior and not just short-term but long-term,” said Lenard.\n\nGas prices are top of Americans’ minds, said Jason Zelinski, director of convenience channel accounts at NielsenIQ. But they haven’t greatly impacted other sales yet. He noticed a shift toward increased visits to gas stations — people are topping off their tanks more frequently instead of paying for a full tank.\n\nConsumer Edge, a data insights company, looked at the top three fuel retail brands in the US (Costco, Sam’s Club and Kroger) and noticed a spike in fuel sales as a percentage of total sales through the month of March.\n\n“Although average fuel prices per gallon have gone up, some consumers can no longer afford to fill their tanks each trip and are making the same-priced transactions for fewer gallons but filling up more often,” they wrote.\n\nAnd while there are certainly fears of an upcoming recession, unemployment remains at record lows. Americans are still driving to work.\n\nCompanies are already picking up on the increased frequency of gas visits and trying to use that to fuel other sales, said Eric Dzwonczyk, managing director at AlixPartners.\n\nWalmart, Costco and convenience stores are tying product promotions or discounts to the purchase of gas in order to encourage store visits.\n\nThe cost of Germany’s reliance on Russian gas\n\nFor weeks, politicians, economists and everyone in between have been speculating about what a disaster it would be for Western Europe to lose Russian energy supplies. Now, we’re getting a sense of just how devastating it would be.\n\nGermany’s top forecasters on Wednesday warned that the country would lose nearly $240 billion in economic output over the next two years, my colleague Anna Cooban writes. That would plunge the German economy into a deep recession and wipe out hundreds of thousands of jobs.\n\nIn the event of a shock to natural gas supplies from Russia, Germany’s GDP would rise by just 1.9% in 2022, and contract by 2.2% in 2023, researchers said in a report compiled by five German economic institutes.\n\nThat staggering figure underscores the geopolitical dilemma Western leaders face in confronting a petrostate as powerful as Russia. The military’s abhorrent violence in Ukraine has prompted EU officials to agree a phased ban on Russian coal. But its natural gas exports are a whole other story.\n\nGermany, Europe’s biggest economy, imported nearly half of its natural gas supplies from Russia in 2020, using it to heat homes, generate electricity and power its factories. Losing that supply would drive inflation – already at its highest level in more than four decades — even higher.\n\nLast week, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said the country was moving “as quickly as possible” to ditch Russian energy, but he reiterated that the country couldn’t shut off supplies overnight.\n\n“If I could only follow my heart, there would be an immediate embargo on everything,” he told the newspaper Die Zeit. “However, it is doubtful that this would stop the war machine in the short term.”\n\nThe best economy that no one likes\n\nAsk just about any economist right now how the US economy is doing, and they’ll likely say it’s pretty solid. The labor market is incredibly strong, wages are rising, and even though inflation is high, it has either already peaked or will soon peak (and either way it’s still nowhere near as bad as it was 40 years ago).\n\nBut ask the same question to a regular person and they’ll likely say it stinks.\n\nThey’re both right.\n\nSure, inflation might be cooling off (emphasis on “might”) but try telling that to someone who’s been outbid for 10 different homes, is paying through the nose to fill up their car and gets anxiety just thinking about their weekly grocery bill.\n\nConsider this: US home prices have skyrocketed 20% over the past years. Mortgage rates have nearly doubled in just a few months. And even if you’ve got the cash to afford a house, good luck finding one – inventory is at record lows, and builders are struggling to catch up amid high demand and still-unresolved supply chain bottlenecks.\n\nThen there’s food. Over the past year, US groceries overall got 10% more expensive. It’s especially bad news for bakers when you single out the foods that have gone up the most: flour (14%), milk (13%), eggs (11%) and butter (14%).\n\nPrices are surging everywhere: In the United Kingdom, the annual inflation rate surged to 7% in March, its highest level since March 1992. And China reported this week its producer prices were 8.3% higher in March.\n\nOn Thursday, we’ll get some more insight into how inflationary psychology is affecting the Mighty American consumer when the University of Michigan releases preliminary results from its April sentiment survey. Last month, consumer sentiment came in at its lowest level since 2011.\n\n“Surging gas, food, and housing prices have forced nearly all families to go through the painful process of deciding which normally purchased items they could no longer afford,” wrote economist Richard Curtain, who oversees the survey, in a memo last week.\n\nPart of the reason this bout of inflation feels as bad as it does, Curtains says, is because the majority of consumers weren’t alive, or at least weren’t paying the bills, in the inflationary heyday of the 1970s. We’ve grown up in low-inflation world, punctuated by a few short-lived oil price spikes.\n\n“This lack of experience has magnified their reactions to the higher inflation rate that now prevails,” Curtain says.\n\nUp next\n\nGoldman Sachs (GS), Wells Fargo (WFC), Citigroup (C) and Morgan Stanley report earnings before the bell.\n\nAlso today: Preliminary data for the University of Michigan survey of consumer sentiment will be released at 10 am ET.\n\nComing tomorrow: US stock market closed for Good Friday. Bond market closes early at 2 pm ET.", "authors": ["Nicole Goodkind"], "publish_date": "2022/04/14"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_2", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:53", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2022/03/21/finland-us-happiest-country/7114106001/", "title": "Finland picked as happiest country in the world, US not in the top 10", "text": "Finland was voted the happiest country in the world for the fifth straight year, and it is joined by other European countries in the annual World Happiness Report.\n\nA publication of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the 10th edition of the report published on Friday ranked 146 countries in their overall happiness. Researchers say past data has looked at how citizens' trust in government and large institutions has played a major factor in a country's level of happiness.\n\n\"The World Happiness Report is changing the conversation about progress and wellbeing. It provides important snapshots of how people around the world feel about the overall quality of their lives,\" Christopher Barrington-Leigh, professor at McGill University in Quebec and a researcher involved in the report, said in a statement.\n\nWhat's everyone talking about?: Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day\n\nTop 10 happiest countries\n\nUsing results from the Gallup World Poll, Finland was in first: It had an overall score of 7.821 out of 10, which was \"significantly ahead\" of all other countries. Northern Europe appeared to be one of the happiest regions in the world: All five Nordic countries – Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Norway – ranked in the top eight.\n\nHere are the top 10 countries and their score:\n\nFinland- 7.821 Denmark- 7.636 Iceland- 7.557 Switzerland- 7.512 Netherlands- 7.415 Luxembourg- 7.404 Sweden- 7.384 Norway- 7.365 Israel- 7.364 New Zealand- 7.200\n\nThe 10 least happiest countries\n\nThe unhappiest country, according to the rankings, was Afghanistan, with a score of 2.404. Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, director of the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in England, said recent conflict in the country played a vital role in its ranking. In August, the Taliban took over the country after the U.S. military withdrawal.\n\n\"At the very bottom of the ranking we find societies that suffer from conflict and extreme poverty,\" De Neve said. \"This presents a stark reminder of the material and immaterial damage that war does to its many victims and the fundamental importance of peace and stability for human well-being.\"\n\nThe data was collected well before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February, but both countries were in the bottom half of the rankings, with Russia ranking 80th and Ukraine 98th.\n\nHere are the 10 countries ranked in the bottom along with their score:\n\nAfghanistan- 2.404 Lebanon- 2.955 Zimbabwe- 2.995 Rwanda- 3.268 Botswana- 3.471 Lesotho- 3.512 Sierra Leone- 3.574 Tanzania- 3.702 Malawi- 3.750 Zambia- 3.760\n\nWhat about the United States?\n\nThe U.S. may not be in the top 10, but it's not far off, ranking 16th with a score of 6.977, just behind Canada but ahead of the United Kingdom. Canada is the happiest country in the Americas, according to the data.\n\nThe ranking is also the best ranking for the U.S. since 2017, when it was the 14th happiest. It's also a big jump from the 2021 report, when the U.S. ranked 19th with a score of 6.951.\n\nHere are the past seven rankings for the U.S.:\n\n2022: 16th\n\n2021: 19th\n\n2020: 18th\n\n2019: 19th\n\n2018: 18th\n\n2017: 14th\n\n2016: 13th\n\nA surge in paying it forward\n\nCOVID-19 has taken its toll on nearly every country around the world for more than two years, and even though the pandemic hasn't ended with the emergence of a new coronavirus variant, researchers said people appeared to be more happy in 2021 than in 2020, when the pandemic began. Global worry and stress levels also were down from 2020.\n\nJohn Helliwell, researcher and professor at the University of British Columbia, said the data showed globally, people were volunteering, helping and donating 25% more than they were before the pandemic.\n\n\"This surge of benevolence, which was especially great for the helping of strangers, provides powerful evidence that people respond to help others in need, creating in the process more happiness for the beneficiaries, good examples for others to follow, and better lives for themselves,\" Helliwell said.\n\nFollow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/03/21"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2017/03/07/naples-tops-nation-again-well-being-happiness/98844546/", "title": "Naples tops in the nation again for well-being, happiness", "text": "Liz Freeman\n\nliz.freeman@naplesnews.com; 239-263-4778\n\nNaples once again is tops when it comes to residents being happy and feeling good about life.\n\nAn annual Gallup-Healthways survey of 189 cities nationwide about well-being found Naples is No. 1 for its residents having the highest sense of purpose and a positive outlook, according to the findings.\n\nRelated link: View the survey\n\nIt is the second year in a row that Naples is at the top of the list.\n\nComing in second is Barnstable Town, Massachusetts, followed by Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California, inthird. Holding the fourth spot is Honolulu, Hawaii, and fifth is Charlottesville, Virginia, according to the findings.\n\nAt the opposite end, the cities with the lowest well-being are Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma; Hickory, North Carolina; and Huntington, West Virginia. Holding the fourth lowest well-being ranking is Topeka, Kansas, and fifth is Canton, Ohio.\n\nNaples Mayor Bill Barnett said it’s great the community has stayed at the top spot.\n\n“It is a wonderful honor for Naples to be named the No. 1 community in the country for well-being and happiness for the second year in a row,” Barnett said.\n\nAnother Florida community made the top 10. Northport/Sarasota came in sixth.\n\nBesides a sense of purpose, the survey looks at four more measurements: how people feel about their social and financial standing, their community and their physical health.\n\nNaples ranks No. 20 on list of fastest growing cities in the country\n\nThe rankings are based on telephone surveys of more than 354,400 people across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, which were conducted from Jan. 2, 2015, through Dec. 30, 2016.\n\n“Naples had the highest number of residents thriving in community well-being, highest rates of healthy eating, lowest rates of daily stress, and lowest lifetime diagnoses of depression,” according to the survey findings.\n\nBarnett said the Blue Zones Project has to be given credit for helping the community achieve the good standing.\n\n“We are a walkable, bike-able, pedestrian-friendly city, and our citizens are focused on healthy living and learning about healthier lifestyles,” Barnett said.\n\nSince 2015 Collier County has been pursuing a Blue Zones Project designation, sponsored by the NCH Healthcare System, where a large segment of individuals, businesses, government agencies and other organizations pledge to make enough changes in daily habits to improve their health and longevity.\n\nThe Blue Zones Project is based on the world travels of former National Geographic explorer Dan Buettner, who found there are nine common principles among people in communities around the world with the greatest longevity.\n\nNaples ranks 38th on list of world's priciest beaches\n\nThe “power nine” include moving naturally by being physically active, knowing your purpose in life, taking time to relax, having a healthy social network and putting loved ones first.\n\nOther principles include participating in a religious community, limiting alcohol consumption, eating a plant-slant diet and stopping to eat when you are 80 percent full.\n\nDr. Allen Weiss, president and chief executive officer of NCH, who introduced the Blue Zones Project to Collier, said he is pleased for the community by the Gallup-Healthways finding.\n\nHe pointed to the community having the lowest lifetime diagnoses of depression, healthy eating habits, sixth-lowest rate of obesity in the nation, low stress levels and long life expectancy.\n\nCompany ranks Florida sixth for affordable, entertaining retirement\n\n“We have a lot of pride in our community,” Weiss said. “We have a great educational system. We have a safe community.”\n\nAll those pluses add up to Naples being a great place to live and attractive for people looking for a place to retire, he said.\n\n“You can’t keep the secret,” Weiss said. “If you have someone deciding between us and Arizona and you are the healthiest and happiest community, I think it is a big part of the decision.”\n\nWeiss said the community’s support of the Blue Zones project has been a huge help for Naples staying at the top of the Gallup-Healthways well-being survey.\n\nNaples ranks as one of the best small town food scenes\n\nTo date, 75 businesses and other entities have gained Blue Zones certification, which means they have taken sufficient steps to make changes in their culture to be healthier.\n\nWeiss said another 300 groups are in the process of getting certified, and 14,000 individuals and counting have signed a Blue Zones pledge to adopt healthier practices.\n\nThe Blue Zones Project contracts with the Nashville-based Healthways to help communities earn designation as a Blue Zones community.\n\nDeb Logan, executive director of the local Blue Zones Project, said the community cannot rest on its laurels after earning the top spot for two years if it wants to keep its stellar status.\n\n“We want to continue building on a strong foundation,” Logan said.\n\nPeople in the community benefit from a good network of social connections, whether it’s from activities through their homeowner’s associations or faith-based groups, and that’s critical for improved well-being.\n\nThe ranking bodes well for people looking for a place to retire or for a business looking to relocate, she said.\n\n“We know people are always going to move here regardless, and if you move here you will have a high sense of well-being,” she said.\n\nIn contrast, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has found that loneliness shaves seven years off the average lifespan, she said.\n\n“It’s well-researched,” Logan said.\n\n", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2017/03/07"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/economy/2018/07/24/america-happiest-and-most-miserable-states-well-being/36959203/", "title": "What is America's most miserable state? A ranking based on well ...", "text": "Evan Comen and Samuel Stebbins\n\n24/7 Wall Street\n\n2017 was a challenging year for many Americans. The well-being of the average American dropped more in 2017 than in any year since Gallup began tracking it in 2008.\n\nThe Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index is based on interviews with over 160,000 U.S. adults aged 18 and older, and is intended to capture how people feel about their lives and what they experience on a daily basis. The index consists of five categories: sense of purpose, social relationships, financial security, relationship to community and physical health.\n\nScores in each category vary greatly across the country. While residents in the Northeast, West, and Upper Midwest generally enjoy the highest levels of well-being in the country, the South and the Rust Belt are home to most states with the lowest well-being — and the regional divide is growing.\n\nTo determine America’s happiest and most miserable states, 24/7 Wall Street analyzed the results of the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index. Survey results from Gallup were paired with other socioeconomic data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, and other sources.\n\nMore: What city is hit hardest by extreme poverty in your state?\n\n1. South Dakota\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 82.3% (the highest)\n\n82.3% (the highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 78.0% (4th highest)\n\n78.0% (4th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 61.5% (the highest)\n\n61.5% (the highest) Poverty rate: 13.3% (24th highest)\n\n13.3% (24th highest) Violent crime rate: 418.4 per 100,000 (19th highest)\n\nAccording to a Gallup survey assessing different self-reported gauges of well-being, South Dakota ranks as the happiest state. State residents report a particularly high sense of purpose. In the survey, 82.3% of respondents agreed they liked what they do every day, 62.7% believed they have reached most of their goals in the past year, and 75.1% said they get to use their strengths in their daily work -- each the largest share of any state. South Dakota’s healthy job market may help some workers in the state find a job that best utilizes their talents. Just 3.3% of the workforce is unemployed, one of the lower unemployment rates in the country. State residents also rank highly in financial health and community pride.\n\n2. Vermont\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 75.2% (21st highest)\n\n75.2% (21st highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 79.3% (the highest)\n\n79.3% (the highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 61.3% (2nd highest)\n\n61.3% (2nd highest) Poverty rate: 11.9% (19th lowest)\n\n11.9% (19th lowest) Violent crime rate: 158.3 per 100,000 (2nd lowest)\n\nBased on a national survey assessing the five components of well-being -- sense of purpose, social relationships, financial security, relationship to community, and physical health -- Vermont residents are in better physical health than any other state. Nearly 60% of Vermont adults do not exercise regularly, the sixth largest share of any state. Similarly, 62.4% of respondents report eating a healthy amount of fruits and vegetables weekly, the third largest share in the country. Just 19.2% of adults are obese, less than the nationwide adult obesity rate of 28.2% and the lowest of any state.\n\nWhen surveyed about their their community, 86.5% of Vermont respondents always feel safe and secure. The state's low violent crime rate likely contributes to the strong sense of safety among its residents. There were just 158 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2016, the second best of any state and less than half the national rate.\n\n3. Hawaii\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 78.3% (4th highest)\n\n78.3% (4th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 72.8% (6th lowest)\n\n72.8% (6th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 55.4% (16th highest)\n\n55.4% (16th highest) Poverty rate: 9.3% (2nd lowest)\n\n9.3% (2nd lowest) Violent crime rate: 309.2 per 100,000 (21st lowest)\n\nWhen surveyed about their sense of purpose, 78.3% of respondents in Hawaii agreed they like what they do every day, and 55.7% agreed that they reached most of their goals in the past year -- each some of the largest such shares of any state. One factor likely contributing to residents finding such a strong sense of purpose in their daily lives may be the state’s strong job market. Just 2.4% of Hawaii’s labor force is unemployed, the lowest unemployment rate among states.\n\nHawaii residents also report a higher degree of social well-being than those of all but two other states. Of state resident surveyed, 78.9% report receiving positive energy from their friends and family on a daily basis, the largest share of any state. Additionally, 76.9% of adults in the state have someone in their life that encourages them to be healthy, also the largest share of any state.\n\nMore: Cities where Americans are struggling to afford their homes\n\n4. Minnesota\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 77.9% (5th highest)\n\n77.9% (5th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 77.0% (7th highest)\n\n77.0% (7th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.7% (21st highest)\n\n54.7% (21st highest) Poverty rate: 9.9% (6th lowest)\n\n9.9% (6th lowest) Violent crime rate: 242.6 per 100,000 (9th lowest)\n\nBased on a national survey assessing the five components of well-being -- sense of purpose, social relationships, financial security, relationship to community, and physical health -- Minnesota residents have a stronger sense of financial security than residents of nearly any other state. Just 10.5% of respondents report not having enough money to buy food, the second lowest share after North Dakota. Also, 49.2% agree they have enough money to do everything they want -- the second highest share of any state other than North Dakota. The area's high median income is likely one factor contributing to the strong sense of financial security among Minnesota residents. The typical Minnesota household earns $65,599 a year, nearly $8,000 more than the national median household income. Just 9.9% of residents live in poverty, the sixth lowest poverty rate of any state.\n\n5. North Dakota\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 81.6% (2nd highest)\n\n81.6% (2nd highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 78.1% (3rd highest)\n\n78.1% (3rd highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 57.7% (10th highest)\n\n57.7% (10th highest) Poverty rate: 10.7% (10th lowest)\n\n10.7% (10th lowest) Violent crime rate: 251.1 per 100,000 (13th lowest)\n\nWhen asked about their financial security, less than half of survey respondents in North Dakota said a lack of money prevented them from doing everything they want to do, and 43.9% reported they had not worried about money in the past week -- each the smallest share of any state.\n\nThe state's high incomes, low cost of living, and low unemployment likely contribute to the strong sense of financial security among residents. The typical state household earns $60,656 a year, or about $3,000 more than the U.S. median household income. Goods and services cost 7.7% less in North Dakota than they do nationwide on average. Just 3.2% of the state's workforce is unemployed, less than the 4.9% national unemployment rate and the fifth lowest of any state.\n\n6. Colorado\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 75.4% (16th highest)\n\n75.4% (16th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.4% (21st highest)\n\n75.4% (21st highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 57.1% (12th highest)\n\n57.1% (12th highest) Poverty rate: 11.0% (12th lowest)\n\n11.0% (12th lowest) Violent crime rate: 342.6 per 100,000 (23rd lowest)\n\nColorado residents report a higher sense of physical health than residents of any state other than Vermont. Only 20.8% of residents have had high blood pressure in their lifetime, and just 18.4% have had high cholesterol -- the smallest and second smallest such shares of any state. The positive health outcomes are likely due in part to the large number of outdoor recreational opportunities throughout Colorado and the healthy behaviors of state residents. An estimated 91.3% of the state's population has access to locations for physical activity such as gyms and parks, far more than the 84.0% national average. Some 62% of adults in Colorado get an appropriate amount of exercise each week, the second largest share among states.\n\n7. New Hampshire\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 76.9% (7th highest)\n\n76.9% (7th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.1% (23rd highest)\n\n75.1% (23rd highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.5% (23rd highest)\n\n54.5% (23rd highest) Poverty rate: 7.3% (the lowest)\n\n7.3% (the lowest) Violent crime rate: 197.6 per 100,000 (3rd lowest)\n\nIn a national survey assessing the five components of well-being -- sense of purpose, social relationships, financial security, relationship to community, and physical health -- New Hampshire residents reported a higher degree of social well-being than nearly any other state. An estimated 52.5% of residents always make time for trips with friends and family, and 77.0% receive positive energy from their friends and family on a daily basis, the second and fourth largest shares of any state.\n\nOne factor that may contribute to the strong sense of social well-being may be the large share of children living in two-parent households, a factor that has been shown to have a positive effects on social development in numerous studies. Just 28.2% of children in New Hampshire live in single-parent households, far less than the 34% national share and the sixth smallest share nationwide.\n\n8. Idaho\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 77.6% (6th highest)\n\n77.6% (6th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.1% (24th highest)\n\n75.1% (24th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.2% (22nd lowest)\n\n54.2% (22nd lowest) Poverty rate: 14.4% (19th highest)\n\n14.4% (19th highest) Violent crime rate: 230.3 per 100,000 (6th lowest)\n\nAn estimated 76.7% of Idaho residents are proud of their community or area they live in, the largest share of any state. Additionally, 74.6% of residents believe the area where they live is the perfect place for them, and 85.6% always feel safe and secure -- each the second largest share nationwide. Idaho’s low violent crime rate may partially contribute to the strong sense of community pride and safety among state residents. There were just 230 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2016, far less than the national violent crime rate of 397 incidents per 100,000 Americans and the sixth lowest of any state. Idahoans also report a stronger sense of financial security, physical health, and purpose than a majority of states.\n\n9. Utah\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 76.7% (9th highest)\n\n76.7% (9th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 77.0% (8th highest)\n\n77.0% (8th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.2% (24th lowest)\n\n54.2% (24th lowest) Poverty rate: 10.2% (7th lowest)\n\n10.2% (7th lowest) Violent crime rate: 242.8 per 100,000 (10th lowest)\n\nThere were just 243 violent crimes per 100,000 Utah residents in 2016, the 10th lowest violent crime rate of any state and far less than the national rate of 397 incidents per 100,000 Americans. In most states with low violent crime rates, residents report a stronger sense of safety and community pride. In Utah, 82.5% of survey respondents agree they always feel safe and secure, and 69.3% of respondents believe the area where they live is the perfect place for them -- the ninth and eighth largest shares of any state. Additionally, 73.6% of respondents say they are proud of their community, the third largest share in the nation.\n\nResidents also have a strong sense of financial security, with only 6.4% reporting dissatisfaction over their standard of living -- the smallest share nationwide. Just 4.2% of households in Utah earn less than $10,000 a year, the third lowest such share of any state.\n\nMore: Population migration patterns: US cities Americans are abandoning\n\n10. Montana\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 75.6% (13th highest)\n\n75.6% (13th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 77.2% (5th highest)\n\n77.2% (5th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 53.8% (20th lowest)\n\n53.8% (20th lowest) Poverty rate: 13.3% (24th highest)\n\n13.3% (24th highest) Violent crime rate: 368.3 per 100,000 (25th lowest)\n\nMontana residents report a stronger sense of community than a majority of states. Only 5.4% of survey respondents report that they do not always feel safe and secure, the second smallest share in the country. Additionally, 68.9% of residents are proud of the area where they live, more than the 65.1% national average.\n\nMontana residents also report some of the best health outcomes and behaviors of any state. An estimated 62.1% of residents exercise for at least 30 minutes three days a week, far more than the 55.0% national average and the largest share in the country. Only 24.5% of adults have had high blood pressure, and just 21.5% have had high cholesterol, each some of the smallest shares nationwide.\n\n11. Massachusetts\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 74.1% (20th lowest)\n\n74.1% (20th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.8% (25th highest)\n\n74.8% (25th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 59.4% (3rd highest)\n\n59.4% (3rd highest) Poverty rate: 10.4% (9th lowest)\n\n10.4% (9th lowest) Violent crime rate: 376.9 per 100,000 (23rd highest)\n\nThe typical Massachusetts household earns $75,297 a year, nearly the highest state median. Partly as a result, state residents are more likely than most Americans to be satisfied with their personal finances. Some 48% of survey respondents in the state say have enough money to do everything they want compared to only 42% of Americans nationwide.\n\nA large segment of the Massachusetts population also benefits from strong communities. A low property crime rate is one of the hallmarks of a region where residents report relatively high well-being, and in Massachusetts there are just 1,561 property crimes per 100,000 residents, compared to the U.S. rate of 2,451 per 100,000. Indeed, 82.1% of adults in the state feel safe, a greater share than in the vast majority of states.\n\n12. Florida\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 75.3% (18th highest)\n\n75.3% (18th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.5% (18th highest)\n\n75.5% (18th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 57.7% (9th highest)\n\n57.7% (9th highest) Poverty rate: 14.7% (16th highest)\n\n14.7% (16th highest) Violent crime rate: 430.3 per 100,000 (18th highest)\n\nWhen asked about their social relationships, 50.7% of Florida residents agreed that they always make time for trips with their friends and family, the seventh largest share of any state. Florida residents also report a strong sense of purpose. An estimated 66.8% of adults learn or do something interesting every day, and 55.2% believe they have reached most of their goals in the last year -- each some of the largest shares of any state.\n\nWhile factors such as low unemployment and high educational attainment can promote a strong sense of purpose across a population, Florida is fairly unremarkable in both of these categories. The state’s unemployment rate of 4.2% is in line with the national figure. Additionally, 28.6% of adults have a bachelor’s degree, less than the 31.3% national college attainment rate.\n\n13. Texas\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 76.9% (8th highest)\n\n76.9% (8th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.7% (16th highest)\n\n75.7% (16th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 57.1% (11th highest)\n\n57.1% (11th highest) Poverty rate: 15.6% (12th highest)\n\n15.6% (12th highest) Violent crime rate: 434.4 per 100,000 (17th highest)\n\nTexas residents report a stronger sense of purpose than any state other than South Dakota. Approximately 77% of residents like what they do every day, and 70% believe they get to use their strengths on a daily basis, each some of the largest shares of any state. While residents in states with high educational attainment and low unemployment tend to report the strongest sense of purpose, Texas is relatively lacking in both of these categories. Just 82.9% of state adults have a high school diploma, the second smallest share in the country. Additionally, 4.3% of workers are unemployed, nearly in line with the 4.4% national unemployment rate.\n\nTexas residents also report a stronger sense of social well-being, community, and physical health than a majority of states.\n\n14. California\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 75.5% (14th highest)\n\n75.5% (14th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 73.9% (11th lowest)\n\n73.9% (11th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 57.9% (8th highest)\n\n57.9% (8th highest) Poverty rate: 14.3% (20th highest)\n\n14.3% (20th highest) Violent crime rate: 445.3 per 100,000 (15th highest)\n\nCalifornia residents report a higher degree of physical well-being than residents of any state other than Colorado and Vermont. High health status among adults is partially attributable to some good habits and the scarcity of some bad ones. For example, only 13.8% of adults in the state smoke, the third smallest share among states.\n\nAdditionally, 93.5% of the state population has access to locations for physical activity such as gyms and parks, the fourth largest share nationwide. Such access likely works to boost physical activity rates. Some 59% of adults in the state exercise regularly throughout the week, a larger share than in all but eight other states.\n\nMore: Is your public pension safe? States with the best retirement funding\n\n15. Arizona\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 78.5% (3rd highest)\n\n78.5% (3rd highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 76.7% (10th highest)\n\n76.7% (10th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.8% (19th highest)\n\n54.8% (19th highest) Poverty rate: 16.4% (8th highest)\n\n16.4% (8th highest) Violent crime rate: 470.1 per 100,000 (12th highest)\n\nIn a national survey assessing the five components of well-being, Arizona residents reported a stronger sense of purpose than nearly any other state. An estimated 68.7% of adults in the state learn or do something interesting every day, and 78.5% like what they do every day -- the largest and third largest share of any state. While the opportunity to find a job that matches an individual’s strengths and abilities can lead to a stronger sense of purpose, Arizona has one of the worst job markets in the country. The state’s unemployment rate of 4.8% is somewhat higher than the 4.4% national figure.\n\nArizona residents also report stronger social relationships than most states. An estimated 75.3% of adults have someone in their lives who encourages them to be healthy, the sixth largest share in the country.\n\n16. Wyoming\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 76.0% (11th highest)\n\n76.0% (11th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 79.1% (2nd highest)\n\n79.1% (2nd highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 53.9% (21st lowest)\n\n53.9% (21st lowest) Poverty rate: 11.3% (14th lowest)\n\n11.3% (14th lowest) Violent crime rate: 244.2 per 100,000 (11th lowest)\n\nOne of the strongest indicators of a community’s well-being is the prevalence of crime. There were 244 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in Wyoming in 2016, far less than the national violent crime rate of 397 incidents per 100,000 Americans. When surveyed about their community, 84.7% of respondents in Wyoming agreed they always feel safe and secure, the third largest share of any state. Additionally, 70.9% of respondents claimed to be proud of their community, the fifth largest share. In addition to positive relationship with their community, Wyoming residents report a stronger sense of purpose and financial security than the residents of a majority of states.\n\n17. Nebraska\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 76.2% (10th highest)\n\n76.2% (10th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.6% (17th highest)\n\n75.6% (17th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 55.0% (18th highest)\n\n55.0% (18th highest) Poverty rate: 11.4% (15th lowest)\n\n11.4% (15th lowest) Violent crime rate: 291.0 per 100,000 (17th lowest)\n\nNebraska residents report a stronger sense of community than a majority of states. An estimated 83.5% of adults always feel safe and secure, the sixth largest share of any state and far more than the 77.4% national average. One factor contributing to the shared sense of safety among residents may be the state’s low violent crime rate. There were just 291 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2016, far less than the national violent crime rate of 397 incidents per 100,000 Americans.\n\nNebraska residents also report a higher degree of financial security than most states. While Nebraska’s median household income is roughly in line with the national figure, goods and services cost 9.5% less in the state than they do nationwide. The low cost of living may contribute to the lack of financial worry.\n\n18. Virginia\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 75.2% (20th highest)\n\n75.2% (20th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.8% (24th lowest)\n\n74.8% (24th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 56.8% (13th highest)\n\n56.8% (13th highest) Poverty rate: 11.0% (12th lowest)\n\n11.0% (12th lowest) Violent crime rate: 217.6 per 100,000 (4th lowest)\n\nWealthier Americans are more likely to report feeling financially secure and are more likely to enjoy a higher degree of well-being overall. In Virginia, 9.3% of households earn more than $200,000 annually, the sixth largest share of any state. The typical household in the state earns $68,114 a year, over $10,000 more than the national median. The state's high incomes are likely one reason why only 32.7% of adults in Virginia regularly worry about money and only 32.6% believe they do not have enough money to do everything they want to do, each among the smaller shares of any state.\n\nVirginians also report a high degree of physical well-being. An estimated 56% exercise regularly, and 60% of adults have at least five servings of fruits and four servings of vegetables a week, each larger than the corresponding national averages. Just 24.4% of adults report having physical pain, the eighth smallest share in the country.\n\n19. North Carolina\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 74.2% (21st lowest)\n\n74.2% (21st lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.2% (22nd highest)\n\n75.2% (22nd highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 53.5% (18th lowest)\n\n53.5% (18th lowest) Poverty rate: 15.4% (13th highest)\n\n15.4% (13th highest) Violent crime rate: 372.2 per 100,000 (25th highest)\n\nNorth Carolina residents report a strong sense of purpose and social well-being. Approximately 55% of adults in the state believe they have reached most of their goals in the past 12 months, one of the larger shares of any state. Additionally, 77% of adults believe they receive positive energy from their friends and family on a daily basis, the sixth largest share nationwide.\n\nDespite a strong sense of purpose and social well-being, North Carolinians report a relatively low degree of financial security. In the state, 36% of respondents said they do not have enough money to do everything they want to do. The typical North Carolina household earns about $7,000 less than the national median income, and 15.4% of residents live in poverty -- one of the larger shares of any state.\n\n20. Connecticut\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 75.4% (17th highest)\n\n75.4% (17th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.0% (13th lowest)\n\n74.0% (13th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 58.0% (7th highest)\n\n58.0% (7th highest) Poverty rate: 9.8% (4th lowest)\n\n9.8% (4th lowest) Violent crime rate: 227.1 per 100,000 (5th lowest)\n\nConnecticut residents are slightly more likely to look after their physical health than the typical American. Adults are less likely to smoke, more likely to eat healthy, and less likely to be obese than adults in the majority of other states. The healthy behaviors appear to be having a positive effect as 58% of adults in the state view their own health as near perfect, slightly more than the 55% share of adults nationwide.\n\nConnecticut’s adults are also more likely than most to report a high level of financial well-being. The typical household in the state earns $73,433 a year, about $16,000 that the national median. The higher incomes help a greater share of Connecticut residents to live within their means. Some 45% of survey respondents have enough money to do everything they want to compared to 42% respondents across all states.\n\nMore: Which manufacturers are bringing the most jobs back to America?\n\n21. Iowa\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 75.2% (19th highest)\n\n75.2% (19th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.9% (14th highest)\n\n75.9% (14th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 52.0% (11th lowest)\n\n52.0% (11th lowest) Poverty rate: 11.8% (18th lowest)\n\n11.8% (18th lowest) Violent crime rate: 290.6 per 100,000 (16th lowest)\n\nAdults in Iowa are less likely than the typical American adult to benefit every day from relationships with their friends and family. They are also more likely than adult residents of most other states to be active and productive every day and be in near perfect physical health. Though Iowa lags in certain measures of physical health and social connections, the state has relatively strong outcomes in financial and community well-being.\n\nDespite the state’s unremarkable median household income of $56,247 a year, 47.7% of survey respondents in the state have enough money to do everything they want, the fourth largest share among states. That is likely thanks to a low cost of living. Goods and services are about 10% less expensive in the state than they are on average nationwide. The state also boasts far lower than average crime rates, and partly as a result, 83.2% of those surveyed in Iowa always feel safe and secure -- well above the 77.4% share of respondents nationwide.\n\n22. Washington\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 74.7% (25th highest)\n\n74.7% (25th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.6% (19th lowest)\n\n74.6% (19th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 52.4% (14th lowest)\n\n52.4% (14th lowest) Poverty rate: 11.3% (14th lowest)\n\n11.3% (14th lowest) Violent crime rate: 302.2 per 100,000 (19th lowest)\n\nWashington state residents report a relatively strong sense of physical health and financial security. Approximately 58% of adults exercise for at least 30 minutes three days a week, and 61% have eat a healthy amount of fruits and vegetables on a weekly basis, each some of the largest shares in the country. Just 33% of adults frequently worry about money on a weekly basis, one of the smaller shares among states.\n\nWhile Washington residents have healthy behaviors and relatively strong financial security, they report a relatively weak sense of purpose and social well-being. Only 52% of adults believe they have reached most of their goals in the past year, and just 72% have people in their lives who encourage them to be healthy -- each some of the smaller shares of any state. Overall, Washington residents report a level of well-being that is about in line with the United States as a whole.\n\n23. New York\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 73.7% (16th lowest)\n\n73.7% (16th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 72.7% (4th lowest)\n\n72.7% (4th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 59.1% (4th highest)\n\n59.1% (4th highest) Poverty rate: 14.7% (16th highest)\n\n14.7% (16th highest) Violent crime rate: 376.2 per 100,000 (24th highest)\n\nNew York state ranks better in overall physical well-being than any other measure. Adults in the state are less likely to smoke and more likely to eat healthy on a regular basis than those in most other states. Healthy behaviors can lead to healthy outcomes, and 59.1% of respondents in the state perceive their health to be near perfect, the fourth largest share of any state.\n\nIn other measures of well-being, New York state is lagging. Of adults surveyed, just 57% said they do not have someone in their life that made them enthusiastic about the future, one of the smaller shares of any state. Also, a smaller than typical 73.7% share of adults who like what they do every day further undermines the state’s ranking for a strong sense of purpose.\n\n24. Maine\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 73.5% (14th lowest)\n\n73.5% (14th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 77.1% (6th highest)\n\n77.1% (6th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 49.1% (5th lowest)\n\n49.1% (5th lowest) Poverty rate: 12.5% (21st lowest)\n\n12.5% (21st lowest) Violent crime rate: 123.8 per 100,000 (the lowest)\n\nThere were 124 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in Maine in 2016, the lowest violent crime rate of any state and less than one-third of the national rate. A lack of violent crime can instill residents with a sense of safety and security, and approximately 82% of Maine adults report always feeling safe and secure, the 10th largest share in the country. Additionally, 70% of adults agree that the area where they live is the perfect place for them, and 71% are proud of their community -- the seventh and sixth largest shares of any state.\n\nWhile Maine residents report a strong feeling of community pride, they also report the weakest sense of purpose of nearly any state. Just 63% of adults believe they learn or do something interesting every day, the 10th smallest share of any state.\n\n25. Alaska\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 74.3% (25th lowest)\n\n74.3% (25th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 72.8% (5th lowest)\n\n72.8% (5th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 53.7% (19th lowest)\n\n53.7% (19th lowest) Poverty rate: 9.9% (6th lowest)\n\n9.9% (6th lowest) Violent crime rate: 804.2 per 100,000 (the highest)\n\nThe typical Alaska household earns $76,440 a year, the second most of any state and over $20,000 more than the national median. The high incomes likely instill a sense of financial security in Alaska residents. Just 29.3% of Alaska adults report having recently worried about money, the second smallest share of any state.\n\nWhile most of Alaska residents report a shared feeling of financial security, many adults in the state lack a strong sense of purpose. Approximately 15% do not believe they get to use their strengths on a daily basis, and 24% believe they have not reached most of their goals in the past year -- each some of the largest shares nationwide.\n\n26. New Mexico\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 75.7% (12th highest)\n\n75.7% (12th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.3% (16th lowest)\n\n74.3% (16th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 58.7% (5th highest)\n\n58.7% (5th highest) Poverty rate: 19.8% (3rd highest)\n\n19.8% (3rd highest) Violent crime rate: 702.5 per 100,000 (2nd highest)\n\nNew Mexico ranks far worse than most states in measures of healthy communities and residents’ financial stability. For example, just 57.9% of respondents in the state are proud of where they live, and 73.1% always feel safe and secure -- each among the lowest such shares of any state. Measures of community pride and perceptions of safety are likely hurt by the state's high crime rate. There were 703 violent crimes in New Mexico for every 100,000 residents in 2016, the second highest rate nationwide. Additionally, poorer Americans are far less likely to report a high sense of well-being, and in New Mexico, 19.8% of the population lives in poverty, the third largest share of any state.\n\nDespite some considerable socioeconomic hurdles, adults in New Mexico tend to have a strong sense of purpose. Survey results reveal that adults in the state are more likely than most to enjoy what they do, use their strengths, and learn something new -- each on a daily basis.\n\n27. Wisconsin\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 74.3% (23rd lowest)\n\n74.3% (23rd lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.3% (14th lowest)\n\n74.3% (14th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 52.2% (13th lowest)\n\n52.2% (13th lowest) Poverty rate: 11.8% (18th lowest)\n\n11.8% (18th lowest) Violent crime rate: 305.9 per 100,000 (20th lowest)\n\nWhile the typical Wisconsin household earns roughly the same amount as the typical U.S. household, the low cost of living in the state -- goods and services cost 7% less in Wisconsin than they do nationwide -- may instill a sense of financial security. Just 12% of adults in the state believe they do not have enough money to buy food, the seventh smallest share in the country.\n\nWhile Wisconsin residents are relatively free of financial troubles, they report a low degree of social well-being. Only 68% of adults believe they have someone in their lives who encourages them to be healthy, the third smallest share of any state.\n\nMore: Wage potential: Highest paying jobs you can get without a college degree\n\n28. New Jersey\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 74.1% (19th lowest)\n\n74.1% (19th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 73.6% (10th lowest)\n\n73.6% (10th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 58.3% (6th highest)\n\n58.3% (6th highest) Poverty rate: 10.4% (9th lowest)\n\n10.4% (9th lowest) Violent crime rate: 245.0 per 100,000 (12th lowest)\n\nThe typical New Jersey household earns $76,126 year, or about $19,000 more than national median. Despite the higher incomes, personal finance is a source of stress for a large share of Garden State residents. Some 35% of respondents in have worried about money in the last seven days, a larger share than in most states. Adults in the state may struggle to live within their means due to a high cost of living. Goods and services are 13.4% more expensive on average in New Jersey than they are nationwide, nearly the highest cost of living among states.\n\nPerhaps the most important pillar of overall well-being is a strong sense of purpose, and many adults in New Jersey are lacking that sense in their lives. For example, just 55.4% of respondents in the state have a leader in their life that makes them feel enthusiastic about the future, well below the 59.5% share of American adults. State residents are also less likely than most Americans to set and reach goals each year and use their strengths to realize their potential on a daily basis.\n\n29. Tennessee\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 74.8% (23rd highest)\n\n74.8% (23rd highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 76.8% (9th highest)\n\n76.8% (9th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 53.3% (17th lowest)\n\n53.3% (17th lowest) Poverty rate: 15.8% (11th highest)\n\n15.8% (11th highest) Violent crime rate: 632.9 per 100,000 (4th highest)\n\nAmericans with lower incomes are less likely to report a high level of well-being, and in Tennessee, the median annual household income of $48,547 is about $9,000 below the median U.S. income. The larger than typical share of state residents who struggle to afford food, at 16.7%, underscores the financial hardship many in the state face.\n\nWhen it comes to personal well-being, money is often less important than a strong sense of purpose, and in Tennessee, 64.1% of respondents have a leader in their life who makes them enthusiastic about the future, the sixth largest share among states. Adults in the state are also more likely than most to learn something new and enjoy their work on a daily basis.\n\n30. Maryland\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 74.3% (22nd lowest)\n\n74.3% (22nd lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 73.6% (9th lowest)\n\n73.6% (9th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 55.2% (17th highest)\n\n55.2% (17th highest) Poverty rate: 9.7% (3rd lowest)\n\n9.7% (3rd lowest) Violent crime rate: 472.0 per 100,000 (11th highest)\n\nWIth a $78,945 a year median household income, Maryland is the highest earning state in the country. Despite the high incomes, financial concerns are just as common in the state as they are in much of the country. Of adults in the state, 34.1% worry about money on a weekly basis, in line with the 34.0% share of American adults. A high cost of living may make it more difficult for many in the state to live within their means. Goods and services are about 10% more expensive in Maryland than they are on average nationwide.\n\nA poor sense of community further undermines overall well-being across Maryland. Just 71.8% of state residents always feel safe and secure, the third smallest share among states. Additionally, just 62.1% of adults in the state are proud of their community compared to 65.1% of American adults.\n\n31. Georgia\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 73.6% (15th lowest)\n\n73.6% (15th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.8% (25th lowest)\n\n74.8% (25th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.4% (24th highest)\n\n54.4% (24th highest) Poverty rate: 16.0% (10th highest)\n\n16.0% (10th highest) Violent crime rate: 397.6 per 100,000 (21st highest)\n\nRemaining healthy can be critical to overall well-being. A relatively large share of Georgia residents do not take especially good care of themselves. Just 59.7% of respondents eat healthy all day compared to 62.9% of respondents across all state. Additionally, 18.8% of adults smoke, 1 percentage point higher than the U.S. smoking rate. Likely partially as a result, adults in Georgia are more likely to be overweight or obese than American adults on average and less likely to assess their own health as near perfect.\n\nPersonal finances also undermine the overall well-being of a relatively large share of Georgia residents. Of those surveyed, 17.5% report struggling to afford food, compared to 15.7% of respondents nationwide.\n\n32. Michigan\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 73.1% (9th lowest)\n\n73.1% (9th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.7% (22nd lowest)\n\n74.7% (22nd lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 52.8% (16th lowest)\n\n52.8% (16th lowest) Poverty rate: 15.0% (15th highest)\n\n15.0% (15th highest) Violent crime rate: 459.0 per 100,000 (13th highest)\n\nIn well-being measures such as having a sense of purpose, supportive social connections, community pride, and sufficient finances the typical adult in Michigan closely resembles the profile of the typical adult nationwide. However, when it comes to physical health, state adult residents are more likely than the typical American adult to report lower well-being. About 1 in 5 survey respondents smoke compared to 17.8% of adults nationwide. Adults in Michigan are also less likely to exercise regularly and more likely to be obese than the typical American adult.\n\nSuch unhealthy behaviors appear to be taking a toll. Adults in Michigan are more likely than the typical American adult to report suffering from physical pain. The share of adults in the state who have had cancer, high blood pressure, or depression are all higher than the comparable U.S. shares.\n\n33. Kansas\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 74.9% (22nd highest)\n\n74.9% (22nd highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.4% (17th lowest)\n\n74.4% (17th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.2% (25th lowest)\n\n54.2% (25th lowest) Poverty rate: 12.1% (20th lowest)\n\n12.1% (20th lowest) Violent crime rate: 380.4 per 100,000 (22nd highest)\n\nThe typical Kansas household earns $54,935 a year, nearly $3,000 less than the national median of $57,617. Adjusted for the cost of living, however -- goods and services cost on average 9.6% less in Kansas than they do nationwide -- incomes in Kansas are higher than in a majority of states. When surveyed about their financial security, only 32.1% of adults in Kansas said they do not have enough money to do everything they want to do, one of the smallest shares of any state.\n\nWhile Kansas residents report a relatively high degree of financial security, they have a weaker sense of social well-being than nearly any other state. Only 69.7% of adults believe they have someone in their lives who encourages them to be healthy, the sixth smallest share in the country. Kansas residents may be missing the opportunity for social connection in daily aspect -- their daily commute. An estimated 82.2% of commuters in the state drive to work alone, far more than the 76.6% national average.\n\n34. Pennsylvania\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 74.8% (24th highest)\n\n74.8% (24th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.4% (20th highest)\n\n75.4% (20th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.6% (22nd highest)\n\n54.6% (22nd highest) Poverty rate: 12.9% (23rd lowest)\n\n12.9% (23rd lowest) Violent crime rate: 316.4 per 100,000 (22nd lowest)\n\nMaintaining good physical health can be critical to overall well-being, and a relatively large share of adults in Pennsylvania do not take especially good care of themselves. For example, just 52.7% of adults in the Keystone State exercise for at least a half hour three or more days per week, nearly the smallest share of any state. Additionally, 19.2% smoke compared to just 17.8% of adults nationwide.\n\nPennsylvania residents are also less likely than most to have good relationship with their community. Some 62.6% of survey respondents agreed that their city is the perfect place for them, slightly lower than national share. Additionally, just 18.4% of survey respondents in Pennsylvania have received recognition for helping to the city or area where they live in the last year, the sixth smallest share of any state.\n\nMore: Are these the worst cities to live in? Study looks at quality of life across the U.S.\n\n35. Oregon\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 73.4% (12th lowest)\n\n73.4% (12th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.6% (21st lowest)\n\n74.6% (21st lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 51.6% (10th lowest)\n\n51.6% (10th lowest) Poverty rate: 13.3% (24th highest)\n\n13.3% (24th highest) Violent crime rate: 264.6 per 100,000 (14th lowest)\n\nA sense of purpose is one important factor of overall well-being. In Oregon, residents report a weaker sense of purpose than any state other than Rhode Island. Only 65% of adults believe they get to use their natural strengths on a daily basis, and just 54% agree that they know someone in a leadership role who makes them enthusiastic about their future, the fourth and fifth smallest shares, respectively, of any state.\n\nOregon residents also report higher levels of financial insecurity than a majority of states. While the typical household in the state earns $57,532 a year -- roughly equivalent to the national median -- about 36% of adults regularly worry about money, the third largest share in the country. Additionally, just 71% of adults are satisfied with their standard of living, the fifth smallest share.\n\n36. Illinois\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 75.5% (15th highest)\n\n75.5% (15th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.9% (15th highest)\n\n75.9% (15th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 55.6% (15th highest)\n\n55.6% (15th highest) Poverty rate: 13.0% (24th lowest)\n\n13.0% (24th lowest) Violent crime rate: 436.3 per 100,000 (16th highest)\n\nThe typical household in Illinois earns $60,960 a year, over $3,000 more than the national median of $57,617. Income is one the primary determinants of financial security, and 45% of adults in the state believe they have enough money to do everything they want to do -- one of the larger shares of any state.\n\nWhile Illinois residents report a strong sense of financial security and relatively average social well-being, sense of purpose, and physical health, they have a weaker relationship with their community than nearly any other state. Only 57% of adults believe the area where they live is the perfect place for them, and just 75% agree they always feel safe and secure, each the seventh smallest share of any state. One factor that can erode community bonds is violent crime. Chicago is one of the most dangerous cities in the country, and throughout the state there were 436 violent crimes per 100,000 Illinois residents in 2016 -- one of the higher crime rates among states.\n\n37. South Carolina\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 73.0% (8th lowest)\n\n73.0% (8th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.5% (19th highest)\n\n75.5% (19th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.2% (23rd lowest)\n\n54.2% (23rd lowest) Poverty rate: 15.3% (14th highest)\n\n15.3% (14th highest) Violent crime rate: 501.8 per 100,000 (10th highest)\n\nThe typical South Carolina household earns just $49,501 a year, over $8,000 less than the national median household income of $57,617. Low incomes are likely to contribute to a sense of financial stress and insecurity among residents. In South Carolina, approximately 35% of surveyed residents said they worry about money on a regular basis and 12% said they are not satisfied with their standard of living -- each some of the larger shares of any state.\n\nIncome is one of the primary determinants of health, and state residents also report some of the worst health behaviors and outcomes of any state. Only 60% of adults believe they eat healthy all day, one of the largest shares in the country. Additionally, 23% do not believe that they feel active and productive on a daily basis, the seventh largest share of any state. Overall, 405 in every 100,000 South Carolina residents die before the age of 75 -- the ninth highest premature mortality rate nationwide.\n\n38. Alabama\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 73.2% (11th lowest)\n\n73.2% (11th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.3% (15th lowest)\n\n74.3% (15th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 49.7% (6th lowest)\n\n49.7% (6th lowest) Poverty rate: 17.1% (7th highest)\n\n17.1% (7th highest) Violent crime rate: 532.3 per 100,000 (7th highest)\n\nBoth physical and financial health can be critical to personal well-being, and a relatively large share of adults in Alabama do not benefit from either. Just 37.6% of respondents in the state agree they have enough money to do everything they want, the third smallest share of any state. Low incomes are partially to blame for the financial insecurity as about 1 in 10 Alabama households live on $10,000 or less a year compared to 6.7% of American households. Poor physical health is also relatively common in Alabama. The shares of adults suffering from physical pain and the share who have struggled with high blood pressure or high cholesterol are each some of the largest in the country.\n\nWhile Alabama lags behind most states in measures of overall well-being, state residents are not lacking in having a sense of purpose. For example, a near nation-leading 65.2% of survey respondents in Alabama have a leader in their life that makes them enthusiastic about the future, well above the 59.5% U.S. average.\n\n39. Missouri\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 73.1% (10th lowest)\n\n73.1% (10th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.9% (13th highest)\n\n75.9% (13th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.4% (25th highest)\n\n54.4% (25th highest) Poverty rate: 14.0% (22nd highest)\n\n14.0% (22nd highest) Violent crime rate: 519.4 per 100,000 (8th highest)\n\nCertain healthy behaviors can be critical to maintaining good physical health, and adults in Missouri are among the least likely to engage in such behaviors. Just 54.2% of respondents in the state eat enough fruits and vegetables on a weekly basis, the fifth smallest share among states. Additionally, only 53.6% of adults in the state get enough exercise, slightly less than the 55.0% of American adults nationwide. Likely partially as a result, Missouri residents are less likely to assess their own health as near-perfect than the typical American adult.\n\nLearning new things every day and relying on your strengths to realize your full potential can greatly increase your sense of purpose. In Missouri, just 65.2% of adults use their strengths every day, and 62.2% learn or do something interesting every day -- below the respective 67.5% and 64.8% shares of American adults.\n\n40. Delaware\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 71.4% (4th lowest)\n\n71.4% (4th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 72.2% (3rd lowest)\n\n72.2% (3rd lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.7% (20th highest)\n\n54.7% (20th highest) Poverty rate: 11.7% (16th lowest)\n\n11.7% (16th lowest) Violent crime rate: 508.8 per 100,000 (9th highest)\n\nThe typical Delaware household earns $61,757 a year, over $4,000 more than the national median. While high incomes generally provide residents with a feeling of financial security, adults in Delaware report a higher degree of financial stress than nearly any other state. Approximately 36% of adults regularly worry about money, and 13% are unsatisfied with their standard of living -- the fourth and fifth largest shares in the country.\n\nDelaware residents also report far less community pride than the average American. Only 60% of adults in Delaware are proud of their community, and just 73% always feel safe and secure -- the fifth and fourth smallest shares of any state. One factor eroding the relationship between Delaware residents and their community may be the state’s high violent crime rate. There were 509 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2016, the ninth highest rate of any state.\n\n41. Rhode Island\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 74.3% (24th lowest)\n\n74.3% (24th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 68.5% (the lowest)\n\n68.5% (the lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 56.2% (14th highest)\n\n56.2% (14th highest) Poverty rate: 12.8% (22nd lowest)\n\n12.8% (22nd lowest) Violent crime rate: 238.9 per 100,000 (8th lowest)\n\nWhile some states in the New England regions, like New Hampshire and Vermont, rank among the states with the highest levels of well-being, nearby Rhode ranks among the lowest. Having a sense of purpose is the most important component of personal well-being, and no state ranks lower in sense of purpose than Rhode Island. Just 50.8% of adults in the state have a leader in their life who makes them feel enthusiastic about the future, the smallest share of any state and well below the comparable 59.5% U.S. share. Similarly, only 48.8% of respondents in the state reached most of their goals in the last year, and 60.4% claim to learn or do something interesting every day -- each the third smallest shares among states.\n\nUnfulfilling social connections may undermine residents’ sense of purpose. Just 69.9% of adults in the state get positive energy from friends and family every day, the smallest share of any state.\n\nMore: Who is getting paid more? 16 states where personal incomes are booming\n\n42. Indiana\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 73.9% (17th lowest)\n\n73.9% (17th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 76.2% (11th highest)\n\n76.2% (11th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 51.4% (8th lowest)\n\n51.4% (8th lowest) Poverty rate: 14.1% (21st highest)\n\n14.1% (21st highest) Violent crime rate: 404.7 per 100,000 (20th highest)\n\nIndiana residents’ overall well-being is undermined in part by a relatively weak connection to the community. Just 62.2% of adults in the state are proud of their community, a smaller share than in the vast majority of states. Without pride in one's community, the desire to improve it also may be weak. Just 18.4% of survey respondents in the state report receiving recognition for helping to improve their town or community in the last year, the fourth smallest share among states.\n\nPhysical health is also an important part of overall well-being, and a relatively large share of Indiana residents are unhealthy. Just 51.4% of adults in the state assess their own physical health as near perfect, the eighth smallest share among states. Similarly, just 64.2% of adults in the state have felt happy and productive in each of the last seven days, the sixth smallest share of any state.\n\n43. Nevada\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 73.5% (13th lowest)\n\n73.5% (13th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.0% (12th lowest)\n\n74.0% (12th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 50.7% (7th lowest)\n\n50.7% (7th lowest) Poverty rate: 13.8% (23rd highest)\n\n13.8% (23rd highest) Violent crime rate: 678.1 per 100,000 (3rd highest)\n\nA strong sense of community can go a long way to support personal well-being, but relatively few residents in Nevada feel a close connection to their community. Only 59.4% of respondents are proud of their community, the fourth smallest share of any state. Community pride across the state may be undercut by perceptions of danger. Just 69.5% of adults in the state always feel safe and secure, the second smallest share of any state. Concerns over safety are not unwarranted. There are 678 violent crimes for every 100,000 residents in Nevada per year, well above the U.S. violent crime rate of 397 per 100,000.\n\nWell-being in Nevada is further undermined by fewer strong personal relationships. For example, just 71.9% of adults get positive energy from friends and family every day, the fifth smallest share of any state.\n\n44. Ohio\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 71.8% (5th lowest)\n\n71.8% (5th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 73.1% (7th lowest)\n\n73.1% (7th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 52.0% (12th lowest)\n\n52.0% (12th lowest) Poverty rate: 14.6% (18th highest)\n\n14.6% (18th highest) Violent crime rate: 300.3 per 100,000 (18th lowest)\n\nA sense of purpose is perhaps the most critical pillar of personal well-being, and a relatively large share of Ohio adults are missing a sense of purpose. For example, just 71.8% of adults in the state like what they do every day, and only 64.4% use their strengths daily to realize their full potential, the fifth and third smallest shares of any state respectively.\n\nOhio residents are also among the least likely Americans to feel a close connection to their community. Just 59.2% of survey respondents in the state agree that their community or city is the perfect place for them, a considerably smaller share than the 63.7% of Americans who do. Adults in Ohio are also relatively unlikely to make efforts to improve their neighborhoods. Only 17.3% of respondents in the Buckeye State have received recognition in the last year for improving their community, the second smallest share of any state.\n\n45. Kentucky\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 70.6% (2nd lowest)\n\n70.6% (2nd lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 76.0% (12th highest)\n\n76.0% (12th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 48.4% (3rd lowest)\n\n48.4% (3rd lowest) Poverty rate: 18.5% (4th highest)\n\n18.5% (4th highest) Violent crime rate: 232.3 per 100,000 (7th lowest)\n\nUsing your strengths and enjoying what you do every day can greatly contribute to a sense of purpose -- one of the most important pillars of personal well-being. In Kentucky, just 70.6% of adults like what they do every day, and 63.3% use their strengths to maximize their potential every day -- the second smallest and smallest shares of any state, respectively. The relatively weak sense of purpose may partially explain the prevalence of depression in the state. Some 23% of respondents in Kentucky have had a depression in their lifetime, the fourth largest share of any state.\n\nIn addition, many also likely suffer from poor physical health. Only 48.4% of respondents in Kentucky assess their own physical health as near-perfect, the third smallest share of any state. Suboptimal health, for many, may be attributable to unhealthy habits. For example, just 57.4% of adults in the state eat healthily all day, the third smallest share of any state.\n\n46. Oklahoma\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 74.1% (18th lowest)\n\n74.1% (18th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.8% (23rd lowest)\n\n74.8% (23rd lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 47.7% (2nd lowest)\n\n47.7% (2nd lowest) Poverty rate: 16.3% (9th highest)\n\n16.3% (9th highest) Violent crime rate: 449.8 per 100,000 (14th highest)\n\nOver 16% Oklahoma residents live on poverty level incomes, well above the 14.0% U.S. poverty rate. Poorer Americans are less likely to report a high sense of well-being than higher earning Americans, and the low incomes in Oklahoma may explain some negative outcomes. Only 38.2% of adults in the state have enough money to do what they want, nearly the lowest share nationwide. Additionally, 1 in every 5 survey respondents struggle to afford food, the fourth highest ratio of any state.\n\nStronger social connections would also go a long way to improve well-being in the Sooner State. Just 42.7% of survey respondents always make time for regular vacations with family and friends, the smallest share of any state. Additionally, just 71.2% of adults in the state receive positive energy from friends and family on a daily basis, the fourth smallest share among states.\n\n47. Mississippi\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 69.8% (the lowest)\n\n69.8% (the lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 71.4% (2nd lowest)\n\n71.4% (2nd lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 51.4% (9th lowest)\n\n51.4% (9th lowest) Poverty rate: 20.8% (the highest)\n\n20.8% (the highest) Violent crime rate: 280.5 per 100,000 (15th lowest)\n\nPoorer Americans are less likely than those with higher incomes to report a high level of personal well-being. With about 1 in 5 residents living below the poverty line, Mississippi is the poorest state in the country. Partly as a result, it is the only state where fewer than 1 in 3 adults do not have enough money to do what they want. Additionally, some 23% of survey respondents report struggling to afford food, the largest share of any state.\n\nMany Mississippi residents also lack a sense of purpose. It is the only state in the country where fewer than 70% of survey respondents said they like what they do every day. It is also one of only three state where less than half of adults have reached most of their goals in the past year.\n\nMore: What's the richest town in every state?\n\n48. Arkansas\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 71.9% (6th lowest)\n\n71.9% (6th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.6% (20th lowest)\n\n74.6% (20th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 48.6% (4th lowest)\n\n48.6% (4th lowest) Poverty rate: 17.2% (6th highest)\n\n17.2% (6th highest) Violent crime rate: 550.9 per 100,000 (6th highest)\n\nArkansas residents have some of the worst health behaviors in the country and report some of the worst health outcomes. For example, 31% of adults in the state get no exercise beyond getting up and going to work, and 32% have had to abstain from their usual activities for more than two days due to poor health -- both the second largest shares of any state. Nationwide, just 26.0% of Americans missed their usual activities due to poor health. Additionally, 39% of adults have had high blood pressure at some point in their lives, and 15% have diabetes -- each the third largest share nationwide.\n\n49. Louisiana\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 71.9% (7th lowest)\n\n71.9% (7th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 73.3% (8th lowest)\n\n73.3% (8th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 52.6% (15th lowest)\n\n52.6% (15th lowest) Poverty rate: 20.2% (2nd highest)\n\n20.2% (2nd highest) Violent crime rate: 566.1 per 100,000 (5th highest)\n\nLouisiana is one of many states in the South that trail the nation in well-being. Just an estimated 55.4% of adults believe the area where they live is the perfect place for them, and only 69.3% always feel safe and secure -- each the smallest share of any state. The fractured sense of safety may be partially due to the area’s high crime rate. There were 566 violent and 3,298 property crimes per 100,000 Louisiana residents in 2016, the fifth and fourth highest such rates of any state.\n\nLouisiana residents also report the weakest sense of financial security of any state other than Mississippi. More than 1 resident in 5 in the state live in poverty, the second highest poverty rate in the country.\n\n50. West Virginia\n\nResidents who like what they do every day: 71.3% (3rd lowest)\n\n71.3% (3rd lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.6% (18th lowest)\n\n74.6% (18th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 47.4% (the lowest)\n\n47.4% (the lowest) Poverty rate: 17.9% (5th highest)\n\n17.9% (5th highest) Violent crime rate: 358.1 per 100,000 (24th lowest)\n\nFor the ninth year in a row, West Virginia residents reported the lowest level of well-being in 2017. Well-being in the state is largely hindered by high levels of financial insecurity and poor physical health. The typical West Virginia household earns just $43,385 a year, more than $14,000 less than the national median income of $57,617. Even adjusted for the area’s low cost of living -- goods and services cost an average 11% less in the state than they do nationwide -- West Virginia still has the second lowest median household income in the country. Some 21% of adults believe they do not have enough money for food, the third largest share of any state.\n\nIn West Virginia, 28% of adults smoke, and 29% get no exercise beyond getting up and going to work -- the largest and fourth largest such shares in the country. The state has the highest self-reported rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and heart attack, and just 47% of adults believe they are in near-perfect physical health -- the smallest share of any state.\n\nMore: Can you afford that new vehicle? 25 most expensive car models to insure\n\nDetailed findings\n\nIn an interview with 24/7 Wall Street, Dan Witters, research director of the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index, identified sense of purpose as the clearest indicator of overall well-being. “If I had to pick one of the five elements to start with and build from scratch, it would be purpose.” Sense of purpose correlates with overall well-being more than any of the other four elements. This is likely because sense of purpose determines so many other factors in an individual’s life.\n\n“Are you learning and growing? Are you reaching goals? Are you in a role where you’re able to use your natural strengths every day?” Witters explained. Individuals with a strong sense of purpose are more likely to have higher incomes, be in better physical shape, have ties to their community, and have strong social relationships.\n\nAnother of the five elements of well-being is financial security. Statements such as “You have enough money to do everything you want to do,” and “In the last seven days, you have worried about money,” which participants agree or disagree with on a scale of 1 to 5, give an insight into how well individuals manage their economic life to reduce stress and increase financial security. Financial security is highly correlated with external factors such as income and cost of living. Of the 25 states reporting the highest degrees of financial security, 20 have median household incomes greater than the national median income of $57,617 when adjusted for cost of living.\n\nConnection to one’s community is another important element in overall well-being. Survey respondents were asked to agree or disagree with statements such as “You are proud of your community,” and “You always feel safe and secure,” on a scale of 1 to 5 to give an indication of how much they like where they live, feel safe, and have pride in their community. One factor that can significantly erode an individual’s bond with his or her community is crime. Of the 15 states with the strongest sense of community, 13 have lower violent crime rates than the national rate, and 10 have lower property crime rates as well.\n\nUnemployment is also one of the major external factors that correlates with overall well-being. “Having a job is better for your well-being than not having a job if you need one,” Witters said. A large number of residents with high well-being can also attract new industry to a given area, which can in turn help keep unemployment low. “States that have high well-being residents are attractive places for would-be employers because their workers perform better and have fewer unplanned absences,” Witters said. All 10 of the states with the highest overall well-being have unemployment rates below the national unemployment rate for 2016 of 4.9 percent.\n\nAccording to Witters, factors that highly correlate with overall well-being also include educational attainment, motor vehicle deaths, driving under the influence, and teen pregnancies.\n\nMethodology\n\nTo determine America’s happiest and most miserable states, 24/7 Wall Street analyzed the results of the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index. States were ranked based on their overall Well-Being Index score. Survey results from Gallup were paired with other socioeconomic data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, and other sources. Data on median household income, college and high school attainment, commuting patterns, poverty, households earning less than $10,000 and households earning more than $200,000, and income inequality came from the Census Bureau’s 2016 American Community Survey. Data on unemployment came from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and is an annual average for 2017. Data on regional price parity came from the Bureau of Economic Statistics and is for 2016. Data on violent crime and property crime came from the FBI’s 2016 Uniform Crime Report. Data on physical inactivity, access to physical activity locations, premature mortality, and children in single-parent households came from the 2017 edition of County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a joint program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. All data are for the most recent period available.\n\n24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2018/07/24"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2021/01/23/clippers-dominate-beat-thunder-120-106-for-6th-win-in-row/115352542/", "title": "Clippers dominate, beat Thunder 120-106 for 6th win in row", "text": "AP\n\nLOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points, Paul George added 29 and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-106 on Friday night for their sixth straight win.\n\nSerge Ibaka had 17 points and 11 rebounds to help the Clippers improve to 12-4, tying the Lakers for the NBA’s best record.\n\nShai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 30 points and eight assists against his former team. Lu Dort added 19 points.\n\n“He was amazing. He had some great moves, great finishes around the basket as always,” teammate Mike Muscala said of Gilgeous-Alexander. “He makes the game easier for everybody on the court.”\n\nThe Thunder were in catch-up mode most of the way before dropping their second straight and fourth in five games. They were just 14 of 42 from 3-point range and only got to the free throw line 13 times.\n\nFollow every game: Latest NBA Scores and Schedules\n\n“We had a bad start,” Dort said. “We had to talk to each other, pick it up, and play harder.”\n\nThe Clippers grabbed control in the first half, scoring 36 points in the first quarter and 34 in the second on 63% shooting. They had scoring runs of 21-2 and 11-4 in the first.\n\nThey opened the second quarter with a 19-10 spurt, including George’s steal and dunk followed by his consecutive 3-pointers, for their largest lead of 27 points.\n\nFrom there, the Thunder put together a 25-15 surge, hitting five 3-pointers, to trail 70-53 at halftime.\n\nThe Thunder worked to reduce a 23-point deficit to 10 points in the third. They outscored the Clippers 15-2 during one stretch, helped by eight points from Dort and Muscala’s first 3-pointer after he missed four attempts in the first half.\n\nBut Leonard quickly put the Clippers ahead 91-75, running off six in a row. Muscala hit another 3-pointer that left the Thunder trailing by 13 going into the fourth.\n\n“Teams are going to make runs, regardless of it’s a top team or a young team,” George said. “You got to learn how to win in adversity and learn how to weather the storm. It's more so about us withstanding that and executing down the stretch.”\n\nGeorge scored 11 points in the fourth against his old team, when Gilgeous-Alexander had 10 for the Thunder.\n\nTIP-INS\n\nThunder: It took until the second half, but Dort and Muscala continued their streaks of both hitting at least one 3-pointer in each game they’ve played this season. Dort leads the team with 34 3-pointers and Muscala is second with 26. ... They dropped to 1-6 against the West.\n\nClippers: Lou Williams recorded his 249th career game with at least five assists off the bench, tying J.J. Barea for the most such games in NBA history.\n\nNEW ADDITION\n\nNicolas Batum and his wife, Lily, welcomed a daughter earlier Thursday. He tweeted a black-and-white photo of the baby named Nayeli. “Woman (sic) are the strongest. They both have done a great job. What a crazy day. I’m the happiest man in the world,” he wrote, adding three heart emojis. Batum scored 14 points.\n\nUP NEXT\n\nThe teams meet again Sunday at Staples Center.\n\n___\n\nMore AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/01/23"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2017/05/15/az-memo-taurasi-gets-married-asu-wins-territorial-cup-series-miss-usa-crowned/322252001/", "title": "AZ Memo: Taurasi gets married; ASU wins Territorial Cup Series ...", "text": "The Republic | azcentral.com\n\nGood morning, Arizona. Here's what you need to know to kick off your work week.\n\nThe National Weather Service is forecasting a Monday that will see mostly sunny skies with highs reaching up to 85. Winds up to 20 mph are also expected today.\n\nThe Valley low will bottom out at about 55 with winds reaching 15 mph.\n\nTAURASI MARRIES FORMER MERCURY PLAYER\n\nPhoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi married former Mercury player Penny Taylor, now the team’s director of player development, on Saturday.\n\nThe ceremony was held a day before the Mercury began their 21st season Sunday.\n\n\"Just an amazing day, one of the happiest days we've ever had,\" Taurasi said after the Mercury's 68-58 loss to Dallas. \"It would have been nice to follow it up with a win, but we're just really happy. It was one of the times where all our families were together, all the people we love and care for in the city that we met and evolved as teammates and wives now. It's been pretty cool.\"\n\nTaurasi, 34, is one of the most prominent players in women’s basketball and this season is expected to become the WNBA career scoring leader. She has won three WNBA titles with the Mercury and four U.S. Olympic gold medals.\n\nASU CLINCHES FOURTH CONSECUTIVE TERRITORIAL CUP SERIES\n\nArizona State clinched a fourth consecutive undisputed Territorial Cup Series title Sunday over rival Arizona.\n\nASU picked up both outdoor track points to reach the needed 10.5 points for the 2016-17 series crown.\n\nThe ASU women's track team was sixth at the Pac-12 Championships in Eugene, Ore., two places ahead of UA. On the men's side, the Sun Devils finished eighth, edging the Wildcats by one point.\n\nASU leads 10.5 points to 8.5 in the series with only the baseball point left to be decided. After splitting non-conference games, ASU and UA baseball will meet in a three-game Pac-12 series starting Thursday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.\n\nMISS USA 2017: MISS D.C. WINS THE CROWN\n\nFor the second year in a row, the Miss USA crown went to the District of Columbia.\n\nMiss D.C. Kára McCullough became the 66th Miss USA during Sunday night's pageant, with Miss New Jersey Chhavi Verg named the runner-up and Miss Minnesota Meridith Gould the second runner-up.\n\nAs she joked earlier in the competition, McCullough hoped to win the crown to give D.C. \"back to back\" wins \"like Drake.\" Miss D.C. 2016 Deshauna Barber won the competition last year. Before passing on the crown Sunday night, Barber shared an emotional story about her mother's death shortly after she won Miss USA.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2017/05/15"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2017/11/02/astros-win-1st-world-series-crown-top-dodgers-5-1-in-game-7/107255778/", "title": "Astros win 1st World Series crown, top Dodgers 5-1 in Game 7", "text": "AP\n\nLOS ANGELES (AP) — From laughingstock to lift off.\n\nGeorge Springer and the Houston Astros rocketed to the top of the baseball galaxy Wednesday night, winning the first World Series championship in franchise history by romping past the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game 7.\n\nPlaying for a city still recovering from Hurricane Harvey, and wearing an H Strong logo on their jerseys, the Astros brought home the prize that had eluded them since they started out in 1962 as the Colt .45s.\n\n\"I always believed that we could make it,\" All-Star slugger Jose Altuve said. \"We did this for them.\"\n\nFor a Series that was shaping up as an October classic, Game 7 quickly became a November clunker as Houston scored five runs in the first two innings off Yu Darvish. Hardly the excitement fans felt during the Cubs' 10-inning thriller in Cleveland last fall.\n\nFollow every game: Latest MLB Scores and Schedules\n\nWell, except for everyone wearing bright orange. Back in Houston, a huge crowd filled Minute Maid Park to cheer as fans watched on the big video board, and the train whistle wailed when it was over.\n\n\"We're coming home a champion, Houston,\" Springer said after accepting the World Series MVP trophy named this year for Willie Mays.\n\nStar shortstop Carlos Correa turned the party into a proposal. After doing a TV interview, he got down on one knee and asked girlfriend Daniella Rodriguez, a former Miss Texas USA, to marry him.\n\n\"Yes?\" he said, putting a ring on her finger as she cried.\n\nAltuve, one of four holdovers from a club that lost an embarrassing 111 times in 2013 after switching from the NL to the AL, and this collection of young stars silenced Dodger Stadium from the get-go, taking a 5-0 lead in the second inning.\n\nAltuve was in perfect position for the final out, a grounder by Corey Seager to the 5-foot-6 second baseman.\n\n\"I caught the last out for the Houston Astros to become a world champion. It was a groundball to me, I threw to first, and I think it was the happiest moment of my life in baseball,\" Altuve said.\n\nThe Astros streamed from the dugout and bullpen to go wild, tossing their gloves in the air. A thousand or so fans crowded behind the first base dugout, chanting \"Hou-ston! Hou-ston!\"\n\nLater, some little Astros kids ran around the outfield grass dressed in Halloween outfits. Their dads, meanwhile, were putting on championship hats and shirts.\n\nAt last, they had completed the ascent some predicted after a rebuilding club purged payroll and stripped down to bare bones a few years back.\n\nFamously, now, there was the Sports Illustrated cover in 2014 — after Houston had lost more than 100 games for three straight seasons — that proclaimed: \"Your 2017 World Series Champs\" and featured a picture of Springer in a bright Astros jersey.\n\nOn the other side, ace Clayton Kershaw and several Dodgers leaned against the dugout railing, watching the Astros celebrate. Los Angeles led the majors with 104 wins and a $240 million payroll, and rallied to win Game 6, yet it didn't pay off for part-owner Magic Johnson and his team.\n\n\"Obviously, this one hurts,\" manager Dave Roberts said. \"And like I told the guys, when you put everything, every ounce of your being into something and you come up short, it hurts. And it's supposed to hurt.\"\n\nNormally a starter, Charlie Morton finished up with four stellar innings of relief for the win.\n\n\"We held down a really tough lineup,\" Morton said. \"For my teammates, for the city of Houston, it's just unbelievable.\"\n\nSpringer led off the evening with a double against Darvish, and soon it was 2-0.\n\nSpringer hit his fifth homer — tying the Series mark set by Reggie Jackson (1977) and matched by Chase Utley (2009) — when he connected for a record fourth game in a row, making it a five-run lead.\n\nThat was plenty for Houston manager A.J. Hinch. He pulled starter Lance McCullers Jr. soon after the curveballer crazily plunked his fourth batter of the game , and began a parade of four relievers that held the lead.\n\nThroughout the postseason, Hinch and the unconventional Astros overcame a shaky bullpen by using starters in relief.\n\n\"I knew yesterday I didn't have much,\" said McCullers, the Game 3 winner. \"I knew I didn't have much to give other than to gut it out as long as I could.\"\n\nIn a dramatic Series marked by blown leads and late rallies, when Houston twice outlasted the Dodgers in extra innings, McCullers did enough.\n\nForever known for their space-age Astrodome, outlandish rainbow jerseys and a handful of heartbreaking playoff losses for stars like Nolan Ryan, Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio, these Astros will be remembered as champions, finally, in their 56th season.\n\nThe club that wears a star on its hat also filled out the Texas trophy case. Teams from the Lone Star State had won most every major crown — the Super Bowl, NBA and NHL titles, championships in college football, and men's and women's hoops — except the World Series.\n\nBuilt on the skills of homegrown All-Stars Dallas Keuchel and more, helped by veteran offseason acquisitions such as Brian McCann and 40-year-old Carlos Beltran, who won his first ring, and boosted by the slick trade for ace Justin Verlander, general manager Jeff Luhnow oversaw the team's resurgence.\n\nHouston won 101 times this year to take the AL West, then won Games 6 and 7 at home in the AL Championship Series against the New York Yankees. The Astros joined the 1985 Royals as the only clubs to win a pair of Game 7s in the same year.\n\nWhen it was over, Bagwell and Biggio posed for pictures together with the World Series trophy.\n\nFor the Dodgers, the quest to win a Series for the first time since 1988 fell short.\n\nKershaw provided four shutout innings of relief for Los Angeles , but it was too late. What the Dodgers really needed was a better starter than Darvish, someone more like the lefty who tossed out a ceremonial first ball: the great Sandy Koufax.\n\nAcquired from Texas on July 31 for these big games, Darvish lasted 1 2/3 innings in both his World Series starts — the two shortest of his career.\n\n\"This pain is going to stay in me for a while,\" the four-time All-Star said through a translator.\n\nAfter Springer lined a leadoff double , Alex Bregman hit a bouncer that first baseman Cody Bellinger threw past Darvish for an error, allowing a run to score . Bregman aggressively stole third and scored on Altuve's grounder , and it was 2-0 after eight pitches.\n\nA double by Marwin Gonzalez helped set up perhaps McCullers' biggest contribution, a slow grounder for his first pro RBI. Springer followed with a no-doubt, two-run drive into the left-center field bleachers.\n\nThat was the Series-most 25th homer in a Major League Baseball season that set a record for home runs. It was easily enough for the Astros to offset pinch-hitter Andre Ethier's RBI single in the Los Angeles sixth.\n\nOnly once have the Dodgers clinched a crown at home, that coming in 1963 when Koufax outpitched Yankees star Whitey Ford to finish a sweep. They've never won Game 7 of the Fall Classic at their own park, dating more than a century ago to their days on the streets of Brooklyn as the Trolley Dodgers.\n\nAs pockets of Houston fans got louder and louder in the later innings, the crowd at Dodger Stadium was left to repeat the sad, but hopeful cry that used to echo in Brooklyn: Wait till next year.\n\nJust 106 days until pitchers and catchers report to spring training.\n\n___\n\nMore AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2017/11/02"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/motor/2013/05/21/indianapolis-motor-speedway-may-1973/2344993/", "title": "Deadly May of 1973 still resonates at Indianapolis Motor Speedway", "text": "Phil Richards\n\nUSA TODAY Sports\n\nMay of 1973 was deadliest month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1937\n\nDriver Art Pollard was killed in an accident during a practice\n\nDriver Swede Savage and mechanic Armando Teran also died\n\nA crowd estimated at 250,000 swarmed Indianapolis Motor Speedway's grandstands, suites and infield on May 12, 1973. It was pole day for the Indianapolis 500, a sunny Saturday bright with the promise of speed.\n\nPeople came to see the storied track's first 200-mph laps. They saw, instead, the fatal first day of the old track's deadliest May since 1937.\n\n\"Very sad, about as sad as you can get,\" Pat Patrick said 40 years later. \"I still feel bad about it.\"\n\n\"To me, it was a horrible year,\" recalled Andy Granatelli. \"Terrible. Empty.\"\n\nPatrick owned Patrick Racing, which fielded the winning car, driven by Gordon Johncock. Granatelli was the CEO and affable pitchman of the car's sponsor, STP oil products.\n\nDriver Art Pollard was killed in an accident during pole day practice. Driver Salt Walther suffered disfiguring burns in a fiery first-lap crash that injured 13 spectators. Swede Savage, driver of another Patrick Racing, STP-sponsored car, and Armando Teran, mechanic on a third Patrick/STP car, also died.\n\nIt was a May to forget. Rain hampered practice the first two weeks, delayed the race for 2½ days and graciously ended it, on Wednesday, May 30, after 133 laps and 332½ miles.\n\n\"After the second day, you started thinking: 'Who's next?'\" recalled pole-sitter Johnny Rutherford. \"They could have just as well red-flagged the thing and we would have been happy to have gone on to Milwaukee.\"\n\nHigh speeds, high anxiety\n\nTurbochargers and bolt-on wings introduced in 1972 resulted in an unprecedented spike in speeds that year. Bobby Unser took the pole at 195.940 mph, 17 mph faster than the year before. Then Johncock recorded an unofficial lap of 199.4 mph during tire testing in March 1973.\n\nIt was the Golden Era of IndyCar racing. Raw speed ruled.\n\nCurrent IndyCars generate 670 horsepower. In 1973, that figure was in excess of 1,000.\n\nSteve Krisiloff, who started the 1973 race seventh and finished sixth, recalled coming around to take the green flag on his pole day qualifying attempt. His tires were warmed, his four-speed gear box in high.\n\n\"I jumped on the throttle coming out of 2,\" Krisiloff said, \"and spun my wheels halfway down the back straight – in high gear.\"\n\nCars were on the edge. They carried a full fuel load of 75 gallons. Methanol, at 70 degrees, weighs about 6.6 pounds a gallon. That's 500 pounds of high explosive. All three major accidents resulted in fireballs.\n\nRobin Miller, the long-time Indianapolis Star racing writer who now works as an IndyCar reporter for NBC Sports Network and the Speed network, recalled sitting with Pollard on the pit wall early pole day morning. Miller was surprised when Pollard said he would take the car out during pre-qualifying practice.\n\n\"You're good,\" Miller told Pollard.\n\n\"I think we can trim it out and get a little more out of it,\" Pollard responded.\n\nMinutes later, Pollard's car smacked the outside wall in Turn 1, spun, flipped and slid to a stop in Turn 2, engulfed in flames. Pollard, 46, was pronounced dead an hour later from pulmonary damage due to flame inhalation.\n\nRutherford was among the first on the scene of the crash. He and Pollard were close friends. They had recently returned from a New Orleans vacation with their wives and two other couples.\n\nNo matter. Time trials began on time, at 11 a.m. Rutherford qualified at 198.413 to set a track record and take the pole.\n\n\"It was my job,\" he said. \"That's all you can say.\"\n\nA roaring start\n\nOn race day, Monday, May 28, the massive crowd included 23 U.S. prisoners of war recently released by Hanoi. Jim Nabors, an emergency fill-in the year before, sang \"Back Home in Indiana\" again. Rene Thomas, the 1914 race winner, was driven around the track. He waved his checkered cap from the riding mechanic's seat of his winning Delage.\n\nThe race started four hours late under threatening skies. It erupted in flames with the green flag still waving.\n\nWalther touched wheels with Jerry Grant's car in the sixth row and was launched into the catch fence near the starting line. The front of Walther's car was torn off. The grandstand was showered in debris and burning fuel. Twelve cars were caught up in the wreckage as Walther's car pin-wheeled down the track upside down, gushing flaming methanol.\n\n\"This is what everybody feared,\" ABC's Jim McKay told the worldwide television audience. \"This is why there has been such a terrible atmosphere of fear here, all weekend long.\"\n\nPeople in the pits recall the searing intensity of the heat.\n\n\"He came off the wall and almost landed on the front of my car,\" said Lee Kunzman, whose first Indy start carried him only a few hundred yards. \"I couldn't see where I was going or what I was doing.\n\n\"I thought I was blind until I flipped up my visor. The flames melted it and crinkled it all up.\"\n\nThe rain came while workers were still cleaning the track. The race was postponed until Tuesday, when on the second parade lap, the sky opened again and another washout was declared.\n\nBy Wednesday, tension and exhaustion infected the track. Drivers and crews were taut.\n\n\"People don't realize how the driver gets himself geared up for battle,\" said Bobby Unser, who would lead 39 laps before retiring with a blown engine. \"It really tries on a driver hard. It gets to your stomach, to your head.\"\n\nIt got to Krisiloff's nose.\n\n\"By Wednesday, when we showed up at the race track, the place stunk,\" he said.\n\nMud and sodden trash was everywhere. Clouds threatened again but sun broke through and the track dried. The grid was reset without Walther. Thirty-two cars returned to their original positions.\n\nA little after 2 p.m., for the second time in three days, gentlemen started their engines.\n\nUnser led early, then Savage went to the front. On lap 57, Savage pitted and took on a full fuel load. Coming out of Turn 4 on the next lap, the rear of his 1,500-pound Eagle, heavy with 500 pounds of methanol, twitched. Savage lost control.\n\nHe hit the inside wall almost head-on at full speed. His car exploded in an angry orange flash. Pieces tumbled down the track and Savage slid to a stop, still strapped in the cockpit amidst a pool of burning fuel, but fully conscious, somehow speaking to safety workers and medical officials.\n\nTeran, a mechanic on Graham McRae's car, sprinted down pit lane to see if he could be of help to his injured teammate. A fire truck traveling at an estimate 60 mph in the wrong direction hit Teran, who suffered crushed ribs and a fractured skull.\n\nGranatelli had always watched the race from the pits but that year for the first time was in a penthouse suite overlooking pit lane from across the track. At last glance, Granatelli had seen Teran standing alongside McRea's crew chief, Granatelli's son Vince.\n\nTeran and Vince Granatelli were the same height and build. They wore the same uniform.\n\n\"They looked exactly alike,\" Andy said, speaking in the hushed tones of grief 40 years later. \"I thought it was my son who had been hit.\"\n\nJohncock parked his car in the short chute and climbed out, intending to check on Savage, his teammate. A.J. Foyt approached and put a hand on Johncock's arm.\n\n\"He told me, 'Don't go up there,'\" Johncock recalled. \"He said, 'You don't want to see it.\"\n\nGeorge Snider had. He pulled into his pit and climbed out of his car. He turned the car over to its owner, Foyt, who had gone out on Lap 37 with a failed bolt.\n\nThe race recommenced an hour later. The yellow came out when light rain began falling on Lap 129. The red flag flew as the rain intensified on Lap 133. Finally, mercifully, the \"72 Hours of Indianapolis\" were over. It was 5:30 p.m. Only 10 cars were still running.\n\nJohncock, who led 64 laps, was declared the winner while sitting in the pits. He unstrapped and pronounced the day \"the happiest of my life.\"\n\nJohncock, who would win again when he beat Rick Mears by .16 seconds in 1982, didn't look or sound happy. No one did.\n\nThe traditional victory banquet was canceled. Johncock left the track quickly. He went to the hospital with Patrick to visit Savage. Afterward, Patrick and Johncock held the most muted of victory banquets. They shared hamburgers at the Burger Chef restaurant on West 16th Street, just east of the track.\n\n\"Swede wasn't much older than my son (Steve),\" Patrick said. \"He was like a family member. Hell, we'd take him on hunting trips, fishing trips, everywhere.\n\n\"My whole family was in tears. We just got on the plane and came home.\"\n\nChronicling the carnage\n\nWalther, 25, suffered a crushed kneecap and severe burns over most of his body. The fingertips on his charred left hand were amputated. He had to relearn to walk but he was back at Indy, back in the field for the 1974 Indianapolis 500.\n\nWalther struggled with addiction to pain medicine after his fiery wreck. He served time in jail. He died Dec. 27, 2012.\n\nSavage, 26, suffered critical burns but survived 33 days. He died of liver failure, attending physician Steve Olvey wrote in his book, \"Rapid Response,\" due to a transfusion of contaminated plasma.\n\nPollard's was an uncommon touch. \"Everyone's friend,\" Unser called him.\n\nPollard frequently visited Larue Carter Memorial Hospital, a facility for mentally ill youth, and each May arranged for a busload or two of its children to come to the track for a picnic.\n\nUpon his death, Pollard's family established the Art Pollard Fund with a $25,000 bequest. Forty years later, children cavort on the hospital's \"Art Pollard Playground\" and the picnic survives in his honor, financed by his fund, the original $25,000 still untouched.\n\nKunzman took over Pollard's car for the remainder of the 1973 season. Wally Dallenbach stepped into Savage's.\n\n\"Back then, about the only way to get a better ride, move up the ladder, was when somebody got hurt or killed,\" Kunzman said. \"It was part of the gig.\"\n\nSafety was the watchword for the 1974 Indianapolis 500.\n\nFuel capacity was reduced from 75 to 40 gallons. The large wings of 1972-73 were reduced in size. Pop-off valves cut boost and the horsepower generated by turbochargers. Retaining walls were raised, catch fences improved and some \"trackside seating\" was removed.\n\nThere wouldn't be another on-track fatality at IMS until Gordon Smiley in 1982. It was a needed and welcome improvement. It was too late for too many.\n\nRichards writes for The Indianapolis Star, a Gannett property.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2013/05/21"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/motor/indy-500/2021/05/30/every-floor-pagoda-during-indy-500-race-control-fbi-celebrities/5038176001/", "title": "Every floor of Pagoda during Indy 500: Dignitaries, race control, FBI ...", "text": "INDIANAPOLIS — The lights are off in this room tucked away on the second floor of the Pagoda, a tiny space with an electric feeling. A peaceful glow emanates from the front wall covered with 15 screens, and it gives the room a calm feeling.\n\nA calm feeling in an otherwise intense, chaotic, high-pressure situation.\n\nThis is race control. This is the heartbeat of the Indianapolis 500. Inside the room when cars are racing, it feels like scenes playing out from the movie \"Apollo 13.\" That's the best way Kyle Novak can describe it.\n\nThis is the domain he oversees as race director of IndyCar, a domain filled with mission specialists, a small but mighty army whose job it is to make sure the Indy 500 is pulled off without a hitch, and, if there is one, to help fix it.\n\n\"This is the nerve center. This is where the race is actually run from,\" said Novak. \"We make all the decisions right here.\"\n\nRight here inside the Pagoda at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Without this tiered tower with its glistening teal glass, not an Indy 500 victory, not a restart, not a cleanup, not an NBC broadcast, not a sick fan being helped, not a drunk fan being arrested, would happen at the Indianapolis 500.\n\nTen floors and a rooftop make up the Pagoda, 153 feet from bottom to top and spanning 65,000 square feet inside the steel and concrete tower.\n\nIt's an elite place not many are allowed to be. But those who are inside, what is inside and what happens inside, is everything the Greatest Spectacle in Racing is all about.\n\nFloor 1: Drivers, pace cars, $1M trophy\n\nOn the ground level of the Pagoda is the garage where Chevrolet displays the official pace car for the Indy 500, as well as backup pace cars. This May, a 2021 mid-engine Corvette Stingray hardtop convertible is the show ride.\n\nThe garage, though, is not just for the cars to be seen. Inside, they are worked on and tested to make sure everything is in optimal condition for race day and this year's pace car driver Danica Patrick.\n\nAcross from the garage is a green room where drivers gathered at 11:30 a.m. Sunday for roll call before their introductions.\n\nIndy 500 final running order:How each driver finished in 2021 race\n\nOn some days, fans who walk by inside of the track can catch a glimpse of the hallowed Borg-Warner trophy on ground level of the Pagoda. That shiny relic valued at $1 million is permanently housed at the IMS Museum but was hoisted into Victory Circle on Sunday — as it is each May by the winner. This time Helio Castroneves got the honors.\n\nFloor 2: Race mission specialists\n\nIt's funny, said IndyCar president Jay Frye, at any other sporting event, officials are on the field, on the ice, on the court. But with IndyCar, the main officiating happens in this room on the second floor of the Pagoda called race control.\n\nOfficials are around the field, in pit row, out in the corners, but the race control room has the means, with access to 100 cameras and so much more, to make the critical calls.\n\n\"If you're standing in Turn 4 on top of the grandstands,\" said Frye, \"we can look at your eyes from these cameras.\"\n\nSo much goes on in this one control room, which was filled with about 15 people Sunday who helped pull off the race.\n\nThere is Jim Norman, who specializes in safety on the track. At any given time, he could have as many as 60 people in his ear.\n\n\"Say we have a wreck, an incident, of course we don't want to see those but we're racing, so we have them,\" said Novak. \"Jim's going to put all the safety trucks out there, if they need an ambulance, if they need a tow truck, he's going to coordinate all that.\"\n\nMore:Sebastien Bourdais: 'It's pretty straightforward simple that I'd be dead'\n\nDave Price is in charge of the observers, people who are stationed around the track in the stands. Before the advent of video, that's all the Indy 500 had. And still today, those observers are critical to the race.\n\nMany of the caution calls, such as a car crashing in Turn 1, come from observers who see it happen right in front of them. \"Yellow, yellow, yellow,\" the call from the observer will come across.\n\nThey can also spot tiny issues, such as pieces of carbon fiber or a bolt on the track. \"We have all of our cameras,\" Novak said. \"They still can't see those kind of things that the human eye can see.\"\n\nPresiding over race control communications is Jim Swintal, who delivers information to teams, pit lane officials, to the pace car as to what's happening on the track, where the incidents are, when the penalties are called.\n\n\"I like to think if the race were a movie, I'd be the narrator,\" he said. \"I try to make sure they're not guessing what we're going to do next, when we're going to go back, when we're going to clean up after an incident.\"\n\nThere are 30 or so antennas around the track and Gary Barnard, race control data analyst, has his eye on the information coming in.\n\nEach car has a unique transponder, so as a car crosses each line, it makes a record of that crossing. Barnard tracks the movement of the cars and the order of the cars. When there is a caution period, he is the person who makes sure the cars are in the right order when they start back up.\n\n\"Sometimes,\" he said, \"It's easier than others.\"\n\nTwo people in race control, including John Maesky, are called red hats. They have the direct line to the NBC production truck and make all communication from the control room to that truck.\n\n\"They're doing the live broadcast. They are going to breaks. We've got to make sure they're catching all the action,\" said Maesky.\n\nAny calls or decisions that are made by Novak and the team, Maesky lets NBC know. He helps coordinate so when they come off breaks they are catching a live re-start.\n\nRace control is like one big race orchestra performing in one tiny space.\n\n\"The great part about being in this room on race day is you'll hear the roar of the crowd the roar of the engines but it's almost like you might as well be 1,000 miles away,\" Novak said. \"And that's a good thing because our focus needs to be on the safety of the drivers.\"\n\nFloor 2: Timing, scoring, 'lots going on'\n\nSheron Arnold, an IndyCar booth operator with scoring and timing, sits just outside the race control room, overlooking the yard of bricks.\n\nIt is her job, among plenty of other things, to keep track of how many times each car passes the start/finish line. IndyCar times its races to 10 thousandths of a second, the only series to do that — Formula One doesn't, NASCAR doesn't.\n\n\"And we need to do that because we have had ties before,\" Arnold said. \"That's how competitive our cars are.\"\n\nTiming and scoring is a complicated, intense operation. It runs three systems simultaneously, in case something happens. One system goes down, the department can simultaneously switch over to a mirror image system. They run on separate servers and are all backed up.\n\nWhat might be the coolest things happening in this department, though, are the photos of the cars. Each car has a tiny transponder inside and wires are embedded by the start/finish line. When the nose of the car is on the bricks, the transponder hits.\n\nA start/finish camera (hanging in the ceiling just down from the timing and scoring booth) is also a timing device. That camera takes a pixel every ten thousandth of a second.\n\nSo, every single time a car crosses that line, 1,000 photos of it are taken — very, very small slices that build up to a whole car. A close finish? No problem, that car is divided into 1,000 pieces.\n\nIt happened in Fontana not too long ago, said Arnold. A finish was so close, two cars crossed simultaneously and one system picked up one car and another system picked up the other car. They went to the camera to see who really finished first.\n\nAround the corner from timing and scoring is what used to be a broom closet, now IMS president Doug Boles' on-track office. Next to that is what he calls the war room where, should an unexpected event happen, a group of people from communication, race control, PA, safety and security would gather to hash it out.\n\nFacing the track on Floor 2 is a room built out specially in 2019, when Matt Damon and Christian Bale came to the Indy 500 with their families. The space allowed them to walk right out to the pre-race festivities they were part of and then right back with their families to watch the race.\n\nThe second floor also features the PA booth and a driver green room. \"Without a doubt, Floor 2,\" said Boles, \"has lots going on.\"\n\nFloor 3: A sweet suite and a DJ\n\nThe suite of NTT, the title sponsor of the IndyCar series, has a space like nothing else in the Pagoda, said Boles. It's low, and on the deck, guests are right above the track. Outside seating has bleachers that face the racetrack so suite goers can see more up high.\n\nThe Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, or NTT, is a Japanese telecommunications company headquartered in Tokyo. It became the title sponsor for IndyCar in 2019 after Verizon told the series it wouldn't renew its contract after the 2018 season. Verizon was title sponsor for five years, replacing IZOD in 2014.\n\nBefore the race Sunday, on the deck of the third floor overlooking the yard of bricks, DJ Slater Hogan entertained fans. Tapped by IMS in an elite gig, he soaked it all in. As the music played, Hogan danced to the beat as did race fans all around.\n\nFloors 4/5: No biggie — just ambassadors\n\nWhat better place to show off Indianapolis to a company you hope to bring to the city than to invite them to IMS on Indy 500 Sunday?\n\nThe Indiana Economic Development Corporation uses its suite in the Pagoda, taking up both floors four and five, just for that, said chief of staff Luke Bosso.\n\n\"There is no better product for business development than the Speedway,\" he said. \"It's one of a kind.\"\n\nOn Sunday, ambassadors from Italy, Japan and Hungary were in the suite. Gov. Eric Holcomb likes to make sure guests of the IEDC suite arrive early so they have time for all the fanfare of the Indy 500, including tours of the pits and garages.\n\n\"Gov. Holcomb is happiest when he's here,\" Bosso said. \"He loves it. He loves showing it off.\"\n\nIDEC has a list of top prospects, companies it is trying to lureto Indiana, and it invites to the Indy 500 to schmooze. In addition, officials from Eli Lilly, Cummins and other major companies in Indiana and worldwide will be inside.\n\n\"I'd love to say it's a big networking event,\" said Bosso. \"But when the cars are going around, it's 10 seconds of talking, then the cars go...\" and attention turns to the track.\n\n\"When you get people here, they are just amazed by it,\" he said. \"That first lap, all 33 cars coming and people are hooked.\"\n\nIDEC then hopes they get hooked enough to call the state their new business home.\n\nFloors 6/7: They call it IMS Suite 67\n\nTaking up two full floors of the pagoda at IMS is an ultra glamorous space that could be mistaken for an upscale restaurant, if not for that massive track beyond the window.\n\nSuite 67 is where Penske and IMS entertain key partners, sponsors, dignitaries and celebrities. On the sixth floor is a display of food and drinks and on the seventh floor, a bar area where those people socialize.\n\nSuite 67 — named for its location on levels six and seven — is 4,200-square feet, holds up to 360 people and is \"really the most exclusive space we have,\" said Boles.\n\nThere is a deck on both sides and stadium seats out front that offer a one-of-a-kind vantage point of the track — the start/finish line, flag stand and pre-race fanfare all unfold below. Out the back of the suite is a view of the downtown skyline.\n\n\"For people to come out and realize we are in the middle of a big city...\" Boles said. \"We aren't like a normal oval track in the middle of nowhere.\"\n\nFloor 8: A one-man suite\n\nStuart Reed has the only suite in the Pagoda that is more individual than company-driven, said Boles.\n\nBut as co-owner of Ed Carpenter Racing, Reed's suite is pretty much an Ed Carpenter and Tony George — the other two owners of Ed Carpenter Racing — suite.\n\nFloor 9: Pagoda command, big boards\n\nA fan in the stands who calls 9-1-1, that call gets diverted to Pagoda command. A spectator who is dangerously intoxicated and refusing treatment is reported to Pagoda command.\n\nThe ninth floor is where law enforcement, local to federal, operate, along with medical, EMS, safety patrol (also known as \"yellow shirts\") and operations.\n\nWhere Mike Bates sits as head of security at IMS, he sees it as a true collaboration. On race day, secret service, FBI, TSA, FAA, National Weather Service, District Attorney's office all are there.\n\n\"We've got a complement of people that would help support in the worst-case scenario,\" Bates said.\n\nThose dogs that sniff cars before they enter IMS to make sure there are no bombs or explosives, floor nine is part of that. In 2019, there were 32 dogs sniffing, twice the number the at the Super Bowl, Bates said.\n\nThe U.S. Department of Homeland Security ranks the Indy 500 level 2 on its special event assessment rating (SEAR). That means it's a \"significant event with national and/or international importance that may require some level of federal interagency support.\"\n\nSpeedway Police Chief Jim Campbell, who takes his post on floor nine, said he is proud of the collaboration among his department, IMPD, Marion County Sherriff Department and the state police.\n\nWhat happens on Pagoda command on race day, Campbell said, is \"hopefully nothing.\"\n\nBut things do happen. There are hundreds of thousands of people in one place, after all.\n\n\"After the race ends on Sunday, I always sit back and say, 'Geez, how'd we do that?\" said Bates.\n\nDavid Letherman thinks the same thing as manager of logistics manager and event operations at IMS. He is in charge of the 580 safety patrol folks in yellow shirts and he and his team operate from the ninth floor.\n\nThose safety patrol workers are responsible for driving golf cars, parking, manning elevators, ushering in the stands, scanning tickets at gates, traffic, parking and direction on the inside of the track and outside lot parking, checking credentials in suites, garage and pits and traffic movement.\n\nIf a bus breaks down and needs to get out of the way, Letherman's group does that. If a scanner goes down, he'll talk to the ticket office to get a new one. The people in yellow shirts have so much institutional knowledge of the Indy 500 and the track that often they are calling important issues in, he said.\n\nHis team communicates minute by minute with the yellow shirts who are out and about.\n\n\"If you are up here on race day at 5 a.m. every single person up here would be on the phone, texting, on the radio,\" said Austin Pontius, senior manager of event personnel. \"It's amazing.\"\n\nOn the other side of floor nine is the operations side. The medical staff, the call-takers, dispatchers. If there is an incident at an intersection, this team helps divert traffic. INDOT is there, state excise police, undercover. On race day, up to 40 people sit in this room.\n\n\"All the decisions kind of come from this room up here,\" said Jason Dierdorff, captain of Speedway Police.\n\nThe ninth floor is also home to TV; the NBC studio overlooks the track. The IMS radio network is housed on this floor, too.\n\nAnd all those big boards fans see as they walk about IMS are controlled from the ninth floor of the Pagoda. The man in charge is Rich Feinberg, now with IMS but for years the producer of ABC's Indy 500 coverage.\n\nThere are 43 boards on the property he and his team must populate. What is displayed on each screen depends upon what's happening that day.\n\n\"When there are cars on the track, we are trying to educate our fans as to the competition,\" Feinberg said. \"When it's pre-race we're trying to entertain them. We think of it as we're their binoculars.\"\n\nThe track is so big, it's impossible for a fan to see everything that is happening, as it would be at a football game or concert.\n\n\"We want them to experience everything, so we try to be the eyes for them on what's important,\" he said.\n\nFloor 10: Celebs hang out\n\nInside the penthouse suite on floor 10 Sunday, former Atlanta Hawks player Kevin Willis and gold medal Olympian sprinter Justin Gatlin mingled. After he waved the green flag \"This Is Us\" star Milo Ventimiglia came up to hang out.\n\nThis is Gainbridge's suite, the title sponsor of the Indy 500, and it settles for nothing less than spectacular inside the smallest suite (the Pagoda floors get smaller the higher they are) in the house.\n\nEach year, a group comes in and completely transforms the space from the walls to the lighting.\n\n\"We bring it all in and then we strip it all down when we're done,\" said Melissa Jacobs, senior vice president of sponsorships and corporate communications for Gainbridge and its parent company, Group 1001.\n\nThe suite on Sunday morning had a breakfast buffet of red chili beef, bacon, potatoes and scrambled eggs. The space isn't a bunch of cocktail tables scattered about but is interactive with sectionals and a massive TV to livestream the NBC coverage. DJ Gabby Love entertained the group of about 80.\n\nDecor includes car parts, shoes and gloves of Colton Herta with Andretti Autosport, who drives the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda.\n\nBut what might be the best part of the suite, said Jacobs, is that view from the deck.\n\n\"Except for the front straightaway,\" she said. \"You can see all the way around.\"\n\nUp on the roof: Penske soaks it in\n\nThe roof is an exclusive place at the peak of the pagoda. Few get up there. And those who do have important roles.\n\nDuring the national anthem, officials managing the flyover take to the top of the pagoda to guide the U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets from the 187th Fighter Wing soaring over IMS. It's their best vantage point to see what they need to see, said Boles, talking to the television programs, listening to what's going on and talking to the pilots.\n\nOther who's who of Indiana often get a chance. Sometimes Gov. Holcomb will bring up an ambassador or two.\n\nAnd, finally, high atop the tiny roof, Penske takes his place on race day — maybe for five minutes. Maybe for 15. Maybe longer. Maybe more than once throughout the running of IndyCar's showcase. He likes to stand and soak it all in from that viewpoint, said Boles.\n\nTo soak in just how spectacular it all is.\n\nFollow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on Twitter: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: dbenbow@indystar.com.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/05/30"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_3", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:53", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/26/health/updated-boosters-omicron-imprint/index.html", "title": "Updated Covid-19 vaccines boost protection, but may not beat ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nThe updated Covid-19 booster shots appear to work about as well against the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants as the original boosters they replaced, according to two new studies from research teams at Harvard and Columbia universities.\n\nThe research suggests that our bodies have been well-trained to fight the original virus, which emerged from Wuhan, China, and that boosters mostly reinforce that response. Getting boosted this fall is still an important way to renew protection, even among people who were previously infected or vaccinated.\n\nBut the hope was that by tweaking the vaccine recipe to include currently circulating strains of the Omicron variant, it would help broaden immunity against those variants and perhaps offer better and longer-lasting protection.\n\nWhen the researchers compared the immune responses of people who got a booster dose of the original shot to people who got the updated bivalent boosters, they looked about the same.\n\n“We see essentially no difference” between the old boosters and the new about a month after the shot, said Dr. David Ho, professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia, whose team authored one of the studies.\n\nImmunologists say a vaccine against two strains may not be better than a single strain shot because of a phenomenon called immune imprinting. Scientists say imprinting may complicate efforts to stay ahead of new variants as the coronavirus continues to evolve, and it adds urgency to the development of new vaccine technologies to fight the virus.\n\nWhen the US Food and Drug Administration issued emergency use authorizations for new bivalent Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna at the end of August, it did so on the basis of studies in mice and previous human trials with a different two-strain booster formulation. Little was known about the how protective the shots might be in people; full data from clinical trials testing the BA.4 and BA.5 bivalent vaccines in humans hasn’t yet been made public.\n\nBut modeling data suggested that getting the boosters out in September could save tens of thousands of lives if the country had another winter surge, so the FDA authorized the shots, ahead of results from clinical trials, in order to get them to the public more quickly.\n\nThe updated shots contain instructions that show cells how to make spike proteins from the original virus that caused Covid-19, as well as spikes from the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. These spikes get assembled by our cells and displayed to our immune system so it can make antibodies to fight the real thing during an active infection.\n\nThe original strain of the virus, sometimes called the ancestral or wild-type strain, is no longer circulating, however. When we boost, we are mostly boosting antibodies against a virus that’s long gone.\n\nAs the virus has evolved, the vaccines have not kept pace. Each new variant has become more and more resistant to the antibodies we make against it, increasing the risk of breakthrough infections, hospitalizations and deaths.\n\nRight now, protection against infection begins to wane just a few months after each booster dose. Protection against severe outcomes – hospitalization or death from Covid-19 – lasts longer, but can also fade, especially for vulnerable groups such as people who are over 65, who have weakened immune systems or who have underlying medical conditions.\n\nSimilar immune responses\n\nThe studies have important limitations, and they aren’t the final word on the updated boosters.\n\nBoth studies were small. Ho’s study looked at the immune responses of 19 people who were boosted with a fourth dose of the original recipe vaccine and 21 people who got a fourth dose of the updated boosters. The other study, from Dr. Dan Barouch, a professor at Harvard and director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, looked at 15 people who got the original booster and 18 people who got bivalent shots.\n\nBoth reports were posted as preprints, before scrutiny by independent experts.\n\nThe studies also measured immune responses over a short period of time – about three to five weeks after the fourth doses. Ho says these results could change with time, as immune cells mature.\n\n“We can’t say that a few months from now, there won’t be any difference,” he said. “We won’t know that until these individuals are followed for a longer period of time.”\n\nDespite these caveats, experts who were not involved in the research say that two studies from well-regarded labs arriving at roughly the same conclusions about the vaccines gives them confidence that the results are correct.\n\n“At least at this time point, there’s no discernible benefit” over the older boosters, Ho said.\n\nClinical trials being conducted by vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna involve hundreds of people who have had the updated boosters and are being followed for longer periods of time. Data from those studies are still coming.\n\nBoth companies declined to comment on Ho and Barouch’s studies, citing company policies not to weigh in on research they have not been involved in.\n\nIn comparing the immune responses of people who got the old boosters with those who got the newer ones, the researchers found that neutralizing antibodies spiked after both shots to about the same high levels, which was good news.\n\nIn Barouch’s study, antibody concentrations were 15 times higher after the original boosters, rising from 184 to 2,829. They were 17 times higher after the updated shots, jumping from 211 to 3,693. The difference in antibody levels between shots didn’t pass a statistical test, however, so the results may have been due to chance.\n\nMore importantly, that slight difference in antibody levels probably wouldn’t protect people any better in the real world.\n\n“We would not expect this to be clinically significant,” said Barouch, who worked on the development of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nBut the bulk of the antibodies generated after either shot were ones that would bind the original virus, with fewer directed specifically against the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.\n\nBarouch’s team also looked specifically at T cells, which help the body hold the memory of germs it has been exposed to. These cells are thought to play a key role in how long immune protection lasts. Antibody levels naturally drop off over time, but T cells stick around.\n\nThe numbers of T cells didn’t budge much after either vaccine.\n\n“Unfortunately, neither one increased T-cell responses very much, and we believe that T-cell responses in addition to antibody responses are important for protection against severe disease,” Barouch said.\n\n‘A booster is a booster’\n\nDr. Eric Topol, who directs the Scripps Research Translational Institute, said the study results “can be considered a disappointment,” especially because the US government raced to make them available and because there had been high hopes for an improved vaccine in time for a predicted winter Covid-19 surge.\n\nTopol also said it would be a mistake to skip these shots. They still work; they just may not be much of an improvement over the older ones.\n\n“A booster is a booster until proven otherwise and we are in great need of getting more of them in the US,” Topol, who was not involved in the new studies, wrote in an email to CNN.\n\nFewer than 20 million people – less than 10% of the population ages 5 and up – have gotten the updated booster, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\n\nAfter waiting the recommended three months since his last Covid-19 infection, President Joe Biden got an updated booster Tuesday and urged eligible Americans to do the same.\n\n“Your old vaccine or your previous Covid infection will not give you maximum protection,” Biden said.\n\nPublic health officials had hoped that the rollout of the updated boosters would mark a turning point, where Americans might be able to get annual Covid-19 shots instead of boosters every few months.\n\nDr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, recently told Stat that he wasn’t sure whether the country had reached that point.\n\n“I would be lying to you if [I said] it doesn’t keep me up at night worrying that there is a certain chance that we may have to deploy another booster – at least for a portion of the population, perhaps older individuals – before next September, October,” he said.\n\n“I’m not saying that’s what’s going to happen, but it’s what keeps me up at night, because we see how fast this virus is evolving.”\n\nImprinting may complicate quest for better immunity\n\nThe studies probably didn’t find any difference between the new and old boosters because of immune imprinting, says Michael Worobey, a professor at the University of Arizona who studies the evolution of viruses and the origins and control of pandemics.\n\n“Your body is on a hair trigger to create more antibodies of what it has a good memory of,” said Worobey, who was not involved in the new research.\n\nAt the beginning of the pandemic, our immune systems were blank slates when it came to the coronavirus. By now, most of us have been exposed to one version of the virus or another through the vaccine, an infection or both. That exposure programs cells called B cells to make specific kinds of antibodies, and more B cells get this programming during their first exposure to the virus than they do in subsequent brushes with it.\n\nThat’s the reason some strains of the flu may hit certain age groups harder than others, too. When viruses look more similar to the first infection or vaccine you had, your body tends to do a better job fighting them off.\n\nWorobey said that both new studies have limitations, “but I think when you put them together, they paint a pretty clear picture that that antigenic imprinting is causing issues here, for sure.”\n\nIt’s possible to break through immune imprinting, he said. Certain kinds of vaccine ingredients, or adjuvants – “things that just happen to really wake up the immune system” – can do it.\n\nBut it’s not easy to add the kind of adjuvants he’s thinking about to mRNA vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna’s. In this case, he says, judging by the study findings, it probably would have been better to update the vaccine by including only the components against BA.4 and BA.5.\n\n“For me, the take-home message is, if you want to boost and provide protection against Omicron, leave the original variant out of the vaccine.”\n\nDr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee, says the new studies bear out data that was presented to the FDA’s advisers in June.\n\nHe says it’s one of the reasons he voted against the FDA requiring companies to add an Omicron strain to the boosters used in the US.\n\n“Certainly, the hope that this would be significantly better in terms of protection against the circulating strains, I think, is unlikely to be realized,” said Offit, who was not involved in the new studies.\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\nWorobey says that when the strains are combined as they are in the updated boosters, they actually end up competing. The body’s response to the original strain is so strong, it will end up blocking the updated portion of the vaccine from stimulating those blank slate B cells against the newer variants and reshaping the immune response.\n\nThus, imprinting will complicate efforts to keep up with the virus, he says. We may need different kinds of vaccine technologies if the virus ever changes so much that it outcompetes our immunity altogether.\n\nThat’s something the FDA’s Marks has considered, too.\n\n“I would love to see us have a very ecumenical look over all of the available vaccines and all of the vaccines in development to try to see what’s best moving forward,” he told Stat. “Not to diss the current mRNA vaccines but because we owe it to the population to see what might provide the greatest breadth, depth and duration of immunity against Covid-19.”", "authors": ["Brenda Goodman"], "publish_date": "2022/10/26"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/05/health/israel-fourth-dose-study/index.html", "title": "Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine: Protection against infection ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nA fourth dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine seems to offer short-lived protection against infection overall, but protection against severe illness did not wane for at least several weeks, according to a new study.\n\nThe study, published Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, looked at the health records of more than 1.25 million vaccinated people in Israel who were 60 or older from January through March 2022, a time when the Omicron coronavirus variant was the dominant strain.\n\nThe rate of severe Covid-19 infection in the fourth week after a fourth dose of vaccine was lower than in people who got only three doses by a factor of 3.5.\n\nHowever, protection against severe illness did not seem to wane in the six weeks after the fourth shot, though the study period wasn’t long enough to determine exactly how long this protection lasts.\n\nThe rate of confirmed infection in the fourth week after the fourth dose was lower than in the three-dose group by a factor of 2. There seemed to be maximum protection against Omicron in the fourth week after vaccination, but the rate ratio fell to 1.1 by the eighth week, suggesting that “protection against confirmed infection wanes quickly,” the study says.\n\nThe protection provided by any vaccine naturally wanes, but a vaccine primes the immune system to make protective antibodies if it encounters threats later on.\n\nThe currently available Covid-19 vaccines were made to protect against the original strain of the virus. Omicron is significantly different, and therefore, vaccines have lost some of their effectiveness. Israel and the US are among the governments that have suggested fourth vaccine shots for certain people who are at high risk of severe illness, like those who are older.\n\nLast week, the FDA expanded its emergency use authorization to allow adults 50 and older to get a second booster shot as early as four months after their first booster of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. People with certain immune deficiencies can also get a fourth dose in the US. But the debate continues about whether one is needed for the general population.\n\nThe US Food and Drug Administration’s independent vaccine committee meets Wednesday to discuss what the country’s booster strategy should be going forward. Some experts have suggested that the Covid-19 vaccine could become an annual shot like the flu vaccine.\n\nThere are limits to what the new research can say about the need for a fourth vaccine dose. It compares only protection provided by third and fourth doses, so it doesn’t include unvaccinated people for comparison. It also doesn’t add to the debate over whether people under the age of 60 may need a fourth dose. Previous research in Israel showed that a fourth dose didn’t do much in younger healthy populations, at least in terms of protection from infection.\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\nFor confirmed infection, “a fourth dose appears to provide only short-term protection and a modest absolute benefit,” the researchers wrote. But when it comes to severe infection, the fourth shot seems to help.\n\n“Overall, these analyses provide evidence for the effectiveness of a fourth vaccine dose against severe illness caused by Omicron variant as compared with a third dose administered more than four months later,” the study says.\n\nEven with this news, it is unclear how many eligible people will get a fourth Covid-19 shot. About 66% of the US population has gotten at least one Covid-19 vaccine, but only 30% of people are fully vaccinated with a booster dose, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.", "authors": ["Jen Christensen"], "publish_date": "2022/04/05"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/20/health/johnson-and-johnson-covid-19-vaccine/index.html", "title": "Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine worked better than it gets ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nThe US public and even some health experts may have underestimated the Covid-19 vaccine made by Janssen, a division of Johnson & Johnson, new data shows. And there’s emerging evidence that it could still play an important role ahead.\n\nA study published Thursday in the medical journal JAMA Network Open found that the J&J vaccine remains durable and effective, even through the surge of cases caused by the Delta variant. It was 76% effective overall in preventing Covid-19 infections and 81% effective in preventing Covid-related hospitalizations. The study also showed that it provided lasting immunity at least six months after the shots.\n\nAnd a CNN analysis of information collected by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed the J&J vaccine had the lowest breakthrough infection rate of all the vaccines since the week ending December 25, the latest five weeks of available data.\n\nIn January, during the Omicron surge, breakthrough infections were highest among those who received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, followed by those who got Moderna. Those vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson shot had the lowest incidence of breakthrough infections.\n\nAs of the week ending January 22, there were 650 infections per 100,000 people with the J&J vaccine. With Moderna, there were 757 per 100,000, and with Pfizer, the rate was 862 per 100,000.\n\nUnvaccinated people were particularly vulnerable to getting sick during the Omicron and Delta surges, just as they were with the original version of the coronavirus. They were 3.2 times as likely to get sick as people who had the J&J vaccine. The unvaccinated were 2.8 times as likely to become infected than those who got Moderna and 2.4 times as likely as those who got Pfizer.\n\n“What we saw in the summertime and the fall during the Delta surge is that all three vaccines protected very, very well. But breakthrough rates in August, September of last year with the Janssen vaccine were slightly higher than Pfizer, and Moderna was slightly lower. But those differences were relatively small,” said Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He helped to develop and study the J&J vaccine.\n\n“But what we saw over time is that those differences then narrowed,” he said. “And by the first week of December, what we saw in the data is that the lines cross,” with incidence rates for the J&J/Janssen vaccine becoming lower than the others.\n\n‘Reassuring’ data for J&J recipients\n\nIn March 2021, the J&J vaccine was the third to be authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration, and the initial response was more muted than the milestone authorizations of the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.\n\nThe vaccines work differently. The mRNA vaccines deliver blueprints, essentially, that train your body trains to fight that particular infection and any similar infection down the road. Adenovirus-vector vaccines, like J&J’s, use a virus that can act like a Trojan horse. But instead of soldiers jumping out, the adenovirus releases genes that encode the coronavirus’ spike protein.\n\nThe J&J vaccine stood out for other reasons, too: It came as a convenient single dose and didn’t require special refrigeration, whereas the mRNA vaccines required two doses, and Pfizer’s needed special cold storage. The flexibility was appealing for people who were afraid of shots or didn’t have the time to get two shots. It was also better for countries without a solid health care infrastructure.\n\nBut its performance tempered some of the enthusiasm around it, especially from the public.\n\nWhereas the mRNA vaccines were hailed for “astonishing” efficacy of more than 90%, the news that J&J was 65% effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19 among clinical trial volunteers underwhelmed some.\n\nFrom the start, the J&J vaccine supply was more limited. After after the vaccine was authorized, the federal government briefly paused its use due to safety concerns around rare blood clotting events. Even once vaccinations resumed, the pace of J&J vaccinations never recovered.\n\nIn December, the CDC changed its recommendations to say shots made by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech are preferred over J&J’s. It also urges people who got the J&J shot to get a booster of one of the mRNA vaccines two months later.\n\nThe protection that the Covid-19 vaccines offered has waned over time, and none of them works as well against the variants that have popped up since the original coronavirus surfaced. But the science is starting to show that people who got the J&J Covid-19 vaccine may have some advantage.\n\nBarouch told CNN that he “wasn’t surprised at all” to see that the durability of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine appears to be last longer than that of the mRNA vaccines – Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna – based on the incidence of breakthrough infections.\n\nThe mRNA vaccine technology has been shown to quickly elicit a potent and robust immune response after vaccination, but that can wane over time. Johnson & Johnson’s virus-vector platform may not spark as powerful of an immune response in the short term, but it is known to have strong durability.\n\n“Over time, the efficacy of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines goes down, the efficacy of the J&J vaccines remains stable, and so it is exactly as you would predict: that they will converge and they will then cross,” Barouch said.\n\nThe J&J vaccine also might have “a particular edge,” he said.\n\n“The immune system is actually made of two arms: the antibodies side and the T cells. And the type of T cells that are critical for prevention of serious illness are called CD8 T cells,” Barouch said. “The J&J vaccine raises better CD8 T cells than the Pfizer and other mRNA vaccines, so the J&J vaccine might have a particular edge for variants like Omicron that largely escaped from antibody responses.”\n\nOverall, Barouch called this data “very reassuring” for recipients of the J&J vaccine.\n\n“They should be reassured that they received a vaccine that gives very good protection for a long period of time,” Barouch said. “And I think the second message is that I think people should learn about these new data in terms of considering booster shots, as well.”\n\nProspects as a booster?\n\nDavid Montefiori, a virologist at Duke University Medical Center, said “the J&J vaccine has kind of gotten a bad rap because of the efficacy, but the stability of the response is intriguing.”\n\nThe antibody level went down with every vaccine during the Omicron surge, and that could mean people need an additional booster. More research is needed to find out.\n\nA yet-unpublished study by the National Institutes of Health looking at a mix-and-match vaccine strategy saw good results when J&J was included, Montefiori said.\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\n“In people who got the Pfizer vaccine initially and then a boosted with the J&J vaccine, those people made pretty high levels of neutralizing antibodies to Omicron: 10 times higher than people who got two shots with just the J&J vaccine,” he said. “So the J&J vaccine might be a good booster for people who got an mRNA vaccine initially.”\n\nThe Johnson & Johnson vaccine can be used for primary doses or as a booster, but the CDC says the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are recommended in most situations because of the risk of serious adverse events with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.\n\nThe J&J vaccine has been linked to rare cases of blood clots with low platelets, known as thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome or TTS. “It occurs at a rate of about 3.83 cases per million Janssen doses and has resulted in deaths,” the CDC says.\n\nDr. Angela Branche, an infectious disease specialist and associate professor of medicine at the University of Rochester, said the side effect profile of the J&J vaccine “remains something that’s of concern for some groups where that risk is high.” Women ages 30 to 49 years are at increased risk of this rare adverse event, the CDC says.\n\nBut if that research pans out, the J&J vaccine may be useful as a booster for only certain populations.\n\n“For some groups where that risk of developing serious blood clots is not very high, like older adults, this may be a good strategy,” Branche said.\n\nMontefiori said the vaccine deserves more study.\n\n“I think there might still be a place for the J&J vaccine in the long-term picture of this pandemic,” Montefiori said.", "authors": ["Jen Christensen Deidre Mcphillips", "Jen Christensen", "Deidre Mcphillips"], "publish_date": "2022/03/20"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/22/health/vaccine-effectiveness-bivalent-boosters-cdc/index.html", "title": "Updated boosters add limited protection against Covid-19 illness ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nUpdated Covid-19 boosters that carry instructions to arm the body against currently circulating Omicron subvariants offer some protection against infections, according to the first study to look at how the boosters are performing in the real world. However, the protection is not as high as that provided by the original vaccine against earlier coronavirus variants, the researchers say.\n\nDr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, called the new data “really quite good.”\n\n“Please, for your own safety, for that of your family, get your updated Covid-19 shot as soon as you’re eligible to protect yourself, your family and your community,” Fauci said at a White House briefing Tuesday.\n\nUptake of the bivalent boosters, which protect against the BA.4/5 subvariants as well as the original virus strain, has been remarkably slow. Only 11% of eligible Americans have gotten them since they became available in early September.\n\nThe new study found that the updated boosters work about like the original boosters. They protect against symptomatic infection in the range of 40% to 60%, meaning that even when vaccine protection is its most potent, about a month after getting the shot, people may still be vulnerable to breakthrough infections.\n\nThat’s in about the same range as typical efficacy for flu vaccines. Over the past 10 years, CDC data shows, the effectiveness of the seasonal flu vaccines has ranged from a low of 19% to a high of around 52% against needing to see a doctor because of the flu. The effectiveness varies depending on how similar the strains in the vaccine are to the strains that end up making people sick.\n\nThe authors of the new study say people should realize that the Covid-19 vaccines are no longer more than 90% protective against symptomatic infections, as they were when they were first introduced in 2020.\n\n“Unfortunately, the 90% to 100% protection was what we saw during like pre-Delta time. And so with Delta, we saw it drop into the 70% range, and then for Omicron, we saw it drop even lower, to the 50% range. And so I think what we’re seeing here is that the bivalent vaccine really brings you back to that sort of effectiveness that we would have seen immediately after past boosters, which is great. That’s where we want it to get,” said Dr. Ruth Link-Gelles, an epidemiologist at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\n\nVaccines are only one tool to stay well\n\n“This protection is not 100%, but it is something,” Link-Gelles said. “Especially going into the holidays where you’re likely to be traveling, spending time with elderly relatives, with vulnerable people. I think having some protection from infection and therefore some protection from infecting your loved one is better than having no protection at all.”\n\nLink-Gelles says it also means that people should continue to adopt a layered approach to protection, utilizing rapid tests, good-quality masks and ventilation as a comprehensive approach, rather than relying on vaccines alone.\n\n“This should be sort of one of the things in your toolbox for protecting yourself and your family,” she said. “Personally, we’re my family is all vaccinated up to date, but I think if we go to the airport tomorrow, we’ll be wearing our N95 [masks] because we’re seeing elderly relatives this weekend. And while we of course trust the vaccines, and I’m not super worried about a mild infection in myself or my healthy husband, we certainly would not want to infect his grandmother.”\n\nLink-Gelles added that she expects that vaccine protection against severe outcomes from Covid-19, like hospitalization and death, will be higher, but that data isn’t in yet.\n\nThe study, which was led by CDC scientists, relied on health records from more than 360,000 tests given at nearly 10,000 retail pharmacies between Sept. 14 and Nov. 11, a period when the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants were causing most Covid-19 infections in the US. The study included people ages 18 and up who had Covid-19 symptoms and were not immunocompromised.\n\nThe study looked at how effective the boosters were in two ways: Researchers calculated a value called absolute vaccine effectiveness, which compared the odds of symptomatic infection in people who received bivalent boosters with those who reported being unvaccinated. They also calculated relative vaccine effectiveness, which looked at the odds of symptomatic infection in people who received updated bivalent boosters compared with those who had two, three or four doses of the original single-strain vaccine.\n\nCompared with people who were unvaccinated, adults 18 to 49 who had gotten bivalent boosters were 43% less likely to get sick with a Covid-19 infection. Older adults, who tend to have weaker immune function, got less protection. Those ages 50 to 64 were 28% less likely, and those ages 65 and up were 22% less likely to get sick with Covid-19 than the unvaccinated group.\n\nThe relative vaccine effectiveness showed the added protection people might expect on top of whatever protection they had left after previous vaccine doses. If a person was two to three months past their last vaccine dose, the bivalent boosters added an average of 30% protection for those who were ages 18 to 49, 31% more protection if they were 50 to 64, and 28% more protection if they were 65 or older. At 3 months after their last booster, people ages 50 and older still had about 20% protection from Covid-19 illness, CDC data show. So overall, the updated boosters got them to around 50% effectiveness against symptomatic infection.\n\nIf a person was more than eight months away from their last vaccine dose, they got more protection from the boosters. But Link-Gelles said that by eight months, there was little protection left from previous shots against Omicron and its variants, meaning the vaccine effectiveness for this group was probably close to their overall protection against infection.\n\nThose ages 18 to 49 who were eight months or more past their last dose of a vaccine had 56% added protection against a Covid-19 infection with symptoms; adults 50 to 64 had 48% added protection, and adults over 65 had 43% added protection, on top of whatever was left from previous vaccinations.\n\nShort, modest protection from boosters\n\nJohn Moore, an immunologist and microbiologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, said it boils down to the fact that that boosters will probably cut your risk of getting sick by about 50%, and that protection probably won’t last.\n\n“Having a booster will give you some additional protection against infection for a short term, which is always what we see with a booster, but it won’t last long. It’ll decline, and it will decline more as the more resistant variants spread,” said Moore, who was not involved in the new research.\n\nThe immunity landscape in the United States is more complex than ever. According to CDC data, roughly two-thirds of Americans have completed at least their primary series of Covid-19 vaccines. And data from blood tests shows that almost all Americans have some immunity against the virus, thanks to infection, vaccination or both.\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\nA new preprint study from researchers at Harvard and Yale estimates that 94% of Americans have been infected with the virus that causes Covid-19 at least once, and 97% have been infected or vaccinated, increasing protection against a new Omicron infection from an estimated 22% in December 2021 to 63% by November 10, 2022. Population protection against severe disease rose from an estimated 61% in December 2021 to around 89%, on average, this November.\n\nAll of this means the US is in a better spot, defensively at least, than it ever has been against the virus – which is not to say that the country couldn’t see another Covid-19 wave, especially if a new variant emerges that is very different from what we’ve seen, if immunity continues to wane or if behavior shifts dramatically.", "authors": ["Brenda Goodman"], "publish_date": "2022/11/22"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2021/10/14/covid-19-booster-shots-banksys-half-shredded-artwork-dodgers-giants-norway-bow-and-arrow-attack/8420383002/", "title": "COVID-19 boosters, Dodgers vs. Giants, Banksy sale: 5 things to ...", "text": "Editors\n\nUSA TODAY\n\nFDA experts to discuss boosters for Moderna, J&J COVID-19 vaccines\n\nA federal advisory committee is meeting Thursday and Friday to discuss the safety and need for a booster shot for people who received Moderna's or Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine. The panel also will hear data on people who got booster shots from a different manufacturer than their original vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month endorsed booster shots for millions of Americans who got the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine after Israeli data suggested protection against infection begins to wane after about six months. The FDA panel will vote on whether to authorize more boosters, but not on mixing vaccines. Assuming the FDA commissioner signs off on the group's recommendations, a CDC committee will consider on Oct. 20 and 21 who should be eligible for boosters, with the shots likely becoming available within a few days.\n\nPrefer to listen? Check out the 5 Things podcast:\n\nOfficers who died in the line of duty to be honored in Washington, D.C.\n\nFallen officers will be honored at a vigil at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. Thursday. Hundreds of names were engraved there this year, bringing the total of officers memorialized to 22,611, per the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund. But the names of four officers who died by suicide after defending the Capitol on Jan. 6 — U.S. Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood and District of Columbia Metropolitan Police officers Jeffrey Smith, Kyle DeFreytag and Gunther Hashida — won't be eligible for engraving on the marbleized limestone regarded as sacred ground for U.S. law enforcement. The Capitol attack, and the suicides that followed, reignited a discussion about what constitutes a job-related death and the policies that some say perpetuate a bias that law enforcement has failed to confront.\n\nSuspect in deadly Norway bow and arrow attack was flagged for radicalization\n\nA 37-year-old Danish man is in custody in Norway suspected of a bow and arrow attack Wednesday evening that left five people dead and two wounded in the small Norwegian town of Kongsberg. Police said Thursday that the man is a Muslim convert who had previously been flagged as having being radicalized. The man is suspected of having shot at people in a number of locations. Several of the victims were in a supermarket, police said. Acting Prime Minister Erna Solberg described the attack as “gruesome.\" Mass killings are rare in Norway. The country’s worst peacetime slaughter was on July 22, 2011, when right-wing extremist Anders Breivik set off a bomb in the capital of Oslo, killing eight people. He then headed to the tiny Utoya Island where he killed another 69 victims. Breivik was sentenced to 21 years in prison, the maximum under Norwegian law, but his term can be extended as long as he’s considered a danger to society.\n\nDodgers, Giants meet in Game 5 of epic division race\n\nThe Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants know each other all too well. After all, they've been playing each other 131 years, and this year's epic division race wasn’t decided until the 162nd game of the regular season. Each team has won 109 games this season, including the postseason. On Thursday night in San Francisco (9:07 p.m. EDT, TBS), they'll meet one last time to decide the best-of-five National League Division Series. The winner will play the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series. The Dodgers send 25-year-old Julio Urias, MLB's only 20-game winner this season, to the mound, while the Giants counter with 24-year-old Logan Webb.\n\nHalf-shredded Banksy up for auction again\n\nA Banksy artwork that self-shredded just after it sold for $1.4 million is up for sale again Thursday — at several times the previous price. Auction house Sotheby’s said that “Love is in the Bin” will be up for bid in London, with a pre-sale estimate of $5.5 to $8.3 million. It consists of a half-shredded canvas bearing a spray-painted image of a girl reaching for a heart-shaped red balloon. Just as an anonymous buyer made the winning bid in 2018 for what was then known as \"Girl With Balloon,\" a shredder hidden in the frame whirred to life, leaving half the canvas hanging in strips. The buyer decided to go through with the purchase — a decision that would be vindicated if the picture achieves its estimated price.\n\nContributing: The Associated Press", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/10/14"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/19/health/fourth-covid-19-vaccine-dose-us/index.html", "title": "Potential for fourth Covid-19 vaccine dose is being 'very carefully ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nAs the world approaches the second anniversary of the declaration of the Covid-19 pandemic by the World Health Organization, on March 11, more nations are rolling out – or are discussing the possibility of – fourth doses of coronavirus vaccine for their most vulnerable. In the United States, leading public health officials say they are “very carefully” monitoring if or when fourth doses might be needed.\n\nIsrael was the first nation to roll out fourth doses, announcing in December that adults 60 and older, medical workers and people with suppressed immune systems were eligible to receive the extra shot if at least four months have passed since their third dose.\n\nMore recently, the Public Health Agency of Sweden announced last week that second booster doses are recommended for everyone 80 and older in the country. The United Kingdom’s Department of Health and Social Care announced Monday that an extra booster dose of coronavirus vaccine will be offered in the spring to adults 75 and older, residents in care homes for older adults and immunosuppressed people 12 and older.\n\nIn the United States, health officials emphasized late last year that fourth doses were not yet needed and said it was too premature to be discussing a potential fourth dose of coronavirus vaccine for most people.\n\nNow, the US Food and Drug Administration “is indeed continually looking at the emerging data on the pandemic and variants in the United States and overseas in order to evaluate the potential utility and composition of booster doses,” FDA spokesperson Alison Hunt wrote in an email to CNN on Friday.\n\nShe confirmed that although Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, has noted that there is still much uncertainty as to how the pandemic may further evolve, he also has said it is possible that a fourth dose might be recommended as we move into fall.\n\nA fall timeline coincides with the administration of flu shots, which could be convenient for people and makes sense scientifically because respiratory viruses – like the coronavirus and influenza – tend to peak in the winter months that follow.\n\n“As more data become available about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, including the use of a booster dose, we will continue to evaluate the rapidly changing science and keep the public informed,” Hunt wrote. “Any determination that additional booster doses are needed will be based on data available to the agency.”\n\nIf or when the FDA authorizes a fourth dose for the public, the next step would be for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to review the data before making a recommendation for use, as the agency has done for other coronavirus vaccine recommendations.\n\n‘Vaccination and boosting will be critical’\n\nThe United States has seen significant improvements recently in Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. As of Friday, cases were down 44% from the prior week, hospitalizations dropped 26%, and deaths were 13% lower, according to Johns Hopkins University data.\n\n“Vaccination and boosting will be critical in maintaining that downward trajectory, particularly when you’re talking about the red curve of severe disease leading to hospitalization,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said during a White House Covid-19 Task Force briefing Wednesday.\n\nThe “potential future requirement” for an additional boost or a fourth shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna mRNA vaccines or a third dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine “is being very carefully monitored in real time,” Fauci said. “And recommendations, if needed, will be updated according to the data as it evolves.”\n\nThe CDC has no recommendation of fourth doses of coronavirus vaccine for the general public, but the agency updated its guidelines in October to note that certain people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may receive a fourth dose of the Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines.\n\n“For the immunocompetent people, a single booster shot continues to provide high levels of protection against severe disease caused by Omicron,” Fauci said Wednesday. “This should not be confused with the fact that for many immunocompromised people, already a second booster shot – namely a fourth dose of an mRNA – is recommended because of what we know about their poor response to the initial regimen.”\n\nMeanwhile, vaccine makers continue to study fourth doses in broader populations.\n\n‘We recognize the need to be prepared’\n\nPfizer announced in January that it has been studying the safety and efficacy of a fourth dose as part of its ongoing study of an Omicron-specific coronavirus vaccine among healthy adults ages 18 to 55.\n\nFor that study, participants have been separated into three cohorts. One includes 600 people who got three doses of the current Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine before enrolling in the study. As part of the research, they will receive either a fourth dose of the current vaccine or a dose of the Omicron-based vaccine.\n\n“While current research and real-world data show that boosters continue to provide a high level of protection against severe disease and hospitalization with Omicron, we recognize the need to be prepared in the event this protection wanes over time and to potentially help address Omicron and new variants in the future,” Kathrin Jansen, senior vice president and head of vaccine research and development at Pfizer, said in the company’s announcement of the study.\n\nA study published by the CDC last week showed that protection against Covid-19 hospitalization and emergency department or urgent care visits is much higher after a third vaccine dose than a second dose but that protection wanes with time.\n\nWith the Omicron variant dominant in the United States, vaccine effectiveness was 87% against Covid-19 emergency department or urgent care visits and 91% against hospitalizations in the two months after a third dose. Effectiveness fell to 66% and 78%, respectively, by the fourth month, the data showed.\n\n“Nonetheless, the level of 78 is still a good protective area,” Fauci said Wednesday.\n\nDr. Christopher Murray, director of the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, told CNN on Friday that he thinks having a fourth dose “makes very little sense” right now – but possibly makes more sense this upcoming fall or winter.\n\n“Because Omicron is going away,” he said, “third dose immunity wanes, and so fourth dose will probably wane as well. So we would want to time a fourth-dose push for when either there’s a new variant or for next winter. So I think right now, unless you’re immunocompromised or you’re older, unless you have some personal risk, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.”\n\nThe research showing some waning immunity after a third dose has led to more discussion around if or when fourth doses could be needed.\n\n“Just like with everything else, the health departments look at this data that’s coming out and wait for guidance from the CDC and from the drug manufacturers. The drug manufacturers have been monitoring vaccine effectiveness,” Lori Tremmel Freeman, chief executive officer of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, told CNN on Friday.\n\nThe timing for fourth doses not only depends on waning immunity “but also depends on whether we see any more variants emerge and what we discover in terms of additional vaccine effectiveness for any emerging new infections,” Freeman said.\n\nIf fourth doses are needed, “health departments would go into the mode of preparing to administer the fourth dose in the way they have done previous doses,” Freeman said. However, of greater concern among local public health officers is the slow – and declining – pace of people completing their third doses, she said.\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\nAbout 65% of the US population is fully vaccinated with at least their initial series, and about 28% of the population has received a booster dose, according to the CDC, as of Friday. But the pace of booster doses being administered has dropped to one of the slowest rates yet.\n\n“As time goes on, if there is the necessity of a fourth dose, we’re already behind with people getting the third dose,” Freeman said. “So all of a sudden, we could have a fairly large segment of the population that is not up to date on vaccines because they’re behind by two doses, potentially, and more people could get sick.”", "authors": ["Jacqueline Howard"], "publish_date": "2022/02/19"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/coronavirus/2021/08/18/covid-vaccine-booster-shots-coming-sept-20-biden-administration-says/8180991002/", "title": "COVID vaccine booster shots coming Sept. 20, Biden administration ...", "text": "WASHINGTON – The Biden administration on Wednesday unveiled plans to begin offering COVID-19 booster shots this fall for American adults who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, eight months after they become fully vaccinated, as cases of the delta variant continue to spread across the country.\n\nAmericans who are eligible can receive a third shot beginning Sept. 20, pending authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is expected in the coming weeks, according to a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services and other administration medical experts.\n\n\"It is now our clinical judgement that the time to lay out a plan for Covid-19 boosters is now. Recent data makes clear that protection against mild and moderate disease has decreased over time,\" US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said.\n\nThe initial doses will go to those who were fully vaccinated earliest in the vaccine rollout, including health care providers, nursing home residents and other seniors. The administration plans to also begin delivering booster shots directly to residents of long-term facilities, according to the statement.\n\nThe announcement comes as the highly contagious delta variant now accounts for more than 98.8% of U.S. cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\n\nOfficials emphasized that mRNA vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna continue to be effective in reducing risk of hospitalization and death, but conceded that recent data made clear that protections begin to wane after the initial doses and amid the dominant delta variant.\n\nCOVID and kids:The delta variant of COVID-19 is more contagious for children. Is it making them sicker, too?\n\nBiden administration changes its advice on boosters\n\nOfficials said they anticipate booster shots will likely be needed for people who received the Johnson & Johnson shot, but acknowledged that they're still collecting data as the federal rollout of the vaccine did not begin in the U.S. until March.\n\nJohnson & Johnson shots:'Naked in the world of COVID': Some J&J vaccine recipients feel unprotected against delta and want mRNA shots\n\nPresident Joe Biden is expected to speak later Wednesday on the new recommendation. His remarks come less than a week after the CDC issued a recommendation for booster shots for some immunocompromised people, or about 3% of the U.S. population.\n\nAdministration officials had previously said there was no need for a booster shot to protect against the delta variant.\n\n“No American needs a booster now,” Biden said last month. “But if the science tells us there’s a need for boosters, then that’s something we’ll do. And we have purchased the supply – all the supply we need to be ready if that was called for.”\n\nMore:'This will be a tough year': Thousands of kids are in COVID-19 quarantine across the US, and school has just begun\n\nShould US offer third shot or donate vaccines?\n\nSome global health advocates have criticized the recommendation for a third shot, arguing that the U.S. should focus more on donating its supply of coronavirus vaccines to low-income countries that are still struggling to inoculate their populations.\n\n\"As wealthy countries debate when to give third shots, many African countries still don't have enough vaccines to give all of their immunocompromised citizens and first responders one dose,” said Edwin Ikhuoria, Africa Executive Director, The ONE Campaign. \"Wealthy nations must do more to increase global access to vaccines as soon as possible. Lives and livelihoods depend on it.”\n\nOfficials acknowledged they will need to balance offering booster shots against its campaigns to get more people vaccinated at home and abroad.\n\n\"We will continue to ramp up efforts to increase vaccinations here at home and to ensure people have accurate information about vaccines from trusted sources,\" the statement read. \"We will also continue to expand our efforts to increase the supply of vaccines for other countries, building further on the more than 600 million doses we have already committed to donate globally.”\n\nFor subscribers:Many states don't consistently track tribal death data, masking COVID-19 impact on Native Americans, study finds\n\nData from Israel, Mayo Clinic prompted booster offering\n\nThe policy change comes because of data released from Israel and the Mayo Clinic, among others, said Dr. Eric Topol, vice president for research at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California, and a national expert on the use of data in medical research.\n\nData published by Israel’s Ministry of Health show that protection from the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine dropped off precipitously after six months, down to 40-50% effectiveness against infection, he said. The vaccine was still highly protective against serious illness and death, but not against milder COVID-19.\n\nReports from Qatar and the Mayo Clinic are seeing the same effect, he said.\n\n“It gets down to the 40 to 50% effectiveness range, whereas it used to be 95%,” he said.\n\nContributing: Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/08/18"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/healthcare/2021/12/13/boosters-teens-vaccine-shots-16-17-year-old/6465373001/", "title": "Ready for 16- to 17-year-olds to get a COVID-19 booster? What you ...", "text": "The Food and Drug Administration last week gave emergency use authorization for COVID-19 Pfizer booster shots for 16- and 17-year-olds. Previously, the authorization had been only for people 18 and older.\n\nThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention followed suit and recommended boosters for everyone 16 and older.\n\nAs with those 18 and older, people ages 16 and 17 receive a 30-microgram dose of Pfizer, the same as the first two shots. The booster can be given six months after a second shot. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have not been authorized for people younger than 18.\n\nWe asked Dr. Stanley Spinner, vice president and chief medical officer at Texas Children’s Pediatrics and Texas Children’s Urgent Care, about boosters in this age group and when boosters for those younger than 16 will be allowed.\n\nNew variant:What is the omicron COVID-19 variant, and should we be worried?\n\nWhy should 16- and 17-year-olds get a booster?\n\n\"We want to make sure they maintain that higher protection,\" Spinner said of those 16 or older who had a COVID-19 vaccination at least six months ago.\n\nThe data show that antibody levels begin to wane around six months after the second vaccination. The higher protection is important for the delta variant, which is the predominant variant right now and caused a surge in cases in the summer.\n\nIt's also been shown to be important for the new omicron variant. \"We are learning that we need that booster to get added protection,\" Spinner said.\n\nWith the delta variant, one person could infect five to eight people. The omicron variant is thought to have at least double the transmission rate of delta, Spinner said.\n\nLocally, the transmission rate (the amount of COVID-19 disease in an area) is slowly rising as is the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19.\n\n\"Get that booster dose as soon as they can,\" Spinner urged.\n\nHaving had COVID-19 doesn't give you as much protection as being vaccinated and getting a booster, he said.\n\nVaccines in kids:Worried about child's future fertility and COVID-19 vaccine? Know the truth about the risks\n\nWhat is the magic of six months after your last shot?\n\n\"It's not like before six months, you're OK, and six months plus one day, you're not,\" Spinner said.\n\nWhat scientists have noticed in studies is that there's a gradual reduction in antibody levels, and beyond six months, there's a measurable decrease. This reduction makes you more likely to get infected and possibly more likely to be sicker if you are infected, Spinner said.\n\nThey've also noticed that length of time after the second shot makes a difference in who is having breakthrough cases and even hospitalizations.\n\n\"By giving that third dose, it increases the measurement of antibodies, which correlates with better protection,\" he said.\n\nHoliday safety:Ready to holiday? Before you gather with family and friends, think about COVID-19 safety\n\nWhy weren't ages 16 and 17 part of the initial booster group?\n\nThe FDA looks at data for a certain time period to see how well the booster works and to note any side effects, Spinner said.\n\nWhen the recommendation for boosters for everyone 18 and older came down in November, we didn't yet have enough data for ages 16 and 17, he said.\n\nWhen will boosters be recommended for 12- to 15-year-olds?\n\nThat group was approved for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in May. Those in the first wave of vaccinated 12- to 15-year-olds are now at the six-month window.\n\nThe FDA is evaluating data to look at boosters for that age group, Spinner said. Researchers will look for efficacy and safety of the boosters and make their recommendations.\n\n\"It won't be much longer, probably,\" Spinner said.\n\nFor that group and anyone who is not yet fully vaccinated with a booster, it's important to weigh the risks of each event you attend.\n\n\"The more places you go with people that don't have the ultimate protection of a booster, yet there's more people around, especially indoors where it's crowded, there's more risk,\" he said.\n\nGetting kids vaccinated:In Westlake and Lake Travis area, many parents of young kids jump on vaccine appointments\n\nWhat about side effects for the newest group of vaccinated, ages 5 to 11?\n\nOne of the concerns with that age group was possible side effects that were seen in the teens and younger adults.\n\n\"We're actually seeing less side effects in that group than in adolescents and the adult group,\" Spinner said.\n\nThe most common were being tired, sore and achy, but this group has had less fever and less joint pain.\n\n\"It's partly because younger kids tolerate it better,\" he said, but it also could be that this group is getting one-third of the dose, or 10 micrograms instead of 30 micrograms. Pfizer is now studying whether that dosage is effective in ages 12-17.\n\nWhen will kids 4 and younger get a COVID-19 vaccine?\n\nSpinner and his colleagues think Pfizer and the FDA will break this age group into two: ages 2 to 4, and 6 months to 23 months.\n\nThe data for ages 2-4 will probably be submitted in January or February, he said. If that goes well, they will consider the youngest group a few months after that.\n\nHow much longer will this pandemic last?\n\nCOVID-19 is not going to go away.\n\n\"The expectation is that we will go from a pandemic, where it's everywhere all the time, to an endemic like the flu, where there are times of the year when people tend to be more inside together, when it may peak and then come down again,\" Spinner said.\n\nRight now, flu is back in clinics and emergency rooms, he said, and that is why it's important to get a flu shot, too.\n\nThe hope is that through vaccination, we have enough community protection to get mild COVID-19 cases like with the flu, and that it doesn't overburden the hospital system, he said.\n\nBy getting as many people vaccinated and then boosted, \"we make it more manageable to do the things we normally do without thinking about COVID,\" he said.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/12/13"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/coronavirus/2021/10/01/covid-vaccines-near-me-where-get-booster-shots-florida/5928991001/", "title": "COVID vaccines near me: Where to get booster shots in Florida", "text": "The coronavirus pandemic in Florida is an evolving news story so some information in this article could be out of date. To stay connected with our comprehensive coverage of COVID-19 in Florida, sign up for our Coronavirus Watch newsletter.\n\nIf you've been vaccinated against COVID-19, you may need a booster shot, and Publix, CVS, Winn-Dixie and other locations have started offering them. Here's what you need to know to get one.\n\nDo I need a COVID booster shot?\n\nYou almost certainly will. Studies have shown that protection against COVID-19 infection begins to wane about six months after the initial shots, although hospitalization or death for vaccinated people is still rare.\n\nThis dropoff is pretty common for vaccines, which is why you get a flu shot every year.\n\nPeople over 65 are most at risk for severe disease, which is why the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted unanimously to recommend to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).that they authorize boosters.\n\n\"If you got the Pfizer vaccine in January, February and March of this year and you're over 65 years of age, go get the booster,\" President Joe Biden said. \"Or if you have a medical condition like diabetes or you're a front-line worker, like a health care worker or a teacher, you can get a free booster now.\"\n\nHowever, most vaccinated Americans remain well protected by the shots they already received, committee members and CDC officials said, and the best way to fight the pandemic is to get initial shots to people who have not yet received any,\n\nMore than 90% of those currently hospitalized with COVID-19 have not been vaccinated, they said.\n\nBooster shots:More than 20M Americans are eligible for Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots. Should you get one?\n\nFact check:Why an FDA panel didn't recommend Pfizer's booster shot for all Americans\n\nWho is eligible for a COVID booster shot?\n\nSo far, COVID-19 boosters shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are available for people who completed their Pfizer shots at least six months ago* and meet the following conditions:\n\nYou are 65 years of age or older\n\nYou are 18 or over and you have underlying medical conditions such as cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, heart conditions, HIV infection, liver disease, obesity, sickle cell disease, smoking, solid organ transplant and stroke, among others. (Here's the list)\n\nYou are 18 or over and you work in high-risk conditions such as first responders, education staff, food and agriculture workers, grocery store workers and others. (Here's the list)\n\nYou are 18 or over and you live in high-risk settings such as health care, schools, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, or if you live with someone with underlying conditions or in an immunocompromised state.\n\n*Note that this is not the same as a third shot for immunocompromised people. Immunocompromised individuals may receive a third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine as early as 28 days after their second dose.\n\nBooster shot availability may be expanded in the future as researchers continue testing how well the vaccines are working for different groups of people.\n\nHigh risk? Who is considered 'high risk' and eligible for Pfizer-BioNTech's booster shots?\n\nWhere can I get a COVID vaccine booster shot in Florida?\n\nPUBLIX:Publix began offering Pfizer booster shots on Sept. 25 initially in Brevard, Duval, Orange and Polk counties, but within a day they were available for eligible recipients at all Publix Pharmacy locations in the state of Florida for walk-ins and appointments, according to a Publix press release\n\nIf you walk in, you must bring your driver license, insurance card, and CDC immunization card.\n\nIf you make an appointment online, be ready to provide the last four digits of your Social Security number, Medicare ID number (if applicable), state and county, and emergency contact name and number along with your contact information. You'll also be asked questions about your allergies and long-term health history.\n\nWINN-DIXIE, FRESCO Y MÁS AND HARVEYS SUPERMARKETS: Grocery store pharmacies from the Southeastern Grocers chain are offering walk-up and online appointments. They're also offering a $10 coupon for getting a COVID-19 shot, and another for any other vaccine received the same day.\n\nAppointments: Winn-Dixie | Fresco y Más | Harvey's\n\nWALMART, SAM'S CLUB: Walmart and Sam's Club pharmacies are now administering third doses and boosters, with walk-ins and appointments.\n\nCVS: CVS is offering booster shots at its 649 locations in Florida. You can schedule your appointment here.\n\nBoosters are also available at select CVS MinuteClinic locations. Walk-in appointments are offered but they recommend scheduling your visit in advance due to potential kimited availability.\n\nWALGREENS: Walk-ins are welcome at Walgreens, although they recommend you make an appointment. You can do that online or by calling 1-800-WALGREENS (1-800-925-4733).\n\nREGIONAL LOCATIONS:\n\nMany county-run sites either are or soon will be offering booster shots. Check with your local site for details.\n\nHealth First in Brevard County is offering a third dose on a walk-in basis only\n\nThe Florida A&M COVID vaccination site is now offering boosters\n\nResidents of Seminole County can make appointments with PrepareSeminole.org\n\nWhat's the difference between a third dose of the COVID vaccine and a booster shot?\n\nThird shots are given to people with compromised immune systems who may not have gotten the full effect from the first two doses. They're considered part of the normal vaccination course for severely immunocompromised people.\n\nThe severely immunocompromised are often left unprotected by the two-dose vaccine regimen from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, studies have shown. Roughly 40% to 44% of people hospitalized with severe COVID-19 infections after vaccination are immunocompromised, the CDC said.\n\nBooster shots are intended to fight off the virus in people who have been fully vaccinated for at least six months but may be losing their protection against mild to moderate cases.\n\nA third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is available for the immunocompromised as young as 12, while Moderna is allowed only for adults because that vaccine has not been authorized for use in minors.\n\nFor a third dose, people should try to get the same vaccine they received the previous two times, but they could switch between Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna if necessary, the CDC said.\n\nThird shots:Who should get a third COVID-19 vaccine shot? About 2.7M immunocompromised Americans, CDC says\n\nCan I get a booster shot for the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine?\n\nNot yet. At the moment, the FDA has only authorized boosters for the Pfizer vaccine, which has been fully licensed under the name Comirnaty.\n\nModerna has requested authorization for a lower dose of its initial vaccine to be used as a booster, which the FDA is currently considering and which could become available for boosters in coming weeks.\n\nJohnson & Johnson, which has been a single-dose vaccine, released studies showing that a second dose is safe and improves effectiveness, but it has not yet submitted a request for FDA authorization to provide boosters.\n\nCan I take the Pfizer booster if I received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines?\n\nThe CDC advises against mixing the vaccines, and locations offering the boosters will not provide them to anyone who didn't initially receive the Pfizer vaccine. Researchers are studying the effects to see if mixing vaccines are effective but nothing has been approved.\n\nDo I need to prove that I am high-risk to get a COVID vaccine booster shot?\n\nYou may need to prove your age if you are 65 or older, but if you're getting the booster because you belong in a high-risk category you don't need a doctor's note to request it, according to the CDC. Some locations may ask for a doctor's note anyway.\n\nWhat if I can't find my COVID vaccination card?\n\nIf you've misplaced your COVID vaccination card or didn't receive one, contact the clinic, pharmacy, or other place where you received your vaccine to find out how to get a replacement. They can print you out a new card from your records.\n\nIf you received your shots with a registered Walgreens pharmacy account you can access your vaccine records online or through their mobile app. You can also access your records online if you received your shots from CVS, Walmart or Sam's Club.\n\nIf you can't contact your provider or you received your vaccination from a FEMA clinic, contact the Florida Healtjh Department's immunization information system at flshots@doh.state.fl.us or by calling 1-877-888-7468. All vaccination providers must report COVID-19 vaccinations to their IIS.\n\nState health departments will either email or mail a copy of your vaccination card, although it may take one to two weeks.\n\nIf you registered with V-safe or VaxText after getting your shots, you can access your information through their apps.\n\nLost your COVID-19 vaccine card?:Don't worry, you can get a new one.\n\nVaccination cards:Lost your COVID vaccination card? Will you need a vaccine passport? Our FAQs on vaccine cards\n\nAre COVID booster shots mandatory? Will I still be considered \"fully vaccinated\" if I don't get a booster shot?\n\nBoosters are available – and free – but are not mandatory. A two-dose series of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, still counts as fully immunized.\n\nAre there side-effects from getting the COVID booster shot?\n\nAccording to the CDC, reactions to the booster are similar to getting the first shot of a 2-shot series or the one Johnson & Johnson vaccine: Fatique, pain at the injection site, etc. Most side effects were moderate but as with the first round of vaccines, serious side effects are rare but they may happen.\n\nWhy isn't the COVID vaccine enough by itself? Isn't it working?\n\nThe COVID vaccines are working very well, preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death against the virus and its variants. The vast majority of patients hospitalized in the latest surge have been unvaccinated.\n\nBut public health officials are starting to see reduced protection against asymptomatic, mild and moderate cases of the disease.\n\nData from clinial trials showed that a Pfizer booster increased the immune response for people who were completely vaccinated six months earlier. And Immunocompromised people, who may not have received the full benefit of the initial vaccines, have seen greatly improved immunization with a third shot.\n\nC. A. Bridges is a Digital Producer for the USA TODAY Network, working with several newsrooms across Florida. Local journalists work hard to keep you informed about the things you care about, and you can support them by subscribing to your local news organization. Read more articles by Chris here and follow him on Twitter at @cabridges", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/10/01"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/21/health/covid-19-vaccine-annual-shot/index.html", "title": "Could the Covid-19 vaccine become an annual shot? Some experts ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nSome scientists think we might be rolling up our sleeves each year not just for flu shots but for Covid-19 jabs too.\n\nPublic health experts aren’t quite clear on what the future holds for Covid-19 vaccines – but some say it’s looking more and more like these shots could be needed on a yearly basis, similar to how flu shots are recommended each fall.\n\n“In order to keep it under control, we likely will need some form of periodic vaccination. Now, whether that’s annual or every two years or every five years, we don’t really know that yet. I think that that will emerge as we gather more data,” Dr. Archana Chatterjee, dean of the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University, said Monday.\n\n“But I do anticipate that this will be required on a periodic basis to keep it under control,” said Chatterjee, who’s also a member of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee. She added that her comments do not reflect the opinions of the committee or the FDA.\n\nThe committee is scheduled to meet April 6 to discuss the need for Covid-19 vaccine booster doses in the future, including how often they might be needed – if at all.\n\nThe FDA said Monday that representatives from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health also will participate in the meeting.\n\nThe meeting is intended to assist the FDA in developing a “general framework” that will inform when further Covid-19 vaccine booster doses might be needed and what might warrant updating the makeup of vaccines to target specific coronavirus variants.\n\nNo official vote is planned, and there will be no discussion of authorization or approval for any specific products.\n\n“As we prepare for future needs to address COVID-19, prevention in the form of vaccines remains our best defense against the disease and any potentially severe consequences,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a news release Monday.\n\n“Now is the time to discuss the need for future boosters as we aim to move forward safely, with COVID-19 becoming a virus like others such as influenza that we prepare for, protect against, and treat,” Marks said. “Bringing together our panel of expert scientific external advisors in an open, transparent discussion about booster vaccination is an important step to gain insight, input and expert advice as we begin to formulate the best regulatory strategy to address COVID-19 and virus variants going forward.”\n\n‘It’s heading towards this vaccine becoming an annual vaccine’\n\nThe day before the FDA announced the meeting date, former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said he also thinks Covid-19 vaccines may become an annual shot.\n\n“I think it’s heading towards this vaccine becoming an annual vaccine, at least for the foreseeable future, until we really understand the epidemiology of this disease and understand whether this coronavirus starts to recede into the background like the four circulating strains of the coronavirus that we’ve become accustomed to have,” Gottlieb, a Pfizer board member, told Margaret Brennan on CBS “Face the Nation” on Sunday.\n\nCoronaviruses that are known to infect humans were first identified in the 1960s, and among them are four circulating strains that cause common colds. The other human coronaviruses are Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS; severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS; and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.\n\nWhen it comes to Covid-19, “I think this is really a six-month vaccine in terms of providing really meaningful protection against symptomatic disease and infection,” Gottlieb said. “And this is likely to become an annualized vaccine for the majority of Americans.”\n\nIt remains clear that the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 is not disappearing any time soon. Rather, some researchers say we can expect the pandemic to transition into an endemic phase. Endemic means a disease has a constant presence in a population but is not affecting an alarmingly large number of people, as typically seen in a pandemic.\n\nSo SARS-CoV-2 could still circulate, but hopefully it would be at low enough levels that it no longer overwhelms our health systems.\n\n“In terms of the virus itself, what we can expect is that it’s not going to go away, that we will have recurrent surges and that our immunity will wane over time,” said Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease fellow at Stanford University.\n\nSeveral studies have shown that the immunity against Covid-19 elicited by the Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines can wane over several months, especially among older adults who might have weaker immune systems.\n\n“So the combination of our immunity waning and then the virus mutating means that future surges are unpredictable,” Karan said.\n\n“We will need boosters again in the future – probably later this year is my guess – and they will need to be tweaked more closely to what the most recent strain is that’s spreading,” he said. “We do this, obviously, annually for flu. … But flu has a more predictable seasonality to it.”\n\nWhat a future booster might look like\n\nFuture Covid-19 boosters might be completely different formulas from the vaccines that are administered now.\n\nSome companies, including Pfizer and Moderna, are developing variant-specific vaccines that could target whatever variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is circulating when the booster might be needed.\n\nPfizer and Moderna have said they are working on a vaccine that would specifically protect against the Omicron variant, even though it’s not clear whether one is needed.\n\nPfizer CEO Albert Bourla said the company is also hoping to make a vaccine that will protect against Omicron as well as all other variants of SARS-CoV-2.\n\nThe goal is to create “something that can protect for at least a year,” Bourla told CBS this month. “And if we are able to achieve that, then I think it is very easy to follow and remember so that we can go back to really the way [we] used to live.”\n\nModerna and the biotechnology company Novavax also are working on two-in-one combination vaccines that can offer protection against both flu and Covid-19.\n\n“Our goal is to be able to have a single annual booster – so that we don’t have compliance issues where people don’t want to get two to three shots a winter, but they get one dose where they get a booster for corona and they get a booster for flu and RSV, to make sure that people get their vaccines,” Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said at the World Economic Forum in January of a single vaccine for Covid-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, a common virus that causes cold-like symptoms.\n\nThere could be a benefit to having a combination Covid-19 and flu vaccine, Chatterjee said.\n\n“There are logistical benefits: The number of injections that need to be given is reduced; the benefits to the storage facilities that are delivering, administering these vaccines don’t have to store as many vaccines because they’re in a combined form,” she said.\n\nBut she added that there are some limitations, as well.\n\n“There are a couple of different issues with combinations. You have to make sure that they work together, which doesn’t always happen. Sometimes, the vaccine components can interfere with each other, and you don’t get as good an immune response as you would like,” Chatterjee said. “And then there’s the safety factor. As you add more vaccines together, often you get more reactions, particularly local reactions.”\n\nAnother element: Will enough people even take the vaccine?\n\nThe pace of Covid-19 booster administration in the United States has slowed. Although more than 65% of the US population is fully vaccinated with at least their initial series, only 29% of the population has received a third dose.\n\nThe uptake of flu shots in the United States also has room for improvement.\n\nTraditionally, about half of adults get their flu shots. During the 2020-21 flu season, among adults 18 an older, coverage was 50.2%, according to CDC data.\n\nChatterjee said a combination flu and Covid-19 vaccine might improve that uptake.\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\n“I would assume – and this is an assumption on my part – that those who currently get the influenza vaccine would probably continue to get them, and if they were offered as combinations, most of them would probably take the combination vaccine,” Chatterjee said.\n\n“And then for those who received the Covid vaccine, perhaps they will be encouraged to take the combination also, so that they get double protection against flu,” she added. “Am I optimistic? I am that we will get better coverage for both types of viruses through combination vaccine.”", "authors": ["Jacqueline Howard"], "publish_date": "2022/03/21"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_4", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:53", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/michigan/2022/12/04/uaw-strike-stuns-university-of-california-heading-into-fourth-week/69691664007/", "title": "UAW strike stuns University of California, heading into fourth week", "text": "The UAW, a labor union started in Detroit to represent the rights of autoworkers, is leading a strike 2,400 miles away involving some 48,000 academic workers in 10 University of California cities — including Berkeley, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.\n\nThe strike, believed to be the biggest organized labor action in the U.S. this year and the biggest in history involving higher education, began early on Nov. 14 after contract talks stalled on improving wages, job security and workplace protections.\n\nIt exceeds the size of the widespread UAW strike on General Motors that involved 46,000 workers at 55 sites in 10 states just three years ago and it clashed with final exams, forced some classes to go from in-person to virtual, and stopped laboratory research.\n\nAnd it shows the potential influence the UAW has on shaping worker benefits well beyond traditional autoworkers.\n\n\"This is one of the most striking examples of a resurgence of the labor movement that we’ve seen,\" said Harley Shaiken, an emeritus professor at the University of California-Berkeley who specializes in labor and the global economy. \"It's a bit like autoworkers sitting down at Flint 85 years ago, except on a college campus today. Workers then and student workers today, seeking to improve their lives through solidarity.\"\n\nMore:UAW election results signal 'discontent' among members as reformers notch big wins\n\nThe work these strikers do for the university and their impact is not trivial: “They perform experiments, write research grant proposals, and generate creative ideas that push the boundaries of their fields. Their hard work and dedication is a major reason why the school system received $3.7 billion in federal research contracts and grant revenue in fiscal year 2020,\" U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, D-Irvine, said in a 2021 letter to the UC president expressing support for the academic workers.\n\nUAW officials pointed to past court battles that reflect a long-term union investment in protecting rights on college campuses.\n\nRay Curry, president of the UAW, told the Free Press in a statement Friday: \"Our union has been a part of the fight for academic workers to have the legal right to bargain since the 1980s. We have laid the groundwork to establish that right through numerous court cases and strategic campaigns. We will continue to lead in this sector as we bargain innovative contracts that set the standard for workers in higher education.”\n\nThe intensity of this fight cannot be overstated, said Shaiken, whose grandfather, a Russian immigrant, moved from Ohio to Detroit to earn $5 a day at Ford’s Highland Park plant and spent most of his 33 years on the line at The Rouge.\n\n\"When they had a strike vote, over 36,000 voted, which is very high as a percentage, and 98% voted to strike. That kind of an outpouring is very significant,\" Shaiken said of academic workers at UC. \"We’re seeing history being made, given the size of this strike and its location ... that will leave a lasting mark.\"\n\nAfter 15 days on strike, the UAW units representing about 12,000 postdoctoral scholars and academic researchers reached tentative five-year agreements with the university. They vote whether to ratify Monday through Friday this week.\n\n“We are proud to have reached agreements that address the soaring cost of living, and reflect the value of our contributions at UC,” said Neal Sweeney, 46, of Davis, who is president of UAW Local 5810.\n\nNow, all eyes are on negotiations bargaining for 36,000 academic student employees and student researchers.\n\nLifeblood of the operation\n\nThe UAW-represented academic workers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Davis, Sacramento, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Berkeley, Riverside, Irvine and Merced do much of the research and teaching at the University of California.\n\nUC has more than 800 research centers, institutes, laboratories, and programs that include five medical centers and three Department of Energy National Laboratories. Areas of study range from human cognition and the development of machine learning to the creation of disease-resistant crops and mitigation strategies for climate change, according to the UC website.\n\nThe academic workers on strike over the past three weeks have been postdoctoral scholars who do professional research, teaching assistants, academic student employees, graduate student researchers, academic researchers, readers, tutors and others.\n\n\"We're all bargaining to make the university more fair and equitable,\" Sweeney told the Free Press. \"This is about making the university welcoming for working parents with more paid leave, child care benefits, job security.\"\n\nThe UAW has taken great pride in bargaining as a united front despite having separate contracts because there's strength in numbers, he said. \"Classes are being canceled. Labs are shut down,\" he said.\n\nSweeney, a Birmingham, Michigan, native whose father worked on a GM assembly line in college, is both a postdoctoral scholar and an academic researcher in Santa Cruz, studying how stem cells may be used in late-stage eye diseases such as macular degeneration.\n\nUntil their tentative agreements are ratified, postdoctoral scholars and academic researchers plan to continue striking in support of the 36,000 other UAW-represented members still bargaining for a contract.\n\nOne ongoing snag is the short length of job appointments, which can create hardship for teaching assistants and tutors who need to sign housing leases but have a limited work commitment, said Kavitha Iyengar, 29, a Lansing native now living in Berkeley. She's a doctoral student in legal history who grades legal coursework while also serving as vice president of UAW Local 2865, which represents students who work as teaching assistants, tutors and readers.\n\n\"This is really the minutes-before-midnight phenomenon, when the end of classes, grading and exams facilitate compromise between parties which want an agreement,\" said William Gould IV, emeritus professor of law at Stanford University.\n\n\"If the union is successful in negotiating what objectively could be seen as real improvements in the areas of wages and rent supplements, in particular, this undoubtedly is going to resonate with other workers who are similarly situated,\" he said. \"Particularly in this part of the country and in other geographical locations where the cost of living is so high compared to the rest of the country.\"\n\nGould, who wrote \"For Labor to Build Upon\" (Cambridge University Press, spring 2022), finds a lasting legacy of the U.S. Civil War is that democracy in the workforce is an essential part of societal democracy. He looks in his writing at the world of low-paying, gig-economy jobs that lack union protection.\n\nCasino workers, beermakers, scientists\n\nFor many, the UAW is closely associated with America's automobile industry. Its name is officially the United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America.\n\nBut things have changed drastically for the union founded in 1935. Just under half of the estimated 400,000 dues-paying members come from outside the auto industry.\n\nAbout 52% are hourly and salaried workers affiliated with auto suppliers and the Detroit Three — Ford Motor Co., General Motors or Stellantis, which builds Jeeps, Ram Trucks and Chrysler vehicles, according to May 2021 UAW data.\n\nThe UAW represents members who work in everything from casino gaming to beer production to farm equipment — as well as academics.\n\n\"It's going to where the action is,\" Gould said. \"The action is increasingly in this world of the unorganized and the more vulnerable.\"\n\nAll members pay into the same strike fund, which gives the UAW leverage.\n\nThe UAW had nearly $841 million in strike funds, according to its Aug. 31, 2022, financial report. This is a pot of money, fed by member union dues, that pays a $400 stipend for workers going to the strike line instead of going to work.\n\nUnion leaders have compared the strike fund to having a strong military when preparing for war.\n\nNot your father's labor union\n\nJust two years ago, academic workers made up 20% of the UAW membership, or 80,000 of some 400,000 from public and private universities such as the University of Michigan, the University of Chicago, the University of California, Harvard University, Brown University, Boston College, the University of Washington, New York University, University of Connecticut and the New School in New York.\n\nThe UAW added Columbia University postdoctoral researchers last year, many working to eradicate cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes and other diseases.\n\nA majority of academic workers in the UAW are based at the University of California, California State University and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, which specializes in clean energy, supercomputing and atomic structure.\n\n“Sometimes there’s a bit of an eyebrow raise when you say UAW. People ask, ‘United Auto Workers?’ But we chose the UAW because it represents the most academic workers of any union in the country. And it bargains great contracts,” David Parsons, then-president of UAW Local 4121, representing graduate and undergraduate students and researchers at the University of Washington, said in 2019.\n\nAnke Schennink, then-president of UAW Local 5810, which represents postdoctoral researchers on University of California campuses, said in 2019, \"The UAW provides us access to labor lawyers, professional negotiators and training.\"\n\nOrganizing the UC system and higher ed overall was considered critical to the national UAW strategy.\n\nUC officials praise success on negotiations so far as talks continue on the final two contracts.\n\n“Our dedicated colleagues are vital to UC’s research activities and we are very pleased to have reached agreements that honor their many important contributions,” Letitia Silas, executive director of systemwide labor relations, said in a Nov. 29 news release from the UC Office of the President. “These agreements also uphold our tradition of supporting these employees with compensation and benefits packages that are among the best in the country.”\n\nShe noted that the other two UAW groups, graduate student researchers and academic student employees who work as teaching assistants and tutors and readers, remain in ongoing contact negotiations.\n\nSupporting a family on $24,000\n\nAs a professor, Shaiken said he has seen tremendous sympathy for the striking workers. The average pay for graduate students in STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math at these prestigious California schools ranges from $38,000 to $45,000 a year while their peers in other fields earn about $24,000 annually on average, he noted.\n\n\"You cannot live on that,\" Shaiken said. \"Here’s why we’re seeing ... 48,000 people paralyzing the university right now. Rents have skyrocketed in California. For these students, many don’t have a decent place to live or have to sacrifice other essentials. Costs have gone up and wages won’t cover it. That is something that has gotten a lot of good people angry.\"\n\nAndy Ross, a literary agent based in Berkeley whose daughter attends college there, told the Free Press: \"Students are back to taking classes on Zoom. Some professors are striking in solidarity. The other thing is that term papers and tests aren't being graded, which indicates how important these grad students are. Everything is falling apart without them.\n\n\"California is an expensive place to live. The grad students have been exploited for a long time.\"\n\nAt issue for union activists and supporters is the rapid growth or \"bloat\" of administrators with significantly higher salaries while wages for hard-working classroom workers and researchers have remained static and outdated, Shaiken said. \"That has contributed to a lot of concern about what’s going on,\" he said.\n\nSupport for the strike also comes from the California Labor Federation, which represents 1.2 million workers in manufacturing, retail, construction, health care, delivery and other industries. Many of their members have refused to cross academic worker picket lines.\n\n23% salary increase\n\nNegotiators reached a deal for postdoctoral scholars who will vote on whether to ratify this week.\n\n\"The agreement reached will include the vast majority of postdocs getting a 20% to 23% salary increase,\" Sweeney said in a Zoom call with reporters Nov. 29. \"This was a significant movement from the university. … That’s really what got us over the finish line.\"\n\nIn addition, postdoctoral scholars will get two-year appointments rather than just one year. It helps with job security and stability as well as cost reduction for international researchers required to apply for visas. Postdoc scholars who currently earn $54,500 a year will see their wage increase by $12,000 a year to $66,000, Sweeney said.\n\n\"That's very significant,\" he said.\n\nAn entry-level academic researcher in a junior specialist position currently making $49,000 would see compensation increase by $5,549 to $54,549 by July, Sweeney said.\n\nContract highlights of tentative agreements\n\nTwo of four UAW-represented local unions in California will vote this week on proposed contracts.\n\nPostdoctoral scholars, who do scientific research at the university, are being offered:\n\nImplementation of a new salary scale by April 1, 2023, which will result in average salary increases of 8% for all.\n\nAnnual pay increases each October, with an increase of about 7.5% in the first year and 3.5% in each remaining year.\n\nAnnual experience-based pay increases of 3.7% for eligible postdocs.\n\nUp to $2,500 annual reimbursement for child care expenses. Annual $100 increases in 2024, 2025 and 2026.\n\nEffective Jan. 1, 2023, a new special Postdoc Paid Leave program of eight weeks of 100% paid family leave for all postdocs.\n\n'29% salary increase'\n\nAcademic researchers, who make scientific discoveries in their fields of expertise, will vote this week on a proposed contract that includes:\n\nPay increases of 4.5% in the first year, 3.5% in the second, third and fourth years; and 4% in the fifth year.\n\nEffective Jan. 1, 2023, eight weeks 100% pay for family care and bonding for eligible academic researchers.\n\nIncreased bereavement leave.\n\nA typical academic researcher will receive 29% in salary increases (between scale and merit increases) over the life of the contract.\n\nBoth tentative agreements include:\n\nNew contract provision to address abusive conduct and a dispute resolution process.\n\nAccess to a pre-tax program to pay for transit costs and an e-bike purchase discount program.\n\nUC agrees to attempt to negotiate reduced-fee or no-fee access to regional transit system(s).\n\nNegotiations for postdoctoral scholars began in July 2021 and in May 2022 for academic researchers.\n\nAcademic researchers at UC joined the UAW in 2018, getting their first contract in 2019. Academic student employees formed in the late 1990s and won their first contract in 2000. Postdoctoral researchers formed around 2008 and won their first contract in 2010. Student researchers won recognition from the University of California in late 2021, and this will be their first contract.\n\nMore:Dwayne Johnson calls Ford factory workers 'clock punching champions'\n\nMore:Ford workers at 4 new plants won't automatically be UAW members: Here's why\n\nMore:Ford investing $3.7B to create 6,200 jobs in Michigan, Ohio, Missouri\n\nContact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/12/04"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/12/business/railroad-strike-threat/index.html", "title": "America is already feeling the consequences of a looming ...", "text": "New York CNN Business —\n\nAmerica’s freight railroads have already stopped accepting shipments of hazardous and other security-sensitive materials because of the looming threat of a strike Friday.\n\nUnion Pacific, one of the major national railroads whose operations would be halted by a strike, said the move is meant to “protect employees, customers, and the communities we serve.”\n\nA statement from the railroad’s trade group said they needed to take this step in order to follow federal rules to “ensure that no such cargo is left on an unattended or unsecured train.”\n\nBut the unions representing the members of the train crew threatening to go on strike say the railroad’s new freight restrictions are designed to put pressure on Congress to block the unions from walking out. They said the move was “completely unnecessary” and “no more than corporate extortion.”\n\n“The railroads are using shippers, consumers, and the supply chain of our nation as pawns in an effort to get our unions to cave into their contract demands,” said the unions’ statement. “Our unions will not cave into these scare tactics, and Congress must not cave into what can only be described as corporate terrorism.”\n\nThe statements show the rising stakes in the labor dispute that could lead to the first national railroad strike in 30 years as soon as this Friday. About 60,000 union members who work for the railroad are set to go on strike, including the engineers and conductors who make up the two-person crews on each train. Even though 45,000 other union members belong to unions that have reached tentative deals with the railroads, a strike by engineers and conductors would bring the freight rail system, which carries nearly 30% of the nation’s freight, to a grinding halt.\n\nIt’s about the last thing the US economy needs as it struggles to get over several years of supply chain issues. A prolonged strike could mean some empty shelves in stores, temporary closures at factories that don’t have the parts they need to operate, and higher prices due to the limited availability of various consumer goods.\n\n“While these actions are necessary, they do not mean a work stoppage is certain,” said the statement from Union Pacific. “What we want, and continue to push for, is a prompt resolution that provides historic wage increases to employees and allows the railroads to restore service as soon as possible, preventing further disruption to the struggling supply chain.”\n\nCongress could avert strike\n\nLabor law for railroad and airline employees is different from the law that controls labor relations for the vast majority of private sector workers. The Railway Labor Act, the nation’s oldest labor law, allows Congress to take action to keep workers on the job in case of a strike or a lockout of workers by management.\n\nBut it’s not clear that Congress could act quickly to find a bipartisan measure needed to win the votes to avert a strike, especially just weeks before crucial midterm elections.\n\nIn July, when a strike was first threatened, President Joe Biden used powers he had at that time to block a freight rail strike. That created a 60-day cooling off period during which a panel he appointed, known as a Presidential Emergency Board, or PEB, looked at the dispute and came up with a set of recommendations.\n\nBut that 60-day cooling off period ends at 12:01 am ET Friday, allowing the union to go on strike or the railroads to lockout the union members. Biden does not have the power to prevent a strike or lockout once again. Without a labor agreement or congressional action to impose a contract or extend the cooling off period, the national freight railroads will grind to a halt on Friday.\n\n“The railroads show no intentions of reaching an agreement with our unions, but they cannot legally lock out our members until the end of the cooling-off period,” said the union in a statement. “Instead, they are locking out their customers beginning on Monday and further harming the supply chain in an effort to provoke congressional action.”\n\nThe US Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to both the Democrat and Republican leadership of both houses asking that Congress be prepared to act if the two sides can’t reach an agreement before Friday.\n\n“We continue to believe that a voluntary agreement by all parties is the best outcome, but it is now clear that Congress may need to intervene,” said the letter. It urged Congress to impose a new contract based on the PEB’s recommendations upon the unions that have yet to reach a tentative agreement with the railroads. It did raise the possibility of extending the cooling off period rather than imposing a contract.\n\nStrike would be about non-wage issues\n\nThe PEB’s proposals included an immediate 14% raise for 115,000 union members working for the railroad, including backpay back to 2020, and raises totaling of 24% over the five-year life of the contract from 2020 to 2024. The plan was good enough for eight of the 12 unions, which together represent about 45,000 railroad employees to agree to tentative labor agreement. The most recent agreements came over the weekend.\n\nBut four of the groups, including the two most significant unions that represent the engineers and conductors who make up the two-person crews on each train, have refused to accept the PEB’s proposal so far.\n\nTwo of the unions -— those representing the train crew members – say their members would never ratify a contract that includes the current staffing levels and scheduling rules. They say the shortage of workers has meant their members need to be on call to report to work on short notice seven days a week, even on the days they’re not scheduled to work. Those rules do not apply to members of the unions who have reached tentative agreements.\n\nThe engineers and conductors unions include about half of the union members working for the railroads. And if they strike, even if the other unions all agree to stay on the job, the trains will not operate.\n\nRailroad management says that the PEB considered the union’s demands on scheduling and were “expressly rejected.”\n\n“It is critical that the remaining unions promptly reach agreements that provide pay increases to employees and prevent rail service disruptions,” said management’s statement. It said the deals with the remaining unions should be “based on the PEB’s recommendation.”\n\nBut the engineers’ and conductors’ unions are pushing their allies in Congress not to take any action to impose a labor deal on workers who have yet to reach a deal, or to extend the cooling off period. The unions say only a strike can resolve the issue, and if management wants to avoid a strike, it must agree to fix the work rules.\n\n“Rather than gridlock the supply chain by denying shipments …. the railroads should work towards a fair settlement that our members, their employees, would ratify,” said the unions. “For that to happen, we must make improvements to the working conditions that have been on the bargaining table since negotiations began.”\n\nUS Labor Secretary Martin Walsh, who met with the two sides during mediated talks last week, again engaged the two sides on Sunday to push them to reach a resolution that averts any shutdown, according to a statement from a Labor Department spokesperson. He has also canceled a trip to Ireland to give a speech there due to the railroad labor talks.\n\n“All parties need to stay at the table, bargain in good faith to resolve outstanding issues, and come to an agreement,” said the statement. “The fact that we are already seeing some impacts of contingency planning by railways again demonstrates that a shutdown of our freight rail system is an unacceptable outcome for our economy and the American people, and all parties must work to avoid that.”\n\n– CNN’s Vanessa Yurkevich and Betsy Klein contributed to this report.", "authors": ["Chris Isidore"], "publish_date": "2022/09/12"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/13/business/railroad-strike-outlook-economic-impact/index.html", "title": "Railroad strike, and the economic damage it would cause, looms ...", "text": "New York CNN Business —\n\nA freight railroad strike, and the economic upheaval it could cause, is getting closer and closer to reality.\n\nWhile two more rail unions reached tentative agreements with railroad management on new contracts Tuesday, the two most important unions — representing the engineers and conductors who make up the two-person crews on each train — remain at loggerheads in negotiations. If they don’t resolve their differences, the first national rail strike in 30 years could start early Friday.\n\nThose engineers and conductors unions represent roughly half of the more than 100,000 unionized workers at the nation’s major freight railroads. Without them on the job those trains will not run, nor will many commuter and Amtrak trains that run over freight rail lines. Indeed, Amtrak has already suspended some of its routes.\n\nUnable to reach a deal Tuesday, the heads of the two unions and the negotiators for the railroads’ bargaining team are scheduled to meet with Labor Secretary Martin Walsh in Washington early Wednesday, according officials with each union and a Department of Labor spokesperson.\n\nAdministration officials have grown increasingly concerned about the possibility of a strike in recent days. President Joe Biden personally called rail unions and companies on Monday while visiting Boston in an attempt to avert a rail shut down, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.\n\nCNN reported earlier Tuesday that the White House is urgently discussing contingency plans, with agencies across the federal government working through how they could potentially use federal authority to keep critical supply chains operational as labor talks continue to sit at an impasse.\n\n“The White House is working with other modes of transportation (including shippers, truckers, air freight) to see how they can step in and keep goods moving, in case of a rail shutdown,” a White House official told CNN on Tuesday.\n\nBut there are no alternatives to move the freight carried on rail. The American Trucking Associations issued a statement saying that it would require more than 460,000 additional long-haul trucks every day, which it said “is not possible based on equipment availability and an existing shortage of 80,000 drivers.” It called on Congress to act to keep the railroad workers on the job, saying the trucking system itself depends on sharing shipments with the railroads.\n\nThe railroads work under a unique labor law that allows the federal government to intervene to keep the workers on the job, rather than freely allowing a strike or a lockout of workers by management.\n\nPresident Biden blocked a strike through executive action in July, which delayed the possibility of a strike for 60 days. He also appointed a panel, known as a Presidential Emergency Board, which came up with recommendations for a deal that has been accepted by most of the unions.\n\nBut not the engineers and conductors, who say scheduling rules that keep them “on call” virtually every day they’re not at work, as well as a staffing shortage, make their work lives intolerable. Those rules were not addressed by the emergency board. Without a change in those rules, the engineers and conductors say they’ll go on strike. The 60-day cooling off period is set to expire at 12:01 am ET Friday, so that threatened strike is looming.\n\nWill Congress act to stop strike?\n\nUnless the two sides reach an agreement, only Congressional action can prevent or end a strike. Richard Durbin, the second highest ranking member of the Democrats’ leadership in the Senate, told CNN that Democrats are not eager to take action ahead of the deadline to prevent a strike.\n\n“I don’t think it’s likely we will intervene,” Durbin said. Avoiding a strike “depends on the parties in negotiations stepping up to the plate.”\n\nRailroad management and numerous business groups, including the US Chamber of Commerce and the National Retail Federation, are calling on Congress to act to prevent a strike.\n\nWidespread economic impact\n\nLooming rail strike could raise gas prices 01:53 - Source: CNN\n\nA strike would be a crippling blow to the US economy, which is still struggling with supply chain problems. Roughly 30% of the nation’s freight moves by rail. Among the problems could be:\n\nGasoline: Without freight railroads, oil refineries would have trouble producing their current volumes of gasoline, which could send gas prices higher, ending a string of three months of falling prices at the pump\n\nFood: It could disrupt the nation’s food supplies , preventing recently harvested crops to move to food processors and disrupting the supply of fertilizer needed for upcoming plantings.\n\nConsumer goods: According to the National Retail Federation, Any rail strike could have long-lasting negative effects on the import of goods for the holiday shopping season, causing shortages and higher prices.\n\nCars and trucks: Car prices have already hit record prices this year due to the limited supply of new vehicles caused by a shortage of computer chips and other parts. A rail strike would further choke supplies, cutting off the delivery of auto parts to auto assembly plants, which could force temporary shutdowns at some plants. It would also disrupt the flow of completed new cars and trucks, 75% of which move by rail.\n\nThe full economic impact would not be immediate, said Patrick Anderson, of Anderson Economic Group, which does economic impact estimates for work stoppages, although it would likely cost the economy tens of millions of dollars a day at the start.\n\n“The costs will grow geometrically the longer the strike lasts,” he said. “After a week, you’d see real damage in the US economy.”\n\nHe said an estimate of $2 billion a day of economic damage from the railroad’s own trade group is “gross exaggeration” but that significant costs will spread throughout the economy. “If we reach a week-long strike, we’re in uncharted territory,” he added.\n\nNot about pay\n\nThe emergency board recommended an immediate 14% raise for union members, including backpay for some of that raise going back to 2020. Workers also would receive a 24% raise over the five-year life of the contract, and $1,000 annual cash bonuses.\n\nBut the engineers and the conductors say the strike is not over pay; the work conditions and scheduling are driving their members to quit jobs, leaving the railroads with a staffing shortage that makes conditions for the remaining workers intolerable. The unions that have accepted the deal do not have the scheduling issues that the engineers and conductors face.\n\nThe railroads say that average compensation for their employees comes to $122,000 per year, including both pay and benefits. But the railroads themselves also have been very profitable, with several of them — Union Pacific (UNP), Norfolk Southern (NSC) and Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA)’s Burlington Northern Santa Fe — reporting record earnings.\n\nRepublicans want Congressional action\n\nSome Republicans in Congress say they’re preparing legislation that would impose a contract on the engineers and conductors unions to force them to stay on the job.\n\n“A rail worker strike would be catastrophic for America’s transportation system and our already-stressed supply chain,” said Sen. Richard Burr, the North Carolina Republican and one of two senators who plan to introduce the legislation. (The other is Republican Roger Wicker of Mississippi.)\n\nBurr said the PEB recommendations, which form the basis of the contract his legislation would impose, “are a fair and appropriate solution to a years-long negotiation process, but labor unions are continuing to hold the entire nation’s rail system hostage as they demand more.”\n\nThrough their trade group, the Association of American Railroads, the railroads say the engineers and conductors unions’ demands to change the scheduling rules “should be dealt locally” and not through national bargaining. It pointed out that the unions” demand to have the change as part of the national contract was “expressly rejected” by the PEB.\n\nFor their part, the leadership of the engineers and conductors unions’ said their members would not ratify any deal that doesn’t include changes in the work rules. The two unions say they have already reduced what they are asking for in an effort to get the deal done.\n\nThe unions also say that a strike is the best way to get a deal that will win support of their members and improve the quality of rail service nationwide. They contend the railroads are counting on Congress to step in, which would eliminate for now the hiring of additional staff that union leadership says is needed.\n\n- CNN’s Ali Zaslav and Maegan Vazquez contributed to this report", "authors": ["Chris Isidore Vanessa Yurkevich", "Chris Isidore", "Vanessa Yurkevich"], "publish_date": "2022/09/13"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/07/business/mississippi-river-closures-grounded-barges-drought-climate/index.html", "title": "Another supply chain crisis: Barge traffic halted on Mississippi River ...", "text": "New York CNN Business —\n\nThe lowest water levels in the Mississippi River in a decade, caused by a severe Midwest drought, have closed the vital channel to barge traffic at a crucial time of the year for the transport of crops from the nation’s heartland.\n\nThe Army Corps of Engineers has been dredging portions of the river for the past week in an attempt to deepen channels and get barge traffic moving again. But the closures have caused a massive tie-up in the nation’s already struggling supply chains.\n\nThe low water has also been responsible for eight barges running aground during the last week, according to a report from the US Coast Guard.\n\nAs of Friday, the Coast Guard reports that there are 144 vessels and 2,253 barges queued up and waiting to get through two stretches of the river where traffic has been halted – one near Memphis, the other just north of Vicksburg, Mississippi. While the Coast Guard statement said it hopes to resume traffic again as soon as late Friday, it couldn’t say for certain when that would happen.\n\nBarges idle while waiting for passage in the Mississippi River near Vicksburg, Miss., on Tuesday. Thomas Berner/AP\n\n“The Coast Guard, [Army Corps of Engineers] and river industry partners are working towards the goal of opening the waterway to restricted one-way traffic when it has been determined safe to do so,” said the Coast Guard’s statement.\n\nEven when barges start moving once again, they’ll be forced to carry as much as 20% less cargo than normal in order to not ride too deep in the water. And rather than a single vessel moving between 30 to 40 barges at one time as they normally do, they’ve been forced to move no more than 25 barges on each trip due to the more narrow channels.\n\nThe combination of fewer barges per trip, and less cargo per barge, has cut the capacity of barges moving on the river by about 50% even before the recent river closures, said Mike Seyfert, CEO of the National Grain and Feed Association. And that has sent the rates that shippers are paying soaring.\n\n“From what we hear from members, that has resulted in record levels of barge rates, and that’s being driven by the fact that there is limited traffic,” Seyfert said.\n\nRiver barges are still a major method of moving cargo within the United States, especially for agricultural products.\n\nAbout 5% of all freight in the United States moves on river barges when measured by the weight of the cargo and the distance traveled, according to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The shippers who use river barges have few, if any, affordable alternatives.\n\nMost of the barge traffic moving south this time of year is carrying agricultural products. Many of those moving north are loaded with fertilizer that farmers will need for their next planting.\n\n“This time of year, the river is crucial for moving product,” said Seyfert.\n\nThe region that feeds water into the Mississippi River has been hit especially hard by a regional drought since July, leading to sharply lower levels around Arkansas and Tennessee, according to data tracked by the US Geological Survey. The two highest levels of drought have recently expanded across the Midwest and the South, according to last week’s US Drought Monitor.\n\nCompounding supply chain woes\n\nThis is just one more stumbling block for US supply chains that are still struggling to recover from disruptions since the start of the pandemic two and a half years ago. West Coast ports, where most of the nation’s imports arrive by container ship, are still congested, too.\n\nAnd while a freight railroad strike was narrowly averted last month, even the freight railroads themselves admit they are providing substandard levels of service as they struggle with their own labor shortages.\n\nThe Mississippi is not the only river facing low water levels and posing economic problems for those who depend upon on those rivers.\n\nProlonged drought in the western United States has taken the reservoirs in the Colorado River basin to historically low levels. That water supply is crucial for both hydroelectric power and the supply of water needed by western states.\n\nAnd in Germany, river levels fell on the Rhine River in August, limiting barge traffic there, including coal shipments needed to supply power plants.\n\nUS drought getting worse\n\nThere are few signs of relief for the low water levels on the Mississippi.\n\nAnother dry week across much of the Central and Southern US has led to “intensifying drought conditions across much of the Great Plains, Mississippi Valley, and Midwest,” according to the latest update from the US Drought Monitor.\n\n“A very dry pattern during the past month” has led to significant degradation in crops and river levels, the summary noted.\n\nUp to 57% of Arkansas is experiencing severe drought, the highest in five years; three months ago, it was less than 1%. To the north, the amount of Missouri judged to be in severe drought conditions has doubled each of the past two weeks and is now up to 30% of the state.\n\nFrom European Union/Copernicus/Sentinel Hub/EO Browser From European Union/Copernicus/Sentinel Hub/EO Browser Use the slider to compare imagery taken of the Mississippi River at Memphis, Tennessee, on March 1, 2022, (left) and then again on October 2, 2022 (right). The images are natural color images - processed to resemble the actual color of the Earth -- taken by the Sentinel-2 satellite. From European Union/Copernicus/Sentinel Hub/EO Browser\n\nThese widespread drought conditions are also impacting other important tributaries to the Mississippi River. More than 70% of the Missouri River basin is facing drought conditions this week, meaning less water is entering the Mississippi River, further lowering its levels.\n\nA University of Missouri weather station in Columbia, for example, reported just 6.46 inches of rain between June 2 and September 27, the Drought Monitor noted. That is more than 11 inches below normal and the driest such period for that location in 23 years.\n\nNo significant rain is expected over the next week in the Lower Mississippi and Ohio River valleys, and water levels are expected to drop further.", "authors": ["Chris Isidore Amanda Watts Judson Jones", "Chris Isidore", "Amanda Watts", "Judson Jones"], "publish_date": "2022/10/07"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/18/us/school-conditions-2022/index.html", "title": "US public schools get a D+ for poor conditions, and experts say ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nWhen it gets too hot in Denver and Baltimore classrooms, students are sent home because their schools don’t have air conditioning.\n\nIn Massachusetts, checking for rusty water leaking from a ceiling has become a “morning ritual.”\n\nIn California, a school’s cockroach infestation has gotten so bad that some students fear eating lunch.\n\nWhile school infrastructure problems are a perennial challenge, national data and dismal stories from teachers suggest the crises are reaching an apex. Atrocious school conditions have even prompted some teachers this school year to go on strike.\n\nHow CNN found subpar school conditions CNN asked teachers about the conditions of their schools and received more than 250 responses from across the US. Some teachers spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution.\n\n“We’re getting to a critical stage now,” said Mike Pickens, executive director of the National Council on School Facilities. “The average age of a school building now is from 49 to 50 years” – the highest in memory. Some schools date back to World War II.\n\nBut as schools get older and more desperate for repairs, the funding gap for public schools keeps getting worse.\n\n“American Society of Civil Engineers gives the condition of America’s 100,000 public school buildings an overall grade of D+,” the National Education Association said late last year. “And no wonder – half our school buildings are half a century old.”\n\nNow, everyone is paying the price for underfunded schools.\n\nStudents get sick, distracted or miss entire days of education when conditions turn abysmal. Parents sacrifice income to provide child care when classes suddenly get canceled.\n\nBurnt-out teachers already stressed by the pandemic and school violence are pushed closer to leaving the profession.\n\nEven those not directly connected to deteriorating schools will be impacted, Pickens said.\n\nWithout more investment in US public schools, he said, “we get further and further behind on the world stage.”\n\nFrom Maryland to Colorado, students struggle to breathe in oppressively hot classrooms\n\nIn Baltimore, Marcia Turner is sick of her kids feeling sick at school.\n\n“My children can’t even breathe in the school. It be so hot. One have asthma,” Turner told CNN affiliate WMAR.\n\nFourteen Baltimore schools don’t have any air conditioning, school district Chief Operating Officer Lynette Washington told CNN. Those students get sent home early when it’s too hot to learn – 85 degrees or higher in their classrooms, she said.\n\nStifling temperatures can impede students’ academic success. Researchers who looked at millions of test scores from American high schoolers found students tend to score lower when it’s a hot school year, according to a 2018 study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.\n\nBut air conditioning mitigated many of the negative effects, the researchers found.\n\nThe lack of air conditioning doesn’t just stymie students’ learning. It also hurts parents who can’t afford to leave work to take care of their children in the middle of the day.\n\n“And I can’t get off because I’m just starting a job,” Turner told WMAR.\n\nThe Baltimore school district’s COO said she’s frustrated, too. About 65% of the city’s public schools are over 41 years old; more than a third are over 51 years old.\n\n“We have such a backlog of infrastructure that has not been updated and upgraded in a consistent way. When they’re not upgraded toward the end of their life cycle, then we just hold onto them, and we just keep putting Band-Aids on them,” Washington said.\n\n“We do not have the dollars. We do not have the resources.”\n\nFive years ago, Baltimore had 75 public schools without air conditioning, Washington said. Installing AC in all those schools would cost $250 million – about five times the district’s entire annual infrastructure budget.\n\nSo Baltimore Public Schools is chipping away at the problem over years. Of the 14 schools that still lack air conditioning, six will have it in the next 24 months, Washington said. The other eight will be completely renovated – with air conditioning – or shuttered.\n\nWhy window AC units won't fix the problem For schools that don’t have air conditioning, window AC units aren’t a practical solution, said Baltimore Public Schools Chief Operating Officer Lynette Washington. “The challenge with these window air conditioning units is that they don’t meet what is called ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) standards because they do not provide the ventilation and fresh air intake required for classrooms,” she said. “The other challenge with the air conditioning box units is that they have a very short life cycle. So they may last for a year or two … (and) have to be consistently maintained and replaced. We don’t have the resources.”\n\nMany states away in Colorado, more than 30 schools in Denver Public Schools had to send kids home early and four closed for full days this month due to the heat, the district said. Temperatures soared in Denver the first full week of September, with daily highs ranging from 97 to 99 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.\n\n“I can’t change the fact that it’s 88 degrees in the classroom,” said Sara, a teacher at McAuliffe International School, which had three days of early dismissal. “It gets really draining, physically and emotionally, to be kind of beat down by these factors, day in and day out.”\n\nThe middle school in Colorado’s largest school district has no air conditioning, said Trena Marsal, the district’s executive director of facility management. The infrastructure, she said, was never meant for higher temperatures.\n\n“Our oldest building is (from) 1889,” she said.\n\nForty Denver public schools still lack AC, down from 55 in 2019, Marsal said. In 2020, Denver voters approved bonds to pay, in part, for the installation of air conditioning units in schools, including a two-year plan to air-condition McAuliffe, the school district said.\n\nBut supply chain problems delayed installations this summer, leaving the work at eight schools only partially completed.\n\nSo the district has heat mitigation liaisons, Marsal said. Portable cooling units are strategically placed during the day, and windows are opened at night, she said.\n\nOpening windows, though, means “we basically daily get wasps and flies – and it’s always exciting when that happens,” Sara said.\n\nIn the heat of day, Sara said, conditions in classrooms can make older kids anxious.\n\n“You have students, I’m sure, who are nervous about sweat stains or they sit down on a plastic chair and their butt gets sweaty,” she said. “It’s stuff as an adult we’re not as self-conscious about, but a teenager absolutely is.”\n\n“I sweat, like, everywhere,” seventh grader Zmarra Fleming told CNN affiliate KUSA. “In the classrooms, it’s really hot. It’s, like, hot where the point is you can’t really breathe in there.”\n\nMcAuliffe International School student Zmarra Fleming said it was hard to breathe in her hot classroom. KUSA\n\nBut the immediate fix – early dismissal – caused transportation problems this month for some students. McAuliffe got out at 1:32 p.m., according to the school’s website, but Marsal said early buses weren’t requested.\n\n“It’s very frustrating,” parent Stephanie Bates told KUSA. “I can’t imagine what parents who don’t have flexibility in their schedules do.”\n\nRusty water drips from classroom ceilings\n\nLeaking water in classrooms and brown, stained ceiling tiles have made for a “morning ritual” among some teachers at Joseph G. Pyne Arts Magnet School in Lowell, Massachusetts.\n\n“Outside my room, in the hallway, there’s several tiles that are stained brown like rusty, dirty water from leaks,” said Eric Kolifrath, a seventh and eighth grade science teacher. “Everyone on my floor, especially if it’s rained, we examine the ceiling to let the custodial staff know if we see new leaks.”\n\nEric Kolifrath says it's become a \"morning ritual\" to inspect for leaks on his floor of the school. Courtesy Eric Kolifrath\n\nLast school year, a ceiling tile got so wet it “bowed out like a bowl,” Kolifrath said. So custodians wheeled in a 33-gallon trash bin to collect the water.\n\nAnother time, a leak sprang right above his classroom projector.\n\n“That’s not a problem that my principal can fix,” Kolifrath said. “If she had a wand, she would wave it.”\n\nThat’s in part because Kolifrath’s school, which serves pre-K through eighth grade, and 28 others in the district are managed by the City of Lowell, which also looks after municipal buildings, City Manager Tom Golden said.\n\nThe setup is among the myriad ways American school buildings are maintained – which can lead to confusion over who’s responsible for repairs.\n\nA browning ceiling tile hangs over a room this school year at Joseph G. Pyne Arts Magnet School in Lowell, Massachusetts. Courtesy Eric Kolifrath\n\nLike many teachers nationwide, Kolifrath has crowdsourced financial support for his classroom.\n\nThe city is putting $2.3 million into all Lowell schools during the 2022-2023 school year and investing $389 million to build a new high school, Golden said.\n\nThe roof at J. G. Pyne was repaired last year, he said. But maintaining ceiling tiles “would be the responsibility of the custodians who work for the school department,” Golden said.\n\n“With the number of buildings that we have, there are always going to be issues and challenges on a day-to-day basis, which our lands and buildings professionals will be out there to rectify.”\n\nThe school funding gap keeps getting worse\n\nThe money spent on fixing or building US public schools falls woefully short of what’s needed to get buildings up to standard, according to the latest “State of Our Schools” report by the 21st Century School Fund, the International WELL Building Institute and the National Council on School Facilities.\n\nAnd the gap is widening. In 2016, public schools were underfunded by $46 billion a year (or $60 billion, when adjusted for inflation to 2020 dollars), the report said. By 2021, that annual deficit had grown by $25 billion.\n\nWhere does funding for public school buildings come from? The funding sources and ratios vary across the country. But in general, “local school districts bear the heaviest responsibilities for school construction capital funding,” according to the 2021 “State of Our Schools” report. From fiscal years 2009 to 2019: Local school districts paid 77% of the costs for PK-12 capital projects. States paid 22% to districts for capital outlay and debt service. But state support is highly variable, with 11 states paying nothing to eight states paying over half the district-level capital costs. Public school districts got slightly more than 1% from federal funds for school construction.\n\n“We have a gap of about $85 billion in our country from where we are to where we need to be to be current with codes and standards and the quality of education,” Pickens said. “In that, $57 billion is in capital improvements, and about $28 billion is in M&O – which is maintenance and operation.”\n\nThe trend is untenable as more American schools cross the half-century mark.\n\nEven with regular maintenance, “about 50 years is a good place to (consider) replacing a school.” Pickens said.\n\nBut funding sources vary widely, and it can be hard to secure money for school improvements without raising taxes.\n\n“Every state handles school facility improvements a little differently,” said John Heim, executive director of the National School Boards Association. But “it usually comes from property taxes.”\n\nAnd that can put already-disadvantaged students in a more dire situation.\n\n“It affects poor districts or those that have lower tax bases more than it does wealthier districts that have more tax base to call on,” Heim said.\n\n“And so as things get more expensive, you’re going to see that gap continue to grow.”\n\nAs schools deteriorate, so do teachers’ and students’ performance\n\nAt Reading Memorial High School in Massachusetts, a longtime teacher runs up to seven fans in his classroom to try to compensate for the school’s lack of air conditioning.\n\nBut those efforts don’t prevent him or his students from fading as the day gets hotter.\n\n“I don’t get the same caliber of work from them as I do during those cooler months when they’re actually comfortable,” he said.\n\n“I find myself adjusting my lessons as the day goes on because I know I’m not going to have the energy or mental capacity to do what I did earlier in the day because I’m so uncomfortable.”\n\nThe temperature in his classroom can reach 100 degrees, and the humidity can make you “slip on the floor,” the teacher said.\n\nThat’s especially problematic because he has an autoimmune disease and has suffered dizzy spells that have forced him to leave the classroom to splash cold water on his face, he said.\n\nHVAC preventative maintenance has been completed at all Reading Public Schools, the district said.\n\n“We are committed to ensuring high quality air ventilation in all of our classrooms,” Superintendent Thomas Milaschewski told CNN in a statement.\n\nThe district “will continue to encourage staff to open windows, as feasible, to increase air flow in classrooms, and to bring students outside when weather permits,” the superintendent wrote.\n\nBut that brings little comfort to the veteran high school teacher – especially because the building’s central and main offices are air-conditioned, he said.\n\n“I cannot think of many professions where people have graduate degrees or have a license where they would tolerate something like this,” the teacher said. “I don’t understand where the disconnect is, where you want your teachers to be the best that they can possibly be but you’re not even making them comfortable.”\n\nKids miss entire school days because some buildings don’t have heat\n\nWhile nonexistent air conditioning can hinder students at the beginning and end of the school year, the opposite problem can have even greater consequences.\n\n“We tend to have to close schools down more for heating issues than for cooling issues,” said Washington, the Baltimore school district COO. “Wintertime goes from December all the way up until March.”\n\nBaltimore teachers have reported classrooms as cold as 40 degrees. More than a third of the schools’ boilers are over 20 years old. Some pipes were installed when Harry Truman was President.\n\nBeyond that, one elementary school had no running water for more than two weeks last winter, according to a school district memo.\n\n“The district is severely underfunded,” Washington said.\n\n“Baltimore’s already taxed at a higher rate than the surrounding counties,” she said. But “Baltimore city has a low tax base. We have a disproportionate share of households that live below the poverty line. And so if we’re just depending on property taxes, we might not get there at all.”\n\nShe hopes the state will increase funding for Baltimore city schools “so that we won’t continue to have the infrastructure challenges that we’re having.”\n\nIf not, Washington said, “I cannot guarantee that our students will have the learning environments that they deserve and that they need to be successful.”\n\nWhy this year may be even more challenging\n\nFallout from the pandemic could make infrastructure problems harder to fix this year, Pickens said.\n\nSome school districts haven’t been able to complete projects due to supply chain shortages or an increase in the cost of raw materials, he said. And remote or hybrid learning during the pandemic means some parts of schools may have been neglected.\n\nA demonstrator in Columbus, Ohio, rallies in support of teachers at a Columbus Education Association protest in August. Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network\n\n“We’ve had two years of less use than we had,” Pickens said. “And because students were not in buildings, we probably did not continue the maintenance and operation and capital improvements of those school buildings because students weren’t in them.”\n\nInflation this year could also be getting in the way of school improvements, Heim said.\n\n“If we’re talking about an improvement that was to be made for the 2022-2023 school year, that bid process probably would have taken place back in January, February,” Heim said.\n\n“That’s when we were seeing those incredibly high building costs. And it’s also when we were experiencing all those supply chain issues. So … schools may not have been able to get the projects done in time or weren’t able to do as much because of the supply chain issues and inflation issues.”\n\nCockroaches make lunch a scary scene, teacher says\n\nSchools that aren’t well-maintained can attract unwelcome visitors. Around one school building, cockroaches have occupied corners, carpets, sinks and sticky glue insect traps, an Oakley, California, high school teacher said.\n\nThe bugs can be seen every day, inside and outside the school. They grow as long as 2 inches and seem to have multiplied after school resumed in-person learning last year, the teacher said.\n\nThe infestation at Freedom High School is so bad it inspired an Instagram account. The teacher verified the cockroach photos were taken at the school and shared some personal ones from the last week of August. The teacher submitted work orders about the cockroaches in recent years but didn’t report them directly to the administration, they said.\n\nDead cockroaches lie inside and outside a bug trap at Freedom High School in Oakley, California. Provided to CNN\n\nLiberty Union High School District Superintendent Eric Volta recognized Freedom High School in the social media photos, he said. The district sprays schools for pests quarterly, he said, and if there are additional needs, pest services are requested.\n\n“We fog, we spray, we bait, we trap. We do whatever we need to do to try to correct the issue,” Volta said. “We’ve been having triple-digit temperatures out here, and these things are coming up out of wherever they are just looking for water.”\n\nA big concern is cockroaches shed, leaving the teacher wary of eating in most places. Some students haven’t wanted school lunches because of the roaches, the teacher said.\n\nBut all kitchens and snack bars go through health inspections. So Volta is not worried about the pests in eating areas, he said.\n\n“I guess this is something that probably most teachers deal with,” the teacher said.\n\nWhile cockroaches might not be in every school, “there’s these problems that you have that are constant, but that you just go on teaching and doing what you have to do, knowing that you almost have no control over the situation,” the teacher said.\n\n“I can keep stepping on cockroaches and killing them, but there’s always more. The problem just sort of needs to be addressed instead of just putting Band-Aids on it.”\n\nThe consequences of inaction … and possible solutions\n\nAnd if America keeps underfunding public schools, the impact could last generations, said Mary Kusler, the National Education Association’s senior director for advocacy.\n\n“It’s really setting up a continued structural imbalance between the haves and the have-nots … unless we step up and push to ensure that a child’s ZIP code does not determine the education they receive,” she said.\n\nIncreasing funding for school infrastructure would “improve a lot of things in our country, including putting out into the workforce a more vibrant and more educated workforce,” said Pickens, the director of the National Council on School Facilities.\n\n“Also, by improving schools, somebody has to do the work on a school building. We’re putting people to work. We’re getting taxes from those people, from the labor. We’re increasing jobs. All of those things are factors in providing funds for school buildings.”\n\nTeachers and supporters rally in 2019 in Annapolis, Maryland. Baltimore union members asked for fans to be donated to cool sweltering classrooms without air-conditioning. Susan Walsh/AP\n\nIt’s in everyone’s best interest to ensure students in poorer communities have schools in which they can thrive – even if local tax revenues aren’t as plush as those in wealthier communities, said Heim, the director of the National School Boards Association.\n\n“I think it comes down to having good formulas that can compensate for that. I think states are reevaluating those all the time,” Heim said.\n\n“But that’s what it comes down to: affordability and helping those poorer districts with their facilities.”\n\nThat doesn’t mean wealthier school districts with state-of-the-art buildings should have anything taken away, Kusler said.\n\n“The issue isn’t that they deserve less. The issue is actually that all of our kids deserve more,” she said.\n\n“Ultimately, we are about creating the next generation of leaders in this country. And they will come from all over the country. Therefore, we need to make sure all of them have access to the education that they deserve.”", "authors": ["Christina Zdanowicz Holly Yan", "Christina Zdanowicz", "Holly Yan"], "publish_date": "2022/09/18"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/20/china/china-summer-extreme-weather-climate-change-intl-hnk-mic/index.html", "title": "China's summer of extreme heat and rainfall highlights threats of ...", "text": "Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world. Sign up here.\n\nHong Kong CNN —\n\nTowns and farmlands inundated by floods, homes and roads buried by landslides, crops withering under scorching heat, hazmat-suited Covid workers collapsing from heatstroke.\n\nSince summer began, scenes of devastation and misery have been playing out across China as the world’s most populous nation grapples with an unrelenting torrent of extreme weather emergencies.\n\nScientists have been warning for years that the climate crisis would amplify extreme weather, making it deadlier and more frequent. Now, like much of the world, China is reeling from its impact.\n\nSince the country’s rainy season started in May, heavy rainstorms have brought severe flooding and landslides to large swathes of southern China, killing dozens of people, displacing millions and causing economic losses running into billions of yuan.\n\nIn June, extreme rainfall broke “historical records” in coastal Fujian province, and parts of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. At the same time, a heat wave began to envelop northern China, pushing temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).\n\nThat heat wave has now engulfed half the country, affecting more than 900 million people – or about 64% of the population. All but two northeastern provinces in China have issued high-temperature warnings, with 84 cities issuing their highest-level red alerts last Wednesday.\n\nIn recent weeks, a total of 71 national weather stations across China have logged temperatures that smashed records. Four cities – three in the central province of Hebei and one in Yunnan in the southwest – saw temperatures reaching 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit), according to the National Climate Center.\n\nPeople queue at a Covid testing site in Beijing on June 13. NOEL CELIS/AFP/Getty Images/FILE\n\nThe stifling heat has coincided with a surge in Covid cases, making government mandated mass testing all the more excruciating for residents – including the elderly – who must wait in long lines under the sun. It has also become a dangerous task for health workers who, as part of the government’s zero-Covid policy, are required to spend long hours outdoors covered head to toe in airtight PPE equipment as they administer the tests.\n\nSeveral videos of Covid workers collapsing on the ground from heatstroke have gone viral on social media.\n\nThe heat wave has also caused power shortages in some regions and hit the country’s crop production, threatening to further push up food prices.\n\nAnd the worst might be still to come, according to Yao Wenguang, a Ministry of Water Resources official overseeing flood and drought prevention.\n\n“It is predicted that from July to August, there will be more extreme weather events in China, and regional flood conditions and drought conditions will be heavier than usual,” Yao told state-run Xinhua news agency last month.\n\nCounting the costs\n\nChina is a “sensitive area” that has been significantly affected by climate change, with temperatures rising faster than the global average, according to the country’s latest Blue Book on Climate Change, published by the China Meteorological Administration last August.\n\nBetween 1951 and 2020, China’s annual average surface temperature was rising at a pace of 0.26 degrees Celsius per decade, the report said. Sea levels around China’s coastlines rose faster than the global average from 1980 to 2020, according to the report.\n\nThe changing climate can make extreme weather events – such as summer floods, which China has grappled with for centuries – more frequent and intense, said Johnny Chan, an emeritus professor of atmospheric science at the City University of Hong Kong.\n\nA warmer atmosphere can hold more water vapor, potentially leading to heavier rainstorms, while global warming can alter atmospheric circulation, which can contribute to extreme weather such as heat waves, Chan said.\n\n“We should be really concerned, because these extreme weather events actually affect the most underprivileged, disadvantaged and vulnerable parts of the population – those in the rural areas, or those who don’t have air conditioning or live in very crowded conditions,” Chan said.\n\nResidents spend their time in an air-raid shelter to escape summer heat amid a heat wave warning in Nanjing, Jiangsu province on July 12. China Daily/Reuters\n\nFor China, the sheer size of its population and economy means the scale of damage caused by extreme weather events is often massive.\n\nTropical cyclones, floods and droughts are estimated to cost China about $238 billion annually – the highest in the Asia Pacific region and nearly three times the estimated loss suffered by India or Japan, according to a report released last year by the World Meteorological Organization.\n\nHeat wave-related mortality in China rose by a factor of four from 1990 to 2019, reaching 26,800 deaths in 2019, according to a Lancet study published in 2020.\n\nNew reality\n\nMeanwhile, many Chinese are only just beginning to realize that climate change will affect them personally.\n\nIn 2019, researchers found that compared to other countries, public concerns over global warming and climate change in China were “relatively low.”\n\nThe Chinese government has promised to bring greenhouse gases to a peak before 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.\n\nFor many Chinese, the dangers of extreme weather fueled by climate change hit home last summer, when devastating floods killed 380 people in the central city of Zhengzhou, the provincial capital of Henan province.\n\nRescuers help evacuate stranded residents at the entry to an expressway in flood-hit Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province on July 23, 2021. Cai Yang/Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images/FILE\n\nLast July, the city of 12 million was pelted with what its water station called a “once in a thousand years” downpour, but local authorities were ill-prepared and failed to heed the five consecutive red alerts for torrential rain – which should have prompted authorities to halt gatherings and suspend classes and businesses. Flood water gushed into the tunnels of the city’s subway system, trapping hundreds of passengers and killing 12 of them in a tragedy that gripped the nation.\n\nSee aftermath of devastating floods in China 01:21 - Source: CNN\n\nLiu Junyan, climate and energy project leader for Greenpeace East Asia, said the Zhengzhou flooding was a wake-up call for the Chinese government and public.\n\n“The central government and local governments started to be aware that climate change is such an enormous threat to society and its sustainable development,” she said, adding that she has noticed more discussions about climate change and extreme weather in China’s traditional and social media.\n\nSince last summer, many Chinese cities have improved their emergency response systems for extreme rainfall. In May, authorities in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou suspended schools, advised residents to work from home, closed construction sites and suspended public transportation in parts of the city following alerts for torrential rains.\n\nThis June, the Chinese government released a new policy document to improve its response to climate change, which it said was not only creating long-term challenges but also made the country more vulnerable to “sudden and extreme” events.\n\n“Climate change has already brought serious adverse impacts to China’s natural ecological system, and has continued to spread and penetrate into economy and society,” the government said in its national climate change adaptation strategy.\n\nIt vowed to make China a “climate-resilient society” by 2035, by building a nationwide system to monitor and assess climate risks, and by boosting early warning capabilities.\n\nLiu said the policy document is a “very big and ambitious” piece of guidance for local governments, but it lacks details on implementation.\n\n“The impact of climate change can be very localized and its threat to vulnerable communities can be very different from place to place,” she said. “Local governments still need to develop more detailed and tangible plans to implement this grand strategy.”", "authors": ["Nectar Gan"], "publish_date": "2022/07/20"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/03/tech/twitter-layoffs/index.html", "title": "Twitter layoffs: Elon Musk's Twitter cuts jobs across the company ...", "text": "CNN Business —\n\nTwitter on Friday laid off thousands of employees in departments across the company, in a severe round of cost cutting that could potentially upend how one of the world’s most influential platforms operates one week after it was acquired by billionaire Elon Musk.\n\nNumerous Twitter employees began posting on the platform Thursday night and Friday morning that they had already been locked out of their company email accounts ahead of the planned layoff notification. Some also shared blue hearts and salute emojis indicating they were out at the company.\n\nBy Friday morning, Twitter employees from departments including ethical AI, marketing and communication, search, public policy, wellness and other teams had tweeted about having been let go. Members of the curation team, which help elevate reliable information on the platform, including about elections, were also laid off, according to employee posts.\n\n“Just got remotely logged out of my work laptop and removed from Slack,” one Twitter employee said on the platform. “So sad it had to end this way.”\n\nAnother employee said that she and other members of Twitter’s human rights team had been laid off. The employee added that she is proud of the team’s work “to protect those at-risk in global conflicts & crises including Ethiopia, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, and to defend the needs of those particularly at risk of human rights abuse by virtue of their social media presence, such as journalists & human rights defenders.”\n\nSimon Balmain, a former Twitter senior community manager who was laid off Friday, said in an interview with CNN that he lost access to Slack, email and other internal systems around 8 hours before receiving an email Friday morning officially notifying him that he’d been fired. He added that the lay off email “still didn’t provide any details really” about why he’d been let go.\n\n“The waves of annoyance and frustration and all that stuff are absolutely mitigated by the extreme solidarity we’ve seen from people that are in the company, people that are in the same position, people that left the company in years gone by,” Balmain said. “It’s like a giant support network, which has been absolutely amazing.”\n\nOne Twitter employee who was laid off told CNN Friday that some workers are relieved to have been let go. “For me, being safe would’ve been punishment,” the employee said.\n\nWhile Twitter employees were posting about being laid off, Musk on Friday appeared for a friendly interview at an investor conference and spoke about making cheaper electric vehicles and his ambitions to go to Mars. During the interview, Musk said of Twitter, “I tried to get out of the deal,” but then added, “I think there is a tremendous amount of potential … and I think it could be one of the most valuable companies in the world.”\n\nThe interviewer said that Musk had laid off “half of Twitter” and Musk nodded, although he did not comment on the remark.\n\n(In a series of tweets Friday evening, Yoel Roth, head of Twitter’s trust and safety team, confirmed overall headcount was cut by roughly 50%. The layoffs eliminated 15% of the company’s trust and safety team, leading to reductions in customer service but little change to content moderation, according to Roth. )\n\nIn his interview, Musk appeared to frame the sweeping layoffs as necessary for a company that, like other social media firms, was experiencing “revenue challenges” prior to his acquisition as advertisers rethink spending amid recession fears.\n\nMusk also said “a number of major advertisers have stopped spending on Twitter” in the days since the acquisition was completed.\n\nElon Musk spoke at an investment conference Friday morning as employees at Twitter, which he now owns, were receiving notifications that they had been laid off from the company. Baron Capital\n\nTwitter had about 7,500 workers prior to Musk’s takeover, meaning roughly 3,700 employees were laid off. The cuts come as Musk attempts to improve the company’s bottom line after taking out significant debt financing to fund his $44 billion acquisition.\n\nThe email sent Thursday evening notified employees that they would receive a notice by 12 p.m. ET Friday that informs them of their employment status.\n\n“If your employment is not impacted, you will receive a notification via your Twitter email,” a copy of the email obtained by CNN said. “If your employment is impacted, you will receive a notification with next steps via your personal email.”\n\nThe email added that “to help ensure the safety” of employees and Twitter’s systems, the company’s offices “will be temporarily closed and all badge access will be suspended.”\n\nThe email concluded acknowledging that it will be “an incredibly challenging experience to go through” for the workforce.\n\nSeveral Twitter employees on Thursday night filed a class action lawsuit alleging that Twitter is in violation of the federal and California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act) after laying off some employees already. The complaint was later amended to acknowledge that while several of the plaintiffs did ultimately receive sufficient notice of their termination under the WARN Act, Twitter still allegedly failed to give sufficient notice in the case of some employees.\n\nThe WARN Act requires that an employer with more than 100 employees must provide 60 days’ advanced written notice prior to a mass layoff “affecting 50 or more employees at a single site of employment.”\n\n“Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, has made clear that he believes complying with federal labor laws is ‘trivial,’” Attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan, who filed the lawsuit, said in a statement to CNN. “We have filed this federal complaint to ensure that Twitter be held accountable to our laws and to prevent Twitter employees from unknowingly signing away their rights.”\n\nWARN notices were filed by Twitter on Friday for nearly 1,000 impacted employees at the company’s various California offices.\n\nSeparately, other labor lawyers told CNN Friday they had begun receiving inquiries from Twitter employees questioning whether their terminations may have been unlawfully discriminatory or retaliatory.\n\n“Former Twitter employees have reached out to us regarding their layoffs and their circumstances, and so we’re looking at all the issues — beyond appropriate notice — and to make sure the employee wasn’t laid off due to their membership in a protected category,” said Chauniqua Young, a partner at the law firm Outten & Golden.\n\nBeyond the potential for lawsuits arising from the layoffs, other legal experts say Musk’s handling of the cuts may well create further problems for him down the road — whether in terms of attracting future talent or by keeping remaining workers satisfied.\n\n“Once you treat people like this, they remember that,” said Terri Gerstein, a fellow at Harvard Law School’s Labor and Worklife Program and Economic Policy Institute. “Of the people remaining, it is a certainty that none of them feel secure in their job, and I would be shocked if the remaining people were not updating their resumes right now or talking with each other about starting a union.”\n\nMusk started his tenure at Twitter by firing CEO Parag Agrawal and two other executives, according to two people familiar with the decision.\n\nAnd in less than a week since Musk acquired the company, its C-suite appears to have almost entirely cleared out, through a mix of firings and resignations. Musk has also dissolved Twitter’s former board of directors.\n\nMany staffers on Friday summed up their feelings with a hashtag, #LoveWhereYouWorked, a past-tense play on one previously often used by Twitter employees.\n\n- Brian Fung and Shawn Nottingham contributed to this report", "authors": ["Donie O'Sullivan Clare Duffy", "Donie O'Sullivan", "Clare Duffy"], "publish_date": "2022/11/03"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/03/20/us-industries-being-devastated-by-the-coronavirus-travel-hotels-food/111431804/", "title": "Industries hit hardest by coronavirus in the US include retail ...", "text": "Grant Suneson\n\n24/7 Wall Street\n\nThe novel coronavirus, COVID-19, which has been designated a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, is having a devastating impact on the U.S. economy. After peaking at 29,000 in February, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell below 21,000 by mid-March – a nearly 30% drop. On March 16, the Dow fell by nearly 3,000 points, the largest single-day drop in history.\n\nAs the U.S. tries to stem the spread of the virus and contain the outbreak, life is slowly grinding to a halt – and with it much of the economy. While all industries have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, some bear the brunt of the downturn much more than others. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed industry publications and data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine the U.S. industries being devastated most by the outbreak.\n\nThe restaurant industry is one of the most exposed industries to major upheaval as a result of the pandemic, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended avoiding groups of over 50 people. Some cities and states have told restaurants to switch to takeout only. Millions of jobs in the sector could either be lost or severely impacted by the outbreak.\n\nSocial Security offices closed:How to get help with benefits during coronavirus pandemic\n\nDow, S&P 500 keep falling:So how will we know when the stock market drop is over?\n\nSome American workers have already been laid off or furloughed, and more job cuts are likely. As people start to socially distance themselves, those in white collar jobs will more easily be able to work from home, while hourly workers in sectors like hospitality and retail may be let go as their companies get less business. This further jeopardizes some of the least financially secure workers in the country – jobs in these fields are often part-time and typically pay low wages.\n\nGambling\n\nMuch of the nation's $261 billion casino gaming industry has been shuttered because of measures taken to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and other major gaming destinations have been closed, and some staff members have been furloughed or laid off. All casinos in Massachusetts and Illinois were ordered to close for two weeks, and Maryland's casinos, racetracks, and other betting facilities were ordered to close indefinitely.\n\nThe novel coronavirus also hit the U.S. just before the beginning of one of the industry's biggest events – the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. During the 2019 tournament, Americans wagered an estimated $8.5 billion on games. With the NBA, NHL, European soccer, and nearly every other major sporting event canceled for the foreseeable future, the sports betting industry has essentially dried up.\n\nSports books in Las Vegas typically handle $500 million worth of bets in a given month. Though some UFC events are still ongoing as of March 16, Joe Asher, CEO of sports bookmaker William Hill, told Sports Illustrated that the entire sports betting industry will have \"pretty much zero revenue\" until sporting events resume. This could take at least six weeks.\n\nUSA TODAY analysis:America's coronavirus 'curve' may be at its most dangerous point\n\nCasinos during coronavirus pandemic:Sports books in Las Vegas are getting creative to offset March Madness betting losses\n\nAirlines\n\nThe airline industry will likely be especially hard hit by the pandemic, as international and even domestic flights are restricted. The International Air Transport Association projected that the U.S. and Canadian airline industry could lose as much as $21.1 billion in revenue. The worldwide industry could see a decline in passenger revenue of nearly 20% under the extensive spread scenario, which would result in an estimated $113 billion in lost revenue. The CAPA - Centre for Aviation said most airlines in the world will likely go bankrupt by the end of May 2020.\n\nUnited Airlines said it was bracing for a $1.5 billion revenue drop in March 2020 compared to March 2019. It also plans to cut capacity in half for April and May. Other U.S. airlines are planning similar actions, as well as freezing hiring and asking employees to take unpaid leave. In what may be a sign of things to come, Norwegian Airlines laid off 90% of staff on March 16. As of 2018, there were over 445,000 workers in the airline industry. A group representing many of the country's largest airlines asked the government for $25 billion in grants and $25 billion in low or no-interest loans.\n\nRunning out of toilet paper?:These are the places where you can still some\n\nTesla and coronavirus:Elon Musk says automaker is working on ventilators for patients\n\nHotels\n\nThe U.S. hotel industry employs over 1.6 million Americans, making it the ninth-largest sector in the U.S. in terms of total workers. But as people have stayed home, demand for hotels has declined sharply. In the first week of March, there was an 11.6% decline in revenue per room available in U.S. hotels compared to the same week of 2019, according to hotel research firm STR.\n\nIn response, hotels in New York City, Seattle, Knoxville, Tennessee, and more have begun to lay off dozens of workers. Hotel workers in major tourist destinations have been told to brace for job losses as well. The hotel chain Marriott just announced plans to lay off tens of thousands of workers. Industry groups urged Congress to pass a supplemental aid package to help hotels through the pandemic.\n\nMovie theaters\n\nIt's been some time now that health officials nationwide have urged social distancing, and movie theaters felt the impact of that recommendation. Now that the CDC has requested that Americans avoid gathering in groups of 50 or more, movie theaters have no choice but close down. U.S. box office revenue for the weekend of March 13-15 came in at just over $54 million, the lowest since September 2000. For context, no weekend box office in 2020 pulled in less than $80 million.\n\nThe effects could stretch for months, as blockbusters like \"Mulan,\" \"A Quiet Place Part II,\" \"Fast 9,\" and the latest James Bond film, \"No Time to Die,\" were slated to be released in the coming weeks, but all these releases were pushed back. Over 100 theaters have closed, and more are expected to follow suit. Major theater chain AMC has announced the closure of all U.S. theaters. Regal announced it would close all of its theaters until further notice, more than 500 in total, leaving over 25,000 employees without work.\n\nLive sports\n\nThe postponement or suspension of sports leagues like the NBA, NHL, XFL, and more have created a huge vacuum not just for the leagues and players, but also the wide-ranging ecosystem that has cropped up around them. FiveThirtyEight estimates that, since about 21% of the NBA season remained when games were halted, the league stands to lose $350 million-$450 million from ticket sales alone if those games are not played – and that does not even include lost playoff revenues.\n\nThe league could also lose up to $200 million in non-ticket revenue, from sources like parking, concessions, merchandise, and more. Still, many NBA franchises – along with their owners and star players – have committed millions of dollars to ensure that arena staff hourly workers are paid during the pandemic. There are an estimated 300 staff workers in a 20,000-seat arena, like those that host NBA games.\n\nThe NHL does not make as much as the NBA but could lose a larger share of its expected yearly revenue. Because the league does not draw as many TV viewers, it relies more heavily on ticket sales. The MLB could be affected as well, as it will not begin games until mid-May, at the earliest.\n\nMarch Madness:'Heartbroken' over decision to cancel because of coronavirus concerns\n\nFood delivery:Lyft looking to add food, medical supplies to delivery service\n\nCruises\n\nAfter a luxury Diamond Princess ship became the first large outbreak cluster outside China, with at least 634 confirmed COVID-19 infections among passengers and crew and two deaths, the cruise industry has taken a huge hit. More recently, a Grand Princess cruise docking in Oakland resulted in 28 cases of the disease. As of March 16, there were at least seven cruise ships in limbo because passengers tested positive or were showing symptoms of the virus and no country was willing to take them in.\n\nShares of three major cruise companies – Royal Caribbean, Carnival Corp., and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings – dropped over 50% in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Industry group Cruise Lines International Association said the cruise industry contributes $53 billion to the U.S. economy every year. The White House has made clear it intends to help the industry weather the financial difficulty with some sort of relief bill.\n\nShipping\n\nA supply management survey found that three out of every four American businesses experienced a disruption to some part of their supply line due to the irregularities in the shipping industry stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. China is one of the world's foremost shipping hubs, but COVID-19 has forced the country to close ports and send factory workers home. The International Chamber of Shipping said the pandemic has cost the worldwide industry around $350 million per week.\n\nThe outbreak has affected everyone in this highly globalized industry, and Americans are no exception. In January, North American transport volume was down 9.4% compared to the same month of 2019. There are over 225,000 Americans working in the freight transportation industry, and the disruption has jeopardized over billions in wages for these workers.\n\nFilm production\n\nOscar-winning actor Tom Hanks announced that he tested positive for the coronavirus. Consequently, production of the film he was shooting at the time was shut down. Hanks' film was one of a dozens of films and TV shows that halted production – either out of caution or because a cast or crew member had symptoms, tested positive, or came into contact with someone who did. These films likely would have likely contributed billions of dollars to the U.S. box office and economy in other ways.\n\nEach time a production shuts down, it puts hundreds of crew members and cast out of work. Movies often have well over 500 crew members, including drivers, lighting technicians, directors, production assistants, camera operators, and more. Some of the larger films that have extensive visual effects have thousands of people credited. There are over 220,000 Americans working in the film production industry.\n\nAutomakers\n\nAs the COVID-19 pandemic lingers, the demand for cars is decreasing. Workers who are concerned about their job security and try to save their money for emergency use are less likely to buy a car. This jeopardizes the jobs of the nearly 1.3 million Americans who work in new and used car dealerships. Researchers have predicted that American auto sales could decline year-over-year by as much as 20% in 2020. The shares of General Motors, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler have all lost over 25% of their value since the beginning of March.\n\nAutomakers have also faced serious supply chain disruptions as parts imports from China have become much more difficult as the country grapples with the disease. Four out of every five cars made in the world rely on parts manufactured in China.\n\nOil and gas\n\nAs people continue to work from home and avoid travel, the demand for oil and gas has plummeted. The International Energy Agency projects a decline in demand of 90,000 barrels of oil in 2020 compared to 2019. Prior to the pandemic, the IEA projected an increase in demand of over 800,000 barrels. The effects on the oil industry have been especially dire because China, the world's top energy consumer, was the first to be hit as the source of the outbreak. The price of oil has been in an unprecedented freefall, selling for under $30 per barrel as of March 16.\n\nRetail\n\nThe U.S. retail industry has been devastated by the coronavirus outbreak, and a number of stores have already had to close their doors. Apple has closed all stores outside of China until at least March 27, and other major retailers in fashion, sporting goods stores, and tech have made similar announcements, with more coming in every day.\n\nUrban Outfitters, Nike, and other companies have announced plans to pay workers at least in the short term for lost wages. This is good news for the employees, many of whom are among the lowest-paid American workers, but it will, of course, mean the companies' bottom lines will take a hit. One Jefferies analyst told CNBC, \"With stores accounting for 75% of sales for most retailers, we anticipate massive EPS [earnings per share] declines for 1Q, especially as most retailers appear to be paying employees during the 2 week closures.\"\n\nConfined amid coronavirus?:Here are best practices for remote-managing your small business\n\nTech\n\nMany Chinese factories in locked-down areas have closed operations since late January. This has had a major impact on the ability of many American tech companies to continue producing their products regularly. Production of video game consoles, smartphones, and smartwatches are all predicted to drop by over 10%. Apple could lose as much as $67 billion because of an iPhone shortage. Graphics card producer Nvidia lowered its projected earnings for the first quarter of 2020 by $100 million, saying the pandemic is disrupting its supply chain.\n\nApple, Samsung, and Google all closed corporate offices and factories in China. Many major tech companies are headquartered in and around Seattle – one of the areas hardest hit by the virus. Microsoft said it would continue to pay its 4,500 hourly employees, even as it sent many workers home.\n\nConventions\n\nAs mass gatherings of people have been declared unsafe, many of the massive conventions that draw thousands of attendees from across the globe have been canceled. The cancellations of tech conferences like E3, SXSW, and more have likely cost local economies over $1.1 billion. In 2019 alone, SXSW's full-time and seasonal workers had an economic impact of over $150 million on the Austin, Texas, economy, according to consulting firm Greyhill Advisors and SXSW.\n\nThe cancellation of the E3 conference has also cost the video game industry its biggest week of the year. New games and consoles are often unveiled at the event, which usually hosts over 65,000 guests a year. Facebook and Google also had to scrap their own conventions. This moratorium on large gatherings could devastate the 55,000-person industry of convention and trade show organizers in the U.S.\n\nFood service\n\nBetween full- and limited-service restaurants, caterers, buffets, and more, well over 10 million Americans work in the food service industry. Major cities have ordered restaurants to only offer takeout options as a preventive measure. This could jeopardize billions in wages for employees, many of whom are hourly workers. Chinese restaurants have been particularly hard hit over unfounded stigmas related to the outbreak.\n\nNation's Restaurant News reported that in Seattle, restaurants were expected to lose 20% of sales in the first week of March. By March 16, a dozen states had imposed restrictions on restaurants hosting dine-in customers. On the weekend of March 14, restaurants in most of America's major cities reported a decline in occupancy of anywhere from 30%-64%. Research firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that over 600 food service industry job cuts were directly related to the pandemic, and that 7.4 million jobs in the sector could either be cut or severely impacted.\n\nTheme parks\n\nLarge theme parks have stopped welcoming guests in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, closing a massive industry for the foreseeable future. Disney is by far the largest theme park operator in the world, with six parks – all of which were shuttered initially as the outbreak spread. Disney reported over $26.2 billion revenue from its parks in fiscal 2019. Dividing this evenly throughout the year would mean the company could lose revenue of around $500 million per week that its parks were closed, assuming the same earnings this year.\n\nOther prominent parks have been affected as well. All SeaWorld parks are closed; Six Flags temporarily closed 10 of its parks; and Universal Studios closed its Orlando and Hollywood parks through the end of March. Nationwide, there are nearly 200,000 people who work at theme parks, many of whom could be out of work throughout the worst of the coronavirus outbreak.\n\nGyms\n\nGyms were already facing challenges from home exercise companies like Peloton, and social distancing recommendations and the fear of the spread of the coronavirus have further added to the challenges large gyms and group fitness classes face. Gyms and boutique fitness classes have ballooned into a $94 billion industry that is now in jeopardy.\n\nEquinox had to close its gyms in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, and Barry's Bootcamp cut capacity in half. In Los Angeles, the mayor ordered all gyms to be closed. Gold's Gym and Orangetheory shuttered all corporate-owned locations. Planet Fitness stock lost 48% of its market value.\n\nConsumers:Don't overpay for these common items\n\nWork at home?:Charter, MicroStrategy reverse policies, allow it during coronavirus outbreak\n\nConstruction\n\nAs the coronavirus devastates the U.S. economy, companies will likely pull back on expansion, leaving a huge gap in the construction industry. Two large airlines, Delta and United, each announced plans to reduce capital investment by $2 billion each as a result of the pandemic's economic impact. Companies in many other sectors are expected to follow suit.\n\nSmaller construction companies may have to lay off workers as their supply of equipment and parts from China is disrupted. There are an estimated 7.6 million Americans working in the construction sector who could be affected by these changes.\n\nTransportation\n\nWith Americans working from home and staying in instead of visiting bars and restaurants, ride sharing companies like Uber and Lyft are seeing their potential ridership dissipate. Both companies announced they would stop letting different users share the same car.\n\nUber has pledged financial assistance to drivers who are quarantined and not able to work, though this would likely not impact most of the estimated 900,000 U.S. drivers. Many drivers are reporting 50% declines in income as fewer people use ride sharing services. Uber's stock has also cratered, going from over $40 per share in February to less than $19 as of March 17.\n\n24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2020/03/20"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/25/asia/afghanistan-ngos-suspend-programs-taliban-work-ban-intl/index.html", "title": "Major foreign aid groups suspend work in Afghanistan after Taliban ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nAt least half a dozen major foreign aid groups have said they are temporarily suspending their operations in Afghanistan after the Taliban barred female employees of non-governmental organizations from coming to work.\n\n“We cannot effectively reach children, women and men in desperate need in Afghanistan without our female staff,” aid organizations Save the Children, Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE International said in a joint statement Sunday.\n\n“Whilst we gain clarity on this announcement, we are suspending our programmes, demanding that men and women can equally continue our lifesaving assistance in Afghanistan,” said the statement, which was signed by the heads of the three NGOs.\n\nAnother aid group, the International Rescue Committee, said that of the more than 8,000 people it employs in Afghanistan, more than 3,000 are women. “If we are not allowed to employ women, we are not able to deliver to those in need,” it said in a statement on Sunday, announcing it was pausing operations in the country.\n\nAfghanaid also suspended its work in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s move, while Islamic Relief said it had been forced to “temporarily suspend non-lifesaving activities in Afghanistan.”\n\nThe Taliban administration in Afghanistan has ordered all local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to stop their female employees from coming to work, according to a letter by the Ministry of Economy sent to all licensed NGOs.\n\nDavid Wright, chief operating officer for Save the Children International, told CNN on Monday that the organization was unable to “reach tens of thousands of vulnerable mothers and children right across the country” because of the ban.\n\n“We can’t get out to work because we need our female colleagues to help us get access to women and children. You can’t access young mothers or young children in education if you don’t have female staff, because it’s not appropriate in Afghanistan to have all-male staff dealing with young women or children,” he said.\n\nThe ministry in the letter – whose validity its spokesman Abdul Rahman Habib confirmed to CNN – cites as reasons for the decision the non-observation of Islamic dress rules and other laws and regulations of the Islamic Emirate.\n\n“Lately there have been serious complaints regarding not observing the Islamic hijab and other Islamic Emirate’s laws and regulations,” the letter said, adding that as a result “guidance is given to suspend work of all female employees of National and international non-governmental organizations.”\n\nThe new restrictions mark yet another step in the Taliban’s brutal crackdown on the freedoms of Afghan women, following the hardline Islamist group’s takeover of the country in August 2021.\n\nAlthough the Taliban have repeatedly claimed they will protect the rights of girls and women, they have in fact done the opposite, stripping away the hard-won freedoms for which women have fought tirelessly over the past two decades.\n\n“The supreme leader is doing whatever he can… to make women as powerless as possible, even if there are other factions that say otherwise,” Afghan human rights activist Pashtana Durrani told CNN on Sunday.\n\n“The Taliban don’t care. They want women to be as limited as possible, especially the supreme leader,” she added.\n\nEarlier this week, the Taliban government suspended university education for all female students in Afghanistan.\n\nIn a televised news conference on Thursday, the Taliban’s higher education minister said they had banned women from universities for not observing Islamic dress rules and other “Islamic values,” citing female students traveling without a male guardian. The move sparked outrage among women in Afghanistan.\n\nA group of women took to the streets in the city of Herat on Saturday to protest the university ban. Video footage circulating on social media showed Taliban officials using a water cannon to disperse the female protesters. Girls could be seen running from the water cannon and chanting “cowards” at officials.\n\nSome of the Taliban’s most striking restrictions have been around education, with girls also barred from returning to secondary schools in March. The move devastated many students and their families, who described to CNN their dashed dreams of becoming doctors, teachers or engineers.\n\nThe United Nations on Saturday condemned the Taliban’s announcement.\n\n“Women must be enabled to play a critical role in all aspects of life, including the humanitarian response. Banning women from work would violate the most fundamental rights of women, as well as be a clear breach of humanitarian principles,” the UN statement read.\n\nUNICEF said the order was an “egregious rollback of rights for girls and women (that) will have sweeping consequences on the provision of health, nutrition and education services for children.”\n\nAmnesty International called for the ban to “be reversed immediately” and for the Taliban to “stop misusing their power.”\n\nThe International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Sunday it was particularly concerned about the future of Afghanistan’s healthcare system and female patients.\n\nThe ICRC said that it supports 45 health structures in Afghanistan, including hospitals and medical schools. Among others, it pays the salaries of 10,483 health workers – 33% of whom are women.\n\nUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken also condemned the move Saturday. “Deeply concerned that the Taliban’s ban on women delivering humanitarian aid in Afghanistan will disrupt vital and life-saving assistance to millions,” he wrote on Twitter. “Women are central to humanitarian operations around the world. This decision could be devastating for the Afghan people.”\n\n“It poses mortal risks to millions who depend on life-saving assistance. Taliban ignoring their most basic responsibilities to their people,” West tweeted.\n\n“Those organizations operative in Afghanistan are obliged to comply with the laws and regulations of our country,” he tweeted Sunday, adding, “We do not permit anyone to state irresponsible words or make threats about the decisions or officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan under the title of humanitarian aid.”", "authors": ["Chris Liakos Ehsan Popalzai Sahar Akbarzai Mohammed Tawfeeq Ivana Kottasová", "Chris Liakos", "Ehsan Popalzai", "Sahar Akbarzai", "Mohammed Tawfeeq", "Ivana Kottasová"], "publish_date": "2022/12/25"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/14/economy/china-property-crisis-homebuyers-bad-debt-intl-hnk/index.html", "title": "Chinese homebuyers refuse to pay mortgages on unfinished ...", "text": "Hong Kong CNN Business —\n\nChina’s real estate crisis is escalating, raising concerns about growing risks in the banking system.\n\nDesperate homebuyers across dozens of cities are refusing to pay mortgages on unfinished homes, according to state media reports and economists at international banks.\n\nIn China, real estate firms are allowed to sell homes before completing them, and customers have to start repaying mortgages before they are in possession of the new property. These funds are used to finance construction by the developers.\n\nThe payment boycott comes as a growing number of projects have been delayed or stalled by a cash crunch that saw giant developer Evergrande default on its debt last year and several other companies seek protection from creditors. Home prices are also falling, meaning buyers may be locked into a property that is now worth less than they agreed to pay.\n\nAnalysts fear that a payment strike among homebuyers could lead to further defaults by developers, placing additional strain on China’s banks at a time when the world’s second largest economy is struggling to recover from a sharp Covid-related slowdown.\n\n“Presales are the most common way of selling homes in China, so the stakes there are high,” Nomura analysts said in a research report on Thursday.\n\nAt least seven major lenders, including Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (IDCBF), China Construction Bank (CICHF), and Agricultural Bank of China (ACGBF), said Thursday that they believed the risks were manageable, adding that they were monitoring the situation closely. Bloomberg reported that Chinese authorities were holding emergency talks with banks.\n\nAccording to multiple state media reports and data compiled by Shanghai-based research firm China Real Estate Information Corporation (CRIC), buyers across 18 provinces and 47 cities have stopped making payments since the end of June.\n\nTianmu News, a state-owned digital media outlet, said Thursday that buyers of homes at 100 unfinished projects or more had jointly announced they would stop paying their mortgages. These projects are scattered across central, southern and eastern China. One media report estimated 46,000 homebuyers were involved at just 14 of those projects.\n\n“The number is still growing,” the Tianmu report said, citing statistics it had obtained from some buyers.\n\nNomura analysts estimate that developers delivered only around 60% of homes they pre-sold between 2013 and 2020, while China’s outstanding mortgage loans rose by 26.3 trillion yuan ($3.9 trillion) in the same period.\n\nExperts say trouble has been brewing for a while, and it could lead to financial and social unrest.\n\nCountry Garden's Fengming Haishang residential development in Shanghai. Qilai Shen/Bloomberg/Getty Images\n\nCiti analysts said that the boycott could boost bad debts at Chinese banks by $83 billion, and cause social instability at a time when the country is already grappling with rising protests over the deteriorating health of small, rural banks.\n\nANZ’s senior China economist Betty Wang believes the scale of the problem is much bigger. She estimates that 1.5 trillion yuan ($223 billion) of mortgage loans, or 4% of banks’ total outstanding mortgage loans, could be affected by the movement.\n\n“What concerns us is if more home buyers cease payment, the spreading trend will not only threaten the health of the financial system but also create social issues amid the current economic downturn,” she wrote in a report on Thursday.\n\nNew home prices in 70 cities fell for a ninth straight month in May, according to recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics. Property sales have also slumped, as buyers back away from the market amid rising uncertainty about their jobs and income.\n\nThe trouble in China’s real estate sector began in 2020, when Beijing started cracking down on easy credit for property firms, which has resulted in a cash crunch for many major developers.\n\nEvergrande, the country’s most indebted real state firm, was labeled a defaulter last fall and is undergoing debt restructuring. The developer still has many property projects across the country that are not finished yet, according to company filings.\n\nThe real estate sector accounts for as much as 30% of China’s GDP.\n\nAccording to the Tianmu report, buyers of an Evergrande project in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, fired “the first shot” in the current repayment protest.\n\n“The Evergrande Longting project in Jingdezhen must fully resume work before October 20, 2022,” they wrote in an open letter on June 30, published on the internet and widely circulated by media. “If not, all the owners who have not paid off their loans will stop repaying the mortgage,” the letter read, adding that any loss should be borne by banks, local governments, and the developer.\n\nIn an editorial on Wednesday, the state-owned Securities Times warned that if more buyers suspend mortgage repayments, the property market could take another deep hit and the financial system could suffer a systemic crisis.\n\n“We must beware of the risk spreading from the repayment suspension for unfinished homes,” the paper said.\n\nHomebuyers are “the most innocent,” because they are just desperate and have no way out, it said. But if the problem is not solved, it will cause further damage.\n\n“Although financial institutions have real estate as collateral, the undelivered projects can only become bad debts. When bad debts increase, it may cause systemic financial risks,” it added.", "authors": ["Laura He"], "publish_date": "2022/07/14"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_5", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:53", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2023/03/20/gwyneth-paltrow-trial-2016-utah-ski-crash/11507703002/", "title": "Gwyneth Paltrow ski collision trial: Why actress was in court, verdict", "text": "After being placed on trial in Utah for a 2016 ski crash, Gwyneth Paltrow can put her legal troubles behind her.\n\nThe eight-day trial, which began March 21, concluded Thursday with the jury finding Paltrow not at fault for the collision, referred to as a \"hit and run.\"\n\nThe celebrity wellness influencer and \"Shakespeare in Love\" star was sued by Terry Sanderson in 2019, who claimed she seriously injured him during a crash on the beginner slopes at Deer Valley Resort in Park City on Feb. 26, 2016.\n\nSanderson said the crash seriously injured him and that Paltrow left him on the mountain without help. Paltrow alleged Sanderson plowed into her and then told her he was fine.\n\nHere's everything to know about the case and what was said in court.\n\nGwyneth Paltrow found not responsible for ski accident in jury verdict\n\nOn Thursday, a jury found Paltrow not responsible for the 2016 ski crash and was awarded $1 in symbolic damages for her counterclaim, in addition to her attorney fees. The actress previously vowed to donate any additional funds potentially awarded by the jury to a charitable organization.\n\nJudge Kent Holmberg instructed the jurors to determine whether \"Sanderson was harmed and if so, whether anyone is at fault for that harm. You must also decide whether Gwyneth Paltrow was harmed and if so, whether anyone is at fault for that harm.\"\n\nGwyneth Paltrow ski collision trial verdict: Actress found not responsible for ski accident\n\nWho testified in Gwyneth Paltrow trial?\n\nThose who testified in the trial included a radiologist, a neuropsychologist, one of Sanderson's daughters and Paltrow herself.\n\nWhile on the stand Friday, Paltrow gave her account of the collision, saying Sanderson \"categorically hit me on that ski slope.\" She also said that, while the crash was happening, she had an initial \"quick thought\" she might be getting sexually assaulted, saying she heard Sanderson groan and felt a man's weight pressing into her backside during the crash.\n\nSanderson's daughter Polly Grasham was questioned March 23 about missing GoPro camera footage and if her father sued Paltrow because she's famous. The GoPro footage has not been found or included as evidence for the trial.\n\nPaltrow’s attorneys also questioned whether Grasham and neuropsychologist Dr. Alina Fong could say with certainty that Sanderson’s downturn wasn’t a result of aging or documented, pre-crash conditions. They also questioned Grasham about her father’s anger problems, divorces and estranged relationship with another of his daughters, who did not testify.\n\nOn March 22, radiologist Dr. Wendell Gibby testified that brain images suggest it's unlikely Sanderson crashed into Paltrow and that his head trauma was likely caused by a skier crashing into him.\n\nGwyneth Paltrow, Terry Sanderson's lawyers detail differing accounts in opening statements\n\nIn opening arguments on the trial's first day, both sides presented their clients as conservative skiers who were stunned when a skier above them crashed into them.\n\nPaltrow's legal team, including attorney Steve Owens, told jurors that Sanderson was the one who crashed into her — a collision in which she sustained a \"full body blow.\" Owens noted that members of Paltrow's group checked on Sanderson, who assured them he was fine — an interaction Sanderson doesn't deny but said in court filings he can't remember.\n\nSanderson's attorneys attempted to paint Paltrow as a negligent celebrity with little care for the injuries inflicted upon the 76-year-old military veteran.\n\nOwens cautioned jurors not to let sympathy for Sanderson's medical ailments – a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries – skew their judgements. He questioned Sanderson's credibility, noting his age and documented pre-collision brain injuries. Owens also said Sanderson posted a \"very happy, smiling picture\" of himself online, riding a toboggan post-crash.\n\nGwyneth Paltrow appears in courtduring first day of Utah ski collision trial\n\nGwyneth Paltrow testifies she wasn't engaging in 'risky behavior' day of ski crash\n\nDuring her testimony Friday, Paltrow said she \"was not engaging in any risky behavior\" the day she alleged Sanderson crashed into her from behind on a beginner ski slope.\n\nSanderson's lawyer Kristin Vanorman pressed Paltrow to provide a moment-by-moment account of the incident, during which the actress recalled that Sanderson's skis came forward in between her skis during the collision. She also confirmed she yelled an expletive at Sanderson following the crash, adding she felt \"upset\" at the time.\n\nPaltrow also denied the account provided by Greg Ramone, a ski friend of Sanderson who previously testified he saw Paltrow hit Sanderson in the crash.\n\n“I don’t believe he saw what he thinks he saw,\" Paltrow said of Ramone's testimony. \"He said he was 40 feet away and color blind. I don’t know how he can be positive about what he saw.\"\n\nGwyneth Paltrow testifies Terry Sanderson'categorically hit me' in ski collision trial\n\nPrevious:Gwyneth Paltrow denies causing Utah ski crash\n\nWhy was Gwyneth Paltrow in court?\n\nPaltrow faced a lawsuit from Sanderson, who sought $300,000 and claimed the accident was a result of negligence that left him with physical injuries and emotional distress. Sanderson initially sought $3.1 million in a first lawsuit, which was dropped.\n\nSanderson claimed the Goop founder left him injured on the mountain and didn't send help. He also alleged a Deer Valley ski instructor filed a false incident report saying Paltrow didn't cause the crash.\n\nSanderson told reporters in Salt Lake City when he filed the lawsuit in January 2019 that he waited to file the lawsuit for nearly three years because he had problems with attorneys and could not function properly because of the concussion.\n\nGwyneth Paltrow reveals 'weirdest wellness thing' she's ever done: Rectal ozone therapy\n\nGwyneth Paltrow's doppelganger daughter Applesits front row at Chanel: See the photos\n\nWhat has Paltrow said about the ski crash?\n\nPaltrow alleged in a counterclaim that the retired optometrist plowed into her from behind.\n\nPaltrow said she was shaken by the collision and quit skiing with her family for the day. In her counterclaim, she said Sanderson apologized to her and said he was fine. She had previously denied blame for the crash in a statement but had not yet offered a full version of the events.\n\nContributing: Edward Segarra and Charles Trepany, USA TODAY; The Associated Press\n\nGigi Hadid weighs in on viral 'nepo baby' discourse:'Technically I'm a nepotism baby'", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/20"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2019/02/20/gwyneth-paltrow-denies-causing-utah-ski-crash/2927219002/", "title": "Gwyneth Paltrow denies being cause of Utah ski crash", "text": "Associated Press\n\nSALT LAKE CITY – Actress Gwyneth Paltrow denied Wednesday that she skied into a man who accused her in a lawsuit of seriously injuring him at a Utah ski resort, alleging in a counter claim that the man actually plowed into her from behind and delivered a full “body blow.”\n\nPaltrow was skiing on a family vacation on a beginner run at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, on Feb. 26, 2016, when Terry Sanderson smashed into her, the actress’ attorney alleged in a counter claim filed in court. Paltrow said she was shaken by the collision and quit skiing with her family for the day.\n\nShe said Sanderson apologized to her and said he was fine. She had previously denied blame for the crash in a statement but had not yet offered a full version of the events.\n\n“She did not knock him down,” Paltrow’s court filing said. “He knocked her down. He was not knocked out.”\n\nThe account differs greatly from the sequence of events alleged by Sanderson in the lawsuit filed Jan. 29. He said Paltrow was skiing out of control and knocked him out, leaving him with a concussion and four broken ribs. Sanderson referred to it as a “hit and run” and is seeking $3.1 million in damages.\n\nMore:Gwyneth Paltrow sued over Utah ski crash, her spokesperson says lawsuit is 'without merit'\n\nSanderson, a retired optometrist, told reporters in Salt Lake City on the day he sued that he waited to file the lawsuit for nearly three years because he had problems with attorneys and could not function properly because of the concussion.\n\nDeer Valley Resort spokeswoman Emily Summers has said previously that the resort cannot comment on pending legal matters. Sanderson’s lawsuit against Paltrow also includes the resort as a defendant.\n\nPaltrow is known for her roles in “Shakespeare in Love” and the “Iron Man” movies. She also owns a lifestyle company called goop.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/02/20"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2023/03/30/gwyneth-paltrow-ski-collision-trial-verdict/11568485002/", "title": "Gwyneth Paltrow ski collision trial verdict: Actress found not ...", "text": "Gwyneth Paltrow's ski collision trial has come to a close.\n\nOn Thursday, a jury found Paltrow not responsible after being sued by Terry Sanderson for a ski crash in 2016, referred to as a \"hit and run.\"\n\nPaltrow was awarded $1 in symbolic damages for her counterclaim in addition to her attorney fees. The celebrity wellness influencer and \"Shakespeare in Love\" star previously vowed to donate any additional funds potentially awarded by the jury to a charitable organization.\n\nJudge Kent Holmberg instructed the jurors to determine whether \"Sanderson was harmed and if so, whether anyone is at fault for that harm. You must also decide whether Gwyneth Paltrow was harmed and if so, whether anyone is at fault for that harm.\"\n\n\"If you decide that more than one person is at fault you must then allocate fault among them (totaling 100 percent). Fault means any wrongful act or failure to act,\" Holmberg continued, adding that fault, in this case, would be negligence based on whether they exercised reasonable care in the collision.\n\nHolmberg said if the jury determined fault over 50 percent for either party, they would not recover any damages.\n\nThe trial began on March 21. Paltrow was sued by Sanderson in 2019, who claimed she seriously injured him during a crash on the beginner slopes at Deer Valley Resort in Park City on Feb. 26, 2016.\n\nGwyneth Paltrow was 'pounded like a punching bag' in trial, attorney says in closing argument\n\nClosing arguments for the trial took place Thursday, hours before the verdict was read.\n\nPaltrow’s attorneys pushed back against the claim that the pair’s collision was a \"hit and run.\" Sanderson said the crash seriously injured him and that Paltrow left him on the mountain without help. Paltrow alleged Sanderson plowed into her and then told her he was fine.\n\n“It takes a lot of courage, does it not, for her to sit there for two weeks and be pounded like a punching bag?” said Paltrow's attorney Steve Owens.\n\n“He hit her. He hurt her, and he wants $3 million for it,” Owens continued, referencing Sanderson's prior $3.1 million lawsuit. “That’s not fair. The easy thing for my client would have been to write a check and be done with it. … It’s actually wrong that he hurt her, and he wants money from her.”\n\nSanderson’s legal team focused a portion of its closing argument on the medical ailments the 76-year-old suffered as a result of the collision, which include a brain injury and four broken ribs.\n\nHis legal team also cited the turmoil the accident caused in his personal life. “From the day after this incident happened there was a very serious decline, (and) the people that knew him best testified…as to the changes that they experienced with Terry,” attorney C. Peter Sorensen said.\n\nSorensen also criticized the dismissal of Sanderson’s injuries by Paltrow’s attorneys as a distraction from the reality of the collision. Owens previously cautioned jurors not to let sympathy for Sanderson's injuries skew their judgments.\n\n“They point the finger at Terry Sanderson and say ‘It’s your fault. You did this. You brought this on yourself,’” Sorensen said. “(Sanderson) wants the weighing of the scales the same way that Mrs. Paltrow does, but on those scales, someone has facts that are weighing, and someone has a lot of fanfare that when you really pry it, it’s a ‘So what?’ It’s nothing.”\n\nContributing: The Associated Press\n\nRead more on Gwyneth Paltrow's ski collision trial", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/30"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2023/03/24/gwyneth-paltrow-testifies-ski-collision-trial-utah/11528117002/", "title": "Gwyneth Paltrow pressed on stand about ski collision, Taylor Swift", "text": "Gwyneth Paltrow is speaking her side of the story.\n\nThe celebrity wellness CEO and \"Shakespeare in Love\" star took the stand Friday in Utah after being sued for a ski crash in 2016, referred to as a \"hit and run.\"\n\nPaltrow is on trial, which began Tuesday, after being sued for $300,000 by Terry Sanderson in 2019, who claimed she seriously injured him during a crash on the beginner slopes at Deer Valley Resort in Park City in 2016. Paltrow filed her own lawsuit against Sanderson seeking \"symbolic damages in the amount of $1, plus her costs and attorney’s fees to defend this meritless claim,\" her lawsuit states.\n\nSanderson also claims Paltrow left him on the mountain without help. Paltrow has denied the allegations and in a counterclaim said it was Sanderson who crashed into her.\n\nGwyneth Paltrow says Terry Sanderson 'categorically' crashed into her\n\nWhile on the stand, Paltrow said she \"was not engaging in any risky behavior\" the day she alleges Sanderson crashed into her from behind on a beginner ski slope.\n\nSanderson's lawyer Kristin Vanorman pressed Paltrow to provide a moment-by-moment account of the incident, during which the actress recalled that, while the crash was happening, she thought for a brief moment she might be getting sexually assaulted.\n\n“That was a quick thought that went through my head when I was trying to reconcile what was happening,\" Paltrow said, saying she heard Sanderson groan and felt a man's weight pressing into her backside during the crash. \"My brain was trying to make sense of what was happening.”\n\nPaltrow noted Sanderson's skis came forward in between her skis during the collision. She also confirmed she yelled an expletive at Sanderson following the crash, adding she felt \"upset\" at the time.\n\n\"I apologize for my bad language,\" she said, to which Vanorman replied, \"You’re small but mighty. Actually, you’re not that small.”\n\nPaltrow also denied the account provided by Greg Ramone, a ski friend of Sanderson who previously testified he saw Paltrow hit Sanderson in the crash.\n\n“I don’t believe he saw what he thinks he saw,\" Paltrow said of Ramone's testimony. \"He said he was 40 feet away and color blind. I don’t know how he can be positive about what he saw.\"\n\nThroughout questioning, Paltrow maintained Sanderson collided into her, saying, \"Mr. Sanderson categorically hit me on that ski slope, and that is the truth.\"\n\nPaltrow says she feels 'very sorry' for Sanderson but she didn't hit him\n\nVanorman also inquired about Paltrow's relationship with singer Taylor Swift, who won $1 in damages in a 2017 groping case.\n\n“Are you good friends with Taylor Swift?\" the attorney asked Paltrow, to which the actress replied: \"I would not say we are good friends. We are friendly. I’ve taken my kids to one of her concerts before, but we don’t talk very often.” The line of questioning was eventually halted by an objection, to laughter from the courtroom.\n\nLater, Paltrow's lawyer Steve Owens asked Paltrow if she has empathy for Sanderson and his health issues, despite his lawsuit against her.\n\n\"You know, I really do,\" Paltrow said. \"I feel very sorry for him. It seems like he’s had a very difficult life, but I did not cause the accident so I cannot be at fault for anything that subsequently happened to him.\"\n\nPaltrow's legal team said she sustained a 'full body blow' in the crash\n\nIn opening arguments on the trial's first day, both sides presented their clients as conservative skiers who were stunned when a skier above them crashed into them.\n\nPaltrow's legal team, including attorney Steve Owens, told jurors that Sanderson was the one who crashed into her — a collision in which she sustained what they called a \"full body blow.\" Owens noted that members of Paltrow's group checked on Sanderson, who assured them he was fine — an interaction Sanderson doesn't deny but said in court filings that he can't remember.\n\nPaltrow is seeking \"symbolic damages in the amount of $1, plus her costs and attorney’s fees to defend this meritless claim,\" her lawsuit said. The actress vowed to donate any additional funds potentially awarded by the jury to a charitable organization.\n\nContributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY; The Associated Press\n\nRead more on Gwyneth Paltrow's ski collision trial", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/24"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/03/31/grand-jury-indicts-trump-final-four-tips-off-5-things-podcast/11575940002/", "title": "Grand jury indicts Trump, Final Four tips off: 5 Things podcast", "text": "On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: Grand jury indicts Donald Trump\n\nA New York grand jury has indicted former President Donald Trump. Plus, violent thunderstorms are expected for millions, USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent John Fritze talks through the latest legal fight around Obamacare, USA TODAY Wellness Reporter David Oliver looks at why America was so interested in Gwyneth Paltrow's ski trial, and the Final Four tips off.\n\nPodcasts:True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here.\n\nHit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below.This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nGood morning. I'm Taylor Wilson and this is 5 Things you need to know Friday, the 31st of March 2023. Today, a former president indicted. Plus a new legal fight over Obamacare, and why were so many people obsessed with the Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial?\n\n♦\n\nA New York grand jury has voted to indict former President Donald Trump. The case centers around unspecified criminal charges and is the first time in history that a former president has been charged criminally. The grand jury had been investigating hush money payments to two women who claimed to have had sex with him. The outline of those payments became clear after he was elected in 2016 and more details have been revealed in sworn testimony since. Trump's attorney said that he's expected in New York by Tuesday for arraignment and that they plan to fight in court. It's still not clear whether Trump will turn himself in willingly, but once arrested and taken into custody, he'll be read his rights. He'll then likely be fingerprinted and have his mugshot taken. Trump himself put out a statement yesterday calling the move political persecution. President Joe Biden and the White House had no immediate comment yesterday.\n\n♦\n\nViolent thunderstorms will slam parts of the Central US today along with a high probability of tornadoes in some areas. More than 65 million people are at risk ranging from Texas to Alabama in the South up to Wisconsin and Michigan in the Upper Midwest, and blizzards could blanket the Dakotas. One of the places that will likely be at risk today is Mississippi. Parts of the Mississippi Delta are still reeling after tornadoes left 26 people dead and dozens injured last week. You can find out more about what's happening in your neck of the woods on USATODAY.com.\n\n♦\n\nA federal judge in Texas blocked enforcement yesterday of no cost preventative healthcare mandates included in the Affordable Care Act. The move sets up the latest legal brawl over Obamacare, as USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent John Fritze explains. Hi, John.\n\nJohn Fritze:\n\nHey.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nWhat does this decision mean for people on ACA insurance plans and what prompted this rollback?\n\nJohn Fritze:\n\nThe Affordable Care Act requires insurers to provide free care for some preventative services, and there is a panel of government officials that decides which of those services are included. In fact, there's several panels, but there's one panel at issue here in this case called the Preventative Services Task Force. They set recommendations for which services will be covered and not covered. And the issue here, the legal issue is that this panel is making these binding decisions, but they are not appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate like most other major officials making sort of binding decisions in the government are. And so I think the thing here to stay focused on is what are the recommendations that this panel has made that may be affected by this decision. It is things like cervical cancer screenings, diabetes screenings, certain vaccines. This list is still sort of being figured out, but there's a lot potentially at stake here in terms of preventative care. Both sides are likely to appeal this decision. I don't think anything's going to happen right away.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nJohn, you're right that the judge in this case has repeatedly ruled against Obamacare. Why is that?\n\nJohn Fritze:\n\nYeah. US District Judge Reed O'Connor is a George W. Bush nominee to the district court in Texas. He was the one who ruled in a pretty major case back in 2018 that the Affordable Care Act's mandate coverage was unconstitutional. That was a case that all went all the way up to the Supreme Court on the merits and was decided in 2021, and that decision was overruled. And so he has a sort of a history here of ruling against the Affordable Care Act and being overruled by a pretty conservative Supreme Court.