Datasets:

mteb

/

sts22-crosslingual-sts

like 6

Follow

Massive Text Embedding Benchmark 149

1484137480_1484110209

We noticed you’re blocking ads! Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haitian President Jovenel Moïse broke with tradition on Wednesday and celebrated the country’s independence day in the capital for security reasons following months of political turmoil. Moïse, whose government has been accused of corruption, denounced graft during his speech at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince and urged Haiti’s elite to work with the government and help create employment. “We’re still extremely poor,” he said. “Those who continue to get rich find it normal that they do not pay taxes, find it normal that there can be no competition, find it normal that they set prices for consumers, especially when this consumer is the state itself.” Moïse also apologized for the country’s ongoing power outages and renewed his 2016 campaign pledge to provide electricity 24 hours a day, saying it was harder to accomplish than he imagined. The speech that marked the 216th anniversary of the world’s first black republic was originally slated to take place in the northern coastal town of Gonaives, where Jean-Jacques Dessalines declared Haiti’s independence. But the town, like many others, was hit by violent protests that began in September amid anger over corruption, fuel shortages and dwindling food supplies as opposition leaders and supporters demanded the resignation of Moïse. More than 40 people have been killed and dozens injured. Large-scale protests in Port-au-Prince have since dissipated, although smaller ones are still occurring elsewhere in the country. On Wednesday, opposition leaders and supporters gathered in Gonaives to attend the funeral of an anti-government protester and then carried his coffin through the streets as more protesters joined them. Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

1484038294_1484089908

The 3 Best Bakeries In Los Angeles Got a sweet tooth? We crunched the numbers to find the top bakeries in Los Angeles! The 5 Best Day Spas In Long Beach Looking for a day of pampering? We found the top day spas in Long Beach! Looking To Adopt A Pet? Here Are 6 Perfect Puppies To Adopt Now In Los AngelesInterested in adopting a pet — or just looking at some adorable pups near you up for adoption? There are dozens of great puppies up for adoption at animal shelters in and around Los Angeles.

Instead of throwing down the gauntlet, Post Malone put it on his face. The singer/rapper has debuted a new face tattoo to add to his collection. The medieval gauntlet is featured prominently in photo posted Tuesday on tattoo artist Kyle Hediger’s Instagram account. “Last tattoo of 2019,” the caption reads. “Gauntlet on the baby boy @postmalone love u. 2020 is going to be next level. Love you all.” Malone also shared a photo in which a portion of the new tat can be seen. The musical artist has more than 50 tattoos, including several on his face. “Anything to piss my mom off,” Malone said of his body art in a 2018 interview. “It’s not right,” Malone quipped. “I got a face for radio anyways, so why not?”

1484188237_1484145222

Jürgen Klopp has explained why making further changes to Liverpool’s starting line-up for Sunday’s meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers was ‘not really possible’. Adam Lallana replaces Naby Keita in the Reds’ midfield as Klopp’s only alteration from the Boxing Day win at Leicester City 72 hours ago. And the manager has stated that Xherdan Shaqiri’s absence due to a slight muscle strain rendered potential further switches unviable. “We thought of course about it [making more changes] but it was, for different reasons, not really possible,” Klopp told Sky Sports. “Maybe one more change would have been possible. Shaq would have started today but he’s not available and so that’s the line-up. So, all good. “Yes it’s intense for everybody, but we’ve known that for ages so we have to fight.”

Take a behind-the-scenes look at Liverpool's victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers with the latest edition of Inside Anfield. Sadio Mane's first-half goal on Sunday was enough to see the Reds go the entireity of 2019 unbeaten at home, while restoring their 13-point lead at the top of the Premier League. Our cameras were granted exclusive access inside the ground before, during and after the match - and you can watch the footage they captured in the video below.

1484038314_1484078970

— The manager of an extended-stay hotel said the hotel had been deemed safe and that operations had returned back to normal Tuesday night after a massive morning response to what authorities called an example of the ongoing opioid epidemic. “It’s scary being somewhere where you don’t know what you’re neighbors are doing, for sure,” Mary O’Neill, a hotel guest, said. But guests at the Woodland Hills hotel found out exactly what some of their neighbors were doing when firefighters arrived Tuesday morning. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, four people staying at the hotel admitted they had ingested the opioid fentanyl. “One person was in grave condition, three others showing signs of narcotic overdose,” Battalion Chief Andrew Wordin, of the LAFD, said. That admission triggered a hazmat response. Fire crews said they believed the threat was contained to the one room, but they brought in special equipment for tests just to make sure the hotel was safe for guests. “Fentanyl is a very, very potent opiate, and it can cause, in very low doses, euphoria,” Dr. David Levine, of the Keck School of Medicine, said. “But in more high doses or moderate doses, it can cause someone to become comatose and stop breathing and ultimately lead to cardiac arrest.” Levine is the chief of the toxicology division at USC’s Keck School of Medicine. “Fentanyl has become relatively cheap, and people are using that to get high,” he said. “And people are also using fentanyl as a cutting agent to cut other drugs, meaning they will dilute the quantity of the other drug by substituting fentanyl.” Back in October, Orange County authorities had their biggest fentanyl bust ever, 20 pounds of the synthetic opioid, which they said was enough to kill the county’s 3.2 million residents three times over. Fentanyl is so deadly that just a tine amount can kill — even if it’s not ingested. Many first responders, including firefighters and police officers, carry a medication to reverse the effects of an overdose.

Four people who were apparently using fentanyl in a Woodland Hills hotel room Tuesday morning were transported for hospital treatment, with one of them in grave condition, authorities said. Firefighters and paramedics were sent at 6:47 a.m. to the Extended Stay America hotel at 20205 Ventura Blvd., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department, which reported that the other three patients appeared to be in stable condition. "It turned out to be a fentanyl overdose case and it's being handled by the fire department," said Los Angeles police Officer Drake Madison. The fire department sent a hazardous materials team to the location to examine the room, which was closed off.

1484191289_1484180137

David Stern, the longtime NBA commissioner who transformed the league through television deals and other media partnerships, died Wednesday, three weeks after suffering a brain hemorrhage. He was 77. “For 22 years, I had a courtside seat to watch David in action,” current NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “He was a mentor and one of my dearest friends. We spent countless hours in the office, at arenas and on planes wherever the game would take us. Like every NBA legend, David had extraordinary talents, but with him it was always about the fundamentals – preparation, attention to detail, and hard work.” Silver credited Stern with modernizing the league after taking over in 1984 when the game was at a crossroads. “But over the course of 30 years as commissioner, he ushered in the modern global NBA. He launched groundbreaking media and marketing partnerships, digital assets and social responsibility programs that have brought the game to billions of people around the world,” Silver said. Stern retired as NBA commissioner on Feb. 1, 2014 after a 30-year tenure. In recent years, Stern worked as a sports and media consultant under his DJS Global Advisors banner, with clients that included the NBA. Stern also worked with private investment firm PJT Partners and venture capital firm Greycroft Partners. He was a frequent speaker on the business and media conference circuit. On Nov. 15, Stern and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman swapped stories and insights about brand-building during a lively session at the Paley Center for Media’s International Council Summit in New York. Bettman worked with Stern at the NBA before moving to the NHL. Bettman hailed Stern as his mentor and long-time friend in a statement. “He was a man of great vision and energy who was responsible for the operational and business advancements that created the modern sports industry,” Bettman said. “David taught me how to be a commissioner and, more importantly, how to try to be a good person.” More to come…

David Stern, the former NBA commissioner who turned the league into a powerhouse over three decades, died Wednesday at the age of 77, the league announced. Stern had been hospitalized since undergoing surgery in December after he suffered a brain hemorrhage at a Manhattan restaurant. The Hall of Famer served as commissioner for 30 years, growing the game exponentially into a multibillion dollar business, before stepping down in 2014 and being replaced by Adam Silver. “For 22 years, I had a courtside seat to watch David in action,” Silver said. “He was a mentor and one of my dearest friends. “Because of David, the NBA is a truly global brand — making him not only one of the greatest sports commissioners of all time but also one of the most influential business leaders of his generation,” Silver said. The NBA was lagging behind the MLB and NFL when Stern took over in 1984, but became a global juggernaut behind his leadership that expertly marketed superstars Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson among others. “Without David Stern, the NBA would not be what it is today,” Jordan, now the Charlotte Hornets owner, said in a statement. “He guided the league through turbulent times and grew the league into an international phenomenon, creating opportunities that few could have imagined before.” Stern also founded the WNBA in 1997 and introduced seven NBA franchises during his tenure, which was not always smooth. He oversaw two work stoppages, which resulted in the 1998-99 and 2011-12 seasons being shortened to 50 and 66 games, respectively. In 2005-06, he instituted a dress code policy for players before and after games that former 76ers star Allen Iverson said targeted “guys who dress like me — guys who dress hip-hop.” Stern was born in New York and raised in Teaneck, N.J. He is survived by his wife, Dianne Bock Stern, and their two sons, Eric and Andrew.

1484013296_1484357787

Central Cuba continues to grow as a tourist destination Central Cuba continues to grow as a tourist destination Central Cuba continues to grow as a tourist destination Central Cuba continues to grow as a tourist destination Ciego de Avila, Cuba, Jan 1 (Prensa Latina) Jardines del Rey, a tourist destination off the northern shore of this eastern-central Cuban province, continues its growth rate, despite the tightening of the United States blockade against Cuba. Composed of Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Paredon Grande and Cayo Anton Chico, the region has 25 hotels that total more than 9,700 rooms, so it is among the fastest growing destinations in the country in 2019. The Ministry of Tourism delegate in Ciego de Avila, Iyolexis Correa, stressed that Jardines del Rey recently inaugurated two hotels, the Grand Muthu Rainbow and the Cayo Guillermo Resort Kempinski. Correa added that the arrivals of of Polish, Argentinean, Russian and Canadian tourists, the latter with more than 60%, stand out, thanks to an increase in plane capacities, and direct flights from those countries to the Jardines del Rey international airport. During 26 years providing services to international tourists, Jardines del Rey has received more than three million holidaymakers from several nations, with a high percentage of repeat vacationers. Correa explained that the development plan until 2030 includes the construction of 22 hotels on Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo, as wll as Cayo Paredon Grande and Cayo Anton Chico, until totaling 20,000 rooms. jg/iff/jcm/nmt

By the end of 2019, Algeria has ordered from Russia, its main arms supplier, 42 combat aircraft : 14 Sukhoi 57, 14 Sukhoi 34 and 14 Sukhoi 35, Algerian and Russian media reports said. «An option for two other squadrons of 14 aircraft for each aircraft type has also been signed to compensate for the natural withdrawal of aircraft from the Air Force fleet in the future», added the same source. The acquisition contract was concluded last summer after the visit of an Algerian air force delegation to Moscow. The arrival of the new aircraft is scheduled for 2025. This comes only a few months after Morocco announced that it purchased 25 new F-16s for 3.787 billion dollars and ordered the upgrading of 23 F- 16 existing ones for 985.2 million dollars. In 2019, the kingdom ordered a total of $10.3 billion from the United States, primarily for its air force.

1483806300_1483781604

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an ovarian cancer drug for the maintenance and treatment of pancreatic cancer, according to AstraZeneca and Merck. The drug, Lynparza (olaparib), has been approved in the United States for pancreatic cancer patients whose disease has not progressed on at least 16 weeks of a 1st-line platinum-based chemotherapy regimen. Earlier this month, a panel of experts at the FDA recommended Lynparza after a study found that pancreatic cancer patients who were treated with the drug could go nearly twice as long without their cancer worsening than those taking a placebo. “Patients with advanced pancreatic cancer historically have faced poor outcomes due to the aggressive nature of the disease and limited treatment advances over the last few decades,” said Dave Fredrickson, executive vice president of the Oncology Business Unit. “Lynparza is now the only approved targeted medicine in biomarker-selected patients with advanced pancreatic cancer,” he added. Biomarker-selected patients are those with BRCA gene mutations, which hinder the body’s ability to fix damaged DNA and ultimately make it more likely that cells develop genetic mutations that can lead to cancer. Lynparza is a PARP inhibitor, a type of drug that is used to stop cancer cells from reproducing. "Metastatic pancreatic cancer patients have been waiting a long time for new therapy options for their devastating disease," said Julie Fleshman, president and CEO of Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. "Today’s approval of Lynparza provides an exciting new treatment option for patients with germline BRCA-mutated metastatic pancreatic cancer.” Advertisement Lynparza is already approved for advanced ovarian cancer and metastatic breast cancer and has been used to treat 25,000 patients worldwide, and now AstraZeneca and Merck (the drug’s makers) are looking into the possibility of using it to treat other types of cancer as well. This story was reported from Los Angeles.

Earlier this month, FDA experts voted—barely—that the agency should approve AstraZeneca and Merck’s Lynparza in pancreatic cancer. But that small majority was enough to convince regulators to follow suit. The FDA greenlighted the drug Friday as a maintenance treatment for patients with germline BRCA-mutated disease who've already received a round of platinum-based chemo. The approval followed a priority review designation, awarded over the summer, and an orphan drug designation. With the approval, AZ and Merck add a third disease area to the drug’s resume, which already includes indications in ovarian and breast cancers. And, for the third time, Lynparza is the first of its class of PARP inhibitors—which includes entrants from GlaxoSmithKline and Clovis Oncology—to break into a cancer type. Whitepaper Simplify and Accelerate Drug R&D With the MarkLogic Data Hub Service for Pharma R&D Researchers are often unable to access the information they need. And, even when data does get consolidated, researchers find it difficult to sift through it all and make sense of it in order to confidently draw the right conclusions and share the right results. Discover how to quickly and easily find, synthesize, and share information—accelerating and improving R&D. Learn More RELATED: AZ, Merck's Lynparza fends off pancreatic cancer, cutting progression risk in half Regulators based the go-ahead on data from the phase 3 Polo trial, presented at this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting, which demonstrated Lynparza could slash the risk of disease worsening or death by 47%. The results are “very exciting” considering “we are now able to offer a chemo-free option in maintenance to patients who for over a decade haven’t had any meaningful improvement,” Dave Fredrickson, executive vice president and global head of AstraZeneca’s oncology business unit, said at the time. But FDA staffers weren’t so sure. They brought Lynparza’s case before an expert advisory committee, citing concerns about the Polo study’s size and the limitations of imaging technology to accurately measure tumor size. Ultimately, those experts voted 7-5 in favor of approval, though, with the lack of other treatment options giving the drug a boost. While pancreatic cancer is rare, it’s also particularly deadly, bearing the lowest survival rate of the most common cancers. It’s also the only major cancer with a single-digit five-year survival rate in nearly every country, according to AstraZeneca. RELATED: AZ, Merck's Lynparza narrowly snags FDA panel backing in pancreatic cancer While the vote was a narrow one, the corresponding approval didn’t surprise SVB Leerink analyst Andrew Berens and his colleagues, who, following the committee meeting, called an FDA nod “more likely than not.” And while they model a small sales boost from the latest OK—just $155 million in the U.S. and $50 million in the EU—they also “believe this favorable AdCom and potential approval could create a 'halo effect' for Lynparza, perhaps making the drug the PARP inhibitor of choice for the majority of medical oncologists," they wrote at the time.

1483803295_1484102113

Silver futures on Wednesday slumped by Rs 190 to Rs 46,521 per kg as participants cut down their bets on low spot demand. On the Multi Commodity Exchange, silver contracts for March delivery tumbled Rs 190, or 0.41 per cent, to Rs 46,521 per kg in a business turnover of 1,247 lots. Besides, the white metal to be delivered in May fell by Rs 173 to Rs 47,051 per kg in 44 lots. In the international market, silver prices traded 0.44 per cent lower at USD 17.92 an ounce in New York. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

A 20-year-old man set his motorcycle on fire after he was challaned by the traffic police in south Delhi's Greater Kailash area on Wednesday, police said. Vikas, a resident of Sangam Vihar, was challaned by the traffic police for riding the motorcycle without helmet, a senior police official said. The traffic police challaned him and impounded the motorcycle, following which Vikas set the bike on fire, the officer said. A case has been registered and the accused arrested, the officer added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

1484453965_1483960826

KOCHI: The rally carried out by Muslim outfits against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) paralysed the city on Wednesday evening. There was heavy traffic block in the city for almost four to five hours, forcing many of the shops in the city to down shutters by noon in anticipation of the traffic block.Banerji Road, through which one of the rallies passed to the protest venue at Marine Drive, along Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium-High Court stretch was fully occupied by the protesters. They were seen walking across the footpaths as well. All the vehicles, including private buses, kept off the road leaving commuters in the lurch. Metro came to the rescue of commuters. The Metro ridership reached more than one lakh at 8pm. All the Metro stations were crowded. In the routes where there are no Metro services, passengers had a tough time.A KSRTC bus was stuck amidst the crowd for almost an hour, while many had to wait for hours on end to get out of a theatre complex in the city as Banerji Road was fully occupied by the protesters. “We have to go to Vypeen side. So, we have to take a U-turn. But we are unable to move an inch even forward, let along the U-turn. We have been trapped here for more than an hour,” said a passenger on the KSRTC bus.With motorists taking other roads like MG Road following the blockade on Banerji Road, traffic bottlenecks extended to all across the city centre. Even ambulances got trapped in traffic snarls. With police focusing on the venue at Marine Drive and Shanmugham Road , there was nobody to regulate the traffic on MG Road and Chittoor Road

A meeting of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chaired by its president and Home Minister Amit Shah is underway at the party headquarters here on Wednesday. BJP working president Jagat Prakash Nadda and general secretary (organisation) B L Santosh are also present at the meeting. The meeting comes two days after Nadda conducted a meeting of party general secretaries.The meeting was held over different issues including the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) outreach programme and party's organisational elections.On December 26, party sources had said that senior cabinet ministers and BJP leaders will be deployed across the country in an effort to dispel misgivings about the CAA and Register of Citizens (NRC) being allegedly spread by the opposition.All these senior leaders will be contacting eminent personalities of their respective fields and common people to spread awareness regarding the CAA, sources had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

1483806478_1484225237

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is hoping a new decade will bring better fortunes for Manchester United after a difficult spell in the club’s illustrious history. The rise of derby rivals Manchester City in particular has added significantly to the Old Trafford club’s difficulties in retaining their pre-eminence both at home and in Europe over the last 10 years as they have wrestled with the challenge of finding a suitable long-term successor for all-conquering manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The last of United’s Premier League titles came at the...

Solskjaer lacking Ferguson's fear factor in Man Utd dressing room, says Van Persie The former Netherlands international believes there is something missing at Old Trafford, a sentiment echoed by Rio Ferdinand Robin van Persie thinks Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is lacking the fear factor necessary to get the best out of his team. United were well beaten by Arsenal on New Year’s Day, arguably flattered by the 2-0 scoreline as the Mikel Arteta era roared into life at the Emirates Stadium. Van Persie, who fired United to the Premier League title under Sir Alex Ferguson, doesn’t appear to be convinced Solskjaer can command his troops as effectively as his old mentor. “You need a bit of fear for your coach,” he said on BT Sport. “Yes, firstly, the game plan, but you need a bit of fear for your coach. “If you have that, then you know that if you don’t make those runs, if you don’t play those balls, you will get punished. You won’t play the next game." When asked if this was missing under Solskjaer, he replied: “Probably. By the looks of it, I think so, yeah.” Van Persie’s former team-mate, Rio Ferdinand, doesn’t believe there is any lack of desire or determination in the Old Trafford dressing room. However, he wasn’t at all convinced by United’s attacking play – and thinks, however young the players at his disposal, Solskjaer has to find a greater consistency in performances. “When I watched Man Utd play here last season in an game, they had structure and I was thinking, ‘Woah, this is Man Utd’,” he said. “I didn’t see those patterns [of play] or the idea that they’ve been told to do this, this is the pattern of play that happens. “Today it looked very much like, ‘Get the ball to Martial and see what he can do’. That’s what it seemed like. “I know a lot of the boys in that changing room, I’ve seen a lot of them grow up. “They’re kids who want to do well, they’re desperate to play, they’re desperate to be the best in their position, they’re desperate to do great in a Man Utd shirt. Article continues below “But it’s just not happening at the moment and that has got to be sorted out and the consistency is the biggest problem at the moment. “I think he’s used 10 players under 22 this season. That’s a lot of young players. “But they need consistency, they have got to find it somehow and that is the job of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.”

1483805523_1483993452

Nollywood actress, Regina Daniels posted a video via Instagram in which she wished her numerous fans and followers a happy new year from her sick bed. Information Nigeria recalls the former child star has fallen ill and she will have to remain on her sickbed throughout the festivities of the new year. In the video, Daniels also apologised to those she wronged in 2019 and she appreciated her family and fans for their continuous love and support. The actress didn’t forget to thank her haters. Read Also: Tacha Allegedly Dropped Tee Billz After Insulting Living Daylights Out Of Him: Report Watch the video below: View this post on Instagram Happy new year A post shared by Regina Daniels (@regina.daniels) on Dec 31, 2019 at 4:19pm PST The post “I Am Sorry To Everyone I Offended” – Regina Daniels Sends Happy New Year Message To Her Fans (Video) appeared first on Information Nigeria.

SIPTU have said members of the National Ambulance Service (NAS) are planning a national mobilising campaign to win respect and recognition for all ambulance professionals this year. SIPTU Health Division Organiser Paul Bell, said: “Our members, across all grades in the NAS, are determined to secure greater recognition from the health employers including, if necessary, by taking a ballot for industrial action early in the new year. “Our members are no longer “van” drivers. They have over a relatively short period of time developed into a highly skilled workforce with the ability to make key clinical decisions and to administer lifesaving medications to patients suffering trauma, cardiac arrest or stroke. That deserves to be recognised. In 2019, SIPTU representatives participated in a review of the skillsets of ambulance professionals with a focus on emergency medical technicians and paramedics. The findings of the review are due to be published early this year. “It may shock the wider medical community, including the Minister for Health, Simon Harris and indeed the general public, that ambulance professionals are not regulated unlike nurses, midwives, radiographers, radiation therapists and physiotherapists yet they are responsible for administering up to 45 lifesaving drugs and making clinical decisions and in many cases are the first point of contact for patients. “The regulation of ambulance professionals must be treated as a priority.” He added: “Our members rightly feel that their time for recognition and respect is now and that the Government needs to engage on these issues and give them confidence that the future structure, viability and vision of our National Ambulance Service works for the many, not the few.”

1484038126_1483836201

(CNN) Instead of throwing down the gauntlet, Post Malone put it on his face. The singer/rapper has debuted a new face tattoo to add to his collection. The medieval gauntlet is featured prominently in photo posted Tuesday on tattoo artist Kyle Hediger's Instagram account. "Last tattoo of 2019," the caption reads. "Gauntlet on the baby boy @postmalone love u. 2020 is going to be next level. Love you all." Malone also shared a photo in which a portion of the new tat can be seen. Read More

There can be a little bit of sticker shock when you start to think about buying into all the newest wellness and beauty trends applying itself to the new year, new you craze. Peel into our gallery of celebrities wearing adhesive eye masks to see which stars have slapped on some of the cool cosmetics and shared their tacky selfies on social media in hopes to unload some of that heavy 2019 baggage.

1484011924_1485109026

U.S.—The nation’s media outlets announced they were grieving today as an armed citizen stopped a mass shooting. “We grieve that this tragedy we could have exploited for weeks on end was stopped by a good guy with a gun,” said one teary-eyed MSNBC reporter on the scene. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the shooter.” “We are absolutely heartbroken and in shock over here,” said one New York Times journalist. “What could have given us weeks and weeks of frothing-at-the-mouth stories about gun control will now have to be suppressed since it does not align with our agenda.” News outlets also reminded the nation that they reserve the right to immediately bury mass shooting stories that don’t help push their agenda. Outlets like CNN, MSNBC, and ABC News confirmed that they carefully look over the facts of a given case to see if it lines up with the correct opinions before deciding to push it incessantly for weeks on end. “While we usually would exploit a tragedy like this to push our gun control agenda, in this case, the facts don’t really help us,” said CNN reporter Bob Costanza, after a recent shooting was shut down by a citizen with a gun. “It’s tragic that it ended that way, because we really could have gotten a lot of mileage out of that bad boy.” The media didn’t even try to find children who were present during the shooting to parade around talk shows and put on the covers of magazines for a full year this time around. RELATED SATIRE: Supreme Court OKs Death Penalty For Commenting On Articles Without Reading Them Ford Introduces 40-Passenger Van: ‘The Homeschooler’ First Baptist Dallas Members Melt Golden Jewelry Down Into Towering Donald Trump Statue Follower Of Joseph Smith Urges Nation To Reject Morally Flawed Leaders Follower Of Joseph Smith Urges Nation To Reject Morally Flawed Leaders

Family Builds Electric Fence Around Their 'Offensive' Signs To Keep People From Stealing Them The Election Cycle, who cycles 1,000 miles across the United States, met one family who had taken extreme measures to protect their Trump lawn sign on his New Jersey pit stop by electrifying their fence. The Paitakis family lived in Franklin Township, New Jersey. They said it started out with one sign and then after six Donald Trump lawn signs were taken from their own yard, they decided to build an electric fence and a dog cage around their new signs. This is to protect it from getting vandalized or stolen. ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website The reporter says, "Eventually they added this electrified fence. If they even touch the sign, they're going to get zapped." He further states that "Their son says he witnessed a thief. He stopped in front of the sign, got out of the truck, got the sign." The news report also states that it is not just Trump's signs but Hillary Clinton's signs as well. "The amount of yard signs being stolen is reflective of the amount of enthusiasm that's out there." ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website John Paitakis, a member of the family, stated that "We started out with a smaller [fence], but people were actually crushing it and stealing the signs." Because of what was happening, they opted to install a camera in a nearby tree. It would be taking pictures of any of the trespassers and which would then lead to the police identifying the potential suspects. The reporter asked the Paitakis family on what their neighbors think of what's happening to them. The Paitakis family then stated that they did not find much support from their liberal neighbors. "I spoke to one guy, a little bit of a liberal. I said we have our Trump signs in a dog pen, and he says, 'That's right where they belong.'" John Paitakis stated. Sources: America Now / Photo Credit: ABC News

1484010329_1484253506

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A Chamber of Commerce director yesterday voiced optimism that regulators are poised to take “the first step” in ensuring Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) fulfills its obligations towards consumers. Debby Deal told Tribune Business she drew encouragement from the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority’s (URCA) planned probe into how BPL calculates its fuel charge as a sign that it will increasingly bare its supervisory teeth towards the state-owned energy monopoly. The head of the Chamber’s environment and energy committee, she said URCA’s just-unveiled draft 2020 annual plan also explained that a lack of funding and staff with the necessary expertise had impeded its initial efforts to properly regulate BPL. “I can see now why URCA was not much in the picture as it didn’t have the resources to do what it needed to do,” Ms Deal added. “That’s good for us to know. A lot of us wondered why URCA was not in the picture - we saw a lot of fines for BTC on the communications side, but very little to do with BPL. They didn’t have the funds to hire the staff to do what they needed to do. “Now they will expand their staff we’ll be able to see better results, maybe, in the actions of BPL if they are questioned as to what they’re doing. Whether that happens is a whole different ball game.” Ms Deal added that URCA’s planned investigation into BPL’s fuel charge, which typically makes up 50-60 percent of consumer bills, was “good news even if they find nothing” as it suggested the regulator was prepared to act in the interests of consumers. “I’m very grateful that this might be the first step in making sure their [BPL’s] actual mandate comes to fruition. BPL is supposed to provide safe, reliable and cost efficient energy, and for 40 years they’ve not given us safe, reliable and cost efficient energy,” she told Tribune Business. “Now they can start looking into some of this stuff.” This newspaper reported last week that URCA is set to examine whether BPL customers have suffered “possible harm or mischief” after detecting “troubling trends” in how it has been calculating fuel charges. The regulator, in its just-released 2020 draft annual plan and budget, pledged to impose “clear regulatory oversight” over how BPL determines this portion of customer bills given that it can create “inefficiencies causing significant cost to consumers”. Identifying this as a major 2020 priority, URCA revealed it plans to “develop a comprehensive methodology” for how such fuel charges are calculated and applied at both BPL and throughout the wider Bahamian energy industry. It admitted it had wanted to undertake such a “regulatory intervention” in 2019, but was thwarted by a “lack of available resources” - something that has plagued URCA’s efforts to oversee the Bahamian energy industry ever since it took on this responsibility in 2016. However, the regulator said its New Year’s objectives are to ensure “the fuel charge accurately reflects the actual cost of fuel used by BPL in providing electricity to its customers”, and that “the fuel charge only reflects the fair and efficient costs of fuel used, and does not pass on costs resulting from failures by BPL to properly manage its electricity system”. “Over the course of 2019, URCA has reviewed the gazetted rules pertaining to the calculation and application of the fuel charge, and tracked the posted fuel charge for the period,” it said, “noting trends which are of concern to URCA, particularly in relation to costs experienced during BPL’s period of supply challenges in New Providence during 2019. “In reviewing the need to address any possible harm and/or mischief that may have been caused to consumers through the fuel charge during the period, URCA is currently seeking to address BPL’s power quality deficiencies during 2019 through a comprehensive investigation.” URCA added that this probe will be able to address “any fuel charge impact” that BPL consumer suffered in 2019, and unveiled its “fuel cost recovery” regulation project for the new year. “Moving forward, and noting that the fuel charge mechanism can result in inefficiencies causing significant cost to consumers, URCA considers it necessary to ensure that there is clear regulatory oversight of the fuel charge approach wherever it is employed in The Bahamas,” URCA said. “URCA therefore proposes during 2020 to develop a comprehensive methodology for the derivation and application of fuel charges within the sector.” The “fuel charge” portion of BPL bills is designed as a pass-through, meaning that the utility passes on to consumers the full costs associated with purchasing the fuel used to generate electricity. It is supposed to be a ‘cost recovery’ mechanism, meaning that BPL earns no profits from the fuel charge. However, there have long been suspicions that BPL uses the “fuel charge” to disguise inefficiencies elsewhere in its operations, and wraps other items into this levy that further burden Bahamian businesses and households besides the pure costs of fuel. The language in URCA’s draft 2020 annual plan will likely reinforce such fears, and suggests there may be some credibility to these concerns. The issue is a vital one for Bahamian households and businesses, especially if they are being forced to unduly pay for BPL’s inefficiencies, given the portion of customer bills that the fuel charge typically accounts for. URCA’s ambitions are also likely to be greeted with some scepticism given its confession that the energy sector has operated without effective regulatory scrutiny despite being handed this responsibility in 2016 with passage of the Electricity Act.

A total of 122 daring souls took the plunge at Gyro Park on Wednesday to ring in 2020 One-hundred and twenty-two people ushered in an invigorating New Year at Gyro Park Wednesday at noon, all participating in Trail’s 44-Engineer Squadron’s 32nd annual Polar Bear Swim. About 350 spectators also showed up to catch a glimpse of the yearly plunge into a frigid Columbia River, and enjoy refreshments by the fire. With the water at about 4 C, and the ambiente temperature at 1 C, a search-and-rescue boat poised just off shore, first aid attendants nearby, and a roaring bonfire, Master Warrant Officer Shane Batch counted down from 10, before the mass of swimmers rushed into the water. Many exited even faster, but a few lingered, soaking up the moment and reflecting on 2019, while looking forward, optimistic and hopeful, to 2020 and the next decade. See more on the Polar Bear Swim in Friday’s Trail Times.

1483803349_1486622095

The early Earth may have hosted many carbonate-rich lakes, which contained high enough phosphorus concentrations to get life started on our planet, according to a study. Phosphorus is one of the six main chemical elements of life, and forms the backbone of DNA and RNA molecules. The element acts as the main currency for energy in all cells and anchors the lipids that separate cells from their surrounding "For 50 years, what's called 'the phosphate problem,' has plagued studies on the origin of life," said Jonathan Toner, an assistant professor at the University of Washington (UW) in the US. The problem is that chemical reactions that make the building blocks of living things need a lot of phosphorus, but the element is scarce. The new study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has found an answer to this problem in certain types of lakes. The research focused on lakes rich in carbonate -- a salt of carbonic acid -- which form in dry environments within depressions that funnel water draining from the surrounding landscape. Because of high evaporation rates, the lake waters concentrate into salty and alkaline, or high-pH, solutions. Such lakes, also known as alkaline or soda lakes, are found on all seven continents, the researchers said. They first looked at phosphorus measurements in existing carbonate-rich lakes, including Mono Lake in California, US, Lake Magadi in Kenya and Lonar Lake in India. While the exact concentration depends on where the samples were taken and during what season, the researchers found that carbonate-rich lakes have up to 50,000 times phosphorus levels found in seawater, rivers and other types of lakes. Such high concentrations point to the existence of some common, natural mechanism that accumulates phosphorus in these lakes, the researchers said. Today these carbonate-rich lakes are biologically rich and support life ranging from microbes to Lake Magadi's famous flocks of flamingoes, they said. The researchers carried lab experiments with bottles of carbonate-rich water at different chemical compositions to understand how the lakes accumulate phosphorus, and how high phosphorus concentrations could get in a lifeless The noted that the reason these waters have high phosphorus is their carbonate content. In most lakes, calcium, which is much more abundant on the Earth, binds to phosphorus to make solid calcium phosphate minerals, which life can't access, according to the researchers. However, in carbonate-rich waters, the carbonate outcompetes phosphate to bind with calcium, leaving some of the phosphate unattached, they said. Lab tests that combined ingredients at different concentrations show that calcium binds to carbonate and leaves the phosphate freely available in the water. "It's a straightforward idea, which is its appeal. It solves the phosphate problem in an elegant and plausible way," Toner said. The researchers explained that phosphate levels could climb even higher, to a million times levels in seawater, when lake waters evaporate during dry seasons, along shorelines, or in pools separated from the main body of the lake. "The extremely high phosphate levels in these lakes and ponds would have driven reactions that put phosphorus into the molecular building blocks of RNA, proteins, and fats, all of which were needed to get life going," said David Catling, a professor at UW. The carbon dioxide-rich air on the early Earth, some four billion years ago, would have been ideal for creating such lakes and allowing them to reach maximum levels of phosphorus, the researchers said. Carbonate-rich lakes tend to form in atmospheres with high carbon dioxide, which dissolves in water to create acid conditions that efficiently release phosphorus from rocks, they said. "The early Earth was a volcanically active place, so you would have had lots of fresh volcanic rock reacting with carbon dioxide and supplying carbonate and phosphorus to lakes," Toner said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

St. Louise Regional Hospital has been named to the State of California’s Patient Safety Honor Roll for demonstrating safety across multiple departments, and to the state’s Maternity Honor Roll for meeting or surpassing a statewide target aimed at reducing caesarean sections. “We are proud to be on both honor rolls,” said Gloria Dela Merced, St. Louise Regional Hospital executive. “It takes a team effort, and our physicians, nurses and support staff are committed to meeting rigorous performance measures for our patients’ safety.” The Patient Safety Honor Roll includes information from hospital-acquired infections, adverse patient safety events, sepsis management and patient experience. These measurements establish shared goals and sense of purpose, and advance improvements, Merced said. St. Louise Regional Hospital was cited for a strong culture of safety, high-quality patient care and the ability to meet the state’s patient safety measures. The Maternity Honor Roll’s goal is to reduce cesarean rates in California. There are 500,000 births each year in California (one-eighth of all US c-section births) and in the past decade, the c-section birth rate has risen by 50 percent nationwide. Today, one-third of all babies are born via surgery—significantly more than the federal Healthy People 2020 goal of 24.7 percent for low-risk deliveries, according to the state. Reducing cesarean sections can result in lowering medical complications in first-time mothers, such as incidents of heavy bleeding, blood transfusions, infections, blood clots and longer recovery time compared with vaginal birth. Higher c-section rates carry risks for babies including potential injury during surgery, breathing problems, neonatal intensive care stays and lower breastfeeding rates.

1484189233_1484530128

This piece was reprinted by OpEdNews with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source. Republished from Dimitri Lascaris and The Real News Network LISA SNOWDEN-MCCRAY: Welcome to The Real News Network. I'm Lisa Snowden-McCray. The Real News is spending some time looking back over some of the most important issues we covered this year including Latin America, Israel and Palestine, U.S. politics, the criminal justice system, and the climate crisis. 2019 was a busy and scary year for climate news. Places all over the planet reached temperatures higher than ever recorded, warnings from scientists and activists reached a fevered pitch; teen activist Greta Thunberg sounded an alarm for people gathered at the International Climate Talks held in Madrid earlier this month, saying, quote, "We no longer have time to leave out the science." Here at The Real News Network, we were on top of it all. We tackled the Green New Deal, environmental justice issues associated with oil drilling, and the power Big Oil maintains in Canada. Today, I'm joined by Real News climate reporter and producer, Steve Horn, who's been at the climate beat since 2010. Also joining us is Real News contributor Dimitri Lascaris, who is also a member of our board of directors. Dimitri focuses his coverage on climate politics and foreign policy. Thank you both for joining us. DIMITRI LASCARIS: Thank you, Lisa. STEVE HORN: Good to be here. LISA SNOWDEN-MCCRAY: Now, at the beginning of this year, actually at the beginning of your time here with us, Steve, we were wanting to do some reporting on the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, which is definitely a climate issue. Dimitri, you were actually on the ground there in Puerto Rico. Can you talk a little bit about what you saw? DIMITRI LASCARIS: Yeah. So, I was there in March of this year, so many months had gone by since Hurricane Maria had ravaged the island. And I could see signs of the devastation in quite a few places. There were a number of buildings that were destroyed, had not been demolished, or were in a state of disrepair. I drove from the north of the island to the south of the island, and as I crossed through forested areas, I saw large swaths of trees that had been stripped bare. I visited a baseball stadium in San Juan where the municipality was giving out free supplies, in particular free fresh water because a lot of people still couldn't access fresh water. So, the island had been recovering very slowly, and it was clear that it was nowhere near a complete recovery at that time, and it was in that context when, thanks to some excellent investigative work by Steve, we discovered that [inaudible 00:02:34], rather than moving away from a fossil fuels-dependent energy system, was actually upping the ante with liquified natural gas. And that's something that I think Steve can talk about in some light. LISA SNOWDEN-MCCRAY: Yeah, Steve, can you talk a little bit about that? STEVE HORN: Yeah. So, what I realized is that" I was following this issue in the Southeast United States where this capital investor kind of oligarch-type figure, Wes Edens, was building out LNG-by-rail down there. And of course, Florida being the closest state to Puerto Rico, and he was gearing that up to LNG-by-rail to export, I was wondering, where is that natural gas going? So, I started doing research, and when I found out that Dimitri was going to Puerto Rico, and I found out, "Okay, one of the places that's targeted is Puerto Rico." And so, basically what I did from there is examined the exacts of how much is planned to go to Puerto Rico, and the" especially looking at what was happening on the United States side, with the broader LNG-by-rail; they needed to get a permit from the Trump administration, meaning Edens' company, and there's been several instances this year, I think there's been" Edens has been sort of the connective tissue in a lot of natural gas-related issues. Like I said, LNG By Rail and others happening in the eastern United States. And then the last thing I'll say about that is, even going into the power politics of the Democratic Party in Milwaukee, Wes Edens" There are conventions in Milwaukee this year. Eden is on a host committee of the convention, same guy who owns the natural gas that's going to" and also opening power plants in Puerto Rico and in that area of the world. And one of the questions that was being raised is, "Why is the Democratic Party not discussing climate change at its debates?" And so, one of the answers may be, oh, well, Wes Edens is a huge player in the convention that ends all of these debates, where the Democrats will announce their final nominee. So, yeah, there's been many instances where he has popped up this year. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3

By The Associated Press Recent editorials from South Carolina newspapers: ___ Dec. 29 The Index-Journal on what to expect from elected officials in 2020: With Gov. Henry McMaster’s call to give all teachers a pay hike this coming legislative session and our own legislative delegation touting education as a top priority when addressing Greenwood SC Chamber members earlier this month, it’s a safe bet that education, in some form or another, will rank at or toward the top of the heap when lawmakers reconvene early next month. State Sen. Floyd Nicholson is a staunch advocate of education’s importance. As he often points out, education is the key to anyone’s genuine success in life — a message he again shared at the Chamber’s gathering. State Sen. Danny Verdin, who was the meeting’s keynote speaker, headed down a different path, intimating that South Carolina could step up in a leadership role with respect to medical marijuana. While he did not come out with a full endorsement of legalizing medical marijuana, he did indicate the state could set the pace for sensible legislation that does not open the door to widespread recreational use. We shall see. However, the message state Rep. Anne Parks delivered was none too pleasing. She too echoed the need to focus on education issues, but she said with 2020 being an election year, she did not anticipate much being done. Sadly, there’s a good chance she is correct. Do we need that, however? We elect and pay our lawmakers to actually do things, and preferably for the good of the state and its residents. We do not send them to Columbia to piddle around and go through the motions in an effort to hold onto their seats. Having witnessed the dearth of constructive legislative work at the federal level for some time now, we’d like to encourage our state’s lawmakers to set a better example and not, as Orangeburg state Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter often says, keep kicking the can down the road. Online: http://www.indexjournal.com ___ Dec. 27 The Times and Democrat on being safe while hunting: At Thanksgiving, we wrote of the tradition of hunting and fishing that is integral to the season. Sadly, the holiday produced a tragedy, with a local young person losing his life in a hunting accident. Though tragic to the core, hunting deaths have to be put in perspective. According to the International Hunter Education Association, in an average year, fewer than 1,000 people in the United States and Canada are accidentally shot by hunters, and of these, fewer than 75 are fatalities. In many cases, the fatalities are self-inflicted by hunters who trip, fall or have other accidents that cause them to shoot themselves with their own weapons. Most of the other fatalities come in hunting parties, where one hunter shoots another accidentally. Hunting proponents point out that the chances of a death due to a firearm accident of any kind are roughly the same as a death from falling out of a bed, chair or another piece of furniture — about 1 in 4,888. Overall accidental death statistics from the National Safety Council provide further context. Of all accidental deaths: - 1 out of every 114 is a motor vehicle crash - 1 out of every 370 is an intentional assault by a firearm - 1 out of 1,188 is an accidental drowning - 1 out of every 6,905 is an accidental firearms discharge - 1 out of every 161,856 is due to a lightning strike Still, no accidental death should be deemed acceptable. And hunting calls for vigorous attention to safety practices. Some reminders are in order: - Be sure your firearm is unloaded when you are transporting it in your vehicle or while walking to your stand. Keep the safety on for extra measure. - Leave the gun safety on until you are ready to shoot. (If you should drop your gun, the safety will offer some protection.) - It is wise to wear a visible hat, coat or vest of international-orange color while hunts for deer are in progress. Even wildlife photographers and other nature enthusiasts should use common sense and elect to wear a hat, coat or vest in hunter orange. - Don’t shoot in the direction of rustling bushes or rattling leaves. Shoot only when you actually see a deer within range. Be sure of your target. - When hunting with a club or group, stay on your stand until a previously agreed upon time. Don’t lose patience and wander around – you may be mistaken for a deer.- Remember, rifle bullets, buck shot and arrows travel a long distance through a field or in the forest. So, you need to know the territory and know if there are homes, schools or businesses that could possibly be struck by ammunition that misses its intended target. This holiday season, the outdoors again will be a popular place for many locals. Hunting, in particular, will be on the to-do list with the nation's longest deer season counting down to a New Year's Day conclusion. Enjoy the outdoors experience and make it a safe one. Online: https://thetandd.com/ ___ Dec. 26 The Post and Courier on a plastic bag ban: There’s power in breaking little habits. It helps you struggle against bigger ones. Giving up flimsy single-use plastic bags — the regional ban takes effect New Year’s Day and also includes foam takeout containers, plastic straws and coffee stirrers — should be relatively easy. People in dozens of countries worldwide and in hundreds of cities across the United States have done it. And we seemed to get along OK before the bag industry starting giving away plastic in the 1980s. One way to break the single-use habit is to put a few canvas or reusable plastic bags in your car. They’re hands-down better for groceries. Collectively, we’ll be helping keep plastic out of the ocean, where plastic entanglement and ingestion plagues everything from plankton to whales. Charleston Harbor alone has about 7.5 tons of plastic in it at any given time, according to a 2014 study done at The Citadel. With the city of Charleston and Charleston County bans taking effect Jan. 1, joining the beach and island muncipalities, single-use plastics will be banned along most of the state’s coast. Stores won’t be able to give them away, and you could be ticketed for bringing them onto beaches. Single-use plastics may not be our biggest environmental threat — think oil exploration and climate change — but plastic bags and other unnecessary conveniences represent a solvable problem. It’s also a great first step in telling the plastics industry to quit foisting so much junk on us. Plastic should be anything but single-use. Smart merchants will be giving away reusable bags or selling them cheaply. Many Lowcountry residents have kicked the plastic-bag habit already, as have many big grocery chains. The Legislature has thankfully failed to pass bills that would have stopped local governments from enacting bag bans. But that doesn’t mean some lawmakers won’t try again. Such efforts are an affront to home rule, essentially telling coastal residents they don’t know what’s best for themselves. And the idea that banning single-use plastic bags is somehow a burden on businesses is dubious, as if the margin on single-use plastics figured prominently in profits. And there are exceptions for items like egg cartons, produce bags, dry-cleaning bags and, yes, newspaper bags. We clearly have a long way to go in protecting the environment. But quitting single-use plastics is a significant step in that direction. Online: https://www.postandcourier.com

1483805597_1484223281

The court said the ruling has stayed till January 18. The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Mumbai which deals with offences related to money laundering has allowed banks which had lent money to fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya to utilise the seized assets, Enforcement Directorate (ED) sources said on Wednesday. The court said the ruling has been stayed till January 18, until which the parties affected by the order could appeal to the Bombay High Court. According to sources, the seized assets mainly comprise of financial securities, such as shares. In February last year, the ED had told the special PMLA court that it had no objection to the liquidation of confiscated assets by a consortium of banks, led by the State Bank of India (SBI). The lenders want to liquidate the assets to claim Rs 6,203.35 crore along with interest of 11.5 per cent per annum payable since 2013. A special PMLA court had on January 5 last year declared Mallya a fugitive economic offender and directed that his properties be confiscated. He had fled the country in March 2016 and has been living in the United Kingdom since then.

A special court here has permitted a consortium of 15 banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI) to utilise movable assets of former liquor baron Vijay Mallya towards repayment of his debt. The assets, comprising financial securities like shares of the United Breweries Holdings Ltd (UBHL), were attached by the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in 2016 when it declared Mallya a proclaimed offender. Under provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code, a court orders attachment of a person’s movable assets after he or she has been declared a proclaimed offender. A person against whom a warrant has been issued can be declared a proclaimed offender if the court believes that he or she has absconded or is evading execution of warrant. The consortium of banks earlier filed an application before the special court, seeking release of Mallya’s movable assets to utilise them for repayment of loans given to him. Senior counsel Rajeev Patil, appearing for the consortium, said the special court on Tuesday lifted the attachment on the movable assets. The court has, however, stayed its order till January 18 to enable the parties concerned to approach the Bombay High Court in appeal. Senior counsel Amit Desai, appearing for Mallya, said the court has ordered lifting of attachment of assets, which are UBHL shares. “However, we do not know if the court has ordered for the assets to be restored to SBI or the consortium. We are waiting for the order copy for further clarity,” Mr. Desai said. Mallya, who is accused of money laundering by the Enforcement Directorate, fled India in March 2016 and is now based in London. The lenders in their application said they want to liquidate assets to claim over ₹6,000 crore.

1484011378_1483806421

At Sunday's London Marathon, Eliud Kipchoge, the greatest marathoner on Earth, will toe the line in what could become the most controversial shoe his sport has ever known: Nike's ZoomX Vaporfly Next%. Long anticipated by the sort of runner who devotes his free time to scouring Facebook groups, Instagram pages, and online message boards for news about foams, colorways, heel-toe offsets, and inventory restocks (and who is willing to part with hundreds of dollars to gain a competitive edge), the Next%, which was unveiled this week, is the successor to Nike's Vaporfly 4%—a shoe the company claims can make runners four percent more efficient on their feet, translating to precious minutes over the course of a race like the marathon. Since their debut in 2017, Vaporflys have become a race-day favorite among professional athletes and hobby joggers alike. (Observe the sea of red Vaporflys among the elite field at last year's London Marathon.) They have so far avoided being banned from competitive events by the International Association of Athletics Federations, the governing body of the running world. But the Next% could change that: Nike claims the shoe saves runners even more energy than its predecessors. This week, I confirmed those claims with the researchers who performed external validation of Nike's internal tests: The shoes, they say, provided a significant advantage over the 4%s in a controlled study. The new Vaporfly's superior energy-savings could translate to even faster times. But how much of an advantage will the Next%s actually provide—and will it be enough to compel the IAAF to act? The story so far goes like this: In 2016, Nike unveiled the first version of the Vaporfly, appending "4%" to the name in reference to the energy savings they were purported to provide. The shoes represented the technological component of a three-year, multi-pronged effort to engineer a perfect marathon and break the 26.2-mile race's elusive two-hour barrier at a race track in Monza, Italy. Eliud Kipchoge, widely regarded as the greatest marathoner of all time, headlined the attempt. He came just 25 seconds short—closer than most people thought he would. Granted, the conditions of the race were optimized for speed—Kipchoge had a phalanx of pacers blocking the wind for the majority of the race, and he ran on a loop with zero time-sapping 90-degree turns—so it didn't count as an official record. What's more, it was far from clear that the shoes were the key to Kipchoge's brush with the two-hour barrier. Yet he and many other runners, professional and otherwise, have worn some version of the shoes in each of their races since. After Monza, Vaporflys quickly became a controversial talking point among the running set. Do they really make you faster, or are they part of a carefully orchestrated marketing stunt? Are they designed for elite runners, or can casual competitors benefit from them, as well? The answer to all these questions appears to be yes. Peer-reviewed research has confirmed that the shoes make runners more efficient. WIRED's in-house analysis found that runners of the 2017 New York Marathon finished faster if they were wearing Vaporflys. Last year, the New York Times analyzed nearly half a million marathon and half-marathon times logged between 2014 and 2018, and found that, even after accounting for confounding variables, runners shod in Vaporflys ran between 3 and 4 percent faster than similar runners wearing other shoes. As for the marketing bit: The $250 shoes sold so well that, for months, the only reliable way to land a pair was to buy them at a premium on the secondary shoe market. So firmly has the Vaporfly effect anchored itself in the running community's consciousness that last year, when the Boston Marathon subtracted five minutes from the times that athletes must run to qualify for the race, conspiratorially minded runners speculated that all the Vaporflys had something to do with it. As for Kipchoge, he managed to clinch an official record a year after his unofficial attempt in Monza. At the 2018 Berlin Marathon, he traversed the course's 26.2 miles in 2:01:39. It was a precedent-shattering performance. For more than half a century, improvements to the marathon world record had come in increments measured in seconds. Kipchoge crushed the previous record by a colossal one minute and 18 seconds. And he did it wearing Vaporflys. The question you're probably wondering: How do these shoes work? "Our research suggests that the energy savings of the first Vaporfly came from two things, the foam in the midsole and the carbon fiber plate sandwiched inside," says Wouter Hoogkamer, a biomechanist in the Locomotion Laboratory at the University of Colorado Boulder. An expert in the energetics of running, Hoogkamer was the first author on the peer-reviewed study Nike used to claim the OG Vaporfly could improve running economy by four percent. What that study couldn't tell him and his colleagues was where the energy savings came from. So they designed a followup study to begin teasing apart where those precious percentage points originate. Nike Their results showed that the foam in the midsole (Nike calls it ZoomX, but foam nerds know it as Pebax) is uncommonly compliant and resilient. Translation: It's squishy and springy, respectively. Those properties enable the foam to absorb the energy a runner applies when their feet meet pavement and return a portion of it to their stride… somehow. How it works, exactly, remains unclear. The researchers originally hypothesized the foam would save runners energy by reducing bending at their knees, but that turned out not to be the case. "But the foam, mechanically speaking, is a big player in whatever's going on," Hoogkamer says. Their results also showed that the carbon fiber plate plays a role—but not in the way many people think. When the Vaporfly was first unveiled, critics of the shoe speculated that the plate acted like a spring. But Hoogkamer's findings suggest the plate's spring function is negligible. What the plate does do is improves runners' ankle mechanics by stabilizing the joint and reducing the load on the calves. At the same time, its stiffness helps keep runners' toes nice and straight, allowing them to preserve the energy they would otherwise spend flexing them. If keeping your toes straight sounds to you like it would provide pretty meager energy benefits, Hoogkamer agrees. "Physiologically speaking, I have a hard time believing that eliminating toe flexion saves you much," he says. "My current thinking is that the foam and plate are working in concert, but that the foam is doing more work than the plate." And reader, you won't believe this, but the Next%'s midsole contains 15 percent more foam than its predecessor.