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nJohn mentioned the appeals that are expected here, what's the upcoming timeline looking like?\n\nJohn Fritze:\n\nThat's a great question. This is what legal folks talk about as the injunctive phase here. This is a sort of an enforcement mechanism, and so this will go up, I think, relatively quickly and will potentially land on the Supreme Court shadow docket, which is this docket where they handle sort of emergency cases, for lack of a better word. So that is something that could get decided pretty quickly. The underlying merits of this decision and sort of the constitutional questions and the legal questions that are much more involved, that could probably take years to work its way through the courts.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nUSA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent John Fritze, thanks so much.\n\nJohn Fritze:\n\nThank you.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nActress Gwyneth Paltrow has been found not responsible after being sued over a 2016 ski accident. Paltrow was also awarded $1 in symbolic damages for her counterclaim. Paltrow's time in court has gripped certain parts of social media and called America's obsession with celebrity back into question. I spoke with USA TODAY Wellness Reporter David Oliver for more. Hi, David. Welcome back to the show.\n\nDavid Oliver:\n\nHey, thanks much for having me again.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nYeah, thanks for coming back on. So, can you just start by explaining to those who may not know, what is Gwyneth Paltrow being sued for here?\n\nDavid Oliver:\n\nOkay, so she's being sued because of a ski crash incident back in 2016, this man, Terry Sanderson. So he alleges that Gwyneth Paltrow skied into him, but she says that he skied into her, and basically he suffered some injuries because of this incident. He initially sued her for I believe $3.1 million and now is only suing her for $300,000, but she has also now issued a countersuit for $1 and lawyer fees. So it's basically a lot of he said/she said going on in terms of what happened with this crash. But it's certainly captured the Internet's attention for a lot of what Gwyneth Paltrow has been saying during this trial, outfits that she's worn, things like that. It's become a bit of a farce.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nIt's definitely taking up a lot of folks' TikTok feeds and Twitter feeds. Why are people so invested in this, David?\n\nDavid Oliver:\n\nI spoke to some experts about this and often the case with things like this, it's the absurdity of the wealthy. It's why we're obsessed with reality television. It's not because we think these people are wonderful people, it's because we are fascinated by it, the way that they carry themselves in the world. It's almost like anti-aspirational in some way. I mean, Gwyneth Paltrow is saying things like, \"Well, I missed a half day of skiing.\" And it's like, what? And she also offered the bailiffs treats for doing a good job or something. It's all very paired with her Goop brand and all of her lifestyle advice that is often ridiculed.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nYeah, it's been interesting. An expert at one point said Terry Sanderson, who's suing Paltrow, can't taste wine in the same way anymore. So, like you say, David, this trial has really highlighted some of the absurdities of the wealthy, right?\n\nDavid Oliver:\n\nYeah. I believe I read the resort they were saying at, it was clearly a pricey resort, so it's like these are two rich people in theory. I can't speak to how wealthy Sanderson is, but Paltrow, I imagine, is very wealthy. So, it's one of those things where you're like, okay, who are we rooting for here necessarily? But obviously, Sanderson has suffered injuries in a way that Gwyneth seemingly hasn't. So there's a lot there, too, we have to consider and be sensitive about while also pointing out the absurdity. It's holding both of these things at once.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nDavid, I feel like celebrity culture, you mentioned reality TV, I feel like it's constantly demonized as this terrible thing, this vapid thing. Is this trial an example of the negatives of celebrity culture, or does it show that stars can offer a kind of escapism with all of this other heavy stuff going on around us?\n\nDavid Oliver:\n\nI think that basically it's both. I mean, I think that there's been a lot going on in the world. I mean, this week in particular, obviously like the horrible deadly Nashville shooting, Philadelphia has to boil water, this journalist who's now just been detained in Russia, there's all these awful things that this trial has likely been sort of a respite from. People find entertainment, I guess, wherever they can.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nUSA TODAY Wellness Reporter David Oliver, always a pleasure. Thanks so much.\n\nDavid Oliver:\n\nThanks so much, Taylor.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nThe Women's Final Four is set for tonight in Dallas. First up, 1 seed Virginia Tech takes on No. 3 LSU at 7:00 PM Eastern. Then 2 seed Iowa tries to upset number one overall seed South Carolina, who's undefeated through 31 games this season. You can tune in on ESPN. Then tomorrow it's theMen's turn in Houston. That tournament has been one of the most unpredictable in history and has led to one matchup between 5 seed San Diego State and 9 seed Florida Atlantic. On the other side, 4 seed Connecticut will play 5 seed Miami. You can watch the games on CBS.\n\nAnd you can find new episodes of 5 Things every morning right here, wherever you get your podcast. I'm back tomorrow with more of 5 Things from USA TODAY.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/31"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_6", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:53", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/30/us/jackson-water-system-failing-tuesday/index.html", "title": "Jackson, Mississippi, water: The water crisis has gotten so bad, the ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nRecent torrential rain coupled with years of water system issues have resulted in a crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, where the city doesn’t have enough water to fight fires, flush toilets or even hand out to residents in need.\n\nJackson’s main water treatment facility began failing Monday, according to Gov. Tate Reeves. The National Guard was called up to help distribute bottled water as crews work to get the water treatment plant back online, state officials said.\n\nBut the distribution itself proved unsustainable. Residents of all ages were seen waiting in lines more than a mile long at Hawkins Field Airport for at least two hours Tuesday for just one case of bottled water. The event was supposed to span three hours, but barely ran two as people were eventually turned away when the 700 cases of water ran out.\n\n“I keep saying we’re going to be the next Michigan,” said Jeraldine Watts, 86, who was able to get water at a grocery store Monday night. “And it looks like that’s exactly what we’re headed for.”\n\nWatts was referring to the water crisis in the city of Flint, which has battled water issues since a 2014 water crisis in which lead-contaminated water fed to residents’ faucets.\n\nPeople line up for water in Jackson, Mississippi, on August 30, 2022. CNN\n\nJackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba told CNN’s Pamela Brown the city is working on more water distribution events. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency will provide nearly 30 water trucks to help supplement the city events, the mayor said.\n\n“I have been assured by MEMA that they will supplement those locations with about 28 tanker trucks distributed at various points across the city,” Lumumba told CNN.\n\nExplanations for Jackson’s failing system are complicated: Damage this summer to pumps at the main water treatment facility made failure increasingly likely as the summer progressed, the governor said; and flooding of the Pearl River after heavy rains last week affected treatment processes and therefore the amount of running water the system can provide, Lumumba said.\n\nThis week’s troubles come as the water system has been plagued with problems for years and with the city already under a boil water notice since late July for what the state called a water-quality issue.\n\nThe state is “surging our resources to the city’s water treatment facility and beginning emergency maintenance, repairs and improvements,” Gov. Reeves said. “We will do everything in our power to restore water pressure and get water flowing back to the people of Jackson.”\n\nWater for those in the state’s most populous city would have to be provided “for an unknown period of time,” Reeves said.\n\nThe water shortage is expected to last “the next couple of days,” according to the mayor’s office.\n\nLumumba also announced Monday the city’s public works director – a role that oversees the water treatment facilities – has been reassigned. Marlin King will instead serve as deputy director and Jordan Hillman, the city’s planning and development director, will be the interim public works director, according to Melissa Payne, the mayor’s spokesperson.\n\nKing did not respond to CNN requests for comment. Payne said King’s reassignment “is part of restructuring” and is not a result of the current water crisis.\n\nResidents say faucet water is discolored\n\nState Rep. Ronnie Crudup Jr. said he didn’t have running water Monday, but on Tuesday, discolored water came out of his faucet that he used to flush the toilet. He and his family used bottled water Tuesday morning to brush their teeth, Crudup told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota.\n\nCrudup said that although the city has experienced water issues in the past, rain played a part in the current water emergency.\n\n“It’s been building up for years, but we have had an unprecedented amount of rain in the last two to three weeks, and it just kind of created this havoc, what we are dealing with right now,” he said.\n\nJackson resident Daryl Page told CNN he’s been searching for clean, bottled water since the city’s been under a boil water notice “for a whole month.” He was driving to a distribution site, but as he arrived, he noticed there was nothing there.\n\nFirefighters and recruits for the Jackson Fire Department carry cases of bottled water to residents vehicles, August 18, 2022, as part of the city's response to longstanding water system problems. Rogelio V. Solis/AP\n\n“Everyone is turning around because there is nothing here,” Page said, adding that his next plan of action was to drive to another site in hopes that he could find cases of water there.\n\nBecause of Monday’s failure, officials announced all Jackson public schools will shift to virtual learning Tuesday.\n\nHospitals are also feeling the strain. Jackson’s University of Mississippi Medical Center released a statement Tuesday saying the Jackson Medical Mall air conditioning is not functioning properly “because the water pressure feeding its chillers is too low.” Portable restrooms are being used in locations experiencing low water pressure, the statement said.\n\nThe university medical center statement also said a fire watch was declared for its Jackson-based facilities, “because fire suppression systems are fed by the city water system. Low pressure in the systems may cause them to be less effective.”\n\nPresident Joe Biden has been briefed on the water crisis in Jackson and the White House has been “in regular contact with state and local officials, including Mayor Lumumba, and made clear that the Federal Government stands ready to offer assistance,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday afternoon.\n\n“(The Federal Emergency Management Agency) is working closely with the state officials to identify needs, and the EPA is coordinating with industry partners to expedite delivery of critical treatment equipment for emergency repairs at the City of Jackson water treatment facilities,” she said.\n\nIn an emailed statement Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency said “ensuring all people have access to healthy and safe water is a top priority.”\n\n“We are in communication with officials in Mississippi and stand ready to provide support should the State request federal assistance,” the EPA statement read. “In the interim, we are available to provide technical support and information to Mississippi officials as they navigate their plan to address the immediate concerns at the O.B. Curtis Water Plant.”\n\nLater Tuesday, the governor said FEMA has received the state’s declaration asking the federal government to declare the water shortage a federal emergency.\n\nWater system issues go back decades, mayor says\n\nThe problem this week stems from one of two water treatment facilities in the city: the O.B. Curtis plant, which is run by the city of Jackson, according to the governor.\n\nThe main pumps at O.B. Curtis were severely damaged recently, and the facility began operating on smaller backup pumps about a month ago, around the time the latest boil water notice began in July, the governor said, without elaborating about the damage.\n\nThe governor said he was told Friday that “it was a near-certainty that Jackson would fail to produce running water sometime in the next several weeks or months if something did not materially improve,” the governor said.\n\nThe O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant in Jackson, Mississippi, seen on March 24, 2022. Mark Felix/AFP/Getty Images\n\nBut Lumumba said during a Monday news conference that it was only a matter time before the water system failed because Jackson’s water system has been faced serious issues for years.\n\n“I have said on multiple occasions that it’s not a matter of ‘if’ our system would fail, but a matter of ‘when’ our system would fail,” the mayor said, adding that the city has been “going at it alone for the better part of two years” when it comes to the water crisis.\n\nIn early 2020, the water system failed an Environmental Protection Agency inspection. The agency wrote the drinking water had the potential to be host to harmful bacteria or parasites, based on observations of the water’s turbidity, or cloudiness, as well as “disinfection treatment concerns, and/or the condition of the distribution system.”\n\nIn March 2020, the EPA issued an order requiring the city to develop a plan to replace and repair monitoring and treatment equipment, to “address dosing processes for disinfection and pH control” and to take more coliform bacteria samples, among other things.\n\nThe city also has endured weather-related shutdowns.\n\nIn February 2021, a winter storm shut down Jackson’s entire water system, leaving tens of thousands of residents without water for a month amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Residents have been under some sort of boil water notice or advisory several times since that storm, including the state-ordered notice posted in July.\n\n“We were here two Februarys ago when we had system failures, and the world was watching us and the world is watching us again,” Lumumba said during Monday’s news conference.\n\nThe mayor also pointed to recent flooding from the Pearl River as an event that triggered the latest water pressure issues.\n\nBecause O.B. Curtis received additional water from the reservoir during the flooding from last week to this week, the facility had to change the way it treats the water, which has led to the reduction of water being put out into the system and reduced tank levels. This is affecting the water pressure at residents’ homes, he said.\n\n“As one crisis may be diverted, another one rears its head,” Lumumba said Monday during a news conference after addressing the flooding in the city.\n\nO.B. Curtis is meant to provide about 50 million gallons for the city daily. The other plant, which usually provides about 20 million gallons daily, has been approved to ramp up its output amid the shortage, authorities said.\n\nIn July 2021, the EPA and the city entered into an agreement to address “long-term challenges and make needed improvements to the drinking water system.” The EPA recently announced $74.9 million in federal water and sewer infrastructure funds for Mississippi, mentioning Jackson without naming specific projects.\n\nHowever, Lumumba has said it would take $2 billion to fully repair and replace the dated system, which city, state and federal officials say also has too much lead in its water in some places.\n\nLumumba declared a water system emergency Monday. The proclamation noted not only the flooding but also numerous previous “unsuccessful attempts to rectify water system issues.”\n\nCNN meteorologist explains cause of water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi 02:27 - Source: CNN\n\nAs for restoring water pressure and flow and performing emergency maintenance and repairs, the state would split the cost with the city, Reeves said Tuesday.\n\n“We will cash flow the operation, and the city will be responsible for half the cost of the emergency improvements that we make,” the governor said in a statement released on Twitter.\n\nAt a Tuesday news conference at the plant, Reeves said he is “encouraged” and at the same time “discouraged” by some of the news coming out of the facility.\n\n“We do have a plan in place to potentially bring in an additional rented pump that will allow us to put at least 4 million gallons of water additionally, hopefully, which will be installed by tomorrow morning. That is progress and will help,” he said.\n\nReeves added there is no time frame as of now for safe drinking water, but that over the next 24 to 36 hours residents will see significant truckloads of clean water start to be delivered to Jackson.\n\nOver the next few days, more than 108 semi-trucks of water are coming into Jackson and seven mega distribution sites will have 36 truckloads of water a day for the public to be able to retrieve, according to Lt. Col. Stephen McCraney, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency director.\n\nSystemic issues also contributed to water crisis\n\nLumumba previously told CNN a lack of political will and years of neglect on a national level has prevented Jackson from getting the help it needs to fix its water and sewer crisis. Besides the infrastructure issues, the plant has also been faced with staffing issues, according to the mayor and governor.\n\n“A far too small number of heroic frontline workers were trying their hardest to hold the system together, but that it was a near impossibility,” the governor said Monday.\n\nJackson’s ongoing water system problems already had some residents reporting low to no water pressure and raw sewage flowing in city streets and neighborhoods before this month.\n\nNow, some residents are taking to Twitter – where #jxnwatercrisis and #jacksonwatercrisis were trending – to post pictures of buckets and even tubs full of brown water coming out of their drains.\n\nSome on social media also pointed to systemic and environmental racism as among the causes of the city’s ongoing water issues and lack of resources, given that 82.5% of Jackson’s population identifies as Black or African American, according to census data, while the state’s legislature is majority White.\n\nNAACP president Derrick Johnson called out the Mississippi governor on Twitter Tuesday.\n\n”.@tatereeves, what are you waiting for!? We demand on behalf of the Jackson communities that you request federal aid from @FEMA and other agencies to ensure people have access to a basic human right: WATER,” Johnson’s tweet read. “Make the damn call. This is personal.”\n\nJackson has undergone drastic changes in the past half century. Its economic decline has occurred rapidly over the past two decades, fueled by population decline and demographic shifts.\n\nThe city’s population shrank from almost 200,000 in 1990 to about 160,000 in 2020. Its decline in population in these three decades was driven almost entirely by White flight. The city was 56% Black in 1990. By 2020, 82% of the city’s residents were Black.", "authors": ["Amir Vera Jason Hanna Nouran Salahieh", "Amir Vera", "Jason Hanna", "Nouran Salahieh"], "publish_date": "2022/08/30"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/31/us/jackson-water-system-failing-wednesday/index.html", "title": "Jackson, Mississippi, mayor says he hopes water service can be ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nAs Mississippi’s capital faces a third day without reliable water service Wednesday – pushing some residents to stand in long lines for bottled water and keeping schools and businesses closed – the mayor says he hopes water service can be restored this week.\n\nThe problem came to a head Monday, when river flooding nudged an already-hobbling main treatment plant to failure, meaning Jackson couldn’t necessarily produce enough water to flush toilets or even fight fires, officials say. The water system has been troubled for years and the city already was under a boil-water notice since late July.\n\nOfficials “are optimistic that we can see water restored to our residents within this week” in the city of roughly 150,000 residents, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba told CNN Wednesday.\n\n“There is a huge mountain to climb in order to achieve that,” he said. Crews “are working persistently to restore the pressure, to refill the tanks across the city,” Lumumba said.\n\nGov. Tate Reeves tweeted Wednesday that an emergency rental pump that will pump an additional 4 million gallons of water is being installed at Jackson’s water facility.\n\n“More to be done, but the work is happening at an incredible pace!,” Reeves tweeted.\n\nThe governor also declared an emergency and activated the National Guard to help distribute bottled water, and said he sent resources for urgent repairs and maintenance at the plant. Some service already has improved, and truckloads of water are coming for distribution to the public, officials said.\n\nPresident Joe Biden, who signed a major disaster declaration Tuesday triggering assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, spoke to Lumumba on Wednesday to discuss emergency efforts, the White House said.\n\nLumumba said Wednesday that he spoke extensively with Biden and separately with Harris about the situation in Jackson.\n\n“Both assured me that the eyes of Washington are watching the city of Jackson. They wanted us to know that we should expect the full arm of support from the federal government in every way that they possibly can,” mayor said. “And they assured me their support was going to be demonstrated through long-range and long-term efforts through the EPA.”\n\nCars line up as water is distributed at New Jerusalem Church in Jackson, Mississippi, on August 31. Austin Steele/CNN\n\nAdvocates have previously pointed to systemic and environmental racism as among the causes of Jackson’s ongoing water issues and lack of resources to address them. About 82.5% of Jackson’s population identifies as Black or African American, according to census data, while the state’s legislature is majority White.\n\nThe water system has suffered from “deferred maintenance over three decades or more,” and the city will need funding help to catch up, Lumumba said earlier this week.\n\nWater crisis upends nearly all aspects of Jackson\n\nWhile local, state and federal agencies are trying to mitigate the water crisis, it is still upending nearly all aspects of life in the city, where public schools shifted to virtual learning Tuesday.\n\nCassandra Welchlin, a mother of three, told CNN her kids are out of school and they’ve had to buy water to cook, brush their teeth and for other basic necessities.\n\nBrown water has been running from her taps, said Welchlin, executive director of the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable.\n\n“We still would not use that water. We don’t boil it to do anything with it because grit is in the water,” she said. “It’s a really bad public safety issue.”\n\nA photo of a bathtub in a Jackson home shows how brown the water can get when coming out of the faucet. courtesy Daryl Page\n\nLocal businesses are also struggling to stay afloat, Dan Blumenthal and his partner Jeff E. Good, who own Broad Street Bakery & Cafe, BRAVO! Italian restaurant and bar and Sal and Mookie’s New York Pizza and Ice Cream Shop, told CNN.\n\nAll three businesses are owned by the management company Mangia Bene Restaurant Management Group Inc.\n\nBlumenthal said the restaurants were able to recover after Covid-19, but the current water crisis has brought on similar staffing issues. Tanya Burns, who has managed BRAVO! for the last 12 years, told CNN that she has seen a 10% to 20% decrease in foot traffic since the boiling water advisory started four weeks ago.\n\n“It feels like Covid to me with the way things are going,” Blumenthal said. “We had to let all of our staff go after Covid and now we’re not letting them go but we’re worried they’ll jump ship and go to another county where they can make money.”\n\nThe most affected business sector is the city’s hospitality industry, said Jeff Rent, president and CEO at Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership.\n\n“Hotels and restaurants, already on thin margins, either cannot open or they have to make special accommodations including the purchase of ice, water and soft drinks,” Rent said.\n\nChairs are seen on tables at Brent's Drugs diner in Jackson, Mississippi, on August 31. Austin Steele/CNN\n\nEven the process of distributing bottled water to residents has had difficulties. At a distribution event Tuesday at Hawkins Field Airport, residents waited in a line more than a mile long – and some were turned away when the site ran out of its 700 cases of water in just two hours.\n\nSome stores ran thin of supplies. Jackson resident Jeraldine Watts was able to snag some of the last water bottle cases at a grocery store Monday, she told CNN. She and her family have been using bottled or boiled tap water for everything, including cooking and washing dishes.\n\n“I keep saying we’re going to be the next Michigan,” Watts said, “and it looks like that’s exactly what we’re headed for.”\n\nWatts was referring to Flint, Michigan, which was hit with a water crisis around 2015 when tainted drinking water containing lead and other toxins was detected in homes and residents reported children suffering from mysterious illnesses.\n\nCorean Wheeler, who picked up a case of water at a local church, said she feels “disenfranchised” by the city’s water crisis.\n\n“You don’t even want to wash your hands in this water,” said Wheeler, 72. “You can’t drink it, you can’t cook with it, you can’t even give it to your pet. We are constantly paying water bills and we can’t use the water. We feel like we are living in a third world country in America and that’s kind of bad.”\n\nJackson’s University of Mississippi Medical Center said air conditioning at one facility is not functioning properly because of low water pressure, and portable restrooms are being used at other facilities.\n\nWater crisis interrupts campus life at JSU\n\nAt Jackson State University, there is “low to no water pressure at all campus locations,” and water is being delivered to students, officials said. The university’s head football coach, Deion Sanders, said its football program is in “crisis mode.”\n\nSophomore Erin Washington told CNN, “It’s like we’re living in a nightmare right now.” Washington has already booked her flight home to Chicago.\n\n“The water would be brown and kind of smell like sewage water,” said JSU freshman Jaylyn Clarke, who decided to go back home to New Orleans until the water situation is resolved.\n\nThe university is working to make provisions for the 2,000 students who live on campus, university president Thomas K. Hudson told CNN on Wednesday. Portable showers and toilets have been set up across campus and classes were virtual for the week.\n\nHudson said Jackson State has a stash of drinking water that it keeps for emergencies. The university is also bringing in clean water to keep the chillers operating for air conditioning in the dorms, Hudson said.\n\n“It’s their frustration that I’m concerned about,” Hudson said. “It’s the fact that this is interrupting their learning. So what we try to do is really focus on how we can best meet their needs.”\n\nWhat happened, and what officials say is being done\n\nThough Jackson has seen numerous water issues over the years, acute problems cascaded since at least late July, when the state imposed a boil-water notice for Jackson after high levels of turbidity, or cloudiness, were noticed at the city’s O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant. The cloudiness carries higher chances that the water could contain disease-causing organisms, the city said.\n\nAround the same time, the main pumps at O.B. Curtis – the city’s main treatment plant – were severely damaged, forcing the facility to operate on smaller backup pumps, Reeves said this week without elaborating on the damage. The city announced August 9 that the troubled pumps were being pulled offline.\n\nA security guard is seen outside of O.B. Curtis Water Plant on August 31. Austin Steele/CNN\n\nThe governor said he was told Friday that “it was a near-certainty that Jackson would fail to produce running water sometime in the next several weeks or months if something did not materially improve.”\n\nThen, flooding: Heavy rains last week pushed the Pearl River to overflow and flood some Jackson streets, cresting Monday.\n\nO.B. Curtis received additional water from a reservoir because of the flooding, and that changed the way the plant treated the water, causing the plant to produce even less than it was, and that severely lowered the water pressure across the city, Lumumba said Monday.\n\nSome improvements have been made at the plant, but more is needed, state officials have said.\n\nOn Tuesday, the plant was pumping about 30 million gallons of a day; it is rated to pump about 50 million gallons a day, Jim Craig, director of health protection at the state health department, told reporters Tuesday.\n\nReeves previewed the installation Tuesday night, saying a rented pump “will allow us to put at least 4 million gallons” more into the system.\n\n“That is progress and will help,” Reeves said Tuesday. It wasn’t immediately clear how long the installation would take or how soon it could impact the city’s water flow.\n\nReeves has said the state would split the cost of emergency repairs with the city.\n\nOn Wednesday, an additional pump was installed at the plant, Lumumba said. Despite some issues with water pressure – which is measured in pounds per square inch (psi) – on Tuesday night, the mayor said the city expects water pressure to increase Wednesday night.\n\n“The goal is to get psi on the surface system to 87psi,” Lumumba said, explaining the pressure at midnight was 40psi.\n\nThe mayor is still asking residents to continue boiling water.\n\n“It is safe to take baths in, it is safe to wash your hands. However, if you are drinking or cooking with it, we ask you to boil that water. If you’re washing the dishes, we ask that you boil the water in that circumstance to make certain that it is safe for you,” he said.\n\nAn aerial view of the O.B. Curtis Water Plant on August 31. Eric Cox/Reuters\n\nMalcolm Pickett lifts a case of water outside of New Jerusalem Church in Jackson, Mississippi, on August 31. Austin Steele/CNN\n\nAs a fuller solution, Lumumba has said it would take $2 billion to fully repair and replace the dated water and sewer systems, and that’s money the city isn’t close to having.\n\n“I have said on multiple occasions that it’s not a matter of ‘if’ our system would fail, but a matter of ‘when’ our system would fail,” the mayor said Tuesday, adding that the city has been “going at it alone for the better part of two years” when it comes to the water crisis.\n\nLumumba added that there will be water distributions across the city Monday through Friday starting at 5 p.m., Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m..\n\n“The city of Jackson has brought in tankers to distribute non-potable water to residents in need. Residents are asked to bring a container, such as a garbage can or a cooler to store the water. This is not water to be consumed, this is the water for sanitary needs of flushing toilets and things of that nature,” the mayor said.\n\nBeginning Thursday, seven mega distribution sites with 36 truckloads of water will be available each a day for the public, Lt. Col. Stephen McCraney, director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said Tuesday.\n\nCorporations like Anheuser-Busch, Walmart and Save A Lot, as well as volunteer organizations are also donating water to the city, McCraney added.\n\nThe city is also providing flushing water, Jackson City Councilman Aaron Banks told CNN.\n\n“One of the first things that we realized is that people need to be able to flush, because that becomes a problem as far as making sure that people have that quality of life that they need,” he said.\n\n“At the end of the day, we need a fix and the same attention that was given to Flint, Michigan, we need that same attention given to Jackson,” Banks said.\n\nA local church is also helping to distribute water in the meantime. At New Jerusalem Church in southwest Jackson, Malcolm Pickett was seen Wednesday loading cases of water from a trailer into trunks and backseats. He announced on social media earlier he’d be giving out water at the church led by his father Pastor Dwayne K. Pickett.\n\n“They are scared to use the water and that’s the biggest thing,” Malcolm Pickett said. “We are all about helping people.”\n\nMalcolm Pickett loads water into a resident's car outside of New Jerusalem Church in Jackson, Mississippi, on August 31. Austin Steele/CNN\n\nAt Jackson State, some students are raising money to buy water for Jackson residents in need, and have created a hotline that those residents can call to ask for help.\n\nMaise Brown, 20, a junior at Jackson State, organized the group of about 20 students, called Mississippi Student Water Crisis Advocacy Team. The group launched a social media campaign Tuesday to raise money and to publicize the hotline.\n\nAs of Wednesday morning, the group raised about $2,000 and received about 10 calls asking for help.\n\n“We had disabled residents calling us … for help,” Brown said. “We also had people who live outside the city call us and ask us to help their elderly parents.”\n\nThe group plans to knock on the doors of homes, hoping to reach people who might not see its social media campaign, Brown said.\n\nLong-standing issues at troubled water system\n\nJackson’s water system has been faced serious issues for years.\n\nIn early 2020, the Jackson water system failed an Environmental Protection Agency inspection, which found the drinking water had the potential to be host to harmful bacteria or parasites.\n\nIn February 2021, a severe winter storm hit, freezing and bursting pipes and leaving many residents without water for a month.\n\n“Since that time, there has not been a month where we have not experienced no-flow to low-flow in certain areas in south Jackson, and so it’s very frustrating,” Banks, the city councilman, told CNN.\n\nIn July 2021, the EPA and the city entered into an agreement to address “long-term challenges and make needed improvements to the drinking water system.” The EPA also recently announced $74.9 million in federal water and sewer infrastructure funds for Mississippi.", "authors": ["Amir Vera Jason Hanna Nouran Salahieh", "Amir Vera", "Jason Hanna", "Nouran Salahieh"], "publish_date": "2022/08/31"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/01/23/davos-matt-damon-clean-water/4802461/", "title": "Davos: Damon focused on clean water for world", "text": "Kim Hjelmgaard\n\nUSA TODAY\n\nNearly 1B lack safe%2C consistent way of getting water\n\nMatt Damon at Switzerland forum to discuss problem\n\n%27Just so unthinkable%2C%27 actor says\n\nDAVOS, Switzerland — The Oscar-winning actor Matt Damon is dealing with two issues here at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. One is a trivial byproduct of the frenetic and high-paced networking that underpins this gathering of the world's global elite. The other is a matter of life and death.\n\nThe trivial first.\n\n\"I was at a dinner surrounded by all these incredible people, and when I turned to the guy next to me and asked him what he did (for a living), he said he was the prime minister of Finland,\" the star of the Bourne film series told USA TODAY on Thursday, clearly bemused that he failed to recognize a head of state.\n\nNow the serious issue.\n\n\"It's just so unthinkable to those of us who grew up in America or Canada that anybody could ever lack access to clean water,\" said Damon, 43, who has traveled to this stunning Alpine setting close to the borders of Austria and Italy to talk about a seemingly mundane, yet frustratingly deadly problem.\n\nNearly 1 billion people lack a safe and consistent way of getting water, and one-third of the world's population — 2.5 billion people — don't have regular access to sanitation facilities. More people have a cellphone than have a toilet, and every 20 seconds, a child dies for lack of access to clean water and sanitation, according to Water.org, the non-profit that Damon founded with Gary White, a widely praised engineer and social entrepreneur who has been active in the water field for more than two decades.\n\n\"Years ago, I took a side trip to the slums of Guatemala City and was blown away by the kids collecting contaminated water, and the sewage there, so I started learning more about the problem and realized that with water, I could match up my interest in engineering with social justice,\" said White, also in Davos this week.\n\nThe water crisis is a problem that has many fronts, and organizations devoted to finding solutions favor different approaches, says David Winder, chief executive of WaterAid, a fellow firm in the field. Some groups are more explicitly engaged in hands-on engineering, while others are geared more heavily toward advocacy.\n\nIndustry expert's say that Water.org's point of differentiation is that it has a micro-finance program that is neither aid nor subsidization. Instead, it's a credit program that encourages people in emerging markets such as India, where the need is greatest, to pay for water delivery systems — often, wells and pipes — that it helps to create and install. The idea is modeled on the pioneering micro-finance ideas of Muhammad Yunus.\n\n\"Everybody's got a different reason to be interested on water in terms of security and scarcity. Our interest (Water.org's) is in access to it,\" Damon said.\n\nHe said that 250,000 people have gone through Water.org's credit program, in most cases borrowing around $150, and that 97% of those loans have been repaid. Water.org recently launched an investment fund that will seek to raise capital that can then be used for micro-loans.\n\n\"Gary and Matt are very aware of the importance of designing systems that can be managed by the local community,\" said WaterAid's Winder.\n\nThe water crisis is a major topic at this year's WEF and ranked third in the WEF's top 10 global risks for 2014.\n\nIn reply to a question about what gets done during Davos week, Damon said: \"It's better to have these conventions where these issues are put on the table than not. Coming to a place like this, it's undeniable that we are all sharing the same world. Serious discussions are taking place, so hopefully, serious things will get done.\"\n\nWhite chipped in: \"Without being too presumptuous, it's about bringing the poor to the table. They are the ones dying every day for lack of clean water.\"\n\nDamon's interest and commitment to the issue appears beyond dispute. \"This is my one hobby outside of making films,\" he said Thursday in Davos. \"It's my other job.\"\n\nHe said he did not know exactly how much time he spends working for Water.org, but he suspected that it was at least 10%. \"It comes in bursts,\" he said. \"It's not really possible to do a quick trip to India.\"\n\nSpeaking to USA TODAY on the sidelines of the WEF on Thursday, Richard Branson, the British serial entrepreneur behind the various Virgin companies including Virgin Galactic spaceflights, said: \"I think it is wonderful that Matt Damon is using his profile and connections to campaign on this important issue. I also hope he is continuing his toilet strike,\" a reference to a humorous -- yet masking a serious point -- pledge that Damon made in February last year saying he would not use the bathroom until the world's water crisis was solved.\n\nBranson also made the pledge.\n\nIn a USA TODAY brokered riposte, Damon said Thursday that he saw Branson coming out of a Davos men's room.\n\n\"Film stars are often in the fortunate position of being able to offer their help on any number of issues affecting the world, and sometimes, they scatter themselves too widely,\" said WaterAid's Winder. \"But Damon's had a very admirable focus on water, and you'd have to say the industry as a whole is grateful.\"\n\nYou'd also have to say he has a pretty persuasive argument on his side.\n\n\"HIV/ AIDS or cancer research, it's easier to connect personally to those things because we all know people who have been afflicted by those,\" Damon said. \"The fact that 2 million children are dying every year (because of the water crisis), it's almost something that doesn't make sense to us intellectually, because they are dying of completely preventable diseases. (Clean water) is something that we solved in the West a hundred years ago.\n\n\"Imagine if we cured HIV/ AIDS tomorrow, and in a hundred years, people were still dying from it,\" he said.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2014/01/23"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/08/middleeast/egypt-water-scarcity-climate-cop27-intl-cmd/index.html", "title": "Egypt faces acute water shortage, but it's still building a giant 'Green ...", "text": "Editor’s Note: A version of this article appears in Wednesday’s edition of CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. Sign up here.\n\nCNN —\n\nOn the easternmost outskirts of Cairo, the Egyptian government is building a giant belt of lakes and parks deep in the desert. Creators call it the “Green River” and say that when finished, the ornamental ribbon will cut through Egypt’s brand new, ultra-modern metropolis: its New Administrative Capital.\n\nA digital simulation shows the “river” extending throughout the length of the New Capital, as it is commonly known, branching out into smaller lakes and pools.\n\nThe sleek video shown off five years ago by Egypt’s prime minister depicts lush riverbanks dotted with trees and occupying vast landscapes of greenery – even though the site is in the middle of a desert, with no natural sources of water nearby.\n\nJust how the government plans to source the vast amounts of water for the project is unclear.\n\nThe oasis is being constructed in the middle of a worsening climate crisis. And as temperatures rise and the population balloons, water scarcity has become a critical concern for Egypt, host of this year’s COP27 climate summit, which began Sunday in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh.\n\nUniversal access to clean water is Egypt’s top priority at the meeting, with a planning minister recently stating that the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development would not be fully realized if water equality wasn’t prioritized.\n\nEgyptian authorities have repeatedly sounded alarms over the country’s water problems.\n\nIn May, the Minister of Local Development announced that the country had entered a stage of “water poverty” according to UN standards. The UN doesn’t have a metric for “water poverty,” but by its definition a country is considered water scarce when annual supplies drop below 1,000 cubic meters per capita, which the minister reported was the case.\n\nAnd just last month, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said the country’s water resources could no longer meet the needs of the rapidly growing population, noting that his government is nonetheless taking strategic steps to conserve equal water supply. Sisi also announced that he is launching a new initiative called “Water Adaptation and Resilience” in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) at COP27.\n\nSee how Cairo expanded between 1984 and 2020\n\nSources: Egypt's Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities; Google Earth\n\nCairo’s population has more than doubled over the past four decades, and so the city has expanded. Egypt’s “New Administrative Capital” is being built over a 714 square kilometer (276 sq. mi.) site and, once completed, will house 6.5 million people.\n\nMost of Egypt’s population, which now stands at 104 million, is crowded along the narrow Nile river.\n\nIn July, Egypt’s submission to the UN Framework on Climate Change revealed that its water resources only amount to about 60 billion cubic meters annually, nearly all of which comes from the Nile. But with the population increasing by one person every 19 seconds, Egypt needs an estimated 114 billion cubic meters of water per year, forcing the country to bridge the gap with groundwater, rainfall and treated wastewater.\n\n“Our water sources are limited,” Saker El Nour, an Egyptian sociologist who researches agrarian issues, rural poverty and the environment in Arab countries, told CNN. “We are in a dry area, and so we don’t have enough rain and our main source of water is the Nile.”\n\n“This will get worse with climate change,” he added.\n\nExperts say the Egyptian government’s own water management strategies are contributing to its pressing water crisis. As authorities warn of water scarcity, experts say that tens of billions of dollars are being squandered on projects that waste – as opposed to conserve – the precious natural resource, particularly Egypt’s megaprojects in the desert.\n\nEgypt's brand new city is being built from scratch in the middle of the desert. Abd El Ghany/Reuters\n\nDesigned to mimic the Nile River\n\nThe Green River project is one such venture.\n\nThe artificial body of water is meant to mimic the Nile and become a key centerpiece of the New Capital project.\n\nThe giant system of lakes, canals and gardens connecting the New Capital’s different neighborhoods is designed to be 35 kilometres long and encompass what Egypt says will be “the largest park in the world,” extending over a 10-kilometer area. Costs for the first phase were estimated at $500 million, state media reported in 2019. The project also includes two giant manmade lakes, the first of which has been built, according to state media.\n\nCNN has been unable to verify how much of the Green River project has been constructed to date, but in June authorities said the first phase of the New Capital was more than 70% complete.\n\nGoogle Earth images show large swathes of greenery stretched across the desert and a giant, manmade lake, which appears to be full of water.\n\nThe New Capital is designed for a population of 6.5 million people. To put that in perspective, some 20 million people are crammed into highly congested Greater Cairo.\n\nSleek promotional material produced by the government paints a picture of a lush city nestled in the middle of the desert. It promises a sprawling government district, thousands of new homes, an entertainment district and even a zoo with an aquarium featuring dolphin performances.\n\nBut as the government spearheads its luxurious project, the average farmer struggles to find enough water to sustain small plots of land, which for many represent their main source of income.\n\nAn Egyptian farmer takes part in wheat harvest in Bamha village near al-Ayyat town in Giza province. Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images\n\nAn aerial view of Minya al-Qamh agricultural region in Sharqiyah province. Amir Makar/AFP/Getty Images\n\nWhen every drop of water counts\n\nFurther down the river Nile in Egypt’s Minya governorate, around 250 kilometers south of Cairo, farmers huddle around a thin stream of canal water, drawing water to irrigate their land.\n\nTwenty-six-year-old Romany Sami is one of those farmers. Along with his father and brother, Sami owns 10 feddans of land – around 10 acres – and is currently planting wheat and onions.\n\nSami says that water is not consistently available. The supply is intermittent in order to allow everyone a chance to irrigate.\n\n“People stay up all night waiting for the water to arrive. We don’t sleep at home most days because of the water. I need to work continuously for two or three days before the water dries up,” Sami told CNN.\n\nSami’s farmland lies on a small canal running between different plots of land and fed by the Nile. The farmer says that those cultivating longstanding farmland on one side of the canal are allowed to use Nile water for irrigation, but those farming newly planted reclaimed desert land on the other side are prohibited from doing so, simply because there is not enough water.\n\nPeople stay up all night waiting for the water to arrive. We don’t sleep at home most days because of the water. Romany Sami, an Egyptian farmer\n\nFarmers, including Sami, who can’t draw on the waters of the Nile, are forced to use groundwater for irrigation.\n\n“Reclaimed lands are not allowed to irrigate with Nile water, and they have to use wells, which are more expensive,” said Hussein Abdel Rahman, head of Egypt’s Farmers’ Syndicate, “so people resort to stealing water and they are subjected to fines, and the matter may even lead to imprisonment.”\n\nFrom time to time, says Sami, authorities pass by and impose fines on farmers caught using Nile water. Desperation drives Sami and others to do so anyway.\n\nBut Minya is only one of many farming regions struggling to find water to grow their crops.\n\nSome 100 kilometers southwest of Cairo in the village of Tamiya in Fayoum, 63-year-old farmer Ahmed Abd Rabbo has seen the yields of his hard work collapse amid the water shortage.\n\nLiving with his family of 25 in a three-story house, Abd Rabbo, says he can no longer rely on his wheat field as a primary source of income.\n\nHis plot sits at the end of a canal, and he says it often runs dry by the time he needs to irrigate his wheat.\n\n“Those who stand at the end of the queue get nothing if the need is great,” Abd Rabbo told CNN.\n\nWhen there isn’t enough water in the canal, Abd Rabbo uses wastewater. While the farmer says he is grateful that there is at least some water year-round, he says wastewater negatively affects the quality and quantity of his crops.\n\n“But better one-eyed than stone-blind,” he said.\n\nWorkers feed harvested wheat into a thresher on a farm in Rahma Village in Fayoum. Islam Safwat/Bloomberg/Getty Images\n\nAdel Yacoub, a 50-year-old Egyptian farmer, works a field in the village of Gabal al-Tayr. Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images\n\nThe Egyptian government says it’s running a number of projects aimed at conserving water and maximizing its use. One such initiative, launched by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation in 2021, is seeking to rehabilitate canals with the aim of improving water management and distribution.\n\nEgypt says it is also working with its people to improve irrigation methods, implement efficient farming techniques, and eliminate pollution.\n\nThe government is already limiting the planting of water-intensive crops such as rice.\n\nBut Egypt’s water shortage problems also stem from mismanagement, as well as a lack of equal distribution, rural sociologist El Nour said, adding that the issue tends to be overlooked in the government’s narrative.\n\nAnd while Cairo cites rising global temperatures, shore erosion, and the melting of glaciers as key challenges to securing enough water for its booming population, it also points to Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The gravity dam on the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia has been under construction since 2011. Ethiopia started to fill the reservoir behind the dam in 2020, and it remains a major point of tension between the two countries.\n\nEthiopia completed the third phase of filling in August, which Egypt has rejected as “unilateral action.”\n\nEthiopia said it has taken into consideration Egypt and Sudan’s needs when constructing and operating the dam. But it is seen by Egypt and Sudan as an existential threat to their limited water supply.\n\nWorkers drive past a banner with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in the New Administrative Capital. Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters\n\nWhere is the water coming from?\n\nState media reported last year that the New Capital plans to use water treatment plants to supply the Green River project, rather than fresh water from the Nile.\n\nBut analysts are skeptical about both the source of water used and the sustainability of the project itself.\n\n“There is a logical question that needs to be asked: How are these water treatment plants operational in a city that is not yet inhabited?” said El Nour, who studies water use in agriculture.\n\nIn a 2018 interview with Sky News Arabia, spokesman Khaled El-Husseiny said two pumping stations would transfer fresh water from the Nile to the New Capital, adding that the New Capital currently relies on those stations and that they were completed “to a large extent.”\n\nEach station is designed to pump around 125,000 cubic meters of Nile water per day, El-Husseiny told Sky News Arabiya.\n\nGiven that the pumping stations are the only water source that “we are sure have reached the New Capital,” El Nour raises the question whether fresh water rather than treated wastewater could be being used for the Green River project.\n\nDespite reaching out to Egyptian authorities, CNN has not been able to verify the sources of water used for the Green River project. El-Husseiny, the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, and the government’s foreign press center did not respond to repeated requests for information.\n\nBut Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry insists Egyptians “are not complaining of the government’s management and its provision of their needs.”\n\nSpeaking to CNN’s Becky Anderson on the sidelines of the COP27 summit on Monday, Shoukry stressed that issues of water scarcity and water security are paramount in this year’s talks, and that his government has spent large amounts of money on water conservation initiatives that assure fair and equal distribution.\n\n“With regards to what Egypt is doing, it never seems to meet the approval of some,” Shoukry added. “If we do not create new cities for our people that are growing at a very large rate and alternative dwellings, then we are deficient; but if we do, then we are squandering,” he said.\n\n“We wish we could do more,” he told CNN, “But we do so within the resources [available] and we direct our resources toward the benefit of our people.”\n\nWater scarcity is a global issue and not one particular to Egypt, said Nabeel Elhady, a professor at Cairo University who has been studying the country’s water challenges for several years. But the lack of transparency with regards to data collection and data sharing in Egypt makes it difficult for water experts to assess both the extent and root causes of water scarcity in the country, he added.\n\n“We need to of course know more, but I imagine that the authorities are worried because this information can sometimes make it seem like they are not doing enough on their end,” Elhady told CNN.\n\nBetter access to information would, however, help both authorities and experts improve solutions to the problem, he said.\n\nEgypt says the new city is needed to accomodate its rapidly growing population. Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters\n\nThe Egyptian government has been touting the New Administrative Capital as an ultra-modern, green city. Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters\n\nMegaprojects during an economic crunch\n\nEgypt’s megaprojects in the desert may put further strain on already scarce resources, analysts say.\n\nIt has been building new cities for decades, with multiple generations of new urban projects expanding far into the desert surrounding Cairo. Egypt’s New Capital is the latest of these projects, and one of the largest.\n\n“This is a central problem, and water is at the heart of it,” said Elhady.\n\nThe arid ecosystem that currently exists in Egypt is not designed to be filled with lakes and gardens, he said, adding that “creating artificial life and transferring water to it is 100% unsustainable.”\n\nLike much of the world, Egypt is also struggling to cope with the economic impact of the war in Ukraine, on which it is normally heavily reliant for grain imports. The IMF confirmed a $3 billion loan to Egypt just last month, as authorities seek to keep the economy afloat amid a fall in the value of its currency and soaring inflation. But even before this latest loan, Egypt already owed more than $52 billion to different “multilateral institutions,” according to a 2022 Central Bank report, with close to half of that borrowed from the IMF.\n\nBut while authorities are warning of water scarcity and economic challenges brought on by the war in Ukraine, megaprojects deemed unnecessary by some are in full swing.\n\n“The contradiction is really extremely clear and very strange to listen to as well,” said Maged Mandour, a political analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.\n\nCOP 27 as an opportunity for change?\n\nFor al-Sisi, water scarcity is a top priority that needs to be addressed at the COP27 summit and “a matter of national security” for his country.\n\nBut at the same time, the New Administrative Capital – a hallmark of the legacy he aims to leave behind – is accused of squandering the very resource he is battling to protect.\n\nAnalysts disagree about what the climate summit can do to address this apparent contradiction.\n\nMandour sees the COP 27 summit as a way for the government to “greenwash” its climate change record and continue with its prized megaprojects, despite the outcry.\n\n“It is clear greenwashing,” he told CNN. “There is no avenue for a discussion about this.”\n\nOthers view the conference as a chance for Egypt to look inward, to speak openly about its shortcomings and find solutions through negotiations with both the local and international community.\n\n“I see COP27 as an opportunity for the environmental issues that are generally silenced to be discussed,” said El Nour.\n\nCNN has repeatedly reached out to Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt’s special representative of COP27, about whether these issues will be brought to the discussion table during the summit. Like many other officials, Aboulmagd did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.\n\nAddressing world leaders at the climate summit on Sunday, al-Sisi stressed that funding is needed to support developing countries who “today are suffering more than others from the consequences of these [climate change] crises,” especially on the African continent. He also called on leaders to come together and make this “the summit of implementation.”\n\n“We are running out of time,” he said, “Only a few years are left in this crucial decade, and we must take advantage of them.”\n\nFor those who depend for their lives and livelihood on the dwindling waters of the Nile, the stakes could not be higher.", "authors": ["Nadeen Ebrahim"], "publish_date": "2022/11/08"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/19/us/jackson-mississippi-water-crisis/index.html", "title": "'Water is a human right': City of Jackson still in dire need of ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nLaurie Bertram Roberts walks 3 miles down a nearby hill to the store to fill up her 5-gallon jug with filtered water. The mother of seven makes the trip every week to make sure she has 1 gallon for each family member.\n\nShe stopped counting the boil water notices since they can happen at least three times a month. The longtime resident of Jackson, Mississippi, has been drinking filtered and bottled water for years due to scarce or dirty water. She doesn’t use the town’s water for drinking, bathing or cooking.\n\nA year ago, a winter storm shut down Jackson’s entire water system, leaving tens of thousands of residents without water for a month in the middle of a pandemic. That only made matters worse for Betram Roberts, who had to buy baby wipes, extra underwear, disposable plates and microwaveable food – necessities she resorts to when she knows her family will be without clean water.\n\nWhen she knew she was going to be without water for a while, Betram Roberts became concerned for her twins, who have autism and eczema head to toe. She was scared that the little dirty water she had access to would get into a skin crack or open sore on their skin. She then decided to take the 27-year-old twins almost three hours away to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for a couple of weeks.\n\n“I think the fact that our water has become something that we joke about a lot, tells you a lot about where we are at,” she told CNN. “It’s become this running commentary that is just so ubiquitous, and you don’t really think about how messed up that is. Water is a human right.”\n\nBetram Roberts has been making the trip to fill her jug for several years now because of her hesitancy to use the city’s water. It has become so normal to her that it’s now part of a weekly routine and has become a necessity. It’s a matter of survival for her and her family even though she says it has become a joke to others.\n\nResidents like Betram Roberts paint a picture of how this city of more than 151,000 people has been forced to deal with a water crisis as well as a pandemic. After the storm last year, leaders of the majority Black community begged the state for $47 million for water and sewer repairs, but the legislature gave them only $3 million. The Environmental Protection Agency also recently announced $74.9 million in federal water and sewer infrastructure funds for Mississippi. However, the mayor says it would take $2 billion to fully repair and replace the dated system that has too much lead in its water.\n\nTown administrations have dealt with this issue since the 1900s. The town’s first African American mayor, Harvey Johnson, held office for two terms and faced the challenges of poverty, a loss of population and a lack of federal and state resources. Even with his efforts to mitigate these circumstances, Jackson’s water system was still a concern at the end of his term in 2005 and still is four mayors later. Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba took office in 2017.\n\nAlthough Lumumba says he is aware of the ongoing challenges, residents continue to report low to no water pressure and raw sewage flowing in city streets and neighborhoods. Jackson residents say they have been boiling their water to make it safe and traveling to cities like Braxton, 30 minutes away, to buy bottled water. This has highlighted Jackson’s outdated and neglected water infrastructure, which community leaders and experts say is connected to environmental racism. The city is about 82% Black and 17% White.\n\nLumumba told CNN a lack of political will and years of neglect on a national level has prevented Jackson from getting the help it needs to fix its water and sewer crisis.\n\n“We’re going to take every bit of money that we can get to contribute to the problem,” Lumumba said. “There’s a lack of understanding of the challenges that happen in Jackson. We’re going to keep beating the drum and making it clear that this is going to require a more substantial investment.”\n\nJackson resident, Bettie Wilder opened the door for city councilman and State Rep. De'Keither Stamps as he brought an ice chest filled with potable water to her home last year. Rogelio V. Solis/AP\n\nCatherine Coleman Flowers, founder of the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice, advocates for rural communities of color who are facing environmental challenges and believes environmental racism is at play in Jackson.\n\n“It really changes the way we operate,” Flowers said. “It also means that those people that can’t afford bottled water are put in a position where they can’t wash their hands on a regular basis like they should. And now with diseases like Covid, it is very important that you have access to water because water is a part of sanitation. It really makes people far more vulnerable.”\n\nFlowers told CNN the impact of not having access to clean water is especially detrimental to lower-income communities that don’t have the money or resources to ensure they have clean water. About 25% of Jackson residents are in poverty compared to the national poverty rate of about 11%, and people are already disadvantaged. It’s often difficult for them to find transportation or money to obtain clean water.\n\nFlowers said cities like Jackson are an example of “benign neglect” from those in power.\n\n“I am concerned that it’s just another symbol of what I call one of the relatives of the Confederacy where communities that need help are not given the help, especially if they’re marginalized or communities of color,” she told CNN.\n\nMany residents are left to face the long-term effects of an aging water system that lacks a supportive and strong foundation.\n\nOn rainy days, James Hopkins sets a bucket outside to collect water. When it doesn’t rain, the Jackson resident spends about $80 per week on bottled water to drink, bathe, brush his teeth and cook. On top of this, he still pays his water bill but hardly turns on his faucet.\n\nWhen he showers with the water from the city, he says he is sometimes left with an itchy feeling on his skin, so he mainly resorts to bathing with fresh spring water from the supermarket. Hopkins has never trusted Jackson’s water.\n\n“This water issue needs to be tackled constantly,” Hopkins said. “We can’t wait until the next storm or flood to say we have water issues.”\n\nThe marginalization and disinvestment of Black communities are intentional and therefore come as no surprise, according to Yvette Carnell, president and CEO of the American Descendants of Slavery Advocacy Foundation. She believes a water system with a fragile foundation is bigger than Jackson and is often common for Black rural communities.\n\nMadonna Manor maintenance supervisor Lamar Jackson, left, stacked bottled water brought by Mac Epps of Mississippi Move last year. Rogelio V. Solis/AP\n\n“We have an infrastructure crisis in this country and, given the history of this country, it should come as no surprise that Black communities are the most starved for resources,” she told CNN. “Our needs are never prioritized when it’s time to fund new pipelines and thus, our communities fall into disrepair.”\n\nJackson is also facing fiscal constraints because of a population decline of more than 3,000 people and the city currently generates less tax revenue and overall economic activity. Its population has been declining since 2011.\n\nAn ongoing decline in tax revenue gives the town less financial resources to maintain and improve a public water system that was built for a larger population, according to John Green, director of the Southern Rural Development Center.\n\nGreen told CNN that a one-time allocation of funds will not be enough to improve Jackson’s infrastructure, but it will take a large investment, strategic planning, sufficient staffing and innovation.\n\nJackson’s plight is an echo of the Flint, Michigan water crisis, another majority Black community that has struggled with its water since 2014. With a Black population of about 54%, Flint has grappled with aging pipes, lead contamination in its water, and a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak.\n\nSince 2014, Flint has seen progress including low lead levels in the city’s water, funding from the EPA and a compensation fund that will provide direct payments to Flint residents.\n\n“Flint has rebuilt their water plan and improved their lead levels, and they’re moving forward from the past, whereas we kind of don’t see exactly where our situation is going to remedy,” Sheryl Bacon, research associate and analyst at the Mississippi Urban Research Center at Jackson State University said.\n\nMayor Lumumba recognizes a pattern of neglect toward Jackson and says the lack of investment is intentional, as the state and federal governments are aware of Jackson’s challenges but don’t act to fully address the crisis. He said Jackson must attain an equitable water distribution system to see any kind of progress that Flint has, but state leaders refuse to help and have left Jackson to deal with the crisis by itself.\n\nRecent report recommends ways to address crisis\n\nA recent report from the Mississippi Urban Research Center examined the Jackson water crisis from past and present perspectives to make research-based recommendations on efforts for the future.\n\nJennifer Cattenhead shows a cooler with non-potable water she had to use for flushing last year in Jackson, Mississippi. Rory Doyle/Reuters\n\nThe report – “Implications of the 2021 Jackson Water Crisis: Past, Present, and Future” – focuses on trends and changes in residential population, property tax revenues in the city of Jackson over the years and the effect that privatizing a public water system would have on the town. The authors recommend policy options including improved efforts to collect water bills and a push to create a new agency for enhanced interlocal government collaboration.\n\nDr. Isiah Marshall, an editor of the report and associate dean of Jackson State University’s School of Social Work, told CNN that environmental racism is at play in Jackson and is based on economic, social and historical factors.\n\n“One of the things that this particular journal taught us is how we have to now mobilize people and communities to take some court of responsibility or knowing what to do to ensure that the most vulnerable are not suffering to these types of issues,” he said.\n\nThe report revealed that town officials must not only secure money to repair infrastructure, but they also must prepare cities to ensure that crises like Jackson’s won’t have such a negative impact.\n\n“We need to be progressive in our thinking, and forward and focus as we approach environmental responsibility and sustainability,” Sheryl Bacon, an author of the report and research associate and analyst at the Mississippi Urban Research Center at Jackson State University told CNN.\n\nThe report also revealed that Jackson’s high concentration of low-wage jobs, renters and impoverished families affect access to water infrastructure. Bacon said it’s important to note that much of the Jackson community has struggled with financial barriers, not only to water, but to internet access and several other qualities of life factors.\n\nWhat comes next?\n\nMayor Lumumba’s short-term goal for the city is to identify a means to stabilize Jackson’s water treatment facilities and pinpoint solutions to repair them. His administration will review the current investments and demand more.\n\nLooking to the future, he said his long-term goal is to create a fully dependable and sustainable water system so that Jackson residents can use the town’s water to cook, clean, wash their clothes and drink.\n\n“Our biggest strength as a city is the resilience of our people,” Lumumba said. “As an administration, we’re going to struggle without ceasing until we bring them the resources that they so justly deserve. We’re going to call out those that play a role in this.”", "authors": ["Maya Brown"], "publish_date": "2022/04/19"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/02/us/jackson-mississippi-water-crisis-what-we-know/index.html", "title": "What we know about the drinking water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nMississippi’s capital has been without reliable tap water service since Monday, when rainwater flooding helped push an already-hobbled treatment plant to begin failing.\n\nSignificant gains have been made to restart the system, officials have said, but when potable water will flow again to Jackson’s roughly 150,000 residents – who for weeks already had been under a boil-water alert – remains an open question.\n\nUntil then, families and businesses are forced to buy water or rely on an inefficient system of bottled water pick-up sites for water to drink, cook and brush teeth.\n\nHere’s how the latest chapter in the city’s water disaster has unfolded:\n\nWhat is the latest news?\n\nEfforts to continue to bring a vital water treatment plant fully online and restore clean drinking water to the city experienced complications Friday, Jim Craig, director of health protection at the Mississippi Department of Health, told reporters.\n\nOne of the issues was a chemical imbalance Friday afternoon that prompted officials to shut down the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant for a few hours.\n\n“It’s like fixing the airplane while you’re still flying. You have to be very careful how you fix it so that you stay flying,” he said. “It’s the same thing as we’re trying to produce water. All that water demand needs to continue to occur, and every time we have to do some maintenance then we have to offset some of that.”\n\nWorkers at seven state-run distribution centers have handed out almost 2.8 million bottles of water over a period of about 24 hours, Gov. Tate Reeves said.\n\nEarlier, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said at a news conference the city has had “two consecutive days of gains.” Lumumba said the signs of recovery don’t “mean by any stretch that all residents have pressure or water.”\n\nOne of the challenges as the city reestablishes water pressure is the possibility of pipes bursting.\n\n“We know that we have brittle pipes, we have aged pipes, just as our water treatment facilities are aged,” he said.\n\nThe mayor also explained the process before the boil water notice can be lifted, saying, “Once pressure is restored to all residents, then the next stage of that process is that the health department gives the OK, gives the go ahead to start the testing process.\n\n“Once that testing process begins, there are about 120 sites that they begin to take samples from, and you have to have two consecutive days of clear samples before the boil water notice can be lifted.”\n\nWhat led to this week’s outage\n\nThe main pumps at Jackson’s O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant around late July were severely damaged, forcing the facility to operate on smaller backup pumps, the governor said this week, without elaborating on the damage, which city officials also have not detailed.\n\nThe city announced August 9 the troubled pumps were being pulled offline.\n\nThen last week, the governor was warned Jackson would soon fail to produce running water, Reeves said.\n\nAnd then came the flooding: Heavy rains last week pushed the Pearl River to overflow, cresting Monday, and to flood some Jackson streets – while also impacting intake water at a reservoir that feeds the drinking water treatment plant.\n\nA chemical imbalance was created on the conventional treatment side of the plant, Craig said Wednesday.\n\nIt affected particulate removal, causing a side of the plant to be temporarily shut down and resulting in a loss of water distribution pressure, he said.\n\nStaffing problems have further complicated matters, officials said.\n\nA tanker leaves O.B. Curtis Water Plant on Wednesday. Austin Steele/CNN\n\nWhat needs to be done to fix it\n\nA temporary rented pump was installed Wednesday at the plant, and “significant” gains were made by Thursday, the city said, with workers making a “series of repairs and equipment adjustments.”\n\nAs of Thursday, water pressure had been restored to some residents, with those close to the plant having almost normal pressure, the city said. Those farther away and at higher elevations still had little to no pressure.\n\nOn Friday, the pumping pressure at the Curtis treatment plant fell from 85 pounds per square inch to 77.2, Craig said.\n\nA boil-water advisory went into effect in late July – well before Monday’s service disruptions – after cloudy water at the O.B. Curtis plant was blamed on high levels of the mineral manganese, “combined with the use of lime,” the city said. That order has yet to be lifted.\n\nContractors also were making assessments Thursday, according to the city update, and the Environmental Protection Agency and the US Army Corps of Engineers were at the site.\n\nFEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell in Jackson on Friday. President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for the city, and it will allow Mississippi to tap into critical resources to respond to the crisis, Reeves said.\n\nHow people are coping without running water\n\nResidents have understandably been angry and frustrated, with no water to drink or brush their teeth or, in many cases, even flush toilets.\n\nSome waited hours in long lines this week for a case of bottled water, only to be turned away when the supply ran out.\n\nJeraldine Watts, 86, was in a line that stretched for 2 miles, she told CNN.\n\nWatts, who was born and raised in Jackson and lives with her daughter and granddaughter, said they have to use bottled or boiled water for everything – even to cook and wash dishes.\n\n“We are constantly paying water bills, and we can’t use the water,” Jackson resident Corean Wheeler said. “We feel like we are living in a third world country in America, and that’s kind of bad.”\n\nSchools switched to virtual learning as of Tuesday, and a medical center was without air conditioning because of a lack of water pressure to feed its chillers, the University of Mississippi Medical Center said Tuesday.\n\nThe governor declared an emergency, and the National Guard was deployed to help distribute water. On Thursday, the state opened seven distribution sites, adding to those operated by the city.\n\nResidents who were getting discolored water from their taps were told it should be used for showering or washing hands only and not for drinking or cooking.\n\n“Please make sure in the shower that your mouth is not open,” Craig told residents.\n\nCity water system problems go back years\n\nAn unreliable water supply is nothing new to Jacksonians. The city’s water system in early 2020 failed an Environmental Protection Agency inspection, which found the drinking water had the potential to be host to harmful bacteria or parasites.\n\nResidents were without water for a month when pipes froze and burst during a 2021 winter storm. And the late July boil-water advisory remains in effect.\n\nThe problems are largely systemic – old and leaky pipes, malfunctions at treatment plants and insufficient money to fix the problems, according to a report by the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting that the Clarion Ledger published in January.\n\nStaffing at the plant also has been a problem, according to Reeves and the mayor.\n\n“This is something that has been occurring for years, but sometimes it takes these catastrophes to make sure that this disaster comes to light,” Mississippi state Rep. Ronnie Crudup Jr., of Jackson, told CNN this week.\n\nThe EPA and the city entered into an agreement last year to address “long-term challenges and make needed improvements to the drinking water system.” And that agency recently announced $74.9 million in federal water and sewer infrastructure funds for Mississippi, though $2 billion is needed for the work, the mayor has said.\n\nAdvocates have pointed to systemic and environmental racism as among the causes of Jackson’s ongoing water issues and lack of resources to address them. About 82.5% of Jackson’s population identifies as Black or African American, according to census data.\n\nCities like Jackson suffer the “benign neglect” of those in power, Catherine Coleman Flowers, founder of the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice, told CNN in April. “I am concerned that it’s just another symbol of what I call one of the relatives of the Confederacy where communities that need help are not given the help, especially if they’re marginalized or communities of color.”", "authors": ["Theresa Waldrop"], "publish_date": "2022/09/02"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/02/asia/pakistan-floods-climate-explainer-intl-hnk/index.html", "title": "Pakistan floods: What you need to know | CNN", "text": "CNN —\n\nMore than one third of Pakistan is underwater, according to satellite images from the European Space Agency (ESA), as deadly floodwaters threaten to create secondary disasters.\n\nSee volunteers use bedframe to rescue people from deadly floods 01:19 - Source: CNN\n\nFood is in short supply after water covered millions of acres of crops and wiped out hundreds of thousands of livestock. Meanwhile, aid agencies have warned of an uptick in infectious diseases, leaving millions vulnerable to illness caused by what the United Nations has called a “monsoon on steroids.”\n\nMore than 1,100 people have died from the floods since mid-June, nearly 400 of them children, while millions have been displaced, according to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).\n\nPakistan, which was already grappling with political and economic turmoil, has been thrown into the front line of the human-induced climate crisis.\n\nHere’s what you need to know.\n\nWhy are the floods so bad?\n\nPakistan’s monsoon season usually brings heavy downpours, but this year’s has been the wettest since records began in 1961, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department\n\nTorrential monsoon rainfall – 10 times heavier than usual – has caused the Indus River to overflow, effectively creating a long lake, tens of kilometers wide, according to images from the ESA on August 30.\n\nIn the southern Sindh and Balochistan provinces, rainfall has been 500% above average as of August 30, according to the NDMA, engulfing entire villages and farmland, razing buildings and wiping out crops.\n\nPakistan is responsible for less than 1% of the world’s planet-warming gases, European Union data shows, yet it is the eighth most vulnerable nation to the climate crisis, according to the Global Climate Risk Index.\n\nAnd it’s paying a hefty price – the South Asian country faced dramatic climate conditions this year, from record heat waves to destructive floods – as the climate crisis exacerbates extreme weather events.\n\nHomes are surrounded by floodwaters in Jaffarabad, a district of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan Province, on September 1, 2022. Zahid Hussain/AP\n\nUN Secretary General António Guterres has warned the world is “sleepwalking” into environmental destruction.\n\n“South Asia is one of the world’s global climate crisis hotspots. People living in these hotspots are 15 times more likely to die from climate impacts,” Guterres said on August 30.\n\n“As we continue to see more and more extreme weather events around the world, it is outrageous that climate action is being put on the back burner as global emissions of greenhouse gases are still rising, putting all of us – everywhere – in growing danger,” he added.\n\nPakistan is also home to more glaciers than anywhere outside the polar regions. But as the climate warms, it’s becoming more vulnerable to sudden outbursts of melting glacier water.\n\nWhat has been the damage so far?\n\nPakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on August 30 the floods were “the worst in the country’s history” and estimated the calamity had caused more than $10 billion in damages to infrastructure, homes and farms.\n\nMore than 33 million people have been affected, or about 15% of the population, according to Pakistan’s climate change minister Sherry Rehman on August 25. More than 1 million homes have been damaged or destroyed, while at least 5,000 kilometers of roads have been damaged, according to the NDMA.\n\nDeadly flash floods wipe out critical bridge in Pakistan 02:31 - Source: CNN\n\nFloods have impacted 2 million acres of crops and killed more than 794,000 heads of livestock across Pakistan, according to a situation report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on August 26.\n\nMore than 800 health facilities have been damaged in the country, of which 180 are completely damaged, leaving millions of people lacking access to health care and medical treatment, as reported in many affected districts, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).\n\nHow is it impacting people in Pakistan?\n\nPakistan is facing twin food and health crises brought by the unprecedented floods.\n\nAccording to charity Action Against Hunger, 27 million people in the country did not have access to enough food prior the floods, and now the risk of widespread hunger is even more imminent.\n\nThe Alkhidmat Foundation distributes food bags at a makeshift camp in Sindh Province, Pakistan on September 1, 2022. Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images\n\n“Our priority right now is to help save and protect lives as waters continue to rise. The scale of these floods has caused a shocking level of destruction – crops have been swept away and livestock killed across huge swathes of the country, which means hunger will follow,” said Saleh Saeed, chief executive of the Disasters Emergency Committee, a United Kingdom-based aid coalition.\n\nClimate crisis doesn't care about caste or creed, says Pakistani diplomat 12:41 - Source: CNN\n\nPrime Minister Sharif said on August 30 that people were facing food shortages and the price of basic items such as tomatoes and onions had “skyrocketed.”\n\n“I have to feed my people. Their stomachs cannot go empty,” Sharif said.\n\nThe WHO has also classified Pakistan’s worst floods on record as an emergency of “the highest level,” warning of a rapid spread of disease due to the lack of access to medical assistance.\n\nWHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on August 31 warned of new outbreaks of diarrheal diseases, skin infections, respiratory tract infections, malaria and dengue in the aftermath of the floods, while a litany of waterborne diseases also posed health risks.\n\nNewborn babies lie in their beds after their homes were hit by floods in Sindh Province of Pakistan, on September 1, 2022. Fareed Khan/AP\n\nWhat is being done?\n\nA National Flood Response and Coordination Center has been set up as the country reels from the flooding, according to Pakistan’s Prime Minister.\n\nThe United Nations has launched a $160 million appeal aiming to reach 5.2 million of the most vulnerable people in the country, while the WHO also released $10 million to treat the injured, deliver supplies to health facilities, and prevent the spread of infectious diseases.\n\nThe Pakistan Army rescues people affected by the floods in the hard-hit Sindh Province on September 1, 2022. Adeel Abbasi/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images\n\nTwo Chinese military planes carrying tents and other flood aid landed in Karachi on August 30, according to the Consul General of China to Karachi. China has pledged $14.5 million in aid to Pakistan, while the UK government also announced a contribution of 1.5 million pounds ($1.73 million) for relief efforts.\n\nPrime Minister Sharif told CNN on August 30 the country was in talks with Moscow over importing wheat without breaching Western sanctions imposed over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.\n\nSharif said that while Pakistan had secured 1 million metric tons of wheat amid the global shortage, the country will now need more due to the impact of the floods on the agriculture sector – which accounts for almost 40% of employment, according to World Bank data.", "authors": ["Kathleen Magramo"], "publish_date": "2022/09/02"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2019/11/29/middle-east-oman-water-desalination-reliance-costs/2123698001/", "title": "In the Middle East, countries spend heavily to transform seawater ...", "text": "BARKA, Oman — On the shore of the Arabian Sea, two massive pipes, each more than six feet in diameter, extend from a fenced compound down into the water.\n\nThe pipes work like powerful straws, sucking in seawater and sending it through a series of tanks and filters.\n\nThe Barka 4 desalination plant is Oman’s newest and largest. Powered by natural gas, the plant went online last year and at full capacity can churn out 74 million gallons of potable water in a day — enough to fill 112 Olympic-size swimming pools.\n\nOman relies on desalination because its extreme scarcity of water leaves few other options. In this corner of the Arabian Peninsula, there isn’t a single river that flows year-round, and pumping from wells has led to depleted aquifers and allowed saltwater to seep into groundwater along the coast.\n\nThe country has a total of nine large desalination plants, plus 47 small plants, which the government says supply about 86% of the country’s potable water.\n\nThe technology is expensive and energy-intensive, and the government heavily subsidizes water rates to keep prices low.\n\nOther countries across the Arabian Peninsula are similarly dependent on government-subsidized desalination plants. In Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, rulers have for years poured oil and gas wealth into plants that transform seawater into a steady supply for their growing populations in cities on the Persian Gulf from Doha to Dubai.\n\nNo other region on Earth desalinates so much water. The Middle East, according to experts, accounts for more than 60% of the world’s total desalination capacity.\n\nOther water-stressed countries, such as Morocco and Australia, have also begun to tap the oceans. And in the arid American Southwest, water officials and urban planners are increasingly looking to desalination as a potential partial solution for cities whose water supplies are under pressure due to overuse, years of drought and the effects of climate change.\n\nOman’s first desalination plant started operating in 1976, and since then the number of facilities has steadily grown along the shore of the Gulf of Oman.\n\nThe $314 million Barka 4 plant was built by a consortium of companies led by Suez, which will operate the facility for 20 years under a contract.\n\nLeading a tour of the plant, managers from the Paris-based company touted the reverse-osmosis technology as state-of-the-art.\n\n\"Energy consumption is very low in this plant,\" said Estelle Clermont, the plant’s operations and maintenance manager.\n\nCompared with other older plants, Barka 4 consumes about a quarter less gas-fired energy per volume of water produced. Clermont said this represents the future of desalination, as costs continue to come down with technological improvements.\n\nShe and other managers in hard hats walked alongside one of the giant beige intake pipes, which snaked from the shore toward the plant. They climbed up stairs to a platform and looked down from a railing into a deep rectangular pool where the seawater was flowing in.\n\nThe plant can pump in as much as 7.1 million gallons of seawater per hour, Clermont said. The salt-free water that emerges from the plant, she said, supplies about one-fifth of the country’s desalinated water.\n\nLooking out over an open tank, where the water welled up and swirled in eddies, fellow manager Sebastian De la Garde explained that the first phase of treatment removes algae and other particles.\n\nBrownish water cascaded down a waterfall-like structure one on side of the treatment platform. Some of what’s filtered out ends up as concentrated sludge, which is sent to a landfill. The process also generates highly salty brine, which pours back into the gulf.\n\nOn the other side of the plant, a blue pipe nearly 5 feet wide emerges and arches over the road. It carries potable water toward Muscat, the capital, and other cities on the coast.\n\nThe costs of relying on desalination\n\nThe country, officially called the Sultanate of Oman, has been ruled since 1970 by Sultan Qaboos bin Said. He and his government have dedicated a substantial portion of the country’s natural gas to generating electricity and running desalination plants, while keeping water rates low through large subsidies.\n\nIn its latest annual report, the government’s Public Authority for Water listed the equivalent of $404 million in total subsidies for 2018 — about $1.1 million per day.\n\nOver the years, the government has regularly added more desalination plants to keep up with rising water consumption and the increasing population, which has grown to about 5 million with the arrival of immigrants from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and other countries.\n\n\"Desalinated water is increasing because the government has a supply policy, which means that whenever we need more water, we build new desalination plants,\" said Slim Zekri, a professor who leads the natural resource economics department at Sultan Qaboos University.\n\nHe said low water rates have long meant a lack of \"demand management\" or financial incentives for people to conserve. The government budget has been squeezed, while per-capita water use has climbed.\n\n\"Desalination is quite expensive and energy-dependent,\" Zekri said, \"and we need to think about solutions for the future.\"\n\nHe said that should mean raising water prices substantially while continuing to ensure economical rates for low-income people.\n\nHomeowners and businesses have long paid a water rate of 2 baisa per gallon in Omani currency, which works out to about a dollar for 200 gallons. (That subsidized price, while inexpensive, is still higher than what people pay for water in parts of the United States. For example, an average customer with a single-family home in Phoenix pays about 60 cents for 200 gallons.)\n\nAfter many years of keeping the price frozen, Oman's Public Authority for Water announced this year that it's raising rates for customers who use more than 5,000 gallons a month. Above that level, people will be charged 25% more.\n\nZekri said this marginal increase still won't cover the cost of water service, and won't provide an effective incentive for people to use less.\n\nHe said water prices should be increased more to encourage conservation and help drive investments in water-saving technologies. Taking steps to manage the demand for water, he said, would also help limit declines in aquifers, which have fallen due to heavy groundwater pumping, and would help Oman prepare as climate change brings higher temperatures and shifts in rainfall patterns.\n\n\"I'm quite confident that water can be managed properly and we can avoid a water crisis,\" Zekri said, \"if we put in place the appropriate management strategies.\"\n\nRashid al-Abri, an assistant director of Oman's water ministry, said government officials are seeking to improve on their approaches to water management and are looking at alternatives in addition to desalination, including reusing more treated wastewater — some of which is now used to irrigate roadside vegetation in cities.\n\nTaking advantage of more recycled water, he said, should help address the country's shortage and reduce strains on aquifers.\n\nFarmers struggle as aquifers decline\n\nWhile desalinated water flows to faucets in cities on the coast, groundwater remains the primary source for farms and many inland towns.\n\nSome Omani farmers in mountainous areas still depend on ancient systems of water tunnels called aflaj. The channels were hand-dug centuries ago to tap underground water sources on mountain slopes. The water runs through the underground passages and into open aqueducts, nourishing crops such as dates and lemons, as wells as grasses that villagers use to feed goats and cows.\n\nWhile many of the aflaj are still flowing, some have dwindled and dried up as the wells and pumps of farmers and towns have drawn on the aquifers and lowered the water tables.\n\nElsewhere, in the Batinah coastal plain, groundwater pumping for agriculture has also taken a major toll. Over decades, the pumping has drawn seawater into the groundwater, making it too salty for crops.\n\nZekri and other researchers are working on a government-supported project tracking farm water use in an effort to begin to address the problem, which continues to worsen.\n\n\"We have seawater intrusion up to 12 kilometers (7 miles) now inland,\" Zekri said. \"And we have been observing a lot of plantations fading, dying because of salinity.\"\n\nAlong roads near the Barka 4 desalination plant, some farmlands sit dry and abandoned. The intruding seawater ruined the groundwater years ago. The farmers left behind dusty fields and dead palm trees.\n\nSome Omani farmers have been buying their own small-scale desalting units to use brackish groundwater that would otherwise be unsuitable for crops.\n\nBut when the hyper-salty brine from the process isn’t disposed of properly, it can further pollute aquifers, said Zaher bin Kahlied al-Sulaimani, president of an organization called the Oman Water Society.\n\n\"The problem is, the salinity is increasing year by year,\" al-Sulaimani said. \"And the pumping has increased.\"\n\nHis group has held seminars to explore how farmers can better manage the brine.\n\nMuscat also is home to the Middle East Desalination Research Center, an institution that was established in 1996 as part of the peace process in the Middle East. The center focuses on research and training, promoting desalination as a solution that can help address scarcity and alleviate tensions.\n\nHow political aims feed a big business\n\nDesalination has become the \"techno-fix\" of choice for governments across the Arabian Peninsula because it has provided a way to deal with water scarcity and enable rapid growth, while also serving the political aims of the region’s monarchs, said Laurent Lambert, an assistant professor of public policy at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.\n\nAcross the Gulf region, he said, leaders have focused on demonstrating the capacity of their governments through big water infrastructure projects, projecting an image that \"large is powerful,\" while providing water to the public at highly subsidized rates.\n\nIn Qatar, which is the world’s top exporter of liquefied natural gas, domestic water comes entirely from desalination plants, and water is free for citizens.\n\nOther countries, such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, also subsidize desalinated water, charging people a share of the cost.\n\nAs this system has grown entrenched over the years, governments have found themselves in a cycle of desalinating increasingly more water, while the costs in money and energy have continued to climb.\n\n\"It’s very hard to take away subsidies, and it’s very hard to change people’s attitudes towards what they deem to be naturally free. 'That’s water. Why should we pay for it?' That’s the mentality we have here across the region,\" Lambert said.\n\nThe countries are burning increasing amounts of natural gas, and sometimes oil, to run the plants, Lambert said. That translates into more emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases and also reduces the amount of fuel sold internationally, cutting into government revenues.\n\nBut the governments continue to take big financial losses, he said, because the idea of reforming the system and cutting subsidies is widely seen as politically unpalatable.\n\n\"I call it sustained unsustainability, meaning the government pays nevertheless,\" Lambert said. \"They prefer to make small adjustments but keep the thing as it is, rather than make people unhappy.\"\n\nAnd while the plants keep humming, the environmental footprint goes beyond the pollution generated by burning fossil fuels.\n\nThe brine has to be disposed of somewhere, and it’s typically released back into the sea.\n\n\"You have some places where you make a huge concentration of salt, so you may kill the fisheries, you may kill the wildlife,\" Lambert said. \"You may add stress on local corals, which were a niche for a lot of life.\"\n\nThe Suez managers at the Barka 4 plant said they’ve done monitoring work and believe the brine from the plant isn’t harming the surrounding marine environment.\n\nSuez’s partners on the project include Japan-based Itochu Corp., France’s Engie, and the Omani company WJ Towell.\n\nAcross the Gulf region, desalination plants are a lucrative business for a list of foreign companies, among them Japan’s Sumitomo Corp., the French company Veolia, and U.S.-based Bechtel Group.\n\nThe desal business is booming in arid and water-stressed regions around the world, with plants proliferating to supply cities in Israel, Jordan and Egypt, as well as Spain, Singapore and South Africa.\n\nMAPPING THE WORLD'S WATER: NASA finds 'human fingerprint' in many areas\n\nOn the California coast, the Claude \"Bud\" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant in San Diego County started operating in 2015 and is now the largest plant in the United States, producing about 50 million gallons of drinking water per day. It’s the most expensive water in San Diego’s mix of supplies, and people in the area pay some of the highest water rates in the country.\n\nTo the north in Santa Barbara, a long-closed plant started operating in 2017.\n\nThe company Poseidon Water has proposed another large plant in Huntington Beach, where the plan has faced controversy over environmental concerns and the projected costs. Other facilities have been proposed along the Pacific Coast in places like Monterey and Dana Point.\n\nMexico and U.S. eye the Sea of Cortez\n\nLandlocked Arizona has been studying the possibility of working with Mexico to desalinate water from the Sea of Cortez. Efforts to explore the concept got a boost in 2017, when Mexico and the U.S. government pledged as part of a Colorado River accord to jointly study the possibility of building a desalination plant.\n\nThe agreement, called Minute 323, listed potential locations for a plant including the Pacific Coast, the sewage-laden New River on the Mexico-California border, and the shore of the Sea of Cortez.\n\nThe countries formed a working group with representatives of federal and state agencies.\n\nA team of consultants is now preparing a study assessing the potential for desalinating water from the Sea of Cortez. They're looking at technologies, possible locations along the Sonora coast between Puerto Peñasco and Puerto Libertad, and potential effects on the marine environment.\n\nThe study is scheduled to be released next year. A desalination plant theoretically could benefit Arizona though a water exchange, in which some users of Colorado River water in Mexico would instead get desalinated water, freeing up river water for Arizona.\n\nThe concept is mentioned prominently as one of multiple options in a new report on \"Long-Term Water Augmentation Options for Arizona,\" which consultants prepared for a group appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey called the Water Augmentation, Innovation and Conservation Council. Along with ocean desalination, the report lists options such as desalinating brackish groundwater within Arizona, or transferring groundwater from outlying rural areas to the state’s fast-growing cities.\n\nPart of the reason there’s no concrete proposal on the table is that there doesn’t yet seem to be enough support for desalination, said Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University.\n\n\"It’s not yet needed. But there’s recognition that it could well be needed in the future,\" she said.\n\nEstimates of how much water could come from a desalination plant suggest the amount would be, at most, about 100,000 acre-feet a year, Porter said, a relatively small quantity compared with Arizona’s total Colorado River allotment of 2.8 million acre-feet.\n\n\"I think ocean desal isn’t the big answer that a lot of people dream of it being,\" said Porter, who is a member of the governor’s water council. \"It’s going to be the most expensive water ever developed for Arizona, and it just isn’t going to yield the supplies that people envision.\"\n\nIn addition to the expense of treating water, she said, there are environmental concerns, and the cross-border agreements to exchange water would also be complex.\n\nPorter traveled to Israel last year with a group from the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and they toured the large desalination plant in Ashkelon.\n\n\"It’s amazing what they’re doing with ocean desal. And I hope Arizona never has the kind of water stress that Israel faces,\" Porter said. \"It doesn’t make sense to be investing in these in really, really expensive forms of water supply when you have much, much more affordable water available.\"\n\nPorter said Arizona still has potential to stretch its existing supplies through conservation and more reuse of reclaimed water. And there are also opportunities for more voluntary water deals, she said, like those negotiated for the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan. As part of the plan, the Gila River Indian Community and the Colorado River Indian Tribes will contribute some of their water in exchange for payments to help Arizona deal with water cutbacks.\n\nThe first cutbacks under the Colorado River deal will come next year, with Arizona, Nevada and Mexico leaving some of their allotted water in Lake Mead to reduce the risk of the depleted reservoir falling further.\n\nIn the long term, desalinating seawater could help as part of a strategy for adapting to climate change, Porter said, but it isn’t likely to take hold until Arizona has first \"plucked off all the lower-hanging fruit, which probably includes desalinating brackish groundwater in some places.\"\n\nLooking to the future, though, Porter said a seawater desalination partnership seems likely to happen in Mexico eventually.\n\n\"If I had to bet, I would bet that it is going to be tried within 30 years,\" she said. \"It is the most reliable supply of municipal water in many ways, so that would be a benefit, and we expect growth.\"\n\nUltimately, decisions on whether desalination makes sense — for the desert Southwest and other parts of the world — will depend on considering any other alternatives, and weighing whether the high costs of turning to the sea pencil out.\n\nReach reporter Ian James at ian.james@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8246. Follow him on Twitter: @ByIanJames\n\nEnvironmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and at OurGrandAZ on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/11/29"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/15/us/california-water-usage-increase-drought-climate/index.html", "title": "California is in a water crisis, yet usage is way up. Officials are ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nCalifornia is facing a crisis. Not only are its reservoirs already at critically low levels due to unrelenting drought, residents and businesses across the state are also using more water now than they have in seven years, despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s efforts to encourage just the opposite.\n\nNewsom has pleaded with residents and businesses to reduce their water consumption by 15%. But in March, urban water usage was up by 19% compared to March 2020, the year the current drought began. It was the highest March water consumption since 2015, the State Water Resources Control Board reported earlier this week.\n\nPart of the problem is that the urgency of the crisis isn’t breaking through to Californians. The messaging around water conservation varies across different authorities and jurisdictions, so people don’t have a clear idea of what applies to whom. And they certainly don’t have a tangible grasp on how much a 15% reduction is with respect to their own usage.\n\nKelsey Hinton, the communications director of Community Water Center, a group advocating for affordable access to clean water, said that urban communities — which typically get water from the state’s reservoirs — don’t seem to understand the severity of the drought in the way that rural communities do, where water could literally stop flowing out of the tap the moment their groundwater reserves are depleted.\n\n“In our work every day, people feel how serious this is, and know that we need to be working toward real solutions to address ongoing drought,” Hinton told CNN. “But then living in Sacramento, you don’t see the same urgency here because we’re not reliant on groundwater and scarce resources in the same way that these communities are.”\n\nBut advocates say government officials are also focusing on the wrong approach. They say voluntary residential water cuts are not the solution, and that restrictions should be mandated for businesses and industries that use the vast majority of the state’s water.\n\n“Corporate water abuse has to be addressed or no other measures will matter,” said Jessica Gable, a spokesperson for Food & Water Watch.\n\n“The perception in California right now is it’s no secret any longer that drought is linked with climate change,” Gable told CNN. “But there has been no effort to curtail the industries that are using the most water, which are coincidentally the industries that are also sending out the most emissions that are fueling the climate crisis.”\n\nOnus misplaced\n\nMost of March’s spike in water usage came from water jurisdictions in Southern California. Usage in the South Coast hydrologic region, which includes Los Angeles and San Diego County, was up 27% over March 2020, for example, according to data provided by the state’s water board. Only the North Coast region saved water in March, cutting about 4.3% of its use.\n\nEdward Ortiz, spokesperson for the State Water Resources Control Board, said March was a huge setback for the governor’s water goals.\n\n“This is a concerning development in our response to the drought as a state,” Ortiz told CNN. “Making water conservation a way of life is one way Californians can respond to these conditions. Saving water should be a practice whatever the weather.”\n\nHe said Californians “need to redouble efforts to conserve water inside and outside of our homes and businesses.”\n\nLast month, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California announced its most severe water restrictions for residents and businesses in the counties around Los Angeles, with a goal of slashing water use by at least 35%. Beginning June 1, outdoor water usage will be limited to one day a week.\n\nSprinklers water fields in Kern County. Mario Tama/Getty Images\n\nBut community advocates say residents wonder whether big water users are also faced with the same pressure and painful decisions to conserve – namely, agriculture that requires a large amount of water (things like almonds, alfalfa, avocado and tomatoes) or fracking, where tens of millions of gallons of water can be used to frack a single fossil fuel well.\n\nGable said that while every little bit matters, the repeated pleas for individuals to save water can “seem out of touch at best and possibly negligent,” given that the industries that could drastically cut back on the excessive amount of water allocated to them are rarely held accountable.\n\nAmanda Starbuck, research director with Food & Water Watch, said cutting back on residential water use is like telling people recycling could save the planet. While it’s a meaningful action, she said it’s not going to make a dent in the crisis at large.\n\n“It’s also kind of a little bit demeaning to blame residential use for these crises,” Starbuck told CNN. “It’s just a small sliver of the overall consumption. It’s a much bigger problem, and we really need to start bringing in these big industries that are guzzling water during this time of drought.”\n\nA spokesperson for Newsom’s office told CNN that local water agencies have set new targets since March that should lead to lower usage — including the outdoor watering restriction — and more decisions are coming in front of the state board this month.\n\n“We are hopeful these actions will significantly contribute to the state’s overall water reduction goals as outdoor watering is one of the biggest single users of water,” the spokesperson said in a statement.\n\nThe spokesperson also pointed to additional funding for water resiliency the governor announced in his budget proposal on Friday. That funding is part of $47 billion slated to tackle the impacts of the climate crisis in the state.\n\n“With the infusion of additional funding, we will be able to more effectively reach Californians about the need to conserve along with the biggest water saving actions they can take, and support local water districts in responding to the drought emergency,” the spokesperson said.\n\nOther sources are running dry\n\nWhile much of the water conversation is focused on urban usage, Hinton said rural communities live with day-to-day anxiety that the water will stop flowing.\n\n“The bigger story, at least for us, is when we are in the middle of drought like this, it’s not just shorter showers and stopping outdoor water use for our families,” Hinton told CNN. “Our families are worried that their water is just going to stop running all together.”\n\nThese are communities that don’t rely on reservoirs — where much of the focus has been for reaching critically low levels — but instead use private groundwater wells.\n\nThe big concern is that during extremely dry conditions, the state’s groundwater levels sink while more is pulled up for agriculture and other uses.\n\n“The urgency is there with the families we work with, because they know what’s happened before,” she said. “We have folks who have had wells dry up since the last drought and have still not been able to afford to deepen them or get connected to a long-term solution.”\n\nBlistering heat waves, worsening drought and destructive wildfires have plagued the West in recent years. As these vivid images of climate crisis play out, Hinton believes the state needs to prioritize the water needs of individuals over industry.\n\n“Climate change has made drought a reality for us forever, and now, this is something that we have to deal with as a state,” Hinton said. “And the more that we can accept that and be proactive, the less we’re going to be constantly reacting to these situations of entire communities going dry or of urban areas having to cut water to this amount because we’ve already overused what was available to us.”", "authors": ["Rachel Ramirez"], "publish_date": "2022/05/15"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/08/15/water-top-global-priority-best-cheapest-lifesaver-bill-frist-column/934264002/", "title": "Water, sanitation and hygiene can save millions around the world: Frist", "text": "Bill Frist\n\nOpinion contributor\n\nThis summer has seen the unprecedented and simultaneous outbreak of six of eight diseases posing the greatest threats to public health, according to the World Health Organization. You’d think that after the alarmingly fast spread of Ebola in West Africa just a few years ago, we’d have learned our lesson. Instead, the health intervention that has saved more lives than any other in recorded history remains alarmingly absent in global health care. That poses an immediate and long-term danger to us all.\n\nWe call it WASH — water, sanitation and hygiene. It's the most critical resource in my preparation for every surgical procedure I performed over my lifetime, and it is dismally deficient or nonexistent in hundreds of thousands of health care facilities around the world. Not only are we wasting billions of dollars in health care costs and lost productivity, we’re undercutting our most effective front-line defense in disease prevention and containment.\n\nThis lack of WASH is a key reason why, during the 2014 Ebola outbreak that put the world on edge, the incidence of Ebola was 103-fold higher in health care workers in Sierra Leone than in the general population, and 42-fold higher in Guinea. Containing the West African Ebola outbreak took years, cost billions, and claimed more than 11,000 lives in three countries. The disease’s rapid spread was partly because family members and health care personnel could not adequately wash their hands after touching the sick and deceased.\n\nCaring for the sick without sinks or toilets\n\nFrom emergency departments and labor-and-delivery to pediatrics, imagine the health hazards of medical care without sinks, soap and toilets. I’ve seen it firsthand. I vividly recall operating in war-torn Sudan with no electricity or running water, and no gloves or gowns. We boiled water in a tin coffee pot, then let it cool enough to wash our hands with the bar of soap we had brought with us. It was a far cry from the sleek, sterile facilities we as American doctors typically operate in, but we did our best with the resources we had to protect our patients and ourselves. At the time, our volunteer clinic was the only health facility serving half a million residents in southwest Sudan.\n\nBut WASH isn’t only missing during times of war. A landmark report of more than 129,000 health care facilities in 78 low- to middle- income countries uncovered conditions that should be unimaginable in the 21st century: 50 percent of health care facilities lack piped water, 33 percent lack basic toilets, and 39 percent lack soap.\n\nThat’s a daily war on children. Newborns are at particular risk in the health care setting. One million die on their first day of life. Even more tragic, many early child deaths are preventable with soap and water.\n\nWe’re all vulnerable when infection prevention, pandemic containment and antibiotic resistance become deadly uphill battles. Health crises can become catastrophic when illnesses and diseases, easily prevented with soap, clean water and basic sanitation, instead spread and require treatment with overused and misused antibiotics.\n\nFor example, Pakistan is now facing the first known drug-resistant typhoid epidemic, and it all started with contaminated water. New outbreaks of a mutated poliovirus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo spurred a national emergency. Because the poliovirus can live in human feces for weeks, the pathogen can enter the environment where sanitation is lacking.\n\nMore:The five things we must to do together to end the opioids epidemic: Bill Frist\n\nHeart disease research and treatment neglects women, and it's killing them: Streisand\n\nInsulin is a human right for me, all diabetics. We need to make medications free\n\nGetting WASH into health care facilities is doable. Congress has rallied around the water issue before. When I served as Senate majority leader, I drafted legislation to formalize U.S. policy addressing the overall lack of safe water and sanitation in developing nations. On March 2, 2005, I was joined by Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid in introducing the Safe Water: Currency for Peace Act, which ultimately became law that December as the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act (named for our colleague who was a longtime champion for WASH).\n\nWith this strong bipartisan backing, the new law required the U.S. government to develop and carry out a strategy to increase affordable and equitable access to WASH in developing countries. For the first time ever, we officially made access to safe drinking water, basic sanitation and hygiene a stated objective of U.S. foreign assistance.\n\nThirteen years later, we need that level of bipartisanship and committed leadership. We have here a solvable problem and strategic opportunity that will have a fundamental impact on global health, make us safer, and produce economic benefits of $5 to $46 for every $1 invested, thanks to saved health care costs and increased economic productivity. The time is now.\n\nCongress needs to support the Senate’s recommended $35 million increase in 2019 funding for the Water for the Poor Act (the law we passed, which was strengthened in 2014 as the Water for the World Act). It should include the commitment that $195 million be directed to vital projects in sub-Saharan Africa, and its focus should include WASH in health care facilities.\n\nForeign aid that's life-saving and cost-efficient\n\nThe U.S. Agency for International Development needs to continue to elevate the central importance of WASH in its overall work and adopt an agencywide policy that WASH be made available in every health care facility in which the agency is active.\n\nAmerica alone cannot solve this problem — and we won’t solve it sitting inside our silos. We must lead a collaborative global effort to secure shared financing from governments, nongovernmental organizations, researchers and private donors, and it needs to cut across the health, development, water and finance sectors.\n\nFederal budgets are tight, which is precisely why, at this time of budget concerns and global health threats, Congress should fully fund WASH, and our government should specifically prioritize it in foreign assistance. It’s highly effective, cost-efficient and quite literally a life saver.\n\nBill Frist is a heart and lung transplant surgeon, former U.S. Senate majority leader, and founder and chairman of global health organization Hope Through Healing Hands. Follow him on Twitter: @bfrist", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2018/08/15"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_7", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:53", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/23/tiktok-ceo-trial-energy-commerce-project-texas/11530562002/", "title": "What data is TikTok collecting? CEO testifies about Project Texas", "text": "WASHINGTON–What does TikTok do with your personal data?\n\nThat question was at the heart of an intense House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing Thursday, when lawmakers grilled TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew for more than four hours – at times saying the app should be banned because of national security concerns.\n\nBoth Democrats and Republicans have been increasingly concerned over the app's parent company, ByteDance, due to its ties to the Chinese government. Much of the hearing Thursday focused on TikTok's handling of private user data and security practices.\n\nChew's testimony came as multiple congressional committees have been looking into potential economic and national security threats posed by China.\n\nHere’s a breakdown from the marathon hearing, during which Chew tried to convince a skeptical Congress the app poses no danger to national security:\n\nTikTok 'should be banned,' McMorris Rodgers tells CEO\n\nChew dodged questions about what the app does with users’ data, its ties to China and the ways the platform prevents harmful content for children.\n\nCommittee members grew frustrated as Chew repeatedly avoided clear yes or no answers to their inquiries.\n\n“I think quite frankly your testimony has raised more questions for me than answers,” Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., told Chew.\n\nRep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., chair of the committee, said there is little that can change her mind on the app.\n\n“TikTok has repeatedly chosen a path for more control, more surveillance and more manipulation,” said McMorris Rodgers. “Your platform should be banned.”\n\nStay in the conversation on politics:Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter\n\nPallone asks Chew whether TikTok sells data\n\nRep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, pressed Chew on whether the company makes revenue by selling user data.\n\n“You say you’re benign, you want to do good things for the public, so let me ask you.” Pallone said. “What about a commitment that says you won’t sell the data that you collect. Would you commit to that? Not selling the data you collect?”\n\nChew told Pallone that the company does not sell data to “any data broker.”\n\nBut Pallone asked again, clarifying that he was asking whether TikTok sold data to “anyone,” possibly alluding to the Chinese government. “I didn’t ask about data brokers. Do you sell it to anyone?” Pallone said.\n\nChew said he “can get back to” Pallone and the committee on the details.\n\nWhat is Project Texas?\n\nThroughout the hearing, Chew has told lawmakers that the app is taking steps to protect user data through its security proposal, “Project Texas.”\n\nThe plan would store U.S. user data on American soil and would be done in coordination with Texas-based computer technology corporation Oracle. The plan includes an entirely U.S.-based security team that would have access to the data and also allow the U.S. government to regularly monitor the operation.\n\n“Project Texas” would, TikTok hopes, instill confidence in U.S. officials that TikTok operates independently of the Chinese government, but lawmakers in the hearing have appeared largely skeptical of the plan.\n\nTikTok legacy data to be deleted\n\nChew said there is legacy U.S. TikTok data in servers in Virginia and Singapore.\n\n“We are deleting those and we expect that to be complete this year,” he said.\n\nAfter this data is deleted, Chew said all protected U.S. data will be under the protection of U.S. law.\n\n“This eliminates the concern that some of you have shared with me that TikTok user data can be subject to Chinese law,” he said.\n\nThe potential security and privacy concerns raised about TIkTok are not unique to the platform, Chew said, adding that the same issues apply to other companies.\n\n“We believe what is needed are clear and transparent rules that apply broadly to all tech companies,” he said.\n\nTick-tock, TikTok: As Biden sets deadline for ban of social media app, here's what we know\n\nChew rejects proposal for Chinese owners to sell stakes in TikTok\n\nOne potential solution that the White House is pushing for is demanding TikTok’s Chinese owners to sell its stakes in the app. Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., asked Chew if the platform would be prepared to divest if the situation arises.\n\n“Would TikTok be prepared to divest from ByteDance and Chinese communist party ties if the Department of Treasury instructed you all to do so?” Soto asked.\n\nChew disavowed the proposal, arguing that he does not think “ownership is the issue here,” pointing to other social media companies that have improperly managed its data, such as Facebook and its relationship with now-defunct political firm Cambridge Analytica.\n\nCEO dodges questions on TikTok\n\nChew has been hesitant to provide clear yes or no answers to lawmakers’ questions throughout the hearing.\n\nRep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., asked Chew if he would oppose legislation that would ban intentionally manipulative design techniques to trick users to provide personal information. She also asked if TikTok users can opt out of targeted ads. Both questions did not receive a clear response from Chew.\n\n“I think quite frankly your testimony has raised more questions for me than answers,” Blunt Rochester said.\n\nChew pressed on TikTok's Spanish content\n\nRep. Nanette Barragán, D-Calif., asked Chew about how the app could effectively moderate Spanish content that violates the app's community guidelines, such as disinformation and violent content if it could not flag the earlier apparent threat to Rep. Catherine McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., played to the committee.\n\n“So I guess I’m a little concerned if your team doesn’t have the resources and capabilities to flag that, what kind of capability does it have to bring down misinformation, disinformation, for Spanish speakers?”\n\nChew affirmed the platform's commitment to moderating inappropriate content, but did not provide specifics on the app’s strategy on taking down violating content, saying that it values its “Spanish language user base.”\n\n“So you don’t have an answer then,” replied Barragán.\n\nViolent TikTok video quickly taken down after played before committee\n\nA TikTok video that showed an apparent violent threat against the chair of the committee, Rep. Cathy McMorris, R-Wash., was taken down during the hearing after Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., played it publicly to the committee. The video, Cammack claims, was up for more than 40 days.\n\nRep. Tony Cárdenas, D-Calif., asked Chew why the video was only taken down after it was played before the committee, to which Chew responded that it highlights how difficult it is to effectively moderate violent content on the app.\n\n“It goes to show the enormous challenge that we have to make sure that although the vast majority of users come for a good experience, we need to make sure that bad actors don’t post violent content,” Chew said, adding that his company is still investing into moderation practices.\n\nTikTok CEO 'not sure' if app content harmful to children\n\nRep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., said research shows TikTok is the most addictive platform out there and attributed this to its advanced algorithm.\n\n“There are those on this committee including myself who believe that the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in psychological warfare through TikTok to deliberately influence U.S. children,” he said.\n\nCarter pressed Chew if China’s TikTok platform has challenges with content that could be harmful to children.\n\nChew responded with “I’m not sure.”\n\nA US TikTok ban is gaining support in Congress: Why some say that would hurt free speech.\n\nRep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., asked Chew about TikTok’s terms of service which do not allow for the depiction, promotion or trade of drug or other controlled substance. But Guthrie said content related to illicit drugs like fentanyl, drug trafficking and other illicit activity is pervasive on the platform, referencing the Benadryl challenge that left one American teenager dead.\n\n“TikTok does not allow illegal drugs,” Chew responded.\n\nHe explained that there are 40,000 people as well as machines looking to detect keywords or content with illicit drug trafficking.\n\nMore:TikTok says Biden administration is threatening US ban if Chinese owners don't sell stakes\n\nChew: TikTok ‘a place where teenagers come to learn’\n\nAs TikTok has grown, Chew said they the company has tried to learn lessons from other social media companies when it comes to teenagers.\n\n“We spend a lot of time adopting measures to protect teenagers,” he said. “Many of these measures are firsts for the social media industry -- we forbid direct messaging for people under 16 and we have a 60-minute watch time by default for those under 18.”\n\nChew said TikTok wants to be a place “where teenagers come to learn.”\n\nTikTok announces 60-minute daily screen time limit for users under 18: What to know\n\nChew: ‘Misconceptions’ about Chinese company ByteDance\n\nChew said there are misconceptions about the Chinese company ByteDance, which owns TikTok, explaining that the company is not owned or controlled by the Chinese government and is a private company.\n\nAccording to Chew, ByteDance has five board members, three of which are American. He said TikTok has been addressing national security concerns with “real action.”\n\n“That’s what we’ve been doing for the last two years-- building what amounts to a firewall that seals out protected U.S. user data from unauthorized foreign access,” he said.\n\nU.S. calls for TikTok owners to sell stakes in company\n\nThe issue came to a head last week when the Biden administration demanded that TikTok's Chinese owners sell their stakes or face a possible ban.\n\nThe Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., or CFIUS, a federal task force that considers national security risks in cross-border business investments, made the demand, according to TikTok.\n\n“Some politicians have started talking about banning TikTok. Now, this could take TikTok away from all 150 million of you,” Chew said in a video Tuesday before the hearing.\n\nWhat would happen if the US banned TikTok?\n\nIf the United States bans TikTok, it may remove it from the Apple and Google app stores. That would prevent users from getting updates and new users from signing up.\n\nAmericans could still install TikTok on their phones by “sideloading” it or they could access TikTok via browsers, according to Bruce Schneier, lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School and author of \"A Hacker's Mind.\"\n\nThe U.S. also might ban U.S. companies from doing business with TikTok, which would cut it off from the infrastructure needed to run the app. That would also hit TikTok’s advertising business.\n\nContributing: Jessica Guynn\n\nMore:TikTok says Biden administration is threatening US ban if Chinese owners don't sell stakes", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/23"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/23/tiktok-ban-testify-congress-live-updates/11528408002/", "title": "TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testifies before Congress as it floats a ...", "text": "TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is testifying before Congress in defense of the popular social media app as momentum grows on Capitol Hill to outright ban the app over national security concerns.\n\nLawmakers have been growing increasingly concerned over the app's parent company, ByteDance, due to its ties to the Chinese government. Those lawmakers both Republicans and Democrats will grill Chew over the next four hours over the app's handling of private user data and security practices.\n\nChew is facing an uphill battle, as lawmakers have seemingly become more dug in and hostile to the app. U.S. officials have been sounding the alarms on the app as well, with FBI Director Christopher Wray testifying to Congress in early March that the app \"screams out with national security concerns.\"\n\nHere are the latest updates as Chew tries to convince a skeptical Congress that the app poses no danger to national security.\n\nStay in the conversation on politics:Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter\n\nPallone asks Chew whether TikTok sells data\n\nRep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, pressed Chew on whether the company makes revenue by selling user data.\n\n“You say you’re benign, you want to do good things for the public, so let me ask you.” Pallone said. “What about a commitment that says you won’t sell the data that you collect. Would you commit to that? Not selling the data you collect?”\n\nChew told Pallone that the company does not sell data to “any data broker.”\n\nBut Pallone asked again, clarifying that he was asking whether TikTok sold data to “anyone,” possibly alluding to the Chinese government. “I didn’t ask about data brokers. Do you sell it to anyone?” Pallone said.\n\nChew said he “can get back to” Pallone and the committee on the details.\n\n– Ken Tran\n\nChew rejects proposal for Chinese owners to sell stakes in TikTok\n\nOne potential solution that the White House is pushing for is demanding TikTok’s Chinese owners to sell its stakes in the app. Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., asked Chew if the platform would be prepared to divest if the situation arises.\n\n“Would TikTok be prepared to divest from ByteDance and Chinese communist party ties if the Department of Treasury instructed you all to do so?” Soto asked.\n\nChew disavowed the proposal, arguing that he does not think “ownership is the issue here,” pointing to other social media companies that have improperly managed its data, such as Facebook and its relationship with now-defunct political firm Cambridge Analytica.\n\n–Ken Tran\n\nChew dodges lawmakers’ questions\n\nChew has been hesitant to provide clear yes or no answers to lawmakers’ questions throughout the hearing.\n\nRep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., asked Chew if he would oppose legislation that would ban intentionally manipulative design techniques to trick users to provide personal information. She also asked if TikTok users can opt out of targeted ads. Both questions did not receive a clear response from Chew.\n\n“I think quite frankly your testimony has raised more questions for me than answers,” Blunt Rochester said.\n\n- Rachel Looker\n\nChew pressed on TikTok's non-English content moderation\n\nRep. Nanette Barragán, D-Calif., asked Chew about how the app could effectively moderate Spanish content that violates the app's community guidelines, such as disinformation and violent content if it could not flag the earlier apparent threat to Rep. Catherine McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., played to the committee.\n\n“So I guess I’m a little concerned if your team doesn’t have the resources and capabilities to flag that, what kind of capability does it have to bring down misinformation, disinformation, for Spanish speakers?”\n\nChew affirmed the platform's commitment to moderating inappropriate content, but did not provide specifics on the app’s strategy on taking down violating content, saying that it values its “Spanish language user base.”\n\n“So you don’t have an answer then,” replied Barragán.\n\n– Ken Tran\n\nRep. Obernolte concerned over foreign influence in TikTok algorithms\n\nRep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., said he is concerned that TikTok’s algorithms remain free from foreign influence.\n\nThe California representative questioned Chew on how engineers at Oracle will protect these algorithms.\n\n“This gets very technical... It’s mainly based on interest signals,” Chew responded.\n\n- Rachel Looker\n\nWhat is Project Texas?\n\nThroughout the hearing, Chew has told lawmakers that the app is taking steps to protect user data through its security proposal, “Project Texas.”\n\nThe plan would store U.S. user data on American soil and would be done in coordination with Texas-based computer technology corporation Oracle. The plan includes an entirely U.S.-based security team that would have access to the data and also allow the U.S. government to regularly monitor the operation.\n\n“Project Texas” would, TikTok hopes, instill confidence in U.S. officials that TikTok operates independently of the Chinese government, but lawmakers in the hearing have appeared largely skeptical of the plan.\n\n–Ken Tran\n\nViolent TikTok video quickly taken down after played before committee\n\nA TikTok video that showed an apparent violent threat against the chair of the committee, Rep. Cathy McMorris, R-Wash., was taken down during the hearing after Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., played it publicly to the committee. The video, Cammack claims, was up for more than 40 days.\n\nRep. Tony Cárdenas, D-Calif., asked Chew why the video was only taken down after it was played before the committee, to which Chew responded that it highlights how difficult it is to effectively moderate violent content on the app.\n\n“It goes to show the enormous challenge that we have to make sure that although the vast majority of users come for a good experience, we need to make sure that bad actors don’t post violent content,” Chew said, adding that his company is still investing into moderation practices.\n\n– Ken Tran\n\nRep. Carter: Chinese Communist Party engaged in ‘psychological warfare’ through TikTok\n\nRep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., said research shows TikTok is the most addictive platform out there and attributed this to its advanced algorithm.\n\n“There are those on this committee including myself who believe that the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in psychological warfare through TikTok to deliberately influence U.S. children,” he said.\n\nCarter pressed Chew if China’s TikTok platform has challenges with content that could be harmful to children. Chew responded with “I’m not sure.”\n\n- Rachel Looker\n\nA US TikTok ban is gaining support in Congress: Why some say that would hurt free speech.\n\nRep. Guthrie: TikTok content related to illicit drugs ‘pervasive’\n\nRep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., asked Chew about TikTok’s terms of service which do not allow for the depiction, promotion or trade of drug or other controlled substance. But Guthrie said content related to illicit drugs like fentanyl, drug trafficking and other illicit activity is pervasive on the platform , referencing the Benadryl challenge that left one American teenager dead.\n\n“TikTok does not allow illegal drugs,” Chew responded.\n\nHe explained that there are 40,000 people as well as machines looking to detect keywords or content with illicit drug trafficking.\n\n- Rachel Looker\n\nSarbanes: Children on TikTok can ‘pretty easily bypass’ preventive safety measures\n\nWhile the focus of the hearing is on TikTok’s handling of sensitive user data and its ties to China, some lawmakers have also raised concern about the app's risks for children.\n\nRep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., noted the app’s addictive dangers for children, saying “addictive impulses are being sort of perfected by the technology” and asked whether the app is taking measures to protect children.\n\nChew said that the app blocks certain features for users under certain ages, such as preventing users under the age of 16 from going viral on the app and also preventing users under 18 from live streaming on the app.\n\nBut Sarbanes pointed out that children can “pretty easily bypass” those preventive measures\n\n– Ken Tran\n\nMore:TikTok says Biden administration is threatening US ban if Chinese owners don't sell stakes\n\nTikTok moves toward storing all data on U.S. soil\n\nChew said TikTok’s headquarters are located in Los Angeles and Singapore. He said the platform is not available in mainland China.\n\nThe CEO referenced Project Texas, an initiative launched by the company to ensure TikTok data is stored on American soil. The initiative is overseen by Oracle, a computer technology corporation in Texas.\n\nChew said data is stored in Oracle servers. Only vetted personnel operating on a newly formed team company called TikTok U.S. Data Security can control access to the data, he said.\n\n- Rachel Looker\n\nTikTok legacy data to be deleted\n\nChew said there is legacy U.S. TikTok data in servers in Virginia and Singapore.\n\n“We are deleting those and we expect that to be complete this year,” he said.\n\nAfter this data is deleted, Chew said all protected U.S. data will be under the protection of U.S. law.\n\n“This eliminates the concern that some of you have shared with me that TikTok user data can be subject to Chinese law,” he said.\n\n- Rachel Looker\n\nTick-tock, TikTok: As Biden sets deadline for ban of social media app, here's what we know\n\nMcMorris Rodgers: ‘Your platform should be banned’\n\nRep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, kicked off the hearing with an opening statement that signaled there is little that can change her mind on the app.\n\n“TikTok has repeatedly chosen a path for more control, more surveillance and more manipulation,” said McMorris Rodgers. “Your platform should be banned.”\n\n– Ken Tran\n\nCEO: TikTok is not unique tech company\n\nThe potential security and privacy concerns raised about TIkTok are not unique to the platform, Chew said, adding that the same issues apply to other companies.\n\n“We believe what is needed are clear and transparent rules that apply broadly to all tech companies,” he said.\n\n- Rachel Looker\n\nTikTok CEO Chew promises transparency and protection\n\nChew made the following four commitments to lawmakers:\n\nKeep safety for teenagers a top priority\n\nFirewall protect U.S. data from unwanted foreign access\n\nTikTok will remain a place for free expression and will not be manipulated by any government\n\nTikTok will be transparent and will give access to third party independent monitors to remain accountable to their commitments\n\n- Rachel Looker\n\nChew defends TikTok through domestic security plan: ‘Project Texas’\n\nAs lawmakers continue to grill Chew over the app’s handling of private user data and whether the Chinese government could access it, the TikTok CEO has defended the app through the company's proposed data security plan, “Project Texas.”\n\nThe plan, Chew says, would store data on “American soil” and quell national security concerns by having a U.S. based security team control access to the data and also have the U.S. government monitor the data.\n\nBut the plan doesn’t appear to be any convincing to lawmakers.\n\n“I still believe that the Beijing Communist government will still control and have the ability to influence what you do,” said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “This idea, this ‘Project Texas’ is simply not acceptable.’”\n\n– Ken Tran\n\nChew: TikTok ‘a place where teenagers come to learn’\n\nAs TikTok has grown, Chew said they the company has tried to learn lessons from other social media companies when it comes to teenagers.\n\n“We spend a lot of time adopting measures to protect teenagers,” he said. “Many of these measures are firsts for the social media industry -- we forbid direct messaging for people under 16 and we have a 60-minute watch time by default for those under 18.”\n\nChew said TikTok wants to be a place “where teenagers come to learn.”\n\n- Rachel Looker\n\nTikTok announces 60-minute daily screen time limit for users under 18: What to know\n\nChew: ‘Misconceptions’ about Chinese company ByteDance\n\nChew said there are misconceptions about the Chinese company ByteDance, which owns TikTok, explaining that the company is not owned or controlled by the Chinese government and is a private company.\n\nAccording to Chew, ByteDance has five board members, three of which are American. He said TikTok has been addressing national security concerns with “real action.”\n\n“That’s what we’ve been doing for the last two years-- building what amounts to a firewall that seals out protected U.S. user data from unauthorized foreign access,” he said.\n\n- Rachel Looker\n\nTikTok CEO in for 'tough fight' in Congress\n\nTikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is testifying before the House Energy and Commerce Committee Thursday morning, his first appearance before a Congressional committee. Chew is expected to make the case to the American people that selling TikTok to a U.S. company would not address national security concerns.\n\nThe U.S. worries that TikTok could be pressured into handing over U.S. user data to the Chinese government or that it could be used as a propaganda machine to manipulate Americans. TikTok says it protects U.S. users by storing their personal data outside China and says it does not share information with Beijing.\n\n“I’ll be testifying before Congress this week to share all that we’re doing to protect Americans using the app,” Chew said.\n\n- Jessica Guynn\n\nIs TikTok getting banned? CEO in for 'tough fight' defending Chinese ownership on Capitol Hill\n\nU.S. calls for TikTok owners to sell stakes in company\n\nThe issue came to a head last week when the Biden administration demanded that TikTok's Chinese owners sell their stakes or face a possible ban.\n\nThe Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., or CFIUS, a federal task force that considers national security risks in cross-border business investments, made the demand, according to TikTok.\n\n“Some politicians have started talking about banning TikTok. Now, this could take TikTok away from all 150 million of you,” Chew said in a video Tuesday before the hearing.\n\n- Jessica Guynn\n\nWhat would happen if the US banned TikTok?\n\nIf the United States bans TikTok, it may remove it from the Apple and Google app stores. That would prevent users from getting updates and new users from signing up.\n\nAmericans could still install TikTok on their phones by “sideloading” it or they could access TikTok via browsers, according to Bruce Schneier, lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School and author of \"A Hacker's Mind.\"\n\nThe U.S. also might ban U.S. companies from doing business with TikTok, which would cut it off from the infrastructure needed to run the app. That would also hit TikTok’s advertising business.\n\n- Jessica Guynn\n\nMore:TikTok says Biden administration is threatening US ban if Chinese owners don't sell stakes", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/23"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/15/politics/mayorkas-republicans-hearing/index.html", "title": "Alejandro Mayorkas: Homeland Security secretary says he's not ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nHomeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas maintained he will stay at the helm of the department amid intense scrutiny from Republican lawmakers who have criticized his handling of the US-Mexico border.\n\nWhile control of the House remains undecided, Republicans have already singled out Mayorkas and the Department of Homeland Security among the targets of their investigations if they seize the majority. Tuesday’s hearing before the House Homeland Security Committee offered a preview.\n\n“Have you had a conversation with anyone in the administration about stepping down from your current role?” asked Republican Rep. Jake LaTurner of Kansas.\n\n“I have not,” Mayorkas responded.\n\n“I hope, for the sake of the safety of the American people, that that conversation happens very soon,” LaTurner said.\n\nOver the course of the hearing, Mayorkas maintained that the border is “secure” and batted down criticism that it’s “open” as Republicans have claimed, saying that the Biden administration continues to implement a Trump-era pandemic restriction that allows for the swift expulsion of migrants.\n\n“It’s a very serious challenge,” Mayorkas said, stressing that it’s a “challenge that is not specific or exclusive to our southern border. This is a challenge that exists throughout the hemisphere.”\n\nThe top Republican on the panel, John Katko of New York, focused on the increased number of migrants at the US-Mexico border. “In the first two years of the Biden administration, we have seen a disturbing trend become a catastrophic humanitarian crisis at the border,” he said.\n\nRepublican Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana also foreshadowed the next term, telling Mayorkas: “We look forward to seeing you in January.”\n\nThe US Border Patrol made over 2.2 million arrests in fiscal year 2022 for unlawful crossings on the US-Mexico border, the highest annual number of apprehensions on record, amid mass migration in the Western hemisphere. Over a million of those encountered at the border have also been turned back to Mexico or their home countries.\n\nUS border crossings also increased slightly last month compared to September, according to newly released US Customs and Border Protection data, though authorities saw a drop in Venezuelan migrants crossing unlawfully.\n\nThe hearing came on the heels of the resignation of US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus, who had been asked to resign by Mayorkas last week.\n\nMagnus had been criticized internally for being out of touch with the agency and publicly for the handling of the US-Mexico border. During his tenure, officials also told CNN they believed Magnus seemed disengaged and wasn’t joining some internal meetings at a critical time for the agency. CBP Deputy Commissioner Troy Miller is now serving as the acting commissioner.\n\nThreats facing the US ‘have never been greater or more complex’\n\nThe hearing also touched on international terrorism, domestic terrorism, cyber threats, and election security. FBI Director Christopher Wray and National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine Abizaid testified alongside Mayorkas.\n\nMayorkas stressed the “evolving terrorism threat” that now includes “lone actors fueled by a wide range of violent extremist ideologies and grievances, including domestic violent extremists.”\n\n“From cyberattacks on our critical infrastructure to increasing destabilizing efforts by hostile nation states, the threats facing the homeland have never been greater or more complex,” he said.\n\nMayorkas also cited efforts by Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea as “hostile nations” targeting infrastructure through cyberattacks.\n\nThere were only a handful of documented cyberattacks aimed at election-related infrastructure on Election Day, but nothing that kept people from casting their vote, according to US officials. But foreign influence activity – the use of social media or other means to sway voters – is harder to measure.\n\nBut Jen Easterly, the head of US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, has expressed concern over foreign operatives using the days and week between Election Day and when votes are certified – including the leadup to next month’s Senate runoff in Georgia – to further amplify disinformation about voting and sow discord among Americans.\n\nMeanwhile, terrorism threats to the US have shifted over the years, with officials more and more concerned about lone actors inspired by ideologies online rather than foreign-directed and planned attacks. Mayorkas said Tuesday that it “continues to be our assessment” that domestic violent extremism poses the most lethal and persistent terrorism related threat to the United States.\n\n“Domestic violent extremism, particularly through lone actors or small groups loosely affiliated, are spurred to violence by ideologies of hate, anti-government sentiments, personal grievances, and other narratives propagated on online platforms,” he said.\n\nWray echoed those concerns, saying that going back to the summer of 2019, there has been an increase in domestic violent extremism. The FBI is concerned about the lethality, especially of racially motivated violent extremists, as well as the spike that started in 2020, of anti-government and anti-authority violent extremism, Wray said.\n\nWray also said that there’s been a trend over the last “several years” of people turning to violence to manifest frustrations.\n\n“That’s a very dangerous trend,” he said when asked by Rep. Donald Payne Jr., a New Jersey Democrat, how officials are assessing threats against public figures given the recent attack against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband.\n\nMayorkas noted how that trend also applies to law enforcement. “This year has seen the greatest number of ambushes against law enforcement officers,” Mayorkas said.\n\nThis story has been updated with additional details.", "authors": ["Priscilla Alvarez Geneva Sands", "Priscilla Alvarez", "Geneva Sands"], "publish_date": "2022/11/15"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/14/tech/tiktok-china-data/index.html", "title": "TikTok won't commit to stopping US data flows to China | CNN ...", "text": "CNN Business —\n\nTikTok repeatedly declined to commit to US lawmakers on Wednesday that the short-form video app will cut off flows of US user data to China, instead promising that the outcome of its negotiations with the US government “will satisfy all national security concerns.”\n\nTestifying before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, TikTok Chief Operating Officer Vanessa Pappas first sparred with Sen. Rob Portman over details of TikTok’s corporate structure before being confronted — twice — with a specific request.\n\n“Will TikTok commit to cutting off all data and data flows to China, China-based TikTok employees, ByteDance employees, or any other party in China that might have the capability to access information on US users?” Portman asked.\n\nThe question reflects bipartisan concerns in Washington about the possibility that US user data could find its way to the Chinese government and be used to undermine US interests, thanks to a national security law in that country that compels companies located there to cooperate with data requests. US officials have expressed fears that China could use Americans’ personal information to identify useful potential agents or intelligence targets, or to inform future mis- or disinformation campaigns.\n\nTikTok does not operate in China, Pappas said, though it does have an office in China. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, whose founder is Chinese and has offices in China.\n\nUS concerns about TikTok were renewed after a BuzzFeed News report in June, based on leaked meeting audio, said ByteDance employees had accessed US user data on multiple occasions. In a subsequent letter to lawmakers, TikTok acknowledged the ability for China-based individuals to access US user data but highlighted cybersecurity controls that were “overseen by our US-based security team.”\n\nPappas affirmed in Wednesday’s hearing that the company has said, on record, that its Chinese employees do have access to US user data. She also reiterated that TikTok has said it would “under no circumstances … give that data to China” and denied that TikTok is in any way influenced by China. However, she avoided saying whether ByteDance would keep US user data from the Chinese government or whether ByteDance may be influenced by China.\n\nAsked by Portman on Wednesday to respond to the BuzzFeed article again, Pappas said, “those allegations were not found,” without identifying a specific allegation. She then added: “There was talk [in the article] of a master account, which does not exist at our company.”\n\nThe BuzzFeed article mentions a “Beijing-based engineer as a ‘Master Admin’ who has ‘access to everything,’” but is ambiguous about whether that engineer is a ByteDance or TikTok employee.\n\n“Again, we take this incredibly seriously in terms of upholding trust with US citizens and ensuring the safety of US user data,” Pappas said. “As it relates to access and controls, we are going to be going above and beyond in leading initiative efforts with our partner, Oracle, and also to the satisfaction of the US government through our work with [the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States], which we do hope to share more information on.”\n\nPortman then pressed Pappas again to commit to “cutting off all data and metadata flows to China,” but Pappas simply vowed that “our final agreement with the US government will satisfy all national security concerns.”\n\nLater, Pappas testified to Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley that the entire contents of the BuzzFeed article were false.\n\n“We disagree with the categorization in that article wholeheartedly,” she said.\n\nTikTok previously said it has moved its US user data to cloud servers managed by Oracle, from servers that TikTok controlled in Virginia and Singapore, and that it would eventually delete backups of US user data from those proprietary servers. It is also in ongoing talks with CFIUS, a US government body composed of multiple agencies with national security jurisdiction, about its future handling of US data.", "authors": ["Brian Fung"], "publish_date": "2022/09/14"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/15/tech/tiktok-teens-study-trnd/index.html", "title": "TikTok may push potentially harmful content to teens within minutes ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nTikTok may surface potentially harmful content related to suicide and eating disorders to teenagers within minutes of them creating an account, a new study suggests, likely adding to growing scrutiny of the app’s impact on its youngest users.\n\nIn a report published Wednesday, the non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) found that it can take less than three minutes after signing up for a TikTok account to see content related to suicide and about five more minutes to find a community promoting eating disorder content.\n\nThe researchers said they set up eight new accounts in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia at TikTok’s minimum user age of 13. These accounts briefly paused on and liked content about body image and mental health. The CCDH said the app recommended videos about body image and mental health about every 39 seconds within a 30-minute period.\n\nThe report comes as state and federal lawmakers seek ways to crack down on TikTok over privacy and security concerns, as well as determining whether the app is appropriate for teens. It also comes more than a year after executives from social media platforms, TikTok included, faced tough questions from lawmakers during a series of congressional hearings over how their platforms can direct younger users – particularly teenage girls – to harmful content, damaging their mental health and body image.\n\nAfter those hearings, which followed disclosures from Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen about Instagram’s impact on teens, the companies vowed to change. But the latest findings from the CCDH suggest more work may still need to be done.\n\n“The results are every parent’s nightmare: young people’s feeds are bombarded with harmful, harrowing content that can have a significant cumulative impact on their understanding of the world around them, and their physical and mental health,” Imran Ahmed, CEO of the CCDH, said in the report.\n\nA TikTok spokesperson pushed back on the study, saying it is an inaccurate depiction of the viewing experience on the platform for varying reasons, including the small sample size, the limited 30-minute window for testing, and the way the accounts scrolled past a series of unrelated topics to look for other content.\n\n“This activity and resulting experience does not reflect genuine behavior or viewing experiences of real people,” the TikTok spokesperson told CNN. “We regularly consult with health experts, remove violations of our policies, and provide access to supportive resources for anyone in need. We’re mindful that triggering content is unique to each individual and remain focused on fostering a safe and comfortable space for everyone, including people who choose to share their recovery journeys or educate others on these important topics.”\n\nThe spokesperson said the CCDH does not distinguish between positive and negative videos on given topics, adding that people often share empowering stories about eating disorder recovery.\n\nTikTok said it continues to roll out new safeguards for its users, including ways to filter out mature or “potentially problematic” videos. In July, it added a “maturity score” to videos detected as potentially containing mature or complex themes as well as a feature to help people decide how much time they want to spend on TikTok videos, set regular screen time breaks, and provide a dashboard that details the number of times they opened the app. TikTok also offers a handful of parental controls.\n\nThis isn’t the first time social media algorithms have been tested. In October 2021, US Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s staff registered an Instagram account as a 13-year-old girl and proceeded to follow some dieting and pro-eating disorder accounts (the latter of which are supposed to be banned by Instagram). Instagram’s algorithm soon began almost exclusively recommending the young teenage account should follow more and more extreme dieting accounts, the senator told CNN at the time.\n\n(After CNN sent a sample from this list of five accounts to Instagram for comment, the company removed them, saying they all broke Instagram’s policies against encouraging eating disorders.)\n\nTikTok said it does not allow content depicting, promoting, normalizing, or glorifying activities that could lead to suicide or self-harm. Of the videos removed for violating its policies on suicide and self-harm content from April to June of this year, 93.4% were removed at zero views, 91.5% were removed within 24 hours of being posted and 97.1% were removed before any reports, according to the company.\n\nThe spokesperson told CNN when someone searches for banned words or phrases such as #selfharm, they will not see any results and will instead be redirected to local support resources.\n\nStill, the CCDH says more needs to be done to restrict specific content on TikTok and bolster protections for young users.\n\n“This report underscores the urgent need for reform of online spaces,” said the CCDH’s Ahmed. “Without oversight, TikTok’s opaque platform will continue to profit by serving its users – children as young as 13, remember – increasingly intense and distressing content without checks, resources or support.”", "authors": ["Samantha Murphy Kelly"], "publish_date": "2022/12/15"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2019/10/23/zuckerberg-appears-before-congress-facebooks-libra-currency-examined/4069799002/", "title": "Zuckerberg appears before Congress: Facebook's Libra currency ...", "text": "Marcy Gordon, Barbara Ortutay and Ken Sweet\n\nAssociated Press\n\nWASHINGTON – Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg endured hours of prickly questioning from lawmakers Wednesday as he defended the company's new globally ambitious project to create a digital currency while also dealing with widening scrutiny from U.S. regulators.\n\nRepresentatives also grilled Zuckerberg on Facebook's track record on civil rights, hate speech, privacy and misinformation – not surprising given the litany of scandals Facebook has been dealing with over the past two years.\n\nThe House Financial Services Committee's immediate focus was Facebook's plans for the currency, to be called Libra. Zuckerberg took pains to reassure lawmakers that his company won't move forward with Libra without explicit approval from all U.S. financial regulators.\n\nStill, many members of the panel appeared unconvinced.\n\nRep. Maxine Waters, the California Democrat who chairs the panel, said the Libra project and the digital wallet that would be used with it, Calibra, \"raise many concerns relating to privacy, trading risks, discrimination ... national security, monetary policy and the stability of the global financial system.\"\n\nFurthermore, Waters told Zuckerberg, \"You have opened up a discussion about whether Facebook should be broken up.\"\n\nThe social media giant has sparked public and official anger at every turn, from its alleged anticompetitive behavior to its shift into messaging services that allow encrypted conversations, to its refusal to take down phony political ads or doctored videos.\n\nThe breakup specter – the worst-case scenario for Facebook and other tech behemoths – has been raised by prominent politicians , notably Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a leading Democratic presidential candidate.\n\nThe Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission, the House Judiciary antitrust subcommittee and attorneys general in several states are all conducting investigations of Facebook and other tech giants amid accusations that they abuse their market power to crush competition.\n\nZuckerberg was on the defensive at the hearing, his first testimony to Congress since April 2018, parrying criticism but also acknowledging lapses. He conceded at one point that the Libra project is \"risky,\" acknowledging several high-profile companies such as Visa, MasterCard and PayPal had signed on as partners in the currency's governing association but have recently bailed.\n\nUnder continued criticism of Facebook's handling of hate speech and potential incitements to violence on its site, he said, \"We're not perfect. We make a lot of mistakes.\"\n\nTrust was a central theme of the hearing. Given Facebook's history, \"why should Congress, regulators and the public trust you to create what amounts to the world's largest bank, what really amounts to a shadow sovereign government?\" asked Rep. Madeleine Dean, a Democrat from Pennsylvania.\n\nKey takeaways:Ukraine diplomat Bill Taylor's 'explosive' opening statement\n\nE-skimming:Hackers hover near online shopping carts, too\n\nResponded Zuckerberg: \"Well, congresswoman, we are not creating a bank. We are helping an organization create a payment system.\"\n\nZuckerberg held up China as a strong reason for encouraging innovation as embodied in the Libra project.\n\n\"While we debate these issues, the rest of the world isn't waiting,\" he said. \"China is moving quickly to launch similar ideas in the coming months.\"\n\nFacebook also has cited competition from China as a compelling argument against breaking up the company.\n\nZuckerberg's China statements found a ready echo from some Republicans on the committee, such as Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, who stepped up to defend the Libra project and urge lawmakers not to put \"innovation on trial.\"\n\nBut Democrats, in a rare tilt, allied themselves with President Donald Trump and his Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, who have publicly criticized the Libra plan. Mnuchin and other regulators, including Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, have warned that the digital currency could be used for illicit activity such as money laundering or drug trafficking.\n\nZuckerberg touted his optimistic vision of Libra and what it could mean for people around the world who don't have access to bank accounts.\n\nThe rise of 'ghost kitchens':Here's what the online food ordering boom has produced\n\nA bulk of the hearing also focused on Facebook's record on diversity and civil rights. Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio and vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, lambasted Zuckerberg over his company's track record on both.\n\nDemanding yes or no answers, Beatty asked Zuckerberg, for instance, how many of Facebook's stable of big law firms are minority or woman-owned or how many women or minority partners work on the company's cases.\n\nShe told Zuckerberg Facebook works with civil rights groups only because of \"the number of lawsuits you've had.\"\n\nA subdued-looking Zuckerberg didn't get in much in the way of answers. Beatty finished by calling Facebook's conduct \" appalling and disgusting\" and told Zuckerberg that \"you have ruined the lives of many people, discriminated against them.\"\n\nPeople paid much more for gas in California last year:The governor wants an investigation\n\n'It’s just too much':Meet the millionaires and billionaires who want a wealth tax", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/10/23"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/09/tech/taiwan-tsmc-chips-hnk-intl/index.html", "title": "As the world courts TSMC, Taiwan worries about losing its 'silicon ...", "text": "Hong Kong CNN —\n\nSemiconductor giant TSMC was feted this week by US President Joe Biden and Apple CEO Tim Cook during a ceremony to unveil its $40 billion manufacturing site in Arizona — a huge investment designed to help secure America’s supply of the most advanced chips.\n\nBut back home in Taiwan, there is deep unease over the growing political and commercial pressure being applied to the world’s most important chipmaker to expand internationally. The company is building a facility in Japan and considering investing in Europe.\n\n“They’re like the Hope Diamond of semiconductors. Everybody wants them,” said G. Dan Hutcheson, vice chair of TechInsights, a research organization specializing in chips. (The Hope Diamond is the world’s largest blue diamond, which now resides at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington.)\n\n“Customers in China want them to build there. Customers in the US want them there. And customers in Europe want them there too,” he added.\n\nApart from the risk that TSMC will take its most advanced technology with it — stripping Taiwan of one of its unique assets and reducing employment opportunities locally — there are fears that a diminished presence for the company could expose Taipei to greater pressure from Beijing, which has vowed to take control of the self-ruled island, by force if necessary.\n\nTSMC is considered a national treasure in Taiwan and supplies tech giants including Apple (AAPL) and Qualcomm (QCOM). It mass produces the most advanced semiconductors in the world, components that are vital to the smooth running of everything from smartphones to washing machines.\n\nThe company is perceived as being so valuable to the global economy, as well as to China — which claims Taiwan as its own territory despite having never controlled it — that it is sometimes even referred to as forming part of a “silicon shield” against a potential military invasion by Beijing. TSMC’s presence gives a strong incentive to the West to defend Taiwan against any attempt by China to take it by force.\n\n“The idea is that if Taiwan became a powerhouse in semiconductors, then America would have to support and defend it,” said Hutcheson. “The strategy has been super successful.”\n\nSecret deal?\n\nA day before Tuesday’s Phoenix ceremony Chiu Chenyuan, a lawmaker with the opposition Taiwan People’s Party, grilled Foreign Minister Joseph Wu about whether there is a “secret deal” with the United States to disadvantage Taiwan’s chip industry.\n\nChiu claimed that the chip giant was under political pressure to move its operations and its most advanced technology to the US. He cited the transfer of 300 people, including TSMC engineers, to the Arizona plant. In response, Wu said there was no secret deal, nor was there any attempt to diminish the importance of Taiwan to TSMC.\n\nPatrick Chen, the Taipei-based head of research at CL Securities Taiwan, said there was a common concern on the island about TSMC’s growing international importance, the pressure it is facing to expand, and what that means for Taiwan.\n\n“It is similar to what happened in the US in the 70s and 80s when manufacturing jobs were being shifted away from the States into other countries. Many local jobs were lost and cities bankrupted,” he said.\n\nCNN has asked TSMC for comment about its expansion plans.\n\nIts CEO, CC Wei, had previously said: “Every region is important to TSMC,” adding that it would “continue to serve all the customers all over the world.”\n\nIncreasing importance\n\nFounded in 1987 by Morris Chang, TSMC is not a household name outside Taiwan, even though it produces an estimated 90% of the world’s super-advanced computer chips.\n\nSemiconductors are an indispensable part of just about every electronic device. They are difficult to make because of the high cost of development and the level of knowledge required, meaning much of the production is concentrated among a handful of suppliers.\n\nConcerned about losing access to crucial chips, particularly as tension has escalated between China and the United States, as well as between Beijing and Taipei, governments and major consumer-facing companies like Apple have asked semiconductor companies to localize their operations, according to experts.\n\n“TSMC’s decision to expand its Arizona investment is evidence that politics and geopolitical risks will play a bigger role than previously in supply chain decisions,” said Chris Miller, author of “Chip War: the Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology”.\n\n“It also suggests that TSMC’s customers are asking for more geographic diversification, which is something that wasn’t previously a key concern of major customers.”\n\nOn Tuesday, TSMC said it was increasing its investment in the US by building a second semiconductor factory in Arizona and raising its total investment there from $12 billion to $40 billion.\n\nStaying put\n\nChang had previously said its plant in Arizona would produce 3-nanometer chips, the company’s most advanced technology, as advances in chip manufacturing require etching ever-smaller transistors onto silicon wafers.\n\nThese announcements alarm politicians like Chiu of the Taiwan People’s Party’s. He frets about the island losing out as TSMC is courted globally.\n\nChen of CL Securities said national security concerns among governments globally are driving TSMC’s expansion. But he believes the company will continue to manufacture its most advanced technology at home.\n\n“This would make economic sense given [the] lower salaries [and] higher quality of Taiwanese engineers,” he said, adding that the company needs the approval of the Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs to move its most advanced technologies abroad, which it was unlikely to give.\n\nMany experts believe that by the time 3-nanometer chips are being made in Arizona, TSMC’s Taiwan operations would be producing even smaller, more advanced chips.\n\nHutcheson also believes TSMC will keep its most cutting-edge development teams in Taiwan.\n\n“Once you have a team of people doing development work, they work very closely together. You don’t want to disrupt that. It’s not an easy thing to do,” he said.\n\n— CNN’s Wayne Chang contributed to this report.", "authors": ["Juliana Liu"], "publish_date": "2022/12/09"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/22/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-disqualification/index.html", "title": "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene testifies for more than 3 hours in ...", "text": "Atlanta CNN —\n\nRepublican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia testified under oath for three hours Friday at an unprecedented disqualification hearing that focused on whether she is constitutionally barred from holding office because of her role in the January 6 insurrection.\n\nOn the witness stand, Greene repeated debunked claims that former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election, and even brought up false-flag conspiracy theories that the US Capitol was attacked by rogue FBI agents or racial justice activists who “dressed up as Trump supporters.”\n\nHer testimony, during an extraordinary all-day hearing in Atlanta, makes Greene the first member of Congress to answer questions under oath about their activities related to January 6.\n\nThe candidacy challenge was initiated by a group of Georgia voters, who are working with a coalition of liberal activists and constitutional scholars. They face an uphill climb to remove Greene from the ballot, and the judge on Friday appeared skeptical of some of their arguments.\n\nTheir lawyers grilled Greene about her ties to the far-right provocateurs and extremist groups who fueled the carnage at the Capitol. But her testimony did not establish that she had been aware of plans for violence or that she had coordinated with any rioters – and she deflected many questions about her activities before January 6 by saying more than 50 times that she couldn’t remember.\n\n“I was asking people to come for a peaceful march, which is what everyone is entitled to do under their First Amendment, but I was not asking them to actively engage in violence or any type of action,” Greene testified, pushing back on the assertion that she had aided the insurrection.\n\nThe case revolves around a Civil War-era provision of the 14th Amendment, which says any American official who takes an oath to uphold the Constitution is disqualified from holding any future office if they had “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.” But how this applies today is a hotly debated legal question.\n\nState Judge Charles Beaudrot, who presided over the all-day hearing, is expected to issue his recommendation within the next few weeks. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, will then take Beaudrot’s findings and decide whether to disqualify Greene from the May 17 primary.\n\nThe outcome in the case could have national implications, because liberal attorneys have said they will mount a similar challenge against Trump if he runs again for president in 2024.\n\nLegal cat-and-mouse game\n\nWithout direct evidence linking Greene to any rioters, the challengers focused on her rhetoric and how her calls to action in the weeks before January 6 had potentially inspired the insurrection.\n\n“She was one of several leaders who gathered the kindling, who created the conditions, who made it possible for there to be an explosion of violence at the Capitol on January 6. And then, she dropped the match,” Andrew Celli, lawyer for the challengers, said in his closing arguments. “Now, she comes into this courtroom and says she’s surprised and appalled that a fire burned.”\n\nAt times, the proceedings felt like a legalistic cat-and-mouse game, with the challengers trying to pin Greene down on her previous comments, including some that appeared to stoke violence.\n\nShe said she didn’t remember saying she opposed the peaceful transfer of power to President Joe Biden – right before lawyers for the challengers played a video of her saying just that. She denied calling House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a “traitor” who might deserve the death penalty, but backtracked and acknowledged the comment when the challengers started to play the footage.\n\nCelli asked Greene if she had liked a Facebook post that said, “a bullet to the head would be a quicker way to remove” Pelosi. (CNN previously unearthed the liked post, and others where Greene indicated supported for executing prominent Democrats.)\n\n“I have had many people manage my social media account over the years,” Greene replied, in reference to the threatening post about Pelosi from 2019. “I have no idea who liked that.”\n\nShe said she had never intended to promote violence on January 6 and that she didn’t recall any conversations with lawmakers or Trump officials about disrupting the Electoral College count.\n\n“I only believe in peaceful demonstration,” Greene said. “I do not support violence.”\n\nShe also denied giving any tours of the Capitol complex before the attack, rejecting the still unproven allegation from some Democratic lawmakers that the rioters had insider assistance.\n\nRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is seen testifying on Friday in Atlanta. Pool\n\nGreene’s lawyer decries ‘show trial’\n\nGreene entered the courtroom to rousing applause and cheers from supporters. A court security official swiftly chastised the crowd and the judge later warned that outbursts would not be tolerated. Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican who has joined Greene at events in support of the January 6 defendants, sat with her legal team for most of the proceedings.\n\nHer attorney, James Bopp Jr., called the hearing a “political show trial” and said the affair was a massive violation of her constitutional rights. When the challengers questioned Greene, Bopp repeatedly interrupted with objections – and the judge agreed on several key occasions, leading him to rein in the challengers and telling them at one point, “You are pushing the envelope.”\n\nBopp briefly questioned Greene on the witness stand, calling her a “victim” of January 6 and focusing on the fear she had felt while she was escorted to safety that day. She was on the House floor, objecting to Biden’s electoral votes from Arizona, when the mob breached the building.\n\n“i was scared,” Greene testified, even though she later said that some of the rioters were patriots. “I was concerned. I was shocked. … I had no idea what was going on. … I did not want to see anyone get hurt. It was very upsetting. I was very upset.”\n\nThe hearing itself was something Greene had hoped to avoid. She had filed a federal lawsuit to shut down the state process – which is how GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn fended off a similar challenge in North Carolina. But in a blistering 75-page ruling on Monday, a federal judge rejected many of Greene’s legal arguments and cleared the way for Friday’s hearing.\n\nThe challenges against Greene and Cawthorn are backed by Free Speech for People, a legal advocacy group, and Our Revolution, a left-wing group founded by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. They are appealing the court ruling in North Carolina, which effectively killed their anti-Cawthorn efforts.\n\nRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene enters the courtroom, Friday, April 22, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, Pool) John Bazemore/AP\n\nWhat happens next?\n\nThe burden of proof is on the challengers to show by a “more likely than not” standard that January 6 was legally an insurrection and Greene actively aided the insurrectionists.\n\nBeaudrot, the judge, said the legal questions at play were “deadly serious” and repeatedly tried to maintain some level of order during the circus-like hearing. Post-trial briefs are due next Thursday, and Beaudrot is expected to issue his recommendation sometime within the next few weeks.\n\nThe decision whether to disqualify Greene will be made by Raffensperger, who was infamously on the receiving end of a call where Trump pressured him to “find” enough votes to overturn Biden’s surprise victory in Georgia.\n\nGeorgia’s primary ballots are already being printed, so if Greene is disqualified, state officials will post notices at polling places announcing that she is not an eligible candidate and votes for her will not be counted. Greene can appeal a disqualification in state courts.\n\nThis story and headline have been updated with additional developments Friday.", "authors": ["Marshall Cohen"], "publish_date": "2022/04/22"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/02/politics/election-threats-workers/index.html", "title": "FBI lacks full picture of reported threats to election officials ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nThe FBI’s process for receiving reports of violent threats or harassment against election officials is not built to handle the volume of reports, leaving the Justice Department with an incomplete picture of the problem’s scope as the midterms approach, the executive director of a national election officials’ group told Congress on Wednesday.\n\n“A common refrain I hear from my members is that nobody is going to take this seriously until something bad happens, and we are all braced for the worst,” Amy Cohen, the executive director of the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) said in written testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.\n\nSome senior election officials have struggled to get security details from state police, Cohen will testify, in an environment that has only grown more tense amid false conspiracy theories about fraud in the 2020 presidential election. More broadly, election officials lack a clear definition of what constitutes a threat or harassment at the federal level, according to Cohen’s written remarks.\n\nIn a statement to CNN on Wednesday, the FBI said it has “Election Crime Coordinators positioned in each of our field offices across the country to engage directly with local and state officials about all election-related crimes, offer guidance, and share information about potential threats.”\n\n“The FBI has seen a significant increase in threats of violence against election workers since our last national election, and we have been coordinating closely with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to address threats and intimidation against election officials, volunteers, and staff,” the statement continued.\n\nThe Justice Department last year set up a task force for investigating threats of violence and intimidation to election workers.\n\nAssistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. told the Senate panel that the task force has provided election workers’ organizations with information on how the department decides to open a criminal investigation and has encouraged “broad reporting” of any threats the workers might receive.\n\nPolite met virtually with about 750 election officials on Monday to give them an update on the task force, according to the Justice Department. The task force has reviewed over “1,000 contacts reported as hostile or harassing by the election community,” of which about 11% “met the threshold for a federal criminal investigation,” the department said.\n\nPolite said Wednesday that the task force has received a single reported incident of physical violence against an election worker. The task force has brought criminal charges against five people, Polite said, and local officials in Colorado, Arizona and Michigan have each pursued a criminal case for threats against election workers.\n\n“It is important to bear in mind that the vast majority of communications directed at election workers, offensive though they may be, will not constitute true threats subject to federal criminal prosecution due to the robust protections afforded to political speech by the First Amendment,” Polite’s written testimony said.\n\nMore than half of the potentially criminal threats were in battleground states where the 2020 results were challenged, such as Arizona, Georgia, Colorado, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Wisconsin, according to the Justice Department.\n\nElection officials have more on their plate than ever in trying to tamp down disinformation about the voting process while keeping an eye on foreign hacking threats and threats of violence.\n\nA classified briefing that US intelligence and national security officials held for election officials in April covered threats of violence based on conspiracy theories, a change in the threat landscape since 2020, CNN previously reported.\n\nA Massachusetts man was arrested Friday after being indicted by a grand jury for allegedly making a bomb threat last year towards an election official in Arizona.\n\nAs a result of the threats and harassment to election officials, “NASED has heard from state election offices in which every employee now has a concealed carry license and actively carries a weapon,” Cohen’s testimony says.\n\n“[W]e have heard from state election offices that have seen long-time employees abruptly give notice en masse with no jobs lined up, citing safety concerns; and we have heard from states that have lost 25 to 30 percent of their local election officials because those public servants no longer want to work in this environment,” Cohen will testify.\n\nTearful testimony as threats are discussed\n\nAnother witness on Wednesday, Kim Wyman – who leads election initiatives at Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity arm – choked up during her testimony, telling lawmakers that a tape that was played detailing some of the threats had made her emotional.\n\n“Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of American democracy,” said Wyman, a Republican who previously was Washington’s secretary of state.\n\nWyman testified that she has overseen over 150 elections in her tenure at roles in Washington and CISA, and that she has “witnessed firsthand the challenges” election officials face.\n\nRepublicans on the committee, however, cast doubt on whether a Justice Department task force on election threats was really necessary, grilling Polite on whether the department’s resources would be better spent focusing on the demonstrators outside Supreme Court justices or threats to anti-abortion pregnancy crisis centers.\n\n“The Department of Justice is not choosing what to convene task forces by levels of violence,” said Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the committee. “They’re choosing a political message, I believe, and that will have a real consequence on the safety and lives of many Americans.”\n\nSen. Mike Lee, a Republican of Utah, asked Polite what measures the DOJ was taking to prevent its investigations into election worker threats from having “an undue effect on the chilling of First Amendment protected activity.”\n\nPolite said that concern – one that requires the careful review of each allegation that is reported – is part of what makes the task force’s work “significant.”\n\nDemocrats defended the need to focus on threats against election workers.\n\n“These threats are taking a disastrous toll on our democracy,” Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, a Democrat of Illinois, said.\n\nBuilding out resources\n\nFederal officials have looked to strengthen physical and cybersecurity support for election administrators.\n\nThe US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has 127 physical security specialists across the country who can assess election facilities for safety, and the agency plans to hire 15 more by the end of the year.\n\nYet funding and other resources are a long-term challenge for security of and administration of elections, according to experts.\n\nThe Justice Department clarified in January that a criminal justice grants program that gives states millions of dollars each year can be used to protect against physical threats against election workers.\n\nA Justice Department spokesperson told CNN in June that the department division overseeing the grants had yet to report any use of funds to protect against threats of violence to election workers. CNN has requested an update to that data.\n\nPolite said Wednesday that the DOJ office that runs the grant program, the Office of Justice Programs, conducted “several webinars for election stakeholders” on how to access grant funds, which could be used for protective security details and physical security enhancements to workplaces.\n\nThis story has been updated with additional details and developments.", "authors": ["Sean Lyngaas Hannah Rabinowitz Tierney Sneed", "Sean Lyngaas", "Hannah Rabinowitz", "Tierney Sneed"], "publish_date": "2022/08/02"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/29/china/china-covid-response-protests-intl-hnk/index.html", "title": "China Covid protests: Health officials defend zero-Covid policy but ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nChina’s top health officials have pledged to rectify Covid-19 control measures to reduce their impact on people’s lives, while deflecting blame for public frustration away from the policy itself, in their first press briefing since protests erupted against the government’s stringent zero-Covid policy over the weekend.\n\nLockdowns to suppress the spread of the virus should be lifted “as quickly as possible” following outbreaks, said health officials at a National Health Commission press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday, as they defended the country’s overall policy direction – which aims to stamp out the spread of the virus through hefty controls.\n\nCheng Youquan, a director at the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said “some issues” reported recently by the public are not due to the measures, but their application by local officials taking a “one-size-fits-all approach.” He said some controls had been implemented “excessively,” with disregard for the people’s demands.\n\nProtests against the country’s zero-Covid policy, which includes a combination of lockdowns, forced quarantines and tight border controls, flared across China over the weekend, with citizens taking to city streets and college campuses to call for an end to the restrictive measures.\n\nWhile protests in several parts of China appear to have largely dispersed peacefully over the weekend, some met a stronger response from authorities – and security has been tightened across cities with police deployed to key protest sites in the wake of the demonstrations.\n\nPlan to boost elderly vaccination rates\n\nOfficials at Tuesday’s press briefing did not directly address the protests, but commission spokesperson Mi Feng said governments should “respond to and resolve the reasonable demands of the masses” in a timely manner.\n\nWhen asked if the government is reconsidering its Covid policies, Mi said authorities “have been studying and adjusting our pandemic containment measures to protect the people’s interest to the largest extent and limit the impact on people as much as possible.”\n\nEarlier this month, China announced 20 measures that were meant to streamline Covid-19 controls and reign in “excessive policy steps” taken by local authorities – who are under pressure from Beijing to control the number of cases in their regions.\n\nThe protests – and the pledges to refine the policy implementation – come as the country faces its most significant surge of cases.\n\nChina identified 38,421 locally transmitted cases on Monday, according to the National Health Commission, ending six consecutive days of record infections.\n\nLow vaccination rates among the elderly have long been cited by authorities as a reason why China must maintain tight controls over the virus. On Tuesday, officials also announced an “action plan” to boost vaccination rates among this high-risk group.\n\nRaising that rate is seen as necessary to eventually reopening the country and relaxing tough measures.\n\nAs of November 28, around 90% of China’s total population had received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccination, but only roughly 66% of people over 80 had completed two doses, officials said Tuesday.\n\nChina defends Covid-19 measures\n\nReactions to the officials’ statements on Chinese social media suggested they had done little to assuage frustration and anger over the zero-Covid policy. On a state media livestream of the press conference, many users called for an end to Covid testing, lockdown and centralized quarantine.\n\n“We’ve cooperated with you for three years, now it’s time to give our freedom back,” said one top comment on the livestream, which was run by state media on the Weibo social media platform.\n\n“Can you stop filtering our comments? Listen to the people, the sky won’t fall,” wrote another, referring to censorship on the platform.\n\nIn a separate briefing on Tuesday, China’s Foreign Ministry defended the Covid-19 control measures and civil rights in the country – where authorities regularly use far-reaching surveillance and security capabilities to quash dissent.\n\n“China is a country under the rule of law, Chinese citizens enjoy various legal rights and freedoms that are fully protected by law,” spokesperson Zhao Lijian said, when asked about the protests in a regular briefing on Tuesday. “At the same time, any rights and freedoms should be exercised within the framework of the law.”\n\nAsian shares rallied on Tuesday on signs that authorities had managed to contain protests, and then on hopes the health commission would announce an easing of Covid restrictions.\n\nHong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng Index ended the day more than 5% higher. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite Index and the Shenzhen Component Index both finished more than 2% higher, while the CSI300 Index, which tracks the largest listed stocks, closed more than 3% higher.", "authors": ["Simone Mccarthy Wayne Chang", "Simone Mccarthy", "Wayne Chang"], "publish_date": "2022/11/29"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_8", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:53", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/03/21/what-ramadan-celebrated-islam/11516555002/", "title": "What is Ramadan? Why do Muslim people fast for the holy month ...", "text": "Ramadan begins this week, a holy, month-long observance for Muslim communities in the United States and around the world.\n\nMany Muslim people will observe Ramadan by fasting from sunup to sundown, praying together, holding communal meals and festivities and more.\n\nAsma Sayeed, an associate professor of Islamic Studies at UCLA, explained that Ramadan is rooted in many practices, including to “invoke the remembrance of God for a continuous period\" and “to celebrate and remember the revelation of the Qur'an as a gift to humanity.”\n\nBut when is Ramadan? Why do Muslims engage in fasting for Ramadan? Here’s what you need to know.\n\nWhen is Ramadan?\n\nRamadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, begins on Wednesday, March 22 in the United States and continues through April 21, ending in the holiday Eid al-Fitr.\n\nWhat is Ramadan?\n\nRamadan is a significant month for many Muslim people that involves prayer, fasting, spending time with family and friends and more.\n\n“The simplest answer is that it's the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar,” Martyn Oliver, faculty chair of the American University Core, told USA TODAY. “The more specific sense is that it's one of the holiest celebratory months in Islamic practice.”\n\nMuslims believe that, during the month of Ramadan, the Prophet Muhammad was given the Qur'an, Islam’s holy book. It marked the first time that God revealed to Muhammed he was a prophet tasked with carrying God’s message.\n\nWhy do some Muslims fast?\n\nOne major practice of Ramadan is fasting from sunrise to sunset. Muslim people who have reached puberty are called on to fast, a practice of self-restraint intended to bring people closer to God.\n\n“It is for Muslims to remember God, to strengthen their relationship with him through an act of piety and sacrifice,” Sayeed said. “Because it's tough. It's not easy to fast for a full month, and also to abstain from drink.”\n\nRamadan is also “for Muslims to engage in acts of charity by depriving themselves of food and drink,” Sayeed said.\n\n“They remember what it is to face bodily and material deprivation,” she explained. “The idea is to sort of invite Muslims to be more charitable in that month and for the rest of the year because you’ve sort of experienced want yourself in very direct ways.”\n\nMuslim people fasting during Ramadan do not eat food or drink liquids, but it can also “mean abstaining from sexual relationships or for smoking or for any other kind of pleasurable consumption,” Oliver said.\n\nMuslim people break their fasts after an evening prayer with a meal called ifṭār. These meals are often communal events with friends and family. While foods at these meals can vary by community, one common choice is dates, a reference to the Prophet Muhammad eating dates to break his fast.\n\nPeople who are pregnant, nursing or menstruating are often exempt from fasting, as well as older people, people with illnesses and others.\n\nHow else is Ramadan observed?\n\nSome Muslim people will also do “an additional voluntary prayer” called Tarawih, Sayeed said.\n\n“These are additional nightly prayers. Sometimes they're prayed in congregation, in a mosque, and one-thirtieth of the Qur'an is recited each night,” she said. “So the idea here is that by the end of Ramadan, that community or people who are praying will have read, recited the entire Qur'an in prayer. That’s a very high act of devotion. Many Muslims try to read through the Qur'an actually, during the month of Ramadan.”\n\nThe holiest night of Ramadan is Laylat al-Qadr, which takes place in the final 10 days of the month. It is referred to as the “Night of Power,” when the Angel Jibril revealed the Qur'an’s initial verses to the Prophet Muhammad.\n\nRamadan is also a time to give to charities, Oliver said.\n\n“It's also the time when you do a lot of charitable giving. It's the season of giving to worthy causes or to organizations that support those who are without,” he said.\n\nShould I say ‘Happy Ramadan?’\n\nIf you are not observing Ramadan but want to greet a coworker or friend who is, Sayeed said that you may want to say “Ramadan Mubarak” or “Ramadan Kareem”\n\n“The first is just like sort of, congratulations for Ramadan. Ramadan Kareem is actually a really beautiful one. Kareem is a word connoting generosity and giving. The idea that even though you're experiencing a very high level of material deprivation, that Ramadan itself and these charitable acts during Ramadan that are heightened for Muslims evoke generosity and bounty,” she said.\n\nOliver said you may also want to “wish somebody an easy fast, which is a sort of a recognition that somebody who is participating in Ramadan is going to be hungry and tired during the day.”\n\nWhat is Eid al-Fitr?\n\nEid al-Fitr commemorates the end of Ramadan. It means “the feast of the breaking of the fast.”\n\nSayeed called it a “major annual holiday for Muslims,” when they “are advised to kind of wear their nicest clothes, go out in the morning for congregational prayer.”\n\nChildren may receive presents after prayers, and communities may come together for celebratory meals and fireworks.\n\n“There's a sense of relief at having completed the fasting or maybe a sense of accomplishment, and also gratefulness for what one has,” Oliver said.\n\nContributing: Clare Mulroy, Maria Jimenez Moya; USA TODAY", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/21"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_9", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:53", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2021/09/15/how-can-go-space-inspiration-4-and-future-space-travel/8350606002/", "title": "How much does it cost to go to space like William Shatner?", "text": "It's the dawn of a new space age.\n\nWilliam Shatner, who for decades explored space on screen as \"Star Trek's\" Captain Kirk, finally launched into the final frontier.\n\n\"Everybody in the world needs to do this,\" he said. \"Everybody in the world needs to see it.\"\n\nOn Wednesday, the 90-year-old became the oldest person in space, a title briefly held by Mary Wallace \"Wally\" Funk and previously held by legendary astronaut John Glenn. At age 82, Funk, a longtime champion of women in space, joined Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on Blue Origin's flight to the edge of space in July.\n\nWhat does this mean for the future of civilian space travel? Will space become the next ultimate human amusement park?\n\nNASA Director Phil McAlister weighs in after more than 20 years working in the space industry.\n\n►'I hope I never recover':William Shatner gets emotional after historic Blue Origin flight\n\n►Sorry, Jeff Bezos:You're still not an astronaut, according to the FAA\n\nHow much does it cost to go into space?\n\nIt depends, says McAlister. For a trip on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo and Blue Origin's New Shepard, seats typically cost $250,000 to $500,000.\n\n\"Those are suborbital transportation systems. They are about a 15-minute ride, and they just barely touch the edge of space and then come back down. They don't go into orbit,\" McAlister says.\n\nSpaceX's Inspiration4 mission in September was different.\n\nThe spacecraft of civilians was in orbit and circling the Earth for three days, similar to orbital spaceflight required for astronauts to get to the International Space Station.\n\n►Rocket visuals: Visual explainer: SpaceX flight puts all-civilian crew of 4 into Earth orbit for 3 days\n\n►The Inspiration4 mission: No professional astronauts: SpaceX will launch first all-civilian crew into orbit tonight\n\nJared Isaacman, a 38-year-old billionaire high-school dropout who promoted the flight as a massive fundraising effort for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, paid for it all.\n\nIssacman, a pilot who is qualified to fly commercial and military jets, reached a deal with SpaceX in late 2020 for the mission.\n\nNeither is saying how much he paid SpaceX, an Elon Musk-founded company, for the launch, though Isaacman has said it was far less than the $200 million he hoped to raise for St. Jude.\n\nFor NASA astronauts, McAlister says, orbital trips can have a $58 million price tag, based on averages calculated from commercial contracts with SpaceX and Boeing.\n\nWhile $58 million may seem like a lot, it's actually a great bargain for NASA.\n\nAfter retiring its space shuttle, NASA had to pay Russia around $80 million for each seat on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft.\n\nThe privatization of space by American companies\n\nThis initiative to partner public and private resources for American space exploration has been years in the making.\n\nNASA has been working with SpaceX and Boeing on their systems for the last 10 years, transferring their knowledge from more than 60 years of human spaceflight and innovation in low Earth orbit.\n\n\"During that 60 years, only about 600 people have flown the space, and the vast majority of them have been government astronauts. I think in the next 60 years, that number is going to go up dramatically, and the vast majority of them are going to be private citizens,\" McAlister says.\n\n►Inspiration4 mission makes history: Cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux to become youngest American in space with SpaceX launch\n\nThe goal for NASA is to eventually retire the International Space Station and allow companies to build their own space stations with the latest technological designs that require less maintenance.\n\nIn the future, astronauts could just rent seats on space shuttles and stay at rooms in space stations, similar to how business travelers buy plane tickets from airlines and sleep in hotels.\n\n\"If you remember back when airline travel first debuted, it was very expensive, and it was only for the very wealthy that can afford it. And then entrepreneurs entered the market. Forces of competition brought prices down to the point where today, most people, not everybody, but most people can afford a flight from New York to California,\" says McAlister. \"I'm hoping that the same thing happens with human space transportation.\"\n\nWhat would a trip to space look like?\n\nGetting onto a spaceship definitely wouldn't be as simple as a check-in process at the airport. The participants on Inspiration4 had to train for months, understand spacecraft systems and prepare for the physical toll of space.\n\nHere's who joined billionaire Jared Isaacman on the mission:\n\n►Hayley Arceneaux, a physician assistant at St. Jude. She was treated for bone cancer herself at the hospital as a child.\n\n►Chris Sembroski, an aerospace worker from Seattle who was selected from among 72,000 entries based donations to St. Jude.\n\n►Sian Proctor, an educator and trained pilot who was a finalist in NASA's 2009 astronaut class.\n\nSpaceX and Isaacman unveiled their project to the world in a TV ad that ran during the Super Bowl in February encouraging people to apply for the mission.\n\nThe crew ran a series of experiments related to health research, such as drawing blood and measuring sleep activity.\n\nResearch institutes and medical schools will use the data to understand how the human body is affected by space, and how to make space a potential travel, or living, destination.\n\nIn a SpaceX press briefing, SpaceX Director Benji Reed said, \"We want to make life multiplanetary, and that means putting millions of people in space.\"\n\nMcAlister also imagined that a big chunk of the crew's time was spent just looking out the window, staring in awe at the curvature of the Earth and the thin blue line of atmosphere encircling it.\n\n\"You can see the Earth, the whole Earth from space, and there's no boundaries. There's no borders, and you feel a connectedness to the human race that you didn't necessarily feel before,\" says McAlister. \"You come back with a better appreciation for our home planet.\"\n\nFlorida Day contributed. Michelle Shen is a Money & Tech Digital Reporter for USATODAY. You can reach her @michelle_shen10 on Twitter.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/09/15"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2022/02/15/virgin-galactic-tickets-space-trip/6795121001/", "title": "Virgin Galactic tickets to space will cost $450,000", "text": "Virgin Galactic will soon sell tickets for space trips to the public. The catch? They cost $450,000.\n\nOn Tuesday, the aerospace company announced plans to sell tickets to the general public to snag a seat for a future spaceflight.\n\nReservations open up Feb. 16 and will cost $450,000. Potential travelers must pay a $150,000 deposit to hold the spot, then pay the rest before their flight. Tickets will be available to 1,000 customers for trips later this year.\n\nThe flights will take off from Spaceport America in New Mexico. Virgin Galactic said trips will last about 90 minutes.\n\n\"The spaceship gracefully flips while astronauts enjoy several minutes of out-of-seat weightlessness and breath-taking views of Earth from the spaceship’s 17 windows,\" reads a statement from the company.\n\nBUDGET SMARTPHONES:You can get a good phone without the iPhone price tag\n\nNOT A TYPO:Worldle is like Wordle but with geography puzzles.\n\nVirgin Galactic is among several companies including SpaceX and Blue Origin – run by tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos respectively – pressing forward with plans to eventually support commercial space travel.\n\nOn July 11, Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson was among six crewmembers who traveled aboard the company's space plane, the VSS Unity. Two months later, the Federal Aviation Administration said it was investigating the flight.\n\nBlue Origin launched a manned flight on July 20 with Bezos among the members of the crew. In September, SpaceX launched its first flight with an all-civilian crew.\n\nFollow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/02/15"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/24/world/flights-reroute-around-russia-carbon-cost-climate/index.html", "title": "Flights are taking huge 'detours' to avoid Russian air space. Here's ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nSince Russia closed its airspace to airlines from dozens of countries at the end of February – in response to sanctions levied for its invasion of Ukraine – about 400 flights per month that had previously been routed over the country are being forced to take a wider berth, according to Flightradar24.\n\nIn lieu of using Russian airspace, some flights from Europe to Asia are flying south of the country or, in some cases, taking a painfully long reroute over the Arctic. And Russia is huge; it’s the largest country on the planet – larger than the continent of Antarctica.\n\nThe new routes are leading to more time in the air for passengers and crew, more miles flown and more fuel burned – which means more planet-warming emissions.\n\nJapan Airlines Flight JL43 from Tokyo to London, for instance, uses a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft that burns roughly 2,300 gallons of fuel per hour. The rerouted JL43 flight – which now heads east over the North Pacific, Alaska, Canada and Greenland – added 2.4 hours of flight time and likely burned around 5,600 gallons more fuel, a 20% increase.\n\nThat means Flight JL43 could be emitting an additional 54,000 kilograms, or 60 tons, of planet-warming carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to calculations by Paul Williams, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Reading, for CNN. That’s the same amount of carbon dioxide as the average car driving 137,000 miles, or nearly six times around the planet.\n\nWilliams said the exact fuel burn rate depends on the weight of the aircraft, the altitude and airspeed, and some of those variables are unknown. These calculations also do not factor in the warming effect of other greenhouse gas emissions or the flights’ condensation trails.\n\n“Naturally, a lot of people when thinking about aviation and climate, they focus on the CO2 emitted,” Williams told CNN. “But, actually, it’s much worse than that. CO2 is actually just the tip of the iceberg. The extra flight time is causing a lot more warming than the mileages I gave you because they only take into account the CO2, not the other non-CO2 effects.”\n\nDan Rutherford, director of the International Council on Clean Transportation’s aviation and marine programs, told CNN that Williams’ calculations “look reasonable.”\n\n“If anything, he is underestimating the likely impact because, at the margin, long-haul flights become even more fuel intensive with extra distance because they ‘burn fuel to carry fuel,’ in industry parlance,” Rutherford said.\n\nIn other words, it’s a vicious, fuel-guzzling loop: It takes more fuel to carry the weight of more fuel.\n\nAccording to Flightradar24, the aircraft tracking service, there are a limited number of flights – mostly Finnair flights – taking the polar route around Russia. Others are taking a southern route.\n\nLufthansa Flight LH716 from Frankfurt to Tokyo, for example, has added nearly an hour to its flight time. The Airbus A340 aircraft typically burns around 2,000 gallons of fuel an hour, which could mean the extra flight time burned another 1,428 gallons of fuel.\n\nThat’s an additional 13,710 kilograms of planet-warming emissions – the same amount released by an average car driving 34,000 miles, or nearly twice around the world.\n\nRutherford estimated that if Russian airspace remains closed for much longer, the global aviation carbon inventory may increase by up to 1%.\n\nThat seems very low, but air travel is a significant contributor to the climate crisis, accounting for more than 2% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions as of 2018, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. The institute notes that if the aviation industry were its own country, it would rank No. 6 in carbon emissions.\n\n“[However], I consider that a marginal impact that governments shouldn’t consider when setting policy regarding the Ukrainian invasion,” Rutherford told CNN. “It’s a small price to pay to defend global democracy and the international rule of law, in my personal opinion.”\n\nFlying can make up a huge portion of a person’s carbon footprint. For instance, a one-way intercontinental flight between Hong Kong and San Francisco emits more carbon dioxide than the average British person’s activities – or that of 10 people living in Ghana – over the course of a year, according to a 2020 analysis published in the journal Nature. “Fly less” is often the first line of expert advice for people looking to reduce their climate impact.\n\nBut with the aviation industry struggling to decarbonize, Williams said he expects emissions from aviation to only increase over time.\n\n“Aviation is finding it really difficult to decarbonize than the rest of the economy,” he said. “Because the plane needs so much energy to generate the thrust, it’s really problematic to move away from fossil fuels. So aviation is a small part of the jigsaw currently, but in the coming decades, it will grow as a fraction of global emissions.”\n\nBut right now, the extra emissions are unavoidable, Williams said. There are no other options than taking the long way around Russia.\n\nAirlines can invest in new, more efficient aircrafts and shift to sustainable aviation fuels, Rutherford said, but those are long-term solutions. Short-term strategies are limited.\n\n“The extra fuel use and emissions, and also extra fuel cost due to higher oil prices generally, are basically inescapable for airlines,” Rutherford said. “In addition to paying more, they can reduce payload – passengers or carriage – at the cost of some revenue, or they can cancel the flight.”\n\nIn February, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that the “current events” showed the world was too reliant on fossil fuels, calling them “a dead end.” A recent UN climate report shows that unless Earth’s warming is dramatically slowed, billions of people and other species may no longer be able to adapt to irreversible changes brought by fossil fuel emissions.\n\nRutherford said he expects “renewed interest in developing alternative fuels in shipping and aviation, to distance those industries from Russian energy exports.”\n\n“This particular war is causing a wide rethink about getting off of fossil fuels,” he said.", "authors": ["Rachel Ramirez"], "publish_date": "2022/03/24"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/seaney/2016/04/05/seat-upgrade-extra-leg-room/82651504/", "title": "What each U.S. airline charges for a bigger seat", "text": "Rick Seaney\n\nSpecial for USA TODAY\n\nAir travel today can be a cramped mess, but who wants to pay an arm and a leg for a spacious spot in business class? On the bright side, a few extra bucks can often get you a few extra inches of legroom and even a single inch of seat pitch (the distance between the seat in front of you and your own) can make a difference.\n\nIf you’re on an airline that allows you to choose an economy seat for free and that’s all you care about, SeatGuru has seating maps for every carrier’s aircraft. The only problem is airlines can sometime switch planes at the last minute, so your aisle up front could disappear.\n\nSometimes, a few extra bucks can be worth it. Here's what some airlines charge for a better seat in economy.\n\nThink airline seats have gotten smaller? They have\n\nAmerican: Starting at $4 (and up), you can get a more advantageous seat such as an aisle or window. But an extra $20 or more nets the real payoff of up to six more inches of legroom. Warning: Prices can rise to close to $200 per seat, depending on the route.\n\nDelta: Extra comfort in the form of up to four more inches of legroom over regular economy need not cost a fortune. Example: On a Los Angeles to San Francisco flight in April, extra legroom was priced at $19 each way, but again, prices vary.\n\nJetBlue: This airline already offers a comparatively good deal, space-wise, with 32 to 33 inches of legroom (compared to 28 on many Spirit flights), plus an 18-inch-wide seat. But you can get even more starting at $10 one-way by purchasing the Even More Space seat.\n\nSouthwest: You get a lot of freebies when you travel on Business Select (including totally refundable tickets, free drinks and free TV) but these tickets can cost 10 times as much as the cheap Wanna Get Away fares and all seats are the same size. If you want the comfort of an aisle or window, or a seat close to the front, EarlyBird boarding is your best bet. The ticket add-on is $15 per flight (just raised from $12.50) no matter where you fly and because of Southwest's open seating policy you can be among the first to choose where you'll sit.\n\nSpirit: The ultra discounter gives you no choice of seats if you do not pay; you’ll simply be assigned one randomly. Basic seat selection costs from $1-$50 or get a Big Front Seat (additional legroom, no middle seat) for $12-$199, depending on the flight.\n\nUnited: Book an Economy Plus seat for a single flight from $9 to $299 or if you fly a lot and fly far, book a subscription form $499 to $1,099. You can also book Economy Plus packages that provide other goodies.\n\nThe worst places to sit on a plane\n\nFareCompare CEO Rick Seaney is an airline industry insider and top media air travel resource. Follow Rick (@rickseaney) and never overpay for airfare again.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2016/04/05"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airlines/2022/02/23/service-animal-airline-policies/6798995001/", "title": "Flying with a service dog? Here's a guide to all the rules", "text": "Updated federal rules for flying with service animals took effect in January 2021 and the changes have caused confusion for travelers and airlines. In some cases, people's service dogs were denied boarding.\n\nTwo women told The Arizona Republic that Allegiant Air wrongfully denied their service dogs. One of them had been unaware prior to her flight that the rules had changed.\n\nIn December 2020, the U.S. Department of Transportation revised the Air Carrier Access Act. The DOT issued a final ruling that outlines how airlines must accommodate passengers traveling with service animals. The changes included:\n\nNo longer allowing emotional support animals as service animals.\n\nNarrowing the definition of a service animal to only include dogs.\n\nRequiring airlines to treat psychiatric service animals the same as other service animals without additional documentation.\n\nAllowing airlines to require passengers to submit paperwork before boarding with their service dog.\n\nThe full 122-page document can be found at https://www.transportation.gov.\n\nIf you travel with a service dog, here's what you should know before booking a flight.\n\nExclusive:NewThese women's service dogs were denied boarding under the new rules\n\nWhat are the new rules for flying with service dogs?\n\nAmong the changes that took effect on Jan. 11, 2021, are:\n\nAirlines can require a traveler with a service dog to complete a DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form and a Service Animal Relief Attestation Form at least 48 hours prior to departure.\n\nAirlines are no longer required to recognize non-task-trained animals such as emotional support animals, comfort animals and service animals in training as service animals.\n\nAirlines can limit passengers to two task-trained service animals per person.\n\nMiniature horses, cats, rabbits and other animals are no longer considered service animals.\n\nAirlines cannot require passengers with psychiatric service animals to provide a letter from a licensed mental health professional.\n\nPassengers traveling with service animals cannot be required to physically check in at the airport.\n\nService animals can be required to fit within the handler’s foot space on the plane.\n\nWhat is a service animal?\n\nAccording to the DOT, “A service animal is a dog, regardless of breed or type, that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disability.”\n\nAirlines “are prohibited from refusing to transport a service animal based solely on breed or generalized physical type, as distinct from an individualized assessment of the animal’s behavior and health,” the final rule states.\n\nService dogs, according to the DOT, do not run around freely, bark or growl repeatedly, injure people or urinate or defecate outside of allowed areas.\n\nA trained service animal will remain under the control of its handler,” the final rule reads. “An animal that engages in such disruptive behavior demonstrates that it has not been successfully trained to behave properly in a public setting and carriers are not required to treat it as a service animal without a carrier in the cabin, even if the animal performs an assistive function for a passenger with a disability.”\n\nCan you fly with emotional support dogs?\n\nThe DOT’s final rule “excludes all non-task-trained animals, such as emotional support animals, comfort animals and service animals in training.”\n\nHowever, airlines are allowed, at their discretion, to transport emotional support animals without extra charge. Many airlines, such as United Airlines and American Airlines, treat emotional support animals the same as other pets, which are usually required to be confined to their carriers and incur extra fees.\n\nIntroducing TSA Cares:The program for travelers who need extra help at airports\n\nWhat do I need for my service dog to fly?\n\nThere are two forms that airlines can require of passengers with service animals. These are the DOT's Service Animal Air Transportation Form and Service Animal Relief Attestation Form.\n\nCarriers can choose to not require any forms from these travelers.\n\nThe Service Animal Air Transportation Form is intended to \"allow airlines to receive direct assurances from service animal users of their animal’s good behavior and training,\" according to the DOT's final rule. It educates passengers on how their service dog is expected to behave and potentially deters \"individuals who might otherwise seek to claim falsely that their pets are service animals.\"\n\nFlights that are eight hours or longer can require a Relief Attestation Form, which confirms that the service dog “can relieve itself on the aircraft without creating a health/sanitation issue.”\n\nAirlines can require that these forms be submitted at least 48 hours in advance of departure, and most have adopted this rule. If a last-minute flight is booked, the traveler can submit the forms at the airport. One form covers all segments of a round-trip flight.\n\nThe DOT’s final rule reads: “If a passenger’s reservation was made less than 48 hours in advance of the first originally scheduled departure time on the passenger’s itinerary, you may not require that passenger provide advance notice of his or her intent to travel with a service animal. You may require that the passenger complete the forms … and submit a copy of the form to you at the passenger’s departure gate on the date of travel.”\n\nIt is a federal crime to give false information on the forms. If an airline suspects fraud, it can notify the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection, which may refer reports to the Office of the Inspector General for investigation and prosecution.\n\nThe forms can be found at https://www.transportation.gov.\n\nCan you list yourself as your service animal’s trainer on the DOT form?\n\nYes. On the Service Animal Air Transportation Form, service dog users are asked to fill in the name of the animal trainer or training organization and the trainer's phone number. If you task-trained your dog yourself, you are permitted to write your own name.\n\nAccording to the final rule, “service animal users are free to train their own dogs to perform a task or function for them.”\n\n“While DOT provides space on its form for a service animal handler to state the organization or individual that trained the service animal to do work or perform tasks to assist the handler, DOT does not require that individuals with disabilities have their animal trained or evaluated by an accredited organization as a condition of transport,” the final rule reads.\n\nExtra resources:Need a little extra help navigating the airport? Here's how to let staff, TSA know\n\nDoes your service dog need certification to fly?\n\nNo. Your service dog does not need to be task-trained by an accredited dog-training organization.\n\nHowever, a service dog must be “both trained to perform a task or function for the passenger with a disability” and “trained to behave in public.”\n\nDoes a service dog need to wear a vest or other identifier?\n\nService dogs are not required to wear anything that identifies them as a working dog. However, service dogs must be harnessed, leashed or otherwise tethered at all times, whether in the airport or on an aircraft.\n\nAirline employees are allowed to ask “whether the animal is required to accompany the passenger because of a disability and what work or task the animal has been trained to perform,” observe its behavior and look for physical indicators such as harnesses and vests in order to verify a dog is a service animal.\n\nAccording to the final rule, air carriers “are free to view such paraphernalia as evidence that an animal is a service animal; conversely, they are also free to give the presence or lack of presence of such paraphernalia little weight.”\n\nHow many service dogs can you bring on a flight?\n\nAirlines are not required to accept more than two service animals per passenger.\n\nTips for flying with your service dog\n\nArrive as early as possible. For example, Allegiant Air recommends arriving at least two hours before your departure time.\n\nSubmit your DOT form as early as possible. A representative for the airline may ask you for more information about your service dog, such as the tasks it performs. It’s not uncommon for passengers to receive denial letters, and you will need time to resolve the issue before your departure.\n\nAlert the airline that you have a service dog. While booking a flight, look for a way to indicate that you have a service dog. For example, on Allegiant’s website, this can be done by clicking on “special assistance.”\n\nMake sure your dog is up to date on vaccinations. The Service Animal Air Transportation Form has a section attesting to the dog's health, including the date of your dog's last rabies vaccination and the expiration date.\n\nYour dog doesn't have to be small to fly. If your service dog does not fit in the space under the seat in front of you, don't fret.\n\nAccording to the final rule, \"The Department further emphasizes that larger service animals are not automatically prohibited from an aircraft if they do not fit in their handler’s foot space. The final rule continues to require carriers to accommodate such animals by moving them to another seat location within the same class of service where the animal can be accommodated, if available, such as a seat next to an empty seat on the aircraft, if available.\"\n\nYou can purchase a seat for your dog to ensure that it has sufficient space.\n\nWhy did the DOT change its service animal rules?\n\nThe changes were prompted in part by inconsistent definitions among federal agencies on what constitutes a service animal and an increase of travelers fraudulently claiming their pets were service animals.\n\n“It is reasonable to predict that the Department’s definition will result in an overall reduction in the number of uncrated animals onboard aircraft, thereby reducing the overall number of animal misbehavior incidents (and the overall number of potential allergic reactions) onboard aircraft,” the final rule reads.\n\nThe final rule more closely aligns the DOT’s definition of a service animal with the Department of Justice’s definition under the Americans With Disabilities Act.\n\nAccording to the final rule, the Service Animal Air Transportation Form “would have the potential to serve as a deterrent for individuals who might otherwise seek to claim falsely that their pets are service animals, as those individuals may be less likely to falsify a federal form and thus risk the potential for criminal prosecution.”\n\nThe two DOT forms are also intended to help service animal handlers as they “will no longer have to navigate different forms propounded by different airlines.”\n\nHow to find an airline’s pet and service animal policies\n\nHere are the links for some of the air carriers that fly out of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport:\n\nAlaska Airlines: https://www.alaskaair.com.\n\nhttps://www.alaskaair.com. Allegiant Air: https://www.allegiantair.com.\n\nhttps://www.allegiantair.com. American Airlines: https://www.aa.com.\n\nhttps://www.aa.com. Delta Air Lines: https://www.delta.com.\n\nhttps://www.delta.com. Southwest Airlines: https://www.southwest.com.\n\nhttps://www.southwest.com. United Airlines: https://www.united.com.\n\nCan an airline deny boarding to your service dog?\n\nYes. The DOT allows airlines to refuse service dogs under certain circumstances. These include if the traveler does not provide any required DOT service animal forms.\n\nHowever, if you book your flight less than 48 hours before departure, the airline “must still provide the accommodation if you can do so by making reasonable efforts, without delaying the flight.”\n\nAirline personnel can “make an individualized assessment based on reasonable judgement and objective evidence” and deny a service dog if it causes a “significant disruption in the aircraft or at the airport” or poses a direct threat to people’s health or safety.\n\nAirlines “must not deny transportation to the service animal if there are means available short of refusal that would mitigate the problem (e.g., muzzling a barking service dog or taking other steps to comply with animal health regulations needed to permit entry of the service animal into a domestic territory or a foreign country),” according to the final rule.\n\nAlso, “The final rule allows airlines to preclude transport of a service animal if doing so would violate applicable safety, health or other regulations of a U.S. federal agency, a U.S. territory or a foreign government.”\n\nWhat can you do if an airline denies your service dog?\n\nTravelers who experience disability-related problems can call the DOT's toll-free hotline at 800-778-4838 or 800-455-9880 (TTY). The hotline can provide general information about your rights and assist with time-sensitive, disability-related issues from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time on weekdays, with the exception of federal holidays.\n\n“If you encounter a disability-related issue about an airline accommodation or service, ask to speak to the airline’s Complaint Resolution Official. A CRO is the airline’s expert in disability related issues in air travel and has the authority to resolve complaints on behalf of the airline,” the DOT’s page for air travel complaints reads.\n\nA spokesperson for the DOT told The Republic, “If a consumer believes that an airline has discriminated against him or her on the basis of his or her disability, which includes not providing required accommodations, the consumer can quickly and easily file a complaint with the Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection through its online complaint form.”\n\nThe complaint will be forwarded to the airline for response, at which point an analyst at the DOT will review both statements and determine whether the airline violated the traveler's rights. A DOT attorney will then review the case, and an analysis of their findings will be mailed to the complainant.\n\nFor more information, go to https://www.transportation.gov.\n\nIf an airline denies transportation to a service animal, it is required to provide a written statement of the reason for refusal.\n\nAccording to the final rule, “This statement must include the specific basis for the carrier’s opinion that the refusal meets the (DOT’s) standards.” The airline should provide this written explanation either at the airport or within 10 days of refusal.\n\nAccording to the DOT's website, \"You may be able to seek recourse through small claims court.\" A separate page explains that \"You may file a complaint in small claims court when you can show that a person or a business owes you money or has harmed you financially and will not pay.\"\n\nCorey Lovato, a staff attorney at the Arizona Center for Disability Law, told The Arizona Republic that options for recovery are limited because the ACAA “does not allow for, essentially, a person to file a lawsuit against the airline.”\n\n“All they can do is file a complaint with the Department Transportation that they may or may not investigate, and if they don't (investigate), (the person’s) only remedy is to file a lawsuit against the Department of Transportation,” he said.\n\nReach the reporter at kimi.robinson@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @kimirobin and Instagram @ReporterKiMi.\n\nSupport local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/02/23"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/roadwarriorvoices/2016/01/10/this-is-what-it-was-like-to-fly-in-the-1930s/83283086/", "title": "This is what it was like to fly in the 1930s", "text": "queviv\n\nspecial for USA TODAY\n\nWhile mankind's foray into flying began in the early 20th century, the modern air travel industry as we know it didn't truly grow its roots until the 1930s. As metal planes returned home from post-war posturing, a boom in passenger interest and sufficient technology to reach a slew of international destinations made the 1930s the start of something big. But like any major technology, commercial flight didn't come without growing pains. If you think you have a lot to complain about now when it comes to air travel, take a look at what it was like to fly in the 30s.\n\nThe birth of a global sensation. Just 6,000 Americans traveled commercially by airplane in all of 1930, according to Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum . Only four years later, that number would multiply by 75 times — 450,000 passengers flew in 1934, a number that would be dwarfed once more in another four years, when 1.2 Million Americans traveled by air. The 1930s were truly the decade that commercial air travel became a worldwide sensation.\n\nThe transition from wood to metal planes changes the world. In the aftermath of World War I, the victorious nations found themselves with quite a significant number of planes — both fighter and support vehicles — on hand. And just like that, the commercial air travel industry, ahem, took off. New, metallic planes weren't just more durable during wartime; they also withstood the dramatic changes in climate that a vehicle might experience when traveling between, say, Boston and the Caribbean. Metal-bodied planes didn't just enable longer routes, they enabled air travel along longitudinal lines, where climates change from arctic to temperate to tropical to arid, and then back again.\n\nHigher! Faster! A decade of full throttle flying. The transition to metal planes enabled aircraft to push past the limitations that had remained mostly set in stone since the advent of flight. The first commercial flight in 1914 hovered at a cruising altitude of just 5 feet in the air. In the 1930s, planes began to hit the 200 mph mark, and settled into a cruising altitude of about 13,000 feet.\n\nNot for the faint of heart. British Airways Empire Class planes in the 1930s were equipped with three state-of-the art flying lavatories, but it was widely understood that their actual usage was to be avoided at nearly all costs. Just because we as humans suddenly could fly at 13,000 feet didn't mean that we had necessarily worked out all of the kinks just yet. According to Gizmodo, planes would regularly drop hundreds of feet mid air with no warning. Today's gentle alerts from the cabin to return to your seat and buckle up as the plane may experience some coming turbulence were born out of the horror of this era's actually turbulent flights.\n\nNot if, but when you get sick. While experiments with oxygen enrichment of cabin air date back to the early 1920s, widespread adoption of standardized cabin pressurization didn't hit the airline industry until the 1940s, according to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. This meant that oxygen tank-assisted breathing was a regular occurrence on flights in the 30s, and air sickness bowls could be found under each seat.\n\nExtreme temperature fluctuations were also an unfortunate fact of flying at the time. Air conditioning and heating wouldn't alleviate these discomforts until the end of the decade. We have blankets on flights today because of the absolutely necessity for them in the 1930s.\n\nIt cost an arm and a leg (or half a car). A roundtrip ticket from coast to coast cost about $260 in the 1930's. Some context: the average automobile at the time cost just double that. Flying was an exciting new thrill, but only for the few who could afford it.\n\nPack a book to read (Or maybe just write one of your own). Our great-grandparents would be embarrassed at our tendency to bemoan the hardships of a 15 hour, non-stop flight. Today's 12-hour flight from London to Singapore would have taken 8 days in 1934, with 22 separate layovers to refuel in exotic locales like Athens, Gaza, Baghdad, Sharja, Calcutta and Bangkok. While we may cringe at that sort of time-intensive itinerary today, it sure beat the then month-long trek by boat that was really the only alternative.\n\nAll roads lead to Cairo. While London Heathrow, Dubai and Atlanta hog the limelight when it comes to major hubs here in the present, in the 1930s it was all about Cairo. Uniquely positioned as a nexus between Europe, Africa and Asia, you would have been hard-pressed to travel anywhere between the three without touching down in Cairo along the way.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2016/01/10"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2021/02/16/jetblue-baggage-policy-no-carry-on-bags-basic-economy-flights/6759125002/", "title": "JetBlue basic economy: No carry-on bags for lowest-fare flights", "text": "JetBlue Airways is shaking up its ticket perks and restrictions, with some changes that will thrill travelers and a major one that will infuriate plenty of passengers.\n\nThe biggest news for travelers who book the cheapest fare they find: JetBlue says it is lowering prices on many basic economy tickets to better compete with no-frills discounters like Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant.\n\nThe lower fares will come with a major catch, however. Travelers buying JetBlue's \"Blue Basic'' tickets beginning next week will not be allowed to bring a traditional carry-on bag as of July 20. They will only be allowed to bring a small bag that fits underneath the seat. Other bags have to be checked for a fee.\n\nUnited Airlines has a similar restriction on its basic economy tickets. American and Delta do not. (Southwest Airlines doesn't have basic economy tickets.) Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant passengers have to pay a fee to bring a full-size carry-on bag on board.\n\nPre-flight COVID-19 testing:Airlines are against mandatory pre-flight COVID-19 testing in the US. A new Harvard study says testing may serve 'a critical need'\n\nMore COVID-19 cruise cancellations:Norwegian, Regent Seven Seas, Oceania, AIDA cancel more sailings as COVID-19 surge continues\n\nJetBlue executives said they are adding the carry-on bag ban for basic economy passengers for two reasons. The airline wants to align its restrictions with those of the no-frills carriers and it wants to free up overhead bin space as part of a bold new promise guaranteeing other passengers spots for their carry-on bags.\n\nBeginning July 20, JetBlue will guarantee passengers buying any ticket but a basic economy ticket for flights within the U.S. room for one carry-on in the overhead bins. If the airline runs out of space and a passenger's bag has to be checked at the gate, the airline said it will issue a $25 travel credit good for one year.\n\nWorries about having enough room for carry-on bags is a top stressor for travelers, with most of JetBlue's planes only able to accommodate about 60% of passengers' carry-on bags if everyone brings on a roller bag.\n\n\"We're really excited to be offering this … first-of-its-kind in the United States carry-on bag guarantee,'' said Dave Clark, JetBlue's vice president of sales and revenue management. \"We think that makes our (standard economy) Blue Fare really strong.''\n\nIn a memo to employees about the changes, JetBlue said travelers have enjoyed not having to jockey for overhead bin space during the coronavirus pandemic given less-full planes. U.S. airlines carried 60% fewer passengers in 2020, the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported Tuesday.\n\n\"As customers return, we want to hold on to a little of this zen during the boarding process and make overhead bin space an expectation, not a gamble,'' the memo says.\n\nNo more ticket-change fees on JetBlue – unless you buy a basic economy ticket\n\nJetBlue is also joining its rivals in eliminating change fees for all tickets but basic economy tickets.\n\nOne positive change on this front for those buying JetBlue's Blue Basic tickets: The airline will allow ticket changes for a fee of $100 or $200 per person depending on the route. The fee for flights within the United States is $100.\n\nAmerican, United and Delta do not allow ticket changes for basic economy passengers, even for a fee, except for same-day standby travel in some cases.\n\nJetBlue and other airlines have been waiving change fees for all ticket holders during the pandemic, even those with basic economy tickets. But those policies are expiring at many airlines. JetBlue's current policy covers tickets purchased through March 31.\n\nWhy is JetBlue messing with its basic economy fares?\n\nJetBlue announced basic economy tickets in 2018 and launched them in November 2019, much later than competitors.\n\nThe goal: to better compete with rapidly growing discounters, which offer bargain ticket prices and charge extra for carry-on bags, advance seat selection, even soft drinks and soda.\n\nThe pandemic has heightened competition in the industry, especially to and from vacation destinations, a major specialty of JetBlue.\n\nJetBlue President Joanna Geraghty said JetBlue overlaps with budget carrier routes in half of its markets, with the figure topping 80% in South Florida.\n\nThe discounters have lower fares than JetBlue on some routes, sometimes just slightly lower, and travelers who do a quick online search gobble them up instead of comparing the airlines' in-flight amenities, she said. JetBlue offers free in-flight TV, WiFi and snacks. Allegiant, Spirit and Frontier do not.\n\n\"If you're someone who purchases entirely on price – and a lot of my friends fall into this category – they will pick the airline with the lowest fare and not look behind that,'' Geraghty said. \"We need to make sure that we are in the decision set for the customers who purchase solely on fare.''\n\nThe airline isn't taking away any of the amenities for basic economy passengers except the carry-on bag, she said, and is confident budget-conscious passengers who try the airline for the first time will pick JetBlue the next time they have a choice.\n\n\"I think this ultra-price-sensitive customer has been so underserved for so long,'' Geraghty said.\n\nAs with all airlines offering basic economy fares, JetBlue is also banking that less-price-sensitive travelers will see the restrictions and trade up to regular economy.\n\nNew routes: JetBlue adding four cities including Miami, Key West, Cabo San Lucas", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/02/16"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2022/09/26/airline-fee-transparency-biden-proposal/8118754001/", "title": "Biden administration proposes rule seeking airline fee transparancy", "text": "Hidden airline fees may be a thing of the past.\n\nThe Biden administration is proposing a new rule that would require airlines and third-party booking sites to \"disclose upfront – the first time an airfare is displayed – any fees charged to sit with your child, for changing or cancelling your flight, and for checked or carry-on baggage,\" the Department of Transportation announced Monday.\n\n\"You should know the full cost of your ticket right when you're comparison-shopping to begin with what airline you're going to fly with, so you can pick the ticket that actually is the best deal for you,\" President Joe Biden said at a White House Competition Council meeting Monday.\n\nSome travelers are surprised when they have to pay extra for things like carry-on bags or seat selection, but an industry group representing the nation's largest airlines says they \"already offer transparency to consumers from first search to touchdown.\"\n\nFlight canceled or delayed?:How to find out exactly what airlines owe you\n\nExclusive:American Airlines reveals new business class and premium economy seats\n\nNot-so-hidden fees\n\n\"A4A passenger carriers provide details regarding the breakdown of airfares on their websites, providing consumers clarity regarding the total cost of a ticket,\" Airlines for America said in a statement to USA TODAY.\n\n\"In addition to the total cost, the terms of ticket selection for these options are stated at the time of purchase,\" added the group, whose members include American, United, Delta, Southwest, JetBlue, Hawaiian and Alaska airlines.\n\nWhen booking a basic economy flight on Delta Air Lines, for example, customers are prompted to accept clearly stated restrictions before booking the lower-priced fare. Spirit Airlines, which is not part of Airlines for America, also lists what kinds of fees passengers can expect and walks customers through various add-ons in the booking process.\n\n'The space was not built for me':Plus-size flyers say airlines have room to improve\n\nWhy make a rule?\n\nThe Department of Transportation acknowledges fees are listed on airline websites.\n\n\"But it's difficult to determine the cost of travel because airlines generally provide a range of fees for ancillary services except for baggage,\" a Department of Transportation spokesperson told USA TODAY, noting that fees can vary based on a number of factors including the type of aircraft used and when passengers pay for the related service. \"For baggage, although carriers and ticket agents are required today to inform consumers during the booking process that airline fees for baggage may apply and where consumers can see baggage fees, consumers are often diverted to complex charts that are confusing.\"\n\nThe newly proposed rule would require fees to be listed up front, not in links or anything customers would have to navigate to separately. Additionally, any airlines that charge fees for adjacent seating would be required to allow passengers traveling with young children to be able to purchase adjacent seating \"at all points of sale.\"\n\n'They should've helped me':Booking through platforms like Expedia leaves some travelers stranded\n\nWhen would the rule take effect?\n\nBefore a rule can be made, a 60-day public comment period is required following the proposal's publication in the Federal Register. A final rule can only be made after public comments are considered.\n\nThis proposed rule stems from an executive order Biden issued in July aimed at increasing economic competition within the federal government.\n\nAirlines for America said its members are already \"very competitive.\"", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/09/26"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/2023/03/17/economy-class-summer-small-seats/11477150002/", "title": "'Not much hope for economy class passengers': Airline passengers ...", "text": "Christopher Elliott\n\nSpecial to USA TODAY\n\nThe start of the summer travel season is only a few weeks away, but people in the know have already identified the most pressing problem: dangerously cramped airline seats.\n\nDanielle Belyeu got a preview of the coming chaos on a recent flight from Paris to Atlanta.\n\n\"The passenger in front of me reclined,\" Belyeu said. \"He was literally in my lap.\"\n\nBelyeu's only choice was to recline her seat to create a little more space, which triggered a domino effect in economy class.\n\nCheck out Elliott Confidential, the newsletter the travel industry doesn't want you to read. Each issue is filled with breaking news, deep insights, and exclusive strategies for becoming a better traveler. But don't tell anyone!\n\nBelyeu knows a thing or two about personal space on flights. As a travel adviser, she has watched coach-class seats go from reasonably comfortable to the point where you can hardly fit in them. And she believes the worst is yet to come.\n\nCramped cabins are breeding grounds for midair conflicts. In just the past week, a passenger on a United Airlines flight attacked a flight attendant and tried to open a door, and two passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight got into an ugly brawl that turned into a viral video. So now what?\n\nShould I book my summer travel now? Travel experts share how to find the best deals\n\n'I was forced to pay or miss my flight':Airlines are looking for higher profits, which could mean higher fees\n\nHere comes the summer squeeze\n\nHow much worse can the seats get? A lot worse.\n\n\"It's price increases accompanied by a declining customer experience,\" said Mario Matulich, president of Customer Management Practice.\n\nPassengers got a small reprieve during the pandemic. Airlines, which had quietly eliminated legroom and personal space in economy class by the year, stopped moving their seats closer together because of the pandemic and social distancing concerns.\n\nBut now, with a serious threat of government regulation looming, domestic airlines are under pressure to shrink their seats as much as possible.\n\nLate last year, six U.S. senators urged the Federal Aviation Administration to stop airlines from shrinking their seats. There's a reasonably good chance the FAA will act, according to experts like Matulich, although it's unclear when or even what it will do.\n\nBut airlines aren't taking any chances. They're squishing more passengers on their planes before the imposition of any new rules.\n\nWhat the summer squeeze will feel like\n\nSo what will the summer seat squeeze feel like? Just ask Marian Styles, who flew from San Francisco to Sydney last month. On her aircraft, a Boeing 777-300ER, the seats in economy class had been reconfigured from the original nine-seat-across layout to 10 seats across.\n\nHer 17-inch-wide seat made her feel as if she were in a straightjacket, says Styles, a retired technical editor from Charlottesville, Virginia.\n\n\"The entire flight was miserable, and I was awake for all 15 hours of it.\"\n\nMike Heck, vice president of supplier solutions for Fox World Travel, predicts passengers who haven't flown in a while will be shocked to see the reduction in seat pitch and width.\n\n\"With flights being fuller, there is a very good possibility that we will see an increase in tensions over decreased personal seat space,\" he said.\n\nJunk fees:Biden has junk fees in his sight, but is the travel industry willing to change?\n\nWant to get away from it all? You can't get much farther than Western Australia\n\nThat's the polite way of describing the coming airline seat wars. The flashpoints include:\n\nReclining-seat skirmishes. With only 28 to 31 inches of space between seats in economy class, passengers are doing whatever they can to create more space, including pushing, prodding, leaning and bullying.\n\nWith only 28 to 31 inches of space between seats in economy class, passengers are doing whatever they can to create more space, including pushing, prodding, leaning and bullying. Armrest territorial conflicts. Some airlines have narrowed their seats to fit more passengers. That means many travelers won't be able to fit in their seats and will spill over to the armrest. Conflicts are impossible to avoid.\n\nSome airlines have narrowed their seats to fit more passengers. That means many travelers won't be able to fit in their seats and will spill over to the armrest. Conflicts are impossible to avoid. Overhead bin blowups. With space at a premium, there isn't enough space for a carry-on bag. Passengers will go to war over their right to the overhead bin space.\n\nA rare combination of record demand, full flights, smaller seats and the first summer without the ever-present threat of pandemic shutdown is fueling this conflict.\n\n11-hour flights are no joke:Here's how to survive a long-haul flight in 2023\n\nWhat to do about the summer airline seat squeeze\n\nSo what to do about this coming crisis? I mean, besides not flying?\n\nTo survive the summer squeeze, experts say, you'll have to adopt an unusual attitude. Because these could be the most cramped flying conditions in modern history – and that is not hyperbole – you'll have to assume the worst will happen.\n\nEtiquette expert Adeodata Czink, who usually is all about fairness and respect, said passengers should not even put their arms on the armrests.\n\n\"It's tough, but you don't want to have a really bad neighbor for eight hours,\" she said.\n\nDitto for luggage.\n\n\"On an airplane, everything is shared space and nobody owns anything, including the overhead bin above your seat,\" said Nick Leighton, host of the weekly etiquette podcast Were You Raised By Wolves?\n\nThis advice is a departure from what etiquette experts were preaching before the pandemic. Back then, they advocated for common courtesy and fairness. Now, to keep the cabin from erupting in conflict, they're advising their clients to back down and not to stake a claim on anything – not the armrest, the personal space, the overhead luggage storage.\n\nMy hotel is not what I expected:Can I check out and get a refund?\n\nAnother travel headache:How do you feel about the luggage carousel crowding?\n\nIs that a solution to the summer squeeze?\n\nThat's a short-term fix for the summer squeeze. Sure, backing down and letting someone else claim the armrest, lean into your space and use the overhead bin space is one way to remove all conflict.\n\nBut it solves nothing over the long term.\n\nWe are still stuck in a pressurized aluminum tube, hurtling through the air at 500 mpiles per hour. And the airline industry has the audacity to say that passengers asked for these claustrophobia-inducing seats because we wanted low fares. What nonsense. No one asked for this.\n\nSpeaking of cheap fares, I asked Jeff Klee, CEO of CheapAir.com, what he thought would fix the summer squeeze.\n\n\"There is not much hope for economy class passengers without more government regulation,\" he told me.\n\nMaybe it's that simple. The free market was supposed to lower fares and give us more choices. But the free market didn't deliver. We have higher fares and fewer choices – and dangerous flying conditions. Maybe the only long-term fix to the summer squeeze is careful government regulation to ensure no one else gets hurt.\n\nChristopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential, a travel newsletter, and the Elliott Report, a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can reach him here or email him at chris@elliott.org.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/17"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2019/11/01/united-adds-roomier-plane-regional-flights-bombardier-crj-500/4121097002/", "title": "United adds roomier plane to an Indianapolis-Chicago flight", "text": "While many airlines are reducing legroom and overhead bin space, a new flight on United Airlines is doing the opposite.\n\nOn Sunday, United launched flights between Chicago O'Hare International Airport and 15 cities on a new aircraft, the Bombardier CRJ-550, which is the world's only two-cabin, 50-seat aircraft, reported The Indianapolis Star, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.\n\nJonathan Guerin, United Airlines spokesman, said the original 70-seat planes were stripped of 20 seats and reconfigured.\n\n\"Whether you are in economy or economy plus or even in this front cabin on this aircraft, the amount of room and space is much greater than any other 50-seat aircraft,\" he said.\n\nUnited adding bigger overhead bins:No more 'Sorry there's no room for your carry on'\n\nTen of the seats are reserved for first class, 20 are economy plus and 20 are economy. First class has the widest seats, the most seat incline and ample legroom and perks such as a closet to hang clothes. Economy plus seats are narrower and have less incline and legroom. Economy has the least.\n\nMotivating factors\n\nBrett Snyder, who operates airline industry blog Cranky Flier, got to see one of the planes during a recent media day and called it a \"beautiful plane.\" But passenger amenities are not the only reason for introducing this type of plane, Snyder said.\n\nUnited, American and Delta all have agreements with pilots for how much flying the airline can outsource to regional partners. United has a restriction on the number of 70- to 76-seat airplanes it can operate but no restrictions on 50-seat planes, Snyder said.\n\n\"United is trying to catch up to the competition by doing this,\" Snyder said. \"They have rolled out what is by nature an incredibly generous product: a big airplane with a lot of extra room. It benefits every flyer that goes on this airplane, no question.\"\n\nFirst-class experience\n\nFirst-class seating generally isn't an option on other 50-seat planes, Guerin said, and the goal of the CRJ-550 is to create a seamless, top-notch experience. Travelers connecting to a first-class or business class flight in Chicago also will get to enjoy first class or economy plus on the CRJ-550.\n\nAll passengers will have beverage and snack service, and first-class passengers also will have access to a self-serve area with drinks and quick bites.\n\nOn these small regional flights, passengers are often forced to check their bags at the gate because of limited storage space or small overhead bins. The extra space in overhead bins and additional storage in the front and back of the CRJ-550 has allowed passengers to bring carry-on-sized roller bags on board.\n\n\"It relieves some of the stress of travel,\" Guerin said. \"It frees up a lot of extra time for customers and employees.\"\n\nSnyder said another perk is fewer people on board, which provides a better experience for travelers.\n\n\"It's an easy on and off, even if you're in the back on coach,\" he said. \"Generally it's a nicer experience.\"\n\nThere's no extra cost to choose a particular seat in your section, and a new 3D seat map is available during booking so passengers can get a virtual tour of the aircraft and its features.\n\nBooking a flight\n\nInitially, the CRJ-550 will fly between Chicago O'Hare and:\n\nAllentown, Pennsylvania (ABE)\n\nBentonville, Arkansas (XNA)\n\nCedar Rapids, Iowa (CID)\n\nCincinnati (CVG)\n\nColumbus, Ohio (CMH)\n\nDes Moines, Iowa (DSM)\n\nGrand Rapids, Michigan (GRR)\n\nGreensboro, North Carolina (GSO)\n\nHarrisburg, Pennsylvania (MDT)\n\nIndianapolis, Indiana (IND)\n\nMadison, Wisconsin (MSN)\n\nOklahoma City (OKC)\n\nRichmond, Virginia (RIC)\n\nSt. Louis, Missouri (STL)\n\nTulsa, Oklahoma (TUL)\n\nAnd United says additional cities will be added from United hubs in Chicago, New York/Newark and Washington Dulles.\n\nBut even if you book a flight that says it's on a CRJ-550, know that a specific aircraft is not guaranteed on a flight. Mechanical delays or other issues may result in a plane swap.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/11/01"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_10", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2023/04/01/final-four-live-updates-san-diego-state-vs-fau-uconn-vs-miami/11576361002/", "title": "NCAA men's Final Four recap: UConn continues March Madness ...", "text": "The college basketball world will be focused on Houston, where the men's Final Four tipped off Saturday.\n\nThe Cinderellas have taken over the sport in the last two weeks and now four teams who each surprised during the tournament are ready to play after leaving busted brackets along the way.\n\nFlorida Atlantic, a school of about 25,000 students located in Boca Raton, Florida, made only its second NCAA Tournament appearance. The Owls blitzed through the East Region, but lost to San Diego State 72-71 after the Aztecs came back from a 14-point deficit and won the game on Lamont Butler's buzzer-beater.\n\nIn the second semifinal, UConn continued its March Madness domination, cruising past No. 5 Miami 72-59.\n\nFollow along for live updates throughout the night:\n\nUConn continues NCAA Tournament domination with win over Miami\n\nForward Adama Sanogo had a game-high 21 points and No. 4 Connecticut continued a historically dominant march through this NCAA men's basketball tournament with a 72-59 win against No. 5 Miami to reach Monday night's national championship game.\n\nThe Huskies will face No. 5 San Diego State, which beat No. 9 Florida Atlantic 72-71 in the first national semifinal on a last-second buzzer beater by guard Lamont Butler.\n\nThis has been an NCAA tournament for the ages for UConn, which has now beaten five teams by at least 13 points: No. 13 Iona (87-63), No. 5 Saint Mary's (70-55), No. 8 Arkansas (88-65), No. 3 Gonzaga (82-54) and the Hurricanes.\n\nWhile the Aztecs are the first team in men's tournament history to win Elite Eight and Final Four games by one point apiece, UConn was only the eighth team to reach the semifinals having defeated four opponents by 15 or more points.\n\nThis one, like the wins against Arkansas and Gonzaga, saw the Huskies in almost wire-to-wire control.\n\n— Paul Myerberg\n\nMiami's Nijel Pack on bench with broken shoe\n\nHurricanes sophomore guard Nijel Pack is on the bench with what CBS reports is a broken shoe. The team checked the locker room for a replacement and an assistant came to the bench with a pair of black sneakers. Pack looked them over before shaking his head and handing them back. The assistant ran back to the locker room as Jordan Hawkins made a pair of free throws to extend Connecticut's lead to 53-40.\n\nPack has eight points for the Hurricanes.\n\nPack returned to the court with about four minutes left in the game. SportsCenter reports that the UConn staff found a pair of shoes for him to wear.\n\nThe UConn Huskies take their largest lead of the game into the half, up 13 points over the Miami Hurricanes after Joey Calcaterra made a three-point shot at the buzzer. The Huskies go into the break up 37-24.\n\nThe Hurricanes tied the game at 19 with 8:23 on the clock, but UConn went on an 8-0 run to take back the lead. Miami was held to only nine field goals in the first half.\n\nHuskies junior forward Adama Sanogo is the game's leading scorer with 13 points. Senior guard Jordan Miller has seven points for Miami.\n\nConnecticut star guard Jordan Hawkins has not scored since opening the game with a 3-point bucket.\n\nThere is a small window where college basketball intersects with Major League Baseball and Saturday hit the sweet spot. The San Diego Padres were hosting the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park and the starting lineups were being announced right as Lamont Butler won San Diego State's Final Four game with a buzzer-beater. The game was being broadcast on the stadium's video boards and the crowd cheered loudly as their hometown team advanced to its first national championship game.\n\nThe Miami Hurricanes didn't stay down for long as they erased a 10-point deficit in five minutes of play. Nijel Pack scored a three-point shot with 8:23 in the first half to tie the game at 19 and slow down the Connecticut Huskies' momentum.\n\nThe Hurricanes went on a 15-5 run kicked off by a trey from star guard Isaiah Wong.\n\nThe Connecticut Huskies wasted no time in asserting themselves over the Miami Hurricanes. Six minutes into the game, Tristen Newton made a 3-point shot to put the Huskies up 14-4. Adama Sanogo had two buckets from behind the arc to build UConn's lead. Miami is shooting 2-of-14 from the field, for a shooting percentage of 0.143.\n\nUConn sophomore guard Jordan Hawkins is set to start after battling a stomach bug this week, CBS' Tracy Wolfson reported prior to the team's Final Four game against the Miami Hurricanes. He didn't practice Friday and received \"round the clock treatment.\" He was participating in shootaround prior to tipoff Saturday night.\n\nHawkins averaged 16.3 points for the Huskies during the regular season and is averaging 17.3 points in the NCAA tournament. He had 24 points in the Sweet 16 win against the Arkansas Razorbacks.\n\nHe scored the first points of the game, a three-point shot.\n\nThe San Diego State Aztecs beat the Florida Atlantic Owls 72-71 Saturday in Houston to advance to their first national championship game.\n\nLamont Butler made the game-winning shot at the buzzer after San Diego State trailed the entire second half.\n\n\"The plan was just to get downhill, they cut me off a little bit, I looked back, there was two seconds left, so I got to a shot that I was comfortable with,\" Butler said on ESPN after the game, \"and I hit it. I'm happy.\"\n\nThe Aztecs were down by as many as 14 points and tied the game at 65 with 4:05 on the clock. The Owls answered with a jumpshot from Giancarlo Rosad, but couldn't quite pull away comfortably. It's the fifth-largest comeback in Final Four history.\n\nFlorida Atlantic's sophomore guard Alijah Martin was the game's leading scorer with 26 points. Aztecs senior guard Matt Bradley had 21 points.\n\nAfter being down by as many as 14 points, the San Diego Aztecs tied the game at 65 points with 4:26 left on the clock in Final Four action. The team came within two of the Florida Atlantic Owls multiple times, but senior forward Aguek Arop made the jumper that finally leveled the score. San Diego has 11 offensive rebounds compared with Florida Atlantic's seven, which is helping the Aztecs in their comeback.\n\nThe Florida Atlantic Owls have maintained their lead through the second half, but not without a fight from the San Diego State Aztecs. Brian Dutcher's team is within two after going on a 16-4 run, capped off by a pair of free throws from Matt Bradley. The senior guard had a key three-point shot in the run. The Aztecs are down 60-58 with 9:05 on the clock.\n\nSan Diego State also had a short 5-0 run to start the period that shook the Owls' momentum.\n\nWomen's Final Four does big ratings for ESPN\n\nWith South Carolina's Aliyah Boston and Iowa's Caitlin Clark facing off in the women's Final Four on Friday night, ratings were expected to be high.\n\nThey were record-setting for ESPN, the network announced Saturday.\n\nESPN, which broadcast both NCAA Tournament semifinal games, said the LSU-Virginia Tech early game averaged 3.4 million viewers with a peak of 5 million across network platforms. That was up 57% from last year's early game.\n\nIowa-South Carolina averaged 5.5 million with a peak of 6.6 million, up 72% from last year's late game.\n\nBoth games drew record audiences for a college basketball game – men's or women's – on ESPN+, the network said.\n\n— Mike Brehm\n\nThe Florida Atlantic Owls are up 40-33 over the San Diego State Aztecs at the half. The Owls' lead was as large as 10, but Keshad Johnson made a 3-point shot with 39 seconds on the clock to keep the difference single digits.\n\n\"We've been able to open up some gaps and drive those gaps,\" Owls head coach Dusty May said on the CBS broadcast. He said his message to the team in the locker room will be to keep playing, \"frame by frame, possession by possession.\"\n\nSan Diego State is shooting 13-of-29 from the field, but has gone 5-of-11 from beyond the arc.\n\nAztecs senior guard Matt Bradley is the game's leading scorer with 11 points. He's made three treys. For the Owls, freshman guard Nicholas Boyd has nine points.\n\nFlorida Atlantic and San Diego State are playing in their first Final Four game. The Owls made a statement first, going up 5-0 with a three-point bucket from Nicholas Boyd and a jumpshot from Johnell Davis. The Aztecs crept ahead with back-to-back baskets from Matt Bradley, but Florida Atlantic took the lead again with a 16-3 run. The Owls are up 21-17 halfway through the first half.\n\nWhen does Men's NCAA Tournament Final Four start?\n\nThe first national semifinal between Florida Atlantic and San Diego State tips off at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday.\n\nThe second game between UConn and Miami will begin 30 minutes after the first game finishes, at approximately 8:49 p.m. ET.\n\nThe winners of the two semifinals will meet in the men's national championship game, which will be played on Monday, April 3, starting at 9:20 p.m. ET.\n\nMiami coach Jim Larranaga has elite March Madness dance moves\n\nThe Miami Hurricanes football team of the 1980s won three national championships and was known for its dance moves, flips, touchdown celebrations and sack celebrations.\n\nThe men's basketball team carries on the legacy as this season, head coach Jim Larrañaga has led his players to the program's first Final Four. Since taking over the Hurricanes in 2011, he has led Miami to four Sweet 16 appearances and back-to-back Elite Eight berths, including this year's run.\n\nAll along the way, he has shimmied and two-stepped along with his team in each victory celebration, delighting fans across the country.\n\n\"It's really about March Madness is the big dance,\" Larrañaga said on CBS' Final Four Show. \"You have to have fun. And everybody loves dancing.\"\n\n- Victoria Hernandez\n\nBIG DANCE:Jim Larrañaga has some elite March Madness dance moves\n\nFinal Four predictions\n\nThe NCAA men's tournament field has been whittled from 68 to four in a matter of two weeks of postseason games. The remaining quartet arrives in Houston with just one of the top 16 seeds remaining. That school, No. 4 Connecticut, will be joined by three first-time Final Four participants – No. 5 seeds San Diego State and Miami (Florida) and No. 9 Florida Atlantic.\n\nHere's who the USA TODAY Sports has to win:\n\nFAU vs. San Diego State\n\nDan Wolken: FAU\n\nPaul Myerberg: SDSU\n\nEddie Timanus: SDSU\n\nErick Smith: SDSU\n\nMiami vs. UConn\n\nWolken: UConn\n\nMyerberg: UConn\n\nTimanus: Miami\n\nSmith: UConn\n\nWill Florida Atlantic stay together after Final Four?\n\nIn the era of the transfer portal, the most pressing concern for FAU is retaining a talented but overlooked roster put on national display during four successive NCAA men's tournament wins.\n\n\"Without a doubt, it's going to be fluid every single day,\" coach Dusty May said. \"And until the ball is tipped up next season, you may not know truly who your roster is going to be, and it's part of it. Luckily, I'm still relatively young and have a lot of energy, because I don't think there's going to be a day where you can just relax and not fear your phone buzzing.\"\n\n– Paul Myerberg\n\nHow Michigan's Fab Five legacy runs through San Diego State\n\nSan Diego State's Final Four run traces back to the glory and heartache of the Fab Five era at Michigan, where current Aztecs head coach Brian Dutcher was an assistant under Steve Fisher.\n\n“I’ve heard from all five of them,” Dutcher told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday. “They texted me 'Good luck,' 'Congratulations,' 'Go get ‘em.' \"\n\n– Brent Schrotenboer\n\nConnecticut's Sanogo manages fasting for Ramadan while leading team's Final Four run\n\nHOUSTON — Nine minutes before Saturday’s second national semifinal is scheduled to tip off, Connecticut center Adama Sanogo is going to eat.\n\nIt won’t be much. Maybe just some oranges and coconut water, but he will get something in his stomach. And that’s going to be a lot better than what Sanogo had to deal with last weekend at the West Regional in Las Vegas.\n\n“I’m not trying to think about it,” he said. “The more you’re thinking about it, the more it’s hard to do it.”\n\nSanogo, a native of Mali who has arguably been UConn’s best player during the NCAA men’s tournament, is Muslim and currently observing Ramadan, a month where he is not allowed to eat or drink from sunrise to sunset.\n\n- Dan Wolken\n\nSDSU assistant Mark Fisher, living with ALS, is helping Aztecs at Final Four\n\nThe assistant confined to a wheelchair helps explain the makeup of the men’s Final Four.\n\nMore specifically, to understand how fifth-seeded San Diego State earned the school’s first trip to the Final Four where it will be playing Saturday against Florida Atlantic in Houston, it helps to know Mark Fisher, who serves as an assistant to Aztecs coach Brian Dutcher.\n\nHe is the son of Steve Fisher, the retired basketball coach who won a national championship with Michigan in 1989 and took the school back to the Final Four in 1992 and 1993 with the celebrated \"Fab Five.\"\n\nMore importantly, Mark Fisher, 44, has no use of his arms and legs.\n\nBut before tip-off here is some essential reading to get you ready.\n\n– Josh Peter\n\nFrom FAU's nasty locker rooms to the Final Four\n\nHOUSTON — In May of 2008, Craig Angelos was looking for something that would give Florida Atlantic basketball a spark. So he drove two miles from campus and went to church.\n\nThe purpose of the trip wasn’t prayer, even though the program could have used some. Angelos, then FAU’s athletics director, had gone to meet with Mike Jarvis, the former George Washington and St. John’s coach who had moved to Boca Raton and become an influential member at Spanish River Church. They did the interview right there in the pastor's office.\n\n“He was a great coach, but I also thought, he’s part of this 6,000-member church right by FAU,” said Angelos, now a senior deputy athletics director at Long Island University. “So if we have any of his friends come to games, maybe 100 or 200 or even 1,000 because they want to support their fellow church member, that’s a huge plus. In Boca, you need a guy who can do more than just coach.”\n\n– Dan Wolken\n\nWill Miami's Norchard Omier play football?\n\nHOUSTON — The University of Miami birthed one of the great basketball-to-football conversions of all time when Jimmy Graham, a four-year basketball role player for the Hurricanes, picked up football as a graduate student in 2009.\n\nNFL scouts saw enough of Graham’s size, speed and athleticism in that one year of college football to make him a third-round draft pick. He went on to catch 713 passes in the NFL, make five Pro Bowls and become one of the best tight ends of his generation.\n\nPeople who watch Miami for the first time Saturday when they play Connecticut in the Final Four may get flashbacks when they see center Norchad Omier, a 6-foot-7 block of steel whose physical profile suggests he could be a big-time NFL prospect.\n\n- Dan Wolken\n\nHere are some stories to get you ready before tip-off.\n\nWHO IS TAKING THE TITLE?: See USA TODAY staff's Final Four staff predictions\n\nEXPECTING SURPRISES: Five bold predictions for the men's NCAA Tournament's Final Four\n\nANOTHER RUN?: Three ways Florida Atlantic's team can stay together\n\n30 YEARS LATER: Fab Five legacy lives with San Diego State at Final Four", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/04/01"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2023/03/25/march-madness-bracket-updates-elite-8-updates-final-four/11539972002/", "title": "March Madness bracket Elite 8 updates: UConn, FAU reach Final Four", "text": "March Madness, indeed! The men's NCAA Tournament has included all the mayhem expected during this time of year – with bracket-busting commonplace.\n\n\"The No. 1 overall seed doesn't guarantee you're going to win,\" Alabama coach Nate Oats said on the TBS broadcast after his team was upset.\n\nAfter Friday's action, the Elite Eight was officially set, and it didn't feature a No. 1 seed for the first time in history, the Sweet 16 seeing No. 1 overall Alabama and No.1 Houston fall to No. 5 San Diego State and No. 5 Miami (Florida), respectively. Additionally, No. 6 Creighton and No. 2 Texas clinched spots into the weekend.\n\nThe Elite Eight began Saturday with No. 9 Florida Atlantic's victory over No. 3 Kansas State. Then, No. 4 UConn dominated No. 3 Gonzaga.\n\nNCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKETS:See who's alive as March Madness continues\n\nHere's everything you need to know to be ready for the action:\n\nNo. 4 UConn dominates No. 3 Gonzaga to reach first Final Four since 2014\n\nThe Connecticut Huskies are headed to the Final Four for the first time since 2014 after demolishing the Gonzaga Bulldogs, 82-54, Saturday in the West Regional final.\n\nNo. 4 seed Connecticut shut down No. 3 Gonzaga with its smothering defense in an Elite Eight matchup at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.\n\nGonzaga entered the game with the top-scoring offense in the country with 87 points per game. But the Bulldogs scored only 32 points in the first half, and things got even worse in the second half.\n\nSophomore guard Jordan Hawkins led Connecticut with 20 points.\n\nConnecticut has won each of its four Tournament games by at least 15 points and moves into the Final Four for the first time under head coach Dan Hurley.\n\nThe Huskies had not won an NCAA Tournament game during the first four seasons of Hurley’s tenure. But in Year 5 they will play the Miami-Texas winner in a semifinal game at the Final Four in Houston.\n\nOn Saturday, Gonzaga star forward Drew Timme scored 12 in what is expected to be his last game for the Bulldogs. Last month he told The Athletic, “I’ve done my four years. I’m a senior, and I’m moving on.’’\n\nIn its first three games of the tournament, Connecticut won by an average of 20.3 points. Those lopsided victories over No. 13 seed Iona, No. 5 seed St. Mary’s and No. 8 seed Arkansas were a testament to the Huskies' talent as they rolled into the Elite Eight and then past Gonzaga.\n\nFor Gonzaga, the loss ended its hopes of reaching the Final Four for the second time in three seasons.\n\n– Josh Peter\n\nDrew Timme picks up fourth foul early in second half vs. UConn\n\nAs Connecticut pulled away in the second half, Gonzaga star Drew Timme found himself in an unfortunate place.\n\nThe bench.\n\nTimme headed there with 17:39 left to play and Connecticut leading by 10 points after he picked up his fourth foul in the Elite Eight match. One more foul and he’ll be on the bench for good.\n\nBut Gonzaga coach Mark Few put Timme back in the game about three minutes later – out of desperation. When Timme reentered the game, Gonzaga trailed 58-37.\n\nTimme, a senior forward and Gonzaga’s all-time leading scorer, had led the Bulldogs against the Huskies with 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting before Few pulled him from the game after the fourth foul.\n\n– Josh Peter\n\nUConn leads Gonzaga after fierce first half\n\nThe No. 4 UConn Huskies lead the No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs 39-32 at the half of their Elite Eight game in Las Vegas.\n\nAfter the Huskies went up 9-2 early, the Bulldogs crept back and took a 25-14 lead with 5:24 on the clock. But UConn utilized a well-balanced offense and took advantage of Gonzaga’s poor backcourt performance (only making one 3-point shot) to get back in front.\n\nJuniors Andre Jackson Jr. and Adama Sonogo teamed up for a pair of plays down the stretch, including an exciting dunk, which the former is becoming known for. Sonogo already has a career-high five assists.\n\nFreshman forward Alex Karaban leads the Huskies with 10 points. For the Bulldogs, senior forward Drew Timme and junior guard Julian Strawther each have nine points.\n\nFlorida Atlantic celebrates first trip to Final Four\n\nThe Florida Atlantic Owls are soaring high after beating the Kansas State Wildcats to earn their first Final Four berth.\n\nPlayers jumped around elated after the team was handed the trophy. Still in uniform as his teammates donned their championship T-shirts, sophomore center Vladislav Goldin let out a yell. He recorded a double-double en route to the victory.\n\nThe Owls cut down the net with joy beaming from their faces at Madison Square Garden, one of basketball’s most hallowed grounds.\n\n– Victoria Hernandez\n\nNo. 9 Florida Atlantic takes down No. 3 Kansas State to reach Final Four\n\nThe Florida Atlantic Owls continued their fairy-tale run, earning a spot in the Final Four with a 79-76 victory over Kansas State Saturday in the East Regional final.\n\nFlorida Atlantic senior Michael Forrest made four clutch free throws in the final 18 seconds to help lift the ninth-seeded Owls past the third-seeded Wildcats.\n\nVladislav Golden, Florida Atlantic’s 7-foot-1 center, had 14 points and 13 rebounds.\n\nMarkquis Nowell, Kansas State’s dynamic point guard, had 30 points and 12 assists.\n\nFlorida Atlantic trailed 63-57 when Nowell made a 3-pointer with 8:39 left to play. Then the Owls staged their comeback.\n\nFlorida Atlantic (35-3) will play the San Diego State-Creighton winner in a semifinal game at the Final Four in Houston.\n\nThe ninth-seeded Owls are making just their second appearance in the NCAA Tournament and had not won a Tournament game until this year. But they have been unstoppable, beating No. 8 Memphis, No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson and then No. 4 Tennessee before upsetting Kansas State.\n\nFor Kansas State (26-10), the loss ended an unexpectedly stellar season. The Wildcats were picked last in the Big 12 preseason poll but finished third in the regular season before embarking on their postseason run.\n\nIn the Tournament, the Wildcats beat No. 14 Montana State, No. 6 Kentucky No. 7 Michigan State before falling one game shy of reaching the Final Four for the first time since 1964.\n\nFlorida Atlantic made its first Tournament appearance in 2002. The Owls, seeded No. 15 that year, lost to No. 2 seed Alabama, 86-78.\n\n– Josh Peter\n\nHalf: No. 9 FAU 42, No. 3 Kansas State 38\n\nDespite turning the ball over a dozen times, Florida Atlantic entered halftime with a four-point lead on Kansas State. The Owls maintained a slight lead by controlling the glass, outrebounding the Wildcats 22-9.\n\nVladislav Goldin is closing in on a double-double with eight points and eight rebounds, including four offensive rebounds. Alijah Martin added nine points.\n\nMarkquis Nowell leads Kansas State with 15 points and seven assists.\n\nHalf of the Elite Eight is set after a series of regional semifinals highlighted by perhaps the best game of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.\n\nThat would be No. 3 Kansas State's 98-93 overtime win against Michigan State that included a historic performance by senior point guard Markquis Nowell, who dished out a tournament-record 19 assists.\n\nAlso on Thursday, No. 4 Connecticut ran all over No. 8 Arkansas to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since winning the 2014 national championship; No. 9 Florida Atlantic pulled away from No. 4 Tennessee by leaning into the Volunteers' physical style; and No. 3 Gonzaga traded late buckets with No. 2 UCLA and pulled out a last-second win.\n\n– Paul Myerberg\n\nParity creating ultimate March Madness chaos\n\nIn a span of mere minutes Friday night, two programs that have had lots of good seasons but rarely seemed like they’re on the cusp of anything significant, evicted the last two No. 1 seeds left, from this NCAA men's tournament.\n\nAnd with those back-to-back results, this is officially the maddest March of them all.\n\nFor the first time in the history of the tournament, we don’t have a No. 1 seed in the Elite Eight.\n\n— Dan Wolken\n\nMarch Madness strikes again: No. 1 overall Alabama goes home\n\nOh, how the mighty fell on Friday.\n\nAlabama, the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA men's tournament, buckled late in a 71-64 loss to fifth-seeded San Diego State and were eliminated in the Sweet 16 of the South Regional.\n\nThe Crimson Tide squandered a nine-point lead in the second half as its quest for the first national championship in school history came to an abrupt end.\n\n— Josh Peter\n\n1 and done: Houston is out\n\nFifth-seeded Miami did more than upset top-seeded Houston in a Sweet 16 matchup Friday.\n\nThe Hurricanes walloped the Cougars 89-75 in the men’s NCAA Tournament that ended Houston’s hopes of playing for the school’s first national championship in its hometown.\n\nAnd it means there will be no No. 1 seed in the Elite Eight for the first time.\n\n— Josh Peter", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/25"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2023/03/20/march-madness-sweet-16-game-picks-predictions-for-ncaa-tournament/70029928007/", "title": "March Madness Sweet 16 game picks, predictions for NCAA ...", "text": "We are down to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament and there are some surprise participants still in the March Madness field.\n\nThe biggest surprise? No. 15 seed Princeton, which upset No. 2 seed Arizona and No. 7 seed Missouri to make the regional semifinals.\n\nOther surprises include No. 8 seed Arkansas, which stunned No. 1 Kansas in the second round, and No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic, which is in the Sweet 16 thanks to wins over No. 8 seed Memphis and No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson.\n\nWill we see more upsets in Thursday and Friday's games?\n\nCheck out the schedule for the Sweet 16, as well as our picks and predictions for the games. All times MST.\n\nMarch Madness Sweet 16 game picks, odds: Michigan State vs. Kansas State | Arkansas vs. UConn | Florida Atlantic vs. Tennessee | Gonzaga vs. UCLA | San Diego State vs. Alabama | Miami vs. Houston | Princeton vs. Creighton | Xavier vs. Texas\n\nThursday's March Madness Sweet 16 games\n\nNo. 3 Kansas State vs. No. 7 Michigan State, 3:30 p.m., TBS\n\nMichigan State has impressed in wins over USC and Marquette, the No. 2 seed that it upset 69-60, and the Spartans are actually favored in this game. Kansas State, however, looked good against Kentucky and is battle tested after a grueling Big 12 schedule. We're going with the Wildcats to advance to the Elite 8.\n\nPrediction: Kansas State 70, Michigan State 67\n\nNo. 4 UConn vs. No. 8 Arkansas, 4:15 p.m., CBS\n\nWe admit it, we did not think Arkansas would upset Kansas in the second round. Can the Razorbacks upset UConn in the Sweet 16? Anything is possible when Eric Musselman is your coach. UConn cruised in its first two matchups, but Arkansas will keep it close against the Huskies and rally for the victory late.\n\nPrediction: Arkansas 75, UConn 74\n\nHow to watch NCAA Tournament regional semifinal games: Michigan State vs. Kansas State | Arkansas vs. UConn | Florida Atlantic vs. Tennessee | Gonzaga vs. UCLA | San Diego State vs. Alabama | Miami vs. Houston | Princeton vs. Creighton | Xavier vs. Texas\n\nNo. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 9 Florida Atlantic, 6 p.m., TBS\n\nAs Memphis and Fairleigh Dickinson have found out, there is a reason Florida Atlantic went 31-3 before the NCAA Tournament. The Conference USA champions can play and even though the odds favor the Volunteers, something tells us that the Owls can keep dancing into the Elite 8.\n\nPrediction: Florida Atlantic 67, Tennessee 62\n\nNo. 2 UCLA vs. No. 3 Gonzaga, 6:45 p.m., CBS\n\nThere's a reason this game has the lowest point spread of the regional semifinals. This game could go either way and we're expecting a thriller between two teams that could end up winning the Final Four. Since we have to pick one, we're going with the Pac-12's last hope, UCLA, in a thriller.\n\nPrediction: UCLA 72, Gonzaga 71\n\nNCAA Tournament schedule, TV:March Madness game times, channels, announcers, how to watch\n\nFriday's March Madness Sweet 16 games\n\nNo. 1 Alabama vs. No. 5 San Diego State, 3:30 p.m., TBS\n\nAlabama is currently the favorite to win the national championship and it's not hard to see why. The Crimson Tide have looked good in wins over Texas A&M-CC and Maryland, but San Diego State is a big step up in competition. Not a big enough step up, however, to upset Alabama. Nate Oats' team will be too tough for the Aztecs late.\n\nPrediction: Alabama 78, San Diego State 70\n\nNo. 1 Houston vs. No. 5 Miami, 4:15 p.m., CBS\n\nWe debated pulling the trigger on the upset here, and we do think that Miami's pace can cause fits for the Cougars, but Houston is just too solid all around. The Hurricanes will test Houston, but they'll run out of gas late as Houston gets closer to the Final Four.\n\nPrediction: Houston 74, Miami 68\n\nNo. 6 Creighton vs. No. 15 Princeton, 6 p.m., TBS\n\nPrinceton has impressed in its first two games to reach the Sweet 16 and we don't think the Tigers are done yet. Creighton is playing well, but the scrappy Princeton team is just finding ways to win, despite not shooting well in the tournament. Imagine if its players find their stroke against the Bluejays.\n\nPrediction: Princeton 65, Creighton 61\n\nNo. 2 Texas vs. No. 3 Xavier, 6:45 p.m., CBS\n\nSean Miller's team had to beat No. 14 Kennesaw State and No. 11 seed Pittsburgh to make this game. Texas is on an entirely different level than those teams and had a bit of a wake-up call against Penn State. We've got to go with the Longhorns ending the Musketeers' run in the Sweet 16.\n\nPrediction: Texas 80, Xavier 73\n\nNCAA Tournament odds:2023 March Madness point spreads, money lines, over/unders for games\n\nMarch Madness odds:Alabama, Houston, UCLA, UConn 2023 men's NCAA Tournament favorites\n\nReach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.\n\nSupport local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/20"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2023/03/26/march-madness-bracket-updates-elite-eight-ncaa-tournament-final-four/11544361002/", "title": "March Madness Elite 8 men's recap: Miami, SDSU earn Final Four ...", "text": "The Miami, San Diego State and Florida Atlantic men's basketball teams are in the Final Four for the first time.\n\nNo. 5 San Diego State rallied to beat No. 6 Creighton in the first of two Elite Eight games on Sunday after each program advanced out of the Sweet 16 for the first time. Darrion Trammell's free throw with 1.2 seconds to play lifted the Aztecs to a 57-56 win. San Diego State will play Florida Atlantic on Saturday night.\n\nNo. 5 Miami defeated No. 2 Texas after staging a huge second-half rally. Miami will face UConn, which routed Gonzaga 82-54, in the Final Four.\n\nBrackets:See how the men's and women's NCAA Tournaments have played out\n\nFollow along for Sunday's NCAA men's tournament action:\n\nThe No. 5 Miami Hurricanes defeated the No. 2 Texas Longhorns, 88-81, in Kansas City to earn their first trip to the Final Four. The Hurricanes were down as many as 13, but came back in the second half to rally and win the game.\n\nSenior guard Jordan Miller led Miami with 27 points and shot a perfect 7-of-7 from the field along with 13-13 in free throws. The only other player to go perfect from the floor and the charity stripe was Duke's Christian Laettner in a 1992 game against Kentucky.\n\n\"No one wanted to go home. We played, we came together, we stuck together, we showed really good perseverance and the will to just get there,\" Miller said after the game as his teammates stormed around him.\n\nThe Hurricanes were knocked out the tournament last year in the Elite Eight, so the win serves as a redemption for the team.\n\nHead coach Jim Larrañaga took George Mason to its first Final Four in 2006, exactly 17 years ago from the day that he did so with the Hurricanes.\n\nSenior guard Marcus Carr led the Longhorns with 17 points. Senior forward Timmy Allen and senior guard Sir'Jabari Rice added 16 and 15 points, respectively.\n\nThe Hurricanes and Longhorns are battling it out in the second half as Miami came back to take the lead after being down by as many as 13 points.\n\nThey went on a 13-2 run to take a 73-72, capped off by a free throw by Norchad Omier.\n\nTexas answered back with a three-point shot from Tyrese Hunter to take a short lead before Isaiah Wong scored a jumper to tie the game at 75.\n\nThe teams have traded buckets with the score tied at 77 with 2:40 left in the game.\n\nThe Texas Longhorns carried their momentum from the end of the first half into the second half. Thirty seconds in, Marcus Carr found Dillon Mitchell for a monster dunk. The team had a 6-0 run to extend its lead beyond double digits and continued to dominate from beyond the arc, making nine three-point shots compared to Miami's two.\n\nThe Longhorns are up 62-49 with 14:04 on the clock.\n\nHalftime: Texas 45, Miami 37\n\nThe first half between No. 5 Miami and No. 2 Texas flew by, as the teams combined for only nine called fouls and play pushed well past the automatic television stoppages.\n\nTexas caught fire at the end of the first half and scored on seven of its last eight possessions. That didn't count a final one in which the Longhorns were fouled on a three-point attempt. Texas has shot lights out from beyond the arc, hitting 7-of-13 attempts (53.8%). Interestingly, Texas actually averages seven made three-pointers per game. The Longhorns have nearly half of their total points (21) coming from players off the bench.\n\nMiami guard Jordan Miller is carrying the Hurricanes and hasn't missed any of his six shot attempts. He leads all scorers with 13 points. While the Hurricanes were aggressive in the first half in attacking the paint, many of their baskets have come from individual efforts, with the Hurricanes assisting on only six of their 16 field goals. The Longhorns, by comparison, have 14 assists on 17 field goals.\n\nMiami, Texas locked in a back-and-forth battle\n\nAt different points in the first half, both No. 5 Miami and No. 2 Texas have had to weather shots from their opponents, only to respond. What has made this an interesting game is that both squads are doing it differently.\n\nThe Longhorns are doing it from deep and on the bench. Texas has converted 5-of-11 three-point attempts and has 13 bench points; that compares to the Hurricanes going just 1-of-2 from beyond the arc and having only two points off the bench.\n\nWhere Miami is dominating is in the paint. Eight of the 12 Hurricane field goals have been in the paint, and Miami is also pushing the tempo, trying to get numbers out on the break. Hurricanes guard Jordan Miller leads all players with 11 points, while Longhorns forward Timmy Allen has posted 10.\n\nTexas leads 31-28, with 4:33 left to play in the half.\n\nMiami aggressive, getting to the cup early, but Texas roars back\n\nNo. 5 Miami raced out to a seven-point lead by being aggressive and attacking the basket; each of the first six Hurricanes shots came inside the paint, with Miami converting four.\n\nNo. 2 Texas, however, scored seven unanswered in a minute-and-a-half of play to tie the game, 9-9, just more than five minutes into the game.\n\nThe Longhorns are edging Miami 5-2 on the boards and shooting 37.5% from the floor. The Hurricanes are isshooting 57.1%. Miami guard Jordan Miller leads all players in the early going with five points.\n\nBishop gets the start for injured Disu in Texas' matchup vs. Miami\n\nTexas forward Christian Bishop will start only his second game of the season with the injury to Dylan Disu, who suffered a bone bruise on his left foot in the second round. Bishop, a 6-foot-8 senior, has started 86 of his 161 career games, but Sunday’s Elite Eight contest against No. 5 seed Miami marks only his second start this season.\n\nBishop certainly took care of his business in Friday’s win over Xavier, when he came off the bench and scored a game-high 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting and pulled down nine rebounds while playing 24 minutes after Disu played only two minutes in the Sweet 16 game. That performance mirrors his career stats; he’s made 61% of his shots and averaged almost 10 rebounds and more than 15 points per 40 minutes in his five college seasons.\n\nBishop transferred from Creighton before last season, and this season marks his first as a reserve since his freshman campaign with the Bluejays in 2018-19. Now he’ll seek to send No. 2 seed Texas into its fourth Final Four in school history.\n\n— Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman\n\nFor the first time in program history, SDSU reaches Final Four\n\nNo. 5 San Diego State held a two-point lead with 34.2 seconds left in the game. All the Aztecs had to do was inbounds the ball successfully and convert free throws. Instead, an errant pass gifted No. 6 Creighton an easy layup under the basket to tie the game.\n\nThe Aztecs, however, recovered, and guard Darrion Trammell was fouled on his game-winning floater attempt down the left side of the lane as the clock ticked down. The foul call instantly set social media ablaze, debating the merits of a call like that in such a tense moment in the game, but Creighton guard Ryan Nembhard did place his left hand on Trammell's back as he took the shot.\n\nWith a trip to the Final Four on the line, Trammell missed the first free throw but drained the second. Creighton's desperation inbound heave caromed off of a scrum of players and did not leave enough time on the clock for the Bluejays to get a final shot.\n\nSan Diego State won, 57-56 and will face Florida Atlantic in Saturday's semifinals.\n\nFinally, the Aztecs regain the lead\n\nMore than 30 minutes of game time elapsed before No. 5 San Diego State finally regained a lead three-quarters of the way through the second half. From then on, the Aztecs regained offensive efficiency, confidently converting pull-up jumpers off of pick-and-roll action.\n\nWhat’s not helping No. 6 Creighton is the sheer volume of shots missed in the paint, as the Bluejays have four missed field goals in the paint in the second half.\n\nThe Aztecs hold a 52-50 lead with 3:30 to play, and a trip to the Final Four on the line.\n\nCreighton goes cold, SDSU still can't quite get over hump\n\nNo. 6 Creighton went more than four minutes without a point midway through the second half, but No. 5 San Diego State simply cannot find enough consistency on the offensive end to erase the Bluejay lead.\n\nEvery time the Aztecs pull closer, they seem to get cold until Creighton is able to string together a basket or two. While both teams are struggling from three-point range — the two have combined to 5-of-26 (19.2%) — San Diego State is not backing away from more attempts, even if they’re not dropping. The Aztecs though, are putting forth plus effort on the offensive glass, and now hold an 11-8 edge over Creighton in that space.\n\nSan Diego State has done a tremendous job on Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who only has three points after intermission, in the second half.\n\nThe Bluejays hold a 45-41 lead with 7:40 left in the game.\n\nCreighton holding steady, SDSU starts slow\n\nBoth offenses struggled from the floor to open the second half, though No. 5 San Diego State’s 6-2 mini-run closed the deficit before No. 6 Creighton’s consecutive trips to the free throw line (including an and-one on the second possession) kept the Bluejays ahead.\n\nThe Aztecs have clogged the lane with a 2-3 zone that has made it more difficult for Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner to receive the ball in the post. And San Diego State is actually picking up the slack on the offensive glass in the second half, but is struggling from the field, converting just 5-of-18 (27.8%) shots after halftime.\n\nCreighton leads 43-39 with 11:30 to play in the game.\n\nAztec guard Lamont Butler leads all players with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting.\n\nHalftime: Creighton 33, San Diego State 28\n\nNo. 5 San Diego State has settled a touch on offense, in large part to the play of guard Lamont Butler, who paces the Aztecs at the half with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting.\n\nThere are some warning signs, however, for San Diego State: it is being outrebounded by a margin of 16-14, though minutes earlier, it was 13-7. The Aztecs and have assisted on only two of their 13 field goals. Another concern? San Diego State has taken just one trip to the line and missed that free throw.\n\nDespite all that, the Aztecs are taking a five-point deficit into the second half after Creighton went 3:20 without a field goal in the middle of the first half.\n\nThe Bluejays did bounce back from their cold spell and are riding the play of Ryan Kalkbrenner (10 points), Baylor Scheierman (seven points) and Ryan Nembhard (seven points) combining for 72.7% of Creighton’s points.\n\nSan Diego State's bench is outscoring Creighton's 8-0.\n\nCreighton building modest lead\n\nNo. 5 San Diego State went nearly two-and-a-half minutes without a field goal early in the first half, allowing No. 6 Creighton to start to build a modest lead. The Bluejays are moving the ball fairly well and getting everyone involved; by the midway point of the first half, all five starters had scored. In fact, all starters have combined for 9-of-17 (52.9%) shooting from the floor.\n\nOne area where the Aztecs are performing well, however, is on perimeter defense. San Diego State has held Creighton to 1-of-6 shooting from three-point range. The Aztecs, though, need to play with more composure, having committed four turnovers and four player fouls.\n\nThe Bluejays are up 22-16, with 7:40 left to play in the first half.\n\nSiblings face off for Final Four spot\n\nNot only are San Diego State and Creighton playing for a spot in the Final Four, but a pair of brothers are playing for bragging rights against another once again.\n\nCreighton sophomore forward Arthur Kaluma and San Diego State senior guard Adam Seiko are meeting against each other in the Elite Eight matchup, the second straight year they will do so in the tournament. Last year, Kaluma and Creighton won their first round matchup against the Aztecs in overtime, 72-69.\n\nBefore the Sweet 16, Seiko said it would be a “surreal feeling” if the two teams met with a Final Four berth on the line.\n\n“Something I can’t even put into words, really,” Seiko said.\n\nThe siblings' mother, Saira Eva Ariko, is in attendance for the game in Louisville.\n\n— Jordan Mendoza\n\nOffenses finding footing early on in Creighton-SDSU\n\nThe perimeter shooting from both teams slagged to start the game between No. 6 Creighton and No. 5 San Diego State, with both teams putting up an airball on three-point attempts on consecutive possessions. But the importance of post play and rebounding already showed its weight, as Creighton forward Arthur Kaluma's offensive board two minutes into the game led to center Ryan Kalkbrenner's flush on an alley-oop feed from guard Trey Alexander.\n\nBoth squads have combined to go 1-of-5 from beyond the arc. Kalkbrenner leads the way early with six points on 3-of-5 shooting. Creighton holds an 8-7 lead with 14:05 left to play in the first half.\n\nSunday's Elite Eight slate\n\nNo. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 6 Creighton: San Diego State's defense is off the charts – just ask Alabama. The Aztecs held the top overall seed to 32.4% shooting and completely bottled up future lottery pick Brandon Miller, who finished with just nine points on 3 of 19 shooting, including just one make in 10 attempts from deep. But Creighton could put this defense to the test. The Bluejays have scored at least 80 points in five of the past seven games and are shooting 50.6% from the field in tournament play.\n\nNo. 2 Texas vs. No. 5 Miami: After some early struggles, Miami's backcourt has taken over games to help the Hurricanes earn a second trip in a row to the regional finals. Nijel Pack has been on point since the start of tournament play, averaging a team-best 19.7 points per game and dropping a season-high 26 points to lead Miami into the Elite Eight. Texas has gone 22-7 since Rodney Terry replaced Chris Beard in December and is in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2008 and just the second time since the tournament expanded from eight teams in 1951. Under Terry, the Longhorns have fought through off-court drama and injuries to peak at the right time.\n\n— Paul Myerberg\n\nBluejays, Aztecs have familiarity\n\nWhile in different regions of the country, Creighton and San Diego State are not unfamiliar with each other.\n\nMonths ago, the Bluejays and Aztecs shared a chartered flight to the Maui Invitational. Creighton coach Greg McDermott said he sat across from San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher and talked about wanting to face off in the championship because \"we would be OK with one of us winning and one of us losing.\"\n\nLittle did they know their meeting this season would be on a bigger stage.\n\n— Paul Myerberg\n\nTexas' Dylan Disu dealing with injury\n\nDylan Disu, Texas' best player this postseason, played less than two minutes in the Longhorns' Sweet 16 win against Xavier with what team officials called a bone bruise in his left foot. He's officially day-to-day.\n\nHe spent most of the game with a walking boot on his left foot. Team officials said he suffered the bone bruise in the win over Penn State in the second round last Saturday. He practiced some but aggravated the injury late in the week.\n\n— Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman\n\nFlorida Atlantic most-surprising Final Four team ever?\n\nIt has become more and more common in recent years for an overlooked, out-of-nowhere tournament team to get hot at the right time and march all the way to the Final Four. Of the nine teams to reach the national semifinals as a No. 9 seed or higher, six have occurred since 2013.\n\nThe Owls' run to Houston is among the most unexpected Final Four teams since the tournament expanded that same season. There are eight teams that have shocked the nation most by advancing from off the radar to the national semifinals.\n\n— Paul Myerberg\n\nUConn is now the team to beat -- and Huskies know it\n\nParity in college basketball, huh? UConn didn’t get the memo.\n\nAll those close calls, all those middling years in the wilderness of the American Athletic Conference suddenly seem far away in the rear-view mirror. In his fifth season at UConn, Dan Hurley doesn’t just have the Huskies back in the Final Four, he has them playing in a way that should earn them the school’s fifth national title.\n\n— Dan Wolken\n\nKansas State coach Jerome Tang shares message with FAU after game\n\nFlorida Atlantic may have eliminated his Kansas State team, but Wildcats coach Jerome Tang had nothing but praise for the Owls – and delivered his classy message in person in the celebratory FAU locker room.\n\n“Your toughness, your togetherness, your ability to make plays for each other, the way you communicate with each other – nobody can beat ya’ll,” the first-year K-State coach told the Owls. “Just stay together, don’t get distracted between now and (the Final Four). Stay locked in, keep doing what you’re doing.”\n\n\"Ya’ll the toughest son-of-a-guns we’ve played all year long,\" Tang added. \"Just proud of ya and rooting for ya.\"\n\nTang’s first year in Manhattan, Kansas, was a tremendous success after little was expected of the Wildcats in the preseason. They nearly made their first Final Four since 1964, falling to Florida Atlantic 79-76. The Owls are making their first Final Four appearance and will play the winner of Sunday’s game between Creighton and San Diego State.\n\n— Jace Evans\n\nParity creating ultimate March Madness chaos\n\nIn a span of mere minutes Friday night, two programs that have had lots of good seasons but rarely seemed like they’re on the cusp of anything significant, evicted the last two No. 1 seeds left, from this NCAA men's tournament.\n\nAnd with those back-to-back results, this is officially the maddest March of them all.\n\n— Dan Wolken", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/26"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2023/03/12/selection-sunday-iu-basketball-gets-no-4-seed-play-no-13-kent-state-albany-midwest-indiana-hoosiers/69999640007/", "title": "IU basketball, Kent State have March Madness history, ties beyond ...", "text": "BLOOMINGTON – Some things, time never fully forgets.\n\nIndiana earned the No. 4 seed in the Midwest region Sunday, when the NCAA tournament selection committee’s full and final bracket was announced. The Hoosiers open play Friday in Albany, N.Y., against No. 13 Kent State.\n\nThey have history with the Golden Flashes, who eliminated IU from the same tournament in San Diego in 2001, before Indiana exacted revenge a year later in Lexington, Ky., on its way to its most-recent Final Four.\n\nBut, more recently and more pointedly, Indiana has history — ancient yet somehow not at all — with the man now running the Kent State sideline.\n\nRob Senderoff, who’s won 247 games across 12 seasons in Kent, served for parts of two seasons as an assistant at IU, between 2006-07. Senderoff was an assistant under Kelvin Sampson, and a central figure in the recruiting scandal that eventually cost both him and his boss their jobs, and left Indiana grappling with a messy set of NCAA sanctions it took the Hoosiers three years to fully recover from.\n\nMarch Madness:IU gets No. 4 seed, will play No. 13 Kent State in Albany\n\nShould Indiana defeat Kent State, and then the winner of No. 5 Miami vs. No. 12 Drake, the team most likely to be waiting in the Sweet 16 in Kansas City would be … Sampson’s No. 1-seeded Houston.\n\nIt will feel like ancient history in Bloomington, a decade and a half removed from the program’s most-serious recruiting scandal ever. IU has hired three different head coaches since it relieved Sampson of his duties in February 2008. Mike Woodson, the Hoosiers’ current head man and a legendary former player in Bloomington, said Sunday night he only interacted briefly with Sampson when asked early in Sampson’s tenure to speak to the team that year.\n\nAs for Senderoff, Woodson said simply, “I’m sure I probably met him when he was here, in passing.”\n\nHe’ll meet Senderoff’s team Friday. The Golden Flashes (28-6) made the NCAA tournament field by virtue of winning the Mid-American Conference tournament. This marks Kent State’s seventh postseason appearance under Senderoff, and its second trip to the NCAA tournament.\n\nKent State boasts a top-40 defense nationally, per KenPom, and the most-efficient in the MAC in league games this year. The Golden Flashes are particularly stingy in defending the 3-point line, and they’re 20th nationally in opponent turnover rate.\n\nInsider:With all its strengths and flaws, IU down to its last chance to make this season special\n\nAll their best wins this season came in conference, but they acquitted themselves well in a clutch of high-major losses. Kent State lost true road games at Houston and at Gonzaga by just five and seven points, respectively, and they fell by just two in a road defeat at fellow NCAA tournament participant Charleston during nonconference play as well.\n\nThose will be the bullet points that concern Indiana’s players, and to a great extent Woodson. The lingering specter of a program melted down does not cast its shadow over them anymore.\n\nWill they over the coach now preparing his team to face Woodson, Trayce Jackson-Davis and company? That’s for Senderoff to say.\n\nHis role in what unfolded into a scandal dramatically altering the trajectory of a program primarily involved regulations in place at the time governing phone contact with recruits. Sampson had brought sanctions with him from Oklahoma for similar infractions, and was then found to have run afoul of those sanctions in particular around more than 100 separate recruiting phone calls.\n\nSenderoff placed some of those calls and then transferred them to Sampson’s phone. He was relieved of his duties before Sampson eventually was as well.\n\nThe NCAA has since rescinded virtually all the rules broken during that episode. To his credit, Senderoff has not shied from talking about his role in the entire episode, and he sat with IndyStar for a lengthy interview at the expiration of the ensuing sanctions nearly a decade ago.\n\n“Why the NCAA changed those rules, I don’t know,” Senderoff told IndyStar in 2013. “Should they have been rules in the first place? I don’t know. That’s above my pay grade. It’s just like the speed limit. You’re supposed to follow the speed limit. … The person driving the car doesn’t get to make that decision. I shouldn’t have transferred those calls to coach Sampson, and I wish I hadn’t.”\n\nSince, he’s built himself a solid career at Kent State. And, after spending most of six years coaching in the NBA, Sampson has returned high-level success in college. Since taking over at Houston in 2014, he’s won 230 games and at least a share of four conference titles. The Cougars have been invited to each of the last five NCAA tournaments, with runs to the Sweet Sixteen (2019), Final Four (2021) and Elite Eight (2022) on their ledger.\n\nSampson even coached a game in Bloomington during that 2021 run, when Houston appeared in the tournament hosted entirely within the state of Indiana.\n\nPerhaps he will revisit a few more old memories in two weeks’ time, if both IU and Houston advance to a second-weekend matchup in Kansas City. Before then, his former assistant — with whom Sampson is still close — will travel through his own past, for better or worse, as he prepares for Friday’s round-of-64 matchup.\n\nAll of it, a reminder: The things we leave behind never truly leave us.\n\nFollow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/12"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/asu/2023/03/15/arizona-state-basketball-advances-to-face-tcu-in-first-round-of-ncaa-tournament/70013337007/", "title": "Arizona State advances to face TCU in first round of NCAA ...", "text": "DAYTON, Ohio - Any doubt as to whether the Arizona State Sun Devils were deserving of an NCAA Tournament berth was put to rest in a hurry.\n\nThe Sun Devils (23-12 ) disposed of Mountain West representative Nevada 98-73 in a First Four showdown at the University of Dayton Arena on Wednesday night. Now it's on to Denver where the Sun Devils will face TCU at the Ball Center at 7:05 p.m. Friday.\n\nIt will be difficult for the Sun Devils to top their most recent performance, one in which they shot 63.6% (35-for-55), the best field goal percentage in 133 NCAA tournament games played at the arena. That bettered the previous mark of 63.3% by LaSalle (31-for-49) vs. Boise State on March 20, 2013.\n\n\"It was a complete performance for us,\" ASU head coach Bobby Hurley said. \"You want to be playing this way at this time of year. That's what it's all about. I truly believe that our schedule and the games we've been in, especially late in the season, prepares you for these type of games. And it was across the board, just everyone contributed. Our defense was outstanding in the first half.\"\n\nPlayers admitted they maybe felt a little disrespected by being relegated to the play-in game but are taking it in stride and look forward to their shot against one of the Big 12's best.\n\nUp next:Arizona State vs. TCU basketball picks, predictions, odds: Who wins March Madness game?\n\n\"Personally I definitely had a chip on my shoulder, but at the end of the day, that's just the mentality that I have,\" Desmond Cambridge Jr. said. \"I try to find things to keep me motivated. But I'm just happy to be here, so I'm not going to say I'm not grateful for the opportunity. But yeah, I did kind of feel disrespected that we're in this First Four. But at the end of the day, I'm grateful, and we came and did what we were supposed to do, so next game.\n\nD.J. Horne, who led all scorers with 20 points, agreed.\n\n\"I kind of felt like it was a little disrespect, but just happy to be here, happy for our opportunity, and I'm just glad that we won the game. Ready for the next one,\" he said.\n\nThe only lead Nevada had was 3-0. ASU led after 20 minutes 53-26, with the 53 points marking the most in half by ASU this season. The previous best was 50 in the second half against San Diego while the previous high in a first half was 46 which the Sun Devils did twice.\n\nThe 53 points also marked the second-most in a half in school history in a tournament game behind the 54 the Sun Devils scored against Arkansas in 1991 in a 97-90 loss.\n\nThe biggest ASU lead was 30 points at 56-26 in the opening seconds of the second half. Nevada was not able to get closer than 19 points.\n\nRewind:Arizona State dominates Nevada to reach NCAA tournament\n\nNeal a huge factor\n\nJamiya Neal has turned out to be a key factor, getting significantly more playing time with true freshman Austin Nunez out with a concussion since Feb. 18. Nunez had been one of the team's best shooters and on-ball defenders.\n\nThe sophomore guard has scored 61 points in the last seven games with 18 rebounds, 12 assists, three blocks and eight steals.\n\nHe had a season-high 16 against the Wolf Pack, 10 of those coming in the first half. He also had four rebounds, three steals and two assists.\n\nHurley said Nunez has been a full participant in practice the last two days. He was dressed and warmed up with the team for the first time since being injured. Hurley said he is hopeful Nunez can play on Friday.\n\nDuo had extra motivation\n\nThe biggest storyline of the night was the presence of two former Nevada players in the ASU starting lineup in Cambridge Jr. and Warren Washington, both of whom came to Tempe over the summer. Cambridge has been ASU's leading scorer with a knack for making clutch shots while Washington is the team's leading rebounder.\n\nCambridge ended up with 17 points and six assists while Washington managed nine points, five rebounds, four assists and a block.\n\n\"It was cool. You know, but at the end of the day, I didn't care who we were playing today. I'm just out here to play basketball. Yeah, that's all I have to say on that,\" Cambridge said.\n\nHurley wins coaching matchup\n\nThe coaching matchup was an intriguing one pitting two who won national championships as players, Hurley getting two at Duke and Nevada's Steve Alford winning one at Indiana in 1987.\n\nThe two also coached against each other earlier when Alford was at UCLA from 2013 to 2018. He is rounding out his fourth year at Nevada.\n\n\"I know he's a competitor and he's a winner and he's been a winner his whole life, so you know you're going to get his best shot,\" Hurley said of Alford. \"His team is going to be ready and prepared. I don't think it was a matter of them not playing well, I think it was us playing exceptional. I thought that was the story, especially early in the game.\"\n\nFatigue factor\n\nThe Sun Devils have played seven straight road games stretching back to their last three games of the regular season. Then it was three at the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas. The quick turnaround from that last game in Las Vegas on Friday to the one against the Wolf Pack and counting the next on Friday against TCU will make five in nine days.\n\nPlayers say they are not concerned because getting the opportunity to play on the big stage is enough to keep them going.\n\n\"No, not really worried,\" Horne said. \"Especially when you're on this stage, I feel like you have to get up for every game, and if you're not, what kind of basketball player are you? But we're going to do a good job at resting and everything and get on the flight after this, so we'll be ready to play next game.\"\n\nHurley said having a game that starts at 7:05 p.m. helps. When his team last played in the First Four it had to go from Dayton to Tulsa, Oklahoma and had an afternoon game which it lost in lopsided fashion. So he is thankful for a few extra hours.\n\n\"I'm appreciative that the NCAA allows the game to take place at the very end of the night on Friday because the last time we were in here and won, it was I believe an afternoon game, and just wasn't enough time really for us to physically bounce back,\" he said. \"Every hour counts, and that'll be the focus the next 36 hours.\"\n\nBasketball state of mind:3 Arizona colleges in March Madness, Suns mania, preps evolution\n\nWhat is next\n\nArizona State advances to face No. 6 seed TCU (21-12, 9-9 in Big 12) on Friday at Ball Center in Denver. TCU was the fifth-place finisher in the Big 12 behind Kansas, Texas, Kansas State and Baylor. The Horned Frogs are ranked No. 22 nationally.\n\nTCU has already played two Pac-12 teams, both early in the season. It defeated Cal 59-48 on Nov. 25 in a neutral site tournament and Utah 75-71 on Dec. 21 in Salt Lake City.\n\n\"I have a lot of respect for them and the season they've had,\" Hurley said of his next opponent. \"The league was rated one of the best in the country this year. I talked about us being battle tested. Well, so were they. I think they play elite competition.\"", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/15"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2021/03/01/ncaa-tournament-college-basketball-march-madness-updates/6869630002/", "title": "2021 NCAA basketball tournament dates, schedule, COVID-19, fans ...", "text": "\"The only possible place for March Madness in a pandemic is right here. Are we ready for this moment? We'll see.\"\n\nIndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel wrote that when the NCAA officially announced in January the 2021 NCAA men's basketball tournament — all of it, not just the Final Four — would be coming to Indianapolis and Central Indiana.\n\nWell, we're here. It's March. Here's what's coming our way.\n\nHow many games will be played in Indiana?\n\nBetween NCAA Division I (67 games), IHSAA (60), Big Ten men's and women's (24), NCAA Division II in Evansville (7), Horizon League men's and women's (6) and Indiana Pacers (5) there will be 169 competitive basketball games played in Indiana during a 33-day span, beginning March 4 with the Pacers vs. Nuggets and ending April 5 with the NCAA national championship.\n\nScroll to the bottom of this article (or click here) for the full schedule.\n\n'COULD WE DO THIS'?How Indianapolis plans to pull off a 'once-in-a-lifetime' NCAA tournament\n\nBRACKETOLOGY:Illinois surges in as new No. 1 seed, replacing Ohio State\n\nWhere will the games be played?\n\nMackey Arena: NCAA First Four, first round\n\nSimon Skjodt Assembly Hall: NCAA First Four, first round.\n\nIndiana Farmers Coliseum: Horizon League men's and women's semifinals/finals, NCAA first and second rounds.\n\nBankers Life Fieldhouse: Pacers, Big Ten women's tournament, NCAA first and second round, Sweet 16, IHSAA state finals\n\nHinkle Fieldhouse: NCAA first and second round, Sweet 16\n\nMore:These are the six Indiana venues the NCAA will use for March Madness\n\nLucas Oil Stadium: Big Ten men's tournament, NCAA first round, second round, Elite Eight, Final Four, national championship\n\nFord Center (Evansville): NCAA Division II Elite Eight, semifinals, championship\n\nIHSAA regional sites: Class 4A: Michigan City, Logansport, Southport, Seymour; 3A: South Bend Washington, New Castle, Greencastle, Washington; 2A: North Judson, Lapel, Greenfield-Central, Southridge; A: Triton, Frankfort; Martinsville, Loogootee.\n\nIHSAA semistate sites: Lafayette Jeff, Elkhart, Seymour, Washington\n\nWill fans be allowed?\n\nYes. The NCAA announced it will allow up to 25% of capacity for all rounds. That's the maximum.\n\n► Indiana University is capping attendance to 500 for the First Four and first-round NCAA tournament games played at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.\n\n► Purdue says Mackey Arena will be capped at 12-13% (roughly 1,850)\n\n► Butler will allow up to the 25% capacity for games at Hinkle Fieldhouse (roughly 2,275).\n\n► For the Indiana Farmers Coliseum, 25% capacity is roughly 1,700 fans.\n\n► For Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 25% capacity is roughly 4,500 fans\n\n► For Lucas Oil Stadium, 25% capacity is roughly 17,500 fans,\n\n► Pacers have been cleared by Marion County Health Department to allow up 4,500 fans, but the team is limiting tickets to 3,000 in February to \"prioritize the health and safety of fans, players and staff.\"\n\n► The attendance at IHSAA sectional sites this year is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Here is a closer look at the plans for sectionals involving local teams from the host athletic directors. For this past weekend's girls state finals, each school was allowed up to 1,000 fans in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.\n\n► New restrictions taking effect March 1 include an increase in bar capacity from 25% to 50%, an increase in indoor restaurant capacity from 50% to 75%, and an extension of curfew for bars from midnight to 2 a.m.\n\nHow is COVID-19 in Indiana right now?\n\nFor the first time in months, nine of the state's 92 counties were shaded blue on the state's advisory-level map. The update means those blue counties will no longer face social gathering capacity restrictions, but they must obey social distancing and mask-wearing protocols.\n\nThis is the sixth consecutive week the Indiana Department of Health's color-coded map showed improvement and the first time since at least mid-December a county in Indiana will not face capacity restrictions.\n\nThirty-nine counties, including Marion County reported minimal spread — up from just 11 last week. Fifty counties on Feb. 24 reported moderate spread of the virus and three reported moderate to high spread.\n\nMarion County will continue to face yellow restrictions, which allows for 50% capacity at social gatherings. Marion County is also under additional rules implemented by Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and the county health department.\n\nTeams in March Madness will stay in 'bubble'\n\nThe teams themselves will remain in a \"semi-controlled environment,\" which for all intents and purposes is a bubble. They will take all of their meals in hotel rooms or specially designated areas. Each player will have their own hotel room and each team has its own floor.\n\nBefore arriving in Indianapolis, each individual must have seven consecutive negative COVID-19 tests. If any of the tests yield a positive result, the person will not be allowed to attend the tournament until he has completed a period of self-isolation.\n\nOn the day the teams arrive, players will undergo another COVID-19 test. Until participants have two consecutive tests in Indianapolis they will be required to remain in their rooms under “strict quarantine,” the health department said.\n\nEach person on qualifying teams can invite six family members to watch, but these fans may have no in-person contact with the players during the tournament.\n\nWho will feed the teams?\n\nRoughly 2,500 student-athletes, coaches, trainers, officials and others essential to participating in the tournament are expected to come to Indianapolis for the games.\n\n\"There is an appetite in the NCAA — in an effort to help spread out the impact of this game in a positive way and to diversify the items served up to the teams — to allow restaurants outside of the hotels to bring meals to the teams' doorstep,\" Visit Indy's Chris Gahl said.\n\nVisit Indy is helping to identify restaurants that can be on a \"menu of sorts\" for tournament teams to consider ordering food from during the duration of their participation in March Madness.\n\nA process is underway to develop service standards for delivery, itemized packaging and the tracking of specific meals. The information would be compiled and given to teams so they would know how many hours in advance carryout meals need to be ordered and what restaurants would require.\n\nHere is the list of upcoming basketball games in Indiana\n\nHere's the schedule. Take a deep breath.\n\nMARCH 4\n\n8 p.m. — Indiana Pacers vs. Denver Nuggets, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\nMARCH 8\n\n11 a.m. — Horizon League women's tournament semifinal, Indiana Farmers Coliseum\n\n2 p.m. — Horizon League women's tournament semifinal, Indiana Farmers Coliseum\n\n6:30 p.m. — Horizon League men's tournament semifinal, Indiana Farmers Coliseum\n\n9:30 p.m. — Horizon League men's tournament semifinal, Indiana Farmers Coliseum\n\nMARCH 9\n\n12 p.m. — Horizon League women's tournament final, Indiana Farmers Coliseum\n\n5 p.m. — Big Ten women's tournament first round, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\n7 p.m. — Horizon League men's tournament final, Indiana Farmers Coliseum\n\nMARCH 10\n\n11 a.m. — Big Ten women's tournament second round, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\n1:30 p.m. — Big Ten women's tournament second round, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\n6:30 p.m. — Big Ten men's tournament first round, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\n6:30 p.m. —Big Ten women's tournament second round, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\n9 p.m. — Big Ten men's tournament first round, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\n9 p.m. — Big Ten women's tournament second round, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\nMARCH 11\n\n11 a .m. — Big Ten women's tournament quarterfinal, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\n11:30 a.m. — Big Ten men's tournament second round, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\n1:30 p.m. — Big Ten women's tournament quarterfinal, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\n2 p.m. — Big Ten men's tournament second round, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\n6:30 p.m. — Big Ten women's tournament quarterfinal, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\n6:30 p.m. — Big Ten men's tournament second round, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\n9 p.m. — Big Ten women's tournament quarterfinal, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\n9 p.m. — Big Ten men's tournament second round, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\nMARCH 12\n\n11:30 a.m. — Big Ten men's tournament quarterfinal, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\n2 p.m. — Big Ten women's tournament semifinal, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\n2 p.m. — Big Ten men's tournament quarterfinal, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\n4:30 p.m. — Big Ten women's tournament semifinal, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\n6:30 p.m. — Big Ten men's tournament quarterfinal, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\n9 p.m. — Big Ten men's tournament quarterfinal, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\nMARCH 13\n\n10 a.m. — IHSAA boys basketball regional semifinals, across the state\n\nNoon — IHSAA boys basketball regional semifinals, across the state\n\n1 p.m. — Big Ten men's tournament semifinal, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\n2 p.m. — Big Ten women's tournament final, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\n3:30 p.m. — Big Ten men's tournament semifinal, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\n7:30 p.m. — IHSAA boys basketball regional finals, across the state\n\nMARCH 14\n\n3:30 p.m. — Big Ten men's tournament final, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\n6 p.m. — NCAA tournament selection show\n\nMARCH 17\n\n7 p.m. — Indiana Pacers vs. Brooklyn Nets, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\nMARCH 18\n\n4 p.m. — NCAA tournament First Four, Assembly Hall/Mackey Arena\n\n6 p.m. — NCAA tournament First Four, Assembly Hall/Mackey Arena\n\n8 p.m. — NCAA tournament First Four, Assembly Hall/Mackey Arena\n\n10 p.m. — NCAA tournament First Four, Assembly Hall/Mackey Arena\n\nMARCH 19\n\nNoon-10:30 p.m. — NCAA tournament first round (16 games at six venues)\n\nMARCH 20\n\nNoon-10:30 p.m. — NCAA tournament first round (16 games at six venues)\n\n1 p.m. — IHSAA boys basketball semistate, Lafayette Jeff\n\n1 p.m. — IHSAA boys basketball semistate, Seymour\n\n4 p.m. — IHSAA boys basketball semistate, Washington\n\n4 p.m. — IHSAA boys basketball semistate, Elkhart\n\n4 p.m. — IHSAA boys basketball semistate, Lafayette Jeff\n\n4 p.m. — IHSAA boys basketball semistate, Seymour\n\n7 p.m. — IHSAA boys basketball semistate, Washington\n\n7 p.m. — IHSAA boys basketball semistate, Elkhart\n\nMARCH 21\n\nNoon-10:30 p.m. — NCAA tournament second round (eight games at four venues)\n\nMARCH 22\n\nNoon-10:30 p.m. — NCAA tournament second round (eight games at four venues)\n\nMARCH 24\n\n1 p.m. — NCAA Division II men's tournament Elite Eight, Ford Center (Evansville)\n\n4 p.m. — NCAA Division II men's tournament Elite Eight, Ford Center (Evansville)\n\n7 p.m. — Indiana Pacers vs. Detroit Pistons, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\n7 p.m. — NCAA Division II men's tournament Elite Eight, Ford Center (Evansville)\n\n10 p.m. — NCAA Division II men's tournament Elite Eight, Ford Center (Evansville)\n\nMARCH 25\n\n6 p.m. — NCAA Division II men's tournament semifinals, Ford Center (Evansville)\n\n9 p.m. — NCAA Division II men's tournament semifinals, Ford Center (Evansville)\n\nMARCH 27\n\nNoon — NCAA Division II men's tournament final, Ford Center (Evansville)\n\n2 p.m. — NCAA tournament Sweet 16, Bankers Life Fieldhouse/Hinkle Fieldhouse\n\nTBD — NCAA tournament Sweet 16, Bankers Life Fieldhouse/Hinkle Fieldhouse\n\n7 p.m. — NCAA tournament Sweet 16, Bankers Life Fieldhouse/Hinkle Fieldhouse\n\nTBD — NCAA tournament Sweet 16, Bankers Life Fieldhouse/Hinkle Fieldhouse\n\nMARCH 28\n\n1 p.m. — NCAA tournament Sweet 16, Bankers Life Fieldhouse/Hinkle Fieldhouse\n\nTBD — NCAA tournament Sweet 16, Bankers Life Fieldhouse/Hinkle Fieldhouse\n\n7 p.m. — NCAA tournament Sweet 16, Bankers Life Fieldhouse/Hinkle Fieldhouse\n\nTBD — NCAA tournament Sweet 16, Bankers Life Fieldhouse/Hinkle Fieldhouse\n\nMARCH 29\n\n7 p.m. — NCAA tournament Elite Eight, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\n10 p.m. — NCAA tournament Elite Eight, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\nMARCH 30\n\n6 p.m. — NCAA tournament Elite Eight, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\n9 p.m. — NCAA tournament Elite Eight, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\nMARCH 31\n\n7 p.m. — Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\nAPRIL 2\n\n8 p.m. — Indiana Pacers vs. Charlotte Hornets, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\nAPRIL 3\n\n10 a.m. — IHSAA boys basketball Class A state final, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\n1:30 p.m. — IHSAA boys basketball Class 2A state final, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\n5 p.m. — IHSAA boys basketball Class 3A state final, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\n5 p.m. — NCAA tournament Final Four, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\n8 p.m. — NCAA tournament Final Four, Lucas Oil Stadium\n\n8:30 p.m. — IHSAA boys basketball Class 4A state final, Bankers Life Fieldhouse\n\nAPRIL 5\n\n9 p.m. — NCAA tournament national championship, Lucas Oil Stadium", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/03/01"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2023/03/14/a-bigger-march-madness-many-obstacles-stand-in-the-way/70007528007/", "title": "A bigger March Madness? Many obstacles stand in the way", "text": "RALPH D. RUSSO\n\nAP\n\nNEW YORK (AP) — The number was supposed to be 96.\n\nThe last time the NCAA seriously considered expanding a plan emerged to add 16 more games and 32 more participants to grow that symmetrically satisfying 64-team bracket.\n\nThe backlash that followed from college sports administrators back in 2010 was strong enough to scrap the idea. was approved in 2011.\n\n“At the end of the day, membership sentiment was that they were not unified in wanting to expand the tournament beyond 68,” recalled Greg Shaheen, the former NCAA vice president for championships.\n\nFor the first time in more than a decade, allowed to compete in an event that has become one of the crown jewels of American sports.\n\nThe mere suggestion of messing with , which generates hundreds of millions in revenue annually for the NCAA and its 1,100 member schools, is still met with skepticism by a lot of basketball fans and some within college sports.\n\nMaking significant changes in the near term will be difficult, if not impossible. There are logistical, financial and even political obstacles.\n\n“That’s not to say we won’t give it it’s appropriate level of analysis and consideration, but there’s a lot of factors to be considered,” said Dan Gavitt, the NCAA vice president for basketball.\n\nChatter about started more than a year ago, when the NCAA assembled a committee to look into the how Division I, the highest level of college sports, operates.\n\nAfter more than a year of work, the committee's included expanding fields for all NCAA championship — not just basketball —- with a high level of participation to accommodate 25% of competing schools.\n\nThe 25% recommendation is just that. Whether it is implemented will be a decision made on a sport-by-sport basis. Committee co-chair Greg Sankey, the Southeastern Conference commissioner, has tried to avoid being seen as pushing for expansion while also pointing out some of the reasons to do so.\n\n“You have teams that have been the 11-seed in the First Four, make it to the Final Four, the Elite Eight, the Sweet 16,” Sankey said in January. “We’re excluding highly competitive teams, because of the structure. Now what does that expansion or those opportunities look like? I have ideas, but I’m not going to throw them out now since I don’t want to make headlines.”\n\nCurrent selection protocols provide an automatic berth to the champions of all 32 Division I conferences, plus 36 at-large bids. Those are mostly scooped up by the six strongest and richest conferences: the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern.\n\nThe Big Six secured 31 of 36 at-large bids on Sunday.\n\nAlong with prestige and opportunities to advance, bids have monetary value. The NCAA distributes revenue to conferences based on tournament performance,\n\nIn 2023, a basketball unit will be worth approximately $2.04 million over the six-year period in which it is paid out. So if you’re the SEC or Big Ten, each with eight teams in the tourney, seeing all of them advance a round means more than $16 million.\n\nCoaches, whose job security often depends on making the tournament, have typically supported a bigger field.\n\n“Since I coached at Valparaiso University I always was in favor of tournament expansion, because I thought there’s enough quality teams,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said.\n\nDrew's magic number is 128, which would add another full round to the tournament and include more than one-third of the 358 Division I basketball teams.\n\nTom Burnett, the former Southland Conference commissioner who also served a stint as the head of the men's basketball selection committee, said he was open-minded but cautious when the topic of tournament expansion would come up.\n\n“If there were a practical expansion plan that addressed whatever needs to be addressed — except here’s where I draw the line: It can't expand because my team didn’t get in,” Burnett said. There will always be teams that feel slighted if they don't get in.\n\nThere is some concern outside the power conferences that expansion will result in even more at-large bids going to middle-of-the-pack teams from those leagues with strong mid-major teams still getting squeezed out.\n\n“If you’ve got a seventh- or eighth-place team in over a regular-season champion in a conference, from our perspective, that’s not the way to expand,” said Northern Arizona athletic director Mike Marlow, whose team made an unlikely run to the Big Sky Tournament championship game before losing.\n\nIf the Lumberjacks (12-23) had beaten Montana State (25-9) to win the conference, the Bobcats — with 13 more wins than NAU — would be heading to the NIT instead of a first-round NCAA game against Kansas State on Friday.\n\nA-10 Commissioner Bernadette McGlade said she's not concerned about expansion favoring certain conferences.\n\n“I think that everybody has a fair opportunity to share in those additional opportunities. You just have to go after it, just like teams and schools are going after it now,” McGlade said.\n\nMcGlade stopped short of saying she supports expansion, but she enthusiastically supports doing a deep dive into the possibility.\n\nOthers are open-minded, but will enter the discussion more tentatively.\n\n“Let’s be careful because it’s really, really good right now,” Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said. “So make sure whatever we do is additive, and not just doing something for the sake of expansion that might somehow take the tournament a step back.”\n\nThe calendar alone is likely to limit expansion options. Any plan that requires the NCAA Tournament to start earlier than it already does —- the First Four games tip-off Tuesday —- would also require conference tournaments to end sooner and maybe even the regular season.\n\n“We already start the regular season in early November where historically some conferences have said it’s too early with all that’s going on with college football and the like,” Gavitt said.\n\nAny expansion of the men's tournament will almost certainly need to be done to the women's tournament, too. The NCAA was slammed in 2021 for not providing a similar experience for the men's and women's teams. concluded the association had not done enough to invest and promote the women's tournament.\n\nThe women's field expanded from 64 to 68 last year. While the depth of competition in women's basketball has unquestionably improved, has it done so enough to justify a large and costly expansion?\n\nBut the same thing can be said for the men's tournament. More teams adds expenses for travel, lodging and possibly running additional sites.\n\nPlus, it would almost certainly decrease the value of those performance units, money that is is often that don't play major college football.\n\n“Cutting that by 10 or 11%, or whatever the different calculation could be, that’s actually really important. And it’s vital to the stability of Division I,” Shaheen said.\n\nWhen Shaheen led the last expansion effort, the NCAA was heading toward the end of a media rights deal with CBS. A new format was part of negotiations for the next deal.\n\nThat's not the case now. The current $8.8 billion contract with CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery, part of an extension the NCAA signed in 2016, runs through 2032.\n\n“What role would broadcast partners play?” Gavitt said. “We don’t do anything without respect and communication with our broadcast partners, who we value significantly.”\n\nWhile CBS and WBD will not publicly insert themselves into any exploration of tournament expansion, their opinions are key and they hold the rights to any men's tournament games for nine more years. The NCAA cannot seek another partner for newly created games.\n\nContracts between the NCAA and the networks are not made public. But if the networks are under no obligation to pay up for more inventory — and nothing indicates they are —- then all this expansion talk might be nothing more than preparation of the next TV deal.\n\n“It's a complicated thing,” Shaheen said.\n\n___\n\nAP College Basketball Writer John Marshall contributed.\n\n___\n\nAP March Madness coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/14"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2014/03/17/ingredients-for-a-march-madness-upset/6491025/", "title": "Anatomy of an upset: Ingredients for unforgettable NCAA ...", "text": "Nicole Auerbach\n\nUSA TODAY Sports\n\nThis is why we watch.\n\nProductivity around the country grinds to a halt for two days each March — a 48-hour period many fans consider the best in sports each year — as we wait for our Cinderellas to emerge. We wait for the double-digit seed we knew nothing about that will captivate us and exhilarate us and have us screaming at our TVs as they pull off a most unlikely upset. We wait for another. A third, perhaps. These upsets never get old.\n\nWe're holding out hope that someday we'll witness the impossible, a No. 16 seed taking out a No. 1, the one thing that's never happened amid all the chaos and unpredictability of the NCAA tournament. But until then, we're comforted by teams like high-flying, dunk-happy Florida Gulf Coast, which last year beat No. 2 Georgetown and then became the first No. 15 seed to advance to the Sweet 16.\n\nSince the NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, seven No. 15 seeds have beaten No. 2 seeds; it's happened three times in the past two years. Seventeen 14s have beaten 3s, including a most unlikely underdog — Harvard — taking out New Mexico last March.\n\nWe remember Kyle O'Quinn, the gregarious Norfolk State senior forever immortalized in March Madness lore because of a 15-2 upset over Missouri in 2012. His eyes wide in disbelief, his smile stretching from ear to ear — the image snapped just after the final buzzer encapsulated the unbridled joy of an improbable upset.\n\nWe remember C.J. McCollum's 30 points to push Lehigh past Duke in Greensboro. We remember Steph Curry before he was Steph Curry leading Davidson to an Elite Eight in 2008. We remember meeting Shaka Smart and learning what HAVOC meant during VCU's Final Four run in 2011. We remember Butler, both times. We remember the first 15 to take out a 2, Dick Tarrant's Richmond Spiders upsetting Jim Boeheim and Syracuse back in 1991. We remember names, faces, moments.\n\nParity has come up often in recent years, particularly because of teams like Butler, VCU and Wichita State. But it's shown up in major early-round upsets, too. Last March alone, three No. 12 seeds, one No. 13 seed, one No. 14 seed and one No. 15 seed all won their round-of-64 games.\n\n\"A while ago, you would see a lot of the guys who are (now) one-and-done stay longer,\" says former Norfolk State coach Anthony Evans, now at Florida International. \"There was a clear gap between the levels. Nowadays, that isn't as big a gap. That experience isn't there. If a McDonald's All-American comes in or there's two on a team, they still don't have the experience that some of the other schools who have seniors who have been together for awhile have.\n\n\"That advantage is not always there.\"\n\nHow can we predict which teams will become this year's Cinderella? It's nearly impossible because so much depends on particular matchups. \"Any time you're picked to be a Cinderella,\" ESPN analyst Fraschilla says, \"you're almost never it.\" But with the help of the coaches and players who have made headlines in recent years, we've outlined some trends.\n\n\"I stressed to my players, it isn't necessarily the better team that wins,\" Tarrant says now. \"It's the team that plays better basketball in that 40-minute time frame. If you can play real good ball between tipoff and the finish, you can beat much better teams who are bigger, stronger, faster.\"\n\nSays Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, the victim of the first 15-2 upset in 1991: \"It happens because, for the last 10, 15, 20 years, those smaller schools think they can win — even more so now. The pressure kind of goes to the favored team.\n\n\"It's difficult. You don't like it, but it happens.\"\n\nThe ingredients for an NCAA upset:\n\nVETERAN PLAYERS\n\nAs Evans suggested, mid-major teams are generally full of three- and four-year players, making the ones that reach the NCAA tournament experienced squads with good chemistry and camaraderie. Lehigh and Norfolk State, which pulled off 15-2 upsets within hours of each other in 2012, both had lots of juniors and seniors. McCollum was a junior and two-time Patriot League Player of the Year. O'Quinn was a senior and MEAC Player of the Year.\n\n\"With experience comes games under your belt and all you've been through,\" says O'Quinn. \"Going into the game, we obviously knew the odds were against us; that was the toughest part to deal with. Once you get over that aspect, you start thinking, 'Man, this could be my last college game.' I think for the seniors, which was a lot of us, we just said we had one last shot to get one last game. We didn't want it to be our last game.\"\n\nNorfolk State and Florida Gulf Coast both won games in their program's first NCAA tournament appearance, but that's rare. Consider the cases of Lehigh, Harvard and Davidson. All three had been to the NCAA tournament in the year or two leading up to their big upsets, so a significant portion of their rosters were unfazed by the spotlight and not overwhelmed by the moment.\n\n\"(We) certainly talked about not wanting to just be satisfied by just being there,\" Harvard coach Tommy Amaker says. \"We really talked about advancing.\"\n\nSays longtime Davidson coach Bob McKillop: \"The year before (2008), we had played Maryland. We had had a lead. I think we had like an eight-point lead in the 16-minute mark of the second half. We did not know how to respond to that. When we had the deficit against Gonzaga and against Georgetown (a year later), we knew how to respond.\n\n\"We had been there in that tournament setting before. That's one of the difficulties for teams that are not regular participants in the NCAA tournament. Those rosters do not get that kind of experience.\"\n\nTeams in the 2014 NCAA tournament field that fit this mold include Manhattan, Harvard, North Dakota State and Western Michigan.\n\nCONFIDENCE\n\nThere's a fine line between confident and cocky, but it's important to be right on the border if you're a low seed facing a perennial power or one of the best teams in the game that season.\n\n\"You have to be confident,\" VCU coach Shaka Smart says. \"All the advantages of being an underdog and being overlooked and having nothing to lose — all that goes out the window if you don't have confidence. In the absence of confidence, anxiety creeps in.\"\n\nSome of that confidence stems from experience; other pieces come from faith players have in one another or their coach. But it's vital during preparation for the game and its first few minutes.\n\n\"There's the mental approach of convincing your team you can win a game like that,\" says Fraschilla, who coached No. 13 Manhattan to an upset of No. 4 Oklahoma in 1995. Or, as Amaker puts it, it's important that your team answers each time your opponent goes on a run.\n\nThe flip side of an underdog having confidence is the favorite having too much. Or the higher seed looking ahead to a possible Sweet 16 or Elite Eight matchup. Unlike Norfolk State's regular-season opponents, Evans says, Missouri didn't double team O'Quinn. O'Quinn took advantage of the one-on-one coverage and dominated the paint, scoring 26 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.\n\n\"The higher seed may have a level of overconfidence,\" Smart says. \"They may look at the name of the lower seed and not have the same level of respect. What happens is, and you see it happen in these games, like C.J. McCollum for instance. You get out there on the court, and it's like, 'Whoa, you guys are better than we thought.' It's too late at that point to all of the sudden respect the opponent as much as maybe you should have in advance.\"\n\nLast season, New Mexico was a trendy pick for a Final Four run. At the very least, fans and analysts expected the Lobos to set up a date with sixth-seeded Arizona in the round of 32.\n\n\"Sometimes you can get teams to overlook you because of what's on the horizon,\" Amaker says. \"I'm not saying they did that, but the matchup everyone thought was going to take place was New Mexico-Arizona. … I think some of those elements can play, even if it's a subconscious role in the psyche or mindset of teams. That could have been a piece of the puzzle for us.\"\n\nAn underdog 2014 NCAA tournament team that fits this mold is Stephen F. Austin, which hasn't lost since Nov. 23 and doesn't try to be something it's not.\n\nA STAR PLAYER\n\nNow, they're on NBA rosters. But they became household names because of dynamic NCAA tournament appearances.\n\n\"Having one great player that people don't realize how good they are (is key),\" says Fraschilla, who mentions Wally Szczerbiak, who led Miami (Ohio) to the Sweet 16 in 1999 as a No. 10 seed.\n\nMultiple players fit this mold in recent years. Curry at Davidson. McCollum at Lehigh. Kenneth Faried at Morehead State. O'Quinn at Norfolk State. If a double-digit seed has a guy like that, better watch out.\n\n\"When you have a player who can elevate his level of play, it helps any team in that type of environment,\" says Lehigh coach Brett Reed. \"The floor was opened up for C.J. … He just rose to the moment.\"\n\nSays McCollum: \"I knew the only way we were going to be able to win was going to be if I took over the game and left my mark. I told my told my brother and parents going into the game, if I got 30 we'd win.\"\n\nMcCollum scored 30 in Lehigh's upset of Duke in 2012. Faried had 12 points and 17 rebounds in Morehead State's 13-over-4 upset of Louisville a year before. O'Quinn posted 26 points and 14 rebounds to lead Norfolk State past Missouri. Butler's Gordon Hayward carried the Bulldogs into the 2010 national championship game.\n\nThe best example: Steph Curry's 2008 NCAA tournament. He scored, in succession, 40 points against Gonzaga, 30 against Georgetown, 33 against Wisconsin and 25 against Kansas.\n\n\"Without doubt, Stephen Curry's presence was the first ingredient to our upsets,\" says McKillop, the Davidson coach. \"He was as vital to pulling off those upsets as he was vital to leading us to the number of wins that we had during the season. I never talked to him about needing to step up. I talked to him very directly and clearly that the rhythm of the season must become the rhythm of the postseason.\"\n\nUnderdog teams with players that fit that mold in this year's NCAA tournament field include BYU with Tyler Haws, Louisiana-Lafayette with Elfrid Payton, Mercer with Langston Hall, Eastern Kentucky with Glenn Cosey and Weber State with Davion Berry.\n\nCHALLENGING SCHEDULE/ROAD GAMES\n\nLast season, Florida Gulf Coast played games at VCU, Duke and Iowa State, all tournament teams. The Eagles also hosted Miami, who would end up winning both the regular-season ACC title and the ACC tournament. FGCU was not in awe of the second-seeded Hoyas when it drew them in the round of 64.\n\n\"We played a lot of power conferences on their home floors, really, guarantee/buy games,\" says former Florida Gulf Coast coach Andy Enfield, now at USC. \"Our players were excited and confident to have a chance to compete against a team like Georgetown, the Big East co-champ, on a neutral court. … They were able to seize the moment. It was their opportunity, and they were not overwhelmed by it.\"\n\nNorfolk State had played Marquette twice during the 2011-12 regular season. Norfolk State was blown out on the road but lost by just two in the Paradise Jam tournament title game.\n\n\"That was definitely a confidence-builder,\" says Evans. \"(Marquette and Missouri) were similar teams. I thought Marquette was a little more physical. When we were in conference, Coppin State was a lot like them. They played four guards, liked to get up and down the floor. There were some similarities. We felt we had a good matchup.\"\n\nTake a look at the schedules of the mid-major teams that earn NCAA tournament bids. Even a surprising team headed to the First Four as a No. 16 seed, 13-19 Big West champ Cal Poly, has played Arizona, Oregon, Stanford, Pittsburgh and Delaware on the road.\n\nLast season, VCU played Florida Gulf Coast, which went to the Sweet 16, and Wichita State, which reached the Final Four, in back-to-back games. Smart saw first-hand how important games like that are for potential Cinderellas.\n\n\"Experience, particularly in the backcourt and a tough-minded approach of teams that can go anywhere, play anyone,\" says Smart. \"If you look at teams that have won on the road during the regular season and gone into hostile environments, those are maybe some of the indicators, clues of teams that might overachieve in March.\"\n\nMid-major teams in the 2014 NCAA tournament field that played grueling non-conference schedules include BYU, Cal Poly, New Mexico State, Tulsa and Wofford.\n\nA UNIQUE STYLE OF PLAY\n\nEnfield does not like to say that Florida Gulf Coast did anything out of the ordinary last year, even though the Eagles' fun, fast-paced, dunk-friendly offense gained its fair share of attention – including to the Harlem Globetrotters.\n\n\"We just spread the floor and tried to play uptempo basketball,\" Enfield says. \"We also averaged nine steals a game. We tried to get our offense going with our defense. I guess you could say we had a style to our team, but I don't consider our style unusual. … At the mid-major level, our style enabled us to compete at a higher level because of certain strengths we had.\"\n\nSmart and VCU agree. They've proven over the years – and certainly during their 2011 Final Four run – that their swarming HAVOC defense is extremely difficult for opponents to prepare for, especially on short turnarounds.\n\n\"Style of play differences have been good for us, when we play teams that just haven't seen ours,\" Smart says.\n\nIn fact, for teams and programs that play in a unique way, it can be almost easier to play in the NCAA tournament than it is to compete in conference play.\n\n\"When you play in your own conference, you play each team twice, and you're scouted so much by your fellow teams in your league,\" Enfield says. \"Usually, they're able to make adjustments because they're just more familiar with your team. When you get to the NCAA tournament, everything happens so quickly.\"\n\nThat forces opponents to scramble and can leave the opportunity for an upset open.\n\nTeams in the 2014 field that fit this mold include Manhattan with its motion offense, Weber State and its run-and-gun style, New Mexico State and the system it runs through 7-5 Sim Bhullar and Stephen F. Austin with its turnover-generating defense.\n\n3-POINT SHOOTING\n\nStart with 3-point shooting. You'll need to outscore an opponent that might be bigger and more athletic than you are. Some teams that pull off upsets are generally good perimeter-shooting teams, like last year's Harvard squad – \"We thought that was a big piece for us, no matter who we played,\" Amaker says – and others get hot at the right time. Against Missouri, Norfolk State shot 52.6% from beyond the arc.\n\n\"We hit 10 3-point shots in that game,\" Evans says. \"We hadn't done that all year long. Being able to knock down our perimeter shots kept us in the game. Everyone knew that Missouri was a high-scoring team, and we weren't. I thought if we stayed in the 70s, we would have a chance. I had no idea we would be able to score 86 points against them.\"\n\nBeyond that, you have to take and make high-percentage shots.\n\n\"Teams that upset others don't shoot 32% and 29% from three,\" says Tarrant, the former Richmond coach. \"After good shot selection, you have to stress team defense, because you have to stop people to win. They're going to make a run, but you have to put the stops on. Then, rebounding. Then, taking care of the ball and limiting turnovers. … \"You're not going to out-rebound these monsters, but you can stay with them.\"\n\nTeams qualified for the 2014 NCAA tournament that rank among the nation's top 35 teams in 3-point field goal percentage include Eastern Kentucky, Weber State, Harvard and Mercer. North Dakota State, meanwhile, is the nation's overall field-goal percentage leader.\n\nA LITTLE BIT OF LUCK\n\nCoaches always like to say, winning requires you to be good – and lucky. The same holds true in the NCAA tournament. From tip times to locations to simply a favorable matchup, underdogs can always use a bit of good fortune.\n\nDavidson played its first two games in nearby Raleigh in 2008, bringing with it a good crowd. Butler played in the Final Four hosted by its hometown Indianapolis. Even what appears to be a disadvantage – Lehigh having to play Duke in Greensboro, N.C. – can turn into an advantage. Because Greensboro is also close to Chapel Hill, North Carolina also was sent to that early-round site. Tar Heels fans roared in support of the Mountain Hawks' upset bid.\n\n\"C.J. was maybe the best player on the floor,\" Amaker says. \"The momentum that you can generate, that force of power that can be created in the arena itself, the pressure that builds on the higher-seeded team.\"\n\nThere are other minor factors to consider. Though a review of tipoff times showed major early-round upsets happen at all hours of the day, some people believe that timing matters.\n\n\"I know it sounds crazy, but when do you play the game?\" Fraschilla says. \"You'll be amazed at how many upsets happen in the early part of the day. The year we beat Oklahoma (in 1995), No. 12 Miami of Ohio and Herb Sendek was knocking off No. 5 Arizona at the same time – the very first couple of games at the NCAA tournament.\n\n\"I told my team, 'We're going to wake up better than Oklahoma.' \"\n\nENDURANCE\n\nFlorida Gulf Coast's ability to win a second game and become the first No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16 was impressive – not just because it was the program's NCAA tournament debut but also because the players didn't get caught up in the emotions and excitement of winning the first game.\n\n\"You've never been to that second game before,\" Evans says. \"The preparation is a little foreign. The excitement is still there. And the other team has had a chance to see you. It was nice to see Florida Gulf Coast win its first game, get to the second game and play the same way.\"\n\nPast underdogs like Evans and O'Quinn were rooting for the Eagles when they made their run last year.\n\n\"Of course I was pulling for those guys,\" O'Quinn says. \"I know the feeling that was going through their bodies. I'm sure those guys were on a cloud higher than nine.\"\n\nA key to sustaining an NCAA tournament run is coaching. With short turnarounds between games and ever-increasing pressure mounting the deeper a team goes, assistant coaches who scout, analyze and prepare game plans are vital. The rest of this recipe – having an experienced, confident group with a star player who can carry you, if you can swing it – remains important, too, the longer they play.\n\nStill, it's worth noting there are some people who may not root for Cinderellas quite like the rest of us. They're the ones broadcasting the games.\n\n\"Ratings were always critical, so you always wanted the right match ups and the right games,\" says American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco, who worked as the executive vice president at CBS Sports and oversaw NCAA tournament coverage. \"The truth is, every now and then, the Cinderella story was terrific. But you also wanted those big guys duking it out at the end.\n\n\"You're always torn because those brand names are the ones that typically generate the ratings, but I can remember so many upsets, so many great moments. That tournament is always going to have them. It's part of the charm.\"\n\nThat's what we bank on each year when we fill out our brackets and turn on our television set. We never know who will fill those roles. And at the end of the day, even those involved in Cinderella stories laugh at the idea that they could identify the next one.\n\n\"If I could,\" Smart says, \"I should retire from coaching and go to Vegas.\"", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2014/03/17"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2015/04/07/year-olds-bracket-better/25436269/", "title": "12-year-old's bracket is better than yours", "text": "Associated Press\n\n@ap\n\nHAWTHORN WOODS, Ill. — A sixth-grade boy from suburban Chicago completed a near-perfect bracket predicting the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, finishing in a tie for first in ESPN’s massive annual contest.\n\nSam Holtz said ESPN officials told him that is he ineligible to claim the top prize — a $20,000 gift card and a trip to the Maui Invitational basketball tournament — because he’s 12 years old. ESPN requires participants to be at least 18.\n\n“I’m irritated,” Holtz told the Daily Herald. “Yes, I’m still proud of my accomplishment, but I’m not happy with the decision.”\n\nFinishing with the best bracket does not equal an automatic claim to the prize. ESPN awards the prize through a random draw of the brackets that were among the top 1 percent in the contest — about 115,700 this year. Kevin Ota, a spokesman for ESPN Digital Media, said the network is putting together some kind of prize for Holtz.\n\n“We plan to have fun with this,” Ota said Tuesday. “The great thing is that this kid beat all these experts out there.”\n\nThe tournament includes 67 games and Holtz missed only six. He was perfect picking games played in the Sweet 16, Elite Eight and Final Four. Out of 11.5 million who entered a bracket on ESPN’s website, Sam finished tied for first with 1,830 points after Duke beat Wisconsin 68-63 in Monday’s championship game. He entered 10 brackets in the contest.\n\n“There is no secret,” said Holtz, who attends Lake Zurich Middle School North. “There was some luck, and I studied ESPN.com. I just picked the teams that I felt had the best players.”\n\nHis mother, Elizabeth, kept him home from school Tuesday.\n\n“He wanted to go to school today, but I kept him home because ESPN said they planned to call this morning,” she said. “He wants to go this afternoon, but I told him if Jimmy Kimmel calls, he’s going to have to miss that, too.”", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2015/04/07"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_11", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/21/rand-paul-alvin-bragg-jail-trump/11515523002/", "title": "Rand Paul says Manhattan DA should be 'put in jail' for Trump probe", "text": "WASHINGTON – Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said the Manhattan district attorney leading the investigation into former President Donald Trump's alleged hush-money payments should \"be put in jail.\"\n\nPaul's comments came in a tweet Tuesday and follows the former president's prediction that he would be indicted for his alleged role in making a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election to silence her about an affair with him.\n\n\"A Trump indictment would be a disgusting abuse of power,\" Paul said in the tweet.\n\nThe Kentucky senator did not provide any further details or context on the tweet, and Trump had not been formally indicted by the district attorney's office as of Tuesday afternoon.\n\nStay in the conversation on politics: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter\n\nGOP calls for Alvin Bragg testimony\n\nThree Republican House committee chairs have called on the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, to testify about the probe into Trump's payments and the possible charges. The district attorney’s office in Manhattan started investigating Trump in 2018, four years before Bragg took office.\n\nReps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, head of the Judiciary Committee; James Comer of Kentucky, head of the Oversight and Accountability Committee; and Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, head of the Administration Committee, sent a letter to Bragg saying his actions could \"erode confidence in the evenhanded application of justice.\"\n\n“You are reportedly about to engage in an unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority: the indictment of a former President of the United States and current declared candidate for that office,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter. \"In light of the serious consequences of your actions, we expect that you will testify about what plainly appears to be a politically motivated prosecutorial decision.\"\n\nThey set a March 23 deadline for Bragg to testify.\n\nMore:What is an indictment? Why would Trump get arrested? Here's what we know about the process\n\nDemocrats to GOP: 'Quit meddling'\n\nMaryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the oversight committee, said the Republican chairs acted outside their powers to influence a pending criminal investigation at the state level.\n\n“The Republicans' letter to the Manhattan District Attorney represents an astonishing and unprecedented abuse of power as they attempt to use Congressional resources to interfere in an ongoing criminal investigation at another level of government and obstruct a possible criminal indictment,\" he said in a statement.\n\nNew York Rep. Jerry Nadler, top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said Republicans \"tie themselves in knots\" protecting the former president.\n\n\"Jim Jordan and Kevin McCarthy: hands off NYC & quit meddling in ongoing investigations,\" he tweeted.\n\nContributing: Bart Jansen\n\nOpinion:Donald Trump wants you to think he's constantly the victim. Maybe he's just a bad dude.\n\nOpinion:Will Trump get arrested? Between sketchy witnesses and the law, case comes up short.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/21"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_12", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/03/20/lausd-strike-los-angeles-unified-schools-close/11510978002/", "title": "Los Angeles schools closed as strike begins; negotiations at a ...", "text": "The massive Los Angeles Unified School District was closed Tuesday – and may be Wednesday and Thursday – because of a planned strike by tens of thousands of school employees and teachers.\n\n\"All schools across LAUSD will be closed tomorrow,\" Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, leader of the nation's second-largest school district, said at a news conference late Monday. \"Tomorrow will be a difficult day.\"\n\nCarvalho, who oversees about 420,000 students at more than 1,000 schools, expressed frustration with the union representing workers including bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers, campus security and teaching assistants. The union said talks with the school district broke down Monday and \"the strike will begin at 4:30 am Tuesday, March 21 and continue through Thursday March 23.\"\n\nBut Carvalho said there were no talks.\n\n\"I made myself available alongside my team for hours today, hoping that we would, in fact, be able to have a conversation for a whole host of reasons, some of which I do not understand,\" he said. \"We were never in the same room, or even in the same building.\"\n\nThe district's 35,000 teachers have said they will strike in solidarity with their colleagues, leaving the district little choice but to close schools.\n\nCarvalho, who also called the district's teachers and support staff \"indispensable,\" pledged to be available throughout the night, into the morning and all day Tuesday to restart talks and possibly cut the three-day disruption short.\n\n\"My appeal is that as we go into tomorrow, despite the event that will take place tomorrow, that our partners decide to come into the room where we can, in fact, hash out an agreement, a solution, that will narrow the bandwidth of this strike,\" he said.\n\n\"For me,\" Carvalho said later, \"one day out of school is one day too many.\"\n\nLos Angeles teacher:Why I'm on strike with otherschool workers\n\nWhat do the school employees want?\n\nSEIU Local 99, which represents about 30,000 school employees, wants the district to tap into its billions in reserves to provide a 30% raise and a $2-an-hour equity wage increase.\n\n\"We understand the frustration,\" said Carvalho, who has been in charge of Los Angeles Unified for a little more than a year, \"a frustration that has been brewing not just for a couple of years, probably for decades, and it is on the basis of recognizing historic inequities.\"\n\nBut he said the district has made a generous and historic proposal, even if it's not as much as what the union demands. The district has put a 23% recurring raise and a 3% cash bonus on the table \"in recognition of the contributions of our support personnel.\"\n\nThe union expressed its own frustration with the school district, however, claiming it compromised confidentiality about the negotiations.\n\nWhat happens to the kids? Los Angeles teachers, staff say they'll strike March 21 to 23\n\nWhat can students do while schools are closed?\n\nStudents can login to Schoology to access activities and resources. Students may also request printed activities and resources from their schools, the district said.\n\nA limited number of schools will be open to supervise students, but Carvalho urged parents to identify two or three nearby school sites that plan to be open to watch kids, given that principals may have to turn some of them away if too many students are there.\n\n\"I do expect for some issues to occur,\" he said.\n\nIn addition, a number of Los Angeles parks will offer supervision, the school district website says. And the Los Angeles parks department will offer special programs at some of its rec centers. The Los Angeles Zoo will be free for students and $5 for adult chaperones.\n\nWhat about kids who count on school meals?\n\nThe school district has set up sites where parents can pick up meals for students, enough for all three days schools are closed.\n\nHow long will the strike last?\n\nThe district said the strike is limited to three days, so classes would resume no later than Friday.\n\nContributing: Tami Abdollah, USA TODAY", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/20"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/03/14/la-unified-school-district-teacher-strike/11469491002/", "title": "LA Unified strike nears; teachers plan to join other workers in protest", "text": "Thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District employees plan to announce a three-day strike at a rally on Wednesday, in a move Superintendent Alberto Carvalho told parents would likely force the nation's second-largest school system to shut down for days without access to even remote classes.\n\nAbout 30,000 workers who are members of SEIU Local 99, which represents bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria employees, campus security and teaching assistants, are asking for the district to \"use the district’s $4.9 billion in reserves to invest in staff, students, and communities\" to pay for a 30% raise and $2 per hour equity wage increase. The district's 35,000 teachers. represented by United Teachers Los Angeles, are expected to join.\n\n“Workers are fed-up with living on poverty wages – and having their jobs threatened for demanding equitable pay! Workers are fed-up with the short staffing at LAUSD – and being harassed for speaking up,” Local 99 Executive Director Max Arias said in a statement.\n\nThe school district has offered, in part, more than a 15% raise, retention bonuses and to bring its minimum wage up to $20, Carvalho wrote in a letter to parents on Monday evening.\n\nSchools will be open on Wednesday, said Shannon Haber, a spokesperson for the district, in an email to USA TODAY.\n\nIf the union and the district don't come to an agreement and schools close, more than 600,000 students and their families would be affected by the \"tremendous upheaval,\" Carvalho said. The closures would hit when students are struggling to make up for time lost to the pandemic and end-of-year tests loom.\n\n\"The truth is, we are between a rock and a hard place,\" he wrote in the letter to parents.\n\n\"A strike would impact our students right now, but accepting all of our labor partners’ demands would mean future program cutbacks, possible job losses, or even bankruptcy,\" he wrote. \"We simply cannot fund ongoing expenses with one-time funds such as federal pandemic aid.\"\n\nCan we recover? Half of nation's students fell behind a year after COVID school closures.\n\nHow should parents plan?\n\n\"If this strike does occur, despite our best efforts to avoid it, the most likely outcome is that we will have to close schools until the strike ends,\" the school district said in an automated call to parents, obtained by USA TODAY.\n\n\"We want to apologize to you,\" the call began. \"You do not deserve this, and our students especially do not deserve this.\"\n\n\"We will give you as much advance notice as possible, but we encourage you to begin discussions with your employer, child care providers and others now,\" the recorded message continued. \"We are committed to continue good faith bargaining with our labor partners around the clock to reach an agreement and prevent a strike.\"\n\nBumpy beginning:Seattle schools start as teacher strike is suspended\n\nStrikes rebound after a decline\n\nTeachers in a number of school districts across the country have gone on strike over the last year. Just this week, teachers from across Texas gathered at the state Capitol, demanding better pay and working conditions.\n\nAnd in 2022, the number of workers involved in major strikes surged to 120,600 over the prior year, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data by the Economic Policy Institute. Still, it's a significant decline from pre-pandemic levels in 2018 and 2019, EPI said.\n\nOther federal data show that in addition to a shortage of teachers in some regions, custodians and bus drivers, among other school workers, have been in short supply. One survey last summer found that close to a third of the nation’s school districts had vacancies in transportation or custodial staff.\n\nThat's only added to teachers' stress and feelings of burnout.\n\nEqual Pay Day? Not for teachers:Why men make more than women in female-dominated field.\n\nWho will be on strike?\n\nAmerican Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingartentweeted that she would join striking workers Wednesday.\n\n\"On Wed March 15, I'll be joining @utlanow & tens of thousands of LAUSD education workers will in calling on LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho to use the district’s $4.9 billion in reserves to invest in staff, students, and communities,\" she said.\n\nSEIU Local 99 voted to strike in February, in part \"to protest the district’s unfair practices, including threats, interrogation, and surveillance of members who participated in last month’s strike vote,\" the union said on its website.\n\nThe teachers union said it would join in solidarity.\n\n\"SEIU Local 99 and UTLA members work side by side in LA schools every day and share a vision for using the district’s historic level of reserves to invest in LA schools through higher pay to attract and retain experienced staff, smaller class sizes, cleaner schools, and access to the counselors, special education assistants, nurses, psychologists, food service workers, custodians, librarians, and others necessary for student success,\" the teachers union said.\n\nOverworked, underpaid?:The toll of burnout is contributing to teacher shortages nationwide\n\nDistrict, teachers, at odds\n\nThe Los Angeles teachers union's last strike was in 2019. The six-day protest was their first in decades and led to a 6% raise for teachers, added nurses and school counselors and changed how the school system handles class sizes.\n\n2019 Los Angeles teachers' strike:Here's what happened\n\nThe union was excoriated earlier in the pandemic for holding firm that it was not safe for teachers and students to work in person. Other California districts began to return to in-person teaching, in some cases well before Los Angeles students.\n\nUnited Teachers Los Angeles President Cecily Myart-Cruz told Los Angeles Magazine that, despite the months students spent at home, trying to learn online, \"there is no such thing as learning loss. Our kids didn’t lose anything.\n\n\"It’s OK that our babies may not have learned all their times tables. They learned resilience. They learned survival.\"\n\nThen, earlier this school year, the teachers union voted to boycott optional learning days that were added to the calendar. United Teachers of Los Angeles in a press release has referred to the district’s so-called \"acceleration days\" as a “$122 million stunt” that “prioritizes optics over student needs.\"\n\nHow much time do kids spend in school? It depends on where they live.\n\nContributing: Alia Wong, USA TODAY", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/14"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/03/21/urgent-action-needed-climate-more-amazon-layoffs-5-things-podcast/11513149002/", "title": "Major UN report calls for urgent climate action, Amazon to lay off ...", "text": "On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: 'Humanity is on thin ice:' Major UN report calls for urgent action\n\nThe latest UN climate report paints a dire picture. Brendan Guy, the Director of International Climate at the Natural Resources Defense Council, explains. Plus, Amazon will lay off more workers, President Joe Biden has issued his first veto, USA TODAY Education Editor Nirvi Shah explains why Los Angeles teachers are striking, and Team USA tries to win it all in the World Baseball Classic.\n\nPodcasts:True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here.\n\nHit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nGood morning. I'm Taylor Wilson and this is 5 Things you need to know Tuesday, the 21st of March 2023. Today, how concerned should we be about the latest UN climate report? Plus, Amazon announces more layoffs, and thousands of teachers and staffers strike in California.\n\n♦\n\nUrgent action is needed to fight climate change. That's what the latest UN report on climate says. UN Secretary-General António Guterres put it bluntly.\n\nAntónio Guterres:\n\nHumanity is on thin ice and that ice is melting fast.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nThe Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, painted a dire picture this week. But what's different about this report from other calls to action we've heard in recent years? I spoke with Brendan Guy, the Director of International Climate at the Natural Resources Defense Council to find out. Brendan, thanks for hopping on the podcast.\n\nBrendan Guy:\n\nMy pleasure. Thanks for having me.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nSo can you just start by explaining what the IPCC is and why their findings carry so much weight?\n\nBrendan Guy:\n\nThe IPCC is a representative set of the world's foremost experts on climate science from every single region in the world. So they take a look at all the science that has been published over the last couple of years and basically do a comprehensive assessment. They put together these reports every five to seven years to say what are the big picture implications that policy makers, that individuals, that business leaders need to know to incorporate climate action into their lives and into their day-to-day.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nYeah, I'm happy you use those words \"big picture.\" What is different about this final report?\n\nBrendan Guy:\n\nSo there's two areas I think that are somewhat new in putting all these different puzzle pieces together. The first one is on urgency. So this report really is showing now that because we have basically seen emissions going up for those past five years, our pathway to hold emissions to that level of 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit is really now that much steeper. And so it finds we really do need to step up our game in the next couple of years if we want to avoid that type of really, really negative outcome.\n\nA second insight that's somewhat new is on the equity side, that climate change is already causing impacts and harms that are beyond our ability to adapt even in rich countries like the US, and that if we're going to really address these losses and damages that the world is experiencing and will continue to experience, we need to really hit accelerate in terms of what we're doing, not only to reduce emissions, but what we're doing to build resilience to the people on the ecosystems that are being hardest hit by this crisis.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nSo most of our listeners won't have the power required maybe to put these big government bureaucracies to work changing things. What can some of our listeners do about these issues?\n\nBrendan Guy:\n\nThat's the good news is the IPCC tells us we still have a narrow window to act and we need everyone on board and all hands on deck. So everyone has a role to play in figuring out how to combat this crisis. Whether it's having a conversation with a loved one, a parent or a friend. You can go to local meetings, engage with your local elected officials, ask them what they're doing to take into account these latest scientific findings and craft policy that is actually going to make people's lives richer, healthier, more equitable, more vibrant, and act on that. You can write to your members of Congress. So whatever you do, no matter how small, I think the most important thing is do something and it's going to take all of us to really make the changes necessary to confront this crisis.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nWhat's next for the IPCC?\n\nBrendan Guy:\n\nThis was a little bit of a last call for them. So their next report is not going to come until the end of the decade, and so they basically are saying, this is your last call to the world of you have this window to act. And we will know by the next time we issue a report later this decade, whether or not we have been able to avert the worst impacts of climate change. So it's a pretty significant task they have left us with. World leaders are gathering at the end of this year to actually look at that progress that the world has made trying to implement the Paris Agreement. And they have an opportunity, a really generational opportunity to set more ambitious targets on how much renewables are we going to invest in? How are we going to accelerate the transition from dirty fossil fuels, all these important targets, timelines, and investments that the world needs to make to accelerate this transition.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nAll right. The NRDC's Brendan Guy with some great perspective and insight for us. Thanks so much, Brendan. Appreciate it.\n\nBrendan Guy:\n\nThank you.\n\n♦\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nAmazon announced plans yesterday to cut another 9,000 jobs. It's the second round of mass layoffs in recent months after the company previously cut some 18,000 positions. Amazon will be targeting roles in its cloud computing unit, human resources division, and in advertising and Twitch according to CEO Andy Jassy. After a wave of hiring sprees in the early days of the pandemic, rising interest rates have pushed a number of tech giants to trim staff. Facebook parent company Meta announced plans earlier this month to lay off another 10,000 workers after cutting 11,000 last year, and Google said in January it was eliminating around 12,000 jobs.\n\n♦\n\nPresident Joe Biden issued his first veto yesterday. The move came after Congress voted to block a labor department rule allowing retirement plans to weigh the long-term impacts of social factors and climate change on investments. Republicans had called that a woke policy that hurts retirees' pockets. Biden said he signed the veto because the block passed by Congress would put retirement savings at risk around the country. A two-thirds majority of Congress would now be needed to override Biden's veto. President Donald Trump vetoed 10 bills in office while President Barack Obama vetoed 12 bills.\n\n♦\n\nThe massive Los Angeles Unified School District will be closed today because of a planned strike by tens of thousands of teachers and other school employees. What are they demanding? USA TODAY Education Editor Nirvi Shah explains.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nHi, Nirvi. Thanks for coming on the podcast.\n\nNirvi Shah:\n\nThank you for having me.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nSo Los Angeles teachers and staff say they'll strike this week. What are they planning specifically and what are they demanding?\n\nNirvi Shah:\n\nSo the strike is actually initiated by support staff who really make schools run. They are not the classroom teachers, but you have people who work in libraries, custodians, school bus drivers, people who specifically work with kids with disabilities, and they are being joined by teachers in solidarity. They are looking for an increase in their hourly wages. They're looking for better benefits, and they say that for some of their members, it's just not a living wage what they earn to work in these schools, they have additional jobs to make ends meet.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nSo what are the potential consequences for students here, Nirvi?\n\nNirvi Shah:\n\nIt's the second-largest school district in the country, so that's pretty big and there's a lot of repercussions for parents who don't have childcare that's readily available. Some schools will be opened for supervision. The city has said that they'll be helping however they can with parks and other things to try to keep students engaged even when their classes are out. This is a tough year though. A lot of people consider this a big year for recovering from what students may have lost in terms of time during remote schooling because of COVID. And so any kind of loss is a tough one for kids, any kind of disruption. Potentially this strike could go beyond three days. I don't know what the limits are in terms of the union's ability to strike and their appetite for keeping this thing going, to try to get what they want from the school system.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nAnd, Nirvi, do you think this could have an impact on other teacher labor movements around the country outside of Los Angeles?\n\nNirvi Shah:\n\nIt's possible. I think about 2018 and 2019 when there was that so-called red wave of teachers protesting in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona. I'm not sure that this is quite the same. Teachers are certainly beleaguered right now. They are frustrated by the political winds that they're facing. They're frustrated by the demands of some groups of parents about what they can and cannot teach or the types of books that they can have or have not in their classroom. But I haven't seen so much momentum. I think LAUSD is a bit of its own thing or its own beast, so to speak, and we'll have to see if this is going to trigger things in other places.\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nAll right. USA TODAY Education Editor Nirvi Shah with some great insight for us. Thanks, Nirvi.\n\nNirvi Shah:\n\nThank you.\n\n♦\n\nTaylor Wilson:\n\nThe World Baseball Classic final will be played tonight in Miami with Team USA taking on Japan. The US made the final after some offensive explosions in the knockout rounds, beating Venezuela 9-7 in the quarters and Cuba 14-2 in the semis. As for Japan, they rolled through Italy 9-3 in the quarters before coming from behind to beat Mexico 6-5 on a walk off last night. This was the call on Japanese television.\n\n[Call of walk off on Japanese television.]\n\nOnce every three years, World Baseball Classic has been a massive success after there was no tournament in 2020 due to the pandemic. According to Japanese sports newspaper Sponichi, 48% of Japanese households watched their quarter-final game, a higher percentage than US households during this year's Super Bowl. You can watch tonight's action at 7:00 PM Eastern Time on Fox Sports 1.\n\nThanks for listening to 5 Things. We're here every morning wherever you get your audio. I'm back tomorrow with more of 5 Things from USA TODAY.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/21"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2022/08/24/columbus-city-schools-strike-live-updates-teachers-school-starts/65415933007/", "title": "Columbus City Schools clarifies attendance procedures after day of ...", "text": "Tens of thousands of Columbus City Schools students were asked Wednesday to log on to classes remotely for their first day of school this year as members of the Columbus Education Association entered their third day of striking.\n\nFor some, that proved challenging.\n\n“It’s currently just running real slow,” Ashley Shepherd said of the district's virtual learning system around 10 a.m. at Barack Community Center, one of nine city recreation centers serving this week as student support centers.\n\n“That’s because so many babies are trying to login at the same time,\" she added. \"My two kids have been trying to log in since 7 o’clock this morning and its not going very well.”\n\nPrior to Wednesday, district officials had said that about 600 substitutes had been tapped to take the place of the more than 4,000 teachers, librarians, nurses, counselors, psychologists and other education professionals who voted Sunday to strike for the first time since 1975.\n\nMeanwhile, parents and students across the district were forced to decide whether to cross the “virtual picket line.\"\n\nFollow our live updates on Columbus City Schools' first day of school:\n\nDistrict sends message clarifying attendance after chaotic day of remote learning\n\nHours after the school day ended on Wednesday, Columbus City Schools spokesperson Jacqueline Bryant released updates on first-day statistics, as well as a note clarifying student attendance procedures.\n\nBryant said that throughout the day, more than 2,000 students were helped with device and hotspot needs, and 10,000 grab-and-go meals were distributed in a district that has some 47,000 students.\n\n\"Tomorrow, we will have additional tech support at our meal site locations,\" Bryant said of Thursday.\n\nAnd as the day wound down Wednedsay, several parents reached out to The Dispatch wondering why their students had been marked as present when they did not log into class on Wednesday.\n\nBryant acknowledged the confusion that surrounded students and families all day regarding attendance.\n\nBryant wrote that student attendance data will be behind by a day due to the virtual learning procedures the district implemented. She added that the student information system the district uses, Infinite Campus, by default marks student present until someone (the substitute teachers) manually marks them as absent.\n\n\"This is typical no matter the learning environment, online or in-person,\" Bryant wrote. \"Many schools are still in the process of completing the manual attendance procedures for today, as synchronous check-ins were staggered throughout the day. We do not expect attendance reports to be completed until tomorrow.\"\n\nStudents who wanted to be marked present had to have attended a synchronous Zoom session, and if they do not have access to a computer but are working on getting access, the parent must call the school's attendance line to get an excused absence.\n\n\"If a parent indicates to the school that their student is not participating in asynchronous learning, they will be marked with an unexcused absence if they do not have a legitimate excuse as provided by state law and/or the District’s policies,\" Bryant wrote.\n\nThe note also doubled as a reminder to parents that students are still required to attend school during the strike per its attendance procedures, and that kindergarten students will begin class on Aug. 29 and will not have online learning activities during the week.\n\nColumbus City Schools superintendent aware of first day challenges, announces virtual engagement session\n\nIn a message released Wednesday evening on the Columbus City Schools website, Superintendent Talisa Dixon wrote that the first day of school brought some unexpected challenges and acknowledged that the district fell short in some areas. Some students had difficulty logging in for virtual school, with the portal running slowly, while others were unable to log in at all. Still other students refused to log on, supporting teachers and refusing to cross the \"virtual picket line.\"\n\nSome parents were frustrated because their students didn't have and couldn't get laptops or Wi-Fi hot spots for their students to log on and were told to return Thursday to locations where they could that equipment.\n\nDixon said she was able to interact with students and families at several of the district's 25 grab-and-go meal sites earlier in the day and that students utilized the city of Columbus' student support centers where Wi-Fi was available.\n\n\"I want to assure you that our team is working hard to improve the systems and processes in place as we move forward in this unique environment,\" Dixon said in the message. \"We are adjusting how we distribute technology resources and how we monitor attendance while improving access to our online resources. We will continue to work until we solve these problems.\"\n\nThe Dispatch filed a request with Columbus City Schools under the Ohio Public Records Act for its attendance on Wednesday, but the district said that information would not be available until Thursday.\n\nParents and students will have the chance to express how the first day of school Wednesday went during a virtual family engagement session Thursday from 6-7 p.m. People can sign up at ccsoh.us/rsvp.\n\nDixon did not give an update on contract negotiations or when students will be able to return to in-person classes. As of Wednesday evening, there was no word from Columbus City Schools or the Columbus Education Association on the status of negotiations. A federal mediator began meeting with the two sides at 1 p.m. Wednesday at a secret location that spokespeople for both sides said they did notknow.\n\n-Micah Walker\n\nWhy were Columbus City School buses on the road Wednesday?\n\nDespite the first day of school being online only Wednesday, Columbus City Schools buses were still seen on the roads. This is due to the district offering transportation to charter and non-public schools, with many of them starting school last week, district spokesperson Jacqueline Bryant said.\n\nSome of those schools include A+ Arts Academy, A+ Children's Academy, Arts and College Preparatory Academy and Bridge Gate Community School, according to the Ohio Department of Education website.\n\nBus drivers are also part of a different union than teachers. The Columbus School Employees Association represents about 3,300 custodians, bus drivers, secretaries, instructional assistants and cafeteria workers.\n\n-Micah Walker\n\nHow can I contact Columbus City Schools?\n\nFor those who wish to contact the school district regarding concerns about the strike or remote schooling, they can call Columbus City Schools' main switchboard at 614-365-5000.\n\nOther numbers that may be useful to parents include:\n\nSuperintendent/CEO – 614-365-8888\n\nAcademic Services – 614-365-8950\n\nFood Services – 614-365-5671\n\nStudent Activities & Athletics – 614-365-5848\n\nStudent Assistance, Intervention, & Outreach – 614-365-5737\n\n-Micah Walker\n\nBusinesses show support for Columbus Education Association members\n\nBusinesses in and around Columbus have shown their support for striking educators in various ways.\n\nAccording to the Columbus Education Association's newsletter:\n\nOver the Counter in Worthington donated gift cards to picketers at the Indian Springs Elementary School picket site.\n\nExperiencing a tooth ache or dental emergency? Riverview Dental on Colonial Parkway is offering CEA members a consultation and X-ray at no charge.\n\nWorkers from the recently-unionized Starbucks on Broad Street in Downtown Columbus delivered coffee to picket sites.\n\nThe owner of Mikey's Late Night Slice dropped off pizzas for picketers at West Broad.\n\nBar 189 has created a special menu for striking teachers.\n\nJeni Britton Bauer, founder of Jeni's Ice Cream, delivered her signature ice cream to picketers.\n\nButter Girl Bakery in the Brewery District delivered butterscotch cookies to Weinland Park educators.\n\nCommunity Grounds Coffee on Parsons Avenue collected $1,000 in donations to provide coffee, drinks and food for educators.\n\nVegan restaurant Willowbeez Soulveg posted pictures online of its employees walking picket lines.\n\nColumbus Keto Treats on Facebook said striking educators can stop in for a free drink and baked good at its Grove City location.\n\nAnd Too Good Eats provided popsicles to hungry teachers. A co-owner wrote on Instagram that she taught fourth and fifth-graders at Columbus City Schools for three years before jumping full time into her business.\n\nWhat was Columbus City School's 'last, best and final offer'?\n\nAccording to the district, the latest offer proposed by the Columbus City Schools Board of Education includes:\n\nWage increases for all CEA members, including guaranteed raises of 3% each year for the next three years and a $2,000 per CEA member retention and recruitment bonus\n\nFixing air conditioning and heating issues\n\nSmaller class sizes for grades K-5. Class sizes for kindergarten through 5th grade will begin to be reduced in 2022-23 with no classes of more than 28 students, and class sizes will continue to be cut until the maximum class size is 27.\n\nPaid leave for new parents. For the birth parent and in the case of adoptions and foster placements, the teacher may take 30 days of leave. Much of that paid leave can be taken without using sick leave, the district said.\n\nHiring 25 additional full-time nurses, behavioral specialists, school psychologists and speech language pathologists in fiscal years 2024 and 2025.\n\nMore planning time for teachers, giving them a day dedicated to planning, with students not in schools, for each of the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years.\n\nThe union previously shared that it is seeking:\n\nFunctioning heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in schools\n\nSmaller class sizes\n\nFull-time art, music and physical education teachers\n\nMore planning time for teachers\n\nA cap on the number of class periods in the day\n\n\"Other working conditions that recruit and retain the best educators for out students.\"\n\nEarlier in negotiations, CEA was asking for an 8% increase at each step of the salary scale for 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25, according to a copy of the unfair labor practice charge the school board filed against the union on Aug. 3 and obtained by The Dispatch.\n\nOn Monday, CEA President John Coneglio declined to confirm to The Dispatch that an 8% wage increase is still what the union is seeking.\n\n- Monroe Trombly, Sheridan Hendrix and Michael Lee\n\nDetails scarce as teachers union, Columbus City Schools go back to bargaining table\n\nOn Tuesday afternoon, a federal mediator called the Columbus Education Association and Columbus City Schools back to the bargaining table. The two sides were set to meet 1 p.m. Wednesday for what would have been their 23rd bargaining session since March.\n\nNo location for the talks was identified publicly.\n\nDuring the last marathon bargaining session on Aug. 18, the board presented what board President Jennifer Adair then called its “last best, and final offer.\"\n\n- Monroe Trombly\n\nColumbus city leaders weigh in on teachers strike\n\nCity Council President Pro Tem Elizabeth Brown picketed recently with her children, indicating on Twitter that they did it because \"we know they're sacrificing a lot to fight for our students.\"\n\n\"We drove home w/ grateful hearts for that sacrifice AND for all the hugs they got,\" she tweeted.\n\nCity Council President Shannon Hardin said on Twitter: \"Our teachers and students should be in class starting the school year today. It's clear, Columbus supports our teachers, our students, and the negotiations today that will hopefully bring resolution so our babies can be back in school.\"\n\n- Monroe Trombly\n\nWhere can Columbus City Schools students get their meals during the teacher strike?\n\nTwenty-five schools across the district are serving as sites where children and parents can pick up meals. Joe Brown, director of food services for the district, was on hand at Columbus Global Academy on Wednesday morning.\n\n“We know that regardless of the strike, we still have hungry students,” he said.\n\nBrown couldn't say how many meals his staff prepared, but acknowledged it was less than half of the number of the district's 47,000 students.\n\n“We know all of our students won’t come and take advantage of this opportunity, but we want to make sure we have for the ones who really need it,” Brown said. “We know within our community that there are a lot of hungry children and a lot of those children depend on the meals they get in schools so they can grow and learn.\"\n\n- Megan Henry\n\nColumbus City Schools superintendent Talisa Dixon admits 'technology challenges'\n\nColumbus City Schools Superintendent Talisa Dixon on Wednesday morning said the district has had \"technology challenges\" and asked for patience.\n\n“We know this is not ideal,” Dixon said. “We know our families are stressed and not happy with the decisions to move forward, but we have to open up schools and provide additional supports to our students and our families. I understand their frustrations. I am very optimistic that we will resolve this as soon as possible to get them back in school face-to-face with their teachers.”\n\nDixon, speaking outside Columbus Global Academy Wednesday morning where parents picked up meals for students, said she doesn't know what the sticking points are that led 94% of Columbus Education Association members to strike.\n\n\"We can’t discuss this at this time,\" Dixon said. \"We are hopeful that all those sticking points will be resolved as soon as possible so we can get our students back in the classrooms.\"\n\n- Megan Henry\n\nStudio 35 Cinema and Drafthouse offering respite to parents and striking educators\n\nStudio 35 Cinema and Drafthouse in Clintonville is showing The Muppet Movie for free this week. The screenings are geared toward the thousands of educators who are on strike and parents.\n\n“Whether you need to chill in the AC, grab a much needed beverage, or a break from the picket line, come in and enjoy a classic laugh, with a timeless favorite,” the event’s Facebook description reads.\n\nShowtimes are 1 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.\n\n- Monroe Trombly\n\nColumbus Education Association members continue to picket, joined by students\n\nThe sound of cowbells and bleating car horns filled the air as picketers spent part of their Wednesday morning marching up and down Karl Road in front of Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy in North Linden.\n\n\"Escucha escucha, estamos , en la lucha!\" they chanted, which translates to \"listen, listen, we are in the fight!\"\n\nOthers brought camping and lawn chairs for breathers, with plenty of chips, fruit and donuts to snack on.\n\nOutside Whetstone High School, dozens of students picketed along the sidewalks in support of their teachers. Many of them were student athletes, who expressed frustration with the board of education for affecting their sports seasons.\n\n\"Why do they have to be so difficult?\" said Daylan Barnes, a 17-year-old Whetstone senior. \"If I was a football player, I'd be so disappointed. A lot of us get out of here because of sports.\"\n\nStriking educators clapped for and hugged their students, thanking them for coming out to support them.\n\nAt Centennial High School, where Corey Fontalbert is going into his senior year, he said that while he understands some may benefit from remote learning, he feels the quality of education is less than that of in-person learning, especially when sessions are run by substitute teachers.\n\n\"There are plenty of students out there who are not as technologically literate, which makes it even more difficult for them to get their education,\" Fontalbert said. \"And teachers, too, with the online learning, they just aren't taken seriously.\"\n\n- Michael Lee and Sheridan Hendrix\n\nColumbus City Schools students don't get much direction when logging on for remote learning\n\nBack inside the Linden Community Center, eight-year-old Jeri Lankford struggled with the first day of school.\n\nShe loves school, and just got a brand-new lunch box and dress — a black jumper that has the words \"Good Vibes Only\" written in multicolored bubble print.\n\nLankford had a 9 a.m. Zoom meeting with East Columbus Elementary School's principal, Jaime P. Spreen, where Spreen informed students and parents where they could pick up meals and how to access the asynchronous learning schedule. But when her mom, Tenelle McGrew, left the center, Lankford wasn't sure what to do.\n\nShe opted to watch YouTube math videos that helped her practice her times tables. A Dispatch reporter lent the eight-year-old a pair of headphones to listen to the video.\n\nWhen McGrew came back to the Linden Community Center, she had someone from East Columbus Elementary on the phone, and tried to guide her daughter to the city's \"Back-to-School\" hub to access a computer coding lesson from Code.org.\n\n\"This is ridiculous,\" McGrew said, while searching through links on Lankford's Chromebook. \"Our kids deserve to be able to go to school — that should be a frickin' no-brainer.\"\n\n- Ceili Doyle\n\nStudents trying to join remote learning continue to have problems\n\nAt Barack Community Center on Columbus' South Side, seventh-grader Ethan sat at a computer, waiting to get into his virtual classroom. The screen read \"waiting for host to join.\"\n\n\"I have Spotify on in the background, so it's alright,\" Ethan told a reporter.\n\nOther students at the community center also were having trouble logging into their classes.\n\nSoon after dropping her children off, Ashley Shepherd was back at Barack Community Center to pick them up.\n\n“It’s not working. … I feel like they picked the wrong time to be on strike,\" Shepherd said, referring to members of the Columbus Education Association.\n\n- Megan Henry\n\nConnection problems plague Columbus City Schools students\n\nSipping a Minute Maid apple juice box with a furrowed brow, Chernor \"CJ\" Bah shook his head.\n\nThe 13-year-old was supposed to start his first day of ninth grade at Columbus Alternative High School on Wednesday.\n\nInstead, the frustrated teenager toggled through a series of portals and Google Classroom links on his Columbus City Schools-issued Chromebook inside the Linden Community Center — impatiently tapping his keyboard as the internet connection lagged. He couldn't access any information about the new school year, including his class schedule.\n\n\"I just want to get this day over as soon as possible,\" Bah said.\n\nBy 8:30 a.m. — an hour after high school officially starts — the Sierra Leon native was no where closer to figuring out who his new teachers were; who, if any, classmates were also logged in and what the American high school experience was supposed to be like.\n\nBah's mom, Zainab Kalokoh, dropped her son off at the Linden Community Center, one of nine city recreation centers that opened early for Columbus City Schools students forced to virtually log in, because she had received an email from the district informing parents that someone at the rec center could help their kids sign in.\n\n\"I didn't understand what was happening,\" Kalokoh said. \"So I brought him here specifically to know what the process is going to be like. We have internet at home, but I thought this would be helpful.\"\n\nSo far, that's been far from the case for Bah.\n\n- Ceili Doyle\n\nWhy are Columbus teachers striking?\n\nOn Friday, union spokesperson Regina Fuentes said the Columbus City Schools Board of Education's most recent contract offer was \"substantially unchanged\" from its previous one at the end of July. The union previously shared that it is asking for:\n\nFunctioning heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in schools\n\nSmaller class sizes\n\nFull-time art, music and physical education teachers\n\nMore planning time for teachers\n\nA cap on the number of class periods in the day\n\n\"Other working conditions that recruit and retain the best educators for out students.\"\n\nWhere are teachers picketing?\n\nEducators are picketing outside 20 sites around Columbus. They are:\n\nBurroughs Elementary School\n\nColumbus Africentric Early College\n\nCentennial High School\n\nCassady Alternative Elementary School\n\nClinton Elementary School\n\nColumbus City Schools Southland Center\n\nColumbus Downtown High School\n\nColumbus Scioto 6-12\n\nColumbus Spanish Immersion Academy\n\nEast High School\n\nIndian Springs Elementary School\n\nLeawood Elementary School\n\nLinden STEM Academy\n\nLivingston Elementary School\n\nStewart Alternative Elementary School\n\nWeinland Park Elementary School\n\nWest Broad Elementary School\n\nWhetstone High School\n\nWoodward Park Middle School\n\nYorktown Middle School\n\nEarly Wednesday morning, siblings Noelle and Nathan joined their mother Michelle Manko on the picket lines outside Centennial High School on Columbus' Northwest Side.\n\n\"The two of them and us as a family decided, we're gonna support our teachers, show the board that we're serious that we need improvements for the school,\" Manko told a reporter.\n\nNoelle, a third grader at Winterset Elementary, doesn't like learning online. She would rather be with her teacher, Mr. Abernathy, in his classroom.\n\nAnd her brother Nathan is also out picketing for a simple reason.\n\n\"We love our teachers,\" Nathan said.\n\n- Michael Lee\n\nColumbus City Schools strike:Columbus Schools contract negotiations to continue Wednesday\n\nColumbus City Schools strikeSeveral Columbus Education Association picketers hit by pellet shots as strike marks Day 2\n\nColumbus City Schools strike:What parents need to know as Columbus City Schools strike continues\n\nmtrombly@dispatch.com\n\n@MonroeTrombly", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/08/24"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/23/us/columbus-ohio-teachers-strike/index.html", "title": "Columbus, Ohio, teachers strike: Why teachers in Ohio's largest ...", "text": "Columbus, Ohio CNN —\n\nThe day before classes are scheduled to start, teachers in Ohio’s largest school system say they won’t end their strike without improvements to what they describe as dilapidated schools where a lack of heating and air conditioning has led to miserable classroom environments.\n\nUnion members in Columbus hit the picket line for a second day Tuesday, as the stalemate between the Columbus Education Association and the Columbus City Schools Board of Education continued.\n\nThe two sides are set to return to the bargaining table at 1 p.m. Wednesday, the afternoon of the first day of school, after a federal mediator overseeing negotiations called the union and Columbus City Schools to meet, the union said on its Facebook page. The school district confirmed that the meeting will take place on Twitter.\n\n“The Columbus Board of Education remains focused on getting our students and teachers back in the classroom. The federal mediator has called both parties to resume bargaining on Wednesday, August 24. We will provide further updates as appropriate,” the district’s Twitter account said.\n\nThe showdown is the latest in years of tensions across the nation between teachers who argue they are underpaid and underappreciated, particularly after navigating the coronavirus pandemic, and school systems that say they are strapped for cash.\n\nIn Columbus, teachers say they want guarantees of smaller class sizes, full-time art, music and physical education teachers in elementary schools and a cap on the number of class periods throughout the school day.\n\nBut at the core of the strike is their complaint that too many schools, or parts of schools, lack heating and air conditioning, leaving students sweltering in the summer, shivering in the winter and distracted from learning.\n\n“98 DEGREES IS A BOY BAND NOT A CLASSROOM TEMPERATURE,” read the sign one teacher held outside East High School – a reference to a pop group that was briefly popular in the late 1990s.\n\nColumbus teachers picket outside Yorktown Middle School on August 22, 2022. Doral Chenoweth/The Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network\n\nThe strike began Monday after 94% of the union’s membership voted Sunday night to reject the board’s latest offer. If a deal isn’t struck late Tuesday, Columbus City Schools plans to begin its year with a return to early pandemic practices, having students log on remotely for classes led by substitutes. The district plans to distribute free lunches in grab-and-go containers. Sports and other extracurricular activities will be postponed.\n\nUnion members focused their protests on more than 20 schools where they would be visible from high-traffic streets or intersections. Passersby honked their horns in solidarity.\n\nThe union – with a membership of nearly 4,500 made up of mostly teachers, but also librarians, counselors, nurses and other school employees – had appointed captains to organize each picket location. Members protested in shifts: morning groups starting at 7 a.m., and afternoon groups that would remain out until 4:30 p.m.\n\nMembers and supporters delivered coolers of water and bags of snacks at several locations for those standing for hours on sidewalks on a sunny day with temperatures in the low 80s.\n\nIn front of East High School, one teacher was blaring classic rock protest songs from a speaker.\n\nThe union had instructed its members not to talk to reporters and to direct questions to their spokespeople. Instead, teachers pointed out nonunion members who were free to talk.\n\n“A lot of people in the suburbs are unaware of how bad the conditions are, and I think they’re finally getting to see that,” said Maggy Counts, a former art teacher at East High School.\n\nCounts, whose young twin boys will attend the district’s schools, said a teacher strike “has been a long time coming.”\n\nShe said she has heard promises to improve buildings and install heating and air conditioning systems for years, but that those improvements have never fully materialized.\n\nIt’s left teachers – who also complain that their pay is not keeping up with inflation and say they are dismally short on supplies – working in an environment that Counts described as burdensome for both educators and students.\n\nColumbus teachers' union members stream out of the convention center after voting to strike on August 21, 2022. Courtney Hergesheimer/Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network\n\n“They should be able to come to a safe place where there’s not rats and roaches and hot conditions and little kindergartners in 58-degree weather,” Counts said.\n\n“As an adult, if you go to work and it’s freezing or 98 degrees or you forgot your lunch, you’re not going to be a productive employee. And school is the same way,” she said. “We can’t have kids continuing to come to buildings and not have these basic needs, and we can’t expect teachers to come work in these conditions, either.”\n\nOther protesters also said the board of education had delivered years of vague promises to improve schools’ conditions, but had not offered enough specific details on their plans or timelines to complete those improvements.\n\nColumbus City Schools is using hundreds of millions in federal pandemic stimulus dollars to pay for HVAC systems in 16 schools. But six of the 13 schools that were initially planned to be ready by the start of this school year do not yet have working air conditioning.\n\nHeather Giles, a seventh-grade math teacher at Starling Elementary School, leads a chant as Columbus Education Association members picketed on August 22, 2022. Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network\n\n“It’s 100% about the conditions of the schools,” said Lauren Chivington, a former Columbus City Schools teacher who is now an adjunct professor and PhD student and protested alongside union members at East High School on Tuesday.\n\n“They haven’t gone on strike since the ’70s,” Chivington said of the union, which last went on strike in 1975. “They wouldn’t be doing this unless it were very, very dire, and very much about their students.”\n\nWhile union members and their supporters nearly unanimously pointed to school conditions as the most significant reason for the strike, the two sides are also at odds over pay: Teachers had sought 8% annual pay increases, while the district’s most recent offer included 3% pay bumps each year.\n\nOn Monday night, the Columbus City Schools Board of Education met behind closed doors while hundreds of teachers’ union members protested outside.\n\nColumbus City School Board President Jennifer Adair held a news conference. Doral Chenoweth/The Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network\n\n“We want a contract, just and fair. Give our classrooms central air,” they chanted.\n\nJennifer Adair, the board of education president, released a statement after the four-hour meeting pledging that a path forward would come “soon.”\n\n“We are working to find a collaborative path forward. We don’t have action on that to report yet. But we will – soon. Our board fully recognizes the disruption and concern felt by our children and families and across Columbus,” Adair said in the statement.\n\n“To our school community, like you, we are saddened by this start to the school year,” she said. “Be assured we will support your children and families with the resources they need in this time of uncertainty.”", "authors": ["Eric Bradner"], "publish_date": "2022/08/23"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2022/08/23/columbus-city-school-strike-will-parents-rescources-what-to-know/65415691007/", "title": "Columbus City School strike will impact parents. Here's what to know", "text": "Columbus Dispatch staff\n\nColumbus Education Association members voted to go on strike on Aug. 21 and began picketing outside 20 different locations in the area the following day as more than 4,500 members seek a new contract with Columbus City Schools, the state's largest district.\n\nColumbus city leaders have stressed the CEA and the school district to return to the table and end the work stoppage, the first since 1975 and one that includes teachers, librarians, nurses, counselors, psychologists and other education professionals.\n\nThe strike comes as thousands of children are beginning the new school year this week and leaving some parents wondering what happens on Wednesday when students are scheduled to return to the classroom.\n\nHere's what we know about the Columbus City Schools strike and some resources parents may need as the strike continues.\n\nColumbus Education Association strike'Hey, hey, ho, ho, tax abatements have got to go.' Video from the Columbus picket lines\n\nColumbus City Schools strike'Don't back down until you and students get what you need.' CEA teachers strike reactions\n\nIf the Columbus City School strike continues through Wednesday, here's how kids go to class\n\nMost current students are likely familiar with virtual learning after the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.And that knowledge will come in handy if the strike continues through Wednesday.\n\nShould the strike continue on through Wednesday, then the state’s largest district, with more than 47,000 students, plans to start the school year remotely. The district will move to “synchronous and asynchronous remote learning,” and the district’s buildings will be closed to students and community members, according to information on a district webpage.\n\nColumbus City Schools spokesperson Jacqueline Bryant said the district has 600 substitutes who would be given the curriculum to teach remotely.\n\nColumbus City Schools is a \"1:1 district,\" which means students are given a Chromebook for school work. The total number of distributed Chromebooks was unknown as of Monday.\n\nOnline learningIf Columbus teachers strike continues Wednesday, how will students access online classes?\n\nDo I send my child to school during the Columbus City Schools strike? Here's the truancy policy\n\nColumbus City Schools Board president Jennifer Adair said that while she — as a parent — appreciates the decisions families are making, attendance rules still apply to all students.\n\nAccording to Ohio Revised Code 3321.191, \"habitual truant\" is defined as:\n\nAbsent 30 or more consecutive hours without legitimate excuse;\n\nAbsent 42 or more hours in one school month without legitimate excuse;\n\nAbsent 72 or more hours in one school year without legitimate excuse;\n\nA parent or guardian will be notified if a student has excessive absences, which are defined as:\n\nAbsent 38 hours or more in one school month with or without legitimate excuse; or\n\nAbsent 65 or more hours in one school year with or without legitimate excuse.\n\nColumbus City Schools spokesperson Jacqueline Bryant Bryant said daily attendance check-in times will be \"established by the principal at a designated time and all Zooms are recorded.\" So attendance numbers could vary building-to-building depending on grade-level and the number of Zoom check-in meetings, she said.\n\nWhat if a student can't stay at home for remote learning? Columbus recreation centers are available\n\nAt a press conference Monday where Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and Franklin County Board of Commissioners President Erica Crawley spoke, the city announced it would create student-support spaces at nine city recreation centers. This is to help students in online schooling that the district is offering, although Ginther cautioned these won't be the same as schools and won't be staffed with teachers.\n\nThey are:\n\nGlenwood Community Center, 1888 Fairmont Ave.\n\nSullivant Gardens Community Center, 755 Renick St. Columbus\n\nBarnett Community Center,1184 Barnett Rd.\n\nBlackburn Community Center, 263 Carpenter St.\n\nDriving Park Community Center, 1100 Rhoads Ave.\n\nBarack Community Center, 580 Woodrow Ave.\n\nSchiller Community Center, 1069 Jaeger St.\n\nLinden Community Center, 1350 Briarwood Ave Columbus\n\nHoward Community Center 2505 N. Cassady Ave.\n\nAll nine Community Centers designated to serve students will open daily at 7 a.m. during school days. All other Columbus Community Centers will open at 10 am.\n\nColumbus City School strikeColumbus political leaders urge sides back to table in CCS teachers strike\n\nWhat's the proposal to stop the CEA strike and return to school?\n\nAccording to the district, the latest offer proposed by the Columbus City Schools Board of Education includes:\n\nGuaranteed raises of 3% annually for three years\n\nA $2,000 per CEA member retention and recruitment bonus\n\nThe teacher salary range for the 2021-22 school year starts at $49,339 and goes up to $107,679, according to Columbus City Schools spokesperson Jacqueline Bryant and the district’s teacher salary schedule.\n\nA 3% raise would increase the pay range to $50,819 to $117,664, and an 8% raise would increase the pay range to $53,286 to $116,293.\n\n“By the end of this three-year contract, a teacher who last school year was paid the district’s average salary of $74,000 will be earning more than $91,000 – a 23% increase from the start of the contract,” Adair said.\n\nContract proposalsWhat is the latest on Columbus City Schools union contract proposals?\n\nHow can Columbus City Schools student get meals?\n\nShould CEA union members still be on strike Wednesday, students can access “grab-and-go” meals at 25 designated school sites across the city. The sites will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning Wednesday. Based on the information on the district's website, students will not receive breakfast on Wednesday, the first day of classes.\n\nLocations are:\n\nBeechcroft High School, 6100 Beechcroft Road\n\nBerwick Alternative Pre-K-8, 2655 Scottwood Road\n\nBriggs High School, 2555 Briggs Road\n\nBuckeye Middle School, 2950 Parsons Ave.\n\nCentennial High School, 1441 Bethel Road\n\nColumbus Africentric Early College Pre-K-12, 3223 Allegheny Ave.\n\nColumbus Scioto 6-12, 2951 S. High St.\n\nColumbus North International School/Columbus Global Academy, 4077 Karl Road\n\nDominion Middle School, 100 E. Arcadia Ave.\n\nEastmoor Academy, 417 S Weyant Ave.\n\nEast High School, 1500 E Broad St.\n\nIndependence High School, 5175 Refugee Road\n\nLinden-McKinley STEM Academy, 1320 Duxberry Ave.\n\nMarion-Franklin High School, 1265 Koebel Road\n\nMedina Middle School, 1425 Huy Road\n\nMifflin High School, 3245 Oak Spring St.\n\nNorthland High School, 1919 Northcliff Dr.\n\nSherwood Middle School, 1400 Shady Lane Road\n\nSouth High School, 1160 Ann St.\n\nStarling Pre-K-8, 145 S. Central Ave.\n\nWedgewood Middle School, 3800 Briggs Road\n\nWest High School, 179 S. Powell Ave.\n\nWestmoor Middle School, 3001 Valleyview Drive\n\nWhetstone High School, 4405 Scenic Drive\n\nWoodward Park Middle School, 5151 Karl Road\n\nWhat parents need to know about Columbus City School athletics, extra curriculars\n\nColumbus City Schools have paused athletics and extra curricular activities during the strike. The postponements of games come as nearly 60% of coaches are also teachers or support staff members.\n\nAll extra-curricular activities in the district during the CEA’s strike will be “rescheduled, and in some instances, canceled,” according to the district’s website.\n\nEach of the City’s 15 football programs played their Week 1 games between Aug. 18-20. There were to have been seven games involving City teams Aug. 25, two Aug. 26 and two Aug. 27, but those are expected to be postponed or canceled.\n\nMarion-Franklin was scheduled to play host to Delaware Hayes on Aug. 26, but the Pacers now are expected to play St. Charles. The Cardinals were slated to face Beechcroft on Aug. 25.\n\nColumbus City Schools sportsWith 60% of coaches being teachers, Columbus City Schools athletics on hold during strike\n\nRead more news on the Columbus City Schools strike on Dispatch.com", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/08/23"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2022/08/16/no-agreement-on-new-columbus-teachers-pact-after-tuesdays-session/65405851007/", "title": "Teachers rally outside Columbus City Schools board meeting as ...", "text": "Hundreds of Columbus Education Association members — as well as some parents and students — demonstrated before the Columbus City Schools Board of Education meeting Tuesday night, urging the school district to reach a new contract with the union representing teachers and other staff.\n\nThe \"practice picketing\" took place after union leaders and district officials earlier met for several hours with a federal mediator Tuesday. While a CEA spokeswoman said there was movement on two issues, the two sides failed to reach agreement on a new contract with the scheduled start of the school year on Aug. 24.\n\nCEA and the board are scheduled to meet again Thursday as the board had requested two meetings this week in an effort to reach a settlement.\n\n“1, 2, 3, 4, we won’t take it anymore! 5, 6, 7, 8, come on Board negotiate,\" CEA members chanted as they held signs that read \"On Strike\" with \"practicing\" stamped in green across the front.\n\nCEA — the 4,000-member union that represents Columbus City Schools teachers and other employees — said the union and the school board were able to reach agreement on two outstanding issues, but CEA spokesperson Regina Fuentes said she didn’t know what those two issues were.\n\n“We are still very far apart on a lot of things,” Fuentes said. “One of those things is being accountable when it comes to HVAC and fixing our schools and providing resources. We want language in the contract that speaks to the district coming through on their promises.”\n\n“While we still do not have a compromise, we are encouraged that talks are ongoing,” Board President Jennifer Adair told the audience at the start of the board meeting. “We are fully committed to our teachers and to treating all of our employees with respect. We are bargaining in good faith, and we look forward to finding opportunities for unity and alignment.”\n\nAdair said the CEA filed the notice of intent to strike without telling the board what it would take to reach an agreement.\n\n“CEA continues to refuse to negotiate about compensation, which precludes us from getting our students back in their classroom,” she said. “Yet we remain hopeful that students and families will have the first day of school they deserve, in-person and with our teachers.”\n\nImmediately after Adair's remarks, the board voted to go into executive session for about an hour to discuss personnel matters, as allowed by state law.\n\nColumbus City Schools Superintendent Talisa Dixon said during Tuesday's board meeting she hopes the school board reaches an agreement with CEA before the start of the school year.\n\n“But we are preparing for every possibility and our focus remains on laying the foundation for a strong start back for our students.”\n\nColumbus City Schools parents speak out during board meeting\n\nEight Columbus City Schools parents and one student spoke up during the public comment portion of Tuesday's school board meeting, raising concerns about the ongoing negotiations.\n\n\"My impression of the administration is that they are wage thieves and they should try to pay our teachers in our schools what they deserve,\" said Inara Pompi, an eighth grader at Ridgeview Middle School.\n\nAndrew Kline is worried about the possibility of having his five-year-old son start the school year remotely at Cranbrook Elementary School.\n\n“Whoever came up with the idea that I’m going to send my first year kindergarten student to zoom school with a substitute teacher is completely out of touch with reality,” he said.\n\nSarah Short, the mom of a first-grade student at Indianola Informal K-8 School, said she feels helpless, stressed and frustrated about the possibility of “entering another year of uncertainty and interpreted learning.”\n\nPatrick Clark, another parent of a Indianola Informal student, said his son performs better in school when he is able to interact with his teachers.\n\n“My children are deeply privileged and I worry about the harm it will cause them,” he said. “I worry profoundly and deeply about the consequences students with less privileges than my children.”\n\nWhere do the negotiations stand?\n\nThe union has scheduled a meeting with its membership Aug. 21 to vote on whether to go on strike after giving its formal notice to the State Employment Relations Board last Thursday to strike if it does not reach a new contract agreement.\n\nAmong the contract hang-ups cited previously by the CEA: smaller class sizes; full-time art, music and physical education teachers; functioning heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in schools; more planning time for teachers; a cap on the number of class periods in the day; and \"other working conditions that recruit and retain the best educators for out students.\"\n\nThe district has responded to the issue about HVAC systems by saying it is updating the HVAC systems in 13 school buildings this summer using $35.6 million in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds created due to the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\nWhile work to update the HVAC systems will be completed at seven of those buildings in time for the scheduled start of classes, work at six other buildings won't be completed until mid- to late-September.\n\nWhich Columbus City Schools will start the school year without full air conditioning?\n\nIn addition, two other buildings — Columbus Alternative High School and Hubbard Elementary School — will have to wait until the start of the 2023-2024 school year to get building-wide air conditioning.\n\nColumbus City Schools, the state’s largest district with some 47,000 students, plans to start the school year remotely using non-union substitute teachers if CEA were to strike if a new contract agreement is not reached before school starts Aug. 24. District spokeswoman Jacqueline Bryant said the district has 600 substitutes who would be given the curriculum to teach remotely, according to information on a district webpage.\n\nColumbus City school buildings would be closed to the public and athletics events and extra-curricular activities would be canceled as more than 60% of the coaches or sponsors heading the programs are teachers.\n\nThe last time the district went on strike was 1975.\n\nLevy taken off November ballot\n\nThe school board approved 6-0 a resolution Tuesday night to take the $680-million, maximum 35-year bond issue and a 4.7-mill permanent improvement levy off the Nov. 8 general election ballot. Board member Michael Cole was absent from the meeting.\n\nBoard member Tina Pierce said taking the levy off the ballot was an issue of economic timing.\n\n“Economically, these are hard times, so I don’t want our community to think the timing is wrong because of other reasons,” she said. “I want our community to be clear that our families are determining how they are going to pay their rent.”\n\nBoard member Carol Beckerle said the decision to not proceed with the levy was unfortunate for the students, but agreed the timing wasn't right.\n\n“The way to make sure our buildings are in good condition is through a permanent improvement levy and a dedicated capital fund to keep them that way,\" she said.\n\nAdair said the board is committed to bringing back the bond issue — which specifically will cover Columbus City Schools' local share of the fourth phase of the district's facilities master plan. That phase calls for the district to build five new buildings in the next five years:\n\nA high school with a student capacity of 1,600 to be built on the site of Marion-Franklin High School and the vacant Beery Middle School on the same lot on the city's South Side.\n\nA high school with a student capacity of 2,000 to be built on the site of Beechcroft High School on the city's Northeast Side.\n\nA middle school with a student capacity of 1,000 to be built on the site of Mifflin Middle School on the city's Northeast Side.\n\nAn elementary school with a student capacity of 600 to be built on the site of Winterset Elementary School on the city's Northwest Side.\n\nAn elementary school with a student capacity of 600 to be built on the site of Eakin Elementary on the city's Southeast Side.\n\nThe bond issue, which represents 2.83 mills in property tax, would have also paid for design work for a future fifth building phase by the school district.\n\nThe ballot measure would have resulted a total 7.53 in additional millage, or around a 13% increase in property taxes, for Columbus homeowners. The district said that works out to $267 in additional property taxes each year for every $100,000 of a home's assessed valuation.\n\nOriginally, the resolution to put the measure on the November ballot was approved in May by a 5-2 decision, with Adair, board Vice President Ramona Reyes and members Carol Beckerle, Eric S. Brown and Michael Cole in favor. Board members Pierce and Christina Vera were opposed.\n\nmhenry@dispatch.com\n\n@megankhenry", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/08/16"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/22/us/ohio-school-district-strike/index.html", "title": "Columbus strike: Teachers at Ohio's largest school district vote to ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nTeachers at Ohio’s largest school district voted Sunday to go on strike for better learning and teaching conditions, just days before school is scheduled to start, according to the teachers’ union.\n\nThe Columbus Education Association union – which represents more than 4,000 teachers, nurses and other education professionals at the Columbus City Schools district – is striking for the first time since 1975 after 94% of its members voted to reject the school board’s “last, best and final offer,” the union said Sunday on Twitter.\n\nJust a day before the vote in Ohio, a union representing about 2,000 School District of Philadelphia employees voted to authorize a strike for higher wages and adequate training programs – just over one week before school there is set to start.\n\nWhat the teachers want Working heating and air conditioning and well-maintained classrooms Smaller class sizes Full-time art, music and P.E. teachers in elementary schools\n\nThe strikes come as schools around the country face critical teacher shortages and low morale among educators, exacerbated by the pandemic, low pay and ever more crowded classrooms. Also weighing on teachers are a growing number of school shootings and changing guidance on what educators are allowed to teach.\n\nIn Columbus, the union cited class sizes and functional heating and air conditioning in classrooms as examples of points of disagreement with the board, according to Columbus Education Association’s notice of intent to strike.\n\nIs there a teacher shortage? It’s complicated\n\n“We will continue fighting until we have safe, properly maintained and fully resourced schools in every neighborhood,” union spokesperson Regina Fuentes said at a news conference Monday.\n\nThe Columbus Board of Education called the outcome of the vote “disappointing.”\n\n“Tonight’s vote by the Columbus Education Association (CEA) is incredibly disappointing. We are saddened by the unfortunate situation our families, our community and, most importantly, our children now face,” a statement from the board said.\n\nThe board held an emergency meeting Monday that was called into executive session, according to a Facebook Live stream of the meeting. Superintendent Talisa Dixon also released a statement on the strike ahead of the emergency meeting.\n\n“It is my hope that we are able to come to a resolution quickly and get all of our students back in their classrooms with their teachers as soon as possible. It’s what our students deserve,” Dixon’s statement read, which also added the city’s recreation and parks department will open nine recreation centers to provide students with “safe, adult-supervised locations and easy internet access.”\n\nSpeaking about learning conditions in the city’s schools, a school library media specialist said temperatures varied wildly from room to room.\n\n“Students move around to different buildings, like a college campus, and they never know from one classroom to the next if it’s going to be 50 degrees or 90 degrees,” Courtney Johnson told CNN’s Victor Blackwell.\n\nSome schools don’t have any air conditioning, she said, or may only have “a couple of rooms” with it. And in schools that do have it, including where Johnson works, the systems need fixing, she said.\n\n“That’s what we’re fighting for – safe, properly maintained and fully resourced schools where the air conditioning and heating works, and students don’t have to suffer,” Johnson said.\n\nColumbus City Schools serves 47,000 students, according to the district.\n\nDespite the strike, the school year is still scheduled to begin Wednesday, with classes online and led by substitutes, according to the school district’s website.\n\nThe district’s own administrators may also teach online classes as the strike continues, it said. But since teachers make up most of the district’s coaching staff, sports activities may be rescheduled or canceled, according to the website.", "authors": ["Chris Boyette Michelle Watson Amir Vera", "Chris Boyette", "Michelle Watson", "Amir Vera"], "publish_date": "2022/08/22"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/04/11/oklahoma-teachers-strike-walkout/509294002/", "title": "Oklahoma teachers strike: Oklahoma City, Tulsa public school ...", "text": "Adam Kealoha Causey and Justin Juozapavicius\n\nAssociated Press\n\nOKLAHOMA CITY – Massive teacher protests at the Oklahoma state Capitol have done more than put political pressure on lawmakers: The situation has forced school districts, churches, community organizations and parents to improvise to take care of students.\n\nThe state’s largest two school districts will be closed for a ninth consecutive day Thursday, matching the length of a walkout in West Virginia earlier this year that started a rebellion of teachers in some Republican-led states including Kentucky and Arizona.\n\nOklahoma Republican Gov. Mary Fallin approved teacher pay raises of about $6,100, but many educators say that’s not enough because classrooms still need more money.\n\nTeachers’ union leaders have not indicted when they expect demonstrations to end, but the number of protesters has dwindled, and Republican legislative leaders say they don’t plan to consider more bills to raise more revenue.\n\nStill, groups have worked together to make sure kids have been entertained, educated and fed.\n\nHere are some ways they did it.\n\nConverted cafeterias\n\nNutrition workers for the Oklahoma City school district made cafeterias mobile to deliver food to hungry kids.\n\nEmployees packed ice chests that typically carried premade peanut butter and jelly or turkey and cheese sandwiches, apples and oranges, and milk or water. School buses then hauled the meals to places where kids were already gathering. The district has served nearly 17,000 sack lunches just this week at more than 30 sites including community centers, city parks and churches.\n\nThey delivered enough Wednesday to feed the 80 elementary school-age children at South Lindsay Baptist Church, a temporary home for a Boys & Girls Club that normally meets at nearby Cesar Chavez Elementary School in a poor neighborhood on the city’s south side. All Oklahoma City school district campuses have been closed to the public during the walkout.\n\nMore:Massive Oklahoma teacher protests enter second week\n\nRelated:Oklahoma teachers share photos of broken chairs, crumbling outdated textbooks\n\nGroup activities there ranged from ballet lessons and study sessions to hula-hooping to Taylor Swift and playing Uno. Teen and adult volunteers, including teachers from the district, have helped keep the kids active.\n\nOtis Moses, a supervisor in the school district’s meal services division, said day-to-day operations may differ from typical school days, but he said his team has pulled together to serve kids and support teachers through the walkout.\n\n“Yes we’re ready to get our students back in school and back in the buildings,” Moses said. “But at the same point in time we’re going to do what we can do from a nutrition standpoint to help our children out every day.”\n\nLearning outside the classroom\n\nParents Nichole and Nathan Dill took their five kids – who range in age from 2 to 9 – for a stroll in Oklahoma City’s Myriad Gardens on Wednesday with campuses for their school-age children in the suburb of Newcastle closed.\n\nIn the eight days of canceled classes, the mother has worked on multiplication tables with one daughter, and reading skills for a son who would be preparing for standardized tests if he were in school. They’ve spent time at their local library, and they were planning to see the Oklahoma City National Memorial, which honors the 168 victims of the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.\n\nThe Dills are missing out on money they would be making at their business Turf Wars, an indoor Nerf gun arena. They’ve kept it closed this week because whether their school district will have class or not has been a day-by-day decision. But the Dills say it’s worth it to stand up to legislators who have refused to properly fund schools. In Newcastle, parents have started buying items on teachers’ Amazon wish lists to make sure they have classroom supplies and furniture.\n\nNichole Dill said she also took her kids to see demonstrations at the Capitol to show them teachers aren’t in school for good reason.\n\n“We fully support them being out right now,” she said.\n\nTeachers still coaching\n\nOklahoma City teachers may not be in the classroom, but they are still on the sports field.\n\nPeter Evans, executive director of the nonprofit Oklahoma City Police Athletic League, said dozens of teachers serve as coaches for soccer season, which is just now underway. The walkout hasn’t stopped them from showing up for practices and coaching the more than 1,000 kids on 50 teams. The first matches are set for this weekend.\n\nKids representing 31 elementary schools in the Oklahoma City Public Schools system compete for free. The league picks up the cost of the programs, which also include football, volleyball, basketball and cheerleading.\n\nEvans estimated that out of the roughly 100 soccer coaches signed up for this season, at least 70 are teachers.\n\n“The teachers are still working – they’re participating in this walkout and they’re still supporting their kids,” Evans said Wednesday. “They’re at the Capitol trying to fight for more money for the kids but showing up to schools in the afternoons for practice and showing up on weekends to play the games.”\n\nHelping families\n\nThe Tulsa-based Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma has dispatched two food trucks to nine locations and served nearly 800 lunches a day since the teacher walkout began April 2.\n\nWednesday’s first stop offered pepperoni pizza, salad, a banana and strawberry milk at an apartment complex in east Tulsa. Helping prepare food inside the truck was Jimmy Burdette, a multimedia teacher at Broken Arrow High School just outside Tulsa. He said with tens of thousands of fellow teachers already rallying at the state Capitol, he thought he could do the most good back here, serving meals to out-of-school students.\n\n“A lot of them, the only meal they get that’s hot is in school,” Burdette said.\n\nLatairrius Williams watched as his school-age sister and brother got their lunches. The 24-year-old said the free meals have been crucial for families in the area who depend on school meals to feed their children.\n\n“I think this food truck idea is a really good idea because it’s a lot of families out here that are low-income and they actually have a budget basically for the amount of food they eat a month,” he said.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2018/04/11"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/03/15/lausd-strike-dates-los-angeles-unified-workers/11478557002/", "title": "Los Angeles teachers, staff say they'll strike March 21 to 23. What ...", "text": "More than 60,000 bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria employees, campus security, teaching assistants and educators from the Los Angeles Unified School District say they'll strike from March 21 to 23, a move likely to shut down hundreds of schools.\n\nThe labor union representing the support staff announced the dates during a lively rally Wednesday afternoon at Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles.\n\nRepresented by labor union SEIU Local 99, about 30,000 school support staff are demanding LAUSD provide a 30% raise and $2 per hour equity wage increase. About 35,000 teachers represented by the United Teachers of Los Angeles plan to join them. The school district has offered, in part, more than a 15% raise, retention bonuses and to bring its minimum wage up to $20.\n\nIn a letter to families on Monday evening, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho told parents the district is trying to work with the union to come to an agreement before kids are severely impacted by the closures. And he and district negotiators are prepared to work around the clock to come to negotiations before the strike, he told news reporters on Wednesday morning.\n\n\"We are committed to continue good faith bargaining with our labor partners around the clock to reach an agreement before a strike occurs. I have invited union leaders to have a direct conversation with me to negotiate day and night to reach an understanding to spare our children from the avoidable disastrous consequences of a strike. Our students should not be victims,\" his letter reads.\n\nEqual Pay Day? Not for teachers.:Why men make more than women in female-dominated field.\n\nIn an interview with USA TODAY on Tuesday, Local 99 Executive Director Max Arias said he doesn't see the district budging and in turn doesn't anticipate a compromise before the planned protest.\n\nHe said education workers will continue to \"bargain to improve the conditions of schools and the people who work there\" until the district meets their demands. Many of the district's support staff are living below or near the poverty line due to low wages or the limited hours of work the district currently offers them, he said.\n\n\"This is a lawful strike to protest the district’s unfair practices, including threats, interrogation, and surveillance of members who participated in last month’s strike vote,\" the SEIU Local 99's website reads. \"Over three days we can show the district that we are fed-up with their disrespect and not afraid to take strong action to demand respect for our work.\"\n\nStrike ready:Los Angeles education workers poised to announce strike that 'likely' would close hundreds of schools\n\nHow would school closures affects students and families?\n\nLAUSD hasn't officially announced that it will close schools, but Carvalho told parents the disruptions will \"likely\" lead to shuttering schools on the dates of the labor unions' strikes, adding to an already grueling year for the district.\n\nWednesday morning, he told reporters that, \"If in fact a strike is declared between two of our most significant labor partners, it is virtually impossible to keep schools open. On a basis of supervision, safety and security, virtually impossible. On a basis of getting kids to school because buses will not be running, virtually impossible.\"\n\nAnd he listed the imminent consequences of school closures: \"leaning loss, depravation of safety and security that schools provide to our kids, deprivation of food and nutrition that many of our kids depend on.\"\n\nCan we recover? Half of nation's students fell behind a year after COVID school closures.\n\n\"I know that we focus our attention on the needs of the workforce. I need to focus my attention on also primarily on the needs of our kids,\" he said.\n\nCarvalho went on about the challenges his district has faced this school year.\n\n\"It has not been an easy school year. We've dealt with a cyberattack. We've dealt with the issues of learning loss facing many of our kids. We began the year with a significant deficit in terms of student attendance, chronic absenteeism, kids expressing and manifesting serious woes regarding their social and emotional well-being; their mental health needs.\"\n\nArias said fair wages are critical to ensuring student safety and well-being.\n\nMore:Los Angeles school district hit by cyberattack\n\nIt's hardly the first time the district has grappled with contentious wage negotiations and frustrated unions.\n\nIn 2019, LAUSD teachers went on a six-day strike. District negotiators and the labor union ultimately agreed on a 6% raise for teachers, added nurses and school counselors and changed how the school system handles class sizes.\n\nMore:Los Angeles' striking teachers reach 'historic' settlement with school district\n\nContact Kayla Jimenez at kjimenez@usatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter at @kaylajjimenez.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/15"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_13", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2023/03/15/cuba-advances-wbc-semifinals-first-time-since-2006/11476553002/", "title": "Cuba advances to WBC semifinals for first time since 2006", "text": "AP\n\nTOKYO (AP) — Cuba advanced to the World Baseball Classic semifinals for the first time since 2006 with a 4-3 win over Australia on Wednesday night as Alfredo Despaigne hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly and Yoelkis Guibert followed with a two-run single in three-run fifth inning.\n\nUsing current major leaguers for the first time at the WBC, Cuba plays on Sunday in Miami against the winner of a quarterfinal between Venezuela and the second-place team from Group C: Canada, Colombia, Mexico or the U.S.\n\nFormer Phiadelphia Phillies prospect Rixon Wingrove, who led Australia with seven RBIs in the tournament, hit a go-ahead RBI sngle in the second and had a two-run homer in the sixth off the Chicago Cubs’ Roenis Elías. Australia got two on later in the sixth before Elías retired Milwaukee Brewers prospect Alex Hall on a flyout.\n\nJUNIOR: Ken Griffey Jr., having time of his life serving as Team USA's hitting coach\n\nElías pitched a perfect seventh, Liván Moinelo worked around a pair of walks in a hitless eighth by striking out Ulrich Bojarski and retiring Tim Kennelly on an inning-ending flyout. Raidel Martinez pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save, striking out Darryl George on the eighth pitch of the at-bat for the final out.\n\nFollow every game: Latest MLB Scores and Schedules\n\nBefore a crowd of 35,061 at the Tokyo Dome, Luis Robert tied the score for Cuba with a run-scoring groundout in the third.\n\nCuba, which lost the 2006 final to Japan, had been eliminated in the second round of the previous three WBCs. The Cubans won their third straight game in this tournament after losing their first two.\n\nAustralia advanced past the group stage for the first time.\n\nYoán Moncada of the Chicago White Sox had two hits and two walks, and is hitting .421 wth five RBIs. Moncada sparked the third with a one-out double off Mitch Neunborn, who had walked Roel Santos leading off.\n\nWinner Miguel Romero, the second of five Cuban pitchers, allowed one hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings.\n\nSantos singled leading off the fifth against loser Josh Guyer, who walked Moncada. Sam Holland walked Robert, and Cuba went ahead on the sacrifice fly by Despaigne, who is hitting .412 (7 for 17) with four RBIs. The 36-year-old outfielder and designated hitter is a fan favorite in Japan after playing for the Pacific League’s Chiba Lotte Marines from 2014-16 and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks from 2017 through last season.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/15"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/22/football/saudi-arabia-argentina-world-cup-upsets-spt-intl/index.html", "title": "Saudi Arabia's victory over Argentina is the greatest upset in World ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nArgentina has won the World Cup twice – in 1978 and 1986 – but at Qatar 2022 La Albiceleste wrote its name into the history books in an altogether different way.\n\nAccording to sports data group Gracenote, Argentina’s 2-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia in their Group C match is the biggest upset in World Cup history.\n\nLed by Lionel Messi, ranked third in the world, unbeaten for three years and among the favorites to win the 2022 tournament, many had expected Argentina to sweep aside Saudi Arabia with 48 places separating the two teams in the world rankings.\n\nAll the pre-match talk focused on Messi, one of the world’s greatest ever players who is likely playing his last World Cup.\n\nThe Argentina captain scored an early penalty to put his side in the lead, but two second-half goals from Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al Dawsari turned the game on its head.\n\nSee hilarious moment a Saudi soccer fan tears a door from frame during surprise upset 00:45 - Source: CNN\n\nAl Dawsari’s incredible winner from distance – and subsequent acrobatic celebration – will become one of the moments of this – or any – World Cup, and undoubtedly, in time, an “I-was-there” moment for fans.\n\nAccording to Gracenote, the previous most surprising World Cup win was USA’s victory against England in 1950, in which the American team had a 9.5% chance of victory.\n\nBut Saudi Arabia’s chance of victory on Tuesday was estimated at 8.7%, which means the Green Falcons take over the number one spot.\n\nGracenote said it uses the company’s “proprietary football ranking system to identify the most shocking upsets over the course of the World Cup’s storied 92 years.”\n\nBut what have been some of the World Cup’s other big upsets?\n\nItaly 1990: Cameroon 1-0 Argentina\n\nCameroon's victory at Italia 90 changed the world's perception of African football. David Cannon/Getty Images\n\nDiego Maradona had taken the world by storm at the 1986 World Cup, delivering a succession of spectacular individual performances as Argentina claimed its secondd title.\n\nFour years later, the tournament was hosted by Italy and Maradona came into the World Cup having led Italian club Napoli to an iconic Serie A title.\n\nArgentina’s opponent in Italia 90’s opening match was a Cameroon team that had been knocked out of that year’s Africa Cup of Nations in the group stages and had recently recalled a then-38-year-old Roger Milla, who hadn’t played for the Indomitable Lions for three years.\n\nCameroon didn’t let Maradona play, practically fouling him every time the Argentine magician touched the ball – so much so that the African team ended the game with nine players.\n\nHowever, a second-half header from Francois Omam-Biyik was enough to earn Cameroon a famous victory.\n\nSouth Korea and Japan 2002: Senegal 1-0 France\n\nEl Hadji Diouf was African player of the year in 2001 and 2002. Eric Renard/Icon Sport/Getty Images\n\nFrance won the World Cup on home soil in 1998, beating Brazil 3-0 in the final, then won Euro 2000 two years later and was a strong favorite to retain its world title in South Korea and Japan.\n\nFrance’s first game was against a Senegal team making its debut at the World Cup.\n\nThe former French colony was clearly up for the match. With iconic players such as El Hadji Diouf, Khalilou Fadiga and current Teranga Lions head coach Aliou Cisse, Senegal went for the throat of its much-fancied opponent.\n\nDiouf produced a spectacular performance, but it was the unheralded Papa Bouba Diop who scrambled home the only goal of the game to secure a stunning victory for Senegal.\n\nThings went from bad to worse for France as the defending champion failed to reach the knockout stages, finishing bottom of its group.\n\nSpain 1982: Algeria 2-1 West Germany\n\nLike Saudi Arabia's team in Qatar, Algeria's team in 1982 consisted almost entirely of home-based players. Gerard Bedeau/Onze/Icon Sport/Getty Images\n\nAnother African nation making its debut, Algeria, took on West Germany in a group that would change the World Cup forever.\n\nWest Germany came into the game as one of the tournament favorites having won every single qualifying match. The team was so confident that manager Jupp Derwall said he would “jump on the first train back to Munich” in the event of a defeat.\n\nThat arrogance came back to haunt Derwall as a completely unknown Algeria team outplayed West Germany.\n\nThe North Africans took the lead in the 54th minute through Rabah Madjer, before Karl-Heinz Rummenigge leveled 13 minutes later. But straight from the kickoff, Algeria went up the other end of the pitch to retake the lead.\n\nDespite the famous victory, Algeria would not make it out of the group, in part because West Germany secured a 1-0 win against Austria – a result that put both European sides through to the next round at the expense of Algeria.\n\nEver since the “Disgrace of Gijón,” the final group matches at the World Cup have been played simultaneously.\n\nBrazil 1950: USA 1-0 England\n\nThe 1950 US team reached the semifinals, the country's highest ever finish at the tournament. Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images\n\nAhead of the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, football had been fully professional in England for decades, though this was the English team’s first appearance at a World Cup having chosen not to appear in the previous three tournaments.\n\nEngland was up against a US team comprising semi-professional and amateur players including a grave digger, a dish washer and a postman.\n\nBut those amateurs pulled off the first great World Cup upset as Joe Gaetjens’ glancing header near the end of the first half was enough to secure a remarkable win for the US.", "authors": ["Alasdair Howorth"], "publish_date": "2022/11/22"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/tennis/2014/06/09/bencic-date-krumm-win-at-birmingham/10230523/", "title": "Belinda Bencic, Kimiko Date-Krumm win at Birmingham", "text": "AP\n\nBIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — The youngest and oldest women in the world's top 100 won their opening matches Monday at the Aegon Classic, a grass court warm-up event for Wimbledon.\n\nSeventeen-year-old Belinda Bencic of Switzerland defeated fellow teenager Donna Vekic of Croatia 6-4, 6-4, while Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm, more than a quarter of a century Bencic's senior at the age of 43, overcame Paula Ormaechea 6-3, 6-1.\n\nBencic, who has been coached by Martina Hingis' mother, Melanie Molitor, is seen as one of the game's potential rising stars, winning two junior Grand Slam titles in 2013 at the French Open and Wimbledon. She next plays defending champion Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, who received a first-round bye.\n\nBencic struck the ball boldly against Vekic and responded quickly when the Croat rallied from a break down in each set.\n\n\"Of course I have dreams, but the dreams are so far away yet,\" Bencic said when asked about her goals in tennis. \"So I'm just enjoying every tournament and enjoying this year when I have no pressure and no points to defend.\"\n\nDate-Krumm, a semifinalist at Wimbledon in 1996, next faces the winner of the match between Puerto Rican Monica Puig and Switzerland's Stefanie Voegele.\n\nIf both Bencic and Date-Krumm win their next matches, they'll face each other. Bencic eliminated Date-Krumm in the first round of this year's Australian Open.\n\nIn other matches, 10th-seeded Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia was beaten by Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer 6-4, 6-4, and 13th-seeded Carolina Garcia of France lost to American Victoria Duval 6-2, 6-4.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2014/06/09"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/14/sport/tennis-legend-chris-evert-diagnosed-cancer-spt/index.html", "title": "Chris Evert diagnosed with cancer | CNN", "text": "CNN —\n\nTennis legend Chris Evert, who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam doubles titles in her career, said Friday she has been diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer.\n\nIn a Twitter post linking an ESPN article Evert co-wrote with ESPN journalist Chris McKendry, Evert said she wanted to share her diagnosis and story “as a way to help others.”\n\n“I feel very lucky that they caught it early and expect positive results from my chemo plan,” Evert wrote in a statement posted on Twitter. “Thanks to all of you for respecting my need to focus on my health and treatment plan.”\n\nEvert, 67, added she will appear from home at times during ESPN’s coverage of the Australian Open, which begins January 17.\n\nAfter Evert’s announcement, the Australian Open’s official Twitter account posted, “Thinking of you here and wishing you a speedy and full recovery.”\n\n“We are all with you and behind you Chrissie, you are a true champion and I have no doubt you will conquer this nasty opponent,” another tennis great and longtime rival of Evert, Martina Navratilova, wrote. The rivalry between the two women, which began in 1973 and lasted roughly 15 years, has been called the greatest in sports history. The two faced each other in 14 major finals.\n\nEvert is no stranger to fierce competitions and coming out a winner.\n\nBorn in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1954, Evert climbed to the No. 1 nationally ranked player in the Girls’ 14-under Division by the time she was 14. When she was 15, she defeated the No. 1-ranked player in the world at the time, Margaret Court, in a Charlotte, North Carolina, tournament.\n\nEvert turned professional when she turned 18 on December 21, 1972. Several months later, she faced – and defeated – Navratilova for the first time, in a women’s professional event in Akron, Ohio.\n\nJust four years into her professional career, Evert became the first female athlete to earn $1 million in career prize money.\n\nShe also became the first female athlete to host “Saturday Night Live,” in 1989, the same year she retired. Six years later, Evert became a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, becoming the fourth player to be elected unanimously.\n\nEvert holds 157 singles titles and was ranked No. 1 in the world for seven years: 1974 through 1978, 1980 and 1981.\n\nShe became a commentator and analyst for ESPN in 2011, a role she still holds today. Evert has three sons: Colton, Nicholas and Alexander.\n\nShe now operates the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Florida, according to ESPN.", "authors": ["Christina Maxouris"], "publish_date": "2022/01/14"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2015/10/19/high-school-report/74065098/", "title": "High school report", "text": "Appoquinimink\n\nAppoquinimink\n\nAppoquinimink High School students in the career and technical programs helped to host a fall mixer Oct. 7. Students prepared displays and offered tours and information about our innovative college and career pathways. Members of the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce and local representatives met with the students to learn more about the program.\n\nSophomore Brandon Gladden is an ambassador for the Wilmington Children's Chorus. As ambassador, he works to fulfill the chorus mission through community outreach, volunteerism and fundraising. He has been with the chorus for four years and recently traveled with the group on a Sister's Cities Foreign exchange program in Fulda, Germany.\n\nOn Oct. 9, the school’s Guidance Department took seniors Isaiah Pickett, Courtney McCrosson, Jade Dunning, Kaitlyn Olivas, Lizeth Vergara, Jada Carwell, Alexis Shoemaker, Hector DeJesus, Alexis Carmona, Tyshira Jones, Jacquie Javorski and Halie Johnson to Wilmington University’s New Castle campus. Students had an opportunity to speak with an admissions representative, tour the college campus and learn about the opportunities Wilmington University has to offer.\n\nDuring the Appoquinimink School District Board of Education meeting Oct. 13, the 2015 Baseball State Championship team was recognized by the superintendent and board members. State Reps. Kevin Hensley and Quinn Johnson presented proclamations from the Delaware House of Representatives and state Senate. Teammates Julian Kurych, Matt Alexander, Cole Rodriguez, Brett Willett, Joseph Otto and Chandler Fitzgerald accepted the honor on behalf of their championship team. The team's coach, William Cunningham, was also recognized as the Baseball Coach of the Year.\n\nAlso Oct. 13, the school participated in the Principal for the Day program by welcoming Middletown Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Roxane Ferguson. She visited classrooms, participated in student discussions and ate lunch with student leaders Brianna Janocha, Theodore Fessarus, Samantha Fortunato, Jared Soldo, Gina Guidice and Aurora Gunter. The lunch was prepared by students in Appoquinimink’s culinary arts program and hosted in the Cat Café.\n\nLinnea Bradshaw has taken 19 students to Japan, including six from Middletown High School and Appoquinimink’s social studies teacher John Hoffman. The Japan trip was completely funded by the Japanese Foreign Ministry under the auspices of the Kakehashi (Bridge for Tomorrow) Project. It promotes international understanding by bringing future leaders to Japan to see its culture and history. Students were to spend seven nights in Japan, both in the city and in countryside, visiting cultural sites, learning about high-tech industries, participating in a school visit and spending two nights in a homestay. The students who took the trip were Olivia Bedard, Kyle Bell, William Cantera, Colton Cassidy, Ryan Cruz, Laurel DellaValle, Jared Goodstadt, Owen Grabowski, Timothy Johnson Jr., Gregory Jones, Josiah Jones, Kyle Kruger, Shaayal Kumar, Grace Ly, Samarah Pagan, Kaitlin Perrotta, Chenoa Wingo, Deja Woodard and Zane Zaloga.\n\nBrandywine\n\nBrandywine\n\nBrandywine will honor the late former football coach Carmen Bianco prior to the football game with Dickinson at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. All the coach’s former players are invited to attend the game and should arrive no later than 10:15 a.m.\n\nBrandywine ended its Spirit Week Oct. 9 with a pep rally to get the entire school excited for the Homecoming weekend festivities. The rally was planned by Student Council President Gentry Meinecke, Vice President Maia Hill, Treasurer Eric Coffey and Secretary Alexa Crowell. The faculty adviser is Kenneth Rivera. Crowned at the pep rally, our underclassmen Homecoming Court was Zion Carr, Mr. Freshman; Kayla Sampson-Jones, Miss Freshman; Nick Ruggiero, Mr. Sophomore; Mikayla Purnell, Miss Sophomore; Darrien Caulk-Cooper, Mr. Junior; and Sandy Rico-Martinez, Miss Junior. At halftime of the Oct. 10 game against Glasgow High School, the Senior Homecoming Court winners were announced: Homecoming Queen, Aissata Bah; Homecoming King, Nycere Walker; first runners up, Skyler Lemma and Cory Ruggerio; and second runners up Nierra Montanez and Eric Coffey. The Homecoming Dance was held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.\n\n– Shannon Donovan\n\nMount Pleasant\n\nRehearsals have begun for the fall play, “Midsummer/Jersey.” The play, written by Ken Ludwig, is a high-octane retelling of William Shakespeare's “A Midsummer Night's Dream” set at the Jersey Shore. Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 19, 20 and Nov. 21.\n\nMath League will meet every other Wednesday in Room 119 at 2:30 p.m.\n\nInformation sessions for students and parents interested in the International Baccalaureate Programme at Mount Pleasant will be at 7 p.m. on Oct. 28 and Nov. 9 in the auditorium. For more information, call (302) 762-7054.\n\n– Hannah Gray\n\nChristina\n\nChristiana\n\nChristiana High School exploded with school spirit during Homecoming Week, leading up to the Oct. 10 football game and Homecoming Dance. Students had an opportunity to show their school spirit by participating in a school-wide decorating contest, Superhero Day, Throwback Thursday and Viking Friday. Senior Homecoming King Stevynjamaad Hawkins and Senior Homecoming Queen Najah Odrick were named Saturday at Christiana’s Viking football game against the Tatnall Hornets.\n\nChristiana High School Winter Sports Parent Information/and Meet the Coaches Night will be Oct. 22 at 6:30 p.m.\n\nGlasgow\n\nIn varsity football, the Glasgow Dragons defeated Brandywine High School 44-6. Isaiah Wilson was 10-16 for 259 yards and four touchdowns in the first half. Edgar Mena was on the receiving end of two of the touchdowns. Edgar finished the game with three catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Ja'saan Cunningham scored two touchdowns including a 40-yard punt return.\n\nIn varsity soccer, the Dragons defeated Brandywine High School 3-2. Tanner Fonjweng scored two goals and had an assist for the Dragons.\n\nIn boys cross country, the team finished second in the Christina Cup. Juwan Grant won with a recorded time of 17:49. Alexander Nieves finished fourth and Darius Blalock finished in fifth place. In girls cross country, the team finished second in the Christina Cup. Kayla Meadows won with a recorded time of 23:10.\n\nThe new date for Christina School District College Fair is Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Glasgow High School. Glasgow’s Meet the Coaches night for winter sports will be Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m.\n\nNewark\n\nNewark High School junior Angelique Shepard made it to the semi-finalist round in the 2015 National Business Plan Competition. This is Newark High School’s third year having a participant make the semi-finalist level.\n\nThe Delaware Nature Society thanked student volunteers from Newark High School for helping to make their Harvest Moon Festival fundraiser a success. Students helped with children's crafts and activities, farm interpretation, pony and tractor rides and other tasks.\n\nMembers of the 2015-2016 Newark High School Rude Mechanicals Improv comedy troupe will hold their first show Friday at 7 p.m. Donations of $3 at the door will benefit the Tri-State Bird Rescue.\n\nStudents are encouraged to attend a financial aid workshop on Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium. The workshop is free and open to all students in the Christina School District.\n\nRed Clay\n\nAlexis I. du Pont\n\nThe Sportsmanship Athletes of the Month for September are cross country teammate Erick Jones and girls’ volleyball player Caitlin Carbine, both seniors. The Coach of the Month for September is boys' soccer coach, Michael Morris. They will receive a framed certificate and have their pictures put on the hallway TV monitors and on TigersSports.com.\n\nThe athletics department would like to thank Coach Brian Derrickson and his Middletown boys' soccer players for making a donation of $110 to A.I.'s Make-A-Wish Donation Drive. The donation was made right before the A.I. versus Middletown boys' soccer game. The drive is being held during the fall sports season. A.I. will present the Make-A-Wish Foundation with a donation during halftime of the Nov. 6 football game.\n\nThe student council sent eight volunteers to the Harvest Moon Festival at Coverdale Farms and received a very nice letter of appreciation for their service. The counsil is now collecting funds for UNICEF and future plans include collecting food and canned goods for the Breakfast Mission.\n\nThe Key Club recently purchased a new Keurig's coffee maker and K-cups as a gift for the staff.\n\nHomecoming spirit weekis from Nov. 2 to Nov. 6. The Homecoming Dance is Nov. 7 at 8 p.m.\n\nSenior breakfast will be Nov. 6. Seniors need to pay dues by Nov. 3 in order to attend.\n\n– Victoria Kohl\n\nCab Calloway\n\nCab Calloway's High School Theatre Department is producing “A Christmas Carol.” The show dates are Nov. 6- Nov 8 with 7 p.m. shows Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. shows Saturday and Sunday.\n\nBrian DiSabatino was Cab Calloway's Principal For a Day Oct 12. He visited many arts and academic classes and shadowed dean Julie Rumschlag.\n\n– Meredith Lindsey\n\nConrad\n\nConrad Alumni will be holding a craft show Saturday in the gymnasium from 9 a.m. till 3 p.m.\n\nHealth Occupations Student Association nursing students Natalie Finch, Rolando Rivera, Chloe Connell, Albina Axhami, Emily Yeatman and Maryssa Borso are sponsoring a free Diabetes Education classin Conrad's Library. Classes will be every Tuesday through Nov. 17 from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.\n\nConrad has raised $1,061 from September's Dress Down Fundraiser. All proceeds go to Team Gleason, an organization dedicated to raising awareness and finding a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.\n\nCollege Financial Aid Night will take place in Conrad's library Wednesday at 6 p.m.\n\n– Cole McLaughlin\n\nDickinson\n\nThe canned food drive to benefit the Sunday Breakfast Mission runs through October. Homerooms are competing for the most cans collected and the winning homeroom will win free hoodies for each student in that homeroom.\n\nRod Ward, president of Corporation Service Company, spent the day serving as Principal for the Day last Friday.\n\nPrivate\n\nArchmere\n\nLocal young entrepreneur and Archmere Academy sophomore Shreyas Parab, chief executive officer of NovelTies, was selected as a national finalist by the Young Entrepreneurs Academy this summer. The Young Entrepreneurs Academy is a year-long program that teaches middle and high school students how to start and run their own businesses. As a finalist, Parab was invited to Bentonville, Arkansas, the corporate headquarters of the YEA national sponsor, Walmart/Sam's Club, to pitch his business to buyers, participate in supplier workshops, visit with chief executive officer Rosalind Brewer and experience the Walmart culture. Following the meeting, Walmart blogged about Parab and his company, and also announced in their post that he and NovelTies will be featured in the Sam's Club Showcase store soon.\n\n– Kylie Lavelle and Frances Buckley\n\nCaravel\n\nCaravel Academy's Women's Ensemble earned third place in the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire's Madrigal Singing Contest Oct. 7 when Caravel's 86 seniors (some dressed in costume) attended a re-creation of King Henry VIII and Queen Catherine's court in Manheim, Pennsylvania.\n\nAccompanying the choir were tambourine man Ryan Doyle, hand drummer Mike Peyton and flutist Matthew Hipkins. Accompanying the choir was junior Morgan Wallace as the choir teacher KellyBusovsky watched from the audience.\n\nOn a favorite annual trip, the seniors were shocked by the dungeon torture rooms and amazed by the hypnotist's crowd control along with experiencing many other insights into a world 500 years old.\n\nPadua\n\nSophomore runner, Lydia Olivere was coming off a big win at the Paul Short Invitational where she broke the 18-minute barrier in the 5k distance for the first time in her career at the 43rd Annual Manhattan Invitational. Olivere clocked 14:08 on the 2.5-mile course at VanCortlandt Park in New York setting a new sophomore course record, running the fastest time ever by a Delawarean and posting the 10th fastest time ever run by a high schooler in the history of the event. The young Padua runners also ran to victory in their inaugural run at VanCortlandt Park. The Freshman squad consisting of Abby Vanderloo, Catherine Hogan, Madelyn Williams, Shannon McCartney and Celie Krienen placed 10th,11th,12th,13th and 14th respectively, crowning them the team winners. This is the first time Padua has won a freshman race at this event.\n\nIn continuing efforts to have Padua students meet with a variety of college and university representatives from across the nation, Padua hosted University of Georgia representative, Melinda DeMaria, in a Skype high school visit. Two students met with DeMaria and discussed the value and advantages of attending University of Georgia and about its scholarship programs and honors college. Padua is hosting over 120 college visits this year and look to continue to take advantage of the technology we have to increase that number each year.\n\nLast week, Richard Beno's Introduction to Photography class visited Longwood Gardens. They worked on shutter speed adjustments to capture moving water and aperture adjustments to take close-ups.\n\nOn Oct. 3, the Class of 1965 celebrated their 50th reunion. Some class members stopped by for a tour of our school with Brother Mike.\n\nSanford\n\nToday is also Grandparent's Day. Grandparents or special guardians of Sanford students are invited to come to school from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. to spend the day touring the school's campus and classrooms.\n\nNext Tuesday, the 11th grade is going to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.\n\n– Olivia Civiletti\n\nSt. Elizabeth\n\nChem Club meets today and will hold its most popular event of the year, The Tie Dye Project.\n\nSpirit Week kicks off Monday with activities leading up to the Homecoming football game Oct. 30, and the Homecoming Dance Oct. 31.\n\nThe first marking period ends Wednesday, and report cards will be distributed on Nov. 4.\n\nSt. E students in Freshman Art Orientation, Digital Art,and Art 1, led by Jen Mrozek, have their work on display at Jerry's Artarama, 704 North Market Street in Wilmington, as part of the October Art Loop. The show is called \"The Imagined Life,\" inspired by Henry David Thoreau's quote \"Live the life you imagined.\" Subjects range from Pope Francis to reflective still life images to a Zentangle painting and all work is available for purchase.\n\n– Dylan Gerstley\n\nSt. Mark's\n\nOn Oct. 10 during Saint Mark’s High School’s Alumni Weekend, hundreds of former students from the classes of ’75, ’90, ’00, ’05 and ’10 reconnected and celebrated in the gymnasium with DJ Master G (George Kramedas) spinning multi-genre & multi-generational tunes. The event kicked off with an open bar and heavy hor d’oeuvres, followed by dinner, an interactive photo booth and Spartan give-a-ways.\n\nSt. Thomas More\n\nTwenty-five St. Thomas More Academy students have joined Champions’ Club, a 55-and-over community next to the Magnolia school, in a joint service project. Students are working with community residents on a one-acre landscaped grove in what was formerly part of the Jonathan’s Landing golf course.\n\nSt. Thomas More students designed the grove with the assistance of the school’s art department, and researched and selected 75 trees for planting with help from the science department. Once the trees are planted, students will help maintain the grove.\n\nThe students’ work will count towards their required 25 hours of annual community service and promote the mission to “use God given gifts and gospel values” of service to others.\n\nA roll out ceremony to officially start the project will be Nov. 6 at 1:30 p.m. at the site. All are welcome.\n\nTatnall\n\nTatnall’s 2016 National Merit Commended Scholars are Bennett Atwater '16, Joy Lee '16, Victoria McDonald '16, Amanda Meixner '16, Michaella Moore '16, Emily Rose '16 and Ben von Duyke '16. They all placed in the top 5 percent of more than 1.5 million students who took the 2014 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.\n\nOn Oct. 9, Tatnall held its first \"Hive Is Alive\" Fun Run in celebration of the school's 85th anniversary. Students, families, grandparents, alumni and friends came together to run, jog and walk along the 1.75-mile course on Tatnall's campus. The top 10 finishing students were Sasha Latina '19 (10:41), Sam Ginn '19 (10:56), Donald Kerr '16 (10:56), Fernando Garcia '16 (11:16), Beau Neff '19 (11:16), Joey Garrett '16 (11:26), Max Hardin '18 (11:27), Austin Leshock '18 (11:28), Gunnar Light '20 (11:53) and Andre Latina '22 (11:53).\n\nOver the past several weeks, Tatnall students have been busily preparing for the 2015 Playbill production \"Pippin.\" Focusing on the issues facing today's Millennials, such as the impact of growing up \"online,\" cyber-bullying and the pervasiveness of reality TV, Tatnall students and faculty have incorporated current technology into the performance to reimagine this classic show for a new generation. \"Pippin\" asks audiences the question: In a world where \"selfies\" and \"likes\" equal self-esteem, what does it mean to live an \"extraordinary\" life? The show will be performed Nov. 5, Nov. 6 and Nov. 7. Admission is $10.\n\nEarlier this month, students in Dean Goodwin's and Sharon Kreamer's AP Environmental Science classes attended a lecture by Ian Hutton at the Delaware Museum of Natural History. He is a recognized conservationist, curator and photographer. After the lecture, Tatnall's students joined Hutton for lunch.\n\nTower Hill\n\nElizabeth C. “Bessie” Speers was installed as Tower Hill’s 10th Head of School in a Oct. 2 ceremony. Thomas G. Speers III opened the ceremony with an invocation that also included speeches by board chair Earl J. Ball III, trustee Michelle Shepherd and AIMS executive director Peter F. Baily. The featured speaker was John M. McCardell Jr., vice-chancellor of the University of the South and president emeritus of Middlebury College. Mrs. Speers was presented with gifts from all three divisions of the school, and she presented Ball and Assistant Head of School Harry N. Baetjer III with the Founders’ Achievement Award.\n\nOn Oct. 3, the football team beat Tatnall and Red Lion, the field hockey team defeated St. Andrew’s, the soccer team beat Tatnall, St. Andrew’s and William Penn; the volleyball team played an exciting game against Wilmington Friends and Padua Academy, and the cross country team had a strong showing in a tri-meet versus St. Andrew’s and Centreville-Layton. The field hockey team defeated Tatnall School, William Penn High School and Wilmington Friends.\n\nTower Hill students attended the Survivors of Abuse and Rehabilitation Ostrich 5K Run/Walk Oct. 12. Students were given a chance to run or walk with their friends, while also donating to an important cause. Members of both the Jefferson Awards Students in Action Team and the cross country team participated.\n\nOn Oct. 13, Tower Hill alum Gracie Firestone '11 spoke to Upper School students at an assembly about making a difference in the community and overcoming obstacles, citing her foundation, Let The Kids Play, as an example.\n\nBetsy Cox spoke to Upper School students Oct. 15 about her work with film. Cox produces and directs films that focus on social issues. Upper School students had previously seen her film, “Southeast 67,” about 67 students working to combine their college dreams with their turbulent communities.\n\n– Jade Olurin\n\nUrsuline\n\nSeniors Jacquelyn Kepley, Kaitlin Coviello, Emma Derr, Katherine Hosey, Brooke Schaen, Bailey Garrison, Alexandra Perna, Lauren DePiero, Maeve Russo, Alexis Jeynes, Caroline Morris, Maryam Pasdar and Olivia Hatton who have been named AP Scholars. They are among the 42 Ursuline students, including those who graduated in 2015, who received this honor after taking last year's Advanced Placement exams.\n\nUrsuline students will participate in the Ursuline/Salesianum Flag Football Tournament from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday Ursuline's Serviam Field. Spectator tickets will be $5 and all donations will support SALSthon.\n\nUrsuline's first musical production, “You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.\n\nUrsuline's student ambassadors have been preparing for the Middle/Upper School Open House Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. The ambassadors plan student run tours and form a panel so that prospective students and parents can ask questions about what it's like to be an Ursuline girl.\n\nSpecial thanks to Ursuline senior Jena Awad '16 and sophomore Yara Awad '18 for working to collect winter clothes for the Syrian refugees. They organized the clothing drive and designed a challenge for each grade and teachers to compete to see who could collect the most clothes.\n\nUrsuline held its Upper School Student Council Installation and Honors Assembly. New student officers were inducted for each class and 70 students were honored for receiving highest and first honors.\n\n– Lauren DePiero\n\nWilmington Christian\n\nAuditions for the winter musical “Cinderella” will be today and tomorrow from 4:30 p.m. till 6:30 p.m. with callbacks Saturday from 10 a.m. till 12 p.m. Time slots and audition information is posted on the high school drama bulletin board.\n\nA 2016 Budapest informational meeting for parents and students will be Monday at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.\n\nThe end of the first marking period is Oct. 30.\n\nPam Love, assistant athletic director and varsity field hockey coach, scored her 300th career field hockey win. Love, who has been coaching at the school since 1984, is currently in her 32nd season. Team players celebrated by giving her flowers and making posters. The team was all smiles as they posed with Love for the historical photo.\n\n– Robin Foster and Rebecca Soistmann\n\nWilmington Friends\n\nCongratulations to volleyball co-captain, junior Alyssa Nathan, who recorded her 1,000th career assist in a conference match against Sanford Oct. 7.\n\nOpen House for families interested in grades 6-12 at Wilmington Friends will be Sunday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Interested families may register in advance on the school website, www.wilmingtonfriends.org or contact admissions@wilmingtonfriends.org.\n\nThe College Guidance Office hosts the annual \"First Steps\" college program for freshmen and sophomores tonight; parents are also invited to attend the optional program. Follow the blog written by Director of College Guidance Kathleen Martin on the school website homepage.\n\nTomorrow morning, Head of Upper School Rebecca Zug and Upper School Dean for Students Lynn Puritz-Fine will host a coffee for parents of students in grades 9-12. Parents are encouraged to \"bring your questions and your reusable coffee cup.\"\n\n– Alex del Tufo", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2015/10/19"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2014/05/14/crossroads-high-school-report/9101897/", "title": "Crossroads: High School Report", "text": "Submitted\n\nBrandywine\n\nBrandywine\n\nThe Annual Spring Conference/Food Show for Delaware School Nutrition Association selected Angelica Dennis, Stephanie Hudson, Federico Narducci, Doug Till, Eric Quick, Gracie Hudson, Anna Sheeky, Stephanie Guzman, Alvie Hossain and Alyssa Street to showcase their mural Saturday at the Chase Center on the Riverfront.\n\nSeniors selected Gracie Hudson and Michael Gallo to speak at graduation.\n\nThe Brandywine Alumni Association is offering two $500 scholarships. Each applicant must submit a two-paragraph essay outlining how the money will be used; what their post-high school plans will be, their volunteer activities while in high school and how they showed their school spirit. The deadline is Friday.\n\nThe Brandywine High School District Dance Department will hold its spring dance concert at 7 tonight.\n\nThe chorale competed May 3 in its first regional competition in some time received a rating of excellent.\n\nOn April 16, the Key Club made blankets for Fleece for Keeps, an organization that donates fleece blankets to foster children. It also donated $100 toward the cost of the blankets, which will be presented at the induction ceremony Tuesday.\n\nFive Food Prep and Production students were servers for Transition Night and offered guests a variety of hors d'oeuvres prepared by the students: Isys Driver, Madeleine Wragg, Korryn McCullough, Angelica Zamarripa and Adrian Latney.\n\nJunior Meredith Sobus was re-elected state FCCLA president. It's her third time as a state officer.\n\nFive students helped with Rita's First Day of Spring promotion at the Claymont location. Ciaira Carver, a graduate and FPP pathway completer, is in charge of marketing for this location. She asked CTE teachers at BHS for volunteers who were given an inside look at how the business operates. FPP participants were Luke Wood, Isabel Torres, Zeni Marshall, Selina Davis and Marcus Brunswick.\n\nOfficers for the 2014-2015 Student Council are Secretary Meghan Ruoff, Treasurer Ben Pradell, Vice President Connor Michels and President Colin Michels. They attended the Congressional Delegation Youth Conferenceat Delaware State University last month.\n\nSuperior Court Judge M. Jane Brady visited Ms. Leonard's intro to law class on Monday to celebrate National Law Related Education Week. She shared some of her experiences on the bench as well as her prosecution of some cases as attorney general which received national acclaim. Additionally, she spoke about \"Why Every Vote Matters\" in order to commemorate the 1965 Voting Rights Act.\n\nEric Quick\n\nMount Pleasant\n\nThis Saturday, the last aluminum recycling event to benefit the school band, hosted by the Band Boosters, will be held. At any point from 8 a.m. to noon, Wilmington residents wishing to help the school band and promote environmental health are encouraged to come to the school parking lot. Household aluminum items can be dropped of here, including cans, siding, ladders, door or window frames, gas grill parts and scrap items.\n\nOn June 3, the National Honor Society will host its last Nelson's BBQ Fundraiser. The event will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Available for sale are rack rib and chicken meals, for $13 and $8 (respectively). Meals can be pre-ordered from National Honor Society members and picked up in the student parking lot (near the stadium). All meals include a soda, side dish, and roll.\n\nSeniors who have not yet purchased prom tickets are asked to do so in the next few days. Please see class officers or Kelli Bradley for more details. Prom will be followed by the after-prom party; those tickets are $15 and available to purchase at lunch. When purchasing the after-prom tickets, bring the (casal) clothes you intend to wear, and these will be ready at the party location on May 27 for you to change into from your prom attire.\n\nCommencement will be held June 1 in the Bob Carpenter Center, and is an invitation-only event.\n\nSydney Nye\n\nChristina\n\nChristiana\n\nThe girls and boys basketball teams visited the Ronald McDonald House in Wilmington on May 3 and 4 to help families in need. Players (and coaches) planted flowerpots throughout the outdoor facility and assisted with yardwork. In addition, the teams took a tour to learn more about the history of the Ronald McDonald House and each team raised and donated $200.\n\nOn May 1, juniors Sitta Dunbar, Alice Solanke and Michelle Reyes attended the Explore Engineering Day at DuPont Co.. The event was designed to encourage women to become engineers and to learn about the diversity of jobs that engineers perform. The students were assigned to teams with students from other high schools, which then brainstormed and solved engineering problems such as designing a switch for a dance pad, making a kicking machine or a solar car. The students also had an opportunity to learn from six female engineers the career paths they took to become employed at DuPont.\n\nGlasgow\n\nIn boys lacrosse,Glasgow defeated Dickinson, 13-3. Logan Malloy scored four goals. Nick Coleman and John Lewis each scored three goals while Thomas Bolin and Trevor Harrison scored a goal each. In girls softball,Glasgowdefeated Delaware Public Safety and Security, 17-1. In boys baseball,Glasgow won 8-4 in six innings against Dickinson.\n\nIn girls tennis,Glasgow defeated McKean, 3-2. Jackie Cornejo defeated her opponent in the Second Singles 6-2, 6-2. Samantha Hogan defeated her opponent in the Third Singles 6-0, 7-6. Rebecca Hall and Abigaie Hamilton defeated their opponents in the Second Doubles 7-6, 7-6.\n\nIn boys track and field, the team competed in the Caravel Invitational. Kwasi Amponsah finished first in the 100 meter. Raul Romero and Alexandre Nieves finished first in the 800 meter. Shareef Flowers finished first in the shot put.\n\nJobs for Delaware Graduates students participated in the Delaware Career Association and Jobs for Delaware Graduates Awards Ceremony held May 2. Zachary Levine received an honorable mention for interview skills.\n\nSarah Pyle Academy\n\nBefore Spring Break, Sarah Pyle Academy began to lay the foundation for the school's Peace Garden. The flower garden and patio space will be used by students as a \"classroom without walls.\" Students will be exposed to the natural elements of the garden while using its resources to supplement and enhance their learning experience. Sarah Pyle thanks employees of CSD's Grounds Maintenance Department, who were a wonderful asset to the beginning stages of the garden. Bob Dougherty from Angerstein's Building Supply donated landscape materials for the project and Gerber Masonry installed the garden wall. Within the next few weeks, the Sarah Pyle community will begin planting seeds of learning, peace, and change.\n\nRed Clay\n\nAlexis I. du Pont\n\nThe A.I. Blended Learning group has been recognized as a 2014 Superstar in Education recipient.\n\nStudents participated in the RCCSD Art Show at the Delaware Art Museum. The display which includes paintings, drawings, sculpture and ceramics will be on display until May 18. The annual school art show will be held on May 21 in the art room.\n\nSophomores Jordan Washam and Nicholas Rapko represented A.I. in the 26th Annual Driver Education Competition at Dover Downs on April 16. Washam ranked 40th out of 118 students. Rapko ranked ninth out of 118 students and received a plaque for his effort.\n\nSenior Jeff Chubbs, who plays tennis, and freshman Megan Shockley, who plays softball,are the Sportsmanship Athletes of the month for May.\n\nConrad\n\nThis year's prom was a success with 240 students and 36 faculty members enjoying the evening at the DuPont Country Club. Dinner and a dessert buffet were followed by dancing and a chance for students to be together with their friends and classmates. Thanks to junior class adviser Chris Sanna and volunteers for making the night one to remember.\n\nThe Future Farmers of America is collecting new and used supplies for all pets from dogs and cats to\n\nreptiles and birds. These supplies will be going to all animal organizations around New Castle County to help with the increasing populations of unwanted pets in shelters and rehabilitation centers.\n\nThe eighth-grade formal dance in Conrad's gym, sponsored by the Conrad PTO, will take place 7 to 10 p.m. Friday. Tickets will be on sale in the cafeteria during lunch. Eighth-graders wishing to bring a guest must give a completed, signed dance guest form to Dr. Fitzgerald or Mr. Vincent no later than noon today. Guests must be no older than 16 and at least in the sixth grade. Forms are available in the main office or on the Conrad website.\n\nEighth-grader Patrick Elliott has been chosen as the state winner in the SunWise sun safety poster contest.\n\nThe international travel group has planned their next educational tour to Costa Rica during spring break 2015. High school students and their families will have the opportunity to travel together and enjoy a diversity of adventures.\n\nDavid Ragolia has earned the Boy Scouts' highest rank, Eagle. Only 2 percent of Scouts persevere through the obstacles required to become an Eagle Scout. Qualifications are 12 hours of community service, 21 distinctive merit badges, 12 of which are required, and an Eagle Scout project.\n\nAlexia Scott\n\nDelaware Military\n\nThe Delaware Military Academy had ites annual Awards and Promotion Ceremony on May 1. During the ceremony, the new Regimental and Battalion leaders were named to lead the Corps of Cadets into the 2014/ 2015 school year. The following cadets who were promoted are: regimental commanding officer, Cadet Cmd. James Trentham; regimental executive officer, Cadet Lt. Cmd. Michael Leonard; Alpha Battalion commanding officer, Cadet Lt. Matthew Wiegner; Bravo Battalion commanding officer, Cadet Lt. Joseph Czajkowski; Alpha Battalion executive officer, Cadet Lt. Megan Glanz, and Bravo Battalion executive officer, Cadet Lt. James Gebhart.\n\nMay is Military Appreciation Month. Thank a military service member for their patriotism.\n\nThe marching Seahawk band and mixed choir performed at the recent Music in the Parks at Carowinds Amusement Park in North Carolina. The choir received a trophy for the ranking of excellent. The band also brought home a first place trophy and scored a 92.3 in competition, earning them the rank of Superior.\n\nDespite having missed a number of school days this year because of weather issues, the school already had a number of extra hours built into the school calendar, and a number of days were forgiven by the state. Underclassmen are not required to make up any additional hours. However, the state mandates that seniors complete 1,030 hours, and Delaware Military is a few short. Therefore, May 23 and May 27 will be full days for seniors. These days were originally half days for senior exams. Exams will still be held in the morning with regular classes in the afternoon. It is imperative that seniors attend school on these afternoons. If a cadet needs to be here for an exam in the morning, we expect that they will stay for the afternoon classes unless they have a legitimate appointment in the afternoon. If they do not have an exam in the morning, we ask that they sign in prior to 11 a.m. on these two days. If you have any questions, contact Mrs. Certesio.\n\nCiara Rice, Bria Burton and Mariah Shuster competed last weekend in Wildwood, N.J., with the competitive indoor color guard team sponsored by Cab Calloway High School. The team competed in the Scholastic Intermediate division against 90 other teams comprised of all high school students. These girls finished in second place, bringing home a silver medal. Their commitment to a 15-hour-a week rehearsal schedule since November paid off.\n\nBrittany Carson\n\nDickinson\n\nTwo dozen athletes visited Pulaski Elementary School Friday to read and mentor first-graders. The effort was led by football coach Donavon Alderman and included members of most of the school's athletic teams.\n\nDistinguished Honor Roll students for the third marking period included freshmen Camryn Blake,\n\nIsabel Crowther, Sarah Gotthold, Madeline Hornung, Emily Jones, Amanda Korwek, Isaac Rodriguez, Karelin Torres and Alejandra Villalobos; juniors Habibullah Aslam, Milly Brea-Lorenzo, Zuzana Mohrova, Harshil Patel and Matthew Stormer and seniors Amanda Birowski, Anthony Chen, Stephanie McGuire and Kesean Young.\n\nThe junior-senior prom takes place from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday at the Hockessin Memorial Hall. The theme is \"Promise You the Stars.\"\n\nSenior final examinations begin Monday. See teachers for the exact schedule.\n\nThe senior awards banquet will be held at 1 p.m. May 22 in the auditorium. Parents are welcome to attend.\n\nMcKean\n\nThe Spring Sports Awards Ceremony will takie place at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the cafeteria.\n\nThe Spring Music Concert is May 22.\n\nA Pep Rally will be held in the gym Friday.\n\nFinals for seniors begin Tuesday.\n\nToday's WMHS Music Party theme will be \"Your Song II.\" Tune in at 2:30p.m. on WMHS 88.1 FM.\n\nMoises Velazquez\n\nCharter\n\nDelaware Academy\n\nEarlier this year the Delaware Academy of Public Safety and Security's Jayteens were welcomed to Delaware Jaycees state convention, and while there were able to bring home three membership awards. As being a part of the Delaware Jaycees Year-End Member Drive the DAPSS Jayteens were given an award for being the Junior Jaycees Competition Champion in the area of membership. Members aim to continue their service over the summer as well.\n\nThe girls soccer team is enjoying its five wins is a great record with more to come. Coaches are Mr.\n\nMiller and Mr. Bais.\n\nPeople are encouraged to support the baseball and softball teams at their remaining games. The boys baseball team has four wins. The softball girls notched their first win in a 29-run game against Dickenson\n\nThe National Honor Society inducted five this spring: J.C. Wissler, Katy Wheatley, Courtney Sweetman, Jessica Cousineau and Lejan Castro.\n\nThe first junior prom invited guests to begin a tradition of celebrating this rite of passage. The class will be the school's first senior class.\n\nClara Sabato\n\nNew Moyer\n\nThe junior-senior prom \"Under the Stars\" takes place May 23 on the Spirit of Philadelphia Cruise. See Leslie Fanning for information and tickets.\n\nJoin Moyer Academy in the Fitness Challenge at the Wilmington Grand Prix Saturday. Help win money for the school and get a chance to compete in basketball, baseball, tennis and cycling. If you're interested, talk to assistant principal Christopher Bennett.\n\nThe first \"Moyer's Got Talent\" show is coming June 6. Standup comedy, dance, art, music, singing -- all kinds of entertainers will appear on The New Moyer Academy stage. All will compete for trophies and monetary gifts. Contact the school for more information.\n\nThe senior graduation ceremony will take place June 13 and will be held at the Delaware Theatre Company.\n\nThe last full day of school for seniors is June 12. The last day of school for all underclassmen is June 20.\n\nNew Moyer Academy is still enrolling for grades six through 12 for fall of 2014 and space is limited. Call (302) 428-9501 for more information or go to www.thenewmoyeracademy.org.\n\nLeonard Young\n\nNewark Charter\n\nStudents who participated in the April 29 Technology Student Association state competition held their own against other high school teams. Santoshi Kandula and Olivia Johnson won first place for \"Technology Problem Solving\" and Shaily Patel, Ravina Shasti, Santoshi Kandula and Olivia Johnson for third place in \"Fashion Design.\"\n\nRumi Khan and Josh Davis were awarded first place for \"Video Game Design.\"\n\nPrem Krishnaprasad won the first schoolwide chess tournament hosted by the Gaming Club. After a grueling match that lasted 1 1/2 hours against runner-up Karl Theopald, Prem was able to seize control and emerged victorious. This intense battle of wits will not be forgotten any time soon.\n\nOn May 2, musicians from band, chorus and orchestra traveled to Hershey, Pennsylvania, to participate in the Music in the Parks competition. Each ensemble placed in either the \"Superior\" or \"Excellent\" categories.\n\nSpring concerts included Csilla Lakatos's orchestra on Tuesday. Kelly Kline's choir sings at 6:30 tonight. Finally, Sam Bisaro's band is scheduled to play at 6:30 pm. Wednesday.\n\nLuci Ostheimer\n\nPrivate\n\nArchmere\n\nSenior Chris Curcio was named the News Journal's Athlete of the Week for his outstanding performances this rugby season. Arizona and Kutztown, one of the nation's top 15-man rugby programs, recruited Curcio before he committed to St. Joseph's two weeks ago. He received a scholarship and will play both 15-man and sevens for the Hawks while majoring in pre-med.\n\nSenior and starting pitcher Sean Deely came through both on the mound and in the batter's box as the fifth-ranked Auks defeated Hodgson, 3-2 on Saturday. Deely pitched a complete game, demonstrating pinpoint command through all seven frames as he held the Silver Eagles to just two runs on six hits while striking out ten. Deely also had a monster day at the plate, going two for two with a homerun, two RBI and a walk. The Auks (10-2) will look to continue their three-game winning streak Tuesday when they face Tatnall (9-4).\n\nJunior Jack Dianastasis will receive the national Catholic Youth Ministry's St. Timothy National Award at its annual dinner at Dover Downs this month. Jack was nominated for the award through his efforts as a CCD teaching assistant of the eighth-grade class at St. Joseph's on the Brandywine parish, which he has been doing almost every Sunday morning since September 2013. The St. Timothy National Youth Award is the highest recognition from the NFCYM for a diocese to confer to a junior or senior high school youth.\n\nArchmere's cast and crew of the West Chester University Drama Club Competition play \"Asylum\" took home three awards at Wednesday's competition. Freshman Keelin Reilly was named \"Best Actor\" and the crew was awarded \"Best Scenic Design\" and \"Best Show at Competition.\"\n\nThe entrepreneurial team of juniors Devon O'Dwyer, Payas Parab and Raylin Xu took home first place in the Diamond Challenge for High School Entrepreneurs. The team's online tutoring proposal also earned them $7,500. Archmere also will receive $1,000 to further promote entrepreneurial activities and education. The Diamond Challenge competition gives students real-world experience in developing a business plan. Students present their ideas to a panel of judges, comprised of local business professionals. Business plans are judged on their feasibility and growth potential.\n\nSophomore Mareike Van Wie received recoginiton from the Delaware Saengerbund and Library Association for her outstanding performance in the written German exam. Mareike placed first in Delaware.\n\nThe fall production of \"The Curious Savage\" received three nominations for Cappie awards this year: Best Comedic Actress in a Play, junior Savannah Quinn; Best Actress in a Play, junior Anna South, and Best Costume Design, junior Claire Caverly.\n\nKendall Aulen\n\nCaravel\n\nJunior Rebecca Winer's synchronized ice skating team ranked second at the Eastern Sectionals in Hershey, Pennyslvania, this year and qualified for Nationals in Colorado Springs, where the team ranked ninth at the junior level. Having skated since the age of 4, Becky has passed senior (gold) moves, intermediate pairs and intermediate freestyle and is working toward pre-cold ice dance and novice freestyle. She has been synchronized skating for Team Delaware for seven competitive years. Becky has qualified for nationals for five competitive seasons, all while teaching classes to new skaters.\n\nSenior Brandon Stacy recently earned first place in the pole vault event at the prestigious and highly competitive Penn Relays.\n\nSenior Abhishek Rao was chosen as one of 565 semifinalists to advance to the final round of the 2014 Presidential Scholars, a program that began this year with more than 3 million seniors.\n\nFairwinds Christian\n\nThe school year is quickly coming to an end. The senior class Baccalaureate will be held Sunday and graduation May 22.\n\nThe Palooza will be held from 8:15 to noon May 29. Please pay the $3 by May 23.\n\nThe last SBC breakfast will be held Friday, May.\n\nKara Gallaher\n\nPadua\n\nJuniors Virginia Rodowsky and Ali Ferver received awards at the Girl's High School Art Show on the Avenue of the States in Chester, Pennsylvania. Virginiareceived first place for an etching. Ali was awarded Best Work of Art by a High School Girl for her scratchboard.\n\nSeniors Lara Ballintyn, Jennifer Borio, Sarah Cushing, Amy Horney, Ashley Muschiatti, Angelina Spadaccini, Shannon Steiner, Samantha Szurkowski, Lucy Vavala and Erin Wendelburg received the St. Francis de Sales medal from Bishop Malooly April 30. The award recognizes seniors for excelling in faith development, scholarship, service, leadership and citizenship.\n\nSophomores Marguerite Beane, Anastasia Hutnick and Sarah Wenyon competed in the final round of the Diamond Challenge on Wednesday April 30. This event is an entrepreneurial education competition where participants learn how to conceive and test new ideas for new businesses and social enterprises.\n\nSophomores Meghan Hanson and Alexandra Roat came in third for their design of the State Math poster. They will be honored at a reception at Wilmington University today and also will be given a monetary award.\n\nGraduation practices are scheduled for Wednesday, May 22, 27 and 28. These generally run from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.\n\nThe senior textbook buyback will be held May 22. The remaining grades may sell their books on June 4 and June 5.\n\nFor 2 Dimensional Art in the Ninth- and 10th-Grade Category, Tayler Blair was placed third for her pencil drawing. Emma Braun received third for her linoleum print and collage. They will receive awards at a ceremony at Moore College of Art June 2.\n\nSeniors Lara Ballintyn, Jennifer Borio, Sarah Cushing, Amy Horney, Ashley Muschiatti, Angelina Spadaccini, Shannon Steiner, Samantha Szurkowski, Lucy Vavala and Erin Wendelburg received the St. Francis de Sales medal from Bishop Malooly on April 30. The award recognizes senior students for excelling in faith development, scholarship, service, leadership and citizenship.\n\nSophomores Marguerite Beane, Anastasia Hutnick and Sarah Wenyon competed in the final round of the Diamond Challenge on April 30. The Diamond Challenge is an entrepreneurial education competition where participants learn how to conceive and test new ideas for new businesses and social enterprises\n\nAbby Strusowski\n\nSalesianum\n\nStudents Jacob Vassalotti, Andrew Insley and Joseph Lawless were part of the team that took first at a STEM competition at the University of Delaware. Students from various schools were divided into interscholastic teams, and competed in various events throughout the day. Teams participated in four stations which tested our knowledge in math, biology, civil engineering and chemical engineering.\n\nStudents had to estimate the absorbency of a baby diaper (chem engineering), solve tough math problems involving algebra and geometry (math), find mutations (bio) and build a sturdy structure with limited wooden materials which was then tested on a shake plate (civil engineering). Numerous students from Salesianum were on the top three teams. This was the first year of the competition, which was run by a group of students studying STEM known as the Colbourn Crew.\n\nFour students were recognized April 26, for their outstanding performance on the 2014 National German Contest, Level 3. Sophomore Aidan Drake received a cash prize from the Delaware Saengerbund for achieving the highest score in Delaware, the 94th national percentile, at that level. Freshman Kai Barniak and juniors Kyle Jones and Phillip Vavala received silver awards from the German Embassy for scoring at the 85th percentile nationwide.\n\nAwards were presented by the Philadelphia Vicinity and Delaware Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of German, at a ceremony held in Philadelphia at the Cannstatter Volksfest Verein. The contest is administered each January, and this year nearly 22,000 students participated nationwide.\n\nSophomore Michael Hirst also received a silver award for scoring above the 80th percentile. Three more level three students received bronze awards for scoring above the 70th national percentile: Juniors Jacob Ward and Michael Stroh and senor William Beck. Receiving certificates of achievement for scoring above the 60th national percentile was junior Patrick Sweeney.\n\nSeveral students have received Jefferson Awards, presented by the Jefferson Awards: Students in Action team, a club dedicated to promoting service in the community and recognizing the extraordinary service performed by Salesianum students. They are:\n\nSenior Daulton Gregory is a leader on the football and wrestling teams and uses his athletic and leadership skills to help others. As a member of the Blue Gold Foundation, Daulton has spent several hours each week fostering a friendship with his Blue Gold buddy. In addition, Daulton volunteers with the Mid Atlantic Wrestling Association, teaching children with disabilities to wrestle and have fun doing it.\n\nSenior Vincent Vella helped pack and deliver 40 care packages distributed to needy families in and around the St. Anthony of Padua community during Christmas time. In addition to the care packages, he volunteers many hours to the many ministries of the church. He also volunteered numerous hours for the annual Italian Festival.\n\nJunior John Filosa dedicated his summer to the Sterile Processing Department which supplies the operating room with the instruments needed at Riddle Memorial Hospital. John's work at the hospital aided the surgeons in their work and contributed to the successful recovery of many patients. In addition to his medical volunteer work, John raised money for medical research and was integral in the execution of the Autism Walk. John's work has had a positive impact on the people he served directly at the hospital and those benefiting from his work for the autism community.\n\nStephen Ryan\n\nSanford\n\nUpper school band and choir students traveled to New York City for three days to perform for Léman Manhattan Preparatory School and attend a clinic with professionals working in New York City. The students also visited fun attractions including The Jekyll and Hyde Club, \"The Ride\" interactive bus tour experience, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and Ripley's Believe It or Not Odditorium. They also watched the Broadway show \"Bullets Over Broadway\" and had the opportunity to eat with members of the cast.\n\nLed by senior Christopher Malafronti, students performed their first student-directed play, Neil Simon's \"The Good Doctor.\" The show featured seniors Bryan McLellan and Emma Heberton, juniors Kate Holden and Emma Ziesing and sophomore Justin McLellan.\n\nRecently, third-graders crafted toys and supplies for Faithful Friends Animal Society, an animal rescue and hospital located in Wilmington. Teachers Katherine Stafford, Christine DiUbaldo and Candyce Pizzala helped the students, making five dog blankets, 93 bookmarks and 239 cat toys.\n\nBrooke Finnicum\n\nSt. Elizabeth\n\nThe Middle States Mid-Point Review has been approved without any revisions or monitoring issues resulting in continued accreditation for St. Elizabeth High School until May 1, 2018. The agency will initiate the reaccreditation process in the spring of 2016.\n\nSeniors Morgan Corey and Joe Schiavoni were named prom queen and king and juniors Julia Short and Dean Herrick were named prom princess and prince at the prom on May 2.\n\nThe senior physical education class enjoyed the annual canoeing trip on May 6.\n\nOn May 9 in St. Elizabeth Church, seniors who had performed more than 200 service hours were honored as part of the annual May Crowning and Service Awards ceremony. They are Leigh Bernetich, 706; Jessica Charney, 597; Myriah Wadley, 478; Gabrielle Kohl, 385; Chelsea Kulesza, 332; Patricia Worthy, 318; Jack Harkins, 294; Sierrah Harris, 256; Sabrina Hackendorn, 254; Sarah Todaro, 250; Matthew Rydlewski, 243; Owen Stecca, 235; Joseph Hitchens, 220; Jesse McCann, 219; Zachary Hagan, 205; and Justin Czech, 204.\n\nThe annual spring musical, Rodgers & Hammerstein's \"Cinderella,\" will be presented Friday and Saturday in the Benedictine Performing Arts Center. Curtain is at 7:30 pm, and tickets are $8 and available at the door. The cast includes Robert Lynch, Erin Evans, Connor Davis, Jessica Rhein, Alexa Cruz, Abbey Gant, Taylor Staub, Jessica Charney, Conor Naughton, Gabrielle Kohl, Myriah Wadley, Karla Figueroa, Mason Bondrowski, Shelby McAllister, Kailee Crozier, Kaitlin Christof, Andrea Worthy, Cassandra Lowe, Emma Yerger, Abigal Rice, Nicolette Gemignani, Anjenee Cannon, Altair Dube, Rashell Brisita, Morgan Zebley and Stephanie Charney. Crew members are Madison Schulz, Jesse McCann, Egypt Bell, Nathaniel Kohl, Vanna Davis, Alyssa San Diego, Madelynn Norris, Patty Worthy and Sarah Todaro. The production is directed by Johanna Schloss, instructor of drama and chorus at St. E and associate director of education and community engagement with the Delaware Theatre Company.\n\nStudent Leadership Group speeches and voting are taking place this week.\n\nSenior exams begin Monday.\n\nMembers of the class of 2018 will join with their buddies from the class of 2015 on Wednesday in the St. E Center for Game Night. This is one of the activities that assures that incoming freshmen already feel like part of the student body when they arrive for their first day of class in August.\n\nVincent DeLissio\n\nSt. Mark's\n\nThe annual freshman class Hershey Park trip is Saturday.\n\nThe 25th Annual St. Mark's Golf Outing will be held at Deerfield Country Club on June 11. The outing includes lunch, a round of golf, a post golf dinner and the chance to win prizes. Spots are limited. No day of registration will be permitted. Proceeds from the day's event will help support the Scholarship Fund. For more information, contact Mike Carney, director of development, or go to www.stmarkshs.net/parents to register.\n\nOn April 30, the Diocese of Wilmington honored seniors Christina Danberg, Claire Danberg, Camilla Daniel, Carl DiStefano, Luke Duchemin, Hannah Falchuk, William Fay, Lauren Johnson, John Livingstone and Claudia Seemans with the St. Francis de Sales Award, which recognizes outstanding Catholic school seniors. The convocation was presided by Bishop Malooly at Holy Family Church.\n\nSenior leaders in every club, activity, service organization and sport were honored at the annual Senior Leadership Mass and Breakfast, held at the school May 3. Also at the event, Terre Alessandrini Taylor, assistant principal for student affairs,announced the nominees and winner of the Mark Weaver '05 Award for Excellence. Winner was Jake Diana; nominees included Carl DiStefano, Luke Duchemin, Hannah Falchuck and Claudia Seemans.\n\nNew Student Council officers were inducted Wednesday: Executive Officers – President Allan Carlsen, Vice President James Hamory, Secretary Lauren Crouse and Treasurer Gillian Hamory; senior class officers – President Ann White, Vice President Tanvi Walia, Secretary Justin Engelmann and Treasurer Jeffrey Pala; junior class officers – President Michael Hanling, Vice President Spencer Jones, Secretary Joanne Cheng, Treasurer James DiStefano; sophomore class officers – President Chelsea Vincelette, Vice President Joseph White, Secretary Meredith Fish and Treasurer Morgan Burlew.\n\nFreshman Jessica Romano and her parents, Susan and Stephen, were chosen as the 2014 New Castle County March for Babies Ambassador Family for the March of Dimes. The family raises funds for the March of Dimes in memory of Jessica's brother, Daniel, who died shortly after his birth due to complications resulting from premature birth.\n\nSenior Zach Schmelz broke records once again at invitationals held over the last two weekends. Schmelz won the 400m dash Friday at the elite Nike Invitational, held at Henderson High School in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Schmelz's time of 48.23 seconds broke his own school record; it is 10th All-Time in Delaware and 66th in the country this season. Schmelz also broke his own school record after winning the 200m dash on April 27, at the Unionville (Pennsylvania) Track & Field Invitational. Schmelz's time of 21.84 seconds is 23rd all-time in Delaware history.\n\nEach year the Diocese of Wilmington through the Office of Catholic Youth Ministry asks parishes and schools to nominate students and adults who demonstrate a unique Christian witness in their communities. On May 6, five were recognized: Luke Duchemin, Lauren Johnson and Katie Lee were presented with the St. Timothy National Youth Award. Tom Parkins was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year. Sister Sandra Greico received the St. John Bosco award, a diocesan award given to adult leaders who have been involved in youth ministry for five or more years.\n\nJake Bertleson\n\nTatnall\n\nJunior Leshi (Alice) Huang recently concluded her participation in a nine-month leadership program with the Delaware Youth Leadership Network. With Catherine Edge, assistant director of Enrollment and Financial Aid, and Sharon Kreamer, upper school science teacher, attending, Huang and the other 22 members of the DYLN class of 2014 shared short testimonials about the impact the program has had on their lives.\n\nThe middle school choral concert was held Tuesday and featured several all-state choir members. The upper school choral concert is at 1:45 p.m. today and will feature a medley of a cappella pieces. The Middle School instrumental concert will take place at noon Tuesday. The upper school instrumental concert is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. May 22. Eric G. Ruoss, who is retiring as head of school at the conclusion of the academic year, will conduct the Upper School band for part of the concert. Additionally, the upper school ensembles will perform two pieces arranged by students. Junior Miranda Grenville arranged a version of \"Bohemian Rhapsody\" for the jazz band, while senior Erika Rumbold arranged a version of the \"Doctor Who\" theme for the string ensemble. All music concerts will be held in the Laird Performing Arts Center. Admission is free.\n\nThe varsity golf team – Amanda Ebner, Grant Hartman, Kevin Levitsky, Tyler Maron, Davis Mitchell, Ryan Pala, Ethan Silverstein, Jack Tigani and Joe Tigani – as they clinched the Delaware Independent School Conference title and automatic bid to the state tournament for the fourth-consecutive season.\n\nThe next Home and School Association meeting will be at 8:30 a.m. Friday in the Laird Performing Arts Center.\n\nAmanda Meixner\n\nTower Hill\n\nThe 13th annual Green and White Club Recognition Banquet will be 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday. The banquet, which will take place in the lower lobby of the arts center, celebrates and recognizes the hard work, dedication and excellence of Tstudent athletes from grades seven to 12. Green and White Club award recipients and other select school athletes will receive special recognition.\n\nDistant Voices Touring Theatre performed a docudrama for the seventh and eighth grades April 29. The professional nonprofit arts group work on producing and touring original plays based on social justice events from America's past. The particular performance for the students was about the diary of Hiroaki Nishimaru, a Japanese-American who was sent to a internment concentration camp during World War II.\n\nBlue-Gold week was a huge success, with the upper school raising more than $2,200. The money will be donated to DFRC. The goal of the week was to raise awareness toward DFRC and the Blue-Gold football game on June 21. Senior Kaeni Ekong has been invited to play in the game, and student ambassadors juniors Mckenna Polich and Gillian Georigi, also will attend with their buddies. Throughout the week, students sold water-ice, T-shirts, sodas, milkshakes and auctioned faculty parking and their favorite teachers for \"valet for a day.\"\n\nOn May 9, Patrick Chambers, the varsity basketball coach at Penn State, spoke about \"College Sports Today\" in the last forum of the year. Before being appointed as head basketball coach of Penn State in 2011, Chambers attended Episcopal Academy and the University of Philadelphia, where he played on praiseworthy teams. In addition, he has coached at Villanova and Boston College, where his team won the American East Coast Conference Championships.\n\nHistory department chairman Ellis Wasson organizied the forums for the past 16 years. After a long and successful career at Tower Hill, Wasson will retire at the end of the year.\n\nSixth-grader Grace Diehl and the St. Ann's basketball team won the St. Elizabeth's League Championship. Diehl has played on the team for two years, and this is the first time in several years that the team has won the championship.\n\nSpencer Johnson\n\nUrsuline\n\nThe upper school sports banquet was held April 14. The senior speaker, as nominated by her classmates, was Laura Hurff.\n\nWinners of the Scholar Athlete Award (who have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher): Freshmen Lindsay Brown, Marie Dickson, Cara Grzybowski Nina Kegelman, Brooke Schmeusser, Katelyn Sentman and Martha Skehan; sophomores Jena Awad, Nina Budischak, CarolineBullock, Katie Corbino, Katie Coviello, ElizabethdeBruin, Lauren DePiero, Emma Derr, Anna Desch, Gina Hallman, Sabriya Harris, Katie Hosey, Alexis Jeynes,Kailyn Kampert, Julia LaPira, Caroline Morris, Alex Perna, Maeve Russo, Caroline Steele and Olivia Troisi; juniors Emily Blaszkow, Mallory Blow, Rebecca Bussard, Leslie Collins, Aria DiLiberto, Rachel Fariello, Lexi Goldberg, Adrianna Hahn, Katie Houser, Maddie Hughes, Clare Lynam, Kodi Raymond, Lindsay Russell, Miranda Schiccatano, JoannaSchumann, Anne Marie Tedesco, Ali Tyler, Carly Volko and Courtney Wallace; seniors Erika Addison, Aileen BeVard, Becky Clark, Steph Drake, Siani Faison, Nicole Farina, Emma Field, CarolineFrancois, Torrie Griffiths, Makenzie Hendron, Laura Hurff, Casey Jablonski, Erin Joyce, Jenna Kirk, Rocio Posada,Kennedy Wong and Katy Woods.\n\nSenior Kennedy Wong received the Outstanding Scholar Athlete Award, which is presented to the senior athlete with the highest overall GPA.\n\nThe Ursuline Coaches Award went to Conner Vorwick, Laura Hurff, Jenna Kirk, Torrie Griffiths, Stephanie Drake, NicoleFarina, Erin Turulski, Hannah Gladnick, Saleana Copeland, Morgan Thornton, Emma Field, Kennedy Wong and Aileen BeVard.\n\nOther awards: Ursuline Spirit Award, freshmen Ali Kochie, sophomore Alexis Jeynes, juniors Lindsay Russelland Renee Plaza and senior Makenzie Hendron; Charlene Giammatteo Softball Award, freshman Emily Aleixo; Sue Wilson Award, Stephanie Drake and Rocio Posada; Ursuline Iron Woman Awards, Laura Hurff, Jenna Kirk, Kennedy Wong and Katy Woods; Laura Capadonno Achievement Award, Emma Field; Jane Thatcher Howell Outstanding Athlete Award, Laura Hurff.\n\nThe One-to-One Laptop Program was recently recognized as a 2014 Superstars in Education award winner for Technology by the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce and The Partnership Inc. The One-to-One Laptop Program personalizes the academic integration of technology for all middle and upper school students. The program was introduced as a key instructional component well before its time, making Ursuline the first wireless school in the State of Delaware and the first to offer an individualized laptop program. The 2014 Superstars in Education Recognition Ceremony was held May 5 at the Wilmington Sheraton South in New Castle.\n\nA Sports Field Day for Special Olympics athletes will be held today on Ursuline's campus. Starting as an idea of Student Council President and Vice President Makenzie Hendron and Emma Field, in partnership with the Student Council and Project Unify Club, the Sports Field Day will offer Special Olympics athletes a fun day of activities. Athletes will be paired with Ustudents and will rotate through various sports stations during the event.\n\nJunior Samantha Reid has been accepted to the Summer Dance Program at George Mason University. This is a two-week intensive program that will allow Samantha to study with the faculty of the University's School of Dance.\n\nSophomore Midori Lofton has been accepted to the Cornell University Summer College Program.\n\nShaina Twardus placed ninth in Delaware in level 4A of the National French Contest and Lauren Chua placed ninth in level 1A.\n\nFriday is the last day of classes for seniors; their final exams are next week.\n\nThe 18th Annual Jim Keegan Golf Classic will take place May 19 at Rock Manor Golf Course.\n\nThe Senior Awards Assembly will be held in the Anna Raskob Auditorium at 10:30 a.m. May 22.\n\nElizabeth Coniglio\n\nWilmington Christian\n\nThe State of the School address was given May 5 in the auditorium. Mark Wagner, chairman of the Board, headmaster Bill Stevens and parent Jason Danner spoke about the results of the school's re-accreditation process whereby the school was accredited for another seven years. There was also a brief report on the school's new strategic plan. The most exciting news of the evening, however, was the unveiling of a $2.5 million capital campaign which will provide a turf athletic field and track, upgraded STEM room, upgraded library and art facilities, upgrading of the Fine Arts Center, parking lot renovations, elementary school modernization and faculty professional development. Headmaster Stevens presented an oversized check for $100,000, which represents campaign pledges from the school board and friends of WCS. The campaign will officially kick off later this month.\n\nYoung Life Delaware will launch a new ministry opportunity at the school. This will be the first time that Young Life has had a major presence in northern Delaware. Interested parents, teachers, administration and community members are needed for a variety of roles, including prayer team members, volunteer leaders, financial supporters and friends of Young Life. Those interested are invited to attend a Young Life Vision Night from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday in the cafeteria. Pizza will be provided. For more information, contact Bryan Launer, director of student ministries, at (302)239-2121, ext. 3504 or blauner@wilmingtonchristian.org.\n\nThe high and middle schools will perform their annual outdoor concert on the hill adjacent to the Fine Arts Center at 6 tonight. The performance will be directed by Barbara Schiller. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved inside.\n\nSenior exams begin Monday and continue through Wednesday. An academic awards presentation will begin at 6:30 pm May 22 in the auditorium. The 36th commencement ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. June 7 in the auditorium.\n\nJunior Elizabeth Latham has been selected to be the new student writer for Crossroads. Latham is an avid writer and a member of creative writing and journalism classes.\n\nA.J. Stiles\n\nWilmington Friends\n\nThe new school theater, atrium and gym at the Community Open House will open Sunday. A ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. will start the event, followed by a brief program at noon and self-guided tours until 3 p.m. The donor wall, made from locally reclaimed and natural materials, including wood from retired Friends School bleachers, also will be unveiled. Board of Trustees chair Susan Kelley and Head of School Bryan Garman will lead the program which will introduce the campus building and renovation projects that are still coming as part of the Future of Friends Campaign. Activities for children will be available, as well as refreshments, including food from alumnus Mark Raphaelson's Johnnie's Dog House.\n\nAn alumni men's basketball game will open the new Neff gym following the Community Open House Sunday. This game will honor longtime coach Brian Fahey who completed his 20th season as coach of the boys basketball team this year. Fahey will leaving the school this summer to become head of school at West Chester Friends.\n\nThe \"Charity Water\" committee successfully completed its fundraising campaign, raising $4,671. \"Charity Water\" was clerked by seniors Kenji Endo and Ellie McGinnis. English Department clerk Katy Kenney served as the faculty sponsor. WFS Water Day, bake sales and a 5k run/walk were just some of many fundraising functions held to raise funds. The student committee raised enough money to help 233 people get access to clean water and sanitation.\n\nEighth-grader Maia Bryson was chosen to sing the national anthem at the annual police memorial commemoration, a community event honoring officers who have been killed in the line of duty.\n\nIB exams continue today with history and math. Chemistry, French and Spanish exams are next week.\n\nToday and Friday, the lower school is hosting the spring Scholastic Book Fair.\n\nThe spring concert series continues today with the Early Learning Center through second-grade concerts, as well as the middle school choral concert tonight. On Saturday, middle school choirs and bands take their annual field trip to participate in the Music in the Parks program at Hershey Park.\n\nA Parent-to-Parent Workshop, open to all Friends parents, is Friday. The Quaker Closet quality re-sale shop will be open to the public from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday. The eighth-grade has a field trip to the National Constitution Center on Tuesday as well.\n\nA thank you breakfast hosted by the Home & School Association to honor this year's Association leadership and all parent volunteers will be held Tuesday. The breakfast also will introduce the new executive committee, clerks, and coordinators for next year. Thank you to all of the parent volunteers and to this year's Home & School executive committee including Co-Presidents Lynne Kielhorn and Debbie Ross, Vice Presidents Tara Agne and Janine Saber (who will serve as presidents next year), Secretary Nancy Denney, Treasurer Tracey McMillian, fundraising coordinators Amy Chapman and Kim Dolan, service coordinator Dawn Manley, board liaison Jane Hollingsworth, and past presidents Wendy Cutler and Lisa Pearce.\n\nNext week, the Appreciation Luncheons for the Friends faculty and staff will occur, organized by parent volunteers. The lunches are designed to take the place of end-of-year gifts to individual teachers or staff members.\n\nJodi Lessner", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2014/05/14"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/high-school/awards/achievers/2015/10/23/arizona-sports-awards-high-achiever-of-the-week/74243808/", "title": "Arizona Sports Awards High Achievers of the Week", "text": "azcentral sports\n\nEach week, azcentral sports' Arizona Sports Awards, presented by Valley Chevy Dealers, will honor Athletes of the Week, presented by La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries, and a High Achiever of the Week. This long-running list of all the Arizona Sports Awards High Achievers of the Week will be updated throughout the 2015-16 school year.\n\nTo learn more about the Arizona Sports Awards, visit hsawards.azcentral.com.\n\nTo nominate an Athlete or High Achiever of the Week, visit nominations.azcentral.com.\n\nTo purchase tickets for the end-of-year awards ceremony, visit sportsawards.azcentral.com.\n\nCompiled by Arizona Sports Awards intern Samantha Incorvaia.\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for May 12-19\n\nMarcus Naisant\n\nSchool: Tempe Marcos de Niza\n\nClass: Junior\n\nSport: Track and Field\n\nHas a 3.0 GPA ... Naisant qualified for the Division II state championships in six events: High jump, long jump, triple jump, 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 4x100-meter relay ... State champ in triple jump ... Placed second in long jump by 3/4-inch difference between first and second place ... Earned fifth in high jump ... Scored 33 of the 34 points that Marcos de Niza received as a team ... In July 2015, he competed in the USATF Junior Olympics in high jump, 100 and javelin ... He was in the finals for the 100 and came in third nationally in javelin for his age group ... Plays football and soccer, as well ... Volunteers in his mom's special education classroom when he has time ... Coach Dave Aoyagi said he can do whatever he wants, like when he learned to pole vault in two weeks and cleared 8-feet for decathlon ... \"Not only is he scoring a lot of points, but he's cheering on the team, as well,\" Aoyagi said.\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for May 5-12\n\nHannah Hansen\n\nSchool: Chandler Arizona College Prep\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Tennis\n\nHas a 3.95 GPA ... Three-sport captain who competes in swim, basketball and tennis ... First in tennis doubles and third in singles ... Earned 18 varsity wins this season and represented ACP for the third time in the state doubles tennis tournament ... Takes classes at Mesa Community College, where she also works part-time in the Life Sciences Department ... Volunteers with girls group, runs the A/V for a yearly mother-daughter retreat and helps out with a local club basketball team ... Will attend Northern Arizona University in the fall as a Lumberjack Scholar ... \"Hannah is a very competitive athlete,\" coach and mother Katy Hansen said. \"She will work hard to win.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for April 28-May 5\n\nKenny Silvestro\n\nSchool: Chandler Hamilton\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Volleyball\n\nHas a 4.3 GPA ... Libero who leads with 398 digs, 4.2 digs per set and 543 serving received successes on Hamilton's varsity team, as of Wednesday ... National Honor Society Member ... Link Crew leader ... Member of Chick-fil-A Leader Academy, which gathers high school student leaders in the community for service projects ... We The People government debate team state finalist ... Completed more than 100 volunteer hours during his senior year ... Chandler Education Foundation Impact Scholar ... Accepted to ASU's Barrett, The Honors College and plans to study biological sciences ... Plays club volleyball with En Fuego since sophomore year ... \"He can't wait for practice to start and hates for practice to end,\" coach Jeff Bader said.\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for April 21-28\n\nHaley Hernandez\n\nSchool: Gilbert Campo Verde\n\nClass: Junior\n\nSport: Softball\n\nHas a 3.7 GPA ... Catcher who played her first year on varsity this season ... Enrolled in dual enrollment classes ... Volunteers for fifth-grade classroom at Ashland Ranch Elementary School, as eighth-grade softball assistant coach at Cooley Middle School and with the Cooley Early Childhood Development Center ... Plays utility for Batbusters, an 18U-division softball club in Mesa ... Received Hustle Award during her freshman season at Campo Verde ... Received Campo Verde Golden Glove award during sophomore season ... Sign Language Club member ... Played softball since she was 8 years old ... Hernandez's biggest highlight was hitting the winning home run against Desert Vista on April 9 ... Wants to major in communication disorders in college ... On the field, coach Joe Delsante said \"as an athlete, she's got one of the best arms, I've seen.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for April 14-21\n\nReuben Nach\n\nSchool: Phoenix Sunnyslope\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Track and Field\n\nHas a 4.6 GPA ... Distance runner who competes primarily in 1,600-meter runs and 4x800 relay ... Also played varsity basketball for three years ... Competed in two years of cross country ... No. 1 distance runner in the school and Most Valuable Runner recipient in cross country ... Anchor leg in the 4x800 relay team, earning fourth at the GUHSD Relays on March 24 ... Ranks in the top 5 percent of his class ... President of Mensch Club, a Jewish organization on campus ... President of BByo, a Jewish youth group off campus ... On April 15, Nach earned a personal record of 5 minutes, 4 seconds ... Nach ran a sub-5-minute mile at the GUHSD Track Meet on April 20 ... Attending University of Arizona after graduation ... \"He's very conceptual,\" coach Jason Coury said. \"He sees the bigger picture of where his team needs to go.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for April 7-14\n\nGraham Byron\n\nSchool: Phoenix Arcadia\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Tennis\n\nHas a 4.52 GPA ... Third in singles, first in doubles and captain of the tennis team ... Ranked seventh out of 419 students in the senior class ... National Honor Society treasurer ... Student Body and Key Club International, an on-campus volunteer club, vice president ... Member of Arcadia Student Advisory Board ... Ping Pong Club treasurer ... Math tutor ... Volunteers with Andre House, a downtown Phoenix organization committed to serving homeless under Congregation of Holy Cross and the Catholic Worker movement, and at Camp Anytown, focusing on leadership, diversity and acceptance, during the summer ... Started playing when he was 9 years old ... Wants to remain competitive and consistent with a positive attitude during Arcadia's first time in Division I ... \"Regardless of the situation, he keeps a positive attitude,\" coach Annie Boothe said.\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for March 31 - April 7\n\nBethany Loveall\n\nSchool: Bagdad\n\nClass: Sophomore\n\nSport: Softball\n\nHas a 4.0 GPA ... Third baseman who leads the team with seven hits and eight RBIs ... Has a .778 batting average ... Vice president of FCCLA ... Student council treasurer ... Member of National Honor Society ... Part of the Evening Light Fellowship ... Said her favorite memory was hitting an in-the-park home run against Williams during a tournament ... Said her greatest strength is her collaboration with her teammates ... Played softball since she was 8 years old ... Loveall said she always loved softball, and her sister inspired her to play the game, as well ... Coach Sarah Morris said athletes from opposing teams may underestimate Loveall at first glance because she plays while wearing a skirt for her religion ... Mentioned how her will to improve inspires other members on the team ... Morris said Loveall is the No. 5 batter on the team ... \"Bethany is a big part of the team,\" Morris said. \"She's a leader on and outside of her softball team.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for March 24-31\n\nLibby Fleury\n\nSchool: Phoenix Sunnyslope\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Tennis\n\nHas a 4.0 GPA ... No. 2 doubles and No. 3 singles on varsity team ... Captain and outside hitter of the Sunnyslope varsity volleyball team ... Played four years of volleyball and won Sunnyslope's \"Viking\" award at the end of the season, helping the team achieve two state titles ... Won the deciding match last night in a tiebreaker against Millennium ... Member of National Honor Society ... Sunday school teacher ... Participates in summer outreach efforts with her church in at-risk communities, and this year, she's heading to Angol, Chile, to work on a high school building project for the Mapuche Indian community ... Plans on going to University of Arizona to study business after graduation ... \"She has the best attitude,\" coach Kristi Moore said. \"She takes things in moment to moment.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for March 17-24\n\nAlex Dickey\n\nSchool: Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Softball\n\nHas a 3.9 GPA ... Pitcher and third base ... As induction head on the executive board, she led a committee that planned the National Honor Society induction ceremony ... Went 2 for 3 with a two-run double and pitched seven innings, giving up four hits and no earned runs while striking out six in a 3-2 win against Flagstaff ... Member of Hope Kids Committee and Kairos ... Volunteers with her church ... Girl Scouts Ambassador ... Started playing softball when she was 8 years old ... Wants to beat her 20 RBIs from last season ... Committed academically to Carroll College in Montana ... \"Alex is one of the best players who leads by example,\" coach Caitlin Melnychenko said.\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for March 10-17\n\nThomas Duke\n\nSchool: Chandler Hamilton\n\nClass: Junior\n\nSport: Tennis\n\nHas a 4.8 GPA ... No. 4 singles and No. 3 doubles ... Played two years of varsity tennis ... Also competed in swim his freshman year ... Leader of Hamilton Model United Nations ... Received fourth place in All-State Jazz Auditions for piano ... AP scholar ... National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society member ... Likes tennis for the competition and its physical, emotional and mental challenges ... Wants to go to Arizona State University or University of Arizona for electrical engineering ... \"He sees the importance of what it's like to help other people,\" coach Phil Gonzales said.\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for March 3-10\n\nBecky Ducar\n\nSchool: Phoenix Xavier Prep\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Softball\n\nHas a 4.08 GPA ... Captain and shortstop who is batting third with a .471 average and leads team with 14 RBIs, four doubles, two triples and two home runs, as of Wednesday ... On March 9, Ducar hit a home run in a win against Glendale Mountain Ridge 5-0 ... Enrolled in AP and honors classes ... Member of National Honor Society, Unity and Diversity Club, Spanish Club and Gator Guides ... Volunteers for elderly ... Plays utility for AZ Storm Club ... Named MVP for Xavier's varsity softball team during her sophomore and junior years ... Played softball since she was 5 years old ... Loves softball for its teamwork ... Said a favorite memory involved her first walk-off home run during a game against Boulder Creek on March 3 ... Committed to play softball at Villanova in the fall ... \"Her passion and love for the game shows in how she plays,\" coach Carrie Markham said.\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Feb. 25 - March 3\n\nBrendan Hicks\n\nSchool: Phoenix Desert Vista\n\nClass: Sophomore\n\nSport: Soccer\n\nHas a 4.4 GPA ... Defensive player and center midfielder who scored five goals, earned four assists and played every minute of every game ... Captained the defense and team to the Division I boys soccer semifinals this season ... Voted Most Valuable Underclassman as a freshman and Most Valuable Player as a sophomore on the varsity team ... All-City athlete as a freshman and sophomore ... Member of SC Del Sol Club 2000 White team ... Plays in Far West Regionals and led team to National Premier League Nationals in Indiana ... Started playing soccer when he was 5 years old ... Represented Arizona in the Olympic Development Program in regional tournament in January ... Member of East Valley Boys Service Club ... Member of Key Club ... Wants to play Division I soccer in college ... \"He grew up being heavily involved, so it's part of his life now,\" coach Mark Wilson said.\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Feb. 18-25\n\nJacqueline Iafrate\n\nSchool: Scottsdale Christian Academy\n\nClass: Junior\n\nSport: Basketball\n\nHas a 3.9 GPA ... Point guard who leads the team with 4.9 assists per game ... Also earned 11.5 points per game and 3.3. steals per game ... Plans on trying out for track and field in the 400 meters event ... Plays club basketball for AZ Rebels ... Started playing basketball when she was 8 years old ... Signed up to volunteer as a mentor to kids with Crohn's disease, which she was diagnosed with three years ago ... Member of National Honor Society ... Going to Guatemala with Students International on a school mission trip next week ... Member of National Honor Society ... \"She's a true strategist when it comes to games,\" coach Travis Hearn said. \"She gives highly intelligent answers on and off the court.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Feb. 11-18\n\nJessica Roskelley\n\nSchool: Glendale Deer Valley\n\nClass: Sophomore\n\nSport: Basketball\n\nHas a 4.48 GPA ... During her first year at Deer Valley, she plays post and leads team with 3.3 offensive rebounds, 6.6 rebounds per game and 1.9 blocks per game ... Competes in cross country ... Runs the 800 meters and 4x800 relay, and she high jumps in track and field ... Tutors students in RTI Math ... Involved in the Outreach Service Club ... Actively involved in her church ... Will be inducted into the National Honor Society this spring ... Started playing basketball in eighth grade ... Said her overall calmness improved as well as her ability to keep the basketball in her possession ... Wants to keep improving and become more offensive-minded ... \"Jessica is a great kid,\" coach Matt Dennis said. \"She goes out of her way to help other athletes.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Feb. 4-11\n\nCody Shear\n\nSchool: Sierra Vista Buena\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Basketball\n\nHas a 3.8 GPA ... Captain and point guard who leads the team with 4.6 assists per game and 1.7 steals per game ... Competed in swim freshman year and football in junior year ... Played in state tournaments his first three years in basketball ... Student body president with student council... Enrolled in honors and AP classes ... Member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and National Honor Society ... Volunteers with basketball camps, Edward Jones Canned Food Drive and St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church ... Started playing basketball in sixth grade with the Desert Dunkers travel team before playing for his dad's club team, the Hotshots ... Wants to major in computer science in college after graduation ... \"He's evolved into probably one of the best leaders we've ever had,\" coach Dave Glasgow said.\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Jan. 28-Feb. 4\n\nJordan Gardner\n\nSchool: Snowflake\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Basketball\n\nHas a 4.4 GPA ... Forward who leads varsity team with 13.4 points per game, 8.3 rebounds per game and 2.4 steals per game ... Also leads in 5.5 defensive rebounds per game and 2.8 offensive rebounds per game ... Ran cross country in 2015 and competes in track and field for mainly the 800 meters ... Finishing his landscaping project for a local museum to become an Eagle Scout ... Tutors his peers in math ... Received an All-American award for cross country ... National Honor Society treasurer ... Said sports was always part of his life, especially since his first word was \"ball\" ... Will go on a religious mission for two years after graduation ... \"He's what we call our Energizer Bunny,\" coach Andy Wood said. \"He doesn't stop, and he's one of the best leaders we've had in the history of our program.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Jan. 21-28\n\nDelaney Rohde\n\nSchool: Scottsdale Desert Mountain\n\nClass: Sophomore\n\nSport: Soccer\n\nHas a 4.1 GPA ... Midfielder who is in her second year on the varsity team with nine goals, 19 points and one assist ... Volunteers with Paiute Center and Maggie's Place through the National Charity League ... Model for Agency of Arizona ... Started playing soccer when she was 4 years old ... Likes soccer for the competition, her teammates and the running ... Said her favorite memory from soccer was after she and her team won the quarterfinals last year ... \"She's one of those players a coach would dream of coaching,\" coach Mark Eggleston said. \"She's the one everyone on the team will talk to.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Jan. 14-21\n\nJustin Nelson\n\nSchool: Chandler Perry\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Wrestling\n\nHas a 4.3 GPA ... Team captain who wrestles at 195 pounds and starter on the football team ... Enrolled in the Perry STEM program ... Won first place at the 14-team Verrado Varsity Wrestling Tournament on Jan. 15-16 ... Season record is 30-5 ... Said discipline is his greatest strength ... Volunteers in Perry's youth wrestling program ... Member of A Capella Club ... Wrestles for the competition and the need to push himself ... Plans on going to ASU with a Presidential Scholarship for electrical engineering ... \"He hasn't disappointed,\" coach Darren Johnson said. \"He's done everything we've asked him to and more.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Jan. 7-14\n\nGarrett Murray\n\nSchool: Scottsdale Chaparral\n\nClass: Junior\n\nSport: Soccer\n\nHas a 4.0 GPA ... Midfielder who helped Chaparral to an 11-2-1 record, including a win at the Bulldog Invitational ... Scored one goal and one assist in a 4-1 win against Red Mountain ... Member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society ... Treasurer in Hiking Club ... Plays point guard in basketball at YMCA and Boys and Girls Club leagues ... Has volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club, a pet market selling shelter dogs in Mesa and libraries in Scottsdale ... \"He's a very optimistic kid,\" coach Jason Speirs said. \"He's a joker on the team, so he keeps things light.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Dec. 31-Jan. 7\n\nMakayla Filiere\n\nSchool: Chandler Hamilton\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Basketball\n\nHas a 4.7 GPA ... Plays shooting guard and small forward ... Leads Hamilton varsity team with an average of 2.3 steals per game ... Member of the National Honors Society ... AP Scholar with honors ... Historian for Hamilton's Best Buddies Husky Pack ... Basketball coach in the Hamilton Unified Program, where she helps organize events with Hamilton athletes and students who have physical or mental disabilities ... Raised more than $5,000 for Feed My Starving Children by selling baked items she made ... Has offers to play college basketball next season ... \"There's not enough words to describe her,\" coach Erik Dalipe said. \"Her overall outlook in life is to help those in need by using herself and her accomplishments as a vehicle to provide service.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Dec. 24-31\n\nAllison Jorden\n\nSchool: Scottsdale Chaparral\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Soccer\n\nHas a 4.81 GPA ... Co-captain who plays center midfielder for the Chaparral team with four goals and two assists this season ... Competes in SC Del Sol travel club team ... Ran primarily the 400-meter and 4x400-meter relay for track and field freshman year ... Coaches Chaparral's Unified Track team that consists of students with special needs ... Founder of Chaparral's Unified Cheer her senior year ... Vice President of Student Government ... Vice President of Best Buddies ... Works with Celebrate Autism, an organization that helps people with disabilities learn entrepreneurial skills ... National Merit Semifinalist ... Verbally committed to play Division I soccer at Indiana University ... \"She's very positive,\" coach Robyn Carlson said. \"Girls around her play better because she lifts them.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Dec. 17-24\n\nKelsey Siemons\n\nSchool: Tucson Catalina Foothills\n\nClass: Junior\n\nSport: Basketball\n\nHas a 4.1 GPA ... Team captain who plays center in basketball ... Middle blocker in volleyball ... Competes with the Tucson Rattlers and played with Club Copper Volleyball in the past ... Honors student ... Involved in Link Crew and volunteers with her church ... After playing five games so far this season, Siemons is the leading scorer on the team, averaging about 11 points per game, and leading rebounder with 11 rebounds per game ... Said her personal goal this season is to stay positive while playing on the court ... To Siemons, basketball is a sport that's always challenging and teaching her ... Wants to be a marine biologist ... \"Her greatest asset is being a very physical player but a very smart player, as well,\" coach Michelle Gallagher said.\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Dec. 10-17\n\nMark Lugo\n\nSchool: Tucson St. Augustine\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Basketball\n\nHas a 3.6 GPA ... Team captain who plays point guard in basketball ... Lugo played nine games this season with about seven points per game, five rebounds per game and three assists per game ... Visits the Phoenix VA to write letters and show appreciation to those who served the country ... His dad was deployed in the Army, so he and his family considers thanking veterans an important act ... When his mom accidentally signed him up for basketball instead of baseball in third grade, Lugo liked the sport and continued to compete ... Involved in Club Basketball ... Former student council member ... Looking into scholarships for attending Pima Community College before attending a bigger university for nutrition or journalism ... \"He's probably the heart and soul on the team,\" dad and coach Mark Lugo-Gomez said.\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Dec. 3-10\n\nSean Even\n\nSchool: Phoenix Brophy Prep\n\nClass: Junior\n\nSport: Basketball\n\nHas a 4.42 GPA ... Forward and center for Brophy's basketball team ... Also plays middle in volleyball, his main sport ... Involved in Key Club in the past ... Former Eagle Scout ... Spent June on a Brophy immersion trip in Peru that included service work and exploration of Peruvian culture ... Even's project proposal for next year's trip won, so the group that goes next year will work on his project idea to add trash cans in Tacna, Peru ... Earned straight As through his first two years at Brophy, which included three AP courses and seven honors courses ... Currently enrolled in five additional AP courses ... Wants to study pre-med or engineering after he graduates ... \"He's like a sponge,\" coach Matt Hooten said. \"He wants to learn, wants to improve and he wants to get better.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Nov. 26-Dec. 3\n\nZoe Agundo\n\nSchool: Chandler Arizona College Prep\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Soccer\n\nHas a 4.2 GPA ... Co-captain of the soccer team ... Her goal save percentage for the season was 79.6 percent ... Starter with full-time minutes ... First goalie on the team since the school opened ... Was an All-Arizona honorable mention this season ... Started playing soccer in about sixth grade ... President of Cinematography Club and member of National Honor Society ... Participated in Ambassador Club, Key Club, Newspaper Club, Student Council and Mentor Club ... Volunteers at the Phoenix Art Museum and previously volunteered at the Chandler Public Library ... Plans on majoring in industrial or project design, so she's looking into Pratt Institute, Parson School of Design and Rhode Island School of Design and mentioned Lego or Apple as an example of companies that involve design and innovation in their work ... \"She knows how to prioritize,\" coach Heather Osborn said. \"She learned a whole lot of skills from everything she's involved in.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Nov. 19-26\n\nNekiyah Draper\n\nSchool: Kayenta Monument Valley\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Volleyball\n\nHas a 4.63 GPA ... Setter for volleyball ... Member of student council, National Honor Society, American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES) ... Historian of her senior class ... President of prom committee her junior year ... Volunteers at soup kitchens and helped build a women's shelter ... Fell in love with the sport when she started playing volleyball in third grade ... Started playing varsity her sophomore year ... She said she's become a better leader by finding ways to motivate her teammates and herself ... She's currently working on her college applications, but Stanford is her dream school, and she wants to study bioengineering ... \"She has evolved since her freshman year,\" coach Rennell Gilmore said. \"She's everything you can ask for from an athlete and a student.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Nov. 12-19\n\nTavion Allen\n\nSchool: Laveen Cesar Chavez\n\nClass: Junior\n\nSport: Football\n\nHas a 2.7 GPA ... Plays safety for Cesar Chavez's football team ... Had three interceptions in the first-round playoff game against Tucson Sabino, and he returned two of them for touchdowns, making the first playoff victory in the school's history ... Had two more interceptions in the quarterfinal playoff game against Goodyear Desert Edge gave him a school record of 10 interceptions for the year ... Second-leading tackler who averages 20 yards in punt returns ... Competes in the 100-meter, 200-meter and sometimes 4x400 relay, triple jump and long jump in track and field ... Community volunteer who helps coach young athletes on AZ Saints, a youth alliance football team ... Played football since he was 7 years old ... First-team all-region player as a junior ... \"Every play is an opportunity for him,\" coach Jim Rattay said. \"He goes full speed, and he gets double-figure tackles.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Nov. 5-12\n\nKelsey Decker\n\nSchool: Gilbert Campo Verde\n\nClass: Junior\n\nSport: Badminton\n\nHas a 4.0 GPA ... No. 1 varsity player on the team for two years ... Used to compete in long-distance events in track and field, but currently pole vaults ... President of STEM for women club ... Member of League of Literacy ... Member of symphony orchestra and leads her section in Strolling Strings orchestra ... Former member of FFA ... Volunteers with Link Crew and Adopt-A-Family ... Said her favorite memory of badminton was playing in the 2014 state championship as a sophomore with her doubles partner ... Plays badminton with her family, specifically her twin brother ... Next season, she hopes to compete in badminton state championships again ... Wants to get a scholarship to Northern Arizona University or Arizona State University and study in veterinary school and minor in music ... \"When you represent a school, you represent it at its full capacity,\" coach Rochelle Burson said. \"And she embraces all of it.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Oct. 29-Nov. 5\n\nPatrick Tansill\n\nSchool: Gilbert\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Cross Country\n\nHas a 4.65 GPA ... First in his class ... Competes in the 1,600-meter run and 4x800-meter relay in track and field ... Wants to try out for soccer ... Member of National Honor Society, Tiger Crew and the Mayor's Youth Advisory Committee (MYAC) ... Co-founded the ping pong club ... Plans to start an ultimate frisbee club ... Was part of Mu Alpha Theta club in his junior year ... Volunteered over the summer by shadowing a sports specialist, Dr. Charles Peterson, at the Arizona Sports Medical Center ... Wants to study pre-med ... Applied to Arizona State University and Northern Arizona State University, but he is also looking into University of Denver, Regis University, Benedictine University and Franciscan University ... \"Even back then (four years ago), he was first to practice and the last one to leave,\" coach Jillian Stadt said.\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Oct. 22-29\n\nAllison Ruka\n\nSchool: Peoria Sunrise Mountain\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Swim\n\nHas a 3.96 GPA ... Achieved provisional state times in the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke ... Takes AP and Honors classes ... Ranked third in her senior class ... Secretary for the National Honor Society ... Clarinet section leader for Sunrise Mountain's marching band ... Swim team captain who coordinates athletes for special practice and meeting times ... Volunteered with Sunrise Mountain Branch library over the summer ... Began swimming when she was 6 years old in club swim ... Wants to attend John Hopkins or Washington for math and music ... Coach Cris Dilworth said Ruka doesn't identify herself with her scores and times, making Ruka a humble student-athlete ... \"She knows what it takes to do well individually,\" Dilworth said. \"But she cares how the rest of the team does, as well.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Oct. 15-22\n\nDrew Ketterman\n\nSchool: Tempe Corona del Sol\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Swim\n\nHas a 4.8 GPA ... Team captain who swims the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle relay ... Member of Site Council and Red Kettle Club ... Student body treasurer in student council and treasurer in National Honors Society ... President and founder of Corona del Sol's Mu Alpha Theta math club ... National Merit Commended Scholar and AP Scholar ... Part of the 200 Freestyle relay team, who finished in 17th place at the State Swim meet last season ... Volunteered in Belize for three weeks working in a hospital and building houses ... Wants to attend the University of Arizona for a Public Health degree ... \"Every positive attitude you'd associate with him,\" coach Ron Musgrave said.\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Oct. 8-15\n\nJeffery Goebel\n\nSchool: Phoenix Sunnyslope\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Football\n\nHas a 3.7 GPA ... Plays running back in football ... Runs 100-meter, 200-meter and 4x100 relays in track ... Rushed for 142 yards and scored three touchdowns, an extra point and a field goal in a 34-7 win over Notre Dame Prep on Sept. 25 ... During a game against Phoenix Greenway, he rushed for about 200 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns ... He is No. 2 in all-purpose yards in Division III, and in the state he ranks at No. 7 ... Enrolled in AP Physics ... Volunteered by cleaning up North Central Boulevard through adopting a street with his teammates ... Played football since he was in second grade ... Would like to go to Northern Arizona University ... Goebel said he's part of an awesome team because they have good camaraderie ... \"He's an explosive kid who plays really big,\" coach Damon Pieri said. \"He's never missed a practice. He's not a real talkative person, but everyone follows his lead.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Oct. 1-8\n\nSamantha Berg\n\nSchool: Mesa Red Mountain\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Badminton\n\nHas a 4.7 GPA ... Enrolled in honors classes ... Plays varsity-level on the badminton ... Also No. 2 on the tennis team last season ... A National Merit Commended Scholar ... She looks forward to competing in the city and state tournaments ... Coach Maggie Borze said Berg is a natural leader, and younger teammates look to her for guidance ... Wants to apply early for liberal arts at Haverford College ... Berg said badminton helped her build confidence because she used to be shy ... Also mentioned that her favorite memory was from last season with her doubles partner during a state match, playing Desert Vista ... \"Sam is my go-to girl when I need help,\" coach Maggie Borze said. \"I am new to the sport, so when there are certain techniques that I am uncertain of, I can go to Sam and she can then inform me on how to present the strategy.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Sept. 24- Oct. 1\n\nJavon Freeman\n\nSchool: Peoria\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Football\n\nHas a 3.8 GPA ... Lead tackler and defensive back in football ... Tied for interception lead ... Played football since he was 7 years old ... Runs 100/110-meter and 400-meter hurdles and 4x400-meter relay track events ... Enrolled in AP and Honors classes ... Student council member for all four years and student body president his senior year ... Member of National Honor Society, DECA, MESA (Math and Engineering), Club Links (peer mentoring for freshmen) and HOSA ... Over 200 hours of volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity, Fountain of Life Church, Zoo Walk and Fun Runs ... Said he likes being part of a family on the football team ... Received two Division II offers, one from South Dakota School of Mines and Colorado School of Mines ... \"He's unselfish and successful in football and track,\" coach Will Babb said. \"If things aren't given to us, we don't like working for them. But he pushed himself.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Sept. 17-24\n\nDrew Inness\n\nSchool: Phoenix Northwest Christian\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Football\n\nHas a 4.2 GPA ... Varsity football's quarterback ... Plays point guard in basketball and center field in baseball ... Was the starting center fielder on last year's Division III state championship baseball team ... Member of National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, National Society of High School Scholars, the student council and the school's advanced choir ... Student Ambassador ... Volunteers regularly at Feed My Starving Children and Young Life by being a Wyldlife leader ... Said he is happy when others are happy, which is why he dedicates time to volunteer ... Mentioned winning football state championships freshman year as the highlight of his football career ... Looking into Western New Mexico University, Arizona community colleges, California Lutheran University, Whittier College and University of Redlands ... His coach and dad, Dave Inness, said watching his son play is rewarding as both a parent and a coach ... \"I have known Drew since he has been in elementary school,\" Jim James, dean of students at Northwest Christian, said. \"The best part of this is watching him grow into the great man he is.\"\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Sept. 10-17\n\nCarly Baniszewski\n\nSchool: Phoenix Arcadia\n\nClass: Senior\n\nSport: Volleyball\n\nHas a 4.81 GPA ... Four-year member of the volleyball program ... Member of National Honor Society and Travel Club and co-president of Raising Awareness Club ... Played soccer (MF) in the past and hopes to continue playing tennis this year ... Represented Arcadia as a Unitown delegate and at the National Student Leadership Conference ... Mentors younger players in volleyball ... Tutors students ... Member of the Phoenix Children's Hospital Teen Board, the Scottsdale Honors Cotillion and the National Charity League ... Said getting to know people is her favorite part about being in sports and extracurriculars ... Coach Joshua Olshan said Baniszewski is \"everything you would want in a student athlete.\" ... \"If there's something good happening on the Arcadia campus, Carly is usually nearby,\" Arcadia High School's Athletic Director Kevin Mooney said.\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week from Sept 3.-10\n\nSarah Carter\n\nSchool: Phoenix Xavier Prep\n\nClass: Junior\n\nSport: Cross Country\n\nHas a 4.4 GPA … Competed in the Peak’s Invitational Cross Country Meet with her teammates … Took first place in the 5K Summit Varsity Race and beat the Rolonda Jumbo’s course record in 2011 by nine seconds at 19:20 … Earned National Elite Silver Standard Status … Led Xavier to the Varsity Team first place podium … Was an AIA Student-Athlete Scholar for all seasons in freshman and sophomore years … Runs varsity cross country in top seven and track in the 800 meters, 1,600, 3,200 and 4x800 relay … Part of NHS, French club and Logos Film Club … Volunteered at the Arizona Science Center as a summer camp counselor … “All the girls want to be good, some want to be great, but I think Sarah takes it a step further,” coach Dave VanSickle said.\n\nHigh Achiever of the Week for Aug. 27- Sept. 3\n\nCole Achtzehn\n\nSchool: Scottsdale Desert Mountain\n\nClass: Junior\n\nSport: Football\n\nHas a 3.8 GPA … Was a Scholar Athlete for the 2014 season … Volunteers with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale and Arizona Basketball Club by teaching and coaching basketball to members … Plays OL in football and played on varsity as a sophomore … Played basketball for two years … \"He's a very intelligent, hard-working, diligent athlete,\" founder and president of Arizona Basketball Club Pat Murray said. \"He's the definition of a student athlete.\" ... \"He shows up everyday, ready to be a great player and teammate,\" coach Mike Morrissey said.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2015/10/23"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/dining/restaurants/2019/12/31/indianapolis-restaurants-best-openings-2020/2638957001/", "title": "These are the most exciting Indianapolis restaurants opening in 2020", "text": "As 2019 winds down, we barely have time to reflect on so many new Indianapolis restaurants before it's time to start filling our bucket lists with eating places coming in 2020.\n\nMy roundup of the 30 best restaurants opening in 2019 signaled a year of ingenuity. Top-tier Indianapolis chef Greg Hardesty decided to cook what and when he wanted at his culinary arts Studio C. Prolific Cunningham Restaurant Group, better known for multi-location Bru Buger Bar, opened its own culinary studio, downtown Indy's CRG Test Kitchen, complete with two chefs' tables.\n\nWest-side Pakistani spot Chapti fashioned a secret door leading to the hidden spicy fried chicken gem Shani's. A tenacious pitmaster shipped post oak from the Lone Star State to fire true Texas-style barbecue at tiny Old Gold food truck behind Metazoa Brewing.\n\nThe 2020 list of newbies seems shorter but only because 13 of 2020's newcomers are inside two food halls. All together, they'll add 29 eating places as restaurateurs across the country turn to quick-service formats to cope with labor shortages.\n\nWe'll also see three major Indianapolis chefs — Carlos Salazar of Rook, pastry master Pete Schmutte, formerly of Cerulean and Beholder, and Abbi Merriss of Bluebeard — take on fresh concepts.\n\nRestaurants will continue to populate Carmel and Fishers, where chain-weary crowds demonstrate an ever-growing appetite for better places to eat. The two suburbs have become the area's hot spots for restaurant growth, even attracting a new offering from the owners of St. Elmo Steakhouse.\n\nThat's not to say chains are dead, but in 2020, we'll see an international spin on fast food.\n\nRead on for most anticipated restaurant openings.\n\nRoot & Bone\n\n704 E. 46th St., rootnbone.com\n\nPast \"Top Chef\" competitors and well-known Miami chefs Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth had planned their steak and seafood concept Stiltsville Restaurant and Bar at this landmark Meridian-Kessler location that once hosted Kroger Grocery and Bakery Co. and most recently Big Al's used furniture store. They decided this American restaurant with Southern flair was a better fit for an Indy market in love with comfort food.\n\nWhen the 170-seat restaurant opens, probably in 2020’s first quarter, McInnis said, expect dishes like fried chicken biscuit sandwiches with pepper jelly, mac and cheese under herbed biscuit crumble and grilled pumpkin with ginger barbecue sauce and pink peppercorn marshmallow fluff. The 24-seat full bar will serve signature cocktails including Old School Medicine’s blend of turmeric, ginger, elderflower and sage-infused gin.\n\nRoot & Bone locations in Miami and New York City feature rustic wood and brick surfaces, neutral tones and charming housewares scattered about.\n\nLeviathan Bake House\n\n1101 N. College Ave.\n\nAround Indianapolis-area professional food circles, pastry chef Pete Schmutte is often called “the best chef in the city” thanks in a large part to intricate desserts he showcased at the late contemporary restaurant Cerulean and more recently at Beholder. Schmutte has been known to put caviar on a white chocolate tart, and he once prepared a jarred dessert that looked like a mini terrarium wonderland.\n\nSchmutte has been talking about opening his own place for a few years. At this 40-seat bakery/café at the former R2GO specialty food market near Mass Ave., Schmutte teamed up with Gallery Pastry Shop alum and Ivy Tech culinary arts instructor Matt Steinbronn and others yet to be named to create a place proffering naturally leavened breads incorporating freshly milled grains.\n\nExpect fancy pastries, too, like the beloved chocolate mousse and espresso bombe Schmutte served at Cerulean, alongside simple cookies, albeit with a twist like, maybe, ginger chocolate chip. Pop in mornings and afternoons for croissants, breakfast sandwiches, coffee and light soup-and-sandwich lunches. At night, consider Leviathan a dessert bar.\n\nCurry Up Now\n\ncurryupnow.com\n\nFast food has come a long way since White Castle slung its first burgers in the 1920s. This Indian fusion chain scouting for a downtown Indianapolis location to open in the fall serves tikka masala, saag paneer and cilantro chutney, but you can get them stuffed in burritos and tacos or as a poutine.\n\nGo semi-traditional with the meat sweats thali platter of Kashmiri lamb, butter chicken and kadai chicken on cauliflower rice. Indian street foods include traditional samosas but also a deconstructed version that’s a sort-of a spicy garbanzo bean stew.\n\nIndian fast food:It's a thing in Indianapolis\n\nCurry Up Now began as a San Francisco food truck, founded in 2009 by husband and wife duo, Akash and Rana Kapoor. Locations are in California and Georgia, but more than 40 others are under development across the country, the company reported.\n\nGold Leaf\n\n1901 E. 46th St., goldleafindy.com\n\nHang out with friends, share small plates, have a few beers or a glass of wine, don’t spend a lot of money. That’s the idea behind this 60-seat eatery budding just east of Arsenal Park.\n\nNothing on the food menu will cost more than $10, and beer and wine by the glass is priced at $5 to $8.\n\nOn Instagram:Follow Liz Biro's culinary adventures in Indy\n\nChef Kristine Bockman is a trained butcher who spent much of her cooking career at Italian restaurants in New York City and catering in Seattle. She’s also been a Smoking Goose sausage maker.\n\nNibbles in the loungy café she has in mind include lemon-glazed pecans, provolone-stuffed meatballs in tomato sauce and grilled pork loin kababs on a bed of tabbouleh. Spoonfuls of crème brulee, mini cream puffs and salted carmel pot de crème are on the sweets menu. By day, Gold Leaf will offer full coffee service, quick breads, breakfast sandwiches and lunch boxes featuring sandwiches and salads.\n\nLil’ Dumplings\n\n9713 District North Drive, Suite 1210, Fishers, fisherstestkitchen.com/the-food/lil-dumplings\n\nChef Carlos Salazar’s Asian-fusion food at Rook is a big reason why the Holy Rosary/Fletcher Place area is foodie destination. He starts testing his dream restaurant for the north side at this stand opening in early 2020 at Fishers Tests Kitchen at The Yard at Fishers District.\n\nDespite the name, the stand won't be a dumpling-centric project. Lil’ Dumplings is Salazar’s nickname for his kids. His plan is global street food like Szechuan hot chicken steam buns and lobster corn dog fritters drizzled with bacon fat honey.\n\nThe half-pound smashed burger, a blend of beef chuck, brisket and heart, plus pork fat, will land on the Japanese pancake called “okonomiyaki” instead of a bun. Dressed with yuzu kosho mayonnaise, local Tulip Tree trillium cheese, Smoking Goose bacon bits, cucumber pickles and traditional okonomiyaki sauce containing ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, the stack is a total “knife and fork burger,” Salazar said.\n\nOne dumpling special will always be on the menu, maybe more, depending on customer demand. Salazar whas been testing a bready oyaki-style dumpling fat with rib-eye and carmelized onions. “It’s a take on my favorite sandwich, the Philly cheesesteak,\" Salazar said. \"I love Cheese Whiz.”\n\nIf all goes well at Fishers Test Kitchen over the next two years, Salazar plans a full-service restaurant where nibbles may be delivered to tables via dim-sum-style carts.\n\nKan-Kan Cinema and Brasserie\n\n1258 Windsor St., kankanindy.com\n\nThe team that brought Indianapolis top restaurant Bluebeard and Amelia’s Bakery, and helped develop famous Milktooth, is working on this family-friendly theater/restaurant/bakery combo set to open in February in Windsor Park.\n\nBluebeard chef and James Beard Awards semifinalist Abbi Merriss will helm the brasserie where locally sourced ingredients will end up in brasserie-style dishes like steak frites and tartines. An Amelia's Bakery cafe is under construction next door.\n\nOrder food and bring it into one of three theaters on site, seating a total of 240 people. The nonprofit Indianapolis Film Project Inc. will run the theaters spotlighting indie, local and foreign films along with some more mainstream titles.\n\nHinata\n\n130 E. Washington St.\n\nThis Japanese kaiseki experience was originally scheduled to open in November 2019. The date has been moved to spring 2020 as chef Akinori Tanigawa relocates from Japan to introduce Indianapolis to the Japanese multi-course feast of small plates eaten over a couple of hours.\n\nSteak might be roasted in a salt crust. Little sandwich-like nibbles called “monaka,” are usually sweet in Japan. Hinata’s may be savory with avocado and caviar between crisp mochi shells.\n\nOwner Nobuharu “Nobu” Nakajima is in the manufacturing business, but he missed the food in his native Japan so much he decided to develop Hinata just east of Mile Square’s Fogo de Chao.\n\nBlu Point Oyster House & Bar\n\n5858 N. College Ave.\n\nConstruction delays pushed the opening date of this seafood restaurant from spring to fall 2019. Now, owner Gino Pizzi, the man behind Indy’s popular Italian restaurant Ambrosia, is banking on early 2020, maybe as soon as January.\n\nPizzi ran an oyster bar by the same name years ago in Broad Ripple. Expect raw East Coast oysters, clam bakes, lobster rolls, chowders, clams casino, oysters Rockefeller, mussels steamed in red chili broth and from-scratch linguini with fresh clams.\n\nAnother Blu Point location also opens in 2020 at The Garage food hall, part of the Bottleworks District project on Mass Ave. Also, keep your eyes open for a new Fountain Square speakeasy named Bar Fontana from the Pizzi family in early 2020.\n\nGallery Pastry Shop No. 2\n\n130 S. Pennsylvania St., gallerypastryshop.com\n\nOwners Allison Keefer and pastry chef Ben Hardy said they had hoped do bring their perfect macarons and Insta-worthy European pastries to Mile Square by the end of 2019. The new schedule has the dessert bar opening in spring on the bottom floor of Hyatt Place/Hyatt House hotel, across from Bankers Life Fieldhouse.\n\nBig picture windows will light every delicious bite at the 70-seat shop. Sip dessert-inspired cocktails at the full bar. A bruleed pina colada topped with a crackly sugar shell, perhaps? Or a boozy milkshake whizzed with housemade champagne gelato?\n\nBetter downtown Indy restaurants:And they're not steakhouses and chains\n\nHit counter seating around an open kitchen twice as big as the one at the original Gallery near Broad Ripple. Watch pastry chefs craft eye-popping sweets or join them for a cooking class. Dessert tastings in the works pair a different cocktail with each of several sweet courses.\n\nThe HC Tavern & Kitchen\n\n9709 E. 116th St., Fishers, atthehc.com\n\nThe owner of Indy's famous St. Elmo Steak House originally thought he'd put an off-shoot of his Downtown restaurant Burger Study at The Yard, but he decided to install this completely new restaurant concept instead.\n\nA \"purposeful selection of American classics,\" will populate the menu, Huse Culinary Group CEO Craig Huse said. Menu testing of late has focused on king crab salad, escargot and cheesy lobstercargot, classic smashed burgers, rib-eyes alongside blue-cheese-crusted roasted tomatoes and s'mores mousse pie.\n\nThe final mix of steaks, seafood, salads and sandwiches will be served in an upscale setting featuring a 30-foot-wide, 9-foot-tall mosaic depiction of the north side's roundabouts. It's composed of nearly 72,000 tiny tiles. Opening day is scheduled for February.\n\nFishers Test Kitchen food hall\n\n9713 District North Drive, Suite 1210, Fishers, fisherstestkitchen.com/the-food\n\nThe culinary incubator at The Yard at Fishers District nurtures three restaurant concepts when it opens in early 2020, maybe as soon as February. Besides Lil' Dumplings, mentioned above, look for Korean barbecue fusion at Korave, where chefs plan bulgogi poutine and fried chicken dumplings.\n\nCalifornia cooking inspired comfort food planned at West Coast Nook. Vegan chili with panko-crusted carrot fries and roasted chicken ciabatta sliders with red pepper goat cheese and onion jam are some of what's on the menu.\n\nThe test kitchen also hosts The Signature Table, a culinary performance space where up to 15 guests can watch cooks in action at special events like tastings and cooking classes.\n\nPier 48 Fish House & Oyster Bar\n\n11549 Yard St., Fishers, eatpier48.com\n\nSeafood delivered within 24 hours of being harvested, New England family recipes and regard for protecting the environment are the cornerstones of this Carmel-based FK Restaurant Group concept. Two locations opened in 2019, in Broad Ripple and downtown Indianapolis.\n\nAt The Yard at Fishers District, seafood, steaks, pasta, salads and sandwiches on the list include fried fish, lobster rolls and a couple Italian family recipes like pork and Black Angus meatballs on pasta. Squid stuffed full of bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, olive oil and parmesan cheese is simmered in marinara sauce.\n\nThe Garage food hall\n\n850 Massachusetts Ave., bottleworksdistrict.com/garage\n\nThe rambling, 500-seat food hall, akin to Cleveland’s West Side Market or L.A.’s Grand Central Market, is scheduled to open in spring 2020 inside two old garages at Mass Ave.’s former Coca-Cola bottling plant. Twenty-six vendors will serve a wide range including lobster rolls, tacos and poké bowls.\n\nThe Tartine Station owners plan a mash-up of Palestinian and Filipino influences in open-face sandwiches. Gaucho’s Fire owners plan Brazilian street food like steak and provolone smothered fries with chimichurri. Azucar Morena will do arepas, and Furious Spoon will bring off-beat ramens like Duck Duck Noods with duck confit in duck fat broth.\n\nLivery\n\n13901 Town Center Blvd., Noblesville, livery-restaurant.com\n\nMention the name of this restaurant and someone is bound to say, \"I love the empanadas there.\" Latin-themed Livery was a new concept for Cunningham Restaurant Group when the eatery first opened in 2016 on Mass Ave. It quickly gained a following thanks to sharable plates of those empanadas, lamb tamales and carnitas taquitos; colorful cocktails; and five distinctive dining spaces including a roof-top patio, all inside a renovated 1800s-era stable.\n\nLivery's next stop is Hamilton Town Center in Noblesville. The opening is scheduled for summer.\n\nRize\n\n12955 Old Meridian St., rize-restaurant.com\n\nOne of Indianapolis' best brunch restaurants arrives at Carmel's Gateway Plaza by summer. Cunningham Restaurant Group opened the first Rize in 2017 at Ironworks hotel on the north side. A Fishers location debuted in November 2019.\n\nFrom-scratch dishes incorporate local ingredients. Pickled red onions and basil pesto go on sunny eggs draped over chicken and potato hash in tomato fennel gravy. Fig mustard lands on Canadian bacon, slightly funky triple-cream cheese slices and an orange and pine nut persillade. Orange glaze coats hefty cinnamon rolls.\n\nFollow IndyStar food writer Liz Biro on Twitter: @lizbiro, Instagram: @lizbiro, and on Facebook. Call her at 317-444-6264.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/12/31"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_14", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2023/03/20/ted-lasso-cast-visit-biden-white-house-mental-health/11507770002/", "title": "'Ted Lasso' cast visits White House, Bidens to talk mental health", "text": "Coach Ted Lasso would never believe he was going to the White House.\n\nBut that's exactly where the cast of Apple TV+'s Emmy-winning \"Ted Lasso\" found itself Monday, meeting President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden to promote mental health awareness.\n\n\"It is truly an honor to have Coach Lasso here with us today,\" White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at the White House press briefing Monday, referring to actor Jason Sudeikis. \"There's a real message around mental health. And (Sudeikis and his 'Ted Lasso' castmates) are meeting with the president and the first lady … on this important topic.\"\n\nSudeikis, co-creator and star of the series, along with many of his co-stars, met with the Bidens on Monday to \"discuss the importance of addressing your mental health to promote overall well-being.\"\n\nA White House official told the Associated Press that the Bidens had seen some of the show about an enthusiastic American football coach managing a British soccer team in London, and are familiar with its \"message of positivity, hope, kindness and empathy.\"\n\nWhat to know about 'Ted Lasso' Season 3:Where are Rebecca, Nate and Roy?\n\nWatch 'Ted Lasso' cast speaking at White House\n\nJason Sudeikis says mental health struggles unite people\n\nSudeikis took to the podium following Pierre's opening remarks and spoke about the universality of mental health.\n\n\"No matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter who you voted for … we all know someone – or had been that someone ourselves actually – that's struggled, that's felt isolated, that felt anxious, that’s felt alone,\" Sudeikis said. \"It's actually one of the many things that, believe it or not, that we all have in common as human beings.\"\n\nSudeikis also told reporters gathered in the press room about the importance of the show's theme of inclusivity when it comes to its mental health messaging.\n\n\"We encourage everyone, and this big theme of the show, is to check in with your neighbor, your co-worker, your friends, your family, and ask how they're doing and listen sincerely,\" Sudeikis said. “I mean, you all ask questions for a living but you also listen for a living, so I’m preaching to the choir.\"\n\nMental wellness in Washington:An emotional Selena Gomez explains why mental health is 'personal' at White House event\n\nJason Sudeikis takes question from 'Ted Lasso' character\n\nA familiar face was also in attendance during the \"Ted Lasso\" cast's White House visit. Sudeikis took a question from \"Ted Lasso\" journalist Trent Crimm (James Lance), who asked how Sudeikis felt about Kansas City, Missouri, being named one of the host cities for the 2026 World Cup.\n\n\"'I'm very excited to be told,\" said Sudeikis, who hails from Kansas. \"I love this town. What I am genuinely worried about is once we get all these folks from all over the world to come to Kansas City and see our city, eat our food, meet our people, you're going to have a lot of folks who won’t want to move away.\"\n\nAs he was exiting the briefing room, Sudeikis was asked about reprising his role as Joe Biden, whom he played on \"Saturday Night Live.\"\n\n\"You got the real one here now,\" he responded. \"I need fake teeth and (to be) injected with a lot more chutzpah.\"\n\n'Ted Lasso' Season 3:It took forever, but Jason Sudeikis promises fans 'it's all on the screen'\n\nPresident Joe Biden teases 'Ted Lasso' cast visit with 'Believe' sign\n\nBiden tweeted a picture of the iconic \"Believe\" sign seen on \"Lasso\" taped outside the Oval Office on Sunday night with the simple caption, \"Tomorrow.\"\n\nSeason 3 of the comedy premiered on Apple's streaming service last week to critical acclaim (new episodes stream Wednesdays). The series has tackled mental health extensively in its run so far, including anxiety, depression and grief. Title character Ted (played by Sudeikis) suffers from panic attacks and began going to therapy in Season 2 as he recovered from a tough divorce.\n\nOther \"Lasso\" cast members in attendance included Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca Welton), Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent), Brendan Hunt (Coach Beard, and a series co-creator) and Toheeb Jimoh (Sam Obisanya).\n\nBiden has called on both Democrats and Republicans to expand resources to address the \"mental health crisis\" in the U.S. as part of his \"unity agenda.\" The White House has increased funding for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and expanded school mental health professionals.\n\nReview:Don't worry, 'Ted Lasso' Season 3 will bring a bright light to your dark world\n\nContributing: Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY; The Associated Press", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/20"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2023/03/21/climate-change-united-nations-ted-lasso-baseball-trump-arrest-china-russia-biden/11513142002/", "title": "UN climate report, Biden's veto, China in Russia, Trump's arrest ...", "text": "\"Urgent\" actions are needed to counter human-caused climate change, says a report released by the United Nations. Also in the news: There is no confirmation yet if former President Donald Trump will be indicted Tuesday, despite his claims he will be arrested. The United States and Japan will face off tonight in the World Baseball Classic final.\n\n🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. 2023 Women of the Year Honoree Nicole Mann spoke to USA TODAY from the International Space Station (!).\n\nHere's Tuesday's headlines.\n\nMajor UN report calls for action to combat climate change\n\nThe United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published a report this week which says climate change is a threat to human well-being and planetary health – and the window to do something about it is closing fast. “Humanity is on thin ice – and that ice is melting fast,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.\n\nThis report is the culmination of an eight-year-long series of climate science papers, the sixth assessment since the IPCC was established in 1988.\n\nThe report says human activities , principally through greenhouse emissions, have unequivocally caused global warming, driving widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere.\n\n, principally through greenhouse emissions, have unequivocally caused global warming, driving widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere. The key question facing the globe is whether the global average temperature increase, now warming at 0.2 degrees a decade, can be held to 1.5 degrees. Experts say that has become increasingly unlikely.\n\nis whether the global average temperature increase, now warming at 0.2 degrees a decade, can be held to 1.5 degrees. Experts say that has become increasingly unlikely. There's a way forward: Rapid and sustained mitigation and faster movement toward adaptation in this decade would reduce losses and damages and deliver many co-benefits, especially for air quality and health.\n\nRead USA TODAY's recap of the report here and how the USDA is combating wildfires caused by climate change.\n\nBiden's first veto\n\nPresident Joe Biden issued his first veto Monday after Congress voted to block a Labor Department rule allowing retirement plans to weigh the long-term impacts of social factors and climate change on investments — a move Republicans say is a \"woke\" policy that hurts retirees' pockets. \"I just signed this veto because the legislation passed by the Congress would put at risk retirement savings of individuals across the country,\" Biden said in a video posted to Twitter. Read more\n\nMore news to know now\n\n🌤 What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.\n\nChinese leader welcomed in Russia\n\nChinese leader Xi Jinping is in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a visit eyed warily by the U.S. and Western allies. Xi's first visit since Russia invaded Ukraine would appear to show support for Putin, who needs trade deals and bullets as he faces pressure from economic sanctions and reports that his military is running low on ammunition and fighting equipment. The trip comes days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of war crimes in Ukraine. Read more\n\nWhy would Trump get arrested?\n\nFormer President Donald Trump has predicted Tuesday will be the day he is indicted as an investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney's office comes to a close. Though there is no confirmation the indictment will come Tuesday, Trump may face charges for his alleged role in making a $130,000 hush-money payment to an adult film actress just before the 2016 presidential election to silence her about a past affair. Trump's indictment would be the first time in American history a former president faces criminal charges. Read more\n\nHere are the possible charges against Trump in the New York investigation.\n\nagainst Trump in the New York investigation. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy discourages protest if Donald Trump is indicted.\n\ndiscourages protest if Donald Trump is indicted. DeSantis says he's steering clear of Trump, Stormy Daniels ''circus.''\n\nJust for subscribers:\n\nThese articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here.\n\nJapan faces USA in World Baseball Classic final\n\nJapan pulled off a dramatic victory Monday in the World Baseball Classic: A walk-off 6-5 victory over Mexico, with Shohei Ohtani triggering the comeback. Now Ohtani is the player to watch in Tuesday night's final as he faces Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout. Ohtani, who’s eligible for free agency after the season, and risking perhaps $500 million simply by playing in the WBC, is here to win it all. Read more\n\nOne more thing\n\nPhoto of the day: 'Ted Lasso' in the White House\n\nThe cast of Apple TV+'s Emmy-winning \"Ted Lasso\" found itself meeting President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden to promote mental health awareness Monday,. \"We encourage everyone, and this big theme of the show, is to check in with your neighbor, your co-worker, your friends, your family, and ask how they're doing and listen sincerely,\" actor Jason Sudeikis said. Read more about the visit.\n\nNicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/21"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/08/world/royal-family-line-of-succession/index.html", "title": "The British royal family line of succession explained | CNN", "text": "CNN —\n\nCharles has become Britain’s new King following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at the age of 96.\n\nThe Queen became the sixth female to ascend to the British throne in February 1952, after the death of her father, King George VI. She was the longest-reigning monarch in British history, serving for more than 70 years.\n\nCharles, the Queen’s eldest son, immediately ascended to the throne as King, putting his elder son, William, first in line for the throne.\n\nHere’s what we know about the British royal family’s line of succession.\n\nKing Charles III\n\nCharles, the Prince of Wales, poses for an official portrait in November 2008. He became King after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Hugo Burnand/Anwar Hussein Collection/WireImage/Getty Images Charles was born at Buckingham Palace in London on November 14, 1948. His mother was Princess Elizabeth at the time. Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Princess Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, sit on a lawn with their children Prince Charles and Princess Anne in August 1951. Eddie Worth/AP Charles attends his mother's coronation in 1953 with his grandmother, left, and his aunt Margaret. Hulton Deutsch/Corbis Historical/Getty Images Charles, right, shakes hands with Sir Gerald Creasy, the governor of Malta, as he and the rest of the royal family visit Malta in May 1954. Paul Popper/Getty Images Charles rides with his mother and grandmother as they travel to Westminster Abbey for the wedding of Princess Margaret in May 1960. Keystone-France//Getty Images Charles prepares for takeoff during a flying lesson in 1968. In 1971, he earned his wings as a jet pilot and joined the Royal Navy. Hulton Archive/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II presents Charles to the people of Wales after his investiture as the Prince of Wales in July 1969. Popperfoto/Getty Images Charles walks at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1970. He was the first royal heir to earn a university degree. Hulton Deutsch/Getty Images Charles, left, rides go-carts with his brother Prince Edward and his sister, Princess Anne, circa 1969. Keystone-France\\Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images Charles meets US President Richard Nixon during a private visit to Washington in July 1970. Popperfoto/Getty Images Charles attends a conference with his father in November 1970. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Charles goes on a safari in Kenya in February 1971. William Lovelace/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Charles prepares to fire a bazooka while visiting military barracks in West Berlin in October 1972. Popperfoto/Getty Images Charles fishes with a wooden spear circa 1975. Serge Lemoine/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Charles poses for sculptor David McFall in December 1975. Keystone-France/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images Charles smokes a peace pipe during a visit to Canada in July 1977. Anwar Hussein/Getty Images Charles rides a horse during an equestrian event in Cirencester, England, in April 1978. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles, as colonel-in-chief, visits the Cheshire Regiment in Canterbury, England, in November 1978. He served in the Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976, and in 2012 his mother appointed him honorary five-star ranks in the navy, army and air force. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles are seen together circa 1979. They dated in the 70s and would eventually marry in 2005. It was the second marriage for both. Their first marriages ended in divorce. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles poses outside the Taj Mahal in India in 1980. Anwar Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images Charles kisses his first wife, Lady Diana Spencer, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in July 1981. Their wedding ceremony was televised. Bettmann Archive/Getty images Charles and Princess Diana leave a London hospital with their first child, William, in July 1982. Anwar Hussein/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Charles and Diana dance together at a formal event. Tim Graham/Corbis Historical/Getty Images Charles shares a playful pie in the face while visiting a community center in Manchester, England, in December 1983. David Levenson/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Charles walks with natives on a visit to Papua New Guinea in 1984. Anwar Hussein/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Charles and Diana sit together in Toronto during a royal tour in October 1991. A year later, they were separated. Charles' affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles became public in 1993. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles, Diana and their two sons, William and Harry, gather for V-J Day commemorations in London in August 1995. The couple divorced one year later. Johnny Eggitt/AFP/Getty Images Charles visits a mosque in London in March 1996. Tim Graham/Getty Images South African President Nelson Mandela talks with Prince Charles in London in July 1996. David Thomson/AFP/Getty Images Charles poses with the Spice Girls in 1997. Tim Graham/Corbis Historical/Corbis/Getty Images Charles and his sons spend time together at the Balmoral Castle estate in Balmoral, Scotland, in August 1997. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles, second from right, and Princess Diana's two sisters meet in Paris after Diana was killed in a car crash there in August 1997. She was 36 years old. Jayne Fincher/Getty Images Charles and his sons follow Diana's hearse in London in September 1997. Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty Images Charles stands beside his grandmother's coffin while it lies in state at Westminster Hall in London in April 2002. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images Charles carries a specially painted football through the streets of Ashbourne, England, in March 2003. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles watches a parachute regiment during a D-Day re-enactment in Ranville, France, in June 2004. Chris Ison/AFP/Getty Images Charles married Camilla Parker-Bowles in April 2005. Hugo Burnand/Pool/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II presents Charles with the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal of Honor during a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show in London in May 2009. WPA Pool/Getty Images Charles and Camilla were on their way to a performance at the London Palladium when their car was attacked by angry student protesters in December 2010. The students were protesting a hike in tuition fees. Matt Dunham/AP Charles and Queen Elizabeth II were among those on the Buckingham Palace balcony after Prince William wed Kate Middleton in April 2011. James Devaney/FilmMagic/Getty Images Charles reads the weather while touring BBC Scotland's headquarters in May 2012. Andrew Milligan/AP Charles meets with US President Barack Obama in the White House Oval Office in March 2015. Chris Radburn-Pool/Getty Images Charles and Camilla react as Zephyr, the bald-eagle mascot of the Army Air Corps, flaps his wings at the Sandringham Flower Show in July 2015. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Members of the royal family pose for a photo at Buckingham Palace in December 2016. From left are Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Prince Charles; Queen Elizabeth II; Prince Philip; Prince William; and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images Charles visits the Italian town of Amatrice in April 2017, after an earthquake had hit. Alessandro Bianchi/AFP/Getty Images Charles and Camilla ride on a raft while visiting the island of Borneo in November 2017. Mohd Rasfana/AFP/Getty Images Charles leads three cheers for his mother as the Queen celebrated her 92nd birthday at a London concert in April 2018. Andrew Parsons/AFP/Getty Images From left, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Duchess Camilla and Queen Elizabeth II watch a Royal Air Force flyover in July 2018. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Charles accompanies his future daughter-in-law, Meghan Markle, as she is married to Prince Harry in May 2018. Jonathan Brady/AP Charles lays a wreath at the Cenotaph in London to commemorate Remembrance Day in November 2018. It was also the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Charles poses with family members for an official portrait to mark his 70th birthday. He's holding his grandson Prince George as Camilla sits next to his granddaughter, Princess Charlotte. In the back row, from left, are his grandson Prince Louis; his daughter-in-law Catherine; his son Prince William; his son Prince Harry; and his daughter-in-law Meghan. Chris Jackson/PoolAP Charles speaks at an event in London in March 2020. Later that month, it was announced that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images In pictures: Britain's King Charles III Prev Next\n\nBorn: November 14, 1948\n\nWhat to know: Charles was the longest serving British monarch-in-waiting; he was the heir apparent since the age of three.\n\nPresident of The Prince’s Trust and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and president or patron of more than 400 charitable organizations, Charles was the first royal heir to earn a university degree.\n\nMore key relatives: Diana, Princess of Wales, to whom he was married from 1981 to 1996. They had two children together: Princes William and Harry.\n\nPrincess Diana remains a beloved figure more than 20 years after her untimely death. See more photos of the British icon and the legacy she left behind. Terence Donovan/Camera Press/Redux Diana, seen here on her first birthday, was born Diana Frances Spencer on July 1, 1961. She was born into a noble family in Sandringham, England. Her father, John, was Viscount Althorp before becoming the 8th Earl Spencer in 1975. Hulton Archive/Getty Images Diana circa 1965. Growing up, she attended private schools in England and Switzerland. Central Press/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Diana poses with her brother, Charles, in 1968. She also had two sisters, Sarah and Jane. Anonymous/AP Diana, far right, is photographed with her father, John, and her three siblings circa 1970. Sarah is on the far left and Jane is next to Diana. When Diana was 7 years old, her parents divorced and her father was given custody of the children. Keystone/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images A teenage Diana receives a \"kiss\" from her pony, Scuffle, in 1974. A year later, she became Lady Diana after her grandfather died and her father became the 8th Earl Spencer. Hulton Archive/Getty Images After finishing school, Diana worked various jobs, including cook, nanny and kindergarten teacher. Here she is in 1980 with two children she looked after as a nanny. Hulton Archive/Getty Images Diana and Camilla Parker-Bowles visit the Ludlow racecourse in October 1980, where Prince Charles was competing as a jockey. Diana and Charles would be engaged just a few months later. Prince Charles admitted in 1994 to a relationship with Parker-Bowles while still married to Diana; Charles and Camilla wed in 2005. Express Newspapers/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Diana looks startled after stalling her new car outside her London apartment in November 1980. Tom Stoddart Archive/Premium Archive/Getty Images Diana is surrounded by photographers shortly before it was announced that she was engaged to Prince Charles. Ian Tyas/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Diana and Charles pose at Buckingham Palace after the announcement of their engagement on February 24, 1981. Hulton Deutsch/Corbis Historical/Getty Images Diana and Charles arrive at Goldsmith Hall in London for a charity recital in March 1981. PA/AP The couple poses with Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in March 1981. Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images The royal wedding was held July 29, 1981, at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. It was estimated that more than 700 million people watched the ceremony on television. Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Charles and Diana kiss on the Buckingham Palace balcony after being married. Tim Graham/Getty Images During their honeymoon, Charles and Diana leave Gibraltar on the royal yacht Britannia. Tim Graham/Getty Images The couple spends part of their honeymoon in Scotland. Serge Lemoine/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Charles and Diana attend the Grand National horse race in April 1982. Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images In June 1982, Diana gave birth to her first child, William. Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana greets a child while visiting Wrexham, Wales, in November 1982. David Levenson/Corbis Historical/Getty Images Charles, William and Diana pose for a photo at Kensington Palace in February 1983. Tim Graham/Tim Graham Photo Library/Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana gave birth to a second son, Harry, in September 1984. David Levenson/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Charles kisses his wife after a polo match in Cirencester, England, in June 1985. Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana watches her boys play at the piano in Kensington Palace in October 1985. Tim Graham/Tim Graham Photo Library/Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana helps William with a puzzle in October 1985. Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana attends a polo match that her husband played in Palm Beach, Florida, in November 1985. Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Diana dances with actor John Travolta at the White House in November 1985. Dancing behind Travolta are US President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan. A few years ago, Diana's blue velvet dress -- nicknamed the \"Travolta dress\" -- was auctioned for 240,000 British pounds ($362,424 US). Anwar Hussein/WireImage/WireImage Diana holds up Harry in the garden of Highgrove House, a royal residence in Gloucestershire, England, in July 1986. Tim Graham/Getty Images William rides a miniature pony at Highgrove House. Tim Graham/Getty Images Prince Harry shows a bit of his personality on the Buckingham Palace balcony in June 1988. Steve Holland/AP Diana and her two boys walk outside the Wetherby School in London in April 1990. Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Diana and her sons go skiing in Lech, Austria, in April 1991. Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana and Charles sit together during a royal tour of Toronto in October 1991. Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana visits Egypt in May 1992. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles and Diana attend a memorial service during a tour of South Korea in November 1992. A month later, it was announced that they had formally separated. PA/AP Diana and her sons visit Thorpe Park, a theme park in Surrey, England, in April 1993. Julian Parker/UK Press/Getty Images Diana arrives at the Serpentine Gallery in London in June 1994. Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images A police officer holds back a photographer as Diana walks by in July 1996. It had just been announced that Diana and Charles had divorced. Martin Godwin/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Diana talks to amputees in Angola, where she traveled in January 1997 to bring attention to the anti-land mine campaign of the International Red Cross. Sitting on her lap is Sandra Thijica, a 13-year-old who lost her left leg to a land mine. JOAO SILVA/ASSOCIATED PRESS Diana wears protective gear as she visits minefields in Angola in January 1997. Antonio Cotrim/EPA/Redux Diana visits Cape Town, South Africa, and meets with South African President Nelson Mandela in March 1997. Premium Archive/Gallo Images/Getty Images Diana holds hands with Mother Teresa after they met in New York in June 1997. Anwar Hussein/Getty Images This photo, taken from surveillance video, shows Diana arriving at the Ritz Hotel in Paris on August 30, 1997. It is one of the last photos of her alive. Handout/PA Wire/PA Photos/AP Diana is seen in a Ritz Hotel elevator with her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed. After leaving the hotel, the couple was killed in a high-speed car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris. PA Wire/PA Photos/AP Wreckage is lifted away after the car Diana was in crashed into a pillar on August 31, 1997. Fayed and driver Henri Paul died at the scene. Diana died at a Paris hospital a few hours later. A French investigation concluded that Paul was legally drunk at the time and responsible for the accident. In 2008, a British coroner's jury found that Diana and Fayed were unlawfully killed because of the actions of Paul and pursuing paparazzi. PIERRE BOUSSEL/AFP/Getty Images On the eve of Diana's funeral, the Queen and Prince Philip look at floral tributes left outside Buckingham Palace. More than 1 million bouquets of flowers were left at Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace and St. James's Palace in the wake of Diana's death. Rex Features/Shutterstock Diana's coffin is carried into London's Westminster Cathedral in September 1997. Watching at the bottom, from left, is Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Charles Spencer, Prince William and Prince Philip. JOHN GAPS III/AP POOL/ASSOCIATED PRESS Princess Diana: Her life and legacy Prev Next\n\nDiana died in 1997 following a car accident in Paris, along with boyfriend Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul.\n\nIn 2005, Charles married Camilla, the Queen Consort.\n\nPrince William, Prince of Wales\n\nAs the first-born child to Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, Prince William has never been far from the public eye. Richard Stonehouse/Getty Images Prince Charles and Princess Diana leave the hospital with newborn William on June 22, 1982. Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images Prince William is watched by his parents as he takes his first steps in public at Kensington Palace in 1983. Anwar Hussein/Getty Images William is accompanied by nanny Barbara Barnes as he leaves St. Mary's Hospital in London in 1984. He was visiting his mother and his newborn brother, Prince Harry. PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo From the balcony of Buckingham Palace, a young Prince William watches the Trooping of the Colour in 1985. He is joined by Lady Gabriella Windsor, left, and Lady Zara Phillips. PA Photos/Landov Prince William waves from a carriage en route to the wedding of his uncle Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986. Sahm Doherty/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images William attends his first day at Wetherby School in 1987. Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images Charles and his family visit Spain in 1988. Anwar Hussein/Getty Images William and Harry ride bicycles with their parents while on vacation in the Isles of Scilly in 1989. PA Images/Getty Images William shovels sand onto his mother while playing on a beach in 1990. Rob Taggart/Reuters/Alamy William and Harry wave from the deck of the Royal Yacht Britannia in 1991. Anwar Hussein/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Princess Diana and Prince William wait for Prince Harry after attending an Easter Sunday church service at Windsor Castle in 1992. Dylan Martinez/Reuters Prince William grimaces after riding Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World in Florida in 1993. He was with friends of the royal family on a three-day vacation. Bob Pearson/AFP/Getty Images Prince William accompanies his mother to a tennis match at Wimbledon in 1994. Adam Butler/PA Images/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William and Prince Charles attend a service commemorating V-J Day outside Buckingham Palace in 1995. Andrew Winning/AFP/Getty Images Prince Charles and Prince Harry, at left, stand for anthems as Prince William, right, looks around during the Five Nations rugby championship in 1996. Ben Radford/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Prince William and his brother bow their heads after their mother's funeral at Westminster Abbey in 1997. Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris. William was 15 at the time, and Harry was 12. Adam Butler/AFP/Getty Images Prince William receives flowers from an adoring crowd in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1998. He was on a weeklong vacation with his father and brother, though they also made time for official engagements. Kim Stalknecht/AFP/Getty Images Britain's Queen Mother joins Prince Charles and his sons during an occasion marking her 99th birthday in 1999. Ken Goff/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images Prince William hammers a log while helping construct walkways in a remote village in Chile in 2000. Toby Melville/AFP/Getty Images William, left, and Harry take part in an exhibition polo match in Gloucestershire, England, in 2001. Anthony Harvey/Getty Images Members of the royal family stand vigil besides the Queen Mother's coffin in 2002. Prince William, right, stands alongside Prince Harry, Princess Anne and Sophie of Wessex. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images A London office worker licks a first-class stamp that was issued to mark Prince William's 21st birthday in 2003. Commemorative coins were also minted for the occasion. Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images Prince William makes his water polo debut for the Scottish national universities squad during the annual Celtic Nations tournament in April 2004. William was attending the University of St. Andrews. Barry Batchel/AFP/Getty Images Prince William celebrates his 30th birthday in June 2004. AFP/Getty Images William graduates from St. Andrews University in 2005. He earned a degree in geography. Bruno Vincent/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II glances up at William, right, as she inspects the parade at the Royal Military Academy in 2006. William graduated as an Army officer and later went on to receive his Royal Air Force pilot's wings. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images Prince William and Prince Harry speak on stage with Elton John, far left, during a concert they put on to celebrate Princess Diana in 2007. The event fell on what would have been their mother's 46th birthday. Getty Images Prince William sports a beard for the first time in public at a Christmas Day church service in 2008. He was clean-shaven by early January. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Prince William walks with a group of homeless people during a 2009 hike with Centrepoint, the United Kingdom's largest youth charity for the homeless. William became the patron of the organization in 2005. ohn Giles/WPA Pool/Getty Images During an official overseas visit in 2010, Prince William is welcomed to Sydney with a traditional smoke ceremony. Eddie Mulholland/Pool/Getty Images Prince William kisses his wife, Catherine, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding on April 29, 2011. The two met while attending the University of St. Andrews. Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images William and Catherine meet with US President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama while the Obamas visited Buckingham Palace in May 2011. Charles Dharapak/Pool/AP William throws a foam javelin during a visit to Nottingham, England, in 2012. He and his wife were in the city as part of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee tour, marking the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne. Phil Noble/AFP/Getty Images William and Catherine depart St. Mary's Hospital in London with their newborn son, George, in July 2013. Scott Heavey/Getty Images William and Catherine sit in front of the Taj Mahal while on a royal tour of India in April 2016. Ian Vogler/Pool/Getty Images Prince William and Prince Harry try out \"Star Wars\" lightsabers during a tour of the movie sets in Iver Heath, England, in April 2016. Adrian Dennis/WPA Pool/Getty Images William and Catherine join from left, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Prince Charles; Queen Elizabeth II; and Prince Philip at a Buckingham Palace reception in December 2016. Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images William and Harry are joined by Peter Phillips, left, during a ceremonial procession at the funeral of Prince Philip in April 2021. Alastair Grant/Pool/AP William and Harry unveil a statue they commissioned of their mother on what would have been her 60th birthday in July 2021. Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince William sits by the Imperial State Crown during the opening of Parliament in May 2022. Ben Stansall/Pool/AFP/Getty Images William and Catherine stand with their children -- from left, Louis, Charlotte and George -- on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the Trooping the Colour parade in June 2022. Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images This photo of Prince William and his children in Jordan was released by Kensington Palace in June 2022. Kensington Palace/Getty Images William is seen driving Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, as they arrive at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on the day Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images The heir apparent: Britain's Prince William Prev Next\n\nBorn: June 21, 1982\n\nWhat to know: William, Prince of Wales is first in line to the throne. He has achieved the highest educational degree – Master of Arts – of any member of the royal family. He served in the military from 2006 to 2013, participating in more than 150 helicopter search and rescue operations.\n\nMore key relatives: Catherine, Princess of Wales, whom he married in 2011. The couple have three children together: Prince George, 9; Princess Charlotte, 7; and Prince Louis, 4.\n\nBritain's Prince William and his wife, Catherine, walk with their three children -- from left, George, Charlotte and Louis -- in Norfolk, England. The photo was featured on the family Christmas card in December 2022. Matt Porteous/WPA Pool/Shutterstock Prince Louis is pushed in a wheelbarrow by his mother in Windsor, England, in April 2023. The photo was released by Kensington Palace to mark Louis' fifth birthday. Millie Pilkington/The Prince and Princess of Wales/AP William and Catherine meet a boy dressed as a royal guard while visiting Boston in December 2022. The royal couple was in Boston to attend the Earthshot Prize Awards that William founded two years prior. Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images William and Catherine walk with Prince George and Princess Charlotte at the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. WPA Pool/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images William and Catherine arrive with George, Louis and Charlotte at a school in Bracknell, England, in September 2022. Jonathan Brady/Pool/Getty Images Prince Louis holds his hands over his ears as jets roar over Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade in London in June 2022. From left are Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall; Prince Charles; Queen Elizabeth II; Louis; Catherine; Charlotte; George; and William. Chris Jackson/Getty Images This photo of Prince William and his children in Jordan was released by Kensington Palace to celebrate Father's Day in June 2022. Handout/Kensington Palace/Getty Images William and Catherine play drums while visiting the Trench Town Culture Yard Museum in Kingston, Jamaica, in March 2022. They were on a royal tour of the Caribbean. Chris Jackson/Getty Images This image provided by Kensington Palace made the family's Christmas card in 2020. Matt Porteous/The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge/Kensington Palace/Getty Images William and Catherine visit an air squadron in London in April 2021. During the visit, the squadron paid tribute to William's late grandfather, Prince Philip , who served as Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Air Training Corps for 63 years. Ian Vogler/WPA Pool/Getty Images William and Catherine attend the funeral service of Prince Philip in April 2021. Yui Mok/WPA Pool/Getty Images William and Catherine visit Westminster Abbey, where a Covid-19 vaccination center had been set up in London in March 2021. Aaron Chown/WPA Pool/Getty Images William, Catherine and their children arrive for a pantomime performance at the London Palladium Theatre in December 2020. They were there to thank key workers and their families for their efforts throughout the pandemic. Aaron Chown/Pool/AFP/Getty Images William watches Catherine pour a tray of bagel dough into a container during a visit to a London bakery in September 2020. Justin Tallis/Pool/AFP/Getty Images The royal family meets with naturalist David Attenborough at Kensington Palace in September 2020. This was after a private screening of Attenborough's latest environmental documentary, \"A Life On Our Planet,\" which focuses on the harm that has been done to the natural world in recent decades. Twitter/KensingtonRoyal Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, follow William and Catherine after attending the annual Commonwealth Service in London in March 2020. Phil Harris/Pool/AFP/Getty Images William and Catherine visit a settlement of the Kalash people in Chitral, Pakistan, in October 2019. Samir Hussein/Pool/Getty Images William and Catherine escort Princess Charlotte -- accompanied by her brother, Prince George -- as Charlotte arrives for her first day of school in September 2019. Aaron Chown/Pool/AFP/Getty Images The family is photographed during Trooping the Colour, the Queen's annual birthday parade, in June 2019. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Catherine shows William and Queen Elizabeth II around the \"Back to Nature Garden\" that she helped designed as they visit the Chelsea Flower Show in London in May 2019. Geoff Pugh/AFP/Getty Images Prince William kisses his son Louis as they pose for a photo in Norfolk that was taken by Catherine in 2019. The Duchess of Cambridge/Kensington Palace/Getty Images From left, William, Catherine, Meghan and Harry arrive for a Christmas Day church service in 2018. Stephen Pond/Getty Images Catherine holds Prince Louis after arriving for his christening service in London in July 2018. Dominic Lipinski/Pool/AFP/Getty Images Catherine holds their newborn baby son Louis outside a London hospital on April 23, 2018. Tim Ireland/AP Prince William holds the hands of George and Charlotte as they visit the hospital to meet their new brother. DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images Harry, Meghan, Catherine and William attend the Royal Foundation Forum in London in February 2018. Chris Jackson/Getty Images William and Catherine attend the BAFTA Awards in London in February 2018. Chris Jackson/WPA Pool/Getty Images Catherine is escorted to dinner by Norwegian King Harald V during a visit to Norway in February 2018. William is escorted by Norway's Queen Sonja. Chris Jackson/Getty Images This image of William, Catherine, George and Charlotte was used for the family's 2017 Christmas card. Chris Jackson/Kensington Palace/Getty Images Paddington Bear dances with Catherine during a charity event in London in October 2017. Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images The royal family arrives at the airport in Berlin for a three-day visit in Germany in July 2017. Steffi Loos/AFP/Getty Images This photo of Charlotte was taken in April 2017 by her mother. HRH The Duchess of Cambridge via Getty Images Charlotte is held by her mother as her family ends an eight-day tour of Canada in October 2016. At left is her brother George and her father. Mark Large/Getty Images William and Catherine released new photos of Prince George to mark his third birthday in July 2016. Here he plays with the family's pet dog, Lupo. Matt Porteous/Kensington Palace Members of the royal family gather on a balcony in June 2016 during celebrations marking the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. Catherine is holding Charlotte. Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images Kensington Palace released four photos of Princess Charlotte ahead of her first birthday in May 2016. Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge/AP US President Barack Obama talks with Prince William as Catherine plays with Prince George in April 2016. The President and first lady Michelle Obama were visiting Kensington Palace. Pete Souza/Kensington Palace/Ap Prince George gets a boost from some foam blocks for a special family photo in April 2016. The portrait, featuring the four generations of the House of Windsor, was commissioned by the Royal Mail and would be featured on a series of stamps to commemorate the Queen's 90th birthday. Ranald Mackechnie/Royal Mail via AP William and Catherine pose with their children during a trip to the French Alps in March 2016. John Stillwell/Pool via AP The family poses for a Christmas photo in December 2015. Chris Jelf/PA/PA Princess Charlotte plays with a stuffed dog in this photo taken by her mother in November 2015. HRH DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE/Getty Images William and Catherine pose with their children at Charlotte's christening in July 2015. Mario Testino/Art Partner/Getty Images Princess Charlotte is seen with her big brother for the first time in this photo released by Kensington Palace in June 2015. HRH The Duchess of Cambridge William and Catherine present their newborn daughter as they leave a London hospital in May 2015. LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images The royal family celebrates Prince George's first birthday with a trip to the Natural History Museum in July 2014. John Stillwell/AFP/Getty Images The royal family waves to a crowd before boarding a plane in Wellington, New Zealand, in April 2014. They went on a three-week tour of Australia and New Zealand. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images The royal couple attends the Tusk Conservation Awards at the Royal Society in London in September 2013. Danny E. Martindale/Getty Images William and Catherine start an ultra-marathon in Holyhead, Wales, in August 2013. It was Catherine's first public appearance since the birth of Prince George. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images The couple are pictured with their newborn boy, Prince George, in 2013. The new parents released two family photographs taken by Michael Middleton, Catherine's father. MICHAEL MIDDLETON via AFP/Getty Images William, Catherine and their newborn son depart St. Mary's Hospital in London in July 2013. John Stillwell/WPA-Pool/Getty Images In April 2013, Harry, Catherine and William visit the set used to depict Diagon Alley in the \"Harry Potter\" films. Paul Rogers - WPA Pool/Getty Imagesa William and Catherine attend a St. Patrick's Day parade as they visit Aldershot, England, in March 2013. Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty Images In September 2012, the couple drank coconut milk from a tree that Queen Elizabeth II planted decades ago in the South Pacific nation of Tuvalu. Arthur Edwards - Pool/Getty Images Catherine and William celebrate during cycling events at the Olympic Games in London in August 2012. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II, William and Catherine stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June 2012. Stefan Wermuth - WPA Pool/Getty Images As part of their charity work, the couple attended a \"healthy living cookery session\" in London in December 2011. Ben Stansall-WPA Pool/Getty Images The newly married royal couple watches a rodeo demonstration at a government reception in Calgary, Alberta, in July 2011. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Catherine shovels soil during a tree-planting ceremony in Ottawa in July 2011. Lionel Hahn - Pool/Getty Images William and Catherine attend a Snowbirds air show during Canada Day celebrations in July 2011. Chris Jackson/Getty Images The Obamas meet with the royal couple at Buckingham Palace in May 2011. Charles Dharapak - WPA Pool/Getty Images The newlyweds walk hand in hand from Buckingham Palace the day after their wedding in April 2011. John Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty Images After their wedding on April 29, 2011, the couple drove from Buckingham Palace to Clarence House in a vintage Aston Martin. Chris Radburn - WPA Pool/Getty Images William and Catherine kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding ceremony in London. John Stillwell-WPA Pool/Getty Images The pair returned to their alma mater in St. Andrews, Scotland, in February 2011. They launched a fundraising campaign for a new scholarship. Andrew Milligan -WPA Pool/Getty Image The couple poses for photographers to mark their engagement in November 2010. Catherine received the engagement ring that belonged to William's late mother, Diana. BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images The couple cheers on the English rugby team during the Six Nations Championship match in London in February 2007. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images The couple takes a photo after graduating from the University of St. Andrews in June 2005. They met at school and even shared a house with others while students. Middleton Family/Clarence House/Getty Will and Kate's royal family Prev Next\n\nThe family live in Adelaide Cottage, a four-bedroom property on the grounds of Windsor Castle, Berkshire, about 25 miles from London. Their London residence, Kensington Palace, will remain the family’s principal residence, however, a royal source told CNN in August.\n\nPrince George\n\nPrince George attends the memorial service for the Duke Of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey on March 29, 2022. Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images\n\nBorn: July 22, 2013\n\nWhat to know: If all goes as planned and he becomes King after the reigns of his grandfather Prince Charles and his father Prince William, George – now second in line – will be the 43rd monarch since William the Conqueror.\n\nBut for now, he’s still brushing up on his education: George currently attends Lambrook School near Windsor along with his younger sister, Princess Charlotte and his younger brother, Prince Louis.\n\nPrincess Charlotte\n\nPrincess Charlotte, in a photo taken by her mother, appears before her seventh birthday on May 2, 2022. The Duchess of Cambridge/Handout/Getty Images\n\nBorn: May 2, 2015\n\nWhat to know: Third in line to the throne, Princess Charlotte was born into a more equitable era: In 2011, the British monarchy abolished a rule that gave preference to male heirs over their sisters in the line of succession.\n\nPrince Louis\n\nPrince Louis ahead of his fourth birthday on April 23, 2022. The photograph was taken earlier in April in Norfolk by his mother. The Duchess of Cambridge/Getty Images\n\nBorn: April 23, 2018\n\nWhat to know: Prince Louis, fourth in line to the throne, arrived during a busy season for the royal family; he was born just weeks before the 2018 wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.\n\nAs is tradition, a golden easel bearing a framed notice announcing the birth was placed on display in front of Buckingham Palace that afternoon. The practice of posting a bulletin on the occasion of a royal birth goes back to at least 1837, when Buckingham Palace became the British monarch’s official residence.\n\nPrince Harry, Duke of Sussex\n\n\"Every picture has a back story,\" says Jackson. This one was shot in Nepal in 2016. \"We were spending a night in a village up in the foothills and watching the sunrise. That was an amazing moment for me, and I'm sure it was for Prince Harry as well... A lot of the pictures are quite energetic and that's great, but this is more of a rarity and quite pensive.\" Leorani, Nepal, March 2016. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Meghan first appeared alongside Harry at the Invictus Games in Canada in September last year. \"No one knew that was going to happen,\" Jackson says. \"It was a nice surprise for everyone.\" Toronto, Canada, September 2017. Chris Jackson/Getty Images \"Things happen quite quickly with Harry,\" says Jackson. After presenting a Norwegian wheelchair rugby player with a gold medal at last year's Invictus Games, Harry spontaneously kissed him on the head. \"That was a great moment -- and it makes a great picture,\" says Jackson. Toronto, Canada, September 2017. Chris Jackson/Getty Images \"I always love going on a Prince Harry tour,\" says Jackson. \"There are elements of formality as well as more relaxed moments.\" Surama, Guyana, December 2016. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry meets medical alert dog Jasmine as he visits venues ahead of the opening of the 2016 Invictus Games. Orlando, US, May 2016. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry posed with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a trip to Toronto in 2016. \"Formality and ceremony are very much part of your job as a royal. It's not always relaxed,\" says Jackson. \"(Harry) seems to have a strong bond with Trudeau. It was nice to photograph these two together.\" Toronto, Canada, May 2016. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry (back right) watches the annual \"Trooping the Colour\" parade with other members of the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. \"That's one of few times we see the whole royal family out on the balcony,\" says Jackson. \"It's great to capture these relaxed moments.\" London, UK, June 2015. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry performs a \"hongi\" (traditional Maori greeting) while on a trip to New Zealand. Wanganui, New Zealand, May 2015. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry plays touch rugby with schoolchildren during a trip to New Zealand. Palmerston North, New Zealand, May 2015. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry \"connects with (kids) in a very unique way,\" says Jackson. \"He gets stuck in with whatever they're doing.\" On this occasion, the prince was visiting the Thuso Centre in Lesotho for children living with multiple disabilities. Butha-Buthe, Lesotho, December 2014. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry was visiting Oman in 2014 when Jackson took this picture. \"The chap was showing him a sword dance and offered him a sword and shield,\" he says. \"He's got a real sense of humor and he's not just going to stand there. It makes a great picture and makes my job a lot easier.\" Muscat, Oman, November 2014. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry and his older brother William share a joke with their father Charles during the Invictus Games in 2014. London, UK, September 2014. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Alongside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry watches for the riders at the finish of the first stage of the 2014 Tour de France. The three young royals \"seem to get on very well,\" says Jackson. Harrogate, UK, July 2014. Chris Jackson/Getty Images There's a \"huge amount of respect\" between Harry and his older brother William, says Jackson. \"From what I've seen, they work very closely.\" Cirencester, UK, July 2013. Chris Jackson/Getty Images During a visit to Jamaica, Prince Harry challenged world-class sprinter Usain Bolt to a race. \"I remember it so clearly,\" says Jackson. \"Prince Harry sprinted off leaving Bolt trailing in his wake. That caught me by surprise... That's the kind of thing that happens with Harry. You've got to learn to always be ready.\" Kingston, Jamaica, March 2012. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry has been a keen polo player for many years. This shot, one of Jackson's earliest as royal photographer for Getty Images, was taken during a match against Virginia State polo in 2005. Cirencester, UK, July 2005. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Prince Harry through the lens of Getty royal photographer Chris Jackson Prev Next\n\nBorn: September 15, 1984\n\nWhat to know: Fifth in line to the throne, Prince Harry also trained in the military. In 2008, the British Ministry of Defense announced that Harry had secretly been serving in Afghanistan with his Army unit on a four-month mission since December 2007.\n\nHe was quickly withdrawn for security reasons, but later returned as an Apache helicopter pilot in 2012. In 2015, after nearly a decade of service, he announced he was leaving the armed forces.\n\nThe Duke of Sussex is also the founder of the Invictus Games, an international sporting competition for injured servicemen and women. The first games were held in London in 2014.\n\nMore key relatives: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, whom he married in 2018. The couple welcomed their first child, son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, in May 2019. Their daughter, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born in June 2021.\n\nArchie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor\n\nIn early 2020, the pair announced that they were stepping back from their roles as senior members of the British royal family. They now live in the US.\n\nPrince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex tend to Archie Mountbatten-Windsoron September 25, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Toby Melville - Pool/Getty Images) Toby Melville/Pool/Getty Images\n\nBorn: May 6, 2019\n\nWhat to know: In a significant milestone across the Commonwealth and within British society, baby Archie made history by becoming the first biracial British child in the royal family.\n\nWhen he was born – at which point he became seventh in line – he didn’t immediately qualify for the title of prince, and Buckingham Palace told CNN at the time that his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, had chosen not to use any title at all for their son.\n\nNow that Charles has become King, Prince Harry’s son – who is now sixth in line – will be eligible to become His Royal Highness Prince Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.\n\nLilibet ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor\n\nBorn: June 4, 2021\n\nWhat to know: Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born in Santa Barbara, California, in June 2021 following the decision of her parents, Harry and Meghan, to step back from royal life in the UK and move to the US.\n\nHer unusual name is a tribute to her great-grandmother, the Queen – Lilibet was her childhood nickname. Baby Lili’s middle name, Diana, “was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced in a statement.\n\nSeventh in line to the throne, the Queen’s 11th great-grandchild is the most senior royal in the line of succession to have been born overseas.\n\nPrince Andrew, Duke of York\n\nPrince Andrew is seen in August 2017. Julian Finney/British Athletics/Getty Images Prince Andrew was born February 19, 1960, as the second son to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. -/AFP via Getty Images Prince Andrew sits on his father's lap during a holiday in Scotland in September 1960. At left is his sister, Princess Anne. At right, next to the Queen, is his brother Prince Charles. Associated Press The royal family poses for photos in 1968. Prince Andrew is at bottom right. He is joined by his parents and his three siblings, including his younger brother, Prince Edward. Associated Press The Queen looks at a photo album with Andrew, left, and Edward in 1971. Hulton Archive/Getty Images From left, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew attend an equestrian event in 1972. Dieter Klar/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images Prince Andrew is photographed on his 18th birthday in 1978. Associated Press Prince Andrew receives a Green Beret award at an event in 1980. He served in the British Royal Navy for 22 years and was a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War. Associated Press Prince Andrew is second from right in this photo taken at the 1981 wedding of his brother Prince Charles. BIPNA/Associated Press Prince Andrew poses next to a helicopter in 1982. Keystone/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Girls line up to give flowers to Prince Andrew as he arrives in Portsmouth, England, for an event in 1983. Press Association/AP The prince is face to face with a cow during a royal tour of Canada in 1985. James Gray/Daily Mail/Shutterstock In July 1986, Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson. They were the ultimate \"It\" couple of the late 1980s. Their wedding drew a TV audience of hundreds of millions. Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah, visit Canada in 1987. Ferguson, a commoner, was said to bring a breath of fresh air to the royal family. John Shelley Collection/Avalon/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of York pose during their Canadian holiday in 1987. Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images The couple holds their first child, Beatrice, in 1988. They had two children together before their high-profile divorce in 1996. Associated Press Prince Andrew holds hands with his two daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, after arriving for a dinner in London in 1997. Dave Caulkin/Associated Press The prince lines up a putt during a celebrity golf tournament in 1998. Tim Ockenden/PA Images/Getty Images Prince Andrew attends a party with girlfriend Aurelia Cecil in 1999. Richard Young/Shutterstock Prince Andrew poses with Donald Trump and Trump's future wife, Melania, at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2000. Davidoff Studios Photography/Archive Photos/Getty Images The prince attends a Formula 1 party in London in 2000. Richard Young/Shutterstock Prince Andrew visits the Royal Hospital School in Holbrook, England, in 2006. Mark Cuthbert/UK Press/Getty Images Prince Andrew, back left, poses with his parents and his siblings for a family photo in 2007. Anwar Hussein Collection/ROTA/Getty Images Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein walk through New York's Central Park in 2011. The Sun/MEGA The prince was installed as chancellor of the University of Huddersfield in 2015. Lynne Cameron/PA Wire/Press Association Images/AP Prince Andrew and his parents watch horse racing in Epsom, England, in 2016. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Princess Eugenie is accompanied by her father during her wedding in 2018. Yui Mok/AFP/Getty Images Prince Andrew talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance, which took place in London in November 2019. Chris Jackson/AP In pictures: Britain's Prince Andrew Prev Next\n\nBorn: February 19, 1960\n\nWhat to know: Prince Andrew is the third of the Queen’s four children, and eighth in line to the British throne. He served in the British Royal Navy for 22 years and was a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War.\n\nIn 2019, the prince announced that he was going to step back from public duties after a controversial interview in which he denied allegations that he had sex with an underaged woman who said she had been trafficked by sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.\n\nAndrew, who has been under intense scrutiny for his decades-long friendship with Epstein, said in a statement announcing his decision that the association became “a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support.”\n\nWhile he’s still a prince, Andrew no longer has an official role.\n\nMore key relatives: Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, whom Andrew married in 1986.\n\nSarah and Andrew had two children together – Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie – before a high-profile divorce in 1996.\n\nPrincess Beatrice\n\nPrincess Beatrice arrives for the wedding of Princess Eugenie on October 12, 2018. (Steve Parsons/Pool via Reuters) Steve Parsons/Pool via Reuters\n\nBorn: August 8, 1988\n\nWhat to know: Princess Beatrice, ninth in the line of succession to the British throne, married real estate specialist Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a private ceremony in July 2020. The wedding was a significantly pared-back event attended by the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and close family to ensure compliance with Covid-19 guidelines at the time.\n\nIn September 2021, she gave birth to daughter Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi, who became the 10th in line to the throne.\n\nBeatrice, 34, has a royal title but works a regular, full-time day job as vice president of partnerships and strategy at tech company Afiniti.\n\nPrincess Eugenie\n\nBritain's Princess Eugenie of York and her husband Jack Brooksbank emerge from St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on Friday, October 12 after their wedding ceremony. STEVE PARSONS/AFP/Getty Images Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank travel in the Scottish State Coach at the start of their carriage procession following their wedding at St. George's Chapel, Windsor. ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank wave at the start of their carriage procession. DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank leave St. George's Chapel after their wedding. TOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS Sarah Ferguson, Princess Beatrice and the bridesmaids and page boys, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, wave as the bride and groom depart from the chapel. TOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank kiss on the steps of St. George's Chapel. TOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip wait for the arrival by open carriage of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank following their wedding. Alastair Grant/Pool via REUTERS British model Cara Delevingne leaves after the ceremony. MATT CROSSICK/AFP/Getty Images Sophie, Countess of Wessex, left, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William leave after the wedding. Gareth Fuller/AP The newlyweds walk down the aisle. JONATHAN BRADY/AFP/Getty Images Dean of Windsor David Conner presides over the wedding ceremony. JONATHAN BRADY/AFP/Getty Images Britain's royal family is seen attending the ceremony. OWEN HUMPHREYS/AFP/Getty Images Nicola and George Brooksbank are seen before the start of the wedding ceremony. Jonathan Brady/AP Princess Eugenie walks down the aisle with her father, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. POOL/X80003/REUTERS Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attend the wedding. OWEN HUMPHREYS/AFP/Getty Images Prince Andrew walks his daughter Princess Eugenie of York down the aisle. Danny Lawson/WPA Pool/Getty Images The bridesmaids and page boys, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, arrive for the wedding. Yui Mok/Pool via REUTERS Princess Eugenie and her father Prince Andrew make their way up the steps at St. George's Chapel. Toby Melville/Reuters Princess Eugenie pauses on her way into the chapel. NEIL HALL/EPA/EPA-EFE Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, wait for the ceremony to begin. Danny Lawson/AP Princess Charlotte of Cambridge is serving as a bridesmaid. Toby Melville/Reuters Princess Eugenie arrives by car. DARREN STAPLES/X90183/REUTERS The bride's mother, Sarah, Duchess of York, and Princess Beatrice of York wave from outside St. George's Chapel. STEVE PARSONS/AFP/Getty Images Ricky Martin arrives. Will Oliver/EPA/Rex/Shutterstock Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, head into the chapel. Adrian Dennis/Pool via Reuters Naomi Campbell arrives. Gareth Fuller/WPA Rota/REUTERS Singer Robbie Williams and film and television star Ayda Field, his wife, arrive ahead of the wedding. Gareth Fuller/Pool via AP Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, arrives for the royal wedding. TOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS Eric Buterbaugh and Demi Moore make their way to the ceremony. Gareth Fuller/WPA Pool/Getty Images Stephen Fry and his husband Elliott Spencer walk toward the chapel.. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images Guests assemble at Windsor Castle. Adrian Dennis/AP Chelsy Davy, left, arrives. Matt Crossick/AP Musician George Barnett and model Pixie Geldof outside Windsor Castle. Gareth Fuller/AP A fan of the royal family takes up a position outside Windsor Castle. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Royal supporters get into position holding the Union Jack outside the castle. Leon Neal/Getty Images In photos: Princess Eugenie's royal wedding Prev Next\n\nBorn: March 23, 1990\n\nWhat to know: The younger York sister is 11th in the line of succession, and, after her cousin Prince Harry, was the second royal to throw a massive wedding in 2018.\n\nShe wed Jack Brooksbank, a brand ambassador for Casamigos tequila, which was founded by George Clooney and Rande Gerber, husband of supermodel Cindy Crawford. Like her sister, Princess Eugenie has a fairly everyday job: she works as the director of the Hauser & Wirth art gallery in London.\n\nIn February 2021, she gave birth to her son August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, who is the 12th in line to the throne.\n\nPrince Edward, Earl of Wessex\n\nPrince Edward, Earl of Wessex, meets young recipients of the award during the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award presentations at Buckingham Palace on May 22, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Yui Mok - WPA Pool/Getty Images) WPA Pool/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images\n\nBorn: March 10, 1964\n\nWhat to know: The youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Prince Edward is 13th in line to the British throne. He’s currently a full-time working member of the royal family. Prince Edward previously trained as a cadet in the Royal Marines and worked as a theater and TV producer.\n\nMore key relatives: Sophie, Countess of Wessex, whom Prince Edward married in 1999. The couple have two children together, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.\n\nJames, Viscount Severn\n\nJames, Viscount Severn and Lady Louise Windsor during Trooping The Colour, the Queen's annual birthday parade, on June 8, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson Collection/Getty Images\n\nBorn: December 17, 2007\n\nWhat to know: Despite being younger than his sister Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, the Viscount Severn is ahead of her in the line of succession because of the previous rule that saw the British monarchy favor male heirs over their sisters. He is 14th in line to the throne.\n\nLady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor\n\nLady Louise Windsor during Trooping The Colour on the Mall on June 9, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson Collection/Getty Images\n\nBorn: November 8, 2003\n\nWhat to know: The oldest child of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor is now 15th in line to the throne. Her parents chose more subdued royal titles and, with the permission of the Queen, gave their children titles in the style of an earl rather than prince and princess.\n\nAnne, the Princess Royal\n\nHer Royal Highness The Princess Royal attends the Commissioning Ceremony of HMS Queen Elizabeth at HM Naval Base on December 7, 2017 in Portsmouth, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Chris Jackson/Getty Images\n\nBorn: August 15, 1950\n\nWhat to know: The second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Anne was third in the line of succession at birth – but today she’s No. 16, behind her brothers and their children and grandchildren.\n\nPicture taken on February 26, 1970 showing Prince Charles and Princess Anne of the royal family. (Photo by CENTRAL PRESS PHOTO LTD /AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images\n\nWidely known as an expert horsewoman, the Princess Royal competed as an equestrian in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal – just two years after surviving a kidnapping attempt. Today she’s part of the International Olympic Committee in addition to serving various charitable organizations.\n\nMore key relatives: Capt. Mark Phillips, the Princess Royal’s first husband, with whom she has two children: Peter and Zara. Phillips, an army officer, was a commoner who declined to receive a royal title; Anne also declined her mother’s offer to give titles to Peter and Zara.\n\nOlympic mission — Having given birth to her first child in January, Zara Phillips has since returned to competition and helped Great Britain qualify for the 2016 Olympics with her performance at August's FEI World Equestrian Games. Alex Livesey/Getty Images Mother and daughter — Queen Elizabeth II's eldest granddaughter gave birth to Mia Grace Tindall on January 17, 2014. Mia is 16th in line for the British throne. Matthew Horwood/Getty Images Sporting couple — Mia's father is rugby star Mike Tindall, who married Phillips on July 30, 2011. Dylan Martinez/AFP/Getty Images Family ties — In September 2014, Phillips and her husband took part in a wheelchair rugby exhibition match during the Invictus Games for war veterans organized by her cousin Prince Harry (pictured behind). Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images for Invictus Games/file London success — After missing out in 2004 and 2008 due to her horse Toytown sustaining injuries, Phillips had to wait until 2012 before she participated in her first Olympics, in which she won a silver medal in the team equestrian event. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images In the family — She was presented her medal by her mother, Princess Anne, who participated in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal as a member of Britain's equestrian team. Alex Livesey/Getty Images Golden heritage — Her father Mark Phillips, left, was part of Britain's gold-medal-winning eventing team at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and he also won silver at Seoul '88. McCabe/Express/Getty Images/file Champion of the world — The 33-year-old Zara is a former world champion, taking gold in 2006, and won European titles in 2005 and 2007. JOCHEN LUEBKE/AFP/Getty Images Zara Phillips eyes Olympic gold Prev Next\n\nAnne and Phillips divorced in 1992, and the Princess Royal went on to marry Royal Navy officer and equerry to the Queen, Timothy Laurence, that same year.\n\nTo get updates on the British Royal Family sent to your inbox, sign up for CNN’s Royal News newsletter.", "authors": ["Cnn Staff"], "publish_date": "2022/09/08"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/15/entertainment/harry-meghan-netflix-takeaways-part-two-scli-intl/index.html", "title": "What we learned from the second part of Harry and Meghan's Netflix ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nThe last three episodes of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix documentary series were released Thursday.\n\nThe first three episodes, released last week, touched on the early days of the couple’s relationship, the relentless media attention they’ve faced and what Harry referred to as “unconscious bias” within the royal family.\n\nThese latest installments see Harry detail rifts with his relatives, the toll the last few years has taken on the couple and their new life in California.\n\nBuckingham Palace reiterated on Thursday that it will not comment on the documentary, and royal engagements are continuing.\n\nHere are 11 things we learned from the second part of the show:\n\nMeghan grateful for relationship with Queen Elizabeth\n\nThe duchess spoke about her first royal engagement alongside Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, shortly after the couple’s wedding.\n\n“It was great,” she said, describing how the Queen put a blanket over both of their knees on a car journey.\n\nMeghan was glad to have a grandmotherly figure after being so close with her own grandmother.\n\n“I treated her as my husband’s grandma,” she said. “We laughed.”\n\nQueen Elizabeth II (left) with Meghan during their first shared royal engagement on June 14 2018. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images\n\nPopularity causes tensions with other royals\n\nThe couple said their popularity with the public caused issues within the royal household, with their tour in Australia being described in the documentary as a turning point.\n\nHarry said Meghan’s popularity in particular caused problems at the palace, recalling similarities with his mother Diana, who married into the royal family and was beloved by the public.\n\n“The issue is when someone who’s marrying in, who should be a supporting act is then stealing the limelight or is doing the job better than the person who is born to do this. That upsets people. It shifts the balance,” Harry said.\n\nThe couple recalled how media coverage started to turn negative, with Meghan increasingly associated with racist tropes such as drugs, criminality or terrorism.\n\nHarry and Meghan pictured during their tour of Australia in October 2018. Phil Noble/Reuters\n\nMeghan contemplated suicide\n\nDoria Ragland, Meghan’s mother, recounted how her daughter told her she had thought about taking her own life after being constantly “picked at by these vultures” in the media.\n\n“That she would actually think of not wanting to be here … That’s not an easy one for a mom to hear,” said Ragland.\n\nHarry said he “never thought that it would get to that stage,” and the fact it did left him feeling “angry and ashamed.”\n\nMeghan said she wanted to get help but was prevented from doing so amid concerns that it could affect the image of the institution.\n\nThe duchess later discussed her struggles in an official royal documentary, thanking a journalist who asked her how she’d been feeling. “Not many people have asked if I’m OK,” she said.\n\nMore controversy around Archie’s birth\n\nThe couple recalled how their desire to keep some privacy around the birth of their first child caused a significant backlash.\n\n“The amount of abuse we got … for not wanting to serve our child up on a silver platter was incredible,” said Harry.\n\nA narrative developed that the couple were being selfish for not doing a traditional photo call shortly after the birth of a royal baby, and Harry remembers seeing a post on social media of a couple walking either side of a chimpanzee alongside the caption: “Royal baby leaves hospital.”\n\nMeghan ‘fed to the wolves’\n\nThe duchess said she did everything she could to make the royal family “proud,” but at one point “the bubble burst” and there was a flood of negative media coverage.\n\n“I realized that I wasn’t just being thrown to the wolves, I was being fed to the wolves,” she said.\n\nHarry said he believes that the press understood that the palace wasn’t going to protect Meghan, and once that happens “the floodgates open.”\n\nDuchess received death threats\n\nThe documentary touches on how a hate campaign against the couple built on social media, with the primary focus on Meghan.\n\n“The seriousness of what has happened to her and what … happened to us, and what continues to happen to her, that needs to be acknowledged,” said Harry.\n\nMeghan recalls how the family’s security team has a protocol for when a tweet such as “Meghan just needs to die” is spotted online.\n\n“That’s, like, what’s actually out in the world because of people creating hate. And I’m a mom,” she said. “That’s my real life.”\n\n“And that’s the piece when you see it and you go, ‘You are making people want to kill me,’” added the duchess. “It’s not just a tabloid. It’s not just some story. You are making me scared. Right?”\n\n‘Terrifying’ row at Sandringham\n\nHarry recalled how he traveled to the royal residence Sandringham for a meeting to discuss the couple’s future role in the family.\n\n“It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me and my father say things that simply weren’t true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in,” said Harry.\n\nAnd the relationship between the two brothers continued to worsen.\n\n“The saddest part of it was this wedge created between myself and my brother so that he’s now on the institution side,” said Harry.\n\nHarry spoke about a joint statement issued in January 2020, in which the brothers denied a newspaper story alleging that a rift in the royal family was caused by William’s “bullying attitude.”\n\nIn this Netflix episode, Harry claims he was not aware of the statement. “No one had asked me permission to put my name to a statement like that,” he said.\n\n“They were happy to lie to protect my brother and yet for three years they were never willing to tell the truth to protect us,” he added.\n\nMedia coverage blamed for miscarriage\n\nHarry blamed the media for placing undue stress on his wife.\n\nMeghan recounted how she suffered a miscarriage in July 2020 after moving to Santa Barbara, California, recalling how she was stressed about how UK newspaper the Mail on Sunday had published a private letter to her father, Thomas Markle.\n\n“I was pregnant. I really wasn’t sleeping. The first morning that we woke up in our new home is when I miscarried,” said Meghan.\n\n“I believe my wife suffered a miscarriage because of what the Mail did,” Harry added. “I watched the whole thing.”