These Are 4 Of The Best Places For Mexican In MinneapolisWe crunched the numbers to find the top Mexican spots around Minneapolis. Here's 4 Of The Best Inexpensive Bookstores In MinneapolisIf you haven't been to Uncle Hugo's, or Dreamhaven, you're definitely missing out. The Best Things To Do In Minneapolis's Standish NeighborhoodGet to know this Minneapolis neighborhood by browsing its most popular local businesses, from a bakery to a tattoo parlor. Here Are 5 Of The Best Affordable Cafes In MinneapolisWe crunched the numbers to find the best affordable cafes in Minneapolis. New Yorkers Say Joey Nova's In Tonka Bay Has Real-Deal New York-Style PizzaThe humble strip mall location is nothing special, but Joey Nova's is nestled along the shores of Lake Minnetonka, near Mound, Wayzata, and Excelsior. Top Minneapolis Places To Have Brunch On Special OccasionsLooking for a delicious breakfast and brunch meal near you? Here are the best high-end breakfast and brunch restaurants around Minneapolis.

1484456364_1483991226

(MENAFN - PR Newswire) MANAMA, Bahrain, Jan. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bahrain announced its participation in the Dakar Rally, to be held in Saudi Arabia from January 5 to 17. The first rally in the Middle East will see the victorious X-raid team racing for Bahrain in their first self-developed and constructed Mini John Cooper Works and Mini John Cooper Works Buggy; the Bahrain team will include champion drivers Stephane Peterhansel and Carlos Sainz and co-drivers Lucas Cruz and Paulo Fiúza. The 2020 edition of the rally also marks a milestone for the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia becoming the first country in the region to play host to the challenge, gaining the right to hold it for the next five years. The 13-day off-road race that was founded on a love of desert driving will see more than 550 drivers from 62 nations contest in 12 stages while exploring the vast and formidable desert terrains of the largest country in the region. Sheikh Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa, President of Bahrain's Motor Federation said: "This is as much a moment of pride for Bahrain, as it is for our region. Our participation shows Bahrain's advances in the motorsports world, inspired no doubt by Bahrain's pioneering move to host the Formula One Grand Prix since 2004." "An event of such global magnitude presented the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a monumental opportunity to showcase its unique natural landscape, as well as its keenness and enthusiasm to bring global sporting events to the country and the region." Sven Quandt, owner of the German motorsport team X-raid, a specialist in cross-country rallying, which will be taking part in the rally explained: "This is a big achievement for Bahrain, which is already making its presence felt on global stage. The country's participation adds another dimension to its vision to be a nation that hosts, supports, organises, develops and participates in the success of the global sports movement." The rally will be flagged off in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah and conclude in the capital, Riyadh, covering 7,500 kilometres. The route will pass through some of the vital and most picturesque destinations in Saudi Arabia, including the UNESCO World Heritage site of Al Ula in the north-west; Tabouk region in the north-west, which is home to the futuristic Neom-city project; the ancient Ha'il region; and Wadi Al Dawasir in Najd province, which is being developed in the middle of the desert as a new urban centre. The Dakar Rally is the latest in a series of sporting events to be hosted in Saudi Arabia, with both Race of Champions (ROC) and Formula E hosting rounds having been held in Riyadh, apart from the FIA-backed Middle East Rally Championship. The Dakar Rally, an annual event which was first launched in Paris 1979, ran from Europe to the Senegalese city it is named after for decades, then moved to South America in 2009, where it remained until now. SOURCE Bahrain EDB × Modal title MENAFN0201202000701241ID1099497170

Madrid, Jan 1 (IANS) Spain’s Fernando Alonso is set to become the first Formula 1 champion to compete in the Dakar Rally, which starts on Sunday in Saudi Arabia. “The biggest challenge of my career,” the 38-year-old Alonso was quoted as saying by Efe news, referring to the world’s most gruelling race. Alonso, who won the F1 championship in 2005 and 2006, entered the Dakar Rally, whose 2020 edition leaves behind South America for Saudi Arabia, as part of his quest to become a more complete and versatile driver. About 20 F1 drivers have competed in the Dakar Rally over the years, but Alonso is the first world champion to do so. Belgium’s Jacky Ickx became the first former F1 driver to win the Dakar Rally, finishing first in 1983 and second in 1986 and 1989. During his F1 career, Ickx won eight races. He also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and a world endurance title. The expectations for Alonso are comparable to those raised by French driver Sebastien Loeb, a nine-time rally world champion who competed in the Dakar Rally from 2016 to 2019, winning 13 stages but never finishing first overall. “If Loeb still hasn’t won the Dakar, imagine me, who is coming from asphalt. I think the goal is more to approach the rally as an enriching experience for us,” Alonso told RTVE last Friday before leaving for Saudi Arabia. The 45-year-old Loeb was unable to take home the bronze Touareg Trophy despite being the best driver in rally history and having skills that fit the Dakar Rally better than Formula 1. Even though Loeb did not have to make huge adjustments, he still came up short in his bid to win the Dakar, whose inaugural edition was held in 1979. Loeb always had a co-driver who provided navigation on the rally route, a new thing for the Spanish racer. Alonso, who has always driven alone, will have veteran Marc Coma, a five-time rally champ in the motorcycle category, helping him navigate the route. The Spanish driver has the triple crown of motor racing within reach. Alonso, who has already won the F1 Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the endurance category, must win the Indianapolis 500 to achieve the feat. Briton Graham Hill is the only driver to ever win the motor racing triple crown. If Alonso can win the Dakar Rally, he will be considered one of the best all-around drivers ever. In Saudi Arabia, a route covering nearly 8,000 kilometres (4,970 miles), with more than 5,000 kilometres (3,106 miles) timed, awaits racers, who will start in Jeddah and finish in Qiddiyah, near Riyadh. The Dakar Rally starts on January 5. –IANS rkm/bg

1484034804_1484389002

Posted By TheNewsCommenter: From Dailycaller.com: “Matthew McConaughey Shares Important Message For The Start Of 2020”. Below is an excerpt from the article. McConaughey, who is one of the greatest actors to ever live, posted a Twitter video Tuesday stating, “Well, if 2019 was ‘it’d be a lot cooler if you did,’ I’m looking for 2020 to be a lot cooler because we do. See you there!” (SLIDESHOW: These Are The Hottest Women On Instagram) Inject this kind of energy right into my veins. We’re only a day in, and this video already has me believing 2020 is going to be the best year ever. I just can’t believe anything else. If McConaughey says 2020 is going to be the year of us doing stuff, then that’s just the way it is. This right here is why McConaughey is such a cool dude. Most people are out on social media posting dumb stuff to end 2019 and to start 2020. Not the “True Detective” star. He’s just out here dropping wisdom for the masses, and getting us hyped up for another year of success. Read more...

MDC president Nelson Chamisa has issued a statement on New Year’s eve, encouraging the nation to be hopeful for better things in 2020. He posted the statement on his Twitter handle on Tuesday evening. The statement read: In 2019 we have known pain, loss, devastation, struggle and tears. We also fought and celebrated the resilience of a nation whose best is yet to come. We thank God for grace. Thank you for all the encouragement. May 2020 bring opportunity, hope and happiness. I know the hurts, setbacks, pain and despair of you have had to endure in 2019 but we have now entered a new decade, a decade of surprises, transformational changes. 2020 is a year of GREAT CHANGE in Zimbabwe. We are all in it. Eyes on the ball. #Godisinit

1484188310_1483901509

PIMCO Income Opportunity Fund (NYSE:PKO) was up 0.4% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $27.74 and last traded at $27.70, approximately 908 shares traded hands during trading. A decline of 98% from the average daily volume of 53,729 shares. The stock had previously closed at $27.60. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $27.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $27.06. Get PIMCO Income Opportunity Fund alerts: The business also recently disclosed a — dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, December 16th were given a dividend of $0.16 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 13th. This represents a yield of 8.2%. In related news, insider Thibault Christian Stracke bought 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 17th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $27.48 per share, for a total transaction of $82,440.00. Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. IHT Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of PIMCO Income Opportunity Fund by 148.2% in the 2nd quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 35,592 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $964,000 after acquiring an additional 21,250 shares during the period. MML Investors Services LLC increased its holdings in PIMCO Income Opportunity Fund by 8.9% in the 2nd quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 94,818 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,571,000 after purchasing an additional 7,718 shares during the last quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. increased its holdings in PIMCO Income Opportunity Fund by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 559,481 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $15,168,000 after purchasing an additional 5,842 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in PIMCO Income Opportunity Fund by 9.5% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 102,296 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,773,000 after purchasing an additional 8,893 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in PIMCO Income Opportunity Fund by 2.0% during the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 68,961 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,870,000 after purchasing an additional 1,372 shares in the last quarter. PIMCO Income Opportunity Fund Company Profile (NYSE:PKO) PIMCO Income Opportunity Fund is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Allianz Global Investors Fund Management LLC. The fund is co-managed by Pacific Investment Management Company LLC. It invests in the fixed income markets across the globe. The fund invests in corporate debt, government and sovereign debt, mortgage backed and other asset-backed securities, bank loans and related instruments, convertible securities and other income-producing securities, with an average duration of 2 to 8 years. Featured Story: Most Volatile Stocks – What Investors Need to Know to Maximize ROI Receive News & Ratings for PIMCO Income Opportunity Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PIMCO Income Opportunity Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

Invesco CurrencyShares Swedish Krona Trust (NYSEARCA:FXS) shares were down 0.2% on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $98.45 and last traded at $98.45, approximately 300 shares changed hands during mid-day trading. A decline of 74% from the average daily volume of 1,176 shares. The stock had previously closed at $98.62. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $96.93 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $96.56. Get Invesco CurrencyShares Swedish Krona Trust alerts: A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Invesco CurrencyShares Swedish Krona Trust stock. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Invesco CurrencyShares Swedish Krona Trust (NYSEARCA:FXS) by 68.4% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,164 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,692 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC owned about 2.78% of Invesco CurrencyShares Swedish Krona Trust worth $416,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Guggenheim CurrencyShares Swedish Krona Trust (the Trust), formerly CurrencyShares Swedish Krona Trust, is a grantor trust. The Trust holds Swedish Kronor and from time to time issues Baskets in exchange for deposits of Swedish Kronor and distributes Swedish Kronor in connection with redemptions of Baskets. Featured Article: Is it Safe to Invest in Commodities? Receive News & Ratings for Invesco CurrencyShares Swedish Krona Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco CurrencyShares Swedish Krona Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

1517420949_1537618065

A left-wing veterans group took to Twitter amid the attack on a US embassy to taunt the president of the United States. Highlighting the sheer nastiness that makes up politics today, VoteVets tweeted, “Hey @POTUS remember you’re (sic) Benghazi rants during 2016?” “You’re about to have your own one (sic) unfortunately in Iraq.” The group, which deleted the tweet, was referring to the 2011 attack by Islamists in which four Americans died. In contrast, no Americans died yesterday and Trump sent in reinforcements to protect American lives and property. But the group didn’t delete this tweet, which blames pulling out of the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal for the attack: https://twitter.com/votevets/status/1211999556319293443 The group, which calls Trump a “national security threat” on its website, bills itself as the “largest progressive group of veterans in America.”

Liberal VoteVets group proves just how disgusting they are once again. This time routing for another Benghazi to happen just because of their hatred for President Trump. You can see the disgusting tweet below: “Hey @POTUS remember you’re Benghazi rants during 2016? You’re about to have your own unfortunately in Iraq.” As it turns out the President is no Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton and over 100 Marines, two dozens AH-64 Apaches, and a dozen fighter jets zoomed overhead. Everyone was evacuated safely from the embassy. Here’s some of the responses to the asinine tweet by VoteVets. Looks like VoteVets deleted this ill-thought-out tweet rooting for another Benghazi just to own Trump: pic.twitter.com/BjpRjGQs4L — Kristina Wong 🇺🇸 (@kristina_wong) December 31, 2019 It's times like this that unmask those who are truly anti-American and pro-evil – here's such an instance with @votevets https://t.co/66qW3i7w1X — Tony Shaffer (@T_S_P_O_O_K_Y) January 1, 2020 What are your thoughts on the group VoteVets cheering for another Benghazi and loss of American life? Share this: Twitter Facebook Print Like this: Like Loading...

1484034998_1484340807

Team Great Britain spends plenty of time together throughout the year, from going to dinners to watching football matches. But on Wednesday afternoon, they enjoyed a special group experience, going for an hour-long boat ride on Sydney Harbour before getting down to business at the inaugural ATP Cup. Captain Tim Henman, Daniel Evans, Cameron Norrie, James Ward, Joe Salisbury and Jamie Murray all took their phones out as soon as they arrived at the harbour, taking in the great views before bonding on the boat. “It’s such a great city and you know you’ve got a lot of iconic features with the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House,” Henman said. “It really is a beautiful city and it’s great to be back.” The group posed for plenty of pictures as the boat passed under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, with some members of the team marvelling at people who were climbing the iconic landmark. They stepped around to the front of the boat to lounge and check out the rest of the Sydney skyline, including Sydney Opera House. “It’s a great change-up. It’s nice to be here,” Ward said. “I love coming to Australia every year and obviously a new event and representing your country is always a special thing and hopefully we’ll have a lot of fun this week.” Team Great Britain will begin its ATP Cup efforts on Friday evening at 530pm local time against Team Bulgaria. The other countries competing in Group C are Belgium and Moldova, with the winner automatically advancing to the Final Eight, also taking place in Sydney.

LONDON, ONT. -- The Lower Thames River Conservation Authority (LTVCA) has issued a flood watch for the Lake Erie shoreline including Erie Shore Drive and the high bluff areas. Strong winds are expected to pick up Wednesday afternoon and last into Thursday evening. Winds can gust up to 40 km/hr and waves could reach up to two metres in height. Residents, including children and pets, should avoid going near the water. The warning will remain in place until Friday.

1484012204_1487573575

C. Vivian Stringer, who coaches Rutgers University's women's basketball team, sent condolences to radio host Don Imus' family on Tuesday in the wake of his December 27 death of complications from lung disease. Imus had referred to members of the women's team by using a racial slur during a 2007 episode of his radio program. His comments had come in the wake of Rutgers' Scarlet Knights having lost an NCAA championship game to Nashville's Lady Volunteers. Stringer acknowledged the controversy in her prepared comments to the press. "The Rutgers family has found peace through the years, and we are proud of our response to the hateful words that he had years ago. As African-American women, we don't feel that we should be treated ― or anyone else should be treated ― like that. We are proud of the positive change it has brought about and the lesson that came with it — women and African Americans should be treated with respect, not only in the media, but in all walks of life. It is our prayer that Don finds eternal peace in his passing and we wish his family strength. "He genuinely felt, I think, remorse for the words he said. Everybody makes mistakes and says things that they shouldn't say. I think that our players learned a lot from that, and I'm proud of them and our basketball team," Stringer continued. She also said that she had not thought of Imus' comments in years, but that "to say that it didn't hurt is not true." Stringer admitted the controversy was permanently a part of her legacy as a Rutgers coach. "I'm tied to that now. No getting around that. It is what it is. Proud of the way the team responded. Proud of the support we got from so many fans and people. Proud of the fact we stood up for what's right. All our players learned a really good lesson," she said. She expressed forgiveness for his statements and turned an eye toward the future. "We accept it, and we move forward." At the time, Imus had reacted to the controversy by saying "what I did was make a stupid, idiotic mistake in a comedy context," according to The New York Times. He was suspended from his own show for two weeks in the wake of those remarks. MSNBC, which simulcasted Imus' show on their network, also suspended broadcasts of his program, with executives calling the comments "racist and abhorrent" according to The New York Times. Imus agreed with the suspension, but insisted that he was "not a racist." Stringer had called Imus' comments "racist and sexist remarks that are deplorable, despicable and unconscionable" at the time. Later, Imus met with Stringer, and according to Stringer said that he "didn't come to save his job but to save his soul."

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office in December launched a new initiative to share demographic information from the Lake County Jail with the community. Through a partnership with Loyola University Chicago, the sheriff’s office will have the ability to create comprehensive, centralized views of jail data for review and analysis by the community. This data provides the ability to see information such as daily jail population, monthly jail population and demographical data such as race, ethnicity, gender, age, felony or misdemeanor charges, as well as if an inmate is being held because of pretrial requirements, a judge-ordered sentence or through a contract for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Additionally, large data sets will be broken down for internal analysis to help community stakeholders identify trends in jail population, according to the sheriff’s office. This initiative was undertaken after listening to input from the public and external community partners, including the recently created Lake County Criminal Justice Citizen’s Council, the sheriff’s office stated. Sharing jail population data is being billed as a way to increase transparency, reduce the amount of Freedom of Information Act and other requests, and provide vital information to government and community organizations to try to identify solutions to reduce recidivism. “Making this data available to the public is another step in opening our doors and being transparent,” Sheriff John Idleburg said. “The community has been asking for these data sets for years, and I am happy to make it happen. While we are not responsible for the charges many of our inmates are being held on, I believe the community should have the demographical information about who is being held in custody and why.” To access the data, visit http://www.lakecountyil.gov/sheriff or https://public.tableau.com/profile/loyola.lake.county#!/vizhome/LakeCountyJailDashboardVersion/Dashboard2.

1484013226_1483999191

Sign up to FREE daily email alerts from grimsbytelegraph - Daily Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email While most of us were welcoming in the New Year, several lucky parents were welcoming new additions to their families. There wasn't long to wait for the first baby to be born at Scunthorpe General Hospital in 2020, with the first one arriving at 1.13am on January 1. The proud parents have shared their special moments with us. Chantelle Parkin and Zak Drury were the first to welcome their child on New Year's Day, with Luna Barli Drury arriving early in the morning. (Image: Scunthorpe Live) Luna weighed in at 6lb and 6 oz, and was originally supposed to arrive on January 13. Her middle name Barli was chosen as a tribute Chantelle's dad, grandad and mum - Bobby, Carl and Keri - who have all passed away. "She'll always have a piece of them in her name, we thought it was a really lovely idea," Chantelle said. (Image: Scunthorpe Live) "She's been sleeping all day so far, it must have been very tiring for her!" Chantelle said she hoped to take Luna home on New Year's Day to meet her two older sisters, who are eight and four years old. Barely an hour later at 2.34am, midwives on the Scunthorpe ward also welcomed Brody McCullaugh into the world. (Image: Scunthorpe Live) His mum Keah said he had been an angel since he was born, sleeping peacefully in his cot. Brody was also born earlier than his due date of January 9, but still weighed in at 8lb 4oz. He has an older brother and sister. Keah said: "We can't wait to take him home, which will hopefully be tomorrow. He's the first of my three children where I haven't had any complications during birth." (Image: Scunthorpe Live) Both dads had returned home to look after their other children following the early morning arrivals. More births were expected at the hospital later in the day. A total of seven new arrivals were born to North Lincolnshire couples on Christmas Day 2019. For more top stories and breaking news see GrimsbyLive Follow or contact Grimsby Live Contact us: Email the reporter who wrote this story . Follow Scunthorpe Live on Facebook - Like our Facebook page to get the latest news in your feed and join in the lively discussions in the comments. Click here to give it or message us with a comment or story

Sign up to FREE daily email alerts from grimsbytelegraph - Daily Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email One man is in hospital after a number of people were assaulted in a spate of robberies in the early hours of the New Year. Police are looking for two men riding a black moped after reports from the Ashby High Street area this morning. Two robberies and an attempted robbery were carried out at 12.30am and 2.15am. The victims in the later incidents were seriously assaulted, and one man is being treated in Scunthorpe General Hospital for serious injuries to his head and arm. (Image: Scunthorpe Live) The riders of the moped, which is missing a wing mirror, have been described as wearing black scarves or balaclavas over their faces, and were also seen with dark helmets. Local business owners have reported seeing both sides of Ashby High Street cordoned off by police near the junction with Belmont Street this morning. One convenience store employee said: "We have a lot of trouble with mopeds here, you see them riding on the pavements and causing problems. It's getting out of hand a bit." (Image: Scunthorpe Live) Another man who worked at a takeaway said: "You do hear about quite a few problems. There are a couple of robberies in the area or shops that are targeted every so often, but it's not usually so many all together. "Luckily we were closed at that time and everyone had already gone home." The cordon was believed to be in place during the early hours, and had been lifted by late-morning. Other shopkeepers said they hadn't been aware of any problems overnight and believed it had been a peaceful New Year in Scunthorpe. Humberside Police have appealed for information on the moped or the suspects. A spokesman for the force said: "If you believe you have seen the moped or can help us identify the offenders, please contact us on our non-emergency 101 line, quoting log number 191 of January 1." For more top stories and breaking news see GrimsbyLive Follow or contact Grimsby Live Contact us: Email the reporter who wrote this story . Follow Scunthorpe Live on Facebook - Like our Facebook page to get the latest news in your feed and join in the lively discussions in the comments. Click here to give it or message us with a comment or story

1484012813_1483937746

Judges order Ohio to use legislative maps rejected by state court Ohio redistricting news: Ohioans will pick new state lawmakers on Aug. 2 using maps that the Ohio Supreme Court rejected as unconstitutional.

After what Republicans like to characterize as a rush to impeachment, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is now getting grief from the GOP for slowing down the process. It’s driving President Trump and his allies a bit batty trying to figure out what she’s up to by holding back the articles of impeachment. Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer offered a benign explanation after the Dec. 19 House vote for the delay. He cited “housekeeping matters,” explaining that once the articles are sent to the Senate, the upper house has to act. It can’t do any other business until it deals with impeachment. Democrats would like the Senate to pass the USMCA trade agreement, and maybe even vote on a House-passed prescription cost containment bill before a Senate trial gets underway. Holding onto the articles is the only leverage Pelosi has on McConnell, who says he won’t take up USMCA until after any impeachment trial. “This is working beautifully for her, and for the country,” says Norm Ornstein, a political scientist and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. “In the weeks since the House voted for Impeachment, there have been more damning emails, and there’s no reason to believe we have seen the end of it.” Delaying the trial allows more evidence of wrongdoing by the president and his allies to surface and potentially sway public opinion and perhaps even some Senate Republicans. After the House voted the articles, the conventional wisdom was that Democrats needed the Senate to act quickly so a trial would conclude before the 2020 primaries got underway. That thinking has now shifted. “A trial at some point is almost inevitable,” says Ornstein. “But I don’t see any reason to push it forward as long as Democrats have the upper hand.” Pushed for a time limit, Ornstein told The Daily Beast that he thinks Pelosi can extend through February, “keeping all options open,” he said. “In moments of this kind, my lodestar is whatever Pelosi does is best.” Tom Mann with the Brookings Institution and co-author with Ornstein of the 2012 book about Congress, It’s Even Worse Than It Looks, said in an email that he’s “sure Pelosi is adjusting her cost/benefit analysis and consulting widely every day. McConnell’s outrageous behavior gives her cover to stretch this out to force genuine consultations on rules and witnesses for the trial. If and when she finds the political costs are likely to outweigh the benefits, she will refer the articles to the Senate. But not until then.” McConnell calls himself “the Grim Reaper,” gleefully letting House-passed legislation on health care, voting rights and gun safety languish indefinitely. Yet he stands ready to act expeditiously on impeachment, working in “total coordination” with the White House to mount a sham trial to exonerate the president. Time is on Pelosi’s side, for now. The latest revelations about key officials around Trump who were in the loop on Ukraine indicate that many of them knew what they were doing was wrong. “Facing disapproval, humiliation, and possible jail time, it’s almost inevitable some will talk,” says Ornstein. “ The calculation now is that Trump wants the Senate trial to be over with as quickly as possible so he can spend 2020 touting his exoneration. ” There is far more pressure now on Trump to get the exoneration he seeks from the Senate than on the Democrats to move the process along before the Iowa caucuses. Pelosi has leverage to seek concessions about rules and witnesses. “McConnell is impervious to pressure unless there’s something McConnell wants,” says John Lawrence, Pelosi’s former chief of staff. He cites the recent year-end $1.4 trillion federal spending bill that explodes the deficit and includes more than $1 billion in special grants for Kentucky. “McConnell got billions for Kentucky, he always does,” says Lawrence. “When he wants something, he makes deals.” The calculation now is that Trump wants the Senate trial to be over with as quickly as possible so he can spend 2020 touting his exoneration. Dragging it out increases the risk of more potentially damaging information emerging, which in turn could prompt more people to come forward with what they know. The likelihood of a Senate conviction to remove Trump from office remains extremely low. “The question isn’t whether or not a Senate trial will be held. It will, and we all know how it will turn out,” says Jonah Blank, a former Senate staffer on the Democratic side. “The question is much narrower: Will a delayed time frame force swing-state Republicans into votes that will hurt them in 2020 or a future election?” There are at least two such GOP senators, and arguably as many as five or six. Pelosi is in no rush. She can wait until McConnell sends her a set of rules, and then there will be some back-and-forth as both sides claim victory. She followed the historic procedure of inviting Trump to deliver the State of the Union on Feb. 4, when he could still be in the midst of impeachment. He won’t be the first president to give a SOTU while being impeached. In 1999, President Clinton focused on a sound economy and a $70 billion budget surplus. He did not mention impeachment. With Pelosi seated directly behind him in the House chamber, millions of Americans will tune in to watch the dynamics between these two political figures on what promises to be yet another historic evening for the country—and one that could set a tone for the rest of this incredibly important year.

1484395949_1483943096

× Thank you for Reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.

Do not despair President’s New Year’s Day message to TT President Paula-Mae Weekes. - “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbours and let every new year find you a better man.” This was the quote by Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, that President Paula-Mae Weekes used yesterday in her New Year wishes to the country. The President said while 2019’s lows seemed to vastly outweigh its highs, citizens must not despair. “Now would be the time to consider how the successes can be replicated and grown, and how declines and missteps can be stemmed or avoided. Just as we take particular pride and ownership in our 2019 accomplishments, we must acknowledge and bear our responsibility, individually and nationally, for the much that has gone wrong.” She said the challenges we faced such as crime, unemployment, road fatalities and racism, will define us unless every individual, office-holder and agency admitted its role, stopped the blame game, and committed to doing their duty. “Boundless faith in our destiny means little unless we are prepared to do the necessary works. Whether we hold the office of president, minister of government; minister of religion, clerk, or that most important office of citizen, we each have a responsibility to make a contribution to the healthy development of our nation.” Weekes described citizenship as a contact sport. She said no one had the luxury of being a casual observer or bystander or member of the audience, and had every right to comment, criticise and complain. However, we did not have the right to do nothing more. She said her duty was to focus on nation-building—national consciousness, national involvement and national pride. “Many in our population seem to think that all must be right with us before we can take pride in our nation. I venture to suggest that those people are putting the cart before the horse. Perhaps when we identify and treasure our many blessings as a nation, we will do our part to encourage and develop the good, reject the unacceptable, hold our public officials to account, and ensure that there is much of which to be proud.” The President said in the new year the Office of the President will embark upon a series of visits to schools nationwide in a programme called Inform, Educate, Engage, with the aim of “igniting the fire of national pride in the young people of our nation.” This, she said, will run concurrently with Citizen True, a four-year youth development programme aimed at creating committed citizens, which was launched in May 2019. Two other initiatives, First Females and Youth-Truth to Power, will also come on-stream this year.

1483806018_1483925022

Montreal [Canada], Jan 1 (ANI): World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) on Monday released a list of substances and methods that are prohibited in 2020. The list constitutes Anabolic agents like androgenic steroids, peptide hormones, growth factors, and mimetics like Erythropoietin (EPO), beta-2 agonists including all optical isomers like Fenoterol and Formoterol. The presence in urine of salbutamol in excess of 1000 ng/mL or formoterol in excess of 40 ng/mL is not consistent with therapeutic use of the substance and will be considered as an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) unless the Athlete proves, through a controlled pharmacokinetic study, that the abnormal result was the consequence of a therapeutic dose (by inhalation) up to the maximum dose indicated above. The list also barred hormone and metabolic modulators, diuretics and masking agents, as well as other substances with a similar chemical structure or similar biological effects. All-natural and synthetic cannabinoids are prohibited, glucocorticoids are prohibited when administered by oral, intravenous, intramuscular or rectal routes. WADA's compliance review committee (CRC) had suggested several sanctions because of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency's (RUSADA) failure to cooperate fully during probes into Russian sport, CNN had reported. WADA's executive committee decided to uphold the recommendations at a meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is being alleged that Russia manipulated a database to delete some test results and fabricate other data. Three years ago, Russia was caught in one of the most controversial doping programs in sports history. In the program, Russian anti-doping experts and members of the country's intelligence service replaced urine samples tainted by performance-enhancing drugs with clean urine at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. (ANI)

Periods of light snow will end in the morning with a west wind of 20 km/h, gusting to 40. Environment Canada is calling for a high of minus 1. Tonight: Cloudy with a low of minus 3. Don’t forget to submit your photos of Montreal via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by tagging them with #ThisMtl. We’ll feature one per day right here in the morning file. Today’s photo was posted on Instagram by @amabackpacker. Quote of the day: “What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.” — Vern McLellan Here is what traffic looks like right now

1484455039_1483977341

PATNA: The state capital and Muzaffarpur ushered in the New Year with very poor air quality. The air quality index (AQI) of Muzaffarpur remained ‘severe’ on Wednesday, whereas that of Patna was in ‘very poor’ category.According to the figures released by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI of Muzaffarpur was recorded at 465 on Wednesday, which was the worst in the country. Patna’s AQI, on the other hand, was recorded at 365. Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) officials stated that the overall AQI of 365 for Patna was the average of AQI level at planetarium (439), BIT-Mesra, Patna (372), Eco Park (312) and SK Memorial Hall (321).BSPCB chairman Ashok Ghosh told this newspaper on Wednesday that the air quality of Patna and Muzaffarpur deteriorated because of three weather conditions — low wind velocity, increase in moisture level and decline in temperature. “Vehicle movement even at night on December 31 was another factor for the increase in AQI level at Patna and Muzaffarpur,” he said.“The overall AQI level of the city has increased drastically. If we had only one air quality monitoring station at the planetarium, then Patna’s AQI level could also have been in severe category,” he added.The BSPCB chairman further said one more air quality station would soon come up at Muzaffarpur and another at Gaya. “The data of one monitoring station in a city is not sufficient at all. I personally think that at least four stations are needed in any city to get a broader scenario with regard to air pollution, but for bigger cities like Patna, 10 air monitoring stations are must,” Ghosh said.BSPCB is, in fact, in the process of installing two more air quality monitoring stations near DRM office at Danapur and Government Boy’s High School in Patna City by January 15.Pradhan Parth Sarthi, professor at Department of Environmental Science of Central University of South Bihar (CUSB), said weather factors like low wind velocity, foggy conditions and low temperature have led to thermal inversion phenomenon in the atmosphere, which, in turn, has trapped the suspended particulate matter in the lower level of atmosphere. “The conditions can improve only with northwesterly wind and rainfall,” he added.

The country's largest airline IndiGo now has more than 250 planes in its fleet after inducting at least four neo aircraft on December 31, according to an official. IndiGo, which has a domestic market share of more than 47 per cent, is also the first Indian carrier to have over 250 planes. Recently, the budget carrier also became the first airline to operate 1,500 flights per day. The official said the airline inducted four planes -- three A321 neos and one A320 neo -- on December 31. According to an aircraft deliveries tracking website, IndiGo has taken deliveries of 257 planes, including 222 Airbus 320 or A320 Neos, 10 A321 Neos and 25 regional jet ATRs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

1484013038_1484073406

FDI, Foreign direct investment, FDI Inflow, Indian Economy, Narendra Modi government, DPIIT, ease of doing business Foreign direct investment into India grew 15% to $26 billion during the first half of the current financial year, according to government data. Inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) during April-September of 2018-19 stood at $22.66 billion. Sectors, which attracted maximum foreign inflows during April-September 2019-20, include services ($4.45 billion), computer software and hardware ($ 4 billion), telecommunications ($4.28 billion), automobile ($2.13 billion) and trading ($2.14 billion), the commerce and industry ministry dta showed. Singapore continued to be the largest source of FDI in India during the first half of the financial year with $8 billion investments. It was followed by Mauritius ($6.36 billion), the US ($2.15 billion), the Netherlands ($2.32 billion), and Japan ($1.78 billion). FDI is important as the country requires major investments to overhaul its infrastructure sector to boost growth. Recently, the government relaxed foreign investment norms in sectors such as brand retail trading, coal mining and contract manufacturing. Enthused by a record foreign investment inflow, India is optimistic of continuing to be one of the world's favourite FDI destinations in 2020 on the back of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's liberalised norms and a significant jump in the ease of doing business ranking. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Secretary Guruprasad Mohapatra has said that despite a slowdown in the global economy, inflows of foreign investment into the country have not been impacted. Also read: FDI inflows to India rose 6% in 2018 to $42 bn, says UN report Also read: Major contributors of FDI in India among the biggest tax havens: report

Foreign direct investment into India grew close to 15% to $26 billion during the first half of the current financial year, according to government data. Inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) during April-September of 2018-19 stood at $22.66 billion. Sectors that attracted maximum foreign inflows during April-September 2019-20, include services ($4.45 billion), computer software and hardware ($4 billion), telecommunications ($4.28 billion), automobile ($2.13 billion) and trading ($2.14 billion), the Commerce and Industry Ministry data showed. Singapore continued to be the largest source of FDI in India during the first half of the financial year, with $8 billion investments.

1484035235_1483898530

The Election Commission has launched an online system to allow political parties track their applications for the registration with the poll panel on a real-time basis. The Commission had amended the guidelines for registration last month. The new norms have come into force from Wednesday, a statement by the poll panel said. The salient features of the Political Parties Registration Tracking Management System (PPRTMS) is that applicants, applying for the party registration from January 1, will be able to track the progress of his/her application and will get the status update through SMS and e-mail. The registration of political parties is governed by the provisions of section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. An association seeking registration has to submit an application to the Commission within a period of 30 days from the date of its formation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday released the calendar for the year 2020 at an event in Chandigarh. The calendar released by the Chief Minister was designed by the Information, Public Relations and Languages Department, according to a press release. MLA Deepak Mangla, Principal Secretary to the CM Rajesh Khullar and other senior officers of the department were also present at the occasion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

1484039464_1484185093

CULVER CITY (CBSLA) — A man was shot and wounded by an off-duty sheriff’s deputy in the 3000 block of Vera Avenue in the Culver City area, says Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau detectives responded to a shooting Tuesday 5 a.m. at the 3000 block of Vera Avenue, Los Angeles. The off-duty deputy was not injured. The male, adult suspect was struck by gunfire and transported to a local hospital in an unknown condition. The investigation is ongoing and there is no additional information available at this time. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

Two people were fatally shot in separate shootings in Compton and Huntington Park, sheriff’s deputies said. A woman was killed and a man was critically injured in a shooting in Compton on New Year’s Day. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies were called to the 2200 block of West 154th Street in Compton at 12:40 a.m. Wednesday after receiving a report of a shooting. Deputies found a woman and a man, both with gunshot wounds to the chest, said Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez, a department spokeswoman. The woman died at a hospital. The man remained in critical condition Wednesday. Advertisement It was not immediately clear how many people fired shots in the shooting. A person of interest was detained. The man had been “in a dating relationship” with the woman who was slain, the sheriff’s department said. The slain woman’s two children, between the ages of 10 and 14, were present when their mother was shot, but they were not injured, the sheriff’s department said. Advertisement The incident is not gang-related, the sheriff’s department said. The gun has not been recovered. Detectives were also investigating the shooting death of a man Tuesday night on the 3000 block of Hill Street in Huntington Park. After receiving a call about the shooting around 8:40 p.m. Tuesday, sheriff’s deputies found a man on a sidewalk who had multiple gunshot wounds in his chest. He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The suspects are believed to be two men who wore dark clothing, who were possibly in a four-door black or dark colored sedan that was seen fleeing west on Hill Street. Anyone with information about the shootings should call the sheriff’s homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500.

1484191396_1484061580

A litter of 'ghost ships' is costing Auckland ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars A litter of 'ghost ships' is costing Auckland ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars 2 January 2020 The number of abandoned vessels hauled out of the city's waters every year has quadrupled in less than a decade. Auckland Harbourmaster Andrew Hayton says when he started in the role eight years ago, they were recovering about half a dozen abandoned boats a year. Last year there were 23 - costing Auckland Transport 135-thousand-dollars. Hayton estimates there could still be as many as 200 abandoned boats in the region. © 2020 Newstalk ZB, NZCity

Mooring fees have increased $50 to cover the costs or removing abandoned boats from Auckland's waters. Photo / Supplied Mooring fees have increased $50 to cover the costs or removing abandoned boats from Auckland's waters. Photo / Supplied Michael Neilson is a political reporter for the New Zealand Herald Hundreds of ghost ships litter Auckland's waters and require recovery, costing ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. Auckland Harbourmaster Andrew Hayton said when he started in the role over eight years ago they were plucking about half a dozen abandoned ships out of the water a year. Last year it was 23. The costs are increasing too. Last year his team, part of Auckland Transport, spent $135,000 hauling the unloved vessels out of Auckland's waters and disposing of them. He estimates there could be as many as 200 abandoned boats in the area currently. "It is becoming an unsustainable burden on the city." This year they increased the fees for Auckland's 3000 moorings by $50, taking the total price to $296, to take the burden off ratepayers. Hayton said it was unfortunate for responsible boat owners, but it was not fair for general ratepayers to be picking up the full tab. READ MORE: • State of the Gulf: Government, NGO provide $400k boost to Hauraki Gulf shellfish stocks • Premium - No fishing: Large swathes of Hauraki Gulf could be placed in marine reserves or closed to fishing to reverse dramatic declines in marine species • Premium - Hauraki Gulf - Tīkapa Moana: How to save our big blue backyard • Premium - Key to saving Hauraki Gulf: Let's try traditional Māori fishing practices The abandoned vessels had all been left on moorings, and typically had been built in the 1960s and 1970s, when it was more popular for people to build their own boats, Hayton said. Most were built with rudimentary materials, and the owner had likely since died. "But the vessels still might hold a sentimental value to the children or grandchildren, and hence these boats just sit there, nobody wanting to get rid of them, until they fall into a state of disrepair, or are forgotten about." The number of abandoned boats in the waters surrounding Auckland is increasing. Photo / Supplied In other cases the boats might be sold for what looks like a bargain, until the new owner realised how much work it took to repair and maintain. As these vessels aged them being abandoned was increasing and it was difficult to identify owners, Hayton said. While the moorings were registered, there was no boat registration in New Zealand. "Some people put dead boats onto moorings to dump them, so it is quite easy to shirk responsibility." There was no typical process, rather the harbourmaster's team would take note of what looked like an abandoned boat, and seek to find the owner. "It is quite easy to tell when they've been abandoned. There might be excessive growth on it, seagulls nesting, or even trees growing on them. They can be real eyesores." If the owner could not be identified, under the Maritime Act they were required to place a notice on the vessel, an advertisement in the Herald, and contact police. Harbourmaster Andrew Hayton says it is "easy to tell" when a boat has been abandoned. Photo / Supplied If no owner came forward they would then seek to sell the vessel, but if it was beyond repair they would salvage what they could and dispose of the rest. The process could cost anywhere between a few hundred dollars up to $30,000, the higher figure especially if the boat had sunk, as it would require divers. There were about six boats going through that process now, but about 200 throughout Auckland's waters Hayton and his team are keeping an eye on. Hayton said rather than simply abandoning boats owners should get in touch with the harbourmaster. "The onus is on boat owners to keep their vessels seaworthy. But we understand people can fall on hard times, or people pass away and the boat be left with others. "If you are unable to look after it, please just get in touch with us and we'll do what we can to help. "Getting onto it sooner you might be able to recover some costs, whereas leaving it will end up costing more money." Auckland Yacht and Boating Association chair Ian Clouston said a lot of boats were abandoned because the costs of maintaining them were so high. "You might be looking at 15 to 20 per cent of the boat's value in maintenance a year, so with rising living costs and berthing fees some people simply can't afford it." Selling boats was also more difficult these days, with them being classed as "luxury items". He urged people to get onto the problem sooner than later, rather than abandoning them on random moorings. "It is very irresponsible, and if you don't know the strength of the mooring the boat could be blown off in a storm."

1484400057_1484163251

This story is from January 2, 2020 Representative image

Sign up to FREE daily email alerts from birminghammail - daily Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Tonight's winning National Lottery numbers have been revealed - and the draw means you could be winning BIG. Camelot, the operator of the National Lottery, conducted the Lotto and Thunderball draws this evening. Birmingham residents looking for a life-changing sum of money can also play the EuroMillions, with draws twice a week taking place on Tuesday evenings and Friday nights. The main UK Lotto draw will take place at 8pm. There will also be the Thunderball draw at 8.15pm where could win £500,000. Lottery Tickets cost £2 per line, and include a raffle Millionaire Maker entry code. Thunderball Tickets cost £1. To play, you simply select five numbers between 1 and 50, plus two Lucky Star numbers from 1-12. If you really can’t choose and you’re finding the pressure too much, you can always select a Lucky Dip and let the machine choose a random selection for you. Lotto draws take place on Wednesday and Saturday evenings from approximately 8.30pm. EuroMillions draws happen on Tuesdays and Fridays. Ticket sales for both Tuesday and Friday EuroMillions draws close at 7.30pm on the evening of the draw. If you’ve missed out, you can buy your ticket for the next draw almost straight away - sales re-open at 9pm. Tonight's National Lottery Lotto winning numbers are: 13, 20, 30, 38, 50, 55. The Bonus Ball is 05. Tonight's estimated jackpot is £5.1 million. Tonight's National Lottery Thunderball winning numbers are: 04, 06, 37, 38, 39 The Thunderball is 13.

1484013550_1484264908

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. — Police are investigating a shooting in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland that they believe was targeted. Abbotsford police spokeswoman Sgt. Judy Bird says they responded to a call at 1:21 p.m. on Monday from a 19-year-old victim. She says the victim told officers that a person from a white SUV fired a gun toward him and hit a vehicle in the driveway when he was walking to the door of his home on Heritage Drive. Bird says no one was injured and the SUV fled the area. She says investigators are in the preliminary stages of the investigation and don’t know the motive at this time. She says police are canvassing the area for video and witnesses.

DFO says heavy waves caused the trailer to roll off the deck near Campbell River A tank trailer filled with liquefied dead fish was knocked into the water off Vancouver Island on Dec. 30, 2019. (Tavish Campbell) An ocean transportation company says it has retrieved a tank trailer filled with liquefied fish after it was knocked into the water off Vancouver Island. Billy Vaughn of Coastal Seatrucking says the silage was pumped into another tanker on Tuesday and the trailer was removed from the ocean near Campbell River. Silage is a product made with dead fish that is commonly used in animal feed. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says heavy wave action caused the trailer to shift and roll off the deck of the landing craft, which is similar to a barge, on Monday. It says the Canadian Coast Guard attended the scene and no one was injured or required rescue. The department says the tank trailer remained afloat and was towed into Duncan Bay. READ MORE: B.C. fish farm operator says most of escaped salmon likely eaten Photographer Tavish Campbell says he was out boating in the area when he came across the scene Monday. “It’s a huge tanker trailer and it was half submerged with the oil boom around it,” he said. The Canadian Press Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter

1484036622_1484049563

Marquis Johnson Jr. is believed to be the first baby born in Las Vegas not just in 2020, but also in the new decade. Marquis Johnson Jr. was born 37 seconds after midnight to be the first baby of the year at Sunrise Children's Hospital in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Erik Verduzco / Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Erik_Verduzco Latasha Atkinson with their newborn baby Marquis Johnson Jr. at Sunrise Children's Hospital in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. Marquis Jr. was born 37 seconds after midnight to be the first baby of the year at Sunrise Children's Hospital. (Erik Verduzco / Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Erik_Verduzco Marquis Johnson Sr. and Latasha Atkinson with their newborn baby Marquis Jr. at Sunrise Children's Hospital in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. Marquis Jr. was born 37 seconds after midnight to be the first baby of the year at Sunrise Children's Hospital. (Erik Verduzco / Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Erik_Verduzco Marquis Johnson Sr. and Latasha Atkinson with their newborn baby Marquis Jr. at Sunrise Children's Hospital in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. Marquis Jr. was born 37 seconds after midnight to be the first baby of the year at Sunrise Children's Hospital. (Erik Verduzco / Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Erik_Verduzco Roman Black was born about one minute after midnight on New Year's Day, Jan. 1, 2020, at MountainView Hospital in Las Vegas. (MountainView Hospital) Roman Black was born about one minute after midnight on New Year's Day, Jan. 1, 2020, at MountainView Hospital in Las Vegas. His parents are Marie Buckley and Lorenzo Black. (MountainView Hospital) Marie Buckley holds her newborn son, Roman Black, who was born about one minute after midnight on New Year's Day, Jan. 1, 2020, at MountainView Hospital in Las Vegas. (MountainView Hospital) Little Marquis Johnson Jr.’s timing couldn’t have been better. The 6-pound, 19-inch boy was brought into this world at 37 seconds after midnight Wednesday — New Year’s Day — at Sunrise Children’s Hospital. This means little Marquis is believed to be the first baby born in Las Vegas not just in 2020, but also in the new decade. “They were like, ‘It’s 12!’ ” Marquis’ mother, Latasha Atkinson, said from her hospital room. “I was like, ‘Oh, my God!’ We were thinking it already because were were like it would be so cool if we had a New Year’s baby. … We didn’t think it was really going to happen.’ ” Marquis’ father, Marquis Johnson Sr., was, of course, thrilled to have a brand-new son — and to also know that the baby made history in Las Vegas. “She was like, ‘Maybe, maybe,’ and so she probably spoke it into existence,” Marquis Johnson Sr. said of the timing of his son’s birth. Atkinson said she can’t wait to tell her son about his arrival time into this world as he gets older. “It is cool … really cool,” she said. “That’s something like, when he grows up, we are going to tell him.” “‘You were the first decade baby!’ ” Johnson Sr. chimed in. “That’s going to be an amazing thing. He’s going to have all the bragging rights … ‘I’m a superstar!’ ” Cyndi Lundeberg, spokeswoman for the hospital, said doctors and staffers were excited for the family as well. “It is super exciting any time we have a new baby at the hospital. Everyone we have, our doctors, our staff are extremely excited,” she said. “But to have the first baby of the decade at Sunrise is truly amazing, and we could not be happier for our lovely parents.” The Las Vegas couple said they can’t wait to get Marquis Jr. home to meet his two siblings. “Nothing but happiness,” Atkinson said. To celebrate the birth, the family received a baby stroller “full of goodies,” including baby supplies and onesies, Lundeberg said in a later email. A second baby was born 21 seconds after Marquis Jr. at MountainView Hospital, according to Lundeberg, who is director of marketing and communications for Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center. That baby, Roman Black, was born 58 seconds after midnight. He weighs 5 pounds, 4 ounces and is 19 inches long. His parents are Marie Buckley and Lorenzo Black. Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0390. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Two men were shot and killed early New Year's Day when a gunman opened fire at a celebration at a Florida club, authorities said. Media reports say as many as 250 revelers scrambled for safety after shots were fired. Orange County Sheriff's officials were hunting down a suspect who bolted from the scene after the 4 a.m. shooting at an after-hours club in a shopping plaza north of Orlando. × Loading&hellp; {{title}} {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}} {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}} {{html}} Thanks for being a subscriber. Sorry, your subscription does not include this content. Please call (800) 433-0560 to upgrade your subscription. You have free articles remaining. {{featured_button_text}} Authorities say security personnel were at the event but appeared to be outside when the violence broke out. Fox35 in Orlando reports that the party was coming to a close when shots were fired inside of a VIP area. Several armed guards were present during the event, a sheriff official said. "We are told some security guards were outside at the time of the shooting, but investigators say they don’t believe they screened or searched any of the party-goers before entering," Jamie Hoffman of the Orange County Sheriff's Office said. Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

1484011134_1483806923

Dec 30 (Reuters) - Most Gulf stock markets were sluggish in thin trading early on Monday, with financials hurting Saudi Arabia and telecoms company Etisalat falling in Abu Dhabi. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index .TASI edged down 0.1%. Al Rajhi Bank 1120.SE lost 0.3% and Arab National Bank 1080.SE was down 0.9%, a day after its board proposed a lower second-half dividend. Oil giant Saudi Aramco 2222.SE slipped 0.1%, after two days of gains. On Tuesday, Aramco said Goldman Sachs may buy more of its shares to support the price. The so-called stabilisation period will end on Jan. 9. Riyad Bank 1010.SE added 0.3% after raising its dividend for the second half to 0.55 riyal per share. The Abu Dhabi index .ADI opened 0.1% lower as Emirates Telecommunications ETISALAT.AD lost 0.4%. Elsewhere, Eshraq Investments ESHRAQ.AD slid 2.5% after announcing it would not reduce capital to cover accumulated losses. In Dubai, the index .TASI was flat. Mashreq Bank MASB.DU plunged 9.9%, but Emaar Properties EMAR.DU rose 1.2%. The Dubai government will increase spending by 17%, to a record 66.4 billion dirhams ($18.08 billion) in 2020, to stimulate the economy and support the Expo 2020 world fair, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing state news agency WAM. Qatar's main index .QSI rebounded 0.3%, helped by a 1.1% increase in Commercial Bank COMB.QA and a 1.3% rise in Qatar Insurance QINS.QA. ($1 = 3.6727 UAE dirham) (Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru, editing by Larry King) ((AteeqUr.Shariff@thomsonreuters.com; +918067497129;)) The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

By Ateeq Shariff Dec 31 (Reuters) - Dubai's index ended the year up more than 9%, outperforming other major Gulf markets, while Kuwait led the region with a 32% gain and Oman fell for a third year in a row. Dubai .DFMGI dropped 0.2% on Tuesday as Dubai Islamic Bank DISB.DU lost 0.7% and Emirates NBD ENBD.DU slipped 0.4%, but it closed 9.3% up over the year, despite slumping real estate prices. Saudi Arabia .TASI rose 0.5%, bringing its annual gains to 7.2%. Riyad Bank 1010.SE added 2% on Tuesday, while Aramco 2222.SE rose 0.3%, at 35.3 riyals. Oil giant Aramco commenced trading on Dec. 11 after a long-awaited market listing, surging 10% from the initial public offering price of 32 riyals ($8.53). The increase helped the company close in on the $2 trillion valuation long sought by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Aramco raised $25.6 billion on Dec. 5 through the IPO. The flotation propelled the Riyadh bourse into the world's top ten by value of listed companies. In mid-September, oil prices surged by as much as 19% before coming off peaks, after an attack on the kingdom that shut 5% of global crude output. The intraday jump was the biggest surge since the 1991 Gulf War. Kuwait's blue-chip index .BKP advanced 32.4% in 2019, making it the best-performing stock market for the year. Interest in Kuwait grew following MSCI's decision to move Kuwaiti equities into its main emerging market index in 2020. Vrajesh Bhandari, senior portfolio manager at Al Mal Capital, said they expect the index to be well supported until the move. Egypt's index .EGX30 increased 7.1% in 2019. On Tuesday, Commercial International Bank COMI.CA edged up 0.2%. Qatar's index .QSI gained 1% for the year, after the rally last year on account of passive flows as companies raised limits on foreign ownership of their shares. "It was expected that the market would underperform in 2019 and the flat show is not surprising," said Vrajesh. On the other hand, Oman's index .MSI had another bad year leaving it down 7.9% for all of 2019, close to 15-year lows. SAUDI ARABIA .TASI rose 0.5% to 8,389 points ABU DHABI .ADI dropped 0.3% to 5,076 points DUBAI .DFMGI down 0.2% to 2,765 points QATAR .QSI lost 0.2% to 10,426 points EGYPT .EGX30 up 0.2% to 13,962 points BAHRAIN .BAX added 0.1% to 1,610 points OMAN .MSI gained 0.7% to 3,981 points KUWAIT .BKP edged up 0.1% at 6,976 points ($1 = 3.7508 riyals) (Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru; editing by Philippa Fletcher) ((AteeqUr.Shariff@thomsonreuters.com; +918067497129;)) The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

1483806456_1483868224

The victims were not immediately identified, and it was not clear how the fire began. (Representational Image) The victims were not immediately identified, and it was not clear how the fire began. (Representational Image) Two people died off Puerto Rico’s southwest coast late Tuesday when their catamaran caught on fire, according to authorities. Puerto Rico’s Fire Department said the incident occurred in the Puerto Real Marina in the town of Cabo Rojo. The victims were not immediately identified, and it was not clear how the fire began. For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App

Doctors said the men were declared brought dead on arrival. (Representational Image) Doctors said the men were declared brought dead on arrival. (Representational Image) Two men, who worked as contractual labourers, died on Tuesday after falling into a nullah in Goregaon East. The deceased have been identified as Arunkumar Patel (40) and Bholanath Goswami (42). The incident took place at 3.21 pm at Western Express Highway, opposite Hub Mall near Vanrai police station. “The deceased had themselves gone into the nullah. They were not deployed to work there by anyone. We have registered a case of accidental death,” D S Swami, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone XII), said. Trauma Care Hospital Superintendent Dr Vidya Mane said the men were declared brought dead on arrival. “We are awaiting the postmortem report to ascertain the cause of death,” he added. For all the latest Mumbai News, download Indian Express App

1498603200_1484312062

Huron woman passes away If you wish to see more...

Location In Avonbridge Hotel, a stone’s throw from Hamilton town centre, easily accessible by bus or train. First impressions Housed in a huge conservatory, it’s light, bright and airy. It mixes contemporary and modern perfectly, with slashes of colour, tartan chairs and chandelier-style lighting. Service Prompt – and always with a smile. Our bubbly waiters were keen to cater for our every need – and even asked if we needed a bigger break before dessert. They must be used to diners struggling with the large portions. Menu Our visit is during a Sunday lunch sitting. Despite it being a set menu, we find ourselves spoilt for choice. There are nine starter options, from mussels and minestrone soup to bruschetta and breaded mushrooms. For mains, there’s a bit of everything from roast of the day to salads and seafood, as well as cheeseburgers and curries. In the mood for a bit of everything, we find ourselves choosing a dish by process of elimination. Taste The haggis bon bons with whisky sauce and stuffed mushrooms set the precedent for a fabulous feast. A steak pie with the biggest pastry topping I’ve ever seen arrives, with carrots and roasties on the side. The tender meat melts in the mouth and the pastry is perfectly flaky on top and doughy underneath. The roast is lamb with all the trimmings, and its delicious. Ambience There’s a relaxed, homely feel. A comfortable place to kick back and relax at the end of a busy weekend. Price At £13.95 for two courses and an additional £3 for three, its an absolute bargain. Our bill came in at around £80 for four and it was worth every penny. Toilets A bit of a trek as you have to use the ones just off reception, but clean – and pretty. The Avonbridge owners, Luigi and Rita Martalo, also have a second restaurant, Bar Milano, on site, so if you’re more in the mood for pizza and pasta, you could check that out instead.

1483803909_1483859614

Sam Ehlinger passed for three touchdowns and ran for another, and Texas excised the frustrations of a disappointing regular season with a dominant 38-10 win over No. 12 Utah in the Alamo Bowl on Tuesday night. After a 10-win season in 2018 set up a Top 10 ranking to start 2019, Texas underwhelmed in a season the Longhorns expected to contend for the Big 12 title. Instead, they ended the year with both the offensive and defensive coordinators getting replaced. Read Full Article Source: Sports

A woman who was found shot in a north Minneapolis alley Tuesday night died at North Memorial Hospital, police said. The woman, who has not been identified but is believed to be in her 20s, was found shot in an alley behind a home in the 1300 block of Russell Av. N. She was transported to North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale where she later died. At 6:38 p.m., police responded to a ShotSpotter activation to three shots fired in the area and found the woman "gravely injured" from what appeared to be gunshot wounds, said John Elder, a spokesman for the Minneapolis police. Elder did not say how many times the victim was shot. Police said it was the city's 48th homicide in 2019. James Walsh

1484009841_1483836660

THE unending saga of former Education Minister Ruel Reid and Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) President Professor Fritz Pinnock took the top votes among Jamaica Observer journalists as the story that dominated the news cycle in 2019, making it the year's Newsmaker. Both men are now before the courts on charges of breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act, conspiracy to defraud, misconduct in a public office at common law and breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act. Last week, an attempt by their lawyers for leave to apply for judicial review of the charges was rejected by Chief Justice Brian Sykes. The lawyers had argued that the Financial Investigations Division (FID), which arrested and charged both men on October 9, did not have the power to arrest and charge anyone, given that it is an investigative body. However, Justice Sykes ruled that while the court is of the view that the Financial Investigations Division Act (FIDA) does not authorise the FID to arrest and charge anyone or authorise it to initiate charges and initiate an arrest, the FID, while investigating a matter, can use certain powers under FIDA. Reid's fall from grace started last March when he was fired from the Cabinet by Prime Minister Andrew Holness at the height of allegations that he became embroiled in activities that could bring his office as minister into disrepute. During investigations into activities at the State-run CMU, which fell under Reid's portfolio, Pinnock was also implicated. Both men have denied the allegations against them and their case is set to be heard in court this month. Jamaica Stock Exchange shines 'Welcome to Jamaica, home of the world's best-performing stock market' read the headline of Bloomberg Businessweek's story in January 2019. “The Jamaican stock exchange is so obscure, even emerging-markets funds don't go there. And it's booming,” added the story, which went on to state: “In 2018 the nation's main index rose 29 per cent in US dollar terms, the most among 94 national benchmarks tracked by Bloomberg. Its outperformance over the past five years is even more striking. Jamaican stocks have surged almost 300 per cent, more than quadrupling the next-best-performing national benchmark and septupling the S&P 500's advance.” The JSE's strong performance resulted in the Jamaican flag being flown on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) building in November, the second time in four years that the JSE was recognised as the number one performing stock exchange globally. The first time was in 2015. “This is a great achievement for our small island,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness posted on social media in response to the NYSE tribute. PAAC worked Parliament's Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) came in for commendations by Observer journalists who noted that a lot of what it uncovered, including the Ruel Reid and Fritz Pinnock saga, led to investigations of alleged misconduct at State entities. In addition to the Caribbean Maritime University revelations, the PAAC brought to public attention activities at State oil refinery Petrojam which led to the resignation of former Board Chairman Perceval Badahoo-Singh and the controversial separation of Human Resource Manager Yolande Ramharrack. PNP rocked by Bunting’s challenge In June, People's National Party (PNP) Member of Parliament Peter Bunting announced his challenge to Dr Peter Phillips for the presidency of the Opposition party. Bunting's challenge reopened old wounds that haemorrhaged even more as the campaign between both sides grew nasty and personal. Arguing that Dr Phillips could not lead the PNP to victory in the next general election, Bunting, who dubbed his campaign 'Rise United', drew large crowds at his meetings held across the country. At the same time, Dr Phillips and his 'One PNP' team campaigned earnestly and after just over two months on the hustings, the PNP president was returned by 76 votes at the party's 81st annual conference on September 7, handing Bunting a birthday beating that left his supporters fuming.

Entornointeligente.com / PRIME Minister Andrew Holness says his Administration is committed to bringing the homicide rate down, but argues that the high number of murders facing the country now did not happen overnight. In his new year’s message to the nation, he pointed out that in the 1980s there were 4,870 murders and that by the decade of the 1990s this increased to 7,621. By the year 2000, even with the formation of various special squads and units, murders skyrocketed to 13,418 he outlined, adding that, “this past decade, 2010 to 2019, has seen a reduction in murders to 12,698”. Up to December 28, there were 1,326 murders recorded for 2019, with 26 of them within a week, 3.4 per cent more than 2018. Other serious and violent crimes increased by 2.9 per cent in 2019, equating to 98 more such incidents over the previous year. “The level of crime we are now experiencing is over and above the capacity of our existing security apparatus to manage. While the crime and murder numbers have grown over the past four decades, successive governments have not increased the national security budget apace, or kept abreast with technology, or increased the number of investigators and other critical capabilities commensurately, or effectively controlled corrupt activity in the force,” the prime minister said. He said that it is only in this last decade that serious policy and legislative reforms have been undertaken and that “all Jamaicans should take hope that, with sound policy, programmes and plans we can reduce murders”. However, he stressed that it will take a long-term concerted commitment to stick with the plan. Furthermore, he said political disunity has not helped with the crime problem. “Gamesmanship over crime-fighting and national security policy have real effects on our lives,” he said, arguing that the lack of support from the Opposition for the continuation of the states of emergency had resulted in a break for the first four months of 2019, and an unusual spike in homicides in November. At the same time, he expressed confidence in the Government’s plan to secure the country. “Jamaica is engaged in building a national security architecture fit for the times that will deal with domestic threats, but will also deal effectively with our air and maritime space and borders, in addition to securing our cyber domain which is becoming more important as the world becomes digital. All of this cannot be done overnight or even in two years. It takes a year and a half to procure equipment, at least two years in some cases to draft and pass legislation, several years to train up a seasoned investigator and other skilled law enforcement operators,” said the prime minister. He said much of this is now being done and the Government will be intensifying efforts to bring these reforms and investments more quickly to fruition. In a December 30 statement, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, Jamaica Manufacturers’ and Exporters Association, and Jamaica Chamber of Commerce reminded the political directorate that dealing with the issues related to the safety and right to life of our citizenry is non-negotiable. “We ask every Jamaican to join us in holding Government and Opposition accountable and demand the removal of partisan agendas on this topic,” the organisations stated. Holness noted that in the new fiscal year the largest allocation of $5.28 billion will go towards equipping the police force with cutting-edge technology to enhance its ability to detect, record, respond and prevent crimes. “The JCF [Jamaica Constabulary Force] will receive the first set of purpose-built police cars fitted with tracking devices and onboard computers,” he said, adding that the police’s radio and communication system is being improved, and that the implementation of the long talked about electronic station diary will begin. Along with administrative and operational improvements, already the country is seeing the impact on the number and quality of cases being brought before the court to secure convictions, he told the nation. Meanwhile, Holness said “many great things” happened in 2019, including record low inflation, successful completion of the International Monetary Fund programme, record fall in debt to gross domestic product ratio, the removal of the minimum business tax, longest period of consecutive growth (19 quarters) reduced transfer tax, and more resources for the police and military. He noted that there were also record tourism arrivals and earnings, launch of the tourism workers’ pension fund, as well as major road and infrastructure development. In addition, he pointed to the increased suite of benefits under the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education, and the merger of the HEART Trust, Jamaica Foundation for Lifelong Learning, National Youth Service, and the Apprenticeship Board, to create a comprehensive and effective human capital development agency. Now you can read the Jamaica Observer ePaper anytime, anywhere. The Jamaica Observer ePaper is available to you at home or at work, and is the same edition as the printed copy available at http://bit.ly/epaperlive LINK ORIGINAL: Jamaica Observer Entornointeligente.com

1484188937_1484249412

Sarah Tew/CNET CES 2020 is going to be packed with new tech ready to advance the gaming world. While we won't know many of the details until the week of the show, it looks like there will be plenty happening in the gaming industry, including new PC components, accessories and ways to make video games more immersive with augmented reality, virtual reality and haptic technology. Here's some of what we expect to see at CES 2020. Read more: CES 2020 preview: PCs, laptops, tablets and gaming What should we be on the lookout for from major companies? We could see announcements from Intel, AMD and Nvidia, which could come with new CPUs or GPUs. Last year, Nvidia's 2080 graphics card series for laptops garnered a lot of attention at the show. New gaming PCs could be on the horizon from Alienware, Dell's in-house gaming brand, HP, Asus and others. Last year, for example, Alienware released the 17-inch m17 gaming laptop alongside an updated m15. Razer also typically has some gaming surprises -- last year, it unveiled the Razer Blade 15 Advanced laptop, and a new concept design for a high-end gaming display. New gaming components for PC and console Iogear could have some new gamer accessories for PCs, particularly keyboards, mice, headsets, emulators and more. Looking around the show floor map, we see Shenzen companies such as GCHT Gaming, which specializes in game controllers, and Gamtec Technology Development, Mijoy and Riitek, which offer products like gaming accessories for PC, PS4, Xbox, Switch and Android. Virtual reality and immersive gaming through haptics Cybershoes At CES 2020, we can expect to see technology that further immerses players in video games -- like Cybershoes that let you "walk and run" in a virtual reality game. You'll be able to feel the game around you with BHaptic's wireless full-body haptic suit -- Tactsuit -- which is comprised of a haptic HMDS, a vest and sleeves for the hands, arms and feet. You'll be able to feel samurai slashes, gunshots, zombie bites and hugs in VR content in the Oculus store and on Steam, according to BHaptics. The gear looks like a cross between the suits found in Pacific Rim and Ready Player One. While on the topic of haptics, if a suit isn't your style, Arcadeo has a haptic gaming chair that you can control with a mobile app. GT Throne is also bringing a sleek, interactive gaming chair that vibrates to audio. Immersion Corporation also has haptics tech to show off, and is looking to "revolutionize human-machine interface in a digital world." Some of Immersion's features for mobile gaming focus on AR and VR, in terms of making games more tactile, using filters and more. It should be noted, however, that many products on display at CES never actually come to market, so don't get too excited just yet. Expanding the senses In addition to vibrations and VR, sound plays a big part in making a game more immersive. Flexound is going to show off its Augmented Audio tech, which adds the sensation of touch to audio-visual listening experiences like music, games, television, movies and more. While it seems like Augmented Audio is focused on moviegoers, we could see it migrate into gaming chairs in the future.

ORANGE CITY, Fla. — Last year was a record-setting year in Florida for manatee watercraft deaths . According to the Save the Manatee Club, 130 manatees were killed by boats last year. Here are some do's and don'ts when it comes to boating with manatees: Hot spots: According to researchers, Lee County had the highest number of manatee deaths in 2019 due to boats, with 25 manatees killed. Brevard County was close behind with 15, followed by Volusia County with 12. Habitat loss: Researchers think habitat loss and seagrass loss could be partially to blame. “They are migrating into new areas that they might not be as familiar with, and boaters might not be as familiar with seeing manatees in those areas, which can then lead to more collisions between manatees and boaters,” Save the Manatee Club researcher Cora Berchem tells us. Reasons for boat hits: Berchem thinks more boaters on the water and manatees being taken off the Endangered Species List are factors in the rise of manatee deaths. Prevention: To prevent the record from being broken again in 2020, Berchem suggests that boaters drive slowly, wear polarized sunglasses, and look for manatee snouts and "footprints." “A 'footprint' is a circular pattern on the top of the water that the manatee will make when it swims, so if you see a 'footprint' or a manatee snout coming up for air, that is a good indication that there are manatees in the area,” Berchem says. What to do: If you do accidentally strike a manatee while boating, or you see a sick or injured manatee, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission urges you report it to its 24-hour hotline at 1-888-404-3922. FWC will dispatch someone out to the animal to help.

1484703234_1484167784

Lots of drama in last year of the decade. Which were the biggest stories? Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Goodbye to 2019, a fascinating year in Wisconsin politics. What were the top stories of the year? Our top ten list: 1: Lame-Duck Session Triggers Year of Partisanship. Days after Democrat Tony Evers defeated Republican Gov. Scott Walker, Republican legislative leaders did something they had not done during the eight years in office of Walker and Republican Atty. Gen. Brad Schimel – limit the powers of the governor and attorney general. Walker signed those changes into before leaving office. The move shocked Evers and Democratic legislators, who accused Republicans of trying to overturn the results of the election. Republicans defended the changes, saying them rebalanced power between two branches of government. The lame-duck laws set the bitter partisan tone for 2019, which saw the conservative-dominated Supreme Court uphold those laws. The Supreme Court also agreed to review Evers budget vetoes, which could lead to new limits on broad veto powers governors have exercised for decades. As the year ended, Democratic Atty. Gen. Josh Kaul and the GOP-led Finance committee fought over legislative oversight of settlements of major lawsuits brought by Kaul’s Justice Department. And Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos kept their hockey goalie pads within reach, saying they must stop Evers’s liberal ideas. 2: State Budget Boosts K-12, Highway Funds. Because of a booming economy, Evers and Republican legislators added major increases in state funding for highways and K-12 schools in the 2019-21 budget. Evers didn’t get what he wanted for special education funding, and the highway funding package won’t meet long-term needs. Those two issues, and expanding Medicaid coverage – another Evers priority rejected by Republicans – will dominate the 2021 budget debate. 3: Brian Hagedorn Replaces Justice Abrahamson. When third-party groups attacked conservative Court of Appeals Judge Brian Hagedorn for his views on homosexuality and abortion rights, his supporters very effectively argued this was an attack on Hagedorn’s Christian faith, and voters were offended enough to pick Hagedorn over another Court of Appeals Judge, Lisa Neubauer. Hagedorn replaced liberal Justice Shirley Abrahamson, who retired for health reasons after a record-setting 43 years as justice and chief justice. 4: Sensenbrenner Retires, Duffy Resigns. Fifth District Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner, a U.S. House fixture for four decades, said he would not seek re-election in that suburban Milwaukee, heavily Republican district. The announcement opened the door for Fitzgerald to replace Sensenbrenner. Nobody saw the September surprise resignation of Seventh District Congressman Sean Duffy coming. Now a K Street lobbyist, the Republican resigned after disclosing serious health problems of the ninth child of he and his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy. . Almost every day brought new reports of serious water quality problems across Wisconsin: toxic PFAs, nitrates, so many contaminated wells in southwest Wisconsin that local officials considered – and then rejected – a proposal to punish anyone who publicized the problems. Evers sounded an early warning, declaring it the “Year of Clean Water.” 6: Senate Fires Ag Secretary, Won’t Confirm Others. No records exist of the last time the state Senate refused to confirm a governor’s choice to run a state agency. So the vote by Senate Republicans against Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Secretary Brad Pfaff, which essentially fired him, was historic. Senate Republicans have also questioned the qualifications of four other cabinet secretaries. 7: Milwaukee to Host Democratic National Convention. Milwaukee beat out Houston and Miami for the July 13-16 convention where Democrats will anoint someone to run against President Donald Trump. 8: Sex-Harassment Failures Ends Dunbar’s Command. Adjutant General Donald Dunbar was the longest-serving head of National Guard troops in the nation until a federal report documented mishandling of reports of sex assault and harassment on his watch. Evers asked him to resign. 9: Republicans Ignore Evers Call for Gun-Safety Laws. Evers called his first special session of the Legislature, asking it to pass universal background checks and a “red flag” law that would let judges order those found dangerous to themselves or others to temporarily surrender their guns. Republicans attended the session and immediately adjourned it, rejecting Evers call for action. 10: Crisis in Dairyland Squeezes Small Farmers. “America’s Dairyland” continued to see two small dairy farms go out of business each day because of low commodity prices and the uncertainty of international markets. What will be the top political stories of 2020? Will Wisconsin again be one of three states that decide who is elected President? Will Foxconn surprise with decisions it makes regarding its state subsidized operations? Or will something completely unexpected dominate the news in the coming year? Steven Walters is a senior producer for the nonprofit public affairs channel WisconsinEye. Contact him atstevenscotwalters@gmail.com

He said he's hopeful that this coming year will include a consensus surrounding the issue, though he lamented what he sees as the "minimization of the problem" of possible contamination of nitrates and so-called "forever chemicals" known as PFAS, which are found in firefighting foam and more. "The concern I have is that we have folks already saying, 'Well we can't overregulate this issue, we can't do this around this issue, we can't we can't,'" he said. As a key figure among Wisconsin Democrats, Evers said takes both down-ticket races and the presidential match-up seriously. Maintaining Democratic numbers in the Legislature, he said, "keeps my veto in place" as both GOP-led chambers currently lack enough members to override Evers' actions — something he said is especially important because of the approaching census and redistricting round. As for the presidential election, he stressed the need to get candidates to the state "and have the people in Wisconsin understand the issues that each of them care about and we get a good turnout in the primary, good turnout next fall." Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.

1484010777_1484279482

One way or another, our diet is going to be transformed. But will it be better or worse for us and the planet? In 2004, the Guardian correctly predicted that the developed world’s overreliance on meat would be one of the most pressing issues for the survival of our species. “Britons need to say goodbye to burgers and meat,” we wrote, “because the overemphasis on meat in the western diet is one of the things that stifles sustainable food production.” Thankfully, the past decade and a half has seen an unprecedented interest in meat-free diets. In 2004, veganism was seen as a fussy, faddish lifestyle choice. Now, buoyed by blockbuster documentaries such as Cowspiracy and What the Health, and celebrities such as Ellie Goulding and Ariana Grande, it has never been so popular. According to the Vegan Society, 600,000 Britons are vegan. In 2006, this figure was just 150,000. Demand for vegan food is at unprecedented levels: in 2018, the UK launched more vegan products than any other nation; in 2019, 250,000 people signed up for the Veganuary challenge, pledging to avoid all meat and dairy for the month of January. For those not willing to make the jump to full veganism, one in three Britons had at least reduced their meat consumption in 2018. But there is still a long way to go. The west’s overconsumption of meat and dairy continues to fuel global warming. Livestock is responsible for approximately 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions; 70% of global deforestation takes place in order to grow animal feed. In 2019, the EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet and Health determined that substantial dietary shifts must take place by 2050. “Global consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes will have to double, and consumption of foods such as red meat and sugar will have to be reduced by more than 50%,” the panel of experts judged. By 2050, meat-eating could seem like a throwback, according to some experts. “Our current method of growing crops to feed to animals so we can eat animals is shockingly inefficient,” says Bruce Friedrich of the Good Food Institute, which works to develop alternatives to meat. “By 2050, [almost] all meat will be plant-based, or cultivated.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘There won’t be factory farms or abattoirs in 2050’: beef cattle in Argentina, a major cow-meat producer. Photograph: Bloomberg via Getty Images Plant-based “meat” is already here. The Beyond Burger and the Impossible Burger are widely available, but Friedrich predicts a widening of the products on offer to consumers. “We’ll have plant-based meat that doesn’t exist yet, whether it’s pork chops, steaks, tuna or salmon.” Anna Taylor, the executive director of the Food Foundation, thinks that plant-based substitutes will find their way into processed foods, without consumers being any the wiser. “Plant-based alternatives to animal protein will appear automatically in foods we eat, without consumers having to change their habits.” The real challenge will be persuading consumers to embrace cultivated meat. Also known as lab-grown meat, this is developed from animal or fish cells in the nutrient bath of a “bioreactor”. It is not yet on the market, but at least 40 private companies are working on cultivated-meat alternatives. In the UK, scientists at the University of Bath are growing bacon on blades of grass. The California startup JUST has created chicken nuggets in a bioreactor. Friedrich is optimistic that we will all be eating cultivated meat by 2050. “There won’t be factory farms or abattoirs in 2050,” he predicts. “People will look back at the idea of growing live animals for meat in the same way that we look back at horse-drawn carriages for getting from London to Brussels.” But we won’t entirely stop eating meat from animals reared for slaughter. “There will be some heritage breed farms and slaughterhouses where the animals are treated well,” Friedrich concedes. But it will be a limited market. Growing live animals for meat will seem as archaic as taking a horse-drawn carriage from London to Brussels If this all sounds like science fiction, strap yourselves in for the predictions of the food designer and futurist Chloé Rutzerveld. “We’ll skip all of our current existing foods and switch towards a whole new eating system where we build food with microorganisms,” she says. “Instead of growing crops or raising animals, we’ll use microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria, yeast and microalgae to directly produce the carbs, proteins and fats we need.” This food will again be produced in bioreactors, before being filtered and dried into powders. But we won’t be consigned to a joyless diet of flavourless dust. Rutzerveld claims that 3D-printing technology will be able to replicate the textures and flavours of regular food. “We can make a library of mouth feels and texture at a nanoscale,” she says, “in order to recreate sensations like freshness or juiciness.” Eating microorganisms grown in bioreactors will be transformative. “We’ll be able to make the food-production system so much more efficient, saving the land and water and energy resources.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest A burger made with a scrambled-egg imitation made from mung beans by the plant-based food startup JUST. Photograph: Just Inc/Reuters Not everyone agrees. “Lab-grown meats are a red herring,” says Prof Pete Smith of the University of Aberdeen. “We don’t need them. We can get most of the protein we need from plant-based foods.” He is also doubtful that we will move to other protein sources such as insects. “Wealthy countries are already massively overconsuming protein,” he says. “We don’t need to move to alternate protein sources – if we cut in half the amount of protein we are already eating, we would be at healthier levels.” But even if we are not eating insects directly, they can still be of use in our wider food chain. “Insects could be really important for feeding animals,” says Taylor. “One of the problems we have is that ruminant animals (including cattle, sheep and goats) are often fed on soya, which is grown in deforested parts of the planet. If we could shift to other ways of feeding animals, such as insects, we can reduce deforestation.” Consumers will continue to turn to plant-based alternatives to dairy. Plant-based milks are already big business, and egg substitutes will be next: JUST and Zero Egg have already developed egg substitutes, and we can expect other brands to emerge. By 2050, climate change will dramatically affect what we can eat and drink. Speciality crops such as avocados, coffee and wine grapes – which can only be grown in a very narrow climate range – will be at risk. “A one- or two-degree change in climate could mean make-or-break for some regions growing speciality crops,” says Prof Gregory V Jones, an expert in wine growing at Linfield College’s department of environmental studies. “Wine-growing regions such as Greece, southern Italy, southern Spain and Portugal will all potentially experience issues,” he continues. In turn, though, wine-growing will become possible in places such as Scandinavia and the north of England. “They aren’t world-class producing regions now, but by 2050, if climate change continues, they could be.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest Bananas will no longer be a cheap household staple. Photograph: Alamy If real progress isn’t made to halt global heating, food production in the global south will be imperilled. “Things aren’t looking good for the developing world,” says Smith. “China has a big problem with water – overextraction means that the soil is becoming too salty. India also has a problem with unsustainable groundwater use.” Rice-growing in China and wheat-growing in the northern plains of India could be affected. All of this augurs badly, given that China and India’s population is forecast to rise to a combined 3.2 billion by 2050. “Water stress will become more acute,” Smith warns. “The more the climate warms, the more droughts we will have. This will take place in areas that are already struggling to feed themselves.” In the UK, much imported produce may become prohibitively expensive. “We are very reliant on countries that are vulnerable to climate change and water scarcity,” says Taylor. The grapes and berries we now import from Morocco, Spain, India and South Africa will become scarce. We will have to return to more seasonal patterns of eating – bananas, for example, will no longer be a cheap household staple. Widening inequality will play out on dinner tables across the world. “I’m worried about uneven dietary development,” says Prof Corinna Hawkes of the Centre for Food Policy at City, University of London. “The diets of rich people will get better, and those of poorer people will get worse, and we’ll end up with appalling inequalities in what we’re eating.” She predicts that wealthy people will continue to reduce their meat and processed-food intake, and embrace indigenous food such as sorghum and amaranth. “These foods were once eaten by poor people, but will become resurgent in higher-income groups, as they become more interested in novel foods.” As fast-food companies continue to make inroads into developing nations, junk-food consumption will rise in historically impoverished communities. “These people have inadequate diets already,” says Hawkes, “and they will be adding junk food into their diet, which only contributes to the problem of obesity.” Rich people's diets will get better, and poorer people's will get worse – we’ll have appalling inequalities Rising obesity rates are a real cause for concern; half of Britain’s population is predicted to be obese before 2050. Globally, 60% of men and 50% of women will be obese by 2050, if current trends continue. “We need to put into place policies that level the playing field and reduce the abilities of the companies selling junk food to make it so affordable and accessible,” says Hawkes. “Junk food needs to be taken out of the spotlight and nutritious food put centre-stage.” So, what should we be eating in 2050? It’s fairly simple – what we should be eating now. (And what the Guardian predicted in 2004.) “We need to be eating more fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, less junk food, and less meat and dairy,” advises Taylor. “If we do these four things, we stand a chance of reversing some of the diet-related diseases that are currently crippling the NHS, and also bringing down the carbon and biodiversity impacts of our diet.” But whether we’ll be able to resist the siren pull of processed food and cheap meat remains to be seen. The plate of 2050 Whole grains: 232g a day, 811 calories Tubers or starchy vegetables (ie potatoes, cassava): 50g a day, 39 calories Vegetables: 300g a day, 78 calories Fruits: 200g a day, 126 calories Dairy foods (whole milk or equivalents): 250g a day, 153 calories Combined protein sources (to include beef, lamb, pork, chicken, eggs, or fish): 84g a day, 151 calories Other protein sources (to include legumes or nuts): 125g a day, 575 calories Fats from oil: 51.8g, 450 calories Added sugars: 31g a day, 120 calories Source: the EAT-Lancet Commission

Financial inclusion is so critical to national economic development that it is set as a target in eight of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It serves as the heartbeat for the collective pledge of ‘leaving no one behind’. “Merely having and using a bank account changes women’s lives, by giving them decision-making power over the family’s finances,” says the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Goalkeeper’s Report, 2019. This small but profound change in the decision-making capacity in families has a huge impact on the next generation in developing countries and the ability of families and by extension, nations to break the cycle of poverty. In tandem with possessing a formal account for individuals, access to affordable credit for the majority of SMEs can, and has unlocked economic energies and created both wealth and jobs. Over the past two decades, however, Kenya to its credit has taken financial inclusion very seriously and it is a pillar of the country’s long-term development blueprint, Vision 2030 that aims to transform Kenya into a middle-income country by the year 2030 with its concomitant raising of living standards. The 2019 FinAcess Household Survey shows that in Kenya, the adult population with access to formal financial services has dramatically increased from 26.7 per cent in 2006 to 82.9 per cent in 2019. Other innovations include agency banking, digital finance and mobile apps. Mobile money, in particular, has acted as a revolutionary agent for formal financial inclusion. Technological Reforms The Financial Access Survey (FAS) report 2018 shows that over the past decade, bank branches grew from 230 in 2004 to 2,833 in 2018.country. This rise reflects a major change in the banking sector culture to include the previously excluded low-end markets. Agency banking has also complemented the steady growth in the banking sector. According to FSD Kenya 2018, over 80 per cent of the Kenyan population is within three km of any financial source point. The ever-improving mobile phone devices have also had a major part to play in the success of expanding financial inclusion. The formal sector has also received a substantial boost in its service through the mobile money platform. The FinAcess data shows that the urban poor, and mostly the rural populations have become formalised. While expansion in this financial infrastructure has been impressive for over a decade now, access is still facing problems the poorest 55 per cent still face exclusion with usage still very low. Fintech industry Kenya is among the top three African countries that are innovators in the financial sector –followed by South Africa and Nigeria. Services rendered on this platform range from digital lending and credit to mobile payments services. This has brought about intense competition in terms of costs as well as responsiveness to customer demands. Obtaining personal loans online in Kenya is now faster and easier than getting a traditional bank loan, thanks to the introduction of mobile banking and the rise in fintech companies. Conclusions and way forward Kenya remarkably continues to make progress towards improved financial inclusion, mainly driven by mobile money banking. However, there is still much to be done to ensure these achievements remain sustainable and cost-effective for poverty reduction and job creation. The largest gap in active registered financial accounts at about 27 per cent was between those above and those below the poverty line. This gap could partly be attributed to lower levels of mobile phone ownership and financial capabilities. Moreover, there is a correlation between education and usage of mobile money services. Efforts, therefore, needs to be directed to the adaption of more inclusive innovations with fewer barriers despite one’s social status and level of literacy. Report by Benson Senelwa, Adan Shibia and Githinji Njenga (Policy Analysts, KIPPRA)

1484397339_1483821618

Jennifer Dulos’ attorney wants Fotis to pay his legal fees Fotis Dulos exits the Connecticut State Supreme Court with his sister, Rena Dulos, after attending arguments by his attorney to strike down the gag order imposed in his case in Hartford, Conn. on Thursday, December 12, 2019. less Fotis Dulos exits the Connecticut State Supreme Court with his sister, Rena Dulos, after attending arguments by his attorney to strike down the gag order imposed in his case in Hartford, Conn. on Thursday, ... more Photo: Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media Photo: Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Jennifer Dulos’ attorney wants Fotis to pay his legal fees 1 / 1 Back to Gallery STAMFORD — An attorney representing Jennifer Dulos in her acrimonious two-year divorce is seeking legal fees to cover the cost of the recent motions filed by her estranged husband who has been charged in her disappearance. Attorney Richard Rochlin, representing Fotis Dulos, filed a motion last week to dismiss the divorce case so he can go to juvenile court to appeal his client’s mother-in-law being granted guardianship of the five children. Attorney Ruben Midler, representing Jennifer Dulos, has responded by requesting Fotis Dulos to pay for all of his legal fees and costs associated with Rochlin’s motion. Midler contends in the court documents that Fotis Dulos is paying several attorneys and a private investigator in the various civil, foreclosure and criminal cases filed against him with “foreign” money, possibly from Greece, and could be trying to “dissipate” martial assets against court orders. Midler wants a judge to require Fotis Dulos to pay for the cost of depositions and any other legal fees related to defending the dismissal and the guardianship in juvenile court or any future motions filed by Rochlin in the divorce. Rochlin is seeking to have the divorce dismissed because the disappearance has stalled proceedings. If the divorce is dismissed, it would pave the way for one judge to rule on custody issues instead of the three who have been overseeing the probate, criminal and divorce cases. The custody battle will be the subject of a hearing in Stamford juvenile court on Jan. 9 — the same day Fotis Dulos is scheduled to appear at the courthouse for his next pretrial hearing on the criminal charges related to his estranged wife’s disappearance. Rochlin said his client plans to seek access to the children when his appeal of the guardianship is heard next week. A Stamford family court judge had limited Fotis Dulos’ access to his children prior to the May 24 disappearance. Fotis Dulos was allowed supervised visits with his children, the last of which occurred at his estranged wife’s New Canaan home two days before she vanished. Fotis Dulos has since been banned from all contact with his children as part of the conditions of his release on bail for charges of tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution in the disappearance. In November, a New Canaan Probate Court judge granted Jennifer Dulos’ mother, Gloria Farber, guardianship of the couple’s five children. Farber, who has been granted the right to intervene in the divorce, has been caring for the children since the disappearance and is seeking permanent custody of them. In his appeal motion, Rochlin accused Farber of violating state law by denying Fotis Dulos access to his children’s medical and school records. Rochlin said Farber has also denied Fotis Dulos’ family members access to the children, “despite a long and positive history with these individuals.” Fotis Dulos’ sister and his niece recently sought to spend time with the children, but were denied, Rochlin said. Fotis Dulos is also fighting his mother-in-law in civil court, where Farber has filed a $2.5 million lawsuit for business loans she said were not repaid to her family. Fotis Dulos has countered that the Farber family owes him $1 million. A two-day trial was held last month in Hartford and a Superior Court judge is expected to issue a ruling soon. Farber is also foreclosing on the Farmington home Fotis Dulos built in 2011. Jennifer and Fotis Dulos lived there until 2017 when she moved with the children to New Canaan and filed for divorce. Jennifer Dulos was last seen on a neighbor’s security camera returning to the Welles Lane home she had been renting around 8:05 a.m. May 24. According to arrest warrants, police believe Fotis Dulos was “lying in wait” when she arrived home from dropping off their children at a nearby school. Police said two people resembling Fotis Dulos and his former girlfriend Michelle Troconis were captured on video in Hartford later that night around the time Jennifer Dulos was reported missing. The man police contend is Fotis Dulos was seen on the videos dumping bags that were later determined to contain his wife’s blood and clothing, the warrants said. A separate arrest warrant said Fotis Dulos and Troconis — who faces the same charges — also took a red Toyota Tacoma pickup truck belonging to a Fore Group employee to a car wash in the days after the disappearance. Police said in the warrant that they believe Fotis Dulos drove the truck to New Canaan the morning of the disappearance. Fotis Dulos also urged the employee to remove the seats, which testing later revealed contained Jennifer Dulos’ blood, according to the warrant.

A Greek registered tanker has been attacked by armed men close to a port in Cameroon. Eight people were taken hostage and one person was injured during the strike. Armed men seized a Greek oil tanker just outside the Cameroonian port of Limbe, Greek authorities said on Tuesday. Eight people were abducted and one person -- a Greek national -- was injured. The five Greeks, two Filipinos and a Ukrainian were part of a 28-member crew aboard the Happy Lady. The vessel was 2 nautical miles (3.7 kilometers) off Limbe port when it was raided overnight into Tuesday. Greece's state-run AMNA news agency said the government was closely monitoring the situation. Attacks on ships and kidnappings for ransom are relatively frequent along the West African coast. Pirates hijack ships sometimes for several days as they pillage their cargo while demanding hefty ransoms in return for the release of the crew. Armed men raided another Greek oil tanker, the Elka Aristote, in November around 10 nautical miles off the Togolese capital Lome, capturing four sailors. They released three of the men on December 13, but one died in captivity. mm/aw (AFP, Reuters)

1484395645_1484395568

Hazel Park's Latido at Joebar closing as bar returns to its neighborhood roots After New Year's Eve, Latido at Joebar in Hazel Park will be no more. Serving up Latin cuisine, Latido's opening last January was said to be a year-long residency. A "Last Night in Havana" party theme is planned for New Year's Eve before Latido closes. But the spot won't be closed for long. Owners Joe and Cari Vaughn said the space at the corner of John R and Hamata will return to its roots as Joebar on January 7. With its neighborhood feel, Joebar also returns with a slew of past menu favorites of dip sandwiches like the Joedip 2.0 classic French dip, Joebar cream pies and classic cocktails including the draft old-fashioned. "Joebar was born to be a neighborhood corner spot with classic cocktails, the iconic French Dip and cream pies," Joe Vaughn said in an email. And that’s what we can all plan on come Tuesday, January 7. " Vaughn said patrons can expect a variety of dip sandwiches including a chicken and vegetarian version. But Cuban sandwiches lovers need not fear, Joebar will keep Latido's popular sandwich, which Free Press restaurant critic Mark Kurlyandchik deemed one of the best north of Miami, Florida. The sandwich is renamed Jose Cubano. It's ingredients — ham, pork confit, McClures sweet and spicy pickles, Swiss cheese and slathering of yellow mustard — are layered in on Cuban Roll that's pressed like a panini. There will also be chili, fries, house made coleslaw and potato salad and a signature house chopped salad. Bar service includes a $7 draft old fashioned, draft, canned and bottled beers, canned wine and classic Joebar cocktails. Another highlight is Joebar will return with vintage video games as well as Addams Family pinball. First Call is Joebar's happy hour from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Specials will include half dip sandwiches and fries as well as drink specials. On Tuesdays, there is also a special of a dip sandwich and a beer for $10. At Joebar, Wednesday nights will be a bonus night for those named Joe and derivatives of — think Joann, Joey, Josephine. From 4 p.m.-midnight, there will be rotating drink specials. On March 27, National Joe Day, a Joe party for all Joe's and friends of Joe's is planned. Joebar opened in spring of 2017 as a bar serving up dip sandwiches, beer and cocktails. Shortly after came Frame, a hidden space behind a false wall inside the restaurant that hosts guest chefs, special dinners and private events. It's accessed through Joebar and advance ticket sales. "Joebar and Frame's mission statement has always been to create food and drink experiences, by collaborating with rotating culinary talent, " Vaughn said. "It's energy for everyone: Joebar, Frame and the Hazel Park neighborhood. The two spaces have always meant to complement each other." Latido at Joebar opened in late January 2019. Bringing the Latin inspired year-long menu concept was executive chef Michael Barrera. Latido was also overseen by chef de cuisine Moses Fishman a former sous chef at the now closed Axle Brewing's Livernois Tap. Fishman left Latido several months ago. Barrera will become Frame's chef liaison as the company continues to bring in and host chefs locally and around the country. Before Latido Barrera was culinary director for Heirloom Hospitality, the group that owns and operates Prime & Proper in Detroit and the Townhouse in Birmingham and Detroit. Moses, a former sous chef at the now closed Axle Brewing's Livernois Tap, left Latido several months ago. Last Night in Havana New Year's Eve Party features passed snacks, party favors, music by Detroit Vinyl Room's DJ Isaac Prieto and a midnight champagne toast. Tickets are $20.20 and include one drink ticket. The party starts at 8:30 p.m. A full bar will be available and will feature Latin cocktails, beer and South American wines. For reservations go to joebar.com. Contact Susan Selasky at 313-222-6872 or sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.

DETROIT (WWJ) -- Detroit police are investigating after gun violence broke out across the city on New Year's Eve and early New Year's morning, leaving one person dead and at least eight others injured. Authorities are investigating numerous unrelated cases, including a fatal shooting on the city's west side. Police discovered the body of an unidentified male with a fatal gunshot wound just before noon Wednesday in the 9100 block of Monica Street, in the area of Livernois and Joy Road. Police believe the victim is in his early 20s, but circumstances surrounding his death were not clear and are still being investigated. Anyone with information about the man's death is asked to call the Detroit Police Department's Homicide Unit at 313-596-2260 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800 Speak Up. Authorities reported three shooting incidents that happened Tuesday night, including a 17-year-old male that shot himself in the leg in the 8900 block of Whitcomb, near Joy and Greenfield Roads. Police say they received the call about 8:40 p.m. and the victim said he found the gun on W. Chicago. The boy's condition was not disclosed. Police responded to a shooting in the area of 7 Mile Road and Riopelle Street on the city's east side around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. According to authorities, a victim was attempting to sell a pair of gym shoes to an unknown suspect when the suspect allegedly pulled out a handgun and tried to rob the victim. A struggle ensued, resulting in the weapon discharging and striking the victim. The suspect -- who police describe as about 5-foot-8 and wearing black gloves -- fled the location, while the victim was taken to the hospital and listed in stable condition. The circumstances surrounding this incident are still being investigated. Around the same time in southwest Detroit, an unknown suspect allegedly fired multiple shots into a home in the 1200 block of Ethel Street, striking a 29-year-old man multiple times. The victim was taken to a hospital and listed in critical condition. Police are still investigating the incident. While there were countless reports of "celebratory" gunfire as the calendar turned to 2020, Detroit police reported a number of other shooting incidents across the city that led to injuries. A woman was driving on Strasburg Street near 7 Mile around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday when a a dark colored vehicle began driving towards her. She honked her horn in an attempt to avoid a crash and an unknown occupant in the vehicle pulled out a weapon and fired multiple shots, striking her. While the suspects fled in an unknown direction, the woman was taken to a hospital, where she was listed in temporary serious condition. Police are still investigating the incident. Police say another woman was shot just before 4 a.m. in the 13600 block of Grand River Avenue by an unknown suspect. The 22-year-old woman drove to a gas station in the 13500 block of Livernois and called for assistance. Her condition was not released. At around 4:30 a.m. in the area of Puritan Avenue and Linwood, two men were stopped at a gas station when they were shot by an unknown suspect. The victims, ages 22 and 30, were listed in stable condition and police say they are searching for a suspect, described only as a black male. Just before 5 a.m., a 24-year-old man was shot while walking on Puritan at an unknown cross street. Detroit police are still investigating each incident and are asking anyone with any information to contact them. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers of Michigan at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.

1484450536_1484013748

(MENAFN) British authorities announced on Wednesday that during the New Year festivities, a series of unfortunate fatal crashes on the highways of Britain caused death of at least six people over yesterday. At nearly 6:30 p.m. (1830 GMT), a driver crashed a 62-year-old woman with his motor while she was walking around using her scooter celebrating the New Year vibes in Cannock, West Midlands. Few minutes before the midnight, 26 km from London, specifically at Stanwell , a collision between a heavy-Goods-Vehicle and a car boarded by 4 people leaded to the death of three of them at their 20s and the injury of a woman at her 25 age. Once the New Year began, a crash accident with a tree killed a 37-year-old man in the West Midlands. Another death case of 59-year-old man was recorded at the same time in Manchester due to a collision between 2 cars MENAFN0201202000450000ID1099497153

ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences At least six people have died on Britain's roads in the past 24 hours during a series of horror crashes over the New Year. Three British Airways staff in their 20s were also killed, and a 25-year-old woman seriously injured, when their car collided with an HGV in Stanwell, Surrey, just before midnight. A 62-year-old woman was killed in a hit-and-run in Cannock, West Midlands, on New Year's Eve when a driver smashed into her mobility scooter at 6.30pm. Minutes into the new year, in the West Midlands, a 37-year-old died after crashing into a tree. In Manchester, a 57-year-old man died and four others were seriously injured when a Mercedes crashed into a Skoda Octavia just before 3.30am. None of those killed in the collisions have been named by police. The victim in Cannock was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision at the junction of Pye Green Road and Saint Aidan's Road. British Airways released a statement: "We're deeply saddened to learn of the death of our colleagues involved in a road traffic collision last night. "Our thoughts are with their family and friends, who we are supporting at this distressing time." A 27-year-old man, who is from Cannock, was arrested in the Hednesford area at 2.45am on New Year's Day on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident. The crash in Surrey left two men, aged 25 and 23, and a 20-year-old woman dead. Another 25-year-old woman was injured and remains in a serious condition in hospital. Those who died were travelling in a white Toyota Yaris which collided with a white Mercedes HGV at the junction of Bedfont Road and Long Lane in Stanwell at 11.39pm. The lorry left the road and ended up in Longford River, which runs parallel with Bedfont Road, Surrey Police said. The lorry driver was taken to hospital as a precaution No arrests have been made and the road was closed while the HGV was recovered. The crash in the West Midlands took place in Great Barr, near Walsall, when the driver's BMW crashed into a tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Crash reconstruction experts from West Midlands Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit closed the road overnight for an examination in a bid to understand what caused the car to leave the carriageway. Finally, officers in Manchester were called at around 3.30am to reports of a collision between a black Mercedes C43 AMG and a Skoda Octavia on Yew Tree Road in Fallowfield. Greater Manchester Police said the 59-year-old driver of the Skoda died in hospital a short time later. Another five other men were taken to hospital, four of whom suffered serious injuries, including one who is in a serious condition. The road was closed for accident investigation work but has since been reopened, and police have appealed to witnesses to contact them. Read more Three killed as lorry and car collide in Surrey on New Year's Eve A woman has also been left with serious head injuries after a car crashed with a taxi in Wales. Dyfed-Powys police were called to New Road, Newtown, just after 10.30pm on New Year's Eve, where they found the injured driver of a blue Vauxhall Corsa. She was taken to hospital, where she is now in a stable condition, following the collision with a Volkswagen Passat taxi. Officers have appealed for anyone with any dashcam footage to come forward. In Birmingham, two police officers were also hurt attempting to arrest a suspected dangerous driver. One officer suffered an ankle injury and another suffered grazes to his head and arms as they tried to stop a BMW 320i M Sport which swerved through traffic cones amid heavy traffic in the Broad Street area, at about 4.30am on New Year's Day. Back-up officers then cornered the car in Granville Street, where it became pinned between a wall and roadside railings.

1484013199_1484148890

WASHINGTON, DC-MAY 18: A piece of police tape on the ground at a crime the scene. (Photo by Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post) One of three men authorities said robbed a Bethesda jewelry store at gunpoint and escaped with an estimated $60,000 in merchandise is in custody in in Virginia, according to Montgomery County police. The robbery occurred about 5:45 p.m. on Dec. 13 at the Jewelry Exchange in the 7700 block of Old Georgetown Road. Police said one of the robbers was armed with a gun. Police released surveillance video on Dec. 17 and charged a suspect with robbery in an arrest warrant the next day. He was identified as Derrick Lamont Graham, 42, of an undetermined address. Graham was being sought in the jewelry store case when police said he was charged on Monday with robbing a bank in Arlington County. Police there alleged he passed a note to a bank teller in the 2200 block of Wilson Boulevard demanding money and implying he was armed. He escaped with an undisclosed amount of money. Arlington police said Graham was arrested a short time later at the Court House Metro station platform, about one-third of a mile from the bank. Ashley Savage, a spokeswoman for that department, said Graham was also wanted in connection with the jewelry store robbery in Bethesda. Montgomery County police said Graham is awaiting extradition to Maryland. In a statement, police said they believe Graham was the person with the gun. Two others are being sought. Authorities said three men entered the store and demanded jewelry. Police released surveillance video on Dec. 17 seeking help from the public. The video shows the men wearing winter coats and hoods entering the store, walking past a Christmas tree, and two of them getting the jewelry from salespeople and putting it into a bag. Another man was acting as a lookout at the front door, according to a police statement. Read more: Local newsletters: Local headlines (8 a.m.) | Afternoon Buzz (4 p.m.) Like PostLocal on Facebook | Follow @postlocal on Twitter | Latest local news

One of three suspects who stole $60,000 worth of jewelry from a Bethesda, Maryland, shop in mid December was arrested Monday after robbing a bank in Arlington, Virginia, police say. Derrick Lamont Graham, 42, walked into the BB&T bank at 2200 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon on Friday and gave a note to an employee that implied he had a weapon, Arlington County police said. Graham was arrested after fleeing the bank with an unknown amount of cash. He was charged with robbery. Montgomery County police said Tuesday Graham was one of three men who robbed The Jewelry Exchange on Old Georgetown Road on Dec. 13. Detectives received numerous tips that Graham was the suspect who pulled out a gun during the robbery, police said. The store manager told News4 the man with the gun demanded a display case be opened and emptied. “Told me to open it, take everything out and rushed me, ‘Hurry up! Hurry up!’” the store manager said. “And I was trying to go as fast as I could because I didn’t want to make him mad, and as I handed it to him, he handed off to the other guy who was shoving it in a bag.” The men got about 100 pieces of jewelry worth about $60,000 in three minutes. Graham remains in custody in Arlington pending extradition to Montgomery County, police said. Detectives are still working to identify the other two suspects in the jewelry heist. Anyone with informatio can call police at 240-773-5100. To be eligible for a reward, tipsters may call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information provided to them that leads to the arrest and/or indictment of these suspects.