\n\n“Now, do we absolutely know the miscarriage was created, caused by that? Course we don’t. But bearing in mind the stress that that caused, the lack of sleep, and the timing of the pregnancy, how many weeks in she was, I can say, from what I saw, that miscarriage was created by what they were trying to do to her,” he added.\n\nCNN has contacted the Mail on Sunday and its publisher Associated Newspapers Limited for comment.\n\nHollywood move meant six weeks without press coverage\n\nHarry said it took reporters six weeks to find out that the couple had moved into director and screenwriter Tyler Perry’s home in Hollywood, before eventually publishing the location of their new home.\n\nHe also recalled measures taken to prevent paparazzi from snapping photos of the couple.\n\n“These large poles are basically the construction of a fence to stop paparazzi from taking photographs from three, four hundred meters away,” said Harry. “And as ridiculous and as absurd as this is, you kind of have to laugh about it, because it is madness.”\n\nPerry then claims the fence around the property would be cut, people would sneak in and there were “helicopters 24/7.”\n\n‘No accountability’\n\nHarry talks about going home for his grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021.\n\nWhile Harry says that neither he nor the rest of the family wanted to talk about the situation around Harry and Meghan that day, he did discuss it with his father and brother. He said Prince William and King Charles were “focused on the same misinterpretation of the whole situation.”\n\n“I’ve had to make peace with the fact that we’re probably never going to get genuine accountability or a genuine apology,” said Harry.\n\nCalifornia is now ‘home’\n\nHarry reminds viewers that Archie spent only the first five months of his life in the UK before the family relocated to California, and daughter Lilibet was born in the US.\n\n“This is home to him, this is home to Lili, and this is our home,” said Harry, who added that life is very different for the family in the US. “I get to do things with our kids that I would never be able to do in the UK.”", "authors": ["Jack Guy"], "publish_date": "2022/12/15"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/02/health/long-covid-asympomatic-cases/index.html", "title": "Their virus symptoms were minor. Then they had long Covid. | CNN", "text": "CNN —\n\nLinda Timmer wanted to practice what she preached.\n\nWhile working at a domestic violence nonprofit in Arizona during the height of the Covid-19 summer wave in 2020, Timmer wrote pandemic policies for her workplace, encouraging her colleagues to wear masks and, if they had been exposed to the coronavirus or had symptoms, get tested.\n\nTimmer herself was not aware of being exposed or having any Covid-19 symptoms, such as cough or fever, but she started experiencing some unusual moments when she felt fatigued or forgetful, along with several episodes of confusion.\n\n“They weren’t really putting that in the list of symptoms to go get tested for,” said Timmer, now 64.\n\nThat August, “the brain confusion was so unusual for me that I just thought, ‘I’m telling everyone to wear masks and follow these policies; I better go get tested, too,’ ” Timmer said. She decided to get tested for Covid-19 at a drive-up site.\n\n“I never expected to be positive,” she said, adding that she was “devastated,” because she did not want to miss work.\n\nNot only did she test positive, that was just the beginning of a long battle.\n\nEmerging research suggests that a small portion of people who now live with long Covid may have showed no Covid-19 symptoms at all when they were initially infected – or their symptoms were mild or unusual, similar to what Timmer had.\n\n‘This was my most terrifying time in my life’\n\nWithin about two weeks, Timmer had recovered from acute Covid-19 infection. But as she returned to work, she still felt unusual, with problems like overheating, confusion, loss of taste, sound hallucinations and breathlessness.\n\n“I realized the more I tried to walk or return to normal, my symptoms worsened severely, and I would end up in bed with pain and fatigue for weeks,” Timmer said.\n\n“This was my most terrifying time in my life,” she said.\n\nLinda Timmer, 64, with her son in Michigan. Courtesy Linda Timmer\n\nTimmer retired early – before her illness, she had not made plans to retire – and moved to New Mexico in November 2020 to live with her sister while she sought treatment for her ongoing symptoms. In February 2021, she moved to Michigan to live with her son.\n\nSome people with long Covid have said that they noticed their symptoms ease after they got vaccinated against Covid-19. Research also shows that vaccines not only reduce the risk of severe disease and hospitalization, they can lower the odds of long-term Covid-19 symptoms.\n\nTimmer was originally diagnosed with Covid-19 before vaccines became available in the United States. Once they were authorized for her age group, she got vaccinated – and boosted. She felt good after the first vaccine dose, but her long Covid symptoms persisted.\n\nTimmer still has “debilitating” symptoms from long Covid, and she is not alone.\n\nOne preprint paper, posted last year to the server MedRxiv, featured an analysis of more than 1,400 medical records in California for people who tested positive for Covid-19. It found that roughly 32% of those reporting long-haul symptoms more than 60 days following a Covid-19 diagnosis had no symptoms at the time of their initial Covid-19 test.\n\n“I’ve seen similar stuff in clinic, as well. Patients coming in with either no symptoms or some very mild symptoms like sore throat, cough, maybe some sneezing, and a few weeks later, debilitating headaches, inability to get up in the morning or just unrelenting fatigue and weakness. And before we knew that long Covid was really a phenomenon, we didn’t know what to do,” said Dr. Ali Khan, who specializes in internal medicine at Oak Street Health in Chicago.\n\nIn some people, “we are seeing the coronavirus itself interact with almost every single part of the human body, which is just so atypical for most diseases, particularly most viruses. So we see that in some people – even in people whose initial infections were silent – it can work in the bloodstream to cause you to be more likely to get a blood clot,” he said. “For other people, that coronavirus is attacking the nerves, and it’s causing nerve pain; it’s causing headaches; it’s causing longstanding sciatica that many of my patients are dealing with.”\n\n‘Even people who did not have COVID-19 symptoms … can have post-COVID conditions’\n\nThe US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes long Covid, or “post-Covid” conditions, as a wide range of new, returning or ongoing health problems four or more weeks after acute Covid-19 infection.\n\n“Even people who did not have COVID-19 symptoms in the days or weeks after they were infected can have post-COVID conditions,” according to the CDC. “These conditions can present as different types and combinations of health problems for different lengths of time.”\n\nThe consensus in the medical field is that Covid-19 is an “acute illness” and long Covid is a “subacute chronic illness,” said Dr. Adupa Rao, a pulmonologist with the University of Southern California’s Keck Medicine who sees long Covid patients through Keck Medicine’s COVID Recovery Clinic.\n\n“In the medical world, acute illnesses usually mean a week to two weeks of illness. Subacute means anywhere from two to four weeks and chronic means anything from four to six weeks on that is persistent,” Rao said. “So, the chronic long Covid symptoms are usually people that don’t return to their baseline or close to their baseline after the initial infection – and being able to diagnose long Covid is quite difficult.”\n\nEstimates of long Covid’s incidence range from about 30% to more than half of people who have recovered from acute Covid-19 infection. Women and older adults appear to be more likely to have it than men and younger adults.\n\nEven though the risk of long Covid-19 appears to increase with the severity of acute Covid-19 infection, almost a third of people who had mild symptoms when they were originally diagnosed may still have symptoms months later, according to some estimates.\n\n“We do know that even a mild or relatively asymptomatic acute infection with Covid can eventually cause long Covid,” said Dr. Gerald Harmon, a family medicine specialist and president of the American Medical Association.\n\n“Anywhere from 10% to 30% of patients can experience symptoms of Covid after apparently recovering, even if they weren’t sick in the first place,” he said. “And it’s a wide range of new, returning or ongoing health problems that we typically have put into three different categories.”\n\nThe first category, Harmon said, includes people who have direct cell damage that was caused by the coronavirus during the initial infection and takes a long time to recover from. Examples include acute kidney damage, acute lung damage, a big infection of pneumonia in the lung or a blood clot in the brain.\n\nThe second category describes people hospitalized with Covid-19 who may have long-term complications from being bed-bound for weeks, such as neurological damage, lung damage or muscle weakness.\n\nExperts are “probably more concerned with” the third category, Harmon said. It includes anyone who recovered from an initial Covid-19 infection that wasn’t severe but then had symptoms.\n\n“And they’re thinking, ‘My goodness, is this a recurrence of the Covid infection? Is it delayed? Is it a new something that’s masquerading as Covid? Or is it Covid masquerading as something more common, such as pneumonia?’ ” Harmon said.\n\nOne review paper analyzed 11 studies published between December 2019 and September 2021 on people with asymptomatic or mild forms of Covid-19. The analysis suggests that long Covid develops on average in about 30% to 60% of patients, with fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, or loss of taste and smell as the most common symptoms.\n\nMany studies on long Covid tend to lump together people who initially had asymptomatic or mild infections, Dr. Linda Geng, co-director of Stanford Health Care’s Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome Clinic, wrote in an email.\n\nFor instance, one of that review paper’s findings was that presence of anosmia, or loss of smell, during an asymptomatic or mild course of the disease can be “predictive factors” for the development of long Covid. If there is anosmia, then someone is not completely asymptomatic, Geng wrote.\n\nIn other studies, “some of the patients who were labeled ‘asymptomatic’ may have had some symptoms that were not brought to medical attention or captured” in their electronic health records, Geng wrote.\n\n“Some patients didn’t think they had COVID until getting tested and thought instead that it was just some allergies or something else. All that to say it can be hard to make clear conclusions from studies due to certain limitations and complexities. We need further study in this area,” she said. “Regardless, it is clear that you do NOT need to have severe acute COVID to develop Long COVID.”\n\n‘She didn’t want to live in a wheelchair’\n\nLos Angeles-based filmmaker Nick Guthe says his wife, screenwriter Heidi Ferrer, was among those who did not initially have a severe Covid-19 infection but still developed debilitating long Covid symptoms.\n\nIn April 2020, Ferrer showed signs of Covid toes – which involves discoloration and swelling – “and that concerned her because she had been reading about Covid, and she had some very mild GI symptoms that were a slightly upset stomach for a day or two. That made her think that she should get tested,” Guthe said. “So she didn’t have the serious pulmonary issues that some people have, where their breathing is really messed up.”\n\nGuthe and Ferrer visited a drive-through Covid-19 testing site at the University of California, Los Angeles. They both had their cheeks swabbed and tested negative.\n\nBut within six weeks, Ferrer’s Covid toes had worsened, making it excruciating to walk. The woman who used to walk for 90 minutes a day could barely go 100 feet without stabbing nerve pain in her feet – similar to diabetic neuropathy.\n\nOn May 28, 2020, “I remember her birthday at my mom’s house very distinctly because she had to sit with her feet on a pillow and she couldn’t wear sneakers anymore. They were too painful. She had to basically wear them just to walk on pavement and then take them off whenever she got in the house, and she put her feet on pillows,” Guthe said. “It was her 49th birthday.”\n\nAs Ferrer’s symptoms progressed, Guthe said, she had severe gastrointestinal issues, exhaustion, a racing heartbeat from just getting out of bed, brain fog, changes in vision, intense tremors and internal vibrations, which led to weeks of insomnia.\n\n“She had tremors in her upper torso and shoulders and upper extremities, but they weren’t in the legs yet, but that’s where she thought she was going to end up,” Guthe said. “And she didn’t want to live in a wheelchair.”\n\n'There is a tsunami coming': Widower warns of Covid 'long haulers' plight 06:56 - Source: CNN\n\nEven though Ferrer did not initially test positive for Covid-19, she had a cytokine panel done at a long Covid clinic in the San Francisco Bay area early last year to look for clues behind her symptoms, searching for inflammation and signs of long Covid.\n\nWhen the results came back, Ferrer’s practitioner felt comfortable referring her to a long Covid clinic at Cedars-Sinai, Guthe said, but a mixup meant that referral letter arrived about 10 days later than intended.\n\nIt finally came on May 21, 2021 – a day before Ferrer took her life.\n\n“I often wonder if it had arrived for her on the correct day – 10 days previous – would that have made a difference for her, because she would have felt some level of hope,” Guthe said. “But, I mean, hindsight is 20/20.”\n\nGuthe hopes the medical community can learn from his wife’s story.\n\nHow to get help In the US, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also provide contact information for crisis centers around the world.\n\nIn the ER, on the day Ferrer died, Guthe said the doctor asked, ” ‘How long has your wife been depressed?’ And I said, ‘She wasn’t depressed. She was in excruciating pain from long Covid.’ And he said, ‘What’s long Covid?’ I said, ‘You’re kidding, right?’ And he said, ‘No, I don’t know what it is.’ ”\n\nGuthe told the doctor to “just Google it.”\n\n“May 22nd will be the anniversary of my wife’s suicide, and in some ways, it’s been extremely frustrating to see how little changed this year,” Guthe said. “The only thing that has changed is the public’s awareness of long Covid.”\n\nPulling back the curtain on long Covid\n\nAlthough physicians know more about Covid-19 now than they did two years ago in the early days of the pandemic, the medical community still doesn’t “have all the answers” when it comes to the disease – and especially long Covid, said the American Medical Association’s Harmon.\n\nThe association held a special meeting of its House of Delegates in June at which delegates adopted a policy to show support for the development of specific medical codes for doctors to use when diagnosing and treating “post-acute sequelae of Covid-19,” or long Covid.\n\nIn October, a diagnostic code was announced to specifically document post-acute sequelae of Covid-19 rather than active infection.\n\nCurrently, there is no lab test that can definitively distinguish long Covid symptoms from other medical problems. But specific medical codes for long Covid can help health care providers when diagnosing and treating someone with a history of Covid-19 who has long Covid symptoms – or a completely different medical concern.\n\n“It may have zero to do with your recent Covid infection or remote Covid infection,” Harmon said. “So if you’re having some symptom that you’re not sure about, talk to your doctor. You might simply have a different infection. You could have a pneumonia infection; you could be having had a tick bite and have a tickborne illness. You could have strep throat. You could have the flu.”\n\nAfter all, “many things can masquerade as Covid, and unfortunately, post-Covid can masquerade as many things,” he said. “Right now, there’s no diagnostic tests per se – say, ‘let’s do a strep throat test; let’s do a flu test to see if you’ve got long Covid or not.’ There is no one test, so it becomes what we would call a diagnosis of exclusion.”\n\nIn other words, “you need to exclude other potential conditions that can cause those symptoms before attributing it directly to COVID,” Stanford Health Care’s Geng wrote in her email.\n\nIt is still “very difficult” for doctors to confirm when people who initially had asymptomatic or mild Covid-19 develop long Covid symptoms, Dr. Zijian Chen, medical director for Mount Sinai’s Center for Post-COVID Care, wrote in an email.\n\n“We definitely have patients who have mild to no symptoms during a patient’s acute infection who then go on to develop long covid,” Chen said.\n\n“The best we do is to evaluate the patient, and look for occult causes that are not covid. If we do not find another cause, and the covid infection happens relative to when the symptoms begin, we can say that it is likely the infection led to the patient developing symptoms,” Chen wrote, adding that “we do comprehensive evaluation to make sure there is not another cause.”\n\n‘No one should be left behind’\n\nEven though there is now a diagnostic code in the United States to help identify post-Covid symptoms, long Covid remains a mystery in medicine.\n\nWhile spending time with her son in Michigan, Timmer often thinks about long Covid and how it manifests in her body. Sometimes, the exhaustion becomes overwhelming, her body aches, short-term memory loss makes conversations difficult, gastrointestinal issues are unrelenting, and there has been a constant, disruptive ringing in her ears.\n\nGet CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.\n\nThere is still much to learn about Covid-19, and Timmer wants members of the medical community to know that they can and should listen to those with long Covid when seeking answers.\n\nDuring her journey with Covid-19, she has “constantly” felt the need to defend her symptoms, and it’s “exhausting.”\n\n“Long-haul asymptomatic people are unique in their awareness that these long haul symptoms are not normal and the fact medical procedures and tests do not reveal any issues for people,” Timmer said. “I hope the medical research continues and every long-haul survivor has the help needed to move forward, such as more clinics specializing in long-haul, medical insurance and transportation. No one should be left behind in the research of all things related to Covid-19.”", "authors": ["Jacqueline Howard"], "publish_date": "2022/05/02"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/03/opinions/fixing-problems-public-schools-culture-wars-roundup/index.html", "title": "Opinion: The culture wars have come to the classroom. Now what ...", "text": "Editor’s Note: This roundup is part of the CNN Opinion series “America’s Future Starts Now,” in which people share how they have been affected by the biggest issues facing the nation and experts offer their proposed solutions. The views expressed in these commentaries are the authors’ own. Read more opinion at CNN.\n\nCNN —\n\nThere are many problems roiling America’s public schools, including culture wars that have found their way into the classroom, school libraries and school board meetings over the past several months. But some challenges are more endemic, the product of decades of low pay and lack of appreciation for the service that administrators and teachers perform. CNN Opinion gathered the views of nine experts in the field of education about the problems they feel should be most urgently addressed in the classroom – and what solutions might be viable in our tumultuous political times.\n\nShaun Harper: Conservatives reject any mention of race in the classroom. We must counter by teaching truth\n\nShaun Harper Bradford Rogne\n\nLast year, Democratic Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe lost his reelection campaign, at least in part because his Republican opponent, Glenn Youngkin, repeatedly declared that McAuliffe’s reelection would lead to the widespread teaching of critical race theory in schools across the Commonwealth. Simply put, attacking critical race theory helped the now-governor of Virginia secure his win.\n\nCritical race theory is a set of concepts seeking to explain the structural underpinnings of inequality and racism in the United States. But the term has been attacked by its critics as unfairly pinning blame on White Americans for some of society’s most pernicious ills.\n\nClassroom discussions about race, and what I like to call “truth teaching,” haven’t been as much of a talking point as they were a year ago, and critical race theory isn’t being debated as much in this year’s midterm campaigns. It doesn’t have to be. For the most part, conservatives have already succeeded in banishing talk about racism from the classroom.\n\nAfter a campaign of intentional misinformation and fear mongering, critical race theory quickly became one of our nation’s most contested and misunderstood education issues. Conservative strategists successfully convinced millions of Americans, including concerned parents of school-aged children, that it was being taught in K-12 districts across the country. No evidence exists to confirm that this was actually the case.\n\nAs of last month, elected officials in 42 states have introduced legislation that broadly aims to ban the teaching of racial and social justice topics in public schools, according to data compiled by Education Week. Similar bills have passed in 17 of those states. Many more school boards have enacted local bans. In addition, books about race have been banned in numerous districts.\n\nThe campaign to eliminate critical race theory succeeded mostly because White parents and state lawmakers were led to believe that White school children were being made to feel badly about being White. Where’s the proof that teachers, nearly 80% of whom are White, were doing this? They weren’t, certainly not in any widespread fashion.\n\nWith no credible evidence of an actual problem and no opportunity to vote on the issue, citizens who recognize the value of teaching our children the truth about America’s racial past and present won’t have a voice in the upcoming election.\n\nThere’s at least one state where voters will decide this fall what gets taught in the classroom. West Virginians will consider a ballot question known as the Education Accountability Amendment, which if passed, would amend the state constitution to give the majority-Republican legislature more control over just about every aspect of public schooling.\n\nUntil bans on truth teaching are lifted, our democracy will become increasingly susceptible to the exacerbation of the racial tensions, inequities, injustices and violent acts of racism that have always kept America from reaching its full potential. Educators, meanwhile, will have unchecked authority to lie to school children about race. One recent example of this is educators’ failed attempt to change slavery to “involuntary relocation” in Texas schools.\n\nThose who truly care about the advancement of our democracy must insist that its full truth be taught. Unfortunately, we may have to wait a while before that discussion resumes in our public schools.\n\nShaun Harper is a professor at the Rossier School of Education and the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. His research focuses primarily on race, gender and equity in the classroom and in the workplace. He tweets @DrShaunHarper.\n\nValerie Wolfson: Teachers deserve trust and respect\n\nValerie Wolfson Courtesy Valerie Wolfson\n\nI’m a middle school social studies teacher in New Hampshire and an avid supporter of public education. Having taught for over 20 years, my greatest joy is participating in a democratic institution that is for everyone.\n\nI stand for all my students by committing myself to perpetual learning and growth. I continue to update instructional strategies, let go of old projects that no longer serve my current students and adapt my curriculum and language to ensure my approaches are culturally sensitive.\n\nI teach well-rounded history to the best of my ability as I continually strive to keep my background knowledge robust. I am here to hold space for all my students regardless of their identity, political positions or other affiliations. To do this, I must rigorously and regularly examine my biases, consider what and whom I am centering and why.\n\nThat’s why it was so disheartening to see laws like House Bill 2 (sometimes referred to as the “divisive concepts” law) pass in New Hampshire. The disrespect and lack of trust it communicates to the hundreds of honorable educators I know and work with cannot be overstated.\n\nThe measure, formally known as the Right to Freedom from Discrimination in Public Workplaces and Education bill, was written with the mistaken idea that discrimination is somehow endorsed or practiced in public spaces and classrooms.\n\nThe new law bars educators from teaching that any particular group is inherently racist, sexist or otherwise oppressive. It purports to promote teaching about people without regards to their race, gender, disability or other differences. But the language is so vague that it discourages teachers from having classroom conversations about race, racism and discrimination.\n\nLegislation like HB2 and similar laws in other states are obstacles to growth, student well-being and compassionate practices. HB2 prohibits schools in New Hampshire from creating mandatory equity training for faculty because someone might “feel bad.”\n\nBecause I teach social studies, I’ve developed a healthy resilience around complex conversations and divergent opinions. My entire career has been centered around navigating one tricky topic or another. I’ve mediated dialogues around presidential elections, the events of September 11, different wars and conflicts, and facilitated a variety of debates.\n\nThrough it all, I’ve dedicated myself to building a foundation of trust, joy, understanding, respectful discourse, care and acceptance in my classroom. Some of us are finding that harder to achieve under the new legislation. For example, a colleague who teaches in a nearby school district was told that if she openly said slavery was a “bad practice,” she must make it clear to her students that she is expressing an “opinion.” It’s an experience other teachers in my state have spoken about as well.\n\nAt what point did we decide it’s divisive to take a stance on cruel and dehumanizing activities? Who are we harming by taking a hardline on the concept of slavery? Our silence is an endorsement. That is our ethical crisis. That is what fear-mongering yields.\n\nTeachers deserve better: Shame and blame have been imposed upon a profession that is filled with loving, kind, compassionate and principled people. Choosing a career in education is almost always driven by a heart-centered desire to make a positive difference. I have never encountered a teacher in four districts, two states and 22 years who displayed devious political intentions.\n\nThe conflation of equity and inclusion work with “critical race theory” has led to wildly inaccurate and unfounded accusations. This “threat” has taken seed in the imaginations of some legislators and families.\n\nFuture voters must understand that disagreement is normal and healthy. Changing your mind in light of new evidence is logical and admirable. Nothing could be more American, patriotic or democratic than striving for a more just society.\n\nFeeling discomfort and dissonance often accompanies growth and learning; this is something I strive to normalize for my students. Teachers teach critical thinking and analysis by asking students to wrestle with challenging ideas and evidence. At some point, we have confused feeling uneasy with a lack of safety. There is a crucial difference.\n\nPoorly constructed laws were drafted to stop good, productive work under the guise of being “anti-critical race theory” and have resulted in the oppression of free thought, critical thinking and children. I know we can do better.\n\nMy message to lawmakers? Trust teachers. Asking them to be thoughtful, sensitive and inclusive is always reasonable. You’ll find that’s what they generally already are.\n\nValerie Wolfson, a middle school social studies teacher, was named the 2020 New Hampshire Social Studies Teacher of the year.\n\nNeal McCluskey: American schools have a diversity problem\n\nNeal McCluskey Neal McCluskey\n\nPublic schooling struggles with diversity. From early battles over the Bible to current fights over race, gender identity, prayer and more, public schooling – in which all must fund a single system of government schools – inevitably pits people with diverse values, needs and backgrounds against each other.\n\nBut why are conflicts burning especially hot now?\n\nCovid-19 set the conditions, creating clashes over in-person instruction and masking that many saw as having literally life-and-death stakes.\n\nThe murder of George Floyd added fuel, prompting many public school officials to target systemic racism – discrimination built into American institutions – and conservatives to demand colorblindness and an emphasis on America’s basic goodness. Graphic novels, such as “Gender Queer,” with graphic depictions of sexual activity, and other books on hot-button topics sparked dueling accusations of “hate” and “indoctrination.”\n\nThis all happened amid rapid demographic and social change.\n\nIn 2000, the US population was 71% non-Hispanic white. By 2020, that was down to about 58%. Gay marriage support skyrocketed from 27% of Americans in 1996 to 77% in 2021, while the share of people belonging to a church, synagogue or mosque plummeted from 70% in 1999 to 47% in 2020.\n\nWhat can deescalate education politics?\n\nNot “parents’ rights,” a term that can encompass useful things like requirements that districts share curriculum information, but sometimes seems invoked so that just one group of parents will get what it wants.\n\nGiving parents more say does nothing to change a system that forces diverse people, including parents, to fund – and fight to control – government-run schools.\n\nFreedom is the answer: Attach money to students – as many other countries do – and let families choose among diverse options. This can be accomplished through universal education savings accounts, such as Arizona recently enacted, scholarship tax credits and other choice vehicles.\n\nRegardless of how it is done, the goal of choice is to enable diverse families to access education they think is right rather than forcing neighbor to defeat neighbor to control public schools.\n\nNeal McCluskey directs the Center for Educational Freedom at the Cato Institute and is the author of “The Fractured Schoolhouse: Reimagining Education for a Free, Equal, and Harmonious Society.”\n\nDenise Forte and Randi Weingarten: How we can recover ground lost to Covid-19 closures\n\nDenise Forte Courtesy Denise Forte\n\nRandi Weingarten AFT\n\nAmerican students’ steady progress in reading and math has become the latest casualty of the Covid-19 era.\n\nIn the first results since the pandemic began, the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showed steep declines in the math and reading scores of fourth- and eighth-grade students. It’s not hard to see why. The pandemic has disrupted three years of students’ lives.\n\nMore than 200,000 children in the United States are grieving the loss of at least one parent to Covid-19. The economic fallout of the pandemic exacerbated food and housing insecurity. People were, and still are, stressed and scared. And remote learning has always been an inadequate substitute for in-person instruction, although NAEP results show comparable drops in student performance in school systems that were quicker to reopen.\n\nSome critics see this as a chance to point fingers and to use kids as political pawns. We see it as an urgent call to institute short-term and long-term investments and proven strategies to support students’ emotional development and to accelerate learning, especially for Black and Latino students and students from disadvantaged backgrounds, who were underserved and behind their peers prior to the pandemic.\n\nWhat we must not allow is for students and educators to be dragged into bad-faith battles over bathroom access and participation on sports teams as an unwelcome distraction from ensuring that every student receives a great education and the supports needed to thrive academically and socially.\n\nThe good news is that we know what works from research and experience, and there is historic federal funding to accelerate learning and to start to remedy long-standing inequities. Resources from the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund can be directed so students have better access to experienced, diverse and certified teachers, high-quality summer and after-school programs, engaging and relevant curriculums and mental health supports.\n\nBoth our organizations are engaged in longer-term strategies to address the needs of kids, families and communities, but there are interventions that can help students right now.\n\nIn the short term, targeted, intensive tutoring has large positive effects on both math and reading achievement. Teachers tend to be the most consistently effective tutors; however, recent studies have found that paraprofessionals (teaching assistants), AmeriCorps volunteers and others who are trained to support student learning can be just as effective when tutoring one-on-one or in small groups.\n\nMany states are using state and federal funds to invest in strategies to increase the diversity of the workforce. Access to a racially and culturally diverse teacher workforce is beneficial for all pre-K-12 students, particularly for students of color, who often thrive in classrooms led by teachers who share their racial and cultural background.\n\nThe pandemic’s impact on children cannot be measured by assessments alone. But we hope that the alarm over the steep drop in NAEP scores creates urgency to address the conditions that contributed to the decline, many of which far predate the pandemic.\n\nEducators didn’t need to see declines in test scores to know what to do right now: focus like a laser on helping our kids recover and thrive.\n\nSafety was required to return to in-person teaching and learning. Now is the time to double down on proven strategies, using the resources we are fortunate to have, to deliver on a promise the US has not yet fulfilled—providing every child access to a high quality public education, without exception.\n\nDenise Forte is the CEO at The Education Trust. Randi Weingarten is president of the American Federation of Teachers.\n\nJay Richards: The battle over parents’ rights in education is just getting started\n\nJay Richards The Heritage Foundation\n\nIt should come as no surprise that parents have been fighting for their rights so vociferously when it comes to public education. They’re fighting because they sense that those rights are under attack.\n\nIt started with the lockdowns in 2020. For the first time, many parents suddenly saw, courtesy of online conferencing apps like Zoom, what their kids were being taught. And they didn’t like it: Toxic and divisive ideas about race – disguised as lessons on slavery and racism – contradicted the belief in racial equality that most Americans – whatever their politics – shared with civil rights leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.\n\nBut critical race theory is far less shocking than the radical gender ideology that seems to have overtaken our nation’s schools. It teaches children that “some people are boys, some people are girls, some people are both, neither, or somewhere in between”’ – as one popular children’s book puts it.\n\nSchools are promoting the notion that some kids – perhaps many kids if recent trends continue – are born in the wrong body. Suddenly, from Florida to Texas to Wyoming, parents are discovering that schools are teaching, seemingly across the curriculum, that an internal sense of gender trumps biological sex. Worse, some schools are changing, at their students’ request – but without their parents’ knowledge or consent – their students’ names and pronouns to conform to a child’s surprising new “gender identity.”\n\nWhen parents come to school board meetings to complain, far too many are met with silence or risible accusations that they are politicizing education. Parents have the primary right and responsibility to raise and teach their children.\n\nMany parents delegate part of the teaching task to schools, in an act of trust. Rather than acting as faithful stewards of that trust, too many schools have decided that it’s their job to alienate kids from “regressive” views of their parents.\n\nIs it any wonder that this has proved controversial?\n\nWe could dissipate some of the heat by increasing the rights of parents over their children’s schooling. States should connect school money to children, rather than to school buildings. Universal school choice for everyone – rich and poor, conservative and liberal – would not just make schools better and more competitive. It would make them less of an arena for the culture war that is otherwise roiling our culture.\n\nJay Richards is the William E. Simon Senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, where he is also director of the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Life, Religion, and Family.\n\nAkilah Alleyne: The education investments we need to make\n\nAkilah Alleyne Akilah Alleyne\n\nBook bans and censorship debates have always existed, but America’s children are facing an unprecedented moment in history. Today, school resources are stretched thin, schools are facing teacher and staff shortages and districts are still grappling with the long-term effects of the pandemic on student learning, as individuals’ rights to quality education are under increasing threat.\n\nImportant investments toward providing more supports for teachers, classroom aid and salary increases – such as by passing the RAISE Act – are needed now more than ever. That measure would provide teachers tax credits totaling as much as $15,000 each year.\n\nRather than addressing the real challenges facing teachers, many MAGA extremists have taken aim at books, racial and gender inclusion and more. Defunding the Department of Education, an ongoing federal level tactic among other changes in public school funding, should not be a topic of debate. However, it has also been central to MAGA Republicans’ federal policy agenda and could have devastating consequences for students nationwide.\n\nWhile parents are working with teachers and librarians to ensure that every child is acknowledged in school curricula and has a chance to thrive in school, regardless of who they are or where they live, far-right MAGA extremists are increasingly running for vacant school board seats or for reelection to gain control and power over decision-making at all levels of government.\n\nStudents and teachers want safer schools that reflect the diversity of their families and teach truthful history. They can be best supported through policy making that increases equity and understanding in our school systems by supporting their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights, not denying them.\n\nAkilah Alleyne is the director for K-12 Education at the Center for American Progress, a think tank in Washington, DC.\n\nRoss Wiener: Restoring trust in public schools should be a national priority\n\nRoss Wiener Courtesy Ross Wiener\n\nPublic schools educate approximately 90% of young Americans. The society we are, and the one we will become, is profoundly shaped by public education.\n\nIt has made America more inclusive, improving outcomes across lines of race, gender and ability status. The result has been overwhelming bipartisan support for public schools over generations.\n\nBut the evidence of a crisis in our public schools is overwhelming: Hundreds of thousands of students have disappeared from school rolls, derailing their futures and foreshadowing budget woes when emergency Covid-19 relief funds expire. The Nation’s Report Card reported historic declines in reading and math scores, not surprising given pandemic disruptions.\n\nWhat’s more, educator morale is low, exacerbating staff shortages. Classrooms are targets in the culture wars, leading to book bans and speech codes that never end well. Young people report epidemic levels of anxiety and depression.\n\nThe pandemic and broader turmoil afflicting the nation have left public education in peril. Every one of us has a stake in reversing this decline because, whether we’re talking about growing the economy or strengthening democracy, every path to redeeming the promise of America runs through public schools. Addressing lost learning is important, and so is addressing the lack of trust in public education.\n\nPublic education has played an enormous societal role: In the 19th century, common schools forged shared identity when government of the people, by the people, for the people was a novel idea. In the 20th century, universal high school fueled the growth of the middle class.\n\nOver the last several decades, the broad vision that propelled America’s public schools has dwindled into a narrow, technocratic policy frame.\n\n“A Nation at Risk,” a major report on education released by the Reagan administration in 1983, used fear-based arguments to argue that reading and math test scores were essential for national security. This logic eventually transformed test scores from one critical indicator (which they are) to the very purpose of public schools (which they are not).\n\nEarly accountability reforms led to gains among low-income students and students of color, but progress plateaued a decade ago. Test-and-accountability reforms over-promised and under-delivered and no longer command broad bipartisan support.\n\nRenewing the promise of public education starts by rebuilding trust. Local education leaders were left holding the bag on school closings that should have been shared with health officials and political leaders.\n\nSchools were expected to arrange meals, computers and broadband access – burdens they often shouldered alone. This was thrust on school systems where teachers already felt beleaguered and disrespected; in truth, our schools have operated in a low-trust environment for years. This led to schools being closed for far too long with continuing consequences, not only in diminished learning but also in diminished public support.\n\nWe must recommit to the mission of public education.\n\nThe Aspen Institute recently convened a bipartisan group of state policymakers to ask: What do we want to be true about the opportunities our public schools offer? After reflecting on values and reviewing research, these policymakers authored “Opportunity to Learn, Responsibility to Lead.” The principles they developed refocus attention on the core purposes of education in a diverse democracy and market-driven economy. It presents an evidence-informed vision for schools as engines of opportunity, which could galvanize the political middle to coalesce around a more positive approach.\n\nState leaders should call for a public conversation about the future of their state and the role of public education in realizing that future. Unspent federal Covid-19 relief can be a perfect catalyst for this work. Grants to community-based organizations and PTAs, after-school providers, 4-H Clubs and faith-based youth groups can support stakeholders in articulating what they want to be true about their public schools and identifying opportunities in their communities. Universities, chambers of commerce and other civic organizations can use their own resources to sponsor similar inquiries.\n\nExperience demonstrates there is much common ground to be found in efforts to strengthen public schools. Channeling Americans’ shared commitment to opportunity is the ideal antidote to the cynicism and division currently plaguing the policy and politics of public education.\n\nRoss Wiener is executive director of the Education & Society Program at the Aspen Institute and the author of “We Are What We Teach.”\n\nElisa Villanueva Beard: We can fix America’s teacher shortage\n\nElisa Villanueva Beard Teach for America\n\nTeacher shortages are not new, especially in schools serving predominantly students from low-income backgrounds, who are disproportionately young people of color. Yet cracks in the system before the pandemic have become gaping crevasses: In February 2022, there were nearly 600,000 fewer educators in public schools than there were in January 2020, and National Center for Education data showed less than half of schools serving majority Black and brown students were fully staffed.\n\nThe organization I lead, Teach For America, has 33 years of experience attracting talented individuals early in their careers to teach in rural and urban classrooms. Our research into the priorities of current college students finds that they want to have an impact on what matters most in the world, and the issue of quality education for all children is in their top five.\n\nHowever, they also want to preserve their mental health and have financial stability, and the teaching profession’s low pay and structures that challenge work-life balance are deterrents – especially when the average student-loan debt is nearly $30,000 and many other professions offer flexible schedules and remote work options. This disconnect affects the profession at large, which has been struggling for years. Between 2008 and 2019, the number of graduates from traditional teacher education programs fell by more than a third.\n\nWe can tackle these issues in a number of ways: by increasing teacher pay; creating financial incentives for effective educators to teach in schools serving low-income communities; expanding student loan forgiveness for teachers, especially in hard-to-staff schools and subjects; ensuring teachers’ have sufficient resources and planning time, proper administrative help and the support of counselors and nurses; and fostering educator wellbeing by offering mental health supports and addressing sources of occupation-related stress.\n\nThese policies and practices will make teaching more desirable and accessible and will work to increase the racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the teaching workforce, a move that research shows has a positive impact for students.\n\nAs essential as these efforts are, they are not sufficient to address teacher shortages in the long term. Our country must think boldly at this moment about another problem that needs solving: What if the real issue is not that young adults don’t want to teach, but that the purpose of education has changed drastically and our education system has not kept up? What if we’ve reached the limits of this outmoded system and the conventional role of the teacher?\n\nIt’s time to expand the traditional definition of learning to include all the skills and mindsets that students want and need to thrive in our 21st century world and careers of the future: qualities like developing empathy, sustaining mental health and wellbeing, building relationships and applying learning to solve real-world problems.\n\nRedefining learning opens the door to a more diverse set of adult leaders to work alongside educators and students: professionals in various fields who can support the development of students’ workplace skills; college students who can support digital literacy and serve as tutors and mentors; and any number of community leaders who can support students’ sense of belonging.\n\nGet our free weekly newsletter Sign up for CNN Opinion’s newsletter. Join us on Twitter and Facebook\n\nFor example, technology could allow expert educators to teach multiple classes virtually while a colleague who is expert in creating productive learning spaces – where every student is valued and feels they belong – focuses there. Many teachers excel at both roles – we just don’t have enough of them to staff every classroom in our country. This shift is not only about making teachers’ jobs more sustainable, but also about positioning teachers to further develop their areas of greatest expertise.\n\nFundamental changes of this magnitude don’t happen quickly. But, for too long, we’ve expected teachers to carry the weight of an outmoded education system. We can’t just replenish this system. We must redefine what and how students learn and reimagine the role of the teacher to inspire a new generation of purpose-driven young people to get involved and reinvent the system for a stronger, more equitable future.\n\nElisa Villanueva Beard is the CEO of Teach For America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving educational access, opportunity and outcomes for young people in low-income communities. She tweets @VillanuevaBeard.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/11/03"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/26/newt-gingrich-healthcare-reform-obamacare-medicaid-expansion/70448300/", "title": "Gingrich: GOP really doesn't want to repeal Obamacare", "text": "Jayne O'Donnell\n\nUSA TODAY\n\nFormer House Speaker Newt Gingrich doesn't think Obamacare should be repealed, and congressional Republicans who say they want to repeal it really don't want to either, he told a Washington, D.C. health conference Wednesday.\n\nInstead, he thinks more minor parts of the law that aren't working will be addressed because the core parts of the law have broader support than is often acknowledged.\n\nHouse and Senate GOP leaders will soon start getting things done on a bi-partisan basis, Gingrich predicted, and he said they have been hampered by a far less cordial dynamic with the White House than when he led the House.\n\n\"Congress will get a lot done on a bi-partisan basis but that's a very different question than how you work with the president',\" said Gingrich, who served in the House for 20 years until he resigned under an ethics cloud in 1999. \"You cannot compare my relationship with Bill Clinton with Boehner's relationship with Obama.\"\n\nDuring his bid for the Republican nomination for President in 2012. Gingrich said he had helped save Medicare from bankruptcy with the budget measure known as the \"sustainable growth rate\" formula. This reduced payments to physicians to balance the budget. Gingrich's boast was premature because Congress has passed legislation for 17 years known as the \"doc fix\" that overrides the SGR cuts.\n\n\"You can't cut reimbursements if you don't find a way to cut costs,\" he said.\n\nCongress, under pressure from physician groups, appears poised to pass the first permanent \"doc fix\" as part of a broader Medicare overhaul. Thursday, the House passed the legislation overwhelmingly and it now must be voted on by the Senate. The bill moves Medicare more towards paying for quality over quantity when it comes to medical treatment and continues funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program.\n\nGingrich, who runs a consulting firm with 10 employees and writes books, has favored alternatives to Medicaid financing over the years, especially block grants to states to control costs. He has represented health care clients but insists he's never acted as a lobbyist.\n\nHe told the 2015 World Health Care Congress that existing problems with Medicaid, namely its high cost and challenges some patients have finding doctors, could be better addressed by states. His preference would be to \"voucherize it,\" giving money to the poor to buy their own healthcare, which he says would be cheaper over time.\n\n\"Having insurance with no doctor may not be any better than having a doctor with no insurance,\" he said. \"If you know you don't have a solution, it's better having 50 states working on it.\"", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2015/03/26"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/25/politics/liz-cheney-donald-trump-2022-election/index.html", "title": "Liz Cheney is already looking beyond 2022 | CNN Politics", "text": "CNN —\n\nLiz Cheney didn’t come right out and say she expects to lose her primary next month. But in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” on Sunday, it was pretty easy to read between the lines of the Wyoming Republican’s answers.\n\n“I am working hard here in Wyoming to earn every vote,” Cheney said at one point. “But I will also say this. I’m not going to lie. I’m not going to say things that aren’t true about the election. My opponents are doing that, certainly simply for the purpose of getting elected.\n\n“If I have to choose between maintaining a seat in the House of Representatives or protecting the constitutional republic and ensuring the American people know the truth about Donald Trump, I’m going to choose the Constitution and the truth every single day,” she said at another.\n\nAsked by Tapper whether her service as vice chair of the House select committee investigating January 6 will have been worth it even if she loses next month, Cheney responded that it was “the single most important thing I have ever done professionally.”\n\nIf it sounds to you like Cheney is framing her August 16 primary for Wyoming’s at-large House seat as a sort of fait accompli, and as not the end of the story but as a part of a broader narrative, well, then, you are right.\n\nThe simple fact is that Cheney is very unlikely to beat Harriet Hageman in next month’s primary. Hageman has the support of former President Donald Trump, as well as a number of top Republicans including, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.\n\nWhile Cheney has tried to recruit Democrats to cross party lines and support her – and some undoubtedly will – it’s hard to see that making a real difference in the outcome of the race in such an overwhelmingly Republican state.\n\nSimply put: Cheney looks likely to lose – and she knows it.\n\nWhat she also knows is that, at least in her mind, this isn’t the end of her political career.\n\nHere’s how Cheney answered a question from Tapper on whether she is interested in running for president in 2024:\n\n“I haven’t really – at this point, I have not made a decision about 2024. …\n\n“… But I do think, as we look towards the next presidential election, as I said, I believe that our nation stands on the edge of an abyss. And I do believe that we all have to really think very seriously about the dangers we face and the threats we face. And we have to elect serious candidates.”\n\nWhich tells you everything you need to know about Cheney and 2024. She isn’t an announced candidate. But when you hear a politician talking about the country “standing on the edge of an abyss” and the need to elect “serious candidates,” well, it doesn’t take an astrophysicist to figure out what’s going on there.\n\nThe real question seems to be then not whether Cheney runs – she sounded to all the world like that decision is mostly made – but rather whether she would have any sort of impact on the 2024 race.\n\nIf Cheney runs as a Republican, it will, undoubtedly, be a very tough road for her.\n\nTrump is the clear frontrunner in all polling conducted on the Republican presidential primary and seems very likely to run. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is widely seen as the only serious alternative to Trump at the moment – and he has positioned himself as a representative of Trumpism without Trump.\n\nThere is no potential candidate garnering any serious support in hypothetical 2024 primary polls who is running expressly against Trump and his four years in office. The Republicans, aside from Cheney, who are signaling an interest in running that sort of campaign – Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan being perhaps the most prominent – barely register in polls.\n\nCould Cheney somehow coalesce the anti-Trump vote within the Republican Party? Sure. But even if she was to do so, there’s scant evidence that bloc of voters comprise anything close to a majority of likely Republican primary voters.\n\nThe other – and perhaps more plausible – path for Cheney is to run as an independent in 2024. Assuming Trump is the Republican nominee, such a candidacy could skim off enough votes to potentially hamstring the former President’s chances of winning. (Presumably Cheney, who is conservative on most issues, would appeal more to Republicans than Democrats.)\n\nEven under that scenario, however, Cheney would function as a spoiler – trying to keep Trump from the White House – rather than as a viable candidate to be president. Which, given what she told Tapper Sunday, might be enough for her.\n\n“I’m fighting hard, no matter what happens on August 16, I’m going to wake up on August 17 and continue to fight hard to ensure Donald Trump is never anywhere close to the Oval Office ever again,” said Cheney.", "authors": ["Chris Cillizza"], "publish_date": "2022/07/25"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/12/opinions/gun-violence-crime-solutions-roundup/index.html", "title": "Opinion: Who is at fault for America's soaring gun violence? Experts ...", "text": "Editor’s Note: This roundup is part of the CNN Opinion series “America’s Future Starts Now,” in which people share how they have been affected by the biggest issues facing the nation and experts offer their proposed solutions. The views expressed in these commentaries are the authors’ own. Read more opinion at CNN.\n\nCNN —\n\nConcerns about violent crime and guns remain top of mind for American voters, polls show time and again. These issues certainly stick with Kathy Pisabaj, of Chicago, who was 19 in 2018 when she was shot by a stranger and nearly died.\n\n“We believed that if we stayed away from gangs, we would not get hurt,” she wrote. “Gun violence continues to tear apart communities and devastate lives like mine every single day.”\n\nWe asked experts working in various fields what they think needs to be done – what can reasonably be done – so that all of us can feel a bit safer.\n\nRicky Aiken: ‘Real change happens when the people who need it, lead it’\n\nRicky Aiken Inner City Innovators\n\nI grew up in the Tamarind Avenue corridor of West Palm Beach, which is notorious for poverty, drug abuse and violent crime. It’s just a few miles from what was the “Winter White House,” or Mar-a-Lago.\n\nSummer is typically a deadly time of year for communities like ours. Young people are out of school with nothing to do and have easy access to firearms. And when gun violence happens in our communities, it’s not outsiders tearing up our communities. It’s insiders.\n\nIn 2015, the rate of violent crime in West Palm Beach was the same as Chicago. That summer, my cousin and I were lamenting the fact that every time we turned on the news, someone we knew had been shot or someone we knew was the suspect in a shooting. We decided to try to do something about it.\n\nI was 26 and working the graveyard shift at an emergency shelter for displaced youth. My cousin, then 28, was a maintenance worker at a local nonprofit. Together, we went on to create Inner City Innovators, a nonprofit with three initiatives.\n\nOne of them is our Hope Dealer mentoring program, which combines individual and peer-to-peer mentoring, leadership development, community service and social-emotional learning. We prioritize giving youth (13+) someone to talk to.\n\nOur anti-violence workshops go into schools, community centers, anywhere with kids. We talk about how to reduce their chances of being victimized by gun violence.\n\nAnd then through community engagement activities we walk the streets to let the community know we’re here. We respond to shootings when youth are involved, hoping to connect with families to support them and reduce retaliation.\n\nWe also do court advocacy. A lot of young men get gun charges early on, at 15 or 16. Once they’re in that kind of trouble, no traditional mentoring program accepts them. We build partnerships with public defenders and judges working with juveniles to give these young men a second chance.\n\nAny young man in our program gets help with job placement and therapy. If he is having trouble keeping food in the house, we fill up his refrigerator.\n\nOur goal is simple: to keep every young man in our program free and alive through age 25. Most offending starts around 13, and 25 is when they say the brain is finished developing. We want to capture and stabilize them when this demographic is known to struggle the most.\n\nWe don’t want to just keep them alive physically. We want to keep them alive spiritually and emotionally as well. We introduce them to yoga, mindfulness, out-of-the-hood experiences. When you’re born and raised in a community of constant disadvantage, you think everywhere is like that. We want to inspire them to do more.\n\nLack of education, poverty of community, brokenness of home – those aren’t sources of shame. Those are sources of power. I want them to use these things to make better decisions in their lives.\n\nWe give them space to be involved and space to lead. When you challenge a young person who’s been through hard times, they want to stand up and show you they’re capable.\n\nWe’ve built a culture that accepts goodness, and we’re expanding. We have a playbook we want to send to other places.\n\nWe can’t stop all shootings. But of the young men who’ve been involved in our Hope Dealer mentoring program and have firearm charges, most stay on the path we put them on and leave activities that require picking up firearms behind them.\n\nRicky Aiken is the founder and executive director of Inner City Innovators, a nonprofit based in West Palm Beach, Florida, that combats crime rates and gun violence by empowering and inspiring inner-city youth through mentoring programs, anti-violence workshops and community engagement. This piece was adapted from an interview with CNN’s Jessica Ravitz Cherof.\n\nCharlie Dent: Stopping lawlessness takes political will\n\nCharlie Dent CNN\n\nEarlier this year, I wrote about the alarming incidents of violent crime in Philadelphia. I recounted the city’s record-breaking homicide rate and shared how crime affected my two children.\n\nA college classmate of my son’s was murdered during an attempted carjacking. My daughter, a physician in residency, was assaulted. In the eight months since I wrote that piece, circumstances haven’t changed.\n\nMy son’s friends, living in his former apartment, were robbed at gunpoint during a home invasion. My daughter scolded me recently for wearing an Apple Watch while walking two blocks to dinner because she feared I would be mugged.\n\nAmerica has a crime problem, and it weighs heavily on the minds of people who live in those high crime jurisdictions and those who care for them. Even if crime polls lower than issues like inflation or abortion among voters’ concerns, no one should underestimate the potency of crime as a political issue.\n\nWhile most crime is prosecuted at the state and local levels, the political implications at the federal level are palpable. Republican congressional candidates are deploying the crime issue effectively against Democrats because it resonates with base and swing voters. As a matter of damage control, House Democrats recently passed a package of four police funding bills in an attempt to shore up support among voters who believe them to be too soft on crime or in support of defunding the police.\n\nWhile these funding bills no doubt will be welcomed, they do not address the underlying issues driving up crime rates. It feels like police have been placed on the back foot. The era of proactive policing has come to an end, and violent crime has soared. A new wave of progressive district attorneys bent on criminal justice reform, in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, have run into the hard wall of angry residents demanding public safety.\n\nAt this point, the most important thing that can be done to address the crime problem is for local district attorneys, mayors and council members to demonstrate publicly their support for law enforcement officers and allow them to do what needs to be done, with reasonable oversight and accountability, to restore order. Morale is low in too many police departments and district attorney offices throughout the country, leading to dangerously high turnover rates while leaving behind understaffed and less experienced police officers and prosecutors.\n\nFinally, Republicans need to move more on gun safety. I give credit to Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas and Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut for their leadership on gun safety with the recent enactment of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. But more needs to be done. Universal firearm background checks, red flag laws, bump stock bans and raising the age for most long-gun purchases to 21 will not infringe on the rights of law-abiding gun owners.\n\nIt’s long past time to address the blatant lawlessness in communities across the country. There is no reason we can’t do it. It just takes political will.\n\nCharlie Dent is a former Republican congressman from Pennsylvania who served as chair of the House Ethics Committee and chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies. He is a CNN political commentator.\n\nAditi Bussells: Don’t underestimate the ‘magic of local government’\n\nAditi Bussells courtesy Aditi Bussells\n\nWe’re all tired of the state of politics in our country today. Tired of the tweets, the bickering and the polarization. And so, when people ask why I decided to run for city council as a public health researcher, I remind folks that the local level is where we can really make change and impact our community.\n\nLike many other parts of the country, Columbia, South Carolina, has seen an uptick in gun violence over the last several years.\n\nWith our hands tied by preemption laws, which allow state laws to preempt what local governments can do, and the challenges of South Carolina’s deep red political climate, we’ve had to get creative and develop relationships across the spectrum of viewpoints around gun violence to be successful.\n\nWe started with Columbia’s “Lock it Up Campaign,” to increase safe firearm storage. We partnered with our police department and local community groups to launch a robust gun safety campaign. We handed out informational materials and gun locks to help address unintentional injuries and deaths caused by firearms. The National Crime Prevention Council reports that 89% of unintentional shooting deaths of children happen in the home, when children play with loaded guns.\n\nThe campaign was so successful, we ran out of gun locks within an hour. Our state gun armory took notice and donated another 150 locks and helped us spread the word. This campaign wasn’t going to solve the entire problem of gun violence, but it made the statement that our city will do its part. And that mattered to our citizens.\n\nNext, I led efforts to pass the first law in South Carolina to require citizens in the city to report a lost or stolen gun within 24 hours of knowing the gun is gone, given that South Carolina is third in the country for guns stolen out of vehicles.\n\nI engaged some of our most conservative legislators in the state house, submitted the ordinance to the state attorney general’s office in its draft stage and even talked to the NRA. This approach was a first for our city. We ended up with a law that had unanimous support and, most importantly, a law that can play a role in preventing future gun violence and keep our city safe.\n\nThis is the magic of local government. We can build momentum for change quickly and effectively. We can bring people together to have conversations about our communities. We can offer hope to our neighbors who seek a safer world, free of violence.\n\nAditi Bussells, who holds a PhD in public health, is the city councilwoman at-large in Columbia, South Carolina. She is the first South Asian woman to be elected to local government in the history of South Carolina.\n\nQuinton Lucas: ‘Gun reform cannot solve our violence problem alone’\n\nMayor Quinton Lucas City of Kansas City\n\nTwo years ago, Kansas City lost 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while sleeping, after a shooter opened fire on his father’s home. LeGend should still be alive, and so should the thousands of other children, particularly Black and brown youth, taken too soon by gun violence in our country.\n\nToday, the leading cause of death of young people in America is gun violence – not cancer, not car accidents, but preventable gun tragedies.\n\nMayors across the country are dealing with the flood of illegal guns on our streets and lax gun regulations more than ever before. This year’s midterm election will be critical for electing those who champion common-sense gun reforms to avoid the slaughter of our babies in their school classrooms.\n\nBut gun reform cannot solve our violence problem alone. Good investment in housing and social services is essential to public safety. When people are housed and their needs are met, there’s less crime. These investments need to be embedded in candidate conversations about public safety.\n\nIn Kansas City, we continue to make historic progress in housing access. Funding from the new Kansas City Housing Trust Fund will create nearly 500 affordable housing units and a bond measure to go before voters next month, should it pass, will generate thousands of more affordable housing units. We’ve also launched Zero KC, a plan to end homelessness in our city in five years.\n\nWe’ve fought back against gun violence through municipal ordinances when our state refuses to act, making it a locally enforceable violation for domestic violence offenders and minors to carry firearms. We’ve expanded violence prevention outreach, intervening with those who may be at risk for engaging in gun violence and retaliation.\n\nIn 2020, my administration sued Jimenez Arms, a gun manufacturer that provided guns to felons, allowing illegal guns to flood our streets and causing significant harm to our community. But the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted a deficient investigation before granting a new license to the operators of Jimenez Arms. Because of ATF’s refusal to act, we sued the agency, too, and eventually shut down Jimenez Arms, keeping their weapons of war off our streets.\n\nWhile we make progress, we’re rowing against the political headwinds of our state, the US Supreme Court and the US Congress. The bipartisan gun safety bill, signed into law this summer, is a start; it provides some common sense gun violence solutions, but it should embolden us to do more and continue to act.\n\nIn this fall’s midterm elections, vote for people who care about your kids’ lives. If your candidate cannot ensure your children will be safe at school every day, or ensure you’ll be safe going to the grocery store, question whether they are the best candidate for your community.\n\nKeeping people in our cities alive is more important than anything and is not about rhetoric. If people and kids are dying preventable deaths, we are failing.\n\nDemocratic Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, elected in 2019, is chairman of the US Conference of Mayors Criminal and Social Justice Committee and is co-chair of Everytown for Gun Safety’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns.\n\nZirui Song: Reducing firearm injuries is good for health – and business\n\nDr. Zirui Song Courtesy Dr. Zirui Song\n\nAs members of the public, we tend to hear about gun violence through the tragedy of innocent lives lost. But those shot who survive are often quickly forgotten.\n\nIt is easy to think that survivors will be OK. But though they may be fortunate, in many ways they are not OK.\n\nSurvivors of gun violence face not only the pain of the physical injury, but a 51% increase in mental health disorders and 85% increase in substance use disorders. The former includes depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and more. The latter includes alcohol and drug misuse, sometimes addiction to the very opioids used to treat the pain of the gunshot wound.\n\nThese effects persist at least a year after injury. While the world has moved on – at times to the next mass shooting – survivors are still learning how to walk again, battling demons to go outside again and suffering through their personal, slow-moving tragedies out of the public eye. This is the quiet base of the proverbial iceberg – not the tip that captivates attention.\n\nAnd its ripple effects are profound.\n\nLoved ones are not unscathed. Family members of survivors, despite not being shot themselves, also experience a 12% increase in mental health disorders in the year following the survivor’s injury.\n\nCommunity members are not unscathed. Trauma, anguish and survivor guilt await.\n\nSociety is not unscathed. Every nonfatal firearm injury costs employers and insurers $30,000 in direct medical spending in the first year. This pays for emergency rooms, hospitals, doctor visits, procedures, imaging and tests, among other services. Ultimately, this comes out of everyone’s taxes or wages, with the victims paying 4% of it out-of-pocket themselves. So whether in health or economic terms, we all share in the pain of gun violence.\n\nWith somewhere around 85,000 survivors of firearm injuries each year – a number our nation is not sure about due to a shortage of data – society thus pays an estimated $2.5 billion for direct medical care in the first year alone. Imagine the other societal needs that $2.5 billion could help address.\n\nBut even that severely undercounts the economic toll. Employers lose an estimated $535 million in revenue and productivity each year, with the rate of employees and dependents getting shot rising four-fold from 2007 to 2020. Add that to quality-of-life costs to victims and families, police and criminal justice costs, and health care spending, gun violence as a whole is estimated to cost the US $557 billion each year, or roughly 2.6% of the nation’s economy.\n\nSo while the health case for reducing gun violence has long been with us as people die and get hurt, and the moral case weighs heavily as guns are now the leading cause of death among kids and adolescents in our country, the business case is growing more obvious.\n\nThis was echoed in a letter from CEOs for Gun Safety to US senators, which was publicized in June, urging lawmakers to pass gun safety legislation. Hundreds of company executives signed the letter, calling gun violence a “public health crisis” that “[o]n top of the human toll” has a “profound economic impact.” Moreover, they stated, “Communities that experience gun violence struggle to attract investment, create jobs, and see economic growth.”\n\nThe voice of the business community is important for public health. Indeed, the private sector has been a partner in public health before, from addressing the tobacco epidemic, to combating the opioid epidemic, to expanding health insurance.\n\nIncreasingly, preventing firearm injuries is not only good for health, but good for business. And, ultimately, the business case may rest not on minimizing the cost side of their ledger, but rather on an alignment of values with consumers that drives the revenue side.\n\nShoppers, notably young people, are increasingly devoting their dollars to businesses that resonate with their values. As the sheer number of people affected by gun violence grows and their demand for change mounts, companies that do something about it may be better off than those that do not.\n\nDr. Zirui Song is an associate professor of health care policy and medicine at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.\n\nCharmaine McGuffey: Bring back concealed carry license requirements\n\nSheriff Charmaine McGuffey Provided by Charmaine McGuffey\n\nFor 35 years, I’ve worn a uniform for Ohio’s Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. I started as a young officer and moved up the ranks. Over the years, I’ve worked as a self-defense instructor, trained officers on firearm safety and ran the corrections training academy for the Sheriff’s Office.\n\nLaw enforcement officers must complete countless hours of firearm training prior to being certified – and even we are less accurate in a crisis situation. I’m 95% accurate on a good day, when I’m stationary in front of a target. But introduce loud noises, sirens, the darkness of night, lots of people and someone running at me, my skill level – despite all my training – will go down. And the likelihood that I, or any trained officer, will hit something we don’t intend to hit goes up. This has been known in law enforcement for decades.\n\nTraining creates an awareness of your immense responsibility in carrying a firearm. To carry a weapon with no training makes us all less safe.\n\nThat’s part of the reason I spoke out last year against Ohio SB215, which was signed into law and went into effect in June. The bill removed the concealed carry license requirement which mandates eight hours of training and background checks. It also eliminated the requirement of citizens to announce to a deputy that they have a concealed weapon if stopped.\n\nBy removing these requirements, law enforcement officers are more in danger – and so is everyone else.\n\nToday, the state of Ohio allows virtually anyone 21 years of age or older to conceal carry a firearm without a license that requires a background check to determine any criminal records. I, as the Sheriff of Hamilton County, now have no oversight over who carries a concealed weapon. Prior to this bill being passed, I rescinded last year some 200 concealed carry permits from those charged with crimes such as domestic violence or assault. Now, I can’t do that, and those 200 people can conceal carry without the benefit of law enforcement oversight.\n\nTo those politicians who claim to be all about law and order – and pro-police – I want to say, “Really? How are you sticking by this?”\n\nThe bipartisan gun safety bill that was signed into law this summer is an absolute band-aid. It doesn’t address my concerns about the safety of law enforcement officers, citizens and children. It’s a way that politicians can placate the various sides on this issue, but it doesn’t go nearly far enough. It’s a way of saying, “Here’s a little something we agree on,” but I think we agree on a lot more than that. Most importantly, in a poll of Ohio residents, 90% were in favor of background checks for anyone purchasing a weapon. This bill does not include that basic element.\n\nGet our free weekly newsletter Sign up for CNN Opinion’s newsletter. Join us on Twitter and Facebook\n\nOhio residents should have the opportunity to vote on age limits and strict background checks for anyone who is purchasing a firearm and for those who conceal carry.\n\nWhat we’re now concerned with is our own training, how to work around this flawed legislation and how to keep ourselves safe. We’re going to keep an accounting of what goes wrong, point out what could have been prevented and pay attention. We’ll continue to fight to rescind this law, and we’ll continue to offer and encourage licenses and training.\n\nAll of us, as citizens of this great nation, have a responsibility to help prevent gun violence. I’ll continue to speak out and advocate for sensible gun legislation. Anyone who has an avenue to talk to lawmakers needs to talk to them, too.\n\nSheriff Charmaine McGuffey is a lifelong Cincinnatian, a 35-year veteran of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and the first woman elected to serve in her position.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/10/12"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2013/09/15/dancing-with-the-stars-new-season-abc/2805799/", "title": "'Dancing With the Stars': The competitors", "text": "Bryan Alexander and Bill Keveney\n\nUSA TODAY\n\nSeason 17 starts Monday on ABC at 8 ET/PT\n\nSeries will air one night a week instead of two\n\nContestants come from music%2C reality TV%2C science and sports fields\n\nIt doesn't take a scientist to conclude that celebrities are going to clash when Season 17 of ABC's Dancing With the Stars kicks off Monday (8 p.m. ET/PT).\n\nBut contestant Bill Nye, \"the science guy,\" insists his 11 competitors make for an overwhelming physical force.\n\n\"I'm in to win. But whether I can is another story,\" he says. \"Look at the cast: Corbin Bleu is a professional dancer. Elizabeth Berkley had great success as a dancer. Even Snooki is working it. What am I doing here? I may get eliminated the first week.\"\n\nExecutive producer Conrad Green says the cast for the new one-night-a-week format has no weak links.\n\n\"The quality of dancing may well be the best across the board that we have had,\" Green says. \"Even the people that have never done any real dancing before, they are looking extremely good from what I have seen. There's a very consistent quality. I'm intrigued by all of them.\"\n\nOf course, it takes much more than dance skills to take home the coveted Mirror Ball trophy. Each contestant brings emotional story lines, legions of fans and Twitter followers, as well as big personalities, to each dance.\n\nA breakdown on who is strutting what on and off the dance floor:\n\n\n\n\n\nNicole \"Snooki\" Polizzi\n\nAge: 25\n\nPro dance partner: Sasha Farber\n\nHow we know her: MTV's Jersey Shore and Snooki & JWoww (third season premiere, Oct. 22, 10 p.m. ET/PT); author of A Shore Thing, Confessions of a Guidette and Gorilla Beach; operates Snooki Couture; parodied on Saturday Night Live.\n\nDancing experience: \"It's just like very karaoke. I used to go to the clubs. I would dance and do stuff like that, but I never took dance lessons or anything.\"\n\nAfter all the rehearsing, what hurts? \"Everything. My feet hurt because I have to dance in heels for four hours a day. My feet are killing me, my legs are killing me. It's a good workout, but I'm dying.\"\n\nBiggest obstacle: \"Probably just how I have to rehearse all the time but then still be a mom (to 1-year-old Lorenzo) and clean and do all that stuff, juggling everything. It's a little bit tiring, but I feel like I'm making it work.\"\n\nTeam name: None yet. \"We're actually asking all the fans to see what they come up with and if we like something, maybe we 'll use it. I asked (first-time partner Farber) if we could be Team Shorty because we're short, we're the shortest couple to compete, but he didn't really like that because he considers himself to be tall.\"\n\nGood luck charm: Lorenzo. \"I feel like my son is going to help me do good. I just want to make my family proud and my fiancé (Jionni LaValle) proud and my parents proud. I just want to at least get through a couple of rounds. I don't want to be the first one to go home.\"\n\nBrant Daugherty\n\nAge: 28\n\nPro dance partner: Peta Murgatroyd\n\nHow we know him:Pretty Little Liars, Army Wives, Days of Our Lives\n\nDancing experience: \"Limited to the stage at my high school doing musicals. I really just wasn't that good at it, so I wanted to develop my skills here a little bit.\"\n\nExpectations: \"I was pretty cocky initially, and then when the rehearsals started and I started to see what we were actually doing, they knocked me down a couple of pegs. Peta has been reassuring me at every step that I'm ahead of the game, so I think we're going to do well. I think we can win. I don't know if we will, but I think we have it in us.\"\n\nBiggest fear: \"That I'm going to get hurt and won't be able to continue. I don't do the sidelines well. If I get hurt and can't do it, I know I'm going to still want to and I won't be able to, and that terrifies me.\"\n\nBiggest obstacle: \"Just getting my hips to move the right way. I grew up across the street from a cornfield in Ohio and now they want me to have these Latin hips. I have Midwestern cornfield hips. But we've been doing exercises to loosen me up and they're going pretty well.\"\n\nWhat hurts: \"My feet, definitely. They were pretty sore the first week. They're getting better now. They had me putting them in ice baths at the end of rehearsal every time.\"\n\nTeam name: \"There are some terrible ones being thrown around: Daughatroyd, Team Breta and Team Pant. I don't like any of them. We've got to come up with something better.\"\n\nJack Osbourne\n\nAge: 27\n\nPro dance partner: Cheryl Burke\n\nHow we know him: MTV's The Osbournes, with rocker dad Ozzy; mom, Sharon, a TV personality; and sister Kelly, who finished third on Dancing in 2009. Co-anchor of Fuse News, host of Syfy's Haunted Highway.\n\nDance experience: \"If I'm rating myself, I'm awesome, but I don't know how universally I rate. I think I'm OK. Cheryl seems to think we have something to work with.\"\n\nWhy he did it: \"A large part was talking with my family, including my sister, who had such a good time, and my wife (Lisa Stelly) really loving the show. ... Kelly will be there. She's probably going to be secretly hoping I don't do better than she did.\"\n\nPositive message: \"Having been diagnosed with (multiple sclerosis), I saw it as an opportunity to keep awareness on people's minds. Although there is treatment for it, we're no closer to a cure. I'm trying to raise awareness that way.\"\n\nThe challenge: \"Touch wood right now, I'm fine, but herein lies the different thing with MS. I'm fine one minute and you wake up the next day and your legs might not work.\"\n\nNot-so-secret weapon: His two-time winning partner. \"Cheryl is awesome. I couldn't have landed a better dance partner. We have a similar sense of humor. She keeps the mood light, which is always a good thing.\"\n\nCorbin Bleu\n\nAge: 24\n\nPro dance partner: Karina Smirnoff\n\nHow we know him: Disney Channel's High School Musical and Jump In; One Life to Live; Broadway's Godspell and In the Heights; albums Another Side and Speed of Light.\n\nDance experience: \"Anybody who knows me knows High School Musical, so they know I can move, but I've never done ballroom dancing before. Most of my dance training has been in tap and ballet.\"\n\nExpectations: \"Of course I want to win. I will do everything I can. I will work my (butt) off. And I will be creative. I want to have fun, though.\"\n\nReaction to early-favorite status: \"Beautiful and, yet, at the same time, you get a target on your back at the beginning. That only makes me want to work harder. I want to just show them that whatever you may be expecting, I want to go above and beyond that.\"\n\nWhat hurts: The \"better question is what doesn't. I'm in shock right now. I'm athletic and I work out on a daily basis,\" he says. But after rehearsals, \"I go to bed and it's that restless feeling – my arms, my back, my legs, my (butt), my feet – everything is just 'woooof!' (I use a) heating pad and ice and just mental distractions to try to tell myself, 'We're good. Keep going.' \"\n\nBiggest challenge: \"Partly because Karina and I are such workhorses, we've already pushed ourselves to some maxes. We were trying to do an intense lift and fell, and we had a close call with Karina's leg. The first day I already popped my thumb out of my socket. Just risk of injury alone is really nerve-wracking, especially because it's the first week. Is your body going to hold up all the way through if you make it to the end?\"\n\nBill Engvall\n\nAge: 56\n\nPro dance partner: Emma Slater\n\nHow we know him: Blue Collar Comedy stand-up tour, TBS's The Bill Engvall Show, Blue Collar TV, Designing Women, Delta and The Jeff Foxworthy Show. His first album, Here's Your Sign, went platinum.\n\nDancing experience: \"As far as this kind of dancing goes, zero … When I grew up in Texas, we learned the Texas Two-Step, but you had your girl on one arm and a beer in the other hand. It wasn't like this kind of dancing.\"\n\nExpectations: \"I would love to win this thing. I got the news that of the favorites, I'm the last.\" The odds are 67-1, \"which is worse than I was in the American Century golf tournament. … Realistically, if I could last seven or eight weeks, I'd be ecstatic. I'm out there to have fun.\"\n\nGood luck charm: Daughter, Emily, 27. \"One of the reasons I'm doing this is that the only time I ever danced with my daughter was when she was about 7. And the only dance we could dance to was the chicken dance. She's getting married (next) Aug. 31 and I told her she's always been my little Cinderella and that one night I want to be her Prince Charming and have a wonderful father-daughter dance with her.\"\n\nBiggest obstacle: \"Not getting too excited. In (standup comedy), I use the audience to get me jazzed and juiced up for the show. I'm going to do that with this show, but you've got to temper it because everything is on a beat. I can't get too jacked up and get ahead of the music and then all of a sudden, you're like, 'What step was this?'\"\n\nTeam name: \"There were two we came up with. One was Billemma, like dilemma, but bill and emma, and the other one was Engvallator: We'll Be Back. I think we're going to go with Billemma because every week we have some kind of dilemma, which is usually, 'How do I get Bill to do this move?' \"\n\nBill Nye\n\nAge: 57\n\nPro dance partner: Tyne Stecklein\n\nHow we know him: Scientist, educator and host of Bill Nye, the Science Guy\n\nDance experience: Nye is an avid swing dancer, but insists the bad habits he picked up in his beloved pastime only hurts him on the highly structured ballroom dance floor. \"The social dancing has been a liability. Swing dancing is my thing where bad posture and being pigeon-toed is not a problem. In these judged events, you are supposed to look good. God, I have horrible posture.\"\n\nSecret weapon:DWTS fans might not know his newbie partner Stecklein, but she's eye candy who can motor. \"She is extraordinary. A patient, clear and succinct instructor. And she's stunning. I hope people will be looking at her instead of me for a lot of it. I defy any man to stand next to this woman and not feel some heat.\"\n\nOdds of winning: \"They are close to one in four. Our chances are awfully good because Tyne is so remarkable.\"\n\nGeek power: The Twitter-verse exploded when Nye was announced as a dancer. He aims to marshal his followers and worldwide geeks to victory. \"It is to be hoped that they will follow. But I cannot let them down.\"\n\nTeam name: HotKnowledge. And he's just one half of the \"knowledge\" part. \"You can warm your hands from across the room with Tyne. And I think she is smarter than I am.\"\n\nShirtless bonus: Nye is getting in shape to take it off during the show. \"It is not off the table. (My trainer) said that in three weeks you could do it. I am modifying my diet to burn off that little bit of fat. I have to do the diet thing. I think I have the discipline to do it. And we have to actually not get kicked off the show.\" And he'll spray-tan. \"Bring it on. I'm in to win. If that's what it takes, I'm in.\"\n\nBowties survive: Nye will continue to show off his signature bow ties on the dance floor, they'll just be a little flashier. \"There will be a bow tie every week. These wardrobe people are artists.\"\n\nKeyshawn Johnson\n\nAge: 41\n\nPro dance partner: Sharna Burgess\n\nHow we know him: The Super Bowl winner for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was an All-Pro wide receiver and is now an ESPN football analyst.\n\nDance experience: \"Zero. I didn't even celebrate or dance even when I scored touchdowns. My buddy said, 'I've known Keyshawn for 20-plus years and I have never even seen him bob his head.' Which is true. People are surprised I'm doing it. I don't go out and dance.\"\n\nWhat hurts: \"I hurt for the first couple of days because my legs were really, really tight. Now I am fine.\" But he did knock Burgess in the nose with a wild arm swing. \"I didn't swing my arm the right way. And it kind of caught her nose. I was like, 'Oh, I think I broke her nose.' But it was a little bit of a bruise and she's OK now. I'll try not to do it again.\"\n\nGoal: \"To help Sharna win the thing. I want her to win or advance a very long way. And it's up to me to get that accomplished.\"\n\nPeer reaction: \"The people at GameDay think I'll be back in a week and a half. They're like. 'We'll see you in two weeks.'\"\n\nAny fear? \"If I couldn't dance and get it together, I wouldn't do it. I have too much pride. And I fear no one. I worry about me.\"\n\nLeah Remini\n\nAge: 43\n\nPro dance partner: Tony Dovolani\n\nHow we know her: CBS' The King of Queens, former co-host of The Talk.\n\nDance experience: \"None and zero. I try to follow my husband when he's dancing salsa and I look down to keep time and hold on for dear life. That's about it.\"\n\nWhat hurts: \"My feet and my back. I have 15,000 blisters. I have black and blue areas and I don't know why. When I come home, my family gives me the face of sympathy and I crawl up the stairs to take a bath for three hours. I probably own stock in Epsom salts now.\"\n\nSecret weapon: Jennifer Lopez has watched her dance, but Remini insists she only got tips from Lopez's 5-year-old, Max. \"He gave me some points. Max kept saying, 'You're doing it wrong. Get back on the stage.' \"\n\nWhy now? Remini insists she has turned the show down three or four times. But a high-profile break with the Church of Scientology was one motivator. \"Considering what I have been through this year, I am really at a vulnerable place in my life. But I want to come from a place of strength. That's why I want to do it. I want to come out and celebrate my life and that I am doing something scary and new. And it's fun.\"\n\nWeight-loss bonus: \"I am losing weight. I don't weigh myself because I don't need to be depressed every day. So I go to the jeans. Everyone has their fat jeans, their medium-fat and their fighting-weight jeans. I'm in my medium-fat jeans now.\"\n\nGoals: \"I'm not going to hate on a sequin-bejeweled ball, because that is my time -- disco. It's not that I don't want the ball. But I am excited to just be there.\"\n\nChristina Milian\n\nAge: 31\n\nPro dance partner: Mark Ballas\n\nHow we know her: Actress, singer-songwriter and social-media correspondent for The Voice.\n\nDance experience: Milian insists her stage and music moves won't help. \"When you dance for a music video you use moves from a basic hip-hop class. It's definitely not ballroom. It's all new for my body. I have to reset my mind.\"\n\nWhat hurts: \"Everything. My hamstrings, my thighs, my back. It's definitely a combo. I had to get a major massage the other day. Deep, deep tissue. And we hit on areas that were hurting.\"\n\nBiggest fear: \"To mess up on the live show. I don't want to black out in the middle of the dance. When that happens during a concert it's easy to get back to the choreography. But this is judged on doing the full choreography from start to end.\"\n\nTeam name: MilianBallas. \"As in Million Dollars. It's great. Our fans came up with that one.\" Her pro partner is worth that much. \"He has an amazing mind when it comes to coming up with choreography. And he's not too hard on me. I have instantly built a lot of trust in him.\"\n\nSkin bonus: Milian looks good and will flaunt it. \"I am going to do it in a classy way, tastefully. I've seen the outfits they wear and they are revealing in a way that's satisfying to the fans. I won't overdo it. But I'll definitely have a good time. I just have to make sure nothing pops out and that there are no wardrobe malfunctions.\"\n\nSecret weapon: A killer smile which she'll show off after her first dance. \"When I give that smile, it's all for you, those pearly whites.\"\n\nValerie Harper\n\nAge: 74\n\nPro dance partner: Tristan MacManus\n\nHow we know her: Four-time Emmy winner as Rhoda Morgenstern in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda; sitcom Valerie and as Tallulah Bankhead in Looped on Broadway. Earlier this year, Harper was in the news for having three months to live because of cancer, but she's had a great response to treatment.\n\nWhy do it: \"I used to be a dancer, 50 years ago on Broadway, but I haven't danced in decades. It would be like starting over. And I've had weight gain and I thought, 'Oh, do I want to get up there with those girls in those cute little costumes? What am I doing at 74?' And my husband (Tony Caciotti) said, 'Because you have cancer, that's why. Because you have it and because it has not stopped you and because your doctors say it's fine.' So why can't I dance around with handsome Tristan MacManus?\"\n\nCause for concern: Her doctors found cancer in a membrane around the brain that stemmed from an earlier bout with lung cancer, but they've encouraged exercise. \"As long as I feel this good, why sit and watch dancing, when I could be up there dancing, even poorly? I'll be up there trying.\"\n\nExpectations: \"I want to make it through the first dance and not fall. If I don't fall, it's a win. And I don't mean fall out of weakness, I mean out of klutziness.\"\n\nBiggest fear: \"I've made a fool of myself before, so I'm not worried about that. If I don't fall in the ballroom, that's good.\n\nWhat hurts: \"I have a knee that's hinky, but I'll get through it. Dancers have pain all the time.\"\n\nAmber Riley\n\nAge: 27\n\nPro dance partner: Derek Hough\n\nHow we know her: Plays Mercedes Jones on Fox's musical comedy Glee (she'll have a lighter workload this season).\n\nDancing experience: \"I took a little ballet when I was a lot younger, but I stopped dancing around 12. Nothing too rigorous, definitely not ballroom. What we do on Glee is more stepping and turning and staying in one place and trying not to fall, so it's a little bit different.\"\n\nBiggest fear: \"The more I go to rehearsal, my fears kind of fade away. I try to go in with a great attitude because Derek is four-time champ and I definitely want to make him proud and I want to prove to myself that I can push past what I thought my limit was.\"\n\nPost-rehearsal treat: \"We went to a spa where I did an ice plunge. It kind of shocks the body and it makes the blood go everywhere. It heals the swelling. You do get swollen ankles. … It was just what my body needed. I felt so rejuvenated when I left.\"\n\nTeam name: \"We are Roughley. That's Riley and Hough put together.\"\n\nSupporters: \"My parents are going to be there, both of my sisters, my brother-in-law. My castmates are coming. … They have been really supportive. It makes me nervous, but it's also going to be inspiring, because I know they're rooting for me.\"\n\nElizabeth Berkley Lauren\n\nAge: 41\n\nPro dance partner: Valentin Chmerkovskiy\n\nHow we know her: Jessie Spano in Saved by the Bell and Nomi Malone in Showgirls\n\nLife update: She took on the last name of her husband, Greg Lauren, and gave birth to son Sky Cole a year ago. \"For the last year I have been in new-mommy mode. My inspiration is my son and my husband. I use that to fuel me.\"\n\nDance experience: \"I danced as a kid. I did a little dancing in Saved By the Bell, which was just cute. And I did some dancing in Showgirls. That's a whole other kind of dancing. But I haven't danced since then. It is like someone who did Little League baseball and suddenly they were invited to join the majors.\"\n\nWhat hurts: \"Each day there's some new muscle that's saying 'Hello. Did you forget about me?' Epsom salts bath and ice packs are my new best friends.\"\n\nWhat we'll learn: \"Most of the characters I have played are so far from who I am. America will get to know all my sides -- my sense of humor, my willingness to be self-deprecating, my work ethic. I'm living, breathing and dreaming the choreography and music. I've been known to dance in my kitchen and the hallways. It doesn't stop.\"\n\nWhy do it: \"It's pushing me out of my comfort zone. I believe in meeting your fears and walking through them. That's what courage is.\"\n\nNo Showgirls redux: \"Val and I have winks to certain things that make sense. But obviously this is a whole different thing. None of that choreography applies here.\"", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2013/09/15"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_15", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2023/03/20/julianne-hough-co-host-dancing-stars/11508656002/", "title": "'Dancing with the Stars': Julianne Hough to host, replacing Tyra Banks", "text": "Julianne Hough is ready to take the stage on \"Dancing with the Stars\" – this time as a co-host.\n\nThe two-time \"DWTS\" champion, who previously served as a judge and professional on the show, will take over for Tyra Banks, who started hosting in 2020.\n\nUSA TODAY has reached out to ABC for comment.\n\nControversial co-host Banks is leaving the show, according to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.\n\n\"Dancing with the Stars,\" which streams on Disney+, took to Twitter Monday to announce its new co-host, serving alongside Alfonso Ribeiro, who joined the show last year.\n\n\"We are so excited to welcome @juliannehough as co-host of #DWTS Season 32 along with @alfonso_ribeiro!\" DWTS wrote, sharing an image of Ribeiro, 55, next to a photo of Hough, 34.\n\nHough also took to social media Monday to share the news.\n\n\"It is such an honor to be rejoining 'Dancing with the Stars' as co-host,\" Hough wrote on Instagram, sharing the quote she gave Variety about the hosting changes.\n\nHough won the fourth and fifth seasons of \"DWTS\" with speed skater Olympian Apolo Ohno and racing driver Helio Castroneves, respectively. As a professional dancer on the show, her list of dance partners also included country artist Chuck Wicks and​​​​​ actor Cody Linley.\n\nShe was a judge on the show between 2014 and 2017 and was a guest judge in 2021.\n\nBanks joined \"DWTS\" in 2020 as the program's first Black female host and the first person to host the program solo.\n\nHer three-year run wasn't exactly smooth. From her early episodes, Twitter critics denounced her performance and called for the return of Tom Bergeron, who hosted the series since its 2005 debut, and Erin Andrews, who entered the ballroom for Season 18 in 2014, until Banks was named host.\n\n\"Change is hard, change is complicated, change is painful sometimes,\" she told USA TODAY in 2020. \"So I respect their challenge with change, but I also respect the multiple millions more people that are coming and watching the show with the changes too.\"\n\n\"DWTS\" has had other recent staffing changes: In November, professional dancer Cheryl Burke announced her departure, and Mark Ballas shared his decision to leave earlier this month. Judge Len Goodman said he would be exiting after Season 31, as well.\n\nHough's resume update comes on the heels of other shows changes. Last year, the ballroom dancing competition show relocated to its current home to streaming on Disney+, after years of live airing on ABC.\n\nWhile Hough's history with \"DWTS\" is long, it's not her only experience with reality television.\n\nShe was a judge on \"America's Got Talent\" until her 2019 exited, around the same time former judge Gabrielle Union left, after a report from Variety surfaced citing \"toxic culture\" on set.\n\nAnd Hough apologized for criticism surrounded the scrapped TV reality \"The Activist,\" after public backlash for turning activism into a competition.\n\nHough, who was slated to serve as a co-host along with Priyanka Chopra and Usher, said at the time that the show \"missed the mark.\"\n\n\"I heard you say that the show was performative, promoted pseudo-activism over real activism, felt done-deaf, like 'Black Mirror,' 'The Hunger Games,' and that the hosts weren't qualified to assess activism because we are celebrities and not activists,\" she wrote.\n\nHough also addressed her own controversial past: She wore blackface while dressing as Uzo Aduba's \"Orange Is the New Black\" character, known as \"Crazy Eyes,\" for Halloween in 2013.\n\n\"Wearing blackface was a poor choice based on my own white privilege and white body bias that hurt people and is something that I regret doing to this day,\" she said. \"However, the regret that I live with pales in comparison to the lived experiences of so many. My commitment has been to reflect and act differently.\"\n\nContributing: Jenna Ryu, Erin Jensen, Bryan Alexander", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/20"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/07/15/dwts-tyra-banks-replaces-tom-bergeron-erin-andrews-host/5440889002/", "title": "Tyra Banks is new host of 'Dancing With the Stars,' replacing Tom ...", "text": "Supermodel and businesswoman Tyra Banks will be the new host of \"Dancing With the Stars,\" the ABC reality dance competition revealed Tuesday, one day after announcing it was parting ways with current hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews.\n\nBanks, 46, chatted about her new gig with Amy Robach on \"Good Morning America\" Wednesday.\n\n\"I am excited about hosting and executive producing,\" she shared on the morning program. \"Getting in there, live TV. You never know what happens on live TV.\"\n\nShe also reflected on being a part of the show's milestones. She will be the program's first Black female host and the first person to host the program solo.\n\n“I like breaking those doors down so that we don’t have any more firsts, but it’s nice to be first, right?\" she said. \"So that you can open that door and let so many other people in after you. So, I’m excited, yeah.\"\n\nShe promised the show's 29th season, currently scheduled for this fall, would be \"so next level.\"\n\nBanks paid respect to the beloved, departing veteran Bergeron, who has been with \"DWTS\" for all 28 seasons, earning 11 Emmy nominations, winning one, in a statement released by ABC and production group BBC Studios Tuesday.\n\n\"Tom has set a powerful stage, and I’m excited to continue the legacy,\" said Banks.\n\nHosts Tom Bergeron, Erin Andrews:Will be replaced on 'Dancing With the Stars'\n\nBergeron tweeted Monday that he had been informed the dance show would be \"continuing without me.\"\n\n\"It's been an incredible 15 year run and the most unexpected gift of my career,\" Bergeron wrote. \"I'm grateful for that and for the lifelong friendships made. That said, now what am I supposed to do with all of these glitter masks?\"\n\nAndrews, the one-time contestant who has co-hosted since 2014, tweeted her farewell Tuesday, saying, \"I will always cherish my days on the set, even if I wasn't the best at walking in heels.\"\n\n\"DWTS\" executives cited a \"creative new direction\" as reasoning for the cha on Monday. On Tuesday, they honored the passing of the host torch.\n\n\"Tom has been an integral part of the ABC family for nearly two decades,\" said Karey Burke, president of ABC Entertainment in the statement. \"We are grateful for all he and Erin have done to make 'Dancing' a success.\"\n\nBanks hosted and executive produced \"America’s Next Top Model\" and \"The Tyra Banks Show\" and held a two-year stint hosting NBC's talent competition \"America’s Got Talent.\" As executive producer Banks will work with \"DWTS' executive producer and showrunner Andrew Llinares to spark a “creative refresh” planned for the 29th season \"while honoring the show,\" according to the release.\n\nContributing: Erin Jensen", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2020/07/15"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2022/09/18/dwts-disney-streaming-what-changes-and-dance-show-survive/10382492002/", "title": "'DWTS' on Disney+ streaming marks big change; will dance show ...", "text": "\"Dancing With the Stars\" fans were not alone in wondering the deeper meaning after Disney rumbled the ballroom floor by announcing in April that the reality competition was moving from its ABC home of 30 seasons to the Disney+ streaming service.\n\nSix-time Mirrorball champion Derek Hough, the show's biggest star and judge, pondered the same question.\n\n\"My initial reaction after hearing the news was, 'Oh!' and then, 'So what does this mean?' That really was the question,\" Hough says. \"And then honestly, after that, it became excitement.\"\n\nThe ballroom smiles will be fixed as the pro dancers take the floor with their celebrity partners when \"DWTS\" kicks off its 31st season Monday night on Disney+ (8 EDT/ 5 PDT), the first live series to premiere on a streaming service.\n\nBut the looming question remains whether the seismic streaming move is a glorious new beginning or the music starting for the final \"DWTS\" tango – the glitzy show that premiered in 2005 and once featured spray tans and sparkling ratings on two prime-time ABC weeknights.\n\nShangela makes 'DWTS' history: Selma Blair, Cheryl Ladd compete in new season\n\nThe streamer shocker:'Dancing With the Stars' moves from ABC to Disney+\n\nThe historic move – Disney+ has signed on for at least two seasons – is being scrutinized by fans and streaming competitors alike, says Brian Hughes, managing director of audience intelligence and strategy at ad firm Magna. Everyone is watching to see if the show's older fans make the move to a streaming service, and if the younger viewers more familiar with Disney+ will tune in.\n\n\"It's very much in wait-and-see mode to see how this pans out. This is a live thing, not a Marvel movie,\" Hughes says. \"What we're seeing is the future of TV, with everyone using apps instead of TV. But will people actually tune in now? It's very much TBD.\"\n\nConrad Green, the original \"DWTS\" executive producer who left in 2014, has returned for the landmark transition and exudes all the confidence of Maks Chmerkovskiy ripping his shirt off during a steamy samba.\n\n\"This is the beginning of a new beginning,\" says Green of the new home on Disney+, which will bring \"DWTS\" to about 44.5 million homes in the U.S. and Canada, compared with the 120 million U.S. TV households with (free) access to ABC.\n\nEven with the smaller viewer pool, Green believes \"DWTS\" has the future on its side.\n\n\"Fewer and fewer people are watching network TV, which is still an enormously important puzzle piece,\" he says. \"But you have to go with the audience, and right now that's streaming, which is the future of entertainment. \"\n\nThe \"DWTS\" crew has reason for rosy optimism. The show has seen ratings fatigue in recent years, despite shake-up moves such as replacing longtime host Tom Bergeron with Tyra Banks in 2020.\n\nHough says the show's fate is better than an alternative: cancellation.\n\n\"The truth of the matter realistically, after season 30, there was a moment (when) it seemed like that might have been it,\" he says. \"Streaming is really a new lease on life for the show. And that's pretty incredible.\" (Last fall the series averaged 6.4 million viewers on ABC.)\n\nGreen denies that the new crop of celebrities, many of them reality TV stars. is designed to woo a younger, streamer-friendly audience. He points out that young influencers have always been part of the show, including Kim Kardashian in 2008's Season 7 (she's still considered one of the worst dancers in \"DWTS\" history).\n\nThe celebrity dancers include the mother-daughter TikTok stars Heidi and Charli D'Amelio; drag performer Shangela; \"Charlie's Angel\" Cheryl Ladd; \"Cruel Intentions\" actress Selma Blair, who has openly battled multiple sclerosis; \"Real Housewives of New Jersey\" star Teresa Giudice; \"Jersey Shore\" star Vinny Guadagnino; former \"Bachelorette\" Gabby Windey; and \"American Idol\" alum Jordin Sparks.\n\nCanadians can watch and vote each week for the first time, but the show won't stream elsewhere because of licensing agreements. (BBC owns the show, which is based on the U.K.'s \"Strictly Come Dancing.\")\n\nThe $7.99-a-month service does not yet have commercials (although a lower-priced tier with ads will be offered in December), so the \"DWTS\" episodes will be \"relentlessly live,\" Green says. This means there will be no breaks that had been used to move elaborate sets between dance numbers.\n\nThe all-live format will require planning and viewer patience – if not appreciation.\n\n\"We have to be on our toes. The BBC version has been doing this show without commercial breaks since day one, 20 years ago,\" Green says. \"You might see the odd set piece in the backdrop getting moved around or hear the clunk of someone moving a light that you hadn't heard before, because that was taking place during commercials. But that's part of the fun of a live show.\"\n\n\"DWTS\" has hired a second host along with Banks, \"Fresh Prince of Bel-Air\" star and Season 19 winner Alfonso Ribeiro. Ribeiro, who also hosts ABC's \"America's Funniest Home Videos,\"\" will be primarily situated in the newly rebuilt skybox that allows waiting contestants to watch the dance action from above the stage. His main task will be conducting interviews as set pieces are moved.\n\nGreen says the commercial-free format allows for more group and professional dance numbers and in-depth video packages. \"You're less likely to lose your audience because we'll keep viewers engaged. It will be a more compelling watch.\"\n\nHough says the crew, the dancers and judges are looking forward to the challenge, and competitors will dance like everyone is watching.\n\n\"It's going to be good, man. I'm optimistic,\" Hough says. \"And it's this big experiment. It's like, 'Hey, let's see how this thing goes.'\"", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/09/18"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/09/08/dancing-stars-champ-derek-hough-season-29-judge/5722148002/", "title": "Dancing with the Stars' champ Derek Hough will be a Season 29 ...", "text": "Six-time \"Dancing with the Stars\" champion Derek Hough is returning to the ABC dance competition. But this time he's a judge, not a dancer.\n\nHough will be seated next to fellow judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli – each 8 feet apart due to COVID-19 protocols – for Season 29 (premiering Sept. 14, 8 EDT/PDT).\n\n\"I just missed the rhinestones,\" Hough jokes when asked why he's returning to a show he last competed on in 2016.\n\nWhat he really missed was \"the spark, the joy it brings, the pure entertainment (that's) much needed right now\" with the pandemic and other real-world troubles, says the two-time Emmy winner, whose sister, Julianne, is a former \"Dancing\" judge. \"It's good for the soul. And coming back to the show feels like coming back home.\"\n\n\"Derek represents the very best of what 'Dancing' is,\" says ABC alternative programming chief Rob Mills. \"We couldn't be more thrilled.\"\n\nBut producers are still trying to figure out how to incorporate judge Len Goodman, who remains in England due to pandemic travel restrictions.\n\nGoodman's role is still being determined, executive producer Andrew Llinares says.\n\n\"We absolutely want him to be part of the show, Llinares says. \"He's part of the family, but unfortunately, with travel restrictions, he can't physically be here. We're looking at a few options and trying to figure out the best way for him to be part of the show in some way.\"\n\nBallroom blitz:'DWTS' snares Netflix stars Carole Baskin, Chrishell Stause and coach Monica from 'Cheer' for Season 29\n\nThe addition of Hough is just one of Season 29's changes. Tyra Banks joins as an executive producer and host, replacing longtime hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews, and \"Dancing\" is making pandemic-related safety adjustments, learning from recent relaunches of the BBC Studios format in Australia, Germany, Ireland and Sweden, Mills says.\n\nSix months into the pandemic, \"we know so much more about how to be safe and how to be cautious about dealing with other people and hopefully not get infected,\" he says.\n\nSafety protocols include frequent coronavirus testing and 8-foot social distancing, with the exception of each pro-celeb pair, who will dance closely without masks. However, there will be strict separation between the competing couples, and while the celebrities won't have to quarantine, the pro dancers will.\n\nThree married couples who are part of the professional dancer troupe – Emma Slater and Sasha Farber; Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov; and Jenna Johnson and Val Chmerkovskiy – will be quarantined from each other to keep any positive coronavirus test from becoming a larger outbreak, Llinares says.\n\nDance protocol:Quarantine Diaries: Derek Hough's neighbors wonder why he's outside in full Disney costume\n\nViewers will notice the effects of new restrictions when dancers take the floor on the familiar ballroom set. Big group dance numbers will be missing; so will the show's band, which is recording tracks at another location; and there will be no studio audience.\n\n\"But we're not going to have banks of empty seats. We're redesigning the set with lots of new LED screens and different elements that make the ballroom look like it was designed to look this way. I think it looks fantastic,\" Llinares says.\n\nHough, a 17-season \"Dancing\" competitor who has been a judge in recent years on NBC's \"World of Dance,\" sees the health-related restrictions as a challenge, likening it to choreographing a dance under time constraints.\n\n\"Whenever I was given limitations, I always tended to create the best work,\" he says. \"I'm looking at this season like that, where there's this protocol, trying to contain and to be safe. And I'm optimistic that because of those things, it will create new moments (and) new experiences.\"\n\nBanks, a supermodel who has hosted \"America's Next Top Model\" and \"America's Got Talent,\" \"brings a different kind of energy, which I think is fun,\" Mills says, while offering praise for Bergeron and Andrews. \"They were fantastic. It's a big change but (their dismissal) was not anything (about) the job Tom and Erin were doing.\"\n\nHough calls Bergeron, who hosted \"Dancing\" from its 2005 start, \"a legend\" and a friend. However, he's excited about Banks' energy and style.\n\n\"She's full out, ready to play. I think she'll thrive,\" he says. \"I'm just looking forward to seeing what she's going to be wearing every night. You know she's going to turn it up to 11 on the fashion and the style.\"\n\nWhich celebrities are likely to deliver strong performances? Hough predicts Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir, Kaitlyn Bristowe of \"The Bachelor\" and \"Bachelorette,\" and Backstreet Boy AJ McLean. But which star does he find most intriguing?\n\n\"Carole Baskin (of Netflix's 'Tiger King'),\" he says. \"That was definitely like, 'Oh!' Your eyebrows went up a little bit.\"", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2020/09/08"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/09/23/dwts-elimination-carole-baskin-cries-kaitlyn-bristows-ankle-agony/3498288001/", "title": "'Dancing With the Stars' drama hits stride; Carole Baskin cries for ...", "text": "It was like a disco ball light switched on in Week 2 of \"Dancing With the Stars.\" After a flat opening night last week that left all kinds of questions, this dance machine reality show started to groove.\n\nSure they promoted Carole Baskin's tearful TV breakdown in previews. But did anyone expect the \"Tiger King\" star to actually move in a way resembling dance on the floor? And still Baskin faced severe early exit drama.\n\nThere was delicious spectacle, literally touch-and-go \"Bachelorette\" injury menace, unleashed chest hair, an actual mirror ball jacket. New host Tyra Banks was sharper, as was the canned audience sound, and the cast is starting to pop with personality.\n\nAnd there was the first elimination that frankly got my butterflies churning.Yes, it's still OK to miss host Tom Bergeron (forever Tom!), but \"DWTS\" was fun, again.\n\nHere are key points from the show.\n\nCarole Baskin on her 'DWTS' breakdown:'I'm powerless to change how much the lies have hurt' my family\n\n'The Bachelorette' ankle injury update was fantastic, even after it got stupid\n\nYears from now when people ask, where were you when \"Bachelorette\" star Kaitlyn Bristowe hurt her ankle, you can say, \"watching the many 'DWTS' injury updates.\" The first camera shot of Bristowe having the mysterious ankle injury attended to, with grave faces, was sublime. The next three updates were good. Having her pro partner, Artem Chigvintsev, come in person to update Banks center stage like some medieval messenger was unintentionally hilarious.\n\nBristowe did eventually dance and nailed a graceful foxtrot to \"I Hope You Dance\" by Lee Ann Womack, with scores that tied her for first place.\n\nWas it massive over-hype or was Bristowe stoic in not explaining? She did mention she took cortisone for the pain. Might be legit. Historians will debate. Her publicist will spin.\n\nBut the verdict on \"DWTS\" milking the drama was clear: Bravo. But take it easy on that udder.\n\nEveryone needs more Machado\n\n\"One Day At a Time\" actress Justina Machado is emerging as a powerful \"DWTS\" force and one for good. More than dancing her rumba with Sasha Farber to \"When You Believe\" by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, Machado soared with a smile that could make you forget there's a global pandemic. There were cherry blossom trees on the stage that shed petals. It was so magical that even the judges got swept up, placing the duo tied for the top spot on the leaderboard with their scores.\n\n\"I love watching you,\" judge Bruno Tonioli said, speaking for America. \"You dance from the heart.\"\n\nForget Johnny Weir, Johnny Gaga rocked it\n\nOlympic figure skater Weir is entirely at home at \"DWTS,\" as shown by his proud unfurling of his new alter ego: Johnny Gaga. Who knew his mother and Lady Gaga are longtime friends? His tango with pro Britt Stewart to Gaga's \"Poker Face,\" which started with the two lying on the ground, and that fantastic Gaga-inspired outfit will live on, even if he was faulted for some technical dance issues. The force is strong.\n\nJudge Bruno Tonioli is in playoff form, and earning 10s for beloved bombast\n\nTonioli was off his game last week, and it showed. Rusty? Missing straight-man judge Len Goodman (still stuck in England)? Both, most likely. But Tonioli and his brilliant pink jacket were in rare form Tuesday night. It's a judging dance involving crisp instruction, real criticism and then delicious, over-the-top blather from his usual standing position. We love you right back, Bruno.\n\nNelly had special 'Dancing With the Stars' kicks made for moving\n\nRapper Nelly gave a solid effort last week, pulling off a backflip at 45. He was criticized for wearing sneakers on the dance floor, however. Just to give an idea of his \"DWTS\" commitment, Nelly had special shoes designed by a foot surgeon – sneaker in style, dance shoes in form.\n\nHis cha cha to \"Let’s Grove\" by Earth, Wind & Fire with partner Daniella Karagach was entirely fun, with his effortless moves. Still needs technical work with scores putting him in the middle. But strong potential. And he has the kicks.\n\nNev Schulman showed moves and bodacious chest hair\n\n\"Catfish\" star Shulman is started to turn heads with his shock dance moves for the second week in a row. Tuesday's cha cha to “Dynamite” by BTS with pro Jenna Johnson had gyrations that were mind-blowing.\n\nBut Shulman's most fun reveal was the pure abundance of chest hair springing from his lowcut dance shirt. \"By the beard of Zeus, that’s a lot of chest hair,\" marveled judge Derek Hough.\n\nTonioli praised the dance and said \"a bit of manscaping would do.\" Even Banks jumped in saying, \"If we didn’t have to be socially distant, I would be feeling it right now.\" Good times.\n\nA.J. McLean opened a Backstreet Boy love story\n\nBackstreet Boys singer McLean showed the consummate pro moves with Cheryl Burke, dancing a showman-worthy foxtrot to \"Ain’t That a Kick in the Head\" by Dean Martin. But his song and dance dedication to his wife, Rochelle, and the couple's pre-dance telling of their love story, was pure modern romance. Fun fact: Rochelle originally turned the Backstreet Boy for a date, but he persisted. McLean even got weepy talking about his love for her after getting his dance scores. \"True love is out there, I found you,\" he shouted. We felt it.\n\nChrishell Stause got emotional about her past\n\nIn a pre-taped clip, the \"Selling Sunset\" star gave pro partner Gleb some insight into her life growing up, including her and her family's week of homelessness.\n\n\"We were basically squatters in an abandoned schoolhouse, we didn’t have running water. The mattress smelled like mildew,\" she explained.\n\nShe added, \"I wanted to give you an idea of where I’m from. It’s why I’m so grateful to be here and why I’m going to try as hard as I can.\"\n\nCarole Baskin poured out her heart and danced\n\nBaskin did get tearful talking about the strain of dealing with \"Tiger King\" fallout, with gentle questioning by pro partner Pasha Pashkov, who was crying, too. It always helps to have a Pasha to cry on. Mostly Baskin was poignant discussing her daughter dealing with the aftermath. The show might help that, Baskin said through near sobs. \"So she can tell her friends, 'This is who my mom is, kind of. She doesn’t really dance. But she can learn to dance.' \" Emotional spin, sure. But effective.\n\nThen Baskin actually seemed to move, with a dance that suited her, a Viennese waltz to “What’s New Pussycat” by Tom Jones. She wore a gold leopard-print dress and a wild gold crown and actually hit some steps on a budget-busting, rose-filled stage with a giant gold frame featuring a cat painting.\n\n\"There is hope. It wasn’t perfect, but there’s hope,\" said Tonioli.\n\nStill it wasn't enough to save possible elimination …\n\nDespite Baskin's improvement, her low scores put her into elimination jeopardy along with fellow dancer and pro basketball player Charles Oakley.\n\nOakley was showing better moves this week. He's lowkey, but his shine was starting to surface. The one-time Chicago Bull and star of ESPN's \"The Last Dance\" actually rocked an audacious mirror ball jacket during his cha cha to \"Never. Too Much\" by Luther Vandross with partner Emma Slater. That jacket was stupendous.\n\nThe final decision was left to the judges, who were split as to which celebrity to save. In the end – ABC executives were no doubt pleased to note – the audience-drawing Baskin was spared by the deciding vote from Hough.\n\nOakley departed too soon, before the baller could really start balling.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2020/09/23"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/2020/09/24/2020-tv-premieres-summer-television-streaming-shows-dates/3519265001/", "title": "'Grey's Anatomy,' 'The Masked Singer' and more fall 2020 TV ...", "text": "Continuing to social distance leaves us with a lot of time on our sanitized hands. Thankfully, television is here to offer a distraction.\n\nNow, given the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on production, fall's offerings are slimmer than usual. But there are still releases to be excited about.\n\nBeloved competitions also return this fall, including \"The Masked Singer,\" \"The Amazing Race,\" and \"The Bachelorette.\"\n\nAs we near Halloween, streaming platforms will unleash horror series, including \"Monsterland\" (Hulu) and \"The Haunting of Bly Manor\" (Netflix), the next chilling offering from the producers of \"The Haunting of Hill House.\"\n\nOur calendar of major highlights ensures you won't miss the return of your favorite series or the start of a new show you'll fall in love with. (All times EDT/PDT.)\n\nThe 50 best TV shows to watch on Amazon Prime right now, from 'The Americans' to 'The Boys'\n\nEmmys 2020:The best and worst moments on a weird, virtual night, from 'Friends' reunion to hazmat suits\n\nSept. 16\n\n\"Archer\" Season 11 (FXX, Wednesdays at 10)\n\n\"Sing On!\" (Netflix): Tituss Burgess hosts this singing contest that compares karaoke contestants to the original singers of their songs.\n\nSept. 18\n\n\"Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous\" (Netflix): The new animated series, which counts Steven Spielberg as an executive producer, is centered on a group of six teens selected to attend a special camp. But, as is typical with \"Jurassic\" projects, it's never just a walk in the park...\n\n\"Pen15\" Season 2 (Hulu)\n\n\"Ratched\" (Netflix): Sarah Paulson stars in producer Ryan Murphy's origin story for the infamous nurse from the novel and Oscar-winning 1975 film \"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.\"\n\nRyan Murphy's 'Ratched' Netflix series leaves critics disappointed: 'It's really bad'\n\nSept. 23\n\n\"The Masked Singer\": Season 4 (Fox, Wednesdays at 8)\n\n\"I Can See Your Voice\" (Fox, Wednesdays at 9): \"Masked Singer\" judge Ken Jeong serves as host of this new game show, where contestants attempt to decipher talented singers from the bad ones, before they've sung a note, for a chance at $100,000. Like \"Masked,\" it's based on a South Korean format.\n\n'The Masked Singer' reveals Season 4 characters, shows off a hot pink Croc ready to rock\n\nSept. 24\n\n\"The Chef Show:\" Season 2 (Netflix)\n\n“Celebrity Family Feud” (ABC, Thursdays at 8)\n\n“Press Your Luck” (ABC, Thursdays at 9)\n\n“Match Game” (ABC, Thursdays at 10)\n\nSept. 27\n\n\"The Comey Rule\" (Showtime, Sunday at 9): The two-part miniseries dramatizes the events around the 2016 presidential election and aftermath, and the role of former FBI Director James Comey (Jeff Daniels) in shaping history.\n\n\"Fargo\" (FX, Sundays at 10): The fourth installment of the acclaimed anthology series, starring Chris Rock arrives after a five-month pandemic production delay. Set in 1950 Kansas City, it centers on dueling African-American and Italian crime bosses.\n\nReview:Chris Rock leads a slow-but-steady 'Fargo' Season 4\n\nChris Rock on changing his humor for 'Fargo' Season 4 and the 'surreal' 'SNL' with Eddie Murphy\n\nOct. 2\n\n\"Monsterland\" (Hulu): In the anthology series inspired by Nathan Ballingrud’s \"North American Lake Monsters,\" interactions with creatures and beasts \"drive broken people to desperate acts.\"\n\nOct. 4\n\n\"Flesh and Blood\" (PBS, Sundays at 9): The four-part series explores the deadly sins challenging a family in the \"mystery about the perils of late-life romance.\"\n\n\"The Good Lord Bird\" (Showtime, Sundays at 9): Ethan Hawke plays abolitionist John Brown in the limited series inspired by James McBride's 2013 novel, with Joshua Caleb Johnson as Onion, a young slave.\n\n\"The Walking Dead: World Beyond\" (AMC, Sundays at 10): A pair of sisters and their two pals venture out of their safe haven in order to complete a mission.\n\nOct. 6\n\n“Ellen’s Game of Games” (NBC, Tuesday at 8, then 9 as of Oct. 13.)\n\n\"Swamp Thing\" (CW, Tuesdays at 8): Abby Arcane (played by Crystal Reed) comes back to her Louisiana hometown and learns frightening truths about the community's swamp.\n\n\"NeXt\": (Fox, Tuesdays at 9): John Slattery plays a Silicon Valley trailblazer who partners with a cybercrime agent played by Fernanda Andrade to do battle with a uniquely terrifying opponent.\n\nOct. 8\n\n\"Supernatural\" (CW, Thursdays at 8): The long-running series returns with its (delayed) final episodes.\n\nOct. 9\n\n\"The Haunting of Bly Manor\" (Netflix): A new chapter arrives from the producers of \"The Haunting of Hill House\" (2018). 1980s England serves as a backdrop for the nine-episode season, which begins with Henry Wingrave (Henry Thomas) finding a replacement nanny to tend to his parent-less niece and nephew.\n\nOct. 11\n\n\"Fear The Walking Dead\" Season 6 (AMC, Sundays at 9)\n\nOct. 13\n\n\"The Bachelorette” (ABC, Tuesdays at 8): Clare Crawley kicks off her journey as the franchise's eldest lead.\n\nOct. 14\n\n\"The Amazing Race\" (CBS, Wednesdays at 9)\n\nOct. 15\n\n\"Star Trek: Discovery\" Season 3: (CBS All Access, Thursdays)\n\nOct. 16\n\n\"Helstrom\" (Hulu): The two children of a serial killer search for heinous evildoers.\n\n“Shark Tank” (ABC, Fridays at 8)\n\nOct. 18\n\n“Supermarket Sweep” (ABC, Sundays at 8): \"SNL” alum Leslie Jones hosts the return of the grocery store game show.\n\nOct. 19\n\n“The Voice” (NBC, Mondays and Tuesdays at 8)\n\nOct. 22\n\n\"Superstore” (NBC, Thursdays at 8)\n\nOct. 25\n\n\"The Undoing\" (HBO, Sundays at 9): Nicole Kidman stars as therapist Grace Fraser, who is married to the dedicated Jonathan (Hugh Grant) in this limited series created by David E. Kelley (\"Big Little Lies\"). The couple's idyllic life is upended following a death and a missing spouse.\n\nOct. 27\n\n“This Is Us” (NBC, Tuesdays at 9)\n\n'This Is Us' Season 4 finalereveals pregnancy and marriage shockers\n\nOct. 29\n\n\"Superstore\" (NBC, Thursdays at 8)\n\nOct. 30\n\n\"The Mandalorian\" (Disney+)\n\nNov. 1\n\n\"Roadkill\" (PBS, Sundays at 9): Hugh Laurie embodies a crooked politician in this four-part drama.\n\nNov. 2\n\n\"The Good Doctor\" (ABC, Mondays at 10)\n\nNov. 8\n\n\"Moonbase 8\" (Showtime, Sundays at 11): Astronauts Skip (Fred Armisen), Rook (Tim Heidecker) and Cap (John C. Reilly) are in training for what they hope is their first lunar mission.\n\nNov. 9\n\n\"Industry\" (HBO, Mondays at 10): The new drama centers on a group of recent grads all trying to nab a job at a one of London's premiere investment banks.\n\nNov. 11\n\n“Chicago Fire” (NBC, Wednesdays at 9)\n\nNov. 12\n\n“Station 19” (ABC, Thursdays at 8)\n\n“Grey’s Anatomy\" (ABC, Thursdays at 9)\n\n“Law & Order: SVU” (Thursdays at 9)\n\nNov. 13\n\n\"I am Greta\" (Hulu): A documentary centered on teen environmental activist Greta Thunberg.\n\n“The Blacklist” (NBC, Fridays at 8)\n\nNov. 15\n\n\"The Crown\" Season 4 (Netflix): The upcoming season covers 1979-1990, which includes Prince Charles' 1981 wedding to Diana and the birth of their two children, Princes William and Harry.\n\n\"The Reagans\" (Showtime, Sundays at 8): The Reagan administration is examined in this four-episode docuseries.\n\n'The Crown' introduces its Princess Diana: See Emma Corrin in Diana's wedding dress\n\nNov. 17\n\n\"Big Sky\" (ABC, Tuesdays at 10): In David E. Kelley's new thriller series set in Montana, private detectives Cassie (Kylie Bunbury) and Cody (Ryan Phillippe) team up with Cody's ex, former police officer Jenny (Katheryn Winnick), to track down the person responsible for the kidnappings and killings of women in the area.\n\nNov. 18\n\n\"For Life\" (ABC, Wednesdays at 10)\n\nNov. 19\n\n\"A Milliion Little Things\" (ABC, Thursdays at 10)\n\nNov. 23\n\n\"Black Narcissus\" (FX): All In this three-episode limited series, inspired by Rumer Godden's 1939 novel, things go awry when a group of nuns tries to convert an isolated palace into a mission.\n\nDec. 17\n\n\"The Stand\" (CBS All Access, Thursdays): In the limited series inspired by Stephen King’s novel, Whoopi Goldberg plays centenarian Mother Abagail, who is tasked with saving the world from Randall Flagg, aka the Dark Man played by Alexander Skarsgård.\n\nEarlier premieres:\n\nAug. 5\n\n\"Big Brother\" (CBS, premiere at 9, Wednesday. After the debut, it will air Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8): An all-star cast assembles for the reality program's 22nd season.\n\n'Big Brother: All-Stars' premiere:Who's in the cast, who's HOH and what went wrong on live TV\n\nWhat are 'Big Brother' and 'Love Island' like in COVID quarantine? Masks with a side of real emotion\n\nAug. 6\n\n\"Star Trek: Lower Decks\" (Thursdays on CBS All Access): A new animated comedy, the first in decades for the \"Trek\" franchises, centers on the U.S.S. Cerritos's support crew.\n\nAug. 7\n\n\"Selling Sunset\": Season 3 (Netflix)\n\n\"Howard\" (Disney+): The documentary makes viewers a part of Howard Ashman's world. The late lyricist wrote the lyrics for tunes from beloved Disney movies like “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin” and “Beauty and the Beast,” in addition to creating musicals.\n\n'Selling Sunset':Chrishell Stause learns of divorce from Justin Hartley in a text: 'It's hard not to feel worthless'\n\nAug. 9\n\n\"Shark Week\" (Discovery Channel, Aug. 9 through Aug. 16): The 32nd annual Discovery event includes specials \"Tyson vs. Jaws: Rumble on the Reef\" (Aug. 9, 9 EDT/PDT) and \"Will Smith: Off The Deep End\" (Aug. 11, 9 EDT/PDT).\n\nAug. 14\n\n\"Ted Lasso\" (Apple TV+): Jason Sudeikis stars as a football coach hired to oversee a British soccer team.\n\n\"World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji\" (Amazon Prime): Bear Grylls hosts the reality competition, in which 66 teams face-off.\n\nAug. 16\n\n\"Lovecraft Country\": (HBO, Sundays at 9): The drama takes its inspiration from 2016 Matt Ruff's novel, set in the 1950s. Jonathan Majors portrays Freeman, who partners with his uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) and Letitia (Jurnee Smollett), a pal from childhood. They embark on a road trip to find Atticus' dad, Montrose (Michael Kenneth Williams), who has gone missing and also encounter racism and horrifying monsters.\n\n'Lovecraft Country' review:In HBO's horror series, America's racism is the real monster\n\n'There's a horror in just being Black':HBO's 'Lovecraft Country' digs into real racism with pulp fiction\n\nAug. 21\n\n\"Lucifer\": Season 5 (Netflix)\n\nAug. 30\n\n\"Love Fraud\" (Showtime, Sundays at 9): This four-part docuseries explores the cons of Richard Scott Smith, who romanced and swindled several women, prompting them to turn to a bounty hunter for revenge.\n\n'Pure evil':Con man Richard Scott Smith's ex-fiancée talks crook ahead of 'Love Fraud' docuseries\n\nSept. 2\n\n\"Chef's Table: BBQ\" (Netflix): The beloved food series returns to focus on barbecue.\n\nSept. 4\n\n\"The Boys\": Season 2 (Amazon Prime)\n\n\"Away\" (Netflix): Hillary Swank plays an astronaut who must leave her family to lead an international crew to Mars in this series.\n\n'Away':Hilary Swank on her timely new Netflix trip-to-Mars space drama\n\nHilary Swank sues SAG-AFTRA Health Plan over ovarian cyst coverage: 'It’s time we are treated fairly'\n\nSept. 6\n\n\"Power Book II: Ghost\" (Starz, Sunday at 9 (then 8 as of Sept. 13)): This new series, featuring Mary J. Blige, begins where its predecessor \"Power\" left off. Tariq St. Patrick (Michael Rainey Jr.) is facing a new reality where his mom Tasha (Naturi Naughton) is being charged with the death of Tariq's father. In order to pay for her defense attorney he \"turns to the familiar drug game.\"\n\n\"Undercover\": Season 2 (Netflix)\n\nSept. 7\n\n“American Ninja Warrior”: Season 12 (NBC, Mondays at 8)\n\nSept. 9\n\n\"Get Organized with The Home Edit\" (Netflix): A reality series from producers Reese Witherspoon and Molly Sims about organizers who help conquer clutter and transform lives.\n\n'Get Organized with The Home Edit' stars on 'surreal' experience in Reese Witherspoon's closet\n\n\"L.A.'s Finest\": Season 2 (Spectrum On Demand; first season airs on Fox, beginning Sept. 21 at 8.) Jessica Alba plays detective Nancy McKenna and Gabrielle Union portrays Syd Burnett, a member of the LAPD, formerly with the DEA, in this \"Bad Boys\" spin-off crime series.\n\n\"Woke\" (Hulu): Cartoonist Keith Knight serves as co-creator and an executive producer for the comedy inspired by the artist. Lamorne Morris stars as Keef, a cartoonist on the brink on success when an incident upends his life.\n\n'Woke' star Lamorne Morris talks reality of new Hulu series, shares his own experiences with racism\n\nSept. 11\n\n\"The Duchess\" (Netflix): Comedian Katherine Ryan stars as a single mom debating whether to have another child with her ex.\n\nSept. 12\n\n\"Wonderstruck – Animal Babies\" (BBC America, Saturday at 8): A trio of films documents the young lives of animals being raised in dangerous places.\n\n\"Coastal Elites\" (HBO, Saturday at 8): Bette Midler, Issa Rae, Sarah Paulson, Kaitlyn Dever and Dan Levy star in this special set during the pandemic, in a serious of monologues.\n\nSept. 13\n\n\"Our Cartoon President\" (Showtime, Sundays at 8:30)\n\nSept. 14\n\n\"Dancing with the Stars\" (ABC, Mondays at 8): Tyra Banks hosts the new season of the revamped dance competition.\n\n\"The Third Day\" (HBO, Mondays at 9): The limited series is broken into two parts: Jude Law stars in the \"Summer\" episodes, while Naomie Harris is at the center of the series' \"Winter\" shows.\n\n\"We Are Who We Are\" (HBO, Mondays at 10): A pair of American teens living in Italy on a U.S. military base are the focus of the eight-part look at adolescent life from Luca Guadagnino (\"Call Me By Your Name\").\n\nContributing: Carly Mallenbaum and Kelly Lawler\n\nDon Lewis' family lawyer says ad during Carole Baskin's 'DWTS' debut sparked 'legitimate tips'\n\nCarole Baskin:Family of her missing ex-husband airs commercial during her 'DWTS' debut", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2020/09/24"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/09/18/carole-baskin-don-lewis-family-ad-which-rendered-legitimate-tips/5824193002/", "title": "Don Lewis' family lawyer says ad during Carole Baskin's 'DWTS ...", "text": "The family of Don Lewis – Carole Baskin's former husband, who went missing in 1997 – cut in to the \"Tiger King\" star's \"Dancing with the Stars\" debut Monday. The commercial, requesting information about his disappearance, aired in Tampa and Jacksonville, Florida, says Lewis family attorney John M. Phillips, who appears in the ad and mentions Baskin. Suspicions of her involvement were explored in Netflix's hit docuseries.\n\nSo what fresh leads have come from the ad? (A longer version has been viewed nearly 900,000 times on YouTube.)\n\nPhillips says the homemade commercial, filmed with his Canon camera, has resulted in dozens of tips – and he believes some of them may be credible.\n\nHe says \"well over 100\" calls have been made this week to a tip line and his law office, \"and we've gotten legitimate tips. Some of them are (just) 'I watched 'Tiger King,' and I think Carole Baskin did it ' – kind of wasteful. But then there’s some pretty specific tips and locations mentioned that we’re gonna check out.\"\n\nCarole Baskin:Family of her missing ex-husband airs commercial during her 'DWTS' debut\n\n'Dancing With the Stars':Carole Baskin claws out a paso doble in first dance, earns lowly 3 score\n\nBaskin told USA TODAY via email Friday that she hopes the mystery surrounding her former husband is solved.\n\n\"Nothing would please me more than for Don to finally be found, as it would certainly prove my innocence,\" she wrote.\n\nPhillips was reluctant to share specifics about the new leads, citing an active investigation.\n\n\"Some locations that we need to check out have been revealed. Some people we need to check out have been revealed,\" he says. \"We’re gonna take some statements and see where it leads.\n\n\"The problem with this case over the last 23 years is not enough people have provided information,\" he says. \"And now we almost have the opposite problem – that we have too much information.\"\n\n'Dancing with the Stars':Carole Baskin bringing the 'Tiger King' freak show is tonight's must-see reality TV\n\n'Tiger King' star Joe Exotic formally requests pardon, including handwritten letter to Trump\n\nPhillips says he has assembled a team to sort through it all, and counts a private Facebook group, Don Lewis Cold Case Files, as a resource. He says the group \"has been immensely helpful with finding documents and investigating tips.\"\n\nPhillips is less impressed with the efforts of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Chad Chronister announced on Twitter in March that he was seeking new leads in Lewis' case, citing the popularity of \"Tiger King.\"\n\nBut the office was also close-mouthed about its investigation.\n\n\"The disappearance of Don Lewis is still an active and open investigation,\" said chief communications officer Crystal Clark, in an emailed statement Thursday. \"In order to avoid releasing information that could compromise our investigation, we don't have anything further to add at this time, other than our continued request for anyone in the public with information to call our detectives at 813-247-8200.\"\n\n'Tiger King':Joe Exotic's journey from big cats to the Big House after murder for hire\n\n'You've replaced the heart of the show':Tyra Banks' 'DWTS' debut has fans missing Tom Bergeron", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2020/09/18"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_16", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/03/22/new-utah-state-flag/11520526002/", "title": "Utah has a new state flag: Governor approves new look featuring ...", "text": "On Tuesday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill approving a new state flag. The new flag is set to take effect in March 2024.\n\nCox also issued an executive order requiring ​​​​​​Utah's current, or now historic, flag to be flown at the state Capitol at all times – and at state buildings on holidays.\n\nWhile Cox's signature authorizes the new state flag to become official next year, a potential public referendum could still challenge the change.\n\nUtah Gov. Spencer Cox signed legislation on Tuesday approving a new state flag, set to go into effect in March 2024.\n\nBut Utah's current, or now historic, flag isn't going away entirely. In addition to signing Senate Bill 31 – which, despite some pushback and controversy prompting changes to the bill, was narrowly passed by the Utah legislature earlier this month – Cox issued an executive order outlining how the state's historic flag will continued to be displayed.\n\nThe new state flag legislation, sponsored by Republican state Sen. Dan McCay, gives \"historical\" status to three versions of the current Utah flag. Cox's executive order requires the historic Utah flag \"be flown at the Capitol at all times and at all state buildings on certain holidays and special occasions.\"\n\nThe governor also requested that the state legislature amend SB31 during an upcoming session, to require the historic Utah flag be displayed above the new flag when the two are on the same pole.\n\n\"This will ensure that the historic flag will remain a symbol of our history and strength,\" Cox stated in a Tuesday release, adding that he was \"grateful for the tens of thousands of Utahns who participated in designing and selecting this new flag.\"\n\nThe state flag for all 50 states:See the state flags (plus D.C.) and the meaning behind each.\n\nDo you know your state's official nickname? Here's the story behind all 50 state nicknames.\n\nWhen does new Utah flag take hold?\n\nThe new state flag is set to take effect on March 9, 2024 – 113 years after the Utah legislature adopted the historic state flag on March 9, 1911. According to the Utah Department of Culture and Community Engagement, the state's original flag was created in 1903.\n\nEfforts to change Utah's state flag began in 2019, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. Last year, officials selected the new flag design from thousands of proposals that were submitted by the public.\n\nPotential referendum could challenge change\n\nWhile Cox's signature authorizes the new flag to become official next year, a potential public referendum could challenge the change.\n\nA group named \"Referendum to Save Utah's Flag\" filed paperwork seeking the referendum earlier this month, KSL.com reported. If enough signatures are reached next month, the bill could end up on a future ballot.\n\nAs of Tuesday, the referendum effort had 137 signatures, according to Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson's office. That's well under the 134,298 signatures needed by April 12, KSL.com and the Salt Lake Tribune reported.\n\nWhat's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day.\n\nWhat does the new Utah flag look like?\n\nThe new flag features a central beehive and accompanying star surrounded by a hexagon, snowy mountains, and red rocks on a blue foundation, according to Utah Department of Culture and Community Engagement's \"More Than Just A Flag\" initiative.\n\nThe colors and symbols represent various aspects of the state's history, people and geography, as well as principles like strength and unity, the initiative says.\n\nWhy did Utah change its flag?\n\nUtah launched a campaign to change its flag to better represent current Utah residents' \"shared values,\" the state says.\n\nUtah's historic flag features a bald eagle, the state motto and two dates – 1847, for when Mormon pioneers first came to the region, and 1896, for when Utah became the 45th state – among other aspects of Utah's state seal.\n\nAccording to \"More Than Just A Flag,\" a 2021 survey of Utah residents found that the majority of respondents didn't feel like the now-historic flag represented them – strengthening calls to change the design.\n\n\"The aim was to create a design that's easier to reproduce and recognize at a distance, a design that Utahns can rally around,\" the state website reads.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/22"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/nancy-armour/2022/06/04/ohio-bill-targets-transgender-athletes-with-genital-check/7504997001/", "title": "Ohio bill targeting transgender athletes with genital check is cruel", "text": "The politicians who claim to be oh, so concerned about kids sure don’t hesitate to sign their death warrants.\n\nNot content with banning transgender girls and young women from playing sports, Ohio House Republicans are encouraging people to hunt them down. Anyone could question the gender of a female athlete under legislation they jammed through Wednesday night, and those girls and young women would then have to “verify” their gender through a genital inspection.\n\nThat’s right. A physically intrusive exam that has no other purpose than to stigmatize and demean them. With the suicide rates among transgender youth already horrifyingly high – nearly 1 in 5 attempted suicide in the last year, according to research from The Trevor Project, while over half seriously considered it – this will only cause more harm.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/06/04"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2021/11/18/roadrunner-van-monkeypox-quick-build-shelters-news-around-states/49396769/", "title": "Roadrunner by van, monkeypox: News from around our 50 states", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nMontgomery: Convicted former state House Speaker Mike Hubbard told people he was innocent and “held my nose” as he signed a letter apologizing for his crimes, according to state prosecutors who used Hubbard’s own phone calls and emails from prison to cast doubt on his claims of remorse as he seeks early release. The attorney general’s office combed through emails and 600 of Hubbard’s phone calls from prison and cited some of the conversations as they oppose his request for early release from prison. State attorneys said the communications show he was “not truthful” when he signed a letter apologizing for his 2016 conviction for violating state ethics law, including using his public office for personal financial gain. Hubbard submitted the letter – in which he said that “I recognize and admit my errors” – in September along with a request for early release from prison. He wrote that his conviction embarrassed the state and his family and that “for this, I am severely sorry and respectfully ask forgiveness from everyone affected.” According to the Monday court filing, Hubbard told a friend before submitting the apology letter that “I promise you I did nothing wrong.” Prosecutors said Hubbard also talked to friends about efforts to add language to community corrections legislation that could benefit his release.\n\nAlaska\n\nJuneau: A fast-growing area north of Anchorage known as a hotbed of conservatism gained the most population since the 2010 census and will keep the same number of seats in the Legislature under a new map of state political boundaries that some critics say shortchanges the area. It’s not the only criticism of the plan approved by a divided state Redistricting Board, and court challenges are expected. Among the criticisms are House district pairings for Senate seats for the Anchorage and Eagle River areas that board member Nicole Borromeo said would open the board to “an unfortunate and very easily winnable argument of partisan gerrymandering.” Census data showed the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, which is about the size of West Virginia and includes Palmer and former Gov. Sarah Palin’s hometown of Wasilla north of Anchorage, had 18,086 more people last year than in 2010, the biggest jump for any borough or census area in Alaska. The region also was the second most populous overall in the state, with an estimated 107,081 people, behind Anchorage, with 291,247, according to census data. While the region would have the same number of seats, new House maps would place two Wasilla incumbents in the same district.\n\nArizona\n\nPhoenix: The state’s corrections chief says incarcerated people often have greater access to health services than people who aren’t locked up. Corrections Director David Shinn’s defense of the health care system for inmates came as he testified at a trial about the quality of medical and mental health care in state prisons, after the state has faced years of complaints and been fined $2.5 million for not complying with a settlement over the issue. A judge who threw the settlement out this summer concluded that the state showed little interest in making many improvements it promised under the 6-year-old deal and that inadequate care for prisoners had led to suffering and preventable deaths. “They often have greater access to care than I do as a private citizen,” Shinn said of people behind bars. Lawyers for the inmates are asking U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver to take over health care operations in state-run prisons, appoint an official to run medical and mental health services there, ensure prisons have enough health care workers, and reduce the use of isolation cells, including banning their use for prisoners under age 18 or those with serious mental illnesses. They say Arizona’s prison health care operations are understaffed and poorly supervised, routinely deny access to necessary medications, fail to provide adequate pain management for end-stage cancer patients and others, and don’t meet the minimum standards for mental health care.\n\nArkansas\n\nLonoke: A former sheriff’s deputy pleaded not guilty Monday in the fatal shooting of a white teenager whose death has drawn the attention of civil rights activists. Michael Davis entered the plea to a felony count of manslaughter in the June 23 shooting of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. Davis shot Brittain during a traffic stop outside an auto repair shop along Arkansas Highway 89 south of Cabot, a city of about 26,000 people roughly 30 miles northeast of Little Rock. Davis was charged in September in Brittain’s death. Davis told investigators he shot Brittain once in the neck after the teen reached into the back of his truck and did not comply with his commands to show his hands, according to Davis’ arrest affidavit. Brittain was holding a container – which his family members have said held antifreeze – and no evidence of firearms was found in or near the truck, the affidavit said. A passenger with Brittain said he and the teen had been working on the transmission for Brittain’s truck. The passenger told investigators he never heard Davis tell the teen to show his hands, according to the affidavit. Davis was fired by Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley in July for not turning on his body camera until after the shooting occurred. Staley said there’s no footage from the shooting, only the aftermath.\n\nCalifornia\n\nLos Angeles: Staples Center is getting a new name. Starting Christmas Day, it will be Crypto.com Arena. The downtown Los Angeles home of the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers, the NHL’s Kings and the WNBA’s Sparks will change its name after 22 years of operation, arena owner AEG announced Tuesday night. A person with knowledge of the deal said Crypto.com is paying $700 million over 20 years to rename the building. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the parties aren’t publicly announcing the terms of what’s believed to be the richest naming rights deal in sports history. The 20,000-seat arena has been the Staples Center since it opened in October 1999, with the naming rights owned by the American office-supplies retail company under a 20-year agreement. The name will change when the Lakers host the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA’s annual Christmas showcase. Crypto.com is a cryptocurrency platform and exchange headquartered in Singapore. Along with its sports tenants, the arena has hosted 19 Grammy Awards ceremonies, three NBA All-Star Games, two NHL All-Star Games, and countless high-profile concerts, performances and important public events, including memorials for Michael Jackson, Nipsey Hussle and Kobe Bryant. The Lakers have won six NBA championships during their tenure in the cavernous arena.\n\nColorado\n\nAurora: A suburban Denver police department has agreed to reforms after the killing of Elijah McClain led to indictments against officers and a first-of-its-kind civil rights investigation that found a pattern of racially biased policing and excessive force. The plan, announced Tuesday by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Aurora’s city manager, police chief and fire chief, was reached in response to a civil rights investigation launched by Weiser amid outrage over the death of McClain, a Black man who was put into a chokehold by police and injected with ketamine by paramedics in 2019. The proposal calls for the city to revamp its use-of-force policies and launch new training programs in an effort to combat bias in the ranks. Another key goal of the agreement is eliminating unnecessary use of force and increasing tracking and transparency about how officers engage with the community, Weiser said. It also aims to create a more diverse workforce in the police and fire departments. Aurora city officials said they are on board with the plan, which also includes the city’s fire department. It still hinges on City Council approval. “We are not going to shy away from reform,” Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson said. “To the officers on the street, this consent decree is nothing to be afraid of.”\n\nConnecticut\n\nHartford: Seven women who say they suffered excruciating pain after a nurse stole fentanyl for her personal use and replaced it with saline sued Yale University on Wednesday, alleging it failed to safeguard its supply of the painkilling opioid at a fertility clinic. The women say they underwent painful and invasive procedures for in vitro fertilization and were supposed to receive fentanyl at the Yale University Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility clinic in Orange, Connecticut, last year. Unbeknownst to them, they received saline instead of fentanyl, and when they told staff of their extreme pain during and after the procedures, their concerns were dismissed, according to the lawsuit filed in state court in Waterbury by the women and their spouses. “Yale’s failure to develop and implement safety measures mandated by state and federal law to secure drugs like fentanyl resulted in these patients being traumatized,” Joshua Koskoff, a lawyer for the women, said in a statement. “What should have been a time of hope for these women and their families became one of unimaginable suffering.” Yale spokesperson Karen Peart Peart said university officials will not comment on the lawsuit, which seeks undisclosed damages.\n\nDelaware\n\nGeorgetown: A fledgling nonprofit’s efforts to address homelessness with temporary shelter villages are progressing in Sussex County and could become a statewide solution. “Our vision is to build across state,” said Judson Malone, Springboard Collaborative co-founder and director. “We think we have a provable model that actually has a solution to homelessness.” The Georgetown Town Council passed a resolution Oct. 27 allowing Springboard to build and manage a temporary shelter village, similar to a tiny home village. Conley’s Church, in the Angola area of Lewes, has offered its property for a second such site. Springboard will use shelters designed by an Everett, Washington, company called Pallet, named for how the shelters are shipped. They’re framed with aluminum, and the panels are made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic with a foam-insulating core, according to the company’s website. Like traditional houses, Pallet shelters are temperature-controlled, weather-resistant and lockable, but they can be assembled in less than an hour and cost as low as $5,500. They’re not quite tiny houses, though. Pallet shelters do not have plumbing, kitchens or bathrooms, as they’re meant to be temporary shelters. In typical Pallet villages, there are shared bathhouses, laundry facilities and eating areas.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: After 34 days of protest at the Blackburn University Center, Howard University students have reached an agreement with the school, ending their weeks­long sit-in demonstration, WUSA-TV reports. “Howard University is pleased to announce that we have come to an agreement with the students who occupied Blackburn,” university President Wayne Frederick wrote in a statement released on Twitter and Youtube. “The health and well-being of our students is the most important part of my job as president. As I have said before, even one issue in one of our dormitories is too many, and we will continue to remain vigilant in our pledge to maintain safe and high-end housing.” Frederick’s statement also referenced the 2020 campus master plan, promising to “grow and invest in our beloved Hilltop” and to share more details soon of his plans to bring the campus back together following this division. Dozens of Howard University students had occupied the Blackburn University Center for weeks, setting up and living out of tents to bring attention to several issues, including living conditions in their dorm rooms, as they claim some were found to have mold. They also wanted student representation to be restored on the university board of trustees.\n\nFlorida\n\nSt. Petersburg: More than 1,000 manatees have died in the state so far this year, eclipsing a previous annual record as the threatened marine mammals struggle with starvation due to pollution in the water. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported the updated total Wednesday. The 1,003 manatee deaths so far in 2021 are many more than the 637 recorded last year and well above the previous mark of 830 set in 2013. Slow-moving, bulky manatees have long struggled to coexist with humans. Boat strikes account for some deaths and many injuries. But state officials and environmental groups say polluted water runoff from agriculture, sewage and other man-made development has caused algae blooms in estuaries, choking off the seagrass upon which manatees rely. Climate change is worsening the problem. Authorities expected another bad year for manatees, with more deaths to come as Florida enters the winter months, when the animals congregate in warm-water areas where food supplies have dwindled. Seagrass beds on the state’s eastern coast have been hit especially hard. To compound the problem, manatees are slow to reproduce. According to the nonprofit Save the Manatee Club – co-founded by Florida troubadour Jimmy Buffet – one calf is born every two to five years after a manatee reaches sexual maturity at about age 5. Twin births are rare.\n\nGeorgia\n\nAtlanta: Scores of housing activists, tenants and lawmakers rallied Tuesday to pressure officials to speed up the distribution of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid aimed at preventing evictions in the state. Congress set aside nearly $1 billion in funding for Georgia to help tenants pay past-due rent and utility bills during the pandemic, but the state has struggled to get the money out. Georgia had distributed less than 10% of the first set of funds by the end of September, according to a report last week by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. The report singled out Georgia, Ohio, Arizona and Tennessee for their slow disbursement of aid and large populations of renters. At Tuesday’s rally in downtown Atlanta, Lajoycelyn Bowles, 43, said she has repeatedly contacted the Georgia Department of Community Affairs – the state agency administering Georgia’s funds – but has never heard back. She was diagnosed with COVID-19 in August and has been too sick to work. She received an eviction notice this week from her landlord in Lithonia. “I’m frustrated and pissed off,” she said. The Department of Community Affairs said in a statement that it has distributed $44.2 million to more than 6,900 tenants and landlords so far. It has also added staff and extended working hours to handle an increase in applications.\n\nHawaii\n\nHonolulu: The state ranks last in the nation for the early diagnosis of lung cancer, according to a new study from the American Lung Association. Just 2.8% of high-risk smokers in Hawaii undergo annual CT scans that capture detailed pictures of the lungs, compared to 5.7% nationally, the study said. A state-by-state analysis also found that just 19% of lung cancer cases in Hawaii are diagnosed early, compared to 24.5% nationally, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that smokers and former smokers who are at high risk of developing lung cancer undergo the CT scans. The high-risk category includes adults between the ages of 55 and 80 who smoke a pack a day or more and former heavy smokers who quit in the past 15 years. The annual screenings are limited to the highest-risk smokers, in part due to the risk of false positive results, which can cause anxiety and lead to follow-up tests and procedures that aren’t needed and carry their own risk. Detecting lung cancer early can dramatically improve the chances of successfully treating it. The five-year survival rate for people diagnosed early is 60%. The survival rate drops to 6% when spotted at a late stage. The study found that Native Hawaiians are more likely to be diagnosed and die of lung cancer than other ethnic groups.\n\nIdaho\n\nBoise: A bill making it easier for residents to get worker compensation if they become ill after taking an employee-mandated vaccine sailed through the state House and headed for the Senate on Tuesday. The measure passed the House on a 67-3 vote. It was among seven COVID-19-related bills the chamber pushed through with expedited voting and sent to the Senate. Supporters said workers are getting sick after being vaccinated against COVID-19, and some are having problems receiving compensation. The bill tilts the field toward employees for compensation of hard-to-prove claims such as illnesses caused by vaccines, backers said. “If the employer is telling you, ‘You have to do this in order to work here,’ if they’re doing that, then, by golly, I think our system ought to provide a fair compensation method,” Democratic Rep. John Gannon said. Bill opponents said THAT Idaho’s worker compensation has worked well for decades and that workers sickened by vaccines are already being compensated. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says common side effects of COVID-19 vaccines can include tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever and nausea. Also heading to the Senate was a bill that would prohibit questioning the sincerity of people claiming religious exemptions from vaccinations.\n\nIllinois\n\nSpringfield: Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday signed a law making voting easier for people with disabilities and creating a group to study removal of further barriers. The law also makes adjustments in deadlines and other technical requirements for candidates in next year’s primary election because it’s later. Pritzker signed a law in June moving the primary from March 15 to June 28 because late-arriving 2020 census numbers delayed the drawing of new congressional district boundaries. Under the law, which takes effect immediately, any polling place that is accessible to voters with disabilities and elderly voters is to include at least one voting booth that is wheelchair-accessible. The Access to Voting for Persons with Disabilities Advisory Task Force will be composed of 15 members, three each appointed by the governor and leaders of the partisan caucuses in House and Senate. The group must meet at least four times and publish its results. Another change allows voters to designate sex on voter registration forms as “male,” “female” or “non-binary.” The measure was sponsored by Senate President Don Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat, and Democratic Rep. Katie Stuart of Edwardsville.\n\nIndiana\n\nIndianapolis: The state’s largest teachers union is calling on lawmakers to address educator burnout and ongoing teacher shortages during the next legislative session that begins in January. The state is “slowly making progress” on teacher pay, but additional action is needed to attract and retain teachers, Indiana State Teachers Association President Keith Gambill said during a news conference Monday. Teacher workload and burnout were already issues before the start of the pandemic, Gambill said, but the onset of the coronavirus has since worsened the teacher shortage. “We are now going into the third consecutive school year impacted by the coronavirus pandemic,” he said. “Our educators, already overburdened, are facing unsustainable levels of stress and stress-related illness.” The shortage of teachers – compounded by a substitute shortage – has meant more educators are required to work longer hours without time off or time for classroom planning, Gambill said. For some, he said that has included working 12-plus-hour days on top of second or third jobs. Gambill said educators cite a lack of professional respect as a contributing factor in the lack of teachers. In response, he said the union is calling on the Legislature to restore teachers’ ability to bargain contracts that include health and safety conditions, class sizes and prep periods.\n\nIowa\n\nDes Moines: Most Iowans support United Auto Workers members over their Deere & Co. bosses in the 10,100-worker strike in Iowa, Illinois and Kansas, a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll finds. About 58% of Iowa adults say they mostly side with Deere workers, compared to just 16% who mostly side with the employers. Another 19% are unsure, and 7% support neither group. With the strike in its fifth week, the UAW announced Friday that it had reached a tentative agreement with Deere. Union members, who have rejected two previous offers, were voting Wednesday on the latest pact. Striking UAW members have a majority or plurality of Iowans’ support regardless of political party, age, gender, educational attainment, religious affiliation, income bracket, or whether they live in a rural or urban area. Selzer & Co. conducted the poll of 810 adults Nov. 7-10. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. Elsie Carroll, 31, a customer service representative in Dubuque who participated in the poll, said she supports the workers because she believes they would sacrifice their paychecks to go on strike only if the company is failing them. UAW members on strike receive $275 a week from the union, far less than what they earn at Deere.\n\nKansas\n\nTopeka: A high-ranking Republican lawmaker who is running for statewide office wants the upcoming special session to put an end to coronavirus contact tracing, calling the practice an invasion of privacy. State Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker, made the suggestion to “stop this specific contact tracing” at a Monday meeting of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and Regulations. The GOP supermajority in both chambers of the Legislature forced Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to call a special session starting Nov. 22. Lawmakers are set to debate proposals on COVID-19 vaccine mandate exemptions and unemployment insurance for unvaccinated workers who lose their jobs, though additional measures could be proposed. Tyson, who is running for state treasurer, said during and after the meeting that she would want legislation removing virus contact tracing language from last session’s appropriations bill. But she demurred on whether she would introduce a bill or an amendment herself. The budget bill granted the Kansas Department of Health and Environment the authority to hire contact tracers and to adopt related regulations. It is unclear whether repealing the contact tracing provision as Tyson proposed would end the practice or remove some of the more arduous rules imposed by the Legislature.\n\nKentucky\n\nFrankfort: The Appalachian Regional Commission has awarded more than $1.5 million in federal funds to five Kentucky projects that aim to address the region’s substance abuse crisis through recovery-to-work programs, Gov. Andy Beshear said. The grants announced Tuesday are part of an ARC initiative that focuses on funding efforts that help create recovery-friendly work environments and provide supports to those in recovery and their employers. The projects can also include job training. Since April 2021, ARC has invested $14.9 million in 47 related projects. A request for proposals for a third round of awards will be be announced in the coming weeks.\n\nLouisiana\n\nNew Orleans: A state board granted parole Wednesday to Henry Montgomery, whose Supreme Court case was instrumental in extending the possibility of freedom to hundreds of people sentenced to life in prison without the opportunity for parole when they were juveniles. Montgomery, 75, was convicted in the 1963 killing of Charles Hurt, an East Baton Rouge sheriff’s deputy who caught him skipping school. Montgomery was 17 at the time. He was initially sentenced to death, but the state’s Supreme Court threw out his conviction in 1966, saying he didn’t get a fair trial. The case was retried and Montgomery convicted again, sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He served decades at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. A three-member board voted unanimously in favor of parole. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the meeting was held on Zoom, with Montgomery appearing on camera from the prison where he has spent his entire adult life. “He’s been in prison for 57 years. He has an excellent … disciplinary record. He is a low risk by our assessment. He’s got good comments from the warden. He has a very good prison record,” board member Tony Marabella said as he voted to approve Montgomery’s release with certain conditions, including a curfew and that he have no contact with the victim’s family.\n\nMaine\n\nFreedom: A wayward roadrunner is on the mend in the Pine Tree State after traveling across the country in a moving van. The greater roadrunner, a species native to Southwestern states, hitched a ride in the storage area of a moving van from Las Vegas to Westbrook, Maine. Volunteers took the bird to Avian Haven, a bird rehabilitation facility. Avian Haven representatives said they took the call about the bird Nov. 13, and it continued to rest Tuesday. They said in a Facebook post that the bird was in “remarkably good shape” for having been stuck in a van for four days but might have lost weight during the journey. The center is looking at ways to return the roadrunner to Nevada once it is healthy enough, said Diane Winn, Avian Haven’s executive director. The center has created a special habitat for the bird that is warmer than its typical outdoor areas while also being sufficiently roomy, the group said.\n\nMaryland\n\nBaltimore: A case of monkeypox has been confirmed in a Maryland resident who recently returned from Nigeria, state health officials announced Tuesday. The person had mild symptoms and is recovering in isolation but isn’t hospitalized, the Department of Health said in a news release. The general public doesn’t need to take any special precautions, officials said. People who may have been in contact with the person who was diagnosed with the illness have been identified, and public health authorities are continuing to follow up with them, Deputy Secretary for Public Health Dr. Jinlene Chan said in a statement. Monkeypox is in the same family of viruses as smallpox but generally causes a milder infection, officials said. It can be spread through direct contact with lesions or body fluids or via contaminated materials like clothing or large respiratory droplets. Illness typically begins with flu-like symptoms and lymph node swelling and progresses to a rash on the face and body. The people who may have been exposed in this case will be monitored for symptoms for 21 days after exposure. Human monkeypox infections primarily occur in central and western African countries and have only rarely been documented outside of Africa.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nBoston: Michelle Wu was sworn in Tuesday as the first woman and first person of color elected mayor in the city’s long history. The swearing-in of Boston’s first Asian American mayor came two weeks after Wu won the election. Before Wu, Boston had elected only white men as mayor. “City government is special. We are the level closest to the people, so we must do the big and the small. Every streetlight, every pothole, every park and classroom lays the foundation for greater change,” Wu said after taking the oath of office. “After all, Boston was founded on a revolutionary promise: that things don’t have to be as they always have been. That we can chart a new path for families now, and for generations to come, grounded in justice and opportunity,” she said. Wu, 36, takes over for a fellow Democrat – former acting Mayor Kim Janey – who was Boston’s first woman and first Black resident to serve in the top post, to which she was not elected. To push back against soaring housing costs that have forced some former residents out of the city, Wu has promised to pursue rent stabilization or rent control. The biggest hurdle to that proposal is the fact that Massachusetts voters narrowly approved a 1994 ballot question banning rent control statewide. Another of Wu’s top campaign promises is to create a “fare-free” public transit system.\n\nMichigan\n\nGrand Rapids: A federal judge retained jurisdiction Tuesday in a dispute over a Canadian oil pipeline that runs through a section of the Great Lakes, rejecting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s contention that the case belongs in state court. The clash over whether Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 should continue operating raises issues “under consideration at the highest levels of this country’s government” involving a U.S.-Canada treaty and federal pipeline safety regulation, U.S. District Judge Janet Neff ruled. The matter “is properly in federal court,” she wrote in a 15-page opinion that drew praise from Enbridge. Whitmer’s office expressed disappointment, and environmentalists ramped up pressure on President Joe Biden to intervene. Line 5 moves 23 million gallons daily of crude oil and natural gas liquids between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario, passing through northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A 4-mile section is divided into two pipes that cross the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac, where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet. Whitmer ordered Enbridge last year to close the 68-year-old line, agreeing with Indigenous tribes, environmentalists and tourist businesses that it risks a devastating spill. Enbridge contends the line is safe and ignored the Democratic governor’s May 12 shutdown deadline.\n\nMinnesota\n\nMinneapolis: The Department of Defense will send medical teams to two major hospitals to relieve doctors and nurses who are swamped by a growing wave of COVID-19 patients, Gov. Tim Walz announced Wednesday. The teams, each comprising 22 people, will arrive at Hennepin County Medical Center and St. Cloud Hospital next week and begin treating patients immediately, Walz said in a conference call from the Finnish capital, Helsinki. the latest stop on his European trade mission. Minnesota has become one of the country’s worst hot spots for new coronavirus infections. Hospital beds are filling up with unvaccinated people, and staffers are being worn down by the surge. Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said Tuesday that she’s ready to expand access to booster vaccines to all adults by the end of the week if the federal government doesn’t act first. “Our best defense against this is the vaccine,” Walz told reporters. He noted that Minnesota is No. 2 in the county for the number of booster shots given, behind only Vermont, and that first doses have risen 60% over the past week. “And we know that that is our way out of this. … I need Minnesotans to recognize, as we’ve been saying, this is a dangerous time.”\n\nMississippi\n\nJackson: Saying it could be days before tap water is safe to drink, officials issued a citywide boil-water order the same day the Environmental Protection Agency was in town to tout the newly passed federal infrastructure bill. About 15,000 residents and businesses, mostly in south and west Jackson, were without water Monday and early Tuesday, city officials said. Water pressure is gradually being restored, and most residents should have at least some water coming out of the tap. “Obviously, this is not a position that we want to be in,” Jackson City Engineer Charles Williams said. The water is not safe to drink anywhere in the city until the Mississippi State Department of Health tests the water and declares it contaminant-free. The boil order will probably be lifted gradually as water pressure is restored, Williams said, with Thursday the soonest the order may be lifted in any part of Jackson. Williams said the city received a bad batch of aluminum chlorohydrate, a chemical used to treat drinking water, and workers shut down part of the water treatment system at the O.B. Curtis plant Saturday. None of the chemical made it into the city’s water supply, and residents were not exposed, Williams said.\n\nMissouri\n\nSpringfield: State Attorney General Eric Schmitt sued the city’s school district Tuesday over its response to his office’s requests for records related to critical race theory and anti-racist teaching. Schmitt’s office submitted a Sunshine Law request in October seeking records from the district relating to how and whether it teaches critical race theory. Schmitt, a Republican running for Senate, alleges in the lawsuit that the district broke the law by demanding payment for services other than copies before it would make public records available to his office. He also contends the district didn’t use hourly rates that would have kept the cost of fulfilling the request as low as possible, as required by law. The district initially required a deposit of $37,000 to process the request before it began searching for records, according to the lawsuit. Schmitt’s lawsuit claims the district has used critical race theory in its teachers’ training for at least two years, citing as an example a training program in 2020 for about 170 teachers and staff that would “create shared understanding … around complex issues of systemic racism and xenophobia” and allow them to “receive tools on how to become anti-racist.” District spokesman Stephen Hall said in a statement that the district focuses on equity but does not teach critical race theory.\n\nMontana\n\nGreat Falls: Native American tribes in the state – including the Blackfeet Nation, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and Fort Belknap Indian Community, as well as the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council – have expressed support for a bill that would establish a panel to look into the history of U.S. efforts to force assimilation. The Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the U.S. Act would establish a formal, diverse commission to investigate and document Indian boarding school policies, including the U.S. government’s attempt to terminate Indigenous cultures, religions and languages. The commission should recommend practices for the federal government to acknowledge these atrocities and promote healing. The panel would also hold culturally sensitive public hearings for boarding school survivors and community members. The Blackfeet Tribal Business Council in October passed a resolution supporting congressional efforts in approving the act. Lauren Monroe Jr., council secretary, said past atrocities still influence Indigenous people today. “For Blackfeet people that don’t speak the language or don’t know our history, this isn’t so much in the past as it is in the present,” he said. “Until we have this conversation, there can’t be progress or healing.”\n\nNebraska\n\nScottsbluff: A fire that had burned about 2,560 acres in northwest Nebraska was about 40% contained, officials said Tuesday. The fire in the Buffalo Creek Wildlife Management Area in Scotts Bluff and Banner counties began Sunday, and efforts to contain it are expected to last through the week, The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency said. The Buffalo Creek wildlife area is about 7 miles southeast of Gering and Scottsbluff. No homes had been burned, no injuries were reported, and no evacuations had been necessary, according to an update provided Tuesday. The firefighting effort has included helicopters, with 27 departments supplying resources and firefighters, who have been working 16-hour shifts, the Scottsbluff Star Herald reports. The National Weather Service posted a red flag warning for the area, which means any fire that ignites could grow rapidly. The area was reporting temperatures in the 50s and the 60s, 20% humidity and wind speeds of 20-30 mph.\n\nNevada\n\nLas Vegas: A man’s admission that he voted twice in November 2020 in a case on which state Republicans seized to claim voter irregularities amounted to “a cheap political stunt” that backfired, a state court judge said Tuesday. Donald “Kirk” Hartle appeared by videoconference from his defense attorney’s office to plead guilty to a misdemeanor – voting more than once in the same election – and told Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny he accepted full responsibility for his actions and regrets them. Hartle’s attorney, David Chesnoff, prevented his client from having to describe publicly how he voted early using a ballot that had been mailed to his dead wife. Rosemarie Hartle died in 2017, but her name remained on the voter rolls. Chesnoff told the judge that state Attorney General Aaron Ford’s office agreed to reduce two felony charges against Hartle to the misdemeanor. Kierny made it clear she was unhappy with the deal but accepted it. Hartle was fined $2,000 and has to stay out of trouble for one year. The judge set a Nov. 17, 2022, date to review the result. “This seems to me to be a cheap political stunt that kind of backfired,” Kierny said, “and shows that our voting system actually works because you were ultimately caught.”\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nManchester: The city is getting a $25 million federal grant to help improve transportation in the South Millyard area. The grant was announced by the state’s congressional delegation Tuesday. “This project will mitigate traffic congestion, provide increased transportation options including biking and walking trails and a pedestrian bridge over Granite Street and create opportunities for development throughout South Elm Street,” Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig said in a statement. “This is a big deal for the City of Manchester.” The grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will be allocated through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant program. Manchester’s award ties with the state of New Mexico for the largest RAISE grant in the country this year.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nAtlantic City: State lawmakers are proposing financial relief for the city’s casinos to help them continue to recover from the coronavirus pandemic by exempting two of the industry’s fastest-growing revenue streams from calculations on how much the casinos should pay the city. It would reduce payments for some casinos, including the Borgata, while imposing higher payments onto others, including Hard Rock. The bill, advanced Monday by a state Senate committee, is a renewal of a measure requiring the casinos to make payments in lieu of taxes to Atlantic City that was first enacted five years ago, when the city was reeling from the closure of five of its 12 casinos. There currently are nine casinos. Easily able back then to show that their businesses were worth less in a declining market, the casinos successfully appealed their property tax assessments year after year, helping to blow huge holes in Atlantic City’s budget. Meanwhile, New Jersey’s red-hot sports betting industry smashed its own national record in October for the highest amount of bets taken in a single month, topping $1.3 billion. That figure easily surpassed the $1.01 billion worth of bets that Atlantic City’s nine casinos and the three horse tracks that offer sports betting took in September.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nEunice: The city is looking to salty underground sources as it seeks an “unlimited” supply of water. The Eunice City Council recently voted to have a Hobbs-based engineering firm continue studying the benefits of building a desalination plant for the community. Amid depletion of fresh water from the Ogallala Aquifer continues, the council wants to know the feasibility of a proposed alternative: desalination of saline or brackish water. The Hobbs News-Sun reports it could cost about $5.5 million to build a plant, and the completion of the engineering study likely will provide a more accurate estimate. City Manager Jordan Yutzy told the councilors that the engineering work by Pettigrew and Associates will cost about $464,000. State funds are paying for the work. The engineering firm began the study last summer to determine whether water from underground brackish aquifers can economically be desalinated for human consumption. The Ogallala Aquifer underlies portions of eight states, in which agriculture, commercial industry and residences use more than is replenished from rainfall or snowmelt. Below the freshwater aquifer are saline and brackish water supplies that need to be treated, often at high cost, before human consumption.\n\nNew York\n\nNew York: A new effort to find a mass-transit solution for LaGuardia Airport after a $2 billion rail link project was put on hold amid criticism from public officials will look at options including ferry service, a subway extension and dedicated bus lanes. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, announced Tuesday that it has commissioned a panel to review alternatives for LaGuardia, one of the few major airports in the country without a rail link. The panel will consist of Mike Brown, former London transportation commissioner and managing director of Heathrow Airport; Janette Sadik-Khan, former New York City transportation commissioner; and Philip Washington, the CEO of Denver International Airport and a former CEO of Los Angeles Metro. Tom Wright, president and CEO of the Regional Plan Association, a New York-based think tank, called the formation of the panel “the right move at a critical time for our region.” A 1.5-mile elevated railway linking the airport to a rail station near CitiField in Queens was given environmental approved by federal regulators in July, but the plan prompted criticism from Gov. Kathy Hochul and other officials, as well as a lawsuit from an environmental group.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nRaleigh: The largest school system in the state said none of its students went hungry Tuesday despite a sickout by school cafeteria workers demanding better pay and improved working conditions. Leaders at the Wake County Public School System warned parents that another sickout could affect food services at other schools Wednesday, The News & Observer of Raleigh reports. Late Monday evening, the Wake County school system alerted families at 32 schools that they should bring their own lunch on Tuesday because the system couldn’t guarantee meal service. But a tweet sent in the morning indicated the district was able to provide meals to every student who wanted one. The district provided bagged lunches to students, according to Lisa Luten, a school spokeswoman. Luten also said parents and local businesses and restaurants also brought in food for students Tuesday. WCPSS warned Tuesday night that 15 schools could be affected by staffing shortages Wednesday. The sickout comes as a 19% vacancy rate is forcing the cafeteria workers to do more work than before. Two weeks ago, dozens of WCPSS school bus drivers called out sick for a three-day protest that disrupted bus service for many students.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nBismarck: The Defense Department’s internal watchdog said its investigation into a $400 million border wall contract found it was properly awarded to a North Dakota firm whose owner used multiple appearances on Fox News to push for the job. The Pentagon’s inspector general on Monday released results of the audit, requested last year by House Homeland Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. He asked for the review of the contract awarded to Dickinson, North Dakota-based Fisher Sand and Gravel Co. by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to ensure that the company’s bid met standards and that the contract was awarded in accordance with federal procurement regulations. “We reviewed Fisher Sand and Gravel’s proposal, compared it to the solicitation, and agreed with (the Corps’) assessment that it was the LPTA (Lowest Price Technically Acceptable) and was properly awarded the contract,” the audit said. Company President Tommy Fisher is a GOP supporter and has appeared on conservative media touting his company as the best pick for building the wall that former President Donald Trump made a priority. The company was awarded a contract to build 31 miles of wall in Arizona but had little experience with such construction.\n\nOhio\n\nCleveland: A transit officer who was captured on surveillance video shoving a 68-year-old man off a rail platform and onto the tracks in February has been charged. Patrick Rivera, 41, pleaded not guilty to three charges, including first-degree misdemeanor assault, on Saturday, cleveland.com reports. Rivera was placed on unpaid leave after charges were filed, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority spokesperson Linda Scardilli Krecic told the news outlet. Rivera was called to the site because the man refused to move his belongings when asked by a custodian, cleveland.com reports. Rivera wrote in a report that the man was aggressive and lunged at him, at which point he shoved the man. Video footage shows that the interaction happened quickly and that Rivera and another officer prevented the man from immediately climbing back up onto the platform even though trains were active on that track. Rivera wrote two citations for the man after he shoved him, but prosecutors later dropped the charges after a psychologist found the man was not competent to stand trial because of mental illness. Rivera was not fired or suspended because he signed an agreement with RTA that he would be fired if he “makes another mistake” in the next year. Former RTA Police Chief Michael Gettings called Rivera’s actions “unacceptable.”\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: Students across the metro area walked out of classes Wednesday in support of death row inmate Julius Jones, who is scheduled to be executed Thursday. Students at Northwest Classen, Classen SAS, Putnam City North, Harding Charter and John Marshall staged walkouts Wednesday morning. Students were seen congregating in parking lots and on football fields. The walkouts happened as Jones’ supporters awaited word from Gov. Kevin Stitt on whether he will grant Jones clemency ahead of his scheduled execution. Oklahoma City rapper and activist Jabee Williams, a longtime supporter of Jones, spoke to the students from Classen SAS, who marched about 10 blocks from their school to the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon. “Julius loves you, he appreciates you, and he knows he is not alone,” Williams said. “What you guys did today was so brave.” He said there is a dark cloud hanging over Oklahoma right now. “If this man is executed, there’s a part of us that will be executed too. We won’t be the same,” Williams said. Greg Robinson, a community organizer and supporter of Jones from Tulsa, also praised the students for their walkout in support of Jones. “Why is it that a group of high schoolers,” Robinson said, “got more courage than the people that walk through this building?”\n\nOregon\n\nSalem: A philanthropist filed papers with the secretary of state on Tuesday to decriminalize sex work in Oregon, aiming to put the issue before voters in the 2022 election. “Sex worker rights are human rights, and the denial of those rights enables human trafficking,” said chief petitioner Aaron Boonshoft, who filed the prospective petition for the Sex Worker Rights Act. Advocates said Oregon’s laws that criminalize sex work make it difficult for workers to report rape, harassment and human trafficking to police, fearing they themselves could be arrested. Organizers of the effort said the proposal would end criminal penalties for participating in consensual adult sex work and add health and safety protections while maintaining laws against human trafficking. “Our current system is broken and harms sex workers,” said Anne Marie Backstrom, political director for the campaign. “Sex workers deserve to do their job without fear of arrest or violence, and, like all workers, they deserve access to health care, labor protections and public services.”\n\nPennsylvania\n\nHarrisburg: A bill to allow people to carry concealed weapons without a permit was passed by a divided state House on Tuesday but faces a veto threat from the governor. The parties were split in the vote, as occurred in the state Senate last week, with Republicans mostly supporting it and Democrats mostly opposed. Supporters said that getting concealed carry permits under current law can be subject to the whims of county sheriffs and that permit holders can forget when their licenses expire and therefore unknowingly violate the law. Opponents pointed out the proposal is unlikely to be enacted, as Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s office said he will veto the legislation, and argued the bill would make people less safe by making guns more readily accessible. Pennsylvanians are generally allowed to openly carry loaded firearms, although current law is silent on it. Only in Philadelphia is a permit required for it. The legislation sent to Wolf would remove Philadelphia’s open-carry permit requirement, as well as the state’s requirement for people to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon, including for storing them in their cars.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: Civil rights organizations have sued the state’s Department of Corrections on behalf of a man who alleges his rights were violated when he was held in solitary confinement for eight months as punishment for his complaints about prison conditions. The Rhode Island Center for Justice and the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island sued the state’s corrections director and other prison administrators at the behest of Joseph Shepard, 28, on Monday. In the lawsuit, Shepard alleges his constitutional rights to free speech and due process were violated when prison administrators put him in solitary confinement in retaliation for raising concerns. A spokesperson for the Department of Corrections said the state disagreed that Shepard had served time in solitary confinement because the prison system “does not practice solitary confinement, as we have stated on the record numerous times.” Shepard claimed in the lawsuit that he brought concerns about prison conditions to administrators but was told to follow the formal grievance procedure. In response, Shepard sent documents to civil rights groups to bring attention to the cause. He was then placed in high-security segregation for eight months for being in possession of documents that had never been identified as contraband, he said.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nColumbia: The state House will return to Columbia next month for a special session about redistricting. House Speaker Jay Lucas said the House will first meet at 2 p.m. Dec. 1 with the primary focus on approving the new state House, Senate and U.S. House districts based on 2020 U.S. census data. The chamber may also be in session Dec. 2 and Dec. 6 if necessary. The Senate hasn’t announced the dates it might meet in special session, but they are expected to gather in early December, too, because that would leave three months for legal challenges about the new maps to be resolved before filing for the new districts in the 2022 elections begins in March. The Legislature set aside only a few issues that can be taken up in the special session without a two-thirds vote. They include redistricting and spending billions of dollars in federal pandemic funds and from a settlement with the federal government over radioactive material stored past a deadline at the Savannah River Site. The list of items did not include COVID-19 vaccine or mask mandates. The General Assembly returns in January for the second year of its regular session.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nSioux Falls: Gov. Kristi Noem’s daughter says she’ll quit the real estate appraiser business following scrutiny over whether her mother used her influence to aid her application for an appraiser license. Kassidy Peters slammed a legislative inquiry and news reporting on the episode in a letter to Secretary of Labor Marcia Hultman on Tuesday. She also released a document that a legislative committee was seeking to subpoena. Lawmakers were zeroing in on the timeline of a meeting Noem called last year that included Peters and key decision-makers in a government agency that had moved days earlier to deny her application for an upgrade to her appraiser certification. “I am writing you today to express my disappointment and anger that my good name and professional reputation continue to be damaged by questions and misinformation concerning the Appraiser Certification Program,” Peters wrote to Hultman in the letter. She told Hultman she would turn in her license by the end of the year, adding: “I’m angry and I can acknowledge that this has successfully destroyed my business.” The Republican-dominated Government Operations and Audit Committee had requested the document to confirm Hultman’s assertion that state regulators had already decided to give Peters another chance to win her appraiser certification prior to the meeting in the governor’s mansion. Noem echoed that defense in a later news conference. But the signed agreement with Peters is dated the week after the July 27, 2020, meeting.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: Universities, transportation agencies and the operator of a national laboratory are among those landing exemptions to a new state law that strictly limits or prohibits most government entities and businesses from implementing COVID-19 prevention mandates. For some, approval was almost immediate. Six of the 19 entities that submitted requests Monday – the first day to apply – were granted exemptions to the new law’s stringent requirements. Tennessee now largely bars governments and businesses from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination and only lets schools and other public entities require masks in rare, dire public health situations. Exemptions also are allowed if groups can show they would lose federal funding by complying with the state law, which conflicts with policies implemented by President Joe Biden’s administration. Early exemptions have been given to Vanderbilt University, the University of Tennessee system, the University of Memphis, East Tennessee State University and UT-Batelle, which operates Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Crockett County Ambulance Service also was approved, though state officials noted that certain Medicare and Medicaid providers are already exempt. Other medical providers also applied.\n\nTexas\n\nAustin: Democrat Beto O’Rourke said Wednesday that he has raised more than $2 million after announcing his campaign for governor Monday, showing a persistent ability to quickly pile up cash after coming off failed runs for the U.S. Senate and presidency. The money came from more than 31,000 donations in the first 24 hours, with 57% of the contributions coming from Texas, spokesman Abhi Rahman said. Small donors have powered O’Rourke’s massive fundraising hauls in the past, but his campaign did not disclose a breakdown of contribution sizes so far. The numbers showed an early burst of enthusiasm for the former El Paso congressman, who in one day raised more money than the entire campaign of Democrats’ little-known candidate for Texas governor in 2018. But O’Rourke still has a long way to catch or even approach Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who this summer reported having at least $55 million in his campaign account, more than any incumbent governor in the country. Abbott, who is seeking a third term, routinely collects six-figure donations in big money from Texas executives. The Lone Star State’s sheer size makes mounting a statewide campaign costly, and Abbott and O’Rourke are likely to make this among the most expensive governor’s races in the country.\n\nUtah\n\nCedar City: Gov. Spencer Cox cut the ceremonial opening ribbon Monday for a new business center. The Cedar City Business and Innovation Center is meant to provide a space for community members, students and businesses to come together to discuss entrepreneurial ideas, said Brennan Wood, president of Southwest Technical College. In a speech, Cox touted the center as a place that could be used as a “model” for other business centers to open in the state, saying he sees these centers as playing an important role in Utah’s economic future. “This is how we future-proof our education system,” he said. “It’s how we future-proof our economy. We do that by working together and innovating together.” The Cedar City center is located on the grounds of Southwest Technical College but isn’t technically an extension of the college, as the center had many other partners in its opening. Those include Southern Utah University, the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, the office of economic development for Cedar City and Iron County, and the Women’s Business Center of Utah. The center’s main mission is to help people handle the early challenges of starting a small business by offering office space, professional equipment, opportunities for business guidance and businesses classes.\n\nVermont\n\nMontpelier: An audit has found that the cost of state employee health care jumped between 2010 and 2019 and urged changes to save money. The report released by State Auditor Doug Hoffer found that the cost of annual medical reimbursements for state employees, retirees and their families increased 51% in that time, from $94 million to $142 million. One reason the report identified for the increase was that different health providers charged different amounts for the same care. “The difference in prices paid for the exact same health care procedures under the State employee health plan is startling, especially since higher prices do not necessarily mean higher quality,” Hoffer said in a statement. The reports suggests that the state move to reference-based pricing, in which the state would set a maximum price it would pay for any service instead of paying the price negotiated by the health care provider and insurance company. Hoffer said that could save the state $16.3 million annually. A second suggestion is to provide state workers, retirees and their families with information about the cost of care and implement a cash incentive for them to use less expensive options. The report predicted this could save $202,000 annually if implemented for seven specific services.\n\nVirginia\n\nFredericksburg: A school board rescinded a directive for staff to pull books with “sexually explicit” books from libraries early Tuesday after hours of passionate public comment. The Spotsylvania County school board voted 5-2 to reverse the order amid public backlash, but some board members said they’ll continue to take a stance against the inclusion of what they view as offensive material in school library books, The Free Lance-Star reports. Board members Rabih Abuismail and Kirk Twigg, who spoke of burning books at last week’s meeting, did not support the reversal. “I think we should throw those books on the fire,” Abuismail said at the Nov. 8 school board meeting, while Twigg said many “would like to see the books before we burn them so we can identify within our community that we are eradicating this bad stuff.” Monday’s specially called meeting on the matter was held at the Chancellor High School auditorium to accommodate the large number of speakers expected. It stretched past midnight as dozens of parents, students, teachers and librarians spoke, most in support of libraries and books. Two speakers, both high school students, spoke in favor of removing books from library shelves. Comments were cut off at midnight.\n\nWashington\n\nSpokane: The head of the state’s bipartisan redistricting commission that failed to meet its deadline for redrawing political maps urged state Supreme Court justices to consider their work nonetheless now that the high court will have to complete the process. The panel had a deadline of 11:59 p.m. Monday to approve new boundaries for congressional and legislative districts following the 2020 census but acknowledged Tuesday that it had not been able to complete its task on time. This is the first time the panel has failed to finish its work on time since the state adopted a constitutional amendment giving redistricting authority to a bipartisan commission after the 1990 census. “While we acknowledge we missed the deadline for our maps to be considered by the Legislature, we see no reason why the Court can’t do so,” Commission Chair Sarah Augustine said in a statement late Tuesday night. “These maps reflect the input of the thousands of people who took part in the process with us. It would be a shame to see these maps go unconsidered simply because the clock struck 12.” Despite the plea to the Supreme Court, many were critical of the process by the panel – especially in the final hours Monday night, when there were complaints its deliberations were closed to the public and may have violated open meetings laws.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nCharleston: Two trees to be displayed in the West Virginia Capitol during the holidays will feature photos recognizing military and first responders. West Virginians can submit photos to be displayed on the trees, according to a news release from Gov. Jim Justice and first lady Cathy Justice. The trees will be placed in the west rotunda of the main Capitol building. A third tree will be decorated by Gold Star mothers and families to honor people who died while serving the country. Photos will not be returned, and photocopies should be submitted. The military recognition form and the first responder recognition form and tag are available online. Photos, submission forms and tags must be received by Nov. 29. They can be submitted by email to first.lady@wv.gov or regular mail to attention of Katie Morris, West Virginia Governor’s Mansion, 1716 Kanawha Blvd. East, Charleston, WV 25305.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: Two top state Republicans are criticizing mandatory University of Wisconsin-Madison sexual violence prevention training that includes references to privilege, identity and critical race theory. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos on Tuesday wrote a letter to the school chancellor demanding answers on why graduate students are required to watch the two-hour webinar that university spokesperson John Lucas said includes “a brief reference” to critical race theory, which he said is supported by academic research and noted in the citations. Critical race theory is an academic framework that centers on the idea that racism is systemic in U.S. institutions, which function to maintain the dominance of white people. It has become a catchall political buzzword for any teaching in schools about race and American history, and conservatives have seized on the concept to galvanize their base. Vos said it was “unacceptable” and “appalling” to mandate a class that “instills the university’s negative opinion of white students and the idea that students should feel guilty simply because of their race.” Gubernatorial candidate and former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch first drew attention to the training in a video she posted on Facebook last month.\n\nWyoming\n\nKemmerer: A small city in the top U.S. coal-mining state will be home to a Bill Gates-backed experimental nuclear power project near a coal-fired power plant that will soon close, officials announced Tuesday. Bellevue, Washington-based TerraPower will build its Natrium plant in Kemmerer, a southwestern Wyoming city of 2,600 where the coal-fired Naughton power plant operated by PacifiCorp subsidiary Rocky Mountain Power is set to close in 2025. “Our innovative technology will help ensure the continued production of reliable electricity while also transitioning our energy system and creating new, good-paying jobs in Wyoming,” TerraPower President and CEO Chris Levesque said in a statement. The project will employ as many as 2,000 people during construction and 250 once operational in a state where the coal industry has been shedding jobs. If it’s as reliable as conventional nuclear power, the 345-megawatt plant would produce enough climate-friendly power to serve about 250,000 homes. The announcement came days after officials from the U.S. and other countries pledged at a global climate-change summit in Scotland to continue working to limit greenhouse gas emissions.\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/11/18"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2019/11/15/surfboard-proposal-duke-dorm-opossum-sky-bars-back-news-around-states/40617883/", "title": "Surfboard proposal, Duke dorm opossum: News from around our 50 ...", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nGadsden: Hundreds of fish have been added to a creek as part of an ongoing effort to boost tourism. The Gadsden Times reports Black Creek was restocked Tuesday with about 1,100 pounds of trout above Noccalula Falls by the Rainbow Fly Fishing Club. The group also stocked 1,000 coppernose bluegill into the watershed in late March. Republican Rep. Craig Lipscomb, of Rainbow City, is a member of the fishing club and says its members are working with the city to fill a gap for activities at the falls in the winter months. Lipscomb says trout fishing in Georgia brings in tens of millions of dollars for the state, and Gadsden would benefit even from a fraction of that.\n\nAlaska\n\nAnchorage: A new FBI report says the state has the nation’s highest rate of sexual assault, and violent crime has increased. Alaska Public Media reports that the 2018 statistical analysis from the agency’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program says Alaska does not conform to a general national decline in violent crime. The annual report uses statistics from law enforcement agencies to provide an analysis of crime at the national, state and municipal levels. The report says violent crime in Alaska increased by 3% from 2017 to 2018 while falling 3% nationally. It says Alaska saw an 11% increase in the number of sexual assaults reported to law enforcement, while nationally there were 2.7% more assaults. The FBI says Alaskans reported four times more sexual assaults than the national rate.\n\nArizona\n\nPhoenix: An increase of bald eagle breeding areas this year didn’t result in more nestlings in the state. Game and Fish Department officials say there were 71 eagle nestlings during the 2019 breeding season, down from 87 hatched last year. During the department’s annual bald eagle survey, raptor biologists counted a minimum of 74 occupied breeding areas statewide – up from the 69 counted last year. But the number of eggs laid dipped from 102 last year to 97 this year. The number of birds that made their first flight fell to 63 from the 70 recorded in 2018. Arizona’s bald eagle population has flourished since 1978, when 11 pairs were counted within the state and the species was listed as endangered. There currently are an estimated 74 adult breeding pairs.\n\nArkansas\n\nFayetteville: Court records show a former lobbyist who pleaded guilty to bribing three former state lawmakers will be sentenced this month. Rusty Cranford could face up to 10 years in federal prison for bribing Sen. Jon Woods, Rep. Hank Wilkins and Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson, the nephew of Gov. Asa Hutchinson and son of former U.S. Sen. Tim Hutchinson. Cranford had hoped to increase revenue for the Missouri-based nonprofit Preferred Family HealthCare. Cranford also confessed to embezzling from the nonprofit where he worked. His attorney declined to comment. The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports court records posted Tuesday show he’ll be sentenced Nov. 25. A federal grand jury in Missouri indicted Cranford on one count of conspiracy and eight counts of accepting bribes.\n\nCalifornia\n\nSanta Rosa: A Northern California brewery owner upset with devastating fires sparked by Pacific Gas & Electric power lines is producing a beer he named “F--- PG&E,” and the brew has sparked a backlash. Steve Doty, owner of Shady Oak brewery in Santa Rosa, announced the new beer last week on a Facebook post. Doty tells SFGate he meant to draw attention to the negligence of PG&E executives and was stunned by the onslaught of critical comments by people who said they are related to utility employees. Others have attacked Shady Oak by giving it one-star reviews on Yelp and Google or calling the taproom with violent threats. Doty posted an apology to those upset by the beer name but says he is still standing by the name.\n\nColorado\n\nDenver: A Muslim civil rights group is protesting after an arena security guard told a woman to remove her hijab before she could enter to see her 8-year-old daughter sing the national anthem with her school choir at a Denver Nuggets basketball game. Gazella Bensreiti said Wednesday that the guard told her to “take that thing off of my head” at the Pepsi Center box office Nov. 5. Bensreiti said she explained the scarf was for religious purposes. She said the guard replied that she didn’t care. After speaking with a supervisor, the guard ushered her inside. The Council on American-Islamic Relations protested the incident. Arena owner Kroenke Sports & Entertainment called the encounter a misunderstanding and said the guard didn’t recognize that Bensreiti was wearing a hijab.\n\nConnecticut\n\nHartford: Republicans in the state Senate are unveiling an alternative transportation plan they say doesn’t rely on tolls or tax increases. Thursday’s plan from the minority party in Connecticut’s Senate comes a day after Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont pitched his 10-year, $21.3 billion initiative to Senate Democrats. While the Democrats liked projects in Lamont’s proposal, they didn’t like how it includes 14 tolls on bridges across the state. It’s unclear whether the GOP’s plan will ultimately lay the groundwork for a compromise on an issue that has vexed the state for years. Like Lamont’s plan, the 10-year, nearly $18 billion Senate Republican plan also relies on low-cost borrowing from the federal government. Instead of using toll money to pay off the loans, it banks on money from the state’s dedicated transportation fund.\n\nDelaware\n\nWilmington: The state’s birding community is mourning the loss of Wilmington resident William “Bill” Stewart Jr., who died Tuesday after battling cancer, while celebrating his legacy of conservation and determination. Stewart, 67, was a well-known birder, conservationist, educator and former gymnastics coach who helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to permanently preserve nearly 2,000 acres of land for future generations of birders and Delawareans through the Delaware Bird-A-Thon program he started in 2006. He helped put the First State on the birding map by showing visitors and locals the state’s beauty and international role in shorebird migrations. The Bird-A-Thon effort has raised more than $400,000, which has helped protect properties and start a hawk watch program in northern Delaware, as well as a science education grant for researchers. A celebration of life for Stewart will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday at the Delaware Nature Society’s Ashland Nature Center in Hockessin.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: A landlord in the district is being forced to pay $1.1 million in rent payments to former residents who homes were plagued by pests, mold and raw sewage and violated housing and fire codes. The Washington Post reports D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine announced Wednesday that Sanford Capital LLC will pay the settlement to 155 former residents “forced to live in squalor.” Racine’s office had sued the Bethesda, Maryland-based company for violating consumer protection laws. For years, tenants struggled with unsanitary and poor conditions that left many without heat in winter months. Prosecutors said some residents also lacked working toilets, stoves or refrigerators. They say Sanford refused to fix some broken locks and didn’t maintain fire extinguishers, a move made even more dangerous by missing or broken smoke detectors.\n\nFlorida\n\nOrlando: It’s light and bright in all the merriest of ways at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom this holiday season. For the first time since the park opened in 1998, there’ll be holiday-themed entertainment and decor throughout the 500-acre park, with twinklers lining rooftops and other new seasonal touches at the park, now Central Florida’s second most popular theme park, behind Magic Kingdom. At DinoLand, Donald’s Dino-Bash, the dance party is complemented by holiday decorations chosen by Donald Duck’s pals, with all kinds of holiday merch available for sale at the gift shop. Diwali, India’s festival of lights, is celebrated over in Asia, while in Africa, African celebrations blend with Western traditions, making a stroll through Harame for food and shopping a colorful mix of tastes and treats.\n\nGeorgia\n\nAtlanta: A nonpartisan organization has placed a national debt clock downtown ahead of a Democratic presidential debate coming to the city. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports New York-based Peter G. Peterson Foundation placed the billboard on Ted Turner Drive between Walton and Marietta streets, near Centennial Olympic Park. The clock displays the nation’s nearly $23 trillion debt and pegs each American’s share of the number at about $68,000. CEO Michael A. Peterson says the debt issue affects everyone, not just lawmakers. He says he hopes the billboard sparks conversation on the enormous debt and ways to manage it. The foundation says the clock will remain in the city indefinitely. The Democratic debate will be Wednesday at Tyler Perry Studios in southwest Atlanta.\n\nHawaii\n\nHonolulu: A man was surfing with his girlfriend when – instead of hanging 10 – he knelt down on one knee on his board and proposed. Hawaii News Now reports Lauren Oiye said yes just before Chris Garth dropped the ring in the ocean. Multiple photographers nearby captured the Sunday moment. Luckily, he had a spare. Garth said he knew it could go wrong, so he used a stand-in while they were out in the water. The real ring was on shore at Queen’s Beach in Waikiki, where the two met years before.\n\nIdaho\n\nRexburg: Brigham Young University-Idaho has stopped accepting Medicaid as health insurance coverage, forcing full-time students to buy a university-backed plan. University officials say health plans could be purchased for at least $81 a month for single students and up to $678 a month for a family. Officials say a student form used to opt out of the school health plan was updated this month reflecting the change in policy. Open enrollment for Medicaid expansion began Nov. 1. State health officials say Madison County has the highest concentration of potential Medicaid expansion enrollees in the state. Students say a reason for the change has not been disclosed. Some students argue the plan is expensive and has limited coverage. The university declined multiple requests for comment.\n\nIllinois\n\nSpringfield: A copy of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address that was handwritten by the 16th president himself is going on display at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum for two weeks. In a news release, the museum says it will display the copy – one of only five surviving copies written by Lincoln – from Thursday through Dec. 2. The display coincides with the anniversary of Lincoln’s delivery of the brief speech Nov. 19, 1863, at the height of the Civil War. The document that stays in a climate-controlled space most of the time to protect it from light and humidity will be housed in the museum’s Treasures Gallery. The address that begins famously with the words: “Four score and seven years ago … ” is handwritten on plain white paper.\n\nIndiana\n\nIndianapolis: Gov. Eric Holcomb isn’t promising any quick action on the call for further boosting teacher pay that thousands of educators will be making at the Statehouse next week. Teacher unions say at least 107 school districts with more than 40% of Indiana’s students will be closed Tuesday while their teachers attend the rally. Holcomb didn’t criticize school districts for closing the day of the union-organized rally, saying it was a local decision. The Republican governor said Thursday that he applauds teachers for expressing their concerns, but he’s waiting for a teacher pay commission he appointed to make recommendations by the end of next year. The rally dubbed “Red for Ed Action Day” will happen on the day legislators are gathering for organization meetings ahead of their 2020 session.\n\nIowa\n\nDes Moines: The Slaughterhouse has a new home downtown. The haunted attraction, which has become a staple in Iowa, has begun moving to the old Bank of America building. To break in the new digs, set to open fully next September, Slaughterhouse will host a Krampus Krawl. The event will begin Dec. 7 with an all-age photo op before the crawl to four Full Court Press establishments. Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure described as “half-goat, half-demon” in Austro-Bavarian Alpine folklore. During the Christmas season, Krampus punishes children who have misbehaved, as opposed to Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas, who rewards well-behaved children with gifts. Tickets are available online. General admission tickets include a Glow Stein for one free pour at each of the four Full Court Press stops.\n\nKansas\n\nWichita: The City Council has approved a public financing package worth about $35.5 million to subsidize the creation of a medical school. The Wichita Eagle reports the package approved Tuesday will help create a campus for training osteopathic physicians. Called the Kansas Health Science Center, the new school will be built in the former Finney State Office Building. Once the center of state government in Wichita, the building was abandoned in favor of leasing privately owned office space across the city. Plans also call for three other buildings to be transformed – one into student housing, another into a dining hall and culinary center, and the third into a boutique hotel. The bulk of the money for the development will come from tax abatements.\n\nKentucky\n\nFrankfort: A federal court is allowing a man to personalize a license plate with the phrase “IM GOD” after a three-year legal battle over the custom engraving. Court documents show Ben Hart, a self-identified atheist, set out to get the Kentucky plate in 2016. But Hart’s request was denied by the state transportation department on the basis it violated antidiscrimination guidelines. News outlets report similar plates had been approved before, including “TRYGOD” and “NOGOD.” Kentucky’s American Civil Liberties Union and the Freedom From Religion Foundation got involved to help Hart challenge the decision. In an opinion Wednesday by a U.S. District Court in Frankfort, the judge ruled that “vanity plates” are private speech protected by the First Amendment and that the state had violated Hart’s rights by denying him the plate.\n\nLouisiana\n\nBaton Rouge: A legislative auditor says 18 cities, towns and villages may be close to reaching bankruptcy or may have the inability to provide basic services to residents in the future based on the municipalities’ most recent financial information. The Monroe News Star reports Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera compiled a list of “fiscally distressed municipalities” and added it the auditor’s website. The municipalities range from small villages like Epps in northeastern Louisiana to larger towns like Winnsboro in central Louisiana. Purpera says the list is a way to alert the public and officials of the problems so they can be easily addressed. The list includes concerns for each municipality, including incomplete or inaccurate financial information, insufficient utility rates, debt and rural water infrastructure problems.\n\nMaine\n\nHarpswell: The town wants the Navy to protect the clam flats as part of its remediation plan for the former Brunswick Naval Air Station. The Harpswell Conservation Commission has argued the stormwater system that brings water from ponds at the former Navy base to Mare Brook and Harpswell Cove should be extended. The commission told the environmental coordinator for the closure process that the Navy has an obligation to investigate the impact of the stormwater system. The Times Record reports that an investigation of the pond system had found several heavy metals including lead, arsenic and cadmium that could potentially reach nearby clam flats. Paul Plummer, Harpswell’s harbormaster, says the Harpswell side of the Harpswell Cove alone holds $100,000 worth of shellfish.\n\nMaryland\n\nBaltimore: The city has reached 300 homicides in a year for the fifth year in a row. Detective Donny Moses told WBAL-AM the total reached 300 Thursday morning with the shooting deaths of a man and a woman. The Baltimore Sun reports the city is on track to see one of its most violent years on record. The city recorded 309 homicides last year and 342 the year before. Democratic Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young addressed the homicide rate at a news conference Wednesday. He said the city is working to reduce the crime rate, and leaders aren’t to blame. Young took over as mayor this spring after Democrat Catherine Pugh resigned amid investigations into her business dealings. He’s running for reelection in 2020 against a dozen challengers, some of whom criticized his comments Wednesday.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nSudbury: The Sky Bar, the multiflavored chocolate bar divided into four sections, is back on the market after a yearlong hiatus. The Boston Globe reports that production of the confection has resumed at a suburban gourmet shop less than a year after the owner bought rights to the brand in an online auction. The Sky Bar made its debut in 1938 but was discontinued last year when the New England Confectionery Co., also known as Necco, went out of business. Louise Mawhinney, owner of Duck Soup in Sudbury, bought the rights to the Sky Bar in January. The candy bar, divided into caramel, vanilla, peanut and fudge sections, is available in the store and online for $1.98. After the holidays, Mawhinney plans to get a wholesale license and ramp up operations.\n\nMichigan\n\nJackson: A museum at a former southern Michigan prison is closing at the end of December. Cell Block 7 in Jackson allows visitors to step into the cells and walk the corridors of what was once the largest walled institution in the world. The museum’s website invites people to “spend some time on the inside” during a self-guided tour. The museum opened five years ago under an agreement between the state of Michigan and the Ella Sharp Museum, also in Jackson. Ella Sharp director Diane Gutenkauf says the costs are too high. Gutenkauf says some artifacts from the prison museum will be available at the Sharp museum, including oral histories of people who worked there or were inmates. The last day at the prison museum will be Dec. 29.\n\nMinnesota\n\nSt. Paul: The battle over the name of a popular Minneapolis lake has landed before the Minnesota Supreme Court. Justices heard arguments Wednesday on whether the state Department of Natural Resources has the authority to change the name of Lake Calhoun to its original Dakota name, Bde Maka Ska. The state Court of Appeals ruled in April that the agency overstepped its authority in January 2018 when it changed the name. It said authority to change the name rested with the Legislature under statutes governing lake and other place names. KARE-TV reports Save Lake Calhoun attorney Erick Kaardal argued the legislature enacted a policy that says lake names that have been used more than 40 years cannot be changed without lawmakers granting additional authority. It could take the court months to make a decision.\n\nMississippi\n\nRolling Fork: The state is naming a stretch of land in the south Delta in honor of the two-term governor who is leaving office in January. Officials gathered Wednesday to dedicate the Phil Bryant Wildlife Management Area. The 18,000-acre site in Warren and Issaquena counties is made up of bayous, cypress sloughs and bottomland hardwoods. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Director Sam Polles says the area is divided into four tracts that will offer different types of hunting, including group hunts in a primitive setting. The department worked with the Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to buy the land in 2018 from Anderson-Tully Company. Republican Bryant said during the dedication ceremony that he looks forward to bringing his grandchildren hunting on the land.\n\nMissouri\n\nJackson: A rescued puppy is attracting a lot of attention because of his resemblance to a unicorn. The nearly 10-week-old puppy, named Narwhal, has a tail-like appendage growing from his forehead. Narwhal was rescued over the weekend and sent to Mac’s Mission in Jackson, which specializes in fostering animals with special needs. Mac’s Mission founder Rochelle Steffen says Narwhal doesn’t notice the extra tail and is otherwise a happy, healthy puppy. Although it looks like a tail, Narwhal cannot wag it. Steffen says the rescue group has been flooded with requests from people wanting to adopt Narwhal since his picture hit social media. But he’ll remain at Mac’s Mission so his caretakers can be sure the tail doesn’t grow out of proportion to his face and cause him problems.\n\nMontana\n\nButte: A fish hatchery will be locked at night and begin using security cameras after vandals mutilated several fish. The Montana Standard reports the perpetrators killed about 20 rainbow trout, broke windows and tossed items into water channels at the Ennis National Fish Hatchery. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the Oct. 27 vandalism at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service facility about 88 miles southeast of Butte. Sheriff Phil Fortner says a witness saw a yellow ATV near the hatchery, but no suspects have been identified. Hatchery Manager Ron Hopper says the fish were cut with garden hoes, ice choppers or other tools. Hopper says that for the previous 80 years, the hatchery was left unlocked for after-hours visitors.\n\nNebraska\n\nLincoln: The state Transportation Department is offering to produce and emplace roadside memorials as a way to keep highways free of roadside safety hazards. The new departmental policy announced Wednesday says each sign will display the name of the person being memorialized and include one of five safety messages: “Please Drive Safely,” “Seat Belts Save Lives,” “Don’t Drink and Drive,” “Don’t Text and Drive” or “Don’t Drive Impaired.” The sign will be placed as near to the accident site as possible. Family members who have placed private memorials alongside state highways are encouraged to contact their local department offices to discuss disposition of the memorials and get information on the state installing new signs. The department’s Jeni Campana says the state-produced signs would be of a familiar design and would pose less of a safety hazard than the irregular appearance of private memorials.\n\nNevada\n\nLas Vegas: Elon Musk’s Boring Co. will begin drilling an underground tunnel Friday for the Las Vegas Convention Center’s forthcoming people mover. To officially kick off the tunneling phase of the company’s first commercial project, the boring machine will be turned on 40 feet below ground. The $52.5 million underground people mover will allow convention attendees to travel the expanse of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s 200-acre campus in approximately one minute, according to officials. The transportation system will include three passenger stations that connect the convention center’s 3.2 million-square-foot space with the 1.4 million-square-foot West hall that is now under construction. Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority officials say plans call for the expansion project to be completed by January 2021.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nDurham: After facing criticism over its prior annual holiday celebrations, the town is making some tweaks, planning a “Frost Fest” without a tree-lighting ceremony or grand entrance from Santa. WMUR-TV reports in past years Durham’s held a tree-lighting ceremony. But after some concerns that the event was too focused on Christmas, a working group was formed to make changes, such as not hanging wreaths on light posts. The Frost Fest is billed as a “winter celebration” with a bonfire, cookie decorating, ice sculpting, crafts and activities. Last year, town officials were under fire for denying a menorah to be displayed next to the tree decorated annually at a local park. The officials cited vandalism concerns.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nToms River: The state has drumsticked up a plan to deal with flocks of wild turkeys that are ruffling some feathers in a Jersey Shore neighborhood. And it doesn’t involve them winding up on dinner plates in two weeks. The state Department of Environmental Protection will trap scores of turkeys that have descended on a retirement community in Toms River and relocate them. The move comes as some residents say large flocks of turkeys have invaded the area, pecking at cars – and at some people who venture too close. Others say they give the birds a wide berth and haven’t experienced any problems. Toms River residents who have run a-fowl of the birds include former New York Yankees and Mets baseball player Todd Frazier, whose SUV was covered by turkeys recently.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nSanta Fe: Federal and state officials have reached an agreement they say will strengthen their relationship as they work to improve forest conditions in the state. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and U.S. Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen signed the so-called shared stewardship agreement during a gathering Thursday in Santa Fe. The agreement has been a work in progress over years and will address issues such as wildfires, drought and invasive species. Officials say the challenges faced by land managers transcend boundaries and affect people beyond the jurisdiction of any single organization, so they have to find new ways of working together and doing business at a greater pace and scale. Under the agreement, the state and national forests plan to evaluate opportunities, threats and alternatives for risk management.\n\nNew York\n\nNew York: Until recently, New York City police secretly kept fingerprints of children arrested as juveniles on file permanently in a department database. It’s an illegal practice that raised alarms about the lengths the nation’s largest police force has taken to keep tabs on the city’s youth. The Legal Aid Society uncovered the years­long practice. The public defender organization pressured the police department to acknowledge it and threatened legal action to make it stop, citing a state law barring local police from stockpiling juveniles’ fingerprints. Now, after years of wrangling and resistance, the NYPD said Wednesday that it has purged all juvenile fingerprints records from the database and will no longer keep them indefinitely. The Legal Aid Society said the database contained the fingerprints of tens of thousands of New York City youths.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nDurham: An opossum has illegally taken up residence in the ceiling of a Duke University dorm, where students have been complaining about being bitten by fleas. The school’s assistant vice president of student affairs, Joe Gonzalez, told reporters Wednesday that the school has yet to catch the elusive opossum about which students first complained in October. He says the creature has escaped custody partly because it appears to be splitting its time between the Few Quad dorm and somewhere else. Reports of fleas also began to surface last month, prompting the school to put students up in another dorm while they fumigated the place. Gonzalez says the opossum may have brought the fleas, but that’s unconfirmed. Irritated students are questioning why they’re dealing with such conditions at a $78,608-per-year school.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nBismarck: State officials have given an estimate on how much oil was spilled from a pipeline leak in Williams County last month. The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality says an estimated 12,432 gallons of oil leaked from a pipeline operated by Hiland Crude about a mile northeast of McGregor on Oct. 17. The department says the oil leaked onto cropland. Department staff have inspected the site and say they will continue to monitor remediation.\n\nOhio\n\nDayton: A traveling exhibit celebrating the service and heroism of military working dogs and the sacrifices they make during battle is being displayed at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The exhibit titled “Canine Warriors – Courage and Sacrifice, Always Beside You” features wooden sculptures of eight Wounded Warrior Dogs and four Canine War Dogs and is now on display at the museum in Dayton. Ohio craftsman James Mellick designed the exhibit to be symbolic of the wounds suffered by military dogs in battle and to raise awareness of their needs. The exhibit also features art depicting working military dogs from the Air Force Art Program. It will remain at the museum through Jan. 31.\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: District attorneys are raising concerns about a proposed new ballot measure aimed at further reducing the state’s prison population. In a statement late Tuesday, Oklahoma District Attorneys Association President Jason Hicks says one problem is that crimes like child trafficking, aggravated assault and battery, and domestic abuse aren’t technically violent crimes under state law. The proposed state question filed Tuesday would prohibit prosecutors from using previous nonviolent felony convictions to enhance prison sentences. Hicks says state prosecutors are still examining the proposal, but there are already elements that would be “detrimental, if not catastrophic, for public safety.” District Attorney Angela Marsee says ignoring past convictions of repeat offenders is “detrimental to our mission.”\n\nOregon\n\nMedford: Traditional Christmas feasts featuring Dungeness crab may not be in the cards this year, as officials have delayed the commercial crabbing season due to the small size of the crustaceans. The Mail Tribune reports the season had been set to start Dec. 1 for Oregon’s most lucrative commercial fishery, but now crabbing has been postponed until at least Dec. 16. It’s the sixth straight year the season has been delayed to allow the crabs a chance to fatten up to meet industry standards. Dungeness crabs off the coasts of Washington and California also have low meat levels in their shells, prompting similar delays in those states. Tests planned for late November or early December will determine whether commercial crabbers can start plying the Pacific beginning Dec. 16.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nHarrisburg: The FBI has begun a corruption investigation into how Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration came to issue permits for construction on a multibillion-dollar pipeline project to carry highly volatile natural gas liquids across the state. FBI agents have interviewed current or former state employees in recent weeks about the Mariner East project and the construction permits, according to three people who have direct knowledge of the agents’ line of questioning. All three spoke on condition of anonymity. The focus of the agents’ questions involves the permitting of the pipeline, whether Wolf and his administration forced environmental protection staff to approve construction permits, and whether Wolf or his administration received anything in return, those people say.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: A federal judge has sided with the cities of Providence and Central Falls after they challenged the conditions of U.S. Department of Justice public safety grants they said in a lawsuit would turn local police into federal immigration agents. District Court Judge John McConnell Jr. said in a ruling Thursday that “Congress has not granted the power to impose the conditions the DOJ imposed.” The federal government, among other things, wanted cities receiving public safety grants to notify federal agents when immigrants in the country illegally are about to be released. Attorneys for the cities said in a statement that they are pleased the court “found DOJ’s attempts requiring our police departments to be agents of a federal immigration system to be unlawful.”\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nClemson: Bars throughout downtown in this college town are now signed on to the Angel Shot program, offering patrons a way to request help when they don’t feel safe. The simple order – “one Angel Shot, please” – is meant to be a simple solution to combat sexual violence and assault in the university’s entertainment district. An “Angel Shot” is not an actual drink. It is a code word that signals to a bartender or barback that a customer feels unsafe, typically from a potential perpetrator of sexual violence. From there, the bar’s staff will find that customer safe passage out of the bar and home. The Angel Shot program was implemented in every bar downtown this fall semester by Clemson University Student Government, which partnered with Pickens County Advocacy Center, Clemson City Police Department and Clemson’s Healthy Campus for the initiative.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nSioux Falls: A man sentenced to 90 years in prison for killing his stepfather has petitioned the court in Minnehaha County to change his name because he wants a fresh start. Thirty-five-year-old Daniel Charles was 14 when he was sent to prison in 2000 for first-degree murder in Meade County. He was accused of putting a rifle to his stepfather’s head and pulling the trigger at a ranch near Opal. He told law enforcement at the time that he didn’t know the gun was loaded. Charles’ petition says he wants to change his name to Rameus Tiberius Aryada to start a new life with an adult identity. The South Dakota Department of Corrections lists Charles’ earliest parole eligibility as March 2045.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: The Tennessee State Museum is collecting stories of cultural identity, immigration and migration from the public. The project called Your Story, Our Story uses everyday objects as an entry point for these personal stories. Members of the public can add their own stories and read the stories of others on the Tennessee State Museum’s website. Because the museum is currently showcasing an exhibit on Tennessee food, it is especially encouraging visitors to add images and stories of recipes, cookware, dinnerware and ingredients that carry meaning in their families. Your Story, Our Story is an initiative of the Tenement Museum in New York City and partners across the U.S. that include museums, colleges, schools, libraries and community groups.\n\nTexas\n\nRobstown: With help from Nueces County Public Libraries, county Judge Barbara Canales led local students on a “bear hunt” at Oscar O. Ortiz Park on Wednesday evening. Despite the biting cold, Canales gamely led the students down a path to read from “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” by Michael Rosen. The county unveiled StoryWalk, a new feature at the park in which pages of picture books are displayed in wooden stands along paths so residents can read while they walk. It’s an effort to promote literacy and physical activity, and the county plans to implement StoryWalk at more parks. Canales and the kids read aloud together as the characters braved tall grass, a deep river, a forest and mud along their search for a bear. Canales called out to the students to stomp in big strides, run and tip-toe like the characters to bring the story to life.\n\nUtah\n\nSalt Lake City: Former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. on Thursday announced his 2020 candidacy for the Republican nomination for the office that he held from 2005 to 2009 before leaving to serve as a U.S. ambassador. Huntsman announced his candidacy in a statement before a scheduled kickoff swing Thursday and Friday to Cedar City and St. George in southern Utah. Incumbent Republican Gov. Gary Herbert is not running for reelection, and Huntsman has said he was considering a run for governor. Huntsman served as U.S. ambassador to China in the Obama administration and as U.S. ambassador to Russia in the Trump administration. Other Republicans in the 2020 race include Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, Utah County businessman Jeff Burningham and Salt Lake County Councilwoman Aimee Winder Newton.\n\nVermont\n\nMontpelier: Five groups are sharing more than $1 million to use phosphorus recovery technologies as the state works to reduce algae-causing phosphorus runoff into Lake Champlain and other waterways. It’s part of the Vermont Phosphorus Innovation Challenge announced last year to generate creative solutions to the phosphorus pollution in the state. Officials estimate about 38% of the phosphorus load in the lake comes from agricultural land. Gov. Phil Scott said Thursday that the state received 21 applicants for the funds. The finalists include Agrilab Technologies of Enosburg Falls. The governor’s office says the group will use existing phosphorus recovery technologies, composting and drying equipment to create a series of sites for phosphorus processing in Franklin, Addison, Lamoille and Caledonia counties.\n\nVirginia\n\nRichmond: A task force has been created to come up with ways to help mitigate and prevent evictions in the city. The group will include affordable housing and social justice advocates, youth and family homelessness specialists, public housing residents and property management professionals. Mayor Levar Stoney said in a news release that the group will work with the city’s Eviction Diversion Program, which began last month to provide rental assistance, free legal help, financial counseling and supportive service referrals to residents who are facing eviction. Stoney said the task force will explore steps the city can take to better understand the root causes of evictions. A research group at Princeton University found that Richmond and four other Virginia cities have some of the highest eviction rates in the country.\n\nWashington\n\nSeattle: A weeklong hearing will help determine whether a small American Indian tribe from the northwest corner of Washington state can once again hunt whales. The Makah Tribe conducted its last legal hunt in 1999, when its crew harpooned a gray whale from a cedar canoe. A U.S. appeals court later revoked permission for the hunts, saying the tribe needed to obtain a waiver under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The tribe has been trying to obtain the waiver since 2005, a process that has been repeatedly stalled by scientific reviews. The hearing beginning Thursday will focus on whether the tribe meets the requirements for the waiver. Animal rights groups oppose the effort. Whatever the outcome, the matter is likely to end up in federal court.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nCharleston: The West Virginia Board of Education will give the public 60 days to comment on a proposal on charter schools, double the normal allotted time. The board put the policy proposal up for comment Thursday. Legislation signed by Gov. Jim Justice authorizes a staggered implementation of public charter schools, limiting the state to three charters until 2023, then three more every three years after that. The legislation was part of a broader education bill that included teacher pay raises. The West Virginia Education Association and the West Virginia chapter of the American Federation of Teachers have lambasted the bill, saying it shut out teachers’ voices and violates the state Constitution.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: Gov. Tony Evers is asking the Republican leaders of the Legislature’s budget committee to release $3.7 million a year in funding to pay for programs designed to help homeless people. Evers sent a letter Thursday to the committee cochairs, urging them to make available the funding that has been pending for four months. Evers is seeking action now before winter sets in. He says with cold temperatures and snow across the state already, “my concern has only grown.” The funding would go toward such things as grants to help low-income people with housing costs, help fund emergency shelters and pay for support to help homeless people get into permanent housing. The Assembly passed bills to approve the funding, but they’ve stalled in the Senate.\n\nWyoming\n\nYellowstone National Park: The National Park Service says snowy weather last month likely cut down on visitors to Yellowstone during October. The agency recorded just over 170,000 visitors during the month, a 22% decrease from October 2018. So far in 2019, the park has hosted over 3.9 million visitors, which is down 2.5% from the same period last year. Yellowstone is entering its winter season, when visits to the park are typically the lowest of the year.\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/11/15"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2021/02/26/robocop-jimmy-carter-amtrak-news-around-states/115507776/", "title": "RoboCop, Jimmy Carter: News from around our 50 states", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nHomewood: State regulators have suspended the alcohol license of a Birmingham-area bar over alleged violations of the state’s pandemic health order in what an official described as the first such case under COVID-19 rules. Regulators accused Grocery Brewpub in Homewood of violating rules about face mask requirements, occupancy limits and social distancing, Alabama ABC spokesman Dean Argo told WBMA-TV. The emergency suspension issued Tuesday was Alabama’s first license suspension linked to pandemic health rules, he said. Photos shared recently on social media showed people packed into the nightspot with few face masks visible. Bar owner Rayford Cook told the station the business was cited for violating Alabama’s mask ordinance, which requires facial coverings in public. “I look forward to our upcoming hearing regarding this matter and addressing it so we can provide a safe environment for patrons to enjoy in the future,” Cook said in a statement. A hearing is expected in April, but the business cannot serve alcohol until then. An order that has been in place since July requires face masks in public when within 6 feet of someone from another household.\n\nAlaska\n\nAnchorage: The city’s health department has arranged mobile clinics to provide COVID-19 vaccinations specifically targeting members of Alaska’s community of Pacific Islanders. The clinics Tuesday and Thursday were the first targeting a specific community since the pandemic began, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The focused clinic strategy was used by the department during past illness outbreaks. There were about 160 appointments available for the two clinics, officials said. “In order to make sure some of these other groups get access, we basically created some private clinics,” said Christy Lawton, Anchorage’s public health division manager. “We’ll still serve people who are eligible, but we’re not getting the message out the same way.” The clinics were advertised via word of mouth among Pacific Islanders rather than the usual appointment sites accessible to the public, officials said. “The minute any appointments go on those, they go like hotcakes. People with time to sit at a computer and refresh to get them,” Lawton said. The targeted clinics were possible because Anchorage health officials had discretion in the use of monthly vaccine supplies from the state, allowing the city to do “pocket allocations.”\n\nArizona\n\nPhoenix: With COVID-19 cases dipping and teachers getting vaccinated, some school districts are looking to return to in-person learning as early as next month. The Osborn School District in Phoenix, which has been doing virtual learning full time since the start of the school year, will welcome students back into classrooms March 30. A survey conducted by the district found 90% of staff have already been vaccinated. Ylenia Aguilar, president of the district’s governing board, said officials expect that number to be closer to 95% in March. She knows the district has been very lucky. “We’ve been able to work and partner up and had access to multiple vaccination opportunities, which we know is not the case for other school districts in other areas, specifically rural areas,” Aguilar said. “We are ready to open.” The state Department of Education’s top official promised to help districts across the state safely transition back to in-person learning. But that would likely not look the same as before. The state wants to make sure mitigation measures such as plexiglass between desks and up-to-date ventilation systems are in place, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman said.\n\nArkansas\n\nLittle Rock: The number of people hospitalized because of the coronavirus dropped Wednesday to its lowest point since the fall as the state added 803 new virus cases. The Department of Health said the state’s COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped by 49 to 496, the fewest since Oct. 3. The state’s coronavirus cases now total 317,396 since the pandemic began. The state’s COVID-19 deaths increased by 10 to 5,387. Over the past two weeks, the rolling average number of daily new cases in Arkansas has decreased by nearly 72%, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University researchers. Arkansas received 22,500 more doses of the vaccine since Tuesday. The department said 553,004 of the 887,090 vaccine doses allocated to the state so far had been given. Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday announced the state was lowering the eligibility age for the vaccine from 70 to 65. “As anticipated, we are receiving additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine,” he said in a statement released by his office. “By expanding the eligibility of those who can get the vaccine to 65 and older, we will continue to administer these shots as quickly and efficiently as possible.”\n\nCalifornia\n\nLos Angeles: Los Angeles County on Wednesday reported another 806 deaths from COVID-19 during the winter surge, pushing California’s toll above 50,000, or about one-tenth of the U.S. total from the pandemic. The county, which has a quarter of the state’s 40 million residents, said the deaths mainly occurred between Dec. 3 and Feb. 3. The Department of Public Health identified them after going through death records that were backlogged by the sheer volume of the surge’s toll. “It is heartbreaking to report on this large number of additional deaths associated with COVID-19 and a devastating reminder of the terrible toll the winter surge has taken on so many families across the county,” Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County’s health director, said in a statement. Johns Hopkins University put California’s overall COVID-19 death toll at 50,890. The grim figure comes days after the U.S. recorded a half-million deaths. While the nation’s most populous state has the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S., it is ranked 25th in the number of cases per capita because of its large population. It took 10 months for the state to hit 25,000 deaths on New Year’s Eve and less than two months for that number to double.\n\nColorado\n\nDenver: State officials have said additional front-line workers and people with multiple chronic health conditions could become eligible for COVID-19 vaccines starting late next week. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment confirmed the state is expecting to move into the next phase of its vaccination plan on or around March 5 but did not provide details on when everyone in the phase would be eligible, The Denver Post reports. The new phase will encompass front-line workers across multiple industries, including the U.S. Postal Service, grocery stores, public transportation, faith communities and journalists. It would also expand to people with two or more high-risk health conditions, including cancer, diabetes, Down syndrome, obesity and pregnancy. People with only one high-risk health condition would be eligible under an upcoming vaccination phase expected in spring, along with people between 60 and 64. Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said the new phase will start when about half of eligible people in the previous phase have received the vaccine. The state is currently offering doses to first responders, residents 65 and older, residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, and people in health care or education.\n\nConnecticut\n\nHartford: Thousands of new residents have come to the state during the pandemic as workers in New York, Boston and elsewhere look to relocate as they work from home, economic development officials said. More than 16,500 new residents moved into the state in 2020. That compares to a loss of 7,520 residents from Connecticut in 2019, the state Department of Economic and Community Development announced. “People are rediscovering the Connecticut lifestyle a little bit and knowing what it means to have a little bit of extra space, maybe a little bit of a backyard,” Gov. Ned Lamont said. “If you think this may not be the last time we ever have to quarantine, Connecticut’s not a bad place to be.” Carol Christiansen, the president of the Connecticut Association of Realtors, said home prices have risen by about 20% over the past year, with fewer houses on the market than people looking to buy. The median sale price for a single-family home in the state in 2020 was an all-time high of $300,000, a 15.4% increase from 2019, according to a report this month from The Warren Group, which tracks real estate data across the country. Glendowlyn Thames, the deputy commissioner of the DECD, said the state also saw a 9% increase in new business startups last year.\n\nDelaware\n\nNewark: Two weeks into the spring semester, the University of Delaware is facing a spike in coronavirus cases. The uptick has caused the university to issue new restrictions on dining and building occupancy. As of Wednesday, the university reported 154 cases among students and faculty this week. UD has increased its number of students and faculty on campus compared to the fall semester. In-person course offerings have nearly doubled from 9% of undergraduate classes to 17%. This week’s daily COVID-19 health screenings put UD’s daily on-campus population just shy of 6,000, about double the number of people who were typically present in the fall. Contact tracing connected the spread to the increased number of students in dining halls, said Andrea Boyle Tippett, spokesperson for the university. “With the start of the spring semester, many students understandably want to socialize and connect with friends,” Dennis Assanis, university president, said in a letter to students and faculty. “Unfortunately, such increased levels of social activity and contact promote transmission of the virus.” To slow the spread, campus dining hall meals will be grab-and-go only. Students may not gather to share meals indoors on campus, including in residence hall common spaces.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: Frustration is mounting among many residents eager to get vaccinated after D.C.’s online appointment system had a dismal start on the first day eligibility was expanded to a new group, WUSA-TV reports. The city initially said in a tweet that a high volume of traffic could cause delays. But it also became evident from the flurry of residents commenting on social media that the vaccine portal somehow didn’t update to accept eligible residents under the new phase. Residents had to be 65 or older, have a qualifying medical condition or be part of an eligible workforce. The city listed 20 eligible conditions, including cancer, HIV, asthma, hypertension, pregnancy and obesity. Sianna Boschetti said she kept refreshing the website and filled out the questionnaire, only to receive a message at the end that she wasn’t qualified for the vaccine. “I was very bummed, and I was very surprised,” Boschetti said. “After all of the buildup to this, they made this little mistake – they forgot to update the website or didn’t prepare for the volume of people.” Another resident said he tried calling the health department but couldn’t get through. DC Health acknowledged the problems and said it was working with Microsoft to understand why heavy traffic blocked some eligible individuals from getting through.\n\nFlorida\n\nFort Lauderdale: The state will open vaccine sites in six underserved minority communities, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday, responding to criticism that such neighborhoods had been previously skipped. DeSantis also said he expects Florida will be able to expand eligibility in March and is optimistic that by sometime in April, inoculations will be widely available as vaccine supply increases. “We are going to lower the age as soon as the seniors are taken care of,” DeSantis said during a news conference at Edward Waters College, a historically black school in Jacksonville. It will have a vaccination site along with Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Broward College, and community centers in Miami-Dade and Osceola counties. DeSantis said the sites will be modeled after one opened recently in the Palm Beach County town of Pahokee. The governor received criticism earlier this month after he announced that the Publix supermarket chain would be that county’s sole distributor of the vaccine. That left the predominately black farming communities of Pahokee, Belle Glade and South Bay near Lake Okeechobee isolated, as they are at least 25 miles from the nearest Publix. Those areas “don’t have the retail pharmacy, they don’t have the health care infrastructure, so we brought it,” DeSantis said.\n\nGeorgia\n\nPlains: Now that former President Jimmy Carter and his wife are vaccinated against COVID-19, they have returned to one of their favorite things: church. Maranatha Baptist Church announced on its Facebook page Wednesday that Carter, 96, and Rosalynn Carter, 93, were again attending worship in person. The couple has been in the sanctuary the past two Sundays, Pastor Tony Lowden said in a video. Jimmy Carter hasn’t resumed teaching his Sunday school class, which once drew thousands of visitors annually. But video from last Sunday’s service showed both of the Carters sitting in their customary spots on the front pew and wearing face masks. The former president waved as members applauded their presence. “They’ve both had their shots,” Lowden said from the pulpit. In a reminder to keep a safe distance from the couple, Lowden said if someone gets tackled by him, another man or Secret Service agents, “it’s because we’re still practicing social distancing.” With the Carters once again in church, Maranatha Baptist posted rules that also include mandatory face masks and temperature checks, limited building capacity, reservations, and no photographs. Before the pandemic, visitors usually gathered around the couple for pictures at the end of worship.\n\nHawaii\n\nWailuku: Some Maui businesses face tough calls about who should be exempt from universal mask rules as the county pushes for greater compliance. Privacy laws prevent businesses from asking customers for proof of underlying health issues that exempt them from wearing masks in public, The Maui News reports. Business operators worry some shoppers may be abusing exemption rules by claiming to have medical conditions only to enter without masks. Requiring customers with medical or disability exemptions to continue wearing face shields complies with Maui County protocols and the state’s emergency proclamation regarding the virus, county spokesperson Brian Perry said. Businesses also have the authority to refuse entry or service, unless an exception such as a medical condition applies, Perry said. “The proclamation also addresses the use of face shields as a substitute for face masks, but only if there’s an applicable exception to the face covering requirement,” Perry said. The proclamation remains unclear about allowing exempt customers without face coverings to enter businesses, even with health screenings. Businesses who violate the mask mandate may be subject to enforcement, fines or mandatory closure, Perry said.\n\nIdaho\n\nBoise: Two lawmakers have dropped their lawsuit against the Republican-led Legislature and leadership that alleged lax coronavirus protocols at the Statehouse. Democratic state Reps. Sue Chew of Boise and Muffy Davis of Sun Valley notified the federal court Wednesday that they were dismissing the lawsuit. The court filing didn’t reveal why they dropped the case. Both lawmakers have health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe complications from COVID-19: Chew is diabetic and has hypertension, and Davis is a paraplegic with reduced lung function. There have been documented cases of the virus among Capitol staffers and lawmakers, but legislative leaders in conservative Idaho have declined to require masks, and lawmakers aren’t allowed to attend and vote on legislation remotely. A separate lawsuit brought by several disability rights organizations against the Legislature, House Speaker Scott Bedke and Senate Pro Tempore Chuck Winder over a lack of coronavirus restrictions is still moving forward in federal court. That case contends officials have failed to make reasonable accommodations to ensure that people with conditions that put them at greater risk from COVID-19 can still participate in the legislative process.\n\nIllinois\n\nSpringfield: The state expanded its COVID-19 vaccination eligibility Thursday to include people younger than 65 with conditions that would put them at higher risk of COVID-19 and those with disabilities. The move came one day after the state set a new record for COVID-19 vaccinations. Joining the group of residents within Phase 1B of Illinois’ vaccination plan are those with conditions such as obesity, diabetes, pulmonary disease, smoking, heart conditions, chronic kidney disease, cancer, solid organ transplants, sickle cell disease and those who are pregnant. People with disabilities under the age of 65 are also included and are specified by the Illinois Department of Public Health as “physical disability, developmental disability, visual disability, hearing disability, or mental disability.” In a statement, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he was excited to expand the categories, coming as supply is likely to rise due to the eventual approval of Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot vaccine. The state administered 130,021 vaccinations Wednesday, setting a record for overall doses given in a day. The state also set records for first and second does of the vaccines. The new record helped push the seven-day average to 66,274 doses.\n\nIndiana\n\nIndianapolis: A day after the state expanded vaccine to all Hoosiers 60 and older, health officials doubled down on eligibility restrictions and announced new guidelines for clinics administering shots. Without enough vaccine for all Hoosiers, state health commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said Wednesday that officials are stressing adherence to a vaccine rollout plan that bases shot eligibility on age, rather than moving up teachers and other essential workers as other states have done. Several clinics that have “ignored” those guidelines will not receive any more first-dose vaccines, Box said. She said state health officials are reaching out to other clinics that have deviated from the eligibility guidelines “to find out why and to reeducate them about the importance of following the state’s priority list” when scheduling appointments and adding names to waitlists. “We are not trying to be the vaccine police; that is the last thing we want to be,” Box said. The state health department’s chief medical officer, Dr. Lindsay Weaver, said clinics have also been instructed to stop administering first doses to people who live in other states to ensure “that every dose received in Indiana goes to Hoosiers.” About 19,000 health care workers and first responders who work in Indiana but live in other states were inoculated, Weaver said.\n\nIowa\n\nDes Moines: Gov. Kim Reynolds said Thursday that essential workers and some individuals with disabilities likely will become eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations in early March. According to projections she shared at a news conference, 70% of people within those populations are expected to receive at least one dose of the vaccine by the start of April. When the state reaches that 70% milestone within a population group, Reynolds said, it will begin vaccinating the next group of Iowans. Reynolds said that by next week, the state is projecting 70% of “tier one” populations – which include first responders, public school teachers and staff, and other child care staff – will have received at least one dose. She said 70% of Iowans 65 and older are expected to receive the first dose of the vaccine by mid-March. That allows the state to begin opening up vaccinations to other populations, including essential workers in food processing, agricultural production, distribution and manufacturing. People with disabilities living in home settings who are dependent on care staff will also become eligible, along with their care staff. A new website – www.vaccinate.iowa.gov – will be available Friday to help Iowans find access to the vaccine, Reynolds said. It will include a vaccine locator and answers to frequently asked questions.\n\nKansas\n\nTopeka: Lawmakers moved ahead Wednesday with a measure designed to help courts and prosecutors deal with a backlog of criminal cases caused by the coronavirus pandemic and a proposal to limit state and local officials’ power in setting restrictions in future pandemics. The House gave first-round approval to a bill that would suspend until May 2024 a Kansas law that sets deadlines for criminal trials to protect defendants’ constitutional right to a speedy resolution of their cases. Those deadlines have been suspended during the pandemic, but prosecutors fear that once Kansas ends its state of emergency for COVID-19, they won’t be able to get all the cases to court in time to avoid having them dismissed. Wednesday’s debate showed that some lawmakers are nervous about a three-year suspension. “Delaying it to 2024 is just asking for people drag their feet,” said Rep. Barbara Wasinger, R-Hays. “I say we do one year at a time.” Kansas’ speedy trial law generally requires defendants to be brought to trial within six months of entering a plea, or the case against them is dismissed. But courts have postponed trials throughout the pandemic, and House Judiciary Committee Chair Fred Patton, R-Topeka, said there’s now a backlog of about 5,000 cases.\n\nKentucky\n\nFrankfort: The Democratic governor on Wednesday urged state lawmakers to move past an impeachment effort that targeted him for his actions to combat the spread of COVID-19, saying it’s time to renew respect for “the role of government and how it works.” Gov. Andy Beshear said a legislative panel made the “right choice” Tuesday night when it recommended that no action be taken on a remaining petition calling for his removal from office. From the outset, the governor denounced that petition and others as meritless. “Now I hope that in Frankfort we can all be adults in the room and move forward and leave it behind,” Beshear told reporters Wednesday. The panel’s recommendation that no further action be taken on petitions against Beshear and Attorney General Daniel Cameron will be submitted to the Republican-dominated House. The petitions took aim at Beshear for his coronavirus-related restrictions and Cameron for his handling of the Breonna Taylor death investigation. Beshear has said his virus-related orders have saved lives, and he portrayed the petitioners seeking his ouster as anti-government extremists. Kentucky’s Supreme Court ruled last year that the governor had the authority to put restrictions on businesses and individuals to try to contain the coronavirus.\n\nLouisiana\n\nShreveport: The Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana is a part of a fight against hunger that’s only gotten more difficult with the COVID-19 pandemic. The food bank collects, sorts and stores food before distributing it to its more than 150 nonprofit partner agencies, which include organizations, shelters and churches. Between March and December 2020, more than 14,234,668 pounds of food were distributed to residents in need across Caddo, Bossier, Webster, Claiborne, Bienville, Red River and DeSoto parishes. It was a 42% increase from the year before, which officials credited to the hardships of the pandemic. “Since COVID, so many people have lost jobs that we saw a huge uptick in the need for food and service. Most of our growth has come because of the pandemic,” said Martha Marak, executive director of the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana. Feeding America projects that 1 in 6 people could experience food insecurity because of the pandemic, and people of color are even more likely to face hunger. The higher demand on food banks was noticed by a collective of donors who then collaborated to help carry the load.\n\nMaine\n\nPortland: The director of the Maine Center for Disease Control said the incoming supply of vaccine is stable and growing, and the number of COVID-19 deaths in the state topped 700 on Thursday. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services expects to receive an 8.4% increase in COVID-19 vaccine doses for a total of 30,080 next week, officials said. On top of that, 8,980 doses are being shipped from the federal government directly to pharmacies across the state. And additional doses of a new vaccine, from Johnson & Johnson, could come next week if it receives emergency approval, Dr. Nirav Shah, Maine CDC director, told reporters. “For the first time, we have stability in what our projections look like not just for the next few days but the next few weeks,” he said. Shah spoke on the same day the Maine CDC reported an additional 24 deaths, a day after 17 deaths were reported. Those deaths, 41 over two days, brought the total number of deaths to 701. The two-day figures reflect some of the highest death tolls in weeks and stand in contrast to an overall downward trend in deaths and hospitalizations since the start of the year. “We’re not out of it,” Shah said. Even though there are many positive trends, people need to remain vigilant, he said.\n\nMaryland\n\nNewark: Worcester County Public Schools will transition all hybrid students to in-person learning beginning March8. “Our staff has worked extremely hard both at the central office level and school level to make this possible,” Superintendent Lou Taylor said. “I want to assure you that we are going to do this as safely as possible, meaning safety will be our No. 1 priority.” Worcester County has been in Stage 3 of its return plan, which had many students in an A-Week/B-Week rotation. The district started to return students from virtual learning in January. Taylor said students will still need to wear masks, social distance and remain at home if ill. He said the biggest issue for WCPS will be bus transportation. Social distancing will not be possible on many buses, according to Taylor, who urged students to use other methods of transportation to the school building. “We will have kids sitting with others who do not necessarily live in the same household,” he said. “But I assure you our bus drivers and transportation personnel will make sure that those buses are clean, disinfected, and all students and adults will be wearing masks every time we enter those school buses.”\n\nMassachusetts\n\nWorcester: Nurses at St. Vincent Hospital have given notice that they plan to strike early next month unless management agrees to boost staffing to better protect patients during the coronavirus pandemic and after it ends, according to the nurses’ union. About 800 nurses at the Worcester facility plan to start the strike at 6 a.m. March 8, according to a statement Tuesday night from the Massachusetts Nurses Association. The nurses are in contract negotiations with Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, which owns the hospital. Tenet and St. Vincent management “refuse to heed nurses’ call to increase staffing levels to better protect their patients during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and beyond,” the union said in a statement. “We really feel that staffing is the most important issue, and we’ve heard nothing about it from (management) except that staffing is fine. We work at the bedside. It’s not fine,” said Dominique Muldoon, a St. Vincent nurse who has been at the forefront of negotiations. St. Vincent maintains that staffing levels are appropriate and called its most recent contract proposal Jan. 28 its “last, best, and final” offer. The latest contract proposal also includes wage increases between 5% and 22% by the end of 2022 and enhanced benefits for part-time nurses.\n\nMichigan\n\nDetroit: One of the pandemic’s latest casualties: a statue of RoboCop. A year ago, the plan for the eagerly awaited RoboCop statue outside the Michigan Science Center seemed clear. Now the final destination for the monument to pop culture is up in the air again. The Michigan Science Center will no longer be the permanent home for the grassroots-driven work of art, as first reported by the Metro Times. In a statement, the museum expressed gratitude for being part of the RoboCop statue’s journey since 2018, when it was announced that the 11-foot-tall bronze sculpture would be installed on its grounds. The statement said that “given the pandemic’s unprecedented pressures, MiSci’s resources must now be entirely focused on our core mission of serving Michigan’s students and families.” The effort began in 2011 with an offbeat idea that launched a successful crowdfunding campaign led by a community arts group, Imagination Station. Brandon Walley, a Detroit filmmaker and key part of Imagination Station’s quest to make the RoboCop dream a reality, said the statue is essentially done. “It’s all assembled and put together,” he said, with application of the final patina underway. “He will need a home, and we’re exploring possibilities. ... We’re still going through a pandemic, so we’re just happy to have it completed.”\n\nMinnesota\n\nMinneapolis: Public health officials are asking families to get tested for the coronavirus every two weeks from now until the end of the school year. A state Department of Health campaign announced Wednesday is reaching out to families, health professionals, schools and youth organizations to help encourage regular testing. “Over the past few months, the number of students attending in-person classes has significantly increased, with thousands more expected to return to the classroom in coming weeks,” Health Department Assistant Commissioner Dan Huff said, adding that many people will be resuming sports and other activities. “To protect this progress, we need to use all the tools at our disposal.” Of Minnesota’s 480,845 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 80,417 have been in those under the age of 20, or about 17% of all cases. The state is also beefing up vaccination plans for older residents. At least 70% of Minnesotans age 65 and older will get at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine before the state moves on to the next phase, according to Gov. Tim Walz. He said Thursday that the next tier will expand eligibility based on underlying health conditions and workplace exposure risk. Based on current projections, people in the next phase will begin getting inoculated in April, Walz said.\n\nMississippi\n\nJackson: The state health department reported 920 new coronavirus cases and eight COVID-19-related deaths Thursday. Since the virus hit the state in March, a total of 292,811 cases and 6,613 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported. There are currently 81 outbreaks at Mississippi nursing homes. Long-term care facilities have recorded 10,378 cases of the coronavirus and 1,945 related deaths as of Thursday. Residents between the ages of 25 and 39 represent the largest portion of the infected population across the state, with 64,245 cases reported as of Tuesday, the latest figure available. Among patients under 18, children between ages of 11 and 17 have the highest infection rate, with 22,334 cases identified. The 65-and-older age group has the highest total number of deaths with 5,066 reported. According to health department data, 358,246 people have begun the vaccination process in Mississippi as of Wednesday. About 167,077 people have been fully immunized against COVID-19 since the shots began in December.\n\nMissouri\n\nColumbia: The four-campus University of Missouri system won’t require incoming students to take admission exams again this fall because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The MU Faculty Council voted to extend the pilot test-optional admissions policy for an additional year, the Columbia Daily Tribune reports. Because it’s a pilot program and temporary, it doesn’t require further approval by the UM System Board of Curators, spokesman Christian Basi wrote in an email. “We know there are still a lot of students who won’t have the opportunity to test,” said Kim Humphrey, MU vice provost for enrollment management. Under the pilot program, all first-time students who apply for fall 2021 will be allowed to have their applications reviewed with or without test scores. “It is essential that the UM System adopt a test-optional admission policy for the class of 2021 to provide access to prospective students who may not have access to take standardized tests due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the proposal said. “Each campus will establish a minimum GPA requirement that allows us to be competitive while also maintaining institutional standards.”\n\nMontana\n\nGreat Falls: U.S. Sen. Jon Tester announced he has introduced legislation to restore long-distance passenger rail service to Montana’s Hi-Line and to reinstate employees who lost their jobs after Amtrak announced deep service cuts last May, after April ridership crashed to less than 5% of what had been a year earlier in the wake of the pandemic. Beginning Oct. 19, passenger rail service on Amtrak’s 15 long-distance routes was slashed. That included the Empire Builder, the only route serving Montana. Rail service along the Empire Builder, which makes 12 stops across Montana’s Hi-Line, has now been cut from seven days a week to just three. Tester said the service cuts have been harmful to rural communities that rely on regular passenger rail service to access critical health care at large urban hospitals and for whom it provides a large economic boost in tourism. Tester’s bill proposes an additional $166 million in federal funding for Amtrak specifically targeted at restoring a seven-day schedule of long-distance rail service and recalling Amtrak employees who were furloughed because of the service cuts. 2020 was a disastrous year for national passenger railroad, which only a year before had been on the cusp of showing a profit for the first time in its nearly 50-year history.\n\nNebraska\n\nLincoln: The state’s Department of Health and Human Services and partners are working with various organizations to reach out to minority communities to discuss the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine as well as listen to concerns and feedback Nebraskans. Two online town halls Thursday were hosted by Bluestem Health, a Lincoln-based health center, and the New Era Baptist State Convention, an organization of historically African American Baptist Churches in Nebraska.\n\nNevada\n\nLas Vegas: All Las Vegas-area middle and high school students can return to classrooms for hybrid in-person instruction in phases rolled out after the youngest pupils go back to campuses next week, school administrators said Wednesday. Clark County School Superintendent Jesus Jara said sixth and ninth graders and high school seniors can return to class beginning March 22, and grades seven, eight, 10 and 11 can return April 6. They will have two-day-a-week classroom schedules. Pre-kindergarten through grade five will return at that time to five days a week. Jara and school board President Linda Cavazos made the announcement – accompanied by school trustees and representatives of the district’s employee unions – just days before the nation’s fifth-largest school district begins hybrid schedules for pre-K to third grade students. Cavazos said officials were balancing the effects of the pandemic including “physical safety from COVID-19 and mental and emotional safety from the accompanying stress and anxiety.” The hybrid model has half the class attend on Mondays and Tuesdays. Classrooms are sanitized on Wednesdays. The other half of the class attends Thursdays and Fridays. On days pupils are not in class, they are scheduled for online instruction.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nConcord: A new program will help eligible residents who can’t pay their rent and utilities because of the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Chris Sununu said Thursday. The federally funded New Hampshire Emergency Rental Assistance Program will be administered by the New Hampshire Housing Authority, in coordination with the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery. To be eligible for assistance, at least one person in the household must qualify for unemployment benefits, have had their income reduced, have encountered significant costs, or have experienced other financial hardship due to COVID-19. The household must also be at risk for homelessness and meet certain income requirements. Landlords may apply for assistance on behalf of their tenant, with the tenant’s permission. Assistance is available retroactive to April 1, 2020, through the date of application. Households may receive help for a total of 12 months. Details about the program are available at www.NHHFA.org/emergency-rental-assistance. Application information will be available by March 15.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nTrenton: Family and friends of many nursing home residents will be able to visit their loved ones indoors – some for the first time in nearly a year – state officials announced Wednesday. But visits will be limited for now only to nursing homes in seven counties that have seen COVID-19 activity drop significantly in the past two weeks to “moderate” status based on a health department’s risk assessment. Those counties are Somerset, Hunterdon, Mercer, Camden, Burlington, Gloucester and Salem. “This is good news,” Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said at a briefing. “We are seeing the outbreaks in our long-term care facilities decrease.” Nursing homes closed their doors to visitors in mid-March under state orders to try to stem the spread. COVID-19 still devastated New Jersey’s nursing homes, killing 7,813 residents and 143 employees – about 40% of the state’s death toll. Outdoor visits were allowed in June after key metrics such as hospitalizations and deaths from the pandemic’s first wave dropped. Indoor visits were allowed in late summer at some facilities that met certain benchmarks. But that gradually stopped as the second wave of COVID-19 began to rise in the fall, said Laurie Facciarossa Brewer, New Jersey’s long-term care ombudsman.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nSanta Fe: The Democrat-led state House of Representatives voted Wednesday to increase state spending on public education, health care and relief to businesses in efforts to chart a financial path out of the pandemic. The House endorsed a $7.39 billion general fund spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1 on a 60-10 vote, with many leading Republican legislators opposed. Spending on public education would increase by 5.5% to nearly $3.4 billion annually. Many lawmakers in the Democrat-dominated Legislature also want to shore up state spending on Medicaid amid a surge in enrollment in the federally subsidized health care program for the needy. “A pandemic as well as economic volatility is a challenge,” said Rep. Patty Lundstrom, D-Gallup, chairwoman of the lead House budget committee. “We are versatile enough to recognize immediate needs.” The budget proposal is linked to a package of pandemic-related economic relief that would provide $200 million in grants to businesses for rent and mortgage obligations and provide a $600 tax rebate to low-wage workers. The spending plan would provide four months of state taxation relief for restaurants and pay off $325 million in debt racked up by the state unemployment trust fund.\n\nNew York\n\nNew York: Tens of thousands of middle school students returned to their school buildings Thursday for the first time since city schools were closed in November amid a surge in coronavirus infections. Classroom doors opened for the 62,000 students in grades six through eight whose parents chose a mix of in-person and remote learning for their children. There are about 196,000 students in those grades in the city’s public schools. Mayor Bill de Blasio greeted children returning to school in the Bronx and said later that “it was wonderful to see the energy and the hope and the understanding that this is part of how we move forward.” He said a teacher told him: “I want to be here. It feels right.” Students receiving in-person instruction in the city are required to wear face coverings at all times, maintain distance from others and submit to random coronavirus testing. De Blasio said the city has performed 500,000 tests for the virus on students and staff members since the school year started. The mayor said more than 30,000 city educators have been vaccinated against the virus so far. United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew, whose union represents more than 120,000 teachers, guidance counselors and other school staff members, said that’s not enough.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nRaleigh: With cases and other key metrics trending downward, Gov. Roy Cooper on Wednesday announced the state will ease gathering and occupancy restrictions and end its 10 p.m. statewide curfew starting Friday. For the first time since early in the coronavirus pandemic, the Democratic governor is allowing bars and taverns to offer indoor service. His new executive order also increases alcohol sale cutoff times by two hours from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. and lets those businesses operate at 30% capacity up to 250 people. If they follow state health guidelines such as mask-wearing and physical distancing, nightclubs, conference spaces, indoor amusement parks, movie theaters, and sports and entertainment venues may also operate with the same capacity. “Easing these restrictions will only work if we continue protecting ourselves and others from this deadly pandemic,” Cooper said at a news conference. Larger sports venues able to seat more than 5,000 people can host up to 15% of their fans, provided they adhere to additional safety restrictions. Restaurants, breweries, wineries, gyms, bowling alleys, swimming pools, museums, outdoor amusement park areas, hair salons and retailers are given a 50% capacity limit.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nBismarck: As COVID-19 numbers continue to dwindle, Gov. Doug Burgum has signed an executive order terminating several prior executive orders issued during the pandemic that he said have fulfilled their stated objectives and are no longer necessary. The terminated orders pertained to temporary emergency licensing requirements for health care facilities and workers; workers’ compensation eligibility for first responders, health care workers, funeral home directors and employees, as well as individuals providing care to those with intellectual or development disabilities; the transfer of surplus state property needed for COVID-19 response; the reopening of certain businesses; work registration requirements for those seeking unemployment benefits; and public hearings conducted by the Department of Environmental Quality. Burgum also terminated a prior executive order last week that had allowed for Public Service Commission permit hearings and Department of Trust Lands public land leasing auctions to be conducted by remote means.\n\nOhio\n\nColumbus: The ability of the governor to issue public health orders during a pandemic would be restricted under a bill in the state House that is the GOP’s latest effort to rein in the executive branch’s authority. A House committee reviewed a GOP-backed bill Wednesday that looks to create legislative oversight of emergency orders made by fellow Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health. The effort is similar to a bill that passed in the Senate last week that would limit public health emergency orders to 90 days and give the General Assembly the power to rescind those orders by resolution after 30 days. It’s the latest in a series of yearlong efforts by GOP lawmakers to curtail DeWine’s pandemic response, including his issuing of a statewide mask mandate, the now-expired curfew and a strict lockdown in the spring. Proponents of both the House and Senate bills believe DeWine and the state health department have issued orders during the past 11 months of the pandemic that have remained enacted for longer than necessary and thus unduly damaged small businesses and the economy. Opponents of the effort, which include several medical institutions, have called it unconstitutional and warned it would decentralize the state’s response during an emergency and cost lives in the process.\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: The state health department will pay nearly half a million dollars to Microsoft for the company’s work to build Oklahoma’s COVID-19 vaccine scheduling website. Documents from the department show the company billed $472,302 for creation of the website, and additional costs are likely. Many of the vaccine appointments made in the state have been booked through the state’s scheduling portal, vaccinate.oklahoma.gov. But some seniors have struggled to navigate the website. Many Oklahomans have expressed frustration about the lack of available appointments on the website – a result of limited vaccine supply. Microsoft is constantly working with the state health department to adjust and improve the site, said Dr. David Rhew, the company’s chief medical officer. Microsoft is doing similar work in cities, states and countries around the globe, Rhew said. There’s not a one-size-fits-all model, but there are common needs across the spectrum, he said. Most entities wanted to be able to register individuals into a system they could also use to schedule appointments. Oklahoma officials also wanted to tie the scheduling element in with vaccine tracking and allowing health care entities and other providers to report to the state’s immunization registry, Rhew said.\n\nOregon\n\nPortland: Federal pandemic stimulus payments last year will generate $112 million in additional Oregon taxes because of a quirk in state tax law and mean many people are on the hook for a higher tax bill. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the taxes will affect 877,000 taxpayers, about half of all those who received federal stimulus payments in 2020 and early in 2021. They would owe an average of about $130 apiece from just the first stimulus payments last spring; many lower-income workers would owe $100 or more. Lawmakers from both parties say that’s unfair, and the Legislature is examining a fix that would wipe out the higher tax bill. But with the April tax filing date approaching, it’s not clear there’s consensus to make a change. The stimulus payments were structured as a tax rebate, which means they aren’t subject to federal or state income taxes. But Oregon is one of six states that allow taxpayers to deduct a portion of their federal tax payments from their state income taxes. Most years, the deduction functions as a state tax break. But when the federal government is giving out stimulus payments, it reduces the size of that break. A lower federal tax bill means there’s less to deduct from a filer’s state taxes.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nHarrisburg: The chairs of the state Senate Education Committee on Wednesday asked the Biden administration to waive this year’s requirement for school standardized testing because of the pandemic. Sens. Lindsey Williams, D-Allegheny, and Scott Martin, R-Lancaster, wrote in a letter that they understood the need to find out how much learning and what kind of learning children missed during the pandemic. But students also need “some sense of stability before we thrust additional stress on them in the name of determining what schools ‘deserve’ more funding,” they wrote to President Joe Biden and Acting Education Secretary Miguel Cardona. Gov. Tom Wolf’s Department of Education is considering allowing districts to administer the Pennsylvania System of School Assessments and Keystone Exams over the summer or in September, when schools are expected to be back to educating children in classrooms, rather than remotely. On Monday, the U.S. Education Department said it will not allow states to forgo federally required standardized testing in schools this year but will give them flexibility to delay testing or hold it online. The Biden administration said states also can apply to be exempted from certain accountability measures tied to the results.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: The state is doing a better job of getting vaccines into the arms of more people and at a much faster rate than before, Lt. Gov. Daniel McKee said Thursday. McKee, who will take over as governor if Gov. Gina Raimondo is confirmed as President Joe Biden’s commerce secretary, had been critical of the state’s vaccine rollout efforts under Raimondo. Both are Democrats. The state isn’t sitting on supplies as long, and two state-run mass vaccination sites in Providence and Cranston have increased capacity, he said at a news conference just days before the one-year anniversary of the detection of the state’s first presumptive case. “Getting more shots into arms right now will get kids back to school, get people back to work and get us back to normal,” McKee said. Rhode Island has been administering about 6,600 shots per day for the past week, state Department of Health Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott said. The goal is to build the state’s capacity to administer vaccines as fast as possible once supply increases, McKee said. To that end, the state is planning two more mass vaccination clinics at the former Benny’s store in Middletown and at the old Sears location in Woonsocket soon.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nColumbia: A bill that would prevent lawsuits against businesses and other groups by people who contract COVID-19 as long as federal and state health guidelines were being followed passed the state Senate on Thursday. The bill, which was one of the top priorities of business leaders this session, passed 40-3 and now goes to the House. The bill does nothing to protect people who don’t follow the rules and put customers or employees in danger, said Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, one of the sponsors. Opponents of the bill said existing laws could handle the problem and pointed out that there is just one lawsuit pending in state court in which someone blames a business for their illness. The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce said its members wanted this bill to provide some certainty as they reopen and struggle with challenges from the pandemic. “It will go a long way toward ensuring they can remain operational, keep South Carolinians employed, and make it through these challenging times,” interim Chamber CEO Swati Patel said in a statement.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nSioux Falls: The South Dakota Department of Health reported eight additional COVID-19 deaths Thursday, bringing the total number of related deaths in the state since the pandemic began to 1,873. The new deaths included three people 80 or older, as well as three 70-79 and two 60-69. The state also reported 156 new coronavirus infections. Active cases increased to 1,948. Of the 100 COVID-19 patients occupying a hospital bed in South Dakota, 20 were receiving intensive care, and 12 were on ventilators. The number of vaccine doses administered through the Department of Health increased to 197,050, to a total of 130,148 people. That number does not include doses administered from federal entities.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: The state Department of Health announced it will soon lift its state-specific visitation restrictions for long-term care facilities. Nursing homes and other facilities should use the federal guidance provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services starting Sunday, health officials said in a news release Wednesday. The agency said all of Tennessee’s nursing homes and skilled nursing home facilities have finished giving both doses of COVID-19 vaccinations, and the state’s assisted care living facilities and residential homes for the aged are expected to be fully immunized by the end of the week. Meanwhile, Nashville Mayor John Cooper cited the drop in cases Thursday as he moved to ease restrictions starting Monday, with social distancing and mask-wearing requirements remaining in place. Bars and restaurants serving alcohol can stay open until 1 a.m., with up to 125 people per floor and an increase in bar counter seating, he said. City-approved events can increase from 500 to 1,000 people, with weddings increasing from 75 people to 125 people maximum, Cooper said. Event venues can stay open until 1 a.m. The outdoor gathering size limit will increase from eight to 25 people. Museums, zoos and other attractions can increase capacity to a level that just maintains social distancing, Cooper said.\n\nTexas\n\nAustin: Gov. Greg Abbott announced the launch of a statewide program to vaccinate homebound seniors Thursday, saying he expects vaccine shipments to ramp up in the coming weeks, which will allow Texas to move on to new tiers of vaccine recipients “sometime in March.” Texas currently allows COVID-19 vaccinations for health care workers and other first responders, those 65 and older, and residents 16 and older with underlying health conditions. It’s not clear who will be next in line. “The good news is there’s going to be a record amount of vaccines available across Texas this week, with increasing numbers going forward,” Abbott said, speaking from a fire station in Corpus Christi. He also said the increase in vaccinations could lead to the end of coronavirus restrictions, including the statewide mask order. Most Texas businesses, including restaurants, must keep their occupancy rates at 75%. In any hospital region where COVID-19 patients make up more than 15% of available beds, businesses must reduce to 50%, bars must close, and elective procedures must halt. “We’re working right now on evaluating when we’re gonna be able to remove all statewide orders, and we will be making announcements about that pretty soon,” Abbott said.\n\nUtah\n\nSalt Lake City: Gov. Spencer Cox doubled down Thursday on his prediction that there will be gatherings without masks by the Fourth of July, contrary to predictions from the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Cox told reporters he’s feeling optimistic about the nation’s vaccine rollout and expects mass gatherings could be held without masks this summer. His comments contradict predictions from Fauci who said earlier this week that Americans may still be wearing masks outside their homes in 2022. “I’m not gonna be wearing this on the Fourth of July, and I’m gonna be in a parade somewhere,” Cox said, holding a mask. “But if I’m wrong, then I’ll come here, and I’ll admit that I’m wrong and that we’re gonna do something different.” Cox announced Thursday that residents 16 and older with certain health conditions can make appointments to be vaccinated immediately. The group was initially expected to be able to get shots starting March 1. Utah experienced a dip in vaccine distribution last week because a shipment of 36,000 Moderna doses was delayed by recent storms. Cox said the state is “rapidly working to make up the decrease.” It has been approved to get 20,000 doses of the new single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine by early next weekpending federal approval, Cox said.\n\nVermont\n\nMontpelier: Residents 65 and older can now make appointments to get their COVID-19 vaccinations at Walgreens pharmacies, the state Department of Health said Thursday. Walgreens received an unexpected 4,300 first doses of the vaccine for Vermonters through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, the state said. People can sign up online or call Walgreens. The Health Department announced earlier this week that Vermonters ages 65 and over will be able to begin making vaccination appointments March 1. The Walgreens appointments come in addition to the appointments that newly eligible residents can begin to make Monday. Meanwhile, firefighters in Rutland won’t be required to be vaccinated, town officials decided. The town board of health voted earlier this month not to require the shots, although those who wish to participate in fire department activities must follow safety protocols as outlined by the fire chief. Selectman John Paul Faignant, who is also the town health officer, told the Rutland Herald the majority of the department’s members have been vaccinated. “I know the ones that haven’t. They all have pretty good reasons,” he said. Those who opt not to get the vaccine must follow extra safety measures, such as temperature checks and signing in when they go to the station, he said.\n\nVirginia\n\nRichmond: The state Senate gave final approval Thursday to legislation that would require schools to provide full-time, in-person instruction as the coronavirus pandemic drags on. The chamber voted 36-3, sending the measure sponsored by GOP Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant to Gov. Ralph Northam. If signed as is, it would take effect July 1. Dunnavant said that effective date was the bill’s only flaw. She said she hoped Northam would consider amending the measure so that it would take effect immediately, given substantial bipartisan support it won in both chambers. The House passed it a day earlier on a vote of 88-9. “Our children needed to be in school last fall. We have spent an enormous amount of time discussing the science and the evidence that support that,” said Dunnavant, who is an OB-GYN. The bill would allow limited exceptions. If a school has high levels of coronavirus transmission, it could temporarily revert to virtual learning. The measure also includes a new definition of what counts as in-person learning. Setups that some districts have turned to involving a nonteacher monitor proctoring online learning in a classroom would not meet the standard.\n\nWashington\n\nSeattle: A judge has rejected a landlord group’s challenge to several Seattle laws meant to protect renters from eviction once the coronavirus pandemic moratorium expires. King County Superior Court Judge Johanna Bender on Wednesday found the laws, including Seattle’s ban on winter evictions, largely constitutional, The Seattle Times reports. The Rental Housing Association of Washington sued in an effort to block the laws, arguing the regulations would gut their rights under state law. Bender did strike one part of a law requiring landlords to allow payment plans for rent accrued during the pandemic. The city banned late fees, interest and other charges because of late payment during the pandemic. Bender struck down the reference to interest payments, citing a state law allowing landlords to collect interest on unpaid rent. The remainder of the ordinance, including the prohibition on charging late fees, can remain in place, she ruled. The Rental Housing Association’s lawsuit did not challenge Seattle’s ongoing moratorium on evictions during the pandemic but instead sought to nullify three laws that would affect eviction proceedings after the moratorium ends.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nCharleston: Following the state Board of Education’s announcement Tuesday that students up through eighth grade should return to school full time next week, Mineral County Superintendent Troy Ravenscroft said he has applied for a waiver to allow the county’s students to attend four days a week for now. If that waiver is not granted, however, all Mineral County students will return to school full time beginning Monday. The state board’s vote Tuesday was designed to eliminate blended schedules in which students have alternated between classroom and online learning and to bring students back to full time learning by March 3. Those families that have chosen to keep their children in all virtual learning since the pandemic started will not be affected. Included in the board’s ruling is the stipulation that counties can apply for a waiver to conduct in-person learning four days per week and virtual instruction on the fifth day. As for high school students, the state board said they, too, are to return to five days a week unless a county’s coronavirus infection rate is high. The rationale for that is that “older students may transmit the virus at rates similar to adults,” according to the WVDE.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: A year into the coronavirus pandemic, state lawmakers are still debating face masks. Republicans who control the Legislature are pushing their colleagues to debate and vote on legislation in person but won’t require everyone to wear masks – an environment Democrats are warning could put those who visit and work in the Capitol at risk. The inconsistent mask-wearing is emerging as a flashpoint between Democratic lawmakers who want all members to wear face coverings at all times until everyone is vaccinated and some Republicans who refuse to wear them. The tension spiked last week on the Senate chamber floor when Republican leaders of the Senate refused to allow Democratic members to participate virtually and did not require the body to wear masks while sitting and bellowing together in one space. Over the last two floor sessions in the Senate, about 10 Republicans did not wear masks – about 30% of the chamber. Both Senate leaders and the chairman of the health committee were among them. At one point, Democratic Sen. Chris Larson pointed out the Senate has a rule for male members to wear jackets but not face masks after Senate President Chris Kapenga asked him to change his attire.\n\nWyoming\n\nCasper: An official with the University of Wyoming said in a statement that an investigation into racist interruptions during a virtual Black history event last week has revealed one suspect was using an internet provider in Maryland. Administrators are now looking into more secure options for Zoom and other virtual events. University spokesperson Chad Baldwin said the other four suspects used virtual private networks, which made them appear to be calling from outside the United States, the Casper Star-Tribune reports. The university’s Black Studies Center was hosting a panel discussion Feb. 15 when panelists and attendees were interrupted by pornographic images and videos on the screen and a voice shouting racist slurs and phrases. “This has happened at dozens of other universities in recent months,” Baldwin said. “Our security analysts for our IT department feel strongly this was a coordinated effort by people from elsewhere. And that they’re doing this all across the country.” The university police and IT department are working with the FBI to investigate the incident, according to the statement.\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/02/26"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2022/08/24/cross-statement-injection-sites-swamp-refuge-mining-news-around-states/50634833/", "title": "Cross statement, injection sites: News from around our 50 states", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nMontgomery: Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday made her first public appearance in nearly three weeks, telling reporters she was in good health but also declining to say whether she had undergone any recent medical treatment. Ivey toured a science and technology lab at Dalraida Elementary School in Montgomery in her first public appearance since an Aug. 2 groundbreaking ceremony. The gap between appearances fueled speculation about the 77-year-old governor’s health. “I’ve got a clean bill of health from the doctors, and I’m looking forward to serving for four more years as governor,” Ivey told reporters. She brushed aside questions about whether she had recently undergone medical treatment in a hospital and did not directly answer. “It just seems like a lot of you just want to will these rumors into being, and that just isn’t going to happen,” the Republican governor responded, according to al.com. “I’ve got a clean bill of health from the doctors. That’s what matters, and I’m looking forward to serving four more years as your governor.” Ivey’s office on Aug. 12 began releasing occasional photos of her at work to combat the rumors, beginning with a photo of her greeting South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem at an airport when Noem arrived in Alabama for a speech.\n\nAlaska\n\nAnchorage: A state corporation is the only remaining leaseholder in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that intends to pursue plans to explore for oil and gas on the refuge’s coastal plain after another private company gave up its lease in the region. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management said Knik Arm Services, a small real estate and leasing firm, asked to have its 49,000-acre lease rescinded and lease payments refunded. The federal agency said it will honor the request made last week, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Knik Arm Services was one of two private companies that won leases in a sale held in the waning days of the Trump administration. The other, oil company Regenerate Alaska, gave up its lease earlier this year. The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, a state corporation, acquired seven leases in the sale. It is suing federal officials over what it calls improper actions that are preventing lease activities. The corporation got the leases to preserve drilling rights in case oil companies did not come forward. Mark Graber, who owns Knik Arm Services, said he invested about $2 million into his lease and for a first-year lease payment. He said he had wanted to hold onto his lease in hopes that the state corporation prevailed in its lawsuit and that oil development would produce royalties for his company. But he said the fight over the leases could take years.\n\nArizona\n\nPhoenix: A controversial state law restricting how the public can film police faced its first legal challenge Tuesday with a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union. The group’s Arizona chapter, joined by several news organizations in the state, filed a petition in U.S. District Court arguing the law criminalizes First Amendment freedoms. “This law is a violation of a vital constitutional right and will severely thwart attempts to build police accountability. It must be struck down before it creates irreparable community harm,” the ACLU wrote in a statement on its blog. In the complaint, the group contends the law not only has “blatant constitutional issues” but is too ambiguous in some parts. They are seeking an injunction barring law enforcement and others from enforcing the law. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, Maricopa County Attorney General Rachel Mitchell and Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone are all named as defendants. The law, signed by Republican Gov. Doug Ducey in July, makes it illegal to knowingly film police officers from 8 feet or closer without an officer’s permission. An officer can order someone to stop filming even if they are on private property recording with the owner’s consent if an officer finds they’re interfering or deems the area unsafe.\n\nArkansas\n\nMulberry: Federal authorities have now started a civil rights investigation following the suspension of three law enforcement officers after a video posted on social media showed two of them beating a man while a third officer held him on the ground. The officers were responding to a report of a man making threats outside a convenience store Sunday in the small town of Mulberry, about 140 miles northwest of Little Rock, near the border with Oklahoma, authorities said. Arkansas State Police said the agency would investigate the use of force. State police identified the suspect as Randal Worcester, 27, of Goose Creek, South Carolina. The attorney for the two deputies said Monday that Worcester attacked one of the deputies, giving him a concussion. The video shows one officer punching the suspect with a clenched fist, while another can be seen hitting the man with his knee. The third officer holds him against the pavement. In video recorded from a car nearby, someone yells at officers to stop hitting the man in the head. Two of the officers appear to look up and say something back to the person who yelled. The officers’ comments could not be heard clearly on the video.\n\nCalifornia\n\nSacramento: Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Monday that he said could have brought “a world of unintended consequences” by allowing Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco to set up sites where opioid users could legally inject drugs under supervision. “The unlimited number of safe injection sites that this bill would authorize – facilities which could exist well into the later part of this decade – could induce a world of unintended consequences,” Newsom said. While he said the sites could be helpful, he worried that “if done without a strong plan, they could work against this purpose” and said that “worsening drug consumption challenges in these areas is not a risk we can take.” It was one of the most watched and most controversial measures of this legislative session. Proponents wanted to give people who already use drugs a place to inject them while trained staff stand by to help if they suffer accidental overdoses. The proposal came amid a spike in overdose deaths and a national opioid crisis. But opponents said the move in effect would have condoned the use of dangerous drugs. “Each year this legislation is delayed, more people die of drug overdoses,” said state Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco who authored the California legislation.\n\nColorado\n\nDenver: There is no evidence a woman who lost custody of her 7-year-old son for allegedly lying about his health problems plotted with QAnon supporters to have him kidnapped from foster care, her lawyer told jurors Monday at the start of her trial. The prosecution’s case about the alleged plot in 2019 is based on the account of Cynthia Abcug’s then-16-year-old daughter, who told her counselor that her mother was talking with followers of the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory about launching a raid on the home, defense lawyer Brian Hall said during opening statements in court in Castle Rock in suburban Denver. Many QAnon supporters believe ex-President Donald Trump was fighting enemies in the so-called deep state to expose a group of satanic, cannibalistic child molesters they believe secretly runs the globe. Hall stressed that the girl did not know details about what was supposed to happen and did not think her mother knew where her son’s foster home was. But Chief Deputy District Gary Dawson told the jury that the daughter heard her mother talking about the raid on several occasions in September and August of 2019. Around that same time, Abcug bought a gun, and a man identified only as Ryan and described as an ex-member of the military and a sniper moved into their home to provide protection, Dawson said. An older son who was no longer living at home will also testify that he remembers Abcug talking about launching a raid to get her young son back, Dawson said.\n\nConnecticut\n\nNorwich: A city-maintained list of historic buildings could be the start to revitalizing the waterfront along the Thames River. A Local Historic Inventory was created during Monday’s Norwich City Council meeting, with a list of historic properties that the city would like to redevelop. All are located within areas determined by the Federal Emergency Management Association to be flood hazard areas and aren’t currently recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. The need for a list comes from a FEMA rule, which prohibits improvements worth more than half a property’s value yearly for buildings in a flood hazard area, likely preventing a quick redevelopment, Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom said. “If you only allow (developers) to redevelop a site in a piecemeal fashion, it ties the hands of anyone interested in developing a site like that,” he said. There is an exception is if a property is on a recognized list of historic places. A property can join the National Register of Historic Places with a State Historic Preservation Office nomination. The property must be of sufficient age and historical significance, while retaining much of its historic character. If the property can make the list, there are tax credits and legal recourse to prevent demolition, said Regan Miner, executive director of the Norwich Historical Society, who was a consultant for the city in picking the list.\n\nDelaware\n\nWilmington: DuPont plans to build a new production facility in Glasgow to support the expansion of the company’s semiconductor materials business. The new facility will likely be the first building in a 1 million-square-foot logistics park planned in the city. Once complete, about 70 current employees will move to the site. DuPont intends to hire about 10 new positions. DuPont estimates it will invest $50 million in the facility. The state on Monday approved taxpayer-funded grants up to $1.64 million to support job growth and construction of the building. “The DuPont Company has been part of Delaware’s DNA for 220 years,” Gov. John Carney said in a statement. “With this expansion of their semiconductor division, the company is showing their commitment to our state and workforce.” One member of the Council on Development Finance, the state board tasked with determining whether to give businesses money to relocate to or expand in Delaware, voted against the grants. State Rep. Ed Osienski of Newark pointed to DuPont’s history of downsizing within Delaware as cause for concern. “It’s great that you’re considering staying here, but I question the need for Delawareans to come up with $1.6 million to get DuPont to remain here and add some jobs when Delaware suffered a lot,” Osienski said.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: The states of Arizona and Texas continue to send asylum-seekers to the district as the school year approaches for children, but the Pentagon has again turned down a request from the mayor for National Guard aid, WUSA-TV reports. More than 8,700 asylum-seekers have been sent to D.C. from both states since April. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office said his state has sent about 7,200 migrants on 175 buses to the nation’s capital so far, while Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s office said 1,516 migrants have gotten on 41 buses to go to the district. About 1,300 migrants have been bused to D.C. from those states over the past month alone. Many of the buses that have rolled into Union Station have included children. Neither state could provide data on just how many of the bus passengers were below the age of 18, but it appears they will be welcome in DC Public Schools this fall. “School-aged children will go to school,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday. “That’s the plan.” Many of the kids who have been bused to D.C. have come with very little, said Madhvi Bahl, a migrant organizer with Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network and Sanctuary DMV. She said efforts are ongoing to collect supplies for them for the upcoming school year.\n\nFlorida\n\nOrlando: The president of a local NAACP branch has resigned, saying that as a South Asian woman she experienced “racist marginalization” from others in the civil rights group. Dr. Vanessa Toolsie, an elected vice president of the Orange County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, became its leader in March when Tiffany Hughes resigned to run for a Florida legislative seat. Born in Trinidad of Indian descent, she posted a lengthy resignation letter on Facebook on the NAACP branch’s Facebook page Sunday, the Orlando Sentinel reports. She also placed a brief statement on her personal Facebook page, saying: “I will NO LONGER tolerate ANY racism against me for being a #ProudBrownWoman of #SouthAsian and #Caribbean descent,” the Orlando Sentinel reports. Toolsie read her resignation letter during a virtual board meeting Monday night. One person objected, describing her claims as “false allegations against the executive committee,” the newspaper reports. Others asked in the chat feature whether Toolsie had any proof and what could be done to assure that no one else has a similar experience. The meeting was adjourned without further discussion. “I am concerned about this person and the charges that were made,” John Cummings, a spokesman for the group, told the Sentinel. “We don’t want to overlook or dehumanize or, in any way, cause anybody problems or concern intentionally or unintentionally.”\n\nGeorgia\n\nSavannah: A company seeking to mine near the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp’s vast wildlife refuge said Monday that its project is back on track after a federal agency reversed a June decision that had posed a big setback. Twin Pines Minerals said the Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by the company by once again relinquishing the agency’s regulatory oversight of the proposed titanium and zirconium mine in southeast Georgia near the Okefenokee, home to the largest U.S. wildlife refuge east of the Mississippi River. “We appreciate the Corps’ willingness to reverse itself and make things right,” Twin Pines President Steve Ingle said in a statement, calling the development “great news” for the project. Scientists have warned that mining close to the swamp’s bowl-like rim could damage its ability to hold water. They urged the Army Corps of Engineers to deny the project a permit. But the agency declared in 2020 it no longer had that authority after regulatory rollbacks under then-President Donald Trump narrowed the types of waterways qualifying for protection under the Clean Water Act. Trump’s rollbacks were later scrapped by federal courts. President Joe Biden’s administration has sought to restore federal oversight of development projects that under Trump had been allowed to sidestep regulations to prevent pollution of streams or draining of wetlands.\n\nHawaii\n\nHonolulu: Calling allegations that a couple stole identities of dead babies for unknown reasons unique, a U.S. judge on Monday upheld a previous ruling to detain the pair without bail. According to prosecutors, Walter Glenn Primrose and Gwynn Darle Morrison are the real names of the couple who have been fraudulently living for decades under stolen identities, Bobby Fort and Julie Montague. The case has drawn speculation about Russian espionage. Prosecutors say Primrose spent more than 20 years in the Coast Guard, where he obtained secret-level security clearance. U.S. District Judge Leslie Kobayashi said the mystery behind why the couple lived under allegedly stolen identities for so long is what makes the case unique “because the real question is, ‘Why?’ ” Primrose and Morrison have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, false statement in a passport application and aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors have suggested the case is about more than identity theft. A search of the couple’s home in Kapolei, a Honolulu suburb, turned up Polaroids of them wearing jackets that appear to be authentic KGB uniforms, an invisible ink kit, documents with coded language and maps showing military bases, prosecutors said.\n\nIdaho\n\nBoise: The state’s near-total abortion ban appears to have a serious conflict with a federal law governing emergency health care treatment, a federal judge said Monday. The U.S. Department of Justice sued the Republican-led state of Idaho earlier this month, saying the abortion ban set to take effect Thursday violates a federal law requiring Medicare-funded hospitals to provide “stabilizing treatment” to patients experiencing medical emergencies. Idaho’s law criminalizes all abortions in “clinically diagnosable pregnancies” but allows physicians to defend themselves in court by arguing the procedure was necessary to avert the death of the mother. U.S. District Senior Judge B. Lynn Winmill said the potential conflict exists because Idaho’s law doesn’t appear to account for cases when a pregnant person might face serious medical consequences if the pregnancy is continued. “That is more than just a hypothetical concern,” Winmill told attorneys on both sides during oral arguments in Boise’s federal courthouse. The judge said he would decide by the end of the day Wednesday whether to temporarily block the strict abortion ban while the lawsuit proceeds.\n\nIllinois\n\nEdwardsville: Two young men who died last week after they entered a southern Illinois manhole where toxic gases were present have been identified by a coroner. Madison County Coroner Stephen P. Nonn said Jack M. Pfund, 19, of Edwardsville and Cody W. Toenyes, 22, of Bethalto died Friday at a construction site in Edwardsville. The men were found dead in a manhole leading to a sewer pipe at the residential development, and crews needed advanced breathing equipment to recover their bodies, said Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford. He said first responders were met with “very little oxygen” and a “buildup of toxic gases” that likely led to the workers’ deaths, the Belleville News-Democrat reports. An Edwardsville police officer who was among the first responders at the scene was taken to a hospital for evaluation Friday in the city about 20 miles northeast of St. Louis. Nonn said Tuesday that autopsies found both Pfund and Toenyes’ preliminary causes of death were due to possible asphyxia due to low environmental oxygen and drowning. Toxicological testing that could determine the final causes of death for both men are pending.\n\nIndiana\n\nChesterton: For the second time in three years, a lifeguard shortage has prompted Indiana Dunes State Park to ban swimming until further notice. Visitors can wade up to waist-deep in the waters of Lake Michigan but are not permitted to swim or go deeper into the lake, the park announced Friday. Indiana conservation officers and park staff will be on hand to enforce the ban, it said. Visitors interested in next weekend or Labor Day weekend should monitor the Indiana Dunes State Park Facebook page for notifications regarding beach status, it said. Swimming is permitted at the beach at Indiana Dunes State Park only when lifeguards are present because of frequently changing conditions of the lake bottom and the unpredictability of dangerous rip currents that can occur along the shoreline at the southern tip of Lake Michigan, a news release said. The park is located about 50 miles southeast of Chicago and is a popular summer recreational destination for the region.