1483803551_1483779933

Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Travel / Mob Sets Two Dangote Trucks Ablaze After Crushing Two To Death In Ogun (28179 Views) A.N Efam: Army Major Burnt To Death In His Car At Ojo Barrack (Graphic PHOTOS) / Woman Runs Into Church To Escape Mob Action After Hitting Okada Rider. Photos / Truck Crushes Lady Dead In Owerri; Mob Burns The Truck (Graphic Photos) (2) (3) (4) (1) (2) (3) (4) (Reply) (Go Down) The accident occurred today (Tuesday) in Imowo in the Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area of Ogun State. According to reports, the trucks hit the victims, a motorcyclist and a passenger, from behind and crushed them to death. The Public Relations Officer of the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps in the state, Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the accident. Akinbiyi said in a statement that the fatal accident occurred between Dangote Cement trucks and a motorcycle. Akunbiyi said in a statement that: “The fatal accident at Imowo within Ijebu-Ode along Ibadan road between two Dangote trucks and a motorcycle. “Two passengers on the motorcycle lost their lives and hoodlums around the scene burnt two Dangote trucks on the road; and did not allow anybody to carry the two corpses on the ground for now.” Akinbiyi also said traffic affected one lane of the road due to the reluctance of the mob in allowing the officials to remove the burnt trucks from the scene. https://autojosh.com/mob-sets-two-dangote-cement-trucks-ablaze-after-crushing-two-to-death-in-ogun-state/ Two trucks belonging to Dangote cement company has been set ablaze by angry mob for allegedly crushing two people to death.The accident occurred today (Tuesday) in Imowo in the Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area of Ogun State.According to reports, the trucks hit the victims, a motorcyclist and a passenger, from behind and crushed them to death.The Public Relations Officer of the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps in the state, Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the accident.Akinbiyi said in a statement that the fatal accident occurred between Dangote Cement trucks and a motorcycle.Akunbiyi said in a statement that:Akinbiyi also said traffic affected one lane of the road due to the reluctance of the mob in allowing the officials to remove the burnt trucks from the scene. 5 Likes 5 Shares If only burning the truck will bring back the deceased. 63 Likes 3 Shares Is that how to burn a truck? 35 Likes 3 Shares What happenned to the cement on board the truck 31 Likes 3 Shares Better than nothing! I love this type of jungle justice. 31 Likes 4 Shares Ok 2 Likes 2 Shares It is becoming too much of these dangote trucks,it is time the people take action by themselves because the government will never do anything and if the people too refuse to do anything,then this aren't gonna stop 15 Likes 2 Shares You cant be doing same thing and expect different results Disasters like this will continue to happen frequently until the government takes the bull by the horn. Their must be standards and enforced regulations in place. 14 Likes 2 Shares Pound of flesh back. Dangotw the Hausa fulani demon will go scott free. 1 Like Dangote truck with lives taking. Dangote company with lives building. Dangote with monopolistic practice. 18 Likes 3 Shares Dangote needs to stop the insurance payment he gives his drivers whenever they have any type of accident. Cos as a Nigerian scam factor he's drivers are manipulating the system to injure people in other to get that cash. 4 Likes I hope the burnt trucks brought back the victims to life? Èkú ìsê o 3 Likes Was it the truck that drove itself to kill those people or it was a human being. Why burning the innocent truck RIP Innocent truck and the two unfortunate victims 10 Likes 1 Share Enculer2: Dangotw the Hausa fulani demon will go scott free. haba..... He wasn't the one who drove it na haba..... He wasn't the one who drove it na 10 Likes oh my goodness, its too early for such a news. 1 Like Way to go Insurance pallava This new year ehh. God will guide us through oo. Evil shall not locate us.. May d souls of the dead rest in peace 4 Likes 1 Share Foolish youths. Instead of impounding the trucks so as to get due recompense for the dead, they chose to burn the trucks. 6 Likes 1 Share Fighting Ebola with paracetamol, is the truck going to bring the dead back or the driver. Very gullible people . 1 Like 1 Share Good Very very good My son must have sense by force.ive told him about this several times but he won't listen This is what you start with 2020? 1 Like It's a pity their brains are not smart enough to tell them that buring the trucks won't bring back the dead or even prevent it from happening again. It solves nothing. Use this energy to change the people in charge at the point of taking political office. We are just sentimental,easily aroused,easily pacified,short memoried sitting ducks,wasting away in this shallow grave called Nigeria. 2 Likes 1 Share This is provocation? Why Dangote? Why should they burn hiss truck in Ogun state? So there is no other diplomatic or sophisticated means to tackle the issue. Touts everywhere. 3 Likes why not burn the bastards. i hate truck drivers 2 Likes

MANILA, Philippines – Two female Vietnam nationals have been rescued from two Chinese kidnappers in Las Piñas City, Tuesday evening, after authorities traced their location using an application on the hostages’ smartphones. According to information from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), the two were found in a residential unit inside Golden Gate Subdivision in Barangay Talon 3. ADVERTISEMENT One of the suspects was arrested, identified as Li Mu Qin, but another suspect named Zhao Chao managed to escape. The abduction reached the police when one of the victims’ cousin reported that the two are being held against their will, with the kidnappers demanding P1 million for their release. The victims supposedly met with the suspects for a blind date after using an online dating app last December 30. NCRPO noted that they were able to pinpoint the location of the abductors and the two women by sending her Google location. “When the victims entered the suspects’ boarding house, their hands and legs were immediately bound with packing tape and were instructed to contact their immediate family to produce the amount of 1M pesos for their release,” NCRPO said. Read Next LATEST STORIES MOST READ

1483803611_1484207758

PHOENIX — The chaotic arrest of suspended Mariopa County Assessor Paul Petersen sadly left seven Marshallese women in desperate need of help. Petersen has pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy, fraudulent schemes and artifices, forgery, theft, and fraudulent schemes and practices for his role in the accused smuggling of Marshallese mothers into the county and selling their babies for tens of thousands of dollars. Six women were still pregnant at the time the scandal broke. Their resources were dwindling until a non-profit called Island Liaison stepped up in to help. "They treat Petersen nicer than they treated these women," said Claudia Kaercher, founder of Island Liaison. Kaercher is still reeling from the fact that local law enforcement seemed to brag about the arrest but gave little attention to the victims left behind in Petersen's apartment. FULL COVERAGE: Adoption fraud scheme Kaercher spent the last three months caring for the forgotten victims of Petersen's nationwide adoption scheme - working day and night to make sure they had to resources they needed. "We set a goal to assess number one, their well being," said Kaercher who drove the women to countless doctors appointments. Kaercher and a half dozen partner organizations raced to the Mesa apartment where the women were staying following Petersen's arrest October 8. Disgusted by the living conditions and lack of medical care, they knew they had to act quickly. "They're prenatal care prior was not very clear so we had to start from scratch," said Kaercher who says the women were living in filth in an apartment infested with bugs. A group of midwives drove the women to and from their pre-natal care. The Mountain Park Health Clinic provided the women with prenatal exams. "Thank goodness for the midwives, I don't know what we would have done without them," said Kaercher. But gaining the Marshallese mothers' trust would not be easy. "It took three days and we sat on the floor and we just talked to them," said Kaercher. She says they appealed to their humanity in an attempt to restore their faith. That's when they began opening up. Telling her they were offered ten thousand dollars to give up their babies. "When you come from the outer islands, what is ten thousand dollars?" asked ABC15. "A million," said Kaercher. "Life-changing?" "Oh very much so," said Kaercher. She says all of them hoped to provide for their families back home. One of the women gave birth in September and met Petersen for the first time when he presented her with an adoption contract. "Went to his home, sat there with a piece of paper, ten thousand on the top, minus rent, how many months you were here, minus doctor check, minus food, minus rent, minus birthing, minus, minus, minus, minus plane ticket, what was left, was three thousand dollars" said Kaercher. The woman says Petersen had a take it or leave it attitude. She took it and immediately wired the money back home but remained in the state because her passport was seized during the raid of Petersen's homes and business. "We were appalled, we were shocked," said Kaercher regarding how Petersen profited off of those from poverty. "I even got a call from an associate of Mr Petersen saying the women had to get out of the apartment because the electricity was being turned off, when I asked if they could provide somewhere else to stay, he said, without any concern, no." Since then all the women have given birth and left the state to be with family. But the sting of what they saw and heard festers. It's something Kaercher says she'll never forget. Petersen remains suspended from his position as County Assessor as he await trial in state and federal court.

I drive past these semi-permanent houses on my way to work. Each time I see a little boy in the same dirty rugged cloths, playing with younger, seemingly better dressed children. I wonder if he goes to school or has parents. The Ghetto song (1969 by Elvis Presley) comes to mind, increasing my sense of guilt, as I fly past with my son safely tucked away in the backseat. Each time, I feel the urge to stop and ask him a few questions but time waits for no man…..that is until one time, I see him no more. My heart tightens in a knot, fearing that he might be dead; out of neglect, or a drunken kick perhaps? After three days of not seeing him, I sum up some courage in the early morning to drive over to a rundown house about where he lives. A lady in the backyard is feeding her child on beans and cabbage at that odd hour, but at least it is a healthy diet. I ask about the rugged child. She knocks on some little shack by the house and out comes, not one, but three little children and a very pregnant mum. They are very dirty, the middle child hosting a white-foam-like fungal infection all over his head. Seeing the shock on my face, the lady explains, “There are many other kids like that here…give it another hour and they’ll emerge from those shacks around this house”. It turns out there are a number of ladies living in these cramped mud stalls that formerly housed market kiosks; now earmarked for demolition. For now, it is free accommodation until government’s decision to revamp the area. The majority of them are street workers, and nearly all their children are born out of prostitution. I walk back to the car half relieved that the child has a mother, but not sure he’s any better off nonetheless. I wonder how to help. His mother is a street worker that infected him with HIV at childbirth. His two siblings are HIV negative, thanks to modern medicine. The next time I pass by, most of the women are by the roadside with hungry looking, barely clad children. Perhaps I am seeing them for the first time because I cared to look. I can’t shrug off this feeling that I’ve opened a can of worms. Thinking I could do draw on my project planning skills, I organise a meeting with the ladies to understand their crucial needs. But their pained hopeless look was more than I had bargained for. 60% of them are HIV positive. One of them was a fruit vendor until her basket got nabbed by security agents. She has never recouped her business since. Others were lured to town by family or friends that let them down. They cannot be helped at local level because they have to return to their villages where purportedly, there is better support. Another has failed to make it in the city and is afraid to go back to her village with children to support. The mother of the little boy has one eye, the other taken out by his abusive father. Nearly all of them have boils all over their skin, caused by the swamp water they use for bathing, and of course of the HIV infection. When asked if they had eaten, they laughingly pointed at their neighbours that had not come for the meeting. ‘They worked last night’, they said, ‘we see them cooking’. Desperate for some income, they work for as low as 500 francs. Behind the loud alcohol induced verbosity, the pain in their eyes is almost tangible. They are desperately poor, filthy, spited…simply the wretched of the earth. They accept as normal the sneers and awkward looks, and drown themselves in local beer to avert their shame, even if for a little while. The drunken fights are often. Their children seem attuned to this of environment. An NGO that supports street workers gives them work for two weeks. The neighbouring residences are profusely thankful. The ladies haven’t fought for a while; too tired after a long day’s work to bother with anything else. I am absolutely pleased with this outcome. Despite the negative comments about them, they have proven that given a chance, they can be useful hardworking citizens like the rest of us. The struggle is still on. I will not give up on them, because I am also a woman; just lucky to be more privileged. Recently, a mother of two lost her life…to abortion. Another one gave birth to a baby girl born from prostitution. And its Mama cries. It’s the ghetto song all over again. In the Ghetto As the snow flies On a cold and gray Chicago mornin’ A poor little baby child is born In the ghetto And his mama cries ‘cause if there’s one thing that she don’t need it’s another hungry mouth to feed In the ghetto People, don’t you understand the child needs a helping hand or he’ll grow to be an angry young man someday Take a look at you and me, are we too blind to see, do we simply turn our heads and look the other way Well the world turns and a hungry little boy with a runny nose plays in the street as the cold wind blows In the ghetto And his hunger burns so he starts to roam the streets at night and he learns how to steal and he learns how to fight In the ghetto Then one night in desperation a young man breaks away He buys a gun, steals a car, tries to run, but he don’t get far And his mama cries As a crowd gathers ‘round an angry young man face down on the street with a gun in his hand In the ghetto As her young man dies, on a cold and gray Chicago mornin’, another little baby child is born In the ghetto. editor@newtimesrwanda.com

1484013639_1484086827

January 01, 2020 20:31 IST The India Air Force extended new year greetings to the people with a video that rides high on emotion and patriotism, as it lauded the IAF's air warriors who guard the skies. The nearly two-and-a-half-minute long video released on new year's eve by the IAF on Twitter has already clocked over 12,500 views, nearly 5,000 likes and more than 900 retweets. The video, filled with powerful visuals, begins with a poetic narration in Hindi, amplified in its appeal with energising music. The opening line praises the 'profound patriotism' coursing through the veins of IAF warriors which can even 'dwarf storms and tempests'. An air warrior wears a 'smile filled with pride', and a 'resolve to defeat the enemy', the narrator says in the video. 'I'm a warrior of the IAF, beating death is in my nature,' says the narrator, underlining the bravery of the air warrior who guards the skies day and night. The IAF's motto is 'Nabhah Sparsham Diptam!' (Touch the Sky with Glory!) and the air warrior 'flies like an eagle', the video states. The clip contains footage of operations undertaken by the IAF in the past, and the background score heightens the patriotic content. 'An IAF warrior dreams to born the same in the next life,' the narrator says at the end of the video, as an airman salutes a flying jet. 'Indian Air Force wishes all a very Happy New Year 2020,' the IAF tweeted with the video.

KUALA LUMPUR: Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo has called on the people to create a social media platform that is premised on facts and verified information in 2020. In his New Year’s message posted on his Facebook and Twitter pages today, the minister said this is vital in order to build a fully-developed and successful nation in line with the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030. Gobind also expressed hope that the people would work together to maintain unity and harmony in Malaysia. “Happy New Year 2020! Let’s make sure that this year we can create a social media platform that is premised on facts and verified information so that we can build a fully-developed and successful nation in line with the Shared Prosperity Vision and maintain unity and harmony in Malaysia!” he posted. – Bernama

1484397584_1484188871

NO RAIN: Graymare resident Megan Benz only recorded 125mm in 2019 like many farmers in the region. Picture: Toby Zerna NO RAIN: Graymare resident Megan Benz only recorded 125mm in 2019 like many farmers in the region. Picture: Toby Zerna THE horror year for Southern Downs residents is being starkly shown as they finalise their dismal yearly rainfall totals for 2019. Megan Benz, who lives in Greymare, said she only recorded 125mm on her property this year. Mrs Benz, who has been keeping records since 2009, said it was heartbreaking to record the meagre total. “It’s getting very hard from day to day now,” she said. “You can see how it’s affecting my husband feeding the cattle, and every day it’s just getting harder and harder. “We’ve had a big bore here for 15 years and in the last few weeks, it’s gone empty.” Greymare received one of the lowest yearly rainfall totals in the Southern Downs, according to Mrs Benz. “It feels like living in a dome,” she said. “My in-laws are on the outskirts of Warwick and when they got the big downpour of 30mm a while ago, we got one. “It’s not even enough to stop the dust.” Before December, Mrs Benz said the last decent rain arrived five months prior. Looking to 2020, the Greymare resident said they would need heavy rain early in the season to get back on their feet. “At this point, we need four inches a week for three months, just to get the feed grown for winter and if that rain is too late, we don’t have any feed,” she said. “We need the rain and we need it earlier rather than later.” But as the drought carries on, it gets harder to see the light. “The longer it goes on the harder it is to be positive but you’ve got to be,” Mrs Benz said. “That’s what happens, you have to keep looking to the future.”

We look back at the top stories of 2019, as we look ahead into the next year. It was a remarkable year for Qatar and a year of storylines that rocked us with some amazing achievements. So join us by clicking the play button to have a look at the top highlights of this year. From all of us at ILQ to all of you, we hope this 2020 brings you continued joy, health, and happiness! What milestone of 2019 holds the best memories for you? Drop us a line in the comments below and don't forget to give us a like and a share - you know it keeps us going! Edited by Afroon Afeez

1484011243_1484011253

Source: Pixabay New research published in the journal Depression & Anxiety suggests that eating dark chocolate could lower the risk of depression. A cross-sectional survey of 13,626 adults found that after eating dark chocolate, people experienced less depressive symptoms. People who ate dark chocolate in the past 24 hours were 70% less likely to experience depression. Depression symptoms were measured using Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ‐9) scores. People experienced less depression even with a small amount of dark chocolate as low as 12 grams a day (an average-sized chocolate bar is 43 grams). Overall, 11.1% reported that they ate chocolate, but only 1.4% reporting eating dark chocolate. Dark chocolate was defined as chocolate with at least 45% cocoa. Milk chocolate did not have the same effect (unfortunately for us milk chocolate fans). Eating non-dark chocolate like milk chocolate, which was both more popular and enjoyable, did not improve depression. Craving chocolate is common in depression. One study found that nearly half (45%) of people with depression reported craving chocolate. Chocolate contains many natural chemicals such as flavanols, caffeine, and theobromine that could help explain how chocolate boosts one's mood. Since people who have healthier lifestyles might tend to choose dark chocolate and be at lower risk for depression for lifestyle reasons, researchers controlled for factors like physical activity, smoking, alcohol, total sugar and caloric intake, age, sex, marital status, education, income, weight, and chronic medical problems. People with health issues related to sugar, such as diabetes were not included in the study. After controlling for these factors, dark chocolate remained associated with a lower risk for depression. The study does not prove causation but lends weight to the potential benefits of dark chocolate—at least over milk chocolate—for depression. Other considerations about dark chocolate include being aware that it can trigger migraines or cause insomnia. Also, if one is consuming raw cacao powder, it is important to check to brands of cocoa powder since many are known to contain higher levels of toxic heavy metals like cadmium. Otherwise, this study adds to the research suggesting the health and mood benefits of dark chocolat—and it can relieve some of the guilt from eating a little dark chocolate. Copyright © Marlynn Wei, MD 2019

Source: lauramusikanski/morguefile One small word encompasses a big shift in thinking that can help people become unstuck. That word—probably the favorite word of clinical psychologists and other mental health professionals—is “and.” Here are some examples of how you can use it to deepen your understanding and think more flexibly about your circumstances. Your perspective and their perspective In conflicts, people often waste a lot of time and energy arguing about who is right or wrong. This tends to go nowhere. A more useful approach is to recognize that different people have different perspectives, all of which can be valid, even if they contradict one another. This use of “and” recognizes that we can understand and respect someone else’s perspective, even if we don’t agree with it. For example, we can acknowledge, “I would never deliberately try to hurt you and my actions did hurt you” or “I like to be spontaneous and you prefer to make plans.” When we move past right or wrong toward empathy and respect, we’re in a better place to move forward together. Happy and sad Life is complicated. Few choices or situations are 100 percent positive, so our feelings in response to them tend to be more like patchwork quilts than whole-cloth blankets. This use of “and” acknowledges ambivalence and allows us to have a deeper understanding of our emotional lives. We don’t have to pick one emotion; we can experience and embrace all of them, even at the same time. We can be happy about a big change and sad about leaving what we had before. We can be excited and worried, hurt and angry, disappointed and relieved. Recognizing our multifaceted emotional reactions allows us to choose wisely about how we’ll respond and take better care of ourselves. Then and now Statements along the lines of “I’ve always…” or “I never…” suggest that we have only one way of doing things, which is the way we’ve done them before. But psychotherapy—and life—are fundamentally about change. This use of “and” recognizes our patterns and habits, and it also creates room for us to move in new directions. What came before matters. That’s what created our expectations and assumptions. That’s what led up to who we are today. We can accept our past and also commit to creating ourselves anew each day. Maybe in an old relationship, you responded one way and now you want to react a different way. Maybe in the past, it was hard for you to do something and now you are better equipped to handle it. Maybe you’ve been scared and now you’re willing to move forward even though you’re scared. Embracing the word “and” is about cultivating openness, seeing nuance, and acknowledging possibility. “And” can give us hope. Related posts: ©2019 Eileen Kennedy-Moore, Ph.D.

1484189364_1483807006

There has been plenty of news around in 2019 for Thailand. The Top 10 stories ranked by their significance by our writers is very different from the Top 10 stories you searched for and clicked on at The Thaiger. Some other stats. You clicked on The Thaiger 81,177,191 times (up to December 29) during 2019, the busiest month was October where you clicked on The Thaiger 18.3 million times. We started the year with 3 staff and finished the year with 19. From the bizarre to the informative, YOUR top choices reflect a trend for stories that aren’t necessarily about politics and climate change! Here are the top 10 most popular Thaiger stories for 2019, from the most clicked-on story down to number 10. Number One With 151,000 views, this story captured your imagination more than anything else in 2019. Hmmmm. Of all the reasons you may end up in a Thai hospital, this is not a common one. Although doctors and nurses did send us plenty of follow up emails attesting to any number of kitchen utensils, fruit and appliances having much the same predicament. Men allegedly fall over with a similar result quite often leaving them in a less-than-graceful pose at their nearest medical establishment. May 2020 be the year you don’t fall over! Number Two The tropical storm ‘Pabuk’ was well predicted in the week before it eventually made landfall in Thailand. Our video explanation of the storm was also our most-watched video this year. Good preparations reduced the amount of destruction caused by the storm. Number Three Visas, the tightening of enforcement, a few new rules and the alleged exodus of expats were popular topics this year. Immigration police seemingly changed their stance from ‘Good guys in, bad guys out’ to ‘Bad guys out, good guys out’ if you believe a lot of the commentary circulating around the local chatrooms this year. The net result is that expats in Thailand rose in 2019 with Japanese and Chinese being the highest number of new expats for the past twelve months. Number Four Moving past the medical, weather and immigration Top 3, people also wanted to research living in the Land of Smiles. Our most popular information story was an honest look at some of the issues that expats pose when they live in Thailand. A holiday is a very different experience to full time life in Thailand. Top 10 hard truths of living as an expat in Thailand | The Thaiger PHOTO: Number Seven in the “hard truths of living as an expat in Thailand” – the bar girls don’t actually love you. Number Five The Bangkok bombings in August, a series of small bombs primarily detonated as a ‘warning’ rather to inflict a lot of damage, reminded us that there are still problems the Kingdom has to address before peace can fully descend on the country. Although the trials are still ongoing, it is thought that this series of explosions around the capital were related to the insurgency in the deep south of Thailand. Number Six There isn’t any prostitution in Thailand. Until someone makes a rare and unlikely spotting (cough) or an NGO goes combing through some of the tourist red light districts and reports it. Sometimes the Pattaya police needed some outside assistance to locate some of the reported 30,000 prostitutes working in the seaside party town. Number Seven Just like the prostitutes, the scams really don’t exist. Unless you’re almost 100% of tourists and expats, even locals, who fall for one of the many clever schemes concocted by locals to extract money from you. A few minutes on the internet will usually save people from all sorts of inconvenience and losing their money. We listed 10 popular scams in Thailand. Top 10 scams in Thailand Number Eight Road crashes are always clickable stories. The Thaiger has a policy of only reporting road deaths when there are significant numbers, dangerous locations or prominent people – in this case it was the horrifying death of the son of a popular music label owner. Thailand remains as one of the most dangerous places to drive in the world, although the vast majority of death statistics are of males, under 24 and riding a motorbike at the time. Number Nine There was plenty of online chatter about Thai immigration officials ‘tightening the screws’ on long-stay visas over the year. The issue was more of tighter enforcement rather than any new guidelines. But the TM28 and 30 forms were much discussed, at length. Number 10 Another of our Top 10 lists was another popular story for 2019. This time we took a cheeky look at the types of expats moving to Thailand. We also had plenty of other suggestions from readers. We’ll update the list in 2020 with some of the suggestions… well the ones we can publish anyway. Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page

As per the latest report from The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is that they are expecting 3.18 trillion baht in overall tourism revenue for Thailand in 2020 or a 4 per cent year-on-year increase. This includes 2.02 trillion baht from international tourists and 1.16 trillion baht from domestic tourists. The outlook for 2020 follows the overall tourism situation in 2019, which is estimated to generate 3.06 trillion baht (4 per cent increase over 2018), comprising 1.96 trillion baht (up 4 per cent) from 39.77 million international tourists (also up 4 per cent) and 1.10 trillion baht (up 3 per cent) from 167 million domestic trips (up 1 per cent). Thailand welcomed the 39 millionth tourist on December 27, 2019. In 2020, TAT is seeing a positive outlook of international tourists to Thailand from several markets including the CLMV countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR., Myanmar, and Vietnam), Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan, India, Spain, Eastern Europe, Israel, and the US. The Chinese, Singaporean and Middle Eastern markets are showing signs of recovery. Meanwhile, the Japanese, Hong Kong, European, Scandinavian, Australian and Latin American markets are expected to remain stable or show slow growth. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT governor says, “TAT’s target for 2020 is based on several favourable factors, ranging from the government’s stimulus measures, TAT’s focused marketing strategies and promotions of emerging destinations, new air routes and the positive outlook of international tourists to Thailand from key source markets. “TAT is also preparing to overcome several challenges, including the effect from the China-US trade war, the rise in consumption tax in Japan, and Brexit. The strong Thai baht, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, World Expo 2020 Dubai and stimulus visa schemes from country competitors have also been taken into consideration when laying out our tourism marketing strategies.” tourismthailand.org

1483802219_1483897487

WA Seattle WA Zone Forecast WA Seattle WA Zone Forecast for Tuesday, December 31, 2019 _____ 823 FPUS56 KSEW 011106 ZFPSEW Zone Forecast Product for Western Washington National Weather Service Seattle WA 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 Spot temperatures and probabilities of measurable precipitation are for today, tonight, and Thursday. WAZ558-020000- Seattle and Vicinity- Including the cities of Seattle, Shoreline, Federal Way, and Kent 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Breezy, showers. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Highs near 50. Southwest wind 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph. .TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. Lows near 40. Southwest wind 10 to 20 mph. .THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers in the morning, then a chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs in the mid to upper 40s. South wind 10 to 20 mph. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Windy. Rain likely. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Lows in the lower to mid 40s. South wind 15 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph. .FRIDAY...Windy. Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the 50s. South wind 15 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph decreasing to 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Windy. Rain at times. Lows in the lower 40s. .SATURDAY...Rain likely in the morning, then rain at times in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Lows near 40. .SUNDAY...Rain likely. Highs in the mid 40s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Rain likely in the evening, then mostly cloudy with a chance of rain after midnight. Lows in the upper 30s. .MONDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .MONDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the upper 30s. .TUESDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Seattle 50 40 45 / 90 50 50 $$ WAZ559-020000- Bremerton and Vicinity- Including the cities of Bremerton and Silverdale 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Showers in the morning, then showers likely in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch likely. Highs near 50. Southwest wind 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph. .TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain showers. Lows near 40. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Gusts to 25 mph in the evening. .THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy. A chance of rain showers in the morning, then a chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs in the 40s. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming south 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Breezy. Rain likely. Rainfall amounts a half inch to one inch possible. Lows in the lower to mid 40s. South wind 15 to 25 mph. .FRIDAY...Breezy. Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the upper 40s to mid 50s. South wind 15 to 25 mph. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Windy. Rain at times. Lows near 40. .SATURDAY...Rain likely. Highs in the mid 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Lows near 40. .SUNDAY...Rain likely. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the upper 30s. .MONDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .MONDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the upper 30s. .TUESDAY...Breezy. Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Bremerton 50 37 43 / 70 30 60 $$ WAZ507-020000- Everett and Vicinity- Including the cities of Everett, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Marysville, and Arlington 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Showers. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Highs in the mid 40s to lower 50s. West wind 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph. .TONIGHT...Breezy. Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain showers in the evening, then rain showers likely after midnight. Rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch likely. Lows in the mid 30s to lower 40s. West wind 15 to 25 mph. .THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy. A chance of rain showers in the morning, then a chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs in the 40s. Southeast wind 10 to 20 mph. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Windy. Rain likely. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Lows in the upper 30s to mid 40s. Southeast wind 15 to 25 mph becoming south 15 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph after midnight. .FRIDAY...Windy. Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the upper 40s to mid 50s. South wind 15 to 30 mph becoming southeast 15 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Gusts to 40 mph. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Windy. Rain at times. Lows near 40. .SATURDAY...Rain likely in the morning, then rain at times in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Lows near 40. .SUNDAY...Rain likely. Highs in the mid 40s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Rain likely in the evening, then mostly cloudy with a chance of rain after midnight. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .MONDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .MONDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .TUESDAY...Breezy. Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Edmonds 50 39 45 / 90 50 50 Everett 48 38 43 / 90 50 50 $$ WAZ509-020000- Tacoma Area- Including the cities of Tacoma, Lakewood, Puyallup, and Sumner 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Breezy. Showers in the morning, then showers likely in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Highs near 50. Southwest wind 15 to 25 mph. .TONIGHT...Breezy. Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. Lows near 40. Southwest wind 15 to 25 mph. .THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers in the morning, then a chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs in the mid to upper 40s. South wind 10 to 15 mph with gusts to 25 mph. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Windy. Rain likely. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Lows in the lower to mid 40s. South wind 15 to 30 mph. Gusts to 40 mph after midnight. .FRIDAY...Breezy. Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 50s. South wind 15 to 25 mph. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Windy. Rain at times. Lows near 40. .SATURDAY...Rain likely. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Lows near 40. .SUNDAY...Rain likely. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .MONDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .MONDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .TUESDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Puyallup 49 39 46 / 90 50 50 Tacoma 49 38 45 / 80 50 50 $$ WAZ556-020000- Bellevue and Vicinity- Including the cities of Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and Issaquah 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Showers. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Highs near 50. Southwest wind 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph. .TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers in the evening, then showers likely after midnight. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Lows near 40. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph with gusts to 25 mph becoming south after midnight. .THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers in the morning, then a chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. South wind to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Breezy. Rain likely. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Lows in the lower to mid 40s. South wind 15 to 25 mph. .FRIDAY...Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the 50s. South wind 10 to 20 mph. Gusts to 30 mph in the morning. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Breezy. Rain at times in the evening, then rain likely after midnight. Lows near 40. .SATURDAY...Rain likely in the morning, then rain at times in the afternoon. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Lows near 40. .SUNDAY...Rain likely. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Rain likely in the evening, then mostly cloudy with a chance of rain after midnight. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .MONDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .MONDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the upper 30s. .TUESDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Bellevue 49 39 45 / 90 60 50 $$ WAZ555-020000- East Puget Sound Lowlands- Including the cities of Gold Bar, Enumclaw, North Bend, and Buckley 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Showers. Rainfall amounts a half inch to one inch possible. Highs in the mid 40s to lower 50s. Southwest wind 10 to 20 mph. .TONIGHT...Rain showers likely. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph with gusts to 25 mph. .THURSDAY...Rain showers likely in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Highs in the 40s. Southeast wind to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Lows near 40. Southeast wind 10 to 20 mph becoming south after midnight. .FRIDAY...Breezy. Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the upper 40s to mid 50s. South wind 15 to 25 mph. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Breezy. Rain at times. Lows near 40. .SATURDAY...Rain at times. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Lows in the upper 30s. .SUNDAY...Rain likely. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Rain likely in the evening, then mostly cloudy with a chance of rain after midnight. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .MONDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .MONDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .TUESDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Gold Bar 48 39 44 / 100 90 70 Enumclaw 47 35 45 / 100 70 50 North Bend 48 37 45 / 100 90 60 $$ WAZ503-020000- Western Whatcom County- Including the cities of Bellingham, Blaine, and Lynden 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Showers in the morning, then showers likely in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Highs in the mid 40s to lower 50s. Southwest wind 10 to 20 mph. .TONIGHT...Windy. Mostly cloudy in the evening then becoming partly cloudy. A chance of rain showers. Lows in the mid 30s to lower 40s. West wind 15 to 30 mph. Gusts to 40 mph in the evening. .THURSDAY...Windy. Rain showers likely in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. South wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph in the afternoon. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Windy, rain. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Lows near 40. Southeast wind 20 to 35 mph becoming south after midnight. Gusts to 45 mph. .FRIDAY...Very windy. Rain likely. Rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch likely. Highs in the lower to mid 50s. South wind 20 to 40 mph with gusts to 55 mph. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Very windy. Rain at times in the evening, then rain likely after midnight. Lows near 40. .SATURDAY...Rain likely. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Lows in the upper 30s. .SUNDAY...Rain likely. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .MONDAY...Cloudy. A chance of rain and light freezing rain in the morning, then a chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .MONDAY NIGHT...Cloudy. A chance of rain and a slight chance of light freezing rain in the evening, then a chance of rain after midnight. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .TUESDAY...Breezy. Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Bellingham 49 39 43 / 70 50 60 Sumas 48 37 41 / 80 60 60 $$ WAZ506-020000- Western Skagit County- Including the cities of Mount Vernon, Anacortes, Sedro-Woolley, and Burlington 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Breezy. Showers in the morning, then showers likely in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a half inch to one inch possible. Highs in the mid 40s to lower 50s. West wind 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph. .TONIGHT...Breezy. Rain showers likely. Rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch likely. Lows in the mid 30s to lower 40s. West wind 15 to 25 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph after midnight. .THURSDAY...Windy. Rain showers likely in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Highs in the 40s. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph in the afternoon. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Windy. Rain likely. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Lows in the lower to mid 40s. Southeast wind 20 to 35 mph becoming south after midnight. Gusts to 45 mph. .FRIDAY...Windy. Rain likely in the morning, then mostly cloudy with a chance of rain in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch likely. Highs in the lower to mid 50s. South wind 20 to 35 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon. Gusts to 50 mph. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Windy. Rain at times. Lows near 40. .SATURDAY...Breezy. Rain at times. Highs in the mid 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Lows near 40. .SUNDAY...Rain likely. Highs in the mid 40s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Rain likely in the evening, then mostly cloudy with a chance of rain after midnight. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .MONDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .MONDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .TUESDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Anacortes 48 39 44 / 70 50 50 Mount Vernon 49 39 45 / 80 60 60 $$ WAZ001-020000- San Juan County- Including the cities of Friday Harbor, Eastsound, and Roche Harbor 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Windy. Partly sunny with a chance of showers. Highs near 50. Southwest wind 15 to 30 mph. .TONIGHT...Partly cloudy. A chance of rain showers in the evening, then a slight chance of rain showers after midnight. Lows near 40. West wind 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph. .THURSDAY...Breezy. Rain showers likely in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming southeast 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph in the afternoon. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Windy. Rain likely. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Lows in the lower to mid 40s. Southeast wind 20 to 35 mph becoming south 15 to 30 mph after midnight. Gusts to 45 mph. .FRIDAY...Windy. Rain likely in the morning, then mostly cloudy with a chance of rain in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch likely. Highs in the lower 50s. South wind 20 to 35 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon. Gusts to 50 mph. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Very windy. Rain at times in the evening, then rain likely after midnight. Lows in the lower 40s. .SATURDAY...Breezy. Rain likely. Highs in the mid to upper 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Lows near 40. .SUNDAY...Rain likely. Highs in the mid to upper 40s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows near 40. .MONDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the mid 40s. .MONDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows near 40. .TUESDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the mid 40s. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Friday Harbor 50 39 45 / 40 30 60 Eastsound 50 42 46 / 40 30 60 $$ WAZ510-020000- Admiralty Inlet Area- Including the cities of Port Townsend and Port Ludlow 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Windy. Rain showers likely. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Highs in the 40s. West wind 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph. .TONIGHT...Windy. Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain showers. Lows in the 30s to lower 40s. West wind 15 to 30 mph. Gusts to 40 mph in the evening. .THURSDAY...Windy. Mostly cloudy. A chance of rain showers in the morning, then a chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 30s to mid 40s. South wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to southeast 15 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph in the afternoon. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Windy. Cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the mid 30s to lower 40s. Southeast wind 15 to 30 mph becoming south 20 to 35 mph after midnight. Gusts to 45 mph. .FRIDAY...Very windy. Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the mid 40s to lower 50s. South wind 20 to 40 mph with gusts to 50 mph. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Windy. Rain at times in the evening, then rain likely after midnight. Lows near 40. .SATURDAY...Breezy. Rain likely. Highs in the mid to upper 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Lows near 40. .SUNDAY...Rain likely. Highs in the 40s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Rain likely in the evening, then mostly cloudy with a chance of rain after midnight. Lows in the mid 30s to lower 40s. .MONDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .MONDAY NIGHT...Cloudy. A chance of rain and light freezing rain in the evening, then a chance of rain and a slight chance of light freezing rain after midnight. Lows in the mid 30s to lower 40s. .TUESDAY...Breezy. Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the mid 40s. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Oak Harbor 52 43 48 / 70 40 50 Port Townsend 49 38 44 / 60 30 50 $$ WAZ511-020000- Hood Canal Area- Including the cities of Hoodsport and Brinnon 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Showers. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Highs near 50. Southwest wind 10 to 20 mph becoming west in the afternoon. .TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain showers. Lows in the mid 30s to lower 40s. Southwest wind 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph becoming west 10 to 15 mph after midnight. .THURSDAY...Breezy. Rain showers likely in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Highs in the 40s. North part, south wind to 10 mph increasing to 15 to 25 mph in the afternoon. South part, southwest wind to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Windy. Rain likely. Rainfall amounts a half inch to one inch possible. Lows in the upper 30s to mid 40s. South wind 15 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph. .FRIDAY...Windy. Rain likely in the morning, then mostly cloudy with a chance of rain in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Highs in the upper 40s to mid 50s. South wind 20 to 35 mph with gusts to 45 mph north part, south 10 to 15 mph with gusts to 25 mph south part. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Windy. Rain at times. Lows near 40. .SATURDAY...Rain likely in the morning, then rain at times in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Lows near 40. .SUNDAY...Rain likely and a slight chance of freezing rain in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. A chance of rain in the evening, then a chance of rain and a slight chance of light freezing rain after midnight. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .MONDAY...Cloudy. A chance of rain and a slight chance of light freezing rain in the morning, then a chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .MONDAY NIGHT...Cloudy. A chance of rain in the evening, then a chance of rain and a slight chance of light freezing rain after midnight. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .TUESDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Shelton 50 39 44 / 90 30 60 $$ WAZ504-020000- Southwest Interior- Including the cities of Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Centralia, and Toledo 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Breezy, showers. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Highs near 50. West wind 15 to 25 mph. Gusts to 35 mph in the afternoon. .TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain showers. Lows in the mid 30s to lower 40s. Southwest wind 10 to 20 mph. .THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy. A chance of rain showers in the morning, then a chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs in the 40s. South wind to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph in the afternoon. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Breezy. Rain likely. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Lows in the lower to mid 40s. South wind 15 to 25 mph. .FRIDAY...Breezy. Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 50s. South wind 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Windy. Rain at times. Lows in the upper 30s. .SATURDAY...Rain likely in the morning, then rain at times in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Lows in the upper 30s. .SUNDAY...Rain likely. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .MONDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .MONDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .TUESDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Chehalis 50 39 46 / 100 50 50 Olympia 49 39 45 / 90 40 50 $$ WAZ512-020000- Lower Chehalis Valley Area- Including the city of Montesano 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Showers. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Highs near 50. West wind 10 to 15 mph with gusts to 25 mph. .TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain showers. Lows in the mid 30s to lower 40s. West wind 10 to 15 mph becoming southwest after midnight. .THURSDAY...Rain showers likely in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Highs in the mid to upper 40s. Light wind becoming southeast 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Rainfall amounts a half inch to one inch possible. Lows in the lower to mid 40s. South wind 10 to 20 mph becoming southwest after midnight. .FRIDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs near 50. South wind 10 to 20 mph. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Rain at times. Lows in the upper 30s. .SATURDAY...Rain likely in the morning, then rain at times in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Lows in the upper 30s. .SUNDAY...Rain at times in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 40s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. A chance of rain. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .MONDAY...Patchy fog in the morning. Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the mid 40s. .MONDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .TUESDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 40s. $$ WAZ514-020000- Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca- Including the cities of Sequim and Port Angeles 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Breezy, showers. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Highs in the mid 40s to lower 50s. West wind 15 to 25 mph. .TONIGHT...Breezy. Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain showers. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. West wind 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph becoming southwest 10 to 20 mph after midnight. .THURSDAY...Windy. Mostly cloudy. A chance of rain showers in the morning, then a chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs in the 40s. Wind variable to 10 mph increasing to east 20 to 30 mph in the afternoon. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Windy. Rain likely. Rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch likely. Lows near 40. Southeast wind 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph becoming east 15 to 25 mph after midnight. .FRIDAY...Windy. Cloudy in the morning then becoming partly sunny. A chance of rain. Highs near 50. Southeast wind 15 to 30 mph. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Windy. Rain at times. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .SATURDAY...Rain likely. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .SUNDAY...Rain likely in the morning, then mostly cloudy with a chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain and snow. Lows in the lower to mid 30s. .MONDAY...Cloudy. A chance of rain and snow in the morning, then a chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .MONDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the mid 30s. .TUESDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Port Angeles 48 37 45 / 100 50 60 Sequim 48 35 45 / 80 30 50 $$ WAZ515-020000- Western Strait of Juan De Fuca- Including the cities of Joyce and Clallam Bay 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Showers. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Highs in the mid to upper 40s. West wind 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph. .TONIGHT...Rain showers likely. Rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch likely. Lows in the mid 30s to lower 40s. West wind 10 to 20 mph becoming southwest 10 to 15 mph after midnight. .THURSDAY...Rain showers in the morning, then rain in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a half inch to one inch possible. Highs in the 40s. South wind 10 to 15 mph becoming east 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Breezy, rain. Rainfall amounts a half inch to one inch possible. Lows in the upper 30s to mid 40s. Southwest wind 15 to 25 mph. .FRIDAY...Breezy. Rain at times in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Highs near 50. South wind 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Rain at times. Rain may be heavy at times in the evening. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .SATURDAY...Rain likely in the morning, then rain at times in the afternoon. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain at times. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .SUNDAY...Rain at times in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .MONDAY...Rain likely. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .MONDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .TUESDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Sekiu 48 39 46 / 100 50 80 $$ WAZ516-020000- North Coast- Including the cities of Neah Bay, La Push, and Forks 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 ...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT PST TONIGHT... .TODAY...Breezy. Showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning, then showers in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 40s to lower 50s. West wind 15 to 25 mph. .TONIGHT...Breezy. Rain showers likely. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Lows in the mid 30s to lower 40s. West wind 15 to 25 mph. Gusts to 35 mph in the evening. .THURSDAY...Windy. Rain showers in the morning, then rain in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a half inch to one inch possible. Highs in the mid to upper 40s. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph in the afternoon. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Windy, rain. Rainfall amounts a half inch to one inch possible. Lows in the 40s. South wind 20 to 35 mph with gusts to 45 mph. .FRIDAY...Very windy. Rain at times in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Rain may be heavy at times in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Highs near 50. South wind 20 to 40 mph. Gusts to 45 mph increasing to 55 mph in the afternoon. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Windy, rain. Rain may be heavy at times in the evening. Lows near 40. .SATURDAY...Windy. Rain likely in the morning, then rain at times in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain at times. Lows near 40. .SUNDAY...Breezy. Rain at times in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 40s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. .MONDAY...Rain likely. Highs in the mid 40s. .MONDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Lows in the upper 30s. .TUESDAY...Windy. Cloudy with a chance of rain in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 40s. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Forks 49 38 47 / 100 60 80 $$ WAZ517-020000- Central Coast- Including the cities of Hoquiam, Aberdeen, Westport, and Ocean Shores 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 ...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT PST TONIGHT... .TODAY...Breezy. Showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning, then showers in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Highs near 50. West wind 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph. .TONIGHT...Breezy. Showers likely. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible. Lows near 40. West wind 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph with gusts to 25 mph after midnight. .THURSDAY...Windy. Showers likely in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a half inch to one inch possible. Highs in the mid to upper 40s. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph in the afternoon. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Windy, rain. Rainfall amounts a half inch to one inch possible. Lows in the 40s. South wind 25 to 35 mph decreasing to 15 to 30 mph after midnight. Gusts to 45 mph. .FRIDAY...Windy. Rain likely in the morning, then cloudy with a chance of rain in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Highs near 50. South wind 20 to 35 mph with gusts to 45 mph. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Windy, rain. Rain may be heavy at times in the evening. Lows near 40. .SATURDAY...Windy. Rain likely in the morning, then rain at times in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain at times. Lows near 40. .SUNDAY...Breezy. Rain at times in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 40s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Rain likely in the evening, then cloudy with a chance of rain after midnight. Lows in the upper 30s. .MONDAY...Patchy fog in the morning. Cloudy with a chance of rain in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 40s. .MONDAY NIGHT...Rain likely. Lows near 40. .TUESDAY...Breezy. Cloudy with a chance of rain in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 40s. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Hoquiam 50 41 48 / 100 60 60 $$ WAZ513-020000- Olympics- 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Showers, snow showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning, then showers in the afternoon. Snow level near 4000 feet. Rainfall amounts a half inch to one inch possible, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Snow accumulation near Hurricane Ridge up to 3 inches. Ice accumulation of up to one quarter of an inch. .TONIGHT...Showers likely. Snow level near 2000 feet. Snow accumulation near Hurricane Ridge of 1 to 2 inches. Ice accumulation of less than one quarter of an inch. .THURSDAY...Showers in the morning, then rain and snow in the afternoon. Snow level near 2000 feet. Snow accumulation near Hurricane Ridge of 2 to 3 inches. Total snow accumulation near Hurricane Ridge 3 to 8 inches. Ice accumulation of less than one quarter of an inch. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Rain and snow. Snow level near 3500 feet increasing to 5000 feet after midnight. Rainfall amounts one to three inches possible. Ice accumulation of up to one quarter of an inch. .FRIDAY...Rain and snow in the morning, then rain and snow likely in the afternoon. Snow level near 5500 feet. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Rain and snow. Snow level near 5000 feet decreasing to 3000 feet after midnight. .SATURDAY...Rain and snow. Snow level near 2000 feet. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain and snow. Snow level near 2500 feet. .SUNDAY...Rain, snow and a chance of freezing rain in the morning, then rain, snow likely and a chance of freezing rain in the afternoon. Snow level near 2500 feet. Snow may be heavy at times. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Rain, snow likely and a slight chance of freezing rain in the evening, then a chance of rain, snow and a slight chance of freezing rain after midnight. Snow level near 2000 feet. Snow may be heavy at times. .MONDAY...A chance of rain, snow and a slight chance of freezing rain in the morning, then rain, snow likely and a slight chance of freezing rain in the afternoon. Snow level near 2500 feet. Snow may be heavy at times. .MONDAY NIGHT...Rain, snow likely and a slight chance of freezing rain. Snow level near 3500 feet. Snow may be heavy at times in the evening. .TUESDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain and snow in the morning, then rain and snow likely in the afternoon. Snow level near 3500 feet. Snow may be heavy at times. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Hurricane Ridge 33 22 33 / 100 60 70 $$ WAZ567-020000- Cascades of Whatcom and Skagit Counties- Including the cities of Marblemount and Concrete 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST THURSDAY... .TODAY...Showers. Snow level near 4000 feet. Rainfall amounts a half inch to one inch possible. Snow accumulation up to 3 inches. Ice accumulation of less than one quarter of an inch. .TONIGHT...Showers. Snow level near 2000 feet. Snow accumulation of 2 to 3 inches. Ice accumulation of less than one quarter of an inch. .THURSDAY...Showers likely in the morning, then rain and snow likely in the afternoon. Snow level near 1000 feet. Snow accumulation of 2 to 3 inches. Total snow accumulation 4 to 9 inches. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Rain and snow. Snow level near 1500 feet increasing to 2500 feet after midnight. Ice accumulation of less than one quarter of an inch. .FRIDAY...Rain and snow in the morning, then rain and snow likely in the afternoon. Snow level near 4000 feet. Rainfall amounts a half inch to one inch possible. Ice accumulation of less than one quarter of an inch. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Rain and snow. Snow level near 4500 feet decreasing to 3500 feet after midnight. .SATURDAY...Rain and snow. Snow level near 2000 feet. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain and snow. Snow level near 1500 feet. Snow may be heavy at times in the evening. .SUNDAY...Rain and snow in the morning, then rain, snow and a slight chance of freezing rain in the afternoon. Snow level near 1500 feet. Snow may be heavy at times in the afternoon. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Rain, snow likely and a slight chance of freezing rain. Snow level near 1000 feet. Snow may be heavy at times in the evening. .MONDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain, snow and a slight chance of freezing rain in the morning, then rain, snow likely and a slight chance of freezing rain in the afternoon. Snow level near 1000 feet increasing to 1500 feet in the afternoon. Snow may be heavy at times. .MONDAY NIGHT...Rain, snow likely and a slight chance of freezing rain. Snow level near 2000 feet. .TUESDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain, snow and a slight chance of freezing rain. Snow level near 2500 feet. Snow may be heavy at times in the afternoon. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Mount Baker 36 26 30 / 100 90 70 $$ WAZ568-020000- Cascades of Snohomish and King Counties- Including the cities of Snoqualmie Pass, Darrington, and Index 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST THURSDAY... .TODAY...Breezy, showers. Snow level near 4000 feet. Rainfall amounts one to three inches possible. Snow accumulation of 5 to 10 inches. Ice accumulation of less than one quarter of an inch. Afternoon pass temperatures in the lower to mid 30s. West wind in the passes 15 to 25 mph. .TONIGHT...Showers. Snow level near 2000 feet. Snow accumulation of 4 to 9 inches. Ice accumulation of less than one quarter of an inch. West wind in the passes 15 to 20 mph. .THURSDAY...Showers likely in the morning, then rain and snow likely in the afternoon. Snow level near 1500 feet. Snow accumulation of 2 to 3 inches. Total snow accumulation 11 to 22 inches. Afternoon pass temperatures near 30. West wind in the passes 10 to 15 mph with gusts to 25 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Breezy. Rain and snow. Snow level near 2000 feet increasing to 3500 feet after midnight. Ice accumulation of less than one quarter of an inch. South wind in the passes 10 to 15 mph becoming southwest 15 to 25 mph after midnight. .FRIDAY...Rain and snow likely in the morning, then mostly cloudy with a chance of rain and snow in the afternoon. Snow level near 4500 feet. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Afternoon pass temperatures in the upper 30s. West wind in the passes 15 to 20 mph becoming southwest 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Rain and snow. Snow level near 4500 feet decreasing to 3500 feet after midnight. .SATURDAY...Rain and snow. Snow level near 2000 feet. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain and snow in the evening, then rain and snow likely after midnight. Snow level near 2000 feet. .SUNDAY...Rain and snow likely in the morning, then rain and snow in the afternoon. Snow level near 2000 feet. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Rain, snow likely and a slight chance of freezing rain. Snow level near 1500 feet. .MONDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain, snow and a slight chance of freezing rain. Snow level near 2000 feet. .MONDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a chance of rain, snow and a slight chance of freezing rain. Snow level near 2500 feet. .TUESDAY...Cloudy. A chance of rain, snow and a slight chance of light freezing rain in the morning, then a chance of rain and snow in the afternoon. Snow level near 2500 feet. TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION Snoqualmie Pass 35 27 32 / 100 90 60 Stevens Pass 33 22 29 / 100 90 60 $$ WAZ569-020000- Cascades of Pierce and Lewis Counties- Including the cities of Randle, Packwood, Ashford, and Morton 305 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST THURSDAY... .TODAY...Showers. Snow level near 4500 feet. Rainfall amounts one to three inches possible. Snow accumulation of 5 to 10 inches. Ice accumulation of less than one quarter of an inch. .TONIGHT...Showers. Snow level near 2500 feet. Snow accumulation of 3 to 8 inches. Total snow accumulation 8 to 18 inches. Ice accumulation of less than one quarter of an inch. .THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers in the morning, then a chance of rain and snow in the afternoon. Snow level near 2000 feet. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Rain and snow likely. Snow level near 3000 feet increasing to 4500 feet after midnight. Rainfall amounts a half inch to one inch possible. Ice accumulation of less than one quarter of an inch. .FRIDAY...Cloudy in the morning then becoming partly sunny. A chance of rain and snow. Snow level near 5000 feet. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Rain and snow. Snow level near 5000 feet decreasing to 3500 feet after midnight. .SATURDAY...Rain and snow. Snow level near 2000 feet. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Rain, snow likely and a slight chance of light freezing rain in the evening, then rain and snow likely after midnight. Snow level near 2500 feet. .SUNDAY...Rain and snow likely. Snow level near 2500 feet. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a chance of rain, snow and a slight chance of freezing rain. Snow level near 2000 feet. .MONDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain, snow and a slight chance of light freezing rain. Snow level near 2000 feet. .MONDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a chance of rain, snow and a slight chance of light freezing rain. Snow level near 3000 feet. .TUESDAY...Cloudy. A chance of rain, snow and a slight chance of light freezing rain in the morning, then a chance of rain and snow in the afternoon. Snow level near 3000 feet. $$ _____ Copyright 2020 AccuWeather

WA Spokane WA Zone Forecast WA Spokane WA Zone Forecast for Tuesday, December 31, 2019 _____ 108 FPUS56 KOTX 011059 ZFPOTX Zone Forecast Product for Eastern Washington and North Idaho National Weather Service Spokane WA 259 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 WAZ031-020015- Northeast Blue Mountains- Including the cities of Anatone and Peola 259 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Rain and a chance of thunderstorms. Snow level 5000 feet. Highs in the mid 40s to lower 50s. Windy. West wind 20 to 30 mph with gusts to around 50 mph. Chance of precipitation 90 percent. Rainfall amounts up to a half of an inch possible, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. .TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy. A chance of rain and mountain snow showers. Snow level 4000 feet in the evening. Lows in the upper 20s to lower 30s. Windy. West wind 15 to 25 mph. Gusts up to 45 mph decreasing to 35 mph overnight. Chance of precipitation 50 percent. .THURSDAY...Partly sunny. A chance of snow showers. Highs in the mid 30s to lower 40s. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 20 percent. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain or snow. Lows in the lower 30s. South wind 20 to 30 mph in the mountains. Chance of precipitation 50 percent. .FRIDAY...Mostly cloudy. Not as cool. Highs in the upper 40s to lower 50s. South wind 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph, except south 20 to 30 mph with gusts to around 45 mph in the mountains. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Windy. Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain. Lows in the lower to mid 30s. .SATURDAY...Windy. Partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of rain or snow. Highs in the upper 30s to lower 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Breezy. Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 20s to lower 30s. .SUNDAY...Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain or snow. Highs in the mid to upper 30s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Breezy. Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow. Lows in the upper 20s. .MONDAY...Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow. Highs in the 30s. .MONDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid to upper 20s. .TUESDAY...Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow. Highs in the 30s. $$ WAZ034-035-020015- Moses Lake Area-Upper Columbia Basin- Including the cities of Moses Lake, Ephrata, Othello, Quincy, Ritzville, Grand Coulee, Odessa, Wilbur, and Coulee City 259 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 40s to mid 50s. Windy. Southwest wind 15 to 25 mph with gusts to around 40 mph. .TONIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 20s to lower 30s. West wind 10 to 15 mph. .THURSDAY...Mostly sunny in the morning, becoming mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain or snow. Lows in the lower to mid 30s. South wind 5 to 10 mph with gusts to around 20 mph. .FRIDAY...Mostly cloudy. Not as cool. Highs in the upper 40s to lower 50s. South wind 5 to 15 mph. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain. Lows in the mid 30s. .SATURDAY...Windy. Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the upper 20s to lower 30s. Highs in the mid 30s to lower 40s. $$ WAZ037-020015- Northeast Mountains- Including the cities of Colville, Deer Park, Chewelah, Newport, and Kettle Falls 259 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Partly sunny. A chance of rain and mountain snow in the morning, then a chance of rain in the afternoon. Snow level 4000 feet. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph. Gusts to around 35 mph in the mountains. Chance of precipitation 20 percent. .TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy. A chance of snow showers. Lows in the mid to upper 20s. Chance of precipitation 50 percent. .THURSDAY...Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid to upper 30s. West wind 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph in the mountains. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Snow likely. Light snow accumulations. Lows in the mid 20s to lower 30s. South wind 5 to 15 mph in the mountains. Chance of precipitation 70 percent. .FRIDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain or snow. Not as cool. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. Chance of precipitation 50 percent. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain or snow. Lows in the lower to mid 30s. .SATURDAY...Breezy. Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain or snow. Highs in the upper 30s to lower 40s. Chance of precipitation 50 percent. .SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow. Lows in the mid to upper 20s. Highs in the 30s. .SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow. Lows in the 20s. .MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow. Highs in the lower to mid 30s. Lows in the 20s. $$ WAZ038-020015- Okanogan Highlands- Including the cities of Republic, Inchelium, and Wauconda 259 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. West wind 15 to 25 mph in the mountains. .TONIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the 20s. West wind 15 to 25 mph in the mountains. In the mountains, gusts up to 35 mph overnight. .THURSDAY...Mostly sunny in the morning, becoming mostly cloudy. Highs in the mid to upper 30s. In the mountains, gusts up to 30 mph in the morning. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Snow likely. Light snow accumulations. Lows in the mid 20s to lower 30s. Southeast wind 10 to 20 mph in the mountains. Chance of precipitation 70 percent. .FRIDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain or snow. Not as cool. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. Chance of precipitation 50 percent. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain or snow. Lows in the upper 20s to lower 30s. .SATURDAY...Breezy. Partly sunny with a 20 percent chance of snow. Highs in the mid 30s to lower 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the 20s. .SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow. Highs in the 30s. Lows in the 20s. .MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower to mid 30s. Lows in the lower to mid 20s. .TUESDAY...Cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow. Highs in the lower to mid 30s. $$ WAZ041-044-020015- Wenatchee Area-Waterville Plateau- Including the cities of Wenatchee, Chelan, Entiat, Cashmere, Waterville, and Mansfield 259 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of rain. Highs in the mid to upper 40s. Breezy. West wind 10 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph. Rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch. .TONIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 20s. West wind 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph. .THURSDAY...Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 30s to lower 40s. Gusts up to 20 mph in the morning. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain or snow. Snow level 1500 feet. Lows in the upper 20s to lower 30s. .FRIDAY...Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain, freezing rain or snow. Highs in the upper 30s to mid 40s. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain or snow. Lows in the upper 20s to lower 30s. .SATURDAY...Windy. Partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of rain or snow. Highs in the upper 30s to lower 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow. Lows in the mid to upper 20s. Highs in the 30s. $$ WAZ042-020015- East Slopes Northern Cascades- Including the cities of Leavenworth, Mazama, Twisp, Winthrop, Stehekin, and Conconully 259 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Rain and mountain snow. Mountain snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches. Snow level 4000 feet. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. Windy. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent. .TONIGHT...Partly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow showers. Lows in the 20s. Windy. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph. .THURSDAY...Partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of snow showers. Highs in the mid to upper 30s. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow. Lows in the mid 20s to lower 30s. South wind 10 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph in the mountains. .FRIDAY...Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain or snow. Snow level 3500 feet. Highs in the mid 30s to mid 40s. Southwest wind 15 to 25 mph with gusts to around 45 mph in the mountains. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Rain or snow likely. Moderate snow accumulations possible. Lows in the upper 20s to lower 30s. Chance of precipitation 70 percent. .SATURDAY...Windy, snow. Moderate snow accumulations possible. Highs in the mid to upper 30s. Chance of precipitation 90 percent. .SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow. Lows in the 20s. Highs in the lower to mid 30s. $$ WAZ043-020015- Okanogan Valley- Including the cities of Omak, Okanogan, Brewster, Bridgeport, Oroville, and Nespelem 259 AM PST Wed Jan 1 2020 .TODAY...Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower to mid 40s. .TONIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the mid to upper 20s. .THURSDAY...Mostly sunny in the morning, becoming mostly cloudy. Highs in the mid to upper 30s. .THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow. Lows in the upper 20s to lower 30s. .FRIDAY...Cloudy with a chance of rain or snow. Snow level 2500 feet. Highs in the upper 30s to lower 40s. Chance of precipitation 40 percent. .FRIDAY NIGHT...Cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain or snow. Lows in the lower to mid 30s. .SATURDAY...Partly sunny with a 20 percent chance of snow. Highs in the upper 30s to lower 40s. .SATURDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid to upper 20s. .SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow. Highs in the 30s. Lows in the mid to upper 20s. .MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower to mid 30s. Lows in the mid to upper 20s. .TUESDAY...Cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow. Highs in the lower to mid 30s. $$ _____ Copyright 2020 AccuWeather

1484035236_1484214809

Amid the new year celebrations, protests against the amended citizenship continued in various parts of the national capital including at Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Millia Islamia and at India Gate where agitators took a pledge to "defend the Constitution". At the Jamia Millia Islamia, which has become the epicentre of the protests in Delhi against the amended citizenship law, scores of students and civil society members carrying the tricolour and banners squatted on one carriageway of the road outside the university. Bollywood actor Swara Bhasker and her co-star from 'Raanjhanaa' Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub attended a public meeting on the new legislation outside the university and lauded protestors' efforts in continuing the agitation. "We have woken up late but now we have woken up. You have woken up the entire country. We are here to thank you," Bhasker said and termed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act a "targeted" law. While Ayyub raised slogans 'Hum EK Hain' and 'Inquilab Zindabad', Bhasker recited lyricist Varun Grover's poem against the citizenship law which has the punchline 'Hum kaagaz nahi dikhayenge (We won't show documents)'. Following the public meeting, a candlelight march was organised by the alumni association of the university outside gate number 7, which has become a protest site after the December 15 violence. The students of Jamia welcomed the New year with cries of 'Inquilab Zindabad' and 'Azaadi'. The sit-in protest by women at Shaheen Bagh continued after a night where they welcomed the new year by singing the national anthem and raising the slogan 'Azaadi'. Bhasker visited the protest site after addressing the gathering at Jamia Millia Islamia. Almost 11 kilometres away at India Gate, slogans such as "Hum kaagaz nahi dikhayenge" and "tanashahi nahin chalegi" rent the air. The number of protesters as well as visitors, who were out to celebrate the New Year on a sunny day, swelled around the iconic monument causing the traffic to virtually crawl in adjoining areas. Celebrating the new year by "reading the preamble", the protesters, including students from various universities, then took a pledge that they will "not show any document", referring to the planned National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR). Several activists and artistes gathered at the Constitution Club of India under the aegis of Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT) and recited poems, sang songs and took part in plays to express their solidarity with people protesting the amended citizenship law. PinjraTod, a women's collective of students and alumni of colleges across Delhi, alleged that a march being carried out by women in Jaffrabad was halted by the police and RAF personnel, who even demanded their address proof. A senior police officer said the women were not halted or threatened but were told that prohibitory orders, banning the assembly of four or more persons, were in place following which they left the area. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

On New Year's eve, the youth skipped their parties and the elderly shun the comfort of watching TV at home, as thousands of people protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rang in 2020 with the singing of the national anthem at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh. People roamed around the venue and thronged kiosks for chai to bear the winter chill, while many more stayed put under the tarpaulin shed listening to speakers who got on the stage one after the other. Several roamed around waving national flags while others displayed creative placards against the new law and chanted "Aazadi, Aazadi". As the clock struck midnight, the protesting crowd burst into a cheer to greet the fellow protesters the new year, and moments later broke into the national anthem in unison which was followed by the slogan "Inquilab Zindabad". A city-based artist, who identified herself as Phool Kumari, used the platform to also protest against the arrests of some artists in south India who were held by the police over their anti-CAA kolams recently. "We are living in an Orwellian reality. Absurdity is the new normal. The government is using its brute force at wrong places. Arts and protests, in general, should not be held against the citizens," the 26-year-old artist said, busy writing with chalk the captions of the posters that the protesters used at the venue. Shaheen Bagh, near Jamia Millia Islamia university, has been the protest venue for a section of people opposed to the CAA and the NRC since December 15. At Jamia Millia Islamia on Wednesday, Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker and her co-star from 'Raanjhanaa', Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, attended a public meeting and lauded the protesters' efforts in continuing the agitation. "We have woken up late but now we have woken up. You have woken up the entire country. We are here to thank you," Swara told the protesters.

1484035598_1484259436

Every year when the clock strikes midnight, new rates and regulations come into effect across Saskatchewan. Although some changes will not arrive until later in the year, such as the Federal Carbon Tax increase that applies to power and energy bills, there are a number of changes that will take effect in the new year of 2020. Federal The federal carbon tax will increase from $20 to $30 per tonne of emissions on April 1, 2020. Those changes apply to SaskPower and SaskEnergy bills. Municipal services like Saskatoon Light and Power historically follow the lead of SaskPower and adopt any provincial rate increases. The federal government is providing the following climate change incentives for Saskatchewan residents: $405 for single adults or the first adult in a couple $202 for the second adult in a couple or the first child of a single parent $101 for each child under 18 (starting with the second child for single parents) These incentives mean a family of four could receive $809 annually. The credits will be paid through personal income tax returns. Provincial New legislation to regulate the insurance industry will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2020. The Insurance Act will replace the The Saskatchewan Insurance Act. The province said the new act includes new licensing and supervision requirements and outlines new market conduct standards, among other changes it said will protect consumers. According to the province, it also includes new complaint-handling measures so consumers know where to take complaints and disputes, such as to an ombudservice or the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. Regina In Regina, a property tax increase of 3.25 per cent will occur in 2020. It will be the lowest increase in a decade of property tax hikes. New smoke alarm regulations will also come into effect on Jan. 1, 2020. Rental properties must now have hardwired smoke alarms with a battery back-up on levels with sleeping rooms. Landlords must also ensure that 10-year tamper-proof lithium battery-operated smoke alarms are on all levels without sleeping rooms if they do not already have hardwired, interconnected smoke alarms. The new alarms must be in place by Jan. 1, 2020. Landlords can be prosecuted if a fire occurs and they are in breach of the regulations. Saskatoon Property taxes will increase by 3.7 per cent in Saskatoon. Although the tax is increasing, it's a smaller jump than in 2019, when the tax rate went up 4.4 per cent. Saskatoon Light and Power rates will increase by 2.4 per cent in 2020. The carbon tax charge for residential customers will increase from $0.34 per kilowatt hour to $0.63 per kWh. Water and wastewater costs will increase by 4.1 per cent.

Send this page to someone via email As of January 1, increases in property taxes and fees are now in effect for Saskatoon. A 3.7 per cent property tax increase — voted through by city council in November — took effect when the clock struck midnight, as did new recycling fees and water and wastewater bills. The property tax was raised to accommodate increasing city staff and infrastructure costs, including eight new police officers who will patrol the upcoming supervised consumption site. The new rate will also help pay for a new central library, worth $67.5 million, and a curbside organics program which was allocated $10 million. The recycling program will now cost single households $7.38 a month and $3.71 for those in multi-unit buildings. Water and wastewater rates will go up by 4.1 per cent. Story continues below advertisement READ MORE: 2019 carbon tax rebate decreases in Saskatchewan An increase in the federal carbon tax, which takes place on April 1, will affect SaskEnergy and Saskatoon Light and Power rates, the former of which is expected to increase by six per cent, according to SaskEnergy. The latter will increase by two per cent to 0.63 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). SaskPower has not announced if an increase will take place. The federal carbon tax rebate will also increase for Saskatchewan residents. A family of four, which previously would have received $903 on their income tax return, will now receive $809. The provincial government has appealed the implementation of the carbon tax and a hearing is scheduled for early in the new year. 1:16 Meteor streaking across Saskatoon caught on video Meteor streaking across Saskatoon caught on video

1484034655_1483958067

Shimla, Jan 1 (IANS) The high court here on Monday dismissed a petition challenging the order of appointment of Meera Walia, wife of Subhash Ahluwalia, former Principal Private Secretary to ex-Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, as a member of the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC). While disposing of the petition of Hem Raj, a law student, a division bench comprising Chief Justice L. Narayana Swamy and Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua said the appointment was made by adopting and following the due procedure as mandated by the Constitution and the respondent had been discharged by a Special Judge in allegations of corruption. The court said the petitioner approached the court not with clean hands, but it refrained itself from imposing cost on him for filing such a petition despite being a law student. The judges hoped the state must step in and take urgent steps to frame memorandum of procedure, administrative guidelines and parameters for the selection and appointment of the chairperson and members of HPPSC so that the possibility of arbitrary appointment is eliminated. The petitioner had challenged Walia's appointment on the ground that a first information report (FIR) was lodged against her in the state Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act in 2008. Official sources told IANS that Ahluwalia has been accused of misusing state funds to acquire assets during his previous tenure as Principal Private Secretary to Virbhadra Singh from 2003-07. He has been asked for details about foreign remittances received by him from his children who are working in the US. Ahluwalia was re-appointed as Principal Private Secretary in 2013. vg/arm

Washington, Jan 1 (IANS) Researchers have found that combining neurologic and blood pressure drugs may reduce breast tumour development. According to the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, adding a medication used to treat epilepsy, bipolar disorder and migraines to a blood pressure medicine reversed some aspects of breast cancer in the offspring of mice at high risk of the disease because of the high fat diet fed to their mothers during pregnancy. "We believe that our research is the first to show that we can reverse some aspects of increased breast cancer risk found in offspring of mouse mothers fed a high fat diet during pregnancy," said study researcher Leena A Hilakivi-Clarke from the Georgetown University in the US. "This finding may have important implications in people because exposures in the womb to certain chemicals, or a mother's high fat diet, or being obese, can subsequently increase a daughter's breast cancer risk," Hilakivi-Clarke. According to the researchers, the key drug in the study regimen was valproic acid which, among several targets, inhibits histone deacetylase (HDAC), an important epigenetic silencer of genes. In contrast to mutations that permanently disrupt the normal functions of genes, epigenetic modifications are reversible. Valproic acid was combined with the blood pressure medication hydralazine that inhibits another critical epigenetic regulator, DNA methyltransferase (DNMT). Early treatment studies in people have shown that these two drugs can work in tandem to disrupt tumour growth. These research findings demonstrate how impactful an epigenetic methyl group addition or subtraction from DNA can be. Compounds that reduce methylation of tumour suppressor genes that are excessively methylated (hypermethylated) can be beneficial. However, these drugs can have the opposite effect if tumour suppressor genes are not hypermethylated; they may remove methyl groups from cancer-causing genes, making these genes more active and potentially leading to more aggressive cancers. The other key aspect of this finding involves the potential impact of diet on cancer risk. Many fruits and vegetables have compounds (such as flavones) that chemically react in the same ways as the HDAC- and DNMT-inhibiting drugs in this study. Some compounds in these foods, especially folic acid, have opposite effects. This research suggests that exposure to a high fat diet or endocrine disrupting chemicals in the womb might be reversed by the consumption of foods high in DNMT and HDAC inhibitors, while those who have not had such exposures might also gain a cancer protective benefit from consuming foods high in folic acid. The scientists noted, however, that their findings, particularly as they relate to diet, need to be studied in people. "Our next step will be to try to identify biomarkers in humans that indicate an exposure in the womb to diets or endocrine disrupting chemicals that could increase breast cancer risk later in life," said Hilakivi-Clarke. bu/rt

1484398446_1484259965

Mr Trump played at his own course at Turnberry in Scotland during an official visit to the UK: Getty Donald Trump has been criticised after it was reported he spent nearly one out of every five days playing golf last year – despite famously telling voters he would be too busy working for such activity. Even before he launched his bid for the White House, Mr Trump frequently criticised Barack Obama for playing the game, something the 44th president reserved for when he was on vacation. “I mean he’s played more golf than most people on the PGA Tour, this guy,” Mr Trump said campaigning in New Hampshire. “What is it, over 300 rounds? Hey, look, it’s good. Golf is fine. But always play with leaders of countries and people that can help us! Don’t play with your friends all the time.” That summer, he said at another campaign stop: “If I win I may never see my property — I may never see these places again. But because I’m going to be working for you, I’m not going to have time to go golfing, believe me. Believe me. Believe me, folks.” Now, CNN has tallied that Mr Trump likely spent one out of five days playing golf, a total it reached using a variety of methods as the White House routinely refuses to confirm if he has played a game. Many of those games were at one of his own golf courses, in Florida, New Jersey, Virginia or Ireland. He also suggested hosting the G7 summit at one of his courses, but reversed the idea after criticism. The calculation appeared to tally with a calculation compiled by the Washington Post that suggested since becoming president, he had spent a third of his days visiting a Trump-branded property. Asked about his holiday plans by a member of the military whom he addressed over the Christmas holidays from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, the president replied: “I’m at a place called Mar-a-Lago, we call it the southern White House. I really pretty much work. That’s what I like to do.” On Wednesday, one of the Democrats seeking to challenge Mr Trump in 2020, took aim at his prolific golfing. “For the record, I spent 0 days on the golf course in 2019,” tweeted Amy Klobuchar. Read more Trump administration ‘to ban most e-cigarette flavours’ Giuliani threatens to ‘do demonstrations’ at Trump impeachment trial Iran’s supreme leader attacks Trump on Twitter Trump insists Kim Jong-un is ‘man of his word’

2020 presidential candidate Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar on Wednesday called out President Donald Trump after a report found he had spent one of five days in 2019 at a golf club. A report, published by CNN on New Year's Day, found that Trump, who ended 2019 with a stint at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, had spent more than 252 days at one of his golf clubs and 333 at one of his properties since he was inaugurated in January 2017. Throughout last year alone, the president was at a golf club over at least 86 days. In response, Klobuchar shared the article and said: "For the record, I spent 0 days on the golf course in 2019." For the record, I spent 0 days on the golf course in 2019.https://t.co/nMaa86AXwI — Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) January 1, 2020 Trump is not the only U.S. president to have been repeatedly criticized over his golfing habits. Former President Barack Obama was also part of a long line of American leaders who have demonstrated a love for the sport. In 2016, Trump repeatedly criticized his predecessor for spending time on the golf course during his campaign trail. "I mean he's played more golf than most people on the PGA Tour, this guy," the president said once said at a rally in New Hampshire. "What is it, over 300 rounds? Hey, look, it's good. Golf is fine. But always play with leaders of countries and people that can help us! Don't play with your friends all the time." Klobuchar's remark comes weeks after the sixth Democratic debate in Los Angeles, during which she attempted to make an electability argument as a senator from a purple state who can "bring in the rural and suburban areas." After seeming lost on the debate stage throughout last summer and autumn, Klobuchar left the smaller stage in December having had a more relaxed and assured performance. "She's gotten better as these debates have gone on," political analyst David Axelrod said on CNN after the senator fire back at South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg over his experience and political resume. The moderate candidate, who's is currently polling among the second tier of presidential candidates vying for the 2020 Democratic nomination, has recently declared that she's well-positioned to defeat Trump in the upcoming general election. "I can appeal to independents, too," she told supporters during a visit to Mount Washington Valley this week. "I'm from the middle of the country, where I can win with steel workers in northern Minnesota and with farmers." In this week's Economist/YouGov poll, Klobuchar came in fifth place in the crowded Democratic 2020 field, with four percent support. Former Vice President Joe Biden maintained his longstanding lead with 29 percent, while Senator Bernie Sanders came in second with 19 percent. Sanders was closely followed by Senator Elizabeth Warren, who garnered 18 percent.

1484013582_1484148735

The numbers of arrests for drunken behavior used to be in the 100s for spectators waiting overnight for Pasadena’s Rose Parade to begin. But no more, Lt. Pete Hettema of the Pasadena Police Department said early Wednesday . Last year, only seven were arrested and this year, the number is down to three, Hettema said. “We’ve seen a substantial decrease in the numbers of people who stay on the parade route,” he said. “I don’t think they party as much as they used to.” As for this year, “it was a very quiet night, ” Hetteman said. “It was a little warmer than last year. Still with a low temperature of 45 degrees, people were still trying to stay warm and there were a lot of fires, he said. Police also made an arrest for public intoxication, another for a vehicle code violation and one for a violation of a restraining order, Hettema said. In 2013, more than 20 were arrested.

When we think back on the defining beauty moments of the decade, nails are front and center. Hear us out: The most popular nail colors and trends often reflect their respective times. In an era when nail art props abound and the engagement manicure has become a very real (and specific) kind of pressure, it makes sense to take a closer look at the bottles we're gravitating toward for the perfect Instagram shot. The past 10 years have brought us elaborate spins on nostalgic trends—like squishy jelly nails and the immortal French manicure. But in the interest of distilling these moments down to their most basic forms, we're focusing on the standalone shades that made their mark. So what exactly gives a nail polish notoriety? Sometimes a well-timed celebrity associations raises particular shades to new heights. Other launches start trends of their own. "I know all I wore in 2012 was Essie Mint Candy Apple," reminisced one Glamour editor while we were brainstorming this story. (She was later vindicated by our research; the data shows that Mint Candy Apple was a 2013 top seller.) We talked to three of the top nail polish brands to discover the most popular shades year-to-year from 2009 to 2019. Scroll through for a detailed look at the 11 best-selling shades of the decade—and what made them so iconic.

1484396416_1484299195

By Democrats passed AB 5, written by the unions to force hundreds of thousands out of work or to pay bribes to unions, if they wanted to work. Among those the unions wanted to steal paychecks from are 80,000 independent truckers, many of whom are Hispanics. Yesterday the law took effect. But, first a judge stopped its implementation till a mid-January hearing. “At issue in the judge’s order was the so-called “B Prong” of AB5. AB5 adopted almost verbatim wording from the Dynamex case handed down in California in 2018 which set several tests for when a worker should be considered an employee rather than an independent operator. The B part of the ABC test in Dynamex — the basis for the B prong in AB 5 — said an owner-operator should be considered an employee unless, as Benitez noted, “the person performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business.” A trucking company hiring a truck driver who is independent would not meet that test of independence. A trucking company hiring a cleaning company to tend to its headquarters would meet it. Key legal arguments against AB5 have focused on the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994. That federal law has wording on the ability of states to regulate motor carriers. Attorneys for CTA have argued that FAAAA pre-empts AB5, and Benitez was persuaded.” Regardless of the outcome, the cost of shipping will now go up and the cost of goods and services will also go up. At a time when people are leaving California due to high costs and taxes, this is just another reason for folks to save their families and move to a free State. Hope the truckers win the battle—but the people of California lose, no matter who wins in court. HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) — Trucks began arriving here to pre-position water, military rations, ice and tarps for the post-hurricane relief effort. The trucks, which began arriving Oct. 20, have delivered supplies from Key West to northern Miami-Dade County since the storm passed. (U.S. Air Force photo by Lisa M. Macias). Breaking: federal judge temporarily blocks AB5 enforcement against California trucking John Kingston, Freight Waves, 12/31/19 A federal judge has handed down a temporary restraining order blocking the Jan. 1 implementation of California’s AB5 against motor carriers. AB5 is the law restricting the ability of independent operators — including truck drivers — to operate in the state. In a case brought by the California Trucking Association, Judge Roger T. Benitez of the U.S. Southern District Court ordered the state not to enforce AB5 against any motor carrier in California, pending a final resolution of the lawsuit brought by the CTA. Weston LaBar, the executive director of the Harbor Trucking Association, which is closely aligned with CTA, described it as a “minor victory” but said he hoped it was one step toward “a more fruitful” victory in the CTA’s fight against AB5. While the CTA is the lead plaintiff, LeBar said the Harbor Trucking Association, which represents the drayage sector, supported CTA’s efforts and believed it was the preferred organization to lead the legal fight. At issue in the judge’s order was the so-called “B Prong” of AB5. AB5 adopted almost verbatim wording from the Dynamex case handed down in California in 2018 which set several tests for when a worker should be considered an employee rather than an independent operator. The B part of the ABC test in Dynamex — the basis for the B prong in AB 5 — said an owner-operator should be considered an employee unless, as Benitez noted, “the person performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business.” A trucking company hiring a truck driver who is independent would not meet that test of independence. A trucking company hiring a cleaning company to tend to its headquarters would meet it. Key legal arguments against AB5 have focused on the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994. That federal law has wording on the ability of states to regulate motor carriers. Attorneys for CTA have argued that FAAAA pre-empts AB5, and Benitez was persuaded. In a footnote, the judge said “the Court is persuaded by the likelihood of Plaintiffs’ success on the FAAAA preemption ground.” Benitez chose not to address some other CTA arguments; in essence, he appears to be saying that the FAAAA challenge is enough and other legal points don’t need to be considered at this time. In another part of his ruling, Benitez said the CTA and other plaintiffs “are likely to succeed on the merits.” He also ruled that a restraining order is called for because the plaintiffs are “likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of relief” and “relief is in the public interest.” The ruling suggests that a truck driver would almost never be found to be an independent owner-operator under the tenets of AB5. “Because contrary to Prong B, drivers perform work within (court italics) the usual course of the motor carrier hiring entity’s business, drivers will never be considered independent contractors under California law,” Benitez wrote. And the costs of ignoring the law are significant, he added. “If their interpretation of the statute is correct, Plaintiffs will have to risk criminal prosecution or take significant and costly compliance measures,” he wrote. LaBar called the temporary restraining order a “really good sign.” “It is extremely difficult to get a restraining order and preliminary injunction,” he said. “This bodes well for the case.” “We felt like this was an overreach from day one,” LaBar added. “We felt like this was done with a complete disregard on how this impacted interstate commerce.” He added that he hopes the decision and a possible success in further proceedings can “attract cargo back to the West Coast, giving us boxes to move and livelihoods to make.” LaBar said the next hearing on the case will be Jan. 13.

California’s Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5), which purports to protect workers from evil employers who want to misclassify them as independent contractors, went into effect today. Written by the California Labor Federation and sponsored by former union president Asm. Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), the bill was designed to unionize Uber, Lyft, Doordash drivers and the like, but has had far-reaching impacts on numerous professions (including freelance writers). Currently three lawsuits have been filed by industry groups or corporations challenging the law and requesting preliminary injunctions. As of December 31, injunctions had been granted in suits filed by the California Trucking Association and by Uber and Doordash. There has been no word on when a hearing or ruling would be issued on a motion for preliminary injunction in a suit filed by industry groups representing freelance writers and press photographers. There is a lot of confusion about what exactly AB 5 does. Some of it is misinformation perpetuated by union groups, some comes through ignorance, and much of the confusion comes from the fact that the bill itself is horribly written and contains nonsensical exemptions and requirements. Here is what the LA Times said about how the bill came about and what it does: In April 2018, the California Supreme Court dropped a bomb on a vast swath of companies, from Uber and Lyft to yoga studios and hair salons, which have built their businesses on independent contractors. To classify workers as contractors rather than employees subject to minimum wage and overtime laws, companies would have to satisfy a strict three-pronged test. Under the “ABC test,” a business may only contract with independent contractors who satisfy all three of these conditions: a) they are free from control and direction of the hiring entity; b) they perform work outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business; and c) they are customarily engaged in an independently established business of the same nature as that of the work involved. The court decision set off a scramble in the Legislature. Backed by labor unions that see an opportunity to organize newly empowered employees, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) authored AB 5 to codify the decision, expanding it to areas such as workers’ compensation and unemployment and disability insurance. Gonzalez (an attorney and member of the State Bar) herself said that the Dynamex decision only applied to people subject to wage orders. Ronnie, what happened was that your employer was overly cautious and applied Dynamex to you. Dynamex ONLY applied to wage orders. This is the “fact sheet” Lorena posted straight from CA Labor this week: pic.twitter.com/7nhAoPJ8Dt — JoBeth (@HEYJBMC) December 31, 2019 So, if a person Gonzalez, referencing an AB 5 fact sheet from the California Department of Labor that stated: “While we refer to categories in the bill as exemptions, many would not have been covered by the decision in the first place. Because Dynamex only applied to wage orders, it already excluded many professionals who are not covered by wage orders. AB 5 clarified that by exempting many professional categories. In the past, many people who performed professional consulting, executive, or administrative types of work were not subject to wage orders and could therefore work in either an employee or a freelance capacity and be in compliance with the law. AB 5 changed that, and by default all workers in the state were deemed employees unless their employer/contractor could prove that the worker fell into an exemption. The following professions are completely exempted from AB 5: Insurance agents, physicians, dentists, veterinarians, psychologists, lawyers, engineers, private investigators, architects, accountants, securities brokers regulated by FINRA, direct salespeople, grant writers, fine artists, payment processors, real estate agents, repossession agencies, travel agents, graphic artists. Human Resources administrators and marketing consultants are exempt under certain conditions, as are commercial fishermen, manicurists, estheticians, barbers, and cosmetologists. Freelance writers, press photographers, and editorial cartoonists are only exempt if they produce fewer than 35 pieces per outlet they contribute to. This illustrates some of the idiocy of the exemptions. If an editorial cartoon were to be classified as, say, fine art or graphic art, that person would be fully exempt from AB 5. The only way for people providing professional services who aren’t exempt to continue operating as an independent contractor is to create a business entity and follow a long list of requirements set forth in the bill. For most people, this would cost around $5,000 a year between taxes and necessary professional services to ensure they don’t run afoul of a myriad of state bureaucratic entities’ rules. Even then, nothing requires a company to continue using a California-based freelancer. Since freelancers in the other 49 states (or globally) aren’t subject to these rules, the company can avoid potential (massive) fines by just avoiding California. That’s exactly what has happened. California’s freelancers got zero help from the Cal Chamber and should remember that going forward. The LA Times reported: It did not list Assembly Bill 5, the independent contractor bill, on its annual “job killer” list, preferring to help negotiate for a slew of professionals, such as doctors and real estate agents, to gain exemptions. “We felt it was important to participate in the compromise,” said Chamber President and Chief Executive Allan Zaremberg. “This is a work in progress, and it will continue to be.” This work in progress has left hundreds of thousands of Californians and their families with a huge loss of income and uncertainty about their future. It’s not something on which to simply “compromise” and cherry-pick favored professionals. When California’s freelance economy dries up, all of the state’s businesses will suffer. The geniuses at the Cal Chamber didn’t take that into account.

1484011159_1483794433

Oaklawn Park-based Bravazo tuned up for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1), set for Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park, with a five-furlong workout after the renovation break Monday morning for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Breezing over a fast, sealed surface, Calumet Farm's Bravazo’s time of 1:01 was the fastest of 12 works recorded at the distance. The move represented the second published work for Bravazo since finishing eighth in his comeback race, the Clark Stakes (G1) Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs. “Good work yesterday,” Lukas said Tuesday morning. “Real good. I thought the track was a little bit sticky, yet he still went in a minute. That was good.” Lukas said he should confirm a rider for Bravazo later Tuesday, adding the colt is scheduled to work three more times at Oaklawn before shipping to south Florida on Jan. 20. Bravazo, in his 4-year-old debut, finished fourth in the 2019 Pegasus World Cup before being sidelined following surgery to remove a bone chip from a knee. In his first work following the Clark, Bravazo covered five furlongs in 1:01.40 on Dec. 23. “He’s right on target, barring any unforeseen setbacks,” Lukas said. Lukas said the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup is the start of an ambitious three-race global campaign for Bravazo, who was among the country’s leading 3-year-olds in 2018. Following the Pegasus World Cup, Lukas said Bravazo is scheduled to compete in the inaugural $20 million Saudi Cup – the world’s richest race – Feb. 29 in Saudi Arabia and the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) March 28 in the United Arab Emirates. “That’s our plan,” Lukas said. “That isn’t everybody’s plan. I hear these guys saying, ‘Well, they think they’re waiting for Saudi and not run in the Pegasus.’ To hell with that, I’m running in all three of them. I think he thrives on work. If I don’t do that, seriously, we’d put probably four or five more works into him. That’s probably as shaky as anything.” In 2018, Bravazo won an entry-level allowance race at Oaklawn and the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds before finishing second in the Preakness at Pimlico and $1 million Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park and third in the $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga and $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Churchill Downs. Bravazo has 3-4-3 record from 18 lifetime starts and earnings of $2,009,528.

ELMHURST, Ill. (WLS) -- Three masked robbers forcibly stole cash and cigarettes from an Elmhurst gas station Tuesday morning, according to police.Three male suspects entered a Shell gas station, located at 301 W. Butterfield Road, about 5:45 a.m., Elmhurst police said. They were reportedly wearing hooded sweatshirts and masks. One of the individuals displayed a black handgun and then pushed a gas station employee into a back room, police said.The two others then stole money from the cash register and cigarette cartons from the store, according to police. The three left the store, and no one was injured in the incident.Police and K-9 units searched the area, but the robbery suspects remained at large later Tuesday. Tire tracks in fresh snow could be seen in a rear alley leading onto Butterfield Road Tuesday morning, police said.Elmhurst police did not have a description of the suspects' vehicle, but authorities were looking for security footage of the alleged robbery.The first suspect is described as wearing a black or dark gray hooded sweatshirt, gray pants, black gloves, and a black mask partially covering his face. He was armed with a black handgun. The second was wearing a green hooded sweatshirt, black pants, black gloves, and a black mask partially covering his face. The third was wearing a light blue hooded sweatshirt, black gloves, and a black mask partially covering his face.Anyone with information is asked to call the Elmhurst Police Department at 630-530-3050.

1484010987_1483961949

File photo: Tourists on a beach on Phu Quoc island in southern Vietnam. (Hoang Dinh Nam, AFP) The Department of International Relations (Dirco) has confirmed that a South African woman died over the weekend after a rented home she was staying in on Phu Quoc Island off the southern Vietnamese province of Kien Giang caught fire. Dirco identified the woman as 33-year-old Alana Lens. "The SA Embassy in Hanoi and Dirco are rendering consular assistance to the family," it said. A website called tuoitrenews.vn reported that police officers said Lens and another woman, believed to be Russian, died when flames engulfed the house following an explosion at around 02:30 on Saturday in Duong Dong Town. The report said that although the fire was put out within 40 minutes, the house was destroyed. Five others were hospitalised. The website said two of the injured people were also foreign. - Compiled by Vanessa Banton

Politics Vietnam ready for UN Security Council’s non-permanent membership Vietnam is ready to take on the role as a non-permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council for 2020-2021 from January 1, 2020, said Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese permanent mission to the UN. Politics Vietnam-Indonesia ties develop on solid foundation: Ambassador Strategic trust and benefits are among factors behind the strong development of the relations between Vietnam and Indonesia, who share a lot of cultural and historical similarities, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to Indonesia Pham Vinh Quang. Politics Deputy PM meets delegates to Vietnam-China People’s Forum Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on December 28 hosted a reception for delegates to the 11th Vietnam-China People’s Forum. Politics People’s Councils responsible for supervising law enforcement Supervising law enforcement in localities is not only the right but also the responsibility of the People’s Councils to review the operation of agencies, organisations and individuals, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has said.

1484188831_1483946041

Fr Kevin Mullan. Picture by Niall Carson/PA FIVE Catholic priests in Northern Ireland have been recognised in the latest New Year's honours list announced by the British government. Fr Eugene O'Hagan, his younger brother Fr Martin O'Hagan and Fr David Delargy – who achieved global success as singing group The Priests – accepted MBEs for their music and charity work. Fr Stephen McBrearty, parish priest of Holywood in Co Down, was also made an MBE in recognition of his chaplaincy work inside prisons. And Drumquin parish priest Fr Kevin Mullan, who comforted bereaved families after the 1998 Omagh bomb, received a BEM (British Empire Medal) for services to inter-church collaboration and community relations. Although Irish Catholic priests such as Fr Brian D'Arcy have previously accepted royal honours, it is unusual to have five in one list – including four from the same diocese. Singing trio The Priests hit the big time in 2008 when their classical religious melodies became known internationally. The clerics nurtured their musical talents from their early days together as students at St MacNissi's College, Garron Tower, Co Antrim. Fr Eugene O'Hagan, originally from Glendermott in Derry, is Vicar General of the Down and Connor diocese, while Fr Martin O'Hagan is parish priest of Newtownards and Comber. Fr Delargy, originally from the Ballymena area, is parish priest of the Loughshore Parishes of Whitehouse, Greencastle and St James. Fr Eugene said the honour recognised music's role in building connections across the community. "Music is a great bridge. It has been an enriching experience on both sides," he said. "It is a recognition of that cross-community aspect to the world of music and something people have been able to tap into, so we are happy to accept the nomination." The priests contribute to a charity called Sightsavers which works internationally to prevent blindness. Fr McBrearty, originally from west Belfast, became a prison chaplain at Hydebank Wood in 1997 and was appointed lead Catholic chaplain in the north's prisons in 2008. "This award recognises and pays tribute to the extraordinary contribution of all chaplains from all Christian denominations and other faiths – the men and women who untiringly give their service to the prison parish family," he said. "Throughout the history of Northern Ireland Prison Service, chaplains have been appointed to spiritually and pastorally accompany those placed into their care and those they work alongside. "In their ministry, chaplains bring an awareness of the need for prisoners to be reconciled and resettled into the community within which much pain and suffering has been caused by their actions." Down and Connor bishop Noel Treanor congratulated the diocesan priests. "These awards, both individually and collectively, pay tribute to the well-deserved contribution of these priests to their respective fields of ministry, pastoral care and the wider community and also to the outreach and role of the Church within society," he said. Fr Mullan's community work has included the Omagh Community Youth Choir, which was formed in the wake of the Omagh bomb, and cross-community youth initiative the Ulster Project. The 73-year-old, who also forged high-profile links with Presbyterian minister Rev David Armstrong in Limavady in the 1980s, said he was "really delighted" to accept the honour. "It underlines for me the importance of inter-church work. They recognise that for the good of society and stability that inter-church work is important," he said. "We have a church forum in the area, and I think it's a lovely honour for them as well."

Hong Kong: A march drawing tens of thousands of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong on New Year's Day spiralled out of control as police fired tear gas at crowds before halting the event. Tens of thousands of people march through the streets of the Causeway Bay district of Hong Kong on January 1. Credit:Bloomberg The violence broke out during the largely peaceful march as masses of citizens pressed authorities for further concessions in the Chinese-ruled city. In the Wanchai bar district, some protesters had sprayed graffiti and smashed cash machines in an HSBC branch when riot police moved in, pepper-spraying crowds in a tense face-off. Tear gas was then fired into the crowds, affecting families and children. The protesters, some with gas masks and clad in black, regrouped and formed their own lines as police blocked roads to prevent large crowds from completing the march as night fell.

1484034648_1483781547

Mumbai, Jan 1 (IANS) Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday tweeted a video clip of a differently abled boy playing cricket with children his age, making his fans praising the youngster's passion for the sport. Tendulkar tweeted the clip and wrote on @sachin_rt: "Start your 2020 with the inspirational video of this kid Madda Ram playing cricket with his friends. It warmed my heart and I am sure it will warm yours too." The clip got 256.3K views, 9.7K retweets and 64.2K likes at the last count. Ace photographer Atul Kasbekar tweeted: "Let's go meet with him master, I'll take the picture." One fan posted: "I see him as a soldier, how he loves and is passionate about this game...Also should appreciate other kids -- they accept him as an ordinary player..." One fan suggested: "Gift the kids a cricket set for the new year. Another remarked: "Real gift would be to try and put him back on his legs." One post read: "We lose when we accept it, we win when we make up our mind."One commented: "Spirit of the game called cricket..." "Really inspiring," said another fan of the former cricketer. A user remarked: "Yes, it's a really inspirational tweet. Really overwhelmed." tsb/saurav/rt

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Jan 1 (ANI): People welcomed 2020 here by watching the first sunrise of the year at the Gateway of India on Wednesday morning. "I had come to shoot the rising sun at the Gateway of India. There is a new feeling every year. I hope for the best in the new year. This time it is a bit cold in Mumbai which is unexpected," Om Singh, a city resident said. "I have come from Varanasi. Watching the first sunrise here was a novel experience," Rani Singh, a tourist said. "Watching the first sunrise of 2020 was a mystic experience. My best wishes to everyone on this occasion," Ruchika, another city resident said. (ANI)

1483805302_1484406735

Dudley Zoo, West Midland Safari Park, Telford's Exotic Zoo and Chester Zoo have all celebrated new arrivals during 2019. From bats to penguins there been plenty of new faces for visitors to Dudley Zoo to get to know as they make they way around the enclosures. Kicking off the year was the arrival of an Egyptian fruit bat in January who was the first of seven bats to born in its indoor Castle Creatures exhibit. In February there were celebrations in the Small Primate House when keepers welcomed critically endangered black and white ruffed lemur twins, Pandora and Prometheus. And March was another brilliant month for primates with the birth of a pygmy marmoset, twin ring-tailed lemurs, Spider and Loki and gelada Jinka. Plus, the zoo also welcomed two baby Patagonian mara and three Barbary sheep. Baby penguin at Dudley Zoo April heralded the arrival of Primrose, another critically endangered black and white ruffed lemur, four guinea pigs were born on Easter Day, there was another Patagonian mara, plus Nuno the Humboldt penguin, who was named after the Wolves Manager. In May, tiny Harvest mice were born in the farm barn. Advertising Baby camel There were more celebrations on the farm in June when staff welcomed Bactrian camel, Delilah to the zoo family. July saw the birth of two meerkat pups, who didn’t make their public debut outside until a month later. During August Oakley the Bactrian camel arrived, alongside Toby, the Standing’s Day gecko in the Reptile House and another Patagonian mara. Advertising September saw the notable birth of Kira, the zoo's female giraffe calf, Maximus the Burrowing owl hatched and staff welcomed their ninth yellow-breasted capuchin too, another little boy, who has been named Deet. And little Shire, the second male gelada of the year arrived in October. Three endangered dhole pups have been born at West Midland Safari Park. Curator Richard Brown, said: “We’re delighted with our new arrivals, who are all making fantastic progress, as they're living proof of the continued success of our international conservation programmes with some of the rarest species in the world, so why not come and visit them in 2020 to see how much they’ve grown." Keepers at West Midland Safari Park have also had many reasons to celebrate this year. In March, three boisterous, endangered dhole (Asiatic wild dog) pups were born but keepers didn't meet them pups face-to-face until they were 10 weeks old as they were kept hidden away in their den by seven-year-old mum, Berri. Luckily, staff were alerted to the pups’ appearance when they noticed some tiny, wriggling fluff-balls, being carefully washed by their dad, Douglas, on the dhole house CCTV. Like a domestic puppy, the dhole pups had their first veterinary check, microchips and vaccinations at ten weeks old. This also gave staff the chance to see what gender the pups were too – two boys and a girl. On the morning of March 13, keepers were astonished to find that the Park’s pair of grey-handed douroucouli, also known as night monkeys or owl monkeys, had given birth to a tiny baby. A tiny baby douroucouli has been born at West Midland Safari Park. The appearance of the minute monkey came as a complete surprise to keepers, as they had no idea that mum, eight-year-old Kyna, was pregnant. Baby douroucouli only weigh a miniscule 3oz at birth, so although the adults are weighed weekly, there was no indication that Kyna was carrying a small passenger In June here were smiles all round when three tiny, cute and incredibly fluffy chinchilla babies made their first appearance. The long-tailed chinchilla youngsters, known as ‘kits’ were born to first-time parents, Gladys and Julian, who can normally be seen in the park’s Friendly Animal Encounters and Safari Academy classroom sessions. Keepers suspected that Gladys may have been pregnant as she was putting on a lot of weight, as discovered in her weekly health checks. After they had alerted the Park’s veterinary team to their suspicions, the vet confirmed Gladys was pregnant and promptly put her on ‘maternity leave’. During their afternoon rounds on June 1, keepers were excited to find the three tiny balls of fluff, no bigger than a ping pong ball, cuddled up with their mum. The same month two fluffy, grey Humboldt penguin chicks also emerged from their nests , under the watchful eyes of their parents – pairs Elm and Elder and Ash and Juniper. Three tiny, endangered chinchilla babies have been born at West Midland Safari Park All babies born at the park during 2019 have names beginning with the letter ‘H’ and the penguin keepers went for a food theme and named the chicks ‘Hotdog’ and ‘Haggis In July they welcomed the arrival of a critically endangered teeny-tiny pancake tortoise. After hatching from its egg, the miniscule youngster, named Hartley, was about the size of a bottle-top, which was reused as a water bowl for the tiny hatchling. Hartley is the second success of the park’s breeding programme for pancake tortoises, following the hatching of older half-brother Finn, who became an internet sensation in 2017, due to his minute size. Deputy head keeper of the Discovery Trail, Steve Slater, said: “When Finn, our first baby pancake tortoise, hatched in 2017, the conservation status of his species was classed as ‘vulnerable’ by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Since then, the IUCN have reviewed the status and have found that the population of the species is drastically declining, so now list the species as ‘critically endangered’.” Twelve baby skunks were been born at Telford Exotic Zoo A dozen baby skunks have been settling in to their new home after being welcomed into the world at Telford’s Exotic Zoo over the summer. The kits, which are black, brown and albino, proved a big a hit with visitors. Visitors got a nice surprise when a pair of baby Patagonian maras came into the world before their very eyes. Staff at the popular attraction in Priorslee had no idea their mother was pregnant but have warmly welcomed the new arrivals. The zoo may have become the first in the UK to successfully breed black widow spiders – welcoming between 100 and 200 of the tiny creatures just in time for Halloween. But as well as the thrill of seeing the infamous creatures up close, The zoo’s owner Scott Adams says he’s hoping people take the time to learn more about these often misunderstood spiders. Visitors to a Chester Zoo were buzzing with delight following the arrival of three cute rock hyrax pups. Rock hyrax pups at Chester Zoo The triplets - two female pups and their brother - were born to parents Daissie and Nungud on July 18. The mini mammals weighed no more than a banana at about 250 grams. Keepers also celebrated the birth of Chester Zoo’s first dusky pademelon – a rare ‘miniature kangaroo’ from Indonesia. The adorable joey started to peek out from the pouch of first-time mother Styx after being born earlier in the spring. Dusky pademelons, also known as dusky wallabies, are small, hopping marsupials found in forests on the island of New Guinea, as well as some neighbouring islands. Five endangered ring-tailed lemurs were also among the new arrivals Zoo, as well as one rare black lemur, the first to be born there.

If you feel about this past year the way that I do, dear reader, you may question why anyone would want to relive 2019. Well, newspaper traditions being what they are, columnists are expected to write “The Year In Review”columns. At my age, newspapers and I have something in common. We’re both happy to have survived another year. I began 2019 with a snarky multiple-choice test that mainly depended on my annoyance with President Donald Trump. That January column was to be the first of many columns inspired by our dysfunctional president. Sadly, your reaction to the column proved that you were even more annoyed at me than I was with the president. That theme (or is it meme?) persisted during 2019. Me annoyed with Trump. You annoyed with me. After my equally snarky next column — this one about Trump’s proposed wall (how’s that going, by the way?) — I followed with a column about men and their underwear, of which I, at least, have first-hand knowledge. I like to think that January’s columns demonstrated the wide diversity of my interests. February began with a personal reminiscence about my family’s politics. It took me about 70 years to find out that mom was a Democrat. I’m a slow learner. Mom spent her final years disrupting the current events discussions at her nursing home arguing about the inadequacies of George W. Bush. Mom — if you were alive today, you might actually appreciate good old Dubya. Sure, he never found the WMD, but at least he never tweeted and never held up aid to Ukraine. As is my habit around Valentine’s Day, I handed out relationship advice in my next column. I mused that, in part, the longevity of my marriage of over half a century is due to inertia. Fran’s not mine. I’m sticking close by the fire these days. There’s practically no market for a man with one kidney (his wife’s), whose only skill is making restaurant reservations. I followed that column writing about things I learned recently (and forgot the next day). And proving that I can complain about the slightest things, I ended the month with a column in which I moaned about having to wipe down the tiles after I’m done showering. Incredibly, I returned to complaining about the shower in another column later in the year. March always comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, at least that’s what mom used to say. Unfortunately, that was not reflected by March columns this year. The month opened with me writing an inane column citing what had happened on March 6 in history. What’s special about March 6? Nothing. And I took 900 words to prove it. It was back to complaining in my next March column, this time about my voice- activated remote (yes, my complaints center on the trivial and are endless). I followed that column with another, this time grumbling about having to change the time on every clock and watch — TWICE a year — because of daylight saving time. In the same column, I debated the proper way to drape toilet paper. Over or under? (I can be helpful about so many things that no one cares about). In my final March column, I shared with you details of our momentous move from South Philly, where we’d both lived all of our lives, to Center City. I begged forgiveness for deserting you. Strangely, you didn’t seem all that sad that we were leaving. The unquestionable highlight of my April columns was my return to complaining about my shower — this time the one in our new apartment. You know I’m desperate for non-Trump topics when I write TWO columns complaining about the bathroom shower. In May, I ticked off a reader who had some special interest, likely monetary, in homeopathic medicine. I trashed it. Maybe the guy was just a big fan of St. John’s Wort? June found me complaining about my Trump addiction. You agreed — and suggested it might help if I stopped writing about him. In a July column, I proved (as if this needed proving) that my favorite topic was — and is — myself. Incredibly, I actually interviewed myself. In print. And I used two columns to do it. As if to sum up your feelings, I titled my first column in August THE LAST STRAW. In September, reaching for a subject no one had ever had any prior interest in, I treated readers to a detailed explanation of “glamping.” Not one reader has shown even a modicum of interest in the origins of glamping since that column, either. In October, I found your patience with me waning when I accused Trump supporters of belonging to a cult. Many of you wrote back assuring me that keeping statues of the president in your finished basements proved nothing. Yes, but you’ve got to admit that burning incense in front of those statues while repeating Trump’s inaugural address is a tad over-the-top. You might accuse me of being cruel in one of my November columns, A BRIEF HISTORY OF LOSING, dealing with the inept history of the local Republican Party. But I wasn’t the one thinking Billy Ciangalini would be our next mayor. The saddest thing about November was that we had to say goodbye to sports columnist Bill Lyon. By December, I fancied myself a film critic (is there no end to my talents?) with a review of THE IRISHMAN, or as I called it, THE MEDIGAN. As 2020 arrives, I enter my 57th year as columnist for the Review. And what does it say about you, that you’re still reading this stuff? •• You can follow Tom Cardella on Facebook. As if you haven’t had enough.