\n\nIowa\n\nDes Moines: The owner of an ethanol plant in the west central Iowa city of Denison has agreed to pay a nearly $210,000 fine for failing to report chemicals that could be released during an emergency, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The penalty was part of a $1.73 million settlement the Andersons Marathon Holdings agreed to pay for 131 reporting violations there and at ethanol plants in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. The EPA says companies must report annually chemicals released into the air, water or through land disposal via the Toxic Release Inventory, which is meant to provide communities with information to help them respond in an emergency. The fine is the largest the agency has obtained to date under the 1986 Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, the EPA said. The agency said the violations occurred from 2016 to 2020. The EPA found the Andersons Marathon plant in Denison committed 32 violations in which it failed to report the release of chemicals in the plant’s fermentation vapor stream and also failed to provide accurate data. It was fined $209,241. The company also paid $1.52 million for violations at ethanol plants in Logansport, Indiana; Albion, Michigan; and Greenville, Ohio.\n\nKansas\n\nTopeka: The Kansas Museum of History is offering free admission to the public through Sept.3 before it closes to undergo renovations. Carrie Nation’s hatchet, George Armstrong Custer’s riding boots and Dwight D. Eisenhower’s World War II field jacket are among pieces of the past on display at the museum, along with an airplane built in 1914 by Topekan Albin Longren and a steam locomotive, named after Topeka co-founder Cyrus K. Holliday, that was constructed in 1880 for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. “Please join us in saying ‘Goodbye to the Past,’ ” the museum said on Facebook. The historical museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays until Sept. 3. The Kansas Historical Society’s Museum Store and Discovery Place have already closed for renovations, while construction is underway near the entrance to the building where they are located, the society’s Facebook site said. The state archives research room and the historical society’s nature trail will remain open during renovations. The museum normally charges admission fees of $10 for adults; $9 for senior citizens, active military and college students with identification; and $5 for youths ages 2 through 17.\n\nKentucky\n\nFrankfort: Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear announced Tuesday that he’s calling the Republican-led Legislature into a special session to take up a relief package for flood-ravaged eastern Kentucky. The special session will begin at noon Wednesday, the governor said. The decision to reconvene lawmakers comes after discussions among lawmakers and Beshear’s administration. “We’ve had productive conversations – not bipartisan, but nonpartisan,” the governor said in a tweet. “We have now reached an agreement.” The governor didn’t immediately offer details of the relief package to be presented to lawmakers but wrote: “Together, we can provide the support and relief eastern Kentucky needs.” Historic flooding engulfed parts of eastern Kentucky late last month. The surging floodwaters destroyed homes and caused significant damage to roads, bridges and water systems. The catastrophic flooding caused at least 39 deaths.\n\nLouisiana\n\nNew Orleans: A deputy constable for a city court has resigned following allegations that he didn’t act when a witness told him a woman was being raped. The deputy had already been suspended after the allegation was made. The constable for 2nd City Court, Edwin Shorty, told news outlets that the deputy resigned Thursday. The deputy was working a private security detail in the French Quarter on July 26 when he was approached by a witness who said a man was raping an unconscious woman nearby. Shorty said an investigation showed the deputy stayed in his car for several minutes before walking away from the scene. He did not release the deputy’s name. Shorty said the deputy, who had 30 years of law enforcement experience, gave no explanation for his inaction.\n\nMaine\n\nBangor: The federal government will pay $8 million to settle a claim that a federally funded clinic failed to alert a mother or authorities of signs of abuse of a 6-month-old boy. Alexandria Orduna, of Brewer, contended medical professionals failed to recognize or report abuse inflicted on her son by a man who was living with her in 2019. The abuse wasn’t noted and reported until her son was taken to a hospital emergency room in Bangor. The boy is now almost entirely blind, and his brain stopped growing at the time of his attack, the Bangor Daily News reports. “This little boy couldn’t talk, but his body could, and his health care practitioners didn’t listen to what it was saying,” Terry Garmey, one of the mother’s attorneys, told the newspaper. Orduna sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which funds Medicaid, which paid for the boy’s care. The settlement sets aside $17,000 a month in a trust account for the rest of the boy’s life to contribute to the cost of his long-term medical needs and accommodations. The man who inflicted the injuries pleaded guilty last year to aggravated assault and other charges. He was ordered to serve four years in prison.\n\nMaryland\n\nSalisbury: The state’s second-largest port is set to receive much-needed dredging and open the door to a continued economic boom thanks to a new agreement. On Friday, Gov. Larry Hogan announced a landmark partnership for a major dredging project totaling 137,000 cubic yards of material dredged from the Port of Salisbury to be reused to benefit over 70 acres on the Deal Island Wildlife Management Area. The material will be used to help restore wetlands, preserve natural habitats and protect infrastructure along the Manokin River to keep pace with rising sea levels. “When we learned about the dredging needs threatening to restrict operations at this port, our team immediately got to work with (our state partners) to focus on solving the problem. Thanks to a unique partnership at all levels of government, we’re moving forward with the dredging of this port,” Hogan said. According to current economic state data, the port transports more than $200 million in goods annually, including grain, petroleum and building aggregates. It has a 150-foot-wide channel and 14-foot-deep mean tide from the Chesapeake Bay to Salisbury.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nMattapoisett: Gasoline vapors ignited by spark during a gas tank replacement project on a boat were the likely cause of a major fire at a marina last week that destroyed buildings, vehicles and boats and sent one employee to the hospital, investigators said. The fire at the Mattapoisett Boatyard on Friday that drew more than 100 firefighters and sent a plume of thick black smoke over southeastern Massachusetts that could be seen for miles was determined to be accidental, according to a statement Monday from the state fire marshal and local authorities. The investigation determined that the fire began inside a building at the boatyard where a worker had been replacing a boat’s gas tank. The fire, fanned by winds of up to 25 mph, spread to six buildings, 47 vehicles and 14 boats, authorities said. The injured worker remains in the hospital but is expected to survive. Three firefighters who suffered smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion injuries were treated at the hospital and released. Mattapoisett is about 50 miles south of Boston.\n\nMichigan\n\nGrand Rapids: A jury on Tuesday convicted two men of conspiring to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020, delivering swift verdicts in a plot that was broken up by the FBI and described as a rallying cry for a U.S. civil war by anti-government extremists. The result was a big victory for the U.S. Justice Department. A different jury just four months ago couldn’t reach a unanimous decision on Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. but acquitted two other men – a stunning conclusion that led to a second trial. Fox and Croft were convicted of two counts of conspiracy related to the kidnapping scheme and attempts to obtain a weapon of mass destruction. Prosecutors said they wanted to blow up a bridge to disrupt police if the abduction could be pulled off at Whitmer’s vacation home. Croft was also convicted of another explosives charge. The jury deliberated for roughly eight hours over two days. “Today’s verdicts prove that violence and threats have no place in our politics, and those who seek to divide us will be held accountable. They will not succeed,” said Whitmer, a Democrat, who turned 51 years old Tuesday. “But we must also take a hard look at the status of our politics. Plots against public officials and threats to the FBI are a disturbing extension of radicalized domestic terrorism that festers in our nation, threatening the very foundation of our republic.”\n\nMinnesota\n\nProctor: The parents of a teenage boy who was assaulted after football practice have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit claiming the coach and others failed to protect their son against known hazing. The September assault resulted in cancellation of Proctor High School’s football season and the resignation of its head coach. An 18-year-old former Proctor student and football player was given probation in June for assaulting the victim with a toilet plunger and must register as a predatory offender for 10 years. The federal lawsuit alleges the hazing practice was common before and during Derek Parendo’s coaching run. The complaint said other assistant coaches, the athletic director, superintendent and guidance counselors also knew about the practice. District leaders told Parendo to remove the plunger from the locker room and to advise players on hazing, the complaint said, but the district didn’t take adequate measures to ensure this, the Star Tribune reports. Parendo has called the assault an isolated incident and said hazing is part of the district’s “old culture,” which coaches have not discussed. Superintendent John Engelking has since retired from the district. He has said the district “has never ignored any alleged misconduct toward staff or students that (was) brought to its attention.”\n\nMississippi\n\nJackson: A mother testified Tuesday that her child’s public school is harmed by the state putting $10 million of federal pandemic relief money into infrastructure grants for private schools. Tanya Marsaw of Crystal Springs is a member of Parents for Public Schools, a nonprofit group suing the state to try to block the program Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed into law earlier this year. The lawsuit cites Section 208 of the Mississippi Constitution, which prohibits the use of public money for any school that is not “a free school.” During a hearing before Hinds County Chancery Judge Crystal Wise Martin, Marsaw testified that she pays taxes. “It is some of my money, and it should not go to private schools,” Marsaw said. Reeves signed two bills in April. One created a grant program to help private schools pay for water, broadband and other infrastructure projects. The other allocated the $10 million of federal money for the program, starting July 1. The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi, the Mississippi Center for Justice and Democracy Forward filed the lawsuit June 15 on behalf of Parents for Public Schools, an advocacy group founded more than 30 years ago.\n\nMissouri\n\nJefferson City: Gov. Mike Parson on Monday called on lawmakers to return to work Sept. 6 for a special legislative session to cut income taxes. The Republican told reporters gathered in his Capitol office that he wants lawmakers to cut the top income tax rate from 5.3% to 4.8% and increase the standard deduction by $2,000 for single filers and $4,000 for couples. A single adult caring for two children and making at most $35,000 a year would see income taxes drop by about $140 a year, according to estimates provided by the governor’s office. Parson specified that, based on the limits in his special session call, lawmakers cannot cut income taxes so deeply that the state loses more than $700 million per year in revenue. The governor also recommended cutting income taxes entirely for individuals who make $16,000 or less in a year or for couples filing jointly who make less than $32,000. Missouri has more money on hand than ever before, thanks partly to a combination of inflation, higher wages and federal funds. The state closed out its 2022 fiscal year with a general revenue balance of nearly $4.9 billion – more than double the previous record set just one year ago.\n\nMontana\n\nWest Yellowstone: Cleanup continued Monday after a fuel pup trailer rolled onto its side in Yellowstone National Park last week and spilled gasoline, park officials said. The accident, which happened about 4 a.m. Friday on U.S. Highway 191 in the western side of the park, spilled 4,800 gallons of gasoline onto the roadway and into a wetland adjacent to the highway, the Environmental Protection Agency said. While the wetland feeds into nearby Grayling Creek, there had been no reports of gasoline reaching the creek. Crews were working Monday to clean up fuel, pump contaminated water, and excavate contaminated soil in and around the wetland, said Katherine Jenkins, a spokesperson for the EPA. Park law enforcement cited the truck driver for failure to maintain control, said park spokesperson Morgan Warthin.\n\nNebraska\n\nLincoln: A state lawmaker from Omaha is promising to introduce a bill to legalize medical marijuana after similar measures failed to collect enough valid signatures to appear on the November ballot. State Sen. Jen Day said in a news release Tuesday that she will introduce legislation in the upcoming legislative session slated to begin Jan. 4. “We will exhaust every measure possible to get Nebraskans the medical freedom they deserve and want,” Day said. Her announcement came a day after Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen announced that the Medical Cannabis Patient Protections Initiative and the Medical Cannabis Regulation Initiative failed to get the nearly 87,000 signatures required to get on the Nov. 8 ballot. The failure did not come as a surprise. Organizers announced in early July that they would likely miss the signature goal needed to make the November ballot, citing the death of one of the effort’s top donors. That forced organizers to rely primarily on volunteers.\n\nNevada\n\nReno: As students move into a repaired and remodeled college dormitory for the first time since it exploded three years ago, the legal battle over who is to blame has just started. More than 700 students, mostly freshmen, will be living in the University of Nevada, Reno’s Argenta Hall when the fall semester starts Monday. “Argenta is back,” UNR President Brian Sandoval announced Aug. 16 during a reception to thank contractors, architects and university staff for helping to rebuild and for getting through the past three years. On July 5, 2019, an explosion left the eight-story residence hall, the largest of nine dorms on campus, uninhabitable. UNR officials have often called the explosion the luckiest disaster: No one was seriously hurt when a pipeline in the boiler room filled air ducts and elevator shafts with gas, causing a massive explosion that rattled campus, twisted metal, blasted appliances across rooms and broke windows. A lawsuit filed in June by UNR’s insurance company says the company that serviced the boiler is to blame and responsible for millions in costs. A status conference with both parties is scheduled with Washoe District Court Judge Egan Walker at 10 a.m. Thursday.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nConcord: Election monitors have been appointed in Windham, Bedford and one ward in Laconia for the state’s Sept. 13 primary after problems were found in vote counting or the administration of elections in November 2020, the attorney general’s office said. The office said in a news release Monday that the monitors are appointed to work with election officials and review the conduct of the upcoming election to ensure compliance with state law. Following the November 2020 election, the Windham election review found “administrative shortcomings and significant inaccuracies in vote counts due to the processing of incorrectly folded ballots,” the office said. In Bedford, the election review found that election officials inadvertently failed to count 190 absentee ballots “due to misplacing a container of ballots during election day processing,” according to the attorney general’s office. The office said the Laconia Ward 6 election review found that “election officials inadvertently failed to count 179 ballots from 2020 elections that were cast but left in a ballot collection box, as well as some officials double-counting dozens of ballots” in the November 2020 election. The election monitors are required by law to produce a report within 30 days of the state primary election.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nAnnandale: After a school year of fighting personal attacks and opposing the removal of LGBTQ books from school libraries, North Hunterdon High School librarian Martha Hickson was awarded the Lemony Snicket Prize for Noble Librarians Faced with Adversity by the American Library Association. Daniel Handler, also known as Lemony Snicket, presented Hickson with the award − a $10,000 prize, a certificate and an “odd, symbolic object” from Handler’s private collection − at the ALA’s annual conference in Washington, D.C., in June. The award annually recognizes and honors a librarian who has faced adversity with integrity and dignity intact. During the 2021-22 school year, Hickson was personally targeted when parents and other community members sought to remove five books that are LGBTQ-themed from the North Hunterdon High School library, which she opposed. The group labeled her as a “pornographer” and “pedophile” for providing children with access to the books in question, and she received hate mail, threats, nuisance vandalism, and questions about her judgment and integrity. She said the adversity became so pervasive and extreme that her blood pressure and anxiety rose to a dangerous point, and her physician removed her from the workplace.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nAlbuquerque: More than four grueling months and $300 million later, the federal government has declared the largest wildfire in New Mexico’s recorded history 100% contained, a notable milestone but just another step in what local residents and officials say will be a long journey toward recovery. The blaze was sparked in the spring by two errant prescribed fires conducted by the U.S. Forest Service. More than 530 square miles of the Rocky Mountain foothills burned, hundreds of homes were destroyed, livelihoods were lost, and drinking water supplies were contaminated. Local officials say there are years of work ahead of them to restore the landscape and protect against post-fire flooding. San Miguel County Manager Joy Ansley and her team have been working nonstop since the first plumes of smoke began rising from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. They helped coordinate the evacuation of thousands of people from small mountain villages and worked with the state and the city of Las Vegas as flames approached. With the summer rainy season in full swing, Ansley said parts of northern New Mexico are flooding on a weekly basis. “It’s going to be a long process, and just because the fire is contained, we’re certainly not out of the woods,” she said Tuesday.\n\nNew York\n\nRochester: A couple whom a Black firefighter accused of throwing a racist pool party this summer mocking the Juneteenth holiday said Tuesday that the party was intended to ridicule liberal politicians but wasn’t bigoted. The couple, dentist Nicholas Nicosia and real estate agent Mary Znidarsic-Nicosia, said their July 7 party had been mischaracterized, but Znidarsic-Nicosia confessed to running a racist Twitter account. According to a legal notice filed by firefighter Jerrod Jones, the Nicosias’ party featured a display mocking the Juneteenth holiday, which celebrates the end of slavery in the 19th century, with Juneteenth flags displayed over buckets of fried chicken. Jones, a 14-year veteran of the fire department, said his captain forced him and two co-workers to attend the party while on duty. He filed a notice of claim against the city of Rochester and the fire department seeking at least $3 million for emotional distress and at least $1 million in compensatory damages. The fire captain, Jeffrey Krywy, was suspended by the department and later retired. Znidarsic-Nicosia did admit to running an anonymous Twitter account that posted racist images and content but denied being racist. “I have made blatantly racist comments under that persona,” she said. “The culture of Twitter operates that way. It gives you an opportunity to be someone you’re not.”\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nRaleigh: North Carolina’s most powerful state senator said Tuesday that he would prefer to have approved restrictions on abortion after roughly the first three months of pregnancy. Senate leader Phil Berger, speaking before convening another round of no-vote General Assembly sessions this week, also said he would support exceptions to any prohibition following the first trimester, such as in situations of rape and incest or when the mother’s life is in danger. The views of Berger, R-Rockingham County, would appear to represent a more tempered effort compared to GOP legislators in North Carolina and other states who want to outlaw abortion or dramatically scale it back following a U.S. Supreme Court decision in June to overturn Roe v. Wade. A federal judge last week reinstated a North Carolina law that prohibits abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy save for urgent medical emergencies. Incest and rape exceptions currently are not granted in state law. The first trimester is usually defined as 12 or 13 weeks of pregnancy. “I would say that after the first trimester, the state has an absolute interest in regulating the incidence of abortion,” Berger told reporters. House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland County, and Berger have said no potential action on abortion would occur until next year.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nBismarck: The main group working to legalize recreational marijuana in the state has more than a half-million dollars to press its case – far more than the mostly shoe-leather effort on which it relied four years ago. Meanwhile, a major oil industry group that helped fund opposition last time says it will sit on the sidelines this time. The North Dakota Petroleum Council will not contribute to the fight the pot legalization effort that will appear on the November general election ballot, said Ron Ness, the group’s president. “It’s one of those things where we only have so many resources,” said Ness, whose group represents several hundred companies. Ness said 1 in 6 North Dakota jobs is directly or indirectly tied to the state’s oil industry. Most oil-field jobs require drug testing, and legalizing pot would likely shrink the employment pool, he said. The energy group contributed $30,000 to the failed statewide ballot effort in 2018 to legalize recreational marijuana. It was among a group of lawyers, law enforcement and business leaders that pushed opposition. The Greater North Dakota Chamber, the state’s largest business organization, contributed $64,000 to oppose the measure in 2018. CEO and President Arik Spencer said the group hasn’t decided whether it will help fund or even support another opposition effort.\n\nOhio\n\nColumbus: Two constitutional amendments have cleared their last big hurdle before heading to November ballots – one seeking bail reform, the other prohibiting noncitizens from voting. The specific language for describing the amendments was approved Monday by the Ohio Ballot Board, a panel of legislative appointees led by Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican. The Legislature had sent the amendments in June to be put on the ballot. Issue 1, the amendment on bail, would change the conditions and amount of money needed to release someone. Bail would no longer be a standard set by the state. Instead, it would be up to a judge’s discretion based on factors such as public safety, including the seriousness of an offense, an individual’s criminal record, the likelihood a person will commit another offense, or “any other factor the General Assembly may prescribe.” The proposal followed a ruling by a divided Ohio Supreme Court in January, which said a $1.5 million bond for a Cincinnati man accused of fatally shooting a man during a robbery was too high. The language cleared the committee unanimously. The second amendment, Issue 2, would prohibit local governments from allowing non-U.S. citizens to vote in local elections. They are already prohibited from voting in federal and state elections.\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: Green or red – the colors will symbolize life or death, mercy or no mercy, in a prominent anti-death penalty display outside a northwest Oklahoma City church. Twenty-five crosses have been erected along the front lawn of The Lazarus Community at Clark Memorial United Methodist Church, each representing a person the state is scheduled to execute, beginning Thursday with James Coddington, and extending into 2024. The Rev. Bo Ireland, the church’s pastor, said the crosses – each 6 feet tall and about 4 feet wide – are hard to miss along a busy thoroughfare. But he said they’ll be even more eye-catching in the coming days and weeks. Ireland and a group of volunteers spray-painted the large crosses white Monday, but they won’t stay that way. “If James Coddington is executed, we will paint one of these crosses red, and if he is granted clemency, we will paint it green,” Ireland said. Coddington is set to be executed by lethal injection at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. He was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1997 murder of Albert Hale. The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended clemency for Coddington in early August. It is up to Gov. Kevin Stitt to decide whether the death row inmate is granted clemency or executed Thursday.\n\nOregon\n\nSalem: A new microshelter village for unsheltered residents is set to open in south Salem after the City Council allocated funds for the project Monday night. The council voted unanimously to direct $750,000 in state sheltering grant funds to fund a microshelter village at Turner Road SE near Church at the Park, which owns the property there. The money was previously allocated to establish and operate a safe park program on Front Street, but staff said the location is no longer cost-efficient due to higher than anticipated costs. “Startup expenses will exceed original projections, leaving less for operations,” city staff said in a report to council Thursday. “For example, environmentally friendly sanitation services for up to 40 recreational vehicles requires a high level of up-front investment. The lease for the property ends in December 2023.” The Turner Road location was one of three locations Salem City Council approved for microshelters in a Jan. 24 meeting. Another was Front Street. Work is currently underway to relocate the Village of Hope shelter site to the other location approved on Center Street. Local advocates have made it their goal to have microshelter villages throughout the city in all eight wards. A community effort has raised more than $770,000 in donations – enough for at least 154 shelters.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nHarrisburg: Last week, searches for the word “crudités” on Dictionary.com spiked by more than 10,000% after Dr. Mehmet Oz mentioned the raw vegetable appetizer in an online video that went viral in the worst way possible for the U.S. Senate candidate. “Thought I’d do some grocery shopping. I’m at Wegners,” the GOP nominee says at the outset of the TikTok video, apparently jumbling the names of supermarket chains Redner’s and Wegmans by accident. The clip continues as Oz scans the produce section and grabs a head of broccoli, a bag of whole carrots, asparagus, salsa and guacamole in an awkward attempt to make a point about inflation. Cradling his vegetables, he announces aghast that the total at the register would come to $20 – for crudité! But few besides Oz seemed to know what that is. “In PA we call this … a veggie tray,” Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Oz’s Democratic opponent in the Senate race, tweeted dryly after the video started to blow up. But even after figuring out what a “crudité” was, the internet still had many questions for Oz. Why didn’t he have a shopping basket? Why did he feel salsa and guacamole would be appropriate dips for raw vegetables? Who eats uncooked asparagus? The TikTok video has racked up 4.4 million views to date and has been shared thousands of times on Twitter, generally accompanied by snarky comments. Fetterman wasted no time capitalizing on Oz’s social media mishap, reportedly raising $500,000 in just 24 hours after the clip went viral.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: Federal officials have declared a drought-related disaster in the state. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on Monday declared all five of Rhode Island’s counties as “primary natural disaster areas” because of the ongoing drought. The declaration allows eligible farms to be considered for low-interest, emergency loans and other assistance from the department’s Farm Service Agency. Farmers have eight months from the date of the disaster declaration to apply for the assistance. “This prolonged drought has been tough on many Rhode Island farmers, harming the yield and quality of crops,” U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat who earlier this month requested the disaster declaration, said in a statement. “This federal declaration is good news for the state and should help mitigate some of the production losses local farmers are facing.” Rhode Island saw less than 0.5 inches of rain in July, compared to an average of 2.5 inches, according to Reed’s office. More than 99% of the state is experiencing extreme drought.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nColumbia: The director of the state’s Department of Mental Health is giving up the post he’s held for two years, officials said. Dr. Kenneth Rogers, a psychiatrist hired to run the agency in April 2020, announced Thursday at an executive session of a meeting of the Mental Health Commission that he would be leaving the department effective Nov. 1, The State reports. Rogers emailed agency staff Friday shortly after The State reported news of his resignation, to announce his pending departure and thank them for their support. “You have shown incredible fortitude as we have faced extraordinary challenges, and I am proud to work with you,” he wrote. “While I am moving on to a new opportunity, I will forever be grateful for returning to SCDMH and for all I have learned during my tenure as state director.” Rogers did not disclose his next move to staff but pledged to send more information about what to expect in the near future and said he was confident the agency would be in “capable hands” going forward. The seven-member Mental Health Commission, which is appointed by the governor, will select the agency’s next director with confirmation from the Senate. Commission Chairman Greg Pearce said the board was surprised by Rogers’ announcement and had not asked him to resign.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nAberdeen: Gov. Kristi Noem has suggested she won’t push back if voters approve a recreational marijuana ballot measure this fall. The Republican governor talked about the possible future of legal cannabis in South Dakota during a visit to Aberdeen last week. Residents will once again vote on the issue when Initiated Measure 27 appears on the ballot in November. “From what I’ve seen, this amendment this year that will be on the ballot is written more appropriately towards the Constitution,” Noem said Friday at the Brown County Fair. In 2020, Amendment A sought to legalize recreational marijuana. It was approved by voters but struck down by the South Dakota Supreme Court after justices ruled that the amendment violated a provision in the constitution requiring amendments to encompass only one subject. Noem was an opponent of Amendment A two years ago. At her request, state Highway Superintendent Rick Miller and Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom filed the lawsuit that led to the court battle. Noem said that her job as governor is to implement the recreational marijuana resolution if it’s approved by voters in November. Unlike Amendment A, Initiated Measure 27 does not include tax and regulatory stipulations. Those will be left up to the Legislature.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: Disgraced former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his top aide were arrested Tuesday on federal charges including bribery, kickbacks and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Their indictments follow the abrupt resignation in March of Republican state Rep. Robin Smith, who pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges involving Casada and his chief of staff, Cade Cothren. Afterward, speculation swirled about what additional charges might come in the corruption probe. FBI agents arrested Casada and Cothren at their homes Tuesday morning. If convicted, they each face up to 20 years in prison. Both pleaded not guilty Tuesday and received pretrial release with travel restricted to the middle district of Tennessee unless otherwise approved. The 20-count charging document alleges Casada and Cothren exploited their positions of power by working with another unnamed lawmaker to funnel money to themselves using a political consulting firm – known as Phoenix Solutions, LLC – to conceal their involvement. Cothren registered the firm in New Mexico because the state allows anonymous registration of LLCs, and he rebuffed requests for in-person meetings with Casada’s fellow lawmakers, saying the company representatives were out of state.\n\nTexas\n\nAustin: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, accused of acting unethically and dishonestly when he worked to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential election victory in 2020, has turned to his agency for help in a legal battle that could put his law license in jeopardy. A State Bar of Texas disciplinary committee sued Paxton in May, arguing he should be sanctioned for violating his duties as an attorney by lying to the U.S. Supreme Court when he said Texas had substantial proof that voting fraud propelled Biden to victory in four swing states. Paxton “knew or should have known” that his claims were false, misleading and unsupported by credible evidence, the bar argued. Paxton responded in June by asking a state judge to dismiss the lawsuit as an unconstitutional check on his power and a politically motivated attack based on his support for fellow Republican Donald Trump. State District Judge Casey Blair of Kaufman County is scheduled to hear arguments on Paxton’s motion during a Wednesday morning hearing in Kaufman, about 30 miles southeast of Dallas. The Texas Attorney General’s Office entered the fray last week when it asked state District Judge Casey Blair of Kaufman County to allow the agency to join the case on Paxton’s behalf.\n\nUtah\n\nSalt Lake City: Democrats are demanding that Gov. Spencer Cox’s pick to head the Department of Natural Resources resign his legislative seat and withdraw from the November ballot, saying it violates the state constitution for him to serve in both roles. Cox selected Republican state Rep. Joel Ferry as the agency’s executive director, a Cabinet position. Ferry has been serving in an acting role pending his confirmation by the Utah Senate, but he’s hanging onto his legislative seat and remains on the ballot in House District 1. The Utah Democratic Party says that violates the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches set out in the Utah Constitution, The Salt Lake Tribune reports. The governor’s office has previously argued that it doesn’t because Ferry resigned from legislative committees and assignments that would govern natural resources-related issues, and he is not taking any compensation for his legislative role. Legal counsel for the Utah Democratic Party and Joshua Hardy, Ferry’s opponent in November, wrote to Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson’s office Thursday asking for Ferry to be disqualified from the ballot since he’s ineligible to hold office if he is reelected.\n\nVermont\n\nMontpelier: The state’s primary election results have been certified after a delay caused by a technical issue, Secretary of State Jim Condos announced Tuesday. The vote tallies and winners in the Aug. 9 primary were certified as official at a meeting of the canvassing committee Monday, he said. “The tri-partisan certification of election results as official is an important step in verifying the accuracy and integrity of our election results,” Condos said in a statement. “Vermonters deserve to have 100% confidence that official vote totals accurately reflect the ballots cast by voters. That is why results are carefully reviewed and certified by a member of each major political party.” Of the 133,578 ballots cast, 809 were deemed defective, his office said. Of those, 492 were fixed by voters under the new ballot-curing provisions of Vermont’s election law, leaving 317 defective ballots that were unable to be counted, he said. That amounts to a very low defective ballot rate under 0.25%, he said. The secretary of state’s office said a week ago that the certification was delayed because a state contractor had been unable to resolve a technology issue affecting the office’s ability to produce reports from votes submitted by town and city clerks.\n\nVirginia\n\nFairfax: Police say their efforts to inform a school system about the arrest of a counselor on solicitation charges were thwarted by undeliverable emails. Fairfax County Public Schools has launched an investigation into how Darren Thornton, 50, was able to keep his job as a counselor at Glasgow Middle School for 20 months after his arrest on charges of soliciting prostitution from a minor in November 2020. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin and others criticized the school system after police in Chesterfield County, where Thornton was arrested, said they informed school administrators in Fairfax County at the time of the arrest in 2020. Now, though, Chesterfield police say the emails they sent back in 2020 never went through. In a statement posted Tuesday on Facebook, Chesterfield County police Chief Jeffrey Katz said the email addresses his agency used had typos in them. “I think it is important not to lose sight of the fact that our staff caught Thornton (twice),” Katz said. “We made good faith efforts (twice) to ensure he was appropriately dealt with by the criminal justice system and his employer.” Thornton was arrested as part of an online sting when a police officer posing as a 17-year-old connected with Thornton over the internet.\n\nWashington\n\nGeorge: The Grant County Sheriff’s Office believes its deputies stopped a man from carrying out a mass shooting at the Gorge Amphitheater on Friday night. The sheriff’s office said people at the event and security personnel told them about 9 p.m. of a man in the parking lot near his vehicle, KOIN-TV reports. Witnesses saw the man inhale an unknown substance from a balloon and then load two 9 mm pistols from the trunk of his car, according to the sheriff’s office. Witnesses also told investigators the man put one gun in the waistband of his pants and the other in a holster that was outside his waistband. Witnesses say he then approached concertgoers and asked what time the concert ended and where they would be leaving the venue. The sheriff’s office said the man, identified as Jonathan Moody of Ephrata, Washington, was stopped by security outside the gates and disarmed. The sheriff’s office said no one was injured. After investigating, deputies arrested Moody on suspicion of one count of possession of a dangerous weapon and one count of unlawful carrying or handling of a weapon. Moody was lodged in the Grant County Jail. It wasn’t immediately known if he had a lawyer to comment on his behalf.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nCharleston: A rainy summer has set a record in the state capital. With a month still left in the summer, the 23.23 inches of rain that have fallen in Charleston since June 21 broke the mark of 23.13 inches set in 1958, the National Weather Service said. Nearly 4 inches of rain fell last week in the Charleston area. Flooding in parts of Kanawha and Fayette counties prompted Gov. Jim Justice to declare a state of emergency. Five of the 10 rainiest summers in Charleston have occurred this century. The others happened in 2003, 2006, 2013 and 2018, the weather service said.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: Republicans who control the Legislature asked a judge Tuesday to dismiss Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul’s lawsuit challenging Wisconsin’s 173-year-old abortion ban. Kaul filed the lawsuit in June after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, the landmark decision that essentially legalized abortion across the country. The ruling gave states the authority to regulate abortion on their own, putting Wisconsin’s ban back into play. The ban prohibits abortions in every instance except to save the mother’s life. Kaul’s lawsuit argues that the ban conflicts with a 1985 Wisconsin law that allows abortions before a fetus has grown enough that it could survive outside the womb. That point in time is unclear; some physicians say it’s about 20 weeks, others around 28 weeks. The attorney general also argues that the ban is unenforceable because it has become obsolete. The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board and former Democratic state Rep. Sheldeon Wasserman, who works as an obstetrician and gynecologist, have joined Kaul as plaintiffs in the case. Senate President Chris Kapenga, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMehieu and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, all named defendants, filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in Dane County Circuit Court.\n\nWyoming\n\nJackson: The state has lost its holdout status in the monkeypox outbreak, with the Wyoming Health Department reporting Monday morning that a case has been detected in Laramie County, the Jackson Hole News&Guide reports.\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/08/24"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2021/03/19/pandemic-popcorn-doctors-notes-red-lantern-award-news-around-states/115577868/", "title": "Pandemic popcorn, doctor's notes: News from around our 50 states", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nMontgomery: Two Alabama National Guard-staffed mobile vaccination units will begin canvassing counties in the Black Belt and Wiregrass regions next week in an effort to expand COVID-19 inoculations to some of the state’s most rural communities. Vaccinations will begin Tuesday in Covington and Sumter counties. Gov. Kay Ivey announced the locations Thursday, saying in a statement that delivering vaccine to rural Alabama is important to her due to her own upbringing in rural Wilcox County. “I am proud that our guardsmen stand willing to help our great state in any way, especially as we look to put this virus in our rearview mirror,” Ivey said. “I encourage everyone eligible to take advantage of this great resource, and please remain patient as we continue working to get our hands on as many doses as we are able from the federal government. Be sure to help get the word out to your family, friends and neighbors!” The ALNG units will be able to issue “at least 1,000” doses per day, per site, in a Tuesday-through-Friday schedule. Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said last week the extra weekday will be used for planning and handling data. The clinics, open to all Alabamians free of charge, are expected to run between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.\n\nAlaska\n\nAnchorage: The final musher has crossed the finish line in this year’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, nearly three days after the winner reached the finish line near the small community of Willow. Victoria Hardwick finished the race at 12:22 a.m. Thursday, claiming the race’s Red Lantern Award. The lantern is an Alaska tradition, awarded annually to the competition’s last-place finisher. Race officials say the award honors the final musher’s perseverance in not giving up. Hardwick, of Bethel, Alaska, finished the race 36th, completing the 850-mile race in 10 days, 9 hours, 22 minutes and 6 seconds. It’s her second Red Lantern Award. She got her first in the 2019 race, when she placed 39th. This year’s race started March 7 with 47 mushers. Nine quit the race, and one was withdrawn after testing positive for the coronavirus. Because of the pandemic, mushers didn’t follow the traditional route that travels across Alaska and ends at Nome at the Bering Sea. It was shortened to a loop with mushers starting and ending the race near Willow, about 50 miles north of Anchorage. It was the first time Nome was not the finish line for the world’s most famous sled dog race. Dallas Seavey won his fifth Iditarod championship, crossing the finish line early Monday morning. He’s now tied with Rick Swenson for the most-ever Iditarod wins.\n\nArizona\n\nPhoenix: State lawmakers on Tuesday advanced legislation offering a broad shield from lawsuits related to COVID-19, saying businesses and health care providers deserve protection for doing their best during a challenging time. Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee backed the measure in a party-line vote over strong objections from trial lawyers and consumer advocates, who said the measure would reward bad actors who flouted health guidance. Very few lawsuits have been filed related to COVID-19, critics say. The bill, which has already passed the Senate, would raise the bar for successful pandemic-related lawsuits against businesses, health care providers, nursing homes, nonprofits, governments, churches and schools. Instead of proving negligence by a preponderance of the evidence, plaintiffs would have to prove “gross negligence” or “willful misconduct” by clear and convincing evidence. That’s a “double whammy” requiring plaintiffs to both show more egregious conduct and meet a higher standard of proof, said Barry Aarons, a lobbyist for Arizona trial lawyers. The legislation effectively creates broad immunity for anyone who can claim some link to the pandemic, he said. A nursing home might claim, for example, it was unable to properly respond to a patient’s stroke or heart attack because of COVID-19.\n\nArkansas\n\nLittle Rock: The state Supreme Court has said it will hear arguments in a lawsuit by a group of legislators challenging Arkansas’ coronavirus restrictions. Justices granted the request for oral arguments in the case late last week but did not immediately schedule the hearing. A Pulaski County judge last year dismissed the lawsuit, and the legislators appealed to the Supreme Court. The case is moving forward a week after Gov. Asa Hutchinson lifted most of the state’s virus restrictions but left the state’s mask mandate in place through at least the end of March. It also comes after the Senate passed a measure expanding the Legislature’s ability to terminate a disaster declaration during a public health emergency. The lawsuit argues that the restrictions put in place during the pandemic required legislative approval. Arkansas on Wednesday reported 14 more coronavirus deaths as the state saw a drop in its active virus cases. The Department of Health said the state’s COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic began now total 5,507. The state’s active virus cases, which don’t include people who have recovered or died, dropped by 67 to 2,808. The state reported 325 new cases, bringing its total since the pandemic began to 327,781. Its COVID-19 hospitalizations increased by three to 260.\n\nCalifornia\n\nLos Angeles: AMC Theatres says it will have 98% of its U.S. movie theaters open Friday as a bunch of theaters reopen in California. Even more are expected to open by March 26. AMC said more than 40 of its locations in the Golden State are reopening Friday, and the state is expected to open 52 of its 54 locations by Monday. The company is preparing to resume operations at the rest of its California locations once the proper local approvals are in place. AMC’s announcement is welcomed by film fans not only because more of them will get to return to reclining seats and a stadium-style format but also because it means the company has hopefully put the worst behind it. It was only in June that AMC cautioned it may not survive the coronavirus pandemic, as its theaters closed and film studios started releasing more movies directly to viewers on streaming services. More theaters opening will also mean more jobs. AMC spokesman Ryan Noonan said the company is welcoming back employees from before theaters were shut down, as well as bringing in new workers. All will be trained on its cleaning and safety protocols, which include social distancing and automatic seat blocking in each theater, mandatory mask-wearing, hand sanitizing stations, upgraded air filtration, contactless ticketing, and mobile ordering for food and drinks.\n\nColorado\n\nDenver: A state Senate panel advanced a bill Wednesday that would grant minimum wage and overtime rights to thousands of farmworkers and allow them to organize and join labor unions. The bill, sponsored by three Democratic lawmakers, would regulate working hours for overtime, rest and eating breaks and would guarantee farmworkers living in cramped quarters space that conforms with distancing guidelines recommended by health authorities to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Several states allow farmworkers collective bargaining to some extent – among the many rights originally denied them on the basis of skin color under U.S. labor laws first adopted in the 1930s. “Generations of workers have been exploited for profit,” said Sen. Jessie Danielson, a bill co-sponsor who was raised on a family farm in northern Colorado. Danielson told the Senate Business, Labor, and Technology Committee that most farmers and ranchers treat their workers well. But she cited a litany of abuse, including relentless work hours in all weather conditions, substandard housing, lack of regular access to medical care, and the fear of retribution, including firing, for workers who complain about their labor and living conditions. “The pandemic brought the struggle of these essential workers to the forefront,” Danielson said.\n\nConnecticut\n\nHartford: The state House of Representatives on Tuesday voted unanimously in favor of legislation that requires Gov. Ned Lamont to provide top legislative leaders with recommendations for spending the approximately $2.6 billion Connecticut expects to receive in state COVID-19 relief funds from the latest congressional package. The legislation creates an unusual process that ultimately gives the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee until May 16 to report its approval or modifications to Lamont’s proposal, if any, to the leaders. “I wanted to make sure that we as a group, we are a team addressing the Coronavirus American Rescue Fund and that all of us are participating in making the decisions and supporting what we need to do with these dollars,” said Rep. Toni Walker, D-New Haven, the House chair of the Appropriations Committee. Rep. Mike France, R-Ledyard, the top House Republican on the committee, said he’s pleased the legislation also requires Lamont’s budget office to provide legislators with an accounting of how Connecticut spent earlier federal pandemic aid. The bill now awaits final legislative approval by the state Senate.\n\nDelaware\n\nWilmington: Officials at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Wilmington have announced that all veterans enrolled in Veterans Affairs health care are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. The Delaware State News reports veterans must be enrolled in VA health care. And they should preferably receive care at the Wilmington VAMC or one of its five Community Based Outpatient Clinics in Delaware or southern New Jersey. “By expanding the eligibility criteria, we will be able to vaccinate all of our veterans more quickly and get closer to having staff return to their team assignments so we can offer more routine care to veterans at a pre-pandemic level,” Vince Kane, director of the Wilmington VAMC, said in a statement. The Wilmington VAMC has so far administered more than 22,000 vaccine doses to veterans and medical center staff.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: More than two dozen clergy members from the capital region rolled up their sleeves inside the Washington National Cathedral and got vaccinated against COVID-19 on Tuesday in a camera-friendly event designed to encourage others to get their own shots. The interfaith “vaccine confidence” event targeted in particular Black, Latino and other communities of color, with the aim of overcoming reluctance among populations disproportionately hit by a pandemic that has killed more than a half-million people in the country. “Over 50% of all cases and almost half of all deaths are in persons of African American, Latino or Hispanic background, American Indian and Pacific Islanders,” said Dr. Eliseo Perez-Stable, director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. “Now, much has been said about, ‘Well, the risk is greater because there’s more disease, more diabetes, more obesity, more heart disease.’ But the reality is that the infections are more likely because people live in more crowded conditions. They work in jobs that do not allow the privilege of teleworking. They cannot self-isolate at home.” Following a moment of prayer for COVID-19 victims, the socially distanced attendees applauded when the Rev. Patricia Hailes Fears from Fellowship Baptist Church became the first one present to be inoculated.\n\nFlorida\n\nFort Lauderdale: Claes Bell repeatedly called his doctor, desperate to get a state form signed so he could get a COVID-19 vaccine before traveling to be at his father’s bedside after heart surgery. But the 39-year-old, who suffers from hypertension, said he couldn’t get through and eventually called a private, 24-hour emergency doctors network where he paid $45 for a virtual consult. “I’m privileged. I have the money to pay for that,” said Bell, a father of three. “It just sets up a scenario where your outcomes are going to be different depending on your income and employment.” Gov. Ron DeSantis recently opened up vaccine eligibility for younger people with health conditions to get the jab at pharmacies and community centers, but they’re required to have their doctor’s OK. The form requires little more than a signature and is aimed at preventing healthy younger people from jumping the line. But critics say it’s an onerous added barrier for minorities and low-income residents without health insurance or access to a doctor. The inequitable distribution of has been an ongoing challenge for the governor. Of the 3.2 million people who have received one or two doses, less than 6% have been Black – about a third of the corresponding share of the state’s population. Even those like Bell with insurance say they can’t reach their doctors because their offices have been flooded with requests.\n\nGeorgia\n\nSavannah: Pulling the plug on the South’s largest St. Patrick’s Day parade didn’t stop the party in Savannah, where gaudy green-clad tourists kept bars, restaurants and hotels busy for days and had police handing out thousands of masks amid fears the revelry could brew a coronavirus outbreak. Tourism officials and business owners said the Irish holiday Wednesday and the weekend preceding it were the busiest they’ve seen since the pandemic began a year ago. They credited visitors weary of the virus and given hope by rising vaccinations. “The ’rona might not be done with us, but there are a lot of people who are done with the ’rona,” said Jessica Walden, co-owner of the bar Bay Street Blues near Savannah’s riverfront. St. Patrick’s Day is typically the most lucrative time of year in Savannah, whose parade dates to 1824. It has since ballooned into one of the South’s biggest street parties after Mardi Gras. The celebration Wednesday was notably more subdued. Still, a steady stream of people strolled downtown sidewalks and the riverfront promenade of bars and souvenir shops. Tables outside restaurants were mostly full, and a daiquiri bar had more than a dozen people lined up waiting to enter. Only about half the people celebrating outside wore masks, despite a large green banner hanging from City Hall urging revelers to “MASK UP.”\n\nHawaii\n\nLihue: As the coronavirus ravaged other parts of the U.S., residents of this rural Pacific island watched safely from afar. Kauai, one of the world’s most sought-after vacation destinations, has been nearly impossible to visit for most of the past year, with officials bucking pressure to ease quarantine rules as the state’s economy tanked. As a result, Hawaii’s least populated county has been one of the safest places to be. Hair salons were open, kids went to school and played team sports, and residents enjoyed restaurants, bars and beaches without the typical hordes of visitors – or the fears of surging virus numbers. As of Wednesday, Kauai has recorded only 218 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, compared with more than 28,000 statewide. Now, local officials are loosening restrictions, saying early measures and the island’s departure from a state testing program that allowed in more people gave it time to build a strong foundation of public health. A unique “resort bubble” program also helped Kauai bring back some tourists and prepare to reopen more broadly. Next month, the island will rejoin the state’s Safe Travels program, which allows travelers to avoid quarantine with a single negative pre-flight coronavirus test.\n\nIdaho\n\nBoise: A fourth lawmaker in the state House of Representatives has tested positive for the coronavirus in less than a week’s time – and just as the Legislature is debating a bill that would ban local governments from requiring that people wear masks. The increasing number of lawmakers out sick with the virus has legislative leaders in the conservative state worried they may not be able to finish business in a timely fashion. “Of course I’m concerned,” Republican House Speaker Scott Bedke said Wednesday, before the announcement of the fourth COVID-19 diagnosis among his colleagues. Bedke wasn’t wearing a face covering but put one on before getting in an elevator in the Statehouse. “We’re reemphasizing the safety protocols. We also want to be done by the end of the month. I guess we’ll just see how it goes,” he said. Republican Rep. Julie Yamamoto said Thursday that she tested positive Wednesday afternoon and immediately left the Statehouse. She had been on the House floor earlier in the day without a mask as lawmakers debated a huge tax-cut bill. All four lawmakers out with the illness are Republicans who rarely or never wear masks. “I actually feel fine,” Yamamoto said. “The coughing is the worst thing. And I was doing that before with just the asthma and allergies.”\n\nIllinois\n\nChicago: The city will expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility this month to include people with underlying health conditions and more categories of workers, including in food service and construction, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Wednesday. The expansion to so-called Phase 1c is expected March 29. It’s the last category before vaccines are available to the wider public. Illinois has allowed people with some underlying health conditions to receive the shots since last month, but Chicago and its surrounding areas have largely held off because supplies are limited in the densely populated region. The expansion includes workers in finance, higher education and retail. Still, issues persist with snagging limited appointments and eligibility confusion. Criteria have changed several times at a federally backed mass vaccination site at the United Center, which has allowed people with underlying health conditions since it opened this month. Initially, it was supposed to be open to Illinois residents but then was narrowed to Chicagoans. Later, those in city ZIP codes hit hard by the pandemic were given priority, with officials saying suburban Cook County residents would be offered limited access. Also Wednesday, Chicago schools officials announced staff and vendors can sign up for vaccinations at four dedicated sites for educators.\n\nIndiana\n\nIndianapolis: The state attorney general’s office vigorously defended Gov. Eric Holcomb’s emergency powers in response to a restaurant’s lawsuit challenging his order that masks must be worn inside restaurants – even though Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita, who took office in January, previously called for curbing the governor’s authority. Yergy’s State Road BBQ in Bluffton filed a suit in December against the Wells County Health Department, Holcomb and the state after it was shut down for violating face-covering requirements and capacity limits amid the pandemic. The lawsuit contends that the county health order closing the restaurant was based on unconstitutional executive orders issued by the governor and that Holcomb didn’t have authority to mandate mask-wearing without backing from the Legislature. The restaurant in the town about 20 miles south of Fort Wayne maintains the order caused “unjust injury to Yergy’s fundamental civil rights, liberty interests and property rights.” The state attorney general’s office, however, argues that based on “broad, clear, and unambiguous language” of Indiana’s emergency powers law, the General Assembly “intended to grant the executive branch the authority to protect Hoosiers through an emergency declaration.”\n\nIowa\n\nDes Moines: Zero Iowa nursing homes have active COVID-19 outbreaks as of Thursday, a milestone in the pandemic response nearly a year after the disease wound its way into the state. Nursing home residents are particularly vulnerable to the disease and have accounted for nearly 40% of the state’s 5,600-plus deaths, despite making up less than 1% of the state’s population. Family visits to the facilities were strictly limited last spring as officials tried to keep the virus from finding a foothold in the facilities. That led to months of isolation for thousands of frail, elderly Iowans. “Without a doubt this has been probably the longest and most difficult journey for long-term care providers in their lifetimes,” Iowa Health Care Association Senior Vice President Lori Ristau said in an interview. “Residents are like a second family to them. So that was very traumatic and a lot to work through. That makes the progress we’re seeing even more meaningful and more joyful because of how long this road has been for them.” Nursing home residents, along with health care providers, were the top priority for immunization after vaccines arrived in the state in December. Gov. Kim Reynolds said during a Wednesday news conference that more than 90% of residents and 60% of staff have been vaccinated.\n\nKansas\n\nTopeka: Legislators are working to give prosecutors and courts time to clear a backlog of several thousand criminal cases that built up during the coronavirus pandemic, though they disagree about how much is enough time. The Senate approved a bill Wednesday night that would suspend until May 1, 2023, a law aimed at protecting defendants’ constitutional right to a speedy trial. The law requires cases to come to trial within five months of a defendant who has been jailed entering a plea and within six months if the defendant is free on bond. Lawmakers have said there’s a backlog of about 5,000 criminal cases, and prosecutors worry many of them will have to be dismissed if the deadlines are not suspended. “This is a serious public safety issue,” said Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Kellie Warren, R-Leawood. “It’s a solution. It’s not ideal, but it’s that something that we still need.” The House approved its version of the measure three weeks ago, suspending the speedy trial deadlines for three years instead of two, until May 1, 2024. It can either accept the Senate’s version and send that to Gov. Laura Kelly or demand negotiations with senators. But some GOP conservatives and Democrats are nervous about suspending the deadlines, worried defendants will languish unnecessarily in jail.\n\nKentucky\n\nFrankfort: Republican lawmakers have doubled down on demanding that the Democratic governor obtain their approval before spending the massive federal pandemic relief headed to the state. The lawmakers also started signaling their own priorities for allocating Kentucky’s share of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, passed by congressional Democrats over united Republican opposition. The state government is expected to receive about $2.4 billion. Friction between Gov. Andy Beshear and GOP lawmakers extended to the budget when the Legislature mostly held the line on spending, rejecting extra outlays Beshear wanted for education and other priorities. Now they’re trying to find a path forward on spending the federal relief. One potential place for common ground is broadband – a priority for Beshear and lawmakers alike. The GOP-dominated Legislature pushed through a bill Tuesday designating $250 million of the federal aid to extend broadband service to the hardest-to-reach regions of Kentucky. Meanwhile, Republicans tucked language into another spending bill Tuesday putting more restrictions on Beshear, saying the governor’s budget office would forfeit more than $900,000 into the state’s budget reserve fund if any of the federal funds are spent without the Legislature’s permission.\n\nLouisiana\n\nBaton Rouge: With states receiving steady supplies of vaccine, Gov. John Bel Edwards on Thursday further expanded eligibility to a long list of healthy essential workers who don’t have one of the two dozen medical conditions that already provided access to the shots. As the Democratic governor announced the widened eligibility, the state also kicked off an outreach campaign aimed at getting vaccines to people in underserved areas and persuading those who are skeptical, as the state continues to see available, unused appointments for its vaccine doses. The new immunization eligibility rules, which take effect Monday, will include workers at grocery stores, bars, restaurants and colleges. That’s expected to be the last expansion of access before Edwards throws open vaccinations to all adults around the state. Already, most of the adult population is expected to meet one of the eligibility criteria on the books. Those added to the list Monday will also include people who work at agricultural sites, post offices, manufacturing facilities, utility companies, construction sites, banks and veterinarian offices. Judges and their staff, public transit workers, river pilots, clergy, communications workers, people in the media and security staff all will be eligible.\n\nMaine\n\nPortland: Younger Mainers account for a growing number of COVID-19 infections in the state, raising concerns that they could fuel another spike. People in their 20s make up the highest percentage of new cases, about 18%, and those under 20 account for nearly 16%, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Together, those groups account for about a third of new infections, compared with residents over 70, who account for nearly 12% of cases but 85% of deaths. There are signs pointing to another wave of COVID-19 cases, and young people are most likely to facilitate that spike, Dr. James Jarvis, COVID-19 incident commander for Northern Light Health, told the Portland Press Herald. While younger people aren’t as likely to suffer from severe illness, they can still spread the coronavirus to others, including at-risk groups, often while having no symptoms themselves, Jarvis said. “If young people are infected and then go visit (others), that’s just one step away from an outbreak occurring.”\n\nMaryland\n\nBaltimore: Restaurants, retail outlets and gyms are among locations that will see a further loosening of COVID-19 restrictions just days after Mayor Brandon Scott pushed back against Gov. Larry Hogan’s decision to reopen many businesses statewide. Beginning Friday, March 26, Baltimore will allow indoor dining at 50% of capacity and outdoor dining at 75% capacity, news outlets report. Religious facilities, retail, indoor and outdoor recreation, gyms and casinos will also be allowed to operate at 50% of capacity. Until now, indoor dining in Baltimore had been operating at 25% of capacity, as had gyms, retail, shopping malls and recreation. Outdoor dining was permitted at 50% of capacity. Scott’s order is still stricter than the reopening plan allowed under Hogan’s statewide order, announced last week, which allows for lifting capacity restrictions at restaurants and opening up large indoor and outdoor venues to 50% capacity. Scott weighed the city’s legal options for several days ahead of Hogan’s order becoming effective Friday and eventually announced the city would stick to its existing restrictions despite ambiguity about his power to do so under Hogan’s order. However, Scott, a Democrat, said Wednesday that the city will now begin reevaluating COVID-19 restrictions on a two-week basis.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nBoston: Just in time for baseball season, ballparks, arenas, and indoor and outdoor stadiums will be allowed to open Monday with a strict 12% capacity limit after submitting a plan to the state Department of Public Health. The step is part of the state’s ongoing reopening efforts as Massachusetts continues to ramp up vaccination efforts and as hospitalizations associated with COVID-19 continue to drop, according to the Baker administration. Also Monday, gathering limits for event venues and in public settings will increase to 100 people indoors and 150 people outdoors. Outdoor gatherings at private residences and in private backyards will remain at a maximum of 25 people, with indoor house gatherings remaining at 10 people. Dance floors will be permitted at weddings and other events only, and overnight summer camps will be allowed to operate this summer. Exhibition and convention halls may also begin to operate, following gatherings limits and event protocols. Beginning Monday, Massachusetts will institute a new pandemic travel advisory that will urge everyone entering the state, including returning residents, to quarantine for 10 days after arriving if they’ve been out of state for 24 hours or more. An earlier advisory called for a 14-day quarantine and made it a mandate.\n\nMichigan\n\nLansing: The state had the country’s fifth-highest rate of new COVID-19 cases in the last week and is among 14 states where infections rose over the past two weeks, a trend that may be tied to the increasing prevalence of a more contagious coronavirus variant, health officials said Wednesday. The seven-day case average was 2,372, an increase of more than 1,000 from March 1. The average positivity rate, 6.4%, was 3.8% two weeks ago. Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s chief medical executive, said Michigan is in a “different place” than earlier in the pandemic because of vaccinations but warned that herd immunity is still quite some distance away. At least 25% of residents 16 and up have received at least one dose. State Health and Human Services Director Elizabeth Hertel said to achieve herd immunity and stop the uncontrolled spread of the virus, 90% to 95% of people will probably need to have immunity. Meanwhile, more than 220 Defense Department military and support personnel are expected at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday to support COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Shots are expected to start Wednesday and run for eight weeks. Lt. Gen. Laura J. Richardson, commander of U.S. Army North, said 6,000 vaccines can be administered each day at the site. “State government can’t tackle this pandemic and the vaccination drive alone,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday during a news conference at Ford Field.\n\nMinnesota\n\nSt. Paul: Officials at the Department of Natural Resources say sales of its statewide cross country ski pass have been the best in six years. The DNR says more than 17,900 people bought the Great Minnesota Ski Pass, which is required to access many trails in the state. The agency collected more than $510,000 from sales, which will go toward trail maintenance, Minnesota Public Radio News reports. The Legislature in 2019 increased prices from $6 to $10 for the daily pass, from $20 to $25 for the annual pass and from $55 to $70 for the three-year pass. DNR spokeswoman Rachel Hopper said the trail maintenance fund saw decreasing revenue in recent years that forced a delayed payment to clubs in 2019, before the new prices were in effect. This winter’s boost, which she attributed in part to the COVID-19 pandemic steering people toward outdoor activity, has helped refill the fund. “Sales were so good that we were able to move the payments back to the normal timing,” Hopper said.\n\nMississippi\n\nJackson: A Millsaps College and Chism Strategies State of the State quarterly survey showed 63% of the more than 600 participants said they will “definitely or probably” get vaccinated against COVID-19. Another 25% noted they either would not get the shot or were unsure about it. That’s a significant leap from January, when the survey found almost 50% of people said they would refuse the vaccine or were uncertain. “We have seen a massive turnaround in just two months in the way Mississippians perceive the coronavirus vaccination program,” Nathan Shrader, Millsaps College Department of Government and Politics chair, said Thursday. He pointed to education about COVID-19 vaccines and encouragement from state officials and public health experts as the drivers that surged vaccination support. As of Thursday, more than 330,000 Mississippians were fully vaccinated, 11% of the state’s population. Among survey results, 55% of participants disagreed with Gov. Tate Reeves’ repeal of all county mask mandates, saying the decision was made too soon. Although Reeves rolled back mask mandates, state health officials continue to urge mask-wearing and social distancing.\n\nMissouri\n\nClayton: A new effort has begun in St. Louis County to help homebound residents and people with disabilities get vaccinations. The county health department is working with 15 fire and emergency management services districts to deliver COVID-19 vaccine to homes and independent living facilities, St. Louis Public Radio reports. “We’ve lined up a lot of partners, and we already have a lot of people who have been asking us for this for quite some time,” said Spring Schmidt, the county’s deputy director of public health. A pilot program began earlier this month with five fire districts. Schmidt said the county is expanding the effort to prioritize people who have no other choice than to have a vaccine delivered to their home. “Some homebound residents can rely on family members or loved ones to drive them to schedule appointments, but not everyone can immediately respond when a vaccine becomes available,” said Dawn Chapman, a member of the county’s disability commission who also is helping schedule vaccine appointments. Meanwhile, the Kansas City region is seeing a slight uptick in the rolling average for new coronavirus cases. The region, which includes Kansas City and its suburbs in both Missouri and Kansas, reported 160 new cases Wednesday.\n\nMontana\n\nHelena: The state has a total of 19 confirmed cases of coronavirus variants in 11 counties, the state health department said Wednesday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified the state this week of 11 tests that identified variants matching two California strains and another that originated in New York, along with three more cases of the United Kingdom variant already identified in Gallatin County. The California and New York variants involve specimens that were submitted for testing from January to early March in Beaverhead, Cascade, Glacier, Hill, Jefferson, Madison, Phillips, Roosevelt, Silver Bow and Valley counties. When these samples were initially submitted for testing, the California and New York versions had not yet been classified by CDC. Gallatin County has 11 known cases of the U.K. variant, including the three that were confirmed this week. “Montana continues to submit both random and suspect COVID-19 samples to the CDC for testing,” said Adam Meier, director of the Department of Public Health and Human Services. Meier stressed the best thing Montanans can do to protect themselves is get vaccinated and continue to follow CDC guidelines about wearing masks, social distancing, staying home if sick, washing hands often and avoiding large crowds.\n\nNebraska\n\nOmaha: A variant of the coronavirus first found in Brazil has been found in the city, state health officials said. On Wednesday, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services confirmed two people in Douglas County had tested positive for the so-called Brazil P.1 variant, the Omaha World-Herald reports. That strain is believed to be responsible for a surge in hospitalizations in Brazil even though many people there had already developed COVID-19 and made antibodies against it. Investigations into the Douglas County cases are underway, state health officials said. As of Thursday, the state’s virus-tracking dashboard showed more than 205,500 people in Nebraska have tested positive for the virus, and 2,130 have died from COVID-19 since the outbreak began last year. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska has decreased over the past two weeks, going from nearly 261 new cases per day March 2 to just over 232 new cases per day Tuesday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.\n\nNevada\n\nCarson City: The city is making all residents 16 and older eligible for COVID-19 vaccines starting April 5 as part of its efforts to inoculate the population as quickly as possible. Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak on Wednesday said opening eligibility was made possible through the approval of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and increased production. But whether shots would be available, he said, depended on the supply delivered by the federal government. The timeline could mean appointments in the coming weeks open to hundreds of thousands more people in Nevada, where roughly 61% of the population is older than 18 and younger than 65. The state’s new timeline satisfies the goal that President Joe Biden announced last week, when he said he wanted everyone in the U.S. 18 and older to be eligible for vaccines by May 1. The timeline would not require Nevada to alter its vaccine playbook that prioritized and designated available doses for seniors and front-line workers. Throughout the state, teachers, health care workers, police officers and hospitality industry workers have already been made eligible to receive the vaccine, as have individuals ages 65 and older. Nevada also plans to make residents 16 and up with underlying health conditions eligible for shots Monday through partner pharmacies.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nKeene: Keene State College is planning for a fully in-person fall semester. Currently, classes have been a mix of in-person, hybrid or online, with many campus activities curtailed because of the coronavirus pandemic. But officials are planning to resume all in-person classes, athletic events, on-campus student activities and study-abroad opportunities in the fall. Keene State President Melinda Treadwell said officials expect to be in a better place by the end of the summer with the vaccine rollout underway. “Our students have told us loud and clear that they want to be together on campus in our community. We are having a successful spring semester, and are actively planning a shift to additional on-campus and in-person community experiences for the fall 2021 semester,” she said in a statement Wednesday. “Safety guided by science will remain a priority in the fall, and we will continue to carefully monitor the pandemic to make decisions accordingly.”\n\nNew Jersey\n\nJackson Township: Nothing, not even a global pandemic, can stop the team at Six Flags Great Adventure from entertaining guests year after year. The Jackson thrill park launches its 2021 season this month, with innovations necessitated by caution for COVID-19 still in place. “The pandemic required us to pivot and explore new ways to entertain, which included bringing back something from our past with a new twist,” said park marketing and public relations manager Kristin Fitzgerald. That something was the Six Flags Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure, which kicks off its season Saturday. The 4.5-mile trip across a 350-acre preserve housing approximately 1,200 animals resumed operation as a drive-thru experience in 2020 for the first time in nearly a decade. Across the park, COVID-19 safety measures remain in place, including a limit on daily attendance. All guests, including park members and season pass holders, must make advance reservations and are required to have been healthy for at least 14 days prior to visiting. All employees and guests older than 2 are required to wear masks covering their nose and mouth at all times, with the exception of designated mask break zones and in pools and waterpark attractions. Temperatures will be checked on arrival, and social distancing will be encouraged.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nKewa Pueblo: Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, made his first solo trip as the nation’s second gentleman Wednesday, stopping at a vaccination clinic in an Indigenous community in northern New Mexico and later meeting with a group of working mothers as part of an effort to promote the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package. Looking east toward snowcapped mountains, Emhoff told tribal leaders it was an honor for Kewa Pueblo to be his first stop in the state as he and other top Democrats have spent the past few days traveling and talking about the funding that will be trickling down to families, businesses, tribes, cities and state governments over the coming months. He watched as Kylea Garcia got her vaccination and took the opportunity to encourage others to do the same. “Get the vaccine when it’s your turn,” he said, “because it will save your life, and it will save the lives of others. It’s the right thing to do. It’s safe, it’s painless, and it’s going to help us all get through this pandemic.” Kewa Pueblo, formerly known as Santo Domingo Pueblo, has vaccinated more than 4,300 people, including most of its tribal members. At the heart of its efforts to combat COVID-19 has been the pueblo’s health clinic, which has been transitioning from testing and contact tracing to vaccinations. It recently opened a drive-thru for second doses.\n\nNew York\n\nNew York: Mayor Bill de Blasio got his COVID-19 shot Thursday, then ripped embattled Gov. Andrew Cuomo, accusing the fellow Democrat of letting his personal political crisis influence important decisions on pandemic restrictions. The mayor’s ire revolved around Cuomo’s decision Wednesday to lift a ban on indoor fitness classes – just a day after de Blasio said it was still unsafe for groups of people to exercise together indoors. “The state of New York continues to make decisions without consulting the city of New York or our health experts or any locality, and this is why we need local control,” said de Blasio, who has long chafed under Cuomo’s broad power to set coronavirus policy. De Blasio implied that Cuomo, who is facing sexual harassment allegations from several women, is easing coronavirus restrictions to curry favor with a virus-weary public. “Is this being done because of what the data and science is telling us, or is this being done for political reasons?” de Blasio asked. “Because it sure as hell looks like a lot of these decisions are being made by the governor because of his political needs.” Reporters were barred from a news briefing Thursday at which Cuomo announced a plan to let fans return to Yankees and Mets games this season.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nRaleigh: A sizable group of college students will be eligible for a vaccine in April, under guidance from the state Department of Health and Human Services. When North Carolina drafted its initial COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan in October 2020, college students were listed as a priority, just ahead of the general public. When schools reopened in August, the cohort proved it had the ability to rapidly contribute to community spread and fuel outbreaks through off-campus parties. But in January, North Carolina bumped the group from the priority list amid a backlash from state lawmakers and encouragement from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to give stronger preference to older adults and those working in certain job sectors. On Tuesday, health officials released a statement saying college students who live on campus or in other congregate settings will be able to receive starting April 7, regardless of their age, health condition or employment status. “We want to prioritize those in congregate settings,” state health department secretary Mandy Cohen said at a news conference Wednesday. “We know that’s where the virus spreads fastest, so that is why we’re doing that prioritization. I don’t think there’s going to be a huge time difference.”\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nBismarck: Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has announced that applications are again being accepted for 2021 Specialty Crop Grants due to additional one-time funding from a coronavirus relief package passed by Congress late last year. “Projects that solely enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in North Dakota are eligible for these grants,” Goehring said. “We encourage organizations, institutions and individuals to submit proposals on their own or in partnerships.” North Dakota has not yet received an allocation amount from USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service but is expected to receive it in the next few weeks. The North Dakota Department of Agriculture will distribute the funds through a competitive grant program. Goehring said an information manual with application instructions, scoring criteria and an application template can be found on NDDA’s website. Applications must be submitted in electronic form by 4 p.m. CDT April 7. Applications will then be reviewed, scored, ranked and provided to Agriculture Commissioner Goehring to determine which will be forwarded to USDA for final approval in May. Projects funded by the grants start Oct. 1, 2021, and must be completed by Sept. 30, 2023.\n\nOhio\n\nColumbus: High school juniors and seniors will be able to substitute their end-of-year grades for the statewide final exams as soon as the governor signs a bill passed nearly unanimously by the Ohio House and Senate on Wednesday. The legislation also waives the American history exam requirement, lets schools spend extra time administering all federally required tests and exempts home-schooled kids from yearly evaluations. “Our freshman and sophomore classes, though they were excluded, will still have time to meet the necessary requirements for graduation,” said Rep. Adam Bird, R-New Richmond. The bill’s passage followed weeks of debate about how to modify state testing requirements for students during the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Mike DeWine is expected to sign the bill. The original plan had been to let school districts choose whether they wanted to test kids at all. That idea became impossible in February when the Biden administration announced it wouldn’t be handing out waivers to federal testing requirements. So lawmakers quickly moved to determine how to test without harming students who’ve fallen behind during the pandemic. The exam results will be published by the Ohio Department of Education but won’t impact school rankings or eligibility for the EdChoice scholarship program.\n\nOklahoma\n\nTulsa: The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Department of Health and the federal Indian Health Service said Wednesday that they will provide 4,000 vaccinations to all Native Americans and members of their households during a two-day clinic next week. Any member of a federally recognized tribe and members of their households, Native American or not, are eligible for an appointment, said Muscogee (Creek) Health Secretary Shawn Terry. The March 26-27 clinic will be held at River Spirit Expo Center, the Tulsa World reports. About 21,000 of the tribal nation’s estimated 65,000 Oklahoma citizens have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, and the clinic is an effort to reach out to a larger population of Native Americans, according to Terry. “It’s a way for us to do a large event in an urban setting and do it efficiently,” he said. The Oklahoma State Department of Health on Wednesday reported a total of 433,516 coronavirus cases since the pandemic began and nearly 1.5 million vaccinations. The federal Centers for Disease Control has reported 7,610 deaths in Oklahoma due to COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, according to the state health department.\n\nOregon\n\nPortland: All adult residents will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine beginning May 1, state health officials confirmed Wednesday. Last week, following President Joe Biden’s pledge to make all adults eligible for vaccines by May 1, Gov. Kate Brown said she would not change the state’s eligibility schedule until she was sure Oregon would receive enough vaccines. Since then officials said they have received an order from the United States Department of Health and Human Services that directs vaccination sites to make the change with eligibility. “We are following up with the administration for more specifics about when vaccine shipments to states will increase, but in a briefing with governors earlier this week, it was clear the White House has worked hard to secure additional vaccine supplies for states in the coming weeks,” Charles Boyle, a spokesman from the governor’s office, said Wednesday. Those who can currently receive the vaccine include health care workers, first responders, teachers and residents over age 65. People who are 45 or older with a preexisting condition, seasonal and migrant farmworkers, food processors, the homeless and those affected by last summer’s wildfires are scheduled to become eligible March 29.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nHarrisburg: Health officials on Thursday announced changes to the state’s vaccine provider map to make finding appointments more accessible. The provider map will now allow the public to easily see what pharmacies and providers have received first doses of vaccine each week, Executive Deputy Secretary of Health Keara Klinepeter said. “It is also important to remember that doses do not equal appointments,” she said. “Even if a provider has received an allocation of doses, the provider is the best source of information as to whether they have appointments available.” Klinepeter said the state intends to centralize information on which providers have appointments available onto the map in the coming weeks. That will be important as the state moves toward opening vaccination appointments to more Pennsylvanians by May 1. Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said the department is currently working to restructure where vaccine doses are being sent to make sure the most Pennsylvanians possible are receiving shots. Beam said Pennsylvania is ranked second in the nation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for number of doses administered per 100,000 residents statewide. In total, 1.3 million Pennsylvanians are fully vaccinated, and 2.5 million have gotten a first dose.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: All residents ages 16 and older will be eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine starting April 19, Gov. Daniel McKee said Thursday. The change is possible because the state has learned it will be getting significantly more vaccine from the federal government in the near future, the Democratic governor said at a news conference. President Joe Biden promised last week that all the nation’s adults would be eligible by May 1. “If Rhode Island can get the vaccine supply we need, we can achieve and beat this goal,” he said. “We are confident the president will deliver.” He warned that it will likely take two weeks or so for everyone who wants an appointment to book one, but the goal is to provide a first dose of the vaccine to everyone who signs up by the end of May. The state has already given more than 282,000 vaccine first doses, while more than 136,000 people, or about 12% of the state population, have been fully vaccinated, state Department of Health Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott said. But she said mask-wearing is still important. If 70% of the state population is vaccinated, the state could lift COVID-19 emergency restrictions, McKee said.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nClemson: Clemson University is planning to have a mostly normal fall semester with more students in classrooms and more fans at football games. Thanks to weeks of low coronavirus spread on campus and the increased efforts of the state’s vaccine rollout, Clemson President Jim Clements announced the university would be almost all in-person next fall. “Almost all courses” will be offered completely in-person next semester, Clements said in a memo. This semester, about one-third of classes are completely in-person. Students and faculty will still be able to request virtual accommodations due to the coronavirus, but Clements said the school is banking on the community to be widely vaccinated by the time classes resume Aug. 18. Still, “we will continue to put the health of our staff, faculty, students, and community members first as we plan for the fall,” Clements said. Clemson spokesperson Joe Galbraith said the university will let employees and students continue to work from home only on a “case-by-case” basis. COVID-19 guidelines on capacity, masking and social distancing will remain in place until further notice, though, according to Galbraith.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nSioux Falls: The City Council has repealed an ordinance that required residents to put garbage containers curbside if their garbage hauler requested it. The ordinance, which was passed in April 2020 and repealed Tuesday evening in a 8-0 vote, was aimed at helping local garbage haulers facing workforce problems during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to save time during pickup. Its repeal means the city’s previous rules on garbage will once more be in effect, requiring garbage cans to be stored in an “inconspicuous place” and not put on the curb for pickup. Councilor Alex Jensen said he’d like to hear from Public Works at a future informational meeting about what they’d learned during that period and whether there were any changes that should or shouldn’t be considered.\n\nTennessee\n\nMemphis: Restaurant patrons can now sit eight to a table and dine until 1a.m., according to a new Shelby County health directive issued Wednesday. The directive, which goes into effect at midnight Saturday, still requires people seated together at restaurants to be from the same family or close contact group. Customers can stay until 1:30 a.m. to complete their meal or pay. Additionally, the Shelby County Health Department issued a new mask mandate, effective Wednesday, clarifying that people who cannot medically tolerate wearing a face covering do not have to wear a face shield. People declining to wear a face covering because of a medical condition are not required to show medical documentation. The mandate also clarifies that scarves, ski masks and balaclavas are not substitutes for masks, although coverings made of “suitable layered fabrics” are acceptable. Medical- or procedure-grade masks are recommended but not required.\n\nTexas\n\nGalveston: A woman who was recorded on police body camera video refusing to wear a mask at a bank last week was arrested Wednesday after declining to wear a mask inside another Texas business. Terry Wright, 65, already had a warrant out for her arrest after she refused to wear a mask in a Bank of America branch in Galveston last Thursday. On the video, she taunts the officer, asking if he’s going to arrest her. Police arrested Wright on Wednesday after she entered the Office Depot in Texas City and said she would not cover her nose and mouth to protect against the spread of the coronavirus, police spokesman Cpl. Allen Bjerke said. She was arrested on Galveston warrants for trespassing and resisting arrest, Bjerke said. Wright, of Grants Pass, Oregon, was taken into custody without incident, Bjerke said, noting that she was not charged for trespassing at the office supply store and that no additional charges were expected. Gov. Greg Abbott last week lifted statewide orders requiring people to wear face masks in public, declaring businesses should decide for themselves which COVID-19 precautions to take on their properties. Many businesses have kept their own mask rules in place.\n\nUtah\n\nSalt Lake City: All adults can begin signing up for a COVID-19 vaccine next Wednesday – one week earlier than previously planned because the state has unallocated doses, Gov. Spencer Cox said Thursday. About 15% of the state’s supply isn’t being claimed by eligible people making appointments, the Republican governor said. He acknowledged that opening up eligibility so widely means there won’t be enough vaccines for all residents over 18 at first but the goal is to prevent vaccines from going unused. “We always want to keep demand above availability,” Cox said during a televised news conference on PBS-Utah. Utah teenagers 16 and older may also have a chance to get the Pfizer vaccine in some parts of the state starting next week too, Cox said. New coronavirus cases have been decreasing since January. More than 714,000 of the state’s 3.2 million residents have been fully vaccinated, according to state data. More than 380,000 virus cases have been reported in Utah, along with 2,041 known deaths, according to state data.\n\nVermont\n\nBurlington: A committee of more than two dozen health care providers and advocates is calling for the immediate vaccination of the state’s prison inmates. WCAX-TV reports the memo from the COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Advisory Committee to Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine, dated Monday, says inmates have little or no ability to protect themselves or demand better conditions. The memo comes as the Department of Corrections continues to cope with an outbreak of COVID-19 at the Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport, the state’s largest prison. Gov. Phil Scott has said inmates are vaccinated when they fit within the state’s guidelines for age or high-risk medical conditions. All inmates will be eligible for vaccination by the end of April. “There are dozens and dozens of groups, sectors and populations who have requested prioritization. A case can be made for each,” said Scott spokesperson Jason Maulucci. “But with a limited supply, everyone can’t be at the front of the line, so preservation of life must be the top priority.” On Wednesday, the Department of Corrections reported 12 new cases of the coronavirus at the Newport prison, 10 among inmates and two among staff. There are currently 40 cases among inmates and six among staff at the prison.\n\nVirginia\n\nRichmond: Schools and colleges can hold outdoor graduation ceremonies with as many as 5,000 attendees. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports Gov. Ralph Northam made the announcement Wednesday. The Democratic governor said Virginia will restrict capacity at outdoor ceremonies to 5,000 people or 30% of the venue’s capacity, whichever is lower. Indoor ceremonies will be capped at 500 people or 30% of the venue’s capacity. All attendees will need to wear masks and socially distance themselves. “While graduation and commencement ceremonies will still be different than they were in the past, this is a tremendous step forward for all of our schools, our graduates and their families,” Northam said in a statement. School districts and colleges across the state are still deciding how best to honor this year’s graduates, though Liberty University said Thursday that it will offer an outdoor, in-person ceremony and an online option. The University of Virginia is considering two proposals: holding an in-person graduation this spring with no guests or postponing graduation until guests can attend. Virginia Tech intends to host several in-person ceremonies with a restricted number of guests. It will also host an online ceremony.\n\nWashington\n\nSeattle: A federal judge on Thursday dismissed an industry lawsuit that sought to block a $4-an-hour pay boost for Seattle grocery workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour issued the ruling after hearing oral arguments earlier in the day. “This is a big win for grocery store employees who have been critical and vulnerable frontline workers since the start of the pandemic,” City Attorney Pete Holmes said in a statement. The Seattle City Council in January approved the pay boost for workers at large grocery stores, to remain in effect as long as the city has a declared civil emergency related to the pandemic. Assistant City Attorney Jeremiah Miller told the judge the hazard pay was justified by the facts that the employees work among members of the public and are at higher risk of contracting the coronavirus and that grocery companies have made record profits during the pandemic. The judge rejected arguments by the Northwest Grocery Association and the Washington Food Industry Association that the pay increase interfered with collective bargaining and discriminated against large grocery stores. The industry warned that some stores would be unable to absorb the increased labor costs, especially those like Grocery Outlet that operate on smaller margins.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nCharleston: The state Supreme Court won’t be making its annual trip to the West Virginia University College of Law in Morgantown this year as a result of COVID-19, but the special docket of cases will be heard virtually. The school and the court have made arrangements to allow students and the public to watch the arguments online, Chief Justice Evan Jenkins said in a news release. “We will miss being on campus next week and the opportunity to meet in person with the students, but the justices are committed to continuing our outreach efforts even in a COVID environment,” Jenkins said. Documents for the cases have been posted online. The arguments will be streamed Tuesday on the court’s YouTube channel through a link on the West Virginia judiciary website. The court also will judge the finals of the Baker Cup Moot Court appellate advocacy competition at 1 p.m. The final competition will also be livestreamed.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: Implementing a new call center to help unemployed people 24 hours a day, seven days a week is moving ahead with the signing of a $1.2 million contract, Gov. Tony Evers’ administration announced Thursday. The state Department of Workforce Development received a $2.4 million federal grant that it is using to begin overhauling the 50-year-old computer system that Evers has blamed for causing delays in helping customers and getting out unemployment benefits amid the coronavirus pandemic. Problems with the state’s call center, which was unable to handle the massive spike in calls particularly early on in the pandemic, will be the first target for improvements with the system. Republicans have blamed the Democratic governor for not doing more sooner to address the problem, and a state audit showed less than 1% of calls to the hotline were answered by state officials. Evers fired Caleb Frostman, the former secretary of the department that handles unemployment claims, and pushed the Legislature to approve new funding to upgrade the computer system. Lawmakers have known for years that the department’s computer system and software were out of date, but the pandemic laid bare the problems. The department hopes to have the new call center up and running within six months.\n\nWyoming\n\nGillette: Shots of COVID-19 vaccine are now available or soon will be for anybody over 18 in almost one-third of the state’s counties. In the past few months, vaccines have been available to health care workers, first responders, residents of long-term care facilities and senior citizens, among others. Vaccines are now widely available or close to being in eight of Wyoming’s 23 counties: Campbell, Converse, Fremont, Hot Springs, Johnson, Sheridan, Washakie and Weston, Wyoming Department of Health spokeswoman Kim Deti said Thursday. At the same time, anybody who qualified for a vaccine earlier can still get it, Campbell County Public Health Director Jane Glaser told the Gillette News Record. The department recently got almost $500,000 in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding to help with vaccination clinic costs. “We were not getting complete supplies with the shipments of vaccines,” Glaser said. “We’ve had to use our own funds to purchase syringes and various things.” Campbell County Public Health has been doing three vaccination clinics per week, averaging between 260 and 300 vaccines per clinic. “We’re having a really good rollout with the vaccine so far, but it’s definitely not going to be over anytime soon,” Glaser said.\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/03/19"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/nancy-armour/2022/08/19/invasion-cisgender-utah-girls-privacy-shows-danger-anti-trans-laws/7840045001/", "title": "Invasion of cisgender Utah girl's privacy shows danger in anti-trans ...", "text": "Well, who could have predicted this? Aside from pretty much everyone.\n\nA Utah school combed through the education history of a cisgender girl last year after some parents who couldn't accept that their kids got beat launched a transgender witch hunt. Didn't let the girl or her parents know \"to keep the matter private,\" and instead asked her middle school and elementary school to check her enrollment records.\n\n\"The school went back to kindergarten and she'd always been a female.\"\n\nThat was an actual sentence uttered Wednesday night by an official with the Utah High School Activities Association, which is now tasked with being the gender police because some craven politicians have decided they can demonize transgender children – children! – for their own gain.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/08/19"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2021/07/14/manatee-mortality-bug-zapper-zaps-vision-borat-pot-suit-news-around-states/117514348/", "title": "Manatee mortality, bug zapper zaps vision: News from around our ...", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nMontgomery: The fees imposed by Alabama Power on the company’s customers who generate their own electricity with rooftop or on-site solar panels are now the subject of a federal lawsuit against the state’s regulators. Environmental groups argue that punishing fees are purposely discouraging the adoption of solar power in the sun-rich state. Alabama Power maintains that the fees are needed to maintain the infrastructure that provides backup power to customers when their solar panels don’t provide enough energy. The Southern Environmental Law Center and Ragsdale LLC filed the lawsuit Monday against the Alabama Public Service Commission on behalf four Alabama Power customers who installed solar panels on their properties and the Greater-Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution, or GASP. “We’re asking the court to require the Commission to follow the law so that Alabama Power will stop unfairly taxing private solar investments,” Keith Johnston, director of SELC’s Alabama office, said in a statement. “Alabama is being left behind by other Southern states when it comes to solar generation, and the jobs, bill savings and other benefits that come with it,” SELC’s statement said. “These charges are a significant roadblock to our state’s success.”\n\nAlaska\n\nJuneau: A lawsuit challenging a voter-approved initiative that would end party primaries and institute ranked-choice voting for general elections in Alaska is alleging constitutional violations, but the accusations are actually policy objections, an attorney for the state argued Monday. Assistant Attorney General Margaret Paton Walsh said the initiative setting out the new system does not violate constitutional rights. Political parties previously have used primaries to advance a nominee to the general election. Under the new system, the top four voter-getters in each race would advance to the general election, regardless of party. Superior Court Judge Gregory Miller did not immediately rule Monday after hearing arguments from Paton Walsh, attorneys for the plaintiffs and the group behind the initiative. Changes under the initiative that voters narrowly approved in November are set to take effect for next year’s elections, which will decide races for offices including U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor and lieutenant governor. The lawsuit was filed late last year by residents affiliated with the Libertarian Party and the Alaskan Independence Party. Anchorage attorney Kenneth P. Jacobus said Monday that he expected the case would go to the Alaska Supreme Court.\n\nArizona\n\nPhoenix: Members of the Legislature who live outside the metro Phoenix area will be getting a big increase in their daily expense pay under legislation Republican Gov. Doug Ducey allowed to become law Monday. It was the first time in seven years a bill became law without his signature. Ducey’s decision came two years after he vetoed similar legislation that would have boosted the expense pay of all 90 lawmakers. He said such an increase shouldn’t benefit Phoenix-area legislators who don’t have to maintain a second home, nor should it take effect without an election in between. The governor’s spokesman, C.J. Karamargin, said the new law isn’t perfect but is far more limited than the 2019 version. Lawmakers earn $24,000 a year. Those who live in Maricopa County get $35 a day in expense pay for the first 120 days of the session or while doing actual legislative work outside of session. Lawmakers from other parts of the state get $60 a day. The expense pay drops significantly after 120 days. Under the bill Ducey allowed to become law without his signature Monday, rural lawmakers will get the federal winter per diem rate for Phoenix during session, which is $207 a day – $151 a day for lodging and $56 for meals. Proponents of the legislation called it long overdue, noting that there had not been a change in the rate since 1984.\n\nArkansas\n\nLittle Rock: The state’s coronavirus hospitalizations increased by 68 over the weekend, the Department of Health said Monday as Arkansas remained tops in the country in new cases. The department said the state’s COVID-19 hospitalizations now total 565. The state’s virus cases increased by 2,013 to 357,473 total since the pandemic began. The department recently stopped reporting daily COVID-19 numbers on weekends, releasing the figures on Mondays instead. Arkansas has seen a resurgence in the coronavirus in recent weeks, fueled by the delta variant of the virus and the state’s low vaccination rate. The state’s COVID-19 deaths increased by seven over the past three days. The state leads the country in new cases per capita over the past two weeks, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University researchers. Only 35% of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\n\nCalifornia\n\nSacramento: Gov. Gavin Newsom can’t put his Democratic Party affiliation on the ballot voters see when they decide whether to remove him, a judge ruled Monday. Newsom’s campaign missed a deadline to submit his affiliation to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber for the Sept. 14 recall election. Newsom’s campaign said it was inadvertent and asked Weber, who was appointed by Newsom, to allow the affiliation to appear. She said the issue needed to go to a judge, so Newsom filed a lawsuit. His Republican opponents criticized the move as an attempt to change rules everyone else must follow. Newsom’s elections attorney, Thomas Willis, and an attorney for Weber both argued during an hourlong hearing Friday that Newsom merely missed an arbitrary, harmless filing deadline and that it is in the voters’ interest to know his party preference. Adding that information now wouldn’t cause a procedural problem because elections officials still have enough time to ensure Newsom’s party preference appears on the ballot along with those seeking to replace him, Weber said in a court filing. An attorney representing recall supporters noted that Newsom himself had signed the law that recently changed recall rules to speed up the election.\n\nColorado\n\nLoveland: The Northern Colorado Wildlife Center has seen double the number of turtles treated at the facility after being injured by vehicles, chewed on by dogs or picked up by people this year compared to years past – and there remains plenty of summer left. “We have had a lot more turtle patients this year,” said Kate Boyd, the center’s licensed wildlife rehabilitator. “All have been human-caused. The good news is a lot of folks are reaching out to us to get help for these animals. In the past, we have had a lot of folks see an animal that is or might get injured but think it’s not a big deal because it’s just a reptile, snake or turtle.” Boyd isn’t sure what is causing the rise in turtle injuries. The center has treated nine this year and expects to treat at least that many more before things quiet down. She said the end of May through August is when turtles are most mobile. During that period, they are moving to make nests and lay eggs, young are hatching, and some are looking for new homes. She said another reason turtles move is when being displaced by development. “All these movements happening simultaneously makes it a busy time of the season for people and turtles,” Boyd said.\n\nConnecticut\n\nGlastonbury: An 18-year-old has been charged with computer crimes after police say he hacked into a database and put a quote from Adolf Hitler into a high school yearbook. The teen was a student at Glastonbury High School, where the quote appeared in May beneath the photo of an unsuspecting classmate, police said. It read: “It is a quite special secret pleasure how the people around us fail to realize what is really happening to them.” The quote was attributed in the yearbook to George Floyd, the Black man killed by a Minneapolis police officer last year. Police said the same student also was responsible for another unauthorized yearbook entry, which referenced one of the Boston Marathon bombers and drug use. The teen, who was previously barred from attending his graduation ceremony, faces two counts of third-degree computer crime and is due in court Aug. 6. The quotes were discovered in May after distribution of the yearbooks began. The school recalled the books to remove the offending quotes. “We deeply regret not having caught the act of bigotry and vandalism before the yearbook was printed,” school administrators said in a statement at the time of the recall. “We are examining and will revise our yearbook procedures for collecting and reviewing future student submissions.”\n\nDelaware\n\nWilmington: Delaware’s COVID-19 state of emergency, implemented in March 2020 when the coronavirus reached the First State, ended Tuesday. The effect of the official end of the emergency order is minimal, as the bulk of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions, including its mask mandate for vaccinated individuals and social distancing requirements, have been lifted for almost two months. But it signifies the coronavirus is no longer a public health emergency, Gov. John Carney said last month when announcing the emergency order’s end, adding that it’s still important for unvaccinated people to protect themselves and their families. The state of emergency granted Carney the power to shut down businesses in the initial scramble to contain the virus and implement other public health measures such as testing and contact tracing. Carney issued more than two dozen modifications to the emergency order. They changed rules on mask-wearing and restrictions as case counts in Delaware waxed and waned and as scientists learned more about how the virus spreads. Carney on Monday signed a public health emergency order to allow the Division of Public Health and Delaware Emergency Management Agency to continue its vaccination and testing programs.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: The so-called Little Lady Liberty has finally made her way to the nation’s capital, just in time for Bastille Day on Wednesday, WUSA-TV reports. France initially shipped the 9-foot-tall replica to New York City and placed it near the original sculpture. The Statue of Liberty stands more than 150 feet tall on Liberty Island, where it was reassembled in 1886 after being constructed across the Atlantic and gifted to the United States by its longtime ally. As of Tuesday, the more diminutive Liberty is on display at the French ambassador’s residence in Northwest D.C. And there is plenty of time for residents and visitors to see it: The statue, which is on loan from France, will stay on display in Washington for the next 10 years.\n\nFlorida\n\nStuart: More manatees have died already this year than in any other year in Florida’s recorded history, primarily from starvation due to the loss of seagrass beds, state officials said. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission reported that 841 manatee deaths were recorded between Jan. 1 and July 2, breaking the previous record of 830 that died in 2013 because of an outbreak of toxic red tide. More than half the deaths have occurred in the Indian River Lagoon and its surrounding areas in Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties. The overwhelming majority of deaths have been in Brevard, where 312 manatees have perished. Some biologists believe water pollution is killing the seagrass beds in the area. “Unprecedented manatee mortality due to starvation was documented on the Atlantic coast this past winter and spring,” Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute wrote as it announced the record Friday. “Most deaths occurred during the colder months when manatees migrated to and through the Indian River Lagoon, where the majority of seagrass has died off.” Boat strikes are also a major cause of manatee deaths, killing at least 63 this year. The manatee was once classified as endangered by the federal government but was reclassified as threatened in 2017. Environmentalists are asking for reconsideration.\n\nGeorgia\n\nSavannah: The staff of Green Truck Neighborhood Pub got the surprise of a lifetime Thursday when first lady Jill Biden walked in to pick up a few pecan pies, according to co-owner Whitney Shephard-Yates. After her visit to Beach High School to urge residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Biden made an unscheduled stop at the restaurant on the recommendation of U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Savannah native. Shephard-Yates, who has previously met Warnock through her day job as a transportation engineer, jokingly said she planned to give the senator a hard time for not giving the staff a heads-up that Biden was going to stop by the restaurant. “The staff was thrilled to meet both Rev. Warnock and Dr. Biden,” Shephard-Yates said. “I think you could tell by the looks on their faces how exciting it was for everyone involved.” The surprise visit was significant timing, as the staff of Green Truck had recently celebrated being fully vaccinated. Fortunately, no one on staff got sick during the pandemic, which Yates credited to their cautiousness. Having everyone immunized has been an incredible relief and experience given the stress of the past year, she said. “Being a small-business owner during the pandemic was incredibly challenging, personally and financially,” Shephard-Yates said. “We’re really thankful for this opportunity to rebuild and the small amount of attention that the senator and first lady’s visit is bringing to the cause.”\n\nHawaii\n\nHonolulu: The state said people haven’t been completing the paperwork they need to continue receiving food stamps, raising concerns that thousands may be unintentionally cut off from public assistance. The concerns come after the federal government, citing the coronavirus pandemic, dropped the normal requirement that people on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program do an eligibility review and a six-month review, in an effort to ensure that people did not experience a lapse in benefits during the public health emergency. It lifted the waiver this month. The state Department of Human Services sent 2,200 letters for the six-month review last month, but only 700 were returned, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports. It sent 15,000 eligibility review letters, but only 7,000 were returned. “Typically, we receive about 80% back in normal years,” said Brian Donohoe, the department’s benefit, employment and support services administrator. He called the response rates “frighteningly low.” Those who do not turn in their paperwork on time will be notified that their SNAP benefits have been terminated. While the person’s Electronic Benefit Transfer card will still work, no new funds will be added. The person would have to reapply and would likely see a gap in receiving the service.\n\nIdaho\n\nBoise: Republican state senators plan to meet this week to discuss the possibility of a special session after three large health care providers announced policies requiring employees to get COVID-19 vaccinations, the top Senate Republican said Monday. Senate Pro Tempore Chuck Winder said GOP senators will meet online Friday morning amid growing calls for a special session on employers requiring the vaccines. Winder said he hopes to “find out where everyone is at and what their level of interest is in coming back” but said that “at this stage, I don’t really have a good feeling on it. I want to make sure we don’t take away from the contract rights of health care providers. There are always two sides to every story.” The House never fully adjourned earlier this year under a plan to allow Republican House Speaker Scott Bedke to simply call lawmakers back to the Statehouse without needing Republican Gov. Brad Little’s OK. Typically, only governors can call special sessions. Little’s spokeswoman, Marissa Morrison, said Little had received no formal requests for a special session. There is some disagreement among legal experts over whether the Legislature is still in session because the Senate officially adjourned, while the House only recessed. But lawmakers appear to be proceeding on the belief the Legislature is only recessed.\n\nIllinois\n\nSpringfield: New signs are popping up along highways across the state to let drivers of electric vehicles know where they can refuel. The signs are being posted on designated “alternative fuels corridors” and will direct drivers to stations that offer alternative fuels, with the first signs focused on electric charging stations. The Illinois Department of Transportation said future signs will direct drivers to sites for liquefied natural gas, compressed natural gas, hydrogen and propane fueling stations. The signage is part of a national effort to promote alternative fuels, as well as a push by Gov. J.B. Pritzker to increase the number of electric vehicles on Illinois roads. The Federal Highway Administration has designated 145,000 miles of interstate as alternative fuel corridors. In Illinois that includes stretches along Interstates 39, 55, 70, 74, 80, 90 and 94.\n\nIndiana\n\nIndianapolis: The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Monday that the state must temporarily continue payment of federal unemployment benefits, affirming an earlier court order for Indiana to restart the extra $300 weekly payments to jobless-aid recipients. Chief Judge Cale Bradford denied a request from the state government to issue a stay on a Marion County judge’s order that Indiana resume participation in the federal government’s programs that supplement unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb, who has pushed to drop the state from the federal programs before they’re scheduled to end Sept. 6, did not say Monday whether the state would next call on the Indiana Supreme Court to consider the preliminary injunction. “We acknowledge the court of appeals decision today,” the governor’s office said in a statement. “Notwithstanding, the Department of Workforce Development will continue to work with the U.S. Department of Labor on finalizing the pandemic unemployment insurance benefits to comply with the judge’s order.” Holcomb announced in May that Indiana would reinstate a requirement that those receiving jobless benefits would again have to show they are actively searching for work as of June 1 and that the state would leave the federal programs effective June 19.\n\nIowa\n\nDes Moines: State officials expect hundreds or possibly thousands more parents to teach their children to drive after a new law expanded the opportunity beyond home-schooling families. Advocates for more parental choice in education applauded the move as widening options for families and providing a potentially less expensive option for parents. But some critics of the new law are concerned that children will be less prepared as a result. “We have a lot of kids who come to us, and their parents do a great job. And there’s still a lot those kids don’t know,” said Ed Jennings, personnel manager for Street Smarts, a driver education company that trains thousands of Iowa students a year. “There’s a huge difference between driving a car and driving it safely.” The new Iowa law, which went into effect July 1, builds on the parent-taught option for home-schoolers that the Legislature established in 2013. That year, parents could serve as their home-schooled child’s driver education instructor rather than enrolling their child in a program at a school or a for-profit driver education company. Parents must still meet certain qualifications to teach their child, including holding a valid Iowa driver’s license and having a clear driving record for the previous two years.\n\nKansas\n\nWichita: Wichita State University plans this fall to stop allowing Kansas residents 60 and older to audit its courses for free. The university sent a letter this month to people who’ve previously audited its classes to notify them of the fees, The Wichita Eagle reports. Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Shirley Lefever said the new fees will help cover instructional costs. The new fees range from $7.75 a credit hour for liberal arts courses to $68 a credit hour for business courses. Most courses are three credit hours. The move comes after the Kansas Board of Regents in June approved the university’s proposal to keep its tuition flat during the upcoming school year. Donna Perline is currently auditing a water fitness class and plans to audit another course on the Holocaust in film this August. She said she hopes the new charges don’t discourage seniors from auditing classes. The university still plans to offer free four-week classes specifically for people 60 and older if they enroll by Sept. 8.\n\nKentucky\n\nLouisville: A pickup truck crashed into a building housing the city’s jail Tuesday, and the driver was detained, police said. The truck was painted with a popular rallying cry among demonstrators in Cuba, “Patria y vida,” which translates to “fatherland and life” in English. The truck rammed into the front of Louisville’s Metro Corrections building shortly after noon. The streets surrounding the jail were blocked off. The front side of the the jail, where administrative staff are located, was evacuated, said Steve Durham, assistant director of Louisville Metro Corrections. Inmates were informed of the crash. “Everybody is all right,” he said. “No one was hurt in this particular event. There is just some concern that inmates have, so we’re trying to answer those questions.” The bomb squad was deployed to the scene as a precaution, Louisville police spokesperson Elizabeth Ruoff said. In a tweet, Louisville Metro Police urged drivers to avoid the area around the building.\n\nLouisiana\n\nArabi: A New Orleans-area film and TV studio plans to expand into a building that opened in 1923 as an assembly plant for Model T Fords. The Ranch Film Studios didn’t say what it paid for the 225,000-square-foot building in Arabi. But the company said it is looking for partners and plans to raise $35 million to complete the historic restoration and $35 million to create film stages and spaces for tech-, gaming- and film-related companies. Arabi is less than a 10-minute drive away from the studio in Chalmette, which CEO Jason Waggenspack and his partners created in 2014 from what was left of two big-box stores blighted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The 219,000-square-foot studio currently houses about 25% of all entertainment productions in Louisiana, according to the company. Productions filmed there have included “Terminator Genisys,” “Deepwater Horizon,” “Bill & Ted Face the Music,” the limited Showtime series “Your Honor,” the Disney+ series “Secrets of Sulphur Springs,” and the Netflix films “The Lovebirds” and “The Dirt,” a biopic about the band Motley Crue. The Ford building was designed by famed industrial architect Albert Kahn, who also designed Detroit’s Belle Isle Aquarium and Book Depository.\n\nMaine\n\nBucksport: The Passamaquoddy Tribe held an educational session near a replica of a Christopher Columbus ship that was visiting for Maine’s bicentennial and had drawn condemnation from tribes. A language keeper for the tribe, Dwayne Tomah, spoke to a gathering of people Monday evening at the Bucksport waterfront near where the ship was anchored, the Portland Press Herald reports. The replica of the Nao Santa Maria was scheduled to tour multiple ports in the state to mark the bicentennial. Organizers canceled those events when tribal leaders said the touring ship was disrespectful to the tribes and ignored the history of atrocities Columbus committed against Native Americans. The town of Bucksport posted on Facebook that the purpose of the educational session was to “have a constructive dialog and provide historical information.” Maine’s bicentennial was last year, but events were moved to this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Thousands of people have taken tours of the ship since it anchored in Bucksport on Friday, the newspaper reports. The ship will leave Wednesday when its docking permit expires.\n\nMaryland\n\nBaltimore: A judge has blocked Gov. Larry Hogan’s plan to end pandemic-related federal enhanced unemployment benefits early. Circuit Court Judge Lawrence Fletcher-Hill issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday morning ordering the Hogan administration to keep paying the expanded benefits at least until two lawsuits brought by out-of-work Marylanders are resolved. The governor’s office said the state doesn’t plan to appeal, according to news outlets. Fletcher-Hill found that plaintiffs showed they would suffer “irreparable harm” if the preliminary injunction weren’t issued and noted that the plaintiff’s stories are reminders that while the impact of the pandemic has been universal, it has also been “cruelly uneven.” “As one who has enjoyed the privilege of continuous, secure employment, the Court is particularly struck by the plight of those who have had to struggle with irregular or no employment,” he wrote. The judge also ruled that the legal challenges would likely win at trial since Maryland law, strengthened by General Assembly Democrats this year, appears to require the state to accept all federal unemployment aid. Last month, Gov. Larry Hogan announced that the state would discontinue benefits July 3 ahead of their expiration in September.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nBoston: Actor Sacha Baron Cohen has sued a cannabis dispensary he says used an image of his character Borat on a billboard without his permission, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Boston. The billboard for Somerset-based Solar Therapeutics Inc. showed Baron Cohen posing as Borat with two thumbs up and the words “It’s nice!” – one of Borat’s catchphrases. “By use of the billboard, the defendants falsely have conveyed to the public that Mr. Baron Cohen has endorsed their products and is affiliated with their business,” according to the complaint filed Monday. “To the contrary, Mr. Baron Cohen never has used cannabis in his life. He never would participate in an advertising campaign for cannabis, for any amount of money.” The billboard along a Massachusetts interstate highway was taken down in April, three days after Baron Cohen’s attorneys sent a cease-and-desist order to the dispensary, according to the suit. “Mr. Baron Cohen is highly protective of his image and persona, and those of his characters. Mr. Baron Cohen is very careful with the manner in which he uses his persona and his characters to interact with his fans and the general public,” the complaint says.\n\nMichigan\n\nTraverse City: Wolf pups have been spotted again on Isle Royale, a hopeful sign in the effort to rebuild the predator species’ population at the U.S. national park, scientists said Monday. It’s unknown how many gray wolves roam the island chain in northwestern Lake Superior. The coronavirus pandemic forced cancellation of the census that Michigan Technological University experts had conducted each winter for 63 years. Remote cameras detected four pups on the park’s eastern end in January, the researchers said in a new report. The sightings, along with additional clues such as previously observed scats and tracks, suggest that two litters were born in the area last year and perhaps another on the western side. Park officials said last fall that at least two pups likely were born in 2019. The population was 12 to 14 during the last Michigan Tech survey in winter 2020. The latest births would indicate it is higher now, but some older wolves may have died. “It most likely will be winter of next year before we have firm information,” said Sarah Hoy, a research assistant professor and animal ecologist, adding that the presence of young wolves is reason for optimism. “Things are definitely looking up.”\n\nMinnesota\n\nMinneapolis: A St. Paul woman who says she was shot in the face with a projectile while protesting peacefully outside a Minneapolis police precinct after the killing of George Floyd has filed a federal lawsuit. Ana Marie Gelhaye says the shooting caused permanent injury to her eye. The suit alleges that police violated her constitutional rights, including First Amendment protections. “Making matters worse, no MPD officer rendered aid to Gelhaye after she was shot,” according to the suit. “Instead, several bystanders (who happened to be nurses/medical workers) provided immediate first aid on the street and then at Moon Palace Books, a store in the area, before rushing Gelhaye to Abbott Northwestern Emergency Department.” Medical professionals say in court documents that Gelhaye suffered iris and retinal trauma and other permanent damage, incurring expensive medical bills. Documents say she also experienced psychological damage, the Star Tribune reports. The Minneapolis city attorney declined to comment on the suit.\n\nMississippi\n\nJackson: The Mississippi State Department of Health is now blocking comments on its Facebook posts that relate to COVID-19 because of a “rise of misinformation” about the coronavirus and vaccinations, a health official said. “The comments section of our Facebook page has increasingly come to be dominated by misinformation about COVID-19,” state health department spokesperson Liz Sharlot said in a statement. She said allowing the comments that “mislead the public about the safety, importance and effectiveness of vaccination” is “directly contrary” to the state’s public health mission, which includes encouraging members of the public to be vaccinated against COVID-19, which has been recently making a resurgence in the state. Only about 31% of Mississippians have been fully inoculated, a statistic that has left it at or near the bottom of all U.S. states. The Department of Health posts multiple times each day on its Facebook page about COVID-19. Posts include information on numbers of new coronavirus cases, details on pop-up vaccination clinics and transportation services to vaccination clinics for homebound residents. Federal regulators have said the vaccines are safe and offer strong protection against contracting the potentially life-threatening disease.\n\nMissouri\n\nJefferson City: Gov. Mike Parson has signed into law the state’s first gasoline tax increase in decades. Longtime transportation funding advocate Parson signed the bill late Monday, spokesperson Kelli Jones said. He held ceremonial bill signings near Kansas City’s John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil Memorial Bridge and at other infrastructure projects in the state Tuesday. The law will gradually raise the state’s 17-cent-a-gallon gas tax to 29.5 cents over five years, with the option for buyers to get a refund if they keep track of their receipts. The first 2.5-cent increase is slated to take effect in October, which will bring the gas tax to 19.5 cents. The money will be used for Missouri’s roads and bridges. “Whether rural, suburban, or urban, all Missourians benefit from better roadways,” Parson said in a statement. Once fully implemented, the gas tax hike could generate more than $500 million annually for state, county and city roads. But it’s unclear how much of that money governments will get to keep after some people request refunds. Dan Mehan, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s president and CEO, said bolstering infrastructure with money from the gas tax will help the state capitalize on its location to become a “logistics hub for the Midwest and North America.”\n\nMontana\n\nBillings: Federal officials will give the public more time to comment on a contentious proposal to expand bison grazing on public lands in north-central Montana, officials said. The move comes after Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte criticized the Bureau of Land Management for holding just one virtual meeting on the proposal, which covers about 108 square miles south of Malta. Ranchers in the area have been resistant to plans by Bozeman-based conservation group American Prairie Reserve to assemble a 5,000-square-mile expanse of public and private lands that would hold at least 10,000 bison. John Mehlhoff, area director for the Bureau of Land Management, said the open comment period would be extended through Sept. 28 because of heightened interest in the proposal. The agency did not agree to Gianforte’s request for at least five in-person meetings in surrounding counties. It gave its preliminary approval of the proposal earlier this month and found the plan would not have a significant economic or environmental impact. Massive herds of bison once migrated through the area but were hunted to near-extinction in the 19th century. The American Prairie Reserve has been buying up ranchland in Montana since 2004. It owns 165 square miles and holds leases on about 500 square miles of state and federal land.\n\nNebraska\n\nMcCook: An 80-year-old woman was sentenced Monday to eight to 10 years in prison for the shooting death of her husband, who she said had abused her for years. Lavetta Langdon was sentenced after pleading no contest June 1 to manslaughter, KNOP reports. Police found the body of her 79-year-old husband, Larry Langdon, at their McCook home in August 2020. Court documents said Lavetta Langdon told investigators her husband had abused her for 30 years. An affidavit said she warned her husband she would kill him if he hit her again. She said on the day he died, her husband hit her in the face. She said considered killing him for 30 minutes, then shot him in the chest while he was sleeping, according to the affidavit. Langdon then called police.\n\nNevada\n\nReno: Temperature records continue to tumble across all corners of the scorching state. Elko tied a record that stood for more than a century Monday when the 104 degrees Fahrenheit at Elko Airport equaled the old mark set in 1917. It was 104 in Tonopah, breaking the record of 102 set in 1990, and Reno tied the record of 104 set in 2005. Desert-Rock-Mercury north of Las Vegas set a new record Monday of 112, eclipsing the old mark of 111 set in 2003. The heat briefly gave way to thunderstorms late Monday and early Tuesday around Las Vegas, where the National Weather Service issued a flash-flood warning around Valley of Fire State Park and areas south toward Lake Mead. About 7,500 homes in North Las Vegas lost power due to damage from high winds.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nConcord: Auditors concluded that miscounts in an election were primarily caused by the way ballots were folded, according to a report released Tuesday. The Legislature mandated the audit, backed by lawmakers from both parties, after a losing Democratic candidate in a legislative race in the town of Windham requested a recount. That effort showed Republican candidates getting hundreds more votes than were originally counted. The discrepancy drew the attention of former President Donald Trump and his supporters in their effort to find evidence of his wider claim of election fraud from 2020. Critics of the audit said before the report was finalized that they felt it had not gone far enough to find the source of the miscount. A team of auditors, however, “found no basis to believe that the miscounts found in Windham indicate a pattern of partisan bias or a failed election.” The town used a machine to fold the absentee ballots before sending them to voters. After they were returned, the ballots were fed into a counting machine. Because the folds on some ballots went through a Democrats name, either the ballot was not counted, or a vote was wrongly given to the Democrat. Auditors said the problem was most likely limited to Windham, a claim echoed by Secretary of State Bill Gardner.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nAvalon: The mayor has ordered the closure of the boardwalk and beaches overnight due to large crowds and what he called “unsafe and disruptive behavior.” Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi’s executive order Friday continues the pandemic-related state of emergency restrictions blocking access to the beach from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. and closing the boardwalk between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., the Cape May County borough said. Pagliughi said the order, which will remain in effect until further notice, is aimed at enabling local police “to disperse large groups of individuals who are congregating in unmanageable numbers on public property, which often results in unsafe and disruptive behavior.” “Recently, the beach and boardwalk have experienced vandalism to public property and excessive litter and debris created by large groups of individuals who congregate at night,” the mayor said. The mayor blamed what he called an “unfortunate measure” on state initiatives calling on authorities to issue warnings to juveniles and avoid jailing them except for serious offenses. Avalon Police Chief Jeffrey Christopher said the state directives bar police from doing anything other than issuing warnings for ordinance and disorderly persons offenses “even when alcohol or cannabis use or possession is involved.”\n\nNew Mexico\n\nSanta Fe: A regulatory agency hopes to avoid a possible shortage by raising the number of marijuana plants that licensed producers could maintain. The Cannabis Control Division of the state Regulation and Licensing Department last week raised the previously planned per-grower limit of 4,500 plants to 8,000, and producers also would be able to apply for incremental increases of 500 with a total cap of 10,000, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports. The change responds to concerns that the 4,500-plant limit would lead to a supply shortage, especially among patients in the state’s medical marijuana program. New Mexico’s legalization of possession and growth of small amounts of recreational marijuana took effect June 29, and the legal market for recreational marijuana is expected to launch in early 2022. The department has scheduled an Aug. 6 hearing on the program’s revised draft rules. The department has until Sept. 1 to finalize the rules for producers. Draft rules for manufacturing, testing and selling cannabis products have yet to be released.\n\nNew York\n\nAlbany: The federal government’s count of the COVID-19 death toll in the state has 11,000 more victims than the tally publicized by the administration of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, which has stuck with a far more conservative approach to counting coronavirus deaths. The discrepancy in death counts continued to widen this year, according to an Associated Press review, even as the Democrat has come under fire over allegations that his office purposely obscured the number of deaths of nursing home residents to protect his reputation. New York state’s official death count, presented daily to the public, stood at roughly 43,000 this week. But the state has provided the federal government with data that shows roughly 54,000 people have died with COVID-19 as a cause or contributing factor listed on their death certificate. “It’s a little strange,” said Bob Anderson, chief of the Mortality Statistics Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. “They’re providing us with the death certificate information, so they have it. I don’t know why they wouldn’t use those numbers.” The Cuomo administration’s count excludes people who likely died of the virus but never got a positive test to confirm the diagnosis. The gap has widened even as testing has become more widely available.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nDurham: A bug zapper that had the wrong kind of light bulb caused vision problems for five people at a veterans medical facility, a spokesperson said. Yves-Marie Daley from the Durham VA Health Care System said the bulb emitted light that was too strong, affecting the vision of three employees, a resident and a contractor who had a meeting near the device, The News & Observer reports. The people affected are healing, and their vision is improving, according to Daley. She didn’t specify the date of the incident or the severity of the vision loss. Bug zappers attract insects with ultraviolet light and then electrocute them, but the light usually isn’t intense enough to harm people. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says more powerful UV lamps – like those used as disinfectants against the coronavirus – can cause eye injuries and skin reactions similar to burns. The center opened an internal investigation and is evaluating other bug zappers for similar problems.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nBismarck: The state’s trust fund for oil taxes is realizing hefty earnings due to a rebounding economy and better-than-expected stock investments, officials said Tuesday. Revenue from the Legacy Fund for the two-year budget cycle that ended last month was about $872 million, up from the $736 million that budget writers and the Legislature had forecast. “The stock market has rebounded from the initial COVID drop, and it has bounced back tremendously,” state Treasurer Thomas Beadle said. State Office of Management and Budget Director Joe Morrisette said nearly half of the extra revenue – $65 million – will be used to reimburse a constitutional fund that benefits schools but had been shortchanged in error for about a decade. Money from the Common Schools Trust Fund is distributed to North Dakota’s public schools. Voters in 2010 endorsed a constitutional amendment that requires setting aside 30% of state tax revenues on oil and natural gas production in the Legacy Fund, which is valued at about $8.8 billion. The most recent deposit into the fund was $45.5 million in June.\n\nOhio\n\nColumbus: The state’s elections chief on Monday referred for possible prosecution 117 apparent noncitizens who either registered to vote or cast a ballot last year – a tiny fraction of the state’s electorate and a significantly reduced number from two years ago despite record 2020 turnout. Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose said that of those, 13 cast ballots, and 104 registered but did not vote. They were identified as part of a routine review and referred to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. “The bottom line is this: Citizenship matters. It’s an important status that we should all treasure,” LaRose said at a Statehouse news conference. “With that comes the ability to be a voter. We want all Ohioans who are eligible to be able to cast a ballot, but certainly that means only citizens are able to do so.” Ohio has more than 8 million registered voters and does not allow noncitizens to register or vote. LaRose made a similar referral of 277 individuals to Yost after the 2018 election, including 77 who cast a ballot. Only a handful were ever prosecuted, according to data from the Franklin County prosecutor’s office. Ohio produced an extraordinary level of access in last year’s presidential election, setting records with nearly 6 million votes cast and a 74% turnout that tops the average of the past 20 years.\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: Byron Berline, a renowned fiddler who played with superstars like Elton John and the Rolling Stones and owned a popular Oklahoma instrument shop, has died. He was 77. Bette Berline, Byron’s wife, said he was hospitalized after suffering a stroke, and on Saturday his “lungs gave up, and so did his heart.” Bette recalled her husband as a fun and loving father and husband, who until soon before his death looked and acted like a man 20 years younger. “He was more than a musician, an incredibly gifted musician,” she said. “He was a good, good man.” A three-time National Fiddle Champion, Berline grew up in Grant County along the Oklahoma-Kansas state line and worked with music greats like John, Vince Gill and Bob Dylan. The Stones recruited Berline for “Country Honk,” a country version of their “Honky Tonk Women,” based on Gram Parsons’ recommendation. Berline moved to Guthrie in 1995 and opened the Double Stop Fiddle Shop & Music Hall, which was destroyed by a fire in 2019. He later opened a new shop across the street.\n\nOregon\n\nSalem: After 16 months of being closed to the public as a COVID-19 safety measure, Oregon’s Capitol building reopened Monday. The building’s closure has been a point of tension between Democratic and Republican lawmakers, as Republicans argued throughout the pandemic that everyone should have access to the Capitol. “Last March, we consulted with infectious disease doctors and public health officials about what changes were needed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the Capitol,” House Speaker Tina Kotek and Senate President Peter Courtney said in a joint statement Monday that announced the Capitol’s reopening now that more than 70% of the state’s adult residents have been partially or fully vaccinated. “In the end, we made the very difficult decision to limit Capitol entry to legislators, essential staff, and members of the press.” Republican legislators opposed closure of the Capitol, saying it is “the people’s building” and should be open to the public. In protest of the closure, some Senate Republicans routinely voted “no” on matters unrelated to COVID-19. In the House, Republicans refused to suspend rules that require bills be read in their entirety on final passage, slowing the pace of the session. Tensions boiled over in the community as well.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nHarrisburg: The centerpiece of Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan to fight climate change took another step Tuesday toward the final regulatory threshold to impose a price on carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants in the state. The Environmental Quality Board, composed primarily of Wolf appointees, approved the plan 15-4 to send it on to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission, which could take it up this fall. Wolf, a Democrat, wants to the plan to take effect next year as part of a multi-state consortium, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, that sets a price and declining limits on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. If Wolf is successful, Pennsylvania would become the first major fossil fuel state to adopt a carbon pricing policy. Heavily populated, fossil fuel-rich Pennsylvania has long been one of the nation’s biggest polluters and power producers. Opponents include coal- and natural gas-related interests, various business groups, and labor unions whose workers maintain power plants, build gas pipelines and mine coal. Wolf’s plan has drawn backing from environmental advocacy organizations and companies with solar, wind and nuclear power interests. Imposing a price on carbon emissions is projected to reduce air pollution and raise tens of millions of dollars annually for the state.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: The city on Tuesday joined a small but growing number of counterparts across the U.S. pledging to provide a guaranteed monthly income to a certain number of low-income residents. Under the Providence Guaranteed Income pilot program announced by Mayor Jorge Elorza and others, 110 city families living at or under 200% of the federal poverty level are eligible to apply for the opportunity to receive $500 a month for 12 months. The unconditional cash payments are intended to supplement, rather than replace, existing social safety net programs and can be used as the recipient sees fit, such as for unpredictable expenses, officials said. The $1.1 million to fund the program is coming from private and philanthropic sources, and no tax dollars will be used, Elorza said. “The global pandemic has highlighted the inequities of our social safety net and exacerbated the disparities of health and wealth that exist for Black, Indigenous, and communities of color,” Elorza said in a statement. “The best way to protect the longterm health and wellbeing of our communities is by providing direct financial assistance to our residents.” Similar programs in other cities have proven successful in improving the quality of life, health and education, said state Sen. Tiara Mack, D-Providence.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nColumbia: The state now has the lowest rate of released inmates returning to prison within three years in the country thanks to an in-depth and expanding program of job and life skills, the state prison director said. Less than 22% of South Carolina inmates released in 2017 found themselves back in prison within three years, South Carolina Department of Corrections Director Bryan Stirling said at a Tuesday ceremony at one of the state’s reentry programs. That rate was 33% just before Stirling took over the prison system in 2013. The director said he went to a nearby Greyhound bus stop right after he was hired and was discouraged by what he observed. “I saw people leaving in prison uniforms – all we did was take the stripe off. They were just given a bag, a little bit of money and said ‘good luck,’ ” Stirling said. During the next eight years, Stirling made one of his chief goals giving inmates as much support as his agency can to make sure they can make it their last term behind bars. Inmates can learn a wide range of job skills from plumbing to carpentry and cooking to running a backhoe.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nPierre: Family members of the man struck and killed by the state attorney general’s car are denying recent claims that Joseph Boever was suicidal. “I knew my cousin quite well, and he never mentioned suicide as any type of option to me,” said Victor Nemec, Boever’s cousin. On Friday, Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg’s defense attorney filed a motion to require the health care providers of Boever to release his psychiatric and psychological records and “information concerning his suicidal ideation,” according to the filing made with the Sixth Circuit Magistrate Court. The six-page document alleges a pattern of alcoholism and prescription drug use by Boever, who Ravnsborg struck the night of Sept. 12, 2020, while walking along South Dakota Highway 14 on the west outskirts of Highmore. That factored into a “broadening depressive streak” that led at least one family member to believe Boever died by suicide, the court documents said. But the victim’s cousin dismissed the allegation Monday afternoon. “If Ravnsborg is trying to claim that (it was suicide), that’s him and his defense grasping at straws,” Nemec said. All the physical evidence from the crash site and the report issued “prove” Ravnsborg was driving on the shoulder of the road at the time, Nemec said.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: The Tennessee Department of Health will halt all adolescent vaccine outreach – not just for COVID-19 but for all diseases – amid pressure from Republican lawmakers, according to an internal report and agency emails. If the health department must issue any information about vaccines, staff are instructed to strip the agency logo off the documents. The agency will also stop all COVID-19 vaccine events on school property, despite holding at least one such event this month. The decisions to end vaccine outreach and school events come directly from Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey, the internal report says. Additionally, the health department will take steps to ensure it no longer sends postcards or other notices reminding teenagers to get their second dose of COVID-19 vaccines. Postcards will still be sent to adults, but teens will be excluded from the mailing list so the postcards are not “potentially interpreted as solicitation to minors,” the report says. These changes to Tennessee’s vaccination strategy, detailed in a COVID-19 report distributed to health department staff Friday and reiterated in a mass email Monday, will take effect just as the coronavirus pandemic shows new signs of spread in Tennessee. The average number of new cases per day has more than doubled in the past two weeks.\n\nTexas\n\nAustin: Abortion providers filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday that seeks to block a new state law that would ban most abortions in Texas. Senate Bill 8, set to take effect Sept. 1, would prohibit abortions as early as the sixth week of pregnancy, before most women know they are pregnant. Between 85% and 90% of abortions take place after the sixth week, the lawsuit said. “If permitted to take effect, SB 8 will create absolute chaos in Texas and irreparably harm Texans in need of abortion services,” the lawsuit argued. The suit also took aim at the “unprecedented” method used to enforce the law – civil lawsuits filed by “any person” against somebody who provides an illegal abortion or “aids and abets” an abortion after the six-week limit. “SB 8 places a bounty on people who provide or aid abortions, inviting random strangers to sue them,” the lawsuit said, adding that the law would encourage “vigilante” enforcement, particularly by abortion opponents who could file a nearly endless stream of harassing lawsuits that could bankrupt providers. When Gov. Greg Abbott signed SB 8 into law May 19, abortion opponents hailed the measure as the nation’s most restrictive, serving as an example for other Republican-run states interested in testing the boundaries of Roe v. Wade.\n\nUtah\n\nSalt Lake City: Health officials announced Monday that the governor’s previous assertion that the state had reached its goal of vaccinating 70% of adults by the Fourth of July was false because of a data error. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox issued an apology to residents for the mistake Monday, about a week after he publicly celebrated Utah surpassing its goal of 70% of all adults getting at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The governor said the mistake was a result of “simple human error.” “We screwed up. And I sincerely apologize,” Cox wrote in an open letter. State health department statistics showed that 65.2% of adults had received one dose of the vaccine after the holiday weekend, but Cox wrote on Twitter that that did not include nearly 115,000 doses that had been given out by federal agencies, incorrectly bumping the percentage to 70.2%. Health officials said Monday that the department miscounted how the federally administered doses were categorized, which led to some single doses being counted multiple times. As of Monday, 67% of Utah adults had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. “While federal data sharing has been extremely difficult, this one is on us,” Cox said. “Our data team is devastated and embarrassed. And so am I.”\n\nVermont\n\nBurlington: The city has launched a new workforce training program for future caregivers and nursing assistants to help fill a growing demand for those professions. Mayor Miro Weinberger said the pandemic showed the need for more caregivers and licensed nursing assistants, creating opportunities for many low-wage or unemployed workers looking for new skills. The “Moving On, Moving Up” workforce training initiative will offer 10 weeks of free, specialized training to 35 students. The program is a partnership among the city, the University of Vermont Medical Center, Cathedral Square and Ethan Allen Residence. “The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has made the essential nature of caregiving and health care services crystal clear,” Weinberger said last week when he announced the new program.\n\nVirginia\n\nRichmond: Business news network CNBC named Virginia this year’s “Top State for Business” on Tuesday, welcome news for Democrats who control state government and are defending their record during a critical election year. With previous wins in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2019, Virginia surpassed Texas for most years at the top of the ranking since CNBC debuted it in 2007, Gov. Ralph Northam’s office said in a news release. CNBC did not publish the rankings in 2020 because of the pandemic. “I could not be prouder of what this says about the inclusive, commonsense policies that we have put in place and how they encourage business investment,” Northam said, speaking at a news conference at the Port of Virginia with other Democratic elected officials. The network’s methodology scores the states in ten categories including infrastructure, workforce and education, “weighted based on how frequently the states cite them in their economic development marketing pitches.” In a new category called “Life, Health and Inclusion,” Virginia earned points for voting rights and anti-discrimination laws, areas that have seen sweeping change since Democrats took full control of state government in 2019.\n\nWashington\n\nEdmonds: New renovations will allow threatened salmon species to return to Lunds Gulch at Meadowdale Beach Park. After a decade of planning, construction has begun on renovations at the waterfront park to create a 1.3-acre pocket estuary that will bring back Chinook, chum and coho salmon, as well as cutthroat trout, the Everett Herald reports. The centerpiece of the renovations is a five-span railroad bridge that will create a 90-foot opening for the creek to flow through. It will replace a 6-foot culvert – a hobbit-sized tunnel to the beach for visitors who make the trek down the ravine trail. Though the acreage is small, the project was a complicated and expensive affair involving a collection of state and federal grants. It also required a unique partnership with BNSF Railway, representing new possibilities in how to approach important habitats that butt up against railroads. All told, the bill will likely exceed $15 million. Less than half of that is funded by grants, with the rest coming from Snohomish County. Strider Construction of Bellingham won the bid for the work. The county estimates construction will be done by next spring. In the meantime, the beach is closed to the public.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nCharleston: The West Virginia Department of Education has a new program to encourage students, teachers and staff to get their COVID-19 vaccinations. The “I Got Vaxxed Competition” will award $5,000 each to a high school, a middle school and an elementary school for having the highest percentage of eligible people vaccinated, the department said in a news release Monday. The winners will be announced the week of Oct. 3. School participation is voluntary. “We know that students and staff lost so much more than instructional days during the pandemic, and this is just a way to try and restore some normalcy and recognize the importance of vaccinations,” state Superintendent of Schools W. Clayton Burch said. “Children need the benefits of a consistent school year to regain some of those lost experiences, which, in turn, support their social-emotional needs.” Students ages 12 and older and all teachers and staff are eligible for the vaccines.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: A survey conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison has found 92.5% of incoming dorm residents will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the start of classes this fall. Nearly 90% of UW-Madison’s dorm residents filled out the survey, providing a promising glimpse into how vaccination rates will look despite the University of Wisconsin System’s decision to strongly encourage, but not require, the shots. Another 3.2% of dorm residents said in the survey that they plan to get vaccinated once they arrive on campus. The university is still providing free, on-campus vaccination. “We’re pleased to see so many students choosing vaccination, which is the most effective way to prevent COVID-19,” said Jeff Novak, director of university housing. “Having a highly vaccinated community helps protect everyone, including those who cannot be vaccinated.” Dorm residents who chose not to get vaccinated will need to keep getting regularly tested for the coronavirus, first at move-in and then weekly for the rest of the semester. Testing is free for all UW-Madison students and employees. UW universities statewide have been leveraging the chance for students to get out of regular testing as one of several enticements to get as many students vaccinated as possible without a mandate.\n\nWyoming\n\nCasper: A sheriff’s deputy helped rescue two women who were hanging onto tree branches after the inflatable raft they were in popped and sank in the North Platte River over the weekend. Five people were floating down the river Saturday when the raft was punctured, the Natrona County Sheriff’s Office said. None of them were wearing life vests. One person swam to shore, and two others made their way to an island. The other two grabbed tree branches near the island but could not pull themselves out of the water due to the swift current, steep bank and exhaustion, officials said. Deputy Dexter Bryant arrived first, followed by Sgt. Mark Bahr, who was downstream with a throw rope in case one of the women let go. One said she was running out of energy and would not be able to hold on much longer, the sheriff’s office said. Rather than waiting for a rescue boat, Bryant took off his vest, gun belt and boots and put on a life vest and swam out to the island, where he was able to pull the women out of the water. Fire personnel helped get everyone back on shore.\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/07/14"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2021/03/25/underground-proms-popcorn-problems-lobster-relief-news-around-states/115638782/", "title": "Underground proms, popcorn problems: News from around our 50 ...", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nMontgomery: Gov. Kay Ivey this week urged people to wear masks in public after a statewide mandate expires next month. Ivey has been adamant that she will not extend the mask mandate past April 9. On Monday, her office released designs for signs for businesses to use to request patrons to wear masks. The designs range from “Mask Preferred” to “Mask Required For Service.” Face coverings “remain one of the most successful tools we have to keep folks safe from COVID-19,” Ivey said in a statement. “Masks are soon to be a memory but until then, lets wear them out.” Alabama expanded eligibility Monday for COVID-19 vaccinations, adding more than 2 million people to the groups who can get a COVID-19 shot in Alabama and roughly doubling the number of residents now eligible. The additions include more front-line workers; people 55 and older; those with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and residents ages 16 to 64 with certain high-risk medical conditions. The qualifying medical conditions include cancer, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, smoking, obesity, sickle cell disease and heart conditions. State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris on Friday said most adults will now be eligible for shots and urged people to be patient as they seek vaccination appointments.\n\nAlaska\n\nJuneau: People who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks at work in the city when they are in their own workspace away from the public and unvaccinated colleagues, under an updated emergency order that took effect Tuesday. Acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson’s office, in a release, called the update an easing of an existing mask mandate “that balances vaccination progress in Anchorage with the importance of masks in reducing transmission of COVID-19.” Under the order, employers would have to verify an employee’s vaccination status, “in a manner consistent with workplace anti-discrimination laws.” Masks still are required in Anchorage in indoor public settings and communal spaces outside the home and at outdoor public gatherings. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers a person fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose of a two-dose vaccine or two weeks after receiving a one-dose vaccine. In the Anchorage area, 27% of those 16 and older are considered fully vaccinated, information provided by the state health department shows.\n\nArizona\n\nPhoenix: COVID-19 vaccine appointments opened Wednesday morning to all Arizonans 16 and older, and the rush to get them was huge. All available slots for state-operated COVID-19 vaccine sites were taken within 20 minutes, health officials said in a tweet, but more will be available at 11 a.m. Friday, when the state will release tens of thousands of new appointments for the following week. The five vaccine sites operated by the state are State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona State University’s Phoenix Municipal Stadium in Tempe, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, the University of Arizona in central Tucson and, as of this Friday, Yuma Civic Center in Yuma County. Vaccine appointments are also available at individual pharmacies, through their websites, and through some individual counties. To book and schedule vaccines, go to podvaccine.azdhs.gov. Those without computer access or needing extra help registering can call 844-542-8201 to be connected with someone who can assist in scheduling. People can contact the call center when it opens at 8 a.m., as it gets canceled appointments released to it daily.\n\nArkansas\n\nLittle Rock: Cities won’t be able to enforce their own mask mandates to curb the coronavirus when the state ends its requirement as soon as next week, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday. The Republican governor told reporters he expected Arkansas’ requirement to end March 31, saying the state has so far met the criteria for positive coronavirus tests and hospitalizations that he set for the mandate’s end when he lifted most of the state’s virus restrictions last month. Hutchinson said officials are still working on guidance for cities, employers and schools systems. He said school districts will likely have a local option, and businesses can have their own requirements, but cities couldn’t have that option. “We’re going to go on this together,” Hutchinson said at his weekly virus briefing. “One statewide standard is what I expect to announce next week.” Before Hutchinson signed the state’s mask mandate last year, he had allowed cities to enforce mask ordinances that did not include penalties for not complying.\n\nCalifornia\n\nSacramento: With improving coronavirus numbers continuing to fall, much of the San Francisco Bay Area can reopen to a greater degree, and 94% of California’s population is out from under the most severe restrictions, officials said Tuesday. San Francisco, Marin and Santa Clara counties were among those moving to less restrictive tiers in the state’s four-level system. The three joined neighboring Santa Mateo County as the latest Bay Area counties to move into California’s “moderate” tier for coronavirus restrictions, meaning restaurants and other businesses can serve more customers. Higher-risk businesses including bowling alleys and outdoor bars that don’t serve food can reopen. San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Director of Health Dr. Grant Colfax said the expanded activities could begin Wednesday. Breed credited swift vaccinations and ongoing safety precautions for the shift. “This year has been so tough on so many – from our kids and families, to our small businesses and their employees – and this move to the orange tier and reopening more activities and businesses than we have since last March gives us all more hope for the future,” Breed said in a statement.\n\nColorado\n\nFort Collins: About 1,000 front-line essential restaurant and food service workers received COVID-19 shots during a mass vaccination clinic Tuesday at The Ranch events complex. The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment received additional vaccines from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to administer to the workers who recently became eligible under the state’s Phase 1B.4 vaccine distribution plan. The industry has been hit hard by the pandemic, with the county reporting that restaurant workers have experienced the highest occupational unemployment rate at nearly 28%, and 30% of the county’s restaurant workers are people of color whose communities have experienced higher-than-average COVID-19 case rates. County restaurants have seen as much as a 50% decrease in revenue since March 2020. Carol and Tim Cochran, owners of the Horse & Dragon Brewing Company in Fort Collins, were among those vaccinated Tuesday, along with employees. “This is a start in the right direction,” Carol said as the couple waited in the observation line after receiving the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot. “Once we can get almost everyone vaccinated, we will be able to open with abandon and not be worried about being a vector for the disease.”\n\nConnecticut\n\nNorwich: The Senior Resources Agency on Aging’s Senior Nutrition Program has worked to meet increased need during the COVID-19 pandemic through revision of the Congregate Meals Program and expansion of the Home Delivered Meals Program. According to Kathy Chase, director of contracts at Senior Resources, more than 400,000 meals were provided to about 3,500 older adult residents of Eastern Connecticut in the past year. The Older Americans Act Nutrition Program began in 1972 to reduce hunger and food insecurity, promote socialization, encourage health and well-being, and delay adverse health conditions. Meals are prepared to meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, so they are appropriate for everyone including those with diabetes or other chronic health conditions. Older Americans Act programs including the Senior Nutrition Program are managed through Area Agencies on Aging. When possible, the Congregate Meals Program offers meals in a group setting such as a senior center so that participants can socialize and engage in additional activities. There are no income guidelines for this program; donations are requested but not required. Priority may be given to persons of greatest need. To apply, visit seniorresourcesec.org.\n\nDelaware\n\nWilmington: A pilot of a walk-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic Wednesday was testing a process that could help inoculate people who’ve had difficulty registering for a shot. The event was limited to those who received a voucher from community groups in recent days. Being able to serve walk-ups without appointments at future vaccination events could help Delaware reach underserved communities and satisfy the state’s equity goal, state officials said. More than three months into the vaccine rollout, state data shows people in minority groups have received fewer vaccinations compared with white residents. Throughout the rollout, the state has asked those eligible for the vaccine – mostly older adults – to register online for an appointment waiting list and to monitor availability at pharmacies and other providers in the meantime. The system has led to frustration and confusion as demand continues to outpace supply. “We know that there is a disconnect at times with technology,” said AJ Schall, director of the Delaware Emergency Management Agency. State officials said walk-up events could be a solution for older residents who have had difficulty navigating the online system and could target areas where vaccination rates are low, though they are less efficient than large drive-thru events that require preregistration.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: Because of the pandemic, the National Park Service will limit access to the Tidal Basin during this year’s peak bloom of D.C.’s cherry blossoms, WUSA-TV reports. NPS spokesperson Mike Litterst said in a release Tuesday that the restrictions were in accordance with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and DC Health and were made in consultation with the National Park Service Office of Public Health. “The National Park Service will limit all vehicular and pedestrian access to the Tidal Basin, East Potomac Park and West Potomac Park during the peak bloom period of the cherry blossoms as a public health precaution to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” Litterst said in the release. This year, peak bloom is expected April 2-5, but the park service said restrictions are tentatively in place from March 26 through April 12. Updates or changes to the restriction dates will be posted on NPS’ social media. The National Park Service encourages those who want to take in the splendor of the cherry blossoms at peak bloom to do so virtually via its website.\n\nFlorida\n\nTallahassee: A state House committee approved a bill Wednesday to better prepare for public health emergencies, ranging from ensuring the state is well-stocked with personal protective equipment to allowing the governor more flexibility in spending to deal with a crisis. The bill approved by the House Pandemics & Public Emergencies Committee on a 14-4 vote also addresses how deaths are reported, would allow the Legislature to override a governor’s executive orders, and seeks to better inform the public on state spending on its response and emergency orders. The bill would require the state public health officer to develop a plan for every foreseeable public health emergency and update it every five years. It also spells out that health emergencies could include the release of toxic chemicals and nuclear agents, as well as biological toxins. But the four Democrats who opposed the bill took issue with provisions that limit emergency orders issued by local governments. “We should not be severely restricting the emergency powers of local governments. I think that makes us less safe, and I think that mayors shouldn’t have to ask permission from Tallahassee in order to be the mayors they were elected to be,” said Democratic Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith.\n\nGeorgia\n\nAtlanta: All Georgians 16 and older will be eligible for COVID-19 shots beginning Thursday. Gov. Brian Kemp made the announcement Tuesday, saying supplies of the vaccines continue to rise, and he’s confident that enough older adults have been vaccinated to open up inoculation to the broadest possible population. Figures from the Georgia Department of Public Health show the state has administered 3.2 million doses overall, with nearly 2.1 million people getting at least one dose. The number of doses being administered has shown a clear upward trend in recent weeks, with a peak of more than 85,000 doses given March 15, the first day Kemp expanded eligibility to current levels. Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium will get a boost in capacity starting Thursday when the Federal Emergency Management Agency adds doses to a site that had been run by Fulton County. Measures still show demand outstripping supply in metro Atlanta, while appointments are abundant in other areas. Kemp said the state directed 70% of this week’s 450,000 doses to metro Atlanta and areas north of the city “to put more supply where the demand is highest.” Georgia continues to lag most other states in vaccination, ranking second worst behind Alabama in the number of doses administered per 100,000 people 18 and older.\n\nHawaii\n\nHonolulu: There was a drop in the number of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students who went to college last year after graduating from Hawaii’s public schools, which a group of educational leaders attributes to the pandemic. A report by the Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education shows 35% of Native Hawaiians in the class of 2020 enrolled in college upon graduation, a decline from 44% for the class of 2019, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports. Figures for Pacific Islander graduates fell to 29% from 35%. According to the report, Hawaii’s public high schools had a record graduation rate in 2020, but far fewer graduates enrolled in college: 50% of last year’s graduating class went straight to college, down from 55% the previous year. It was the steepest one-year dip ever recorded, the newspaper reports. “The negative effects of the pandemic on educational progress in general are not equal across socioeconomic and demographic groups,” said Stephen Schatz, executive director of Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education. “In particular, economically disadvantaged, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders saw some pretty precipitous declines.” Schatz said the education community needs to act on the premise that the pandemic had an effect on all students’ academic and mental health.\n\nIdaho\n\nBoise: Legislation extending the tax filing deadline from April 15 to May 17 will be among lawmakers’ top priorities when they return to work April 6, a high-ranking state senator said. Republican Senate President Pro-Tem Chuck Winder said this week that he expects the Senate and House to expedite legislation to delay Idaho’s tax deadline a month to match the federal tax deadline that has again been pushed back because of the pandemic. “I’m hopeful that we can get back and get it done as quickly as possible,” he said, adding that lawmakers have numerous tools such as suspending rules to speed bills through both the House and Senate. The Internal Revenue Service announced last week that it has delayed the traditional federal tax filing deadline until May 17, providing more breathing room for taxpayers and the IRS to cope with changes caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Legislation was introduced last week in the state House to make the change for Idaho taxpayers. But the Legislature shut down a day later, on Friday, after six of the 70 House members tested positive for the virus within a week. Shortly after the shutdown, the Idaho State Tax Commission issued a statement saying the state’s filing deadline is still April 15, and it will be up to the Legislature to change it when it reconvenes.\n\nIllinois\n\nChicago: About 1,000 inmates scheduled for release in the next nine months could soon be set free as part of a settlement of a federal lawsuit filed last spring amid a growing COVID-19 health crisis in state lockups, a lawyer involved in the case said Tuesday. The settlement calls for the release of low- to medium-risk inmates who are within nine months of their release date and eligible for certain good-time credits, according to a court document filed Tuesday. The Illinois Department of Corrections agreed to “use its best efforts” to process the awards within the next month, the document says. Attorney Sheila Bedi said the settlement applies to about 1,000 inmates, and she believes thousands more should be released. “It remains a public health crisis,” Bedi, a professor at Northwestern University, told the Chicago Tribune. “It is still very much a real issue.” In a statement, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s press secretary, Jordan Abudayyeh, said the Department of Corrections has consistently reviewed prisoner records to find those eligible for 180 days or less of earned discretionary sentencing credit. A consortium of Chicago civil rights attorneys and community activists filed the lawsuit seeking the release of as many as 13,000 inmates, arguing that prisons “pose a particular risk of spreading the COVID-19.”\n\nIndiana\n\nIndianapolis: The governor announced Tuesday that he will lift the statewide mask mandate and remaining COVID-19 business restrictions in two weeks. Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb said in a speech from his Statehouse office that Indiana’s steep declines in coronavirus hospitalization and death rates along with the growing number of people fully vaccinated justify the steps starting April 6. Holcomb said he hoped the state was seeing the “tail end of this pandemic” that has killed nearly 13,000 people in the state over the past year. The date for ending the mask mandate was picked to coincide with the ending of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament now being held in Indianapolis and to allow more time for people with at-risk health conditions to get vaccine shots, Holcomb said. Local officials would still have the authority to impose tougher restrictions in response to COVID-19 cases in their communities, and face masks would still be required in K-12 schools for rest of this school year, he said. But some health experts worry it is premature to lift the statewide restrictions, pointing to the steep increase in hospitalizations and deaths Indiana saw beginning in September after the governor lifted most business restrictions before reinstating crowd limits after winning reelection in November.\n\nIowa\n\nDes Moines: The state Department of Public Health has acknowledged it significantly overestimated how many of Iowa’s senior citizens have been vaccinated against COVID-19. The department said March 12 that 94.9% of Iowans 65 or older had received at least one dose of a vaccine. Gov. Kim Reynolds said at a news conference March 17 that 95.3% of Iowa seniors had received at least one dose, and she touted such statistics in explaining why the state could soon be able to offer vaccinations to all residents 16 or older. But the numbers didn’t square with much lower estimates reported by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Tuesday, health department spokesperson Sarah Ekstrand said in an email that the state estimates were wrong. She said agency staff mistakenly had counted some seniors twice because those people were included in listings of Iowans receiving an initial dose of the vaccine and in listings of those receiving a second dose. After realizing their mistake, staffers recalculated and determined that 421,553 of Iowa’s 513,872 senior citizens – or 82% – had received at least one dose of a vaccine by Tuesday, Ekstrand said. On Tuesday, the CDC was reporting just 76% of Iowa seniors had received at least one dose of a vaccine.\n\nKansas\n\nTopeka: The only Asian American lawmaker serving in the Legislature says he was physically threatened in a western Kansas bar by an out-of-state patron, who questioned if he had been carrying COVID-19. In social media comments posted Friday, state Rep. Rui Xu, D-Westwood, said the man confronted him and, using an expletive, asked why he was wearing a face mask and whether he was carrying the coronavirus. “That’s a pretty specific dog whistle at Asian Americans from the last year,” said Xu, who is Chinese American. “Most of the anti-Asian American rhetoric that has happened has had some form of that message.” Moments after the confrontation, Xu said he heard the patron searching for him in the bar, yelling that he was going to “kick his ass.” Xu said he visited the Russell sports bar after featuring as a guest on a PBS television show based in nearby Bunker Hill. Xu said he was in the bar with the show’s host, who is white and also wore a mask but wasn’t targeted. “Everybody at the bar who’s actually from Russell was amazing and kind and I had a good time,” Xu said, adding that he doesn’t think where the incident happened is important.\n\nKentucky\n\nFrankfort: The state’s COVID-19 vaccination program continues to ramp up, Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday. Some 198,447 Kentuckians received a dose last week, breaking a previous weekly record of about 165,000 in early March. The Democratic governor noted that while demand continues to be high, some vaccine sites in western and eastern Kentucky have open appointments. He urged residents in those regions to sign up if they are eligible. Beshear also announced the opening of a vaccination site at the Kentucky Dam Village Convention Center in Gilbertsville. “This is a new site we stood up in western Kentucky to ensure the area was getting significant amounts of vaccine,” Beshear said. “As of today, they have more than 2,000 available appointments in this coming week. That means any Kentuckian, age 50 and up, if you’re in that area, we need you to sign up.” The Bluegrass State’s vaccination program is currently in phase 1C, which includes people 50 and older, anyone older than 16 with high-risk medical conditions, and anyone deemed an essential worker. Starting April 12, all residents 16 and older will be eligible for a shot.\n\nLouisiana\n\nBaton Rouge: In response to updated federal guidance on social distancing in schools, officials have approved revisions to the state’s minimum COVID-19 health and safety standards for school facilities. Effective immediately, the revisions to the standards remove the specific physical distancing requirement of 6 feet and insert the provision that distancing requirements shall be in accordance with current Louisiana Department of Health guidelines, as informed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On March 19, the CDC updated its K-12 school guidance to reflect the latest science on physical distance between students in classrooms. The CDC now recommends that, with universal masking, students should maintain a distance of at least 3 feet in classroom settings. “Louisiana’s education leaders are committed to ensuring a safe and productive learning environment as we move incrementally toward the restoration of normal classroom and school operations,” said Sandy Holloway, president of the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Holloway’s approval of the revisions, by emergency rule under interim authority, is scheduled to be ratified by the full board at its next regular meeting April 21.\n\nMaine\n\nPortland: The state’s lobster catch dipped slightly last year as fishermen dealt with the coronavirus pandemic, but the final totals were better than some feared. Fishermen caught more than 96 million pounds of lobsters in 2020, the Maine Department of Marine Resources said Wednesday. That total broke a string of nine consecutive years in which harvesters brought at least 100 million pounds of lobsters to land. Maine is by far the biggest lobster fishing state in the country, and the harvest is central to the state’s economy and heritage. Members of the industry feared at the outset of the pandemic that it would be difficult to equal previous years’ hauls because of the toll of the virus on the economy and the workforce. However, the 2020 catch would have been a state record as recently as 2010. Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, said prices were also competitive despite difficulty shipping and worldwide economic turmoil caused by the pandemic. The industry focused on opening up domestic retail sales, such as at supermarkets, to keep prices strong, McCarron said. The industry also pivoted to more online direct-to-consumer sales. Some lobstermen even took to selling lobsters from tanks in their own garages and homes.\n\nMaryland\n\nAnnapolis: The U.S. Naval Academy has begun to ease restrictions that were put in place after an outbreak of COVID-19 cases. The Capital Gazette reports the academy in Annapolis is allowing food to be delivered again and midshipmen to perform outdoor meetings and formations. Student interaction is still limited to roommates with the exception of socially distanced formations outside. The school’s salon and barbershop, Midshipman store and other services will resume appropriate services. The academy had experienced an outbreak of the disease, and nearly 200 midshipmen were moved to local hotels in order to expand quarantine and isolation space. But there are still students in quarantine. And the number of cases isn’t decreasing fast enough to resume in-person classes, which will remain online through Friday.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nBoston: Nearly 60 school districts received permission from the state education commissioner to delay the resumption of full-time, in-person learning for elementary school-age children, which the state set for April 5, authorities say. The 58 districts that received a waiver include Brockton, Chelsea, Springfield and Somerville. Commissioner Jeffrey Riley is still weighing the requests of 10 other districts, including Boston and Worcester – the two largest in the state – The Boston Globe reports. Riley also denied requests from six districts, which the state would not identify. “We are pleased that 90% of districts will have their elementary schools back fully in-person by April 5, with all elementary schools in the Commonwealth fully in-person by May 3,” Riley said in a statement Tuesday. “Bringing all our kids back to school is crucial for their educational progress, emotional and social well-being, and we will continue to work with districts to bring students back ahead of their waiver-approved return dates.” The state has directed middle schools to fully reopen by April 28 and is still accepting waiver requests. A return date for high schools has not been scheduled.\n\nMichigan\n\nDetroit: A restaurant owner who likened the state’s coronavirus restrictions to her childhood in communist Eastern Europe was released Tuesday after four nights in jail for ignoring orders to shut down. Marlena Pavlos-Hackney paid a $15,000 fine and satisfied authorities that Marlena’s Bistro and Pizzeria in Holland finally would remain closed while it lacks a food license. Her supporters boarded up the doors but also turned the building into a symbol of defiance with signs such as “Stop the Injustice.” Some bars, restaurants, gyms and other businesses have been fined for violating Michigan’s restrictions during the pandemic. But Pavlos-Hackney’s arrest before dawn Friday broke new ground and angered her allies, especially Republican lawmakers. Pavlos-Hackney is “Michigan’s first political prisoner of the pandemic,” state Sen. Tom Barrett said on the Senate floor Tuesday, even offering to take her spot in jail. “Come in the broad daylight. I just need a minute to pack my toothbrush,” Barrett said, aiming his words at Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. State regulators yanked Pavlos-Hackney’s food license in January for serving indoor diners and breaking other rules related to preventing the spread of COVID-19. But the restaurant, 180 miles west of Detroit, stayed open – and customers flocked there.\n\nMinnesota\n\nMinneapolis: Twin Cities commercial real estate managers are fearful Target Corp.’s decision to leave a main downtown Minneapolis location will become a trend that will continue to diminish office space needs. Target informed the City Center’s manager this month that it will no longer need the 985,000 square feet of office space it rents in the 51-story tower because it is permanently moving to a hybrid remote work model for 3,500 employees. Target’s lease expires in 2031. The company said many headquarters employees are currently working remotely. The COVID-19 pandemic has darkened many buildings in the downtown business district as employees adjust to working at home to avoid contracting the coronavirus. Building managers are bracing for additional fallout from the big retailer’s decision to leave the City Center, the Star Tribune reports. A recent Cushman & Wakefield national survey revealed that 81% of employers across 35 markets expect to switch to a work-from-home model post-COVID-19. According to C&W, about 22% of Minneapolis’ core business district’s 28.4 million square feet of office space is vacant.\n\nMississippi\n\nJackson: The Jackson Convention Complex will host a mixed martial arts competition Saturday, its first big live-audience event since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down venues where large gatherings were commonplace. Oak View Group Facilities, the group that manages and operates the Jackson Convention Complex, announced in a news release that the venue will host the ongoing fight series, Empire Fighting Championship. The Empire FC X is a mixed martial arts event that will have 17 fights at the convention center. “Our team has been working tirelessly with local officials to ensure proper safety protocols are in place to have spectators attend an event here in at the Jackson Center Complex,” Mark Arancibia, general manager for Oak View Group Facilities, said in the news release. The convention center will have a limited capacity of 1,000 people for the event and will have predetermined, socially distanced sitting areas, Arancibia said. He said the Jackson Convention Complex has hosted some high school volleyball matches with spectators, but Saturday’s competition will be the first professional sporting event. Fans will be required to wear masks inside the convention center. There will also be hand sanitizing stations throughout the space.\n\nMissouri\n\nSt. Joseph: With COVID-19 cases on the decline and vaccinations on the rise, two mid-sized cities are easing restrictions. St. Joseph Mayor Bill McMurray on Monday ended the requirement to wear a mask, effective Wednesday, the St. Joseph News-Press reports. Meanwhile, in mid-Missouri, the health department for Columbia and Boone County is reducing restrictions on bars, restaurants and other businesses. McMurray initially opposed ending St. Joseph’s mandate but relented after the City Council voted 5-4 in support of doing away with it. The decision was ultimately McMurray’s because he had been given authority over the mandate earlier in the pandemic. Opponents of ending the mandate cited concerns about Buchanan County’s vaccination rate of 13%, one of the lowest in Missouri. “I hope everybody will exercise good judgment and wear their masks in situations that we are very close to people,” McMurray said. “We’re not out of the woods yet.” In Columbia, health director Stephanie Browning announced a new order that ends limits on the size of gatherings at bars, restaurants, entertainment venues and other businesses, the Columbia Daily Tribune reports. The order also eliminates limits on the number of spectators for sports and activities.\n\nMontana\n\nHelena: A sixth lawmaker has tested positive for the coronavirus during this year’s legislative session, COVID-19 panel chairman Sen. Jason Ellsworth said Tuesday. The identity of the lawmaker was not released. The legislator is quarantining away from the Capitol, according to a statement by Ellsworth. The legislator was last in the building “within the past few days” and tested positive “within the past day,” according to panel spokesperson Kyle Schmauch. More than a month has elapsed since legislative leaders last confirmed a positive test among lawmakers. Coronavirus testing for legislators and legislative staff is available inside the Capitol on a weekly basis. The Legislature’s COVID-19 panel, tasked with addressing coronavirus-related rules during the session, has not met in more than two months.\n\nNebraska\n\nLincoln: A scaled-down version of the Nebraska State Fair in 2020 finished with a nearly $1.8 million profit, a substantial improvement over a disastrous fair the previous year, according to an annual audit. An audit by BKD of Lincoln found last year’s fair had revenue of nearly $6.5 million, a drop of about 37% from 2019, The Lincoln Journal-Star reports. However, because fair officials chose not to have a carnival or paid entertainment in response to the coronavirus pandemic, expenses declined to $3.7 million, about $7 million less than in 2019. With other factors such as interest and depreciation, the fair ended with a net profit of about $1.8 million. The 2019 fair incurred a nearly $1.5 million loss after managers spent heavily on entertainment to celebrate the fair’s 150th anniversary before bad weather caused a sharp drop in attendance. Fair officials had to lay off nearly half the staff and take out $1.1 million in credit to cover bills. An audit taken after that fair said Patrick Kopke, the fair’s former chief of finance, paid nearly $150,000 to a company he created for services that weren’t performed. Kopke was charged with felony theft. He has pleaded not guilty.\n\nNevada\n\nCarson City: In his first trip since being confirmed, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra visited the state Tuesday to talk up the Affordable Care Act and efforts underway to expand coverage and reduce the cost of health care. The secretary is one of several surrogates President Joe Biden dispatched to drum up support for his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, which includes funding for people who lost health care coverage amid the pandemic. “I hope Nevadans take full advantage of what it does to help middle class families on the edge” during the pandemic, Becerra said. At a Carson City health center, he announced an extension of the special enrollment period for the federal health insurance marketplace to Aug. 15. Former Gov. Brian Sandoval was one of the few Republican governors to create a state-based exchange and expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The law reduced the size of Nevada’s uninsured population drastically. Sandoval on Tuesday called the decision one of the most important he made as governor and said the politics “were not as complicated as one would think.” State lawmakers from both parties supported his approach due to Nevada’s high uninsured rate, he said. Amid the pandemic, Sandoval hopes state governments consider similar policies.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nConcord: The state will host its second mass vaccination site this weekend at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Vaccinations are by appointment only, and there were still slots for those eligible to schedule appointments at the state’s online site, VINI. The state hopes to vaccinate 8,000 people this weekend at the speedway. The site will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The Pfizer vaccine will be the only option offered. About 12,000 people were vaccinated at the first mass vaccination clinic at the speedway March 6-8.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nTrenton: Renters can now apply to receive up to a year’s worth of housing assistance after the state launched its online application for $353 million worth of grants for low- and moderate-income households behind on payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who have missed rental payments since March 13, 2020, can apply for assistance at the Department of Community Affairs website at njdca.onlinepha.com. The application site launched Monday at 9 a.m. and will remain open until the state receives enough applications to distribute all of the $353 million. More than 350,000 New Jersey households are behind on rent payments, according to U.S. census data from late February. Renters cannot be kicked out of their homes during New Jersey’s eviction moratorium, but landlords are still submitting tens of thousands of eviction filings in court for nonpayment of rent. Rental assistance payments could be distributed directly to landlords as early as May.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nSanta Fe: The Legislature is asserting its budgetary authority over $1.6 billion in new federal aid that dwarfs year-to-year spending adjustments, setting an agenda for economic recovery that Gov. Lujan Grisham could challenge with her veto pen. Congress and President Joe Biden approved the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package this month that funnels billions of dollars directly to New Mexico’s state government, school districts and local governments. A state Senate finance committee quickly channeled about $1 billion of that economic relief to accounts and initiatives that avoid future payroll tax increases on businesses, underwrite college tuition for in-state students, and backfill lost income at state museums and more. A final budget bill approved by the Legislature devotes federal relief of $600 million to replenishing the state’s unemployment trust fund. The fund began borrowing from the federal government last year to fulfill unprecedented unemployment claims. Lawmakers earmarked another $6 million for the state fair in Albuquerque, along with $14.5 million to bolster spending at state parks, historic sites and New Mexico’s world-renowned public museum system. Those facilities were closed down for much of the past year as a health precaution against the pandemic.\n\nNew York\n\nAlbany: Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie was one of two lawmakers who said they tested positive for the coronavirus Tuesday, though both Democrats said they were experiencing only mild symptoms. Assembly member Ron Kim of Queens announced his positive test on Twitter, saying he was in isolation. Kim has been one of the loudest voices calling for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to be impeached as the governor faces scandals revolving around the classification of nursing home deaths and allegations of sexual harassment. Kim said Cuomo had vowed to “destroy” him during a private phone call for nursing home criticism he felt was unfair. Cuomo has denied the allegation. Heastie, who represents the Bronx, said he would be working from his Albany residence as he and other leaders of the Legislature try to reach a state budget deal with Cuomo by the April 1 deadline. Heastie tested positive despite receiving the first of two vaccine doses March 6. It generally takes two weeks after a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for a person to build full protection. “I am in frequent contact with my physician and look forward to a full recovery,” Heastie said in a statement. The Assembly began meeting virtually when the pandemic struck last year to limit the spread of the virus among lawmakers and staff.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nRaleigh: Gov. Roy Cooper on Tuesday eased several restrictions that will soon allow businesses to open at greater capacity and more people to assemble indoors and outdoors. Starting Friday, bars and sports and entertainment venues can open at 50% capacity indoors or outdoors, with the 11 p.m. cutoff for on-site alcohol consumption fully lifted. Restaurants, breweries, wineries, amusement parks, gyms and bowling alleys can fully reopen outdoors and at 75% capacity indoors. Museums, aquariums, retail businesses and shops, hair salons and personal care businesses can operate at 100% capacity indoors and outdoors. Gatherings not otherwise included in the updated executive order set to expire April 30 will increase to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. The statewide mask mandate will remain in place, and the required 6 feet of physical distancing may not allow businesses to reopen at the capacity caps outlined. “These are significant changes, but they can be done safely,” Cooper said at an afternoon news conference. The announcement comes as a handful of North Carolina counties have expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all adults, regardless of age, health condition or job type, due to limited demand in their areas.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nBismarck: A popcorn machine has been removed from the North Dakota Capitol after it twice triggered fire alarms that brought firefighters to the building this week and caused legislators to evacuate. Rep. Mary Johnson was on her third batch of popcorn Monday afternoon when the machine triggered the alarms for the second time that day. Johnson said she wasn’t aware of a policy that bans popcorn poppers, toasters and other food appliances from the building, with the exception of the Capitol Cafe. House Majority Leader Chet Pollert said the popcorn helped bring together House Republicans, whose caucus has been “a little strained” due to the coronavirus pandemic and the House expulsion of former Rep. Luke Simons, the Bismarck Tribune reports. “Popcorn cheers people up for a reason,” Pollert said. “And now it’s gone, and that’s the way it goes.” Facility Management Director John Boyle said the policy was established to prevent the activation of fire alarms.\n\nOhio\n\nColumbus: Multiple local health departments are sounding the alarm about legislation restricting their ability to respond to emergencies such as the coronavirus pandemic. The agency heads laid out their concerns in letters to Republican Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday, documenting how the bill would slow down or block local officials from ordering businesses to close or requiring residents to quarantine or isolate without a medical diagnosis. “Board of health orders are crucial tools to mitigate a situation, allowing time for a full investigation of a situation before it becomes urgent or worsens,” Franklin County health officials wrote. “Orders like these are utilized sparingly and almost always involve guidance and expertise from the CDC or the Ohio Department of Health.” The department and several other public health agencies opposed Wednesday’s steps by House and Senate Republicans to override DeWine’s veto of the bill. But GOP legislators made good on their promise to check the authority of their fellow Republican by issuing the first override of his term after a yearlong battle over how the state should respond during a health emergency.\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: A state Senate panel voted Monday to endorse the confirmation of Dr. Lance Frye as commissioner of the Oklahoma State Department of Health. The Senate Health and Human Services Committee’s vote on Gov. Kevin Stitt’s nominee sent the pick to the full Senate for a vote. A member of the Oklahoma National Guard, Frye previously served as residency program director and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Oklahoma State University’s Center for Health Sciences. “His extensive medical and military experience is a reflection of his longstanding commitment to serving others in times of crisis and uncertainty,” Stitt said in a statement. “He was the right man for the job at the height of the pandemic, and I’m confident his leadership will continue to benefit the health and lives of Oklahomans.” Stitt’s last pick to lead the health department, Gary Cox, was forced to resign after the same Senate committee refused to take up his nomination last year. Meanwhile, newly reported coronavirus cases in Oklahoma continued to decline Wednesday, and the number of people receiving COVID-19 vaccines was rising. The seven-day rolling average of new cases in Oklahoma dropped by 41.1% during the past two weeks, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.\n\nOregon\n\nPortland: Three students have filed class-action lawsuits against the state’s two largest colleges saying they were charged full price for online classes of poorer quality than in-person classes. When the University of Oregon and Oregon State University closed their campuses because of the coronavirus pandemic, they didn’t offer to refund students’ tuition bills, The Oregonian/OregonLive reports. The University of Oregon says on its website that in order to provide quality education now and in the future, it cannot discount tuition. The universities did agree to refund portions of their room and board. “The University of Oregon, we believe, has unfairly continued to charge tuition payers for all of the things they were not allowed to experience and use during the COVID-19 campus closure and switch to online classes,” said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman and attorney for students in the class action. Caine Smith filed the suit against Oregon. Danielle Pranger and Garrett Harris filed the complaint against Oregon State. The suits, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court earlier this month, did not specify how much they are seeking in damages.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nHarrisburg: As life languished in the early days of the pandemic and most people stayed home, vandals left their mark in Philadelphia. The graffiti in March 2020 included multiple swastikas and other symbols of hate, including the white supremacist symbol “1488” that partially pledges allegiance to Hitler. And a disturbing message was found inside a public restroom in the city, which had a powerful Black voting bloc capable of determining the outcome of an election: “We need to re-implement Jim Crow.” Hate symbols found that day were among 330 incidents reported last year in Pennsylvania by the Anti-Defamation League – a record high since the ADL started tracking cases in the state five years ago. Most of the incidents involved white supremacist propaganda, while 96 were anti-Semitic incidents, and eight were white supremacist events. The findings line up with those noted by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, the top civil rights agency in the state, and numerous personal experiences shared on social media. The accounts from individuals and agencies all illustrate an important point: As life slowed down during the pandemic, hate did not, experts said.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: The state’s two largest hospital groups did not violate laws or break state policies when they offered COVID-19 vaccinations to their board members before they were eligible, but they did erode public confidence in the fairness of the vaccination process, state Attorney General Peter Neronha said Tuesday. Front-line health care workers were among the first people in Rhode Island to be eligible for a shot, but Lifespan and Care New England, after vaccinating workers at high risk of exposure, offered vaccinations to board members and some other employees, no matter their age or risk level. The move drew criticism from people who said many high-risk residents were being denied vaccinations and prompted the attorney general’s investigation. “The appearance or perception that certain connected or wealthy individuals were, by virtue of their seat on a hospital board of directors, being given an opportunity to ‘jump the line’ months in advance was upsetting to many and fueled anxiety among everyday Rhode Islanders who were dutifully waiting their turn,” the attorney general wrote in a letter to management at both organizations and the state Department of Health. However, the state gave the hospital groups wide discretion on whom they should vaccinate, the letter said.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nColumbia: The South Carolina House gave key approval Tuesday to the state’s $9.8 billion budget, which provides small raises for most teachers and some law enforcement officers but not for other state employees. Republican leaders promised either a bonus or a raise for most lower-paid state employees if somewhat rosier predictions about the state’s economy recovering from the COVID-19 downturn come true after taxes are collected this spring. “To make sure we thank state employees and we recognize their hard work and their sacrifice – we need to do that with an increase in their pay,” said Rep. Murrell Smith, the Republican chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, which writes the budget. Smith said if for some reason tax collection isn’t enough to ensure revenue every year for a raise, he will push for a bonus. Smith was responding to Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, who made her annual trip to the front of the House to ask for the raises. “State employees are pretty fed up with being told to wait until next year,” the Democrat from Orangeburg said. State employees appreciated the praise for working through the pandemic. But “there’s no paper that goes along with that praise,” Cobb-Hunter said. She promised she would ask for a 5% raise later this year.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nSioux Falls: Students will again miss out on school-sanctioned prom this year because of COVID-19 precautions but can instead celebrate with a “grand march” at their school. Still, that’s not stopping parents and students from hosting off-site, unsanctioned prom events. Carly Uthe, a spokesperson for the Sioux Falls School District, said in an email Monday that the district began discussing prom in January, and district leaders and high school principals decided by February that the grand march opportunity would still “provide seniors with a memorable experience with their classmates.” The sheer number of seniors at each school and the need for social distancing and mask-wearing led officials to determine a dance would not comply with health and safety protocols, Uthe said. But that’s not enough for some. To make the end of high school memorable for their seniors, parents at Sioux Falls’ high schools are hosting proms on their own dime. Lincoln High School parents plan an “Underground Prom” at The Social, a local event venue. Washington High School’s unsanctioned prom will be held at the Convention Center. Roosevelt High School is combining a prom and senior party into one event at the South Dakota Military Heritage Alliance. Parents with all three said masks will be required at their proms.\n\nTennessee\n\nMemphis: Citing demand slack for COVID-19 vaccinations, the city of Memphis and Shelby County announced Monday that COVID-19 vaccine eligibility would expand to everyone 16 and up, with appointments opening Friday for vaccinations next week. The move is a long-awaited one for thousands of people who haven‘t been eligible for a vaccine because they weren’t old enough or didn’t have preexisting conditions. It also marks the start of the final push toward herd immunity from COVID-19 and an attempt to return to some sort of normalcy. “Our aim is to get as many shots into as many arms as fast as we possibly can. And the phenomenon that we were seeing was not only were we not having all of our appointments filled, but we were having people double-book and triple-book appointments and then being no-shows,” said Doug McGowen, the city’s chief operating officer and leader of vaccine efforts for Shelby County. The move toward eligibility for nearly everyone could lead to demand outstripping supply again, something that hasn’t been the case over the past few weeks, as the city and county have had to put out repeated calls for appointments to be filled. McGowen said Tuesday that the public may need to be patient when appointments open to everyone Friday.\n\nTexas\n\nAustin: Launching a legal fight against a fellow Republican, state Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has sued Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick – as well as the entire Texas Senate – in a bid to strike down a rule requiring visitors to the chamber to take a coronavirus test. Senate rules require a negative test, conducted in a tent outside the Capitol’s north entrance, before anybody can walk onto the Senate floor, sit in the overhead gallery or enter a Senate committee room for a hearing. Joined by conservative GOP activist Steven Hotze of Houston, Miller’s lawsuit seeks a court order striking down the testing requirement as a violation of free speech and the right to petition the government as protected by the Texas Constitution. “Government power cannot be exercised in conflict with the constitution, even in a pandemic,” said the lawsuit, filed in state District Court in Travis County. “Texas law does not and cannot empower Patrick or the Texas Senate to impose a medical test before one is able to participate in their government.” Patrick, who presides over the Senate, praised the rule shortly after it was unanimously adopted by senators in January at the start of the legislative session, saying it would protect senators, staff and visitors alike.\n\nUtah\n\nSt. George: All Utah adults can now begin signing up for a COVID-19 vaccine, with the state having accelerated its timetable for opening the shots up to younger age groups. Previously, vaccines were only available to people 50 or older, along with health care workers, teachers, care facility staff and select other groups. Gov. Spencer Cox announced last week that the vaccines would be available to younger people sooner because as much as 15% of the state’s supply wasn’t being claimed by those in the eligible age groups. State health officials say nearly 1.2 million vaccines have been administered statewide, with about 25,000 per day reported over the past week. Some teenagers 16 and older were also eligible under the new rules. Cox urged people to try to sign up quickly, saying the sudden change in eligibility rules would likely mean there won’t be enough vaccines for all of those interested. But the goal was to use every vaccine available without letting any go to waste, Cox said. “We always want to keep demand above availability,” the Republican governor said during a televised news conference on PBS-Utah.\n\nVermont\n\nMontpelier: Amtrak passenger rail service could be back on track in the state within the next few months, officials said. Service on the two trains that serve Vermont – The Vermonter, which runs from Washington, D.C., up the eastern side of Vermont before crossing the state and then ending in St. Albans, and the Ethan Allen Express, which travels between Rutland and New York City – was suspended last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. “We’ve had some preliminary discussions with Amtrak on this, and we had said that we’re looking forward to them coming back and being fully operational,” Scott said Tuesday during his COVID-19 briefing. “We just don’t know exactly when it’s going to be.” Amy Tatko, a spokeswoman for the Vermont Agency of Transportation, told the St. Albans Messenger that restart talks are underway. “We hope to make an announcement within the next several weeks as to what that timeline will look like,” she said. Despite the suspension of service, Amtrak trains have been operating on the Vermont lines to train staff.\n\nVirginia\n\nRichmond: Gov. Ralph Northam said Tuesday that the state will soon relax some coronavirus-related restrictions for social gatherings and entertainment venues. Starting April 1, Northam said, social gatherings such as weddings may have up to 50 people indoors. Outdoor gatherings can have up to 100 people. Indoor entertainment venues will be able to operate at 30% capacity or with up to 500 people. Outdoor venues can operate at a 30% capacity with no limits on the actual number of people. For example, a baseball stadium that holds 9,500 fans will be able to host a crowd of roughly 3,000. That will give people room to socially distance, Northam said. Indoor recreational sporting events will be able to have 100 people per field or 30% capacity. Outdoor events will be able to accommodate 500 people per field or 30% capacity. “These are measured changes,” the Democratic governor said at a news conference. “We still have a strict gathering limit and a universal mask mandate and capacity restrictions both indoors and outdoors.” Social gatherings in the state are currently limited to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. Some in the wedding business say relaxing the limits to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors may still be too restrictive.\n\nWashington\n\nWoodland: The state Department of Labor and Industries has fined this southwest Washington city for potentially exposing staff to COVID-19 when councilmembers went without face masks during meetings. According to the citation received Friday, Woodland did not comply with the governor’s COVID-19 emergency proclamation banning businesses from operating unless all customers inside the building are wearing facial coverings, The Daily News of Longview reports. “Despite councilmembers choosing not to wear facial coverings at all times, the city continued to facilitate these meetings and expose their employees to the potential spread of COVID-19,” the citation said. “Continued operations in contravention of the orders of the governor unnecessarily endangers employees and creates a substantial probability that death or serious harm could result.” The violation was corrected during the L&I inspection, according to the citation. Woodland Mayor Will Finn could not be reached for comment Monday. Last year, the state received complaints from citizens and staff about people not wearing masks during council meetings. The council has held mostly in-person meetings since June 1, after voting unanimously May 20 to do so “regardless of Gov. (Jay) Inslee’s stay-at-home order.”\n\nWest Virginia\n\nCharleston: The state’s vaccination campaign will turn to young people to stem transmission rates after giving shots to most senior citizens. The new strategy to focus on shots for residents ages 16 to 29 comes after officials said they are seeing an increase in doses delivered. “When you have the resources available, you open up multiple fronts against the enemy to deplete their capability,” James Hoyer, a retired major general leading the state’s coronavirus task force, said Wednesday. “In this case the virus is the enemy.” Republican Gov. Jim Justice said more than 70% of residents 65 and over are at least partially vaccinated, but he set a new goal of covering 85% of that population. But he said the state’s focus could now begin shifting to high school and college students and other young adults. “We’re seeing significant transmission occurring with our younger people,” Justice said. He opened up vaccinations to all West Virginians 16 and up Monday. Dr. Clay Marsh, the state’s coronavirus czar, said younger and older people are turning up sicker at hospitals, which he attributed to variants of the coronavirus circulating. The number of coronavirus patients has increased 40% in under two weeks to 212 people.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: Assembly Speaker Robin Vos called on the state’s business community to “step up” and return workers to offices around the Fourth of July, joining Wednesday with the state Senate’s top Republican in praising Wisconsin’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu offered rare praise for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ administration, giving it credit for increasing vaccinations. During the virtual event hosted by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state’s largest business lobbying group, they also pushed for a return to pre-pandemic work routines. “We don’t keep people going through all this rigmarole, which was necessary for a certain amount of time, but we’re now moving beyond it,” Vos said. “It’s up to the business community to step up with government to show the world that we can safely reopen and not have this pandemic hangover really impact our economy going forward in way that none of us want.” Vos’ call for people to return to offices echoes President Joe Biden earlier this month raising the possibility of beginning to “mark our independence from this virus” by the Fourth of July. “That’s the date that I’m looking at,” Vos said. “Kind of that, really, kick start of summer where the vast majority of people want to be outside.”\n\nWyoming\n\nCheyenne: State lawmakers are working on competing proposals to address a projected $300 million shortfall in K-12 education funding over the next two years and are looking to solutions for a longer-term deficit in school funding. The state’s rainy day fund of about $1.3 billion is available to cover the short-term shortfall. But House legislators are working on a bill that would phase in cuts of about $68 million over the next three years, and a Senate proposal would cut $130 million from the school finance model, The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports. Lawmakers are working on a solution with two weeks left in the legislative session. House lawmakers also are discussing a proposal to raise the state sales tax from 4% to 5% once the state’s primary savings account falls below $650 million. The rainy-day fund could reach that threshold as soon as the 2023-24 biennium, legislative staff estimate. Many senators want to explore other possible cuts before supporting tax increases. One proposal includes increasing class sizes. The House bill is set for a final reading this week, with several amendments possible. Lawmakers will likely use that legislation to bridge the difference between the two chambers, according to Senate Education Committee chair Charles Scott of Casper.\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/03/25"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_17", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2023/03/20/rolls-royce-nuclear-reactor-moon/11509148002/", "title": "Rolls-Royce plans nuclear reactor on moon that could sustain life", "text": "Clarification: An earlier version of this story incorrectly linked the reactor's development with Rolls-Royce automobiles.\n\nAs NASA continues its plans to send humans back to the moon, another country will be funding the effort to get humans living and working on the celestial body.\n\nThe British manufacturer Rolls-Royce announced its going to be taking its research out of the this world, as the company received funding from the UK Space Agency to develop a nuclear reactor on the moon, which could power a lunar astronaut base.\n\n\"Space exploration is the ultimate laboratory for so many of the transformational technologies we need on Earth,\" George Freeman, Minister of State at the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, said in a statement.\n\nThe moon could have its own time zone: Space officials push to create standard lunar time\n\nWhat are the full moon dates for 2023?: The next full moon will be on April 6\n\nWhy is Rolls-Royce researching a nuclear reactor on the moon?\n\nRolls-Royce said it is working on a micro-reactor program to develop technology that will \"provide power needed for humans to live and work on the moon.\"\n\nA power source on the moon would support communication systems, life-support and science experiments while on the on the moon, which would \"dramatically increase\" the time spent working outside of Earth, the company added.\n\n\"This innovative research by Rolls-Royce could lay the groundwork for powering continuous human presence on the Moon,\" said Paul Bate, chief executive of the UK Space Agency.\n\nWhy a nuclear reactor?\n\nThe agency said a nuclear reactor is small and lightweight compared to other means of power, and could enable continuous power regardless of available sunlight or other environmental conditions.\n\nWhat's everyone talking about?: Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day.\n\nHow much funding is Rolls-Royce getting?\n\nRolls-Royce will receive £2.9 million, which equals around $3.5 million, to research how a nuclear reactor could function on the moon.\n\nIn addition to bringing more jobs to develop the research, the company said the funding will allow it to strengthen its knowledge in:\n\nThe fuel used to generate heat\n\nThe method of heat transfer\n\nTechnology to convert that heat into electricity\n\n\"This funding will bring us further down the road in making the Micro-Reactor a reality, with the technology bringing immense benefits for both space and Earth,\" said Abi Clayton, director of future programs for Rolls-Royce.\n\nWhen will a nuclear reactor be on the moon?\n\nRolls-Royce plans to have a nuclear reactor ready to send to the moon by 2029.\n\nFuture moon missions\n\nThe announcement from Rolls-Royce comes less than a month after the UK Space Agency announced funding for companies to develop communication and navigation services for future moon missions.\n\nMeanwhile, NASA on Wednesday revealed the spacesuits astronauts will wear during the upcoming Artemis III mission, which plans to send humans back to the moon in 2025.\n\nFollow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/20"}, {"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/science-health/960088/rolls-royce-gets-ps29m-for-james-bond-moon-project", "title": "Rolls-Royce gets £2.9m for 'James Bond' Moon project | The Week UK", "text": "Rolls-Royce has been awarded funding by the UK Space Agency to build a nuclear reactor to power a base on the Moon.\n\nThe idea “might sound like the setup of a James Bond film”, said Sky News, but is “part of a very real-world project that aims to see humans living and working on the lunar surface”.\n\nExperts told The Guardian that nuclear power could “dramatically increase the length of lunar missions”, providing enough energy for communications, life-support and experiments.\n\nRolls-Royce plans to have a reactor ready to send to the Moon by 2029. The UK Space Agency has announced £2.9m of new funding for the project, which will deliver an initial demonstration of a UK lunar modular nuclear reactor. The cash injection follows a £249,000 study funded by the UK Space Agency last year.\n\nDr Paul Bate, chief executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “This innovative research by Rolls-Royce could lay the groundwork for powering continuous human presence on the moon, while enhancing the wider UK space sector, creating jobs and generating further investment.”\n\nWork on the lunar base comes as humans prepare to return to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years. “As humanity begins to venture back into space”, said Gizmodo, the “technology that moves us throughout the solar system will be a pivotal part of that journey”.\n\nWith dozens of lunar missions due to launch over the next decade, the European Space Agency wants to give the Moon its own time zone and is collaborating with other space agencies including Nasa in a “joint international effort” to determine what a lunar time zone might look like, said Axios.\n\nAcross the Atlantic, Nasa recently announced funding for a nuclear-powered rocket that could “cut journey times to Mars from seven months to just 45 days”, the Independent reported.", "authors": ["Chas Newkey-Burden"], "publish_date": "2023/03/17"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/30/tech/oceanone-diving-robot-scn/index.html", "title": "Diving robot explores shipwrecks on the ocean's bottom | CNN ...", "text": "Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.\n\nCNN —\n\nA robot created at Stanford University in California is diving down to shipwrecks and sunken planes in a way that humans can’t. Known as OceanOneK, the robot allows its operators to feel like they’re underwater explorers, too.\n\nOceanOneK resembles a human diver from the front, with arms and hands and eyes that have 3D vision, capturing the underwater world in full color.\n\nThe back of the robot has computers and eight multidirectional thrusters that help it carefully maneuver the sites of fragile sunken ships.\n\nOceanOneK, here doing an experiment in a swimming pool at Stanford University, resembles a human diver. Andrew Brodhead/Stanford News Service\n\nWhen an operator at the ocean’s surface uses controls to direct OceanOneK, the robot’s haptic (touch-based) feedback system causes the person to feel the water’s resistance as well as the contours of artifacts.\n\nOceanOneK’s realistic sight and touch capabilities are enough to make people feel like they’re diving down to the depths – without the dangers or immense underwater pressure a human diver would experience.\n\nStanford University roboticist Oussama Khatib and his students teamed up with deep-sea archaeologists and began sending the robot on dives in September. The team just finished another underwater expedition in July.\n\nSo far, OceanOneK has explored a sunken Beechcraft Baron F-GDPV plane, Italian steamship Le Francesco Crispi, a second century Roman ship off Corsica, a World War II P-38 Lightning aircraft and a submarine called Le Protée.\n\nThe Crispi sits about 1,640 feet (500 meters) below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea.\n\n“You are moving very close to this amazing structure, and something incredible happens when you touch it: You actually feel it,” said Khatib, the Weichai Professor in Stanford’s School of Engineering and director of the Stanford Robotics Lab.\n\n“I’d never experienced anything like that in my life. I can say I’m the one who touched the Crispi at 500 (meters). And I did – I touched it, I felt it.”\n\nOceanOneK could be just the beginning of a future where robots take on underwater exploration too dangerous for humans and help us see oceans in a completely new way.\n\nStanford University roboticist Oussama Khatib (second from left) was able to feel sensations in his hands using the robot's feedback system. Frederic Osada/DRASSM/Stanford\n\nCreating an underwater robot\n\nThe challenge in creating OceanOneK and its predecessor, OceanOne, was building a robot that could endure an underwater environment and the immense pressure at various depths, Khatib said.\n\nOceanOne made its debut in 2016, exploring King Louis XIV’s wrecked flagship La Lune, which sits 328 feet (100 meters) below the Mediterranean 20 miles (32 kilometers) off southern France. The 1664 shipwreck remained untouched by humans.\n\nThe robot recovered a vase about the size of a grapefruit, and Khatib felt the sensations in his hands when OceanOne touched the vase before placing it in a recovery basket.\n\nThe idea for OceanOne came from a desire to study coral reefs within the Red Sea at depths beyond the normal range for divers. The Stanford team wanted to create something that came as close to a human diver as possible, integrating artificial intelligence, advanced robotics and haptic feedback.\n\nThe robot is about 5 feet (1.5 meters) long, and its brain can register how carefully it must handle an object without breaking it – like coral or sea-weathered artifacts. An operator can control the bot, but it’s outfitted with sensors and uploaded with algorithms so it can function autonomously and avoid collisions.\n\nWhile OceanOne was designed to reach maximum depths of 656 feet (200 meters), researchers had a new goal: 1 kilometer (0.62 miles), hence the new name for OceanOneK.\n\nThe team changed the robot’s body by using special foam that includes glass microspheres to increase buoyancy and combat the pressures of 1,000 meters – more than 100 times what humans experience at sea level.\n\nOceanOneK goes through a test of grasping an object in a Stanford pool. Andrew Brodhead/Stanford News Service\n\nThe researchers upgraded the robot’s arms with an oil and spring mechanism that prevents compression as it descends to the ocean depths. OceanOneK also got two new types of hands and increased arm and head motion.\n\nThe project comes with challenges he’s never seen in any other system, said Wesley Guo, a doctoral student at Stanford’s School of Engineering. “It requires a lot of out-of-the-box thinking to make those solutions work.”\n\nThe team used Stanford’s recreation pool to test out the robot and run through experiments, such as carrying a video camera on a boom and collecting objects. Then came the ultimate test for OceanOneK.\n\nDeep dives\n\nA Mediterranean tour that began in 2021 saw OceanOneK diving to these successive depths: 406 feet (124 meters) to the submarine, 1,095 feet (334 meters) to the Roman ship remains and ultimately 0.5 miles (852 meters) to prove it has the capability of diving to nearly 1 kilometer. But it wasn’t without problems.\n\nOceanOneK reaches for cargo from an ancient Roman ship. Frederic Osada/DRASSM/Stanford\n\nGuo and another Stanford doctoral student, Adrian Piedra, had to fix one of the robot’s disabled arms on the deck of their boat at night during a storm.\n\n“To me, the robot is eight years in the making,” Piedra said. “You have to understand how every single part of this robot is functioning – what are all of the things that can go wrong, and things are always going wrong. So it’s always like a puzzle. Being able to dive deep into the ocean and exploring some wrecks that would have never been seen this close up is very rewarding.”\n\nStudents work to fix an issue with OceanOneK during an expedition. Frederic Osada/DRASSM/Stanford\n\nDuring OceanOneK’s deep dive in February, team members discovered the robot couldn’t ascend when they stopped for a thruster check. Flotations on the communications and power line had collapsed, causing the line to pile on top of the robot.\n\nThey were able to pull in the slack, and OceanOneK’s descent was a success. It dropped off a commemorative marker on the seabed that reads, “A robot’s first touch of the deep seafloor/A vast new world for humans to explore.”\n\nKhatib, a professor of computer science, called the experience an “incredible journey.” “This is the first time that a robot has been capable of going to such a depth, interacting with the environment, and permitting the human operator to feel that environment,” he said.\n\nIn July, the team revisited the Roman ship and the Crispi. While the former has all but disappeared, its cargo remains scattered across the seafloor, Khatib said. At the site of the Roman ship, OceanOneK successfully collected ancient vases and oil lamps, which still bear their manufacturer’s name.\n\nThe robot carefully placed a boom camera inside the Crispi’s fractured hull to capture video of corals and rust formations while bacteria feast on the ship’s iron.\n\nThe robot extends a boom camera inside the hull of Italian steamship Le Francesco Crispi. Frederic Osada/DRASSM/Stanford\n\n“We go all the way to France for the expedition, and there, surrounded by a much larger team, coming from a wide array of backgrounds, you realize that the piece of this robot you’ve been working on at Stanford is actually part of something much bigger,” Piedra said.\n\n“You get a sense of how important this is, how novel and significant the dive is going to be, and what this means for science overall.”\n\nA promising future\n\nThe project born from an idea in 2014 has a long future of planned expeditions to lost underwater cities, coral reefs and deep wrecks. The innovations of OceanOneK also lay the groundwork for safer underwater engineering projects such as repairing boats, piers and pipelines.\n\nOne upcoming mission will explore a sunken steamboat in Lake Titicaca on the border of Peru and Bolivia.\n\nBut Khatib and his team have even bigger dreams for the project: space.\n\nKhatib said the European Space Agency has expressed interest in the robot. A haptic device aboard the International Space Station would allow astronauts to interact with the robot.\n\n“They can interact with the robot deep in the water,” Khatib said, “and this would be amazing because this would simulate the task of doing this on a different planet or different moon.”", "authors": ["Ashley Strickland"], "publish_date": "2022/07/30"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/06/asia/south-korea-nuclear-plants-renewable-energy-intl-hnk/index.html", "title": "South Korea bets on nuclear power, restarting construction on two ...", "text": "Seoul, South Korea CNN —\n\nSouth Korea, one of the world’s most fossil fuel-reliant economies, is re-embracing nuclear energy, with the government announcing Tuesday it will restart construction on two nuclear reactors and extend the life of those already in operation.\n\nBy 2030, the Energy Ministry wants nuclear to make up at least 30% of the country’s power generation – a step up from its previous goal of 27%.\n\nTo meet this, South Korea is restarting construction on two new reactors at the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant on the country’s east coast. Construction on the two reactors has been stalled since 2017, when former President Moon Jae-in – who had pushed hard to phase out nuclear energy – took office.\n\nBut with a new President in office, South Korea’s nuclear industry is returning at full speed.\n\nYoon Suk Yeol, who assumed the role in May, criticized Moon’s stance on nuclear energy and expressed support for the flagging industry throughout his election campaign.\n\n“Due to the excessive push on nuclear phase-out, our world’s best nuclear technology has been devastated,” Yoon said in a Facebook post in February ahead of the election, adding that he wanted to “build a nuclear powerhouse.”\n\nThe work on the new reactors follows “the highest decision-making procedures of the Yoon administration,” the Energy Ministry said Tuesday, adding it would investigate how to treat “high-level radioactive waste.”\n\nThe country will still work to phase out coal, the Energy Ministry said Tuesday, and aims to reduce fossil fuel imports to 60% of the country’s total energy supply by 2030 – compared to 81.8% in 2021.\n\nBut the investment pouring into nuclear power might come at the cost of other renewable energy efforts, with the ministry saying its renewable targets would be “re-established.” It did not give specific figures for new targets.\n\n“The specific ratio of different sources of power, such as solar and wind (offshore) energy, must be determined for optimal outcome,” the ministry said. “Utilization of zero carbon power sources should take technological circumstances into account.”\n\nIt added that a “feasible and reasonable energy mix” must be created.\n\nDuring his presidency, Moon vowed to take the country carbon-neutral by 2050, and shift the balance of energy away from nuclear power and fossil fuels toward renewables and natural gas. His raft of initiatives included boosting renewable energy production and the use of electric vehicles.\n\nThe use of nuclear power came into question around the world after the meltdown at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi plant, following a devastating earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Some nations, including Germany, pledged to do away with it altogether.\n\nBut in South Korea, nuclear power has long been big business. The country lacks natural resources and relies heavily on importing its energy supply from other countries.\n\nAccording to the World Nuclear Association, 25 domestic nuclear power plants provide about a third of South Korea’s electricity needs.\n\nThe country is also a major exporter of nuclear technology to the world, and is involved in the construction of the United Arab Emirates’ first nuclear power plant.", "authors": ["Jessie Yeung Gawon Bae", "Jessie Yeung", "Gawon Bae"], "publish_date": "2022/07/06"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/06/business/costco-kirkland-signature-trader-joes-store-brands/index.html", "title": "The hidden makers of Costco's Kirkland Signature and Trader Joe's ...", "text": "New York CNN Business —\n\nKirkland Signature. Two-Buck Chuck. Simple Truth. Cat & Jack. Great Value. Amazon Basics. Store brands have never been more popular.\n\nThey have become forces in their own right and make up around 21% of sales in the $1.17 trillion US grocery industry, according to IRI.\n\nAs prices surge, store brands – also known as private labels, white labels or generic brands – have become an even more attractive option for inflation-fatigued shoppers who are looking to switch from pricier name brands. Store brands can be anywhere from 10% to 50% cheaper.\n\nBut the origins of store brands remain largely secretive.\n\nRetailers aren’t typically forthcoming about the companies that make their brands. And manufacturers, likewise, have little incentive to reveal that they’re creating similar products to their name brands under a different label sold on the cheap.\n\nMany leading national brand manufacturers create private labels for multiple retailers. In the late 1990s more than half of brand manufacturers were estimated to make private goods as well.\n\nTrader Joe's first private brand product in the 1970s was granola. As the grocer grew, it switched to mainly its own brands. Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg/Getty Images\n\nAlthough store brands ostensibly compete with manufacturers’ national brands, manufacturers often have excess capacity on their production lines. To generate additional profit, some will use that extra capacity to make private labels.\n\nOther brand manufacturers will produce private labels as an incentive for retailers, hoping they’ll be rewarded with better shelf space and placement for their own national labels.\n\n“Most manufacturers aren’t open about it,” said Jan-Benedict E.M. Steenkamp, a marketing professor at the University of North Carolina who studies private labels and branding. “Manufacturers don’t want it to be known because it undermines the power of their own brands.”\n\nBut there are some exceptions. Kimberly-Clark (KMB), the maker of Huggies diapers, produces Kirkland Signature diapers for Costco (COST)and Duracell produces Kirkland Signature batteries, Costco (COST)executives have said.\n\nGeorgia-Pacific, the maker of Brawny and Dixie, also produces store brands. So does Henkel (HENKY), the manufacturer of Purex and Dial.\n\nEight O’Clock Coffee and Kenmore\n\nStore labels have been around since the early days of retail and the emergence of consumer brands in the 19th century.\n\nMacy’s sold stoneware whiskey jugs under its own name. Customers could bring back the jugs for refills, according to Christopher Durham, the president of the Velocity Institute, a trade association for private brands.\n\nMontgomery Ward developed its own line of aspirin in wooden containers, while the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (aka A&P) sold branded spices with the slogan “Take the Grandmother’s Advice, Use A&P Spices.” A&P later developed Eight O’Clock Coffee, one of the most famous private labels of the period.\n\nEight O'Clock Coffee sold at The Great Atlantic And Pacific Tea Company (A&P) in 1949. Joe Scherschel/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock\n\nYet no US retailer was more successful developing its own brands than Sears, Roebuck.\n\nIn 1925, Sears created the Allstate brand for car tires. A few years later, Sears launched its first Craftsman wrench, according to Durham. Its Kenmore line, which started as a sewing machine brand in 1913 before branching into vacuums and other home appliances, became the leading home appliance brand in the United States.\n\nThese private labels were the exception, however.\n\nFor most of the 20th century, national brands such as Jell-O, H.J. Heinz, Campbell Soup (CPB) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) had power over stores. These manufacturers flooded the airwaves and newspapers with advertisements extolling the advantages of their products.\n\nMost customers were fiercely loyal to specific brands, not retailers. A store that didn’t carry major labels would likely get crushed, which gave manufacturers immense leverage.\n\nAdditionally, many store brands were also considered dull, cheap knockoffs of national brands.\n\nThe low point of private label came during the 1970s, Durham said, when stores seeking to cut costs and rolled out generics with basic white backgrounds and black letters identifying the product – beer, soap, cola, beans and other staples.\n\nShopper loyalty\n\nRetailers make private label brands for a variety of reasons, including to boost profitability and sometimes as a negotiating tool against brands.\n\nPrivate brands often carry profit margins that are 20% to 40% higher than national brands because stores don’t have to pay the advertising, distribution or other markup costs that are embedded in major brands’ prices.\n\nGreat Value is Walmart's largest store brand. John Gress/Reuters\n\nIn the mid-20th century, many retailers started to develop their own labels to claw back bargaining power from dominant suppliers and keep their prices in check. As the US retail industry has consolidated in recent decades, the power dynamic between retailers and suppliers reversed. Now, stores have more leverage to introduce their own labels – whether name brands like it or not.\n\n“Forty years ago, Walmart pissing off P&G would be a risky situation. Now, Walmart is much bigger than P&G,” said Steenkamp, the marketing professor.\n\nToday, stores’ private brand operations are more sophisticated than ever and a much bigger focus for chains.\n\nStores are likelier these days to develop a distinctive private brand or product to stand out against competitors and create shopper loyalty, said Krishnakumar Davey, the president of client engagement at IRI.\n\nCostco (COST), for example, will decide to make a Kirkland Signature product because a leading brand won’t sell to the retailer. Or Costco (COST) believes the name brand’s prices have gotten too high and it can make its own similar-quality product and sell it for 20% less.\n\nCostco hasn’t lost any relationships with suppliers by launching its own Kirkland products, but those brands are not usually pleased when Costco introduces one, company CFO Richard Galanti said in an interview earlier this year.\n\nCostco generates nearly one-third of its sales from its Kirkland Signature label. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images\n\nRetailers have been sued for creating products that too closely resemble national brands. The owner of golf ball-brand Titleist sued Costco for patent infringement, while Williams-Sonoma (WSM) sued Amazon (AMZN) for selling “knockoffs” under its own brand. Both cases were settled.\n\nThe US House Judiciary Committee and other lawmakers and regulators around the world have investigated whether Amazon uses data from sellers to create its own brands and unlawfully favors its own brands on its website.\n\nAmazon has said it doesn’t use the data from individual third-party sellers to inform the development of its own private brands and does not favor its own products on the site.\n\nMost stores start small with their own brands. Grocers, for example, will often first introduce a shelf-stable product like pasta, flour, sugar or rice that’s easier to make and where brand loyalty within the category isn’t strong.\n\n“You don’t start with the most difficult things,” Steenkamp said. “As stores build more experience and success, then they enter new categories.”\n\nHow to find out who makes store brands\n\nSo how do you tell who’s behind your favorite store brands?\n\nProduct recalls are often the most revealing way to find out which brand manufacturers are behind specific private labels.\n\nLast year, for example, Dole recalled fresh salads and vegetables, including private brands for Walmart, Kroger and H-E-B.\n\nJ.M. Smucker (SJM) recalled certain Jif peanut butter products this year, as well as store-branded items it made for Giant Eagle, Wawa and Safeway. Large companies such as Conagra and McCain Foods have recalled products from Trader Joe’s.\n\nThen there are the dedicated private label manufacturers, such as Treehouse Foods (THS), which makes snacks under the labels of supermarkets, big-box chains and other retailers. Nearly one-quarter of the company’s $4.3 billion in sales last year, for example, came from Walmart (WMT).\n\nTarget has dozens of its own brands, such as Cat & Jack, Universal Thread and up & up. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images\n\nJames Walser, who led the launch of Target’s (TGT) up & up household basics and personal care brand in 2009, said that Target tried to move away from national brand manufacturers during up & up’s development to nimbler suppliers focused solely on making private labels.\n\nSome large retailers also make their own private labels. Kroger, for example, makes about 30% of its own private products.\n\nPerhaps the strangest store brand manufacturers are retailers that make private brands for their…competitors: Safeway-owned Lucerne Foods manufactures private labels for Safeway’s rivals.\n\nCorrection: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the size of the US grocery industry. It is a $1.17 trillion industry, according to IRI.", "authors": ["Nathaniel Meyersohn"], "publish_date": "2022/08/06"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/07/world/november-full-beaver-moon-lunar-eclipse-scn/index.html", "title": "Lunar eclipse: Beaver moon turns an eerie red this Tuesday | CNN", "text": "Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.\n\nCNN —\n\nTurning a coppery shade of red in the sky this Tuesday, November 8, the full moon kicked off Election Day with an early morning event of its own — a total lunar eclipse.\n\nThe second one of the year, the eclipse began at 3:02 a.m. ET, with the moon initially dimming for the first hour, and ended at 8:50 a.m. ET.\n\nAt totality, the stage at which the entire moon will be in Earth’s shadow, the moon turned a dark reddish hue, which is why a total eclipse is also called a blood moon. Sky gazers were able to see the striking effect beginning at 5:17 a.m. ET, according to NASA.\n\n“They aren’t that common, so it’s always nice to get a hold of them when you can,” said Dr. Alphonse Sterling, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “I think they’re excellent learning devices for people who want to get into astronomy.”\n\nA total lunar eclipse occurs approximately once every 1 ½ years on average, with the next total lunar eclipse not taking place until March 14, 2025 — although partial and penumbral lunar eclipses will continue to occur in the meantime. A penumbral lunar eclipse happens when the moon moves through the outer shadow, or penumbra, of the Earth, so the visual effect is more subtle.\n\nThose viewing the total lunar eclipse were able to see the curvature of Earth’s shadow as it began to slowly swallow the moon completely. At least a portion of the phenomenon was visible throughout eastern Asia, Australia, the Pacific, North America and Central America, according to NASA.\n\nEvery first full moon of November is called the beaver moon in honor of the semiaquatic rodents. This is the time of year when beavers begin to take shelter after storing their food for the winter, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The moon was at its brightest at 6:02 a.m. ET, the almanac notes.\n\nViewing a lunar eclipse\n\nA lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth and moon align so that the moon passes into Earth’s shadow. Because of this arrangement, unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse can be enjoyed from anywhere the moon is present during the night. Nearby stars are usually obscured by the moon’s glow, but the moon will be dimmed enough for the duration of the eclipse that they will be revealed, according to Sterling.\n\nThe blood moon is observed by astronomy enthusiasts during a total lunar eclipse viewing event in Manila, Philippines, on November 8. George Calvelo/NurPhoto/Getty Images The full moon sets during a total lunar eclipse, behind the Statue of Freedom atop the Capitol dome, on the morning of the US midterm election, in Washington, DC, on November 8. Stefani Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images This month's full moon, known as the beaver moon, rises over buildings during a light show in Beijing on November 7. Fred Lee/Getty Images The full moon rises at Manly Beach in Sydney ahead of a total lunar eclipse on November 8. Australians experienced the first visible total lunar eclipse of the year on Tuesday. Brook Mitchell/Getty Images The Earth's shadow passes in front of the moon during the lunar eclipse, as Lady Liberty atop the Liberty Building in Buffalo, New York, does her part to light up the early morning sky on November 8. Derek Gee/AP The full moon rises behind the Edge NYC observation deck ahead of a lunar eclipse in New York City on November 7, as seen from Hoboken, New Jersey. Gary Hershorn/Corbis News/Getty Images The beaver blood moon is seen during its partial eclipse from the Antipolo Cathedral, in Antipolo, Philippines, on November 8. Ryan Eduard Benaid/SOPA Images/Sipa USA/AP The blood moon sets behind the US Capitol on November 8, in Washington, DC. In a total lunar eclipse, the Earth's atmosphere disperses sunlight, causing the moon's rusty red appearance. Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images The beaver moon is seen rising behind Gran Sasso d'Italia peaks from L'Aquila, Italy, on November 7. Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhoto/Getty Images The full moon rises behind the Çamlica mosque in Istanbul on November 8. Emrah Gurel/AP The full moon rises over the cooling towers of the Trillo Nuclear Power Plant in Guadalajara, Spain, on November 7. Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket/Getty Images The full moon is seen on the beach of Jurerê Internacional in Florianópolis, Brazil, on November 8. Amauri Nehn/NurPhoto/Getty Images A passenger plane flies past the full moon before landing at San Francisco International Airport, as seen from Foster City, California, on November 7. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images The lunar eclipse is seen over Tawi bridge in Jammu, India, on November 8. Channi Anand/AP The last total lunar eclipse for 2.5 years stunned viewers on November 8. This view is from Albany, New York. Karla Ann Cote/NurPhoto/AP The Earth's shadow starts to cover the moon during a lunar eclipse, as seen past Christmas lights at a public square in Caracas, Venezuela, early on November 8. Matias Delacroix/AP A young boy gazes at the moon on Manly Beach in Sydney as a partial eclipse begins on November 8. Brook Mitchell/Getty Images In pictures: November's total lunar eclipse Prev Next\n\n“With solar eclipses, you have to be at the right place, but for lunar eclipses, it’s not nearly as sensitive to location,” Sterling said.\n\n“The whole half of the earth that is in night during the period when the moon falls into the shadow can see it. So basically, it’s available to half the world.”\n\nThe same phenomenon that colors the sky blue and sunsets red is what causes the moon to turn its rusty red during a lunar eclipse, according to NASA. During a lunar eclipse, Earth’s atmosphere disperses sunlight, allowing red, orange and yellow light to pass through, and scattering away the blue light that is typically seen with the moon.\n\nIn the eastern United States and Canada, the moon set before the eclipse was over, so it was best to look toward the western horizon to see its entirety. Viewing a solar eclipse requires eye protection, but you can safely enjoy a lunar eclipse without any gear — though your view can be enhanced with binoculars.\n\n“This is a really nice thing about lunar eclipses, in particular. You really need nothing except your eyes. The moon is a bright object, so you don’t need a particularly dark place to view the event,” Sterling said. “And the shadings, the beautiful red color that you see during the eclipse, you can see anywhere, even in the middle of a city.”\n\nRemaining events in 2022\n\nAfter the beaver blood moon, this year has one more full moon event, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The cold moon takes place on December 7.\n\nThe US Election Day blood moon lunar eclipse is seen behind the US Capitol dome on Tuesday morning, November 8. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images\n\nAs for meteor showers, right now, you can view the South Taurids in the night sky. Catch the peak of these upcoming meteor shower events later this year, according to EarthSky’s 2022 meteor shower guide:\n\n• North Taurids: November 12\n\n• Leonids: November 17-18\n\n• Geminids: December 13-14\n\n• Ursids: December 22-23", "authors": ["Taylor Nicioli Ashley Strickland", "Taylor Nicioli", "Ashley Strickland"], "publish_date": "2022/11/07"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/24/energy/japan-nuclear-power-push-kishida-intl-hnk/index.html", "title": "Japan turns back to nuclear power as fuel prices soar | CNN Business", "text": "Tokyo CNN —\n\nPrime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday Japan will restart idled nuclear plants and consider developing next-generation reactors, in a policy reversal that will see the nation turn back toward atomic energy as fuel prices soar worldwide.\n\nKishida told reporters he had instructed officials to come up with concrete measures by the end of the year.\n\nThe move is a significant shift for Japan, which has dialed back its use of nuclear power since 2011, when a tsunami triggered by a massive earthquake sent water crashing into the Fukushima Daiichi power plant – leading to the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.\n\nSince then, the public has been skeptical about nuclear power and Japan has made strict safety updates at plants throughout the country.\n\nIn recent years the country has also imported greater amounts of natural gas and coal to meet its energy needs.\n\nBut Kishida has renewed calls to reduce its dependency on these fuels, and outlined plans for Japan to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050 while at the Cop 26 summit last year.\n\nMore recently, increases in fuel prices, partly due to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, have prompted the government to announce more energy-saving measures.\n\nIn late June, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry urged residents to conserve electricity.\n\nAs of July 26, Japan had seven operating nuclear reactors, with three others offline due to maintenance, according to the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy.", "authors": ["Rhea Mogul Junko Ogura Tetsu Sukegawa", "Rhea Mogul", "Junko Ogura", "Tetsu Sukegawa"], "publish_date": "2022/08/24"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/08/world/gallery/novermber-full-moon-scn/index.html", "title": "Photos: November's total lunar eclipse | CNN", "text": "The blood moon is observed by astronomy enthusiasts during a total lunar eclipse viewing event in Manila, Philippines, on November 8.\n\nThe moon turned a coppery shade of red Tuesday during the second total lunar eclipse of the year.\n\nThe eclipse began at 3:02 a.m. ET and ended at 8:50 a.m. ET. At totality, the stage at which the entire moon was in Earth's shadow, the moon turned a dark reddish hue.\n\nA total lunar eclipse occurs approximately once every 1 ½ years on average, with the next total lunar eclipse not taking place until March 2025.\n\nHere are some stunning images that show the moon in all its glory.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/11/08"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/14/india/india-independence-day-75-years-intl-hnk-dst/index.html", "title": "India Independence Day 2022: Modi pledges to turn India into a ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nStanding in front of the historic Red Fort in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday pledged to transform India into a developed country in the next 25 years.\n\n“The way the world is seeing India is changing. There is hope from India and the reason is the skills of 1.3 billion Indians,” Modi said. “The diversity of India is our strength. Being the mother of democracy gives India the inherent power to scale new heights.”\n\nModi’s words came as millions celebrated 75 years of Indian independence since the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947 that ended nearly 200 years of British colonial rule.\n\nAt the time, India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru said the country was on a path of revival and renaissance.\n\n“A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new,” Nehru said. “When an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.”\n\nSeventy-five years later, the India of today is almost unrecognizable from that of Nehru’s time.\n\nSince gaining independence, India has built one of the world’s fastest growing economies, is home to some of the world’s richest people, and according to the United Nations, its population will soon surpass China’s as the world’s largest.\n\nBut despite the nation’s surging wealth, poverty remains a daily reality for millions of Indians and significant challenges remain for a diverse and growing nation of disparate regions, languages, and faiths.\n\nWomen in traditional attire participate in a rally to mark the 75th anniversay of India's Independence Day in Mumbai, India, on August 14, 2022. Pratik Chorge/Hindustan Times/Getty Images\n\nRise of an economic power\n\nFollowing independence, India was in chaos. Reeling from a bloody partition that killed between 500,000 and 2 million people, and uprooted an estimated 15 million more, it was synonymous with poverty.\n\nAverage life expectancy in the years after the British left was just 37 for men and 36 for women, and only 12% of Indians were literate. The country’s GDP was $20 billion, according to scholars.\n\nFast forward three-quarters of a century and India’s nearly $3 trillion economy is now the world’s fifth largest and among its fastest growing. The World Bank has promoted India from low-income to middle-income status – a bracket that denotes a gross national income per capita of between $1,036 and $12,535.\n\nMohandas Karamchand Gandhi, better known as Mahatma Gandhi, with independence activists during the Dandi March -- a non-violent act of civil disobedience on April 6, 1930. Gandhi would become widely known as the man credited with securing India's independence. PA Images/Reuters Burned shops line a street in Calcutta -- now known as Kolkata -- after Hindu-Muslim rioting killed more than 4,000 people in August 1946. The Muslim League provincial government had made a call to Muslims for a \"Direct Action Day\" -- ostensibly a day of strikes to support the creation of Pakistan. Keystone/Getty Images Leader of the All-India Muslim League, Muhammad Ali Jinnah (center), arrives in London on December 3, 1946, with viceroy and governor-general of India Lord Wavell, Liaquat Ali Khan, Sardar Baldev Singh and Frederick William Pethick-Lawrence, for talks with Britain about the autonomy of Muslims in India, which culminated in the creation of the state of Pakistan. Douglas Miller/Getty Images A nurse holds a crying orphaned child, as she stands beside her wounded sibling, following communal violence in Amritsar, Punjab. The children's mother was stabbed to death in March 1947 during communal riots in the months leading up to Partition. Keystone Features/Getty Images Hundreds of Muslim refugees crowd on top of a train leaving New Delhi for Pakistan in September 1947. Partition led to millions being forced to migrate across the subcontinent. It's estimated that 500,000 to 2 million people perished in partition. AP The first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, holds a mace of gold on the eve of India's independence in New Delhi, India, on August 14, 1947. AP Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan's Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan, during the signing of the agreement between India and Pakistan in New Delhi, 1947. The agreement would safeguard the rights of minorities in both nations. Photo12/Universal Images Group/Getty Images Indians celebrate the first independence day on August 15, 1947, in Bombay, now known as Mumbai. Dinodia Photos/Getty Images A civil commission of Pakistanis presents the flag of the nation during a ceremony at Lancaster House in London, on August 15, 1947. Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images Hindu and Sikh women arrive in Bombay, now Mumbai, with their children on a British-India liner after leaving from Pakistan on October 9, 1947. Keystone/Getty Images The funeral for Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is held on January 30, 1948, following his assassination. Gandhi is credited for leading India to independence and inspiring civil rights movements around the world. Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Images A Pakistani soldier aims his rifle, while a fellow soldier runs for cover during Indian shelling of Pakistani positions in East Pakistan on December 2, 1971. A third war between India and Pakistan in East Pakistan ends with the creation of Bangladesh. AP Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi welcomes Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Calcutta -- now Kolkata -- airport in India on February 6, 1972. AP Pakistani President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto with India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 28, 1972 in Shimla, the former summer capital of British India, while his daughter Benazir Bhutto (second from the right) and Indian Foreign Minister Swaran Singh look on. Bhutto visited India to meet Gandhi and negotiated a formal peace agreement and the release of 93,000 Pakistani prisoners of war. The two leaders signed the Shimla Agreement, which committed both nations to establish a Line of Control in Kashmir. Punjab Press/AFP/Getty Images The body of assassinated Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is covered with flowers on a pyre as it is set afire on November 3, 1984, after she was shot by her own security guards. Don Mell/AP Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi's son and Nehru's grandson, speaks from inside a bullet-proof glass container at the historic Red Fort during Independence Day ceremonies in New Delhi, August 15, 1985. AP Benazir Bhutto is sworn in as Pakistan's first female Prime Minister in December 1988. Norbert Schiller/AFP/Getty Images Hindu activists climb on top of the Babri Masjid, five hours before the mosque was demolished by Hindu fundamentalists in 1992. More than 2,000 people -- mostly Muslims -- were killed in nationwide rioting following the demolition, some of the worst violence seen in India since independence. Douglas E. Curran/AFP/Getty Images School children in Mumbai celebrate 50 years of India's independence on August 9, 1997. Sherwin Crasto/AP A man bows before a shrine to Mahatma Gandhi and other independence leaders on August 13, 1997, ahead of India's 50th independence day celebrations. Ajit Kumar/AP Police fire tear gas during Hindu-Muslim riots in Ahmedabad, Gujarat state, in India on March 3, 2002. Kalpit Bhachech/Dipam Bhachech/Getty Images Mourners pay their respects to the slain former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi in Pakistan on December 30, 2007, following her assassination. Mian Khursheed/Reuters An Indian soldier takes cover as the Taj Hotel burns during gun battle between Indian military and militants inside in Mumbai, India on November 29, 2008. Ten Pakistani men associated with the terror group Lashkar-e-Tayyiba stormed buildings in Mumbai, killing 164 people. David Guttenfelder/AP India's first female president Pratibha Patil waves to photographers in New Delhi on July 25, 2012. Adnan Abidi/Reuters Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai during the awards ceremony at the City Hall in Oslo, Norway, on December 10, 2014. Two years earlier, she was shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban for her efforts to promote girls' education in the country. Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images Women mourn their relative Mohammed Ali Khan, 15, a student who was killed during an attack by Taliban gunmen on the Army Public School, at his house in Peshawar on December 16, 2014. Taliban gunmen in Pakistan killed 145 children during an attack on a school in the northwestern city of Peshawar. Zohra Bensemra/Reuters People fly kites from roof tops in Delhi as they celebrate Independence Day, India, August 15, 2017. Cathal McNaughton/Reuters Kashmiri Shiite Muslims shout anti-Indian slogans during a demonstration against attempts to revoke Kashmir's special status, in Srinagar on August 24, 2018. A year later, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked Article 370, which was in place since 1949 and gave the states of Jammu and Kashmir the power to have their own constitution, flag and autonomy over all matters, save for certain policy areas such as a foreign affairs and defense. Tauseef Mustafa/AFP/Getty Images Bhopal gas tragedy survivors and activists from various groups take part in a candlelight vigil to commemorate the 36th anniversary of Bhopal gas disaster on December 2, 2020, calling for justice over the 1984 leak at a US-run chemical plant that killed thousands. Gagan Nayar/AFP/Getty Images A woman looks at Indian national flags ahead of the 75th Independence day on August 4, 2022 in Pune, India. Pratham Gokhale/Hindustan Times/Sipa/Reuters Students carry an Indian national flag ahead of the country's 75th independence day celebrations in Ahmedabad, India, August 8, 2022. Amit Dave/Reuters India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on July 24, 2022. Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times/Getty Images 75 years of independence: India and Pakistan, in photos Prev Next\n\nLiteracy rates have increased to 74% for men and 65% for women and the average life expectancy is now 70 years. And the Indian diaspora has spread far and wide, studying at international universities and occupying senior roles in some of the world’s biggest tech companies, including Google chief executive Sundar Pichai, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Twitter boss Parag Agrawal.\n\nMuch of this transformation was prompted by the “pathbreaking reforms” of the 1990s, when then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao and his Finance Minister Manmohan Singh opened the country to foreign investment after an acute debt crisis and soaring inflation forced a rethink of socialist Nehru’s model of protectionism and state intervention.\n\nThe reforms helped turbocharge investment from American, Japanese and Southeast Asian firms in major cities including Mumbai, the financial capital, Chennai and Hyderabad.\n\nThe result is that today, the southern city of Bengaluru – dubbed “India’s Silicon Valley” – is one of the region’s biggest tech hubs.\n\nAt the same time, India has seen a proliferation of billionaires – it is now home to more than 100, up from just nine at the turn of the millennium. Among them are infrastructure tycoon Gautam Adani, whose net worth is more than $130 billion, according to Forbes, and Mukesh Ambani, founder of Reliance Industries, who’s worth about $95 billion.\n\nBut critics say the rise of such ultra-wealth highlights how inequality remains even long after the end of colonialism – with the country’s richest 10% controlling 80% of the nation’s wealth in 2017, according to Oxfam. On the streets, that translates into a harsh reality, where slums line pavements beneath high-rise buildings and children dressed in tattered clothes routinely beg for money.\n\nBut Rohan Venkat, a consultant with Indian think tank Centre for Policy Research, says India’s broader economic gains as an independent nation shows how it has confounded the skeptics of 75 years ago.\n\nSlums line the shore near the up-market neighborhood of Cuffe Parade, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images\n\n“In a broad sense, the image of India (post independence) was that it was an exceedingly poor place,” said Venkat.\n\n“Certainly the image of India (to the West) was heavily overlaid by Orientalist tropes – your snake charmers, little villages. Some of these were not entirely off the mark … but a lot of it was simple stereotyping.\n\nSince then, India’s trajectory has been “exceptional,” Venkat said.\n\n“To witness the largest transfer (of power) from an elite ruling the state, to now becoming a complete universal franchise … we are looking at an incredible political and democratic experiment that is unique.”\n\nRise of a geopolitical giant\n\nFor years after independence, India’s international relations were defined by its policy of non-alignment, the Cold War era stance favored by Nehru that avoided siding with either the United States or the Soviet Union.\n\nNehru played a leading role in the movement, which he saw as a way for developing countries to reject colonialism and imperialism and avoid being dragged into a conflict they had little interest in.\n\nThat stance did not prove popular with Washington, preventing closer ties and marring Nehru’s debut trip to the US in October 1949 to meet President Harry S. Truman. During the 1960s the relationship became further strained as India accepted economic and military assistance from the Soviets and this frostiness largely remained until 2000, when President Bill Clinton’s visit to India prompted a reconciliation.\n\nToday, while India remains technically non-aligned, Washington’s need to balance the rise of China has led it to court New Delhi as a key partner in the increasingly active security grouping known as the Quad.\n\nIndian Border Security Force soldiers hold the national flag during a motorbike rally ahead of the 75th anniversary of country's independence at the India-Pakistan border outpost in Panjgrain, about 60km from Amritsar on August 10, 2022. Narinder Nanu/AFP/Getty Images\n\nThe grouping, which also includes Japan and Australia, is widely perceived as a way of countering China’s growing military and economic might and its increasingly aggressive territorial claims in the Asia Pacific.\n\nIndia, meanwhile, has its own reasons for wanting to counterbalance Chinese influence, not least among them its disputed Himalayan border, where more than 20 Indian troops were killed in a bloody battle with Chinese counterparts in June 2020. In October, the US and India will hold a joint military exercise less than 100 kilometers (62 miles) from that disputed border.\n\nAs Happymon Jacob, an associate professor of diplomacy and disarmament at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, put it: “India has been able to assert itself on the world stage because of the nature of international politics today and the political and diplomatic military capital that has been put in place by previous governments.”\n\nPart of India’s growing geopolitical clout is due to its growing military expenditure, which New Delhi has ramped up to counter perceived threats from both China and its nuclear-armed neighbor, Pakistan.\n\nFollowing their separation in 1947, relations between India and Pakistan have been in a near constant state of agitation, leading to several wars, involving thousands of casualties and numerous skirmishes across the Line of Control in the contested Kashmir region.\n\nIn 1947, India’s net defense expenditure was just 927 million rupees – about $12 million in today’s money. By 2021, its military expenditure was $76.6 billion, according to a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute – making it the third highest military spender globally, behind only China and the US.\n\nAmbitions on the world stage\n\nOutside economics and geopolitics, India’s growing wealth is feeding its ambitions in fields as diverse as sport, culture and space.\n\nIn 2017, the country broke a world record when it launched 104 satellites in one mission, while in 2019, Prime Minister Modi announced that India had shot down one of its own satellites in a military show of force, making it one of only four countries to have achieved that feat.\n\nLater that year, the country attempted to land a spacecraft on the moon. Though the historic attempt failed, it was widely seen as a statement of intent.\n\nA child touches a model of Indian mission to the moon. Pallava Bagla/Corbis News/Getty Images\n\nLast year, the country spent almost $2 billion on its space program, according to McKinsey, trailing the biggest spenders, the US and China, by some margin, but India’s ambitions in space are growing. In 2023, India is expected to launch its first manned space mission.\n\nThe country is also using its growing wealth to boost its sporting prospects, spending $297.7 million in 2019 before the spread of Covid-19.\n\nNeeraj Chopra at the medal presentation ceremony after winning the gold medal in the men's javelin competition during Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games on August 7th, 2021. Tim Clayton/Corbis/Getty Images\n\nThe Indian Premier League – the country’s flagship cricket tournament launched in 2007 – has become the second most valuable sports league in the world in terms of per-match value, according to Jay Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, after selling its media rights for $6.2 billion in June.\n\nAnd Bollywood, India’s glittering multibillion dollar film industry, continues to pull in fans worldwide, catapulting local names into global superstars attracting millions of followers on social media. Between them, actresses Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone have almost 150 million followers on Instagram.\n\n“India is a strong country. It’s an aggressive player,” said Shruti Kapilla, a professor of Indian history and global political thought at Cambridge University.\n\n“In the last couple of decades, things have shifted. Indian culture has become a major story.”\n\nChallenges and the future\n\nBut for all of India’s successes, challenges remain as Modi seeks to “break the vicious circle of poverty.”\n\nDespite India’s large and growing GDP, it remains a “deeply poor” country on some measures and that, consultant Venkat said, is a “tremendous concern.”\n\nAs recently as 2017, about 60% of India’s nearly 1.3 billion people were living on less than $3.10 a day, according to the World Bank, and women still face widespread discrimination in the deeply parochial country.\n\nViolence against women and girls has made international headlines in a country where allegations of rape are often underreported, due to the lack of legal recourse for alleged attackers through a legal system that’s notoriously slow.\n\n“Many of India’s fundamental challenges remain what they were at the time of independence in some ways, at different parameters and scale,” Venkat said.\n\nIndia is also on the front line of the climate crisis.\n\nRecent heat waves – such as in April when average maximum temperatures in parts of the country soared to record levels and New Delhi saw seven consecutive days over 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) – have tested the limit of human survivability, experts say.\n\nAnd it’s the country’s poorest people who are set to suffer the most, as they work outside in oppressive heat, with limited access to cooling technologies that health experts say is needed to contend with rising temperatures.\n\nAnd as the heat rises on the land, political pressure has grown with fears that the secular fabric of the country and its democracy are being eroded under the leadership of Modi, whom critics accuse of fueling a wave of Hindu nationalism that has left many of the country’s 200 million Muslims living in fear.\n\nMany states run by his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have introduced legislation critics say is deeply rooted in Hindutva ideology, which seeks to transform India into the land of the Hindus. And there has been an alarming rise in support for extremist Hindu groups in recent years, analysts say – including some that have openly called for genocide against the country’s Muslims.\n\nAt the same time, the arrests of numerous journalists in recent years have led to concerns the BJP is using colonial-era laws to quash criticism. In 2022, India slipped to number 150 on the Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders – its lowest position ever.\n\n“The challenges now are about India’s nature of democracy,” Kapilla said. “India is going through a major, contentious change at the fundamental political level.”\n\nSeventy-five years on, Nehru’s observation that “freedom and power bring responsibility” continue to ring true.\n\nIndia’s first 75 years ensured its survival, but in the next 75 years it needs to navigate immense challenges to become a truly global leader, and not just in terms of population, said Venkat, from the Centre for Policy Research.\n\n“Although (India) may end up being the world’s fastest growing major country over the next few years, it will still be miles behind its neighbor in China, or getting close to what it had hoped to achieve at this point, which was double digit growth.”\n\n“So the challenges are immediate and all over the place, chief among them being how to ensure its prosperity,” Venkat said.", "authors": ["Rhea Mogul"], "publish_date": "2022/08/14"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/12/22/2020-predictions-decades-ago-self-driving-cars-mars-voting/2594825001/", "title": "2020 predictions from decades ago: Self-driving cars, Mars, voting", "text": "Jetpacks, disintegrator rays, nuclear energy, Mars.\n\nDecades ago, academics, futurists and government agencies cast their predictions of what would happen by the year 2020. Would submarines reach historic depths? Who would lead nations, and which ones would be global superpowers? Would Planet Earth even exist as we knew it?\n\n\"I shall not be surprised if on my 92nd birthday I am able to go for a ride in an antigravity car,\" mathematician and scientist D.G. Brennan wrote in 1968.\n\nSome, like Brennan, were overly optimistic. Others were spot-on. Here's what happened, what didn't and what was just plain crazy.\n\n1. Life expectancy will rise past 100\n\nFuturist Ray Kurzweil predicted in 1999 that human life expectancy would rise to \"over one hundred\" by 2019.\n\n\"Computerized health monitors built into watches, jewelry, and clothing which diagnose both acute and chronic health conditions are widely used. In addition to diagnosis, these monitors provide a range of remedial recommendations and interventions,\" he wrote in \"The Age of Spiritual Machines.\"\n\nNope: While Kurzweil may have accurately predicted health-related gadgets (such as fitness watches, BioScarves and EKG apps for your smartphone), he jumped the gun on life expectancy.\n\nIn 2019, the average life expectancy of the global population was 72.6 years, according to the United Nations. That average is slightly higher in the USA, at 78.6 years in 2017, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.\n\nThough life expectancy in many industrialized nations continues to inch up, it has been going in the opposite direction in America. The United Nation predicts the average global life expectancy to rise to 77.1 years by 2050.\n\nLife expectancy:What countries have the longest?\n\n2. Computers will be invisible\n\nKurzweil had several other prophecies for the year 2019, including invisible computers.\n\n\"Computers are now largely invisible. They are embedded everywhere – in walls, tables, chairs, desks, clothing jewelry and bodies. People routinely use three-dimensional displays built into their glasses or contact lenses. ... This display technology projects images directly into the human retina.\"\n\nKeyboards and cables would become rare, he said.\n\nIt's true: Computers are embedded everywhere these days. We have smart homes, smart tables, smart chairs, smart desks and more. Though we may not project images directly into our retinas, Google Glass comes pretty close.\n\n(Per Kurzweil's prediction, scientists are developing smart contact lenses capable of monitoring the physiological information of the eye and tear fluid that could provide \"real-time, noninvasive medical diagnostics.\" Several groups are testing smart lenses that would measure glucose levels in the tears of people with diabetes.)\n\n3. Books will be dead\n\n\"Paper books and documents are rarely used or accessed. Most twentieth-century paper documents of interest have been scanned and are available through the wireless network,\" Kurzweil predicted.\n\nWrong: Though the net revenue of the U.S. book publishing industry has decreased since 2014, the industry still sold 675 million print books and brought in nearly $26 billion in 2018, according to the Association of American Publishers' annual report.\n\n4. Your every move will be tracked\n\nKurzweil predicted that privacy would be a huge political and social issue and that \"each individual’s practically every move (will be) stored in a database somewhere.\"\n\nTrue, most say: Your TV watches you. Your smartphone follows you. Your web browser traces your digital trail. In an era when some populations worldwide live under 24/7 high-tech surveillance, most U.S. adults say they do not think it is possible to go through daily life without having data collected about them by companies or the government, according to a survey of U.S. adults by Pew Research Center.\n\nMore than 80% say the potential risks they face because of data collection by companies outweigh the benefits.\n\n5. World's population will reach 8 billion\n\nIn 1994, the International Food Policy Research Institute projected the world population would increase by 2.5 billion to reach 8 billion by 2020. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the continent of Africa would add 1.5 billion people, the institute predicted.\n\nClose, but no cigar: The world's population is 7.7 billion, according to a report in June from the United Nations. The report expects the population to grow by 2 billion in the next 30 years. Around 2027, India is projected to overtake China as the world’s most populous country, the report says.\n\n6. China will be the world's largest economy\n\nSpeaking of China... in a 1997 article titled \"The Long Boom,\" futurists Peter Schwartz and Peter Leyden said China would be on top.\n\n\"By 2020, the Chinese economy has grown to be the largest in the world. Though the U.S. economy is more technologically sophisticated, and its population more affluent, China and the United States are basically on a par,\" they said.\n\nClose: In 2019, China still trailed the United States as the world's second-largest economy, by nominal GDP. Recent reports predict that China and India will overtake the United States by 2030.\n\n7. We'll have self-driving cars\n\n\"Self driving cars are being experimented with in the late 1990s, with implementation on majors highways feasible during the first decade of the twenty-first century,\" Kurzweil wrote.\n\nKind of: Dozens of companies – including Tesla, Google spinoff Waymo and ride-sharing giants Uber and Lyft – are testing self-driving vehicles in select locations, such as Boston, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Columbus, Ohio.\n\nWidespread use of a truly autonomous vehicle is not yet here: Experts say it might still be decades before we see a car that can drive anywhere it pleases.\n\nSelf-driving shuttle:Why a Rhode Island police officer pulled it over\n\nIn April, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company would have fully self-driving cars ready by the end of the year and a \"robotaxi\" version – one that could ferry passengers without anyone behind the wheel – ready for the streets next year. Tesla owners can \"summon\" their cars, which can drive themselves from parking spots to the curb, where the owner is standing.\n\nWhat about flying cars? Porsche and Boeing partnered to create \"premium urban air mobility vehicles,\" and Uber plans to launch a flying taxi service in 2023.\n\n(Planes are landing themselves.)\n\n8. It will be normal to retire at 70\n\nIn his 1994 book \"The World in 2020,\" British commentator and editor Hamish McRae foresaw retirement ages reaching 67 to 70.\n\n\"The main motive for this in Europe is cost to the state. Governments feel that if retirement ages are not raised, the burden of paying pensions will be so high that working people will not be prepared to pay the tax levels necessary to fund them,\" McRae wrote.\n\nNo: In the USA, the average retirement age in 2016 was 65 for men and 63 for women, according to the Center for Retirement Research. That number has stayed relatively steady for men over the past few decades but has increased for women. For full Social Security benefits, the age is slowly climbing and depends on the year that you were born.\n\nSome European countries set 67 as retirement age, the earliest age when citizens can start withdrawing pensions, and several plan to raise the age in the next few years, according to the Finnish Center for Pensions. For many Europeans, the topic is a matter of fierce debate.\n\n9. Americans will vote electronically from home\n\nAs the millennial generation comes of age, they'll be able to vote electronically from home, Schwartz and Leyden predicted – possibly as soon as the presidential election of 2008.\n\nNot yet: Amid fears of foreign interference in U.S. elections, lawmakers aren't about to let you vote in next year's presidential election on your iPhone. Proponents of online voting say it could improve turnout and prevent voter suppression at polling stations.\n\nStartups are developing solutions for online voting, such as the Voatz mobile voting platform, which has used biometric/facial recognition in at least four public election pilots in the USA. Last year, West Virginia began using Voatz for absentee voting for military personnel stationed overseas. In one Utah county, citizens with a disability were able to vote electronically on their smartphones in a 2019 municipal general election.\n\n10. China will be on a path to democracy\n\nSchwartz and Leyden predicted that, despite taking \"draconian measures\" to avoid an internal crisis in the first decade of the new century, China \"is generally acknowledged to be on a path toward more democratic politics – though not in the image of the West.\"\n\nNot really: China faces scrutiny over human rights abuses against pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong and against nearly 1 million Uighurs, a predominantly Muslim population, members of which have been arbitrarily detained and imprisoned in \"reeducation\" camps in China's Xinjiang region.\n\n11. We'll have 'personal companions'\n\nIn his 1999 book, \"Business @ the Speed of Thought,\" Bill Gates predicted personal devices that \"connect and sync all your devices in a smart way, whether they are at home or in the office, and allow them to exchange data.\"\n\n\"The device will check your email or notifications, and present the information that you need. When you go to the store, you can tell it what recipes you want to prepare, and it will generate a list of ingredients that you need to pick up. It will inform all the devices that you use of your purchases and schedule, allowing them to automatically adjust to what you're doing,\" Gates wrote.\n\nHey, Alexa: Add milk to my shopping list.\n\nThough Alexa isn't sorting through your emails (that we know of) and your smart thermostat isn't tracking your purchases, Gates isn't far off. Siri, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and an array of smart tech in the Internet of Things readily exchange data with your other devices and respond to commands.\n\n12. Cars will be able to go months without refueling\n\nSchwartz and Leyden predicted that by 2010, \"hydrogen would be processed in refinery-like plants and loaded onto cars that can go thousands of miles – and many months – before refueling.\"\n\nBy 2020, they said, almost all new cars would be hybrid vehicles, mostly using hydrogen power.\n\nWhat's the future of the auto industry? Hydrogen cars appear to give way to electric\n\nNot yet: Toyota and Honda lead the hydrogen-powered car market, but it's an uphill battle against competitors peddling battery-powered electric vehicles. In 2018, 2,300 hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles were sold in the USA – less than 1% of the number of electric cars sold, according to InsideEVs, which covers electric vehicle news.\n\nIn other green transportation news: Last year, European railway manufacturer Alstom launched the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell train, and next year, London is likely to roll out double-decker hydrogen-powered buses.\n\n13. Heart disease, depression will be world's top diseases\n\nIn 1996, the Harvard School of Public Health and the World Health Organization predicted that by 2020, the world's top two causes of the global burden of disease – a measurement of the number of healthy life years lost because of sickness, disability or early death – would be ischemic (coronary) heart disease and unipolar major (clinical) depression.\n\nAt the time, the leading causes were lower respiratory infections (such as pneumonia) and diarrheal diseases, the study said.\n\nClose: In 2017, the most recent year that the data set was published, the five leading causes of the global burden of disease were neonatal disorders, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, lower respiratory infections and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.\n\n14. Global surface temperature will increase\n\n(Climate predictions tend to have a longer range, but here's a snapshot of where 2020 stands.)\n\nA report in 1995 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted that the average global surface temperature could increase by about 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100.\n\nThe report predicted that sea level could increase by about 20 inches by the same year.\n\nOn track: With 80 years to go, both predictions appear possible. The global average temperature has risen a tad more than 1 degree Fahrenheit since the mid-90s, according to NOAA. Since 1992, the global sea level has risen a total of more than 3 inches, according to NOAA.\n\nMore:Were the predictions we made about climate change 20 years ago accurate? Here's a look\n\n15. Humans will set foot on Mars\n\nA report in 1996 by the Space Studies Board of the National Research Council said NASA would launch \"possible human exploratory missions to the moon and Mars within the next quarter century,\" predicting that humans would land on Mars by 2018.\n\nSchwartz and Leyden envisioned a similar scenario: \"In 2020, humans arrive on Mars. ... The four astronauts touch down and beam their images back to the 11 billion people sharing in the moment. The expedition is a joint effort supported by virtually all nations on the planet, the culmination of a decade and a half of intense focus on a common goal.\"\n\nNot quite: Though we haven't set foot on Mars, we've landed eight unmanned spacecraft on the planet's surface.\n\n16. Boris Johnson would lead Brexit\n\nIn 1997, British news organization The Independent forecast that in 2020, Boris Johnson would become a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom, a decision-making body composed of the prime minister and a team of handpicked members of Parliament.\n\nAt the time, Johnson, 32, was an outspoken editor and columnist but had not held public office. \"Not shy in clashing with party lines, Boris would 'renegotiate EU membership so Britain stands to Europe as Canada, not Texas, stands to the USA,' \" the journalists wrote.\n\nPretty close: Have you heard of Brexit? Johnson became prime minister in July. He served in the Cabinet, starting in 2016 as foreign secretary under Theresa May. In December, Johnson led his Conservative Party to victory in a national election on the promise to \"get Brexit done.\"\n\n17. Antigravity belts will revolutionize warfare\n\nImagine a world where battles are fought a few feet above the ground, as soldiers hover in midair. In 1968, mathematician and scientist D.G. Brennan predicted that antigravity belts would \"revolutionize the tactics of land warfare,\" writing that \"even if the antigravity mechanism did not itself provide horizontal propulsion, relatively modest sources of thrust could easily be provided.\"\n\nHe suspected that by 2018, humans would have antigravity cars and jetpacks capable of operating for 30 minutes.\n\nNo: (Unless you're Luke Skywalker or Buzz Lightyear.)\n\n18. Nuclear will replace natural gas\n\nIn 1968, Stanford University professor Charles Scarlott predicted that nuclear breeder reactors would make up the majority of U.S. energy production by 2018 as natural gas faded.\n\n\"Energy from water power, solar radiation, the wind, tides, or earth heat will not figure large in the totals. Power from nuclear power plants should be available in large amounts at low cost,\" Scarlott wrote.\n\nWrong: In 2018, fossil fuels – petroleum, natural gas and coal – accounted for about 79% of total U.S. primary energy production in 2018, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. About 12% was from renewable energy sources, and about 9% was from nuclear electric power.\n\nFor the electrical power sector, in particular, nuclear creates 19% of energy.\n\n19. Americans will work 26 hours a week\n\nIn 1968, physicist Herman Kahn and futurist Anthony J. Weiner said that by 2020, Americans would work 1,370 hours a year (or 26 hours a week), instead of the 1,940 hours (37 hours a week) that was average at the time.\n\nUnlikely: Though we work less than we did in 1968, the average American worked nearly 1,800 hours in 2018 (35 hours a week), according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.\n\n20. Nationalism will wane\n\nIn 1968, Ithiel de Sola Pool, a political science professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, predicted that better communication, easier translation and greater understanding of the nature of human motivations would make it easier for people to connect across ethnic and national lines.\n\n\"By the year 2018 nationalism should be a waning force in the world,\" he wrote.\n\nThe opposite is true: Fueled by backlash against immigration, globalization and the political establishment, populist nationalism was a driving force behind Brexit, the election of Donald Trump and the rise of right-wing politicians in France, Austria, Italy, Hungary and Poland, among other countries, academics said.\n\n\"Everywhere one looks, in fact, one sees nationalism at work in today’s world,\" Stephen Walt, a professor of international relations at Harvard University, wrote in Foreign Policy Magazine.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/12/22"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_18", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2022/07/12/chevrolet-bolt-ev-gm-lineup/10031499002/", "title": "Chevrolet Bolt EV to disappear from lineup as new technology rolls out", "text": "General Motors' most affordable and accessible electric vehicle currently in the lineup — the Chevrolet Bolt — will eventually disappear to make way for more EVs on the automaker's Ultium platform.\n\nGM has said the future Equinox EV, to be revealed in September, is expected to start at about $30,000, making it one of the most affordable EVs GM offers. The 2023 Bolt EV will start at $26,595 and the EUV will start at $28,195.\n\nThe Bolt and Bolt EUV, an SUV styling of the car, are on the automaker's BEV2 platform, which stands for battery electric vehicle.\n\nBut GM's upcoming EVs will be powered by its proprietary Ultium battery propulsion system, raising the question: How much longer will the Bolt be relevant to Chevrolet's lineup?\n\n\"Will Bolt be in our portfolio 'x' numbers of years from now? No, it won’t,\" Steve Majoros, Chevy's vice president of marketing, told the Free Press on Monday. \"It’s a great product right now. It will be with us for some time. But as we scale and ramp volume here, portfolios change.\"\n\nMajoros would not confirm timing for when the Bolt EVs will exit the lineup, but he said, “It’s going to be with us for the foreseeable future and as we ramp portfolio, then we’ll see about the long game for that, so … more to come.”\n\nGM has said it will add at least four new EVs to Chevrolet in the next few years: The 2024 Silverado EV, 2024 Blazer EV, an Equinox EV and an electrified Corvette.\n\nGM builds the Bolt vehicles at its Orion Assembly plant in Orion Township. But as part of a $7 billion investment in manufacturing in Michigan announced earlier this year, GM is upgrading the plant to start building the Silverado EV and electric GMC Sierra at Orion in 2024. GM said production of the Bolt EV and EUV \"will continue during the plant’s conversion.\"\n\nGM's luxury brand Cadillac is rolling out the 2023 Lyriq SUV now, GMC has the 2022 Hummer pickup out and Buick will also get an EV in the next few years. GM intends for all its vehicles across its four brands to be electric by 2035.\n\nThis would not be the first time Chevrolet bumps a vehicle to make room for another. In 2019 Chevrolet retired the hybrid Volt to make way for the all-electric Bolt, which gets about 250 miles on a single charge.\n\n“We’re in the pioneering stages of EV technology,” said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Cox Automotive. “We will see a lot of new product coming to the market and we may see some product go. BMW eliminated a lot of its early EVs.”\n\nKrebs said there remains the possibility of GM keeping the Bolt name to use on a new EV, \"if they feel it has value.\"\n\nGM revealed the Bolt as a concept car in January 2015 and started producing them in 2016. Since then, it has sold more than 140,000.\n\nBut it hit a snag last year when GM had to recall all 2017-22 model year Bolts due to defective batteries that posed a potential fire risk. GM stopped building new Bolts late last year to work with its battery maker LG Energy Solution on fixing the batteries in that recall.\n\nWith a battery fix under way, Chevrolet restarted production in April at Orion. It is working to bring production back up with a goal this year of surpassing the Bolt's annual sales record of 24,000. In the second quarter, GM sold 6,945 Bolt EVs and EUVs, down 38.3% from the year-ago period.\n\nBut Majoros said Chevrolet has pent-up demand for the Bolt. Last month, GM said it will be cutting the price for the 2023 Bolt and Bolt EUV by about $6,000. The 2023 model year Bolt EV will start at $26,595. The 2023 Bolt EUV will start at $28,195. Both prices include the delivery fee.\n\nThe price reduction is to ensure the Bolt EV/EUV are competitive in the marketplace by making affordability a priority, GM has said.\n\nJesse Toprak, chief analyst at Autonomy, an EV subscription company, said GM's decision to lower the price of the Bolt will make it the cheapest EV available and potentially bring in new customers.\n\nMajoros said even when the Bolt eventually fades from the lineup, it offers value now.\n\n“Products come and go all the time,\" Majoros said. \"It’s what right for the customer at this time if you want to get into an EV that has an attractive price point, great styling, great technology, phenomenal range\" and free home installation of chargers.\n\nMore:A unique GM lab in Milford holds secrets to future EV driving here, and on the moon\n\nMore:Frustrated Chevy Bolt owners want their money back after massive recall\n\nMore:GM to teach emergency workers how to handle incidents involving EVs\n\nContact Jamie L. LaReau at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/07/12"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personal-finance/susan-tompor/2023/03/10/what-to-consider-as-gm-rolls-out-what-some-say-is-a-generous-buyout/69989830007/", "title": "GM voluntary buyouts: Details of offer to salaried workers", "text": "An ordinary Thursday turned into a day of uncertainty and confusion when General Motors salaried workers heard that voluntary buyouts, which some dub as generous offers, were suddenly on the table.\n\nAnyone who wants to go has until noon, Eastern time, March 24, to decide. Yes, we’re talking about just two weeks here to figure out if you’d stay or go.\n\nThe good news is that Thursday's news wasn't another sudden layoff. GM announced job cuts in late February. Now, it's offering a voluntary buyout to salaried workers. Hourly employees are not eligible.\n\n“Right now, it’s a voluntary package, so it’s only an opportunity,” said David Kudla, CEO of Mainstay Capital Management in Troy.\n\nA chance to consider if you want to switch careers, take your talents elsewhere, or even retire.\n\nGM makes buyout look tempting\n\nKudla calls the deal on the table a “pretty good package.” Someone who has been with the company 12 years or more is looking at a maximum of 12 months in severance pay.\n\n“We got a lot of calls today,” Kudla said Thursday afternoon, shortly after the big news on the GM buyouts broke.\n\nGetting a year of severance could be very tempting for many who have been with GM for a while. And some predict that there could be plenty of takers — and not just those who are close to retirement.\n\nGM has communicated a message that it needs to get leaner as the industry pushes to expand electric vehicle sales. The automaker wants to accelerate attrition and achieve $2 billion in cost savings by the end of 2024.\n\n\"Employees are strongly encouraged to consider the program,\" said GM spokesperson David Barnas.\n\n\"By permanently bringing down structured costs, we can improve vehicle profitability and remain nimble in an increasingly competitive market.”\n\nOn a rough day on Wall Street, auto stocks took a bigger hit. GM stock closed at $37.82 a share Thursday, down $1.94 a share or 4.88%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 32,254.86 points, down 543.54 points or 1.66%.\n\nPhones start ringing\n\nFinancial advisers like Sam Huszczo said their phones started ringing off the hook Thursday once GM told salaried workers about the buyout packages to reduce its costs and workforce.\n\n\"A rich offer like this is showing that they're serious about that strategy,\" said Huszczo, a chartered financial analyst in Southfield.\n\nSome employees might be surprised to hear about a buyout now, he said, because often automakers have rolled out such deals around August or September. The news of the latest buyout comes early in the year. And it's got some real money behind it.\n\n\"This feels like GM is just trying to throw money to solve this issue at the moment. And it will give a nice transition to the people who take it,\" Huszczo said.\n\nThe latest GM offer, Huszczo said, is better than a voluntary buyout back in 2018 when a GM employee with 12 years of service was offered just six months in severance. In 2018, financial planners said, clients saw offers of up to six months of severance, including health care coverage during that time. Those on the executive level received one year of severance in 2018, planners said.\n\nThe 2023 offer is being made to all U.S. salaried employees with five years or more of service as of June 30, 2023. A buyout offer is being made to all GM global executives with at least two years of service.\n\nGM said it is offering three packages based on level and service to the company.\n\n\"This GM offer is a good offer,\" said Huszczo, who has reviewed auto buyouts for clients for several years.\n\n\"It doesn't mean everybody should take it. But it is an offer that I think is better than what we've seen in the past.\"\n\nSome details of the deal\n\nGM’s Voluntary Separation Program, based on a memo obtained by the Free Press and sent to U.S. salaried workers Thursday, includes the following:\n\nSeverance: “One month of pay for every year of service up to 12 months of pay, paid as a lump sum,” according to the GM memo.\n\n“One month of pay for every year of service up to 12 months of pay, paid as a lump sum,” according to the GM memo. Some money for health coverage: “Employees enrolled in the company’s group medical plan will receive an additional lump sum payment that equals their monthly cost to continue group health benefits under COBRA, for every year of service up to 12 months,” the memo stated.\n\n“Employees enrolled in the company’s group medical plan will receive an additional lump sum payment that equals their monthly cost to continue group health benefits under COBRA, for every year of service up to 12 months,” the memo stated. Keeping some bonus cash: The bonus would be pro-rated for the 2023 performance year, paid as a lump sum, according to the memo.\n\nThe bonus would be pro-rated for the 2023 performance year, paid as a lump sum, according to the memo. Help looking for work: “Outplacement assistance, if requested, for 3 months.”\n\n“Outplacement assistance, if requested, for 3 months.” They can keep the car for a little while. GM’s memo said: “Most company vehicle drivers may retain the use of their company vehicle until their final day of employment or April 28, 2023 (whichever comes later), with some exceptions.” The employee is going to be responsible for all fuel expenses and maintenance once they are no longer actively working.\n\nGM said all global executives with at least two years of service are eligible for a package that includes base salary, incentives, COBRA and outplacement services.\n\nAs with any buyout offer, GM employees must think carefully about their next move.\n\nWill a buyout work for you?\n\nKudla said leaving voluntarily and accepting the severance package can make sense for someone who is looking to leave GM anyway in the next year or so.\n\nOr it can work for someone who is financially and emotionally prepared to retire soon. Kudla's firm is offering to email a report to those considering a buyout called “Separating From GM” if they sign up at www.mainstaycapital.com.\n\nKudla said it's hard to speculate whether more layoffs and job cuts would be ahead at GM. Instead, he suggested that employees considering a buyout look at their own balance sheets. When it comes to all buyout packages, Kudla said, it's important that employees view those offers within the context of their own financial plan.\n\nMore:GM job cuts leave some employees distraught, analysts unimpressed\n\nMore:GM to make more job cuts, trim costs with voluntary separation offers\n\nMore:1,000 salaried Ford workers retire after pension warning from automaker\n\nMore:What Ford salaried workers saw as a payout in latest layoffs\n\nTough discussions ahead in next few days\n\nEveryone’s situation is going to be different. Some GM employees may have children still in college. Others might have just bought a brand-new home. And, yes, many fear what could happen if they don’t take the buyout and opt to stay at GM.\n\nCould they be laid off in the future? Are they prepared to find another job? If they’re considering retiring, are they ready to move onto the next chapter? What kind of savings will they be able to tap into as they go forward?\n\nAre they prepared if there is a recession ahead in the next year or so?\n\nMany times, these sorts of offers or situations have a limited window, which can trigger some emotional upheaval.\n\nSome might feel rushed now because the offer is better than what's been available to others who faced layoffs.\n\nThe severance payout that Ford offered salaried workers who were laid off last year was less generous.\n\nThe maximum payout for laid-off salaried employees at Ford in late August was nine months for those who had 20 years or more with the company, plus medical coverage during that time.\n\nSomeone with 10 years to 11 years of service at Ford, for example, saw four months of pay in a lump sum as part of their severance and six months of health care coverage.\n\nHuszczo said it's important to take a hard look at the data — and various scenarios for your future ― before making any decision. How much debt are you carrying? How likely is it that you can you easily move forward elsewhere?\n\nHaving a choice on what to do next is far better than being shown the door.\n\nEven so, you cannot make a big move just because you're worried that another round of layoffs is ahead. Or allow the emotional roller coaster to get the better of you simply because a decision is needed in just a few weeks.\n\nContact Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @tompor. To subscribe, please go to freep.com/specialoffer.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/10"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2023/03/29/gm-high-end-design-center-exclusive-celestiq-clients/70059465007/", "title": "GM to offer a high-end design center exclusively for select clients", "text": "For the select few who pass General Motors' vetting process and qualify to buy the ultra-luxury Celestiq electric vehicle, the automaker will give them access to a design facility, to be called Cadillac House at Vanderbilt, where they can work directly with designers to personalize their car.\n\nCadillac will hand-build the Celestiq and is expected to make fewer than 500 a year. It will arrive to customers in late spring 2024. In a few months, Cadillac will open pre-orders for the car, Joe Singer, Cadillac spokesman, told the Free Press. It a \"ultra low-volume\" production vehicle for \"a high-net worth customer,\" Singer said. He added that \"Anyone can pre-order, but not everyone will get the vehicle.\"\n\nIf you want one, along with an invite to Cadillac House at Vanderbilt, check your bank account. The car starts at $300,000.\n\nRock star client among the first\n\nCelestiq customers from around the globe will have access to Cadillac House at Vanderbilt, which includes a one-on-one concierge to guide clients through the personalization process and provide access to a Cadillac designer and other exclusive services.\n\nOne of the first Celestiq clients is rock star Lenny Kravitz, who talked about his grandfather's love Cadillac and said, \"I've always dreamed of designing my own car,\" in this video Cadillac released in October.\n\n“We’re still engaging with Lenny at this point,\" Singer said. \"I don’t have any updates that I can share about his vehicle. We are continuing that partnership with him.”\n\nA building of unique design and heritage\n\nThe Cadillac House is named after designer Suzanne Vanderbilt, who joined GM Design in 1955. She worked in the Cadillac studio and was one of a handful of women car designers at the time. Her early work included the design of a 1958 Eldorado Seville Coupe called Baroness and the Cadillac Saxony convertible. She retired in 1977.\n\nCadillac House at Vanderbilt is a single-story, 30,000 square-foot modernist-style building at GM Global Technical Center in Warren designed by architect Eero Saarinen. It is near the main entrance and served as Central Restaurant with a wide glass wall, offering panoramic views of the campus. The design won an Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects in 1955.\n\nGM will complete a redesign of the space by late summer. Clients will be able to visit Cadillac House in person or virtually for, \"a unique opportunity to collaborate with our design team, enabling clients to directly translate their vision of their Celestiq into a one-of-one piece of moving sculpture,\" said Bryan Nesbitt, executive director of Global Cadillac Design, in a statement.\n\nMore:Cadillac aims to prove it's still the world’s finest automaker with the 2024 Celestiq EV\n\nMore:Chevrolet will end Camaro production in 2024 as it shifts to electric lineup\n\nContact Jamie L. LaReau: jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/29"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personal-finance/susan-tompor/2023/03/23/gm-buyout-offer-2023-employee-deadline/70039523007/", "title": "GM's white-collar workers face deadline to consider buyout offer ...", "text": "General Motors Co. white-collar workers who want to take a buyout have a noon deadline Friday. But they could end up waiting up until March 31 to know whether GM will let them stay or go.\n\nFor some, the last day of work could be as early as April 1. But some who accept the voluntary buyout will be required to stay beyond April 1 to assist in the transition of their work duties at GM. All would leave by June 30.\n\nGM salaried employees have been able to change their mind during the window of the offer, which began March 9 until March 24, but at noon March 24, decisions will become final, according to Maria Raynal, a GM spokesperson.\n\nThe final decision on who stays or goes rests with the automaker's executives.\n\n“If there is an important business reason to retain a person, they can deny the employee’s expression of interest. If employees are turned down for separation it means that leadership sees them as important to the organization going forward,” according to an FAQ obtained by the Free Press that GM supplied to employees.\n\nFinancial planners across Michigan and other parts of the country spent the past two weeks talking with existing clients and reaching out to new ones as GM salaried employees weighed one of the biggest financial moves of their careers: Stay or go?\n\nCould my job get cut later?\n\n\"The biggest concern we've heard revolves around the 'what if' factor,\" said Jack Riashi Jr., a financial adviser with Bloom Advisors in Farmington Hills.\n\nWhat if they don’t take the money offered in a buyout but later see GM cut their job? What if GM has trouble down the line reaching a $2 billion cost-cutting target? GM said the program is being offered as a \"way to accelerate attrition and achieve $2 billion in cost savings by the end of 2024.\"\n\nWhat if someone in her 30s or 40s takes the buyout but cannot find a new job after the buyout money is gone?\n\nMore:GM puts generous buyout on the table: What salaried workers should consider\n\nMore:Chevrolet will end Camaro production in 2024 as it shifts to electric lineup\n\nThe employees, Riashi said, who seem to be the least likely to take the buyout are the ones who are confident in their role at the company.\n\nHow will this impact me but also my co-workers?\n\nGM employees aren't reflecting publicly on how they're handling the pressure to make a decision or what they feel about the terms on the table. One salaried employee told me she wasn't able to make a statement given GM's strict rules on the process. Employees were instructed by GM in an FAQ to not comment to the media about the buyout.\n\nGM made the offer to a majority of its 58,000 U.S. white-collar employees.\n\nMore:GM looks to hire tech talent from massive job cuts in Silicon Valley\n\nMore:GM job cuts leave some employees distraught, analysts unimpressed\n\nDavid Kudla, CEO of Mainstay Capital Management in Troy, said phones have been ringing consistently and the firm's staff has been working 10-hour to 12-hour days to answer questions, as GM employees have had just two weeks to make a big decision.\n\n\"Many who are within a year of their planned retirement are taking the voluntary separation program,\" said Kudla, who says his firm has answered questions for hundreds of GM employees.\n\n\"Those who were within a couple years of retirement are considering the offer, and many are taking it.\"\n\nPart of the conversation, he said, often involves wondering what leaving the company soon would mean for co-workers or how leaving might impact a specific vehicle program where the GM salaried employee is directly involved.\n\n\"What I have found that is very admirable is the loyalty to GM, their vehicle program and fellow employees,\" Kudla said.\n\nGM initially rolled out the generous buyout offers — putting up to 12 months of severance on the table for those with 12 years or more of service — on March 9 to salaried employees in the United States with five years or more of service as of June 30. Severance is one month of pay for every year of service up to 12 months of pay, paid as a lump sum.\n\nA buyout offer is being made to all GM global executives with at least two years of service, as well.\n\nThe offer applies to GM salaried employees, not hourly. Contract talks between GM and the United Auto Workers union will take place this year; the contract exprires in September.\n\nCan I keep the cellphone?\n\nThe FAQ, which was updated March 13, included questions from GM employees like: What if I missed the June 30 cutoff for the five-year length of service by just a few months? Can I get a buyout? Answer: No.\n\nQuestion: Are “salaried represented” included in the program? Answer: Yes.\n\nQuestion: “Since the medical COBRA equivalent will be paid in a lump sum, will I receive money to offset the applicable taxes?” Answer: No.\n\nGM earlier told employees that those enrolled in the company’s group medical plan will receive an additional lump sum that equals their monthly cost to continue group health benefits under COBRA, for every year of service up to 12 months.\n\nQuestion: “Can I keep my GM issued cellphone upon termination?” Answer: “No, you cannot keep your phone, but you can keep your number.”\n\nSteve Azoury, owner of Azoury Financial in Troy, said he has heard from about a half a dozen people who work at GM. For one woman who is 61, he said, the buyout figure was around $115,000 and sounded pretty good. She had been with the company for 10 years.\n\nBut he told her that she shouldn't take the buyout. She was making good money and the buyout, in his view, was not enough money to give up a job for someone who wants to keep working.\n\n\"Then again, if she keeps her position, what’s keeping General Motors from tapping her on the shoulder in two months and walking her out? It’s a tough call for those in this situation,\" Azoury said.\n\nDaniel Milan, managing partner and investment adviser representative at Cornerstone Financial Services in Southfield, said the firm has heard from about 15 GM employees.\n\n\"As always, the older someone is, the more likely they are to accept the offer,\" Milan said.\n\nThe deadline gets real\n\nFinancial advisers like Sam Huszczo said some clients started reviewing their options just a week ago.\n\n\"Then over the weekend, this deadline got real for people,\" Huszczo said Thursday. \"I will have been working from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. for four days straight, including today.\" He was set to meet with 20 employees through Thursday.\n\nSome people, he said, appear to be really on the fence.\n\nOne GM employee was on luxurious vacation in the sun for two weeks when the news broke but hadn't been checking the phone or emails. He returned home to find out about the buyout on Tuesday.\n\n\"He walked into a hornet's nest,\" Huszczo said.\n\nThe rumor mill, according to some GM employees that he's talked with, seems to indicate that upper management isn’t getting the number of takers that they were hoping to get at this point.\n\nBut Huszczo said it's very likely way too early to tell, as most people planning to take the offer won't officially put their name in until Thursday evening or Friday morning.\n\nMany clients within two years of retiring anyway, he said, seem to be more willing to take the offer.\n\nSome had been looking for other jobs before this news and had serious irons in the fire. Some younger employees want to switch to new opportunities in new industries.\n\nMany who have had a tougher time deciding, Huszczo said, are those long-term GM salaried workers who might be three to five years away from the day they once wanted to retire.\n\n“This is too short of a time frame to make a decision on something that’s been in your life for 25-plus years,” Huszczo said. “And it feels rushed from their vantage point. The default setting for people feeling rushed is to do nothing, to avoid a mistake.”\n\nContact Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @tompor. To subscribe, please go to freep.com/specialoffer.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/23"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2022/03/07/gm-new-factory-becancour-quebec-canada-posco-chemical/9382439002/", "title": "GM's new Canada factory will be key to Michigan electric vehicle ...", "text": "General Motors will build a new factory in Quebec, Canada, as part of a joint venture with a South Korean chemical maker that will be key to Michigan's future building electric vehicles.\n\nOn Monday, GM and POSCO Chemical said they are working with the governments of Canada and Quebec to build a new factory in Bécancour, Quebec, which is about midway between Montreal and Quebec City.\n\nConstruction of the new factory, which will begin immediately, will cost about $400 million ($500 million Canadian). It will create 200 jobs once it's operating in 2024, GM said. It will eventually feed critical battery materials to several U.S. battery plants, including one to be built in Lansing.\n\n“GM and our supplier partners are creating a new, more secure and more sustainable ecosystem for EVs, built on a foundation of North American resources, technology and manufacturing expertise,” Doug Parks, GM executive vice president of Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain, said in a statement.\n\nMaterial comes to Michigan\n\nIn December GM signed a \"non-binding term sheet\" to create a joint venture with POSCO. The automaker executed definitive agreements with POSCO in the first quarter. POSCO is the majority owner, GM said.\n\nGM declined to provide dollar figures of its savings in battery cell development from the joint venture \"due to competitive reasons,\" said GM spokesman David Barnas.\n\nBut for a previous story, Parks said that \"we hope to yield significant cost reduction in this space\" from processing cathode active material with POSCO versus buying it from a supplier.\n\nThe new facility, once running, will make cathode active material, or CAM, for GM’s Ultium batteries. CAM is a key battery ingredient consisting of processed nickel, lithium and other materials representing about 40% of the cost of a battery cell, Parks said.\n\nThe Quebec site’s construction will allow for future expansion as GM continues to pursue other potential EV supply chain projects, Parks said.\n\nUnifor, the union that represents Canada's autoworkers, said GM's decision to build a factory in Canada is good news for the country and its workforce.\n\n\"Today’s announcement by GM is the latest in a series of good news stories, further proving that Canada has everything it takes to be a world leader in electric vehicle and critical component manufacturing all across the supply chain,\" said Shane Wark, Unifor assistant to the national president, in a statement. \"Unifor welcomes this announcement and hundreds of new auto sector jobs to Bécancour.\"\n\nGM's Ultium platform and battery cells will power upcoming EVs such as the Chevrolet Silverado EV pickup, GMC Hummer pickup and SUV and Cadillac Lyriq SUV.\n\nGM just started building the Hummer EV at Factory ZERO in Detroit and Hamtramck late last year. That plant also will build a Hummer SUV, Cruise Origin and the 2024 Silverado EV in the future.\n\nGM also will spend $4 billion to convert its existing factory in Orion Township to make Silverado electric pickups. GM has said it will spend about half a billion dollars to make upgrades to its two existing vehicle assembly plants in Lansing.\n\nGM's new U.S. plants\n\nThe Quebec facility will supply CAM to the Ultium Cells LLC facilities that GM and LG Energy Solutions are building as part of that joint venture.\n\nOne of those plants will be in Lordstown, Ohio, which starts operating this year.\n\nConstruction continues on a second Ultium Cells plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee. GM will start building the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq this spring at nearby Spring Hill Assembly.\n\nIn January, GM said it will invest $7 billion in Michigan factories over the next few years, which will create 4,000 jobs and retain another 1,000 jobs. That breaks down to GM spending $2.6 billion to build a new battery factory in the Lansing area. The 2.8 million-square-foot facility is scheduled to open in late 2024.