1484188528_1484094182

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. — Viktor Frankl Silence. From peace to fear, being alone in silence can evoke many emotions within any leader. And it makes sense. In silence, we can really focus on getting our work done efficiently and without distraction. Our minds can drift to happy memories or exciting weekend plans. Or, silence can provide the space for stressful thoughts like looming deadlines, big presentations, or past imperfections. Overlook Corey Ruffner Now, what if there was a life tool that could help us cope with and control how we react to our thoughts? Imagine how it’d not only boost our focus, but also enhance our ability to make better decisions in all kinds of situations. As a leader, what’s more important than that? This is exactly what practicing mindfulness and meditation can train the mind to do, which is useful in a leadership position—and life too! By learning to come to the present moment with awareness of our thoughts without judgement, we’ll be better equipped to appropriately respond when it matters most. But don’t take my word for it. Countless other executive and entrepreneurial leaders from Bill Gates to Marc Benioff to Oprah also promote the merits of mindfulness. Even studies from Ivy League institutions like Harvard are uncovering the positive effects of meditation. Like anything though, it’s hard to get started. Or, if you’re already familiar with the practice, taking it to the next level can be just as difficult. So, where do you go next? Maybe it’s my nature as an entrepreneur, but I think the best way forward is to dive in headfirst. Let Go of the Fear “I was surprised in a positive way by the silence. It was hard, but also really important to just be with myself. It freed up a lot of space in my mind.” — Past donothing Retreat Participant If embarking on a multi-day retreat in silence scares you, you’re not alone. Personally, I’ve been on over a dozen silent retreats and I still get nervous. Even today, I feel the butterflies before a new retreat begins. I also notice brain fill up with worries like: Will my business run fine without me? How many emails will I have to respond to when I return? Am I going to get bored? Which thoughts will pop into my mind? What will I do for so long without my iPhone!? Today, most humans simply aren’t used to living without an instant connection to the world. However, we’re didn’t evolve to be as connected as we are today. In fact, more studies are showing that the increasing dependence on our electronics are causing alarming spikes in anxiety, stress, and depression. It’s severely affecting our quality of sleep, self-esteem, distraction levels, and work-life balance. Think of extended silence as a way to recalibrate our new, often inevitable, dependence on technology. By temporarily breaking this connection, we can both feel comfortable living without these devices while also finding gratitude for the benefits they do offer. Silence also provides us with uninterrupted time to focus on the one thing we too often neglect—ourselves. What Really Happens At a Silent Retreat? “I am able to bring the benefits of meditation back to my employees. I’ve learned to treat everyone with more kindness. I’m also handling employee challenges in a calmer, more productive way.” — Past donothing Retreat Participant Every silent retreat is different, so I certainly can’t speak for all of them. What I can say though, is that the perfect mindfulness retreat experience is out there for you. Also, don’t think a meditation means you’ll be sitting alone in a strange room for hours on end. It’s actually quite the opposite! Many retreats involve regular movement and practices like mindful walking, stretching practices, hikes, meditation, and wisdom talks from the group leaders. At the donothing Retreat, for example, we stay in silence for two of the days. Most meditation sessions last for about 25–45 minutes. Between meditating, we’re off to walk through the mountains, eat a healthy meal, or just relax. Each of these events is designed to deepen your practice and teach mindful tools made to carry home with you. Most participants have found that the days fly by much faster than expected! They often leave feeling rejuvenated, rested, and inspired to take their leadership to the next level. They’re also in awe of how closely they bonded with other attendees despite spending so much time in silence. Lastly, the most important results happen after they return home. Most participants say they arrived back at the office feeling refreshed, refocused and reinvigorated not only as a leader, but in countless ways throughout their lives. They also notice a positive difference in their decision-making abilities, their reactions to tough questions, and their presence around others. Even if you attend once—and decide that once is enough—you’ll still walk away with valuable mindfulness tools you’ll carry for the rest of your life. Will it be a challenge? Absolutely, and it’ll be the greatest, most rewarding leadership challenge of your life. Ready to jump in feet first and join a mindfulness and meditation retreat? Whether it’s at the donothing Leadership Retreat in Colorado from April 19—23, 2020, or one of the other amazing retreats located worldwide at locations like Spirit Rock, 1440 Multiversity, or elsewhere, I promise that you’ll feel rewarded for a lifetime. Connect with me, Rob Dubé, on Twitter and LinkedIn and keep up with my company imageOne. If you have any questions about meditation, mindfulness, retreats or anything else, don’t hesitate to reach out. Learn more about my mission to show business leaders how mindfulness can be transformational to themselves, their businesses, and others in my book donothing. Also, don’t miss my weekly donothing podcast where I interview inspiring leaders every week. Visit www.donothingbook.com for more information.

Must-have apps are more likely to succeed because they tend to solve big problems and address urgent ... [+] needs. Here’s how to make your app idea a must-have solution not by changing your idea but by focusing on the right group of users and buyers. Getty Out of all the products you use today, how many can you not live without? Those are must-have solutions and they are the best startup app ideas to build. They’re more likely to succeed because they tend to solve big problems and address urgent needs. Even if they’re buggy apps, people will use them as long as they get the job done. Thus, if you’re building an app idea for underserved and underrepresented groups with urgent needs and limited alternative solutions, you’re onto something. Here’s how to make your app idea a must-have solution not by changing your idea but by focusing on the right group of users and buyers. 1. Segment The Market If you look closely, the same app idea can be critical for one group and good-to-have for another. Take the example of LinkedIn. For some professionals, it’s just one of the platforms for networking and discovering opportunities. For others, it’s their most valuable customer acquisition, branding or recruiting channel. Without it, they could lose millions of dollars and access to the best talent. Identifying to whom your product is essential is the first step in finding your target buyer, however, finding this group is usually not enough to make your product must-have. In many cases, many alternative solutions successfully address the needs of this identified group which makes it challenging to compete and capture market share. To find the sweet segmentation spot, look for underserved groups. Are there groups of buyers that are currently using other solutions but have needs that are not addressed by existing products? For example, assume you’re building an email marketing platform for small businesses. As you may know, there are many great tools on the market but are they all the right fit for every small business? Take your time identifying your most viable segment; a group with limited options but an urgent need for a solution. Capturing this segment will make it significantly easier to expand into new ones in the future. 2. Measure Gain/Pain Ratio Having found this ideal group, one of the most effective exercises for evaluating customer adoption is by estimating the gain/pain ratio which compares the benefits obtained from using your product versus the cost for the customer to switch to your solution. In other words, it answers the question: does my product really address an urgent need for an underserved market and does it solve the problem exceptionally better than existing solutions for the customer to find it a no-brainer to switch to my company? To estimate your gain/pain ratio, first, list the potential benefits gained from using your product. These could be more revenue, lower expenses, time saved, an opportunity for your customers to build a competitive edge with your product, etc. Second, list the challenges your potential users could face from using your product. These could be training costs and time, product cost, loss of data, technical challenges, risk of your failure as a new provider, etc. As a rule of thumb, you want your gain to be 10 times higher than the pain of adopting and using the product. If you can’t deliver over 10X the value, most customers will prefer sticking to existing solutions even if there is a tangible benefit from switching to your company. Time and money are the easiest variables to project in your estimations of customers’ gain. Could your customized solution for this underserved group help them make or save 10X more money? Could it help them save 10X more time? The more competitive the space, the bigger your ratio should be. 3. Customize Solution With a strong value proposition that aims to deliver exceptional results for the target segment, creating a product for this group is no different from the approach taken to define who this ideal buyer is. Start by defining the must-have features and what existing solutions aren’t offering. Qualitative research can only help you make educated and research-backed hypotheses. Customer interviews is the most effective channel for gathering actionable insights about user needs, product functionality and even effective marketing channels and strategies. This post is a reminder about the importance of segmentation for startup success. Better, faster and cheaper products is one way to go, focusing on underrepresented and underserved groups is an effective differentiation strategy that will make you stand out without necessarily reinventing the wheel but by making it fit better into users’ vehicle.

1484009440_1575834546

It’s a new year (and a new decade), so it’s time for new resolutions. Few years have as much riding on them as 2020. Either we will get rid of Trump and start repairing the damage he’s wrought, or we will be stuck with an unfettered orange man for another four years. The stakes are high, so the resolutions should match them. Here’s are some things that we’re promise to keep in mind as the months go by. Related: Meet the lesbian chef creating gourmet meals & delivering them to sex workers Don’t freak out when the Senate acquits Trump. As sure as the sun rises in the east, the Republican-controlled Senate will vote to acquit the president of the impeachment charges against him. GOP Senators have already signaled that their minds are made up. In the words of Trump-lover Lindsey Graham, “This thing will come to the Senate, and it will die quickly, and I will do everything I can to make it die quickly.” That doesn’t mean that the process was in vain. But just like the Mueller Report, impeachment was never going to be the mechanism for removing Trump from office. That opportunity happens on November 3. So don’t get dejected when Trump gets to stay in office. With any luck, it will just be for a few more months. Send Ruth Bader Ginsburg lots and lots of vitamins. The Supreme Court is already tilted toward conservatives. But if another justice decides to leave the bench voluntarily or otherwise, the results would be a solid right-wing block that would do everything to erase LGBTQ progress. The justice whose health is most open to speculation is Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a reliable liberal vote. Last year, Ginsburg was hospitalized for a stomach bug; more seriously, in 2018 she underwent treatment for lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. At 85, the Justice is remarkably resilient, and she’s indicated she intends to stay on the bench as long as she can. But if she falters, Republicans will ram through another right-wing nominee, disregarding the supposed respect for voters they used to block Merrick Garland’s nomination. We need Ginsburg to stay healthy, at least until a Democrat can choose her replacement. If you can’t send vitamins, send chicken soup. Resolve not to talk smack about Democrats. Everyone’s favorite pastime is trashing Democrats. It’s even the Democrats’ favorite pastime. But with the stakes so high, grousing about policy differences that are a matter of degree is counterproductive. Yes, Medicare for All versus Medicare for All Who Want It is a significant difference. But compared to the Republicans’ desire to repeal Obamacare altogether, the differences are small potatoes. 2020 is the year to keep the focus on the real goal: dumping Trump. Enjoy the good news. The new year isn’t going to be all doom and gloom. Sure, politics will be overwhelming because of what’s at stake. But there will be some fun too. The Summer Olympics is bound to highlight some new out athletes who will capture our imagination. The arts are guaranteed to deliver some joy. Just one example: the movie version of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights, complete with a new lesbian plot, will hit screens during Pride Month. And then there’s Pride Month itself—thirty days of celebration that no political dark clouds can ever dim. Get Pete to wear a colored shirt. Does Pete Buttigieg wear a white oxford shirt to bed? He certainly wears it virtually every place else. Just about every photo of the presidential candidate shows him in a white shirt, with no sports jacket. We’d like to resolve to have Pete get a little more colorful. How about (gasp!) a blue shirt? Or maybe even a pattern, as long as it’s not argyle? We get that the white shirt with rolled-up sleeves shows that Pete is serious, but he doesn’t need a sartorial crutch to prove that point. How about a little style? After all, he is the first major gay presidential candidate. Vote. This is the easiest resolution of all. Don’t take the election results for granted. Even if the polls show Trump losing by a landslide, cast your ballot. The lesson of 2016 is not to take the results for granted. And don’t forget about the Senate. A Democratic president won’t get much done if the GOP still calls the shots in the Senate. With any luck, when 2021 rolls around, our resolutions will all be about getting back on the road to justice.

Appearing on Fox News, former congressman Trey Gowdy said he believes if the impeachment trial were held today “the president would win. And I don’t think he’d lose a single Republican senator and he might pick up one Democrat.” Gowdy suggested Republicans get the trial over with without witnesses since they have the numbers, saying “if you have the jury and you know how they’re going to know how they’re going to rule, go ahead and get it over with. And then the president can say whatever he wants to after the trial is over.” Gowdy also revealed he believes Pelosi’s stalling tactic is about putting GOP Senators in swing districts in “tight spots” which she thinks might help Democrats take back the Senate in 2020. “This is about putting a handful of Republican senators in tight spots in November, Cory Gardner and Thom Tillis and Susan Collins and Martha McSally. Put them in tight spots, make them cast difficult votes.” WATCH: This article first appeared on TheConservativeOpinion.com

1484189309_1488837023

Virtually all experts and observers envision a near-certain acquittal of President Donald Trump by the U. S. Senate after the House passage of two articles of impeachment Dec. 18th. The Constitution requires a vote of two-thirds of the Senate to convict and remove a president — or 67 votes. However damning and culpable Trump’s actions in withholding critical aid to Ukraine against Russian aggression to force an investigation of a political rival, very few believe that 20 Republican senators will join 45 Democrats and two independents likely to vote for conviction. But the larger, and perhaps more important question is whether the trial is going to be conducted fairly, with full respect for the Constitution and the rule of law. Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate majority leader, has already placed a heavy hand on the scales against a fair trial. He said he will work closely with the White House to oversee the trial, though his control over the trial is limited. The Constitution places the chief justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, as the presiding officer — not McConnell. But McConnell’s strong bias in favor of what amounts to an indicted defendant, President Trump, is equal to having the head of a jury say he will side with the defendant before a trial even begins. The ranking Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, wrote to McConnell, urging him to guarantee a fair trial in the interests of all parties and the country. That would mean, Schumer wrote, the appearance of key White House officials who have refused to testify and the release of vital documents withheld by the president. There are several Republican senators who do not like or respect Trump — and are not afraid to say so. They range from outspoken critics like Mitt Romney (Utah) to occasionally independent skeptics such as Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine) and Pat Toomey (Pennsylvania). While many more quietly express disdain for Trump, his policies and behavior, it totals far less than 20, barring a bombshell soon. Sign up for The Point Go inside New York politics. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. Yet, along with 47 Democrats and independents, it would take just four senators to block McConnell’s drive to ram through a verdict without calling key witnesses and hidden documents. A 51-49 vote to require those witnesses and documents, including a full, unredacted version of the Ukraine call, would bring those to account. Trump’s refusal to allow key White House officials to testify and to release vital documents is tantamount to Richard Nixon’s cover-up in 1974 — the key act that led to his approaching impeachment and resignation. Even Mr. Nixon did not block White House officials from testifying. The American public has a right to hear from White House officials who refused to testify before the House of Representatives as they developed two articles of impeachment, for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. They are, especially, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and John Bolton, a former national security adviser who was fired by Trump. Bolton once objected to the Ukraine meddling by Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani as “a drug deal.” The near-total acceptance of Trump’s behavior by virtually all Republicans to this point is shameful. In addition to turning a blind eye to Russian aggression in Ukraine, basically supporting Vladimir Putin, the Republican Party has ignored an unprecedented pattern of corruption and unlawful behavior by Trump and his close aides. Trump fired or castigated anyone who dared to oppose him, from Assistant Attorney General Sally Yates, who warned about the Russian connections of then-national security adviser Michael Flynn, to James Comey to Michael Cohen. Cohen paid $130,000 in hush money to a porn star to help Trump. Flynn pled guilty; Cohen is in jail. Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign manager, is serving a seven-year jail term for corrupt activities. The favoritism shown Trump’s children by China, Arab countries and others is far worse than GOP claims against the Bidens. Once Democratic House managers of impeachment lay out their case, the only defense for Trumpite Republicans is to try to slam the door on revelation of the broader context of a truly “deep state” of malfeasance and corruption embodied by the 45th president. Even the vice presidential option to break a 50-50 tie on demands for critical witnesses and documents would fail if four Republican senators stood up for justice and the rule of law. Frederic B. Hill, a former foreign correspondent for The Baltimore Sun, served as foreign affairs director for a Republican senator, Charles McC. Mathias Jr. of Maryland, and later conducted war-gaming exercises on national security issues for the Department of State. Hill covered the Watergate scandal for The Sun in 1973 and 1974.

Impeachment is a solemn process that impacts the American nation like no other political issue. At its core, the impeachment of a president is about determining whether that individual is fit to serve in the highest office of the land. It is deliberately walled off from the question of that individual’s political appeal or public support. This is because, when drafting the American Constitution, its founding fathers inserted provisions to ensure that monarchical rule is never extended over the United States again. During the impeachment process, the House of Representatives conducts an inquiry of, drafts, debates, and then passes Articles of Impeachment. The US Senate then acts as a jury of those articles, conducting a trial overseen by the leader of the third branch of government – the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court – ultimately deciding whether to remove the president from office or not. The House voted to impeach President Donald Trump for obstruction of Congress and abuse of power over his dealings with Ukraine, making him the third American president to be impeached. Soon, impeachment will be in the hands of the Senate. Embedded in the constitutional process of impeachment is an understanding that members of Congress, once elected, belong to the governing bodies in which they are serving and not to their own political parties. That is the burden of being an elected official – one must serve the entire country and honour his or her oath to the constitution. Senators from the Republican Party, however, have already indicated that they will approach impeachment along partisan lines. Leading Senate Republicans such as Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham have pre-emptively stated that they would seek to cut the impeachment trial short and acquit the president. Unfortunately, corruption of the impeachment process is surprisingly simple. There are no forcing mechanisms to require senators to be objective jurors. They must voluntarily choose to put their country first and to honour their constitutional oath. Nothing legally compels them to do so – just their integrity. From an overall political perspective, impeachment is a net negative for President Trump. A Fox News poll reports that 54 percent of registered American voters support impeachment and 50 percent support his removal from office. But this may not be enough to move the Senate, where 53 of the 100 Senators are Republicans and 67 votes are required to remove Trump. Many Republicans ultimately see their political fates tied to the president’s – in effect, choosing their political fortunes over their oaths to the constitution and the institutions in which they serve. Yet, there is still a chance that some Republicans may not hold the partisan line, especially those who represent swing states, who are retiring, or who have already spoken out critically of Trump, such as Senators Mitt Romney (Utah), Cory Gardner (Colorado), Susan Collins (Maine), Lamar Alexander (Tennessee), Mike Enzi (Wyoming), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), and Martha McSally (Arizona). Setting the rules for the Senate trial is the next phase of the debate. These rules will define the procedures that will guide the trial, including determining whether there will be witnesses, whether more information from the White House will be sought, and the amount of time scheduled for debate. Senate Majority Leader McConnell will need 51 senators to support him, meaning that any three defecting Republicans can prevent his rules from taking effect. Currently, the pro-Trump camp is calling for limiting the number of direct witnesses to the president’s Ukraine moves. They also seek to make the process as short as possible. Yet adding to the drama are the calculations of both Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – they are trying to push McConnell to call witnesses and have a fair Senate trial. Specifically, Schumer is seeking testimony from direct advisers to and witnesses of the president, such as acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and former National Security Advisor John Bolton. Thus, the internal Republican fight will be over whether to have witnesses at the Senate trial, with Democratic pressure coming from both inside and outside the Senate Chamber. What is only guaranteed is that when the Articles are sent over to the Senate by the House, that the chief justice will call for them to be presented by the House prosecutors, and then for the president’s team to rebut the charges against him. The downside risk for Trump right now is that if the Republican senators decide to limit the Senate trial, they will permanently stain Trump’s reputation, as acquittal will be perceived as more an act of political loyalty than justice. Questions about Trump’s behaviour will never be publicly aired and answered, and instead will be buried under the Republican desire to hide the testimony of direct witnesses who could exculpate the president. Senate Republicans would be doing him no favour, as Trump would emerge deeply discredited in the eyes of a majority of Americans. Instead of being seen as innocent and vindicated, the president would be seen as protected and damaged. And Americans who support removal will see the country’s constitutional order threatened by a president who is no longer required to adhere to any rules. However, if some Republicans decide to hold their integrity above partisanship and make sure that witnesses are called to the trial, the potential exists for everything to change. There have been moments in American congressional history where one witness has changed everything. Take for example the McCarthy Red-Scare hearings of 1954, when witness Joseph Welch confronted Senator Joseph McCarthy, stating “have you no sense of decency?” in front of a nationally televised audience. That line was unexpected, and it destroyed not only McCarthy’s crusade but also his career. This is what the pro-Trump camp is most afraid of and will do anything to prevent from happening. Ultimately, regardless of what happens in the Senate, Trump will be damaged by the impeachment process. Either he gets acquitted by the Senate after an open trial with witnesses and still carries the label of “impeached”, or he gets acquitted without a fair trial and is seen as politically protected and above the law. And looming, just ever so slightly, remains the prospect of him still suffering the political death penalty and getting removed from office, the first time ever for a president in American history. Comments

1484035130_1516983064

How this anti-Semitism came to be: The virulent hatred snowballed over the yearsBy Eli SteinbergNew York Daily News |Dec 31, 2019 | 5:00 AMOrthodox Jews around the country — and specifically in the tri-state area — were still reeling from the shooting at a kosher deli earlier this month when we gathered with our families to celebrate the holiday of Chanukah. But that air of tranquility was shattered by a string of nearly a dozen anti-Semitic attacks over the holiday, the most severe of which was a mass stabbing at a rabbi’s home upstate as he lit his menorah.The stabbing attack succeeded in bringing to the fore what we visibly Orthodox Jews have known for quite some time: There’s a growing epidemic of anti-Semitism in this country, specifically targeting Orthodox Jews, which needs to be addressed before more Jews are killed.This isn’t something that sprung up overnight. The animus against Orthodox Jews has been here for some time now, but in a more underhanded way, which made it easier to excuse and ignore.more

Tweet with a location You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more

1484190309_1484127332

A retired Hawaii County police detective is under investigation for allegedly assaulting another county official while still a member of the department in the vicinity of a building that houses government offices. Ian Lee Loy, who’s married to Hilo Councilwoman Sue Lee Loy, is being investigated in the incident, according to official sources. Police confirmed only a report of an assault on July 25 on the 100 block of Aupuni Street. ADVERTISING Ian Lee Loy declined to comment on the criminal case, referring questions to his attorney, Donald Wilkerson, who also declined comment Monday. The coconut wireless has been abuzz with allegations about the case for some months, with the newspapers receiving telephone calls and letters from readers asking why there’s been no media coverage. Lee Loy attributes an ongoing court case involving two other police officers who were indicted on charges of tipping off a gambling ring prior to a police raid as a possible reason for the buzz. He said he’s expected to testify in the case that’s scheduled for a hearing Jan. 6. “Allegations of misconduct on my part and dragging Sue into it began to surface,” he said. “These guys are trying to discredit me before I testify.” County Prosecutor Mitch Roth, when asked about the criminal investigation into Lee Loy, would say only that he’s “conflicted out” of the case and turned it over to another law enforcement agency. Roth wouldn’t say which agency. In a previous case involving a high-profile public official, Roth turned it over to the state attorney general. Krishna F. Jayaram, special assistant to the attorney general, contacted Monday, said, “our office doesn’t confirm or deny with respect to investigations.” Two anonymous letters reached the county Board of Ethics, which discussed them and then filed them without action at its Dec. 11 meeting. The unsigned letters, which are public record, accuse county officials of “sweeping this under the rug,” because of the officials involved. “It seems to me, in this county, there are different laws for different people. I am very upset about this and feel that this should be made public,” one Sept. 30 letter-writer said. “I am not signing my name for fear of possible retaliation by the police department.” Ethics Board member David Wiseman, a former judge, was concerned about the letters. He wondered aloud if the board should look into the complaints. “What we’re having is two letters raising an issue that’s professional misconduct,” Wiseman said at the meeting. “This shouldn’t simply go away. These are serious allegations.” Roth, who was at the Ethics Board meeting on an unrelated matter, was circumspect in discussing the case in a public forum. He said he could talk about cases in general, not a specific case. “Sometimes it takes us a while to charge these cases. … During these periods of time no information will be given out on any of these cases,” Roth said. “It’s very possible that the system is working. … Looking at these letters you can’t see what’s going on.” Lee Loy said he’s concerned about unequal application of the law as well. In fact, he said, he appeared before the Police Commission on Dec. 20 with a complaint about the department’s policy of receiving and processing complaints from the public. “Complainant alleged that an officer violated his rights by not allowing him to file a criminal complaint,” is how Lee Loy’s petition is characterized on the agenda. The matter was taken up behind closed doors in executive session, with the board then voting unanimously to refer the issue to the police chief for procedural investigation, according to Deputy Corporation Counsel Malia Hall. Lee Loy retired July 31, less than a week after the incident, but both the detective and the councilwoman said Monday his retirement was being contemplated as early as last spring. “My retirement has been a plan a long time coming,” Ian Lee Loy said. “It wasn’t a force-out as some people are trying to say.” “I spoke with Sue,” he added. “I feel bad for her that she fields these types of questions.” ADVERTISING Sue Lee Loy, in a separate phone call, echoed her husband’s retirement plans. “The retirement was planned before this. One has nothing do with the other,” Sue Lee Loy said. “It really was what was best for our family, and Ian addressing another personal matter that was way outside of my profession and his.”

A woman who sat near the man who killed two men at the West Freeway Church of Christ said he immediately made her feel uneasy. Isabel Arreola, 38, said she did not know what to think when the man sat down two feet behind her and her 7-year-old daughter. She wanted to think that he was there to worship, just like everyone else, but she had never seen him in church, and said he appeared to be in disguise. His beard and the hair on his head looked fake, and he made her uncomfortable, Arreola said. She noticed him from the moment that he sat down, Arreola said. Holiday Sale! Get an annual digital subscription for only $20. Act before it's gone! VIEW OFFER She and her husband decided they would move to the other side of the church after communion, Arreola said. Then the man got up, pulled a shotgun from his clothing and fired, she said. “At the same time, we all dove for the floor,” she said. “My husband covered my daughter with his body.” By the time they all got up, other church members were approaching the gunman with their weapons drawn. “I was so surprised because I did not know that so many in the church were armed,” she said. Two members of the congregation’s security team returned fire, White Settlement Police Chief J.P. Bevering said. The gunman died at the scene, Bevering said. Arreola said she could tell that one of the members of the security team was concerned about the shooter because he sat in the back right near him. “They saved us,” Arreola said. “Unfortunately, two men lost their lives while they were doing so.” Arreola said she couldn’t concentrate when the man was sitting behind her. “I should have listened to my gut,” Arreola said. “While he was there, I couldn’t sing. I couldn’t pray. There was just something not right about him. But at the same time, I thought that maybe I was being too hard.” Arreola said that she wanted to provide a good example for her young daughter. The 7-year-old is now asking questions that neither one of her parents can answer. “Why did he do this? Why are people so mean?” Arreola said her daughter has asked. She has no answers. “Our church is so giving,”Arreola said. “We help the homeless. We help people get food, pay for car repairs. If he just needed something, I’m sure we would have tried to help him if he had just asked.” The church has planned a members-only worship service for Monday. Perhaps Arreola or her husband will attend, but she does not believe her daughter will be able to make it. She is still processing the shooting, Arreola said. If not Monday, her family will return to her church soon, Arreola said. “The church is my family,” she said. “I pray to God that he watches over us and we can put this in the past. You hear about church shootings, school shootings all the time, but never think that it’ll be your church.”

1484188694_1484189286

reprinted from the Charleston Gazette-Mail If you study history, you'll see episodes that changed civilization. For example, in ancient Greece, for the first time, bright thinkers sought natural explanations for the world around them, instead of believing that phenomena were caused by gods and spirits. This started the science-versus-religion clash that still roils 25 centuries later. Here's another landmark: Around three centuries ago, major thinkers began advocating democracy, human rights and personal freedoms. Their period became known as The Enlightenment. It launched the long-running liberals-versus-conservatives conflict still driving much of today's politics. Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) wrote that life can be "nasty, brutish and short" unless people bind themselves into a "social contract" under a government that protects them. Hobbes implied that kings don't rule by divine right, and that ultimate authority lies with the citizenry. Bishops tried to have Hobbes executed as an atheist, but Hobbes burned his papers and sometimes hid in exile. John Locke (1632-1704) denied that kings are chosen by God, and recommended the separation of church and state to prevent faith-based wars and massacres. An early advocate of democracy, Locke argued that government must rest on consent from the governed. Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755) proposed a democratic republic with powers split among executive, legislative and judicial branches. Voltaire (1694-1778), a witty French writer, was thrown in prison for mocking a regent -- then emerged to become a lifelong crusader against abuses by ruling nobles and clerics. America's founders -- Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, etc. -- were brilliant radicals who absorbed Enlightenment ideas and incorporated them into the first modern democracy. Less-known founder George Mason insisted on a Bill of Rights to protect each person from government and the tyranny of the majority. The Enlightenment's premise that every individual deserves personal freedoms also spawned The Rights of Man and the Citizen in France, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations, and other moral codes. The Enlightenment not only produced modern democracy; it also laid the foundation of liberal political values still winning victories today. For three centuries, by fits and starts, Western progress has been mostly a chronicle of progressives defeating conservative resistance. Reformers repeatedly toppled old privileges, hierarchies and establishments. Look at the historical record: Conservatives tried to retain slavery, but they lost. They tried to block voting by women, but they lost. They tried to prevent couples from using birth control, but they lost. They tried to obstruct Social Security pensions for oldsters, but they lost. They tried to outlaw labor unions, but they lost. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3

reprinted from Daylight Atheism, Syndicated by PeaceVoice) Long ago, when I was a congressional press secretary, Jennings Randolph was a wise senator from West Virginia. On his Washington desk, he kept a motto I never forgot: "The most important lesson you can learn is that other people are as real behind their eyes as you are behind yours." That nugget of insight has deep implications, asserting that nearly everyone in the world all seven billion-plus of them more or less share the same human feelings, fears, wants, hopes, questions, frustrations, pleasures and the like. This, to me, is the heart of humanism: recognizing the worth of everyone, and striving to make life as good as possible for the whole populace. Humanism means helping people, and secular humanism means doing it without supernatural religion. It began as long ago in ancient Greece, when some thinkers advocated humanitas, a helpful spirit toward all. During the Renaissance, a few scholar-priests began caring more for people than for the church, so they became religious humanists. Then came the Enlightenment, when rebel thinkers challenged the supremacy of kings and holy men. They laid the groundwork for modern democracy, which is rooted in humanism. Various manifestos have been written to crystallize the need for intelligent people to support human betterment. In 1933, the first Humanist Manifesto was signed by three dozen philosophers, Unitarians, reformers and scholars, including John Dewey. It called humanism a new "religion" to replace magic-based supernatural faiths. Next Page 1 | 2

1484188459_1484141136

A year on after losing the Sugar Bowl to Texas, Georgia returns to New Orleans again hoping for a different outcome. The Bulldogs fluffed their lines against the Longhorns 12 months ago losing 27-21 and coach Kirby Smart is determined to avoid a repeat of last year's scenario when his team takes on Baylor on New Year's Day. "It's a one-game season for us," he said at his press conference last week. "It's a new season, and it's a one-game season." Georgia has lost four consecutive postseason games and Smart has left no stone unturned in a bid to snap the losing streak. The Bulldogs have taken part in 11 practise sessions since losing to LSU in the SEC Championship on December 7. "We've had to make the practices different, and the kids have been really competitive," Smart added. "We've made sure we've held everyone to a standard, and that standard is, 'I'm going to come compete and come to play, and if you weren't going to compete at that standard, then you weren't going to be here." As this graphic provided by Statista shows, the Bulldogs and the Bears arrive in New Orleans as the No. 5 and No. 7 ranked teams in the College Football Playoff standings. Both teams lost their conference title games last month, with Georgia falling 37-10 to LSU and Baylor losing 30-23 in overtime against Oklahoma and both teams will be looking to bounce back in New Orleans. Few players are as desperate to put the conference title game behind them as Jake Fromm. The Bulldogs quarterback injured his left ankle against LSU and endured the worst performance of his college career, completing just 20 of 42 passes for 225 yards, one touchdown and two picks. Fromm has recovered from his ankle injury and will be available on Wednesday, unlike offensive tackles Isaiah Wilson and Andrew Thomas, who have quit the team to prepare for the NFL draft. Georgia is a 5.5-point favorite, but it's just 7-6 against the spread this season, while Baylor is 9-4 and has covered by an average of seven points. The over/under line in terms of total points scored is set at 41.5, the lowest of any of the New Year's Six bowl games, which is hardly surprising given Georgia ranks fourth in total defense and second in scoring defense in college football this season, while Baylor ranks 40th and 16th respectively. Crucially, however, Baylor has allowed almost twice as many rushing yards as Georgia, which doesn't bode well for its prospect of stopping D'Andre Swift, who has rushed for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns this season. The onus of limiting the junior running back will fall on a defensive line containing James Lynch, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. The biggest distraction for Baylor could come off the field, following the news head coach Matt Rhule will be interviewing with the Carolina Panthers, who fired head coach Ron Rivera in December. Rhule has previously been interviewed by the Indianapolis Colts in January 2018 and by the New York Jets a year ago, shortly before he penned a contract extension with Baylor. The interest in the 44-year-old is unlikely to abate anytime soon, given Rhule led Baylor to an 11-2 record this year for the first time since 2014. Here's all you need to know ahead of Wednesday. When and where is the Sugar Bowl? The Georgia Bulldogs take on the Baylor Bears at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, the home of the New Orleans Saints, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Kick-off is scheduled for 8:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 1. TV coverage The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Live stream A live stream will be available via ESPN's digital platforms, WatchESPN and the ESPN app. Series record Georgia and Baylor have played each other four times, with the Bulldogs winning on each occasion. The two programs, however, haven't crossed path since 1989. Odds According to BetOnline, Georgia is a 5.5-point favorite and is 19/20 to cover the spread, while Baylor is a 7/4 underdog. The over/under line in terms of total points scored is set at 41.

To complete the New Year's Day bowl schedule on Wednesday evening, the 2020 Sugar Bowl will take center stage of the college football world with No. 5 Georgia set to square off with No. 7 Baylor. For the second consecutive season, the Bulldogs enter the game in New Orleans against a Big 12 team having lost in the SEC title game thus missing out on a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Bears, meanwhile, are out to cap off an incredible season in which they were in the hunt for the Big 12 title right up until the very end. Georgia is going to be shorthanded against a Baylor team that is playing in its first major bowl since 2014. Coach Matt Rhule has done an amazing job of turning around the Bears program, in more ways than one, and could cap off a dream season with a win. What will go down in the 2020 Sugar Bowl? Keep on reading for a full breakdown of the game along with our experts' picks and some analysis on the spread. Want to stay up to date on everything in the college football world? Subscribe to our Cover 3 College Football Podcast for in-depth news and analysis all year long. Storylines Georgia: It's probably easier to note the starters who are suiting up for Georgia than the ones who aren't. That's how many players are missing the Sugar Bowl. Linemen Andrew Thomas and right tackle Isaiah Wilson are among the handful of starters who will not be suiting up in New Orleans while defensive back J.R. Reed also won't play because of a minor foot injury. The list of starters or backups who won't play, for various reasons, is starting to become a laundry list. And then there's whole motivation factor of playing in the same bowl for the second straight year. But the other way to look at the attrition for the Bulldogs is that this will give plenty of other backups/rotational starters more of an opportunity to get meaningful practices and playing time. How this team looks in general with so many new faces taking the field makes the Bulldogs a big unknown. Baylor: What a season this has been for Rhule's Bears. From 1-11 just two seasons ago to an 11-2 effort this year with an appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game. Now Baylor has a chance to notch its best win of the season after coming so close to beating Oklahoma in two opportunities this season. The key, as has been the case all season, is the defense. The three-man front, led by James Lynch, against a Georgia offensive line that is missing three starters could be a mismatch. On offense, quarterback Charlie Brewer has been cleared to play after leaving the Big 12 title game with a concussion. Viewing information Event: Sugar Bowl Date: Wednesday, Jan. 1 | Time: 8:45 p.m. ET Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome -- New Orleans, Louisiana TV: ESPN | Live stream: WatchESPN.com Sugar Bowl prediction, picks I sincerely hope you got Baylor at +7.5 while the getting was good. The line has dropped two full points, and frankly it's a little surprising it hasn't dropped a little more. It may still before kickoff. There are simply too many unknowns with Georgia in terms of performance because of the number of absences. Even if you don't think the Bears can pull the outright upset, taking the points with 7.5 on the board feels like a best bet. Pick: Baylor +7.5 Dennis Dodd Jerry Palm Tom Fornelli Chip Patterson Barton Simmons Barrett Sallee Ben Kercheval UGA -7.5 Baylor Baylor Baylor Georgia Baylor Georgia Baylor S/U Baylor Baylor Georgia Georgia Baylor Georgia Georgia Who will win Georgia vs. Baylor, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to back, all from the college football insider who has hit four straight picks on the Bears.

1484013651_1484068287

DPRK presents Cuba with flowers on 61st anniversary of Revolution DPRK presents Cuba with flowers on 61st anniversary of Revolution DPRK presents Cuba with flowers on 61st anniversary of Revolution DPRK presents Cuba with flowers on 61st anniversary of Revolution Pyongyang, Dec 31 (Prensa Latina) The chairman of the State Committee of Korea, Kim Jong Un, presented Cuba with flowers on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the Revolution. The brotherly gesture by the top Korean leader was also made on behalf of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and the entire people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. The source added that the action also took place on New Year's Eve, when both countries commemorate the 60th anniversary of relations between Havana and Pyongyang. In 2020, they will also celebrate the 60th anniversary of Ernesto Che Guevara's visit to the DPRK in December 1960, and the 75th anniversary of the KWP, among other transcendental dates for North Korea and Cuba. On November 4, the two countries commemorated the first anniversary of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel's visit to the DPRK. According to KCNA, Kim Jong Un sent the flower basket to the Cuban Embassy in Pyongyang. jg/jcm/bjm

Cuba congratulated on 61st anniversary of its Revolution Cuba congratulated on 61st anniversary of its Revolution Cuba congratulated on 61st anniversary of its Revolution Cuba congratulated on 61st anniversary of its Revolution 31 de diciembre de 2019, 11:59Havana, Dec 31 (Prensa Latina) Governments and peoples worldwide have congratulated Cuba on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the triumph of the Revolution, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed on Tuesday. According to the source, Singaporean President Mdm Halimah Yacob congratulated the Cubans on behalf of his people on National Independence Day and wished peace and prosperity to the country.Dominican President Danilo Medina and Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas also expressed their good wishes for prosperity and well-being, as well as their most sincere congratulations.Latvian President Egils Levits and Foreign Minister Edgars Rink?vi?s also sent messages to Cuban authorities on the anniversary of the Revolution.Panamanian Head of State Laurentino Cortizo Cohen conveyed a fraternal greeting to President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez and the Cuban people on the 61st anniversary of the triumph of the Revolution, 'a fact of great significance for Latin America as a whole.'Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Edgar Chagwa Lungu (Zambia), Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa (Zimbabwe) and Paul Biyan (Cameroon) also expressed their best wishes from Africa.Seychelles President Danny Faure extended his deepest congratulations, and recalled the common struggles for self-determination. He noted that the Cuban government is an invaluable companion on the road to development.Likewise, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, King of the Netherlands Williem-Alexander R, and Belgian King Philippe Léopold Louis Marie, also sent warm congratulations and wishes of prosperity to the friendly people of Cuba.For its part, the government of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas extended its sincere congratulations to Cuba for the celebration, and expressed its commitment to continue strengthening relations between the two nations.jg/iff/jcm/evm

1507614683_1484944359

What weaponisation of faith destroys first is faith. In what higher principle do we repose our faith during a week when we have experienced and witnessed the havoc that the cynical manipulation of religious feeling can wreak on a society? A week in which a police force mandated to protect all citizens has transmogrified into a communal militia that stigmatises a minority community and subjects it to brutal persecution? In what collective formation do we repose our faith at a time when almost every institution that should have guaranteed the rule of law is either silent or averts its gaze or is complicit in the subversion of justice? In what dream of solidarity do we repose our faith at a historical moment when the language of identity has been privileged over the language of empathy and deployed to raise barricades between Us and Them, Inside and Outside, To-be-redeemed and To-be-annihilated? In what faith do we repose our faith when the weave of harmony, interdependence and oneness of being that all the world’s great religious traditions cherish have been ripped up and cast aside? I sit here, immersed in a book by scholar Alok Bhalla and the poet Chandra Prakash Deval, a visual and literary feast that brings back to light a unique and sumptuous cycle of paintings of the Bhagavad Gita, made by the artist Allah Baksh in the late 17th century in Mewar. At the threshold of bloody, fratricidal warfare, Sri Krishna counsels his cousin Arjuna, a prince reluctant to launch into the maelstrom. In Allah Baksh’s radiant colours, Sri Krishna is surrounded by a fiery aureole, his teachings balancing between different ­imperatives of duty and opposed conceptions of the right way forward. In the painting that addresses the Bhagavad Gita 2:28, Allah Baksh counterpoints, to the chariot in which Sri Krishna instructs his warrior cousin, a scene in which a serene yogi speaks to a diverse group of animals, including a tiger, deer and ram. As Bhalla observes, this scene has been drafted into the pictorial space of this Mewar painting from the fables of Indian wisdom literature, which circulated irrespective of religion and in which “animals debate with human beings about the ethics of violence and non-violence, faith and betrayal. Animals protest their grievous violations. Allah Baksh, perhaps, knew the Hitopadesha, the Panchatantra and the Jatakas. Folk imagination, generally non-sectarian, is receptive to other voices and untroubled when the uncanny breaks through orthodoxy to suggest other ways of thinking about life”. Where are those wise animals from our fables today when we so desperately need them to guide us away from the ­alienation and brutalisation generated in the name of faith? In the late 17th century, Maharana Jai Singh extended his patronage to a Muslim painter to develop an unprecedented verse-by-verse pictorial interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita. Today, a Muslim artist would suffer abuse, the threat of ­assault and perhaps even the fate of exile—as M.F. Husain did—if he were to embark on such a project. What we see in action around us today is the ‘neo-tribalism’ that the Polish-British sociologist Zygmunt Bauman identified as one of the possible collective reactions to “liquid modernity”, the dissolution of traditional bonds and certitudes imposed on a society by the vast processes of economic and social transformation triggered by globalisation. Just as globalisation gathers individuals and communities together into ever-expanding webs of consumption and production, it also loosens the matrices, the neighbourhoods of existential value, in which these raw participants in a planetary drama have previously conducted their lives and invested their actions with meaning. Globalisation also produces asymmetries between those who are able to participate in the circulatory culture of the global and those who cannot, whether owing to deficits of purchasing power, social location or linguistic competence. In such a scenario, a politics of toxic hate can deftly instrumentalise the resentment of those left out of the festivities, feeding this resentment into an incendiary mobilisation based on ethnic or religious identity. The rootless are given roots, the anomic a framework of values, the insecure a target, an ‘Other’ to annihilate. The Hindutva upsurge is a textbook example of this phenomenon. Founded in the desire to consolidate the domination of the Hindu upper-caste and upper-class elites, Hindutva has reduced Hinduism into an ideology of group ­assertion aimed at establishing a national counter-modernity governed by majoritarian rather than inclusive norms. Hindutva is firmly anchored in a European conceptual and methodological framework. Its authoritarianism and state-worship stems from Mahatma Hegel, via an apprenticeship to fascism that has also given it impeccable militarist credentials. Its nativist obsession with the authentic territorial origins of nations and citizens is a gift from German Romanticism. Its puritanism and joyless suspicion of ­humour is channelled from Victorian Anglicanism. Its obsessive binary world view is sourced from Cartesian dualism. Given this pedigree, it is not surprising that Hindutva adopts a relentless ‘either/or’ format in defining group identities, ­belief systems and histories. This model has no place for the syncretism, synthesis and confluence that has, in actuality, distinguished Indian religious practice. By forcing Hindus into a victimological history that presents them as the targets of waves of Islamic and Christian invasion over a millennium, Hindutva erases the evidence that the Hindu tradition of thought, belief, worship and aesthetic practice has unfolded vibrantly during this same period of supposed eclipse, in some phases under the patronage of Lodhi, Mughal or Adilshahi rulers. A single example from this historical tapestry would be the extraordinary sacred landscape of Vrindavan, with its shrines and temples, which began to emerge only from the early 16th century onward, flourishing under the patronage or protection of the Mughal Empire. Confronted with divisive mutations of religious practices, where might we seek the replenishment of faith? Sadly, most Hindus also remain unaware of the humane revitalisation of Hindu thought crafted by philosophers like Daya Krishna, M.P. Rege and Ramchandra Gandhi, each as finely versed in the Indic canon as the Western one. In the process of preparing a critical edition of the Rig Veda, Daya Krishna discovered 30 rishikas, female rishis, among the authors of the hymns collected into the first Veda, challenging the normalised patriarchal optic through which Vedic antiquity is regarded. Rege’s emphasis on a samanya dharma that foregrounds ethical practice over the protocols of belief leads us far beyond the symbol-rattling of Hindutva. Ramchandra Gandhi’s celebration of the nurturing spirit of Sita’s kitchen, Sita ki rasoi, even in the ruins of an Ayodhya shattered by violence, offered a courageous riposte to Ram-oriented dogma. These thinkers remind us of those pivotal features of Hindu thought through the millennia: dvandva, the productive interplay of opposites as a fundamental condition of being; and tarka, debate, argument, a dialectical openness to discussing our way through and past differences, as a cardinal method for shaping thought and life. If the bloodthirsty bigot is one beneficiary of a situation dominated by the loss of existential coherence, another is the rapacious neo-guru. A globalised economy can diminish the ­individual’s human possibilities within the routines of labour and survival. The sociality offered by traditional religions breaks down. When the community—as ecclesia, sangha, congregation, jamaat—fails the individual, a debilitating loss of self-worth seeps into the consciousness. Into such a spiritual vacuum rush the spiritual entrepreneurs, in whose hands faith degenerates into a remix religiosity, marketed as a leisure-and-lifestyle option, group therapy, or stress-management technique. The filter of New Age remix religiosity can trivialise any spiritual tradition, Upanisha­dic, Buddhist, Bhakti, or Sufi. Until it gets worse, and the casually expressed, deeply divisive biases against other religions or communities—and the rather unsaintly fascination with military solutions—reveal themselves from beneath the managerial jargon and charming eccentricities. Confronted with these mutations of religious practices, where might we seek the replenishment of faith? Can we turn to living traditions that do not promise utopia, but insist on the responsible pursuit of the religious life in the present? These living traditions, which may be found among most of the world’s major ­religions—including Buddhism, Catho­licism, Hinduism and Islam—might yet provide the basis for a constructive and wholesome engagement with the challenges of our present. At such a moment, we miss the presence of religious figures like the late Mahant Veerbhadra Mishra, scientist and hereditary custodian of the Sankat Mochan temple in Varanasi, deeply committed to restoring the compromised ecology of the great river to its former state. After the March 2006 bomb attack at the Sankat Mochan temple, he ­refused to allow right-wing parties to politicise the situation, and worked with Muslim colleagues to ensure peace at a volatile and precarious time. Syncretic Stream Jai Singh of Mewar engaged Allah Baksh to develop a pictorial interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita in the late 17th century. Figures like Mahantji inspire us to safeguard the environment, to refrain from insulting the earth and exploiting our fellow sentient beings. They help us to negotiate between the often loosely contrasted realms of faith and inquiry, ­between the alternatives of sociality and solitude. Through their reflection and action, we may find ways of reinstating the sacred in the interconnectedness of all life, in the most intimate and everyday rituals of life. Above all, they remind us that faith is an act of effort. We must learn how to practise it in a manner that is personally meaningful and also ­capable of assuming socially vital forms. Faith can also become the ground of competitive expressivity, an ensemble of group assertions. For ­several decades, Hindutva sympathisers have pasted posters in public spaces showing a muscular Ram marching towards Ayodhya. The 2019 verdict on the Ramjanmabhumi has presumably rendered such gestures obsolete. By tragic contrast, as we move into the second decade of the 21st century, the aggressive enforcement of caste privileges and the humiliating marginalisation of Dalit communities have increased. In such a vitiated atmosphere, a vigorous statement of self-assertion is made by many cobblers, when they enshrine a polychrome image of their patron-saint, Sant Ravidas, in their stalls. In an atmosphere of resurgent savarna arrogance, too, it is heartening to see the prevalence, in Dalit neighbourhoods, of statues of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Rendered in a now-customary iconography as pink-skinned and costumed in a blue suit, Dr Ambedkar stands splendidly defiant, in terms of complexion and sartorial choice, of the Brahminical order. Such competitive expressivity is a site of healthy dissensus, rather than enforced consensus. It embodies a public space in which subaltern and vulnerable group interests can announce themselves and articulate their claim to a place in the republic’s unfolding narrative. Yet, even here, competition does not always form the leitmotif. When we immerse ourselves in the versatile and magically hybrid universe of South Asian calendar art and popular prints, we find an extraordinary process of cultural dialogue and ­exchange at play. Let us look, for instance, at the prints in which Kamadhenu, the wish-fulfilling cow of Hindu lore, ­appears accoutred with wings and a peacock-feather tail—these accoutrements are borrowed from the Buraq of Islamic folklore, the celestial horse that carried the Prophet on his ­miraculous night journey of illumination, al-Miraj. Or let us delight in the images of the Sufi saint, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, guardian of the shrine of Sehwan in Sindh, who is often shown in a saffron robe or presented as a heavenly musician, dancing on a solar eagle modelled on Garuda, and surrounded by gandharvas bearing musical instruments. At a time when religion has been codified into a top-down, authoritarian means of stifling dissent, it is salutary to ­remember that the religious imagination in South Asia has always been sustained by festive, playful, bottom-up ­impulses of ­improvisation. It was never embalmed in the singularity of a canon, but relayed in versions by agents who had a considerable measure of freedom in imagining iconographies, creating narratives, improvising new stories and performing new interpretations. As we agonise over faith, let us remind ourselves that India’s greatest strength, for millennia, has been its dynamic ability to engage with a diversity of sources and impulses, to absorb and transmute them into a syncretic, kaleidoscopic culture. Every religion in the subcontinent has been nourished by the confluence of plural traditions, conversations across lines of belief and contributions from every social stratum. Religions seemingly opposed at the level of doctrine have come to share and incorporate one another’s imagery and practices with confidence. Let us reclaim this history, not in the spirit of melancholic nostalgia, but as a celebration of our robust lived experience. In the spirit of resistance to the crude and ultimately self-defeating polarisation that is being imposed on us at this fraught moment in our history as a nation. Let us demonstrate the throbbing pulse of millions of Indians, which animates that resonant line in the Preamble to the Constitution of India, which assures every one of us ‘LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship’. Let us keep faith with the hopes and dreams of the visionaries who founded this republic. (The author is a poet and art curator)

| We’re three days into the new year. For most of us, Wednesday’s hangover is a bad memory. We will spend

1484187928_1484189286

Feed the people (Image by jwayne810) Details DMCA When I was born in 1932, the world had 2 billion people. Today, the global population has swelled to 7.7 billion soon to quadruple in a single lifetime. The United Nations projects 11 billion by the end of this century. How can the planet feed the mushrooming manswarm? Here are some thoughts: I grew up in a meager farming region of West Virginia: the Big Fishing Creek valley of Wetzel County. We had no electricity. Small-town families had gaslights, and everyone else used kerosene lamps. The valley was mostly a string of dirt farms, horse-operated like in medieval times. My boyhood was during World War II, when most men had gone to combat. My aging uncle ran his farm with two mismatched horses and a crew of granddaughters, plus a scrawny pubescent nephew, me. We milked cows by hand, plowed and mowed by team, found Indian arrowheads in corn rows, cut creekbank weeds to feed pigs, straightened bent nails to save money long days of manual work. It seemed like slavery. Other family farms along the valley were little different. As soon as I graduated from a little country high school (13 in my senior class), I fled to Charleston and urban life. In decades after the war, when I returned home, I found most of those old farms abandoned, overgrown in thickets. I guess parents retired and children went to city jobs, as I did. (When back-to-the-land urbanites came to rural West Virginia farms in the 1960s, I told them they were rushing toward the life I had spurned. One was former Gazette reporter Bob Schwarz, who farmed temporarily on Eight-Mile Ridge near my Wetzel County homeplace. Many of them didn't last long at hoeing and shoveling.) Most food production shifted away from skimpy family farms to big commercial plantations capable of much greater output. But even those huge farms couldn't keep pace with the soaring human population. In the 1960s, alarm spread that the manswarm was exceeding the food supply, and famines were likely. Stanford professor Paul Erlich wrote a 1968 book, The Population Bomb, warning that mass starvation seemed certain in the 1970s. Some Charleston church groups held public discussions of the impending crisis. Erlich wrote: "The battle to feed all of humanity is over". In the 1970s and 1980s, hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now." But, out of the spotlight, Norman Borlaug had unleashed the Green Revolution in Mexico, Pakistan and India, using high-yield crops and heavy fertilization. Massive food increases resulted. His technique spread around the world. Borlaug got the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize. He was credited with saving a billion lives. Yet the population upsurge didn't stop. Before he died in 2009, Borlaug said his Green Revolution had peaked and couldn't keep up with the growing need. Worse, ravages from global warming are expected to ruin some cropland and reduce the food supply. Next Page 1 | 2

reprinted from Daylight Atheism, Syndicated by PeaceVoice) Long ago, when I was a congressional press secretary, Jennings Randolph was a wise senator from West Virginia. On his Washington desk, he kept a motto I never forgot: "The most important lesson you can learn is that other people are as real behind their eyes as you are behind yours." That nugget of insight has deep implications, asserting that nearly everyone in the world all seven billion-plus of them more or less share the same human feelings, fears, wants, hopes, questions, frustrations, pleasures and the like. This, to me, is the heart of humanism: recognizing the worth of everyone, and striving to make life as good as possible for the whole populace. Humanism means helping people, and secular humanism means doing it without supernatural religion. It began as long ago in ancient Greece, when some thinkers advocated humanitas, a helpful spirit toward all. During the Renaissance, a few scholar-priests began caring more for people than for the church, so they became religious humanists. Then came the Enlightenment, when rebel thinkers challenged the supremacy of kings and holy men. They laid the groundwork for modern democracy, which is rooted in humanism. Various manifestos have been written to crystallize the need for intelligent people to support human betterment. In 1933, the first Humanist Manifesto was signed by three dozen philosophers, Unitarians, reformers and scholars, including John Dewey. It called humanism a new "religion" to replace magic-based supernatural faiths. Next Page 1 | 2

1484010927_1483841001

Reliance Jio hinted towards its entry in the grocery delivery biz last year Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance has finally entered the grocery delivery market with its new hyperlocal Kirana stores-led retail emarketplace, Jio Mart. Jio Mart is currently operating in Navi Mumbai, Kalyan and Thane. The company eventually plans to scale its operations to a national level soon. Reliance’s chairman Ambani had hinted towards the company’s entry into the ecommerce segment last year. Then again in August 2019, at the Reliance’s 42 annual meet, it announced that it plans to connect three crore offline retailers to more than 20 Cr households with its latest venture. Ambani also added, “Our beta trials with thousands of merchants across multiple locations in the country established the premise of New Commerce with significant increase in sales and improvement in margins for the participating merchants. We are now getting ready to roll out the platform at a larger scale.” Related Article: Reliance Jio Starts Trials For Including Electric Vehicles In Delivery Fleet According to the company’s website, the platform is expected to host a catalogue of 50K grocery products. It will also provide free home delivery against no minimum order value. The company also assures that it will offer no questions asked return, and express delivery. A report in Mint highlighted that Reliance has invited its telecom service Jio’s users to register for Jio Mart and avail preliminary discounts. Reliance’s website also highlights that the early customers will get up to INR 3K for pre-registration. With Reliance’s entry into the online grocery delivery market, the competition has become more difficult for unicorns like Grofers and BigBasket, who are currently working on their path to profitability. How Are Grofers And Bigbasket Fairing? Recently, Grofers announced that it is profitable in Delhi and is on the same path in Mumbai. In addition, the company also noted that it is at a break-even point in Kolkata, with Lucknow on the way. The company believes that this progress in its independent regional units would fuel its overall profitability. On the other hand, Bigbasket has announced that it is close to the breakeven point in 10 Tier 1 cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, in the next three to four months. Bigbasket’s cofounder Hari Menon also announced that the company will start discussing its path to profitability in 2020-21. In addition, even the major ecommerce players like Amazon and Flipkart have entered the grocery delivery businesses.

JioMart has been launched on a pilot basis to compete with BigBasket, Grofers, Amazon, and Flipkart. JioMart has been launched on a pilot basis to compete with BigBasket, Grofers, Amazon, and Flipkart. Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) announced the soft-launch of JioMart– an e-commerce venture to deliver groceries and other household essentials. The platform, powered by Reliance Retail and Reliance Jio, has been launched on a pilot basis in parts of the state of Maharashtra including Navi Mumbai, Kalyan, and Thane. Here is everything you should know about Ambani’s latest venture– JioMart. What is JioMart JioMart is an online grocery delivery service, powered by Reliance Retail and Reliance Jio, where consumers can head over to buy essential household items from nearby retailers. The platform does not sell groceries directly to the customers but instead, connects offline retailers with online buyers. The JioMart is an online-to-offline (O2O) marketplace under which it will source grocery items from nearby merchants, instead of procuring from a native warehouse– similar to how Amazon Prime Now and Grofers started their business. JioMart will serve as a platform for offline retailers to cater to customers in their locality who want to buy groceries online. At the RIL’s (Reliance Industries Limited) 42nd annual general meeting (AGM), Ambani said that, through the latest venture, the company is projected to connect three crore offline retailers with over 20 crores households in the country. Way forward While JioMart is limited to Maharashtra as of now, it will be gradually expanded across India to compete directly with Amazon Prime Now, Grofers, Big Basket, and Flipkart. As per a report by LiveMint, the company is sending invites to all Jio users to avail the preliminary discounts on JioMart. The report also suggests that the service will not be limited to three regions only and the company will scale it up further. JioMart will be rolled out across the country soon. (Image: Reliance) JioMart will be rolled out across the country soon. (Image: Reliance) During the 42nd AGM, Ambani said, “Our beta trials with thousands of merchants across multiple locations in the country established the premise of New Commerce with significant increase in sales and improvement in margins for the participating merchants. We are now getting ready to roll out the platform at a larger scale.” JioMart app coming soon A Reliance Retail official told the LiveMint that the company will soon launch an app for JioMart. The JioMart website also mentions the upcoming launch of Android and iOS apps for JioMart. The website highlights that the platform will offer over 50,000 grocery products at aggressive pricing. The platform is claiming to offer free home delivery without the restriction of minimum order value. The platform also claims to have express delivery service as well as a “no questions asked return policy”. The JioMart website also has a form to pre-register as a seller and save up to Rs 3,000 when the platform launches. Retailers on JioMart As already mentioned, RIL has started taking pre-registrations from retailers to become a seller on the venture they are calling “Desh Ki Nayi Dukaan” (country’s new shop). As per a report by ET, as an aggregator, JioMart will partner local grocers and equip them with points of sale (PoS) terminals, integrated billing applications, low-interest working capital, inventory management skills, supply chain management, and GST compliance. JioMart website highlights the features of the new platform. (Image: Reliance) JioMart website highlights the features of the new platform. (Image: Reliance) Reliance Retail, Reliance Jio powering the JioMart In the grocery market, Reliance Retail already has a strong offline presence as Reliance Fresh all over the country. Coupled with Reliance Jio, the new venture aims to make the most out of the available resources at RIL. Last year, Reliance acquired logistics services platform Grab A Grub to augment its e-commerce venture. The company was also reported dealing with the software company C-Square, which serves solutions to online e-commerce, distributors, retailers, and sales force automation. For all the latest Technology News, download Indian Express App © IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd

1483805292_1484340107

But as we move forward, some of our favourite albums start to get older and older until we sit down and say 'wow, was it really that long ago that I first listened to that?!" Below are a series of albums which turn 10, 15 and 20 in 2020. (The songs below may contain language some could find offensive) 10 years old... Eminem - Recovery Eminem - Love The Way You Lie ft. Rihanna Advertising Drake - Thank Me Later Drake - Find Your Love Kesha - Animal Ke$ha - TiK ToK (Official Music Video) Advertising Lady Antebellum - Need You Now Lady Antebellum - Need You Now (Official Music Video) Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB | UNDERCOVER MARTYN Alkaline Trio - This Addiction Alkaline Trio - "This Addiction" Gorillaz - Plastic Beach Gorillaz - On Melancholy Hill (Official Video) Justin Bieber - My World 2.0 Justin Bieber - Baby ft. Ludacris (Official Music Video) Deftones - Diamond Eyes Deftones - Diamond Eyes [Official Music Video] Stone Temple Pilots - Self Titled Stone Temple Pilots - Between The Lines (Official Music Video) Ozzy Osbourne - Scream OZZY OSBOURNE - "Let Me Hear You Scream" (Official Video) Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare Avenged Sevenfold - So Far Away [Official Music Video] Katy Perry - Teenage Dream Katy Perry - Teenage Dream (Official) Bring Me The Horizon - There Is A Hell Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret Bring Me The Horizon - "It Never Ends" King of Leon - Come Around Sundown Kings Of Leon - Radioactive (Official Music Video) Rihanna - Loud Rihanna - Only Girl (In The World) 15 years old... Kanye West - Late Registration Kanye West - Gold Digger ft. Jamie Foxx Coldplay - X&Y Coldplay - Fix You Gorillaz - Demon Days Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc. (Official Video) Bloc Party - Silent Alarm Bloc Party - Banquet Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To (Official Video) Madonna - Confessions on a Dance Floor Madonna - Hung Up (Official Music Video) Kaiser Chiefs - Employment Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot Queens of the Stone Age - Lullabies To Paralyze Queens Of The Stone Age - Little Sister (Official Music Video) Black Eyed Peas - Monkey Business The Black Eyed Peas - My Humps (Official Music Video) System Of A Down - Mezmerise System Of A Down - B.Y.O.B. (Official Video) Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure Foo Fighters - In Your Honor Foo Fighters - Best Of You (Official Music Video) Fall Out Boy - From Under The Cork Tree Fall Out Boy - Sugar, We're Goin Down (Concept Version) (Official Music Video) 50 Cent - The Massacre 50 Cent - Candy Shop ft. Olivia (Official Video) Stereophonics - Language. Sex. Violence. Other? Stereophonics - Dakota (Official Video) Bloodhound Gang - Hefty Fine Bloodhound Gang - Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo (Official Video) Panic! at the Disco - A Fever You Can't Sweat Out Panic! At The Disco: I Write Sins Not Tragedies [OFFICIAL VIDEO] 20 years old... Radiohead - Kid A Radiohead - Idioteque Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP Eminem - The Real Slim Shady (Official Video - Clean Version) Craig David - Born to Do It Craig David - 7 Days (Official Video) Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R Queens Of The Stone Age - The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret (Official Music Video) Limp Bizkit - Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavoured Water Limp Bizkit - Rollin' (Official Video) Britney Spears - Oops!...I Did It Again Britney Spears - Oops!...I Did It Again (Official Video) Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory In The End (Official Video) - Linkin Park Dr Dre - 2001 Eminem, Dr. Dre - Forgot About Dre (Explicit) (Official Music Video) ft. Hittman Bon Jovi - Crush Bon Jovi - It's My Life S Club 7 - 7 S Club 7 - Reach U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind U2 - Beautiful Day Pantera - Reinventing the Steel Pantera - Revolution Is My Name (Official Video) Outkast - Stankonia OutKast - Ms. Jackson (Official Video) Robbie Williams - Sing When You're Winning Robbie Williams - Rock DJ The Corrs - In Blue The Corrs - Breathless [Official Video] Blink 182 - The Mark, Tom and Travis Show: The Enema Strikes Back

Please enable Javascript to watch this video DENVER -- As we turn the calendar to 2020, safety advocates are looking forward to a fresh start on Denver roads. Records posted by the city show 71 people were killed in traffic crashes in 2019, including 28 in cars, 15 on motorcycles, 20 walking, and 3 on bicycles. It's the highest total of the decade, and an increase of 10 over the 61 people killed in 2018. "My first thought, is that it's happening too often," says Allen Cowgill. "If Vision Zero truly means zero deaths, 70, even 1, is way too many." Cowgill is a frequent cyclist, and an advocate for safer streets in Denver. He's concerned the work being done by the city isn't translating to lower totals. "The city has taken some really positive steps forward, but I think there's still a long ways to go," he says. "I'd like to see the city be more aggressive in implementing the tenants of Vision Zero here in Denver." Maps provided by the city show few areas are immune to fatal accidents. In 2020, the city plans on creating additional protected bike lanes, while exploring creative crosswalk options like the HAWK traffic signal.

1484400797_1484072830

Opinion Housing affordability: Two New Year’s resolutions for state Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Housing affordability: Two New Year’s resolutions for state 1 / 1 Back to Gallery The lack of affordable housing in many Connecticut communities is more than a zoning or diversity issue, it is a human rights issue. A decent place to live in any of our 169 towns should not be a privilege of the wealthy — it should be a basic right of all residents of our state. In many of our communities, teachers, law enforcement personnel and first responders cannot afford to live where they work and many young people cannot afford to stay where they grew up. Ensuring that the elderly can continue to live in the communities where they have lived their lives and that young people can stay in the towns where they were raised helps create the diversity that makes a town a true community. Exclusionary zoning laws and the lack of affordable housing in some Connecticut towns conspire to keep many people out. We have serious problems, but they can be solved — if the General Assembly has the will to do so. Since we cannot create more land, the only solution is to make the best use of the finite land within our borders. The authority to regulate the use of land is fundamentally a state power, the so-called “police power” to protect and promote the public’s health, safety, and general welfare. It arises from the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution, which gives states the rights and powers “not delegated to the United States.” Some lawmakers forget or ignore that the state is the sole source of the power to regulate land, partially because the state has granted local governments broad powers through charters and enabling legislation. In the name of home rule, some lawmakers deny that the General Assembly has the primary responsibility as to land use. Casting housing affordability as a “local issue” has enabled them to kick the can down the road for decades. In 2020, the General Assembly should resolve to exercise its exclusive authority to address two of Connecticut’s top land use issues: 1. Affordable Housing The National Low-Income Housing Coalition ranks Connecticut 9th in the country in terms of wages required to afford a two-bedroom rental home without the household paying more than 30 percent of its income. Forty-one states are more affordable than Connecticut. That is shameful. Our state also has a half million renter households, many who need housing assistance. The Affordable Housing Land Use Appeals law enacted 30 years ago allowed an override of local zoning for producing affordable housing but has so far produced just 5,000 units, a drop in the bucket. The appeals process can take over a decade and costs a small fortune. The law could be strengthened and should be kept, but we need additional solutions and we need them fast. The General Assembly should do what Vermont, California, and Oregon have done at the state level and what Minneapolis and Seattle have done locally and mandate that anyone with a single-family home can add one or two additional units on their lot. There are 1.4 million housing units in Connecticut and more than 800,000 are single-family detached homes. If the General Assembly would follow the lead of Vermont and the other states, Connecticut’s 800,000 homeowners could produce over 100,000 new units, mostly affordable, without a dime of government money, no court appeals and no big lawyer bills. The land, utilities, and site improvements are free because they are already there. If a mere 5 percent of those single-family homeowners created just one new unit inside their home or over their garage or with an addition or freestanding cottage, we would have 40,000 new housing units. If another 5 percent were to decide to do two units on their large suburban and rural lots, we would have a total of 120,000 new homes and it would happen almost overnight and be better suited to the smaller households of today. The immediate increase in housing units would soften the housing market across the board, increasing affordability. If Vermont, California, and Oregon can do it, why can’t Connecticut? 2. State Land Use Regulations The statues granting local governments the power to regulate land use are a mess, a hodgepodge of piecemeal legislation, often designed to promote narrow interests. Some statutory provisions have made Connecticut the laughingstock of the rest of the country including one law in the Connecticut General Statutes that protects a single landowner. There is little integration of zoning and wetlands regulation, the procedural time limits are arcane, the process is exceedingly slow and requires heavy-duty lawyering at almost every turn. None of the stakeholders — developers, local governments, neighbors, advocacy groups — are well-served. In 2020, lawmakers should resolve to create a Blue-Ribbon Commission, bring in experts from around the country to help us completely redo the statutes so Connecticut can emerge from the Stone Age. Fifteen years ago, the American Planning Association developed model state enabling legislation called the Growing Smart program and issued a report of over 1,000 pages for all to use for free. A decade and half later, we are still stuck with our utterly dysfunctional enabling statute. The solutions exist and Connecticut should take advantage of them. Dwight Merriam is a former Director of the American Planning Association, Past President of the American Institute of Certified Planners, and a practicing lawyer in Simsbury. Email him at dwightmerriam@gmail.

Amazon I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

1484038708_1484238046

An Alhambra police officer suffered a minor injury while responding to a domestic violence call over the weekend, authorities said. Officers responded to the call about 8:35 p.m. in the 1900 block of South Primrose Avenue, police said in a news release. When officers arrived on the scene, the suspect, Juan Gabriel Miranda, fled in his car. Several minutes later, Miranda returned to the area and officers gave orders for him to stop and exit his vehicle, police said. A gunshot was heard as the man fled in the direction of the officers, “at which time an officer involved shooting occurred.” When Miranda, 46, drove back into the area moments later, a second officer-involved shooting occurred. The suspect stopped the car “and a short stand-off with the suspect ensued,” police said. Advertisement Officers used beanbag rounds and were able to detain the suspect — who was not struck by gunfire — without further incident. No officers were struck by gunfire, but one of them sustained a minor injury. Miranda was transported to a hospital and will be booked on felony charges stemming from the domestic violence incident, in addition to assault charges on the officers.

The shocking moment was caught on film by another traveller, who shared it with Instagram account @PassengerShaming. In the video, the man can be seen sitting in a waiting area alongside other passengers. At first, nothing seems out of the ordinary, and the man doesn’t stand out from any other person waiting for their plane to board. However, he soon turns a few heads when he apparently begins to urinate directly onto the tiled airport floor. READ MORE: FCO travel warning: Australia fires trap 4,000 people on beaches [TRAVEL WARNING]

1484039671_1484124773

Baby boxes that allow people to anonymously leave newborns at firehouses have been added in two more Indiana cities, giving the state nearly 20 of the potentially life-saving devices.A baby box was dedicated Sunday at the New Haven Fire Station in the city that's just east of Fort Wayne. Another baby box that was dedicated Monday at the Columbia City fire station, also in northeastern Indiana, became Indiana's 19th baby box.Safe Haven Baby Boxes founder Monica Kelsey, who was herself abandoned as an infant, said the effort to equip firehouses with the boxes aims to eliminate situations where babies are placed in danger by women or parents seeking to abandon their infants.“Women want and need anonymity,” Kelsey, who is a firefighter and medic, told The Journal Gazette.The baby boxes are containers with a door to the outside of a fire station building. When they're opened, an alarm sounds to alert on-duty staff, nearby volunteers or emergency dispatchers that a child has been placed there. The boxes contain warming and cooling features and they lock after use. The boxes are legal because Indiana is one of five states that have a Safe Haven law. That law allows a person to anonymously surrender a healthy baby 30 days old or younger at any hospital emergency room, police or fire station without fear of criminal prosecution.Kelsey said Indiana had nine surrenders at baby boxes during 2019. Baby boxes that allow people to anonymously leave newborns at firehouses have been added in two more Indiana cities, giving the state nearly 20 of the potentially life-saving devices. A baby box was dedicated Sunday at the New Haven Fire Station in the city that's just east of Fort Wayne. Another baby box that was dedicated Monday at the Columbia City fire station, also in northeastern Indiana, became Indiana's 19th baby box. Advertisement Safe Haven Baby Boxes founder Monica Kelsey, who was herself abandoned as an infant, said the effort to equip firehouses with the boxes aims to eliminate situations where babies are placed in danger by women or parents seeking to abandon their infants. “Women want and need anonymity,” Kelsey, who is a firefighter and medic, told The Journal Gazette. The baby boxes are containers with a door to the outside of a fire station building. When they're opened, an alarm sounds to alert on-duty staff, nearby volunteers or emergency dispatchers that a child has been placed there. The boxes contain warming and cooling features and they lock after use. The boxes are legal because Indiana is one of five states that have a Safe Haven law. That law allows a person to anonymously surrender a healthy baby 30 days old or younger at any hospital emergency room, police or fire station without fear of criminal prosecution. Kelsey said Indiana had nine surrenders at baby boxes during 2019.

WFB: In every generation, there are American men willing to push the boundaries of what’s possible at great risk to themselves. Think Chuck Yeager smashing the sound barrier in 1947, or Donald Trump shattering the Great Blue Wall in 2016. In 2019, we now know that bulletproof vests are capable of stopping five shots to the back thanks to Christopher Hicks, Charles Ferris, and numerous bottles of alcohol. After going a few sheets to the wind, Ferris and Hicks decided to test the mettle of a bulletproof vest. Hicks fired one shot from a .22 into Ferris’s chest, bruising his fellow experimenter. That’s when things soured between the two, and Ferris, surprised by the pain, fired the rest of the clip into his buddy’s back. Read more

1484009479_1483806495

Call it the changing face of recreational hockey. The Whitehorse Women's Hockey Association has proven so popular this year, there's a waiting list to get on one of the league's eight teams. They were full 13 hours after registration opened. And it's also proving to be a good family bonding activity — there are five mother-daughter pairs playing this year. "I like to play with her, not against her, because someone's gotta keep an eye on this one! She gets a little feisty," said Jessica Pumphrey, laughing. She was talking about her mom, Nancy Pumphrey. Jessica has been hitting the ice since she was a youngster, but Nancy only took up the sport at age 40. "I decided that I'd give it a try," she said. Registration to play on one of the league's eight teams this season was open just 13 hours before all spots were full. There's now a waiting list. (Wayne Vallevand/CBC) "I've had kids stop me on my way into the rink and look at me and say, 'Aren't you too old to play hockey?' I said: 'Of course not!'" "Never too old, never too young," Jessica added. "That's it," said Nancy. 'You know, you should play hockey' Helen Christiansen is also relatively new to hockey. She's playing her fifth season in the Whitehorse league, along with her daughter, Danica Christiansen, who's been playing since she was a kid. Helen decided to take it up when she first moved up to Yukon from B.C. At the time, she didn't even know how to skate. "I was up at the Canada Games Centre on the elliptical, and the lady beside me said, 'You know, you should play hockey.' And I'm thinking, well why not," she recalled. "It was a leap of faith." 'I wish I had taken it up sooner in life,' said Helen Christiansen, seen here with her daughter Danica. (Wayne Vallevand/CBC) Helen's first hockey game was her first time on the ice, she says — but she feels it was the best way to learn to skate. When she scored her first goal she knew exactly what her kids felt, when they had scored their first goals. "Very cool experience, and I wish I had taken it up sooner in life," Helen said. Danica said it's been great for everybody. "It's a good family affair, twice a week. So our husbands come to the game and cheer us on. So it's kind of nice for my husband and father-in-law to bond." Cheryl Rivest and her daughter Chantelle Rivest have been lacing up their skates together for years now. Chantelle recalled first facing off against her mom when she was 11 years old. A few years later, mother and daughter were playing on the same team, as they are now, in the women's league. Playing hockey with family can be 'like reading somebody's mind, if you know them really well,' said Cheryl Rivest, seen here with her daughter Chantelle. (Wayne Vallevand/CBC) "It's so much fun. It's like reading somebody's mind, if you know them really well," Cheryl said. "You're able to know how the plays are going to work, you kind of know where they're gonna go in certain situations. It just makes it smoother, faster." 'A very encouraging league' Cheryl said the Whitehorse league has done an amazing job in attracting more players, of all different skill levels. "It's a very encouraging league. I think that that has made the difference," she said. 'It's a very encouraging league,' said Cheryl Rivest. (Wayne Vallevand/CBC) Jessica Pumphrey agrees. She said this year's waiting list to register shows there's a palpable spirit of camaraderie and community in the league. "It invites more women to come play, right? Because they hear that it's so much fun, so welcoming and accepting, and everyone just wants to come out and hang, and it's cool," Pumphrey said. "I love it."

Source: rawpixel It’s that time of the year again—the exciting (or dreaded) New Year’s resolutions. If you’re like me, you’ve probably had the same “new” resolutions for years: exercise more, eat healthily, save money, get more organized, find a new hobby, spend more time with family and friends, travel, read more, live life to the fullest… Studies have found again and again that an overwhelming majority (80 to 90 percent) of New Year’s resolutions fail by the end of the first month. By any measure, these are horrible odds. And yet, I would bet many of us are feverishly putting the last finishing touches on our 2020 resolution list and maybe even giddily planning to indulge on the last binge of 2019 because starting January 1st everything will be totally different. Really? I found myself again in this predictably deluded state several weeks ago. After a few half-hearted contemplations about my New (i.e. same old) Year’s resolutions, I decided defiantly that I’m not going to do it this year. At least not in the same way I have always done it. I’m tired of deluding myself and falling into the inevitable disappointment by the third week of January when work and home life are once again back in full force. Instead, I’m going to treat the first day and every day of 2020 like any other day. I’m setting daily (not full year!) resolutions. Here are some guidelines that can help you should you decide to forgo the old New Year’s resolution tradition and really try something new this year. Set daily (not annual) goals . Goals have to be manageable in order to be repeatable. Repetition then becomes a habit. “I will eat whole, healthy foods today,” vs. “I will become a healthy eater this year.” . Goals have to be manageable in order to be repeatable. Repetition then becomes a habit. “I will eat whole, healthy foods today,” vs. “I will become a healthy eater this year.” Practice patience . “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” (Lao Tzu). Focus on the first 24-hour cycle, then the next, then the one after that. . “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” (Lao Tzu). Focus on the first 24-hour cycle, then the next, then the one after that. Praise effort instead of the outcome . “I am moving in the right direction with my diet and exercise,” vs. “I lost 5 lbs!” . “I am moving in the right direction with my diet and exercise,” vs. “I lost 5 lbs!” Focus on what you did right instead of wrong . “I kept my cool most of the today,” vs. “I can’t believe I lost my patience!” . “I kept my cool most of the today,” vs. “I can’t believe I lost my patience!” Be your own best cheerleader . We really are our own worst critics. No wonder we struggle! The kinds of things we say to ourselves most of us would not dream of saying to others. So be nice to yourself, encourage yourself, and tell yourself what you would say to others who are striving to work harder and be better. . We really are our own worst critics. No wonder we struggle! The kinds of things we say to ourselves most of us would not dream of saying to others. So be nice to yourself, encourage yourself, and tell yourself what you would say to others who are striving to work harder and be better. Forgive yourself for missteps. I’ve been practicing this one sporadically for many years. I find it especially helpful at the end of the day when my personal inner critic is at its worst having taken inventory of the day’s activities and my inevitable shortcomings. It reminds me that I am human and fallible, which also makes me relatable to others from whom I receive and provide support. Just like the old New Year’s resolutions, this new approach will not be perfect. But if part of the spirit of making resolutions is to try new things, then I think it’s a worthy and even exciting endeavor. Here’s to our daily striving together. Happy New Year!

1484009215_1484922078

Officer running 33 miles in Bentonville to honor fallen officers Share Shares Copy Link Copy Hide Transcript Show Transcript HAPPENING NOW A LOCAL POLICE OFFICER IS ABOUT TO START A NEW YEARS DAY RUN -- THAT WILL LAST HOURS! THIS IS VIDEO FROM THE SCENE WHERE OFFICER JOSHUA HENDRY WITH BENTONVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS RUNNING 33 MILES. HENDRY WILL RUN 133 LAPS, ONE FOR EACH PERSON ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO DIED IN THE LINE OF DUTY IN 2019. HENDRY TELLS US 350 PEOPLE ARE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN RUNNING WITH HIM....HE WELCOMES EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO JO

The big food trends in 2019 made up a diverse list, ranging from zero waste to the rise of the mocktail. Going by these predictions, we are all in for a healthier, environmentally conscious time. Here are five trends I hope will thrive: TOAST Toasts - in particular Shibuya toast and kaya toast - are supposed to get big. I hope kaya toast makes it in Europe and the US because while I am excited to try new cuisines, when you travel, there will be days you need comfort and familiarity, especially when accompanied by kopi and half-boiled eggs. MEAT ALTERNATIVES These have made inroads into Singapore, popping up as burgers, "meatballs" and mapo tofu. It is vital that there is variety because as the environment continues to need repair, reducing meat consumption will only help. CAULIFLOWER Cauliflower is the new kale, and I could not be happier as I love its heft and versatility. The good thing is there are many yummy versions here. UGLY FOOD #Sadfood is set to be the trending hashtag because Insta-unfriendly food seems to be the Insta-friendly thing. As someone with an Instagram account, I'm happy as it takes the pressure off making the dish look better than it really is. WEST AFRICAN FARE West African cuisine is the new darling of the food and beverage scene. There may be 16 countries within the region, but the dishes share some a common trait - the use of tomatoes, onions and chilli peppers. Let's hope we will finally start to see more West African restaurants in Singapore.

1484010074_1484136220

Thiruvananthapuram: With an aim to boost the confidence of customers and bring in more transparency in the real estate sector, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the Kerala Real Estate Regulatory Authority (K-RERA) here on Wednesday. "It is just because of a handful of realtors who divert from good practice and indulge in illegal ways to mint money that the whole sector sometimes get a black mark. We have heard terms like the real-estate mafia," Vijayan said at the official launch event. "It is the greed of a few that are spoiling the market. With the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) in place, there will be more transparency and credibility. It will also help to redefine the promoter-buyer relationship in the sector, " he added. The Kerala Chief Minister further said that the real-estate sector has seen tremendous growth in the country in the last decade. "It also helped the middle class realize their housing needs. With an effective regulatory mechanism, the real estate sector is poised to grow more instilling confidence in home buyers," he said. Passed by the Parliament, the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, had directed the state governments to establish RERA for effective regulation of the real estate sector and also for speedy dispute redressal. As per the Act, buildings with more than eight apartments and real estates projects with 500 square metres of land or more will have to be registered with RERA.

Chief Minister formally inaugurates regulatory authority for realty in State Chief Minister formally inaugurates regulatory authority for realty in State The Kerala Real Estate Regulatory Authority (K-RERA) will help build trust in the real estate sector and infuse it with transparency and efficiency, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday. The activities of a few individuals have served to malign this important sector to the extent that it has been equated to a ‘mafia,’ the Chief Minister said, formally inaugurating K-RERA at a function here. With its emphasis on protecting the interests of consumers (buyers, allottees), K-RERA focusses on the prevention of malpractices in the real estate sector, he said. Duping of buyers Instances of buyers being duped by a section in the real estate sector had prompted the Parliament to pass the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act in 2016 making it mandatory for all States to form RERAs. K-RERA is designed to prevent such malpractices in Kerala. Realtors who function in a lawful manner will not find themselves inconvenienced by RERA, Mr. Vijayan said. The real estate sector is integral to the development of land. Negative financial trends in real estate affects the economic sector as a whole. If policies are favourable, the sector can grow. So it is important to have policies and approaches that do not weaken it. While the sector has witnessed spectacular growth in the past few decades, the absence of an effective regulatory mechanism was the main reason for the problems associated with real estate sector. “This is not a sector which should be equated to a ‘mafia’,” the Chief Minister said. From Oct. 2019 Technically, K-RERA came into being in October last year with P.H. Kurian as chairman and Preetha P. Menon as member. The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, makes it compulsory for builders to register projects with the State-level RERA. Real estate agents also need to get themselves with the authority. RERA registration is applicable to projects where the land to be developed is 500 square metres or more and the number of apartments is eight or more inclusive of all phases. An adjudicating officer who will handle compensation claims and an appellate tribunal for handling appeals on K-RERA decisions will be appointed soon, the Chief Minister said. He issued the registration certificates to builders and real estate agents who registered with RERA. The Chief Minister also released the emblem of K-RERA on the occasion. Minister for Local Self Government A. C. Moideen presided. Additional Chief Secretary T.K. Jose, K-RERA chairman P. H. Kurian and member Preetha P. Menon spoke.

1484012304_1484014667

Katherine DeClerq, CP24.com TORONTO -- Hospitals across the Greater Toronto Area welcomed the first babies of 2020 early Wednesday morning. A bouncing baby boy was born at exactly the stroke of midnight at Humber River Hospital in Toronto. Weighing a healthy 8.3 pounds, Amiir Deeq Mohammed could be seen on Wednesday afternoon in his mother’s arms, swaddled in a knit blue blanket. “I’m very happy,” the boy’s father said. “I am excited to have this wonderful, special baby boy.” Deeq Mohammed Farah said that his son was due a couple of weeks ago, so the family was not expecting a new year’s baby. “When the baby came, at the right time, the attendants, nurses and doctors, they explained it really well. They said you hit the new year,” Farah said. “It was a great surprise,” “It’s a miracle boy.” Trillium Health Partners, a hospital system that serves certain areas of the GTA, said that their first baby of the year was delivered just 50 seconds after midnight on New Year’s Day at Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga. The little boy, named Aryan, weighed in at about eight pounds. Speaking with CP24 on Wednesday morning, the baby’s mother said that, at the time, she had no idea Aryan was the first child born in Mississauga this year. “When the baby was delivered, everyone was so excited,” Anu Walia said. “We couldn’t be happier.” “Fifty seconds into the new year and we got this little precious gift,” Simran Walia said while holding his newborn son in his arms. Anu Walia’s delivery date was scheduled for Jan. 13 and she said that her family was already preparing for a 2020 baby—but those plans were put on hold when she went into labour early. “My maternity photoshoot, my baby shower, all the decorations, everything was planned around 2020, so when the labour hit yesterday, I was like, ‘oh my gosh all that is going to go to waste now,’” Anu Walia said. “But the baby actually helped us out and came after the new year.” Other hospitals ring in New Year with newborns Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto welcomed its first bundle of joy at 12:13 a.m. and Lakeridge Health in Oshawa announced their first baby was born at 12:34 a.m. Leo Di Giovanni was born at 2:31 a.m. at Mackenzie Health in Richmond Hill. "This is the first baby for proud parents Lisa and Steve originally from Maple and now living in Innisfil," the hospital said in a statement. At North York General Hospital, Kert Lin was born at 5:51 a.m. "Congrats to the family and happy birthday to all our New Years babies," the hospital said.

As 2020 ushered in on Wednesday, hospitals across the GTA welcomed its first babies of the new year and a new decade. One of the first babies — if not, the first baby in the GTA — was born at Humber River Hospital in North York just after midnight. “Just seconds after the stroke of midnight, Baby Mohammed was born … the first baby to be delivered in Toronto,” the hospital said in a tweet. Just seconds after the stroke of #Midnight Baby Mohammed was born being the first baby to be delivered in @Toronto. As you see the baby and mom are feeling great thanks to Dr. Lynn Sterling and the #HRH staff. @City_tv @CTVNews @globalnews @TorontoStar @CP24 #NewYearsBaby pic.twitter.com/89dzNc0m2r — Humber River Hospital (@HRHospital) January 1, 2020 First Toronto baby of the decade! Meet Amiir, born 00:00:00 at Humber River Hospital. Congratulations to the happy parents. We’ll have their story tonight @CityNews pic.twitter.com/VaOPWsUyj7 — Tina Yazdani (@TinaYazdani) January 1, 2020 Another baby just couldn’t wait a minute longer. In Mississauga, a baby boy — weighing eight pounds and two ounces — was born 50 seconds after 12 a.m. at Credit Valley Hospital. “The Walia family is thrilled to welcome their first child. Both baby and mom are healthy and doing well,” Trillium Health Partners said in a release. Happy New Year! THP is honoured to have delivered Mississauga’s first baby boy, Aryan, born just 50 seconds after midnight at our Credit Valley Hospital. Congratulations to Anu & Simran Walia on a happy, healthy start to a new decade. #BetterTogetherTHP #NewYearsBaby pic.twitter.com/hr68cjo5KI — Trillium Health Partners (@THP_hospital) January 1, 2020 Just under 15 minutes later, Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto welcomed its first baby of the year. The baby was born at 12:13 a.m.

1484190474_1484142276

Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Calgary police are investigating a random assault that sent a man in his 40’s to hospital Wednesday morning. Police said the victim was waiting at a bus stop at 5th Avenue and 2nd Street SE shortly after 7:30 a.m. when a man he didn’t know randomly attacked him. READ MORE: Winnipeg man slashed with machete in random Pembina Highway attack Police are still investigating but believe the suspect approached the victim and started punching him in the face. He suffered serious lacerations to his face and was rushed to Foothills Hospital. A suspect was arrested a short time later not far from the assault scene and charges against him are pending. Paramedics said the victim was transported hospital in stable condition . 1:47 Pair of Calgary councilors pushing for police detachment in downtown core Pair of Calgary councilors pushing for police detachment in downtown core Story continues below advertisement

Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Emergency crews in Saint John, N.B. responded to a call Wednesday morning after a pickup truck left the road and crashed into a home. Police said it happened on Bayside Drive just east of Expansion Avenue a little before 9 a.m. READ MORE: Woman, 7-year-old girl’s death in Rothesay deemed suspicious: police Police have not commented on whether or not charges will be laid. 1:16 Driver who hit home causing gas explosion under impaired driving investigation: London police Driver who hit home causing gas explosion under impaired driving investigation: London police Story continues below advertisement

1484189361_1484200876

Bangkok, 27 December, 2019 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is expecting 3.18 trillion Baht in overall tourism revenue for Thailand in 2020, or a 4% year-on-year increase. This includes 2.02 trillion Baht from international tourists (up 3%) and 1.16 trillion Baht from domestic tourists (up 5%). The outlook for 2020 follows the overall tourism situation in 2019, which is estimated to generate 3.06 trillion Baht (4% increase over 2018), comprising 1.96 trillion Baht (up 4%) from 39.77 million international tourists (also up 4%) and 1.10 trillion Baht (up 3%) from 167 million domestic trips (up 1%). Thailand welcomed the 39 millionth tourist on 27 December, 2019. “TAT’s target for 2020 is based on several favourable factors, ranging from the government’s stimulus measures, TAT’s focussed marketing strategies and promotions of emerging destinations, new air routes and the positive outlook of international tourists to Thailand from key source markets.” Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor The Thai government has launched 16 tourism stimulus measures aimed at stimulating more inbound travel, including the opening of more VAT refund shops and counters, 24-hour cross-border tourism on the Thai-Malaysian and Thai-Lao borders during weekends and holidays, the e-visa service and exemption of the visa-on-arrival fee until 30 April, 2020, and the 50% discount on airport landing fees for international flights from 1 December, 2019, to 30 April, 2020, to name but a few. Thailand is also seeing new air routes, including Hangzhou-Chiang Rai, Sendai-Bangkok, Munich-Phuket, and Doha-Chiang Mai. At the same time, some emerging Thai destinations have become more popular among international tourists and gained global recognition. Buri Ram ranked third on Airbnb’s list of 20 trending destinations to visit in 2020, while Sukhothai has been designated by UNESCO as a ‘Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art’. Mr. Yuthasak said, “Leveraging these favourable factors and gearing up to mark the 60th anniversary in 2020, TAT is committed to making travel and tourism the kingdom’s most economically promising, environmentally sustainable, and culturally vibrant sector.” TAT’s marketing strategies also include the launch of “The MICHELIN Guide Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket & Phang Nga 2020.” In 2020, TAT is seeing a positive outlook of international tourists to Thailand from several markets including the CLMV countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR., Myanmar, and Vietnam), Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan, India, Spain, Eastern Europe, Israel and the US. The Chinese, Singaporean and Middle Eastern markets are showing signs of recovery. Meanwhile, the Japanese, Hong Kong, European, Scandinavian, Australian and Latin American markets are expected to remain stable or show a slow growth. Mr. Yuthasak said, “TAT is also preparing to overcome several challenges, including the effect from the China–US trade war, the rise in consumption tax in Japan, and Brexit. The strong Thai Baht, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, World Expo 2020 Dubai and stimulus visa schemes from country competitors have also been taken into consideration when laying out our tourism marketing strategies.”

Bangkok, 27 December, 2019 – Thailand welcomed its 39th millionth tourist to the Kingdom today, a record high for the country that surpassed last week’s most recent record of 38.26 million arrivals. Mrs. Anna Pavlovskaya, travelling from Moscow, Russia, with her family, arrived on Thai Airways International (THAI) flight TG975 at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport on 27 December to a VIP welcoming committee that included Minister of Tourism and Sports, H.E. Mr. Pipat Ratchakitprakan. “We are gathered here today to celebrate another arrival milestone for Thailand as we are both proud and grateful for this achievement. It shows that the entire Thai tourism industry remains committed to promoting quality tourism, to bring a better quality of life to all Thai people and continue to promote responsible tourism that both preserves Thailand’s tourism assets and generates revenue for the country,” H.E. Mr. Pipat, said. After clearing immigration, she was invited to the latest welcome ceremony and was greeted by senior officials and VIPs from Thailand’s tourism industry, including the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Suvarnabhumi Airport, Immigration Bureau and Thai Airways International (THAI). Mr. Tanes Petsuwan, TAT Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications, said, “The new record of 39 million arrivals to Thailand shows that the TAT’s focus of promoting unexpected experiences in Thailand’s secondary destinations is paying off and attracting more visitors. This is also in line with the government’s direction to spread income to all levels of society while at the same time promoting responsible tourism.” A ‘Luckiest Visitor’ jacket was presented to Mrs. Pavlovskaya in addition to a certificate, round-trip tickets for two between her country of residence and Thailand valid for one year, and a voucher for five nights’ accommodation at a four or five-star hotel in Thailand. She also received gifts and souvenirs from representatives from Suvarnabhumi Airport, the Thai Tourist Police, and Immigration Department before being whisked away to their hotel in town in an exclusive airport limousine provided by THAI. Mrs. Srisuda Wanapinyosak, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing – Europe, Africa, Middle East and Americas, added, “We are confident that Thailand will achieve our international tourism target of 39.77 million arrivals, which represents a 4% year-on-year increase. These will generate 1.96 trillion Baht revenue, also a 4% growth. Meanwhile, domestic tourism will reach 167 million trips, a 1% growth, and distribute 1.10 trillion Baht revenue. This means tourism will help inject 3.06 trillion Baht to the Thai economy this year.”

1484008155_1483984703

A Birmingham man has been taken into custody for the December 23 homicide, officials said. He has been identified as Cameron Rayford, 36.Birmingham police responded to a report of a person shot at 5929 Martin Luther Avenue at about 1:11 p.m. They found Justin Rayshun Johnson, 31, of Birmingham, lying in the driveway unresponsive.Birmingham Fire and Rescue was called and took Johnson to UAB for treatment of his injuries. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.Investigators learned Rayford was located near the scene suffering from a non-life threatening injury to the hand. He was taken to the hospital for treatment, according to police records.Authorities said the shooting was the result of a verbal altercation. A Birmingham man has been taken into custody for the December 23 homicide, officials said. He has been identified as Cameron Rayford, 36. Birmingham police responded to a report of a person shot at 5929 Martin Luther Avenue at about 1:11 p.m. They found Justin Rayshun Johnson, 31, of Birmingham, lying in the driveway unresponsive. Advertisement Birmingham Fire and Rescue was called and took Johnson to UAB for treatment of his injuries. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. Investigators learned Rayford was located near the scene suffering from a non-life threatening injury to the hand. He was taken to the hospital for treatment, according to police records. Authorities said the shooting was the result of a verbal altercation.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — During the Outback Bowl Wednesday, the Auburn Tigers will be paying tribute to one of their own. In a message shared on Twitter Tuesday night, Auburn unveiled a special helmet with the “7” printed on the side to honor Pat Sullivan, a Heisman Trophy winner and former Auburn quarterback who died Dec. 1. Sullivan was born in Birmingham and played football at John Carroll Catholic High School before going on to play for Auburn. Between 1969 and 1971, Sullivan led the team to a 26-7 record. In 1971, he received the Heisman Trophy. After several years in the NFL, where he played for the Atlanta Falcons and the Washington Redskins, Sullivan went into coaching, first as a quarterback coach at Auburn from 1986 to 1991 and, after stints at Texas Christian University and UAB, was the head coach at Samford from 2007 to 2014. Sullivan died on Dec. 1 after battling cancer for years. Auburn will face Minnesota at noon Wednesday in Tampa. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

1484010579_1483793850

A month after the news of a triple murder rocked Barbados, the victims’ bodies are still to be buried and at least one family member wants to know why it took so long for autopsies to be performed. Hollist Webb is demanding answers from the Coroner’s office about why the body of his brother and two other men murdered on Independence Day remained in the morgue for four weeks without autopsies. The 51-year-old is accusing authorities of totally ignoring the feelings of his family and ruining their holiday season by leaving them waiting in vain to plan a funeral for their slain relative, Cecil Webb. On Saturday, Webb’s body was released to the family. But it was too late for many of his relatives who had come home to grieve and bury him. “My brother got murdered. If in two weeks’ time we were able to bury him, at least we would know he isn’t just lying in a freezer somewhere. He would have been buried and gone and we could have started to rebuild instead of having to now go through the process of burying him,” said the upset brother. “No one has ever issued an apology explaining the reason why it happened. The thing about it is that it happened on a day like November 30th, which we believed, would be memorable in people’s minds.” He added: “I had family that came in and spent two weeks and had to get back to work and they will have to miss the funeral. For Christmas we did nothing. Even my family members overseas did not hang up lights or give gifts or celebrated Christmas as they used to before,” Hollist said dejectedly. On November 30th, Cecil Webb, 49, of Lower Walkers; Terry Small, a man in his late forties, of Walkers; and Lennox Browne, 48, of Walkers, all in St Andrew were killed in a bloody dispute reportedly over land. When Hollist spoke to Barbados TODAY on Monday, he indicated the bodies of the two other men were also released on Saturday. “I am not just speaking on the behalf of my family but on behalf of all the families. I know in Barbados many people let things happen and they don’t seem to have the guts or the balls to speak out but that is why things are always like this. We let people do things and get away with it. That is why I speak on behalf of all of the families because I know they also have to be frustrated,” he said. Efforts to reach the Coroner’s office as well as Attorney General Dale Marshall for an explanation were unsuccessful. But according to Hollist, the process may have taken even longer had he not contacted someone who assisted in having the procedure “fast-tracked”. He said he was informed that a pathologist had to come from “one of the islands” to conduct the autopsies. “Usually autopsies don’t happen on Saturdays but we had to let them know that the family really needed to get some closure and it is taking too long for a body to be there,” he complained, while adding that the sting of his brother’s death still lingered. “With my family, it is hard, because I buried my dad on the 6th of November and then this tragic incident was really too close because I had not even gotten over my father. “You don’t sit down and study these things but there are constantly on your mind. You’re out there crying, you’re driving and you have to pull over and you’re in the grocery store and tears come. It’s really hard,” he said. [email protected]

Pogba did not travel to East Lancashire with the rest of the squad at the weekend, after making substitute appearances against Watford and Newcastle United. Those two cameos off the bench added up to around 70 minutes of action after almost three months out injured for the 26-year-old. Solskjaer has indicated the midfielder simply required additional rest.

1484189297_1484247429

Proposed legislation in Albany would require children born after Jan. 1, 2009 to be vaccinated against the human papilloma virus before entering the seventh grade starting in September 2021. The measure has outraged many. As a public health professional and uncle to 10- and 12-year-old nieces, it seems like a no-brainer. Many comments against the measure seem to be fueled by misinformation. As a sexual and reproductive health researcher, I’d like to debunk common myths about HPV and the vaccine. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease. It affects about 1 in 4 Americans. It is usually transmitted through sex, but can pass from person to person through close skin-to-skin contact. About 70% to 80% of people with HPV clear the infection on their own and won’t know they had it. While many people are concerned about the sexual transmission of HPV, the importance of the vaccine is as a cancer-fighting tool. There are more than 100 types of HPV. Some cause warts on hands, feet and genitals. Others cause cells to abnormally change, which may lead to cancer in the cervix, vagina and vulva in women, penis in men, and the anus and back of the throat in both women and men. These cancers can take years to develop which is why the vaccine is recommended for youth. Anyone age 9 to 45 is eligible. Now that it’s clear what HPV is and how it is transmitted, let’s examine a few myths. Myth 1: My children aren’t having sex, why give them the vaccine? The vaccine works best if it is given before someone becomes sexually active and is exposed to HPV. Research shows that adolescents and young teens create more antibodies to the vaccine than those in their late teens. Antibodies destroy the vaccine germs and then stay in the body, providing immunity. Because young people can produce a lot of antibodies, they only need two doses while those over 15 will need three doses of the vaccine. Myth 2: My child will have sex earlier if the vaccine is administered. There is no research suggesting preteens and teens will have sex because they feel the protection from the vaccine. It is important, especially when young people don’t receive comprehensive school-based sexual and reproductive health education, to educate them about sexual health because the vaccine protects against HPV and no other STDs. Research shows that those who get the vaccine are more aware of the risks of condomless sex and STDs. Sign up for The Point Go inside New York politics. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. Myth 3: The HPV vaccine isn’t safe. It can cause major side effects and death. Side effects like pain, redness at the injection site, or a reaction if someone is allergic to a vaccine ingredient, are not unheard of and are possible with any vaccine. While death is possible, only two of the seven reported HPV vaccine deaths between 2014-2017 were medically verified (out of 28 million doses). Myth 4: It’s unlikely one vaccine can protect against different cancers. The HPV vaccines are noninfectious and contain “virus-like” particles. There are three HPV vaccines: 2vHPV (for females only), 4vHPV, and 9vHPV, all of which target different types of HPV. The 4vHPV and 9vHPV are approved for males because they protect against genital warts, whereas the 2vHPV does not. This might seem new and confusing in the United States, but other countries have done this for some time. The Australian government’s school-based HPV vaccine program has seen substantial decreases in cervical disease and genital warts. If there was a lung-cancer- or brain-cancer-prevention vaccine, people would line up at the doctor’s office to get it. Let’s not make the HPV vaccine debate about sex. It’s about disease prevention. Anthony J. Santella is an associate professor of public health at Hofstra University.

Parents choose a school to provide the most effective education for their child’s specific needs. They need to find the right environment that suits their child the most. In Malaysia, the education system consists of four different schools – public, private, international and home-schooling. To make it easier for parents, here is a rundown of the different kind of schools: 1. Public school The curriculum in these government run schools is Malaysian, and the teacher to student ratio is very large averaging 30 to 40 children in a classroom. Public school students are diverse, consisting of Malays, Chinese, Indians and other ethnic Malaysians. While the main language used is Bahasa Malaysia, English is also taught. There are two sessions – one in the morning and another in the afternoon. It is free for Malaysians as most of the costs are borne by the government, except for uniforms, stationaries and other school necessities. This is definitely the cheapest schooling system in Malaysia but it is only open to children of Malaysian citizens. On the flip side, many who studied in public schools are said to be dissatisfied with the teaching methodology which still follows rote learning. There is also a lack of many facilities and equipment in public schools. 2. Private schools Private schools are semi – government controlled. Although they follow the same curriculum as public schools, private schools can be quite costly. They follow guidelines set by the ministry of education but most of these private schools use English as the medium of instruction. They have smaller classrooms and the teacher to student ratio is much smaller. Resources and infrastructure are better and expat children are accepted. Parents usually have higher expectations from private schools as the fees they pay are quite high. It is not easy to get financial aid from the government and scholarships are hard to come by. 3. International schools These schools offer international education in an international setting. They are fully independent as they are not government controlled. The curricular offered differ from public and private schools and is very diverse including British, American, Australian, Indian, French and Canadian. What private and international schools have in common is their small classrooms, smaller teacher to student ratio and better facilities. However, the benefits of studying in an international school far outweigh that of private schools as it offers global acceptance, which means easier entry to foreign universities for higher education. Other benefits include teachers who are the best in the industry and are hired from all around the world. The nationalities of students in these schools are varied too, with some schools boasting students from up to 67 nations. Children attending these schools get global exposure from an early age making it easier for them to study and work overseas. Possibly the only concern with international schools is that they are hugely expensive. But, in all fairness, the cost of these schools is justified by the superior facilities and the quality of education provided. 4. Home-schooling Another popular choice is home-schooling, especially for parents who have lost faith in the public schooling system but cannot afford a private or international school. It is legal in Malaysia, but you must apply for school exemption and get approval from the ministry of education beforehand. There are three types of home-schooling – parents as teachers, families coming together to teach children and home-school learning centres. The bright side of home-schooling is the flexibility it offers. For example, if your child has the sudden enthusiasm to learn math at night, you can follow their lead and treat it as a part of “school” timing. The biggest downside to home-schooling is that children miss the opportunity to interact with others which may cause social skill issues in the future. Lack of facilities and equipment Lack of facilities like a gym, swimming pool and chemicals, apparatus and other material needed for experiments are hurdles to a good education in home-schooling. Not to mention the fact that the child would not feel challenged as there is no competition, hence no motivation to push themselves to do better. In home-schooling where parents are teachers, they must put in their time and patience into educating the children. Hopefully, the above descriptions will help parents in deciding where to place their children. It is important to base your decision on all factors such as expense, curriculum, culture, facilities and overall environment of the school. It is not easy for children to change from one education system to another halfway through as there will be a lot of unnecessary hardships and challenges. School Advisor provides information on private and international schools, extra-curricular activities as well as other education-related topics in Malaysia.