\n\nGM has said it will build a fourth Ultium Cells factory, but it has not disclosed the location yet.\n\nGM also is investing more than $1 billion at its manufacturing complex in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, Mexico, for a new paint shop and innovative technology. That complex will start operations in June 2021 to build 2023 model year EVs.\n\nMore:'Slap in the face' UAW says of GM's move to build EVs in Mexico\n\nIn January 2021, GM said it would invest $800 million to convert CAMI Assembly in Ingersoll, Ontario, to Canada’s first large-scale electric delivery vehicle manufacturing plant building electric commercial vans for GM's start-up BrightDrop.\n\nMore:GM's BrightDrop adds Walmart as EV customer, expands order with FedEx\n\n“With this new processing facility in Bécancour, GM will help lead the EV battery supply chain while also launching Canada’s first full EV manufacturing plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, later this year,\" said Scott Bell, president and managing director, GM Canada.\n\nMade in North America\n\nGM is investing $35 billion through 2025 to develop EVs and self-driving cars. It has said it will introduce 30 new EVs globally by middecade with plans to deliver more than 1 million annual global EV sales by 2030.\n\nPOSCO said in December the joint venture will help it advance its own research and accelerate the adoption of EVs based on product development, mass production capacity and raw materials competitiveness.\n\n“POSCO Chemical is set to expand battery material supplying capability across North America through establishing a cathode material plant in Canada,” POSCO CEO Min Kyung-Zoon said in a statement.\n\nBy the end of 2025, GM has said it plans to have capacity to build 1 million electric vehicles in North America, and the company targets the majority of components by value to be sustainably sourced, processed or manufactured in North America.\n\nMore:GM names new executive leaders to supply chain and self-driving units\n\nMore:Personal conflict led GM exec Steve Kiefer to retire\n\nContact Jamie L. LaReau at 313-222-2149 or jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/03/07"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/11/business/honda-ohio-ev-battery-factory/index.html", "title": "Honda is spending $3.5 billion to build a battery factory in Ohio ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nHonda and South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solutions are investing $3.5 billion to build a joint venture battery factory in southern Ohio, the car company said Tuesday.\n\nAn exact location hasn’t been announced but the factory, which is expected to employ 2,200 people, will be in Fayette County, southwest of Columbus. Honda did not say how much of the $3.5 billion it would contribute. Honda already employs almost almost 11,000 people in its various manufacturing facilities in the state.\n\nConstruction on the battery plant is expected to begin early next year and should be completed by the end of 2024. Lithium-ion battery cell production is scheduled to begin at the factory about a year after construction is completed, according to Honda.\n\nHonda and LG are ultimately expected to invest a total of $4.4 billion in the facility, Honda said in its announcement.\n\nHonda recently revealed the design of its next electric SUV, the Honda Prologue. That SUV, as well as other upcoming electric vehicles from Honda and its Acura luxury brand, will be based on General Motors engineering and will use GM’s Ultium battery packs. But the batteries being made at the new factory in Fayette County will be specifically for Honda and will go into other future electric vehicles of Honda’s own design. These vehicles will start going on sale in 2026.\n\nHonda will also invest another $700 million to make changes to three existing factories in Ohio to prepare them to make electric vehicles and major components for EVs. Changes will be made to Honda’s Marysville Auto Plant, East Liberty Auto Plant and Anna Engine Plant. The addition of electric vehicle production at these plants, which will also continue making combustion-powered vehicles for some time, will add about 300 jobs, according to Honda.\n\nThe changes will enable the Anna Engine Plant to produce battery cases. At the Marysville plant, battery cells from the Fayette County battery factory will be installed in the battery cases made in Anna. The completed battery packs will be put into electric vehicles built at both Marysville and East Liberty.\n\nHonda has said it plans to sell only electric vehicles in major markets, including the United States, by 2040.\n\nManufacturing batteries, battery packs and electric vehicles in the United States could make the new Honda EVs eligible for tax credits under the new Inflation Reduction Act expected to go into effect beginning next year. These manufacturing and investment plans were made long before that law was passed, said Bob Nelson, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co.\n\nThe Marysville factory opened in 1982 and was Honda’s first auto factory in the United States. Honda now has 18 factories producing Honda and Acura vehicles in the United States.", "authors": ["Peter Valdes-Dapena"], "publish_date": "2022/10/11"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2023/03/09/gm-job-cuts-costs-voluntary-separation-offers/69988943007/", "title": "GM to cut jobs, trim costs with voluntary separation offers", "text": "About a week after General Motors unexpectedly cut several hundred jobs to help it trim costs and form a top-tier workforce to guide its transition to an all-electric car company, CEO Mary Barra told employees Thursday morning that there will be more job eliminations to come — this time voluntary.\n\nIn the memo, obtained by the Free Press, Barra told employees that GM will offer a voluntary separation program to all U.S. salaried employees with five or more years of service, and to all global executives with two or more years with the automaker. The memo said the idea is to “accelerate attrition\" and, she wrote, \"taking this step now will avoid the potential for involuntary actions\" in the future.\n\nGM will release the details of the packages to qualified salaried employees later Thursday, but shared some of it with the Free Press as listed below. The employees will have until March 24 to take the package. The memo said GM Korea will offer a voluntary separation package to be communicated locally and GM International will continue with \"limited business optimization and performance management as required.\" The program is not being offered to employees in Canada, Europe, Mexico or China, the memo said.\n\nGM spokesperson David Barnas confirmed the contents of the memo saying it is \"part of our plan to accelerate attrition and achieve $2 billion in cost savings by the end of 2024.\" He did not provide a target number as to how many voluntarily separations GM hopes to get.\n\nAs the Free Press first reported on Feb. 28, GM cut several hundred jobs from its global salaried workforce of 81,000 that day.\n\nIn the aftermath of those cuts, some white-collar employees said they feel betrayed by top leaders because GM CFO Paul Jacobson promised Wall Street in January there would be no layoffs at the automaker even as he announced cost savings were coming. GM defends the move saying the cuts were not layoffs, but rather performance-based separations.\n\nMore:GM Proving Ground in Milford is full of secrets — and few employees get to see it\n\nBarnas said the voluntary separation program is part of GM's efforts to accelerate fixed cost reduction efforts, which include:\n\nGM wants to reduce vehicle complexity and expand the use of shared systems between its internal combustion engine and future electric vehicle programs.\n\nGM is focusing investment in growth initiatives to accelerate near-term benefits.\n\nGM is reducing salaried staff through attrition, primarily in the U.S.\n\nAll U.S. salaried employees with at least five years of service are eligible for one month pay for every year of service up to 12 months and COBRA health care benefit. They will get a pro-rated performance bonus and access to outplacement services.\n\nAll global executives with at least two years of service are eligible for a package which includes their base salary, incentives, COBRA and outplacement services.\n\nContact Jamie L. LaReau: jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/09"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2022/11/27/honda-toyota-chevrolet-cars-discontinued-2023/10662014002/", "title": "Cars that are being discontinued in 2023: Say goodbye to these ...", "text": "It's the end of the road for several car models.\n\nThe fleet of vehicles being discontinued includes a number of passenger cars such as the Chevrolet Spark, the Toyota Avalon and the Honda Insight as Americans continue to flock to SUVs.\n\n\"The extra-small SUVs are definitely becoming a much more popular entry-level for these brands,\" says Will Kaufman, news editor at car research site Edmunds.\n\nAutomakers discontinue models in response to evolving consumer tastes and declining sales. Some brands ditch vehicles that compete with others in their lineup.\n\nHere are some cars and SUVs you won't see in showrooms in 2023, according to Edmunds:\n\nAcura ILX\n\nThe ILX compact luxury sedan came out in 2013 as the brand's entry-level model and hadn't gotten a major update since its release. Now, the reborn 2023 Integra will serve as first-time buyers' point of entry into Acura's lineup.\n\nCar prices in 2023:Used-car prices expected to drop up to 20% next year as inventory stabilizes\n\nUSA TODAY Gift Guide: No matter how you holiday, make it iconic. Shop the USA TODAY holiday gift collection.\n\nBuick Encore\n\nThe Encore subcompact was introduced in the 2013 model year with the hopes of attracting younger buyers. Sales of the Encore in the January-through-September period fell nearly 42% in 2022 compared with the same stretch in 2021, according to General Motors.\n\n\"The Buick Encore going away makes a lot of sense because Buick's already selling the Encore GX, which is a related similarly sized model,\" said Edmunds' Kaufman. \"No sense to have competition there on the inside.\"\n\nThe car that never arrived:The perplexing tale of a disappearing three-wheeled car\n\nWhat has been recalled in 2022?:A complete database on recalls, from food to cars.\n\nHow reliable is your car?:Consumer Reports releases its annual ranking.\n\nChevrolet Spark\n\nChevrolet ceased production of the Spark subcompact in August, according to Edmunds. The Spark was one of the cheapest new cars on the market, starting at $14,595 with destination and handling charges.\n\nFord EcoSport\n\nFord said last year that the EcoSport subcompact crossover SUV would be removed from the U.S. market in 2022, the Detroit Free Press reported. The model, Ford's smallest and most affordable SUV, has been available only since late 2017 and has seen sales decline.\n\nFord:You can find F-150, Explorer, Escape SUVs easily. You'll have to wait for others.\n\nHonda Insight\n\nHonda announced this year that its Indiana plant would end production of the Insight hybrid sedan in June as the company focuses on its hybrid core models. Honda sold more than 70,000 Insight sedans since the model was introduced in 2018, according to the company.\n\n\"Honda is going to launch its Civic Hybrid, and that would be in competition with the Insight,\" Kaufman said.\n\nFun and good value:2023 Integra captures the value and performance that made Acura a hit from the start\n\nHyundai Accent\n\nHyundai said in a statement that the Accent was discontinued \"due to an expanded SUV lineup that includes Venue,\" a small SUV. With the Accent's discontinuation, the Venue becomes the brand's lowest-priced car.\n\n\"Having a small sedan as your entry-level isn't necessarily worth it at this point,\" Kaufman said. \"Hyundai has a small SUV as an entry-level vehicle that's slightly better equipped.\"\n\nTesla recalls:Tesla issues back-to-back recalls, one impacting 322,000 cars with crash risk increase\n\nLexus RX L\n\nLaunched in 2017, the RX L is the three-row version of the popular RX SUV, which just had a full redesign.\n\n\"It's likely they're going to make a dedicated three-row Lexus SUV,\" Kaufman said. \"They're not going to rely on sort of this compromise solution of a slightly longer RX model.\"\n\nBuick takes top spot in annual survey:Overall quality of new cars falls amid pandemic\n\nToyota Avalon\n\nAround since the mid-1990s, the Avalon has now been dropped by Toyota. But the carmaker is replacing the sedan with a new semi-luxury full-size sedan.\n\nThe Avalon \"is being replaced by the Crown, which is an upcoming vehicle that is a bit of an odd duck,\" Kaufman said. The 2023 Crown \"kind of splits the difference between a sedan and an SUV.\"\n\nToyota:2023 Prius hybrid debuts as company struggles to regain green mantle\n\nVolkswagen Passat\n\nThe Passat sedan will leave U.S. Volkswagen showrooms in 2023 after a limited-edition 2022 model year run. The discontinuation came more than 30 years after the Passat nameplate made its debut in the nation, USA TODAY reported last year.\n\n\"It makes sense for Volkswagen to focus more on their SUV business right now because it's doing quite well,\" Kaufman said.\n\nCars take the exit:Parts shortages force automakers to end Mazda 6, Toyota Avalon in favor of SUVs", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/11/27"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/17/business/electric-vehicle-tax-credit-how-qualify/index.html", "title": "Electric vehicle credits just completely changed. Here's what it ...", "text": "Washington, DC CNN Business —\n\nThe newly signed Inflation Reduction Act will have big implications for electric vehicle buyers. Some popular electric vehicles may become eligible for a tax credit once again, while other cars that were eligible this month will not be for the foreseeable future. Here’s what you need to know as a consumer.\n\nWhat changed?\n\nThe old credit offered $7,500 for new electric vehicle buyers until their automaker hit a 200,000 limit for available tax credits. Plug-in hybrid buyers received a smaller credit.\n\nThe Inflation Reduction Act’s new credit immediately replaces the prior system and removes the 200,000 limit, but it creates new restrictions that are being phased in related to assembly, batteries, and supply chains. Plug-in hybrids will continue to be eligible for a partial credit.\n\nThe new law also imposes new restrictions on the price of vehicles, as well as limits on the income of the buyer.\n\nHow can I qualify for the tax credit?\n\nThere are plenty of stringent requirements for electric vehicles to receive the tax credit under the new law, which fully takes effect on January 1, 2023. Vehicles must be assembled in North America. Much of their battery components and battery minerals production must be in North America. Beginning in 2023, 40% of the critical minerals used to create a vehicle’s battery must be extracted or processed in the United States, or a country that has a free trade deal with the US, for the vehicle to qualify. By 2027, that number will rise to 80% of the battery minerals. The battery component requirement calls for 50% to be manufactured or assembled in North America starting in 2023 and 60% in 2024 and 2025. That number will gradually grow to 100% in 2029.\n\nUnder the new credit system, the MSRP of a pickup or SUV must not be over $80,000, and other vehicles like sedans must not surpass $55,000. A buyer’s income must not exceed $150,000 if single, $225,000 if the head of a household, or $300,000 if married.\n\nBuyers purchasing a used electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid can for the first time receive as much as $4,000.\n\nYou also must purchase a vehicle before December 31, 2032.\n\nTesla vehicles may become eligible again next year for the tax credit as the 200,000-unit cap lifts. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images\n\nHow large is the tax credit?\n\nNew vehicles are eligible for as much as $7,500, provided their final assembly happens in North America. Half of the credit — $3,750 — depends on meeting the battery minerals requirement, and the other half depends on the battery component requirement.\n\nThere is a new credit for some buyers who purchase a used electric vehicle of up to $4,000. The credit may not exceed 30% of the vehicle’s sale price.\n\nWhat vehicles are eligible to receive the $7,500 tax credit?\n\nNo electric vehicles currently available for purchase will qualify for the full tax credit when sourcing requirements go into effect in 2023, according to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents automakers like Ford, GM, Hyundai, Toyota and Volkswagen. The new tax credit significantly reduces how many vehicles are eligible. Seventy percent of electric, hybrid and fuel cell vehicles eligible for purchase in the US are now ineligible for any credit, including partial, according to the trade group.\n\nPopular electric models like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 will lose their eligibility under the new rules unless manufacturers make changes like where the vehicles are assembled.\n\nTeslas, including the popular Model 3 and Y, was ineligible for a credit under the past structure since Jan. 2020, when the company reached the previous 200,000-vehicle limit per automaker. However, that limit will lift on Jan. 1, 2023, and Teslas will once again qualify for a tax credit, provided the company meets all other new requirements.\n\nConsumers can enter a vehicle’s vehicle identification number into a US Department of Transportation website to see where its final assembly occurs to determine if the vehicle is eligible for tax credit under the new law.\n\nThe Volvo S60 Recharge will be among vehicles qualifying for the credit until year's end. Adobe Stock\n\nAre there any exceptions?\n\nSome electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids remain eligible until year’s end due to a quirk in the bill. The North American assembly provision took effect when Biden signed the bill, but nothing else. Consumers interested in electric vehicles manufactured in North America may want to consider a purchase before January 1, when the more demanding requirements begin.\n\nNissan confirmed to CNN Business that the Leaf will remain eligible for the full credit through the end of 2022. Volvo expects the S60 Recharge to continue to qualify to year’s end given guidance from the Department of Energy.\n\nThe Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV is expected by the automaker to be eligible until year’s end, but not the EQS sedan because, unlike the SUV, it is not assembled in the United States. BMW says the X5 plug-in hybrid and 3-series plug-in hybrid will both be eligible for the rest of 2022.\n\nFord says its electric and plug-in vehicles, including the Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning and Escape plug-in hybrid will be eligible for the rest of the year.\n\nThese vehicles would need to be delivered by year’s end.\n\nRivian vehicles are made in North America, but any new orders placed in the final months of the year are unlikely to get the credit as the automaker has an order backlog that exceeds its production goal for the year, so customers wouldn’t take delivery before 2023.\n\nAutomakers and consumers are in a state of limbo for 2023 as the government finalizes the tax credit. It’s unclear, for example, how the government will determine if a vehicle meets the battery minerals and battery component thresholds. Ultimately, the IRS will provide a list of vehicles to consumers that shows how much money they’re eligible to receive.\n\nBuyers purchasing a new Nissan Leaf will be eligible for the tax credit until Dec. 31st, the automaker said. Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe/Getty Images\n\nWhy are there so many more restrictions?\n\nSen. Joe Manchin, a critical vote, had concerns about US reliance on foreign countries for electric vehicle components. Manchin noted that the US built its own gas-powered vehicles and engines, suggesting the country should be able to do the same with electric vehicles and batteries. The tax credits may incentive automakers to shift battery metals extraction and processing, as well as vehicle assembly, to North America. Some experts have cautioned about national security risks associated with the reliance on foreign countries for electric vehicles.\n\nIf I find an eligible vehicle, how soon can I get the tax credit money?\n\nInitially, buyers will need to wait to receive the tax credit when they file their taxes. But starting in January 1, 2024, electric vehicle buyers will be able to receive the money immediately, at the point of sale, if they agree to transfer the credit to their dealership.", "authors": ["Matt Mcfarland"], "publish_date": "2022/08/17"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2020/02/21/gm-detroit-hamtramck-electric-cars/4797178002/", "title": "GM to idle and revamp Detroit-Hamtramck for electric cars", "text": "Among the thousands of steel beams inside General Motors' 4.1-million-square-foot Detroit-Hamtramck plant, one is particularly intriguing.\n\nIt sits about 7 feet above the internal combustion engine assembly area. To a casual observer, it's just another yellow-painted beam.\n\nBut look closer. Scribbled in marker across thick pieces of masking tape is a collection of random names and numbers: Hollywood 2-14-19, Mike 2-21-19, Curt 3-23-14, T 2-19-14, Rashe 7-16-15.\n\nTo name a few.\n\nA manager didn't know what it meant, hadn't really noticed it before. But ask hourly workers and they know of it — and what it means.\n\n\"Hollywood, he transferred to Flint in February,\" said Mike Plater, chairman of the UAW Local 22. \"And, T, he retired.\"\n\n\"Those are the people who worked there and left their mark on those dates,\" said Gary Henrion, an electrician at Detroit-Hamtramck.\n\nThe beam is a testament to the workers' ties to the plant. It also represents change. There's been a lot of change at the 35-year-old factory since November 2018 when GM said it would close Detroit-Hamtramck for good and soon began transferring hundreds of workers to its other plants, including Flint Assembly.\n\nBut last fall, Detroit-Hamtramck, which GM calls D-Ham, got a reprieve in the 2019 UAW contract talks. GM will invest $2.2 billion to build all-electric vehicles there.\n\nHere is a look at the final days inside the factory as it bids farewell to one era and ushers in a new, all-electric one. For the more than 800 hourly workers in the factory, it's bittersweet. They look forward to a future, yet leave their mark on the past.\n\nMore:Detroit-Hamtramck workers will be guaranteed jobs in redesigned plant\n\nMore:It's about time Detroit-Hamtramck plant caught a break\n\nEnd of the ICE\n\nOn Thursday, the body shell for the last Chevrolet Impala inched through the assembly line toward final production. As it did, several employees gathered around the car, snapping pictures as workers added the hood and it moved closer toward the annals of history.\n\nThe car is expected to roll off the line by Feb. 28. GM will then shut down the conveyor belt and sliding skillet and the manufacturing of internal combustion engines at Detroit-Hamtramck will be over. GM built the last Cadillac CT6 sedan at the plant on Jan. 24.\n\nGM will spend the next 12-18 months ripping out the innards of the facility to reconfigure it into one of the company's most state-of-the-art factories in North America. When it's at full capacity, GM expects to employ 2,200 people there.\n\nGM refers to the process of preparing employees and a plant to build a new vehicle as \"changeover.\" For a model year change, the process is simple: changing out material and minor adjustments to work stations, said Kim Crawford, GM spokeswoman.\n\nBut GM plans to build a GMC Hummer electric pickup for sale later next year and the self-driving Cruise Origin EV along with other new EVs at D-Ham, making the changeover process quite involved. It requires installation and testing of new equipment, setting up each work station and creating instructions for each job to ensure safety and quality, said Crawford.\n\nSimplified systems\n\nNobody knows yet what the revamped plant will look like inside, but one thing is certain, the engine assembly area underneath that monikered steel beam will be gone.\n\nAll-electric vehicles have an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine. EVs use large traction battery packs to power the electric motor instead of gasoline.\n\nStill, it's hard even for the cognoscenti to predict how the layout of D-Ham will change for EV production.\n\n\"It depends a lot on how they plan to build the new vehicles going in there,\" said Sam Abuelsamid, principal analyst at Navigant Research in Detroit. Abuelsamid is an expert on EV and AV production.\n\n\"The Cruise Origin and the Hummer pickup are radically different vehicles with different architectures and the Hummer will be substantially larger,\" said Abuelsamid. \"While it’s certainly possible to build a flexible assembly system that can handle both, it might actually make more sense to have separate lines.\"\n\nThe assembly process for the Origin will likely be much simpler than that of the Hummer, he said. So a shorter, dedicated line for that vehicle makes sense.\n\n\"Even the Hummer line can be shorter than before since there will be fewer assembly steps without having to put in a fuel system and all the drivetrain components,\" said Abuelsamid. \"The body and paint shops will also need to be heavily revamped and they will also have to figure out how to handle some very different bodies at the same time.\"\n\nThe plant will also likely have a battery assembly line where cells and modules are assembled into the packs before they go to final assembly. And, since D-Ham will be a battery-vehicle-only factory, some of the hazardous material handling for fuels and lubricants can be simplified, Abuelsamid said.\n\nA plant where a neighborhood stood\n\nGM opened the factory in 1985 and it has built about 4 million vehicles there since. It's had such nameplates as the Oldsmobile Toronado and Trofeo, Pontiac Bonneville, Buick LeSabre, the Cadillac Eldorado, DeVille and Seville and the Chevrolet Volt.\n\nThe plant is sometimes called Poletown because GM built it on the site of a Polish immigrant community straddling the Detroit-Hamtramck border. In fact, the hulking facility spans the two cities. The body shop is in Hamtramck and the general assembly belongs to Detroit.\n\nThe fact that D-Ham will keep humming is significant given the sacrifice made for it to exist. The 300 acres D-Ham sits on was home to a Polish neighborhood with about 4,000 residents, more than 1,000 houses, several Catholic churches and more than 100 businesses. It all stood in the way of GM's plant and in a bold and hotly contested move, government leaders used eminent domain powers to seize and raze those properties on GM’s behalf.\n\nIt made national news and stirred up many protests included a nearly monthlong sit-in at the neighborhood's Immaculate Conception Church that police eventually broke up with arrests.\n\nEV volume\n\nD-Ham has capacity to build 160,000 vehicles, said Jeff Schuster, president of Americas Operations and Global Vehicle Forecasts for LMC Automotive. But LMC forecasts that the redesigned plant won't build close to that volume.\n\nLast year, GM built 34,344 vehicles at the plant, Schuster said. LMC expects a slow volume ramp-up, with eventually six electric vehicle models to be built there.\n\nBut given weak demand for electric cars and many new entries, Schuster said volume will be less than 25,000 in 2023 and around 50,000 by 2024.\n\nIf the Origin has much stronger fleet testing volume than LMC anticipates, Schuster said, production could be higher than 50,000.\n\nGM declined to comment on the plant's future production, but spokesman Jim Cain said, \"Any forecast is purely guesswork because we have yet to share the depth and breadth of our strategy to transform the Detroit-Hamtramck plant, fully leverage our EV expertise and scale, and accelerate our drive toward an all-electric future.\"\n\nDivided households\n\nGM's big bet on EVs stirs up mixed emotions in D-Ham workers. They're excited, but apprehensive.\n\nDuring the 40-day nationwide strike against GM last fall, the UAW not only secured a contract that kept D-Ham open, but also protected plant jobs during renovations. The workers will have employment within GM until the plant reopens, said Terry Dittes, UAW vice president of the GM department.\n\n\"For UAW members, Hamtramck, Detroit and the surrounding community, these negotiated product investments have created job security and a bright future for UAW Hamtramck members,\" said Dittes.\n\nAbout 130 hourly workers will retire from the plant effective Feb. 29, said UAW Local 22's Plater. There are also about 70 skilled-trades employees who will continue to work at D-Ham during GM's retooling process.\n\nOne of those is Clayton Jackson, 59, a millwright who works overnights repairing machinery. For him, the biggest adjustment will be switching to the day shift. But many of his colleagues remain anxious, he said.\n\n\"We don't know what to expect,\" said Jackson. \"You're working in a plant that was intended to close, then you find out it's staying open. They haven't really mapped out the plan to us.\"\n\nGary Henrion, 47, is another skilled-trades worker. He is asking GM to transfer him to Flint Assembly. He and his wife moved to Holly, about 15 miles south of Flint, last year when she was transferred from D-Ham to Flint Assembly.\n\n\"I'm hoping I get the transfer,\" said Henrion, who has 23 years seniority with GM. \"But I'm used to disappointment from GM. If I get to go to Flint, great. If not, I'll still make the 50-minute drive to D-Ham and I'll still have a job.\"\n\nLike Henrion, most of the more than 600 general assembly workers are eagerly watching their email or Federal Express deliveries for word from GM on where their next assignment will be. GM is expected to start sending out offers, which are based on seniority, by the end of the month.\n\nMost of the workers will get two options.\n\nThe full relocation package: A worker agrees to transfer to another GM plant permanently and receives up to $30,000 to relocate.\n\nA transitional package: A worker agrees to transfer to another GM plant until Detroit-Hamtramck's upgrades are complete and the worker can return there. The worker would receive $5,000 for relocation costs.\n\nDecision and indecision\n\nOmar Guevara, 45, who has worked on the assembly line at D-Ham since 1997, knows what he wants to do.\n\n\"I'm not looking to come back, I've done my time here,\" said Guevara, whose job is to do quality checks. He works on the assembly line where the engine and transmission are married to the vehicle body.\n\nSimilar to Henrion, Guevara and his wife bought a home in Clio in October after she was transferred earlier in the year from D-Ham to Flint Assembly. Clio is about 10 miles north of Flint. So Guevara drives 90 minutes to D-Ham daily to work a 10-hour shift that starts at 6 A.M.\n\nGuevara has asked to transfer to Flint and he is confident he'll get it because there are about 250 openings and he has high seniority. Also, \"everybody here in the plant wants to go to Toledo (Powertrain) and Romulus (Engine) because they live in Detroit or Downriver. High seniority people are retiring and taking $60,000 to get out,\" he said, referring to a retirement package.\n\nBut the money isn't enough to force a decision for some. Bernie DeVold, 67, is a quality inspector on the assembly line. His job is to check the exterior for flaws and make sure it fits together before the tires go on.\n\nDeVold has worked for GM for 39 years. Just 10 days before D-Ham was set to be idled, DeVold was undecided on whether to retire or taking a transfer.\n\n\"This is the best plant I've ever worked at,\" said DeVold. \"The people are great and management here is great.\"\n\nTogether again\n\nThe plant, which about 20 years ago had more than 3,500 workers, Henrion said, only has a few hundred working day shift now.\n\nThe floor was busy, but sedate. The machines hummed, interrupted periodically by a cacophony of artificial tunes echoing lullaby-like chimes to the theme from Star Wars and everything in between. The songs sound any time a worker pulls a yellow cord above the line seeking a supervisor. Each line has its own unique tune so the supervisor knows where to go.\n\nAnd each line is populated with people who've worked together for so long and so closely that many consider each other family. That's what makes the end of production for internal combustion engine vehicles so bittersweet, said Local 22's Plater.\n\n\"It's good that the plant will stay open and it'll blossom. But, at the same time, people have to go somewhere else and that's a strain for them,\" Plater said.\n\nPlater will stay at D-Ham, where he has worked for 18 years, during the retooling period. But he said he is sad to see his members leave, admitting, \"I'll miss them.\"\n\n\"When it reopens, there'll be a lot of different people,\" said Plater, after discussing the yellow steel beam sporting the names and dates of those who've passed through the plant over the years. \"It's like a family here. I'm hoping they choose to come back and we can all be together again.\"\n\nContact Jamie L. LaReau: 313-222-2149 or jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2020/02/21"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_19", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/2020/09/05/milwaukee-wauwatosa-protesters-hit-100-days-marching-look-future/5707624002/", "title": "Milwaukee, Wauwatosa protesters hit 100 days of marching, look to ...", "text": "Eight days into a 750-mile trek, Ken McNair walked through a thunderstorm so strong, it knocked over trees and power lines.\n\nMarching in the rain left him with thick calluses and an infected pinky toe. An urgent-care doctor in Indiana prescribed antibiotics and rest.\n\n“Many have asked me to take it easy and I do see the wisdom in their words, but I feel like I can't stop,” he wrote on Facebook. “Toes can be replaced, right? I'm trying to be the change I want to see in this world.”\n\nMcNair was the pacesetter for a group of activists marching from Wisconsin to Washington, D.C., and as a tall guy with a fast step, it was his job to make sure the group didn’t lose momentum.\n\nHe had to keep going.\n\nThat has been the mindset of many protest organizers in Milwaukee, who have led 100 days of marches for racial justice that have drawn thousands into the streets.\n\nThose continued Saturday as dozens of people marched along West Brown Street shouting \"No Justice, No Peace\" in a protest organized by activists with the Peoples Revolution, a group formed out of the daily demonstrations.\n\nCommunity organizer Samuel Alford said it was important to keep pushing the movement forward.\n\n“It means maybe life or death for me or somebody else,” Alford said. “If we continue to raise the issue, people are more on-guard about police brutality or the potential threat.”\n\nAmong those who spoke at the kickoff rally was Gaige Grosskreutz, the street medic who was shot in the arm by Kyle Rittenhouse during a protest in Kenosha on Aug. 25.\n\n\"(You are) the reason I'm out here ... and still will be out here,\" said Grosskreutz, who was shot protesting the shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha police officer days earlier. \"Long live the revolution.\"\n\nWidespread protests began in Milwaukee on May 29, four days after George Floyd, a Black man, died when white Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest. In recent weeks, daily protests or marches have drawn smaller crowds and a more focused purpose.\n\nAfter Floyd's death, urgency mounted locally around the issue of police violence as southeast Wisconsin grappled with its own issues of race, inequality and policing.\n\nThe Peoples Revolution activists have devoted much of their energy to the cases of Alvin Cole, shot and killed in February by Wauwatosa Police Officer Joseph Mensah, and Joel Acevedo, who died after off-duty Milwaukee Police Officer Michael Mattioli put him in a chokehold during a fight at the officer's house.\n\nThe shooting of Blake has reinforced the protesters' determination. Officer Rusten Sheskey shot Blake, a Black man, seven times in the back as he tried to enter a small SUV with his children inside, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Video of the shooting swept across social media and set off a wave of protests, sometimes violent, and drew the national spotlight to Wisconsin.\n\nThe families of Blake and Acevedo called for justice late last month at the Rev. Al Sharpton's March on Washington, and Frank “Nitty” Sensabaugh, a prominent local protest leader, issued a rallying cry to the nation's activists in his speech there.\n\n“We need to demand change, not ask for change,” Sensabaugh told the crowd. “They think this is a negotiation. This is not a negotiation.”\n\nHalfway to the 200 days of Milwaukee's open housing marches in the 1960s, today’s protest leaders aren’t sure how long it’ll take to enact lasting change, but they know they must sustain the summer’s revolutionary energy.\n\n“We’re in these critical times where the whole country’s watching now,” organizer Khalil Coleman said.\n\nTwo rallies launched a summer of activism\n\nBefore the Peoples Revolution group was formed and before Sensabaugh set off on his trek to D.C., the marches that would launch a summer of activism began with two rallies on a Friday in May.\n\nA rally for Floyd on Milwaukee’s north side kicked off in the early afternoon of May 29. Residents gave impassioned speeches to a growing crowd, then marchers headed downtown, final destination unknown. They briefly walked onto Interstate 43, blocking traffic, then demonstrated outside the Milwaukee County Courthouse and Police Administration Building.\n\n\"I was feeling a little helpless and I want to send a message so my descendants won’t have to deal with this,\" 15-year-old Ashai told the Journal Sentinel as she marched.\n\n\"Like, how can I be Black in the future if this is going on?\"\n\nLater in the afternoon, on the south side, a rally began for Acevedo. That crowd made its way east, then north, and as the sun set, four lanes of cars trailed the marchers. The group eventually ended at Police District 5, where the situation became violent late at night. Stores were looted and fires were set, and police fired tear gas.\n\nThe scene played out several days in a row as May turned to June. Crowds of protesters wove through the city in the daytime, chanting and shutting down streets. And as night set in, police warned of reckless drivers in the caravans and arrested curfew violators.\n\nMilwaukee police fired tear gas or pepper spray six times during unrest in May and June and have faced criticism for their response to protests.\n\nThe Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office also faced backlash after its deputies clashed with Sensabaugh and other protesters on I-794 as they tried to reach the Hoan Bridge. Sensabaugh, thrown to the ground during his arrest there, needed nine stitches and has filed a lawsuit against the sheriff’s office.\n\nAfter the first chaotic days of protest, Coleman helped bring structure to the energized crowds that followed Sensabaugh.\n\nHe appointed a handful of lead cars to drive ahead of the marchers and shut down traffic. People walking at the front of the group announced through bullhorns that no one was allowed to pass them. Then the lines of cars followed, drivers honking their horns and playing music.\n\nThe car caravans served to multiply their forces. More people could participate, and they made a bigger impact on the streets than a group of walkers could.\n\n“We’ve been able to infuse this energy of traffic,” Coleman said.\n\nThe energy extended beyond the marches led by Coleman and Sensabaugh. Protests cropped up for people with disabilities, for the LGBT community, for suburban residents, for bicycle riders.\n\nEven the organizers who’d planned the march on the Democratic National Convention weeks before Floyd’s death changed their focus to police violence. The organizers brought together six Wisconsin families whose relatives were killed by police, and about 500 people turned out Aug. 20 to the event.\n\n“It was George Floyd’s murder that changed things, but it was the specific way in which Milwaukee responded to the murder, the fact that they got out into the streets, thousands of people,” said Ryan Hamann, an organizer.\n\n“What it demonstrated to us is that there’s an issue here that people locally care about,” he said.\n\nColeman was heartened to see the stamina of the marchers.\n\n“The agenda was everybody come out,” he said. “People were just coming off of COVID-19, and people were already stuck in the house for those months, and I think it was just something fresh for the world.”\n\nThe energy and momentum of the summer’s protests mean a lot to Coleman. He led protests after the death of Dontre Hamilton, shot by Milwaukee police in 2014, but left activism after that. The experience was draining and didn’t result in meaningful justice, he thought.\n\nBut after Floyd’s death, Coleman felt a sense of urgency.\n\n“We need to be marching,” Coleman remembers telling others. “Talking about it is not enough. We have to be putting our feet to the ground.”\n\nThose who began marching didn’t set out to hit 100 days or even to start counting, he said. The movement grew organically out of the spirited crowds.\n\nInto the suburbs\n\nIt was the night of Thursday, June 4, and Brian Anderson was inside his Wauwatosa apartment.\n\nHe knew the protesters were coming. He could hear them from blocks away.\n\nThis was the seventh day of protests in the Milwaukee area, and hundreds of protesters were making their way into the quiet suburb of Wauwatosa.\n\nAnderson stepped onto his front lawn, while the group slowly marched up North Avenue. Anderson had always been interested in social justice issues, but it never progressed beyond his own study and discussion.\n\nBut this time, when he saw the group, he stepped from his front lawn and into the street.\n\n“For me, it was either shut up or join them,” Anderson said. “If you don’t have the power to put your feet to the ground, and participate, then really your voice means nothing.”\n\nThree months later, and Anderson has spent nearly every day marching with the Peoples Revolution.\n\n“I’ll go to work in the morning, get home in the afternoon, shower, and then get out there,” he said.\n\nAnderson said the Peoples Revolution isn't directly affiliated with the Black Lives Matter organization, but they share some of the same objectives, including fighting for racial justice and ending police brutality.\n\nThe group that marched to D.C. is also not affiliated with the Black Lives Matter organization.\n\nRecent protests focused their efforts on Wauwatosa, where Officer Joseph Mensah has shot and killed three people in the last five years. Two of the shootings were deemed justified self-defense by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office, but the most recent, the February shooting of Alvin Cole after a disturbance inside Mayfair Mail, is still under review.\n\nPolice say Cole fired a gun during the encounter. Cole's family disputes that.\n\nMensah was suspended in July, but the group said they won’t stop protesting until he’s off the force completely.\n\nAlvin Cole's sister, Taleavia Cole, said she appreciates the increased pressure that’s been put on Wauwatosa.\n\nTaleavia, a senior in college, started a movement called “Justice for Thee Three.”\n\nShe wants to bring awareness to the shooting deaths of the three people Mensah has killed — Antonio Gonzales, Jay Anderson Jr. and Cole.\n\n“The time to act is now. So until then, we’re going to continue to take the streets. We’re going to continue to promote change and seek justice and the truth,” Cole said.\n\nSome residents have been critical of the protesters' tactics.\n\nMensah said he was assaulted by protesters in August, and two men are facing felony charges after a shotgun was fired during the encounter.\n\nThe group has also shut down Mayfair mall on several occasions. They’ve marched to the police department and the mayor’s home, often late at night. They’ve packed city hall meeting rooms.\n\n“The whole purpose is civil disobedience. The whole purpose is to be a disruption. Because injustice has been a disruption in the lives of many Black and brown people,” Coleman said.\n\nState Rep. David Bowen, D-Milwaukee, present at many recent protests, agrees.\n\n\"That's the point,\" he said. \"They're supposed to get agitated so they don't forget that these people have died and that these families have not been given justice.\"\n\nA 750-mile march to DC\n\nSneakers and supplies in tow, a group of marchers, led by Sensabaugh, set off Aug. 4 from Caledonia, hoping to reach Washington, D.C., by Aug. 28 for the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.\n\nThe group left Wisconsin with about 25 people and picked up marchers along the way. As they neared D.C., about 50 people of various ages and races were marching. The group included more than 10 children, a dog named Juice, and a kitten they'd found in the cornfields and dubbed Sparrow.\n\nThe marchers bonded like a family on the journey. Morale was high, McNair said, though they knew they’d have to walk 30 miles a day to reach D.C. in time, and they knew they’d encounter people who’d never heard the chants that rang out across Milwaukee this summer.\n\nThe group would face much worse: overt racism that ranged from inconvenient to violent.\n\nIt was common for passing drivers to rev their engines and blow clouds of black exhaust at the group walked along highway shoulders.\n\nSensabaugh and Milwaukee victims advocate Tory Lowe were arrested in Indiana because state police said they were blocking traffic as their support vehicles drove slowly in the right lane. The drivers did so, the marchers say, to shield those walking in the shoulder from passing motorists who threw items at them.\n\nIn another Indiana county, police closed all the highway exits in the county and told marchers they couldn’t get gas or use the bathrooms in the county. The group thinks someone called ahead and told gas station owners that a mob was coming to loot and burn down their stores.\n\nTheir security guard, who goes by the name Cino, was nearly hit by a car one day in Ohio, the driver shouting, “you Blacks need to be shot.\"\n\n\"If people treat us like this for just walking through their area, imagine how they treat the minorities that actually live there,” McNair wrote on Facebook that day.\n\nThree days later, late at night in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, a man came out of his home and shot at the group, striking Cino.\n\nCino was hospitalized and the marchers delayed, just days away from D.C.\n\nThe marchers had been resting near a salvage yard after a long day walking through hilly terrain.\n\nThe man who shot at them told police the group wouldn’t leave his family's property when asked, but marchers said they’d never spoken to him before he rounded a hill and started firing his shotgun indiscriminately.\n\nSeveral marchers count the shooting as their most vivid memory from the trip. It shook them all.\n\nMarcher Sandy Solo remembers dropping flat to the ground and thinking of the children in the group.\n\nLowe recalls confronting the man, trying to stop him from also shooting a Milwaukee minister traveling with the group.\n\nMcNair, writing to his audience on Facebook the next day, was rattled but undeterred.\n\n“My destiny is not to die on these strange roads,” he wrote. “The world knows most of what has transpired throughout this journey and I can only hope that this awareness will help to usher in true change in this country.”\n\nThrough it all, though, the marchers knew Milwaukeeans were supporting them from a distance.\n\nSupporters would call ahead to book hotels for the group and often drew on connections to friends in the area or local churches or Black Lives Matter organizations for supplies. Doctors and nurses sometimes came out to provide care for the marchers’ blistered feet, and thousands cheered on the journey in the comment sections of marchers’ Facebook livestreams.\n\nBack in Wisconsin now, McNair often finds himself drifting off to the eerie quiet of the roads lined with cornfields. He thinks that if their journey were made into a movie, it would be a thrilling one.\n\n“It kept escalating and escalating and escalating,” he said. “It was like we were getting to the climax of the movie by the time we got into Ohio, and it was like, what could happen next?”\n\nThe movie had a triumphant Hollywood ending, too. The group marched more than 80 miles on their last day, awake more than 24 hours straight.\n\nWhen they crossed into D.C., Sensabaugh and Solo cried and hugged. The marchers cheered.\n\nThey made it to the March on Washington event at 7 a.m. on the dot, sweaty and relieved, the exact time organizers had asked them to be there.\n\nLooking for a lasting change\n\nMilwaukee-area protesters believe their demonstrations have provided the necessary push for several policy changes.\n\nAmong their wins: the demotion and subsequent retirement of former Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales, the suspension of Mensah, and the homicide charges brought against Mattioli.\n\nOthers have championed the fact that the City of Milwaukee is exploring a cut in the police budget, that the city of Cudahy declared racism a public health crisis, and that Wauwatosa passed a prohibition on carotid and neck restraints.\n\n“It’s pretty incredible what’s happened in such a short amount of time,” said State Rep. Jonathan Brostoff, who has attended a number of protests in recent weeks.\n\nBowen said the demotion of Morales wouldn't have occurred without the pressure of the protests.\n\nColeman said there's more to be done. In the first 100 days, the group focused on raising awareness — agitating, educating, organizing, he said. In the coming months, the protesters want to be more strategic.\n\nThey'll target legislators who could help pass bills on policing, and they'll take more \"direct action,\" a term for activism aimed at achieving specific demands.\n\nFor Bowen, the demands are essential to improving the lives of people of color in Milwaukee.\n\n\"Changing the system so other people don't get hurt, don't lose their lives, can find humanity and dignity from a system that will finally protect and serve them and not just white folks — I think think that is a very good goal to have,\" he said.\n\nAs the daily protests have continued, some have drawn comparisons to the 200 days of open housing marches across Milwaukee in 1967 and 1968. Led by Father James Groppi, the marchers pushed for the passage of Ald. Vel Phillips’ proposed ordinance to ban discrimination in selling and renting housing.\n\nThe open housing marchers faced violent attacks by thousands of white protesters. They continued through the frigid winter and upon reaching the 200-day mark pursued different tactics to pass comprehensive legislation.\n\nMany of those who protest in Milwaukee today feel the condition of Black Americans hasn’t improved since the Civil Rights Movement.\n\nThey see 2020 as the pivotal moment — where things could change for good.\n\n“Enough is enough. I want it to end here,” McNair said.\n\n\"I'm trying to set an example for my children,\" he said. “I don’t want them to have to, 20 years from now, to strap on some shoes and walk to D.C. again.”\n\nAs people have begun returning to work and school in the fall, leaders say the momentum generated over the summer must keep steady.\n\nThe activists' truly big wins are yet to come, Coleman said.\n\n“I don’t really think we’ve gotten to our big, big, big moment yet. I think we’re still striving for it,\" he said.\n\nRicardo Torres of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.\n\nContact Sophie Carson at (414) 223-5512 or scarson@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @SCarson_News.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2020/09/05"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/06/whats-next-kentucky-democrats-after-election-thrashing/6178145002/", "title": "What's next for Kentucky Democrats after election thrashing", "text": "Gov. Andy Beshear's victory in the 2019 election gave Kentucky Democrats a glimmer of hope going into Tuesday's contest.\n\nBut Republicans thoroughly snuffed it out as they dominated up and down the ballot to solidify Kentucky’s status as a deeply red state.\n\nNot only did Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell breeze to a larger-than-expected 20-point victory over Democrat Amy McGrath, but Republicans also are on pace to win a historic 75-seat supermajority in the state House.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2020/11/06"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/11/10/new-senator-profiles-2017-freshman-class/93061136/", "title": "Meet the new U.S. senators", "text": "USA TODAY\n\nA raucous election cycle ended with very little change in the U.S. Senate, as most of the endangered Republicans managed to hold on to their seats. Here are the seven newly elected senators who make up the 2017 freshman class.\n\nDemocrat Catherine Cortez Masto’s victory in the Nevada Senate race is groundbreaking for the Silver State.\n\nShe is the first woman to represent Nevada in the Senate and the first Latino woman in the chamber's history. Her paternal grandfather immigrated to Nevada from Chihuahua, Mexico.\n\nThe former two-term attorney general replaces retiring Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid. Losing the seat would have been a devastating blow for Democrats, though even with this win they did not take control of the Senate.\n\nCortez Masto, 52, ran an aggressive campaign based on foundational Democratic policy proposals — raising the minimum wage, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and passing comprehensive immigration reform.\n\nShe was the candidate whom Reid hand-picked to replace him after serving in the Senate for nearly 30 years. Reid helped to remake the face of Nevada by using his power to direct federal funding to the state.\n\nCortez Masto defeated Republican Rep. Joe Heck, a physician who reached the rank of brigadier general in the U.S. Army Reserve.\n\nOutside groups poured more than $90 million into the race, and top officials from both parties were frequent visitors.\n\nCortez Masto will be expected to be a solid Democratic vote in the Senate and be supportive of party leadership.\n\n— Bill Theobald\n\nDemocrat Tammy Duckworth easily defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Mark Kirk in one of the least surprising Senate victories this year.\n\nShe had led by double digits in recent polls, and a majority of Illinois voters in one recent survey said they thought Kirk hadn’t recovered enough from a stroke he suffered in 2012 to perform his Senate duties.\n\nDuckworth is a two-term congresswoman and veteran who lost both legs when the helicopter she was riding in was shot down in Iraq in 2004.\n\nAfter a yearlong recovery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, she went on to serve stints as director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs and as an assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs. On Capitol Hill, Duckworth has made veterans issues a priority, and she helped pass legislation to provide resources to prevent veteran suicide, among other initiatives.\n\nDuring the Senate campaign, she said she would back working with Russia to establish a no-fly zone in Syria and putting more pressure on NATO allies, including Turkey, to help oust the Syrian regime. Duckworth also said public-private partnerships should be leveraged to provide tuition-free community college vocational training, which would be a first step toward free community college for all. She also backs increased investment in infrastructure.\n\n— Donovan Slack\n\nCalifornia’s next senator was the front-runner from the day in January 2015 she announced her candidacy, saying she would be “a fighter for the next generation.” In a sense, at age 52, Kamala Harris is getting the first opportunity of anyone in her own generation to win a Senate seat in California.\n\nBarbara Boxer, 75, who announced last year she wouldn’t be seeking a fifth term, was first elected to the Senate in 1992 replacing the late Alan Cranston, who was resigning after four terms. Dianne Feinstein, 83, was elected the same year to finish out the term of Pete Wilson, who had been elected governor, and has remained in the Senate ever since.\n\nHarris, a career prosecuting attorney before being elected and re-elected as the state’s attorney general, will be the first African American and Indian American to represent the Golden State in the Senate. She defeated 10-term Rep. Loretta Sanchez in the Democrat-vs-Democrat general election. Her path to the seat was not as steep as once predicted, as former and current Los Angeles mayors Antonio Villaraigosa and Eric Garcetti, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer decided not to run.\n\nAs attorney general she is perhaps best known for negotiating the settlement with bankers over illegal mortgage practices that brought billions to underwater California homeowners. She is also known as an expert on tackling recidivism — she wrote a book, Smart on Crime, about it — and making parents responsible for truant children. As district attorney of San Francisco city and county, she was known for antagonizing local police when she declined to seek the death penalty for a cop killer in 2004, her first year in office.\n\nHarris is also known to have a good relationship with departing President Obama, who once described her as “by far the best-looking attorney general in the country.”\n\nUnlike the outspoken Boxer she’s replacing, Harris has been called cautious. Asked at the only general election debate last month what committee assignments she’ll seek, for example, she said she was concentrating on the election and wouldn’t look beyond it.\n\n—Bartholomew Sullivan\n\nDemocrat Maggie Hassan eked out a win to unseat incumbent Republican Kelly Ayotte in one of the tightest races in the country.\n\nHassan, 58, has been governor of New Hampshire since 2013, and before that, she was a state senator for six years, including a stint as majority leader before losing re-election in 2010.\n\nDuring her tenure as governor, Hassan maintained high job approval ratings, with a Morning Consult poll earlier this year gauging her support 56% favorable and only 33% unfavorable.\n\nShe campaigned for Senate on a pledge to work across the aisle to make Washington work better for middle-class Americans and touted her prior record in New Hampshire, where she froze tuition at state universities and lowered it at community colleges and passed two budgets without raising sales or income taxes.\n\nA lawyer by trade, Hassan started in public service as an advocate for special-needs children after the eldest of her two children, Ben, now 28, was born with cerebral palsy. Her campaign said she was driven to “ensure that children like her son Ben, who experiences severe disabilities, would be fully included in their communities and have the same opportunities that all parents want for their children.”\n\n— Donovan Slack\n\nLouisiana Republican John Kennedy pulled off a win on Dec. 10 in the last Senate race of 2016.\n\nKennedy, the state treasurer, defeated Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell in a runoff to become the latest soon-to-be-member of the Senate.\n\nKennedy, a former Democrat, had unsuccessfully run twice for the Senate seat. He beat Campbell 63% to 37%.\n\nThe race had garnered national attention with its unprecedented field of 24 candidates, including former Ku Klu Klan leader David Duke. It also attracted attention when Republican powerhouses came in to help Kennedy in the final weeks of the campaign.\n\nPresident-elect Donald Trump, Vice President-elect Mike Pence and Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, traveled to the Pelican State to stump for Kennedy the week before the runoff. Kennedy had supported Trump, who easily won the state.\n\nCampbell, meanwhile, didn’t get much help from national Democrats. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, who is popular in the state, endorsed Campbell early in the campaign, but it wasn’t enough.\n\nCampbell had hoped to take advantage of Edwards’ upset in 2015 when he defeated Republican Sen. David Vitter in the red state.\n\nKennedy ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2004 (as a Democrat) and in 2008 (as a Republican), but he entered the race as a favorite because of his statewide name recognition. Kennedy had won five statewide races and had years of political experience, including a stint as special counsel to former Republican governor Buddy Roemer.\n\nDuring the campaign Kennedy, a fiscal conservative, took aim at the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s signature issue. Obama is unpopular in the state.\n\n“I want my country back. I’m scared we are losing it,” Kennedy said when he announced his bid to run. “I worry that America is losing those (conservative) values.”\n\nKennedy was the front-runner leading up to the runoff. He had nabbed 25% of the vote in the Nov. 8 election, while Foster came in second with 17%. In Louisiana, the top two candidates go to a runoff if the winner of the general election does not reach 50% of the vote.\n\n— Deborah Barfield Berry and Greg Hilburn.\n\nSooner or later, Chris Van Hollen was going to be a U.S. senator.\n\nThe six-term congressman from Maryland literally grew up in government. Van Hollen was born in Pakistan, where his father was serving in the foreign service, and lived in several foreign outposts as a child. His father ultimately served as U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Van Hollen did his graduate studies at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, where he met his wife, Katherine, and they both wound up with jobs on Capitol Hill.\n\nVan Hollen's first gig was working for Maryland's legendary Sen. Charles \"Mac\" Mathias, a famously moderate Republican.\n\nFirst elected to Congress on his own in 2002, Van Hollen quickly moved up the ladder of leadership among House Democrats. He led the Democrats' House campaign operation for the 2008 and 2010 election cycles, getting a good reputation among his colleagues for being a prodigious fundraiser. The 2006 Almanac of American Politics said Van Hollen, then still in his second House term, is \"among the many Democrats in the Maryland delegation interested in running for a Senate seat when one comes open.\" He took a pass on the 2006 race won by Democrat Ben Cardin, but the retirement this year of 30-year veteran Sen. Barbara Mikulski was likely to be his last shot for a long while.\n\nThe major hurdle to his promotion this year was a tough primary battle against Rep. Donna Edwards, a more liberal African-American lawmaker who argued that Van Hollen would be too cozy with Wall Street. The race seemed close at first, but Van Hollen ultimately won by a better than 10% margin.\n\nIn the general election he had little trouble dispatching his Republican opponent, delegate Kathy Szeliga, in a state where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by a 2-to-1 margin.\n\n— Paul Singer\n\nRepublican Todd Young, a former Marine who mentioned that fact in nearly every campaign conversation, won Indiana’s open Senate seat by defeating one of the most formidable Indiana politicians: Evan Bayh.\n\nIt was not the race Young had expected.\n\nAfter his decisive May primary win over a Tea Party-backed opponent, Young was set to face former congressman Baron Hill, the Democrat he defeated in a 2010 House race.\n\nBut Hill withdrew from the race in July, clearing the way for Bayh — a former U.S. senator with more than $9 million in leftover campaign funds — to go after the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Dan Coats.\n\nRepublican leadership and outside groups – including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce – came to Young’s aid as they had in the primary.\n\nThe election became a referendum on Bayh. Young and his allies accused Bayh of leaving Indiana behind and cashing in when, instead of seeking re-election in 2010 after voting for the Affordable Care Act, Bayh went to work for a Washington law and lobbying firm and for a private equity fund.\n\nThe attacks steadily eroded the good feelings Hoosiers had of Bayh from his two terms as senator and governor, even as Young remained unknown to many voters.\n\nIn the House, Young had been among the minority of Republicans who joined Democrats in voting for a deal to end the 2013 partial government shutdown.\n\nHis willingness to cast tough votes helped him win a seat on the influential Ways and Means Committee, where he threw himself into overhauling the tax code and exploring a new way of funding social services programs.\n\nYoung said he hopes in the Senate to be known as one of the “go-to experts” on helping the poor and vulnerable.\n\nYoung’s political experience before running for Congress included stints with the conservative Heritage Foundation and working on energy policy for then-senator Richard Lugar.\n\nWhile Young, 44, did not grow up in a politically active home, his wife is the niece of former vice president Dan Quayle — who ended Bayh’s father’s Senate career in 1980.\n\nYoung has slept in his Capitol Hill office in recent years while keeping his home in Bloomington with his wife, Jenny, and their four children.\n\n— Maureen Groppe", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2016/11/10"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2021/09/23/nuns-donate-home-canines-court-swine-control-news-around-states/118941372/", "title": "Nuns donate home, canines in court: News from around our 50 states", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nFlorence: Archaeologists are analyzing pieces of pottery, nails and glass found at Pope’s Tavern, an inn and stagecoach stop for travelers dating back to the early 1800s before Alabama achieved statehood. A state team funded by a grant recently conducted a dig at the northwest Alabama site, which has a museum that focuses on the history of the city of Florence. Museum curator Brian Murphy told the TimesDaily pottery was the most common item discovered during the work. “They pulled out a bunch of artifacts that are being cleaned and processed right now,” Murphy said. “They will give us a really good image of the types of materials and type of utensils used, and really a glimpse into the daily life of the people who lived there and used that space.” The crew also found the brick remains of an old structure that could have been a hearth or outbuilding, he said. “They are seeing what type of materials are associated with that, using flotation, which brings up microscopic material to a level that can be processed. After they do that, they’re going to get back to us with the larger picture of what it all means and what might be under there still that could be the source of a future excavation,” he said. Pope’s Tavern was built in the the 1830s, he said, and artifacts found on the grounds dated to the 1820s and ’30s.\n\nAlaska\n\nJuneau: Officials are aiming to make the first wave of dividend payments to state residents the week of Oct. 11, a Department of Revenue spokesperson said. Genevieve Wojtusik, the department’s legislative liaison, said in an email Wednesday that the first wave would include those who filed for dividends electronically. She said the second mass payments, which would include those who filed paper applications, would go out about two weeks later. The Legislature last week approved $730.5 million for dividends this year of about $1,100 and for administrative and other related costs. Wojtusik said the final check amount is being calculated and is expected to be announced by Oct. 1. Dividends typically are paid in the early fall, but this year’s payout wasn’t finalized until the third special session of the year, which ended last week. Lawmakers earlier this year proposed a roughly $1,100 dividend, using money from various sources, but failed to win sufficient support for use of some of the funds. What was left at that time was a dividend estimated to be $525, which Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed.\n\nArizona\n\nPhoenix: This year’s wet monsoon is contributing to a record-high season for the West Nile virus, which is spread through mosquito bites, health officials said. Arizona had 123 cases and four deaths through late last week, the state Department of Health Services said Tuesday. Nearly all of the cases were reported in Maricopa County, where the virus has been detected in record numbers of mosquitos studied, the department said. While most people infected with West Nile don’t get symptoms, older people and those with weakened immune systems are more prone to diseases that be fatal. Health officials recommend wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants to help prevent mosquito bites on arms and legs and eliminating standing water where mosquitos lay their eggs.\n\nArkansas\n\nLittle Rock: Two men have been convicted of conspiring to kill a federal witness in 2016. A federal jury deliberated for about 61/ 2 hours before delivering the verdicts Tuesday against Donald Smith, 37, of Malvern, and Samuel Sherman, 38, of Batesville, in the shooting death of 44-year-old Suzen Cooper, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. Prosecutors alleged Smith, Sherman and Suzen Cooper’s former sister-in-law, Racheal Cooper, conspired to sell methamphetamine and cocaine, and Cooper was a confidential informant who had purchased meth from Sherman. Racheal Cooper was originally charged with capital murder in Hot Spring County but later pleaded guilty to a charge of hindering apprehension, for which she served five years of a 25-year sentence. Smith and Sherman face up to life in prison after being convicted of federal charges of witness tampering resulting in death, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and aiding and abetting the use, carry and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Porter led the police to the grave site, Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Gardner said. “Suzen Cooper’s body was exactly where Jimmy Porter said it would be,” Gardner said.\n\nCalifornia\n\nSacramento: Residents failed to significantly cut back their water consumption in July, state officials announced Tuesday, foreshadowing some difficult decisions for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration as a historic drought lingers into the fall. Newsom had asked people in July to voluntarily cut back their water consumption by 15% to help address a severe drought that has left some of the state’s reservoirs at dangerously low levels. But in the three weeks after Newsom’s announcement, residents reduced their water consumption just 1.8%, according to new data released Tuesday and reported by the Sacramento Bee. “On conservation, we’re going to be needing to do more,” board chair Joaquin Esquivel said. Still, Esquivel was hopeful the state’s conservation numbers will improve. Newsom declared a drought emergency in the Russian River watershed along the state’s north coast in April. Data from that region shows people reduced their water consumption by 17% in July compared to 2020. “We see that it takes time for conservation to boot up,” Esquivel said, adding that the 17% figure “shows the responsiveness of communities” to appeals for conservation. Dave Eggerton, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies, said the numbers “represent a promising start in reducing water use.”\n\nColorado\n\nDenver: Criminal charges have been dropped in connection with the death of a spiritual leader whose mummified body was found in what appeared to be a shrine in a southern Colorado home, according to court officials. The body of Amy Carlson, 45, leader of the Love Has Won group, was found decorated with Christmas lights and glitter in the tiny, rural town of Moffat in April, according to previously released arrest affidavits. Seven people were charged with tampering with or abusing her corpse as well as child abuse, presumably because there were two children living in the home. Charges against six people were dropped during court proceedings, the Saguache County court clerk’s office said in an email Tuesday. It said no case existed for a seventh person who was among those charged with the others in May, though the office did not explain what happened in that case. It’s not known why the charges were dropped. Assistant District Attorney Alex Raines asked a judge to dismiss all the charges during a Sept. 14 hearing, the Valley Courier reports. Defense lawyers also requested that records be sealed, which was approved, it said. A telephone message left for Raines was not returned.\n\nConnecticut\n\nHartford: Hundreds of unionized group home workers are threatening to walk off the job next month if settlements aren’t reached on new labor contracts. The New England Health Care Employees Union, District 1199, SEIU, delivered strike notices Tuesday to two private agencies – Whole Life Inc. and Network Inc. – that have about 70 locations across the state that could be affected. The union’s deadline for an agreement is Oct. 5. The threat of a strike, which would involve over 500 workers at group homes and day programs for people with developmental disabilities, comes more than three months after state officials authorized $184 million to increase wages and benefits for group home workers. The union said these remaining two operators have failed to settle on new agreements, despite the added funding. In July, a threatened strike by over 2,100 group home workers at 200 homes was called off after a late-night agreement for higher wages and improved benefits was reached with the Lamont administration’s help. “The State of Connecticut stepped up and provided funding that was adequate,” Rob Baril, the union president, said in a statement. “Now it’s time for these agencies to do the same: to provide people with pensions, affordable health insurance and enough wages that people can take care of their families.”\n\nDelaware\n\nWilmington: A new law is expected to make it simpler for residents to use solar energy to power their homes through a community-centered program scheduled to start next year. To participate, customers can get credit on their electric bills by subscribing to a centrally located local community solar project, which can be cheaper than paying to install solar panels on their own roofs. Community-owned solar generation facilities have been legal in Delaware since 2010 but included some legal barriers such as requiring the facility to identify all its customers before being built. The bill by Sen. Stephanie Hansen, D-Middletown, removed some of those barriers to make it easier for people to take advantage of the fast-growing industry. Delaware hasn’t had the facilities in the past because the laws weren’t set up to accommodate them, Hansen said. The bill specifically changes regulations for solar facilities that will connect through Delmarva Power, the most prominent energy company in the state. Once facility owners get the green light, Delaware can expect to see the solar panel facilities popping up in open lands like Brownfield sites, undeveloped fields, or on top of parking lots or landfills, according to Hansen.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: Artifacts from the racial injustice protests that erupted last year in the wake of George Floyd’s death are being preserved, and their protectors are hoping to find new homes for some of the mementos, WUSA-TV reports. As pro-Trump demonstrators repeatedly targeted a makeshift memorial at the barrier that separated Black Lives Matter Plaza from the White House, “fence guardians” sought to protect artifacts of the movement that shone a spotlight on police brutality against Black people. The Biden administration dismantled the fence earlier this year, but not before Nadine Seiler saved more than 700 mementos. “We were lucky that the Library of Congress took some pieces, and Howard University took some pieces,” Seiler said. “But the vast majority of the collection remained with us.” Hundreds of signs, photographs and pieces of artwork remain in her D.C. storage space. Seiler and fellow “fence guardian Karen Irwin are now finding homes for each item, asking interested businesses, nonprofits and organizations to contact them via Facebook. “Ideally, the Black Lives Matter community would like the pieces to stay in the hands of Black organizations,” Seiler said. “But personally, any organization that would give these treasures a safe home and recognize their value, they should reach out as well.”\n\nFlorida\n\nTallahassee: Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis named a UCLA doctor and health policy researcher who shares his approach to managing the coronavirus pandemic to serve as the state’s surgeon general Tuesday. Like DeSantis, Dr. Joseph Ladapo said he doesn’t believe in school closures, lockdowns or vaccine mandates. “Florida will completely reject fear as a way of making policies in public health,” Ladapo said. DeSantis said there’s been misinformation spread about COVID-19 to control personal behavior and mentioned monoclonal antibody treatment, claiming that while he’s been advocating it for months, others haven’t been pushing it as vocally. Doctors agree with DeSantis that the treatment, when delivered soon after infection, is effective. Lapado said vaccines aren’t the only way to combat COVID-19. “There’s nothing special about them compared to any other preventive measure,” he said, adding that people should be encouraged to lose weight, exercise more and eat healthier. And Lapado spoke out against lockdowns, saying that “after lockdowns, overall mortality increased ... lots of reasons why they’re bad.” On Wednesday, Ladapo signed new protocols allowing parents to decide whether their children should quarantine or stay in school if they are asymptomatic after being exposed to someone with COVID-19. His new guidelines also tweaked the state’s prohibition against school mask mandates, prompting an administrative law judge to dismiss a lawsuit against the old rule that had been filed by various school boards.\n\nGeorgia\n\nAthens: Some of the people living in a homeless camp known as Cooterville say they’re skeptical of a new, government-sanctioned homeless camp planned for the community. The Cooterville encampment under CSX railroad tracks is set to be cleared by Nov. 12, with city leaders trying to time the ejections with the opening of the new camp where homeless will be allowed to stay legally. City officials are looking for an organization to head the government-sanctioned encampment, which will determine what it eventually looks like. The Athens-Clarke County Commission this summer selected a site for it at the North Athens School. Opponents have said they’re concerned it will attract more homeless people to Athens. But supporters say the new camp will come with services aimed at helping homeless people make the transition to permanent housing. In the Cooterville camp, some have expressed feeling left in the dark about the process are are unsure whether they will be secured a spot in the new camp. Oscar Sutton, who’s lived in Cooterville a couple of months, said he has no plans to move to the government-sanctioned encampment and worries about placing so many random people from the homeless community together. “It’s going to be chaos,” he said. “If I have to stay out here, I’ll just find somewhere to stay.”\n\nHawaii\n\nHonolulu: A man who helped organize a group that opposes COVID-19 vaccines and mandates says he contracted the disease and now has regrets. Chris Wikoff told Hawaii News Now he helped start the Aloha Freedom Coalition last October, believing government shutdowns and mandates were threatening liberties and harming businesses. “They were talking about vaccine passports and vaccine mandates, and it seemed like it was over-the top totalitarianism and control,” Wikoff said. But then he and his wife contracted COVID-19. “We were told the COVID virus was not that deadly. It was nothing more than a little flu. I can tell you it’s more than a little flu,” he said. Wikoff was sent to a hospital on the west side of Oahu but transferred to a facility in Honolulu because hospitals were at or near capacity. “I was in a bed. I can’t move; I can’t breathe,” he recalled. “I was afraid I was going to die.” Wikoff is now considering getting vaccinated because his family and doctors recommend it. “Probably getting COVID again would be more dangerous than getting the reaction from the vaccines,” he said. Wikoff said he asked the Aloha Freedom Coalition to remove his name as a member on state business registration and is warning people not to attend large protests like the ones the group staged in front of Lt. Gov. Josh Green’s home. “Before I thought Josh Green was exaggerating the situation, and after my experience he sounds very rational to me,” he said.\n\nIdaho\n\nBoise: Health care workers are exhausted and angry. COVID-19 vaccines are expiring because they have sat unused for so long. And coronavirus case numbers and deaths continue to climb, putting the state among the worst in the nation for the rate of new diagnoses. Idaho’s public health leaders painted a grim picture – again – during a weekly briefing Tuesday. The state continues to set records with 686 hospitalized COVID-19 patients as of Saturday, 180 of them in intensive care beds and 112 on ventilators, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Dave Jeppesen said. At the moment, there is no end in sight to the surge. The entire state entered “crisis standards of care” last week, officially allowing hospitals to ration health care as needed so that scarce resources can be directed to the patients most in need and most likely to survive. Urgent surgeries have been placed on hold, some patients are being treated in lobbies or field hospitals, and hospital administrators and doctors are desperately trying to shuffle the sickest patients to any facility that has enough open beds or ventilators to treat them. Over the weekend, physicians at one hospital nearly had to face “de-allocation,” in which one patient is taken out of an ICU bed to give it to someone with a greater chance of survival, said Dr. Jim Souza with St. Luke’s Health System.\n\nIllinois\n\nBeecher: A fire destroyed a historic church in Chicago’s far southern suburbs that had appeared in the 2002 film “Road to Perdition.” Officials said nearly a dozen fire departments responded, but by the time the flames were doused, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church was in ruins. No one was injured, and the cause of the fire is under investigation. Flames swept the church Sunday afternoon as members of the congregation were enjoying an Oktoberfest celebration in the parking lot. The building dates to 1865. “Yeah, it is devastating: The 150 years of the weddings and the funerals and the baptisms and all of that are gone. But the church still stands, the people; we still have our folk and our faith,” said the Rev. Michael Stein. The closest fire hydrant was approximately a mile away, prompting an effort to shuttle roughly 91,000 gallons of water to the rural location to extinguish the flames, officials said. The church appeared in Tom Hanks’s 2002 film “Road to Perdition,” WGN-TV reports. “My grandparents are buried there. It’s really sad seeing the church like this,” Beecher resident Zachery Wehling told the station. Stein said it’s an opportunity to rebuild. “It is a dark chapter, and a sad one, and we mourn it, and we grieve it … but we still look to Christ, and we find that hope to go on,” he said.\n\nIndiana\n\nWest Lafayette: Purdue University said it has nearly 50,000 students this fall, a record fueled by a freshman class of about 10,200. Purdue said it was surprised by an increase in out-of-state students accepted for admission. Families and students told Purdue they were impressed by the school’s response to COVID-19. “Our focuses have been encouraging everyone to be vaccinated,” said Jay Akridge, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity. “We’re up over 83% of the campus (vaccinated). And then if you’re not, get tested,” he said. “And then students have been great about masking inside. … Just as they did last year, students have been very good about following that protocol.” Purdue was expecting 8,450 freshmen but greatly exceeded that number. Total enrollment is pegged at 49,639.\n\nIowa\n\nFort Dodge: Experts say a cyberattack on a northwest Iowa grain cooperative could signal Russian-linked groups are beginning to target smaller farm businesses in rural America as bigger companies tighten their security. The cyberattack on New Cooperative, a farm services business with headquarters in Fort Dodge, comes on the heels of a ransomware attack on the giant meatpacking company JBS in late May. JBS closed at least one Iowa pork processing plant as well as all nine of its U.S. beef plants before paying hackers $11 million in ransom. Cybersecurity experts say Russian-backed ransomware group BlackMatter is demanding a $5.9 million ransom from New Cooperative. New Cooperative acknowledged Monday that it had experienced “a cybersecurity incident” affecting some of the company’s “devices and systems.” The member-owned business said it’s using “every available tool and resource to quickly restore our systems.” The cooperative said it had notified law enforcement and was working with data security experts to “investigate and remediate the situation.” New Cooperative declined to say more about the attack Tuesday. Chad Hart, an Iowa State University agriculture economist, said “size really doesn’t matter” to hackers, who “are looking for any target that they think could be valuable.”\n\nKansas\n\nKansas City: An organization run by rapper Jay-Z has filed a petition seeking records from the city’s police department related to what it calls a history of officer misconduct within the agency. The request was filed Monday in Wyandotte County District Court by Team Roc, the criminal justice division of Jay-Z’s entertainment organization, Roc Nation. The filing said the department has failed for decades to hold officers accountable for misconduct, including planting evidence, fabricating witnesses, and soliciting sex from victims and witnesses, The Kansas City Star reports. “And, thanks to the blue veil of silence and apparent failure to investigate serious allegations, little of it has come to light,” according to the petition. It alleges department officials refused to provide Team Roc with complaints filed against the department’s investigative division, reports or internal investigations against an officer who has a history of abuse allegations and policies relating to supervising detectives. The department responded in a statement that it has given hundreds of pages of documents to Team Roc but that the Kansas Open Records Act does not require the release of personnel records and criminal investigation files.\n\nKentucky\n\nLouisville: A drive-by shooting at a school bus stop Wednesday morning left a 16-year-old student dead and another hospitalized, police said. A third child was injured by unknown means as the youths waited at the bus stop just west of downtown Louisville, authorities said. A person in a car drove by and shot at the waiting students, some of whom were not injured, Louisville Metro Police Maj. Shannon Lauder said during a news conference. No suspects were in custody Wednesday afternoon. Police put a photo of a dark gray Jeep SUV on social media and asked for the public’s help in finding it. The vehicle had Illinois license tags, with the plate number BD91644. Mayor Greg Fischer said the shooting – the city’s 145th homicide this year – violated a “sacred space.” Police were working with the FBI and other agencies in investigating the shooting, Chief Erika Shields said Wednesday morning. The chief suggested the shooting could be gang-related, but she said she did not believe the victim was involved with gangs. The bus stop near the city’s downtown was for students of Eastern High School. Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Marty Pollio called the incident “one of the most difficult mornings of my career.” He said support is being provided to students and teachers at the school.\n\nLouisiana\n\nNew Orleans: Smoke and flames shot up the side of the Superdome’s roof Tuesday after a pressure washer being used to clean the roof of the sports and entertainment arena caught fire. The New Orleans Fire Department confirmed firefighters responded to flames on the building’s roof shortly after 12:30 p.m. The fire appeared under control a short time later. New Orleans Emergency Management Services said on Twitter that it was transporting one person to the hospital for “minor burns.” Emergency officials called on people to stay away from the area. Crews were power-washing the roof to prepare it to be painted, officials said. “The fire was contained to the exterior gutter system surrounding (the) Superdome, and only a small area of the roof suffered minimal damage,” said a statement from the Louisiana Stadium and Expedition District, a state board that governs the dome, and ASM Global, which manages the Superdome. “Initial assessments suggest that damage is superficial and there appears to be no structural damage or impact to the integrity of the roof’s exterior skin. The building’s outer skin and roof remain watertight.” A photo posted on the city’s emergency management Twitter feed showed firefighters in the trench that separates the Superdome roof from an outer wall as they sprayed down the fire-blackened walls.\n\nMaine\n\nLebanon: Residents will vote on whether to recall several town leaders in a flap that grew out of the select board chairman’s decision to take a farmer’s pot plants. Farmer Eric Kelley accused Select Board Chairman Charles Russell Jr. and board member Ernest “Butch” Lizotte Jr. of swiping $100,000 worth of plants, knowing that the farmer was in jail. In addition, local animal control officers took his livestock. District Attorney Kathryn Slattery confirmed there was an investigation that focused on possible theft. But there was not enough evidence to prove the charges “beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said. Anger over the marijuana episode apparently served as a tipping point for a recall effort targeting Russell, Lizotte and another person who went to the farm that night. The recall also targets a third selectman who’s accused of missing half of this year’s meetings. Russell, who grows medicinal marijuana for household use, consulted for a local pot business and helped draft town marijuana ordinances, acknowledged to the Boston Globe that he pilfered Kelley’s marijuana plants. But he said he did it because he didn’t want the plants getting “into the hands of the wrong people” while Kelley was in jail. He called it a “public safety” matter.\n\nMaryland\n\nCollege Park: National Public Radio can air audio recordings from the trial of the gunman who killed five Capital Gazette newspaper employees in 2018, a federal judge has ruled in a case challenging the state’s ban on broadcasting court proceedings. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Bennett on Tuesday permanently barred the state of Maryland from enforcing its “broadcast ban” against NPR, which intends to use audio from the trial of Capital Gazette newsroom shooter Jarrod Ramos in an upcoming episode of its “Embedded” podcast. Bennett ruled it would be unconstitutional for Maryland to ban NPR from broadcasting recordings of the jury trial for Ramos’ criminal case. NPR’s challenge to the broadcast ban was limited to its use of recordings of Ramos’ court proceedings. In July, a jury rejected defense attorneys’ mental illness arguments and found Ramos criminally responsible for killing five people at the newspaper’s office in Annapolis. Prosecutors are seeking five life sentences without the possibility of parole when Ramos is sentenced. The judge already had ruled in NPR’s favor after a hearing Sept. 13, issuing a preliminary injunction that temporarily blocked the law’s enforcement against the radio network. Tuesday’s ruling granted NPR’s request for a permanent injunction.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nBoston: A group of high school students had to ride on a party bus complete with a stripper pole and neon lights during a recent field trip – an experience their teacher said highlights problems with the education system. Jim Mayers, an 11th grade Advanced Placement language and composition teacher at the Brooke Charter School in Boston, said in a since-deleted tweet that the original charter bus had fallen through, Masslive.com reports. “It is a funny story, but there actually is a real bus shortage, and it speaks to major flaws in our education system,” he said, adding that the field trip was a success. He is now using the attention he’s getting because of the original tweet to urge people to better understand educational inequities and other problems facing the nation’s schools. “I’m worried that there is too much attention being paid to the tweet itself, or simply the fact that it went viral, instead of attending to the many systemic issues that are facing not just my students, but students all across the country,” he wrote in a follow-up tweet. For example, districts across the nation are struggling to hire enough drivers to shuttle kids to school, and some states have become creative, including Massachusetts, which is enlisting National Guard members to drive school transport vans.\n\nMichigan\n\nPontiac: Plans are underway for the state to construct a first-in-the-nation segment of road that will charge electric vehicles while they’re driving, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Tuesday at the Motor Bella auto show in Pontiac. Michigan’s Department of Transportation and the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification are partnering to make a 1-mile stretch of state roadway in Wayne, Oakland or Macomb counties to allow public transportation and private vehicles to charge while traveling as a part of the Inductive Vehicle Charging Pilot, according to a news release. “Michigan was home to the first mile of paved road, and now we’re paving the way for the roads of tomorrow with innovative infrastructure that will support the economy and the environment, helping us achieve our goal of carbon neutrality by 2050,” Whitmer said in the release. As electric vehicles advance, charging infrastructure has become a priority for Michigan cities that want to draw residents. The city of Saginaw got its first charging stations in September in the hope that those traveling in the east side of the state toward tourist areas in northern Michigan will stop because there is little electric vehicle infrastructure available at most destinations.\n\nMinnesota\n\nSt. Joseph: A small crowd of local business owners and community members gathered around a gray house near downtown Tuesday morning to kick off a project that would give a house used by the Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict a new life. Armed with sledgehammers, Sisters Dorothy Manuel and Karen Streveler posed for photographs outside the house as Habitat for Humanity volunteers in blue hard hats walked around the inside, ready to begin renovating the home that the sisters donated to the organization in December. Next summer a local family will move into the house, addressing a need for affordable housing in the area. “As volunteers and family members begin the kicking out the old to make room for the new and improved, we pray for the safety of all who participate in the renovation project and that everything gets accomplished in a timely manner,” Manuel said as she led a prayer in front of the home. “May this house truly become a home for the family and a blessing for their lives.” The Genesis House was built in 1926 and purchased by the sisters in 1950. It was used to accommodate lay staff from the College of St. Benedict in the past and later to house chaplains, Streveler said. Most recently, some of the sisters lived there for the past seven years.\n\nMississippi\n\nJackson: The authors of the state’s 1890 constitution had racist intent when they stripped voting rights from people convicted of some felonies because they chose crimes they thought were more likely to be committed by Black people, an attorney argued Wednesday in a federal appeals court. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals should overturn most of Mississippi’s felon disenfranchisement plan, attorney Donald B. Verrilli Jr. argued on behalf of people with felony convictions. The case could affect thousands who have lost voting rights. “Because the 1890 provisions were unconstitutional, they were invalid from the moment that they’re enacted,” Verrilli said. Attorneys representing the state said Mississippi dropped burglary from the list of disenfranchising crimes in 1950 and added murder and rape to the list in 1968. They said in written arguments that those changes “cured any discriminatory taint on the original provision.” The Mississippi Constitution strips voting rights from people convicted of 10 felonies, including forgery, arson and bigamy. The state attorney general issued an opinion in 2009 that expanded the list to 22 crimes, including timber larceny, carjacking, felony-level shoplifting and felony-level bad check writing.\n\nMissouri\n\nSt. Louis: The city’s police used force against Black people more than three times as often as on white people, according to a newly released study. The California-based, nonprofit research group Center for Policing Equity examined police report data from 2012 to 2019 and also found that in 9 out of 10 instances in which police pulled out a gun, it was at a Black civilian, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Even as the overall use of force dropped by 18%, police still used it more often against Black people, the report said. “What we typically hear from police officers is that use of force happens predominantly in areas with high crime,” said Hans Menos, vice president of law enforcement initiatives at the center. “So we try to control using neighborhood-level demographics, and even after controlling for that, the number (of Black people who have force used against them) is still higher.” Mayor Tishaura Jones said eliminating racial disparities in policing is key to making St. Louis safer for all of its residents. Outgoing Police Chief John Hayden said this kind of research can bring about scrutiny and questions about policing practices. “However, we embrace the challenge to do better and consider all suggestions from professionals, community stakeholders, and citizens,” Hayden said.\n\nMontana\n\nHelena: National Guard soldiers will assist hospitals with their COVID-19 response as the state struggles with a surge in infections, Gov. Greg Gianforte announced Tuesday. A total of 70 soldiers will assist six different hospitals in Helena, Billings, Butte, Missoula and Bozeman. They will begin helping the hospitals either this weekend or next weekend, according to an announcement from the governor’s office. The Guardsmen will support staffing with nonmedical intensive care assistance, environmental services, patient data entry and coronavirus testing. Gianforte has stopped short of issuing any statewide mask or vaccine requirements even as some communities face record-high COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. “While we will not mandate them, vaccines are safe, they work, and they can save your life,” Gianforte said in a statement. The decision to mobilize the National Guard comes after Gianforte announced last week that 10 Guardsmen would begin assisting Billings Clinic, and seven additional Guardsmen would assist in the state lab. The state anticipates additional requests for Guard resources from several other hospitals, according to the governor’s office.\n\nNebraska\n\nLincoln: Lawmakers remained at a stalemate Wednesday over how to draw new congressional and legislative maps despite a looming deadline that could force them to postpone the decision until next year and delay the May primary election. Lawmakers have until Saturday to advance both measures, or else Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers has promised to end their special session, forcing them to resume the debate during their next regular session in January. Delaying the new maps until next year would force state officials to reschedule the primary and create major hassles for county election officials and candidates. At issue with the maps are accusations that Republicans and Democrats are trying to draw political boundaries in ways that benefit their party. Republicans enjoy a majority in the officially nonpartisan, one-house Legislature, but they don’t have enough votes to overcome a filibuster led by Democrats and some moderate Republicans, preventing them from forcing through their preferred map. Hilgers said lawmakers have made good progress toward an agreement, and he hoped to pin down specific concerns about the maps to try to reach a compromise so that lawmakers aren’t “just talking past each other.”\n\nNevada\n\nCarson City: In their first public opportunity to voice concerns on a proposal to let tech companies that meet certain requirements create semi-autonomous jurisdictions called Innovation Zones, officials from Storey County dressed down the idea in a line-by-line fashion. They called into question the motives of the company that wants to break away from its control. “While I’m sure many would prefer to have no independent government oversight, we don’t make laws based on what is convenient for just one party,” Storey County Commissioner Clay Mitchell told lawmakers Tuesday. Mitchell and other county representatives oppose a proposal backed by Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak that would allow companies that promise a $1.25 billion investment and possess at least 78 square miles of land to apply to form the Innovation Zones. The zones would be governed by three county commission-like board members – two of whom would at first be nominated by the company. They would operate outside the jurisdiction of preexisting local government and eventually could create court systems, impose taxes and make zoning decisions. The company’s proposal has been met with opposition from skeptics of overly powerful tech companies, environmentalists and local officials.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nConcord: Fall visitors to the Granite State are being asked to keep their tempers in check and their trash off the ground during their leaf peeping trips this year. With interest in outdoor recreation on the rise amid the coronavirus pandemic, state tourism officials last year launched a “Leave No Trace” campaign to remind visitors not to sully the state’s natural resources. This year, they added a new message – “Don’t Take New Hampshire for Granite” – to encourage visitors to be understanding about rules and respectful of other people and property. With foliage season just beginning, officials are again reminding visitors to show courtesy to workers and the environment alike. Fall is New Hampshire’s second-busiest tourism season, and state officials expect 3.2 million visitors to spend $1.4 billion this year, nearly back to pre-pandemic levels. Businesses still are struggling with workforce shortages and supply chain delays, said Mike Somers, president of the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association. That, in turn, has led to an increase in rude and abusive customer behavior. “We’re really asking folks to plan ahead and have a little bit of patience and understanding,” he said. “Just call ahead, find out what the hours of operation are, and please don’t get upset if we’re not open until 11 o’clock at night.”\n\nNew Jersey\n\nTrenton: Liquor stores, bars and restaurants are all having trouble stocking their shelves with enough wines, beers and spirits, thanks to COVID-19’s impact on supplies, along with heat waves and frosts that damaged crops. “It’s not just one thing that’s causing the liquor shortage,” said Joe Ringwood, manager of Super Cellars, a fine wine and spirits shop in Ridgewood. It’s a shortage of truck drivers, a scarcity of aluminum, a shutdown of factories, a dearth of containers, extreme weather, tariffs or a lack thereof, and even the greater demand by consumers for premium liquor. “Some of it is directly related to the pandemic,” Ringwood said. “But not all of it.” And it’s not just one category of liquor that’s gone missing. What is in short supply seems to change from month to month, if not week to week. Last year, liquor store owners said, they had trouble getting canned beers, amid a shortage of aluminum. Today, bottled beers and top-shelf tequilas are in particularly short supply. “Every week it’s something else,” said Kathy Mahon, bar manager for Park West Tavern in Ridgewood. Paul Santelle, executive director of the New Jersey Liquor Store Alliance and owner of Garden State Discount Liquors in Perth Amboy, said he has begun to ration over a hundred items so more people will be able to enjoy them.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nSanta Fe: A coalition of Native American communities has unveiled its proposal for redrawing the state’s political map to boost Indigenous voters’ influence in elections. The proposed changes from New Mexico’s 19 Native American pueblos and the Jicarilla Apache Nation, outlined Monday, would reshape a congressional swing district where Republicans regained control in 2020. They would also bolster Native American majorities among eligible voters in six state House and three Senate districts in northwestern New Mexico. The proposals were submitted to a committee that will provide recommendations to the Legislature at the end of October. The Democrat-led Legislature can draw its own lines. Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham must approve the redistricting, and court challenges are possible. New Mexico is home to 23 federally recognized tribes, and the share of New Mexicans who identify themselves as Indigenous by race or by combined ancestry is 12.4%. Four Indigenous tribes have joined together for the first time to form a stronger voting bloc within one Senate district that might unite Acoma, Laguna, Isleta and Zuni pueblos. Other proposed changes would split the Mescalero Apache reservation between two congressional districts, in hopes of expanding that tribe’s voice in Congress.\n\nNew York\n\nNew York: Four members of Congress from New York demanded the release of inmates and closure of New York City’s troubled Rikers Island jail complex after another inmate was reported dead at the facility. Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jerry Nadler, Jamaal Bowman and Nydia Velazquez called conditions at the jail “deplorable and nothing short of a humanitarian crisis,” in a letter Tuesday to Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Bill de Blasio. The demand followed the 11th death reported at Rikers Island this year. The city’s Department of Correction said an inmate died Sunday at the jail after reporting he did not feel well and was taken to the infirmary. His death came on the heels of both Hochul and de Blasio announcing plans to try to improve conditions at Rikers Island, where long-standing troubles were exacerbated amid the pandemic. The House members said the jail has failed to provide inmates with basic services and protection against the spread of COVID-19, and lawmakers on a recent visit to the facility found conditions that were “life-threatening and horrific.” They reported overflowing toilets and floors covered in dead cockroaches, feces and rotting food. State Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas said inmates told her they felt like they were being treated like slaves and animals.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nRaleigh: People attending the 2021 N.C. State Fair won’t be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, but it’s strongly encouraged, officials said. Also, those going to the fair, which begins Oct. 14, will be required to use clear plastic bags upon entering, and officials say there will be no indoor concerts at this year’s event – a decision they said has nothing to do with the pandemic. A statement from fair officials said any size or type of clear bag is acceptable. Wristlets, diaper bags and medical equipment bags will be accepted at the fair even if they are not clear, but they will require additional inspection. In addition, officials said there will be no concerts inside Dorton Arena. That room will be reserved for vendors. “Moving the vendors, displays and cheesemakers into Dorton Arena will offer a larger space to include more vendors and provide more space for consumers to sample featured products and shop for their favorites,” state Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a statement.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nBismarck: The head of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is asking a federal agency overseeing the environmental review of the Dakota Access oil pipeline to cut ties with a contractor conducting the analysis, citing a conflict of interest. Chairman Mike Faith and other tribal leaders fighting the pipeline sent a letter Wednesday to a top U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official, taking issue with Environmental Resources Management, the company doing the review, and its ties to the oil industry, the Bismarck Tribune reports. One of the tribes’ concerns is that the London-based company is a member of the American Petroleum Institute, a trade group that lobbies for the oil industry and has submitted court briefs supporting Dakota Access. Meanwhile, the company that operates the Dakota Access pipeline has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse an appellate ruling ordering additional environmental review, saying it puts the line at risk of being shut down. Texas-based Energy Transfer operates the $3.8 billion, 1,172-mile pipeline. Faith said in a statement that the request by the pipeline operator “is part of an ongoing attempt to “evade accountability.” The pipeline began operating in 2017, after being the subject of months of protests during its construction.\n\nOhio\n\nDayton: The city plans to demolish the 129-year-old historic building that once was the site of the Wright brothers’ first bike shop because the building has deteriorated to a point where it can no longer be maintained and redeveloped. The shop was first built in 1892 to serve as the Wrights’ first bike shop. Soon thereafter, Gem City Ice Cream Co. bought the property and was housed there until it closed in 1975, when the building was sold to another company, the Dayton Daily News reports. Years after a wide array of owners, the city attempted to sell the rundown property to developers, but it failed inspection tests. The building was deemed structurally damaged and in danger of collapse. City officials also attempted to receive approval to bulldoze the property but did not move forward after hearing community concerns, Daytons Landmark Commission staff report said. But multiple inspections in 2019 concluded the building can’t be saved. City staff and nuisance abatement specialists said the building needs to be removed, the report said. This isn’t the first of the Wright brothers’ bike shops to be torn down in Ohio. Their second and third bike shops were torn down, but the fourth is a national historic site in the Wright Dunbar District, according to the newspaper.\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: Efforts to control feral swine eating their way across fields might seem as futile as trying to catch a greased pig – the hogs are known to destroy crops and land for farmers, who say the animals aren’t picky eaters and will consume just about anything they find growing. But an influx in federal dollars creating pilot eradication projects across broad areas of the state and a new pesticide introduced this month are making the fight just a little more fair for farmers, ranchers and regulators. The two feral swine control pilot projects, paid for by about $3.6 million in federal dollars allocated through the 2018 Farm Act, have combined tracking efforts with hunting and trapping activities across multiple counties in northern and southwestern Oklahoma to blunt swine activity in those areas. The manufacturer of the new pesticide, called HogStop, claims it can decrease the fertility of male swine and help cut rapid reproduction rates for the animal. It was approved for use by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry this month. Any and all tools to fight the infestation are welcome, as feral swine damage across the state has cost landowners hundreds of thousands of dollars.\n\nOregon\n\nSalem: A broken power-sharing deal, the lingering possibility of a Republican walkout and a COVID-19 case are adding greater uncertainty to whether legislators will successfully redraw the state’s political districts ahead of a tight deadline. Stakes are high as Oregon gained a new, sixth U.S. House seat following the latest census. Lawmakers were told the House would reconvene Wednesday following news Tuesday that someone in the building had tested positive for the coronavirus. But House Speaker Tina Kotek now says the chamber won’t convene until Saturday to give time for those potentially exposed to the virus to be tested and receive results. Democrats say their entire caucus in the House has been vaccinated. The number of vaccinated Republican lawmakers was not immediately available. When the House reconvenes Saturday, lawmakers will have just two days to vote on and pass new political boundaries. If congressional maps are not passed by Sept. 27, the task will fall to a panel of five retired judges appointed by the Oregon Supreme Court. House Republicans showed signs of a possible walkout this week after Kotek, a Democrat, rescinded a power-sharing deal to redraw political maps that she made with the House GOP as Republicans used delaying tactics to block bills during the 2021 legislative session.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nHarrisburg: The state Supreme Court is saying yes to canines in the courtroom, under certain conditions. A trial witness may be accompanied by a “comfort dog” if the animal will help yield reliable, complete and truthful testimony, the justices ruled Wednesday in a precedent-setting opinion that established a “balancing test” for Pennsylvania judges confronted with such a request. Ruling unanimously in a murder case, the Supreme Court pointed to other states that allow witnesses to testify with the help of emotional support dogs. The justices said it’s permissible, as long as steps are taken to minimize any potential harm to a defendant. “Trial courts have the discretion to permit a witness to testify with the assistance of a comfort dog,” Chief Justice Max Baer wrote for the court. “In exercising that discretion, courts should balance the degree to which the accommodation will assist the witness in testifying in a truthful manner against any possible prejudice to the defendant’s right to a fair trial.” The defendant, Sheron Purnell, was convicted of third-degree murder and sentenced to up to 47 years in prison. Purnell’s lawyers argued a judge abused his discretion by allowing a comfort dog to accompany a teenage witness who testified against Purnell, with the defense saying that would “generate sympathy” among jurors for the girl.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: Health officials are allowing a little leeway to a state mandate that requires health care workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine by Oct. 1. State Department of Health Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott announced Tuesday that unvaccinated workers will be allowed to continue working beyond that date if their absence would jeopardize quality of care at a facility. “If there is a risk to quality of care and an unvaccinated worker must continue to work beyond October 1 to mitigate that risk, the employer has 30 days to ensure that role is fulfilled by a fully vaccinated health care worker,” she said in a statement. The change was made to “safeguard patients, residents, and staff by holding health professionals and facilities accountable to the October 1 vaccination requirement, while also preventing disruptions to care in Rhode Island as health care facilities work toward full compliance,” she said. According to the latest state survey, 87% of health care workers in Rhode Island are vaccinated. Many of the state’s nursing homes had expressed concern about the Oct. 1 deadline, saying it would put additional strain on facilities already struggling with staffing shortages.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nGreenville: A tent has been pitched at Prisma Health’s Greer Memorial Hospital to provide additional triage and treatment space, according to a spokesperson for the health system. The 40-by-80-foot tent was erected over the weekend by the South Carolina State Guard but has not yet been activated to provide treatment, according to a statement from a representative of the health system. Prisma spokesperson Sandy Dees said the tent is part of efforts at Prisma emergency departments in the Upstate to “proactively ‘surge up’ and create additional space to treat patients as needed.” Prisma did not respond to a question about the occupancy of its hospital in Greer. “We’re here to take care of our communities and that means taking the necessary steps to ensure we’re ready when and if those additional resources are needed,” Dr. Matthew Bitner, chair of emergency medicine at Prisma Health in the Upstate, said in the statement. “From a traditional ‘all-hazards’ approach, we are preparing not only for COVID patients but also the everyday emergencies such as trauma, heart attack, strokes, illness and injuries.”\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nSioux Falls: The nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization projects more children will go hungry in South Dakota this year and won’t know where their next meal is coming from. Feeding America said the state’s child food insecurity rate for 2021 will be 16.3%, up from 15.3% in 2019. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as reduced food intake, disruptive eating, and decreased quality and variety in diets. The USDA recently reported a national trend of increasing food insecurity, which rose to 14.8% in 2020. “I think it is really concerning,” said Lisa Davis, senior vice president of the No Kid Hungry campaign, a national initiative to end child hunger. “Children who face hunger generally have worse health impacts on their physical and brain development. … They don’t do well in school, they graduate at lower rates, and those consequences for kids literally last a lifetime.” Before the coronavirus pandemic, food insecurity was at its lowest rate since USDA started tracking it in the late 1990s. But the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on food access to households with young children, households of children headed by single women, and households of color, specifically Black and Hispanic, Davis said.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: State officials are asking the public to pick their favorite of four redesign options for new license plates that will be available starting in January. Gov. Bill Lee’s office said voting began Monday and runs through Sept. 27 at tn.gov/ratetheplates. The new design will replace the current plate that launched in 2006, with modifications in 2011, 2016 and 2017. State law includes a redesign every eight years if lawmakers approve funding for it. Tennessee law also requires the words “Tennessee,” “Volunteer State” and “TNvacation.com” to be on the plate, and it lets Tennesseans pick an “In God We Trust” option. The winning design of the primarily white and deep-blue options will be announced in the fall.\n\nTexas\n\nAustin: After serving as interim police chief for the capital city since March, Joseph Chacon was named Wednesday as the permanent choice for the top spot. City Manager Spencer Cronk announced the appointment of Chacon, whose career with Austin police has spanned more than 20 years, after a nationwide search for a new chief. Chacon has been interim police chief since the retirement of former Chief Brian Manley amid a reckoning over racial injustice and use of force in law enforcement. Chacon, who served as assistant chief in Austin for almost five years before being named interim chief, said he was “extremely excited and humbled” by the opportunity. Chacon’s appointment must still be confirmed by the City Council, which is set to place an item on the appointment on next week’s agenda. Manley, chosen to lead the department in 2018, had been at the center of ongoing criticism following a fatal police shooting in April 2020 of a man driving away from officers and controversial uses of force by officers during protests over the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis in May 2020.\n\nUtah\n\nSalt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Wednesday that masks will be required inside temples to limit the spread of COVID-19. Church leaders said in a statement that masks will be required temporarily in an effort to keep temples open. The message was the latest in a series of statements from church leaders encouraging masking and vaccination efforts against COVID-19. “As cases of COVID-19 increase in many areas, we want to do everything possible to allow temples to remain open,” the church said in a statement. “Therefore, effective immediately, all temple patrons and workers are asked to wear face masks at all times while in the temple.” In Utah, where the church is based, a summer surge of the coronavirus among unvaccinated residents has continued to grow, while vaccination rates have slightly increased. Data from the Utah Health Department showed that in the past 28 days, state residents who are unvaccinated have been 5.9 times more likely to die from COVID-19 and 7.2 times more likely to be hospitalized than those who are vaccinated. About 64% of Utah residents ages 12 and older were fully vaccinated as of Tuesday, state data shows. Utah reported 25 new deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 2,829.\n\nVermont\n\nMontpelier: The Vermont State Police has its first director of mental health programs to help coordinate and oversee the delivery of mental health services to people who come into contact with state police, officials said. Mourning Fox, who was deputy commissioner of the Vermont Department of Mental Health for the past four years and has more than 25 years of experience in the field, was named to the position, the Department of Public Safety and state police announced. “This is a crucial position within the Department of Public Safety and for the Vermont public safety community as we pursue short-, medium- and long-term goals with respect to mental health response and reimagining policing and safety services,” DPS Commissioner Michael Schirling said in a statement. Fox, who joined the department Aug. 30, will work with the state police’s 10 barracks and the Department of Mental Health to complete hiring. He will also ensure that each field station has at least one embedded mental health crisis specialist and that training is consistent, officials said. In the long term, he’ll help the Public Safety Department reimagine how police provide services to people who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis or have other unmet social service needs, officials said.\n\nVirginia\n\nRichmond: A year and a half into the coronavirus pandemic, the Virginia Employment Commission is still swamped with backlogged claims, its call centers are underperforming, and serious staffing problems persist, according to a scathing interim report the state’s legislative watchdog agency presented to lawmakers Monday. The agency’s staff undertook its review after the employment commission came under harsh scrutiny from lawmakers and the public for what by some measures is a worst-in-the-nation response to the surge in jobless claims. Thousands of Virginians have faced lengthy delays while waiting for benefits, and many have been unable to reach anyone for help or information about their case. “While operating in the extremely challenging public health environment created by COVID was understandably difficult … meaningful actions could have been taken sooner to respond to the public’s needs,” said Hal Greer, director of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam’s secretary of labor, Megan Healy, oversees the employment commission and defended its performance. Although she agreed the agency was not prepared for the pandemic, she argued to lawmakers that the root of the problem was a complicated federal funding formula that has long left the agency starved for resources.\n\nWashington\n\nSeattle: Three new buildings with 165 studio apartments that were supposed to be rented at market rates will instead house people leaving homelessness and people at risk of becoming homeless. The nonprofit Low Income Housing Institute will buy the buildings on Capitol Hill for about $50 million, with city and state housing programs sharing the cost equally, The Seattle Times reports. Seattle is using federal COVID-19 relief funds for its part, Mayor Jenny Durkan said. Two of the buildings will be managed by LIHI for adults. The third will be managed by YouthCare for young adults. Each will have a live-in case worker, said Sharon Lee, LIHI’s executive director. The deals will house people quickly and cheaply, relative to the time and cost required to develop low-income projects from scratch, Durkan said. The three buildings should be occupied by the end of the year, according to the city. “This is the fastest we have ever brought housing online,” Lee said. Tent encampments in parks and greenbelts have grown in Seattle during the coronavirus pandemic partly because the city has lacked shelter and housing spots, Durkan said. LIHI will move people into the buildings from tiny house villages it manages for the city, which should open more of those houses for people living on the streets, Lee said.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nLewisburg: Gov. Jim Justice has withdrawn from consideration as the coach of a boys basketball team at a high school where he already is the girls coach and where he’d already faced rejection for the job. In a letter to the Greenbrier Board of Education on Tuesday, Justice asked that a boys coach be named soon at Greenbrier East High School, with practices for the 2021-22 season starting in a month. Last month the board rejected a motion to hire Justice as boys coach. The board is looking to replace former NBA player Bimbo Coles, who resigned in July. “We need to move forward,” Justice said. “Pick a coach. The kids deserve that, and I wish them all the success.” Justice served as the boys coach from 2010 to 2017, his first year as governor. He has coached the girls team since 2000, winning a state championship in 2012. Justice’s second term as governor runs through 2024.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: Workers reinstalled two statues Tuesday on the state Capitol grounds that protesters ripped down during a demonstration last year in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Workers reinstalled a 9-foot-6-inch statue of Wisconsin abolitionist Col. Hans Christian Heg as well as a 7-foot statue of a woman symbolizing the state’s “Forward” motto. The statues have no associated racist history, but protesters said they represented a false narrative that Wisconsin supports Black people and racial equity. Demonstrators toppled both statues in June 2020, breaking off Heg’s leg and head. The “Forward” statue was dented and one of its fingers broken off. The demonstration was among several that shook downtown Madison in the days after Floyd’s death in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. Floyd, who was Black and handcuffed, died after white police Officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Heg, a Norwegian immigrant who became an outspoken abolitionist, served in the 15th Wisconsin Regiment during the Civil War. He was killed at the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863. His statue, funded by the Norwegian Society of America, had stood outside the Capitol since 1926. The “Forward” statue was a bronze replica of the one that represented Wisconsin at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.\n\nWyoming\n\nYellowstone National Park: Rescue crews recovered the body of a 67-year-old man and searched around a lake Tuesday for his half-brother after the pair failed to return from a backcountry canoe trip. A 10-person ground crew was walking the shoreline of Shoshone Lake looking for Kim Crumbo, a 74-year-old former Navy SEAL from Ogden, Utah, Yellowstone officials said. A helicopter from nearby Grand Teton National Park was helping in the effort. Rescuers found the body of Mark O’Neill of Chimacum, Washington, on Monday along the eastern shore, where a canoe, paddle, flotation device and other items were found Sunday. A vacant campsite was found on the south side of the lake. A family member reported the two experienced boaters and former National Park Service employees overdue from their four-night trip Sunday. Shoshone Lake covers 13 square miles and has an average temperature of about 48 degrees Fahrenheit, with survival time estimated to be only 20 to 30 minutes in such cold water, officials said. The lake also can be subject to high winds and sudden storms. Drowning is one of the top causes of death in Yellowstone, behind car and snowmobile accidents and illness, park historian Lee Whittlesey wrote in his book “Death in Yellowstone.”\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/09/23"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/19/us/pete-arredondo-uvalde-school-police-chief/index.html", "title": "Pete Arredondo: Uvalde school police chief's termination may be ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nUvalde Consolidated Independent School District officials have informed district police chief Pete Arredondo that the school board intends to meet Saturday to decide on his fate, according to a source close to the discussions.\n\nThe source told CNN Tuesday the board is expected to vote to terminate Arredondo, who was placed on administrative leave last month for his role in the botched response to the Robb Elementary School shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers.\n\nEarlier, two sources close to the process told CNN Uvalde officials were in discussions on the process to remove Arredondo over his role in the response to the shooting.\n\nThe discussions follow a heated school board meeting Monday night where parents demanded the board fire Arredondo by Tuesday.\n\nCNN has reached out to Arredondo’s attorney and has not received a response.\n\nArredondo, who has been the school district police chief since March 2020, was one of the nearly 400 law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting in which a gunman entered adjoining classrooms inside the Texas school on May 24.\n\nOfficers began arriving at the school within minutes but allowed the gunman to remain in the classrooms for 77 minutes until they entered and killed him, according to a timeline from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). By the time police forced their way inside, 19 children and two teachers were dead.\n\nIn a hearing before the Texas Senate last month, DPS Director Col. Steven McCraw called the police response an “abject failure.” He placed sole blame for the failure on Arredondo, who officials have identified as the on-scene commander, saying he “decided to place the lives of officers before the lives of children.”\n\nBut Arredondo did not consider himself incident commander, according to a Texas House investigative committee’s preliminary report. “My approach and thought was responding as a police officer. And so I didn’t title myself,” Arredondo said in the investigative report.\n\nThe report instead placed blame more broadly, saying, “The entirety of law enforcement and its training, preparation, and response shares systemic responsibility for many missed opportunities.”\n\nIt also noted others could have assumed command.\n\nAdvanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training “teaches that any law enforcement officer can assume command, that somebody must assume command, and that an incident commander can transfer responsibility as an incident develops,” the report said. “That did not happen at Robb Elementary, and the lack of effective incident command is a major factor that caused other vital measures to be left undone.”\n\nIn the wake of sharp criticism, Uvalde school district Superintendent Hal Harrell placed Arredondo on leave from his position as school police chief on June 22.\n\n“Because of the lack of clarity that remains and the unknown timing of when I will receive the results of the investigations, I have made the decision to place Chief Arredondo on administrative leave effective on this date,” Harrell wrote in the announcement.\n\nArredondo, who has worked in law enforcement for nearly 30 years, has not spoken substantively to the public about his decision-making the day of the massacre, but he told the Texas Tribune and the House Committee he did not consider himself the on-scene commander.\n\nHowever, at least one of the responding officers expressed the belief that Arredondo was leading the law enforcement response inside the school, telling others, “the chief is in charge,” according to the DPS timeline.\n\nArredondo also told the Tribune he did not instruct officers to refrain from breaching the classrooms.\n\nSeparately, Arredondo resigned his position on the Uvalde City Council in early July, according to a resignation letter he sent to the city.\n\n“After much consideration, it is in the best interest of the community to step down as a member of the City Council for District 3 to minimize further distractions,” Arredondo said in the letter. “The Mayor, the City Council, and the City Staff must continue to move forward to unite our community, once again.”", "authors": ["Shimon Prokupecz Eric Levenson", "Shimon Prokupecz", "Eric Levenson"], "publish_date": "2022/07/19"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2022/10/11/protecting-coasts-book-bike-chicago-marathon-news-around-states/50823625/", "title": "Protecting coasts, book bike: News from around our 50 states", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nMontgomery: The state is seeking a new execution date for Alan Eugene Miller, who survived the first attempt to kill him in late September. Only a handful of people have walked away from an execution attempt alive – just two of whom had a second execution date set. Last Tuesday, the state attorney general’s office filed with the Alabama Supreme Court an expedited motion to set an execution date for Miller before another man on death row. The attorney general’s office on Aug. 5 moved the court to schedule James Barber’s execution, but the court has not yet set a date. The court would have to suspend state appellate procedure to set Miller’s execution date ahead of Barber’s, according to the motion. After the U.S. Supreme Court OK’d Miller’s execution by lethal injection shortly after 9 p.m. Sept. 22, Alabama Department of Corrections staff tried to establish intravenous access to administer the lethal injection. Prison staff couldn’t find a suitable vein and called off the procedure 30 minutes before midnight, when the execution warrant expired. Staff poked Miller with needles for more than an hour, the Atlantic reports, before he “was left hanging off the upright gurney, his hands and one foot bleeding from failed IV attempts, waiting to die.”\n\nAlaska\n\nAnchorage: Amid a budget shortage, the city’s public school district is considering closures, Alaska Public Media reports. Across the Anchorage School District, 18 schools are operating at less than 65% capacity after a 5,000-student decline over the past ten years, according to the news outlet. A financial officer suggested perhaps five elementary schools might be dropped.\n\nArizona\n\nAlpine: A $25,000 reward has been offered for the arrest and conviction of perpetrators involved in a wild horse killing in the Apache National Forest, according to Amelia Perrin from the American Wild Horse Campaign. Two nonprofit organizations – the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group and the American Wild Horse Campaign – have pledged $20,000 toward the reward fund. Another advocacy organization, Animal Wellness Action, has pledged an additional $5,000 toward the reward, Perrin said. She said the reward is in response to the discovery of the death of a herd of wild horses in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest by volunteers from the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group. The groups announced the death toll has risen to 15 horses fatally shot, with 20 still missing and presumed dead. “The gunmen who are targeting these horses have inflicted enormous suffering on these innocent animals and caused immense trauma to the people who love them,” said Simone Netherlands, president of the group. The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests confirmed in a statement Friday that a number of horses were found dead near Forest Road 25 on the Alpine and Springerville Ranger Districts. The investigation is still ongoing. “Someone knows something,” Perrin said.\n\nArkansas\n\nFort Smith: Just because the Arkansas History Commission ruled that the Confederate flag is historic and a part of a past flag display at Riverfront Park does not mean the flag needs to fly there again, a judge has ruled.\n\nCalifornia\n\nSacramento: Five California tribes will reclaim their right to manage coastal land significant to their history under a first-in-the-nation program backed with $3.6 million in state money. The tribes will rely on their traditional knowledge to protect more than 200 miles of coastline in the state, as climate change and human activity have impacted the vast area. Some of the tribes’ work will include monitoring salmon after the removal of a century-old defunct dam in the redwood forests in the Santa Cruz mountains and testing for toxins in shellfish, while also educating future generations on traditional practices. The partnership comes three years after Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom apologized for the state’s previous violence and mistreatment against Indigenous peoples. Newsom said the state should allow for more co-management of tribes’ ancestral lands. Megan Rocha, who’s on the Tribal Marine Stewards Network’s leadership council, said these coastal areas hold cultural significance for various tribes, making the partnership monumental. “It’s focused on tribal sovereignty,” she said. “So how do we build a network where it provides for collaboration, but again, it allows each tribe to do it in the way that they see fit and respects each tribe’s sovereignty.”\n\nColorado\n\nDenver: A former National Security Agency employee charged with espionage thought he was sending classified information to Russia when he was talking to an undercover FBI agent, according to court documents released Friday. Jareh Sebastian Dalke, 30, of Colorado Springs, is accused of six counts of attempting to provide documents and information related to national defense to the Russian Federation, according to his indictment issued Thursday. The information he is accused of providing includes a threat assessment of the military offensive capabilities of a foreign country, not named, along with a description of sensitive U.S. defense capabilities, a portion of which relates to that same foreign country, the indictment said. Dalke is being represented by lawyers from the federal public defender’s office, which does not comment publicly on its cases. The Army veteran allegedly told the undercover agent he had $237,000 in debts and had decided to work with Russia because his heritage “ties back to your country.” Dalke was arrested Sept. 28 after authorities say he arrived at Denver’s downtown train station with a laptop and used a secure connection set up by the undercover agent to transfer some classified documents. But first he sent a thank-you letter in which he said he looked “forward to our friendship and shared benefit.”\n\nConnecticut\n\nNew Haven: The city is scrapping the idea of building its own high-speed internet network and now plans instead to encourage expansion of existing, largely private broadband services, the New Haven Independent reports. Mayor Justin Elicker and Economic Development Officer Dean Mack told the newspaper in an interview that the decision stemmed from multiple factors, including current providers’ own growth plans and new federal money for improving broadband access. “We want to make sure we’re not spending local tax dollars on something the federal government will already be covering,” he said, and officials also now realize “that there’s market interest in doing what we were thinking of doing ourselves.” The $1 trillion infrastructure deal that President Joe Biden signed last November includes money to expand affordable high-speed internet access. Biden is a Democrat, as is Elicker. New Haven hired a consulting firm in January to explore options for improving internet access, including the possibility of creating a public network. Mack said the city paid the consultants about $40,000, and their work “really helped us out.” The city now plans to tap federal subsidies, woo new broadband providers and encourage current ones to carry out their expansion plans.\n\nDelaware\n\nWilmington: A Chinese immigrant and chemist who played a role in the 1960s developing noise reduction technology at the DuPont Experimental Station was honored at a recent ceremony. A conference center was named for Theodore “Ted” P. Yin, who worked at the company in the ’60s with his wife, Fay Hoh Yin. DuPont officials recognized their achievements, along with those of all employees of Asian descent who have contributed to DuPont over the years. Ted Yin was a physical chemist at DuPont in the Elastomers Department from 1960 to 1969 and is widely remembered for his role in developing Noise, Vibration and Harshness Reduction. This technology is still used today all around the world and can be found in things like dishwashers in homes, railroad car wheels or engines in cars. Ted died in 1970 at the age of 39, leaving behind his two children, Monona and Duncan, along with his wife and his mother, Florence. Fay was a DuPont biochemist who conducted research on the rhinoviruses from 1966 until her retirement in 1991. She outlived her husband by 50 years and died in 2020. Mobility & Materials President Randy Stone was inspired by the Yin family’s moving story and contributions to DuPont and wanted to do something special to honor them.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: A new, scathing report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development highlights the filthy and dangerous living conditions in D.C. public housing, WUSA-TV reports. The 72-page document confirms the D.C. Housing Authority has inadequate management, lack of compliance with federal law and poor oversight. Now, D.C. leaders have three months to fix the 82 total violations cited by auditors. Officials must first respond to the report by Nov. 30. D.C. Housing Director Brenda Donald said the agency has received the report and is in the process of putting together responses. WUSA9’s initial investigations into D.C. Housing in May led to immediate action by some local agencies. At Potomac Gardens on Capitol Hill, repairs were made and are still happening. But then WUSA9 started hearing from other people about the conditions in public housing complexes all across the city – buildings the district’s government is responsible for maintaining. According to the audit, D.C. Housing received more than $76 million in federal funds to maintain more than 8,000 units. However, only 76% of their housing stock is occupied – the lowest public housing rate in the country.\n\nFlorida\n\nFort Myers: An army of 42,000 utility workers has restored electricity to more than 2.5 million businesses and homes in the state since Hurricane Ian’s onslaught, and Brenda Palmer’s place is among them. By the government’s count, she and her husband Ralph are part of a success story. Yet turning on the lights in a wrecked mobile home that’s likely beyond repair and reeks of dried river mud and mold isn’t much solace to people who lost a lifetime of work in a few hours of wind, rain and rising seawater. Sorting through soggy old photos of her kids in the shaded ruins of her carport, Palmer couldn’t help but cry. “Everybody says, ’You can’t save everything, mom,’ ” she said. “You know, it’s my life. It’s MY life. It’s gone.” While Gov. Ron DeSantis has heaped lavish praise on his administration for the early phases of the recovery, including getting running water and lights back on and erecting a temporary bridge to Pine Island, much more remains to be done. There are still mountains of debris to remove; it’s hard to find a road that isn’t lined with waterlogged carpet, ruined furniture, moldy mattresses and pieces of homes.\n\nGeorgia\n\nFort Benning: First lady Jill Biden is scheduled to travel to Fort Benning this week to visit with members of the military and their families, according to the White House. During her visit Thursday and Friday to the army post near Columbus, Georgia, and Phenix City, Alabama, she’s also set to stop by the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Biden, who was second lady at the time, and then-first lady Michelle Obama launched the “Joining Forces” initiative in 2011 to aid members of the military, veterans and their families with employment support, educational resources, and programs for health and wellness. Biden previously flew into Fort Benning in April 2021 with her husband, President Joe Biden, on a trip marking his first 100 days in office, the newspaper reports. She was in Georgia more recently in July to visit a children’s summer program in Athens.\n\nHawaii\n\nHonolulu: The city started taking applications Monday for Oahu restaurants, bars, hotels and clubs that want to offer outdoor dining, HawaiiNewsNow reports. The option became popular at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the latest pilot program looks to expand on that economic boost and offer a way to guard against future outbreaks.\n\nIdaho\n\nBoise: The city has settled a federal discrimination lawsuit with a former library employee who said they were harassed and discriminated against because they are nonbinary and transgender, the Idaho Statesman reports. Jax Perez filed a lawsuit against Boise, the former library director, and other library and city employees in U.S. District Court in Boise last summer. Perez, who uses they/them pronouns, was represented by the American Civil Liberties Union. In a news release Friday, the city said the settlement was reached after both parties “evaluated the merits of the case and the resources required for extensive litigation.” “The city’s policies and practice continue to make the equitable treatment of employees a priority,” the statement said. “This settlement is an affirmation of that commitment.” The Statesman said it has asked the city for the settlement amount but has not yet received an answer. The lawsuit stemmed from two separate instances in 2019. On one occasion, the lawsuit said, then-library director Kevin Booe took action to have Perez fired after a library patron objected to a pride display Perez had organized at the library.\n\nIllinois\n\nChicago: Kenyan runners Benson Kipruto and Ruth Chepngetich won the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday, while Emily Sisson finished second and set a record for an American woman. Kipruto finished in 2:04:24 – 25 seconds ahead of 2021 winner Seifu Tura Abdiwak of Ethiopia. John Korir of Kenya was third at 2:05:01. Chepngetich was the top woman for the second consecutive year, finishing in 2:14:18. Sisson ran the course in 2:18:29, followed by Vivian Jerono Kiplagat of Kenya at 2:20:52. More than 40,000 runners competed in the 26.2-mile event. Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the wheelchair division in 1:25:20. Susannah Scaroni of the U.S. was the top woman in 1:45:48.\n\nIndiana\n\nIndianapolis: Martin University will cut tuition nearly in half and erase up to $10,000 in debt for qualifying students in an effort to make college more affordable and accessible. Leaders of the small private school on the near northeast side of Indianapolis said the initiative, called the Reset to Reemerge Campaign, marked a historic moment for the institution, its students and the city. “We believe that every Hoosier has a right to an affordable college education,” said Sean Huddleston, president of Martin. “But we also know that making a student loan payment, even while enjoying a career, can interrupt one’s ability to achieve their financial goals and fully engage in the economic vitality of our city and state.” Martin has about 225 students currently enrolled. Indiana’s only predominantly Black institution of higher education, it serves a largely nontraditional population of adult learners from low-income households. As such, Huddleston said it has a moral imperative to address the college affordability issue. While it is plaguing institutions, students and families nationwide, Huddleston said the cost of higher education is particularly burdensome for the population Martin serves, but they may also have the most to gain. As many as 300 former students could benefit from the balance erasure, according to university estimates.\n\nIowa\n\nDes Moines: Regulators have declined a Winnebago tribal request that Summit Carbon Solutions conduct a state-level environmental impact study of its proposed $4.5billion carbon-capture pipeline across Iowa. The Iowa Utilities Board said Thursday that the Ames company will address its proposed pipeline’s environmental impact in connection with its request for a permit to build the 680-mile project across 29 Iowa counties. The three-member board has not yet set a date for Summit’s permit hearing. “It will be necessary for Summit Carbon to file testimony and exhibits that address the environmental permits and authorizations it needs to construct the proposed pipeline,” the board said in its order. It added that “other parties may file testimony and exhibits in response to the evidence presented by Summit Carbon” and cross-examine the witnesses on environmental issues. The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska has a reservation in Dakota County, Nebraska, and Iowa’s Woodbury County, straddling the Missouri River. It requested in June that the Iowa Utilities Board, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the two counties, require Summit – as well as Navigator CO2 Ventures, which also wants to build a carbon capture pipeline – to conduct environmental impact studies. Both would cross or come close to Winnebago tribal land, as well as the Missouri River.\n\nKansas\n\nTopeka: The tops of the twin towers of Assumption Catholic Church that have adorned the landscape of downtown Topeka for at least 90 years will soon come down because of weather-related deterioration. Work is expected to begin this month on the project, according to The Leaven, the newspaper of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. The top one-third of both towers will be removed and capped off, while the bells located in the east tower will be taken elsewhere and stored, the archdiocese said. Assumption was Topeka’s first Catholic parish. The first Assumption Church was built in 1862 and the second in 1882. The current Assumption Church, built in 1923, is part of Mater Dei Catholic Parish, which also includes Holy Name Catholic Church. The tops of Assumption Church’s towers were not part of the original building, having been constructed using slightly lighter-colored bricks between 1928 and 1932, the archdiocese said. It said water damage resulting from free-thaw cycles during the winters caused the towers to crumble. Serious deterioration was found in 2016 during an inspection of the towers, and an engineer recommended last year that the top one-third of each be removed, the archdiocese said. The rest of the church is considered to be in good condition, it said.\n\nKentucky\n\nLouisville: A statue of King Louis XVI that stood for decades in downtown Louisville before it was damaged during racial justice demonstrations in 2020 may get restored and reappear in the city. But where and when the statue of the French king from whom Louisville gets it name will stand again – if at all – is pas encore connue, or unknown. A public art official told a Metro Council committee Wednesday that it could cost the city more than $200,000 to restore and relocate King Louis XVI. Consultants also have advised Louisville Metro that the statue could be a safety hazard if placed outside, and that also would not be “in the interest of preserving the statue,” according to the presentation. First installed on the west lawn of Metro Hall in 1967, the King Louis XVI statue was moved in 1973 to the northeast corner of West Jefferson and South Sixth streets and was a gift from Montpellier, Louisville’s sister city in southern France. The 9-ton marble statue of the former king, who helped colonists win the Revolutionary War before his public beheading during the French Revolution, was constructed in 1829 and initially placed in Montpellier’s public square, commissioned by the king’s daughter, Maria-Therese. It was removed from the square less than a year later. In 1966, Montpellier offered the statue to Louisville.\n\nLouisiana\n\nNew Orleans: Two people from a sunken fishing boat were fending off sharks in the Gulf of Mexico when a crew rescued them and one other person from waters off the state’s coastline, the Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard launched a search after a relative reported the three people failed to return from a fishing trip Saturday evening. The 24-foot, center-console fishing boat sank about 10 a.m. Saturday and stranded the three people without communication devices, the Coast Guard said in a news release. The three were wearing lifejackets, and one was showing signs of hypothermia when they were rescued Sunday about 25 miles offshore from Empire, Louisiana, a small community southeast of New Orleans. The news release said a Coast Guard boat crew saw two of the people fending off sharks, and both of them had injured hands. The crew pulled them from the water, and the two were lifted onto a helicopter. The helicopter crew lifted the third boater from the water. The two injured people were taken to University Medical Center New Orleans, where they were listed as stable. The Coast Guard did not release their names.\n\nMaine\n\nPortland: The state Department of Education is not doing enough to enforce a decades-old law requiring students to be taught about Native American history, leading most schools to fall short, according to a study. Released Monday, on Indigenous Peoples Day, the study concluded most school districts are failing to cover all required areas of Wabanaki studies. “Teaching Wabanaki Studies is not optional. It is required by law,” Michael Kebede, policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine, said in a statement. The Wabanaki Alliance, the Abbe Museum and the ACLU of Maine used the state’s open records law to survey 10 districts and the state education department on their compliance with the law. The Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission also joined in the report. The 21-year-old state law requires schools to teach Wabanaki history, economic and political systems, and culture. The Wabanaki comprises the Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy tribes at Indian Township and Pleasant Point, Houlton Band of Maliseets, and Mi’kmaq.\n\nMaryland\n\nFrederick: Frederick County Public Libraries is bringing the library to patrons on three wheels. The Book Bike is designed to reach people who might not be able to come to a library branch in person. The bicycle’s bright orange cargo box, balanced between two front wheels, can carry up to 260 pounds, according to a FCPL news release. It comes equipped with an electric boost to help the cyclist pedal heavy loads. The library staff estimates the Book Bike can hold 300 children’s picture books or 120 adult fiction books. The Maryland State Library’s Library Service and Technology Act Grant funded the Book Bike. Beth Heltebridle, the C. Burr Artz branch administrator, said library employees will fill the Book Bike with materials they think will suit the audience they plan to visit. The Book Bike will carry a laptop, so patrons can check out materials or sign up for library cards. It also has a mobile hot spot that can deliver free Wi-Fi within 50 feet of the bicycle. The Book Bike launch coincided with National Library Card Signup Month. A FCPL library card gives the user access to books, movies, magazines, audio books and more. “It’s all about increasing access,” Heltebridle said. The Book Bike does not have a set route yet but is expected to frequent festivals, events and underserved communities.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nBoston: The Boston Symphony Orchestra is embarking next month on its first overseas engagements since before the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of cultural events around the world. The orchestra is scheduled to undertake a four-city tour of Japan, performing at Yokohama’s Minato Mirai Hall on Nov. 9; Kyoto’s Concert Hall on Nov. 10; Osaka’s Festival Hall on Nov. 11; and Tokyo’s Suntory Hall on Nov. 13, 14 and 15. “The last few years have taught us to be especially grateful for the gifts of our lives,” Boston Symphony Orchetra music director Andris Nelsons said in a statement Wednesday. “This is how we feel about returning to Japan, where we will passionately share our music while expressing our deep appreciation for the people and culture of this great country.” The tour repertoire will include Mahler’s Symphony No. 6; Mozart’s Symphony No. 40; Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5; Strauss’ “Alpine Symphony”; and Caroline Shaw’s “Punctum.” The orchestra will be joined by Mitsuko Ushida on piano in Osaka and Tokyo. The stops in Yokohama and Kyoto are the orchestra’s first visits to those cities since the late 1980s. The orchestra’s last overseas tour was an eight-city European trip in September 2018.\n\nMichigan\n\nMuskegon: A judicial candidate is facing domestic assault charges partly based on video footage suggesting he hit his girlfriend repeatedly with a belt, prompting local domestic violence advocates to actively speak out against his candidacy. The candidate’s girlfriend and his attorney deny that he actually struck her. Jason Kolkema was arraigned on the misdemeanor charges in mid-September. Kolkema, a 51-year-old attorney running for Muskegon County’s 14th Circuit Court judicial seat, contends he was striking a chair with a belt and not his girlfriend as suggested by the video shot by an office worker in a building neighboring Kolkema’s apartment. “I understand that the optics are bad. I understand the anger and disappointment, especially from the people who voted for me and supported me … All of the facts will be revealed in due time,” Kolkema wrote on Facebook in response to a comment. His attorney, Terry Nolan, told WOOD-TV in September that Kolkema did not strike his girlfriend and said the incident shouldn’t disqualify him from seeking a seat on the bench. The woman said she was wearing a headset, and Kolkema struck the chair’s armrest to get her attention. The woman said she took some blame for the incident, writing that “it was rude of me to ignore him.”\n\nMinnesota\n\nKeewatin: Construction has started on one of the largest taconite projects in the state in recent years. U.S. Steel dedicated its $150 million plant addition in Keewatin on Wednesday as steelworkers picketed on the road to the facility. The union that represents workers at the Keetac plant is supportive of the project but remains at odds with U.S. Steel over a new contract. The national contract between the union and U.S. Steel expired Sept. 1. The United Steelworkers union has already settled with Cleveland-Cliffs, U.S. Steel’s main competitor on the Iron Range. The new U.S. Steel addition in Keewatin will produce pellets with a higher iron content than the traditional pellet. Full production of the new pellet is expected in 2024, the Star Tribune reports. Keetac is being retooled to make “direct-reduced” grade taconite pellets, which are used for producing iron for electric arc furnaces. Electric arc mills have traditionally used scrap metal but are increasingly utilizing direct-reduced iron or pig iron made from direct-reduced taconite pellets. Taconite plants on the Iron Range, including U.S. Steel’s Minntac facility in Mountain Iron, mainly produce iron ore pellets that are used in traditional blast furnaces. Electric arc furnaces are the primary source of U.S. steel production.\n\nMississippi\n\nHamilton: State regulators are investigating after a video showing four day care employees scaring children at a facility in an unincorporated northeast Mississippi community went viral on social media. The videos on Facebook show a day care worker at Lil’ Blessings Child Care & Learning Center in Hamilton wearing a Halloween mask and yelling at children who didn’t “clean up” or “act good.” Children can be seen and heard crying and, at times, running away from the employee wearing the mask, while another employee gives directions about which children acted “good” or “bad.” The employee in the mask is shown screaming inches away from children’s faces at times. Sheila Sanders, who has owned the business for the past 20 years, said she was unaware of the videos until Wednesday afternoon, the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports. Sanders said one video was filmed in September and another on Tuesday. “No one came forth to tell me it happened in September,” she said. The behavior shown by her former employees in the video, she said, isn’t tolerated. “I contacted my licensure, and she has gotten involved,” Sanders said. “The people that did those acts are no longer with us. They were fired. I wasn’t here at the time and wasn’t aware they were doing that. I don’t condone that and never have.”\n\nMissouri\n\nExcelsior Springs: Authorities continued investigating a suspected kidnapping and sexual assault this weekend in a small town just northeast of Kansas City that was discovered when a malnourished woman escaped and screamed for help. Clay County authorities charged a man with rape, kidnapping and assault after the woman ran from his house in Excelsior Springs on Friday morning. She was hospitalized in stable condition Friday and reunited with her family afterward. “When we made contact with her, it was readily apparent that she had been held against her will for a significant period of time,” Excelsior Springs police Lt. Ryan Dowdy said. The woman told police there may have been two other victims, but authorities haven’t said whether any additional victims have been found. Investigators have continued to search the home from which the woman escaped, and Excelsior Springs Police Chief Greg Dull asked the public Saturday to be patient while officers sort through evidence. Dull said additional charges could be filed depending on the evidence investigators uncover. Excelsior Springs is about 30 miles northeast of Kansas City.\n\nMontana\n\nBillings: A U.S. magistrate judge has declared unconstitutional two Montana laws that sought to prevent the closure of a coal-fired power plant by subjecting its out-of-state owners to steep fines if they wouldn’t pay long-term maintenance and operating costs. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen DeSoto said the state measures violated free commerce provisions in the U.S. Constitution and federal laws intended to keep states from interfering in private agreements, The Billings Gazette reports. Puget Sound Energy, Avista Corp., Portland General Electric and PacificCorp are majority owners of the Colstrip Power Plant in southeastern Montana. Their home states of Washington and Oregon are phasing out the use of coal-generated power over climate concerns – Washington in late 2025 and Oregon in early 2030. The utilities have previously objected to paying for repairs to extend Colstrip’s life beyond when they can sell the power. Talen Montana and NorthWestern Energy, which do not face coal-power bans, own the rest of the plant and want it to remain open. The disputed laws were passed by the Republican-controlled Montana Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte in 2021.\n\nNebraska\n\nOmaha: With Ben Sasse apparently ready to resign his U.S. Senate seat to become president of the University of Florida, speculation is rampant that his temporary replacement could be Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts. Ricketts, who like Sasse is a Republican, would otherwise be out of a political job at the end of the year due to term limits. Scenarios of how Ricketts would ascend to the U.S. Senate run the gamut from his presumptive successor naming him as Nebraska’s newest U.S. senator to Ricketts appointing himself to fill the seat. However, Ricketts issued a statement Friday afternoon appearing to rule out appointing himself. “If I choose to pursue the appointment, I will leave the appointment decision to the next governor and will follow the process established for all interested candidates,” he said in the statement. The question is whether Ricketts wants the job. “I think the obvious candidate is Pete Ricketts, and if he wants to be a U.S. senator, then it’s his to take,” said Mark Fahleson, a former chairman of the Nebraska Republican Party. Ricketts on Friday confirmed that the news of Sasse’s departure caught him off guard. “The first I learned about Sen. Sasse’s plan to resign from the United States Senate was yesterday, when he called to notify me,” he said, adding that the job of governor “is the greatest job in the world, and it will remain my number one focus for the remainder of my term.”\n\nNevada\n\nLas Vegas: The area’s carpool lanes soon will be open to any driver during overnight hours for the next year-and-a-half. The Nevada Department of Transportation will start an 18-month pilot program this month where even a lone driver can travel in carpool lanes or HOV lanes between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. The agency decided to try these new hours out after studies showed traffic on Interstate 15 came down every day between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. There are over 20 continuous carpool lanes in the metro Las Vegas area, according to officials. The new carpool lane hours begin Oct. 24.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nAlton: Slain journalist James Foley has been honored with a stone memorial outside the church he attended in his childhood. Foley, a freelance journalist, was among a group of Westerners brutally murdered in Islamic State captivity in Syria in 2014. He grew up in Wolfeboro and attended St. Katharine Drexel Church in Alton, where the memorial was unveiled Sunday. “We wanted to do something so we would never forget that he’s a member of us, and he’s part of our family,” the church’s pastor, Fr. Bob Cole, told WMUR-TV. Foley’s mother, Diane Foley, said her son would’ve been profoundly humbled by the gesture. “I was hugely grateful to find that Jim received so much strength from his faith,” she said. Two British IS militants, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey, have either pleaded guilty or been found guilty by a jury in connection with Foley’s death and are serving life sentences.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nTrenton: Nearly two dozen historical sites and nonprofits in the state are set to receive cash injections in a new round of funding from the New Jersey Historic Trust. Part of the state Department of Consumer Affairs, the trust has recommended the release of nearly $15.8 million from the Garden State Historic Preservation Trust Fund to fund 65 projects across New Jersey. Four of the largest awards, $750,000 each, are expected to fund rehabilitation projects in Hoboken, Newark and Paterson. In Paterson, the money is earmarked for ongoing improvements at Lambert Castle. That project could receive a pair of $750,000 grants from the trust for a rehabilitation effort that has kept the Passaic County museum closed since 2019. Built in 1892, the former home of silk tycoon Catholina Lambert is expected to reopen in 2023. The long-term project received $750,000 from the trust in 2019 and $50,000 in 2018, which is also true for the Hoboken Free Public Library and Manual Training School project. Opened in 1897, the four-story public library this year underwent third-floor renovations and received a new HVAC system. The Newark money would boost efforts to preserve City Hall. Built in 1902, it features carved marble and a 24-karat gold-covered dome.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nLas Vegas: A synagogue that is believed to be the first Jewish place of worship in the New Mexico Territory is back in the hands of the Jewish community. The Albuquerque Journal reported Monday the Las Vegas Jewish Community crowd-sourced enough funds to buy Temple Montfiore last month from the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. One of the oldest Catholic dioceses in the United States, it has been forced to sell properties to help pay a settlement agreement that resulted from a clergy sex abuse scandal. The synagogue was sold to the diocese in the 1950s because there were very few Jewish people in the region. In recent years, the building has been a place of worship for Catholic college students. When the Las Vegas Jewish Community became aware it was up for sale and that the deadline was in September, members turned to GoFundMe. The group raised over $300,000 in just a few weeks – more money than it actually needed. Diana Presser, a board member of the Las Vegas Jewish Community, saud it was fitting that the sale closed during Rosh Hashana last week. “I led the services for the first Sabbath of the new year in a building we now own,” Presser said.\n\nNew York\n\nNew York: The mayor declared a state of emergency Friday over the thousands of migrants being sent from Southern states since the spring, saying the demand being put on the city to provide housing and other assistance is “not sustainable.” “A city recovering from an ongoing global pandemic is being overwhelmed by a humanitarian crisis made by human hands,” Mayor Eric Adams said. “We are at the edge of the precipice. … We need help. And we need it now.” By the end of its fiscal year, Adams said the city expected to spend $1 billion helping the new arrivals, many of whom are heavily reliant on government aid because federal law prohibits them from working in the U.S. Adams, a Democrat, said the new arrivals are welcome in the city. And he spoke with pride of New York City’s history as a landing spot for new immigrants. “New Yorkers have always looked out for our immigrant brothers and sisters. We see ourselves in them. We see our ancestors in them,” he said. But “though our compassion is limitless, our resources are not,” he said. New York City’s already strained shelter system has been under even greater pressure. Between five and six buses of migrants are arriving per day, Adams said, with nine on Thursday alone. And 1 in 5 beds in New York City’s homeless shelter system is now occupied by a migrant, swelling its population to record levels. The city has opened 42 new, temporary shelters, mostly in hotels, but Adams said more would need to be done.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nRaleigh: Planned Parenthood’s political arm announced a $5 million investment Thursday in the state’s battleground races as Democrats fight to preserve the governor’s veto power in one of the last abortion access points in the Southeast. Just 32 days from Election Day, with absentee voting now underway, Planned Parenthood Votes and Planned Parenthood Action PAC North Carolina are targeting 14 legislative swing districts with ads, mailings, phone banks and canvassing. The investment is part of an existing $50 million national campaign to protect reproductive rights in nine target states – the largest-ever electoral program in its history. Abortions are legal in North Carolina until 20 weeks of pregnancy, as of an Aug. 17 federal court ruling. But with Republicans just five seats shy of a supermajority in the General Assembly – three seats shy in the House and two in the Senate – Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s power to veto more stringent abortion restrictions hinges on the November outcome. As its neighboring states slash abortion access in the months following the June U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, North Carolina has become one of the South’s few safe havens for the procedure.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nBismarck: An addiction counselor who helped defeat a marijuana legalization proposal four years ago has launched a fresh opposition group seeking to do it again this November. Kristie Spooner announced her group, Healthy and Productive North Dakota, less than five weeks before Election Day and after some major funders of the 2018 opposition had announced they would sit out the 2022 fight. The measure would allow people over age 21 in North Dakota to use and possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana and grow up to three marijuana plants. “Kristie and other people in North Dakota were really concerned about the measure,” said Luke Niforatos, who helped Spooner launch the group. “We didn’t see an organized effort take hold sooner, so we’re doing it before it’s too late.” The group had raised just $750 as of Thursday, from Niforatos’ contribution as executive vice president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a Virginia-based political organization against marijuana legalization. But he said the group hopes to raise at least $200,000 to put toward digital, radio and billboard advertising. A different group that supports legalization, The New Approach, has raised about $550,000, treasurer Mark Friese said.\n\nOhio\n\nColumbus: Well over a year after Ohio’s former chief of K-12 public education announced his retirement, the State Board of Education hasn’t found a replacement. In fact, the board argued about whether to seek proposals from outside firms to search for a new state superintendent at its September meeting. “The move for even getting to the point of hiring a search firm was a fight,” board member John Hagan said. Ultimately, the 19-member board voted to start searching for a search firm, but Hagan said he doesn’t think an offer will be made until 2023. And that concerns him and other conservative board members because 30% of Ohio’s children were chronically absent last year, test scores haven’t recovered from the pandemic, and the state’s budget process is already underway. “When this kind of stuff happens, I think that we are losing integrity, and we should never use that word again in this room,” board member Diana Fessler said during September’s meeting. The position – vacant for 15 months now – oversees the education of Ohio’s 1.7 million public education students from kindergarten through high school and helps guide the development of academic standards.\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: Leaders of the state’s largest tribes say they will formally endorse Joy Hofmeister for governor amid their final push to inspire more tribal citizens to vote and unseat incumbent Gov. Kevin Stitt. Hofmeister has been a clear favorite among tribal leaders throughout the race, but leaders of the Five Tribes plan to take the unique step of expressing their joint support for the Democratic challenger Tuesday in Oklahoma City. While the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee and Seminole nations work closely together on many issues, their top elected officials rarely make joint endorsements in state political races. That they are doing so now signals how critical they view the outcome of the governor’s race. Stitt’s first term in office has been marked by conflict with tribal leaders over policing, taxing, gaming and hunting. Leaders of the Five Tribes said in a joint statement they are backing Hofmeister because she will work with them and because she shares many of the same economic, health and safety priorities. Hofmeister, Oklahoma’s superintendent of public instruction, switched parties last year to run against Stitt. Tribal leaders, including Chickasaw Gov. Bill Anoatubby and Choctaw Chief Gary Batton, soon donated to her campaign. Tribes across the state also created a voter awareness campaign.\n\nOregon\n\nPortland: Three of the state’s largest hospital systems are suing Oregon over its alleged lack of adequate mental health care, which they say has forced the hospital systems to house patients in need of mental health treatment for months. Providence Health & Services, Legacy Health and PeaceHealth say in the lawsuit the Oregon Health Authority has forced them to provide care they’re not equipped to give for patients who should be civilly committed to psychiatric institutions such as the Oregon State Hospital, The Oregonian/OregonLive reports. The state psychiatric hospital’s ongoing capacity crisis, along with a recent court ruling that strictly limits who can be admitted, has left community hospitals with nowhere to send patients in need of mental health treatment. Hospital representatives say they have been forced to treat those patients long-term. “The necessary components for safe and effective treatment provided at long-term care facilities – such as security, private rooms, kitchens and physical exercise – are not feasible at hospitals that are also responsible for meeting the short-term acute care needs of their communities,” a joint statement for the facilities said. “As a result, patients left in these environments by OHA do not receive needed care and, in many cases, decompensate back to unstable conditions.”\n\nPennsylvania\n\nPhiladelphia: A statue of Christopher Columbus remains hidden by a plywood box while its fate is decided in the courts, but the box has now been painted with the colors of the Italian flag. City officials told the news station KYW that they painted the box covering the 146-year-old statue in south Philadelphia’s Marconi Plaza with green, white and red stripes at the request of Councilmember Mark Squilla, who represents the district. The new look came just in time for Columbus Day, the holiday now celebrated in Philadelphia and elsewhere as Indigenous Peoples Day. Thomas DeFino, one of the residents who gathered in the park Sunday afternoon to celebrate their Italian American heritage with a parade and festival, welcomed the change, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. “They did it for us – the Italians. It made us feel a little bit better,” DeFino said. “It’s to honor our heritage. They had to pull some strings to paint it.” While he appreciated the gesture, DeFino said, he noted that the statue was “still in a box.” “He should have been taken out at least for one day,” he said. Mabel Negrete, executive director of Indigenous Peoples’ Day Philly Inc., told the Inquirer it was “unfortunate” that some Italian Americans in the city continued to celebrate Columbus. She said the painting “undermines intentions to move forward.”\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: Drivers eager for a new license plate with the reimagined “wave” design will have to wait until next year. The state Division of Motor Vehicles on Thursday said it now plans to begin issuing the new-look plates to automobile owners in January, several months later than initially expected. Back in April, when a new design for the license plate was revealed, the DMV said it planned to start sending out new plates around Labor Day. By the end of May, that timeline was pushed back when vendor 3M had a problem securing the right type of envelopes in which to send the plates to automobile owners. The DMV told the Boston Globe in May that it didn’t expect to receive the plates until September, and customers would start receiving them in October or early November. But even though the envelope issue was resolved, the timeline for shipping the first new plates continued to slip, in this case to mid-November, DMV spokesman Paul Grimaldi wrote in an email. And instead of starting to send them out toward the end of the year, the state instead decided to wait until January.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nInman: Five people died Sunday night in a shooting at a home in northern South Carolina, authorities said. Spartanburg County deputies and emergency workers found them suffering from gunshot wounds at a house in Inman, Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger said in a statement. Four people died at the scene, and a fifth died in surgery at the hospital, authorities said. All five people killed appeared to be adults, weren’t related to each other and were found in different parts of the home, the coroner said. Spartanburg County deputies said they won’t release any additional information on the shooting until the coroner has identified the people killed and notified their families. Clevenger said his office is performing autopsies and trying to identify the victims on Monday. The home where the bodies were found is about 10 miles northwest of Spartanburg.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nPierre: Thousands of schoolchildren across the state are facing new barriers to getting proper nutrition at school due to the end of a pandemic-era federal program that provided free meals to all students regardless of parental income. Parents in South Dakota, meanwhile, are facing new financial challenges as they try to pay for meals for their children at a time when high inflation rates are driving up costs for food, energy, housing and many other necessary goods and services, South Dakota News Watch reports. The federal effort to provide free meals to all American schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic expired this summer. The pandemic-era program provided more than 4 billion free meals to American schoolchildren over the past two school years, including to tens of thousands of students in South Dakota. Sioux Falls School District Superintendent Jane Stavem told News Watch that ending the free school meals program after two years has put the district, parents and children in tough spots. The district does not have the funding to continue to provide free meals for all students on its own and is working on innovative ways to continue to pay for food for students who need it.\n\nTennessee\n\nGatlinburg: One person was found dead in the rubble of a fire that broke out in downtown Gatlinburg early Sunday morning. The fire caused extensive damage to a block of businesses, including include Cafe 420, Puckers Sports Grill and Gifts of Gatlinburg, the city’s spokesperson said in a press release. Sandy Fox, who was staying at the neighboring Historic Gatlinburg Inn, said the fire was not visible when she initially walked outside about 6:30 a.m. Sunday, but the building was in flames 15 minutes later. She left to connect with friends and said the blaze had spread substantially when she returned at 9 a.m. During fire suppression efforts, crews found one person dead inside the structure, according to the press release. The identity of the individual has not yet been confirmed. Crews from the Gatlinburg Fire Department fought the blaze with assistance from Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and Pittman Center fire departments, the spokesperson said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Gatlinburg Fire Department, Gatlinburg Police Department and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Fire crews still were working on hot spots Monday morning, the city’s spokesperson said, and the owner of the damaged structure had a contractor demolishing the damaged building.\n\nTexas\n\nUvalde: The superintendent of the school district where a gunman killed 19 elementary school students and two teachers in May announced his retirement Monday, according to his wife’s Facebook page. In the statement posted to Donna Goates Harrell’s Facebook page, Uvalde school Superintendent Hal Harrell said he would remain in office throughout this school year until the school board hires his successor. The Facebook posting was first reported by CNN. The superintendent asked his wife “to post this message since he doesn’t have Facebook.” Harrell, the Uvalde school board and other school district officials have faced heavy criticism over the May 24 Robb Elementary School massacre in which officers allowed a shooter with an AR-15-style rifle to remain in a fourth grade classroom for more than 70 minutes. “My heart was broken on May 24th and I will always pray for each precious life that was tragically taken and their families,” the Facebook post said. “My wife and I love you all and this community that we both grew up in, therefore this decision was a difficult one for us. I have been blessed to work among amazing educators and staff who believe in education for more than 30 years, which have all been in our beautiful community. These next steps for our future are ... completely my choice.”\n\nUtah\n\nSalt Lake City: The head of the state’s public school system is pushing back after a man delivering a prayer at an Orem City Council meeting asserted that “evil things ... are being said and done and taught in the school system.” Sydnee Dickinson, Utah’s superintendent of public instruction, called the comment “a dagger to my heart,” the Deseret News reports. Orem Mayor David Young had apparently asked his father, Allen Young, to deliver the invocation at a meeting late last month, when he urged voters to split Orem’s school district in the November election.\n\nVermont\n\nBurlington: The state’s recreational cannabis marketplace is off to a slow start. The obstacles faced by Vermont’s legal marijuana industry were reflected Oct. 1, the first day of legal sales for recreational use, when only one store in Chittenden County was open for business: Ceres Collaborative on College Street in Burlington. The line for Ceres stretched around the corner and down an alley, with an estimated 200 people waiting to get in. “There are growers that just aren’t ready to harvest and have available flower for Oct. 1,” Russ Todia, chief operating officer for Ceres Collaborative, said before the launch. “That’s for the indoor. For the outdoor, the weather hasn’t been kind. That puts growers in a tough spot, trying to harvest early, or just not having the yield they would have expected.” Tito Bern, owner of The Bern Gallery in Burlington, said most indoor growers have yet to get started. “Supply is terrible,” he said. Bern, who is applying for a Tier 2 license to be an indoor grower as well as a retailer, estimates his own smokable flower won’t be available for another five months. Bern thinks it will be two years before Vermont’s adult-use cannabis industry is fully up and running. “It’s going to take a while,” Todia agreed. “Generally, it will be a slow start for everyone.”\n\nVirginia\n\nRichmond: A federal appeals court on Friday denied a request to rehear a case that found that gender dysphoria is a condition covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act. In August, a three-judge panel of the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals became the first federal appellate court in the country to find that the landmark federal law protects people with gender dysphoria, a condition that causes anguish and other symptoms as a result of a disparity between a person’s gender identity and their assigned sex at birth. The decision came in the case of Kesha Williams, a transgender woman who sued the Fairfax County sheriff in Virginia for housing her in a jail with men under a policy that inmates must be classified according to their genitals. In her lawsuit, Williams said that she was harassed and that her prescribed hormone medication was repeatedly delayed or skipped, violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. A federal judge granted a motion by the sheriff’s office to dismiss the lawsuit, but the 4th Circuit panel reversed that ruling, finding there is a distinction between gender identity disorder and gender dysphoria. The modern diagnosis of gender dysphoria “affirms that a transgender person’s medical needs are just as deserving of treatment and protection as anyone else’s,” Judge Diana Gribbon Motz wrote.\n\nWashington\n\nSeattle: The state this year has had the fewest square miles burned in a decade following the second- and third-worst fire seasons on record in 2020 and 2021. State Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz announced Friday that about 219 square miles burned in 2022 wildfires, The Seattle Times reports. That’s compared to nearly 781 square miles in 2021 and 1,316 square miles burned in 2020. 2015 was the state’s worst fire season in recorded history, when more than 1,562 square miles burned Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz celebrated the moderate fire season, saying a combination of Department of Natural Resources equipment, aerial firefighting assets, personnel, partnerships with other agencies, as well as a rainy spring that delayed the start of this year’s fire season contributed to the success. Since taking office in 2017, Franz has touted the benefits of controlled burns and of “treating” forests by thinning brush, trimming branches and removing dying trees. Department of Natural Resources officials since 2017 have tracked over 625 square miles of completed treatment, and about 109 square miles of prescribed burns in Central and Eastern Washington.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nMorgantown: A federal prosecutor is holding a forum this week on citizens’ constitutional rights and how they’re enforced. U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld and his staff are hosting the event Tuesday morning in Morgantown. Experts will explain hate crimes, disability rights, housing rights and other areas of the law, according to a news release from Ihlenfeld’s office. “Federal civil rights laws are an important tool in our efforts to make communities in West Virginia safer and more welcoming, but they are often overlooked,” Ihlenfeld said. The half-day program is free and open to the public. It starts at 9 a.m. at the Mon County Center at Mylan Park.\n\nWisconsin\n\nGreen Bay: A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit from a taxpayers group seeking to block President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, ruling that the group doesn’t have standing to bring the lawsuit. The Brown County Taxpayers Association argued that Biden’s order unlawfully circumvented Congress’ power over spending. They also argued the plan was discriminatory by seeking to give particular help to borrowers of color. U.S. District Judge William Griesbach, an appointee of President George W. Bush, tossed the case Thursday, writing that the group does not have standing to challenge the plan simply because its members are taxpayers. Biden enacted the debt relief plan under the HEROES Act, which was passed after the Sept. 11 attacks sparked an American-led military campaign aimed at terrorism. The act gave the executive branch authority to forgive student loan debt in association with military operations or national emergencies. The president cited COVID-19 as reason to invoke the act. The lawsuit, filed by the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty on behalf of the taxpayers group, had argued it was an overextension of executive power that improperly sidestepped Congress.\n\nWyoming\n\nCheyenne: Voters will decide next month whether to increase from 70 to 75 the mandatory retirement age for district judges and justices on the state Supreme Court, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports.\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/10/11"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2021/10/26/medal-push-prince-fbi-bus-driver-livestreaming-news-around-states/119083930/", "title": "Medal push for Prince, FBI bus driver: News from around our 50 states", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nDecatur: A man being booked into jail wound up at a hospital rather than behind bars after a scan revealed a shotgun shell in his abdomen. Prisoners entering the Morgan County Jail routinely undergo a body scan when being admitted, and a recent image showed what appeared to be a shell from a .410-gauge shotgun that had been swallowed inside a person, spokesperson Mike Swafford said Thursday. “He was never booked in,” Swafford said. “When our medical staff saw that, they said, ‘He has to go to the hospital.’ ” The man, who had been arrested by another law enforcement agency in the county, was later released on his own recognizance, Swafford said, and it was not clear what happened to the shell. Authorities did not release the person’s name or the reason for the arrest. The Morgan County Sheriff’s Department posted an image of the scan on its social media account to let people know about the screening process at the jail, Swafford said. While baggies or other containers holding drugs are sometimes uncovered inside prisoners, he said, finding ammunition was unusual. “We don’t see a shotgun shell very often,” he said. “We speculate it had drugs in it, but we don’t really know.”\n\nAlaska\n\nJuneau: Officials at museums across the state have condemned repeated acts of antisemitic vandalism this year targeting the Alaska Jewish Museum in Anchorage. During instances in May and September, someone placed swastika stickers on the building or carved the symbol associated with the Nazis into the museum door, the Juneau Empire reports. “Alaskan museums are appalled by the attacks, and they are eager to show support for the Alaska Jewish Museum and the Alaska Jewish Campus as they seek to address these crimes and ensure the safety of their facilities and community,” Dixie Clough, director of statewide museum association Museums Alaska, said in a statement. The September acts of vandalism came as the Anchorage Assembly held public hearings about instituting a mask mandate for 60 days as COVID-19 cases spiked. Many opponents packed the Assembly chamber to protest, including some wearing yellow Star of David stickers, similar to the patches Holocaust victims wore, to compare the mandate to what Jews faced under the Nazi regime in Germany. Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson, who opposes all COVID-19 mandates, initially defended the use of the stars but apologized the next day, saying that “I understand that we should not trivialize or compare what happened during the Holocaust to a mask mandate.”\n\nArizona\n\nPhoenix: A new organization calling itself a nonpartisan school board association is headed by GOP activists, including the first vice chair and treasurer of the Republican Party of Arizona, as well as the daughter of the chairwoman. The Arizona Coalition of School Board Members was launched Oct. 12 as an alternative to the Arizona School Boards Association, with the goal of fostering “a public education environment in Arizona that prioritizes freedom in education, parental rights and educational excellence,” the Arizona Capitol Times reports. “For too long, school board members in Arizona have been left without a choice,” the coalition’s announcement video said. Currently, every school district in the state is a member of ASBA, which dates back more than 70 years and provides advocacy, legal resources and training for member districts. But some parents and conservative groups have voiced opposition to ASBA in recent years over the organization’s positions on issues like Empowerment Scholarship Accounts and, more recently, “critical race theory” and the handling of COVID-19. For instance, ASBA is currently a plaintiff in a case before the Arizona Supreme Court challenging Arizona’s mask mandate ban and other Republican policies tucked into this year’s budget reconciliation bills.\n\nArkansas\n\nLittle Rock: The state Supreme Court on Thursday said the endorsement required for a casino license must come from elected local officials in office at the time of the application, a key victory for the Cherokee Nation’s efforts to build a casino in the state. Justices upheld an Arkansas law and state Racing Commission rule on the requirement, reversing a lower court’s decision that they were unconstitutional. Voters in 2018 approved an amendment requiring the state to allow four casinos. Since then, casinos have opened at racetracks in Hot Springs, West Memphis and Pine Bluff. One of the applicants for the casino, Mississippi-based Gulfside Casino Partnership, submitted its application in 2019 with a letter of support from Pope County’s former judge. Oklahoma-based Cherokee Nation Businesses submitted an application with the county’s current judge. “Today’s ruling is exciting and greatly appreciated,” former Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, legal counsel for Cherokee Nation Businesses, said in a statement. “I know CNB is ready to put an end to litigation and start building. We anticipate CNB’s license will be issued as soon as the mandate is effective, and we will work quickly to bring final resolution to any remaining lawsuits.” Gulfside, however, said the legal fight over the license was not yet over.\n\nCalifornia\n\nThree Rivers: In the wake of California wildfires, upward of 10,000 trees weakened by fires, drought, disease or age must be removed – work that will keep a nearby highway closed to visitors who seek the world’s two largest sequoia trees. The hazard trees could potentially fall onto people and cars on the section of State Route 180 known as Generals Highway, or they could create barriers for emergency and fire response, the Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks said Friday. The highway is closed due to the KNP Complex blaze, which was 60% contained after burning 138 square miles of forest, and will remain blocked off to visitors after the fire is out while saw crews cut down trees and trim branches. The road connects Giant Forest – home to the General Sherman Tree, considered the world’s largest by volume – and Grant Grove, home to the General Grant Tree, the second-largest tree in the world. The trees along the highway include sequoias, pine and conifer trees, said fire spokeswoman Kimberly Caschalk. The KNP Complex has been burning since Sept. 9, and forest officials said earlier this month that it may have killed hundreds of giant sequoias, but the full extent of the damage has not been determined. Firefighters took extraordinary measures to protect the most notable trees. Forest staff unwrapped the base of General Sherman on Friday.\n\nColorado\n\nDenver: A private ranch with ponds, springs and rare wetland plants will be part of a new state park, Sweetwater Lake. Joined by state and federal parks officials Wednesday, Gov. Jared Polis announced the 488-acre ranch near Sweetwater Lake, in a mountainous northwestern county that borders Utah, will also become part of the White River National Forest. The ranch land near the Flat Tops mountain range was acquired in the federal park service’s Land and Water Conservation Fund purchase Aug. 31. The area was among the federal program’s top-priority purchases to increase public recreation and protect the area’s wildlife, cultural and scenic values, the governor’s office said in a statement. In an effort to increase the area’s public recreation, a new boat launch will be available next June. The state also plans to consult with the public and develop a long-term plan to expand and manage recreational activities while preserving the undeveloped nature of the property, Polis said in a statement.\n\nConnecticut\n\nHartford: Gov. Ned Lamont has submitted a request for a major disaster declaration to the Biden administration, seeking federal funds to help the state recover from damage caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida. The Sept. 1 storm dumped as much as 8 inches of rain on parts of Connecticut, resulting in heavy flooding and an estimated $7.2 million in damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure, Lamont said. It also resulted in the death of State Police Sgt. Brian Mohl, whose vehicle was swept away in floodwaters. Lamont’s request would allow homeowners in Fairfield and New London counties, as well residents of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribal Nation, to receive federal reimbursements for the costs of uninsured damage to their housing and personal property. According to Lamont’s request, just 8% of damaged homes in New London County and 23% in Fairfield County had flood insurance. The proposed declaration also would allow municipalities in Fairfield and Middlesex counties to receive up to 75% federal reimbursement of the costs of uninsured damage to roads and other infrastructure, as well as costs for emergency response. The governor’s office said public assistance damage assessments in Litchfield, New Haven and New London counties had not yet been completed.\n\nDelaware\n\nWilmington: A federal lawsuit has been filed against a police officer seen on social media repeatedly slamming a man’s head during an arrest last month inside a convenience store. In addition to using “excessive force,” the lawsuit filed in Wilmington’s U.S. District Court claims Patrolman Samuel Waters used a racial slur when arresting 44-year-old Dwayne Brown, who is Black. Waters is white. “Such racial statements are reflective of his state of mind and discriminatory intent in this incident,” says the lawsuit, filed by the Jacobs & Crumplar Law Firm. The Wilmington Police Department, which placed Waters on administrative duty as video of the Sept. 21 incident went viral, could not be immediately reached for comment Monday. The agency has said its Office of Professional Standards immediately launched an investigation into what the video captured. Wilmington Police Department has not released the officer’s name but said he has been on the force for three years. The lawsuit, which only names Waters as a defendant, claims Brown’s constitutional rights to be free from unreasonable seizures guaranteed to him by the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments were violated. Earlier this month, civil rights activists called for Waters’ firing and arrest.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: In an effort to relieve some of the frustration caused by Metro’s rail service reduction, Capital Bikeshare is offering free 30-day memberships to D.C. residents, WUSA-TV reports. Residents can go on the Capital Bikeshare or Lyft Mobile apps and, under the “Ride Plans” section, select “Pricing” to choose a 30-day membership for $0. Users need a valid credit card and phone number to register. Riders will be able to take unlimited free, 45-minute rides on the red classic Capital Bikeshare bikes with no unlocking or travel fee. Longer rides will cost $0.05 per minute for a pedal bike and $0.10 per minute on e-bike rides. “The service disruptions at Metro are deeply troubling for D.C. and the region,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said. “D.C. is open, and we need a fully functioning transit system to get workers, students and visitors across the city. We have been intentional, over the past several years, about making Capital Bikeshare more accessible and convenient for D.C. residents, and now we are proud to be able to offer this free one-month membership to every Washingtonian who might need it.” Capital Bikeshare has more than 5,000 bikes available at over 650 stations in the region. That includes a 20-bicycle pilot of new adaptive bikes for people with disabilities.\n\nFlorida\n\nWest Palm Beach: The names of three police officers involved in the fatal shooting of a knife-wielding man won’t be released because they’ve invoked their right to remain anonymous under a 2018 amendment to the state’s constitution. The West Palm Beach officers were trying to take Allan Lorenzo Robb, 33, into custody early Oct. 17 when he showed the knife. One of the officers fatally shot Robb after “less lethal” weapons used by two other officers were ineffective, officials said. The police department cited Marsy’s Law as the reason to keep the officers’ names private. The voter-approved Marsy’s Law allows crime victims or their families to request their names be withheld from public documents. A state appeals court ruled in April that the amendment could be used to shield the identities of law enforcement officers involved in use-of-force incidents. Since the ruling, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the Boynton Beach Police Department and the Boca Raton Police Department have cited the amendement in such cases. The three officers have been placed on administrative leave while the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigate the shooting.\n\nGeorgia\n\nDublin: Federal prosecutors say more than $57,000 in pandemic relief funding was spent on one Pokemon card. Court records show a Dublin man is charged with lying on an application for an economic relief loan about the number of people his business employed and the company’s gross revenue. He faces one count of wire fraud. According to the court filing, he received $85,000 in August 2020 and used the money to buy a Pokemon card for $57,789. The Telegraph reports defense lawyers issued a statement declining to talk about the case. Rare Pokemon cards can sell for thousands of dollars. Collectors have been bidding up prices for trading cards, video games and other mementos. Dublin, a city of about 16,000 people, is located about 130 miles southeast of Atlanta.\n\nHawaii\n\nHonolulu: More than half of first responders who applied for exemptions from the city’s vaccine mandate cited religion as their reason for not getting inoculated against COVID-19. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports 57% of all exemption requests among first responders pointed to faith. The city requires all government employees to be vaccinated unless an exemption is granted. Exemptions include religion or medical conditions, and only those who qualify may use regular coronavirus testing to bypass the vaccine requirements. City officials said those applying for medical exemptions must provide a letter from a doctor, and religious exemption applications must include a written statement as to why their religion would prevent vaccination. A federal judge dismissed a complaint last week that sought to stop state and county employee vaccination rules. The court said there are options for testing and exemptions, and the workers are therefore not being forced to take the vaccine, as the lawsuit alleged. The 12 first responders who filed the lawsuit claimed they were being forced to take an “experimental” vaccine. The Honolulu Police Department had the most exemption requests, with over 300 applications. City officials said about 90% of all employees were fully vaccinated as of Oct. 8.\n\nIdaho\n\nMoscow: Students at state colleges and universities will be able to opt out of some fees under a plan approved by the Idaho State Board of Education on Thursday. The new fee structure allowing students to opt out of fees for activities, clubs and on-campus organizations goes into effect in the 2022-23 school year, the Moscow-Pullman Daily News reports. Students who decide to opt out of those fees will receive a refund from their school. Student fees – particularly the ones that go to support extracurricular activities, clubs and cultural events – have long been a source of debate in Idaho as lawmakers and administrators struggle to keep the state’s higher education institutions affordable and robust. Officials spent the spring and summer evaluating which student fees could be optional and how all the fees should be labeled. The new plan breaks the fees into four categories. The student enrollment, engagement and success category goes partly toward scholarships, and the institutional operations, services and support category helps fund maintenance. The student health and wellness category of fees helps cover the cost of fitness centers and counseling. The last category – student government fees – pays for student government and helps subsidize student clubs, organizations and activities. A portion of the latter is now optional.\n\nIllinois\n\nChicago: A North Carolina man who moved to Chicago was one of the victims of John Wayne Gacy, who was convicted of killing 33 young men and boys in the 1970s, authorities said Monday. Francis Wayne Alexander would have been 21 or 22 when Gacy killed him sometime between early 1976 and early 1977, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said at a news conference in announcing the identification of Alexander’s remains. In a statement, Alexander’s sister, Carolyn Sanders, thanked the sheriff’s office for giving the family some level of “closure.” “It is hard, even 45 years later, to know the fate of our beloved Wayne,” Sanders wrote. “He was killed at the hands of a vile and evil man.” Alexander’s remains were among 26 sets police found in the crawl space under Gacy’s home just outside the city. Three victims, meanwhile, were found buried on Gacy’s property, and four others whom Gacy admitted killing were found in waterways south of Chicago. In 2011, Dart’s office exhumed the remains of eight victims who had been buried without police knowing who they were. Dart called on anyone who had a male relative disappear in the Chicago area in the 1970s to submit DNA. Alexander is at least the third identified from that batch. The effort also has helped police solve at least 11 cold cases of unrelated homicides and helped families find loved ones who had gone missing but were alive.\n\nIndiana\n\nStinesville: The town is offering to sell a set of vacant downtown buildings for $1 in hopes of finding new life for its tie to southern Indiana’s once-thriving limestone industry. The cluster of four one-story limestone buildings was built in the Monroe County town of Stinesville between 1886 and 1894. The Indiana Landmarks historic preservation group is working with the 200-person town about 10 miles northwest of Bloomington and has suggested the buildings could become an events venue, a restaurant, or a workspace for artisans or craftspeople, WRTV reports. The landmarks group described Stinesville as a boom town in the 1890s with nearly 1,000 residents as stone workers and carvers arrived for jobs at nearby limestone quarries. “The buildings embody the rich history of the local limestone industry and subsequent growth in the town in the late nineteenth century,” the preservation group said. Indiana Landmarks is accepting development proposals through Nov. 15. The town and Indiana Landmarks will then review the submissions based on “experience, qualifications, financial responsibility, capacity to undertake the project, and the appropriateness of the rehabilitation plan.”\n\nIowa\n\nDes Moines: Two decisions handed down Friday by the state Supreme Court promise to limit prosecutors’ ability to file amended charges close to trial, but a dissent warns that prosecutors may be forced to overcharge defendants to avoid having to refile cases from scratch. Under Iowa court rules, prosecutors have 45 days after someone is arrested to file a formal indictment or trial information specifying the charges against them. After that date, prosecutors can ask the court for permission to amend the charges, but not if the amendment would charge a “wholly new and different offense” or otherwise infringe on the defendant’s rights. In two cases decided Friday, James Vandermark and Jameesha Allen both argued a district court had wrongly allowed prosecutors to upgrade their charges at the last minute. The high court split 4-3 in favor of the defendants. In both cases, a court approved the amended charge over objections by the defense, finding the new charges were “substantially similar” to their original charges. Both trial courts were mistaken, Justice Christopher McDonald wrote, as the new charges each involved different elements to be proved and a substantially greater potential sentence. In his dissents, Justice Edward Mansfield wrote that the majority disregarded a number of precedents but agreed the law is “somewhat murky.”\n\nKansas\n\nTopeka: Law enforcement agencies across the state have received hundreds of complaints of bias over the past 10 years, but records available to the public show only two alleging racial bias resulted in consequences for officers, an Associated Press examination of the data shows. Advocates for racial equality question how that could be the case and suggest that law enforcement investigating complaints against other officers and a lack of transparency are problems. “We have the police policing the police,” said Sheila Officer, chairwoman of citizens group Racial Profiling Advisory Board of Wichita. She said independent citizen panels should conduct investigations of complaints. Law enforcement agencies and groups interviewed by the AP would not comment on the low overall rates at which bias complaints have been sustained but said that in their own departments, complaints are thoroughly investigated by officers independent of those accused. Kansas defines biased policing as an officer’s “unreasonable” use of a person’s race, ethnicity, national origin, gender or religion when enforcing laws. Lawmakers in 2011 required agencies to submit to the attorney general’s office annual reports outlining how many complaints they’d received and what they did about them.\n\nKentucky\n\nLouisville: Repeated waves of COVID-19 cases, long hours and chronic staff shortages are taking a severe toll on the state’s nurses, with many citing stress, burnout and distress over encounters with hostile patients and family members. Further, as the pandemic drags on, nurses once viewed as health care heroes have found themselves confronted by some critics who claim COVID-19 isn’t real or are angry about measures such as vaccines and mask-wearing. “Now nurses have to change out of their scrubs to go to the grocery store,” said Delanor Manson, CEO of the Kentucky Nurses Association, which on Friday released a survey of nurses statewide about the state of their profession. Meanwhile, COVID-19 continues to place immense demands on nurses, who account for about 53% of the state’s health care workforce, she said. A chronic shortage of nurses in Kentucky – also a national problem – has left nurses working long shifts in understaffed facilities, leaving them stressed, exhausted and burned out, found the survey from the nurses’ group. About 25% said they expect to leave their jobs within the next three months, which officials said would further worsen the shortage.\n\nLouisiana\n\nNew Orleans: A critically endangered Sumatran orangutan at the city’s zoo is pregnant with twins. “We are very excited about this pregnancy,” Bob MacLean, senior veterinarian at the Audubon Zoo, said in a news release Thursday. “Twinning is extremely rare in orangutans – there is only about a 1% chance of this happening.” The births in December or January will be the first for Menari, 12, but the third and fourth sired by Jambi, a male orangutan brought to New Orleans in late 2018 from a zoo in Germany. It may be six years or more before the group’s next babies. Sumatran orangutans wean their offspring at about 7 years old and have the longest period between births of any mammals – 8.2 to 9.3 years, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The great apes with long red hair have been decimated by hunting as well as the destruction of the forests and peat swamps where they spend nearly all their time up in trees. About 13,500 are believed to exist in sustainable wild populations, and “overall numbers continue to decline dramatically,” according to the IUCN.\n\nMaine\n\nPortland: Motorists traveling through the state will pay more in tolls starting next month, as Maine looks to make up for revenue lost during the pandemic. The state faces a $60 million financial shortfall caused by less traffic during the pandemic, The Sun Journal reports. The Maine Turnpike Authority is increasing toll prices for the first time in nine years. About half of the nation’s toll roads increased their fees during the pandemic, said Peter Mills, the authority’s executive director. The authority estimates that about 71% of the higher tolls will be paid by people and companies from other states. The increase is estimated to generate more than $17 million annually. The changes take effect Nov. 1. Among them, the toll for passenger cars going through the new toll booths in York, Maine, will be $4 instead of $3. That change alone is expected to generate more than $14 million of the revenue. The authority had planned to increase tolls in 2028.\n\nMaryland\n\nAnnapolis: Gov. Larry Hogan on Monday urged all eligible residents to get COVID-19 booster shots, especially those with health conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes, and the governor said the state will begin vaccinating children as soon as the federal government approves. Nearly 1.4 million Maryland residents are now eligible to receive a booster, Hogan said. People who received their second dose of a Pfizer or Moderna shot six months ago who are 65 and older, 18 and older with underlying conditions, or 18 and older and work in high-risk settings are eligible. People who are 18 and older who received a Johnson & Johnson shot two months ago also are eligible. “We have a robust network of vaccination providers, including pharmacies, primary care providers, mobile clinics, local health departments and community health centers, and we have both the supply and the capacity to provide a booster shot to anyone who needs one,” Hogan said. To help residents determine their eligibility for a booster, state health officials have launched a new portal on covidvax.maryland.gov where residents can enter their information and learn next steps. The state has administered about 280,000 booster shots so far.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nBoston: The city is joining other communities across the U.S. with large numbers of university students in planning to challenge the results of the once-a-decade head count, saying the 2020 census undercounted students as well as jail inmates and foreign-born residents. Mayor Kim Janey said in a letter to the U.S. Census Bureau this month that officials believe about 5,000 college students were missed in the city that is home to Boston University, Northeastern University, Suffolk University and the University of Massachusetts Boston. The city made its estimate based on records Boston schools are required to give to the city with addresses for students living off campus. The 2020 census began just as the pandemic took hold and as students were told to leave campuses. The results put Boston’s population at 675,647 people. The county’s corrections department estimates 500 jail inmates were missed, and city officials believe neighborhoods with large numbers of foreign-born residents were undercounted as well, the mayor said. “Issues such as language barriers and government mistrust, particularly with a possibility of a citizenship question, may have resulted in an undercount of these traditionally difficult populations to count,” Janey said.\n\nMichigan\n\nSt. Joseph: A county health officer frustrated with the “politicization of public health” in the COVID-19 era is quitting her job. Courtney Davis has been the interim health officer in Berrien County since July, when she was promoted from deputy. Communications manager Gillian Conrad is also resigning, The Herald-Palladium reports. Davis ordered masks in local schools to reduce the spread of COVID-19, though the order was dropped Sept. 29 when the health department believed its state funding would be in jeopardy. Davis said at the time that it was “appalling” that money was tied to mask policies. Davis said it’s been an honor to work for the department for nearly five years. “However, with the politicization of public health during the pandemic, I can no longer effectively do my job and serve the community with its health and safety always at the forefront,” she said. Davis’ last day is Nov. 3. In stepping down, Conrad said the pandemic had taken a “significant toll” on her mental and physical health. County Administrator Brian Dissette said there has been only one applicant for the job of permanent health officer, a role in which Davis was serving on an interim basis. He said he informed the state health department about the vacancies to try to add more “horsepower” to the search.\n\nMinnesota\n\nChanhassen: The state’s congressional delegation on Monday introduced a resolution to posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to pop superstar Prince, citing his “indelible mark on Minnesota and American culture.” The medal is one of the nation’s highest civilian honors, and past recipients include George Washington, the Wright Brothers, Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa, the Navajo Code Talkers, the Tuskegee Airmen and the Dalai Lama. “The world is a whole lot cooler because Prince was in it – he touched our hearts, opened our minds, and made us want to dance,” U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said in a statement. “With this legislation, we honor his memory and contributions as a composer, performer, and music innovator. Purple reigns in Minnesota today and every day because of him.” Prince, whose many hits include “Little Red Corvette,” “Let’s Go Crazy” and “When Doves Cry,” died April 21, 2016, of an accidental fentanyl overdose at age 57 at his Paisley Park estate in Chanhassen. The resolution is led by Klobuchar and U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., with the state’s full delegation co-sponsoring. “Prince is a Minnesota icon,” Omar said in a statement. “He showed that it was OK to be a short, Black kid from Minneapolis and still change the world. He not only changed the arc of music history; he put Minneapolis on the map.”\n\nMississippi\n\nHattiesburg: Local leaders honored a homecoming queen who gave her crown to a friend whose mother had just died of cancer. Forrest County Sheriff Charlie Sims presented Nyla Covington a citizenship award, and the county Board of Supervisors voted to pay her community college tuition and declared Oct. 18 to be Nyla Covington Day. “I think her act really gave people hope there are still good folks in the world,” Sims said. Covington, 18, was crowned homecoming queen Sept. 24 at Forrest County Agricultural High School. During a ceremony on the football field, Covington immediately walked over to senior homecoming maid Brittany Walters and placed the crown on her head. Walters’ mother, A.J. Walters, an administrative assistant at the school, died the day of homecoming but had made her daughter and husband promise Brittany would take part in festivities that night. Covington told WDAM-TV that Walters started to back away as she extended the crown to her. “I was like, ‘No, come here, get it. You’re your mom’s queen,’ ” she said. “I wanted her to know that, and then I hugged her.” Walters said she felt her mother’s presence through act of kindness. “I can see my mom through Nyla,” Walters said. “They have the same exact caring, giving spirit, and it’s really fulfilling.”\n\nMissouri\n\nSt. Louis: The state’s largest utility has set up a data center at the site of one of its coal-fired power plants that it is using to mine the internet for bitcoins. Ameren Corp. officials say the data center could also help stabilize demand for electricity that could help it avoid ramping production down and back up again, which is inefficient. Ameren officials told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch they believe the utility is one of the first regulated U.S. utilities mining cryptocurrencies. The company has already collected more than 20 bitcoins, valued, as of Friday, at more than $60,000 apiece. But critics question the $1 million project because they say it serves to artificially heighten demand for energy from coal, and the utility could put the resources to better use elsewhere such as by pursuing technology like battery storage or electric vehicle charging stations. “This really increases demand on the system and, therefore, demand for coal energy,” said local Sierra Club official Andy Knott, part of the group’s Beyond Coal Campaign. “I think what they’re trying to do is avoid having to ramp down their generators.” Officials with the utility say they envisioned the high-powered computers as a flexible and controlled way to help manage the electrical load.\n\nMontana\n\nHelena: Democratic leaders in the Legislature are asking for an investigation into whether the state’s attorney general abused his power by sending a Montana Highway Patrol trooper to a hospital over a complaint from the family of a COVID-19 patient. St. Peter’s Health said three public officials threatened to use their positions to force doctors and nurses to treat the patient with ivermectin, a drug used for parasites that is not federally approved for the respiratory disease, the Montana State News Bureau reports. Attorney General Austin Knudsen’s office acknowledged getting involved but has said it was to investigate a report that the woman’s family was not allowed to contact her and that legal documents were not being delivered. The hospital’s statement said otherwise. State Senate Minority Leader Jill Cohenour and House Minority Leader Kim Abbott wrote to Senate President Mark Blasdel and House Speaker Wylie Galt on Thursday and asked them to appoint a special counsel to investigate Knudsen’s actions and those of any other public officials who involved themselves in the complaint against the hospital. The patrol’s involvement raised jurisdictional issues. Helena police are usually called for security issues at the hospital.\n\nNebraska\n\nBeatrice: Homestead National Historical Park rangers and volunteers have helped harvest seeds in the region’s tallgrass prairie to be used to restore disturbed areas of the prairie and increase species diversity. “We are always working on the oldest restored tall grass prairie in the National Parks Service, and this particular year we had to do some work along one of our trails, which did disturb the area, so we need to reseed it with our native plants,” said Jessica Korgie, a park guide at Homestead. The Beatrice Daily Sun reports that in order to restore the prairie, those in attendance walked through the trails near Homestead’s Education Center and collected flower and grass seeds that were ready to be harvested. They also wore tape around their waists and knees, which Korgie said was an experiment to see how seeds are propagated in the prairie. “If you think about the animals that are traveling through the tallgrasses, you have tall animals like deer, and you have small animals like the thirteen-lined ground squirrel,” Korgie said. “So we’re going to put tape up high and tape down low to see what kind of seeds we’re collecting at those heights, and let’s determine what kind of animals might be helping to redistribute this seed to other areas.”\n\nNevada\n\nLas Vegas: The school board for the metro area plans to consider whether to terminate Superintendent Jesus Jara’s employment contract this week. An agenda posted Friday for the Clark County School District trustees includes discussion and possible action Thursday on “termination of convenience” of Jara’s contract. Three board members requested the agenda item on Jara’s contract, which the board last May voted 4-3 to extend. It wasn’t immediately clear why the three trustees wanted to discuss Jara’s contract. He has faced criticism over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the decision to operate with 100% distance learning for about a year beginning in March 2020, as well as the school reopening process, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Regarding the board’s intention to consider his contract, Jara said Friday that he intends to focus on working for students and educators until he’s directed otherwise. The board also is scheduled to consider removing Linda Cavazos as its president. Jara has been superintendent since 2018, and his annual salary is $320,000.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nFranconia: A fish ladder for trout breeding is being planned at the lake on the site where the Old Man of the Mountain once stood. The project is organized by a fund dedicated to helping to preserve a memorial to the Old Man of the Mountain. The massive, naturally formed granite profile attracted tourists to Franconia Notch for about 200 years before it crumbled in 2003. The memorial project was completed last year. The idea for a fish ladder to restore the natural trout breeding at the lake was first discussed years ago, when the Franconia Notch Parkway along Interstate 93 was built. “It’s a fish ladder leading from Profile Lake through all of the new development we did relating to wetlands and up to what is known as the old breeding pond,” Brian Fowler, president of the Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund, told the Caledonian-Record. “Profile Lake’s regional trout breeding area was this pond area, opposite of I-93. … The construction of the interstate cut off this natural breeding cycle.” Since the highway was built, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department has stocked the lake with trout. The legacy fund is partnering with the department, Trout Unlimited and the state parks division.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nPaterson: Thanks to technological advances over the past decade, people in dire circumstances such as an active-shooter situation can text 911 and get a link back from emergency dispatchers in Bergen and Passaic counties to give authorities permission to see a streaming video recorded by their cellphone camera. “They can watch in real time what’s happening,” said Officer Jonathan Klos, commander of the Passaic County sheriff’s communications division. “And the officers can prepare themselves, which makes everyone a little bit safer – now they know what they’re walking into.” The cellphone video streaming technology, named 911eye, was originally developed in the United Kingdom by Capita, a digital services business that helps first responders. The program allows authorities to do recon of a given area through the caller’s phone camera. “When the dispatcher can see live what’s going on, you’re going to get the right resources quicker,” said Brian Higgins, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the former chief of the Bergen County Police Department. “This compresses the timeline, and responding officers have a heads-up about what’s going on.”\n\nNew Mexico\n\nSanta Fe: Legislators are drafting a plan to ease restrictions against retired police officers coming back to work, in an effort to add law enforcement officers across the state in the midst of a labor shortage. At a legislative committee hearing last week, retired police officer and state Rep. Bill Rehm outlined a proposal for changes to retirement provisions for police that would incentivize a return to work. He said officers might continue to draw pension benefits while working and contributing to the pension fund, or they could delay retirement benefits for a bigger payout later. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is calling for the deployment of 1,000 additional police officers across New Mexico amid public frustration with crime. She said she will ask lawmakers for $100 million to underwrite the initiative. New Mexico amended rules at the Public Employees Retirement Association in 2010 to halt so-called double-dipping in response to concerns about fairness and the long-term solvency of the public pension fund for state and local government employees. Opponents of retired police rehiring plans say it can hurt morale by limiting career advancement opportunities for ambitious younger officers and threaten efforts to modernize law enforcement agencies.\n\nNew York\n\nAlbany: Workers facing layoffs now have a right to ask their employers instead to trim all workers’ hours and have unemployment insurance help offset the losses for everyone, under a law that Gov. Kathy Hochul signed Saturday. The measure is meant to increase awareness of what is known as the “shared work program.” It already exists in New York but hasn’t been very widely utilized, though there has been an uptick during the coronavirus pandemic. Newsday reported in March that nearly 2,700 employers statewide newly enrolled in the program during the pandemic’s first year. The new legislation says workers can petition employers to launch shared work instead of laying people off or rehiring only some of the workforce after a prior layoff. The employer has to respond to the request but doesn’t have to grant it. The law, which took effect immediately, also prohibits retaliating against workers who ask for the arrangement. Proponents say shared work programs help employees keep their jobs, help businesses keep people they’ve trained and make particular sense now. “We need to make sure our recovery efforts focus on supporting workers,” Hochul, a Democrat, said in a release.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nManteo: An abandoned vessel that ran aground on a beach more than a year ago will finally be removed. WRAL-TV reports the removal process is starting just in time for Halloween. Initially, most of the former scallop boat was visible along the shoreline. But it has been slowly sinking into sand along the beach south of Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s Oregon Inlet Campground. Now, more than half of it is buried. The haunting 72-foot-long shipwreck became a popular lure for tourists after it ran aground in March 2020. The crew was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. The National Park Service has been warning people to stay away, saying exploring the vessel is dangerous because of unstable sand shifting beneath it. Also, while the wrecked vessel is visible during low tide, it becomes completely surrounded by the ocean during high tide. Officials must remove the vessel before it disappears beneath the sand. The removal project is expected to cost about $295,000. It was expected to begin Monday and take roughly a month to complete.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nNew Town: A college on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation is offering an incentive for students to get COVID-19 vaccines. Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College in New Town announced that students who can verify they are fully vaccinated will receive $500. The shots must be completed by Nov. 4. “We are seeing a resurgence in the number of positive (coronavirus) cases in the Fort Berthold area and across the state of North Dakota and determined it was time to act,” said Twyla Baker, NHSC’s president. “The financial incentive rewards those who have prioritized their health and the health of others. It is also meant to motivate those who have not yet been vaccinated to act.” The Three Affiliated Tribes college offers in-demand certificate programs and associate degrees as well as three bachelor’s degrees.\n\nOhio\n\nColumbus: For the first time in its history, the state recorded more deaths than births last year – a development experts say was expedited by COVID-19. Roughly 143,661 Ohioans died last year, while 129,313 were born, according to data from the Ohio Department of Health. So far in 2021, the state has logged 107,462 deaths and 100,781 births. In the 112 years since statewide record-keeping began in 1909, data compiled by the Columbus Dispatch along with the Ohio History Connection shows deaths never previously surpassed births despite countless wars, economic downturns and disease. Ohio’s birthrate has been declining for years, while the number of deaths across the state has risen, meaning the two metrics were likely to swap places at some point. But data shows the pandemic rapidly hastened the switch. The coronavirus killed an estimated 13,927 Ohioans in 2020 alone, according to the state health department. That means the pandemic may account for 97% of the 14,348-person difference in births and deaths in 2020. In 2021, COVID-19 killed more than 9,400 Ohioans, more than the 6,681 difference in births and deaths so far this year. Deaths exceeded births in a record 25 states last year, according to research from the University of New Hampshire. In 2019, just five states saw more deaths than births.\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: A Republican state senator is drawing criticism for referring to Asian Americans as “yellow families” during a legislative committee meeting on racial inequity. Sen. Dave Rader, of Tulsa, made the comment Wednesday to Oklahoma Policy Institute analyst Damion Shade following Shade’s comments during an interim study on racial inequality in economics and the criminal justice system. “It wasn’t until well into your presentation did you go to yellow families; you left yellow families out for quite a while,” Rader said. “You mean Asian Americans?” Shade replied. “You use black term, white term, brown term, so I was just gonna jump in there with you,” Rader said, before asking questions about Black families. The word “yellow” is considered a derogatory term in reference to East Asians. In the late 1800s, Chinese Americans were deemed the “yellow peril,” despite living in the United States for years. Rader said in a statement to KFOR that he has worked to remove barriers to success for all types of people. “I’ve spent my entire life as a football coach and educator, fostering opportunities for individuals of every race and background,” he said. Oklahoma Democratic Party Chair Alicia Andrews said it’s frustrating Rader would make such a comment during a study on racial inequality.\n\nOregon\n\nPortland: A glass recycling plant has consented to either shut down or install pollution control technology, according to an agreement announced between the plant’s operators and the state. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality gave Owens-Brockway, a glass recycling facility in northeast Portland, two options after it reached an agreement with the company to resolve the fine of more than $1 million it issued in June. The glass plant was cited for multiple, ongoing air quality violations of particulate matter emissions as well as permitted opacity. “The best thing Owens-Brockway could do to come into compliance and protect the community is to install pollution controls,” DEQ’s Northwest Region Administrator Nina DeConcini said in a statement. “And if the facility decides to install pollution controls, this agreement requires they demonstrate that the controls achieve a 95% reduction in particulate matter emissions.” Under the agreement, Owens-Brockway must either submit a permit application to install pollution controls by June 30, 2022, or shut down. If the company decides to install pollution control technology, it would have to do so within 18 months of DEQ approval of the application.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nPhiladelphia: Workers for the area’s transit system have voted to authorize a strike next month if an agreement isn’t reached on a new contract. The Transport Workers Union Local 234 said a voice vote at a Sunday morning meeting in south Philadelphia approved a motion to allow union leaders to call a strike if an agreement with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is not reached in a week. The union represents about 5,000 bus drivers, cashiers, mechanics, and other workers providing service for buses, trolleys, the subway and elevated train lines. The current contract expires early Nov. 1, a day before the general election. “Our members are essential workers who have risked their lives and put their own families at risk during this pandemic,” union president Willie Brown told The Philadelphia Inquirer. He said the union was asking SEPTA to address “issues related to health and safety and modest economic improvements.” SEPTA said talks have been productive, and it hopes to avoid disruptions with agreement on a “fair and financially responsible” pact. The agency said it is still losing about $1 million a day in revenues due to ridership declines, with more people working at home during the pandemic and ridership not expected to return to February 2020 levels.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: Ninety percent of adults in the state are now at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov. Dan McKee said Monday. The Democrat said Rhode Island is also now one of the top states in terms of the percentage of its population that is fully vaccinated. Overall, more than 77% of residents have received one vaccine dose, and more than 70% are considered fully inoculated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Rhode Island might be small, but we are mighty – especially when it comes to getting shots in arms,” McKee said in a statement. “Thank you to each and every Rhode Islander who stepped up to get vaccinated. It is because of you that we are leading the nation in vaccinations and economic recovery.” The governor said COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots continue to be available at sites across the state, including community centers, local businesses and schools, and more information can be found at C19vaccineRI.org. The state is averaging about 227 new cases of COVID-19 a day, down from about 264 a day two weeks ago. The state has reported 2,872 deaths from the coronavirus since the pandemic started.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nColumbia: The state’s social services agency says it is now paying more money to providers in a program that subsidizes child care for low-income families. The Department of Social Services announced Wednesday that the agency has set up a new reimbursement rate structure for the SC Voucher program. The rates are now set based on the actual age of a child in the program, as opposed to what age group the child is in. That rate increase means families in the program will save money by covering fewer tuition expenses, the agency said in a news release. The new reimbursement structure also puts more money in the pockets of child care providers who may have struggled financially during the pandemic. A top-rated child care provider in the program might now receive $296 a week for full-time care of a child under 1 year old, whereas the previous rate structure would have allowed for a maximum of $205 weekly for any child up to 2 years old. The voucher program pays for more than 11,000 children to attend child care programs each month, according to the agency website. Parents must have an income below 150% of the federal poverty level to qualify.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nRapid City: Computer science students from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology have built a new dating app, Lafdr, that matches people based on their taste in memes. After testing a prototype, the app for iOS and Android launched last month. Morgan Vagts and Debbie Liknes, who both graduated from Mines in May, channeled their frustration with existing dating apps by creating their own, the Rapid City Journal reports. Lafdr’s algorithm, built by Liknes, connects like-minded users through the memes they enjoy on the app. “Memes are a great conversation starter,” Vagts said. “It keeps the conversation light and lets people be themselves. … If you can laugh at a meme together, you know you have something in common.” Vagts said Lafdr is designed to help people find friendship or romantic connections, or users can simply browse the memes on Lafdr. Vagts and Liknes spent two years developing the app, which is geared toward college-age students but could potentially appeal to ages 18 to 35. “We were just sitting in Debbie’s living room, talking about the perils of online dating, and she joked about the idea of a meme-based app. And I thought, ‘Yes. That’s brilliant, let’s do it,’ and it evolved from there,” Vagts said.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: The state’s top medical licensing officials are pushing the state government to crack down on doctors and nurses who spread damaging misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, calling for aggressive probes with the potential to suspend professional licenses and end careers. The Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners and the Board of Nursing instructed the Department of Health to pursue investigations of medical professionals who made disprovable claims to patients or on social media. Board members told investigators to prioritize cases involving the most obvious falsehoods or outrageous lies – that vaccines are poisonous, cause infertility, contain microchips or can magnetize the body. Investigators should focus less on subjective statements, even if they cause harm and worsen vaccine hesitancy, board members said, because the state lacks the authority and manpower to discipline those who merely discourage vaccination. “I don’t know that we can police opinion, even though it’s wrong and even though it’s causing – obviously causing – major problems in this state,” said Dr. Debbie Christiansen, a member of the Board of Medical Examiners. “But we can tell people they cannot say things that are absolutely false.”\n\nTexas\n\nKerrville: A driver lost control during a drag racing event on an airport runway and slammed into a crowd of spectators, killing two children and injuring eight other people, authorities said. A 6-year-old boy and an 8-year-old boy were killed in the crash Saturday afternoon at an event called “Airport Race Wars 2” at the Kerrville-Kerr County Airport, police said in a news release. The organized event was attended by thousands and involved drivers speeding down a runway as they competed for cash. The driver “lost control and left the runway, crashing into parked vehicles and striking spectators who were observing the races,” Kerrville police said. The injured victims were taken to various hospitals, including a 46-year-old woman who was listed in critical condition. The majority of the other injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, although the condition of a 26-year-old man was unknown, authorities said. A 4-year-old boy and a 3-month-old girl were taken to a hospital for precautionary evaluations. The Kerrville Convention and Visitors Bureau’s website promoted the event as an “action packed, family-friendly day” in which fans could watch the “fastest drag cars compete for over $8000 in total prizes.”\n\nUtah\n\nSalt Lake City: The top prosecutor in the state’s most populous county says he will no longer offer plea deals to defendants accused of gun-related crimes, in an effort to combat gun violence. Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said Wednesday that he was putting people “on notice” that his office will “throw the book at you.” He cited the recently released 2020 Crime in Utah Report, which showed an increase in homicides from 2019 to 2020. Two-thirds of those homicides involved firearms, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. The change means that gun offenders will have to plead guilty to more serious crimes or go to trial, likely resulting in longer sentences behind bars. There would be exception if “evidentiary issues, legal or ethical prohibitions” prevent a conviction, Gill said. Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown and Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said they hope the new policy will send a message to prospective criminals and will help halt the “revolving door” of individuals who are repeat offenders.\n\nVermont\n\nMontpelier: Residents are being asked for their input on how to spend about $46.9 million to clean up water pollution in the state. The Vermont Clean Water Board is seeking feedback in an online questionnaire on the funding levels and the board’s proposed prioritization of funding, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation said. “The $46.9 million available in the 2023 clean water budget is an all-time high in funds available to improve Vermont’s water quality, in part thanks to additional leveraging of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds,” Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore said in a statement. “This is an exciting milestone and underscores the importance of public input to inform funding priorities.” The funding helps municipalities, farmers and others create projects that reduce pollution washing into waterways, ranging from farmers planting cover crops to reduce soil erosion and improve soil health to municipalities stabilizing roadside erosion, the department said. Water quality projects also help to protect Vermonters from damaging flooding, the agency said. The board’s draft budget is available online. Input can be sent through the questionnaire to the Clean Water Board through Nov. 19. The board will make final recommendations in December.\n\nVirginia\n\nRichmond: Mike Mason, once one of the nation’s highest-ranking FBI officials, now drives students to school in a yellow bus each morning and afternoon. It wasn’t the career turn he’d imagined for himself. Mason was once the executive assistant director of the bureau, responsible for overseeing all criminal investigations, among other duties. But in his retirement, he felt a pull to help when there was a shortage of school bus drivers. “Probably half of the FBI’s operational resources fell under me,” said Mason, 63, who lives in Midlothian, Virginia. Since late April, he has been working for Chesterfield County Public Schools as a bus driver. While the work differs drastically from his previous profession, “I feel the same sense of duty,” he said. Each morning about 5:30 a.m., Mason carefully inspects his 24-foot-long bus – examining the interior and exterior – to ensure it’s safe for students to ride. “I get it ready to roll,” he said. “This is not hyperbole: I’m smiling every day I start that bus up.” He collects nine students ages 10 to 18 and drops them off at the Faison Center in Richmond, which offers educational programs for autistic children. Mason grew up in Chicago, was raised by a single dad who was a truck driver for the board of education. “That’s part of what makes me smile every morning as I crank this bus up,” he said. “It’s the connection to my father.”\n\nWashington\n\nSeattle: Tens of thousands of people were without power Monday after a strong Pacific storm system downed trees and power lines the day before. Most of those still without electricity were in the Seattle area, where utilities reported about 60,000 customers out. Two people died after a tree collapsed onto their car near Issaquah on Sunday. The Seattle Times reports they were traveling in a white sedan on a densely forested roadway when the tree came down across the car. “It’s a freak accident,” said Sgt. Tim Meyer, a spokesperson for the King County Sheriff’s Office. “Just a moment or two’s difference could have drastically changed how this ended.” About a dozen schools in the greater Seattle area were closed Monday or were on a delayed start due to power outages or other issues from the storm. On Sunday, wind gusts topping 60 mph also downed trees on Interstate 90 east of Seattle and cut power to more than 150,000 customers in the metro area and around Puget Sound.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nCharleston: The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival held a rally at the state Capitol on Sunday to pressure U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin to support President Joe Biden’s package of social services and climate change strategies, according to a news release. Ahead of the rally, members of the campaign gathered the stories of residents they said would be abandoned by Manchin if he continued to insist on cuts to the package. Rally co-chair the Rev. William J. Barber II, in the release, called the West Virginia Democrat “the new Senator No.” “No to paying home health workers a living wage. No to free community college. No to dental and vision help for senior citizens. No to a $15/hour minimum wage. No to fully protected voting rights,” Barber said, adding that Manchin “still has a chance to say yes.” Also on Sunday, the campaign published full-page and digital ads in four West Virginia newspapers.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: Republicans plan to launch another investigation of how the 2020 election was administered in the state, GOP leaders announced Monday. Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, Senate President Chris Kapenga and Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dan Feyen said in a news release that Republican leaders will authorize the Senate’s elections committee to conduct the probe in the wake of findings legislative auditors released Friday. Auditors didn’t find any widespread fraud in the state but did identify inconsistent administration of election law based on surveys of ballots sampled from across Wisconsin. Auditors made 30 recommendations for the Wisconsin Elections Commission to consider and 18 possible legal changes for the Legislature. The GOP leaders’ news release said they would assess “the full impact of WEC’s deficiencies.” The release did not say when the Senate committee would begin the probe, how extensive it might be or whether the committee will be empowered to subpoena records. Elections Commission spokesman John Smalley said he hadn’t seen the release and had no immediate comment. A recount and court rulings have shown Democrat Joe Biden won Wisconsin, but former President Donald Trump and his followers have refused to accept defeat.\n\nWyoming\n\nJackson: Dozens of U.S. fellow Marines joined hundreds of Wyoming residents over the weekend to bid a final farewell at a memorial for Rylee McCollum, one of 13 U.S. service members killed in a suicide bombing as they guarded a gate at a chaotic Kabul, Afghanistan, airport during the final U.S. evacuation from that country. Many of the Marines were members of the 20-year-old McCollum’s unit serving in Afghanistan when he was killed Aug. 26. McCollum, a Marine lance corporal, grew up, went to school and enlisted for the Corps in the mountain valley area known as Jackson Hole, home to the town of Jackson. He was honored during Saturday’s Jackson service attended by more than 400 people. “We knew his potential. I knew he had the mindset,” said Staff Sgt. Luis Diaz, who recruited McCollum into the Corps. “I knew he had the spirit to accomplish anything he wanted.” McCollum was a dedicated Marine, enthusiastic and funny, said Cpl. Wyatt Wilson. When something had to be done, Wilson told the Jackson gathering, “I always grabbed Rylee because I knew it would be done right the first time,” the Jackson Hole News & Guide reports. Gov. Mark Gordon, who attended with U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, said Americans “should rejoice that heroes like Rylee are born.”\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/10/26"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2021/06/09/big-tex-ac-problems-camping-changes-news-around-states/116918714/", "title": "Big Tex, AC problems: News from around our 50 states", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nBirmingham: An infectious disease expert said Monday that he is concerned about lagging vaccination rates in the state, as well as the number of unvaccinated people who appear to have abandoned wearing masks. Alabama has the second-lowest percentage of people vaccinated, ranking only above Mississippi, according to numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 36% of Alabama’s population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 29% are fully inoculated. “All of us want to get back to normal, every single one of us. The vaccine is our sure ticket to get there,” said Dr. Mike Saag, a professor with the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Division of Infectious Diseases. The CDC has said fully vaccinated people are safe to go without masks, but Saag said that message appears to have gotten misconstrued. “What I saw over the Memorial Day weekend: Most everybody was walking around without a mask as if everyone was vaccinated. We know around 70% of the Alabama population has not been vaccinated,” he said. While new cases and hospitalizations are down significantly from their peak, the effects of the Memorial Day holiday will serve as a “stress test” of sorts, Saag said: “It’s not going to be like the surges we saw in January, but it will be a bump. The question is how big.”\n\nAlaska\n\nJuneau: As the current special legislative session slumped along Monday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy urged lawmakers to act on his proposal to place in the state constitution a new formula for the annual check residents receive from Alaska’s oil-wealth fund. Some legislators have raised questions about some of the administration’s modeling assumptions and concerns with tackling the dividend issue without other pieces of a possible fiscal plan. “It’s like whack-a-mole,” Dunleavy said in an interview. “Every time we come up with a thing to move this along, it’s not enough for some people, and you start to become somewhat cynical. You start to say, ‘Well, wait a second. You’re moving the goal posts constantly to try and fix this issue.’ ... We have not decreed that they shouldn’t come forth with ideas. Let’s see what their ideas are.” The Republican said if legislators want to discuss revenues, they can do so in August, when he has scheduled another special session. The agenda for that session references “an act or acts relating to measures to increase state revenues” and includes his proposed constitutional amendment that would put the establishment of new taxes to a public vote. He has unsuccessfully pushed a similar constitutional proposal the past two years.\n\nArizona\n\nPhoenix: More than 6 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have now been administered in the state. Gov. Doug Ducey hailed it as a major milestone Monday and urged residents to keep the momentum going. More than 3.3 million people statewide have received at least a first dose – 47.3% of Arizona’s vaccine-eligible population. About 2.9 million are fully vaccinated. The state is shutting down operations at its mass vaccination sites by June 28, with public health officials citing the vast availability of doses at community health centers, doctor’s offices, pharmacies and pop-up clinics. Maricopa County health officials have started an education campaign with ads on television, radio, billboards and social media encouraging people to get vaccinated. Public health officials said in a news release that they’re trying to reach people who are on the fence about getting a vaccine, telling them it’s OK to have questions, and they should seek answers from trusted sources. Meanwhile, the state dashboard reported 374 new cases and no deaths Monday. That brings the total numbers of cases and deaths to 884,195 and 17,700, respectively. The number of patients hospitalized for the virus deviated little from the past few days at 560. According to the state, 141 of those patients were in intensive care units.\n\nArkansas\n\nFort Smith: Factory shutdowns during the pandemic have caused a shortage of air conditioning equipment. “If we have a real hot summer, we could get desperate,” said Chuck Hooks, the service manager at Blaylock Heating & Air Conditioning, Plumbing and Drain Cleaning in Fort Smith. The factory shutdown has led to a dearth of air conditioning equipment in the state and across the nation, Hooks said. “There’s a big demand and a big shortage for pretty much everything to do with our field right now,” said Michael Lytle, the commercial project manager for Wilson’s Heating & Air Conditioning in Van Buren. Lytle said there is also a shortage of metals for ductwork and air conditioning equipment, which has caused prices to steadily increase. Michael Roberts, the owner of Roberts Heat and Air in Booneville, said he has had trouble getting parts for the past year. Equipment that was taking two to four weeks to come in is now taking six to 24 weeks to arrive, Hooks said. “It will get worse before it gets better is my understanding,” he said. Hooks has his equipment delivered from factories in the United States but said the situation is even worse for people who get equipment from overseas. Because of the coronavirus, the U.S. would not let ships dock and unload their supplies.\n\nCalifornia\n\nSan Francisco: Mayor London Breed married four couples inside City Hall on Monday to mark the reopening of the storied building after it shut down in March 2020 as part of a regional lockdown. Madelyn Peterson and Indira Carmona were the first couple to wed on the grand staircase of the building’s rotunda. The building’s doors opened at 8 a.m. for those looking to get marriage license applications, business registrations, birth and death certificates, and other documents. Visitors are still required to wear a mask and socially distance. San Francisco has had some of the strictest pandemic-related restrictions in the country, and the compact city of nearly 900,000 has reported 36,766 COVID-19 cases and just 546 deaths. To compare, Long Beach has about 467,000 residents but more than 53,000 cases and 900 deaths. Vaccination rates in San Francisco are also high, with 80% of residents having received at least one dose. Moments before Breed officiated the weddings, she raised the Pride flag outside the building’s main entrance to officially kick off the annual LGBTQ Pride Month celebrations. “We’re going to celebrate; we’re going to have a good time; we’re going to keep smiles on our faces because we survived a pandemic, y’all,” Breed told a small, cheerful crowd gathered for the flag-raising ceremony.\n\nColorado\n\nFort Collins: The Fort Collins Rescue Mission wants to expand its downtown shelter and has filed a conceptual application to build a “semi-permanent” structure in its parking lot for men during winter months. The structure would essentially extend capacity by another 50 to 70 beds if the nonprofit is allowed to put bunk beds inside, said shelter Senior Director Seth Forwood. While the facility would not be permanent, it would have windows, doors, flooring, heating and ventilation – everything a permanent addition would have, he said. With financial support from the city of Fort Collins, the Rescue Mission operated a temporary overnight winter shelter from mid-October to April. While it squeezed in about 150 men experiencing homelessness, the downtown Rescue Mission can handle half that number. The city has been working for years on additional shelter resources. For now, federal coronavirus relief funding approved in spring 2020 to staff and run the Rescue Mission’s 24/7 shelter downtown runs out at the end of June. Forwood said he’s still hoping the federal government’s latest pandemic aid package will come through to provide funding beyond July 1. “Like with many things COVID-related, I have hopes that building these plans won’t be for naught,” Forwood said.\n\nConnecticut\n\nHartford: The state Senate early Tuesday narrowly approved a long-awaited bill that would legalize the recreational use of cannabis after years of failed efforts in both chambers to pass the legislation. The 19-17 vote in the Democratic-controlled Senate came just before 2 a.m. and hours after lawmakers announced they had reached a compromise on how to ensure the new industry will benefit those residents adversely affected by the nation’s war on drugs. Six Democrats voted against the proposal, while one Republican voted in favor. “We’ve seen what’s been wrought by having a war on drugs. Whole communities have been decimated,” said state Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, co-chairman of the legislature’s Judiciary Committee. The bill now heads to the House, where Democratic majority leaders said they hope to see it pass before Wednesday’s midnight adjournment of the regular legislative session. They did not rule out going into a special legislative session if time runs out. “I think it will get done. I think the marijuana vote will happen, I do,” Speaker of the House Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said Tuesday morning. Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, said he would sign the legislation.\n\nDelaware\n\nDover: The General Assembly is allowing some members of the public to return to the building and listen to floor debates in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Legislative Hall in Dover will allow 25 people each in the House and Senate for the remaining 11 days of the legislative year that ends June 30. Masks will be required, and attendees will sit in the galleries, according to a news release from the General Assembly announcing the opening. Seats can be reserved on the General Assembly website legis.delaware.gov. The House and Senate will use separate online signup forms, which will be available at 5 p.m. the day before each session day. The General Assembly meets on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Sign-ups will close either once all seats have been reserved or at 10 a.m. the next morning, whichever comes first. Capitol Police will be given the names of those who have reserved a seat. Doors to Legislative Hall will open 30 minutes before each chamber convenes its session. “In order to accommodate as many Delawareans as possible, members of the public are encouraged to sign up to observe only one chamber each day,” the release said.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has launched SmarTrip on Google Pay, expanding payment options for Android smartphone users on the Metro system. As the pandemic eases, and more riders return to Metrorail and Metrobus, officials said Android users will now have the ability to use their SmarTrip card, purchase a new one or add value to a card digitally, WUSA-TV reports. “It’s an investment in the future of Metro, as we modernize our system to incorporate many new technologies,” Metro General Manager and CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld said in a statement. Customers will also be able to download the SmarTrip app from the Google Play Store, with Metro waiving the $2 SmarTrip card fee for all Android users purchasing a virtual card during the first six months. Metro rolled out similar options for for Apple iPhone users in September 2020. Card readers will be available at 91 Metro stations, Metro parking garages and lots, Metrobus routes and even regional buses across the capital region. Data shows that 98% of Metro users have a smartphone, according to WMATA officials.\n\nFlorida\n\nMiami: Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings on Monday announced plans to set sail from two Florida ports requiring passengers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 despite state legislation banning businesses from asking for proof. Norwegian announced sailings from New York, Los Angeles, Port Canaveral and Miami. Carnival Cruise Line, also based in Miami, announced sailings from the Port of Galveston, Texas, with vaccinated guests and was working with Florida officials for a ship to leave from PortMiami. The cruise lines’ plans appear to be at odds with the new state law. The sailings are contingent on obtaining a certificate from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and it remains unclear how the plans can be reconciled with Florida law. Norwegian said in a statement that it was in contact with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office on the requirements. In April, DeSantis signed an order banning businesses from requiring customers to show proof of vaccination and prohibiting state agencies from issuing so-called vaccine passports that document COVID-19 inoculations and coronavirus test results. The governor argued the legislation was meant to preserve individual freedom and medical privacy.\n\nGeorgia\n\nSavannah: Officials in Georgia’s oldest city say they plan to start collecting soon on some long overdue utility bills. More than $25 million in unpaid water bills remain outstanding in Savannah, according to city officials. Mayor Van Johnson said many of the overdue payments date back to 2019. The pile of outstanding bills grew larger over the past year as the coronavirus pandemic left many people jobless and unable to pay, WJCL-TV reports. That’s too much money owed to City Hall for Savannah to keep serving residents efficiently, the mayor said. “We are always willing to work out payment arrangements with those who need it,” Johnson said, “but for our city to operate, we must start collecting what’s due.”\n\nHawaii\n\nHilo: The Pacific Tsunami Museum plans to reopen from a coronavirus pandemic-triggered shutdown by the end of the summer after finishing substantial renovations. The downtown Hilo museum is working on relocating and renovating its Japan exhibit, which focuses on the 2011 tsunami, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports. The new displays will also cover Japanese tsunami history. Its Big Island tsunamis exhibit will be updated with new interviews from survivors and more photos from the most recent tsunami that hit the island in 1975. “I always felt the local tsunamis exhibit is one of our most important exhibits because it is informative for people living here,” said Marlene Murray, the museum’s director. The museum is adding a new natural hazards exhibit. The area will step away from tsunamis and highlight hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes and volcanic activity, which all can affect Hawaii Island. The museum got financial help during the pandemic from federal Paycheck Protection Program loans and stimulus funds. It’s also applied for a shuttered venue grant. “Luckily, we’ve had some wonderful people out there that have been renewing their memberships and sending donations specifically to keep supporting us,” Murray said.\n\nIdaho\n\nBoise: Many members of the state’s ascendant far right believe they’ve never been closer to achieving their goals in what is already one of the most conservative states in the country. Some half-dozen recently formed right-wing groups, including anti-government activist Ammon Bundy’s People’s Rights, have used coronavirus restrictions as recruiting tools, organizing angry mask-burning protests in a push to disrupt institutional norms ahead of statewide elections next year. Other Republicans, including a former Idaho attorney general, have established groups to oppose them. The atmosphere is so charged that lawmakers approved extra spending to bring more Idaho State Police troopers to the Statehouse, even when the Legislature isn’t in session. A doorway pane shattered last year when Bundy and others pushed their way into the House gallery that had limited seating due to the pandemic. The schism also played out dramatically late last month when far-right Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin issued an executive order during a short stint as acting governor while fellow Republican Gov. Brad Little was out of the state. She ordered a ban on mask mandates without consulting localities or Little. Bundy, best known for leading an armed standoff at a federal wildlife refuge five years ago, has also filed paperwork in a long-shot run for governor. He is expected to officially announce his campaign this month.\n\nIllinois\n\nSpringfield: Health officials, community groups and churches are coming together to vaccinate people against COVID-19, with some offering incentives like gift cards for groceries and fuel. Douglas Avenue United Methodist Church – working alongside Wooden It Be Lovely, a nonprofit that supports single mothers; Springfield Ward 8 Alderwoman Erin Conley; and the Illinois Department of Public Health – plans a vaccination clinic the afternoon of June 17. IDPH also is coordinating clinics at United Methodist churches across the state. The Rev. Meredith Manning Brown, senior pastor at Douglas United Methodist, said the clinic would be a way for people in the community to get the vaccine in an environment that they know and trust. “Vaccination is a way for people to be healthy and safe and for our community to return to normal,” Brown said. “We want as many people to be as healthy and safe as possible, and that’s part of what it means to love and follow Jesus.” The clinic will also provide gift cards for fuel and groceries up to $50, which Conley said is yet another way it could push some community members still reluctant to get the vaccine. “This is just an extra thank-you,” Conley said. “At this point, we know that the vaccine is working.” Overall, 43.77% of Illinois’ population and 51% of its adults are fully vaccinated.\n\nIndiana\n\nIndianapolis: The city ended its mask mandate for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 on Tuesday, hours after the City-County Council approved a measure easing numerous pandemic restrictions. The Democratic-majority council passed the new public health order Monday evening on a 19-5 party line vote, with Republicans opposed because the measure didn’t fully lift all pandemic restrictions. Despite lifting its mask order, Indianapolis businesses may choose to require masks on their property, and masks are still required in hospitals and on public transportation in Indiana’s capital. The change means residents who received their final vaccine shot at least two weeks ago are not required to wear masks in public areas. Indianapolis is aiming for a 50% vaccination rate in order to fully reopen, Virginia Caine, director of the Marion County Public Health Department, told the council. Last week, the county’s vaccination rate stood at about 36%. Indianapolis’ new order eases numerous pandemic restrictions, including allowing religious services and funerals, as well as community pools, to open to 100% capacity. The maximum number of people at social gatherings increased from 50 to 500, and bars, restaurants and nightclubs can operate at 75% capacity indoors.\n\nIowa\n\nDes Moines: 515 Alive, one of the metro’s largest annual events, is off for another year, the festival’s organizers announced Monday in a Facebook post. “Organizing events of this size and nature takes months of proper planning,” the post said, “and with the uncertainty surrounding covid regulations we felt that it was simply too turbulent to bring to fruition.” In an addendum to a lengthy post, the organizers said they had been planning a “scaled down” version of the festival this year. “However, artist & date availabilities didn’t align as we had hoped,” they wrote. “We look forward to seeing everyone next year!” The electronic music and hip-hop festival also was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The posting thanked fans for their “patience and understanding.” The festival began as a gathering of DJs and electronic dance music artists in the early 2000s. In 2013 it was staged on a single day in an East Village parking lot, attracting 3,000 people. The event then moved to Western Gateway Park, grew to two days and ultimately ended up at Water Works Park, where festivalgoers could camp overnight. With more than 100 acts that mix local, regional and international electronic and hip-hop talent – including top draws like Waka Flocka Flame and Wiz Khalifa – it has attracted up to 25,000 people.\n\nKansas\n\nTopeka: Officials with the dispatch center at the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office were hoping higher-than-usual unemployment would mean an increase in applications for open positions, but no such influx of job inquiries ensued. Melanie Bergers, director of communications at the sheriff’s office, said the dispatch center has been understaffed throughout 2020 and 2021 and typically has paid about 600 hours of overtime every two weeks for the past year. Twenty-three dispatchers are employed at the center, leaving it at 60% staffing capacity. Those numbers don’t count American Medical Response employees who work out of the same building. Bergers said applicants must be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma, and pass a background check and drug test, among other requirements, to be qualified to work. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Kansas was as high as 12.6% in April 2020. The statewide rate had fallen back under 4% by April 2021, according to the Kansas Department of Labor.\n\nKentucky\n\nFrankfort: The longtime state executive who inherited oversight of Kentucky’s beleaguered unemployment insurance system during the COVID-19 pandemic is stepping down as labor secretary. Larry Roberts’ retirement, effective at the end of June, was announced Monday by Gov. Andy Beshear. Roberts’ career in state government stretches back to 1973. The Democratic governor said he selected another veteran state official, Jamie Link, to succeed Roberts in leading the state Labor Cabinet, beginning July 1. In announcing the appointment, Beshear said Link is “committed to standing with our labor unions, protecting our workers and helping Kentucky families climb out of this pandemic.” Link promised to continue efforts to “resolve and remedy Kentucky’s unemployment insurance challenges” and to focus on “the needs and well-being of all Kentucky workers.” Beshear decided about a year ago to shift the unemployment office into the Labor Cabinet. The unemployment office had been housed in the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. Like other states, Kentucky was overwhelmed by record-setting waves of unemployment claims as the pandemic temporarily shuttered or scaled back many businesses. Tens of thousands of Kentuckians have found themselves in limbo for months waiting for benefits.\n\nLouisiana\n\nBaton Rouge: Republican lawmakers have taken aim at vaccines, sending Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards two bills that would keep state and local government agencies from mandating COVID-19 immunization in order to receive certain services. Separate votes Monday gave final passage to the the anti-vaccine proposals from Republican Reps. Danny McCormick and Kathy Edmonston. Edwards – who has championed COVID-19 vaccines and is regularly urging residents to get the shots – hasn’t taken a position on the legislation, and no agency in his administration has publicly proposed requiring the immunization for services. “He will review the bills when they reach his desk and see how they conform with recommendations from doctors and public health experts as well with current Louisiana law relating to vaccines, which does allow for certain exemptions,” Edwards spokesperson Christina Stephens said in a statement. But she also defended the vaccines as safe and effective and said they “have already saved lives and are our way out of this pandemic.” McCormick’s proposal would ban agencies from refusing to give a permit, business license or professional license to someone based solely on a business’ decision that it won’t require vaccines for employees or customers, as well as broadly exempting such employers from related civil lawsuits.\n\nMaine\n\nSaco: The state’s camping industry is busy and campsites are in demand a year after reservations came to a halt at the height of the pandemic. Owners of the Silver Springs campground in Saco told WMTW-TV their business has quadrupled since last year, when the mask mandate and 14-day quarantine restrictions were in place. They said things are different this year: People aren’t just coming for the weekend but for the whole season. “It’s changed overall camping as a nation because now instead of just camping as recreation, it’s camping in spots because you now have the luxury of being able to work from wherever you’re located,” said Bryce Ingraham of Silver Springs Campground. Businesses that rely on campers and outdoors recreation are optimistic about the coming season.\n\nMaryland\n\nBaltimore: Students at nearly three dozen public schools without air conditioning were learning virtually for a second day Tuesday amid sweltering temperatures. News outlets report about 30 city schools listed on the district’s website sent students home about 10:30 a.m. Monday to transition to virtual learning, while staff also transitioned to teaching from home. Officials said several Baltimore City schools had air conditioning systems that were not working properly. In Baltimore County, six public schools also closed three hours early Monday due to a lack of air conditioning, and afternoon and evening activities also were canceled. County school buildings have air conditioning systems but experienced a variety of mechanical problems that prevented them from operating as they should. Two of the schools also closed because of power outages, spokesman Charles Herndon said in an email. Two schools remained virtual Tuesday. Sweltering classrooms are a perennial problem in Baltimore, which has some of the state’s oldest school buildings. Some educators used social media to document the high temperatures in the classrooms as students focus on final exams.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nBoston: The New Bedford Whaling Museum is offering free admission passes to anyone who gets a COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic at the museum Wednesday. The first 25 people who get a shot will also get a gift bag from the museum’s gift shop. The clinic will be administering the Pfizer vaccine, which has received federal authorization for use in anyone 12 or older. Preregistration is encouraged, but walk-ins are also welcome to get a free shot, according to the museum. A follow-up clinic for the second dose will take place June 30. Vaccine check-in and in-person registration will be located at the rear entrance, and doses will be administered inside the building. More than 8.1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Massachusetts as of Monday. That includes more than 4.2 million first doses and nearly 3.6 million second doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. There have been nearly 258,000 doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine administered. More than 3.8 million residents have been fully immunized, according to state health officials. Gov. Charlie Baker has set a goal of at least 4.1 million people in the state fully vaccinated. He said Massachusetts has adopted a more targeted approach, particularly in communities hit hardest by the pandemic.\n\nMichigan\n\nLansing: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said Tuesday that her office is adding 350,000 appointments over nearly four months to address a pandemic-related backlog as Michigan residents try to renew driver’s licenses, transfer vehicle titles and conduct other business in person. Branch offices will be able to serve 25% more customers than planned, she said, citing efficiencies – namely shortening 20-minute appointment slots to 10-minute slots. She also eased a requirement that all visitors book an appointment in advance, saying those who need a disability placard can show up without one and be served. Greeters will be stationed at the doors of some of the department’s busiest offices. They will tell people if any immediate appointments are available or help schedule them to come back later. Benson, a Democrat, is confronting a logjam caused by the end of a 13-month grace period for driver’s license and ID renewals, which has been exacerbated by branch closures due to COVID-19 exposures. Republican lawmakers are pressuring her to restore motorists’ ability to walk in without an appointment, pointing to months­long waits. But she has said she wants to stay the course and noted more transactions can be done online than in the past.\n\nMinnesota\n\nMinneapolis: Fifteen schools that aren’t fully air-conditioned are switching from in-person to online instruction to avoid a heat wave this week. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports the schools planned to shift into online learning Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Highs in Minneapolis are expected to top out in the mid- to upper-90s those days. The schools plan to reopen Friday, the last day of class for the year, so students can bring items home, and teachers can close their classrooms.\n\nMississippi\n\nJackson: A new clinic in the city aims to address health disparities among at-risk mothers using preventive, holistic and patient-first maternal care. Getty Israel, founder and executive director of Sisters in Birth, is fighting against a system in which pregnant women largely lack advocates during the birthing process. Mississippi ranks last in women and children’s health care in the United States. It ranks 50th in infant mortality. Black mothers die nearly three times more often than white mothers of pregnancy-related causes. The state’s high obesity, hypertension and tobacco-user rates are mostly to blame, Israel said. “You always hear about the worst health outcomes,” she said. “Well, what are we doing about it? This is what we’re doing about it. It’s not the solution; it’s a solution.” Israel said childbirth in Mississippi is all about convenience. The state has the highest cesarean delivery rate in the country. The World Health Organization makes it clear that C-sections should only be performed when medically necessary, with only about 10% to 15% of births by cesarean delivery. Mississippi’s rate is nearly 40%. C-sections, intended to be used in emergencies, can pose risks of heavy bleeding, infection, organ injury and maternal death, according to the American Pregnancy Association.\n\nMissouri\n\nSpringfield: COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to spike in southwestern Missouri, and residents there are being urged to get vaccinated before gathering for Fourth of July activities. Springfield-Greene County Acting Health Director Katie Towns said 142 new cases of the coronavirus were reported Tuesday, and the seven-day average has reached 62, the highest level since Feb. 10. Meanwhile, 76 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in Greene County. Towns, speaking at a news conference, said Memorial Day gatherings were a source of some of the recent spread, in part because new, faster-spreading variants are in the region. She said there was concern about the pending Independence Day get-togethers. “Gatherings are continuing to be a place where COVID is spread, just as it has throughout this pandemic,” Towns said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 42.1% of Americans are fully vaccinated. Missouri lags with 35.6% of all residents fully inoculated, and rates in the southwestern part of the state are far lower than that. State health department data shows just 31% of Greene County residents have completed their shots, and several southwestern Missouri counties have full vaccination rates below 30% – with a few even below 20%.\n\nMontana\n\nGreat Falls: The Montana Democratic Party has become the first state party in the U.S. to establish a formal role for Native Americans, based on their proportion of the population. Representatives from the seven reservations in the state and the Little Shell Tribe will have two delegates each at the Montana Democratic Party platform, rules, officers and special nominating conventions, according to a news release. Rep. Donavon Hawk, D-Butte, who advocated for the rule change, said the move symbolizes progress in Indigenous representation locally and nationally. “This isn’t just about having a seat at the table, it’s about delivering results that improve health care, infrastructure and the economy for American Indian Montanans across the state,” he said in a statement. Some of the Democratic tribal committees have formed. Maria Vega was selected as chair of the Fort Peck tribal committee, and Lance Four Star was selected as vice-chair. Davin Sorrell, a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, was selected last week to chair the Flathead tribal committee, and Patrick Yawakie-Peltier, community organizer and co-founder of Red Medicine, was selected as vice-chair. Yawakie-Peltier said he hopes increased Indigenous participation in politics will encourage others to be engaged.\n\nNebraska\n\nLincoln: A lawsuit that sought to block the state from imposing a two-tiered Medicaid expansion system with more benefits for people working, volunteering or meeting other requirements is on hold after officials said they would give all participants the same benefits. Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong granted a motion Friday to pause legal proceedings until Oct. 4, the first business day after everyone enrolled in Medicaid expansion will get the extra services available under the state’s premium plan, the Omaha World-Herald reports. The motion was filed after an agreement between the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, which administers the state Medicaid program, and Nebraska Appleseed, a Lincoln-based advocacy group that filed the lawsuit. State officials announced recently that they would abandon plans for a limited tier of coverage for most Medicaid expansion patients. According to the motion, the department must give monthly reports to Nebraska Appleseed and the court about its progress in meeting its Oct. 1 goal for launching the additional services. If the services are implemented on time, the lawsuit may be dismissed.\n\nNevada\n\nCarson City: In Sin City, one thing that will soon become unforgivable is useless grass. A new state law will outlaw about 31% of the grass in the Las Vegas area in an effort to conserve water amid a drought that’s drying up the region’s primary water source: the Colorado River. Other cities and states around the U.S. have enacted temporary bans on lawns that must be watered, but legislation signed Friday by Gov. Steve Sisolak makes Nevada the first in the nation to enact a permanent ban on certain categories of grass. Sisolak said last week that anyone flying into Las Vegas viewing the “bathtub rings” that delineate how high Lake Mead’s water levels used to be can see that conservation is needed. “It’s incumbent upon us for the next generation to be more conscious of conservation and our natural resources – water being particularly important,” he said. The ban targets what the Southern Nevada Water Authority calls “non-functional turf.” It applies to grass that virtually no one uses at office parks, in street medians and at entrances to housing developments. It excludes single-family homes, parks and golf courses. Nevada Assemblyman Howard Watts III, the bill’s sponsor, said he hopes other Western states consider similar action leading up to 2026, when they renegotiate the Colorado River’s Drought Contingency Plan.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nPortsmouth: The city has repealed its mask ordinance. The City Council voted Monday to repeal the mandate, effective immediately. It had been set to expire June 30. The council voted against a motion to amend the repeal so that the mask mandate would stay in place indoors only through June 30. City businesses have reported they are starting to see fewer customers because the mask mandate remained in effect, while other communities revoked their mandates, Assistant Mayor Jim Splaine said. “We are losing business. That’s the message that we’re hearing,” Splaine said. “We’re beginning to look kind of foolish by continuing it.” Durham also rescinded its mask mandate Monday. Exeter and Newmarket ended theirs, and others did not have one. Separately, the city put out a notice that indoor seating in Portsmouth restaurants may return to normal capacity, still complying with all applicable codes. Meanwhile, the public school district in New Hampshire’s largest city is requiring masks for students and staff only for moving around in a building. Masks are now optional inside Manchester classrooms, WMUR-TV reports. School district officials said they made the change because of a decrease in community transmission of COVID-19 and in the district.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nTrenton: Schools will have the discretion to let students go without masks during the extreme heat that has descended on the state this week, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday. Summer camps will also have similar discretion on masks outdoors, regardless of the weather, he said. The announcement comes as temperatures in many parts of the state have hovered at or risen above 90 degrees since Saturday and are expected to continue that way at least through Wednesday. Some parents have been clamoring for Murphy to ease mask-wearing inside and outside school buildings, culminating in a protest outside the Statehouse last week. The exception for going without a mask outdoors on school grounds in extreme heat has been in effect since schools reopened last September. But on Monday, Murphy suggested school districts can also waive the mask requirement indoors if it can potentially affect students’ health. “School officials are empowered to relax masking among students and staff in their buildings given extreme weather conditions,” Murphy said at a briefing. Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said it will be up to school districts to determine what constitutes excessive heat. “We need to trust that they’ll do the right thing,” she said.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nSanta Fe: The state Supreme Court ruled Monday that there is no constitutional or statutory requirement to compensate businesses for financial losses due to emergency public health orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ruling in favor of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham scuttles about 20 lawsuits against her administration. The original plaintiffs argued that aggressive health restrictions from the administration constituted a regulatory taking much like the taking of land for public works projects. The governor urged the high court to block the lawsuits. In a unanimous opinion from Justice Shannon Bacon, the court said current public health orders “are a reasonable exercise of the police power to protect the public health.” “Occupancy limits and closure of certain categories of businesses, while certainly harsh in their economic effects, are directly tied to the reasonable purpose of limiting the public’s exposure to the potentially life-threatening and communicable disease,” the decision said. The high court noted that the Public Health Emergency Response Act does provide for compensation for the emergency appropriation from businesses of health care supplies, a health facility or any other property.\n\nNew York\n\nAlbany: Hundreds of nursing homes across the state that are struggling to vaccinate workers remain at heightened risk of COVID-19 outbreaks, despite recent declines in coronavirus infections. About 250 nursing homes are lagging the state’s COVID-19 vaccination rate for long-term care workers, according to a USA TODAY Network analysis of state data. Overall, 62% of nursing home staff statewide have been at least partially vaccinated. While 85% of New York’s nursing home residents have been partially or fully vaccinated, the likelihood of future outbreaks is higher in facilities where fewer workers choose to get shots. It also increases the odds of breakthrough infections among vaccinated people, which are exceedingly rare. The problem is acute in some nursing homes across the Finger Lakes, Mid-Hudson, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley regions, where about 50 facilities had partially vaccinated less than half of their respective workers as of last week. The data shed light on a stagnated vaccination push inside nursing homes, which were granted early access to shots in December but today still trail New York hospitals and assisted living facilities, which have partially vaccinated 72% and 69% of workers, respectively.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nRocky Mount: Get ready for long lines at DMV offices this summer, state officials warn, as pandemic delays and economic forces are bringing record demand for licenses. Division of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Torre Jessup urged motorists to conduct business online if they can. Summer is usually the busiest time at DMV regardless, but many people have waited to get vaccinated before completing transactions, the division said in a news release. The COVID-19 pandemic also delayed thousands of teenagers in completing in-person driving tests to obtain their provisional licenses. And the agency’s job vacancy rate remains high because of the state’s strong job market, according to DMV. The department is encouraging people who must complete in-person business to schedule appointments or to wait to come in until after Labor Day. Meanwhile, the agency is opening new offices, expanding hours and hiring new license examiners.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nBismarck: State tax revenue exceeded projections in April, according to new data released by state budget officials. The Bismarck Tribune reports the data shows April’s general fund revenues outpaced 2019 legislative projections by 1.2%, or more than $2.7 million. Revenues have exceeded projections by 2.2%, or $96.6 million, since mid-2019. May’s revenue numbers aren’t available yet, but State Office of Management and Budget Director Joe Morrisette said Monday they looked to be what he called “fairly positive.” Some tax sources are still underperforming 2019 projections, however, reflecting the disruptive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall sales taxes, the largest source of general fund revenue, for example, were still 2.5% lower than the 2019 forecast, though. Overall oil taxes were 26% under forecasts.\n\nOhio\n\nColumbus: The state crossed two COVID-19 milestones Tuesday, counting more than 20,000 total deaths from the disease and reporting the fewest number of people currently hospitalized statewide. Since the pandemic began, 20,021 people have died due to COVID-19, according to the Ohio Department of Health. December remains the deadliest month for the coronavirus in Ohio, with 5,520 deaths, according to state data. But deaths fell sharply in January and February, after older Ohioans and people living in nursing homes were able to get COVID-19 vaccines. In April, 518 Ohioans died due to COVID-19, and 269 died in May. Those numbers could increase as deaths are reported. Deaths are often reported in the state’s coronavirus stats weeks or even months after someone dies. That’s because medical professionals have up to six months to complete a death certificate, under Ohio law, and they are reviewed by the National Center on Health Statistics before appearing in Ohio’s tally. Meanwhile, only 503 coronavirus-positive patients were being treated in hospitals across the state Tuesday, the lowest number seen since the Ohio Hospital Association began collecting data in March 2020. That’s down from a high of 5,308 on Dec. 15, 2020 and 1,058 just one month ago.\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: The state’s economy is recovering from the coronavirus pandemic downturn, with revenue collections in May 34% higher than May 2020, Treasurer Randy McDaniel said Tuesday. The state collected $1.24 billion in May 2021, $314.7 million more than the same month a year prior, according to McDaniel. “At this time last year, unemployment was high, numerous businesses had significantly reduced operations, and many people were quarantined in their homes,” McDaniel said. “Today, pent-up demand has been unleashed, and the economy is performing quite well.” He said the strongest indicator of increased economic activity is sales and use tax collections of $534.2 million – a 26% increase, or $110.1 million more than a year ago. Gross production taxes on oil and gas generated $87.3 million, nearly 128% more than May 2020, after oil prices plummeted to below $20 per barrel. The unemployment rate in Oklahoma was 4.3% in April, the most recent month available, down from 13% in April 2020.\n\nOregon\n\nSalem: Lane County, home to Eugene, has vaccinated enough people to move into the state’s lowest level of COVID-19 restrictions. And other counties will have restrictions changed based on measurements of community spread, Gov. Kate Brown announced Tuesday. Coos and Wasco counties will move down from moderate risk to lower risk. Josephine and Yamhill counties will move down from high risk to moderate risk. Harney County will move up from lower risk to moderate risk. Brown’s county risk level system governs capacity limits in restaurants, bars, gyms, retail stores and more, as well as the size of social gatherings. Since November, counties have changed risk designations based on metrics such as cases per 100,000 residents and coronavirus test positivity. On May 11, Brown announced that counties where 65% of adults have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and where officials have submitted a plan for vaccine equity can move into the lowest level of restrictions. Lane is the seventh Oregon county to do so. The new designations take effect Friday. In all, there will be 11 counties, including Marion, in the high-risk category; four counties, including Polk, in the moderate-risk category; and 21 counties in the lower-risk level.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nHarrisburg: The state’s long-awaited overhaul of its unemployment claims filing system went live Tuesday, with some users immediately complaining about glitches and the state agency that runs the program reporting a phone outage that temporarily prevented it from making or receiving calls. More than a year after the coronavirus pandemic swamped the state’s old claims system, officials promised the replacement would be easy to use; simplify and speed up the process of filing a claim; and incorporate features to reduce the opportunity for fraud. But people trying to migrate to the new website quickly ran into trouble – and weren’t shy about expressing their displeasure online. The agency acknowledged some users got “invalid password” messages, while others had trouble connecting to the server. It said fixes were in progress. Many claimants expressed alarm when the system told them they’d receive benefits by debit card and not direct deposit. But the Department of Labor & Industry said it was “just a display issue and not a problem with payment type.” Pennsylvania had been relying on a 40-year-old computer system to process unemployment benefits. The replacement system that went live Tuesday had been under development since 2006 and was plagued by delays and cost overruns.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: With the coronavirus apparently on the run in Rhode Island, the state is sending help to other areas of the world still in the heat of the battle against COVID-19, officials said Monday. Care New England’s COVID-19 Crisis Relief Effort and the Rhode Island Department of Health recently sent 200,000 coronavirus tests to India, along with protective equipment, ventilators, medications and other medical supplies to be distributed to hospitals around Delhi. “India’s hospitals and laboratories have been stretched to their limit as case counts in the nation reach an all-time high,” Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, director of the state Department of Health, said in a statement. The BinaxNOW rapid antigen tests can help health care professionals quickly identify coronavirus cases and put people into isolation, she said. The tests do not need to be sent to a lab and provide results in 15 minutes. The tests were part of Rhode Island’s allotment from the federal government, and the state has enough remaining to sustain current testing volume.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nColumbia: Continuing efforts to boost the state’s economy following pandemic-related hardships, Gov. Henry McMaster on Tuesday announced a cash infusion for technical colleges, aimed at training the jobless in new skills as they reenter the workforce. During a news conference in Anderson, the Republican said he’s allocating $8 million in federal coronavirus relief aid to a partnership between the state’s 16 tech schools and the Department of Employment and Workforce. Starting this week, the agency will contact the 87,000 South Carolinians already eligible for jobless benefits to advise them of tuition-free, short-term training classes designed to quickly prepare them for jobs like welding and truck driving, according to Tim Hardee, president of the state’s technical college system. The funds come from a total of more than $48 million provided under federal legislation passed in spring 2020, to be used at the governor’s discretion. In other allocations, McMaster has directed funds to the Department of Social Services, the Department of Education and the Department of Commerce. “All they have to do is apply,” McMaster said of the training for in-demand technical jobs. “If this works as well as we are confident it will, we are hopeful this will be a permanent part of our career process in South Carolina.”\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nSioux Falls: The union at a Smithfield Foods pork processing plant engaged in contract negotiations Tuesday armed with the authorization to call a strike. A strike authorization at the Sioux Falls chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union was overwhelmingly approved late Monday with 98% of the vote total, the union said. However, leaders said they hoped to avoid a work stoppage as they met with company representatives Tuesday. Meatpacking workers have become emboldened after a coronavirus outbreak at the plant last year killed four workers and infected nearly 1,300. The union is demanding that Smithfield boost its wage offerings in a four-year contract to match those at a JBS pork plant in the region, as well as to make several other concessions on break times and employee health insurance costs. “We’re not going to change our stand,” said B.J. Motley, the president of the local union. Smithfield Foods, based in Virginia, has said its initial offer, which was rejected by the union last week, is in “full alignment” with agreements that UFCW has already accepted at other plants. A strike at the plant, which produces roughly 5% of the nation’s pork supply every day, could create ripple effects from hog farmers to supermarket shelves.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: The state’s annual free fishing day is Saturday. Each year, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency offers one day when anglers can fish without a paid license in the state’s public waters, agency-owned and -operated lakes, and state park facilities. The TWRA said it annually stocks several thousand pounds of fish for various events. However, some privately owned lakes and ponds continue to charge during free fishing day, the agency said. Interested anglers will need to consult with those operators if there are any questions about a facility. Many events are returning this year following cancellations in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A list of events being held on free fishing day can be found on the TWRA’s website.\n\nTexas\n\nDallas: The State Fair of Texas is coming back this fall, two years after the last time folks were able to gather at Fair Park to devour funnel cakes, admire flashy cars and gaze up at the iconic 55-foot tall Big Tex. The annual fair, which dates back to 1886, will take place from Sept. 24 through Oct. 17. This year’s theme is “Howdy, Folks!” State Fair of Texas president Mitchell Glieber said in a statement that the theme “encompasses the foundation of what the fair is all about – being together.” “We’re excited to make up for lost time and help families and friends from all walks of life reconnect again, while making new memories to last a lifetime,” Glieber said. Last year, the in-person fair was canceled due to the pandemic. Instead of eating fried food at Fair Park, would-be attendees had the option to stream corn dog and funnel cake cooking tutorials from their living rooms. Big Tex still loomed over Fair Park, but for the first time in his 68-year history, he wore a mask. This fall, according to the Dallas Morning News, his mask is coming off. Fairgoers can look forward to bull riding, vegetable carving and Dia de los Muertos activities. Food offerings will include Cajun crab bombs, deep fried waffles, and jalapeno and champagne jello shots, and attendees will hear loads of live music.\n\nUtah\n\nSalt Lake City: More than 20,000 people marched through downtown Salt Lake City over the weekend to close out Pride week in the state. Utah Pride Center Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Foulk said it was “beautiful” to see everyone gathered at the “Rainbow March & Rally” again after events were canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, KSTU-TV reports. “We really wanted to get back to how Pride started,” Foulk said. “Pride started as a protest and a rally and a march, and that’s what we brought back for this year specifically because we couldn’t have food vendors and floats and have a super large gathering.” Planning has already started for next year, with hopes that more people can attend, Foulk said.\n\nVermont\n\nMontpelier: Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed into law Monday a bill that will make it easier for residents to vote in general elections. The new law will send general election ballots to all active voters ahead of the election, making permanent a policy used last year during the pandemic. Under the system that was used last November, when COVID-19 was surging, voters will be able to cast ballots by mail, take them to polling places to vote early or cast their ballots in person on Election Day. The law also provides a mechanism for correcting defective ballots and makes other changes to the state’s voting laws. Scott said he didn’t think the law went far enough, and he urged lawmakers when they return in January to extend the provisions of the law to primary elections, local elections and school budget votes. “I’m signing this bill because I believe making sure voting is easy and accessible, and increasing voter participation, is important,” Scott said in a statement. At a time when legislatures around much of the nation are more likely to pass laws that limit opportunities to cast ballots, “here in the Green Mountain State we chose a different path,” Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos said in a statement.\n\nVirginia\n\nFalls Church: The mansion where Robert E. Lee once lived that now overlooks Arlington National Cemetery is open to the public again, after a $12 million rehabilitation and reinterpretation that includes an increased emphasis on those who were enslaved there. The National Park Service opened Arlington House to the public Tuesday for the first time since 2018. The mansion and surrounding grounds had been expected to reopen in 2019, but delays and the coronavirus pandemic extended the closure. The rehabilitation was funded by philanthropist David Rubenstein, who has also donated millions for the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and other historical sites around the D.C. region. The mansion, which commands an unrivaled view of the nation’s capital and the Potomac River, is best known as the home of the Confederate general leading up to the Civil War. But its history goes well beyond Lee. George Washington Parke Custis, the adopted son of George Washington, built the mansion as a memorial of sorts to the country’s first president. Robert E. Lee came to Arlington House after he married Custis’ daughter, Mary Anna Randolph Custis. New exhibits and materials at Arlington House include the stories of the enslaved Syphax and Norris families.\n\nWashington\n\nBremerton: The elite submarine USS Connecticut, now finally free from an infestation of bedbugs, has set sail for deployment to the Pacific Ocean. The Navy announced the submarine, one of three of the Seawolf-class boats, left Sinclair Inlet on May 27. The boat had been battling an infestation of bedbugs on board, but Navy officials said the submarine is free of the insects following eradication efforts. Some of the crew of more than 100 had complained of bed bugs in late 2020. Navy entomologists found them in the perforated bulkheads between bunks Feb. 19, the Navy said. Berthing areas were thoroughly cleaned and treated for the insects, and linens, privacy curtains and clothes on board were washed and dried. Some crew members slept in vehicles until a temporary structure was opened in the boat’s mooring area. The Connecticut is home-ported at Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton with sister boat USS Seawolf, itself having returned from a globetrotting deployment in February. Only three of the Seawolf-class subs, which each cost more than $3 billion to build, were actually completed. Many more had been planned in the days of the Cold War with the Soviet Union, as a way to gain an upper hand.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nCharleston: Lawmakers poured federal funds and extra state cash into road repairs, health care, and education programs such as school lunches Monday as they began the GOP-led Legislature’s first special session of the year, called by the governor to handle spending about $902 million received through the latest round of federal pandemic aid. One Republican senator took the opportunity after the break to snipe at Gov. Jim Justice’s new sweepstakes for getting more residents vaccinated against COVID-19 and his reluctance to lift a statewide mask mandate sooner. Fully vaccinated people are exempt from the indoor mask requirement. Sen. Randy Smith, R-Tucker, said he is “fed up” with the governor’s decisions and “wasteful spending.” Justice announced a vaccine lottery that will include prizes ranging from hunting rifles to $1 million. “I don’t believe we should be using money to bribe people to get something that should be their own personal choice,” Smith said. The governor and his health experts have pushed residents to get the shots in weekly news conferences, where Justice has trotted out his bulldog named Babydog to entice viewers. West Virginia’s vaccine lottery is now called “Do It for Babydog.” The efforts haven’t yet boosted a sluggish vaccination drive.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMilwaukee: A former pharmacist who purposefully ruined more than 500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine was sentenced to three years in prison Tuesday. Steven Brandenburg, 46, of Grafton, pleaded guilty in February to two felony counts of attempting to tamper with a consumer product. He had admitted to intentionally removing the doses manufactured by Moderna from a refrigerator for hours at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton, located just north of Milwaukee. In a statement before receiving his sentence, Brandenburg said he felt “great shame” and accepted responsibility for his actions. He apologized to his co-workers, family and the community. Aurora destroyed most of the tampered doses, but not before 57 people received inoculations from the supply. Those doses are believed to have still been effective, but weeks of uncertainty created a storm of anger, anxiety and anguish among the recipients, according to court documents. Prosecutors asked for a sentence of three years and five months. Brandenburg faced a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment at $250,000 in fines for each felony count. Brandenburg is an admitted conspiracy theorist who believes he is a prophet, and vaccines are a product of the devil. He also professed a belief that the Earth is flat and that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were faked.\n\nWyoming\n\nCody: The Cody School District’s practice of broadcasting its special school board meetings to the public has come to an end after over a year. The pandemic-era practice related to limited capacity in the board room, but those restrictions have since been dropped, the Cody Enterprise reports. The district will continue to broadcast its regular meetings via the paid service Boxcast, which officials say is more accessible than free options like Facebook Live and YouTube, according to the newspaper.\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/06/09"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2021/10/06/pipeline-penalties-climate-change-symphony-library-leniency-news-around-states/119024162/", "title": "Pipeline penalties, climate change symphony: News from around ...", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nMontgomery: The state intends to move quickly on building new prisons under a plan that taps pandemic relief funds and could skip the normal bidding process for the construction of two supersize facilities. Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday signed into law the $1.3 billion construction plan to build two 4,000-bed prisons and a new prison for women and to renovate other facilities. The plan taps $400 million from the American Rescue Plan – money the state has already received – and could steer the construction contracts toward companies that previously qualified for the work. Those include Birmingham-based construction giant BL Harbert International and Montgomery-based Caddell Construction. Caddell and BL Harbert are expected to be the main contractors for the two prisons, Republican state Sen. Greg Albritton said. Lawmakers said working with those companies will allow the state to incorporate prior work. “This is going to enable us to start these projects 12 months in advance, and time is money,” said the bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. Steve Clouse. Officials will have the money to start construction after lawmakers approved $400 million in coronavirus funds and another $150 million from the state’s general fund, in addition to agreeing to borrow $785 million through a bond issue.\n\nAlaska\n\nJuneau: A Canadian mining company has been looking for precious metals on Chichagof Island in southeast Alaska. Millrock Resources, a Vancouver, British Columbia-based company, several years ago applied to the U.S. Forest Service for drilling permits to renew exploration on claims that once made up the historic Apex and El Nido gold mines. However, the exploration never happened. CEO Gregory Beischer said the company wasn’t able to secure financing. The mines produced precious metals in the early 20th century. Some exploration resumed in the 1980s. “But it really has been dormant since the mining activity took place in the ’20s and ’30s,” Beischer told CoastAlaska. Millrock has formed a partnership with another company, which has allowed it to take soil samples on claims less than 3 miles from Pelican, a community with fewer than 100 year-round residents. The operator of Kensington Mine north of Juneau, which is a subsidiary of Coeur Mining, invested about $200,000 for a small team of geologists based in Pelican. Beischer said soil sample results are pending. But he said geologists hope they will show that gold-bearing quartz veins continue down the mountain. Taking soil samples doesn’t require permits, according to state and federal regulators.\n\nArizona\n\nPhoenix: U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema said Monday that activists who confronted her outside an Arizona State University classroom and filmed her inside a restroom were not engaging in “legitimate protest.” The Democratic senator said the immigration reform activists unlawfully entered the suburban Phoenix campus building, which was only open to ASU students and faculty, and recorded her and her students. Sinema, a former social worker, is a lecturer at ASU’s School of Social Work. “In the 19 years I have been teaching at ASU, I have been committed to creating a safe and intellectually challenging environment for my students,” Sinema said. “Yesterday, that environment was breached. My students were unfairly and unlawfully victimized.” Living United for Change in Arizona posted video of the Sunday encounter on social media. The video showed LUCHA members chastising Sinema on accusations that she did not adequately support expectations of a pathway to citizenship for people in the country illegally and has not been supportive enough of President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion infrastructure proposal. LUCHA said its members were forced to confront Sinema at ASU because she has been inaccessible. Sinema said in her statement she has met with the group multiple times since she was elected to the Senate.\n\nArkansas\n\nLittle Rock: The state Senate has advanced a measure that would require an exemption process for workers who face a COVID-19 vaccine mandate from their employers. The vote Monday came during a special session that was called to redraw the state’s congressional maps. The measure from Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, says any employer that mandates the vaccines must also offer an exemption process that includes coronavirus testing or proof of antibodies. If enacted, the requirement would end July 31, 2023, unless extended by lawmakers. Republican lawmakers have filed numerous bills targeting vaccine mandates for the special session, which began last week. The proposals are primarily in response to President Joe Biden’s order requiring workers at businesses with at least 100 employees to get vaccinated or tested regularly. The discussion about vaccine requirements comes as coronavirus cases continue to decrease from their summer peaks in Arkansas. According to Johns Hopkins University, the state had 529.7 new cases per 100,000 people over the past two weeks, which ranks Arkansas 28th in the country for new cases per capita.\n\nCalifornia\n\nLos Angeles: Weeks before a leak from an oil pipeline fouled beaches to the south in Orange County, Los Angeles County supervisors voted unanimously to phase out oil and gas drilling and ban new drill sites in the unincorporated areas of the nation’s most populous county. Over 1,600 active and idle oil and gas wells could be shuttered after last month’s 5-0 vote by the board of supervisors. Among the sites is the Inglewood Oil Field, one of the largest U.S. urban oil fields. The sprawling, 1,000-acre site, owned and operated by Sentinel Peak Resources, contains over half the oil and gas wells in the county’s unincorporated areas. The field produced 2.5 million to 3.1 million barrels of oil a year over the past decade, according to the company. “The goal is to provide direction to county departments to begin addressing the variety of issues, environmental and climate impacts created by these active and inactive oil and gas wells,” said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, who represents the district where most of the Inglewood Oil Field is located. The California Independent Petroleum Association, representing nearly 400 oil and gas industry entities, opposed the measure.\n\nColorado\n\nDenver: Three Front Range ski areas vying for the annual distinction of being the first to open for the season could begin snowmaking operations very soon. They just need Mother Nature to cooperate. In 15 of the past 20 years, at least one of those areas – Arapahoe Basin, Loveland and Keystone – has opened during the second or third week of October, usually relying heavily on manmade snow, The Denver Post reports. But October this year is likely to have above-average temperatures with average or slightly below-average precipitation, said Kari Bowen, a National Weather Service meteorologist. That doesn’t necessarily mean the resorts won’t be able to make snow, but a cold October doesn’t appear to be in the forecast. Beyond that, the weather service’s Climate Prediction Center says there is a 60% chance of above-normal temperatures for the northern and central mountains over the next three months, with a 60% chance of below-normal precipitation. From the early 1980s through 2001, the rivalry to become the first Front Range ski area to open was between Keystone and Loveland. Then, in 2002, Arapahoe Basin installed snowmaking equipment, and the race became a duel between A-Basin and Loveland. In 2019, Keystone added 53 automated snow guns with 11,000 feet of pipe and 15 miles of electrical cable.\n\nConnecticut\n\nHartford: The state’s attorney general is asking leadership of TikTok, a video-sharing service, to come to Connecticut and meet with educators and parents to discuss the “harmful impact” the popular app is having on the mental and physical safety of students and educators. Attorney General William Tong, who sent a letter Monday to TikTok’s CEO, said there’s concern that a current viral challenge known as “Slap a Teacher” could put educators at risk. His request comes after New Britain High School temporarily closed last month due to student misbehavior that was attributed in part to the viral “Devious Licks” TikTok challenge, which led to damage at schools across the U.S. Students took videos of themselves vandalizing school bathrooms and stealing soap dispensers, among other acts of destruction. “With new reports of the “Slap a Teacher” challenge, it is clear that TikTok is unable to control the spread of harmful content,” Tong wrote, noting that TikTok had identified and removed “Devious Licks” content from its platform. “Simply put, whatever TikTok has been doing to enforce its terms of service has not been working and merits serious review and reform.” A message was left seeking comment with a TikTok spokesperson.\n\nDelaware\n\nNewark: A school bus with students on board crashed into parked cars, went off the road and struck a pole Tuesday morning as it pulled into a school campus, but there were only minor injuries, police said. The crash happened just before 9 a.m. at the Newark Charter School campus on Patriot Way, Newark police said in a news release. Elementary and middle school students were on the bus at the time of the crash. When police officers arrived, a school nurse was treating some students who received minor injuries, but no students needed to be taken to a medical facility, police said. The school notified parents of the incident. The driver was not injured, police said.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: A plan to remove homeless encampments at two underpasses in the NoMa neighborhood near Union Station paused Monday after a bulldozer driver began clearing out a tent with an unhoused resident still inside, WUSA-TV reports. Witnesses described the moment as a chaotic scene, with advocates rushing to prevent the man from getting seriously hurt. Community advocates said he was taken to a hospital by ambulance for extra medical attention and was expected to be OK. “They had to cut a hole to make sure this person was OK, and they brought in the fire department, who actually got him out,” witness Andrew Anderson said. “They didn’t actually take any time to make sure anyone was in there; they just grabbed the tents and took them out.” Anderson is part of the nonprofit organization People for Fairness Coalition, which provides services to homeless encampments. He and other activists spent much of the day at the sites at the L and M Street underpasses – one of four areas on which the city is focusing as part of the new Coordinated Assistance and Resources for Encampments pilot program aimed at relocating more than 100 unhoused residents to apartments and connecting them to resources while closing down the homeless encampments for health and public safety reasons.\n\nFlorida\n\nTallahassee: Florida first lady Casey DeSantis has breast cancer, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday. DeSantis, 41, is the mother of the couple’s three children, the youngest of whom was born after the governor took office in January 2019. “As she faces the most difficult test of her life, she will … not only have my unwavering support but the support of our entire family, as well as the prayers and well wishes from Floridians across our state. Casey is a true fighter, and she will never, never, never give up,” Ron DeSantis said in a statement. Casey DeSantis has played an active role in her husband’s Republican administration, advocating for people with mental health issues. She often appears with him, children in tow, at bill signings and other official events. Republican and Democratic leaders put partisanship aside during an outpouring of support for Mrs. DeSantis on social media. “As a #breastcancer survivor also diagnosed at 41 and a 14 year survivor, I’m wishing you the strength you need to fight and win this battle,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz wrote on Twitter. “The breast cancer survivor sisterhood knows no party. Please reach out if I can help in any way.”\n\nGeorgia\n\nAtlanta: A new photo and video project celebrates Hispanic workers in the state who were required to keep going to their jobs during the pandemic, even when a lockdown let many other employees stay home. Photographers Hector Amador and Miguel Martinez document the experiences of these essential workers in the online exhibition “Our Essential Heroes,” the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The project, which includes interviews with a farm worker and janitor, is part of the Latino Community Fund Georgia’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations. “We realized a lot of people were sort of invisible when it comes to essential work,” Amador told the paper. “Miguel and I are both immigrants. We know what it’s like being trapped between two cultures. We know what it’s like being treated like a second-class citizen sometimes.” Maria Fajardo, a farmworker in Glennville who contracted the coronavirus, said in an interview featured in the project that work harvesting crops is not appreciated, and farmworkers are not valued. “We have to be here,” she said. “We could be sick, but we are still expected to keep working, harvesting the food so that people can eat.” To view the project, visit unidosgeorgia.com/heroes.\n\nHawaii\n\nHonolulu: The Hawaii Tourism Authority plans to seek $64 million from the state’s capital improvements budget to fix a leaky rooftop deck at the Hawaii Convention Center. That’s more than double what the agency had last anticipated it would cost to complete the largest deferred maintenance project at the building, which opened in 1998, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports. It’s a substantial reinvestment in a center that cost $200 million to construct. Julian Anderson, who presented recommendations to the Hawaii Tourism Authority board Thursday on behalf of Honolulu-based property manager Rider Levett Bucknall, said the deck was still structurally safe. However, he said, components of contractor Nordic/PCL’s design were guaranteed for only 15 to 20 years, so it’s well past time to address the leaky rooftop. “This is an issue that has existed since the building was designed. Repair is not an option; replacement is required,” he said. “If work is not done, the amount of damage will continue to increase, and more rentable space will be taken out of inventory.”\n\nIdaho\n\nBoise: A constant barrage of misinformation has health care workers facing increased animosity from some patients and community members, officials say. It’s gotten so bad in northern Idaho that some Kootenai Health employees are scared to go to the grocery store if they haven’t changed out of their scrubs, hospital spokeswoman Caiti Bobbitt said. Some doctors and nurses at the Coeur d’Alene hospital have been accused of killing patients by grieving family members who don’t believe COVID-19 is real, Bobbitt said. Others have been the subject of hurtful rumors spread by people angry about the pandemic. “Our health care workers are almost feeling like Vietnam veterans, scared to go into the community after a shift,” Bobbitt said. Similar instances are happening across the state, said Brian Whitlock, president of the Idaho Hospital Association. “We’ve had reports of physical violence, verbal abuse, demands for alternative treatment that are not acceptable or approved. And those become very difficult conversations to have as the patient continues to decompensate,” Whitlock said. “We’re not frustrated with the misinformed. We’re frustrated with those who propagate the misinformation because it’s costing people their lives.”\n\nIllinois\n\nChicago: A federal agency has recommended that Tootsie Roll Industries pay more than $136,000 in fines after a machine at its Chicago plant cut off part of an employee’s finger earlier this year. In a news release, the U.S. Department of Labor said its Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued one willful violation “for inadequate machine guarding” and proposed the fines after an investigation into the April 19 incident. According to the release, a 48-year-old employee had reached into a machine to remove stuck paper debris when a bag sealer snapped shut on one of his fingers. And the Labor Department said the incident happened after the company had allowed the machine’s access doors to remain unguarded. “Hundreds of workers are injured needlessly each year because employers ignore safety guards, often to speed up production, and that’s exactly what happened in this case,” OSHA Chicago South Area Director James Martineck said in the release. Calls to the company for comment were not immediately returned Tuesday. According to the Labor Department, the company has 15 business days to comply with the recommended fines, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent OSHA review commission.\n\nIndiana\n\nIndianapolis: The governor gave his approval Monday to the Republican redrawing of the state’s congressional and legislative districts that critics argued gives the party an excessive election advantage for the next decade. Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb’s signature was the final step in the redistricting for Indiana’s nine congressional seats and 150 seats in the Legislature that were drawn by Republican leaders behind closed doors and adopted Friday in the Legislature without any support from Democrats. The maps faced intense criticism as diluting the influence of minority and urban voters in favor of white voters living in rural areas to bolster the election prospects for Republicans. That came after the 2020 census found that the state’s white and rural populations both shrank over the past 10 years. Holcomb said in a statement he believed that legislators completed the redistricting work in “an orderly and transparent way.” Political analysts say the new maps that will be used through the 2030 elections protect the Republican dominance that has boosted them to a 7-2 majority of Indiana’s U.S. House seats and commanding majorities in the Legislature. Opponents pointed to Donald Trump winning 57% of Indiana’s presidential vote last year as Republicans captured 71 of the 100 Indiana House and 39 of 50 state Senate seats.\n\nIowa\n\nDavenport: The city is making a million-dollar investment in a riverside park as part of an effort to get ready for an expected increase in cruise ship traffic. The Quad-City Times reports the city has repaired the seawall and is extending the river walk and promenade that runs the length of the riverfront at River Heritage Park. The promenade includes a decorative walkway, lighting and benches. The latest Mississippi River cruise schedule shows large passenger vessels from two cruise lines anchoring simultaneously next year along the seawall. Davenport was a stop this year for boats from American Cruise Lines, including classic paddlewheelers and modern riverboats. Passengers typically get off the boat at Davenport and board buses for tours of Quad City destinations. New riverboats from Viking Cruise Lines also will be anchoring next season in Davenport.\n\nKansas\n\nTopeka: Some local governments are operating with 10% of their positions unfilled, making it hard to deliver the services that citizens expect. Across the state, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that Kansas has seen a 4.7% drop in the number of public-sector workers, which translates into about 12,000 vacant jobs, but some towns are being hit harder. The pandemic has compounded the situation because the competitive labor market has made it hard to replace older employees who decided to retire. And private companies, which are also struggling to hire, have more flexibility in pay and benefits than city governments generally do. In Concordia, city manager Amy Lange said the government is down to the bare minimum needed to perform city functions, but with six positions open – which accounts for 10% of its workforce – workers are stretched thin. The problems become more serious in the area’s pool of emergency medical technicians, where the pool of part-time EMS workers has dwindled. Elsewhere, Lawrence has over twice the normal number of vacant positions. In Winfield, the city had to overhaul its pay structure for utilities workers in an effort to avoid being short-staffed. And officials in Shawnee County and across Kansas have struggled to hire corrections and public safety workers.