1484011239_1484172021

One of the best investments we can make is in our own knowledge and skill set. With that in mind, this article will work through how we can use Return On Equity (ROE) to better understand a business. To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, we’ll use ROE to better understand Otsuka Information Technology Corp. (GTSM:3570). Otsuka Information Technology has a ROE of 21%, based on the last twelve months. Another way to think of that is that for every NT$1 worth of equity in the company, it was able to earn NT$0.21. Check out our latest analysis for Otsuka Information Technology How Do You Calculate Return On Equity? The formula for ROE is: Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders’ Equity Or for Otsuka Information Technology: 21% = NT$129m ÷ NT$630m (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2019.) Most readers would understand what net profit is, but it’s worth explaining the concept of shareholders’ equity. It is the capital paid in by shareholders, plus any retained earnings. Shareholders’ equity can be calculated by subtracting the total liabilities of the company from the total assets of the company. What Does Return On Equity Mean? ROE looks at the amount a company earns relative to the money it has kept within the business. The ‘return’ is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. A higher profit will lead to a higher ROE. So, as a general rule, a high ROE is a good thing. That means ROE can be used to compare two businesses. Does Otsuka Information Technology Have A Good ROE? Arguably the easiest way to assess company’s ROE is to compare it with the average in its industry. The limitation of this approach is that some companies are quite different from others, even within the same industry classification. As is clear from the image below, Otsuka Information Technology has a better ROE than the average (12%) in the Software industry. That is a good sign. I usually take a closer look when a company has a better ROE than industry peers. For example you might check if insiders are buying shares. Why You Should Consider Debt When Looking At ROE Virtually all companies need money to invest in the business, to grow profits. That cash can come from retained earnings, issuing new shares (equity), or debt. In the first and second cases, the ROE will reflect this use of cash for investment in the business. In the latter case, the debt used for growth will improve returns, but won’t affect the total equity. That will make the ROE look better than if no debt was used. Combining Otsuka Information Technology’s Debt And Its 21% Return On Equity One positive for shareholders is that Otsuka Information Technology does not have any net debt! Its ROE already suggests it is a good business, but the fact it has achieved this — and doesn’t borrowings — makes it worthy of further consideration, in my view. At the end of the day, when a company has zero debt, it is in a better position to take future growth opportunities. In Summary Return on equity is one way we can compare the business quality of different companies. Companies that can achieve high returns on equity without too much debt are generally of good quality. If two companies have around the same level of debt to equity, and one has a higher ROE, I’d generally prefer the one with higher ROE. But when a business is high quality, the market often bids it up to a price that reflects this. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. Check the past profit growth by Otsuka Information Technology by looking at this visualization of past earnings, revenue and cash flow. But note: Otsuka Information Technology may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.

A look at the shareholders of Investec Australia Property Fund (JSE:IAP) can tell us which group is most powerful. Institutions often own shares in more established companies, while it’s not unusual to see insiders own a fair bit of smaller companies. We also tend to see lower insider ownership in companies that were previously publicly owned. Investec Australia Property Fund is a smaller company with a market capitalization of R9.0b, so it may still be flying under the radar of many institutional investors. In the chart below, we can see that institutional investors have bought into the company. Let’s take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholder can tell us about Investec Australia Property Fund. View 4 warning signs we detected for Investec Australia Property Fund What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Investec Australia Property Fund? Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it’s included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing. Investec Australia Property Fund already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own 55% of the company. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can’t rely on that fact alone, since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Investec Australia Property Fund, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. Investec Australia Property Fund is not owned by hedge funds. Investec Asset Management Limited is currently the largest shareholder, with 12% of shares outstanding. With 9.0% and 3.7% of the shares outstanding respectively, Investec Property Fund Limited and The Vanguard Group, Inc. are the second and third largest shareholders. A closer look at our ownership figures suggests that the top 19 shareholders have a combined ownership of 50% implying that no one share holder has a majority. While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, It also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. While there is some analyst coverage, the company is probably not widely covered. So it could gain more attention, down the track. Insider Ownership Of Investec Australia Property Fund While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. The company management answer to the board; and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board, themselves. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. We can see that insiders own shares in Investec Australia Property Fund. In their own names, insiders own R102m worth of stock in the R9.0b company. There’s no doubt that we learn useful information from looking at a company’s ownership structure and shareholders. But ultimately, many risks exist within the business itself, rather than its shareholders. For example, we’ve discovered 4 warning signs for Investec Australia Property Fund (of which 1 is major) which any shareholder or potential investor should be aware of. General Public Ownership With a 37% ownership, the general public have some degree of sway over IAP. While this group can’t necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run. Private Company Ownership Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 5.9%, of the company’s shares. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company. Next Steps: I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Many find it useful to take an in depth look at how a company has performed in the past. You can access this detailed graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow. If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.

1484034303_1483860164

Two years ago, I designed a tattoo for a friend, a celebration of the first anniversary of his gender transition. It was the Deathly Hallows symbol from the “Harry Potter” series, with the quote “You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be” underneath. I was 7 the first time I read “Harry Potter,” curled in bed with my mom, wandering through Hogwarts and finding the world that would define my childhood. Like many in my generation, I grew up alongside The Boy Who Lived. I can still remember sitting in a Borders bookstore with high school friends for the midnight release of “The Deathly Hallows” — a gaggle of 16-year-old queer kids in cheap black robes and colored ties, holding our breath, waiting for something like magic to happen. It would be years before I met my friend who’d get the tattoo or embarked on my own transition. But I found myself in the pages of J.K. Rowling’s books long before that journey. Queer and trans parallels aren’t hard to come by in those books, from closet metaphors to themes about loss and loneliness growing up. The series is full of social outcasts building a found family that accepts them for who they are. The night I came out to my parents, I sat where I’d first read “Harry Potter” and exhaled. So when I woke up recently to see Rowling was trending on Twitter for expressing transphobic views, I was tired. Tired because I thought of my childhood self, carrying Rowling’s books tucked against my chest, seeking escape to the halls of a school that I believed could love and accept me, too. Rowling had tweeted her support for a British woman, Maya Forstater, whose employment contract with a think tank wasn’t renewed after she espoused transphobic views about the immutability of physical sex. While the cisgender world debated Rowling’s intentions, I had quietly gone about the business of divorcing myself from the image of Rowling in my head. I know the difference between who someone is and the person we want them to be — though that recognition can still cause an ache. The connection we form with fiction and the way it shapes us is a strange thing. Reconciling the truth of Rowling’s reality to what she has meant to me was hard, snatching away the thing that made me feel I belonged when I was most vulnerable. As we grow, we come to learn that the world is often less welcoming than it is in books, and goodness more difficult to define. Sometimes the people we admire, who we feel shaped us, are fallible and cruel. I do not know Rowling, only her books and the hope they have instilled in me since I was young and the many friends I made because of a shared love for the world she created. I know the diverse fan community that continues to shape that world. I know my friend, with his tattoo, and the words that mean more to us now than when we read them as children. I know that the spirit of those books lives in more than just one woman. Now, as a writer, words are my life, which is not unlike being a professional wizard. What is magic, really, if not speaking an existence into the world? When Harry summoned his broom, disarmed an opponent, or created light to banish shadows, he said a spell and made it so. I think the wizarding world is on to something in knowing that power can rest in names like Voldemort or Dumbledore. Having transitioned, saying my name aloud is its own type of magic, crafted over the years I spent locked inside myself. I write to create worlds and people I recognize — people like me, on the page, happy and alive. I owe that in part to Rowling’s work, the place where my journey started more than 20 years ago. But so much more of me belongs to the people I shared it with. That’s what I carry now, tucked against my chest. I was not what I was born, but what I’ve grown to be. Daniel Mazzacane is a writer and poet living in Riverside, California. This column was originally published by the Los Angeles Times.

Despite all this needless hostility and manufactured conflict between transgender people and wider society, there has also been a lot of progress (Picture: WIktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto via Getty Images) 2019 has not been an easy year for transgender people in the UK. The ongoing negative and misleading media coverage has continued to have serious adverse affects on transgender people, with hate crimes and hate incidents at an all-time record high. Getting access to transgender-related healthcare has become more difficult, with people having to wait up to two to three years for a single appointment at a gender identity clinic. It hasn’t always been like that, and the lists only seem to be getting longer and longer. Healthcare for transgender people has been routinely questioned even though the benefits of medical transition have been established by international institutions such as the World Health Organisation. Transgender people’s access to activities and gendered spaces have also been put into question. Advertisement Advertisement In May, access to Hampstead’s swimming ponds was formalised for transgender people, a policy that was almost immediately followed up with threats of legal action. Before this, the ponds had been been inclusive of transgender people for decades. Transgender people also need access to services to stay safe, such as homeless shelters and refuges for survivors of sexual, as well as domestic abuse. Transgender people remain one of the most vulnerable groups in society and are at a heightened risk of homelessness, discrimination and violence, but even access to these has been ‘debated’ with malice and misinformation. Due to the government’s lack of action, the reform of the Gender Recognition Act (2004) has been halted for almost three years now, cultivating endless media rows over transgender rights, despite the law only having to do with changing people’s birth certificates. But despite all this needless hostility and manufactured conflict between transgender people and wider society, there has also been a lot of progress in terms of awareness and social acceptance for the transgender community in a wider sense, including for non-binary people. ‘They/them’ was announced as the word of the year 2019 (Picture: David Livingston/FilmMagic ) The singular pronoun ‘they/them’ was announced as word of the year 2019 according to Merriam-Webster, giving gender-neutral pronouns a much-needed recognition. The pronoun is most prominently used by non-binary people across the UK, allowing people to be referred to without being gendered as ‘she’ or ‘he’. We have also seen a wider array of positive media representation with TV shows such as Pose and Butterfly accurately reflecting the experiences of transgender people. Advertisement Advertisement A growing number of influential individuals are showing their support for transgender people and trans youth publicly, including Jameela Jamil, Prince Harry, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Harry Brewer. Emma Watson has shown staunch support for young people who are transgender, which is directly at odds with Harry Potter creator JK Rowling. Rowling tweeted her support for Maya Forstater, a former employee of the think tank Center for Global Development, who claimed transgender women cannot ‘change their biological sex’. After her contract was not renewed, she pursued an employment tribunal and lost. It was a significant case for transgender people, and LGBTQ people more widely: the judge was adamant that her comments were ‘absolutist’ and could create an ‘intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment’ for trans people. If Forstater had won, it would have set a dangerous precedent and given grounds for people to express homophobic, misogynistic, racist and prejudiced views against minorities without consequence. It is vital that we as a society recognise masked bigotry and discourse for what it is. Arguments about ‘biology’ or ‘sex’ should never be used as grounds to deny transgender people the right to express themselves freely, or deny them their dignity and rights. TV shows such as Pose have accurately reflected the experiences of transgender people (Picture: FX) At current, transgender pupils face high levels of bullying for who they are – 45 per cent of students reported being bullied according to Stonewall’s 2017 School Report – and we lack strong anti-bullying policies to tackle this. Is it any wonder that kids do not respect their transgender peers, when adults cannot do so either? Advertisement We need to start setting an example for our kids that no one should be discriminated against because of who they are, transgender people included. I can only hope that 2020 will be a year of growing compassion and understanding for the lives and experiences of transgender people. I hope that we as a society start to recognise the need to accept and acknowledge our plight, so that we can create a more accepting and free world for our younger generations. Instead of relentless attacks for the alleged threats we cause to society, I want us to focus on how we can make society a better place for transgender people. This means more than just being intolerant of transphobia as an idea, but speaking up against it too – at work, on the street or wherever we see it. It means more funding allocated to transgender healthcare, to deal with the growing demand and need for it. It means keeping services running and continuing to be inclusive, allowing transgender people to blossom in their chosen profession or hobby and ensuring their gender identity is respected. In 2020, I hope that everyone is able to express their gender however in a way that makes them feel comfortable and whole. Transgender people are people first and foremost, and all have lives worth living and lives worth showing. They are an active part in society and share your workplace, your gym, your supermarket and your social circles. Advertisement So let’s move forward with a willingness to learn and listen. It might seem obvious but I still feel compelled to say that we need to do away with all this hostility, anger and distrust towards transgender people. I don’t have all the answers but I think this would be a very good start. Not just for transgender people, but for everyone. MORE: When 331 trans people were murdered this year, it’s hard not to feel helpless MORE: Don’t believe what you read about transition regret MORE: Cancel culture can be toxic in the trans community Advertisement Advertisement

1484182694_1484170881

The Nifty ended 2019 on a strong note as it gained 12% to close near 12,150 zones, while the Sensex gained 14% to settle above 41,000 levels. The Nifty opened with marginal loss and breached its sequence of making higher highs, higher lows of last two sessions. The index formed a negative candle on daily chart; while we are witnessing formation of Doji kind of candle with long lower shadow on monthly chart. The index is expected to remain in the range of 12000 – 12300 in coming days. However, the overall trend is positive and we maintain our ‘buy’ on dips strategy till it holds above 12,100 levels. On upside, we may see an up move towards 12,250 –12,300 zone; while on the downside, the support is seen at 12,100 and then 12,000 levels. The Nifty ended 2019 on a strong note as it gained 12% to close near 12,150 zones, while the Sensex gained 14% to settle above 41,000 levels. On the broader front, midcap and smallcap Indices relatively underperformed but quality stocks managed to hold its gains. On the sectorial front, financials and energy indices ended higher while pharma, auto and metals indices relatively underperformed. Reversal in subscriber addition trend in telecom: After 10 months of weakness, the telecom industry expanded in Oct’19, with gross subscriber addition of 9.7m M-o-M to reach 1,183 million; active subscriber addition swelled 20.3 million to 981 million. This indicates that players are potentially focusing on quality subscribers. In Oct’19, RJio launched its IUC plans, which supported active/MBB subscriber run-rate for both Bharti and VIL. Bharti has regained its top position in active subscriber market share with 31.5%. VIL has the highest market share of 31.5% in gross subscribers; however, RJio is inching toward the top spot with market share of 30.8%. Broadband subscriber adds stood at 18.6m in Oct’19 (+9.3m in Sep’19) to reach 624m, forming 63.6% (+60bp MoM) of total active subscribers in the market. This healthy addition should support ARPU as MBB subscribers are high ARPU customers. We expect even better numbers in Nov’19, which would reflect the full month benefits.

Data is like statistics, you can use the data points and periods to effectively track the returns and then use them to make investment decisions, to plan the goals and reach milestones. In 2019, while the the 30-share S&P BSE Sensex has delivered around 14% returns, the broadmarkets could not match the benchmark’s performance. So, investment returns and the Sensex returns do not mirror. Can we know why? The Sensex comprises 30 stocks. And the investment portfolio of the investor will be the universe of stocks which will be outside of the 30-stock Sensex. And moreover, a handful of stocks within the Sensex has delivered the returns. In mid 2018, in order to streamline the Indian mutual fund industry, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) had issued guidelines for scheme categorisation. This definitely made the existing schemes align with the guidelines issued by Sebi. For instance, it defined large-cap as the top 100 companies in terms of market capitalisation with similar guidelines for mid-cap and small-cap funds. Category-wise returns If one looks at the category-wise one-year return of a large cap mutual fund scheme, which is a more reflective return on account of the scheme categorisation, the returns for the top 20 schemes vary from 4.3%-18%. Within the scheme also there is a large divergence in the returns. So ultimately, it is the stock selection and the holding period, which has made a difference. This is true in all the cases. The returns in majority of the mid-cap and small-cap schemes have delivered a low single digit or negative returns, with only one or two schemes delivering outlier returns. It is said that history repeats. So let us see what were the Sensex returns in the immediate past two years. In 2018, it was 5.9% (it definitely reflected on account of the re-organisation of the schemes as per the Sebi guidelines). In 2017, the returns were 27.9%. So the one-year returns for each of the past three years did not move secularly. What about the three-year rolling returns for each of the past years. In 2017, it was 8.28%. In 2018, it was 11.92% and in 2019,it is 15%. So , the three-year rolling Sensex returns reflected a much healthier picture as compared to a one-year return. All of this is data and how do we as an investor use this to our advantage in our investment journey? Short-term vs long-term returns Data is our friend and as one can notice there is a huge divergence in the returns in the short time frame. And in a longer time frame, the returns get normalised. From the beginning of the year 2010 till date, the Sensex has grown by 2.40 times. The annualised return is 9.1 % and this is after the Sensex return in the immediate following year 2011, delivered a negative return of 25%. When we compare data, point-to-point, what happens in the intervening period goes unobserved. Data is like statistics, you can use the data points and periods to effectively track the returns and then use them to make investment decisions, to plan the goals and reach milestones. Ultimately, it boils down to stock selection and the manner in which you have maintained your Emotional Quotient (EQ) in the investment journey. It is not incorrect to say that the temperament of the investor plays a bigger role in the investment journey. And adding to the temperament is the asset allocation which plays an important role and this is what the year 2019 has reinforced. As an investor, if you are investing in equity as an asset class, you should brace for periods of suboptimal or even negative returns . Diversification among the mutual fund scheme categories in line with the goals and milestones is the approach. And more importantly, ‘time in the market’ rather than ‘timing the market’ must be your approach to investments. The writer is managing partner, BellWether Advisors LLP

1484039552_1484122346

President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated his intention not to contest the 2023 presidential elections but determined to help strengthen the electoral process both in Nigeria and across Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that several ECOWAS members will be going to the polls in 2020. Buhari made his feelings known in a letter to Nigerians issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Wednesday to mark the commencement of 2020. He said his decision to help strengthen the electoral process, particularly in Nigeria, was informed by the frustrations the nation’s electoral system had triggered. “Elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. “I salute the commitment of the millions who voted in peace last February and of those leaders who contested for office vigorously but fairly, submitting to the authority of the electorate, the Independent National Electoral Commission and judicial process. “I understand very well the frustrations our system has in the past triggered. I will be standing down in 2023 and will not be available in any future elections. “But I am determined to help strengthen the electoral process both in Nigeria and across the region, where several ECOWAS members go to the polls this year,’’ he said. On security, the president said: “As Commander-in-Chief, my primary concern is the security of the nation and the safety of our citizens. “When I assumed office in May 2015 my first task was to rally our neighbours so that we could confront Boko Haram on a coordinated regional basis. Chaos is not a neighbour any of us hope for. “We have been fighting on several fronts: violent extremists, cultists and organised criminal networks. It has not been easy. “But as we are winning the war, we also look to the challenge of winning the peace, the reconstruction of lives, communities and markets.’’ According to the president, the North East Development Commission will work with local and international stakeholders to help create a new beginning for the region. He also expressed government’s readiness to continue to work with State Governors, neighbouring countries and the international partners to tackle the root causes of violent extremism and the networks that help finance and organise terror. “Our security forces will receive the best training and modern weaponry, and in turn will be held to the highest standards of professionalism and respect for human rights. “We will use all the human and emerging technological resources available to tackle kidnapping, banditry and armed robbery. “The new Ministry of Police Affairs increased recruitment of officers and the security reforms being introduced will build on what we are already delivering. “We will work tirelessly at home and with our allies in support of our policies to protect the security of life and property,’’ he added. Buhari maintained that his administration’s actions would be governed by the rule of law as well as engagement with well-meaning leaders and citizens to promote dialogue, partnership and understanding. “We need a democratic government that can guarantee peace and security to realise the full potential of our ingenious, entrepreneurial and hard-working people. “Our policies are designed to promote genuine, balanced growth that delivers jobs and rewards industry. “Our new Economic Advisory Council brings together respected and independent thinkers to advise me on a strategy that champions inclusive and balanced growth and above all fight poverty and safeguard national economic interests. “As we have sat down to celebrate with friends and family over this holiday season, for the first time in a generation our food plates have not all been filled with imports of products we know can easily be produced here at home,’’ he said. He also noted that the nation’s revolution in agriculture had become a reality in all corners of the country. The president expressed the hope that the new agreements with Morocco, Russia and others would help access on attractive terms the inputs the country needed to accelerate the transformation in farming. “A good example of commitment to this inclusive growth is the signing of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the creation of the National Action Committee to oversee its implementation and ensure the necessary safeguards are in place to allow us to fully capitalise on regional and continental markets. “The joint land border security exercise currently taking place is meant to safeguard Nigeria’s economy and security. No one can doubt that we have been good neighbours and good citizens. “We have been the helpers and shock-absorbers of the sub-region but we cannot allow our well-planned economic regeneration to be sabotaged. “As soon as we are satisfied that the safeguards are adequate, normal cross-border movements will be resumed,’’ he added.

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that he will leave office in 2023. He gave the assurance in a New Year letter to Nigerians sent to PREMIUM TIMES by the presidency. "I will be standing down in 2023 and will not be available in any future elections," the president wrote. "But I am determined to help strengthen the electoral process both in Nigeria and across the region, where several ECOWAS members go to the polls this year," he added. Mr Buhari's clarification comes amidst fears by some Nigerians that he was seeking a backdoor to continue in office beyond the constitutionally permitted 2023. The fears increased when some protesters called for a constitutional amendment to allow him stay in office beyond 2023. A member of Mr Buhari's party, APC, also approached the court to nullify the term limit set in the constitution. The party man later withdrew the suit after the APC distanced itself from it. Mr Buhari was first elected president in 2015 on the APC platform. He won reelection earlier this year defeating dozens of other candidates including Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party. In his letter titled, 'A Letter from the President at New Year', President Buhari stated that his primary concern is the security of the nation and the safety of its citizens. "When I assumed office in May 2015, my first task was to rally our neighbours so that we could confront Boko Haram on a coordinated regional basis. Chaos is not a neighbour any of us hope for. "We have been fighting on several fronts: violent extremists, cultists and organised criminal networks. It has not been easy. But as we are winning the war, we also look to the challenge of winning the peace, the reconstruction of lives, communities and markets. The North East Development Commission will work with local and international stakeholders to help create a new beginning for the North East," he said.

1483803313_1484223848

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Traffic officials spoke of their plans for DUI enforcement Wednesday, after a busy New Year's Eve with over 100 arrests on the roads. While the valley got through Dec. 31, 2019, with zero deaths, Andrew Bennett of The Nevada Office of Traffic Safety told 8 News Now too many people still chose to get behind the wheel impaired.

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Authorities were working at the scene of a bank robbery in northwest Las Vegas on Tuesday. The U.S. Bank branch at Craig Road and Jones Boulevard was closed while the investigation proceeded. Police released two photos of a suspect in the robbery of a U.S. Bank branch at Craig Road and Jones Boulevard on New Year’s Eve. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department) A suspect described as a black male, heavy-set, between 30 and 40 years old, approached two tellers with a handgun and demanded money. He left the bank, driving east in an older maroon 4-door. Authorities did not disclose how much money was taken in the robbery.

1483803779_1484625380

In April 2019, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke at Texas A&M University about his experience as director of the CIA. The video with his remarks was later shared by Russian international network RT. US-based MSNBC host and correspondent Joy Reid came under increased scrutiny this Tuesday after slamming US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for allegedly appearing on Russian TV network RT. In a now-deleted post, Reid retweeted a video with the RT logo of Pompeo speaking at Texas A&M University in April 2019 about his work at the CIA. Just like the user, who originally shared the clip, the TV host suggested that the US secretary of state had made the remarks while being a guest on the Russian news channel. In the video, that was previously shared by RT on its social media, Pompeo reflected on his work as the director of the CIA, while saying “we lied, we cheated, we stole”. “We had entire training courses”, the secretary of state said, when replying to a question about US foreign policy. Pompeo: 'I was the CIA director. We lied, we cheated, we stole' [April 2019] pic.twitter.com/f94BfEYMCQ — RT (@RT_com) December 8, 2019 Reid seemed to believe that the remarks were made during Pompeo’s supposed appearance on RT, which caused her vociferous reaction. “Can you imagine what Republicans would have said if Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had gone on Russian State TV and said this during the Obama administration?” Reid said in a now deleted tweet, as quoted by Fox News. “Now? Republicans are unphased by this remarkably brazen Kremlin bowing. Putin really did win the year Yet again, Joy Reid is blatantly lying and there will be no consequences at all because she works for MSNBC and is spreading lies to advance today's neo-McCarthyism. RT pulled a random clip of Pomepo's speech. In Reid's hands, this becomes: Pomepo "has gone on Russian State TV." https://t.co/x3EN6D2Z4b — Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 31, 2019 The MSNBC host was rebuked for the error, which prompted Reid to later delete the tweet and clarify that Pompeo’s comments were actually made in Texas. The correspondent, however, did not apologise for her mistake. This actually was said in Texas and was posted by RT. Updating for my thread. https://t.co/61zHaiZTCZ — Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) December 31, 2019 Netizens were shocked that Reid had managed to escape almost unscathed for such an egregious error, slamming the journalist for failing to do her homework before making bold statements. You should get facts straight first and not spread misinformation — Ellen Stevens (@EllenSt92614455) December 31, 2019 You’re a journalist, you have a responsibility to fact check information before making gut instinct reactions. You do not just damage your own credibility with such actions, but you are damaging modern journalism’s credibility when journalism is more important than ever. — E. (@machiavelliauo) December 31, 2019 So just an “update” but no apology for spreading fake news?? You are pathetic! — maria (@maria62514863) January 1, 2020 What happened to your tweet about Pompeo on Russia RT?? Did you right that??? What a clown! You don't even rate a Fake News! You get the pure BS rating! — MTPhillips (@MTP_IOH54) December 31, 2019 @JoyAnnReid lied about Pompeo like she often does about Trump but had to delete her tweet.... Stupid leftists are liars — W Johnson (@gymmratttt) January 1, 2020 I dont think you lied with the Pompeo tweet you deleted. I think you're an idiot and actually believed it. If you had any integrity you would have apologized for it. — BigCat (@ImTheRealBarry) January 1, 2020 Reid also came under fire back in 2018 after making dubious claims that some of her old blog posts containing homophobic statements were a result of hacker attacks.

Hullabaloo Wednesday, January 01, 2020 Pompeo the loose-lipped diplomat US State Dept Secretary Pompeo is on Putin’s State TV: “I was the CIA director. We lied, we cheated, we stole”. How patriotic! pic.twitter.com/zIzlajhkTf December 31, 2019 Pompeo actually made the remark in Texas and it was shown on RT. Nonetheless, it's more than a little bit disturbing to see the US Secretary of State say such a thing in public. But consider that he might have just been talking about his wife and himself: Susan Pompeo, wife of Central Intelligence Agency chief Mike Pompeo, has taken on an unusually active role for a CIA spouse in agency affairs since he started the job in January 2017, regularly spending her days at the agency, traveling with her husband, and attending agency social events -- seven sources with knowledge of the matter told CNN... While Pompeo does not technically have her own office, she frequents the seventh floor director's suite at CIA's campus in Langley, Virginia, where CIA employees often "assist Mrs. Pompeo in various ways," said Trapani. This includes preparing "materials, briefings, meeting agendas and so forth for our programs assisting spouses traveling overseas." She also works on projects for the Family Advisory Board, as well as providing support services to relocate CIA officers around the world. Pompeo should not say what he said. But that's what happens when Republican presidents inevitably try to put wingnut politicians in charge of the CIA. (Remember Porter Goss?) It is simply not a good idea to pluck some partisan ideologue with no serious experience out of the House and put him in charge of that big, secretive bureaucracy. That Pompeo was taken so seriously simply because he graduated first in a military academy, did a short stint at the CIA and went to Harvard years ago is proof that the GOP bench is very, very thin. If you would like to support this kind of independent media as we cover what is going to one doozy of a political year, you can do so below. And thank you so much for reading and supporting my work all these years. I am truly grateful. --- d dp 1/01/2020 03:00:00 PM

1484453446_1484205537

David Stern, the former commissioner of the NBA and one of the most important men in its history, died on Wednesday three weeks after suffering a brain hemorrhage in New York. The 77-year-old Stern had been involved with the league in some capacity for over 40 years, and it was his guiding hand that turned the league into the financial juggernaut that it is today. And so, let's dive into David Stern's legacy and look at some of the most important moments and decisions throughout his time with the NBA. Here is a timeline of Stern's tenure with the NBA. 1978: Hired by NBA as general counsel Before Stern was the commissioner, he was a lawyer. As a rising star at famed New York law firm Proskauer, Rose, Goetz & Mendelsohn, Stern worked with the NBA on a number of matters, including Oscar Robertson's suit against the league in 1966 and the 1976 merger between the NBA and ABA. Stern so endeared himself to the league office in that time that it hired him as its general counsel, before promoting him to executive vice president of the league and ultimately commissioner. 1983: Helps create salary cap Stern's greatest contribution to the NBA may have come before his commissionership. With several teams in dire financial straits and players on the verge of a strike, Stern helped create the first salary cap in the history of North American sports. The deal not only limited the spending power of big-market teams but as it was based on a percentage of revenue, effectively made players partners to ownership in the success or failure of the league as a whole. The NFL would not institute a salary cap of its own until 1994, and the NHL eventually followed a decade later following the 2004-05 lockout. 1984: Becomes commissioner Stern was officially named commissioner of the NBA on Feb. 1, 1984. He replaced Larry O'Brien, whom he would one day name the league's championship trophy after. Stern's tenure came at the height of the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird era, but at the time, the league was struggling to market its two biggest stars. Stern ultimately helped change that, turning the NBA into a star-driven league through aggressive marketing of its biggest personalities. 1985: Institutes Draft lottery Stern's first draft as a commissioner was a big one and the teams involved knew it. With Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley set to enter the NBA in 1984, a few organizations took steps to ensure that they would be in a position to draft one of those collegiate stars. To ensure that they would finish the season with the league's worst record, for example, the Houston Rockets played then-38-year-old Elvin Hayes 35 minutes during the season finale despite giving him only around 12 minutes per game throughout the regular season. Stern, sensing the tanking epidemic that would one day come, acted quickly to eradicate the problem. The system he inherited awarded draft picks based on record, with the two worst teams flipping a coin for the No. 1 overall pick. In 1985, he did away with that draft structure by instituting a lottery that gave every non-playoff team an equal chance at the No. 1 pick. The mechanics of the lottery would change again several times during Stern's tenure and beyond, but the league has kept the basic idea for three-and-a-half decades. 1990: Brings the NBA to NBC In the 1980s, the NBA Finals were often aired on tape delay. By the 1990s, the NBA Finals, when viewed as a whole series, put up viewership numbers comparable to the Super Bowl. Maximizing the league's television presence was a priority for Stern, and for 12 years, NBC was the league's first truly successful television partner. He would eventually bring the league to ESPN, ABC and Turner in 2002, and while there will always be ebbs and flows in ratings, it was Stern's stewardship that ultimately made the league the TV juggernaut that it is today. 1992: Creates the Dream Team Prior to 1992, NBA players were not allowed to compete in the Olympics. An embarrassing 1988 loss to the Soviet Union and the NBA's desire to push into the global marketplace changed all that. Stern helped build the Dream Team, a group of 11 NBA All-Stars (and one Christian Laettner) to don the red white and blue in Barcelona in front of the entire world. The plan was a complete success. Not only did Team USA storm its way to a gold medal, but the Dream Team stoked worldwide interest in basketball. Six years later, Dirk Nowitzki was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks and the era of the international player was born. The league now plays both exhibition and regular-season games on foreign soil. The last MVP honors Stern saw awarded went to Giannis Antetokounmpo, from Greece, and the last champion he got to watch was the Toronto Raptors, a team he helped put in Canada. The NBA's rise to global dominance was Stern's vision from the start, and will continue to play out long after his passing. 1998: Leads NBA through longest lockout in history The NBA endured a total of four lockouts under Stern, but none as contentious as the one that nearly killed the 1998-99 season. At that point, the soft salary cap instituted in the 1980s allowed player salaries to grow far beyond what was intended. By the 1997-98 season, 57 percent of basketball-related income went to players, whereas the CBA only called for them to receive 48 percent. The settlement eventually created the rookie salary scale, the max contract and the Mid-Level Exception. 2004: Eliminates hand-checking Scoring trended downwards throughout the 1980s and 1990s, making the league largely unwatchable. Stern took a number of steps to try to promote scoring and make the game more watchable, including introducing the defensive three-seconds rule and briefly shortening the 3-point line. The big winner, though, was the elimination of hand-checking. With any hand contact now considered a foul, smaller players could finally move about the court freely. Not coincidentally, the next two MVP awards were won by Steve Nash as his seven seconds or less Phoenix Suns dominated the league. Prior to the rule change, only two players had ever won the MVP award below 6'6'', and one of them was Charles Barkley, a power forward. In the 15 years since, Nash, Derrick Rose, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and James Harden have all done so. The shift from a size-based league to a skill-based league has been at the core of just about every positive development for the NBA over the past two decades. 2004: Issues longest suspension in NBA history (Ron Artest) Stern was known as a disciplinarian who strictly adhered to the letter of the law. In many cases, he did so unpopularly. His 1997 and 2007 suspensions of players on the New York Knicks, Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns for leaving the bench prematurely during altercations on the court may have swung championships in both seasons, but what happened in 2004 was undoubtedly a turning point for the league. Ron Artest broke the fourth wall of fandom when he charged into the stands to fight a fan that he believed had thrown a beer at him. Several other players followed in what would become the worst public relations crisis in recent NBA memory. Stern acted decisively and historically, issuing the longest suspension in NBA history to Artest by banning him for the rest of the season. This move, like his others, could have impacted the championship that season, but Stern's strictness ultimately created the thriving environment that has allowed Adam Silver to take a more relaxed attitude towards discipline. 2005: Institutes player dress code Stern recognized that the league had an image problem following the Malice at the Palace, so he decided to combat the problem at the source. If the players looked more professional, he reasoned, they would be viewed more professionally. And so, the league's dress code was born. What he couldn't have predicted, and has spoken of his enjoyment of, is what would happen next. Rather than fight the code, the players ultimately embraced it by making fashion a core element of their brands. The tunnel is now the NBA's version of a runway, and several players have become fashion icons as a direct result of Stern's dress code. 2011: Vetoes Chris Paul trade Most of the items on this timeline were undertaken in Stern's role as commissioner of the NBA. This one, however, was done as the interim owner of the then-New Orleans Hornets. The league had taken control of the team while seeking a buyer to replace George Shinn, and in the intervening period, general manager Dell Demps attempted to trade Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package that Stern deemed underwhelming for "basketball reasons." And so, he vetoed the deal. In the wake of The Decision and leaguewide fear that every small-market superstar would force his way to a major city, the veto was hailed as a leaguewide rebuttal to the player empowerment trend LeBron James started. It didn't end up as such. After all, Paul was eventually traded to Los Angeles anyway, but to the Clippers, not the Lakers. In the end, it was perhaps the greatest test of the power of his office. Stern, working for the owners, managed to act as an owner himself, and ultimately succeeded. It is unlikely the NBA ever needs to take over another team, but if it does, the Paul trade set a historic precedent for just how much control the league office would have over its operations. 2012: Issues $250,000 fine against Spurs for load-management One of Stern's final battles, and, with the benefit of hindsight, his great losses, came against the concept of load-management. Before it was a league-wide trend, it was the proprietary tactic of the San Antonio Spurs. When Gregg Popovich rested four of his best players during a nationally televised game against the Miami Heat, Stern responded by issuing a $250,000 fine of the organization. His hope was that doing so might dissuade other teams from considering load-management to be a realistic option, but nothing has been able to slow the trend down in recent years. Even Stern's record wasn't flawless. 2014: Retires Stern officially handed the reins over to Adam Silver on Jan. 31, 2014. His tenure lasted exactly 30 years, making him the longest-reigning commissioner in the history of American sports. Even after his retirement, he retained the title of commissioner emeritus, and while his passing concludes his official relationship with the NBA, he will forever be remembered as one of the most important figures in league history.

Former NBA Commissioner David Stern died on Wednesday at the age of 77. Stern was the commissioner of the NBA from 1984-2014 and was widely recognized for his role in growing the game nationally and globally. After retiring in 2014, Stern stayed involved with basketball and said the league "couldn't be in better shape." He is survived by his wife, Dianne Brock Stern, and two sons, Eric and Andrew. Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories. David Stern, the former NBA Commissioner, died on Wednesday at the age of 77, the league announced. Stern suffered a brain hemorrhage and underwent emergency surgery on December 12. Stern suffered a second brain hemorrhage and subsequent surgery on December 17. He is survived by his wife, Dianne Brock Stern, and two sons, Eric and Andrew. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement: "For 22 years, I had a courtside seat to watch David in action. He was a mentor and one of my dearest friends. We spent countless hours in the office, at arenas and on planes wherever the game would take us. Like every NBA legend, David had extraordinary talents, but with him it was always about the fundamentals – preparation, attention to detail and hard work. "Every member of the NBA family is the beneficiary of David's vision, generosity and inspiration. Our deepest condolences go out to David's wife, Dianne, their sons, Andrew and Eric, and their extended family, and we share our grief with everyone whose life was touched by him." Stern served as NBA Commissioner from 1984-2014. He is widely recognized for his role in the growth and expansion of the NBA and the sport around the world. A legal role working with the NBA Stern grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey. He graduated from Rutgers in 1963 and Columbia Law School in 1966. Shortly after graduating Columbia, Stern joined Proskauer Rose Goetz & Mendelsohn, the law firm that represented the NBA. With the firm, Stern worked on cases that included the ABA-NBA merger in 1976 and the development of free agency. Joining the NBA In 1978, then-NBA Commissioner Larry O'Brien convinced Stern to work for the league. Stern first joined as a counsel, until O'Brien created the role of executive vice president for Stern. Stern's responsibilities included "marketing, television and public relations," The New York Times reported in 1983. David Stern in 1983. Mario Suriani/AP Stern's early work included the introduction of a salary cap to help control player salaries in a financially unstable league and the implementation of drug policies, which were a problem for the league. In 1983, Stern was selected as the fourth commissioner of the NBA. "I told [team owners] of David's qualities and how I urged him to extend his work beyond the legal department," O'Brien said at the time. "By creating the position for him, it made him the No. 2 man. I'm extremely pleased that they have made the No. 2 man, the No. 1 man.'' When Stern took the job, he spoke of expanding the league's television ratings and expanding the game overseas. A growing league Stern's hiring coincided with the introduction of several marquee players, including Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, and John Stockton. The national popularity of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird was also gaining the league more attention. The emergence of Jordan ushered in a new era of popularity, helped, in part, by sneaker companies like Nike and Adidas. Under Stern, the NBA signed increasingly large TV deals, according to CBS — a two-year, $26 million deal with TBS in 1984; a four-year, $173 million deal with CBS in 1986; a four-year, $275 million deal with TNT and four-year, $601 million deal with NBC in 1990, to name a few. The league expanded from 23 teams in 1983-84 to 29 teams by 1995-96. Under Stern, a total of seven new franchises were introduced. Several teams also relocated. Michael Jordan is presented with the 1996 MVP trophy by David Stern. Charles Bennett/AP NBA TV ratings dipped following Jordan's retirement. In the 2000s, the NBA introduced several changes, including the elimination of hand-checking to open up the game to draw more fans. Despite occasional dips in interest and popularity, the NBA continued to grow under Stern. From 1990 to 2010, the salary cap rose from $20.6 million to over $60 million. In a 2006 profile of Stern, Sports Illustrated's Jack McCallum wrote that league revenues had grown "twelvefold" under Stern. Stern is perhaps most widely credited for growing the NBA internationally, as he helped open 13 global NBA offices and the staging of regular-season games in other countries. Stern also helped oversee the creation of the WNBA in 1996. Controversies during his tenure David Stern speaks to reporters during the 2011 lockout. Neilson Barnard/Getty Images) Stern's tenure as Commissioner was not without its bumps. Stern oversaw five lockouts — three with players, two with referees — two of which, in 1999 and 2011, forced reduced seasons. Stern was criticized for several policies, most famously the NBA's dress code. In 2005, the league-mandated that players wear business casual clothing to games and wear a dress jacket while sitting on the bench. Some players accused the policy of being racist. Other changes were considered flops. Players widely complained about a new ball that was introduced in 2006 until the league went back to the previous version. The league drew negative headlines for several big altercations, most notoriously the "Malice at the Palace" fight between Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers players and fans in 2006, which resulted in historic suspensions and fines. Playoff altercations between the New York Knicks and Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns also resulted in suspensions that affected the series outcomes. Conspiracy theories surrounded some of the biggest moments during Stern's tenure, though he denied them. The "frozen envelope" theory suggested an envelope was intentionally marked during the 1985 draft lottery to award the New York Knicks with the No. 1 pick, Patrick Ewing, to boost TV ratings. Stern famously lashed out at sports radio host Jim Rome for asking if the draft was rigged. There were also theories that Michael Jordan's first retirement in 1993 was due to a gambling suspension. Stern joked with ESPN about the rumor that he suspended Jordan in his own house: "My wife still wants to know where she was that day." Stern and the NBA came under fire in 2011 after vetoing a trade between the New Orleans Hornets, which the league ran at the time and the Los Angeles Lakers that would have sent star point guard Chris Paul to the Lakers. Some accused the NBA of trying to keep a large-market team like the Lakers from landing a star player. Retirement Adam Silver and David Stern. Getty Images Stern retired on February 1, 2014, 30 years to the day that he became NBA commissioner. Adam Silver succeeded him. Stern was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014. In 2019, Stern told ESPN's The Undefeated that he rarely attended NBA games, but frequently watched from home. He remained involved in the game, working with companies that worked on the physical and mental health of players. Stern told The Undefeated said he approved of the job Silver was doing, saying the NBA "couldn't be in better shape."

1484033215_1483957286

Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

These are the headlines that dominated the cannabis industry in 2019 -- what can we expect in 2020? January 1, 2020 6 min read This story originally appeared on MJBizDaily The U.S. cannabis industry experienced some momentous moves forward on the legalization front in 2019, but it also faced significant obstacles that reflected how the licensed marijuana sector is continuing to mature and why it cannot always expect boom times and unfettered growth. The top page views of the year at Marijuana Business Daily show the industry’s interest in both sides of the coin. Among the most viewed stories of the year were those that focused on: The vaping health scare. Illinois’ historic move as it became the first state in the country to legalize retail sales through its Legislature and the 11th overall to approve adult use. A key U.S. House committee’s approval of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act. California marijuana business headwinds such as those surrounding the illicit market and ongoing licensing barriers. What follows is a rundown of MJBizDaily’s top stories of the year, as determined by the number of page views on the U.S. site. RELATED: 20 Bold Predictions For The Cannabis Industry In 2020 1. Colorado’s Largest Cannabis Grower Loses Millions Of Dollars In Early Freeze: Supply Disruption Expected Los Sueños Farms, which is based in Pueblo, Colorado -- and is the largest marijuana cultivator in the state -- revealed in October that it lost millions of dollars because of an early winter storm. The industry braced for ripples throughout the cannabis supply chain in the state, reducing the amount of marijuana available to retailers and processors -- and meaning higher wholesale cannabis prices. By December, however, Los Sueños’ owner reported the outdoor harvest was still better than 2018, and the company had ample material for the extraction market. The grower estimated it lost roughly $7 million from the freeze. 2. U.S. House Panel Passes Federal Cannabis Legalization Bill In Historic Vote The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2019 passed a vote by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee in November. If adopted into law, the measure could open up huge business opportunities for legal marijuana nationwide, similar to the federal legalization of hemp. If the MORE Act does pass the full House in the 2020 election year, it still faces the huge obstacle represented by the Republican-controlled Senate. 3. UPS Sues California Cannabis Delivery Companies For Infringing On Trademark Underlining why putting a moniker on a cannabis business isn’t as easy as it sounds, Atlanta-based United Parcel Service accused a group of California marijuana businesses -- United Pot Smokers, UPS420 and THCPlant -- of using names and logos that are “confusingly similar” to the package-delivery giant’s name and shield logo. UPS also said the alleged infringement hurts its reputation through association with a marijuana company and further claimed the defendants have a reputation for offering “sham services” under the UPS mark and shield logo. RELATED: 3 Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn From The Vaping Industry 4. Deaths, Illnesses Related To Vaping Cannabis On The Rise, Health Authorities Say Concerns over marijuana vaping-related fatalities and illnesses began to dominate headlines in earnest in September as U.S. health officials urged people to stop vaping until it was determined why some consumers were coming down with serious breathing illnesses. Now at the end of 2019, the worst days of the vaping crisis appear to be behind the legal cannabis industry as evidence mounted that products from the illicit market were mainly to blame. The cannabis industry went on the offensive this year as marijuana businesses pushed to educate consumers about the importance of buying from the legal market. 5. Cannabis Industry Insiders Brace For Potential Fallout As Health Officials Report New Vaping Deaths As news of the vape health crisis and related deaths spread, some in the cannabis industry expected at least a temporary drop in sales for products such as disposable vape cartridges, and that did come to pass. The vape crisis hurt business in all recreational cannabis markets in the United States. And while vape sales moved up toward the end of the year in major markets, most have not yet fully recovered to where they were before. 6. 400-Plus California Marijuana Business Licenses Suspended, Injecting Fresh Uncertainty Into State’s Cannabis Industry In 2020, the legal marijuana business in California is likely to get worse before it gets better. And that’s after an already challenging 2019. For example, California suspended more than 400 marijuana business permits in November, which affected roughly 5 percent of the state’s legal cannabis supply chain. Marijuana businesses from retailers to distributors were affected and had to cease all sales until their licenses were reinstated to “active” status. Later in the month, however, industry observers said California’s licensed marijuana supply chain likely wouldn’t see huge effects from the permit suspensions, because many of the cannabis companies involved weren’t operational or were canceled business ventures. RELATED: The 10 Biggest Cannabis Stories Of 2019 7. Legal Cannabis Gifts Lead To New Business Practice In Michigan In January, a legal loophole in Michigan was pointed out that allowed individuals to give away cannabis free of charge. That led to a new business model by some companies in which they sold products such as non-infused candy or art and added a free bit of marijuana as a “gift.” Some entrepreneurs might have gotten the idea from Washington DC, where recreational cannabis is legal but sales are still prohibited and where gifting popped up as a way to sidestep the sales ban. 8. California Governor To Send National Guard To Combat Illegal Marijuana Growers California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an order in February that redeployed 360 National Guard troops from the U.S.-Mexico border to three other state-specific assignments. The move was welcomed by the state’s legal marijuana growers, which have long struggled against a thriving illicit market. 9. In Landmark Move, Illinois Lawmakers Approve Adult-Use Cannabis Program That Could Hit $2 Billion In Sales Illinois made the historic move in May of becoming the first state to legalize adult-use marijuana cultivation and sales through its Legislature. The announcement was cheered by the cannabis industry as it potentially created of one of the nation’s largest adult-use marijuana markets offering massive business opportunities. Marijuana Business Daily estimates the Illinois recreational market could eventually hit $2.5 billion a year in sales. 10. Marijuana Wholesale Prices On The Rise In Mature Recreational Markets As of August, wholesale cannabis prices looked to be going up in the recreational cannabis markets in Colorado, Oregon and Washington state, according to two reports and insights from growers. The upward price trend seemed related to stronger demand and weaker supply, growers going out of business and some farmers pivoting to hemp. To stay up to date on the latest marijuana-related news make sure to like Marijuana Business Daily on Facebook

1484034650_1484045967

Agra, Jan 1 (IANS) A bullion merchant along with his wife and daughter were found dead in a parked car on Yamuna Expressway near the Vrindavana cut. Mathura SSP Shalabh Mathur said prima facie it seems to be a case of suicide as a suicide note has been found from the car. The deceased have been identified as Neeraj Agarwal, 40, his wife Neha, 35, and their 8-year-old daughter.

The victim's car. (Photo credit: Anil Agarwal) AGRA: A 37-year-old bullion trader allegedly killed himself after shooting his wife and his minor daughter in his car near 105 milestones of Yamuna Expressway in Mathura on Wednesday.While the trader, Neeraj Agarwal, his wife, Neha ( 35) and his daughter, Dhanya (6), were found dead on the back seat of the car, his son, Shaurya (10), who was also shot at, is battling for his life in a hospital in Delhi.Police said that the incident took place after 12am on Wednesday. Police sources claimed that Neeraj was “depressed” due to long ongoing Enforcement directorate inquiry against him. The inquiry had reportedly been initiated after demonetisation. Police officials said that this could have been a plausible reason behind the murders and suicide.According to SP (city) AK Meena, the family hails from Mathura but had been staying in Delhi’s Mayur Vihar for the past few months. He said the injured boy was found breathing when the police broke the glass of the car and he was immediately rushed to Nayati hospital from where he was shifted to Apollo hospital, Delhi, as his condition was critical.Meena told TOI that small note was also found inside the car and the same has been sent for a forensic wing for checking its authenticity. He said, police found a pistol in Neeraj’s right hand and he had apparently shot himself on his right temple. While Neeraj was sitting on the driver’s seat, all the other three members of his family were on the back seat and car was locked. The SP said the bodies have been sent for post mortem.Talking to TOI, Neeraj’s father Dinesh Chandra Agarwal, claimed that Neeraj could not have committed this crime and this was a murder, planned by the trader’s enemies. He said some people had attacked and shot at Neeraj two years ago in Govardhan area and a police complaint was filed in this regard. Fortunately, he survived as the bullet nicked his car only.“My son and his family members were murdered,” he said, adding that his son Neeraj had shifted to Delhi around 7 months back and used to come to Mathura frequently. He said that his wife also hailed from Mathura’s Jaganathpuri area.He admitted that an ED inquiry was going on but Neeraj had filed an appeal in the case and this could not be the reason for his death.In Video: 37-year-old bullion trader, wife and daughter found dead in car near Yamuna Expressway

1484188357_1484324605

BOSTON (CBS) — The Cleveland Browns are starting over. Again. That could mean a big promotion for Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. After a disappointing 6-10 season, followed by the firing of head coach Freddie Kitchens on Monday, Cleveland has now parted ways with GM John Dorsey. Owner Jimmy Haslam wants a new front office structure, and Dorsey didn’t want to be part of it after running the Browns for the last two years. Enter McDaniels. The Ohio native is always connected to the Browns when they begin their annual head coaching search, and this time is no different. Cleveland reportedly requested a head coaching interview with McDaniels on Monday, but that may not be the only job they offer him when they get a chance to chat. According to NFL analyst Gil Brandy, the Browns may give McDaniels complete control of the team, very much like Bill Belichick has control of the New England Patriots. Don't be surprised if Browns target Josh McDaniels and hand him Belichick-like role with complete control of the groceries and menu. — Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) December 31, 2019 McDaniels has been itching to get another head coaching gig since last offseason, but he only interviewed for the Green Bay Packers opening and was not considered a finalist for the job. He was a hot commodity two years ago and was prepared to leave New England for the Indianapolis head coaching job, but Robert Kraft stepped in at the last minute and made McDaniels and offer he couldn’t refuse. McDaniels returned as New England’s offensive coordinator with a big raise, but is now ready to move on again. He got his first shot as a head coach with the Denver Broncos in 2009, but that did not go well for either party. McDaniels explored trading for Patriots backup QB Matt Cassel when he arrived in Denver, which upset Broncos starting QB Jay Cutler. The two sides couldn’t mend fences, and the Broncos were forced to trade Cutler to the Bears that offseason. McDaniels also drafted quarterback Tim Tebow in the first round in 2010, a questionable pick that was met with quite a bit of criticism. Though the Broncos started McDaniels’ first season on the sideline with six straight wins, they stumbled the rest of the way and missed the playoffs with an 8-8 record. He was fired after a 3-9 start to the 2010 season. He spent some time as an offensive assistant in St. Louis before returning to the Patriots in 2012, winning three more Super Bowls in the process. Now he’s ready to have another team of his own, and the Browns may be willing to give that and more to him. While Cleveland is a mess once again they have a promising roster, especially on offense with quarterback Baker Mayfield, running back Nick Chubb and wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. And if Cleveland gives him full control, it may be an offer too good to turn down — or back out of — for McDaniels.

Josh McDaniels Reportedly 'Lining up Staff' Ahead of Potential Departure From New England By Michael Luciano | Jan 01 2020 New England Patriots OC Josh McDaniels | Michael Hickey/Getty Images The New England Patriots have lost quite a few assistants to the head coaching market in the last few years, and the team could see its offensive coordinator wooed away by the promise of being the head man somewhere else. Josh McDaniels has been reportedly lining up a potential staff should he decide that he will leave the Patriots and take a head coaching job. Josh McDaniels "already lining up staff" for potential departure from Patriots to Cleveland or Carolina, @AlbertBreer says on "Early Edition"https://t.co/AZLfS2GCMb pic.twitter.com/mnHTYjLO1U — NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) January 2, 2020 McDaniels has been the one of the chief architects of the New England Patriots dynasty over the last decade, as he returned to New England following a disastrous stint as the head coach of the Denver Broncos a decade ago. The two teams that have been at the forefront of the McDaniels sweepstakes are the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers, both of whom want to pair their quarterbacks with a young offensive mind. Cleveland Browns requested permission to interview Patriots’ OC Josh McDaniels for their head-coaching vacancy, per source. Panthers also expected to request interview. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 30, 2019 McDaniels has a horrible two-year stint with the Broncos and his desertion of the Colts on his resume, but the driving force behind the Patriots offense over the last decade is still an innovative offensive mind, and he could make for an interesting hire in Cleveland or Carolina.