\n\nKentucky\n\nFrankfort: Gov. Andy Beshear recommended Monday that the state use $400 million in federal pandemic relief assistance to provide bonuses next year for beleaguered health care staff and other front-line workers who provided essential services during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Democratic governor said he intends to send a framework of the plan to the state’s Republican-dominated Legislature within the next 10 days. Lawmakers would make the final decision on appropriating the federal aid. Beshear’s recommendation comes as many Kentucky hospitals continue struggling with chronic staffing shortages to treat an influx of coronavirus patients – most of them unvaccinated against COVID-19. Some prominent Senate Republicans have urged the governor to call lawmakers into a special legislative session this year to direct immediate aid to hospitals to overcome staffing woes. The governor said Monday that the federal money won’t be available until next year, when lawmakers are back in regular session. Beshear also expanded the number of workers potentially eligible for bonuses, mentioning emergency responders, grocery store workers, educators and factory workers employed by companies deemed essential during the pandemic.\n\nLouisiana\n\nBaton Rouge: Sixteen of the 49 Louisiana hospitals that regularly deliver babies have met new standards aimed at improving the state’s poor performance involving deaths resulting from pregnancy. The Louisiana Department of Health said Monday that 11 hospitals in the state are “Birth Ready,” and five others met the higher designation of “Birth Ready+” under standards set by the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative, a network of public health experts, advocates, doctors and other care providers. The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reports the classifications grade hospitals on whether they meet certain benchmarks related to maternal blood loss, cesarean sections, staff education and other factors that contribute to improved outcomes during pregnancy. “These 16 hospitals went above and beyond,” said Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, director of the collaborative. The effort seeks to make births safer using metrics to judge whether a hospital is doing everything possible to ensure births don’t end in death or serious complications. Louisiana’s rate of pregnancy-related deaths in 2018 was 25.2 deaths per 100,000 live births – compared to the national rate of 17.4.\n\nMaine\n\nBangor: The headlining event of next year’s Maine Science Festival will be a musical exploration of climate change. The organizers of the festival said they commissioned composer Lucas Richman to create a symphony about hope in the era of climate change in the Gulf of Maine, which is warming faster than most of the world’s oceans. The organizers said the Bangor Symphony Orchestra will perform the premiere of the work, called “The Warming Sea,” at the Maine Science Festival on March 19. Festival organizers said Richman’s work was informed by discussions with scientists, researchers, experts and Maine middle school students. The performance will also include a women’s and children’s choir. It will take place at Collins Center for the Arts in Orono. The Maine Science Festival began in 2015 and hosts dozens of events during its five-day March festival.\n\nMaryland\n\nBaltimore: Dundalk residents and some preservationist groups fear that a developer’s plans to build storage units on one of the last undeveloped pieces of battleground land from a key War of 1812 battle may destroy human remains that they believe are yet to be unearthed on the property. The proposed 13,600-square-foot building would be an extension of a Prime Storage facility in the Baltimore County community. The county approved the project as a limited exemption from standard development processes because it’s a minor commercial structure, so neither public notice nor hearings were required. The property is near the site of the former Patapsco Neck Methodist Meeting House, used as a field hospital during the Battle of North Point in September 1814. About 70 American and British soldiers were killed during the two-day battle, and, as the story goes, British bodies were buried in unmarked graves near the long-gone church that was used as a makeshift hospital. A 1990s archaeological survey found no evidence of remains on the property where the project is proposed. But community groups and state and federal agencies want to halt the development for a more thorough investigation they say would determine the truth.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nBarnstable: A hydrologist who researched the levels of contamination in Cape Cod’s bodies of water found there were human-made chemicals in 21 ponds he tested. Tom Cambareri collected water samples from ponds around town, finding a group of chemicals known as PFAS polluting the town’s clean water supply. The chemicals have been linked to several health problems and often do not break down into the environment easily. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances are unregulated at the federal level, but Massachusetts is beginning to put safeguards on drinking water. Last year, the state enacted a safeguard that would allow 20 nanograms per liter for a group of six PFAS compounds in drinking water. The contamination of local water supplies can be traced to the Barnstable County Fire Rescue and Training Academy and the Cape Cod Gateway Airport. The two locations used PFAS-filled firefighting foam for decades. Even though in 2015 city water officials began cleaning up the pollution from the airport and training academy, Cambareri’s report found that the pollutants spread across the village through contaminated well water before that treatment began. Local officials said they can’t do anything further because there is no state or federal standard for exposure to PFAS in surface water bodies.\n\nMichigan\n\nDetroit: Aretha Franklin was given a bit of posthumous R-E-S-P-E-C-T on Monday when a post office was named after the late singer in her hometown. Members of Franklin’s family as well as postal and elected officials visited the former Fox Creek post office to celebrate the name change honoring the Queen of Soul. “Her legacy lives on in her music, in her family. But we have added to that list of her legacy a post office with her name on it,” said U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, a Michigan Democrat and longtime postal service worker. Lawrence also was a friend of Franklin and introduced the bill in Congress that resulted in the name change. That legislation, signed by President Donald Trump in January, sailed through Congress, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters said. “Sometimes people wonder if Congress can come together,” the Democratic senator said to laughter during the dedication ceremony Monday. “Congress can come together when it comes to standing up and recognizing this amazing person.” The post office is located about 5 miles east of downtown and not far from a concert amphitheater on the Detroit River that also is named for Franklin. It now will be known as the Aretha Franklin Post Office Building.\n\nMinnesota\n\nSt. Paul: An appeals court has ruled in favor of a retired botany and physics professor whose unmanicured yard was declared a public nuisance. Ed Borchardt wanted a natural yard, filled with native plants and flowers that would attract birds, bees, butterflies and other wildlife. The city of North Mankato disagreed with his vision and said the yard doesn’t meet the standards of a new local ordinance that encourages naturally managed lawns. The appeals court on Monday said a city cannot declare a nuisance “based on little more than neighbors’ displeasure with the property’s appearance.” The court said the city failed to produce enough evidence that Borchardt’s yard was a hazard to public health or safety, the Star Tribune reports. In recent years, health problems have prevented Borchardt from keeping up with the yardwork, and neighbors began to complain about an explosion of vegetation. City Administrator John Harrenstein said that despite the appeals ruling, the case is not closed. “The property in question still remains, in our opinion, a nuisance according to our existing code,” he said. The appeals court decision faulted the city for not offering enough evidence to back its contention that Borchardt’s yard is a nuisance, and Harrenstein said the city will be consulting with its lawyers on how to proceed.\n\nMississippi\n\nJackson: The largest physician group in the state will pursue options to expand Medicaid despite opposition from two top political leaders. The Mississippi State Medical Association recently adopted a resolution to explore and pursue options including a Medicaid waiver program and or amending the state’s Medicaid plan to ensure more people have access to health care. “Mississippi has been saddled with a health care access issue long before the COVID-19 pandemic. The current landscape has demonstrated how urgent and critical the need to increase access to health care for Mississippians is,” MSMA President Dr. Geri Lee Weiland said. Mississippi is one of the dozen states that have not expanded Medicaid despite the federal government picking up 90% of the cost. The Mississippi Hospital Association also supports expanding Medicaid. Its president, Tim Moore, has said the state’s decision not to expand Medicaid has hit rural Mississippi particularly hard. He said six rural hospitals have closed their doors for good in recent years, and nearly half of all rural hospitals are now at risk of closure. Hospitals in the state spent over $600 million on uncompensated care in 2019, Moore said. Joint House and Senate Medicaid committees have four hearings scheduled this month on Medicaid at the state Capitol.\n\nMissouri\n\nSt. Louis: Former U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, a conservative Republican whose comment that women’s bodies have a way of avoiding pregnancies in cases of “legitimate rape” sunk his bid for the U.S. Senate and became a cautionary tale for other GOP candidates, has died. He was 74. Akin had cancer for several years, his son Perry said in a statement. He died late Sunday at his home in Wildwood, a St. Louis suburb. “As my father’s death approached, we had people from all different walks of life share story after story of the personal impact he had on them,” Perry Akin said in a statement. “He was a devout Christian, a great father, and a friend to many.” Akin represented a Republican-leaning eastern Missouri district that included St. Louis-area suburbs for 12 years, giving up a safe seat to run for the U.S. Senate in 2012. He emerged from a crowded GOP primary to challenge then-incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, only to seriously hurt Republicans’ chances of recapturing a Senate majority less than two weeks later. Akin, a strong abortion opponent, was asked during an interview by a St. Louis television station whether he supported allowing abortions for women who have been raped. He answered that “from what I understand from doctors,” such pregnancies are “really rare.”\n\nMontana\n\nBillings: A plan designed to test whether boosting water releases from Fort Peck Dam in the spring could help endangered pallid sturgeon successfully spawn has been approved. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released its environmental impact statement Sept. 24 outlining its proposed path forward as well as the predicted economic impacts. Under its chosen alternative, when reservoir water levels allow, the Corps would request that Fort Peck Dam begin increasing releases in April to see if mimicking spring runoff will attract pallid sturgeon into the Missouri River. The concept is not a new one, U.S. Geological Survey research fish biologist Pat Braaten noted. In the early 2000s, fisheries and biologists worked on test flows from Fort Peck to gather data, but the push evaporated around 2007 when water levels dropped due to drier weather. Mother Nature eventually provided proof of concept in the high-water years of 2011 and 2018, Braaten said, as pallid sturgeon females moved up the river below the dam. Without managed flows like the Corps’ proposed tests, such opportunistic runoff scenarios provide the best chance for the fish to successfully spawn in the wild, he said. Under the Corps proposal, the tests would fluctuate dam releases between April and July.\n\nNebraska\n\nOmaha: Two women sued the state’s public health agency Monday after it denied their request to list both their names as parents on their children’s birth certificates. Erin Porterfield and Kristin Williams, of Omaha, allege in their lawsuit that state officials treat unmarried, same-sex couples differently from unmarried, opposite-sex couples, in violation of their due process and equal protection rights. The women argue listing them both is critical because it could affect their children’s eligibility for government benefits, should something happen to one of them. They also accuse the state of sexual discrimination because it allows men to voluntarily acknowledge they are parents to get onto a birth certificate but doesn’t allow women to do so. “Our sons are our entire world, and we want to make sure we’re doing right by them,” Porterfield said. “Our boys have a right to the security of having both parents on their birth certificates, a required document in so many life changes and decisions.” Porterfield and Williams began a romantic relationship in 2000 and used an anonymous sperm donor to have two children, according to the lawsuit. Porterfield gave birth to their first son in 2002 and Williams to their second in 2005. They ended their romantic involvement in 2013 but continued to share parenting duties.\n\nNevada\n\nCarson City: State health officials as of Monday are counting results from rapid antigen tests in the coronavirus data they present to the public and use to determine whether the pandemic is prevalent enough to trigger mask and capacity mandates. The state updated its health response dashboard, adding more than 600,000 tests to its count. The dashboard started displaying “cumulative tests” on its testing page and dividing the new infections into “confirmed cases” and “probable cases” on its page that reports total cases. Unlike the traditional molecular tests that are considered more accurate, antigen tests detect viral proteins rather than the coronavirus itself. They can return results in about 15 minutes instead of days. Rapid tests have become increasingly common throughout the nation, particularly in high-risk settings like nursing homes, schools and prisons. Nevada’s updated tally counts molecular tests as confirmed cases and rapid tests reported to the state as probable cases. State health officials said the fact that the tests are now being used more commonly prompted them to change their data reporting practices. As of February, CNN reported five states including Nevada only reported publicly reported confirmed cases from molecular tests, contrary to guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. All but Maryland now report both.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nConcord: Gov. Chris Sununu is calling for the removal of a state representative, a fellow Republican, from his position as head of the legislative fiscal committee, saying the lawmaker is continuing to spread COVID-19 misinformation. Last month, Rep. Ken Weyler, of Kingston, told state Health Commissioner Lori Shibinette at a committee hearing that he doubted the state’s figures showing 90% people who are hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated. Shibinette said his assessment was incorrect and was misinformation. On Monday, Democratic committee member Rep. Mary Jane Wallner released a statement saying Weyler sent the entire committee an email containing a 52-page “report” with disinformation on COVID-19, including claims that live creatures with tentacles are entering people’s bodies through the vaccine and that technology was placed in the vaccine to control people’s thoughts. Sununu said in a statement Monday that he has “repeatedly expressed” to House Speaker Sherman Packard the need to remove Weyler from his leadership position, calling the latest emails “absurd” and saying they have “accelerated the urgency that the Speaker needs to take action.” Sununu added: “Disseminating this misinformation clearly shows a detachment from reality and lack of judgment.”\n\nNew Jersey\n\nTrenton: The state eliminated a carve-out Tuesday in its law against discrimination that permitted employers not to hire or promote workers who are 70 or older. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed the legislation into law, saying that “discrimination of any kind has no place in New Jersey.” New Jersey’s law bars discrimination or harassment based on disability, gender, national origin, race, religion or age. But the law contained provisions that said the law shouldn’t be construed to block employers “from refusing to accept for employment or to promote any person over 70 years of age.” The new law eliminates that provision and also does away with a section that permitted colleges and universities to require retirement at age 70. “Seventy is the new 50, and older individuals are continuing to work either due to financial need or because they still have the energy, skills, and experience,” Democratic Sen. Shirley Turner said in a statement. One of the bill’s sponsors said the measure was necessary to update the state’s anti-discrimination statutes. “As in many places around the country, New Jersey’s workforce is aging, and we need to be proactive in protecting those older workers against age discrimination,” Senate Democratic Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg said in a statement. The bill had passed without any opposition.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nSanta Fe: The Democratic governor is seeking legislation to help jump-start hydrogen production from natural gas in her state – a process that generates harmful greenhouse gases but could one day be harnessed to provide environmental benefits. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham outlined the effort briefly at a convention of oil executives Monday in a speech that acknowledged New Mexico’s reliance on industry tax revenue while pledging to enforce pro-environment regulations. It’s the latest tightrope walk for the governor who has promised action on climate change while also working to shield the state’s oil and gas producers from a federal drilling moratorium on public lands issued by fellow Democrat President Joe Biden. After waiting for the executives to put on their masks, citing her emergency regulations in response to the coronavirus, Lujan Grisham launched into a 20-minute speech thanking oil and gas producers for their contributions to the economy and tax revenues that form the backbone of state education funding. She pledged to kick-start the hydrogen fuel industry in New Mexico with legislation in February. The bill could include taxes and incentives to produce hydrogen, legal frameworks to facilitate production and storage, refueling corridors for truck traffic and training programs for workers in the industry.\n\nNew York\n\nNew York: The city’s public libraries will no longer charge late fees and will waive existing fines for overdue books and other materials, officials announced Tuesday. Late fees had already been suspended since March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic and will now be permanently eliminated, elected officials and leaders of the city’s three library systems said in a news release. “This announcement is another major step towards making our public libraries, the heart of so many communities, accessible to all,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “Eliminating fines will let us serve even more New Yorkers, allowing them to enjoy all of the resources and programs that public libraries offer to grow and succeed.” In 2019, the city’s libraries collected about $3.2 million in late fees. No late fees were collected in 2020 because of the pandemic, and libraries made up the lost revenue in other fines. New Yorkers will still need to pay replacement fees if they lose books or other materials, the library officials said. A book is considered lost after it is overdue for a month, though if it is returned, there will no longer be a fee. The new policy covers the New York Public Library, with branches in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, as well as the Brooklyn Public Library and the Queens Public Library.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nCharlotte: Janice Covington Allison, a transgender woman who became a strong Democratic activist on behalf of LGBT rights, has died at age 74. Allison died Friday at Atrium Health Mercy hospital in Charlotte, according to a friend, September McCrady. McCrady, who had been in contact with Allison’s wife, said Monday that her health had declined with kidney troubles. Allison became the first transgender woman to represent North Carolina at the Democratic National Convention when she was elected a delegate to the 2012 convention in Charlotte, The Charlotte Observer reports. Allison also ran unsuccessfully for North Carolina Democratic Party chair in 2015 and was the party’s diversity and outreach chair. A Delaware native, Allison served in the military and moved to the Charlotte area in the 1970s. Dressed as a man, she was a volunteer fire chief in Cabarrus County. “I was living two lives, yelling at men to get on a ladder and put out a fire by day and going to clubs at night as Janice … wearing a miniskirt and heels,” Allison told the Observer. In a statement over the weekend, North Carolina Democratic Party leaders called Allison “a fearless LGBTQ+ advocate and champion for the transgender community.”\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nBismarck: Passenger traffic at the state’s eight commercial airports declined in August after a more robust July. “July is historically one of our busiest months out of the year for air travel, and so it can be expected to see lower passenger numbers heading into the fall as leisure travel begins to slow down,” said Kyle Wanner, the executive director of the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission. A total of 82,371 passengers boarded planes in August, nearly double the same month last year but well below the 101,784 boardings in August 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic hit, the Bismarck Tribune reports. The airports in Bismarck, Minot, Williston, Dickinson, Grand Forks, Fargo, Devils Lake and Jamestown all saw an increase in passengers this August from the previous year. Bismarck’s 19,272 boardings were 77% higher than the same month last year yet 26% down from pre-pandemic August 2019. “Our communities are doing an incredible job in maintaining a high level of air service, and we hope to see passenger demand maintain at current levels and then grow, once the holiday season arrives,” Wanner said. Year-to-date boardings are ahead of the 2020 pace at all eight airports. Statewide, they’re up more than 41%. But they’re down 30% from 2019.\n\nOhio\n\nColumbus: The police officer who shot and killed Andre Hill will stand trial next spring, a judge decided Monday. Hill, 47, who was Black, was fatally shot by Officer Adam Coy, who is white, on Dec. 22 as Hill emerged from a garage holding up a cellphone. Coy has since been fired from the Columbus police department. Coy, 44, has pleaded not guilty to murder and reckless homicide. Franklin County Judge Stephen McIntosh set Coy’s trial for March 7. In August, McIntosh denied a request by Coy’s attorneys to move the trial out of concern that extensive local and national publicity – including news coverage, posts on social media and billboards around Columbus – would make it impossible to assemble an impartial jury for Coy in Franklin County. McIntosh sided with prosecutors, who argued there was no reason to believe that people elsewhere were less likely to have read about the case than were Franklin County residents. In May, the city reached a $10 million settlement, the largest in Columbus history, with Hill’s family.\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: COVID-19 vaccinations have helped reduce infections by 7,500 and deaths by 1,100 among Oklahomans ages 65 and older, according to a study released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The study of Medicare recipients found that as vaccinations increased from January, when the vaccines became more widely available, through May, each 10% increase in vaccination rates resulted in an 11%-12% decline in weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths among Medicare beneficiaries. In its weekly report Sept. 29, the Oklahoma State Department of Health said 91.1% of Oklahomans 65 or older had received at least one vaccination, and 79.8% were fully vaccinated. The three-day average of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 on Tuesday stood at 825, the health department reported. The average fell below 1,000 daily on Monday for the first time since mid-August. In other developments, the Yukon School District announced Monday that it will provide its full-time employees with $1,000 stipends from funds it received from a federal coronavirus relief package. The district’s board voted for the stipends Monday night and for prorated stipends for part-time employees.\n\nOregon\n\nSalem: The summer of 2021 was the hottest on record both in the capital city and statewide. The average temperature in Salem for June, July and August was a record-breaking 71.7 degrees, the warmest since records began in 1892, according to the National Weather Service in Portland. That broke the previous record average of 71.3 degrees, set in 2015. The record heat this summer had severe consequences for Oregonians. More than 100 people died due to the temperature in the June heat wave. Large portions of the state spent the summer in various phases of drought. These conditions threatened water resources and made the state more susceptible to wildfire, which has burned about 800,000 acres this year so far. Larry O’Neill, the state climatologist, confirmed that Oregon’s average temperature of 67.7 degrees was the highest in NOAA’s records dating back to 1895. Summer 2015, which previously held the record, was a degree cooler than 2021. The state’s average for the 1900s is more than 5.5 degrees cooler than this year’s, O’Neill said. He pointed to prolonged periods of higher-than-normal temperatures as being among the biggest factors in this summer’s record-breaking heat.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nPhiladelphia: The corporate developer of a multibillion-dollar pipeline system that takes natural gas liquids from the Marcellus Shale gas field to an export terminal near Philadelphia was charged criminally Tuesday after a grand jury concluded that it flouted Pennsylvania environmental laws and fouled waterways and residential water supplies across hundreds of miles. Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the sprawling case at a news conference at Marsh Creek State Park in Downingtown, where Sunoco Pipeline LP spilled thousands of gallons of drilling fluid last year. The spill, during construction of the troubled Mariner East 2 pipeline, contaminated wetlands, a stream and part of a 535-acre lake. Energy Transfer, Sunoco’s owner, faces 48 criminal charges, most of them for illegally releasing industrial waste at 22 sites in 11 counties across the state. A felony count accuses the operator of willfully failing to report spills to state environmental regulators. Shapiro said Energy Transfer ruined the drinking water of at least 150 families statewide and released a grand jury report that includes testimony from numerous residents who accused Energy Transfer of denying responsibility for the contamination and then refusing to help.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: Two men who authorities say touched off a needless and expensive ocean search and rescue effort when they fired maritime distress flares to celebrate a friend’s wedding have agreed to pay $5,000 each to settle the case, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. The Coast Guard and the town of New Shoreham spent more than $100,000 combined responding to the flares off the coast of Block Island on June 6, 2020, when there was no one in distress, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office in Providence. Perry Phillips, 31, and Benjamin Foster, 33, “knowingly and willfully communicated a false distress message to the Coast Guard,” according to the civil complaint, and “caused the Coast Guard to attempt to save lives and property when no help was needed.” The men borrowed a flare gun and flares, set out on the water in a small skiff, and, when they thought they could by seen by people at their friend’s wedding reception, fired three flares, prosecutors said. They recorded their actions to post on social media, prosecutors said. People who saw the flares reported them to the New Shoreham harbormaster, who in turn alerted the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard deployed a boat and two helicopters for the search.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nColumbia: Gov. Henry McMaster wants lawmakers to set aside $300 million in federal COVID-19 relief and surplus money to pay for the first segment of a long-desired interstate link between Interstate 95 and Myrtle Beach. The full 60 miles of new freeways and upgrades would cost $1.6 billion, and McMaster and other leaders hope by building the first segment, the rest of the road will follow. “It may be the most significant step we can take toward making I-73 a reality,” McMaster said during a news conference Monday. The Republican governor wants to spend $100 million in coronavirus relief funds and $200 million left over from last year’s state budget that lawmakers set aside in case the economy tanked because of the pandemic. The first segment of I-73 would run from I-95 in Dillon County south of Latta to U.S. Highway 501. The project has permits and has been successfully defended in court. Work could begin as soon as the money is in place, officials said. I-73 has been a dream of tourism boosters and highway builders, as those coming to Myrtle Beach run into stoplights and a few small towns where the speed limit drops, and police officers with radar may await. Environmentalists have opposed the road as unneeded and say it would destroy wetlands and farms.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nRapid City: A growing grass fire north of the city prompted officials to warn residents they may need to evacuate. Abnormally high temperatures, gusty winds and extremely dry conditions fueled a fire that began Monday afternoon. By Monday evening, the fire torched between 250 and 300 acres and burned uncontained, according to authorities. Rapid City police helped evacuate the Marvel Mountain neighborhood earlier Monday and helped divert traffic around road closures. An unknown number of residents were evacuated. It’s not known what ignited the fire, and no structures had been damaged as of Tuesday morning. Early Monday evening, the fire crossed into Meade County, prompting officials there to warn residents that additional evacuations may be needed. “Any residents who live north of the Pennington County line, west of Erickson Ranch Road, and south of Elk Creek Road are encouraged to be ready to evacuate if an order is given,” Meade County Emergency Management said in an alert sent Monday evening. Single-engine air tankers were dropping fire retardant on the north and west flanks of the fire. Additional air support was being summoned, officials said.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: It’s out with the old and in with blue for the state’s new license plate, moving away from its green mountain design to a new dark blue plate with white text and Tennessee’s three-star emblem displayed in the center. State law requires the reissuing of a new license design at least every eight years, but the green one first introduced by former Gov. Phil Bredesen in 2006 has been essentially unchanged over the past 15 years. In September, Gov. Bill Lee’s office asked the public to vote on four new designs in a contest to determine the new plate. His administration said the winning license design received 42% of the 300,000 total votes cast. A picture of the new plate provided by Lee’s office in a press release Tuesday contains the phrase “In God We Trust,” but Tennesseans can choose a plate with or without that language. The new tag will also display the words “Tennessee” and “Volunteer State,” as well as the website “TNvacation.com,” as required by law. New plates will be available online and in person beginning Jan. 3, 2022.\n\nTexas\n\nHouston: A state agency on Monday approved a request that George Floyd be granted a posthumous pardon for a 2004 drug arrest made by a now-indicted ex-Houston police officer whose case history is under scrutiny following a deadly drug raid. The unanimous recommendation by the seven-member Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles will now be forwarded to Gov. Greg Abbott, who will make the final decision. Allison Mathis, an attorney with the Harris County Public Defender’s Office who submitted the pardon request in April, said she was pleased by the board’s decision. “A man was set up by a corrupt police officer intent on securing arrests rather than pursuing justice. No matter what your political affiliation is, no matter who that man was in his life or in his death, that is not something we should stand for in the United States or in Texas,” Mathis said. The board’s recommendation was first made public on Monday by a reporter with The Marshall Project. The May 2020 killing of Floyd, who was Black, by a white Minneapolis police officer prompted worldwide protests against racial injustice. Floyd, who grew up in Houston, was arrested in February 2004 by Officer Gerald Goines and accused of selling $10 worth of crack in a police sting. Floyd later pleaded guilty to a drug charge and was sentenced to 10 months in a state jail.\n\nUtah\n\nSalt Lake City: Former independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin launched a campaign Tuesday to challenge Republican Sen. Mike Lee in the conservative state where McMullin made inroads with voters uncomfortable with then-candidate Donald Trump in 2016. McMullin, a former CIA agent and congressional aide to Republicans, settled in Utah after capturing more than 20% of the state’s presidential vote in 2016. In a tweet announcing his campaign Tuesday, he said that “extremism, division and conspiracy now threaten our quality of life and democratic republic.” The brand of conservatism popular in Utah, by contrast, tends to seek more of a middle ground and values politeness – qualities that initially made many voters uncomfortable with Trump, especially in his first campaign. “I’m not running as a Republican or a Democrat,” McMullin said in a statement. “I’m running as a patriot, as an American committed to defending our nation and changing our politics for the better.” The 2022 Senate race promises to test whether lingering discomfort with Trump-style Republican politics remains a political force in Utah. Lee, a two-term incumbent who first won office during the tea party movement, was skeptical of Trump at first but later became a staunch ally of the president.\n\nVermont\n\nMontpelier: The state will be represented in a series of new $1 coins issued by the U.S. Mint with an image of a snowboarder. The “American Innovation” series of dollar coins started in 2018 and will eventually include one for each state, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. Vermont’s coin, to be released in 2022, shows a snowboarder holding the edge of her board while doing a trick. While snowboarding was not created in Vermont, many advances in the sport come from the state. Burton Snowboards, started in Londonderry and now headquartered in Burlington, improved foot bindings, and its founder, Jake Burton Carpenter, campaigned to allow access for snowboarders to local ski resorts, WPTZ-TV reports. “In many ways, Vermont is the birthplace of modern snowboarding, and this coin represents Vermont’s contributions to the sport,” Gov. Phil Scott said. The U.S. Mint says it works with the governor or chief executive of each state or territory to choose possible design concepts, which are then developed and vetted. Other states’ designs include a telephone for Massachusetts, the educator and civil rights activist Septima Poinsette Clark for South Carolina, and the first home video game console for New Hampshire.\n\nVirginia\n\nNorfolk: Much of the hotel industry in the Hampton Roads region has recovered faster from the COVID-19 pandemic than almost any other market in the United States, according to an economic report released Tuesday. The State of the Region, an annual analysis by economists at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, reports that the region’s hotel revenue was 10% higher this June than it was in June 2019, before the pandemic began. Nationally, hotel revenue was down by 12%. One reason for the quick recovery is that Hampton Roads’ hotel industry relies more on people taking vacations than it does on people attending large events, such as conventions, conferences and concerts. ODU economists also told The Virginian-Pilot last year that visitors typically arrive by car instead of flying, a method of travel that fell out of favor for many during the pandemic. Virginia Beach is typically a 3 1/ 2 -hour drive from Washington, five hours from Philadelphia and about seven hours from New York. There is one exception, however. The Williamsburg hotel market has not done as well, according to the report. The COVID-19 pandemic had temporarily shut down attractions like Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. And Colonial Williamsburg was already experiencing a downturn in visits prior to the pandemic.\n\nWashington\n\nTacoma: A female Sumatran tiger from Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium has died after another tiger attacked her during a breeding introduction, officials said. Six-year-old Kirana, who was born at the zoo, died Monday, The News Tribune reports. Dr. Karen Wolf, the zoo’s head veterinarian, said in a news release that a necropsy completed Monday confirmed Kirana died from substantial trauma from injuries and a bacterial infection. Zoo staff had slowly introduced Kirana and Raja, the zoo’s 2-year-old male Sumatran tiger, as part of a plan to help save the endangered species. The two were closely monitored and separated by a mesh door, staff said. When zookeepers removed the barrier to allow the tigers to meet physically Friday, Kirana was attacked, and staff moved quickly to separate them, officials said. “We’re devastated by the loss of a very special tiger and by the loss to the tiger population as a whole,” said zoo general curator Dr. Karen Goodrowe, who is also coordinator of Species Survival Plan programs for Sumatran, Malayan and Amur tigers. She said some aggression is natural in tiger breeding, but this level was far beyond expectations. There are only about 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Fewer than 80 live in North American zoos.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nMonongah: Amid shortages of emergency medical technicians at a time the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many medical systems to the brink, a state program is training workers to fill the critical need. West Virginia Public Service Training trains more than 45,000 first responders every year, with trainers traveling all around the state to run affordable classes that help residents earn certifications in specific fields, the Times West Virginian reports. Recently, Monongah Volunteer Fire Department was filled with about 12 prospective EMTs, ready to take part in the state’s 155-hour program to put participants on track to get certified. The EMT courses are some of the most rigorous in Public Service Training’s repertoire, requiring a commitment of about 155 hours of class instruction, though the hours can vary depending on how ride-alongs go, according to instructor Brian Potter. Once participants finish the classes, they’re able to take the national registry exam for the position and can become nationally registered EMTs before applying for the state certification. “This is a job that’s always in need,” instructor Randy Corbin said. “A lot of (EMTs) move on to become paramedics, doctors and nurses and move on somewhere else in the medical field, and COVID has hurt our numbers.”\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: A report published by the Wisconsin Policy Forum shows the state’s bars and restaurants are recovering but have not reached pre-pandemic levels. It’s not due to a lack of customers or jobs, according to the report, but because restaurant and bar owners can’t find enough willing workers. “We have seen customers coming back, and we’ve seen a lot of our long-time regulars coming back. The biggest problem that we’re having is staffing and having enough staff to handle the demand,” said Chris Wiken, owner of The Packing House in Milwaukee. On a busy night, Wiken has to let tables sit empty, simply because he doesn’t have the staff to serve them. Food service has been one of the hardest-hit industries from COVID-19, with employment at bars and restaurants plummeting by nearly 50% in April 2020. According to last week’s report, employment was still down 8.8% in August compared to pre-pandemic levels in August 2019. “Overall, what we’re seeing is the restaurant and bar industry in Wisconsin has recovered quite a bit but that its recovery is not quite as strong as the economy overall,” said Joe Peterangelo, a senior researcher at the Wisconsin Policy Forum and author of the report. Still, July sales tax revenues in the industry were actually up 6.8% compared to July 2019, according to the report.\n\nWyoming\n\nYellowstone National Park: A woman suffered burns from her shoulders to her feet when she tried to rescue her dog from a Yellowstone hot spring. Park rangers and firefighters cared for the 20-year-old woman from Washington state before she was taken to the burn unit at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, park officials said in a statement Tuesday. The woman’s name, the intensity of her burns and her condition weren’t released after she was burned Monday afternoon in the Madison Junction area. The woman and her father had stopped to look around when their dog jumped out of their car and into Maiden’s Grave Spring near the Firehole River. After the woman tried rescuing the dog, her father pulled her out of the spring and drove her to West Yellowstone, Montana. Somebody else rescued the dog, and the father said he planned to take it to a veterinarian, park officials said. The woman was the second burned in a Yellowstone thermal feature in recent weeks. A park concessions employee suffered second- and third-degree burns to 5% of her body near Old Faithful Geyser in September, park officials said. Yellowstone has more than 10,000 thermal features, which can be as hot as 280 degrees Fahrenheit.\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/10/06"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2022/03/13/oklahoma-turnpike-authority-eminent-domain-powers-hard-challenge-ota-access-expansion/6940416001/", "title": "Oklahoma Turnpike Authority's eminent domain powers hard to ...", "text": "Dozens, if not hundreds, of homeowners and businesses are likely to be displaced, forcibly if necessary, to make way for new turnpikes in south Oklahoma City, Norman and elsewhere despite assurances the roads are planned for largely undeveloped corridors.\n\nAnd while they are quickly organizing, the distressed property owners face long odds in their fight to keep their homes and businesses.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/03/13"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_20", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2023/03/20/gwyneth-paltrow-trial-2016-utah-ski-crash/11507703002/", "title": "Gwyneth Paltrow ski collision trial: Why actress was in court, verdict", "text": "After being placed on trial in Utah for a 2016 ski crash, Gwyneth Paltrow can put her legal troubles behind her.\n\nThe eight-day trial, which began March 21, concluded Thursday with the jury finding Paltrow not at fault for the collision, referred to as a \"hit and run.\"\n\nThe celebrity wellness influencer and \"Shakespeare in Love\" star was sued by Terry Sanderson in 2019, who claimed she seriously injured him during a crash on the beginner slopes at Deer Valley Resort in Park City on Feb. 26, 2016.\n\nSanderson said the crash seriously injured him and that Paltrow left him on the mountain without help. Paltrow alleged Sanderson plowed into her and then told her he was fine.\n\nHere's everything to know about the case and what was said in court.\n\nGwyneth Paltrow found not responsible for ski accident in jury verdict\n\nOn Thursday, a jury found Paltrow not responsible for the 2016 ski crash and was awarded $1 in symbolic damages for her counterclaim, in addition to her attorney fees. The actress previously vowed to donate any additional funds potentially awarded by the jury to a charitable organization.\n\nJudge Kent Holmberg instructed the jurors to determine whether \"Sanderson was harmed and if so, whether anyone is at fault for that harm. You must also decide whether Gwyneth Paltrow was harmed and if so, whether anyone is at fault for that harm.\"\n\nGwyneth Paltrow ski collision trial verdict: Actress found not responsible for ski accident\n\nWho testified in Gwyneth Paltrow trial?\n\nThose who testified in the trial included a radiologist, a neuropsychologist, one of Sanderson's daughters and Paltrow herself.\n\nWhile on the stand Friday, Paltrow gave her account of the collision, saying Sanderson \"categorically hit me on that ski slope.\" She also said that, while the crash was happening, she had an initial \"quick thought\" she might be getting sexually assaulted, saying she heard Sanderson groan and felt a man's weight pressing into her backside during the crash.\n\nSanderson's daughter Polly Grasham was questioned March 23 about missing GoPro camera footage and if her father sued Paltrow because she's famous. The GoPro footage has not been found or included as evidence for the trial.\n\nPaltrow’s attorneys also questioned whether Grasham and neuropsychologist Dr. Alina Fong could say with certainty that Sanderson’s downturn wasn’t a result of aging or documented, pre-crash conditions. They also questioned Grasham about her father’s anger problems, divorces and estranged relationship with another of his daughters, who did not testify.\n\nOn March 22, radiologist Dr. Wendell Gibby testified that brain images suggest it's unlikely Sanderson crashed into Paltrow and that his head trauma was likely caused by a skier crashing into him.\n\nGwyneth Paltrow, Terry Sanderson's lawyers detail differing accounts in opening statements\n\nIn opening arguments on the trial's first day, both sides presented their clients as conservative skiers who were stunned when a skier above them crashed into them.\n\nPaltrow's legal team, including attorney Steve Owens, told jurors that Sanderson was the one who crashed into her — a collision in which she sustained a \"full body blow.\" Owens noted that members of Paltrow's group checked on Sanderson, who assured them he was fine — an interaction Sanderson doesn't deny but said in court filings he can't remember.\n\nSanderson's attorneys attempted to paint Paltrow as a negligent celebrity with little care for the injuries inflicted upon the 76-year-old military veteran.\n\nOwens cautioned jurors not to let sympathy for Sanderson's medical ailments – a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries – skew their judgements. He questioned Sanderson's credibility, noting his age and documented pre-collision brain injuries. Owens also said Sanderson posted a \"very happy, smiling picture\" of himself online, riding a toboggan post-crash.\n\nGwyneth Paltrow appears in courtduring first day of Utah ski collision trial\n\nGwyneth Paltrow testifies she wasn't engaging in 'risky behavior' day of ski crash\n\nDuring her testimony Friday, Paltrow said she \"was not engaging in any risky behavior\" the day she alleged Sanderson crashed into her from behind on a beginner ski slope.\n\nSanderson's lawyer Kristin Vanorman pressed Paltrow to provide a moment-by-moment account of the incident, during which the actress recalled that Sanderson's skis came forward in between her skis during the collision. She also confirmed she yelled an expletive at Sanderson following the crash, adding she felt \"upset\" at the time.\n\nPaltrow also denied the account provided by Greg Ramone, a ski friend of Sanderson who previously testified he saw Paltrow hit Sanderson in the crash.\n\n“I don’t believe he saw what he thinks he saw,\" Paltrow said of Ramone's testimony. \"He said he was 40 feet away and color blind. I don’t know how he can be positive about what he saw.\"\n\nGwyneth Paltrow testifies Terry Sanderson'categorically hit me' in ski collision trial\n\nPrevious:Gwyneth Paltrow denies causing Utah ski crash\n\nWhy was Gwyneth Paltrow in court?\n\nPaltrow faced a lawsuit from Sanderson, who sought $300,000 and claimed the accident was a result of negligence that left him with physical injuries and emotional distress. Sanderson initially sought $3.1 million in a first lawsuit, which was dropped.\n\nSanderson claimed the Goop founder left him injured on the mountain and didn't send help. He also alleged a Deer Valley ski instructor filed a false incident report saying Paltrow didn't cause the crash.\n\nSanderson told reporters in Salt Lake City when he filed the lawsuit in January 2019 that he waited to file the lawsuit for nearly three years because he had problems with attorneys and could not function properly because of the concussion.\n\nGwyneth Paltrow reveals 'weirdest wellness thing' she's ever done: Rectal ozone therapy\n\nGwyneth Paltrow's doppelganger daughter Applesits front row at Chanel: See the photos\n\nWhat has Paltrow said about the ski crash?\n\nPaltrow alleged in a counterclaim that the retired optometrist plowed into her from behind.\n\nPaltrow said she was shaken by the collision and quit skiing with her family for the day. In her counterclaim, she said Sanderson apologized to her and said he was fine. She had previously denied blame for the crash in a statement but had not yet offered a full version of the events.\n\nContributing: Edward Segarra and Charles Trepany, USA TODAY; The Associated Press\n\nGigi Hadid weighs in on viral 'nepo baby' discourse:'Technically I'm a nepotism baby'", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/20"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2023/03/24/gwyneth-paltrow-testifies-ski-collision-trial-utah/11528117002/", "title": "Gwyneth Paltrow pressed on stand about ski collision, Taylor Swift", "text": "Gwyneth Paltrow is speaking her side of the story.\n\nThe celebrity wellness CEO and \"Shakespeare in Love\" star took the stand Friday in Utah after being sued for a ski crash in 2016, referred to as a \"hit and run.\"\n\nPaltrow is on trial, which began Tuesday, after being sued for $300,000 by Terry Sanderson in 2019, who claimed she seriously injured him during a crash on the beginner slopes at Deer Valley Resort in Park City in 2016. Paltrow filed her own lawsuit against Sanderson seeking \"symbolic damages in the amount of $1, plus her costs and attorney’s fees to defend this meritless claim,\" her lawsuit states.\n\nSanderson also claims Paltrow left him on the mountain without help. Paltrow has denied the allegations and in a counterclaim said it was Sanderson who crashed into her.\n\nGwyneth Paltrow says Terry Sanderson 'categorically' crashed into her\n\nWhile on the stand, Paltrow said she \"was not engaging in any risky behavior\" the day she alleges Sanderson crashed into her from behind on a beginner ski slope.\n\nSanderson's lawyer Kristin Vanorman pressed Paltrow to provide a moment-by-moment account of the incident, during which the actress recalled that, while the crash was happening, she thought for a brief moment she might be getting sexually assaulted.\n\n“That was a quick thought that went through my head when I was trying to reconcile what was happening,\" Paltrow said, saying she heard Sanderson groan and felt a man's weight pressing into her backside during the crash. \"My brain was trying to make sense of what was happening.”\n\nPaltrow noted Sanderson's skis came forward in between her skis during the collision. She also confirmed she yelled an expletive at Sanderson following the crash, adding she felt \"upset\" at the time.\n\n\"I apologize for my bad language,\" she said, to which Vanorman replied, \"You’re small but mighty. Actually, you’re not that small.”\n\nPaltrow also denied the account provided by Greg Ramone, a ski friend of Sanderson who previously testified he saw Paltrow hit Sanderson in the crash.\n\n“I don’t believe he saw what he thinks he saw,\" Paltrow said of Ramone's testimony. \"He said he was 40 feet away and color blind. I don’t know how he can be positive about what he saw.\"\n\nThroughout questioning, Paltrow maintained Sanderson collided into her, saying, \"Mr. Sanderson categorically hit me on that ski slope, and that is the truth.\"\n\nPaltrow says she feels 'very sorry' for Sanderson but she didn't hit him\n\nVanorman also inquired about Paltrow's relationship with singer Taylor Swift, who won $1 in damages in a 2017 groping case.\n\n“Are you good friends with Taylor Swift?\" the attorney asked Paltrow, to which the actress replied: \"I would not say we are good friends. We are friendly. I’ve taken my kids to one of her concerts before, but we don’t talk very often.” The line of questioning was eventually halted by an objection, to laughter from the courtroom.\n\nLater, Paltrow's lawyer Steve Owens asked Paltrow if she has empathy for Sanderson and his health issues, despite his lawsuit against her.\n\n\"You know, I really do,\" Paltrow said. \"I feel very sorry for him. It seems like he’s had a very difficult life, but I did not cause the accident so I cannot be at fault for anything that subsequently happened to him.\"\n\nPaltrow's legal team said she sustained a 'full body blow' in the crash\n\nIn opening arguments on the trial's first day, both sides presented their clients as conservative skiers who were stunned when a skier above them crashed into them.\n\nPaltrow's legal team, including attorney Steve Owens, told jurors that Sanderson was the one who crashed into her — a collision in which she sustained what they called a \"full body blow.\" Owens noted that members of Paltrow's group checked on Sanderson, who assured them he was fine — an interaction Sanderson doesn't deny but said in court filings that he can't remember.\n\nPaltrow is seeking \"symbolic damages in the amount of $1, plus her costs and attorney’s fees to defend this meritless claim,\" her lawsuit said. The actress vowed to donate any additional funds potentially awarded by the jury to a charitable organization.\n\nContributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY; The Associated Press\n\nRead more on Gwyneth Paltrow's ski collision trial", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/24"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2023/03/21/gwyneth-paltrow-ski-collision-trial-watch-live-stream/11514109002/", "title": "Watch: Closing arguments in Gwyneth Paltrow Utah ski crash trial", "text": "Attorneys are presenting their closing arguments Thursday before handing an eight-member Utah jury the case from the closely watched Gwyneth Paltrow ski collision trial, in which a retired optometrist is suing her for the injuries he says he sustained.\n\nPaltrow testified Friday in Utah after being sued in a 2016 ski crash that's been referred to as a \"hit and run.\"\n\nIn 2019, the \"Iron Man\" star was sued by Terry Sanderson, who claimed she seriously injured him during a crash on the slopes at a Park City ski resort. The alleged incident occurred Feb. 26, 2016, on a beginner run at Deer Valley Resort.\n\nSanderson testified Monday. He is seeking $300,000 in damages, following a $3.1 million lawsuit that was previously dropped. Paltrow has denied the allegations and in a counterclaim said it was Sanderson who crashed into her.\n\nPaltrow is seeking \"symbolic damages in the amount of $1, plus her costs and attorney’s fees to defend this meritless claim,\" her lawsuit said. The actress vowed to donate any additional funds potentially awarded by the jury to a charitable organization.\n\nThe trial began March 21.\n\nRead more on Gwyneth Paltrow's ski collision trial\n\nContributing: Morgan Hines", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/21"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2023/03/30/gwyneth-paltrow-ski-collision-trial-verdict/11568485002/", "title": "Gwyneth Paltrow ski collision trial verdict: Actress found not ...", "text": "Gwyneth Paltrow's ski collision trial has come to a close.\n\nOn Thursday, a jury found Paltrow not responsible after being sued by Terry Sanderson for a ski crash in 2016, referred to as a \"hit and run.\"\n\nPaltrow was awarded $1 in symbolic damages for her counterclaim in addition to her attorney fees. The celebrity wellness influencer and \"Shakespeare in Love\" star previously vowed to donate any additional funds potentially awarded by the jury to a charitable organization.\n\nJudge Kent Holmberg instructed the jurors to determine whether \"Sanderson was harmed and if so, whether anyone is at fault for that harm. You must also decide whether Gwyneth Paltrow was harmed and if so, whether anyone is at fault for that harm.\"\n\n\"If you decide that more than one person is at fault you must then allocate fault among them (totaling 100 percent). Fault means any wrongful act or failure to act,\" Holmberg continued, adding that fault, in this case, would be negligence based on whether they exercised reasonable care in the collision.\n\nHolmberg said if the jury determined fault over 50 percent for either party, they would not recover any damages.\n\nThe trial began on March 21. Paltrow was sued by Sanderson in 2019, who claimed she seriously injured him during a crash on the beginner slopes at Deer Valley Resort in Park City on Feb. 26, 2016.\n\nGwyneth Paltrow was 'pounded like a punching bag' in trial, attorney says in closing argument\n\nClosing arguments for the trial took place Thursday, hours before the verdict was read.\n\nPaltrow’s attorneys pushed back against the claim that the pair’s collision was a \"hit and run.\" Sanderson said the crash seriously injured him and that Paltrow left him on the mountain without help. Paltrow alleged Sanderson plowed into her and then told her he was fine.\n\n“It takes a lot of courage, does it not, for her to sit there for two weeks and be pounded like a punching bag?” said Paltrow's attorney Steve Owens.\n\n“He hit her. He hurt her, and he wants $3 million for it,” Owens continued, referencing Sanderson's prior $3.1 million lawsuit. “That’s not fair. The easy thing for my client would have been to write a check and be done with it. … It’s actually wrong that he hurt her, and he wants money from her.”\n\nSanderson’s legal team focused a portion of its closing argument on the medical ailments the 76-year-old suffered as a result of the collision, which include a brain injury and four broken ribs.\n\nHis legal team also cited the turmoil the accident caused in his personal life. “From the day after this incident happened there was a very serious decline, (and) the people that knew him best testified…as to the changes that they experienced with Terry,” attorney C. Peter Sorensen said.\n\nSorensen also criticized the dismissal of Sanderson’s injuries by Paltrow’s attorneys as a distraction from the reality of the collision. Owens previously cautioned jurors not to let sympathy for Sanderson's injuries skew their judgments.\n\n“They point the finger at Terry Sanderson and say ‘It’s your fault. You did this. You brought this on yourself,’” Sorensen said. “(Sanderson) wants the weighing of the scales the same way that Mrs. Paltrow does, but on those scales, someone has facts that are weighing, and someone has a lot of fanfare that when you really pry it, it’s a ‘So what?’ It’s nothing.”\n\nContributing: The Associated Press\n\nRead more on Gwyneth Paltrow's ski collision trial", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/30"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2019/02/20/gwyneth-paltrow-denies-causing-utah-ski-crash/2927219002/", "title": "Gwyneth Paltrow denies being cause of Utah ski crash", "text": "Associated Press\n\nSALT LAKE CITY – Actress Gwyneth Paltrow denied Wednesday that she skied into a man who accused her in a lawsuit of seriously injuring him at a Utah ski resort, alleging in a counter claim that the man actually plowed into her from behind and delivered a full “body blow.”\n\nPaltrow was skiing on a family vacation on a beginner run at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, on Feb. 26, 2016, when Terry Sanderson smashed into her, the actress’ attorney alleged in a counter claim filed in court. Paltrow said she was shaken by the collision and quit skiing with her family for the day.\n\nShe said Sanderson apologized to her and said he was fine. She had previously denied blame for the crash in a statement but had not yet offered a full version of the events.\n\n“She did not knock him down,” Paltrow’s court filing said. “He knocked her down. He was not knocked out.”\n\nThe account differs greatly from the sequence of events alleged by Sanderson in the lawsuit filed Jan. 29. He said Paltrow was skiing out of control and knocked him out, leaving him with a concussion and four broken ribs. Sanderson referred to it as a “hit and run” and is seeking $3.1 million in damages.\n\nMore:Gwyneth Paltrow sued over Utah ski crash, her spokesperson says lawsuit is 'without merit'\n\nSanderson, a retired optometrist, told reporters in Salt Lake City on the day he sued that he waited to file the lawsuit for nearly three years because he had problems with attorneys and could not function properly because of the concussion.\n\nDeer Valley Resort spokeswoman Emily Summers has said previously that the resort cannot comment on pending legal matters. Sanderson’s lawsuit against Paltrow also includes the resort as a defendant.\n\nPaltrow is known for her roles in “Shakespeare in Love” and the “Iron Man” movies. She also owns a lifestyle company called goop.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/02/20"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_21", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/01/02/fact-check-denmark-among-happiest-countries-but-isnt-no-1/4107107001/", "title": "Fact check: Denmark is among world's happiest countries, but it's not ...", "text": "The claim: Denmark is ranked the happiest country in the world; 33 hours work in a week, $20 minimum wages, free university, medical and child care\n\nEvery year ahead of the United Nations' World Happiness Day, on March 20, a report is released that ranks 156 countries on their happiness based on income, life expectancy, freedom, social support, trust and generosity.\n\nAccording to one social media post, Denmark has turned up at the top of list.\n\n\"Denmark is ranked as the happiest country in the world with 33 hours work in a week, $20 minimum wages, free universities and medical care, free child care and low level of Corruption,\" reads a Dec. 30 Facebook post to the group Mysterious Facts which has since been deleted. The user who posted it did not have a way to be contacted.\n\nFact check: Clinton, Obama left federal government with a lower deficit than when they arrived\n\nNordic countries ranked high in reports, but Denmark isn't first now\n\nThis year, the Gallup 2020 World Happiness Report rated Finland as the world's happiest country for the third year in a row, with Denmark in second and Switzerland third.\n\nThe report rates the countries based on different aspects of social environment, such as having someone to count on, having a sense of freedom to make key life decisions, generosity and trust.\n\nConsidered risks are ill-health, discrimination, low income, unemployment, separation, divorce or widowhood and safety in the street. The \"happiness costs of these risks are very large,\" according to the report.\n\nThe meme provides no source of information or date; it is possible the first claim could have been true at the time the meme was created, as Denmark has been previously ranked first in World Happiness Reports.\n\nA search of the text included in the post results in a blog post with an almost identical version of the claim from 2016, a year when Denmark was ranked first. Denmark also made the top of the list in 2012 and 2013.\n\nNordic countries, including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland, have appeared on the top 10 of the World Happiness Report since it started publishing its annual rankings in 2012. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, Nordic countries occupied the top three spots.\n\nThe report found that Nordic citizens are exceptionally satisfied with their lives because of reliable and extensive welfare benefits, low corruption, well-functioning democracy and state institutions and small population.\n\nFact check: Over 159 million people voted in the US general election\n\nWork hours, university, medical and child care\n\nBeyond overall happiness, the post makes claims — some true — about why Danes might be so happy.\n\nWhile the post states an average workweek in Denmark is 33 hours, a full-time workweek in Denmark is typically 37 hours distributed over five days, according to the city of Copenhagen. It/ notes that workweeks can be longer for those in a managerial position or self-employed.\n\nStaying extra hours is discouraged, and most employees leave the office around 4 p.m. to pick up their children and begin preparing for dinner, according to the official website of Denmark. In the last weeks of July, offices are shut down as Danes take time off to enjoy a short summer and every employee is legally entitled to five weeks of paid vacation per year.\n\nEmployees are also not allowed to work more than 48 hours per week on an average of a four month period due to the EU's Working Time Directive, which was implemented in Denmark's Working Enviornment Act in 2017.\n\nThe post states the nation's minimum wage is $20 an hour. But Denmark lacks a federally mandated minimum wage, according to Investopedia. However, trade unions work to ensure that workers are paid a reasonable rate and try to keep the average minimum wage at $20 per hour. As of 2020, minimum wages in the country hover around $16.60 per hour, according to Check In Price.\n\nMinimum-wage.org, says Denmark's average minimum wage is $18 per hour and annual minimum wage is $44,252.00. A November 2020 article from Market Watch says wages in Scandinavia are among the highest in the world at $17.69 per hour.\n\nSchooling is largely free, as the post claims. Higher education in Denmark is free for students from the European Union or European University Association and for students in exchange programs, according to the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science. Education is also free for students who have a permanent residence, a temporary residence with possibility of obtaining permanent residence or a resident permit.\n\nIt is also worth noting that every Danish student receives a rough estimate of $900 per month, the Washington Post reported.\n\nIn Denmark, the health care system is financed through an income tax of 8% and provides universal access to citizens and legal residents, USA TODAY reported. So while the post states medical care is free, it lacks the context that taxpayers do cover the cost.\n\nThe public child care system in Denmark is based on a partially free system, and some day care institutions have waiting lists. However, most guarantee a place for children from the age of 1, according to Work in Denmark. The child care facilities receive financial support from the state and the most payable out of pocket amount by parents is 30% of the cost. Child care is not free, as claimed.\n\nThe reason Denmark can afford to provide these services is because it has one of the highest tax rates in the world, with the average Dane paying a total of 45% in income taxes, according to BBC. In fact, most Scandinavian countries offer higher education, child and medical care, and parental leave due to their high levels of taxation. In 2018, Denmark's tax-to-GDP ratio was 44.9%, Norway's was 39% and Sweden's 43.9%, which compares to a ratio of 24.3% in the U.S., according to the Tax Foundation.\n\nThe post is accurate in claiming that Denmark has low corruption. The 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index ranked Denmark as the least corrupt country in the world for the fifth year in a row due to its degree of press freedom, access to information, independent judicial systems and strong standards of integrity for public officials.\n\nIn 2018, New Zealand and Denmark were both ranked as the least corrupt, according to World Population Review, which notes that there is no exact way to measure corruption but many use the Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International.\n\nFact check: Pregnant women do receive vaccines, but more study needed on COVID-19 shot\n\nOur ruling: Partly False\n\nThe claim that Denmark is ranked the happiest country in the world due to its short workweeks, high minimum wage, and free university and health and child care is rated PARTLY FALSE, based on our research. Finland has been ranked the happiest country in the world for the last three consecutive years, with Denmark holding a spot in the top three. Denmark also has 37-hour workweeks, not 33, and there is no minimum wage. Services of higher education, child and medical care and parental leave are available due to their high levels of taxation; they're not offered for free.\n\nOur fact-check sources:\n\nThank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here.\n\nOur fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/01/02"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2022/03/21/finland-us-happiest-country/7114106001/", "title": "Finland picked as happiest country in the world, US not in the top 10", "text": "Finland was voted the happiest country in the world for the fifth straight year, and it is joined by other European countries in the annual World Happiness Report.\n\nA publication of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the 10th edition of the report published on Friday ranked 146 countries in their overall happiness. Researchers say past data has looked at how citizens' trust in government and large institutions has played a major factor in a country's level of happiness.\n\n\"The World Happiness Report is changing the conversation about progress and wellbeing. It provides important snapshots of how people around the world feel about the overall quality of their lives,\" Christopher Barrington-Leigh, professor at McGill University in Quebec and a researcher involved in the report, said in a statement.\n\nWhat's everyone talking about?: Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day\n\nTop 10 happiest countries\n\nUsing results from the Gallup World Poll, Finland was in first: It had an overall score of 7.821 out of 10, which was \"significantly ahead\" of all other countries. Northern Europe appeared to be one of the happiest regions in the world: All five Nordic countries – Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Norway – ranked in the top eight.\n\nHere are the top 10 countries and their score:\n\nFinland- 7.821 Denmark- 7.636 Iceland- 7.557 Switzerland- 7.512 Netherlands- 7.415 Luxembourg- 7.404 Sweden- 7.384 Norway- 7.365 Israel- 7.364 New Zealand- 7.200\n\nThe 10 least happiest countries\n\nThe unhappiest country, according to the rankings, was Afghanistan, with a score of 2.404. Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, director of the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in England, said recent conflict in the country played a vital role in its ranking. In August, the Taliban took over the country after the U.S. military withdrawal.\n\n\"At the very bottom of the ranking we find societies that suffer from conflict and extreme poverty,\" De Neve said. \"This presents a stark reminder of the material and immaterial damage that war does to its many victims and the fundamental importance of peace and stability for human well-being.\"\n\nThe data was collected well before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February, but both countries were in the bottom half of the rankings, with Russia ranking 80th and Ukraine 98th.\n\nHere are the 10 countries ranked in the bottom along with their score:\n\nAfghanistan- 2.404 Lebanon- 2.955 Zimbabwe- 2.995 Rwanda- 3.268 Botswana- 3.471 Lesotho- 3.512 Sierra Leone- 3.574 Tanzania- 3.702 Malawi- 3.750 Zambia- 3.760\n\nWhat about the United States?\n\nThe U.S. may not be in the top 10, but it's not far off, ranking 16th with a score of 6.977, just behind Canada but ahead of the United Kingdom. Canada is the happiest country in the Americas, according to the data.\n\nThe ranking is also the best ranking for the U.S. since 2017, when it was the 14th happiest. It's also a big jump from the 2021 report, when the U.S. ranked 19th with a score of 6.951.\n\nHere are the past seven rankings for the U.S.:\n\n2022: 16th\n\n2021: 19th\n\n2020: 18th\n\n2019: 19th\n\n2018: 18th\n\n2017: 14th\n\n2016: 13th\n\nA surge in paying it forward\n\nCOVID-19 has taken its toll on nearly every country around the world for more than two years, and even though the pandemic hasn't ended with the emergence of a new coronavirus variant, researchers said people appeared to be more happy in 2021 than in 2020, when the pandemic began. Global worry and stress levels also were down from 2020.\n\nJohn Helliwell, researcher and professor at the University of British Columbia, said the data showed globally, people were volunteering, helping and donating 25% more than they were before the pandemic.\n\n\"This surge of benevolence, which was especially great for the helping of strangers, provides powerful evidence that people respond to help others in need, creating in the process more happiness for the beneficiaries, good examples for others to follow, and better lives for themselves,\" Helliwell said.\n\nFollow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/03/21"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/2018/09/13/dollywood-theme-park-awards-make-dolly-parton-proud/1288709002/", "title": "Dolly Parton proud of recent Dollywood Theme Park awards", "text": "For the seventh consecutive year Dollywood has been named the Friendliest Park during the recent Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards.\n\nDollywood also won the Best Shows award for the 10th consecutive year and the Best Christmas Event for the 11th year, something no other theme park has won from Amusement Today.\n\nMore:Dolly Parton named 2019 MusiCares Person of the Year, will receive honor in February\n\n\"I've said it before, but back when I started Dollywood, I remember just prayin' that people were going to come visit us that very first year,\" Dolly Parton said in a news release.\n\n\"Here we are in our 33rd season, still earning some of the biggest awards and honors you can get, and I can't tell you how proud I am of what we're accomplishing,\" she said. \"I started Dollywood because I'm proud of the Smoky Mountains and wanted more people to come experience the beauty God has put right here in our back yard.\"\n\nDollywood also placed in the Top 10 in five other categories, taking second place for Best Food, third place for Cleanest Park, fourth place for Best Water Park for Dollywood's Splash Country, fifth place for Best Park, and sixth and 10th place for Best Wooden Coaster for the Lightning Rod and Thunderhead, respectively.\n\nUpcoming events at Dollywood include the Harvest Festival followed by Smoky Mountain Christmas, which will featuring Glacier Ridge for the first time, adding more than 1 million lights to the park.\n\nMore:Want to see Dollywood's new expansion, Wildwood Grove, first? Here's how\n\nIn 2019 Dollywood will open Wildwood Grove, a new feature to include six ride attractions including the Dragonflier, a suspended family roller coaster.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2018/09/13"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/05/sport/world-series-game-6-astros-phillies/index.html", "title": "Houston Astros win World Series over Philadelphia Phillies with ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nThe Houston Astros won the franchise’s second World Series title on Saturday after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 in Game 6 at Minute Maid Park.\n\nIt was the Phillies who got the scoring started in the top of the sixth inning with a Kyle Schwarber solo home run off Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez, who was able to limit the damage before being pulled after the sixth. Valdez finished with nine strikeouts and only allowed two hits and a run.\n\nAfter allowing two baserunners, Phillies starter Zack Wheeler was pulled from the game with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning. Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado gave up a three-run home run to Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez to give Houston the lead. Houston would tack on one more run on a Christian Vazquez single.\n\nAstros closer Ryan Pressly came in to close out the game and make sure the home crowd in Houston went home celebrating a World Series victory.\n\nAstros rookie shortstop Jeremy Pena was named the World Series MVP. Pena becomes the first ever rookie position player in MLB history to win the award, according to the league.\n\nAfter falling behind 2-1 through the first three games of the World Series, Houston evened up the series after throwing a combined no-hitter in Game 4. Game 5 saw Astros ace Justin Verlander collect his long-awaited first career World Series victory after pitching five innings with six strikeouts and giving up one run.\n\nAstros skipper Dusty Baker can now add World Series champion to his impressive managerial resume.\n\nWhen asked if the win has “hit” him yet, Baker said, “it hit me alright.”\n\n“It hit me soon as that ball – Yordan hit one over the moon out there. That’s when it hit me,” Baker added.\n\nBaker was also asked what has been the most enjoyable part of the run for him, which he quickly responded that the answer hasn’t “sunk in yet” but called the team the “greatest bunch of guys.”\n\n“They told me in spring training that they were going to win,”Baker said. “Now, what’s next? Party!”\n\nThe Houston Astros celebrate their World Series win against the Philadelphia Phillies in Houston, Texas, on Saturday, November 5. Eric Gay/AP Houston manager Dusty Baker celebrates on the field after his team's victory on Saturday. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images The Astros celebrate with the Commissioner's Trophy. Tony Gutierrez/AP Players and other members of the Astros organization rush onto the field after their victory on Saturday. Rob Carr/Getty Images Phillies players watch the Astros celebrate. Tony Gutierrez/AP A view of the Minute Maid Park scoreboard after the completion of Game 6 on Saturday. Rob Carr/Getty Images Houston infielder Alex Bregman is tagged out by Jean Segura while sliding into second base in the eighth inning of Saturday's game. Bregman was initially called safe on the play but the call was overturned after an official review. Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos/Getty Images Houston's Yordan Alvarez celebrates after hitting a three-run home run during Game 6. The home run gave the Astros a 3-1 lead. Harry How/Getty Images Alvarez's teammates jump out of the dugout as he rounds the bases after hitting his three-run shot in the sixth inning of Saturday's game. Eric Smith/AP Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado reacts to Alvarez's home run on Saturday. Tony Gutierrez/AP Philadelphia outfielder Kyle Schwarber sends a solo home run into the right field seats during Game 6 on Saturday. The home run briefly gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead. Thomas Shea/USA Today Sports/Reuters Schwarber celebrates his home run with teammate Rhys Hoskins on Saturday. Tony Gutierrez/AP Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña reacts after hitting a single on Saturday. Peña was awarded the World Series MVP for his stellar play during the series. He is just the second rookie to be named LCS and World Series MVP in the same postseason. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Astros fans cheer their team on during Game 6 on Saturday. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm throws out Houston's Martin Maldonado during the third inning of Saturday's game. Harry How/Getty Images Houston's Chas McCormick breaks his bat during Game 6. Cooper Neill/MLB Photos/Getty Images Astros second baseman Jose Altuve turns a double play in the first inning of Saturday's game. Rob Carr/Getty Images Houston's Framber Valdez warms up in the bullpen before Saturday's game. Rob Tringali/MLB Photos/Getty Images Country music icon George Strait announces \"Play Ball\" before the start of Game 6. Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos/Getty Images Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto of the Philadelphia Phillies get ready in the dugout prior to Game 6. Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos/Getty Images The Houston Astros celebrate their win in Game 5 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, November 4. Matt Rourke/AP Houston's Jeremy Pena celebrates his home run on Thursday. David J. Phillip/AP Fans cheer during Game 5 on Thursday. Rob Tringali/MLB/Getty Images Houston's Jose Altuve celebrates after scoring on a ball hit by Yordan Alvarez. David J. Phillip/AP Phillies center fielder Brandon Marsh can't get a glove on a double by Houston's Yuli Gurriel. Matt Slocum/AP A Phillies fan holds up a sign referencing designated hitter Bryce Harper on Thursday. Bill Streicher/USA Today/Reuters Martin Maldonado of the Astros watches a pitch during Game 5. Kyle Ross/USA Today/Reuters Philadelphia first baseman Rhys Hoskins tags Houston's Yuli Gurriel. David J. Phillip/AP Supermodel Kate Upton, who is married to Astros pitcher Justin Verlander, cheers Thursday night. Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos/Getty Images Rapper Meek Mill, a Philadelphia native, performs alongside the Phillie Phanatic before Game 5. Matt Rourke/AP Houston relief pitcher Ryan Pressly and catcher Christian Vazquez celebrate their team's win over the Phillies during Game 4 on Wednesday, November 2. Pressly closed out the 9th inning as four Astros pitchers contributed to a no-hitter. David J. Phillip/AP Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber grounds out during the sixth inning on Wednesday. Kyle Ross/USA Today Sports First lady Jill Biden , third from left in front, hold signs for a Stand Up To Cancer campaign after the fifth inning of Game 4. The first lady attended the game in Philadelphia as part of the Biden administration's Cancer Moonshot initiative. She has made her love of the Phillies well known and has longstanding ties to the city. David J. Phillip/AP Houston's Cristian Javier pitches during Game 4. He pitched six no-hit innings before being relieved by Bryan Abreu. Steve Boyle/MLB Photos/Getty Images Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker hits a double during Game 4. Bill Streicher/USA Today Sports A young Phillies fan is seen wearing a gold chain Wednesday. Rob Tringali/MLB Photos/Getty Images Philadephia's Bryce Harper steals second under Houston second baseman Jose Altuve. David J. Phillip/AP Fans react as Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies makes a catch for an out on Wednesday. Sarah Stier/Getty Images Fans wave towels as Philadelphia's Aaron Nola prepares to pitch during Game 4. Bill Streicher/USA Today Sports Fans enter the stadium in Philadelphia on Wednesday. Brian Garfinkel/MLB Photos/Getty Images Philadelphia's Alec Bohm rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in Game 3 of the World Series on Tuesday, November 1. The Phillies hit five home runs in the game, tying a World Series record, and they won 7-0 to take a 2-1 series lead over the Houston Astros. Matt Rourke/AP Houston right fielder Kyle Tucker leaps at the wall but can't reach a home run hit by Brandon Marsh in the second inning. Matt Slocum/AP Bryce Harper crushes a breaking ball to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead in the first inning of Game 3. It was the sixth home run of the postseason for Harper, who was named MVP of the National League Championship Series. Elsa/Getty Images Phillies fans hold up a \"cheaters\" sign with the Astros' logo on Tuesday night. The Astros won the World Series in 2017, but many baseball fans consider that title tainted because of a cheating scandal. Major League Baseball found that the team had illegally created a system that decoded and communicated the opposing teams' pitching signs during their championship season, leading Astros owner and chairman Jim Crane to fire manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow. Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images Philadelphia right fielder Nick Castellanos makes a diving catch on the first play of Game 3 on Tuesday night. Matt Slocum/AP Players line up for the National Anthem before Game 3. It was the first World Series game in Philadelphia since 2009. Chris Szagola/AP Houston's Alex Bregman and Yordan Álvarez celebrate after Bregman hit a two-run home run in Game 2 on Saturday, October 29. The fifth-inning blast gave the Astros a 5-0 lead, and they held on to win 5-2 and tie the series at one game apiece. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Umpire Pat Hoberg watches to see whether a ball hit by Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber was a home run or a foul ball in the eighth inning . The ball was initially thought to be fair, but replays showed that it was actually in foul territory. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images Bregman watches his fifth-inning home run clear the fences in Game 2. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images Philadelphia's Edmundo Sosa dives for a ball but is unable to make the play in Game 2. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Philadelphia's Jean Segura reacts after striking out in the second inning of Game 2. Astros starter Framber Valdez frustrated the Phillies, striking out nine and allowing only four hits in 6 1/3 innings. Thomas Shea/USA Today Sports Astros fans cheer on their team in Game 2. Rob Tringali/MLB Photos/Getty Images Houston's Jeremy Peña hits an RBI double to open the scoring in Game 2. The Astros started with three straight doubles and took a 3-0 lead after the first inning. Bob Levey/Getty Images Philadelphia first baseman Rhys Hoskins mishandles the ball in the first inning of Game 2, allowing Yuri Gurriel to reach safely. It cost the Phillies a run, as Álvarez scored on the error. Bob Levey/Getty Images Valdez delivers a pitch in the first inning of Game 2. Eric Gay/AP Philadelphia's J.T. Realmuto hits a solo home run in the top of the 10th inning to give the Phillies a 6-5 lead in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday, October 28. The Phillies went on to win by that score. Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos/Getty Images Tucker leaps at the wall but can't reach Realmuto's home run in the 10th. Rob Carr/Getty Images Realmuto, right, celebrates his homer with Harper. Eric Gay/AP Astros watch the 10th inning from the dugout. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Castellanos dives for a game-saving catch in the bottom of the ninth inning. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Houston relief pitcher Hector Neris celebrates after striking out Castellanos to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning Friday. The game was tied 5-5. Eric Gay/AP A scoreboard worker at Minute Maid Park changes the number during the top of the fifth inning, when the Phillies tied the game at 5-5. Eric Gay/AP Tucker celebrates in the dugout after hitting his second home run of the night to give the Astros a 5-0 lead in the third inning. Eric Gay/AP Marsh reacts after being called out on strikes in the third inning. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images The Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate watch Game 1 on Friday. The \"rally nuns\" are some of the Astros' most famous fans. Jerome Miron/USA Today Sports Tucker smashes a solo home run in the second inning to open the scoring in Game 1. Bob Levey/Getty Images Houston starting pitcher Justin Verlander throws during the first inning of Game 1. He started hot, retiring the first nine batters he faced. Eric Gay/AP Hoskins stands in the on-deck circle during Game 1. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Harper wears Phillie Phanatic gear as he stands for the National Anthem on Friday. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Fans show love for Houston star Jose Altuve on Friday. David J. Phillip/AP Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, who is from the Houston area, gives the \"play ball\" announcement before Game 1. Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos/Getty Images Teams line up for the National Anthem ahead of Game 1. Tim Bradbury/Getty Images Houston manager Dusty Baker watches from the dugout during Game 1's opening ceremony. The 73-year-old is the oldest manager in World Series history. Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos/Getty Images A Phillies fan enjoys the pregame atmosphere at Minute Maid Park. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images In pictures: The 2022 World Series Prev Next\n\nThe Astros’ win was the first time since 2013 that a team claimed the title at its home field. And Minute Maid Park hasn’t always been a happy hunting ground for the team.\n\nHouston has twice stumbled since the team’s first title in 2017. The Astros appeared in the Fall Classic in 2019 against the Washington Nationals and 2021 versus the Atlanta Braves, both resulting in losses.\n\nThe team’s 2017 victory came with a lot of questions and controversy.\n\nFollowing the win, Astros owner and chairman Jim Crane fired then-manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow after the MLB had suspended them both for a season without pay for a sign-stealing scandal.\n\nMajor League Baseball found the club illegally created a system that decoded and communicated the opposing teams’ pitching signs during their 2017 championship season.\n\nThe team forfeited its regular first- and second-round picks in the 2020 and 2021 drafts and paid a $5 million fine.\n\nThe Astros kept their title – but, to many non-Houston fans, it remains shrouded in scandal.\n\nFor Philadelphia, the loss results in heartbreak as the franchise was seeking its first championship since 2008. The city was dealt a double blow Saturday as the Philadelphia Union lost in penalties to Los Angeles FC in the 2022 MLS Cup Final earlier in the afternoon.", "authors": ["Jacob Lev Ben Church", "Jacob Lev", "Ben Church"], "publish_date": "2022/11/05"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/16/us/darrell-brooks-waukesha-sentencing/index.html", "title": "Darrell Brooks sentenced to 6 life terms for 2021 Waukesha ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nDarrell Brooks was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of extended supervision Wednesday for driving his SUV into a crowd of Christmas parade attendees in Waukesha, Wisconsin, last year, killing six people and wounding dozens.\n\nIn a clean sweep for the prosecution, a jury found Brooks, 40, guilty last month on all 76 counts stemming from the attack, including six counts of first-degree intentional homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon.\n\nFollowing two days of statements from victims and family members, Judge Jennifer Dorow imposed the mandated sentence, ordering Brooks to serve a life sentence without the possibility of extended supervision for each of the first-degree homicide counts. The sentences will run consecutively, she said.\n\nDorow also imposed sentences totaling hundreds of years for the remaining 70 counts on which he was found guilty. She sentenced Brooks to 17½ years for each of the 61 counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety with the use of a dangerous weapon.\n\n“You have absolutely no remorse for anything that you do. You have no empathy for anyone,” Dorow said. “Frankly, Mr. Brooks, no one is safe from you.”\n\nBrooks spoke for more than two hours, telling the court he struggles to understand why this tragic incident happened.\n\n“The why, the how,” Brooks said. “How could life ever get this far away from what it should be? Regardless of what a lot of people may think about me, about who I am, about my family, about my beliefs, I know who I am. God knows who I am, and I don’t have any words of anger.”\n\nHe promised not to “throw shots” at anyone because he wanted to take the “high road” but then proceeded to attack Waukesha County District Attorney Susan Opper’s integrity, saying he will never respect “how you did your job” and claiming his crimes were none of her concern.\n\nBrooks’ grandmother, Mary Edwards, said it was her prayer Brooks “will sincerely and humbly apologize,” and she apologized herself “to those who have been hurt so badly by what has happened, this tragedy that has been caused by my grandson.” Brooks, who represented himself, apologized only once, saying no one can see the regret he feels.\n\n“I want you to know not only am I sorry for what happened, I’m sorry that you could not see what’s truly in my heart, that you cannot see the remorse that I have,” he told the court. “That you cannot count all the tears that I have dropped in this year.”\n\nSUV strikes marching band during Wisconsin holiday parade 01:51 - Source: CNN\n\nWhile Brooks’ family members raised his state of mind during the hearing, the judge said mental health issues did not cause him to drive into a large crowd. Citing opinions from four mental health evaluations, Dorow said Brooks understood the difference between right and wrong. He has no remorse nor empathy for anyone, she said.\n\n“Do the mentally ill sometimes commit atrocious crimes? They do. This is not one of those situations,” Dorow said. “There are many times, many times, good people do bad things, but there are times when evil people do bad things.\n\n“There is no medication or treatment for a heart that is bent on evil.”\n\nBrooks has previously said he intends to appeal his conviction.\n\nProsecution asked for harshest penalties\n\nProsecutors asked that Brooks face the maximum sentences allowed, served consecutively, in the November 21, 2021, attack.\n\n“You saw the videos. This wasn’t him plowing into one large group of 50 people at one time and hitting them,” Opper said. “He hit one, kept going. Hit two, kept going. Hit three, kept going – all the way down the street. That’s consecutive sentences, your honor. That’s intentional, willful, volitional conduct that warrants consecutive sentences stacked one on top of the other, just as he stacked victims up as he drove down the road in complete disregard for any other person.”\n\nIn addition to the 762½ years for reckless endangerment, Dorow added three years each for two bail-jumping convictions and nine months for domestic battery. The lengthy prison term is necessary to keep the community safe, she said. To do anything less would be to “unduly depreciate the seriousness of these offenses,” she said.\n\n“It is needed – although largely symbolic, given the number of years that I have imposed here today – because frankly you deserve it,” Dorow said.\n\nDecisions about mental health treatment up to the state Department of Corrections, she said.\n\nDancing Grannies talk about love of what they do months before parade tragedy 01:55 - Source: CNN\n\nVictims and their loved ones began speaking Tuesday about what they’ve lost and endured. Among the more than 40 people delivering statements were relatives of Virginia Sorenson, part of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies troupe that lost three of its members in the attack, WTMJ reported.\n\n“I will continue to struggle with the loss,” said Sorenson’s husband, David. “I am lucky to have family care for me and wrap me in love so that I can start to glue together the shattered life I now have.”\n\nWhile some victims addressing the court said they were willing to forgive the killer, Sorenson told the judge, “I ask you to send this evil animal to life in prison with no chance for parole for the callous murder of my wife,” WTMJ reported.\n\nAlisha Kulich, the daughter of 52-year-old Jane Kulich, who was killed attending the parade, lamented that her mother will miss so many milestones in her and her siblings’ – and Jane Kulich’s grandchildren’s – lives, the station reported.\n\n“She won’t get to see me say my vows or get married to the love of my life,” Alisha Kulich said. “And she won’t ever get to see my future kids, and they won’t know what it’s like to have a grandma who spoils them.”\n\n‘How can you hit one and keep going?’\n\nIn addition to Sorenson and Kulich, Jackson Sparks, 8, Tamara Durand, 52, Lee Owen, 71, and Wilhelm Hospel, 81, were killed. Sparks was walking with his baseball team during the parade. Durand and Owen were Dancing Grannies, along with Sorenson, and Hospel was the husband of a Dancing Granny who survived the attack.\n\nProsecutors provided evidence showing Brooks intentionally drove through the crowd. In a criminal complaint, an officer who stepped in front of Brooks’ vehicle, ordering him to stop, said Brooks looked “directly at him, and it appeared he had no emotion on his face.”\n\nThe SUV passed the officer and accelerated, stopped at an intersection, then accelerated again – tires squealing – and began zigzagging as “bodies and objects” flew, the complaint said, adding another witness said Brooks was trying to avoid vehicles, rather than people, and made no attempt to slow down.\n\nIn a tearful closing argument, Brooks posited what would be the reaction if the car malfunctioned and was unable to stop and the driver panicked. He claimed there was a recall on the vehicle he was driving, but Dorow struck the remarks from the record.\n\nIn June, Brooks entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, but his public defenders withdrew it in September. They then withdrew themselves from representing Brooks, and Dorow permitted Brooks to represent himself.\n\nHe was belligerent and disruptive at trial, often speaking over Dorow to make outlandish arguments. Dorow at times put Brooks in a separate room, where he could take part via a monitor and was muted unless it was his turn to speak. Brooks was twice sent to the room Wednesday after talking over the judge.\n\nFrom top left clockwise, Lee Owen, Tamara Durand, Virginia Sorenson, Jackson Sparks, Jane Kulich and Wilhelm Hospel.\n\nBrooks’ mother, Dawn Woods, expressed concern her son was not capable of defending himself and asked the judge not to allow it, WTMJ reported.\n\n“He is not stable mentally enough to fully understand the big mistake he is making by wanting to represent himself,” she said. “That alone should be enough to see he’s not capable of being his own attorney.”\n\nBrooks had been charged in a domestic abuse case and was released from jail on $1,000 bail less than two weeks before the parade. He was accused of running over a woman who claimed to be the mother of his child, according to court documents. Prosecutors later acknowledged the bail set was “inappropriately low.”", "authors": ["Eliott C. Mclaughlin Brad Parks Steve Almasy Adrienne Broaddus", "Eliott C. Mclaughlin", "Brad Parks", "Steve Almasy", "Adrienne Broaddus"], "publish_date": "2022/11/16"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2013/08/24/a-college-football-all-star-team-made-up-solely-of-indiana-products/2695329/", "title": "A college football All-Star team made up solely of Indiana products", "text": "By Matthew Glenesk\n\nWith each passing season, Indiana increasingly produces more and more college football players. Credit the Colts’ success, the popularity of football or whatever. Either way, more Hoosiers are playing on Saturdays.\n\nStar sports producer Matthew Glenesk scoured Division I football rosters and put together his second annual All-Indiana team, comprised of players who hail from the Hoosier State.\n\nCLICK HERE FOR PHOTO GALLERY: Desktop version\n\nOL – Jason Spriggs, Indiana (Concord)\n\nOn Signing Day 2012, Kevin Wilson raved about the NFL potential of this unheralded in-state recruit. Spriggs responded in kind by starting all 12 games, a school record for true freshmen. An All-Big Ten honorable mention pick, Spriggs allowed just two sacks in 961 snaps for the Hoosiers, who set school records in passing yards and total yards.\n\nOL – James Hurst, North Carolina (Plainfield)\n\nOne of the best offensive linemen in the country, Hurst is a preseason All-America and on the Outland and Lombardi award watch lists. Hurst has started every game for the Tar Heels since the second week of his freshman season, a span of 36 straight starts, and finished 2012 All-ACC first team. North Carolina set school records in total yards and passing offense and surrendered a league-low 0.92 sacks per game.\n\nOL – Zack Martin, Notre Dame (Bishop Chatard)\n\nConsidered one of the best left tackles in the country, Martin is on all the award watch lists. He’s made 39 consecutive starts and has been named Notre Dame’s best offensive lineman three straight seasons.\n\nOL – Nick Martin, Notre Dame (Bishop Chatard)\n\nOne of Notre Dame’s most versatile linemen, Martin played in all 13 games a year ago and was the primary backup at both tackle positions. He’s also played guard, but now has shifted to center where he’ll look to replace longtime starter Braxston Cave.\n\nOL - Michael Kime, Army (Culver Academies)\n\nStarted 11 games last season for an offensive line that led the nation in rushing and set Army records for rushing yards and total offense. Kime has started at right tackle and center, but is coming back from a knee injury he suffered late last season.\n\nQB – Tre Roberson, Indiana (Lawrence Central)\n\nHe may not even be the starter for Thursday’s opener against Indiana State, but there aren’t many Hoosier-bred QBs out there (and no, the well-traveled Gunner Kiel is not there yet). Roberson was the starter last season before getting hurt and seemed poised for a big year. IU’s offense is high-powered with a strong offensive line and receiving corps, so whoever lines up at QB will have every opportunity to succeed.\n\nRB - Shakir Bell, Indiana State (Warren Central)\n\nWe’re dipping down to FCS for our feature back and this isn’t a desperation reach. Bell is one of the most productive backs in the country, regardless of level. Bell finished with 1,475 rushing yards (third-best in school history). A year earlier, Bell rushed for a nation-leading 1,670 yards.\n\nRB – Tevin Lake, Marian (South Bend Adams)\n\nIt didn’t feel right having an All-Indiana team without a member of the state’s only national champion. Marian won the NAIA national title and were led by Lake, who rushed for 1,594 yards, 18 TDs and added 511 receiving yards and another four scores.\n\nWR – Kofi Hughes, Indiana (Cathedral)\n\nCaught 43 passes for 639 yards a year ago (third best on the pass happy Hoosiers). Hughes is the Hoosiers’ deep threat with seven 35-plus yard catches and finished sixth in the Big Ten in yards per game.\n\nWR – Jamill Smith, Ball State (Muncie South)\n\nThe Cardinals’ second-leading receiver behind Willie Snead, Smith snagged 69 catches for 706 yards and scored six times in 2012. Ball State’s primary kick and punt returner, Smith averaged 25.6 yards per kick return.\n\nTE – Zane Fakes, Ball State (Plainfield)\n\nAn All-MAC first team selection, Fakes caught 57 balls for 461 yards and five TDs a season ago. Two of his touchdowns came in Ball State’s 41-39 win over IU in Bloomington.\n\nDL – Sheldon Day, Warren Central (Notre Dame)\n\nSaw action in all 13 games for the Fighting Irish as a true freshman and registered 23 tackles, 13 solos, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly gushed about Day this month saying, “I wouldn’t trade him for anybody on our football team right now. He’s as impressive of a football player that we have on our defense.”\n\nDL – Jordan Stepp (Ben Davis) and Camaron Beard (Cathedral), Cincinnati\n\nThe Indy duo combined for 66 tackles a year ago, including nine tackles for loss. Stepp is the Bearcats’ most experienced lineman and will be needed to anchor the line. Another Indy-area product, Mitch Meador (Whiteland), provides depth at the tackle position.\n\nDL – Darius Latham, Indiana (North Central)\n\nThis is a potential pick and also an indication on the options on the defensive interior for our All-Indiana team. Latham, who originally committed to Wisconsin, should see plenty of action with the graduation of IU’s top three interior defenders. Much of the Hoosiers’ improvement on defense will depend on how quickly Latham and fellow Indy freshman D-lineman David Kenney (Pike) adapt to the college game.\n\nLB – Blake Lueders, Stanford (Zionsville)\n\nAn injury cost Lueders the entire 2012 season, but the outside linebacker is back and in contention to start at outside linebacker for the Cardinal, replacing All-Pac 12 performer Chase Thomas. Regardless of whether or not Lueders wins the starting job, he’ll have a presence for fourth-ranked Stanford.\n\nLB – Nick Temple, Cincinnati (Warren Central)\n\nA starter since the fifth game of his freshman year, expect big things from Temple this season. He finished the 2012 season with 54 total tackles, including 32 solo stops and 5.5 tackles for loss.\n\nLB – Steffon Martin, Arizona State (Pike)\n\nOne of the top junior college transfers a year ago, Martin made 10 starts for the Sun Devils in 2012 and finished with 27 tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss. Martin, a senior, should be among Arizona State’s defensive leaders this year.\n\nDB – Isaiah Lewis, Michigan State (Ben Davis)\n\nA three-year starter, Lewis is on the Jim Thorpe Award watch list given to the top defensive back in the country. Lewis was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection a year ago after making a career-high 80 tackles. He has six interceptions and 10 pass breakups in his career.\n\nDB – Jeff Garrett, Ball State (Ben Davis)\n\nA three-year letterwinner, Garrett (left) has 22 starts in his career and finished fifth on the team with 57 tackles a year ago and was second with six pass breakups.\n\nDB – Greg Heban, Indiana (Delta)\n\nIt’s never a good sign when a defensive back leads your team in tackles, but Heban proved IU’s most reliable defender a season ago. The converted baseball player led the team with 91 tackles, 68 solo and was the team leader in interceptions (three) and pass breakups (eight). Heban finished the Big Ten leader among defensive backs in tackles with 7.6 per game.\n\nDB – Landon Feichter, Purdue (Fort Wayne Dwenger)\n\nAn All-Big Ten honorable mention last year, Feichter started all 13 games for the Boilers and was named the team’s defensive MVP. His four interceptions tied for the Big Ten lead and his 80 tackles were a team best.\n\nK – Sam Ficken, Penn State (Valparaiso)\n\nLast season got off to a rough start for the former All-State kicker, but Ficken bounced back, finishing the year with 10 straight field goal makes, including a game-winning effort on Senior Day.\n\nP – Kyle Christy, Florida (Brownsburg)\n\nAn All-SEC first team selection and Ray Guy Award finalist, Christy led the SEC in punting average (45.8 yards per punt). His 44.3 yard average is second best in school history and he’s popped up on a few publications’ preseason All-America lists.\n\nLS - Andrew East, Vanderbilt (North Central)\n\nWe leave no stone unturned. We’ve got ourselves a long snapper. And a good one at that. This season marks the third consecutive year East will handle the primary snapping duties for the Commodores and was a key part of a special teams unit the set a school record for field goals.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2013/08/24"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2015/04/19/academy-of-country-music-acm-awards/26048879/", "title": "Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert win big at ACMs", "text": "Brian Mansfield\n\nUSA TODAY\n\nMiranda Lambert stockpiled trophies quickly Sunday at the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards in Texas. The singer, who led all ACM contenders this year with eight nominations, won her sixth consecutive award for female vocalist of the year. She also won her fourth award for top album for Platinum, as well as song of the year for her hit Automatic.\n\n\"I don't even realize what's happening tonight, but thank y'all so much, Texas,\" Lambert said as she accepted the trophy for top female vocalist.\n\nCo-host Luke Bryan won his second award for entertainer of the year, as the ACM celebrated its 50th anniversary in the home of the Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The three-and-a-half-hour telecast was the most-attended live awards show ever.\n\n\"Everything is bigger in Texas, and that's why we came here to celebrate the ACM's 50th anniversary,\" said singer Blake Shelton, who hosted the show with Bryan.\n\nLambert's album-of-the-year award tied her with George Strait for the most wins in that category. She also won song of the year in 2013 for Over You, which she wrote with husband Shelton. In 2011, her hit The House That Built Me, written by Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin, won.\n\nRandy Travis is the only other artist to have three of his hits win song of the year from the Academy.\n\nThe two awards brought Lambert's ACM total to 20, more than any other women in the academy's history.\n\nJason Aldean won his third consecutive award for male vocalist, noting during his acceptance speech that he had opened a concert for presenter Trisha Yearwood when he was a teenager. Florida Georgia Line won a pair of awards, one for vocal duo of the year and a pre-telecast award for the duo's This Is How We Roll collaboration with Bryan.\n\nOne of the night's most touching moments came with Lee Brice's introduction of Travis, who has suffered severe health problems, including a stroke, over the past two years. He has rarely been seen in public during that time.\n\nStrait, the only country singer named the ACM's entertainer of the year in four different decades, received the first Milestone Award at the show Sunday.\n\nThe Texas native is one of seven artists to be honored with a Milestone Award, along with Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, Lambert and Taylor Swift.\n\nStrait, who had won 21 ACM awards going into the night, also performed, combining his 1987 classic All My Ex's Live in Texas with his newest single Let It Go.\n\nSwift's mother, Andrea Swift, presented her daughter with her Milestone. Andrea, recently diagnosed with cancer, fought tears as she spoke of watching \"the tangled-hair girl growing up on our farm\" turning into a woman \"brave enough to explore her musical curiosity, having a voice against those who hate and giving of herself in need.\"\n\nTaylor thanked the country music industry for the grace with which it accepted the news she had made a fully pop album in 1989. \"I'm so happy I learned to write songs in a town like Nashville,\" she said. \"I'm so glad I learned what hard work is from my heroes who are sitting here.\"\n\nThroughout the show, performers tipped their proverbial hats to history.\n\nThe telecast began with Eric Church and Keith Urban performing Church's Pledge Allegiance to the Hag, a salute to the ACMs first entertainer of the year, Merle Haggard. Though the ACM first handed out awards in 1965, the organization didn't create a top-entertainer award until 1970, the year Haggard won. After Pledge Allegiance to the Hag, Church and Urban segued into their duet, Raise 'Em Up.\n\nMany other performers, including Strait, McEntire and Aldean, performed medleys of their hits.\n\nThe ACM also imported some talent from the pop world. Christina Aguilera joined Rascal Flatts to sing Shotgun, a song written for her character on Nashville, and the trio's current single, Riot. Later, Nick Jonas teamed up with Dan + Shay for a mash-up of his Jealous and the duo's Nothin' Like You.\n\nPerformances\n\nPledge Allegiance to the Hag/Raise 'Em Up, Eric Church and Keith Urban\n\nAll My Ex's Live in Texas/Let It Go, George Strait\n\nSippin' on Fire, Florida Georgia Line\n\nForever and Ever, Amen, Lee Brice\n\nTake Your Time, Sam Hunt\n\nRiser, Dierks Bentley\n\nIndependence Day, Martina McBride\n\nI See You, Luke Bryan\n\nMama's Broken Heart/Little Red Wagon, Miranda Lambert\n\nTonight Looks Good on You/My Kind of Party/Hicktown/She's Country, Jason Aldean\n\nIs There Life Out There/The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia/Fancy/Going Out Like That, Reba McEntire\n\nGirl Crush, Little Big Town\n\nAin't Worth the Whiskey, Cole Swindell\n\nMake Me Wanna, Thomas Rhett\n\nSangria, Blake Shelton\n\nShotgun/Riot, Christina Aguilera and Rascal Flatts\n\nAll-American Kid, Garth Brooks\n\nYoung/Wild Child, Kenny Chesney\n\nLong Stretch of Love, Lady Antebellum\n\nGentle on My Mind, Brett Eldredge and Beth Behrs\n\nJealous/Nothin' Like You, Nick Jonas and Dan + Shay\n\nWhere Were You (When the World Stopped Turning), Alan Jackson\n\nCrushin' It, Brad Paisley\n\nMy Maria, Brooks & Dunn\n\nLet the Good Times Roll, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2015/04/19"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/02/sport/astros-phillies-no-hitter-game-4-world-series-spt/index.html", "title": "Astros throw the World Series' first combined no-hitter against the ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nCristian Javier’s parents had a notion he’d deliver something special in Game 4 of the World Series. And the Houston Astros starter, with three of his fellow hurlers, would prove them right.\n\nThe Astros on Wednesday produced the first combined no-hitter in World Series history – and the Fall Classic’s second no-hitter overall – as Javier and Houston’s bullpen blanked the host Philadelphia Phillies 5-0 to tie the best-of-seven series at 2-2 and secure their place in baseball lore.\n\nJavier tossed six innings of no-hit ball while starting for the Astros, striking out nine and walking two over 97 pitches before being relieved.\n\nBryan Abreu and Rafael Montero then each pitched a perfect inning before Ryan Pressly closed out the Phillies in the ninth, leaving the hosts without a hit at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.\n\nAfter the last out, Javier ran from his dugout to hug Pressly on the mound, surrounded by their celebrating teammates. In an interview on the field, he was asked when he knew the night would be special.\n\n“It’s funny. My parents told me today I was going to throw a no-hitter, and thanks to God, I was able to accomplish that,” Javier told Fox Sports, via a translator.\n\nJavier, who hails from the Dominican Republic, later told reporters his father had arrived just a day earlier in the US to watch him pitch.\n\nJavier departed the game with a 5-0 lead, with the Astros scoring all their runs in the fifth. Houston manager Dusty Baker said postgame he was thinking of Javier and protecting his health when deciding to pull him after the sixth, noting Javier’s increasing pitch count and the strength of the Astros’ bullpen.\n\n“It’s always tough to take a guy out, but you have to weigh the no-hitter and history versus trying to win this game and get back to 2-2 in the World Series,” Baker said.\n\nThe only previous no-hitter in 118 years of World Series history came from one pitcher, Don Larsen, who tossed a perfect game in the 1956 World Series.\n\nThe Astros now hold the distinction of throwing the first combined no-hitter not just in the World Series but in postseason history, according to Major League Baseball. Outside the Astros’ and Larsen’s feats, the only other no-hitter in the postseason was tossed by Roy Halladay for the Phillies in the 2010 National League Divisional Series.\n\nPhiladelphia manager Rob Thomson noted the Phillies had a no-hitter pitched against them by the New York Mets earlier this year, then won the next day.\n\n“These guys, they got a short memory. They’re going to go home tonight. They’re going to go to bed and come back in here tomorrow and prep and compete like they always do,” Thomson said.\n\nThis is Houston’s second no-hitter this season. On June 25, Javier, Hector Neris and Pressly combined for one against the Yankees.\n\nThe Astros catcher who called his team’s pitches Wednesday, Christian Vazquez, also ran to embrace Pressly after the game. Houston’s pitching coach, Joshua Miller, praised Vazquez for his role.\n\n“He’s calling every pitch, he’s seeing the movement, he’s seeing the hitter reaction,” Miller said, according to MLB.com. “It’s huge, knowing what to call and when to maybe vacate the general game plan in certain situations.”\n\nVazquez said he did not think of completing Wednesday’s no-hitter until “maybe the last inning” due to the potent Phillies lineup, which slugged its way to a Game 3 victory Tuesday.\n\n“We’ve not finished the job yet, but this is very, very special for us. And when we get old we’re going to remember this,” Vazquez said.", "authors": ["Travis Caldwell Jill Martin Jason Hanna", "Travis Caldwell", "Jill Martin", "Jason Hanna"], "publish_date": "2022/11/02"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/26/china/china-protests-xinjiang-fire-shanghai-intl-hnk/index.html", "title": "China Covid: Protests erupt in unprecedented challenge to Xi ...", "text": "Beijing CNN —\n\nChinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday faced unprecedented dissent after thousands of demonstrators protested in cities across China over the weekend against his zero-Covid strategy – with some daring to openly call for his removal in the streets.\n\n“Step down, Xi Jinping! Step down, Communist Party!” some protesters yelled among hundreds who gathered in the financial hub Shanghai – one of multiple major cities where protests broke out following a deadly fire Thursday at an apartment block in the far western region of Xinjiang.\n\nThe fire appeared to act as a catalyst for searing public anger over China’s strict zero-Covid measures after videos emerged that seemed to suggest lockdown measures delayed firefighters from reaching the victims.\n\nHear protesters in China call for Xi Jinping's resignation 02:05 - Source: CNN\n\nFrom Shanghai to the capital Beijing, residents gathered to grieve the 10 people killed in the blaze in Xinjiang’s capital Urumqi, speak out against zero-Covid and call for freedom and democracy. On dozens of university campuses, students demonstrated or put up protest posters. In many parts of the country, residents in locked-down neighborhoods tore down barriers and took to the streets, following mass anti-lockdown protests that swept Urumqi on Friday night.\n\nSuch widespread scenes of anger and defiance – some of which stretched into the early hours of Monday morning – are exceptionally rare in China, where the ruling Communist Party ruthlessly cracks down on all expressions of dissent. But three years into the pandemic, many people have been pushed to the brink by the government’s incessant use of lockdowns, Covid tests and quarantines – as well as ever-tightening censorship and continued onslaught on personal freedoms.\n\nThe ratcheting-up of restrictions in recent months, coupled with a series of heartbreaking deaths blamed on an over-zealous policing of the controls, has brought matters to a head.\n\nHe fully supported China's zero-Covid policy. Hear why he changed his mind 03:30 - Source: CNN\n\nChinese stock markets and the yuan tumbled in early trade Monday amid concern about the government’s potential response to the protests, which varied from city to city and in some areas became more heavy-handed as the weekend progressed.\n\nAt a news conference Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian deflected questions about the protests and claimed that social media posts linking the Xinjiang fire with Covid policies had “ulterior motives.”\n\nAuthorities had been “making adjustments based on realities on the ground,” he said. When asked about protesters calling on Xi to step down, he replied: “I’m not aware of the situation you mentioned.”\n\nThough the protests made headlines in international media, Chinese state media carried stories and opinion pieces stressing the severity of the Covid outbreak and the need to persevere with methods to stamp it out.\n\n“Practices have proven that our Covid measures can stand the test of history, they are scientific and effective,” said an opinion piece published by the Xinhua news agency on Monday. “Perseverance prevails.”\n\nBut the challenge to zero-Covid posed by the spread of more contagious variants was underlined Monday when China reported 40,052 new local cases – the sixth consecutive day of record figures, according to the National Health Commission.\n\nNearly 4,000 of those infections were identified in Beijing, where – without referring to the protests – city authorities on Sunday banned blocking entrances to residential compounds under lockdown, adding that access must be granted to emergency services.\n\nProtests in Shanghai\n\nDemonstrators stand by protest signs in Shanghai, China, on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022. AP\n\nBrewing anger over the fire deaths led to remarkable acts of defiance in Shanghai, where many of its 25 million residents hold deep resentment toward the government’s zero-Covid policy after being subjected to a two-month lockdown in the spring.\n\nLate on Saturday night, hundreds of residents gathered for a candlelight vigil on Urumqi Road, which was named after the city, to mourn the victims of the Xinjiang fire, according to videos widely circulated – and promptly censored – on Chinese social media and a witness account.\n\nSurrounding a makeshift memorial of candles, flowers and placards, the crowd held up blank sheets of white paper – in what is traditionally a symbolic protest against censorship – and chanted, “Need human rights, need freedom.”\n\nWhy protesters in China are holding up white paper 01:32 - Source: CNN\n\nIn multiple videos seen by CNN, people could be heard shouting demands for Xi and the Communist Party to “step down.” The crowd also chanted, “Don’t want Covid test, want freedom!” and “Don’t want dictatorship, want democracy!”\n\nSome videos show people singing China’s national anthem and The Internationale, a standard of the socialist movement, while holding banners protesting the country’s exceptionally stringent pandemic measures.\n\nRows of police officers, who initially looked on from the outside, started to move in to push back and divide the crowd around 3 a.m., sparking tense face-offs with the protesters, according to a witness.\n\nThe witness told CNN they saw several people arrested and taken into a police vehicle next to the makeshift memorial after 4.30 a.m. They also saw several protesters being grabbed by the officers from the crowd and taken behind the police line. The protest gradually dispersed before dawn, the witness said.\n\nOn Sunday afternoon, hundreds of Shanghai residents returned to the site to continue protesting despite a heavy police presence and road blocks.\n\nVideos showed hundreds of people at an intersection shouting “Release the people!” in a demand for the police to free detained demonstrators.\n\nCrowds shouting \"Release the people!\" in Shanghai. @whyyoutouzhele/Twitter\n\nThis time around, police adopted a more hardline approach, moving faster and more aggressively to make arrests and disperse the crowds.\n\nIn one video, a man holding a bundle of chrysanthemum gave a speech while walking on a pedestrian crossing, as a police officer tried to stop him.\n\n“We need to be braver! Am I breaking the law by holding flowers?” he asked the crowd, who shouted “No!” in reply.\n\n“We Chinese need to be braver!” he said to the applause of the crowd. “So many of us were arrested yesterday. Are they without job or without family? We should not be afraid!”\n\nThe man put up a struggle as more than a dozen officers forced him into a police car, as the angry crowd shouted “Release him!” and rushed toward the vehicle.\n\nOther videos show chaotic scenes of police pushing, dragging and beating protesters.\n\nIn the evening, after one protester was violently dragged away, hundreds of people shouted “triads” at the police, in reference to local crime gangs, according to a livestream.\n\nBBC journalist Edward Lawrence was arrested at the scene of the Shanghai protests on Sunday night and later released, according to a statement from the BBC. A BBC spokesperson expressed concern about Lawrence’s treatment, claiming he was “beaten and kicked by the police.”\n\nOn Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao acknowledged Lawrence’s arrest, claiming he had not identified himself as a journalist before being detained.\n\nPolice officers block Shanghai's Urumqi Road on Sunday. Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images\n\nDemonstration spreads\n\nBy Sunday evening, mass demonstrations had spread to Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Wuhan, where thousands of residents called for not only an end to Covid restrictions, but more remarkably, political freedoms.\n\nIn Beijing, hundreds of mostly young people demonstrated in the commercial heart of the city well into the small hours of Monday. A small crowd first gathered along the Liangma River for a vigil for the victims of the Xinjiang fire, before it grew in size and eventually marched down the city’s Third Ring Road.\n\nPeople chanted slogans against zero-Covid, voiced support for the detained protesters in Shanghai, and called for greater civil liberties. “We want freedom! We want freedom!” the crowd chanted under an overpass.\n\nA Beijing protester holds a candal in demonstrations on Sunday night. Ng Han Guan/AP\n\nSpeaking to CNN’s Selina Wang at the protest, a demonstrator said he was shocked by the turnout.\n\n“Every conscientious Chinese should be here. They don’t have to voice their opinions, but I hope they can stand with us,” he said.\n\nIn the southwestern metropolis of Chengdu, large crowds demonstrated along the bustling river banks in a popular food and shopping district, according to a protester interviewed by CNN and videos circulating online.\n\nThe gathering started with a minute of silence to mourn the Xinjiang fire victims, later turning political as the crowd grew in size, numbering into the hundreds.\n\n“Opposition to dictatorship!” the crowd chanted. “We don’t want lifelong rulers. We don’t want emperors!” they shouted in a thinly veiled reference to Xi, who last month began a norm-shattering third term in office.\n\nProtesters hold up blank papers and chant slogans as they march in protest in Beijing on Sunday night. Ng Han Guan/AP\n\nIn the southern city of Guangzhou, hundreds gathered on a public square in Haizhu district – the epicenter of the city’s ongoing Covid outbreak that has been locked down for weeks.\n\n“We don’t want lockdowns, we want freedom! Freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom of arts, freedom of movement, personal freedoms. Give me back my freedom!” The crowd shouted.\n\nUniversity campuses\n\nAcross China, protests have also broken out on university campuses – which are particularly politically sensitive to the Communist Party, given the history of the student-led Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests in 1989.\n\nIn the early hours of Sunday morning, about 100 students gathered around a protest slogan painted on a wall at the prestigious Peking University in Beijing. A student told CNN that when he arrived at the scene at around 1 a.m., security guards were using jackets to cover the protest sign.\n\nA security guard tries to cover a protest slogan against zero-Covid on the campus of Peking University in Beijing. Obtained by CNN\n\n“Say no to lockdown, yes to freedom. No to Covid test, yes to food,” read the message written in red paint, echoing the slogan of a protest that took place on a Beijing overpass in October, just days before a key Communist Party meeting at which Xi secured a third term in power.\n\n“Open your eyes and look at the world, dynamic zero-Covid is a lie,” the protest slogan at Peking University read.\n\nThe student said security guards later covered the slogan with black paint.\n\nStudents at the Communication University of China, Nanjing gather in a vigil on Saturday evening to mourn the victims of the Xinjiang fire. @whyyoutouzhele/Twitter\n\nStudents later gathered to sing the The Internationale before being dispersed by teachers and security guards.\n\nIn the eastern province of Jiangsu, at least dozens of students from Communication University of China, Nanjing gathered on Saturday evening to mourn those who died in the Xinjiang fire. Videos show the students holding up sheets of white paper and mobile phone flashlights.\n\nIn one video, a university official could be heard warning the students: “You will pay for what you did today.”\n\nHundreds of students at Tsinghua University in Beijing gathered on Sunday to protest against zero-Covid and censorship. Obtained by CNN\n\n“You too, and so will the country,” a student shouted in reply.\n\nThe campus protests continued on Sunday. At Tsinghua University, another elite university in Beijing, hundreds of students gathered on a square to protest against zero-Covid and censorship.\n\nVideos and images circulating on social media show students holding up sheets of white paper and shouting: “Democracy and rule of law! Freedom of expression!”", "authors": ["Nectar Gan", "Cnn'S Beijing Bureau"], "publish_date": "2022/11/26"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2017/03/09/fortune-top-places-to-work-google/98953070/", "title": "Google is named Fortune's top place to work for 6th year in a row", "text": "David Carrig\n\nUSA TODAY\n\nWhat would you want in a workplace?\n\nHow about such perks as free gourmet food, haircuts, and laundry services. Or maybe strong parental leave policies and diversity initiatives.\n\nAll of these things helped Silicon Valley’s Google nab the top spot in Fortune’s annual list of the 100 best companies to work for — again.\n\nThe tech giant has been named the top workplace for the sixth straight year. It's the eighth time in 11 years Google has topped the list.\n\nFortune cited the culture at Google as a top reason for the designation and said \"Town halls held by black Googlers and allies, support for transgender workers, and unconscious-bias workshops (­already attended by more than 70% of staff) help foster what employees say is a 'safe and inclusive' workplace at this hive of high performers.\"\n\nMore on workplace issues:\n\nMillennials will take a happier workplace over better pay\n\nSexism in the workplace is worse than you thought\n\nTwelve companies have made the grade every time in the 20 years Fortune has been compiling the list: Cisco, Four Season Hotels and Resorts, Goldman Sachs, Marriott International, Nordstrom, Publix, REI, SAS, TDIndustries, Wegmans Food Markets, Whole Foods Market and W.L. Gore & Associates.\n\nFive companies managed to muscle their way onto the list for the first time this year: Pinnacle Financial Partners, SAP America, Delta Air Lines, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, and AT&T.\n\nHere are the top 10 companies:\n\n1. Google\n\n2. Wegmans Food Markets\n\n3. The Boston Consulting Group\n\n4. Baird\n\n5. Edward Jones\n\n6. Genentech\n\n7. Ultimate Software\n\n8. Salesforce\n\n9. Acuity Insurance\n\n10. Quicken Loans\n\nSee Fortune’s complete list: The 100 best companies to work for\n\nCorrection: The company Genentech was misspelled in an earlier version of this story.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2017/03/09"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_22", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/08/world/royal-family-line-of-succession/index.html", "title": "The British royal family line of succession explained | CNN", "text": "CNN —\n\nCharles has become Britain’s new King following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at the age of 96.\n\nThe Queen became the sixth female to ascend to the British throne in February 1952, after the death of her father, King George VI. She was the longest-reigning monarch in British history, serving for more than 70 years.\n\nCharles, the Queen’s eldest son, immediately ascended to the throne as King, putting his elder son, William, first in line for the throne.\n\nHere’s what we know about the British royal family’s line of succession.\n\nKing Charles III\n\nCharles, the Prince of Wales, poses for an official portrait in November 2008. He became King after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Hugo Burnand/Anwar Hussein Collection/WireImage/Getty Images Charles was born at Buckingham Palace in London on November 14, 1948. His mother was Princess Elizabeth at the time. Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Princess Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, sit on a lawn with their children Prince Charles and Princess Anne in August 1951. Eddie Worth/AP Charles attends his mother's coronation in 1953 with his grandmother, left, and his aunt Margaret. Hulton Deutsch/Corbis Historical/Getty Images Charles, right, shakes hands with Sir Gerald Creasy, the governor of Malta, as he and the rest of the royal family visit Malta in May 1954. Paul Popper/Getty Images Charles rides with his mother and grandmother as they travel to Westminster Abbey for the wedding of Princess Margaret in May 1960. Keystone-France//Getty Images Charles prepares for takeoff during a flying lesson in 1968. In 1971, he earned his wings as a jet pilot and joined the Royal Navy. Hulton Archive/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II presents Charles to the people of Wales after his investiture as the Prince of Wales in July 1969. Popperfoto/Getty Images Charles walks at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1970. He was the first royal heir to earn a university degree. Hulton Deutsch/Getty Images Charles, left, rides go-carts with his brother Prince Edward and his sister, Princess Anne, circa 1969. Keystone-France\\Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images Charles meets US President Richard Nixon during a private visit to Washington in July 1970. Popperfoto/Getty Images Charles attends a conference with his father in November 1970. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Charles goes on a safari in Kenya in February 1971. William Lovelace/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Charles prepares to fire a bazooka while visiting military barracks in West Berlin in October 1972. Popperfoto/Getty Images Charles fishes with a wooden spear circa 1975. Serge Lemoine/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Charles poses for sculptor David McFall in December 1975. Keystone-France/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images Charles smokes a peace pipe during a visit to Canada in July 1977. Anwar Hussein/Getty Images Charles rides a horse during an equestrian event in Cirencester, England, in April 1978. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles, as colonel-in-chief, visits the Cheshire Regiment in Canterbury, England, in November 1978. He served in the Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976, and in 2012 his mother appointed him honorary five-star ranks in the navy, army and air force. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles are seen together circa 1979. They dated in the 70s and would eventually marry in 2005. It was the second marriage for both. Their first marriages ended in divorce. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles poses outside the Taj Mahal in India in 1980. Anwar Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images Charles kisses his first wife, Lady Diana Spencer, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in July 1981. Their wedding ceremony was televised. Bettmann Archive/Getty images Charles and Princess Diana leave a London hospital with their first child, William, in July 1982. Anwar Hussein/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Charles and Diana dance together at a formal event. Tim Graham/Corbis Historical/Getty Images Charles shares a playful pie in the face while visiting a community center in Manchester, England, in December 1983. David Levenson/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Charles walks with natives on a visit to Papua New Guinea in 1984. Anwar Hussein/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Charles and Diana sit together in Toronto during a royal tour in October 1991. A year later, they were separated. Charles' affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles became public in 1993. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles, Diana and their two sons, William and Harry, gather for V-J Day commemorations in London in August 1995. The couple divorced one year later. Johnny Eggitt/AFP/Getty Images Charles visits a mosque in London in March 1996. Tim Graham/Getty Images South African President Nelson Mandela talks with Prince Charles in London in July 1996. David Thomson/AFP/Getty Images Charles poses with the Spice Girls in 1997. Tim Graham/Corbis Historical/Corbis/Getty Images Charles and his sons spend time together at the Balmoral Castle estate in Balmoral, Scotland, in August 1997. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles, second from right, and Princess Diana's two sisters meet in Paris after Diana was killed in a car crash there in August 1997. She was 36 years old. Jayne Fincher/Getty Images Charles and his sons follow Diana's hearse in London in September 1997. Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty Images Charles stands beside his grandmother's coffin while it lies in state at Westminster Hall in London in April 2002. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images Charles carries a specially painted football through the streets of Ashbourne, England, in March 2003. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles watches a parachute regiment during a D-Day re-enactment in Ranville, France, in June 2004. Chris Ison/AFP/Getty Images Charles married Camilla Parker-Bowles in April 2005. Hugo Burnand/Pool/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II presents Charles with the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal of Honor during a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show in London in May 2009. WPA Pool/Getty Images Charles and Camilla were on their way to a performance at the London Palladium when their car was attacked by angry student protesters in December 2010. The students were protesting a hike in tuition fees. Matt Dunham/AP Charles and Queen Elizabeth II were among those on the Buckingham Palace balcony after Prince William wed Kate Middleton in April 2011. James Devaney/FilmMagic/Getty Images Charles reads the weather while touring BBC Scotland's headquarters in May 2012. Andrew Milligan/AP Charles meets with US President Barack Obama in the White House Oval Office in March 2015. Chris Radburn-Pool/Getty Images Charles and Camilla react as Zephyr, the bald-eagle mascot of the Army Air Corps, flaps his wings at the Sandringham Flower Show in July 2015. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Members of the royal family pose for a photo at Buckingham Palace in December 2016. From left are Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Prince Charles; Queen Elizabeth II; Prince Philip; Prince William; and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images Charles visits the Italian town of Amatrice in April 2017, after an earthquake had hit. Alessandro Bianchi/AFP/Getty Images Charles and Camilla ride on a raft while visiting the island of Borneo in November 2017. Mohd Rasfana/AFP/Getty Images Charles leads three cheers for his mother as the Queen celebrated her 92nd birthday at a London concert in April 2018. Andrew Parsons/AFP/Getty Images From left, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Duchess Camilla and Queen Elizabeth II watch a Royal Air Force flyover in July 2018. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Charles accompanies his future daughter-in-law, Meghan Markle, as she is married to Prince Harry in May 2018. Jonathan Brady/AP Charles lays a wreath at the Cenotaph in London to commemorate Remembrance Day in November 2018. It was also the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Charles poses with family members for an official portrait to mark his 70th birthday. He's holding his grandson Prince George as Camilla sits next to his granddaughter, Princess Charlotte. In the back row, from left, are his grandson Prince Louis; his daughter-in-law Catherine; his son Prince William; his son Prince Harry; and his daughter-in-law Meghan. Chris Jackson/PoolAP Charles speaks at an event in London in March 2020. Later that month, it was announced that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images In pictures: Britain's King Charles III Prev Next\n\nBorn: November 14, 1948\n\nWhat to know: Charles was the longest serving British monarch-in-waiting; he was the heir apparent since the age of three.\n\nPresident of The Prince’s Trust and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and president or patron of more than 400 charitable organizations, Charles was the first royal heir to earn a university degree.\n\nMore key relatives: Diana, Princess of Wales, to whom he was married from 1981 to 1996. They had two children together: Princes William and Harry.\n\nPrincess Diana remains a beloved figure more than 20 years after her untimely death. See more photos of the British icon and the legacy she left behind. Terence Donovan/Camera Press/Redux Diana, seen here on her first birthday, was born Diana Frances Spencer on July 1, 1961. She was born into a noble family in Sandringham, England. Her father, John, was Viscount Althorp before becoming the 8th Earl Spencer in 1975. Hulton Archive/Getty Images Diana circa 1965. Growing up, she attended private schools in England and Switzerland. Central Press/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Diana poses with her brother, Charles, in 1968. She also had two sisters, Sarah and Jane. Anonymous/AP Diana, far right, is photographed with her father, John, and her three siblings circa 1970. Sarah is on the far left and Jane is next to Diana. When Diana was 7 years old, her parents divorced and her father was given custody of the children. Keystone/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images A teenage Diana receives a \"kiss\" from her pony, Scuffle, in 1974. A year later, she became Lady Diana after her grandfather died and her father became the 8th Earl Spencer. Hulton Archive/Getty Images After finishing school, Diana worked various jobs, including cook, nanny and kindergarten teacher. Here she is in 1980 with two children she looked after as a nanny. Hulton Archive/Getty Images Diana and Camilla Parker-Bowles visit the Ludlow racecourse in October 1980, where Prince Charles was competing as a jockey. Diana and Charles would be engaged just a few months later. Prince Charles admitted in 1994 to a relationship with Parker-Bowles while still married to Diana; Charles and Camilla wed in 2005. Express Newspapers/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Diana looks startled after stalling her new car outside her London apartment in November 1980. Tom Stoddart Archive/Premium Archive/Getty Images Diana is surrounded by photographers shortly before it was announced that she was engaged to Prince Charles. Ian Tyas/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Diana and Charles pose at Buckingham Palace after the announcement of their engagement on February 24, 1981. Hulton Deutsch/Corbis Historical/Getty Images Diana and Charles arrive at Goldsmith Hall in London for a charity recital in March 1981. PA/AP The couple poses with Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in March 1981. Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images The royal wedding was held July 29, 1981, at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. It was estimated that more than 700 million people watched the ceremony on television. Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Charles and Diana kiss on the Buckingham Palace balcony after being married. Tim Graham/Getty Images During their honeymoon, Charles and Diana leave Gibraltar on the royal yacht Britannia. Tim Graham/Getty Images The couple spends part of their honeymoon in Scotland. Serge Lemoine/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Charles and Diana attend the Grand National horse race in April 1982. Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images In June 1982, Diana gave birth to her first child, William. Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana greets a child while visiting Wrexham, Wales, in November 1982. David Levenson/Corbis Historical/Getty Images Charles, William and Diana pose for a photo at Kensington Palace in February 1983. Tim Graham/Tim Graham Photo Library/Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana gave birth to a second son, Harry, in September 1984. David Levenson/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Charles kisses his wife after a polo match in Cirencester, England, in June 1985. Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana watches her boys play at the piano in Kensington Palace in October 1985. Tim Graham/Tim Graham Photo Library/Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana helps William with a puzzle in October 1985. Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana attends a polo match that her husband played in Palm Beach, Florida, in November 1985. Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Diana dances with actor John Travolta at the White House in November 1985. Dancing behind Travolta are US President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan. A few years ago, Diana's blue velvet dress -- nicknamed the \"Travolta dress\" -- was auctioned for 240,000 British pounds ($362,424 US). Anwar Hussein/WireImage/WireImage Diana holds up Harry in the garden of Highgrove House, a royal residence in Gloucestershire, England, in July 1986. Tim Graham/Getty Images William rides a miniature pony at Highgrove House. Tim Graham/Getty Images Prince Harry shows a bit of his personality on the Buckingham Palace balcony in June 1988. Steve Holland/AP Diana and her two boys walk outside the Wetherby School in London in April 1990. Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Diana and her sons go skiing in Lech, Austria, in April 1991. Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana and Charles sit together during a royal tour of Toronto in October 1991. Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana visits Egypt in May 1992. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles and Diana attend a memorial service during a tour of South Korea in November 1992. A month later, it was announced that they had formally separated. PA/AP Diana and her sons visit Thorpe Park, a theme park in Surrey, England, in April 1993. Julian Parker/UK Press/Getty Images Diana arrives at the Serpentine Gallery in London in June 1994. Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images A police officer holds back a photographer as Diana walks by in July 1996. It had just been announced that Diana and Charles had divorced. Martin Godwin/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Diana talks to amputees in Angola, where she traveled in January 1997 to bring attention to the anti-land mine campaign of the International Red Cross. Sitting on her lap is Sandra Thijica, a 13-year-old who lost her left leg to a land mine. JOAO SILVA/ASSOCIATED PRESS Diana wears protective gear as she visits minefields in Angola in January 1997. Antonio Cotrim/EPA/Redux Diana visits Cape Town, South Africa, and meets with South African President Nelson Mandela in March 1997. Premium Archive/Gallo Images/Getty Images Diana holds hands with Mother Teresa after they met in New York in June 1997. Anwar Hussein/Getty Images This photo, taken from surveillance video, shows Diana arriving at the Ritz Hotel in Paris on August 30, 1997. It is one of the last photos of her alive. Handout/PA Wire/PA Photos/AP Diana is seen in a Ritz Hotel elevator with her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed. After leaving the hotel, the couple was killed in a high-speed car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris. PA Wire/PA Photos/AP Wreckage is lifted away after the car Diana was in crashed into a pillar on August 31, 1997. Fayed and driver Henri Paul died at the scene. Diana died at a Paris hospital a few hours later. A French investigation concluded that Paul was legally drunk at the time and responsible for the accident. In 2008, a British coroner's jury found that Diana and Fayed were unlawfully killed because of the actions of Paul and pursuing paparazzi. PIERRE BOUSSEL/AFP/Getty Images On the eve of Diana's funeral, the Queen and Prince Philip look at floral tributes left outside Buckingham Palace. More than 1 million bouquets of flowers were left at Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace and St. James's Palace in the wake of Diana's death. Rex Features/Shutterstock Diana's coffin is carried into London's Westminster Cathedral in September 1997. Watching at the bottom, from left, is Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Charles Spencer, Prince William and Prince Philip. JOHN GAPS III/AP POOL/ASSOCIATED PRESS Princess Diana: Her life and legacy Prev Next\n\nDiana died in 1997 following a car accident in Paris, along with boyfriend Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul.\n\nIn 2005, Charles married Camilla, the Queen Consort.\n\nPrince William, Prince of Wales\n\nAs the first-born child to Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, Prince William has never been far from the public eye. Richard Stonehouse/Getty Images Prince Charles and Princess Diana leave the hospital with newborn William on June 22, 1982. Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images Prince William is watched by his parents as he takes his first steps in public at Kensington Palace in 1983. Anwar Hussein/Getty Images William is accompanied by nanny Barbara Barnes as he leaves St. Mary's Hospital in London in 1984. He was visiting his mother and his newborn brother, Prince Harry. PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo From the balcony of Buckingham Palace, a young Prince William watches the Trooping of the Colour in 1985. He is joined by Lady Gabriella Windsor, left, and Lady Zara Phillips. PA Photos/Landov Prince William waves from a carriage en route to the wedding of his uncle Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986. Sahm Doherty/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images William attends his first day at Wetherby School in 1987. Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images Charles and his family visit Spain in 1988. Anwar Hussein/Getty Images William and Harry ride bicycles with their parents while on vacation in the Isles of Scilly in 1989. PA Images/Getty Images William shovels sand onto his mother while playing on a beach in 1990. Rob Taggart/Reuters/Alamy William and Harry wave from the deck of the Royal Yacht Britannia in 1991. Anwar Hussein/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Princess Diana and Prince William wait for Prince Harry after attending an Easter Sunday church service at Windsor Castle in 1992. Dylan Martinez/Reuters Prince William grimaces after riding Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World in Florida in 1993. He was with friends of the royal family on a three-day vacation. Bob Pearson/AFP/Getty Images Prince William accompanies his mother to a tennis match at Wimbledon in 1994. Adam Butler/PA Images/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William and Prince Charles attend a service commemorating V-J Day outside Buckingham Palace in 1995. Andrew Winning/AFP/Getty Images Prince Charles and Prince Harry, at left, stand for anthems as Prince William, right, looks around during the Five Nations rugby championship in 1996. Ben Radford/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Prince William and his brother bow their heads after their mother's funeral at Westminster Abbey in 1997. Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris. William was 15 at the time, and Harry was 12. Adam Butler/AFP/Getty Images Prince William receives flowers from an adoring crowd in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1998. He was on a weeklong vacation with his father and brother, though they also made time for official engagements. Kim Stalknecht/AFP/Getty Images Britain's Queen Mother joins Prince Charles and his sons during an occasion marking her 99th birthday in 1999. Ken Goff/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images Prince William hammers a log while helping construct walkways in a remote village in Chile in 2000. Toby Melville/AFP/Getty Images William, left, and Harry take part in an exhibition polo match in Gloucestershire, England, in 2001. Anthony Harvey/Getty Images Members of the royal family stand vigil besides the Queen Mother's coffin in 2002. Prince William, right, stands alongside Prince Harry, Princess Anne and Sophie of Wessex. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images A London office worker licks a first-class stamp that was issued to mark Prince William's 21st birthday in 2003. Commemorative coins were also minted for the occasion. Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images Prince William makes his water polo debut for the Scottish national universities squad during the annual Celtic Nations tournament in April 2004. William was attending the University of St. Andrews. Barry Batchel/AFP/Getty Images Prince William celebrates his 30th birthday in June 2004. AFP/Getty Images William graduates from St. Andrews University in 2005. He earned a degree in geography. Bruno Vincent/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II glances up at William, right, as she inspects the parade at the Royal Military Academy in 2006. William graduated as an Army officer and later went on to receive his Royal Air Force pilot's wings. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images Prince William and Prince Harry speak on stage with Elton John, far left, during a concert they put on to celebrate Princess Diana in 2007. The event fell on what would have been their mother's 46th birthday. Getty Images Prince William sports a beard for the first time in public at a Christmas Day church service in 2008. He was clean-shaven by early January. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Prince William walks with a group of homeless people during a 2009 hike with Centrepoint, the United Kingdom's largest youth charity for the homeless. William became the patron of the organization in 2005. ohn Giles/WPA Pool/Getty Images During an official overseas visit in 2010, Prince William is welcomed to Sydney with a traditional smoke ceremony. Eddie Mulholland/Pool/Getty Images Prince William kisses his wife, Catherine, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding on April 29, 2011. The two met while attending the University of St. Andrews. Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images William and Catherine meet with US President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama while the Obamas visited Buckingham Palace in May 2011. Charles Dharapak/Pool/AP William throws a foam javelin during a visit to Nottingham, England, in 2012. He and his wife were in the city as part of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee tour, marking the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne. Phil Noble/AFP/Getty Images William and Catherine depart St. Mary's Hospital in London with their newborn son, George, in July 2013. Scott Heavey/Getty Images William and Catherine sit in front of the Taj Mahal while on a royal tour of India in April 2016. Ian Vogler/Pool/Getty Images Prince William and Prince Harry try out \"Star Wars\" lightsabers during a tour of the movie sets in Iver Heath, England, in April 2016. Adrian Dennis/WPA Pool/Getty Images William and Catherine join from left, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Prince Charles; Queen Elizabeth II; and Prince Philip at a Buckingham Palace reception in December 2016. Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images William and Harry are joined by Peter Phillips, left, during a ceremonial procession at the funeral of Prince Philip in April 2021. Alastair Grant/Pool/AP William and Harry unveil a statue they commissioned of their mother on what would have been her 60th birthday in July 2021. Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince William sits by the Imperial State Crown during the opening of Parliament in May 2022. Ben Stansall/Pool/AFP/Getty Images William and Catherine stand with their children -- from left, Louis, Charlotte and George -- on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the Trooping the Colour parade in June 2022. Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images This photo of Prince William and his children in Jordan was released by Kensington Palace in June 2022. Kensington Palace/Getty Images William is seen driving Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, as they arrive at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on the day Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images The heir apparent: Britain's Prince William Prev Next\n\nBorn: June 21, 1982\n\nWhat to know: William, Prince of Wales is first in line to the throne. He has achieved the highest educational degree – Master of Arts – of any member of the royal family. He served in the military from 2006 to 2013, participating in more than 150 helicopter search and rescue operations.\n\nMore key relatives: Catherine, Princess of Wales, whom he married in 2011. The couple have three children together: Prince George, 9; Princess Charlotte, 7; and Prince Louis, 4.\n\nBritain's Prince William and his wife, Catherine, walk with their three children -- from left, George, Charlotte and Louis -- in Norfolk, England. The photo was featured on the family Christmas card in December 2022. Matt Porteous/WPA Pool/Shutterstock Prince Louis is pushed in a wheelbarrow by his mother in Windsor, England, in April 2023. The photo was released by Kensington Palace to mark Louis' fifth birthday. Millie Pilkington/The Prince and Princess of Wales/AP William and Catherine meet a boy dressed as a royal guard while visiting Boston in December 2022. The royal couple was in Boston to attend the Earthshot Prize Awards that William founded two years prior. Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images William and Catherine walk with Prince George and Princess Charlotte at the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. WPA Pool/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images William and Catherine arrive with George, Louis and Charlotte at a school in Bracknell, England, in September 2022. Jonathan Brady/Pool/Getty Images Prince Louis holds his hands over his ears as jets roar over Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade in London in June 2022. From left are Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall; Prince Charles; Queen Elizabeth II; Louis; Catherine; Charlotte; George; and William. Chris Jackson/Getty Images This photo of Prince William and his children in Jordan was released by Kensington Palace to celebrate Father's Day in June 2022. Handout/Kensington Palace/Getty Images William and Catherine play drums while visiting the Trench Town Culture Yard Museum in Kingston, Jamaica, in March 2022. They were on a royal tour of the Caribbean. Chris Jackson/Getty Images This image provided by Kensington Palace made the family's Christmas card in 2020. Matt Porteous/The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge/Kensington Palace/Getty Images William and Catherine visit an air squadron in London in April 2021. During the visit, the squadron paid tribute to William's late grandfather, Prince Philip , who served as Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Air Training Corps for 63 years. Ian Vogler/WPA Pool/Getty Images William and Catherine attend the funeral service of Prince Philip in April 2021. Yui Mok/WPA Pool/Getty Images William and Catherine visit Westminster Abbey, where a Covid-19 vaccination center had been set up in London in March 2021. Aaron Chown/WPA Pool/Getty Images William, Catherine and their children arrive for a pantomime performance at the London Palladium Theatre in December 2020. They were there to thank key workers and their families for their efforts throughout the pandemic. Aaron Chown/Pool/AFP/Getty Images William watches Catherine pour a tray of bagel dough into a container during a visit to a London bakery in September 2020. Justin Tallis/Pool/AFP/Getty Images The royal family meets with naturalist David Attenborough at Kensington Palace in September 2020. This was after a private screening of Attenborough's latest environmental documentary, \"A Life On Our Planet,\" which focuses on the harm that has been done to the natural world in recent decades. Twitter/KensingtonRoyal Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, follow William and Catherine after attending the annual Commonwealth Service in London in March 2020. Phil Harris/Pool/AFP/Getty Images William and Catherine visit a settlement of the Kalash people in Chitral, Pakistan, in October 2019. Samir Hussein/Pool/Getty Images William and Catherine escort Princess Charlotte -- accompanied by her brother, Prince George -- as Charlotte arrives for her first day of school in September 2019. Aaron Chown/Pool/AFP/Getty Images The family is photographed during Trooping the Colour, the Queen's annual birthday parade, in June 2019. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Catherine shows William and Queen Elizabeth II around the \"Back to Nature Garden\" that she helped designed as they visit the Chelsea Flower Show in London in May 2019. Geoff Pugh/AFP/Getty Images Prince William kisses his son Louis as they pose for a photo in Norfolk that was taken by Catherine in 2019. The Duchess of Cambridge/Kensington Palace/Getty Images From left, William, Catherine, Meghan and Harry arrive for a Christmas Day church service in 2018. Stephen Pond/Getty Images Catherine holds Prince Louis after arriving for his christening service in London in July 2018. Dominic Lipinski/Pool/AFP/Getty Images Catherine holds their newborn baby son Louis outside a London hospital on April 23, 2018. Tim Ireland/AP Prince William holds the hands of George and Charlotte as they visit the hospital to meet their new brother. DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images Harry, Meghan, Catherine and William attend the Royal Foundation Forum in London in February 2018. Chris Jackson/Getty Images William and Catherine attend the BAFTA Awards in London in February 2018. Chris Jackson/WPA Pool/Getty Images Catherine is escorted to dinner by Norwegian King Harald V during a visit to Norway in February 2018. William is escorted by Norway's Queen Sonja. Chris Jackson/Getty Images This image of William, Catherine, George and Charlotte was used for the family's 2017 Christmas card. Chris Jackson/Kensington Palace/Getty Images Paddington Bear dances with Catherine during a charity event in London in October 2017. Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images The royal family arrives at the airport in Berlin for a three-day visit in Germany in July 2017. Steffi Loos/AFP/Getty Images This photo of Charlotte was taken in April 2017 by her mother. HRH The Duchess of Cambridge via Getty Images Charlotte is held by her mother as her family ends an eight-day tour of Canada in October 2016. At left is her brother George and her father. Mark Large/Getty Images William and Catherine released new photos of Prince George to mark his third birthday in July 2016. Here he plays with the family's pet dog, Lupo. Matt Porteous/Kensington Palace Members of the royal family gather on a balcony in June 2016 during celebrations marking the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. Catherine is holding Charlotte. Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images Kensington Palace released four photos of Princess Charlotte ahead of her first birthday in May 2016. Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge/AP US President Barack Obama talks with Prince William as Catherine plays with Prince George in April 2016. The President and first lady Michelle Obama were visiting Kensington Palace. Pete Souza/Kensington Palace/Ap Prince George gets a boost from some foam blocks for a special family photo in April 2016. The portrait, featuring the four generations of the House of Windsor, was commissioned by the Royal Mail and would be featured on a series of stamps to commemorate the Queen's 90th birthday. Ranald Mackechnie/Royal Mail via AP William and Catherine pose with their children during a trip to the French Alps in March 2016. John Stillwell/Pool via AP The family poses for a Christmas photo in December 2015. Chris Jelf/PA/PA Princess Charlotte plays with a stuffed dog in this photo taken by her mother in November 2015. HRH DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE/Getty Images William and Catherine pose with their children at Charlotte's christening in July 2015. Mario Testino/Art Partner/Getty Images Princess Charlotte is seen with her big brother for the first time in this photo released by Kensington Palace in June 2015. HRH The Duchess of Cambridge William and Catherine present their newborn daughter as they leave a London hospital in May 2015. LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images The royal family celebrates Prince George's first birthday with a trip to the Natural History Museum in July 2014. John Stillwell/AFP/Getty Images The royal family waves to a crowd before boarding a plane in Wellington, New Zealand, in April 2014. They went on a three-week tour of Australia and New Zealand. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images The royal couple attends the Tusk Conservation Awards at the Royal Society in London in September 2013. Danny E. Martindale/Getty Images William and Catherine start an ultra-marathon in Holyhead, Wales, in August 2013. It was Catherine's first public appearance since the birth of Prince George. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images The couple are pictured with their newborn boy, Prince George, in 2013. The new parents released two family photographs taken by Michael Middleton, Catherine's father. MICHAEL MIDDLETON via AFP/Getty Images William, Catherine and their newborn son depart St. Mary's Hospital in London in July 2013. John Stillwell/WPA-Pool/Getty Images In April 2013, Harry, Catherine and William visit the set used to depict Diagon Alley in the \"Harry Potter\" films. Paul Rogers - WPA Pool/Getty Imagesa William and Catherine attend a St. Patrick's Day parade as they visit Aldershot, England, in March 2013. Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty Images In September 2012, the couple drank coconut milk from a tree that Queen Elizabeth II planted decades ago in the South Pacific nation of Tuvalu. Arthur Edwards - Pool/Getty Images Catherine and William celebrate during cycling events at the Olympic Games in London in August 2012. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II, William and Catherine stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June 2012. Stefan Wermuth - WPA Pool/Getty Images As part of their charity work, the couple attended a \"healthy living cookery session\" in London in December 2011. Ben Stansall-WPA Pool/Getty Images The newly married royal couple watches a rodeo demonstration at a government reception in Calgary, Alberta, in July 2011. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Catherine shovels soil during a tree-planting ceremony in Ottawa in July 2011. Lionel Hahn - Pool/Getty Images William and Catherine attend a Snowbirds air show during Canada Day celebrations in July 2011. Chris Jackson/Getty Images The Obamas meet with the royal couple at Buckingham Palace in May 2011. Charles Dharapak - WPA Pool/Getty Images The newlyweds walk hand in hand from Buckingham Palace the day after their wedding in April 2011. John Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty Images After their wedding on April 29, 2011, the couple drove from Buckingham Palace to Clarence House in a vintage Aston Martin. Chris Radburn - WPA Pool/Getty Images William and Catherine kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding ceremony in London. John Stillwell-WPA Pool/Getty Images The pair returned to their alma mater in St. Andrews, Scotland, in February 2011. They launched a fundraising campaign for a new scholarship. Andrew Milligan -WPA Pool/Getty Image The couple poses for photographers to mark their engagement in November 2010. Catherine received the engagement ring that belonged to William's late mother, Diana. BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images The couple cheers on the English rugby team during the Six Nations Championship match in London in February 2007. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images The couple takes a photo after graduating from the University of St. Andrews in June 2005. They met at school and even shared a house with others while students. Middleton Family/Clarence House/Getty Will and Kate's royal family Prev Next\n\nThe family live in Adelaide Cottage, a four-bedroom property on the grounds of Windsor Castle, Berkshire, about 25 miles from London. Their London residence, Kensington Palace, will remain the family’s principal residence, however, a royal source told CNN in August.\n\nPrince George\n\nPrince George attends the memorial service for the Duke Of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey on March 29, 2022. Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images\n\nBorn: July 22, 2013\n\nWhat to know: If all goes as planned and he becomes King after the reigns of his grandfather Prince Charles and his father Prince William, George – now second in line – will be the 43rd monarch since William the Conqueror.\n\nBut for now, he’s still brushing up on his education: George currently attends Lambrook School near Windsor along with his younger sister, Princess Charlotte and his younger brother, Prince Louis.\n\nPrincess Charlotte\n\nPrincess Charlotte, in a photo taken by her mother, appears before her seventh birthday on May 2, 2022. The Duchess of Cambridge/Handout/Getty Images\n\nBorn: May 2, 2015\n\nWhat to know: Third in line to the throne, Princess Charlotte was born into a more equitable era: In 2011, the British monarchy abolished a rule that gave preference to male heirs over their sisters in the line of succession.\n\nPrince Louis\n\nPrince Louis ahead of his fourth birthday on April 23, 2022. The photograph was taken earlier in April in Norfolk by his mother. The Duchess of Cambridge/Getty Images\n\nBorn: April 23, 2018\n\nWhat to know: Prince Louis, fourth in line to the throne, arrived during a busy season for the royal family; he was born just weeks before the 2018 wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.\n\nAs is tradition, a golden easel bearing a framed notice announcing the birth was placed on display in front of Buckingham Palace that afternoon. The practice of posting a bulletin on the occasion of a royal birth goes back to at least 1837, when Buckingham Palace became the British monarch’s official residence.\n\nPrince Harry, Duke of Sussex\n\n\"Every picture has a back story,\" says Jackson. This one was shot in Nepal in 2016. \"We were spending a night in a village up in the foothills and watching the sunrise. That was an amazing moment for me, and I'm sure it was for Prince Harry as well... A lot of the pictures are quite energetic and that's great, but this is more of a rarity and quite pensive.\" Leorani, Nepal, March 2016. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Meghan first appeared alongside Harry at the Invictus Games in Canada in September last year. \"No one knew that was going to happen,\" Jackson says. \"It was a nice surprise for everyone.\" Toronto, Canada, September 2017. Chris Jackson/Getty Images \"Things happen quite quickly with Harry,\" says Jackson. After presenting a Norwegian wheelchair rugby player with a gold medal at last year's Invictus Games, Harry spontaneously kissed him on the head. \"That was a great moment -- and it makes a great picture,\" says Jackson. Toronto, Canada, September 2017. Chris Jackson/Getty Images \"I always love going on a Prince Harry tour,\" says Jackson. \"There are elements of formality as well as more relaxed moments.\" Surama, Guyana, December 2016. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry meets medical alert dog Jasmine as he visits venues ahead of the opening of the 2016 Invictus Games. Orlando, US, May 2016. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry posed with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a trip to Toronto in 2016. \"Formality and ceremony are very much part of your job as a royal. It's not always relaxed,\" says Jackson. \"(Harry) seems to have a strong bond with Trudeau. It was nice to photograph these two together.\" Toronto, Canada, May 2016. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry (back right) watches the annual \"Trooping the Colour\" parade with other members of the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. \"That's one of few times we see the whole royal family out on the balcony,\" says Jackson. \"It's great to capture these relaxed moments.\" London, UK, June 2015. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry performs a \"hongi\" (traditional Maori greeting) while on a trip to New Zealand. Wanganui, New Zealand, May 2015. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry plays touch rugby with schoolchildren during a trip to New Zealand. Palmerston North, New Zealand, May 2015. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry \"connects with (kids) in a very unique way,\" says Jackson. \"He gets stuck in with whatever they're doing.\" On this occasion, the prince was visiting the Thuso Centre in Lesotho for children living with multiple disabilities. Butha-Buthe, Lesotho, December 2014. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry was visiting Oman in 2014 when Jackson took this picture. \"The chap was showing him a sword dance and offered him a sword and shield,\" he says. \"He's got a real sense of humor and he's not just going to stand there. It makes a great picture and makes my job a lot easier.\" Muscat, Oman, November 2014. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry and his older brother William share a joke with their father Charles during the Invictus Games in 2014. London, UK, September 2014. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Alongside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry watches for the riders at the finish of the first stage of the 2014 Tour de France. The three young royals \"seem to get on very well,\" says Jackson. Harrogate, UK, July 2014. Chris Jackson/Getty Images There's a \"huge amount of respect\" between Harry and his older brother William, says Jackson. \"From what I've seen, they work very closely.\" Cirencester, UK, July 2013. Chris Jackson/Getty Images During a visit to Jamaica, Prince Harry challenged world-class sprinter Usain Bolt to a race. \"I remember it so clearly,\" says Jackson. \"Prince Harry sprinted off leaving Bolt trailing in his wake. That caught me by surprise... That's the kind of thing that happens with Harry. You've got to learn to always be ready.\" Kingston, Jamaica, March 2012. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry has been a keen polo player for many years. This shot, one of Jackson's earliest as royal photographer for Getty Images, was taken during a match against Virginia State polo in 2005. Cirencester, UK, July 2005. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Prince Harry through the lens of Getty royal photographer Chris Jackson Prev Next\n\nBorn: September 15, 1984\n\nWhat to know: Fifth in line to the throne, Prince Harry also trained in the military. In 2008, the British Ministry of Defense announced that Harry had secretly been serving in Afghanistan with his Army unit on a four-month mission since December 2007.\n\nHe was quickly withdrawn for security reasons, but later returned as an Apache helicopter pilot in 2012. In 2015, after nearly a decade of service, he announced he was leaving the armed forces.\n\nThe Duke of Sussex is also the founder of the Invictus Games, an international sporting competition for injured servicemen and women. The first games were held in London in 2014.\n\nMore key relatives: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, whom he married in 2018. The couple welcomed their first child, son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, in May 2019. Their daughter, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born in June 2021.\n\nArchie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor\n\nIn early 2020, the pair announced that they were stepping back from their roles as senior members of the British royal family. They now live in the US.\n\nPrince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex tend to Archie Mountbatten-Windsoron September 25, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Toby Melville - Pool/Getty Images) Toby Melville/Pool/Getty Images\n\nBorn: May 6, 2019\n\nWhat to know: In a significant milestone across the Commonwealth and within British society, baby Archie made history by becoming the first biracial British child in the royal family.\n\nWhen he was born – at which point he became seventh in line – he didn’t immediately qualify for the title of prince, and Buckingham Palace told CNN at the time that his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, had chosen not to use any title at all for their son.\n\nNow that Charles has become King, Prince Harry’s son – who is now sixth in line – will be eligible to become His Royal Highness Prince Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.\n\nLilibet ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor\n\nBorn: June 4, 2021\n\nWhat to know: Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born in Santa Barbara, California, in June 2021 following the decision of her parents, Harry and Meghan, to step back from royal life in the UK and move to the US.\n\nHer unusual name is a tribute to her great-grandmother, the Queen – Lilibet was her childhood nickname. Baby Lili’s middle name, Diana, “was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced in a statement.\n\nSeventh in line to the throne, the Queen’s 11th great-grandchild is the most senior royal in the line of succession to have been born overseas.\n\nPrince Andrew, Duke of York\n\nPrince Andrew is seen in August 2017. Julian Finney/British Athletics/Getty Images Prince Andrew was born February 19, 1960, as the second son to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. -/AFP via Getty Images Prince Andrew sits on his father's lap during a holiday in Scotland in September 1960. At left is his sister, Princess Anne. At right, next to the Queen, is his brother Prince Charles. Associated Press The royal family poses for photos in 1968. Prince Andrew is at bottom right. He is joined by his parents and his three siblings, including his younger brother, Prince Edward. Associated Press The Queen looks at a photo album with Andrew, left, and Edward in 1971. Hulton Archive/Getty Images From left, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew attend an equestrian event in 1972. Dieter Klar/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images Prince Andrew is photographed on his 18th birthday in 1978. Associated Press Prince Andrew receives a Green Beret award at an event in 1980. He served in the British Royal Navy for 22 years and was a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War. Associated Press Prince Andrew is second from right in this photo taken at the 1981 wedding of his brother Prince Charles. BIPNA/Associated Press Prince Andrew poses next to a helicopter in 1982. Keystone/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Girls line up to give flowers to Prince Andrew as he arrives in Portsmouth, England, for an event in 1983. Press Association/AP The prince is face to face with a cow during a royal tour of Canada in 1985. James Gray/Daily Mail/Shutterstock In July 1986, Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson. They were the ultimate \"It\" couple of the late 1980s. Their wedding drew a TV audience of hundreds of millions. Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah, visit Canada in 1987. Ferguson, a commoner, was said to bring a breath of fresh air to the royal family. John Shelley Collection/Avalon/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of York pose during their Canadian holiday in 1987. Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images The couple holds their first child, Beatrice, in 1988. They had two children together before their high-profile divorce in 1996. Associated Press Prince Andrew holds hands with his two daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, after arriving for a dinner in London in 1997. Dave Caulkin/Associated Press The prince lines up a putt during a celebrity golf tournament in 1998. Tim Ockenden/PA Images/Getty Images Prince Andrew attends a party with girlfriend Aurelia Cecil in 1999. Richard Young/Shutterstock Prince Andrew poses with Donald Trump and Trump's future wife, Melania, at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2000. Davidoff Studios Photography/Archive Photos/Getty Images The prince attends a Formula 1 party in London in 2000. Richard Young/Shutterstock Prince Andrew visits the Royal Hospital School in Holbrook, England, in 2006. Mark Cuthbert/UK Press/Getty Images Prince Andrew, back left, poses with his parents and his siblings for a family photo in 2007. Anwar Hussein Collection/ROTA/Getty Images Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein walk through New York's Central Park in 2011. The Sun/MEGA The prince was installed as chancellor of the University of Huddersfield in 2015. Lynne Cameron/PA Wire/Press Association Images/AP Prince Andrew and his parents watch horse racing in Epsom, England, in 2016. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Princess Eugenie is accompanied by her father during her wedding in 2018. Yui Mok/AFP/Getty Images Prince Andrew talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance, which took place in London in November 2019. Chris Jackson/AP In pictures: Britain's Prince Andrew Prev Next\n\nBorn: February 19, 1960\n\nWhat to know: Prince Andrew is the third of the Queen’s four children, and eighth in line to the British throne. He served in the British Royal Navy for 22 years and was a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War.\n\nIn 2019, the prince announced that he was going to step back from public duties after a controversial interview in which he denied allegations that he had sex with an underaged woman who said she had been trafficked by sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.\n\nAndrew, who has been under intense scrutiny for his decades-long friendship with Epstein, said in a statement announcing his decision that the association became “a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support.”\n\nWhile he’s still a prince, Andrew no longer has an official role.\n\nMore key relatives: Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, whom Andrew married in 1986.\n\nSarah and Andrew had two children together – Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie – before a high-profile divorce in 1996.\n\nPrincess Beatrice\n\nPrincess Beatrice arrives for the wedding of Princess Eugenie on October 12, 2018. (Steve Parsons/Pool via Reuters) Steve Parsons/Pool via Reuters\n\nBorn: August 8, 1988\n\nWhat to know: Princess Beatrice, ninth in the line of succession to the British throne, married real estate specialist Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a private ceremony in July 2020. The wedding was a significantly pared-back event attended by the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and close family to ensure compliance with Covid-19 guidelines at the time.\n\nIn September 2021, she gave birth to daughter Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi, who became the 10th in line to the throne.\n\nBeatrice, 34, has a royal title but works a regular, full-time day job as vice president of partnerships and strategy at tech company Afiniti.\n\nPrincess Eugenie\n\nBritain's Princess Eugenie of York and her husband Jack Brooksbank emerge from St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on Friday, October 12 after their wedding ceremony. STEVE PARSONS/AFP/Getty Images Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank travel in the Scottish State Coach at the start of their carriage procession following their wedding at St. George's Chapel, Windsor. ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank wave at the start of their carriage procession. DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank leave St. George's Chapel after their wedding. TOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS Sarah Ferguson, Princess Beatrice and the bridesmaids and page boys, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, wave as the bride and groom depart from the chapel. TOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank kiss on the steps of St. George's Chapel. TOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip wait for the arrival by open carriage of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank following their wedding. Alastair Grant/Pool via REUTERS British model Cara Delevingne leaves after the ceremony. MATT CROSSICK/AFP/Getty Images Sophie, Countess of Wessex, left, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William leave after the wedding. Gareth Fuller/AP The newlyweds walk down the aisle. JONATHAN BRADY/AFP/Getty Images Dean of Windsor David Conner presides over the wedding ceremony. JONATHAN BRADY/AFP/Getty Images Britain's royal family is seen attending the ceremony. OWEN HUMPHREYS/AFP/Getty Images Nicola and George Brooksbank are seen before the start of the wedding ceremony. Jonathan Brady/AP Princess Eugenie walks down the aisle with her father, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. POOL/X80003/REUTERS Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attend the wedding. OWEN HUMPHREYS/AFP/Getty Images Prince Andrew walks his daughter Princess Eugenie of York down the aisle. Danny Lawson/WPA Pool/Getty Images The bridesmaids and page boys, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, arrive for the wedding. Yui Mok/Pool via REUTERS Princess Eugenie and her father Prince Andrew make their way up the steps at St. George's Chapel. Toby Melville/Reuters Princess Eugenie pauses on her way into the chapel. NEIL HALL/EPA/EPA-EFE Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, wait for the ceremony to begin. Danny Lawson/AP Princess Charlotte of Cambridge is serving as a bridesmaid. Toby Melville/Reuters Princess Eugenie arrives by car. DARREN STAPLES/X90183/REUTERS The bride's mother, Sarah, Duchess of York, and Princess Beatrice of York wave from outside St. George's Chapel. STEVE PARSONS/AFP/Getty Images Ricky Martin arrives. Will Oliver/EPA/Rex/Shutterstock Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, head into the chapel. Adrian Dennis/Pool via Reuters Naomi Campbell arrives. Gareth Fuller/WPA Rota/REUTERS Singer Robbie Williams and film and television star Ayda Field, his wife, arrive ahead of the wedding. Gareth Fuller/Pool via AP Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, arrives for the royal wedding. TOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS Eric Buterbaugh and Demi Moore make their way to the ceremony. Gareth Fuller/WPA Pool/Getty Images Stephen Fry and his husband Elliott Spencer walk toward the chapel.. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images Guests assemble at Windsor Castle. Adrian Dennis/AP Chelsy Davy, left, arrives. Matt Crossick/AP Musician George Barnett and model Pixie Geldof outside Windsor Castle. Gareth Fuller/AP A fan of the royal family takes up a position outside Windsor Castle. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Royal supporters get into position holding the Union Jack outside the castle. Leon Neal/Getty Images In photos: Princess Eugenie's royal wedding Prev Next\n\nBorn: March 23, 1990\n\nWhat to know: The younger York sister is 11th in the line of succession, and, after her cousin Prince Harry, was the second royal to throw a massive wedding in 2018.\n\nShe wed Jack Brooksbank, a brand ambassador for Casamigos tequila, which was founded by George Clooney and Rande Gerber, husband of supermodel Cindy Crawford. Like her sister, Princess Eugenie has a fairly everyday job: she works as the director of the Hauser & Wirth art gallery in London.\n\nIn February 2021, she gave birth to her son August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, who is the 12th in line to the throne.\n\nPrince Edward, Earl of Wessex\n\nPrince Edward, Earl of Wessex, meets young recipients of the award during the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award presentations at Buckingham Palace on May 22, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Yui Mok - WPA Pool/Getty Images) WPA Pool/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images\n\nBorn: March 10, 1964\n\nWhat to know: The youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Prince Edward is 13th in line to the British throne. He’s currently a full-time working member of the royal family. Prince Edward previously trained as a cadet in the Royal Marines and worked as a theater and TV producer.\n\nMore key relatives: Sophie, Countess of Wessex, whom Prince Edward married in 1999. The couple have two children together, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.\n\nJames, Viscount Severn\n\nJames, Viscount Severn and Lady Louise Windsor during Trooping The Colour, the Queen's annual birthday parade, on June 8, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson Collection/Getty Images\n\nBorn: December 17, 2007\n\nWhat to know: Despite being younger than his sister Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, the Viscount Severn is ahead of her in the line of succession because of the previous rule that saw the British monarchy favor male heirs over their sisters. He is 14th in line to the throne.\n\nLady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor\n\nLady Louise Windsor during Trooping The Colour on the Mall on June 9, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson Collection/Getty Images\n\nBorn: November 8, 2003\n\nWhat to know: The oldest child of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor is now 15th in line to the throne. Her parents chose more subdued royal titles and, with the permission of the Queen, gave their children titles in the style of an earl rather than prince and princess.\n\nAnne, the Princess Royal\n\nHer Royal Highness The Princess Royal attends the Commissioning Ceremony of HMS Queen Elizabeth at HM Naval Base on December 7, 2017 in Portsmouth, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Chris Jackson/Getty Images\n\nBorn: August 15, 1950\n\nWhat to know: The second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Anne was third in the line of succession at birth – but today she’s No. 16, behind her brothers and their children and grandchildren.\n\nPicture taken on February 26, 1970 showing Prince Charles and Princess Anne of the royal family. (Photo by CENTRAL PRESS PHOTO LTD /AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images\n\nWidely known as an expert horsewoman, the Princess Royal competed as an equestrian in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal – just two years after surviving a kidnapping attempt. Today she’s part of the International Olympic Committee in addition to serving various charitable organizations.\n\nMore key relatives: Capt. Mark Phillips, the Princess Royal’s first husband, with whom she has two children: Peter and Zara. Phillips, an army officer, was a commoner who declined to receive a royal title; Anne also declined her mother’s offer to give titles to Peter and Zara.\n\nOlympic mission — Having given birth to her first child in January, Zara Phillips has since returned to competition and helped Great Britain qualify for the 2016 Olympics with her performance at August's FEI World Equestrian Games. Alex Livesey/Getty Images Mother and daughter — Queen Elizabeth II's eldest granddaughter gave birth to Mia Grace Tindall on January 17, 2014. Mia is 16th in line for the British throne. Matthew Horwood/Getty Images Sporting couple — Mia's father is rugby star Mike Tindall, who married Phillips on July 30, 2011. Dylan Martinez/AFP/Getty Images Family ties — In September 2014, Phillips and her husband took part in a wheelchair rugby exhibition match during the Invictus Games for war veterans organized by her cousin Prince Harry (pictured behind). Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images for Invictus Games/file London success — After missing out in 2004 and 2008 due to her horse Toytown sustaining injuries, Phillips had to wait until 2012 before she participated in her first Olympics, in which she won a silver medal in the team equestrian event. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images In the family — She was presented her medal by her mother, Princess Anne, who participated in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal as a member of Britain's equestrian team. Alex Livesey/Getty Images Golden heritage — Her father Mark Phillips, left, was part of Britain's gold-medal-winning eventing team at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and he also won silver at Seoul '88. McCabe/Express/Getty Images/file Champion of the world — The 33-year-old Zara is a former world champion, taking gold in 2006, and won European titles in 2005 and 2007. JOCHEN LUEBKE/AFP/Getty Images Zara Phillips eyes Olympic gold Prev Next\n\nAnne and Phillips divorced in 1992, and the Princess Royal went on to marry Royal Navy officer and equerry to the Queen, Timothy Laurence, that same year.\n\nTo get updates on the British Royal Family sent to your inbox, sign up for CNN’s Royal News newsletter.", "authors": ["Cnn Staff"], "publish_date": "2022/09/08"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/24/uk/profile-rishi-sunak-uk-politics-intl-gbr/index.html", "title": "Britain's new prime minister: Rishi Sunak, rich ex-banker who will be ...", "text": "London CNN —\n\nJust seven short weeks ago, it looked as if it might be all over for Rishi Sunak.\n\nThe former chancellor of the exchequer – the UK’s title for its chief finance minister – made a high-stakes gamble. He launched an attack that helped to end Boris Johnson’s premiership, put himself forward as his replacement, but ultimately lost to Liz Truss. Admitting defeat, he retreated to the parliamentary back benches.\n\nBut in a sign of just how unpredictable British politics has become, Sunak has returned triumphant from the political wilderness to replace Truss, whose premiership imploded last week.\n\nSunak was the only leadership hopeful to secure the support of 100 Conservative members of parliament, the necessary threshold set by party officials for potential candidates. He will become the first person of color to be British prime minister – and at the age of 42, he is also the youngest person to take the office in more than 200 years.\n\nHe was the last person standing after his rivals – Johnson and the Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt – fell by the wayside.\n\nSpeaking after being declared the new Conservative leader, Sunak said he was “honored and humbled” to become the next prime minister.\n\n“It is the greatest privilege of my life to be able to serve the party I love, and to be able to give back to the country i owe so much to,” Sunak said.\n\n“The United Kingdom is a great country, but there is no doubt we face a profound economic challenge,” he added. “We need stability and unity, and I will make it my utmost priority to bring our party and our country together.”\n\nSunak first publicly declared on Sunday morning that he would be standing in the contest. Other than that brief statement, he made no big pitch for the leadership this time round.\n\nIn the last contest, over the summer, he was widely seen as the more moderate of the two candidates. Compared to Truss, he took a less ideological line on matters like Brexit and the economy. (Unlike Truss, a remainer-turned hardline Brexiteer, Sunak voted for the UK to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum.)\n\nLike Truss, Sunak promised a tough approach to illegal immigration and vowed to expand the government’s controversial Rwanda immigration policy.\n\nSunak, whose parents came to the UK from East Africa in the 1960s, is of Indian descent. His father was a local doctor while his mother ran a pharmacy in southern England, something Sunak says gave him his desire to serve the public.\n\n“British Indian is what I tick on the census, we have a category for it. I am thoroughly British, this is my home and my country, but my religious and cultural heritage is Indian, my wife is Indian. I am open about being a Hindu,” Sunak said in an interview with Business Standard in 2015.\n\nHe will be the first Hindu to become British prime minister, securing the position on Diwali, the festival of lights that marks one of the most important days of the Hindu calendar. Sunak himself made history in 2020 when he lit Diwali candles outside 11 Downing Street, the official residence of the UK chancellor.\n\nHe has faced challenges over his elite background, having studied at the exclusive Winchester College, Oxford and Stanford universities. He is known for his expensive taste in fashion and has worked for banks and hedge funds, including Goldman Sachs.\n\nBritish Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a statement outside No. 10 Downing Street after taking office on Tuesday, October 25. Leon Neal/Getty Images Sunak and Boris Johnson watch as a sheep is sheared during a visit to a farm in North Yorkshire, England, in July 2019. At the time Johnson was running to lead Britain's Conservative Party and Sunak was a member of Parliament. Oli Scarff/Pool/Reuters Johnson, as Prime Minister, holds his first Cabinet meeting in London in July 2019. Johnson appointed Sunak, seen on the right, as chief secretary to the Treasury. Aaron Chown/Pool/AFP/Getty Images Sunak speaks in front of the words \"Get Brexit Done\" at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, England, in September 2019. He voted for the UK to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum. Danny Lawson/PA Images/Getty Images Sunak speaks during a general election debate in Cardiff, Wales, in November 2019. Hannah McKay/Pool/Getty Images Sunak poses for a picture at the Treasury Office in London in March 2020. Johnson promoted Sunak to chancellor in 2020. Paul Grover/Shutterstock Sunak is seen outside 11 Downing Street in London before heading to the House of Commons to deliver his budget in March 2020. Victoria Jones/PA ImagesGetty Images From left, Sunak, Johnson and Dr. Jenny Harries speak about the coronavirus pandemic at a media briefing in London in March 2020. Sunak won popularity during the early weeks of the pandemic when he unveiled an extensive support plan for those unable to work during lockdown. Julian Simmonds/Daily Telegraph/PA/AP Johnson and Sunak visit a London pizza restaurant as it prepared to reopen in July 2020 when lockdown rules were eased. Heathcliff O'Malley/Pool/AFP/Getty Images Douglas Ross, leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, meets with Sunak at Wemyss Bay on the west coast of Scotland in August 2020. Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images Sunak meets with local businesses during a visit to the Isle of Bute in Scotland in August 2020. Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images Sunak learns the art of handling clay to make plates during a visit to a pottery business in Stoke-on-Trent, England, in September 2020. Employees were returning to work after being furloughed. Andrew Fox/Pool/Getty Images Sunak is seen on Downing Street ahead of a Cabinet meeting in September 2020. Stefan Rousseau/PA Images/Getty Images In October 2020, customers at the Tib Street Tavern in Manchester watch Sunak announce that the government will pay two-thirds of staff wages in pubs, restaurants and other businesses if they are forced to close under new coronavirus restrictions. Danny Lawson/PA/Getty Images Sunak delivers a speech during the annual Conservative Party Conference in Manchester in October 2021. Toby Melville/Reuters Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, speak to Prince Charles during a reception at the British Museum in London in February 2022. Murty is the daughter of an Indian billionaire. Earlier this year, Sunak and Murty appeared on the Sunday Times Rich List of the UK's 250 wealthiest people . The newspaper estimated their joint net worth at £730 million ($826 million). Tristan Fewings/Getty Images Sunak launches his bid to become leader of the Conservative Party in July 2022. Hollie Adams/Bloomberg/Getty Images Sunak and Murty are seen with their daughters, Krishna and Anoushka, while campaigning in Grantham, England, in July 2022. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images In August 2022, Sunak visits his family's old business, Bassett Pharmacy, in Southampton, England. His parents came to the UK from East Africa in the 1960s. His father was a local doctor while his mother ran a pharmacy in southern England, something Sunak says gave him his desire to serve the public. Stefan Rousseau/Pool/Reuters Sunak and Liz Truss stand together on stage during the final Conservative Party Hustings event in London in August 2022. At the time, they were the final two contenders to become the country's next Prime Minister. Truss defeated Sunak with 81,326 votes to 60,399 among party members. When she announced her resignation weeks later, he became the frontrunner to replace her. Susannah Ireland/AFP/Getty Images Graham Brady — chairman of the 1922 Committee — announces October 24 that Sunak will become the new leader of the Conservative Party. Stefan Rousseau/PA/Getty Images Sunak waves in London after winning the Conservative Party leadership contest on October 24. David Cliff/AP King Charles III welcomes Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become prime minister on October 25. Aaron Chown/AP In pictures: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Prev Next\n\nSunak has also been scrutinized over the tax arrangements of his wife Akshata Murty, the daughter of an Indian billionaire.\n\nEarlier this year, Sunak and Murty appeared on the Sunday Times Rich List of the UK’s 250 wealthiest people – the newspaper estimated their joint net worth at £730 million ($826 million).\n\nSunak’s election on Monday marks the pinnacle of what has been a speedy rise to power. He was first elected as an MP in 2015 and spent two years on the back benches before becoming a junior minister in Theresa May’s government. Johnson gave Sunak his first major government role, appointing him as chief secretary to the Treasury in 2019 and promoting him to chancellor in 2020.\n\nSunak has experience of economic crisis-fighting, having guided the UK through the Covid-19 pandemic, and positioned himself as the “sound finance” candidate.\n\nDuring the pandemic, Sunak put in place measures worth £400 billion ($452 billion) aimed at boosting the economy, including a generous furlough scheme, business loans and discounts on eating in restaurants. But that stimulus came at a huge cost and left the government scrambling to find savings.\n\nSunak was an early critic of Truss’ economic plan, which was panned by investors, the International Monetary Fund and credit ratings agencies. While he also advocated for lower taxes, he said tax could only be cut once inflation is brought under control, which could take several years.\n\nHis warning over the summer that Truss’ unfunded tax cuts could spark panic in the financial markets turned out to be true. The British pound crashed to a record low against the US dollar when Truss and her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng unveiled their plan. Prices of UK government bonds rose at the fastest pace ever, sending borrowing costs skyrocketing.\n\nHe also secured the most votes from MPs in the last leadership election – comfortably clearing the new threshold with 137 endorsements. Although Truss eventually won the decisive vote among grassroots members, Sunak was not far behind, gaining 43% of the vote.\n\nSecond chance\n\nJohnson has made no secret of the fact that he believes Sunak betrayed him by resigning from his government, triggering his resignation on July 7 after a string of scandals made his position untenable.\n\nJohnson’s downfall followed months of revelations of parties held in 10 Downing Street while the rest of the country was under Covid lockdown restrictions. Johnson himself was fined by the police, making him the first prime minister in history found to have broken the law in office.\n\nFor a long time, Sunak stood by Johnson – especially since he too was fined in the so-called Partygate scandal.\n\nBut he turned against him after Johnson was slow to act when his deputy chief whip responsible for party discipline, Chris Pincher, was accused of sexually assaulting two men at a party in early July. (Pincher later said he had “drunk far too much,” although has not directly addressed the allegations.)\n\nSunak’s shock resignation from Johnson’s cabinet over the Pincher scandal set into motion a series of high-profile resignations that led to Johnson’s demise – and ultimately, to his own rise to the Downing Street.\n\nSunak faces an enormous task. The UK is in the midst of a deep cost-of-living crisis and soaring inequality. Financial markets are still spooked after Truss’ disastrous economic policy missteps.\n\nThe Conservative party, already unpopular after 12 years in power, has plunged itself into a state of utter chaos over the past four months and is now well behind the opposition Labour party in opinion polls. The only comfort for Sunak is that he doesn’t have to call an election until January 2025.", "authors": ["Ivana Kottasová Luke Mcgee", "Ivana Kottasová", "Luke Mcgee"], "publish_date": "2022/10/24"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2014/07/27/lucky-us-a-novel/13065485/", "title": "'Lucky Us,' for getting a new Amy Bloom novel", "text": "Kevin Nance\n\nSpecial for USA TODAY\n\nThe heroines of Lucky Us, Amy Bloom's funny, slight, delightfully blithe new novel about two sisters stumbling their way through the 1940s, aren't the type to complain. They take what life gives them, for good or ill (and it's mostly ill), then get on with it. If it ever occurred to either of them to ask \"Why me?\"— though it never does — the answer would come immediately in the form of another question: \"Why not me?\"\n\nIn their matter-of-fact way, Eva and Iris — young Ohioans who flee their feckless parents in search of adventure in Hollywood and, later, New York — embody their can-do generation by repeatedly rolling with the punches that the world throws at them. We're less than seven pages into Lucky Us before 12-year-old Eva is dumped on her absentee father's doorstep and introduced to her older half-sister, Iris, 16, for the first time.\n\nNo biggie. Half a dozen pages later, the girls are on a bus to Los Angeles, where Iris, who's got looks to spare and a yen for showbiz, hopes to make it in the pictures.\n\nJust when that plan shows signs of coming together, it's derailed by Hedda Hopper, the real-life gossip columnist and right-wing moral enforcer into whose clutches have fallen salacious photos of Iris making merry at a lesbian sex party. Literally before she knows it, Iris is a Hollywood pariah.\n\nAgain, no real problem: Soon she and Eva are heading back East, this time in the company of their friend Francisco, a sexually ambiguous makeup man, and the girls' surprising father, who chucks academia in favor of posing as an English butler for a nouveau riche family on Long Island.\n\nFrom there the breezy, vaguely Dickensian plot gets a bit darker and even more complicated — Iris falls in love with the cook, Eva develops an itch for the cook's auto-mechanic husband, and their father begins keeping company with an African-American nightclub singer — but, well, stuff happens, right? To use a phrase that didn't gain favor until decades later but sums up Lucky Us: It is what it is.\n\nAccordingly, perhaps, there doesn't seem to be a vast or complicated design to all this — Lucky Us feels as if it were written as an extended improvisation, without much worry about how the pieces fit together. We know early on, from letters written by Iris from London, where she's appearing in a West End revue some years after the book's primary timeline, that the sisters have fallen out, the product of some betrayal. But when that development is finally explained, it doesn't amount to much; this novel is about the journey, not the destination, whatever that might turn out to be.\n\nEven more than that, Lucky Us is about Bloom's uncanny ability to conjure the tone of the war years — broken hearts held together by lipstick, wisecracks and the enduring love of sisters, come what may. And if this novel feels like a bit of a detour in the career of an author known for more tightly strung, finely wrought fictions (Away, Come to Me), Lucky Us remains a tasty summer read that will leave you smiling.\n\nLucky Us\n\nBy Amy Bloom\n\nRandom House, 240 pp.\n\n3 stars out of four", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2014/07/27"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/09/06/the-worlds-most-important-event-every-year-since-1920/113604790/", "title": "History: The world's most important event every year since 1920", "text": "Angelo Young and John Harrington\n\n24/7 Wall Street\n\nOver the past 100 years, we’ve witnessed some of the most profound changes in human history.\n\nBetween a pandemic, wars, technological developments, progress in civil rights, and breakthroughs in science and medicine, the old order has been swept away, sometimes giving way to freer forms of governing and sometimes not.\n\nCenturies-old empires crumbled as new ideologies – from communism to fascism – took root in many parts of the world. Wars in the early part of the 20th century led to the end of the colonial world and gave birth to new nations. These wars also cost millions of lives and trillions of dollars. These are the most expensive wars in U.S. history.\n\nThroughout the past century, technological innovations transformed our lives in ways we never dreamed. Progressive ideas also emerged and changed the world as women, African Americans, and the LGBTQ community demanded, and often won, equal rights – from the ratification of the 19th Amendment in the United States to the legalization of same-sex marriage in many countries around the world. Even so, recent civil rights protests tell us the fight for equality is not over.\n\nDunkin' or Starbucks:Among America's favorite brew-at-home coffee brands, which comes out ahead?\n\nPlanes, phones and automobiles:These are the top-selling products from each state in the US\n\nThe COVID-19 pandemic that is ravaging the world in 2020 reminds us that for all of our scientific breakthroughs, we’re still vulnerable to deadly viruses that can shut down economies and disrupt society. People are hoping science can save Earth from the devastating changes to the climate that continue to imperil the ecosystems of our planet. In the coming years, natural disasters may have an increasingly impactful role on the course of history. Here are 26 disaster scenarios caused by climate change.\n\nTo determine the most important event the year you were born, 24/7 Tempo drew on research materials and media sources to compile its list. Deciding the most important event in a given year is by its nature a subjective exercise. In reaching our decisions, we chose the event that had the most far-reaching impact, even if it was not necessarily the most famous event in a given year.\n\nThe world's most important event every year since 1920\n\n1920: Women's Suffrage\n\n• Date: Aug. 26\n\n• Location: Washington D.C.\n\nThough the United States was founded under democratic principles, only a minority of its population – in the beginning only white landowning males over the age of 21 – could actually vote. But after the 19th Amendment of the Constitution was passed, women finally gain a voice and the right to cast their ballots, though the voting rights fight was far from over for many African American women, especially in the South.\n\n1921: Chinese Communists Rise\n\n• Date: July 1\n\n• Location: Beijing\n\nIn a prequel to the rise of Mao Zedong and Red China, the Chinese Communist Party is founded and three weeks later it convenes its first National Congress that is attended by Mao. It would take another 28 years before the Republic of China becomes the People's Republic of China.\n\n1922: British Empire Shrinks\n\n• Date: Feb. 28\n\n• Location: London\n\nThe British Empire was at its peak toward the end of World War I, commanding a global population estimated to be as many as 570 million people, or about a fourth of the world's population at the time. The empire's size began to shrink in 1920, when Britain declared limited independence for Egypt, which leads to full independence two years later.\n\n1923: Great Kanto Earthquake\n\n• Date: Sept. 1\n\n• Location: Tokyo, Yokohama, Japan\n\nThe Great Kanto earthquake, also known as the Tokyo-Yokohama earthquake, strikes the Japanese mainland at noon on Sept. 1, 1923, with a magnitude of 7.9 on the Richter scale. The death toll is estimated at 140,000 people. The force of the temblor destroys hundreds of thousands of homes that either collapse or are engulfed in fire. The quake sets off a tsunami that reaches a height of almost 40 feet at Atami in the Sagami Gulf, killing 60 people there. The most significant outcome of the catastrophe is the rebuilt Tokyo would become a modern metropolis.\n\n1924: From Lenin to Stalin\n\n• Date: Jan. 21\n\n• Location: Moscow\n\nFollowing the death of Vladimir Lenin on Jan. 21, the new leader of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, immediately begins a purge of political rivals. Some are simply moved to different positions, while others, like Leon Trotsky, the presumed successor to Lenin, are exiled. Stalin's paranoia grows as he takes control of the nation, and with it the level of violence and killing of anyone perceived to be a threat to his power and control.\n\n1925: Scopes Monkey Trial\n\n• Date: July 10\n\n• Location: Dayton, Tennessee\n\nAfter teaching the theory of evolution in a Tennessee high school, the state prosecutes science teacher John Thomas Scopes because state law prohibits such teaching as it runs counter to biblical beliefs. The trial pits well-known Christian fundamentalist and former presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan against renowned attorney Clarence Darrow. The jury rules against Scopes, forcing him to pay a fine of $100 (about $1,498 in 2020 dollars). It would take another 43 years before the U.S. Supreme Court would rule that laws punishing people for teaching evolution violate the First Amendment.\n\n1926: U.S. Starts Numbered Highway System\n\n• Date: Nov. 11\n\n• Location: U.S.\n\nIn a precursor to the modern interstate highway system, the federal government introduces a national highway numbering system in an effort to standardize roadways, especially local roads and trails with names unfamiliar to outsiders. The U.S. Numbered Highway System makes it easier for the growing number of car owners to figure out how to get from one city or town to the next and opens the way for the great American road-trip tradition.\n\n1927: Lindbergh Nonstop to Paris\n\n• Date: May 21\n\n• Location: New York to Paris\n\nWhen the monoplane The Spirit of St. Louis touches down at Le Bourget Field in Paris on the evening of May 21, Charles Lindbergh becomes the first person to fly over the Atlantic Ocean nonstop, making him one of the heroes of the age. His feat fires the imagination of aspiring aviators about the commercial possibilities of flight. Lindbergh would stay in the news, but for regrettable reasons. A strong advocate for American isolationism in the 1930s, he is criticized for his admiration of Nazi Germany’s aircraft industry. Also, his infant son would be killed during a bungled kidnapping attempt in 1932.\n\n1928: Earhart Crosses Atlantic\n\n• Date: June 17-18\n\n• Location: Wales\n\nAmelia Earhart becomes the first woman to pilot a plane across the Atlantic, from Newfoundland to Wales, making her an American national heroine and feminist icon who would go on to set numerous aviation records. She would later set another record as the first person – man or woman – to fly solo from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland. Earhart and her co-pilot Fred Noonan would vanish over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 during Earhart's attempt to circumnavigate the globe. Recent evidence has emerged indicating Earhart may have sent distress signals after surviving a crash, possibly on the remote Gardner Island in the western Pacific Ocean.\n\n1929: Wall Street Crashes\n\n• Date: Oct. 24-29\n\n• Location: New York City\n\nThe \"Roaring Twenties\" come to a halt on Black Tuesday in October 1929, when stocks take a nosedive, contributing to the Great Depression. Reasons for the worst economic downturn in American history include over-lending by weakly regulated banks, excessive stock price valuation, too many stocks purchased on margin, unrestrained exuberance that sends millions of people to convert their savings into stocks, tightening of the credit by the Federal Reserve, and an agricultural drought.\n\n1930: Ho Chi Minh Rises in Vietnam\n\n• Date: Feb. 2\n\n• Location: Hanoi\n\nIn an event that would have repercussions for U.S. foreign policy decades later, Vietnamese independence fighter Ho Chi Minh founds the Communist Party of Vietnam as part of his effort to oust French colonial occupiers. \"Uncle Ho,\" as he was known to his many supporters, was inspired by the Russian Bolsheviks, who oppose the Tsarist autocracy, seeing parallels between that struggle and the fight against the foreign occupiers of his country.\n\n1931: Empire State Building Completed\n\n• Date: May 1\n\n• Location: New York City\n\nU.S. President Herbert Hoover inaugurates the completion of the Empire State Building on May Day. It becomes the tallest building of the iconic Manhattan skyline until the construction of the World Trade Center Towers are completed in 1973. Incredibly, the 86-story office building took only 13 months to build, with construction starting in March of the previous year.\n\n1932: Hitler Becomes German\n\n• Date: Feb. 25\n\n• Location: Germany\n\nSeven years after Adolf Hitler renounces his Austrian citizenship, a fellow member of the Nazi Party gets him a low-level government job, which comes with automatic citizenship. This opens the way for him to run for office. Already a well-known party activist, it takes Hitler only two years from receiving his citizenship status to becoming the leader of Germany.\n\n1933: FDR Elected\n\n• Date: March 12\n\n• Location: Washington D.C.\n\nWith the Great Depression sending millions of Americans to soup kitchens and chasing whatever work they can find, newly elected President Franklin Delano Roosevelt begins his weekly \"Fireside Chats\" as Americans are eager for guidance and solace during those dark times. FDR's first radio talk explains to Americans in plain language why he ordered that banks would close temporarily at different time in different parts of the country. The purpose, he explains, is to curb panic rushes of withdrawals, which has been hurting efforts to stabilize the banking system.\n\n1934: Hitler Consolidates Power\n\n• Date: June 30\n\n• Location: Berlin\n\nGermans, who had been suffering from a disastrous economic depression in 1929-30, begin to embrace the ideas of the Nationalist Socialist Workers Party – the Nazi Party. It becomes the largest party after the 1932 elections. In 1933, Adolf Hitler is appointed chancellor of Germany. After President Paul von Hindenburg dies in 1934, Hitler then purges members of his own party – the bloody Night of the Long Knives – with the help of Nazi storm troopers and becomes the unquestioned leader of Germany.\n\n1935: FDR Launches New Deal\n\n• Date: Aug. 14\n\n• Location: Washington D.C.\n\nPresident Roosevelt, grappling with the Great Depression, signs into law his signature Social Security Act, a law that creates the country's first retirement security system. Earlier that year, as part of his \"New Deal\" policy, the president established the Works Progress Administration, a massive economic stimulus program, putting millions of Americans to work building the country's public infrastructure.\n\n1936: Owens Flouts Nazis\n\n• Date: Aug. 3\n\n• Location: Berlin\n\nAs the concept of racial purity and superiority dominates Germany in the 1930s, African-American sprinter Jesse Owens of Oakville, Alabama, shows them who is the master racer. During the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, and under the gaze of Adolf Hitler, Owens wins four Olympic gold medals for the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints, the long jump, and the 400-meter relay.\n\n1937: UAW Changes Car Industry\n\n• Date: Feb. 11\n\n• Location: Flint, Michigan\n\nNearly two years after the establishment of the United Automobile Workers (UAW), the union scores a major victory in Flint, Michigan. Workers at the General Motors Fisher Body Plant Number One lay down their tools and occupy the factory, demanding union representation, a fair minimum wage, safer working conditions, and not to outsource labor to non-union plants. Despite efforts by GM and local police to extricate them from the plant, including shutting off the heat, cutting off food supply, and attacks that leave 16 workers and 11 police officers injured, the strike lasts 44 days. The strike leads to an agreement between GM and the UAW, which includes a 5% pay raise and permission to talk in the lunchroom.\n\n1938: Anti-Semitism Surges\n\n• Date: Nov. 9\n\n• Location: Germany, Austria, Sudetenland\n\nGrowing anti-Semitic scapegoating amid Germany's crippling economic conditions culminates in the Kristallnacht, or \"Night of Broken Glass,\" a pogrom sparked by a speech from German propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. Storm troopers and other Nazi groups are ordered to attack and destroy Jewish businesses, homes, and houses of worship. In one night of attacks in Germany, Austria, and the German-speaking area of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia, dozens of Jews are killed and tens of thousands are rounded up and sent to concentration camps.\n\n1939: World War II Starts\n\n• Date: Sept. 1\n\n• Location: Westerplatte, Poland\n\nUnder the cover of predawn darkness, a German battleship floats quietly into the center of Danzig Harbor and opens fire on a Polish stronghold in Westerplatte, the first shots of World War II. In the following weeks, Nazi forces, including 2,000 tanks and 1,000 aircraft, would shatter Polish defenses and surround Warsaw, which surrenders 26 days after the Danzig Harbor attack.\n\n1940: McDonald's Founded\n\n• Date: May 15\n\n• Location: San Bernardino, California\n\nBrothers Richard and Maurice McDonald open McDonald’s Barbecue Restaurant, offering BBQ ribs, pork sandwiches, and 23 other menu items. Eight years later, they would restructure their popular local business to focus on hamburgers, milkshakes, and fountain sodas, emphasizing speed, a simple menu, and low prices. In the 1950s, businessman Ray Kroc would buy out the brothers and grow McDonald’s into one of the world’s largest restaurant chains.\n\n1941: Pearl Harbor\n\n• Date: Dec. 7\n\n• Location: Oahu, Hawaii\n\nKnowing the U.S. is gearing up to engage them in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II, Japan deploys a massive air attack on U.S. Navy ships parked at Pearl Harbor. The surprise assault by 353 Japanese aircraft leads to the deaths of 2,403 people, including 1,177 sailors aboard the ill-fated USS Arizona, one of 19 vessels that were damaged or destroyed in the attack. Nearly 330 aircraft were also damaged or destroyed. The United States declares war on Japan the next day and three days later against Germany and Italy.\n\n1942: GIs Arrive in Europe\n\n• Date: Jan. 26\n\n• Location: Northern Ireland\n\nThe first U.S. troops destined to fight in Europe in the world's greatest war arrive in Northern Ireland. It is the beginning of a military buildup that would culminate in the invasion of France more than two years later. Before then, the United States was providing only material support to its ally across the Atlantic, while building up what President Roosevelt called the \"Arsenal of Democracy\" in anticipation for the inevitable entry of the United States into the war in Europe.\n\n1943: Invention of LSD\n\n• Date: April 19\n\n• Location: Basel, Switzerland\n\nSwiss chemist Albert Hoffman had been studying the potential medicinal value of lysergic compounds when he accidentally exposed himself to LSD-25, which he had created years earlier in his lab. This was the first LSD trip, a quarter-century before the counterculture endorses the hallucinogenic compound. Hoffman describes the \"not unpleasant\" experience as \"uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors.\" Hoffman takes a second dose and writes a paper about his discovery. The U.S. Army tests the drug on soldiers numerous times from 1955 to 1967, briefly toying with the idea of using LSD as a weapon to disorient enemy soldiers during combat.\n\n1944: D-Day\n\n• Date: June 6\n\n• Location: Normandy France\n\nThe plan for the biggest one-day military campaign in history, the invasion of Normandy by Allied forces to push the Nazis out of France, is hatched in extreme secrecy a year earlier. The plan is conceived during the Quebec Conference by Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt. The invasion starts at 6:30 a.m. on five beaches, and over the next 24 hours about 4,900 Allied soldiers are killed, many of them the instant the doors of their Higgins transport boats opened directly into German machine gun fire.\n\n1945: World War II Ends\n\n• Date: Sept. 2\n\n• Location: Multiple\n\nThe surrender of Japan marks the end of World War II amid one of the most tumultuous years of the 20th century. Earlier in the year, leaders of three nations – Benito Mussolini, Franklin Roosevelt, and Adolf Hitler – die and Nazi Germany surrenders. Though the surrender of Japan was inevitable, the prospect of a horrific Allied assault on the Japanese mainland convinces the United States to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The atomic bomb attacks, along with the entry of the Soviet Union in the war against Japan, compel the Japanese to surrender.\n\n1946: Baby Boom Starts\n\n• Date: Jan. 1\n\n• Location: U.S.\n\nMore American babies are born – 3.4 million – in 1946 than in any year in U.S. history up to then. The number of births grows to 4 million per year from 1954 to 1964, the last year of the baby boomer generation, the biggest generation at that point in history.\n\n1947: India Gains Independence\n\n• Date: Aug. 15\n\n• Location: Washington D.C\n\nThe sun sets on the British Empire in India in 1947, as the Asian nation becomes the world's largest democracy. Independence is the culmination of decades of work by Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Indian nationalists committed to throwing off the yoke of British colonialism. The transition to independence comes at a price. The subcontinent is partitioned into two nations, Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. Violence erupts between Hindus and Muslims as Hindus migrate to India and Muslims shift to Pakistan. It is estimated that 1 million people die during the migration.\n\n1948: Birth of Israel\n\n• Date: May 15\n\n• Location: Middle East\n\nAfter Israel declares its independence following a UN resolution, neighboring Arab states with troops from Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Transjordan (now Jordan), Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia attack the former British-controlled Palestinian mandate. The Arab-Israeli War ended with an armistice that leaves Israel with some territories as Egypt and Jordan retains control over the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, respectively.\n\n1949: NATO Founded\n\n• Date: April 4\n\n• Location: Washington D.C.\n\nWith the Cold War worsening, the Soviet Union detonates its first nuclear bomb and quickly exerts its influence over Eastern Europe. It attempts to do the same in Western Europe, which is still recovering from the massive destruction of World War II. To respond to the Soviet threat, U.S. and Western European allies form the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Fundamentally, NATO simply states that an attack on any NATO member would be considered an attack on all NATO members. Cold War tensions ratchet up later that year when the communists take over China, the world’s most populous nation.\n\n1950: Korean War Starts\n\n• Date: June 25\n\n• Location: Korea\n\nThe North Korean People's Army crosses the 38th parallel into South Korea, eliciting almost an immediate response from U.S. President Truman, and starting the Korean War – a proxy battle between the United States and the People's Republic of China. Three years later, a ceasefire would halt the war. The uneasy relations between North Korea and South Korea last to this day.\n\n1951: Rosenbergs Sentenced\n\n• Date: March 29\n\n• Location: New York City\n\nHusband and wife Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are convicted of espionage for their part in passing along atomic secrets to the Soviet Union during and after World War II. They are executed two years later. Not everyone is convinced of their involvement in the scheme. Supporters claim they are scapegoats swept up in the Cold War hysteria of the time. Documents revealed decades later would show the detailed extent of Julius Rosenberg's involvement in the spy ring, though Ethel's participation in the scheme remains inconclusive.\n\n1952: First Hydrogen Bomb Test\n\n• Date: Nov. 1\n\n• Location: Marshall Islands\n\nThe United States successfully detonates its first hydrogen bomb, a second generation thermonuclear device, in the Marshall Islands as part of Operation Ivy, one of a series of nuclear bomb tests. From 1946 to 1958, the United States used the remote Pacific Marshall Islands as its nuclear weapons testing site, detonating a total of 67 nuclear tests.\n\n1953: The Dawn of DNA\n\n• Date: Feb. 28\n\n• Location: Cambridge, England, U.K.\n\nCambridge University scientists James Watson and Francis Crick announce they have discovered the fundamental behavior and double-helix structure of DNA. Though scientists had been aware of DNA since the 1860s and its role in genetic inheritance since 1943, Watson and Crick were the first to explain how DNA works to replicate itself and pass on genes from one generation to the next.\n\n1954: Brown vs. Board of Education\n\n• Date: May 17\n\n• Location: Washington D.C.\n\nIn a landmark case involving Linda Brown of Topeka, Kansas, who had to cross a railroad track to reach an all-black elementary school even though an all-white school was closer, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that the segregated school system was unconstitutional on the basis of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. The clause would be used again by the courts to reverse state-level racial segregation practices and ordinances.\n\n1955: Parks Starts a Movement\n\n• Date: Dec. 1\n\n• Location: Montgomery, Alabama\n\nRosa Parks makes history by refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery bus. The arrest of Parks for insisting to remain seated leads to the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the ascent of a young pastor named Martin Luther King, Jr., as a local activist leader to advance the civil rights cause. A successful federal lawsuit by the NAACP against the city leads to the desegregation of the Montgomery bus system on Dec. 21 of the following year.\n\n1956: Hungary Suppressed\n\n• Date: Nov. 4\n\n• Location: Budapest\n\nCold War tensions escalate when Hungarians take to the streets, demanding democratic reforms. Three days later, Red Army troops invade Hungary, killing thousands. Nine days after the incursion, Budapest is occupied by the Soviet troops in one of the largest and most aggressive actions taken by the Soviet Union since the end of World War II.\n\n1957: The Little Rock Nine\n\n• Date: Sept 24\n\n• Location: Little Rock, Arkansas\n\nU.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower orders federal troops to protect nine African American high school students as they start classes at the all-white Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. This would become one of the first high-profile actions by the federal government against state-level racial segregation.\n\n1958: US Launches First Satellite\n\n• Date: Jan. 31\n\n• Location: Cape Canaveral, Florida\n\nThe United States successfully launches Explorer 1, three months after the Soviet Union sent its first satellite, Sputnik, into orbit. The two superpowers would go on to send more satellites into space, creating a Cold War space race to build ever more sophisticated orbital communications devices.\n\n1959: Castro Takes Over Cuba\n\n• Date: Jan. 1\n\n• Location: Havana\n\nU.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista flees Havana as Fidel Castro's forces advance on the Cuban capital. Days later, rebels led by Ché Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos enter the city, followed two days later by Castro's forces, who quickly consolidate power in Cuba, establishing a communist government in the Caribbean's largest country.\n\n1960: Lunch Counter Sit-in\n\n• Date: Feb. 1\n\n• Location: Greensboro, North Carolina\n\nWhen four African American college students – Ezell A. Blair, Franklin E. McCain, Joseph A. McNeil and David L. Richmond – sit down at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, and ask for service, they are denied. The young men refuse to leave, leading to a larger six-month protest that results in the desegregation of the lunch counter by that summer. The Greensboro Woolworth’s would close in 1993, and a section of the lunch counter be donated to the Smithsonian.\n\n1961: Berlin Wall Built\n\n• Date: Aug. 13\n\n• Location: Berlin, East and West Germany\n\nBy the late summer of 1961, the loss of skilled workers such as teachers, engineers, and doctors to the West reaches crisis levels in East Germany. On Aug. 12, 2,400 East Germans cross into West Berlin, the most in a single day. The next day, with the approval of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, East Germany builds a wall that would extend 27 miles through Berlin, dividing families and friends for the next 28 years. The wall would serve as an enduring symbol of the Cold War, used by presidents John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan to inspire a divided city.\n\n1962: Cuban Missile Crisis\n\n• Date: Oct.16-28\n\n• Location: Multiple\n\nWhen the United States learns that the Soviet Union is building nuclear missile installations 90 miles south of Miami in communist Cuba, the Kennedy administration starts a naval blockade around the island, which is at times tested, and Kennedy demands the removal of the missiles.The standoff is widely considered to be the closest the two nuclear superpowers come to direct military confrontation. Cooler heads prevail. The Soviet Union offers to remove the missiles in exchange for a guarantee that the United States will not invade Cuba. In secret, the administration also agrees to withdraw U.S. missiles from Turkey.\n\n1963: JFK Assassinated\n\n• Date: Nov. 22\n\n• Location: Dallas\n\nAs President John F. Kennedy prepares for his re-election bid, he embarks on a multi-state tour starting in September 1963. He is murdered by a sharpshooter’s bullet fired by Lee Harvey Oswald at about 12:30 p.m. as his motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza in Dallas. Oswald himself is murdered two days later by nightclub owner Jack Ruby.\n\n1964: LBJ's \"War on Poverty\"\n\n• Date: Jan. 8\n\n• Location: Washington D.C.\n\nBogged down by the Vietnam War, President Lyndon B. Johnson struggles constantly to pivot away from the war to focus on his stated goals of reducing poverty, ending segregation, and establishing the social programs many Americans rely on to this day, including the immensely popular Medicare program. During his “War on Poverty” State of the Union Address of Jan. 8, 1964, LBJ outlines the need for the country to reduce poverty, end racial discrimination, attend to the health needs of the elderly, and other progressive goals. Later achievements during LBJ’s administration are the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Social Security Amendments of 1965.\n\n1965: Civil Rights Turns Violent\n\n• Date: March 7\n\n• Location: Selma, Alabama\n\nThe fatal shooting of protester Jimmy Lee Jackson by an Alabama state trooper sparks a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Hundreds of civil rights activists march in what becomes known as “Bloody Sunday.” Police would confront the marchers, led by John Lewis (who would serve as a House Democrat from Georgia) and others. As the activists cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge, police attack the protesters with tear gas and billy clubs, hospitalizing 50. Lewis would pass away in July 2020, his body crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge for the last time in a horse-drawn carriage.\n\n1966: Mao Purges Rivals\n\n• Date: Aug. 13\n\n• Location: Beijing\n\nAt the end of a weeklong session of the Communist Party Central Committee of the People's Republic of China, Chairman Mao Zedong condemns the political elites, calling on China's youth to rebel against the entrenched political hierarchy. It is the beginning of the decade-long Cultural Revolution that fundamentally transforms Chinese society. Intellectuals, members of the former Nationalist government, and people with ties to Western powers are persecuted, sent to re-education labor camps, or killed by the factions of Red Guards formed in the wake of Mao's call to action.\n\n1967: Six-Day War\n\n• Date: June 5\n\n• Location: Middle East\n\nAmid escalating tensions with its neighbors, Israel launches a pre-emptive strike that destroys most of Egypt's air force. Syria, Jordan, and Iraq also attack Israel. As the war continues, Israel takes the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, captures East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan, and in heavy fighting seizes the Golan Heights from Syria. A ceasefire went into effect on June 10.\n\n1968: King Assassinated\n\n• Date: April 4\n\n• Location: Memphis, Tennessee\n\nRev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is fatally shot by James Earl Ray as the civil rights icon stands on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, a tragedy that sparks race riots nationwide. King's influence in words and actions touch and move not only the nation, but the world, and resonate to this day. Two months later, on June 4, Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy and brother of John F. Kennedy, is fatally shot by Sirhan Sirhan, an Arab Christian from Jerusalem, who believes Kennedy is \"instrumental\" in oppressing Palestinians.\n\n1969: Landing on the Moon\n\n• Date: July 20\n\n• Location: Moon\n\nPresident Kennedy’s goal of a manned lunar landing before 1970 is realized six years after his assassination. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins blast off from the Kennedy Space Center at 9:32 a.m. aboard the Saturn V rocket. After three days of travel, Armstrong and Aldrin land the Eagle module on the lunar surface as Collins remains in lunar orbit to pilot the module. Upon their return to Earth, the three astronauts are put in 21-day quarantine to ensure they do not bring back any lunar contagions.\n\n1970: War In Asia Widens\n\n• Date: April 29\n\n• Location: Eastern Cambodia\n\nAlthough the United States should be scaling back U.S. troop presence in Vietnam, President Richard Nixon approves an operation with the South Vietnamese to invade Cambodia to oust Northern Vietnamese forces there. The Cambodian incursion inflames anti-war protests in the United States as it is perceived to be an escalation of U.S. military involvement in Southeast Asia.\n\n1971: Pentagon Papers\n\n• Date: Feb. 8\n\n• Location: Laos\n\nThe Pentagon Papers, a study by the U.S. Department of Defense about the country's involvement in the Vietnam war, are released and published first in The New York Times, then other newspapers. The documents expose several missteps and how several administrations have misled the American public regarding the war in Vietnam. They also reveal an expanded campaign in Cambodia and Laos, especially clandestine bombing in Laos, which today is considered the heaviest bombardment in history.\n\n1972: Nixon Goes To China\n\n• Date: Feb. 21\n\n• Location: Beijing\n\nPresident Richard Nixon, a virulent anti-communist earlier in his political career, surprises the American public by traveling to Beijing, China, for a week of talks in a historic first step toward normalizing relations between the United States and the People’s Republic of China. Until this trip, the United States and communist China were de facto enemies, fighting proxy wars in the Korean Peninsula in the 1950s and South Vietnam at the time of Nixon’s visit.\n\n1973: Roe v. Wade\n\n• Date: Jan. 22\n\n• Location: Washington D.C.\n\nIn a landmark 7-2 decision that will be known as Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court rules that under the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment, states cannot completely bar a woman's decision to terminate her pregnancy. However, the court adds that as the pregnancy develops, the state can balance a woman's right to privacy with its interest in preserving the \"potentiality of human life.\" As a result, states can ban abortion in the third trimester except in cases where a pregnancy affects a woman's health.\n\n1974: Nixon Resigns Out\n\n• Date: Aug. 8\n\n• Location: Washington D.C.\n\nPresident Richard Nixon announces his resignation amid impeachment proceedings stemming from the Watergate scandal and his administration's attempt resist a congressional investigation. The scandal exposes abuses of power by the White House after five burglars were busted breaking in to the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. Nixon becomes the only president in U.S. history to resign.\n\n1975: Saigon Falls\n\n• Date: April 30\n\n• Location: South Vietnam\n\nTwo years after the last American troops leave Vietnam, communist troops from North Vietnam capture Saigon, ending nearly two decades of relentless war in the rice paddies and jungles of that Southeast Asian nation. The final tally of war dead for the United States is 58,202.\n\n1976: The Concorde Changes Air Travel\n\n• Date: Jan. 21\n\n• Location: London and Paris\n\nTwo supersonic Concorde jets take off simultaneously – one from London to Bahrain, operated by British Airways, and the other from Paris to Rio de Janeiro via Dakar in Senegal, operated by Air France – marking the first time paying passengers enjoy commercial travel at faster than the speed of sound. Though travel by one of the 16 Concordes ever put into service could slash travel time from New York to London in half, the high cost of maintenance, soaring ticket prices, as well as a fatal accident in 2000, sealed the fate of the narrow, slope-nosed aircraft.\n\n1977: Rise of the PC\n\n• Date: January\n\n• Location: Chicago\n\nPersonal home computers began to emerge in the 1970s, but many of the earliest versions resembled calculators that would plug into televisions sets. By 1977, however, the desktop home computer begins to resemble their more modern versions – with an accompanying attached or separate computer screen and a magnetic tape or floppy disk storage device. The Commodore PET is unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago that year, while the first Apple II and Radio Shack's TRS-80 go on sale.\n\n1978: Cult's Mass Suicide\n\n• Date: Nov. 18\n\n• Location: Jonestown, Guyana\n\nMore than 900 people die in one of worst recorded acts of cult-related mass murder-suicide after most of the victims and perpetrators drink a powdered drink mix dosed with cyanide. Most of the victims are Americans, devotees of Peoples Temple cult leader Jim Jones, a former Methodist-trained preacher who built a following and led the flock to Guyana. Among the dead are 276 children who drink the poison. A small number of cult defectors are killed by Peoples Temple gunmen who also slay California congressman Leo Ryan, who had gone to Guyana to investigate Jonestown.\n\n1979: Islamic Republic Born in Iran\n\n• Date: Feb. 11\n\n• Location: Tehran\n\nWorsening economic conditions, increasing discontent with the government, and wide support for religious leader in exile Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini end the reign of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. The shah and his family flee Iran in January 1979. On Feb 11, the monarchy is dissolved, and on April 1, Khomeini declares Iran an Islamic republic. With support among the nation's clergy and their many followers, he begins rebuilding Iranian society based on conservative Shiite religious principles.\n\n1980: Reagan Elected\n\n• Date: Nov. 4\n\n• Location: Washington, D.C.\n\nWith the United States in an economic malaise and the Iranian hostage crisis hobbling the presidency of Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan is elected the 40th president in a landslide. Reagan, who would serve two terms, was the oldest man elected president at the time. Reagan's election changes the trajectory of American politics, ushering in an era of conservative leadership. During his tenure, he takes a more aggressive approach to the Soviet Union and increases defense spending. Reagan convinces Congress to cut taxes, a move that many economists credit with triggering an economic boom in the 1980s.\n\n1981: AIDS Impacts America\n\n• Date: June 5\n\n• Location: Los Angeles\n\nThe U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes a report about five gay men who had been diagnosed by local physicians with a rare form of pneumonia – the first reported U.S. cases of what would later become known as HIV/AIDS. The autoimmune disease spread so fast that by the end of 1982, 500 Americans had died from what now the CDC called acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS. An estimated 35 million people worldwide would die from AIDS-related illnesses since the start of the epidemic.\n\n1982: Mexico Triggers Regional Debt Crisis\n\n• Date: Aug 12\n\n• Location: Mexico City\n\nGlobal economic stagnation in the 1970s and early 1980s, and excessive borrowing among Latin America's biggest economies, boils over when Mexico's Finance Minister Jesús Silva-Herzog tells the U.S. Federal Reserve his country can no longer service its debt to $80 billion. After the announcement, lenders realize virtually every country in Latin America, led by Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, are not able to pay back loans. The crisis would lead to years of eroding wages, weak-to-negative economic growth, sky-high unemployment, severe austerity measures, and political instability – known as the \"lost decade\" in Latin America.\n\n1983: The Internet is Born\n\n• Date: Jan. 1\n\n• Location: Multiple\n\nThe internet as we know it today – a seemingly endless collection of websites hosted on servers scattered across the globe – is still more than a decade away. But at the beginning of 1983, the the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) – a small network for academics and researchers – transitions to the standard TCP/IP protocol of the World Wide Web. The protocol would become the internet's cornerstone and technical foundation as it allows expanded available address space and decentralizes the network, thus also expanding accessibility.\n\n1984: Chemicals Kill Thousands in India\n\n• Date: Dec. 2\n\n• Location: Bhopal, India\n\nThe chemical disaster in Bhopal is still considered history's worst industrial disaster. About 30 tons of methyl isocyanate, an industrial gas used to make pesticide, are released at a Union Carbide Corp. plant. About 600,000 poor residents of nearby shanty towns are exposed to a highly toxic compound that kills about 15,000 people and countless farm animals, according to Indian government estimates. The calamity leads to a generation of birth defects. To this day, locals claim the now-abandoned site is riddled with toxic materials left behind by Union Carbide, which was acquired by Dow Chemical in 2001.\n\n1985: Reagan, Gorbachev Meet\n\n• Date: Nov. 19\n\n• Location: Geneva\n\nDespite his often bellicose criticisms of the Soviet Union, President Ronald Reagan agrees to meet with his counterpart, Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, in Geneva in the first meeting between leaders of the two Cold War foes in nearly a decade. Though the meeting yields little of substance, it starts a closer relationship between the two men who both seem committed to scaling back the nuclear arms race between the two nuclear superpowers.\n\n1986: Shuttle Tragedy\n\n• Date: Jan. 28\n\n• Location: Off the coast of Florida\n\nThe 25th mission of the U.S. space shuttle program ends with the tragic loss of seven astronauts as space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after takeoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Among those killed are Christa McAuliffe, who would have been the first teacher in space. The failure is later identified as a problem with the so-called O-rings used to form a seal in the seams of the shuttle's external fuel tanks.\n\n1987: Stock Market Tanks\n\n• Date: Oct. 19\n\n• Location: Worldwide\n\nOct. 19, 1987 is called Black Monday because on that day the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunges 508 points, or more than 22%. The drop is worse than the crash in 1929. It is also worse than the market plunge after the 9-11 terrorist attacks and the 2008 financial crisis. Among the reasons cited for the drop are rising tensions in the Persian Gulf, concern over higher interest rates, and the belief that the bull market is ending. Computerized trading, relatively new at the time, accelerates trade orders, which speeds up the market drop. As a result of the collapse, exchanges put in place so-called circuit breakers intended to halt trading when stocks fall too fast. This measure is designed to provide investors a cooling off period and avoid a panic.\n\n1988: When the U.S. Armed Iran\n\n• Date: March 16\n\n• Location: Washington D.C.\n\nLt. Col. Oliver North and Vice Adm. John Poindexter are indicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States for their involvement in the so-called Iran-Contra affair. The scandal involved members of the Reagan administration who illegally sold arms to Iran to help facilitate the release of American hostages, and then transfer the proceeds of the sale to fund the Nicaraguan contras, a loose affiliation of right-wing militias. North is convicted, but his conviction is vacated and reversed, while Poindexter's convictions are also reversed on appeal.\n\n1989: The Berlin Wall Falls\n\n• Date: Nov. 9\n\n• Location: Berlin, East and West Germany\n\nCracks in the monolithic Soviet bloc are starting to appear in the 1980s, and the very symbol of communist repression comes crashing down in November, when the Berlin Wall is breached, ending a 28-year division of the city. During the day on Nov. 9, a spokesman for East Berlin's Communist Party says starting at midnight that day, citizens of East Germany are free to cross the country's borders. Almost immediately Berliners start slamming the wall with axes and sledgehammers. By nightfall, the celebration turns into what one observer calls \"the greatest street party in the history of the world\" and the city is reunited. East and West Germany would reunite one year later.\n\n1990: Democracy in Poland\n\n• Date: Jan. 28\n\n• Location: Poland\n\nWith the hold of the Soviet Union and communism on East Europe loosening, Poland's ruling communist party votes to dissolve and become more moderate. In the following elections, Lech Wałęsa, leader of the Solidarity Movement and the 1983 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, wins the election and becomes president.\n\n1991: American Goes to War in Middle East\n\n• Date: Jan. 17\n\n• Location: Saudi Arabia and Kuwait\n\nAfter Saddam Hussein's Iraq invades and occupies Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990, the United States sends forces to defend neighboring Saudi Arabia from being overrun and to protect its vital oil assets in Operation Desert Shield. With Saudi Arabia secured, U.S. implements Operation Desert Storm to push Iraqi forces back across the border with Kuwait in a military operation that lasts until a ceasefire takes effect in April.\n\n1992: Cold War Ends\n\n• Date: Feb. 1\n\n• Location: Camp David, Maryland\n\nJust weeks after the dissolution of the Soviet Union on Dec. 26, 1991, U.S. President George H.W. Bush and his Russian counterpart, Boris Yeltsin, meet at Camp David to formally declare the end of the Cold War that began shortly after the end of World War II. The meeting comes days after both countries announce they would stop aiming nuclear missiles at each other. Russia declares its 11 former communist satellite republics – from Armenia to Uzbekistan – independent.\n\n1993: The EU Becomes Reality\n\n• Date: Nov. 1\n\n• Location: Brussels\n\nThe Treaty of the European Union, also known as the Maastricht Treaty, goes into effect in November, after a rough series of political wrangling that, among other concessions, allows the U.K. and Denmark to opt out of the common euro currency. The treaty opens the way to removing border controls among member states and invites new members to join the union.\n\n1994: Amazon.com is Born\n\n• Date: July 5\n\n• Location: Seattle\n\nWith an initial aim of becoming an online bookstore, Jeff Bezos and a handful of angel investors launch Amazon.com, just as e-commerce is about to take off. In 2020, after expanding from books to the so-called “Everything Store” and growing a business selling cloud services to companies like Netflix and Instagram, Bezos would be the world’s richest man.\n\n1995: Domestic Terror Strikes Oklahoma\n\n• Date: April 19\n\n• Location: Oklahoma City\n\nIn the deadliest domestic terrorist attack in U.S. history, anti-government radicals Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols bomb the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. They time the truck-bomb attack for a weekday morning in order to maximize casualties. For the murder of at least 168 people, including 19 children who were in a childcare center in the building, and the injury of hundreds of others, an unremorseful McVeigh is executed by lethal injection on June 11, 2001. Nichols is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.\n\n1996: The Dawn of Cloning\n\n• Date: July 5\n\n• Location: Midlothian, Scotland, U.K.\n\nDolly the Sheep enters the annals of bioengineering when scientists at Scotland's Roslin Institute become the first to not only successfully clone a mammal, but also the first to do so using an adult cell rather than an embryonic one. After 277 so-called cell fusions that created 29 embryos, the teams managed to turn an udder cell into a nearly complete biological carbon copy of the sheep from which it came.\n\n1997: Machine Tops Chess Champ\n\n• Date: May 11\n\n• Location: New York City\n\nArtificial intelligence and machine learning have been serious areas of study (and hype) for over 60 years. In 1997, one of the most significant victories for silicon logic came when IBM's Deep Blue became the first machine to beat a world chess champion. The the refrigerator-sized computer beat Garry Kasparov twice and tied him three times in a six-game match.\n\n1998: The Age of Google Begins\n\n• Date: Sept. 4\n\n• Location: Menlo Park, California\n\nWith seed money from Sun Microsystems co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, among others, Stanford University Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin launch the search engine Google. The digital advertising behemoth Google Inc., now Alphabet Inc., is a $1.104 trillion company with several subsidiaries, including video-sharing platform YouTube; autonomous-car development company Waymo; and X, the company’s research and development division.\n\n1999: NATO's First Independent Strike\n\n• Date: March 24\n\n• Location: Federal Republic of Yugoslavia\n\nIn order to expel Serbian forces from Kosovo during the Kosovo War, NATO forces initiate their first-ever military campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (now Montenegro and Serbia) without U.N. Security Council authorization as Russia and China oppose the attack. The NATO air strikes are aimed at stopping an onslaught against ethnic Albanians by the government of Slobodan Milošević. The NATO attacks last nearly three months, culminating in the withdrawal of Yugoslav forces from Kosovo.\n\n2000: International Space Station Opens\n\n• Date: Nov. 2\n\n• Location: Low earth orbit\n\nCommanders Bill Shepherd from the United States and Yuri Gidzenko of Russia, along with Russian flight engineer Sergei Krikalev become the first temporary residents of the International Space Station two years after the first component of the research center was put into low-Earth orbit about 250 miles above sea level. Since that first crew, there have been 229 other visitors to the ISS, some of them multiple times, led by 146 from the United States and 47 from Russia.\n\n2001: 9/11\n\n• Date: Sept. 11\n\n• Location: Multiple\n\nIn the worst attack on U.S. soil since the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941, 19 hijackers inspired by Islamist extremism kill nearly 3,000 people after crashing three passenger-laden commercial aircraft into the World Trade Center towers in lower Manhattan and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. A fourth plane, United Airlines 93, crashes in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew attempt to regain control of the plane headed Washington D.C.\n\n2002: Homeland Security\n\n• Date: Nov. 25\n\n• Location: Washington D.C.\n\nFollowing the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the U.S. Congress and President George W. Bush enact the Homeland Security Act, the biggest government reorganization of national security efforts since the Department of Defense was created in 1947. The sweeping legislation creates the massive Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for everything from protecting infrastructure from cyber-attacks to managing the new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.\n\n2003: US Crushes Iraq\n\n• Date: March 19\n\n• Location: Iraq\n\nWith the help of British and other allied forces, the United States begins its invasion of Iraq with a rapid bombing \"Shock and Awe\" campaign with the intention of destroying Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction; the weapons are never found. Coalition forces manage to quickly topple the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein, but have to fight insurgent forces for years afterward.\n\n2004: Facebook Founded\n\n• Date: Feb. 4\n\n• Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts\n\nMark Zuckerberg, a 23-year-old Harvard University student, creates “The facebook,” a local social networking site named after the orientation materials that profiles students and faculty and given to incoming college freshmen. Sixteen years later, Facebook has become an $843.6 billion digital advertising behemoth so integral to many people’s lives that it has been criticized for helping foreign powers and propagandists influence the U.S. political system.\n\n2005: Katrina Overwhelms New Orleans\n\n• Date: Aug. 29\n\n• Location: U.S. Gulf Coast\n\nAfter spending four days in the Gulf of Mexico bulking up to a category 5 hurricane, Katrina slams into New Orleans, inundating the city and creating a humanitarian crisis that lasts for weeks. The catastrophe underscores the precarious situation not only in the Big Easy, but also the surrounding area of the Gulf Coast. At least 1,833 people in the storm's path are killed, and the storm inflicts $161 billion in damages to the region, the costliest storm in U.S. history.\n\n2006: Hussein Executed\n\n• Date: Dec. 30\n\n• Location: Baghdad\n\nThree years after U.S. soldiers pulled him from a hole in the ground where he had been hiding, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein is hanged after he was convicted for crimes against humanity, specifically for ordering the massacre of 148 Shiites in 1982 following a failed assassination attempt against him.\n\n2007: The iPhone\n\n• Date: Jan. 9\n\n• Location: San Francisco\n\nApple CEO Steve Jobs, who died in October 2011, first shows the world one of the most popular branded consumer electronic devices in history, the iPhone. Since the first generation phone that Jobs introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show that year, there have been 18 versions of the mobile device, and more than 1.2 billion units have been sold globally through 2017. Only Samsung's Galaxy smartphone comes close to that volume.\n\n2008: Dow Plunges\n\n• Date: Sept. 29\n\n• Location: New York City\n\nThe Dow Jones Industrial Average records an intraday drop of 777.68 points after Congress rejects a massive $700 billion bailout of U.S. banks. The bill would pass days later. The market reacts also to months of global market turmoil amid the 2008 global financial crisis spurred by the U.S. subprime mortgage market crash. The Dow fell by more than half during the 2007-09 Great Recession, tumbling from 14,164 on Oct. 9, 2007 to 6,594 on March 5, 2009.\n\n2009: America’s First African American President\n\n• Date: Jan. 20\n\n• Location: Washington D.C.\n\nAfter defeating Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona by amassing 365 electoral votes and 53% of the popular vote, Barack Obama is sworn in as the first African American president of the United States. Obama inherits the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, but with his party holding majorities in both houses of Congress at the time, the president is able to pass a stimulus package and his signature Affordable Care Act in March 2010.\n\n2010: Catastrophic Oil Spill\n\n• Date: April 20\n\n• Location: Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana\n\nEleven workers die and 17 are injured after an explosion and fire erupts on the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig 40 miles from the Louisiana coast. The explosion causes the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history, spewing 3 million barrels of crude over the three months it takes to stop the leak. British oil company BP says costs climbed to $65 billion in claims for the accident, including a $1.7 billion charge it took as recently as the fourth quarter of 2017.\n\n2011: Bin Laden Killed\n\n• Date: May 2\n\n• Location: Abbottabad, Pakistan\n\nIn an intense 40-minute nighttime firefight, 25 U.S. Navy SEALs hunt down and kill al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, in a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Within hours, bin Laden’s body is identified using DNA and then buried at sea.\n\n2012: The \"God Particle\" Is (Probably) Discovered\n\n• Date: July 4\n\n• Location: Near Geneva\n\nNearly 600 feet below the France-Switzerland border at CERN's Large Hadron Collider Facility, an international team of scientists discovers a new particle widely believed to be the elusive Higgs boson, known as the \"God Particle,\" which is thought to be a fundamental component of the universe. Higgs boson has been an important element of particle physics theory for decades, but until 2012 there had been no physical evidence to support its existence.\n\n2013: Snowden Reveals Secrets\n\n• Date: June 6\n\n• Location: Hong Kong\n\nAfter surreptitiously leaving his job at U.S. National Security Agency contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, computer security consultant Edward Snowden meets secretly in Hong Kong with journalists Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras. He reveals the first of a series of secrets about numerous U.S. and European government surveillance operations. Hailed as a courageous whistleblower and privacy champion by some, and a traitor that compromised counterterrorism efforts by others, the American now resides in exile in Moscow.\n\n2014: Russian Bear Bites Ukraine\n\n• Date: March 16\n\n• Location: Crimea\n\nExploiting political unrest in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin orchestrates the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. The action incites peals of condemnation from world leaders and a raft of economic sanctions against Moscow. This strategically important and predominantly Russian-speaking region on the Black Sea has been coveted by the Russians as part of their strategic efforts to check NATO expansion along Russia's western border.\n\n2015: NASA Flies by Pluto\n\n• Date: July 14\n\n• Location: 3 billion miles from Earth\n\nNASA spacecraft New Horizons becomes the first human-made object to fly past and observe the dwarf planet Pluto. New Horizons sends back stunning photographs of this enigmatic and distant member of the solar system, including images of a mountain range and massive icebergs floating in frozen nitrogen. New Horizons is now en route to the Kuiper Belt, a massive asteroid belt at the far reaches of the solar system.\n\n2016: Trump Elected\n\n• Date: Nov. 8\n\n• Location: U.S.\n\nRunning on a populist agenda, Donald Trump is elected the 45th president of the United States and the fifth president in U.S. history (the second since the 2000) to win despite losing the popular vote. The real estate developer and television personality ran on a platform of putting \"America First\" in global trade and foreign policy negotiations and cracking down on undocumented immigrants.\n\n2017: Hurricane Triple Whammy\n\n• Date: August-September\n\n• Location: Multiple\n\nWithin just four weeks, three massive hurricanes – Harvey, Irma, and Maria – strike Texas, Florida, and the Caribbean, killing 228 people, inflicting a combined $265 billion in damages, and displacing millions of homeowners. Hurricane Maria inflicts immense damage to the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico, which was already struggling from economic insolvency.\n\n2018: Wildfires\n\n• Date: November\n\n• Location: Northern California\n\nWildfires engulfed northern California in November, the deadliest in that state’s history. The catastrophe cost the lives of 88 people and fire consumed 18,500 homes and businesses. State and federal officials estimated that it would cost $3 billion to clean up debris. Climate change activists said the conflagrations were evidence that global warming is no longer a distant concern and that it is occurring now.\n\n2019:Hong Kong Protests\n\n• Date: Beginning in March\n\n• Location: Hong Kong\n\nResidents of the small economic powerhouse of Hong Kong, which was given special administrative region status as a condition to its handover to China from Great Britain, protested a proposed extradition bill in March. That led to other mass demonstrations in Hong Kong throughout the year over concerns China was trying to erode Hong Kong’s autonomy.\n\nPeople power manifested itself in protests in other nations as well in 2019, with demonstrations leading to the ouster of presidents in Algeria and Sudan.\n\n2020: COVID-19\n\n• Date: March\n\n• Location: Worldwide\n\nA novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, that causes the disease COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. The virus spread to Europe and the United States in early 2020 and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11. The outbreak reached virtually every nation on Earth, leading to countrywide lockdowns, massive layoffs, business closures, and school shutdowns. As of Aug. 26, the pandemic claimed more than 820,000 lives worldwide, including about 179,000 people in the U.S. COVID-19 has become the worst pandemic since the Spanish flu in 1918.\n\n24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2020/09/06"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/06/02/graceland-elvis-presley-history-trivia/9810757002/", "title": "Graceland: The history of Elvis' home in Memphis. Here are 40 facts", "text": "Graceland opened to the public on June 7, 1982.\n\nThat was 40 years ago.\n\nForty!\n\nSeems like a significant number.\n\nWhen Elvis died on Aug. 16, 1977, he was only 42.\n\nHe had lived at Graceland for 20 years. So, the house, in a way, has been home to Elvis' legacy for twice as long as it was home to Elvis.\n\nHow to tell the story of Graceland? Here's one way: 40 facts to mark that 40th anniversary.\n\nActually, you'll find many more than 40 facts below. But the list is numbered 1 through 40, for the sake of symmetry and convenience. (In any case, math never was my strong suit; neither, according to his 6th-grade report card, was it Elvis'.)\n\nMEMPHIS TOURISM:Graceland made Memphis a tourism destination. Here's how it continues to impact the city\n\nGRACELAND HISTORY:Graceland felt like 'a twilight zone' when it opened in 1982. Now it's more like a home | Beifuss\n\n40 facts about Graceland\n\n1. The Graceland name predates the mansion. Owner Stephen C. Toof, a Memphis commercial printer, named his \"Graceland Farms\" property for his daughter, Grace, who inherited the land when her father died in 1894.\n\n2. Grace's niece, Ruth Moore, referred to in newspaper reports as a \"socialite\" and \"musical prodigy,\" and her husband, Thomas Moore, a doctor, built the Colonial Revival (sometimes called \"Classical Revival\") mansion in 1939. Before Elvis expanded it, the house contained 10,266 square feet.\n\n3. Elvis purchased Graceland — the house, the barn and the 13.8 acres of land — on March 19, 1957, for $102,500. The home's Whitehaven location was relatively isolated and rural, unlike Elvis' previous address at 1034 Audubon Drive in East Memphis. Elvis immediately began adding to the mansion, expanding the house to 17,552 square feet and 23 rooms. The mansion would be his Memphis home for 20 years.\n\n4. Lisa Marie Presley is the sole owner of the Graceland mansion and its original grounds. Under the terms of Elvis' will, she inherited the property in 1993, when she turned 25. (Meanwhile, Elvis Presley Enterprises, a corporate entity of the Elvis Presley Trust, manages Graceland's operations as well as most other business dealings related to Elvis, his legacy and his likeness.)\n\n5. Graceland was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on Nov. 7, 1991. It was the first rock-and-roll-related site to be so honored.\n\n6. Graceland was declared a National Historic Landmark on March 27, 2006. Again, it was the first rock-and-roll-related site to be so honored.\n\nELVIS TRIVIA:Think you know everything about the King? Try to answer these questions\n\nGRACELAND:Tips to help you take care of business when visiting Elvis' home\n\n7. The Historic Landmark documentation provides a detailed, even literary description of Graceland: \"The house was constructed at the top of a hill, almost at the center of the property in a grove of oaks, with rolling pastures in front and behind it, and a western exposure towards the Mississippi River. A curving driveway, bordered by a six-inch concrete curb lined with small electric lights along the outside edge, approaches from the state highway at the foot of the hill and forms a large loop that passes in front of the house and returns back down the hill.\"\n\n8. The document continues: \"The house is a two-story, five bay residence in the Classical Revival style with a side-facing gabled roof covered in asphalt shingles, a central two-story projecting pedimented portico, and one-story wings on its north and south sides. The front and side facades of the central block are veneered with Tishomingo limestone from Mississippi...\"\n\n9. The familiar pink Alabama fieldstone wall that fronts the property was erected in 1957, to protect Presley's privacy and discourage trespassing fans. (It has not been entirely successful; see fact No. 15.) Since Elvis' death, the wall has served as a graffiti magnet and message board, with fans scrawling sometimes very personal sentiments or adding artwork tributes to the King to almost every available space on the rough but conveniently pale stone.\n\n10. Built and erected by the Tennessee Fabricating Co. and Memphis' Dillard Door Co. at a total cost of about $2,700, the famous custom-built gates of Graceland — a \"special double drive way gate,\" to quote the work order — were installed on April 22, 1957. With their stylized representations of a guitar-strumming Elvis set against a pattern of musical staffs and notes, the gates suggest the entryway to a musical heaven. The gates were restored in 1990 by the National Ornamental Metal Museum.\n\n11. In a testimony to Elvis' influence, the City Council on June 29, 1971, unanimously approved a proposal to change the name of the five-mile stretch of South Bellevue between South Parkway and the Mississippi state line to \"Elvis Presley Boulevard\"; the street address of Graceland thus became 3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard. The first sign was put in place during a January 1972 ceremony that was attended by Mayor Wyeth Chandler and Elvis' father, Vernon Presley.\n\n12. A highlight of any Graceland tour, the ornamental stained-glass peacocks that flank the open doorway between the living room and the music room were added by the Laukhuff Stained Glass Company of Memphis in 1974.\n\n13. Also in 1974, Elvis remodeled two basement hang-out rooms. Painted and decorated in yellow and black, the \"TV Room\" is notable for the three television sets built into the south wall, so Elvis could watch all three commercial networks at once (presumably, he wasn't much of a PBS fan), and for the spooky white monkey statuette on its center table. (The figure inspired \"Porcelain Monkey,\" an Elvis lament by singer Warren Zevon: \"Hip-shakin', shoutin' in gold lamé/ That's how he earned his regal sobriquet/ Then he threw it all away/ For a porcelain monkey.\") Even more challenging to the eyeballs is the \"Pool Room,\" its claustrophobic interior dominated by a central pool table and its walls and low ceiling covered in close to 400 yards of vividly multi-colored pleated fabric.\n\n14. On Nov. 24, 1976, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis' contemporary and onetime rock-and-roll rival, was arrested at about 3 a.m. outside Graceland, after he drove up to the gates in his Lincoln Continental Mark IV and demanded to see Elvis, while \"screaming and yelling and waving a Derringer in the air\" (according to the testimony of a guard at the gates, as quoted in The Commercial Appeal). Police confirmed that the Killer's \"two-shot .38 caliber Derringer\" was loaded (as, apparently, was Lewis).\n\n15. A less troublesome trespasser was Bruce Springsteen, who, on April 29, 1976, after making his Memphis concert debut at the old Ellis Auditorium, took a taxi to Graceland, accompanied by E Street Band guitar player \"Miami\" Steve Van Zandt. According to an oft-repeated story, when the Boss saw a light on inside the mansion, he had an urge to meet the King. As Springsteen told a concert crowd in 1985, when introducing a cover of Elvis' \"Follow That Dream\": \"I said, 'Steve, man, I gotta go check it out.' And I jumped up over the wall and I started runnin' up the driveway, which when I look back on it now was kind of a stupid thing to do because I hate it when people do it at my house... Guards came out of the woods and they asked me what I wanted. And I said, 'Is Elvis home?' Then they said, 'No, no, Elvis isn't home, he's in Lake Tahoe'. [Which was true.] So, I started to tell 'em that I was a guitar player and that I had my own band, and that we played in town that night, and that I made some records. And I even told 'em I had my picture on the cover of Time and Newsweek. I had to pull out all the stops to try to make an impression, you know. I don't think he believed me, though, 'cause he just kinda stood there noddin' and then he took me by the arm and put me back out on the street with Steve.\"\n\n16. In addition to rock-and-rollers, Graceland attracted many animals. Pets owned by Elvis included Scatter, a chimpanzee, and Bambi, a squirrel monkey. Some exotic animal gifts were donated to the Memphis Zoo, including two wallabies, sent by Australian fans.\n\n17. The animals with the longest history at Graceland were horses. Elvis' reputed favorite was Rising Sun, a golden palomino. Mare Ingram was a mare, named after Memphis Mayor William B. Ingram. Some other horses owned by Elvis and housed in Graceland's air-conditioned barn included Flaming Star, Thundercloud, Star Trek and a Tennessee Walking Horse named Ebony's Double, which was the last horse Elvis bought.\n\nBAZ LUHRMANN'S'ELVIS' :'Elvis' movie shakes up Cannes. Here's what critics and the Presleys are saying.\n\nGRACELAND EXHIBITS:Elvis is 'Dressed to Rock': New exhibit of King's stage costumes opens at Graceland\n\n18. After rigging the Jungle Room into a home studio, Elvis made his final recordings inside Graceland, in February and October 1976. Featuring members of his touring band, including such legends as guitarist James Burton and drummer Ronnie Tutt, the sessions provided the foundation for the singer's last two studio albums, \"From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee\" and \"Moody Blue\" (which was released less than a month before the singer's death), and yielded the last three Top 40 pop chart singles of his lifetime: \"Hurt,\" \"Moody Blue\" and \"Way Down.\"\n\n19. Built in 1975, the two-story racquetball building behind the mansion contained an upright piano. Elvis sat at that piano not long before he died on Aug. 16, 1977, performing \"Unchained Melody\" and \"Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.\" Later, upstairs at Graceland, Elvis' girlfriend, Ginger Alden, discovered Presley on his bathroom floor. He was taken to Baptist Hospital on Union Avenue and pronounced dead.\n\n20. Elvis' funeral was held on Aug. 18, 1977, at Graceland. The eulogy was delivered by Jackie Kahane, a standup comic who opened many Presley concerts in the 1970s. At Vernon Presley's request, a public viewing of the body was held in the foyer of the mansion the day before, attracting 10,000 to 25,000 mourners. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of other fans congregated during the week along Elvis Presley Boulevard.\n\n21. Originally interred about four miles north of Graceland inside the Forest Hill Cemetery Midtown mausoleum on Elvis Presley Boulevard, the bodies of Elvis and his mother, Gladys Presley, were moved to the Meditation Garden at Graceland on Oct. 2, 1977. The move came after the Aug. 29 arrest of three men in a plot to steal Elvis' body from Forest Hill and hold it for ransom. With its circular pool, fountains, stained-glass panels and Ancient World-looking columns, the Meditation Garden had been constructed in 1964 and '65.\n\n22. Five people are buried in the Meditation Garden. Using the spellings that appear on the grave markers, these people include Elvis Aaron Presley (\"Aron\" is the way the name appears on Elvis' birth certificate, marriage certificate and driver's licenses); Elvis' father, Vernon Elvis Presley; his mother, Gladys Love Smith Presley; his grandmother, Minnie Mae Presley; and the grandson he never met, Benjamin Storm Presley Keough, the son of Elvis' daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. The Garden also contains a marker for Elvis' stillborn twin, Jessie Garon Presley, who was buried in an unmarked grave in Tupelo. (\"Jessie\" is spelled \"Jesse\" in most other sources.)\n\n23. The gravesite is the focus of the annual Candlelight Vigil that draws thousands of fans to Graceland every year, to promenade to the Meditation Garden on the anniversary of Elvis' death. The vigil originally was a fan-generated event, but it soon was embraced by Elvis Presley Enterprises and made the centerpiece of Graceland's annual \"Elvis Week\" August activities. The first vigil was held in 1978, when fans from the Austin, Texas-based Elvis Country Fan Club traveled to Graceland to pay their respects to the King by lighting candles outside the gates.\n\n24. Family members continued to live at Graceland after Elvis' death, including Vernon Presley, who died in 1979, and Minnie Mae Presley, who died in 1980. But the hardiest post-Elvis Graceland resident was Delta Mae Presley Biggs, known to family and fans alike as \"Aunt Delta.\" The sister of Vernon Presley, Aunt Delta moved to Graceland in 1966, after the death of her husband, and continued to live in the mansion even after it was opened to the public, until her death on July 29, 1993, at 74. During this time, the Graceland kitchen and bedroom frequented by Delta remained off-limits to tourists; they were added to the tour after her death.\n\n25. Graceland was opened to the public on June 7, 1982. Admission was $5. Attendance through the end of that year exceeded 330,000 — well above projections. Now, the cheapest available Graceland ticket that includes the mansion tour is $77 (or $44 for a kid, 5-10); yearly attendance is about 500,000.\n\n26. On Feb. 22, 1984, Elvis’ two private jets — the Lisa Marie and the Hound Dog II — arrived in Memphis and were transported down Elvis Presley Boulevard to their present location, across the street from the mansion. The Lisa Marie is a Convair 880 with a cruising speed of about 615 mph that seats about 28 people; Elvis bought it from Delta Airlines in 1975 for $250,000 and fitted it with a private bedroom with a queen-size bed; four televisions; and a 52-speaker stereo system. The Hound Dog II, which can host only about 10 passengers, is a Lockheed JetStar.\n\n27. In 1994, the live tour guides that had been a fixture at Graceland were replaced by \"audio guides\" — audiotapes with headphones that visitors wear as they tour the mansion. The audio guides are available in nine languages: English, German, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese and French.\n\n28. On May 30, 2016, Graceland welcomed its 20 millionth visitor since its conversion to a tourist attraction. Accompanied by husband Robert Greenoak, Tiffany Greenoak, 31, of London, England, was designated lucky No. 20,000,000. “We played Elvis music at our wedding, so for us as a couple, this trip to Memphis has tremendous meaning,\" said Mrs. Greenoak. The couple was given a private tour and received a congratulatory phone call from Priscilla Presley, who was married to Elvis from 1967 to 1973. (Priscilla's wedding took place not at Graceland but at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas.)\n\nELVIS IN THE MOVIES:Elvis is still a movie star. Here's a guide to his screen 'appearances'\n\nELVIS FANS:'Elvis has the perfect face': This Tennessee artist has created 20,000 images of the King\n\n29. On June 30, 2006, President George W. Bush became the first sitting U.S. President to visit Graceland when he, first lady Laura Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi took a private tour of the mansion, led by Priscilla Presley and Lisa Marie. The reason: Koizumi — who shares Elvis' Jan. 8 birthday — is a Presley superfan. According to press reports, he said visiting Graceland was like a \"dream,\" and serenaded the Bushes and Presleys during the tour with song snippets, crooning, \"Hold me close, hold me tight,\" and \"Love me tender.\"\n\n30. As chronicled on the \"Celebrity Visitors to Graceland\" snapshot gallery on the Elvis website, other notables who have visited Graceland in recent years include — to name just a few — Dua Lipa, Vanilla Ice, Tom Brokaw, Gilbert Gottfried, Dolph Lundgren, Chris Tucker, Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Bill Nye (the Science Guy), demonic Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, the Foo Fighters and the pre-divorce duo of Russell Brand and Katy Perry. (Not pictured: Prince William and Prince Harry, who visited Graceland in 2014.)\n\n31. Paul McCartney visited Graceland on May 26, 2013, and tweeted a picture of himself leaving a guitar pick on Elvis' grave. He reportedly told onlookers the gesture was \"so Elvis can play in heaven.\"\n\n32. The 450-room Guest House at Graceland opened on Oct. 27, 2016, north of the mansion on Elvis Presley Boulevard. The hotel space includes a 464-seat theater and four bars and restaurants. It effectively replaced the 128-room Heartbreak Hotel, a remodeled 1986 Wilson World lodge that Graceland remodeled and reopened in 1999.\n\n33. A casualty of Graceland expansion was the so-called Graceland Crossing shopping plaza, an L-shaped strip mall of independent Elvis souvenir shops located across the street and to the north of the mansion. A popular Elvis Week hangout for fans, who gathered in a tent in the plaza parking lot to listen to performances by tribute artists (this reporter once ran into Jackson Browne there), the space was bought by Graceland and closed in 2017.\n\n34. Located in a secluded space between the Guest House and the mansion, the Graceland Chapel in the Woods lived up to its \"Love Me Tender\" mission on Aug. 13, 2018, when Memphis-based Elvis fans Julie Guardado and Marc Caudel — who had met during Elvis Week 2015 — became the first couple to be married in the then-new chapel.\n\n35. Also among the structures now on the grounds of Graceland is the Elvis Presley archive: a climate-controlled cinderblock building that houses much of the estate's estimated 1.5 million documents, photographs, wardrobe items, musical instruments and other Elvis-connected objects.\n\n36. The ambitious centerpiece of an attempt to expand the Elvis experience beyond the mansion, Elvis Presley’s Memphis opened on March 2, 2017. Located on the Graceland campus across the street from the house, the $45 million, 40-acre complex includes restaurants, shops, exhibit space and The Soundstage at Graceland, which has become one of the city's busiest venues, hosting concerts by such artists as Tanya Tucker, X, the Monkees (with Michael Nesmith, just two months before his death) and the other Elvis, Costello.\n\n37. Graceland is closed to visitors only on Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, on March 20, 2020, Graceland closed — like many public places in Shelby County — due to Health Department mandates related to the coronavirus pandemic. It reopened May 21, with a number of whimsical Elvis-themed cautions in place. \"Don't Forget to Social Distance\" counseled the campus' illustrated signs, which represented the recommended six-feet-of-separation as a measurement equal to \"6 teddy bears,\" \"3 hound dogs,\" \"2 guitars\" or \"1 Elvis.\"\n\n38. Excluding the Guest House, Graceland has 231 employees — 160 of whom work fulltime.\n\n39. In 2018, the Hallmark Channel holiday movie \"Christmas at Graceland,\" starring American Idol contestant turned country music hit-maker Kellie Pickler, became the first fiction film to be shot on the grounds of the Elvis Presley estate. A ratings smash for the channel, it inspired two HCU (Hallmark Cinematic Universe) follow-ups, \"Wedding at Graceland\" and \"Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays.\"\n\n40. From its 1982 public opening through May 2022, Graceland has attracted just under 23 million visitors, according to figures supplied by Graceland. With some 600,000 \"guests\" per year, the Elvis estate is the second most-visited \"house museum\" in the United States, according to Forbes. The first is the White House.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/06/02"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2019/12/02/rosa-parks-statue-newborn-polar-bear-cub-quake-rocks-oregon-news-around-states/40740555/", "title": "50 states", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nMontgomery:Court Square was packed Sunday for the unveiling of a new statue of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks. At least 400 people showed up for the unveiling of the statue at the downtown site where Parks got on the bus the day she was arrested, a key moment in the civil rights movement. The unveiling was part of several tributes to the day Parks was arrested for refusing to give her seat to a white man on a city bus on Dec. 1, 1955. Her arrest was one of the events that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott that challenged segregation on public buses. Along with the Parks memorial, the city presented two historic markers for the plaintiffs of Browder v. Gayle – the landmark case that ruled segregation on Montgomery buses was unconstitutional. Fred Gray, the attorney who defended Parks and many other civil rights heroes, sat in the second row for the unveiling. The civil rights memorials are a partnership between the city of Montgomery, Montgomery County, the Alabama Department of Tourism and the Montgomery Area Business Committee for the Arts. Clydetta Fulmer was the artist commissioned to complete the statue of Parks.\n\nAlaska\n\nAnchorage: The Anchorage Assembly approved funds to study how the city would build a waste-to-energy incineration plant to contend with its landfill limits, officials said. The assembly approved $100,000 from its Solid Waste Services budget Tuesday to fund a plan to be completed in 90 days, The Anchorage Daily News reported Thursday. The $300 million to $400 million plant would require seven to 10 years of work before opening, officials said. The landfill in Eagle River has an estimated 42 operational years left, and an incineration plant would increase that lifespan to 177 years, Anchorage Solid Waste Services Manager Mark Spafford said. Other options include sending trash north to the Matanuska-Susitna Valley or removing it by water using a barge, although neither are economically viable, Spafford said. The study does not commit the city to build the plant, but would give officials a better idea of costs, time needed and benefits, Spafford said. While burning the city’s garbage, the plant would produce 20 to 30 megawatts of power at peak capacity. Anchorage now produces 7.2 megawatts from methane captured at the landfill, officials said. The plant could also burn sludge from Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility, eliminating the need for a new $100 million incinerator for the utility, Spafford said.\n\nArizona\n\nPhoenix:Three tornadoes touched down in the metro Phoenix area early Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service. “I can tell you that even getting one (in Phoenix) is pretty rare and getting one from this type of weather system is not too common,” said Andrew Deemer, a meteorologist with the weather service. The first confirmed tornado occurred about 4 a.m. in the Gilbert area of Williams Field Road and the Loop 202, the agency tweeted about 7 p.m. Friday. The second tornado occurred about the same time in the Queen Creek-area while the third occurred in the Paradise Valley-area, it added. Although they were estimated to be weak tornadoes, the agency said each caused damage ranging from downed trees and power poles to damaged roofs. Two tornado warnings were briefly in effect early Friday morning when the rain hit the Valley and snow caused freeway closures and power outages in the high country. The agency tweeted that on May 4, 1976, and Feb. 13, 1992, three tornadoes touched down in Maricopa County each day. Deemer said in 2010, the Flagstaff/Bellemont area had three strong tornadoes around the same time. The Valley last had a tornado in September when one touched down around New River.\n\nArkansas\n\nMountain Home:Sgt. Ken Grayham of the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office rescued an adult barred owl that had been hit by a vehicle on state highway 5 a few miles north of Midway. Grayham responded to the call because there were no Game & Fish Commission officers nearby. Taking a dispatcher’s recommendation, Grayham dropped his raincoat over the bird and after a brief struggle, was able to get the owl into his patrol car. He took the owl to All Creatures Veterinary Hospital in Mountain Home. Dr. Darcy Stephenson, he hospital’s avian expert, said the owl will lose sight in its eye and that the incident caused its brain to swell. That’s the primary concern now for the bird’s health. “We’ll keep an eye on him pretty closely today to monitor the swelling,” Stephenson said. “But he’s already flying around in his cage in the isolation room so that’s a good sign.” Once the bird heals from its injuries, it will be released back into the wild, despite losing sight in its eye. “Owls don’t hunt by sight,” Stephenson said. “They hunt by sound and by smell so the loss of the eye will not impact his ability to feed himself.”\n\nCalifornia\n\nOxnard: Authorities said a garage fire has displaced three people and a large number of reptiles. The Ventura County Star reported Sunday that firefighters found a dozen or two dozen reptiles after battling an electric fire in a detached garage on Saturday. Oxnard Fire Department Battalion Chief Steve McNaughten said the animals included a boa constrictor and a 6-foot-long lizard. He said several animals died in the blaze in the city about 60 miles west of Los Angeles. McNaughten said the Red Cross typically helps with displaced house pets but additional help was sought because of the large number of reptiles.\n\nColorado\n\nFort Collins:Housing Catalyst, an agency that helps provide affordable housing, will be able to provide housing for 34 more nonelderly residents with disabilities through a $300,000 grant from U.S. Housing and Urban Development. Housing Catalyst is one of seven public housing agencies in Colorado and 325 across the country to share in a $131.3 million grant. The grant is part of HUD’s Mainstream Housing Choice Voucher Program that provides funding to agencies to help people with disabilities, particularly those who are homeless, previously homeless, at risk of becoming homeless, transitioning out of institutional or other separated settings, or at serious risk of institutionalization, according to a press release from HUD announcing the grant. Housing Catalyst had to get other partner agencies to commit to providing things like home modifications, housing search assistance and tenancy support to win the grant, said Michele Christensen, chief operating officer of Housing Catalyst. The agency is still evaluating the best way to notify those who meet the eligibility criteria and create an application process, Christensen said. HUD has not released the funds yet, so it is unlikely the vouchers would be given out before the new year.\n\nConnecticut\n\nHartford: It’s unknown whether efforts next year to make the seasonal flu vaccine more accessible to children will get any traction. Given the anticipated debate about whether to end Connecticut’s religious exemption from certain childhood vaccinations, the CEO of the Connecticut Pharmacists Association said his group doesn’t plan to push for a bill in the next regular legislative session that would allow young people to get a flu shot from a pharmacist. Nathan Tinker said concerns raised by parents skeptical about the safety of vaccines could impede efforts to make the flu vaccine more accessible. Groton Sen. Heather Somers, a Republican, said she still plans to resurrect the bill when lawmakers return in February. She said the legislation will save lives. Currently, pharmacists can only administer flu shots to adults.\n\nDelaware\n\nNew Castle:Firefighters worked Thursday afternoon to control a blaze that tore through a home near New Castle. Multiple fire companies responded to the incident at a one-story house on the 20 block of Jay Drive. Smoke poured out of a broken front windows and crews were seen tearing through the roof and garage walls. At about 4:30 p.m., the fire was under control, a dispatcher said. He could not provide information about the extent of the damage or if anyone was injured. Neighbors who were gathered around the scene said residents of the house did not appear to be home on the holiday. Andrea Flores, who lives around the corner, said she and other neighbors called the fire department when they saw smoke at about 3:30 p.m. There were no cars in the driveway.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington:An annual event that features some of the district’s top chefs is back to help support a local foundation's commitment to empowering communities in rural India, WUSA-TV reported. The Vicente Ferrer Foundation USA is holding its annual Recipe for Empowerment Gala on Dec. 7. The foundation is celebrating 50 years of work in India. The event will feature Indian, American and Spanish cuisine from area chefs. Some of them include: K.N Vinod from Indique, Rahul Vinod from RASA, Carlos Gomez from La Taberna del Alabardero and Danny Lledó from Slate Wine Bar and Xiquet, among others, the foundation said. There will also be a silent and live auction. For decades, the organization has focused on supporting women, people with disabilities and marginalized farmers in health care, agriculture, education and rural infrastructure with a grassroots approach, the foundation said.\n\nFlorida\n\nJacksonville: Glenn Pitts lived a quiet life after World War II as a laundry manager, building contractor and landlord, but a friend’s tip led to the 94-year-old to receive the Legion of Honor for his part in liberating France. On Nov. 22, the French government named Pitts a knight of the Legion of Honor, its highest distinction, for his part in liberating France from Nazi occupation 75 years ago. “We know what we owe you and your brothers,” Laurent Gallissot, France’s consul general in Miami, told the 94-year-old Army veteran during a ceremony at Jacksonville City Hall. France decided in 2004 – the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landing – to award the medal to any U.S. veteran who had fought on French soil and requested the honor. Drafted when he was 18, Pitts, a native of Eastman, Ga., learned to operate a water-cooled .30-calibre machine gun that could fire hundreds of rounds per minute. He was a private in the Army’s 63rd Infantry Division when he was deployed to Marseilles in December 1944. He was still in Germany when the Nazi government surrendered in May 1945 and was reassigned to a Signal Corps unit where he finished out his service.\n\nGeorgia\n\nLawrenceville: One of Georgia’s largest counties has created a special jail unit just for military veterans. “The Barracks” is aimed at giving veterans behind bars a better chance of success when they’re released, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Gwinnett County’s program joins a broader trend of finding creative ways to help veterans caught up in the justice system. It is among more than 120 U.S. prisons and jails that have separate cell blocks dedicated to military veterans, according to the National Institute for Corrections. Most of them have been added in recent years. Gwinnett County’s program launched in November, and it’s still getting ramped up. There will soon be extra programs and services to help incarcerated veterans, the newspaper reported. The Barracks was the brainchild of Chief Deputy Lou Solis, a retired Army Ranger who joined the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office about two years ago.\n\nHawaii\n\nHilo: State officials have announced plans to expand the Big Island’s only jail by adding a $12.8 million medium-security building amid concerns about overcrowding. West Hawaii Today reported Friday that the Hawaii Community Correctional Center was designed to hold 226 inmates across two Hilo campuses, but recorded more than 400 inmates last month. Jail warden Peter Cabreros said the jail processes about 5,000 inmates a year. Officials said construction of the new unit is about a year away. Officials said an environmental assessment anticipates room for up to 144 inmates, but funds allow 48 beds in two-bed cells and an optional expansion for another 32 beds. Some neighbors opposed the expansion saying the jail is too close to nearby schools less than 500 feet from the facility.\n\nIdaho\n\nBoise: A Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in downtown Boise has been delayed because the tree fell over. The Idaho Statesman reported that the 45-year-old evergreen toppled sometime Thursday night. The ceremony, which brings a crowd to the Grove in downtown Boise every year, had been set for Friday night. The Downtown Boise Association said it will reschedule the event and that more information will be available next week. It’s not clear why the tree fell. Meanwhile, the annual Idaho Capitol Christmas tree lighting ceremony is scheduled for Monday between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. in front of the Capitol building.\n\nIllinois\n\nSavoy: More than $20 million in construction is planned at Willard Airport in central Illinois during the next two years. The News-Gazette reported that the work includes reconstruction of a runway, and added taxiway and a redone entrance road to the University of Illinois-owned airport in Savoy. Airport officials also expect a new U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility to be completed and opened early next year. Airport Executive Director Tim Bannon said that means private international flights can arrive direct, rather than stopping elsewhere to clear customs. Long-term, airport officials hope to secure federal funding to renovate the terminal that was built in 1988 and add an air control traffic tower. But Bannon said requests for that funding through the Federal Aviation Administration can take time.\n\nIndiana\n\nGary: Blast furnace operations are expected to be restored at U.S. Steel’s Gary Works mill several days after flooding at the facility. The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported that the company hopes to bring its steel-making operations back online in the coming days. U.S. Steel spokeswoman Amanda Malkowski said a service water leak was reported Wednesday near blast furnace operations and, as a precaution, the company stopped the furnaces and steel production. United Steelworkers District 7 Director Mike Millsap said the leak was from a massive pipe that brings Lake Michigan water into the mill to cool furnaces and other steel-making equipment. Crews worked over the Thanksgiving holiday to remove the water.\n\nIowa\n\nAmana: State officials are hoping to reduce water pollution by addressing problems in the small waterways that zigzag throughout the state, and they believe something as simple as name awareness can help. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reported that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Transportation have partnered since 2014 to install more than 900 creek name signs across the state. Stephen Hopkins of the DNR said the focus is on areas with past watershed improvement projects, ongoing work or assessments that might lead to future projects. One project is at Price Creek, a 13-mile stream that passes through Amana before flowing into the Iowa River. Price Creek Watershed project coordinator Rose Danaher has been leading efforts to reduce manure flow into the creek. Price Creek signs were installed on Highway 151. The creek, named after early settler Abraham Price, is on Iowa’s list of impaired waters because of high bacteria levels. The signage is a small part of the effort to make it cleaner. Efforts include fencing out cattle, helping farmers manage manure and replacing failing septic tanks. The $50,000 spent so far on the creek sign program comes from a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designed to clean up waterways impaired by nonpoint source pollution, which can come from sources including agriculture and industry. Part of the money is to be used for raising awareness, such as through signage.\n\nKansas\n\nTopeka: The toll of massive flooding in Kansas is proving to be high for the agency that operates state parks. KCUR reported that the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism will lose millions of dollars as a result of park closures, property damage and washed out park roads. In much of the state, heavy rains began in early spring and flooding was widespread into the summer. High water levels at reservoirs, where many state parks are located, inundated campgrounds, boat docks and roads. Parks Director Linda Lanterman said the timing was especially bad because May through August are the “Million-Dollar Months,” when revenue is at its highest. This year, state park revenue fell short in those four months. Even now, parts of a few state parks in eastern Kansas remain flooded, preventing the department from fully assessing the damage. Most parks opened by mid-July. Repairing damage will be a daunting task. Floodwaters cracked boat docks, washed away gravel from roads, filled restrooms with silt and removed chunks of land underneath concrete campsites and picnic table pads. Flooding also is killing many trees, preventing the roots from getting needed oxygen.\n\nKentucky\n\nRichmond: Fort Boonesborough State Park is offering a glimpse of Christmas past with an event this week. The “18th Century Christmas at the Fort” is set for Dec. 6 and 7. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for ages 6 to 12 and free for anyone under 6. Admission includes refreshments, entertainment, crafts and photos with Father Christmas. Guests at the Friday event will be able to see the fort lit with candle lanterns and bonfires. Cabins will be decorated and occupied by living history interpreters. Period music and refreshments will be available in the Blockhouse Tavern with displays of foods from the time period. Children will have a chance to make a toy. Hours are 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 6 and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 7.\n\nLouisiana\n\nBaton Rouge: Anglers can now fish for red snapper seven days a week. State Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Jack Montoucet signed a declaration of emergency this week to expand the season from weekends-only. The Courier reported the bonus season took effect Thanksgiving Day and will continue through noon Dec. 31, or when the state’s remaining catch quota of 27,582 pounds is reached. The red snapper season ran seven days a week from May 24 through mid-August. It switched to weekends-only after the state’s data-collection program determined fishermen had neared the 816,439-pound limit federal officials had set for Louisiana. The daily catch limit for snapper is two per person with a minimum total length of 16 inches. For more information on the extended red snapper season, visit www.wlf.louisiana.gov/red-snapper.\n\nMaine\n\nPortland: Two studies by Maine-based scientists suggest the U.S. lobster industry is heading for a period of decline, but likely not a crash. Lobster fishermen have brought in record hauls this decade. The new studies were published by University of Maine scientists. They showed a fishery in which warming waters have changed the dynamics of the lobster population. Noah Oppenheim is the author of one of the studies. He said his model projects the lobster catch in the Gulf of Maine “will return to previous historical levels.” That means tens of millions fewer pounds of lobster per year. Oppenheim and colleagues based their opinion on a finding that temperature and the number of young lobsters populating shallow coastal areas allow scientists to predict what lobster catches will look like in four to six years.\n\nMaryland\n\nAllegany County: A State Police helicopter hoisted an injured hiker to safety. Police said the helicopter was used Friday to rescue a hiker with a leg injury from a ravine in Allegany County. Police said the helicopter maneuvered into position about 200 feet above a steep ravine. A rescue technician was lowered down to help the hiker and the pair were lifted back up into the helicopter. The hiker was then transported to a local hospital.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nBoston: The Boston Pops Brass Ensemble will entertain travelers for free at Logan International Airport this week. The ensemble is scheduled to perform holiday hits at Logan’s Terminal B on Monday. The Pops will have a special giveaway and hot chocolate, coffee, tea, cold drinks and holiday treats including candy canes will be handed out to passengers. The festivities start at 11 a.m. The full Pops has just started its annual Holiday Pops on Tour schedule, which takes it to venues across the Northeast, as well as its home at Symphony Hall in Boston.\n\nMichigan\n\nHannahville: An Upper Peninsula nonprofit organization is supporting a program that educates young people in the Hannahville Indian Community about the dangers of e-cigarettes. The Marquette-based Superior Health Foundation awarded an $11,518 grant to the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan for the Anishinaabe E-cigarette and JUUL Health Education Project. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for children and young adults. Health educator Kelly Hansen of the Hannahville Indian Community said JUUL products also pose risks. JUUL is a battery-powered e-cigarette that generates a nicotine-laced aerosol. Hansen said the tribal project will use a curriculum called “Catch my Breath” to provide teachers, parents and health professionals with information about e-cigarettes and help children make wise choices.\n\nMinnesota\n\nBloomington: Recently released data from Syracuse University showed that pending immigration cases have increased 70% since last year in Minnesota’s Bloomington federal immigration court. The court handles cases from North Dakota and South Dakota in addition to Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio reported that six immigration judges handle the cases for the three states. Minnesota has 13,703 pending cases, according to the data. It concludes that the backlog of cases is at a record high. More than a million cases are pending nationally. New York, California, and Texas have some of the highest numbers. North Dakota and South Dakota don’t have any pending cases. An immigration attorney attributes the rise in cases to stricter enforcement and not having enough judges to handle the caseload.\n\nMississippi\n\nHattiesburg: During a university course about the civil rights movement, Mississippi streets became classrooms where civil rights activists and local historians were teachers. University of Southern Mississippi Associate Professor Rebecca Tuuri said Mississippi was ground-zero for the movement. The university’s main campus is in Hattiesburg, where as many as one-third of the black residents participated in civil rights activism during the 1960s. Tuuri said in an interview that the real teachers were the people who lived through that time or preserved their memory and were willing to let students ask them questions. Graduate student Dani Kawa of Richmond, Virginia, said in a school news release that she was amazed by the resilience of civil rights activists, especially in Mississippi.\n\nMissouri\n\nSt. Louis: The longtime leader of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has died. Relatives of James Buford said he died Friday at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis after a brief, undisclosed illness. He was 75. Buford was known for his work to try and bridge racial gaps between blacks and whites in St. Louis. He served as president of the St. Louis Urban League for nearly 30 years before retiring in 2013. Mayor Lyda Krewson called Buford a “strong leader of change” in the community. Buford was born in St. Louis in 1944. His father was one of the city’s first black police officers. Details about a memorial service have not yet been released.\n\nMontana\n\nMissoula: The University of Montana has announced a new course entitled “The Art and Science of Happiness,” joining other universities in adding the emotion to the curriculum. The Missoulian reported Wednesday that psychologists John and Rita Sommers-Flanagan are expected this spring to teach about the traits and habits that enable people to flourish. University professors said the course aims to make the research applicable to students’ lives by using contemporary approaches from mindfulness to emotion-monitoring phone applications. Professors said the students will be graded on knowledge-based assessments not on their state of being in the course. Officials said 28 students have registered as of Monday. Officials said a Harvard University course on the topic drew 900 students in 2006 and a similar course at Yale drew 1,200 students in 2018.\n\nNebraska\n\nLincoln: Eight months after massive floods washed out chunks of one of the nation’s longest stretches of trail, crews are still trying to repair the scenic pathway used by hikers, bikers and horse riders. The 195-mile-long Cowboy Trail through northern Nebraska was severely damaged during the March floods, and repair costs are estimated to top $7.7 million, according to a recent state budget request submitted to Gov. Pete Ricketts. At least 10 points along the trail were hit, including one 100-foot-long section blown out by the water. Most of the money will come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but state officials might have to cover $1.9 million of the expense. State officials might be able to cover some of the cost with other federal trail grants, but it’s not clear how much money Nebraska might receive. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has requested $187,000 from lawmakers in a budget request unveiled last month. Ricketts and lawmakers will decide whether to authorize the funding in the next legislative session that begins Jan. 8. State officials created the trail from an old, abandoned railroad line, a practice many local governments and nonprofits have adopted to brighten their communities. The trails are a big draw for bicyclists, runners, dog-walkers and others, and some small towns have used them to attract visitors. The Cowboy Trail stretches from Norfolk in the state’s northeast corner to Valentine, in the middle of remote, north-central Nebraska. State officials eventually hope to extend it to Chadron in northwest Nebraska, making it the nation’s longest rail-trail. Once completed, the full trail will run 321 miles through a scenic region of grass-covered sand dunes known as the Nebraska Sandhills.\n\nNevada\n\nLas Vegas: Southern Nevada water officials said six trees and a dozen other plants commonly found in Las Vegas-area landscaping could see extreme heat stress in the warming climate. The Las Vegas Sun reported the water authority wants to warn people about some desert flora planted now with the hope of relying on its cooling properties in the decades to come. The Southern Nevada Water Authority has identified nonnative species like the purple leaf plum tree, the ash tree and elm trees, all of which were not well-suited for desert life. The authority’s conservation manager, Doug Bennett, said the plants are not certain to die but will be under increasing stress. Other trees like the palo verde and desert willow have a high heat tolerance and are expected to fare well.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nConcord: Holiday shoppers paying with $100 bills in downtown Concord should be prepared for some extra scrutiny after a spate of transactions involving counterfeit money. The Concord Monitor reported that at least two store owners have stopped accepting $100 bills, and others will be taking a closer look or only accepting newer versions that have more security features. Authorities said at least three local businesses took in false $100 bills earlier this month and didn’t find out until they tried to deposit them at the bank. Cashiers at The Works Cafe and Gibson’s Bookstore have stopped accepting the bills.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nWall Township: Officials said a clown sign that has smiled on motorists at a now-demolished drive-in for two-thirds of a century will be preserved. NJ.com reported that developers of a strip mall at the Wall Township site said they will donate the Circus Drive-In sign for preservation and display elsewhere. The Route 35 drive-in, a vestige of car culture with a white-and-red striped roof resembling an old-fashioned circus tent, closed in 2017. Developer Circus Partners LLC bought the site and demolished the building last year, and last week won planning board approval for the strip mall. But attorney Tim Middleton said the red, yellow, green and white sign featuring a smiling clown’s face will be offered to the township in hopes that it will be placed on public view.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nAlbuquerque: The city’s airport is getting international attention for its display of art. The Sunport’s Lowriders and Hot Rods Car Culture exhibit has landed a spot on the latest list of top airport exhibits in the world by the quarterly publication ArtDesk. The exhibit features an array of photos and a 1964 Chevrolet Impala. The airport also has a permanent collection of more than 100 pieces that include Native American, Hispanic and Southwestern works overseen by Max Baptiste, who has taken on the airport’s newly added role of art curator. Baptiste told Albuquerque television station KRQE he’s not surprised about the recent recognition since New Mexico is what he describes as “an amazing arts community.” He said the goal is to create a sense of pride and that airports are a great spot for doing that.\n\nNew York\n\nSaranac Lake: An Adirondack Mountain village that was put on the map as a cure center for tuberculosis is honoring its novel legacy. Saranac Lake was once a mini-metropolis of medical care, but the boom ended with the rise of antibiotics. Now, a local history group has purchased the old home and medical office of TB treatment pioneer Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau for museum space. And developers bought Trudeau’s old sanitorium with plans to refurbish and reuse it.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nMcAdenville: A longtime yarn manufacturer is getting out of the textile business. Pharr announced last week it’s selling three of its five divisions early next year. News outlets reported Pharr Fibers & Yarns and Phenix Flooring will go to Mannington Mills, based in Salem, New Jersey. Pharr High Performance will be purchased by London-based Coats Group. Terms weren’t disclosed. The changes will leave McAdenville-based Pharr with its Belmont Land & Development real-estate arm and Strand Hospitality Services, which manages hotel properties. Privately owned Pharr has manufactured textile-mill yarn since 1939 and employs 1,200 workers. CEO Bill Carstarphen said Mannington Mills and Coats Group will retain Pharr’s workforce and operations in McAdenville and Dalton, Georgia. He said Pharr also will continue its annual “Christmas Town USA” light display in McAdenville.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nFargo: A bill meant to help law enforcement investigate cold cases of murdered and missing indigenous women that has floundered in Congress for two years might have the missing ingredients to become law – money and muscle. The money comes from an appropriations subcommittee chaired by Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who told the Associated Press that for the first time funding is being directed specifically to murdered and missing indigenous people. The muscle comes from the White House and specifically the Department of Justice, which last week unveiled a plan that would investigate issues raised in the bill like data collection practices and federal databases. It adds up to a strong outlook for Savanna’s Act, which was originally introduced in 2017 by Murkowski, Democratic Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Mastro and former North Dakota Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp. Murkowski and Heitkamp, longtime allies on issues affecting indigenous people, also created the Commission on Native Children, which recently held its first meeting. The bill is named for Savanna Greywind, a Native American North Dakota woman who was killed in 2017 when her baby was cut from her womb. The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, chaired by North Dakota Republican John Hoeven, earlier this month advanced another version of the bill to the full Senate for consideration.\n\nOhio\n\nPowell: The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium said a polar bear cub was born early Thursday morning to 13-year-old Aurora. The zoo said polar bear newborns have a low survival rate in their early weeks. Employees are monitoring the cub’s care using cameras in a private den area. Officials said the cub has been nursing, and Aurora is attentive. The bears are expected to remain out of public view until the spring. Aurora has three surviving offspring from previous litters. Those bears now live at zoos in Utah, Maryland and Wisconsin. The newest cub was sired by a 20-year-old bear named Lee. He was moved to Columbus from the Denver Zoo a year ago under a species survival plan recommendation.\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: The nation has a high demand for skilled workers, and industry experts and employers in Oklahoma said a worker shortage has made it difficult to find qualified employees, the Oklahoman reported. Over the next 10 years, it’s expected Oklahoma’s economy will have nearly 7,000 annual openings in construction and extraction occupations, according to an Oklahoma Works study. Construction occupations include electricians, plumbers and some maintenance workers. In general, many of those jobs require some sort of training or education beyond high school, but only about 42% of the current workforce qualifies, the study said. Efforts are underway, though, to increase education and promote the good wages and steady employment opportunities found in these blue-collar careers.\n\nOregon\n\nPort Orford: A small earthquake hit Port Orford on the southern Oregon coast, shaking the small community. The U.S. Geological Survey said the 4.5-magnitude earthquake struck at about 5:45 p.m. Friday, with its epicenter about two miles inland. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that it differs from earthquakes in October that struck far off the coast. No damage was reported from the most recent earthquake.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nHarrisburg: Municipalities that are paying to clean up water contaminated with toxic industrial compounds from military installations such as Willow Grove Naval Air Station will get more state help. Legislation signed Wednesday by Gov. Tom Wolf allows municipal authorities to get permission to redirect a portion of state tax revenue generated from the reuse of former military installations contaminated with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The money could be used to eliminate surcharges that local ratepayers have been paying. The legislation also directs a state water infrastructure agency, the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, to create a program to help clean up the chemicals. The state thus far has marshaled more than $20 million in aid to fight contamination in towns near Willow Grove and the former Naval Air Warfare Center.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: Student musicians from across the state will again be featured in a series of concerts at the Statehouse to celebrate the holiday season. The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts announced that the concerts begin Monday and will run through Dec. 20. The concerts are free and open to the public. The arts council organizes the series. Executive Director Randall Rosenbaum said more than 2,600 student musicians from 59 schools throughout the state are expected to perform, and the council is pleased to continue the holiday tradition. The series opens with morning performances by high school singers from Cumberland, school bands from North Providence and elementary school guitarists from Providence. The concerts are held on weekdays.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nGreenwood: A second school district in South Carolina wants to change to a year-round calendar. The Greenwood County District 50 School Board approved the calendar change last month to start at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year. The Greenwood Index-Journal reported the calendar greatly shortens the summer break but also includes at least a two-week break every nine weeks. State Education Department spokesman Ryan Brown said McCormick County schools are the only other district in South Carolina operating year-round, but several individual schools have similar calendars. Brown said the agency has heard from several other districts considering the change as they seek community input. Greenwood County District 50 will need approval from the state to make the calendar change.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nRapid City: Police are raising money along with a radio station to buy Christmas gifts for homeless and at-risk children. The Cops ‘N Kids program aims to raise $11,500 to give $100 each to 115 children, and they’re halfway to their goal. Donations currently stand at $5,656. Power 107.1 KSLT is helping. The Rapid City Journal reported the program is run by Black Hills Badges for Hope. The group was formed by two police officers who lost two fellow officers in a 2011 shooting in Rapid City. Last year the Cops ‘N Kids program helped 34 children and the goal this year is to triple the number.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: The state is projected to have between $345 million and $408 million in new general fund revenue when lawmakers begin setting the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. According to The Times Free Press, the State Funding Board announced last week that the state budget is expected to grow between 2.7% and 3.1% for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, which takes effect July 1. The budget estimate is the lowest the board has set in five years. It’s also below what economic experts had previously suggested. The general fund covers most Tennessee expenditures, including K-12 education funding, state prisons and state trooper pay. This year’s general fund is $34.6 billion and has already seen a $225 million surplus.\n\nTexas\n\nHouston: Five of the seven people who died in a small plane crash in Kingston, Ontario, were members of a Houston-area family, according to friends of the family. A spokeswoman for the Ontario chief coroner’s office said the victims’ names likely won’t be released for several days. Mehmet Basti, a Toronto college instructor, told local news outlets that five of those killed were his friend Otabek Oblokulov of Missouri City, Texas, his wife and his three children, ages 3, 11 and 15. Basti also said the other two on board were a young couple from Toronto. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said the U.S.-registered, single-engine, six-seat Piper PA-32 airplane crashed about 5 p.m. Wednesday in a wooded area of Kingston, about 90 miles southwest of Ottawa on the Ontario-New York border. The plane had taken off from an airport in Markham, Ontario, a Toronto suburb and was on approach to Kingston’s airport when officials said it took a steep dive into the wooded area. Kingston Police Constable Ash Gutheinz said the area was under a wind advisory at the time, and although winds might not have been as bad as predicted, it was “blustery.” The aircraft did not have a flight data recorder, nor was it required to have one, said lead TSB investigator Ken Webster.\n\nUtah\n\nLehi: A tractor-trailer rig carrying butane was leaking the flammable gas from a tank after overturning on a freeway Saturday, causing evacuations in the area. The Utah Highway Patrol said the double-trailer rig overturned on northbound Interstate 15 in Lehi and that the freeway was closed in both directions as a precaution pending cleanup. Lehi is 26 miles south of Salt Lake City. Assistant City Administrator Cameron Boyle said the area in a quarter-mile around the crash site was evacuated, with residents of an apartment complex relocated to a church building. Information on the cause of the crash wasn’t immediately available. No injuries were reported.\n\nVermont\n\nColchester: Workers at a hospital have again reported a mysterious odor, a month after more than a dozen got sick on the job. WCAX-TV reported that seven employees at UVM Medical Center’s Fanny Allen hospital in Colchester were evaluated this week for symptoms similar to those experienced by17 workers in mid-October. Officials said they have taken precautions, and that air quality in the building has tested safe. Surgeries planned for next week have been rescheduled.\n\nVirginia\n\nCharlottesville: A Confederate statue in Charlottesville that became a rallying point for white nationalists has been vandalized again, this time with graffiti that read, “Impeach Trump.” News outlets reported that the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee was also spray-painted Thursday night with “This is Racist.” Tarps were put over the graffiti and city officials expect a clean-up effort to start Monday. The statue was vandalized earlier this year with an expletive directed at President Donald Trump. White nationalists seized on a city plan to remove the statue and flocked there in 2017 for a rally that turned violent and deadly. The city’s effort to remove the statue has been prevented by a judge amid ongoing litigation. The statue has been vandalized several times previously\n\nWashington\n\nOlympia: Two small areas of northwest Washington likely will be sprayed with an insecticide to stop an outbreak of gypsy moths, including a type native to Asia never before detected in the U.S. The Capital Press reported the Washington State Department of Agriculture said it tentatively plans to release Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki over a small city on Puget Sound called Woodway, and an Everett neighborhood called Boulevard Bluffs. Officials said a Hokkaido gypsy moth trapped in Woodway this summer was the first Hokkaido moth caught in the U.S. Three hybrid Asian gypsy moths were caught in Boulevard Bluffs. Gypsy moths native to Asia are more mobile than European varieties and are considered more of a danger to spread. Before completing plans to spray next spring, the department will conduct environmental reviews and consult agencies including the USDA. Washington has sprayed for gypsy moths for most years since 1979.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nBeckley: Raleigh County’s only animal shelter has launched a fundraising effort to save it from closing at the end of the year. The Register-Herald on Thursday reported the leaders of the nonprofit Humane Society of Raleigh County said they need $80,000 to keep from shutting down. The organization said it’s struggling to pay utilities and outstanding taxes after an increase in animal medical emergencies left it with a $150,000 veterinarian bill. The shelter said it has raised $14,000 so far. They’re hoping for large fundraising hauls at their Santa Paws event at the Plaza Mall on Dec. 7 and during the Beckley Art Center’s Giving Tuesday Open House on Dec. 3. The Humane Society of Raleigh County has been open since 1979. It has taken in about 1,300 abandoned, neglected or stray animals this year. County Commissioner Ron Hedrick told the newspaper he wants to help the shelter find funding. Hedrick has invited the humane society’s board members to a meeting next month to talk about shelter finances and possible fundraising solutions, humane society officials said.\n\nWisconsin\n\nHartford: A woman who began sending care packages to her two sons deployed in the Middle East is now doing the same for hundreds of troops overseas in time for Christmas. Hartford resident Leann Boudwine said the soldiers she sends packages to “are like my kids,” even though she has never met them. After first sending packages to her sons, she sent a few more for the soldiers with whom they served. WITI-TV reported that the list grew into the hundreds when Boudwine collected names of soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines all over the world. The care packages include snacks, soap, and boxed mac-and-cheese. The care packages travel thousands of miles to reach their destination, and Boudwine packs, labels and ships each one. Family, friends, businesses and veterans’ groups have begun to help her. She said her nonprofit “Support the Troops” will have shipped 14,000 packages by early next year.\n\nWyoming\n\nCheyenne: A wild horse facility is looking to make its home in eastern Laramie County, but residents near the proposed site have some major concerns. The facility would hold wild horses captured by the Bureau of Land Management, and the BLM would pay South Dakota-based Equine Elite an amount for each horse it houses. But the project hit a snag when it came to gaining approval from neighbors within a 3-mile radius. Because of concerns ranging from water quality to increased traffic, the neighbors didn’t give their approval for the project. In Laramie County, any Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation needs the consent of property owners within 3 miles of the proposed site. At the request of Equine Elite, the Laramie County Commission is considering lowering the distance to 1 mile. Although the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality only requires approval from property owners within one mile, the county commissioners changed its rules to 3 miles years ago when a swine CAFO attempted to situate in Laramie County.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/12/02"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2016/08/01/iowans-add-names-elite-list-olympic-competitors/87902302/", "title": "Iowans add names to an elite list of Olympic competitors", "text": "Andrew Logue\n\nalogue@dmreg.com\n\nWho will add their name to Iowa’s Olympic honor roll?\n\nSince the first modern Games were held in 1896, roughly 100 athletes who were raised in this state or who attended one of our universities, have won a gold, silver or bronze medal.\n\nWhen the XXXI Summer Olympics begin Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, another class of homegrown hopefuls will attempt to extend that history.\n\nPredicting which of them will reach the awards podium is dicey.\n\nIowans have displayed dominance (Dan Gable of Waterloo earned wrestling gold in 1972 without giving up a single point), but success often hinges on the slimmest of margins (Des Moines’ Natasha Kaiser ran on a 4x400 relay in 1992 that finished .72 of a second shy of winning).\n\nThe results in Rio also promise to be dramatic and diverse:\n\nGabby Douglas\n\ngymnastics, formerly of Chow’s Gymnastics in West Des Moines\n\nDouglas’ inclusion on Team USA raised eyebrows, but she and Aly Raisman bring the experience of having won gold at the 2012 Games in London. The 20-year-old Douglas is the reigning all-around champion, but a shaky performance at the Olympic Trials (twice falling off the beam and placing seventh) makes her a longshot for an individual medal. Still, the U.S. is a prohibitive favorite in the team competition.\n\nThe setup: A move to reduce the number of gymnasts on a team (down to four in 2020) is intended to give less dominant countries more opportunities. That’s partly due to the depth of talent on Team USA, which has earned at least a bronze medal in each of the past six Olympics.\n\nAn expert’s take: “We have wonderful numbers to pull, and select the more talented kids,” coach Liang Chow said. “And also, we have Simone Biles. She is super-talented, and I think she is going to be dominating pretty much everything.\n\n“China will be another competitive team and also Russia. It’s going to be fun to watch the teams on the floor, to see who has the best preparation and the best performance.”\n\nMedal projection: Gold, as part of Team USA. Reports out of training camp indicate Douglas is focused, and determined to shed the negativity that hounded her in recent weeks.\n\nMore Coverage from the Register on Gabby Douglas:\n\nHarrison Barnes\n\nmen’s basketball, Ames native\n\nA series of player withdrawals opened the door for Barnes to join Team USA, and add to his impressive list of accomplishments. The nation’s No. 1 high school prospect in the class of 2010 by Scout.com and ESPNU, Barnes led Ames to back-to-back state titles. The McDonald’s All-American then spent two years at North Carolina, before being selected 7th overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 2012 NBA Draft. He was part of the Warriors’ 2015 championship.\n\nThe setup: There could be as many as 47 NBA players in this year’s Olympics, including the 12 on Team USA. Even without LeBron James, Steph Curry and others, the Americans should have enough talent to overwhelm most of their rivals.\n\nAn expert’s take: “We forget sometimes that this is where basketball was born,” said Kevin Lehman, a basketball analyst for ESPN and Fox, who covered last year’s World University Games. “Naismith invented this game in this country, so I think it’s always been kind of special that this is ‘our’ sport.\n\n“The talent level (overseas) has risen dramatically, but they’re spread out over different countries. And those guys are aspiring to play in the NBA, so the NBA is still the echelon for European players.”\n\nMedal projection: Gold. Barnes will add to his winning resume.\n\nMore Coverage from the Register on Harrison Barnes:\n\nJenny (Barringer) Simpson\n\ntrack, Webster City native\n\nA victory in the women’s 1,500 meters at the 2011 World Championships established Simpson as an elite middle-distance runner. She followed with a silver medal at the 2013 Worlds and is making her third appearance at the Olympics. She’s also collected four straight wins at the Drake Relays, making the former Colorado all-American a fan favorite in Des Moines.\n\nThe setup: No American woman has medaled in the 1,500 since it was introduced at the Olympics in 1972. Ending the drought could depend as much on strategy as speed.\n\nAn expert’s take: “One thing that’s really going to be to her advantage is her experience to get through the rounds and get to the final by using as little energy as possible,” said Mike Jay, public address announcer for the Drake Relays and other nationally prominent meets. “She races so smart. You never see Jenny Simpson in a race where she’s in trouble. A lot of (runners) want to go right to the rail, then they’re boxed in and can’t get out.”\n\nMedal projection: Bronze. Simpson’s savvy will help her pull off a mild surprise.\n\nMore Coverage from the Register on Jenny Simpson:\n\nShelby Houlihan\n\ntrack, Sioux City native\n\nThe eight-time Drake Relays champion for Sioux City East High School pulled off a stunner by qualifying in the 5,000. She placed second at the Olympic Trials in her first full year with the Bowerman Track Club. At 23, the former Arizona State all-American appears to have hit her stride as a professional.\n\nThe setup: Ethiopia tends to dominate this event, and boasts two favorites this time around. Almaz Ayana won gold at last year’s World Championships. Senbere Teferi was the silver medalist. Expect something similar in Rio.\n\nAn expert’s take: “She’s giddy, just like a kid at Christmas,” Jay said of Houlihan. “I think she has enough confidence in her ability that this was a huge breakthrough for her. I’ll tell you what, she’s got fire and piss and vinegar. I wouldn’t count her out for making the final.”\n\nMedal projection: No medal, but a valuable opportunity to compete on a global stage.\n\nMore Coverage from the Register on Shelby Houlihan:\n\nHillary Bor\n\ntrack, formerly of Iowa State\n\nBor’s place on the U.S. Olympic team was earned with a second-place finish at Trials in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He was born in Eldoret, Kenya, and arrived at Iowa State in 2007, earning all-America honors before taking two years off following his graduation in 2011. Bor gained his citizenship after joining the U.S. Army. At 5-foot-6, he is one of the shortest athletes to qualify in the steeplechase.\n\nThe setup: Evan Jager is the dominant American steeplechase competitor, but even he is a longshot to medal. A Kenyan medal sweep is possible.\n\nAn expert’s take: “I like the way he ran with (Evan) Jager at the Trials, but so many things can happen,” Jay said. “A top ten finish in the Olympics is pretty darn good, and I think he can be a finalist.”\n\nMedal projection: No medal, but Bor is gaining career momentum.\n\nMore Coverage from the Register on Hillary Bor:\n\nBetsy Saina\n\ntrack, formerly of Iowa State\n\nSaina won three NCAA titles with the Cyclones, including a cross country championships in 2012. She’ll represent Kenya in the 10,000 meters.\n\nThe setup: Of the top 13 runners, 12 are from Ethiopia. Alice Aprot, a gold medalist at the African Games, is leading the pack.\n\nAn expert’s take: “I think Betsy has got a shot,” Jay said. “She has beat (America’s) best. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if she was top six. I wouldn’t be surprised if she medals.”\n\nMedal projection: A top-ten finish usually doesn’t draw a lot of attention, but it would be significant.\n\nMore Coverage from the Register on Betsy Saina:\n\n​Daniel Dennis\n\nfreestyle wrestling, formerly of Iowa\n\nDespite never winning a high school or NCAA title, Dennis is the U.S. representtive at 57 kilograms (125.5 pounds). He quit wrestling for more than two years, traveling throughout the western part of the United States while living out of his truck. He eventually returned to the Hawkeye Wrestling Club with a renewed devotion.\n\nThe setup: The soft-spoken Dennis, who grew up in Ingleside, Ill., is in one of the toughest weight classes. Vladimer Khinchegashvili of Georgia won the silver medal in 2012. Erdenebat Bekhbayar of Mongolia and Hassan Rahimi of Iran will also be tough to handle.\n\nAn expert’s take: \"He knows what it's going to be like,” Iowa coach Terry Brands said. “If you're focused, the Olympics are an elite-level competition. It's not necessarily about, 'Oh, these are the Olympics and you haven't been there before, we've got to really get him ready.' Ultimately, he's going to step on a mat that's the same size as the ones he's competed on before. His opponents are going to be after the same thing he is, and that's a gold medal.\"\n\nMedal projection: Bronze. Dennis is a dark-horse contender who’s already silenced many of the doubters.\n\nMore Coverage from the Register on Daniel Dennis:\n\nKayla Banwarth\n\nvolleyball, Dubuque native\n\nBanwarth was an unheralded player for Nebraska, after being Iowa’s Gatorade player of the year at Dubuque Wahlert. She transitioned from setter to libero and became a regular at international events. Banwarth recorded 1,706 digs for the Cornhuskers. Her mother, Anne, played volleyball for Northern Iowa.\n\nThe setup: Banwarth helped the United States win gold at the 2014 World Championships in Italy, as well as the 2015 FIVB World Grand Prix in Omaha. The U.S. will again be a serious challenger, but Brazil owns a serious home-court advantage. China and Russia are also perennial powers.\n\nAn expert’s take: “Those are the four elite teams,” Nebraska coach John Cook said. “Serbia can beat anybody on a given day. So I think you’re going to see the three medalist probably from those four, unless Serbia upsets somebody. (Team USA) will have a have great shot to win it. But you’ve got to give Brazil the edge. Because it’s going to be an insane crowd in Rio.”\n\nMedal projection: Silver. Don’t dismiss the advantages of playing in a familiar time zone, which should benefit the U.S. and Brazil.\n\nMore Coverage from the Register on Kayla Banwarth:\n\nOthers with Iowa connections:\n\nGiordan Harris, swimming, formerly of Iowa Lakes Community College:\n\nHarris will swim the 50-meter free style for his home country of Marshall Islands. He also competed in the 2012 Olympics.\n\nDiane Nukuri, marathon, formerly of Iowa:\n\nThis will be Nukuri’s third Olympics, representing Burundi. As a 15-year-old in 2000, she carried her country’s flag during the opening ceremony. She was also the flag bearer in 2012.\n\nMORE: Women's Dam to Dam record holder grabs chance to set new mark\n\nMohamed Hrezi, marathon, formerly of Iowa State:\n\nThe former Cyclone all-American is running for Libya and is that country’s lone runner at this year’s Olympics. He was born and raised in Connecticut, before his parent moved back to Libya.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2016/08/01"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2019/08/09/smokey-bear-tarantula-trek-censoring-adam-eve-news-around-states/39932141/", "title": "News from around our 50 states", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nMontgomery: Some residents of a rural community are complaining about a Spanish-language event planned for this weekend featuring live music and bull riding, but a local official says he worries such comments appear “anti-Latino.” News outlets report people from the Snowdoun area near Montgomery have asked county and city leaders to block the Festival Latino, scheduled Sunday in a field. They say a similar event in July was so loud and raucous it traumatized livestock. But Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange says organizers haven’t violated any zoning rules. County Commissioner Dan Harris says he voted against a move to block the festival because opposition appears to be “anti-Latino” even if it isn’t. Harris says he doesn’t want to be part of that, particularly after the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas.\n\nAlaska\n\nKenai: A wildlife monitoring group is seeking citizen scientists to help track beluga whales off the state’s coast. The Peninsula Clarion reports the Alaska Beluga Monitoring Partnership is offering volunteers an opportunity to help scientists understand more about Cook Inlet beluga whales. The partnership is a collaboration of several organizations including Beluga Whale Alliance, Defenders of Wildlife and the Alaska Wildlife Alliance. Monitoring events are expected to take place between Aug. 14 and Nov. 15. Planned monitoring locations include Twentymile River and Bird Point near Girdwood, Ship Creek in Anchorage, and the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers. Officials say volunteers will learn about the conservation needs of Cook Inlet beluga whales and receive training on identifying and recording data on beluga distribution and behavior.\n\nArizona\n\nTucson: Officials have approved placing a “sanctuary city” measure on the ballot, but not without some pushback. KVOA-TV reports the Tucson City Council voted Tuesday night to allow the initiative on the November ballot, which could potentially lead to Arizona’s first-ever “sanctuary city.” Councilmembers were required to vote after the measure got more than the minimum required number of petition signatures. The initiative would add protections for people living in the U.S. illegally. Video shows a woman wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat repeatedly shouting that the initiative defies U.S. immigration law. The footage has since gone viral on social media because of an man in a green polo shirt laughing nearby. #GreenShirtGuy was the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter as of Wednesday morning.\n\nArkansas\n\nLittle Rock: The governor is asking lawmakers to approve $25 million for a new state grant program aimed at increasing access to high-speed internet in rural areas. Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday announced the creation of the Arkansas Rural Connect program, which will provide grants to qualifying communities with at least 500 people to deploy high-speed broadband to residents. Hutchinson, who announced the program at a meeting of the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association in Rogers, says he’ll ask the Legislative Council to approve $5.7 million for the program this year, and the remainder will need to be appropriated by lawmakers in next year’s legislative session. In May, Hutchinson released a plan to expand rural access to high-speed broadband by 2022.\n\nCalifornia\n\nLos Angeles: Actor Danny Trejo played a real-life hero when he helped rescue a baby trapped in an overturned car after two cars collided at an intersection in the Sylmar neighborhood Wednesday. Video aired by KABC-TV shows Trejo at the crash scene. Trejo says he crawled into the wrecked vehicle from one side but couldn’t unbuckle the child’s car seat from that angle. He says another bystander, a young woman, was able to undo the buckle. Together they pulled the baby safely from the wreckage. The Los Angeles Fire Department says three people were taken to a hospital, and there were no life-threatening injuries. The 75-year-old Trejo, an L.A. native, is perhaps best known for playing the character Machete, originally from the “Spy Kids” series.\n\nColorado\n\nColorado Springs: State wildlife officials say thousands of tarantulas are expected to start their annual migration through the state soon. The Gazette reports the migration is expected to begin this month through early October. Officials say the Oklahoma brown tarantulas migrate through La Junta, about 176 miles southeast of Denver. Scientists say the majority of the spiders are 10-year-old males looking to mate with females hidden in Colorado’s grasslands. Officials say the peak time to view the migration is mid-September near Comanche National Grassland south of La Junta off U.S. Highway 109. Officials say tarantulas are mostly harmless to humans but have bites that can cause injury or allergic reaction and hairs that can be irritating to the eyes, mouth and nose.\n\nConnecticut\n\nHartford: The federal Office for Civil Rights has launched an investigation into the state’s policy allowing transgender high school athletes to compete as the gender with which they identify. The investigation follows a complaint by the families of three girls who say they were discriminated against by having to compete in track against two athletes who were identified as male at birth. They say that violates Title IX, the federal law designed to ensure equal athletic opportunities for females. The Connecticut Association of Schools-Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference says its policy follows a state anti-discrimination law that says students must be treated in school by their gender identification. Transathlete.com says Connecticut is one of 17 states that allow transgender high school athletes to compete without restrictions.\n\nDelaware\n\nWilmington: Everyone’s a critic, including Delaware Air National Guard officials who wanted nude images of Adam and Eve depicted in a 50-year-old mural by famed artist Jamie Wyeth to put on some pants. Someone apparently isn’t mooning over the huge, 10-by-30-foot mural that shows the bare buttocks of the Garden of Eden couple. It hangs on a wall of a building at the guard’s 80-acre base at the New Castle County Airport. The mural was created by Wyeth when he served with the Delaware Air National Guard during the Vietnam War. Air National Guard officials have had recent talks about possibly altering or covering up part of the artwork by the well-known painter. Wyeth is the scion of three generations of widely celebrated American artists, including his illustrator grandfather N.C. Wyeth and his late father Andrew Wyeth, one of the best-known painters of the 20th century.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: An internal review of D.C. public schools shows more than 30% of employees have expired background checks. News outlets report Chancellor Lewis Ferebee shared the review’s findings with parents Tuesday and in a letter Wednesday. The district launched the review in June after an employee of a private before- and after-school program allegedly kissed and fondled a 13-year-old student on multiple occasions. The district says it discovered the company didn’t conduct proper background checks. Ferebee says by the end of October, all after-school staff, school staff and central office staff will have active background checks. He also says staff will receive more training on how to spot and respond to sexual misconduct cases.\n\nFlorida\n\nFort Lauderdale: Gov. Ron DeSantis says the state is expanding its efforts to eradicate invasive pythons in the Everglades and is working with the federal government to get snake hunters to remote areas of Big Cypress National Preserve. DeSantis announced Wednesday that Florida will double its resources for python removal and that the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Agriculture have a new agreement to begin hunting pythons in 130,000 acres of state parks. He’s directing the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the South Florida Water Management District to work together to research ways to eliminate pythons and to make a python challenge an annual event instead of once every three years. The challenge awards python hunters who capture the most snakes, which have decimated native species.\n\nGeorgia\n\nMilton: A farmer says his beloved miniature donkey named Sammy was literally scared to death by this year’s Fourth of July fireworks. Now he and an animal rights group want Georgia to ban rockets that go boom. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wrote to Gov. Brian Kemp, House Speaker David Ralston and others Wednesday asking for a “Sammy’s law” limiting fireworks to the non-explosive, non-aerial varieties. John Bogino tells WGCL-TV that Sammy and his other farm animals are like pets to him. His pet donkey of 22 years died last month, and he says Sammy wasn’t his first animal to die because of fireworks. He says one of his horses fled explosions in late July several years ago and had to be euthanized due to severe injuries.\n\nHawaii\n\nHonolulu: Scientists have discovered that a growing pond of water inside a crater is being heated by the Kilauea volcano. The U.S. Geological Survey says temperature readings taken last weekend show that the pool of water in Kilauea’s Halemaumau crater, the former home of a popular lava lake, is about 158 degrees Fahrenheit. For the first time in recorded history, the presence of water in the crater was confirmed last week. Since then, scientists have found two other small pools of water nearby. The crater floor collapsed about 2,000 feet, and the lava lake disappeared last summer as Kilauea stopped erupting for the first time in over 30 years. USGS geologist Matt Patrick told the Associated Press it’s hard to determine how deep the magma chamber is beneath the bottom of the crater floor where the water was found.\n\nIdaho\n\nSpokane: A study by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game has found that cougars kill more elk than wolves in the state. The Spokesman-Review reports the study found that wolves accounted for 32% of adult female elk deaths and 28% of elk calf deaths. The study found that cougars accounted for 35% of adult female elk deaths and 45% of elk calf deaths. The study published earlier this year in the Journal of Wildlife Management examined 15 years of data. The study also found that food availability and the severity of winter is the most important factor for elk calf survival. Idaho Department of Fish and Game senior wildlife research biologist Jon Horne says the findings are also likely applicable for Washington, Montana and Canada.\n\nIllinois\n\nSpringfield: Officials are showcasing one of the most popular attractions of the Illinois State Fair. The butter cow was unveiled Wednesday afternoon at the fairgrounds. The sculpture has been a part of the state fair for almost 100 years. This year’s cow has been sculpted from 800 pounds of recycled butter. The cow stands near the word “Future” to incorporate the theme of the fair, which is “Building Our Future.” The cow is on display at the Dairy Building. Last year, hundreds of pounds of butter were sculpted into a cow by the same Iowa artist, Sarah Pratt. The base had “Land of Lincoln” written on it and included a stovepipe hat, as a nod to Abraham Lincoln. The fair started Thursday and ends Aug. 18.\n\nIndiana\n\nIndianapolis: Rainbow-colored streamers welcomed students back for the first day of classes Thursday at Cathedral High School, a show of support for a gay teacher fired from the Catholic school over the summer. The brightly colored streamers were a silent twist on a long-held Cathedral tradition to decorate “the hill” with toilet paper on the first day of school, but they still spoke volumes. The private high school has been embroiled in a debate over LGBTQ rights since it fired longtime teacher Joshua Payne-Elliott because of his same-sex marriage. Cathedral officials have said they only did so at the order of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, which began requiring employment contracts with “ministerial language” and morality clauses to be used at its schools four years ago.\n\nIowa\n\nDyersville: They’ve built it. Now they’re coming. Major League Baseball is headed to town in 2020. The Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees announced Thursday that the two teams will play an official big-league game at the “Field of Dreams” movie site Aug. 13, 2020. “It’s definitely exciting,” says Roman Weinberg, the director of operations for Go the Distance Baseball, which owns the Field of Dreams movie site. “There’s nothing more American than the Field of Dreams and America’s pastime.” The 1989 movie centers on the 1919 White Sox and Shoeless Joe Jackson. Jackson, who was banned by MLB along with seven of his teammates for his alleged role in the White Sox throwing the 1919 World Series, inspires a farmer, played by Kevin Costner, to build a baseball field. The site has since become a tourist attraction, with fans from across the globe flocking to the Iowa cornfield to see it.\n\nKansas\n\nTopeka: The state plans to impose what some tax experts say would be the nation’s most aggressive policy for collecting taxes on online sales, possibly inviting a legal battle. The Department of Revenue issued a notice last week saying any “remote seller” doing business with Kansas residents must register with the department, collect state and local sales taxes, and forward the revenues to the state, starting Oct. 1. It cites a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year allowing states to collect sales taxes on internet sales. Most states now have policies to collect such taxes, but almost all set minimum annual sales or transaction thresholds to exempt small businesses, according to groups tracking tax laws. Kansas is the first to attempt to collect the taxes without exempting any businesses, they said.\n\nKentucky\n\nLouisville: Amid major legislative efforts to restrict or end abortion in the state, a new poll commissioned by Planned Parenthood finds a majority of likely voters in the commonwealth believe the procedure should remain available. Asked whether it’s important for women to have “access to all of the reproductive health care options available, including abortion,” 65% said yes, according to the poll. Also, 65% said they’d have doubts about a law that bans abortion, even in cases of rape or incest, should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case legalizing abortion. Just 18% said they believe all abortions should be illegal – though another 37% said abortion should be allowed only in “extreme cases,” such as for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest or to save the life of the woman. And 43% said abortion should be legal with some regulations.\n\nLouisiana\n\nPride: A highway marker honoring blues singer and guitarist Buddy Guy has been recovered, months after it disappeared. News outlets report Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff’s Office received a tip Wednesday that the sign was at a person’s house in Pride, roughly 30 miles northeast of Baton Rouge. Lt. Craig Dabadie says investigators believe a driver ran off the road and knocked the sign off a pole in May. Someone else picked it up as a souvenir. The sign was posted along Louisiana 1, marking the spot where Guy recorded a music video. The marker honors the Louisiana native’s legacy in music. Rolling Stone magazine listed him at No. 23 on its list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists.” No arrests were made, and the investigation is ongoing.\n\nMaine\n\nPortland: A federal program designed to help farmers suffering due to trade disruption is unlikely to assist the state’s wild blueberry growers. Maine is the sole commercial producer of wild blueberries in the United States. The industry has struggled in recent years with falling crop sizes and low prices to farmers. Maine Agriculture Commissioner Amanda Beal has called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to include the crop in its Market Facilitation Program, which is slated to provide billions to growers negatively impacted by foreign trade retaliation. But the USDA said in a statement that the program is intended for crops that aren’t easily used in school food programs or through food banks. Wild blueberries sometimes fill those needs. The agency says the blueberries remain eligible for other USDA assistance programs.\n\nMaryland\n\nBaltimore: The news of Toni Morrison’s death led a west Baltimore artist to create his own version of an ancestral shrine. The Baltimore Sun reports that 50-year-old Ernest Shaw Jr. completed a mural of the celebrated artist and Nobel laureate by Tuesday, just a day after Morrison’s death. Shaw says he considers the death of the 88-year-old Morrison to be the acquiring of an ancestor. He says creating the mural was his way of pouring libations, a reference to a ritual used to honor ancestors and deities. He says there’s no death in dying as Morrison has just transitioned to now work with “the other side.” The spontaneous mural dedicated to “TONI M” covers a Graffiti Alley wall behind Motor House and took several hours to complete.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nBoston: Ever since “Boston Strong” became a rallying cry after the Boston Marathon bombing, the idea of “strong” has become an inescapable part of how this country heals after tragedy. People mourning this past weekend’s mass shootings in Ohio and Texas have rallied around the slogans “Dayton Strong” and “El Paso Strong.” After many tragedies, the mantra has been used in social media posts, memorials, pins, stickers and other mementos. Massachusetts resident Christopher Dobens co-created the blue and yellow “Boston Strong” T-shirts that helped rocket the phrase into the national lexicon. He says the idea was inspired by Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong cancer foundation and the U.S. Army’s “Army Strong” slogan. Dobens says it’s heartbreaking to see so many places have had to adopt the “strong” mantra because of violence.\n\nMichigan\n\nSt. Ignace: State and federal agencies are gearing up for a celebration of Smokey Bear’s 75-year legacy of preventing forest fires. Smokey will join staffers with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and other partners Friday at Straits State Park in St. Ignace. A family-friendly birthday party is scheduled from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. It will feature a fire truck open house, displays of wildland fire equipment, fire-prevention games, refreshments and an opportunity to meet the iconic bear. Smokey has shared fire-prevention messages with the signature phrase, “Only you can prevent wildfires.” Debbie Begalle of the Michigan DNR’s Forest Resources Division says the slogan is still relevant. Nine out of 10 wildfires are started by people.\n\nMinnesota\n\nSt. Paul: The state Department of Natural Resources has denied requests to reconsider the tailings dam permits that it issued for the planned PolyMet copper-nickel mine. The DNR said Wednesday that opponents did not raise any new issues that materially affect its 2018 decision granting the permits. The Fond du Lac Band of Chippewa and environmental groups asked the DNR to reconsider in light of tailings dam failures elsewhere. DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen said in a statement that her agency studied the failures but remains confident in the safety of the PolyMet dam. The DNR issued its decision one day after the Minnesota Court of Appeals stayed a different permit for the mine, governing water pollution, pending a court investigation into potential irregularities in how state and federal regulators handled that permit.\n\nMississippi\n\nBiloxi: Hurricane Katrina left lasting scars on the Hurricane Camille Memorial at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer. The church reached out to the Biloxi Fire Department, which, in turn, reached out to Lodging and Leisure Investments for help in returning the memorial to its best condition in light of the storm’s upcoming 50th anniversary. Officials tell WLOX-TV restoring the tile mosaic is the greatest challenge in the project. Other work includes power washing and cleaning each name on the memorial’s walls. Camille’s 50th anniversary will include a memorial service at the memorial site at 5 p.m. Aug. 17. Afterward, a program will be held at the Seafood & Maritime Industry Museum at 6 p.m.\n\nMissouri\n\nJefferson City: Attorney General Eric Schmitt says counting of untested rape kits in the state is nearly complete. Schmitt said Wednesday that 95.6% of law enforcement agencies and 98.5% of hospitals and Veterans Affairs medical facilities have completed their inventory of sexual assault evidence kits. Former Attorney General Josh Hawley began an audit of the backlog in 2017 after the Columbia Missourian reported Missouri had never done a statewide review of untested rape kits. Schmitt began a SAFE Kits Initiative in February and appointed Judge M. Keithley Williams to lead the effort to eliminate the backlog of sexual assault kits. The counting project received funds from the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Rape kits contain DNA samples and other evidence from medical procedures conducted immediately after an attack.\n\nMontana\n\nMissoula: A man charged with assaulting a 13-year-old boy who refused to remove his hat during the national anthem believed he was doing what President Donald Trump wanted him to do, his attorney says. Attorney Lance Jasper told the Missoulian he will seek a mental health evaluation for Curt Brockway, a U.S. Army veteran who became caught up in the heightened animosity and rhetoric gripping the nation and convinced himself he was following the president’s orders. “His commander in chief is telling people that if they kneel, they should be fired, or if they burn a flag, they should be punished,” Jasper said. He said Brockway “certainly didn’t understand it was a crime.” Brockway suffered a traumatic brain injury in a vehicle crash in 2000 that has affected his decision making, and Jasper said he plans to raise that in his client’s defense.\n\nNebraska\n\nLincoln: The remains of twins who joined the Navy together have been returned to the city for burial, decades after their deaths on a battleship at Pearl Harbor. The Lincoln Journal Star reports two ceremonies will be held in succession Saturday at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery for Rudolph Blitz and brother Leo Blitz. There will be two flag-covered caskets, two 21-gun salutes, two invocations, two flags presented to their surviving sister, 93-year-old Lincoln resident Betty Pitsch. Her DNA contribution helped bring her older brothers home. The 17-year-old twins left Lincoln High to join the Navy in 1938 and had been stationed at Pearl Harbor for a year and a day before the USS Oklahoma went down during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack by Japan. Their remains were buried at a Honolulu cemetery and later identified after being unearthed in 2015.\n\nNevada\n\nReno: A jumbo jetliner that sparked controversy at last year’s Burning Man festival when it got stuck in the desert for nearly a month has returned for this year’s event after organizers agreed to post a bond for the popular art installation. The Bureau of Land Management granted a special permit to the foundation that converted the 747 into a nightclub. Burning Man officials reviewed the Big Imagination Foundation’s plans before it transported the multi-ton aircraft last weekend to the Black Rock Desert, 100 miles north of Reno. Group leaders haven’t disclosed the cost of the performance bond. They get the money back if they comply with the permit. Critics say the plane severely damaged the playa floor last year when it dug holes into the soft alkali dust and got stuck.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nConcord: Gov. Chris Sununu has signed a bill to help the state’s dairy farmers. The purpose of the bill is to provide a way to support dairy farmers by buying specially labeled milk for an extra 50 cents per gallon. The measure creates a dairy premium fund that replaces the milk producers’ emergency relief fund. Money remaining in the fund after payment of the premiums would be available to promote the program. It’s anticipated that the premium milk will be available this fall.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nKearny: Two actors from the Netflix series “Orange is the New Black” visited federal immigration detainees at the Hudson County jail Thursday. Vicci Martinez and Emily Tarver met with two female detainees from Jamaica. The actors, whose show tackled issues of immigration detention and family separation in its final season, said they wanted to draw attention to the plight of immigrants in such facilities. The visit was organized by Freedom for Immigrants, an organization that aims to abolish immigration detention and was featured in the final season of the show, and First Friends of New Jersey and New York, a nonprofit that sends volunteers to visit immigrant detainees. After leaving the jail, Tarver recounted the story of the woman she met, a victim of domestic violence who sought help from the police and wound up detained, for four months so far, when her immigration status came into play.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nSan Antonio: A federal agency is taking advantage of high water levels in the Rio Grande to help a tiny minnow listed as an endangered species. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation workers recently aided in creating more habitat for the Rio Grande silvery minnow on the Middle Rio Grande, the Albuquerque Journal reports. Reclamation crews worked from January to March to lower and widen the riverbank on the southern end of private property near Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. They excavated 46,000 cubic yards of dirt to create water channels where minnows could escape the fast-moving river. The tiny fish, listed as endangered in 1994, was once abundant throughout the Rio Grande Basin from Colorado to Texas and into Mexico. It’s now found only in a fraction of its historic habitat as the river system has seen dam building and the straightening of its once meandering channels over the past 150 years.\n\nNew York\n\nAlbany: Gov. Andrew Cuomo has approved legislation aimed at bolstering the health and safety standards for all pet dealers operating in the state. The bill signed Thursday calls for separate spaces for pregnant animals and requires all enclosures be cleaned daily and disinfected at least once every two weeks. “Pet dealers must be held to standards that will promote the safety, good health, and overall well-being of the animals in their care,” says a memo attached to the bill. Under the new law, which takes effect in 90 days, pet dealers are required to regularly groom animals to prevent matting and flea and tick infestations and provide animals with diurnal lighting cycles, which mimic natural, 24-hour light patterns. And any for-profit dealer selling, or planning to sell, at least 25 cats or dogs in a year must provide an annual veterinary checkup for each animal.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nWake Forest: The city is being recognized for its commitment to preserving monarch butterflies. Wake Forest announced Wednesday that the recognition was awarded by Monarch City USA, a nonprofit organization that promotes the species and recognizes areas that work on recovering butterfly populations. The nonprofit group says that the butterflies rely on milkweed and nectar plants. The butterfly’s population has declined as the plants have dwindled. Wake Forest, northeast of Raleigh, features the plants that attract the butterflies at E. Carroll Joyner Park. The town has installed signs that identify the butterfly habitat and one noting Wake Forest’s designation as a “Monarch City USA.” The nonprofit says it’s the first in the state to receive the designation.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nBismarck: Two environmental groups who say regulators should have intervened in the location of an oil refinery near the state’s top tourist attraction, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, are taking their case to the state Supreme Court. The Public Service Commission last year declined to review whether the refinery could be built just 3 miles from the park in the western Badlands, the Bismarck Tribune reports. Regulators concluded the proposed $800 million Davis Refinery would be too small to warrant review under state law. The Environmental Law and Policy Center and the Dakota Resource Council don’t believe developer Meridian Energy Group is being forthright about the refinery’s size and asked a state judge to force the commission to hold a hearing. South Central District Judge Bruce Romanick refused in May, ruling that the PSC followed state law.\n\nOhio\n\nSpringdale: A long-standing community event is facing backlash on social media. A Facebook post promoting Springdale’s annual Goldfish Swim has garnered more than 3,500 comments, most outraged, since it was posted Aug. 1. The end-of-summer event has been going on for almost 40 years. More than 4,700 people have signed a Change.org petition to stop the event, saying it is “obvious” animal abuse. City officials take 1,000 feeder goldfish and put them in the Springdale Community Center Pool. Children under the age of 12 try to catch the fish with their bare hands, take them home and care for them. “No nets, poles or help from mom and dad. Bring a plastic bucket to take your new pet home,” the post about the event says. The event is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at the Springdale Pool.\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: Police were justified when they fatally shot a black teenager who was naked and unarmed, an attorney for the city argues in a response to a civil rights lawsuit filed by the teen’s parents. The parents of Isaiah Mark Lewis contend in their federal lawsuit that Sgt. Milo Box and Officer Denton Scherman used excessive force and acted “unnecessarily and unjustly” when they hit their 17-year-old son with a stun gun and then fatally shot him April 29 after he allegedly broke into a home. In a response filed Wednesday on behalf of the city, attorney Taylor Clark denies that the city violated Lewis’ constitutional rights and says: “Lewis was justifiably shot by a service weapon after being ineffectively tasered.” “Edmond also admits that Isaiah Mark Lewis was naked and unarmed when he was shot and that verbal commands were given to Isaiah Mark Lewis prior to the shooting,” Clark wrote. The officers have been on paid administrative leave since the shooting. Taylor declined further comment.\n\nOregon\n\nSalem: A judge has ruled that the state Fish and Wildlife Commission illegally reversed an earlier decision granting endangered species status to the marbled murrelet, a small seabird that nests in old-growth forests. Environmental groups say Oregon has sought to avoid protections for the bird, allowing clear-cut logging in its habitat. A spokeswoman for the wildlife department said it won’t comment on legal matters. The ruling was by Lane County Circuit Court Judge Lauren Holland in Eugene. Conservation groups said they petitioned the wildlife commission to list the marbled murrelet as endangered, and it voted to do so, concluding the bird was likely to go extinct. But the commission reversed itself without explanation. Holland said the commission was required to explain its reversal and failed to do so.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nPhiladelphia: Philadelphia’s Music Alliance will induct musicians spanning a wide range of genres to its Walk of Fame, including The Philadelphia Orchestra, R&B group The O’Jays and ’80s rock band The Hooters. The class of 2019’s other honorees include Philadelphia socialite and philanthropist Dorrance “Dodo” Hamilton, who died in 2017; disco queen Evelyn “Champagne” King; and Jody Gerson, the current CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group and the first woman to run a major music-publishing company. Longtime rock-radio DJ Pierre Robert is this year’s dual Radio Row Award recipient and Walk of Fame inductee. The announcements were made Wednesday at the Independence Visitor Center. The group will be formally inducted Oct. 22 during a gala at The Bellevue.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: Gov. Gina Raimondo says the state will begin offering a gender-neutral option for residents to put on their driver’s licenses and birth certificates. Rhode Island will join the ranks of about a dozen other states already offering an option of “X” instead of the standard “M” or “F.” The option is in response to the governor’s conversations with the transgender and LGBTQ community. The Democratic governor says this is “just basic fairness” in order to ensure all residents are being recognized for who they are. The Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Health echoed the governor’s remarks. The governor adds that the biggest hurdle has been the implementation of the change. Residents could potentially see the option available within a year.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nAiken: Officials say the U.S. government followed a requirement to remove weapons-grade plutonium from the state. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said 1 metric ton of nuclear material has been shipped out of the Savannah River Site near Aiken. The U.S. Energy Department was ordered in 2017 to remove that much plutonium by January. Federal court records said half the plutonium was sent to Nevada. Wilson’s statement Wednesday didn’t say where the other half was shipped. South Carolina sued the federal agency after it halted a plan to turn plutonium once used to make nuclear weapons into fuel for nuclear reactors. The Energy Department owes the state $200 million in fines in part because 11 metric tons of plutonium remain at the site.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nBurke: As this small town recovers from a tornado that destroyed its civic center and caused other extensive damage, some residents are asking why the community’s warning siren wasn’t sounded. The EF-1 tornado with 100 mph winds ripped through Burke on Tuesday night, ripping roofs off buildings and homes, uprooting trees and leaving the school building unusable for the beginning of classes. Two men suffered minor injuries when a garage collapsed. Gov. Kristi Noem visited the community Wednesday and called the damage “unbelievable.” Noem promised the state’s help in the community’s restoration efforts. Burke Mayor Thomas Glover says the siren is sounded when officials get notification of a tornado sighting or that one is imminent. Glover says that did not happen.\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: Add Glen Campbell to the list of late country music legends with a museum in their honor in the city’s downtown. Clearbrook Hospitality LLC announced plans Thursday to open The Glen Campbell Museum and Rhinestone Stage, a live music venue, at the corner of Broadway and 2nd Avenue. It’s slated to open in early 2020. Campbell died in 2017 at age 81 following an extended battle with Alzheimer’s disease. The 4,000-square-foot venue will feature immersive, interactive displays showcasing different stages of Campbell’s career. He was a studio musician in The Wrecking Crew; the singer of many hit records including “Rhinestone Cowboy” and “Southern Nights”; and a television and film actor. In the evenings, the museum will transform into live music venue The Rhinestone Stage, where national and local acts can perform intimate shows.\n\nTexas\n\nAustin: The state’s annual back-to-school sales tax holiday is coming this weekend. The Texas Comptroller’s Office says the tax break begins Friday and runs through Sunday. Customers can buy most clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks – sold for less than $100 – tax free from a Texas store or from an online or catalog seller doing business in the state. The sales tax exemption applies only to qualifying items. The tax break does not include products such as jewelry, handbags, briefcases, luggage, computer bags, umbrellas, wallets and watches. The Texas sales tax holiday weekend started in 1999.\n\nUtah\n\nRiverton: Administrators from more than 60 schools in northern Utah gathered ahead of the first day of classes to assemble “care kits” for students in need. The Deseret News reports administrators from the Jordan School District met Wednesday to pack more than 2,400 kits, which include food, personal hygiene products and backpacks loaded with school supplies. Walmart donated the supplies. Event organizer Peggy Margetts said the kits help students in a discrete way and show students their school cares about their well-being. Students will receive the kits at the start of school. Administrators said they will keep some on hand to use during the year.\n\nVermont\n\nMontpelier: The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets says the state’s cheese producers won 44 ribbons at the American Cheese Society’s annual awards competition. Officials say this is Vermont’s best showing yet. The results were announced at the society’s annual conference last week in Richmond, Virginia. Agriculture officials say five Vermont cheeses were finalists for the best in show. A total of 25 Vermont companies submitted cheeses to be judged among the more than 2,000 total entries. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott congratulated the state’s cheesemakers on their “impressive achievement.” He says their “commitment to excellence is helping Vermont grow its economy by creating jobs and further strengthening our great Vermont brand.”\n\nVirginia\n\nBlacksburg: Town officials are cracking down on an unsanctioned Virginia Tech fraternity they say is operating in violation of zoning rules. Blacksburg officials recently determined the house is being used as a base for the rogue frat Omega Alpha Kappa. Zoning Administrator Paul Patterson said frat activities at the house must stop. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports the fraternity is not recognized by the university and was formed by members of Kappa Delta Rho when that chapter was suspended for violating alcohol policies. The fraternity has a history of trash citations and accusations that members made female guests at social events feel uncomfortable. The Roanoke Times reports the university has advised students to avoid the fraternity and seven others for their safety.\n\nWashington\n\nSeattle: A $219 million property-tax levy that would abolish overdue fines in the Seattle Public Library system is heading toward approval. The Seattle Times reports the seven-year levy supporting the library system had 73% of the vote in returns Tuesday. The measure proposed by Mayor Jenny Durkan would authorize additional property taxes and replace a $123 million library levy set to expire at the end of this year. The levy would collect about 12 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value in 2020. The additional library funding would support seismic renovations, new programs for children, more social workers, extended operating hours and the elimination of fines for overdue items. About $167 million would be used to maintain current services.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nCharleston: The state’s Public Port Authority board has decided to consider lease proposals and bids for the Heartland Intermodal Gateway Facility in Prichard. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the board made a motion Wednesday in Charleston to delay a possible public sale. West Virginia Transportation Secretary Byrd White says the board discussed selling it because of a funding shortage. Wayne County Commissioner Jeff Maddox says the county’s economy isn’t the best, but a sale for “pennies on the dollar” would be “a grave error.” The board will further discuss options at its September meeting. The $32 million facility opened in 2015 on 76 acres donated by Norfolk Southern railroad. It’s designed to move containers more efficiently by rail through a double-stack method while offering a cheaper alternative to gas-guzzling trucks.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: State prison officials say they illegally released information that could reveal whether inmates are in substance abuse treatment. The Department of Corrections said Thursday that officials responding to an open records request released records June 24 that contained 1,041 inmates’ personal identification numbers and locations. No names were released, but DOC officials say someone could use the numbers and locations to learn whether an inmate is at a substance abuse facility or receiving treatment. The agency says that information is confidential under Wisconsin law. Only two people saw the information, and they’ve since confirmed the data has been destroyed. DOC spokeswoman Molly Vidal didn’t answer emailed questions asking who received the questions and what information they actually wanted.\n\nWyoming\n\nMeeteetse: A ranch where black-footed ferrets were discovered in the 1980s is being preserved. The Nature Conservancy recently announced a conservation easement agreement to restrict the Lazy BV ranch’s 2,300 acres near Meeteetse from being subdivided or developed. The ranch is in the area where the ferrets were discovered in 1981 after they were thought to be extinct. The ferrets were used to start a captive-breeding program that has restored black-footed ferrets in Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and elsewhere in the western U.S. Jim Luchsinger of The Nature Conservancy tells Wyoming Public Radio it had been a dream of the ranch owners to protect the ranch and bring ferrets back. The protected land is also home to greater sage grouse, mule deer, antelope and Yellowstone cutthroat trout.\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/08/09"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/50-states/2020/02/17/peacock-problems-avocado-threat-weedy-sea-dragons-news-around-states/111330104/", "title": "Peacock problems, avocado threat: News from around our 50 states", "text": "From USA TODAY Network and wire reports\n\nAlabama\n\nMontgomery: A lawmaker fed up with her colleagues’ attempts to outlaw abortion has filed legislation to require all men over 50 to get vasectomies. Democratic Rep. Rolanda Hollis said Friday that she introduced the bill to send “the message that men should not be legislating what women do with their bodies.” Alabama lawmakers last year approved a ban on abortion unless the woman’s life was in danger. A federal judge blocked the law from taking effect while a legal challenge plays out in court. Hollis said doctors, not legislators, are the ones to be consulted about surgery, medications and making the “incredibly difficult decisions” related to personal reproductive rights. Her bill suggests the state require a man to get a vasectomy within one month of turning 50 or after the birth of his third child. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that forced sterilization is unconstitutional.\n\nAlaska\n\nAnchorage: Volunteers slung bales of hay onto a table Thursday, where they were swiftly stuffed inside blue plastic bags, twirled and shut with twist ties before being dragged off to waiting pallets. Their efforts will help ensure the canine participants in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race have someplace warm and dry to bed down when their mushers stop along the 1,000-mile trail between Anchorage and Nome. The so-called straw drop is the first volunteer event of the Iditarod race, says Mark Nordman, the race director and marshal. More events follow this week, including people helping prepare shipments of food for both the dogs and the mushers to the checkpoints. The race over treacherous Alaska terrain – including two mountain ranges, the frozen Yukon River and the ice-covered Bering Sea – starts March 7 in Anchorage with the fan-friendly ceremonial start. The actual race begins the next day in Willow, about 50 miles north. The winner is expected in the old Gold Rush town of Nome, on the Bering Sea coast, about 10 or 11 days later.\n\nArizona\n\nLake Havasu City: Officials plan to end scheduled closures of London Bridge for special events, saying they don’t want to block vehicle travel between an island and the rest of the western Arizona city along the Colorado River. City officials cited safety reasons and residents’ concerns about closures that typically have lasted two or three hours, Today’s News-Herald reports. Events that have required bridge closures include the annual Line Dance on the London Bridge; Camaros on the Bridge; and, infrequently, Corvettes on the Bridge. City Manager Jess Knudson says officials were grateful “for all the events that have been on the bridge in the past. But the city has decided to go a different direction now.” Lake Havasu City founder Robert McCulloch purchased the stone bridge in the late 1960s and had it transported by ship and truck from London in pieces.\n\nArkansas\n\nLittle Rock: A federal appeals court panel in Washington upheld a lower court’s decision Friday that blocked the Trump administration’s work requirements for Medicaid recipients. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found Arkansas’ work requirements for Medicaid recipients to be “arbitrary and capricious.” About 18,000 people in the state lost benefits because of the work requirements, but it wasn’t clear how many obtained coverage elsewhere. “In short, we agree with the district court that the alternative objectives of better health outcomes and beneficiary independence are not consistent with Medicaid,” the opinion said. “The text of the statute includes one primary purpose, which is providing health care coverage without any restriction geared to healthy outcomes, financial independence or transition to commercial coverage.” Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he’s hopeful the U.S. Supreme Court will review the case.\n\nCalifornia\n\nSan Diego: A Southern California aquarium has successfully bred the rare weedy sea dragon, the lesser-known cousin of the sea horse that resembles seaweed when floating. San Diego’s Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography said in a news release that two weedy sea dragons hatched last week, making the aquarium one of the few in the world to successfully breed the unusual fish. The babies with leafy appendages are less than an inch long and have eaten their first meal of tiny shrimp. The aquarium is keeping the delicate creatures out of public view for now. The hatchlings come less than a year after the aquarium at the University of California, San Diego built what is believed to be one of the world’s largest habitats for the sea dragons, whose native populations off Australia are threatened by pollution, warming oceans and the illegal pet and alternative medicine trades.\n\nColorado\n\nDenver: Research shows gun sales in the state have dropped for the third consecutive year, and experts suspect a correlation to which political party is leading the country. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation conducted 335,370 backgrounds checks in 2019, a 1.4% decrease compared to the year before, the Denver Post reports. The state does not track the number of firearms sold, so background checks performed ahead of gun sales are used to calculate totals instead, department officials say. Department data has shown about 98% of background checks were approved, and denials were due to assault or drug records by potential gun buyers. Data suggests sales tend to increase under Democratic presidents and decrease under Republican leadership, experts say. “When Obama was elected, sure enough gun sales went up,” says Eileen McCarron, president of Colorado Ceasefire Legislative Action, a group that advocates against gun violence. “But they didn’t just spike – they went up and stayed up.”\n\nConnecticut\n\nHartford: State officials have announced drug overdose deaths increased by nearly 20% last year. Exactly 1,200 people died of some sort of drug overdose in the state in 2019, an increase mostly attributed to the continued rise in fentanyl use, the Hartford Courant reports. “Fentanyl is still increasing,” Chief State Medical Examiner Robert Gill said. “If we had a magic wand and could make all the fentanyl disappear, there is no doubt that we would see a considerable decline in accidental drug intoxication deaths in Connecticut.” The number of overdose deaths had dropped for the first time in 2018 to 1,017, Gill said. Last year marked the first time the state reached the 1,200 death milestone. A spokesman for Gov. Ned Lamont said that state agencies must continue to work together and that perhaps federal funding is needed.\n\nDelaware\n\nWilmington: A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a state prison inmate who complained about running out of toilet paper. The judge ruled Thursday that the lawsuit by Isaac Pierce was frivolous. The ruling contains references to several other court decisions regarding toilet paper, or the lack of it, in prisons. Those rulings generally concluded that, while a temporary lack of toilet paper might be unpleasant, it does not violate an inmate’s rights or, in the words of one court, does not present a question of “constitutional magnitude.” The lawsuit was filed last year by Pierce and two cellmates, who were subsequently dismissed from the case. They alleged they were forced to use newspapers after they were denied more toilet paper for two and a half days in August 2019.\n\nDistrict of Columbia\n\nWashington: A couple’s new cannabis delivery service took some getting creative to keep it legal, WUSA-TV reports. District Derp co-owner Chris says because pot can be gifted but not sold in the district, he and his partner consulted a team of legal experts to make sure the business – which primarily sells their dog’s original artwork, combined with a cannabis gift – always operated above board. “When it came to navigating the law, our legal team just kind of advised us, do what you do best,” Chris said. “Make your art, sell your art, and provide the great cannabis experience that you can on the side.” Now, their business model is equal parts of sausage meat and patience. “Sudo is a very food-driven dog,” Chris says of the artist. Sudo is an Alaskan Klee Kai, a breed known for its smarts. District Derp co-owner Anais says it took about a month to unleash Sudo’s artistic skills.\n\nFlorida\n\nMiami: A pack of peacocks that has wreaked havoc on a neighborhood will be relocated after city commissioners voted Thursday night to side with residents and agreed to have the birds taken away. It was a big win for many residents who have complained that the birds have taken control of a Coconut Grove neighborhood, mating into the night, pooping in large piles, and scratching cars as they travel in packs of 20 to 40 or more, the Miami Herald reports. Andrews Candela told commissioners before Thursday night’s vote that he once felt lucky to live in North Grove, but the massive infestation of peacocks has ruined the quality of life for him and his wife. “I don’t want to remain forgotten in a filthy, dirty peacock land as hostage to a group of birds,” Candela said. “I think that is more than unfair.” Commissioners unanimously agreed to amend the city’s charter to allow for trapping and removal of excess peacocks.\n\nGeorgia\n\nAtlanta: Election officials have loaded and shipped the last truckloads of new voting machines making their statewide debut in the March presidential primaries, getting the equipment to local election offices Friday barely two weeks before advance voting begins. Distributing 30,000 machines among 159 Georgia counties ahead of the primaries posed a big challenge for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. A federal judge last August ordered Georgia to retire its outdated, paperless system before any votes were cast in 2020, citing security concerns. Raffensperger’s office had just awarded a $103 million contract for the new machines when the judge ruled, increasing pressure to meet an already tight rollout schedule. Georgia will hold its presidential primaries March 24. But advance, in-person voting begins March 2.\n\nHawaii\n\nHonolulu: An invasive bug was discovered feeding on avocado leaves across the state and was most recently found on Maui plants in retail outlets, entomologists said. The avocado lace bug was first discovered in Pearl City, Oahu, in December and was subsequently identified on Hawaii Island and Maui, the state Department of Agriculture said. Department officials have not confirmed the presence of the bug on Kauai. The infested Maui plants located in retail outlets were destroyed or treated, department officials said. It is unclear how the bug was introduced in Hawaii. The lace bug feeds on the leaves of avocado plants, extracting nutrients and gradually destroying the plants, experts said. The bug does not feed on the fruit itself. The bug causes green to yellowish blotches on the leaves, and damaged leaves become dry and may curl, drop prematurely and cause reduction in fruit yields.\n\nIdaho\n\nBoise: The state has been awarded a grant to study how elk herds move through a northern Idaho migration corridor also used by grizzly bears and wolverines. The grant, announced by the U.S. Department of the Interior on Friday, is part of $3.2 million in funding for big game rangeland studies in 11 western states. Idaho’s research will focus on the McArthur Lake area, which serves as a link between the Selkirk and Cabinet mountains used by grizzly bears, wolverine and elk. Scientists will put GPS collars on 40 elk to monitor their movements over two years and then combine that data with information from a grid of 119 trail cameras. The findings will be used to map seasonal ranges, movement routes and stopover areas, according to the Interior Department.\n\nIllinois\n\nSpringfield: A new sculpture honoring the 16th U.S. president is coming to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Museum officials announced plans last week for the “Beacon of Endurance” piece, designed by B.J. Krivanek. He described the sculpture in a statement as standing 24 feet, 10 inches tall. Renderings of the piece show an obelisk, with a base inscribed with quotes from Lincoln and a stainless-steel upper portion inscribed with words describing Lincoln. Members of an advisory panel will weigh in on which words to include, and the museum also plans to take ideas from the public through social media. Officials plan to place the sculpture outside the museum. Renderings show that the piece includes projections of key words onto the southeast corner of the building’s exterior at night.\n\nIndiana\n\nIndianapolis: A 60-day law license suspension is being recommended for the state’s attorney general after allegations that he grabbed the buttocks of a state legislator and inappropriately touched three other women during a party. The recommendation filed Friday with the state Supreme Court puts the Republican Curtis Hill’s ability to remain as state government’s top lawyer in jeopardy, as he must have a law license to hold the position. It wasn’t immediately clear how a temporary suspension would affect his status. Former state Supreme Court Justice Myra Selby proposed the punishment in a report to the court, which will make the final decision in the professional misconduct case. Selby said his law license should not be automatically reinstated following the suspension. In her 36-page report, Selby wrote that Hill committed battery, and she “finds and concludes by clear and convincing evidence” that he violated rules of professional conduct.\n\nIowa\n\nDes Moines: A state court judge on Friday heard arguments on whether to dismiss a lawsuit challenging an Iowa law passed last year that would block Planned Parenthood of the Heartland from receiving federal grant money for sex education courses. Judge Paul Scott is considering whether to throw out the lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa for Planned Parenthood. It challenges the law passed as a violation of free speech, due process and equal protection rights. Last May, Judge Joseph Seidlin temporarily halted enforcement of the law until the court could decide whether it’s constitutional. He concluded that Planned Parenthood is likely to succeed in its equal protection claim and that it has demonstrated significant harm through loss of funding.\n\nKansas\n\nWichita: A significant drop in methamphetamine prices led to a nearly a 20% decline in burglary in the city last year, according to a police official. Thanks to the low price of meth, the theft of guns and other items from inside vehicles also was down from 2018 to 2019, Wichita Police Department Deputy Chief Jose Salcido told a Criminal Justice Coordinating Council meeting. Meth now sells for $2,400 per pound, which is the lowest price in 20 years, Salcido said. “The market is saturated. There’s no incentive for criminals to go steal to finance their habits like in the past,” Salcido said. The latest available state data shows that the street value of meth is at $3,500 to $5,000 per pound, according to a 2018 Kansas Bureau of Investigation report. An ounce costs between $250 and $500. In 2014, meth prices were about three times as much at $13,000 to $15,000 for a pound and $800 to $1,200 for an ounce. In 2019, the city reported 255 stolen guns from vehicles, a 17.5% drop from the year prior. Theft of items from inside a car fell by 19% from 2018 to 2019.\n\nKentucky\n\nFrankfort: Medical marijuana is getting a serious look in the Legislature. In another sign of momentum for the push to legalize cannabis for treatment of some medical conditions, House Speaker David Osborne said the bill could come up for a House vote as soon as this week. The measure cleared the House Judiciary Committee on a 17-1 vote Wednesday. One of its lead sponsors, Republican Rep. Jason Nemes, has predicted it would pass the House by a wide margin. House Republicans will discuss the measure internally to gauge support and develop a plan for it when the GOP-led Legislature reconvenes Tuesday, Osborne told reporters. The speaker praised the bill’s supporters for crafting a version that has drawn a lot of support. Supporters point to strong grassroots support for the legal use of medical cannabis for people battling chronic pain and certain debilitating medical conditions.\n\nLouisiana\n\nNew Orleans: Fire trucks traditionally bring up the rear of the city’s Mardi Gras parades – but not this year. As Carnival season kicks into high gear, the first of the major parades, with marching bands and floats carrying masked riders, rolled Friday evening. Parades are scheduled almost daily through Mardi Gras – or Fat Tuesday – which falls on Feb. 25 this year. Fire trucks traditionally roll behind each parade in the city, signalling a procession’s end. But Mayor LaToya Cantrell and fire chief Tim McConnell confirmed at a news conference on Mardi Gras safety issues that the practice is being abandoned. Fire crews will still do safety inspections on floats before parades but will then return to their stations. McConnell said the change will mean more trucks are available when needed anywhere in the city. He and Cantrell said the move was not prompted by an ongoing labor dispute involving firefighters.\n\nMaine\n\nBelfast: Dozens of residents told the state they’re opposed to the building of a large salmon farm in this coastal city. The proposal from Norwegian-owned Nordic Aquafarms would create a $500 million salmon farm that uses land-based facilities to grow the fish for human consumption. Many Maine residents told the Maine Board of Environmental Protection during a Tuesday night hearing that they think the project is a bad fit for the community, the Bangor Daily News reports. The environmental protection board is visiting Belfast to review environmental permit applications that are needed for the project. Residents at the hearing raised concerns including that the environmental impact of the project would be too much for the community. Others said it was simply too large for Belfast. Nordic has characterized the project as a sustainable way to create jobs and meet demand for healthy seafood.\n\nMaryland\n\nAnnapolis: School construction funding would increase by $2.2 billion over five years under a measure approved by the House of Delegates on Friday. The House approved the measure, called the Built to Learn Act, on a bipartisan 128-6 vote, and it now goes to the Senate, whose leaders support it. Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, also has expressed support. “I think it’s telling how important this bill is on both sides of the aisle,” said House Speaker Adrienne Jones, a Baltimore County Democrat. The measure enables the Maryland Stadium Authority to issue up to $2.2 billion in revenue bonds. The money would be on top of about $400 million the state spends each year to build and repair schools. The debt on the bonds would be paid by $125 million annually over 30 years from casino revenue that goes to the state for education.\n\nMassachusetts\n\nBoston: A traveling exhibit marking the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage is heading to the city. The exhibit presented by the American Bar Association will be on display at the John Joseph Moakley Law Library from Monday through Feb. 28. It’s titled “100 Years After the 19th Amendment: Their Legacy, and Our Future.” The exhibit was curated by the Library of Congress and includes photos and artifacts about the movement to give women the right to vote. Women’s right to vote was secured by the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920.\n\nMichigan\n\nBattle Creek: Officials at Binder Park Zoo are hoping its male snow leopard hooks up with a female snow leopard he was paired with through a breeding program that aims to give the threatened species a boost. The zoo recently introduced Victoria, a 2-year-old snow leopard who arrived in August from Omaha, Nebraska’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, with Raj, who’s been at the Binder Park Zoo since 2012. Until Victoria arrived, the 7-year-old Raj was the lone snow leopard in Battle Creek. Zoo officials are hoping the pair will mate and produce a litter of cubs. The big cats were matched through a Species Survival Program breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquarium to make sure they were genetically compatible. “They do have a ‘dating profile,’ so to speak, but it’s driven by science rather than romance,” says Leslie Walsh, manager of marketing and development for Binder Park Zoo.\n\nMinnesota\n\nSt. Paul: Gov. Tim Walz and LGBTQ activists rallied at the Capitol on Friday to demand that the Republican-controlled state Senate pass a ban on “conversion therapy” for minors, a discredited practice that seeks to turn gay people straight. The proposal passed the Democratic-controlled House last year, but an effort to amend it onto a larger bill on the Senate floor by Sen. Scott Dibble failed late in the session. The Minneapolis Democrat, who is openly gay, said he plans to reintroduce it this year, though he acknowledged in an interview that enacting it will be an uphill fight. But he has an ally in the Democratic governor. Walz pointed out to a crowd of about 100 people in the Capitol rotunda that 19 other states have enacted conversion therapy bans. “The idea that this absolutely discredited, Byzantine, torturous way of telling our children they are not who they are has got to end and will end,” Walz said. The American Psychological Association says conversion therapy is not based in science and is harmful to mental health.\n\nMississippi\n\nJackson: A legendary rodeo clown who spent decades performing has died after the final performance of the 55th Annual Dixie National Rodeo and Livestock Show. Lecile Harris, 83, died in his sleep after the show Wednesday night in Jackson, according to a release from the Mississippi Fair Commission. Born in Lake Cormorant, Mississippi, Harris gained popularity after starring in the television show “Hee Haw,” as well as roles in other TV shows and movies. He was inducted into the Mississippi Rodeo Hall of Fame and the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and won the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association award for Clown of the Year five times. “All of us involved at the Dixie National are truly saddened,” Mississippi Fair Commission executive director Steve Hutton said in the news release. “We all send our love and wishes to Lecile’s family, friends, and adoring fans around the world.”\n\nMissouri\n\nCape Girardeau: A southeast Missouri peach grower was awarded $15 million in actual damages Friday in his lawsuit alleging the weedkiller dicamba severely damaged his orchards. Bill Bader, of Campbell, sued Bayer and BASF, alleging they were responsible for damage at Bader Farms, one of the largest peach farms in the state, which his attorneys argued would likely not survive repeated exposure to dicamba. Bader’s lawsuit is one of several filed against Bayer and BASF that blame the pesticide for damaging millions of acres of crops across the country. Farmers have been using dicamba for more than 50 years, but complaints increased after Monsanto – which was bought by Bader in 2018 – released dicamba-tolerant cotton and soybeans, leading to increased use of dicamba-based herbicides and more complaints about the chemical drifting onto farms that did not have resistant crops.\n\nMontana\n\nMissoula: Hunting regulations on wolf and elk near Yellowstone National Park have increased, wildlife officials say. The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission tightened wolf hunting rules and reduced elk-hunting seasons, the Missoulian reports. The commission discussed proposals and allowed public comment on the regulations Thursday during its daylong meeting in Helena. Regulations included reducing wolf hunting quotas to one per person in each district near Yellowstone National Park and shortening elk shouldering seasons by a month in some districts in central Montana, commission officials said. Some public commenters have argued that wolf quotas should be one or none because the animals are crucial to the ecosystem, while opponents suggested increasing the quota to two. The commission also adopted elk shoulder seasons for several hunting districts covering west-central Montana, agency officials said.\n\nNebraska\n\nLincoln: Researchers at the Center for Great Plains Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln this week will discuss in a lecture the new research on black homesteaders in the Great Plains. The Paul A. Olson Great Plains Lecture is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at the center in Lincoln. Although few in comparison to the multitudes of white settlers, black people also carved out lives for themselves on homesteads. About 70% of them settled in clusters or “colonies,” the center said in a new release, including one in DeWitty, Nebraska. The free public talk is part of a lecture series from the Center for Great Plains Studies on various Great Plains topics. More information is available online.\n\nNevada\n\nLas Vegas: Workers have completed the first of two underground tunnels for a system to whisk passengers between exhibit halls at an expanded Las Vegas Convention Center, tourism and project officials said Friday. It took about three months, and officials say the drilling machine now will be disassembled, repositioned, reassembled and restarted for the second tunnel. The $52.5 million people-mover is being built by billionaire Elon Musk’s company The Boring Co. It is expected to be completed by the end of the year and is designed to offer conventioneers an approximately one-minute trip in self-driving electric vehicles between three exhibit hall and parking stations. The system is being called key to an ongoing, $1.5 billion convention center expansion and renovation that includes adding a three-story, 1.4 million-square-foot building across the street from the existing single-story convention center.\n\nNew Hampshire\n\nConcord: Cats are closer to achieving equal footing with dogs in the state, at least when it comes to their untimely demise. House lawmakers on Thursday approved a bill that would require anyone who hits a cat with a vehicle to notify police or the animal’s owner as soon as possible. Such notification already is required when it comes to canine collisions. The bill now goes to the Senate, but three other bills related to killing animals won’t live on. The House voted against a measure that would have repealed a prohibition on hunting with ferrets, another that would have created a safari hunting license for those taking elk and boar at a private game reserve, and a third that would have lowered the bar for killing animals that damage crops or other property. Current law allows someone to kill wild animals that cause “actual and substantial” damage. The failed bill would have removed the “and substantial” language.\n\nNew Jersey\n\nMorris County: A bowhunting organization says a 700-pound bear shot in the state last fall has set a world record as the largest black bear killed with a bow and arrow in North America. The Pope and Young Club, a bowhunting and conservation organization, said the bear killed Oct. in Morris County toppled a record set in 1993 by a hunter in California. “It has been an inspiring journey, to say the least,” hunter Jeff Melillo said in a statement quoted by the organization. “New Jersey, my home state, has its first-ever world record animal!” Club records director Eli Randall said the animal’s skull measured over 23 inches and had a bone structure that he called “the heaviest I had ever seen.” Melillo recalled an Outdoor Life article suggesting that that a world record black bear would likely come from New Jersey one day. The state’s black bear hunt has generated controversy in recent years, with Gov. Phil Murphy vowing during his campaign to seek an end to it and in 2018 instituting a ban on hunting bears on state lands. The New Jersey Sierra Club is still seeking a complete ban.\n\nNew Mexico\n\nAlbuquerque: State lawmakers are considering setting aside $20 million that could be used as seed money as water managers, municipalities and farmers scramble to find ways to reduce groundwater pumping that is at the center of a high-stakes legal battle. The fight over the Rio Grande has pitted Texas against New Mexico as demands increase and drought persists. It will be up to a special master appointed by the U.S. Supreme Court to eventually decide how New Mexico goes about ensuring enough of the Rio Grande flows south to users in Texas and Mexico. Right now, the system is out of balance, and Texas is arguing that New Mexico should be forced to reduce its pumping by as much as 60%. That would be equivalent to more than half of the water supplied annually to residents in Albuquerque, the state’s largest city. Such a reduction would be disastrous for users in southern New Mexico, says John D’Antonio, New Mexico’s top water engineer.\n\nNew York\n\nAlbany: The state is courting winter tourists with a fee-free weekend for out-of-state snowmobilers. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the plan Sunday at Saranac Lake. Fees will be waived March 14 and 15 for Canadian and other out-of-state visitors with registered, insured vehicles. New York State Snowmobile Association President Rosanne Warner says a lack of snow has made it tough to get the state’s more than 10,000 miles of trails ready this season. The state has committed $4.2 million in grants for trail maintenance and grooming, funded by snowmobile registration fees. Registration is $100 a year, or $45 with membership in a snowmobile club. Cuomo’s office says winter tourism generates nearly $14.4 billion in direct visitor spending.\n\nNorth Carolina\n\nRaleigh: The state schools superintendent has been accused of using a database to send hundreds of thousands of text messages and emails for political gain. The Raleigh News & Observer reports multiple ethics complaints have been filed against State Schools Superintendent Mark Johnson. Johnson sent 540,000 text messages and 800,000 email messages that he accessed from a state database to voice his opposition to the “Common Core” educational standards. Johnson’s opposition to the standards is a major part of his campaign for lieutenant governor. The complaints allege that the messages were designed for Johnson’s personal gain and were issued at the start of early voting before next month’s primary. Johnson is in a crowded field of Republicans running for lieutenant governor.\n\nNorth Dakota\n\nBismarck: State officials say passenger boardings at the state’s eight commercial service airports during January were up nearly 12% over the same month in 2019. Nearly 100,300 people boarded planes in Bismarck, Devils Lake, Dickinson, Fargo, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Minot and Williston during the month, according to the state Aeronautics Commission. All airports saw an increase in boardings except Grand Forks. Devils Lake had the largest increase at 28.8%, followed by Fargo at $17.9%. Dickinson had an increase of 13.5%, followed by Bismarck at 11.8%, Minot at 9% Williston at 5.4% and Jamestown at 3.9%.\n\nOhio\n\nColumbus: Gov. Mike DeWine is backing legislation that makes distracted driving reason enough to pull someone over. The bipartisan bill in the Ohio Senate addresses writing, sending or looking at texts, watching or recording photos or videos, or livestreaming while handling an electronic device, among other activities. The legislation would make those a primary offense, meaning police don’t need another reason first – such as speeding – to pull drivers over. The bill would also increase fines for people who are caught regularly using electronic devices while driving. Exemptions include using a phone to place an emergency call or using hands-free functions to talk on the phone or dictate texts. DeWine said Thursday that it’s time for a cultural recognition that distracted driving is just as bad as driving while drunk. Traffic deaths on Ohio roads have increased in five of the past six years.\n\nOklahoma\n\nOklahoma City: More inmates have been released under a law that directs a state board to review sentences of those in prison for crimes that would not be considered felonies if charged today. The law, which took effect in November, gives the state Pardon and Parole Board authority to establish an accelerated, single stage docket to review sentences, The Oklahoman reports. Under Oklahoma’s expedited commutation docket, 124 inmates, 83 men and 41 women, were released Thursday. Elizabeth Bijelic, 28, is one of those inmates. She was reunited with her 2-month-old daughter, to whom she said she gave birth while serving a three-year sentence for drug possession. “It’s amazing,” Bijelic said. “I didn’t expect it to happen so soon. I’m very blessed to be out. I’m not saying I didn’t need to be sat down for a minute, but it was excessive.” More than 450 inmates were released in November.\n\nOregon\n\nPortland: Concordia University students walked out of their classes Thursday in protest of the Board of Regents’ recent decision to close the 115-year-old institution this year. The private Lutheran university’s board voted last Friday to cease operations and sell Concordia’s 24-acre campus in Northeast Portland. Concordia enrolls about 5,700 students, but sources estimate only about 1,200 of them attend classes on campus. Most of the students study remotely through Concordia’s online classes. Students spoke on campus Thursday morning outside the president’s residence holding signs asking “Where did my money go?” “Almost graduated” and “CU in court,” The Oregonian/OregonLive reports. In a poster calling for the walkout, students outlined a list of demands targeted at the Board of Regents: clear financial records, questions answered regarding the sudden closure, and a support plan for students, staff, faculty and the surrounding community.\n\nPennsylvania\n\nHarrisburg: A funeral director has been suspended indefinitely after four decomposing bodies were found at his funeral home. Andrew Scheid agreed to the indefinite license suspension before a scheduled appearance Friday before the State Board of Funeral Directors. The suspension means he won’t be able to direct or supervise funerals at his locations in Lancaster and in Manor Township, outside Millersville. At the request of Lancaster County prosecutors, the coroner’s office went to Scheid’s Manor Township location last month and found the decomposing remains in a preparation area, according to WHTM. None of the bodies had been refrigerated or embalmed. One body had been there 17 days, while another was there for 12, according to a petition for suspension. No criminal charges have been filed.\n\nRhode Island\n\nProvidence: The state appears poised to raise its minimum wage. The House of Representatives passed legislation Thursday night to raise the minimum wage to $11.50 an hour by Oct. 1. The hourly rate is currently set at $10.50. The state Senate approved a bill last week to raise the minimum wage to $11.50 an hour on Oct. 1, and Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo has said she wants to raise the minimum wage. Rhode Island’s minimum wage has been $10.50 since Jan. 1, 2019, which is lower than the hourly rates in neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut. Some Republicans voted against the bill, saying they were worried that the steadily rising wage threatens to hurt employers and could lead to job losses, The Providence Journal reports. Some Democrats supported the bill even though they had wanted a higher raise.\n\nSouth Carolina\n\nColumbia: Gov. Henry McMaster is now the oldest person ever to hold that office in the Palmetto State. McMaster turned 72 years and 262 days old Thursday, one day older than James Byrnes when he left office in January 1955. “I’m glad to be living,” the Republican governor told The Post and Courier of Charleston after reaching the milestone. McMaster is only the third governor to serve into his 70s among South Carolina’s 117 chief executives dating back to 1670. And McMaster could serve a lot longer. He has given no indication he won’t run for reelection in 2022, and if he won, his term would end in January 2027, when he would be 79. Longevity runs in McMaster’s family. His father retired from his law firm at 99 after trying his final case at age 93. McMaster is still younger than President Donald Trump, who is 73. And he is only the nation’s fourth-oldest current governor.\n\nSouth Dakota\n\nRapid City: Police say complaints against the city’s officers in 2019 were the lowest in nine years. Citizens filed 12 complaints last year compared to a high of 56 in 2015 and an average of 35 between 2011 and 2019, the Rapid City Journal reports. Last year also marked the debut of equipping officers with body cameras, allowing the department to use the footage to help investigate the complaints. The 12 complaints were the result of 142,186 calls for service and 8,243 arrests. “The high volume of work and the low number of complaints is a positive reflection of the quality of employees who serve you as well as the training they receive,” Police Chief Karl Jegeris wrote in the report. Jegeris said the department takes the complaints seriously, and when “we are wrong, we admit it, and we take measures to improve our ability to provide service to citizens.”\n\nTennessee\n\nNashville: The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing $9 million on high-speed broadband internet projects in 10 rural Tennessee counties. USDA officials said in a statement Thursday that the broadband projects will create or improve high speed internet connectivity in more than 3,700 households and more than 70 businesses and farms. Projects are planned in Cumberland, Houston, Henry, Maury, Montgomery, Rutherford, Smith, Stewart, Williamson and Wilson counties. Rural areas around the country have been clamoring for more high-speed internet access for use in schools, libraries, homes and businesses such as farms. Funds come from the federal ReConnect Pilot Program, which provides loans and grants to help build broadband infrastructure in rural parts of the country.\n\nTexas\n\nFalfurrias: Authorities are searching for vandals who damaged a south Texas shrine to faith healer Don Pedrito Jaramillo. The damage to the shrine to Don Pedrito Jaramillo in Falfurrias, about 150 miles south of San Antonio, was reported Friday, according to Brooks County Sheriff Urbino “Benny” Martinez. “We’re really working hard on it because I think it’s really unfortunate that that would happen to Don Pedrito,” Martinez told the San Antonio Express-News. “It’s been there for years and years.” Jaramillo was known as “the healer of Los Olmos,” for using natural remedies to heal the sick. He came to the Los Olmos Ranch near Falfurrias in the early 1880s and died in 1907. The shrine began at his burial site and received a Texas Historical Marker in 1971. Falfurrias City Administrator Melissa Landin said damage to crosses and statues of Jaramillo may be irreparable.\n\nUtah\n\nSalt Lake City: Authorities are investigating an attack on a black missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a possible hate crime. Two men were arrested Thursday on suspicion of assault, and charging documents show a hate crime designation is under consideration. The NAACP expressed outrage about what allegedly happened, and church officials said they are concerned about the incident. The victim and his missionary companion were preparing to go to a house of people they were going to teach Jan. 28 in the central Utah city of Payson when they encountered six people wearing dark hoodies, charging documents show. The assailants shouted a racial slur at the victim, who is Panamian, and told him to get out of their “hood,” he told police. They threw his cellphone on the ground, threatened his mother and called him a “church boy” before punching him in the head and face and kicking him, the document shows.\n\nVermont\n\nMontpelier: The Vermont Land Trust is giving a $5,000 award to a farmer who exemplifies land stewardship, giving back and entrepreneurial farming. The deadline for applications for the Eric Rozendaal Memorial Award is June 30, the Bennington Banner reports. Rozendaal, who died in 2018 at age 51, was a pioneer in the farm-to-plate movement in Vermont and one of the first to sell directly to restaurants, stores and hospitals, the Land Trust said. He also enhanced his farm’s soil, built relationships with customers and farm workers, and shared his knowledge with others, the group said. His family and friends raised money to create the award in his honor. The award will be given out each year through 2028. Corie Pierce of Bread & Butter Farm in Shelburne and South Burlington was the first recipient of the award last year.\n\nVirginia\n\nRichmond: State officials announced plans Friday to create new habitat for about 25,000 seabirds after their nesting grounds were paved for a state tunnel expansion project – a case that highlighted weakened protections for birds across the U.S. under President Donald Trump. Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam’s office said the state was acting because of the Trump administration’s new interpretation of the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act that says accidental bird deaths are not enforceable under the century-old law. “Had this federal policy remained unchanged, it would have protected the birds on South Island from harm,” Northam’s office said in a statement. The announcement comes after the Virginia Department of Transportation earlier this month confirmed to The Virginian-Pilot the extent of the damage to the decades-old nesting site.\n\nWashington\n\nOlympia: The state Senate on Friday passed a data privacy measure that would give consumers the right to manage how information held by private companies is used. The measure, called the Washington Privacy Act, passed on a bipartisan 46-1 vote and now heads to the House for consideration. It would require businesses or other entities that control or process the identifiable data of more than 100,000 people to allow consumers to find out what data is stored about them, correct errors or request deletion. It would also allow people the right to opt out of their data being used for the purposes of targeted advertising and to opt out of the sale of their personal data. The measure would also set rules for facial recognition technology for companies. The measure has been modeled on European rules and protections put in place in California.\n\nWest Virginia\n\nCharleston: Gov. Jim Justice on Friday offered a conditional apology for calling a high school girls’ basketball team “thugs,” saying he didn’t know the remarks would cause any trouble. Justice has drawn criticism for using the term after a scuffle broke out at a heated Tuesday night game between Greenbrier East High School, where he coaches, and Woodrow Wilson High School. The team’s coaches are black, as are some of the players. His comments spread quickly on social media and at the Capitol, with one lawmaker, Del. Mike Pushkin, tweeting that the governor was making “thinly veiled racial slurs.” On Wednesday, the Republican governor defended himself, issuing a statement that said: “Anyone that would accuse me of making a racial slur is totally absurd.” Then on Friday, in an interview with local ABC affiliate WCHS-TV, Justice said he was sorry if he hurt any feelings, while noting others who’ve used the word.\n\nWisconsin\n\nMadison: The Wisconsin Claims Board on Friday awarded $25,000 to a U.S. Navy veteran who spent 26 years behind bars for a homicide he didn’t commit. Derrick Sanders, now 48, argued he was wrongfully convicted in the fatal shooting of Jason Bowie in Milwaukee in 1992. Prosecutors dropped the charges against him in 2018 after a circuit judge threw out his conviction. “The Board concludes and finds that the evidence is clear and convincing that Sanders was innocent of the charge discussed herein,” the decision said. Sanders had asked the board for $5.7 million, but state law limits compensation for wrongful convictions to $25,000. Sanders’ current attorney, Rex Anderegg, didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment.\n\nWyoming\n\nCheyenne: Veterans and lawmakers including U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, of Kentucky, rallied in support of a bill in Wyoming that would restrict combat deployment of National Guard troops. The bill failed an initial vote, 35-22, falling far short of the two-thirds majority needed for introduction in the Wyoming House. Under the Defend the Guard Act, Wyoming troops and airmen could only be sent to combat with congressional authorization specifically granted by the Constitution, such as declaration of war. “We now have kids going to war who were born after 9/11. I don’t think one generation should bind another generation in war,” Paul told a small crowd Friday at the Wyoming Capitol. Opponents of such measures in other states have pointed out there’s already a potential check on combat deployments of National Guard troops – they must be approved by a governor. Lawmakers defeated the bill on introduction without debate later Friday.\n\nFrom USA TODAY Network and wire reports", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2020/02/17"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/05/22/summer-concerts-phoenix-2019-lil-wayne-blink-182-khalid-rascal-flatts-21-savage-jennifer-lopez/3673507002/", "title": "Summer concerts in Phoenix: Dave Matthews Band, Mumford ...", "text": "The Rolling Stones, two former Beatles and the Cream guitarist who dropped by to solo on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” are among the legendary artists returning to Phoenix in a summer concert season that also brings a double bill of Brian Wilson and the Zombies.\n\nAnd those are just the living legends.\n\nSummer also brings Dave Matthews Band, Mumford & Sons and John Mayer, to name a few of the higher-profile artists swinging through the Valley between now and late September.\n\nHere's a look at those and other summer highlights, from Ak-Chin Pavilion to Cross Record at the Trunk Space.\n\n9/1: Ryley Walker\n\nThis experimental singer-songwriter released two albums last year. \"Deafman Glance\" was saluted in Classic Rock Magazine as \"Tim Buckley to Beefheart to Bert Jansch and beyond.\" And he followed through with \"The Lillywhite Sessions,\" a full-scale deconstruction of the Dave Matthews Band's unreleased (but bootlegged) album of the same name. Q magazine praised it as \"completely unexpected, utterly brilliant.\" And Q was right on both counts. This show also features Wild Pink.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 1. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $12. valleybarphx.com.\n\n9/1: Animal House: A Dance Party\n\nThe Stateside Presents crew is transforming the Van Buren into a tropical paradise for one night only to send the summer off right with a Labor Day weekend party including tropical drink specials, a prop-filled photo booth, animals swinging from the rafters and more, including DJ sets by Classixx and Cassius.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 1. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $20; $15 in advance. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n9/2: Skillet, Sevendust\n\nFronted by a married couple, John and Korey Cooper, Memphis post-grunge veterans Skillet have sent three consecutive albums to the top of Billboard's Christian charts — 2009's platinum \"Awake,\" 2013's \"Rise\" and last year's \"Unleashed.\" This is a co-headlining tour with Sevendust, whose sound can range from the rap-metal urgency of “Enemy” (a Top 10 Mainstream Rock hit in 2003) to the moodier melodic sensibilities of the “Cold Day Memory” track “Unraveling.\" Also playing: Pop Evil, Devour the Day.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 2. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $42.50-$62.50. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.\n\n9/3: The National\n\nThe indie-rock veterans arrive in support of \"I Am Easy to Find,\" their much-anticipated followup to \"Sleep Well Beast,\" which won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album and became their highest-charting album yet. Paste magazine responded to the new release with \"The National have put out another album that could easily be argued as their best — and it may be easier to make that claim now than ever before.\"\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $42.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n9/3: K.Flay\n\nThe L.A.-based singer is touring in support of \"Every Where is Some Where,\" a collection of confessional electro-pop that makes the most of K.Flay's idiosyncratic pout and should appeal to anyone who loved that latest Lorde release.\n\nAs Rock Sound noted: \"'Every Where Is Some Where' is in turns intimate, expansive, confessional and inviting – thoroughly addictive on the dark, pulsing and urgent ‘Blood In The Cut,’ woozily euphoric on ‘High Enough,’ playfully political on ‘The President Has A Sex Tape’ and swirling and sultry on ‘You Felt Right’.\"\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept 3. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $22. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.\n\n9/4: Angels & Airwaves\n\nTom DeLonge and his bandmates are launching their first tour in seven years at Tempe's Marquee Theatre. The tour announcement was accompanied by the release of \"Rebel Girl,\" their first new music in three years. DeLonge founded Angels & Airwaves in 2005, while still co-fronting Blink-182, who replaced him in 2015 with Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba. Angels & Airwaves' best-known songs include \"The Adventure\" and \"Everything's Magic.\"\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $38. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.\n\n9/5: Lost '80s Live\n\nGet lost in the '80s with A Flock of Seagulls, Wang Chung, Farrington & Mann (of When In Rome), the Vapors, Boy's Don't Cry and Real Life. Formed in Liverpool, A Flock of Seagulls crashed the U.S. pop charts with the synth-pop smash \"I Ran (So Far Away)\" and followed through \"Space Age Love Song\" \"Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)\" and \"The More You Live, the More You Love.\" Wang Chung made it hard to forget who they are by including their name in their biggest U.S. hit, \"Everybody Have Fun Tonight.\"\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $40-$65. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.\n\n9/5: Cross Record\n\nEmily is touring in support of a self-titled Cross Record album. In the three years since her previous release, the singer went through a divorce, quit drinking, become a death doula, started the observational podcast “What I’m Looking At” and toured and recorded with Loma, the trio she formed with Dan Duszynski and Jonathan Meiburg. After setting the tone with an experimental mood piece that finds her repeating the line \"What is your wish?\" she settles into an album that favors more song-oriented fare without abandoning the eccentricities that make that first track what it is. The result will leave you haunted.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5. The Trunk Space, 1124 N. Third St., Phoenix. $8. thetrunkspace.com.\n\n9/6: Brian Wilson and the Zombies\n\nBrian Wilson is bringing the Zombies to town on the Something Great from '68 and More Tour. Wilson will be joined by fellow Beach Boys Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin, performing selections from \"Friends\" and \"Surf's Up\" in addition to hits from the '60s and '70s. The Zombies bring together past and present line-ups to perform the masterpiece on which their legacy has come to rest, the awe-inspiring \"Odessey and Oracle.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $49.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n9/6: Why?\n\n\"AOKOHIO\" is a visual album Yoni Wolf has been revealing in a string of three-song movements leading up to its release on Aug. 9. The album follows 2017's “Moh Lhean,” which found him adopting a more reflective world view in the wake of a health scare while at the same time drifting into haunted psychedelic folk. As PopMatters noted, “It’s as if he has suddenly come to terms with his place in the world and that has translated into music which is warmer, looser, and more liberated.”\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $20; $17 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.\n\n9/7: Bleached\n\nSisters Jennifer and Jessica Clavin have gone through a bit of a growth spurt since \"Welcome The Worms\" hit the streets in 2016, getting sober and reflecting on those changes on the aptly titled \"Don't You Think You've Had Enough?\" And they've managed to grow up in public with abandoning the effervescent pop charms of their misspent youth, hanging one of the album's most contagious hooks on a singalong chorus of \"We made it through the teen awkward phase / I got some pictures I don't wanna explain.\"\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $15. valleybarphx.com.\n\n9/8: Kristin Hersh Electric Trio\n\nThe voice of Throwing Muses is in brilliant form on \"Possible Dust Clouds,\" an electrifying, feedback-laden masterstroke that makes the most of the her raspy delivery to the convey the raw emotions at the heart of her best work. Q magazine calls it \"a stunning, stealthy, faintly malevolent collection of songs that serve as a reminder of this songwriter's power and innovation.\" It's kind of amazing how much of her edge she's managed to retain more than 30 years after grabbing our attention by the throat.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $15. valleybarphx.com.\n\n9/10: John Mayer\n\nThese Evening with John Mayer concerts will feature two sets of music spanning his entire recording career. There will be no opening act. In addition to his solo tour, Mayer is again touring North America in 2019, for the fourth consecutive year, with Dead & Company, featuring Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, along with Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $44.75 and up. 602-379-7800, ticketmaster.com.\n\n9/10: Black Flag\n\nThe great Greg Ginn has reassembled something he feels comfortable promoting as Black Flag, the hardcore legends whose sound was defined in part by Ginn's guitar work, which sounded as brilliant as ever on 2013's \"What The...\" This is their third reunion since they went their separate ways in 1986 and represents their first live shows in five years. The only holdout from their glory years in this year's model is Ginn, who's joined by professional skateboarder Mike Vallely on lead vocals.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $26. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.\n\n9/10-11: The Allman Betts Band\n\nIt would be more than fair to file this year's excellent \"Down to the River\" under \"Allman Brothers-related.\" It's right there in the band name. They're fronted by singer-guitarists Devon Allman (Gregg's son) and Duane Betts (Dickey's son, whose first name is a tip of the hat to the late Duane Allman). And their bassist is Berry Duane Oakley, the son of Allmans bassist Berry Oakley. None of this would matter if they didn't rise to the occasion with an album that honors the family tradition in style and substance.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 10-11. Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix. $35.50-$40.50. 480-478-6000, mim.org.\n\n9/11: Explosions in the Sky\n\nThese post-rock instrumentalists from Austin have been known to sum up their own music as \"cathartic mini-symphonies.\" And that sounds about right. They're playing Mesa on a tour celebrating their 20th anniversary. \"The Wilderness,\" their latest album, earned a perfect score from the reviewer at the Austin Chronicle, who called it \"textured, ornate, and somehow seeping into the deepest parts of you.\" The Line of Best Fit also loved \"The Wilderness,\" calling is \"thrillingly foreign yet familiar in its finest moments.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11. Mesa Arts Center, One East Main St., Mesa. $30. 480-644-6500, mesaartscenter.com.\n\n9/11: Jay Som\n\nMelina Duterte made our year-end album list in 2017 with “Everybody Works,” an album she recorded in her bedroom. But despite the introspective nature of the lyrics and the way the first song sounds like it was captured in the middle of a dream, it doesn’t feel like the work of a bedroom-pop auteur. Too many of the album’s highlights rock too much to warrant that description, from the richly orchestrated pop charms of “The Bus Song” to the post-punk grinding of “1 Billion Dogs.” And the followup will be here by the time she gets to Phoenix.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11. Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $15; $13 in advance. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.\n\n9/12: Maren Morris\n\nIt's been two years since Morris won Best Country Solo Performance at the Grammys for her breakthrough single, \"My Church.\" Now, she's touring in support of \"Girl,\" a solid second album that enjoyed the largest debut streaming week in history for a country album by a female artist. And it's doubtful anyone regretted helping Morris grab that title assuming they came for the country-pop crossover bids that made her such a hot commodity, including a featured vocal spot on Zedd's triple-platinum \"The Middle.\"\n\nDetails: 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12. Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center St. $53; $48 in advance. 480-644-2560, mesaamp.com.\n\n9/12: David Crosby\n\nA co-founding member of both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, the singer-guitarist is on the shortlist of performers to have been inducted more than once to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He and five musical friends, including keyboard-playing son James Raymond, will perform some of the most beloved songs of his illustrious career alongside material from the \"Sky Trails\" album and a few surprises.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $40-$85. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.\n\n9/13: Dave Matthews Band\n\nThe Grammy-winning jam-rock veterans have sold more than 24 million tickets with sales of 38 million CDs and DVDs combined. With the release of 2018’s \"Come Tomorrow,\" they became the first group in history to have seven consecutive studio albums top the Billboard charts. Rolling Stone praised the album for exploring \"the mature, singer-songwriter side he's developed during recent work like 2012's 'Away From the World.'\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $45.50 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\n9/13: Mana\n\nIt's been three years since the multi-platinum, Grammy-winning rockers, hailed in Billboard as “the most widely sold and heard Latin band in the world,” toured. Their previous Latino Power Tour sold out venues across the U.S. with a message of unity and empowerment.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. Resale prices vary. 602-379-7800, ticketmaster.com.\n\n9/13: Phoenix Unknown\n\nThe inaugural Phoenix Unknown: World Music and Night Market hosts Phoenix-based performers representing more than 15 countries and vendors representing more than 30 countries. Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra will be joined by Cafe Jaleo (Colombian), Zazu (French), Arroz Con Mango (Cuban), Qais Essar (Afghan), Around Diarra (Burkina Faso), Fushico Daiko (Japanese), Samba de Carvalho (Brazilian), DJ Vex (African), Djentrification (Thai and Cambodian funk), Firebrass Village Blasting Club (Serbian) and Kristopher Rein (Indian).\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $10-$20. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n9/13: Buckcherry\n\nA cowbell-rocking celebration of rock and roll's sleaziest impulses, their best music swaggers through all the right echoes of everything from AC/DC to the Black Crowes, Motley Crue and Guns N' Roses, led by Josh Todd's gritty rasp. They topped the mainstream-rock charts their first time at bat, with the slashing up-with-cocaine anthem \"Lit Up,\" back in 1999. Other hits include the double-platinum \"Crazy B----\" and the platinum \"Sorry.\" This tour is in support of a new album, \"Warpaint.\"\n\nDetails: 6:15 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $25-$45. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.\n\n9/14: Eric Clapton\n\nThis is one of four U.S. dates the guitarist will play in 2019. The man has been inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on three occasions, as a member of the Yardbirds, then with Cream and finally, in recognition of his solo work. As the Rock Hall website puts it, \"THREE INDUCTIONS, THREE WORDS: 'CLAPTON IS GOD.'\" That expression was famously spray-painted on a wall in 1967 and has followed him around since then.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $84.75 and up. 602-379-7800, ticketmaster.com.\n\n9/14: Test Dept\n\nThe U.K. industrial music veterans are touring the States in support of \"Disturbance,\" their first album in 22 years. And the timing couldn't be more perfect. As PopMatters wrote, \"'Disturbance' is precisely what the dark uncertainty of the present moment calls for: a primeval blending of ancient ambiance and modern tech, building fast and furious into a soundtrack that batters the fragile Quotidien present with a beautiful rage into which the listener yearns to hurl themselves, body and soul.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $20-$35. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.\n\n9/15: Breaking Benjamin\n\nBreaking Benjamin, whose post-grunge hits include \"The Diary of Jane\" and \"I Will Not Bow,\" bring their tour in continued support of “Ember\" to Phoenix with special guests Chevelle, Three Days Grace, Dorothy and Diamante. It should be noted that the only member of the current lineup who was there for the recording of \"The Diary of Jane\" is Benjamin himself, guitar-playing vocalist Benjamin Burnley.\n\nDetails: 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $29.50 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\n9/15: Squeeze\n\nThe Squeeze Songbook 2019 Tour finds the UK legends, hailed in Rolling Stone as the Lennon-McCartney of their generation, playing their extensive list of hits and some lesser-known gems from both Squeeze's own extensive catalog and their solo careers. Glenn Tilbrook promises \"a set of songs that are both new, contemporary and as innovative as people have come to expect from us, along with the old beauties.” Those beauties include some of the greatest pop songs of the New Wave era.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave. $48-$78. 480-782-2680, chandlercenter.org.\n\n9/16: Mumford & Sons\n\nThe Delta Tour has been selling out venues and garnering raves from critics. The Albany Times Union wrote, “Mumford & Sons has developed into an arena-rock juggernaut,” while the Washington Post proclaimed, “The U.K. quartet thrilled a packed Capital One Arena crowd…undeniably wondrous arena rock anthems.” The tour is named for \"Delta,\" the U.K. rockers' third consecutive release to top the Billboard album chart, which it did with the largest sales week for an alternative rock album in 2018.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. 602-379-7800, ticketmaster.com.\n\n9/16: Phantogram\n\nJosh Carter and Sarah Barthel set the tone for their third album, \"Three,\" with a breathtaking ballad called \"Funeral Pyre\" that was recorded for \"Voices\" and later reshaped with new lyrics to serve as the perfect transition into where they are today.\n\nAnd as the album makes its way through such highlights as the hard-grooving heartache of \"You Don't Get Me High Anymore\" and cutting-edge pop of \"Cruel World,\" it's clear that \"Three\" is just the next step in their evolution. Also playing: Tycho.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $45; $40 in advance. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n9/16: Crumb\n\nThese psychedelic rockers from Boston are touring the States in support of \"Jinx,\" an EP that serves as a brilliant reminder that music writers have been overusing \"dreamy\" as an adjective instead of holding that one in reserve for such occasions. Q magazine responded by declaring it \"as haunting as it is enchanting,\" which is true, while Consequence of Sound called it \"a record that intoxicates with melodic twists and relatable emotional landscapes.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $25-$38. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.\n\n9/17: Iron Maiden\n\nThe Legacy of the Beast Tour opened in Europe, playing to more than half a million fans. The Times declared it “an extraordinary show filled with world class theatrics\" and \"a master class in performance and staging.” In a press release, singer Bruce Dickinson promised that the British metal legends would deliver their most spectacular and \"certainly most complex\" show to date.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $44.75 and up. 602-379-7800, ticketmaster.com.\n\n9/17: Benjamin Francis Leftwich\n\nThe English singer-songwriter arrives in support of \"Gratitude,\" an album on which he continues his recent drift into more synthesizer-driven waters, ethereal textures underscoring his deeply introspective lyrics detailing the recovery process he's been through since entering rehab in early 2017. The resulting sheen may leave some listeners wishing for a rawness to match the emotion, but Clash magazine felt it \"lends a progressive edge to the record that takes time to soak in, but ultimately rewards.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $17. valleybarphx.com.\n\n9/18: Lenny Kravitz\n\nThis four-time Grammy winner set a record for most wins in the best male rock vocal performance race. The son of actress Roxie Roker (\"The Jeffersons\") broke through at alternative radio with \"Let Love Rule,\" the title track to his acclaimed debut. Subsequent hits included \"It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over,\" \"Are You Gonna Go My Way,\" \"Rock and Roll Is Dead,\" \"Fly Away\" and his take on the Guess Who's \"American Woman.\"\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $58.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n9/18: Flying Lotus\n\nFlying Lotus arrives in support of \"Flamagra,\" his first album since the Grammy-nominated genius of 2014's \"You're Dead!,\" after which he famously collaborated with Kendrick Lamar on \"To Pimp a Butterfly\" and produced the lion's share of Thundercat's masterful \"Drunk.\" The label has promised no less than \"an astral afro-futurist masterpiece of deep soul, cosmic dust and startling originality\" with guest appearances by Anderson .Paak, George Clinton, Little Dragon, Thundercat, Solange and more.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $33; $30 in advance. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n9/18: Boogarins\n\nRolling Stone praised these Brazilian rockers' latest effort, \"Sombrou Dúvida,\" as \"an exuberant whirl of psychedelia, pop-wise alternative-rock and vintage Tropicalía\" while Uncut raved \"Boogarins have grown from a homegrown Brazilian success story to international cult stars... flexing their potential to be Brazil's most exciting musical export since Tropicália.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $15. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.\n\n9/19: Florida Georgia Line\n\nThe duo's 10-times-platinum breakthrough single, \"Cruise,\" topped Billboard's country chart on the way to becoming the fastest-selling single by a country duo in digital history, inspiring a remix with rapping by Nelly. Other multi-platinum hits include \"Get Your Shine On,\" \"Round Here,\" \"Stay,\" \"This is How We Roll,\" \"Dirt\" and \"H.O.L.Y.\" This is the duo's Can't Say I Ain't Country Tour, which is perhaps a matter of opinion.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $44.25 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\n9/19: Los Angeles Azules\n\nThe Azules bring a contagious energy to their cumbia, which served them well when they became the first traditional cumbia group to play Coachella in 2018. The LA Times responded to their set that day with \"The slick but effective dance band — with 18 musicians onstage in carefully coordinated outfits — was welcomed with an enthusiasm that suggested festival-goers had been waiting for Coachella to embrace an important aspect of Southern California’s musical landscape.\"\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $48.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n9/19: Kansas\n\nThe Point of Know Return Tour finds the heartland's preeminent prog sensations performing the album \"Point of Know Return\" in its entirety. Having hit the mainstream with \"Leftoverture,\" a quadruple-platinum that spawn a million-selling calling card in \"Carry On Wayward Son,\" they made the most of that momentum by releasing \"Point of Know Return\" less than a year later, adding two more massive singles to their resume, the title track and an existential, acoustic-guitar-driven ballad called \"Dust in the Wind.\"\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19. Mesa Arts Center, One East Main St., Mesa. $43-. 480-644-6500, mesaartscenter.com.\n\n9/20: Casting Crowns\n\nThese contemporary-Christian rockers earned a Grammy for 2006's \"Lifesong,\" picked up artist of the year in 2010 at the Dove Awards and won an American Music Award for best contemporary inspirational artist for \"Casting Crowns: A Live Worship Experience.\" Released in 2003, their self-titled debut is double-platinum and they've sent seven albums to the top of Billboard's Christian charts. This tour is in support of \"Only Jesus.\"\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20. Grand Canyon University Arena, 3300 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix. $35-$79; $15 for GCU students. 602-639-8979, gcuarena.com.\n\n9/21: Maluma\n\nThe Colombian superstar, whose music is a blend of reggaeton, pop and Latin trap, will bring his Maluma 11:11 Tour to Phoenix. In a press release, the singer said, \"This will be my third North American tour and I come with a brand new show full of surprises for my fans and new music off my upcoming album '11:11' which is due out later this year.\" Now 25, the former teen sensation sold more concert tickets than any other Latin artist in 2017, filling venues through Latin America, Europe, the U.S. and Brazil.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $81 and up. 602-379-7800, ticketmaster.com.\n\n9/21: Mark Knopfler\n\nThis tour is in support of \"Down the Road Wherever.\" In a press release, the guitarist who rose to fame at the helm of Dire Straits said of the tour, \"My songs are made to be performed live. I love the whole process of writing them alone and then recording them with the band, but ultimately the best part is playing them to an audience live. I enjoy the whole circus, travelling from town to town.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. Resale prices vary. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n9/21: Tash Sultana\n\nThis 23-year-old Australian, a former street performer who can play more than a dozen instruments, arrives in support of a soulful debut titled \"Flow State\" on which every note was reportedly played or sung by Sultana. As Consequence of Sound so rightly noted, none of that would matter if the end result had somehow failed to live up to the promise of that multi-faceted musicianship. But it does. And as impressive as her chops may be, it ultimately comes down to the strength of the material and the power of her voice.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $45; $35-$39. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n9/21: Aaron Neville Duo\n\nThis New Orleans soul great topped the Billboard R&B charts with the 1966 release of \"Tell It LIke It Is,\" a stone-cold classic. But his highest-profile hit came decades later when he teamed with Linda Ronstadt on a 1989 duet called \"Don't Know Much,\" following through in 1990 with a second Ronstadt pairing, \"All My Life.\" His latest album, \"Apache,\" is a soulful gem reflecting his social and spiritual concerns, marking only the second time in his 56-year recording career that he's co-written nearly an entire album’s worth of material.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave. $46-$56. 480-782-2680, chandlercenter.org.\n\n9/21: Toto\n\nWe're in the midst of a bit of a Toto resurgence. Their greatest hits collection \"40 Trips Around The Sun\" topped the charts in eight countries in early 2018. Then Weezer covered \"Africa\" and a whole new generation blessed the rains. As individuals, Toto members can be heard on an astonishing 5,000 albums with combined sales of half a billion and more than 200 Grammy nominations. As Toto, they have more than a billion streams worldwide on all streaming services.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $40-$60. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.\n\n9/22: The Regrettes\n\nThere’s always something to be said for filtering the timeless charm of ‘60s girl-group music through the snarl and sneer of classic punk. Alternative Press responded to “Feel Your Feelings Fool!,” their deubt, with “Sixteen-year-old vocalist Lydia Night isn't afraid to speak her mind, and the members of the Regrettes match her gritty vocal delivery and feminist sentiments with raucous rock 'n' roll guitars coated with buzzy noise and distortion.” They're here in support of the forthcoming followup \"How Do You Love?\"\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $28; $25 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.\n\nPAST EVENTS\n\n5/22: New Kids on the Block\n\nThe MixTape Tour finds New Kids On The Block joined by fellow old-school pop sensations Salt-N-Pepa, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson and Naughty by Nature, promising such hits as “Hangin’ Tough,” “I’ll Be Loving You (Forever)” and “Step By Step.”\n\nTo celebrate the tour announcement, New Kids dropped a throwback track called “80s Baby” featuring their touring partners.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 22. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $25.20 and up. 602-379-7800, ticketmaster.com.\n\n5/22: Hatebreed\n\nLed by singer Jamey Jasta, these metalcore veterans hit the Hard Rock album charts at No. 2 with “The Concrete Confessional,” their seventh album.\n\nA reviewer at Metal Injection awarded the album an 8 out of 10 while noting that although it’s “no reinvention by any means, there is enough variety of material and reinvigoration in the band's energy to establish it as one of the best Hatebreed albums of the past decade.”\n\nDetails: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 22. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $25-$45. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.\n\n5/22: Little Feat\n\nThis is a 50th anniversary tour for L.A.'s most enduring to the Southern rock explosion of the '70s. Rolling Stone summed up the charms of their debut as \"a weirder, wilder, West Coast version of the Band, blending and blurring American musical styles like Captain Beefheart leading a garage-rock combo along with Hank Williams, Howlin' Wolf, Duane Allman and Jack Kerouac.\" Jimmy Page called them his favorite American band in a 1975 Rolling Stone interview.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 22. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $35-$125. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n5/23: Wisin y Yandel\n\nThe Latin-music duo are launching their first U.S. tour in five years with a show at Comerica Theatre in support of their first album in more than five years, \"Los Campeones del Pueblo/ The Big Leagues.\" It's the duo's 10th studio album and the first they've recorded together since the award-winning album \"Líderes\" in 2012.\n\nIn addition to their own recording, they're known for having collaborated with such heavy hitters as Franco de Vita, Daddy Yankee and Don Omar.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Thursday, May 23. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $49.95 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n5/25: The Millennium Tour\n\nR&B sensations B2K (Omarion, Boog, Fizz and Raz-B) will bring the Millennium Tour to Gila River Arena on May 25 with special guests Mario, Pretty Ricky, Lloyd, Ying Yang Twins, Chingy and Bobby V.\n\nIn their original run, from 1998-2004, B2K had a string of hit singles, including the chart-topping \"Bump, Bump, Bump\" as well as “Girlfriend,” \"Gots ta Be\" and \"Uh Huh.\" They won back-to-back BET Viewer's Choice Awards and Soul Train Awards in their prime.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Saturday, May 25. Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave., Glendale. $49.50 and up. 623-772-3800, ticketmaster.com.\n\n5/26: Lemonheads, Tommy Stinson\n\nEvan Dando's Lemonheads broke through in 1992 with \"It's a Shame About Ray,\" fueled largely by the title track, a wistful, acoustic-driven rocker that became a Top 5 modern-rock hit and landed a spot on Pitchfork's Top 200 Tracks of the '90s list. Stinson found fame on the fringes as the teenage derelict on bass for the Replacements. His latest solo work should speak directly to the part of you that fell in love with “Hootenanny” or whatever album proved to be your gateway drug back in the day.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Sunday, May 26. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $30-$60. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.\n\n5/30: Dead Milkmen\n\nThese Philly punks were born to conquer college radio, where their sardonic sense of humor helped them stand out from the crowd as eccentric originals, following through on the promise of \"Bitchin' Camaro\" with \"The Thing That Only Eats Hippies,\" \"Instant Club Hit (You'll Dance to Anything)\" and the career-defining \"Punk Rock Girl.\" That last one helped them land a major-label deal, which only ended in frustration and a 13-year hiatus. They've been back together since 2008, with two solid new albums to show for it.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 30. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $25-$35. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.\n\n5/31: Brad Paisley\n\nOne of country's most consistent hit machines, Paisley scored his first of 18 chart-topping country hits, \"He Didn't Have to Be,\" in 1999 and sent a record-breaking streak of 10 consecutive releases to the top from 2005 (\"When I Get Where I'm Going,\" a duet with Dolly Parton) to 2009 (\"Then\").\n\nHis biggest hits include four double-platinum singles — \"Whiskey Lullaby,\" \"She's Everything,\" \"Then\" and \"Remind Me,\" a duet with Carrie Underwood.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 31. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $38.50 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\n6/1: Luis Miguel\n\nAmong the most successful acts in Latin-music history, Luis Miguel will launch his U.S. tour in Phoenix.\n\nThe Puerto Rican-born Mexican vocalist recently picked up his sixth Latin Grammy and the Latin American Music Award for Best Tour of 2018.\n\nDetails: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 1. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $35.20 and up. 602-379-7800, ticketmaster.com.\n\n6/3: Specials\n\nA leading force on the U.K. 2 Tone ska revival of the '70s, the Specials are touring the States in support of \"Encore,\" their first album of original material to feature founding member Terry Hall since 1981. The Wire raved \"with guitarist Lynval Golding and bassist Horace Panter in the fold, it feels more like The Specials than anything has in a long time.\" That's especially true of the bonus disc on the deluxe editions, which features such Specials classics as \"Gangsters,\" \"A Message to You, Rudy\" and \"Monkey Man.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Monday, June 3. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $40; $35 in advance. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n6/7: Foreigner\n\nWhen Foreigner's 40th anniversary tour played Phoenix in 2017, Mick Jones said in a press release, “I never could have imagined when I set out to create Foreigner ... that we’d still be touring around the world and performing the music we love all these years later.\" It helps to have a catalog with highlights that are as likely to inspire trips down memory lane as \"Feels Like the First Time,\" \"Cold as Ice,\" \"Hot Blooded\" and \"Double Vision.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Friday, June 7. The Pool at Talking Stick Resort, Loop 101 and Pima Road, Salt River Reservation. $25 and up. 480-850-7734, talkingstickresort.com.\n\n6/7: El Fantasma\n\nThe regional Mexican singer was part of the “Renovarse o Morir” panel and an awards finalist at the 2019 Billboard Latin Music Week and Awards. His \"En El Camino\" album also earned a Latin Grammy nomination for best banda album.\n\nBillboard magazine also credits the singer with being \"part of the new wave of 'Mexillennials' taking over the genre.\"\n\nDetails: 8:30 p.m. Friday, June 7. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $62.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n6/7: J.I.D.\n\nSigned to J. Cole's Dreamville imprint, this Atlanta rapper is part of the Spillage Village collective. He's headed to town on the Catch Me If You Can Tour in support of \"DiCaprio 2,\" a sophomore album that more than lived up to the promise of \"The Never Story.\"\n\nAs HipHopDX said, \"The 14-track album keeps all the commended technical framework of 'The Never Story' but elevates the delivery and songwriting to a point where he sounds completely like his own man with his own plan.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Friday, June 7. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $27.50-$45. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.\n\n6/8: Rich the Kid\n\nThis young Atlanta trap sensation made his full-length debut in 2018 with \"The World Is Yours,\" a gold record that spun off two big hits – the triple-platinum “Plug Walk” and the double-platinum “New Freezer” ft. Kendrick Lamar.\n\nReleased in late 2017, “New Freezer” sparked a long-running viral dance competition known as the “New Freezer Challenge.” He arrives in support of \"The World is Yours 2.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Saturday, June 8. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $25-$250 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n6/8: Hillsong United\n\nThe Australian-based worship collective will bring their first U.S. tour in nearly three years to Comerica Theatre. Comprised of an evolving and eclectic mix of musicians and songwriters, Hillsong United have sold more than 4.7 million albums globally and garnered more than 3 billion worldwide career streams to date.\n\nTheir latest album, “Wonder,” topped the Billboard Christian chart while setting a record for the most streamed album in a single week in Christian music history.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 8. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. Resale prices vary. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n6/10: The Offspring\n\nThe Offspring gone acoustic? Dexter Holland explained the inspiration for this tour on their website: \"Back in November we played a couple of short acoustic sets, one of which was to benefit the Rob Machado Foundation. It was really cool doing songs all on acoustic guitars. So cool that we’re going to do some more!\" These are full sets of the Offspring songs you might expect from an electric show. And it's the full band. \"Not just me and Noodles\" Holland promised. \"We’ll drink some beer, tell some stories and maybe do a few fun cover songs.\"\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 10. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $35-$55. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.\n\n6/11: Aly & AJ\n\nThe Michalka sisters are touring again in continued support of \"Ten Years,\" an EP that finds them exploring the complexities of growing up in public. Aly found fame as an actress after being cast as Keely on \"Phil of the Future,\" a Disney Channel series that ran from 2004-2006. A year after the series premiered, she and her sister released a million-selling debut called \"Into the Rush\" and scored their biggest hit in 2007 with \"Potential Breakup Song.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 11. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $25-$250. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n6/12: Train and Goo Goo Dolls\n\nThis tour was announced the same day Train released \"Train’s Greatest Hits,\" which pulls together hits as big as “Drops of Jupiter,” “Calling All Angels” and “Hey Soul Sister,” as well as a cover of George Michael’s “Careless Whisper,” with sax by Kenny G.\n\nGoo Goo Dolls launched a 2018 tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of \"Dizzy Up the Girl,\" the quadruple-platinum triumph that sent \"Slide\" and \"Iris\" to the top at alternative radio and Adult Top 40, at a sold-out Van Buren.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 12. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $29.50 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\n6/13: Luke Bryan\n\nBryan's biggest hits include \"Do I,\" \"Country Girl (Shake It For Me),\" \"I Don't Want This Night to End,\" \"Drunk on You,\" \"Crash My Party,\" \"That's My Kind of Night,\" \"Drink a Beer,\" \"Play It Again,\" \"Kick the Dust Up,\" \"Strip It Down\" and \"Huntin', Fishin' and Lovin' Every Day.\"\n\nHe's topped the country chart with 14 songs and been named Entertainer of the Year at both the ACM and CMA Awards. Last year, he headlined Country Thunder Arizona.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Thursday, June 13. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $39.25 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\n6/14: Ziggy Marley / Michael Franti\n\nEight-time Grammy winner Ziggy Marley arrives in continued support of \"Rebellion Rises\" on a co-headlining tour with friend and kindred spirit Michael Franti & Spearhead.\n\nIn a recent interview with azcentral.com, Marley said \"Rebellion Rises\" was designed to offer encouragement to and a voice for humanity in the face of overwhelming negativity and darkness. And in that way, it's the sort of record he was born to make, as the son of Bob and Rita Marley.\n\nDetails: 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 14. Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center St. $42. 480-644-2560, mesaamp.com.\n\n6/14: Anberlin\n\nThese earnest alternative rockers topped the Billboard modern-rock-tracks chart in 2009 with the anthemic \"Feel Good Drag,\" the first of three songs from fourth album \"New Surrender\" to go Top 40 on that chart. Subsequent hits include \"Impossible\" and \"Someone Anyone.\" Their latest album, \"Lowborn,\" released in 2014, found them moving in an artier direction while still coming through the anthemic chorus hooks.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Friday, June 14. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $28.50-$33; $27.50 in advance. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n6/16: Jennifer Lopez\n\nThe It’s My Party Tour will celebrate the singer turning 50 with a nonstop party mix of new and classic Lopez anthems, showstopping choreography, dazzling wardrobe, jaw-dropping technology and \"all the glamour and wow-factor fans have come to expect of Jenny from the Block.\" The most-played songs in recent Lopez shows have included such surefire crowd-pleasing favorites as \"If You Had My Love,\" \"Waiting For Tonight,\" \"Love Don't Cost a Thing,\" \"I'm Real\" and \"Jenny From the Block.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Sunday, June 16. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $70.20 and up. 602-379-7800, ticketmaster.com.\n\n6/18: Static-X and Devildriver\n\nIndustrial-metal veterans Static-X went platinum with their first release, \"Wisconsin Death Trip,\" which memorably sampled a scene from \"Planet of the Apes\" and spawned their highest-charting entry on the mainstream-rock charts, \"Push It.\"\n\nThey're joined by OZZFest veterans Devildriver, whose latest album, \"Outlaws 'Til the End,\" features punishing reinventions of old country songs by Willie Nelson, Johnny Paycheck, Johnny Cash, George Jones and more.\n\nDetails: 6:25 p.m. Tuesday, June 18. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $25-$60. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.\n\n6/18: Machine Gun Kelly\n\nHis stage name is meant to suggest that he sprays words the way a certain Prohibition-era gangster sprayed a room with his machine-gun fire. Fair enough. The Cleveland rapper may be best known in the mainstream for the double-platinum singles \"Wild Boy\" featuring Waka Flocka Flame and \"Bad Things\" with Camila Cabello. He arrives in support of a forthcoming fourth album, \"Hotel Diablo.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 18. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $35; $30 in advance. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n6/19: Hootie & the Blowfish\n\nFormed by Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, Darius Rucker and Jim “Soni” Sonefeld as college students in South Carolina, Hootie & the Blowfish blew up big with \"Cracked Rear View,\" a 1994 debut that remains one of the 20 biggest-selling U.S. albums of all time.\n\nThey're joined on their first tour in more than a decade by Barenaked Ladies with a new album expected this summer.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 19. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $29.50 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\n6/19: John Hiatt\n\nThis show is being billed as An Acoustic Evening With John Hiatt, and the best of Hiatt's music would sound just as good on acoustic guitar as it would in a full-band arrangement. It helps that the weathering of Hiatt's voice with age has only added to the charm of his conversational delivery, as captured to brilliant effect on \"The Eclipse Sessions,\" his latest release.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 19. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $73. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.\n\n6/20: Khalid\n\nThis is the opening night of Khalid's North American tour in support of a chart-topping sophomore release called “Free Spirit,” which follows \"American Teen.\"\n\nThe R&B singer broke through in 2016 with the five-times platinum single, \"Location,\" following through with a string of multi-platinum hits, including \"Young Dumb & Broke,\" \"Love Lies,\" \"OTW,\" \"Eastside\" and \"Better.\"\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 20. Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave., Glendale. $45.20 and up. 623-772-3800, ticketmaster.com.\n\n6/21-23: Elevate\n\nThis three-day festival, now in its seventh year, includes a number of the hottest names in modern Christian music. \"American Idol\" breakout Danny Gokey headlines Friday's bill, which also features Lincoln Brewster, Ryan Stevenson and Carrollton. Saturday brings Jeremy Camp, Phil Wickham, Hollyn, Micah Tyler and Austin French. And Sunday offers Building 429, Plumb, Unspoken, Colton Dixon, Jonny Diaz and Land of Color.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Friday, June 21; 5 p.m. Saturday, June 22; 4 p.m. Sunday, June 23. Grand Canyon University Arena, 3300 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix. $24.50-$57 single day; $60-$134 three-day pass. 602-639-8979, gcuarena.com.\n\n6/22: Santana\n\nThe Supernatural Tour commemorates two milestones in Santana history: the 20th anniversary of the \"Supernatural\" album and the 50th anniversary of the San Francisco rockers' iconic performance at Woodstock. \"Supernatural\" sent “Smooth” and “Maria Maria” to the top of Billboard's Hot 100, selling more than 30 million copies and sweeping the Grammys with nine wins.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Saturday, June 22. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $37 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\n6/23: Rob Thomas\n\nThomas launched his career as the voice of Matchbox Twenty, whose hits include \"Push,\" \"3AM,\" \"If You're Gone,\" \"Bent\" and \"How Far We've Come.\" He also collaborated with Santana on the triple-platinum, Grammy-winning \"Smooth,\" which topped the Hot 100 for 12 consecutive weeks and spent 58 weeks on the chart. His best-known solo hits are \"Lonely No More,\" \"This is How a Heart Breaks,\" \"Ever the Same\" and \"Her Diamonds.\" He arrives in support a new album, \"Chip Tooth Smile.\"\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, June 23. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $53 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n6/26: Paul McCartney\n\nThe former Beatle arrives in support of “Egypt Station,” his first album since 2013’s “New.\" This is the legend’s first Phoenix performance since 2014, a concert that featured no fewer than 25 Beatles songs in the course of a 39-song marathon. McCartney's vocals have held up amazingly well over time and it showed, from an aching performance of \"Eleanor Rigby\" to a screaming \"Helter Skelter.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 26. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. Resale prices vary. 602-379-7800, ticketmaster.com.\n\n6/26: Todd Rundgren\n\nLast year, the celebrated rocker published a memoir called \"The Individualist: Digressions, Dreams & Dissertations.\" This show is part concert and part book tour, highlighting hits and deep tracks spanning a career he launched with Nazz in 1967. Going solo two years later, Rundgren had a string of classic pop hits, from \"We Gotta Get You a Woman\" to \"I Saw the Light,\" \"Hello It's Me\" and \"Can We Still Be Friends.\"\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 26. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $35-$80. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.\n\n6/27: Nav\n\nThis Canadian rapper sent a second album called \"Bad Habits\" to the top of Billboard's album chart in March. But it's not a success fueled by critical praise. HipHopDX called it \"the perfect type of album to have playing in the background at your local Foot Locker and as long as it’s getting streamed somewhere, somehow by someone, NAV will likely be happy.\" And that critic liked it more than most. The rapper's best-known U.S. hits are \"Some Way\" (featuring the Weeknd), \"Myself\" and \"Wanted You\" (featuring Lil Uzi Vert).\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Thursday, June 27. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 22. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $38; $35 in advance. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n6/28: Brit Floyd\n\nBilled as \"the World's Greatest Pink Floyd Show,\" Brit Floyd will stage a brand new tribute show, 40 Years of The Wall, performing music from \"The Wall,\" \"The Dark Side of the Moon,\" \"Wish You Were Here,\" \"Animals\" and more.\n\nThey're promising their most ambitious and biggest production yet, recreating the staging of the final 1994 Division Bell tour, complete with a multi-million dollar light show, a large circular screen, projection, lasers, inflatables and assorted theatrics.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Friday, June 28. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $38.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n6/29: Indigo Girls\n\nThe Grammy-winning folk-rock duo earned raves for their latest release, 2015's \"One Lost Day.\" Paste magazine said fans would find themselves in familiar territory: \"the same sweet harmonies, the same contrast between Emily Saliers’ crystal-clear voice and Amy Ray’s rougher one that gives their singing a touch of bite, the same emotional songs that are somehow both broadly universal and intensely personal at the same time.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Saturday, June 29. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $39-$59. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n6/29: David Gray\n\nThe U.K. singer-songwriter who rose to fame at the turn of the century after Dave Matthews' label re-released \"White Ladder\" arrives in support of a not surprisingly chill new folktronica album called \"Gold in a Brass Age.\"\n\nMojo found the album to be \"chance-taking\" and \"richly rewarding\" while Q magazine weighed in with \"After years of playing to fanbase expectations, Gray has reinvented not only himself but raised the bar for folktronica.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Saturday, June 29. Mesa Arts Center, One East Main St., Mesa. $48.50-$68.50. 480-644-6500, mesaartscenter.com.\n\n6/30: Coheed and Cambria / Mastodon\n\nProgressive-rock heavyweights Coheed and Cambria join Mastodon, hailed as \"America's new kings of metal\" in Rolling Stone, on what promises to be a very heavy Unheavenly Skye Tour.\n\nCoheed and Cambria are performing in support of their new album, \"The Unheavenly Creatures,\" while Mastodon have announced they'll be performing \"Crack the Skye\" in its entirety, which is amazing news for anyone familiar with their catalog.\n\nDetails: 6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 30. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $39.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n7/1: The Struts\n\nThe reviewer for Classic Rock Magazine responded to their second album, \"Young & Dangerous,\" by noting that \"like all great albums, it reminds you of everything that made you fall in love with this crazy thing called rock’n’roll in the first place.\"\n\nAnd whether, like Greta Van Fleet, their songs remind a person too much of the things that made you fall in love with rock and roll is a matter of personal taste. But they leave fingerprints all over a variety of classic records by the likes of Queen, the Rolling Stones in disco mode and even Arctic Monkeys.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 1. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $25-$49.50. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.\n\n7/1: Yeasayer\n\nTheir second album, \"Odd Blood,\" was surreal enough to slot in next to Animal Collective on a Flaming Lips fan's playlist, proving that they clearly had their finger on the psychedelic pulse of indie-rock 2010. Nine years later, they're headed to Phoenix in support of their first album in three years, \"Erotic Reruns,\" an album shaped by touring in the aftermath of Donald Trump's election, including \"Blue Skies Dandelions,\" a song inspired by James Comey's firing and other sources of disgust.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Monday, July 1. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $28; $25 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.\n\n7/2: PUP\n\nTalk about grabbing listener by the collar. These are the opening lines of the opening song on PUP's new album, \"Morbid Stuff.\" \"I was bored as (expletive)/ Sitting around and thinking all this morbid stuff/ Like if anyone I've slept with is dead and I got stuck/ On death and dying and obsessive thoughts that won't let up.\" And these Canadian punks back it up with a sound that's cathartic enough to tackle all your existential demons. Sputnikmusic declared it \"a complete thrill from front to back.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 2. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. SOLD OUT. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.\n\n7/5: Jon Bellion\n\nBellion is touring in support of \"Glory Sound Prep,\" which includes the singles “Conversations with my Wife,” “JT” and “Stupid Deep.” The album features collaborations with Quincy Jones, Roc Marciano, RZA, B. Keyz and Travis Mendes.\n\nBillboard said, “Throughout the 10-track album, Bellion seamlessly intertwines sounds of pop, R&B, hip-hop and rock through his electrifying songs.”\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Friday, July 5. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $25 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n7/6: Intocable\n\nThese Texas norteño sensations are now in their third year of touring on \"Highway,\" which spun off six hit singles while taking their total YouTube views over 1 billion and bringing in their latest Latin Grammy nomination. Led by vocalist Ricky Muñoz and percussionist René Martinez, they've won two Grammys and took home a lifetime achievement award in 2012 from the Billboard Latin Music Awards.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Saturday, July 6. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $49.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n7/6: New Found Glory\n\nThey've been called \"the greatest pop-punk band in history\" by Bad Religion's own Brett Gurewitz, who scooped them up for Epitaph after they walked out on Geffen.\n\nAfter two albums on Epitaph, they switched to Hopeless for 2014's \"Resurrection\" and their latest album, \"Makes Me Sick,\" which Alternative Press said \"creates enough slight sonic diversions to give longtime fans something new to enjoy.\"\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 6. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $26. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n7/7: Anuel AA\n\nConsidered a pioneer of the Latin trap movement, the Puerto Rican rapper and singer picked up Artist of the Year, New at this year's Billboard Latin Music Awards. He was among the artists featured on \"Trap Capos: Season 1,\" a compilation that became the first Latin trap LP to top the Billboard Latin Rhythm Albums chart. After being released from prison last year, he released his first full-length album, \"Real Hasta la Muerte\" (or \"real until death\"). It topped the Billboard Latin Albums chart.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Sunday, July 7. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $52.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n7/9: Shawn Mendes\n\nThe multi-platinum singer-songwriter will play nearly 100 dates this year with special guest Alessia Cara, ending with Mendes' first ever stadium show in his hometown Toronto, which sold out in minutes. More than 1 million fans are expected to see the singer's third headlining tour and his first ever to break into stadiums in select cities. The singer's hits include \"Stitches,\" \"Treat You Better,\" \"Mercy,\" \"There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back\" and \"I Know What You Did Last Summer\" (with Camila Cabello).\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 9. Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave., Glendale. $64.75 and up. 623-772-3800, ticketmaster.com.\n\n7/10: Guster\n\nThey were a crowd-pleasing highlight of Innings Festival in early March, tossing in several jokey references to their spot on a baseball-themed festival and welcoming the crowd with \"Well hello, Arizona. We’re a new band. We just came out.\" They've actually been doing this since 1991, and it shows. In a good way. They're a well-oiled, versatile hits-of-another-galaxy machine, their brand of brainy indie pop tending to favor the McCartney side of Beatlesque. This tour is in support of this year's \"Looks Alive.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 10. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $25. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n7/12: Gerardo Ortiz y Pancho Barraza\n\nOrtiz is a regional Mexican singer who earned a Best Norteño Album Grammy nomination in 2010 for his debut album \"Ni Hoy Ni Mañana.\" Three years later, he earned four awards at the Mexican Billboard Music Awards: Male Artist of the Year, Norteño Album of the Year, Norteño Artist of the Year, and Artist of the Year, Songs. Barraza is a founding member of Banda Los Recoditos.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Friday, July 12. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $63.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n7/14: The Appleseed Cast\n\nThese post-rock veterans arrive in support of \"The Fleeting Light of Impermanence,\" their first album since \"Illumination Ritual.\" Chris Crisci talked to the Pitch about how music evolved in the course of the five years he's been working on it. \"I actually wanted to not do any guitar and try to do a record with just drums, bass, synth, and vocals, and a lot of parts I wrote during that time, we did use. But, I think the point where I made the most progress writing was where I had to admit to myself that we're a guitar band.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Sunday, July 14. Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $15; $13 in advance. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.\n\n7/15: KNIX Birthday Bash with Tim McGraw\n\nTim McGraw, who headlined Country Thunder Arizona earlier this year, will be on hand to help KNIX celebrate 50 years of bring country to the Valley, which makes sense. He is the most played KNIX artist of all time. His biggest hits include \"It's Your Love\", \"Just to See You Smile\" and \"Live Like You Were Dying,\" the top country songs of 1997, 1998 and 2004 respectively. McGraw is joined by Jon Pardi and Midland.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Monday, July 15. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. Resale prices vary. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n7/15: DaBaby\n\nThe North Carolina rapper hit the charts at No. 7 with \"Baby on Baby,\" a full-length debut whose success has bee driven, in part, by the platinum breakthrough single, \"Suge,\" which has more than 100 million streams on Spotify, and a series of buzz-building mixtapes. Pitchfork responded to \"Baby on Baby\" with \"The irreverent and charismatic Charlotte rapper's Interscope debut is just as wild as his mixtapes.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Monday, July 15. The Pressroom, 441 W. Madison St., Phoenix. $20-$130. 602-396-7136, thepressroomaz.com.\n\n7/16: Queen & Adam Lambert\n\nOriginal Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor will team once more with Adam Lambert on a tour their set designer promised in a press release would \"expand the parameters of what a live music experience can be.\" Lambert first shared a stage with the British rock icons for the 2009 \"American Idol\" finale. Their first concert played to half a million fans in the Ukraine capital of Kiev in 2012. That was more than 180 shows ago.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 16. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. SOLD OUT. 602-379-7800, ticketmaster.com.\n\n7/16: 21 Savage\n\nThis is the multi-platinum rapper's biggest headline run to date, in support of his second album, \"i am > i was.\" The single “a lot” was recently certified platinum, nearing 200 million streams on Spotify. Total streams for the album are quickly approaching half-a-billion across all platforms. Variety responded to the album with “It’s surprising, considering his bona fides – not to mention the A-list guests on this album – that 21 Savage is not yet a household name…'i am > i was' should change that.”\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 16. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $29.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n7/17: The Growlers\n\nWhen these California rockers hit the streets with \"Chinese Fountain,\" their fourth album, in 2014, I described Brooks Nielsen's aching vocal as a sleepy-headed rasp that should appeal to fans of Damon Albarn and the Strokes alike. So I for one was not the slightest bit surprised to see them bring in Julian Casablancas of the Strokes to co-produce their latest effort, “City Club.” Clash Music said most tracks \"wouldn’t render them out of place in an episode of the enigmatic ‘Twin Peaks.’”\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 17. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $35; $32.50 in advance. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n7/19: Nathaniel Rateliff & the Nightsweats\n\nTheir latest album, \"Tearing at the Seams,\" was released on Stax Records to widespread acclaim, with Mojo raving, \"The Night Sweats' woozy, loose grooves are hypnotising and are the perfect accompaniment to Rateliff's gravel-worn rasp.\" “You Worry Me” was the most played song of 2018 at Triple A radio, where they were the only act with two songs in the year-end Top 10. \"Tearing at the Seams\" was also the most played album of the year at Americana radio, spending 20 weeks at No. 1.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 19. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $35 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n7/20: Shinedown\n\nShinedown bring their Attention Attention Tour to town with Badflower, Dinosaur Pile-Up and Broken Hands. \"Attention Attention\" is Shinedown's fourth consecutive release to crack the Top 10 on the Billboard album charts, sending two more singles, \"Devil\" and \"Get Up,\" to to the top of Billboard's mainstream rock charts. Shinedown's biggest hit remains the triple-platinum \"Second Chance.\"\n\nDetails: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 20. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $59.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n7/20: The Claypool Lennon Delirium\n\n\"Monolith of Phobos\" and this year's followup \"South of Reality\" sound exactly like the sort of records you'd expect from Sean Lennon of Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (and being born to John and Yoko) fame and Les Claypool of Primus. It's all profoundly psychedelic, willfully eccentric and given to outbursts of attention-grabbing bass heroics with serious pop sensibilities to wash down all the weirdness. Paste magazine praised the new album as \"challenging music,\" but the challenge was clearly more in the creation than the listening.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Saturday, July 20. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $29.50-$59.50. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.\n\n7/20: Cracker / Camper Van Beethoven\n\nDavid Lowery's first act was Camper Van Beethoven, whose eccentric brand of artful weirdo pop was a perfect fit for college radio in the '80s. Released in 1992, his first album with Cracker wasn't nearly as adventurous but its best songs made the most of Lowery's cult of personality, topping the modern-rock radio charts with \"Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now).\" These co-headlining tours look great on paper and they're even better live.\n\nDetail: 8 p.m. Saturday, July 20. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $25-$38. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.\n\n7/21: Beck\n\nLast seen rocking State Farm Stadium with U2, Beck returns with Cage the Elephant and Spoon. Beck went double-platinum with his mainstream breakthrough \"Odelay,\" the first of three albums to win an Alternative Music Grammy, followed by \"Mutations\" and his latest album, \"Colors.\" He also took home Album of the Year in 2015 for \"Morning Phase,\" incurring the wrath of Kanye West for getting more votes than Beyonce.\n\nDetails: 6 p.m. Sunday, July 21. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $29.50 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\n7/21: Common\n\nCommon is bringing his first North American tour since 2009 to the Van Buren. The Let Love Have The Last Word Tour is named for Common's second memoir, following the New York Times bestseller \"One Day It'll All Make Sense.\" But this is not a book tour. The Grammy-winning rapper is hitting the road in support of a forthcoming album, his first since \"Black America Again\" arrived in late 2016, earning praise from Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Q and Pitchfork.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Sunday, July 21. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $35; $35-$199. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n7/22: The Head and the Heart\n\nThe indie-folk sensations' best-known single, \"All We Ever Knew,\" enjoyed an eight-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative chart while also becoming their first chart-topping hit at alternative radio. Their other hits include \"Lost in My Mind,\" \"Shake\" and \"Rhythm & Blues.\" They arrive in support of their fourth album, \"Living Mirage,\" with Hippo Campus.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Monday, July 22. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $46 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n7/23: We Were Promised Jetpacks\n\nThese Scottish rockers bring more than an excellent name and killer accents to the table – things like heart and atmosphere and majesty and, OK, killer accents. They arrive in on a tour celebrating the 10th anniversary of \"These Four Walls,\" a debut the A.V. Club said was \"like a 50-minute, 11-song tour through the Scottish scene’s past, present, and future, emphasizing how much of the country’s best pop music has been concerned with transporting listeners to specific places, so we can all linger there together.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 23. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $20-$23. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.\n\n7/24: Yes\n\nThe prog pioneers bring the Royal Affair Tour to Phoenix with Asia (featuring the return of founding member Steve Howe), the Moody Blues' John Lodge and Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy with guest vocals by Arthur Brown. This edition of Yes includes Howe on guitar with drummer Alan White, keyboardist Geoff Downes, singer Jon Davison and bassist Billy Sherwood with additional drums by Jay Schellen, doing songs from throughout their career while honoring the memory of Yes members Chris Squire and Peter Banks.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 24. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $58.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n7/24: August Burns Red\n\nThese metalcore veterans have sent five albums to the top of Billboard's Christian album chart, including their latest release, \"Phantom Anthem,\" which Alternative Press responded to with \"Sonically, there’s something incredibly otherworldly and fantastical rooted in 'Phantom Anthem,' making the album translate like an epic poem rather than a collection of songs.\" This tour celebrates the 10th anniversary of \"Constellations,\" their second album to top that chart.\n\nDetails: 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, July 24. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $25-$45. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.\n\n7/24: Ringo Deathstarr\n\nIt takes a lot to live up to the promise of a name as undeniable as Ringo Deathstarr but they've done it more than once, most recently in 2015 on \"Pure Mood,\" a hazy daydream of shimmering shoegaze-revivalism that often tops its waves of distorted guitar fuzz with ethereal female vocals. And when they go for something heavier on \"Heavy Metal Suicide,\" the results are every bit as satisfying.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 24. Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $14; $12 in advance. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.\n\n7/25: Man Man\n\nThese experimental rockers haven't hit us with new music since \"On Oni Pond\" arrived in mid-2013, an album on which, as the A.V. Club noted, Honus Honus and his bandmates were \"reborn as hook-focused, crossover experimentalists\" on \"an enthusiastic belly flop into accessibility.\" Given the move into poppier waters and their old eccentric ways, it almost stands to reason that they're touring with Rebecca Black, the viral video sensation behind a single celebrated as the worst song ever, \"Friday.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Thursday, July 25. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $21; $18 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.\n\n7/27: Disrupt Festival\n\nThe Rockstar Energy Drink Disrupt Festival is launching this summer with a very heavy punk and metal lineup, promising \"a brand new music experience\" on two stages. The Phoenix date features the Used, Thrice, Circa Survive, Sum 41, Sleeping With Sirens, Memphis May Fire, Meg & Dia, Juliet Simms and Hyro The Hero. Fans who bring an empty 16-ounce can of Rockstar Energy Drink to recycle can skip the line and be entered to win a signed festival guitar and exclusive artist meet & greet.\n\nDetails: 1:30 p.m. Saturday, July 27. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $19.99-$169. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\n7/28: Suicideboys\n\nRuby da Cherry and Scrim rose to fame on the hip-hop underground when their songs about substance abuse and suicide found a receptive home on SoundCloud. In reviewing their latest album, \"I Want to Die in New Orleans,\" which hit the Billboard album charts at No. 9, HipHopDX wrote, \"Have they actually changed the world of music itself? It’s possible to chalk it up top typical artist bravado, but after yet another well-received release, they certainly have the evidence to argue their case.\"\n\nDetails: 5:30 p.m. Sunday, July 28. Rawhide, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Gila River Reservation. $58. 480-502-5600, rawhide.com.\n\n7/29: Julia Holter\n\nHer latest album, \"Aviary,\" is a dizzying two-record journey through what Holter has called “the cacophony of the mind in a melting world,\" she's arrived at a masterpiece of challenging, experimental art pop, her haunting vocals underscored by dense, disorienting soundscapes. In naming \"Aviary\" one of last year's best releases, Pitchfork wrote, \"Like Robert Wyatt, Laurie Anderson, or Scott Walker, Holter’s music is so idiosyncratic and instantly identifiable that it could come from no one else.\"\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Monday, July 29. Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix. $35.50-$40.50. 480-478-6000, mim.org.\n\n7/30: James McMurtry\n\nThe son of Pulitzer-prize-winning novelist Larry McMurtry arrives in continued support of \"Complicated Game,\" a typically brilliant 2015 collection of poetic narratives on which he memorably sets the tone with \"Honey, don't ya be yellin' at me when I'm cleanin' my gun / I'll wash the blood off the tailgate when deer season's done.\" Two years after releasing that album, he issued a scathing indictment of our current political climate called \"State of the Union.\" Rolling Stone called it \"a stunningly fiery folk song.\"\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 30. Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix. $30.50-$40.50. 480-478-6000, mim.org.\n\n7/31: Third Eye Blind / Jimmy Eat World\n\nIn a press release, Third Eye Blind vocalist Stephan Jenkins said, \"The most scintillating, inspiring collective moments of my life have been outdoors in the summer exploding with music.\" The goal is to channel that \"blissed-out state of aliveness\" on a tour that finds Jimmy Eat World celebrating their 25th summer, having previous honored the occasion of their first show ever on Valentine's Day at a very crowded Rebel Lounge.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 31. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $29.50 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\n8/1: Beast Coast\n\nJoey Bada$$ assembled this hip-hop collective with assorted members of Flatbush Zombies, the Underachievers and his own Pro Era (a hip-hop collective within a collective), including Kirk Knight, Nyck Caution, CJ Fly and Powers Pleasant. They announced their Escape From New York Tour in March, shortly after releasing a song, \"Left Hand,\" that featured vocal contributions by 10 artists.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $30.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n8/1: The Drums\n\nThe Brooklyn-based indie-pop veterans are touring in support of \"Brutalism,\" an album that inspired Uncut magazine to rave quite accurately that \"the Drums are more stupidly contagious than ever.\" Q magazine wrote that \"the threadbare production which previously stretched ideas to breaking point has been bolstered, adding a warmth to the jangly '626 Bedford Avenue' and cocooning the break-up ballad 'My Japs' in plucked acoustics and distant percussion.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $35; $35-$199. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n8/3: Rascal Flatts\n\nThey’ve sent 17 songs to No. 1 on Billboard’s country chart, but the industry trade publication says, “The road has been where the band has done some of their most inspiring work over the years.”\n\nThe biggest of those hits are \"Bless the Broken Road,\" \"What Hurts the Most\" and \"My Wish,\" all of which went platinum.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $38.75 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\n8/3: 'Weird Al' Yankovic\n\nThe Strings Attached Tour is a music and comedy show that features costumes, props, a video wall and, for the first time in Yankovic history, an orchestra. It's the sound of the pendulum swinging back from the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour. In a press release, the star explained, “I wanted to follow up my most bare-bones tour ever with my most elaborate and extravagant tour ever. We’re pulling out all the stops.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $38.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n8/3: X Ambassadors\n\nTheir backstory tells you almost everything you need to know. Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons was laid up in a hospital in Norfolk, Virgina, when he heard an acoustic performance of X Ambassadors' \"Unconsolable\" on the radio and encouraged Interscope to sign them. The band's full-length breakthrough, \"VHS,” spawned two Top 20 entries on the Hot 100 – the platinum “Renegades” and double-platinum “Unsteady.”\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $26. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.\n\n8/4: Slipknot's Knotfest Roadshow\n\nThe masked metal veterans are set to bring their massive Knotfest Roadshow to Phoenix with Volbeat, Gojira and Behemoth five days prior to the long-awaited release of \"We Are Not Your Kind,\" their first studio album since 2014. It was named to a list of the 36 Albums We Can't Wait to Hear in 2019 at Vulture. In a press release, guitarist Jim Root talked about the time they put into this record, saying, \"While the industry is moving toward singles, Slipknot wanted to make an album experience, front to back.”\n\nDetails: 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $39.50 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\n8/5: Blink-182 & Lil Wayne\n\nWe can't imagine anyone was clamoring for this most unlikely teamup. But it got a good reaction when the tour was first announced on social media, aside from which the tourmates seem committed to the concept, going so far as to record a mash-up of the pop-punk veterans' “What’s My Age Again?” and Weezy's greatest hit, “A Milli.” They're joined by Welsh punk rockers Neck Deep.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $37.50 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\n8/6: PrettyMuch\n\nThe teen sensations' FOMO Tour follows their highly successful sold-out Funktion Tour last fall and their previous tour as main support on Khalid’s Roxy Tour. Austin Porter, Brandon Arreaga, Edwin Honoret, Nick Mara and Zion Kuwonu were nominated for Best Boy Band at the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards and Best PUSH Artist of the Year at the 2018 MTV’s VMAs, where they performed “Summer On You.” Billboard also honored them in their “21 Under 21” list.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $29.95 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n8/6: Carly Rae Jepsen\n\nShe may be best remembered for the rest of her career for “Call Me Maybe,” a breakthrough single that gained traction after Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez tweeted about liking it, earning the singer a deal with Bieber’s label, Schoolboy Records, on the way to becoming the second-biggest-selling single of 2012. She arrives in support of \"Dedicated,\" an album on which the Line of Best Fit says \"Jepsen’s infatuation with the rush of human feeling soars to dizzying new heights.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $35; $41; $36 in advance. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n8/6: Ronnie Milsap\n\nIn 2014, Ronnie Milsap embarked on what he said was his farewell tour. Well, he's still on the road five years later, offering the upscale country hits (and pop crossovers) that gave him more than 30 chart-toppers. The 74-year-old's best moments — \"Daydreams About Night Things,\" \"(There's) No Gettin' Over Me\" and his oh-so-smooth take on Burt Bacharach's \"Any Day Now\" — have certainly held up well.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6. Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino, 5040 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Gila River Reservation. $39-$79. 520-796-7777, wingilariver.com.\n\n8/6: Gauche\n\nDaniele Yandel of Priests and Mary Jane Regalado of Downtown Boys have joined forces to brilliant effect on \"A People's History of Gauche,\" a triumphant debut whose effervescent eccentricities feel like they've filtered the B-52's in their prime through the jagged urgency of classic post-punk. And they do it all while weighing in on topics as dark as anxiety, oppression, exploitation and the problematic patriarchy, a bracing reminder that there's more than one path to catharsis.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $12. valleybarphx.com.\n\n8/9: Mary J. Blige and Nas\n\nThe Queen of Hip-Hop Soul is on a co-headlining tour with Nas. Blige topped the R&B charts with her first two singles, \"You Remind Me\" and \"Real Love,\" following through with such classics as \"Not Gon' Cry\" and \"Be Without You\" (recently named the most successful R&B/hip-hop song of all time). Nas' first album, \"Illmatic,\" is frequently ranked among the greatest hip-hop albums ever.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $30.99 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\n8/10: 311 & Dirty Heads\n\nIt was 1996 when 311 topped the Modern Rock charts with \"Down.\" And the genre-mashing hits kept coming through 2017's \"Too Much to Think,\" from \"All Mixed Up\" to \"Come Original,\" \"You Wouldn't Believe,\" \"Creatures (For a While),\" \"Love Song,\" \"Don't Tread on Me,\" \"Hey You,\" \"Sunset in July\" and more.\n\nA currently untitled album is due for released this summer as they tour the States with Dirty Heads, the Interrupters, Dreamers and Bikini Trill.\n\nDetails: 5:45 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $29.50 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\n8/10: Blueface\n\nHe went viral last year after dropping a single called \"Respect My Crypn,\" thanks to an unconventional approach to rapping – Complex called his cadence \"skittering and almost comical\" – and a Benjamin Franklin face tattoo. That is the sort of thing that gets a person noticed. And he followed it up with an actual mainstream breakthrough, when his single \"Thotiana\" cracked the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n8/10: Talib Kweli\n\nKweli started making a name for himself with the 1998 release of \"Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star.\" A Rolling Stone album guide praised the album as \"brilliant lyrically (conscious and clever) as well as musically (fat drums and jazzy loops), catching the attention of hibernating heads who had last checked hip-hop during Native Tongues' late-'80s/early-'90s heyday.\" Decades later, he's still delivering on the promise of that early classic, if \"Radio Silence,\" his latest release, is any indication.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $25-$45. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.\n\n8/11: Young the Giant, Fitz & the Tantrums\n\nIn a press release, Sameer Gadhia of Young the Giant said, “Our single 'Superposition' is about two forces becoming one ... It’s perfectly fitting, then, that our co-headline concept this summer is about combining two properties.\" That single, from their latest full-length effort, \"Mirror Master,\" recently became their fifth Top 10 appearance on Billboard's alternative songs chart, following \"My Body,\" \"Cough Syrup,\" \"It's About Time\" and \"Something to Believe In.\"\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $39.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n8/12: Touche Amore\n\nLast year, these L.A. post-hardcore sensations honored two milestones at once with a live recording called \"10 Years/ 1,000 Shows – Live at the Regent Theater.\" It's a powerful overview of their career, from first-album highlights as cathartic as \"And Now It's Happening in Mine\" and \"Cadence\" to selections from 2016's excellent \"Stage Four,\" an album written and recorded as lead singer Jeremy Bolm was coming to terms with the loss of his mother to cancer.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12. Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $23; $20 in advance. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.\n\n8/13: Collective Soul, Gin Blossoms\n\nCollective Soul will celebrate their silver anniversary on the road with Tempe's Gin Blossoms. The Now’s The Time Tour also celebrates a new Collective Soul release, their 10th studio album, \"Blood,\" which features guest appearances by Tommy Shaw of Styx and Sheryl Crow guitarist Peter Stroud. The Gin Blossoms, meanwhile, arrive in continued support of last year's jangle-rocking triumph, \"Mixed Reality.\"\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $45 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n8/14: The B-52's\n\nFew albums of the New Wave era have held up as well as the B-52's debut. From \"Planet Claire\" to \"Dance This Mess Around,\" it still sounds like it dropped in from another, much quirkier planet, wrapped in kitschy day-glo yellow. And it spawned one of the more unlikely mainstream breakthroughs of the decade — \"Rock Lobster,\" a surf-guitar-fueled party track that wore its debt to Yoko Ono proudly on its vintage sleeve.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $39.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n8/14: Alex Lahey\n\nThis alternative rocker from Melbourne, Australia, arrives in support of a second album called \"The Best of Luck Club,\" an effervescent effort whose witty narratives were inspired in part by the time she spent in Nashville dive bars. Consequence of Sound says, \"Lahey stands out for her versatility. With buoyant wit, she rolls with the changes and delivers a lucid, omnivorous perspective that’s all her own.\" She's joined by Kingsbury and Sydney Sprague.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $12. valleybarphx.com.\n\n8/15: 3Teeth\n\nTheir latest album, \"Metawar,\" is an industrial-metal concept album. As singer Alexis Mincolla describes it, \"If our debut album was focused on man vs. the world, and our sophomore album was man vs. himself, then I really wanted to METAWAR to focus on the idea of world vs world, and the notion that if man doesn’t create his own world then he’s often crushed by the world of another.\" Allmusic hailed the album as a hulking monster that makes shutdown.exe sound tame in comparison.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15. Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $20; $18 in advance. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.\n\n8/16: Chris Young\n\nThe singer brings his Raised on Country Tour with Chris Janson and Locash to Ak-Chin Pavilion. It's been 13 years since Young became a Nashville star by winning \"Nashville Star.\" Since then, he's sent five singles to the top of Billboard's country chart — \"Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song),\" \"The Man I Want to Be,\" \"Voices,\" \"Tomorrow\" and \"You.\" And he’s gone platinum with a few that didn’t even make it to the top, including \"Losing Sleep,\" the title track to his most recent effort.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $38.25 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\n8/16: Calexico and Iron & Wine\n\nCalexico and Iron & Wine have reunited for a new collaborative album \"Years to Burn,\" arriving June 14, 14 years after their previous collaboration, an EP titled \"In the Reins.\" In a press release, Iron & Wine's Sam Beam said, “Life is hard. Awesome. And scary as (expletive). But it can lift you up if you let it. These are the things Joey (Burns of Calexico) and I write about now. And the title can encapsulate a lot of things.... It’s an ambiguous title, because life is complicated.”\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16. Orpheum Theatre, 203 W. Adams St., Phoenix. $36.50-$42. 800-282-4842, phoenix.ticketforce.com.\n\n8/17: George Clinton\n\nIn his ’70s prime, he revolutionized the art of modern funk on such classics as \"Up for the Down Stroke,\" \"Tear the Roof Off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk),\" \"Flash Light\" and \"One Nation Under a Groove\" while leading two distinct recording outfits, Parliament and Funkadelic. And he did it all while touring with a flying saucer called the Mothership. He says the One Nation Under a Groove Tour is his final run.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $45-$80. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.\n\n8/19: Mogwai\n\nThese Scottish post-rock veterans frequently achieve a level of transcendence to which most of their contemporaries can only aspire. It's been more 20 years since \"Mogwai Young Team\" suggested the promise they quickly fulfilled. And as musicOMH.com responded to their latest effort, \"Every Country's Sun,\" \"There’s plenty of life in this band yet, and they’re changing and developing whilst also addressing the past. But most importantly, they’re still creating interesting, vital albums.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $32; $29 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.\n\n8/18: Kyle Craft & Showboat Honey\n\nHe claims to have been introduced to rock and roll through a David Bowie collection he picked up at Kmart. And that strikes us as a brilliant introduction. But the more inspired moments of \"Kyle Craft & Showboat Honey\" are closer in spirit to the psychedelic pop years, from the mesmerizing drone of \"Broken Mirror Pose\" to the post-Cream psychedelic blues of \"Oh! Lucky Hand.\" Classic Rock said his previous work \"suggested he might have an album in him which is as wry as it is earnestly heroic. This is it.\"\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $12. valleybarphx.com.\n\n8/20: The Avett Brothers\n\nLed by siblings Scott and Seth Avett, the alternative-country standard-bearers headlined last year's Innings Festival at Tempe Beach Park in support of \"True Sadness,\" an album whose highlights include the gospel-flavored \"Ain't No Man\" and the melancholy folk of \"No Hard Feelings.\" As Entertainment Weekly noted, their latest Rick Rubin production \"both treads familiar ground and maps out new terrain.\"\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $49.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n8/20: Steve Earle & the Dukes\n\nA much younger Steve Earle was famously mentored by two legendary American singer/songwriters – Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark. In 2009, he returned the favor to Van Zandt, releasing a heartfelt tribute album titled \"Townes.\" Now, he's turned his attentions to Clark on the equally touching tribute album \"Guy.\" Q magazine responded with \"Touching and thoughtful, these 16 tracks are tended with the same care Clark brought to his beautiful storytelling.\"\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20. Mesa Arts Center, One East Main St., Mesa. $38-$58; $35-$55 in advance. 480-644-6500, mesaartscenter.com.\n\n8/20: Bad Books\n\nKevin Devine and Andy Hull started working on music together as tourmates while Devine was opening a string of U.K. dates for Hull's main project Manchester Orchestra. That spontaneous collaboration led to a self-titled album as Bad Books released in 2010. Bad Books' first U.S. tour in six years arrives in Phoenix in support of a new album, \"III,\" which Sputnikmusic has proclaimed \"a masterpiece of modern indie folk\" on which they \"have in every way lived up to the potential of a so-called 'supergroup.'\"\n\nDetails: 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $27; $23 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.\n\n8/20: Snail Mail\n\nAt 18, Lindsey Jordan was hailed as no less than “the future of indie rock” by Pitchfork. And given the strength of the writing and singing on “Lush,” it’s easy to hear what made them want to go that heavy on the praise.\n\nIt’s like a hit parade of introspective bedroom-pop as Jordan spills the contents of her diary in songs about boredom and sadness and feeling alone with the vulnerability it takes to put those kind of songs across while staying in her comfort zone, with bittersweet on one side, melancholy on the other.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20. Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $14; $12 in advance. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.\n\n8/20: Boris\n\nThese Japanese experimental-metal veterans meant for “Dear” to be a farewell album. But those sessions made them realize there was still a lot of life left in the project, inspiring Sputnikmusic to rave, “The shoegaze and dream pop influences from their last several records have mostly been stripped away, leaving behind a pure sludge heavy framework.\" Two years later, they're touring the States with a followup to \"Dear\" called \"LφVE & EVφL\" set to hit the streets sometime this month.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $21. valleybarphx.com.\n\n8/21: Grace VanderWaal\n\nThis ukulele-strumming singer-songwriter was 12 when she won the 11th season of \"America's Got Talent\" singing her own songs. She's 15 now so it's still kind of \"Just the Beginning,\" as she titled her first album in 2017, the year she picked up Best New Artist at the Radio Disney Music Awards. She's not just really good for 15. She's legitimately great, with a distinctive vocal style that helps her music stand out on a crowded scene. As for the Taylor Swift comparisons? She's closer to Regina Spektor.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $33; $29.50 in advance. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n8/24: Bassrush Massive\n\nPresented by Relentless Beats and Insomniac Events, this one-day festival features Flux Pavilion, Black Tiger Sex Machine, Herobust, Riot Ten, Mastadon, Zeke Beats and Sharps Launched in the '90s, the Bassrush brand has evolved from its strictly drum & bass roots to include dubstep and other bass-oriented genres. Along with exclusive one-off events, Bassrush hosts stages at all major Insomniac festivals such as EDC Las Vegas, EDC Orlando and Beyond Wonderland.\n\nDetails: 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24. Rawhide Event Center, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Gila River Reservation. $49 and up. 480-502-5600, relentlessbeats.com.\n\n8/24: Banda MS\n\nThe name Banda MS is short for Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizarraga. The regional Mexican outfit was formed in 2003 by brothers Sergio and Alberto Lizárraga in Mazatlan, Sinaloa (hence the MS in their name) and features more than a dozen musicians. Their biggest stateside hit, \"Sin Evidencias,\" reached the Hot Latin Tracks chart in 2009.\n\nDetails: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $62.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n8/26: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band\n\nThe man who put the beat in Beatles will honor the 30th anniversary of his All-Starr Band with a hit-filled performance. This year's band includes Steve Lukather of Toto, Colin Hay of Men at Work, Gregg Rolie of Santana, Warren Ham of Bloodrock, Gregg Bissonette of the David Lee Roth Band and the return of All-Starr alum Hamish Stuart of Average White Band.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $65-$110. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.\n\n8/26: Rolling Stones\n\nThis is one of 17 dates on the legendary rockers' first U.S. tour since 2015. And they haven't done a Valley concert since 2006, when they played this same venue, which was then known as the University of Phoenix Stadium. When we spoke to Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood last year, he said, \"After touring the U.K. and Europe this year, I thought, 'Oh well, maybe we’ll have a rest for a while.' And then you get your call-up papers. 'Do you fancy going to America?' 'Sure thing. Let’s go! It’s about time!”\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26. State Farm Stadium, Loop 101 and Glendale Avenue, Glendale. $62.25 and up. 623-433-7101, ticketmaster.com.\n\n8/26: The Nude Party\n\nThey met as freshmen in the dorms of Appalachian State University of Boone, North Carolina, where they came by the Nude Party moniker honestly, having developed a habit of playing naked. In a press release, the band explained, \"These weren't orgies, they weren’t sexual even. It was just kind of a wild exhibitionism that we felt gave us freedom.” They're playing fully clothed these days in support of a self-titled album whose highlights may suggest a more than passing interest in the Velvet Underground.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $14. valleybarphx.com.\n\n8/26: Mames Babegenush\n\nThe young Danish musicians have filtered their strong Scandinavian roots and elements of jazz through the vibrant dance music and klezmer traditions of eastern Europe. Since forming in 2004, they've established themselves as one of Europe's premiere klezmer-jazz ensembles. Their long list of awards includes the Danish Music Award for Best World Album of The Year and three prizes awarded by the International Jewish Music Festival in Amsterdam, including the Jury and Audience Prizes.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26. Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix. $33.50-$38.50. 480-478-6000, mim.org.\n\n8/27: Mannequin Pussy\n\nThese Philly punks are touring in support of one of this year's most contagious efforts, a 26-minute explosion of reckless abandon, emotional turmoil and killer pop hooks titled \"Patience.\" It's the sound of catharsis writ large and not only accessible but uncomfortable, thanks to Marisa Dabice’s unflinching reflections of life as she has come to know it. Pitchfork says, \"Even when Mannequin Pussy venture to truly dark places, Patience is such a pure joy to listen to. In its biggest moments, Dabice’s raw edge is matched by equally colossal riffs, explosive energy, and surging momentum.\"\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 27. Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $13; $12 in advance. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.\n\n8/27: Kacey Musgraves\n\nThis tour is in support of \"Golden Hour,\" an unassuming stroke of genius that won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, the ACM Awards and the CMA Awards. Only three albums in history have taken home that triple crown. And a week after pulling it off, she became the first female country artist in history to play Coachella. As Billboard summed up her peculiar place in our popular culture, \"Musgraves isn't just breaking country's rules, but re-writing them.”\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 27. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. Resale prices vary. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n8/27: Chris Isaak\n\nHe's worn his share of hats since \"Wicked Game\" turned up in David Lynch's \"Wild at Heart.\" A talk-show host, a sitcom star, a SWAT commander in \"The Silence of the Lambs,\" No. 68 on of VH1's list of sexiest artists and a singer whose music continues to embody the qualities that made his early records so evocative. \"First Comes the Night,\" his latest effort, finds Isaak channeling the sound and spirit of the Sun recording artists he saluted on \"Beyond the Sun,\" especially Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley, while sounding more timeless than retro.\n\nDetails: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 27. Mesa Arts Center, One East Main St., Mesa. $55-$85. 480-644-6500, mesaartscenter.com.\n\n8/28: Heart\n\nThis is Ann and Nancy Wilson's first tour in three years. Ann promised in a press release that \"it will be unlike any other Heart tour that has been,\" adding that \"some of the songs will be classic of course, but this tour will be a new animal.\" They helped open rock radio to female voices in the '70s with such classics as \"Crazy for You,\" \"Magic Man\" and \"Barracuda.\" They're joined by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and Elle King.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $29.50 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\n8/29: ZZ Top\n\nThey took their place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the strength of a legacy that evolved from the blues-rocking swagger of \"La Grange\" to the synthesized polish of their MTV hits. As the rock-hall website sums it up, \"For many, ZZ Top have been the premiere party band on the planet. Certainly, they have been Texas' foremost cultural ambassadors.\" This is their 50th Anniversary Tour with special guests Cheap Trick.\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $48.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n8/29: Rebelution\n\nThe Grammy-nominated reggae-rockers bring their Good Vibes Summer Tour to Mesa with Protoje, Collie Buddz, Durand Jones & The Indications and DJ Mackle. When Rebelution topped the Billboard reggae charts with last year’s “Free Rein,” their eighth release to do so, they passed Matisyahu to secure their spot behind (of course) Bob Marley with the second-most appearances at No. 1 on that chart. And they were back at No. 1 this year with \"Rebelution Vinyl Box Set.\" Now it's more like Matisya-WHO?\n\nDetails: 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29. Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center St. $37.50. 480-644-2560, mesaamp.com.\n\n8/30: Papa Roach\n\nJacoby Shaddix and his bandmates are bringing the Who Do You Trust? Tour to Phoenix with Asking Alexandria and Bad Wolves. Papa Roach went triple-platinum with a turn-of-the-century breakthrough called \"Infest,\" which sent the suicidal \"Last Resort\" to No. 1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. They've since gone on to top the Mainstream Rock chart four times, with \"Lifeline,\" \"Face Everything and Rise,\" \"Help\" and \"Born for Greatness.\"\n\nDetails: 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $29.50 and up. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.\n\n8/30: Daniel Caesar\n\nThe Grammy-winning R&B sensation arrives in support of \"Case Study 01,\" a second album he surprise-released in late June. The album's first single, \"Love Again,\" is a steamy duet with '90s R&B legend Brandy. The Canadian singer broke through in 2016 with \"Get You,\" a platinum hit that featured Kali Uchis and topped the Adult R&B charts. He returned to No. 1 on that same chart with \"Best Part,\" a platinum hit that featured H.E.R.\n\nDetails: 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $26. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.\n\n8/31: Korn and Alice in Chains\n\nAlternative metal legends of the '90s Korn and Alice in Chains are joining forces on a co-headlining tour. Korn are currently finishing work on their widely anticipated follow-up to 2016's \"The Serenity of Suffering,\" which added three more songs — \"Rotting in Vain,\" \"Take Me\" and \"Black is the Soul\" — to their list of Top 10 entries on the modern-rock charts. Alice in Chains are touring in support of \"Rainier Fog,\" which topped the rock, alternative and hard rock charts in Billboard.\n\nDetails: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $39.50 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.\n\nReach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.\n\nSupport local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2019/05/22"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_23", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/960108/ten-things-you-need-to-know-today-21-march-2023", "title": "Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 21 March 2023 | The Week UK", "text": "Murdoch marriage ‘sets up plot twist’\n\nRupert Murdoch is to marry for the fifth time. The media tycoon, 92, has announced his engagement to his partner Ann Lesley Smith, a 66-year-old former police chaplain. The couple met in September at an event at his vineyard in California. Speaking to one of his papers, the New York Post, he said: “I dreaded falling in love - but I knew this would be my last. It better be. I’m happy.” The Daily Mail said the marriage might not be welcomed by his children, as it is “plot twist to rival Succession”.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/21"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/27/china/china-2022-zero-covid-intl-hnk-mic/index.html", "title": "China zero-Covid policy: How did it all go so wrong for Xi Jinping ...", "text": "Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world. Sign up here.\n\nHong Kong CNN —\n\n2022 was supposed to be a triumphant year for China and its leader Xi Jinping, as he began his second decade in power with a pledge to restore the nation to greatness.\n\nInstead, China had its most difficult year under Xi’s rule as it reeled from his costly zero-Covid policy – from months of overzealous enforcement that crushed the economy and stoked historic public discontent, to a wholesale abandonment so abrupt that left a fragile health system scrambling to cope with an explosion of cases.\n\nThe chaos and disarray is a stark contrast to the start of the year, when Beijing showcased the success of its Covid containment measures by keeping the coronavirus largely at bay from the Winter Olympics.\n\nOver the span of a year, Xi’s hallmark pandemic policy has turned from a source of legitimacy for the ruling Communist Party into a spiraling crisis that threatens to undermine it.\n\nAs an unprecedented wave of infections – and deaths – sweeps the country, many have questioned why after sacrificing so much under zero-Covid and waiting for so long to reopen, the government ultimately let the virus rip through a population with little prior warning or preparation.\n\nAs 2022 draws to a close, CNN looks back at five key events of the year for China’s zero-Covid policy.\n\nChina's reported less Covid deaths since scrapping zero-Covid. CNN is seeing a different story 03:06 - Source: CNN\n\nBeijing Winter Olympics\n\nThe Games proved to be a resounding success for China’s zero-Covid strategy.\n\nIn its tightly sealed, meticulously managed Olympic bubble, the ubiquitous face masks, endless spraying of disinfectant and rigorous daily testing paid-off. Any infected visitors arriving in the country were swiftly identified and their cases contained, allowing the Winter Olympics to run largely free of Covid even as the Omicron variant raged around the world.\n\nThe success added to the party’s narrative that its political system is superior to those of Western democracies in handling the pandemic – a message Xi had repeatedly driven home as he prepared for a third term in power.\n\nIt also boosted China’s confidence that its well-honed zero-Covid playbook of lockdowns, quarantines, mass testing and contact tracing could build an effective defense against highly transmissible Omicron and contain its spread. In the lead-up to the Games, these measures worked in January to tame the country’s first Omicron outbreak in Tianjin, a port city near Beijing.\n\nBeijing kept the Winter Olympcis largely free of Covid inside a strictly managed bubble. Thomas Peter/reuters\n\nShanghai lockdown\n\nBut it didn’t take long for Omicron to seep through the cracks of zero-Covid. By mid-March, China was battling its worst Covid outbreak since the initial wave of the pandemic, reporting thousands of new cases a day, from northern Jilin province to Guangdong in the south.\n\nThe financial hub of Shanghai soon became the epicenter. Local officials initially denied a citywide lockdown was necessary, but then imposed one after the city reported 3,500 daily infections.\n\nThe two-month lockdown became a glaring symbol of the economic and social costs of zero-Covid. In the country’s wealthiest and most glamorous city, residents were subject to widespread food shortages, lack of emergency medical care, spartan makeshift isolation facilities and forced disinfection of their homes. The draconian measures triggered wave after wave of outcry, severely eroding public trust in the Shanghai government.\n\nThe lockdown also wracked havoc on the economy. China’s GDP shrunk by 2.6% in the three months ending in June, while youth unemployment hit a record high of nearly 20%.\n\nBut the costly lockdown did not prod China to shift away from its zero-tolerance approach. Rather, officials hailed it as a victory in the war against Covid. Other local governments came away with the lesson that they must curb infections at all cost, before outbreaks spiraled out of control.\n\nCovid workers disinfect a residential community under lockdown in Shanghai in April. VCG/Visual China Group/Getty Images\n\nParty Congress\n\nAs the party’s all-important national congress approached, the pressure only grew.\n\nHaving tied himself so closely to zero-Covid, Xi was stuck in a trap of his own making. He couldn’t afford to move away from it, the potential surge of infections and deaths posing too great a risk to his authority before he secured his norm-shattering third term at the congress.\n\nAnd so instead of vaccinating the elderly and bolstering ICU capacity, authorities wasted the next crucial months building larger quarantine facilities, rolling out more frequent mass testing, and imposing wider lockdowns that at one point affected more than 300 million people.\n\nBut even the most stringent measures failed to tame Omicron’s spread. By October, China was reporting thousands of daily infections again. Amid mounting public frustration, the People’s Daily, the party’s main mouthpiece, insisted zero-Covid is “sustainable” and the country’s “best choice.”\n\nAt the opening of the congress, Xi gave a sweeping endorsement of his Covid policy, saying it had “prioritized the people and their lives above all else.” He scored a big political victory, securing a third term and stacking the party’s top ranks with staunch allies – including those who had loyally carried out his Covid policies.\n\nOfficials took the hint and became ever more zealous in enforcing zero-Covid, dashing hopes that the country could open up after the congress.\n\nChinese leader Xi Jinping emerges from the 20th Party Congress with more power than ever. Tingshu Wang/Reuters\n\nNationwide protests\n\nAs restrictions tightened, more suffering and tragedy emerged from the unrelenting lockdowns.\n\nMigrant workers abandoned a locked-down Foxconn factory en masse, walking for miles to escape an outbreak at China’s largest iPhone assembling site. A 3-year-old boy died of gas poisoning in lockdown after he was blocked from being taken promptly to a hospital. A 4-month-old girl died in hotel quarantine after a 12-hour delay in medical care.\n\nThen, in late November, a deadly apartment fire in the western city of Urumqi finally ignited public anger that had been simmering for months. Many believed lockdown measures had hampered rescue efforts, despite official denials.\n\nProtests erupted across the country, on a scale unseen in decades. On university campuses and the streets of major cities, crowds gathered to call for an end to incessant Covid tests and lockdowns, with some decrying censorship and demanding greater political freedoms.\n\nIn Shanghai, protesters even demanded that Xi step down – an unimaginable act of political defiance toward the country’s most powerful and authoritarian leader in decades.\n\nThe nationwide demonstrations posed an unprecedented challenge to Xi. By then, Omicron had seemingly spun out of control, with the country logging a daily record of more than 40,000 infections, and the economic strain becoming too severe, with local governments running out of cash to pay huge lockdown bills.\n\nProtesters march down the streets of Beijing to call for an end to zero-Covid on November 28. Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images\n\nHaphazard reopening\n\nIn an apparent effort to appease protesters, some cities began to loosen restrictions.\n\nThen, on December 7, the central government announced a drastic overhaul of approach, rolling back lockdowns, testing and allowing residents to isolate at home – effectively abandoning zero-Covid.\n\nState media and health officials have since flipped from preaching the dangers of the virus to downplaying its threat.\n\nWhile the easing of stifling restrictions is a long-awaited relief for many, the abruptness and haphazardness of it has caught an unprepared public off guard and left them to fend for themselves.\n\nOver-the-counter cold and fever medicines – which had been restricted from purchase under zero-Covid – sold out instantly at pharmacies and on online shopping sites. Huge lines have formed outside fever clinics and hospital emergency rooms overflow with patients, many elderly. Crematoriums are struggling to keep up with an influx of bodies.\n\nCNN report: The world's harshest quarantine is no more 03:43 - Source: CNN\n\nAmid the chaos, the government has stopped reporting the bulk of the country’s Covid infections and narrowed its criteria of counting Covid deaths in a way that the World Health Organization warned would “very much underestimate the true death toll.”\n\nWhile that move has taken the public’s panic into consideration, the political undertones are also hard to miss.\n\nFor nearly three years, China’s low Covid caseload and death count compared with countries like the United States had been held up as a measure of the party’s merit and legitimacy.\n\nNow, the true scale of the outbreak and deaths could deal a serious blow to the credibility of a government that had justified years of painful restrictions on the grounds that they were necessary to save lives.\n\nSome studies have estimated China’s abrupt and under-prepared reopening could lead to nearly a million deaths – close to the Covid death toll of the US.\n\nAs China enters its third – and darkest – pandemic winter, zero-Covid is finally dead, but the fallout from its demise will haunt the country into the next year.", "authors": ["Nectar Gan"], "publish_date": "2022/12/27"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/13/business/prince-william-1-billion-inheritance/index.html", "title": "Prince William just inherited a 685-year old estate worth $1 billion ...", "text": "London CNN Business —\n\nRoyal wills are never made public. That means what happens to much of the Queen’s personal wealth following her death last week will remain a family secret.\n\nForbes estimated last year that the late monarch’s personal fortune was worth $500 million, made up of her jewels, art collection, investments and two residences, Balmoral Castle in Scotland and Sandringham House in Norfolk. The Queen inherited both properties from her father, King George VI.\n\n“[Royal wills] are hidden, so we have no idea actually what’s in them and what that’s worth, and that’s never ever made public,” Laura Clancy, a lecturer in media at Lancaster University and author of a book on royal finances, told CNN Business.\n\nBut the vast bulk of the Royal family’s wealth — totaling at least £18 billion ($21 billion) in land, property and investments — now passes along a well-trodden, centuries-old path to the new monarch, King Charles, and his heir.\n\nCNN reporter predicts what we'll see from King Charles 05:17 - Source: CNN\n\nThe line of succession makes Prince William, now the first in line to the British throne, a much wealthier man.\n\nThe future king inherits the private Duchy of Cornwall estate from his father. The duchy owns a sprawling portfolio of land and property covering almost 140,000 acres, most of it in southwest England.\n\nCreated in 1337 by King Edward III, the estate is worth around £1 billion ($1.2 billion), according to its accounts for the last financial year.\n\nRevenue from the estate is “used to fund the public, private and charitable activities,” of the Duke of Cornwall, its website says. That title is now held by Prince William.\n\nBalmoral Castle in Scotland is part of the late Queen Elizabeth's private fortune. Andrew Milligan/WPA Pool/Getty Images/File\n\nBy far the biggest slice of the family’s fortune, the £16.5 billion ($19 billion) Crown Estate, now belongs to King Charles as reigning monarch. But under an arrangement dating back to 1760, the monarch hands over all profits from the estate to the government in return for a slice, called the Sovereign Grant.\n\nThe estate includes vast swathes of central London property and the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has the status of a corporation and is managed by a chief executive and commissioners — or non-executive directors — appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister.\n\nIn the last financial year, it generated net profit of almost £313 million ($361 million). From that, the UK Treasury paid the Queen a Sovereign Grant of £86 million ($100 million). That’s equivalent to £1.29 ($1.50) per person in the United Kingdom.\n\nMost of this money is spent on maintaining the Royal family’s properties and paying their staff.\n\nThe Sovereign Grant is usually equivalent to 15% of the estate’s profits. But, in 2017, the payment was bumped up to 25% for the next decade to help pay for refurbishments to Buckingham Palace.\n\nKing Charles also inherits the Duchy of Lancaster, a private estate dating back to 1265, which was valued at about £653 million ($764 million) according to its most recent accounts. Income from its investments cover official costs not met by the Sovereign Grant, and helps support other Royal family members.\n\nRestrictions apply\n\nDespite the vast sums, the monarch and his heir are restricted in how much they can personally benefit from their fortunes.\n\nThe King can only spend the Sovereign Grant on royal duties. And neither he nor his heir are allowed to benefit from the sale of assets in their duchies. Any profit from disposals is reinvested back into the estate, according to an explainer published by the Institute for Government’s (IfG).\n\nThe UK Treasury must also approve all large property transactions, the IfG said.\n\nStill, unlike the Sovereign Grant generated by the Crown Estate, both duchies are private sources of wealth, meaning their owners are not required to give any details beyond reporting their income, the IFG said.\n\nRegent Street in London during a pandemic lockdown. The prime retail location is owned by the Crown Estate. Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images/FILE\n\nLast year, King Charles, then the Duke of Cornwall, paid himself £21 million ($25 million) from the Duchy of Cornwall estate.\n\nNeither Prince William nor King Charles are obliged to pay any form of tax on their estates, though both duchies have voluntarily paid income tax since 1993, according to the IfG.\n\nThat move came a year after the Royal family faced strong criticism for planning to use public money to repair Windsor Castle, which had suffered damage in a fire, Clancy said.\n\n“Of course, voluntary income tax [is] not a fixed rate, and they don’t have to declare how much income they’re making their tax on. So actually it’s just like plucking a figure out of thin air,” Clancy said.\n\nBuckingham Palace did not immediately respond to CNN Business when reached for comment.", "authors": ["Anna Cooban"], "publish_date": "2022/09/13"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/09/opinions/pope-wrong-about-having-children-currie/index.html", "title": "Opinion: The Pope is wrong. Choosing to have few or no children is ...", "text": "Editor’s Note: Alistair Currie is the head of campaigns and communications at Population Matters, a UK-based charity campaigning for a sustainable human population through ethical means, to protect nature and improve people’s lives. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion on CNN.\n\nCNN —\n\nPope Francis’ comments that couples opting for pets instead of children were acting selfishly, has reinvigorated an important and timely debate about the future of our species. The pontiff’s comments, however, are wholly wrong.\n\n“Today we see a form of selfishness. We see that people do not want to have children, or just one and no more. And many, many couples do not have children because they do not want to, or they have just one – but they have two dogs, two cats … Yes, dogs and cats take the place of children,” the Pope told an audience at the Vatican Wednesday.\n\n“This denial of fatherhood or motherhood diminishes us, it takes away our humanity,” he added.\n\nThe Pope’s suggestion that failing to have children is selfish is far from the truth. Especially for those of us living in countries with a large environmental footprint, the choice to have a small family, or no human family at all, is one that helps everyone – particularly children, whose future depends on a more sustainable planet.\n\nAdditionally, a person’s value, moral standing and character is not defined by parenthood. And showing love for animals is surely something that enhances and demonstrates our humanity – rather than diminishing it.\n\nThe Pope has been a strong advocate for the environment and deserves praise for speaking out on inequality, consumerism and social justice. He recognizes the profound threat posed by climate change and biodiversity loss. And in raising his voice and challenging the complacency of politicians, he has done much good.\n\nWhat the pontiff hasn’t done is connect the dots between environmental collapse and the Catholic Church’s position on family size and contraception. Indeed, his comments this week echo the church’s teachings about the importance of couples either bearing or raising children – while making unjustified claims about the potential demographic consequences of not doing so.\n\nBut population growth is one of the key drivers of both climate change and biodiversity loss, according to authoritative sources. A 2017 study published by Global Environmental Change suggested that if global population growth meets or exceeds the United Nation’s medium projection (most likely 10.9 billion people by 2100), it would be impossible to stay under the critical threshold of 2 degrees Celsius warming above pre-industrial levels.\n\nProject Drawdown, a major analysis of all available climate policy solutions, found that achieving the medium projection instead of the higher projection by 2050 (a difference of 1 billion people) would result in emissions savings of 85.42 Gigatonnes of CO2 – making it one of the most powerful actions we can take in limiting global warming.\n\nIt’s not just population, of course. There is an urgent need across multiple fronts, not least addressing grotesque inequalities in consumption and the disproportionate contribution to environmental destruction among those of us who are wealthy by global standards – inequalities Pope Francis has done much to highlight.\n\nThe hundreds of millions of people living in poverty worldwide deserve far more land, food, water, energy and infrastructure than they currently have. And the more people there are squeezing nature and generating emissions, the harder it is to dig ourselves out of this hole.\n\nMeanwhile, the Pope calls for more children. The pontiff has been part of a baby bust panic – touted by Elon Musk, among others – decrying a “demographic winter,” in reference to falling birth rates. Let’s put this in perspective. Half the world’s population is under 30. Ageing societies are a challenge, but effective, affordable policy solutions already exist. What doesn’t exist are solutions to melted glaciers or extinct species. The fundamental prerequisite of a decent future for young and old is a healthy planet.\n\nDoes it matter what the Pope thinks? After all, Catholic Italy has one of the lowest fertility rates in Europe, something unlikely to have been achieved by the contraceptive methods the Vatican endorses. But not everywhere is Italy. While Europe and the Americas are still home to a majority of the world’s Christians, according to the Pew Research Center, that share is much lower than it was a century ago. At the same time, the Catholic population has grown enormously in sub-Saharan Africa and the Asian Pacific region.\n\nDespite this, provision of contraception worldwide is grossly underfunded. It needs all the support it can get – and the Pope and his church could do immeasurable good in supporting, rather than opposing it.\n\nGet our free weekly newsletter Sign up for CNN Opinion’s newsletter. Join us on Twitter and Facebook\n\nWorldwide, 270 million women have an unmet need for modern contraception. Investing in global family planning is also extraordinarily good value for money. A 2014 assessment by the Copenhagen Consensus Center found that every US dollar spent on achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health services yields a $120 benefit in improving health and reducing pressure on other services.\n\nOur humanity is enhanced by making careful decisions about the size of our families and by giving others the right and opportunity to make those choices too. The “winter” we face if we don’t make wiser decisions about how we live – including about how many children we have – is not demographic but planetary. The Pope understands that threat. He can and must bring his church’s policies into line with it.", "authors": ["Alistair Currie"], "publish_date": "2022/01/09"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/10/world/covid-pandemic-gender-women-as-equals-intl-cmd/index.html", "title": "Why have women been so disproportionately affected by Covid-19 ...", "text": "This story is part of As Equals , CNN's ongoing series on gender inequality. For information about how the series is funded and more, check out our FAQs .\n\n(CNN) On March 8 -- International Women's Day -- CNN published the findings of an exclusive poll which revealed that women in the G7 countries (US, UK, Japan, Canada, France, Italy and Germany) felt less supported by their leaders than men did; their impressions of their government's response to Covid-19 were significantly worse than men's; they were more likely than men to perceive the gendered impacts of the pandemic and, inflation and financial issues were ranked as their foremost present-day concern in six of the seven countries.\n\nCNN's findings align with other research that has been conducted over the past couple of years that shows that women have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. But why have women been so adversely affected? What is it about the societies in which they live and their place in those societies that made them particularly vulnerable?\n\nAcross the five areas where women in the G7 said they had experienced the most disruption during the pandemic -- future planning, community (their relationships with close family and friends), mental health, access to healthcare and their financial stability -- CNN asked experts to help explain the findings in the rich nations of the world and beyond.\n\nThis is what they said. Their interviews have been edited for clarity and brevity.\n\n'Women were more likely to lose their jobs or take on more uncompensated care work'\n\nLuisa Sorio Flor, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington and lead author of a recent study into the global impact of the pandemic on women\n\nSimilar to what was found in the [CNN] poll, our study shows that the pandemic has exacerbated gender disparities across several indicators related to health and other areas of wellbeing. Women were, for example, more likely than men to report loss of employment, an increase in uncompensated care work, and an increase in perceived gender-based violence during the pandemic, even in high-income countries.\n\nThese findings align well with the feeling of being the most hurt by the pandemic reported by women in the poll and might explain the feeling of not being satisfactorily supported by their governments.\n\nThe life-threatening and traumatic nature of Covid-19, compounded by the persistent stress of prolonged social distancing, stay-at-home orders, school closures, and working from home, also had a large and uneven impact on global mental health, as reported by colleagues at the Institute of Health Metrics\n\nTheir results indicate that the pandemic contributed to an increase in major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders in 2020, with women more affected than men.\n\nUnderstanding how the pandemic influenced health-care-seeking behavior, particularly for women and disadvantaged populations, has been limited by data availability. Yet, we see in our study that women were disproportionately affected by disruptions in the provision of sexual, reproductive, and maternal health services. Abortion services, for example in some countries, were considered non-essential during the pandemic.\n\nUnfortunately, data on how age, race, occupational and socio-economic status, migration status, sexuality, disability, and other conditions differentially impact women is also still limited. Even when we talk about the gendered impacts of the pandemic, we are mostly restricted to women and men, excluding gender minorities.\n\nWe do know that women with multiple or compounding vulnerabilities are especially likely to bear the brunt of this public health crisis. As an example, immigrants, people from minority racial and ethnic backgrounds, and women who are in poverty, are disproportionately represented in low-wage and informal positions, and frequently lack social support, making them more likely to experience a larger burden of the economic impact of Covid-19.\n\nThese results have important policy implications. This differential impact emphasizes the need to explicitly consider gender in post-pandemic recovery plans to address both immediate and long-term impacts of this pandemic through research, public health and practice. This will ensure that many decades of previous progress towards achieving gender equity in the world is not stalled or reversed.\n\n'Transgender healthcare services were considered elective and as such were postponed due to the pandemic'\n\nTimo O. Nieder, associate professor at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and author of a study on the impact of Covid on transgender health care in upper-middle-income and high-income countries.\n\nOur study , conducted in 63 upper-middle-income and high-income countries, showed that transgender people suffered under the severity of the pandemic, especially due to the intersections between their status as a vulnerable social group, their high number of medical risk factors, and their need for ongoing medical treatment.\n\nFor example, trans people experienced restrictions in access to transgender health care such as hormone prescriptions. Such services were considered elective and thus were postponed due to the pandemic. The difficulties were greater for people who lived in regions with low-level transgender healthcare provision.\n\nSince the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, 35.1% of the participants in our study reported suicidal thoughts. And 168 reported having attempted suicide during this time.\n\nSince the CNN report also lists \"mental health\" and \"access to health care\" among the areas where women experience more pandemic-related disadvantage compared to men, an overlap between bias against women and transgender people stands to reason. The pandemic has exacerbated both the extent of unfair disadvantage and the difficulties that accompany it.\n\n'In Uganda, schools provided a safety net. Their closure saw teen pregnancies and early marriage rise'\n\nMarie Nanyanzi, senior program officer at Twaweza, a 'citizen centered' non-profit organization working in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.\n\nNanyanzi has been involved in conducting public opinion surveys on Covid in East Africa on a wide range of subjects. Twaweza's latest survey, focused on gender, is published today. She told CNN:\n\nHalf of citizens of Uganda reported that in their communities, physical violence (51%), emotional violence (51%) and sexual violence or assault (46%) got worse during the Covid-19 outbreak. But the largest effect, as reported by citizens, was on teen pregnancy: 8 out of 10 citizens (79%) said teenage pregnancy increased in their community during the outbreak, particularly in poorer households.\n\nThe closure of schools as a pandemic response helps explain the rise in teen pregnancy. Schools provide a safety net for girls and this was really clear once they closed. Teen pregnancy increased followed by early marriage. Some girls will lose years of schooling; others will never return. Their life course changed and how this is managed will have lifelong impact.\n\nYet, despite the significant social and economic problems facing girls and women in particular, women are much less likely than men to be actively engaged in governance processes. Our survey also found that, men (48%) are more likely than women (35%) to have attended a community meeting in the previous twelve months. Men (22%) are also more likely than women (14%) to have spoken during such a meeting.\n\nThe nature of our patriarchal society means that the Covid-19 pandemic has made existing structural inequalities worse and the voices and experiences of women are much less likely to be heard in decision-making spaces during the recovery period.\n\n'Japanese women worked in the industries hardest hit by the pandemic and have more precarious employment'\n\nMichiko Ueda, associate professor in the Faculty of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University.\n\nstudy Ueda co-authored on suicide and mental health in Japan analyzed monthly suicide statistics between January 2017 and October 2020. It found that suicides among women increased by 70% in October 2020, with women under 40 showing the greatest increase.\n\nUeda said:\n\nWe are still trying to figure out why we have experienced an increase in suicide only among women, but not among men, and why the increase was observed among relatively young women.\n\nOne potential factor is the economic impact of the pandemic. We know that the industries that are affected most by the pandemic are more likely to be served by women (e.g. tourism, food service) and they were hit hardest. Similarly, women tend to have precarious employment status in Japan (such as part-time, contract-based work), and a massive number of workers with a non-permanent position lost their job at the beginning of the pandemic. Again, they are more likely to be women.\n\nThe fact that women in Japan were the only ones in CNN's poll to say Covid-19 is their top present concern is interesting. Compared to other G7 countries, the impact of Covid-19 has been much less in Japan, in terms of the number of cases and deaths. However, our life is still constrained by Covid-19. Less than 30% of the population has had three doses of a vaccine, not because they are reluctant to get a booster shot, but because it's not widely available yet, which might have contributed to their high level of concerns.\n\n'In the UK, the majority of pregnant women working outside the home were not given risk assessments to ensure they were safe'\n\nJoeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed a charity which took the UK government to court for indirect sex discrimination for the way its self-employed income support scheme -- introduced in March 2020 in response to the pandemic and intended to pay grants worth 80% of someone's average monthly profit for a three month period -- was calculated.\n\nThe self-employed income support scheme was found by the Court of Appeal to have indirectly discriminated against new mothers in the way it was calculated: if you had taken a period of maternity leave in the past 3 years then you would receive a much-reduced payment compared to your childless or male colleagues.\n\nWe heard from couples who did exactly the same job, but the mother received a payment that was less than half of her partner because she had taken some time off after the birth of their baby two years prior.\n\nAlthough you could apply to be furloughed for caring reasons, a survey conducted by the British Trades Union Congress found that 71% of mothers who requested to be furloughed had that request rejected.\n\nOur research found that in July 2020 fewer than half (45%) of pregnant women working outside of the home were given risk assessments to ensure they were safe. This left them terrified.\n\nThis daily fear, combined with hospital restrictions which meant pregnant women had to attend hospital appointments and endure early labor alone, meant pregnant women were isolated and alone when at their most vulnerable.\n\nThis gender-blind policymaking resulted in the deterioration of women's mental health. Indeed, analysis of NHS data found that the number of mothers requesting mental health support increased by 40% in 2021 , compared with 2019.\n\nStories of the week\n\nA new report finds that skin whitening products containing mercury levels that are thousands of times over permitted limits are readily available on the world's biggest online retailers, including eBay, Amazon and sites owned by Alibaba.\n\nRefugees arrive from war zones in Lviv. Since the beginning of the Russian military invasion, more than 1.7 million refugees have left Ukraine, according to the UN refugee agency. (Photo by Vincenzo Circosta / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)\n\n\"We are painfully seeing that refugees are selectively welcomed, and war criminals are selectively punished. It's not just the western media that is biased; it's the western world.\" CNN's award-winning international correspondent, Arwa Damon, writes powerfully about the gross hypocrisy of the West's refugee response.\n\nWomen Behaving Badly: Mia Mottley\n\nBarbados Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley addresses the 73rd session of the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York on September 28, 2018. (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP)\n\nMia Amor Mottley became the eighth Prime Minister of Barbados in May 2018, and the first woman to hold the post.\n\nMottley has become known outside her country for her powerful speeches given at global events. At COP26, the climate summit in Glasgow last November, Mottley said : \"Failure to provide the critical [climate] finance and that of loss and damage is measured in lives and livelihoods in our communities. This is amoral and it is unjust.\"\n\nThat speech, posted on the UN Climate Change Youtube channel has more views than those delivered by the famous nature broadcaster, Sir David Attenborough and former US president Barack Obama at the same event.\n\nUnder Mottley's tenure, Barbados became a republic when it removed Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state and elected Dame Sandra Mason as its first president in 2021.\n\nMottley was born in Barbados in 1965 and received a Bachelors degree in Law from the London School of Economics in 1986, before joining politics in 1991. As Minister of Education, Youth Affairs and Culture at 29 years old, she was Barbados' youngest minister, and later its first female Attorney General (2001).\n\nIn December 2021 Mottley was awarded the Champions of the Earth Award, \" the UN's highest environmental honour ,\" for her policy leadership.\n\nOther stories worth your time\n\nFeb 26, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Fans fly the flag of Ukraine and a flag stating \"Protect Trans Kids\" in the second half between the D.C. United and the Charlotte FC at Audi Field. (Photo by Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports)", "authors": ["Alice Mccool"], "publish_date": "2022/03/10"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/05/china/china-protests-loosen-restrictions-intl-hnk-mic/index.html", "title": "China Covid restrictions: Protesters win a partial victory as cities start ...", "text": "Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world. Sign up here.\n\nHong Kong CNN —\n\nIt may be too early to call it a complete victory, but a collective uproar from people across China against stringent Covid controls has forced a remarkable partial climbdown from one of the world’s most authoritarian governments – and its leader, Xi Jinping.\n\nFollowing protests nationwide, some local Chinese authorities have started to ease Covid restrictions – in what appears to be a shift toward gradual reopening as the country nears entering the fourth year of the pandemic.\n\nSince last week, more than 20 cities, including the major metropolises of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Chengdu, scrapped the requirements for negative Covid tests on public transport, if not other public venues. And some residential compounds now allow infected residents with special needs to quarantine at home, instead of being sent to centralized quarantine.\n\n“I feel like everyone’s hard work is paying off,” said a protester who took part in a demonstration in Beijing.\n\nChina’s top health official signaled a change in strategy on Wednesday, by declaring the country’s pandemic controls had entered a “new stage and mission.” Xi later shared his thoughts on the issue with the visiting European Council President, according to an EU official who said the Chinese leader had acknowledged people were frustrated and suggested China was open to relaxing its Covid rules.\n\nIt was an extraordinary contrast to Xi’s ringing endorsement of the “tenacious pursuit” of zero-Covid at the Communist Party Congress in late October – back then, he made no mention of the public anger that had been simmering for months, or the soaring economic and social costs of the policy that he had personally backed.\n\nJust six weeks ago, Xi’s authority seemed all but unassailable. He secured a groundbreaking third term in power, moved politically more moderate leaders into early retirement, and stacked the new leadership with staunch loyalists – including some of the most faithful enforcers of his zero-Covid strategy.\n\nThat image of unquestioned and absolute control was pierced late last month by an explosion of dissent from residents, migrant workers and university students who’d had enough.\n\n'River of blood': Foxconn employee describes violent protests in China 03:26 - Source: CNN\n\nIn a worrying development for the party, in addition to Covid restrictions, many young protesters also directed their anger at Xi’s authoritarian policies, from ever-tightening censorship to all-encompassing ideological controls, which now dictate what they’re allowed to watch, read, listen to and buy in their private lives to an extent unseen in decades.\n\nSome demanded greater political freedoms, others decried dictatorship and life-long rule, but the boldest political defiance came from Shanghai, China’s largest city and financial hub, where crowds openly called for Xi to “step down” for two consecutive nights.\n\nProtesters shout slogans against China's strict zero-Covid measures on November 28, 2022 in Beijing. Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images\n\nWhile China’s security forces moved swiftly to snuff out the demonstrations, the growing calls for political change – unheard of on such a scale since the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests – have likely pushed authorities to speed up the easing of restrictions.\n\nState media has carefully avoided all mention of the protests, instead framing the policy adjustment as following the science, a development noted by one Beijing resident in a widely circulated – and later censored – Weibo post: “When you talk to him about democracy, he finally talks to you about science.”\n\nHaving stoked pervasive public fear of catching and dying of Covid, Chinese state media is now citing months-old research on the comparative “decreased pathogenicity” of the Omicron variant. Some state media outlets also shared an interview with a medical expert who raised doubts about long Covid – a sharp contrast to previous coverage playing up the long-term risks of contracting the virus.\n\nThe about-face in public messaging is not lost on many Chinese people critical of zero-Covid. Some shared juxtaposed screenshots of two reports from the state-run People’s Daily published five months apart – one highlighting the severity of long Covid, and one with the headline: “At present, there is no evidence showing long Covid exists.”\n\nDespite the partial relaxation, many restrictions remain in place – and in some parts of the country, new lockdowns and travel restrictions are still being imposed.\n\n“It appears that moving away from zero-Covid is pretty much a decentralized process in China: while some localities are easing restrictions, some allegedly still cling to zero-Covid, and still others are waiting and watching,” wrote Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. “Policy flip-flop is common.”\n\nIn some cities, the partial relaxation has caused confusion and chaos on the ground. In Beijing, public venues such as shopping malls and office buildings still require a 48-hour negative Covid test for entry. The abrupt removal of testing kiosks in the capital has also caused long lines at the remaining testing locations.\n\nStill, residents across major Chinese cities shared photos of testing booths being removed from the streets, celebrating what some saw as the “beginning of the end” to zero-Covid.\n\nOthers are in no mood for celebration, citing the livelihood ruined and lives lost due to the draconian lockdowns.\n\n“There will be no compensations, no apologies, no discovery of the truth, just moving on. What can lock us down can also easily unlock us. How terrifying is this capricious power, and when will it overturn your life again? I don’t celebrate, I just remember those brave friends with gratitude,” a Beijing resident posted on Weibo, in a reference to the protesters.\n\n“Freedom does not fall from the sky.”", "authors": ["Nectar Gan"], "publish_date": "2022/12/05"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/23/opinions/nord-stream-2-germany-putin-gas-energy-hockenos/index.html", "title": "Opinion: Good riddance Nord Stream 2. Now Europe has a golden ...", "text": "Editor’s Note: Paul Hockenos is a Berlin-based writer focusing on renewable energy in Europe. He is the author of four books on European issues, most recently “Berlin Calling: A Story of Anarchy, Music, the Wall and the Birth of the New Berlin.” The opinions in this article are those of the author. View more opinion on CNN.\n\nCNN —\n\nAt long last, the gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 has been suspended – a terrible idea from its conception and now, with Russia on the brink of a second invasion of Ukraine, finally ground to a halt.\n\nGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz’ suspension of the gas pipeline’s approval is one of the first sanctions that the West has imposed on President Vladimir Putin for Russia’s blatant breach of Ukraine’s sovereignty. Scholz made good on a threat the Germans were hesitant to invoke, given what they see as its far-reaching implications for the economy.\n\nWhile the energy implications for the rest of Europe – some of which intended to rely on Russian gas to heat its homes for decades to come – are far-ranging, they aren’t tragic. On the contrary, this is a blessing in disguise.\n\nEurope may rely on Russia for around 35% of its natural gas – Germany over 50% – but there are green alternatives that can step in and at the same time serve the purpose of addressing the ever more urgent climate crisis.\n\nIn fact, the pipeline was wildly controversial from the get-go, over a decade ago. Natural gas, after all, is a fossil fuel, the combustion of which emits high quantities of carbon dioxide. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, also leaks along almost all of the gas supply chain. In Germany, natural gas is responsible for 20% of carbon emissions – in other words, it’s not in the least bit climate friendly.\n\nThe pipeline, which would have constituted Europe’s largest fossil fuel project, flew in the face of the 2015 UN Paris accord by ignoring Europe’s commitment to lower greenhouse emissions and keep global temperatures from rising less than 1.5 degrees Celsius.\n\nAlso, it committed western Europe to Russia for an ever greater share of its energy supply – obviously an miscalculation given Putin’s geopolitical weaponization of energy since 2009 when it first cut gas deliveries to eastern Europe. Had the Europeans seen alternative energies as a cornerstone of geopolitical energy security 15 years ago, Russian gas would have much less muscle to flex in western Europe today. But that’s spilled milk now.\n\nSo now Europe has to jump to its feet and act decisively.\n\nFortunately, the continent is already in the thick of transitioning from fossil fuels to electricity-based renewable energy. There are plans in place, strengthened last year at the COP26 summit in Glasgow and driven by the EU Green Deal, as well as pledges galore, though most countries have been much too slow in acting upon them. These plans have to be put into fifth gear, understood now as the solution to two crises.\n\nSo what are the options? Of course, there are green alternatives to natural gas – such as biogas, wood pellets, power-to-gas, and other synthetic fuels. But the buildout potential of biogas, namely gases produced from raw materials such as waste and plant material, is limited. There’s only so much suitable waste and the cultivation of crop-based energy plants risks displacing food from families’ tables.\n\nPower-to-gas is a technology that uses electrical power to produce gaseous fuel. For example, surplus power from wind generation can be converted into hydrogen. But this is still very expensive and not seen as a viable solution for heating all of Europe’s houses in winter.\n\nThus, Europe must rigorously accelerate its transition to electricity-based forms of heating, cooling, and transportation: called, logically, electrification. “Electrify everything” is considered a key step in transitioning away from fossil fuels, because when it comes to electricity, we know how to get to zero carbon. That’s not the case with gas. Electrification is also the most cost-effective way to decarbonize Europe’s economy.\n\nTransportation, industry, and buildings can and will one day run on green electricity – nations have agreed upon this at climate summits. Gas was already, at best, a short-term “bridge technology” that was meant to hold Europe over between phasing out coal and oil (the dirtiest fossil fuels) and the full adoption of renewables. We can now ditch gas sooner than we had planned.\n\nOf course, to power this electrified world, the massive expansion of renewable energy, storage technologies, hydrogen technologies, and smart grids is crucial, which now has to happen several times faster than it is now – a point that climate activists and experts have made for years.\n\nAlthough hydroelectric, bioenergy, geothermal and even, in some countries, nuclear power, will play a role, the central technologies the world will rely upon are solar and wind power. Solar photovoltaic energy, namely turning sunlight into electricity, is the “cheapest energy source in history,” according to the International Energy Agency. Wind power, both onshore and offshore, are close on its heels, and in the midst of a massive worldwide roll out.\n\nThe EU intends to have renewables account for 40% of its energy supply by 2030, which means more than doubling wind power and solar energy production. Germany’s new government has pledged to quadruple solar power by installation of solar panels and more than double wind power production, largely by cutting red tape.\n\nBut studies show that even more clean energy is required to run factories and heat homes – and that’s even with gas flowing from Russia. Now those targets will have to be adjusted upward again.\n\nCritically, energy efficiency targets, too, have to be ratcheted up. Europeans simply have to use less energy: drive less, heat less, consume less. The EU’s recently increased targets are actually quite tame: EU countries should collectively cut energy consumption by 9% by 2030, for example. Only 1% of Europe’s buildings are being renovated with high quality insulation every year – much too few. The introduction of a circular economy will shave energy use, too.\n\nGet our free weekly newsletter Sign up for CNN Opinion’s newsletter. Join us on Twitter and Facebook\n\nEuropeans have to realize that they are living in precarious, crisis-fraught times. Ramped up green transformation policies are required now for two reasons: to break free of Putin’s energy stranglehold on Europe and meet global climate goals to keep our planet livable.", "authors": ["Paul Hockenos"], "publish_date": "2022/02/23"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_24", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": []}
{"question_id": "20230324_25", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/science-health/959437/what-is-misophonia", "title": "What is misophonia? | The Week UK", "text": "Do sounds like crisp crunching, gum chewing, heavy breathing, throat clearing and sniffing generate an intense negative reaction in you? If so, it’s likely that you are one of the 18% of people in the UK who suffer from a relatively obscure but genuinely debilitating neurological sensory condition called misophonia.\n\nAlthough research on the syndrome “is still in its infancy”, interest in “the phenomenon” has grown in recent years, reported misophonia sufferer Melinda Wenner Moyer in The New York Times (NYT) in September.\n\nWhat is misophonia?\n\nThe Oscar-nominated new movie Tár, in which Cate Blanchett’s character is triggered by “the noise of a clicking pen and a steadily pulsing metronome”, has been credited with highlighting the little-known disorder, said The Times. And Ruby, a character in the hit Netflix show Sex Education, has similarly contributed to an increased understanding of the condition.\n\nEven so, only “around 14% of people in the UK are aware of misophonia”, said Ellie Violet Bramley – who suffers from the syndrome – in a piece for The Guardian. A reason for this could be how hard misophonia, which Bramley says is known as “sound rage”, is to talk about.\n\n“You are essentially telling someone: ‘The sound of you eating and breathing – the sounds of you keeping yourself alive – are repulsing me,’” explained Jane Gregory, a clinical psychologist who co-authored a paper on the condition. “It’s really hard to find a polite way to say that.”\n\nWhat causes it?\n\nStudies of brain scans have suggested that people with misophonia interpret “specific innocuous sounds as threats”, explained Wenner Moyer. Certain sounds seem to trigger a response by sufferers’ autonomic nervous system, the part of the body responsible for our involuntary “fight or flight” response.\n\nFor people with misophonia, ordinary sounds can lead to an “aversive reaction”, which could “take the form of physical changes”, said Bramley. These changes could include “increased muscle tension or heart rate, or emotional responses such as irritability, shame and anxiety”.\n\nIn Wenner Moyer’s case, seemingly innocuous sounds like her “husband chewing” and someone “slurping” send her “into a fit of rage”. “I often can’t help but make a comment… then I typically walk away to escape the sound before I do something that might land me in prison,” she wrote.\n\nWhat is the impact of misophonia on lives?\n\nMisophonia sufferers on the extreme end of the spectrum have reported it having a “severe” impact on their lives, necessitating the end of relationships or house moves to escape “triggering neighbours”, said Bramley.\n\nSo what options are available to those people whose misophonia is impacting their lives? “If your partner’s sounds are making you murderous, try talking with them about it,” suggested Zach Rosenthal, a clinical psychologist and the director of a misophonia centre at Duke University, North Carolina, in the NYT piece. “Tell them your reactions aren’t conscious choices, and ask for their support if you need to walk away or eat separately.”\n\nAnd although there is “no magic formula” for treating misophonia, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) might help sufferers understand and better manage their reactions, said Psychology Today. Other forms of therapy, including sound therapy and music therapy, have been known to alleviate the symptoms, as well as “lifestyle changes” such as using noise cancelling headphones.\n\nSometimes, added Bramley, the “best option” for coping with the impact of misophonia is to simply “walk away”. “By the time you re-enter the room, the sound might be gone, or you might feel better equipped” to deal with the way your brain is reacting to the trigger.", "authors": ["Kate Samuelson"], "publish_date": "2023/01/27"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/02/health/asmr-tinglehead-wellness/index.html", "title": "Are you a tinglehead? The weird world of ASMR | CNN", "text": "CNN —\n\nDoes listening to a whisper send a tingle through your scalp? Do you find watching the snip of scissors around your ears at the hair salon soothing?\n\nHow about the sound of nails clicking softy, the swish or tap of a paintbrush on canvas, or the crinkle of foil as you unwrap a candy bar?\n\nIf these sounds and images give your brain a sparkly, effervescent feeling that relaxes you, then you are a tinglehead – one of the estimated 20% of people that some experts say experience autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR.\n\nIs it a real or imagined sensation? There’s very little research on the phenomenon, so no one really knows. But legions of fans swear by ASMR, saying the actions in the videos foster a soothing meditative state that reduces anxiety and lulls them to sleep.\n\nSome people go so far as to call ASMR tingles – which can cascade down the neck and shoulders and throughout the body – “brain-gasms.”\n\n“ASMR is often described by those who experience it as ‘sparkling’ or ‘staticky,’ but tingles can vary for people,” said Craig Richard, founder of ASMR University, a website dedicated to understanding and researching the strange sensation.\n\n“For me it is like my brain goes fuzzy, and I get this slight tingle,” said Richard, a self-proclaimed tinglehead and professor of biopharmaceutical science at Shenandoah University in Virginia.\n\nCould it feel like goosebumps?\n\n“No, not goosebumps. You can see and feel goosebumps on the surface of your skin. This is a deeper feeling,” Richard explained.\n\nIn addition to his own perceptions, Richard’s insight into this unusual phenomenon comes from a survey on ASMR he hosts on his website, where tingleheads share what triggers their shivery feelings. The majority of those who report experiencing ASMR are female, call themselves artistic or creative, and live all around the world, he said.\n\n“ASMR is a global experience,” Richard said. “From what I see from my website, it is experienced in over 100 different countries, which supports the theory this is something biological rather than cultural.”\n\nGazillions of tingleheads\n\nWhatever it is, ASMR has taken YouTube by storm. Since the first video about tingles hit the internet in 2013, eager fans have fueled the growth of millions of ASMR clips featuring soft whispers and calming, repetitive motions.\n\nOne video, which has over 13 million views, features beautifully manicured nails stroking or tapping objects next to a microphone. Other sounds said to trigger tingling are people eating crunchy foods like pickles, paper tearing, water dripping, hair brushing, humming, chewing, buzzing and purring.\n\nOne top ASMR YouTube provider has over 2.5 million subscribers to her whispering channel and over 38 million views of her 2017 hit, “ASMR 20 Triggers to Help You Sleep.”\n\nIf you’re a fan of something louder, this YouTube star and his friends are happy to chomp, crunch and loudly chew crispy fried chicken and sweet, sticky honeycombs for your listening pleasure – or maybe you’d prefer hash browns and burgers?\n\nAdvertisers have taken notice. Actor Zoe Kravitz starred in the first ever Super Bowl ASMR commercial this year. Reese’s peanut butter cups created a film that’s more than an hour long, featuring five people whispering while unwrapping candies.\n\nMcDonald’s has an ad of a young girl crunching her way through chicken nuggets and slurping a flurry. KFC’s UK YouTube channel has also gotten into the ASMR vibe, with a soothing British voice comparing raindrops to frying chicken.\n\nBehind the tingle\n\nResearch on ASMR is in the early stages. Richard has done one of the few scientific studies on the topic, using functional MRIs to study reactions in the brains of people who have self-identified as tingleheads.\n\nHe said the part of the brain that lit up during a sparkly episode was the reward center. That’s where the feel-good hormone oxytocin, also known as the “love or trust hormone,” is produced. It’s the same part of the brain that becomes addicted to drugs, such as cocaine and heroin.\n\n“Which could explain why people can stare at these videos of tapping and crunching for an hour or more at a time,” Richard said.\n\nUniversity of Winnipeg professor of psychology Stephen Smith has also studied the personalities of people with ASMR, finding them to score high in curiosity and neuroticism, and lower in conscientiousness, extraversion and agreeableness.\n\n“People with ASMR score high on the personality trait ‘openness to experience.’ I think they’re more receptive to specific types of physical, auditory and visual experiences than the rest of us,” Smith said.\n\nASMR falls into the same sensory category as synesthesia, Smith said, where senses commingle and people taste shapes, see sounds in color, feel music as a touch on the back of the neck, or see letters and numbers displayed in color.\n\nWhile reports of synesthesia go back centuries, science has only recently been able to measure brain activity to prove its existence. Today, researchers believe some types of synesthesia may be genetic. The condition typically appears in childhood, and many people enjoy the extra sensory input the body receives.\n\nSmith also put self-proclaimed tingleheads into functional MRI scanners to see how their brains were wired during a resting state. He found “unusual patterns of connections” in areas of the brain related to attention and sensation, “and in some cases, the brain areas that were part of one network appeared in different networks instead, suggesting there was some sort of cross wiring involved.”\n\nIn another study, Smith used electroencephalograms, or EEG machines, to measure the activity of groups of neurons in the brains of people who say they experience ASMR. Smith found that when people first began to experience tingles, there was a sudden surge in alpha waves, which indicate a state of wakeful rest.\n\n“Alpha waves are associated with meditative types of experiences,” Smith said. “This suggests that what people describe as ASMR is fairly similar to a relaxing meditative experience.”\n\nA feeling of connection\n\nRichard believes it’s the calming effect of ASMR that brings tingleheads back again and again. People love the deep sense of relaxation they feel after an ASMR practitioner has spoken in a caring, soothing manner, he said.\n\n“It’s very similar to the feeling of sitting down on a couch with a loved one you feel safe with, and when you feel safe with someone, you relax,” Richard said. “It’s also very similar to the way we talk to an infant to calm them: ‘Hey, it’s OK. I’m here for you. You’re safe. I care about you.’ These are universal behaviors of how to calm someone.”\n\nUnlike sitting next to a loved one on a couch, ASMR doesn’t have to happen in person. Many ASMR YouTubers brush or clip hair directly into the camera – giving the impression that it is the viewer who is being groomed, slowly and with gentle purpose. One video, which has over 9 millions views, features a woman putting on “your” makeup.\n\n“I find this all very off-putting,” Smith said. “I can’t watch the videos because there’s a voyeuristic quality that makes me feel uncomfortable, like I’m trespassing in some way.”\n\nThose who do respond to the videos are attracted to the “positive personal attention,” Richard explains. “It’s the person in the camera looking into the lens and acting in this super caring way like they known you their whole lives and care about you.”\n\nHowever therapeutic ASMR may appear to be, Smith hastens to point out that any use of ASMR would not replace professional counseling for anxiety or stress any more than a stroll in nature would.\n\n“It’s good for your blood pressure to go for a walk and relax. ASMR is the same,” he said. “If someone wants to use it therapeutically, it would be more as a supplement to help them relax, as opposed to their main treatment.”\n\nA primitive beginning?\n\nWhy would such attention be so enticing? Richard believes in an evolutionary explanation. He said we can trace the need back to the Stone Age, where developing trust may have come from chimplike grooming behavior – “removing some parasites, getting some twigs out of your hair, or whatever” – and slow, purposeful actions that would benefit us in some way.\n\n“If someone in a cave was handling something for a long time, he or she was probably preparing food, creating clothing or making a helpful tool,” Richard said.\n\nOf course, not every caveman and woman responded positively. Somewhere along the way, a few must have responded with irritation, even anger, to the same stimuli. Today, that reaction is called misophonia, which experts believe can affect up to 20% of the population.\n\n“It’s an extremely negative reaction, such as annoyance or disgust, mostly to specific sounds such as chewing, clicking, tapping and whispering,” Richard said, adding these are some of the most common triggers for the pleasurable aspects of ASMR as well.\n\n“There is a tendency for people who experience synesthesia and misophonia to also experience ASMR, so there is some overlap here,” Smith said. “It’s just for some people, they experience it as pleasurable and for others, they experience it as extremely aversive and gross.”\n\nDespite the lack of in-depth research on ASMR, Richard believes people should not carelessly dismiss the phenomenon, or the benefits it provides to those who experience it.\n\n“It’s another tool in the toolbox along with mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing or cognitive behavioral therapy,” Richard said. “It’s another aspect of self-care that’s helping people deal with their stress.”", "authors": ["Sandee Lamotte"], "publish_date": "2022/02/02"}, {"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/960155/ten-things-you-need-to-know-today-23-march-2023", "title": "Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 23 March 2023 | The Week UK", "text": "Trump: arrest could be ‘fun’\n\nDonald Trump has told friends that being arrested could be a “fun experience” for him. The former US president told them he is relishing the idea of a “perp walk” and plans to turn his potential arrest into a “spectacle” to fire up his base. “He wants to be defiant – to show the world that if they can try to do this to him, they can do it to anyone,” a source told the New York Times. Trump’s expected indictment was delayed this week.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2023/03/23"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_26", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/19/us/fina-vote-transgender-athletes/index.html", "title": "FINA votes to restrict transgender athletes from competing in elite ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nThe International Swimming Federation (FINA) has voted to approve a new policy that will restrict most transgender athletes from competing in elite women’s aquatics competitions.\n\nSwimming’s world governing body approved the new “gender inclusion” policy on Sunday, after 71.5% of FINA’s member federations voted in support at the FINA Extraordinary General Congress 2022.\n\nThe new gender inclusion policy, which is set to go into effect on June 20, 2022, says that male-to-female transgender athletes will only be eligible to compete in the women’s categories in FINA competitions if they transition before the age of 12 or before they reach stage two on the puberty Tanner Scale.\n\nThe policy also says athletes who have previously used testosterone as part of female-to-male gender-affirming hormone treatment will only be eligible to compete in women’s competitions if the testosterone was used for less than a year in total, the treatment didn’t take place during puberty and testosterone levels in serum are back to pre-treatment levels.\n\nAs a result of the vote, FINA said it will establish a new working group in order to develop open category events for athletes that do not meet the governing body’s eligibility criteria for men’s or women’s categories.\n\nFINA oversees aquatic competitions in swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming and open water swimming and high diving.\n\n“We have to protect the rights of our athletes to compete, but we also have to protect competitive fairness at our events, especially the women’s category at FINA competitions,” FINA President Husain Al-Musallam said. “FINA will always welcome every athlete. The creation of an open category will mean that everybody has the opportunity to compete at an elite level. This has not been done before, so FINA will need to lead the way. I want all athletes to feel included in being able to develop ideas during this process.”\n\nIn November 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued its Framework on Fairness, Inclusion and Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations, saying no athlete should be excluded from competition on the assumption of an advantage due to their gender and rejected the notion that a testosterone proxy was enough to be excluded from the women’s category.\n\nSeveral months later, in January 2022, the International Federation of Sports Medicine and the European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations issued a joint position statement disputing parts of the IOC’s position.\n\nFINA says it responded by forming a working group to “consider the best available statistical, scientific, and medical evidence concerning sex differences in sports performance, and any associated male sex-based advantage,” and use the information to establish eligibility criteria for transgender athletes.\n\nThe working group was comprised of an athlete group, which FINA says included transgender athletes and coaches, a science and medicine group as well as a legal and human rights group.\n\nOn Monday, the IOC issued a statement to CNN which said that “sports at the Olympic Games are governed by the International Federations (IFs).”\n\nIt continued: “With regard to eligibility criteria for sex-segregated competition, the Framework offers guidance to IFs without being mandatory. The previous Consensus Statement published by the IOC on the topic of eligibility for trans athletes and athletes with sex variations in 2015 was also non-binding for IFs.\n\n“The IOC considers that sports bodies are well placed to define the factors that contribute to performance advantage in the context of their own sport.\n\n“They are also well placed to determine the threshold at which an advantage may become disproportionate, devise relevant criteria, and develop the mechanisms needed to offset disproportionate advantage when it is determined to be present.”\n\nThe debate on transgender women in swimming came under a spotlight when University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who started on the school’s men’s swimming team in 2017, eventually joined the UPenn women’s team in 2020.\n\nAt the time of her transition in 2019, the NCAA required that transgender athletes have one year of hormone replacement therapy to be cleared to compete.\n\nIn February, 16 members of the University of Pennsylvania’s swim team sent a letter to the university and the Ivy League asking them to not challenge the NCAA’s new transgender athlete participation policies that would prevent Thomas and other transgender athletes to compete. In the letter, they argued Thomas had an “unfair advantage,” and said they supported her gender transition out of the pool but not necessarily in it.\n\nDespite the backlash, Penn Athletics and the Ivy League maintained their support for the transgender swimmer, and over 300 current and former swimmers signed their names to an open letter defending her ability to compete.\n\nAs a swimmer on the women’s team, Thomas became the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title after winning the women’s 500-yard freestyle event in March.", "authors": ["Homero De La Fuente"], "publish_date": "2022/06/19"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/21/sport/rugby-league-bans-trans-women-spt-intl/index.html", "title": "Transgender women banned from playing in women's international ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nThe global governing body for rugby league has banned transgender women from playing in women’s international matches until further notice.\n\nThe International Rugby League (IRL) joins a growing list of governing bodies that have recently restricted male-to-female transgender athletes from competing in women’s divisions, including the International Swimming Federation (FINA) and the International Cycling Union (UCI).\n\nIn a statement, the IRL said it is “continuing work to review and update rules” and will “seek to use the upcoming World Cup to help develop a comprehensive inclusion policy.”\n\nThe ban will be in place for the Rugby League World Cup, which begins in England on October 15.\n\n“Until further research is completed to enable the IRL to implement a formal transgender inclusion policy, male-to-female (transwomen) players are unable to play in sanctioned women’s international rugby league matches,” the statement read.\n\n“In reaching this position, the IRL, which last reviewed transgender participation in international rugby league in January-February 2021, considered several relevant developments in world sport. Not the least of these was the IOC’s publication of its November 2021 Framework on Fairness, Non-Discrimination and Inclusion on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations.\n\n“The IOC concluded that it is the remit of each sport and its governing body to determine how an athlete may be at a disproportionate advantage compared with their peers – taking into consideration the differing nature of each sport.”\n\nTransgender woman Caroline Layt, who played elite women’s rugby league in Australia after transitioning, told Reuters: “It’s disappointing. We’re human beings the same as everyone else.\n\n“It just tells trans kids and trans adults that you’re not worthy. Don’t even bother. Don’t even bother showing up. What’s the point?”\n\nThe IOC decision in question has led numerous governing bodies to implement new gender participation framework to their sports in recent months.\n\nWhile the IRL’s new rules are a blanket ban on male-to-female transgender athletes competing in women’s divisions, FINA and the UCI have developed detailed policies that restrict participation.\n\nOn Sunday, FINA approved its new “gender inclusion” policy that says male-to-female transgender athletes will only be eligible to compete in the women’s categories in FINA competitions if they transition before the age of 12 or before they reach stage two on the puberty Tanner Scale.\n\nThe policy also says athletes who have previously used testosterone as part of female-to-male gender-affirming hormone treatment will only be eligible to compete in women’s competitions if the testosterone was used for less than a year in total, the treatment didn’t take place during puberty and testosterone levels in serum are back to pre-treatment levels.\n\nIn a response to the FINA decision, the IOC issued a statement on Monday to CNN which said that “sports at the Olympic Games are governed by the International Federations (IFs).”\n\nIt continued: “With regard to eligibility criteria for sex-segregated competition, the Framework offers guidance to IFs without being mandatory. The previous Consensus Statement published by the IOC on the topic of eligibility for trans athletes and athletes with sex variations in 2015 was also non-binding for IFs.\n\n“The IOC considers that sports bodies are well placed to define the factors that contribute to performance advantage in the context of their own sport.\n\n“They are also well placed to determine the threshold at which an advantage may become disproportionate, devise relevant criteria, and develop the mechanisms needed to offset disproportionate advantage when it is determined to be present.”\n\nSpeaking to the BBC, World Athletics President Lord Coe said the sport could look follow the same path FINA has taken for limiting participation.\n\nMeanwhile, the UCI last week said that it has increased the transition period for lower testosterone from 12 months to two years and halved the maximum level of testosterone.\n\nRugby league differs to rugby union in its rules and also has a different governing body.\n\nLast year World Rugby, rugby union’s governing body, said it did not recommend that transgender women play women’s contact rugby “on safety grounds at the international level of the game.” However, the governing body’s advice was not binding and allowed national federations to implement their own grassroots policy.\n\nIn its statement on Tuesday, the IRL said in the “interests of avoiding unnecessary welfare, legal and reputational risk to International Rugby League competitions, and those competing therein,” more research was needed before finalizing a more detailed policy.\n\n“The IRL reaffirms its belief that rugby league is a game for all and that anyone and everyone can play our sport,” the statement said.\n\n“It is the IRL’s responsibility to balance the individual’s right to participate – a long-standing principle of rugby league and at its heart from the day it was established – against perceived risk to other participants, and to ensure all are given a fair hearing.\n\n“The IRL will continue to work towards developing a set of criteria, based on best possible evidence, which fairly balance the individual’s right to play with the safety of all participants.”\n\nThe IRL says it will look to work with the eight teams that compete at the Women’s Rugby League World Cup to obtain data that will help shape a transgender participation policy in 2023.", "authors": ["Matias Grez"], "publish_date": "2022/06/21"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/08/sport/british-cycling-trans-scli-spt-intl/index.html", "title": "British Cycling bans transgender riders from competing | CNN", "text": "London CNN —\n\nBritish Cycling has suspended its transgender and non-binary participation policy after the sport’s world governing body banned a trans rider from competing in a women’s event in the UK earlier this month.\n\nThe sport’s governing authority in the UK said Friday that it had voted in favor of an “immediate suspension” of its current policy, which it said was “unfair on all women riders.”\n\nThe decision came days after transgender cyclist Emily Bridges said she had been “harassed and demonised” after the UCI, world cycling’s governing body, ruled she couldn’t compete at the National Omnium Championships in the UK on April 2.\n\nBridges, who was set to race against British Olympic stars such as Laura Kenny in the event, said she found out through British Cycling that the UCI had ruled she was ineligible.\n\nUK Prime Minister Boris Johnson waded into the row this week when he said: “I don’t think that biological males should be competing in female sporting events. And maybe that’s a controversial thing … but it just seems to me to be sensible.”\n\nPosting the statement on its website, British Cycling said: “Due to the difference in the policies held by British Cycling and the UCI relating to the licensing process, it is currently possible for trans-female athletes to gain eligibility to race domestically while their cases remain pending with the UCI (or indeed in situations where they are deemed ineligible).\n\n“This in turn allows those riders to accrue domestic ranking points which impact selection decisions for National Championship races, which is not only unprecedented in our sport, but is also unfair on all women riders and poses a challenge to the integrity of racing.”\n\nA full review will be initiated in the coming weeks, the organization said, adding that it remained “committed to ensuring that transgender and non-binary people are welcomed.”\n\nThe previously agreed-upon policy required that any current or prospective transgender or non-binary member seeking to compete in the female race category must submit a signed declaration stating that their identity is female and that they wish to compete in the female category, while also submitting medical evidence that their “total testosterone level in serum has been less than 5 nmol/L continuously for a period of at least 12 months.”\n\n‘We’ve just received this in our inbox’\n\nA statement posted by British Cycling on its website on March 30 said Bridges had been due to participate in the event on Saturday, April 2 “under the British Cycling Transgender and Non-Binary Participation policy,” but added: “We have now been informed by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) that under their current guidelines Emily is not eligible to participate in this event.”\n\nAs of March 1, 2020, UCI regulations state that transgender women must reduce their testosterone levels to below 5 nmol/L for at least 12 months in order to compete in women’s events.\n\nHowever, according to the Guardian, the UCI prevented Bridges from competing because it said she was still registered as a male cyclist and therefore ineligible to compete as a woman until her male UCI identification expired.\n\nBridges has not yet commented on British Cycling’s suspension of its “transgender and non-binary participation policy,” but her mother, Sandy Sullivan, tweeted a copy of the statement, saying: “Dumped by email. We’ve just received this in our inbox. We will be making a statement at some point in the next 24 hours.”\n\nCNN has reached out to Bridges’ representatives for comment.\n\nEarlier this month, Bridges said in a statement she has been in contact with British Cycling and the UCI for the past six months, ahead of what was supposed to be her first race in a women’s event.\n\n“In that time, I have provided both British Cycling and the UCI with medical evidence that I meet the eligibility criteria for transgender female cyclists, including that my testosterone limit has been far below the limit prescribed by the regulations for the last 12 months,” Bridges said in her statement, which was posted by LGBTQIA+ cycling group PRiDE OUT.\n\n“I am an athlete, and I just want to race competitively again,” Bridges said. “No one should have to choose between being who they are, and participating in the sport that they love.”\n\nBridges initially posted the statement on her Instagram account, but she has since made the account private.", "authors": ["Lianne Kolirin"], "publish_date": "2022/04/08"}, {"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/sport/957126/swimmings-world-governing-body-bans-trans-athletes-from-elite-races", "title": "Swimming's governing body bans trans athletes from elite women's ...", "text": "Swimming’s world governing body Fina has voted to stop transgender women from competing in women’s elite races if they have gone through any part of male puberty.\n\nThe new policy was adopted when 71% of Fina’s 152 national federations voted in favour at an “extraordinary” general congress at the ongoing World Championships in Budapest, reported BBC Sport.\n\nThe new rules, set out in a 34-page policy document, mean that male-to-female transgender athletes will only be able to compete in women’s categories “provided they have not experienced any part of male puberty beyond Tanner Stage 2 [which marks the start of physical development], or before age 12, whichever is later”.\n\nIt follows a report from a Fina scientific panel “that found trans women retained a significant advantage over cisgender female swimmers even after reducing their testosterone levels through medication”, reported The Guardian. The swimming body has promised to create a working group to establish an “open” category for trans women in some events as part of its new policy.\n\n‘Seismic decision’\n\nThe new policy is a “seismic decision” that sets swimming apart from “most Olympic sports”, said The Guardian. Other sports use testosterone limits as a basis for allowing trans women to compete in women’s events, said the paper, “a stance that has promoted inclusion but has been criticised on unfairness grounds”.\n\nSwimming is now only the second Olympic governing body to introduce a ban on “scientific grounds” and follows a similar decision made by World Rugby in 2020. It comes after a period of “widespread unease” in the sport after Lia Thomas, a US college swimmer who had formerly competed in the men’s category to moderate success, won an NCAA national college title this year after swimming in the women’s competition.\n\n‘Complex balance’\n\nThe “heart” of the debate over whether transgender women athletes should compete in women’s sports “involves the complex balance of inclusion, sporting fairness and safety” and is “essentially” over whether trans women can compete in women’s categories “without giving them an unfair advantage or presenting a threat of injury to competitors”, said BBC Sport.\n\nTrans women already have to adhere to several rules to compete in specific sports “including in many cases lowering their testosterone levels to a certain amount, for a set period of time, before competing”, the broadcaster explained.", "authors": ["The Week Staff"], "publish_date": "2022/06/20"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/20/sport/swimming-transgender-ruling-explainer-spt-intl/index.html", "title": "Will swimming's transgender ruling lead to wider change in sports?", "text": "Reuters —\n\nWorld swimming’s governing body FINA on Sunday voted for new eligibility rules that restrict the participation of transgender athletes in elite women’s competitions.\n\nThe policy is the strictest from any Olympic sports body and effectively bars any transgender women who have gone through male puberty from competing in women’s events.\n\nFINA also agreed to work towards establishing an “open” category for some events that would ensure all swimmers would have the chance to compete.\n\nThe decision means that swimmers such as American Lia Thomas will not be able to compete in world championships or the Olympics.\n\nUniversity of Pennsylvania swimmer Thomas became the first transgender NCAA champion in Division I history after winning the women’s 500-yard freestyle earlier this year.\n\nThe success of Thomas, who competed on Pennsylvania’s men’s team for three years before transitioning and setting multiple program records with the women’s team, provoked a wide-ranging debate about the issues of inclusivity and competitive fairness in swimming and sport in general.\n\nHere is the background to FINA’s decision and why this ruling is important to the world of sport.\n\nWhy did FINA take this decision?\n\nThere have been growing calls from former swimmers and coaches for the governing body to restrict the participation of transgender women in the sport, which intensified after Thomas’s success at the US college championships.\n\nLia Thomas reacts after swimming the 100 Freestyle prelims at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 19, 2022. Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images\n\nThose who campaigned for change argued that people who have gone through male puberty have physical advantages and therefore women’s competition needed to be protected.\n\nSupporters of trans participation argue that not enough research has been done into the question of whether trans women have any advantage. Groups such as Athlete Ally have stated that FINA’s new policy is “discriminatory, harmful, unscientific.”\n\nIs this a ban on all transgender swimmers in competition?\n\nThe ruling only applies to elite competitions run by FINA, such as their world championships, and competitions where FINA sets the eligibility criteria – primarily the Olympic Games. It also impacts on who is eligible to set a world record in women’s swimming.\n\nIt does not necessarily apply to national or regional competitions or lower-level meets. National federations could apply their own criteria for their competitions.\n\nThe ruling also only impacts on transgender athletes in women’s competitions. Female-to-male transgender athletes (transgender men) will continue to be eligible to compete in men’s races without any restriction.\n\nThe creation of an ‘open category,’ details of which have yet to be worked out, would also create a space for transgender women to compete.\n\nWhat evidence did FINA produce before making this decision?\n\nThe new FINA policy came out of a working group that had three components – an Athlete Group, a science and medicine group and a legal and human rights group, which FINA says studied “the best available statistical, scientific, and medical evidence concerning sex differences in sports performance, and any associated male sex-based advantage.”\n\nFINA said the Science Group was comprised of “independent experts in the fields of physiology, endocrinology, and human performance, including specialists in sex differences in human performance and in transgender medicine.”\n\nDelegates to the FINA congress in Budapest were told by members of the group that the evidence showed that going through male puberty gave trans women swimmers a physical advantage that remained even after hormone treatment as part of their transition.\n\nWhat is the position of other sports?\n\nIn November, the International Olympic Committee issued a ‘framework’ on the issue, leaving eligibility decisions up to individual sports bodies, but adding that “until evidence determines otherwise, athletes should not be deemed to have an unfair or disproportionate competitive advantage due to their sex variations, physical appearance and/or transgender status.”\n\nLast year, New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard became the first transgender athlete to compete in the Olympics in a different gender category than assigned at birth.\n\nREAD: A transgender weightlifter’s Olympic dream has sparked an existential debate about what it means to be female\n\nMany sports bodies have allowed transgender women to compete in women’s events if they have lowered their testosterone levels to a certain point.\n\nLast week, the International Cycling Union (UCI) tightened its rules by increasing the transition period for lower testosterone from 12 months to two years and halving the maximum level to 2.5 nmol/L.\n\nThe FINA ruling could increase pressure for similar moves inside other sports.\n\nCan the decision be challenged?\n\nThe normal route for challenging the rulings of international sports bodies is through the Court of Arbitration for Sport, based in Lausanne, Switzerland. Other sports will be watching any legal moves with keen interest.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/06/20"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2022/06/19/fina-adopts-new-policy-transgender-athletes-swimming-events/7677611001/", "title": "FINA effectively bans transgender athletes in women's swimming ...", "text": "Associated Press\n\nBUDAPEST, Hungary – World swimming’s governing body effectively banned transgender athletes from competing in women’s events on Sunday.\n\nFINA members widely adopted a new \"gender inclusion policy\" on Sunday that only permits swimmers who transitioned before age 12 to compete in women’s events. The organization also proposed an \"open competition category.\"\n\n\"This is not saying that people are encouraged to transition by the age of 12. It’s what the scientists are saying, that if you transition after the start of puberty, you have an advantage, which is unfair,\" James Pearce, who is the spokesperson for FINA president Husain Al-Musallam, told The Associated Press.\n\n\"They’re not saying everyone should transition by age 11, that’s ridiculous. You can’t transition by that age in most countries and hopefully you wouldn’t be encouraged to. Basically, what they’re saying is that it is not feasible for people who have transitioned to compete without having an advantage.\"\n\nSTAY UP-TO-DATE: Subscribe to our Sports newsletter now!\n\nPearce confirmed there are currently no transgender women competing in elite levels of swimming.\n\nThe World Professional Association for Transgender Health just lowered its recommended minimum age for starting gender transition hormone treatment to 14 and some surgeries to 15 or 17.\n\nFINA’s new 24-page policy also includes proposals for a new \"open competition\" category. FINA said it was setting up \"a new working group that will spend the next six months looking at the most effective ways to set up this new category.\"\n\nPearce told the AP that the open competition would most likely mean more events but those details still need to be worked out.\n\n“No one quite knows how this is going to work. And we need to include a lot of different people, including transgender athletes, to work out how it would work,” he said. “So there are no details of how that would work. The open category is something that will start being discussed tomorrow.”\n\nThe members voted 71.5% in favor at the organization’s extraordinary general congress after hearing presentations from three specialist groups – an athlete group, a science and medicine group and a legal and human rights group – that had been working together to form the policy following recommendations given by the International Olympic Committee last November.\n\nThe IOC urged shifting the focus from individual testosterone levels and calling for evidence to prove when a performance advantage existed.\n\nFINA’s \"deeply discriminatory, harmful, unscientific\" new policy is \"not in line with (the IOC’s) framework on fairness, inclusion and non-discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sex variations,\" Anne Lieberman of Athlete Ally, a nonprofit that advocates for LGBTQ athletes, said in a statement.\n\n\"The eligibility criteria for the women’s category as it is laid out in the policy (will) police the bodies of all women, and will not be enforceable without seriously violating the privacy and human rights of any athlete looking to compete in the women’s category,\" Lieberman said.\n\nFINA said it recognizes \"that some individuals and groups may be uncomfortable with the use of medical and scientific terminology related to sex and sex-linked traits (but) some use of sensitive terminology is needed to be precise about the sex characteristics that justify separate competition categories.\"\n\nIn March, Lia Thomas made history in the United States as the first transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming championship. She won the 500-yard freestyle.\n\nThomas said last month on ABC’s “Good Morning America” that she was aiming to become an Olympic swimmer. She also disputed those who say she has an unfair biological edge that ruins the integrity of women’s athletics, saying “trans women are not a threat to women’s sports.”\n\nThe University of Pennsylvania didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from Thomas.\n\nOther sports have also been examining their rules.\n\nOn Thursday, cycling’s governing body updated its eligibility rules for transgender athletes with stricter limits that will force riders to wait longer before they can compete.\n\nThe International Cycling Union (UCI) increased the transition period on low testosterone to two years, and lowered the maximum accepted level of testosterone.\n\nThe previous transition period was 12 months but the UCI said recent scientific studies show that “the awaited adaptations in muscle mass and muscle strength/power” among athletes who have made a transition from male to female takes at least two years.", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2022/06/19"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/05/sport/emily-bridges-uci-decision-spt-intl/index.html", "title": "Transgender cyclist Emily Bridges says she was 'harassed and ...", "text": "CNN —\n\nA transgender cyclist says she has been “harassed and demonised” by the media after the UCI, world cycling’s governing body, ruled she couldn’t compete at the National Omnium Championships in the United Kingdom over the weekend.\n\nEmily Bridges, who was set to race against British Olympic stars such as Laura Kenny in the event, said she found out through British Cycling on Wednesday that the UCI had ruled she was ineligible.\n\nThe 21-year-old said in a statement she has been in contact with British Cycling and the UCI for the past six months ahead of what was supposed to be her first race in a women’s event.\n\n“In that time, I have provided both British Cycling and the UCI with medical evidence that I meet the eligibility criteria for transgender female cyclists, including that my testosterone limit has been far below the limit prescribed by the regulations for the last 12 months,” Bridges said in her statement, which was posted by LGBTQIA+ cycling group PRiDE OUT.\n\nAs of March 1 2020, UCI regulations state that transgender women must reduce their testosterone levels to below 5 nmol/L for at least 12 months in order to compete in women’s events.\n\nThe UCI did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment. CNN has reached out to Bridges directly but is yet to hear back.\n\nHowever, the Guardian reported the UCI prevented Bridges from competing because it said she was still registered as a male cyclist and therefore ineligible to compete as a female until her male UCI identification expired.\n\n“I am an athlete, and I just want to race competitively again,” Bridges’ statement continued. “No one should have to choose between being who they are, and participating in the sport that they love….\n\n“As is no surprise with most of the British media, I’ve been relentlessly harassed and demonised by those who have a specific agenda to push. They attack anything that isn’t the norm and print whatever is most likely to result in the highest engagement for their articles, and bring in advertising.\n\n“This is without care for the wellbeing of individuals or marginalised groups, and others are left to pick up the pieces due to their actions.”\n\nBridges initially posted the statement on her Instagram account, but has since made the account private.\n\nOn Wednesday, British Cycling released a statement calling for a coalition to address transgender and non-binary participation in sport. While British Cycling said they “acknowledge” the UCI’s decision, they also “fully recognise” Bridges’ disappointment with the outcome.\n\n“Transgender and non-binary inclusion is bigger than one race and one athlete – it is a challenge for all elite sports,” the statement read.\n\n“We believe all participants within our sport deserve more clarity and understanding around participation in elite competitions and we will continue to work with the UCI on both Emily’s case and the wider situation with regards to this issue.\n\n“We also understand that in elite sports the concept of fairness is essential. For this reason, British Cycling is today calling for a coalition to share, learn and understand more about how we can achieve fairness in a way that maintains the dignity and respect of all athletes.\n\n“Across sports, far more needs to be done, collectively, before any long-term conclusions can be drawn.”\n\nAmong the female athletes to express opposition to Bridges’ inclusion in the event was British 800m runner Ellie Baker, who labeled the original decision as “ridiculous.”\n\n“How this has been allowed to happen is just ridiculous,” she wrote on Twitter. “I would refuse to race and hope that the other women would stand with me on this too. This is totally unfair. The advantages a trans women has had from going through puberty as a boy to a man can never been undone.”\n\nFellow athletes Seren-Bundy Davies and Jessie Knight were among those to express support for Baker’s post, as well as former British swimmer Sharron Davies.\n\nIn the velodrome, 19-year-old Sophie Lewis won the title at the National Omnium Championships.", "authors": ["Matias Grez"], "publish_date": "2022/04/05"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2021/05/04/ohio-bills-ban-transgender-girls-female-sports-teams-high-schools-college/4886735001/", "title": "Two Ohio bills would ban transgender girls from female sports", "text": "The national debate over how transgender athletes compete in high school and college sports has arrived in Ohio.\n\nTwo bills working their way through the legislature would ban transgender girls from joining female teams in both high school and college. They would, instead, have to join the male teams or co-ed teams. And schools that knowingly violated these rules could find themselves facing civil lawsuits.\n\nThe Republican women backing these bills say transgender girls have biological advantages that make them faster, stronger and more likely to win against their cisgender peers.\n\nOpponents, however, see it as discrimination against an incredibly small group of kids who face much higher rates of bullying, depression and suicide.\n\nA level playing field\n\nWhat motivates the women sponsoring House Bill 61 and Senate Bill 132 is a sense of fairness.\n\nBoth Rep. Jena Powell, R-Arcanum, and Sen. Kristina Roegner, R-Hudson, believe transgender girls have unfair advantages when it comes to sports.\n\n\"Biological males possess many physiological advantages over females, including greater lung capacity, larger hearts, higher red blood cell counts, stronger tendons and ligaments, greater muscle strength, and increased bone density,\" Powell said during her testimony on House Bill 61 Wednesday.\n\nAnd the proof of those advantages is all around us, said Roegner, who was herself a college athlete.\n\nOhio's statewide record for the boy's 100-meter dash is 10.38 seconds. The world record for the women's 100-meter dash (set by U.S. Olympian Florence Griffith-Joyner) is 10.49 seconds.\n\n\"When it comes to those types of sports, it’s just an issue of absolute fairness,\" Roegner said.\n\nThe science of success and transgender athletes\n\nWhat gives one student-athlete the advantage over another is a matter of both medical and social debate.\n\nMany endocrinologists believe testosterone levels during puberty are responsible for a lot of the competitive advantages Republican lawmakers attribute to transgender girls.\n\n\"Before puberty, boys and girls have the same levels of circulating testosterone,\" endocrinologist Joshua Safer wrote in his expert testimony challenging Idaho's recent transgender athlete law.\n\nSafer, who serves on a committee that drafts transgender medicine guidelines for the Olympics, said that starts to diverge around age 12 – the same time you start to see differences in athletic performance.\n\nSo, what happens when transgender women decrease their testosterone levels?\n\nThe short answer is their performance goes down. The longer, more complicated answer is that the science isn't settled on how long those medications should be taken before competition and whether that timeline is different for those who transition before puberty.\n\nBut what about the biology that remains after hormone therapy like larger hearts and bigger lung capacity?\n\nSafer said they could put transgender girls at a disadvantage.\n\n\"Having larger bones without corresponding levels of testosterone and muscle mass would mean that a runner has a bigger body to propel with less power to propel it,\" he wrote.\n\n'Bill will harm the mental health of some of Ohio's most vulnerable children'\n\nBoth the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the International Olympic Committee require hormone therapy and testing for their transgender athletes.\n\nBut groups like TransAthlete call hormone therapy requirements \"invasive disclosures.\"\n\nNot all transgender kids have the money, desire or support from family members that doctors require for hormone suppressing drugs, Transform Cincy co-founder Tristan Vaught said. And transgender students – especially trans kids of color – have all kinds of other disadvantages these bills don't take into account.\n\n\"You're never going to find a level playing field,\" Vaught said. \"You’re going to have genetic advantages; you’re going to have work ethic advantages; you're going to have economic advantages.\"\n\nSome kids pay for private coaches and exclusive summer camps. Others students depend on their school for breakfast. And Olympic athletes like Michael Phelps can simply be born with biological differences that contribute to their record-setting stats.\n\nPhelps' wingspan is longer than it should be for a man his height, his ankles are double-jointed and his body produces 50% less lactic acid (the hormone that makes your muscles feel tired) than the average human.\n\n\"There is so much more wound up in this particular bill than just physiological advantage,\" Rep. Mary Lightbody, D-Westerville, said. \"This bill will harm the mental health of some of Ohio's most vulnerable children.\"\n\nThe bill's sponsors insist that's not their intention.\n\n\"I want to be absolutely clear on this. This bill is not meant to hurt anybody,\" Roegner said. \"It is simply meant to protect young women when they play sports.\"\n\nYoung women, Powell said, could be harmed by losing titles, championships and scholarships to people they believe got an unfair leg up.\n\n\"That opportunity is being ripped away from them by biological males,\" she said.\n\nTransgender athletes in Ohio are a tiny percentage\n\nThe current rules for high school sports are set by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.\n\nMember schools (both public and private) vote on changes to the bylaws annually – including whether to allow transgender athletes to play on teams that match their gender identity.\n\nIn 2014, OHSAA members voted to permit transgender girls to compete following a year of hormone therapy or test results that show \"sound medical evidence that she does not possess physical (bone structure, muscle mass, testosterone, hormonal, etc.) or physiological advantages over genetic females of the same age group.\"\n\nThree years later, the question came up again. The schools voted 435 to 177 in favor of the policy with seven schools abstaining.\n\nAbout 400,000 kids play on middle and high school sports teams in Ohio each year and less than 0.003% are transgender girls. The association has approved a total of 35 transgender male athletes and 11 transgender female athletes over the six years its policy has been in place.\n\nNo transgender athlete holds a state record.\n\n\"We're not talking about elite athletes here,\" Lightbody said. \"These are children who want to play on a team with their friends.\"\n\nThe federal perspective under Joe Biden\n\nPresident Joe Biden issued an executive order in January directing the government to take a Supreme Court ruling extending workplace protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and apply them to education.\n\n\"Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports,\" according to the order.\n\nThe Conservative Political Action Conference highlighted the issue in February, and dozens of state legislatures introduced bills to set limits on the participation of transgender athletes in school sports.\n\nBut the issue has been percolating for years.\n\nParents in Connecticut started online petitions and eventually filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of their daughters, claiming the state's policy on transgender athletes violated Title IX.\n\nThe case is still being litigated, but the controversy centered around two transgender female sprinters who won a combined 15 championships starting in 2017.\n\nConnecticut is one of 17 states that allow transgender athletes to compete without hormone therapy or other medical testings. The plaintiffs said that gave those sprinters a clear advantage.\n\nThe transgender sprinters, who are represented by the ACLU, disagree.\n\nFor one thing, a cisgender girl named in the lawsuit defeated the transgender sprinters in a state championship race just two days after the suit was filed. And neither of the transgender young women in question received athletic scholarships.\n\nNo openly transgender athlete has competed in the Olympics, and only one transgender female holds a collegiate title. But lawmakers in 30 states have introduced bills to limit how transgender athletes can compete. Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennesse's proposals have become law.\n\nSupporters of the Ohio bills say it's not about the number of transgender athletes and where they rank across the country, it's about whether letting them play on female teams is fair.\n\n\"Every child will still have the ability to compete in our state. We want every child to compete,\" Powell said. \"We're just protecting the integrity of women's sports.\"", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2021/05/04"}, {"url": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/22/us/lia-thomas-transgender-swimmer-ivy-league/index.html", "title": "Lia Thomas: How an Ivy League swimmer became the face of the ...", "text": "Boston CNN —\n\nLia Thomas stood tall and smiled wide atop the championship podium, her nearly 6-foot-4 frame pushing her head past the top of the Ivy League’s green photo backdrop.\n\nWith one hand she held a placard reading “Ivy 2022 Champion,” and with the other she stuck up two fingers in that classic sign of victory. Her hair nestled alongside the medal around her neck as a blue University of Pennsylvania jacket hung from her broad swimmer’s shoulders.\n\nInside Harvard University’s Blodgett Pool, not far from a large banner reading “8 Against Hate,” referring to the Ivy’s eight schools, her victories in the 500-yard freestyle on Thursday, the 200-yard freestyle on Friday and the 100-yard freestyle on Saturday showed a star athlete going about her business. The crowd of family and friends cheered politely, and Thomas posed for photos with Penn teammates and shook the hands of her closest competitors.\n\nLia Thomas smiles on the podium after winning the 500-yard freestyle on Thursday. Kathryn Riley/Getty Images\n\nBut outside these chlorine-splashed walls, her season-long quest for success in NCAA women’s swimming has been pulled into a whirlpool of controversy and backlash.\n\nWith each victory, Thomas, a transgender woman who previously swam for Penn’s men’s team, has brought renewed attention to the ongoing debate on trans women’s participation in sports and the balance between inclusion and fair play.\n\nHer face has been prominently featured on Fox News and right-wing news sites critical of society’s changing views on sex and gender. In the past couple of years, Republican-led states across the country have passed laws to keep trans women and girls from participating in girls’ and women’s sports in the name of “fairness,” and Thomas quickly became the personification of those fears. Last week, a Republican Senate candidate in Missouri featured Thomas in a campaign ad and asserted that “Women’s sports are for women, not men pretending to be women,” a transphobic trope belittling trans women.\n\nThomas swims in a qualifying heat of the 100-yard freestyle at the Ivy League Women's Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday. Mary Schwalm/AP\n\nYet Thomas’ success has vexed even those who say they support her transition, including some of her fellow swimmers. An anonymous letter purportedly written on behalf of 16 of her 40 Penn teammates earlier this month criticized what they saw as her “unfair advantage,” saying they supported her gender transition out of the pool but not necessarily in it.\n\nSwimming star Michael Phelps, too, expressed his hesitations on the topic in an interview with CNN in January.\n\n“I believe that we all should feel comfortable with who we are in our own skin, but I think sports should all be played on an even playing field,” he said when asked about Thomas. “I don’t know what that looks like in the future. But it’s – it’s – it’s – it’s hard. It’s a really … honestly … I don’t know what to say,” he said, stumbling over his words. “It’s very complicated.”\n\nPhelps is one of many athletes and regulatory bodies struggling to figure out how to include and accommodate transgender athletes in an elite field where tenths of seconds can mean the difference between winning and losing. Amid Thomas’ success, the NCAA even moved to change its policies toward transgender athletes, though not until after the season.\n\nThomas has unambiguous supporters, too, including from Penn Athletics and the Ivy League, which said she properly followed the NCAA’s rules for trans athletes.\n\n“The Ivy League reaffirms its unwavering commitment to providing an inclusive environment for all student-athletes while condemning transphobia and discrimination in any form,” the Ivy League wrote in a statement last month.\n\nIn addition, over 300 current and former swimmers, collegiate and elite, signed their names to an open letter defending her ability to compete. One of her most vocal supporters said there was no room for compromise.\n\n“There isn’t a middle ground,” said Schuyler Bailar, who is a trans man. “You don’t get to slice me in half and be like, ‘Yes, you are a man here but not here,’ or, ‘Yes, Lia is a woman but not here.’ We don’t exist in parts. Our transness is not something we can just take off and put over here. We are whole people.”\n\nThomas has not spoken publicly since an interview with the SwimSwam podcast in December. In that interview, she nodded in the direction of the controversy but did not engage.\n\n“We expected there would be some measure of pushback by some people. Quite to the extent that it has blown up, we weren’t fully expecting,” she said. “I just don’t engage with it. It’s not healthy for me to read it and engage with it at all, and so I don’t.”\n\nThrough an Ivy spokesperson, she and Penn coach Mike Schnur declined to be interviewed for this story, as did several of her closest competitors on other teams.\n\nA swimmer since age 5\n\nThomas first launched into the public eye with a stunning performance at the Zippy Invitational in Ohio in December.\n\nThere, she dominated the women’s field in the 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, and 1,650-yard freestyle races, beating the second place finisher by about 7 seconds, 15 seconds and 38 seconds, respectively. Her times in the 200 and the 500 in particular set pool and meet records, qualified her for the NCAA championships, and remain the best women’s time in the nation this season.\n\nThat the victories came at three different lengths was all the more remarkable because Thomas previously excelled primarily at longer distances.\n\nThe Austin, Texas, native began swimming at 5 years old and was a star athlete long before her gender transition. Thomas arrived to Penn in 2017 and quickly made a mark on the men’s team as a freestyle distance swimmer in the 500-yard, 1,000-yard and 1,650-yard races.\n\nAs a freshman, Thomas set a time of 8 minutes and 57.55 seconds in the 1,000-yard freestyle, the 6th-fastest men’s time in the country. Her times in the 500-yard freestyle and the 1,650-yard freestyle were among the top 100 in the country. The next year, Thomas took second place at the 2019 Ivy League championships in the men’s 500-yard, 1,000-yard and 1,650-yard freestyle, shaving seconds off her earlier times.\n\nYet the improvements in the pool belied internal turmoil. Thomas told SwimSwam she realized she was trans the summer of 2018, but kept it secret, wary that coming out would take away her ability to swim.\n\n“I was struggling, my mental health was not very good. It was a lot of unease, about basically just feeling trapped in my body. It didn’t align,” she said.\n\nLia Thomas observes the action in the pool after completing the first leg of the 800-yard freestyle relay on Wednesday. Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images\n\nShe started on hormone replacement therapy in May 2019 and came out as trans that fall, yet she still had to compete on the men’s team. It was awkward and uncomfortable, she said, and her speed suffered as her muscles weakened from the hormone therapy.\n\nAt the time, the NCAA required that transgender athletes have one year of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to be cleared to participate. So after a year of HRT, Thomas submitted medical documentation and was approved to compete for the women’s team for the 2020-21 season, she said.\n\nShe took the year off of school and competitive swimming due to the pandemic and returned for this season on the women’s team, after about 2 and a half years of HRT.\n\nDespite her success this year, her raw times are significantly slower than they were before her transition. Still, she said she was in a better head space after coming out.\n\n“I’m feeling confident and good in my swimming and in my personal relationships, and transitioning has allowed me to be more confident in all of those aspects in my life where I was struggling a lot before I came out,” she told SwimSwam.\n\nA history of scrutiny in women’s sports\n\nFormer Olympian weighs in on NCAA decision for trans swimmers 07:28 - Source: CNN\n\nThomas is not the first athlete to be the focus of debate about who is allowed to participate in women’s sports.\n\nSince at least the 1930s, the bodies of elite women athletes have been publicly scrutinized, leading athletic bodies like the International Olympic Committee to implement various forms of sex testing to determine if women were eligible to compete. In the 1990s, both the International Association of Athletics Federations and the IOC ended mandatory sex testing but continued to conduct medical evaluations on a case-by-case basis.\n\nSome of these examples have become particularly high-profile. In the 70s there was Renée Richards, the trans ophthalmologist and tennis player who successfully sued to compete in the women’s category at the US Open. Competing in her 40s, she rose to become the 20th-best woman tennis player in 1979.\n\nIn more recent years, the South African runner and Olympic champion Caster Semenya, a woman with naturally high levels of testosterone, has been in a decade-long legal battle over her eligibility for some events in the women’s field.\n\nNancy Hogshead-Makar sees eligibility rules as vital to the continued success of women’s sports. The three-time gold medalist swimmer, civil rights lawyer and CEO of the non-profit advocacy group Champion Women has become a spokesperson of sorts for frustrated Penn swimmers and their parents.\n\nLast month she wrote the letter, purportedly on behalf of 16 unnamed Penn swimmers, who said Thomas had an unfair advantage. The identities of the teammates were not revealed, and CNN has not been able to independently verify the number of teammates.\n\nThe letter also indicated they believe sex should be considered separately from gender identity during competition.\n\n“We fully support Lia Thomas in her decision to affirm her gender identity and to transition from a man to a woman. Lia has every right to live her life authentically,” the letter says. “However, we also recognize that when it comes to sports competition, that the biology of sex is a separate issue from someone’s gender identity.”\n\nIn a phone call with CNN, Hogshead-Makar said it’s important to consider why we have women’s sports in the first place.\n\n“The gap between men’s and women’s athletic performance was so big that if you didn’t give women a special team – their own team – that they would not have opportunities in sports,” she said.\n\n“I want trans people to be loved and accepted and be productive in society and be their true selves,” she added. “I’m talking a small slice of competitive sports.”\n\n‘We express our support for Lia Thomas’\n\nLia Thomas shakes the hand of Harvard University swimmer Molly Hamlin following the 200-yard freestyle on Friday. Kathryn Riley/Getty Images\n\nThe anonymous teammate letter did not go unanswered. Days later, over 300 current and former NCAA swimmers put their names on a supportive letter in response.\n\n“With this letter, we express our support for Lia Thomas, and all transgender college athletes, who deserve to be able to participate in safe and welcoming athletic environments,” the letter said.\n\nThe letter was organized by the organization Athlete Ally and Schuyler Bailar, a former Harvard swimmer who became the first transgender man to compete on a NCAA Division I men’s team in 2015.\n\nBailar told CNN he organized the message of support because he felt the anonymous open letter was irresponsible and bullying.\n\n“I read that and I cried,” he told CNN on Friday morning at a coffee shop in Somerville, Massachusetts.\n\nWhen Thomas first decided to come out, she reached out to Bailar on Instagram for guidance about how to move forward with her swimming career, Bailar said. They have remained in contact, though he declined to go into detail on their conversations.\n\nA trans rights activist, Bailar said the outrage against Thomas’ inclusion on the team was not really about questions of sporting fairness.\n\n“It’s not about fairness. It’s about policing women’s bodies,” he said. “It’s about transphobia.”\n\nHe pointed out that trans people are actually underrepresented in sports. For all the fear of trans people excelling in women’s sports, there have been only a few Olympians who publicly identify as trans among the tens of thousands of athletes who compete every two years.\n\nHow the NCAA deals with transgender athletes\n\nBecause there are so few elite trans athletes, there is very little hard data comparing performance between transgender athletes and cisgender athletes.\n\nIndeed, a 2017 literature review of studies published in the journal Sports Medicine found “no direct or consistent research” of trans people having an athletic advantage over their cisgender peers.\n\n“In relation to sport-related physical activity, this review found the lack of inclusive and comfortable environments to be the primary barrier to participation for transgender people,” the authors wrote.\n\nFor over a decade, the NCAA has required transgender women to be on testosterone suppression treatment for a year before they are allowed to compete on the women’s team.\n\nYet in January, a month after Thomas’ record-setting pace at the Invitational, the NCAA said it would take a sport-by-sport approach to its rules on transgender athletes’ participation and defer to each sport’s national governing body.\n\nUSA Swimming then released a set of stricter guidelines that require elite trans woman athletes to have three years of hormone replacement therapy and to prove to a panel of medical experts that they do not have a competitive advantage over cisgender women.\n\nThe new rule threatened to make Thomas ineligible to compete at NCAA championships in March. However, the NCAA said those rules will be instituted in a phased approach over the coming seasons rather than in the middle of this season.\n\nLia Thomas, left, and Yale's Iszac Henig, right, prepare to swim in a qualifying heat of the 100-yard freestyle on Saturday. Mary Schwalm/AP\n\nDespite the out of pool controversy, Thomas showed no outward signs of stress or frustration at the Ivy League’s women’s swimming championships this week. With a calm and cool demeanor, she did precisely what was expected of her. She cheered on and high-fived teammates, chatted with coaches and fellow swimmers and sped past the competition on her way to three individual titles.\n\nShe is not even the lone trans athlete to win a race in the same pool at Harvard. Yale’s Iszac Henig, a transgender man, won the 50-yard freestyle in a pool-record 21.93 seconds on Thursday and came in a close second to Thomas in the 100-yard freestyle. The NCAA allows trans men to compete on the women’s team so long as they have not had hormone therapy.\n\nOn the far side of the pool, Thomas closely watched the end of the 50-yard freestyle race and clapped in excitement upon Henig’s win, a rare display of enthusiasm from Thomas at the meet. A day later, Henig and Thomas struck up a conversation at the far end of the pool, chatting and laughing as they leaned against the pool ropes.\n\nThey spoke for a few minutes until Thomas took off to get back to her work. She had more laps to swim.", "authors": ["Eric Levenson"], "publish_date": "2022/02/22"}, {"url": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2018/01/11/these-transgender-cyclists-have-olympian-disagreement-how-define-fairness/995434001/", "title": "These transgender cyclists have Olympian disagreement on how to ...", "text": "Jillian Bearden and Rachel McKinnon have much in common as cyclists, Olympic hopefuls and transgender women — and much in conflict as opposite poles of an intractable argument over how to balance what’s fair with what’s right.\n\nBearden agrees with the International Olympic Committee that naturally occurring testosterone gives transgender women an unfair advantage in competition against cisgender women, meaning women who were born female, while McKinnon believes subjecting trans women to testosterone blocking violates their human rights.\n\nBearden sees trans women who compete with unlimited levels of natural testosterone as dopers and cheaters while McKinnon says looking at the issue that way only furthers the oppression of transgender people.\n\nAnd never the twain shall meet.\n\nUSA TODAY Sports spoke with the antagonists, both of whom say they are fighting for fairness. Bearden sees it as fairness for all competitors while McKinnon frames it as fairness for transgender athletes. All of this comes in the wake of updated IOC guidelines in 2015 that require women who transition from men to block certain amounts of natural testosterone.\n\nThe issue is important now because governing bodies such as USA Cycling, USA Track and Field, USA Fencing and US Lacrosse are crafting, or have recently crafted, policies that more or less mirror these IOC guidelines. And it all comes at a time that Ashland Johnson, director of education and research for the Human Rights Campaign, calls the dawn of a trans movement in sports.\n\nThe dispute between Bearden and McKinnon is personal as well as intellectual. They’ve never competed against one another — Bearden is at the highest pro level — but Bearden says she asked McKinnon to leave her cycling team last spring because of their visceral disagreements. McKinnon then formed her own team and members of each cycling club mostly share the orthodoxies of their respective leaders.\n\n“I’ve proven how powerful testosterone is from when I competed” as a male, Bearden says. “That doesn’t mean specifically that the more testosterone you have the stronger you are, but the hormone provides a certain stamina that continues to charge you. It gives you that edge of pushing power.”\n\nMcKinnon says whether other competitors believe transgender women have an unfair advantage is irrelevant because she says there is no way to measure if such advantages even exist.\n\n“This is bigger than sports and it’s about human rights,” McKinnon says. “By catering to cisgender people’s views, that furthers transgender people’s oppression. When it comes to extending rights to a minority population, why would we ask the majority? I bet a lot of white people were pissed off when we desegregated sports racially and allowed black people. But they had to deal with it.”\n\nThe IOC has long struggled with issues of gender. It instituted gender testing decades ago when men, in rare cases, were suspected of competing as women. At first the testing was of the crude, pull-down-your-pants variety. Later that morphed into chromosomal testing with a cheek swab. And in 1999, the IOC ended compulsory gender testing.\n\nBut guidelines adopted in 2004 effectively said trans women had to undergo sex reassignment surgery. New guidelines in 2015 threw out the surgery requirement but said trans women needed to test below a specified level of testosterone for more than one year before they could compete, down from two years.\n\nBearden thinks the new guidelines make sense. McKinnon thinks they are manifestly discriminatory.\n\nAll this comes at a time when President Trump wants to ban transgender troops from serving in the military, a move condemned by generals and many in Congress. The Department of Defense is tasked to develop an implementation plan by March. That will come just weeks after the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.\n\nNo transgender athlete has competed publicly in the Olympics, but advocates believe that will change in coming years. Caitlyn Jenner — who won the decathlon gold medal as Bruce Jenner at the 1976 Montreal Summer Games — told USA TODAY Sports last summer that she believes a transgender Olympian will “undoubtedly” step into the worldwide spotlight by the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games.\n\nBearden and McKinnon plan to try to qualify for those Games. Bearden is a pro-level cyclist and founder of the Trans National Women’s Cycling Team; she has a reasonable chance to make the U.S. Olympic cycling team for 2020. McKinnon, an assistant professor of philosophy at the College of Charleston, is a category-1 elite-level road cyclist and founder of Foxy Moxy Racing. She is a less likely Olympic qualifier who hopes to make the Canadian Olympic cycling team for her native country.\n\nTia Thompson hopes to make the U.S. Olympic volleyball team in 2020. She is a transgender woman who waited three years to get approval from USA Volleyball to compete as a woman earlier this year.\n\nThe Human Rights Campaign’s Johnson, who recently conducted awareness training for U.S. Olympic Committee coaches and administrators, says governing bodies are “moving away from old stereotypes and moving toward gender decisions based on science, inclusion and fairness.”\n\nThere’s the rub: How to reconcile science (blocking testosterone) with human rights (competing as you are).\n\nBearden transitioned in 2015 and she has been a scientific test subject for the IOC by providing before-and-after performance data that she says proves the power of testosterone. She understands that pressing for human rights always sounds like the right thing to do, but she believes in this instance it would actually hinder a transgender sports movement that’s only just begun.\n\n“Two years ago, no transgender woman (cyclist) was out (publicly) racing,” Bearden says. “No one would dare come out of the shadows. Now, because we’ve laid the appropriate groundwork, we have our foot in the door (with the IOC) to where we can compete as our true selves.\n\n“Quite frankly, it makes me feel good racing with 50 other women who know that I’ve passed a USA Cycling policy because I’ve submitted my (testosterone) levels. It stops the questioning, the bullying. I can stand on the podium and feel comfortable. Without a policy, for a lot of women who don’t know me, they’d be, like, what the (expletive)? And I get that.”\n\nUnder IOC and USOC guidelines, Olympic-caliber transgender women are required to keep their testosterone below a certain level — 10 nanomoles per liter — before competing, and must present a doctor’s note showing testosterone levels are below that required threshold. Natural testosterone in transgender women is tested with the same methodology as unnatural testosterone created by doping is measured in cisgender men and women.\n\nMcKinnon, who teaches a class on ethics and inclusion at Charleston, cites the Olympic charter in saying that sport is a human right.\n\n“We cannot have a woman legally recognized as a trans woman in society,” McKinnon says, “and not be recognized that way in sports. … Focusing on performance advantage is largely irrelevant because this is a rights issue. We shouldn’t be worried about trans people taking over the Olympics. We should be worried about their fairness and human rights instead.”\n\nBearden makes a distinction between discriminatory bathroom bills and what she sees as rule-makers doing their best to promote equality and inclusion.\n\n“Having your rights violated is very different than a sport you sign yourself up for,” she says. “You have to comply with certain rules. I don’t feel that’s discriminatory. I don’t think (guidelines) infringe on anyone’s rights. I feel like (testosterone blocking) is necessary to achieve fairness. There are so many rules in sports, and complying with these rules allows us to ride with cisgender women because it’s fairest to them.”\n\nBearden lives in Colorado Springs, home of the USOC. She believes compromise can lead to good solutions. McKinnon, originally from Victoria, British Columbia, believes she has an uncompromising call to justice.\n\nBoth women want transgender people to thrive — in athletics and in society — and both have received death threats for their trouble. Last August, when Bearden became the first trans woman to race with a pro peloton in the U.S., the Daily Wire (a self-styled commentary site for conservatives) ran a story under the headline: “Man Who Thinks He’s a Woman Crushing Women’s Cycling.”\n\nMcKinnon says testosterone testing is insensitive to transgender athletes who are uncomfortable outing themselves. She points out some athletes are at an in-between place in terms of their gender. Scottie Pendleton, who rides for McKinnon’s Foxy Moxy team, identifies as gender nonconforming and goes by the pronouns of they and them.\n\n“I race in the men’s field, but I identify as more of a woman than a man,” Pendleton says. “There are a lot of misconceptions out there about gender and it’s unknown how diverse the transgender community is. We’ve culturally defined gender as these two very specific things and that you have to be one or the other. Transgender breaks that barrier.”\n\nPendleton says there is limited research to show that natural testosterone “can enhance sports performance metrics. It comes down to: What does fairness in sports actually mean? I think any time you exclude anybody because they are different — regardless of how or why they are different — you’re discriminating.”\n\nJohnson, of the Human Rights Campaign, says: “All athletes, regardless of gender, should be subject to the same testing standards, and a policy shouldn’t single out a trans competitor. But at the same time, I don’t necessarily see (the IOC’s guidelines) as an anti-trans policy because there have been unfair advantages linked to testosterone.”\n\nChris Mosier became the first transgender man to compete in the Duathlon World Championships in 2016 and is now sponsored by Nike. His success was key in prompting the IOC to come up with its adjusted guidelines two years ago.\n\n“I was not perceived to be a threat to anybody,” Mosier says. “No one expected me to be competitive. But there is an assumption that trans women will dominate in sports.”\n\nThe adjusted guidelines said that athletes who transition from female to male, such as Mosier, are eligible to compete without restriction. Those guidelines also said that athletes who transition from male to female can compete with one year of hormone therapy to block testosterone and keep it at the specified threshold.\n\nMcKinnon says the IOC’s testosterone cutoff of 10 nanomales per liter is “arbitrary” and there’s no right way to measure it. She says some cisgender women have testosterone levels over the threshold and some cisgender men have levels below it.\n\n“So you can be a really tall cyclist and that’s fine?” McKinnon says. “There are so many natural advantages someone could have physically that there is not a good argument for why singling out testosterone solves the problem.”\n\nThe Court of Arbitration for Sport is considering a case on the fairness of testosterone levels for intersex athletes — individuals who are female but develop some male characteristics, including high levels of testosterone. In 2014, the court suspended a testosterone rule of the IAAF, world governing body for track and field, citing a lack of scientific evidence “about the degree of the advantage” that women with high levels of testosterone have over their counterparts with normal levels.\n\n“There were no regulations in place at the 2016 Olympic Rio Games and the same situation will apply to the upcoming 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games,” IOC spokesperson Emmanuelle Moreau told USA TODAY Sports by email. The court case “is still ongoing and we have no timeline as to when it will be completed.”\n\nAuthor Roger Pielke, in his book The Edge: The War against Cheating and Corruption in the Cutthroat World of Elite Sports Performance, wrote: “The role of naturally occurring testosterone in athletic performance is scientifically interesting, but it is inherently no more relevant to athletics policy than any other naturally occurring characteristic of the human athlete, man or woman.”\n\nJoanna Harper, chief medical physicist of radiation oncology at Providence Portland (Ore.) Medical Center, has been an adviser to the IOC. She spoke before the Court of Arbitration in the intersex case and later put together a study in the Journal of Sporting Cultures and Identities in which she collected data from herself and seven other transgender runners who had transitioned and undergone hormone therapy. It found all of them were significantly slower in performance as females.\n\nBearden also saw her times and performances decline drastically as a result of her hormone replacement therapy in 2015. A decade’s worth of elite-level bike racing as a man faded once she transitioned to female and began the therapy.\n\n“People toss the word ‘fair’ around all the time,” Harper says. “The fact of the matter is every athlete has advantages and disadvantages. But sporting bodies need to craft divisions that are equitable and meaningful. We let left-handed baseball players pitch when they might have some form of an advantage. On the other hand, we do not allow 200-pound boxers to fight 130-pound boxers.\n\n“We allow advantages, but we do not and should not allow overwhelming advantages. There’s a way to do that without stepping on anyone’s human rights.”", "authors": [], "publish_date": "2018/01/11"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_27", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": [{"url": "https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/people/960153/the-many-wives-of-rupert-murdoch", "title": "The many wives of Rupert Murdoch | The Week UK", "text": "Billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch is to marry again at the age of 92 after announcing his engagement to wealthy radio host Ann Lesley Smith.\n\nSeven months after meeting Smith at his Bel Air vineyard, Murdoch, the “unlikely romantic”, proposed to the widow of country music singer Chester Smith, said the Evening Standard.\n\nAnn Lesley Smith, 66, is used to the limelight having worked in a number of high-profile jobs, including as a Christian minister for the Manteca Police Department in California and as host of Ann Lesley Live on the state’s radio station KFIV.\n\nNews of the nuptials comes just eight months after Murdoch’s divorce from Jerry Hall, to whom he was married for six years. The News Corp and Fox Corporation owner revealed his wedding plans in an interview with one of his own papers, the New York Post. He said: “We’re both looking forward to spending the second half of our lives together.”\n\nIt might have been a “rather optimistic statement” that “anticipates a longevity which would be more extraordinary than anything else in his already extraordinary life story”, said columnist Alison Boshoff in the Daily Mail. But the new romance has “clearly left him feeling younger than springtime”, she added.\n\nThe Week takes a look at the previous four marriages of the businessman who, in the words of the Evening Standard, “falls in and out of love at a rate rivalled only by King Henry VIII”.\n\nPatricia Booker (1956-1967)\n\nMurdoch met his first wife, Patricia Booker, when he was 25. Not much is known of Booker, who was a “beautiful blonde” from Melbourne, according to Vanity Fair, and worked as a flight attendant and department-store model.\n\nIn their 11 years of marriage they had one daughter, Prudence, who until last year was a board member of Times Newspapers, a subsidary of News Corp.\n\nAnna Torv (1967-1998)\n\nThe Glasgow-born former reporter met Murdoch while working at his Sydney-based newspaper, the Daily Mirror.\n\nShe had requested an interview with the media mogul. “He was like a whirlwind coming into the room. It was very seductive,” she recalled during a 2001 interview for Australian Woman’s Weekly. Murdoch has “also spoken of his instant attraction to her”, said the Evening Standard, suggesting that – according to the paper – “her skill as a reporter was not on his mind”.", "authors": ["Ellie Pink"], "publish_date": "2023/03/22"}]}
{"question_id": "20230324_28", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": []}
{"question_id": "20230324_29", "search_time": "2023/05/25/17:54", "search_result": []}